The Shimmer Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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theshimmer2020-07-18 12:17 am
shimmermods) wrote in theshimmer2020-07-18 12:17 am
Welcome.
WELCOME
The Shimmer is beautiful.
There are a lot of things that may or may not have been expected upon your arrival here – the walls of concrete and steel, the others that were brought here with you, the others that weren't brought here with you but have been a constant source of information and instruction and blatant, brazen surveillance – but the fact remains that this world does not seem, inherently, to be an unkind one. Foreign in some ways, perhaps familiar in others; either way, it's a world teeming with life, and with people, and perhaps most jarringly it's a world with beauty, and nothing you've seen otherwise is quite as repulsively and grotesquely beautiful as the Shimmer.
It defies desription, really; the boundaries of it are barely visible during the day, just a thin iridescent sheen encompassing the trees and thick-growing vegetation of the mountains, sweeping ever-closer and closer still to the boundaries of the compound you've been living in but are greatly unlikely to have come to call home. It cascades heavily down the face of the mountain, nestling into the tops of trees before it swallows them whole, arcing up into the sky so far that it hurts your eyes to try to find the crest. It seems almost ravenous in its grace; whatever it touches, it seems to consume.
At night, it's a different matter; it glows and dances in defiance of the bright lights of the compound, glistening bright like the Northern lights - a bit too low to the ground, a bit too far south, a bit too warm this time of year, but the effect is breathtaking. All the colors of the borealis seem to blink lazily at you as they twist in and out of view, sparkling scattershot among the remnants of a town about two miles off that has long since gone dark with abandonment and disuse.
Your mission begins tomorrow.
Your mission begins tomorrow and maybe you're ready for it, maybe you aren't; maybe you're trying not to think about it too much. But the fact of the matter is that there's a rooftop observation deck, open-air and about five stories off the ground, and it's granting you an optimal view of the surroundings and the Shimmer and that darkened town not too far off, and there are no other buildings around for miles. The air is balmy and humid, a little too warm to be pleasant but lacking the roiling heat of the day, a light breeze rendering the entire thing an acceptable respite from the training grounds within the building itself. The only sound this high up and this close to the Shimmer are those made by the people who are here with you – some you know, some you don't. Some are more recent arrivals than others; some have been here for just as long as you. You've all had information taken down about you, the results of which have been provided to you on a small device you found in your room, so perhaps it feels as though you know these people already.
Either way, the night is young, the sun having dipped below the horizon less than half an hour ago, leaving you with perimeter lights that are too bright and the ever-present, watchful glow of the Shimmer; there are tables set up around the balcony for you to use, to eat or socialize or just...sit. You haven't been deprived by any means, but the food that's been provided out here for you tonight is noticeably better than usual; perhaps they know it's the last time you'll eat well for a while. Perhaps it's an apology. Perhaps it's nothing to look into too deeply.
Feel free to stay out here for as long as you like; enjoy each other's company. Or don't let yourself enjoy it too much; it's up to you.
However you choose to do it, perhaps it's best to make sure you have no regrets.
There are a lot of things that may or may not have been expected upon your arrival here – the walls of concrete and steel, the others that were brought here with you, the others that weren't brought here with you but have been a constant source of information and instruction and blatant, brazen surveillance – but the fact remains that this world does not seem, inherently, to be an unkind one. Foreign in some ways, perhaps familiar in others; either way, it's a world teeming with life, and with people, and perhaps most jarringly it's a world with beauty, and nothing you've seen otherwise is quite as repulsively and grotesquely beautiful as the Shimmer.
It defies desription, really; the boundaries of it are barely visible during the day, just a thin iridescent sheen encompassing the trees and thick-growing vegetation of the mountains, sweeping ever-closer and closer still to the boundaries of the compound you've been living in but are greatly unlikely to have come to call home. It cascades heavily down the face of the mountain, nestling into the tops of trees before it swallows them whole, arcing up into the sky so far that it hurts your eyes to try to find the crest. It seems almost ravenous in its grace; whatever it touches, it seems to consume.
