Let's See What's In The Cards (Mmhm)

[missrecalled_mods]

The weather was still bitterly cold, and the snow was still thick on the ground, but it was finally possible to at least go outside by the front doors. The King and Queen have still forbidden anyone from staying overnight at the museum district in case it started snowing again. But the King could be seen outside trying to shovel snow enough to make a path to the castle at the least.

The snow was still too thick to get easily anywhere not shoveled, and the snow was so heavy that even beasted out, Ben needed to take constant breaks inside to sit down and dry off. This wasn't going to be a fast task.

It was only made harder when it started. For those who slept, it would start after they have fully awoken for the day. For those who don't sleep, they'd find that they had fallen into a pleasant daydream, even if it wasn't normal for them to do so. When they came out of it, that was when it would start for them.

But what is it, exactly?

Small snippets of memories, playing for anyone who was with the person remembering to see. But the thing was, these memories... were memories the person had not yet made. Memories of the future.

Not enough to give answers, probably not enough to give reassurances for much other than "oh hey, I do have a future after all," but generally pleasant, and short. Hey, it will give people a thing to talk about, at least. Especially since this will go on for the next two weeks or so.

Comments

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

"Ah. That." Sephiroth nodded slowly. "I was skeptical of it when it happened and wasn't too surprised when the wishes didn't last. That seemed ... sadistic. Getting people's hopes up only to dash them again." He folded his arms.

"That is definitely possible. Perhaps the one who wished all of this into being continues to cause mischief?"

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

A sardonic smile at that. "Sadistic is a good word for it."

He sighed and rubbed fingers against his temple. "If there is just one person responsible for all this, I hope I never have the pleasure of meeting them. I pride myself on trying to be a decent guy, you know?"

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

"I would certainly like to know if they really knew what they were doing," Sephiroth remarked. "People throw the word 'wish' around so casually these days. There have been occasions where people inadvertently made wishes without realizing they would really come true. If they knew exactly what they were doing, however ... I hope they ended up sending themselves someplace unpleasant." A dark smirk.

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

"Well it's true I didn't know the power of wishes. It's... never been a thing to worry about in my world."

"I can't say I disagree with you though. If there is someone out there tail-feathering with our heads, I hope they got a taste of their own medicine."

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

"That sounds similar to some versions of Earth I've seen," Sephiroth admits, "where they believe magic and wishes are fairytales to be told at children's bedtimes."

He smirks. "Indeed. And perhaps they will return with some idea of how to fix this mess."

Unlikely, but it's a nice thought.

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

He shook his head. "Magic is real. It's just... different, I guess. I can't say I'm super well versed in the stuff, but it comes from the crystals mostly, and it doesn't grant wishes."

He tugged at a loose feather absentmindedly, running it between his fingers once it was free. "In my experience, no matter how hard you hope for something, the universe rarely hands you an easy solution."

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

"Ah, I see. Crystals?"

He smirked darkly. "In my experience as well. I had a friend who always had hope no matter what and it was a nice point of view, but things didn't always work out for the best."

Even for his friend.

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

There sounded a story there, but Prompto wasn't in the mood to pry. Instead he focused on explaining, letting the facts take over his thoughts for a moment.

"Well, it's really only the one crystal. Any other magic is usually just Daemons." Or harnessed from the Daemons, but Prompto wasn't interested in thinking too hard about Magitek at the moment.

He cleared his throat. "The Crystal is guarded by the Lucian royal family, and in exchange they're bestowed a portion of its power. Pretty sure I'm remembering that right at least. Certain members of the royal army are allowed to borrow a portion of that power if they've been gifted it by the King. That would be the Kingsglaive. Big surprised based on the name, but they work directly protecting the crown, or whatever missions he asks of them. So you see; no wish magic."

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth wasn’t in the mood to explain, either. He listened about the Crystal.

“I see,” he said. “That must be very useful for the King.”

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

"It is." He shrugged, twirling the feather and watching it flutter. "It'd be more so if it didn't suck him dry. The guy could barely walk without his cane last time I saw him."

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth frowned at that. "Using the Crystal's power takes his own strength?"

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

"I don't know that it uses his strength exactly, or if channeling its power just burns through him. Noct- er, my friend, he's the prince, I guess is more relevant to this story. The one from the rooftop..." He gestured vaguely to the room where the last memory had played out. "Anyway he uh, doesn't like to talk about it much."

