melodiesofeternity | Anniversary Event: Defying Fate

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Anniversary Event: Defying Fate

Who: Everyone
When: April 8th-11th
Where: Vaikuntha
What: The Heroes of Light relive the three days leading to the Apocalypse, again and again. With this come the chance for them to save the world, but also to explore opportunities otherwise out of reach. Will they find a way to save the world and prevent this terrible fate from coming true?
Warnings/Notes: Depends on the threads.

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Serge managed to immediately spring himself well up and above that default 'barely-interesting' benchmark to Sephiroth as soon as he began to explain. The silver-haired man hadn't actually met any of the natives that had been drafted as a 'Hero of Light' before; no matter that Jennifer had mentioned that their cause wasn't just off-worlders on several occasions, Sephiroth hadn't really put much thought into why that might be - until right at this moment now.

"Could well be." Not that Sephiroth was trying to particularly encourage Serge, but he did share something of a curious-if-there-was-a-connection which somehow might bridge alternate versions of himself across universes. The whole concept of multi-universes had been something of a hurdle to get his mind around, at the beginning.

"That said, Ramaa is still too much of an unknown to me to be able to judge well, for all we know she's forcing that connection to be made; we all know by now to what end."

1) The First (Few) Loops

Nothingness, yet still somehow aware is a state of being Sephiroth wasn't unfamiliar with at all. In his experience, he's been here twice before, after all. Yet it was only just as identifying the void began to cross his thoughts that the voice rose out as if from all around him.

He didn't recognize the voice-

Out of seemingly nowhere Sephiroth suddenly sat up with a sharp exhale of breath. Back in the main living space of his residence at Curti, mid-rep within a set of situps. Yet naturally, his body was still caught in those near-enough automatic motions so breathing came in again as he laid back on the mat. Feeling all the senses yet again, the sweat between his bare back and the mat, how warm he felt due to the exercise, the rhythmic thumping in his chest as his pulse steadily returned to resting level. His eyes closing under the pressure of racing thoughts as he forced himself back into calm-neutral, panicking would be detrimental.

Surely he couldn't just continue with the routine now. It was as said, they'd been given another chance and Sephiroth wasn't one to squander an opportunity. He made a silent promise; Ramaa was going to pay for this. But first, he had to know what pieces were in play.

Sephiroth made for the Curti center first, keeping his awareness widespread and listening out for others who might also have been sent back - if it would be him alone, it would prove harder with only one more go at events.

[ooc: Feel free to encounter Sephiroth in any later/early loop as well. His initial steps won't be much different, reuniting with the same people at the start of every loop is all good. Might help the sanity a bit.

Though he wouldn't have joined Tyzias' linkshell right away.]

---
2) That Loop that He Needed to Know; one of the 9th's, Afternoon.

By now it was clear that they might all be stuck in these loops of the last three days for a lot longer than anticipated. Albeit Sephiroth hadn't yet done much to influence any of the events, more like observing and connecting them in his mind first before really taking some time to think about where his very particular type of pressure might be exerted to best adjust an outcome. With all the chaos all across Vaikuntha, it was going to be no small task.

Yet, for one with the experience of being a part of a sea of souls yet still retaining himself, reliving the same events didn't yet seem to be having much of an effect on his mental state. Sure, Sephiroth would begin to feel the strain at some point, but it would have to degrade his strong sense of will away, first. He was focused entirely on one goal; averting the end of this reality, to which for now he seemed inextricably bound to.

For that he needed knowledge; so much more than he might be able to garner though, while still bound to a mortal coil. Sephiroth needed more, to know this World as personally as he'd known his own. Then perhaps he'd be able to see clearer; besides, he'd be alive again the next loop-around.

Jennifer was sent screeching through the halls of the Curti center, looking for assistance, as the poor mog had come home to the scene of Sephiroth's suicide. Expertly executed by turning his katana on himself and falling onto the blade, the sword cleanly pierced right the way through his body. Even the pool of blood seemed pristine, undisturbed as it had congealed underneath where Sephiroth had slumped onto the kitchen floor.

Considering the workers at the Curti center had all but abandoned their posts by now, likely there wouldn't be anyone to help clean up the house, or dispose of the body- and what does it matter anymore, given events to come.

Serge perks up a little. Sephiroth was a little intimidating if he was being totally honest, but now the soldier was opening up and he seemed alright. "I might've thought that too, but my friend- Er. I don't think you'd have met her, but her name's Kid- She showed up, and she actually knows me! Not me-me, but other-me, the one from the other world. And she knew things about me she couldn't have otherwise, so it just seems a little too coincidental..."

