melodiesoflife | Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

Entry tags:

Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

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...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Graham is hard to intimidate. And he loves to talk, so anyone who will listen is good by him.]

It looks like a lot of hands are needed around here. This city has been through a very sad story, and very recently. I suppose I should thank the forces of the universe that have dragged me here that I came after the battle, but I wish I had gotten here for it.

[The way he slaps the giant wrench he's carrying off the palm of his hand over and over again suggest he's itching for a fight. The Empire wouldn't even know how to handle Graham if he had shown up to fight them. Luckily for them, he wouldn't have been at full power.]

I'm no Hero and I don't plan on being it, but I wouldn't mind tangoing with whoever thought they could get away with such an act. But considering I don't see any soldiers marching through the streets, I guess they were successfully fought off?

Don't worry, this world'll-

[He pauses suddenly as a thought strikes and needs to be chewed on before being said out loud. His silver crowned head turns upwards and around, to the scenery, as Sephiroth eventually peers across the street.]

-it'll drag you in too. Eventually.

[In the meantime Graham's words wash over him like a wave of water a few degrees too hot. Instantly, eyes flick back and all over the newcomer. For a few moments, Sephiroth wonders how this individual could be so un-informed but then rather than be angry at the fact settles back into being mildly irritated.]

That depends on your point of view. You should check out what used to be District 13.

Cities can be rebuilt. As long as the city is still yours to rebuild, it sounds like a success to me! You should be happy.

[He's ill-informed because he was too busy flipping out majestically while his poor moogle attempted to explain and calm him down. It hadn't worked, and his explanation was lost. Since then, Graham has had a few people fill him in on details, but it's a lot for his scattered mind to take in at once.]

Is that all the Heroes are up to now? Picking up the pieces? Did this battle have anything to do with this Calamity I've heard talk of?

[The ever-careful gaze doesn't leave Graham at all, searching his face over and over for some further explanation how the individual before him can brush it all off so easily like that. But really, as eventually becomes obvious, he wasn't there for it so he couldn't have known.]

Should be happy that the lives and property of so many civilians was destroyed or otherwise irreparably damaged? It's not our City to have prescribed to such a fate in the first place so helping to pick up the pieces is the very least we can do.

[The Calamity...isn't that something else entirely as well-]

The Calamity...is something else entirely. It's not known the extent of how this all revolves around some greater plot concerning that.

Mm, now that sounds heroic. So if this isn't related to the Calamity, what exactly is the Calamity?

[Someone was a little too panicky to listen to his moogle's explanation when he arrived. And considering Graham is wandering around moogle-less right now, while asking questions like this, might tell Sephiroth something.]

[It didn't seem like the moogle was around anywhere and Sephiroth is vaguely surprised he hasn't had a panicked small creature come flitting over after Graham already. Wasn't it their duty to help the heroes out, especially on their first day?

Well, someone had better tell him straight, that being the case. Disregarding the hero-comment entirely.]

The Calamity is a phenomenon that, since it has been unleashed, has spread out consuming the world and turning it all to crystal. It's connected somehow to us, undoubtedly by a similar phenomenon that brought us here in the first place. There is a legend that tells that the Heroes were summoned to fight it but we now know that can't be correct.

[Another quick glance around for that moogle, wondering if his own -Spencer- would be returning from his errands soon. His own companion had always been much more precise at explaining all of this than Sephiroth could manage to get into words.]

Turning to crystal? [He blinks. That sounds awful.] What a horrible fate to fall to. The entire world forever encased in crystal... Actually, to an outsider, it would probably seem beautiful, wouldn't it?

[The world would be stopped, frozen in time forever for others to regard like a museum piece. But the whole idea of being in stasis forever makes him nervous. Graham jumps up from his seat now, and starts to pace while tossing his wrench back and forth from hand to hand.]

We were brought here to fight it, but it's similar to what brought us here? Why not stop bringing us here in order to stop it, then?

If the Heroes can't fight it, then what do you do about it? Heroes wouldn't just let it go, correct?

[Green eyes follow Graham for the first few rounds of pacing he makes before Sephiroth looks away, across the street, to the floor beneath where his feet only a few inches short of touching; anywhere that meant he wasn't staring, and getting further irritated by this newcomer. Trust his luck to be landed with the million-questions...

Even if he had brought it upon himself to a certain extent.]

Because if we do not stop it this time, then the cycle will continue to repeat. This all happened before, circa 2000 years ago. Every time the Heroes of Light fail to destroy the Calamity the world is reset, and those Heroes become part of Crystallis itself - ripped from their rightful places.

[A knot forms in Sephiroth's gut, and his body language all tightens up as his thoughts run over those bumps which is what he understood of Kalki's larger plan.]

The other alternative, is to break the reset-cycle. Let the Calamity consume the World and eventually start over.

