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.
no subject
Well...I think nervous is a bit more accurate. But oh, I really am excited to see what's inside! It seems so pretty from out here, and I can't imagine what we're going to see inside...if it's just as pretty as what we're seeing now, then it'll at least mean we get to see some nice things before we take care of the Shimmer for good!
no subject
Hmm, it may end up being beautiful, but there's no way to know for sure. We'll have to be careful, ja? Just in case whatever awaits us in there is dangerous!
[There's a reason combatants have a place on this team, as far as he's concerned.]
no subject
Oh, that goes without saying! We definitely have to be careful, no matter how pretty it is--we've got a mission to do, after all!
But I think we'll be fine. As long as we all stick together and stay by each other's sides, we'll do great!
[read: just stick in the katamari formation and stay with your support partner and everything will be fine]
no subject
also can't wait for felicia to find an s-support here in the shimmer!!!]
I agree that sticking together is certainly best! Where I come from, getting separated from the rest of your group is simply asking for every monster nearby to attack! I like to think I'm a competent fighter in my own right, and even I never went anywhere without at least two people for backup!
no subject
It's the same for us, too! Though we mostly have to deal with other soldiers...and the Faceless, sometimes. But if you don't have anyone for back-up, that's just asking for trouble!
no subject
Ah, that's right, you're a soldier, ja? I imagine that's been difficult.
[It's not condescending at all; war sucks. He's very aware war sucks. Doesn't mean he's going to avoid using it if it benefits him, of course.
But that's a difficult topic and one he doubts Felicia wants to focus on, so moving on!!]
What are "Faceless"? Some sort of monster?
no subject
Ah, well, it has, at least a little...
[...She's thankful that Yeager is quick to move on, let's put it at that, shit is awkward and we do not need that!!]
They are, yes! They're horrible monsters created by dark mages--they're mindless, and attack anything they can see! They're just awful to deal with, and really destructive too...it's just awful.
no subject
[He trails off there, but shakes his head after a moment.]
It certainly sounds like they're difficult to deal with!
no subject
[Still, though...]
Is that what you do with...Leviathan's Claw, Yeager? Taking care of monsters like that?
[...She's hoping she's pronouncing that correctly, FELICIA HAS MOSTLY BEEN TOO AFRAID TO ASK PEOPLE FOR NAMES...]
no subject
Not exactly. I suppose you could call the members of Leviathan's Claw organized mercenaries, in that they'll do whatever job they're paid for. That sometimes does involved bodyguard work and fending off monsters for those who can't fight themselves.
[That isn't exactly their most common line of work, but that much isn't a lie, at least...??]
Terca Lumireis - the world I come from - is full of monsters. Traveling between towns is dangerous for those who aren't used to fighting. So I face off against quite a few different ones since I'm traveling so much!
no subject
Either way, Felicia absolutely listens with rapt attention as Yeager talks about the business and Terca Lumireis--it at least makes sense. Felicia's not unfamiliar with the concept of mercenaries or the like, so it at least makes sense to her.]
That makes sense! Mercenaries do have to be a little flexible, from what I know--but it is sad that there's so many monsters out attacking people. It is a good thing that they have people like you and your guild to help them travel, if needed!
[this tag physically pained me to write]
And it also sounds like you have a lot of experience with this kind of stuff, right? Hopefully we don't come across any monsters, but if we do, it's good to know that we have someone like you on our side.
no subject
Of course. I'm pleased to lend my expertise to the group~!
[While he's convinced they'll run into monsters in the Shimmer, there's no telling if they'll be anything like the monsters he's used to fighting... Oh well, he can kill things real good so that'll probably be useful regardless!!]
You're one of our medics, ja?
no subject
I am, yes! It's something I have quite a bit of experience with, back where I come from--I'm so glad that they chose me for such a role! Even if it seems like they've got things that go well beyond the need for magic...
no subject
[He sounds way more interested in the tools than the potential of everyone's skills and magic being sealed off.]