Prelude || The Festival Of Light

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light."
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: The 3rd of August, final day of the Festival of Light. The Heroes of Light will awaken early in the morning.
Summary: The Heroes of Light awaken in Aqures Ixen and are informed by their assigned Moogles of what the situation and what their destinies are. This a log for them to react to the situation, meet each other and optionally participate in activities provided by the Festival of Light.
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. Upon doing so, you can hear a soft, soothing voice speaking:


"Wake up."

Soon, the void itself vanishes and is replaced by distant noises of engines. Had it all been nothing more than a dream? The soothing voice repeats its call one more time, but is soon replaced with a much less graceful "Wake up, Kupo!" Hand clutched on your Crystal, the call of the Moogle may finally wake you up. But you are no longer in your world, nor in the void. You are before the Crystal of Fire, in the third district of a city called Aqures Ixen. At this point, you may realize the engine noise actually originates from an Airship flying low over the city and headed to dock beneath the castle. As if it wasn't strange enough, your clothes have changed as well. They are now a reflection of the Jobs you are wielding. Last but not least, you are surrounded by Moogles, small and fluffy creatures who are more than happy to tell you about everything you want to know, about your 'destiny' as a Hero of Light, about what awaits you.

Or at least, they will tell you everything they do know, which isn't much in the end.

Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be any citizens aside from Moogles in the vicinity. Indeed, the population of Aqures Ixen seems to be busy elsewhere in the city-- The Moogle will tell you there currently an event named the Festival of Light, which most people are attending. But you are not alone! It probably will not be long before you realize there are plenty of people like you all around, and if somehow you do not realize it, the Moogle who woke you up will be more than happy to inform you there are others like you around. Maybe with their help, you will be able to find out what is happening to you.






— Final Day —
The Festival of Light is a yearly event held at Aqures Ixen to celebrate the victory of the "Heroes of Light" over the "Calamity from the Skies" two thousands years ago, or so do the legends say. Whether people believe in the legends or not, this is an occasion for them to have fun and spend time with family and friends. The Festival is held from the 28th of July to the 3rd of August.

Unfortunately, most attractions and events are over by the third of August. Yet, there is enough to do, should the newly arrived Heroes of Light favor spending time looking at the attractions rather than panicking about their situation. The festival ends at midnight.


Theater Play
— Ninth District || 14:00 —

There is a large theater stage installed in the 9th district-- It is probably only temporary by the look of it. There is quite a crowd seated to watch the play about to unfold, as well as numerous people standing beneath the seats or sitting on the ceilings because they couldn't get a seat. After the audience grows quiet, a woman with long silver hair and green-ish skin steps onto the stage to address the audience.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago! At the time when the Ancients reigned over the planet, when the Calamities from the Skies landed on this world and waged war against all forms of life. When our story begins, the Ancients are on the brink of extinction and gathering the last of their forces to fight. And now people of Aqures Ixen and visitors from distant lands, we proudly present 'The 4 Heroes of Light'!"

After this, the play starts and will last for roughly one hour and a half. The main characters appear to be four Heroes of Light, respectively dressed as a Warrior, Monk, Black Mage and White Mage. Other characters include the Calamity from the Skies played by the silver-haired woman, an Ancient scientist and the Princess of Crystallis. The story appears to be a highly romanticized version of the tale the Moogles told the characters earlier. As the play unfolds, there is a love story between one of the Heroes of Light, the Warrior, and the Princess of Crystallis. At the end of the play, the Heroes of Light successfully defeat the Calamity from the Skies, but the Warrior has to sacrifice himself and die in order to protect the Princess of Crystallis.


Culinary Attractions
— Fourteenth District || Anytime —
What would a festival be without free food and banquets? Not really a festival. In the fourteenth district, there is a banquet and many stands held by people from all over the world-- People from Balicea, Aerilon, Esdham, Flence, etc. There is even a stand held by former inhabitants of the Empire. All kind of food from all over the world can be found here-- Refined food, pastries, cakes, cooked meals, etc. It's virtually impossible not to find something to like in all of this, and it's all free until midnight!


Competitions
— Tenth & Eight District || 18:00 —

At 18:00, there will be a Blitzball match opposing the teams of Aqures Ixen and Balicea in the Blitzball Stadium. It is more of an exposition match, with nothing to be won aside from glory. Anyone is free to enter the stadium to watch the match. Following this, people - playable characters included - will be allowed to play some Blitzball Match on their own, if they want to try.

