melodiesoflife | Intro Log || Just in Time for the Last Holiday Season

Entry tags:

Intro Log || Just in Time for the Last Holiday Season

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: November 01st - November 30th. New characters may wake up any time.

Summary: The new Heroes of Light awaken from Crystal Stasis and might find themselves in quite the predicament. Are they in Aqures Ixen, the Desert, a Forest or a completely empty plain? The choice is yours! You can have your character wake up anywhere, so long as the location is neither crystallized nor sealed away (such as the Temple of the Heroes of Light).

Please refer to the Information Post for more information regarding the state of Crystallis. Fear not however as soon a Moogle and maybe your friends shall come to you. Indeed, Heroes of Light in Aqures Ixen have access to a map that show them whenever a new Hero of Light appears.The Moogles are using it to quickly find any newcomers, but nothing prevents other Heroes of Light from using it to go to the rescue! The exception to this are characters who were formerly in the game: they will wake up from Crystal Stasis in the Hospital of Aqures Ixen.

Furthermore, feel free to plot out with players already in-game if you want for them to come and search your character, find them and plot their escape from a particularly dangerous place and the likes!

Warning: N/A.

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. But soon it faded, and everything else along with it, nothing but darkness remaining....

The Search for the Heroes
— Anytime —
To you, it's like only a second passed ever since you grabbed this crystal. But months or even years may have passed in the real world. And as you emerge, you find yourself in the world of Crystallis, a place where magic and technology coexist, filled with friendly people... And not so friendly ones. Have you awakened in Aqures Ixen, Esdham or a similar city...? Then it's perfect, you are surrounded by friendly people who will be - very confused - but helpful to an extent.

Have you woken up in the wilderness? Hopefully there aren't too many monsters around! As it is, other Heroes of Light might have woken up close to your position, it might be a good idea to work together with them.

Thankfully enough, before long a fluffy ball of fur flies toward (and most crashes into) you! This creature is a Moogle, sent from Mognet Central to assist you and take you to Aqures Ixen. It will explain you everything about the situation, the other Heroes of Light already present in Crystallis and all that is happening! This Moogle will be your guide back to Aqures Ixen-- If you decide to follow them anyway...

The Voyage Home
— Anytime —
The journey to Aqures Ixen might be an eventful one (or uneventful one if you awoke in the city already). It is a possibility for you to explore the world by taking your time, or to be lazy and board an Airship in the closest city. Don't lose your way or you risk venturing close to the Calamity-- You wouldn't want to be devoured and ripped apart my mega-powered Calamity Monsters, would you?

And thanks to the map and the efficiency of Mognet, odds are you'll encounter other Heroes of Light on your way: those who arrived in this world within the past two years. 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 the fearsome Palitutu! 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 —
Finally, you might reach Aqures Ixen... And it turns out to be a very busy city. You might visit it, or the laboratory from where you can ~~spy~~ track where Heroes of Light are. Indeed, Palitutu's Laboratory (and its underground section) is a place where employed characters can research various topics. 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.

Or maybe you could visit your new house in the 11th or 14th District, and get to know your new neighbors and housemate(s). Hopefully your neighbors are people you will get along with.

It's Never Too Early
— Anytime —
No matter where you wake up in this world, from the arid climate of Esdham to the balmy jungles of Mysidia, you might notice a hint of ~**Christmas Whimsy**~ in the air. Pine-scented garlands are wound about streetlamps, delicate glass ornaments and twinkling lights have begun to adorn tree branches. The air is rich with the smell of baked pumpkin and cinnamon, and the occasional cool hint of peppermint. The bakeries are filled with seasonal treats like kupo nut pies, cranberry tarts, eggnog cakes. Though it's only the month of November, anyone complaining about the good cheer and pretty decorations will be stared at with a mixture of shock and pity, for clearly these people do not understand the true magic of the season.

