Event || In Your Worst Memory

[0301120113092025]

Characters: All Heroes of Light. Only those who signed-up can start a memory.
Where: Interdimensional Rift
When: May 27th - May 30th
Summary: The Heroes of Light relive some of their worst memories, with a twist. All characters participating in this will be physically missing from Crystallis for the duration of the event.
Warning: It depends on the memory.

Where you were or what you were doing— It does not really matter. Not any more. Everything around you freezes, nearly as if time itself stopped, as if the world was frozen in time. And before you have a chance to understand what is happening, you can hear a voice right behind you.

"Kali Shashidhwaja."

Should you turn around, you may see a child who seems to be the only one aside from you unaffected by what is happening. And as she stares right at you, it makes no doubt these strange words are aimed at you. But before you can reply to her, the world around you collapses. Reality twists and shatters... Or maybe you are the one who is collapsing and shattering away from reality as you know it. No matter what the answer is, it will only take a few seconds for you to find yourself sinking into a void, Crystallis vanishing into the distance. There is nothing but darkness as far as the eye can see.

And once again you feel different: all the powers from your Jobs are fading. Not only that, but you might find that your Crystal is gone and your clothes back to what they were before you woke up in Crystallis. It is silent, cold and before long it feels as though life itself is slipping out of you... And yet, slowly the world reforms around you. The darkness fades away and a new world appears, yet at the same time this is not a world.

This is a memory. The question is, is it yours or that of someone else?

Comments

In-Between Memories

[melodiesnpcs]

In between two memories, characters may find themselves in a different location, one that doesn't originate from anyone's memories. The place is a garden and it looks as though it is past nightfall. Yet, should they look up to the sky, they will find neither stars nor moons, only darkness as far as the eye can see. The only source of light is a beautiful crystal, larger than the crystal of fire, yet devoid of any colors and only filled with light. But for all its splendor, the crystal is cracked and it looks as though the light sips out through the cracks, covering the ground with mist. The crystal should shine brightly, but it only emits a weak and fading light, as if threatening to die any moment.

By the crystal, the little girl they saw earlier is there, staring silently at them. There are other people in this garden, four to be specific. Should they go south, they will find Ib by a bush of blue roses, endlessly digging for something she can never find. East, they will find Igor with a set of tarot cards in hand, looking at them one after the other as if he could read in them some secrets no one else could. North they will find Nebilim sitting under a tree, looking up at the infinite darkness of the sky without paying attention to anything else. Finally, if they go west they will find Kalki standing by a precipice, looking down into its endless depths.

None of them will react to anything the characters do and if perturbed they will just go back to what they were doing. The only one who seems to be aware of the characters' presence, and who can reply to them, is the little girl.

[bag_has_snapped]

Okay, this was way too freaky for Tsubomi. Her head quickly darted left and right as she found herself in this strange little world. She feels way in over her head, especially since it feels like the powers of the Jobs she had were gone. She had her normal fairy Chypre with her, but not the similarly named Moogle.

She doesn't recognize those at the ends of the garden, but the girl... the one she saw before she ended up here. And her staring was... freaky.

"H-Hello?" she asked. "A-Are you okay?" She hoped she'd answer her, but...

Chiaki Nanami's Memory

[line_piece]

(OOC: I'm being intentionally vague with my own description of the scene since DR2 has only been out stateside for about half a year, and I would like to respectfully avoid spoiling the game for anyone who hasn't played it yet. The linked video contains the entirety of Chiaki's memory aside from the changes alluded to in the text below. As far as responses, I'd prefer separate threads for each character instead of one huge one because trying to track post order is a nightmare that I don't like dealing with, but if people want to talk to each other threadjacking is fine too.)

[Those arriving in Chiaki's memory will be watching it alongside her from a third-person perspective. The group is seated in a theater, looking at a red curtain with a pink neon sign that reads 'MONOKUMA THEATER' hanging above it. When the curtains open, a movie screen drops down and this scene plays out in front of the assembled characters on an endless loop. Each time, the scene ends both earlier in the sequence and more violently.

The Chiaki in the audience is fairly non-responsive as the scene plays out, her expression blank and difficult to read, but watching intently. Anyone watching her face instead of the screen will be able to see her eyes slowly narrowing, or perhaps twitching at the edges every so often as the endless cinema continues. The theater is spacious enough, and the memory playback quiet enough, that discussion with Chiaki about its contents is possible.]

OTA

[umslay]

[A mysterious girl shows up, he gets sucked into a void again, and he wakes up inside a modern theater.]

What's this? [He stands up on his seat and spots several others before the screen comes down and the scene plays. The first time, he gives it his undivided attention, and turns to Chiaki in surprise at the ending.

The first repeats goes on, but he doesn't notice. Why isn't Chiaki more unnerved by this? Unsure whether to address her or someone else, he twists his head around, attempting to catch someone's attention.]

Is this some sort of movie--an awful one at that? Why are they showing us this?

Monkey D. Luffy - Passive

[gomu_ningen]

[The moment any one arrives into the desolate looking mountain-side, the smell of ember and sea water instantly hits the nostrils like a swift punch to the nose. The mixture makes for a rather odd fragrance, considering that the landscape looks as if there is no life among the black and grey rock-slide. In the distance, atop the mountain where they stand, stands what appears to be a bent out of shape paperclip. The size and structure don't give much information other than it being there is very out of place. The eye is drawn immediately to it, given how large and unsettling its appearance is.]

Your little reindeer friend will make for a good meal, being a Devil's Fruit user and all.

CHOPPER!

[Though the focus does not last for more than a few seconds before the awful din of explosions begins to ring through the air over the spread of rubble and dirt. In the distance, turned towards the lower end of the mountain-side, stands a very triangular man with a black suit over him. On his shoulder sits a tiny flower, seemingly glued there as a clash against the dark colors of his clothing. In his hands he holds a large bow, a single arrow threaded into the cord of the weapon as it is pulled back and aimed further down the landscape. His target: the familiar figure of the loudmouthed pirate who'd so brazenly made his intentions known to the heroes of light. Whereas his presence in the Observatory was a lively one, there seems to be very little life left in him as he's forced to his knees as a cloud of dust and earth begins to settle around him.

A lone arm reaches back, stretching behind Luffy as he once more has his powers in this world. To those who have never witnessed his curse, the boy's body is like rubber and can stretch to great lengths, for which he uses to put more power behind his attacks. Unfortunately for him, his fist isn't able to soar as he had hoped. The single arrow that had been notched into the bowstring is sent flying at Luffy's attack, connecting and embedding his hand into a large slab of rock behind him.]

As I said, there's nothing you can do to save your friends. Just now, the first of many has been devoured by the Lily Carnation. What will you do now?

YOU SON OF A-!!

[Pinned, Luffy desperately tries to send his other hand upward, only to meet the same fate by a newly placed arrow. His other hand is tagged and kept to the slab much like the first, the pirate's wailing of pain and discomfort drowns out the laughter of which the man in black so flagrantly cackles.]

And now the one with the long nose is leaving. What a worthless Captain you are.

USOPP!!

[Not having the use of his arms, the pirate sends forth a single kick in hopes of toppling the Baron while his hands struggle against the tacks that hold him in place. His screams are silenced as another arrow is sent forward, pinning his foot and continuing to crucify him to the rock]

All you can do is stay there and mourn, mourn and know what it is like to lose the friends and crew you care about so deeply. One of the women is going. Such a lovely picture of dark hair and mystery.

R-ROBIN!!

[Luffy's head and unpinned leg fall to the ground with an echoing thud, the impact kicking up even more dirt and dust as he frantically tries to unpin himself from the rock.]

Oi, oi~! Better hurry! The one with green hair and the curly brows are going next! Such delicious food to feed my Lily! HA HA HA!

Z-.. ZORO! SANJI~!

[His other leg comes up, instantly shot through by the arrow so that he's hanging off of stretched limbs. A moment of pause as the Baron simply laughs at the sight of defeated youth. He takes a few steps forward, closing a few feet between them as he readies another arrow to his bow.]

If you stay like that, your orange haired friend will be plant food, too.

[Lifting his head, the eyes of the pirate become as dark as charcoal, lined with veins of red as his intensity is kicked well past the normal threshold. His head reels back as he screams in agony, his neck shooting out and stretching as if his head were a bullet, growing closer and closer to the large paperclip atop the mountain. Surprised, the Baron flinches, stumbling with his weapon as he forms two additional arrows out of thin-air. Laced on the bowstring, he shoots them simultaneously at the boy's elongated neck. The first two slice at him, cutting his skin as blood is spilled overhead. The third, however, marked for Luffy's head, makes no such reaction. From the distance the Baron can see that teeth have stopped the shot, breaking the wooden ammunition in two as Luffy cries out once more. His eyes come close enough to the Lily Carnation, seeing the outline of his cherish navigator fade and succumb to the plant which has now devoured her.

