melodiesoflife | Event || The Answer

Event || The Answer

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

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The giant robot Ales travels in suddenly picks up the pace and breaks into a run to an unseen destination up ahead. When it halts and kicks the ground, the reason is clear: he spotted group of monsters up ahead, and they're strong enough for Ales to start the fight before the less protected Heroes arrive.]

[Ellie follows after in an unhurried jog. She trusts Ales and the advanced sight his mecha provides to him. He wouldn't just run off without a good reason for it. Once she's near enough to see the monsters, she flashes her teeth in a wolfish smile as she unslings her bow and strings it swiftly.]

Let us hope these creatures make for better eating than the last.

[Whatever they'd killed last time had greasy and gamey meat that didn't sit well in the stomach. But they can't really afford to be picky all the way out here, can they?]

[The giant robot steps back when Ales sees the team approaching and fires a bullet at an Ettin Snake. There are five of them together, though one of them is lying on the group, severely injured from Ales' attacks.]

Leg Shot!

[The ground in front of the monster explodes as it is blown back, unable to move around. It hisses and crawls towards Ellie; an easier target.]

[Easier target? Ellie would be insulted if she knew that's how she was perceived. Eat an arrow to the face ~~you stupid bastard snake~~. Calmly she raises her bow, arrow nocked, and she lets it fly. The second head whips back sharply as the momentum of the arrow pierces through its skull and pins it to the ground. She considers preparing a second arrow, but she'd rather not waste ammunition. It's obviously not going anywhere.]

[Drawing her blade, her brisk strides carry her forward. The remaining head hisses hideously at Ellie, just before she lops it off cleanly with one brutal stroke. The body flops and twists furiously in its death throes, but she's already moving past it.]

Do you want the left or the right?

[Two down, three to go. Ales switches on the flame module, and the series of tubes circling the robot's right wrist moves until the one painted red is on top. A stream of fire flies out and strikes another Ettin Snake.]

Take the left! [The robot crouches for better accuracy while the monster writhes in flames. The fire stops, which is its cue to bite the hunk of metal. It only manages to dent it.

Ales rips it off himself and throws it on the ground before following up with a downward punch. His fist shakes the ground, causing anyone else nearby to lose their balance, but in return, when he removes the fist, a flattened snake can be found on the bottom of the crater.]

[Left it is. The snake rears back as Ellie focuses on her prey, readjusting her grasp on her sword. The monster hisses, shaking the tip of its tail in warning, or perhaps anticipation, as both heads reveal long pointed fangs.]

[And they freeze in place, as Ellie makes use of her Borrowed Time ability. With the enemy frozen, following up with a Burgle & Buff nets her a sweet free Antidote, which may come in handy later, while increasing her physical strength.]

[The time ticks down as Ellie hacks and slashes at the Ettin Snake. This one is larger and tougher than the last she fought, its thick and sleek skin making it difficult for her blade to find purchase for anything except a direct piercing assault.]

[Time resumes, and the snake is not pleased. One of the heads releases a gout of hot flames at Ellie, forcing her to leap aside. Her arm is singed, but a quick test of her fingers shows that the pain isn't enough to cripple her. Skidding across the dust, she digs the toe of her boot into the ground and launches forward. The fire-breathing head opens its mouth, ready to burn her again, but she drives the tip of her blade up through its jaw and into its brain. She kicks the other in the snout as it lunges, trying to sink venomous fangs into her side.]

[Yanking out the sword, she grasps the handle in both hands and swings as hard as she's able to lop off the last remaining head.]

No pushovers, these.

Not at all, regrettably.

[The fist retracts to be replaced by a giant screwdriver. The final Ettin Snake stares up at the cockpit with fearless eyes, ready to take on its giant metal enemy. Ales waits for the monster to make the first move; the robot is mighty but slow, and every move counts.

The snake hisses and spits out flames, knowing better than to attack Ales with a bite. He lifts the non-weaponized arm to defend himself, but the heat of the flames melts the outside casing, exposing the wiring. The moment the flames stop, he strikes at the monster with his sharpened oversized screwdriver and skewers it. The Ettin Snake writhes in pain, spewing more flames as it struggles in vain to get free.

