❪ 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

[coolerjunpei]

Oh. [aw, fuck] Uh. About that...?

[Like, okay, so they're both kinda psychic to some degree - they already knew that, but the SHIFTing rabbit hole goes real deep and he's still pretty sure he doesn't want to share all the gritty details of it. It's upsetting. He's already been visibly upset. About that.

So again: fuck. Can Snake please not fake look at him, he feels judged. He reaches over to tug on his shoulder, like, stop doing that and sit back here with him instead, in the no-judge zone.]

Can I get out of jail free with a solid maybe?

[ripvanwinkled]

[Snake isn't... mad. He isn't! He's just very, very annoyed. Like, sure, he spends another moment fake glaring with his eyes shut at Junpei, but it's fine. If he were mad, he wouldn't be leaning back into the no-judge zone with crossed arms and head turned back to the night sky.

He can feel the judgement radiate from his body, but like, it's fine! It's fine.]

Our lives aren't actually a game of Monopoly, Junpei. What haven't you told me? Why haven't you told me? And-- [There frown with a hint of concern is making its return.] Are you alright?

[coolerjunpei]

[This is exactly why he didn't say anything, you know, after all of the other reasons like "how do you bring this up" and "can he do it without freaking out" (apparently not). He lets his hand fall back to his lap, where he'll just twiddle his fingers a little while he works out this talking thing. He's still not great at it, Snake. Forgive him.]

What kind of Monopoly have you been playing? [hah..... no, okay, no jokes.] In order? Plenty, I don't know, and I... really don't know.

[It's absolute shit, but it's better than refusing to say anything, right? He gets a point back?]

You really want to know? Three guesses where it all starts.

[Extra Special Bitter]

[ripvanwinkled]

[At least he's getting less Totally Not Mad the longer Junpei struggles with making words work. Snake goes from indescribably annoyed to mildly, relaxing his shoulders. He can't nudge Junpei into feeling better about this, so might as well dive right in.]

I don't need three guesses [he's smart] but my first would be that our trouble from a year ago did not end at our escape. Did something else happen?

[coolerjunpei]

[Aw, Snake is so considerate, not pretending there's anything else Junpei could be this bitter about. He scoffs, slouching down a little more against this fallen log they've been leaning against this whole time.]

What didn't happen? [Ugh, no, he's not going to be mean to Snake!! No collateral Snake damage. Okay.] I went looking for Akane. That's why I went to work with Seven for a while—the things I had to dig through just to find out what she's mixed up in...

[Too much cult murder backstory. Skip it.] Well, I found her in this test site for something else, but when I got there—bam! It happened again!

[There are no extra points for guessing what "it" is, obviously. He can't even begin to describe the entirety of Dcom, so he won't bother—Snake can bug him for details if he really wants to. Right now he's trying not to make this just a bitter tirade about Akane's Life Mission or whatever, so—here comes all this shit at once, RIP.]

You know the morphogenetic field? Apparently that's not the only thing some bastard threw a bunch of innocent people into a murder factory to test. We played this god-forsaken Decision Game over and over and over, until we all learned how to SHIFT into other histories. [He does, in fact, pronounce it in all caps. It's subtle.] It was all to prevent this big disaster from ending the world, but—well, fuck that, I guess!

[He's been angrily gesturing this whole time and throws his hands up in grim defeat at the end there, because he's still bitter. That's not going anyway anytime soon. But then after a moment, his bitterness gives way to a much more... sobered tone.] Not everyone makes it through every timeline. In some of them, we all die.

[ripvanwinkled]

[Junpei uh... he gets all his points back, because this is depressing? Any grievances he had over not knowing everything are gone now, like the world, because the world is gone and once again! This is depressing! His muffin effort is wasted.

But really, he doesn't know what to say for a good minute... or two. Snake sits and listens for once, only raising his brows when Junpei raises his voice. There's no skepticism in his expression, no interruption to say yes, he did know that. Any urge for him to ask specifics about the nature of the game are overtaken by thoughts of how unhappy he sounds.]

Junpei, I don't... think I can begin to fathom what you must have seen. But I believe that if you remember that in this reality we are all alive, the things you've experienced can become more distant with time. [He shifts, managing a chuckle as he moves to squeeze in his arm.] And in this timeline, we are actually on a first name basis. You can go on, and tell me anything you need to.

[coolerjunpei]

[Ah, Snake is still a hippie, despite everything. Junpei doesn't for a moment think that Snake can't understand on some level - he is not that kind of stupid, please - so his gentle nudging toward something positive doesn't ring hollow like it would have from anyone else. He knows, too, the thrill of beating the odds and making it to this, the timeline where everyone is alive—but it doesn't smooth over what's happened to the whole Earth, nor does it take away the memories he has of so much other violence.

But it's a step? It's something. Snake's words can't fix everything that easily, but they don't do nothing, either. Junpei turns his head to look at him for a moment, considering. Snake is... great? He's pretty great.]

