melodiesofeternity | [Closed] Let's Help Some Moogles!

It's a foggy, cloudy day around the Curti Center. But instead of staying inside away from the autumn chill, Serge is following reports of a moogle noble with... odd problems. Nobody knows who she is, and she's got a number ticking backwards over her head. Weird, but... probably another ghost, right? So they need help.

He turns to glance at the other person with him, grinning sheepishly. "What do you think about all this stuff? Pretty spooky how it's all happening right around the Night of the Thirteen Moogles, right?"

Edited 2018-10-11 03:59 (UTC)

"Honestly? I'm still trying to find my bearings a little." Corrin laughs sheepishly. "I'm still not entirely certain what the Night of the Thirteen Moogles is. But I appreciate you letting me come investigate this with you, Serge."

"Nah, don't worry about it. Seriously, I'm here to help, especially offworlders trying to get acclimated." He looks around, trying to get his bearings. In the fog it's so hard, though...

"Night of the Thirteen Moogles... it's kind of like a harvest festival? Only not really, it's about this old moogle king that was really bad and he died on the thirty-first of October so you dress up in spooky costumes and stuff to scare his ghost away. Or something. It's all just like myths and stuff, like they tell to little kids. So it's mostly just an excuse to dress up in costumes!"

Corrin glances around as she follows Serge through the mist. Goodness, the fog is very thick, isn't it? Well, as long as they don't get separated it shouldn't be an issue. "Oh, a harvest festival. Sure, I know about those, we celebrate them back home." Well, at least Xander and the others would always show up at the Northern Fortress and spend the evening (and most of the following day) with her. Even now that she's out of there, she still hasn't had the chance to attend an actual harvest festival celebration.

But at the mention of dressing up in costumes that Corrin's pointed ears twitch in excitement. "And did you say costumes?" You had her attention Serge, but now you have her curiosity. "I never get the chance to dress up in a costume!" This is really exciting stuff!

Serge beams. "Oh, yeah! It's tons of fun. I'm still kinda trying to figure out what I could do this year. Half the fun's making it yourself and I dunno, maybe something... actually scary? Oh! I could be a pirate!"

His excitement is cut off, however, by a soft voice joining theirs, coming from below the waistline.

"Excuse me, young man and lady..."

"Oh, I think I know exactly what I want." Camilla's the seamstress in the family, but Corrin had plenty of time to work on her own sewing skills growing up. She can easily make due. "I'm definitely making myself a-" She stops when she hears the voice coming from below. Staring at Serge for a moment, she then looks down. "Hi. Are you the, uh...ghost?"

"Ghost? Sorry, I'm not quite sure what you mean, kupo... A female moogle, dressed in a black gown and wispy black shawl. "Forgive me, but I simply must get past. I've a very important appointment, though I..." She looks troubled. "I can't seem to recall where, kupo..." Perhaps alarmingly, however, is the shadowy numeral floating over her head, a number five in wispy black smoke.

"Uhh. Ma'am, you have a, uh. A thing..." Not certain of what to do, Serge gets out of the way. "Over your head..."

"A... thing?" She looks up, directly at the smoky numeral, her brow furrowing. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, young man. Oh, I shall be late unless I hurry, kupo. It's such a terribly important appointment, but I just can't recall- please, young man, young lady, can you help me?" Over her head, the number dissipates... only to reform a moment later.

4

Edited 2018-10-12 02:22 (UTC)

Corrin frowns as the number ticks further down, but then crouches so she can better converse with the moogle. She smiles gently. "Absolutely, we'll do everything we can to help you, ma'am. I'm Corrin, and this is my friend Serge. Tell us what you do remember about your appointment and we'll help you get there as soon as we can, okay?"

Serge looks up at Corrin... and kneels down by her side. "Yeah, we'll do what we can. Don't worry, okay? Here, what do you remember?"

The moogle does look significantly less distressed. "Oh, thank you. It's... I'm meant to go somewhere, kupo, but for the life of me I cannot remember where. Thank you, Serge, Corrin; I simply cannot tell you how much it means, I've been wandering for- well I'm certain it's only been an hour, but it feels so much longer-"

Serge nods, standing. "Well, uh. We're here to help, you know? Was there someone you were supposed to meet? Maybe we could look for them for you." Something about that number is making him uneasy.

"Oh. Oh, yes! I remember, I was supposed to meet a gentleman. I think... yes, I think he was going to hire a carriage for me, but I'm sure I've missed the appointment by now, kupo... Perhaps if I took another carriage I could catch him further on?"

3

Hearing the Moogle speak about going further on catches Corrin's attention, and she thinks for a moment. "I think you might be right about that. I'm sure your gentleman friend is probably waiting for you. We'll help you call for a carriage so you can go on and catch up with him." She glances at Serge. "Maybe we can just...wave one down for you?"

Serge nods, somewhat concerned... but he looks around. "Uh. Hey, that's a busier street than this one, maybe we'll have some luck over there. Come on, walk with us." He returns the glance, starting to move. This is... distinctly unnerving.

"Oh, do you think so? Yes, that... does make sense, kupo." She picks up the hem of her dress, hurrying to match their pace as the trio approaches the corner. "Truly, I can't thank you enough, kupo... I asked several people before you to help me, and do you know they ignored me? People these days can be so impolite."

2

Serge picks up the pace a little bit.

"Well, I'm glad we can help." Corrin replies as they walk briskly towards the street. The fact that she's talking to a ghost seems honestly less important to her than the fact that it's a ghost in need of help.

