Starlight

Alainian Otters wrote:

Light of the Stars Oct 25: Below is our question of the day - feel free to share your answer with us!

What's the most liminal or unusual place you've ever found yourself in?

This question was brought to you by the Ministry of Gameside!

I remember the time when it was dark and foggy, making outside look like soild dark. I liked it.

Melancholy - P1
An RP Post

Ping

Foixla

This post has been separated into two for the sake of reading whilst not feeling overwhelmed. The first part shall be available right now, whilst the second part will be released tomorrow (hopefully)

Exhaustion. Melancholia. That is the current state of mind for the Secretary General of Hydrea’s General Council for Civilian Administration - and de facto representative of Hydrea on the galactic stage, Acelia Percival.

When did it all came to this? When did everything became such that she can feel the state itself feeling exhausted and tired from it all? There is no answer to be found asking her fellow citizens on the state of the nation.

After the construction of Jericho… and all that’s coming with, alongside the celebrations of the fact, things have settled down into a prolonged state of timidity and inaction. The calm grace of stability and peace that had watched over Hydrea’s continued prosperity still exists, but there isn’t a spark for innovation and creativity anymore - not of the same kind that happened in the aftermath of First Contact so many decades ago.

She looked over her window and into the city itself - its beautifully clean and decorated streets with trees and buildings intertwined in excess, a borderline extravagance that exists from just feeling the idea of walking through it. She should be celebrating this prosperity, she should be happy about all the accomplishments that she had done, and just continue onwards with the rest of her people.

But her memories, those from her youthful self, ask her to not rest on her laurels in peace. Six decades of constant fear and preparation, and decades more of endless innovation and as such, endless construction had given here the idea that there must always be something to prepare for, something to do, something to plan in. She cannot and she couldn’t even if she tried to…

As she drifts along her office aimlessly, an assistant ‘asks’ her a thought if she would like them to enter. She accepts and welcomes the man to her office. By this point, Hycea’s day is nearly over - and most of her work has already been done. This young man - barely out a few months into this world - had been searching for a purpose - and found one with her since they first met. Seeing her expression - a tired face with beads of sweat falling down her face, two blue eyes glued to the ground wearing a suit that feels less like her every minute, the assistant, no, Adrian (we call him by his name) sits down on the chair next to where she’s supposed to be and kindly ask her with a soft smile:

“Are you okay, Secretary-General?”

Percival gazes back at him, her eyes straining:

“The answer should have been obvious to you.”

A moment of silence.

“I know. That’s why I asked.”

The Secretary-General’s eyes dropped back down the floor and its carpet. Her gaze is hard to describe - there is indeed exhaustion and anxiousness in there, but it’s also everything, everywhere, all at once, the frame of a woman who has been chosen as a sacrifice so that others may live in prosperity - never truly being able to sleep or rest, so that she may worry about as many people as she possibly could.

It is exhausting to exist in this way, and a couple tears rain down from her face as she does so.

“Do you need some time to find comfort in shared adversity?”

Percival whips back into him:

“I believe so.”

In just a few months, both of them have gone from complete strangers to knowing each other by heart - and it shows. They looked into the eye, peeked inside each other's memories and grasped, whilst hugging in the physical world. For a moment - they re-remember what it feels like to have overcome.

The Secretary-General grasped back at Adrian’s first memories - of the loneliness and fear that possessed him in his very first few days of existence. There was just so much, so many - everything and everyone talking to him - however well intentioned or genuinely malicious, overwhelmed his ability to think. Searching for a way out of this suffering, he nearly drove himself to death before he knew that he was living in the first place, only saved by a technician and nurse who had noticed what’s wrong with him and managing to make him shut it all down for long enough, well enough for him to stabilize and begin living.

On their side, Adrian rewatches Percivals’ worst moments in her life again, each time clutching in sympathy towards their commander and friend. Re-rememberance of what they have lost and gained over the years is sometimes painful, especially understanding that these memories feel so real that they become imprinted within your own mind. As the pain and loss subsides, they regain the composure for what was to happen next. At this point, Adrian peeks at a recent memory of the Secretary-General, only to be pushed back with a thought from her telling him to not talk about that yet.

