epidemiology | EVENT ★ WELCOME TO TERRA FELIS

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EVENT ★ WELCOME TO TERRA FELIS

WELCOME TO TERRA FELIS

Characters leave Woodhurst suddenly and without notice, but once they come out the other side of the rift, they aren't in Oska. Instead, they'll find themselves in the middle of a springtime meadow. Flowers are in bloom, the bright blue sky is above, and birds chirp overhead.

And then there are the cats.

From all sides of the meadow come housecats of all shapes and sizes, indistinguishable from mundane felines in every way until one of them speaks: "You're the third team today," it says in the calm, clear voice of a man. "Come along."

CENTRUM COLONIAM

Centrum Coloniam is the primary city of Terra Felis and is where the government, a constitutional monarchy, is located. Situated high above the ground, the city is accessible via teleportation pads located at guarded entrances all around its base; the teleportation pads to return to the ground are not guarded at all, and anyone may travel freely whenever they wish.

Terra Felis operates on magitek, a complex combination of magic and technology that recruits should be familiar with: it's the same technology that runs Oska and the jewelcomms. Centrum Coloniam is lit by glowing, floating orbs that turn on automatically in the darkness, and its machinery seems to run itself, with only a few technicians scurrying about every now and then. The buildings all have tall, vaulted ceilings, as the cats prefer to walk along raised platforms rather than the floor, though furniture and utensils might give larger species (that's you) some difficulty.

However, the cats receive enough visitors where most buildings (except private residences) have been situated with human-sized doorways, though if you're very tall, you may have to stoop a bit. All in all, characters ought to be relatively comfortable here if they have a good sense of humor -- though dogs or other canine companions will be met with suspicion if not outright hostility. Even enlightened sapient felines are not without their prejudices.

The city of Centrum Coloniam is shaped like a circle, with the government in the center and four districts located to the north, east, south, and west. Radiating out from the city are four long spokes of parkland, separating each district.

AREAS OF NOTE:

ROYAL SQUARE. Where the Queen's opulent palace is located. She is much too busy to see visitors right now, but the Prime Minister, a plump persian, will greet anyone in her stead and answer any questions. Surrounding the palace in a circle are the parliamentary buildings and other governmental structures.

ACADEMY SQUARE. To the north of the Royal Square is Academy Square, Terra Felis's university district and home to the Royal University. The cats focus mainly on scientific, mathematical, and magical pursuits, though there are smaller colleges for history and law. This is also where the library is located, though it is all nonfiction (and written in Latin), as the cats don't seem to have much use for entertainment.

Also located within the Academy Square is the Royal Magitekkery, where the magitek specialists are hard at work developing new spells and technology. This is where the interdimensional rift machines are located, and where scientists and wizards are monitoring for news from Oska. If characters would like to ask more about magitek or inquire about Oska, they may speak to the Royal Scientist, a rather snobby sphynx.

GROOMING DISTRICT. Home to many spas, salons, and other businesses focusing on individual pampering, the Grooming District is located to the east of the Royal Square and is where the majority of the locals are employed if they are not involved in politics or magitek. Though their primary clientele are, naturally, feline, they are largely excited to work on aliens and will do their best to provide whatever services they can.

Of particular note are the Terra Felis spas, where soothing mud baths and shi-miatsu massage are very popular with their regular alien visitors. They also have natural hot springs available, though you'll have to wait for a Turkish Van to assist you, as all other spa attendants refuse to risk getting wet.

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. Unless you are going to be roughing it down on the ground, your lodgings will be here at a hotel especially outfitted for human-sized visitors. The proprietress, a friendly tabby, will give you directions if you need them.

Hotel rooms are outfitted with private bathrooms, a table and chairs, a vanity, and a television -- though the programming is primarily educational and news, except for the channel that plays nothing but endless videos of birds and fish, and the "alien station" which plays what appears to be soap operas starring bloblike creatures. The beds are probably the most unusual thing here for visitors -- although they're big enough for humanoids, they're just gigantic, fluffy cat beds.

