melodiesoflife | Intro Log || Exactly As Planned

Intro Log || Exactly As Planned

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?

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[The city...was a lot larger than she expected it to be. Then again, having been in Ruby City for so long, she'd gotten used to living in an area that was a lot smaller in scale. She's had to slow her pace considerably to look around at the various buildings, shops, laborers and residents, asking Harmon a question here or there about a particular person or store.

A flash of red among the crowd ahead catches her attention, causing her to stop. Standing to the side of the street, she continues to survey the street while making sure to keep track of the red-heads movement. She had no expectation that there was any hope that the owner was somebody she knew, if the mechanics of Heros being brought were anything like Ruby City.

She can't see the owner's face yet, but she can see the injury and the carefully taken steps to keep moving with minimal contact with those around him. It took somebody with a considerable amount of skill to move so deftly. And, as the red-head came closer to where she stood, she understood why.]

...Reno!

[Elena doesn't even give him a chance to respond, navigating around other pedestrians to get to him.]

Edited 2015-11-06 17:58 (UTC)

[Reno stopped short, hearing the familiar voice. He hadn't heard that voice in over a year...]

[The person behind him bumped into him and Reno winced, ignoring the other man's mumbled apologies and turning instead to the approaching woman.]

Elena?

[Really, she was half tempted to just throw people aside so they'd get out of her way. Because his was a face she hadn't seen in one., maybe two years. She'd lost track of timing and eventually gave up remembering, but somehow could just feel the length of time.]

The one and only.

[Moving to serve as a barrier between him and the moving crowd, hands go to her hips and elbows flare out, forcing people to move more widely around them. For as much as she wants to throw her arms around him in a giant hug, she's keenly aware that she had to tread somewhat lightly until she had a better understanding about what his memories were, and what his current state was.]

Long time no see, troublemaker. [SMIRK.] Did you miss me?

[Flabbergasted was the word for it. Elena... He hadn't seen Elena in over a year. He couldn't put a finger on it, but she looked different somehow... Still, it was undeniably Elena, and that was a huge relief.]

[A huge grin spread across his face, especially to see the way she had so perfectly positioned herself for him. So thoughtful, yet so discreet.]

You have no idea. Shit, 'Laney, how are you? You just get here?

[His smile faltered somewhat as he remembered to ask,] What... are yer last memories?

Well, I'm in a... [She almost says 'another', but catches herself.] ...new city with little intel and no escape strategy. So I'm pretty good.

[Disregarding the whole issue about being in a totally new and different location. And there is a sense of coincidence - irony? - that she's come in to find somebody from the team already there.]

Last memories... [That makes her think. She's sure he means back on Gaia, so she has to think back several years of other memories to get to what she needs.] There was a situation below the ruins of Midgar. A pet project of the former President that got lose and caused some trouble at Kalm and Edge. But the mess was cleaned up by Vincent Valentine, of all people.

[She pauses before speaking again. There was no reason to act dumb, now was there? If this place worked anything like Ruby City, then he came from either before or after her pull point. And it was Reno after all. Ushering him towards the side of the street to get him out of harm's way, she pushes back shoulder-length hair back behind her ear.]

I assume you ask because you have been brought from another point in Gaia's timeline, correct?

[Reno snorted a small laugh. Awfully optimistic about this whole thing. This was definitely a more mature Elena.]

[Her last question, really, told him everything he needed to know.]

No, actually. Same time, give or take.

[Which was incredibly refreshing.]

But this isn't yer first new world, is it?

Oh really? [That was a first. The others who had come through the city were from much earlier in their timeline. A lucky coincidence and at least it made things easier.] At least that means I don't have to be careful disclosing information about the future.

[Because having to remember what others remembered and what they had not experienced yet was taxing.]

...Eh? [Busted. She gives a short laugh, head lowering just slightly in mock-defeat.] Is it that obvious?

[Reno smirked. More mature, smarter, and yet... still the rookie he knew and loved.]

Askin' about timelines an' memories? Yeah, just a little bit.

But I'm assumin' it's a different world than the one I just came from, otherwise you'd remember me...

[That was probably a good thing. He could start this relatively fresh, professional, without having to deal with sexual baggage.]

Yeah, well...I figured since it was you I could let it slip and see if you picked up on it.

[Not that she's trying to play it off that she must might have been giving too much away. Nope. Not at all. She's broken that bad habit. Yep. Mostly.]

Seeing that you don't remember me, either, I suppose so... [Which was a very good thing. She didn't want to get in trouble on her first day for her unlikely partnerships during some unusual events.] But what happened in our past worlds don't matter much here, does it?

[Because this was a new place, a new opportunity. A blank slate.]

C'mon, Red. Lets get you off these street and somewhere you can rest. We've got a lot of catching up to do.

Ah... sure.

[What else could he say? He couldn't just outright admit that the last world had affected him, was still affecting him, deeply. This was the first time he was seeing Elena again, for him in a year -- for her, who knew how long. As far as casual conversations went, that kind of admission was not appropriate.]

[Besides... would he want Elena to know, anyway? He wasn't sure. And until he could honestly answer that question for himself, he wasn't going to say anything.]

I'd suggest my place, but... [His smirk turned a bit wry.] I've been livin' with Tifa -- and roomin' with Angeal.

[He couldn't wait to see her reaction to that one.]

...Yeah.

