Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

[faileas]

Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

I. Boaltinn (1st - 3rd) Boaltinn comes around again. A handful of Mirrorbound will remember the holiday from last year, but for others, it will be brand new. In both Residential Districts, bonfires burn in central locations through the night, frequented by the residents celebrating another summer come to Aefenglom. Curiously, while last year the bonfires seemed quite segregated by human or Monster, this year, there is more of a noticeable mix at each, and Mirrorbound are invited to join the games and festivities quite happily. Characters are invited to try and jump through the bonfire's flames to burn away any poor relationship experiences, be it romantic or platonic, past or present; to aid them in this, those at the Eastern Bonfire will give those participating rune-etched accessories to protect them from the fire. The city has quite a bit to offer for this holiday: shared rose baths at public bathhouses and pleasure establishments that increase feelings of friendliness and talkativeness, poles draped in ribbons meant to be danced around, wrapping a ribbon around the pole to bring good luck for the summer, food stalls whose offerings are meant to be shared, and fortune-telling set up by Divination students of the Coven, who can tell your day is going to go. To see last year's Boaltinn prompts, you can take a glance right here! Much of it, including the bonfires, baths, and entertainments will be similar this year, so feel free to use those in your top levels.

II. An Unusual Arrival (3rd on) A full year from the arrival of the first group of Mirrorbound, the 1st passes quietly, with no one showing up in the mirror-lined halls of the Looking-Glass House. Dates and times are important in most kinds of magic, and this is strange enough that some Witches of the Coven get together on the night of the 3rd to try a probing ritual, attempting to gather some kind of clues that could be useful in prying out the cottage's secrets. Boaltinn is the best time for such things, when the boundaries are thinner, and magic is stronger. Those who are awake that night at 3 am might notice a pulse of harmless silvery light that spreads like ripples on water throughout the whole city, originating at the Looking-Glass House, but nothing further happens, and the Coven receives no answers. Well, nothing happens in the Looking-Glass House. Before long, the reports start coming in: people are emerging from mirrors, regular old mundane mirrors, all over the city. Anything with a particularly reflective surface could be an entry point for someone from another world! Inhabited homes, businesses closed and locked for the night, pools of still water in fountains or the river, these unorthodox Mirrorbound pop up anywhere and everywhere, causing chaos for the City Guard (folks aren't happy to find strangers in their bathrooms at 3 in the morning) and the Coven both. Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. If you are one of these unfortunate arrivals, it's likely a rude awakening for you, to find yourself somewhere inconvenient, somewhere other than where you've been. It only makes sense to be confused. Hopefully someone finds you and explains to you what's happened to you. Resident Mirrorbound will hear a message from Miss Nessie shortly after it begins, a call to arms: "Dears, I'm quite sorry to disturb you, but it seems your fellows are arriving elsewhere than the Looking-Glass House this month! We're trying to track them all down for the usual welcome, but we could use a hand or several! If you could just bring them by the Coven, the usual spot, that would be lovely." She'll give her usual orientation and pass out Watches, but no doubt the Mirrorbound will be more helpful in this regard, with so many arriving.

III. The Goblin Market (All Month) Life goes on in Aefenglom, despite the addition of so many new residents. With the City Guard decidedly busy dealing with the sudden flood of break-ins (or, more accurately, break-outs?), the vendors of the Goblin Market find opportunity to set up their stalls more openly than they have since the crack-downs some months ago. They pop up all over the city, but clustered more often in the Residential Districts and the Harbor District, where there are even fewer law enforcement agents out and about to run them off. These sellers, while not as devoid of morals as those major players of the Black Market, still have very few compunctions when it comes to lying, cheating, fencing stolen goods, and misrepresenting their wares to unsuspecting buyers. It's also the place to find those things that are- not quite legal, shall we say. They won't say a word if you don't. If confronted, they are quick to pack up their things and slip away, however; they know this city and its hiding places a lot better than you do. With a brand new batch of what the natives assume are Mirrorbound, many undergoing rapid transformations into their Monster forms, many of the wares on display are potions: supposed cure-alls for aches and itches, calming draughts for the full moon restlessness, some even claim their brews can halt changes entirely! Some concoctions are meant to increase a Witch's magical ability, or decrease it, or provide them a finer control. They offer potions that they say will eliminate the need for a Bond, or temporary Bonding potions of their own that they claim are more pure, stronger, than the ones offered by the Coven. Claims are only claims, though. A few remedies for the pain of changing or some regular temporary Bonding potions can be found here and there, but for every potion that works, there are twenty more that have less than pleasant side effects. A brew that will cause everything you touch to turn to solid gold for up to an hour; a potion that will invert your sense of direction - trying to turn right will make you turn left, trying to go forward will cause you to walk backward; a potion that will remove all traction from your feet, causing you to slide around as if cobblestone are the slickest ice. Worse, some shadier vendors sell things more sinister, including a potion that gives you the appearance of being moderately to heavily infected by the Cwyld. Even if you don't drink any, the vendors are not at all careful where they're sloshing those bottles around, trying to show them off, and they all activate on skin contact.