The gun on his other arm still works, and with one Ice Bullet, he freezes the monster. It's easier to scrape it off that way, and with a single stomp of the food, it's defeated.]

This is getting tiring already. [He notices Ellie's burn.] Do you need a potion for that?

Then I suppose this is as good a place to set up camp as any.

[Look, they already have a multitude of campfires to choose from, thanks to their flame-breathing enemies. Ellie moves to retrieve her arrows and check to see if they're able to be used again. If not, she'd like to salvage the arrowheads at the very least.]

[Planting her boot on the limp neck of a slain monster, Ellie yanks her arrow out of the snake's head before turning to blink at Ales's question. Oh. Right. There's someone here who actually cares about her well-being.]

If you have one to spare. Otherwise it is a small injury, easily bandaged and soothed with mud.

[She'd rather save the potions for big gashes and stab wounds, since heaven knows she doesn't have any healing powers.]

You are uninjured as well, I take it?

[The sky hasn't turned red just yet, but the past few nights have taught Ales a few things about surviving in the wilderness. That is, setting up camp at any time was safer that setting it up in the dark. He hopes the corpses of the Ettin Snake horde will drive away potential midnight attackers.]

My robot needs repairs, but I'm well! [A loud sigh, then a smile from the cockpit. Cheeriness is his everyday medicine.] I have a few potions left in case you need it.

[They were quickly running out of supplies thanks to those monsters, and Ales is glad his party members are of the thrifty sort. He lowers his robot and climbs out of the protective shell where he sits.]

...Let's not set up camp in the middle of this...carnage. [Bloody corpses of snakes everywhere. An impressive sight, but one too unsanitary to sleep in.]

If you insist. I will see about preparing dinner. These hides might make useful armor as well.

[Too bad she didn't have her Blacksmith job equipped just yet, or she could make everyone a good set of snakeskin armor right here. But as it stands, the naturally tough hides and the elevated danger of these creatures meant that their goods could be sold for a decent price.]

[With little more to say, Ellie starts hauling off the large carcasses to start divesting them of meat, fangs, and scales. She'll leave the campsite selection to Ales, who is more picky about this sort of thing than she is.]

[He's not picky, he doesn't want to sleep atop a pile of corpses! But if this is what most travelers do, he had to judge them. That's disgusting.

He has the robot step outside the circle of the former battle in search of an area that didn't have too much grass. Bad for campfires. It was only a few feet away from the Ettin Snakes, so Ellie didn't have to walk too much when traveling back and forth.

Ales has his robot kneel, facing the plains for the nightwatch to use as a vantage point and jumps off.]

This looks good enough. [Time to organize a perimeter and then carry down the limited supplies he carries in his cockpit.]

[After they'd had plenty of time to set up camp, eat, and prepare for tomorrow's journey, they divide up the night watch duties. Ellie volunteers to go first.]

[She sits a good distance away from the others, her bow resting over her lap, an assortment of supplies close at hand. She chews on a tough root, grimacing at the taste, before spitting the pulp into her palm. With that, she works up a frothy paste and covers her wound. Then she uses a broad, flat leaf as a makeshift bandage and holds it there. She has nothing to bind it in place, since the leaf isn't going to hold up at all the next time she goes toe to toe with an enemy, but it'll keep the healing sap where it's supposed to be for a couple of hours.]

[Once that's done, she sighs, and leans back against the slim tree trunk she's chosen. Her eyes scan the forest constantly, never resting too long in any one spot. She takes her guard duty very seriously, and considering the number of monsters they've had to fight, no one could really blame her for doing so.]

[Ales lets the others set up shelter start up the campfire. His small frame is dedicated to carrying supplies around and watching out for monster attacks. When the fire is going an the sun is about to set, he wanders over towards Ellie and stops in front of her.]

Don't try to fall asleep here.

[He wants her to go back to the camp, where it's safer, but like hell he's going to make his concern explicit.]

[Ellie's head tilts. It's actually easier to look at him when she's sitting down. Probably easier for him to look at her too. A crooked smile quirks up the corner of her mouth.]

