melodiesofeternity | (no subject)

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Who: Tidus and OPEN
When: End of October
Where: Myste Aura, Nakagawa, Curti Center, and various
What: Spooky mysteries, stone-throwing, and disciplinary studies. Open prompts below, closed in comments.
Warnings/Notes: Mentions of death/ghosts/existential crises, will update if needed

a. a stone's throw away

It's been a difficult month for Tidus' confidence. He's screwed up mission after mission, and it's clear that what he's been doing isn't enough to save this world. The problem is that he isn't sure what to do about that, so he resorts to the familiar at first. If anyone should happen to be in the vicinity of Myste Aura, they won't find him tearing up the blitzball stadium as usual. Instead, he's jogging on a very cool and windy morning, rather underdressed for the weather. And what's with all the fog lately

He shivers, but grits his teeth and presses onward. Maybe if he runs fast enough, he can leave his worries behind. In fact, he's so focused on his task that he kicks up a storm of sand on an unsuspecting person before he finally skids to a halt.

"Whoops---uh, hey, you okay there?"

b. back to basics

His next stop on his quest for self-discovery takes him to the Swordmaster guild in Nakagawa. He'd initially taken up the job because it was familiar, but this month's events have shown him that he has much more to learn if he wants to be truly balanced. He can be found inside the guild going through practice exercises again and again, or once he steps outside, balancing on a nearby fence post. He's actually succeeding at shutting out all the mental distractions for now, looking like the model of a disciplined warrior.

Except it's still Tidus, so he soon starts hopping from post to post.

c. with so much to learn

Finally, he returns to the Curti Center where this whole foray into the unknown began. When he arrived, he'd been full of wonder, questions, and renewed hope. He was now worn down with experience, down on his luck, and a little afraid of what was to come next...but he couldn't let that stop him. So he blew right past all the decorations for the upcoming holiday, retreating into what was very much not his natural habitat: the library. He soon hit the books, looking very out of place behind a teetering pile of mundane documents he'd collected at random.

Was this what it took to be serious?

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It's on one of Tidus's many runs across the shores of Vaikuntha that it happens. There's a strange flicker, a chill in the air, and then...nothing left but an odd creepy feeling. Oh, and a chill suddenly splashing up his leg. Was the ocean supposed to be this cold already?

A familiar silhouette in the fog stops him, though. Tidus lifts a cautious hand in greeting.

"Marinette? Hey, what are you doing out here?"

Edited 2018-10-25 04:53 (UTC)

Maybe coming all the way out here by herself wasn't the best idea, but Marinette had wanted a change. Or maybe she'd just wanted something to distract her from everything that had been going on.

Either way, she'd claimed a spot on the beach - not too near the water, but not too far away either - and brought her sketchbook. It had been a while since she'd felt inspired, and maybe she was hoping this would help a little.

The sound of someone calling her name made her look up, and she glanced over in time to spot Tidus waving at her. "Tidus! Hi. I just figured I'd go for a walk since it's such a nice day." You know, aside from the chill in the air. "What about you?"

"Training, same as always," he said with a casual smile that was just slightly plastered on. He was genuinely pleased to see her, though, and for the moment he had a distraction from the eerie atmosphere.

"You came out here to draw?"

For a moment, she was almost tempted to ask what he was training for. And then she remembered the mognet post from the other day, and figured it had something to do with that. "Do you always come out in the fog to train?" Her tone is teasing, though, and she's smiling, so it's safe to assume she's not being judgmental. It's not like she can say anything, anyway.

"I did. Or rather, I decided to rest for a bit. It's really pretty out here." Even with the fog.

"No, I've just had a lot on my mind lately, I guess," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Like I'm not doing great, so maybe I just need to go back to what I do well. It's easier when you follow your instinct, right?"

Right? He wasn't sure anymore, but it was definitely getting colder. He squinted out at the fog, his uneasiness rising. It was great that Marinette could see the beauty in it, but he couldn't help but worry.

