vatheon | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Gorthan and everyone!
Location: the Plaza.
Time: Today, during the day
Style: Prose or anything you like, really.
Status: As open as can be.

A deep, roaring voice echoed throughout the Plaza.

"ZOSTER! What is the meaning of this?!"

The newcomer - a tall duck with violet skin and a head of blond dreadlocks, clad in an elaborate turquoise robe embroidered in gold - held both of his hands at his sides, his long-nailed fingers - four on each hand - curling up as if he was itching to use them to choke somebody. Fury quickened his breath and wrinkled his features into a terrifying mask. He may have been a duck, but those within his beak were definitely teeth, and oh, how he he was gritting them. His hair and one of his best robes... were completely soaked! That simply had to be Zoster's doing. That incompetent scientist never knew how to do anything right. Truly Zartas, the Beacon, was right, when he warned that a great leader should never trust the scientist class.

"What is this?! And WHERE AM I?" he yelled one last time, before... well, before he started noticing the details about his new surroundings.

The architecture of the buildings, so similar to that of those cities he had conquered during those fateful few months not too long before. The physical traits of the passers-by, which he associated with an extremely rare (due to the planet's resistance), yet rather efficient kind of CoolFlame... And, lastly, when he finally looked up... that blue. That shade of deep blue that he could see overhead... he recognized it. It was... the very same thing that, in an instant, had convinced him to give up on the complete destruction of...

... Earth.

"I'm on Earth..." he muttered quietly to himself as he looked up, his lower beak dropping open and his blue, pupil-less eyes widening as they stared into similar blue.

... But he didn't recall any underwater cities, unless there was something his generals had neglected to tell him, which was entirely possible. "No, that cannot be." he muttered to himself again as he shook some of the water off his long hair.

Seeing somebody approach, he approached them at a solemn step, standing very straight, with his arms folded over his chest. "Excuse me. I demand to know what this place is."

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Aside from its bouts of absolute chaos, Vatheon was a very peaceful place and that was something Squall could appreciate. He still didn't accept the place as a home quite yet, but he had gotten used to the underwater city. With the abundance of free time he suddenly had, (sure, he was taking on some new responsibilities, but it was still more free time than he had at home, which was roughly negative one hour every day) he found himself going around more and more often just to stave off boredom.

Apparently, he had picked the perfect location that day, because without warning, there was really loud yelling going on. It sounded like the city decided it was time to get some new residents, huh?

Finding the source of the noise was not hard, and had Squall not been living in Vatheon for the past two months, he would have been surprised to see what looked like a humanoid duck. But Vatheon had its share of non human beings, and the only thing thought he really had now was well, that's new.

Grabbing a towel from a nearby conveniently placed stand, held it out to the duck.

"Welcome to Vatheon," was all he said.

Gorthan quickly grabbed the proffered towel and began drying himself with precise, dignified movements. Obviously, saying "thank you" was completely optional.

"... Vatheon? Is that this planet's name? Because I am quite certain that this is actually Earth."

"Planet?" Squall repeated, not at all bothered by the lack of thanks. This guy didn't look like the type to show his appreciation and Squall never cared very much about being thanked anyway. "No, just this city. I have no idea what planet this is. All anyone really knows here is this city and the island above it."

"Is that so..."

Once he was done drying, he crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, looking up. "And yet we are underwater. Under blue water, which is very telling of the characteristics of this planet and its sun, which appear to match Earth's."

... Or maybe he was just being hopeful. What? He was basically Evron's Emperor. There is no way he would have lived anywhere else than Evron.

Squall didn't have any idea why the water being blue was so important. The water from where he was from was also blue, and he did not come from Earth. He wasn't sure why it was so important that this be Earth, either.

"Water isn't blue where you come from?" he asked.

He made an odd sound, half-sighing, half-growling. Having to explain such basic, obvious things was so annoying...

"Water is not necessarily blue - its color is determined by the quality of the sun and its light. And a planet's oceans do not necessarily consist of the substance we call water. But no matter."

He ran a hand through his dreadlocks as if to brush off an impending headache.

"Evron needs my guidance. I must return at once."

That wasn't exactly what Squall had meant. He knew water wasn't actually blue, but he'd let Gorthan impart that little science lesson. He had a feeling it would be easier than trying to argue with him. Much easier.

"If there was a known way to go back," he said, "There would be a lot less people here."

He, too, had people who needed him.

"So we are inside a prison, then." His four-fingered hands tightened into fists. "Like R'ur Kil, the Pit... The similarities had better end here. Whoever brought me to this place shall pay dearly!"

By the end of his last sentence, his speech was a loud, hissing roar.

Squall couldn't help but flinch a bit at the sheer volume of Gorthan's rage. He, too, had been angry when he was first brought to Vatheon, though not to this extent. While he'd grown used to the city by now, that didn't change the fact that he did want to leave. In a way, Gorthan's determination was kind of refreshing. Kind of.

"Lots of people feel that way here," he said. "I hear this place is run by scientists. It's not enough to just keep us here, we're lab rats to them."

"Scientists!" Gorthan's voice boomed again. "It is like the Pit, then!"