He reflects on this, for a moment. "Besides, if everything's getting reset until we get it right anyway, what's the harm? This might help people, and we might get some answers. Knowing's better than not knowing, y'know?"

"True enough logic, yet there's no way to tell how many times we might have to go through these events. Or if this one might be the last go-around."

Then it might well all be for absolutely nothing, the thought darkens Sephiroth's expression noticeably, he even goes so far as to swallow to clear his throat from the sickening sense of defeat that would cause. Drawing in a steady breath through his nose and exhaling slowly, keeping himself in check.

"Exactly. Knowledge is power."

Serge beams. "You've gotta believe, Sephiroth. We've got a second chance, here. I don't think whoever's arranging this would go to this much trouble to let us get it right, just to not give us enough time to do it properly."

The other man seems upset by the notion of looming failure, so he does the first thing that comes to mind: He puts a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder. "We'll figure it out. We're the Heroes of Light, after all! I don't care if we're Calamity-marked or whatever, if there's one thing I know for a fact about the future, it's that it's never set in stone. Little changes add up to big ones and before you know it, the impossible's suddenly turned out to be totally doable."

No need to be mopey about it, hee hee! What's a little soul stealing between heroes?

Besides, I thought maybe I could do something with borrowed essences, but I guess it just made everything worse. We all messed up, now we have an opportunity to fix it!

No sense feeling sorry for yourself anyway, technically it never happened, hahaha!

Result: Cult dismantled. Few followers fled. Unfiltered messages turn citizens against us. Though they actually lack strength to stop us, discouraging support for us needs to be hindered. Contact Mognet. Striking Moogles?

Naoto is writing and keeps writing in her pocket book. Not on the network as that's been compromised before, and this allows her to keep the notes. Fortunately, those who are posting on the network allow her to fill in more pieces of the puzzle. Reinforcements or supplies needed to be taken to Captain Gaator's team, Catmancers might be needed for the cats in Parasraya, Arito needed to be approached from another angle...

She's at the Curti Center while working on these notes should anyone want to bother her.

When one was writing notes, one needed a surface to write on. And who needed a writing desk of some kind when you had a back to properly support a notepad?

Looping was... exhausting. Kanji hadn't moved for the better part of an hour, draped over her lap on the bench, his jacket a makeshift pillow. If anything, perhaps it was a point of envy that he seemed to sleep with very little trouble.

But being the action guy, yet not the brainy guy like this world desperately needed, was tiring. Frustrating. Some things worked, others didn't. What would work? What did this world want before it'd stop going over and over and over and... over... zzzzz

Naoto found it a little strange Kanji wanted to use her lap, but... she let him. Why not? And as long as she focused on her notes and checking the mognet for new posts, she wasn't embarrassed if people looked their way.

"Hm... the forest..."

And from the image posted, it was Eidolon language. Looked like a Summoner would have to go if there was to be a chance at finding those kids. Then they'd keep an eye on the cult ordeal - her notebook had plenty on that - and head there.

He supposed in retrospect that wasn't a stretch to work out why he slept so well. It was the white noise of the vents, the quiet tapping against the iMog Slate, or the occasional rustle of papers. Maybe it was why he always felt sleepy during study sessions... clearly not the academics. Nope.

But gradually he stirred, a wide yawn taking him before he opened one eye a crack. Sleep cycle over, he guessed. Besides, they had three days to work out and sleep was a commodity.

"Your turn...?" A mumble. His girlfriend's a workaholic. He had to add that to the loop cycle plan; help her realize she needed rest, too.

Naoto had a little more to note down, but then Kanji stirred. Oh no, she only knew what this would mean - b-but she wasn't finished. But she knew Kanji wouldn't allow her to continue working because she honestly didn't get too much sleep; he'd insist.

"... Can I just have another minute?"

i took your soul

i'm sorry

i'm a really s

employee

Edited 2019-03-17 06:51 (UTC)

holy s

you're 4 million years old?

damn

i did not expect that

sorry. i know there's more important stuff in what you just said.

Asriel is typing...

being a leader and having good intentions go bad

i dunno if it's the same. but that kind of reminds me of my dad.

he wanted to kill all humans

not really

i don't think he's ever wanted to kill anyone in his entire life.

but

Asriel is typing...

he put the policy in after the humans sealed us underground and killed chara

uh and me

to make people feel better i guess

[Apparently he just glossed over the whole "and then I died" thing.]

Edited 2019-03-17 07:02 (UTC)

i

[A long pause for 20 minutes ensures.]

