melodiesoflife | Intro Log || Melodies of Eternity

Intro Log || Melodies of Eternity

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: The 5th of March. The new Heroes of Light will awaken early in the morning.
Summary: The new Heroes of Light awaken in Aqures Ixen and are informed by their assigned Moogles of what the situation and what their destinies are. This a log for them to react to the situation, meet each other and be welcomed by the former batches of Heroes of Light.
Warning: Lots of distressed and depressed Heroes of Light.

Where you were or what you were doing— It does not really matter. Not any more. Within an instant, 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 knew it. No matter what the answer is, it will only take a few seconds for you to find yourself sinking into a void, your world vanishing into the distance. There is nothing but darkness as far as the eye can see. Even you feel different: all the powers you might once have had, are now gone. It is silent, cold and it feels as though life itself is slipping out of you.

At this moment, when it looks as though nothing but a never-ending void awaits you, a red Crystal forms before you. In this void, its warmth compels you to grab it. Upon doing so, you can hear a soft, soothing voice speaking:

"Wake up."

Soon, the void itself vanishes and is replaced by distant noises of engines. Had it all been nothing more than a dream? The soothing voice repeats its call one more time, but is soon replaced with a much less graceful "Wake up Kupo." Hand clutched on your Crystal, the call of the Moogle may finally wake you up. But you are no longer in your world, nor in the void. You are before the Crystal of Fire, in the third district of a city called Aqures Ixen. At this point, you may realize the engine noise actually originates from an Airship flying low over the city and headed to dock beneath the castle. As if it wasn't strange enough, your clothes have changed as well. They are now a reflection of the Jobs you are wielding. Last but not least, you are surrounded by Moogles, small and fluffy creatures who are more than happy to tell you about everything you want to know, about your 'destiny' as a Hero of Light, about what awaits you.

Or at least, they will tell you everything they do know, which isn't much in the end.

The only people around you are like you-- There are quite a few of them, all clothed in their Job garbs and most likely wondering what is happening. If somehow you do not realize it, the Moogle who woke you up will be more than happy to inform you there are others like you around. In fact, there are other Heroes who have arrived in the course of the past year and they will come soon! Like you, they have Jobs and a Crystal.

If asked, the Moogles will mention that the Heroes of Light - that is to say you - are fighting against time to save Crystallis from the Calamity that is about to awaken to devour the entire world. Well, that is if you don't die or crystallize first. A couple days ago, a lot of Heroes of Light crystallized or died out of the blue without any warning! Sounds terrible? Welcome to Crystallis.

The Other Heroes
— Shortly Thereafter —
Thanks to the efficiency of Mognet, it does not take long for the other Heroes to come around: those who arrived in this world within the past year. You may have imagined heroic and charismatic figures when your Moogle told you that there were other Heroes of Light in this city. You may have imagined persons with fearsome powers when they told you about how they managed to push back the Empire and defeat gigantic beasts in the past. And more importantly, you may have imagined them as people who would have all the answers to your, doubtlessly, numerous questions.

If so, you may be up for a tragic disappointment. Still, for the most part they know more than you on the situation and may be more than happy to fill you in, especially if your Moogle didn't tell you much.

The City of Aqures Ixen
— Anytime —
With Choco Egg day nearing, there are a lot fo Hypello working on the upcoming competitions and on making chocolates! Want to eat some? Too bad, the Moogles will hit you with the stick they use to make the chocolate if you try to eat them!

And besides the chocolates, there are a lot of things to do in the city for newcomers. Moogles are working hard in Mognet Office of the ninth district following the election of their new director, and while there are no Blitzball Matches today, a lot of Triple Triad players are gathered at the stadium. Why? Because they are working on the early preparations for the Triple Triad World Championship that will happen in May! Characters are also free to visit the city-- They can visit Airship Port in the twelfth district from where characters can board for free Airships from Shoopuf Airline.

Or maybe you could visit your new house in the 11th District, and get to know your new neighbors and housemate. Hopefully your neighbors are people you will get along with.

The Laboratory
— Anytime —
A location where a lot of Heroes of Light seem to be gathering is Palitutu's Laboratory. It is a place where employed characters can research into various topics. However, most importantly, characters can see a file with their name...