At the same time, a Triple Triad competition will be taking place in the eight district, in the campus of the university. Characters are free to enter the Triple Triad tournament, and if they do so they will be given very basic cards and explained the rules. With low level cards and whatsoever no experience, odds are that they may lose to much more experienced and competitive players, but what matters is trying, right? Whilst no characters may recognize him yet, it is notable that one of the NPCs, Wedge, is taking part in the competition. It's just a shame knowing he will lose in the semi-finals.


Trano Golsaucia's Stands
— Eleventh District || Anytime —
Specially for the occasions, stallholders from Trano Golsaucia traveled to Aqures Ixen and brought a few attractions to display what they can do. Noticeably, they brought Chocobos and will organize numerous races throughout the day, on an improvised tracks running around the houses. The Heroes of Light are more than welcome to try and bet, should they want to lose (or multiply) what few Gils they have. If they feel adventurous, they may even try to enter one of the races and ride a Chocobo-- At their own risks.

Aside from this, there are some more attractions worthy of attention. There is a shooting stand-- Coincidentally, all the targets are vaguely similar to the main antagonists of numbered Final Fantasy games. There is a treasure chest game, where characters are presented with ten chests and can open only one-- Prizes range from one Gils to gigantic plushie. There is also a fortune teller Moogle, it is notable that his predictions will always include either the character suffering hell or dying soon, in one form or another. Hopefully this moogle is just a scam.


Fireworks
— First District || 23:00 —

What better way to conclude a festival than fireworks? Fireworks will be launched from the Castle of Aqures Ixen starting 23:00, and will end at midnight, at the same time than the festival. No matter where you are in the city, anyone should be able to watch them easilly if they so wish. Unfortunately, it means falling asleep before midnight may be a bit hard with all the noise.

Comments

Uzumaki Naruto

[kuramaless]

Naruto was perhaps a little naive at times, and maybe far too trusting of people - but he wasn't stupid. It had taken a fair few hours to get over what he'd been told. To understand that this world wasn't his own, but he felt just as real here as he had ever done - except with the huge loss of Kurama. Perhaps it was a way of knowing he was safe - that all the chakra was gone, and yet here he stood, the crystal in hand and the bobble thing telling him all about it.

Something like a festival was a great way to distract him, and although his thoughts wandered back to the war happening back home right this minute - seeing that there were other people in the same situation was a comfort. He'd spoken to a few, some at length, some for brief enough to simply exchange the question 'are you new too?' before he decided that whatever this was couldn't be changed.

Maybe he'd work it out later.

Culinary Attractions

With his Moogle, Mogsuke in tow, Naruto had managed to locate something that was incredibly close to his heart. Food was the very thing that gave him life, and... well, it would be stupid not to eat, right?

In only a few minutes he's packed himself up with different sweets, foods, drinks and most importantly - a box of pork ramen noodles. His pockets are full to bursting with anything he could fit in them to have later, because for now he was happily enjoying the taste of something he'd missed dearly back home.

So enamored with the taste, it isn't long before he's walking along with a huge grin on his face... and his eyes closed.

Blitzball

Naruto hadn't been so sure about what was going on, but he was swept up with the hundreds of other people heading into the huge building that it would just be rude not to find out. Much to his delight, the game is interesting enough to him as the ramen had been. It's fascinating. He'd seen sparring matches, and the occasional football game back home - but this was...

"Amazing." It's spoken with the tone of someone truly in awe of what he's seeing - eyes following the ball, and by the time the first goal has been scored he's cheering loud enough for a few nearby spectators to turn and look at him.

"... Er. That was a pretty good one though, right?"

Outside the Fortune Telling Moogle Stand

Lips pressed into a pout. Arms folded. Eyes narrowed. It's a look many of his friends back home are familiar with, and already whatever relationship he'd formed with Mogsuke has grown strong enough that the little Moogle is stood on top of Naruto's head, mimicing the stance and the expression.

"So-- you're sayin' I die?"

FIREWORKS OMG

The Blitzball had been his favourite part of the day. He'd learnt so much, and found himself desperately hunting for information that would help him locate the next match - even hoping that he might be able to try it himself some time.

The food had been delicious, the attractions a lot of fun - but now the end of the day was close by, he was realising just how tired he was. Without Kurama's chakra pushing him through all the stages of exhaustion, he was left sat up on top of a roof he'd had to climb to get to. Feet hanging over the edge of the building, hands back to lean against them as he cast his eyes to the sky.

It really was beautiful, and yet-- suddenly he found himself thinking very intently about home. Was he really stuck here? What would happen back home whilst he was here? Would time stop, or had he died? Would they think he'd abandoned them? After the fireworks - he'd just have to find out for himself.