His neck retracts, crashing against the rock he's pinned to as his body falls lifeless. Like a marionette hung off a wall, the strings of his limbs keep him somewhat up as the Baron approaches him with even more laughter escaping his chest.

Luffy speaks with little energy left, whispering the one name for which brings him more pain than he can bear.]

.. Na.. Nami..

[The Baron clutches his hair, lifting the defeated pirate up to give him a better look.]

Your crew is dead. Just like in Aquares Ixen. What sort of Captain can you hope to be if you've got no crew to sail with? You're a nuisance. A loud-mouthed kid who can't amount to being a third rate sailor, much less a third rate pirate. You just end up hurting the people you care about, all so you can chase some silly wide-eyed dream. Guys like you? They make me sick. So what'll it be then? Would you rather sail out into the ocean, without a crew, living with the guilt of being the one who sent your friends to their deaths? Or would you rather I kill you here and now, make it quick and finish you off so you needn't go off into the night with the same loneliness I've been cursed with all these years?

[Before Luffy can respond, the world shifts to have him back at the first utterance of the Baron, as if a "reset" button had been pushed to bring him back to this exact moment. His consciousness remains, yet his body is unable to fight the course of these memories as they play out once again.]

Your little reindeer friend will make for a good meal, being a Devil's Fruit user and all.

WHA.. WHAT IS HAPPENING?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

Jack was someplace else, but now he's here, a world even more grim than his own. He can't take his eyes from the structure in the distance for a long moment, trying to understand. What could have caused a place this desolate?

But his attention gets ripped away, he almost ducks from the first explosion. Shit. A war zone. And, sure enough, him without his weapons. No armor, he's back in his familiar coat, not even a gun at his side. Well, crap.

Jack pokes his head back out from behind a rock, and he sees the attack on- Luffy? What in the world is he doing? His eyes go tremendously wide at the sight of Luffy's powers, but even such a strange ability seems to be no good. He's got to help him! He's got-

Another explosion rocks the world around Jack. If he gets over there, he's got to keep himself low.

He tries to move, cover by cover, but it's far too late, by the time he gets there. The posturing villain is in full monologue mode, with Luffy pinned worse than even Jack would be able to free him from. He stands up, reveals himself-

And then it all starts over.

"What!?"

The explosion, Luffy's attack, the arrow, it has started exactly as it was before.

"Son of a bitch."

Okay. It's some kind of a time loop. You usually disrupt these things by messing up the moment it starts or ends, right? Jack is still standing behind the last outcropping of rock before he can get to Luffy, staring in confusion, but he's also looking for some kind of recognition. The other important question to ask is if Luffy notices what's happening?

Ventus' memory

[makingfriends]

[ooc: I'm assuming he didn't get to his memory until late in the event, for reasons! The two prompts run back-to-back, so feel free to tag at any point in the first and have it roll over into the second, or just tag the second. /o/ ]

~

Ventus had seen the memories of others by the time his own finally came around. He had an idea of how it worked, more or less: ghosts of events, living memories, and all seemingly tragic without exception. He'd been through several -- some harmless to those in the present, some not -- and he'd even thought to try and brace himself in case something was pulled from his own past, although he couldn't imagine what would turn up.

Despite that, and regardless of any bright smiles he might have offered to the others when they needed it, he wasn't prepared for his own dose of reality in the slightest.

[A. Main memory]

[This scene (8:02 - 13:42, excluding the flashback from 9:12 - 11:30).]

Just like that, he was home. The castle, the mountains, the plaza, the summit in the distance -- he knew them all at a glance. The change was so sudden that, for an instant, Ven wondered if he'd just woken up, whether Crystallis had been another dream among hundreds. When he looked over and saw himself approaching the castle steps, those thoughts reversed and he wondered if this was the dream -- but then Eraqus' voice was a rude awakening, and Ven, the real Ven, immediately straightened up to attention out of habit.

With dawning dread, he realized what this was, which memory was playing out. With a grim expression and fists tight at his sides, he watched his past self confront his master, listened to the heated words that sounded so foreign, even in his own voice ("That's your excuse... for keeping me imprisoned here, isn't it?!") -- he didn't look away as Eraqus drew his Keyblade with that look of solemn determination. The whole time, Ven was stone still, even when Terra jumped between them and refused to back down ("Master! Have you gone mad?!") and even when friend and teacher began to clash blades. Ven watched it all, as closely as though this were his first time seeing it, even if he had every second memorized.

He watched as his memory-self was thrown into the Lanes, the portal quickly closing over him -- and subconsciously, maybe, Ven was expecting the memory to stop there, or at least shift, but it did neither. It kept going. (3:24 - end of video)

He knew he couldn't stop it -- but he tried. As Terra and Eraqus dashed at one another, Ven finally broke his still spell and jumped between them ("Stop it! Don't do this, Terra!"), but as if he were made of nothing more substantial than wind, Terra passed right through him. History played on, blind and deaf to his pleas.

He didn't want to keep watching -- he didn't want to see Terra and Eraqus fighting and hurting each other, ever, least of all over him -- but Ven did. He stayed rooted to the spot, unable to look away from the battle in front of him.

And then it was over, but that was just the start. Ven saw it all. Xehanort appearing out of nowhere. Eraqus falling, dying in Terra's arms. Terra's grief. Xehanort's cutting, mocking words, his deranged threats. The destruction of his home.

Ven saw everything, and while he reacted now and again -- jumping or tensing, a wordless cry when Eraqus was mortally wounded, a helpless half-step towards Terra at the end of it -- he never said a word.

[B. Premonition]

It should have ended there. Ven knew what happened next -- Terra went to the Graveyard, where the three of them met up for their final battle. And yet, despite his determined words, the Terra in this memory didn't leave. He stayed where he was -- and even as Ven watched, the air around Terra suddenly shifted, blurred, and deepened in color. All around him was a pitch-black, pulsing aura. Maybe it was the return of his original powers, maybe he just imagined it, but all the same Ven was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea in the same instant that he realized: darkness. This was Terra's darkness, showing itself.

But then Terra himself changed. First, the difference was slight -- but seconds later he changed once more, entirely this time, into a figure Ven didn't recognize at all. Lastly, Terra changed again -- and while he was still unfamiliar, the couple similarities should connect a few dots to anyone paying close enough attention.

Ven made the connection, even before the sense of déjà vu hit him.

That was why -- part of why -- he didn't move after that. Even when memory-Terra, or the man he'd become, remained standing where he was and the memory progressed no further, Ven didn't budge -- except to drop to his knees in the middle of the plaza. There he stayed, his normally open and cheerful expression now closed off and grave, his bright eyes dim, downcast, and unseeing.

Ventus' memory - B

[elephanthead]

Greg was wandering around when he found himself walking through the dream. He didn't really know what to make of it. It was like the cartoon's he used to watch on TV but real somehow. He thought his brother might be here then since he was some place new. Maybe it was a dream? He didn't know so he watched walking through Ven's memories helpless to their flow.

It wasn't until closer to the end of the memory that he found Ven. He smiled running up to his friend. He noticed the darkness but he wasn't afraid. He placed his frog on Ven's head and then moved to his hands and knees so that he could look up at Ven's face. He could see the pain but instead of sympathy the young boy smiled.

"It's okay. Nothing is impossible if you don't give up." His frog croaked from atop Ven's head as if affirming that what Greg said was true.

Duel called Revolution

[flowershrine]

[A.Memory]

[Anthy stood by the gate, hair unbound and staring at the scene unfolding around her with emerald eyes too wide with some well stifled emotion. She could have lived forever without being back in the arena, the wounds sustained too grievous to ever truly forget. She could have lived forever with knowing what Utena's face had looked like. It had felt so simple back then, a necessary action to finish a long life of suffering. End of the World was almost complete; her brother would be whole again and her atonement would be complete.



Bile rose in her throat, acrid and stinging as she watched herself, the Anthy of memory grab Utena's shoulder and force the blade through her waist. As the blade pushed through, Anthy shuddered and whispered the words that often echoed through her nightmares.]

You could never be my prince. You're a girl.

[Tears flooded Anthy's vision as her memory-self lowered Utena to the ground gently, the girl-prince's legs failing her as the wound seemed to shatter everything in her.



Memory-Anthy's eyes rolled suddenly as she fainted, the dress of the Rose Bride collapsing as her body disappeared and Anthy seized, swearing harshly under her breath as her skin rippled along her spine. Falling to her now bare knees, she looked to the sky and saw herself, suspended by fate and promise. Memory Anthy's body was bare and prepared with palms towards the sky, hands pierced through by the Sword of Dios.



