❪ event ❫ a moment in eternity

[natha]

TO THERE AND BACK     It has been a month of chills uncharacteristic of what you might remember as summer — cold days and even colder nights. The days are short and the nights feel eternal. With the recent disruption of the network and no sign of a resolution for the world outside of Nadril, one has to wonder what the future holds for El Nysa. What of Olympia, Wyver, and their residents? The animals you cared for - are they destined to remain as frozen as wretched Ysverai forever? What will become of the sleeping ones in Thesa when there is nowhere else to go but this icy city? Yet not all hope is lost just yet. The woman that appeared at the start of the network errors finally shows up again in another network post. Greetings to you all. I apologize for my abrupt appearance and departure before… My name is Nurray, and I am the closest thing to a monarch that you will find here in Nadril. Magda is... indisposed, so I am here to speak to you in his place. First and foremost, you will notice that your network devices are fully functional once more. Should you experience any further issues, please report them to me immediately so that it can be taken care of. Secondly… Investigating the strange frequency interference we've been experiencing has brought some troubling data to light. The passage of time outside of this colony has been halted, of course, but the hold seems... unstable. Whatever it is that Darma has done to contain the calamity, I doubt that it will last for long. Time is an unpredictable force, and attempting to control it can only have adverse effects on the world. You could stay here if you so chose, outside the reach of that magic... but to do that would be to abandon the rest of this planet to an unenviable fate. ...ah, but there is no need to take my word for it. You can see the effects for yourselves, if you wish — merely look outside. "Seeing is believing"... isn’t that the phrase? Nurray has a point: refugees have not been given a chance to see the outside. The frequent snowstorm barrier of Nadril has made it impossible to see what it's like beyond the colony. Soon after the network post, as though the snow has been "turned off," clouds will clear. With the barrier created by the snow gone, the red sun shines brightly upon the dreary city with its warmth. You can see a purple haze on the south horizon, a indication that Yservai wasn’t all just a dream. He's still there, so far away, yet so close anyway. Near the entrance, a mound of snow melts, revealing steps leading towards the underground. It seems to be a part of the subway station you might have found earlier during your exploration of the colony — this time, the station has been powered on. Two trains lie in wait — their destinations read: Olympia and Wyver. — El Nysa is waiting. FREEZE FRAME     The technology found in the subway station of Nadril is truly out of this world. The combined efforts of Natha technology and alien minds have truly created state-of-the-art transportation never before seen by the typical Nysan. It takes no longer than one hour for the intercoms to announce their arrival to the outskirts of the Dranbu Kingdom — though, even with the platform available, the train never stops; it instead continues for another half hour for it to reach the North Gate of the Olympian Empire, where it sits until it's time to return to the tundra. All in all, it takes a mere hour and a half for this high-speed subway travel from Nadril to Olympia. The second train does make a quick stop at the Olympian Station, but it will be another painless hour and a half until it reaches the jungle of the Wyver Kingdom. Because Wyver is its own island, connected only by a bridge, you might notice that a small part of the travel was underwater. The trip takes only a total of three hours, but there's plenty of time for sightseeing. After all, isn't that the whole point of this trip? BE STILL MY HEART. Leaving the train, you are immediately hit with the still, warm air of the underground. It's hot, much different from the winter of the north, but perhaps a welcome change. The station is old, but it still has a fairly new smell to it, and not just because it's been unused for so long. It feels out of place compared to the rest of this world, and this is especially true when you reach the surface. The entrance was hidden under the earth right near the North Gate. Upon leaving the station, you're immediately hit with the familiar wretched smell and atmosphere of the undead. Even if you're new, you won’tt be able to miss Ysverai, the risen Great Dragon. You see this massive creature on the horizon, mouth wide and ready to blast El Nysa into nothing. Yet he remains still — as are all the terrified residents