Ryoji Kaji

[iknowtheconsequences]

Wakeup:
The last thing Kaji knew, Shinji was still trapped inside the Eva Unit 01, and the entire building was still on this edgy high alert, as if anything could go wrong at any moment. Maybe another Angel would attack. Maybe Shinji's 400% synchronization rate would backfire horribly. Kaji hadn't taken that idea seriously, but now maybe he should have.

The world shatters, disappears into pure nothingness, except for one shining, warm object. On compulsion, he grabs at the crystal, that looks like something- familiar.

He doesn't get time to think about it before the world rights itself, and Kaji finds himself in a very different place. He staggers back to his feet, trying to gain his bearings. He is dressed in the long coat of a Scholar, as others would recognize it, but it just looks odd to Kaji. He feels the hat on his head, plucks the mortarboard off, and looks at it like it has offended him. Okay, no. That's not happening. He tosses it aside.

"K-kupo!"

One of the little fluff-balls quickly darts after it and brings it back.

"You dropped your hat, kupo!"

Kaji blinks dumbly. "Kupo?"

"Kupo!" the moogle repeats happily. "I'm here to help! My name is Shinji, kupo!"

Kaji's face falls. Shinji? Not a chance. "Kaji. You don't- happen to already know who I am, do you?"

The moogle shakes his head. "Not your name, but that you are a Hero of Light, kupo!"

"Hero of-" Okay, also no. Kaji holds up his hands and takes a step back. "There's been some mistake, you're going to have to explain-"

Kaji just notices again that there is still that object, the crystal, clutched hard in his hand. Kaji holds it up, and squints at it, turning it over and over again until he can figure out why it is so familiar. It takes holding it at the right angle for the picture to become clear, a shape he knows all too well from his NERV ID card.

It's in the shape of a maple leaf.

The world collapsed, remade in a different image, Kaji is still here, and the first things he sees are both references to NERV. There is really only one conclusion to come to:

Gendo Ikari fucked up.

"Instrumentality. What a crock."

Theater Play:

After a hasty explanation that explained just about nothing from Shinji, Kaji is going in search of information. Which, in Kaji's case, means going where the people are. He finds himself leaning against the side of one of the stands to watch the play. Shinji (who is still holding Kaji's hat) seems way more excited than Kaji to see it, so maybe there will be something useful to find out about this place from it.

The moment the announcer says the words 'Heroes of Light,' the play has Kaji's full attention. He watches quietly, contemplatively. Even if it is fiction, there can be a lot to be learned from it.

Once the play is over, he is scanning the crowd for anyone else who seems obviously out of place. Clearly, he isn't the only new person here, so maybe if he finds them, they can piece this together.

Eighth District: Triple Triad Tournament

As the hours pass, Kaji is either getting more relaxed, or just going with the flow more. Shinji pointed out that this is the university district, something that Kaji will have to keep in mind for when the festival is over.

But card games? Finally, something familiar around this place! A card game with a deck and rules he isn't familiar with? There's probably about to be a round of 'put one over on the new guy' coming up here, but Kaji is happy to sign up anyway.

[red_planet_blues]

[One minute Sparks Nevada is shooting down the alien weirdo proclaiming themselves the emperor of Mars, and electing a new sheriff, and then next he's being dragged off to some other universe to become world saving hero.

Great.]

[A - around]
Many new heroes have been brought here today, but this one sticks out due to the cowboy hat with his paladin armor, and the large robotic gloves tied to his belt. His moogle is perched on top of his hat, rubbing her little paws excitedly. The hat's owner looks unamused by everything in general.]

Let's go, kupo! I want to get some snacks, and then see the Blitzball game!

Yeah, I'm not exactly hungry at the moment. Wait, the what-ball game? Y'know, you're heavier than you look. And you can fly. [Sparks lazily swats at her to move, but Red keeps her place.]

[B - chocobo races]
[His moogle might be a pain in the butt, but Sparks is glad to have her around for some answers, at least.]

Wait, that's a chocobo? [This wasn't really the sort of race he was expecting. He thought 'chocobo' might have been some local word for their kind of horses.]

Yep, kupo! Hopefully soon enough we can get you one for travelling, kupo.

I-- What? No, no way am I riding one of those. They're ridiculous. That idea's ridiculous.

[After a race or two, though, Sparks is enjoying himself. It's no fun to watch some races without bets though, so he'll offer up one to the stranger sitting near him.]

Hey. I'm willing to put this popcorn on the line next round if number four wins. Whattaya say?