As Utena began to scream, to plead with Akio to help his sister, Anthy seized again with a gasp forcing her gaze back to her surroundings. Before her was a carousel and on a brilliant white horse, Dios. Frowning, Anthy struggled to her feet and and glared at this pretender. Dios after saying something too quiet to hear, scowled darkly at Anthy. Not the body being run through in the sky sword by sword, Anthy herself swaying on unsteady feet. ]

You are not supposed to be here

I do as I please. You know that better than anyone.

Liar.

[As his attention went back to Utena, the two watch as she rose stubborn and glorious in her determination. Anthy watched as she pushed Akio to side - clawing at the Rose Gate until finally, blessedly it opened.

Immedately, Anthy looked to the sky and confirmed her deepest fear. The Swords were buzzing, swirling about the sky in agitation - fit to block out the sun without their prey to strike. In the frantic search for her memory-self, Anthy missed Utena opening the Rose Gate and gave a great shriek as her vision tunnelled.



She staggered again as Utena reached for her, hand instinctively reaching for the one who come all this way. The only one who came all this way. The tips of their fingers barely touched as suddenly the world fell from beneath her and screaming she was cast into darkness. As Anthy collided with to floor of the arena, she tried to reach for Utena one final time as the Swords drew closer - blacking out before she witnessed her savior's flesh being ravaged.

When she awoke, the memory started as before - only this time the Phantom of Dios has appeared. Standing guard as if to block and interference with the Duel. His brows knit ominously, before speaking.]

You have company

[B. Coda]

[Anthy shuddered at the sight, meeting the corspe-like dead eyes of her Prince. Utena had with drawn a sword from her body, brandishing it as she approached and howling for blood. ]

How many of us died for you, Witch?! How many lives have you shattered?!

[From the carousel, Dios approached brandishing his own sword with hair slicked to his body, the jacket of his princely uniform open to his navel and the same half-seeing corpse eyes.

Anthy began to back away, wearily looking between the two as tears ran down her cheeks.]

How many of us died for your selfishness, sister? How many died because you could not let go, lover?!

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

This- this is a world that defies description, let alone explanation. Jack has been witness to a lot of strange things in his life, but this is pushing even his understanding. Are they dreaming again? What is this place?

He can only stand, watching, as the events play out, two versions of the girl he's never met yet. At first, his instinct drives him forwards to try to help the pink-haired girl, the one that's fighting. But it's as if something is holding him back. What? He can only watch the battle, which isn't much of one.

Before he can act, the Swords descend, striking into Utena's form, and Jack can't turn away. He cries out, and a tear falls. He doesn't even know what she was fighting for, but the desperation? That's impossible to miss. He sees it all, Anthy falls-

And then it all starts over.

"Not again!"

Looping. Again. Okay. So what is the actual point of this? "What's happening!?" Jack shouts, and looks at everyone to see who reacts. Who else isn't just a part of the scenery?

Jack Harkness - The Year That Never Was

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

When the world comes back into focus, in the memory of Captain Jack Harkness, those who were drawn in with him will find themselves in a concrete and metal room, seeming the underbelly of a building, no, of a ship of some kind. The hum of engines can be heard between the rushing air through mechanical vents and water through the maze of pipes around them. It is some sort of maintenance area, with a lot of metal walkways and gratings for people to walk on.

There is one nearby port hole, like on a boat, and a peek outside will show a perhaps unexpected sight of clouds, as they are on a flying aircraft carrier. Far more complex than even the greatest boat or airship.

Jack is with them, sword and armor gone, and instead wearing the casual clothes and Captain's coat some may have seen before. His heart completely stops in his chest as he looks around at his surroundings in sheer horror. "No. No no no, how did we get here?" His face pales, and he backs away into the nearest metal wall, unmindful of the other people, for a moment. "Anywhere but this." He should be questioning it all, asking how it's even possible that they appeared somewhere that was paradoxed out of time, itself. But the fear is rising too quickly. No. It got paradoxed away, nobody else remembers it, it shouldn't matter. Why is he back here?

Just as he's finished taking it all in, an alarm sounds overhead. The purple lighting filtering down from overhead turns to red, and there is announcement audible over loudspeakers. "Prisoner has escaped containment. Prisoner has escaped in maintenance level 1." The sounds of booted footsteps running on metal walkways can be heard, as the guards on the higher levels move into action.

The look on Jack's face melts from fear to some confusion. "That's-" Me. "What the hell's going on here?" He turns to look over who came with him, some faces he recognizes, some he doesn't. But none of them belong, so he's going to have to trust them, for now. "We need to move, or we aren't going to get any time to find out."

[charming_jerk]

Johnny is just as confused, suddenly dressed in his usual t-shirt and jeans and dumped off in some unrecognizable hallway. Though upset, Jack at least seems to recognize where they are, which was better than nothing.

"Okay, if we don't know what's going on, how 'bout we start off with where we are."

Ramza's Memory

[zodiac_brave]

The smell of decay hung heavy in the air inside of the Mullonde Cathedral sanctuary. The cold stone room was dark, illuminated only by the candles around the altar. Ramza charged forward into the room, eager to face down his foe and rescue Alma from his clutches. With his army of loyal allies behind him, he felt confident about facing whatever horrors the Lucavi-bearers called forth.

“I fear I’ve no more time to waste on you,” the man standing behind the altar called out to him. “Would that I could bid you farewell here, but I suspect you’d not part ways so easily. I suppose you must be returned to the Father after all. My thralls will delight to guide you to His keeping. This sanctuary even holds a sarcophagus. It’s as though Fate lends her hand.”

The man held forth his hand, and a golden light began to glow bright in the room, blinding those within for a moment. An Archaeodaemon stood where the light had flared. A second flash on the other side of the sarcophagus produced a second archaeodaemon. A third summoned forth an Ultima Demon.

But Folmarv did not stop there. With a disdainful look at Ramza and his allies, he spoke again.

“Of course, death is sooner served by steel. I shall let this one be your foeman as well.”

A fourth pillar of light appeared, and as it faded, a kneeling form came into view. It stood, looking sickly pale and withered. It was plain to see that this was a corpse walking.

“Zalbaag!” Ramza cried out, confusion evident. He had not thought he would look upon his brother ever again. But this was no happy reunion, not with Formarv pulling the puppet strings.

Formarv snorted at that outburst. “Once he was your brother, but he is reborn unto us now. You’re a heretic already. Why not a kinslayer?” The Templar chuckled at that, amused at the anguish on Ramza’s face as he looked into familiar eyes that no longer recognized him.

With the scene set to his satisfaction, Formarv raised his hands and cast the spell to teleport himself safely away.

“Ever the coward!” Ramza hissed at his retreat.

Formarv’s voice rang out from beyond the sanctuary, echoing against the stone walls. “Zalbaag! Deliver me the head of the young man before you! He must not leave the cathedral alive!”

There was a groan from something monstrous following his words, marking the speaker as no longer human. And then, for a moment, silence.

And then the demons shifted in the darkness, stepping forward to slaughter whoever they came into contact with.

Ramza's Memory

[goddessofthesky]

"Ramza!" Zelda's voice rose among those gathered by his side. She didn't know how she ended up here but there was no time to ask questions now. She was wearing armor like those around her with a thin sword in her hand.

She moved to Ramza's side, her gaze confident as they face down the collections of fiends. "You aren't alone." She smiled and then rose her sword waiting for the attack of the monstrous creatures. She didn't know much about Ramza's brother but she wasn't going to let him feel the guilt of fighting kin. If she needed to, she'd take that burden for him.

Luke fon Fabre's Memory (WARNING: lots of death and graphic descriptions of)

[headfons]

OOC NOTE:

So, I'm going to just post everything in parts underneath this comment! Reply directly to the part you want your character to react to -- there's no limit to how many parts you guys can have your characters react to.

Feel free to have your character interact with another dream-hopper, even if they can't interact with aspects of the dream. MoL!Luke is also free for interaction -- just put a note in the subject line~

[headfons]

Part One

The air is thick and filled with the foul stench of death and the scattered bodies of those who are slowly dying. A series of underground tunnels... all filled with the poisonous miasma -- the very thing that is the culprit for so many sicknesses and deaths. Everyone is free to explore the area, though their interest might be best directed at the small group within the room that all dreamgoers just appeared in.

A man stands there dressed in ridiculous clothing, accompanied by two young men; one with bright, red hair... and another with green hair. One might look familiar, to anyone who's met Luke. The only difference is his clothing and the fact that his hair is about ten times longer. The first one to speak is the older man:

"You finally made it," he starts, only to quickly be responded to by the redhead.

"Master! There you are. Where's the rest of the vanguard?"

"I have them standing by elsewhere," the older one casually responds, before directing his attention to the boy with green hair, "Fon Master, could I ask you to open this door?"

