event } catch the last sunbeam.

[seeingyou]

WHO: All of Navi’s passengers.
WHAT: A winter wonderland visit with your new brainmates.
WHERE: All over Vivamion City - and on Navi, if you want.
WHEN: The next three weeks (Dec. 7-28).
WARNINGS: Add these to your comment subject lines as needed! And if you get taken out by a super snowball, please report it on the death page.

Gooooood morning passengers! Time to rise and shine - with a very important Navi announcement incoming:

Attention, passengers.
We'll be landing soon on the planet Trelnar,
near Vivamion City.
We'll be docked for three weeks, local time,
which coincides with the city’s annual winter festival.
Should you require any weather-appropriate clothing,
I will handle the bill for your expenses.
Please stand by for atmospheric entry.

Have fun! As Navi said in their message, any passenger who requires a warm winter coat, scarf, hat, gloves, and/or boots before joining the festivities will be able to select such items from one of the shops near the docks, charged to Navi’s account. Passengers will also find a bank counter just past the docking terminal, where your new windfall of Navigems can be exchanged for credits (the universal currency). Try not to spend it all in one place!

Comments

[albatrossomen]

Unless Jon were to try to stay in the snow to the point where he might be risking hypothermia, Murmur wasn't going to interfere. Sometimes snow was comfortable. Plenty of animals enjoyed hibernating in it. And, well... Jon seemed to have for the moment decided to fully embrace what Murmur was talking about when he spoke of how peaceful it was.

All around them was silence. Not the tense silence that fell when a predator was roaming, but the sleepy silence unique to long dark winters where most creatures took the time to rest and await spring's return. Where deep snow dampened sound, and for just a few moments the only thing that existed was yourself and the sky. Well, in this case, the two of them.

No brooding, Jon, hold onto the peace while you can. It's always too fleeting. For his part Murmur was silent, just watching the shifting colors in the sky alongside Jon, equally rapt in attention. It had been a very long time since he'd had the liberty to just stop and enjoy the beauty of Creation. Taking the time to show Jon had also reminded him some of what he loved about the universe. So in a way, this was beneficial for Murmur as well. It was so easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of existence that you forgot to stop and enjoy things.

"Pictures can never do it justice," He murmured softly, knowing full well that Jon now agreed. This was going better than Murmur could have hoped. The peace and happiness Jon was experiencing was exactly what Murmur had hoped to convey and the aurora did it better than he ever could. Excellent choice, angel, perhaps he wasn't so bad at humans after all. That smile, especially, was well worth the flight. Murmur was overjoyed he'd been able to offer this to Jon.

I am glad to have the opportunity to share it with you.

He meant that genuinely.

[aparticularlyhollowlaugh]

The way Murmur words that mental message makes Jon feel strange - pleasantly so, but strange all the same. Like maybe Murmur thinks he’s special somehow, like this view is a secret he’s chosen to share only with Jon. It’s all a little bit baffling, but Jon finds that he wants it all the same. Maybe it’s been too long since anyone regarded him as Jonathan Sims and not The Archivist. Maybe it’s been too long since he’s been regarded with anything other that hostility, hatred, and distrust, because this mental analysis draws up a deep longing ache from somewhere inside of him that Jon wasn’t aware existed.

He shifts his gaze from the sky overhead to the angel beside him, silently watching for a few moments with gloved hands folded neatly across his stomach. Jon desperately wants to Know more about Murmur, so much more - but he can guess that trying to rip any of that information out of the angel’s mind wouldn’t go well. Even if Jon could do it - and he expects that he can’t - would it be worth the price he’d pay for it?

No - Jon thinks it would not. This connection between them, the friendship they’ve been building - he suspects it would disintegrate immediately if he tried. And Jon isn’t willing to sacrifice something he values so deeply for the sake of merely collecting information. He resolves that he won’t do it.

After all, he can just ask. Not Compel - ask, like a normal person. Jon at least remembers that much of his pre-Archivist life.

“Seeing this sort of thing, it doesn’t get boring for you? I mean, you’re - what, as old as the universe itself?” Jon doesn’t know, he’s no biblical scholar. All he can do is guess. “You must’ve seen millions of spectacular things by now.”

The question isn’t accusing - just genuinely curious. Maybe there will be a hint somewhere in the angel’s answer to explain why he’d want to share this breathtaking view with Jon.

[albatrossomen]

He is special. Not in some grand cosmic scheme kind of way, as far as Murmur is aware their threads do not entwine alongside any grand threads of Fate. No, Jon is special for a much more mundane reason: Murmur likes him. Jon has treated him with a kind of curiosity and kindness that Murmur hasn't experienced much in his long existence. Once again they find themselves in a similar state, long regarded so negative that even the barest hint of positive might as well be addicting. Was it wrong to want to foster this newfound friendship with them being so achingly rare?

Murmur's aware when Jon switches from watching the sky to regarding him, but Murmur does not tear his eyes away from the lights. While he also could have pointed out to Jon that if he had a question, the best way would be to simply ask, he instead chose to wait for Jon to come to that conclusion on his own. Forcibly trying to tear anything out of him was likely to be incredibly unpleasant for Jon, and indeed cause Murmur to be quite cross with him. Thankfully the man chose not to chase his initial instinct, it's important to remember one's manners.