[[C - fireworks]
[Sparks finally has a moment away from his pushy moogle to collect his own thoughts and watch the fireworks display. He's still out among the crowds, but finds an on place in the grass to plop down, and wonders if he's going to wake up from this crazy dream. He's been through some weird stuff, but this really takes the cake. Scanning the crowds, he sees plenty of humans, but no Martians, nor any other races he's familiar with. He couldn't help but worry about how long he might be stuck in this place, and what was going to happen to his friends, his position and his adoptive home planet while he was gone. With a sigh he falls backwards onto the grass.]

Okay, Nevada. Ya can wake up aaany minute now.

B

[sunny_soda_breeze]

[Nagisa can't wait to ride one of these things. It looks so fun!

The sudden bet from the guy next to him is a surprise. The fact that the guy next to him is like a medieval knight/cowboy is just plain awesome. He grins.]

Okay! You're on!

[He doesn't have any popcorn, but he does have cotton candy. That's roughly equivalent, right?]

Blitzball

[sunny_soda_breeze]

"Are you kidding? It was awesome!"

Apparently, he isn't the only one who is super into this. This has to be the coolest sport Nagisa has ever seen. It sort of makes him wish Haru-chan was here. He'd love to swim in something like that. It was like a giant pool with no walls.

"Hey, hey, do you think they'd let us try? After the match is over?"

[kuramaless]

It's probably just the locals that have an issue with their enthusiasm. Little does Naruto know they're not used to complete outsiders - but he's used to that kind of response, so he just doesn't let it phase him, attention turning to Nagisa instead.

"Yeah, it is!"

It's nice actually... to meet someone just as excited about it as he is.

"We gotta ask, right?"

[sunny_soda_breeze]

"We should, we should! I wanna try it!"

Just so excited over here. Maybe they can eventually make amateur teams and play a real game! He starts scanning around for an official looking person. No sense waiting around, he tugs excitedly on Naruto's sleeve.

"C'mon! Let's go ask!"

[kuramaless]

The excitement was running pretty high in him anyway, so to have someone else be just as hyped up about something was probably not a good thing. Coupled with the fact that -- this wasn't some weirdo wearing a green jumpsuit. Not that he had a problem with Lee, just that Lee had a problem. Probably.

The tug makes him glance, but that's all it takes to get a reaction.

"Which way?" Already he was leaping, one handed over the bars that split this section of seating from the next, stepping over a few seats that were empty towards a set of stairs.

Ib

[her_rose_is_red]

[Ib isn't too happy to be once again pulled away from her parents and her home, but at least this place doesn't have murderous works of art around every turn. And the people here seem nice. And her moogle, Rose, was very helpful I explaining things. But this has to be mistake, right? She can't be a hero of light, she's just a kid! She spends the first hour or so wandering around the festival, wondering when and how she was going to make it home. Would she ever see her parents again? What about Garry? They'd be so worried...


Shooting Gallery-

[Eventually, Rose has convinced Ib to try to relax and enjoy the festival a little. Her problems can wait until later. So she goes to wander the midway, sampling some of the tasty treats on offer. Eventually she decides to try the shooting gallery. They even have a small block for her to stand on so she can shoot over the counter. It doesn't help much.]

Oh, I missed....

That was close, kupo! You should try again!

[She nods, finally starting to enjoy herself a tiny bit. She aims the gun again.]

Okay, one more...


Fireworks-

[Later on she can be found watching the fireworks. The pretty bursts of color in the sky leave her in awe. This is probably the best fireworks show she's ever seen.]

It's so pretty.....


For Kaji-

[And after the fireworks have ended, a very sleepy Ib is following her moogle to the housing district.]

This is it, kupo! A-14!

It looks... nice.

[The moogle has been so nice, she's trying to stay upbeat for her. She walks up to the door and carefully opens it.]

For Kaji

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji has his moogle, Shinji, riding on his shoulder, at this point. Kaji refuses to wear the Scholar mortarboard hat, so Shinji has it perched halfway on his head over one ear, around his pom-pom.

"Kupo! Here we are!"

Kaji starts towards the door, but notices that someone else has beaten him there. "Uh, hello?" Oh, it's a kid. And she has another moogle. He looks up and down the street, as if hoping for some parent to materialize out of nowhere.

[sunny_soda_breeze]

Oh, wow! This guy is so cool! Nagisa has easily as much energy, but couldn't manage acrobatics like that. And the robes that came with his Black Mage class don't help either. He runs around the railing and follows after Naruto.

"Over there! That guy looks like an employee, right? He should be able to tell us."