The houses here are not built for alien visitors larger than a cat, so if you make a friend, you'll have to visit them elsewhere. This district is also home to a number of shops and restaurants, though you might have trouble finding something to eat at the latter unless you live on a purely carnivorous diet. If you would like a little more variation in your meal, you will be offered a tray of wheatgrass; the kitchen at the hotel is staffed with cooks more accustomed to a human diet, so you might have better luck there. As cats are allergic to alcohol, there is no liquor in Terra Felis, but locals will offer you catnip on the sly if you mention you want something to help you loosen up.

MUSEUM CAMPUS. The pride of Centrum Coloniam, the Museum Campus is located to the west of the Royal Square and home to museums covering everything from history to astronomy. (There is no art museum. If you were interested in seeing what cats consider art, the answer is nothing.) There is also a rather large and rather popular aquarium, as well as a zoo which features both native animals and animals from all across the galaxy. The zoo is home to an extremely complex breeding program, and the Royal Zookeeper, a scatterbrained black longhaired cat, is happy to explain their methods.

Outside the city, the ground is home to meadows and forests, plus smaller villages for more rural cats. Characters are welcome to spend their time exploring the wilds if the city life isn't for them, where they may run into animals that one may expect to find in medieval Europe (deer, bears, wolves, etc). Apart from the cats, there is no other sapient species on the planet.

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Terra Felis! Contact with ALASTAIR NPCs remains mysteriously closed, and the native cat population has no idea what's going on with Oska either.

Please use this post to plot amongst yourselves!

The two other ALASTAIR teams in Terra Felis are Team Unicorn, an elite team of six (five humanoids and one talking kangaroo), and Team Ambrosia, a 20-recruit magic-focused team that consists of elves, humans, and satyrs. Unicorn had just begun their mission when they were suddenly rifted to Terra Felis, and Ambrosia was in the middle of what was apparently a very epic battle.

Questions about Terra Felis can be directed here. You may also use this comment to ask (brief!) handwaved questions with cat NPCs.

Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ. You may also submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Take a few years off his life, why doesn't he? Eight's not the only one who's jumpy and who's been perpetually on the run the last couple of weeks, but Noctis has the good sense not to abandon a good hotel room for outdoor living. After so many straight nights of sleeping outdoors, he'd practically jumped at the chance of a cat hotel, not minding the fur balls one bit if it means a comfortable mattress to lie down on.

The only reason he'd come out this way was to find a good fishing spot, hoping to coerce some answers out of their feline friends with a savory treat hovering in front of their faces -and also just to fish in general. It's good stress relief, and after being chased by hungry flesh-eating humans, he thinks he's earned a bit of respite before he has to go back to investigating how the hell to get back to Eos.

However, the young guy appearing in his peripheral makes him stop dead in his tracks, having thought he'd been wandering around alone this far from the Metropolitan areas the whole time. Hopefully, he hadn't been monitoring him all those times he'd been walking in circles, trying to find the nearest body of water, though it looks like he'd only been sleeping. ]

Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. Just passing through.

[ His eyes shift from the guy's face to his sleeping spot, not exactly blaming him for napping out here but not exactly condoning it either. ]

Wouldn't have happened to see a lake around here, would you?

[ Since he's up and all, might as well ask. ]

[He's looking right at the guy as soon as he hears his footfalls growing close. The blessing and curse of being entirely uncomfortable is that he can remain more-or-less alert. It's difficult, because he's got none of his adoptive siblings to take shifts with, but Eight hasn't ever been one to give up just because he faces hardships. Class Zero's better than that.

