Intro Log || Exactly As Planned

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: The 5th of November. 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.
Warning: Abundance of marshmallows in the streets of the city. It's still in the process of being cleaned out.

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 attacked by the Heran Empire a couple months ago and by their resurrected evil king who had taken the form of a Marshmallow giant a couple days ago. This sounds crazy? Welcome to Crystallis.


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 managed to destroy the giant evil King Moggle Mog XIV a couple days. 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 quite recent disaster and the disasters brought about by the Giant Moogle King, Aqures Ixen is still under reconstruction. Some buildings are being worked on, in particular a lot of people are working to restore one of the Castle's tower that was destroyed during the recent event. Noticeably, there are a lot more Hypellos than usual since Aqures called Balicea for help. Zo long as yoo don't mind zeir aczent thoogh, it'z fine.

And besides the reconstructions, there are a lot of things to do in the city for newcomers. A few groups of Triple Triad players are playing before Mognet Office in the ninth district, and a Blitzball Match is set to start at 19:00 in the (nearly) brand new stadium! Characters are also free to visit the city-- Mognet Office just behind the Triple Triad games is filled with Moogles, most of them plotting for a new strike. They can also visit Airship Port in the twelfth district from where characters can board for free Airships from Shoopuf Airline.

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.


The Laboratory
— Anytime —
A location where a lot of Heroes of Light seem to be gathering is Palitutu's Laboratory. It is a place where employed characters can research into various topics. However, most importantly, characters can see a file with their name...

Should your character decide to go there and peek at their file, there are two possibilities. Either the file is corrupted and they cannot access it: too bad for them, but at least their life will remain a mystery to them. Or should you decide the file isn't corrupted, they will find a summary of their lives up to their canon point, as if written by a third-person omniscient narrator. On the column left to the text, to the top there is a portrait of them, and beneath it there is a 3D model of them. Said portrait and model can be switched to any year of their life. At the bottom there is a percentage, indicating 0%. On the right column, there are various links, most of which are grayed out. The clickable links lead to their Homeworld History and their future post-canon point history (corrupted file for unfinished canons).

At least, they can lock this file away if they don't want anyone to see it.

The Hospital
— Anytime —
Characters who have already been in Crystallis before do not wake up by the Crystal of Fire like everyone else. Instead, they will wake up in the Hospital of Aqures Ixen, in a room where there are over a hundred of other Heroes of Light like them-- Maybe even some familiar faces... Except they're all in Crystal Stasis. More than that, this room is locked and all the windows are closed, making it impossible to leave. If they kick against the door or yell however, a nurse will come and open the door, setting them free. The nurse will be surrounded by two guards and all three will be... Scared, to say the least. As if they expected you to kill them where they stand.

And everyone in the Hospital will react the same way. Guards everywhere will have their weapon at the ready, at least until they realize you are "normal."

A Moogle will eventually come to you as well, and explain to you why this strange behavior is a thing: You did actually kill plenty of people a couple days ago. And if you focus a lot on the matter, you may even have flashbacks of what you did during the Night of the Thirteen Moogles, while you were being possessed. But you were possessed so that doesn't matter... Right?

Comments

[vonspielburg]

Awakening Option A

[There's at least one Hero who isn't taking too kindly to awakening in the middle of a strange city next to a giant glowing crystal. She looks harmless enough at first, lying unconscious on her back with her hood down, long waves of blonde hair fanned out over the cobblestones. She's wearing the leathers and forest colors of someone with the Thief job, a sword at her hip, and a quiver of arrows next to an unstrung bow. Her Moogle doesn't seem to have appeared before her just yet.]

[But woe unto the person who wakes her up.]

[At first she's groggy, dark lashes parting to reveal bleary blue eyes...then those eyes sharpen. In a heartbeat she's on her feet, throwing her arm around the shoulders of whoever touched her with a blade snapped out of its sheath. Cold steel presses against the person's throat as she speaks through gritted teeth. Her voice is dusky and bears a Germanic accent.]

State your name, stranger, and tell me why you've brought me to this place. If you lie to me, I will gut you where you stand.

[Her blade presses a little tighter to make her POINT absolutely clear ha ha ha ha.]

* * * * *

Awakening Option B

[By the time the blonde thief's Moogle has arrived, she's already made a little bit of a stir. She's calmed down now, speaking with Kupozen in low hushed tones as she rests on one knee. The Moogle is doing most of the talking, and Ellie mostly nods on occasion to show she's listening. The more she hears, the deeper her brow creases, and the darker her frown. She pulls a hand to her mouth in thought.]

[Kupozen remains patient with a calm smile, occasionally adjusting the black frames of his glasses. His paw remains on her shoulder, establishing a connection between him and her.]

[Upon seeing someone approach, she lifts her head, regarding the newcomer with only mild apprehension as she sizes every inch of the person up and down.]

Yes? What is it?

[She rises to her feet, and as she does, you might notice her hand sliding off of the hilt of a dagger at her hip. Old habits die hard, it seems.]

* * * * *

Exploring the City

[Ellie steps out of the laboratory, Kupozen close behind her with a calm smile. The corners of her mouth are pulled into a deep pensive frown, at odds with the easygoing expression of her companion. Her file is corrupted? Annoying. Kupozen had a point, that it's better this way instead of having others learn about the position she held in Spielburg Valley. But she'd been hoping to learn a little about her own childhood too. Something about this Moogle bothers her...]

[She glances at him, and he smiles back up at her. Hm.]

I'd like to explore alone for a while.

Are you sure about that?

[Her frown deepens.]

I wouldn't have said it otherwise.

Very well, then.

[Kupozen sketches a stately bow before his tiny wings flap, carrying him skyward. Ellie watches him go. He's useful, she'll give him that. But she can't shake the feeling that he knows a lot more that he isn't telling her.]

[Her soft leather boots don't make much sound as she turns to walk in the other direction, careful to avoid the questionable piles of sickly sweet goo in the street. What is that? Does she truly want to know? Glowering, her frustration barely held in check, she yanks a leather tie from her pocket and winds it around her fingers, then works on plaiting her waves of blonde hair into a tight braid. Would that she had some hairpins too, she could put it up properly, but a simple braid will suffice for now. Just so long as it's out of her face while she moves through the city, her sharp blue eyes taking in every detail and every face she passes to commit it all to memory.]

