Hero

Final Fantasy XIV: Everdusk

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_{Location - Central Thanalan}

The steps leading into the city were finally in sight, a blessing for a weary party consisting of an Elezen thaumaturge named Ladert, a lalafel healer called Momoko, a Roegadyn lancer named Harttrach, and the fully armored Annora Steele. After spending the day chasing cactuars and failing to find any that sported the valuable flower they searched for, the troops had decided to avoid heatstroke and head back to the city. Of course, nothing in this life was ever straightforward. It was too much to expect to head into Ul'ah, it was too easy to just walk in, grab a drink at the Quicksand to cool off, and possibly enjoy the festivities.

Instead, the group was faced with a hunt.

Locked in battle, Annora was fighting both the Sabotender Ballarina and heatstroke. Any semblance of wind was welcomed for Annora, who felt like her armor was trying to strangle her in the heat. Normally the heat wouldn't be any issue for her, but she had stupidly decided to test out a new set of armor that was heavier than the sort she was used to. That combined with using the day to chase after elusive cactuars made her feel like she was going to pass out at any second. It was on its last legs, but so were they. She swung her axe into the abnormally large cactuar's leg, hoping to cripple its movement, but it did very little. Instead she got a punch in retaliation sending her flying back.

Coming to the ground, she let out a groan. All she wanted was a cold drink at this point. Pushing herself to her feet, she tried to at least get her helmet off. Just as she was about to get it, however, the Sabotender stood still for a moment, lowering its head towards them. Oh no.

"Watch it!" Gerald warned the melee duo.

Both Annora and Harttrach made a run for it just as the Ballarina spewed out thousands of needles. She felt a few dink against her armor as she turned around, watching it aim its needles at her. If she got a good swing in, she was pretty sure she could finish it. Gripping her axe with both hands, she charged forward. Harttrach seemed to read her mind, using his lance to hold it steady. As skidded to a halt, the Sabotender shook its entire body, sending needles flying everywhere. One made a direct hit with her helmet, freeing Annora from the oppressive heat. The fresh air invigorated her more than a healing spell could, a fire in her eyes as she swung with the intent to kill.

The creature fell, Annora throwing her head back in relief. The thrill of battle had come and gone.

_{Location - Ul'dah, Quicksand}

"Cheers!"

The four were celebrating their victory in the Quicksand, having bought a round of drinks. After a bit of a fuss, Annora had shed her armor, remaining in her casual clothing for the moment. They weren't the only ones drinking, the place buzzing with people as they drank and ate and shared tales and whatnot. She was surprised they managed to get a table in the first place. Still, she was glad for the respite, the fruit of their labor resulting in a pretty gil in their pockets. At this point, however, gil was less of a problem for the hyur; she was in hunting purely for the experience of battle.

After a few rounds, Annora decided it was time to go walk off the food. Stretching her arms above her head, she pushed her chair back to stand. "Well then, I'll be taking my leave. You have my sincere thanks for letting me join you for the hunt," She told the group.

"We greatly appreciate it! You were kind enough to repair our gear, the least we could have done was return the favor!" Momoko replied, grinning.

"Already? Won't you stick around?" Harttrach asked.

Ladert seemed to agree, though his flushed face showed he already had one too many. "Miss Steele, you are as elusive as they say," His words slurred slightly. "Coming and going just like the wind."

"I wasn't aware I had a reputation," She admitted. It was a half-truth; her smithing skills were known, but not her battle prowess.

"You stick around Ul'dah long enough and people start noticing," Harttrach frowned slightly. "Though I suppose some people have been on the lookout for the Vulcan of Limsa Lominsa."

Lookout? Annora didn't like how that sounded. Her eyes scanned the table and people before her, all quietly looking at her. Considering the amount of people around along with numerous Brass Blades bodyguarding the place, she sincerely doubted they would attempt anything here. Then again, it was easy to disappear into the crowd. "Have they now?" She asked as she would slowly stand. "I suppose I'll watch where I tread, then."

Ladert took a hold of her arm, preventing her from leaving. "Come now, you're among friends! No need to cast such a suspicious eye!" He assured her.

Hmm. She didn't like that. Had they been watching her? She had been in Ul'dah for a few days now, but she didn't think she had drawn any attention to herself. She could also be mistaken, taking their drunken words as a threat despite no ill will being behind them. Either way, she did not appreciate being grabbed. Pulling herself free, she backed into another patron. Said patron was a seemingly irritated Highlander, none too pleased that Annora bumping into him had caused him to drop his food. Before she could properly apologize, she was surprised when he swung. She ducked, resulting in the man hitting Ladert instead.