The green-haired boy quietly walks over to said multi-colored door, taking just a moment to examine it. After a few seconds, he calmly responds, "...A Daathic seal. So this is another Sephiroth. I don't think opening this will serve any purpose."

The older man replies in a reassuring tone, "It will. It's necessary for the revival of Akzeriuth."

As for the red-haired boy, he very quickly chimes in with, "Ion, please! Everything'll be okay if you do what Master Van says."

He doesn't sound happy about it, but Ion finally responds, "...All right."

With that, he lifts his hands towards the door -- within seconds, a decent-sized glyph appears and falls. The door doesn't just open; it completely vanishes, leaving a dark, empty space... Van doesn't say a single word, and walks past Ion into the darkness. Ion follows, immediately after. Luke, on the other hand, is suddenly covered by a stream of lights. Nothing can be heard until the redhead is speaking with his words directed at... the ceiling?

"What are you talking about? I'm just gonna neutralize the miasma here." ...before taking off running after Van and Ion.

Once inside, Ion's speaking up, "It's the same as the Zao Ruins and Shurrey Hill..."

Van doesn't seem to have any interest in the Fon Master's commentary, and simply commands, "Luke. This way..."

Ib- closed to the four characters who signed up on the plotting post. Now with mood music!

[her_rose_is_red]

[The art gallery is lively, full of people visiting the new exhibit. The various signs and posters extol the virtues of the artist, Guertena, who was famed for using a wide range of subjects and mediums to express himself. Paintings, statues, creatively decorated furniture, and even sculptures made with household objects are part of the collection. If anyone cares to have a closer look at the posters, they also mention that Guertena once said that he put a part of his soul in each and every piece of art he created. Very poetic. The painting you're all standing in front of is and abstract work called 'Fabricated World.' But possibly you're more concerned with your sudden lack of powers. Or weapons, or armor.

But there's no time for that. Because now the lights flicker ominously, and then go out. And the gallery is silent. Everyone is gone. Vanished like they were never there. And now when you look back at 'Fabricated World,' there seems to be paint leaking from a corner of the frame. Closer inspection will reveal a message written just under the painting, the letters still dripping down the wall.]

come down below ib.
i'll show you someplace secret.

[But Ib isn't with you. Although, this is almost certainly her memory, so she may be in the gallery somewhere.]

[iknowtheconsequences]

"IB!" As soon as he appears, the first word out of Kaji's mouth is Ib's name, desperate. No no, he got pulled out of that place he was at, and now he's somewhere different, entirely. He looks around and around at the art gallery for anything familiar. The painting catches his eye, and he stares at it for a second, but he looks closer at the people. There are one or two familiar faces in the crowd. But nothing else. A frustrated growl escapes his lips, but before he can vent that frustration, the lights flicker.

Back into something weird. Just what he needs. He can't hold back the chill that runs down his spine at the abrupt silence and darkness. When everything goes still, he looks around again. Who's still here? The Marshall. Zelda. Someone else he doesn't know the name of, but recognizes her from around. But no Ib.

"Damn it!" Kaji breaks the eerie silence with a sudden shout. "Ib. I just saw her." He runs a hand through his hair, already ruffled. His voice shows a sign of helpess distress that nobody has seen out of him so far. Not in Crystallis, not in Tokyo, either. "Whatever's going on here, whatever we've been dragged into? They're specifically targeting her. She's in danger."

Asbel Lhant's Memory: Childhood's End

[pactfulfilled]

[OOC] I'll be posting this memory in three separate parts by location (Royal Sanctuary, Barona Catacombs, and "!!" which is where the Boss Battle takes place and the real tragedy occurs).

Feel free to reply to any/all parts, jump into threads, and talk/plot/thread amongst yourselves as well. If you have any questions, your character will be able to ask adult!Asbel ICly or you may ask them OOCly in the plotting thread. If your character would like to try interacting with the environment, I can also reply with narrative if you wish. Whatever works best for you!

Location One: The Royal Sanctuary

[curries]

You wake up in a stone sanctuary, dimly lit by moonlight. A blue patterned rug runs the length of the narrow aisle. Ceiling-high columns and walls are decorated with elaborately feathered stonework wings and a keen eye may notice the occasional iconography of a gently arching winged monolith. At the front of the sanctuary, flanking even more carvings, are two stone tablets. The one on the right is part of a fountain with Water of Absolution cascading down and misting its face. The stone on the left, however, is suspiciously dry and will yield if pushed, opening upon a secret passageway that runs under the ground.

******

"This must be the entrance to the secret passage! Well, we've come this far. Might as well go inside." The voice belongs to a boy.

"N-No! It's dark in there, and probably dangerous!" a girl protests.

"Plus, what if Richard comes while we're in there?" another boy pipes in reasonably.

At the front of the sanctuary, four children stand in a loose group. A blue-haired boy and a little girl with a pink braid hang back, but their companion, a scruffy-haired youth, is already eagerly peering through a stone doorway. Sophie stands off to one side, watching curiously.

"Richard has to use the passageway to get here, right? We'll just meet him on the way!" the boy explains dismissively, barely casting them a backwards glance. He's too focused on the adventure ahead of them, and his next thought escapes in a mischeivous chuckle. He grins broadly, raising a fist high in the air. "Oooh! Maybe we can find him and scare him! Hahaha! Come on, let's go!"

The two other children exchange worried glances, but Asbel has already ducked inside, Sophie trailing silently after him.

Ashelia's Memory: A Desperate Escape

[desertbloomed]

Princess Ashe is sequestered in her rooms at the top of the Royal Palace of Rabanastre's highest tower, mourning the very recent death of her husband the Lord Rasler Heios Nabradia. The 17-year old princess is distraught, clutching her wedding band to her chest, heavy sobs rending through her upper body; she couldn't do this in public, oh no, not where she could be seen. But here, in her room at the top of the tower, she is safe. Soon, her father will return with the peace treaty signed and the war will be over - Dalmasca may have lost, but there will at least be no more death, no more suffering.

This particular evening she is roused from her light slumber, having exhausted herself with her grief, by her door opening very suddenly and slamming shut behind the figure of a soldier; one of her family's trusted knights. "Ser Aeryn? W-what are you-?"

"Highness, with me, please! We must hurry! The messengers to the city have been intercepted - 'tis your father, he has been betrayed! Captain Basch, he-!"

The door slams open again. In one smooth motion, a dark, heavily-armored figure in the doorway spins the young knight around and guts him. The young man gurgles quietly as his body is thrown aside. He lands on a small desk, dragging the princess' embroideries onto the floor with him, covering the light, pastel fabrics with blood and innards. Ashe slides back on her bed, one hand covering her mouth in horror.

"Lady Ashe," the armored figure starts, voice smooth and pleasant to the ear, "you'll be coming with me. Yes?"

She has only moments to react - but against an Archadian Judge Magister, what is she to do?

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza tries to go to Ashelia, offer her whatever comfort he could...but the queen has no reaction to his presence.

He is not alone, though, and at least the other Heroes in the room can see him. He approaches to speak with them, to try to figure out what was going on -and to not intrude more than he has to on this private moment of Ashelia's- when the knock comes.

It is apparent that Ashelia is not safe here, and that the armored man at the door is no friend to her.

"We have to help her," he growls as Ashelia backs away from the Judge.

Johnny's memory (passive to interactive at the end)

[charming_jerk]

[The destruction around you is unfathomable, and your current whereabouts practically unrecognizable except as a city under siege. Everywhere, at every turn, are gunshots, fire, rubble, screaming, corpses. Bombers screech through the smoke-filled sky, unleashing more payloads in the distance. Large buildings are reduced to rubble in a mere moments. Stalking through the remains of the streets are large groups of soldiers, armed to the teeth and moving in fluid formations, who open fire on anything that dares to move. At this point, though, very little does.

The vision fades to a different area of the city, a spot relatively quieter than the rest. You get the feeling that this won't last long. Pushing his way through the rubble is Johnny, dragging along a stained sledgehammer with him.

He's an absolute wreck - drenched in blood and dirt, bleeding from several gunshot wounds, it's a miracle he's still standing. He probably won't be for long, from the way he stumbles and trips trying to make it over the wreckage, and how raggedly he breathes. When he spots a few soldiers in the distance, though, he seems to momentarily regain some energy. Johnny lets out a low, guttural growl that sounds inhuman, and slowly begins marching their way.

That's when he's intercepted by someone who calls out his name, a young man who is luckily in much better shape. Horrified by the injuries he sees on his friend, he tries to get get him to stop, but Johnny won't have it. He tries to argue with Coby that this is his city and he has to protect it, and Coby offers instead to fight in his place. Johnny tells him no, they'll go together, but it's the last coherent thing he manages to tell his friend. As ammunition rains down around them, shells landing closer to them with each hit, Johnny collapses motionless next to Coby.

