FABULA NOVA CRYSTALLIS || INTRODUCTION LOG

[eternitymods]

Who: All characters (New Arrivals and Native OCs) When: April 11th Where: The Dream Width (Airship), the Curti Center, and the Housing District What: For the first time in 10 years, outworlders have been found the Dream Width. This unprecedented number of new arrivals are rescued and brought to Vaikuntha, and must now try to start adjusting to their new home. Warnings/Notes: All players can put up a toplevel. Please post to the NPC toplevel if you have an IC question for them. ARRIVAL [ You wake from your dreams, from your memories, on a narrow cot. There are fleeting impressions- recycled air, humming machinery, movement, strangers waking around you. The room you wake in is lined with cots, with barely enough space between them to walk to the door. The makeshift infirmary is becoming uncomfortably warm, packed to its capacity with people. Stepping out, there is a lobby space that bears the signs of having once held some furniture, now cleared away to make space. Even with the sparse accommodations, the space quickly fills to standing-room only. As the automatic door slides shut on the infirmary, a light flashes on the far side of the room. A flickering holographic projection of a man’s face and gloved hand appears projected in the space above the arrivals’ heads. He backs up so his upper body is in frame for the recording. An arm, covered in the same orange flightsuit sleeve, hands him a tablet. The man begins to read. A written version of the message scrolls along the bottom of the projection as he speaks. ] ’Welcome travelers’… That’s way too formal. Hey everyone. Hi! [ The second man leans into the frame to add his greeting. ] Don’t panic. You were floating out there, but we pulled you in and rescued you. Yeah, we’re heroic AND handsome. And also the only ones crazy enough to come out here to get you. [ A woman’s voice calls from out of frame. ] Can you two be serious for ONE moment and stick to your scripts? [ The two men give each other a conspiratorial eyeroll. This does not appear to be their first take. ] Anyways, no need to panic. Seriously, don’t do anything reckless. We got our fill of that with Skywalker. [A huff is heard offscreen, and the men finally spare the tablet another glance.] ‘Your pilots will be navigating treacherous environs as this message plays…’ Claire, seriously? Nobody talks like this! [ The tablet is tossed to the side and lands with a thunk offscreen. ] We’re gonna wing it. Look, everyone, we’re workin’ hard to get you planetside safely, and it’s gonna take some tricky flying to do it. So the door to the cockpit is locked so we can focus on not getting us all killed. Don’t try to open it, unless you want to be stardust. We promise you’ll get answers about what’s going on once we land. But for now, please trust us. Right now, we’re your only hope. [ The second man leans forward, close to the recording device, and presses a button. The projection freezes for a moment, and then the message starts to play again. ] ’Welcome travelers’… CURTI CENTER [ Finally after hours of flight, you arrive at the Curti Center. The other NPCs await you along with the Native OCs. Cid gives a short and to the point welcome speech, explaining what the situation is: you were lost in a space called the Dream Width. You are now on a planet called Vaikuntha: for ages, the people of this world have used Airships to rescue people lost in the Dream Width, with one person being found roughly every ten years. No one knows why this happens, but this has been a mutually beneficial exchange, with the people from Vaikutha rescuing people lost in the Dream Width and the rescued ones sharing their wisdom with the people of Vaikuntha. Ten years ago, something unusual happened: two people were found at once, Biggs and Wedge. But that was nothing compared to what happened today. Indeed, here you are. No one knows why such a large number of people has been found at once, but the Curti Center is a place dedicated to piercing the Dream Width's secrets. Cid also introduces the other ones: his assistant Jessie, Claire, the woman looking at the group in horror upon being pointe out as the bookkeeper, Kupoto and Mogaruru, their Mognet representatives and finally the Native OCs: those brave and kind souls who have accepted to help you all on a daily basis. After Cid finishes (and Claire despairs at the pile of paperwork she must complete by the end of the week), the Native OCs provide a tour of the facility and help the newcomers navigate their future lives. Now is the time to ask questions and look over pamphlets regarding locations, Jobs, life in Vaikuntha... ] [ If you want to contact an NPC specifically during this introduction, please respond to the toplevel with the name of the NPC in the subject header. The mods will try to reply at least once a day for each NPC. ] A BALL OF FLUFF NAMED MOOGLE [ It has been a long day, perhaps now you would like to find your way to a place to sleep? Or perhaps you'd like to get some answers, but you can't be bothered to go seek people out? And lo, just as despair begins settles in, a Moogle slams into you! Or stops by your side if their aim is decent... It's the Moogle Cid mentioned in his speech earlier! And they'll be informing you that now, they