Don't know how to react to this man. it kind of happened to me though. i can't not remember it anyway.

[4 minutes]

was it seriously not bad/weird?

[Time reset.

Time shouldn’t reset here.

That’s a very big deal.

And Chara just straight doesn’t give a shit.

They’re heading to the house most of the others from the Underground has settled in. After they’re able to get themselves out of their bed, knowing they won’t just scream in rage at the betrayal they went through here and the whole situation, they immediately jump out and head next door.

Once they get inside, they immediately book it to Asriel’s room.

The world could be burning and they wouldn’t care. In fact, it wouldn’t matter right now. Chara’s willing to stay right outside the door til Doomsday if they have to.

They’re making sure their brother is okay, especially after...that. Whatever they did.

Chara pounds on the door, perhaps a bit too hard in their concern.

Rie? Rie. I know you’re in there.

[There's no response inside the door. Only silence.

If they listen really, really hard, they might be able to hear some kind of quiet choking sound for just a moment.

The doorknob looks weirdly mangled. Like something smacked it and unhinged it from the actual door on the inside.

Either way though, there isn't any answer.]

[Chara takes a deep breath at the breath they hear from the other side before their gaze finally falls on the doorknob.

They fling the door open. They’re having a hard enough time keeping their cool and hiding concern as is. Their aggression isn’t aimed at Asriel, but they can’t manage to hide it either.

That Asriel might worry they’re angry at them never even crosses Chara’s mind.]

Asriel?

Over five million, actually. The first million I was just an Energon miner who dreamed of being a medic. That sort thing wasn't allowed though, changing your Primus-given job. Functionism, you see, the pseudo religious/political philosophy that shaped pre-War Cybertron and what gave rise to the Decepticons. The idea was insidiously simple; every Cybertonian's altmode is determined when they are first created. If forged, it happens naturally as the sentio metallico forms around the Spark and becomes the chassis of the Cybertronian to be; information on the altmode is deep-coded into the Spark and helps shape the metal. If constructed cold, however, a Spark is inserted into a pre-made body with an altmode already determined. Either way, your form is decided for you at the moment of your creation, and your form determines your function. The reasoning was couched as simple common sense; if you needed medical attention you wouldn't go to a medic who had a dump truck for an altmode, would you? If you needed a soldier, you wouldn't want someone with a microscope for an altmode. The other reasoning was religious; if you turned into a drill, it was because Primus-our founding god, at least according to our mythology-had determined that there was a need for drills. That you should take pride in your altmode, be happy and content with your place in society, and not seek ideas above your station. An insidious form of control that allowed Cybertron's ruling body, the Senate and the Primes it controlled, to abuse their authority and lord their status over everyone else.

The Decepticons were formed out of a desire for equality, for self-determination. To not let our births determine the course of our entire lives. But as the war raged on and Cybertron eventually left behind-we destroyed our own homeworld fighting the Autobots over it-we so quickly forgot those ideals...except, of course, when we needed an excuse. When I needed an excuse.

Good intentions so quickly turn to ash...I expect your father and I would have things to discuss, Asriel.

Megatron has stopped typing

Megatron is typing...

Ah, you are deceased in your own world, Asriel? Apologies, I don't mean to sound insensitive. Your father's actions make more sense to me now...they were born out of a desire to protect the rest of his people because he could not protect you, or this Chara person. I understand. I too did things I would have never thought myself capable of when I was drilling for Energon reserves beneath Nova Point. And once you discover you are capable...it is very hard to go back. It might even be impossible. I don't know.

But the attempt should still be made, I think.

Asriel is typing...

Asriel has stopped typing.

Asriel is typing...

Asriel has stopped typing.

Asriel is typing...

yeah.

that's pretty much the entire reason i'm still alive.

that and frisk. i don't know what they did. but when the person who took you down and showed you what you became gives you a chance at life

you kind of

have to do your best

for them if anything. right?

Asriel is typing...

for clarification when i died i got

the dust got spread over the garden. then alphys

sorry the royal scientist was doing

Asriel is typing...

sorry this isn't clarifying anything.

I died and I became something else. Power over time. couldn't feel love. or anything else really. kept RESETting over and over again. did everything there was to do in the underground. read every book. saw every vista from every angle. talk to everyone.

Asriel is typing...

killed everyone. every way i could think of. i'm just glad i wasn't very creative. tortured and tormented them.

killed my whole family except my sibling since they were already dead when i took their soul. but i guess i helped kill them too before that all happened anyway.

Asriel is typing...

Asriel has stopped typing.