The fact that he's clearly assessing Noctis is probably obvious to him, attention entirely pointed and eyes slightly narrowed, almost as though he's trying to look into him rather than at him. Despite just how focused he appears to be, he doesn't miss a beat in replying]

Yeah, I've seen one. [A few times over, not that he'll admit just how many times he's circled around this place since arriving, trying to find some sign or hint of familiarity. So far, no luck on that front] You good with directions?

[Not that he's waiting for an answer, already picking himself up and dusting stray leaves from his uniform. He's got his doubts this guy is an overt threat, at least for the moment. Since he's already alone, there'd be no point in luring him out somewhere to pick him off.

So he probably just really wants to go to a lake, for some reason]

[ He's feeling pretty assessed at the moment, unable to help shifting his weight from one leg to another, unsure what he should do or say in this situation. Come on, he doesn't look that suspicious. Might be all the black though, but he refused to put on the uniform they left him with, favoring his Insomnia garb over anything. Kind of links him to home in a way, so he's not quite ready to give any of it up.

At the question, Noctis offers him a nod, trying to feign some confidence in that. Truthfully, he has no idea where he is, but he'd rather not admit that. He does reach out to grab one of the leaves as they fly off the guy's top, idly holding it between his thumb and index finger before offering a small grin- ]

Yeah. You can leave it to me.

[ Okay, that's probably the most groan-worthy thing he's said in a while, but if Prompto were here, he'd be in stitches. Anyway, hopefully that will at least get the guy to calm down and stop viewing him like he's the bad guy around here.

The leaf gets flicked off quickly before he tries to straighten up again and stop fidgeting at his own avid discomfort. ]

I mean- just point me there. Unless you plan on tagging along.

[ He doesn't really have any particular objections so long as this guy doesn't also plan on eyeballing him the whole time. ]

Edited 2017-04-14 00:54 (UTC)

[The stab at humor is something Eight gets after a long moment, one eyebrow hiking as he looks at this guy. Did he really just...? Well, whatever the case is, he's definitely not cracking up over here. But he's long since become accustomed to jokes that don't leave him terribly amused thanks to one of his slew of adopted siblings, so he recovers in due course, shaking his head and turning on his heel.

Maybe it's better he just makes sure that this guy gets to where he wants to go, just in case. Not like he was actually sleeping, and he might spot something that he missed the first few times around, not that he's holding his breath for that]

It's this way.

[He waves the guy over before ducking under a low-hanging branch, strides carrying him toward the woods. This place doesn't seem all that large to him, a small trek compared to the continent he's traversed so many times in the past, and there's something about that he isn't entirely settled with on top of the rest.

What kind of power had the people of this country (world, so they claimed) amassed in order to bring him here? His phantoma had been mortally damaged, what's more, but here he stands whole and alive. The only evidence that he'd been through a harrowing ordeal is the condition of the cadet uniform he refuses to give up.

It's all that remains, with his COMMs down.

But if he remembers the others...does that mean he's just that far from the Crystal's influence, or are they out there, too?]

[ The silent type, he guesses. Not that it's a bother, Noctis isn't the most talkative person in the universe, either. The guy's get-up looks a little too odd to be a school uniform, but he doesn't know if he should bring it up or not. He hadn't been looking to interrogate anyone when he'd come this far out here, more concerned with finding a decent fishing spot, but the quiet is also a little difficult to stomach after having been surrounded by the chattering of his friends back home for weeks. He's sorely missing them now as he listens to ever twig snap and rustle of their foot steps trudging over the forest terrain.

It only takes a few minutes before he tries to search for something else to say just to fill the void. ]

I take it you've been here for a while... this is already loads better than the last place.

[ No one trying to eat him for one thing, and he actually got a nice bed to sleep in. It's definitely been too long since he's come across anything remotely resembling luxury. ]

They're also more advanced...

[ His face falls a bit, suddenly recalling the mentions of magitek originating from here. It still doesn't entirely sit well with him, hoping he's not involved in some elaborate Niflheim trap, but no one's even so much as mentioned them since he arrived. The whole set-up is baffling to him. ]

Do you think the cats really came up with all this?