Oh. "Wanna talk about it?" He probably wasn't looking for someone to talk at when he'd come out here, but she figured it wouldn't hurt anything to make the offer at the very least. The worst he could do was say no, and she wasn't going to push it if he did. "I don't think there's anything wrong with sticking to what you do well." Then again... "But there's also nothing wrong with trying something new. Just follow your heart."

And that probably sounded entirely corny. She didn't have long to dwell on that, though, because that chill in the air seemed to growing more intense the longer she sat.

"Maybe that's not a bad idea," he admitted, a small smile on his face. Everything about Marinette was friendly and welcoming, and he couldn't help but trust her. He reached up to squeeze his pendant, and was about to say something when an entirely different sensation took his attention.

"Yow! I was just in the water not that long ago, it wasn't freezing like this. Something's definitely up. See that?"

There was definitely a shape out on the water, even as obscured by the fog as it appeared now.

"It couldn't hurt." If nothing else, he might start to feel better about whatever's bothering him. And maybe it was just that she's gotten into the habit of offering whenever one of her friends were upset about something but either way she's willing to listen as long as he's willing to talk.

And now that he mentioned it, the air did seem to be getting chillier. "You're right. It wasn't this chilly when I came out here." And there was absolutely something out in the water. "Whoa. What is that?"

"I've kind of had a bad track record with mysteries, lately, but...want to check it out?"

He nodded to a small boat sitting on the shoreline. He usually sailed bigger ones, but it would do well enough for this case.

Well that certainly sounded ominous, but she couldn't help being a little curious.

"You know what? Let's do it!" Because that was obviously the best idea. There was no way this could end badly, so she just shrugged it off and made her way over to the boat he was gesturing at.

"All right! Let's just check our equipment, don't want to run into anything unprepared."

He did so for a few moments, glad he was careful to stock so many potions, then tended to the boat. It wasn't the finest vessel, but it would do for their investigation. He made sure Marinette was safe, then set off.

As they approached, the air and the water chilled even further. It even froze to the point that the boat completely stopped. Well. That was comforting.

He poked the ice surrounding it with an oar, confirming that it was frozen solid, then tested his weight. "I think it'll hold. You still want to go?"

There were strange spectres flickering in and out of their vision now, like serpents writhing above the seas. They lined a path that led to something vaguely moogle-shaped.

Marinette nodded and took a moment to do so. She'd stocked up on potions and things and she was probably as ready as she would ever be to go sailing off into the fog.

Which was exactly what they were doing, and honestly it wasn't as bad as she would've been expecting. What was that saying? Hope for the best, prepare for the worst? Or something like that. But the boat didn't get very far before it stopped, and by that point she was starting to shiver.

She peered over the side of the boat in time to watch him testing out the ice. Well this had certainly taken a turn, but she hadn't agreed to this only to turn back now because of a little ice. "I'm still up for it if you are."

Mostly, she was hoping he was still up for it. Because as curious as she was about all of this, she didn't particularly want to be out here by herself. "Hey, look! There's a path?"

"Definitely. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen." Tidus smiled reassuringly and set out on the ice, staying close if she should fall. They would make it there, slowly.

Eventually, the beasts part, revealing that a boat is also approaching in the distance, gliding over the ice. The haggard-looking moogle has the weight of an albatross around its neck. When he reaches them, he begins to spin a tale of woe.

He was quite the sailor in his day, and on one voyage, his crew became quite lost. This albatross had been their friendly guide...the bird lifts a weary eye and seems to glare at them. There's more to this tale, but the poor moogle needs a breath.

"Great! And neither will I~" Because announcing it like meant things would work out the way she wanted it to, right? Sure. Either way, she returned the smile and moved to follow him. Somehow, she even managed to get out of the boat without tripping over her own feet.

The walk wasn't terribly exciting, but that was fine. Staying on her feet was more important. And then she glanced up in time to spot the boat coming toward them. Which might've seemed a little weird to her before, the allure of a story was enough to distract her from that.

