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!
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Post by Oren McGinnis on Aug 16, 2024 23:31:17 GMT -6
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JUST KILLING TIME...
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[attr="class","nikki101"]I BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THIS TRULY MATTERS...
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[attr="class","nikki102"]WELL, THAT'S WHAT I TELL MYSELF ANYWAYS...
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[attr="class","nikki109"]Oren's eyes continued to gaze around the courtyard for signs of... Anything peculiar, though nothing immediately stood out to him. It honestly seemed an innocent enough celebration currently, though he supposed the 'main event' hadn't actually begun yet so there was still time for something a little more... Interesting to unveil itself. Even then, Oren still doubted that he would uncover some grand truth about Zephon and/or why he might've been summoned to this damned place... Yet, try he would anyways in the unlikely event that he DID learn something new. Maybe there was some reason why he was here... Or something he was merely missing about all of this... Oren sighed and shook his head.[break][break]
Oren decided to just move off to the side and leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed. Maybe observation would be the key. He had no ill intent so hopefully nobody would get the wrong idea here... No matter how many odd glances continued to be thrown his way. However, it seems some sort of cruel fate decided to pull a few invisible strings as Oren heard footsteps approaching where he was... Two different sets in fact... A friendly introduction inquiring about where they were all at and then a rather gruff sounding voice answered before Oren himself could answer. Oren looked up and glanced between the two... The strangely named lad had an equally odd colored head of hair that Oren would almost describe as... Lavender? Was it dyed or was that actually natural...? When Oren looked at the older looking man who made no introduction of his , Oren was given pause when seeing his eyes (or rather, single eye)...[break][break]
The look was very similar to how some had describe the deadened, tired gaze in Oren's own eyes during his time in Zephon...[break][break]
Oren was not sure how to describe... Hythlodaeus? He was probably going to need to constantly think that to himself to not forget how it was pronounced... Very pretty. Carrying a stringed instrument like some sort of bard out of a storybook. Had a truly bizarre name... The older looking man had the look of a true warrior. Albeit, a very weary one. Oren remained silent for a moment. They were both indeed much the same as he was, though Oren couldn't immediately try to guess where they actually came from.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... Just arrived, huh..."
Oren slowly uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands into his pockets, stepping forward from the pillar he leaned again.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"So, you've just found yourself here from wherever you originated then. Either a cruel fate befell you or SOMETHING here decided to be coy and just poof you here out of the blue... I'd wager a guess you're not from here either..."
Oren glanced at Hythlodaeus. This world always seemed to have a strange way of bringing the people who didn't actually belong here together.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"He is correct, though. The only real civilization out in these parts that they fittingly call the Fractured Plains... I was looking into something out here and had not anticipated I'd arrive to festivities..."
Oren knew a little more compared to Auron given that he's been in Zephon longer, but he didn't know WHAT exactly the celebration here was about beyond a few vague guesses relating to 'Titan'. Yet another name that he remembered hearing in his own world, albeit it wasn't something people worshipped there... Oren did not elaborate further, but it got the point across as to why he was here if nothing else.
Post by Oren McGinnis on Aug 8, 2024 2:31:07 GMT -6
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JUST KILLING TIME...
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[attr="class","nikki101"]I BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THIS TRULY MATTERS...
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[attr="class","nikki102"]WELL, THAT'S WHAT I TELL MYSELF ANYWAYS...
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[attr="class","nikki109"]It felt like the world around Oren has frozen. The raucous winds and waves now silent. It was just a dead man standing before another dead man, though only one of them looked as though he was an angel that had emerged from the Lifestream ready to guide others into the embrace of that green void. Oren was not entirely sure what he thought seeing Angeal again. There was so much he could say, yet would any of it even matter? Well, there were a few thoughts... Merely reminiscing about when everything actually seemed to be going fine... About the 1st Class SOLDIER who had actually willingly gave his time for the lower classes to help them train. Almost like an ideal father figure... Well, more like an older brother. He wasn't THAT old after all. It was a common ritual as Oren constantly sought to prove he was worthy of being 1st Class. Even if his mind was a touch warped, the power he gained from becoming a SOLDIER was undeniable. Thinking back on everything, Oren reached one particular memory... One of the last times he actually saw Angeal before that horrid year TRULY got out of hand. It might've been around the time Genesis had defected and conned all those other SOLDIERs into following him... Angeal was as helpful of a mentor as ever, though something had been slightly off about his demeanor. In hindsight, it made sense. Especially seeing the sight before him...[break][break]
Oren had been taken aback when Angeal immediately jumped to his feet, clearly startled by his beckoning. If Oren wanted to be fair, he'd probably do the same thing if a voice called out to him when he thought he was alone. There wasn't exactly a more tactful way to make his presence known, though... Angeal had quickly calmed down after a moment, realizing who stood before him. Oren chuckled bitterly.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"I almost thought you forgot who I was for a moment there... I probably look like hell now, don't I? Suppose you look rather tired yourself..."