Awakening Option A - Why Not!

[goddessofthesky]

[Zelda is always near when the heroes awake, her journal in hand and ready to greet those unfortunate enough to awake here. When she sees the blond lying on the ground she lightly leans over and shakes the woman's shoulder. She doesn't want her to remain unconscious and it doesn't look like a moogle has come to assist.

Kopula is flying behind her, a yard or so away when Ellie suddenly bolts up. Kopula dashes forward, his mannerisms frantic as the woman threatens Zelda.]

Stop Kupo! What are you doing?! Zelda?

[Zelda doesn't move, she feels the soft bite of steel but only watches Ellie. Her eyes are clear blue and long golden hair falls freely down her back. She carefully holds up a hand to indicate that Kopula should stop talking.]

I'm Zelda. I didn't bring you here. I was brought here as well but it about about a year ago. I have more information that I've gathered about this place and have come to share it.

[She pauses and then glances down. This isn't the first time she's been threatened by the throat and it isn't as scary as last time. Of course, last time she truly lost her head.]

If you'll release me I can tell you more.

[It's a little hard to talk like this.]

Awakening Option A

[they_call_me_sonic]

Huh. Yo! Are you ok--WOAH!

[Sonic had been curious about the seemingly unconscious hero laying face down on the ground. However, he was caught off-guard by the figure springing up, capturing him and threatening him.]

Ggk... tight hold! One, th-the name's Sonic, two, I didn't bring you here a-and three, you'd better put me down...!

Awakening Option A

[dragonflame]

[Bloom had always gone to see if there were new arrivals, however this was a first. Feeling cold steel pressed up against her, she was still unusually calm about it. After all panic does not help anyone. However she did drop her flyers and off they flew.]

Why should I state anything to someone whose blade is against my throat?

[She knew what she was going to do if they did not remove it.]

I'll only talk if you remove the blade or else I won't be sorry for what I do.

Awakening Option B

[iscursednomore]

[Fai had't even been walking that direction to speak to the other, but she still piped up. His eyes trailed to her movements and he already knew what she had been planning. Kind of reminded her of Kurogane in that sense and it was enough to cause a light chuckle.]

I wasn't planning on saying anything, but I guess hello anyway Miss Polite.

Hopping onto the bandwagon for Option A!

[cursedchosen]

[Zelos had actually been trying to be helpful for once, of all things. ...Probably.]

[Unfortunately, his attempt ended rather poorly, as he now found himself with a sword at his throat. Welp.]

Whoa whoa whoa, no need to get so hasty. Just trying to help out a fellow Hero of Light.

[Zelos still looked strangely relaxed considering the situation. At least he wasn't doing anything to make it worse.]

Y'know, gorgeous, I bet you'd be even more beautiful if you put that knife away.

[Close-by, Zelos' moogle slowly shook his head in defeat. At one point he probably would've been worried or helped his hero out, but he no longer found himself able to care.]

Exploring the City

[oldspyce]

[ She would eventually stumble upon and older archer of sorts, who in contrast to the rest of the populace here, didn't exactly take ownership of the fate thrusted upon them. The moogles can call them heroes of light all they wanted, but that didn't make it true. The woman that just passed him was unfamiliar, but had some conviction in her stride. Well helloooooo beautiful! ]

New ta Crystallis?

[ He interrupted as she walked past him. Raven would greet her with a grin if she bothered to give him the time of day and stop her stride to wherever it might be she was going. ]

Option A woo!

[not_most_days]

[Mary hasn't always had the opportunity to be around when the new Heroes show up, so this time she decided she ought to go along with the welcome wagon and make her presence known. Perhaps she'd find more people to recruit to her own little guild. They ARE relatively short staffed.

She doesn't expect the sudden attack, but later she chides herself for that. Considering the situation she's surprised it doesn't happen more often, and with her training she should be more ready for such things.

She takes a breath as she feels the cold steel on her neck, her own face hidden by her own hood she's wearing. In preparation for tomorrow's mission she's had her moogle change her jobs to Ninja and Thief, allowing her full use of her Assassin skills. And so her hood matches those of her friends back home.

The pirate moves swiftly, bending the newcomer's arm around and pushes her to the floor. Her hidden blade pops from her sleeve, reversing their situation.]

Name's Mary Read. And I'm not the one who brought you here. Nor do I mean you any harm. Now are you willing to listen?

Exploring the City / Near the Shuttle-port (later-in-the-day if the shoe fits?)

[shinrasfinest]

[Not leaving Aqures Ixen per the Shoopuf service had -quite possibly- been the best idea Sephiroth had had when it came to deciding exactly when to return to service at Esdham. The experience earlier in the day at the spa had been just the recuperation he'd needed to put his best foot forward in turning a new leaf to the literal novel of issues that his life was turning out to be in the wake of everything that had happened up to this point.

So it's with a focused mind and a determined step that Sephiroth approaches the shuttle-port with a small moogle; Spencer, floating back a little as his side. His long silver hair is similarly braided down forward over one shoulder out of necessity given as the large -clearly military in issue- rucksack he wears would have likely trapped the same and pulled every time he moves his head. A long black leather trench-coat with a turtle-neck type sweater underneath along with the standard leather pants and boots arrangement completes the look of the SOLDIER; the hilt of a katana held in place in his reverse sling-sheath strapped tightly on the backside of the pack - accessible yet not the easiest draw to make if he'd have needed to.

Sharp green eyes, slitted pupils just about as small as they'll go, momentarily meet with Ellie's as they pass in the street. But there is something about the way she looks back at him -that close inspection way that he's like to do to others on occasion- that a beat later causes him to stop and part turn back to watch her. It feels almost as if she had meant to say something-]

Hey-

[It's unlike him to initiate a conversation in such a way, but that had been an intense look just then]

[shining_derp]

The Other Heroes:

[Woken up in a strange land? Check.

Equipped with shiny new equipment? Check.

