The Storm came. You remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that.
You don't know how long you slept, but the dreams were short. You remember the expanse of stars and galaxies in your direct view. Every world and solar system ever known to man was present in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You also witnessed the Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. Your Earth and similar planets were assimilated by the Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of your world. That was when she told you what happened. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new. The details weren't clear, but you knew it was a part of a deal with the entity known as Darma.
Not long after, you'll wake at Thesa Station. Your body is still cold; it all felt like a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't — Regardless of your will, you find your body doesn’t respond to you immediately. Instead, you hear a voice begin to resonate deep within you.
 I have seen much... But what I am not accustomed to, is being unable to see.
It was never our wish for those we saved to go through such an ordeal. People... are unpredictable. And you, Refugee, still continue to surprise us. That is why we cannot allow you to die just yet.
Refugee, I no longer have plans to intervene with this world — I have already done too much. Here on out, what happens below... must be resolved by you, its people, and fate. You and your friends before you have proven yourselves. Our eyes are upon you, and our hearts with you.
The Natha have become aware of how ill-prepared many of their new refugees are for the hardships below. While Darma has decided against direct intervention, the other Orbiters echo the opposite sentiment. With their homes destroyed and the ongoing trials that await them planetside imminent, they do not want refugees to descend without knowing exactly what they're getting into. Therefore, Roman and Zasere have set out to host a workshop in order to train the refugees for complex environment of El Nysa.
A new area has opened in Thesa Station: the Exhibition Hall. This vast open space has been configured to rival the size of the Hangar Station, with the north and south ends decorated accordingly. Refugees that have managed to return to Thesa will notice that the north end strongly resembles Olympia, while the south is a near replica of Wyver. Upon entering, you're given a goodie bag containing some postcards from either cities. There will be a variety of workshops available throughout this area. Each workshop is held in its own unique training room, separated only by high-durability glass for individual demonstrations to be observable to all in the vicinity. Workshops will focus on a few major topics that refugees should keep in mind when they reach land.
I — A HALL DIVIDED
The north side of the Exhibition Hall is fashioned to look exactly like a small section of Olympia. There are ghost-like projections of its people, seemingly going about their businesses as if to demonstrate their everyday living. There is even enough space for them to setup an example of a typical starter dormitory, and it wouldn't be a coincidence if it reminds you of room displays of the furniture stores back in your homeworld; Roman has been particularly inspired by magazines of various worlds.
Refugees who have been living or have visited Olympia will be highly encouraged to "sell" the Empire to the newly awoken. Until you find someone who is willing to do that, you'll find a fancy brochure inside your goodie bag, highlighting the benefits of choosing Olympia... however, there seems to be an earlier draft of it floating around, also.
Over on the south side is decorated will all kinds of tropical plant-life. Strangely enough, crossing the threshold of north and south, you'll also get a taste of the jungle heat, or is that only your imagination? Regardless, the presentation is to mirror the north: the Wyver people are shown as projections, making the space feel as populated as the canyons of Wyver. The sample living space is quite different here; all around, tents and wooden shacks are built to demonstrate what refugees might expect when living here. Similarly, refugee who are currently residing in the jungle city are also encouraged to talk about life there. The same brochure highlights this for the newly awoken.
On either side, you will be able to grab small trinkets from either cities; samples of food and wines, stickers, pins and buttons, and even photos of some of the more well-known natives. Wait, are those paintings of older refugees? Weird, but it's supposedly what you would expect from a convention for Darma's planet of El Nysa.
II — BLENDING IN
When you deal with natives, it's normal to feel a bit of anxiety. As far as you're aware, the natives don't know that you not only came from space, but other universes entirely. After this crash course, hopefully you will have the confidence to maintain a sane conversation with a native without getting any strange looks!
- A) One side of the demonstration room shows various scenes from Olympia and Wyver. They seem to be showcasing the day-to-day interactions of regular natives, but you might find that some of the projected individuals in the examples are strangely familiar, even under all the effects and filters. In fact, after taking a closer look, you'll find that these are relatively poor imitations of the refugees that have arrived before you, even though you're assured that they're just a coincidence.
 — This is Focket and Warrior 67. They were both refugees that were exiled from Olympia for a quest that resulted in all those involved being framed for a biological warfare attack! Focket and Warrior 67 decided to run off to Wyver where they currently live a peaceful quiet life allegedly. And that's the beauty of El Nysa! If you accidentally commit treason in one city, you may try your luck in another!
