Melodies of Life

Hello, my name is Garnet Til Alexandros, Queen of Alexandria, but you may call me Garnet. (Affiliated with Phoenix Down Masterlist.) - I track the tags whalewhisker and whale whisker.

[premium-heartt]

Tifa&Dagger

[premium-heartt]

TIfa was actually taken a back that Garnet asked this question. She knew she mentioned it, but she didn’t think that it would be of any interest to the girl. Giving her a soft smile, Tifa thought back to the times of AVALANCHE. 

“Well, I was in a group called AVALANCHE. We were a resistance group, though some called us terrorists. Back in our world, there was a company called Shinra Electric Power Company. They were more than just that kind of company, however, controlling most of everything.” Tifa said in a slow and serious manner. 

“They used energy called Mako energy to power things. But that was destroying the planet, killing it. If they kept using Mako, they would be destroying the Lifestream, where all life goes after we die and it is the thing that powers and protects the planet. I guess the word terrorist can actually be used to describe us. We blew up Shinra’s reactors and even had a mission to kill their president.” 

Tifa crossed her arms, her eyebrows knitted. “Though, after Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie were killed trying to stop Shinra from destroying the pillar which eventually crashed down on our homes and destroyed everything, we really didn’t talk about AVALANCHE much. This…” Tifa pointed to the ribbon on her arm. “is in memory of a close friend who died protecting our beliefs and a memory of all the struggles we went through. All former AVALANCHE members wear them, Cloud included.” 

Tifa let out a lengthy sigh before smiling again. It had been a while since she told that story. 

“Why did you want to know?” 

[whale-whisker]

Garnet listened intently as Tifa told her about AVALANCHE and their endeavors. Though Garnet and her friends had their own hardships, she never could have imagined what Tifa had gone through. Perhaps that is what made the woman so strong, inside and out.

Noticing the small red ribbon tied around the woman's arm, Garnet nodded. Many lives were lost were lost in Kuja's endeavor, and even more were put in danger as the being Necron sought to eliminate all life. Their actions saved many lives, but that didn't lessen pain of losing loved ones. 

Garnet shook her head as Tifa stated how the word terrorist fit. "I wouldn't say that. You all had good intentions, and you saved many lives with your actions." Though many may have been lost with the fall of the plate, if Tifa and her friends had not succeeded in stopping this "Shrina," Garnet was certain even more lives would have been lost.

Garnet shook her head, taking a deep breath. She didn't want to hide anything from the woman who had opened up and had been so kind to her. "I was a bit curious about your past. You are such a strong woman, and I can see why. You have been through so much, and even so, you still have a kind heart."

Garnet back at the woman standing before her. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Garnet Til Alexandros the seventeenth, and I am the queen of Alexandria." She laughed a bit at the formality in her voice. "But you can just called me Garnet or Dagger if you'd like."

[whale-whisker]

ooc; I just wanted to give everyone a heads up of sorts! I just recently started volunteering at a Veterinary Clinic, so my activity on Mondays. Tuesdays, and Thursdays may be pretty much non-existent. I'm working on catching up on my replies right now, but just wanted to let you guys know that I may not be around much on those days! 

[lostblackmage]

Lost In A New Place (Open)

[lostblackmage]

In all truth, Vivi had missed the time he’d spent with everyone together. He did had been able to visit the others, but never as much as he wanted to. He’d seen a lot less of Dagger in the time before he arrived here. He’d seen less of everyone, but Dagger seemed busy so often. Being a queen must’ve been a tiring job.

Vivi felt a little relieved when Dagger told him he did a wonderful job. Vivi sometimes got worried when it came to trying new things. After all, there were still so many things that he hadn’t ever done, or things he didn’t know a lot about….speaking of things he didn’t know a lot about… “W-Well…” Vivi started as he straightened out his hat. He was trying to find the best way to put this. “…I was wondering if I should ask you or Zidane about this but…I-I figure both of you would be able to give me good advice.” Vivi felt a little awkward asking about this, but Dagger was one of the people he turned to the most, and he needed to try and make sense of it, so if anyone could help, she could. “Erm…I was wondering if maybe you could give me some advice on…love?” Vivi felt his cheeks flush even more. He started to realize Dagger might ask who it was, specifically. He didn’t know how good Dagger was with keeping secrets, and the thought of a particular girl finding out Vivi may-or-may-not-be-in-love-with-her-he-didn’t-really-know-which-was-why-he-was-asking-Dagger-for-advice-in-the-first-place-…thinking about what might happen almost made Vivi’s head spin.