Marinette was silent as the moogle spoke, listening with rapt attention until he paused to take a breath. She wanted to say something nice, or anything at all, but it was a lot, and it would probably take her a little while to process. In the meantime, she glanced over at Tidus to see how he was holding up.

Tidus reacted only with a small frown, and the frown only grew as the tale continued. It turned out the moogle had killed the albatross that had helped it so nicely, and that was why he remained haunted in the afterlife. He looked at the humans with desperate, weary eyes.

And the boat approached. The two were members of the man's former crew, cackling. The moogle seemed to be ashamed, and looked up at them.

"If I may make a request?"

The story had taken a turn, and Marinette wasn't sure how she wanted to feel about it. On the one hand, the moogle seemed genuinely ashamed of what he'd done. On the other hand, well, hearing about it now was probably different than being there.

The approach of the moogle's former crew members just seemed ominous and she glanced up at them for a moment before turning back to the moogle.

"What can we do to help?"

"My crew, they're the gamblin' sort. They'd like to play a game with ye. Test your luck on 'em and ye might win me freedom," he explained.

The gamblers seemed to agree, eagerly flipping a coin between their paws.

Tidus frowned at that, then down at the moogle. "You've been carrying all this for a really long time, huh?"

He could say that it had been wrong, but...the poor guy looked like he'd been hassled about it for a while.

He then gave Marinette a small nod. They could do this, right?

Test their luck? Marinette smiled at the word choice, though she hadn't felt particularly lucky since coming here.

And while she'd probably be up for it if it was just her, she didn't want to try and speak for Tidus as well. But the moogle did look like he'd been dealing with this for a long time.

"I mean. I'm in if you are."

What was the worst that could happen?

Tidus gave her a thumbs-up. "You got it! We'll give it our best, man."

The moogle didn't exactly look pleased, relieved, or even hopeful. He had waited far too long, he'd been worn-down by his regrets. But he could simply wish the young humans luck.

"Their ship awaits."

The ship was just a short trek away, and Tidus, being Tidus, called out to them.

"Hey, you! We're boardin' for a minute! Just want to have a little chat."

There was no verbal response, but the moogles backed away from the ledge, giving them space. Tidus gave Marinette another smile.

"Ready?"

Their best was really all they could do, and she grinned in response.

The moogle's lack of any sort of response wasn't terribly encouraging, but there were more important things to worry about at the moment.

And for the moment, she was willing to follow Tidus' lead as they made their way over toward the ship. What was it about moogles not answering right now? Definitely not encouraging. Regardless, she smiled at Tidus and shrugged.

"Absolutely! Shall we?" There was no way this could go wrong. Right?

"Okay! We'll play your game," Tidus agreed, crossing his fingers. His luck had been terrible lately, and taking a poor soul's fate into his hands could be a very bad idea. He really hoped Marinette's luck would balance his out.

He sized them up, nodded, and then sucked in a breath as they held out a coin.

"Call it in the air!"

If they were in Paris, or if she had Tikki with her, she'd feel a lot better about taking someone else's fate into her hands. But now wasn't the time to start doubting herself. They could do this!

Marinette stole a quick glance over at Tidus and then turned her attention back to their opponents to wait.

"Heads!"

[OOC: I wasn't quite sure if you wanted Marinette to call it or not, so lemme know if this is okay, or if I should edit. <3]

[Tidus isn't the only one in the library that day. Corrin has also been spending some time there trying to find everything the library has on her current academic obsession; the study of architecture. She's already found several books which she's carrying in her arms. She sees Tidus and almost says hello, but sees how deep in study he is and thinks better of it. She really shouldn't bother him.

Unfortunately, Corrin hasn't quite watched where she's going and she accidentally bumps into a chair, causing her to stumble, and several of the books to fall out of her hands onto the floor, right near Tidus.]

"Ah! Oh, blast."

[Shooting Tidus an apologetic look, she bends down to start trying to pick up the books.] "Sorry, I didn't mean to- [another book slips from Corrin's grasp as she tries to pick up the fallen ones, and she frowns in annoyance.] -do that. Sorry."