It would've been better if he had forgotten... Oren then slowly plopped his hat back onto his head.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"If you think it's been a long time, take a guess how long it's been for me..."
Oren indeed never fell victim to becoming one of those freaky clones. He was very much still himself. He certainly killed his share of those clones, though... They had all been rather pathetic compared to what it'd be like to fight the real deal. Now that was a fight that'd give Oren a real challenge...[break][break]
There perhaps was a benefit to the fact that Oren went the rest of his prior life never learning exactly what happened with Sephiroth in Nibelheim. Of course, even if Oren knew, he wouldn't exactly fault Angeal for hanging around him in Zephon... Nor would it make him immediately turn on the man. He likely was ever the hero even now... Oren had heard a startling report regarding Sephiroth some time back so he knew he was SOMEWHERE in Zephon already, but that was about it. He hadn't had the heart to actually track down where he was currently at... Oren was afraid of what might happen when he finally did run into Sephiroth. What he might learn in the process... Ugh. His head was starting to hurt even more.[break][break]
In spite of everything that happened, Oren knew Angeal was never a bad person... It was perhaps foolish to overlook his mistakes, but even in death, only the worst of the worst would have negative things to say about the man... It took an extraordinary amount of willpower for Oren to not immediately kill them on the spot, but choice words were definitely said. Oren rubbed one of his temples.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... I... I probably should sit... My head hurts."
Oren talking about getting strange headaches likely was mentioned to Angeal a few times in the past. He didn't remember for certain. He slowly walked closer to Angeal, took Lunaris off his back, and would sit down nearby the Buster Sword... Peculiar. If Zack Fair actually somehow ended up in Zephon, which would not surprise Oren in the slightest, that'd mean there could be at least three Buster Swords lurking about. The same sword from three different points in time all used in differing fashions by their owners.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... I did make it, Angeal... To 1st Class."
Oren held up Lunaris in front of him, the slotted Materia gleaming in contrast to the black blade.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Got myself some new threads and had this fancy toy crafted for the occasion... It wasn't a happy one, though... I mean. How could it be? You... You weren't..."
Oren didn't finish the sentence. Those cold words about Angeal's fate got caught in his throat. He just laid Lunaris down in front of him and closed his eyes. Oren had almost wanted to just start rambling about everything that happened, yet... He knew if he did that, he'd only get to more sordid affairs pretty quickly... And that was not even getting into what eventually befell Oren himself. Things truly just got even worse after Angeal was gone. Was there really anything positive that Oren could talk about in this damnable existence? Then some otherworldly force decided to play another cruel joke on himself and countless people from so many different realms. Oren slowly curled up and rested his arms on top of his knees.[break][break]
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... Sorry..."
Oren fell silent for the moment after uttering that.
Post by Oren McGinnis on Aug 6, 2024 1:05:22 GMT -6
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JUST KILLING TIME...
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[attr="class","nikki101"]I BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THIS TRULY MATTERS...
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[attr="class","nikki102"]WELL, THAT'S WHAT I TELL MYSELF ANYWAYS...