Before long, it becomes very clear that the instructional examples are meant to be the pre-existing refugees that arrived on the station to greet you. After all, there aren't many talking raccoons or white-haired soldiers with visors. Perhaps they're an early-riser from home, or a stranger that you met in the Mess Hall, or even in this very room with you. Makes you wonder where they got this from, doesn't it? At the very least, one thing becomes very clear: The Natha Orbiters weren't lying when they said they were watching.
- B) While there are ample 3D renders and projections all around the floor that anyone can have access to, you will immediately notice that there is an excess of them in the corner. These are renders that were wrongly coded or mistakenly conjured up, hence... you might notice "Koralle" is looking a little furry, or that one of the Wyvern Shamans look a little more fish-like. Either way, these renders still manage to serve a purpose.
In this corner you will be paired up with someone. Either you or them will be given a "role," and you must convincingly act and converse as such. For example, if one of you are given the role of "Wyver King," one of you must act accordingly, and the other must treat them with the proper respect. From there, the renders will judge.
If they give you a pass, you'll be allowed to the exit. If you don't, then you might be here for a while. As a general hint, things that seem to give people extra "performance points" are: mentioning certain landmarks, figures, or other key details relating to El Nysa (see: the brochure). This is a workshop for this purpose, after all.
III — PLANET NYSA EXHIBITION
Perhaps you've heard of this prior to opening your eyes here on Thesa Station: a promise of power in exchange for diligence and loyalty. Show them you are capable of "earning your keep," and the Natha Orbiters may bestow you with powers of your own.
In this workshop, the Orbiters are now allowing refugees to physically test these powers; this time, outside of the comfort of the virtual reality modules. From healing spells to the ability of flight, the sky is almost the limit with these newfound abilities. These powers are temporary, however, and do not last any longer than an hour. You're free to sample as many abilities as you'd like. But, once one is in effect, you cannot gain another without the first one running out its course.
Closest to the exit was the wildlife exhibition, summoning renders of both flora and fauna of Olympia and Wyver. This was meant to showcase the types of wildlife those heading planetside could expect. Don't let the promise of "projections" fool you! These renders are as poisonous, as dangerous, and as realistic as you might expect if you were seeing the real thing. In fact, they have become so unruly that some may have escaped their stations and are running amok, terrorizing everyone (Especially Zasere, who prepared them himself). On the bright side, you've still got those nifty borrowed powers, right?
Monsters aren't the only things you should be worried about. All over, the plantlife that found exposure from the chaos. From the broken glass that once contained them, some flora will have effects that may temporarily ail refugees in its vicinity. Be sure to check their labels if you are caught! Roman has begun handing out gloves and gas masks for this special occasion, being unwilling to destroy the specimen himself. He encourages all to contain them rather than kill!
While most of the flora and fauna have been handled rather quickly, the more agile ones can be seen around the station. One may have found its way to your meal in the Mess Hall, another may be hiding in the bathroom facilities. Wherever they are, it never hurts to practice some caution. Hopefully this gets cleared up before Darma catches wind... but even she would admit this is the most lively Thesa Station has been since that July many months ago.
IV — SOCIAL-LINKED(in)
By miracle, there are still some quieter parts of the hall. This may be an appropriate time to check out your smart phone. Aside from the expected "Omage" app, there seems to be a new one called Social-Linked. There, you may find a profile waiting to be posted. The app allows for the user to fill it in, but there is also an auto-function! upon pressing it, it will generate a shockingly-honest answer based on the Natha's observation of your history. Roman will be your only friend in this app, with his very own profile:
| ●●●●○ THESA |
  |
ROMAN
@romannoodles (∞), Thesa
I WAS A: Butler! I still am, and I'm happy to serve all of the new arrivals!
I'M SKILLED IN: Cooking, cleaning, anything that involves making your life better!
I'M LOOKING FOR: Consistency!
ALSO, I'M: Not entirely certain if the "auto" profile function is to your liking. Feel free to edit if it is not to taste!
So, have you decided on making your own profile? Perhaps you used the "auto" function on accident? Regardless, once your profile is out there, it's out there. And like the Omage app, it will match you with someone. NOTE: Please use the form below to fill out a profile! Whether it's auto-generated or filled by the character is up to you!
