𝄡 First Threnody - yes he already wants to complain about something [video]

[finalbows]

_{[ The man halfway onscreen is quite likely completely unfamiliar to you. He's been in Aellyn all of a few hours, taking a measure of -- mostly, just the temples. He opens his mouth, frowns, and the camera briefly blacks out as he adjusts the positioning of his communicator. When it comes back, it's now a much clearer shot: sitting outdoors at a wrought iron table, this is a young man with long silver hair, with a few light touches of makeup on his face and a strange crest of feathers atop his head. It's clearly not an accessory. It's just part of him. Overall he looks pensive, though that crease in his brow shows he's not very relaxed. When he speaks, he has a high, lilting voice -- perhaps a countertenor. ]}

Addressing my fellow 'offworlders'-- in your time here, have you found there to be any rhyme or reason shown between a person, and the god that calls claim to them? I must admit to being.. mystified.

_{[ Mouse temple full of mice. Mouse temple full of mice. Who in the wide wide universe could ever look at him and think, yes, this man belongs with the nicey nice mice, temple! ]}

Comments

[this_loser]

[Yep. This man is unfamiliar, which means he must be new. Popping onto the screen, Prompto grins and wiggles his fingers.]

Gods are mysterious~~

[He drops his hand with a shrug.] Or maybe you were randomly selected. Which god did you get?

[finalbows]

Ainea.

_{[ Which, initially, didn't seem so strange, from the nature of his 'mission' here.. but then he found out about any of the others. It's not that all the gods of Aellyn are some flavor of peace and love and being excellent to each other - he just got a lemon. ]}

Mysterious though they may be, if they didn't have patterns, no one would know what to worship them for. I only wonder if there's any particular angle to it, that's all.

[this_loser]

Hey, me too!

[And he looks happy about that. Ainea's got the cute little mice! And she's all about kindness and empathy and compassion.]

Can't say I've ever worshipped her, though. I tried praying once, a while back, but... [He trails off with a shrug. Nothing had come of it, so it wasn't worth dwelling on.]

Is there another god you think would fit better?

[finalbows]

Rawna. _{[ The answer is instantaneous. ]} It's not that I plan to give worship to anyone, precisely... <sub>but it just seems wrong to get ignored by the dragon god. Could he and Bahamut have communicated somehow...? I know there are sometimes commonalities between planets' Eidolons, but I've seen absolutely no precedent for...

[ He is safely (wrongly) assuming no one else in his brand new world would have any context about what the hell a Bahamut is. ]</sub>

[this_loser]

[That was fast. He's obviously already thought about this. Prompto moves his communicator closer when the other's voice goes quiet.]

Bahamet, huh? We have one of those back home. [He hasn't seen that particular god...yet, but he is aware.] If it makes you feel better, I don't think the gods here are speaking to any other gods.

kuja revving the motor in his brain while his wheels are in the metaphorical ditch

[finalbows]

You know what.. it does.

_{[ So he can rest in the knowledge that none of this is actually some kind of pointed message from the universe about embracing love and friendship before it's too late for him? Awesome. ]}

Now that I've got your attention. I've visited more than one world before coming here, but this one is already so... different.

<sub>[ Actually, it reminds him of the Terra of old. A populace beyond life and death, whose world itself began to die in their stead -- was this just the inevitable result of such an achievement? Ostensibly the reason it was happening was different, but--

Oh. He nearly forgot to ask his question. ]</sub>

What was your own like? Even if your world has a Bahamut.. There's precedent in the literature for that. _{[ .. precedent for what, Kuja?]} You can't be from Gaia, surely. Unless those clothes are a new acquisition since your arrival.

[this_loser]

[Good! Making people feel better is one of his favorite things.

His head tilts curiously. He had also visited other worlds before this one - like some others here - but he's not sure if Kuja is coming from the same angle. Some simply had access to other worlds within their own universe.

He is also aware that Bahamut (and Shiva and Titan and etc.) existed in some form in other worlds. Universes?]

Uh, no. Not Gaia. My world is called Eos. But the clothes are new! [Even if he does stick to a similar style as back home.]

[finalbows]

Eos, Eos...

_{[ He perches his chin on his palm thoughtfully, tapping at his cheek with the pads of his fingers (this guy's nails are like, claws! well, not actually claws. just very sharp painted nails). ]}

...No, never heard of it.

