empatheias

Tale As Old As Time (Pre-Endgame)

2020-10-01T03:35:05Z

Posted by: boundbynaught

Who: Naminé + Arden, Wedding Party, and Guests!

Naminé's Bridesmaids (yellow dresses of their choice)	Arden's Groomsmen (fine attire in gold/black complements)	Officiant: Auron
Kairi (Maid of Honor) Usagi Aqua Xion Marinette	Sora (Best Man) Izana Lea Snow Roxas	Officiant: Auron

Where: Machina's Farm
When: July... ish...
Format: Action
Open/Closed Open
Summary: Naminé and Arden finally get married &heart;

( We're colourblind from the black and white / But we've never burned so bright )

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Post-game

2020-08-03T06:36:00Z

Posted by: 21towin

Who: Billy and anyone and everyone
Where: Around
When: Anytime
Format: Any
Forever Open
Summary: Final threads

[Goodbyes]

Billy was fully ready to say goodbye himself. Ready to return to the Throne should it call him back in the end.

Except it didn't, not yet anyway.

So he stuck around, finding folks on their way out. Whether he knew them or not, to say his final goodbyes.

"Time to hit that dusty trail is it?" He gave the person a troublemaker's smile, something that looked like a cat had caught a bird. "Well can't blame ya, things have gone quiet here."

[After all is said and done]

One day, he figured that he would be called back. For now though there was a whole other part of this world to explore, and it wasn't as though he would really be affected all that much by time. Something that scared him somewhat, but also something to look forward to. For once the outlaw felt a since of peace overcome him as he wandered about, here and their with a smile on his face. Maybe it was too surreal to be standing here and not have faded away yet.

[Wildcard]

Feel free to come up with whatever~

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The long farewell [Open]

2020-08-03T03:58:10Z

Posted by: deathboss

Who: Eikichi & whoever
Where: The Spa and the temple
When: Anytime until Farewell
Format: Go for what you want
Summary: Choices have to be made

( Sometimes you just have to let go )

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Post-game catch all log (Open!)

2020-08-02T18:32:42Z

Posted by: lightofchaldea

Who: Ritsuka + whoever
Where: Various
When: Anytime post-game!
Format: I use prose, matching isn't necessary
Open/Closed Open
Summary: Generic log for any/all post-game threading shenanigans (prompts/toplevels will be added as needed/plotted)

( Living a future that can't possibly exist )

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Epilogue: Ten Years Later

2020-08-02T01:39:49Z

Posted by: empevents

— Ten Years Later —

Narrative: For a long while after the Arehtei are sealed away, things are quiet and calm. After discussions with leaders of various cities as to what happens next, Simpathis seals herself away too, lending her own energy to the stability of Verens and the recovery of Areta. The world at large takes a much needed moment to just breathe, and those in charge make their plans in a leisurely fashion.

Then, the world moves on.

Over time, the farmlands of Verens stretch out, reaching all the way across to Areta. The grand city is rebuilt and repopulated, becoming a bustling metropolis. In the process researchers locate maps and books and other useful things, leads that will allow them to continue piecing the history of the world back together again. Exploration teams are sent out to find lost cities and help them to heal. More pockets of surviving populations are uncovered. Teleporters are established between all major cities, the high speed trains of Peromei's lands are redeveloped and tracks laid down all over, and airships become faster and less rickety. Slowly, the world is knitting itself back together. That's not to say that things are perfect, mind. It is still a work in progress, and now and again foul emotional weather turns up, weird fauna invades, or someone opens an old sarcophagus somewhere and unleashes something nasty. Compared to the old days of rampaging Arehtei, however, things are honestly pretty calm!

As to the Otherworlders who remain, the world itself accepts them utterly. Their status as foreign remains. After all, they occasionally use their gifted crystals to leave and return, and now and again the teleporters in the Caliende Shrine malfunction and spit out someone who wasn't even around for the final battle with Apatheia — typically some Otherworlder who had been to Empatheias before, in the past. Still, they aren't quite so otherworldly now as they once were. The first sign of it is the amulet telepathy. In the past, Otherworlders could only communicate with natives if they began the conversation themselves. Now, it works both ways. A deeply unfortunate incident reveals that when Otherworlders die, they now stay dead. Someone also learns the hard way that Otherworlders can have babies now. Surprise!