IV. A Wilde Hunt (7th - 22nd) All Mirrorbound, temporary or not, are likely to feel it. Monsters are always affected by the full moons, but this month, it is more. Stronger. Instincts rise to the surface as the Sisters emerge full and visible in the night sky, and for many Mirrorbound, they are undergoing rapid transformations into whatever type of Monster they are meant to be. Curiously, the natives get along like they usually do, noticing nothing out of the norm, other than the increased agitation and restlessness from Mirrorbound Monsters. Monsters' aggression fades when the Sisters start to wane, but as the new moons approach on the 22nd, Mirrorbound Witches will notice their magical reserves overfilling, and will find themselves stricken with the overwhelming urge to use it, until casting spells, pushing one's magical limits, is almost a compulsion. Those who are not in proper Witch-Monster Bonds will feel it even stronger, with no stabilizing magic to consume (for Monsters) or avenues to expend magic (for Witches) other than casting spells. (For those who are interested, the Coven does offer temporary Bonding potions which can be used to help alleviate the effects somewhat.) The Coven Witches notice the signs, and they take decisive action on the morning of the 6th, the day before the full moons. So many Mirrorbound, likely to be so heavily affected by the lunar cycle this month, many of them coming into new features and abilities at a breakneck pace, only spells danger for the city. They barricade off a massive chunk of Wilde outside Aefenglom, largely free of Cwyld and totally bereft of farms, homes, and Wilder outposts. They invite anyone who feels the effects of the moons too strongly to control to come out for a Hunt. The hunting grounds will be open nightly to anyone who needs to work off restless energy or overflowing magic; all participants will be warned that their safety cannot be guaranteed from others, but they won't be able to harm bystanders out here. The woods are thick, with the river cutting through them, and full of wildlife. There is room to run and chase prey, or room to play with your developing magic. Play cat and mouse with your friends or Bondmates, or stalk a stranger. If playing games isn't your thing, there is something else to hunt out here as well. With the deep Wilde entering into Winter, this patch of land so close to the city is much warmer, and fearsome Shades have emerged to search for prey. These were once living beings, Monsters, Witches, or animals, who have been overtaken by Cwyld infection long ago, leaving them dead but for the infection, white-eyed and seeking out sources of magic to consume and infect. Anything could become a Shade, but the most common out right now are the ferocious remains of bears, wolves, and nomadic Arachne and Turnskins. If not killed, these Shades threaten the people of the Outer City, when they inevitably escape the barricade. Careful to limit your contact, though; anyone infected upon their return to the gates will be escorted straight to the infirmary.

Welcome to May's Fourth Wall event, An Inauspicious Arrival! The comms are now open to comments from all registered users and will be until June 1st. Current players, if you don't want fourth wall characters tagging your posts, just say so in your text. Fourth wall characters can use this post for their own network top-levels, or this post for log top levels. This event is game canon; threads from this fourth wall can be used as application samples later and current players may use these threads for AC. As always, be courteous to each other! Let the mod team know if there are any problems and we will handle things.

As always, please direct your questions to this thread!

Comments

tifa lockhart | ff7 | witch

[meteodrives]

I. arrival
[ It's not every day you come crashing into an old pawn shop in the late evening after its doors are long closed and locked. To her credit, she doesn't end up breaking anything or leaving a mess. When she manages to get the back door open in a clatter, the only person she's really upset is the proprietor, an older man who's sputtering and yelling about her trespassing. Tifa ducks out of the building without even closing the door, down the back alleyway, making plenty of noise. ]

So sorry! I promise it was an accident!