One would think the story would end there, but there's another shift, and those watching find themselves suddenly in the place of the two men who are now missing. Shells explode around the visitors, sending dangerous shrapnel and debris at them. The air is thick and acrid, stinging your eyes and choking your lungs. There's almost no time to retreat to safety by the time you know what's going on. What you were watching has suddenly become all too real.

In between barrages, a familiar voice speaks up. Johnny is there again, just as dirty as beaten as he was that day, but he's more lucid. He looks at the group, startled and scared.]

No! Why are you here? This isn't what happened!

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

As soon as he sees Johnny in the vision before him, Jack knows precisely what he's seeing. The 'not a Time War' that Johnny had been trapped in before coming here. Son of a bitch. This isn't a city, it's a war zone. Even worse than he had imagined the fighting that Johnny had been through. He looks at the vision of Johnny (he can't even comment on the fact that Johnny seems to be left with a used sledgehammer to defend himself with, but his eyes also won't leave the sight). There's a determination in his eyes that is dangerous, a look Jack has seen in his own eyes from time to time, but at the same time, it's tinged with failure. It's the look of knowing your efforts are hopeless, but standing up and continuing to fight anyway.

And then Johnny falls. Jack can't help but reach out a hand towards him, he cries out, but then it feels like things shift again.

Now the explosions are happening all around Jack. Where he was only a spectator before? Now he is right in the thick of it. He shouts out a curse as he dives for some sort of rubble. The world rocks around him, before it settles, and Jack is shaking his head repeatedly to try to clear his ears. He pats himself down, actually checking for injuries, but is pleasantly surprised to find that he's armed. Call that the first stroke of luck today.

The voice cuts through Jack's thoughts, and he looks up at Johnny. Alive again. And he sees that they're there.

"Johnny. This is the Initiative, the- the thing you were talking about, isn't it?" He pulls a revolver from his holster and checks it, before looking back up. "I don't know why we're here, but what do we need to do?" A hopeless fight, maybe, but now there's one more desperate idiot too stubborn to stop in it.

Tazendra's Memory: Prelude to Disaster (interactive)

[fearlessherosheart]

You find yourself on a plains, on a hot, sticky summer's day. The skies are overcast with orange clouds. Some distance you is a city wall, with smoke coming from the city center. You are not so close as to smell it, but it is there. There is a small band, about twenty or so, approaching from the city.

In front of you is an army. Curiously, most don't wear armor thicker than leather, yet swords and spears are the weapons of choice. For those sensitive to magic, there are all sorts of counterspells located on a tent-covered wagon advancing with the army. Off to the side, coming from a different gate of the city, another army is assembled, waiting for the moment to charge.

Near you, on the top of the hill you are standing on, are four riders. One you can recognize as Tazendra: she looks almost imperceptibly younger, and has kept her wardrobe of almost all black. Another might be familiar as one of the new Heroes of Light. There are two other men riding with them: the one dressed in blue and wearing a gold cloak appears to be in charge. He looks somewhat under the weather, moving slowly as if he's been injured recently. The four have stopped to confer, apparently about the approaching army from their gestures.

A second Tazenda, on foot, is standing near you, obviously puzzled as she looks around. "Is this some manner of a dream?" She can feel her link to the Imperial Orb, telling her that it is exactly the date and time when everything is about to go pear-shaped.

{OOC: as per my note in the OOC post, feel free to specify when in the cycle you come in.]

Let us start in the beginning!

[aero_dienamic]

The fiendish blonde spots the woman off in the distance, and would start to move towards her out of curiosity were it not for the sound of the same woman beside her. She's stopped in the middle of her second step before turning and whipping her hair about.

"Oh! Dear Tazendra... there you are. But if you are here and there..." she hums. "Oh dear... we're being toyed with." she sighs heavily. "It may well be." is the answer to her actual question.

The woman looks thoughtful, and for a moment, distraught. However, the thought of 'dream' strikes her and she raises up on her toes, then up off the ground, and higher still. "Oh what advantages of dreams we have. I've told you of my nature haven't I? Shall we take a better look from up high?" she says, offering her hand out, as the winds around her feet become more wild and apparent.

Nanami's Memory: Adoration (passive)

[nomorecowbell]

Part 1
[OOC: scene starts at 5 minutes]

You are in the courtyard of a building. A greenhouse shaped like a birdcage is in view. A red-haired young man, about 17, in what looks like a fancy pseudo-military uniform in white is entering the greenhouse. A teenage girl in a female school uniform embraces him. Nanami (in her yellow duelist's uniform) can be seen lurking out of sight of the couple. A second Nanami, in the normal school uniform is standing apart, staring at her other self. "This must be a nightmare!"

You hear the girl and boy speak. "What is it?" "Oh, don't worry. It's nothing."...

Part 2
[OOC: scene starts at 12 minutes]

It's after dark. The young man sits in an armchair in front of a giant picture window. There is a lamp, but otherwise the large room is empty. Nanami in her school uniform is sitting in the corner looking sick as her past self (in the yellow) enters. "Ah, Nanami," the young man says. "Welcome home."

"Look, there's something I want to ask you. Do you know who End of the World is?"

[OOC: Feel free to skip ahead to other parts of the scene, or talk to the present Nanami. The memories are on repeat.]

Nanami's Memory: Adoration (passive) - Towards the end before repeating

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda didn't know what she was watching as the scene plays out before her eyes. She knew that Nanami had demons that she was running from but she didn't know what form they took. This young man made Zelda shiver as if she could sense the darkness within his heart.

Zelda walked up to the girl who watched the dream. Her voice was soft speaking her name so that she would know that she wasn't alone.

"Nanami."

Gaston - Kill The Beast

[roughlybargesized]

The memory opens in the middle of the night in a small village at the edge of a forest. A crowd has gathered and at the center of it is Gaston. For a moment he seems confused but then smiles as he slips into familiar words.

"The Beast will make off with your children! He'll come after them in the night! We're not safe until his head is mounted on my wall! I say we KILL THE BEAST!" As he shouts a young woman's cries for him to stop are drowned out as the villagers are won over to his side. In his hand is a mirror, the surface glowing green and leaving trails of light as he swings it through the air.

It's the selfsame mirror that some of the other Heroes may have seen tucked into his belt since his arrival in Aqures Ixen. The young woman seems to be trying to get it back as Gaston shows the image of a creature in it to the frightened people. His working of the crowd is masterful. His tone drives their fears and his words give them courage, but the look on his face is all wrong. He's doing this for his own gain.

As Belle tries to stop him he grips her wrist, harder than the last time, "If you're not with us, you're against us. And bring the old man! We can't have them running off to warn the Creature." But before tossing them in the cellar he leaned in close, "And THIS time you'll be mine." The doors slam shut behind them and Gaston returns to the crowd, leading them as they begin their march out of the town.
__________________________________________________

The scene shifts, now to the inside of a dark castle. The master bedroom is smashed nearly beyond recognition. In the ruins of the bed and curled around a glass encased rose is a large creature, sulking as it waits for the last petal to fall away. Far off in the corridors of the castle a great battle can be heard between the villagers and whoever in the castle it was that stood against them.

This...Beast is of no danger to anyone. In fact he seems to be resigned to whatever fate may be coming for him. It's the sulking of a man with a broken heart, not the frightening creature that Gaston described.

The door opens and Gaston sweeps in with his bow raised. The Beast doesn't even look interested in defending itself. Gaston looses the arrow and then charges with his sword, taking the both of them out the window. He kicks the beast around with impunity, laughing as he stands unopposed. "What's the matter, Beast? Too kind and gentle to fight back?" He demands in a mocking tone.

From below Belle's voice rises and the Beast finally finds the strength to fight, grappling with Gaston and sending them tumbling down to a lower rooftop. Gaston recovers and stalks his prey in the rain, completely swept up in this memory and intent to make it end differently this time. Still, he plays the same role he did the last time.

"Were you in love with her Beast. Did you honestly think she would want you when she had someone like me?" Gaston looked around the shadows, ready for the Beast to make his move. He held the spire he'd torn off of the parapet ready. He'd give the killing blow this time for sure!

Re: Gaston - Kill The Beast

[flowershrine]

Anthy knows prey when she sees it and that all the Beast seems to be as Gaston begins to beat him, and the altercation moves forward out of the window. She watches as the Beast regains the will to fight and smiles slightly before setting down the roof herself. Gaston seemed boorish, but she is surprised to know that he was something worse in his homeland. It's disappointing, really.

"This is the one who got away, mighty hunter?"

Standing rather primly in his blind spot her voice is conversational, friendly even as she addresses him.

A Pirate On Trial

[not_most_days]

The first thing Mary was aware of were the manacles around her wrists. From there a buzz of light and sound brought the Jamaican court into focus. The crowd murmured while the judge crowed before her. A redheaded woman smiled as she stood next to her, defiant even in their position.

