Event || Revelations

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the Heroes of Light and their Moogles.
Where: Order's Sanctuary, The Interdimensional Rift and their Homeworlds.
When: August 03rd - August 30th

Summary: Following the battle against Palitutu, all the Heroes of Light were transported into the Interdimensional Rift. They were told by Palitutu they would have to find her to prove they can break the cycle-- But before they could reach their destination, a malevolent entity from the Rift stripped them from their immortality...

And now, they woke up in a decaying and dying world, most specifically in a place called Order's Sanctuary. From there they are ready to jump... Into their homeworlds! Feel free to use this post for the Mingle at Order's Sanctuary and should your homeworld be the stage for the Heroes of Lights' next adventures, feel free to make a thread for it and as many sub-thread as necessary! Please refer to the OOC Post for questions and plotting.

Warning: Whatever you come up with.

Comments

Ivalice, Ramza's World

[zodiac_brave]

The Opening Scene

[Through the next portal the group of Heroes step through, night has fallen. Most of the surrounding area is too dark to make out, though an inviting light flickers through a copse of trees. Somewhere nearby, water churns against smooth stones in a stream, and for those who would be familiar with such sounds, chocobos kweh softly as they settle themselves down to sleep.

It feels peaceful, for this moment, at least.

As they approach the trees, they will find a small camp. A fire burns, and several fish cook on sticks. Two chocobos sit nestled in the grass, their saddles hung over a fallen log. A young woman sits beside them, gently running her fingers through their neck feathers as their eyes droop. She looks up as the group approaches.]

Brother! There you are. I was worried you had gotten yourself lost in the dark.

[Her words are admonishing, but her tone is light and cheerful. She gives the nearest chocobo a final rub and then pushes herself to her feet. Before she is properly upright, Ramza has crossed the distance between then and flung his arms around the girl. For her, he has only been gone for an hour at most, but for him, it has been nearly two years since he has last laid eyes on his dear sister.]

Pursuit

[zodiac_brave]

[In the light of day, the dangers of Ivalice are more easily seen. In addition to especially ferocious wild chocobos and other hungry creatures, troupes of thieves prey on travelers. More concerning, though, is the more organized bands of mercenaries and soldiers that are out, roaming.

Ramza and Alma do their best to keep out of sight without going in to much detail, but most of the soldiers call out to the people they pass, "Have you seen the Heretic in these parts?"

The Heroes can choose to face their enemies in battle, or keep to the shadows and try to evade their pursuers until the next portal can be found.]

[[Random battles, encounters with soldiers/mercenaries, and other conflicts can go here.]]

General

[zodiac_brave]

[General threads, including mingling, exploring the Ivalicean world, etc, can go here. Feel free to enjoy your noseless, chibi world of political intrigue and suffering.]

[forcegalactic]

[The instant he sees the girl with a near-lack of a nose, Mordecai assumes that she's Ramza's sister. It's an obviously strong family resemblance, he chuckles to himself as he reaches for his moustache to stroke. What a touching reunion, two siblings--

Where his is nose?

The Barkeep jerks his hand away from his face. There should be a mass of flesh above his facial hair where he usually rests his fingers, but there's almost nothing there now. Just to make sure, he runs his palm down his face starting from between his eyes. No nose.

He turns around from the touching scene as not to bother them with his own corporeal crisis. Are the other Heroes like this, too?]

[rialynn]

[Rialynn hangs back a respectful distance away, not wanting to interrupt a touching reunion, but not exactly wanting to look like she's just going to hover around on the outskirts of the camp either. She knows Ramza's been away from home for a very long time, and there's no telling when he'll have another chance to meet with his sister like this again.]

[Those sleeping chocobos sure are cute.]

[She turns to Barkeep, who seems awfully concerned about his face, and just a thumb over her shoulder.]

Should we gather some firewood?

[She wouldn't mind fishing a little too, because the food smells really good and there's clearly only enough food for two people.]

[zodiac_brave]

[Ramza hugs his sister a moment longer...it has been so long since he has seen her...and then slowly lowers his arms.]

Alma, you must come and meet my friends. [He knows they will all like one another. They have to, right?]

[Alma giggles.] Brother, I sent you off for firewood not a candlemark ago, and you come back with new friends instead?

[She does not seem surprised, though. Despite being disowned and exiled, Ramza did have his followers. He was constantly finding people to join his band in the fight against evil. She turned to greet these newest party members.]

Welcome. Friends of Ramza's are of course friends of mine. Please come and share our camp.

[forcegalactic]

[No nose. This is fine. It'll come back. For now, the Barkeep has to deal with this bizarre transformation.

He turns around, rubbing his nose a few more times.] Pleasure is all mine. Name's Mordecai.

[He holds out a hand to shake.]

[rialynn]

How do you do?

[She'll offer her hand to shake after Barkeep, smiling. And yet, she can't help glancing between brother and sister, noting the similarities not only in their hair and eyes, but the expressions they make as well. They must have been very close indeed.]