Instructions: This post can be used in two ways: actual threading, and simply hashing out endings for your characters OOCly. When posting here, please leave an empty top level and post a summary of what your character has been up to, as well as any prompts, in subthreads. Also, please note that you are not required to thread anything out. We know everyone is tired and burnt out, and that many people are keeping their characters in Emp but may not feel up for many threads, even after seeing how everything ends. Obviously we have given you some prompts! But, if all you want to do is post an overview of what your character is doing, please feel free.

( Prompts )

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Endgame: Finale

2020-07-24T23:02:40Z

Posted by: empevents

— SIMPATHIS —

The artifacts glow more and more brightly the closer they get to their appropriate pedestals, pulsing with heat. As they're settled into place, the light becomes blinding, and a loud hum will drown out the chaos happening elsewhere. Any negative effects that were happening within the shrines cease and the doors unlock and swing back open, leaving artifact teams free to run out and see what's happening.

What they find outside is the Arehtei continuing their desperate battle against Apatheia's attacks, their bodies torn and fraying as the beams of apathy and black holes slowly eat away at their entire beings. But the moment they sense their artifacts in place, they are filled with a burst of renewed vigor and continue to carry on. One by one, the Arehtei falter and recover, until at last the final artifact is in place. Instantly the shrines are flooded with color, which spills out into the city, cleansing and healing those still afflicted by apathy or other wounds. In Verens, this same light pours out of the shrines in Caliende Temple and rushes over the landscape, providing those who have stayed behind with that same healing. The black holes close in the face of it.

Once this light fades, the Arehtei are seen floating in the air, the giant crystal which has always hung over the city of Verens now between them. Light shoots up from the artifacts within the shrines, centering on the floating crystal. It is completely dwarfed by Apatheia, which continues to hover high above — and yet, the entity cringes away from it, as though in pain. A low, droning growl reverberates through the air as the giant black mass seems to grow and swell before a distorted, unearthly voice is heard.

NO. WHY BOTHER? WHY? WHY GO SO FAR AND SACRIFICE SO MUCH WHEN IT WILL ALL AMOUNT TO NOTHING? ALL OF YOU WILL END. ALL OF THIS WILL CRUMBLE. IT IS INEVITABLE. WHY DO YOU CARE TO RESTORE SOMETHING SO FAR GONE? IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO BE NOTHING. TO LET TIME TAKE YOU —

BUT THERE IS SO MUCH HERE TO BE THANKFUL FOR NOW! Aiada yells, a thousand childish voices all crying out together in harmony. AND ALL THESE PEOPLE YOU'RE HURTING HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO BUILD THOSE THINGS!

They have built hope in the face of the threat of your nothingness, adds Peromei, her own voice firm, almost stern, her scales shining white for once as she hovers in her full form. Time will only carry them forward.

There's no need to be afraid of you anymore! comes Thras's tiny voice.

There is no need to be afraid, echoes Daimonia. There will be endings. There will be grief. Those low moments will make the happiness everyone reaches for shine all the more brightly.

Now, the main threat to this world is YOU, cries Elios, flapping his wings aggressively, all the love gathered into the crystals having made him a little over-protective. We won't let you destroy it! You're the one who will fall!

Floating like this is TERRIBLE, adds Piphron, taking the opportunity to remind everyone that he is a giant crab who lives in a mountain where the rocks are, being possibly the only sensible being on the face of the planet. May we move on...?

Go fuck yourself, Sosyne concludes, her tone weirdly serene. She is the first to dive into the crystal, ramming it with a glorious ferocity.

One after the other, blazing with light, the Arehtei dive into the crystal, transferring all their energies into it. Then, in a blinding flash, the crystal flies straight into Apatheia, piercing its form before being swallowed into the black mass of its body.

At first, nothing happens. For several long moments, the world is finally still and quiet.

Abruptly, Apatheia lurches. The surface of the creature distorts and ripples, as though being punched from the inside. It growls again, but the noise swiftly morphs into a pained groan, before fading away entirely as the orb violently shrinks and then expands. The shift is so rapid that at first, it looks like Apatheia is exploding. Instead, the creature collapses in on itself, the force of its inward pull so strong that those on the ground will feel it, possibly even losing their footing and be dragged a few feet towards it.

When the dust settles and the black haze clears, the crystal once again floats over Areta, and the Arehtei are hovering alongside it. But a new being has replaced Apatheia — an enormous white griffin, Simpathis herself, and she stretches her wide wings and clawed limbs as though uncurling from a long, long sleep.

Ah — oh, you've done it. Her voice is quiet and uncertain, at first. Then, she breathes a sigh of relief, and her happiness spills out to everyone who hears her. You've done it! I'm me again!