of Olympia. You've only seen this on the monitors of Thesa Station, and now you're able to experience first-hand how utterly quiet and still the world is now. The native Olympians are all over — you see most of them running away from the Great Dragon. Others equipped their armors and rode their steeds straight toward the danger in hopes of protecting their Empire. And the civilians, having lost all hope, are huddled together — at least they would have been able to spend their final moments with loved ones. Up on Thesa Station, you felt dread when you'd observed Ysverai for too long — this remains true here. That dread reaches your heart and clutches it. You feel his pain and suffering, and for those too in tune with emotions, it may be too much for you to be near him. Best to steer clear from him, or perhaps return to the underground. There is much more to be seen, after all. PRAYING WITH FIRE. Another hour and a half south on the subway, and you'll reach the Wyver Station. It's far warmer here in the station this further south, but Ysverai's dread doesn't reach here. On the surface, you are instead immediately hit with the overwhelming humidity of the jungle. With summer in full swing, the layers you've brought with you from Nadril become a burden. In Wyver, the mood is far different. The Great Dragon Yservai was once a being that was respected and worshipped by the Wyver people — not to mention that the one responsible is none other than Prince Raysc — thus his revival is met with somber resilience. Most of Wyver natives, instead of running away, had gathered around fires in prayer. Trained dragons that were unaffected by Ysverai's influence bow by their master's sides in acceptance of what they feel in their heart is to come with the Great Dragon's final blow. You may even spot your own dragon, eyes beamed up toward Thesa, like it knows you were up there at the moment time stood still. It's hard to imagine where one can go from here. You might start thinking about clean-up efforts, how to achieve proper burials for the fallen ones... but with time frozen, you will find that you cannot actually move anything or anyone. It will be dusk, as Thesa's shines across the skies, when storm cloud gather before Thesa's light. And from the clouds is a familiar figure — Once again, she has descended. TIME & TIME AGAIN     Darma is glowing as bright as the naked eye can perceive. Her massive, true form floats before the world she's built from dust. Is this world salvageable in your eyes, Refugee? We held time in hopes that we fould find a way to dissolve this Ysverai back to the ashes from which he was reanimated. Unfortunately, we continue to be unseeing, thus uncertain of the future... after all, our powers are near depleted. Nurray was correct, Refugee, in that I cannot hold time for much longer. There is... another way, however. It is not ideal by any means, but we shall do what we must to keep Ysverai frozen. As for us... we have expended far too much of our energy — Refugee, I am too aware of the misfortunes you've experienced in your time here. I have failed in my promise to provide better living... perhaps, with more time, I may yet see a better future. Until then, I leave Thesa, our hearts, in your hands. Farewell, Refugee. Her brightness dims as she says her final words — at the same time, raises her arms, palms wide, then closes her hands into a fist. In that instant, time is resumed. It's slow at first, as though time is trying to catch up with reality. It takes a several moments until the slow-motion picture before them reaches normalcy. Darma turns her attention to Yservai, whose motion is also returning, but not for long. In her true form, they are comparable in size; Darma's glow continues to dim as she draws closer to the Great Dragon, and then she coils herself around him, holding him still before assimilating into the wretched creature. By the end of it, time has completely returned to normal, and all residents were able to witness the Natha holding time still for Ysverai — The process turns the Great Dragon, as well as Darma, into stone. HIT PLAY TO REPLAY     Darma has resumed time, and Ysverai is no longer a threat. However, it comes with a hefty price for the Natha. The massive, stone statue of Darma embracing Ysverai looms in the valley between the cities of Olympia and Wyver. It's no doubt an intimidating addition to the world, but there is some peace in knowing it's all over. When civilians finally come to, they can't help but look upon the statue in awe — and their respective cities. It's much to take in all at once. Much destruction has been wrought— buildings lay in ruin, and of the citizens still alive, many look to be in poor physical condition. 