[ And more yelling accompanies her route out onto the street, where she's faced with the reality that the previous whirlwind kept her from really acknowledging until she's seen it all with her own eyes, when she nearly runs into a group of people out wandering.

This isn't home. This isn't anything she recognizes.

Gaping, whirling in a circle, trying to get a grasp of where she is... None of it's particularly helping her, except maybe to draw attention, wanted or not. Tifa's looking for any kind of familiarity in the people who pass her by and she eventually just decides walking away might be the best thing to do, if only to not trouble anyone further.

Breathe, breathe... Gotta figure this out.

She can easily be found wandering, definitely not blending in, and trying to politely stop a few people every now and then to flag them down for information. ]

I'm sorry, I'm-- I'm just looking for a little help. I think I'm lost.

[ That's more of an understatement at this point, though... ]



II. goblin market
[ She's not an alchemist by trade or anything so fancy, but Tifa is a bartender. Some of these ingredients being listed just sound ridiculous. Anything resembling a cure-all gets more than a bit of a side-eye for the seller's trouble, though she does take a few more looks than necessary at all of the concoctions being peddled regarding bonds.

Tapping her finger to her chin, she reaches to take one of the bottles to look it over, only for it to be snatched away by the seller.

Buyers only. She's definitely looking too much like a skeptic for them to be comfortable with, unless she's offering to pay, and she doesn't have anything in her pockets to give (though not for lack of trying). ]

I'm just wondering how they work, you know. [ It's mild, even sweet, almost admiring. ] It must've taken a lot of work to make these. I keep hearing that these bonds are very, very important. What did you put in them?

[ This tactic works on all of one (1) seller until they realize she doesn't have coin. And then? Well, they tuck their wares away and tell her to come back when she can pay.

What a letdown.

Which is why she tries to sidle up to people who do look like they know what they're about. It's not to get them to buy anything, honest. She has other questions instead. ]

Have you tried any of these? Do they work?

[ Dangerous questions! But seriously...do they? ]



III. the hunt
[ If there's trouble, then she wants to help. And that's what leads her out into Wilde, not only to see if there's something she can do but also to practice what's been budding beneath the surface for several days now.

Materia is one thing, after all. That makes sense. But Tifa is a fighter and the flow of magic in this place is a completely different beast, one that wriggles beneath her skin and makes her restless in ways she can't describe, far beyond what's ever felt natural. So the first few nights, she's out in the Wilde simply fighting, practicing, seeing where her natural limits are in this world. After that, though? It's a practice of a different kind, testing spellcraft with her hands and with her focus, then trying to incorporate it into her fighting.

The results? Mixed at best.

Testing the magic on its own leads to more harm than good. Tifa can manage a spark of lightning just as surely as she can manage anything else. Where it strikes? That's...a bit trickier to maintain the first couple of nights. She's as liable to strike down an enemy as she is to hit near someone just out and about. And since she doesn't know many people, this just leads to one mishap after another.

But when it works? It works. And when she lands her third direct blow with magic against a Shade, she can't help but smile. ]

I've got you now!

[ It comes just moments before both of her feet collide with the creature, throwing it backwards several yards from the sheer force of her attack. She flies with it from the impact, able to twist herself around and keep herself from hitting the dirt. Reflexes graceful, her feet touch down on the ground just a few feet from another Witch or Monster, and Tifa tosses a smile in their direction. ]

Need a hand? I can help.

[ Considering she just knocked a Shade across a clearing and put someone else in harm's way? Yeah, she's definitely going to offer to help. ]

[ Nothing good here? PM me! I'm open to Tifa also helping out Monsters by developing temp bonds during the hunt, or getting into some kind of trouble. Open to any kind of wildcard that suits your needs! I can also write up a more focused starter. ]

a gremlin in the goblin market tbh

[aremnant]

[ Well well well. Look at who we have here. A familiar face... a friend! But not his, no. Tsk, tsk. As if he ever would. No, not a woman he would consider to be a friend of his but of dear big brother? Oh yes, she is! She most certainly is! And he so very much remembers her little run-in with Loz. What a shame he's not here for this reunion.