will stick to you like your shadow and help you in anyway they can! They're also giving you your iMog Slate- Now you can get onto Mognet! Isn't it great? ] A QUICK CHECK-UP [ Whether it's your Moogle, Native OCs or NPCs, all will urge you to stop by the hospital wing for a basic check-up. You may disagree, but listen. You've just been thrown into a space between worlds, rescued, and brought to another world. For your own sake, that's a good idea. Should you give in and go (or should you be dragged by your Moogle or a Native OC), you will find yourself in the cold and white space very reminiscent of an hospital. For characters with specific medical conditions necessitating help, this is where they will receive it if asked. The doctors and nurses are all White Mages or Chemists, with various levels into their Job as well as medical knowledge. Don't mind the confused looks if you look like nothing they've ever seen before... It's hard for a doctor to be unable to give a proper diagnosis to a patient! For everyone else though, they'll be let go with smiles and be given a candy as they leave. No one likes medical check-ups, but it's a very quick and basic one: testing reflexes, taking your temperature and the likes. On the bright side, while you're grumpily sitting on a bed with a thermometer on your forehead or in your mouth, it might be a good time to socialize with your fellow new arrival who's having lights flashed into their eyes by a doctor. Misery loves company, after all. ] A BAD OMEN [ Wandering around, you may stumble upon an old and tired-looking moogle wearing what can only be described as a decrepit fortune-teller attire. Upon seeing you, or any of the new arrivals for that matter, he will slowly approach and tell you all the exact same speech. ] If you stay here, you're doomed. She will find you and make you suffer hell. [At which point his eyes will grow exorbitant.] This world is cursed. You will die and never be free. [And finally he'll fly right into your face.] Never! [ Then he will leave and go say his speech to someone else, without doing anything but repeating different variations of his warning if asked for details. Should you ask your assigned Moogle, Biggs or Wedge, they will mention this crazy moogle can't be reasoned with and sometimes stick around the center, even though he's always chased away. He never says anything besides doomsday predictions. For unknown reasons, he's always been particularly nasty with Biggs and Wedge... And with you as well now, it seems. ] PRETTY SIGHTS [ There's plenty of rooms to wander about in, with several points of interest apart from the offices. The Airship Hangar is where the airships are kept and the first room you entered. Workers keep guard to prevent the outworlders from getting too close to the vehicles. Airships are expensive and they don't want you messing with them, after all. Venturing into the Research Section, you can walk through public exhibitions on astronomy, airship design, and asterisk studies. A good place to get used to the basic science of this world. The laboratories lie behind a thick locked door with a sign reading "EMPLOYEES ONLY". No going there, for now anyway. Not too far from there are the Employee Quarters - work stations, apartments, and lounge areas. The latter are available to the public, whereas the rest is locked to Native OCs. But if you get them to be friends with you, perhaps they'll let you visit? Also open to all is a Cafeteria - a standard food court with stalls serving all types of Vaikunthan cuisine. The Chef is a very jovial and absent-minded Hypello. Beware of long lines and crowded tables. Should you prefer open spaces, then the gardens are for you! There are different sections in the gardens around the center. One boasts a wide array of blooming flowers, another more practical with herbs commonly used in Vaikunthan cooking. One had been cultivated for butterflies and hummingbirds to visit. Paths have been laid through so that visitors can safely navigate, and moogles will swoop down and shout at anyone who strays into the flower beds. Or perhaps, you want to wait till the sunset. Dusk on a new world, but a beginning of a new life... The sea shines bright in the orange light. A good moment for quiet contemplation. ] HOUSING [The housing accommodations are the best the Curti staff could provide, given the sudden and unexpected number of arrivals from the Dream Width. The keys have been entrusted to the moogles who will be guiding the new arrivals. The new arrivals can stop by the Curti Center storage room to collect some essential supplies that have been donated by charity organizations from around the world (there are boxes of toothbrushes and whitening toothpaste sent from the Zora, hair brushes from the Elezen, quick-drying towels from the Hypello, among the various donations of clothes, toiletries, and blankets), before heading to their temporary homes. The people of Vaikuntha have done their best to provide for their new neighbors and help them get on their feet. Still, things will be a little cramped until the off-worlders can find employment and move into better housing. The staff hopes they can get along with one another until alternate arrangements can be made. You can survive living with roommates for a few months, right?]