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth nodded. "That's understandable he prefers not to talk about it.

"Does anyone granted a portion of the power have that problem when using it?"

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

"Not that I know of. Not that it really matters anymore anyway. Insomnia fell, and the king did with it. No more crystal, and not many Kingsglaive left to miss it, as far as I know. Just a smoking pile of ruble..." He trailed off, a frown pulling at his mouth.

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth frowned deeply at that. "I'm sorry to hear it," he said. "I know what it is to lose your home."

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

"Sorry, didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

"It's alright. I think of it regardless. We have started to rebuild, at least. Will your people be able to do the same?"

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

Prompto shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't even know how many people made it out... At the very least it will be a while before it's even a possibility. The place is probably crawling with daemons, and without the crystal, we have no way to keep them out. We were on our way to meet up with some refugees but..." He gestured to the library around him. His journey at least had been thoroughly detoured.

He startled as a future memory/possibly vision burst through the room.

Flight, Maybe?

The memory dawned like blinking awake on a sunny afternoon. One minute the library was dim and fire lit, the next, bright sunlight streamed through from beyond the rafters. The point of view was just behind memory Prompto and Noctis, looking over their shoulders. They stood on a jut of stone. A steep, if short, drop to the rocky ground below. Ignis and Gladio looked up from a pair of camping chairs down below.

“I don’t know about this Noct.” Prompto wrung his hands nervously.

Noct grinned. “C’mon, it’s easy. I told you; just like we practised, don’t freak out. Your body should just fall back on instinct.”

Prompto tore his eyes away from the ground to send a wide eyed stare in Noct’s direction. “What if it doesn’t? I’m gonna break my neck!”

“At worst it’ll be an ankle!” Gladio shouted up helpfully. “Don’t be a daisy! Jump already!”

“You got this.” Noct laid a reassuring hand on Prompto’s shoulder. Then grinned sharkishly and pushed Prompto over the edge.

"I can't believe he just-" He shook his head incredulously. "Did it work though?" He'd spent his whole life being grounded, the thought of one day maybe actually being able to fly was hard to even wrap his head around.

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth frowned. "I'm sorry. But it took us ten years to even be able to rebuild, so perhaps there is hope for your world as well."

He stared at the scene. It was easy enough to piece together what was happening there, especially for someone else with wings. "You've never flown before?" It was difficult for him to understand having wings and not using them.

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

He hoped so. Even if it took ten years. He wanted to see the glass skyscrapers refracting sunlight again. People bustling down the streets. Rooftop gardens overflowing with luscious green. The place had become his home, and it pained him to see it in the state the Empire had reduced it to.

As for Sephiroth's reaction to the scene. He couldn't really blame the man, but it still brought a burning flush to his cheeks. "Well, no but- it's complicated, okay? I wasn't exactly taught as a child, and then circumstances kept making it difficult. Besides, who wants to teach an adult how to do something every fledgling knows how to do. It's silly." He shook his head, fingers picking at the leather band on his wrist. The barcode hidden underneath felt heavy and hot. He wished, not for the first time, that he didn't have wings at all.

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth hoped for that for him ... for everyone who lived there.

He nodded slowly. "I see. I understand that would be awkward." He noticed the fiddling with the leather band but didn't comment, assuming it was just a nervous habit.

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

He scoffed, another self-deprecating smile twisting his lips. "I feel like awkward is an understatement."

He sighed. Glanced back up at Sephiroth. "Who uh... who taught you?" The older man had mentioned he hadn't been born with his wings, so how had he learned how to use them?

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth believed he hadn't been, at least. Later he'll learn he was born with two of them and retracted them in terror at a young age to protect them from his world's version of Hojo.

"I mostly taught myself from watching birds fly," he admitted. "Wings are not common in my world."

Re: Blame

[kings_knight_rocks]

"I see... that's pretty impressive. I guess I've always been too scared to try." And the small detail that he had been hiding his wings almost since he first got to Insomnia, but that wasn't something he felt like bringing up.

Re: Blame

[3wingedangel]

"Thank you." A pause. "If you would like, I could teach you some things."

Or maybe he would prefer learning from his friends. Sephiroth would understand that. From the vision, if it is indeed a future memory, they will teach him later.