Heroes of Light, Battle! The Ultimate Golsaucian Tournament Begins!

[tiredcharmer]

Who: The Heroes of Light!
When: June 16th-19th
Where: Sparks Golsaucia
What: After weeks of getting hounded by the press, corporations, and prospective fiances, Octavaux Dairesault offers the Heroes of Light a way out: by participating in this year's Golsaucian Gauntlet, taking the form of a fighting tournament.
Warnings/Notes: Tournament arc, congoers.


An Offer You Can't Refuse (Prelude)
It starts not long after June begins. Maybe somebody proposes to you in the middle of the street. Or you're bumrushed by a horde of solicitors who want to use your image for whatever product they're peddling. Or maybe a reporter literally busts down your door to get an interview. Whatever the case, the Heroes soon find it's impossible to find a semblance of peace and quiet in early June. Around every corner and in every building is somebody who is just dying to talk to you, or more commonly, several somebodies, each at cross purposes. Even your homes aren't safe, as a few particularly nutty fans are willing to break and enter to get your autograph.

You have to deal with all of this for a week, until you're contacted by Octavaux Dairesault, organizer of the previous year's smash hit Golsaucian Gauntlet. He's noticed (and perhaps orchestrated) your plight, and offers you a way out: simply participate in his tournament and/or the events around it, and the attention will lessen. Considering how things get worse every day, you don't have a lot of options...

Sparks Golsaucia HeroCon 20XX
As it turns out, the events around the tournament that Octavaux casually mentioned are really a huge, city-spanning con. Cosplayers are everywhere. Artist alley takes up two entire districts. You can't take two steps without bumping into a merchandise stall. Thankfully, the limos Octavaux has provided means that you don't have to fight your way through a horde of ravening fans to reach the centerpiece of the whole debacle: the arena. A massive Colosseum with bleeding-edge technology to allow for the creation of stages drawn from... something. Octavaux refuses to elaborate on that. Whatever the case, you finally have the respite that you need. There's delicious food, cushy bedrooms, exercise rooms... pretty much whatever you want. And best of all, nobody prying into your business. How will you spend your precious, precious free time?

Of course, the tournament isn't all some of you are here for. Maybe you've decided to host a panel, in which case you're contractually obligated to appear among thousands upon thousands of fans and give a spiel. And give autographs. Lots of autographs. With really weird requests too.

Whatever the case... the tournament is about to begin!

Comments

MINGLE

[tiredcharmer]

Post your toplevels, INCLUDING YOUR PANELS IF ANY, here!

Meeting Ena (sometime pre-tournment)

[neverbeamemory]

Why all of a sudden this HeroMania? Sephiroth didn't trust the circumstances one bit.

All of the unwanted attention was an affront to his highly-valued private life and being in such a spotlight had tested his stern self-control to its maximum; there are occasions already when he's had to pull thoughts away from mercilessly cutting down the next swarm of civilians -be they solicitors, fans or otherwise- that dared to approach him.

All to bring them here, to Octavaux's tournament, for sure.

On the other hand, it could have been worse; fighting is very much his strength and perhaps it was time to show them all not to make the mistake of lumping him with all the others, as Heroes. So the ballots for his partner had been drawn; having no such acquaintance he trusted enough, and so it was time to make the necessary judgments before the tournament would begin.

It was no small task, forcing his way through the pressing crowds throughout Sparks Golsaucia, refusing to stand for any such autograph or really speak in more than a few sharp words of warning. Eventually, Sephiroth made his way towards the arena where they were all to spend their time in preparation, looking out for the elven -he had learned- female he was to be fighting with.

[rivieran]

Ena, on the other hand, was more than happy to make a public appearance. She smiled genially at the crowds as they approached her, put on her airs to make them move out of the way, and offered polite greetings whenever someone called her name. But she didn't let them stop her as she strode to the arena.

The one time she had joined a tournament was fun enough, but there wasn't much on the line for this one which meant she could relax. But a duos tournament instead of a team one meant she had to personally ask someone to fight with her, but she didn't know anyone well enough to feel comfortable asking. It was a relief to have the random draw, and she was pleasantly surprised when the name was Sephiroth.