Kadaj smiles as he stands back a little and watches the way she looks at this and that and pokes and needles for more information on everything. Really, he has to admire her for how determined she is. He gets the same way about Mother! But oh, those sellers are just being so curt to her. How rude. How so very rude.

With a smile on his lips and boots kicking up sand as he goes, he chuckles softly to himself under his breath as the tips of his fingers gently glide across the hilt of his blade hanging low on his back. No, not here. He'll be good. He'll behave. What would big brother think if he harmed a hair on his little friend's head after all? ]

They're so rude, aren't they?

[ He smiles as he stands there near her, green eyes bright and curious as the smile remains tight on his lips. ]

You know... you look so familiar.

[meteodrives]

[ Her hand brushes the back of her neck, looking over the wares on display while the sellers see about entertaining other customers. It's when she hears the voice nearby that she happens to glance over, a reactionary smile, polite, already starting to set in over her features.

The voice sinks in. It's not one she recognizes, though that's hardly the point. The moment she makes eye contact with the man, there's a jolt of uncertainty that signals an uncomfortable familiarity.

She doesn't know his name. She doesn't need to. The eyes unsettle her enough. ]

I--

[ Her hand falls, coming to rest at her side. She doesn't quite turn towards Kadaj, though every instinct rings alarm in her frame. Silver hair, those bright green eyes. You're seeing things, the rational mind says, but she can't pretend it isn't uncanny. ]

I don't think we've met before. [ That's what she says first. ] But you--

[ You remind me of someone else. ]

Who are you?

[aremnant]

[ That tight smile held on his lips slowly turns up just a touch more as he cants his head to the side, strands of silver brushing against his cheek as he does so. But it's with a shrug that he softly hums to himself in amusement then, lazily moving around her as he tilts his head from side to side. ]

That's a shame.

[ His voice drifts off as bright green eyes slowly trail around Tifa, only to land back on her with that same bright intensity to them. ]

No one ever seems to know the people who are familiar to them. It's... kind of confusing! Isn't it? To know someone who doesn't know you but never really knew you to begin with...

[ Softly, he laughs to himself as he comes to stop and stand there, eyes fixated on the woman who is big brother's friend. It figures he would make friends with those so different from him. ]

I'm sure big brother will be happy to know you're here though. I know you know him.

[meteodrives]

[ What he says draws her up short, and Tifa lingers on his words even as her eyes don't stray from his face, the brightness of his sickly green eyes. She turns as he moves, keeping watch over him and never allowing him the chance to see her back. Her hands, however, remain at her sides. She doesn't want to start a fight, not here of all places, and she has no reason to.

...Doesn't she?

There's nothing to be said for the first part. The cadence of his tone feels half-mad, a lilt of tenuous danger even if he isn't threatening. Her thoughts go in circles. ]

Who are you talking about?

[ But the pit of her stomach says she knows. Silver hair, green eyes. Big brother. If he's speaking of Sephiroth, though... Why would he care about her? More importantly, is he implying Sephiroth is here? ]

What's your name?

aaaa ♥ (2!)

[bravers]

[Black markets could be good for all kinds of things. Weaponry, in particular, was something which'd gone through Cloud's mind, and more or less the reason why he's here.

Didn't take much of a look to work out that the stalls were selling crap though.

Cloud's... more or less done with the black market after a few minutes, and other than staying alert as to what exactly was in his pockets, keeping his focus on ensuring what's in his pockets stays there as he weaves through the crowds of new and old mirrorbound, most of his attention goes in finding ways in and out of the stalls in order to...

...well, not be here any more.

There's a ton of people here. Newer and older mirrorbound seem to be piling up indiscriminately- either in the act of seeking bargains, or being held up by various goblins delivering pitches. And honestly, he wants out. It's packed, it's hot- and it's... honestly, kind of sweaty.

That is until he passes a stall. And one voice seems familiar.

He half-turns before he's pushed along by a... gigantic bear Turnskin shuffling along after him.

His eyes widen, and as he's trying to sidestep, and being forced along a few more meters-]

Tifa!

[It can't be. Can it?
A shove, with his shoulder, against said bear.
And again: ]

Tifa!

[He's around it.
And he stumbles forward, against the crowd.

It's really her.
How?]

