Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
at adventu, we believe that colorful story and plots far outweigh the need for a battle system. rp should be about the writing, the fun, and the creativity. you will see that the only system on our site is the encouragement to create amazing adventures with other members. welcome to adventu... how will you arrive?
year 5, quarter 3
Welcome one and all to our beautiful new skin! This marks the visual era of Adventu 4.0, our 4th and by far best design we've had. 3.0 suited our needs for a very long time, but as things are evolving around the site (and all for the better thanks to all of you), it was time for a new, sleek change. The Resource Site celebrity Pharaoh Leep was the amazing mastermind behind this with minor collaborations from your resident moogle. It's one-of-a-kind and suited specifically for Adventu. Click the image for a super easy new skin guide for a visual tour!
Final Fantasy Adventu is a roleplaying forum inspired by the Final Fantasy series. Images on the site are edited by KUPO of FF:A with all source material belonging to their respective artists (i.e. Square Enix, Pixiv Fantasia, etc). The board lyrics are from the Final Fantasy song "Otherworld" composed by Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by The Black Mages II.
The current skin was made by Pharaoh Leap of Pixel Perfect. Outside of that, individual posts and characters belong to their creators, and we claim no ownership to what which is not ours. Thank you for stopping by.
Post by Midadol Telamon on Jul 23, 2023 7:39:16 GMT -6
"Still busy savin' the world, then?"
Engineering Prodigy
Mid had theories. Of course she did. The new world in which she found herself had clear similarities with her own. Gil was still a currency, there were still crystals, magic spells had similar names, weapons and technology seemed similar, although she had to admit, there was some impressive engineering in the town she had learned was called Torensten. Actual airships! Of course, airships had existed in the past, but as magical constructs of the Fallen. Not like here. Somehow, the idea that airships existed and yet the world hadn't dipped into war was incredibly comforting for her. Maybe she had been rash in her plan to bury her plans...
But fascination at the airship technology aside, the question of what had actually happened lingered. Ultima's plan still rang in her head. Ultima was a God, and Mid hated magic, mostly because it was difficult to quantify. With engineering, you knew what every part could do, and if you didn't, you'd find out, but with this? Who knew what Ultima was capable of? His plan had been to create a new world, devoid of humans, right? Had the plan gone wrong, but had he carried it out anyway? Was this that new world? She had thought Clive stopped him. She had seen Origin destroyed.
And yet, here she was. In a whole new world.
Of course, there was a hole in her hypothesis. And that was that not only was nobody else from the hideaway present, but nobody here seemed to have ever heard of Valisthea, or Bearers, or anything that was familiar to Mid. That suggested this new world was already populated. Was it possible? A lot of astrologers had theorised that the stars in the sky could be home to other worlds. Could it be that Ultima had picked another world that was already populated? But if that was true, where was Ultima?
Of course, the questions weren't actually her first priority. Mid realised that for someone who had spent her entire life as the daughter of an outlaw, she wasn't actually very survival minded. The Hideaway had always been her home, and then the University. She had never really had to fend for herself. She was the engineer; she had other people to do things like gather food and money and fight. But here, she was entirely alone. She could solve the great mystery of the cosmos that had happened later. Her first priority should be securing food. And lodgings. Even geniuses needed to eat and sleep. Sometimes.
Then there was a question of how to find somewhere to stay and earn gil. Being a genius was all very well and good, but it didn't help when your only credentials was that you had studied at the University of Kanver which didn't exist in this world. However, Mid wouldn't be Mid if she couldn't talk anyone into anything. She just had to find a place worthy of her talents.
And that was how she'd heard about the Dragonblades. She wasn't crazy about the idea of hiring herself out to a mercenary army, but at the same time, it was an option. They seemed a pretty decent sort. They didn't fight for any government and weren't involved in any wars. They'd do for now. Besides, Mid didn't have to give them the good stuff. Although she had knocked something up to demonstrate what she could do.
And so, she strode confidently into the Dragonblade headquarters, taking it in and looking for someone. "Heyup, anybody about?" she called out into the room. "Figurin' I could lend you lot a hand," she said loudly. "If you're interested in a genius, that is..."
