Event || The Answer

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All characters who signed-up for the event.
Where: South Continent of Balance (Imperial Territories)
When: April 20th to April 30th.
Summary: The Heroes of Light have lost consciousness and now find themselves in the middle of nowhere, without their Moogles and away from everything they know. They will have to get back home, but what awaits them on the path? For more information, please check the First OOC Post and Second OOC Post.
Warning: Bad things.

Group 01: Team Hijinks House
Group 02: Team Brigands
Group 03: Team Discovery Channel
Group 04: Sephiroth's (In)Sanity Squad
Group 05: Team (Bad) Shipping Advice
Group 06: Team Blue-Haired Lords on Fire
Group 07: Team Mom and Late Sleepers
Group 08: Nothing Bad Will Happen
Group 09: The Hellhounds
Group 10: Loftwings, A Working Title
Group 11: Team Oni
Group 12: Team F.N.T.I²
Group 13: Team Name-In-Progress
Group 14: Team The-Mods-Couldn’t-Brain-A-Name
Group 15: Seraphim Shenanigans

Comments

GROUP 07: TEAM MOM AND LATE SLEEPERS

[melodiesmods]

AWAKENING

[melodiesmods]

[This thread is for playing out what happens as the characters awaken in their initial predicament.]

[mindofathief]

[Does anyone ever expect Duster to wake up on time? Those who do are sorely disappointed when his reaction to finding himself on grass is to open his eyes a crack, roll over, then go back to sleep.

He's certain he forgot he was sleeping outside a tent last night. Or he rolled out. Or someone who gave up on shaking him awake decided the best course of action was to drag him out of bed and towards their destination. It's too early to think.]

[chondriosome]

[Aya, on the other hand, is very much alert when she realizes that she is not asleep in her bed. So she'll be the one shaking the sleeping Duster.]

Hey. Wake up.

[Don't make her use magic on you, bro.]

[mindofathief]

Uhhh... [He let's out a choppy groan of protest as she shakes him out of dreamland. And then he pushes Aya's hand away while propping himself up with his other arm.] Okay, I'm awake. Let me-

[His eyes go wide. There's no tent. No campfire. No sign of things he'd normally take on a trip. Was he traveling last night? Duster goes through his rec w by memories. No, he was staying home this week, taking a break between monster hunts until he earned enough to but a quality bass. There's no reason for him to be out here.

He sits up and gives Aya a concerned look.] Where were you taking me?

[Because that's what's obviously happening.]

[gorgeous_sin]

[Oh good, he's up. Lust was just about to offer kicking him awake. As a joke, of course. Really.]

[His question prompts a fractional raise of a slender eyebrow.]

Perhaps he fell on his head when he went unconscious.

[She directs a flat look at Aya before turning away. Given that she was exploring Aqures Tosf, Lust is armed to the teeth. The malboro blood on her Dark Knight's sword is still wet.]

[chondriosome]

[It's been a long time since Aya's done any camping. Since she was a kid, in fact. This is the last place she expected to be when she woke up.

[She just stops and blinks at Duster's accusation.] Excuse me?

[At least she isn't the only one here. Thanks, Lust.]

Maybe. Does anybody know what happened before we got here?

[mindofathief]

[Lust gets the faintest of scowls. He's not fond of her comment, but he's cold and tired. Old, worn clothes make for good pajamas, but not traveling gear.]

The last time I woke up in the middle of a field, someone was dragging me out of bed. [That someone was a dog, but his point still stands. He pushes himself up, soaking his socks in dirt.]

...So you don't know where we are?

[gorgeous_sin]

How would we? One minute I'm in Aqures Tosf, the next I'm here.

[She gestures idly with a flick of her wrist.]

It's safe to assume we were all brought here in roughly the same manner. I don't think there's much point in dwelling in the rhyme or reason of it, for now.

[Maybe once they actually find some information, they can speculate all they like. But she's not about to sit out here and wait for the person responsible to waltz right up and pull a power play.]

Up. We're leaving.