He had sent so many of those who had failed him into the Pit, the prison planet where Zoster's crew performed genetic experiments... And now, who had dared put him in a similar position in turn? The cruel irony of the situation was lost on him. His fingers writhed emptily in the air as if he wanted to tear nothingness into pieces.

"I will not tolerate such an affront! Who is in charge here?"

...good question. Who was in charge?

"Hell if I know," Squall replied. "These people keep themselves hidden and it doesn't seem like they're the most cohesive group. We don't even know much about them aside from the fact that they exist. Somewhere. I've only been here a couple months, some others have been here longer. Maybe they know more."

Being a relatively new arrival compared to the others that have been there for months, Squall was not the best person to ask about this. "What is this Pit you keep talking about anyway?"

"Those who command this place must be found." Gorthan said gravely, looking up defiantly at the ocean above them.

"The Pit... is a place much like the description you just gave me. But before I explain more - I am Gorthan, member of the Imperial Council of Evron and supreme head of the Evronian army. While you are...?"

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"Earth?" Jack laughs. "This is certainly not Earth. I would know, I live there!" Jack would proceed to look up into the big bubble.

"This is Vatheon. An underwater...fishbowl of sorts. It's like someone is getting amusement out of seeing the lot of us squander around in here and struggle to make our livings.

Jack sighs shortly after that. "My name is Jack. I would be pleased to show you around."

Gorthan furrowed his brow. "Lies." he replied brusquely. "No other planet than Earth has..."

... Oceans this blue. He stops himself just before he can say that. He was about to say something nice about Earth... wasn't he? That would have been simply disgraceful.

"... Never mind."

He looked up again, his brow still furrowed in anger and thought. "An underwater city, and yet it supports oxygen-breathing lifeforms... How can it be?"

Serph hadn't been around in Vatheon for long, but ever since he heard that his comrades may appear in the plaza like he had a week ago, he had spend time waiting at the coral; he never knew when they could appear.

So when he'd heard a commotion, Serph left his position to investigate. Ah... another new arrival? When he was approached, Serph gave what he hoped was an answer that wouldn't be too alarming.

"Not your world. You've been drawn here, like many others."

"Drawn?"

Gorthan was positively fuming, rage coursing through his body, contracting his every muscle.

"By whom? And for what purpose?" he hissed.

Serph didn't show any sign of being bothered or unnerved by the seething rage; he was used to people like that, after all.

"I do not know." He wasn't about to give the stranger false information. Was this stranger concerned about something back home? He kept his tone calm and neutral as he continued, "You may be able to return home, in time."

"In time isn't enough." He shook his head vigorously, water falling off. After which, he straightened his stance.

"I am the supreme leader of the Evronian army. I am the one who will lead Evron back to the path of glory and greatness. I must return, and now."

Ah, a leader? He could empathise. But if he was the leader of an army, then it meant that this stranger's home world was also full of war and strife.

Serph shook his head before he said, "There is no known way to leave."

He understood being worried about those one lead, so he added, "Have faith in your comrades."

The signs of age were even more visible on Gorthan's face as rage distorted every muscle in his face. He clenches one of his hands into a fist and pumped it at the not-sky.

"... This must be one of my generals' doing! Taken to an underwater prison, likely as hellish a place as the Pit... I have been betrayed!"

Serph was faintly amused at the reaction his words were getting, but also a little worried about this stranger. Was betrayal something common in his world? Serph didn't know enough about his world, so he wouldn't reassure him in that way. He got the feeling that if he told the stranger he may come to like Vatheon, he wouldn't be listened to at this point.

So instead, he opted to take a different route in this conversation. "What is your name, leader of--"

Evron? The Evronian army? He had mentioned two Tribes. Which one was it? Serph settled on "-- the Everonian army and Evron?"

He sighed, trying to appear calm again. If someone wished to know about his identity, he was to behave royally, as one truly deserving of his self-given epithet of Warrior King.

"I am Gorthan, a member of the Imperial Council of Evron. In the absence of the Emperor, I have stepped up to take his place at the head of our military forces."

Of course, he neglected to mention that he had definitely something to do with the reason why the Emperor was missing in the first place...

"And you are...?"

The stranger seemed calmer now. That's good. He caught a few words he didn't understand. He had a vague recollection of what a council was -- a group of people, right? -- but an Emperor? Was that the title given to the leader of their military forces? And why was he absent?

So many questions, but he kept them private, for now.

Serph's response to the question was matter-of-fact. "Serph, leader of the Embryon."

"... 'Embryon'?" Gorthan repeated.

He haughtily cast a downward look at Serph. If this young man was a leader of sorts, he certainly didn't look the part. But he could respect that. Appearances were often not to be trusted, as the great Zartas himself advised.

"How long have you been here, Serph?"

While Serph noticed the haughty look, he was unperturbed by it. Being the leader of the smallest recognised Tribe in the Junkyard meant he'd been on the receiving end of those looks more than once. But in the end, it was the smallest Tribe who had conquered the rest.

The cycle of time here was a little different from the Junkyard, but Serph instinctively knows how long it's been. His tone was still polite when he replied, "8 Days."

Not very long. Certainly not as long as others, but he didn't think it was necessary for Gorthan to know that yet.