[whale-whisker]

Garnet blinked her eyes in surprise. Love? It had been some time since she last saw Vivi, and while she realized a lot must have changed in that time, it still came as a bit of a surprise.  The black mage was often quite shy and reserved, and though he seemed quick to voice his feelings, he was even more timid than usually upon bringing up the subject.  

Realizing it must have taken the young man a lot of courage, Garnet smiled before taking a seat on the small couch that decorated the inn room. "Come have a seat," she urged. Sitting back, the young woman took a deep breath. Garnet struggled with her own feelings, she wanted to help her friend in any way she could.

"I've never given any advice about this before," she began, "but I'll try my best." She nodded confidently at him, hoping to ease his nervousness. She watched as his cheeks continued to flush and should couldn't help but offer a sympathetic smile. She knew the feeling all too well, and even though she did not have anyone to turn to for advice for this particular subject, Vivi had her. The least she could do was be there for him, as he had been for her not so very long ago.

"Tell me everything," she said, encouragingly. "I promise whatever you say will stay between us."

[farseeryeul-blog]

“Etro is the godess.” Yeul said simply. She never encountered anyone who wasn’t aware of who Etro was. “She is the one who bestows gifts upon people, who bestows Eidolons. She controls the balance between realms. If she ceases to exist…so will the world.” Yeul said solemnly. 

She knew some people did not like Etro, as she was seen as impulsive. Many of her actions have caused problems for the world. But Yeul always saw her as kind and giving. 

The blue haired girl stood with her hands clasped behind her back. She couldn’t feel any traces of her power anymore. It frustrated her. She wanted to help Dagger figure out what trial she needed to complete. But without her gift, she was as clueless as she. 

“Do you think there is any way we can find hints of what you need to do?” The only thing she could think of was summoning an Eidolon again to cause her powers to come back. But, she didn’t want to put them, more importantly Dagger, in danger again. 

[whale-whisker]

"The goddess?" Garnet had not heard of any goddesses back home. "I see," Garnet nodded. This goddess - Etro - sounded interesting. Eidolons were the closest things to gods they had on Gaia, but someone who bestows them upon others... that was foreign. 

"The summoners in my world are a dying race," she recalled, being one of only two remaining. Carefully dissecting Yeul's words, Garnet began to wonder. "Was Etro the one who gave you your powers?" 

Garnet brought her hand to her face, stroking her chin as she thought about Yeul's question. "I'm not sure." Letting the cool air blow over her, she considered her options.

She didn't want to risk summoning another Eidolon; she couldn't put the town or Yeul in danger like that again. Ramuh had spoken to her in her dreams, though his words were very cryptic and left her with more questions than answers.

A new trial... she repeated the words in her head, closing her eyes. She hoped something would come to her, but as time slowly passed she was still just as confused as before. "Do you think perhaps.. Etro could help?" Garnet wondered. She didn't have any idea as to how she would go about seeking aid from a goddess assumedly from another world, but it was worth a shot. 

As she looked around the field, Garnet noticed the sun was nearly set. It would be pitch black soon, and she didn't want them to get lost.

"Perhaps we should return to town for now? Maybe something will come to me by the time we arrive."

[lostblackmage]

Lost In A New Place (Open)

[lostblackmage]

Vivi nodded and quickly filled a pot about three-fourths of the way up with water, hoping that would be the right amount. He set it down as Dagger started to show him how to chop some vegetables like potatoes. He remembered his Grandpa doing that sometimes, though he chopped potatoes in other ways sometimes too. 

