melodiesoflife | Hidden Truth [Log]

Hidden Truth [Log]

What: A log for everyone to gain the information in the Hidden Truth video tape.
Where: The Observatory.

There had been a flurry of letters sent out from Jack and Chiaki, first to Zelda to ask to borrow the Observatory, and then to every Hero of Light, alerting them that they had uncovered some intelligence received in the Heran Empire before the Capital had fallen to Crystal, and that everyone needed to see it immediately.

Jack, Chiaki, and a few others brought in a screen connected to a machine that some would recognize as a VCR. "With our peace mission to the Imperial Capital over Christmas, we returned with a recording made on 20th-century Earth technology, the kind that doesn't have an analogue on Crystallis. It took us time to build a machine to be able to play it. This information comes from Kalki, recorded what appears to be years ago. We obtained it from the Imperial Spy, Jenni. As of right now, we still have no reason to believe that Kalki is alive. But this comes from her, and I apologize to everyone who might be upset by seeing her again."

With that, Jack plays the recording. He stands by the screen and repeats the words for everyone to hear, for those who cannot understand English. Since Kalki's first words are to explain why she is recording it this way, it makes sense why he has to do this. He keeps his own emotions in check throughout, until the explanation of the Bard song that everyone gets to hear. That seems to upset Jack.

Once the recording is over, Jack pauses. "We will need some help from any other English speakers to create a written transcript of the recording so that anyone can access this information at any time. The tape and player will remain here for any Heroes to review. We ask that you please be careful with the machine."

Finally, Jack sits down to let the room descend into the inevitable chaos.

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Minfilia was watching the video carefully while Tataru was taking down notes. The things Kalki was saying, explaining about the Calamity but something about it felt so wrong to her. Maybe it was the constant primal fights but for she cannot see someone trying to become a god and not have it blow up in their faces.

But it seems that most of the group have spoken up about their feelings about the matter. Question now was since this plan was not going to be something anyone would do (hopefully), what would their next steps be? For now, she stayed quiet and just watched.

Her expression softens. "I don't mind being there." She'd do anything to help Kaji. This wasn't easy and it wasn't going to be.

This world tested them again and again leaving little room for error. She only wished that Ib would be alright.

"A pleasure, ser." She smiled faintly out of courtesy's obligation more than anything, though rather amused by his reaction. Shaking his hand, she couldn't find too much fault when her own focus was still lingering upon the greater issue at hand.

"Unfortunately what I know doesn't seem to match much of their natures in this world. From what I've gleamed from my time here thus far, there is a great difference between the Eidolons of this realm and the primals of Hydaelyn." Alisaie frowned in contemplation as she let go of her grip on Jack's hand. "For example, the primal Leviathan is the false god of the Sahagin. I believe his most recent summoning was in order to destroy further human settlements in an attempt to claim more land for their spawning grounds..."

Hence why the thought of them aiding Heroes seemed rather odd to her. "However there are old writings of those who would be able to summon an 'egi' of the primal, should they have been present at their defeat. I'm not certain if that also holds true for this world."

Yuffie shrugged. “I don’t have any answers Cloud.” If he remembered her then he’d know that she was the doer sort of person not the thinking sort of person. She had her traps but even those who like stock photos. She just had to put them together and quickly form a plan; she didn’t do this sort of puzzle thing.

“Honestly, the one person who has answers is Kalki and she isn’t here.”

Which in hindsight now sucks.

"It probably wouldn't have even worked for her," Jack admits sadly. "If she's a piece of the Calamity like she says." And whose fault is that?

Jack shakes his head. "At least she's given us another pathway. We should figure out who are closest to mastering Onion Knight so we can help support them."

It... depends what the catch is.

[ Because the fact is this: there might be a downside to all that power. It might backfire, after all. He's been a 'god' before after all; in a sense. ]

There is no part of what Alisaie is saying that is not completely fascinating to Jack. It takes him a few seconds to even figure out what part of that to approach first. "The...Sahagin? The scaled beings with tough shells? Damn, I had a sneaking suspicion they were sentient." Jack will table the question of whether or not they should be reaching out to the 'monster' species, as well, in an attempt to save this world.

"In your world, is Leviathan just that, a god? Or some sort of being beyond anyone's comprehension? Even the writings here on the Eidolons are not clear, but it's not the topic I've been focusing on."