1. I. The Sanctuary has sustained much damage, and with the high demand of medical care, cannot serve as the central healing place for those in need. Instead, it is up to individual citizens to find resources and establish places of care. Those with a medical inclination or healing powers may set up medical tents, or work out of their homes. Not everything has been destroyed, and it is still possible to obtain supplies from the market or request them from The Sanctuary. There is also, unfortunately, the tragic task of transporting corpses to graveyards and giving fallen citizens a proper burial. The Temples thank you for your service. II. In order to have a functioning city again, buildings and facilities must be repaired and rebuilt. It's possible your own home was demolished in the battle. With so many important buildings needing to be repaired, city officials are too overwhelmed with the coordination of such tasks to double-check that buildings are restored to their original form. What's more, they seem to encourage design innovation, believing that a new, fresh look to the city will revitalize people's morale. Now is the time to put your own unique flair on the interior or exterior of Olympia's infrastructure. Even parts of the Palace need repair. Time has resumed, yes, but the magic that Darma employs isn't flawless. As powerful of an entity as she may be, to tamper with time is difficult. Some would say it defies the laws of nature. Nature seems to agree, and in the next few weeks, El Nysa will be facing a few hiccups as it finds its equilibrium once more and citizens try to return to normalcy. Strangely enough, El Nysa natives are not disturbed by the occurrence of these events. III. Characters may find that they occasionally (or frequently) suffer from lapses in memory. These difficulties with memory may range from light to severe, although they are thankfully not permanent. Within the span of a few minutes to a few hours, difficulties in remembering people and events are resolved. That isn't to say a similar problem won’t happen again tomorrow… IV. Is it just you, or is your housemate looking a bit old lately? No, it isn't just stress making some citizens appear older. For a short amount of time, some characters may find themselves advancing or regressing in age, both physically and mentally. This particular kind of time hiccup is rare and may be particularly disturbing to the affected person’s friends. Thankfully, there have been no cases of this effect lasting more than an hour. V. At times, it seems as though objects and people in El Nysa will feel a bit out of place. These are beings and things that belong to what some may call "alternate universes." Their presence is transient, and some will only appear for a few instances before returning to their rightful existence. The ones that linger a bit longer, however, may make your day more interesting. Before you stands a pet just like yours, except it talks...? Perhaps you'll meet another version of yourself, a more bloodthirsty version of yourself. Or maybe you'll run into a version of your friend that really enjoys your company. The possibilities are truly endless, and potentially mortifying. VI. Towards the end of the month, the frequency of the aforementioned disturbances will decrease. Following this will be an increase in a different sort of disturbance: one that will either make literal seconds seem like an eternity, or force you to move and talk at a speed you never thought possible. It's as though some higher entity is pressing the fast forward or slow down button on life, and considering your mind works at the same pace as normal, the phenomenon is as frustrating as it sounds. Hope you weren't planning to be on time for anything, because it might be awhile before the universe allows you to take that next step. But these phenomena does draw to a close — and with it, you may wonder what will happen now to those sleeping ones in Thesa now that Darma has turned to stone. After all, it will be near the time of which more refugees should wake... Repairs to Thesa Station should remain ongoing so long as parts can be salvaged from Nadril, at least. And with speed travel via subway possible, it should make travel far easier than ever before. Even with Darma gone, you will have to move forward. There is still much to be done. FINAL OOC NOTES     You may acquire REP for Nadril, and either Olympia or Wyver in this log. An AC-eligible thread for ONE (1) NADRIL REP POINT may be submitted HERE BY AUGUST 26TH, 11:59 PM EST. A second AC-eligible thread for 1 REP for either Olympia OR Wyver may be submitted HERE OR HERE BY AUGUST 26TH, 11:59 PM EST. Please direct questions to the questions thread below! Thank you! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[thedarkbond]