At night, it's a different matter; it glows and dances in defiance of the bright lights of the compound, glistening bright like the Northern lights - a bit too low to the ground, a bit too far south, a bit too warm this time of year, but the effect is breathtaking. All the colors of the borealis seem to blink lazily at you as they twist in and out of view, sparkling scattershot among the remnants of a town about two miles off that has long since gone dark with abandonment and disuse.
Your mission begins tomorrow.
Your mission begins tomorrow and maybe you're ready for it, maybe you aren't; maybe you're trying not to think about it too much. But the fact of the matter is that there's a rooftop observation deck, open-air and about five stories off the ground, and it's granting you an optimal view of the surroundings and the Shimmer and that darkened town not too far off, and there are no other buildings around for miles. The air is balmy and humid, a little too warm to be pleasant but lacking the roiling heat of the day, a light breeze rendering the entire thing an acceptable respite from the training grounds within the building itself. The only sound this high up and this close to the Shimmer are those made by the people who are here with you – some you know, some you don't. Some are more recent arrivals than others; some have been here for just as long as you. You've all had information taken down about you, the results of which have been provided to you on a small device you found in your room, so perhaps it feels as though you know these people already.
Either way, the night is young, the sun having dipped below the horizon less than half an hour ago, leaving you with perimeter lights that are too bright and the ever-present, watchful glow of the Shimmer; there are tables set up around the balcony for you to use, to eat or socialize or just...sit. You haven't been deprived by any means, but the food that's been provided out here for you tonight is noticeably better than usual; perhaps they know it's the last time you'll eat well for a while. Perhaps it's an apology. Perhaps it's nothing to look into too deeply.
Feel free to stay out here for as long as you like; enjoy each other's company. Or don't let yourself enjoy it too much; it's up to you.
However you choose to do it, perhaps it's best to make sure you have no regrets.
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Given the climate of this region... oh, maybe this flower would grow here... or maybe that one? Yes, they're lovely this time of year, those would be nice to see. Or... ah, perhaps...
[Later, she can be found at a table making sure that she has everything prepared for tomorrow. Her meal has been barely touched, seeming entirely focused on the task at hand going through her kits. When she gets to the first aid kit though, she falters for a moment, frowning at it for a long moment before she shakes her head and seems to dispel whatever feeling overcame her to go back to inspecting supplies.
Her device is sitting out as well, but she doesn't seem to have actually looked at it too much. Or maybe, she hasn't noticed or cared that her profile is a little odd when you go to compare it to everyone else's here.]
railing
You sure do know your plants.
[Admittedly most of his knowledge is for the sake of herbal medicine and survival training, so it's clear she has him beat. He looks at her latest drawing and blinks.]
What's that one?
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[She smiles, pointing to the drawing in question. She's pleased that someone is taking an interest in this here.]
Also known by their more common name of pine lilies, or tiger lilies based on their color sometimes.
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[He's really quite impressed with her knowledge. It could definitely come in handy.]
We might run into some unique plant life out there, so it'll be nice to have someone with us who knows so much about it.
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[Art isn't her strongest suit, but she appreciates the compliment nonetheless. It's good to know that her skills are decent enough for depicting the plants and flowers she knows of, if nothing else.]
I will certainly do my best to help identity anything we come across... oh, but it would be fun if we managed to discover something that even I have never seen before!
[... Sure, "fun" is a word choice to use for potentially exploring the Shimmer, Emma.]
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[She's so excited about it... he can't really bring himself to say that he'd prefer not having any extra mysteries on their hand.
But at least she seems knowledgeable enough that it wouldn't be too bad... right? Right...]
railing
Wow, you really know your stuff, huh? [Felicia beams easily.] Are you excited for what we're gonna see tomorrow, hen?
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Yes! It's so beautiful to look at from the outside, it just makes me even more curious to see how it'll be once we actually get an inside look at it! Maybe we'll even find some plants and flowers that have yet to be discovered by anyone else!
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[Felicia can definitely understand where Emma's enthusiasm comes from, and the thought of new plants and flowers to discover--oh, that just sounds delightful.]
Oh, that'd be so wonderful if we could find new flowers! If they're as vivid and pretty as the rest of the Shimmer, they're bound to be gorgeous--oh, and maybe we can come up with names for them, too!
