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 Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:06 pm
[[ Steven : Disney Castle : Private Quarters >> Throne Room ]] Showers. Oh dear lord, thank the gods for showers. As Steven stood letting the water run over him and wash away any filth along with his stress, he couldn't help but wish, ever so slightly that he could just remain in the steaming hot water and forget that today marked his and just about every other earthling's release from their gilded prison. But today also marked the beginning of the Olympian championship, the Olympics... though the term brought about a weird sense of normality that Steven wasn't quite ready to accept. This wasn't Earth. This was something else. Where they were going was Greece, but not their Greece. They were having the Olympics, but not their Olympics. The past year had made things easier, accepting the new way of life was tough at first, growing to trust the others was tougher, them growing to trust him- for some even tougher still. There was a part of him still clinging to the vain hope that this was all just a dream... the other part of him drowned out the other in hopes it wasn't and that he wouldn't wake the next time he dared to blink. “My Lord, if you procrastinate any longer you'll be late.” The voice of his summon, Theodosius of Bithynia, standing outside the shower came through gentle but with a hint of urgency. “Yeah, yeah,” Steven rolled his neck and shoulders before dunking his head under the flow one last time and shutting it off with a sigh, “Leave it to the Eternal Timekeeper to ruin my last moment of relaxation.”“You wouldn't have summoned me if you weren't worried this would happen.”“True.” Steven waved his hand as he stepped out into the colder air of the bathroom, dismissing the summon into shimmering silver dust. He vanished with a bow. Steven stood in front of the mirror, rubbing his hair with a towel roughly. He still had some difficulty recognizing himself in the mirror. The past year of training had taken its toll and he couldn't argue with the benefits. He'd always been more of the scholarly type, preferring to lift books rather than weights, even his sport growing up, swimming, wasn't known for building muscle mass and as a consequence kept him perpetually, for lack of a better term, ********. Now, daily workouts and training wielding heavy weapons of nearly every interpretation, with extra training in swordplay- something he deeply regretted in the beginning since he was in the presence of some individuals that he was sure wanted him dead- had molded his body into something far from the scholar he'd started out as. He even had a few scars; sparring didn't always end pretty. Sure, he could have had magic whisk them away, but each one represented lessons learned, lessons he wouldn't soon forget. After slipping on some pants, Steven let the power of the dress sphere take hold and watched as in a flash clothes befitting this world wrapped around him. He frowned a little looking at the cuisse and grieves that still guarded him from the thighs down. The voices of his many advisers and counselors over the past year echoed in his mind, “The Dress Sphere senses the needs of the wearer, the clothing has a way of reflecting the wearer's personality as well as their state of mind. In combat it can change shape to form armor, when dirty, it cleans itself, and when relaxed creates something more casual.”“Still on the defense, huh Steven?” he asked himself in the mirror. He sighed, heavily. Steven's feet carried him to the door and out into the hallways where he could hear even from here the clamoring and excitement from the main hall. And so his feet carried him there, all the while lost in an inner monologue that if heard would likely cause any who listened concern for the man's self-esteem. He always was his own harshest critic. [[Cue: Vague Hope – Spring Rain from NieR Automata]]Still, as the voices grew louder, that spark in dark grew and a smile threatened to take hold on the corners of his lips. There, just ever so slightly, the vague definition of hope cast its silhouette on his heart. He turned the corner and entered the ornate hall where the others had gathered for breakfast and shenanigans. “Morning!” his smile was beaming and there was a bit of skip in his step. He'd caught the tail end of the conversation as he entered, but chose not to interject beyond that greeting, instead sitting at the first table he laid eyes on which happened to place him next to Bobbi. He didn't show any outward movement as a halo of light appeared a few inches off the table. The halo rose slowly revealing a crystal teacup filled respectfully three quarters- genesis magic sure was convenient. He took a sip silently. Lukewarm... damn, he still couldn't get the temperature quite right. He'd have to settle doing things the mundane way. With a shrug he pushed the cup and paired plate to the side and grabbed a brewing pot from the center of the table.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:32 pm
[ Kyle : Disney : Throne Hall ]
Kyle chuckled in response to Joe's quip, blowing on his tea for a moment.
His brows started to furrow, slowly at first, though, as he turned his gaze upward toward the ceiling, eyes scanning back and forth just slightly.