Seeing the rage in Ladert's eyes, she knew exactly where this was going. "Don't--!"" She tried to stop him, but it was too late. The Elezen stood up from his seat, retaliating in a somewhat drunken rage. The Highlander sidestepped him, drawing his fist back. Her judgment said not to get involved, though the only thing she accomplished when she stepped in front of Ladert was getting a strong punch to the face. Oof, it had been some time since that happened. Shaking her head, she noticed several others standing to back up the Highlander. Great. Taking her hand off her jaw, she took a stance, knowing she wasn't getting out of this cleanly.

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Current Mood in One Gif

>Hearing Nobuo Uematsu is having health issues and taking an indefinite leave

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

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The one lesson her mother gave her before she passed away was to always go with your gut. If there is something that doesn't feel right about a location, leave. If someone is giving you a bad vibe, don't trust them. If you feel like an event is about to crash and burn, do whatever it takes to be prepared for it. Because of this, Victoire always made it a point to prepare for the worst. There was very little that surprised her; people were predictable, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, so she always made it a point to have a good head on her shoulders to be ready for anything.

That mindset held strong as she parked her black Mercedes-Benz into the school's nearly empty parking lot. She had a gut feeling something was going to go wrong today and just as she had sent out the text to her council, she received an email stating that Mrs. Hudson needed to speak with her urgently. Considering that she hardly heard a peep from the woman--Victoire preferred handling things independently and Mrs. Hudson would rather not be distracted from her already massive pile of work--this was probably the 'going wrong' thing she knew was coming.

Knocking on the door twice, Victoire entered the faculty room rather casually with her bag in hand. A few of the teachers greeted her, none batting an eye as she went straight to Mrs. Hudson. "Good morning," She said out of politeness more than anything. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I'm glad you've come," Mrs. Hudson replied, motioning for her to sit down. Once the girl was seated, Mrs. Hudson pulled out a paper and handed it to her. "Unfortunately, the budget you submitted wasn't approved. The board is willing to compromise on a majority of the spending, but considering the high-profile nature of Project: Graduation as well as the other numerous student events, there just isn't enough to go around."

Of course.

Victoire's eyes scanned the document as Mrs. Hudson spoke, her eyebrows knit together. She had played this game far too long to not get her way and was used to her initial proposal getting denied, but go figure, she was actually surprised by what she saw. "This is less than half of what I asked for," She said. "Last year's budget was around the same of what I asked, I don't understand why I'm getting denied. What, do you need more donations?"

"King's Academy has always prided itself in its alumni and quality of students graduating. For this year's class, people have been...concerned," She explained. "The liability of your classmates causing a commotion for the school is greater than it has been in the last ten years."

The brunette had to bite her tongue hard to prevent herself from saying her initial thought. In front of authority, she was always respectful and tried her best to reduce her cursing to a minimum. "Punishing the majority because of a few select individuals is...unorthodox, don't you think?" She asked, subtly calling her out on her reasoning. Cutting the budget was exactly that: a punishment. "A majority of the deposits have already been made, most of the plans until the Winter Formal are already in place with anything beyond being worked on, this...I'm sorry, but this is--" She had to stop herself from outright saying bullshit. "--unfair."

"There isn't much I can do, Miss Bailey."

Like hell there was. "Give me a week, I'll restructure some things with the clubs, I'll...try to move things around, but this sorry excuse for a number is nowhere near enough to what I need," She couldn't help but be annoyed. "I want another chance."

"Miss Bailey, you need to understand things from our point of view--"

"And again, you're punishing the majority. Don't deny it. I'm not asking for you to jump through any hoops, I'll take care of it."

Mrs. Hudson fell silent as the two stared at one another. Victoire was the more pushy out of the pair, though even if that wasn't the case, Mrs. Hudson was a known pushover. And of course, eventually she would concede. "Alright, I'll bring it up at the next meeting, then."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go salvage Homecoming," There was no hiding the bitterness in her voice as Victoire took her leave, shaking her head. She couldn't believe this shit. Less than half. All because of the damn druggies and misfits in their year! The day had literally just started and she already had a headache, more so knowing the fallout that was going to happen because there was no way this was going to say quiet and between them.

Pushing open the door to the classroom her council was in, Victoire let out a huff as all eyes were on her. Realizing she needed to start from the top, she fished out her previous plans, tossing them into the air around her. "Budget's slashed, Homecoming is fucked, and I am not in the mood for anyone's shit. Everyone on the council is excused from classes until we figure this out." She stated, placing her hands on her hips. "Happy Monday, by the way."