"Not at all," He replies simply. "It's true that I am at least as old as the universe itself. Older, perhaps, as I came into existence when the Light was first split from the Dark. Well before the stars themselves were given shape, much less set in motion within the Heavens. That time you could certainly call boring... but not this." He flicks and shifts his wings thoughtfully, tucking them neatly against his back again.

"Of that time rarely have I had the opportunity to stop and truly take in the wonders of Creation. So often am I occupied with grander things it's easy to lose perspective. To stand as you do, not a part of the working mechanisms, to instead step back and observe the results." He glances back down at Jon. "Does that make sense?"

[aparticularlyhollowlaugh]

It’s going to take time and practice for Jon to untangle himself from the habit of always being on constant defense and struggling to piece together answers from cryptic clues. He’s not anyone’s enemy here, not a target for elimination on the chess board that has become his life. No one is withholding vital information from him as a method of teaching him to use the abilities he’s acquired as an avatar.

He doesn’t have to fight for everything, and that’s an adjustment that won’t come easily. But Jon’s doing his best.

“Yes … I think so.” A tiny shiver spiders down the back of his neck when Murmur turns his gaze from the sky to Jon, and it’s not because Jon’s still stretched out in the snow. “Something like … not being able to see the forest for the trees? Until you’re able to get a bit of distance from it all.” Not a perfect comparison, but it’ll do. Jon chuckles dryly. “Sounds a bit like the opposite of my situation, actually. I know I’m a part of the mechanism, but not why, or where I fit into it all.” He sighs and closes his eyes.

“My … I suppose you’d call him my mentor, though he’s not very good at it. Anyway, his name is Elias, and he has this very ‘fly by falling’ approach to guiding me through whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing. Other than stopping the rituals, of course, but I don’t think that’s all there is to it.” Though that work certainly kept Gertrude busy for several decades.

“It’s a bit maddening - I have this feeling like there’s some big joke and everyone’s in on it but me. Oh, and most of them are trying to kill me, as well.”

[albatrossomen]

Admittedly Murmur does still have an unfortunate habit of sometimes being cryptic. Old habits die hard, and all of that. He's been working on it, and there does tend to be less he needs to be cryptic about. The passengers aren't each other's enemies, and there's no grand chess game he needs to be playing either. Murmur did his time, he should be allowed to live his own life eventually... right?

"More like... not being able to see the trees for the forest. Or the animals, or the insects. When you are focused only on grand mechanisms it is easy to forget why any of that matters." The little beauties, the complexities of life. Still, Jon's words bring a faint frown. Not of disapproval, more like concern. Somehow he doubts these things being hidden from him are for Jon's own benefit.

"And this Elias... you are certain his motives are to help you?" Asked gently, because Murmur knows all too well how defensive people can be about perceived allies. No one likes thinking they're being yanked around. Although Jon's cynicism may come in handy here. "One's instincts are generally there for a reason, Jon. That reason may not be clear, but... it might be worth seeking more information. Not that that is an option at present."

[aparticularlyhollowlaugh]

Oh, that question about Elias. Jon can’t help laughing, but it’s a mirthless, sharp, and bitter sound that forces its way out of his lungs.

“No,” he says, gaze turned once again toward Murmur. “In fact, I’m fairly certain that whatever motives Elias may have, they’re not at all about helping me. He killed the woman who was Archivist before me, and at least one other person that we know of.”

The image of Jurgen Leitner’s bloody, bludgeoned body is something Jon suspects will haunt him for the rest of his life. Murmur may be able to pick up on a flash of that terror and shock Jon felt upon walking back into his office and finding the man killed so horribly. Jon takes a slow, deep breath of the cold, cleansing air to steady his nerves so he can move on.

“If everything went according to plan, he should be locked up by now. A couple of my assistants stayed behind to gather evidence when the others and I set off to stop the Unknowing. If everything went according to plan.”

Jon has no way of knowing whether it did.

[albatrossomen]

Murmur cast Jon a perplexed look, one eyebrow raising faintly.

"Knowing this, have you considered ceasing to follow his directions?" There's no accusation in his tone, though his tone didn't often convey much anyway given how monotone he spoke. Still it was a genuine question, as the motives and behaviors of humans was sometimes wildly variable.

Murmur did pick up on that flash, his brow furrowing in deepened concern. "I have stumbled upon something distressing, I apologize." He had brought Jon out here to relax and enjoy something beautiful, not to dig into painful memories and upset him. Should they change the subject? He did have to wonder if locking Elias up was really going to do anything, but Jon couldn't know. Not with having left while still comatose after the whole event.

It had to be driving him mad not knowing.

[aparticularlyhollowlaugh]

Right, that mental link. Jon forgot for the moment that it wasn’t just words and thoughts that came through, but feelings as well. Now he’d gone and made his partner uncomfortable - not ideal. Jon turns over on his side to face Murmur more directly, propped up with a bent elbow.