Despite his groggy state, Shining Armor was growing excited. Finally, all the paperwork was gone, and in its place was the chance to really stretch his legs! He was of course, worried for his wife and impending foal, not to mention Twilight's newly minted aunt status, but at the same time, he was excited. Super excited.]

You look way too happy to be here, said his Moogle, Dice.

Why wouldn't I be? This is right out of my favourite game, Ogres and Oblulettes! And look, I'm a cleric!

Paladin, corrected Dice. And a White Mage too. Supporting classes for one another. Aren't you even worried you don't have your basic telekinesis anymore?

[Shining Armor gave him a look.] Seriously? I can handle it. Really, a Royal Guard has to be prepared if they're disarmed of magic at any given time.

[Despite this, he was SUPER excited.]


City of Aqures Ixen

[The first thing Shining Armor did, was seek out a tavern. All good stories began in a tavern and he wasn't quite certain if he was still hallucinating something out of Gaffer's parties. Just how much did he have to drink during the party anyhow?

Despite this, he walked into the nearest tavern, and paused at the name.] Nope. Not right yet.

[Leaving 'The whimsy lamb' to its own purposes, he went to the next one. No, the strutted couerl wasn't it either. And then a axe flew out and smacked into the next sign.]

Ah! Here we go.

The Head Wound Inn? You sure you want to go in there? [A man flew through the window, got up and leaped back into the fray.]

Yep.

[Walking in and manoeuvring through the chaos of the daily bar brawl, he stepped up to the bartender who looked at him cross-eyed.]

Carrot juice, [said Shining Armor, the violence screeching to a halt around him to stare at the unicorn in bewilderment as he placed down a thick golden bit.] And information.


The Laboratory

[All his inquiries had lead him towards the labs as he walked through security without any problem. Checking the computers, he tapped a couple with his hoof before finding his file.]

Zero percent, what the buck does that mean?

Other Heroes...because is that a talking horse?

[provenworth]

[Elena has seen things. A lot of things. Dark and mysterious and horrible things. But one thing she hasn't seen is this.

A talking horse.

She would have left it well enough alone except, well, its a talking horse. Who is also a Hero. Somehow her brain isn't processing this information. She has to investigate. Taking several careful steps closer, Elena give a little wave of her hand to try and catch the creature's attention.]

Ah...excuse me. Are you...actually talking?

[provenworth]

01 ₮ The Awakening
[Laying stretched out more like a corpse without its chalk-line, the repetitive ‘Wake up’ in her ear is enough to cause her eyes to snap open. It takes her several minutes, however, to curb the slight nausea from what she had just witnessed. And then it hits her – the city was destroyed. At least, that’s what she had to guess based on how it all crumbled together before disappearing into a vast darkness. Her friends there, gone. Again.]

Are you awake, kupo?

...Mmm. [Pushing herself up onto her hands and knees, Elena shifts until she’s in a seated position, unwilling to move until the throbbing of her headache passes. Which gives her enough time to take in the aircraft overhead, the damaged city, and finally her clothes. The last part earns a frown.] What is this?

Part of being a Hero, kupo. It appears you’ve been identified as a gunner.

...Huh. [Not surprising, considering her background, though she’d be curious to know how that decision was made and who made it. Fingers run over the fabric of her vest and pants, an eyebrow lifting slightly at the belt and holster combo.] Decent quality at least. What is this place?

Aqures Ixen. You are at the Crystal of Fire, kupo.

So no red obelisk? No Temper or Gene or Tim? This isn’t some undiscovered part near Ruby City, is it?

I’ve never heard of Ruby City, kupo. Is that where you’re from?

[Her head shakes, shifting long blonde hair from side to side. A new place. A new city. A place that wasn’t home. And if it wasn’t part of Ruby City then just where the hell was she now?]


02 ₮ Within the City
[Walking around the city, mindful to stay out of the way of construction, Elena is a silent observer of the work that was being done. The flurry of activity to rebuild reminded her of all the work that was in progress in and around Edge.

The fact that there are opportunities to divert her attention is hardly refreshing – feeling more like an attempt to keep a Hero’s mind off their current situation. Though she’d be lying if she wasn’t the least bit curious about Blitzball. But that would be for another day and time. For now she was doing what she did best, taking in inventory in regards to the city, its inhabitants, and collecting any information she could in the first go-around.]


03 ₮ House B-09
[Standing in front of her assigned house, Elena glances from the front door to the Moogle floating at her shoulder. Her posture alone – back straight, arms crossed over her chest, chin up – all speak to her discomfort and an attempt to hide it.]

Harmon. I’m not exactly a fan of the idea of having to live with complete strangers.

I don't make the rules, kupo. You can change houses later if you want.

That doesn’t solve the problem right now though.

[Giving a heavy sigh, Elena approached the door and gave a series of taps. After waiting for just a few seconds, the door was slowly opened and her head poked into the main room.]

Hello? I’m not a burglar. I was told that I supposedly live here now...

03 ₮ House B-09

[greenmagick]

[Terra is waiting to meet those assigned to the two empty rooms in the house. She is used to the waves and changes of the new heroes by now and while she doesn't always move to greet them it makes sense that they'd get two more housemates. She's missed having a full house.

With that in mind Tempest has cleaned the rooms and tried to make it homely. There are extra flowers around the house, mostly daisy's, which doesn't make sense considering the chilly weather.

When Elena steps in Terra straightens, there is a soft smile pulling at her lips as she looks at the woman. Her thin fingers gently pull at the hem of her dress as she nervously greets her new housemate.]

Yes. Hello.

[There is a slight pause before she continues.]

I'm Terra and this is Tempest.

Hello, kupo [Tempest bows her head with a smile, floating next to Terra's side.]

It's nice to meet you.

[bigcountry]

The Other Heroes

[For Grit, he doesn't care much about destiny or what he's supposed to do here. Although he's thankful to be out of that dark awful place now. He really just wants his old clothing back. These leather pants are murder on him. In fact, there's a lot going on in his mind too. He's trying not to seem too panicked.

Because he's never panicked. At least on the outside. Inside, maybe a little bit. Maybe a lot. But on the outside, he's as cool as a cucumber. It can come off quite... unusual to people who are angry or surprised... or even distressed.