“Oh, me?” Vivi said. “Well…I’ve been going between the Village (Vivi was, of course, referring to the Black Mage Village) and home and visiting Lindblum from time to time…and Alexandria, like you know…I…wish we could all visit each other more…but maybe since we’re here…we can, right?” Then Dagger asked him to light the stove. “O-Oh, sure…” He cast a light Fire spell that should hopefully get it going, and he hit his target without causing too much trouble, luckily. “…Okay…that’s going. Glad I got that right.” When Dagger asked him if there was anything he wanted to do in the meantime, there had been something on his mind lately, even before he wound up in Moogletown, but he hadn’t been sure who to talk to about it. But he figured Dagger was as good a person as any. After all, considering her and Zidane…”Uhm…A-Actually…I kind of want to ask about your advice on something, if that’s okay…” Vivi said, and he started to blush a little, “…b-but it’s…kind of embarrassing and…w-well, I’ve never dealt with this sort of thing before…”

[whale-whisker]

Garnet nodded, "Of course, Vivi. We can visit as much as you'd like. I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to visit you more often, I've really missed all of you so much." 

Running a country was a tiring and busy duty. There was much to be done in terms of rebuilding and easing the public's worries, and Garnet rarely had time to herself anymore. She treasured her time spent with the group on the road, and she'd often think about their fun adventures together when things got difficult.

Garnet chuckled at the black mage. "Thank you," she said with a smile, stirring the pot once before placing a lid on top of it. "You did a wonderful job." The black mage's fire was hotter than any matches, and the fire quickly brought the stew to a boil. Turning down the gas, she allowed the pot to decrease to a simmer before turning back to her friend.

"Of course, what is it, Vivi?" she asked, concerned for her friend. Vivi was always timid, but he never acted like this before. She was a bit worried, but as he finished his sentence, she noticed he was blushing, easing her previous worries. She smiled and patted his shoulder gently before speaking. "I'll try my best. What's on your mind?"

[premium-heartt]

Tifa&Dagger

[premium-heartt]

“How did we meet…” Tifa trailed off. “Well, we both lived in the same small town. He was my neighbor. We weren’t really close friends you know, as I’m a year older than him and had my own friends. Cloud was quiet, didn’t talk much. But we talked some.” She told her. “As we got older, we talked some more, and when we were around…I don’t know fourteen or so…he told me he was going to join SOLDIER. So, naturally, being a girl with fantasies, I told him that when he joined, if I ever needed help, he would be my knight and protect me.” 

Tifa laughed. “It’s silly. He kept that promise…sort of.” 

Tifa listened to her tell her romantic story. It was like out of a fairy tale. Something that she would read before bed. That almost made her jealous. Although there were hardships and sad moments in her tale, it was still something of wonder. 

“He really must love you,” Tifa said with a smile. “And you really love him.” She laughed, grinned at the girl beside her. 

“I try to think of it as this world’s time moving differently. Maybe when we return home, it will be like we never left, right?” Tifa tried to reassure her. She had her own thoughts like that, but she tried to make up reasons not to be worried about something like that. 

“But, I do wonder when we will get to go home.” 

[whale-whisker]

Garnet listened intently as Tifa told her about Cloud. The man sounded as if he were the exact opposite of Tifa, though they do say opposites attract. "That's quite young to leave home," Garnet said. The Alexandrian military had an age requirement, and fourteen was far too young to join. Though she could imagine other places having different requirements, especially in a time of war.

"Sort of?" Garnet was curious what she meant by that. In a way, she could see how Tifa wouldn't really need saving, the woman was tough and looked like she could handle her own quite easily. "He sounds like a wonderful man," she commented. 

Garnet felt her face flush again at Tifa's words and she quickly raised her hands to her face. "I suppose," she said is response. She did have fond feelings for the young man, but she wasn't sure if things would ever blossom beyond friendship. 

"I see," Garnet nodded. The thought helped ease her worries. "Perhaps it'll be as if we were just asleep." It was a nice idea, though Garnet wasn't sure how practical the thought was.

"I do as well," Garnet said with a sigh. "I am really enjoying the town, though. Everyone's been so lovely." 

"Tifa..?" Garnet asked, a bit hesitant, "You said you were part of a resistance group, right? What happened, if I may ask?" 

[summoningsongstress-deactivated]

ooc; Prompts!

ooc; Hey guys! I’ve been feeling kind of rusty with Lenne and would love if you guys could send me a word or something as a prompt! I’ve seen a lot indie blogs do this and I think it’d be really fun and give me a chance to get better acquainted with Lenne. You can also send prompts to Garnet here if you’d like to send her one.

