melodiesoflife | 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

The man's reaction told Yuki that he'd met one of the Sohmas and then Reno confirmed Kyo. So..Kyo had been here and had made a friend?

"This is another world." He felt foolish stating the obvious but still. It was hard to imagine and Yuki half hoped he would wake up from the whole thing. But to hear that Kyo had been here..

"That makes me wonder if he's still here." As ludicrous as it sounded to his own ears, there still might be a chance of it somehow someway. And another question plagued him too.

"So..Kyo told you about..the zodiac?"

"Well -- yeah, but, I mean another one." Reno winced. "This is my second one since leavin' my own."

He shook his head and shrugged. "And I dunno if he's here or not. I mean, I hope so, but... So far, haven't found anythin' out. Except I found you."

And the curse... Even though Kyo hadn't been cursed on the island, it had come up. And then when they were cursed, and Reno had seen... that thing... Yes, he knew.

"Look, it's yer secret t' keep. It doesn't matter t' me." He shook his head again. "I ain't gonna tell, if that's what yer worried about."

For the life of him, Yuki wasn't sure why they were having this conversation. But at the same time if this man knew things that he didn't, it was worth learning. A part of him always wanted to learn, but since arriving here, it seemed to be more pronounced.

The silver head shook. "I'm not worried because there's nothing to tell..anymore. But I still would be grateful if you didn't reveal it." And Yuki didn't say that this world and things he'd already seen and heard to him outranked the Sohma curse secret though keeping the secret and all the scars would always be with him. But his own curse had been broken, so he wouldn't transform anymore.

Reno's eyebrows rose with some surprise. "So you won't transform anymore, either? I wonder if it's a 'new world' thing."

He and Kyo had always assumed Atia had taken the "ability" away as a part of her policy of limiting the collared's "powers." Could it have been a matter of being in a different universe? Strange.

"It must be." Yuki answered evasively. He wasn't about to tell a stranger that his curse broke before he came here. So even if Reno knew about the curse, Yuki would keep the bare minimum known. Old habits died hard and he'd always wanted to live a normal life.

Freed even further from the Sohma curse, he wasn't sure what to do in a strange world. But still, he didn't want the secret to get around anyhow.

As someone murmured their apologies and pressed past them, Reno remembered again that they were in a semi-public place.

"Sorry," he apologized again, embarrassed. "I sprang a lot on ya... Look, maybe we should talk somewhere more private?"

Reno wasn't sure where that might be, but curses and past relationships were the stuff of more intimate conversations.

Half of him wanted to take Reno up on his offer, and the other half decidedly didn't. But he wanted to know exactly how much Reno knew so he gave the answer that he had to give with a nod.

"I don't know where that could be since I'm so new here." There was something of an apology in that statement, but truth was truth.

"Same..."

Reno chewed his lip as he thought. He knew nothing about this place. He had no idea where anything was, or wasn't. Technically he knew where he was supposed to live, but the actual address meant nothing to him. And he didn't want to drag Yuki around on some weird goose chase for privacy which might end up elusive. If things weren't awkward enough, that would kill it.

He glanced around the temple area and, as if by a miracle, his eye caught a glimpse of a blessed empty space. One corner across the temple that, at the moment, was unoccupied. He nodded toward it with a questioning look, awaiting Yuki's approval.

Amethyst eyes scanned around as well trying to figure this out. With the things and people that were here, it certainly seemed like a game of cloak and dagger, and Yuki knew he had to be careful. He knew nothing of the red haired man in front of him, save that he said he knew Kyo and of the Sohma curse.

Still, relief flooded through him as Reno found a spot they could talk and Yuki nodded his approval.

Reno pushed a way through the crowd of people, some confused -- likely new heroes -- and others explaining, calming them, welcoming if that were a thing. The veterans. He created a path for Yuki behind him, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure the other man was still there.

Only half of it was out of concern Yuki had been lost to the crowd. It wasn't that thick. No, it was mostly to make sure Yuki still existed -- that he was real, and not some trick of Reno's mind. He'd lost Kyo. He couldn't lose another Sohma, created by his grieving mind. It would be too much.

When they reached the corner, he looked around for anyone potentially eavesdropping. "Look, I'm... sure you have a ton of questions."

It wasn't hard to follow the red haired man. He was the only one with that colour of hair, not to mention the feather look to it. But he appreciated that Reno was looking out for him.

This was just..strange. Someone who knew Kyo and knew about the family secret..just what were the chances of that really?

And when they stopped, Yuki noticed how careful Reno seemed to be. For some reason, the other man seemed to be a gentle caring soul though Yuki kept telling himself that this man could potentially be dangerous.

So he put his back to a wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "How..how well did you know Kyo?"

It was smart of Yuki to be suspicious. They'd only just met after all. And Reno was a dangerous man -- even toward a Sohma, if need be. But that wasn't necessary now.

He shifted his weight as he thought about the question. He had to answer with care. It wasn't like he could openly say, We were lovers and fucked regularly. No, that was entirely inappropriate. But he couldn't lie and say there was nothing.

He wouldn't know about the Sohma curse if there were nothing.

"We... were roommates," he began truthfully. "We met on this island called Atia -- another world, like this one, where you just kinda wake up there, no warning. Anyway, we became sparrin' partners, an' then later on when I got a nicer place, I invited 'im t' stay with me."

He paused. "He was one a' my best friends, Yuki. I prob'ly knew 'im better'n you did."

The words were out before he even realized it, but as the shock sank in he realized he didn't regret them. If Kyo's family was as he said -- and Reno didn't believe Kyo had any reason to lie -- then it was likely true. Reno probably did know Kyo better than most people, even from Kyo's home.

And he definitely knew Kyo's body better than this Yuki person... but that was another issue entirely.

Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

finally catching up on tags that Gmail collapsed

It's totally fine!

no subject