!!! c:

[meteodrives]

[ The crowd is difficult to maneuver through when she goes from one stall to the next, plenty of people boxing in the tables as they look at what's on offer. She's at a stall that claims to sell new equipment but there's nothing there for her but some famed gloves capable of lighting people on fire. A little too good to be true, that, so she passes along by, trying to move on to the next.

She hears her name in the crowd and quickly turns, nearly bumping into someone else. She knows that voice, too. It sounds like-- ]

Cloud?

[ When he calls her name again, she's sure of it, and she turns just in time to see a shock of blonde hair from around a burly creature - man? - as she tries to push through. Is that really... ]

Cloud! Cloud, I'm right here, hold on--

[ Now she's pushing a little less politely, finally giving in to shouldering a large, feathered body out of her periphery so she can get to him. ]

[bravers]

[Well, that's one pissed Harpy. He hears the sound of Tifa's shoulder connecting with the unsuspecting bird's own, hears a brief, sharp caw of rage as soon as it understands what happened to it. But it's fine. The thing's in no position to shove back, pushed along by more of the current of people which are all around them.]

Hey-

[...Honestly, it strikes him to tell her to hold on, that he'll be right there, but... she... got there first.

It's her, all right.

It's emblematic of her. Them. In general. He'd... always tried to save her. But she never needed it. It was... a vague attempt to be kind on her part, way back when, and years later, she'd only indulged that promise for him. So all he can snap back is-]

Be careful.

[A... lot of wriggling against the tide of people in both directions and no doubt more annoyed mirrorbound, and- he's got her. He's really got her, his hand is clasped, tightly, around her wrist, and he's pulling her toward the side of a stall. Literally stepping right through it (much to the chagrin of a goblin) and edging around the boxes of dubious wares held at the back of it, and...

....They're out.

The back of where the stalls are set up is shabby. Loud too, from the foot traffic a few yards away. Discarded packaging litters the area. One of the goblins is even smoking at the back of one of the stalls and staring at them with yellow eyes. But...]

How did you get here?
How long've you been here?

[There's an urgency in his voice, a look of disbelief on his face, and perhaps his hand is still holding her wrist.

...A little too tightly.]

You alright?

[meteodrives]

[ The harpy's forgotten. (Mostly, anyway; she'll likely feel bad about it later.) It's not about them or about anything else, she just wants to get to Cloud. There's an urgency in his voice that she's used to, the sort of thing that communicates his worry long before anything else, even when he never says the words.

Funny, the thing he's usually worried about is her and the others, after all.

But through the wriggling, the wandering crowd, she feels his hand clamp down on her wrist and it's all the insistence she needs to keep moving, to nudge her way through a few more people as he pulls her along and to the stalls, around, through the side and out the back, where they're free from the press of bodies and out of the thick of things. Tifa sighs, a little dramatic, with relief. And that relief only grows when she finally, finally gets a look at Cloud.

He's here. He's all right.

For him, she manages a smile, just like always, even if she can feel the concern in the way he holds her wrist and doesn't let go. ]

Shouldn't I be asking you that? I didn't realize you were here too. When did you get here? Are you okay?

[ She...hasn't answered any of his questions. Instead, her eyes fall down to his hand on her wrist, and she lifts her own to cover his. ]

Hey, it's okay. I got here a few days ago. It's been a little crazy since then. I'm fine, though.

[ There, better. ]

You?

the hunt — testing

[supersoldier]

[The Wilde provides spacious room for practicing a new, potentially clumsy art. The arcing lances of lightning cast wide and ferociously, but have ample targets to choose from — the trees encircling this particular clearing are scored with the dark lines of similar magic having struck them, likely from even before Tifa had chosen this spot for practice.

Sephiroth is drawn by the bursts of light casting long, temporary shadows along the ground as each burst fires off. His harpy’s instincts balk at the very idea of lightning and such associated magic, but curiosity drives him near enough to spot a woman training these abilities at a distance. However, it is the sudden dawning of a distant familiarity that makes him linger, that prevents him from leaving her he once his question is satisfied.

He knows her, doesn’t he? From her profile, he can tell that age has subtly changed the lines of her face, years departed, perhaps, from where he might recognize her — that would be nothing new, given this place. But Sephiroth’s recollection is not wrong, surely; she’s their guide from Nibelheim. And beyond that, glimpses of what he had gleaned from Aerith’s memory, labeling her as an acquaintance of those here, at the very least.