Ena remembered Sephiroth from the meeting. He seemed reliable enough. She didn't know him personally, or much about him in general, except that he had a presence and left an impression, and that picking him out of the crowd would not be difficult.

And sure enough, when she spots the tall, silver-haired man, searching for someone in the crowd, she picks up the pace to approach him.

"Sephiroth?" she extends her hand. "Ena. It is a pleasure to formally meet you."

Panel: Everyday Errantry

[singerofspells]

[watching a whale telekinetically cart in the supplies for her panel is probably drawing more attention than the panel itself]

As an opening exercise, you can help me with the parcels still on the cart?

[peace_through_empathy]

"Certainly." Megatron rises from his seat, and picks up some of the parcels. He can hold quite a few of them comfortably. "Where are we taking these?"

Panel: Bowser's Inside Story

[koopacrusher]

The Koopa King sits behind a table. The table is marked with a large banner, saying: BOWSER'S INSIDE STORY, with text beneath it saying (SPONSORED BY THE KOOPA TIMES) and has his emblem. A reporter and photographer sit in the audience, working for the Koopa Times, taking pictures mostly of Bowser signing autographs, but before and after Bowser's panel taking photographs of the other Heroes. He begins to speak.

"So, as you probably all know, I'm Bowser. King of the Koopas, Owner of the Koopa Times, yadda yadda yadda. I fought Bahamut, along with the other Heroes of Light, and now I own a newspaper company. When I was born I was brought up as the Prince of the Koopa Clan and ended up fighting a guy named Mario a bunch of times. Then I became King and fought Mario a bunch more times, saved the world a couple of times, and led my people. I've also had an oil company, started an amusement park, and had a ton of adventures. Any questions?"

Re: Panel: Bowser's Inside Story

[singerofspells]

"So many," S'reee had mostly come out of boredom and curiosity, but she could get into a life story. And, Bowser seemed like the sort of person who would be quite happy to talk about his own life. "How did you end up in repeated fights with this Mario? That's a human name, isn't it?"

In Which Sam Vimes Hosts a Panel

[old_stoneface]

"Er," Vimes looked out at the people who'd showed up. It wasn't as though there were a lot, but someone at the Department had suggested he do it, and now here he was. "Morning. I can see you're all, er. Here." He looked down at the notes he'd been given. Justice, civic duty, drum up support, that sort of thing. "The first thing you've got to know about coppering is... Well, I mean the really important thing, er..."

Who'd wrote this? All this tripe about how they were looking for the best? The best? Back home, if you could read without your lips moving and knew not to take a bribe you were qualified! Add the ability to do sums and that made you practically officer material, in his book. The stack of cue cards was discarded, and Vimes took a moment to light a cigar. "Look. You know me. Sam Vimes. Police Captain, Sparks Golsaucia. Hero of Light, too, if it comes to that. I'm not crazy about titles, but I suppose I don't mind much if they're earned. The 'ole world very nearly went to hell in a handbasket back in April, and I don't mind telling you that there's a very good reason for that: support. The police had none. The sad fact is that for ever copper in a city, there's thousands of perfectly ordinary people, and whatever they tell you to the contrary, they're all armed. Every single one. Kitchen knives, garden tools, farm implements, any number of nasty, vicious little devices that make our lives easier, and all of them can do nasty things to a copper who's unprepared. That's the real truth of it, people, there's always too many of them and there's never enough of you. We need people. Good, honest lads who won't take bribes, or who know not to keep kicking when a perpetrator's already down. I can't say as I speak for the other departments around Vaikuntha, but in Golsaucia we don't care what shape or color you are, and if anyone does make a fuss about it, I'll make a fuss, no matter where they are in the chain of command. Now, you lot've come here, and that means you've probably got an interest in keeping the peace, so I'll start with you, over there. You look like you've got a question, let's have it."

Re: In Which Sam Vimes Hosts a Panel

[tip_the_scales]

"What would you have been able to do differently if you had the people? I wasn't here for last April, you see." It was good to see what was going on, and Robin had never had to apply for a job before. Showing up and being taken in by Chrom, and suddenly Chrom's kingdom was at war and she had to help was not quite an application, except in the most practical 'can you do this' sense.

[defenestraighttomyheart]

"Where do private contractors fit into coppering, and do fists count as things you can be armed with?"

