Event Log - Level One

[lucetimods]

Who: Everybody
What: Lucetians reverted back to level one!
When: Well. Now. Right away. It ends on the 25th, so chop chop.
Where: In Luceti. You think you guys are getting out of here after that stunt you just pulled?
Summary: Well. So sometimes the Malnosso actually do legitimate experiments that aren't heaped in heavy plot. This is one of those times. Look, just go read the mod post, would you?
Rating: P for Prologue-licious.

Remember to tag with your character like so: [canon] character name

ALSO, all the journals will be completely wiped clean for the duration of this event. Nothing prior to this log will appear on the journals until after the 25th. So good luck figuring things out!

Comments

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

[day 1]

[The first thing he notices when he starts to wake up is the lack of warmth besides him, that small constant warmth that has been on his arms ever since his mother died, that weight he swore to never let go... It's not there, and no matter how much he stretches his arms and searches he can't find it. The realization pulls him out from his slumber with a start, only to find himself on a comfortable bed in a nice room. The fact that there's only one bed in the room tells him that he's not in an orphanage, but he's not sure if that's good or bad. The only thing he's sure of is that his brother isn't there, and that is just bad. Everything else gets ignored as the kid fights with the blankets and tries to make his way out in search of his brother.

Even once he's out of the building he will keep searching for him, or for any clue as to where he may have been taken. Because if Shun isn't in his arms it's because he was taken somewhere, Ikki would just never let go of him, not even if he was unconscious, he hadn't done it even when he was asleep before, so why now? The unknown place, the wings on his back and on the backs of all those strangers... None of those things really matter for him at the moment they don't even scare him, what terrifies him is that he doesn't have his brother in his arms.]

[days 2 - onward]

[Even if he comes to learn the reason of why he can't find his brother or clues about where he may be, Ikki will keep wandering all around the town and the forest. He has no idea how he ended there, but if he arrived there then there must be a way out, and so he will keep looking for it.

Whenever he's tired of searching in vain, he will be mainly at the seventh heaven devouring food as if it was his last meal. He will also spy around the school building and the fountain, specially if there are other kids around. He will even wander into the library even if he can't read, somehow the place makes him feel safe.]

[fierybluebird]

[Everyone is acting nuts. Which in Luceti, isn't unusual in and of itself, but more nuts than usual. Frankly, Marco is a little sick of it, but since Robin actually remembers him this time and he hasn't forgotten her, all's well that stays well.]

[Still, there's quite a bit remaining on Marco's mind, particularly now that he can understand Robin's feelings on the matter that much more, and since Ikki helped last time, it stands to reason that Ikki is the best person to find again.]

[Also because, fuck humanity, phoenixes are better.]

[Marco does what he wants.]

[So he tries to follow Ikki's haki, which is usually as strong as a sun especially when he forgets to dampen it, but it seems really hidden or off today. Not quite gone, but certainly... not right either.]

[The fuuuuuck?]

[Time to hunt him down.]

[Oh hello little guy who looks like Ikki's son, but couldn't possibly be Ikki's son, because Ikki would never have kids after the way his biological father ditched his mother and brother and --]

[You're totally just directly Ikki, aren't you.]

[Luceti please.]

[Marco crouches down and offers a small hand.]

Hey little guy, are you looking for someone?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

[Even at such a tender eye, Ikki already looks at the world with a permanent frown on his face... Okay, it's not really permanent yet, but at the moment, confused and worried about his brother, terrified of not having him in his arms? He totally looks at everything with a frown and wary eyes. Specially when it's an adult, even more when said adult approaches him first.

Ikki visibly tenses and it seems as if he wants to take a step back, but he doesn't. If he did it would look as if he's afraid and he can't let that be shown, he can't appear weak or lost, so he glares, thinking that that will show as confidence. His hands close into fists, just in case and for a moment he's glad that he doesn't have Shun with him, if things get ugly escaping on his own is always easier even if he hates to have to leave his brother even for a bit.]

I'm looking for my brother, someone took him from me.