The Arehtei let out a cheer — except for Piphron, who grumbles to himself that this is all very nice but we are still floating — and zip around, nuzzling into one another, celebrating. Above them, Simpathis tenderly takes the big crystal into her front claws and turns away, carrying it off to its rightful place. Not the observatory in Verens, which has kept it safe all this time, but to the shattered ruins of an observatory in Areta. Once it has snapped into place, it glows again, releasing its energy out into the world. As before, light sweeps over everything, and the damage caused in Verens by the island's rush to its crater is repaired in its wake.

It's over.

_______________________

Everyone has a bit of time to catch their breath in the aftermath. The heavy atmosphere has lifted. No wounds remain, on people or the city itself. The crystal that held its position in the skies over Verens for so long is at home in Areta now, beams of colored light connecting it to the capital cities of each Arehtei's domain. The dark Reaper, which has long cared for — and sometimes punished, in the case of the more murderous ones — the souls of fallen Otherworlders trundles its way into the Verens plaza and unceremoniously spits out everyone who fell to the black holes and apathy beams, fully alive and no worse for the wear, with no memories of their deaths save for a vague recollection of muttering and complaining.

The Reaper then waits patiently in the plaza until Simpathis alights there, with the Arehtei close behind her, each one having flown their respective shrine teams back across the distance between the two cities. Then it gives her a thousand yard stare and makes what is presumably a rude gesture among eldritch abominations. Simpathis responds by hiking a back leg to scratch her chin, ignoring the Reaper while it slithers into a nearby gutter and goes back to wherever it lives.

Once those who wish to see Simpathis in person for the first time have gathered in the plaza, she begins to explain herself, the Arehtei in their miniature forms sitting all around her — in some cases, playing at her feet, or outright climbing on her. Her words will be heard across the whole city, however, and her tone is full of so much warmth and gratitude that the feeling is contagious.

...to start, I must say that I cannot thank you enough. Otherworlders, my Arehtei, those of you born in this place who have never known a world with me in it — thank you. Her feathers ruffle briefly, then smooth out. It was the war that ruined me, centuries ago. It consumed this world so thoroughly, created negativity so intense, that my only way to cope was to withdraw from all emotions entirely. Back then, I wished to return the world to nothing, to make it all stop. In order to stop me, my people in Verens sealed me away, took my own artifact — the crystal — and set Empatheias into motion, in the hopes of protecting the world from my power. Fortunately, given my state at the time, I did not care to try and break free and follow them. And so the world remained, barely surviving, for centuries on end.

Now, you have purified me, the same way you once purified my corrupted children years ago.

Peromei and Elios have the decency to look a little sheepish. Sosyne does not. Arehtei corruption is not the fault of the Arehtei and also she is busy trying to sneak up on Elios and spit on him repeatedly.

There is still much work to be done to heal the world. Although I have been able to lift the toxic atmosphere and allow you true freedom of movement once more, many lands will need to be rebuilt and resettled yet, and I expect there are other secret populations still waiting to be found. To that end, my Arehtei have agreed to return their artifacts to their own lands and seal themselves away for a time, to lend the energies they receive to the lands themselves. Not forever! We'll call it ten years, for now. For us, that's merely a blink of an eye, but for you, I imagine that's plenty of time to make plans and get going.

All of that said…

Simpathis rises to her feet, spreading her wings wide and bowing her front half down low, respectful.

None of you Otherworlders asked to come here, and I know that many of you have done so reluctantly. For all of you, I have a gift. There is more than enough energy now to open portals properly, and send you all back to your homes. However. Each of you will receive a crystal charged with the essence of your Arehtei. I am told that in the past, none of you have remembered this place in your own worlds. Now, these crystals will act as a bond across dimensions, tying you to this one. They will remain with you at home, and leave you with just enough memory of this place that you may return here whenever you choose. I'm afraid it will only work one time, as the travel will drain the crystal, and with my Arehtei sealed we will be unable to recharge them for many years. If you go home again after, you will be unable to come back here. But it is my hope that, for those of you who wish to go home to complete unfinished business and settle here to live, returning one time will be enough.

And, of course, those of you who wish to stay in this world are welcome.

She raises her head and sits, waiting for any reactions to pass before she speaks again, ending her speech on a somber note.

I will, of course, give you all several days to make your decisions...and to say goodbye.

— FAREWELL —

Six years to the day that the Otherworlders first appeared in Caliende Temple, there is a gathering there again. This time, it's to send people home.

