pawnstorm | INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

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INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

WELCOME TO CAISSA

We’ve all had those dreams: you wake up on a table, to blurry, ominous images and the certainty that you are absolutely buck-naked in a room full of strangers. This is not quite it.

Instead, you come awake to the sun on your face. The soft burble of water nearby. The hustle and bustle of a busy street and the faint, fortifying smell of bread. You open your eyes and there’s no one there at your bedside, but there is what appears to be the end of the world happening just beyond your window.

There’s a crack in the world across the sky, the “sun” is the totally unnatural light spilling from that crack straight into your eyes, and someone’s left a neatly pressed and folded uniform at the foot of the bed that isn’t yours. Somewhere in the room, there’s a strange clatter like beads, the click of claws on the floor.

Something’s in here with you.

Also, you are naked.

ONE ♟ Settling In

Welcome to Blanc! You wake up on one of the beds inside the Hall of Glory. You might still be feeling a little light-headed, but sudden dimensional travel will do that to a body. You could have sworn visions of a fantastic world flashed before your eyes not long ago: monsters, magic, and a mission to save the world. You can't quite recall much beyond the basics, but could this be it?

Save your questions for later! The room nannies are quick to urge Heroes into their uniforms (with their beaks if necessary) and to point them to the pick-up locations for their Blanc-issued Weapons and Carriers. Hopefully, nobody but the pigeon’s watching you change. On the other hand, maybe you're the type to turn every roommate into a new friend before you even step foot outside the room.

As you make your way down the halls, you might notice strangely familiar faces around you. But don’t linger too long to chat—the people in charge of the armory and the menagerie have gone through many Heroes before you, and still have many more to go after you. NPCs need meal breaks, too! If you don’t make a decision in time, the random Weapons and/or Carriers they pick for you can be just a little odd.

And if you’re hungry? No matter how rich you were in your homeworld, you’re penniless now until you earn some colle. Thankfully, the Hall of Glory provides free meals to Heroes and those associated with them! Sunday’s breakfast and lunch are bananalicious and seafood pasta. A friendly visiting scholar may have a word of advice for you: “Beware the dining hall on Mondays.”

But you’ll barely have time for lunch before guards come and round you up. “For the parade,” is the only reason they’ll give you.

TWO ♟ Welcome Celebrations

Trumpets sound, cymbals clang and the crowd roars as the parade gets underway! What’s all the fuss about? Well, you Heroes were sent by the gods to save Blanc, right? Of course they’d celebrate! Smiling and waving at the citizens of Caissa from your uniquely crafted float might be a chore, but hey, they love you. Are you really going to let them down, or lose the spotlight to the fellow Heroes sharing your float?

The reception after the Prime Minister’s speech is like some kind of idol session, with Caissa citizens coming up to shake hands and welcome the Heroes warmly. Some are even asking for autographs!

There’s a lot of things to do in festive and lively Caissa, even late into the night under a light fall of snow. Sparrow Town is all lit up, ready for another festival next week.

While some shops are closed for the holiday, others have buffet tables or are giving out free samples to the Heroes. The food stalls here are way better than the bizarre cafeteria menu at the Hall of Glory! Why waste the opportunity to finally gorge on real food? The shop owners have done their best to impress, showing off their local cuisines proudly along the city streets: from the local hamburger joint to the exotic L'adderan curries, you'll find a little of everything to whet your palate. Your growling stomach will likely thank you for the food. … Oh, wait. That wasn’t you? You think the fish sandwich on your plate just sang? Nonsense. That just means you had a marvelous piece of fish bread. Please remember to visit them again sometime when you have the colle, okay?

Various stalls with games and activities have also been set up. Maybe you can impress the crowd by nailing an apple with an arrow or by sacrificing your friend(s) at the water tanks! An unusual Go-style stall offers something like fish scooping, but be careful: touching the fish with your bare hands will leave you feeling funny… Wow, you’ve never seen that color before! But whatever it takes to impress the children, right?

Said children might try and get you to dance in the falling snow. Better not mess up, though, because everyone in Caissa seems to be watching.

THREE ♟ The Day After

Hopefully, you didn’t sleep too late after yesterday’s celebrations! Or maybe you slept badly, since it felt like something was watching you…

The free breakfast that awaits you at the dining hall is… something special. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content! Remember: no food fights, and leave no leftovers! Nothing will save you from the chef’s disapproving mustache swirl if you do!

If you want to make money (to get away from Monday’s Horrors), there are now jobs up for taking at the Hall of Glory and the Poisoned Pawn! If there’s nothing to your taste, check back again every so often. Something new might pop up!

Heroes not in the mood to be errand-runners (it’s understandable, you’re Heroes after all!) can hang out in the parlor, read in the library, or express yourself in one of the Hall’s many studios or other rooms.