EVENT: THE EVIL FOREST

[melodiesmods]

[ The more time passed, the darker the forest grew even though they barely hit afternoon. It was as if the trees and leaves were moving in such a way as to block the light from the sun. They could sense and hear things moving behind them, but upon turning around they wouldn’t see anything moving or out of the ordinary. And yet, no matter how long they walked, it seemed as though there was no end to the forest, as though there wasn’t anyone but them, not even insects. But this wasn’t the case, was it? Even without any special powers, anyone could feel there was life all-around them. So much of it, it was nearly overwhelming. ]

Re: EVENT: THE EVIL FOREST

[gorgeous_sin]

[Lust is a suspicious of all that life...and perhaps a little jealous, too, but there's no real way to voice that feeling. She presses forward aggressively, unsmiling, almost daring the forest to bring out the worst it had to offer. She walks with her sword in hand, her dark waves of hair swaying with her steps.]

[If this place seeks to play games with them, she might start stabbing some trees.]

[...Which seems ridiculous, honestly, but she's lived all of her years being manipulated and toyed with. Her patience is severely limited.]

I don't suppose I'm the only one who can feel the eyes of this place.

Re: EVENT: THE EVIL FOREST

[mindofathief]

[The first day had gone by without complaint from Duster. Forests were large, usually lonely places. But when an entire 24 hours passes without any noise other than the rustling of leaves, even the quiet thief feels uneasy. He'd taken hundreds of midnight walks, and none of them were as quiet as this.

He stops playing music. It doesn't feel right anymore.]

There's definitely something...living here. It's a loud, invisible kind of living. [It had to be magic. Duster has no magical intuition, and he can only hope that his ignorance is the sole issue here.] It's strange. The trees are big enough for hundreds of animals to live here, but they're all gone.

...What happened to them?

EVENT: THE EVIL FOREST

[answernpcs]

[Duster is right, and it seems the more attention is given to the forest and how quiet it is, the thicker that silence feels. But it's not the only thing off about this flora.

Movement can be sensed, always just out of the corner of ones eye. Should anyone turn to try and catch it out, the rustling of leaves is the only sound betraying that the trees or bushes could have moved but really- it could very well all be in the Heroes' minds. Paranoia brought about by passing nothing but trees for the last day or so.

The path before them might even seem suspicious, at this rate. The thick silence seeming to start to take on a strange taste.]

EVENT: THE EVIL FOREST

[gorgeous_sin]

[Lust's displeasure continues to grow, while her patience diminishes. She's glad the music has stopped, since she's fully alert and aware.]

[She eyes the path ahead, then looks back at the others. Are they meant to continue following this road? Why, and for how long?]

[A few minutes later of more dodgy vegetation, and Lust decides it's time to push against their boundaries. She belligerently steps off of the path and moves away several feet. What now, forest? WHAT NOW?]

EVENT: THE EVIL FOREST

[mindofathief]

[At the sight of something moving out of the corner of his eye, Duster's training kicks in. He reflexively jumps in the direction of the movement, striking at the air in case a monster jumped out at him. Nothing connects. He's landed in a bush, and after a sheepish surveillance of the area in from of him, backs off from the vegetation.

He reaches out a hand towards Lust's back as she leaves the path.] ...Lust? Where're you going?

[That's not the way to the other side...] Lust? [He hopes he doesn't have to chase after her.]

[chondriosome]

[Aya has also sensed whatever it is that's in these trees. The movement summons her attention as well, but Lust is diverting from the path and Duster is... Well, Duster. Rather than lingering on the path, Aya decides to go and try to pursue the other woman before Duster can make the effort.

[Whatever. She's probably going to regret this sooner or later. Most likely it'll be sooner.]

Are you sure you should be doing that?

FREE THREADS

[melodiesmods]

[This thread is for you to play out the trip, discussions and interactions between the characters or anything that does not fit in the awakening and event threads.]

When the Forest Journey was Fun

[mindofathief]

[Apart from that moment of confusion when they first woke up, Duster doesn't think this journey is all too bad. He had traveled across the Nowhere Islands safely, fighting off chimeras and meeting strange characters, and everyone here was skilled in combat. Probably not the most balanced of parties, but they would manage.

It's disappointing they hadn't met anyone yet, but he shrugs it off. The world is gigantic, and not every valley would be full of people.

When they approach the forest, Duster seems...relieved.]

If there's a path through there, there has to be a village on the other end! [Finally. People. He pulls out his ocarina, runs to the front of the group, and faces the rest of them.] I know how to make a shelter out of branches, so we should be a lot safer in there. Let's go.

[And he walks on, playing a quiet melody on his ocarina to life their spirits.]

[gorgeous_sin]

[Lust isn't a fan of music in general. But she doesn't necessarily hate it either, and though she might be a soulless monster, she's not a bully nor is she a killjoy. Duster can play his ocarina all he likes. If there's someone out there in the woods, they might hear the tune and come to greet them.]