Plans among the Otherworlders vary, of course. Some, dead in their own worlds, have no reason to even try to go back, though they've been granted crystals of their own all the same just in case. Others are setting out with no intention of ever coming back to Verens. Some are looking forward to coming back for a visit sometime, just for a while, before living out the rest of their lives at home; still others, knowing that grisly fates await them, intend to finish their stories and slide on out at the last second for a well-deserved retirement. Some are in no hurry to go back, unfinished business or not, and intend to live out their natural lives in this world before being sent home upon their deaths here.

It's no surprise that with so many people making such hugely personal decisions, the atmosphere at this gathering is somber.

The Arehtei are still around, for the moment — they want to say goodbye to their aligned who are leaving, too, and of course they've been hard at work crafting crystals. There will be a teleporter in each Arehtei's shrine, and they'll be kept open all day, to give everyone as much time with their loved ones as possible. But they use enough energy that they can't be kept open forever, and once they're shut down, only the crystals will open them up. No matter what choice is made, it has to be made today.

[Mod Notes: THIS IS IT! The final log until the 10 Years Meme to be posted on the game's anniversary. This log is designated for all farewell threads and any other "final" scenes you wish to write out.]

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Endgame: Apatheia Arrives

2020-07-17T23:43:08Z

Posted by: empevents

— APATHEIA ARRIVES —

With Daimonia's artifact found, that makes a complete set. Or it would, had Briarlan not absconded with two of them several months ago. But before the relevant officials have settled on any plans to get them back, a curious thing happens: near the end of Tessa, the compass found in Lavieti begins to pulse and emit flashing lights, cycling through the Arehtei's different colors, and the large crystal floating above Verens begins to respond in kind.

And, as always, one ominous thing leads to another. Before word even gets out that the crystal is reacting to something, the island begins to noticeably pick up speed, traveling faster and faster through the skies. Is it even meant to go at these speeds? Doubtful, given the constant tremors the island suffers from, shaking more and more violently under the strain of its own motion. Horrified observers out on the edges of the island report that the altitude is also dropping rapidly.

Could it be that the island of Empatheias is now on a collision course with the ground?

Across the island, everyone is scrambling, from citizens at home trying to keep things from hurling themselves off their shelves to airship pilots and teleporter operators trying to scrape together some kind, any kind of evacuation. The Enforcers blast out a frantic warning — get under sturdy pieces of furniture, protect your head, find clear places, get away from buildings if you're outside, buildings could collapse. The quaking won't stop, no one knows what to do, what to fix. As it slowly sinks in that there may not actually be time to save anyone and scores of proactive hero types across Verens stream out to do what they can anyway, up in the Observatory, Rebekah slams a desperate command into the big crystal.

This has ended poorly in the past. This time, though, Rebekah gets it right, and the crystal releases a burst of glowing light that settles itself across every living being on the island. That's right — after absorbing emotions for so many years, Rebekah forces it to release some of that energy now to create shields that will protect the beings who have produced those emotions in the first place. Houses may still collapse and so on, but terrified residents will notice that falling debris bounces off if it strikes them, and they are now better able to try and get to safety.

But although Rebekah has bought everyone time in the form of cutting down on casualties, she can't stop the island itself, and the tech on the island is going haywire too — cutting off any remaining hope of evacuation as teleporters jam and airships find themselves grounded, instruments unable to function. Another call goes out: Channel hope. Channel bravery. It will strengthen the shields. Protect each other.

Because the island is dropping lower and lower, and as the speed suddenly, blessedly, begins to slow down, it becomes clear that the island had a very specific destination in mind. In the near distance, the landscape is marred by an enormous crater, and the island settles itself right on top of it.

Then, just when it seems like the moving might be over, the island drops straight down into place. The landing is not gentle.

( Prompts )

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Helisium 2020

2020-07-04T02:57:13Z

Posted by: empevents

— HELISIUM 2020 —

It would be a lie to say there's no grumbling about how Helisium looks to be going this year. Three days to put it together? Abruptly dropping it in a different city altogether? Daimonia, please. But the incredibly dramatic revival of the city the morning of does a lot to soothe the naysayers, and if anybody was worried that it'd be a boring party, they'll find right away that this is not the case. Despite the short amount of time to put it all together, those who've organized the festival have carried the spirit of working together to move forward into Helisium itself, and have drawn on events past from all over the world to make this happen.

It's going to be incredibly noisy. Turns out Olynthus was a musical city and once it starts, it continues unabated. Attendees who are feeling some kind of way in particular may even find that they're producing their own personal soundtracks. Please enjoy having your own ideal background music following you wherever you go. Maybe sing and dance along. Maybe drag everyone around you into a spontaneous musical number.