If lying back and taking it slow isn’t your thing, you could train or spar! Being summoned to a new world takes a toll on the body, and some Heroes have lost abilities familiar to them. Besides, it’ll take a while to get used to your weapons. Some of them might even be disobedient, backfiring at worst and unresponsive at best. Try not to hit your fellow Heroes (including yourself), or you’ll either have to find enough Heroes to cast weak healing spells or carry the wounded to the infirmary. While the snow has been cleared overnight, it’s still very cold!

INFO ♟ Welcome!

Welcome to Crosscheck's grand opening log! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!

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[ She stops and looks back for the few feet she had already taken to walk away. Really, she just wants to go back to her room and hide under the blankets for a while and hope and pray this is all just a bad dream.

You are not alone, he said. If she leaves right now though, he's alone. She looks at the snow, thinking it over. This kind of situation would never happen in reality. She would just apologize and keep on her way. She can't keep someone company just because they ask.

But he's the only person that had given her some semblance of comfort since being here. Who told her she will make it home. Her hand reaches up to touch the top of her head, where he patted her.

There's a quiet nod. She doesn't know why he asks her of this but if he asks her so earnestly, she can't say no. Not after their short, but profound conversation. ]

... But it's cold. Could we go somewhere warm? [ She wraps her arms around herself and shuffles her feet. ]

[ Ah... The girl, Yuuki, doesn't seem to mind... Setsuna actually doesn't know if he's being a bother or if he's doing the right thing. But he just couldn't leave her alone. As long as he holds on to these feelings, hopefully he'll be able to really help her...

Seeing her nod reassures him. If she changes her mind at any time though, he won't stop her next time. In the end, there's only so much that he can do. He already did what he can... He'll accept whatever happens afterwards. He nods in return, then turns to a specific direction.

Setsuna walks on ahead, but goes at an easy-to-follow pace. He leads her to where he carefully parked his magical weapon, a steampunk motorbike. When they get there, he offers his hand out to the girl... Once she accepts, he'll gently aid her on the bike before heading off to the nearest cafe. There, even for a short while, he lets the warmth of food and the comfort of a fireplace to soothe her hurt soul.

It isn't much... But it was something he thought of for her. ]

[ He's so quiet. It's not a bad thing since Asuna doesn't feel much like talking anyway. She follows him as quietly until they reach... a motorcycle.

At first Asuna resists and says something about it being dangerous, that she doesn't have a helmet, that walking is just fine. But she's also embarrassed at the thought of riding behind him. In fact, she nearly stomps off and just stares at his hand with a red face.

But she's never ridden a motorcycle. Seeing them on the street in Tokyo, she always thought that people who had a death wish only bought motorcycles. What she was smothering was her curiosity over what it was like to ride one. Asuna rode the train, most of the time. Even a normal bicycle wasn't something she owned.

Eventually she gives in SOMEHOW WHO CARES and gets on behind Setsuna while insisting she can do it herself. Only to grab his shoulders once she's settled since there are no SEATBELTS and staring off to the side. Once they're moving, she's quick to wrap her arms around his waist with a yelp.

It's... kind of fun. The air is cold against her face but her heart races in excitement along with terror. Upon reaching their destination her cheeks are not only flushed from the weather but also the bike ride. Her eyes are brighter too.

And only get brighter because of the good food and a warming fire. She's feeling a little more like herself.

Her hands are wrapped around a cup of tea, steam warming her face even more. ]

Thank you. [ She suddenly says, staring into her cup. ] Although you said you wanted me to accompany you, I feel like I'm the one who actually needed the company.

[ With the way Asuna protested earlier, Setsuna wasn't going to force her if she was truly discomforted at the thought of riding together. Though she eventually accepted, so that relieved him. He would be able to take her to a warm place faster that way, after all. During the earlier ride, he drove carefully; he wanted to away some of her stress, not add to it. He was surprised when she jolted and quickly hugged around his waist, though he didn't mind and allowed her. It was relieving... to have seen her bright eyes that time, especially at the current moment where it only glows brighter.

Now sitting together by the fireplace, Setsuna keeps his eyes forward most of the time. He actually doesn't have much experience in accompanying others like this, but he's done it a few times in the past for several comrades. Still, he's mostly unused to it and isn't really sure of what to do. At least... Asuna seems happier now. Hearing her soft words further relieves him, glad that he's able to successfully comfort her no matter how minor the effect. Something changed for the better, and that mattered.

Setsuna eventually turns his eyes to face Asuna again, listening further. Actually, he's fine by himself... He's been alone for a significant portion of his life, so he's fine all alone. It's only in recent years that he learned to believe in others, too. Everyone he knows and knew... They all shaped him into the person he is today. ]

It is... nothing.

