❪ 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

[personalwar]

[ Gabriel doesn't do much to clarify how they ended up here, or why he looks like he's taken a trip in a time machine. Probably because he doesn't have the answers either, which isn't a good sign. If someone or something has managed to displace both of them, there's no telling what they're dealing with.

At the question, Jack frowns and shrugs, because it's not like he'd been in a situation that could have led to a kidnapping, as far as he can remember. He looks around them to make sure no one is too close before he answers. ]

Nothing out of the ordinary. I was at HQ. Everything was normal... or at least as normal as things get for us.

[ It takes a lot to throw Jack off these days, but this has pulled it off. At least he has Gabe here as a grounding force. Even if something's been done to him, he isn't acting strange, at least. ]

How about you?

[gravemistake]

[Gabriel can feel that Jack is staring, and it's almost laughable what he doesn't know--that not so long ago their roles were entirely reversed, and Gabriel was left wondering what the hell happened to Jack.

He still doesn't know the answer to that. He doubts this version of Morrison will be able to tell him, and unfortunately the last thing he remembers is not very descriptive.]

Didn't spend any time on a space station? No aliens?

[He's aware that might make him sound crazy if Jack really doesn't know what's going on, but the answer will help him out, at least.]

[personalwar]

[ The thing about Gabriel is that he can deliver just about any sentence, no matter how ridiculous, with a straight face and a neutral tone. That makes it hard to know when he's joking around and when he's actually serious, and Jack has to assume that in this case, it's the former. ]

Now isn't the time to be pulling my leg. [ Jack huffs out a breath and drags a hand through his hair, mussing it. ] Come on, Gabe.

[ There's currently work on a lunar colony going on, but that's a far cry from anything to do with aliens. If anything, it looks like they've gone back in time, not forward. ]

Do we need to find somewhere more private to talk?

[ Maybe that's why Gabe is beating around the bush, but Jack doesn't have the patience for it right now. They need to get to the bottom of this. ]

[gravemistake]

I would never joke about aliens, Jack.

[But of course, he says that with the same level of seriousness he's said everything else. Jack mentions they should go somewhere private, but Gabriel is already pulling him away from any activity, as if they're having the same thought at the same time.

He can't be sure that anywhere is private, really, but the least he can do is get Jack out of the way of prying eyes and ears.]

You look good. Did you do something with your hair?

[It's his way of acknowledging that the two of them are definitely separated by some years--not that he's really able to discern how or why. For all he knows, the older, scarred-up Jack is still running around somewhere and now Gabriel is going to have to deal with two of them.]

[personalwar]

[ Gabriel would absolutely joke about aliens, but Jack doesn't respond to the remark, because at this point he just wants some actual answers, and the sooner they get out of earshot of other people, the sooner he'll be able to get Gabriel to spill the beans.

The comment about his hair only causes him to roll his eyes, though it's good to have some acknowledgement from Gabriel that something is off here. Not just with their obviously strange surroundings, but with the two of them. ]

Not as far as I know. You're the one who's got a few more scars than I remember.

[ Jack sounds uncertain bordering on concerned as he says that, because he's completely out of his depth here, and with even Gabriel not looking like he should, it's hard not to feel like he's had the entire rug pulled out from under him.

Even so, he lets Gabriel drag him to wherever they're going. Gabe might look older, but Jack still trusts him without a second thought. ]

[gravemistake]

And they look good.

[Unlike, say, Jack's hair in the future, but that's not something they really need to discuss further. There's nowhere truly private here, he thinks, but they can make do. He's not even sure what he'll be able to tell Jack, anyway. It wasn't so long ago that he was the one having all this explained to him, and not under the presumption that they were allies.

He scans the area, assessing potential venues and their exit routes before pulling Jack down an alley.]

Look, Jack, if you're not just screwing with me, I wasn't kidding about the aliens.

[There's a gravity to his voice now, indicating that there's definitely a problem here.]

[personalwar]

[ An alley probably isn't the best place for them to talk openly, but Jack isn't going to question it. It's the best that they've got right now, and all this talk of aliens is making him that much more eager to get a proper explanation.

