Elysium looks visibly baffled, but he continues to follow Ain nonetheless...
Only to stop dead the moment his eyes catch on the fireplace, and he sees that ever-burning flame kept within. His mouth actually falls open, and...okay sorry Ain he's suddenly got a lot to process at once, he doesn't mean to be rude by just standing there but he's definitely being rude for a handful of seconds.
Ain seems completely fucking oblivious though, that much is obvious...so after a beat, he will reluctantly sit down beside him, though he can't keep his eyes from constantly flickering over to the fireplace.]
Um...nevermind that part for right now. Where did this fire come from?
Hm? Haha, honestly, it was here before I arrived. I think Mr. Jellyfish said there was some lady from some military... she put it here before she left. It never goes out, even if we try to put it out, so it's always toasty in here. You could ask him, or Mr. Crane. They probably know.
[Thanks Ain, he has no idea who you're talking about.]
I'm sorry, Ain, but I have no idea who you're talking about.
[He has no idea who all else is here, and even if he did, he's not sure he could hazard a guess...like they all have codenames, but they're typically more than just the sub-species of their given race.
Elysium does sigh though, looking back over to the flickering flame.]
As for the fire...well. If you really aren't from Terra like you say, then I guess you wouldn't know. But it represents something very unsavory, I'm afraid. But I guess to you, it's not much more than a nice fire to sit beside.
Mr. Jellyfish is named Mizuki. And Mr. Crane is Gnosis.
[Oh, so you do know their names. You're Choosing to be this way. I see, I see...
His tail wiggles.]
I'm from Elrios. Haha, and I only know you're from Terra because there are a lot of you guys here. You guys must come from a big world! I haven't seen any of my friends here. Honestly, I'm a little jealous.
Uh-huh. There's Mr. Crane's husband Enciodes, [sorry Elysium some of these names you may or may not have heard before,] there's Sesa, Passenger, and I live with Ezell and Flamebringer.
[That's a lot of real names for Ain! Whew! He will go back to being a gremlin now.]
You'd know? Haha, Mr. Know-it-all... then you should know where they all are, right? If you go west, Mr. Crane and his husband live in the lab, which is between the clinic where I work sometimes, and the workshop where Sesa is. I live upstairs in the bakery at the far north of town, and usually the others are there. Mr. Jellyfish usually lives in the therapy building to the east, which is just north of The Magic Lamp, which is Passenger's cafe. By the way, Mr. Snow Leopard is Enciodes, Mr. Dragon is Sesa, Mr. Pigeon is Passenger, Mr. Demon [NO] is Flamebringer, [NO AIN] and Ezell is just Ezell~.
[Elysium is making a mental checklist as Ain rattles off names. Enciodes...? His husband? ??? uhh okay he still isn't entirely sure. Hm hm...Sesa, Passenger, and Flamebringer are all familiar. Ezell...he's not entirely sure. But he's able to name enough Operators that Elysium is comfortable assuming they're all from Rhodes. He can confirm later for himself.
As Ain continues, he gives him enough context-clues to put two-and-two together to realize that oh, okay, Enciodes must be SilverAsh. So that's...seven? Seven other Operators. Not zero, but that isn't everyone. Not even close.]
I see...you seem to know a lot about them. But you're talking as if they've lived here for a long time. I only just saw a few of them before I arrived here.
No, no, they've all been here for a few months at least! Ezell and Flamebringer showed up this summer, but Mr. Jellyfish and Mr. Crane have been here for over a year. That's what they said, anyway.
[Ain is looking over at Elysium with his big, bright eyes. Although he's acting like he doesn't see an issue... he almost certainly fucking does.]
...I was told time passes differently here. We exist in something like a time bubble right now. And if you have a watch or something, I bet it doesn't work right. Or a... what do you call it, phone? The rectangles with the bright lights and the glass screens. There's a clock in that, too, right?
[That doesn't seem right...but Elysium has experienced strange and stranger things before. He's a Catastrophe messenger, after all. He's seen everything and more.]