[attr=class,bulk] It was three o’clock in the afternoon, and Celes was already exhausted.
She was exhausted most days, really, be it in Provo or Torensten or anywhere in between. For now, she was back in her usual city, suffering in the heat of the tropical climate in summer. Caius had fitted the Wyvern’s Rest with some kind of magic crystals in her absence which kept the building itself quite cool, but the training yard was quite the different story. When it wasn’t blazingly hot, it was dreadfully humid, and that was when it wasn’t both at once. The magic in her blood wasn’t made for this kind of weather, and it made her miserable, tired, and irritable all at once.
This was rather unfortunate for the recruits under her command.
It seemed that Caius had not gone quite as soft on them as she’d expected, but her return did prompt quite the round of muttered complaints. She worked those would-be mercenaries the hardest. The ones with more discipline, the ones that stood up straight at her arrival and worked their very best to prove they were worth more dangerous and high paying missions she largely left unbothered except to oversee their forms, drills, and sparring. None of Torensten’s native mercenaries were on par with those who came from off world, but they were doing better. They had improved, and though Celes might have been hot, sweaty, and splattered with the mud of a recent bout of rain, she was none the less satisfied.
In those particular men at least.
The others tested her patience on a daily basis. And each day she wrote in their files notes of complaint. Those who had glowing reviews from Caius she judged even harder. There was no self-discipline in listening only to the words of a hero, after all. Caius was the savior of Torensten from the Kraken’s wrath. He was quite easy to admire and to follow. If those same men refused to extend the same respect to her…
Well, they wouldn’t last long now that Caius was gone, would they?
Celes was reviewing those files after a long morning in the training yard when she heard the doors to the front burst open and an unfamiliar voice call out in an accent that she didn’t recognize. ”Heyup, anybody about? Figurin’ I could lend you lot a hand. If you’re interested in a genius, that is.”
Oh gods, this sounded like Yuffie all over again.
Still, Celes was nothing if not professional. Seeing as this was Tomoe’s day off, she took a breath, stored her files away, and started towards the entrance. It occurred to her that she probably should have bathed once she’d finished in the training yard. Her hair was still swept back, slick with sweat and tangled from her sparring. Her yellow jacket and pants were, likewise, dotted with old sweat and the bottom of her boots were caked with dried mud. Her appearance didn’t exactly make a great first impression on any clients or potential recruits that might come her way while she was, theoretically, on welcome duty.
”Can I help you?” she asked as she rounded the corner to greet the mysterious young woman who had come through their doors. Said woman was quite practically dressed in high boots, gloves, and a scarf around her neck. Her hair was nearly as long as she was tall, but she kept it neatly braided behind her, kept in place by several pieces of cloth tied around it at regular intervals. Her eyes were bright with enthusiasm.
”I’m Celes Chere. Co-founder of the Dragonblades. Sorry for the wait. Our receptionist is currently on leave.” She made her way to the desk, choosing to stand beside it rather than sit. ”Are you here to sell us something?”
The last thing she needed today was the speech of a solicitor.
Post by Midadol Telamon on Jul 25, 2023 8:47:22 GMT -6
"Still busy savin' the world, then?"
Engineering Prodigy
The place clearly had staffing issues, which was understandable. Mid supposed that when your primary export was 'men with swords who would charge at blood thirsty monsters' staff retention was probably an issue. In the meantime, her eyes wondered around the building. It was cooler than the outside, but a quick glance told her that this wasn't achieved by any mechanical skill. No, instead, it seemed to be magic. Mid frowned. Relying on magic. That was how Velasthia had gone to shit so quickly. Doing it here as well? Clearly, these people needed a Cid to nudge them in the right direction. But since her Dad and Clive weren't available, and Cid didn't really suit her as a name, she supposed a Mid would have to do instead.
"Y'know, rig up some bells in the back there, wherever you were, few ropes and pullies, put a ringer here, be dead easy to make a simple bell system. Person arrives at the front desk, rings the bell, and you out back know they're there. No yellin' required. Happy to knock somethin' like that up for you, if you want," Mid said, already distracted by her first idea for the place.
