Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: The 5th of September. The new Heroes of Light will awaken early in the morning.
Summary: The new 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 be welcomed by the former batches of Heroes of Light. It marks the first time since January that Heroes of Light have appeared in Aqures Ixen.
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.

The only people around you are like you-- There are quite a few of them, all clothed in their Job garbs and most likely wondering what is happening. 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. In fact, there are other Heroes who have arrived in the course of the past year and they will come soon! Like you, they have Jobs and a Crystal.

If asked, the Moogles will mention that the city was recently attacked by the Heran Empire and nearly destroyed by Ultima Weapon. What's the Heran Empire? What's Ultima Weapon? Better to ask to the heroes who saw it all.


The Other Heroes
— Shortly Thereafter —
Thanks to the efficiency of Mognet, it does not take long for the other Heroes to come around: those who arrived in this world within the past year. You may have imagined heroic and charismatic figures when your Moogle told you that there were other Heroes of Light in this city. You may have imagined persons with fearsome powers when they told you about how they fiercely battled each other past month. And more importantly, you may have imagined them as people who would have all the answers to your, doubtlessly, numerous questions.

If so, you may be up for a tragic disappointment. Still, for the most part they know more than you on the situation and may be more than happy to fill you in, especially if your Moogle didn't tell you much.


The City of Aqures Ixen
— Anytime —
With the recent attack, Aqures Ixen is under reconstruction. The city was saved for the most part, but there are ruined buildings, the Sixth District is nothing but wasteland now and the Thirteenth District has become a graveyard. Even so, there are a lot of things left to do in the city for newcomers. A few groups of Triple Triad players are playing before Mognet Office in the ninth district, mostly Moogles as many of them are not working after what happened. And of course, they are more than happy to teach the rule to anyone passing by. Characters are free to enter and play games of Triple Triad, and if they do so they will be given very basic cards and explained the rules. This may be the start of a promising career!

Characters are also free to visit the city-- Mognet Office just behind the Triple Triad games is filled with Moogles, most of them panicked, tired, busy or slacking now that their director has disappeared. They can also visit Airship Port in the twelfth district from where characters can board for free Airships from Shoopuf Airline-- Though they have to make a request 48 hours in before to do so.

Or maybe you could visit your new house in the 11th District, and get to know your new neighbors and housemate. Hopefully your neighbors are people you will get along with.


Close Encounters of the Third Kind
— 19:00 —
Characters venturing by the city's outskirts at this specific time will be able to see a most peculiar sight: a flying saucer seemingly abducting a cow before flying away and disappearing into the sky without leaving any traces of its presence. If your character do see it, hopefully there will be someone with them. Otherwise, nobody will believe their story.

Was it an UFO or just a hallucination? Only the future will tell...

Comments

(ilu too, eli. this is it. this is what this header has ever truly needed, I just didn't realise it)

[no1]

[ Ace sees no other alternative to the situation than to pick Hanafuda up by her mantle before any more harm is done, sighing softly at the sight of the Hero's awakening. It has been a true feat to keep up with a moogle this reckless, but the responsibility remains his, and he doesn't mean to escape it. ]

But k-kupo, I just wanted to check if he was still breathing...!

[ That would be all the culprit manages to utter before the boy gently places her on the ground beside him in order to teach her a lesson about personal space, while not necessarily limiting the moogle's movements. She kind of still stays there for a moment before flying upwards, though, as if trying to figure out what his real intent was. If anything, she seems rather apologetic and remains quiet. ]

She does that, sometimes, I apologize. [ Meanwhile, he can't help but take a quick glance at the boy's clothes that hint at a potential Hero, and yet an accompanying moogle is nowhere to be seen. Mognet duty, perhaps...? ] ...And yes, you could say we've worked together for a while. [ pausing. ] Are you all right?

WORTH IT .jpeg /squishes the sheep's cheeks

[silencesfate]

[ He waves a dismissive hand, really it wasn't like he was overly bothered by the Moogle. (At this rate, honestly he was alarmingly getting used to different types of wake up alarms... and people or not!people thinking he's not alive. The true purpose of his being brought to Crystallis is clear.) And napping space is also important! But he didn't necessarily mark any favorite spots like the other boy did. Sleeping kin, are they... ]

I'm fine.

[ He yawns afterward, not really having much more to say than that. Maybe he thought he passed out? He shakes his head to further clarify when the looks from the other two still seem inquisitive. ]

This is... normal for me.

b-bah...I tried, I tried so hard. last time I did that it ended up with tulips being crushed, though

[no1]

[ Well, with the endearing promise of being unable to escape unless a scary cloud of destruction has been vanquished, Minato will have all the time in the world for that, yet. Maybe he'll even dare to dethrone his elders in a fierce competition for the best bench, he just severely lacks proper experience now. ]

I see.

[ Maybe it's not big of a deal, but Ace feels slightly relieved at those words, even if the way the stranger phrases it grabs him as rather odd. Still, none of it gives him a free pass to keep on bothering him like this, because hey, let's call things by name. It should have never really happened to begin with.

Only a simple question follows, because in a place like Crystallis, it's good to be aware of your potential company. ]

...Just one thing. You're not from the University, am I right?

[ It's a one way to confirm the status of a Hero that doesn't involve accidentally throwing random civilians into a state of confusion. ]

apparently dw also wants the text 'ilu eli' to be crushed!! RUDE

[silencesfate]

[ This is an unfortunate trial that serial sleepers must apparently face... Can't it be said he just wants to Social Link with the Sandman? He's very cute and round, and his movie deserved more profits and an Academy Award nomination.

Stretching out his back and arms forward in front of him like a cat, at the question Minato blinks at the other boy curiously. ]

Do I... look like I'm from university? [ Not scandalized here, just musing. ] No, I'm not. Just in high school.

