Happy New Year...And New Life!

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: January 01st - January 31st. 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 not sealed away (such as the Floating Ruins).

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 for 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 fades, 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.


Now Get to Work!
— Anytime —
If your character is fortunate enough to wake up in a city that the Calamity hasn't yet tainted with its darkness and overpowered monsters, you don't get to put up your feet and take it easy. Refugees are arriving in large numbers with their belongings, family and friends, and possibly their pack animals as well. Driven from their homes when the crystallization threatened to consume them, or by Calamity monsters that were getting too close for comfort, they're coming to the protected cities seeking refuge. If they spot you with a Moogle, it's safe for them to assume you're a Hero of Light and they surge forward to greet you -- either with praise and hopes for salvation, requests for help in reclaiming something valuable left behind (a family heirloom? a missing dog?), directions to the nearest inn or marketplace, help moving these heavy boxes... I mean, you're a Hero of Light, so clearly you know everything that's going on, don't you?

Or maybe you were one of the unlucky ones who woke up in Flence, Trano Golsaucia, or one of the many other contaminated areas. In that case, you're still not off the hook! Whether there are stragglers in the city or surrounding countryside that couldn't make it, or simply too stubborn to leave their homes, powerful monsters swarm the area and threaten the well-being of anyone unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Good luck taking them on with your new jobs that you just got, you might need some help from a fellow Hero of Light! It's not all bad, though. Your Moogle may have informed you about the Old Man at the Monster Arena who wants one of each monster captured for his collection, with excellent rewards (see the section labeled 'Monster Arena' for more details) for those who bring him what he wants.


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.

Comments

Prompt: Now Get to Work! (2nd paragraph)

[kyuzen]

[Today was not Takumi's day.

He recalls events, but they're scattered, a swarm of shards that swim out of his reach. He remembers an ordinary day in Hoshido, then void, in which a red crystal substituted the sun. Takumi couldn't explain why, but he reached for it. And then there had been more darkness.

Now, he was here, waking up in unfamiliar territory swamped with creatures he had never seen before. His hand had reached for the Fujin Yumi, but his fingers failed to grasp the familiar bow. That alone had sent him into an even bigger spiral of panic. Without the Fujin Yumi, he couldn't do much save for fleeing, and there had been no other weapons in range.

He's ready to spring and make a dash for it when something small and white collides into his chest. Unsurprisingly, he's taken aback and even a bit affronted, but the rushed words that spill from it (does it even have a mouth?) still his tongue. Instead he's given a bow and a quiver of arrows to fend himself until he reaches the closest city.

Nothing too difficult, he wonders, chancing another look at his newfound companion. They could cut to the formalities later.

[pot_head]

Easy there, Drago!

[That comes from a boy atop a Chocobo, a.k.a the least weirdest thing you'll see in the city during your stay. The Chocobo, Drago apparently, is slowing down to a halt near Takumi. Donnel is taking it upon himself to help herd people to safer territory, much like a shepherd with their flock. And, well, he is a "Shepherd". Anyhow, he spots the frozen still Takumi...]

Get a move on, partner!

((ooc: yay, Donnel~!!))

[kyuzen]

[The sudden shout startles him, and he whips around. It's a young boy atop a giant yellow... bird? Takumi's never seen such a creature before. Then again, he hasn't seen anything from this world back in Hoshido or Nohr.]

What? [he takes an unsteady step towards the boy, still strung by the initial shock and confusion.] But I don't know where to go!

[pot_head]

Hm?

[he spots the moogle, and raises his eyebrows, getting the idea.]

Hey now, that little fella your partner? Cause that'd change a few things.

[umslay]

[With a new wave of refugees headed to the Village of Santa Claus and Aqures Ixen comes a higher demand for emergency transport. Being a Hero airship captain - not to mention not allowed union membership - Ales has an obligation to fly around the world to pick up hundreds of travelers a week.

Not too far from where he woke up, an airship sits on the plains, civilians lining up to enter. A small troop of soldiers keep watch for monsters. They are no Heroes, being weaker than those not of this world, but they have someone to back them up.

It's likely the giant robot standing on the opposite side of the airship, piloted by Ales.]

[kyuzen]

[Takumi swiftly observes his surroundings; a quick survey would give him the upper hand (he hoped). He's not sure where to start, but he notices, sitting atop the rolling plains, a large apparatus sits. There's a string of people lining up at the door, and another set of people sit on guard.

He doesn't hesitate to hurry over. Perhaps they could answer some of his questions. He doesn't stand in line though...

Technology is foreign to Takumi, so he's not aware that there is someone within the giant robot.]

[umslay]

[A guard spots Takumi approaching long before he is close enough to talk. He and another soldier stand up to confront the newcomer. He holds up a hand.]

Halt! If you are here to escape the monsters, you must wait your turn in line.

[The other nods, though he realizes his mistake once he sees the Moogle catch up. New Heroes of Light have been becoming more rare recently, and he's certainly never met all of them. To him, Takumi must have been training out in the wilds. In the contaminated regions of the world. For some reason.