[The guy thinks he's been here a while?

Since Eight has taken point, the guy can't see the surprise that darts across his face, but the brief pause in his steps might say enough. Regardless, his gait smooths right out afterward as though it hadn't happened to start with. He picks his way through the forest in such a way that it does suggest familiarity, but really, it's just that he's prowled around that much.

It's not something he ends up correcting before the subject changes, and so he doesn't say anything about it as he weaves his way through a thicket, able to find the path he'd come across earlier]

Cats developing magitek? [He repeats, not that it needs clarification] Sounds pretty suspicious, if you ask me. They don't even have thumbs.

[Which begs the question of how they'd handle some of the finer workings of anything that sophisticated. It'd be difficult to handle tools, much less pick up or grip other objects properly. Since he thus far hasn't seen them wield any abilities that would make up for this lack, he's far from convinced it's exactly as they say.

Of course, he trusts the whole situation about as far as he can throw an airship]

What do you mean by "the last place"?

[ He pretty much said the same exact thumb-thing to someone over the magitek device, so he's glad he's not the only one who thinks it's weird. A disconcerting amount of people are surprisingly very okay with talking cats that invent dangerous machinery -not that he's really seen any magitek resembling that of his world. At least, not yet...

He stops a little short at the guy's last question, wondering if he said too much. Was he supposed to be acting incognito here, too? No, he's sure this guy is an Audente, too. How does he tread through this conversation without giving away anything he's not supposed to? Damn, this is why he always relied on Ignis to do the talking for them all.

Come on, Noctis, think... ]

The cat... hotel. I mean, that's where I was. There was a guy... with allergies. I was trying to help him. He kind of blew up.

[ Smooth. Just like driving down a stairwell.

Maybe he should have bothered to get more information out of this guy instead of rattling off whatever's in his head. He's got to be more on point about these things. ]

How about you? Where were you before?

[ He tries to make that sound as casual and nonchalant as possible, pretending to be looking around for a lake when he's actually doing his best to pay acute attention to the guy next to him. ]

[The lull between question and response suggests to Eight that this guy had to think about how he wanted to answer that question. It's probably not what he was really wondering about, in that case. Still, Eight shrugs it off as though he has no doubts about it, ducking under a particularly low branch. Doubtless, Noctis will have to do the same, what with being taller.

He doesn't lose stride though, and the denser woods eventually thin out to reveal a narrow path. That's the avenue they're taking, dappled light cast over them as they make their way along]

Where I ought to be.

[The answer neither vague nor specific, Eight leaves it to the other guy's imagination as to what that means. In truth, he doesn't exactly mean home. Not in the most general sense of the word. They weren't exactly back at home, and Akademia was in ruins at this point, with very few cadets having survived to curse the name of Class Zero.

Where he should be is with the rest of his class — with the other siblings-but-not adopted by Dr. Arecia. That he'd left their side when all seemed lost, even unwillingly, he won't easily forgive himself for]

Supposedly, that's common around here.

[He won't bother to pretend that he finds that any less dubious than he really does]

[ That's a suspicious answer. Couldn't just drop a place name, could he? Unless Noctis had gotten it all wrong, and this guy had just come here from his world. He has a feeling if he asks, he'll just dodge the question though. He wonders why this guy seems so guarded, and if Noctis really looks all that questionable to him.

It's a thought that dwells in his mind, unable to hide the frown that blooms across his features as he continues to follow the younger man through the narrow path. The forest grows more eerily quiet at this point, the sounds of wildlife dying out in a way that reminds him of Deadeye's lair. Prey tend to hide away when something giant and hungry is around. Hopefully, that's not a foreboding sign that something unpleasant lurks in the shadows, waiting to devour them. ]

More common than it should be, but-

[ He tenses up at the sudden rustling noise coming from the left of them. His eyes quickly dart in that direction, still feeling on-edge from having the undead attack him at every turned corner before. ]

You hear that?