Whether or not he chooses to interrupt is a different matter, but the decision is soon made for him. An errant bolt of lightning careens in his direction, and his instincts flare — oh, how the distant mind of a harpy utterly writhes at the thought of being struck by it — and Sephiroth back-steps just in time to avoid it striking him squarely in chest. Instead, it slams into the ground near his boots, leaving its mark, and scenting the air of burnt ozone.

This does cause him to pipe up — dry, edged in disapproval.]

Careful. I’m not a willing target.

well, I guess you win this time

[meteodrives]

[ The apology is already on her lips when the arc of lightning goes wide and she sees the shadow of a man in the distance, stepping out of its trajectory. Tifa even has her arm outstretched, like she might call the lightning back before it hits him. He seems fine enough, unharmed, and the words almost manage to come out.

Almost.

Instead, they hook in her throat and keep her from speaking, eyes falling on a figure she knows immediately. The spike of fury, of hatred, hits her so quickly that she almost feels dizzy with it. That outstretched hand becomes a fist. ]

You.

[ He has his answer: she knows him. But for Tifa, this has to be a trick. It has to be. Of all of the people she could run into, why did it have to be him? She could ask all kinds of questions - why is he here, how, what does he want - but none of them seem intelligent enough. The anger is blinding. She can barely think. Her legs feel like lead. ]

That's all you have to say, after everything you've done?

see, they’ll be friends in no time

[supersoldier]

[Her anger is palpable, so potent that it practically transmogrifies the atmosphere between them into tension, cloying and thick. Trained as he is to see it, her body language also shifts accordingly — not just her fingers curling into a tightened fist, but every aspect of every line of her body, gone taut like rope pulled at both ends. The aggression is clear. Her accusation even clearer.

That's all you have to say, after everything you've done?

He’s reminded of his meeting with Cloud, that same heat and apprehension, that same look in his eyes that flung a desperate kind of fury his way. It had dissipated a few moments in, but it stuck with him all the same — much like Tifa’s reaction, in this one moment, will not be one he forgets unduly.

Sephiroth finds his words, questions cropping up in his mind like weeds, cluttering all else.]

And what would that be? We’re not familiar enough with each other for you to make that kind of claim.

[Undeterred, and perhaps more motivated by her reaction than resistant to it, Sephiroth moves forward, closing the space between them with each step by steady step.

There’s something different about him, something more than the black feathers interwoven in his hair, or the way that his ears have gone pointed with the changes of a harpy. It’s the immutability of a gaze that lacks the sparked obsession of madness, the detached tone unmarred by the assured, lilting timbre of that same insanity. Sephiroth is all cold demeanor and stoic features, but he is assessing in a way that isn’t purposefully threatening.]

[meteodrives]

I don't need to know you to know what you've done. I was there!

[ She doesn't need to understand the heart of his madness to make excuses for the lives he'd taken, the countless more who had fallen from SOLDIER, from Shinra. The danger he presented to the planet. What he did to Aerith. It doesn't matter.

Sephiroth approaches, one step in front of the other, and if she wasn't so blind to the rationality of the moment, she might notice that he's changed physically, that his eyes are sharper, cold, not alight with fire and insanity. That this is General Sephiroth in front of her, not the man who'd taken her friend's life or who'd nearly taken her own. All she sees is white-hot anger, and her hands drop briefly to her side before lifting again, fists up.

She's already rushing him, like she did so many years ago. This time, the Masamune isn't in her hand.

Tifa goes for a side punch and follows in for a second aimed for his head before the other one even tries to connect. ]

You took everything from me. You, SOLDIER, Shinra! All of you!

i. omg

[evanescent]

[She isn't looking for anyone, not really. That had been the thought, the idea, but it never really turns out that way when she's in a crowd and she's heard the stories about new arrivals showing up in places they shouldn't.

It wasn't good of her, to hope for these things — to hope for familiar faces. It was selfish of her. They didn't belong in this place, in this time. But it was only human to hope, and much of her was still only that. Human.

