melodiesoflife | Intro Log || The City That Never Sleeps

Intro Log || The City That Never Sleeps

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Trano Golsaucia, Aqures Ixen, Airships.
When: The 5th of May. The new Heroes of Light will awaken early in the morning.
Summary: The new Heroes of Light awaken in the Temple of Wind next to Trano Golsaucia, and they 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 be welcomed by the former batches of Heroes of Light.
Warning: N/A

Where you were or what you were doing— It does not really matter. Not any more. Within a split second, 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 know 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 before long it feels as though life itself is slipping out of you...

And at this very 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 a gentle breeze. Had it all been nothing more than a dream? The soothing voice repeats its call once more, but is soon replaced by a much less graceful "Wake up, Kupo!" Hand clutched on your Crystal, the call of the Moogle may finally bring you back to your senses. But you are no longer in your world, nor in the void. You are before the Crystal of Wind, in the Temple located right outside of a city called Trano Golsaucia. At this point, you may realize the breeze originates from the massive green Crystal floating nearby. 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. They look pretty tired, but they will be more than happy to tell you everything you want to know. They shall tell you about your 'destiny' as a Hero of Light and about what awaits you. Or at least, they will tell you everything they do know, which isn't much in the end.

There are quite a few people around you as well. For the most part, they are people like you-- All clothed in their Job garbs and most likely wondering what is happening. There are also some other Humans, Tarutaru and Hypello in the room, but unlike you they don't have a Crystal, nor do they have a Moogle following them. If addressed, they will say they are the Guardians of the Crystal of Wind and will confirm everything the Moogle said. They will reveal they found you unconscious around the Crystal a couples hours ago, and immediately contacted the Moogles and the government of Aqures Ixen.

If asked about it, both the Moogles and Guardians will explain that Heroes of Light have already appeared in this world within the past year, and they all are in a city called Aqures Ixen. It's the first time Heroes have appeared in this temple. In fact, you probably should go to Aqures Ixen as well. The Moogle will tell you this is where your house is and where the other Heroes will be able to help you. Thankfully, should you decide to take your sweet time to get there, the other Heroes may just come to you.

The Other Heroes
— Anytime —
And indeed, thanks to the efficiency of Mognet and Shoopuf Airline it does not take long for the other Heroes to come around. You may meet them in Trano Golsaucia or in Aqures Ixen, or maybe even in one of the Airships going back and forth between the two cities. They are those who arrived in this world months ago and they have gone through quite a lot. You may have imagined heroic and charismatic figures when your Moogle told you there were other Heroes of Light in this world. You may have imagined persons with fearsome powers when they told you how they recklessly attacked the Heran Empire to free their friends a few months ago. And most importantly, you may have imagined them as people who would have the answers to your, doubtlessly, numerous questions.

If so, you may be up for a complete and utter 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.

Trano Golsaucia
— Anytime —
Should you leave the Temple of Wind and head south, you will reach Trano Golsaucia. It's a gigantic city covered with snow-- To make it simple, this city is a gigantic amusement park. It is the most popular place in this world and of course, there are plenty of people all around. Thankfully, other Heroes of Light are easy to spot: they are the only ones who are followed by a Moogle and holding a Crystal.

And there is quite a lot to be done in this city. Maybe you could stop by the Triple Triad Center to begin a successful career in card games, or maybe you could buy a ticket at the Blitzball Stadium to support your favorite team. If you're the kind of person who relies on luck, you may have more fun gambling in the Casino or betting on your favorite Chocobo in the Chocobo Races. If you're more of a person who enjoys simpler games, maybe you could try one of the numerous carnival-style mini-games found in the city, such as the shooting stand or the treasure chest game.

If you'd like more details regarding all the attractions and games available in Trano Golsaucia, you can find everything here! Of course, all of this requires money and odds are that you may not have a single Gil yet. If your Moogle is nice though, maybe you could ask him or her to loan you some Gil...

Airships
— Every Four Hours —
Upon reaching Trano Golsaucia, you will also have the right to board an Airship. Exceptionally, there is an Airship available every four hours, all because of your arrival so that Heroes of Light can meet each other and go to Aqures Ixen with ease.

The flight itself should take between four to six hours as it will travel from one city to the other on route. This is nothing special for the denizens of this world, but for you it may be quite the experience if you never boarded a plane or any flying contraptions before. The service is nothing special, but there are some light refreshments offered free of charge. Note that most of the employees on Airships are Hypello.

Aqures Ixen
— After an Airship Trip —
Upon arriving in Aqures Ixen, the first thing you will see is the Airship Port in the 12th District. Following that, no doubt your eyes will find the Castle of Aqures Ixen, a classic yet refined structure standing in the city. From there on, characters are free to visit the city-- There are no attractions in this city, but there are scientific buildings, another Blitzball Stadium and even an Observatory serving as base for the Heroes of Light. If you'd like more details regarding all that is available in Aqures Ixen, you can find everything here!

