kaisou | [Open] Got Ourselves Another Lost One

WHO: Gwayne and everyone!
WHERE: Gwayne's Labyrinth and other places in Kaisou
WHEN: December 4th
WHAT: There's a new and lost arrival from Eorzea.
WARNINGS: May be Endwalker spoilers, but they'll be marked if they come up!

A: Rumor Has It

[Going from the bustling city of Radz-at-Han to somewhere else entirely makes for a highly jarring experience, especially when it's somewhere so empty. Gwayne looks around, immediately tense and wary of any hostile threats within the vicinity. After a few seconds, hand on the hilt of his sword, he determines there's nothing immediate and begins to walk. As he does, he takes a closer look at the place he's ended up, and feels his body grow ice cold in realization.

He's... home. But it's wrong. The small, desert town is completely empty of people, and it's twisted and warped itself into a maze. Certain buildings repeat and create dead ends where there shouldn't be. As Gwayne gets deeper into the maze, whispers from no discernable source hit his ears. Whispers that simultaneously make him feel hot with shame and cold with dread.

"No better than his father, that one." "The years truly haven't changed him, have they?"

"Poor Svetozar and Vairemont. They must be heartbroken over what their son has become."

"What did any of us expect? 'E came from bad stock, ain't nothin' can change that."

Gwayne tries his best to ignore them, no matter how hard of a slap to the face some of them are. Though, all thoughts leave his mind when he sees a very familiar house. His house. He can't help himself from running over to the door, hesitating before trying to open it.

Locked. Or, at the very least, it simply won't budge. He bites his lip as a myriad of emotions well up in his heart, and takes a few steadying breaths. Gwayne squares his shoulders, putting his worry and homesickness away for the time being. He needs to find a way out of this accursed place. Preferably before something else finds him.]

B: Out in the Cold

[After getting out of the Labyrinth and spending probably too much time figuring out this new technology the book calls a "phone," Gwayne gets to exploring. He's an adventurer for a reason, and his curiosity is insatiable. Even if he doesn't know where in the hell he is, that doesn't mean he can't go poking around a new city or world.

One place he finds is the Last Stand, which is extremely weird to suddenly find a piece of Sharlayan here. Gwayne is looking at it in abject bafflement, hilariously juxtaposed by how very out-of-place he looks in his outfit. At least it's warm for the weather. This city isn't anywhere near as cold as Ishgard, but it's still cold.

Gwayne can be found almost anywhere in Kaisou, poking his nose into anything interesting, but he'll avoid the sketchier areas for now. The last thing he needs right now is to get mugged or hurt someone.]

{OOC: I'll match prose or brackets!}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rhel has to bite back a giggle at the mention of The Wall. She wasn't in the city for it by that point, but she's heard stories.]

I won't ask for the details, as I imagine it was as terrible as they said. I'm glad you survived, however.

[Gwayne shakes his head.]

Full credit must go to Hydaelyn. Had She not intervened, I would not be here. Unfortunately, it came at a certain price, considering who was pulling the strings behind the Calamity.

....Gwayne, were you the one Louisoix...?

[He nods.]

The last I saw was hellfire raining down, and then the next thing I knew, I was in a field.

[Gwayne has a somewhat ironic smile on his face.]

Imagine my shock when I came to find out that not only had five years past, but everyone had forgotten who I was. Even... Even Minfilia. They remembered, eventually, after Operation Archon. Hydaelyn had used it in order to conceal my presence from the Ascians. I mean, 'tis a fair bit easier to work unhindered if they thought I'd perished at Carteneau.

I imagine so. We remember the Warriors of Light existing, of course, in my Eorzea, but it wasn't me. I was stuck in Limsa.

[Fascinating.]

I wonder now what else is different between our existences, the six of us. We've never talked about it before, I think for somewhat obvious reasons.

[Gwayne nods at that.]

Something to be expected, given what we've all been through. On the other hand, perhaps it is a conversation we should have, if only to better understand each other.

[He hesitates.]

That being said, I... do not know how any of you will feel about me. Even if it was not me, personally, the fact remains that the burden came from some version of myself unwittingly placing it upon your shoulders.

Well, I can hardly speak for the others but I personally would never blame you. It isn't as if you asked for all of that...everything that happened to happen to you or any of us, is it? It happened, and that's that.

[It takes Gwayne a second to parse all that, but he gets it!]

I won't begrudge anyone their resentment or their blame, if it comes to it. Still, you have my thanks for being honest. Perhaps I should contact them individually and inform them.

[He has to face the music sooner or later, and the other four Warriors deserve to know.]

Would you like their names? Admittedly, they're rather hard to miss but in the event that you do...oh, or I could show you how to use the tomestone--it's called a phone here--that they give you?

[Gwayne grins at that.]

Both would be quite helpful! I expect I'll need their names regardless. And, I will admit, the book they gave on this 'phone' was.. quite dense.

Urianger speaks more clearly and concisely, and I am saying this as someone who can more or less keep up with him when he's on a lecture.

[Depending on the topic.]

Did whoever guided you to the city mention the Libra app? That is how most of us keep in contact, as well as those from other stars and this one.

I'm inclined to agree, and I've since learned how to parse Urianger's quirks.

[He frowns as he thinks about that question.]

I don't believe she did, but I might be remembering incorrectly. My labyrinth dredged up some... unpleasant memories, so I may not have been paying as much attention as I should've at the time.

Understandable. Well...

[And so Rhel will give Gwayne the best explanation she can, prefacing this with "Amal might be the better one to ask, but here we are" and "I still refuse to type, it's uncomfortable when I can simply speak into it". It will do to get Gwayne slightly prepared to use the phone.]

This can also play games. These are dangerous things.

[Fortunately, Gwayne is a quick learner! Though, he'll definitely make a note to ask Amal if he has more specific questions.]

Goodness. This all certainly feels like something Cid would love to take apart and see how it ticks!

Right? I know if he or Nero could figure out how to make tomestones like this, we'd never hear the end of it and yet I so very much want them to see these.

Perhaps they would not replace linkshells, at least not yet by our star's reckoning, but an engineer's curiosity would wish to be sated regardless.

[He's so amused.]

Wait until you see the "cars" they have here. Cid would have a fit and demand to know everything about them and then some. They're absolutely terrifying.

Would that be the metallic things on wheels? The ones that look simultaneously safe and unsafe?

That would be them, yes. They have bigger ones for more people and they are very, very useful but I dislike riding in them.

[He looks outside the window and sees one going by. After a thoughtful pause, he says:]

Can't be more dangerous than that ghost train I fought, once. At least, I hope not.

...to be fair, the ghost train was an Omega created monster. These are just...humans in large metal boxes on wheels. Think I trusted the ghost train more, honestly.

They seem to have more room than the manacutters, at least! But I'll admit it doesn't compare to a chocobo.

[Open] Got Ourselves Another Lost One

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