Mary knew this moment.

She looked out into the crowd and recognized Edward there, two men behind him and whispering in his ear. They were threatening him. Both she and Edward were unarmed. If either of them could get loose they could just flee this place, but it wasn't going to be.

"Oh rot!" Anne laughed as their sentence was carried down. There was no need to hold back her contempt of court when they were pronouncing that the two be hung by the neck until dead. What more could they do to them? It had all been hilarious at the time, and it was still a fond memory, but this was still the beginning of the end. Her last gasps of fresh air and unhindered sunlight.

"May God in his infinite Mercy be mercifile on each of your miserable souls-"

"WE'RE PREGNANT!" Mary's cry came out in spite of her, her body acting on its own as it carried the memory. The court recoiled and even knowing what was to come Mary couldn't help but feel some happiness in the shock she caused. The judge sputtered and argued with the baliff before turning back to the pair.

"If what you claim is true, then your executions will be stayed, but ONLY until your terms are up!"

"Then I'll be up the duff the NEXT time you come knocking!" Anne laughed once more in his face, but the Judge then turned to look directly at Mary.

"And you Mary Read. As punishment for your crimes as an Assassin, your child will be put to the sword. After which you will be seen to the gallows. May the Father of Understanding Guide Us All"

The bottom fell out. This wasn't how it went. This wasn't what she remembered at all. But that bug of guilt climbed in her gut. She didn't regret her life, not one bit, but it was her fault that her child...whatever its fate may have been...Could she have done something different? Should she have? She nearly attacked an innocent man in Aqures Ixen. Did she ever deserve happiness or did she truly deserve a short drop and a sudden stop?

The scene around her faded and she felt herself falling away into blackness with only her guilt to keep her company.

[zodiac_brave]

At first, Ramza was not sure why he was here. There was no one he recognized in the crowd under the blazing sun of a strange land. But then one of the pirate women spoke, shook her hair to clear it from her face, and the realization struck. That voice was the voice he had heard singing from the rigging of a ship bound for Aerilon. Her face was the face of his friend, James Kidd.

And he...she...Mary, Kidd, whomever...Ramza's friend was in trouble. Ramza cared not for the crimes charged her. He knew firsthand that criminal charges were not always true. And even if they were, there was no reason to take out punishment on a child.

The blond burned with anger, both for his friend and for the innocent soul the judge condemned to death. He pushed hastily through the crowd, though the gawking onlookers did not react to his movements.

Yuffie’s Memory: Passive

[thegreatninja]

The coppery scent of blood permeated the air as well as the heat from those who match blades and skills. In history this will be known as the last battle in the war between Wutai and ShinRa. SODLIERS ran through the streets with guns trained on any who are wandering from their homes. Children hid inside while mothers and fathers fight to protect the country that they love. They are proud and skilled fighters but their blades couldn’t match the numbers of SOLDIERS that invaded their home.

The architecture might look familiar to those who’ve ever see feudal japan. A tall building stood to the left as if placed at the center of your focus. A young girl with black hair came running from the main entrance and onto the streets. A man yelled but the word felt distant. ”Princess!” She stopped, her dark purple eyes staring up at a collection of SOLDIER’s who stood in front of her. She was scared.

They aimed at her and the five year old froze unsure of what to do. She’s had training and yet she couldn’t move her feet as the men prepare to fire. The young girl clamped her eyes shut praying for her parents to come save her.

The woman who chased after the young girl was slight of build like Yuffie but tall and proud. She wrapped herself around her daughter letting the bullets hit her back as she pulled Yuffie into her arms. The young girl cried as she listens to the slowly dwindling breath of her mother gripping the woman’s shirt as if that could keep her alive.

“Mommy. MOMMY!”

Then it resets. The tear stained cheeks of the young girl vanish and she’s running from the building again, facing the SOLDIERS, hearing those shots. Over and over; it didn’t stop.

Yuffie hadn’t remembered this. Her mother had died of an illness, that’s what she had been told, but it was a lie. It was her fault that her mother was dead. Yuffie watched from the shadows knowing that no one could see or hear her cries. Her knees are pulled to her chest and her cheeks are stained with dried tears. She caught sight of the visitor of her memory but remained silent as they watched the scene repeat.

“It’s my fault.” Her voice was soft; hallow. “I killed my mother.”

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza approached the child with sword drawn, ready to protect her from the invading soldiers. He did not recognize her at first, but that did not matter. He could not protect the child, or her mother. Nothing changed as the sequence started again.

He turned around, searching the village. There had to be a reason he was here. So far, everything he had seen had been to some purpose.

And then he found the shadowy corner where Yuffie looked on. So, this was Wutai.

He joined her in the shadows, reaching out a hand to try to take hers.

Fayt Leingod and Nel Zelpher's memory

[etherealblast]

[Taking a cue from others, I'll be posting the memory in three separate comments containing different sections of the memory. The first will be the beginning of the battle, the second the battlefield up until Vox, and the third after the Vendeeni arrive. Feel free to respond to any/all of them!]

Aquarian command center

[etherealblast]

Part 1

"What we do here will determine victory or defeat. If we do not defend this position, they'll take the royal city in one fell swoop. We must stop them here. All units, move out!"

When the world finally reforms around them, they're at a wooden blockade. A town in shambles is at their backs, and ahead of them, a dusty plain. Soldiers move about, hurriedly preparing equipment, setting out to march, or helping at various tents. A grey haired young woman dressed in black seems to be directing them.

The Heroes will find themselves in the thick of all this. The soldiers will answer questions, though their reactions might be puzzled that they don't know what is happening. Airyglyph has mobilized it's army, and they must defend their position, buying time for the runologists, tattooed individuals in robes working on strange metal cannons, to finish the weapons that are their only chance to win this war.

Fayt and Nel know more, and if asked, will explain the situation further. They've lived it once before, after all.

Terra’s Memory: Mixed

[greenmagick]

[ooc: Please see the plotting meme for the choose your own adventure part, otherwise I'm going to make up what happens for you.]

There was something strange about this place. Magic hums in the air but it feels natural like a world of its own but not quite solid. A battle waged but the taint of blood wasn’t as prevalent as it should be, there was something else. There was metal and then that ever pressing hum of magic that swirled through the air.

The Esper’s are outnumbered ten to one compared to the army swarms around the powerful creatures. Magitck Armor and beasts clash in a flurry of claws and guns. Fire, lighting, and ice leap through the air as well as much darker magic’s. The beasts were shaped like humans except for long claws and horns extruding from their foreheads. Some had wings and where built like tanks while others were slight and fast. Tails lash out and fangs are reviled as the beasts rage at those attacking their home. There was no end to the fighting and yet it was the backdrop to a much darker story.

A woman screamed, echoing from a distance to the left while a terrifying roar from the right rose to meet the heart shattering cry. The screams were connected in some way and the rising tension could be felt in the air. Something’s happening but the fight continues blocking the path forward. A flash of green disappeared from sight before being able to glimpse the slender form it belonged to.

Who stands among those ready to move forward?

[makingfriends]

It was simply bad luck on Ven's part for him to end up here first.

He'd never seen war. He knew what it was, from books and stories and even Xehanort's rantings on the Keyblade War, but those were all vague abstractions, he now discovered. Real war, if that's what this was, was loud, chaotic, and more terrible than textbook definitions could ever begin to describe. There were bodies and sounds everywhere -- some human, some not; some living, many dead -- but amid all the calamity it was impossible to tell the two sides apart at any given second. The separate forces seemed to crash like waves, constant and awful.

He didn't know where he was, why, or whom to help. He was alone in an enormous crowd, with only a fuzzy and puzzling memory to suggest the reason.

Even then, it was the scream and roar that caught his attention above everything else. Out of instinct, or maybe the desire to do something besides stand idle on the edge of this warzone, Ven took off towards the source without thinking twice. It occurred to him that he didn't have his Keyblade on him, but another instinct said that was okay -- somehow, he knew he wasn't unarmed.

Fai's Memory

[iscursednomore]

'That soul is yours! It's something you and Sakura-chan and all the people who love you made together.'

These were the first thoughts heard as the memory showed Fai raising his left arm, a stream of magic appearing in the air as he did. His thoughts still were on show as the blonde continued to draw in the air, creating various symbols.

'And so... You mustn't lose it!'

As he swiftly moved his arm to the side, he sent out the spell he had been casting towards a brunette that was standing there, looking up as a symbol hung over them. The magic from the eye slowly going up to it. Fai had been hoping that this could work, but deep down he knew the odds were very likely that he wouldn't be able to do this. But that didn't stop him from trying.