"Dude, isn't that what summoners are for? They do their thing," he waved his hands in the air to mimic the act of summoning, "and then the giant monsters come and wreck shit for them."

He didn't see why they couldn't get some Godzilla-sized, bad-ass monsters to team up against the big bad world-eating monster. It'd be all that 'team work and friendship win the day' shit that the dumbass Heroes were always on about.

"There's a LOT that we don't know, Ales." Lydia pointed out, although she tried not to sound as depressed as the thought was. "I'd be up for exploring the Lost Continent though."

"Yes, I suppose so," the former General replied. The language was similar to what she was familiar back home, but only nobles knew English to its finest. Selen could only pick up bits and pieces of broken English as she eyed the screen briefly. The English in itself was a lot more formal and modernized than she was used to.

"It seems like she's more corrupted by it than anyone else, in my opinion. I can't say I understand the full context of it due to how modernized the language she used seemed to be," Selen added as she stepped up to Jade, "Good Day, Jade it seems like we meet again."

"I'm not entirely sure that this world actually needs a God to be honest, much less Avatars for that very reason," since the vision went so well after all. Selen had been pretty skeptical about this Kalki woman since the day she came here. A part of her was still uneasy on the thought but she could clearly tell she wasn't the only person who had opinions on it.

"So it seems, though the question is now-- how many people will attempt to control it if it were possible? Hello Tear," she replied with a small smile, greeting the fonist.

Reminded of Raine in one of her "Mania" moments, Sheena flinches slightly from Jack's excitement, half expecting him to get out of hand. Luckily, that doesn't happen, and she's able to focus on what he's saying. "Not just the technology, but for the most part, the buildings too." Well, the tower at least.

There's something about the way he speaks about Bruce that touches Sheena, and her brows knit in concern. But perhaps that's a matter best saved for later. "Sounds like your friend is pretty smart," she says instead.

"Oh. No," she tells him with a shake of her head. "I arrived when... Well... Aqures Tosf." She doubts she has to say more than that. "What happened?"

"Are you sure?" He assumed she was still referring to the Cult. "Infiltrating their base will be dangerous, and not to be rude, but you don't see the type to slip in and out unnoticed."

Y'don't think ascendin' to godhood will get us all "mad with power" in a literal sense, do you? Last time I checked, all that happened was that you became omnipotent, that's all. Kalki's right about findin' the right person to take that responsibility. Either you go Jim's route and try to destroy the universe, or you're like me and use your power sparingly.

[ An immediate, clipped response: ]

No, of course not. But this world is different than our own. Omnipotence can come with a price. It's possible that you don't just simply get it.

[ ... ] Nevertheless, I just hope nobody simply jumps in without knowing the full details of gaining this so-called "godlike status".

[What's this kid all nervous about? Mordecai stares at Hinata two narrowed eyes for a moment while he tries to figure it out.]

If you're nervous about someone goin' for it, don't be. Like Kalki said, it's gonna take a long while. Best to start on other solutions right away and convince everyone to stop thinkin' of becomin' God and help out with methods that're actually workin'.

Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence Ales. "Even if I don't do that, I'd still be up for exploring." And now she's frowning a bit. "Besides, I can be very sneaky thanks. I'm small and quick, and I can turn into a bat."

Eh, he'll manage. He was only telling the truth. "Sure, exploring other parts, like the Tower or something, but unless the Cult's hiding in a case, a bat's going to look suspicious no matter what."

Mary was quiet for a time, processing the entire story. The Heroes brought to this world all had their own tales to tell and a good many more fantastic than others. There were some words that Jack said in his story but the meaning and weight of them were easy enough to suss out from his tone and the desperation he wore on his face.

And as the anger built and he admitted to her how weak and aimless he was she couldn't help but hear the words echoed by Edward. Their stories were vastly different but the beginnings were the same. She had no doubts the two would get along if they met. That or hate each other more than anyone else for all they could see of themselves in the other.

She gave Jack a moment to collect himself, to catch his breath. She wasn't going anywhere and she wasn't going to let him run off either. A soft smile formed on her face as she stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Then if there's one good thing he's ever done it's to make a better man of you. Better even than himself by the sound of it. I've never known you to run from responsibility. If anything you could do to remember that the rest of us are here to help you shoulder it as well. A ship can only sail by the efforts of its whole crew after all, else it will soon sink." She gave his shoulder a squeeze and a shake before releasing it.

