bravenewworld | Not a creature was stirring, not even a Pikachu....

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Not a creature was stirring, not even a Pikachu....

All across Union, its citizens prepared to ring in the Salvation holiday with cheer. Dedicated to their beloved Savior, many of the houses were decorated with garlands, ornaments and other fineries in preparation for this truly special holiday, and while it had been uncharacteristically cold the last few days, not a single flake of snow had fallen. Children eager to start the festivities the following day did their best to stay up in the hopes of possibly catching a glimpse of one of the Delibirds they saw the previous night. However, try as they might, the late night would get the better of them, and soon the city was asleep, nestled warm in their beds, dreaming of parties and presents, candies and cakes.

As they slept, the first snow began to fall, snowflakes silently dancing through the night sky, dusting rooftops and covering sidewalks in pearly white. It would seem that a Salvation miracle was at work in Union that night. The streets were empty, save for a young woman and Pokémon, scarcely visible even in the lamplights. Her steps made no sound, even in the accumulating snow, and she left no footprints, the strange Pokémon by her side taking the time to peer into every window.

Should anyone wake during this peaceful snowfall, they might find the young woman and her companion in their room, transparent as a fog, a placid smile on her face. She did not speak, but simply smiled warmly, almost maternally, before disappearing from view.

When dawn finally broke, the people of Union would find a simple gift within their home, rested alongside a familiar note. The snow from last night coated buildings, streets, and sidewalks, blanketing the city in white and shimmering in the gentle, early morning light.

((OoC: This is a Salvation Mingle Log for all characters. There are decorations and the like in various squares for celebration around Union, so feel free to tag around!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't think they really care anymore at this point. Since they got the Council to promise to shut down the Homunculus project, things have been pretty quiet. I still try to keep my exact talents quiet, though, because there's a few idiots here who think that magic is all fun and games.

And here I thought it would have been because we're more likely to keep details about ourselves private. [A slight tease to the way he so often refers to others as idiots.] Still, I'm glad that it seems to have blown over. I did some research into the debates, and they weren't pretty.

[Everyone who sparkles relentlessly or does stupid things without thought is an idiot in Waver's book until they do something to prove his assessment wrong.]

The arguments were pretty rough, but some of the people who were the loudest at the town meetings ended up being the people I came to trust the most in this city. It's weird, how that worked out.

That does seem very odd. It makes sense that circumstances would have to do with it... you did take to this city pretty well, after all. People see you for who you are and not where you came from.

Actually, that's one of the things that makes this city special; they've only left their self-imposed isolation not more than two years ago, and since then they've been meeting people from across the entire continent. But the one thing that defines everyone who passes through here and decides to stay is the Warp Band. So long as you're wearing it, no one really cares about where you come from.

...At least, that's what I was told on my first day exploring town.

From firsthand experience, I can see that... even if it still seems to paint it all too ideally. The city pulls unique individuals together, but even that's a cloak for their own private motivations.

[But she knows it's changed her, just by coming here. Even if in a way, she's still hiding from things back in Sanctuary. She idly touches at where the Warp Band is hidden under her coat sleeve.]

As for the bands, I'm still not accustomed to broadcasting over it, though I appreciate the sturdier bonds it helps to build with Pokemon.

I'm not accustomed to broadcasting over it, either, but I like what it represents in this city. Anyone wearing one is someone you can potentially rely on if you have a specific problem and, even if there are other agendas lurking in the background...it's still nothing compared to what can happen in the Towers of the Magi.

[Because the agendas in this city seemed more political or bureaucractic in nature. In Sanctuary, there was no way to guarantee that the Magi weren't doing something unethical in the shadows that they hid in.

Knowledge was everything in Sanctuary. In Union, Bonds were everything.]

It's just the way we're brought up there. Advancing, valuing privacy, keeping problems to ourselves. Here they're more open, and sharing everything seems expected.

[She glances back toward the library building.] In any case, those doors aren't opening for a day or two thanks to the holiday, but I'm ready to detour for somewhere warmer. Aren't you?

[Besides, she hasn't given him his present yet.]

[Presents weren't a necessary factor for him-- poor kid from outside the towers doesn't expect much from life except a warm place to sleep, a hot plate of food, and a bag full of books to read on those cold, blustery nights of Sanctuary's winter. But Raine's words still had him tugging at the sleeves of his jacket, to try to get as much warmth out of the garment as he could.]

I am. It's a pity that the libraries aren't open for the holidays-- what if there are other people like us who want to hit the books as soon as we're able?

[She wasn't accustomed to giving gifts outside of her brother, but given the assistance Waver had provided on multiple occasions it only seemed like the right thing to do, and the holiday provided the right opening.]

