Event || The Enemy Within

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All characters who signed-up for the event.
Where: In their heads.
When: January 15th.
Summary: The Heroes of Light have a vision-- They are living through a hypothetical future where the Sage share his knowledge with them, and things went horribly wrong as some Heroes of Light became the villains in this timeline. Maybe they'll revise their thoughts on getting all of that knowledge.
Warning: The apocalypse, deaths, tragedies, overall a lot of very bad things.

Mingle Threads: The Antagonists || The Protagonists || The Others || General
Free Open Threads: The Two Years || Other Events

#01 Attempts at Negotiations || Trano Golsaucia
#02 Tactical Espionage Action || Aqures Ixen
#03 Judgmental Glares || Aerilon
#04 The Fight for the Crystallized Bodies || Aqures Tosf
#05 The Dusk of the Heroes || Mysidia
#06 The Fight for the Moon || Lunar Gate
#07 Conflict Above the Stars || Moon Base
#08 The Birth of a God || Crystal Life Tree
#09 The Death of a World || Moon Base
#10 Where Everything Ends || Pandaemonium

Conclusion || The Sage in Mysidia

Comments

[melnics]

You could do one of Quickie! ( she quickly suggested, lifting her furry friend up towards the screen, as he struggled from freedom, finally jumping up onto the top of her head. ) Hehe...

It was... Meredy's first time, spending the night with a friend like that. Before it was because we were all on a journey, not just for fun. I... had lots of fun.

( the sincerity of her tone caused her to drop her third person habit. since everything had started happening, she hadn't had time to think of home much. rather, maybe following the incident with the rifts made it dangerous to think about. )

Say, Chiaki... Can you -- access all the data we have gathered until now?

[line_piece]

I had fun too. I wish we'd been able to do it more often.

[It's one of Chiaki's few regrets about her time in Crystallis, really. Making friends and forging bonds is important. If everyone had taken more time to do that, maybe they wouldn't be in this mess.]

Huh? Yeah, I have it all. Why?

[melnics]

( it was too bad that fun was all but a memory these days... those thoughts were echoed in the change of her demeanour, as she pulled herself closer to the desk again. )

Would you... be able to show Meredy the information on the heroes that came to Crystallis before? Two thousand years ago... a hero named Shizel.

[line_piece]

Hang on. I'll have to pull the file from Palitutu's computer.

[The screen goes dark for a few minutes, and then Chiaki is back.]

Here it is.

[She displays the file, allowing Meredy to scroll through it as she wishes.]

[melnics]

( she says nothing at first, a long silence accompanying the photo as she scrolled down through the file. the woman looking, although much more harsh -- quite remarkably like meredy. there's something more than sadness twisting its way through meredy's features as she pauses at the personal information listed.

status: married
children: one, female

eventually, she continues, the multitude of information a bit much. when she finally speaks again, her voice seems a bit shaken... )

Chiaki, can you please... isolate the parts about the Dark Aurora for me?

[line_piece]

[Chiaki just watches Meredy's face as she scrolls through the data. By the time she speaks up again, she looks worried too, but nods.]

...Okay. If you're sure.

[She does as asked, though.]

[melnics]

( there's even more uncharacteristic silence here as she goes over the information. it's almost as if she even forgot chiaki was there, as she looks down at her hands, flexing and relaxing them...

looking a little deflated, she seems to finally come back into herself with a -- ) Oh. Thank you, Chiaki.

That... that is enough for today. Meredy is going to sign off now. Good... good night.

[line_piece]

...Good night.

[The screen goes black.]

mysidia terminal.

[melnics]

( it's a new access point this time, a few weeks later, one meredy has tried to set up so that chiaki could become more mobile. as the inputs the code, she has her best happy face on, though her dark complexion is unusually pale, and the back circles under her eyes are a hint at the lost sleep she's been experiencing. )

Hi, good morning, Chiaki! Meredy is still working on this one, how is it on your end? Do you read me? One, two, three!