And then it occurred to her that the woman had introduced herself, and she should introduce herself back.
"Oh, sorry. Name's Midadol. Everyone calls me Mid, though. And actually, I were thinkin' that I could help you, instead," she offered. "I guess, kinda?" she replied when Celes asked if she was there to sell her something. "Look, I'm gonna level with you. 'cause from askin' around, this happens a lot. This ain't my world. Not even close. An' I got no idea how I ended up here. Which is weird, 'cause usually, I'm the one who knows what's goin' on. Or at least, I got a vague idea. This time though? Not a clue," she admitted with a shrug.
And then she realised she'd gotten sidetracked.
"Sorry, what were I sayin'? Right, yeah, sellin' you somethin'. I mean, kinda. I'm here to sell my services. See, from what I 'eard, you're about the only force for good 'round these parts. Doin' what you can to help all this lot," she waved a vague arm at the town outside. "An' I know 'ow it looks, you're probably thinkin' all, like, 'who jus' turns up and tells you they're a genius? This girl soft in the head or somethin'?' But I am. Can build anythin', me. I mean, sometimes, takes me a few tries, but I get there in the end. Can't rush genius. An' you guys seem to have plenty of people with swords willin' to hit stuff for you, but imagine how much better you could be with a little more invention on your side?" Mid was aware that she was rambling again. Which happened often. So she paused, and took a breath.
"Look, let's cut to the chase. What I'm sayin' is, give me a roof over me head, somethin' to eat so I don't, y'know, starve an' die, an' I can whip up whatever your organisation needs to keep your people safe," she explained. "Gimme a workshop, an' I can do even better than that. 'Ere, look, lemme demonstrate. You got a crossbow round here or somethin'?" she asked, reaching behind her to pull out of a satchel a small device she had already put together experimentally.
[attr=class,bulk] The first thing the girl offered wasn’t an introduction, but a suggestion.
Celes saw the way the girl’s eyes lit up even more, glancing about the room as though in constant motion with the machination of her eyes. The way she spoke, as though she could hardly keep up with her own flurry of ideas, reminded her quite a bit of Edgar, and Celes could help a smile. It had helped her mood some to be back inside where the air was cool and she didn’t have to deal with fool-hardy men all day. Now this…
This girl would most certainly have the mind to create something as ridiculous as the bio-blaster.
”A bell system,” she repeated thoughtfully. ”That isn’t a bad idea,” and she meant it. Why something like that hadn’t occurred to her before was almost astounding, but then, Celes’ own genius came in strategy and a sword. Everyone had their talents, and while they sometimes overlapped with the fight at hand, they were all valuable in their own way.
Only after the girl had offered Celes her first idea for the Wyvern’s Rest did she finally introduce herself as Midadol. Mid for short. She also explained that she wasn’t native to Zephon and had no idea what had happened to lead her here.
’You and me both.’
Celes would have stopped her right there to give her usual explanation (or ’The Zephon Training Course’ as she and Caius jokingly called it), but it seemed that whenever Mid got going, it was hard for her to stop. She had a proposal. A rather simple proposal, really, that Celes would have been a fool to pass up assuming the girl was anywhere near as good an engineer as Edgar had been, and as she was willing to back up her claim, Celes had no real reason to doubt that she was.
”A crossbow? We don’t, but did you mean to turn it automatic?” This was not her area of expertise, and Celes heard the own uncertainty in her voice. Thank the Goddesses that she’d listened to Edgar’s ideas every now and then. Enough to repeat them at least.
”You’ve really thought this through,” she added before giving a slight shake of her head. ”If you’re lost, you don’t need to offer us anything for that. Caius and I, the leadership here, we were both in the same position as you. It’s hard, waking up and having no idea where you’ve gotten to. We have two missions at the Dragonblades. The first is to train the city’s forces to ready for disaster and to respond to it ourselves. The second is to help people like us. Like you.”
She opened up a drawer in the desk and started rummaging inside. This really would be easier if…
Where had Caius put them, anyway?