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[attr="class","nikki109"]The feeling of awakening from death itself was a rather strange one that Oren may one day grow used to or never experience again in this next life that was inexplicably forced upon him. One thing that long plagued Oren and made him utterly laugh at fate itself nowadays was the lack of any reason why he was in Zephon. He robotically trudged along, day after day, passing the time until he dropped dead again or ended up teleported to some other world to waste more time. Whatever came first. He long verged on giving up on trying to find some reason for any of this, but a part of him did still want to unearth SOME reason behind what brought the 'Outlanders' to this world... Or merely just make up his own purpose for being here. He tried not to dwell on it much, but this land did give him opportunities that were now impossible back home... Yet he had been so broken down by everything, both in his old life and by the morbid realization regarding his very existence in Zephon, that he felt incapable of actually taking them... That being said, there was one thing he wanted to try and investigate regarding that purpose. Not even for a job, but of his own volition.[break][break]
Oren trudged through the vast, strangely cracked plains, his boots crunching up the dry grass beneath them as he did so... So it was true those fissues let off some otherworldly light... He had to go past the Metaia Marshlands to get here. It apparently was another route to get to Aljana should he ever want to go there again, but Oren figured dealing with a desert was preferable to this place... Something about it just felt... Off to him... He wasn't sure why as the actual climate was almost serene. Rather fitting for its appearance, this part of Zephon was only known as the Fractured Plains. Oren had to ignore that bad feeling in the back of his mind, though, as there was much he wanted to look into regarding this place... If he was following the map correctly, he should reach the aptly named 'Fractured City', which was the only true civilization within this place. Populated by people of some religious sect who worship a supposed God with a rather familiar name... Had Oren not known better at this point, he would chalk it up to coincidence, but there was no such thing as those anymore... Oren thus continued on his lonely walk with only an occasional light breeze and some faint rumbling beneath him breaking the silence.[break][break]
Oren was not sure how much time had passed before he eventually stumbled across signs of civilization... It would be rude to call it a backwater, but it almost reminded him of home... Just a lot more uniform and less cluttered in appearance. The rumbling in the ground had grown more noticeable as he approached, though thankfully not enough to cause any destruction in the quaint 'City'. This indeed was the place. Oren would approach and things seemed a little... Empty. Barring a few people who seemed to be hurrying off somewhere. Oren managed to catch one of the people... Who promptly gawked at him and cheerfully explained what was happening before they were on their way. Oren was used to the natives of Zephon looking at him like that... He didn't exactly put forth the friendliest of faces and his glowing 'Mako Eyes' didn't help... Regardless, he got what he needed. It seemd he had arrived in time for some sort of celebration they were having today? He just had to go to the courtyard outside of some temple... It wasn't hard to see the temple so Oren would walk towards it. Indeed, the courtyard area was congested with people and more and more were piling into the space. Most of them seemed to be the locals of this city... Given that a decent chunk of them immediately stared at Oren when he stepped into the courtyard before going about their business, though a few came forward to greet Oren and politely welcome him. Oren just sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and returned the greeting. He then moved on ahead and started looking around the courtyard curiously... Almost too curiously. While there were some goods to peruse, he tried to find out some more details about their specific 'celebration' and also seemed to be looking for... Something? Not even he was sure what he hoped to find.[break][break]
If Auron wanted to spot an 'otherworlder', he had one very obvious person to look at now. The more distinct outfit. The traveling gear. The sword. The eyes. He certainly fit the bill for someone who didn't belong here.
Post by Oren McGinnis on Jul 29, 2024 17:47:16 GMT -6
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JUST KILLING TIME...
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[attr="class","nikki101"]I BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THIS TRULY MATTERS...
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[attr="class","nikki102"]WELL, THAT'S WHAT I TELL MYSELF ANYWAYS...
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[attr="class","nikki109"]... Well. This was a little different than the usual. The behemoth of a man had paused with his exercises after a moment and just... Stared at Oren. Oren didn't even know how long it lasted before he heard a word out of him... Just gazing into his warped soul. If Oren had to guess, he must've been silently gauging him. Oren really wasn't sure how much one could gather from him just standing around, but it seemed whatever the other observed elicited some sort of... Approval? Oren wasn't really sure... He already gathered the man had some clear skill with his scythe and had a baffling stature that definitely had its advantages for combat. Eventually, the other confirmed that he was indeed the other mercenary that Oren was supposed to team up with today and that they had some walking to do to find this robotic... Thing. That was that. He was all business. It was honestly a bit of a relief for once to work with someone like this... He could stay focused and not have to think about matters beyond the mission.[break][break]
Oren would just curtly nod.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Right... Let us. This should be a simple matter."
Well. Oren could only hope that it would be. While he was a little excited at the prospect of a genuinely unknown enemy, he certainly wasn't prepared to lose to it. What information there was out there on it didn't seem like anything Oren couldn't handle. Oren would then start walking nearby Zenos towards their destination. Unless the other tried saying anything else to Oren, he would remain silent from that point onward. Not exactly much to do when you're just walking to go destroy a giant robot that can somehow use magic. Oren would occasionally fidget with his hands or unsheathe his sword to look it over and swing at the air with it a few times.