But seeing Serge's discomfort, she leans forward a little and lowers her voice to speak to him. "I think if we can find her the carriage she needs, it'll help her...move on, right? To whatever comes next?"

When they reach the corner, Corrin glances down the street quickly, but the fog is still very thick. After a moment, she sticks her hand out into the road, hoping that maybe this will summon the carriage their moogle companion needs.

Happily, the moogle seems oblivious to the conversation going on above her. "I... yeah. Sorry, it's just... never dealt with anything like this before. I just feel... sad, for her."

The three stop at the street corner, and Serge... obligingly holds out his hand, waving at traffic. He doesn't see a taxi, but something has to be coming, right?

The moogle gazes across the street, concern creeping back into her expression. "You... you don't suppose I've missed it entirely, kupo? I should be able to catch up?"

1

"I think-" Serge stops, mid-sentence. A carriage that he could've sworn wasn't there before, pulled by a pale chocobo, slowing to a gentle stop. The door swings open of its own accord, and Serge feels a very definite chill down his spine. In spite of the intimidating appearance of the black carriage, their companion seems relieved.

"Oh. I'd thought- well, it hardly matters now, kupo." She reaches up, tugging at Serge's hand to pull him down to her level, and embrace him, before doing the same to Corrin. "I'm so ashamed; I'd offer you something for your troubles, but I seem to have misplaced my bag. Do take care, kupo."
She turns, starting to climb the steps into the carriage, and the driver pulls out a tiny, old hourglass, tapping it as though to check something...

Corrin nods. "Me too. But we'll get her where she needs to go."

"It's all right, really." Corrin replies, returning the embrace. "I'm just glad we could help." The carriage is rather unnerving, but she doesn't let it show, since it seems to be exactly what the moogle needs. "Go on, and see your gentleman friend."

She glances at the driver as he checks the hourglass. "Is everything all right?" She asks, a bit worriedly.

The driver seems... satisfied, by something, and stows the hourglass once more. At Corrin's question, there is merely the nod of a hooded head, indicating an affirmative. The moogle lady boards the carriage with ease, vanishing into the gloom within, and as the driver tugs at the reins-

A question, burning in Serge from the instant the moogle started talking about carriages, fights to the forefront, and before the driver can leave he's putting his hand on the carriage, as if to stop it-
"W-wait!" He immediately regrets it, finds himself pinned in place by two eyes- well, not eyes, so much as pinpricks of light in the darkness of the hood, pale blue like far-off stars. Oooooh this was a bad idea. "I- I-I have to ask, I'm sorry, where... where does the carriage go?"

There's a long silence, and Serge removes his hand from the side of the carriage, feeling by the second as though he'd crossed some line, surely about to pay for it-

But the carriage door clicks shut, the sense of dread vanishes, and a voice not so much heard as felt, replies in a tone that's both gentle and unyielding, understanding but brooking no argument:

ON.

And then the pale chocobo pulls out into traffic, and in another moment it's gone from view, carriage and all. Serge's heart starts beating again.

Corrin shudders as she...feels, rather than hears the voice pass through her. It's an unnerving sensation, and yet something about the tone feels understanding, and that gives her comfort. They did the right thing. She can't help but smile in relief as the carriage disappears...onwards.

Then she looks over at Serge and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asks. "That was...something, huh?"

He's visibly shaken, but catching his breath. "Y-yeah, I. I think I'm okay, that was... that was something, alright." He laughs weakly, if only to stop the nervous energy from overwhelming him. "I don't think I'll ever quite forget that, as long as I live."

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "You wanna grab a coffee or something? I feel like I could use something hot to drink after, uh. After that."

Edited 2018-10-12 20:58 (UTC)

"I don't think I will, either." Corrin says, but she's smiling. "We did good work today, Serge."

At his invitation of coffee, she nods happily. "Absolutely! Lead the way." As they begin to walk, she nudges him. "Hey, you think I could add you on my Friends List? Be easier for us to keep in touch that way."

Serge jumps, when nudged. "Huh- oh, right! Absolutely, here." He pulls out his iMog, showing her his public address. "Sorry for bein' so shellshocked, I guess. I just... it got me thinking about my dad, and..."

Serge clears his throat. "He died when I was little so you can probably see where my dumb-as-hell thought process was going."

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize." Corrin grows solemn too. "I do understand, though. Believe me, I do. I...lost my mother recently." A pause. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Serge sighs a little. "It's fine, seriously. It was just... I think about him a lot. He was... the kind of man I always wanted to grow up to be. Always helping other people, always laughing. I guess I kinda..." He sighs. "It's really dumb. I think about whether or not I'll ever see 'im again."

"He sounds like he was a good man." Corrin replies. "I know I haven't known you very long, but from where I'm standing it looks like you're well on your way to being that man."

"You will." She says, and she sounds very confident about this. "I can't imagine that he wouldn't be proud of you."

Serge finds himself blushing. "Gah. Now you're embarrassing me." He grins, in the end. "Thanks, though. It means a lot, hearing things like that."

"Well, this is one thing I can actually speak with from experience. After my mother died, I met her again, once. On the...other side, I guess. Her and two of my brothers who had died. They...she helped me find my way back." Corrin smiles reassuringly at him. "So, yeah. Don't mention it."

Edited 2018-10-13 04:32 (UTC)

"I'm sorry. About your mom and brothers, I mean. But yeah, I guess... I guess the upside to all this spooky stuff happening with ghosts and whatnot means I don't have to worry. How'd you manage to do that, though?"

[Closed] Let's Help Some Moogles!

Time keeps on slippin' [Locked to Corrin]

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my god you have a coffee icon that's amazing

Right? I love her expression.

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