It seems like they prioritize holiday recreation over the need to study immediately. Unionites are likely used to it...

[He had a gift for her as well, in keeping with the holiday. It was nothing terribly special-- but, it was useful. Practicality, above all else, was a good trait for a gift to have.]

Yeah. Probably. The academics here are high quality, but they're not as stern about their studies as the academics in Sanctuary are.

[She gestures for him to walk with her toward a warmer location.]

It would seem that they aren't hurt from being less demanding. There are more niches available for them to work toward as well... for those who decide to pursue them, anyway.

[For every hard worker, there seems to be a person accustomed to taking it easy. But the society made them equals. That was the strange part.]

[Waver nodded and followed along.]

You're right on that-- the Delvers, for example, are something like field researchers. And then there are organizations like the Seekers, who are out in the wilds looking for clues of their own. All of that is also outside of the scholastic system. I haven't even figured out what else this city has to offer yet.

Their scholastic system itself is impressive considering how the study of magic doesn't even seem to factor into the results of their work. And their use of technology... it is completely the opposite of how we've seen Gigas put it to use.

I think it comes from their own isolation. Unlike us, who have been able to access the rest of the world for most of the last several centuries outside of recent decades, Union has developed completely without Gigan influence. That, and the ruins of their Old City are a technological marvel on their own.

It's hardly surprising, if we're looking at the larger picture.

Fair enough. Especially with their devotion to the Savior and her ideals... their advancement was to preserve, not to conquer. Even after discovering that there was more to the world out there, that does't seem to have changed...

[She opens the door to a small corner cafe, which allows a small group of Delibirds to shuffle out.]

[Waver watched them as well, noting how their little gift bags were still overflowing with presents for the children of the city.]

...That's because they're still innocent, [he replied, glancing over at Raine in complete seriousness.] And I think I like them this way.

A lot of them do seem that way. [But she knows better than to paint the entire society all with the same brush.]

We'll just have to continue observing to see how things turn out from here. Especially with the future to keep in mind. [The gods and that potential, looming threat. Once the Delibirds finish, she holds the door open for Waver to step inside.] For now, though... it's nice.

[Somewhat embarrassed by the fact that an well educated young woman was holding the door open for a down town brat like him, Waver quickly stepped through the door after the procession of Delibirds and started looking around for a place for the two of them to sit. The warm cafe was crowded that day-- fittingly so, given the weather and the season-- but there was always space in a corner to relax in.]

Yeah, it is. That's why I'm staying here. That and....the gods seem to like the people who live here. If we're going to learn anything interesting, this is the city to be in.

[Indeed, there's a nice quiet corner, with recently vacated seats for the taking.]

Although for the past few months, it's been so quiet... there hardly seems to have been a ripple since the dust settled from our return from Glacier.

That's not a bad thing, though, [Waver replied, sliding into one of the seats and getting comfortable.] It's given us time to think about and process what we've learned. If everything happened at once, we'd never keep up.

I'm certainly grateful for the time we've had to process everything. Especially with all of the new discoveries waiting to be made.

[She slips into the seat across from him. Between settling in, and two major holidays and her library assistant job, there's at least enough to keep busy with, on top of the studying.]

I just can't help but feel that we're waiting for the other shoe to drop in regard to what we faced there.

We are-- but, were things any different in Sanctuary?

[In many ways, being in Sanctuary was worse because they were still completely outside of the dealings with the Gods. If something like the Glacier incident happened in the regions surrounding the city, none of them would know what hit them.]

At least here we have transparency and accountability, which is something that the Towers sorely lack.

That's how it felt all the time there, which you know as well as I do. I wasn't anticipating running into that feeling here as well, even if the danger is... further away.

[Because they knew what they were dealing with where Gigas was concerned, as impossible as the situation was. With Gods involved, it invited a lot more unknown factors. Let alone that relying on Union's idealism to pull through every time felt a bit, well, unwise.]

... Not that sitting and talking about these worries will change that.

[But better to have them said than rattling around in her head, probably. There was an odd comfort in bouncing the thoughts off of Waver's ... unwavering confidence in Union.]

[Union's unparallelled optimism was starting to rub off on him. The hints of it were subtle until he got talking, but the ramifications were clear: Waver had long since decided to ally himself with Union, as the city of his birth had little left to offer him.]

It won't, and I think I'll take the uncertainty right now if that's the price to pay for open doors and unrestricted access to the library. Besides....we get to watch history unfold right in front of us for as long as we're here. That is an opportunity many would envy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not a creature was stirring, not even a Pikachu....

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