A phone...? Well, I do have a communication device that I keep with me on my person at all times, but if what you say is true, I don't think it's going to operate here. At least not the way it's meant to...
[Which is!! Concerning!!!! What is he going to do if he can't reach out to Thorns and fill him in on what's happened...?
Elysium sighs.]
This is all so confusing. But I appreciate you giving me this information anyway! I'll have to come back to you if I have more questions later.
[Ain is the correct person to be delving out this information, absolutely.]
Haha... since May? I'm really not an expert, though. [And, you know, the mood is still kind of light... Ain doesn't want to say "by the way if you die you'll come back" all ominously. Let's just keep it chill.] Lots of strange stuff happens here. Some is good, some is bad.
[And then, deciding to launch into a story:]
We all got trapped on the beach over summer~. It wasn't actually that bad — there are really cute animals here, and we had places to sleep and relax. And everyone gathered and played some games to pass the time. There was... oh, Nikolaus called it a "wet T-shirt contest", and there was "spin the bottle". I'd never heard of those games before coming here.
[Probably for the best for the time being. Elysium still has snow stuck to his hair and feathers after all, he has plenty of time to be filled in on the dark stuff.
OH okay it's storytime-]
The beach? That sounds like more my speed. It's so cold here right now...
[Whining, he feigns a shiver, wrapping his arms around himself.
And then...Elysium's eyes light up suddenly as he leans in closer to Ain.]
Wait a minute, you had a wet t-shirt contest? For real? And I missed it?
[Slumps forward...sad. How come he missed that!! What the fuck!!! If he's going to be teleported through space and time or whatever, the least it could have done was drop him here during the warm weather or something.]
I'm also not sure I like that nickname. Can't you come up with a more flattering one, if you won't call me Elysium? Like...Mr. Handsome? Mr. Good-looking?
I can't believe you're even asking me that question. Just look at me, I'm gorgeous! I have such pretty, striking white hair, with this lovely streak of red...and look at my feathers! I keep them in pristine condition, you know. I'm lean, and you wouldn't believe the musculature I have underneath this coat. It's just too cold for me right now to remove it.
[Huff! Huff!!!]
I've also got the most gorgeous eyes you've ever seen, and a lovely voice. Don't you just want to listen to me talk just to hear it?
Which is why I'm hoping I can get back to Rhodes soon...they need me.
[Hahaha-]
But yes, that's right. Being able to communicate over longer distances than most others would makes my job trivial compared to most. Though I try not to use it unnecessarily.
[What he considers "necessary" remains to be seen...annoying people with his opinions? Probably deemed necessary.]
[Elysium gasps softly, his nose wrinkling a bit at the sudden cold nipping at it. He'll then reach up to touch two fingers to the end of his nose, then gasp in a louder, much more dramatic way. He may not have a tail to wag, but he sure is expanding like a ghibli character with the way his feathers floof out.]
You have Arts!
[Magic. Arts. Same-ish thing.]
You can control ice...like Gnosis. That's not nothing! That's a pretty powerful ability to have, on top of being a healer...my job is important no doubt, but those who excel in combat are in as much of high demand as any.
Aww, it's not that good. Really, my best spells are all about healing and shielding~. And my combat magic can only be done outside. I don't want to break anything.
[He makes vortexes. That's kind of not inside magic.]
But yes, I'm from a group of adventurers~. It's my job to keep them safe. The other healer in our group is... [Scrunches his nose up,] Ten? Thirteen? Or something like that, haha, she's only a kid. Last I saw her, I was teaching her basic first aid.
[He hopes :) his friends aren't dead :) Laby can be trusted with the healing but also his friends are reckless assholes—]
But, if we get separated, we can't communicate like you can. We got this device once... it was called a "walkie-talkie" or something, but it's not like we just have those. It's very difficult to contact people many miles away where I'm from.
Oh, really? I made a device like that for my partner, Thorns. We've...been unfortunately separated for a time, so I wanted to be able to still communicate over the long distance.
