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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Ryoko Hakubi | Tenchi Muyo!OVA
[ It's a single arm that Ryoko deposits atop the table in leaning forward with a smile as innocent and wide as that of a starving child in a candy shop if a mite stretched and exacerbated by eyes a bit too wide. The gesture might seem innocent enough were it not for her opposite hand holding what appears to be one of those handy-dandy goodie bags open and strangely wide considering her hands' positioning. Blink and she's mid-sweep with fingers stretched so as to welcome as much swag as possible into the hungry maw of a bag already close to overflowing with a happy mix of food and merchandise from the north and south sides of the hall. It swells, the loot cresting the bag's top as her arm finishes its generous sweep, but that's nothing a prompt shakeshake doesn't fix upon straightening. She tosses it over her shoulder as neatly as though she were Santa Claus himself and she's -- well, she's not so much stepping as she is floating several feet off the ground and very much in motion, heading --
Well, away, and with the newly restocked sample tray of wine you might've spied out of the corner of your eye. Sure, she's got her flask of sake, but why the hell should she start on her reserve when what's free is free for the taking and her week is off to a grand old start? Unfortunately, she might not be the most coordinated given she's been frequenting the hall for some time now and helping herself to the samples, which isn't helped now that she's got it in her head to both drink and read up on the literature now that she's got a proper buzz going.
Roll for initiative to dodge, land lubber. Or initiate dialogue. Your choice. ]
TWO ☆ BLENDING IN - A ☆ WHERE'S WALDO?
[ There's only so much observing a woman can do before boredom sets in under ordinary circumstances. For a certain semi-reformed space pirate, however extraordinary the circumstances of her arrival on Thesa, the reality of the station, the technology present, of colonized planets with varied, colorful societies and the deities that meddle with them is one that she knows all too well. It doesn't make the aforementioned extraordinary circumstances any easier to swallow or calm stormy emotions and sharp thoughts, but it does make for less eyelashes batted and a need for something a little more entertaining, something -- Ryoko decides, sitting up where she had only been laying on her side hovering off the floor and pounding a fist into a flattened palm enthusiastically -- like a revised edition of Where's Waldo?: In Space!
With the game decided, Ryoko takes to studying the newest projections carefully, critiquing them mentally as she squints and puckers. After a long moment, she pauses and blinks once, twice, then snaps her head to one side and shifts. ]
Hey, wait a minute! Wait a minute! What's your rush? [ Waldo, is that you? Don't mind the woman floating alongside you. She just needs a peek to be sure... ]
THREE ☆ SOCIAL LINKED(IN) ☆ BANANA PHONE
@sakepls (5000+), Earth
I'M SKILLED IN: Destruction, combat, piloting
I'M LOOKING FOR: Sake, shoujo comics
ALSO, I'M: Thirsty
[ -- and currently unaware of what the auto-fill button has deigned to provide for her. ]
FOUR ☆ WILD CARD ☆ EXTRA EXTRA
[Looking for something else? Hit me up on plurk, PM me, or drop me a starter!]
one
He's standing near a corner, leaning against the wall, a glass of some sort of punch (probably spiked with alcohol) in one hand and a collection of hors d'oeuvres on sticks in the other, eating them one at a time and discarding the toothpicks in a nearby trash can. He's not expecting anybody to bother turning this corner--after all, the party is going on over there--but no sooner does he wonder if maybe he should relocate than he suddenly finds himself... drenched in... wine?
To his credit, Axel doesn't drop his punch. Or his hors d'oeuvres. But he makes a rather undignified noise ('I could have dropped my croissant!!) and sort of backpedals, holding his arms at his sides with a look of dismay on his face. Well, at least he wasn't wearing his coat--do you know how hard it is to get wine out of magical garments?
Glancing up, he blinks in puzzlement as he realizes the woman who ran into him seems to be hovering in the air instead of standing on the floor, and he looks at the punch in his hand.
"Um. Wow. This stuff's stronger than I thought," he says, and meets her eye. "And apparently this place needs traffic lights. Hi there. Can I..."--he glances down, then back up with a helpless sort of grin--"wear you a drink?" Let it never be said that Axel isn't a good sport.
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The tail behind her tenses only to wave curiously as she leans forward and close, close enough to effectively close any distance he placed between them, to take a less tearful look at the spill before turning her eyes up to look into his bright green.
"Well, it does pair well with your eyes," she says, leaning in that much closer in peering so that her expression takes a somewhat brighter tint. "Do you think you can pull it off?"
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His gaze moves back to her face, and as he searches her eyes a moment, he notes the striking amber color. That coupled with her elongated ears strikes a peculiar chord in him, and for a moment he wonders if there's some correlation somewhere--Saïx, Xigbar, and Xemnas all have gold-amber eyes and pointed ears, and he has often wondered what caused the change. But he's never seen this woman before, nor does she seem to have that same aura of Darkness about her that the other Nobodies do. There's a tincture of chaos to her, he'll admit, and a touch of some sort of darkness in its own right, for sure, but she's not a Nobody, or a Heartless, or... any other sort of anything he's ever encountered before, for that matter. He's pretty sure she's not entirely human, for starters, but... maybe he's getting too analytical for a first meeting.
Giving a soft chuckle when she compliments his eyes, he gives her a rakish grin and rubs his chin before plucking at his dampened shirt.
"Well, I mean... I have gone all day wearing ice cream stains on my jacket before, and I rocked that look, if I do say so myself," he assures her. "I'd say wine is a step up the ladder of fashion, wouldn't you?"
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"Ice cream?" she asks, gingerly dropping the overstocked bag of goodies she's collected to the ground behind her so that she can cross her legs beneath her. "What's ice cream?"