Edited 2018-10-27 00:48 (UTC)

"W-wha?"

[The sudden thumps startle him, and he's worried for a moment before he finds the source. There's a woman there he hasn't met before, and he can definitely sympathize with feeling off balance. He smiles gently and moves to help her pick them up.]

"Hey, don't worry! Happens to all of us. Are you hurt?"

[Corrin flashes him a smile as the man helps her pick up her books.] "Thank you. No, I'm fine. None of them fell on my feet or anything." [Which is good since Corrin doesn't wear shoes, like, ever. Some of the books are thick and heavy; they would have hurt.]

"I'm just sorry I disturbed you. You were studying so intently I didn't want to bother you, and then I went and did the exact thing I was trying not to do. But thank you for your help, I appreciate it."

[She finishes gathering up the architecture books that Tidus hasn't gotten yet.] "My name's Corrin, by the way. I'm, ah, new."

"Hey, it's okay! Happens to me all the time."

[He smiles, ensures she has all her things, then offers a hand.]

I'm Tidus. From the Myste Aura Merrows. But I'm here trying to figure out how to help everyone.

[Takes the hand gratefully as he helps her up.]

"Hello, Tidus. It's nice to meet you." [She cocks her head to one side though.] "I've heard of the city of Myste Aura, but what are the Merrows? Are they one of the guilds?"

[Nohr doesn't really do large team-based sporting events. But if you need jousts or Grand Tourneys hoo boy do they got you covered, bro.]

"You want to help everyone? That's very admirable, Tidus. May I ask what you're looking for? I might be able to help you look."

Edited 2018-10-29 00:56 (UTC)

It's our blitzball team! We're gonna be the best at next year's tournament.

[If the world survives long enough to make it there, that is. He has to help make that happen. He waits to see that she's okay, then steps back.]

Anything about old legends. I looked at that kids' book that was scanned for us, but there's gotta be more strange stories.

Kenichi happened to be visiting the Cavalier guild when he happened upon seeing Tidus's attempt at mental training. He couldn't help but be reminded of his own early years in training and the struggles that came with it.

"Nice footwork you got there," he genuinely complimented as he walked over. "Though something tells me that wasn't the training you had in mind."

"Hey," he greeted, hopping down to take a seat. Maybe he could afford to take a small break, and it was always worth it to get to know other members of the group.

"Yeah. I'm...kinda having trouble staying focused, but it's never been a big issue before," he admitted with a small shrug.

"Ah, that classic problem," Kenichi scratched his chin. He sat down next to Tidus.

"I'll confess that sometimes losing focus happens to me too. I know we got the big Bahamut in the room to worry about, but there's clearly something else on your mind. Did something happen to make you waver?"

"You...could definitely say that," he admitted, idly curling his fingers around the grass.

"I guess coming here, finding out what's going on, looking around with out a clue, it's just...kind of like going back to square one. That's really starting to sting. I messed up big-time on a few runs lately, and it's sinking in just how much I don't know, that I really can't afford another big screw-up."

He exhaled. "You ever just feel lost?"

Kenichi nodded as he listened to Tidus.

"I have and I'll admit I feel a bit lost myself right now too. This is a new world, so it has its own sets of rules to follow. Learning how this all works takes time so it's natural to feel upset when things aren't going your way."

He paused a bit and looked up to the sky. "Just don't forget what you're fighting for. You seem like a sincere person so I believe others will understand with time that what you did was not out of malice. May I ask how things didn't work out those times?"

Tidus nodded. Yes, that was what he wanted to believe, but in the moment it was hard to forget.

"I got tricked by a voice. Right after I was told voices were going to be tricking us. And then I managed to get beat in battle by an evil treasure chest," he sighed. "You'd have to be nuts to trust me after that---but I'm trying to get better before the next crisis."

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Rime of the Ancient Moginer (closed to Marinette)

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[So Much To Learn]

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B

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