[line_piece]

[And here's Chiaki after the expected lead time and Pac-Man theme.]

Hey, Meredy.

[She tilts her head to the side after getting a look at her.]

Are you okay?

[melnics]

You bet! Yes, of course! ( no, not at all... ) Just very busy, busy, busy! ( busy trying to get a hold on those powers... and shizel's custom job. subject changing time! )

So this is okay, yes? It is working good?

[line_piece]

[Chiaki blinks for a moment, but nods. If Meredy says it's fine, it's probably fine.]

...Yup. The processing power seems a little faster, too.

[melnics]

Hweel! ( now that should seem a little more like good ole meredy. it seems she's genuinely happy by that news. ) Finally, Meredy has figured out a better way to upgrade! If the circuitry is--

( but that enthusiasm comes with a price -- trying to turn away from the camera, a coughing fit creeping up on her. ) Ah-- s-sorry Chiaki -- ( is about all she can get out at first, overtaken again. )

[line_piece]

[Chiaki's eyes light up happily at Meredy's reaction, but it quickly turns to an expression of concern.]

Meredy...? Do you need healing? I can call Mogomi and get her here with my crystal so I can come out of the computer and equip White Mage.

[melnics]

( she wipes away at something before turning around again, a poor smile plastered across her face. ) No, no, Meredy is fine. ( she manages to repress the next cough, which dies away somewhere in her lungs instead. ) See? No problem.

( not to mention... she was beginning to doubt white magic even worked on whatever was happening. she'd tried that, too... ) Just a few more terminals to go, right? At this rate, Meredy might be finished in only a couple of more months!

[line_piece]

...Right.

[Chiaki nods, but she still looks worried. Meredy is a bad liar.]

Don't push yourself on my account, though. I'm the one who chose to take this form.

[melnics]

Mn-nnh. ( she shakes her head, eager to push the conversation in a different direction. ) Meredy is... just glad to be able to do anything at all. ( her head bows a little. ) Every day... it feels like the heroes are pushing farther and father apart.

Meredy... is worried.

[line_piece]

I'm doing everything I can to bring them back together. We can't give up now.

[melnics]

Mm. ( there's a curt nod at that. ) Meredy knows... that you are working hard. So that's why... that's why all the terminals will be ready to go. Meredy believes in you, so this way you should be able to communicate with both sides, no problem! The more points of access that Chiaki has, the more people you will be able to reach. ( a smile brightens, all the way into her eyes here, finally. )

Right?

[line_piece]

Meredy...

[Chiaki smiles at that too. It's very soft, thankful, and genuine as she bows her head happily.]

...Yeah. That's right. Thanks for working so hard.

[melnics]

You bet! So until next time, okay? ( she starts to pack up her tools into her bag. ) Meredy will be at the next site before you know it! Bye bye for now!

[line_piece]

I'll be there waiting. Take care, Meredy.

trano golsaucia terminal.

[melnics]

( it's weeks later than she said it would be. it seems that she had a bit of a hard time getting to trano for some reason. and when she inputs the code, its more clumsy than she has been at it up until now. by the time she finally get it, the camera is pushed at an odd angle, showing the gauntness that's been creeping into her face. her eyes slightly sunken...

but here she is, still trying. ) Good morning, Chiaki! Meredy is late this time, sorry, sorry!

[line_piece]

[Shortly after the display comes up, Chiaki's moogle Mogomi comes walking into the room after Meredy.]

...Hey.

[Chiaki herself sounds worried, Mogomi standing quietly aside and trying not to fret or fidget too much.]

[melnics]

Meredy has -- ah, o-oh! ( she turns at the quiet sound of the moogle, moving to try and hide her left hand in her sleeve, pulling it down and over. a glimpse of something burnt-looking and black can just be seen as she wasn't fast enough ) G... good morning to Mogomi, too! Aheh.

I am... just finishing up here in Trano Golsaucia!