"But I tell you this, if I ever meet him I plan to pop him one for your sake. After you get yours own in if you care to." It wasn't merely what happened to Jack that had her making this promise. From the way he made it sound this Doctor was a man who tried to do good without any idea of the long term. That he'd do what he thought was right without any regard for those left in his wake. He didn't sound like the sort of man that Mary would like in the slightest.

Aya is here, soaking in all of the information from the video tape like a sponge. It's a lot to take in, she has to admit. This whole 'being in a completely different world' business already has her thrown into quite a loop, but all this talk of gods and whatnot?

It's absurd.

Or, it should be absurd, given that she hasn't already seen such absurd things.

"It would seem I've still got a lot of history to catch up on, here." She sighs.

"Yeah, I know." He did know. He didn't mean to be pushing all of this on her. "It's just the part where she said she didn't know which aspect of the Calamity she was that bothers me. Like maybe all of what she did wasn't actually her."

He glanced carefully at Yuffie again. He wasn't making light of the torture that she was put through. Rather it was how different Kalki had been in the past compared to when she was clearly their enemy. Maybe some of what she did was because the Calamity made her think it was the right thing to do.

But if Yuffie remembered anything from her time in that lab then clearly this wasn't doing anything to rouse her memory. Setting that hope aside he looked at the rest of the room. The other Heroes.

"We'll figure this all out. And we'll do it without using that song." He managed to sound confident even with his doubts. He didn't want to see people sacrifice themselves but he knew he couldn't stop them. What more had his attention was the mention of the Shadows and conquering himself. He didn't care about becoming God or anything like that, but he did want to surpass his own limits and blocks. He'd be a Hero for this world. He'd save it.

The hesitation wasn't easy to hide from Mary, even with all the distractions in the room at the moment. The Assassin was keyed into the people around her as a habit and Saori had risen to a higher priority on that list.

The talk of gods also made her recall the powers that Saori had in the vision. She'd told her before that she was a god in her own world right? But judging by the look on her face the prospect of becoming one by way of the Calamity was a non starter.

The air was heavy over the topic and the mood in the room was grim and unsettled. Neither of them were going to find any satisfaction here right now.

"Hey. Do you want to take a walk?"

"I'm still not sure it's the sort of thing that would negotiate. I mean it'll probably swallow the world no matter what we do." Cloud paused for a moment before starting up again quickly, "Not that I'm saying we give up or that we can't stop it. But I mean it's like trying to negotiate with an avalanche. It's just going to keep going and roll over everything in its path. What's its incentive to negotiate?"

"Considering something foolish. You mean the song that Kalki played? I'm sure it's as strong as she says it is but we don't know if it would even work on Garland. The risk is too much and the price is too high." He really didn't know. He wasn't a party to Rukia's plots in the vision. Terra knew some of it but she never shared it with him. For all he knew those who had gone to the moon base were enacting some less terrible plan.

"I'm...about halfway. But I have a couple jobs that are halfway themselves. I probably won't be the first but if we need four people I can probably be ready in time." About a year maybe? At his current rate He'd have 9 done by December to be sure. The question was whether Bard would remain one of them. He'd lose pace if he got rid of it or Ghostbuster like he did with Vampire in favor of Dark Knight.

"Yeah, that's true, but it's just a feeling I guess." He listened as Ace explained his own side of the the idea and Cloud's mouth slowly fell open as he listened. This was what he was trying to parse out in his own thoughts. Ace's own experiences were helping him put words to what the other blonde Hero had been wondering.

"That could be. It also explains why Garland told me that he wouldn't be the same person if we met here. Somehow he knew about us in the past and..." He waved his hand, trying to unwind himself from the circular talk. Time travel was a terrible thing.

"Then that means that we can't hold back. Even if it may be possible to free them from the Calamity but we can't expect them to come at us with anything less than what the Calamity deems necessary." But clearly they could still find ways to help them, even if indirectly and at cost like Kalki was trying to do. "What she was doing may have been beyond what Narayana or whatever it is was able to anticipate? It's like the only way she could think to change the game was to set the board on fire."

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Hidden Truth [Log]

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Kaji and the "Black Crystal"

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