❪ event ❫ THE DESCENT: PART ONE.

[natha]

THE PROLOGUE     Your sleep on the night of the 15th is not a restful one, unfortunately. It’s unclear whether you are in a state of half-wakefulness, or dreaming. The voices you hear certainly sound very real. What is it, Sael? —Is everyone asleep?! Every one, yes. Sael, it appears you do not have good news to deliver...? N-No! I don’t know how it slipped past us, but there’s something powerful coming this way. Something hostile. I can barely keep the core systems online! ... I don't know what to do... I see... and we cannot protect Thesa and Alria in addition to transferring the Refugees to Olympia. This force, they waited for this moment. They knew I have been Intervening, and that I have become weak from such Interventions— ... We've been had. It cannot be helped. To save the Refugees on the Stations, we must eject the awoken unto El Nysa. My remaining energy shall go into shielding Thesa— left defenseless, every being we have saved on this station will perish... Sael, where is the ideal location for the landing? Hmm. There aren’t any people within a ten mile radius of The Outlook, and there shouldn’t be any for a few more days. I think that’s the best location right now. Very well. Instruct Zasere and Roman to begin preparations for an emergency eject. This is the only way we can save everyone. I am counting on you to ward off the enemy on the space front. The rest... is up to our Refugees. The alarms are blaring. It shouts against your eardrums, calling you to wake again. This time, you are in new pod, strapped down completely and cushioned tightly against the walls. In truth, you had no idea when you’d gone to sleep, but it is reminiscent of when you had been saved from the force of the Storm. A voice greets you when you come to, while the conversation between Darma and Sael is still fresh on your mind. Despite their voices playing like an old tune in your memory, you still know it is something that happened. Something has gone terribly wrong. You hear Darma speak, her voice loud in your head. Fellow Refugee, I wake you with regrettable news. A force equal to our own is attempting to engage Thesa, no doubt to steal the souls contained here. My energy is near depleted with this last Intervention, so I cannot send you to the grounds safely as originally intended. However, there is hope yet.This power shall instead shield Thesa and Alria — and believe in me when I swear no one shall be hurt. Your loved ones are safe with us. —Unfortunately, that is at your expense. Your descent will not be an easy one. This pod that contains you shall pierce through El Nysa's atmosphere and land you on an island west of Olympia, simply called The Outlook. Travel east. Find the West Outpost, then continue east until you find the Olympian North Gate. There is a method to this madness. You shall be sent in waves. The inhumanly strong shall be first. The parachute will soften the landing, but I am aware of all your capabilities. The first wave will survive the drop, and will work tirelessly to secure the others. Find your bearings, and ensure the safety of the second wave. They are the healers and medics. Catch their pods, ease their landings, make certain that they shall not be harmed, because you will need them for your wounds. The third wave are your strongmen. They shall help clear the debris and take people to safety, making way for the fourth wave, those can conjure magic to help. Bring everyone to a safe distance. A supply drop will follow soon after; it shall contain tents and tools that will be useful for the long night. The fifth and sixth waves are largely vulnerable humans. With your combined efforts, you shall survive this great misfortune. Forgive us, Refugee. Leave the Moons to us, my promise to you is still in tact— focus on what you can do for others like you. Helping at least two (2) Refugees will earn you one (1) Natha REP. Threads must be AC length to qualify, and can be submitted HERE by JULY 31st. THE DESCENT     FIRST WAVE. The instructions are clear. Those who are a part of the First Wave should be equipped with physical strength and fortitude to survive the drop or the power to regenerate and heal their own wounds. While the pods are already designed to cushion some of the impact, as this is the first group, it will likely to be the most jarring. In all of the waves, some of the pods will malfunction and offer no cushion at all. They will be expected to quickly find their bearings. Their mission isn’t simply just landing, after all. The first wave will be expected to help the next wave, and the wave after that. Whether through their abilities or brute strength, they will be expected to help soften the landing for those who are falling. They will also be expected to pry open hatches, carry people to safety, and to just... survive. It’s not always easy being first. SECOND WAVE. Within the next hour, it’s time for the Second Wave to make their descent. You were selected based upon your aptitude for healing and/or being able to administer first aid. Perhaps you can help the tired and weary. Maybe those who have landed have have strength, but no stamina. Either way, it may be unwise to exhaust all their abilities at once. The night is long, and you may want to conserve their energy for the next waves to come. At least you’ll have help in getting settled. THIRD WAVE. Akin to the First Wave, the Third