Boy, he may as well look like he's walking through here.

As people start to come to see the new Heroes, he has questions. But they're quick and easy.]

'xcuse me for a second. I'm lookin' for a few things. First of all, I'm tryin' to find a red head in a suit? Ponytail? Says yo a lot.

[Which, in his mind, is the best way to describe Reno above a 'pain in the ass'.]

Secondly, y'know if this city has anythin' like cigarettes or a bar or somethin'? It's kinda borin' without that sorta stuff, y'know?

[Well, that's easy. Though... what's with the question about the red head?]

The Laboratory

[With very little help from the group as to where he could find this one particular redhead, Grit decides to take to the city, to where he sees a number of other people going. Curious, like the cats he's so fond of, he makes his way over there, and enters in through the crowd. Being six feet tall, not a whole lot of people stand above him. He's a good person if you lose your way.

However, one of the things he immediately notices is that there is a file with his name on it. He immediately goes up to it, trying to open it. But there's a failure to operate, and the file refuses to open nicely for him.]

Y'serious? Way to tease me. Treatin' me like a cat at a fish bake.

[Excuse him while he pulls an old classic and repeatedly tries to open it. Now it'll work!]

House C-02

[With silly things like dealing with the stuff at the laboratory over with, he and his moogle, who he's gotten quite used to by this point, decide to head home. It's been a stressful day and one he'd like to never repeat again in the history of his life. Finding his home, he walks up slowly and opens the door.]

...'ello?

[Kicking off his shoes, he walks further inside, tapping on the walls a bit and turning on all of the lights.]

Anyone here or did the city think I was so nice to get my own house?

[Which, let's face it, would be a massive improvement on a shitty day.]

other heroes!

[tacticallyminded]

Oh--yes! [Robin flashes a smile at Grit. She's a little nervous, in truth. This is the first time that Robin has played the part of a welcoming committee -- she missed her chance, last time -- and she's not quite sure what to do with it. So, she stands there and stares for a moment.]

A man in a suit? With red hair? I can't be sure. We may have a few... ah. What is his name? Her name, perhaps?

[Women can wear suits too. But--the next question--]

...cigarettes? I-I am sure a shop in Aqures Ixen sells them...

[queensgeneral]

[ The Hospital ]

It hadn't been Darres' first awakening here, and bearing memories of other heroes falling victim to the Crystal Stasis, he had some idea of what was going on. He didn't know how long he had been out for. While coming to he realized the setting was different than he remembered. The crystallized heroes weren't always shut in, were they? The knight eventually made it to the door only realize it was looked. A strange discovery, and one he didn't expect. The tall male knocked gently on the door.

Nothing.

He repeated the process, only more firm, and finally he was acknowledged. Darres was a bit put off with the wariness the others held around him and it wasn't a comfortable reaction to be exposed to after being out for so long. Something must have happened, naturally. Something always happened. It didn't dawn on him just yet. Eventually his moogle came fluttering in.

"Mogjin. You're well?" He looked well, but even his moogle held reserves. Darres would press for that.

[ The City of Aqures Ixen ]

Eventually he made it back to light of day, although he lacked any sort of enthusiasm. This place was an illusion just like the last. It was no safer than the tower that restricted him before. Darres gave a sigh as he did his best to push past the grievance that happened while he had no control. The knight wasn't even conscious while it happened, at least not in the manner in which it could have been prevented. He was lucid enough to recall the memories, but powerless to stop it.

Darres approached a hero or two, one's he might have seen around when he was here before, to catch up with the tail end of what he's been told. The Thirteen Moogles wasn't only recent after all, and according to Mogjin, he had been in crystal stasis for much longer.

"Excuse me." He interrupted softly.

[wings_of_steel]

[ Selen made it a routine to visit the Crystal Stasis to see her son and a lot of other people that were there. However, she was also taken out during the events with the Reaper and was slowly recovering from the death that she had faced that time a week or so ago. She was a bit unhappy that she was taken down so quickly, but things could not be helped.

She didn't even know what had hit her and caused her to collapse that way. Fortunately, she was quick to recover and now probably should send a letter to her fellow allies letting them know she was safe and not dead anymore. However, on her way down the hall, she saw the door opened and the Crystal Stasis was momentarily ignored for the more obvious fact that Darres was standing there with his moogle.

Galahad had the pleasure of going with her today as well to the hospital for her visits, so he was quick to flutter towards Darres while Selen walked quickly over to her son. It had been so long and honestly, there was worried thought that he would never wake up. Yet, Selen believed that her son would be able to endure and return, and here he was, returned and safe. ]

Darres!

[crimsoneye]

[ Awakening ]

Zelman was the furthest thing from amused upon awakening in this strange and unfamiliar terrain. Had he been left with his original skill set, Zelman could have identified several not so obvious differences this world bared from his. Being abducted from his home would no more convince him to lend his help than it would had they just asked (if asking were such a thing). Nonetheless, the vampire was more than infuriated. Due to his current disadvantage of not only being in a purposed different world, but one without his original blood. He couldn't afford to ignite the fire in haste.

"Are you listening...kupo." His curious moogle questioned. Zelman was acting rather aloof, or just really focused.

"The Heran Empire launched an attack some time ago," and the city was assaulted with a giant marshmallow. This was the worst outcome imaginable. A joke at that. Zelman was not sold at the information divulged. There had to been more to it, or someone with a poor sense of humor was yanking his chain.

"You said there were others?" Zelman asked, not even gracing his moogle with a glance. It was merely a talking toy and nothing of interest, even in his long years of existence.

[ The Other Heroes ]

Zelman was more inclined to take the word something that didn't look like a child's toy, and if there were truly others he would have an easier to picking them for answers. With that in mind, the vampire would boldly, if not assertively, pick at random people for a question or two. His weakness toward the sun wasn't the same as when he was back home and he could no longer hear his blood. Something was up and he was going to locate the bottom of it or so help him who was ever the ring leader to this operation.

"You there."

Whether others were up for the interrogation or not, didn't have much of a choice if they were addressed. Unless they walked off of course.