Edited 2019-03-17 09:15 (UTC)

[The room is in tatters. Chara has to really push the door to get it to open, a lamp blocking it needing to be bodily shoved away to get enough space to actually get inside. The dresser drawers are yanked out and emptied on the ground. The mirror on the wall is smashed. Actually, every piece of glass in the room is smashed. The imog slate on the ground is broken too.

Asriel is sitting on his bed in a bundle, his hands clutching against his eyes as his shoulders rise and fall with his breathing. He doesn't answer.]

Ugh. I suppose if we're putting all our cards on the table.
I come from a planet called Terra. I never knew it in its 'glory days'- all I know is that the Terrans used it up. Its Crystal was nearly dead, most if not all natural resources were nearly completely depleted, and the ancient Terrans were going extinct. So they stored their souls away and created a golem named Garland, and gave him the task of preserving and, eventually, resurrecting their society.
I don't know exactly how long Garland was around, either, but after an indeterminate amount of time, he discovered another planet that was inhabitable, called Gaia. It was quite young, even had its own Crystal. And, regardless of the fact that there were already people living on that planet, he decided to move in. The thing to understand about Garland is that he was extremely... passive. He only acted if he had no other choice. He set up a system that would essentially interrupt the flow of Gaian souls and prevent their return to the planet's Crystal, which had a number of side effects but the goal there was eventually inserting Terra's souls into the cycle when there were none left on Gaia, thus allowing the Terran people to be reincarnated.
But things weren't moving quickly enough for him. Five thousand years later with no real end in sight, he decided that what was needed was something to... assist Gaian souls in their journey towards the hereafter. He wanted an 'Angel of Death' to commit mass genocide on the peoples of Gaia. So he made me.
I know that children are a thing that exists- and most species have them. I... there was no point at which I was born, or grew up, or what have you, I was created exactly as I am now. Given a soul so that I could have a semblance of thought, and given the task of reaping Gaia's souls so that the process could be completed. I was the prototype, the test model, and he never let me forget it. I did as he asked, godsdammit, and all I ever got was this utter rubbish about how I was 'becoming too independent' and 'losing sight of the goal'. I had my own way of doing things, but that didn't include 'slavish obedience' so while he was working on creating more like me- empty vessels, receptacles for Terran souls- he tried his hand at creating another Reaper. In the form of an infant this time, so that it would have time to... grow. Not become unstable and undesirable. When I found out, Garland just... calmly informed me that I wasn't to worry, that it was my replacement and that as soon as it was mature, I would be... 'retired', I think was the word he used.
I mean, what the hell did he think was going to happen, that I was just going to calmly sit and let it happen? Let him throw out my soul like yesterday's rubbish? I had to do something. I had to prove to him I was the only Reaper he needed, if only to save myself, didn't I? I took the damn thing and threw it through a portal to Gaia. Garland was... furious. I'd never seen him actually angry before, but he nearly killed me then and there. I only survived because he still needed me, still needed a Reaper. So he banished me to Gaia, never to return, while he worked on replacing what I'd stolen. And I played along, playing my part as the humbled servant, while I formed a plan to kill him.
The years passed, and my war came. A greedy queen with delusions of Empire did most of my work for me- I merely supplied her with weapons, artificial black mages to bolster her forces. All the while I was gathering my secret weapon, my trump card in the fight against Garland. I thought that he feared Eidolons, since he'd worked so hard to see them eliminated. So I sought to capture and utilize the strongest Eidolon...
The short version is that my plan worked. I had Alexander within my grasp, and of course it all was ruined. Garland knew about it the whole time. He used his warship, killed Alexander, nearly killed me in the resultant explosion, and left me scrambling to pick up the pieces. My 'Plan B' failed as well, thanks to the intervention of an enemy I'd never expected to see again, the infant I'd abandoned to Gaia, now fully-grown and willing to protect his adopted home with his life. His name was Zidane.
'Plan C', formed on the fly, was in fairness a stroke of simplistic brilliance. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. Gaian souls have a unique capability, you see. It's called Trance, an incredible surge of emotion that carries with it a boost in power, forged of a connection with Gaia's crystal. I could not Trance, since I was Terran, but perhaps with access to Gaian souls, I could manage it. What I needed was access to a large number of imprisoned Gaian souls, and for that I needed Garland's warship, the Invincible. The solution was obvious: bait Zidane and his friends into believing that Garland was the bigger threat than I was, and get them to undo the seal on the portal to Terra for me. After that, it was simple to follow them through, and sneak aboard the Invincible while Garland was dealing with them. They actually defeated him for me, what a surprise there, but once I'd absorbed the energy from those stolen souls, all that was left was the last trigger for Trance- the pain and adrenaline of battle, and a surge of emotion. It worked. I Tranced for the first time, killed Garland, nearly killed Zidane and his ragtag bunch of misfits, and thought my victory was complete.
It wasn't. Garland had the last laugh- always had the last laugh. I was only built to last until Zidane reached maturity. I had an 'expiration date'. Perhaps two days, perhaps two months, but it was coming, and for all my power, there was nothing I could do about it.
I
I didn't take it well. Trance is like... trying to steer an airship in a tornado. It amplifies everything. Anger becomes a bottomless well of rage. Joy becomes utter elation, beyond any bliss you've ever felt- and despair... Well. Anger and despair were all I had left, at that point. I decided, in that state, that if I was going to die, so was everyone else. The world didn't get to exist without me.
I burned Terra to a cinder, just to spit on the old man's memory, and from there I enacted a plan that would have had much the same consequence as Narayana's Awakening.
I failed, if only because Zidane was there again. I nearly killed them, and still they managed to fight off the beast I awakened and force it back to where it came from.
I didn't understand why, it was just a fleeting thought- but Trance makes you impulsive, and I used... the last of my magic to get them out, before the place collapsed on them. I could have saved myself. I still don't know why I saved them instead.
And there I might have died alone broken and slowly bleeding to death, but Zidane- the absolute moron- came back for me. I'd tried to kill him three times, and nearly succeeded twice, and he came back for me. I asked him why, and he just... smiled.
He thought that, if our positions had been reversed, if I'd been born second, he might have been exactly like I was.
"Wouldn't you have done the same for me?"
He came back for me. Not to save me, I was beyond saving, but just... just so I wouldn't die alone. So I'd have someone with me, at the very end. I thought about a million things, about how I'd been a monster, how I- how I didn't deserve to live after everything I'd done. How I didn't deserve this, didn't deserve Zidane for a brother...
I died. He got out.
And... then I woke up on an airship, bound for Vaikuntha. I don't deserve it- really, I don't. I've killed... thousands, at least, on a personal level. Factor in the effects of the war-gods, and... The survivors of Burmecia numbered less than a thousand, the survivors of Cleyra could be counted on one hand. Lindblum and Alexandria were both massive cities, and they both burned, thanks to me.
I don't deserve this. But if I took the easy way out- it feels... it'd feel like an insult to Zidane.

