❪ 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

[givingback]

I talked to him. Real deal red white and blue super hero. He helped me in the snowstorm when I got separated from my mom.

[ With one last drag of her cigarette, Bree stubs it out as she exhales. ]

I'm perfectly normal. Except that I'm technically two-hundred years old.

[ She gives him a winning smile and in the grand scheme of things, is that really so bizarre? It can't be as bizarre as a lady in a ball. ]

[summertimeblues]

...Did you get his autograph? [Richie huffs.] I don't know, I'd have to meet him first. Sounds like you're pulling my leg.

[It's the kind of joke older kids would pull on little ones once in a while, though Richie was getting too old to be the butt of such pranks any longer. Only real babies bought into that stuff.

And then she goes and drops something equally strange — if not slightly more believable, given the queer earth they were sprawling on.]

Are you a vampire? [Blurted immediately. Forget her claims to normalcy, all bets were off now.] And here's stupid old me, leaving my garlic in my other pants.

[He rolls into a proper sit, peering down at her curiously.] How's that work? What happened to you?

[givingback]

Hopefully, you will. He was nice, even though before I realized I sort of...made fun of his outfit. To his face.

[ That had been super mortifying, but he'd taken it like a champ, so.

At Richie's question, Bree laughs - not at him, but at the idea of sitting here talking to him and the whole time, surprise, she's a vampire. ]

I'm not a vampire, don't they burn up in daylight? It's maybe a much more boring explanation than that. My mother's a time traveler.

[ This is the only time she's spoken of it, and whether or not Claire would approve remains to be seen - and perhaps never will be. But her actions impacted Bree's life, like it or not, so she's going to talk about it. ]

I was conceived in the 18th century but born in the 20th. Mind-bending stuff.

[summertimeblues]

[Wouldn't we all, Bree. Spandex is only svelte on the ice rink.

Richie would beg to differ. Boring? How could she even think that? And most vampires were pale and bug-eyed and walked around with their arms up and their fingers crooked, like they were apt to tickle you before taking a bite. Who'd want to look that stupid all the time?]

Con-seeved, huh? [He's pretty sure he knows that one. It's a euphemism for you know what. That's hilarious! And gross, but hilarious even so.] Crazy! Straight outta Weirdsville! Who's your dad? Napoleon? George Washington?

[givingback]

[ She's holding her breath, kind of hoping she doesn't have to explain what 'conceived' means, and she's really relieved when she doesn't. ]

As far as I know, he's just a really tall Scottish guy. He fought in a war? But no one famous, I guess. At least I don't think so. He's here though, and I only just found out about all of this a few months back, so it's been a thing, trying to get to know him or something.

[ Her drama is not interesting drama, Richie. ]

[summertimeblues]

[He's been stealing his dad's playboys for a while now, you're off the hook.]

I thought people were supposed to be shorter back in the old days. [He frowns.] Did he come to the future with you? Or did you get to go back and see him?

[givingback]

Not everyone, I guess? Or maybe he's just tall compared to others.

[ Bree is kind of a giant; her mother is tall too so Brianna stands at about 5'9. Giantess. ]

And neither, actually. He's here. My mom left him in the past to come back to modern times to have me. And she stayed there for twenty years, now she's gone back to the past. So really, the only way I'm seeing either of them now is because they're not in stasis. [ A beat goes by. ]

It's all super weird. Maybe I should have gone back in time, then I could've meet everyone.

1/2

[summertimeblues]

You should have. Think of all the crazy stuff you're missing! [He pauses.] Though, I think I'd go bananas if I didn't get to see American Bandstand anymore. Or if you had to poop in the bush all the time.

[Gross.]

So they both came with you? Boy are you lucky! I went looking and my folks aren't anywhere up there, but then I remem...

[Richie frowns. Stares off somewhere very far.] Dad went...it was '73. It was 1973 when he passed—

[His face screws up, as if searching for the meat of the matter were giving him a mighty migraine. Sure felt like it. Like there were needles driving into his brain all over, and one big old honker coming straight between his eyes—]

2/2

[summertimeblues]

[There isn't a crack of lightning or a poof of sparkles. Nothing quite so dramatic as that. One minute he's a pipsqueak with glasses thick enough to fry an anthill if you held them to the sun and beaver teeth too big for his baby mouth.