Thanks in advance to any of you who decide to do this!

- Lenne-mun

[farseeryeul-blog]

Yeul thought for a moment. She didn’t really know. It didn’t take her long to run to her, maybe ten minutes or so? Though she supposed Garnet had fallen unconscious a bit before that. 

“I’m not too sure myself. Maybe twenty minutes or so?” Yeul mused as the two of them relaxed from the earlier events. Dagger was having her own issues at the moment, and she didn’t want to burden her by telling her she saw a vision. 

“I see. That’s devastating. I’m sorry.” Was all Yeul could say to that. Many Yeuls had endured hardship, but Yeul herself had only known two other people her entire life. She didn’t understand the pain that Dagger was feeling. 

“Hm, this Eidolon seems wise. Maybe this other trial will occur here in Moogletown?” Yeul suggested. “As for the other voice…maybe it was the Godess Etro?” 

To Yeul, the godess was common knowledge. She was the one who gave people their gifts and eidolons. 

[whale-whisker]

"I see," Garnet said shaking her head. "I'm sorry if I worried you," she said, letting out a small sigh. The whole situation left her feeling guilty. She never could have imagined her Eidolon doing such a thing, and she never expected her actions to put Yeul in danger. She never wanted that to happen again, but she couldn't just ignore the dream. Sooner or later she would have to face Bahamut again, and the next time she would be prepared.

Garnet nodded, "It's been a year since then, and some times the memories are still hard to deal with, but I've accepted what's happened, and I must move forward." Her words came easily, and she knew they were true, despite the knot that still remained in the pit of her stomach. We must learn from the past. 

"Perhaps," Garnet said with a nod. It was a very likely assumption, she hadn't had any problems with her Eidolons prior to arriving in Moogletown, and this occurrence was anything but normal. 

A puzzled look crossed Garnet's face. "The Goddess Etro?" she asked, intrigued. "Who is she?" 

[lostblackmage]

Lost In A New Place (Open)

[lostblackmage]

VIvi took a seat for a moment as he thought about Dagger’s suggestion. He knew some things about cooking, but not a lot. A lot of what he’d done was help his Grandpa or Eiko cook using his Fire magic…so he knew a few things about temperature and boiling things, but as far as preparing the food and mixing ingredients… “Well…I don’t really know much about preparing food…But uhm, I might be able to help if you show me…and if we need it, I could always use Fire to help things warm up…”

Vivi was going to try his best anyways. He may not know much, but Dagger could always show him. Besides, if he was going to live in this town, he was going to have to figure out some things for himself. “My grandpa taught me some things about cooking…like boiling and simmering and knowing when something’s ready. So I could maybe help a little, I think…”

[whale-whisker]

Garnet nodded happily, "That'd be wonderful. Would you mind fetching a pot of water for me? I'll get started on the vegetables."

Placing her shopping basket on the kitchen counter, she went to work unloading it, taking care not to crush the cookies or bread they had just purchased. Garnet took care in washing all of the vegetables, making sure they didn't have any dirt left on them before she prepared them. 

Grabbing a knife and cutting board from a drawer, she motioned for the blackmage to watch as she worked. "You see? It's quite easy," she said as she sliced a potato into little bite-sized cubes. "Perhaps next time we'll have you chop some as well." She continued on to the carrots and onions, making sure to keep them a uniform size.

As she continued preparing the food, a thought crossed her mind. "What have you been doing?" she question. "Back home, I mean. I hope you've been well." Since taking over as Queen of Alexandria, Garnet had been quite busy, and had felt quite a bit of regret over not visiting Vivi more often. 

Slowly she added all of the vegetables to the pot, as well as a few seasonings and some cubed meat she had picked up from the butcher that morning. Before long, the base of their stew was complete. All that remained was to allow it to cook.

"Would you mind lighting the stove, Vivi? I forgot to purchase matches," she admitted, slightly embarrassed. "After this, we just need to wait for it to cook!" Garnet walked over to the small sink that sat next to the stove, making sure to wash her hands after handling their food. Drying her hands on a towel, she turned back towards her old friend. "Is there anything you'd like to do in the meantime?" 