Wherever you go, there's a distinct and rhythmic clanging of a small brass bell. Following the sound of the bell inevitably leads to a small adorable Moogle decked out in a fur-trimmed red suit standing next to a donations pot, with another clad in green passing out fliers inviting people to visit the Santa Village. They're requesting gil to craft toys for the refugees living there as well as the children across the world, and to expand and improve the Village as well.

Upon seeing any indication that you might be a Hero of Light, both Moogles make a happy sound and immediately press a flyer into your hand, insisting that you must visit, and not so subtly hinting that those who take up the Santa Claus job would be warmly welcomed by everyone. 'Tis the season, eh? Eh?

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

A couple Moogles and a few nurses will be waiting by the room, and they will welcome all characters waking up. Upon exiting the room, they will also meet a lot of guards, and they all have orders to shoot anyone that comes out of this room without a Moogle. Hopefully you won't try running out without waiting for your Moogle. As for why the guards are so on edge, it might be a good idea to ask the other Heroes of Light about what happened last year.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Naminé lifts her head up, rapidly blinking away any tears that might spill from her eyes when she realizes a new Moogle is talking with her. It means another Hero of Light is close by, and she hardly wants to look like this in front of her own Moogle, let alone a Hero of Light, this small and trembling version of herself that she despises.

Her heart feels like it's wringing itself of all positive emotion, but she still tries for a wane smile as she accepts the cookie.]

Different...your Hero has a point. I should be grateful for this chance to actually exist as my own person. I think everyone would have liked that for me.

[So why can't she help herself from searching for the light and shadows of all the friends she's ever known? Is this what Sora felt like during his journey to find Kairi and Riku? This loneliness of someone with a heart, someone who has formed unbreakable connections but knows that the distance is almost impossible to bridge. It hurts so much more than the loneliness of having nothing at all, like those simple yearnings from Castle Oblivion so long ago.]

[She wasn't too wrong, about the other Hero being close by. He can't help but overhear what she and the moogles are talking about, so as he closes the last bit of distance, he calls out:]

... I was told the same thing, years ago now.

[He says years, but at a glance, he probably doesn't look much different than the real thing to her. Hair a similar mop-like mess, only pulled back into a pony tail because work wasn't thrilled with the whole "bangs in front of eyes" at the store.

For her sake, Ira smiles the same smile he always gave her, although it doesn't quite reach his eyes. It has been a long day, after all. Yet it wasn't the first time he let something like a "long day" deter him from other stuff.]

It's been a while, Naminé.

Edited 2016-11-08 08:58 (UTC)

[Naminé whirls around, eyes wide. Here was someone she never expected to see again...and yet she of all people should know that ceasing to exist may not be as simple and clean as it implies.

Riku's memories had not been able to escape her magic, that year when she was fixing Sora. The memory of Riku Replica's death was horrible and vivid in her mind then, and it's the same now. She squeezes her eyes shut, blinking hard to push away the images and the guilt. She'd made her peace with it.

Whatever her life in this new world is going to be, it'd be better if they could start anew. The smile he gives her gives her a little bit of hope that it might be possible.]

Hi. I'm really glad we could see each other again.

[Just like Sora, Riku Replica seems to have a kind of maturity to him that worries her. Just what had they gone through? In the face of all that, her own problems seem small and insignificant.]

How much did you hear just now?

[He noticed the avoidance of a name. It was probably more telling than most other things lately.]

Enough. Lin always was a loudmouth.

[To that, the moogle puffs up indignantly!]

H-hey! Why must you be so rude, kupo! You haven't even introduced us yet!

[He can't help the smile that escapes him. One that's very much less demented and creepy than one he ever used in the Castle, but...]

Lin, this is Naminé. She's a very special friend of mine.

It's nice to meet you, Miss Naminé! Even though Ira can be so rude, kupo. Was he always like this? I haven't had much of a chance to speak with people from your Worlds to find out, kupo!

[Ohh great, this is how it's going to be, isn't it.]