[His eyes narrow and stare, as if expecting some sort of hint of the man knowing what he's talking about, of the man being responsible of taking his brother. However, the adult doesn't look like one of the guys that often seem to chase after them. Maybe the guy is just one of those "good samaritans" that will want to drag him to an orphanage "for his own good". If that's so Ikki's confident he can shake him off easily enough, and if he has taken Shun already he can just go to the orphanage to get him and escape from it. If it's not an orphanage he knows then there won't be any problems with that.]

[fierybluebird]

Hah... Me too, eh?

He's got blue hair like yours, but he's a bit taller. What does your brother look like, maybe we can search together, eh?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

You have a brother too?

[That doesn't make Ikki any less wary, coincidences aren't something he believes in. Not anymore. He may be little and not know what happened exactly, but right after his "father" came with his mother and he was sent to bed early was when everything went downhill. His mother started crying at everything, Shun began to grow inside her, and she became scared and worried not long after. And then they began to run away and live in even more poverty than they had before. His mother stressed more and more, and his brother grew more and more. And the black men started chasing them. No, it wasn't a coincidence, it couldn't be.

He shakes his head, focusing on the man again and bitting his lip before he answers.]

He's a baby, he was born two weeks ago so he's very small still. He has green hair and green eyes, he's always smiling... Well, when he's not very hungry, but I was able to feed him not long ago so he shouldn't be crying yet.

[Ikki shifts a bit as he thinks about it, an idea coming to mind.]

I should check the garbage. He should need a change already, if someone took him and they changed him they would have put it there.

[He's technically ignoring the "search together" part, but it's not on purpose, he just has tunnel vision regarding his brother.]

[fierybluebird]

You fed him?

[A slight frown.] My name's Marco, and my brother's name is Ikki. What's your brother's name?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

Yeah, I was lucky! I found a house with a baby so I took some bottles from the-...

[Wait, that's stealing and the adult will probably get mad at him for it.]

I mean, they gave it to me. When I asked. I don't really remember where it was so don't ask.

[Does that... Work? Ikki frowns again at the name of Marco's brother, surely there are many people named Ikki and with hair with the same color as him. But it's seems too much of a coincidence. He really doesn't like coincidences.]

My name is Ikki too.

[He doesn't say more about his brother though, maybe this guy DOES have his brother and wants to know his name and all to steal him better? Or... Something. He's not sure, he's too confused and small but he knows he doesn't like it.]

[fierybluebird]

[Marco sighs. Yup. Definitely got to be the same Ikki.]

[He grabs a seat next to the kid all cross-legged.] Let me guess, and the name Luceti doesn't ring a bell? And you don't remember having wings before, eh?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

I have never been to that orphanage.

[Because besides Tokyo the only other places with names he knows of are orphanages, so he assumes it's the name of one. Which is to say that it doesn't ring a bell. He shifts again, looking over his shoulder at his small wings before glaring at Marco again, he says nothing about the wings, they confuse him, of course, but he really had more important things to worry about.]

[selphie_t]

[Something had Selphie rising early that morning. She can't explain it but she just had a feeling that she was going to be needed. She's sitting at the table eating her breakfast when she sees the younger version of someone dear to her come running out of his bedroom. She sees the panic in his eyes and knows that he's looking for Shun.

She pushes her half-eaten bowl of cereal aside and moves to stop him from leaving. Selphie keeps her manner as non-threatening as possible as she crouches down in front of him with a gentle smile.]

Hey hey hey, calm down. Where's the fire? You're in a place called Luceti.

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

[Unknown girl in the unknown house. Ikki tenses automatically and frowns at her, looking as if he wants to actually run back to the room he was in and lock the door. But he can't do that, he has to find Shun.]

I don't care how this place is called, I'm going to take my brother and leave. Now.

[He's going to assume for now that them both were taken to this place, maybe by her though she doesn't look that old, maybe by someone in her family? It doesn't really matter though.]

Give him back.

[selphie_t]

[What is going on? Ikki was considerably older -- and bigger -- the night before as she extends a hand to the child. She only knows very little about Shun and she feels sad knowing that Ikki's little brother isn't in Luceti.]

How about some breakfast first and then we can look for him together?

[Of course they were but Selphie's afraid of telling this little boy what she knows. She knows the jaded side of the Phoenix Saint and she wants to get to know his younger self before something else happens.]