So Gabe wasn't kidding about them. Jack will believe it because there's no reason for Gabe to carry on some dumb prank for this long, but it doesn't make any more sense to him. He heaves out a sigh and rubs at the spot between his brows. ]

I'm definitely not screwing with you. What kind of aliens? Where did they come from? How did we end up here? Where is here?

[ He manages to keep his voice level even as he throws out a barrage of questions, but Gabriel will be able to note the signs of panic, between the crease in Jack's forehead and the sharpness in his eyes. ]

[gravemistake]

You sure you didn't wake up in a tank?

[Gabriel hasn't been here very long, but it strikes him as extremely odd that Jack doesn't seem to recall being on the station. To his knowledge, all refugees wake up there, first.]

They call themselves the Natha. They've got a space station orbiting this planet where they keep the survivors of some kind of cosmic storm.

[He hopes that Jack is able to put two-and-two together, at least regarding the state of their home planet.]

[personalwar]

A tank?

[ Jack echoes the words a little more loudly than he probably should given that Gabriel had specifically pulled him to a quiet corner where they could talk. But all of this sounds, franky, insane. And the fact that Gabe remains so nonchalant about it really isn't helping.

Jack does his best to process what he's being told anyway, his face starting to fall as some of the details sink in, if not all of them. ]

So you're saying this isn't even Earth.

[ It would explain why everything seems so... primitive. ]

[gravemistake]

Like a stasis tank.

[It's easy to see that Jack is having a hard time swallowing all this, and even Gabriel has to admit that it's very difficult to explain what's going on without the visual reference of the Natha satellite and all the sleeping refugees.

He shrugs. It's very definitely not Earth.]

I'll show you the space station if you want.

[personalwar]

[ Normally getting to see a space station would have been an exciting, impossible opportunity, but in this context Jack barely knows what to think. All of this still feels like it must be some kind of dream, but he can be pretty sure that it isn't. It's too vivid for that.

Seeing is believing, though, and so he feels that he has no choice but to nod in agreement to Gabe's offer. ]

That seems like a good place to start, yeah. [ He lets out a long breath and continues to look around them, even though there's nothing that notable about this random alleyway. ] Do you know how this all happened? I can't remember a thing...

[ Maybe it's an effect of the shock? ]

[gravemistake]

[This is still unsettling—like looking into the past and trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for what’s happening right now. Gabriel is coming up empty, and he’s thrown back to a time where Jack looked to him for guidance. Even if he didn’t have answers, he was at least able to give some kind of direction, or say something placating.

All this does is remind him just how far out of his element he really is.

Still, he’s good at appearing like he knows what he’s doing. Gabriel shakes his head.]

There’s a lot they don’t tell us.

[They’re not about to go back to the space station. This seems like a matter for Ana.]

[personalwar]

[ There's a lot they don't tell them. "They" being... the aliens who brought them here? This is too much, and Gabe's usual too-calm attitude isn't helping Jack's increasing urge to freak out.

He doesn't actually freak out, because it's basically his job to stay calm in difficult situations, but this is above even his paygrade. ]

Sure, but knowing you, you've already started to piece things together. So what do you think is going on?

[ Even if Gabe doesn't have all the answers, he's got to at least have a few guesses. Jack is willing to go with speculation for now. ]

[gravemistake]

I think this is an intergalactic kidnapping, basically.

[Gabriel sounds fairly nonchalant when he says that, but it's certainly what Jack is already thinking.]

They're always asking the refugees to go handle this, that, or the other thing. Done nothing but clean up their messes. You really don't remember?

[personalwar]

Remember?

[ An intergalactic kidnapping sounds as crazy as the rest of this, but Jack can at least wrap his head around the basic idea. You snatch people from somewhere else to do your work for you, leaving them with little choice in the matter because they're so outside of their comfort zone.

Jack closes the space between them and grabs Gabe's shoulder, fixing him with his best concerned frown. ]

Are you saying I've been here?

[ Somehow, that's the most disconcerting thing he's heard this whole conversation. ]

[gravemistake]

No.

[Gabriel is quick to correct course when his prompting doesn't cause Jack to suddenly recall the months he's spent on this planet. Better to just leave it, if this is how things are going to be. He stares Jack down, unsettled all over again by how inexplicably young he is.]

