❪ 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

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[impavid]

"And then I held a gun on you."

Which he does remember. He remembers...

Confusion, fear, he remembers being pinned underneath the remnants of Michael's compound. He remembers the struggle to stay conscious, the slow fall of dust, the certainty that he was going to die. He remembers telling Ronon to leave him, then he'd closed his eyes and opened them here.

Yet that isn't how it happened.

Instead, he remembers now, the Daedalus came for them. He remembers finding Teyla. He remembers Tyre, remembers Rodney getting sick, remembers the Natha coming and remembers meeting Ianto up among the stasis pods.

"I forgot a little more than just you," he adds awkwardly, because he doesn't want Ianto to think it was... just that. To think it was personal in any way.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto huffs out a breath in response to the other man's words, running his hand through John's hair again, as much to reassure himself as it is for John.

"I know," he replies. "You were two breaths away from kidnapping me to take you up to the Thesa to show you to your friends, and I'm not sure what you would have done if Teyla were the only one I really knew how to find."

He smooths his knuckles down along the line of the other man's jaw, studying his face for a long moment before leaning in to capture his lips in a kiss. Brief, but just a shade desperate. He hadn't been certain he'd ever get to see this side of John again after all. "You scared me," me murmurs, which is perhaps obvious all things considered, but he needs to say it regardless.

[impavid]

No, John wants to say, more than all this. More than just El Nysa.

Yet at the same time, that information won't help Ianto calm down. Maybe he can just... leave it for now.

"I do that a lot," he admits, because he does. Ianto is scared for him a lot. Still, he draws him into another kiss -- slow, trying to comfort him in what small ways he can. When he breaks again, John touches their foreheads together and tries to gather himself.

"Food'll get cold," he observed, "and I should get that shower."

[torchwoodteaboy]

He lingers in the kiss, appreciating the fact that John allows it of him. Allows it of himself. He's reluctant to let the other man go, in case whatever just happened should relapse and then somehow he might never recover from it, but it's a foolish thought. And John really should get that shower and something to eat on top of it or he really will pass out.

"You should," he agrees reluctantly, pulling back to study John's face again. "You'll tell me if you start to feel that way again though, yeah?" He's had enough surprises for the evening, at least the attempt at a warning should it happen again would be nice.

[impavid]

"Yeah," John agrees, and reaches up to squeeze Ianto's shoulder reassuringly. "Come on, much as I enjoy having you in my lap..."

You need to let him up. He gently pushes at Ianto, not enough to actually move him but enough to indicate he'd like him to move out of his lap.

"Food's on the kitchen counter, start eating if you're hungry. I'll be with you in a minute."

[torchwoodteaboy]

"...alright." Ianto lingers for a moment longer in studying the other man's face, searching him for any sign that he might be holding back on him for any reason before he moves to push himself up to stand and John up as well.

"It smells good," he says awkwardly, because how does a person recover gracefully from a situation like this. He takes a few steps away, moving to button his shirt up a bit further and reach for the beer he's left on the counter as well. Swiping it up and prodding at the takeaway on the counter beside it. "The usual?"

[impavid]

"Wasn't adventurous enough to try something new."

John pushes to his feet and follows Ianto as far as the kitchen, stands with one hand on his back a moment as he pokes at the bundles of food.

"Five minutes," he promises softly, then John peels himself away and begins stripping off his watch and sweatband -- drops onto the bed to begin tugging off his boots again and swipes up some things to take through to their bathroom. He is quick, too, John is not someone used to lingering in a shower to relax. Not only that, but he's naggingly concerned he might have a 'weird moment' again and end up on the floor. Without anything to point out as a certain cause for the momentary memory lapse, well -- it could be anything.

Emerging a few minutes later, John dumps his old clothes in a laundry bag -- reduced to wearing just a pair of black boxers and with a towel rubbing water out of his hair. He fishes over by his bed for a moment, pulls on a grey pair of sweatpants and a slightly loose grey t-shirt before padding back over to where Ianto is. He's still vaguely towelling his hair as he approaches, draping it over his shoulder finally so he can reach out toward the food.

"How is it? Greasy enough for you?"