[The comment was hasty, made quickly to gloss over the uncomfortable feelings that came with memories of her last world. She wasn't stupid enough to think that they - she and Reno - would ever escape what had happened to them and the damage would remain there for as long as they lived. But now was not the time nor the place. Perhaps it would come up one day, but certainly not now.]

....Tifa?! [Now that earned a short, but hearty laugh. She remembered the woman's habits - having stayed with her as well back at the City.] You poor, poor man...

[She'd have to see Tifa soon - to see if she had any recollection of their time together back in the City.]

You're rooming with Angeal. You mean Angeal Angeal. The 1st Class SOLDIER that was part of Project G? [Is her mouth gaping? Yes. Her mouth is gaping.]

Tall, dark, an' muscle-y Angeal? Yeah, Angeal-Angeal.

[His smirk widened, amused. He supposed Angeal still was a hero to most people who'd heard of him -- as he deserved to be. Things got complicated and ugly, sure, and Reno had his own amount of shit to deal with during the fallout. But at the end of it all... or, maybe after years of being distant from it... he could understand Angeal more. The sacrifices made for a friend. What Angeal kept talking about honor for. It did mean something after all.]

Apparently he was in crystal stasis an' he came out of it when I arrived -- so whoever does the housing assignments thought it'd be convenient t' just throw us together. I dunno if they took world into account or not, but -- that's how it is.

I wouldn't know if he was muscle-y or anything. I was still in high school when all that went down - remember? I wasn't actively engaged in any of those silly fan clubs.

[She had been much more focused on getting out of her older sister's shadow. Boys were an afterthought. Of course, now that she thought about it, she sure did just age herself a bit. Not like being a ripe old 24 meant she was ancient, no. It was just amazing how much time had flown.]

That's some pretty rough luck. Hopefully he didn't give you too hard of a time. [Pauusee.] What do you mean he was in crystal stasis?

Really? [Reno smirked.] I wouldn't say bein' in high school kept you outta Shinra business. I remember a certain Miss Pigtails tryna' go after some Ravens by herself...

[She might not have actually been in one of the "silly" fanclubs, but Reno didn't believe Elena had no idea what the three star SOLDIERs looked like. Not for a second.]

He... I don't really understand it all, but it seems like people -- "heroes" -- get sucked here bodily by the Crystal thing. But then sometimes they just turn to crystal. Like, sometimes it's 'cause they die, we die, except our bodies just turn to crystal instead until... whenever it isn't anymore. [He shrugged, not sure if that helped at all.] Sometimes it just happens. I dunno why.

On the bright side, I guess, death isn't permanent. On the other hand, people could just freeze up for no reason, indefinitely, at any time. There's a whole wing at the hospital for them.

[That noise is the embarrassed groaning of a Turk remembering her younger days. But at least the tail-end breaks into a little laugh.]

What can I say? Some people were adopted into ShinRa. I was born into it, molded by it.

[Which was her own way of admitting to having a greater knowledge of ShinRa's comings and goings. The Turks. And the famous SOLIDERs as well. Then again, the whole of Midgar did.]

That sounds...a little horrific and painful. Depending on how the change occurs, of course. I'll have to make a visit to the hospital to see what this stasis looks like.

Well its good to know that we've got some semblance of immortality, but are there repercussions? In the last world I was in, if you died or killed somebody, things were taken from you. Memories. Skills. Limbs.

[Reno shrugged and shook his head.]

From what Angeal remembers, he said it doesn't hurt to be in stasis... [Thankfully. Reno didn't think he could take that information.] Turning, though, I dunno.

[He bit his lip and paused, thinking of their past worlds. They didn't sound too different in that regard.]

... Same. Anything significant to someone that they could barter with for their life -- gone. Memories, too.

Figured I'd got out kinda lucky my... first time...

[He chewed his lip harder. Now he wasn't so sure. While he hadn't lost any memories that first time around, he'd assumed the risk of a second death when he attempted to leave the north shore. When he arrived in Crystallis instead, he assumed losing all of his possessions was a matter of changing worlds again. But maybe not. Reno swallowed, feeling the loss of his necklace's weight on his chest, wondering if Thanatos had taken something after all. In the end, he supposed it was better than losing the memories of the one who gave it to him.]

That's a relief. I'd like to talk to him a bit more, eventually, to get more details about the process. See if there is any sort of connection between that and this whole Calamity business.

[Not that she was eager to jump into the role of lead investigator again. This was meant to be purely for her own information. Maybe share it with Reno and a handful of others if it proved valuable.]

....Apparently there's a common theme with these other worlds. Real shitty of them to take away things that are so important.

[She'd lost pictures. Valuables. Gifts from people she had cared greatly for and the memory of why.]

I think that's the trap that nearly everybody falls in. Everything after is a gamble.

[Elena doesn't miss the nervous action of the fellow Turk. Its hard not to know how to read another Turk, at least to some level. She says nothing, but rests her hand lightly on his uninjured arm, giving a light squeeze.]

Now, you gonna tell me what you did to you're arm or what? [Its not the most graceful of conversation changers, no.] Let met guess, you've not been keeping out of trouble.

Heh. [Reno smirked and gestured loosely with his good arm to the marshmallow-splattered streets.] Take a look around and tell me how I'm s'posed to stay out of trouble?

[Honestly, though... He shook his head and shrugged his good shoulder.]

I sort of got in a fight. With Zack Fair. Among others...

To be fair, they were, like, crazy pumped-up possessed zombies at the time?

[He was probably lucky to be alive, but she didn't need to worry about that after the fact.]

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Intro Log || Exactly As Planned

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