If you want, I can go get some more firewood or catch a few more fish if you've got a spare rod.

[zodiac_brave]

[Alma takes Barkeep's proffered hand and clasps it, without shaking. That is not how things are done in Ivalice. She curtsies. She does the same for Rialynn.]

And I am Alma. Please, sit, and eat. You are our guests. Ramza and I can see to the rest.

[The campsite, such that it is, is the Beoulve siblings' home for the night. As such, it is their duty to provide proper hospitality to the guests they receive. Alma unties the short cloak she wears around her neck and spreads the cloth by the fire for them to sit on.]

I am afraid she will permit no argument. She is very like our Father, very stubborn. [Ramza explains to the others. He is already fetching a little fishing net from his chocobo's saddlebag. He knows it is faster to do as Alma wishes, and she will wish him to go provide for his friends.]

[rialynn]

You're sure? It's no trouble...oh. Well.

[Ramza's stubborn too, she sees, noticing he's already taking out the fishing net. It only takes one person to use a net, so going along would just put an extra body in the way.]

Good to meet you, Alma. I'm Rialynn.

[She'll sit next to the cloak, since she's not about to make Ramza's little sister sit in the dirt. Her trousers are already pretty dusty from the long journey.]

How long have you guys been on the road?

[forcegalactic]

[Mordecai's own robes have gotten soiled since he slipped in the mud during the fight against Ultima WEAPON. What was a little more dirt before he could have access to a real washing machine? He takes his own place next to Rialynn.]

Can't say you two are much of the campin' sort.

[He looks over at Ramza and lowers his voice once Alma is out of hearing rang.]

What's goin' on here? [He knows there's trouble in Ramza's world, but this feels like he walked into the middle of an adventure on the road, not a political issue pertaining to nobility.]

[zodiac_brave]

[Ramza pauses, net in hand, when Barkeep questions him.]

This is where I was when I was taken to Crystallis. My sister and I are riding to the border to go overseas. Everyone in Ivalice presumes us dead -they had a very nice funeral for Alma-, but I was...wanted for crimes against the Church, and if anyone finds out we are alive, the chase will begin anew.

[Meanwhile, Alma is gathering up blankets and spare cloaks from their saddle bags, to help make their guests more comfortable. She chats with Rialynn from the other side of the fire as she works. The chocobos snore quietly.]

We have been traveling for almost a week now. It has been quite an adventure. Very different from life in a monastery! And you two? Forgive me, but you must be foreigners. Have you traveled far?

[forcegalactic]

[Crimes? What crimes? Why'd they have to go so far as to fake their own deaths? Why would they even bother living on this planet? He shoots Ramza a concerned look, but is interrupted by Alma.]

Yeah, foreigners. Came here lookin' for someone who's been causin' trouble [Another look at Ramza.] Mind explainin'?

[rialynn]

Uh...well, I suppose we have. We're from overseas.

[Loooooooots and looooooooooots of seas. It's not often she gets a chance to indulge in girl talk, and she's eager to get to know the little sister that Ramza cares for so much.]

So hey, you and Ramza grew up together, right? You must have all kinds of good stories to tell about when you were kids.

[Chinhands. ♥]

[zodiac_brave]

[Ummm, 'what crimes' is rather a long story... Ramza mouths "later" at Barkeep.]

[Meanwhile, Alma is more than happy to indulge her guest's request, though she is curious how she seems so familiar with her brother after only having met him in the woods not an hour before. He makes friends so quickly, it seems...]

Of course. There was the time Ramza tried to steal the sword of a great hero, and then burst into tears when our Father scolded him. And the time we stole our older brother's chocobo before we even knew how to ride, so that we could 'go on an adventure'.

[She giggles. There are so many more she could mention. Ramza is turning red. Were there no childhood memories that painted him as heroic, instead of as a foolhardy boy?]

[forcegalactic]

[Aww, Ramza was such a cute kid. Mordecai doesn't know if he was physically adorable, but it's the actions that count.]

Hah! Sounds like somethin' I'd do when I was young. Stealin' car...ts to go off and have my own adventures instead of helpin' out at the saloon, takin' whatever I came across while explorin'...

[He waves a hand around, hopefully deflecting any suspicions that he was not from their era and that he was from a time where technology replaced almost anything found on Earth.]

Never had a sibling. Only child-dom is a special thing on its own.

[rialynn]

No, me either. I always wanted a younger brother or sister growing up, though.

[And she is absolutely delighted at these stories. That's so cute. Trying to picture Ramza sobbing now doesn't even make a slight haze of a mental image, it's just too impossible.]

So I guess he wanted to be a hero from the very beginning, huh?

[Rialynn might be a little bit charmed. Glancing over, she notes that Ramza seems to be getting hot in the face. Um...oops?]

I think we all did dumb stuff as kids. It's just part of growing up.