[urnotafraid]

Waking up
Sho had been chasing Son down, playing tag in the broken buildings that he had called home as a child. It wasn't a simple game, even though it had been the first time in a long time that he was able to let go - it was a deadly game of guns and blood, dodging through broken walls and fallen beams, exchanging words just as much as they were exchanging bullets. His wounds stung and left a trail of blood along the filthy floor, but so did Son, and they both didn't care. They were playing and that was all that mattered.

But then the world shifted and changed and Sho was no longer breathing the warm, moist air of Mallepa but something cleaner, less humid. His vision cleared and he fumbled with his clothing, growing more irritated when he couldn't find his sunglasses to cut the glare down. Something hard was in his hand and he squinted at it, scowling at the strange crystal shaped like a weird winged moon and then a fluffy ball of white was in his face, practically beaming at him.

"Welcome, Hero of-"

"Where the hell am I and where's my glasses?"

The creature bounced for a second in mid-air, and if Sho was the kind of man that frightened easily, he would have probably shot it. It seemed to get a grip on itself and attempted to continue trying to get in Sho's face.

"Glasses, kupo? I didn't see glasses?"

Sho patted himself down, realized that his entire outfit was gone and leveled a hard, flat stare at the ball of fuzz floating in his face. "I want my real clothing. Now."

A half an hour later, Sho was back in the familiar leather and linen from home, his guns in their holsters and his sunglasses over his eyes. So what he was getting stared at? At least he was comfortable. With the basics filled in by the moogle Zal, Sho headed through the festive streets. He wanted to see for himself what Zal was saying was true.

Trano Golsaucia's Stands
It was almost like home. People stood behind stands, some colorful while others more plain, hawking wares and games at various levels of yelling while other people hung around, playing games and chatting in various levels of loudness. Sho was only slightly surprised that no one asked for payments, and after he tried a couple of the games and spent a long few minutes staring at the chocobos, he wound up in front of the shooting gallery. He didn't know what half of the stuff around he was, but he did know how to aim at least.

He had already collected a number of small prizes as the booth owner decided to bring out the hard targets animated to move in unpredictable directions and a number of non-targets to get in the way. It really didn't seem to phase Sho at all as he followed the antics of a rather tall silver-haired target in the back.

Fireworks
Mallepa didn't have fireworks a lot like other countries. As a free state, a lot of the budget for new buildings, homes and parks came directly out of the pockets of citizens. The government had been more of a courtesy than actually doing anything to run things, which was why the gangs were accepted so easily by everyone else. Sometimes the Mainland would come in to clean things up, but he knew that only happened when the rest of the world got on their asses.

Sho did appreciate the fireworks though, sitting on a grassy spot while smoking one of his few remaining cigarettes. The day had proven strange and interesting, and he still wasn't sure if this was real. It was a nice change of pace, he can admit that, but everything else needed further exploration before he could accept it all.

[her_rose_is_red]

She lets out a small gasp in surprise and drops her hand away from the door. When she turns to see a man with a moogle of his own, she has to wonder. Could they have gotten the wrong house somehow? Rose had seemed so sure.

"Um.... hello..."

Ib follows his gaze up and down the street, wondering what he's looking for. It's late, so no one else is around.

"Um, are you... like me? I mean, they want you to be a hero too?"

[iknowtheconsequences]

"I..." Kaji can't immediately figure out what to say in response to that. He scratches the back of his head, and picks up Shinji to take him off his shoulder. He crouches down a little bit to get closer to the kid's level.

"Yeah, I guess I am. My name's Kaji." He nods towards the house. "This is where you're staying? I think this is me, too."

Shinji nods and gives a "kupo!" of acknowledgement.

"I mean, if that's all right?" He'll put the option out there, he could go somewhere else. But he really wasn't expecting to see any children brought here. She shouldn't be left alone.

Gaara of the Desert

[no_dreams_for_you]

Remarkable…

This was yet another new world. The strange creature – a Moogle, she had called herself – told Gaara the name of the current city: Aqures Ixen. It wasn’t the facility, nor Saeng Seong. And it also wasn’t… Suna. He hadn’t seen his village for nearly a year and a half, by this point. He was wondering if he would get to set his gaze upon it, ever again.

Others of her kind, all similar in appearance save for the color of their fur, helpfully informed him of his new role. Looking down, Gaara realized that his attire had changed. There was very brief instance when he thought he had indeed been returned home, simply because of his current outfit. He was wearing white robes – his Kazekage robes. Only… he was also wielding a staff, and he could no longer hear Shukaku’s voice inside his mind. He was instructed to hold onto the crystal in his hand, which reflected his job class… whatever that meant.