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She sets her bag of... who knows what down, and Axel tilts his head as she folds her legs up and just sits in mid-air as easily as if there was a chair beneath her. Well, that's a neat trick. Before he can ask how she does it, though, she asks a question he can't believe is meeting his ears.
"'Wh... what's ice cream'?" he echoes, shaking his head and looking almost comically appalled. "You've really never had ice cream?"
What sort of sad, backwards world does she come from??
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"Mm. Nope," she quips, picking up one after another of those samples of wine up to throw back before posing another question. "Is it that surprising?"
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"Surprising? Maybe a little," Axel says, plucking a bit at his wet shirt and crinkling his nose. He's not a big drinker, in any capacity--he prefers to keep full control of his faculties at all times, really--but wine just has such a strong smell. Oh well, he guesses there are far worse things to smell like. "Mostly it's just a shame, I'd say," he amends then, giving her a slightly exaggerated look of sympathy. "I mean, it's definitely one of the greatest things in the whole universe."
He's not even exaggerating that part.
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"Would you say it's valuable?"
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"Valuable?" he asks, and then laughs softly. "I mean, it's pretty important to me, but I dunno how much you could get for it on the black market, if that's what you're askin'." He shakes his head. "You... don't even know what it is, do you." It's not really a question. He's not really making fun of her, but it's a little funny.
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Her expression betrays the thought for about as long as she dwells on a potential profit dashed, which is to say two seconds. It might not be a bad idea to look into the market on the ground at some point, but she takes that thought in stride and slowly shakes her head one, two, three times as moisture begins to gather at the corner of eyes she turns on her present company with a quivering bottom lip.
"I've never heard of it before and here you are being so mean," she says, and almost softly.
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Oh, man, don't make the wibbly face at him.
Axel holds his hands up and waves them back and forth a little, shaking his head.
"Ah--! No, I'm not making fun," he says quickly, looking a little alarmed. Man, he never knows what to do when people start crying. He just can't handle sad faces. "I just think maybe I gotta find some, now, so you can try it, is all! I mean, it's tragic you've never had it before!"
He hasn't seen anything like ice cream up here on the station, really, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. How hard can it be to get someone to make some frozen milk product, right?
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And just like that, Ryoko's cycles to another emotion entirely, nearly spilling the tray of wine she's somehow managed to keep stable despite that pleasant buzz she's so adamant about keeping. Touched by the gesture? That's saying the least and nothing of the far from buried pleasure of having ruffled the man. She hasn't seen anyone fold so quickly to her crocodile tears since her arrival. Of course, this is her first time applying them, but that's besides the point.
This guy? Oh, he's an absolute gem into whose personal space she may very well be leaning even more prominently.
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He leans back a little as she leans toward him, eyes widening a bit, and he wonders if maybe he's getting himself in over his head.
"Y... es?" he ventures. "I mean, I haven't found any ice cream thus far, but I'm sure it's gotta exist somewhere." He leans back a little further, then awkwardly offers a hand to shake. "Ah... I'm Axel, by the way," he says, venturing a smile. "And you are...?"
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"Ryoko," she offers, and with a natural ease to counter that awkwardness of his. "Pleased to meet you, Axel!"
Really, the pleasure is all hers. To think she'd come across someone like this on this station...
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He's not sure why she looks so pleased with herself, though. Sure, she's managed to spill wine all over a total stranger, but she seemed more disappointed by the loss of alcohol than happy for any pranking purposes.
"S-so, ah... I'm guessing you're new, huh?" he asks. "I'm... positive I would remember seeing you around."
Between the flying and the hair... Actually, the hair is a remarkably similar style to his own, just in a light blueish hue. Interesting.
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Well, none of it was. The Darkess, the cold -- it's sobering thoughts she washes down with another one, two, three cups of samples and something like a refreshed sigh. Maybe a pinch. Him, not her. His arm. It's closer than his face to her hand, after all.
"It sure feels real," she muses.
Pinch. Just to be sure... damn.
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"Yeah, I wasn't sure it was real at first, either," he admits, rubbing his arm, and then he squeaks in protest when she pinches him again. "Aa--! But it is!" he insists, jumping just out of arm's reach and rubbing his arm more pointedly now. "I promise!"
Why do so many of his friendships seem to begin with the other party injuring him in some manner or another?
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Ryoko smiles, but it's a smile tinged with something else, something sad, maybe a touch bitter. Really, she would've preferred the latter. It's nothing against Axel, but this reality doesn't rank among those in which she'd like to live.
"Oh, well," she says, sighing ruefully. "I guess there's no helping it. If the Natha can't do anything about it..."
She may be throwing another three drink samples back. Maybe looking at the last cup kind of sadly.
RING RING Please forgive an old woman her rusty character voices...
[not pictured: Washuu losing her shit. Autofill is so evil she should have invented it.]
akdlfsj the only thing to forgive is me being eons late
Most children, upon being surprised by a parent they missed, about whom they were in fact concerned given the weight of the whole situation, would probably express joy, relief, happiness in the face of a reunion. Ryoko? She might have maybe been heading in that direction before the confusion over Washu's statement kicked in and she saw the horror of auto-fill. She can probably be heard yelling what she's typing halfway across the station now. Probably. Definitely. ]
What the hell, Washu! Did you have something to do with this?!
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amd also this is hilarious.]
Aww. You think so highly of my abilities that you believe I'd be able to hack an entire system in the five minutes since we woke up here just to mess with you.
[The most indulgent giggle.] Which I could have, but I didn't. Whoever this Darma is just has a great sense of humor.
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Please, no. ]
You would think that. [ And that's a sigh. Maybe if she just sort of turns this a little bit... ] I'm guessing they already gave you the run down?