Far away from the chaos, you managed to find the massive section on the station known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to enter this part of Thesa Station, but refugees are warned that it may not be for the faint of heart. Here, in large pods that nearly cover every square inch of the space, are all of the people the Orbiters have managed to rescue. Your loved ones, your greatest enemy, your next door neighbor — you might find them here. These people are in a state of deep cryosleep. Due to the damaging effects of The Storm, their bodies are not yet ready to be awoken.
Feel free to wildcard prompts within Thesa Station!
These threads may be carried over as game canon if players choose. Players are encouraged to submit TDM threads as application samples, but they are not required. Please direct any OOC questions to the questions thread below. An AC-length thread may be submitted for THREE (3) NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS after acceptance here. Please submit by April 17th. Network threads are not eligible.
We will no longer be providing overflow posts. In an event where the post hits CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals or create their own catch-all post. These threads remain eligible for REP.
There will be an application cap of 60, and no reserves. Please read here for more information.
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no subject
then he steps back to get a better look at her, a once-over focused on assessing damage or alterations. nothing notable catches his eye. thank god. ]
Since you went under? [ his smile thins. ] About two months now. Are you feeling alright?
[ supposedly, people only return to stasis when there's something wrong. ]
no subject
his smile thins, her frown becomes more pronounced? ]
Since I went under?
[ what is he talking about? ]
I'm fine. Other than the whole Storm devouring our planet situation. [ she keeps her tone even. no use in breaking down about it now. she'll process it at a later time. right now, she's in unknown territory, she doesn't know anyone but eggsy and he's injured. ]
What happened to your hand?
no subject
she's still his best friend. she's still here. how can he tell her that something was wrong, forcing her back into cryostasis and leaving her without two months worth of memories? fortunately, she saves him from having to immediately explain by inquiring about his injury. ]
Er. [ he musters a nearly reassuring smile. ] Had a bit of a — [ uuuuuuh how does he make this sound better than it is!! ] — just a minor chemical explosion, really. [ then, quickly, like a boy confessing that he broke a precious heirloom. ] That sort of blew up my TT-30.
[ his kingsman-issue pistol... ruined... ]
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if this is making it sound better than it was, it must have been really bad. her lips press together. ]
That doesn't sound minor.
[ she takes a closer look at him now. ] What else, besides the hand? [ c'mon, eggsy. you can tell her. you should tell her, really. ]
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Sorry. [ for fudging it. he should know better than to soften the truth with her. he takes a seat on the edge of his bed, looking up in earnest. ] Burned my whole arm, basically, but it's nearly healed.
[ it still throbs and inhibits his everyday activities, with training and patrolling off the table until he fully recovers, seeing as he can't fire a weapon or throw a punch, presently. if not for the supernatural nature of healing on el nysa, well, he wouldn't be as fine as he is — best to omit that, for the time being. ]
Normal wear and tear otherwise. Swear down, Rox. [ WELL. ] Got exposed to some nasty shit, like a toxic haze, but the doctors don't think it did permanent damage.
no subject
I leave you alone for - [ there's the slightest pause here, a moment's hesitation. ] two months.
[ but despite the chiding tone, there's something soft in her gaze. he shouldn't ever lie to her, shouldn't ever think that he has to, but lie or not, she's glad that it wasn't worse. that he's in one piece, at least. ]
I'm glad you're all right.
no subject
he holds her gaze. no reason to look away, when it's roxy. 'course he knows not all of his news is good news or even easy news. ]
Yeah, yeah, I'm a bloody mess without you. [ he knows that much. as often as he asks himself what would roxy do?, it isn't the same as having her well-meaning chiding and teasing to check him — or drawing on her sharp intelligence and cool strength beside him. his voice softens. ] I missed you, Roxy.
[ 'cause it's worth saying, even if it's a bit too sincere. ]
no subject
she's still missing something -- between the flash of disappointment on his features earlier and the sincerity behind his i missed you, she's definitely missing something and it has to do with her.
for a moment, she narrows her eyes. thinks to push it, spit it out, eggsy. but no, there are more important things right now. this isn't something that seems to immediately affect his physical or emotional well-being to a significant degree and so it gets set aside. ]
Tell me about this place.