[rhymetothebeat-blog]

Rhyme looked at the coins in her hands. There was a pig-like animal with wings on the face of the coin and on the other side, there was something that looked like a warrior. So this is “gil”? It certainly is different from the yen coin she uses back in Japan. Rhyme thought for a moment and searched her pockets.

“Oh! Here we go! Look, Garnet! This is what I used in my world.” Rhyme produced a coin with a hole in the middle and some writing on the sides. “The currency for my world is Yen. Although my world is divided into a bunch of other countries and we use different currencies for each of them. Quite a hassle, isn’t it?”

Rhyme smiled and nodded. It was beyond doubt that she was hungry. “Where should we go? Is there any place you have in mind?”

[whale-whisker]

Garnet leaned over, taking the small, strange coin into her hand. She turned it over, noticing the writing on either side. She listened as Rhyme told her about the other currencies her world held. “That does seem unnecessarily complicated,” she admitted with a chuckle.

Garnet pondered what would happen if people from one country visited another. Would their money still work? There must have been some sort of system in place. “How did traveling work with the different currencies?” she questioned.

Garnet thought for a moment. There were many little restaurants and shops in Moogletown. The residents all brought different foods and recipes from their home-worlds, so they had quite a few options. “Let’s see,” she began, placing her hands on her hips, “Do you like fish?” Moogletown had quite a nice selection of seafood, and many restaurants served it as a specialty.

“There’s this place I know of that serves something called sushi. We didn’t have it back home, but I do find it to be quite delicious!”

[rhymetothebeat-blog]

Rhyme put a finger on her lip while her free hand toyed with her bell. She wasn’t quite sure how travelling works since she doesn’t travel outside from Japan but as she remembered the strange foreigners that come often and ask her for directions, she thinks she could explain at least a little. “Well, from what I know, they also have this booth called “Money Changer” and the clerks inside switch the current money you have to the money that suits the country. It is quite troublesome! Especially with the different values each country possess. I’m not quite sure myself where my currency stands…” she trailed off, a little disappointed that she couldn’t explain further.

Oh, Rhyme knows Sushi and it’s one of her favourite food. “Yes, please!” she exclaimed with enthusiasm. “I love sushi! They have it in my world too although I’m pretty sure the taste will be different here. Where should we go? I think its best for you to lead the way, Miss Garnet!”

[whale-whisker]

Garnet listened intently as Rhyme explained how the different currencies got exchanged. It's was quite an interesting concept, but still seemed a bit unnecessary. Perhaps it worked better in practice, she concluded. "I suppose that's quite useful, then. At least there's an easy method to exchange it." 

So Sushi is from Japan, then. Garnet was pleased the town had something familiar to Rhyme, and she was even happier that she'd be able to treat the young girl to lunch. "Hopefully it still tastes good!" she said, grinning. Looking around she pointed in the direction of the small restaurant. "It's a short walk down this street, and feel free to just call me Garnet," she urged, trying to tone down the formalities a bit.

Taking the lead, they walked towards the restaurant. Nestled between a small family run grocery and a small home, a small sign identified it. As she opened the door, a small bell rang, signaling a small moogle of their arrival. It led them to a small table in the corner of the restaurant, and handed them menus.

"Does any of this look familiar?" she asked as she browsed the menu, unsure of what to order.

[lostblackmage]

Lost In A New Place (Open)

[lostblackmage]

Vivi nodded when she mentioned that she hadn’t seen any monsters, but being prepared couldn’t hurt. “Y-Yeah…just in case. I guess maybe a new staff couldn’t hurt. Still…this place seems a lot more calm and peaceful than the Mist Continent back when it was covered in…erm…Mist.” That was something weird for Vivi to think about. What would they call the Mist Continent without Mist? It wouldn’t exactly be fitting anymore, would it?

Just as Dagger asked about lunch, Vivi could hear his stomach growled, and he nodded, adjusting his hat after it moved a little out of place when he nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’m starting to get pretty hungry. I think I know my way around here a little better now, too.” Vivi’s bright eyes glowed as he looked at Dagger happily, nodding once more in affirmation.

[whale-whisker]

Garnet nodded, "Perhaps we should stop by later, then!" Garnet was in need of a change of clothes. Though she had kept her traveling outfit in good condition, she was hoping to find something cooler to wear during the summer months in Moogletown. It had gotten quite hot lately, and the sun was very unforgiving.