Post by Oren McGinnis on Jul 28, 2024 12:58:37 GMT -6
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JUST KILLING TIME...
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[attr="class","nikki101"]I BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THIS TRULY MATTERS...
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[attr="class","nikki102"]WELL, THAT'S WHAT I TELL MYSELF ANYWAYS...
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[attr="class","nikki109"]Oren had recalled during a little trek to Aljana a little while back that the Pale Coast was often protected by mercenaries. Considering he had traveled to Provo for another mission, he was in the area so he decided to check out the Pale Coast and see if they needed some extra muscle. It was a rather short ride on an airship there so it wouldn't be much of a detour. He hadn't seen any postings for extra help, but perhaps the reputation he had built up over the months he had been stuck in Zephon could work out... Well. It didn't. Things were actually on the quieter side at the moment so the whole trip ended up being pointless. Despite this, Oren decided he wasn't going to just go back just yet... Why, though?[break][break]
... Wasn't ALL of this pointless in the end? Oren held his head as he walked down the Coast. Alone with his accursed thoughts again. Considering he had been in Provo, he ended up in the more northern portion of the Pale Coast when he traveled there. Yet further upwards he roamed alone. Any warmth in the air slowly disappeared, the floor beneath him grew more rocky, and the winds increasingly harsh. Oren was unbothered by it, though. If he recalled, there was some merchant village somewhere in the area... Maybe he could pay it a visit... Oren looked out across the ocean in the distance. Much as he didn't like to, he once again found himself reminiscing about the past... A fitting environment to do so. Why do I bother playing hero still...? Why indeed... Oren was just a sad boy who merely wanted to be free. From the slums. From his parents... To do that, he had to become strong. To accomplish that, he abandoned his old life... From there, Oren let himself be turned into a monster. Life finally started to feel worth living despite how the procedure that turned him into a SOLDIER warped him... He was happy. He had worthy allies. People admired him. Made him feel like he mattered. Yet... It was never meant to last. He was never truly free... And when he finally desired to stop being Shinra's puppet after it all fell apart, he too inevitably paid the price of freedom. Despite his sorrow and regrets as he seemingly perished, it was blissful at the same time.[break][break]
While Oren succumbed to oblivion itself, a light soon appeared before him. Oren had thought perhaps he was returning to the Planet, but... No. It was something else entirely... He had been given a second chance by some unknown force. In a sense, he had become truly free upon appearing in Zephon... Yet paradoxically left with nothing. No matter how he tried to figure ANYTHING out, his very presence in this alien land seemed to hold no purpose. He was brought back from death itself for literally nothing it seemed! It was like some twisted joke. At the moment, all he could say he was doing was 'killing time'... He pushed any and all people away. Never again would he be hurt. Either he would be met with true oblivion or this cruel cycle would start again... Despite this, he was being tested recently on how well he could hold himself to that promise... Constantly barraged by a desire for a real purpose again...[break][break]
Oren gritted his teeth. All the memories... The pain... The rage... It was all flooding back. Alongside other strange visions... His steps grew unsteady. If he could just make it to that village, he could rest... Oren's vision started to grow distorted. Almost like television static. It felt like he was reliving everything. Oren grasped his head with both hands and collapsed to his knees, hunching over and groaning in pain. As this happened, his hat fell to the ground. Eventually, everything would slowly feel and look normal again. Oren took a few labored breaths... That was a little worse than usual. He wasn't sure if that was concerning or not... However, as he turned his head towards the cliff, he saw someone who made him question if he was having a true lapse on reality...[break][break]
Oren's own glowing eyes widened at who he saw.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... Angeal? Is that... Really you?"
There sat Angeal with angelic looking wings sprouting from his left shoulder. Oren remembered hearing about it all those years ago, but to actually see it with his own eyes... It was a very different way of witnessing a man who Oren knew for a fact had died. There was no misunderstanding there regarding Angeal. Oren slowly picked up his hat and got back to his feet. Normally, he would have just tried to walk away without bothering him, but he... He couldn't again. His weakness truly showed when he found himself standing before familiar faces... Beside the wings, Angeal looked exactly the same as Oren remembered... He in turn would be met with a rather different looking Oren from the one he might recall...