One of the Moogles insisted on following him, as he set out to explore the city. Evidently, there was a festival taking place. While Gaara wasn’t exactly the social type, he recognized that he could gather information from other individuals, in a highly populous setting. It wasn’t likely, but perhaps… there was a chance he could locate a few of the others. Whether they came from the facility, Saeng Seong, or… even his original home world.

Theater Play

…Interesting story.

Was this play a premonition of events that would unfold? He was now a Hero of Light, after all. Perhaps he would be expected to defeat the Calamity from the Skies, or whomever decided to inherit that role, at present. Well… if there were villainous forces that needed to be eliminated, in this world, then he intended to fight against them. If anything, Gaara felt a bit relieved in having a need for usage of his combat capabilities… despite his sand powers being sealed.

The love story wasn’t noted with very much significance within his mind, but did cause the ninja to think about Sai… and Luke. He felt a great deal of hesitation in seeking out those types of bonds, considering what had happened before. Forming emotional attachments came with a dangerous risk, in that they could be severed without warning. Though… at the very least, the Warrior willingly choose to die, in order to save his beloved princess. It was endearing, in a way.

Suppressing the urge to sigh, Gaara rose from his seat and continued to carry his staff along, as he left the area and contemplated where else he should investigate.

Elsewhere

His Moogle flitted curiously around him, and asked where he wanted to go next. His stomach growled just then, making the decision for him. After the mild frown faded from his brows, he began to head toward the Culinary Attractions. He didn’t recognize all of the dishes, but merely hoped that they didn’t taste like the bland food bars from the facility.

[headfons]

He'd awakened with a definite start.

There was, as seemed to be the norm, a sinking feeling. He was alone, again, wasn't he? It wouldn't be the first time he'd awakened without...anyone he knew. It being the fourth world, for him, it was doubtful anybody could blame him for expecting that one to follow the same trend.

After taking a moment to rub his head--and find his bearings, the redhead took the time to speak to the...unique creature. In some ways, it reminded him of Mieu; it could fly and talk, just like the cheagle. With all of his current questions answered, he regarded the moogle with a bit of curiosity. After finding out that it was a boy, he decided to call him...Ion. Something about it's reserved, yet kind personality reminded him of his dear friend.

Ion didn't seem to mind his nickname, at all.

~*~

Said "Culinary Attractions" were where the replica happened to be located. Hand on hip, he leaned over just a bit to peer at one of the dishes. It wasn't one that he recognized, but it certainly smelled nice- well, it was either that, or he just happened to be that hungry. Either way.

After trying everything he could manage quite a few of the unique dishes (as well as some he happened to be familiar with), he decided to move on. He was attempting to focus super hard on everything around him. Unconsciously, he knew...dwelling would put him in a place, mentally, he wasn't ready to be. He needed to move forward! His friends would be disappointed in him, for sulking, right? Turning, he began walking in the opposite direction from which he'd come- only to freeze. Wait, was...that...?

"Gaara?" The other redhead wasn't looking in his direction, but the Thief had caught a glimpse of that unique mark on his forehead.

[holycrows]

[A. Around]
Well, Henry thought to himself a bit after getting a quick rundown of the situation from the Moogle that was nearby when he came back to consciousness, seems like that messages isn't going to get to those Ylissians, oh well!

"Nyahaha" he laughs outloud as he begins to wander towards the theatre. Might as well enjoy this festival, he thinks, surely there will be some wars going on here too.

[B. The Theatre]
Henry watches intently throughout the performance, showing little emotions for most of it, getting excited when there is a fight but seeming disappointed at the end of each one. About halfway through he comments to his Moogle "This is a really tame play. I don't think I've ever seen a play go this long without a drop of fake blood on the stage"

He gets really pumped when the warrior dies, letting out a quiet chuckle of enjoyments, before popping popcorn into his mouth as he exits the theatre with the rest of the guests.

[C. The Fortune Teller]
After getting a pretty awesome fortune about how he'll be dismembered and fed to a pack of Angry goblins, Henry has wanted to share how awesome this Moogle's fortunes are. He's begun to go up to every one he sees, trying to encourage them to go visit her.

"It's the ultimate fortune you'll ever receive! Nyahaha!"

[no_dreams_for_you]

Gaara was in the middle of deciding what to eat – feeling a bit remiss that he couldn’t locate one of his favorite dishes from Suna – when he heard his name being called. Someone recognized him, and that voice was familiar. Ignoring the faint hunger pangs, he immediately turned toward the speaker. His Moogle sweetly reminded him that he still needed to eat, but his attention was focused elsewhere, at the moment.