But everyone here wakes up in a tank. I'm saying this is some kind of anomaly.

[personalwar]

[ So either Jack has no recollection of how he first came to be here for some unknown reason, or his way of arriving is different from everyone else's. Neither of those options seem good, and he want to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. ]

All right. [ His expression hardens with determination. He knows what to do now. ] Then let's go talk to these aliens and ask them for an explanation.

[ It seems to be the logical thing to do from his perspective, as someone who's maybe a little too used to having access to higher authorities given his own position. ]

[gravemistake]

All right.

[Gabriel parrots that with less enthusiasm, betraying the fact that he thinks Jack is going to be disappointed. Still, he nods and starts to walk.]

But I think you’re gonna be disappointed.

[If the Orbiters had any real information to give, Gabriel most certainly would have interrogated it out of them by now.]

[personalwar]

[ This wouldn't be the first time that Jack has had to deal with Gabriel's pessimism, and it won't be the last. It's not that Jack himself is particularly optimistic, but he won't let a lack of odds stop him from doing something either.

They don't get far on their walk, though, before it happens: Jack is suddenly his older self again, in a flash, and stops mid-step as reality snaps back into place.

He doesn't have words, not when his mind's trying to reconcile his current self with that short piece of time spent as, essentially, an entirely different person.

Suffice to say, he's stopped dead in his tracks. ]

[gravemistake]

[Gabriel is pouring over in his head what he's going to say to Ana when they get back to her when Jack's footsteps fall silent behind him. For a moment he wonders if Jack has seen something he hasn't, but he finds that unlikely and turns around.

For the briefest moment, the surprise is evident on his face. He can't say he's unhappy to see this, but the sheer inexplicable-ness of it all has Gabriel frowning.]

Well, that solves that, I guess.

[It's possible Jack now doesn't remember the last hour or so, but maybe he does. Gabriel waits expectantly for Jack to make that clear.]

[personalwar]

[ It's not that Jack has forgotten Gabriel is there, but it still takes him a second before he acknowledges him. He stares down at his hands, now far more weathered and callused, and then reaches up to run one down his face, not skirting around the scar tissue there.

There is a relief with being back to "normal," with knowing he's himself again, but the way that this planet can rearrange them so easily will never be anything other than unnerving.

Really, Gabriel could have done a lot worse to him in that situation. He'd played it all pretty straight, taking some amount of care with Jack's younger self. Jack's not sure what to make of it. ]

Don't worry, you'll get your turn soon enough.

[ No one is spared El Nysa's mind-fucking. ]

[gravemistake]

[Gabriel surveys Jack for a moment as he makes it clear that yes, on some level, he remembers what just happened. Lucky for him, neither of them can say that Gabriel has done anything objectionable in the interim.]

Hasn't got me yet.

[And he plans to keep avoiding it for as long as possible, even if such a thing might be an impossibility.]

Still want to go see the Natha?

[personalwar]

Only a matter of time.

[ Gabriel might be used to being able to avoid the heat because of his position as Blackwatch's commander, which had by inherently involved staying out of the spotlight, but El Nysa doesn't care about anything like that.

Anyone can be affected, and as far as Jack's been able to tell, it's completely random.

He rolls his eyes at the question. ]

What do you think?

[ It's not like there's currently any Natha to see, even if he'd wanted to try. ]

[gravemistake]

Just wanted to check.

[He says that with a smirk on his face that he hopes is extremely infuriating. Gabriel imagines that Jack is going to need some time to parse this out for himself, so in what is perhaps an act of mercy, he keeps walking, making it clear that he’s about to leave. Jack can follow him if he wants, but he doubts that will be the case.]

This—[He make a vague gesture to his own hairline, obviously referencing Jack’s.] —really is a crime.

[personalwar]

[ Getting one last jab in is the Gabriel Reyes way, but right now it more or less rolls off of Jack's back. He's too distracted by trying to mentally process their interactions when he hadn't quite been himself, and he has no problem with Reyes taking off. It gives him a chance to regroup after this very bizarre experience.

There's no better place to do that than home, and so that's where he heads, back to his and Ana's apartment. ]