Or maybe -and perhaps inevitably!- you could visit your new house in the 11th or 14th District, and get to know your new neighbors and housemate. It's been a long day, so you could use some sleep. Hopefully your neighbors are people you will get along with...

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[A - Waking up/the other heroes]

It was the wind that first lured Richard back to wakefulness-- cool, gentle, and most of all, familiar. So familiar, in fact, that for a moment he was certain he must have fallen asleep on his desk with the window open again, the terrifying sinking sensation and the mysterious crystal nothing more than images conjured up by yet another unpleasant dream...

... no. No, that couldn't be right. Because if that had been a dream, then everything that had happened on Fodra must have been a dream as well, and the pain he'd felt from the injuries he sustained in the battle against Little Queen had been no figment of his imagination.

"Wake up, kupo!"

A voice? But one he'd never heard before...

Slowly he opened his eyes, squinting against the pale green-tinged light of the room. Where...?

"It's about time you woke up, sleepyhead. This isn't the place to be taking a long nap, kupo."

"... who are you? And... where am I?"

Whatever was going on, Richard could already tell that he didn't like it.

[B - Trano Golsaucia]

Cold. Richard had never been particularly good with the cold, and the cold in the areas outside this city rivaled the temperatures of Fendel, though at least the wind was less biting and the magitek kept the city itself relatively temperate. But that was where the similarities between the two cities ended. The atmosphere here was nothing like Fendel's, for one thing; there was far too much joy and exuberance here, too much life in the city. The people here were happy, and their happiness was contagious, enough so to bring a slight smile to Richard's face and make him forget the chill of the air. As uneasy as he still felt about the entire situation, it was hard to brood too much in the face of so many new and fascinating things.

The only question was... what to try first?

[C - Aqures Ixen]

Richard had always thought Barona to be a large city-- and it was, by Ephinean standards. Compared to this, however, it almost seemed like some backwater hamlet. To say Aqures Ixen was huge would be an understatement. Never before had Richard seen a city so impressive; he couldn't help the tiny pang of what he was certain must be jealousy as he wandered its streets, intent on simply exploring.

But there was far too much to see in a single day, and it wasn't long before he found himself getting tired and hungry and in need of a chance to just sit down and rest for a while. So, with Frieda's assistance, he turned at last in the direction of where she told him he would find his new house, hoping that the strangers who were going to be his housemates were people he would be able to get along with (or at least tolerate)...

Elizabeth spied the newcomer as she was headed out for something to eat, he had an odd look in his eyes, much the same as her own when she was exposed to things like the trap in the train station, or the playground jail. So she approached and tilted her head.

"Do you require assistance with anything here? It can be an odd and overwhelming place, but for the most part it is safe."

It took Richard a moment to realize that he was being addressed, but when he did, he was quick to smile at the young woman. At this point, any sort of assistance was more than welcome, especially from those who had been here for some time and were more familiar with this place than he. Truth be told, all of this was more than a bit overwhelming; while Freida had been kind enough to explain the basics, there was still enough left unanswered to make him feel ill at ease.

"Thank you-- your kindness is more than welcome. Would you happen to know where I could find House B-06?"

The map Frieda had given him did only so much to point him in the right direction when the entire area was still unknown to him.

"Oh, that is near where I have been put too, it is not... Terribly far from here. Are you one of the new heroes of light? No, wait, if you are being put there you probably are, unless you are a moogle that is quite adept at disguise."

She peers over him and sniffs the air a bit before shrugging, "Still, you seem more human. OH! Wait! How rude of me. I am Elizabeth."

With that she bows.

"Richard." He returned her bow with one of her own, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth."

The comment about him possibly being a moogle in disguise earned her a quirked eyebrow, and though under other circumstances he would be tempted to play along with that and pretend to be a moogle, at the moment he was too tired and still too off-kilter from the entire situation to be able to maintain the charade for long. Instead, he opted to simply respond to what she had told him. "I was human the last time I checked, though who knows what might have happened in the process of being transported here. At least I can say with confidence that I am indeed one of these supposed 'heroes of light.'"

"It can be rude to assume things, and frequently the impossible has a certain dignity that the mere improbable lacks. That and there have been some beings of great power forced into by this place into humanity so I do not like to assume."

She shrugs a bit, then points down the street. "I believe your home to be that way. If you like I can accompany you there."

"You don't have to move quickly." Her voice was soft and close to his ear when she spoke. Zelda was kneeling by his head, her hair falling in golden waves down her side as she leaned forward. She had come to check on the heroes and had stayed at the temple until everyone awoken.