...

Good gods, I talk too much.

The evening of the tenth, the Hilda Garde arrives at the Castle of Sen Riqeaux. Kuja strolls past the guards, bearing an invitation, and makes his way, of course, to the dining room. A bottle of wine in hand- a fine old vintage he'd purchased, after the Amontillapo caper.

He'd taken care, too, to prepare for the evening. The formal affair he'd worn to the banquet, all those months ago. All that remained was for his 'date' to arrive. Doubtless it would be an extremely interesting evening. If, quite likely, a brief one.

[ ooc: Feel free to use this as a wildcard thing! If you want me to put up a private top-level or whatever, hmu at

linatrinch or on discord @jb#9174. ]

[ Finn couldn't express how badly he didn't want to do this. Picking up Calamity Knight and stomping over Bahamut's shoulders sounded much more preferable. The thing is-

The thing is, they already did this once. Wasn't once enough?

Close to the start of a new loop, Finn stood at the water's edge somewhere south of Arito and just waited for the big guy to show up. He stood on the shore in his Summoner's garb, hands on his hips, scowling in silence. ]

Edited 2019-03-17 16:38 (UTC)

(Matilda breathes a bit of a sigh as she mentally prepares herself for round 2. The first time had her finally meeting Ultros in person and learning how...hands-on he is. Ironically, being an octopus wasn't the worst of it; black dragons like their share of aquatic life and kraken hunting was a family tradition (so claimed Wastirek, anyway).

But there's no killing and eating Ultros. ~~Not this time, anyway~~ He is an eidolon, after all, and might something that can help the Heroes of Light. Tilly takes a deep breath as she waits alongside Finn, her tail flitting.)

Just to make sure...is there anything in particular you want me to ask him? I know we should confirm if he's aware of the loops...

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Page 3 of 17

Anniversary Event: Defying Fate

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Re: The First (Few) Loops || Sephiroth (cw: intended suicide, Prompt 2)

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Naoto Shirogane | OTA

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Re: Talking About It

Re: Group Chat

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Group Chat

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What is an Armageddon Without Dancing?

Finn | OTA

locked: Finn, Tilly, and... Ultros

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