”One moment. I think this might help if I could only…find it...”
After another minute of shifting through papers, she finally did. It wasn’t exactly the most prolific of work. They’d been on a budget when they’d had the small booklets bound together. They were each only a few pages long, but they’d both thought it worth the effort considering how much time it might save.
”Here it is. Though I can answer any questions if you have them,” she said, handing over what they had taken to calling their personal brochure, a copy of ‘So You’ve Been Transported to Zephon.’ The title had been Caius’ idea. Celes had found it hilarious.
”Inside, you’ll find a map as well as our theories, some advice on getting started, and a list of people we’ve met in case you’re looking for someone. Or trying to avoid them.”
To a scientifically minded girl such as herself, she hoped the booklet would be more useful than her usual speech. Celes was tired of giving it.
”As for your inventions, we’d love to have them. The bell idea was brilliant on its own.” She smiled at the girl, a little warmer this time. ”And of course we’d pay you in gil. We’re a tad tight at the moment, but if you have something worth implementing then it’s worth getting paid for. How else are you going to get back on your feet?”
Post by Midadol Telamon on Jul 26, 2023 9:48:19 GMT -6
"Still busy savin' the world, then?"
Engineering Prodigy
Mid just gave Celes a quizzical look when she told her that her bell suggesting wasn't a 'bad idea'. "'course it's not a bad idea. Look who gave it to you," she said jovially, playfully putting her fist to Celes's shoulder. Okay, so maybe she wasn't quite used to having to prove herself again. Most people already knew what she was capable of. Even if sometimes she had to sell them on her wilder ideas.
"Turn it automatic?" she repeated to Celes's suggestion regarding the crossbow. "Nah, I weren't gonna suggest that. I mean, to do that, you'd need some kinda automated cog system, probably built usin' elastic to carry tension an' linked into the trigger an- 'Ere, hang about a mo..." Mid said, as the idea that she hadn't been thinking about took over. She glanced around, and rushed over to the desk, where she found a scrap of paper with some kind of information on it. She flipped it over, and fished a pencil out from behind her ear, and quickly began sketching. A few moments later, she had a rough design for a potential automatic crossbow sketched out. "There we go. That oughta do it. 'course, I'd need a couple of things for the prototype..." she said, showing the paper to Celes. And then glancing down at the paper again, and reconsidering. An automated crossbow. That was quite the weapon. Rapid fire. It could mow down people quickly. In the wrong hands...
For a moment, she saw her Dad in front of her. Cid. He'd probably have liked the idea. Said it would have evened the odds. But it only evened the odds if it was in the hands of the right people. And she didn't know these Dragonblades yet. And even then, what if it got out?
"Actually, nevermind, not quite there yet," she said, glancing down at the sketch, and then screwing it up and thrusting it into her pocket. "Nevermind, eh?" she added. "Anyway, that weren't what I was gonna say. I built this," she reached back into her satchel, and produced... what looked like a potion tied to a lemon strapped together with various pieces of copper wire, haning in a metal case. "See, idea behind this is the lemon produces an electrical charge, like the type you'd get from a crystal producin' lightning, an' it magnetised the metal casing. Someone fires a crossbow bolt at you, an' it picks up the metal bolt, an' pulls the bolt right into the device, which in turn smashes the potion bottle. Not only does it reduce the impact from the bolt, but covers any potential injury in a curin' liquid too. Sure, really, you gotta drink the stuff for it to be really effective, but it should cover up the slight bruise from the impact. An' there you have it. Someone shoots you, an' you're basically immune, if you got one of these strapped to yer chest," Mid explained. "'Course, there's some drawbacks. It only works once, so you'd have to carry a whole bunch of 'em to be safe for a long time. An', well, you need fresh lemons each time, which, I guess, at least, keeps your armour smellin' lemony fresh, yeah? But it's only a prototype I knocked up with no money an' no idea where I am to show you what I can do, so, gimme a bit of time, an' I'm sure I can fix those problems." Mid had no idea how. But, well, half of engineering was figuring it out as you went, right?
