Event - The White Dragon Travel Log

[bravenewmods]

[It's a lengthy journey even by air, that our intrepid heroes find themselves on. The veteran fliers set a quick, but not grueling pace at the suggestion of the Valkyries. Arriving to a battleground when a god had taken the field tired was not wise, they'd said, and who could really blame them? The prospect alone of facing down one of the beasts of legend would be enough to send most men fleeing in the opposite direction, but one who was working with a human? That was all the more reason to make sure that proper care was taken on the trek. And so for a day the party traveled, a caravan of birds, dragons, reptiles and the odd flying robot making steady time across the Rolling Plains before setting down at the north-eastern edge.

The curious would find that not far from where the tents were pitched, the green hills turned jagged, the land going from verdant to a sea of dark glass. Obsidian shards spiked upwards, spires gleaming in the moonlight like razor sharp teeth, setting an ominous tone for the evening's respite. Tents were pitched, fires were lit, and the more warlike companions even began a drum circle and dance. Valkyries and shirtless Calderan volunteers, a small number of visiting mages, and other more mysterious folks all curious to see the god and to help with the relief efforts. The camp, despite the circumstances, was at least a lively one.

And then came the final day.

Over the Obsidian Flats they went, the massive shapes of Boldore and Tyranitar visible even from up in the sky. And...further perhaps even more stunningly, a gigantic lake almost large enough to call an inland sea, sprawled out below. Rivers snaked out of it all around, and the water itself was a pure crystal blue. But perhaps the most awe inspiring sight of the whole journey came once they cleared the Flats and the area around Glacier came into view. An expanse of white, thick snow covering the ground this early in the year. Arctic forests cropped up here and there, snowcapped trees and a frigid looking river marring the perfect canvas beneath. And more Pokemon , of course. Gigantic Avalugg shook the ground below, and a new species plodded along, chewing amiably on the trees, largely unconcerned by the humans overhead, and the occurrences in the distance.

Along the coast a city was in flames, people streaming out of its ruined gates, desperately fleeing along the rivers before whatever it was came back. Smoke curled up along the skyline, burned hamlets and outlying settlements that'd already been destroyed.

It seems like they weren't too late, and it in the moment of respite there was a chance for our heroes to at least get their bearings and prepare for the Dragon God's return...]

[OOC: We will be opening some of these areas for bonding within the next few days for everyone who is taking part in the expedition.]

Comments

[untalented]

No. It's just confusing.

[niepokonany]

Okay, good.

...Want help with your tent?

[untalented]

If you could?

[There was a hopeful look in his eyes, a glint that was begging to please not let him sleep on the icy ground with just a heavy sleeping bag to protect him!]

[niepokonany]

[Feliks knelt down next to the tent, beginning to tinker with the different pieces that needed to be put together.]

Sure, no big!

I'd offer to let you crash with me and Fai if you're tired now, but like, I think that might be the last thing you two need.

[Yeah, he's noticed the shade going on there.]

[untalented]

[Waver picked up the sticks and tried to straighten out the canvas, but carefully kept an eye on how Feliks was putting it together. Ezreal had moved so quickly the last time that he didn't catch half of the steps-- and the teasing that came along with the help had only served as a distraction.]

...Thanks for that thought. I'll take my own place over interfering with anyone else, anyway.

[He wasn't sure what he thought of Fai yet, except for his certainty that he would gift the man with a package of dried stunlutefisk over the winter holidays. There was no doubting that the two men were important to each other, but right now Waver just found him infuriating.]

I need my own tent anyway; Yuuna and Merrill might want their privacy too, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable sharing a tent with Miss Isabela.

[The rough and savvy woman was rather intimidating. Though she had helped Waver get his bearings in Union, he wasn't sure what he made of her yet either.]

[niepokonany]

[Feliks clearly knows what he's doing with the tent -- he's been out in the wilderness for weeks at a time by himself, after all -- but he's never in much of a hurry about anything that seems like work, when it's not an emergency and doesn't involve rescuing Fai, so he definitely works slowly enough to get a good look at what he's doing with the frame.]

...You don't like him much, do you?

[Having more than one friend: more trouble than he'd ever really bothered to anticipate.]

[untalented]

My opinion on the situation doesn't matter, [Waver replied diplomatically, attempting to be as helpful as he could with his meager knowledge of wilderness survival.

This was entirely new territory for him, both on the exploration and social fronts. He wanted to preserve his friendship with Feliks, but he had no idea what to do with Fai.]

[niepokonany]

[Feliks and diplomacy don't really get along. He doesn't get mad, it just sort of doesn't affect him. He ignores what Waver said, and replies to the answer he heard.]