His words were true; Moogletown was probably the most peaceful place she had been to in recent years. The Mist Continent was dangerous, and had taught them all valuable survival skills. Perhaps the other residents were just being cautious and hoping to continue their craft. Nonetheless, being prepared was never a bad thing. 

"I'm glad to hear that!" Garnet said cheerfully. She wasn't very confident in her tour giving skills, but she was quite glad that she had the chance to assist her old friend in gaining his bearings.  "Let's head to the inn, then," she said, as they made their way back in it's direction.

The inn had many different sized rooms with various accommodations. Some were single bed rooms while others contained multiple beds. The room Garnet was currently occupying contained a single bed with a built in kitchen. A couch sat on one end of the room, and a dining set on the other. 

"You can have a seat anywhere," she said with a warm smile. "Unless you'd like to help."

[premium-heartt]

Tifa&Dagger

[premium-heartt]

“I have time,” the older woman grinned. She loved talking about things like that. It made her happy that others were happy as well. And the fact that a blush had spread across Dagger’s face when she mentioned it would make it even more enjoyable. 

When Dagger asked about her special someone, Tifa gave out a hefty sigh. “Yeah, I guess. But, he was a handful. Sometimes I even wonder how I fell for him.” 

That was the best way Tifa could sum it up. She loved Cloud to death, but is low outlook on life left him running most of the time, leaving Tifa alone. She missed him dearly. 

Stretching her arms above her head, she stretched out her muscles. It had been so long since she had been in a good fight. Oh! Speaking of fights—

“Dagger, you said you helped fight for your kingdom, right? May I ask how? Like, what kind of skills do you have? No offense, but you look like I could break you.” Tifa didn’t mean it rudely, that’s just how it came out. Dagger didn’t look like a physical fighter, so she was curious. Maybe she was like Aerith?

[whale-whisker]

"That sounds familiar," Garnet said with a laugh. Zidane was quite the handful as well. While his carefree attitude was admirable, it also was quick to get him into all sorts of trouble. He and Steiner often got into disagreements over this. "How did you two meet?"

Garnet let out a faux-dramatic sigh before laughing. Tifa's bluntness was  a nice change of pace, and Garnet didn't mind sharing about her past. "I'm a summoner," she said with a smile. "I can also cast healing magic."

Garnet was surprised that the woman was interested learning more about her. Though she was more than willing to share, she didn't want to talk Tifa's ear off. Scratching her head she let out a soft sigh. "Where do I begin?" she said with a laugh. 

"When we first met he had come to kidnap me, if you can believe it." Garnet paused for a moment, realizing how absolutely crazy the idea sounded, and quickly followed up with an explanation. "My uncle, Cid, had sent him and his theater troop to bring me to Lindblum, as my mother had been acting strangely. Things didn't exactly go as planned and he ended up having to rescue me from a carnivorous plant, among other things."

Looking back, their journey really was an eventful one. Without Zidane and their friends, who knows what would have happened to the planet? Smiling at the woman, she continued her story.

"No matter how badly things went, he was always there with a smile. I'm not sure when it happened, but I found myself falling for him. Towards the end of our journey, he disappeared... many assumed him to have died but," Garnet smiled to herself, "he came back. The threatership came to perform in Alexandria and he was hidden under a cloak, playing the lead role. At the end, he finally showed his face." 

Garnet shook her head, attempting to quell her emotions. She was so angry at him for leaving her. She was surprised to see him. She was happy he was alive. "I was so happy to see him again," she admitted. 

Sighing, she looked out at the expanse of field that laid before her. "They must be worried about me."

[farseeryeul-blog]

“Am I alright?” Yeul asked bewildered. The girl had fallen unconscious and gripping her head, yet she was asking if she was alright? Yeul knew this was no time to laugh, so she resorted to smiling instead. “I’m fine, Dagger. Don’t worry about me. Are you okay?” 

Yeul knew she wasn’t alright. She had had a vision back there, which mean her life was cut shorter. It worried her, that she would return to having visions and that she would die, leaving her new friend alone. 