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The news of the budget cuts spread around the school like wildfire. There was no escaping it, anyone that had gone to at least one class had heard of it. Considering the amount of money pumped into the school, it came across as a major shock all things considered. One of the most prestigous schools in the country having money issues of all things? But as always, the suspicion that there was more to it added fuel to the flames.

When the bell for lunch rang, Victoire emerged from the student council room with a scowl etched onto her face. Unfortunately, the meeting was early enough that she had missed breakfast, and seeing as how nourishment was essential for survival, she figured she could grab something and eat while she worked on a plan. With notebooks and papers in hand, the brunette entered the cafeteria line, grabbing one of the many sandwiches laid out. Once she paid, she chose one of the empty tables and sat herself on the corner, laying out her notes so she could read as she ate. She really needed to figure this shit out.

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Dawne | A Japanese School Life RP

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Ichika hummed rather happily to herself, her waves flourishing with a gorgeous sheen long perfected. Her own uniform was neat and crisp, though she did miss her old school's uniform. Still, new experiences were always exciting, so she really couldn't help her current peppiness. She liked meeting new people, but she couldn't deny she was feeling some first day jitters. She eyed Shiori carefully, noticing how the girl only stared ahead even as they passed a few others with the uniform. Despite not knowing anyone, Ichika ended up waving at some of them. It's always ideal to leave a good first impression, some of them may as well end up as classmates.

Once they reached the gate, Ichika was surprised at how many students had already gathered around. Some were just standing around, waiting, others were chatting with friends. After about a minute, she looked at Shiori again, who seemed okay with just waiting. It struck her as just a little odd. This was usually the time to catch up with friends you hadn't seen in a while. Ichika didn't know anyone, but she expected Shiori to greet someone.

"Aren't you going to greet some of your friends?" Ichika asked.

Shiori gave her a somewhat confused look, though it returned back to its usual neutrality. "I don't have any," She replied.

Her jaw dropped. As she looked around, however, she did notice just a few people casting a somewhat nervous glance at Shiori. "For someone with no friends, you're getting attention, anyway," Ichika said, frowning.

"It happens."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because...?"

Shiori finally looked right at Ichika, somewhat annoyed. "Because people are annoying. Go ask them yourself if it's such a big deal," She said.

Ichika hesitated, though she supposed Shiori had a point. So she just stood with her, looking around at the unfamiliar faces. As her eyes scanned the slowly growing crowd around them, one face actually looked familiar. She squinted at the youthful-looking boy, trying to see why his face was one she recognized. He was talking to a blue haired girl, though it hit her. That guy was Shiori's coworker! Except she had completely forgotten his name.

Tugging on Shiori's sleeve, Ichika pointed him out to her. "Isn't that...that guy? From the store?" She asked her.

Shiori followed Ichika's arm and spotted Juno speaking to Miyuki. "That's Tatsujin talking to Ishihara. Yeah, we work together," Shiori gave her that much.

Ichika pouted, taking Shiori by the arm. "Let's go say hi!" She insisted, dragging Shiori with her.

"What--Will you cut that out?!" She retorted, though she was surprised by Ichika's somewhat monstrous strength as she was forcibly pulled along.

"Tatsujin-kun! Ishihara-san!" Ichika called out as the pair approached the two, happily grinning despite Shiori's rather grumpy expression. She released her just as they reached the two, Ichika giving Miyuki a bow. "Good morning! I'm Shimizu Ichika!" She introduced herself cheerfully, nudging Shiori.

The redhead sighed, rolling her eyes as she chose to look at a nearby tree instead. "Morning," She uttered a greeting.

Ａ Ｎｅｗ Ｅｒａ / / Tυɴdrα&Hero

Chapter II - Another Start

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The sunset was what marked the end of the day. Just as the sun dipped into the sea, she heard him say her name. At that time, however, her decision had been made. His hand met hers, but she pulled it away. Giving him a sincere apology, she turned and walked the other way. She heard her name again and again, but she wouldn’t heed it. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t hurt, but she wasn’t going to run. She would face the enemy alone if need be.

The last thing she wanted was a repeated tragedy.

“Welcome to Besaid!”

The greeting was aimed at the majority of those who had stepped off the boat. Some of the passengers were from other places looking for a peaceful place, some came to soothe their souls, and others were simply returning home. There were a few colorful characters: one was an eccentric salesman, another a disgruntled bard that had been thrown off the boat halfway to the island, and the last was a serious-looking swordswoman.

Said woman let the breeze hit her as she stood still, her blue ponytail whipping in the wind. It had been some time since she had been on the shore, although as beautiful as it was, she had a purpose for her visit. The sound of a lyre being played could be heard, and she took it as her queue to leave.