Heroes were very strange.]

One moment, is that your Moogle? [He leans in to look at Takumi. It's difficult to tell if they're not from Crystallis when they're human, but the clothing does feel a bit off. He smiles.] If you're a Hero of Light, you should have planned out your return route better.

[handle]

[ Having wanted to help with the monsters, Sorey finds himself in the same city as Takumi does. He's a bit all over the place in comparison. However, he does take note that he's never seen Takumi before now - but, that doesn't make him hesitate to help him all the same.

He makes his way to him quickly. ]

You doing alright? Do you need any help?

((ooc: sorry I'm so late! I'm coming off hiatus from another game))

[kyuzen]

[The sound of footsteps grab his attention. He prepares to notch an arrow; he can't tell if this newcomer is a threat or not. Even when the words register, he doesn't lower his guard, gazing at them cautiously.

Takumi frowns at the question. Help would certainly be useful, but... He lowers his weapon albeit just slightly.]

I'm fine, [he lies.] Who are you?

no worries!

[handle]

Ah, sorry. [ He quickly apologizes, offering a small smile. ]

I'm Sorey. I didn't meant to sneak up on you or anything.

[shepherd_prince]

[Chrom's Moogle is infinitely more tech-savvy than he is. It's why he asked Kulevi to keep an eye out for the appearance of newcomers on the lab machines and let him know when someone pops up in a place threatened by danger. Which is almost everywhere these days, unfortunately. Sure enough, she zipped straight to Chrom, letting him know someone had just arrived several miles out from Aqures Ixen, and the companion Moogle had already been dispatched to assist.]

[This leaves Chrom with few options. A chocobo is definitely the best way of getting to the newcomer quickly, as he doesn't have access to an airship, and it would take him too long on foot. He sends Kulevi to the Chocobo Farm with a pouch of gil to rent a chocobo and join him on the plains.]

[And this means he has to ride Crackers.]

[Thus, Takumi is soon joined by an armored man atop a chocobo with eyes that are turned out just a little too far apart, more like a fish than a bird. Its head moves in quick, shaky jerks, and a bubbled warble is thick in its feathered throat.]

Hail there! My name is--

[Crackers bends its head back and clamps the lord's forearm in its beak. It doesn't bite down, it just sort of. Holds on. For no reason.]

--Chrom. Er... Have you been informed of the current situation?

[He ignores his mount for now. He's learned that's the best approach, to wait it out and just let the chocobo do its own thing.]

Search for the Heroes (roughly early to mid-January)

[stupidgenes]

[When his hand closes around the crystal, Asch blinks to find himself beside a tree in the midst of a partly snow-dusted forest. Daylight comes through the canopy of trees in weak beams, reflecting on patches of old snow to light up what might otherwise be a darker forest on a cloudy day.

Asch studies his surroundings before drawing in a deep breath.

No civilization in sight, and there may be monsters in the vicinity.]

Great. Now what?

[His hand goes to the hilt of his sword as he readies himself to spring into action if anything happens. Because he feels almost certain someone or something is lurking nearby, he adds,]

You there—come out!

Re: Search for the Heroes (roughly early to mid-January)

[not_most_days]

[Kidd raises an eyebrow, impressed with the man's response. She can't tell his Job just yet, but his awareness is at least keen enough to find her. Then again she doesn't have her Assassin job on either.

But perhaps he wasn't expecting the response to come from about 15 feet off the ground, a seeming young man in Pirate garb casually stepping from branch to branch while leaning against the tree trunk.]

Ahoy there. I expect you've just recently found yourself in this world, aye?

[stupidgenes]

[Ah ha! It's beginner's luck really, since Asch has been reduced to a Warrior. So yeah, it is surprising that the response came from high up in the tree, but only because it isn't one of the Dark Wings. How long has that pirate been lounging up there? Why is he up there in the first place?

His hand still at the ready, Asch cranes his head up to look at the other man (who he doesn't yet know isn't another man).]

You could say that. Where's the closest city?

[His moogle is soon to come, still rushing its way over.]

[not_most_days]

[People did have a bad habit of neglecting to look up whenever they looked around a space. It was natural considering the lack of airborn predators that humans have to concern themselves with. It's something Assassins used to their advantage.]

Bit of a ways, but Aqures Ixen is going to be the one you'll want to go to.

[She nods as she sees the moogle flutter onto the scene. Another one hops down from the treetops, wearing a cotton hood and settles on Kidd's shoulder.]

I heard word of a new Hero and a moogle being sent out to find them. We decided to follow. My airship is moored nearby.

[boomchucka]

[Selphie had been in the middle of taking out a relatively weak monster in the name of sword practice when the command to show herself distracted her long enough for the monster to get away. She huffs irritably before sheathing her sabre and making her way out into the clearing.

Jaelyn whispers to Selphie to be on her guard as she went out with her hands at her side in an act of non-aggression. She keeps her expression as neutral as possible. She's used to dealing with the grumpy types at least as she takes a good look at Asch.]