Mid was, at least, a little surprised by the pamphlet. She took it, and looked over it. "Wow. I were thinkin' you'd be prepared for this kinda thing, but that takes the biscuit," she remarked, as she looked over it. "Honestly, it ain't the gil I'm interested in. I mean, it'd be nice n' all, but I weren't never paid nowt back home. Did it for the love of doin' it. An' 'cause I believed in the cause. That's why I'm here, and not sellin' my skills to the nearest bunch of shiny knights or whoever's in power. I learned what I learned to help people, not to hurt 'em. Me Dad you see, back home, he-" she hesitated for a moment, not particularly wanting to touch upon any actual, real emotion. "Well, he ran this organisation. To help the people who weren't gettin' none from the people in power. Gave up a lot to do it too. An' that's where I were raised. What I believe in. So, if you'll 'ave me, bein' with you is where I wanna be," she finally explained.
"So, we good then? You got a place I can stay, an' maybe work too? I mean, I'm a genius, but even I can't build stuff outta thin air. I'm gonna need some materials, an' somewhere to cobble 'em together. Don't have to be nowt fancy, just a table somewhere will do at first," Probably best not to demand a workshop out of the gate, Mid thought. "An' maybe I can borrow some of your strapping Dragonblade fellas to round up some materials fer me. Used to send me Dad's mate, Clive, to get all me bits, but he in't here now, so, guess I gotta get someone else to do it," she said with a smirk.
[attr=class,bulk] As it turned out, Mid hadn’t meant to turn a crossbow automatic which was all that Celes knew could be done with a crossbow, engineering-wise. But the girl’s head seemed to whir into motion at the suggestion as she grabbed a job request form off the desk, turned it over, and started immediately to sketch.
The gears in the girl’s head were already in motion, and Celes’ weak protests that they had other paper could stop them. To Celes’ surprise, Mid was talking almost exactly the same as Edgar did whenever someone wasn’t around to stop him from bragging about every feature of his inventions with loving detail. When Mid finished her sketch, it was…more or less exactly what she’d seen in Edgar’s hands a hundred times.
”Oh,” was all she could manage, staring at the sketch in surprise before Mid suddenly changed her mind, crossed out the image, and crumpled the paper into her pocket. ”Wait! I needed…that…”
Too late. The girl was already onto her next idea.
A feeling of dread crept over her. She would be working with Mid soon, she had no doubts about that. Even as the girl went onto her real intentions which involved some ridiculous contraptions with a potion and a lemon, she’d already proved herself in Celes’ eyes. That auto-crossbow design had been instantaneous, improvised, and as far as Celes was aware, more or less correct. It didn’t matter if she drafted something silly every now and then, it was clear to anyone with eyes that despite the girl’s bravado, she was in fact something of a genius.
She’d be a fool not to hire her. Which was exactly where the dread came in.
Celes could already tell that this girl was a whirlwind, and soon, she’d be her responsibility.
She seemed grateful, at least, as Celes offered her the informational pamphlet. Or was she more impressed? Either way, she was quite nice about it, and even nicer when she explained her motivation. Celes couldn’t help but smile.
”Your father sounds like a lovely man,” she said because it was true. Starting an organization just to help people and then raising his daughter to do the same without any expectation of repayment? Celes didn’t know much about parenting, but whoever this man was, he seemed to have done quite the job at it.
”Of course, we’ll have you,” she said. ”We could use the help of a genius around here.” She shook her head, trying not to smile. ”We have rooms upstairs. They’re not much, but you’re free to use them if you need somewhere to stay. You can use Caius’ workbench for now. He’s always tinkering with his weapons and whatnot so I imagine it must be stocked with something. I’ll show you when you’re ready.”
She didn’t know how Caius would feel about someone else using his toolboxes. She imagined he wouldn’t care one way or the other so long as some good came from it, but it still wasn’t quite Celes’ to offer.
Oh well. What’s done was done.
”Just make a list of anything you need, and I’ll send some of the newer recruits out to find it. They could use some discipline anyway.” Now wasn’t that an idea? Instead of insisting on push-ups or whatever else when a man misbehaved, the punishment would be a shopping trip on the whims of a plucky inventor. That sounded much more effective.