You sure? It's pretty messed up. [He died like 50 times, Snake. He's thinking about it, though, sighing; it's frustrating! There's so much! His frustrated sigh comes with yet another slouch, and he leans his head against Snake's elbow or whatever part of his arm he's reaching down here. Let it happen.] I, uh, I'm really glad you're here. Listening. So... thanks.

[Stunning. That's still not anything about Dcom.]

[ripvanwinkled]

I've heard a great many things that are "messed up." Whatever you need to say, you may say without sugarcoating. [Snake's never had the experience of knowing he's gotten shot to a pulp by machine guns, but like? He walked through the blood of a dude that had trapped kids in an incinerator once. It's alright.

To make sure Junpei knows it's alright, he's just going to absentmindedly push his hair back while he talks about murder games. It's pretty much an average day for them, considering.] I'm glad you're here as well. Now, tell me about the second game. It sounds considerably more complicated than last time.

[And like, Snake wasn't there? Truly, Junpei must have had the worst time.]

[coolerjunpei]

[He did have to make a whole new set of best friends for life and it was really stressful because he maybe wanted to melt them into goo a few times. Maybe if Snake had been around on some other team, he wouldn't have pushed so hard for that. Probably.

But he likes having Snake here in a shitty alien field more than he'd have enjoyed him in another murder game, so he'll think about that instead. Snake's hand in his hair is... calming? It's surprisingly nice? Keep doing that.]

We had teams this time. [Dryly, this is what he starts with. How fun and exciting: teams.] But there was never any way to get everyone out alive—6 people were supposed to die. It was in the rules. Without SHIFTing, we'd have been screwed.

[Just like all of their other selves they doomed to death a bunch of times!! But that's going to make him wig out again, so he'll skip it.]

Other than that, I guess it was, uh, the same? Find a way out of the room, figure out who Zero is—not Akane, by the way—the usual.

[...] I really hate that we have a "usual" for this crap.

[ripvanwinkled]

[There's like, a lot left out there, and Snake can feel it. He's smart enough to understand that if six people had to die, and they had to move their consciousness, there was going to be some seeing things probably worse than guts on a wall and a dead dude in a captain's suit. But it doesn't really occur to him that Junpei saw himself die just yet, give him a little.

Instead of asking about any of this, he's opted to brush some hair from a face he can't see. Is it necessary? No, but Junpei hasn't stopped him.]

How long ago did this happen? Was it our one year anniversary? If so, that is a morbid gift.

[coolerjunpei]

[Snake... Please make the connection. Junpei doesn't want to have to actually say it out loud himself. He implied it! That's enough!

It's fine for the time being, though, since he's distracted by this whole thing with his hair anyway. It really is pretty relaxing, so don't mind if he just settles in here for copious hair-touching.

Don't call it an anniversary.]

It was right before, you know, this place. [He was just standing in the desert and then wham!! Existential crisis.] So close enough, I guess? Somebody out there thinks they're funny.

[Zero. Zero does. But that's too Complex(tm).]

[ripvanwinkled]

You... You were only just released from the game when you woke up here? [Things for Junpei are a lot worse than he thought? Now that he's thinking about it, if six people had to die, and everyone got out alive, then-- then Junpei probably died. A lot. Then woke up somewhere else again. Then woke up in a pod where he could die. Oh.

Snake slows in his hair touching. Junpei allowed him to complain about his music when he'd gone through this? Now he's starting to feel as terrible as him.] I'm sorry. If I'd know that, I would not have given you such a hard time. You're very brave, Junpei. I've always thought so.

[coolerjunpei]

[Oh- there it is. Junpei's not psychic enough to hear Snake's whole thought process, but he can pretty much guess at what he's thinking when his fiddling with Junpei's hair gets slower. No...]

You always give me a hard time. [...wait, no, he doesn't mean that in an asshole way. Wait.] I mean, somebody needs to give me a good kick in the ass sometimes.

[Anyway, give him a minute to really unpack Snake saying he's brave. He needs a moment. It's different to hear "brave" instead of "reckless self-endangerment," so... huh. Well. What can he say besides "hey thanks," since he already said "hey thanks" pretty much.]

You were, uh, kinda helping when you did that thing to my hair.

[Just acknowledge it and move on. Just continue as normal.]

[ripvanwinkled]

I don't think you could handle a physical kick from me, so I'll do my best.

[Sign things are getting back to normal: Snake saying things like this. And even better? There's a smile, and though it's much more faint than the last evening they spent together, it's there. And that is enough.]

You know, I used to do this for Clover when she was much younger. Now she cares about her hair so much, I haven't had the opportunity.

[Even if he's just in a cycle of moving hair that will just fall back into place, he's started up again just because Junpei's enjoying it. It's honestly a surprise he hasn't said it's something weird.] I'm very grateful you don't have any regard for what you look like.

[coolerjunpei]

Glad you're feeling better.