Uh, hey. Need a hand out of the forest?

[stupidgenes]

[By then, Marshmallow had arrived to explain the situation and introduce Asch to the wonderful world of Crystallis. Although it sounds sort of far-fetched, Asch gets it. Besides, he'd already left his world behind, entrusting everything else to the replica. There wasn't anything left for him to do, so if he's going to make a difference after his death? Why shouldn't it be here, as a Hero of Light?

Lowering his voice just a little bit and speaking in less of a snappy bark, he answers,]

Yeah. I'm not used to the lay of the land just yet. [Casting a quick glance at her moogle while Marshmallow waves,] Is it just you two out here?

Asch no.

[dammit_flynn]

[ Well, you caught him. The snow dusted forest was the perfect place to hide the sounds of footsteps but obviously not the sound of movement. Yuri was perched in a nearby tree, looking down as he moved from his afternoon nap-- or was it evening? Who knew. He was spending a lot of time relaxing to be honest and thinking about what to do from here on out. ]

No need to sound so aggressive. I can promise you I'm not looking for a bounty on your head.

[ With that being said, the swordsman, jumps down and lands right in front of Asch. ]

Yo.

[stupidgenes]

[...This is the second person Asch has seen lounging in a tree out in the forest since he arrived. Is that normal in a place like this? When Yuri straightens himself up in front of Asch, they're standing way too close for Asch's comfort. But his only reaction is to narrow his eyes as he glares upward at the taller man.]

Tch. It's just you. [Then he turns around and takes a couple steps, opening some distance between them.] Did I interrupt your little nap?

[handle]

[ Sorey does as told, waving his hands in front of him in order to hopefully show that he meant no harm. ]

--Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you! [ He says quickly, offering an apologetic smile. ]

Are you new here?

sorry so late. work's eating me alive.

[stupidgenes]

[Asch studies the other young man, giving him a curt nod at his apology.

Frowning,]

I grabbed some sort of crystal, and woke up right here.

[Though Asch's tone is loud, his tone is rather neutral as he answers. He doesn't recognize this place and has a lot of questions, but isn't really used to being in this kind of weak and vulnerable position. And it's not something he'd openly admit, either.]

Where is 'here', anyway?

oh my gosh I thought I'd sent a tag, I'm so sorry

[revitalise]

[ To think, a small part of her had dared to be hopeful when she saw the flash of red through the trees. That was gone the moment the redhead opened his mouth, allowing Tear to recognise exactly who it was.

Expression set in a grimace, the melodist did as she was asked (or more accurately, demanded) and stepped into Asch's view, crossing her arms and fixing him with what could only be called a deadpan expression. ]

Now what? That would involve you following me so we can go get you settled, if you're inclined to accept any help.

i'm really sorry it's taken this long to get back to you; work's been eating me alive

[stupidgenes]

[Even if Asch had been prepared to see a familiar face, he hadn't expected to see Van's sister here. So he can't quite help the cross between slight shock and irritation in his expression.

He lets out a huff of annoyance before speaking.]

To think you would be in a place like this... Shouldn't you be with the replica, taking care of Van?

[worstintheworld]

[The furtive movements of something close by had caught Natalia's attention. Searching for a chocobo proved to be no easy task for the stubborn princess, who doggedly pressed on with her search in spite of the cold and seemingly endless encounters with goblins. (Nasty.)]

[But with the chocobo lure crystal clasped in her hand, she was so sure she'd found a chocobo at long last that she edged forward, carefully, cautiously, ready to fling herself at the bird to pull herself up and ride it into submission.]

[However, chocobos do not speak. People do. And that particular voice sounds so incredibly familiar! Surely it couldn't be who she thinks it is, but she simply must see for herself. Cautiously she leans around the tree she'd hidden herself behind, and to her great astonishment...]

...Asch?!

[Green eyes widen and she straightens. Well! It certainly would have proven awkward if she'd pounced on him, if not extremely hazardous to her health.]

It is you, isn't it? But to be here of all places...!

[She blinks, then looks down at her crystal before pocketing it and taking a step forward.]

Are you all right?

[stupidgenes]

[That voice. No... No, it can't be.

But then his eyes meet hers before widening in stunned surprise as she continues.

What is she doing here? Not to say he knows exactly what he's doing here, but Asch only arrived here after seizing the crystal in the unending darkness. And that only happened after he'd died, after he'd exhaled his last breath. So it's not that he's unhappy to see Natalia so much as he's worried about how she arrived in a place like this. Did she also suffer a fate like his?

Asch opens his mouth to say something before snapping it shut because it suddenly feels dry. It's like there's a lump in his throat, too, and so he swallows before managing to school his expression from alarmed to sad to... something more neutral.]

Natalia...

[He whispers it, almost in wonder and as if hoping she'll disappear, that she's not real or tangible or here. As far as he's concerned, her place right now is at the replica's side, taking care of Van once and for all.

Asch composes himself quickly.]

How... How did you get here?

[His thoughts keep swimming, terrified because What is she DOING here?]