( Prompts )

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Helisium 2020: Prelude

2020-07-04T02:55:55Z

Posted by: empevents

— HELISIUM 2020: PRELUDE—

The researchers were right when they concluded that restoring Olynthus would take much more than just one week. At first, they even wondered if it would take more than just one month — haven't there been restoration projects that took longer in the past? Port Fieran, was it? But although progress seems very slow at first, once it really gets going, things start to go fast. The colors coming back to the area hold firm against the gray. The ghosts, even the most pessimistic, abandon their grumbling, and follow the workers around to help guide them as much as they can. The area next to the teleporter sees fewer and fewer people in need of aid, and here and there, wispy echoes of music are rising up out of nowhere.

Daimonia is finally able to get close to the city again around that time. Taking her small form, she shoots through streets and around buildings and under bridges as quickly as she can, hunting down the source of the music.

It's her artifact, and it refuses to reveal itself.

Finally, in a fit of frustration, Daimonia announces that Helisium should be held in Olynthus this year, to give the place an extra boost. This seems reasonable until she adds that when she says this she means to stage it early, ideally by the end of that week, and no amount of logic in regards to just what it takes to throw a giant party in a new city in three days will convince her otherwise. Those who have come to help from Theasthai ultimately shrug and get to business — after all, they start preparing for Helisium pretty much the day after Selenium — and others follow suit. Just as everyone, natives and Otherworlders alike, have worked together to help Olynthus heal, surely they can manage to put together a party.

As it turns out, Daimonia was on to something. The determination to have a good time is the last surge of energy that the city needs, and it responds. On the morning the festival is to begin, a sudden roaring sound begins and slowly builds. An earthquake? Some sort of attack? No. It's water. Bursting up from its source within the mountain, the canals that shoot through the city are reviving themselves, refilling in a massive surge, and the droning drum of the great waterfalls wakes the rest of Olynthus properly at last. The music intensifies, growing louder and more complex until it overtakes the entire city, immersing those within it. The golden mortar used in the repair efforts flares bright. The restored colors intensify, almost burning away what little gray remains. Trees and shrubs long dead burst into green, expanding and curling, reaching high. Dust and gloom fall away, leaving buildings of shining stone that glitter in the sunlight, and the ghosts flood the streets, laughing with unbridled joy as the home they lost so long ago opens itself back up. And Daimonia finally finds her missing artifact, a double flute, tucked away in a chapel and calling to her merrily.

Centuries ago the world abandoned Olynthus. Now, people from all over have come to pull it forward into a new world, rather than leave it to its old fate. When so many refuse to abandon you, you can't help but start to believe again.

The music will continue all through the games during the day, and long after the masquerade finally settles down in the wee hours of the morning. It's Helisium again at last.

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[Closed] A Date. Yes. A date.

2020-06-28T19:39:58Z

Posted by: sharkened

Who: Kazuichi Souda & Minako Aino
Where: Verens
When: Sometime in June
[Brackets] + Closed
Summary: Kazuichi finally gathers the courage to ask Minako out.

( a dork trying to figure out dating )

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The Earth and Moon (Forward Dated to June 30th)

2020-06-28T17:55:53Z

Posted by: lightthedarkness

Who: Serenity (Usagi) and Mamoru, all their CR welcome to come to the wedding (and you're welcome to wedding crash as well)
Where: A botanical garden
When: June 30th
Format: Starts in brackets but will match
Status: Open
Summary: Serenity and Mamoru are getting married!

( Will always be together )

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Catchall: Let me remain where there is light

2020-06-19T04:43:51Z

Posted by: justpastdawn

Who: Chateau Sparklegrump, assorted people attached to it, and any oldies who feel like fourthing that wall
Where: Kevin's house but ahaha it's migrating
When: Beginning of June straight on up through till the end of the game
Open, though most of this is probably only relevant to established CR!
Summary: A mingley dumping ground for individual threads, now through the end of the game. The event of note: Kevin's dropping his whole house into a shadow hole so he can stick it out in the farmlands. Actual prompts will be in people's top levels!