[Hopefully they didn't ask/won't ask her father for similar stories.]

[zodiac_brave]

[The others have no siblings, so they cannot understand the embarrassing stories that only a sibling is privy to. Ramza gives Alma a look. She keeps smiling, unbothered by his chagrin. Well, two can play at that game.]

Well, Alma wanted to be a soldier in the King's Army, so she stole our mother's scissors and chopped off all her hair so that no one would know she was a girl. She would answer to no name other than 'Arman' for a fortnight.

[Alma looks at her brother, and they have a silent conversation with only their matching amber eyes. After a moment, they nod, quietly agreeing to a truce.]

Brother, we could tell stories all night, but our guests are surely in need of rest.

[Ramza nods.] And food. I shall fetch those fish.

[forcegalactic]

[Barkeep laughs out loud, not heartily due to his age, but this story feels like it came right out of one of his romantic novels. A girl who disguises herself as a man! A noble who doesn't know the first thing about dating! Running away from a country that wants to kill them!

...No, the last one's bad. When he calms down, he rolls up his sleeves.]

Rest sounds good, but don't hurt yourselves over us. I got some good hands with fish.

[rialynn]

Did you really?!

[Rialynn was looking at Ramza when he told his memoirs of Alma, but after hearing that, her head whips around fast enough that her hair and bandanna tails go sailing over her shoulder.]

You sound just like my friend Sabien. That's the kind of woman who makes history, you know?

[She's careful not to mention the whole 'being from another world' thing, though she supposes it might not sound too incredible if Ramza's made friends with women who turn into dragons (or vice versa). She grins, finding herself relaxing easily with their current company.]

[But now she faces a dilemma: get to know Alma better, or help out with dinner? Both are viable options. ...Well, she'll offer at least, one more time. It's the polite thing to do.]

Mordecai's an incredible cook, I can vouch for his skill. Ramza, do you need any help?

[She rises to her feet prepared to follow him.]

[zodiac_brave]

[Alma chuckles at Rialynn.] I needn't have bothered with the hair cut. Nowadays, there are warrior women of great acclaim, though still not as many as men. I think Lady Agrias is to thank for being the Princess's...I mean, the Queen's Knight.

[It is still strange for her to think of her quiet friend Ovelia as the Queen of Ivalice, and married as well to Delita.]

I've only the one net, so stay and rest. Perhaps you can play for us when I return, while Mordecai and Alma cook.

[Ramza hopes the solution will please everyone. His companions can contribute in the way that suits them, but Alma can still play host and not ask too much of her guests. It is the best he can do, out here in the wilderness.]

[forcegalactic]

Don't be out too long, Ramza. And here. [Living with a young man so clueless to the ways of the world had taught Mordecai how to be prepared. He came to work with a comb in his pocket and a list of what needed to be cleaned, but with someone like his housemate, other possibilities have to be taken into consideration. The robes allowed some storage space, and when adventuring or fighting giant robots, there were always supplies that may come in handy.

Like long, rubber gloves.]

Put these on. Don't want your hands to get all cut up while grabbing those fish.

[Ramza might have his own gloves, but a housemate can't help but be concerned for his little cinnamon roll, cant he?]

[rialynn]

I...could do that, sure.

[As long as no one would get aggravated and think she's slacking off while everyone else is working. So she slowly sits back down again.]

Be careful out there. I mean, you always are, but. Sentiments.

[Wow, that sounded pretty awkward. She'll just scoot closer to Alma, holding her knees together as she looks at the fire.]

..............SO! Women started being acknowledged as fighters after your friend was elevated to the position of a royal guard?

[Because that sounds an awful lot like what Sabien is doing in her own world, so it's good to know she's on the right track.]

[zodiac_brave]

[Ramza takes the gloves from Barkeep. He has leather gloves that would protect his hands, but these will take much less time to dry if he gets them soaked through. He nods at Rialynn, a little confused as to Alma's look of sudden amusement.

Alma starts a little kettle heating by the fire.]

I do not know if I can yet call Lady Agrias a friend. My brother knows her better than I. I have met her only briefly. But yes, Lady Agrias' appointment as Ovelia's knight was a great step. There were other great lady warriors rising to fame around the same time- Lady Meliadoul of the Knights Templar, and even one of the leaders of the villanous Corpse Brigade, Milleuda Folles. Such things were unheard of in my Father's day.

[She shrugs.] It is still more likely for a woman to become a mage than a warrior, but it is now a path open to a young lady with the inclination.

[rialynn]

That's some swift progress!

[It takes considerable effort to bite her tongue and say nothing of 'her world.' She glances up at Ramza as he takes his leave, then leans over to draw her fiddle out of her backpack. A shame she couldn't bring the lute, but she'd been preparing for battle, not travel. The lute would have just been extra weight in the fight against Palitutu. She tucks the instrument under her chin, lightly running the bow over the strings so she can tune it.]

Are you planning on taking up a sword yourself?