Should your character decide to go there and peek at their file, there are two possibilities. Either the file is corrupted and they cannot access it: too bad for them, but at least their life will remain a mystery. Or should you decide the file isn't corrupted, they will find a summary of their lives up to their canon point, as if written by a third-person omniscient narrator. On the column left to the text, to the top there is a portrait of them, and beneath it there is a 3D model of them. Said portrait and model can be switched to any year of their life. At the bottom there is a percentage, indicating 0%. On the right column, there are various links, most of which are grayed out. The clickable links lead to their Homeworld History and their future post-canon point history (corrupted file for unfinished canons).

At least, they can lock this file away if they don't want anyone to see it.

The Hospital
— Anytime —
Characters who have already been in Crystallis before do not wake up by the Crystal of Fire like everyone else. Instead, they will wake up in the Hospital of Aqures Ixen, in a room where there are over a hundred of other Heroes of Light like them-- Maybe even some familiar faces... Except they're all in Crystal Stasis.

A few Moogles and nurses will be waiting by the room, and they will welcome all characters waking up. However...

Upon exiting the room, they will find the Hospital is very busy. Nurses and healers can be seen moving corpses around on stretchers, and overall a very dark and tense atmosphere reigns over the Hospital. In closed rooms, some of the most skilled healers are trying to analyze the corpses and find out what happened. And these dead people? They are of the Heroes of Light who died on the 29th of February.

Melodies of Eternity
— Anytime —
If you are a Hero of Light who survived that accursed day, your crystal will shine at the very same moment the new Heroes appear before the Crystal of Fire. That means your character is now linked to the Crystal of Fire and will come back to life after a week if killed.

They will also receive their Moogle and their housing in the 11th or 14th District. But that probably isn't enough for the pain to go away.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Her tunic is fairly loose, but thankfully she's facing toward the ceiling, so gravity is on her side...at least until she gets to the ceiling, anyway.]

I'm not an assassin! It's just the jobs I got stuck with.

[But he does have a point. She needs to be able to do this easily and instinctively if she's going to wind up fighting monsters at some point. Keiko keeps her arms out, but her steps grow a little bolder and more confident as she strides straight up the wall.]

This is so weird...

[And there's the ceiling. She doesn't have a good feeling about this.]

Everyone else seems like they got jobs that fit their natural powers, or at least their personality. Was that the case with you?

[Well, he'll keep on that. He steps forward so he's basically under her as she gets higher.]

You might as well try it. If it doesn't work, I'll catch you. [And if she falls on him, that flash of the view on the way down is his reward for his good deed.]

Yeah, I'm Santa Claus. I make wishes come true. You should know this by now. [It's vague, but at least it's the truth. It's more than most of the Heroes would get at this point.]

Yeah? Thanks. Here goes nothing, then.

[She wobbles perilously as she lifts her foot and plants it on the ceiling, then the other. With her hair hanging like that, she makes a note to put it up next time, just so it doesn't get in her way.]

[And Santa finally gets his stupid reward.]

You know, I have to admit, I always wondered about your name. Is that really what your parents decided on?

[It's a little cruel.]

[Santa doesn't even really look up to see his reward, other than the occasional glance to make sure she's not falling. She's too much like a kid sister by now ~~and besides, it's not a super flattering angel, and not the biggest pair he's seen by a long shot.~~]

Nah, they named be something else, but they're dead, so... [Usually, the dead parents card is one he plays to end a conversation, but...it's Keiko. She's put up with him enough to deserve a little more than that.]

It's Aoi. But as far as anyone's concerned here, it's just Santa.

Edited 2016-03-10 21:16 (UTC)

[If she only knew, she'd be...touched? Kind of? It's probably a good thing she didn't know in the first place. It isn't long before she's starting to get used to this, and quickens her steps into bolder, confident strides. Not bad!]

[Keiko comes to a pause once he tells her about his parents, and gives her his name. Because he hasn't mentioned this before, she figures it's kind of a big deal to confide in her like that. She takes a breath, trusting in her Job, and bends at the knees before backflipping. She lands on her feet...and then her butt. Not quite the picture perfect landing she was hoping for, but she didn't break her neck.]

Geez, I didn't know. That must have been rough on you.

[Rather than stand up, she leans on her hands for a moment.]

Do you want me to keep calling you Santa?

Holy shit, can you NOT try to kill yourself in front of me? [It's second nature by now, translating concern into anger so she doesn't think he cares or anything. He offers her a hand up, but, like, still frowning at her.

Then he shrugs at her.] Eh, it was what it was. But yeah. Nobody knows 'Aoi' here, and I wanna keep it that way for now.