Post by Oren McGinnis on Jul 28, 2024 0:51:36 GMT -6
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JUST KILLING TIME...
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[attr="class","nikki101"]I BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THIS TRULY MATTERS...
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[attr="class","nikki102"]WELL, THAT'S WHAT I TELL MYSELF ANYWAYS...
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[attr="class","nikki109"]Well. These reports certainly reminded Oren of back home... Machines going berserk and needing to be destroyed or merely deactivated wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence in Midgar and even elsewhere in his homeworld. It was rather strange to hear of a situation like this in Zephon, though. The only place here that probably had similar sorts of robotics would likely be Sonora... And that was a place Oren currently avoided like the plague. Yet, this problem wasn't in Sonora... No. It apparently just appeared out of nowhere one day... Just like how he and many other 'Outlanders' who called Zephon their new 'home' did. Oren's contact for this mission had informed him that he had to make a trip to Provo for this little outing. Many had apparently already tried destroying this machine to no avail, thus it had come down to seeking out powerful mercenaries to do the job... Due to the potential danger, it was firmly insisted upon that Oren would have to, once again, team up with another for this mission. Apparently one sufficiently 'crazy' person had already accepted the mission. There was a lot to potentially gain from this mission so Oren decided to be that second crazy person who'd work to take down the otherworldly machine. Apparently this other mercenary also was incredibly skilled, though Oren was not given much information on who the other actually was beyond the basics and where they were to meet up at.[break][break]
Oren had been meaning to go to Provo to look for extra work so this ended up being a nice excuse to hang around the area for a little while before he had to go back 'home'... This was admittedly something he was looking forward to. A battle that might actually be a challenge for him considering it was something that seemed to be truly unknown and different to him. A lot of the monsters here were just counterparts to things he could find back home... Or disappointing when he did see something more unique. It was almost... Exciting? Of course, that was just that side of him that enjoyed the thrill of a fight more than he liked to admit... At least when he could think clearly. Oren had taken an airship to Provo from Torensten and then had started making his way to the outskirts of the main city to meet with his designated partner...[break][break]
And that is when he saw the man... Oddly pretty looking, but that wasn't really what caught Oren's immediate attention... No...[break][break]
Oren's eyes widened. While he had been informed the man he was to work with was on the larger side, this was... Something else entirely. The man swinging around a scythe for practice was enormous. He would make the Big Merc Leader himself (Caius) look like a Cactaur in comparison... Once Oren got over that initial shock, he guessed he'd have to break the ice with this dude so they can get the job over with. Oren shoved his hands into his pockets and slowly walked closer to Zenos, but he kept a bit of distance.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"You. Big Man. I take it you're the other merc they assigned to make some scrap metal today...? Pardon any delays in getting here."
In comparison to Zenos, Oren seemed almost... Average looking. The only real standouts being his blue eyes letting off a rather eerie green glow and the 'fancy' sword strapped to his back slotted with peculiar, glowing gems.
Oren merely nodded in regards to the 'nice meeting'. He then just glanced away without giving a real answer regarding the Dragonblades. Of course, the recruitment drive was already starting... There wouldn't be any point to his presence with that group... At least, he liked to tell himself that. He tried to keep people at a distance for... Numerous reasons. He didn't want to hurt others... He didn't want to experience loss... Not again... Of course, he didn't exactly have time to say anything even if he wanted to considering the fact that the target Malboro suddenly sprung out from below. This damnable location truly was giving Oren more and more reasons to dislike it. Oren was initially disturbed, but him and Caius had managed to avoid the surprise attack without much issue. He was honestly a bit more concerned about Caius rather than himself considering he wasn't sure what the Big Merc Leader and Vodrun were capable of. This was nothing for him... Any lingering fears Oren might've felt quickly gave way to something a little more familiar to him...[break][break]
Excitement...[break][break]
Oren's eyes widened a bit.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Interesting... Well. Let's dance then for old time's sake..."