Her heels went from sand to dirt relatively quickly, quietly walking ahead of a small group accompanied by a few warriors. She had been warned to stay close, but she paid them no mind. There wasn’t a fiend alive that could give her an adequate challenge, let alone harm her, so she walked with no fear. The island’s wildlife was untouched, flourishing gorgeously.

The village had grown in size since the last time she was here. It was fairly active this morning, though she supposed it was also due to the people entering that had traveled. A few of the villagers watched her, some curious, others looking at the sword she carried. It was a way of saying she was not to be challenged, but honestly, it only added to her rather intimidating image.

But of course, she ignored them all. She was only here for one person.

“Of course they’re staring. You don’t exactly look very welcoming,” She teased, lightly jabbing her elbow.

“I welcome nothing. Should they choose to cross my path, so be it,” Was her response.

She frowned. “That...that is not what I meant,” She then perked up considerably. “It’s just...you know, give them a smile! You mean no harm, so a small gesture can be assuring. It’s a way to make you seem less cold. Less...threatening.”

Saying she was not amused was putting it lightly. “My lady, if it truly bothers you that I am...threatening, then I will do my best to work on it.”

“Oh, no, that’s not--oh...forget it.”

Walking towards the temple, she felt eyes on her as she walked. Were she elsewhere, she would have been concerned. There was little hostility, and those that did hold hostility were far beneath her level to try to challenge her. Of course, there was that one rumor she had heard some time back about a lancer, but as far as she knew, they were not present.

Approaching the temple, she could hear the hymn rather faintly. That song always had a way to soothe the soul, though she briefly recalled the panic when it came back to the temples for the first time.

“It heals the soul,” She insisted. “Let it envelop your heart. You hear it, don’t you? It says...it says that as long as you believe, you will not be lead astray.”

“A slippery slope,” She couldn’t help but comment.

“It’s true! When I hear it, it’s like...like the beach! How the waves just wash over you...But like, for the soul. Get it?”

“No.”

“Oh well, it’s not important. What’s important is that this is the first step. When we complete our objective, Spira will worry no longer.”

The temple was well kept as always. Once again all eyes were on her, but this time, a priest approached her. “Welcome,” He spoke kindly.

She raised her chin slightly, amber eyes somewhat sharp. “I am here to see the summoner--Wesley of Besaid,” She announced.

“Honestly...you need to work on your manners, Shion!”

Current Mood in One Gif

RPG 'Yearbook' Discussion.

It sounds like it could be a neat little project, should try to make it an official thing.

Final Fantasy - Crystal Chronicles RP

@Hero I'd greatly appreciate the help. I won't have too much trouble world-building, though I may lack some witty FF references. What I'll need most of the help with would be items and ideas for growth in the adventure.

And whew got a decent amount of interest already. It'll take me a few days to cook up a proper OOC first post. But I'm confident it'll go well.

@Savato

Sounds like a plan!

Final Fantasy - Crystal Chronicles RP

Please yes. FFCC is my second favorite, I'd totally love to help out with lore and stuff and whatnot!

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

It was only in this moment that she realized that Kai wasn't going to give up until she smiled. Smiling wasn't really something she did often, less so under these sorts of circumstances. Yuffie always said Cielle's face was permanently stuck frowning. She couldn't help it, she wasn't the type of person that was all sunshine and rainbows. Her face was starting to hurt, though Anna granted her some mercy as she told Kai she had enough.

As he looked at her, she couldn't help but scowl again, though as she felt his fingers pulling at the corners of her mouth again, she couldn't help but whine. "We need to get going!" She tried to remind him.

That statement of hers seemed to make Anna realize something. "Going? Oh...Oh noooo..." She placed her hands on the sides of her head, slightly panicking. "What do I do now? I can't go back without Elsa! She needs to unfreeze everything!"

Recomposing herself, Cielle tried to assuage the princess. "It isn't ideal, but...perhaps withdrawing for some time would help the Queen. Going back now would only alienate her further."

"You can't be too comfortable with that ice on your shoulder," Kristoff pointed out.

"An inconvenience, but solved with fire," She said, though she didn't know any fire magic. She did, however, get an idea. Trudging over and bringing out her keyblade, she pointed it at a fallen log. "Thunder!" The log was zapped, a spark engulfing the part where lightning struck and forming a small fire.

Huddling over it, Cielle felt the warmth comforting. After a moment, however, she did not find the ice on her body melting, even if the snow around the log had all but melted. "...interesting..." She murmured.