[Secrecy was so important to his plans back home, it's hardwired in to him now. There's nobody here from home, but it's possible someone else could show up, so he's erring on the side of caution.]

[Hey now, Keiko is supposed to be the nagging mother hen. The roles aren't supposed to switch!]

I was supposed to land on my feet. I did it when we were fighting in those caves, but that's when I was panicking and running on sheer adrenaline. I need to be able to do it when I'm calm too.

[But she'll clasp his hand gratefully and haul herself to her feet.]

Thanks. ...And yeah. Santa it is, then.

[Keiko smiles.]

I'm a little surprised you told me. But I'm flattered too. Don't worry, I'll keep your secret.

[Santa turns away from her, frowning.] It's not a big deal. Don't make it weird.

[He waves a hand at the ceiling.] You should get some extra mats down on this floor before you try again. Your ass isn't that much of a cushion.

[Not a big deal, huh? Then why hasn't he told anyone else? Eh, she doesn't have any reason to tease or antagonize him. He showed her a little bit of vulnerability, and she's not going to abuse it.]

[Unless that's what he's going for, trying to talk about her rear end like that.]

Hey, at least I have one, Bony Buns.

[Yeah, he probably just wants to get back to the usual bickering. Keiko is comfortable with that.]

Hey, are you up for a little sparring?

[Woah, she did not just say that.]

My ass is perfect. FLAWLESS. You wish you had a fine ass like mine.

[Santa's not a fighter. His jobs are not well suited for it, and he's not inclined to risk bodily harm unless the stakes are sufficiently high...

..But he will not allow Keiko to slander the perfection that is his backside.]

Fine. You're on, bitch.

[He pulls his deck of cards from his pants pocket. Sorry, it's the only weapon he has ~~aside from his abrasive personality~~.]

Geez, ease up on the language, will you?

[Isn't 'bitch' too harsh? Still, she's glad he's willing to help her out and go a few rounds, since she knows Kuwabara would just offer himself up as a human punching bag if she asked him. And fighting Yusuke just feels...weird. Keiko hastens to the weapons wall, picking up two wooden daggers to grasp. The weight feels about the same as her real knives, so they seem like trustworthy sparring instruments.]

You're really that touchy about your rear? I wouldn't have guessed you'd be the type to worry about that sort of thing.

[Keiko stands across from him, looking...well, ready, but awkward. Most of what she manages to pull off only surfaces in the heat of the moment. If she thinks about it too hard (which she usually does), that's when her skills seem to falter.]

Hey, I use curse words to express my emotions. [Which is important, because, hey, orphan with a tragic past? He's not above milking that now that Keiko knows.]

It's a nice butt. I work out and everything. [He grumbles this.]

[He draws a card from his deck without looking at it. ~~Hopefully it won't heal her or something lame like that.~~]

You ready for this? [He reveals the card, activating the effect. It is a King of Spades, which produces a strong earth-shaking effect under her feet. Welp, that was a bit more than he was aiming for... Hopefully that ninja dexterity kicks in before she takes another tumble.]

Okay okay, fine, it's a nice butt. Happy?

[Honestly she doesn't get what the big deal is. But butts aren't really her thing, especially not the butts of guys who aren't Yusuke.]

[But is she ready? She gives a single firm nod, because she sure hopes she is. She isn't quite sure what the cards will do. Does he throw them like knives? She's about to find out.]

[Keiko runs forward with a straight dash to start things off, but Santa's card is drawn before she can reach him. Suddenly she's veering to the left with a heavy stumble, spreading her arms in a desperate bid to keep her balance. She wobbles, and teeters, but she does manage to finally plant both feet on the ground (albeit somewhat knock-kneed).]

Wh-whoa... That was crazy!

Yes, very. [He grins. No one can deny the wonder of his butt.]

[He's impressed that she stays on her feet during the spell. Must be that ninja agility.]

I don't know how it works, but it's what I've got. [Literally, he is armed with dice and cards, like some sort of homicidal yet unprepared street magician. Hopefully Keiko won't counter with knives.]

Edited 2016-03-23 03:47 (UTC)

Do all of them do that?

[She's betting that isn't the case, since he seemed just as surprised as Keiko at the results. Then she shakes herself. Curiosity and study can wait, she needs to focus on the task at hand. She tightens her grip on the wooden training knives, and now that her center of gravity is returned, she rushes Santa.]