[ The Laboratory ]

Outside of interrogating people for answers, Zelman had no interest interacting or socializing with others. Not now anyway. The was word of a laboratory with files, and even Mogura had made mentioning of it. The vampire located the Laboratory where he managed to stumble across a file with his name labeled on it. For better or for worse, his file seemed to have been corrupted, so no one would have been able to read it, and even if it hadn't he was intent on locking it away. It was no ones business but his own what his history consisted of, and 800 years is a lot of dirt to dig up on a person. Especially one once of Asura's blood.

Other Heroes

[dragonflame]

"Yes, though I will say you could have said that much nicer than 'You there'" Bloom spoke turning around, arms wrapped around the flyers she had left, she figured they must be new due to the fact that he even said that. If he knew the situation would they really do that?

"Anyway, please ask whatever it is you want to ask and I'll be happy to answer."

A New Cutscene!

[shepherd_prince]

[Awakening / Other Heroes]

Wake up, kupo! I said wake up!

The voice was distant and muffled in Chrom's mind, but it was slowly rousing his senses. His head twitched to one side, lips parting slightly as he groaned.

Then his face was treated to a deluge of icy water.

Gasping sharply, Chrom jerked upright. His arms flared up in goosebumps as his wide gray-blue eyes stared blearily in front of him. A stern little moogle, with a dyed streak of blue on her head, seemed to have been the culprit of his suffering as she held a dripping bucket in her paws.

"That's more like it," she chirped, and smiled. "You are one deep sleeper, you know that?"

"Where...?" Chrom looked around him, shivering. Looking down, he saw that he was clad in strange armor. It covered his brand of the Exalt on his shoulder, he noticed, and he wasn't sure if that was intentional or not. "Where am I?"

"The name of this world is Crystallis, and this is the city of Aqures Ixen. I'll be your guide and companion, Kulevi. Nice to meet you!"

"Ah...nice to meet you too," he replied slowly, his confusion only increasing by drastic measures. "What do you mean 'world?' This isn't Ylisse?"

"Phew... Okay, listen up, because this is a long story. You're-- Why are you shivering?"

Chrom was hugging his arms to his chest. "The bucket of water might have had something to do with it," he remarked with a half-hearted smile.

Kulevi looked at the bucket, then set it behind her, nudging it aside with her foot. He wasn't sure if that was supposed to mean he couldn't see it anymore, since he clearly could, but he decided not to mention it.

"I know a quick way to warm you up. Over here, see?" Kulevi pointed to the large glowing crystal in front of them. Was that the crystal he'd seen in his dreams? He'd reached for it, he thought, but it had seemed smaller. "Go ahead and touch it."

He was slightly reluctant to do so, but he could definitely feel heat radiating from the crystal. The closer he got, the warmer he felt. Hesitantly he placed his hand on the smooth surface, and blinked in surprise at the rush of warmth and nostalgia that surged through him. He tipped his head back to stare at the crystal in awe.

"What is this place...?" he murmured quietly to himself.

[tacticallyminded]

She used to wonder if Chrom would appear. Robin could never bring herself to hope for it, though. No, she knew that was wrong; she knew that Chrom would be bothered about leaving Ylisse behind the same way that Robin was. She couldn't wish that on him. She couldn't want him to be here. She stopped wondering, after awhile, because it felt like it could turn into a hope.

She isn't ready, then, when she sees that head of blue hair -- and his hand touching the fire crystal. The tactician stopped to watch him for a moment, silver hair spilling down over the heavy Red Mage's coat that she wore at the moment. (The hat was dispensed with, because Robin didn't much care for hats.) She just stood, watched, and didn't believe.

But there was no mistaking it.

She didn't run up to him. The temptation was there, of course, but it wasn't really in Robin to sprint excitedly. That she considered it said volumes. She walked up, instead. She glanced at him from behind, while Marc padded quietly after. He looked at Kulevi, but he kept quiet.

"That's some nice armor, Chrom," Robin said, softly. She tried to make it casual, but the smile snuck into her voice -- and then her face.

[just_want_normal_knees]

A) The Awakening/Other Heroes

On the ground, a figure was starting to stir with a groan. The figure, a young girl with the armor of a Dragoon over a red and black outfit and a hooded cloak, groaned as she started to move.

"Ow, I think I laid on my baby..." she groaned, reaching back to pat the strange device holstered behind her on her waist. As she sat up, she heard familiar barking and had a Corgi approach her, happy to see her. "Zwei? Zwei! How did you get here?" Picking up the dog, she looked around, confused. "Where IS here? I don't think we're in Beacon anymore, Zwei..."

B) Aqures Ixen

"Wow, this place got messed up pretty good..." Ruby uttered, looking around at the wrecked city. Almost seemed like how how the Grimm breached Vale. But worse. "I wonder what happened here..." Sometimes, she wished Zwei could talk, just for a bit of a conversation starter... though her Moogle Drei finally caught up to her, panting.

"Sorry, sorry, had to check up on somethings!" the Moogle replied. "Though the city? We've... been under attack for quite awhile."

"And it looks like its up to me to help save the day, right?"

"Well, not JUST you, but... yeah." At that, Ruby smiled and held up Zwei.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best! I wanted to be a hero back home and I'll be one here!" Ruby said. "Isn't that right, Zwei?"

A

[shining_derp]

[Shining Armor was actually up and about for most of the day, and he was wandering around when he noticed the girl laying there. The arrival of the dog made him smile as he trotted up.]

Hi, you're new here like I am?

Vaan | Final Fantasy XII

[idleskypirate]

[option a]

Montblanc was getting worried. And frustrated. But mostly worried. Vaan wasn't waking up and while there were no wounds on his person, he still looked as though he had gotten into a fight. His new clothes hid some of signs, but not all. Dried blood here and there were the obvious signs. But if he wasn't injured, why wasn't he waking up? The Moogle sat on his chest, was his heart beating? Hm...yes, it was. Maybe he was just sleeping? Montblanc moved to sit on his shoulder and tapped the dirty face. "Sir, you must wake up. Sir? Sir!"