“Oh - hey, no, it’s all right.” Jon’s life is just full of traumas - it’s difficult to avoid tripping over them. Unless Murmur’d been poking around in Jon’s mind, there’s no way he could’ve known. “I, erm … I’d been talking with this man, his name was Jurgen Leitner, and I went outside to smoke a cigarette because I was feeling a bit stressed about it all, and … when I came back, he was dead.”

Jon shrugs lightly. No big deal. Certainly not the most traumatic thing he’s experienced.

“Just another day in the life of The Archivist.” He reaches for sounding unflappable, and it’s probably not as convincing as he’d hoped.

“I did consider not following Elias’ instructions, but … it’s complicated.” Jon smiles apologetically. “He runs the Institute, where I work, and … I literally can’t quit my job. None of us in the Archives can. And I don’t know how deeply he’s involved with The Eye, but he’s referred to himself as the … ‘beating heart’ of the Institute, so I think he must be in quite deep.” Jon idly presses a gloved palm int to the snow in front of him, leaving a perfect handprint behind.

“More than all of that, I was trying to save the world.” He huffs a quiet laugh under his breath. Even now, even though it is absolute truth, saying it out loud in so many words feels silly. “And if I were to walk away from that, who else would be there to take my place?”

Jon shrugs. No one, that’s who.

“For whatever reason, The Eye chose me. I have a responsibility to see it through, to stop the transformation of the world in horrible ways by these Entities. As much as I don’t like it, Elias is the only one who has an idea of what’s happening and is willing to give me even the scraps of direction that he does. He’s all I have. I suppose … I thought I’d deal with finding a way to get some distance from him after the Unknowing had been sorted. And if I didn’t survive … “

If he didn’t survive, it would either mean he’d died or been transformed. Either way, Elias wouldn’t really be the primary concern.

“Well, it wouldn’t really matter much, then, would it.”

[albatrossomen]

Come now, he's an angel, he's usually uncomfortable. Wedging a being not terribly unlike a star itself into a human body will make one dreadfully uncomfortable. A little more isn't going to kill him or even make him think less of Jon. No, instead Jon's reaction only made him more confused and that much was increasingly clear through their newfound bond. Murmur stared at him, brows furrowed as that deep confusion and concern roiled within him.

"Jon," He spoke softly, but with a certain kind of authority that could only come from something so far removed from the human sphere. "You are allowed to be upset when speaking of upsetting topics. Furthermore, I am allowed to be upset on your behalf. Who has instructed you otherwise?" He seemed so earnest in his words, as though Jon's reaction indicated a great injustice had been put upon Jonathan Sims. That's exactly how Murmur saw it.

Now, he could have poked around in Jon's mind and known precisely how to dodge tripping over that but that wasn't exactly polite now was it? Nor did it form anything akin to honest bonds. Murmur has done more than his fair share of digging, of carrying the pain of others and experiencing it as they do yet... it was not common to ever forge anything more than information out of that. It wasn't the same as words shared knowingly and deliberately. He wanted to do better.

And doing better meant not letting his thoughts wander off too far. He shook his head faintly, still deeply puzzled and concerned but at least trying to keep up with the mismatch between Jon's words and his emotions. "That had to be... terribly disturbing." The thing about Murmur is there was never a sense of pity from him. Not in his quiet monotone voice, nor through the bond in the least. That emotion that expressed an understanding of pain was not pity, but not one Murmur had an appropriate word for either. Jon's attempt to sound unflapped absolutely fell short of convincing.

As Jon spoke of Elias and the institute Murmur fell silent again, though now that sharp piercing gaze of his never left Jon for the sky. He absorbed this information, mulling over exactly how to tackle so much, and more importantly what might actually be important to the conversation at hand. Elias being the "beating heart" of the Institute did raise several questions, but they were unimportant at the moment. So too was the inability to quit set aside for the moment. Murmur wanted to know, absolutely, but he was trying to pick apart what was most relevant and most important to their conversation in the moment.

Saving the world though, that's a situation Murmur understands all too well. And once that was spoken there was a point where Murmur's eyes dragged away back to the sky, and his mind went out across the cosmos temporarily lost. The grief and pain that sparked through unbidden, that strange distance as the angel was temporarily pulled into everything and nothing was incredibly brief, but sharp all the same. He didn't let himself wander far before turning back to Jon to offer something of an apologetic smile. "Heavy are the burdens placed upon those wound around the threads of Fate. I understand your predicament and... I am afraid I have no guidance." He took a deep, unnecessary breath. A gesture he'd taken to that did seem to help calibrate him back to the conversation at present.

When the words shifted back to Elias he hardened some, that flicker of concern edged with a somber weight. "If he is the only one who knows what's going on, Jon, then he is the single most dangerous entity you are dealing with." He meant that absolutely, and with a gravity that was probably very strange coming from what had been thus far a very mellow angel. Suddenly there was an intensity and certainty in his words that spoke of grave portent and warning.

After all, there was a time where Murmur was the Elias in the story.

Jon's comment about not surviving was just met with silence, and again that sadness. They didn't know each other long, yet Murmur found himself already grieving over his eventual loss. For an angel, they were all eventual losses.