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[She says, flipping to a new clean page here, before she realizes something.]
Speaking of your names... I believe yours is Felicia, right? I want to make sure I remember it properly instead of just using these devices they gave us all the time.
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[She's at least used to technology now, but hoo hoy, it was. A learning curve--]
And you're Emma, if I remember right?
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[Emma is from like... 1898 so there was a heck of a learning curve for her as well.]
And yes, that's right! I'm so glad that you remembered it!
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[old fashioned solidarity.......
Felicia smiles, though, seeming delighted by Emma's reaction.]
I always make sure to remember people's names! We're all going to be working together, after all--it'd be absolutely rude not to! Everyone here deserves that courtesy!
[YOU GOTTA KNOW YOUR SUPPORT PARTNER'S NAME, THAT'S JUST FACTS]
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[Emma is also delighted that there seems to be at least one person here that's so friendly, it should hopefully make things easier for everyone to get along here!]
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[Felicia's in absolute agreement!]
I've found that working together with people and keeping a good attitude always makes things better--whether it's in battle, or elsewhere!
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table for 2, name for 1
It's easy to be distracted now of all times when they've been assembled, though he doesn't seem to be bothering to go through his own kit just now.
Possibly he should be setting a better example as the oldest medic (in number only), but that's sure not happening. All that being said, it's both the girl's familiarity from training and her odd movements over her med kit that have caught his eye. Speaking of addressing her, though...]
... Missing something? Checking the luggage is a good idea. [he's still not doing it] I think we were all given the same kit...?
[That's definitely a trailing off area, miss do-you-have-a-name.]
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[She doesn't even seem to notice the trailing off deliberately done there. Or rather...]
You're... Jean, yes? I believe that's what the device has said when I tried to look at it earlier.
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[It would probably be a whole lot more effective if he just slowly scooted all of his fancier medical supplies at someone with more medical experience, but he's fine with just carrying it around too. What can you do. He can shuffle his way through a basic first aid kit, at least.
Thoughtfully, he... shuffles through a few of the items on his plate. Probably various flavors of pastries, let's be real here. With a dash of fruit. This is his true inventory. There's a pause when his name is called.]
... Yeah. Jean Otus. It's good to have a roster, but you forgot to fill out yours.
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[Emma frowns at this, picking up the device now to double-check, and once she's found what to look for...]
Oh my goodness, it seems I did. I could have sworn I had filled it out, but... I'm still getting used to using devices like this, so I must have done it wrong.
[It's what happens when you're apparently from 1898? She sets the device down though to now hold out her hand. She doesn't shake hands often, but she's wearing her gloves, so it's fine this time.]
In that case, let me properly introduce myself: you can call me Emma Woods.
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[Well, for someone who isn't from the wrong end of the timeline or the wrong region, that is. He takes another look at her profile on the fly and, maybe 'electroshock' should have been an indicator but he's been absorbing a lot of information lately. Hmm.
He is used to shaking hands, for his part, and this is that sort of a gathering anyways. She gets a firm shake, pleasant and brisk.]
Look forward to working with you.
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Thank you for the offer! I would appreciate any help that you can give with that, as well as being able to work with you once we get started on our mission tomorrow.
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Here and now all he really needs to do is keep going on the basic courtesies, though, so:]
Looks like you've got everything down here except for the name, unless there's anything else that needs adding. You'd have to talk to them for real edits, though.
[He tilts his head towards the inside of the building, but other than that he really just has browsing tips for general mobile devices, his canon is on flip phones at the moment. There's a hum as he tucks his own device back into his pocket.]
You work with medicinal plants?
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[Thoughtfully, even though so far most of the vegetables on the table he's been able to recognize, so it's not like they're venturing off into the fantastical (relatively?) unknown here.
(He says it's an exchange but given the camping hell nature of their trip she will probably have more to offer. He is just here to lament the slow death of electronic civilization, probably.)]
Maybe we'll be counting on you for edible wild plants.
[He says 'edible wild plants' the same way someone would say 'dwarf elliptical galaxies'. Truly a far off concept...]
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