Hmm...I'll hold you to that... [He says it innocently enough, but hey, if Juno's going to imply he'd dress up in other circumstances, Ren will take him at his word.

It's an interesting point he goes on to, though - something as simple as a false identity apparently having form in another world. Ren gives a lengthy hum, tapping his lip with one finger.]

You wouldn't with something like that, would you? [It's odd, but Ren can't help but laugh a moment later.] Though I'm not sure I can picture you playing that kind of attitude quite as well. You're too grumpy and reserved for that.

[stuns]

[ you better not be holding him to anything. juno squints a little as he says that before shaking his head. his shoulders edge upwards just slightly as he taps fingers a bit on his folded arms now. ]

Sounds like Dahlia outplayed me, which kind of doesn't surprise me. I didn't do so hot with that cover when I was using the name.

[ at least, he's not sure if he did or not. dahlia had... a lot going on. a husband that juno wasn't aware he had, a card game he was invited to that he wanted nothing to do with. he looks a little defeated at that, but nothing more. ]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren laughs a little at that.] Well, there's nothing wrong with being grumpy and reserved either. It's cute, and fun to play with.

[Somehow, Ren's tone is...still bright and innocent in saying that, instead of back to his more questionable one. Though even in his more innocent years, he was never not the type to mess around with people a bit, really.]

What kind of case needed a cover like that, anyway...?

[stuns]

[ uh!!!!

juno seems a little startled by that statement, and if he could flush, he would, but seeing as how he's actually a little concerned that dahlia is running around, he's a bit more worried about him finding nureyev and possibly blowing his cover.

he lifts a hand and rubs his jaw a little to diffuse the heat gathering in his face. ]

Getting an alien bomb off the fasted vault on Mars. Had to go undercover at a casino.

[thedarkbond]

[Unfortunately, Ren can identify the motion of someone trying not to show a facial expression, and his attention focuses that tiny bit more on Juno even as he carries on in his generally airheaded tone.]

Oh? That would have been pretty fun to watch, since you said you didn't know much about tabletop games...it's always kind of adorable to watch people try to fit in in places like that...

[He's just going to keep right on using those cute words.] I think seeing you try to keep the right presence for that kind of outfit would have been pretty cute too. Though I guess you probably would've been thinking more about the bomb.

[He drops that as if it's somewhat of an afterthought...which is kind of is for him, since he's busy trying to make Juno make a cute face.]

[stuns]

[ god why is he like this?????? juno shifts a little with a withering sigh, trying to scramble for the last dregs of his composure (and patience) even though between the heat at his face and the slight pounding in his temple it's very difficult to do so. ]

I barely had the time to try, the guy knew who I was right away. I've got a talent for attracting everyone who wants to kill me within a thousand mile radius.

[ did you want a cute face? you get a half pout, still flush. it's embarrassing to admit that. especially when he was undercover to start with, and hardly of his own free will. dammit nureyev. ]

But yeah, I might have been a little preoccupied...

[thedarkbond]

[Ren initially doesn't even respond to Juno's actual words, instead just raising a hand to point at that pouty, embarrassed look.] Oh, good, that's the kind of cute face I wanted to see. It suits you~

[Because that absolutely, one hundred percent needed to be said before he goes on to actually acknowledge that Juno Said Words That Mean Things. He's still smiling a little airheadedly when he does, though.]

It's interesting to have lots of strong opponents, though, isn't it? I guess it might get a little tiring if all of them are trying to kill you, but that just means the stakes are nice and high.

[Ren is the kind of person who responds to even world-ending threats with the two extremes of "whining that he's too tired for this garbage" or "openly claiming he doesn't give a damn what happens to the world, he just wants to stomp on whoever's trying to end it".]

[stuns]

[ juno has to wonder just why the hell ren has to be like this. he tries to ignore the remark about the whole "cute face" deal, ducking his head just slightly and trying to make it look as absolutely natural as possible. however, being exactly who he is, it looks anything but natural and far more... avoidant. ]

Everyone needs a vacation now and then from all the death threats. You know, one time someone went as far as to write my name in blood on a wall... [ he makes a face. eugh. ] some people get real dramatic about it.

[ he nods forward: ] You got a few?

[thedarkbond]

[Ren hums a little at that question, tucking his hands behind his back and tapping the tip of one boot against the ground in a cute, innocent gesture like some kind of sweet summer maiden remembering her loves, except his smile is a tiny bit too hungry for that.]

Well, they're not usually trying to kill me, but I've fought a lot of different kinds of strong people. Some of them were pretty dramatic about it too, but I prefer them to be a little entertaining for me before I crush them under my heel.

[His tone remains silvery and almost too light throughout that, a fond and reminiscent sort of manner that stands in high contrast to the actual words.]