[It might also draw monsters, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as far as Lust is concerned. Actually, it would be a welcome change to the unsettling silence of the forest.]

[She walks at an easy stroll, her sword sheathed at her hip, but her eyes are obviously alert for any signs of life...particularly hostile life.]

A shelter out of branches, you say.

[Not that she's particularly interested, but she would prefer not to sleep in the pouring rain if at all possible.]

[mindofathief]

[Ah, a question. Duster finishes up the phrase before answering.]

It also depends on what trees and plants you can find. Normally, you'd hang a leather pelt over a few branches to keep out the rain, but if you tire them together tightly enough and use something to seal it with, it can keep out the rain. [He licks his dry lips and looks at the sky.] But if the weather looks good, we shouldn't worry.

[...The trees make it difficult to track the clouds, which is worrying.]

[gorgeous_sin]

What would you use for the sealant?

[Lust knows little about outdoor survival. She never needed to eat or sleep before. What she did pick up came from the others who had to survive in the caves that spidered beneath the planet's surface. There weren't exactly many supplies to work with down there.]

I would not mind the rain, unless we happen to chance upon a stream. Water is difficult to find here.

[mindofathief]

You don't want to get soaked while you're sleeping. It's not just unpleasant, but you could get sick from it.

[His father had taken him out camping may times, more often than the other residents of Tazmily, and taught him how to make an emergency shelter in the case that he had to go into hiding. It ended up being useful on the quest to pull the Seven Needles.]

Sealant's tricky. The simplest way would be to build a shelter with thick logs, then stack regular branches on the cracks. Another would be to use large leaves, but mud can make a good, quick sealant.

[gorgeous_sin]

[Sick? Her? AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Oh please, how ridiculous can one get.]

Interesting. Perhaps I'll observe and see what you manage to construct.

[In other words, don't expect her to help. Her role is to stab anything that comes near their merry little band, not to gather sticks and leaves and mud.]

Village of Doppelgangers

[gorgeous_sin]

[Stopping at a village for supplies is...helpful, Lust supposes. But she has no intentions of lingering here long. She remains near the outskirts, her arms folded, looking dark and pensive and emo reclusive. Why is this?]

[Because she's seen herself dwelling in this place...and it was the Ishbalan woman she saw, not the homunculus.]

[The woman herself seems unaware or uncaring of Lust and the uncanny resemblance they share, and that's understandable. Instead of pale skin, the woman's complexion is dusky. Instead of inky black hair, her locks are a softer shade of deep brown. Her pupils aren't slitted, and instead of a sharp and vibrant purple color, they're a rich shade between crimson and chocolate.]

[The other villagers seem to like her. When she stumbles with the pail of water, two pairs of hands shoot out to steady her, before they all share a good-natured laugh. Lust watches them out of the corner of her eye, unable to bring herself to approach, and yet unwilling to look away.]

[That's what she was supposed to be. Human. Complete. Her fingers flex unconsciously at her side, as if she were trying to readjust the fit of her glove, when in truth it's more that she feels the urge to readjust to the fit of her own skin.]

[This is foolishness. At last she sighs and pushes away from the inn wall, making for the town gate. Something about this place is...painful. And she doesn't care to stay here any longer than necessary. When night falls she'll return to bed down in her room, but she'd rather not be reminded of the mockery hybrid this wretched place forced her to become when it ripped her away from the peace of death.]

Re: Village of Doppelgangers

[mindofathief]

[Duster pauses at the village gate. He was ready to find anyone willing to help them find their way home, buy better clothes, relax a bit, but the uneasy air he felt from outside the walls wasn't his imagination.

He knew those voices sounded familiar. Bronson and Caroline helped the woman carry the pail of water. Fuel and Claus are running through the village square. His shoulders tense when he sees an old man in a brown vest watching the newcomers from his rocking chair. That can't be...

...Wess doesn't react to Duster, his own son, for some reason. None of this makes sense. Why is all of Tazmily here? Did they survive the end of the world? Don't they remember him? Are they all ignoring him, still holding onto the rumor that he stole Butch's money? Is everyone really here? What about Hinawa? Lucas? Kumatora?

To anyone nearby, Duster has been standing in the same spot, staring into the distance like he saw the Calamity swiftly creeping directly at him, forgetting everything else in the world.]