Helping Dagger stand, the blue haired girl patted the dust off of both of them. “I don’t think we should try that again.” She tried to joke. The two of them continued to walk back towards the open field. Yeul thought it would be best to bring Dagger out there so she could sit and recover in the open air. 

“I don’t mean to pry, but you said something about ‘mother’ before. Is everything okay?” Yeul did not know the meaning behind parents. After she was born, she was usually handed over to a caretaker that would help hone her skills for a time when she got older. 

[whale-whisker]

Garnet nodded her head, "I'm fine." She hadn't sustained any physical injuries, but her dream left her confused. Who were the voices speaking to her? What did Ramuh mean by a new trial? Her head began to throb at the thoughts.

With Yeul's assistance, Garnet eased her way back onto her feet. Though she felt defeated, she couldn't help but laugh at Yeul's joke. "I suppose you're right," she admitted as they walked together. The open field helped ease her worries, The town was fine and the fresh air helped ease her headache. 

Garnet took a moment to collect her thoughts before answering Yeul's question. "I thought I heard my mother's voice, but it couldn't have been her." Garnet shook her head, trying harder to remember who it could have been. "I can't remember the voice," she sighed.

After a moment of rest, Garnet looked over at Yeul. "How long was I unconscious?" she questioned. Her dream felt so real and she unable to tell just how long it lasted. Keeping her eyes on her friend, she decided to tell her about it.

"I had a dream. It didn't make sense at first, but," Garnet paused a second. "My mother and a man named Kuja took my powers from me. My mother's lust for power caused her to wage war in my world, and she summoned Bahamut to attack Kuja. Kuja took control of Bahamut and the resulting attack caused my mother's death." A knot formed in Garnet's throat as she spoke. It had only been a year since the incident. "Kuja attacked my home with Bahamut soon after."

"However," she continued. "Before the attack, I met the Eidolon Ramuh. He had me face a trial and lent me his aid. In my dream, he spoke to me. He said that I had a new trial to face.  And then... another voice spoke, saying not to keep you waiting. That's when I woke up."

She watched Yeul's face, attempting to read her expression. "I'm not sure what he meant, or who the other voice was."

[lostblackmage]

Lost In A New Place (Open)

[lostblackmage]

Vivi straightened his hat as he looked in awe at all the different treats and other bakery items that were there. How many things did they make in a day, and how long did it take? “W-Wow…” Vivi said, just staring at everything. “There’s so much stuff here…I don’t know if I could choose-” But something suddenly caught Vivi’s eye! Oh! That cookie!” He smiled pointing at the one. “With sugar in the center!” His bright eyes got even lighter with excitement. He looked up at Dagger happily.

[whale-whisker]

Garnet giggle at the sight of his excitement. The bakery was a bit overwhelming. They had so many fresh baked goods, and even she wasn't quite sure how the owners managed to keep up with the rush of customers.

She waited a moment, the shop owner would be back up front any second now. The smell of fresh bread flooded the shop as the oven door clanked. Looking toward the kitchen door, the owner greeted the two customers who stood patiently. Garnet returned the greeting to the older gentleman with a smile and a nod, before pointing out the loaf she wanted.

"We'll take one of your fresh loaves and.." Garnet looked over at Vivi, noticing the delicious cookie he had pointed out. "We'll take two of those," she said cheerfully. Garnet paid the man, and watched as he placed their baked goods into a small brown paper bag. She waved goodbye as they exited the shop and continued on their way through Moogletown. 

Placing the bag into her shopping basket, she continued heading down the street they were previously on. She pointed out a few more grocery shops and restaurants before turning right and heading down another street.

Stores filled with clothing and armor lined this street. "Many of the residents here were also blacksmiths and tailors. While I haven't seen any monsters here, I suppose it's always good to be prepared!" 

Garnet looked up, searching for the sun while shielding her eyes. She hadn't realized how quickly time had gone by, and before she knew it they were already back at the town square. By now it was already late in the afternoon and she was positive Vivi would be hungry. 

"How about we head up and get started on lunch?"

[rhymetothebeat-blog]

Rhyme looked at the coins in her hands. There was a pig-like animal with wings on the face of the coin and on the other side, there was something that looked like a warrior. So this is “gil”? It certainly is different from the yen coin she uses back in Japan. Rhyme thought for a moment and searched her pockets.