Richard was mostly here to bug Sam. He didn't need much incentive to do so.

TED Talk: Time Loops and You. OTA

[bleating_heart]

"Alright everyone, this probably isn't going to apply to you, but if you can remember any of this, and it does end up applying to you, you're going to be real happy you were here. Probably."

Asriel says as he steps onto the stage, wearing his usual robes while holding a bottle of water. "I'm not exactly great at this whole lecturing thing? So, let's just start with the basics, and then we can just talk about whatever you guys want. Questions, answers, autographs, etc. Whatever you're interested in."

Asriel clears his throat, canting his head as he pulls out an index card to read.

"Right, so, there's a couple things you want to determine when you're in a time loop. Something to keep in mind, you really want to figure out what's causing the loop in the first place. That's gonna tell you a lot--cuz if the loops keep going when you die, that's going to open up a whole lot of opportunities. In my experience, you're probably going to be able to die a whole lot and the loop will reset when you do, but that's not something you probably want to just assume. Cuz, maybe you using an item or doing a certain thing is what makes it reset; in which case, you gotta super prioritize making sure you're always doing that. If that's the case, you're probably in for a rough time, but at least you're in control of it."

He takes a drink of the water.

"Yeah, uh, but, keep in mind what you're getting used to, too. Because once the time loop ends, if you're not the one in control of it, reflexes might get messed up. Like, don't just think you can jump off a cliff and be fine yesterday. And, don't start acting weird around people? You tend to get... kind of emotionless when you're on a 'mission', you know. Your friends are going to start thinking you're acting weird if they're not in on it. And telling them's really up in the air whether they're going to believe it or not. You might try it on a few loops--just make sure they don't stop whatever's causing the loop unless you really know it's a good idea."

Asriel rolls his shoulders back. "Which kind of brings me to the next big thing, you uh, you want to keep track of your mental health. No, seriously. Especially if this is going to be going on for a long time, you're going to deteriorate hard. It's really easy to not do this, but trust me, it's one of the most important things, if not the most important thing you deal with. Aside from keeping the loop going until you can safely get out of it."

"Telling a friend and bringing them in on it can help, unless you're a SOUL-less monster that can't feel anything, so try that, and taking breaks on certain loops, if you can swing it, really helps with the whole sanity part of things. Oh, and don't be afraid to try new things that you wouldn't otherwise, but... think real hard about crossing lines you wouldn't otherwise. It's important not to lose track of yourself, so only do that stuff real sparingly, since even if it ends up helping, you're not going to be able to forget it. On the subject of, tips and tricks, uhh..."

He glances around searchingly.

"Pay attention to your body language and little things you do, you'll probably get a lot better at lying and acting, so that's really going to help if you have to deal with talking to people a lot. You need to say and do the exact same things in some cases to get the effect you want. Oh, yeah, and on that note, you're going to want to make your memory as good as possible. I recommend thinking about things in as exacting detail as possible, writing them down a bunch, until you get sick of it and can remember things by heart.."

Asriel looks out at the people there. "Kinda running out of things to talk about, anyone got questions, or any idea of stuff to add? Not really a big secret all the foreigners (and Dante) had to deal with one of these a month ago."

Re: TED Talk: Time Loops and You. OTA

[singerofspells]

"Can you talk more about the causes of time loops?"

Wizards had some ability to manipulate time, but it was expensive magic. Mostly it was used to 'patch' massive disasters, and wasn't so much a loop as an alternate past. S'reee had remembered a big one happening in the city a few years back, after a dimensional incursion led to dinosaurs in the large park there.

Corrin's Panel: Legends of the First Dragons | OTA

[bladeofconquest]

"Hi everyone, I'm so glad you could join me today." Corrin says to the crowd as she takes her place on the stage. "It's so good to see all of you! You all having fun today?" Cheers, and applause. "Awesome! Glad to hear it."

There are more than a few of those "cosplayers" in the crowd, wearing homemade versions of her Nohr Noble outfit (the real thing is currently being worn by Corrin herself as she's here in her capacity as the Second Princess as a representative of Nohr, or at least that's how she sees it). A few enterprising male cosplayers have even taken it upon themselves to create a more masculine version of the armour, and she resolves later to get a picture of one to show to Kamui. There are also many sets of fake pointed ears. "So, to set the stage a little, I'm going to start us off with a little story from my childhood."