YAAAHHHH!

[Tap. The point of the wooden knife very lightly pokes him in the shoulder.]

No, some of them suck. They're all weird and the suits do different stuff.

[Whoops, looks like Keiko isn't gonna give Santa much time for explanations. He rolls his shoulder back, but he can't stop the knife from poking him. Not like he had any way of stopping it even if he'd wanted to. He's got a pretty useless assortment of skills for physical defense.]

[He doesn't want to do actual damage ~~but he also doesn't wanna get his fine ass handed to him~~, so he pulls another card rather than rolling dice to attack. It's an 8 of Diamonds. The card's effect does a little damage, but it's based on Santa's gil, which disappears. He's basically broke, so it's a weak-ass attack.]

Damn it. I needed that.

[Keiko staggers back with a girly squeak. Ouch! Maybe she should hit him harder, but she can't really bring herself to do it in a spar. It just feels way too strange, practicing stabbing another person. Monsters are one thing, but people? It makes her incredibly uneasy, even if the knife is fashioned of smooth wood.]

What are you talking about? Needed what?

[To get hit by some rolling dice?]

[Santa shoves the stupid dice back in his pocket. If she's not even gonna fight back, he's not gonna risk hurting her anymore.]

That attack steals my damn gil. Worst job ever.

[He snorts, but then straightens up and gestures at Keiko to come at him.]

C'mon, hit me back. Otherwise I'm just a jerk who hits girls.

[Plus, tough love. He's gotta make sure she's ready to protect herself against real enemies, and she's not gonna get there if she can't attack a person.]

Oh, uh...sure thing...

[It's just a wooden knife, it's not like she can actually stab him with it. Keiko isn't THAT strong. But it still feels weird, especially since he's a friend. So she tentatively brushes the tip at his chest in a half-hearted girly swipe. Take that. Behold the danger.]

Sorry about the gil.

[WEAK, Keiko. Santa gives her his 'unimpressed' look.]

Ok, let's try that again, but without sucking. [He's willing to be an ass to help her out. Yep, that's the reason.]

's not your fault. Dice suck. I need a new freakin' job.

[Keiko shoots him an angry scowl.]

It's weird, all right? I don't want to learn how to stab another person!

[It makes her feel gross inside. Slapping someone is one thing, but sinking a blade into someone's flesh makes her skin crawl at the very thought. She frowns down at the training blade in her hand.]

Ugh, it's no use. I can't be a Hero of Light like this. There has to be a better set of skills I can use.

[Santa sighs. She's really not cut out for this. He's used to Akane, who is tough enough to reshape the world to keep herself alive. Keiko isn't as ruthless. Shit.]

Look, you got two options. You tough it out and learn to fight, or you swap out your job for something in the back lines. 'Cause the people you fight ain't gonna give a fuck whether you fight back or not. They'll stab you, and you've got too much going for you to let that happen, ok?

Y-yeah. I know. It's just... I don't know.

[She frowns, frustrated as she looks away. She remembers all too well those guys that tried to mug her and Mikleo. They'd cut him, and it was a lucky thing Raven had healing magic.]

I'll look into magic. That seems like something I'd be good at.

There are 4 things I hate most: Hope, Faith, Luck, and Love. If you rely on them, they'll betray you.

[It's a good thing she's looking away, so she doesn't see the bitter look on his face as he talks.]

You have to watch out for yourself. You gotta believe that your life is worth fighting for, if it comes down to it. Because if you're depending on 'Fate' or 'Luck' to work things in your favor, you're gonna lose. Magic and weapons and shit don't matter. If you can't kill somebody to save yourself or your family, then you better just stay home.

[It's harsh, harsher than he usually allows himself to be with her. But it's a lesson not easily learned, and Santa has enough regret to live with without adding more to it. So he'll be cruel to Keiko to keep her safe, no contest.]

Too bad that's not an option for any of us.

[She folds her arms with a sigh, clearly agitated, but not at Santa.]

I know I can fight monsters. When the pressure's on, I can do what I need to do. But with people, it's different. I can't just pretend you're a violent stranger. Even if it's just sparring, I don't want to risk hurting you, all right? I'm sorry, I know I asked you to.

[Keiko paces a little, arms folded, and stares up at the ceiling she'd been walking on ten minutes ago.]

I don't know how Yusuke does it.

Intro Log || Melodies of Eternity

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)