EVENT: Heartless Swarm

[fatedhearts]

Things have been fairly peaceful for a while now as everyone has settled into their current lives on this new world. But one day towards late summer, that all comes to an end.

One of the portals in the sky suddenly opens again, an odd glowing light surrounding it as it ejects creature after creature. Then it closes, followed by another glowing portal elsewhere in the sky emitting the same creatures. Small and black, mostly, with odd antennae and glowing eyes. Some here will know them. The Heartless, creatures of the darkness who seek hearts. Those they attack, if they give in to the darkness in their hearts, will become Heartless themselves.

Where is a Keybearer when we need one?!

OOC INFO

Heartless can be encountered anywhere! They're pouring into Edge, the Midgar ruins, Kalm, Wutai, and everywhere else. Balamb Garden won't be spared, but if they're able to seal everything off in time and take flight, they may be safe from the majority of the creatures and be a safehouse for anyone desperate to escape them.

Anyone familiar with Heartless is encouraged to try to defeat them (or control them, if they're lucky enough to possess that ability). But they may find something else will push back if they try. Did someone deliberately send the Heartless through the portals? Who, and why? Does someone on the other side of those portals know what's happening here? And why are the portals glowing when they open? Is there any important significance in that?

(And yes, this is a very significant event that will have a deep bearing on the overall plot!)

Before anyone asks, having your character become a Heartless is probably not a good idea, given that it would be very difficult to get them back to their normal selves at this point in the game. But we welcome intense situations of Heartless trying their hardest to claim hearts before they're stopped!

The event is scheduled to run through August 10th, but backdating and backtagging is encouraged for as long as everyone wants! Post toplevels to this post or create new posts!

Comments

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"Since fairly soon after we met," Daja said. "Someone"

"Some absolute idiot," Tris growled.

"Someone was trying to harness the power of earthquakes."

"I was thirteen and even I knew better," Tris said bitterly.

"Really?" Daja asked. "So I don't actually remember having to help spoon feed you after you tried to pause the tides for the first time."

Tris crossed her arms and sunk down in her seat. "I was thirteen," she mumbled. "And Niko's lecture was almost as bad as what the ocean did to me already anyway."

Sandry picked up the story. "Someone was attempting to harness the power of earthquakes. When he failed, the earthquakes he had been gathering ripped through in all directions. We got caught..." she swallowed hard.

Briar took over. "We got trapped down in a cave trying to find our dog when the big quake hit. We were trapped in." He glanced at Sandry then just said to Sephiroth "It was pretty bad. Sandry saved our lives that day."

Sandry wrapped her hand around something under her shirt, the same thing she had held fighting the heartless. "we saved each other."

"We only could because of you," Daja told her, then turned to him. "Sandry wove our powers together. Tris was able to hold the stones long enough for me to find the metal in the ground around us. I tried to use it to form a box to keep us safe while Tris tried to make small gaps that would let air in and encourage the breezes to us. Briar called on the plants to use their roots to help me anchor the saraku. We only managed it because Sandry kept spinning the thread she put our powers into."

Sandry flushed slightly. "My parents thought spinning was below my station so I didn't learn until Discipline, and Lark. My first attempt was all lumpy. Ig had four lumps as it turned out, so it made for a good focus. But by the time our teachers found and saved us... somehow the sting had sealed itself into a loop. And it kept some part of each of us in there ever since."

Briar nodded. "But just like when trees grow so close the entwine, we got all tangled up too."

"Boy did we ever," Daja said, fingering the metal on her palm absently. "For a while our powers got very scrambled. My metal started growing like plants."

"I accidently destroyed that beautiful embroidery," Sandry said, regretfully.

Briar shook his head. "It don't matter, we got it fixed is what matters. But we were still all stuck together up above our nebs."

"I don't think we were talking after a certain point when we were trapped in the earthquake," Daja said. "But I'm not sure. All I know is ever since keeping a secret from these three has been near about impossible."

"We're closer than any family now," Sandry said, firmly. "Even when they're being stubborn."

"Hey, I explained it already!" Briar protested. "I was trying to protect you girls."

"And now you know we don't need it, rat boy," Daja said, shaking her head at him.

"Anyway," Sandry said before it can be an argument. "Only distance or actively working to keep each other out stops us from being able to speak mental or see through each other's eyes."

"And until we all get better about keeping our nebs to ourselves," Briar said, "We've all agreed there are certain things we aint gonna do."

"Like share our beds with strange women?" Tris asked, archly.

"Who said they're strange?" Briar demanded.

"If they're flirting with either of you, I think that's proof enough," she said primly.

Briar reached over and tweaked her ear gently. "Don't worry, Copper curls one day some strange woman will hit on you."

Tris glared at him. "She had better not! I don't need any of that mess thank you very much. When we get home I'm going back to schooling and that's all there is for it. I;ll be way too busy to get foolish over anyone like that."

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

"That is quite a story," he acknowledged. "It sounds difficult to get used to at first." He wondered which was odder, the mental communication or the powers going berserk. "I would not be pleased if my powers were working so strangely.

"How far apart can you be before the connection breaks?"

He liked the idea of the mental bond on some level, but it seemed like it would be more useful over distances.

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"We have... a pretty wide range," Sandry said. "I was able to discover when they made it home to Winding Circle when I was in uncle's castle."

"We were a few days out on the ocean when I lost track of you all," Briar said.

"We never actually measured," Daja admitted.

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

"Impressive," he mused.

The mention of a castle didn't surprise him too much, since Sandry did act like she had been raised in high society. And castles were quite common in his world and others he'd seen.

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"So far here, we haven't hit any limits," Sandry put in, considering. "After the crisis we could experiment."

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

"That would be wise," he said. "Such information would be important."

