Distribution: Tier-5 Clearance, Global League Remnant, Silence Directive
SUMMARY:
Kalos has grown unnervingly still. Winds barely move through the fields, wild Pokémon are unusually quiet, and the tide near Coumarine City barely shifts. Minor tremors beneath the Ultimate Weapon site in Geosenge Town suggest something is stirring underground. The Tree of Life in Laverre City has bloomed out of season, with crystalline flowers shimmering in ways that do not match recorded local flora.
KEY EVENTS:
00:01 - Every clock in Couriway Town Station stopped for six minutes. Nothing mechanical failed.
02:45 - A trainer near Geosenge Town heard footsteps behind her in an open field. Her Pokédex recorded a presence labeled only “AZ?” No one else saw anything.
03:13 - Zygarde cells in the region converged unnaturally toward a single subterranean node. It pulses but does not move. It seems aware of being watched.
05:00 - Mirrors in Reflection Cave showed impossible scenes: a Kalos without sunlight, ash falling like snow, Mega Evolution never discovered.
06:33 - The Tree of Life released a brief exhalation. Nearby plants bent outward as though blown by wind, but no wind was present. Wildlife has not returned.
ANOMALOUS ZONES:
Anistar City Sundial - Psychic Pokémon avoid the area. Xatu perched there began screaming and clawing at themselves.
Lumiose Underground - Old power lines hum at frequencies that are not electrical. Locals report vivid, shared dreams of someone building something beneath the city.
Geosenge Town Ultimate Weapon Site - Subsurface scans show a structure shaped like the Ultimate Weapon, inverted like a root rather than a blade.
Route 15 - The forest is silent. A Noivern attempted to echolocate and permanently damaged its hearing; its trainer suffered temporary hearing loss.
SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES:
Citizens avoid speaking above a whisper outside.
A cult called "Les Résonants" has formed, preaching silence and breathing in unison.
Trainers attempting Mega Evolution report Pokémon resisting violently. Multiple reports of trainers being bitten or otherwise severely injured.
FIELD OBSERVER NOTES:
“There was once fire here, so hot it erased itself. We are standing in the ash of something too big to remember.”
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Restrict access to Reflection Cave without full psychic protection.
Study Zygarde-cell convergence carefully.
Do not disturb the Ultimate Weapon. Whatever rests there may be Kalos’s only restraint.
FFxivWrite 2021
Prompt #29: Debonair
A short and simple letter would have done the trick. “Mister Vainchelon, one of my employees has come to possess a mysterious Mhachi coffin, would you be interested in studying it?” Unfortunately, delivering a letter across time and space to another shard was no easy feat, and in all it would take to accomplish, Faye would be better off visiting the man herself to address the matter in person. Of course, not that she minded having any excuse to pay Melfice a visit. And he had, after all, upon their last parting, told her to visit him at her soonest convenience. It may have sounded as much like a threat as an invitation, but such was normally the way for the two.
And perhaps it was apt to think it threatening, if she factored in that she had not in fact been to visit upon her earliest convenience. He would be cross with her. Well, she was a busy woman! He needed to comprehend that. No doubt he would also scold her for not spending enough time on her studies--it was never enough. Insufferable man! It was fortunate for him that he was so handsome. And skilled. And clever. And well-spoken. And educated. And charming in his own way. Truly insufferable, indeed.
@of-darkness-and-dreams
There exists a sub-category of Carbuncles that, while similar in appearance to other Carbuncles, exhibit greater growth and development. Those that fall into this category have a royal lineage, generally those descended from the Diamond Carbuncle. Most Carbuncles can only use magic that is common amongst their species. Emerald Carbuncles and wind magic, Sapphire Carbuncles and water magic, Ruby Carbuncles and fire magic, etc. Those of royal lineage can learn and utilize spells not associated with their type and even utilize magic used by other races if given the time to learn.
A most peculiar trait that these Carbuncles have is the ability to transform or use transformation magic. They can take on a variety of forms depending on the circumstances. Therion, Human, Dragon, Elf, and more. The possibilities are seemingly countless.
The most notable of Carbuncle royalty is the Diamond Carbuncle. The current ruling Diamond Carbuncle has lived for centuries and is said to be the only Diamond Carbuncle remaining. She is currently bound to a long-lived Elven woman that lives in solitude. The Diamond Carbuncle will continue her reign as queen until she has chosen one of her kin to succeed her. However long that may take.
Autumn had announced itself in the Shroud. The leaves whispered from green to yellow as quietly as an unexpected guest and, now, in hues of fire, burned brightly atop the trees. Soon those leaves will light from their branches and crunch underfoot to herald the coming snow. For now, though, the crisp air had only just begun to carry the promise of winter. Raven knew the smell of snow very well and welcomed it with deep breaths.
With his bow slung on his back, Raven strode through the gates, putting Gridania at his back and the deeper forest ahead where he would meet with Corwynn and begin the day. He spent this time, as he often did, in quiet reflection and preparation. He tugged at his straps and patted sheaths and his quiver, chattering to himself beneath his breath, making mental checklist.