Mm... I couldn't get rid of gravity's pull... but...
"I suppose it'd be a killer core workout, at minimum..." he muttered to himself, chewing the inside of his lip as he got lost in speculation. It was only Steven's entrance, particularly his use of magic, that snapped him out of the out-of-control train of thought.
"Hey there, Steveo!" Kyle responded, waving lightly. "No regal escort today?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:57 pm
[[ Steven : Disney Castle : Throne Room ]] "Haha, nope. Not right now." Steven poured his tea as he continued, an impish grin creeping up as he thought of a good comeback to Kyle, "Though if you're worried and we're talking about escorts, I wouldn't mind a pretty lady like you on my arm when we arrive at the Olympics." He looked up after setting down the teapot long enough to send an eyebrow waggle in his direction.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 9:09 pm
{Bobbi (& etc) .:. Disney Castle .:. Throne Hall}
Bobbi half-sang a "good morning~" to her new seat mate as Steven settled in next to her.
"You know, I could heat that up for you," she offered, seeing him reach for a pot after manifesting his own drink. She tapped her ringed finger against her own teacup to provide evidence. That and she liked the sound of her grandma's ring chiming on porcelain. It reminded her of grandma's collection of bells.
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phoenixianCrystallist Crew
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Je suis a toi Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 4:52 pm
[Noelle ~ Disney ~ Throne Room] Noelle was about to argue more with Nick, but the topic changed as Riku strolled in. She patiently waited to interject as everyone else chimed in, pouring herself a cup of tea and adding a spoon of honey.
"I'm in for sure! Now everyone can fight me for real." She said, a slightly sinister glint shining in her eye during her latter statement. "I was thinking of pledging to Persephone? I haven't decided yet."
The nature witch sipped her tea and began serving herself from the communal breakfast plates. She eyed the really-terrible-for-you-but-oh-so-delicious cereal selection on the side of the table (that mostly started becoming a staple because of her), before deciding she would pass on it for now. Though Genie's version of Captain Crunch--though she'd crudely scribbled "CEPTIN CRONCH" on the blank box--was actually pretty good.
Steven's final comment shook her from thoughts of The Cronch.
"UH UH! NO! He's the pretty lady on MY arm! You'll have to fight me for him!"
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 8:12 pm
[[ Steven : Disney Castle : Throne Room ]] "Awww," Steven made a pouting face at Noelle, "You won't share? No fair you get to keep him all to yourself." He let it go with that and laughed, turning at last to Bobbi who had offered to heat up his failed attempt at hot tea, "Ah, no thanks. I appreciate it though. Just think of it as my morning practice. Can never quite get it right. That aside, how're you this morning? Sleep well? Any pre-event jitters?"
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phoenixianCrystallist Crew
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:28 pm
{Bobbi et al .:. Disney Castle .:. Throne Hall}
"So long as you don't accidentally immolate anything," Bobbi chuckled. "Those were a fun first few fortnights. Alliteration intentional, and also an exageration. It was only a couple of days." She took a sip of her tea before answering Steven's questions. "Slept fine, woke up too damn early two hours ago, and... maybe? I mean, I'm not gonna be fighting, but I am excited. How about you?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 4:12 pm
[[ Steven : Disney Castle : Throne Room ]] "I had the jitters and I woke up every couple hours but otherwise I slept alright," Steven sipped his own tea and went back to watching the others and their unfolding shenanigans.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 9:09 pm
[ Kyle : Disney : Throne Hall ]
"It's difficult, being the archetype of handsome," Kyle said as the two bickered over him, making a melodramatic show of lifting his head up and away as he brought a hand to his chest.
He remained otherwise silent, chuckling as he went back to his tea and eggs. He was going to fight, of course; everyone knew that already. It was like asking a librarian if they were going to a book sale: is water wet? Does the sun burn?
Does a sorcerer use magic?
No, the question of course was to whom he'd pledge, and frankly it depended on which of the various gods and goddesses would have a stake in the competitions.
He wasn't terribly sure what other sports he'd be able to take part in, though, to be fair. There were sure to be other genuine tests of skill, such as an archery range and a race; this wasn't just a combat tournament, after all, but the first genuine Olympics of this universe.