[ Though come to think of it, with being here and all. ] ... Was?

[ That was what he meant, right... ]

wHAT IS THAT? I am genuinely scared....

[no1]

[ If Minato's sneakily trying to benefit from Ace's affinity with animals he might be in for a surprise, because in the other's eyes he remains a human, regardless. Overall, this makes for a satisfying answer that only proves to the blond that his assumption was in fact, correct. ]

University students tend to wear the garbs of their respective Jobs as a part of their program. [ The tone of his explanation is very matter-of-fact as Minato tries to figure out what kind of tenses the language has to offer. ] So yes, you do, but if that's not the case, there's only one explanation for this.

[ Not that he'd be allowed to continue so freely, oh no. With a sudden fwoooosh there comes the moogle again, struck with a sudden realization. ]

Holy kupo, so that's actually him! That sleepyhead Hero everybody tried to kick awake back at the Crystal... should've listened to my moogle-senses, kupo...!

who knows?? maybe it's some kind of attempt at ghostly communication

[silencesfate]

[ It was worth a subconscious shot!! ]

Huh...

[ Minato scratched his cheek with a slight raising of the head, he sure wasn't expecting one continued defiant non-act to gain him some degree of notoriety. Should he be honored? Probably not! And thankfully he really... mostly isn't. ]

Better people know now than later I guess... But reputations sure are troublesome.

[ He briefly wondered if it was Kharon who blabbed about it in his stream of stress complaints when he had flown off to leave him be, or someone else. It doesn't really matter in the end! Minato is still, for now, a Problematic Fav™. ]

and it took me so long to write it...! d u u u h, go away ghosts, be spooky somewhere else!

[no1]

[ If he'd only care to simplify his reasoning, perhaps it would also seem more obvious how long he let himself be seen in the open, sprawled on the floor and then surrounded by numerous clueless Heroes. But how easy it is to place blame on your innocent moogle...!

Remembering his own somewhat difficult arrival, Ace tries to act ignorant about his own involvement in this, although the way he tilts his head - slightly, slightly - as if to acknowledge the resemblance, might or not give him away. ]

Know what?

[ There he goes, falling one more level down in subtlety, though to be fair, Minato has started it by making it look like a secret in the first place! ]

[silencesfate]

[ Kharon deserves better than him and he fully knows this! He still... probably owes him an apology for apparently being so much of a downer that their negative x negative =/= positive... but it's so troublesome. Everything is too troublesome. What did he do to deserve this. Little did he know Kharon would be the one to approach later anyway, so all will (eventually) be well. Marginally better, more like, but it's a process.

Minato leans back, and looks thoughtful--saying something simple as if it was the most profound thing in the world. ]

If I get a reputation, I can't just go do whatever I want. I'll have to match expectations.

[ Yeah, he's like this. ]

[no1]

[ This level of solemnity is too much even for Ace, though it remains a point well made, just not necessarily in this situation. He acknowledges the importance of self-imposed standards better than most, having had his every step supervised throughout the entirety of his career as a cadet, but... it still hardly compares to Minato's current situation.

Or was the other's world so harsh that this now requires a proper explanation? ]

Well, worrying about that on your first day won't get you anywhere. People have the right to form their own opinions, and whether you can change those opinions later, it's entirely up to you.

[ He places hands on his hips, shooting the boy a questioning glance. ]

Otherwise, why try anything at all?

[silencesfate]

... Ah, that's troublesome. I don't want to.

[ And just like that, the dramatic mood is gone again. Ace, Ace no, don't think of his world being that much of a glorious mess (yet); he's just being petty. ]

[no1]

[ Even though it does rather ruin his build-up, Ace appears to be rather unmoved by Minato's show of overflowing passion. Not necessarily out of lack of care for his fellow, newly-arrived Hero, there just isn't any logic in attempting to sway the heart of someone whose entire being seems to revolve around their... unwillingness to do anything, really.

And it's a pretty strong impression for also being the first. ]

Very well.

[ The Moogle, though. There is nothing but blatant disappointment on Hanafuda's face when she shoots upwards so that she's nearly at Ace's level, leaning close to whisper into his ear. ]

Such an underwhelming performance, don't you think, kupo?

[silencesfate]

[ Come to think of it, perhaps this was fine. He'd rather not be remembered for anything one way or other, but... maybe people will be less willing to harass him when it has a very low success rate, if any? Or maybe he's just good at rationalizing how to not argue with the current state of things--going with the flow to this extent is probably not healthy (yet he really is unhealthy...) ]

Haaa...

[ And just like that after a couple moments' without conversation, with hand over mouth, he was yawning again and paying the Moogle no heed. He blearily keeps his eyes open afterward, however, as company was still around, for better or worse. ]

Still wanna talk about anything?

[no1]

[ Not if you're going to phrase it that way, no - though being this direct has its advantages. Thankfully, he was already on his way, if to find his luck... somewhere else.]

I'll leave you be.

[ Motioning his Moogle to follow, he hesitates for a moment. ]

... Ace. If you had any questions later.

[ But has this boy even been acquainted with the ways the Mognet works? ]

[silencesfate]

[ Just Ace? Huh. He wondered if that was normal for where he's from. ] ... Minato Arisato.

[ He's quiet, though he appreciates Ace's offer to be helpful as unlikely as he is to take it. Maybe the "Hero" thing isn't just for show for some of them. --It does, again, remind him of how hilariously unfit for this he is too however. That meant dealing with others, and gosh, socialization was tiring. ]

I'll try a different bench, next time.

[ As usual with his type of vagueness and flat wording, it's unclear if he caught on from the start or along the way, but... who knows. ]