Reunion and Time Traveling Finale

[lucetimods]

Who: Everyone!
What: The time-traveling group returns to find an invasion of newcomers.
When: November 20th and Onward
Where: Luceti enclosure
Summary: Who let all these New Feathers in here!? ...Wait, that guy's familiar...
Rating: May vary, as usual high ratings should be taken elsewhere

The adventure to the past is over; the villagers have all been sent home to their own time. But things are different. The changes of the past have echoed into the future. And the world has responded in the strangest way. Why are so many people here all of a sudden? And why are their memories such a mess?

Who really knows?

Comments

Anywhere around the village!

[distressedude]

[This... was unexpected. Although they had succeeded in their mission back in the past, Ion had no idea what sort of future they would create as a result. And even now, he's not really sure what to make of this "new" world. All he really knows is that the village seems far more populated now than it had been when they left -- even within their own home! For now, all thoughts of the future they left behind were quickly overshadowed by the joy of seeing so many familiar faces again. Was this all because of the changes to the past?]

[But as the reality of their new future started to sink in, Ion couldn't help but feel conflicted. In this world, in this version of Luceti he doesn't remember, he spent the past five years growing up. What kind of person would he be now had he gotten the opportunity to live a truly peaceful life here? For as much as Ion enjoyed the life he had lived, seeing now how things could have been so much easier was almost painful in a way he couldn't quite put into words. He's so happy to see that they were able to prevent such a disastrous future from happening -- in stark contrast to Auldrant, where knowing the future nearly led to its destruction. What could have become of Auldrant if the people there had used the Score to prevent disaster, instead of adhering to it?]

[He needed some time to think. And so, he decided to go out for a run to clear his mind -- which will seem a rather odd choice for anyone who only knows Ion in this Luceti. After all, without the looming threat of war, there wasn't much reason for someone like Ion to worry about keeping in shape!]

[...not that he is in shape, mind you, so he'll be stopping to rest a lot. At which point he might just bump into someone he knows. There's a lot of new faces roaming around right now, and not all of them are new -- so he might just find himself compelled to call out to someone if he recognizes them. After all, it's been a long time since he's seen some of them... even if for them, it might have only been a day or so.]

1/2

[bigsiskonagi]

[Well here's Yui, wandering out of the clothing store once she found her clothes and humming a tune like nobody's business. She seems to be taking the whole being whisk back to Luceti a little too well. There was a lot of stuff confusing her, like her memories of this place, but who cares!? She still remembers her friends and she's keeping an eye out for them.

Speaking of, she'll spot the green hair boy resting around the cafe and squint.]

....Ion?

[That name sounded right in her head. She'll shuffle on over just to make sure she got the right name with the right person.]

[bigsiskonagi]

[And once she got a better look, Ion was going to soon find himself being hugged by Yui.]

Ion! It is you! Oh, it's so good to see you again!

[distressedude]

[So far, Ion was expecting everyone to go the way of Luke, and not act as surprised to see him as he was to see them. So he can't help but feel doubly surprised when he sees Yui, of all people, and she's hugging him like they haven't seen each other in years. And really, it should only take one look at Ion to realize it has been years, since he looks a bit older now.]

[But it only takes a few seconds of that hug for the shock to wear into happiness, and soon he's returning the hug.]

Yui! Yui, it's really you! [And he pulls back just a little bit.] When did you return to Luceti?

[bigsiskonagi]

Today! Whatever today is. It's a lot colder than I remember last being here.

[She thinks. Though really she's probably just saying that cause it's spring back home right now and she had to get herself a coat, wearing the wrong season clothes and all.] You look different somehow. Did you get taller?

[she asks as she tilts her head slightly. There's definitely something different about Ion :|a]

[distressedude]

Well, it has been a while since you were last here. It's November now. To be honest, I'm a little surprised you recognized me.

[Since Guy totally didn't and it was an interesting experience for everyone involved. He's taller, thinner, and his hair is shorter in the front now. Even his voice doesn't quite sound the same!]

[explaining]

[Guy, with his clothes and his gear and feeling a lot more even keeled, ends up bumping into a young man on his jog. Someone new probably; definitely nobody Guy's seen before, though he looks very familiar just by the passing glance Guy threw his way on his way over to the bar.]

Oh, excuse me! Sorry about that.

[And he turns to go.

AND FREEZES.]

[distressedude]

[Ion realized who it was he had bumped into as soon as Guy spoke up, but it took a few seconds for the shock to wear off enough for him to say anything.]

[And by then, Guy had already turned to leave! But it's not immediately occurring to Ion that maybe he just looks too different for Guy to recognize him right away. And the voice isn't going to help too much either, even if it is still a bit similar.]

Wait, Guy? You're back!

YOU GAVE ME MY FIRST JOKE TAG ILUSFM

[explaining]

[No way.

Guy turns slowly on his heel. He'd been trying to make it back to Good Spirits before they opened but- no. No way. There's no way.]

I- yeah. You're not...? [Green hair, green eyes. But he's way too tall, and his voice is too deep and...the Fon Master had died as a child. This can't be him.]

/TAKES A BOW

[distressedude]

[It's only once he's actually facing Guy that he gets an idea of what the problem is. He's pretty sure Guy didn't get shorter, after all. It was a little strange to be able to look him in the eyes without having to look up.]

...it's me, Ion. I suppose I look a bit different from what you might remember, don't I?

[Though he's still still more pretty than manly or handsome. Some things never change.]