[stuns]

[ oh it's definitely a bit too... much to be something innocent. in a way, it reminds juno of a much more tempered down cecil - one who isn't as blood thirsty and willing to murder him for the sake of the ratings. he definitely... likes ren more than cecil, which may or may not say a lot (it doesn't, but feelings are strange, to be honest.) ]

From what I just saw, yeah, I can tell you really enjoy that... Literally even.

[ he does seem at least a little more at ease, though not completely. ]

Last time someone tried to be dramatic about something, they tied me to a chair and tried to take my head off while on a live stream....

[thedarkbond]

Well, I wouldn't lie about something like that, would I~? [Ren winks slightly at Juno, expression settling into something somewhat more amused than anything. He doesn't exactly have much in the way of shame to speak of when it comes to talking about what he finds fun to play with.

He frowns a bit at Juno's other remark, though, resting his head on his knuckles with a slightly pouty look.] That's pretty rude of them. It could've been fun if they'd asked nicely to do it...minus the taking your head off part, obviously...

[Ignore what else someone might be doing to someone tied to a chair on a live stream, clearly the only problem is the head removal and the fact that they didn't ask permission.]

[stuns]

[ well. at least ren has his priorities straight. juno was totally worried about that. definitely. just. concerned. he shakes his head a little and maybe there's a tight laugh that slips out past his lips. it's not exactly the fun kind. ]

Yeah, well the Kanagawas have a funny way of slipping it into the fine print. When it comes to them, they'll do anything for the ratings even if it means live decapitation.

[thedarkbond]

[That actually has Ren looking a lot more disappointed about the whole thing, letting out a hefty sigh as if this is exactly the sort of awful transgression he's had to deal with a thousand times over himself.]

What is it with villains and making things boring so they can draw attention to themselves...? None of them have any sense of fun...all the ones I fought were even more boring, they didn't even tie me or anyone interesting up, they just monologued a lot and said a bunch of trite things...

[Ren has a lot of Opinions about bad boring villains, having been a much more interesting (in his opinion) one himself. He tries not to mention that particular detail unless he has to, though.]

[stuns]

[ he wouldn't say the kanagawas are boring so much that they're... predictable. the last time he had to deal with them prior to the case of grim's mask, well... he definitely wouldn't call it boring. but the kanagawas have a modus operandi, and they've got a flair that's all their own. once you catch onto it, he supposes it could be considered a little boring.

he's been known to be a little blasé about it all, but that's just because he's used to it. ]

Past experience says they don't have anything better to do. [ shaking his head with a slight chuckle. ] They were probably hoping to talk your ears off so that you'd just give up. Couldn't agree more - that gets a little boring.

[ except his monologues. those are just art ok. but u won't know bc they're usually done when he's alone and mopey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

[thedarkbond]

[Boring and predictable are pretty much the same thing as far as Ren's concerned, so that's not much of an argument to him. His mouth tweaks into a bit of a petulant pout at the reasoning given there, though.]

They should get a better motivation, then... [He'd always had a very good one, which meant he usually limited his monologuing to situations where it was actually entertaining. To a certain value of the term.] If they wanted us to give up, they shouldn't talk about how they can't be stopped and bragging things like that...that just makes me want to watch them squirm under my heel even more...

[Ren's tone remains pouty and petulant despite that abrupt right turn into the extremely questionable.]

1/2

[stuns]

[ this face. ]

i just rly wanted to use that icon

[stuns]

[ it lasts for maybe half a second towards the end - there we are, back to That Old Chestnut, which juno really shouldn't say anything about all things considered after their weird anonymous conversation a while ago. instead, he just sighs heavily, the way someone does as they literally deflate. ]

What sort of enemies have you ended up making doing what you do? [ he can't help but be curious. ]

it's a good icon...

[thedarkbond]

[Ren shrugs slightly, a difficult-to-read smile coming onto his face. He...doesn't know if he's quite ready to be honest with anyone about Cray yet, largely because it still hurts too much to talk about at this point, but he doesn't necessarily have to lie either.]

I was pretty important and well-known in my world, so I got targeted a few times. You'd be surprised how many people who want to end the world want someone like me out of the way...