[Ira? That's his name now? A small smile rises to her lips unbidden, both at her quiet joy at learning his name, and at Lin's enthusiasm.]

Ira was kind to me, so I never thought he was rude. It's nice to meet you, Lin.

[She extends a hand for the Moogle to shake, though she's looking at him instead, directing that tiny smile his way.]

Still...you've changed. In a good way.

[Maybe one day, he'll tell her about it, but for now she's okay with knowing he took a step away from Riku's shadow.]

[One of them; the one most knew him as, at least. Not that it really changed things, until he arrived here.]

I see... [Aww, maybe she'll get more dirt on him later. For now, she takes Naminé's hand, shaking it and then realizing.] Oh! You're so cold, kupo! Quick, let's get you inside. I'll make some tea, kupo!

[With that, she takes one of the grocery bags from Ira and zooms to the front door, unlocking it and heading to the kitchen.]

...It's a bit empty, now that the others are in stasis. But it'll be better than staying out here.

[Despite that, there's a bit of color in his cheeks that has nothing to do with not taking to the low temperatures well, himself. How does he take a compliment?]

Stasis?

[That makes her think of Sora's year long sleep, and it makes her uneasy. But the thought is quickly pushed away when Elmina starts dragging her into the house, chattering about how chamomile would be a good tea to soothe her nerves and Lin do you have more of those cookies to go with them, Naminé must be famished.]

Wait. Ira. That's right, I'm living with you now...!

[...she's not sure how she feels about this.]

[Well, that wouldn't be too far off to assume it meant something similar... He'll probably explain once they are inside and tea is started.

That said, yes. Lin definitely does have more cookies, though something more savory would probably be better to warm both not!Island children up. Hmm...]

You are?

[WELL COLOR HIM SURPRISED. ...Except he probably should have seen this coming after he'd been housed with someone from their worlds when he first arrived as well. Still, he blinks, then smiles faintly as he follows the other three inside.]

Well, feel free to choose any of the rooms. I called a single room myself, but there's another and one with two beds in it up for grabs.

[He rubs the underside of his nose with a gloved finger.]

...Truth is, it's a bit too big with what I'm used to.

[Elmina will very happily start chatting to Lin about the benefits of some good, toasted bread and some veggies with dip. But if they're going that far they might as well make a whole meal, right?!]

Then I'd be happy to take up some space. It'll be a nice change from before.

[As in, no more living in an old, dusty mansion. Even if she had a spacious room, it was never a home. Actually she's never really had a home of any kind before, so the more steps she takes into the house, the more she falls in love with it.

To think, just a few minutes ago she'd been ready to cry in the middle of the street. It's a wonder what a familiar face does for her-- though she's still unsure about how exactly things have changed for him since they last saw each other.]

How long have you been here, Ira?

[Why not, kupo? Poor girl doesn't look like she's had a decent meal in.... ever.]

Tell me about it.

[In other words, he totally agreed. House > castle and helltower

Ira walks into the living room as the two moogles head for the kitchen, ow more glad then ever that there was a working fireplace. He bends over to add a fresh log from the basket beside it, before flicking his wrist, casting Fire inside the fireplace. Who needs flint when you have magic, right?]

Let's see... Fourteen months, I think?

[He arrived last September, so... yeah about that long ago. Damn, it's about the same amount of time he spent in the Tower, too; now that he thought about it.]

I don't know how much your moogle friend's told you, but there's a letter another Hero sent to most of us that explains the situation better than I would on the table.

[Also cuter, because Rukia's drawings. ~~Naminé's are cuter ok he's biased~~]

I think Elmina explained a lot of things to me, but I was too dazed and shocked to remember anything.

[She shoots Elmina an apologetic look, and the Moogle cheerfully waves a ladle back. Water under the bridge. And water into the pot to start a nourishing soup! Time to get fired up, kupo!

Naminé picks up the letter to read. The smile at seeing Rukia's drawings slowly falls the farther along she reads. When she finishes, she sets the letter down and breathes out slowly.]