”We’ll pay you for every invention you offer us. Think of it as contract work. Between that, you’re welcome to stay here. We’ll have to budget for any parts you might need – anything beyond that will have to come out of your pocket unfortunately – but I think it would be worth our investment.”
Celes didn’t know why, but she felt an almost instinctive fondness for the girl in front of her. Despite Mid’s apparent arrogance, her whirlwind of a mind, and a tongue that seemed to never stop wagging, there was something about her that Celes simply liked. Maybe it was her resemblance to Edgar. Maybe Celes simply liked to see a strong-willed, principled young woman.
Post by Midadol Telamon on Jul 28, 2023 6:24:30 GMT -6
"Still busy savin' the world, then?"
Engineering Prodigy
Unfortunately for Mid, it seemed that Celes had enough of a technical mind herself to recognise that Mid's drawing had been pretty much on the money for what an automatic crossbow would need to work, before she could destroy it. She hesitated for a moment, and then let out a slight sigh. "Okay, look, I'm gonna tell you this once, then you promise me we never talk about it again, alright?" she said, because she didn't really like showing her emotions, OR discussing her history. Especially with a stranger. "Before me Dad adopted me, me other parents, me Mum and me Dad, they both died in this pointless war. Jus' idiots in power fightin' over bits of land on a map. Don't even know why. It's like they jus' looked at the world, and went, 'that ain't mine an' I want it', so they went out an' they killed people 'til they had it. Includin' me Mum and me Dad. And, the thing is, some of of this stuff..." She took the paper back out, and unfolded it, looking at the crumpled design. "Look, I wouldn't be 'ere if I din't put my faith in you, that you'll do the right thing. But it in't just 'bout you. I make this for you, an' just one of your guys gets killed or loses it, an' it falls into the wrong hands, an' the next time some uppity King decides he likes someone else's land an' wants it, all those people's Mums and Dads? They're gonna get killed with a weapon I designed. Somethin' I put in the hands of those people," she explained.
Then she gave a small nod of conviction.
"I'll make you whatever I can to make your job easier. Things for healin' people, ways to get clean water, that bell I were on about, but I don't wanna do weapons. Just... in't for me," she said simply, her tone still pretty casual, even light, hiding how she really felt. "I even made a ship once! I mean, I din't make the hull or nowt, but I gave it an engine like nobody had ever seen. Was heck of a thing. But even that... Keeps me awake, sometimes, thinkin' 'bout what woulda happened if the wrong person got a hold of it," she said.
Mid laughed a little when Celes commented on her father being a 'lovely man'. "He were a right git, half the time. An' also the best person I ever knew. Always had summin' to say, never took nowt seriously on the outside, but, deep down, he cared more 'bout people an' the world than anyone I ever met. Only Clive ever came close, even took his name after me Dad died, to try n' live up to his legacy. Funny thing is he did in the end. Mostly. Clive got the whole 'savin' the world' thing down perfect. Never quite got me Dad's sense of humour though. No matter how 'ard I tried to get 'im to pick it up off me," she smiled slightly at that. Now Clive was gone too. Just another in the long list of dead father figures...
"Suits me fine," Mid nodded to the room, and the workbench. A far cry from her 'dungeon' back in the hideaway, but it'd do for now. And once she'd proven herself, maybe she could talk them into building more of a workshop. "I can get started on that bell, first," she said. An easy project, but worth putting together. "You got a blacksmith? Probably need some metal parts knockin' together. I'm an engineer, but I don't do the metal work. I make the plans then put it all together when it's ready, mostly," she explained. She figured, just like the Hideaway, they must have their own blacksmith for weapons. Hopefully, a less grumpy one, and one less likely to distract Clive by moping about things all the time.
[attr=class,bulk] It was strange, hearing the girl open up to her when they’d only just met. It made Mid feel both younger and older than she’d assumed. She was mature enough to tell what needed to be told, but young enough for an instant kind of vulnerability.
A vulnerability that Celes, unusually, understood.