( I want to be where I don't need to hide myself, and remain there till the end of time. )

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Olynthus

2020-06-12T22:29:56Z

Posted by: empevents

— OLYNTHUS —

After Daimonia's initial call, an expedition is sent to scope the place out — and it's quickly determined that this new city is in such poor shape that even with the advances the world has made, a week isn't going to be anywhere near long enough to heal it. Her head hung low in shame, Daimonia explains why. Olynthus, perched high on its cloudy mountaintop, was one of the last places in the world to be reached by the emotional corruption all those centuries ago. As such, they saw it coming, and had time to mourn themselves and the rest of the world after they realized that no one would be coming to save them. Daimonia felt them back then, she says, of course she did. But she was too preoccupied with creating a safe haven around Theasthai to do anything about them, and was forced to leave them to their fates.

Probably it's no surprise that on top of everything else, Olynthus is suffering from a massive ghost infestation.

With such a huge task in front of them, permanent teleporters are installed, and those who choose to come and help are encouraged not to come too often. Only come if you feel up to it, the researchers say. Give yourself time to recover afterwards, before you consider coming again. The grief infesting the very bones of the city is complex in a way that makes it seem almost sentient, and its effects on those who spend too much time there are not to be taken lightly.

Daimonia herself can't get too close without spiraling into another fit. She spends much of her time patrolling nearby, pausing once or twice to smack around the rare Briarlan ship that dares show its face.

( Prompts )

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At last I see the Light

2020-06-11T09:57:43Z

Posted by: soligenous

Who: Rapunzel, Eugene, Open to cr
Where: Verens, outside
When: Now ish? Earlier June? Because of the event and all?
Format: Will default to brackets
Open/Closed Open to cr! (Raps esp probably invited more people than she initially figured as she got through the list of those she wanted to be there, so.)
Summary: Wedding! Finally. A way to celebrate with their cr here at least before heading back home.

( And it's like the fog has shifted.... )

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June catch-all (Open--4th wallers welcome!)

2020-06-10T06:06:12Z

Posted by: lightofchaldea

Who: Ritsuka and YOU
Where: Various, including network prompts
When: Throughout the month, mostly before event stuff
Format: I use prose, but matching is not required
Open/Closed Open!
Summary: See individual prompts

( Is this the calm before the storm? )

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[open] i don't wanna know, baby, i don't wanna know

2020-06-03T23:22:22Z

Posted by: oathkeeper

Who: The Kingdom Hearts Cast, house residents & maybe You
Where: The Kingdom Hearts house
When: Early June
Format: [you do you]
Open
Summary: A catch all for the house for the month of June. Feel free to top level or tag around.

( I want you for a lifetime, So if you're gonna think twice, baby )

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Bubbling From the Surface: Finale

2020-05-24T18:56:09Z

Posted by: empevents

— BUBBLING FROM THE SURFACE: FINALE —

Despite the best efforts of everyone, the mayhem on the surface proves to, perhaps for the first time, be too much. Fire spreads and buildings begin to topple at a faster rate, and those on the ground can’t last enough under the pressure to get anything done. Before long, as the amount of monsters seem to multiply at an overwhelming rate, the decision is made to get as many people through the teleporter as possible, abandoning the airship. Regrouping and seeing if another Arehtei can’t help seems better than going in so blindly unprepared.

But as people are sent across, access to the teleporter is abruptly lost—leaving behind allies and those helpless in peril within the city. Without a quicker method, a scout ship is sent to survey the situation on the surface in a day or two as preparations are made to go back. Unfortunately, the city is found to be in ruins, and later trips find no survivors: the Arehtei, too, are gone. Work is being done with those from the city to search underground shelters.

Despite the earlier interruption—despite the mess now, from bringing those from the surface into their city and having to fix the water pipes again—Verens stays safe, with no more needless upheavals to the lives of those on the island. Peaceful, as it should be.

The tiny handful aligned with Aiada will find their amulets a misty white a week after these events, similar to those formerly aligned with Sosyne.

--

From those who lived down there, an explanation of what happened is revealed: the city of Lyrila was hidden using old technology powered by the artifact belonging to Aiada, though it had its hands on Sosyne’s until the last year. It had been swiped from them under failed “negotiation attempts”, and the power of the artifact used to try and take down the barrier protecting their city—a barrier that helped to keep their city unharmed by emotional and the suspicions of the Arehtei alike.

While the city had to shrink its barrier to deal with the assaults made on it, they were able to ward off their attackers: until this time. Studying the artifact—though, those from Lyrila believe they had another already—and magitech of old, they swapped tactics and decided to use the curious Arehtei as a means to power their attack. They likely attracted Sosyne to the city by pinging off her emotional alignments, and then captured her, siphoning her of the emotional energy she naturally carried alongside that from the artifact and finally bringing down their barrier.