Oren slowly stood up on the branch. Caius had ordered his draconic buddy to breathe fire at the Malboro and move away, which did its job of catching the monster's attention. The Malboro turned away and started wriggling about in their direction. Oren just stared at it as he moved to sheathe Lunaris on his back for the moment. Oren took a deep breath as a pain started to spread through his head again. Oren gritted his teeth. The only way to quell it... The only way...[break][break]
Time to hunt.[break][break]
Oren's face contorted into a deranged looking grin as he lept off of the branch towards the Malboro, landing right behind it. Oren immediately reached out and grabbed onto one of those gross tentacles. One of its 'eyes' looked back towards Oren. The monster appeared to realize it had been tricked as it tried to turn its attention towards Oren... But not before Oren tightened his grip on the tentacles with both of his hands and then... More. Oren started chuckling ominously. He slowly started dragging the Malboro back before he, even more bafflingly, managed to ever so slightly lift the cretin up and throw it a pretty fair distance into a greater mass of trees. Considering the size of the Malboro, the rather dead looking trees would collapse beneath the weight of the creature. Oren then quickly reached back for Lunaris and unsheathed it. One of the glowing green orbs embedded in the blade let off a brighter glow for a moment.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Heheh... Stay put!"
Oren would cast Gravity with a wave of his free hand, a small dark void forming in the general area around the Malboro. It was unfortunately pretty low level magic, but the increased pressure in the monster's vicinity and the crushed trees it was a bit tangled up in would keep it for a moment. It wouldn't be long bfore the Malboro wriggled around some more, already appearing to escape the Gravity spell... And then... It started to breathe in and open its mouth.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Heh... NOW! KILL IT!"
It was likely rather morbid that Oren sounded disturbingly gleeful now considering how calm and collected he had been moments ago. Could they best this thing in a single hit...? Or would this require strategy even for...? Oren shook his head, trying to drown out that voice that echoed out in his thoughts. None of that mattered anymore... None of them did...[break][break]
Caius and Voldrun were given the desired opening the group were looking for. Oren needed a second before he could throw out another spell, but he was already dashing for the Malboro, likely preparing to leap into the air again to use that spell to hit it where it hurt most alongside the dynamic duo. This hunt was already over... How disappointing.
Oren just walked along, his own expression slowly going dull and staring off into nothing. It seemed his remark might've made something really hit regarding the situation they were stuck in. Unlike her, he had awakened in Zephon completely alone somewhere outside of Torensten. No familiar faces to be seen. There were some who had ended up in Zephon before him and some who have appeared more recently... Like Cloud... Despite this, Oren honestly felt it was probably better for those who knew him in his home world to not bother with him here... Even if he was kind of failing at that now, he felt it might spare him from greater pain in the event the epiphany he had actually proved itself true... Or if he just ended up dying again. Would his morbid theory be proven right or would that truly be his final end? He had no way of knowing one way or the other and he didn't exactly want to test his luck...[break][break]
Oren wasn't sure exactly why he was in Zephon still or what exactly makes someone 'worthy' of it or if it was just some sick definiton of being lucky. Did some thing here take pity on him regarding his unfortunate demise? Why hasn't he been shown any sort of purpose then? Why was he brought back only to then be thrown into some unfamiliar world? His home was awful, but it was still his home... A home he had wanted to help save from Shinra's wretched grasp... His unintended meeting with Cloud did prove a little enlightening, but he was still greatly bothered by... EVERYTHING. It all felt so damned pointless now and he wasn't even sure why he didn't just give up... Yet here he was doing what he did best...[break][break]
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... Maybe if I get hired for a job there..."
Oren lightly shrugged. Far as Oren was aware, it wasn't always the exact same mercenaries who kept watch over the Pale Coast so he probably could get some work over there. Might be a fun exercise for his sword arm... Oren would let her drink more water before taking the flask back when it was handed to him. He should be able to get it refilled when they arrive there... He might've once tried to be a 'good individual', but it was all just business to him now. At least that's what he told himself...[break][break]
Oren already told her that he didn't need anything in return, yet she seemed really insistent on thanking him in some regard. Oren lightly shook his head.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"I already told you that I don't need anything in return... I'll be fine..."
Oren really could not fathom what her grand idea was and why it'd need to wait for another time. She didn't need to concoct some big plan to thank him... Once this business was done, he'd fade back into his mercenary work, she would go back to her friend, and that'd be that. He did notice that she started walking closer to him, but considering what he had been noticing, he was able to figure out why she was doing it this time... Thus, he didn't say anything even though he'd prefer his space.[break][break]
The one thing that somewhat amused him would find itself no more as she finally introduced herself to him... What a sweet sounding name. Well, if someone else introduced themself first, he always felt he had to comply.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... It's Oren. That's... My name."