[ two months. that's enough time to have compiled intelligence, to be able to give her a brief of -- well, not the mission, but close enough. ]
no subject
instead, he pats the space beside him. ]
You might wanna sit down. [ the planet itself ain't bad, in his opinion, but some information associated with it all (including his over six months here, with and without roxy) is a doozy. he shakes his head. ] Some of this shit is wilder than anything. You aren't even gonna believe me.
[ said like maybe he doesn't believe himself, months after the fact. he has to say that, so she doesn't think he's mad, when he explains his mentor didn't die on a shite day in the american south — or that the people who saved him and roxy from the end of the world have no control over their corporeal stability and occasionally cart people back to stasis. ]
no subject
I'll withhold judgement, promise.
[ a beat. ] If it's any help, I've read the tourist brochure already, so I know some basics. Though how accurate that information is, well.
[ no offence, roman. ]
no subject
It's not inaccurate. [ he smiles to himself, lightly amused. ] Bit glossy. On the ground it's a weird mix of old-timey and modern, like a ren faire with some high tech. And there's loads of tension between the two cities that the refugee passport gets you into. [ he lowers his voice, aware of the potential for cctv on the station. ] I'm in the Olympian Royal Guard, [ he pulls a face 'cause posh, monarchist bullshit still isn't him, thanks. ] but I've been doing tailoring work for Wyver on the side.
[ "tailoring" ]
no subject
tailoring, right. ]
And did you make any friends?
[ are there names she should be aware of, one way or another? ]
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Yes, mum. [ :) :) :) ] I'll send you the full list later. [ with more detailed information. then, he hesitates, feeling as though he should mention the truth of his time spent here before he lists off far too many connections for it to have been two months. ]
[ looking away — ] I've, uh, met a lot of people in the past eight months.
[ just!! casually!! throwing that out there!! ]
no subject
[ she sits up straighter, not because of his elbow against her side but because -- eight bloody months. that's a whole lot longer than two.
this time, she doesn't set aside her questions or her narrowed gaze for more pressing concerns. ]
Why did you say two, earlier?
no subject
'Cause you woke up before. [ he swallows. ] And then you went back under for two months.
no subject
that would explain it. roxy trusts eggsy as much as he trusts her, but training means her features don't show the surprise she's feeling. the confusion.
she doesn't remember any of that. ]
How long was I awake for?
no subject
Not long enough.
[ he leans into her, slipping his good arm around her shoulders. ]
'Bout two months, too.
no subject
but it's eggsy. her head drops against his shoulder. ]
So you're saying you've been on your own for half a year?
[ easier to focus on that than on her own lack of memories. she doesn't doubt his word for a moment; why would she? but she doesn't let herself pretend there's nothing to deal with here, either. that her amnesia doesn't bother her. ]
Is that a common thing? People going back into the pods. Losing their memories.
[ will it being common make it easier to bear? she thinks it might, but she's not entirely convinced. one way to find out, really. ]
no subject
Pretty common, yeah. [ common enough that he knows of others, at any rate. his next words are a struggle to push out, thick with emotion. he needs to be strong, for himself and for roxy, but he his wounds are too raw. ] Harry was with me until a month ago. [ quickly. ] I know it sounds mad. [ the effort it takes not to become choked up is obvious, far from the smooth neutrality that their work requires. ] Resurrection is part and parcel here.
no subject
he wouldn't judge, but she'd rather not let go of whatever composure she can hold on to. ]
I believe you.
[ she would, even if not for the obvious emotion in his voice. eggsy's not that good an actor. no one is. ]
I saw him in the pod. Alive.
no subject
He went by an alias, Henry DeVere. [ he'll not every person who knew harry when he sends over his list of contacts, too. ] JB's here, too.
[ he can't go on discussing harry without crying, so it's best to shift the topic. ]
no subject
[ she smiles a little, letting it linger against his shoulder. but jb's presence makes one absence all the more notable. ]
I haven't seen Di yet anywhere. [ diana. her dog. ]
no subject
Took JB a month to get here, so I reckon Di will be the same for you. [ a beat. ] I think pets go through a different cryostasis process or something.
[ spoilers he doesn't have any idea what he's talking about. ]
no subject
Let's hope so.
[ the smile fades again, though she doesn't straighten. ] What else?
no subject
[ a cheeky lil smile. ] You missed my birthday.
[ if she wanted to buy him a present js ]
(no subject)