“Luke…”

Naturally, the ninja assumed that he came from Saeng Seong, with his memories intact. The facility was another possibility, but they hadn’t been so familiar, within those endless white walls. Instantly, a surge of relief eased some tension out of his body, at the simple knowledge that he… wasn’t alone, this time. His outfit had changed as well, likely caused by the mysterious crystal. Gaara found himself pondering over which class the other had been assigned.

“Don’t forget that you’re hungry, kupo!” The Moogle chirped at him, lightly tapping his shoulder. He would need to give her a name, at one point, but didn’t think that “Moogle” or “Kupo” would be very desirable to the cheerful creature…

Gaara nodded in acknowledgement of her words, and then began to walk toward Luke. His initial steps were a little hesitant, but his expression remained the same, for the most part.

C

[holycrows]

At some point Sparks finds a pale man with his face way too close to Spark's own.

"Feelin' tired mister?"

Genesis "Genny" Rhapsodos aka the female one

[rhapsoidein]

Monty and Genesis meandered through the festival, in her hands she held some rock candy on a stick and she nibbled on it as she walked through. Waking up here had been a trip and she was getting used to not being so hyperaware of things, given she had normal human senses now and her eyes no longer glowed. In fact, they had reverted to their original color, which was gray.

She also didn't have the outfit she was wearing before arriving here but her current outfit was comfortable enough that she didn't ask Monty for her old ones back. The festival looked like a lot of fun and it kept her mind off home. She wondered what she would find...

Treasure Chest Game

"Pick that one, kupo!"

Genesis shook her head. "No, the ones on the end are always terrible... but so are the ones in the middle..."

The moogle rested on her shoulder again, pouting. She shared a look with him before sighing and shrugging. She pointed to the chest on the end at the right. It opened to reveal a rather large Moomba toy. Monty cheered as she was handed the large orange plushie, it was nearly as big as her! "...thanks a lot, Monty."

"You're welcome, kupo!!" That wasn't suppose to be a good thing.

Fireworks!!!

Finding a secluded spot on a hill, Genesis sat down on the grass, Moomba in her lap and Monty resting on its head as they watched the night sky light up in various colors. She was getting tired and she knew the full impact of what had happened was going to hit her in the morning, but right now, the sky was beautiful and for once, she felt safe. ShinRa wasn't after her in this new place. Maybe this is what the Goddess intended, after all...

[headfons]

There were a couple of blinks at the moogle's reminders. A faint, knowing smirk appeared on Luke's face as he scratched the back of his head. Immediately afterward, he moved to quickly close most of the space between them. As soon as he stopped, he...started to give him a hug. There was pause, though, as he studied his face.

See, the thing was- Gaara had known him, right off the bat, back in Saeng Seong. If that sort of thing could happen, once? Why couldn't it happen, again? So, he couldn't...help but worry, a little. Man, just the idea of Luke being alone in having memories of that city...

All the while, Ion was quietly studying both Gaara and the other moogle. Glancing down, for a moment, he was a little surprised to see how...shy the creature was acting. Maybe it was because he was...assigned to him, or whatever? Well, he wasn't worrying too much about it. It could just be his personality, or something. Well, Luke had just met the little guy. He'd learn more about him as time went...he supposed. It depended on how long he would be there, he thought with an internal sigh.

With a faintly awkward expression, he glanced to the side, for just a moment. Looking back to the other teen, he reached to scratch the side of his face as he decided on how to ask. Finally, he just wound up picking the bluntest option, "Which...'me' do you know? Facility or...Saeng Seong?"

[red_planet_blues]

[Most people would jump away in surprise, but Sparks doesn't. He just blinks up at the kid before furrowing his brow.]

Somethin' like that. Been a long day. Say, I just managed to untangle the moogle from my hair, so hows about you back of a few dozen feet.

[desertbloomed]

Arrival
“Repeat that.”

“Heroes of Light, kupo!” came the frustratingly cheerful reply from Merlose, the moogle. “Come to save us all from the Calamity from the Skies, just like the legends say!”

Ashelia looked around at the other supposed ‘heroes,’ eyes narrowed. This is not right. This cannot be right. There was a tightness in her chest she hadn’t felt in a long while. The young queen thought she had left this feeling behind in the days following the war. The feeling of not knowing what would happen next, if tomorrow would be the day she’d be hunted down by the Empire, if one of the men or women standing beside her would be the one to put the knife in her back: vulnerability. I’m alone again. No castle wall. No friends. After everything… She made a decision. She couldn’t stay here; she needed time to process all this. If what

“Are you alright, kupo?” the moogle asked, fluttering closer to Ashelia’s face. “You do not seem –“

“Of course not! You’ve no idea what you have done – I am Queen of Dalmasca, brought here against my will and forced to…to…” She trailed off, trying desperately to control her anger. “To what? Fight for you? I demand to be taken to the ruler of this Aqures Ixen. This is an act of war!”