[ He's honored to be here. Quietly, he takes a sip from his hot milk before speaking again: ]

... Gundam. That is my network username in this world. Should you require future assistance, do not hesitate to contact me.

[ It's a lot more than nothing and she fidgets, looking at the floor. Nobody has ever taken her out, she hadn't ridden on a motorcycle with anyone, well... there's a lot of things she's done for the first time today. Not the least of which is spend time with someone she just met.

But his hot milk...

Should she ask him about it? ]

Eh?

[ And he's offering even more. ]

But... isn't your name Setsuna? [ Why gundam. Asuna that's not even the important part he's really nice to her....... ]

[ It's a legitimate question, considering how strange it can come off as. Setsuna looks at Asuna quietly, not bothered at all that she questioned it. In fact, this scenario only serves as further confirmation that he really is in a different world... And meeting others from equally different ones. It's so strange.

He's always felt the world at home was so small, yet so big... Many things tied together, yet at the same time there's still a lot to discover. Now he's faced with a much larger reality, and it seems he'll continue to witness much more. These worlds that he's facing, worlds that don't apply to everything he's ever known. ]

... Yes, but I am also Gundam.

[ He doesn't mean it as a name, but it means something else. From how he said those words, the "Gundam" clearly means something important to him. Something that he doesn't want to leave behind, even if he's separated from it. ]

[ Two names? Is that something like an alias? People in bands did things like that, didn't they? It was to avoid unwanted attention when they were out and about so she wonders if that same line of thinking applied to him. Granted, it seems like all the Heroes are famous already.

Since she's thinking of being a Hero, fighting in a war again, she tightens her grip on her tea cup and bites her lip. What does she do anyway? With everything that Setsuna said and her own thoughts, she feels more lost than ever. It's only the calm crackling of the fire, the calming brew of tea that keeps her from closing in on herself again.

That and... she doesn't want to cause more trouble for the person next to her when he was doing so much already. Steeling her heart, she decides she'll think about what's happened today when she's alone and nobody can see her. Where she won't be a bother. ]

Then... would you prefer to be called Gundam instead?

[ Asuna has the right idea. She's quite close, actually. But due to his oath of secrecy, he won't be able to explain it to her. As the relaxing atmosphere of the cafe warms the two of them, he continues to drink his milk in silence.

And with her next question, he sets his half-drank milk on the coffee table. As much as he'd like that, he can't let her call him that everywhere. It's going to possibly endanger the two of them, assuming any of his enemies from home is here... So he shakes his head. ]

Setsuna is fine. If possible, please keep "Gundam" to yourself only.

Edited 2016-03-03 10:37 (UTC)

Oh. Mm, I will.

[ SO SETSUNA IS THE ALIAS. What is he famous for... she wants to ask but she doesn't since that would be nosy and it's his business anyway.

If he's going to tell her secrets like that, then does that mean he trusts her? They barely know each other but she feels flattered at the exposure to this information. She's never been told a secret like that. Asuna stares at her tea. ]

Er, well if you want to contact me, my name is just Asuna on the network. I only have one name.

[ Infamous-turned-famous... A former terrorist, into a real war hero. But Setsuna has a hard time adjusting to that thought, as he will never forget his mistakes in the past. Yes, perhaps he's amended for all of them at this point. But he will never feel it's enough. He never wants to acknowledge the title of "Hero," all he wants to do is to keep going... To keep at what he believes in.

When Asuna informs him of her network ID, Setsuna memorizes it and nods. It shouldn't be difficult to remember, considering that she went with her own real name. In a strange new world, he understands that he probably might need to call her directly sometime in the future. If not to check on her, then it's likely for something else important.

There are a lot of things he wants to ask her, but it's not a good time. He's here to distract her away from thoughts of home, so he'll let her relax and calm her mind. It's easy to do so in a tranquil cafe such as this. ]

[ Something important like a not date.

It's hard not to think of home as it's all she has right now -- memories. This tea reminds her of sitting at her desk and pouring over books and papers and homework. Studying diligently because one day of missed studying meant falling back at least three days. Or whatever the saying is.

Although she never fell asleep at her desk she feels her eyes get heavy. Is there something in this tea?? Or is it just the crackling of the fire, Setsuna's comforting presence, and how tired she is from everything that happened today? From being overwhelmed with this strange new world to finally finding some semblance of ease here in this small shop.

Her head starts to tilt to the side and eventually lands on her own shoulder, eyes closing and her empty teacup sitting on the table in front of her. If Setsuna looks at her again she's.... totally asleep.

Maybe this is all a dream. ]

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INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

REIMI IS THE MOST BEAUTIFULESt

YOU TYPOED MEL ///

NO WAY

[yesyes]

shh accept my love

... /holds it all closely u///u

showers u with it

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