It's just that, a bit traditional as it may be, the tournament itself--the Games--was the main focus, as it would likely be for generations to come. Until combat stopped being a way of life.
More importantly, and more relevantly...
Who else will be there? They're allowing heroes from all over the Convergence, now that the barriers are broken...
He remained quiet, face neutral, eyes--though down on his tea--clearly off somewhere else.
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 3:32 am
[Kyla: Disney: Disney Castle: Kyla’s Room> Castle Halls]
Cue Slowly, Comes The Light / Hægt, Kemur Ljósið" by Ólafur Arnalds
Alternate
Jump from Rakuen by Laura Shigihara
She woke early. And from the first moment she knew she was in waking her heart skipped several beats.
It was impossible not to wake early with all the excitement bubbling inside her. She was taking the 1st step back into the outside world, outside of space and time and now with herself found self. Over the course of the year Kyla changed so much that when she stepped out of bed…the girl honestly didn’t recognize herself at first.
The sun hadn’t even lit her window and in the gloom she caught her outline.
She stared transfixed and self-reflective at the mirror in her room fastened to the wall. Bare footed she had walked towards her unaggressive doppelganger and stared her down. Kyla’s body showed the telltale signs of rigorous training, her form was carved into something more suited for battle. Leaner, stronger, with little ‘well-earned’ blemished from sparing and practice- they were a road map of her progression, her evolution, her stead rebirth. Fisting her hewn hand, seeing the calluses built up from holding her blade form of her weapon, the artist could say she really did feel different and took that in... the girl who entered the mirage arena was gone, standing in the mirror was someone else.
Oh look at what they’d done. The motley crew that got drawn into this mess together with her. Look at what they’d wrought. Did any of them really know the significance their subtle and not so subtle gestures did. The time they took, the things they said. They recreated a person did they KNOW that?
The earthlings and heroes of this world added another notch to the belt in which they marked the things they helped save. And there she stood, there was Kyla. How awe inspiring that they found her in just a year.
Someone closer to whom Feather remembered.
Things didn’t turn out exactly as she assumed however- that just went to show how near sighted the pictomancer was about it. In probably the most life changing and miraculous series of events, her companions – her friends- put her nearly all back together. But she wasn’t the Kyla Feather even remembered- she was more, she was everything she’d been before this story began, And after…
Piece by Piece they fit shards of her shattered connections back into place. It was incredible how small acts of kindness truly did save the world. They saved her. There was only one thing left to deal with- but that could wait, for now Kyla did something she couldn’t do before-revel and enjoy what accomplishments they did achieve. She could smile, big, bright, grin from ear to ear again, she could meet peoples eye so easily again- it was a freedom she didn’t realize she truly had lost and missed so much. She hadn’t realized the tears till she was wiping them from her face.
“ Are you alright?”
“Yes- oh yes.” The girl burst out in a chuckled. She was better than alright, she was well on her way.
---
After greeting the sunrise that morning and taking a shower she was just finishing putting her things in order before fixing her dressphere to herself. The translucent sphere activating the moment it touched her collar bone- releasing its aether in a gossamer shower of magic that enveloped her being and sewn itself into a new garment once again altered and suitable to the seemingly reforged person who donned it. Running her fingers through her hair, watching the fly away bits weave into her new style- (two lose semi braids woven with rawhide cord and feathers), Kyla gave herself a final nod of approval. “..gotta love that final fantasy hair... it really does save tons of time.” She chuckled. Carbuncle bounced up from the floor and crawled into their usual perch about her shoulders around the time she heard Feather scream.
What would have been anxiety or even irritation long ago was instead a warm amusement and shaking her head Kyla replied.
“- Coming!” she called back, though unsure Feather would even hear it, she replied just the same. It began with a breakfast… seemed fitting it would end with one. “ Kyla? Aibou- I just want to say, I’m so proud of you.” The summon nuzzled their head against her neck and chin and the girl sighed into the silken touch, scratching the dimly glowing creature behind one floppy ear.
“Thank you. For- everything, for being there through it all. “
~ When the final trail happens, I know you’ll be able to face it.~
After all she wasn’t alone anymore- and they knew that now.
