melodiesoflife | Endgame || Apocalypse

Characters: Anyone
Where: Pandaemonium
When: March 05th
Summary: The first phase of endgame begins! The Heroes of Light are on their way to deal with Garland as they’ve left their unfinished businesses in the hands of their friends amongst the NPCs. How will it end? The mingle threads shall not be modded, only The Guardian will be modded. Please do not start individual threads for The Guardian, reply in a single thread. Starting from now on, the game is officially in endgame. Please do not post any new posts on Mognet or in the Log Community, unless they’re backdated to before this event. The second phase of endgame will be posted once The Killer Of World thread will have been unlocked and completed.
Warning: ̩̼͋ͬͅ.̷̳̗ͦͣ͐ͭͣͬ̈́ ̤̙ͫ̉.̨̯͖̗͓̥̭̣̂̄ͣ̏ͯͫ ̶̼̻̳ͫͧͥ̆.̭͎ͮ͂ ̳̤͓̖̫͌ͪͥ̄͗̐̌.͚͍̀ ͈̻̠̥̜ͦͦ̆ͨ͋.̼̹̹̠̟͚͎ ͙͇̲̘͖̉̌̒͂̈ͮ.͇͙͑̍̽ ̪̭̹̤͓̯̜ͦͣ̒̾͆͗ͦ͟.̝̯̲͗͊̽ ̛̙͌̈ͤ̚.̪̮̰̘͚̏ͦͤ ̲̼̺͓̣̝̐.͗ͨ͜ ̧́̑̄ͥ.ͬ͊̋ͣ ̝̠͍̭̯̽.́ ̊̽̈.̡̥̖̣͓̬̠̰͗͑͂ ͍̭̩̝̉͊̑̃̓ͤ̇.͆̔̀̈́̐̋ ͇̬̤̲͉̜͙̓̍ͦͯͤͥ̔.̯̻̺͔̰̞̙͋͡ ̻̼̣̮͖̮̋ͬ.̖̝̞ ͕̦̙̞̹̲̖̓̃.̌ͯͯ͟ ̺̘̪͊̊.̲͖ ̧̼̙̋ͦͧ̂́̑͑.̷̼̬̭͔͙̹̫ͦͧ̔̄͐̏ͫ ̱͎ͥͥ̈͝.̲̣͖̪͓̯ͩ̓̈̿ͧ̅́ ̪͈͚̺̦̝͎̒ͦ̇̚.̂̆ͯͦͩ̃̀̀ ̬͕̼̆.͎̃́͐̄͒̑ͪͅ ̠̳͎ͬ.̛̭͓͗͌ͪ ̴͉̱͉̘̯̟̔͐.̫̣̥̔͑͛́ ̝̭̤̜͖͎̙̈ͪ̿̓ͯ͂̚.̟̲̥̥͈̭̳̈̋ͥͦ ͔̩̈͋͐͗̚.͓̝̼͍̈ͧ͊ͅ ̥ͥ.̷̬͍͙ͥ̓͋ͅ ̪̯̠ͨ́̂.̱̙̘̫̰͕͈̎̓̊ ̧̻̃̎.̬̇̄ ̘̣̺̼ͯ͋̀.̯ͬ ̆͗͆̆̋͝.̴̞͖̫́ͬ͌̉̍̿ ̪̹̥͙̑ͅ.̵̻̮͓̉̃ͯ͑̊̈́̚ ͚̽̒̚͘.͇̮͇̻͍͈̠͂̓ͣ̀͡ ̩̠̖̋.̺͎͈̦̺̈́ͮͬ͌̋ͧͩ ̳̠͕͙̎ͩ͜.̛̆ͥ̒͑ ̘̠͓͚̱͗͜ͅ.̢̠̠̥͍̬̂̊͋͊̂̄̐ ̦͛.̰͚̫̱͙̩̅̓ ̲̜͌̒ͭ͑͠.̠̆̈̏͆̉ ̰̹̳̻̥̮̬ͨ̍̐̆͗ͫ͜.͕̥͔̳ͩ͞ ̣͓̥̑̍͊̽̄̀.̳̘̭ͭ̔̎̍͜ ̟̞̯̏.̙̯̦̞̱̘ͬ͐ͩ ̯̠̣͉̪̅̅ͣ́ͅ.̡͗̍̿͊͐͊ ̲̙́̽̽́.̝̟͇͈͚̿͝ ̑͜

Mingle Thread
The Guardian
The Killer Of Worlds

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Finding him not paralyzed by air-sickness is a welcome-relief, as the taller man comes and stands by him. Normally Vincent kept to himself--and he still avoided most of the group. But Cloud...even if this was not the Cloud he knew from Gaia... Cloud was still his ally, his friend in many ways too. Easy to see, in the blonde man standing watch, the man he would become on Gaia--and yet different, better now, for choosing his own path.