"...would you stop yelling?" Came a groan and Montblanc sighed in relief, fluttering up to hover over Vaan as the boy blearily opened his eyes. His brows furrowed as the bright light hit his eyes. He groaned again and pushed himself up, his hand going to his head to rub at his throbbing head. Wait, what?

"Why am I wearing Balthier's clothes?" Whoa! He... remembered? That means he was out but... taking a look around, it was obvious he wasn't home. "Where am I?"

"If you would allow me to explain," Montblanc finally chimed in and launched into the explanation of what was going on while Vaan carefully got to his feet. So, he was here to fight again?

He sighed. "From one Conflict to the next, I guess."

[option c]

So, this was Aqures Ixen? It certainly looked like a normal city, unlike the fragments from the Conflict. It was no Rabanastre but it was nice. He wandered about, munching a piece of fruit he had long since filched with Montblanc muttering that Heroes were not suppose to steal.

"Lighten up Mont, it's not a big deal. The guy just left it out in the open, it's his loss."

Montblanc only sighed in exasperation. He'd have to give the poor merchant some money to make up for it. The kid wasn't even dressed as a thief! How did he even?

"I was a street kid for a few years, Mont. Old habits are hard to break, sometimes. Besides, I didn't ask to come here."

"You shouldn't take it out on a merchant, sir."

"Fine, fine."

Well, Montblanc had a point. Vaan couldn't deny that.

C

[shining_derp]

"You know he has a point," said a armored figure from the side, although when he entered the light from under the shadow of the awning, it was clear this was no ordinary person.

It was a pony. A unicorn. And he tilted his head in amusement.

"Street kid or not, stealing's going to get you a rap sheet."

[tinypinkmenace]

Awakening

[The tiny child dressed in ninja garbs appears to be happily sleeping completely obliviously to her new surrounds. The child's Moogle still has not appeared. The first attempt of waking her would in Yachiru batting away the stranger's hand/foot/etc Then, she would just roll over]

Nooo, Ken-chan. I don't want to get up yet.

[The second attempt would be a success with Yachiru waking up. She blinks once and stares at the person that woke her. ]

Hey, you're not Ken-chan!

The City of Aqures Ixen

[After everything has been explained, Yachiru decided to explore the city. Hearing about the monster area, she wanted to go there next but she has no idea where it is. So, she walked toward the person. She reaches out to tug either a pant leg or the end of a skirt to catch their attention]

Ne, do you know where the monster place is?

House B-13

[Should you be a resident of said house and looked out the ground floor window, you would see a tiny pink child with a Moogle staring at you. Yachiru peeked inside the house out of sheer curiosity. Eventually, she disappeared from view. Should you step outside or opened the window, you would have heard this conversation between the Moogle and the child

Ne, ne Maki-chi! Is this my new house?

It's Minako, kupo. Yes, this is where you will be residing with a few others.

Yay! I never lived in a real house before.

[A beat] What kind of place did you live in?!?!

Oh, when I was real little the woods! Now, I live in the barracks with Ken-chan and lots of others!

The woods!? Barracks, kupo!?

The Hospital

[Yachiru had been wandering aimlessly for a while before discovering the laboratory by accident. Going inside, she had hoped she would see someone familiar but no in the lab seemed at all familiar. Eventually, she wandered towards where the files are kept since there was no one there to stop her. She looked around curiously before seeing a file sitting unattended and walked over to peer inside.

The file had her name on it. She opened it up to see what the file said. She amused herself for a few seconds by switching between the 3d model of her toddler self, her current self and her slightly older looking self. Eventually, she noticed the links and clicked one. She frowned at the file beeping and flashing "Corrupted"]

Awww! I wanted to see what happens next.

[She pouted for a few moments before she went back to the 3d models and cycling through them again while giggling]

The little skull barrette is cute!

[shepherd_prince]

[Chrom is looking at a few weapons on display at an outdoor market stall, more than a little interested in the fine craftsmanship of the swords. These are not meant for wall decorations, he can see that much. A pity he doesn't have quite enough to buy one just yet. But maybe if he haggled...]

[Suddenly his attention is caught by a light tug on the side of his leg, and he looks down. A child?]

Hey there.

[His smile is friendly as he turns, and lowers himself to one knee so he can speak more easily on her level.]

Monster place? I'm not sure what that is. You're not lost, are you?

[blackmoonreaper]

A - Awakening

Despite the moogle's attempts to try to keep Ichigo's attention on his explanations, the teen was in horrified shock.

"Are you still half asleep?"

He continued to sit on the ground, oblivious to his change in attire, with a hand gripping his hair as his gaze looked to nothing in particular. The world literally felt like it had been pulled away from him and at first he thought he had burned out his powers from the bitter victory against Ulquiorra. Yet that wasn't the most important part that had ground his thought process to a halt. The ones he was supposed to be protecting were left behind. His family, his friends and his allies... what did they see when he left? Even more alarming was that Aizen was still at large, likely in Karakura already, and there was no possible way Ichigo could get to him now. Just thinking about it made feel a little sick.

A light pressure on his arm from furry paws slowly dragged his attention to the moogle that had woke him up. "I know it's a lot to take in, kupo... but you need to listen!"

B - Aqures Ixen leading to House C-02

With his initial shock settled into heavy worry in the forefront of his mind, Ichigo stopped to watch an airship pass by overhead. Things really were different. Some of the questions he asked of M... Mosh? Mochi?, his moogle companion, were met with some confusion and apologies. He hadn't known what a Hollow was nor heard of the name of his hometown before. Ichigo knew to expect as much but it didn't make it sting any less. He wouldn't be going home anytime soon.

"This way..!" Moshishi waved an arm at Ichigo, not realizing that the teen had stopped to look skyward. Once he got the boy to his new home maybe he'd feel better after a rest. The moogle also had a feeling that his words were left on deaf ears earlier and he'd have to start explaining all over again.

Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted and he blinked, glancing at the moogle before holding up a hand in acknowledgement. "Y-Yeah, sorry. I'm coming."

It was a little difficult to pay attention to his surroundings but he had to try. A lot of the names and places had slipped out of his mind as quickly as the creature told him about them. He'd have to ask... Mochi? -- It might have been Mochi -- to start from the beginning.