When Kyla got to her doorframe, she only hesitated for a moment. Normally she’d have stood there for five minutes easily, instead it was seconds. An eternity within a moment, it was the start of the next stage of their fight- everything would go on its course now. Fear and the desire to cloister wasn’t nearly as powerful as her longing to be near them, her longing to move forward- not anymore. So within three beats she was out her front door, memories of the sunrise she watched today in her mind’s eye.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 12:14 am
{Sayrike: Disney Castle: Throne Hall}
Sayrike answered Nick's wink with a wink of her own before he dove beneath the table. As the "bickering" continued between Nick, Noelle, and the gathering party members, Sayrike had to laugh. If nothing else, being surrounded by this particular group was enough entertainment for a week.
Riku sat down and asked about which gods they were pledging themselves to. Even though it had been a (false) year, catching sight of people from Kingdom Hearts, Disney, and Final Fantasy franchises still made Sayrike's eyes widen just a fraction with awe. Riku was a real person here. He had thoughts and feelings and...existence. Life. More characters filed in, and Sayrike had to stop herself from staring too long at each one of them. She remembered having a similar moment back when she first joined this group, though the experience had been much more potent then than these little twinges now. She had to wonder, though--whatever magic or deity or quirk of fate had brought them together...in this strange place where worlds intersected, a place of magic and battles with gods, who were the true "characters," and who were the "people"? Before she delved too far into the identity crisis, though, she felt a memory slowly surface that put her mind at ease.
Hm. Guess you can find good advice anywhere, even from a doctor.
Snapping out of her short reverie, she rejoined the topic about the day's events. "Yeah, I don't mind participating! Seems kind of fun. It'd be nice to see how far I can go. But I haven't picked out a god yet...I'm thinking either Artemis or Hermes. How about you? Are you gonna watch?" she asked Riku. She carried on conversation normally, though the memory still echoed in her mind.
We're all stories, in the end.
She hoped to make hers a good one.
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:51 pm
[Dani :~: Disney :~: Throne Hall]
Dani let out a very audible groan at Nicholas’ announcement. “Oh dear god if he is announcing, there will be confetti everywhere with glitter. Whatever shall we do? Also Nich your face will be fine. Just put some polish or clown makeup on and it should be fine.”
Otherwise, Dani said nothing much about whether or not she was participating. “Sometimes it is better to not show your hand. Not yet,” Dani thought as she took a sip of her milk.
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:01 pm
[ Luke : Disney Castle : Castle Halls ]
The Animist fell into the expectant grasp of his friend, catching himself just slightly by smacking one of his socked feet onto the floor and exerting what little muscle he was willing to use at "Ugh in the Morning", so that Feather wouldn't have to completely catch his 200-ish pounds of pajama'd sleepiness all on their own. Once he was standing level on his feet again and they were on their way to the dining... er, throne room, he let out an intentional "Mmmmm" and nodded at their suggestion.
"Panaffle Toast," he said, pronouncing the second A as a hard A, laughing internally at his obsessive brain nagging at him that "waffle" did not sound like that and thus this hybrid word shouldn't either. "Sounds like it tastes gorgeous. Especially if there's butter. We can make a Panaffle Toast fort. Or castle. And yeah, to each their own. I still think eggs are the sustenance of the gods, but that's just me. Especially when Genie makes 'em."
He cackled loudly at Feather's shouting, nudging the area just below his ear with his knuckle. He patted his friend's back and rose up to his full stature, signaling that he was ready to walk completely on his own. He knew the yelling had been aimed at Kyla, but he was pretty sure whoever hadn't been awake would be at this point. Maybe not the best alarm clock, but it was the perfect cure for his grogginess at that moment. Coffee and dairy products would still be appreciated in the long run, but it worked for now. Besides, he was used to Feather's Featherness by now, and he was sure everyone else was as well, just as he was sure they were used to his... Bansheeness.
"Fern, don't ever be anything but yourself," he said, turning his head to give them a cheesy, genuine smile. Of course, that put a song in his head, because pretty much everything put a song in his head.
Don't be anything~
Don't be anything but okay~
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Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 2:40 am
{Kyla: Disney Castle: Castle Halls}
It didn’t take too long for her to catch up with two figured ahead of her on route to the Throne hall. Feather and Luke.
“Good Morning-” she piped in a sing song voice, quickly scurrying faster to catch up with them. Luke seemed to still be in his pajamas which she found adorable and chuckled at. “Nice pattern. Did you sleep well?”