But blink once and then he's a man, falling onto the heels of his palms as the sting of the headache leaves him dizzy and blinking. No glasses here (if you looked closely you could see the faint rims of contacts hovering on the whites of his eyes), and his teeth look uniform through the twisted wince he's in. He's about Bree's height, dressed well, black curls better combed and cut, but the bags drag heavy under his eyes.

Tired. Old, even if he doesn't quite look all his thirty seven years. Bewildered more than anything once he gets his bearings. He looks to the targets, the turntable which is scratching static by now, and then to her. He blinks.]

—I...seventy...what?

[givingback]

[ She doesn't understand what's happening and Bree leaps up, taking a step backward and covering her mouth with her hands, eyes wide. ]

You...were...I don't...

[ Her hands drop, a look of sheer disbelief on her face. She was talking to a middle schooler (at MOST) ten seconds ago. ]

What in the hell just happened?

[summertimeblues]

[Upper elementary, as a matter of fact.

She's not hitting him or screaming, that's a point in her favor. Were they swapping positions Richie might not have been so magnanimous with his shock. For his part Richie's still swimming in his bewilderment, coming off his hands and plucking the discarded slingshot from under his belly. He holds it up, dimly aware of a recent need to fire a few slugs, punch a few holes in the old bullseye.]

Was I shooting cans?

[Nevermind, she's asking the real questions here. He looks up at her, appalled.]

Shit, sister, don't look at me! Last thing I remember is breakfast and the morning paper, and now we're... [He clutches his head.

No.

No, he's got a touch more recollection than that. A new perspective on Nysa from hip-height, peeped through ghastly glasses with tape fastening the middle. Shock turns to abject mortification.]

Was I...Jesus Lord in heaven above, I was a kid again. I was a fucking baby! And you — did you take me out here?

[givingback]

[ Bree is still dumbfounded, staring at him in shock. Although soon she'll go through the same thing, so one day they'll all laugh about this. ]

Yes. I..no, no, I didn't bring you here, but yes you were shooting cans. I heard your music, I walked up - do you not remember that? Any of it?

[ Ohhhhh what the hell. What in the hell? ]

[summertimeblues]

[They should have swapped immediately, rich turns old and bree turns wee.]

I...in parts. [Yes, that makes sense doesn't it? It's spotty but the dots are lining up. Richie leans over to click the turntable off, flipping the record off and checking for damage instinctively. What an idiot move. What if it had rained?] You're Bree. Right? You're Bree and you've...got a time-travelling mom who didn't let you play with slingshots.

[givingback]

[ #missedopportunity

Bree looks at him, just trying to see that kid in the full-grown adult. ]

I haven't been out of stasis very long so I have no idea if this is a normal thing or not. But you do remember. The slingshot bit was the most important part, so congratulations.

[ She's trying to lighten things, make a joke. Jesus this is weird. ]

[summertimeblues]

[Oh, great. Fantastic impression he must be making on her right now. Richie slips the record into the case adjacent, shaking his head.]

It's not normal, but it's hardly out of character for this nuthouse. I wish I could say this was the craziest thing to happen, but it's pretty tame all things considered. I'll take a baby romp over that rotting dragon business any day of the week. [He rises, but he takes the slingshot with him and bounces a rock in his hand. He looks over the cans with a wry grin.]

Man-a-living, I was a shit shot. What's that one about age and experience? [He notches the rock. Takes aim.

Beans it off the edge of the target with a loud twang.

Richie folds double in laughter, his cackle clattering through the still forest air like a gunshot.]

Hahaha, looks like horseshit to me! Fuck! [He rights himself, still snickering, and thrusts the shooter at Bree, .] Here, you keep it. Your beginner's luck has got to be better than twenty seven years of bupkis. Don't tell your mommy on me, capisce?

[givingback]

[ Honestly? This seems like the tamest thing that's happened since she came out of stasis, so she agrees for now. ]

So you didn't get better, but at least you got to do something you loved.

[ Bree smiles a little, raising an eyebrow as she holds out her hand and accepts it. Then she laughs, shaking her head. ] I won't tell my mother, promise. But I am for sure gonna let you - or little you - down with my terrible precision skills.