But he managed to remember a glimpse of what was to come - a visit to Foixla, it seemed was on his Secretary-General’s mind. What happened there? Something important, and perhaps, higher than his clearance to be sure. But now is not the time, not just yet. They look towards the setting sun - and bask in the orange-blue rays of its sunset, seeing purple trees adapted to the sun’s rays. Oh, look at it all… over there, there’s a boy still calling their friends to be together for one last run over the street, the shade of a tree comforting a woman reading a nice book, as people walked without disturbing each other in noise. There’s serenity in it all, just watching and watching… They wished that they could be here for eternity.

Tears can be seen running from both of their cheeks.

As the Secretary-General of Hydrea and her secretary watch the sun on Hydrea (the planet) set, they soon find themselves back in reality. Work awaits them - one final thing to be collected before days’ end. And indeed, Percival was planning on revealing to her secretary what happened there in Foixla, what has made her so worried. Another type of concern overlays her now - not panic, but the professional kind - remaining steady even though rightly concerned.

“I suppose if you so choose, I shall brief you on the situation with Foixla now. More recent visits have alarmed me to the nature of their queen - and what she liked to be done with us. And I am worried about their intentions at of late - it would be disastrous for us and for them alike.”

The Secretary-General opens up as they return to their seats and get some papers if confidentiality is necessary and they need to wipe those memories of theirs here.

Taking some time to unwind the last of the re-shared memories, Adrian looked intensely at the papers that he has been given before gazing back at his friend in slight shock. The thought that occurs to him was that of sudden and immaculate betrayal from someone who he has thought to be reliable. Unable to fully comprehend the implications of it, he argues for something else instead, questioning the brief itself:

“If so, madam, what exactly is worrying about our ally gaining influence and expanding the comprehensiveness of our alliance with them?” There’s something strange within her eyes - a tinge of… fear? He cannot help but continue: “I can feel a strange response - a fear within your eyes.. As a citizen, I cannot understand why you had become so… strangely paranoid. The Foix should understand aplenty at this point the terms and conditions of their partnership, and the fact thereof that they are seemingly violating that has had an effect on me that I cannot fully release.”

The words feel more and more sincere the more of it that comes out of Adrian’s mouth, his hands gripping onto themselves:

“So I must ask.. What evidence supports this, madam? More specifically, useful evidence? I… I… how did they? Why? How-” The shock overwhelms Adrian, and he doesn’t know how to-

“Stay calm, secretary. I’ll show you why now, but that would require you to not panic. Our friends do not wish to betray us, but what they believe would ‘help’ would involve that violation of our friendship and trust. And I believe that is worse.”

Both sides sat silent for a moment to process the words that came out of Percival’s throat. The Secretary and the Secretary-General both couldn’t believe it themselves, don’t want to, at least, but that is the truth that they both would have to work around for the next few months. They both wanted this to just be a bad dream… but it seemingly doesn’t - or at least, there isn’t enough evidence to argue against it yet. As the Hydrean Head of State fidgets with a small blue rose decorating her suit, Adrian takes a paper to read out.

It was… even more concerning than the mere fact that their closest ally is going to do something to force Hydrea’s hand - even if it means war between them. But what exactly are the motives here?

What could have inspired them to do this? The answer reveals itself before he can think about it further, as Percival extends a hand to him:

“Well, you wanted this… prepare yourself please, this may make you panic. I’ll transfer some memories from my last visit to Foixla and leave you to think about it.”

Her secretary takes a few, brief breaths before accepting, and got pulled over-

-into spectating the body of her a few days ago. As this is a memory - he doesn’t have any control here, just a metaphorical seat to watch it all happen.

Let us begin.