“Qu-queen?” Merlose stuttered, backing up considerably. “I didn’t…kupo…”

Ashelia glanced around, worried that her reaction would draw the other arrivals’ attention. “You will take me somewhere private and you will tell me everything I wish to know. Understood?”

“Yes, milady. Of course, milady.” Merlose spun around and led Ashelia away from the Fire Crystal. The queen took one last glance back at the looming monolith, grimacing. She was going to get to the bottom of this, and whoever was responsible would pay dearly.

Culinary Attractions
After the averted public meltdown at the Fire Crystal, Merlose took Ashelia back to her house – a nice surprise for the displaced noblewoman, but not near enough to make a difference as far as her mood went. One long and emotionally draining conversation later and Ashelia was completely famished. She sent Merlose off to arrange a meeting with the leaders of Aqures Ixen and, after taking a while to cool off and regain control of her emotions, she set off to find something to eat at one of the stalls.

Ashelia sighed quietly as she took in some of the options available. At least Merlose had been able to retrieve what Ashelia had been wearing before being whisked away from Rabanastre. Even if the small creature didn’t seem too enthusiastic about her chances of booking a meeting with the interim leaders of the city, she had done that much at least.

Still, the young queen felt more exposed than she ever had before. Even when running from the Empire and struggling to regain her kingdom, she had Vossler and the remnants of the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca, and though at one point she had been willing to take off on her own to King Raithwall’s Tomb, she was rather glad that didn’t turn out to be necessary. Here, in this new world of Crystallis, she was alone. Completely and utterly alone.

The other heroes… Ashelia shook her head as she walked slowly through the crowd, one hand resting on the pommel of her sword. I know them not. I trust them not. It was simple as that. They may well all be in the same situation, but not even Merlose, try as she had to put a positive spin on everything, could invariably vouch for their strength of character.

And so Ashelia walked along, deep in thought, looking utterly and completely lost, though she knew exactly where she was in relation to her home.

Fireworks
It had been a full day. She hadn’t seen pom-pom or poof of Merlose since sending her off that morning, but Ashelia didn’t care. She found it relatively easy to navigate the city, as long as she kept to the major thoroughfares and kept track of where the castle was. As the night wore on, though, she found herself becoming more weary than usual. It hadn’t occurred to her until now how much she would miss magick. At this time, she would have been behind her desk, signing letters and discussing itineraries with her steward – all under the affect of Haste, of course. There was no better spell suited to keeping one awake late into the night, and she much preferred it over the after effects of caffeine.

When the fireworks started, Ashelia found herself on the side of a high hill, under a large, if lopsided tree. She leaned against the trunk, looking up at the light show. It was no doubt beautiful, but it brought her no joy. She had finally won, finally crowned herself queen and saved her people from a disastrous war and the terror of the yarhi…and now she was here, in Crystallis, looking at some fireworks. She brought her hands to her chest, clasping them together, rubbing her wedding band absently. At least I have this still. It would have to be enough for now.

[no_dreams_for_you]

From Luke, he would have accepted the hug. So when he stopped, Gaara tilted his head a little, and gave him a curious look. Why had he changed his mind, at the last minute? Something was holding him back – a sudden realization, of sorts. Luke seemed to be watching him intently, as though…

Ah, so that was his fear. It was one that the ninja could personally understand. He had felt the same way in Saeng Seong, back when he first addressed Luke, and told him about having met his other party members at the faciilty. Then, it happened again with Sora, and they didn’t even get the chance to become reacquainted. Just from the way Luke was speaking to him, though, he already drew the conclusion that they did in fact remember each other.

Gaara, as usual, answered his question literally, “I am acquainted with both versions. However, I shared a closer bond with the Luke from Saeng Seong.”

“Closer bond” was an understatement… considering everything they had done together, back in that world. Of course, he wouldn’t think to repeat any of those details in a public setting. So long as he and Luke both possessed the same memories, it was fine. They wouldn’t need to explain anything else to each other.

His Moogle scampered forward and greeted her fellow kind with a happy smile, “Hello, kupo! Nice to meet you! Do you have a name yet, kupo?”

[red_planet_blues]

[Cotton candy works for him.] Who'd ya got yer eye on? Number two looks kinda feisty. But my heart says four.