Comments

MOOGLE

[seekthelight]

"So I use this to communicate with people? Do you think I can find my friends using it?" Sora asked as he looked over his iMog slate. Drifting along beside him Nami sighed.

"Only if they're here, kupo-po!" she said for what was probably the tenth time already. This child just didn't learn, did he? He was clearly prepared to ask another question that she had probably already answered but nothing came. Which was odd. Odd enough that Nami stopped floating along and turned around to see what was wrong, finding Sora frozen in his tracks and staring past her at something. The moogle frowned, little paws on her hips. "Sora? What are you--"

"Roxas?!"

Nami let out a squeak of surprise as Sora bolted past her, the moogle spinning around once in the air before scrambling to follow him.

"Sora come back!!"

"Roxas! Roxas it's you! You're here!"

[chosennobody]

And this time someone was actually using his name rather than someone else's, and it was almost a relief. Well, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to was a relief on its own as well. He turned just in time to get an armful of his somebody. He couldn't help the smile that lit up his face as he buried his nose in Sora's hair.

"It's good to see you too, Sora," he chuckled, rolling his eyes and giving the brunet an affectionate squeeze. Whole and human he noted to himself, just as he himself was.

"You just got here too, right?" Just checking that Sora hadn't somehow been here for weeks or months alone. He didn't look like that would be the case, though it was odd that he was back in his adventuring clothes that the fairies had given him and not the attired he'd been wearing when he'd seen him last...

[seekthelight]

Sora hugged him tight, not wanting to let go because if he let go this might turn out to be some sort of trick or a dream or something else entirely. As long as he was holding onto Roxas the other was there and solid and real.

"You're here!" It comes out a bit watery and tinged with a laugh, Sora finally pulling back enough to look at the other young man. Tears are threatening to spill--happy ones though!--and Sora beams at Roxas like he's the most important person in the world.

Because right now he is!

"You--how? How are you here and I'm here? I--yeah I just got here--Nami's been showing me around," Sora explained, motioning with a slight jerk of his head to the huffy little moogle hovering nearby before frowning in a confused way. "Roxas are you..you're not still..you have a heart now, right?"

That was important to him. Please say yes.

[chosennobody]

Well, Roxas had his thoughts on this all being a trick, but not a trick aimed at Sora. And the more he explored the small piece of world he was given the more he accepted it might not be. The real test would be if he was allowed to leave the island they were on. Ryslig had its own sorts of invisible barriers, and in the simulation all sorts of odd things had happened to keep Roxas from leaving the designated area, including Riku coming to steal his munny. Asshole.

For as happy as Roxas is to see Sora safe and human, Sora seemed exponentially happier. Which was to be expected to a certain level, but... this somewhat passed the level Roxas expected. They'd just seen each other a week or two prior. He kinda thought they were past being this excited to see each other, though maybe it could be the new setting...

When Sora said the name "Nami" Roxas froze, just for a split second before his eyes found the moogle that was being spoken of. Oh. Right. Other people had moogles and named them apparently. Namine wasn't present.

"Uh... yeah? I didn't lose it just because we changed worlds," he puzzled, staring at Sora like he'd grown an extra head. Maybe it was a valid concern, maybe it wasn't. But he'd had a heart for months now and it didn't seem like it would likely be leaving him any time soon. At least for that he supposed he should be grateful to the Fog God, assuming it was her handiwork.

[seekthelight]

Okay. Now it was Sora's turn to look confused.

"But you didn't have...what are you talking about Roxas?" he asked in an almost concerned tone. There was something off here; something that he was missing. Or maybe Roxas was missing? Wait. Sora frowned now, hands on the other young man's shoulders. "This isn't something Ansem is doing, right? This isn't another fake town, is it?"

If it was it was definitely really well done and Sora had been fooled right up until this moment.

"This place isn't fake, Sora!" Nami interrupted in a huff, drifting closer to them and poking Sora in the back of the head. "This world is real! Maybe he isn't the person you think he is! Remember the video?"

Sora looked at his moogle then back to Roxas, studying the blonde for a long moment.

"Roxas, what's..the last thing you remember?"