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto drinks the beer he's left out on the counter and picks at a little of the food, but he'd really intended to share it with the other man so he doesn't finish much of it by the time John has padded back out into the main room again. He turns to glance over his shoulder at him, taking a moment to watch that he's not about to pull another one of those spells -- and admire the view, in all honesty. Leaning back against the counter with his beer by the time John moves back over to him.

"I can feel it plugging up my arteries as we speak," he replies, plucking a chip out of the carton and waving it underneath the other man's nose. Despite the excitement, it's all still warm, if not as crisp as it might have been right in the door.

[impavid]

John bites off half the chip and slinks to wrap his arms around Ianto from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder and studying the food as he chews.

"That's the best kind of food," he assures him. "The worse it is for you, the better it tastes -- that's a scientific fact. You gonna keep feeding me, gorgeous?"

His expression paints into a playful smirk, even if Ianto can't exactly see it from this angle. It doesn't matter, he probably knows its there.

[torchwoodteaboy]

He smiles as John wraps his arms around him, leaning into the other man's chest as he pops the rest of the chip into his mouth. No, he can't see the expression on the other man's face, but he hopes it's as playful as the other man's words suggest. He much prefers this flirtatious banter over the way John had looked at him before -- or the way he'd held him at gunpoint, for that matter. Though he has to say, he wouldn't mind it if the rough handling were to continue, if perhaps in a different context...

"I'm certainly thinking about it," he replies. Plucking another chip out of the carton and waving it in the general vicinity of John's mouth. "Especially if you're going to keep complimenting me like that. How can I resist?"

[impavid]

"The idea was that you don't. Fries aren't worth resisting."

He accepts the one Ianto is waving at him, loosens his grip on Ianto and moves to lean against the counter beside him instead.

"Feed yourself too. I want our arteries equally clogged, here."

John bumps his shoulder against Ianto's and begins rummaging through the packaging for some chicken, submitting himself to getting greasy fingers.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto smiles at the other man before plucking a chip out for himself, watching as he rummages for himself as well. He had been hoping that John would eat with him as well, even if the other man had implied that he hadn't been all that hungry. He needs to eat, even if all Ianto's offering him are chips and fried chicken tenders.

"I knew we couldn't go wrong with the corner shop," he says, settling himself against the counter more comfortably. "Do you want your own beer again? Now that I've mostly finished your first. Or shall we agree to share in all things, here?"

[impavid]

John hesitates for a long moment, weighing that up, and feeds himself a piece of chicken as he thinks.

"Maybe I should skip the beer for now," he says finally, because even if he does feel fine he still doesn't have a reason his brain lost track of where he was and lost a few months. Beer probably won't help with that, better to play it safe. Even if a beer would be really nice about now, to calm the niggling concerns he's carefully trying to black out.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto winces as John declines the drink -- of course he should, because of the blackout, why hadn't he thought of that himself? Because John has this way of brushing everything off that Ianto -- hadn't forgotten, because how could he forget John forgetting him like that, forgetting this place, forgetting everything about the last few months it would seem? But it had been so easy to ignore it. Especially with John insisting that he's 'fine'.

"Right," he agrees awkwardly. "Of course. You should. Probably go easy tonight. You know." He gestures to the takeaway. "Present heart attack aside."

[impavid]

"You gonna switch roles and be my nursemaid?"

He turns to lean more heavily against the counter, eyeing Ianto as he feeds himself more chicken.

"I was hoping for at least a uniform to go with that."

You know, for playing nursemaid. Not that John is a particularly good patient, but still -- he can play at it if he's going to have a hot nurse. Especially if it will make Ianto feel calmer.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto offers the other man the flick of a smile, picking himself out another chip and popping it into his mouth as he considers the thought.

"I'm sure that something could be arranged," he offers. "If you would submit to my attentions, of course." He knows as well as John does how difficult John can be as a patient. He knows how much he's pushed himself so far today already, too. Perhaps the other man could do with a little more fussing outright.

[impavid]

"Submit to them," John repeats, and he waggles his eyebrows as switches to stealing some more fries. "What if I like a little bit of a fight first?"

You know, rather than just submitting. Maybe you have to earn his submission, Ianto, by being a strict nurse.

[torchwoodteaboy]

If he's being honest with himself, he had chosen his wording specifically for John to pick at it in just this way. And so Ianto smiles at him, plucking a chicken tender from the box and taking a bite from it before he continues.