[explaining]

[IT IS ION]

You- wow. Yeah. Ion, you got so tall. [Guy laughs a little incredulously and rubs the back of his neck. It's weird, because he still remembers a world where Mohs had killed Ion, and then he remembers this world where the Fon Master was still alive and in neither of them did Ion look...well. Older. Like he is now.

Really, Guy had been very worried for Ion. He never got a chance to grow up, but is Luceti really the best place for him to try? Looking at him now, though...]

You look good. [Guy smiles because he can't help it. If nothing else, this place does at least this one thing right. People who were gone can come back. That's enough. Even if it's hard, if they're trapped, whatever; they're still alive. Nothing can change for someone who's dead.] You look really good, Ion. You're filling out well.

[distressedude]

[Gosh, Guy, you're gonna make him blush!]

Well, I have been here for almost five years now. Though I suppose I've grown a bit more in the past two years alone...

[Which also begs the question: if Guy remembers Luceti, just which stay does he remember? If Ion's appearance looked so drastically different to him, did that mean he was the same Guy who was here when Ion first arrived...?]

[i_speak_softly]

[The weather is getting colder, but it's not yet too cold for Donatello to give up his morning run around the village. As far as he remembers, he did this yesterday and the day before, and the village is pretty much the same from one sunrise to the next.]

[It's not too unusual for him to pass other people as he's running, and so it is today. He doesn't know this person very well, but he calls out a friendly greeting anyway.]

Good morning!

[distressedude]

[Ion had been zoning out a bit, mostly due to the reason he decided to go to a run in the first place. Of course, he's still not really good at pacing himself, so by the time Donatello catches him, he's already getting to the point where he should probably stop. Fortunately, his greeting gives him the perfect opportunity...]

Oh, g-good mor--

[...unfortunately, that opportunity comes in the form of distracting him just enough for him to misstep and fall backwards.]

[Well, at least he didn't fall on his face?]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don will pretend there was nothing embarrassing about that at all, and instead just offers a hand to help Ion up.]

Nice day for a run.

[distressedude]

[Ion appreciates that, and take his hand and stands. He's still a little out of breath though when he speaks.]

Yes, it is... though I think it might be a bit too cold for me. I haven't really been able to focus...

[i_speak_softly]

Likewise... [- Don says slowly, replying to both things.] Do you want to walk for a while?

[hollower]

[Perona's not exactly difficult to spot in a crowd, given her unusual attire and her devilish parasol. This time around however, she does have a coat, scarf, and gloves she snagged from the clothing shops to keep herself warm as she explores, but overall Perona's appearance hasn't changed one bit from the time she was in and left Luceti.

She doesn't notice Ion, busy leaning against the trunk of a tree, away from the crowd of people, and reading up on the things she may have missed in the journal. Mostly she's just trying to gather some information, starting from today's date and the day she left Luceti, then go from there on filling in the blanks. It's so odd being back...she has so much to catch up on and people to try and find. Everything moving so fast and it's so hard to try and catch up again.]

[distressedude]

[It really is amazing, seeing all these familiar faces again. Ion's so happy, he doesn't even feel guilty about being happy to see them back in Luceti!]

[Seeing Perona is no exception, and although there's a part of him worried she might be like Luke and not aware that she ever even left, that doesn't stop him from wanting to approach her anyway.]

[Coincidentally, he's also wearing part of the outfit Perona got for him today, but it might not be obvious when he's all bundled up from the cold.

Miss Perona?

[hollower]

[Very few people address Peron with a title, especially here in Luceti. She looks up, already bringing up the mental list she could count on one hand of who this may be, and of couse her expression melts into a warm, pleasant smile when she sees Ion approach. She meets him half way, snapping her journal shut and tucking it away into the zipper pocket of her teddy's back.]

Ion-kun! [Excuse her while she tugs the young man into a hug. You're just too cute not to.] It's so good to see you again!

[distressedude]

[Well, he's not going to turn down a hug, even if it is a little unexpected! But thankfully, that did seem to answer the question that had been on his mind when he saw her here.]

I could say the same for you as well. Have you just returned? That seems to be the case for a lot of people in the village today.

[hollower]

Only recently, yes. [She release Ion and leans into a sitting position, floating lazily in the air. This is just common for Perona, and a lot more comfortable. She hates being on her feet for too long.]

But you're right...you're not the first person I've met that has left Luceti long before I have, and who has returned. It's gotten so much noisier! [Though she's happy to see all her old friends.]

[seleniahymn]

[Ion isn't the only one in need of some time to think. Now that she has Colonel back, Tear has been taking special care to keep him close to her as she sits in the plaza, petting him absentmindedly as she looks over the crowd of familiar faces.

When she spots Ion she starts to move as though she were going to stand and speak to him, but stops herself short of only raising her hand. He seemed as preoccupied in thought as she was.]

[distressedude]

[The plaza was always a good place to stop and rest, and when he sees Tear in the corner of his eyes, he turns towards her. But seeing her reaching out -- reaching, but not speaking -- does take some of the wind out of his sails.]

[If the scars on his back weren't proof enough of what they lived, Tear was a solid example. No matter how much they changed the past, it still didn't bring back her voice. And it didn't change the horror of what happened to her.]

[Slowly, he makes his way over, kneeling down to pat Colonel on the head before looking up at Tear.]

...it still doesn't feel quite real, does it?

[seleniahymn]

(( sorry about the delay! we can continue over here? ))