"Are you alright?"

She meant any injuries though the question was vague enough that he could answer how he liked. Zelda's brow creased with worry as she watched him. Her bright blue gaze flicked to his moogle.

"How long was he asleep?" Some heroes where a sleep for hours while others minutes and there was no way for Zelda to know since she had just shown up at the temple.

Though the voice was unfamiliar, something about it was soothing enough that it helped ease the panic he felt as he drifted slowly towards wakefulness.

"I..."

His lips seemed leaden, as if he had been frozen in ice for some indeterminate period of time, though his body did not feel cold... if anything, what he felt was more of a strange floating sensation.

"Almost an hour, kupo," Frieda was quick to supply. "I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to wake up." Her furry face wrinkled slightly in worry as she hovered around his prone form. "Do you think he's all right?"

Zelda looked down at him her hair falling around her face as she peered at his features. "He's waking." She heard the soft tone of his voice when he tried to speak. She quickly pressed a cold cup to his lips, her voice gentle as she spoke.

"It's water. Drink slowly."

She hadn't seen anyone wake up so slowly before and she couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong.

Zelda smiled at Frieda with a confident grin. "He will be fine. I'm sure the experience wasn't pleasant." It hadn't been for her though she was lucky to have had Kopula by her side.

Richard didn't need any further encouragement to begin drinking. The cold liquid hitting his throat and spreading a slight chill through his body was enough of a shock to jolt him the rest of the way to consciousness, and as he drank, his mind at last began to take in his surroundings. This... was nowhere he'd ever seen before, he knew that much for certain. Had he been kidnapped? No, this woman seemed far too kind to be a kidnapper. But then what was going on, and where was he?

"Well, he seems to be thirsty, at least," Frieda nodded in response to Zelda, her pom bobbing slightly. "That's a good sign. If he has enough energy to drink, he can't be all that bad off."

At last Richard had drunk his fill; lifting one arm, he nudged at the one that held the cup to indicate that he was fine now. "Thank you." He couldn't help the frown that crept its way onto his face as he continued, "Where are we?"

Zelda moved the cup away when she was done. She slowly stood from her position next to him and held out a hand for him to take if he needed the help getting up. She kept her expression confident though a bit of sadness crept through Zelda's mask.

"You're in a world called Crystallis. Your moogle can explain some about this world but you were brought here. I don't know by what. Not yet, we were all brought here from our own worlds and we are still looking for a way home." She tried to sum it up but she didn't know what his reaction might be.

She wished that she had more answers for him.

"Helping people is hard work, kupo." Tern sighed heavily. The moogle had all but given up the effort of flying, instead taking a page from Taiga's book and sprawling out on top of his Hero's head where he was safe.

"It's not so bad," came the amused reply. "But I guess today has been pretty eventful, huh?"

Asbel and Tern were on their way back to the house. After having met up with Sophie and then taking a brief trip to Trano Golsaucia to assist the other Heroes, they were both feeling a little worn out, so the journey through the city was taking longer than usual (although that wasn't Tern's fault so much).

"What are you going to do, Asbel?" Tern asked him timidly.

Asbel thought about it, his eyes wandering the buildings and people as they passed without really seeing them. He didn't have an answer yet, but he was certain they'd figure something out. Eventually.

"Well, that's..." Asbel's voice had trailed off into nothing as his footsteps halted, nearly sending Tern sliding from his perch.

Richard's own focus was elsewhere as he walked, looking for the numbers on each of the houses they passed. This was the right district, he was sure of it, so where was the house...?

"It should be just over here, kupo!" Frieda announced triumphantly. "I knew we were going the right way."

... after several minutes of going the wrong way and wandering in circles due to her lack of directional sense, but details.

"And you're sure we owe nothing for these lodgings?" There was a slight hint of skepticism to Richard's voice. Even after everything Frieda had explained to him, it still seemed too good to be true, supposed Heroes or not. It wasn't as if he was much of a hero, especially not here, where he had done nothing yet to prove even his abilities in combat.

"Absolutely certain! Think of them as repayment for your service to the world, kupo."

Richard almost protested, but thought better of it and said nothing. He didn't have the energy for a debate at the moment; all he wanted was some food, a hot bath, and a bed. Also the chance to remove this strange (and heavy) armor...

It was mere luck that led him to glance down the street to where a very familiar auburn-haired man just happened to be standing and staring at him. He too froze in place, hazel eyes locked on what he was certain had to be Asbel (no one else had hair that curled upwards like that, nor eyes that were such an intense blue), mouth falling slightly open in shock and disbelief.

"... Asbel?"