This district is livelier at night these days, with all the confusion going on, and she recognizes both the pawn shop and the owner, who seems to be looking for someone, so aggrieved that she can see the angry flush to his face even in the dark. She's about to walk over to ask what the problem is, but something makes her half-turn in the other direction, and —

She sees someone. Someone with long, dark hair. Someone in a rush. She was likely mistaken. Her eyes were playing tricks on her, maybe. But she follows this person's path anyway, needing to muscle through crowds to keep pace, to get close enough to see if she's just hoping to see someone that shouldn't be here in the first place.

She's a few paces away, trying to catch up, and finally cannot quell her curiosity. She calls out:] Tifa! Tifa, over here!

omg is right, why are you all coming for my heart

[meteodrives]

[ She isn't exactly paying attention to her surroundings, not to who's following her, too entrenched in the very wonder of a city that doesn't look decimated. A city alive and thriving, like everything on the plate, but...better. Cleaner. People look happy in the early evening as they wander the streets. Knowing how the planet was nearly lost, seeing all of this feels surreal.

It makes her wonder, briefly, if she's died. If this is some kind of afterlife or the Lifestream.

So this doesn't exactly help her mindset when she hears a familiar voice. When she turns and sees a spark of pink.

When she turns around to see Aerith standing there, calling for her.

Tifa's legs lock up, her heart suddenly in her throat. It keeps her from calling back or saying anything for several moments, her eyes stuck on Aerith. Standing, breathing, alive. It doesn't seem real to her. Tifa tries to say something, lips moving and nothing coming out. And then, finally, she manages: ]

Aerith?

[ She's dead. She's... This isn't possible. Tifa wills her legs to move, wills herself to walk, to try to bridge the gap and reach her-- ]

Aerith?

[evanescent]

[When they are face to face at last, and Aerith sees how stricken Tifa looks, she realizes that she should have been gentler with this introduction. She'd been lifting her hand to wave her toward, and it lowers slowly. She's slow too, when she walks forward — the cautious pace of someone not wanting to be frightening.

Carefully, she reaches for Tifa's hands.] Yeah. Yeah, it's me. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you? I wasn't sure it was you, so I...

[Eventually, she manages a soft laugh.]

It's been a long time, hasn't it?

III

[sparkstrikes]

[The other Witch happens to be Lightning who, unlike Tifa, hasn't bothered attempting to master the magic here. She would be remiss to say that it isn't impressive that she's picked it up so quickly, landing a direct hit like that on a Shade, and it'll come in handy for someone who would rather use a blade.

Blazefire Saber is withdrawn from its sheath and unfolds at her side, and the only magic she's been able to pull off with minor success is imbuing lightning into it. A crackle sprays across the metal, but fizzles out quick, and she clicks her tongue with disappointment.]

I don't.

[Still, there's a twitch in the corner of Lightning's lip when she pulls her eyes away from the Shade for a moment to peek at Tifa.]

That gonna stop you?

[meteodrives]

[ Tifa's eyes briefly grace the sight of the crackling blade, pulled once more to the other woman's face. After a moment, she smiles and shakes her head. ]

Definitely not. You do look like you can handle it just fine, though.

[ Straightening, she pulls herself up into a long stretch, sliding slowly into stance with her fists up. Her gaze flits back to the Shade as it launches yet another attack, this one aimed at Tifa. While she could just attack it head on, she leaps back at the last moment, giving Lightning the space to attack it first from the side as it passes. And then, quickly, she leaps back in to follow up with an uppercut to the creature, hoping to knock it right into the air like a projectile. ]

[sparkstrikes]

You too.

[That much goes without saying.

But now is not the time to be exchanging compliments, because the Shade aims itself at Tifa and Lightning isn't about to let it strike. Even without the magic, she can manage a slice through the air, cutting off the attack and blindsiding it enough that it fumbles just as Tifa's follow up connects. The Shade zips back and hits the ground, splattering black sludge into a pool around its body.]

Nice one. You fight these things a lot?

[Nice, except that the Shade is already pushing itself back up, oozing and dripping whatever the hell it's made up of. Slowly but surely, its claws scratch against the ground as it crawls its way to them. Lightning sees it and raises her sword to prepare for another attack, trying again to imbue it with magic.]

1!