I would be a poor lookout if I did.

[She doubts he's questioning her reliability, though, which is why she doesn't appear angry.]

Shouldn't you be sleeping? We still have many miles to go, and I don't believe any of us are capable of piloting your machine to safety if you fall asleep inside of it.

I have a few more minutes. Besides, I've been running around all day and I wouldn't be able to fall asleep right away. [He picks a grassy path and lets himself fall onto his back.] I need to sit on something else other than metal.

[The skies are cloudless, which means they'll be able to see stars in a few moments. It's strange. Back home, he'd join the other Teensies in their celebration for the summer equinox or whatever thing they were partying about through the night, but it was always from the sidelines. As a Teensie, he enjoys parties, but watching everyone else have more fun than he did was a continuous slap to the face. Lying on the ground with Ellie is quieter, but he prefers this to potentially being the center of attention at a dance.

It's like the times he had tea with Betilla. She was often busy, being the nymph of the Glade of Dreams, but the quiet moments they had together were some of his favorites. It's a shame he can't go back again, because he never realized how much he missed her until he spent nearly two years in Crystallis.

Without looking at Ellie, he speaks up.] I wonder how we'll look to the first village that we come across. Five ragged explorers and a giant mecha with the hides of defeated monsters tied to its back. Haha! What a sight.

Who am I to deny you a comfortable patch of dirt to sit upon?

[She's actually grinning. That's rare, especially when plots and schemes aren't involved. Ellie relaxes slightly, leaning forward to drape her forearm over her one bent knee. Does she trust Ales? Not particularly. But in a strange way, she supposes that they are...friends. And it's pleasant, even if she suspects he'll someday make a move to take control of the brigands and dump her into the hands of the heroes. She HOPES not, but it's a possibility nonetheless.]

[She glances at him as he speaks, but has nothing clever to say in return. Looking at the night sky it is. After a long moment, she speaks.]

May I ask you something?

[Assuming he allows her, of course, Ellie continues.]

Why do you hate magic so much?

[She saw the look on his face when she mentioned Yorick, and she notices he isn't gunning for any Jobs that have the word 'mage' in the title. So she's been wondering about this for a long while.]

Hmm? [He sounds happy and expects a simple question. Anything to stop him from falling asleep right there on the ground. He's used to sleeping in trees like other Teensies, so while he'd wake up covered in dirt, he would have had a very comfy sleep.]

Oh.

[That--she noticed. He's been more open on this opinions here since there were no other Teensies nor magical god to confront him; he shouldn't be so surprised. And yet, this is a hard question. Where does he even start?]

It's complicated. [He stares into the darkening sky.] Long story short, magic never helps with anything, and I don't have fond memories attached to magic users.

[He's sure Ellie wants to delve into his past thanks to that latter point, but how else would his distaste for magic make sense?]

Hmmmmm...

[She hums in response, looking up at the sky for a long, quiet moment. It sounds like it's more than just a habit or a prejudice. Is it a wound that runs deep? While she is curious, she can tell he's a little uneasy.]

There is much I do not know about you, Ales. I know the cheerful facade you present, and that you are far more intelligent and observant than some might assume. But little else.

[She looks down to where he lies once more.]

I would like to understand my ally better.

[So it's not a direct interrogation. Just an invitation that he can easily turn down if that's what he prefers.]

[She wants to understand him. She wants to trust him. It's an unfamiliar feeling. Ales feels little guilty about not sharing enough, not soon enough. Would she laugh at him?

She better really be a friend.]

I am cheerful, normally. I just decide that it's better to remain cheerful in front of strangers. That's something you learn as a peddler. [He bites his lip when he feels his heart beating faster.] Everyone in the Glade expects me to be happy about how things are being run, no questions asked.

[He rolls over to look at Ellie better. His smile is gone, and his black eyes are distant.]

Did you know that Teensie are one of the most magical species in the world? They're the protectors of the Heart of the World and teachers of the deepest lore. Every Teensie child is sent to a magic school and use their magical intuition in the future, whether they become a sage, a king, or a simple farmer.