How come you don't?

[untalented]

[Waver frowned. He really didn't want to talk about this subject, but...]

Ask him why he doesn't seem to care for me first. He's making it incredibly difficult to try to even talk to.

[niepokonany]

[That didn't sound much like Fai, who was so good at pouring on the charm...]

[Unless he felt threatened. Oh.]

...Was he being bitchy to you? [He rubbed his temple like he had a headache.]

Look, I'll get on him about that, but like... he's way stressed about his brother being gone and his family wanting him to be the heir now, and he hasn't actually talked to a human in like a year so that's kinda weird for him, too, and he... sort of jokes a ton when something's freaking him out?

And he's not acting weird at like, Pamela or anyone, so it might be a little tough for him that you're... I don't know. New in my life? He's not the kind of guy who minds me having friends or whatever, or I wouldn't be with him, but... Gods, I don't know. Getting used to the old stuff again is probably hard enough without new things added in.

I guess what I wanted to say is, just maybe try and be a little patient with him? He's... kinda going through a lot.

[untalented]

...I'm not so callus that I wouldn't realize that, [Waver replied, making a face like a chastized child. He was aware that he was as much at fault as Fai was in their current interactions, but he didn't see a reason to allow himself to be pushed around by someone who was friendly with his own friends.]

He's just harder to deal with than you were at the Town Meetings a few months ago, back when I first arrived in Union. You had good reason to do what you were doing, but there's no reason for this. All I've done is toss some potions his way and keep an eye on him when he wanders off.

[He didn't have many friends-- and he wasn't going to let a stranger mess that up.]

[niepokonany]

[Feliks squirms a little, because he's not good at this kind of conversation at all -- but he cares more than anything about Fai, and he's growing to care a lot about Waver's friendship, too, and he doesn't want a few missteps at the start to keep them from being friends.]

I know, dude. I totally get that it's not your fault, and seriously, he's gonna hear about it from me.

Just... give him a little time to get over all this before you start judging him too hard, for me? He has reasons, they're just not you.

[untalented]

[Oh, Waver understood this. He understood it better than Feliks realized, and the two of them were united in their sentiment.]

...With you, I always figured you were just a stubborn idiot who didn't grasp the situation. With him...I think he knows exactly what to say to get a reaction.

[He paused, thoughtful.]

We're both Psychic, and we both have the same skill... But, he's not the sort who can read minds, is he? That talent passed over me.

[niepokonany]

I think he could maybe-kinda-sorta, with Yuui, but that might have been more of a twin thing than a psychic thing. He's just, like, good at finding buttons to push.

[untalented]

This is going to be mind-numbingly frustrating, if that's the case.

[niepokonany]

...And he'll be in trouble with me if he doesn't back off after I talk to him about it.

[untalented]

...

You both are weird, you know that?

[niepokonany]

...Huh? How am I being weird?

[untalented]

You're just concerning yourself an awful lot about this problem. It's nothing I can't handle-- we figured things out after a while.

[All it took was a Gabite and Skitty destroying his home, Feliks offering to help fix the damage, and a game of Truth or Dare.]

[niepokonany]

...I'm not super used to having a lot of friends, and I'm worried about him.

I just... I'd really like you two to get along. You know? It'd make me feel better.

[He doesn't like the idea of having to side with the man he loves or his friends against the other.]

[untalented]

[Waver looked away, not even sure what to say when faced with those words. If their positions were reversed and he were in Feliks' place, he knew that he would be just as confused and concerned about how to proceed.

Why were people always so difficult?]

....Why is it that Union's nobility only comes in two varieties? They're either friends with everyone, or they have so few friends that they're the odd ducklett out. It makes no sense.

[niepokonany]

Or some way weird combination of both. I think it's 'cause they're raised to be all diplomatic and junk, but also rich kids who are told they're better than everybody can actually kind of suck at dealing with people?

I wouldn't totally know. My parents weren't big on the whole noble thing, but they didn't have any other kids for my grandparents to rope back into it, so I got into the noble scene kinda late.

[untalented]

Sounds annoying, [he muttered,] but they've got a better handle on things than the Magi do.

Affairs in the Towers aren't too different from Union's nobility, in that respect.

[niepokonany]

For me, it was more like "oh, all the normal people know I'm a noble so they think I think I'm better than them, and I never actually learned about how to get along with nobles, so they mostly don't like me either," so... I mean, I had a couple friends, sort of? But mostly just Jadwiga.

[untalented]

......Yeah, that sounds like it must have been really annoying.

[People. They were difficult to get along with no matter what part of the continent they were on.]