”No, that’s…” she paused, looking for the right word. ”I was a war orphan myself, actually.” How could she say it so casually? Perhaps because she didn’t remember that part of her life. Perhaps because it had so little relevance to her despite it being the catalyst of her entire life. ”The empire – that’s the Geystahlian Empire, I know there are several in other worlds – took me and what must have been several others and experimented on us with magic. My procedures were successful and so I was raised as their soldier.” She paused. Did this really have the relevance to Mid’s life that she thought it did? Or was she merely taking the chance at vulnerability for herself?
”Power breeds war. It’s something we’d all be better off without,” she said, repeating those fateful words she’d told her emperor. Before Kefka had seen that war was the least of their problems. ”I joined the rebellion. I tried to stop all of the conquest that I’d once been a part of. I understand.”
Or she hoped she did. She hoped that Mid, this plucky young inventor, would believe her.
”You make whatever you see fit to make. I’m sure it will be a great help either way. Not everything has to be about fighting, you know.”
Fighting was all she knew. Either for the empire or against it. Fighting monsters in a barren waste or standing off against a god. That’s why she had no real interest in returning to the ruined world she’d left behind. That world needed more people like Mid. The kind that could think of ways to rebuild and help people without wielding a sword. They no longer needed a soldier to defend them, and that was all Celes had ever been good for.
The more that Mid spoke, the more that Celes liked her. They’d only just met. She couldn’t exactly call them friends, but she could see it happening in time. Celes gave the girl a warm smile as she spoke of her late, adopted father. There was love there even as the girl insulted him. Celes couldn’t say she wasn’t a little jealous, really, but such was the life of an orphan. Some were taken in by kind men who did their best for the world and the child they raised inside it. Some were stolen away by a conquering empire and turned into weapons of war.
She was glad that Mid had been one of the fortunate few.
”I’m sorry. We don’t,” Celes said with a shake of her head, ”There are plenty of blacksmiths in the city, however. We have a few that we work with. I could point you in their direction.”
She wondered briefly what kind of operation Mid’s father had been running to have his own blacksmith, but that was irrelevant. She had the feeling that his rebellion might have been a tad better organized than the Returners.
”I’ll let you know if we think of anything we need here. There might even be some projects around the city that could use your help. That is what we’re trying to do, after all. Help people.”
Post by Midadol Telamon on Jul 28, 2023 12:16:09 GMT -6
"Still busy savin' the world, then?"
Engineering Prodigy
Mid looked a little solemn as Celes told her about her own history. A 'war orphan' wasn't a phrase Mid had ever thought to use, but it was disturbingly accurate. But moreover, it was her description of what had happened to her. She'd never heard of the Empire she mentioned, but Mid had already come to terms with the idea that people hadn't come to Zephron from her world alone (besides, it was like, question one in the Pamphlet she could see), but it was somehow disheartening to hear that the same kind of Imperial might existed everywhere. "See, that's my point, right?" she said after a moment, channelling a chipper energy into her words to hide her sadness. "We had same in our world. I mean, from what I can tell, magic works differently here, and I'm guessin' everywhere, but in our world, people born with magic, we called 'em Bearers, and they were just fodder to be used. Experimented on, messed with, used like slaves. Don't matter which world you go to or how far you run. There's always people willin' to treat others like cattle. Sometimes, I wonder if me Dad was crazy, dreamin' of changin' that. Dreamin' of a better world. Like it was ever gonna happen. There's always gonna be someone wantin' to be an Empire. Someone wantin' to use others. To hurt 'em," Mid said, before pausing, and contemplating what she had just said.
"Sorry, though. That you went through that, I mean," she said after a moment. "Dunno if this means nowt to you, but, I think me Dad woulda liked you. You n' him, you sound pretty similar. He was jus' a weapon for his army too. I mean, got his money's worth out of it. Promoted to Lord Commander, they looked up to 'im, but only 'cause of his power. An' then he realised how wrong it all was too, an' ran away. Formed the Resistance, tried to fight back. Make a world where Bearers could be free, be equals, to pick n' choose their own life. Sounds like you did similar. He'd of really liked you..." she repeated the point about liking her, smiling a little sadly at the thought.