Aiada’s presence hadn’t been part of the plan, but didn’t make a difference in the end.

{OOC: Thus concludes May's event. There will be some follow up to this in June's mod post, and more to come with endgame!}

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Bubbling From the Surface

2020-05-10T22:12:41Z

Posted by: empevents

— Bubbling From the Surface —

It takes a week after Aiada and Sosyne’s announcement of their findings for a trip to be put together. A week to put together the supplies, to gather curious adventurers, and to pinpoint the exact location the Arehtei are in. Five years ago, such an abrupt trip to the world below would be preposterous, the Arehtei themselves barely capable of protecting Otherworlders on the surface for more than a few hours. Now, the world had changed: the skies no longer as dark and thunderous, the smog of danger that shrouded airships and kept people snug in tight cabins less polluting.

While a distant rumbling can be heard from time to time, and while the winds may rock the ship with sudden disgruntlement, the view of the world is clearer than it has ever been, the airships quicker to reach their destinations. The outstretched sea lurches around in indecision once it reaches far under them, yet the waters are more a murky blue than the blood-red they used to be. Across the horizon, they see for miles grey clouds blotting an otherwise healthy sky. Perhaps rain, perhaps a fog.

It’s not until they get closer that they realise--

There is smoke.

( Prompts )

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[Closed] That feeling, you can only say what it is in French

2020-05-05T03:41:31Z

Posted by: occasionem

Who: Sonia Nevermind and Junko Enoshima
Where: Junko's place of residence
When: A while after Sonia's discussion with Gundam
Format: Brackets
Closed
Summary: After learning the truth of who their past together, Sonia goes to confront Junko
(Lots of Danganronpa series spoilers inbound!)

( A fury has been building inside her since Gundam told her the truth. )

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Billy's back from his recent update

2020-05-05T02:47:58Z

Posted by: 21towin

Who: Billy the Kid
Where: Outside of Verens and around town
When: High-noon
Format: Any
Open Like a Book
Summary: Billy just got his canon update, and was fed a large amount of bones, so he's leveled up with a new gun.

( Call me Young Gun )

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[open] Anyone would have expected her to get killed off right away

2020-05-01T21:50:27Z

Posted by: sobored

Who: Junko, Mukuro, and You!
Where: Future Beginnings, then the hospital a few days later
When: Murder on the 26th, hospital visitors on the 1st!
Format: Either
Open but with one closed prompt
Summary: A double murder! And the fallout from that stupidity.

( Which is precisely why I killed her--to meet everyone's expectations. )

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empatheias @ 2020-05-01T00:37:00

2020-05-01T07:38:51Z

Posted by: luminatus

Who: Jasper, the Luminary
Where: Jasper's place
When: After the Flower Festival
Format: Brackets
Closed
Summary: The Luminary hasn't seen his old acquaintance in a while and decides to make sure he's staying out of trouble.

( We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. )

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Third time's definitely NOT the charm... [Open]

2020-05-01T07:09:54Z

Posted by: lightofchaldea

Who: Ritsuka + anyone
Where: The Jade Dragon, network
When: April 30
Format: I use prose, but matching is optional!
Open
Summary: Ritsuka's back from one doozy of a canon update...

( What do you do when you have to destroy one world to restore another? )

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Zephyras Flower Festival 820: Finale

2020-04-26T00:40:12Z

Posted by: empevents

— FLOWER FESTIVAL FINALE —

The obvious place to crown this year's Flower King and Queen is the castle's throne room. Why even have a throne room if you aren't going to have a King and Queen in it? The room is expansive and glorious, decorated with still tapestries, banners embellished in golden thread, suits of elaborate armor, a beautiful mosaic portraying Elios on the floor, and all the other things you'd expect to find in a good and proper castle. The icy statues of a king and queen standing by one of the windows are a little weird, though. They look very much like the crystal statues Otherworlders are prone to turning into when the world decides they need a little break, but upon further investigation, it's definitely ice, not rock. The king has his arm around his queen and she is resting her head on his shoulder as they gaze out into the gardens below, unseeing. Freshly bloomed flowers are crawling in through that window, spilling into life all around them. Their beauty, and the gentle fondness in the way the statues rest against one another, is all the only thing that keeps them from being too creepy to tolerate.

Much weirder than all that even is that all the furniture from elsewhere in the castle has apparently decided to come and gather with the Otherworlders to watch the coronation. Also all the suits of armor have turned their heads so they can watch, too. Sure. Okay. Don't be surprised if the person standing next to you to watch is actually an armoire, that's happening now.

