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!

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A little.

[She smiled sheepishly at Tieria, before turning her attention to Setsuna.]

Ah, so that's what kept you.

[His weapon-- she had to admit she was curious. Hers was also something unfamiliar to her, although compared to Tieria's her's was at least a conventional weapon. Having seen him, Marie became aware of just what sort of variety existed in this world. That does make her all the more curious.]

Did you bring it with you?

We still have a lot to build.

[ With their body like this, it's actually a little inconvenient but nothing they couldn't deal with.

Back to Setsuna, it's the first time he talks about his weapon. Which reminds Tieria that he has them too and he'll rather not speaks about his weapon at all. He throws Marie a knowing glance before asking Setsuna about his weapon. ]

What weapon did you received?

Yes...

[ In fact, Setsuna's weapon is sitting near them. He gestures to a particular direction, pointing at the metal stroller against the wall. Upon closer inspection, anyone will be able to notice that it's not actually a bag. It's a folded weapon... It has four wheels. ]

I selected that one, as it seemed to be most familiar to me.

[ It's definitely a mobile weapon, judging from how he says it. ]

Don't worry about me, I'll be fine in a minute.

[In fact, she's plenty ready to go now, but she is a bit curious about Setsuna's weapon as well. Turning her eyes towards the metal lump, she starts to see it-- the way it bends and folds... it's really quite intricately designed. Four wheels...]

...ah.

[It was a vehicle of some sorts them. But that should have made for an easy ride. Unless...]

Is it really safe?

[DID YOU CRASH IT? ARE YOU REALLY OKAY?! YOU DIDN'T RUN ANYONE OVER DID YOU--]

[ Nodding to Marie, Tieria turns to look at the direction Setsuna pointed to and raises a curious brow of what that might be. A stroller? With four wheels? Mobile weapon?

But. Something else caught his attention, it's what Setsuna said. ]

How come you get to choose your weapon?! [ Because Tieria didn't and he got shoved with a pair of glass slippers! Why is there differential treatment upon arrival?! ]

[ Wow. Marie and Tieria's reactions are so contrasting, Setsuna doesn't know who to reply to first. He blinks out, taking a small pause to attempt aligning his thoughts together. ]

They... let you, I thought? They told me to do it quickly, but they allowed me to select anything from the armory.

[ Tieria probably took too long to pick!! As for Marie's question... ]

I am confident that I will eventually be able to learn it, so it should be fine.

If you're certain.

[She has great confidence in Setsuna's abilities-- if anyone can learn to understand it then surely Setsuna could. But that... brings them to a dangerous area of discussion.]

Ah... yes, well... perhaps we should finish this conversation while we begin the preparations for the snowman.

[And maybe... just... let it go entirely between now and then... ]

[ Tieria is certain no one gave him a choice, they literally shoved the pair of heels to him and told him to leave despite his protest. So knowing that most people were allowed to pick their weapon simply leaves him bristling in quiet rage. ]

Whatever!

[ The conversation is so over because Tieria is leaving for the snowman. At least, he's paid for it. ]

Hurry up and get ready. There's a lot to do.

[ No one brings up his weapon if they want to live. ]

[ Oh... Setsuna can only watch in concern. That was unexpected, so he didn't know how else to respond to Tieria. It's a good thing that Marie is here with them. Now that he's warmed enough though, he's able to stand without trembling from the winter cold. While the cozy feeling from the fireplace is still washing over him, he wants to head out.

Before doing so however, Setsuna turns to Marie. He offers his hand out to help her stand. His eyes seem to say thank you. At the same time, he looks worried now. He should ask Tieria about the details later... Much later, when his brother-in-arms is no longer that angry. ]

Sorry...

[ For being so awkward... ]

[Smiling, she takes Setsuna's hand and nods. She understands but... much later would be for the best.]

Okay then! Let's get started.

[Once she's up, she'll be happy to lead the way out; back into the snow. The snow she'd been rolling earlier was still there-- although it had a bit of a dent on the top from where she'd landed on it, oops...] We should probably make it a little bigger, but we can probably start with this, right?

[ The good thing about building snowman is that he can use it to let off steam and get paid. By the time Marie and Setsuna joined him, Tieria is already rolling a fresh ball near the one Marie build. ]

Roll it to about five feet, we have to make a ten feet snowman. That should be enough as the base.

[ If they didn't think Tieria would come up with a proper plan to build a snowman, they wouldn't be in Celestial Being. ]

[ Five feet... That's bigger than Setsuna expected. Aren't the snowmen for kids? But he's not opposed. He likes them really big...

So he nods to Tieria's order, moving to help Marie push this snowball. His Innovator strength is still here, though it's rather... well, it's considerably much less than the usual. Despite that, any additional strength matters. He pushes carefully, not wanting to ruin the snowball that Marie worked hard to make. ]

Did we have a design plan?

[Pushing in tandem with Setsuna the ball is soon rolling, gathering snow as it goes. Five feet is quite a lot, however... they mustn't disappoint the kids. It makes sense in a way. It would be impossible for the kids themselves, so if they wanted to see it done then they'd have to ask someone else to do it for them.]