[Ales closes his eyes for a moment.] Did you know I was born without any magic in me?

No. I did not.

[That would certainly explain a lot of his resentment, though. If he felt magic were a force with any sentience, why would he not hold a grudge for being forsaken?]

[In truth, she does want to trust him, and it would be nice to have a friend. But the price of putting her trust into the wrong person is perilously high. It's not easy. In fact, it's much harder than any challenge she's encountered in this world.]

Perhaps you had something greater inside of you that supplanted this magic.

[She glances at him, noting the troubled look on his face. It's rare to have someone open up to her like this, and she's quietly grateful. So, no, she isn't going to laugh at him.]

"Something greater", hah. [Those words are bitter in his mouth.] If having a greater work ethic is my secret power, then all the bullying is a heavy price to pay. Sure, I became one of the greatest engineers in the world, but-

[He bites his lip again. He's trembling, he can feel it. Childhood memories are coming back.]

I couldn't do anything right. Any magic I used came from a staff my friend gave me out of pity. They started calling me "The Magician" out of spite, and I dressed as one just for that moniker to make sense. I had to work twice as hard as any other Teensie just to get by!

[Anger, injustice comes over his face, and he pushes himself up to a sitting position.]

Everything in the Glade is biased towards magic. Magic was the cure-all, but also the problem. Everyone was so reliant on magic that they had no idea what to do with anomalies like me! Why would I ever want to use magic in this world if I never could in mine?!

Edited 2016-05-10 18:21 (UTC)

Being smarter and working harder are more valuable than magic. But you are justified in your anger.

[He has a lot of rage pent up inside that tiny body. It makes her wonder just how long he's been keeping this in. It seems obvious he needs to let it out, and she's willing to listen. As for why he should use magic when he couldn't before, it seems like that's the very reason. Ellie studies him for a moment, before giving his shoulder a light squeeze.]

Magic is little more than a tool. A powerful one, if used by someone with enough intelligence to know the right spell to use and when. But a dangerous one when wielded by a person with more ambition than brains. Much like a sword.

[She nods faintly to the short sword at her hip.]

I have my own reasons for wishing to avoid the use of magic as well, so you are not alone in your feelings.

It's a tool, but not the most reliable one. [It's really stupid.] You can be the laziest person in the world, but still have the power to create life our of dreams and nightmares. For years, the Glade could have been protected from sooo many evildoers if Polokus took responsibility and used his magic for a good cause!

[He moves his hand to push Ellie's off of his shoulder, but stops just as he rests his hand on hers. He glares at the campfire in the distance, which has become more visible against the evening sky.]

This overreliance on magic has caused the citizens of the Glad to be lazy idiots, only acting when their lives are in danger. It's not the same thing as regular weapons.

[Then, muttering under his breath.] It would be a lot better if magic never existed.

[Ellie nods once, silent. The little guy is in a lot of pain. While she's glad she can understand his motivations a little better, there's a part of her that feels guilty for opening that can of worms in the first place. It's clear that this still weighs heavily on him, and probably will for a long time.]

It seems many of the Heroes of Light bear this same idiocy.

[She gives his shoulder a squeeze, and when he removes his hand, she'll drop hers. Or leave it there if he seems to need it.]

If you had seen how many responded to the pleas for help when a rabid chocobo was attacking farms and villages, and how many went to a Halloween celebration party, it would have nauseated you.

[She frowns into the darkness.]

I have no love for this world, but I would not wish to see mine ruined due to the laziness and inactivity of others. I think we have something in common.

[Scoff.] You can say that again. There's something about being a goody two-shoes that makes you stupid and refuse to look at things realistically.

[He himself had gone to the party - he wasn't a fighter, and he needed to make connections - but he doesn't feel slighted by Ellie's disdain. Plenty of warriors were at the party, and many more were lazing about instead of researching or exploring the world.]

I don't care about my world. I'm never going back, anyway, so if I have to sever ties, so be it. No decision there. But that means I'm staying here. If I want to stay here once the Calamity is destroyed, I'm going to have to keep it safe.

Event || The Answer

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