[chosennobody]

"They wouldn't stick you in the simulator," he corrected Sora, far more bitterness in his voice than he'd intended. "They made it to keep me until I was ready to be reunited with you." A lot of effort when they really probably could have just locked him up or kept him knocked out. Or maybe they needed him to agree to give himself over? He didn't know, and anymore he didn't care.

But Sora's last question had Roxas frozen. He looked his Other over, then his eyes flicked to Sora's moogle, then back to Sora. The clothes, not knowing Roxas had a heart, generally being unfazed... Sora, or rather this Sora, hadn't been to Ryslig. He'd never experienced the horrors of being turned into a monster of killing to eat, or dying. And that was better. It was better that he never knew about that.

"Uh... I don't know, meeting you inside your heart," he finally lied after a solid moment of still silence. Even still he wasn't good at thinking on his feet when it came to lies.

[seekthelight]

Sora can't help but wince. He knows it's true, to some extent. He hated that it was true, mind you, but that didn't stop it from being true.

"Right, I..sorry," he said softly, rubbing at the back of his neck as he sort of shrank in on himself for the moment. The last thing he wanted was to upset Roxas especially since his Nobody--especially since the blonde was here in his own body with his own heart.

As he let's his hand drop Sora notices the frozen state that Roxas is in and stares at him, catching the way that Roxas was looking between him and Nami. While he wasn't always the best at picking up on things, there was obviously something going on, something that Roxas wasn't telling him.

Sora frowned and shook his head.

"Don't lie, Roxas."

[chosennobody]

It's Roxas's turn to wince when Sora calls him out on lying. The blond dropped his gaze to the ground, avoiding eye contact with Sora. Alright, so that had been a flimsy lie, and poorly executed. He'd have to do better from now on.

"Fine," he started slowly, eyes glued to the ground. "I was somewhere before here... Somewhere like this, where I got a heart and I couldn't use the keyblade or the power of darkness to travel. I was trapped, just like we are now." And that was all he really needed to know.

[seekthelight]

At least Roxas hadn't tried to lie again. That would have made it worse.

"Wait, another place like this...but how?" Sora asked, suddenly more confused than he had been. "Did you wake up on an airship like we did here? Is that place connected to this place? Wait! You have memories from that place and from our world, I mean where we're actually from? With the Organization and the Heartless and all those worlds?"

Alternate universes and shenanigans like them become a lot more difficult to make sense of when you come from a place where hundreds of worlds are already connected to one another.

[chosennobody]

"I don't know," lied, though it was better this time, and he moved on this time immediately instead of letting Sora catch wind of it. "No, I woke up on a beach in a cave and had to find my way out, but different waves of people woke up in different places, so... There wasn't like one set way to arrive." Not like they knew if there would be here or not, but since the last several people had been found the same way it seemed like a safe bet.

"Yes, Sora, I remember everything," he pushed on with mild annoyance in his voice. "My time in the Organization, being on the run, in the computer, in your heart, and some of your memories. I remember all of it, on top of the six months I spent in that place."

He took a deep breath, debating what else to tell Sora. "I don't know if they're connected. I just got here, just like you did. I haven't had a chance to explore much, I just know neither of us have any of our powers."

[seekthelight]

Okay maybe he had pushed a little too much with the questions. Sora reels himself in and clamps down on the new round of questions he can feel brewing as he takes the moment to look at the blonde, having picked up on the annoyance in his voice. Whatever Roxas had been through had definitely changed him, probably in ways that Sora couldn't even begin to understand. And it wasn't his place to press for information because this..it was Roxas's life.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have bombarded you like that," Sora said sincerely, giving Roxas an apologetic look before mimicking the other as he took a deep breath of his own. "I guess I'm just disoriented. This...it's weird waking up in a new world and not being able to do what I'm use to doing. And you probably know that better than me--you've already been through it once!"

[chosennobody]

It's near impossible for Roxas to remain angry at his somebody, and his shoulders dropped as the guilt settled in on them at upsetting Sora. He didn't like when Sora was unhappy in any way. Despite not being dependent on the other young man, it made him unhappy in return. "It's fine." Sora could get away with murder where Roxas was concerned. If he was lucky, the reverse would be true. But for now that was something Sora didn't need to know about.

"It's not gonna be easy," he continued solemnly. "I doubt things are as simple as they appear. But I guess we'll get through it all together. I'll protect you, I promise."