Asbel broke off the staring contest, his gaze falling to one side the same way his frown did. This was bad. What was Richard's doppel...no, the former Hero of Light, doing in a place like Aqures Ixen? Asbel had to have left an embarrassing impression on him the last time they'd met, and he found himself at a complete loss for what to say or do now. He couldn't just walk away, though. He was still Richard, and he might even be in trouble if he'd come all the way here from Flence.

He hated to admit it to himself, but being forgotten hurt a lot more than he'd ever thought it could. Of course it wasn't Richard's fault - he hadn't done anything wrong! - but it still hurt. Asbel was about to stumble his way through an awkward greeting when the other man spoke up first.

"Richard, you--" His eyes snapped back up, daring to hope that maybe something had changed. "Do you remember who I am?"

(After all, his clothes...had...changed...?)

Something was wrong. The way Asbel was looking at him was unlike any expression he'd ever seen on his friend's face before, even during what had happened with Lambda. The uncertainty and what he could almost have sworn was a hint of fear he saw there felt like a knife being twisted in his gut, and the worst part of it all was that he had no idea what had caused it.

What could possibly have happened to make Asbel look at him like that?

And then that question... it only twisted that invisible knife further. But he couldn't let it show; after all, whatever had happened to prompt this response must have been serious indeed, and it was hardly Asbel's fault. Instead, he tried to keep his face as neutral as possible when he replied. "Of course I do, Asbel. Why wouldn't I?"

Relief flooded him almost immediately. Richard remembered him, he actually knew who he was...

"Oh good," the words escaped in a puff of air he hadn't been aware he was holding back, "I'm so glad to hear you say that."

Asbel made his way up to him, still hardly able to believe it was really Richard. Sophie and Richard, arriving the very same day. It seemed impossible, and yet it didn't feel like a coincidence at all.

"Sorry about that, Richard. It's just...well, it's a long story." He offered his friend an apologetic smile, knowing even as he said it that Richard was too keen to just ignore things. But all that could wait a little while, he hoped. He didn't want to burden Richard with his own problems right here in the middle of the street.

"Did you just arrive? You must be pretty exhausted."

It was hard to keep the frown off his face as Asbel approached him, almost as if his friend were having trouble believing that it was really him. Understandable, given the circumstances, but Asbel was nothing if not an open book, and that little apologetic smile did nothing to reassure Richard that there wasn't something more going on than mere surprise that the two of them had both been brought to this world. No, Asbel was hiding something, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

... but his body apparently had other ideas, because as if on cue, his stomach growled. Loudly. Far more loudly than was proper for a king or anyone from polite society, and now it was his turn to look sheepish.

"More exhausted than I'd thought, it seems. And also more hungry... I apologize for that." Not that Asbel would ever judge him for something like that, but manners prompted him to offer an apology anyway.

No, he wouldn't judge him, but you had to admit it was kind of funny. A grin tugged at Asbel's mouth, not the awkward tight smile from a moment ago, but one with genuine warmth. He shook his head - no apology necessary. Leave it to Richard to be proper even at a time like this.

"Good thing we bumped into one another when we did. Tern and I were just headed back. If you want, you should come with us, Richard. It may not be fancy, but I think we could probably throw something together to eat. And there's plenty of kupo nuts, too. You don't mind sharing with Richard's moogle, right?"

The last question seemed to be addressed to his own moogle, because the furball timidly readjusting himself into Asbel's hair gave a nod. "N-no, it's okay! I d-don't mind sharing with friends, kupo."

"Thanks." Satisfied, Asbel returned his attention to Richard, awaiting his answer.

Edited 2015-06-15 15:00 (UTC)

Tear had simply been walking amidst the festivities, perfectly content with watching other people walk and just enjoying the lively atmosphere despite the cold. But something about her had to have caught the attention of one of the vendors, if the way she seems to be gently trying to turn him down seems to be any indication.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't have any money." Now now, how to make an exit and not straight into another vendor...?

As it just so happens, Tear's protests catch Richard's attention in turn as he walks past, and he slows his footsteps slightly in order to see what is going on. The vendor seems to be a bit too aggressive in hawking his wares and the young woman a bit too polite to outright say no, meaning that the conversation is going exactly nowhere without some outside intervention...

... which Richard is all too happy to provide by stepping up to the woman's side with a smile. "There you are-- I've been looking all over for you. Don't tell me you lost track of time again." And he punctuates his sentence with a quick wink, an indicator for her to play along.

At first Tear is just as confused with Richard seemingly appearing out of nowhere, and it probably shows on her face. She takes a step back at least, and opens her mouth to protest that no, she was not lost and—

... Oh, he winked. It takes a second, but realisation dawns upon her and she just barely blushes, glancing at the vendor out of the corner of her eye. "No, I hadn't realised how long it was since we split up."

Now would the vendor buy the charade...

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Intro Log || The City That Never Sleeps

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