And then her chipper smile was back.
"Wouldn't show it though. Never do, us Telamons. We start insultin' you, that's how you know we like you," she said playfully, with a teasing grin. "For example, you be offended if I suggested the first thing I invent for you lot is a shower?" she teased, looking over Celes's filthy, muddy, sweaty appearance. Although maybe that would be good for them. Most places didn't really think about running water. It was one of Mid's preferred innovations.
"And I 'ppreciate it, by the way. Not havin' to make weapons," she added. "And don't go 'spectin' me to swing a sword 'bout neither! Fightin' never were my scene," she said with a quick point for emphasis.
"Huh. We always 'ad our own blacksmith, back in the Hideaway. But no biggie. Looks like a big town out there. I'm sure I can find someone. Maybe even introduce them to a few of me Dad's inventions for blacksmithing, might get 'em to knock a few gil off our orders then," she suggested, with her usual enthusiasm and optimism. "Need someone to make the bell, for starters..."
"Sure. Here to help. 'til I figure a way back 'ome, I figure it's the least I can do," she nodded. "An' that's if I got a home to go back to. Pretty fuzzy on that. Was kinda an 'end of the world' thing before I came here," she explained.
[attr=class,bulk] Celes listened to Mid’s argument though really it was less of an argument when Celes whole-heartedly agreed. Mid’s world had been overcome with just as much war as Celes’. Mid’s father had fought to put an end to all the injustice, and that was the world in which she had been raised.
Celes wondered what world they could have created if it hadn’t been for Kefka and his suicidal disturbance of the forces of magic itself. She wondered if the Returners would have stayed as they were, fighting ever against the empire, gaining more and more legitimacy until they too could have raised children into the fight. Or perhaps the empire would have disbanded them all and stomped them out with a fleet of magitech mechs. Both seemed like just as likely of outcomes.
She wondered who would have taken leadership in such a scenario. Edgar, most likely. He had the most legitimacy as the king of Figaro, and his experiences had granted him a great deal of charisma. Celes, on the other hand, had been nothing but a soldier for the cause and a flighty one at that. At least until the world as they knew it had ended.
It gave her some small comfort to hear that Mid’s hero of a father had once been a general not so unlike herself. It was Celes’ belief that almost anyone could change. It was something she had to believe if she was to continue living with herself.
”I think I would have liked him too,” she said simply with a warmth she wasn’t used to. There were few who could understand her life, her goals, her complications. It sounded as though Mid had been raised by one of the few men who could.
Celes laughed at Mid’s suggestion that she add a shower to the Wyvern’s Rest. Honestly, Celes wouldn’t have minded in the slightest. ”I only just got done training the recruits when you came along,” she said, feeling suddenly self-conscious of her disheveled appearance again. ”And it’s hot out there. Normally, I don’t mind, but normally I’m not the one running the front desk anymore.”
That was quite the distinction, honestly. A soldier could very well be as disheveled as she pleased, but a secretary? Much less so.
Celes listened as Mid went on about her unwillingness to fight which was quite unsurprising and then exactly what she would need from a blacksmith. She agreed to help the Dragonblades and the city at large until she could get home which was also expected until she quite casually dropped that she might not have a home to go back to.
”The end of the world?” Celes repeated, blinking in surprise. It wasn’t that the story was new by any means, but…
”Well. My world ended, and I’m quite happy to have a new one if I’m being honest. Perhaps you’ll run into an old friend who can shed some light. No matter the case, I’d keep your hopes low. As far as I’m aware, no one’s found a way back yet. It won’t do to keep from settling in because you have your hopes caught in something that might not even be possible.”
They were, perhaps, too harsh of words for a girl so full of optimism, but they were realistic words. They were exactly what Celes had needed to hear over three years ago.
”Oh, on the subject, I have another question to ask.” Celes rifled through the desk drawers until she found a blank piece of paper and set it in front of her. ”Is there anyone in particular that you’d like us to look out for? In case they arrive on their own, I mean. And what was the name of your world, again?”