This is...a lot to take in. [What part does she even comment on first?]

I don't know why I was brought here, being as physically weak as I am...but if we really do need to fight this Calamity and everything associated with it, I should learn, shouldn't I.

Well, you did just awaken, and with something completely new...

[He rubs the underside of his nose again before standing, stifling a sneeze at the sawdust. Probably should have dusted off his hands first.

But yes, he noticed the difference with his Custom Job equipped. The profound sadness and loneliness. So while she reads the letter, he goes up to change out of his work uniform, then quickly returns with a few spare baked goods on a plate. ~~He may have picked up this from his old housemates.~~ Placing the plate down on the table, he sits down on a chair by the fire. Hopefully, she didn't notice the nice scarring on his neck.]

Don't worry about not getting it all at once. I know I had to take a few weeks to adjust-

["More like two months, kupo!" came from the kitchen, and he couldn't stifle the embarrassed smile. LIN WHY.]

Y-yeah. Though everyone is a bit different on how to combat it. [A beat.] What Jobs did this world give you?

[If she notices his scars, she doesn't comment, only smiling as well as she can in this moment. Nobody would blame her if she took two or more months to adjust, she's sure. But considering how dire their situation is, it seems like sooner is better with regards to...well, anything, really.

She will push past her fear as soon as she can, to help her friends as well as she can. She won't let any of them have to step in front of her as her savior, because she'll be standing there right next to them instead.

Naminé punctuates this thought with a determined bite into the tiny cupcake she hadn't even realized she'd picked up.]

Elmina said I'm an Illusionist and a White Mage right now.

[She makes a small face.]

Healing magic is a must, but if there's something else other than Illusionist that would better compliment your and Sora's Jobs, then I'd rather do that instead...

If I remember right, Illusionist is the only Job that isn't a Custom one that can teleport... save Crystal Researcher to uncrystallized zones. Not that that fact matters much, anymore.

[Still, he... knows how much of an aversion she has for lying. At least, the one he met in the Tower did. Part of him hoped she felt the same about it.]

Can't say I blame you for not wanting anything to do with illusions. I haven't picked it up myself, either. It more depends on what you want to do.

[Elmina, as blatant proof that she's been eavesdropping, pokes her head out from the kitchen.]

Kupo! You're more a magic type, Naminé! I recommend Summoner or Bearer of Wisdom, but of course you can do anything you want, kupo!

[She blinks, opens her mouth, closes it again. That idea is still so novel to her that she needs a minute to try and think it through.]

Anything I want to do...

[He nods once.]

Yeah. ...If I remember right, Black Mage combined with White Mage also grants an Advanced Job called Sage... Summoner and Illusionist grant Psychic.

[...He may or may not have been at the labs going through the list of available Jobs in hopes to find something more unique when he first got here.]

There's also Time Mage, but I haven't picked that one up either. It's default outfit is an Organization coat.

[Naminé starts at the name.]

The Organization coat? How is that possible? Was someone from the Organization here before?

[Is someone from the Organization here now?]

Maybe in a previous cycle, but... aside from you, Sora, and myself, anyone else from our original worlds are either in Crystal Stasis or...

[He cuts himself off, unable to say it. Hearing the tone, Lin briefly pokes her head in to make sure everything is alright before calling out from the kitchen.]

We had visitors from another group of Heroes once, kupo! They were vastly different from those summoned normally, though...

[Ira turned away as Lin continued to explain.]

They had no immortality like you both did originally, and their crystals were clear. Another Sora and Ira's sister were part of that group, ku-

Xion. Her name was Xion.

[Was. Past tense. As emphasized by him almost leaving a nice little hole in the wall with his fist.]

That group... They all either crystallized and vanished, their crystals shattered and died, or they were as helpless as the rest of us, watching them without a single way to help after they'd watched over us.

I-Ira...?