"Then I suppose that it's just as well I've got no problem pinning you down," he comments, quirking an eyebrow at John in turn.

They're really going to need to finish this food if this continues, Ianto thinks to himself, as he pops the rest of the chicken tender into his mouth. As much as he enjoys the food, he can hardly imagine that flirting over it quite spells out the image that he really wants it to.

[impavid]

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try and keep me pinned down."

You might be strong, Ianto, but he's reasonably sure he's stronger and better trained. Or at least, he hopes he is. Otherwise the military training he got is borderline tragic. He snags up some more fries and offers Ianto a smirk, turning over the mental image in his head.

[torchwoodteaboy]

A part of Ianto has to wonder why it is that they are discussing these things rather than partaking in them. He rather thinks that it's all for the sake of the food, which while important and really rather good, is it really better than the alternative? He supposes he's just going to have to eat faster.

"Is that a challenge?" he asks, grabbing a couple of chips at once this time. Biting them in half as he raises an eyebrow and waits for John's response.

[impavid]

"Didn't think I'd have to make it a challenge to inspire you to try."

John reaches for cloth on the counter and wipes his hands to get rid of the grease for a moment, then slips his arms around Ianto once more with an exaggerated frown.

"Anyway, I thought you were going to be my nurse? So it's less a challenge and more an obligation for my own good. Obviously my nurse will need to make sure I sleep well tonight, that I go to bed on time and am properly tired out so I sleep through -- and obviously that means I will need to be as relaxed as possible, so nothing too stressful. All of this after making sure I eat well, too."

Of course. It's a good thing Ianto is so invested in John's medical care, he's pretty sure he can make sure of all of the above.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto slips his arms around John in return, careful to keep his own greasy fingers away from John's tshirt in turn even though he's fairly certain that the other man frankly wouldn't mind. (Though he appreciates John's efforts for his sake himself.)

He raises his eyebrows in response to John's frown, his brow furrowing slightly as he does, though his expression evens out again as the other man talks. He moves to stand a little closer, tightening his arms from where he's settled them around the other man and tilting his head to the side.

"Obviously," he returns, the corner of his lip turning up in a smile despite his best efforts otherwise -- John's expression himself is just too ridiculous. He still is worried about whatever it is that happened earlier, but John seems fine now, and hopefully with proper food and rest -- if he keeps him in for the rest of the evening as well -- that'll be the end of that?

Ianto reaches to pluck another chip out of the carton and hold it out towards the other man, quirking an eyebrow as he does. "We'd best stay on schedule then."

[impavid]

He accepts it, chewing slowly and drawing Ianto more into his arms with a smile.

"With my nurse feeding me I'm sure it'll be no problem."

Since Ianto is nearly as stubborn as he is. John nuzzles at the other man fondly, enjoying the softness of his hair and skin. His fingers dropped to ease under the other man's shirt and t-shirt, rubbing in small circles at the small of his back.

"So," he adds softly, "how was your day? Before you picked me up."

Before John made it dramatic.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto ducks his head forward to rest against the other man's shoulder for a moment, breathing in the smell of his skin and lingering in the warmth of his arms. John had frightened him there for a moment. And though he has every intention of following through on all of the above for the rest of the night, he allows himself this moment. John is offering it, after all. And he can be very tempting.

"Long," he murmurs, after a moment. He doesn't want to make this about him, but he can't answer the question without it being, just a little. "Tiring. I'm no medic, and I'm certainly no carpenter. Mostly I was just an extra pair of hands wherever anyone needed one. Clearing up the rubble, digging people out, you know." People that needed saving, and people that were beyond help. He's sorry to have taken the conversation in this direction but. John had asked.

He takes a deep breath in again and continues, "I did a bit of helping with supplies as well. Walked by your tent quite a lot, in fact. It's how I knew you'd still be there." That and he just knows John in general and how he's taken to coping with all of this.

[impavid]

Long, tiring, and probably a little emotionally taxing. John lifts a hand to rest on the back of Ianto's neck, holding him close into his body.

"Well, an extra pair of hands is pretty useful you know. Can't have too many cooks in the kitchen, gotta have a dishwasher too or it all goes wrong."

Even the most mundane things still need to be done, and people who are willing to do the dirtiest hard work are the most valuable after a crisis in John's opinion.