[He's making them sound like boyfriends straight up]
I don't intend to overstay my welcome here, but I would be more than happy to show you how I made mine, assuming this place has the right parts.
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[???
"Angels from my world" Huh?? Whomst??
Elysium looks visibly baffled, but he continues to follow Ain nonetheless...
Only to stop dead the moment his eyes catch on the fireplace, and he sees that ever-burning flame kept within. His mouth actually falls open, and...okay sorry Ain he's suddenly got a lot to process at once, he doesn't mean to be rude by just standing there but he's definitely being rude for a handful of seconds.
Ain seems completely fucking oblivious though, that much is obvious...so after a beat, he will reluctantly sit down beside him, though he can't keep his eyes from constantly flickering over to the fireplace.]
Um...nevermind that part for right now. Where did this fire come from?
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[Thanks Ain, he has no idea who you're talking about.]
Why? What's wrong with it?
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[......]
I'm sorry, Ain, but I have no idea who you're talking about.
[He has no idea who all else is here, and even if he did, he's not sure he could hazard a guess...like they all have codenames, but they're typically more than just the sub-species of their given race.
Elysium does sigh though, looking back over to the flickering flame.]
As for the fire...well. If you really aren't from Terra like you say, then I guess you wouldn't know. But it represents something very unsavory, I'm afraid. But I guess to you, it's not much more than a nice fire to sit beside.
[Sighs again...]
At least whoever left it here is here no longer.
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[Oh, so you do know their names. You're Choosing to be this way. I see, I see...
His tail wiggles.]
I'm from Elrios. Haha, and I only know you're from Terra because there are a lot of you guys here. You guys must come from a big world! I haven't seen any of my friends here. Honestly, I'm a little jealous.
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[Okay now you really have his attention. Elysium sits forward a little more, his feathers poofing out around his ears.]
Who else? Could you tell me?
[And then, in a rare moment of clarity, he briefly backpedals to add-]
Ah. I'm sorry, about your friends...but I can't say I've heard of Elrios before. It's certainly nowhere on Terra that I'm aware of, and I would know.
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[That's a lot of real names for Ain! Whew! He will go back to being a gremlin now.]
You'd know? Haha, Mr. Know-it-all... then you should know where they all are, right? If you go west, Mr. Crane and his husband live in the lab, which is between the clinic where I work sometimes, and the workshop where Sesa is. I live upstairs in the bakery at the far north of town, and usually the others are there. Mr. Jellyfish usually lives in the therapy building to the east, which is just north of The Magic Lamp, which is Passenger's cafe. By the way, Mr. Snow Leopard is Enciodes, Mr. Dragon is Sesa, Mr. Pigeon is Passenger, Mr. Demon [NO] is Flamebringer, [NO AIN] and Ezell is just Ezell~.
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As Ain continues, he gives him enough context-clues to put two-and-two together to realize that oh, okay, Enciodes must be SilverAsh. So that's...seven? Seven other Operators. Not zero, but that isn't everyone. Not even close.]
I see...you seem to know a lot about them. But you're talking as if they've lived here for a long time. I only just saw a few of them before I arrived here.
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[Ain is looking over at Elysium with his big, bright eyes. Although he's acting like he doesn't see an issue... he almost certainly fucking does.]
...I was told time passes differently here. We exist in something like a time bubble right now. And if you have a watch or something, I bet it doesn't work right. Or a... what do you call it, phone? The rectangles with the bright lights and the glass screens. There's a clock in that, too, right?
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A phone...? Well, I do have a communication device that I keep with me on my person at all times, but if what you say is true, I don't think it's going to operate here. At least not the way it's meant to...
[Which is!! Concerning!!!! What is he going to do if he can't reach out to Thorns and fill him in on what's happened...?
Elysium sighs.]
This is all so confusing. But I appreciate you giving me this information anyway! I'll have to come back to you if I have more questions later.
[Ain is the correct person to be delving out this information, absolutely.]
How long have you been here then, Ain?