Soon the symbol vanished and all that was left was a ball that had the symbol of ying and yang. He watched as the ball slowly floated down to the others hand as Syaoran's expression was emotionless and empty as he just looked at it, dropped it and let it roll over towards Fai's feet. Fai slowly knelt down, his fingers brushing up lightly against it he picked it up, slowly standing up again, watching as Syaoran had come closer to him.

he looked down with a saddened look. "Syaoran-kun..." The moment he said his name Syaoran used his left leg to kick the blond in the face, sending him flying further away. It wasn't long before the brunette walked on over. "Was that the only feather in this world?" Syaoran spoke as he knelt down, grabbing Fai's neck as Fai looked back at him.

"Don't try to use magic. Your eyes. They're the source of your magic power, right?"

Fai's eyes widened slightly as Syaoran's hands slowly moved closer and closer towards his left eye until soon it was lightly touching.

"I will need them to get the feathers back." The moment the Clone's fingers squeezed managing to slowly but surely pull the eye out of the socket. The moment that the blood trickled down his face, the whole thing resetted itself as the modern day Fai stood there, frozen in place. As much as he had moved on, that memory still haunted him. That was the day everything changed for him, both for the good and for the bad. His arms slowly wrapped around himself. He wished he didn't have to see it right now. He wished that people didn't have it see it either.

Fai's Memory

[whereishe]

Yuna didn't understand what was going on but she said nothing as the scene played out in front of her. It was horrible. She didn't understand what was going on. Her fingers covered her mouth and a surprised gasp left her lips as the boy slowly pulled Fai's eye from it's socket.

"Fai!"

Her voice was filled with worry and as the memory faded she ran forward standing next to her friend. She let out a sigh of relief seeing that both of his eyes were still in place.

"Fai.. what is this?"

Jade's memory

[jadethenecromancer]

[Passive memory. Boss battle thread will be added separately once participants are known.]

The dim room appeared to be a library, rows of books lit only by a single lantern. It was dark outside the window; anyone who took a closer look would see a snow-covered town.

In an open spot between a bookcase and some desks, two boys were kneeling on the floor. One, with pale hair and shorts, was acting skittish, glancing nervously between the door and the other boy. The second boy, with short brown hair, didn't share his companion's fear. He was holding a thick book, balancing it awkwardly with one thin arm. The other arm was stretched towards the monster in front of him. It wasn't a particularly frightening monster at that. Barely the size of a small dog, the spherical plant creature was whimpering, trying to use its tendrils to move. It was obviously injured.

"Jade, we shouldn't be here," the pale-haired boy whined. His voice sounded loud in the otherwise silent room. "If the Professor finds us--"

"Quiet, Saphir." Jade didn't even spare him a glance. He was watching the monster eagerly. "Okay... Let's begin..."

In that moment, hurrying footsteps could be heard from the corridor, and the door was shoved open. "What are you doing over there!?" A woman with white hair stood at the doorway, staring at the scene before her. Those who had seen the dream a month before would recognize her as Professor Nebilim. Saphir squeaked and rushed to hide behind the curtains, despite that he had clearly been seen already. Jade made no move to run, only staring back at her.

Nebilim's gaze fell upon the book in his hands. She paled, and swiftly crossed the distance between them, heels clicking on the wooden floor. "Jade, stop!" she said, alarmed, as she took the book from his hands. "It's dangerous for someone without any training to use the Seventh Fonon!"

Jade stared up at her, showing no signs of guilt or embarrassment at being caught. "Adults always say that children can't use high-level fonic artes, but I can use them," he said evenly. "I should be able to use the Seventh Fonon, too."

"I've already told you -- there hasn't been enough research on the Seventh Fonon," said Nebilim, exasperated. "But we do know that if someone without any aptitude for the Seventh Fonon tries to use it, it can go out of control--"

Jade's expression grew sour. Whatever retort he had, however, was interrupted by a weak whimper. The monster had stopped trying to move, merely trembling on the floor. A flash of pain crossed Nebilim's face. "Such severe injuries..." she said, kneeling down and carefully cradling the creature in her arms. Her hand emitted a soft green light as it passed over the monster. "It's no good," she whispered, saddened. "I didn't make it in ti--"

"I'll save it!" Jade's voice lashed out, as he glared at Nebilim in childish defiance. "I can control the fonic arte perfectly!" He snatched the monster from her arms and, ignoring her startled warning, hovered his hand over it.

"O Healing melody of divine mercy! Revitalize!"

Instead of being filled with the soothing light, the room grew darker, the air thicker. Books trembled in their shelves and then zoomed out across the room, as though thrown by something invisible. Something punched through the furniture, breaking the chairs, pushing over the desks. The heat in the room grew, hotter and hotter, until it was getting unbearable.

"The fonons are becoming unstable!" Nebilim screamed over the noise of bookshelves crashing down. "Stop the arte, Jade!"

He couldn't. Jade was shaking, his breathing harsh, rooted in place. The air before him was shimmering as the erratic fonons concentrated, clashing together--

"Jade!" Nebilim threw her arms around him, shielding him with her body--

And everything exploded.

Fire tore through the room, devouring books, blasting out the window, setting the walls ablaze. Burning splinters fell from the ceiling. Behind the curtains, Saphir was screaming, miraculously avoiding being incinerated.

Then the explosion was over. Jade sat still, numbly, as Nebilim's limp body fell across his lap. When he made an attempt to catch her, his hands met blood-soaked coat.

"Professor...?"

And standing in the corner of the room was adult Jade, watching his younger self become covered in his teacher's blood. "Stupid, stupid boy," he murmured, fists clenched tightly inside his pockets.

[elevatoravatar]

Elizabeth peers around, walking up behind the adult Jade and tilting her head a bit.

"So is this a tale of how someone grows to hate the darkness of this 7th fonon, or becomes its pawn? Both of those tales frequently start in a place much like this."

"Or does this not even have anything to do with the ordeal of your world?"

Yuri Lowell & Flynn Scifo - Niren's Sacrifice

[dammit_flynn]

[ ooc: Refer to this for more details - side note: The memory will interactively involve people, so this will start it off from here. From here it can deviate as one wishes. I'll probably throw in things here and there along with Joh

Reference Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE0MKWsLXT0 ]

[ A massive explosion starts off the memory with panic induced reactions. The ground trembles and cracks beneath them and everything around was hit with dim light sources from the cracks. Voices were caught in their throat, and Yuri and Flynn were spotted running away from the explosion to save themselves and those around them.

There was ragged breathing, panic and uncertainty played on their faces. Flynn was the first to fall over unexpectedly from the shaking ground. Yuri followed suit not long after. They seemed safe as Niren was coming back with one of the twins. Wait. Why was he here? Was he dreaming again? Yuri's face had a moment of confusion on it as he looked to face Flynn. What was going on? He thought that this had already been past-- ]

YUUUUUUURRRIIIIIIIIIII!

[ The booming voice screamed out to him tossing the girl into Yuri's arms, causing the young man to fall backwards with the weight. ]

Chastel!! CHASTEL!

[ The other twin cried, rushing to their side. His body moved on its own, repeating the same exact movements he had done those many years ago when he was still enlisted. The words flowed out of his mouth, almost mechanically. ]

It's okay, She's still breathing.

[ Yuri's form crawled over. His body wasn't listening. ]

Captain!!!!! CAPTAIN!

[ Niren looked back at Yuri from where he was, in the ground, with the shifted chunk of concrete, injured. He grunted at the sound of his name being called. Yuri was looking over the ledge, panicked. Niren only smirks at him and the rest of the movable group that was assembling at the edge of the broken concrete. He was too far to save on their own but it didn't stop them from trying.

Rocks fell, and the glow of the destruction was visible. Yuri's voice echoed again, his arm stretched out. ]

TAKE MY HAND

[ The ground continued to shift, almost sending Yuri to the edge as well. He was saved by the two comrades at his side, pulling him upright again as he was toppling over a second ago. ]

We'll hold you!

[ As he was pushed forward with the ax given to him, in attempts to continuously save Niren. Yuri had an extremely serious look on his face, screaming again that he would save Niren. He wasn't leaving the man to die and he was going to do whatever was necessary to save him, because he was important to him and Flynn. ]

I'll save you! I--

[ Niren cuts him off. ]

It's useless now. Go.

[ Niren was about to say something else but Yuri cuts him off angrily. ]

SHUT UP! Just grab on damn it!

I can't move.

[dammit_yuri]

[It was like something was happening outside of your body. Flynn knew what was happening on the surface, and that this had to be a simple recollection. Niren was already dead. They were no longer on Terca Lumireis. But at the same time, it was as if "I could do something differently here, and things wouldn't have had to end up this way". Was it possible? There was no time for rational thinking.]

His wounds...

[Flynn furiously tore off his cape to try to make a rope.]

The L-Boat

[2hell_weride]

The world comes into being with the arm of a machine skidding across an expansive steel surface. Dozens of people are in a scrambling and the sound of gunfire is rampant. But this isn't simply a warzone, the shots were louder and larger, and it wasn't much the case of guns going off nearby either, but off in the distance, but still close enough to make the ground rumble with each shot.