But it's after Ventus and Naminé have been crowned in their costumes and formally announced and the cheering begins that the weirdest thing of all happens. Thanks to the friendly atmosphere of happiness and support, all the flowers that have been bursting through the ice suddenly release puffs of golden light, which rush around to envelope the various animate objects gathered there in the throne room. And, one by one, the objects change into humans, every last one of them looking like they've just been yanked out of a Renaissance Festival. The room is soon filled with sobs of joyous laughter as people who have been stuck as furniture for literal centuries rush around to find the loved ones they've missed. At the window, too, the ice entrapping the king and queen suddenly shatters. They stagger, disoriented, clinging to one another to remain upright as they gaze at each other and around the room in turn. Then, the king's triumphant boom of a laugh echoes out over the crowd as he picks her up and spins her around.

"— WHAT?!" Elios squawks.

His screech goes unheeded in the chaos. It's a while before everyone settles down enough for the story to come out. Recognizing that their people were slowly succumbing to possessive and hurtful love, the king and queen chose to save them by transforming them into objects, only to be taken by the ice themselves. So they waited, until the corruption the world was facing cracked enough to allow better emotions through. That's right — the castle inhabitants were alive hundreds of years ago and they carry with them memories from that time. Stunned and humbled by how much time has passed, all of them are willing to share what they know, and learn about what the world has become.

But not right this second. After waiting so long to become human again, it would be cruel to deny everyone the chance to simply be with one another after all that time apart, and nobody really wants to bring the Flower Festival to an early ending either. There will be plenty of time later to get back to the real stuff.

Tale As Old As Time: The ball was already planned and will go on accordingly in the castle's ballroom, with all the customary stuff you'd expect, such as dancing, a bit of shenanigan courtesy of the rose wine, and also, the sentient armoire. This thing was either always a sentient armoire from the start or, for inexplicable reasons, has decided it does not actually want to be human again, and it swans happily through the throng in the ballroom. Are you finding yourself feeling underdressed? Do you wish also to look like you got yanked out of a Renaissance Festival? Go say hi. The armoire will eat you and spit you out looking "fly as hell", as the modern kids say. Be wary of the wine, though, because that stuff is going to make you fall in love with your dance partner for a while, whatever that means for you. Don't worry — like most fairy tale magic, all that will wear off when the clock strikes midnight.

Love...Of Course: Now that the old spells are broken, the air around the castle is starting to feel properly springlike at last. Out in the gardens, though, an ice-skating rink remains. The middle is ideal for scooting about hand-in-hand with your favorite people, but the outer section has been ribboned off to accommodate the daredevils who want to go fast and try out exciting spins and tricks and flips — and tonight, that can be anyone. Skaters will find that if they begin to fall, a puff of snowy wind flies up out of nowhere to push them upright again. It may be cold, but hey, nobody's going to come out of this with any bruises or broken bones.

[Mod Notes: The finale for the Flower Festival is here! The main log can be found here.]

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Zephyras Flower Festival 820

2020-04-19T00:29:44Z

Posted by: empevents

— FLOWER FESTIVAL 2020 —

Those who have been around a while may recall the time a corrupt Elios, burdened by an overabundance of positive affection, went on a ~~yandere~~ possessive rampage that went so far as to turn some of the Otherworlders into shambing ice zombies. Those people no doubt have reasonable misgivings when Elios declares that he has found a new setting within his lands for this year's Flower Festival, and that setting turns out to be a beautiful castle — covered in shimmering ice, the grounds around it coated in a layer of frost.

Surely this is not the ideal place to be producing more love.

...except, as Elios excitedly points out during the preparations, like many other places throughout the world the castle is showing signs of healing. Flowers in cool tones of blue and violet are bursting through cracks in the ice wherever they can manage to force their way through — not just the crocuses and snowdrops you might expect, but morning glories and hydrangeas and even cherry trees. The atmosphere around the place is not threatening, but carries with it a sense of longing. The love jam-packed into this place has had nowhere to go for centuries, and it has made the castle itself and everything growing in it incredibly reactive. Even the furniture inside the castle seems eager to interact, shuffling in excitement as people pass, if not outright scuttling up to try and make friends.

Hate would certainly thaw the place out, but it would also damage it. By holding the Flower Festival here, Elios says, they can give all this love a gentle and positive way to manifest, and help ease the area into a fresh new spring. Plus, who even knows for sure how old this castle is? Maybe, once it's all spruced up, they'll be able to find more information about the world's history in the depths of the castle…

( Prompts )

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