Awakening - Oh hell yeah!

[oldspyce]

So this place seemed pretty set on bringing in new heroes. Of course with the number of them trapped in crystal stasis, that was no surprise. If they were to defeat this supposed calamity, it would take more than a few people. Still, he wondered if it would ever grow excessively. Raven wasn't sure of the direction of the outcome in Crystallis. Least to say, he would still greet some of the new heroes as they came.

"Alright there, kid?" Raven asked as he peered casually at the redheaded newbie. It looked like he saw a ghost. The whole town saw ghosts just last month. He didn't express any obvious concern, but not many people woke up like they saw their life flash before their eyes.

Hear ye, Hear ye! ( option A )

[draklorgenius]

What kind of nonsense is this?!

[A scoff escapes Cidolfus as he picks and pulls at this strange choice of clothing. Cidolfus certainly possesses a fondness for fancy vests and stylish shirts but he's not fond of the idea of dressing like this. This looks like his son's attire! Everything from the intricate etchings and designs on the bronze vest screams "Ffamran", all the way down to the absurd Archadian leather pants and annoying sandals. While this look works well for his charming pirate scum of a son, Cidolfus just feels utterly ridiculous right now.]

Francel! Fetch me my coat at once! [A beat] NOW!

[That poor little moogle is going to detest he's miserable little life soon. Cidolfus is on the warpath right now and he's mood is getting worse.]

Now does anyone mind explaining as of how I arrived here? I'm no Warrior of Light, you slack-jawed buffoons!

( option A )

[desertbloomed]

[She doesn't remember the voice immediately, but does find it familiar. She walks further into the plaza, eyebrows furrowed...if she was recognizing a voice, then it must be someone from Ivalice. Finally!]

[Oh, hell to the no. That's what Ashelia would say, if she had the capacity. Instead, she goes for brevity which, after all, is the soul of wit, right?]

No...!

[im_pancake]

A) Awakening/Other Heroes

As Twilight came to, the Princess of Friendship tried to make sense of what was going on. Okay, first things first - humans. Lots and lots of humans. But, they were virtually the same in skin tone, not like those she met in Canterlot High. She knew humans, knew how they all acted and all, so being around them wasn't awkward.

Now, the Fire Crystal... that one was quite interesting! She was certain if Rarity or Spike saw it, they'd go gaa-gaa over it!

...and it was at this point, she realized someone was talking to her. Her Moogle companion, Moggelton

"Excuse me?" she uttered.

"You... didn't hear a word I said-kupo." he replied, sighing and shaking his head.

"Sorry, I'm just so fascinated with this world and..." Twilight began, wanting to levitate the Moogle onto her back... but, it wasn't happening. "Um, what's going on?"

"What is?" the Moogle replied.

"My magic. It's not working! What's going on?!"

"Oh, that... yeah, sorry, it got taken away." the Moogle replied.

"Got... taken... AWAY?!" Twilight uttered.

Three... two... one...

Cue ear-piercing scream of panic.

B) The City of Aqures Ixen

After calming down from her panic (and maybe conversing with other Heroes of Light), Twilight's on the move, trying to find a certain place and being in a complete hurry about it.

"Woah, slow down, you're like a mare with a mission!" Moggelton replied.

"Of course I am!" Twilight said, turning to face her Moogle, jabbing a hoof at him. "I'm not going to waste my time when there are questions to be answered here!"

"You're just panicking because you can't use your powers." Moggelton replied before Twilight snapped at him.

"Because they're a part of me! Just like being able to fly is a part of being a Pegasus and being connected to the land is that of an Earth pony!" Twilight replied. "This isn't natural - if I lost my magic, why do I still have my Cutie Mark and my normal coloring? Something's wrong here and everyone here is just accepting it as is. Well, I for one, will not!"

The Moogle, for his troubles, just sighed and shook his head.

"Now, help me find the library." Twilight said.

[shining_derp]

Guess who is at the library as well? It starts with an S.

Shining Armor is looking through books, flipping through histories carefully with a hoof when he noticed Twilight walking in the front door. Replacing the book on the stack, he waved at his sister. "Hey, I didn't think I'd beat you here first."

cw: swearing

[jackienaught]

Awakening

Jack didn't like people and she didn't like new. Here she had both in spades and holy hell, did she make her displeasure known.

She'd woken up a scant few moments ago and rolled to her feet nearly immediately. The clothes she wore felt correct, but the straps and buckles of the armor felt claustrophobic - doing little more than make her even more angry. The whole thing was leagues beyond her control and in a quick scuffle around some poor, unconscious sap she managed to get some distance on the fucking huge crystal.

"There you are, kupo!"

The strange little creature fluttered down a smile on it's cute, little face - looking like one of those weird pet creatures in that one MMO Tali liked so damn much. Jack stared at it with narrowed eyes, fist clenching as the thing approached.

"Fuck off!", Jack yelled as she swung at the poor thing. Fortunately, it was as quick as it was adorable and managed to orbit her arm rather gracefully. Backing away, slightly it frantically waved it's little paws.

"M-my name is Royale! I'm here to help, kupo!"

Sneering for a moment, the tension in Jack seemed to ebb. Lowering the arm she'd begun to raise, she canted her head. There was an uneasy moment as she appraised the flying fuzzball until finally she sucked her teeth and broke line of sight to look at some of the others who'd begun to stir.

"What are you and what the hell do you want?"


Home in A-01

A Calamity and Heroes of Light and a bunch of other bullshit that made her feel like she'd traded one suicide mission for another. This had to be the craziest fucking thing that Jack could think of.

Stalking from the kitchen to the living room and back, she rubbed her hands over the stubble over her head grimacing. Not one day, not one fucking day - every body and every fucking wanted something from her - was gonna bleed her dry of all that she had. Part of her prayed she was just in a coma or something. Cerberus shoved a bunch of untested bullshit in her head and her biotics hadn't worked since she woke up. Maybe everything was falling apart and this was just her brain trying to give her something interesting to deal with on the way out.

