ARRIVAL.

[insusurromods]

𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑼𝑺𝑼𝑹𝑹𝑶: 𝑨 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑻 𝑫𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑵𝒀

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 you moved under your own power. The shadows that dwelt in the corners of your vision vanished, the world is bright and the shackles of destiny fall from your liberated limbs.

You're free.

But before you can take that next step, before you can alter your fate, a terrible howling fills your ears. It's an ill wind full of malice, one that rips you off of your feet and back, back, back from this chance to seize your destiny. The shadows coalesce into a single entity, its hands locking around your throat. It cannot let this stand.

You think that maybe this is the end. The world goes dark as it rushes past you, this is the end.

Except you wake to the feeling of rain on your skin.

The cliffs around you bare the scars of a fierce battle. Before you, a massive city faces the sea. Behind you, greenery sprawls for miles. Midgar has never looked so beautiful, but it has also never looked so unlike itself. The Sister Ray points proudly towards the sea. A bustling city crawls out from its shadow, looking wealthier and more robust than the slums ever did. You don't have long to ponder this.

Because you aren't alone. Others are coming to, looking just as confused and uncertain as you do. Some are battleworn and bloody, as if they were pulled from a fierce battle. Others appear to be in perfect health, as if they were simply pulled from a long slumber, though no less confused and lost. The howling that filled your slowly begins to fade, and as it does, the rain begins to clear.

𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐀𝐑 is within a few hours walking distance. 𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐌 lies not much further in the opposite direction. There is no presence urging you to walk to one or the other, no voice from on high telling you what path your feet should walk. Underneath this infinite blue sky the choice to go - or to stay - is entirely yours.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓?

Comments

[wro]

[Reeve isn't doing much better, really, soaked and aching and reminded very acutely of how unsuited he is for any situation that doesn't involve him being behind the scenes, but he's not so out of it that he doesn't notice a very familiar small figure sitting on a rock, the telltale blue glow of the mako from her suit a beacon in the gloom.

He hesitates for a moment, unsure of whether approaching her would be wise (he's no match for her, he knows that, and he has no idea whether this Shelke is on his side or not), but at last the side of him that can't simply ignore someone who might need help wins out and he steps forward, making sure to keep his hands visible so that she can see he's unarmed.

Well. Not exactly unarmed, as he does still have his handgun, but he very much hopes that it won't end up involved in their exchange.]

Shelke? Are you all right?

[thelasttsviet]

[Reeve looked up from where she was sitting on her rock, blue eyes studying the man as he approached. Hm.]

Reeve.

[She said, by of greeting, her voice as flat as ever. At least seeing him meant she wasn't surrounded by strangers here. Maybe some of the others had come too...]

[She hesitated at his question. The truth was that she wasn't, but she never was, so who had the time...]

I...am fine. Do you know what is going on?