[That stops him. Graham looks at Sephiroth a bit taken aback.]

If we stop it, the world is "reset" and we're trapped here forever. If it's not, there's no reset and the world ends. That's the deal? That's what we've all been brought here for, without our permission, with no regard to our feelings or status or anything?

[He thinks this over for a moment, before shaking his head.]

Then I won't have part of this either way.

[He lets out a long sigh through his nose. It's certainly not as clear cut as Sephiroth just made it sound. Looking back to Graham he makes an effort to push the tight expression from his features, straightening up a little where he's sat.]

Eventually, one way or another you won't be left with much of a choice. Stop to consider what might happen to our own worlds if the Calamity is not stopped here. Through us, through our crystals, there is a undeniable connection to where we have come from.

[Sephiroth waits for Graham to catch up with the implications of that.]

These are all but wild theories, though. No one can know how it might end up.

[Graham pulls back from Sephiroth with a grimace at that implication. He resumes his pacing, more furious than before.]

So that's how they get you! How underhanded! Hold my world hostage and force me to be a Hero in some sort of lose-lose situation!?

[He can't contain himself any longer. There's not much around them that he can break or take apart, so he slams his wrench in frustration off the street next to him. Even with his power dialed back, he manages to crack the stone beneath him.]

And no one person is responsible for all of this? Are we just brought here by fate or magic or something weird like that?!

I don't believe you're too far wrong with that presumption.

[He manages to utter as Graham finally loses his rag. Eyebrows raise minutely at the expression of annoyance which had been enough to crack a cobblestone. He finds it quite a pointless gesture, but there are for sure worse ways that the newcomer might vent. At least it's the street, not his wayward moogle that's taking the brunt of it.]

If there is one person responsible, she's since made herself scarce since it was discovered. Palitutu, formerly known as Jessie, masqueraded as one of our aides here before the facts were made known to us.

So she's the villain the heroes are after? Good. Then let's find her. Because if there is a way to fix this so I can get home, I will find it! I can't let Boss Ladd think that I abandoned him while he's in prison. I can't let Shaft and the others think that I disappeared of my own will and left them without a word!

[Graham grabs his head, as his face turns anguished over these ideas. Leaving without a word to them was downright heartbreaking to him.]

I can't....

[He's been through his moments of anguish already, several months ago to begin with and while they did return every now and again the difference is Sephiroth prefers to keep them to himself. However he does continue to watch Graham as as clutches at his head.]

If she is the answer to all of it, if she really does know how to put us all back in our rightful places there are a great heap of other responsibilities to consider as well. Would we be leaving this world, and our own, to suffer destruction? Abandoning some mission that we've been brought here to fulfil by a greater power? There are too many unknowns still.

Furthermore- [He stumbles a little, cutting his words off before they do come out before he might reveal too much about himself.]

-others might not want to go back.

Edited 2015-09-30 11:58 (UTC)

[Gritting his teeth, he whirls around and points his wrench at Sephiroth again.]

Then let them stay! But those who do can't make the rest of us stay! If I wasn't asked about how I felt about being brought here, why should I care about what happens to it?!

Because I imagine you will care if somehow the Calamity ends up on your World once it's done with this one.

[He's something of an expert in remaining cool in the face of hot-headedness and Graham just seems to be becoming more and more irate.]

What would those you left behind think, then?

[Graham is all emotion, all the time. The stream never seems to end, only change course. Sephiroth has struck a nerve, though, as Graham recoils a bit at that thought. There aren't many people Graham cares about, but those who do mean a lot to him.]

A-All the more reason to fix this as soon as possible! What about you? Don't you want to return home? Aren't you concerned about the people there? Even just one? Or are you an island unto yourself?!

Edited 2015-10-02 02:50 (UTC)

[Graham is exactly the reason why Sephiroth doesn't let his emotions out of the well-maintained steel cage of his consciousness. He's much too in control of himself to allow a slip like that-

Though the others words do gain him an extended pause from Sephiroth. The last thing he needs currently is for the scab of too-raw thoughts about home, and the future of what he will be going home to after all of this, to be picked clean off. As Graham continues to belt him with questions; it's like digging a nail in to that wound as well.]

Certainly not. [He answers the last where he can't reply to the others. A crack to his calm facade showing in a tell-tale twitch at the side of his mouth where it might have turned into a grimace or a pout.]

Unless we manage to become the Heroes, there won't be a future to go back to at all.

"Become" them? I thought we were them! So we're not even there yet?! Augh, this only gets worse and worse the more I talk to you!

[Hands gripping his head, Graham paces a few times in front of Sephiroth before deciding to storm off, ranting as he goes.]

I'll find out what this means, on my own! I am no island, but sometimes I wish I was. Then maybe I'd still be at home, not having to deal with this insane situation! Someone who cared for no one could never be a Hero!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

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argh sorry

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