Wave will possess some durability, and some manner of strength, making you a reliable ally. Especially in a time of crisis... Or so we hope. While the landing is tough, and some of you may need first aid. As soon as you’re all healed up, you’ll have no time to dawdle. Your help is required. “Please help those still trapped in pods. Carry those unconscious to safety. Lift debris, and rescue all you can.” May be a vague message still stuck in the back of your head. Something whispered to you while you were just waking. Well, might as well roll with it. It’s the best shot you have, after all. FOURTH WAVE. Those in the Fourth Wave, as Darma projects, were selected due to the versatility of their abilities. No one expects one man to do the same as the next. Rather, that’s precisely the point: to be different. To be able to accomplish something unique. While one individual may be blessed with powers that assist in putting out fires, another may have the ability to shield those from oncoming debris. Maybe one even has the ability to channel all of these. Regardless, it’s up to you and your quick wits to see what tasks are open. It’ll take some coordination, especially as there are more people mixing into the fray, but, you can do it, can’t you? FIFTH WAVE. If you are in the Fifth Wave it is likely that you have a specific power or ability. One that isn’t easily channeled or called upon. Or, perhaps, you were merely placed here for insurance. Whatever the case if, your expertise will presently be put to the test. Maybe you’re quite proficient in survival skills, and you’re already eyeing the supplies that were dropped between the Fourth Wave and now. Goods all ready to be salvaged. Okay, maybe some can’t, but as they say, “it’s the thought that counts.” Besides, the injured from earlier certainly need a space to rest, and camp isn’t going to make itself. Regardless, maybe you feel more comfortable joining in the efforts to assist those who still require it. Whatever it is, you are sure to find your place and use. Darma obviously held the same faith. FINAL WAVE. The Final Wave is fortunate in a variety of ways. With Thesa Station a bit more stabilized, Darma utilizes the last bit of her powers in insuring that these last remaining pods are met with the softest landing, right beside the fifth, that is. The fragility of life is nothing she is unfamiliar with, after all. Still, that isn’t to say nothing is expected of you. Most of the individuals that have dropped earlier will likely be exhausted. An hour stretched between each one, makes several hours for the first couple of waves. They'll need a place to relax. You will act as the final group of helpers. Settle into whatever role feels best for you. Are you an excellent cook? Great at rationing supplies? Perhaps, you have a secret skill in ______ that might come in handy here? Or, maybe, despite the gentler landing you still managed to get hurt. The sky's the limit, and you got this! Meanwhile, in the distant kingdom of Olympia, the Empress and her loyal subject discuss matters late into the night... I’ll have the results of that dragon toxin study ready for you soon, Your Highness. I just need a few helpers to— oh wow, is that a meteor shower? Oh yes, it appears so. How beautiful.. hehe. Let us thank Thesa for this blessing. GATHER YOUR BEARINGS     All in all, the descent lasts for nearly seven hours. After the deployment of the last wave of refugees, it’s only natural that you may be feeling pretty worn out. A. Within the remains of the pods, Refugees will find basic camping supplies such as small tents, sleeping bags, and compasses. Not all of the supplies remain intact, thanks to the impact of the crash. But, sharing resources will ensure there is enough for everyone to rest for the night. Can you really in good conscience leave that stranger next to you without shelter? B. Although you may be tired after such a life-threatening ordeal, there is still work to be done to ensure your survival. Fortunately, it works out because now there are plenty of empty hands. There are stray debris and metal parts that should be collected and disposed of. There's firewood that needs to be collected, and campfires to upkeep. The nights in the Outlook are particularly chilly, and so it will be imperative to keep warm! C. Your clothes are tattered or too bloodied to sleep on with comfortably. Fortunately, Darma thought ahead. There will be various types of clothing provided, mostly robes that resemble her own in earthy tones, all to help them camouflage you for your next big adventure. FINAL OOC NOTE     This INTRO event will be broken up into three parts! Please keep this in mind when plotting your threads/tag load. PART 2 will be posted on JULY 18TH and PART 3 on JULY 22ND, at 6 PM EST. In the event of CAPTCHA, we will be providing an overflow. In the event of a second CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP. The NETWORK is currently down, as Sael must concentrate all of his efforts on warding off the invading force. Characters may still message each other's personal IC inboxes. Submit two (2) AC-eligible threads from this log for one (1) Natha Orbiter REP point here by JULY 31ST. Recommended Listening: Alex & TOKYO Rose QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[planetary_bonds]

[A shake of the head. Unfortunately not, it seems. He did grow up in a pretty isolated island, after all.]