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"Perhaps. But it is hardly like any of us ever plan to be pout of range of each other again," Sandry said primly.

Each of the other three gave each other a look that said more than words could. Sandry, focused on him seemed not to notice, which could imply they could limit at least some things for a semblance of privacy. Or she just is very good at stubborn or acting.

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

"And I hope you will not have to be," he said. He never wanted to be far away from Zack again. "But some things happen that are not planned for, so it is good to be prepared."

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"Things that try to happen to use should be prepared for us to happen right back to them," Sandry said with a sniff.

"Nobels," Briar said, shaking his head.

"This has nothing to do with political power and everything to do with us. We learned that perfectly well against the empress after all, and she out ranked all of us put together."

Tris snorted. "Yes, we did such a wonderful job," she said flatly. "You were kidnapped how many times...? And oh yes, let's not forget the curse that caused me to tumble down the stairs and break so many bones."

"I'm with copper curls, also not really in a rush to be in another war," Briar said flatly. "You've seen some of what it was like, it was worse than the pirates worse than Amery, worse than anything. Worse even than Namorn. Let's do what we have top to protect this place while we're here, but that's it."

Daja nodded. "Defense is better than reacting to offense, no matter how proud we may be."

Sandry scowled at them all, but held her tongue.

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

Well, that certainly sounded like a terrible adventure.

"I sincerely hope your time here will not be filled with such disasters," he said. He also hoped the Heartless were the only things they'd be at war with, but he was worried. Someone had likely sent them out, and somehow his normal powers over them were being blocked. Why?

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"Hope is one thing, being prepared is more important," Daja said.

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

“I agree,” Sephiroth said. Both things could fail, but he would trust preparedness over hope.

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"All the more reason to work on our supplies as soon as we can," Briar said.

Daja nodded. "As soon as these heartless things are dealt with I intend to start up staff training again in adition to working in the forge. I've gotten some experience teaching staff form thanks to Skyfire, Frostpine, and having a student who meditated through motion. If anyone wants to try..."

Briar nodded. "I'd need a staff but couldn't hurt to learn."

Tris made a face. "I've no interest in giving anyone reason to hit me with sticks, even if you call it training. I'll keep to the roof, thanks."

Sandry considered. "I'm not sure I'm one who could learn, but I am willing to try, but then I do have to go back to figuring out where to get rolags and setting up my wheel and loom."

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

"It's good you have plans," he said. "Staff training could prove very useful."

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

Daja nodded. "There are reasons it is tradition that all Traders carried decorated staves. Even us Blue Traders like the Kisubos."

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

"Why decorated, especially?" he wondered.

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"A decorated staff tells all who see it the story of our lives," she said, glancing back at where her staff rested against the wall, its brass cap dripping into graceful designs that wound around the wood from the top and up from the bottom, but not where her hands were likely to be in most forms.

"That's not the only reason," Tris said, shredding some bred in disgust. "Defend them all you want, but I don't think you should given how they treated you," she said bitterly.

Daja took a deep breath. "That is over now, you were all right then. But I have made my peace now."

"What Daj' isn't saying," Briar drawled sounding lazy but his eyes were angry, "is that for a while around when we all first met her staff had just a plain brass cap on either side."

"Briar," Sandry said gently, firmly. Her eyes were flashing with anger too, though. She rested a hand gently on his arm.

Briar shook his head. "She survived," he told their guest. "She survived, just barely, the disaster that killed her whole family. And these Traders," he nearly spat the word, "who are all so much about their community, their families,"

"Briar," Daja said sharply.

"They treated you like dirt," Tris snapped. "And you keep defending them!" she stood up abruptly. "You think because they put a fancy word on it, because they called you trangshi instead of something more widely understood in other languages that it was okay? Well I don't! And I don't have to hear you defend them against us! Not again!" she stalked from the room and back up the stairs stomping loudly as she went.

"She's not wrong," Sandry admitted softly, voice apologetic, eyes gentle and concerned.

Daja blew out through her nose heavily. "I don't want to discuss it anymore. Out loud or mentally."

"Trangshi are marked by plain caps, so the other Traders know to spit on them," Briar said.

"Briar!" Daja said. "they did not spit on me and you know it!"

"Might as well have done," he growled. "Oh, no wait, that means they would have gotten near you and then they'd have to cleanse themselves."

"It doesn't matter any more!" Daja said, shaking and clearly hurt as well as angry. "Trader Komi mark it, my debts are cleared, I'm not Trangshi anymore!"

"Yeah? And how many others will save a full caravan from a forest fire?" Briar snapped back, getting up. "You're out, but what about the others who get made Trangshi after you? But you got out so you're okay and that's all that matters? Tris has the right idea!" he stalked out the back door.

Sandry reached over to rest a comforting hand on Daja's arm, and clearly was speaking to her silently.

After a moment, Daja, clearly fighting tears stood up. "Whatever, I'm done talking about this. I'll be back in to do the washing, it is my night. I'll be in the forge till then." She left through the front door.

Sandry sighed then gave him a small apologetic nod. "I'm sorry. Even before, this was a point of contention." She got up and starteed clearing the table.

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth was inwardly cringing as things escalated. He leaned more towards siding with the others, but he understood how complicated such situations could be.

"I apologize for causing such a problem," he said, and stood to help with the dishes.

Re: *Briar

[4_lumps_of_thread]

"Not at all your fault," Sandry assured him. "It is an old argument, but still hurts despite that," she said quietly. "They'll all cool down in time. We're all still keyed up some from the fight and worried about what it means going forward which does not help. We... spent some time apart for a while, not long ago. We're still learning who we are now that we are together again."

Re: *Briar

[3wingedangel]

"Yes. I could see the hurt on all sides," he said.

"It can be difficult, reuniting after a long time apart."