Intro Log || The Calm Before The Storm

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Flence, Aqures Ixen, Airships.
When: The 5th of July. The new Heroes of Light will awaken early in the morning.
Summary: The new Heroes of Light awaken in the Temple of Water next to the County of Flence, and they are informed by their assigned Moogles of what the situation and 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 the peaceful sound of waves. 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 Water, in the Temple located next to a city called Flence. At this point, you may realize you have been laying on a thin layer of water originating from the massive blue Crystal floating nearby. Sorry about the wetness. 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 Water 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 governments of both Aqures Ixen and Trano Golsaucia.

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 may want to 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. However, they will also inform you that Aqures Ixen is about to be attacked by the Heran Empire. What is it? Quite simply, the Moogles will say that the Heran Empire seems to know a lot about you and this is why they plan on attacking the city.

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 Flence 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.


County of Flence
— Anytime —
Should you leave the Temple of Water and head North, you will reach the County of Flence. It's a peaceful city inhabited by peace-loving and refined people. A lot of the people living there are either aged or specialized in non-battle focused Jobs, and they are very friendly, though if they're asked about the upcoming battle, they'll urge the Heroes of Light to stay and avoid fighting.

Other Heroes of Light are easy to spot in the city: they are the only ones who are followed by a Moogle and holding a Crystal. And there are quite a few things that can be done in this city. Maybe you'd like to stop by the fishing pond and try your chance-- Of course the world is in danger, but fishing is never a waste of time. If you have refined tastes, you may try to visit one of the many restaurants in the city, or the Museum covering this world's naval history. There are also Inns, and you can stay there for free: indeed, the government of Flence offers asylum to all residents of Aqures Ixen, and Heroes of Light are considered to be residents of Aqures Ixen.

If you'd like more details regarding all that is available in the County of Flence, you can find everything here!


Airships
— Every Four Hours —
Upon reaching the County of Flence, 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. Something may be evident though: the flight in destination of Aqures Ixen are nearly empty, whereas the Airships leaving the city are filled, as if everyone was fleeing from it.


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!

Noticeably however, there are very few people left in the streets and most of those remaining are either heading to the Airport, or they are preparing to leave in the coming day. If asked, the Moogle will explain that the city is being evacuated in reason of the upcoming attack. Maybe once you've done what you have to do, you should leave as well, unless you want to find more about why you are here-- In that case, confronting the Empire may be the better solution.

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...

Comments

[they_call_me_sonic]

Wake Up/Other Heroes

Among the various new arrivals is quite the interesting sight: a blue-quilled four-foot tall hedgehog and he looks quite annoyed as his Moogle explains the situation.

"Hey, I'm all for saving the world and all, but could we have done it AFTER I was done with the adventure I was on?"

"My apologies, kupo, but we have no way of controlling that." His Moogle replied. With that, the hedgehog chuckled and shook his head.

"At least you're not getting on my case over my style." He said. "The name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

"And I am Bean, kupo."

"You... Don't throw bombs, do ya?"

Airship

Sonic had heard the pleas from the townspeople who he encountered, begging him not to go to Aqures Ixen, that it was safer there. However, Sonic couldn't let that go. There was a town in trouble and they needed help. And reduced speed or not, he'd charge in, full throttle.

At the moment, the hedgehog was enjoying the view from the airship... Perched on the railings, no care if he fell off or not.

Wake Up/Other Heroes

[goddessofthesky]

“I don’t think I’ve seen bombs here but there is magic.” Zelda smiled as she stepped forward. The little moogle floating behind her held a journal and was scrabbling things down every now and again. He stared at Sonic for a long while before realizing that it was probably very rude and then redirected his gaze to the note book.

The young goddess had her hair tied back in a long braid that fell well past her waist. She had two strands of blond framing her face while bright blue eyes gazed at Sonic.

“I’m Zelda. I’ve been here for a while so if there is anything I can try and answer please let me know.”

Re: Wake Up/Other Heroes

[they_call_me_sonic]

Sonic couldn't help but tilt his head a bit noticing the other Moogle. Looked like other people got them, too. Turning his head back to Zelda, he let the odd feeling of déjà vu pass before he spoke up.

"I think I got the gist of what's going on, but I wouldn't mind the direction to where I need to go. Obviously I'm needed elsewhere....!"

Wake Up/Other Heroes

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda laughed softly. "The heroes are meeting in Aqures Ixen. There are airship leaving every few hours there." She gestured towards the entrance of the temple with a smile.

"Want me to walk you there?"

Re: Wake Up/Other Heroes

[they_call_me_sonic]

Sonic shook his head at the offer. "Nah, I can run there. Trust me - way faster!" Motioning to his Moogle, he started to run off...

...only to stop and look confused. He headed back to where he started and ran again. Still nothing.

"Okay, another question - I'm supposed to go fast. Really fast. I'm not going fast. What gives?"

Wake Up/Other Heroes

[goddessofthesky]

"You've lost the powers from your world." Though she was surprised that his moogle hadn't mentioned it before but then he didn't seem like the sort who liked to slow down and listen. She smiled a little sadly before continuing.

"You were given new skills when you woke up here. They are different but with time you should be able to regain some of what you lost." She paused. "We are trying to find out how to get out abilities from home back with what we call custom jobs but we haven't been able to figure that out yet."

Zelda shook her head. "I'm afraid for now you'll have to take the airship." At least he got to fly.

[they_call_me_sonic]

"I tried to tell him, but he just seemed focused on other things, kupo!" Bean said, crossing his arms.

"I didn't think you meant everything." Sonic retorted before shaking his head. "If that's the case then, we'll just have to hoof it."