[MEMORY INITIATED]
—--

Hello Starlight

armada's white winter part 1
On a normal day, Praiamar is a warm and sunny nation. Due to the country's equatorial location on the already warm planet of Armada, days with bad weather are few and far between. On a normal day, there are sailing competitions, kids playing football in the street, people coming from all reaches of the galaxy just to relax, and the president does speeches in nothing but a tshirt.
This is not a normal day.
No one here really knows how it happened, but one winter on Armada decided to be very, very cold. Some people say that it was some country on the other side of the world changing the atmosphere. It might have been a factory explosion on Alghacupta that dispersed aerosols, or maybe the Xizhen corporation deployed some orbital mirror too early... It's too late to point fingers now, because the meeting between the leaders of the members of the Insular Collective, the UN analogue to Armada's nations, had already happened a few weeks ago.
But nevertheless, "Armada's White Winter" occured regardless of who did it, causing snowfall even in Praiamar. And thus everybody started to panic. In the 2nd day, president Alex June went on TV and spoke regarding the situation. Like always he didn't comprehend the imensity of it: «Well, there will be no surfing for a few months, but look at the bright side, you can make snowmen! Oxala [If God wills] the football cup will still happen!». Prime minister Satakoki Teߖuki had to be the one to remember the fact that a fifth of the whole country's population were ghilleans who lived in the oceans that were freezing over. Later that day, she also went on TV and spoke as thus: «For the love of Takiki get something to heat the water in your house!!!»
The next day, the parliament on Praiamar came together to discuss the situation. Of course, the praienses always value the gift of democracy, unlike some other governments who prefer the brutal efficiency of AI-driven governance. The meeting went exactly as lots of people would think. The extremists spent the whole time blaming the White Winter on scapegoats. «It was the muslims!» «It was the AI superintelligences!» «It was the feds!» And it was like this that the government spent a handful of hours doing nothing.
After that very productive afternoon, June and Teߖuki were walking out of the parliament, through the elaborate halls that contrasted the less erudite look of praiense architecture. Teߖuki was obviously walking with dope mechanical robot legs due to the fact that she is a ghillean fish person with no biological legs. Teߖuki looked at June who had a kind of mad look on his face. Not a look of much rage, but a look of someone who is just bummed out about something. «What's the matter?» she asked while they kept walking. June responded: «Well, due to this "white winter", the galactic summit we were going to hold in a few weeks is ruined!»

(to be continued mijo)
(this is my first time writing like in general)

The Missing Archivist

Tor’Nol’Ka looked over the stack of papers in front of them again. The conclusion they drew was something that was impossible to ignore, perhaps a truth, perhaps a lie, but if they were truthful the conclusion would be horrendous. The stack had been found in an old data vault that some archaeologists were investigating on some old myths and rumors about how the Stellerborn came to be. And that is where the problems came from. The age alone of the papers made deciphering the text difficult, let alone the fact the script they were written in has not been used since before the Downfall, so very long ago. So they were sent here, to the halls of Pre-Downfall study.

Tor’Nol’Ka had spent days agonizing over them. Trying to find any hint of what they might say, now here late into the night in the archive she finally had a translation that worked. While ultimately incomplete with such a little sample of words the pieces pointed to something. A project, an Apotheosis. Whatever was being done was hard to understand detailed reports of a Machina Dei, an infinite machine built around the black hole at the center of the galaxy. Proclamations of eternity, impossibilities made reality. A theft of the highest order. A memory rewritten upon a lie.

Before the full extent of the words could be understood a knock came to Tor’Nol’Ka’s door. When they reached to open it the world spun, light transformed into colour into sound. The Angelica that had come was strange, older than any known Angelica, yet he was stronger than known. With that Tor’Nol’Ka passed out, unable to keep up.

“The archive has been informed that Tor’Nol’Ka had found new employment at the Empress’ own archive to further investigate the strange papers. Papers that had of course gone to the archive for study. Everything was ensured in order. The peace of the Stellerborn was ensured. Perhaps the past is best left, untouched, and we dig a little softer. A wonderful story that ensures the stability of our state is ensured, wouldn't you say so Tor’Nol’Ka?”

wrote:

KASQC, Kalashnikovni, De Mexihco

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Praiamar wrote:

armada's white winter part 1

armada's white winter part 2
How rude of me, I forgot to describe our good friends.