[ He's starting to act as jumpy as his best friend, but he indicates to Eight to stay behind as he approaches the copse of trees with slow, deliberate steps. There's definitely something behind them, and just as it starts to show itself, Noctis quickly summons a shield in his hand, body growing tense as he stares up sharply at the fearsome beast.

With a puff of air, the shield dissolves just as it quickly as it had appeared. ]

It's just a- ...one of those.

[ He has no idea what it is, but it sort of looks like an anak calf. However, it seems harmless enough. ]

[Tipping his head to one side, Eight regards this creature they've come across. It seems perfectly harmless, and isn't rushing to attack them, so he has his doubts that it's going to present itself as a problem for them. Size is something he doesn't take into account, given his own, but behavior is a reasonable indicator of what to expect from someone or something, in his experience.

He tries to put a name to this creature, but unlike the local felines, he hasn't quite seen something matching its appearance. Planting a hand on his hip, he tries a few moments longer before shaking his head. No good]

Never seen one, either.

[If this guy doesn't know what to call it, then it's a safe bet neither of them have any experience with whatever the animal is. But there is something he thinks he ought to fill this guy in on, if only to ensure that if they do cross paths with something decidedly less friendly, they don't get their wires crossed]

I may look young, but I'm an Agito Cadet. [The term might be as foreign to this man as it has been to others, so he clarifies-] I don't need a shield.

[Militesi soldiers in the capital had commented on their youth, believing that those they saw as children shouldn't be out on the battlefield, so Eight isn't unfamiliar with the mentality. More than once, he's heard people laugh and marvel at the fact that they'd either been saved or bested by people far too small, far too young.

And of his brothers, he's the smallest of all.

But of the lot of them, Eight had assuredly demonstrated that he could handle himself alone, when necessary. He can do that now, and he doesn't want anyone to think otherwise]

[ Those words give him pause, wondering if Agito is another thing he overlooked from the briefing reports. He really ought to read those files more closely when he gets back, as apparently information stored in them keeps cropping up all over the place. It would definitely spare him some embarrassing conversations that include others pointing out obvious facts to him that he should know already.

Noctis being Noctis stops himself from questioning what that is, and instead, replies with- ]

Sure, Agito, I know what that is.

[ Obviously, he's fooling nobody, and his fingers sheepishly scrape along the back of his neck for what seems like the infinite time that day, wishing he didn't feel so scrutinized by someone a few years his junior. It's obvious the guy is more steadfast and put together than he is, but that can be said about most people. ]

I'm a hunter myself. Five star ranked hunter.

[ Which would be more impressive if this kid knew what that is or even cared, but Noctis still acts like it's information worth boasting about to curtail him from the truth -that he's rather sheltered and hadn't even seen most of the creatures on this planet until today.

Speaking of which, he turns towards the deer and slowly creeps towards it, sensing it's actually a fairly peaceful creature. As he does so, the deer also edges further from him, its nostrils flaring a bit as it smells the air around him. ]

You're not so bad, little guy, probably just hungry or lost. Hold on, think I've got some foot left...

[ He pulls out a crumpled bag of crackers he pilfered from the cat kitchens earlier and holds it out for the deer in his palm. ]

[Definitely not fooling anybody here, especially since Eight's long since drawn the conclusion that he's a lot further from home than he'd like to be. Besides, Agito isn't a that so much as a who. Come Tempus Finis, those who proved themselves would become Agito. Students in Akademia had dedicated their lives to the pursuit of that goal, although the reality was far bleaker than any of them may have imagined.

It's all well and good to want to save the world, but none of them knew what that legend would really amount to. None of them knew the ultimate cost, or what Tempus Finis would truly look like until it came crashing down all around them.

But he simply files the attempted bluff away for future reference]

So, what, you hunt monsters? [A pause, as he watches this dance of the animal edging away and the guy cautiously following it] We do that too, but I guess you knew that.