[Well, Ren isn't surprised, because Vanguard was effectively a conduit between Earth and Cray and Ren was a world-class player without even getting into everything about Psyqualia, but it probably sounds less believable based on limited information.]

[stuns]

[ he blinks rapidly at that, the look on his face one that's twisted up skeptically. then again, ren did mention something a while back about being deep in business, right? that would make sense... ]

End the world, huh? Sounds... pretty dramatic. And ambitious. Takes a lot to end the damn world.

[thedarkbond]

Yeah, people actually tried a few times... [Ren takes a moment to mull on that, counting each instance he can recall off on his fingers as he does. He won't count his vague maybe-aspirations about taking over the world when he got to the crux of his own villainy, since destroying it wouldn't have really been any fun anyway. So that leaves Leon...and Link Joker...that one traitor nobody liked...Link Joker again...

After a few moments, Ren holds six fingers up, three on each hand.] Six that I remember. And then the Storm came not long after the most recent time.

[There's something uncharacteristically subdued about that last bit, so Ren tries to pass it over with a brighter remark.] But we had a pretty good track record of stopping it before then~

[stuns]

[ juno eyes those six fingers for a beat, eyes indicating that he's somewhat impressed. sure he's had some repeat customers in terms of people he'd consider "adversaries" if we're putting it like that, but most of the time their needs encompassed the city and not the entire planet (unlike miasma, who definitely definitely wanted to put down the entire planet, but that was pretty much? the only time?)

at the mention of the storm, his eyes get just slightly softer. ] Yeah, talk about a real party crasher. Gotta say this is the first time I've heard of a storm wiping out actual worlds.

[ his brow knits. ] You have to wonder who had the power to make that kind of thing and succeed. The fact that the Natha haven't managed to stop it even though they seem like they could... it's hard to believe.

[thedarkbond]

[Ren smiles in a manner that's trying to be careless, but has a rather bitter twist to it. He always has a bit more trouble concealing feelings as raw as loss, and he'd lost more than one planet to the Storm.]

I'm very curious about it myself. [Ren's tone is as delicate as ever, but there's something...a little more about it, and more about him, as if his presence has somehow become that much more overbearing without so much as a move from him. It's the voice and manner of the kind of promise that also promises to be extremely unpleasant for whoever happens to be on the other end, and there's a slight breathiness as if of anticipation to Ren's tone.] In fact, I'd love to find out just who it is...I think we could have an entertaining talk...

[Very entertaining. For Ren. If probably somewhat one-sided, because screaming is a little difficult for him to respond to politely.]

[stuns]

[ he watches ren carefully as he speaks. a creature of observation, it isn't hard to latch onto the little changes in ren's tone, subtle but there, clearly stimulated by the reminder of just what they've lost to the storm, what the natha have supposedly saved them all from. ]

We're gonna have to take a number and get in line considering everyone they've brought along.

[thedarkbond]

Mmm...I don't really like waiting, though...I can be pretty convincing about that sort of thing...

[The kind of "convincing" that nobody really wants to hear about in detail, most likely. He does give a slight sigh as if in resignation, though, since he's probably at least going to have to wait until they can find anyone.]

I guess if stuff like this is going to happen, though, it might be a more fun wait...maybe an alternate of Aichi-kun might show up too for me to play around with a bit...or Tetsu, though he's just serious like Kai...

[Juno is continuing a proud tradition of serious people Ren likes to screw with, apparently.] Have you not seen anyone new from your world yet?

[stuns]

No one. Can't decide if it's for the best or not.

[ juno gives a shake of his head. it's just been nureyev and him for the past couple of months. frankly, he could use an extra head like alessandra's or rita's tech brilliance to maybe investigate this natha business deeper, but really?

who wants to have to confront the fact that their entire world, everything they've ever known, has been blasted to smithereens by some strange storm that's completely out of their hands. certainly not juno steel, but he's had his face rubbed into it more times than he can count and he's hating it more and more. ]

Business partners of yours?

[ he doesn't know!!! ]