Every time president Alex June and prime minister Satakoki Teߖuki are together, it is hard to ignore how different they are. June is a human, more precisely, a white guy with brown hair, and sunglasses on his head that he rarely ever actually puts over his eyes. He also wears stupid shirts and shorts, even for formal occasions. On the other hand, Satakoki is a ghillean. For those uninformed, ghilleans are essentially alien merpeople from the distant water world of Ghillie. And like any ghillean, Satakoki's body is a light teal colour covered in scales, with light yellow fins. Unlike the president she actually wears a suit.

As June stated his worries, Teߖuki got a bit angry at the president's priorities. «People are freezing their fins off, and your biggest worry is the stupid Celestara summit?!»
«Of course it is Tezhuki, you know how intimidating those leaders are. They can easily command billions of people and star systems, meanwhile I can't even run a few islands well. Even mr. Pelberg [Herbert Pelberg, secretary of the Insular Collective] keeps me up at night sometimes.»
«...No matter how "intimidating" those leaders are, they're not going to care about how cold it is outside, half of them are going to come in with spacesuits anyways.»
«Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but first impressions still matter. All of these leaders perceive Armada as a nice tropical world, and then if they come here and everything's frozen over, they'll surely be disappointed. And I've experienced that firsthand, a few weeks ago I went on a diplomatic trip to Nelerria, and when I got there the planet was weird and fleshy and I couldn't even see the embassy. It was really lame.»
Teߖuki turned her head at an alarming speed towards June, looking understandably suprised. «You went where?»
«Anyways, due to this stupid weather, I'll have to revise all of the activities that I was planning for us to do during their stay.» June then took out a notepad from his pocket that had a list of a few dozen activities. He then crossed out all of them that would be impossible to do in the cold, one by one, until only two were left: "Visit the soil museum" and "Snoozefest (talking about geopolitics)". He then concluded as thus: «Well, it's getting late, I'll see you tomorrow.» And then both parted ways from the halls of the Praiamar parliament.

An hour later, the sun set into a long winter night of 8 hours compared to Armada's usual 6. Satakoki stayed up late in her house, thinking of methods to alleviate the effects of the weather, and also about how it's weird that you can't swim through snow even though it's supposed to be a form of water. Such things are unintuitive to the ghilleans who have never seen snow in their home planet.
Before going to bed June walked into the balcony of his room. The sky was hot pink, the usual colour of a sunset in Armada. A few moons were also visible, as bright dots that seemed to be screwed onto the pink field like lightbulbs: Melilla, Good Hope and Bojador. Unfortunately, Tangier wasn't included, as that's the most fun moon to watch; the speed at which it orbits Armada is so high that, with a good eye, you can see it move across the sky.
As his eyes moved down, he saw the skyline of his capital city, Navegador. On one side there were the high-rises and other urban buildings. On the other, there was the beach and the hybrid area of the city -- so called that way due to its offshore houses on stilts above the ocean, home to humans, and connected by wooden boardwalks; and beneath those houses, underwater, were the homes of ghilleans. On the beach, normally, June would also be able to see the "Padrão of Navegador". This was a tall stone pillar that the men of the Insular Company had erected a few centuries ago, upon landfall of these islands that now belong to Praiamar, but that nowadays had become a tourist attraction. However, today, all he could see in its place was an equally tall mound of snow. And thus he went to bed thinking of what he'd do on that Celestara summit.

(if your nation wants to like go to the summit feel free to like contribute :v)

✧ Light of the Stars October 26th: Below is our question of the day - feel free to share your answer with us!

What's your favorite type of rock or mineral?

This question was brought to you by the Ministry of Gameside!

Sovereign Valthera wrote:

Hello Starlight

Hello -- please come back here!

(Celestara Contest. Count: 5858 Characters. )
_{To note this has been spoilerd due to containing sensitive / heavy topics. I promise this post is an outlier for both this arc and my general posts across this role play and Dawnbreak, and the rest of this arc will not be like this opening post.}

Celestara

Little Black Sheep