Hmm... I hadn't thought about it.

[She's never decorated her own. What would the kids want to see?]

What kind of a snowman would impress you?

[She asks aloud, curious what either of her teammates would say.]

[ Tieria doesn't have a solid design plan, but he knows roughly what would impress the kids. He has spoken to some of them and knows they wouldn't like anything normal. ]

Something impressive. Like a robot?

[ He looks at Setsuna at the mention of robot. ]

[ Are... are they really letting him build a robot. Setsuna looks between Tieria and Marie constantly, eyes widening at the suggestion. Is it okay to build a Gundam, he wonders. ]

... A Gundam.

[ There, he asked. Of course, he can't resist the chance if given to him. ]

[...a bubbling laughter escapes Marie. They've only been away for a short time and yet it's so easy to see how much Setsuna and Tieria like the idea. It was the natural choice for them, wasn't it?]

Yes, I think that's a wonderful idea both of you. I think the kids would love it.

[And if it brought a smile to her friends' faces, then...]

[ Of course Setsuna would suggest a Gundam, Tieria is not surprised at all. He chuckles, the petty anger from earlier having dissipates into snow. ]

Fine, but don't write the name or introduce it as such.

[ Because what is an oath of secrecy.

At least someone gets to build a Gundam. Though honestly, what kind of snowman can these two socially awkward Meisters build? Marie would probably have to do all the creative work otherwise, if Soma doesn't kill them first. ]

[ YES. If Setsuna had cat ears and a tail, his excitement would be more evident than this. But even without it, the spark in his eyes is enough to tell. He's undoubtedly pumped up right now.

Marie and Tieria both approved of his suggestion, so he energetically gathers more snow to make the snow Gundam come true. The kids that are observing them begin to get amused, so they cheer for Setsuna as he runs around for snow.

It's okay! Setsuna has a strong enough memory (and a hard enough dedication) to remember physical features of a Gundam. He can even craft out parts; it's a result from all his meddling and contributions (that Ian never asked for) at the maintenance bay. He also takes his engineering seriously, so crafting a fake Gundam would be a walk in the park for him. ]

I will get started on the head...

You might need to give me a bit of direction, but I will do my best.

[Since Setsuna is happily working on the head, Marie starts up a second snowball like the first and rolls it up next to it. With a shovel she carves out the sides and effectively creates the feet of their Gundam. A good, sturdy foundation will be important, especially for what they have in mind- so she makes sure it will hold before starting to make the legs.

It's just a snowman, yes, but there are a lot of reasons it's important to her that it succeeds. Because it's not just the kids now who have an investment in it. She wants to see Setsuna's eyes light up when it's finished and the accomplished look on Tieria's face...

And truthfully, although she's not a Gundam Meister, the figure holds an important meaning for her as well. It's a symbol of the path she'd chosen-- of the life she was able to have. Of sacrifice, but also of love and friendship and peace...]

[ Oh this is so amusing, Tieria is actually having a hard time holding his amusement in. But he will, so he doesn't damper Setsuna's very excited mood now. ]

Which model are you building, Setsuna?

[ Aren't you both lucky the actual person who knows the build inside out is here? He'll be able to draw up a proper build for a Gundam snowman. It'll probably have to be seated or kneeling since Tieria is pretty sure the snow wouldn't be able to hold it up otherwise.

Veda on the other hand, is quietly recording this moment for keepsake... ]

[ That makes two of them who can help Marie out. Setsuna may not be part of Veda like how Tieria is, but he diligently reads up information from Veda daily. He isn't ignorant at all, especially with the way he's so active in the maintenance bay whenever he's at the Ptolemaios. He's able enough to be able to repair Exia all by himself back then. He watches Marie create the foundation for the snowman as he works on the Gundam helm.

Setsuna wants to take this job seriously, since it's for the children... And to think they're getting paid just to play around? Yeah, he'll just have to do his best so that the pay for them would be worth it. A few kids approach them, observing how they work but does their best not to get in the way. At Tieria's question, he thinks it over for a moment... But his answer comes easy: ]

Exia...

[ Exia marked the beginning for Setsuna. And here, he's starting anew again. He wants to be reminded of Exia, his beginning, and inspire himself to work hard in this new world as well. He wants to achieve many things... Even in a completely different world such as this. ]

Exia...

[She's vaguely familiar with it. Or... Soma is. That model had long been out of use by the time she was a member of their team. But for Setsuna, she felt-- a strong meaning in his choice.]

Setsuna-- you were the pilot of the Gundam Exia, weren't you?

[It seems logical, but she can't prove it herself.] Sorry... I couldn't even tell you which one was Exia, although I'm sure I saw it at some point. I was just thinking-- it must have been very special, if it's the one you chose.

[ Tieria nods to the answer, not surprised since he knows how attached Setsuna is to it. After all, it's the Gundam than Setsuna maintained all by himself during their exile from the world after their failed first intervention. ]

It's the blue and white one. [ He tells Marie as he begins working on a rough drafts on the snow for them to refer. ] Follow these drafts. Setsuna, pick which part you want to work on.

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INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

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let's speed up for AC!

okay!!

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