Oren wasn't entirely sure what it was, but something was off with her movements. Was there some ulterior motive to yanking on his arm the way she did? If she was still feeling weak, she could've said something. He really wouldn't care... With this in mind, he subtlely slowed down his pace a bit. Rather in spite of what he believed he was noticing, she still wanted to speak and ask him questions... He had a feeling about her and it just got confirmed.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"So you're another one then... I appeared here a few months ago so I've had time to get my bearings in order... It becomes easier when you constantly pick up on the eerie similarities..."
The city-states and certain other landmarks were reminiscent of other places in other worlds. The monsters were all the same. The money was different, yet the same. So on and so forth... It really makes one's very existence feel rather unoriginal. Of course, Oren did keep the actual details about how he ended up in Zephon vague, but the time frame was accurate... The sordid details might make it apparent why he was the way he was now, but he was not exactly interested in disclosing it to most people.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Think that beach is on what they call the Pale Coast...? Haven't been there yet... Probably would explain the different sand..."
Didn't seem like there was an entire resort town over there like Costa del Sol, but he knew it was kept safe by mercenaries and had... Well. Pale sand. Probably was an ideal vacation spot...[break][break]
They were both up and at em so the vultures probably would leave them be. Oren slowly pulled the flask of water back out as she spoke up again with a rather... Unusual method to thank him. Oren remained silent for a few moments.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"... Heh."
The faintest remnant of a chuckle echoed out as he held the water flask out towards Vanille. Didn't even know his name and was now asking to make food for him... It was admittedly kind of amusing. He hadn't really expected any sort of reward from her.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"You don't need to do that... You should drink some more water now."
Her movements still looked unsteady... May as well ensure she didn't collapse again.[break][break]
Oren honestly had been fully prepared to never see her again after this was over. Or at least very infrequently. It wasn't exactly an unusual occurrence for him regarding most people he ran into here. He wasn't sure how to take such a request. Regardless, they were getting closer. Whatever happened from there would happen.
Oren certainly had to learn the hard way regarding the money situation... They had a currency called 'gil', but it was different from the currency in his world, which is also called 'gil'... And the currencies pretty much everywhere else the 'outlanders' come from from what he learned. Apparently there are some places that will accept the money of other realms, but it wasn't exactly a guarantee. Once one got past that hurdle, it was about what one would expect, though the technology was overall less advanced than what he was used to. He admittedly had to be a little greedy during his time in Zephon so far because he needed to build up his savings and continue just... Surviving. It was one of the many reasons why he did jobs alone and him accomplishing difficult tasks in spite of that would prove lucrative when word inevitably spread about him... Even if some were a little unnerved with his methods. He didn't really need any favors from anyone, but the idea of one might be something he'd need to keep in mind just in case...[break][break]
When asked about if he had been here before, there was a short pause before Oren said just one measly word...
[attr="class","dialogue"]"No..."
Probably wasn't the most exciting answer, but it was the truth. He had never been this far away from Torensten before, but he had honed his skills enough to a point where navigating this trip had been mostly manageable. After saying that, Vanille would tragically just be met with the lovely sound of silence. Oren wasn't the most talkative usually... He already spoke more to her than he did to a lot of other people, but it was a bit of a necessity given the situation. It wouldn't take long before he heard her exclaim something. Oren glanced back at her before he looked back the same way she had been looking... Indeed, the curious buildings of Aljana were coming more into view. It seemed his guess was correct after all. It was still a little hard to tell how far they were still, but it was only a matter of time at this point.[break][break]
Oren sighed.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Well, there it i-Wuh?!"
Oren was not at all prepared for his unlikely companion to grab his arm and start dragging him along in clear excitement. He really wasn't all that used to this sort of thing anymore.
[attr="class","dialogue"]"Alright, alright. I get the excitement. You can let go of me now..."
Oren pulled his arm away and lightly rubbed it with his other hand sheepishly, a bead of sweat trailing down the side of his head. All this over some water in a desert... Oren got the memo, though. He continued walking on ahead, but he did notably increase his pace to keep up with such... Positivity. It didn't really matter either way. They can go about their respective business once they arrived... Even if his business sort of just amounted to 'loiter and keep an eye out for any trouble during your stay'. It'd just be business as usual from there and once he was given leave to return to Torensten.