[Like, actually glad they're inching back toward normal after he dropped all that bizarre murder stuff on him so suddenly. And glad Snake is smiling at him and acting a little more normal - Junpei might have been hyperventilating all afternoon, but he's been assuming Snake is more than a little upset about his arm breaking.

But that's as much as he'll bring that up unless Snake wants to talk about it. He's got a sensitive ego, that guy.]

It's not like there's anyone I need to impress with my hairdo. [He looks like such shit right now it's unbelievable, but the simple pleasure of Snake playing with his hair is much more important than where his bangs are actually going. So.] You're welcome, I think.

[ripvanwinkled]

[There was a time Snake thought about bringing up his own Personal Feelings, but it's passed now. And as much as he likes Junpei's company, he's not so sure he'd really know what to say. He said think about saying "hey thanks" twice now, so talking about the crushing fear of suffocating and dying without his second arm? Nah. Naaah.]

Thank you, I think. [So, on a not serious note, because he doesn't need serious talking to, he doesn't know Junpei's not been eating his great dinner.] How is your muffin?

[coolerjunpei]

["Hey thanks" is a perfectly acceptable conversational... thing. He could totally handle it if Snake had Personal Feelings in his direction. But fine.

Crud: the muffin. Junpei pauses, feeling around on the ground without moving his head so he can grab the muffin without giving himself away. Or giving up hair touching, also important. God, there's dirt on it.]

Uh, it's good. You didn't eat anything. [He sees!!! Eat.]

[ripvanwinkled]

[Junpei did it. Snake's none the wiser about how he dropped it on the ground because he's distracted by the fact he too stopped eating his muffin, thanks. He'll take a bite as he continues this hair touching, because really, he won't stop until Junpei says something.]

I ate some of it. [See? This is his second bite.] ... Junpei, are people just very into roleplaying here, or am I going to have to accept things I'd rather not?

[coolerjunpei]

[Yeah, he's not going to say anything? He pretty much asked for this in all ways except the literal, so just. Do it. He'll be here, picking the dirt-touched parts of his muffin off and flicking them away so he can eat the rest.]

I'm gonna have to go with... both. [He's seen some weird shit today himself, but also, he's pretty sure at least some of these people are LARPing 24/7 like it's some kind of lifestyle.] Something actually weirded you out? What was it?

[He's amused... stop this.]

[ripvanwinkled]

Well, there is the fact that supposedly these were procured out of thin air. A man I spoke of the series Property Brothers suggested that they tend to their wounds by having a wizard heal them off set. A robot took me back to camp, where a man talking about a magic axe sat down next to me and completely missed the fact I did not believe him.

[He has to take a breath, here. He's holding his muffin so tightly that it's crumbling on his robe. Thankfully, it's not Junpei's hair.]

Oh, and a man yelled at me over a giant snake.

[coolerjunpei]

[Junpei just eats his magic muffin through this whole explanation of events... Snake's day sure sounds more wild than Junpei's day of mostly lying around miserable and covering himself with lily pad paste. He'll skip that part.]

They're not bad for magic muffins. [It's so much easier just to accept these things as real. Also, he's literally a time traveler, so things could be weirder.] I met that axe guy. He let me swing his magic sword around.

[are you having fun yet Snake]

[ripvanwinkled]

[snake's never going to have fun again, it's just over now]

It's just a sword-- No, no. We are done. I am not having this conversation. [With another bite of his muffin, Snake is pushing Junpei away by his hand so he can sit up properly. He only has one hand, so he just leaves the whole muffin in his mouth as he picks up the piece Junpei was holding. Muffled, he goes on:]

Lesh oo thish, pease.

[coolerjunpei]

It was on fire. I got to name it. Help name it. [He's still talking about this because Snake made a big deal out of it and pushed him away so rudely! This is his consequence. Still, a muffin and talking to Snake have renewed his confidence in putting up the damn tent, so after he shoves the rest of his own muffin in his mouth, he's sitting up to then get up and go over to the tent supply pile.]

This is going to take us all night.

[ripvanwinkled]

I don't want to know what you named it. [Snake says, belatedly, after he swallows his muffin. Snake is just holding one of the rods without really knowing what to do with it, so he feels around for the tent fabric. And in a brilliant attempt, he just sticks the rod in the dirt and lays it over it.]

It best not take all night if you insist I not sleep in.

[coolerjunpei]

[What... what is this boy doing...? Junpei comes up to stand beside him, just so Snake knows he's here and judging the shit out of him.]

Really? This is your contribution? Go eat another muffin.

[Look at this, it's pathetic? Junpei can take over from here, doing his very best to follow what scant directions came with this tent kit. He's going to require Snake to hold stuff in place a few times so don't actually go off to eat muffins. This is all happening now because rping putting up a tent with one idiot and one blind guy is just pointless.

Eventually, they have a tent. It's lopsided, but only Junpei has to know that.]