"When I was young, I wasn't allowed to go out, so besides my siblings and my servants, I didn't have a lot of friends. What I did have though, was a well-stocked library full of books, and I spent a lot of time of working through its collection. And some of my favourite stories of all were the big old tomes of myths and legends dating back to before human civilization on our world as we really knew it started; the stories of the First Dragons." She chuckles fondly. "I spent quite a few nights staying up far later than I should have to read those old stories by candlelight...which, if I had a training session with my big brother the next morning, often resulted in a rather stern lecture from Xander...and a bump on the head from his training blade."

"Anyway, the First Dragons. There's lots of different interpretations of the legends; to the east of Nohr, in Hoshido for example, they tell lots of stories that are similar to the stories we tell in Nohr, but with some notable differences. The Nohrian legends tend to emphasize the glory of the First Dragons, their prowess in battle, their fantastic powers, and the battles that our ancestors fought in their name. Hoshido meanwhile tends to emphasize the sacrifices they made for us, and their roles not as warriors, but as rulers, administrators, and lawgivers. Which side is true? Are both? Are neither? Well, probably somewhere in the middle; yes, they were majestic creatures of power and nobility, and men swore themselves to their service in exchange for power and glory, but they did also give us communities, laws, taught us how to build kingdoms and care for the land so that it could provide for us. Both are neither fully true, but neither are they all complete lies. And of course, it does have to be said that later on, enterprising human rulers probably took the legends of their time and twisted them, to make them more suitable to the people of the lands they ruled. But I think at their core, there's more truth to these legends than falsehoods."

"In Nohr, we revere the Dusk Dragon above all others, while Hoshido reveres the Dawn Dragon. Our royal families trace their lineages back to the first human servants who attended directly upon those two Dragons, and you can still see the influence both left on my families. Nohr is...not a hospitable land; to the south, around the town of Macarath, is the arable land that feeds Nohr, but for the most part, much of the country is barren volcanic wastes. We don't get a lot of good sunlight either because of the smoke and ash that often blankets the sky. To survive in such a land, the Dusk Dragon taught us to be strong, and hard. In order to carve out a home we required warriors, to tame the land and make it safe for those under our care. The chain of command was emphasized as well; when the situation is dire, it's up to the people in charge to make a plan, and once that plan is set, it's carried out; no arguing, no questions."

Corrin frowns a bit. "Frankly, while I understand why that attitude would have been necessary at first, while Nohr was still being established, I think in the long run it did more harm than good. For us, and others." Such authoritarian attitudes were so deeply ingrained that made it easy for large portions of the Nohrian army to carry out King Garon's conquests after all. And certainly it played a part in her siblings' reticence to challenge him, in addition to them thinking he was still their father. An easy system to abuse. "But one that's changing now; with my brother Xander as king, some much-needed reforms are being introduced to try and check that kind of thinking."

"There were other First Dragons besides those two, of course. They tended to embody elements or facets of our world; the Astral Dragon, the Dragon of Wisdom, the Ice Dragon, the Flame Dragon, the Wind Dragon...each one had its own group of followers, but the Dusk and the Dawn Dragon had the largest followings. Many of their followers still keep to the ancient traditions set down by their founder though; the Ice Tribe still reveres the Ice Dragon and reside in the snows to the north, inside a perpetual blizzard, the Flame Tribe is honourable, proud, and values strength, but remains mostly isolationist, and the Wind Tribe are sages and counselors who still make their home high in the mountains where the winds are so strong they can actually pick you up and blow you halfway across the village. Would you believe they use that to get around faster?" She laughs, with the audience. "It's true! I've seen it! They're very good at it!"