Tell me about it? [Or perhaps sing it, if that's what you want.]

[refashioned]

Wow, all right. Hey, the good thing is that you're not alone. [There's no passing of judgment here beyond her surprise. Honestly, there's no point in that—Disney could be universal. That doesn't mean it should be.]

Well, here's your first journey into twentieth century America. It all begins with a friendly mouse named Mickey. And I'm meaning ... stands on two feet, wears a silly suit sometimes, squeaky voice. He doesn't look much like a mouse.

[planetary_bonds]

America, huh? I've heard of that place, but...

[Again, isolated boy. He still pays rapt attention though, even though it doesn't look like it, the way he's gathering more tent poles.]

Sounds...friendly. [A mouse that looks like a humanized caricature of itself and talks? Sounds like a Duel Monster to him.]

[refashioned]

That place, [she repeats, trying to piece it together.] Where are you from that America is just—"that place"? [That's way more important than Mickey Mouse.]

[planetary_bonds]

Ah...Satellite.

[He frowns.]

It was disconnected from the mainland in Japan until recently, so my whole life...I've only known that place, and some things from the trash that came in from Neo Domino City.

[what kind of place is that isolated that you don't even know about didney memorabilia from the trash.]

[refashioned]

So ... if I have you right, you lived in some bizarro landfill off the coast of Japan? [Veronica doesn't mean to sound horribly judgmental, but out it comes. Afterward, she realizes exactly how it sounds, so she raises a hand up to her forehead in agitation—with herself.]

Sorry, it's just ... that sounds ... unpleasant. I thought I had it bad here, but this whole thing has to be freaky in comparison. Like, I've at least seen movies like all of this.

[planetary_bonds]

Something like that. It was split off from the mainland due to a large...disaster...when I was still an infant.

[He sounds rather reluctant to speak about it, apparently. Understandably so, maybe, if he was that young when it happened.]

It was bad, but...there were good things, too. I still consider it home, even now.

[Or...it was home. Until now. He looks a little crestfallen when that realization hits him. He's not going to see Satellite again. People he knows from there...he might not ever see any of them, either, except as pods on a distant spaceship now far away from him...]

[refashioned]

[Disaster off the coast of Japan. That ... sounds like an actual thing that can happen. Veronica can't pretend to know enough about Japan beyond that, though.

What she does know is the sentiment that he's expressing: even if home is gone, there's no point in seeing it as all bad or all good. Every "home" has both things combined. Riverdale is ... was home for her, just the same. New York City had been home before that. She can move on, but how many times will she have to?

Hopefully not too many more.]

Home is home. It being taken from you doesn't change that. It never will. And ... you aren't betraying it if you find a place here that's good for you.

[planetary_bonds]

[He looks...surprised to hear that, to the point that his steady gathering of tent poles actually stops for a few moments. Then it starts again, his face visibly relaxed.]

...Thank you. That was something...in my heart, when I left Satellite the first time, I always said I wasn't leaving, but going. It felt like a betrayal if I said otherwise. I guess...same as then, I have to keep it in my heart, and move forward with everyone, right?

[Yusei shakes his head, then picks up his pile of tent poles all at once and stands up. It looks like he's ready to show off how to set one up, if she's still up for that.]

Enough about me, though. The way you talk about it...your home that you left. Was it in "America"?

[refashioned]

Just because you actively go from somewhere doesn't mean you can't change your mind later. Lots of people leave the nest to start a new life. [Leave it to Veronica to have a heart to heart with someone before knowing their name. And yes—this is a thing she loves to do, like ... all the time.

It's her schtick, so to speak.]

As for me—yes. Home is America. Riverdale most recently, though now that I know that the place where I grew up got wiped away with the rest of my planet, I can't help but find myself missing Riverdale ... and New York. A lot ... a lot got lost with that.

