nightlogs | [Open] Nothing's like before

Who: Aqua & YOU
What: Aqua's intro
Where: North Pole
When: September 29-30ish??
Warnings/Notes: Feel free to use bracket text and/or present tense, I'll match style. Detailed description of food in the Dining Room segment.

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ARRIVAL

There was no transition period. Aqua felt like she was waking from a dream — Yet she was already walking as she did so. Trudging, really, as her footsteps were hindered by deep snow.

Wait... snow?

She turned and saw a trail of footprints behind her... but strangely enough, they stopped several yards away.

As if she'd suddenly just appeared there.

She wondered if this was a dream. She hadn't fallen asleep in the Realm of Darkness before. Not yet, at least. Or perhaps that had all been a nightmare? Curiously, she raised a hand to summon her keyblade, a movement that had been fruitless for so long.

With a flash of light, Rainfell appeared in her hand.

She stared at it in wonder. Well, as long as impossible things were happening...

"Terra!!" She dismissed the keyblade to cup both hands around her mouth as she called. "Ven!!"

A short distance away, at the peak of this incline she was on, a massive complex towered into the distance. Aqua started forward through the snow toward it, hoping to find some answers.

COMMUNAL RELAXATION AREA

Aqua was quiet for her first few days at the North Pole.

She wasn't silent by any means; She was happy to engage in conversation when approached. It's just that she'd had no one to talk to but herself for who knows how long — For the first time in ages, she could just listen, and found herself craving new voices like water in a desert.

Here in the communal relaxation area, she's been gently prodding the others she meets with questions about anything: What were they reading? What was their home like? How have they been passing the time here? Even curt, one-word answers helped satisfy her thirst for new voices and connections — but she much preferred getting someone to infodump. The Realm of Darkness had been so dim and desolate; Seeing someone's light shine as they shared their dreams and passions filled her with her own joy and warmth.

She's engaged in one such conversation now. The speaker's been talking for a while. Regardless of whether or not Aqua understands what they're talking about, they have her full attention.

DINING AREA

Aqua hadn't felt hunger since being trapped in the Realm of Darkness, but oh how she'd craved food. The textures and flavors of her favorite dishes had faded into a hazy memory, as had the warmth that accompanied a meal shared with loved ones. With her first step into the dining area, it wasn't hunger that flooded her heart, but nostalgia.

As she sat down at the long table, Aqua wondered if she could even remember what she liked, much less what it was called. Would she even be able to order? As it turned out, she didn't need to worry — A yeti appeared and set a bowl before her: Shredded lettuce, tossed with a colorful array of chopped vegetables and not much else. Aqua was faily certain she hadn't been craving salad, but she was nonetheless grateful. She thanked the yeti for the meal and scooped up a large first bite.

Someday, Aqua would look back on this salad and recognize how plain it had been. No seasonings, no dressing, just tossed vegetables.

Right now? That first bite was overwhelming.

The lettuce was fresh and crisp, and the texture sang with the menagerie of flavors. Peppery radish blended with sweet carrots and earthy artichokes. A perfectly ripe cherry tomato added a savory touch. It had been so long — What few plants there were to find in the Realm of Darkness were grayed and withered, languishing in the eternal twilight. She had forgotten that plants could be bright and healthy.

Aqua started to unceremoniously shovel the salad into her mouth. It wasn't very dignified, but that didn't even cross her mind. When was the last time she'd given a thought to impressing other people? How long had it been since she'd had people to impress?

Just as she was finishing the salad, the yeti brought out a second course of meat and vegetables, seasoned and roaseted. It was all piled on top of a bowl of rice, and covered in an aromatic sauce. This dish was just as overwhelming as the first in a completely different way. There was heat to the sauce, and bite to the vegetables, and all the flavors started to blend together.

She regained a little composure for the second course, no longer shoveling the food but instead managing some dining etiquette. The warmth and flavor and smell brought her back to a happier time. A lifetime ago, she'd start and end the day sharing meals around the table with Terra, Ven, and Master Eraqus. Nostalgia trickled back with every bite, and soon it was almost too much to bear. She felt a sting in her eyes, and soon enough there were tears rolling down her cheeks.

She kept eating, regardless. It had been so long, and swallowing the food down helped stave off actual sobbing. This meal was incredible.

She wished Terra and Ven were here to share it with her.

TRAINING AREA

While conversation and dining etiquette had languished during Aqua's time in the Realm of Darkness, there was at least one skill that stayed sharp.

She mowed down a small horde of automatons with ease. Not a single movement was wasted, even as she integrated pirouettes and cartwheels into her form. With the last one destroyed she took a moment to breathe, wiping some sweat from her brow. It was nice to be able to fight without risk.

After a moment, she stretched and loosened her arms a bit. "Okay, I think I'm ready for another round. Let's up the difficulty."

OUTSIDE

There was a set of footprints in the snow leading away from Santa's workshop, leading the way to a cliffside with a particularly spectacular view of the arctic.

Aqua stood at the cliffside, wrapped up in knitted outerwear the yetis had provided. She gazed at the dazzling light show above. Ribbons of color danced across the sky. She'd seen it from her bedroom, but even with such a large window, it didn't compare to seeing it out here. Now the stars stretched across her entire field of view, providing the largest stage possible for the Aurora's performance.

She stood motionless, bathed in the soft neon glow of the night sky as she quietly watched it. After being in the darkness for so long... she had forgotten just how beautiful the night sky could be.

WILDCARD

(( if you have another idea, reach out to me and we can talk it over!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There's just something about people sitting at the table and eating, about the daily tasks, the small moments of pleasure that come with food.
When you want to scream your own pain, it all looks like a much too meager consolation, but when you are looking for something nice to appreciate, to hold on to? It can change your life, really. Jennifer knows this because she still fondly remembers how beautiful the sunset was the day she lost her dear friend.

Then she thinks of sadness. You know, the sadness that almost feels good? When someone cries and you cry with them, because you love them. Well, of course Jennifer doesn't 'love love' this young woman just yet, but there is some genuine and deep love that she can already feel for strangers too.

She approaches with a mug of hot chocolate, gently places it on the table in front of Aqua.

"Fancy a hot chocolate to warm you up?" she smiles kindly "It's quite snowy outside."

Aqua's uncharacteristically flustered when the mug is placed in front of her by a distinctly non-yeti hand. She quickly dabs at her face with a napkin, trying to discreetly wipe a way a few tears, too.

"Thank you, that sounds wonderful." She smiles, still a little embarrassed at having been seen like that. She brings the mug to her lips and sips it with much more dignity.

Oh, chocolate, she hadn't realized how much she'd missed chocolate.

"Chocolate might not solve all problems, but sure makes any day better."

Jennifer takes a seat, and starts musing.

"And it makes our inner child happy. Sometimes we forget to play and smell the roses...Which can be very grounding, too. We may not know what's going on or what's going to happen next, but we know that chocolate is good and we get to drink it. That's always good news."

She shifts slightly in her chair, perhaps it was too on the nose to offer reassurance when it wasn't requested. She wouldn't want this girl to feel she's being treated like a charity case.

[Open] Nothing's like before