"So! If the First Dragons did so much and laid the groundwork for Nohr and Hoshido, what happened to them, right? Well...we're not sure. The stories I read talked about the First Dragons beginning to "waste", or "fade", and they began to withdraw from the world. There was a war, too; the unity between the Dragons appears to have broken, and there was war between their followers. Maybe the Dragons spurred it on, or maybe they'd grown powerless to stop it, but war nevertheless. Bloodier, and more vicious than any conflict before, or possibly since-" and given what she'd experienced during the Hoshidan war, that was a troubling thought to be sure. "And it seemed like everything the Dragons had once tried to build would be destroyed. However! One Dragon had not yet faded or, it would seem, had taken part in the fighting. With the power he still had, he called together five warriors, drawn from the retinues of both the Dawn and Dusk Dragons, and bade them to end the fighting. To do this, he gifted the warriors with the Five Divine Weapons; the sword of darkness Siegfried, Brynhildr, the tome of dark Earth magic, the lightning blade Raijinto, the bow of wind, the Fujin Yumi...and the final weapon, the Seal of Flames, Yato."

And now Corrin manifests the blade in question letting it appear in her hand and holding it high so that everyone in the audience can see it. "Above the other four, the Yato, which has also been called the Sword of Salvation, and now called Shadow Yato, was the weapon destined to lead the other four in establishing peace as the First Dragons began to fade. The five heroes managed to put an end to the fighting, and in thanks, before they withdrew from the world completely, the Dusk and Dawn Dragons gifted the heroes with a sampling of their own blood, mixing it with their own. Thus, the royal families of Nohr and Hoshido were established, and ever since has the blood of dragons run in their...run in our veins. With that, the First Dragons seem to have finally disappeared, as did the warrior who wielded Yato, and in their place the first great kingdoms were established. To Nohr went Siegfried and Brynhildr, and Hoshido, Raijinto and the Fujin Yumi."

Corrin lowers the blade. "And there you go. Those are the legends that inspired me as a child and helped me pass the time on many lonely nights. It's pretty epic stuff, right? So, now if there are any questions, I'm happy to answer them and then I think I'll be signing autographs afterward?" She looks off-stage at someone. "Yes? That's the plan? Great!" She turns back to the audience. "And I hope I'll see all of you cheering for Team Radical Dreamers during the tournament, yeah?" More cheers, and Corrin laughs. "All right! Do we have a first question?"

FRISKY BUSINESS VS. PAPYRUS AND UNDYNE (Commentators: Klonoa and Megatron)

[tiredcharmer]

Two gates on either side of the dusty arena creak open, revealing each team as the Dream Projectors(tm) beginning revving up, preparing the stage. In the commentators' booth, the crew double-checks the sound system, then gives a thumbs-up to the commentators and hands them the microphones.

In mere moments, the stage will spring to life, the match will begin, and everything will descend into chaos. The time for dramatic entrances and quippy one-liners is now.

OOC: Combatants, put your preference for a modded vs. unmodded fight in the header of your first tag.

Would prefer unmodded!

[waningsigns]

[Frisk.exe wastes no time getting in the ring, teleporting to their spot and settling into a relaxed pose like they're waiting for the bus or something. The closest thing to a weapon they seem to have is a stick they picked up off the ground fifteen minutes ago, and they're tossing it up and down and between their hands without looking up at the audience]

[They give a polite wave to their opponents, regardless of what kind of an entrance they make, then turn to offer Frisk.bin a pre-show fist bump.]

"Wanna take 'Dyne or 'Pyrus?"

RADICAL DREAMERS VS. ROBIN AND SERGE (Commentators: Red and Pidge)

[tiredcharmer]

Two gates on either side of the dusty arena creak open, revealing each team as the Dream Projectors(tm) beginning revving up, preparing the stage. In the commentators' booth, the crew double-checks the sound system, then gives a thumbs-up to the commentators and hands them the microphones.

In mere moments, the stage will spring to life, the match will begin, and everything will descend into chaos. The time for dramatic entrances and quippy one-liners is now.

OOC: Combatants, put your preference for a modded vs. unmodded fight in the header of your first tag.

Will happily accept modded but can go with unmodded if that is the general preference

[bladeofconquest]

Corrin puts a hand on Kid's shoulder just before entering the ring. "Remember, whatever happens, win or lose...tonight we're celebrating."

And then they step out into the arena as the projectors begin to form the arena around them. Well, if it'a a show they're here to put on, it's a show Corrin will give them.

In one smooth motion, Corrin spins, her tattered Nohr Noble cape flowing behind her as she does so, bringing Shadow Yato down in a smooth, elegant slash as she does so, before pointing it to her two opponents. "Are you prepared for this?!" She demands.