[planetary_bonds]

Mm. You're not wrong. That seems to be a part of growing up, isn't it?

[That sounds familiar. Yusei prefers to have his own heart-to-heart via dueling, but a talk isn't bad either.]

I think...we all have those places we miss, right? [It's obvious, but somehow it feels better just saying it.] Whether we're still there or not, it shaped how you are today. In that sense...you'll always have that part of you that misses it. All of us, with these aching parts...they all come together to make a new whole, right? What this new life is going to be...it's going to be based on what we make of it.

[Aaaand he's holding out a tent pole-the one he just finished repairing. Other than the obvious metal sheet crudely holding it in place, it looks perfectly useable, sturdy despite it's ragtag appearance.]

So...we build it together.

[refashioned]

Ah, nice dramatic timing right there with the offer. [Veronica steps forward and kneels beside him. She would much prefer wearing whatever she had come out of her pod in, but she knows that wearing tattered clothes, no matter how much they cost originally, isn't going to do her any good. Or any favors.

She's careful to begin to mimic his movements.]

Hopefully, we can bring what we came with to these people and they won't mind too much. Landfills aside. Which, by the way, goes for both our original hometowns.

[planetary_bonds]

Heh. I have a friend who could tell you all about dramatic timing, if he was here now.

[his brothers are...were...ridiculous. lord, he misses them.]

I suppose that's what we were brought here for, huh? Bringing our old lives here, enriching this place-ah, it's a little more this way, here-

[Other than some slight misalignment on Veronica's part, their actions are almost perfectly paralleled, a different kind of harmony. That's one way to start a rhythm, he guesses.]

[refashioned]

Thanks. [Sometime after this, she's going to have to take a good look at her hands and decide whether hunting down this world's version of a manicurist is going to be worth it. So far, that's unlikely.

She tests the sturdiness of the pole before leaning back a bit.]

I am worried about how they'll handle a sudden influx of refugees. I'm not sure about how things are going in your neck of the woods, but it's kind of a hot button topic in the US. [Unfortunately, being politically savvy is a part of being ... Veronica Lodge.]

[planetary_bonds]

Things were...difficult.

[He pauses in his work, clearly not happy thinking about it. He's not politically savvy, no, but he's also gained a healthy distrust of politics thanks to Godwin mucking around in his life.]

We were reuniting the two cities that had been separated for so long...there are a lot of prejudices. Never mind the unwillingness to provide aid...

[refashioned]

Yep, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Especially because we are definitely outsiders. Are these people really willing to take us in? To understand us? And there's a lot of us ... is it even fair to ask them? [Many of them haven't woken up yet, but Veronica trusts that they will in time. The Orbiters had been reluctant to promise that. She knows that the matter of keeping them safe is all that can be promised, especially for those still tubed, for lack of a better word.]

I'm sorry that you have to go through that all over again.

[planetary_bonds]

[Yusei shakes his head, scowling.]

By the way those beings acted...I feel like this is something they do a lot, but...having to send us all down at once like this, I really don't know if they could handle it.

[He sits up from his work once he attaches a tent pole to the frame, looking up at the sky. If he stares hard enough, can he make out where the orbital base is? Can he feel where his friends are, somewhere among the stars?]

I'm used to making my way on my own, if I have to, but others here...I hope we can help them, if they can't or won't help us.

[refashioned]

I don't think anyone's asking you to go it alone. [Veronica's not a huge fan of sending someone down a path to handle something on their lonesome. It goes against her very nature.] Plus, if you're helping, you're not alone. You're doing something for others. That matters, right?

[planetary_bonds]

[Good, because Yusei needs people like that to keep his ass in check. How many times has he been told this by now...?

One second, two, then he laughs a little.]

Mmm. You're right about that. We're here to help each other, aren't we...?

[refashioned]

Exactly. That's what the disembodied voice told us—and if that's not good enough, I'm happy to remind you.

[Which serves as a perfect introduction to a really important part of two people meeting:]

Which ... will be easier if I get your name. I'm Veronica. We ... kinda had a moment there, didn't we?

[planetary_bonds]

We might have.

[It's a small smile, really, but no less appreciative for it.]

Yusei. It's good to meet you. [Handshake?]

[refashioned]

[overflow]