Kyla was beaming from ear to ear at the two of them, a calm yet complete smile. Carbuncle, having jumped to the floor padded along beside them, bouncing between their feet- just shy of getting it’s fluffy tail stepped on, but that was all part of the p[playfulness her summon had.
“I can hardly believe todays the big day… I feel like having something special for breakfast, I wonder what our choices will be.” Thought she yawned, Kyla didn’t feel too sleepy. Despite waking early she felt rested.
"Finally the fish are out of the fish tank! We are going into open water!~" the summon hyped, tail all a fluff and wagging expectantly at they approached the Throne Hall doors.
"Smells like the rest are inside."
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Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 2:08 pm
[ Narration : Onward to the Olympics ]
Once everyone had gathered and eaten, they were accompanied by Yen Sid and Merlin to a different (though still familiar) airship: the Fahrenheit. It was a comfortable journey to Thebes under the piloting of the Al-Bhed leader Cid, taking only a few hours, during which the party had time to relax, socialize, and prepare.
As they neared the Greek city, though, they may have been awestruck; there were countless other cultures also present, with a variety of airships or other modes of transportation. Though Mount Olympus was easily visible in the distance, the largest temple in town (overlooking the site of the games) was radiant and veiled in gossamer-like clouds--evidence, one might guess, of the Olympians' presence in the city.
Landing just outside the city (as the ancient Greeks did not exactly have an airship hangar...), they would have made their way into town, and some would have immediately realized there was a sort of magical veil in place: all forms of divination, or information gathering, magic were blocked. Those with passive abilities that did such felt somewhat stifled at first, but quickly adjusted. Those with active versions simply found that activating them did... nothing.
The heroes were mostly regarded with excitement as "more potential competitors". However, as they neared the coliseum proper to get a better grasp of the situation, none other than Hermes appeared, announcing their presence--and associated deeds--to the locals, all with great cheer (especially once their connection to Sora was made clear). They were guests of honor, invited by the gods due to news of their trials and the vouching of Hercules for Sora's taste in allies.
The pressure was on, it seemed, before they'd even signed up. Still, it was nothing like the parade some days prior--after the brief cheers and shouts and waves, most simply went on their way, preparing for the games themselves.
In doing the same, the heroes learned the following information:
Divination magic was blocked across the city to prevent competitors getting some unique edge over their opponents outside of the games.
There were to be many different competitions, from races to wrestling, from archery to pole-vaulting.
Excepting themselves, all others intending to participate had to pass preliminary tests of skill. As such, all official competitors were considered experts in their abilities.
The tournament would be double-elimination; all contestants would effectively have two chances. On their first loss, they would drop into the Loser's Bracket. If they proceeded to win the rest of their rounds, they could still compete in the finals; otherwise, on their next loss, they would be out entirely.
Most of the battles of each round would be taking place simultaneously, so as to more quickly push through the vast number of necessary battles. There were multiple arenas set up for this as a result. Those who entered did not have to participate in every event--only those they personally desired.
In registering to take part of any bit of the competition, each individual needed to pledge themselves to one of the gods. Participating in any event would then generate favor with the chosen god for representing them; doing well would generate more favor. The greater one's favor at the end of the Olympics, the greater the potential reward from the chosen god.
The pledge-accepting gods were as follows:
ZeusHeraPoseidonHadesApolloAthenaAresArtemisHephaestusAphroditeDionysusDemeterHermesHestiaCupidIrisMorpheusNikePersephone(and some others as requested)
They would find that the games themselves would not be starting until sometime after lunch, in the next couple hours. The preliminaries were still going on with some last-minute attendees. As such, they had some time to kill and explore the area.
In the center of the action, of course, was the greatly-revamped Coliseum, where the preliminaries were being held. Now set with multiple arenas, as well as areas of track and field, it would be packed for days to come.
Surrounding the Coliseum were hundreds of small market stalls, a make-shift collage of a marketplace having sprung up due to the vast influx of visitors and cultures. There were curiosities and wares of all kinds, from food to goods.
On the nearby hill stood the Temple of Zeus, where the gods themselves resided until it came time to watch the games. As this was a celebration of Zeus and his kin, the gods had come down to mingle with the 'little folk' to bolster communication and reverence.
The city was filled with that and more, a lively place even compared to the bustling Disney.
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