Edited 2016-12-07 18:28 (UTC)

[Naminé jumps again, this time at the sound of the wall giving under Ira's fist. But her body seems to freeze right after, finally processing his words.

Xion-- now that he's mentioned her name, all of Naminé's memories come flooding back to her. Xion's slow budding discovery of herself. Her bravery in the face of non-existence. Her quiet, earnest entreaty to take care of Roxas once she was gone.

Denied a life back on their world, and then denied one here too. It's just not fair.]

Ira...

[She reaches out to hesitantly touch his arm, not sure how to comfort him. Not sure how to deal with her own bewildered grief.]

[He doesn't move when she reaches out, nor tenses when she does touch him. Though when she does, she'll immediately realize that the brief outburst was only briefly hiding the fact that he is trembling in grief despite not allowing himself to do aught else on the emotion he still isn't sure himself is real or not.

But the decisions he made, and what she'd become to him in the fourteen months they spent together yet apart. Those were real enough.]

We were finally free... reunited, too, and-

[He stops himself.]

Sorry.

[He looks over his shoulder with a faint, apologetic smile as he lowers his fist from the wall and to his side.]

You knew her, didn't you? Or, I should say the 'her' in your own time.

[Because time was a fickle thing, even before bringing up the butterfly effect.]

It's okay. I understand. You miss her.

[She doesn't wish for him to stop on her account, especially when it seems like it still pains him...she wants to be able to help him if she can. But she's still getting used to being around him, feeling a way through what she should and shouldn't say. She won't push him now. Naminé keeps her hand against his arm for a moment longer before pulling away.]

Yes. We only met the once, but she...she was such a good person. With a good heart. She was smiling even as she left. Wherever she is now...whether its your Xion or mine, I'm sure she's still smiling for us.

[Miss her... Was that really all that it was? He wasn't so sure, but he wasn't going to argue with her when he already slipped and revealed something he had kept under wraps for a long time. He'd have to think about what that meant later. For now, he can't help the wry smile crossing his lips. One that likely looked all too familiar, yet not, to the one on the receiving end.]

Nah... More worried than anything.

The Xion I know... she had a family waiting for her in another world. [He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.] I just wish I knew what happened to her and the others.

[She clasps her hands and sets them in front of her, glancing off to the side.]

I hope we'll be able to find out, one day. If both of our Xions make it.

[It's hard to wrap her head around the idea that there are two different Xions. Two different versions of all her friends-- and perhaps not even two. Maybe there are three, or ten, or an infinite amount of versions. Whose Naminé does that make her? Certainly Sora and Ira have welcomed her with open arms, and she would certainly call them hers Sora and Ira by virtue of them being here with her, sharing her new life with her. But she imagines that there must be a Destiny Island somewhere, where Kairi still lacks her other half, where Sora doesn't remember her. Would she make it back there?

Would she want to?]

Who else has been here?

I hope so, too.

[And perhaps, one day, that he'd be able to punch Kalki in the face for this. But first comes the other's question (and dinner, whenever those moogles finished).

If only Naminé knew that he didn't care whether she were his Naminé or not, because either way... she was still his friend.]

Ventus was the only other one I met personally. We were roommates for a time, before he crystallized and never awoke. Though, he wasn't the first here.

[He pauses, trying to read her expression before he continued.]

... Another Sora, Kairi, and a woman named Aqua can be found in the Crystallized Heroes wing. Also someone named Stitch, though I never met them myself.

A word of warning, though: If you want to see them, make sure Elmina goes with you. The guards stationed there have been on edge ever since last year's Night of the Thirteen Moogles.

[So many familiar names, come and gone. Naminé feels a pang in her chest so strong, she has to stop and squeeze her eyes shut to brace against the unexpected pain.

Bad enough that another Sora and Kairi and even Stitch were there, but Aqua and Ven...after everything they went through so long ago...]

Okay.

I...I don't know if I'm strong enough to. But I want to, even so.

Intro Log || Just in Time for the Last Holiday Season

fufufu ♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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)