The town awoke with the sun, as Raven did, and its inhabitants were sitting out their signs and sweeping their porches. Most of them simply waved or nodded to Raven as he passed, accustomed to the Ishgardian that strode through each day.
The woman at the bakery always came out and handed him a bag of fresh pasteries, still warm and steaming. They quibbled over payment but in the end, at her insistance, Raven accepted the gift with a gracious bow. The blacksmith, if he saw Raven coming, would pause and raise his hammer in greeting. Sometimes children would swing around a corner and fire an imaginary bow at Raven just to see what he would do. Today, Raven dodged and deftly plucked the invisible arrow from the air and cast it aside causing a little boy to squeal with mock fright and run off.
He fished into his pocket and produced a few coins. The man sat, as he always did, on an oak stump, his blind eyes raised to the warmth of the sun. Raven had no idea who the man was or even if he were truly blind but it didn’t matter. He wore the scars of age and hardship and seemed kind enough, if slightly ecclectic. His old, weather-beaten tunic was cinched with a crumbling belt of leather, off which hung an array of seemingly random ornaments. Most were handmade, it seemed, bits of branches lashed together with yarn and dangling with beads of glass and feathers. Others were found objects, displayed with an odd reverance. The bent hands of a clock, or dull rowel of a lost spur, strung together on thin chains of what must be silver.
Raven approached and sat the coins into the man’s little wooden bowl as he always did and, as was their routine, the blind man would bow his head and address him. “Ishgardian.” Occassionally, the man would speak to him. Mostly nonsense; a name or a random word or two, made up or in a language Raven didn’t know. He assumed they were greetings or well wishes, though he’d considered the possiblity that the man was being vulgar which Raven considered hilarious. Raven would always thank him and be on his way. But not this day.
Raven approached the man and sank down to his hunkers in front of him and watched.
“Ishgardian,” the blind man said. After a moment, he lowered his head and opened his cloudy eyes. Raven had not seen them before and it was disconcerting to be under their scrutiny. The man simply waited.
“How did you know?” Raven asked.
The corner of the blind man’s mouth twitched upward slightly. “I can smell your money.”
Raven snorted and dropped the coins into the man’s bowl. “You know what I’m asking.”
“Do I?” The man titled his head a bit, focusing just off of Raven’s shoulder. He fought the urge to follow the glance, knowing the blind man was simply tilting his ear toward Raven but he couldn’t help but have the notion he was trying to trick him. As if Raven would look over his shoulder and he would say, ‘made ya look’.
Raven fished into his pocket and produced more coins, tossing them with the rest. “You damn well do. Yesterday you told me to ‘ware the dark mouth with broken teeth.’ Ring a bell?”
The blind man fingered the coins in the bowl, plucking one out and biting it before dropping it back in with the others. “Sounds familiar. “
“Last evening we gave chase to a dangerous man. Ran into cave with crumbling stalagtites at the entrance. It was a trap. I might have well ran in but stopped short and avoided a tripwire.” He waited for a response but received none. “Cave with fallen stalagtites. Mouth with broken teeth. How did you know?”
The man shrugged, “the wind told me.”
“The wind told you,” Raven repeated flatly.
“Yup. It said ‘the little Ishgardian and his Keeper buddy are gonna get eaten by a mouth with rotted teeth. Might wanna warn ‘em.”
Raven squinted at the man. “How do you know about Corwynn?”
“Who’s Corwynn?” The blind man replied.
Raven watched him for a long moment before standing. He couldn’t let himself be drawn in by his circular misdirection, at least not at the moment. “Fine,” he said. “You’re just a blind old man who’s gone soft in the head, right?”
“‘Bout the long and short of it,” said the blind man.
Raven nodded, still squinting at the man. “Any...advice for today?”
The blind man tilted his head, pointing his ear toward the forest beyond, closing his eyes for a time. Finally he shook his head, “Nope.”
Raven snorted. He laughed and nodded his head. “Right, well, take my messages will you? I’ll see you tomorrow.” He turned away and began heading down the path.
“Good day to you, little bird,” called the man toward Raven’s back.
His eyes went wide, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He dared not stop or look back. He convinced himself he hadn’t actually heard anything. It was just the wind, he thought.
Twenty-ninth writing prompt [Prophecy] for FFXIV 30 Day Writing Challenge
Sitting upon the roof of her clinic the doctor examines Shirogane from her perch. Early evening touches the neighborhood. It is only four bells past noon and already the heavens are starting to darken. Golden hues trickle through the shades of orange and pale purples. There is a chill that nips at the air making the tip of her nose tingle from its kiss. Cynric is spending the night with Norimasa and his wife. They agreed to help take care of the orphan with her. It was nice knowing she had a support system to lean against from time to time. She still has yet to tell her beloveds the news. Looking down at her hands that lay folded in her lap azure eyes examine the dark ink staining her wrist.
“Why are you doing this?” The eleven year old finally speaks in a tired voice. Needles tipped with black ink pierce the caramel skin on her wrist and inner forearm.