Breakfast first. Then looking for him. Deal?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

[Unfortunately, Ikki isn't one to trust easily even at this age and he's not impressed by Selphie's kindness.]

I want my brother first, I'm not hungry.

[Lies, he is hungry and would love to eat, but as the older brother he has responsibilities.]

The older brother can't eat until the little brother does. Do you really don't know where he is?

[selphie_t]

[Selphie is getting that feeling as she tries to compromise.]

Okay, how 'bout this then? We find your brother and then we'll all eat breakfast together.

[Riiiight. Selphie's seen little boys stuff themselves silly as she stands up and offers Ikki a hand to hold.]

Let's go find him then. What's he look like?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

... Who are you? Why as I sleeping here?

[She won't answer directly about his brother, though she acts as if she doesn't know where he is. May be true. Or may be a lie, Ikki doesn't know and has no idea how to tell for now. So he decides to switch questions and avoid answering the one about his brother right away. Not until he's sure the girl will really help him search for him and won't take him from his side or something.]

[selphie_t]

Ah, I'm Selphie and I have a big brother with blue hair. You were sleeping in here because the Malnosso brought you here.

[She points to the wings on her back in the process of that explanation. Does she mention the experiments or the fact that they're there to fight the Malnosso's war for them? Not a chance. She doesn't want to scare this Ikki anymore than he already he is.]

You have a pair of wings on your back just like I do.

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

The... Malnosso?

[The actually gets him to change his expression, his frown vanishing in favor of a confused and lost expression. He only glances over his shoulder warily for a second, he had noticed the wings but he had things more important than that to worry about so he had ignored them. But now that she mentions it...]

Why do we have wings?

[A pause.]

Am I dead now too?

[But he can't, he can't die yet, Shun is only a baby and he has to be there for his brother, he has to take care of him. If he dies just like their mother then there won't be anyone to take care of Shun. The realization makes Ikki frown again and his face turn red as he holds back the impulse to cry, he must not, he's the older brother, he has to be strong.]

[therewerefifty]

[There's a small girl in the plaza who's finally managed to draw enough courage to clamber up on the fountain edge, reaching her hand out to the splashing water with curiosity.]

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

[Ikki doesn't like this place, he would like it more if he had Shun with him, but no matter how hard he searches the baby won't appear, neither will he find the way back to where his brother is. It's scary and worrying, what if someone took Shun after all? What if no one did and the baby is all alone where Ikki had hidden to sleep? Without anyone knowing that he's there, away from people because Ikki didn't want adults to hear him crying and come to separate them. If he's all alone there, then no matter how hard he cries no one will hear him and he will get sick and... Ikki will fail him as a brother. So, even if it's nice to be in a place where he's not chased and can get warm food everyday at any time, and he even has an "older brother"... Ikki can't like this place.

But everyone says that it will be all right, as if he shouldn't worry, so he tries to not think about his brother's condition. That's mostly the reason why he approaches the girl at the fountain, he climbs to the edge as well and kneels there, observing what she's doing curiously.]

It's pretty, right?

[therewerefifty]

[She glances around swiftly at that, wavering precariously on the edge before she rights herself. It's just another boy, so she smiles, more relaxed.]

Do you know what it is?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

[Ikki blinks and rches an eyebrow at the question, suddenly not sure what they are talking about.]

The water? Or do you mean the fountain?

[Probably the fountain, who doesn't know what water is? And, well, he was talking about the fountain at least.]

[therewerefifty]

The... fountain. I've never seen one before. [She moves to sit carefully on the edge away from the water, feet dangling over the side.] But I like it.

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

Never? I have seen fountains before, there are some in Tokyo and then in drawings in storybooks, I think anyone that is rich has one. It's a proof of status.

[He says the last part with conviction, because the times he has seen a fountain in stories it was in a palace or a mansion, so there's clearly a relation.]

[therewerefifty]

Oh, I see. [Her gaze shifts back to it curiously.] I wonder, does that mean this weird town is owned by someone?

[giovaneuccellodifuoco]

Aren't all towns owned by someone?

[Honest question, he doesn't know who owns Tokyo, but he's sure someone does, because even before they began to run away and rent a place to sleep or stay for a while, his mother still had to pay to be able to use things. Even in her own house, so that means someone else was the owner of those things, right?]