Airship

[believesinhumanity]

Rock was basically in the same camp. He knew it was probably not a good idea when he was human now and didn't have any of the abilities he'd had as a robot, but Jazz had told him that these "jobs" he'd gotten with the new clothes he was wearing would allow him to fight. Rock really wasn't the sort of person to stay out of things when people needed help.

So he was also aboard the Airship that Sonic was on. In fact he walked out and saw the odd blue creature perched on the railing and had to go over to get a better look. "Is it really safe to be doing that?" He asked, coming up to stand near the railing on one side of Sonic.

[they_call_me_sonic]

Sonic looked over to notice Rock joining him. A kid. What is it with him and kids tagging along? Granted, one's super smart and the other uses a hammer. He gave Rock a shrug and resumed his pose.

"Eh, do it all the time! I'm cool with it!" he said, brushing off the concern. Truthfully, he should be worried.

[believesinhumanity]

Rock leaned his arms against the railing and continued to look up at him. "Are you sure? That seems like a long way down."

And it really did. These "Airships" were certainly different. He'd been on airplanes before, but this wasn't like that at all. Rock didn't know if he'd ever get used to how odd this place was, but then he'd only been here a few hours.

[they_call_me_sonic]

"Heh, I've been in worse." he said. "I've been doing this for years, so I'm sure of what I can do."

Wow, so cocky over what he can and can't do. Over confidence or what?

[believesinhumanity]

Yeah, he does seem pretty cocky, but then, Rock had only just met him, so he didn't know for sure if it was really overconfidence or not. He'd just let it drop.

"Alright." He turned to check out the view. "My name is Rock." He said, "You're a Hero of Light too, right?" It hadn't really taken him that long to figure out the thing with the crystals, "How long have you been here?"

[they_call_me_sonic]

"Name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog and I'm on the same boat as you. Literally and figuratively." he said, finally turning around to face Rock. "Looks like we're both here for the same reason. Though, I hope you're okay with it. Might be rough."

Wake up/Other Heroes

[dragonflame]

"I don't think I've ever seen a moogle throw a bomb before, so unless they are super secret ninja's or something and they do it when no one is looking, I think it's safe to assume they don't." Bloom had been walking by when she had heard that question and just couldn't help but stop to answer, giving a small smile as she did.

She didn't think this whole thing was weird at least. "Since you asked that anyway, I assume you are new. So welcome, my name is Bloom and I'm like you... I being a hero fo light... not being a talking animal."

[they_call_me_sonic]

Sonic couldn't help but chuckle. "Sorry, just that 'Bean' is the name of someone I haven't heard from in ages. And don't worry about being freaked out over me - I'm quite cool!"

"Name's Sonic! Nice to meet you, Bloom!"

[dragonflame]

"I'm not freaked out. When you live the life I have, things like this are the norm at this point." Considering she can even go as far as to travel into a story book later on, she will be very much use to oddities.

"But I do admit, it's still rather cool. Nice to meet you Sonic." She added with a chuckle. "If you need answers, I'll be happy to answer anything."

[they_call_me_sonic]

"Guess that makes two of us!" Sonic said, realizing that, frankly, they all live strange lives.

"Though, questions, huh? Can't think of anything off the top of my head, but I am hungry. You wouldn't happen to know where I can get something good to eat here. Preferably a chili dog."

[dragonflame]

"I know most of the places that serve food. However not so much about chilli dogs. However..." She raised her finger slightly, being here was difference, but she wondered if they would here. "I am sure if you ask they might try and make one anyway."

[they_call_me_sonic]

"Awesome...! C'mon, maybe we can find out what else is here!" Sonic said. Yes, Bloom, he was inviting you to join him. It's as if he's certain both of them didn't know what else was here.

Airship

[neverfirstclass]

When Cloud saw the blue creature roaming around on the ship he began to wonder if there was something was wrong with the remedy he had drank. Was it not working? He didn't feel sick. Was it working TOO well? Had someone put something in it?

It took spotting the moogle accompanying Sonic to make it clear that the hedgehog was not some strange monster or hallucination. Cloud gave his own moogle a sidelong glance, but Mako merely shrugged. Keeping his distance from the railing, Cloud called out to him. "Hey....um...you're one of the new Heroes, right?"

Re: Airship

[they_call_me_sonic]

Sonic didn't pay much attention to Cloud at first, figuring him to be part of those on board the ship. If he noticed the staring, he didn't mind it. It's when he called out to him that he gave his attention to him fully, now curious.

"Yeah, that I am. At least, that's what Bean told me. 'Sup?"

Re: Airship

[neverfirstclass]

Perhaps remarkably, Cloud didn't seem to be surprised at all about Sonic having the ability to speak. Then again he did seem a bit distracted. "Ah...I'm Cloud." He shifted his gaze away from Sonic and towards a more stationary point on the ship's deck.

"I was one of the first Heroes brought to this world. About a year ago. So...uh...welcome I guess. The timing isn't that great though, I'm sorry."

[they_call_me_sonic]

"The name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog!" he replied, turning around perching himself on the railing standing up. "Don't worry about the welcomes not being the best - I got the story already."

He did notice Cloud's confusion. "You sound like you never met a talking blue hedgehog before!"

[neverfirstclass]

"Well there's the hypello here and they're blue and they talk a bit weird, and then there's the moogles, but..." He supposed that wasn't what Sonic meant, "But no. Actually I'm wondering if you're similar to a friend back home...well he will be a friend. He's a talking red...well I'm not sure if he's more like a lion or a wolf. He is what he is."

[they_call_me_sonic]

Sonic blinked, then shook his head. "I know a talking red echidna, but he's something of a Knucklehead." he said. "So, I doubt I'm from where you are."