[kisskissboomboom]

[ She's definitely lost. Or she's been kidnapped. Or maybe both? Jessie has no explanation for how she'd come to be here, other than shit was weird and apparently her bedroom mirror was haunted. Cursed?

Either way, it had dumped her out into some little kid's room, who had promptly started screaming bloody murder and she'd leapt out a window before the source of those angry footsteps down the hall could arrive and potentially murder her for scaring their kid. It hadn't been on purpose, but it's not like she had an explanation handy either.

So here she was, roaming the streets, trying to look inconspicuous as she tried to figure out where she was and what the heck she was gonna do about getting back home.

At least until she hears a familiar voice from nearby and it drags her attention out of her skulking to start looking around frantically until she spots a familiar face. ]

Tifa?? Is that you? You're here too?!

[meteodrives]

[ The passerby Tifa'd been talking with - an older man who'd been ready to give her some long-winded directions - looks up at the same time she does, her eyes wide with shock. She knows that voice, but it feels like it's been forever since she's seen her. Her stomach drops out. ]

Jessie?

[ This... This doesn't make sense. For a few moments, she thinks maybe she's seeing a ghost, but the old man says something like, "Oh, is this a friend of yours?" so he must see her too. It doesn't bring her any kind of comfort. ]

Jessie... Jessie, is that really you?

[ Pushing past the weight of guilt, Tifa heads towards her, even if she can't hide the stricken expression on her face. ]

[kisskissboomboom]

Oh, I'm so glad you're here!

[ Jessie exclaims in delight, pushing through the people and closing the last bit of distance between them so she can enthusiastically throw her arms about Tifa's shoulders in a hug.

It's only when she pulls back that Tifa's expression registers and that has her pausing in alarm, gripping her friend's shoulders with a worried look. ]

What is it? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost or something...

[ Ha. Ha ha. ]

super late.../ goblin market

[ruinedempire]

They make rather poor businessmen, don't they?

[A voice that Tifa probably doesn't want to hear speaks from behind her, although Rufus makes sure he stands a good few feet from her person, in case she just decides to quickly turn around and punch him. He knows how the members of Avalanche can be, a bit of a 'punch first, think later' type of group. Still, he doesn't really harbor that many ill feelings towards them, after all, they did manage to defeat Sephiroth and save the world.

Wouldn't have a planet to take over rebuild without them.

Still, Rufus may look slightly older than when Tifa has last seen him. And without any Turk nearby, he definitely has placed himself in a more vulnerable position, but he doesn't seem worried in the least. That ever present calm on his features as he continues to address her.]

But when you a supply no one else has, I suppose that gives them a certain level of power. [His smile turns a little sharp here, like he knows the irony of his own comment.]

it's okay, I've been trying to hit out to other posts and have failed spectacularly this week

[meteodrives]

[ It is most certainly not a voice she's expecting or desiring to hear while he's shopping, but it gets her attention well enough. The goblin seller is forgotten so she can turn, her eyes falling on Rufus where he stands just a little ways away from her, and inconveniently out of range for the end of her foot. Tragic.

She knows better than to start a fight here and now, especially if he's confident enough to address her without a Turk in view.

Her arms fold over her chest, her expression sidelong, brow furrowed. ]

I'm sure they aren't the first to try to offer remedies for these conditions. I think the better question is, are they essential and necessary? [ A thoughtful pause. ] I guess that depends on the person and how desperate they are for help.

[ How long did they rely on the reactors because they were the only things powering up their towns? Without power, the slums would have been so, so much worse off.

She sees you, Rufus. At least the irony isn't lost on either of them. ]

I'm guessing none of it interests you.

[ruinedempire]

Ah, you've answered your own question.

[He definitely doesn't want to be in a position where he has to depend on the wares of shifty goblins to maintain a balance in this world. It's a large disadvantage and Rufus really doesn't need that in a foreign world. Be wholly disgusting if he's clamoring at the black market for something that he didn't truly need in the end.

As such, he decides to directly answer her observation.]

No, I have no interest in the supposed cures and temporary solutions that they offer... and that's giving them the generous assumption that their remedies work as intended.

[If he has a say in anything, none of the Turks are going to subject themselves to it. And since he is their boss, they definitely won't.]

Forming bonds shouldn't be difficult for you, I imagine. [For various reasons that Rufus doesn't feel the need to say.]