“Oh! Here we go! Look, Garnet! This is what I used in my world.” Rhyme produced a coin with a hole in the middle and some writing on the sides. “The currency for my world is Yen. Although my world is divided into a bunch of other countries and we use different currencies for each of them. Quite a hassle, isn’t it?”

Rhyme smiled and nodded. It was beyond doubt that she was hungry. “Where should we go? Is there any place you have in mind?”

[whale-whisker]

Garnet leaned over, taking the small, strange coin into her hand. She turned it over, noticing the writing on either side. She listened as Rhyme told her about the other currencies her world held. "That does seem unnecessarily complicated," she admitted with a chuckle.

Garnet pondered what would happen if people from one country visited another. Would their money still work? There must have been some sort of system in place. "How did traveling work with the different currencies?" she questioned.

Garnet thought for a moment. There were many little restaurants and shops in Moogletown. The residents all brought different foods and recipes from their home-worlds, so they had quite a few options. "Let's see," she began, placing her hands on her hips, "Do you like fish?" Moogletown had quite a nice selection of seafood, and many restaurants served it as a specialty.

"There's this place I know of that serves something called sushi. We didn't have it back home, but I do find it to be quite delicious!"

[rhymetothebeat-blog]

She nodded at her enthusiasm, happy that someone was able to understand where she came from. Yes, Japan was quite hectic but it isn’t a bad country. In fact, people are nice there. Just maybe a little closed off and would rather not talk to strangers if it were possible. Rhyme silently hope that Garnet was right, that she could find Beat… and soon.

She looked questioningly at the girl. Gil? Did she mean the things fishes use to breath in oxygen? “Excuse me, what did you mean by gil?”

[whale-whisker]

Garnet was happy to answer the girl's question. "Gil is the currency this town uses. Back in my world, we used gil as well. I take it your world did not use it?" she asked with a smile. "Not to worry, I can lend you some if you'd like."

Garnet pulled out a small satchel. Jingling it, she attempted to get a rough estimate of how much she had left inside. For it's size it was actually quite heavy and she easily had enough to share. She pulled out a handful of coins and handed them over to her new companion. "Be careful not to lose them," she advised. Pulling the strings on the pouched closed, she thought for a moment.

"You just arrived, didn't you? You must be hungry," Garnet said, placing a hand on her hip. "Would you like to get something to eat?"

[lostblackmage]

Lost In A New Place (Open)

[lostblackmage]

Vivi happily took the popsicle and started on it, though he took Dagger’s advice before he could get a headache from it. “O-Oh yeah, brainfreeze wouldn’t be a good thing.” Vivi wondered how brainfreeze worked anyways. He nodded in affirmation though, saying “Ooh, I like grape,” confirming that he was happy with the flavor choice. “I guess there aren’t many flavors I don’t like but this is one of my favorites.” 

Vivi’s eyes widened in awe at all the different shops and businesses they passed by. Man, this place was really thriving and full of life, wasn’t it? He caught a nice scent as they stopped in front of the bakery. “Oh wow…” He started to think a little of Lindblum, even. This place seemed just as lively and busy as Lindblum did. When she asked him if he’d like to stop in, he nodded and replied, “Oh, o-of course. I mean, you are guiding this tour.” He adjusted his hat as was his habit and smiled under his hat, wondering what that wonderful scent he caught from the bakery was.

[whale-whisker]

She shook her head giggling, "No, it wouldn't." The dull throbbing pain was quite unenjoyable. Garnet thought for a moment, contemplating how it worked. She wondered if perhaps her magic would be able to cure it. Not willing to make herself a test subject, she quickly let the though fade.

Garnet nodded. smiling at the black-mage as he enjoyed his treat. "Well then, I'm glad I chose that one!" Vivi never seemed to be the picky type, but it still made her glad that she could get him something he really enjoyed.

"Alright, then," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder before opening the door to the bakery. The smell of fresh baked bread filled the air as they entered the small building. Sweets lined the counters and tabletops scattered across the store.

"You can pick something out, if you'd like," she told her friend, before making her way towards the shopkeeper. She needed something fresh, and by the smell coming from the kitchen, she was sure a nice loaf would be ready any minute.