Dying soft had it's allure after all of the fucking bullshit she'd dealt with, but somehow the idea of it did not sit with the ex-con. Raising her hand, she felt her nerves fire, swore she saw blue for an instant and clenched her jaw hard enough to make her teeth grind. The fucking flying thing hadn't left her alone, either.

Whatever.

What-the-fuck-ever.

Jack finally stopped prowling, instead walking into the empty bathroom and slamming the door. Royale's worried voice barely carrying through the wood, Jack covered her ears and laid on the floor - happy to feel something cold and smooth against her skin.

Tavern

Three tankards in and Jack was far more drunk than she'd ever mimoorezed recollicked remembered. Figures without the biotics needing all those calories, her metabolism was far slower. Good. Fucking GREAT. Well, not with the stupid flying cat thing around.

"Miss Jack, I don't think -"

"Drop the fuckin' Miss!," Jack growled, still looking pleased at the feeling of being drunk. "Figure this ain't a dream - deal with it in th'morning."

"Kupo...."the weird cat thing wrung it's little paws. Hah. It's got toebeans the con noted, before starting on her fourth drink.

home

[charming_jerk]

In almost a year since he arrived in Crystallis, Johnny had been through several roommates. Part of him wondered if he was cursed or something, that everyone who'd shared his house had so far ended up in the stasis ward. He'd gotten used to being alone in his house, even if he wasn't very fond of that part. Usually he had enough reasons to be out of the house, and comes home not long after Jack has locked herself in the bathroom.

Royale catches Johnny come in and explains to him what was going on. He wasn't sure what to do, but the moogle seemed concerned. Not long after, there was a quiet knock on the door, and then an unsure, deep voice.

"Uh, hey. Just so ya ain't surprised when you open the door or nothin', I'm the other person that lives here. Half this house is yours, and the other bedroom's all empty for ya. So. Welcome home, I guess."

[gonebyebye]

Awakening/Other Heroes

[Ray raised his hand, to stop Joliet from speaking.] Did you just say marshmallow giant?

[The moogle paused, cocking an eyebrow.] Yeah, I did. What about it, kupo?

It wasn't wearing a sailor hat, was it? [When Joliet shook his head, Ray let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding.]

Good, good. Not as bad a problem as I'd been thinking, then I didn't even wanna know what would've happened if it had been Gozer who'd shown up.

[Ray shook off the rest of the quickly disappearing feeling of dread he'd gotten when the giant was mentioned.]

I guess I should start trying to find these other Heroes of Light, see what they know.

The City of Aqures Ixen

Ray had, eventually, made his way over to District 11. He'd been warned he was going to have roommates, which wasn't that big a deal, considering he had to share the Firehouse's bedroom with 3 to four other people. But, it seemed the warning was premature. Ray, at least for the time being, had the entire place to himself.

"Yes! Empty house! I wonder if they'll let me put a firepole in there?"

Other Heroes

[neverfirstclass]

[In the city Cloud can be found helping to clean up the muck left behind by the giant marshmallow moogle. He seems pretty focused on his work, but there's a look in his eyes that makes it seem like he had more than just a passing interaction with this thing. A faint frantic tone to his expression as he literally tries to shovel this all behind him.

If Ray didn't see him helping out at the Crystal when everyone was waking up then the moogle sitting nearby and reading through a tome on crystal energy dynamics easily identifies Cloud as a fellow Hero.]

[bubbleblastbadass]

[The other heroes]

[Aqua's more used to waking up in new worlds because she took herself to those worlds. Not because she'd... well, she's not sure how she ended up here and she's not paying the most attention to the moogle trying to explain things. At the moment, she's actually shielding her eyes from the sunlight.]

Kupo, are you listening?

[Aqua turns her head to look to the moogle, reaching to tug her new hat-

new hat? She hadn't had a hat back in the Realm of Darkness.]

Sorry, what? I've been gone a long time...

[The moogle gives a sigh and tries again.]

You're in Aqures Ixen, kupo! You're one of the Heroes of Light. There are others here, kupo, you should meet them.

[Around the city]

[She still has munny left on her, at least, but she's not sure any of the shops here will take it. And that's alright, she probably shouldn't do any shopping right now anyway. Not until she's settled.]

Are you looking for something specific, kupo?

Not really, just exploring, Philo.

There's a blitzball game starting soon! You could go watch it, kupo.

[She has no idea what blitzball is but it's a better option than anything else. So Philo leads the way to the stadium and she finds a place to sit. While someone is nice enough to help her get a book about Blitzball before the game starts.]

[House C-02 | meeting the roommates]

Is this the right place, Philo?

[She doesn't exactly doubt the moogle, he's been right about most everything so far. It's just the fact that she doesn't want to barge in on anyone where she doesn't belong.

Aqua takes the chance to knock before she goes inside though.]

Hello?

Other Heroes! tl;dr warning wee woo wee woo

[makingfriends]

[Every time a group of new Heroes arrives, Ven hurries out to meet them with a sense of hope. Sometimes it's a little weaker than others, sometimes it's stronger; today, it's neutral, because he's actually not sure whether he wants to see a familiar face. The events of last week really drove home just how dangerous this world is, and while it's not like him to balk at the threat of danger, it nonetheless makes him think twice before hoping any of his friends turn up here, especially since he's glad, in hindsight, that they haven't before now. Would he want them to have gone through some of the things he has here in Crystallis? Definitely not.

So he arrives at the temple with mixed emotions, although there's undeniably a part of him that still can't help but hope as he looks around. With the small crowd of both new and old Heroes alike, he ends up speaking to a couple others first, but it's not long before he hears two voices close by -- one unfamiliar, obviously a moogle if the punctuated kupos are any indication, and the other...

The other makes Ven turn on the spot so abruptly that his own moogle jumps. It takes him only a moment to trace it, and even those new Job clothes aren't enough to keep him from recognizing her on the spot.]

Aqua...

[Normally, that would be much louder, with more cheer and relief and a laugh.

Normally, he would bolt forward before her name was even out of his mouth, throwing himself at her in an affectionate hug.

But things are far from normal, have been for a long time -- so while his voice does rise after a couple choked heartbeats, it's not the happiest sound he makes by far, and he still hasn't moved from where he's currently rooted.]

Aqua!