Eadmer grimaces down at the malnourished pre-teen. “I heard of a prophecy from an old crone. She mentioned a girl who has the soul of fire and ice. A child’s powers who were so advanced for her age that she could put mages to shame. This was just days before we met. When I walked into the Garlean encampment that day the men told me the horror stories about you. How you caught the camp on fire....three times. I knew you were that girl. I couldn’t possibly risk the resistance fighters getting to you first. Our great and mighty Zos would probably have no interest in you. So I took it upon myself to take the burden of turning you into a weapon.”
Shaking her head furiously the past releases its clutches on her. It’s disturbing how to this day his voice is so vivid and clear in her memory. Her father’s laughter, her mother’s singing, and the voices of her sisters bickering have all faded. The voices of her family has left but his voice is as clear as a summer day.
FFxivWrite 2020
Prompt #29: Paternal
Masterpost
“Master Corinthius, thank goodness you’re here!” the nursemaid poked her head out from the kitchen and exclaimed the moment Aelius passed through the hallway, halting him in tracks. She stepped out into the hall, Valerius balanced upon her hip and her uniform coated in a white powder, looking frazzled with a cleaning rag clutched in her hand. “Can you watch him for me? He’s made a dreadful mess and I’ve only just got him clean. Oh, I’ve got to clean everything up before the Lord and Lady see…”
Ael wasn’t afforded the chance to answer before his much younger brother was thrust into his arms and he stared at the child quizzically before stealing a peek into the kitchen. A bag of flour carelessly left within the boy’s reach was torn asunder and spread all over the kitchen, tiny white handprints everywhere. He struggled to stifle a laugh before he realized he should probably offer some sort of acknowledgement and returned his attention to the exasperated nursemaid. “Oh, uh. I can look after him for a bit, I suppose.”
“Thank goodness! I--”
“Ba-bah! Ba-bah!” the toddler shouted, frantically flailing his chubby arms.
“Right… where’s Ba-bah?”
“Um, in the nursery, I think!” the maid called out, already hurrying back into the kitchen.
“Come on, Val. Let’s go find Ba-bah,” Ael cooed as he headed off to the nursery. However, it was a long walk through the sprawling Garlean mansion, and Valerius was growing impatient, beginning to choke and sob, tiny hands balling into fists as he continued to swing them about. He was shrieking by the time they reached the nursery, but there, at last, was Ba-bah in all his glory, the well-loved sheep plushie sitting atop a mound of other stuffed toys. Ael cradled the child in one arm as he bent to pick up the sheep, offering it to Valerius as he straightened back up.
The boy tentatively reached for the plushie before he hugged both arms around it, squeezing it to his chest. His cries quieted to sniffles, and Ael set him carefully upon the floor, watching the child crawl about and play with his toys for some time until he remembered why he’d been heading for the door to begin with.
“Shit!” He suddenly scooped Valerius and Ba-bah up into his arms and rushed out of the nursery, hurrying through the house and slowing only to hone in on the first house servant he passed.
“Here--watch him,” he bade, passing off the child to the bewildered looking servant as abruptly as he’d been put on babysitting duty himself.
He was breathing heavy by the time he met his father outside, the white-haired man regarding him with a scowl, both hands clasped behind his back.
“You’re late.”
“I know, Father, I apologize. I had to help find Ba-bah and--”
“What is a Ba-bah?” his father’s words cut him off, Stanislas’s icy blue eyes narrowing upon Ael’s face, slipping down to that scar that ran down his cheek to his jaw. “No, never mind. It doesn’t matter. Just another excuse for your incompetence.”
@aelius-ffxiv
we haven't posted in some time bc of not having dreams we rember. so, you're getting an old dream.
one time when we were a kid we had a dream in which our mother did like, unconventional euthanasia, and there was merch on her funeral, including but not limited to little figures depicting her death.
Some very interesting turn of events. More thoughts below.
Ep 26
You know i think. Truce means more than just no weapons....like how is beating people up with your fists still a truce?
I expected Tarantulus to be burnt more to a crisp than just kinda burnt but really doesnt matter when he invades Black Arachina's brain. Pretty fucked up. More fucked up later.
I love the most backwards plan of Megatron spying on Taranculus to somehow make an escape pod, knowing said pod would destroy thr weapon in the sky with Optimus trapped inside. Its just wild ass planning that i love but also rip Optimus. Yeah i know he'll come back but that sucked.
Ep 27
Woo season 2! And costume changes!! Yayy! Changing the characters with the designs that didnt translate well to limited 3D. Obviously for new toys but like...yeah i think their Altmodes look better. I think Rattrap was okay but Cheetor kind of needed it. I will miss his pupils for expressions though.
Dkdjdjd jesus christ Rhinox.
AJDHFHRDH Megs has heelys on. His blades are sending me. Its so funny.
Ep 28
I was not intending to do another episode but the hand that reached up at the end of thr last episode got my curiosity going.
Dinobot episode yayy!
So its not the first time a Transformer got smashed into a cube. Its less horrific than how it happened with Blurr in Animated but sheesh this is why robots are so perfect to get away with any type of violence.
Imagine being born and choosing violence.
Yum, Dinobot plot stuff. I love it. Practically monologing.