Vincent was still silent, had been much quieter ever since the beginning of the month. But he was there, a nod given to the other man. Dressed in his classic red and black, with tarnished gold gauntlet on his left arm and hand. Not only did he bear a revolver at his hip though, but Vincent was carrying a rifle. One he'd kept safe, and was deliberately choosing to wield now even though he didn't know if it would help much. Perhaps it was just symbolism and sentimentality that made him bring it.

Coming to stand by Cloud, silent companionship and resolve clear.]

[Cloud nods at Vincent, not speaking but happy for the company. It's been hard to get a feel for the other Gaian all this time but he knows right now that they're here together in this moment and not in the past or future.

Still, he can't help but pry.]

You've done this sort of thingbefore. Any advice?

[Even after witnessing his encounter with his shadow, is it so difficult to know him Cloud?

Vincent is silent though, mulling over the question for several minutes. It might make Cloud wonder if the other even heard him or was going to reply.]

I've prepared for similar, but not quite the same. When I awoke here on Crystallis, aside from the memories we all have as Heroes of Light, my other main remembrance was AVALANCHE and its members taking time for ourselves. We were to regroup in the morning at the Highwind, if we were fully committed and invested in facing the threat of Jenova's Calamity that Sephiroth was calling down.

[Keeping his voice low, and while he would normally not share so much of the future--Cloud already had hints. Already knew some of what would happen, and there was no danger in spoiling this.]

I had spent many hours contemplating, before starting to make my way back to the Highwind.

[One can have a textbook on Calculus and know it, but still find it difficult to read all the same.

He listens intently to Vincent and looks around the ship, nodding to himself.]

I think we've all been doing that, in one way or another. I don't know though. There's just something off about this. We've been preparing but it seems more like we're attacking than making a last stand...which I guess is a good thing.

[He frowns. There's just something about this that doesn't seem like an 'end'. Maybe it's because, as far as they know, Garland and the Calamity are each two separate threads. Garland stands in their way but slaying him won't solve the problem. Just bring everything a step further.]

So were you brought here before or after you got back to the Highwind?

[Again Vincent is silent long enough that Cloud might well assume anyone else simply wasn't going to answer.]

Before. But I am not sure it makes much difference, since it would seem things happened anyways. Or such is the impression from others further along.

[Yuffie, Reno. Their return trip to Gaia.... Vincent had avoided learning most of the details, but the bigger picture had more than been seen.]

Calling us 'Heroes' has always been confusing. In much older times, to be 'heroic' didn't mean necessarily to be virtuous, only capable of great deeds. Whether we are the protagonists, or the antagonists, depends upon who is telling the story.

[Turning to look at Cloud. If nothing else, Vincent's crimson eyes show his age. So much older than the rest of him appears.]

Does it make a difference, to what you feel we must do?

[Maybe not much, but final dungeon crawl experience and advice would still be welcome right now.]

Maybe a little. It's been harder to be sure of why we're doing things than if we should. Like, doing what we can to save this world, every world, stop the Calamity....even if they seem impossible I couldn't stand knowing our purpose was to just keep the cycle continuing. Especially not if other worlds are being consumed just to keep this one going.

Crystallis may want to live, but the cost...Even if we're the antagonists, I don't think it gets to say it's the good side here.

[There is an approving nod there, Cloud. Vincent agrees. It had been the point of his allusions about how 'heroes' didn't always mean virtuous or good. Not in the olden times.]

I see my advice is not needed.

[There is definite approval in his voice too. Not that he felt he had much to give anyways.]

Waiting has always been the hardest part though. Patience, the anticipation and nerves, learning how to be in that state of readiness without it crippling or distracting you. It's a valuable skill whether on the front lines, or covertly.

[Turks did their fair share of dirty-work after all, and no one who couldn't be patient, but ready, made it far in Shinra's corps.]

[Cloud nods, thinking it all through. As an MP he didn't need to do that much in terms of covert ops. It was usually either patrols or escorts. Still, both involved a lot of waiting for something bad to happen, even if nothing did.

But when it did...]

So, what about when things go to shit? What then?

You trust your training, and you do what you must to get through.

[It seemed so simple, especially when put that way. But it wasn't the answer Cloud was looking for. Honestly there was no 'easy' answer.]

Being able to keep calm also helps.

[It was more accurate to say that the easy answer wasn't so easy to follow in the heat of the moment. But it's not like he really expected some deep secret about how to keep his cool and adapt either.]

Yeah, sounds about right I guess. And trust in everyone else too.

Trust is the hardest part. You trust others to do their part, and their job, without mistakes. But you have to be ready to adapt as well.

[There is a pause, and a subtle nod of his head though.]

I would not worry, Cloud. You will do fine.

I know...

[He doesn't...but he does believe he'll try.

Cloud returns the soft nod after a short delay as well.]

Thanks for being here.

[A slow blink--thanks? Unnecessary. Crimson-eyes looking out at the passing scenery.]

I have come this far. Giving up now would be pointless.

Endgame || Apocalypse

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