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[And then, deciding to launch into a story:]
We all got trapped on the beach over summer~. It wasn't actually that bad — there are really cute animals here, and we had places to sleep and relax. And everyone gathered and played some games to pass the time. There was... oh, Nikolaus called it a "wet T-shirt contest", and there was "spin the bottle". I'd never heard of those games before coming here.
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OH okay it's storytime-]
The beach? That sounds like more my speed. It's so cold here right now...
[Whining, he feigns a shiver, wrapping his arms around himself.
And then...Elysium's eyes light up suddenly as he leans in closer to Ain.]
Wait a minute, you had a wet t-shirt contest? For real? And I missed it?
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[Shit-eating grin... tail wag. Horrible, truly.]
I don't think you'd like the walk back much, though, haha!!
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[Slumps forward...sad. How come he missed that!! What the fuck!!! If he's going to be teleported through space and time or whatever, the least it could have done was drop him here during the warm weather or something.]
I'm also not sure I like that nickname. Can't you come up with a more flattering one, if you won't call me Elysium? Like...Mr. Handsome? Mr. Good-looking?
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[Huffs!!!! Well now you're just showing off.]
I can't believe you're even asking me that question. Just look at me, I'm gorgeous! I have such pretty, striking white hair, with this lovely streak of red...and look at my feathers! I keep them in pristine condition, you know. I'm lean, and you wouldn't believe the musculature I have underneath this coat. It's just too cold for me right now to remove it.
[Huff! Huff!!!]
I've also got the most gorgeous eyes you've ever seen, and a lovely voice. Don't you just want to listen to me talk just to hear it?
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Something tells me you'll talk no matter what~. [Ain! Be nice!] Are you sure you're not lying about having muscles, though? I mean...
[He reaches out and pokes Elysium. Right in the shoulder, even! The scandal!]
You seem pretty soft and squishy.
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Elysium's feathers puff out a little, indignantly.]
I would never lie about something like that.
[His gaze flickers away, just briefly.]
I am a Catastrophe messenger. If I weren't in fit condition, more people than just me would be in a lot of trouble.
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[Mr. Know-it-all... Mr. Important... hm.]
Oh, that's why you do that voice thing, then. You're like a walking siren...
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[He's so humble, too.]
Which is why I'm hoping I can get back to Rhodes soon...they need me.
[Hahaha-]
But yes, that's right. Being able to communicate over longer distances than most others would makes my job trivial compared to most. Though I try not to use it unnecessarily.
[What he considers "necessary" remains to be seen...annoying people with his opinions? Probably deemed necessary.]
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[Ain, you would literally use this power to DM Elsword. You wouldn't use it for good.]
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[Do not inflate his ego you're making him WORSE]
But no, it's just one-way. I can call out and deliver important messages, but if you have anything to say back, you'll have to come find me!
[Winks. He winks at Ain. I hate this man.]
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Ooh~. Wow, I don't have anything like that. I know mostly healing magic, but I can do fun things, too. Like this!
[And then he gathers a bit of magical frost on his fingertips and boops Elysium on the snoot with it.
Why.]
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You have Arts!
[Magic. Arts. Same-ish thing.]
You can control ice...like Gnosis. That's not nothing! That's a pretty powerful ability to have, on top of being a healer...my job is important no doubt, but those who excel in combat are in as much of high demand as any.
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[He makes vortexes. That's kind of not inside magic.]
But yes, I'm from a group of adventurers~. It's my job to keep them safe. The other healer in our group is... [Scrunches his nose up,] Ten? Thirteen? Or something like that, haha, she's only a kid. Last I saw her, I was teaching her basic first aid.
[He hopes :) his friends aren't dead :) Laby can be trusted with the healing but also his friends are reckless assholes—]
But, if we get separated, we can't communicate like you can. We got this device once... it was called a "walkie-talkie" or something, but it's not like we just have those. It's very difficult to contact people many miles away where I'm from.
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[He's making them sound like boyfriends straight up]
I don't intend to overstay my welcome here, but I would be more than happy to show you how I made mine, assuming this place has the right parts.
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