Instantly MarKus recognizes things, the situation at hand, and for the 3rd time it only worsens. A massive red machine has it's head and torso enveloped in a black sphere, and when it recedes, nothing remains of it.

"What... the fuck! It's getting worse! This isn't supposed to be happening this way! FUCK!" MarKus is cussing up a storm. Can't well repair machines if there's nothing left of them to fix, much less the pilot!


((Visitors have the option of waking up in one of the 3 machines from the planning post, or nearby MarKus. I *would* prefer that things be kept to 1-on-1 threads for tagging efficiency, but I won't object to multi-person threads if they happen))

The L-Boat

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda appeared standing next to MarKus. Her long blond hair was tied behind her head in a tight ponytail and she was wearing a more unusual outfit compared to the dresses she usually wore. Her dress was replaced with paints and a light tank top. She looked at MarKus feeling a little unsure of what was going on.

"MarKus?" She stared at him surprised. "What's going on? Is this your home?"

[flowers_suck]

Olivier walks down a set of stairs, her right arm in a sling and fresh cuts on her face. She doesn't even have her sword at her side, but she doesn't look defeated. She looks just as in charge as ever with a group of loyal subordinates around her along with a couple who looks even more out of place among the soldiers than the older soldier who is restrained by ropes.

As they approach the landing, the woman in white looks around. "I'm getting a bad feeling."

"Hm, is that so?" Olivier asks.

"I think it's time for me to go," the woman says. The group pauses in their descent, just steps before the landing, and Olivier offers her uninjured hand to the woman. "Then farewell. It has been a pleasure fighting by your side."

The woman nods. "Hmm, I guess I'll just dig a hole like I did on my way here and..."

Her words are drowned out as a strange crackling fills the air. Blue and purple light flickers around the area the women stand in. An eye appears to blink into existence under the woman in white. Black hands grad at her, and she disintegrates despite Olivier's grip on her.

"Izumi!" Olivier shouts, as if shouting can stop her from being taken.

The eye closes, the hands disappear, the crackling stops, and everything looks normal again. Except the woman called Izumi is gone.

The big man who had been standing behind her is now shouting. "Izumi! Where are you Izumi?"

Everyone is on high alert, weapons ready to fire on the next thing that moves.

"Izumi Curtis..." Olivier trails off, staring at the hand she had been grasping the woman with.

"She just vanished," a muscular man says, knowing his words are just pointing out the obvious.

Olivier snaps out of her momentary shock and turns to her subordinates. "Call the command center and find out how things are going upstairs."

As they call, she turns to the man who stated the obvious. "Any ideas, Alex?"

He rubs his chin in thought. "The Elric brothers once told me that when they attempted human transmutation, they were dragged into the portal of truth by black hands."

"What is the portal of truth?" Olivier demands.

"Only those who have seen it know the answer."

Before any more questions can be asked, Olivier's attention is grabbed by the communications team.

"Major General, the situation hasn't changed at the command center, but I have some bad news to report from the main gate. Captain Buccaneer and his subordinates died in combat against King Bradley. With the help of several warriors from Xing, our men were able to deliver a fatal blow to Bradley and threw him in the moat."

The report is interrupted by the man in ropes screaming in denial. "There's no way King Bradley could have been killed so easily. He's not human!" he protests, only to be struck down by Olivier's fist.

The man writhes on the floor as Olivier ignores him. "What's the status of the main gates?"

"It's still being held, Sir! A homunculus named Greed joined our side and single-handedly brought down the Central City soldiers who were trying to take the gate."

"No, no, no, a homunculus would never side with the fools," the prisoner moans from the floor.

The report continues over his moans. "The gate remains closed, as you ordered! They say Captain Buccaneer was smiling when he passed."

Olivier is downcast for a moment. That moment is all she allows before she raises her head back up. "I see. If he died smiling, then we can't allow ourselves to cry." The look in her eyes is strong and determined. Enough to convince everyone she was through mourning. "We keep up the fight! Let's go Mr. Curtis, we need to find your wife."

But she doesn't head down the stairs. The events start over. This time, another Olivier is standing on the landing everyone is approaching. This Olivier isn't injured, but she leans back against the wall. "What is the purpose of this?" she shouts, mostly to gauge whether or not they can hear her. They don't react, and she approaches them, looking to see if anything seems different from what she remembers. It isn't.

"Get out of here while you can," Olivier hisses at Izumi, but they keep talking about parting ways and not actually doing it.

"Why didn't you just let them leave?" She asks the Olivier in the memory. "No, you had to say farewell. You got attached. Soldiers don't get attached." She shakes her head, watching as everything takes place just as she remembers. Izumi disappears. This time she actually sees the look of Mr. Curtis' face as he realizes he can't stop what has been set in motion. His pain is her fault. She should have told them to leave as soon as Sloth had been defeated.

She looks at herself in disgust as the information about the main gates is relayed. She listens to her own speech about not crying because Buccaneer died with a smile. "Even if he didn't die with a smile, you shouldn't cry, he knew what he signed up for. Maybe you should have given him more troops," she mumbles as the memory starts over again.

[fearlessherosheart]

Tazendra was a bit confused by the events, but she forced herself to stop and listen. The woman in while was obviously a friend of Olivier's and this Captain was also one of her men, and known to her. While Tazendra could imagine dying with a smile, especially if one could slay an enemy who sounded to be formidable, a good death did not mean one wouldn't be missed.

"How, soldiers do not get attached?"

Tazendra hadn't stayed a solider for long, though she still served the Empire, but her friend Khaavren had. And Khaavren was even more led by his heart than Tazendra herself was.

Sephiroth (& Genesis - Crisis Core: Chapter 9 - The (pre-cursor to-) Nibelheim Incident)

[shinrasfinest]

[OOC: Plotting comment here

Sephiroth's memory will run through from here (til 1:49:20...feel free to watch a little further if you want some idea what comes next **SPOILER WARNING**)

This post will be split into two threads:

1) This will thread out from Genesis' entrance til end of the memory as presented in the video; for reaction/interaction with MOL!Sephiroth/each other as the scene unfolds. It's open to any/all/whenever and will not have a specific order - just tag in when you feel like!

2) This thread is for any aftermath reaction; that is, after the TWIST. Similarly to 1) it's intended as a free-for-all, multiple threads encouraged!]

--
END-TWIST

"No, stop." Zack grunted and finally hauled himself up from the floor, using the ledge behind as a lever to push himself up and away and follow the winged form of Genesis as he paraded toward the exit of the room in Sephiroth's wake; who had only left mere moments ago.

The way that the scene juttered, next, before the spectators was similar to how an old-style cinema reel might do so if it hadn't been loaded properly or if something knocked the projector. The edges go darker, as if drawing attention to the bright purple dumbapple which was left on the step and freezing the image.

Sephiroth appeared to curl his arms in even tighter to himself, tucking his head down even more than he had throughout the whole scene - eyeing that apple as if it might yet provide some salve to the deep agony that was re-lit once again in his soul. He didn't even register that Zack were still there, and very much jumped as the next words rang out.

"Sephiroth, have you completely lost your mind?...I trusted you!"

Wide, bright-with-Mako, eyes searched Zack's frame frantically before trying to gain eye contact with the other SOLDIER but by then the black-haired hero had shaken his head as he stepped back, turned and just walked away.

Something between a breath, and a grunt, that Sephiroth hadn't even realized he were holding was let out slowly from within a sternly set jaw as the remainder of the scene faded away.

1) Sephiroth / Genesis [OTA]

[shinrasfinest]

I knew, ever since I was a child...

[Zack looks on, having been thrust to the side and off the gangway by Sephiroth as he struggled to get his thoughts in order. The black-haired SOLDIER spreads his stance, leans forwards, ready to leap into action.

The sharp stab of an epiphany, as too charged logic nodes connected in Sephiroth's mind, is akin to a headache and he needs the space now to breathe, to process in it's aftermath. He's turned towards the wall away from the whole room, the focus of the memory shifts as Sephiroth continues.]

I was not like the others.
I knew mine was a special existence.

[One of the pods, towards the back of the room becomes more noticeable than the others' somehow. The rest of the scene becomes irrelevant as a hiss of compressed air from inside heralds the opening, the front of the pod falls forwards on it's hinge. The lifeform that had been kept inside coming forwards with it and looks as if it might begin to stir on the inside of the opened lid; curled up some on it's one side.]

But this...
This was not what I meant.

[It's underdeveloped, this Makonoid- and it's life quickly slips away now that it's been removed from it's mako-coccoon. The memory goes black for just a second as Sephiroth brings his hands up to look over them - almost as if seeing them for the first time.]

Am I...a human being?