_{[ Hearing the outfit's a Havenwell original, he gives Prompto a more scrutinizing eye. ]}

Hm. Not terrible. Not quite my thing. Might have to get another tailor on retainer...

_{[ You're not rich anymore, dumbass. ]}

[this_loser]

[He shrugs. He's not surprised that Kuja doesn't know about his world. Everyone here comes from somewhere, and few from the same somewhere.]

There are some locals here who can make custom clothes, if that's what you're after.

[finalbows]

Perfect~! _{Though who knows if it'll be comfortable, considering their condition...}

[this_loser]

Whose condition? The clothes or the robots?

[finalbows]

The robots, naturally. Sure, I've heard the story, they once had bodies of flesh - but it's been a long time since then, hasn't it?

[this_loser]

Yeah. But if you give them feedback, I'm sure they'll do what they can. I mean, sure, sometimes things go wonky, but they do try.

[tempusfinis]

[ A young man with a serious expression appears on the screen, replying: ]

Not that I'm aware of. I have Rawna, apparently.

[finalbows]

Now there's a god! I've seen the temple. It's got quite a striking atmosphere.

[tempusfinis]

Yeah. Apparently, the god had dragon-like features. [ At least, that's what the statue looks like. Machina shrugs casually. ]

Which one did you get?

[finalbows]

The mouse.

_{[ ...isn't it a little blasphemous to say that with such vehemence, Kuja? ]}

It HAS to be totally arbitrary.

[tempusfinis]

I wouldn't put too much stock into it. [ Machina's head tilts, and he brings his arms up, crossing them over his chest. ] The gods need power, and we're here to give them that, apparently... Not that you have to, but I'm guessing it's probably worth it in order to get back to our homeworlds sooner.

[finalbows]

_{[ Kuja perks up immediately. ]}

So they plan to put us back.

<sub>[ He's loathe to rely on the whims of some outside force for something so important, but -- if that's how it is, that's how it is.

He can only hope his chance at obtaining a powerful soul hasn't been snatched away from him by the mouse goddess' dreadful timing. He was so, so close... ]</sub>

Alright! I'll dedicate myself to the cause. ..Considering all of us 'offworlders' are in need of the same thing... Is there any particular agreed-upon etiquette I should know..? 'Don't bother me if I'm wearing a white corsage,' something like that.

[tempusfinis]

[ Machina's head lifts, but he quickly shakes it-- in the end, it's conjecture on his part that obliging the gods or the locals at all they'll be able to get home somehow. But it's his hope that he's clinging to, and so he quickly clarifies: ] Uh-- don't get me wrong, I'm not certain that's how it'll go, just that it's my best guess. I've only been here a few months, but I've been told that they've seen a lot of good changes to this world since offworlders have arrived, because they've arrived.

As for the whole contact thing... [ He shrugs. ] Just ask. I'm free to hold hands for the cause, if you're wondering. [ Which in of itself is...! So silly. Imagine saving the world by holding hands. If only it were that easy for his own. ]

[finalbows]

Oh. _{[ He visibly wilts. Like, the feathers even go down a bit. ]} Well, I don't think it's too wild an assumption.. but I haven't been here long enough to judge.

_{[ He fiddles with a bit of his hair as he thinks over Machina's explanation of the standards here. Holding hands! How twee. The only times he's held someone's hand is when he's guiding along a lady, in a dance or, elsewheres - or when bowing down to kiss the back of some noble's hand to massage their ego. ]}

I'd appreciate that. No time like the present?

[tempusfinis]

[ Machina's gaze lifts to the feathers. ....So those aren't just for show?? ]

Fine by me. I'm at [ Insert location here. ]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ After a minor debacle where he tries to get access to a map, and then learns his communicator has had one this whole time, Kuja's on his way!

...

There really aren't many other offworlders here, or at least any that are out today. It feels a little lonely, moving through streets filled with nothing but those dolls-- those people who had long left behind the foibles of flesh. Reminds him of something. Doesn't like it.

..Ah, it seems like he's arrived? He saw a sign that said so, anyway. He looks for a likely door, first, then anything he can recognize as a doorbell -- nothing. He settles on knocking sharply, once, twice. ]</sub>