"...Also, Kid and I were going out to celebrate after the tournament tonight, did you two wanna come with?" She then proceeds to ask with a grin. Of course, Serge was probably a hard yes on that, the three of them always had fun, and Robin seemed like a pleasant woman and Corrin would enjoy the chance to get to know her better.

SONS OF THE FORCE VS. BUDDY COPS (Commentators: Red and Klonoa)

[tiredcharmer]

Two gates on either side of the dusty arena creak open, revealing each team as the Dream Projectors(tm) beginning revving up, preparing the stage. In the commentators' booth, the crew double-checks the sound system, then gives a thumbs-up to the commentators and hands them the microphones.

In mere moments, the stage will spring to life, the match will begin, and everything will descend into chaos. The time for dramatic entrances and quippy one-liners is now.

OOC: Combatants, put your preference for a modded vs. unmodded fight in the header of your first tag.

i'm fine with modded! or whichever!

[hatejakku]

Finn has no dramatic entrance or quippy one-liner. To be honest, he's not even sure he wants to be here. He certainly doesn't want to fight his friends.

But this is all for fun... or at least a strong jaunt in exercise, since Maul's at his side. Finn's been keeping himself cooped up lately, anyway. He might as well get around the others again.

He steps out into the arena in his Gunslinger asterisk, waiting to see his competitors and for the match to begin. A hand rests on one of the guns at his side.

RINGABEL AND ADRIEN VS. NOZOMI AND CASTOR (Commentators: Pidge and Frisk)

[tiredcharmer]

Two gates on either side of the dusty arena creak open, revealing each team as the Dream Projectors(tm) beginning revving up, preparing the stage. In the commentators' booth, the crew double-checks the sound system, then gives a thumbs-up to the commentators and hands them the microphones.

In mere moments, the stage will spring to life, the match will begin, and everything will descend into chaos. The time for dramatic entrances and quippy one-liners is now.

OOC: Combatants, put your preference for a modded vs. unmodded fight in the header of your first tag.

Modded is fine by me, but I can run with whatever everyone else prefers

[manlycharms]

Well, well! What an exciting opportunity. Ringabel performs a few stretches, does his usual pre-battle hop and then waves and winks to the audience. Ah, time to make a good impression!

So, he'll dramatically unsheathe his sword, striking a proud pose for good measure.

"My dears, I look forward to facing you two in battle! It's sure to be a heart-pounding experience in more ways than one." He winks. Maybe he's laying it on a bit thick, but he wouldn't be Ringabel without a little flirtatious banter.

BEATDOWN BOYS VS. SEPHIROTH AND ENA (Commentators: Ringabel and Rutile)

[tiredcharmer]

Two gates on either side of the dusty arena creak open, revealing each team as the Dream Projectors(tm) beginning revving up, preparing the stage. In the commentators' booth, the crew double-checks the sound system, then gives a thumbs-up to the commentators and hands them the microphones.

In mere moments, the stage will spring to life, the match will begin, and everything will descend into chaos. The time for dramatic entrances and quippy one-liners is now.

OOC: Combatants, put your preference for a modded vs. unmodded fight in the header of your first tag.

Opting for what others want.

[topgun_textiles]

"Let's DO THIS SHIT!"

Chin tipped high, hair let wild, Kanji strolled into the field and delved back into what he'd been best at back home: Ending problems. And the opponent today? They were a fuckin' problem.

ULTRA MAGNUS AND BOWSER VS. BEAUTY AND THE BEATS (Commetators: Frisk and Papyrus)

[tiredcharmer]

Two gates on either side of the dusty arena creak open, revealing each team as the Dream Projectors(tm) beginning revving up, preparing the stage. In the commentators' booth, the crew double-checks the sound system, then gives a thumbs-up to the commentators and hands them the microphones.

In mere moments, the stage will spring to life, the match will begin, and everything will descend into chaos. The time for dramatic entrances and quippy one-liners is now.

OOC: Combatants, put your preference for a modded vs. unmodded fight in the header of your first tag.

[koopacrusher]

A mighty roar comes from one side of the arena, immediately following which the word, "SHOWTIME!" is shouted. Out of one of the gates stomps Bowser, the Koopa King, wielding a war hammer. He breathes fire tauntingly, using the new custom asterisk he received the previous month, and takes a fighting stance.