[At least with the mellow voice Eight has, there isn't anything sharp in his voice as he says this. He doesn't know anything about star rankings and it sounds like something out of a game kids would play, but they may come from very disparate nations. Or worlds, since apparently that's a thing. The jury's still out on whether he'll truly accept that.

Meanwhile he continues to observe as the animal eyes the guy. It looks like the offer of food is at least compelling, though Eight can't be too sure what the endgame here is, exactly. Is he going to try and catch the thing? So far, it almost seems like he wants to befriend it like some sort of storybook princess.

...As though anybody's royalty around here]

Sure, monsters, beasts, daemons, whatever you need. Same as the Agito.

[ Not that he's found anything to really hunt around here. Most creatures appear to be fairly docile or just want to mind their own business while everything in his own world was quite intent on eating him. It's a nice, refreshing change of pace to be able to take a leisurely walk without being attacked every couple of seconds. It almost keeps him on edge because he knows something is bound to crop up.

Fortunately, it's probably not this little deer he keeps coaxing forward with his crushed bag of crackers. When it finally does start gnawing on the offered treats, Noct helps himself to a few ear pets, smiling warmly at it. He can't help it, letting his guard down significantly in front of the cute creature. ]

I was right. You were hungry. Where's your mom, little guy?

[ A question that quickly becomes answered when he feels and hears the heavy clopping of hooves against the ground, a sound that makes him tense up. In a matter of seconds, a deer (that he mistakenly thinks is its mother since he doesn't know female deer don't really grow antlers) comes running towards him and tries to ram him through with its antlers.

Paling and acting quickly, Noctis manages to narrowly avoid getting skewered but not before pushing Eight to the ground with him and sending them both down. He knows he gave him that whole spiel about not really needing his protection earlier, but Noctis is acting on pure instinct at this point when he covers him. ]

Watch out!

[And with that, Eight's impression that this guy really doesn't know what he's talking about is set into place. Agito cadets were never referred to in that fashion — they weren't truly Agito until they'd passed the Arbiter's trial. Considering the jeering taunts they were subject to throughout their battle against that entity, Eight's pretty sure they didn't wind up qualifying in the end.

Not that it matters. By force of will, and by virtue of intervention from certain l'Cie, they had still managed to overcome. And that was enough, so far as he's concerned.

Maybe if this guy knew that much, he wouldn't put his own safety at risk playing human shield. But once again he does that very thing, knocking them both to the ground. The air's effectively knocked out of Eight's lungs, but a lifetime of serving more as a weapon than a person means her recovers quickly. Weighed down as he is, he can still close his hand into a fist. Can still focus.

And that's what he does, light flickering into being around his hand with a low hum. That sound continues, and he holds that forming spell until the light grows brighter, the buzz of magical energies louder. It's then that he lets his Protect spell hit its target — this guy who keeps throwing himself between him and potential threats.

Seriously, stop stealing his thunder, stranger]

...Like I said, I can handle myself. [A pause, and now that the guy's coated in the blue aura of that defensive magic, he starts nudging him aside so he can get up] We're just targets if we stay put.

[ He can't help it!! It's instinct to try and protect others, though his whole body seems to tense as the protect spell goes off, watching the familiar blue dome shape of the shield. It's almost like the ones his dad used to create -a spell he himself could probably replicate if he knew how.

The sight of it leaves him stunned for a moment before he realizes that there's still a wild stag trying to trample them. It takes him a while, but when he does finally move, it's with a swift sprint as he calls upon his blade so he can warp right out of the deer's path. He ends up rolling away when he hits the ground and ducking behind a tree before motioning Eight to join him.

Fortunately, the stag is already losing interest in trying to skewer them and is starting to trot away in the other direction. Hopefully, they were the ones that spooked it and there's not something bigger waiting around the bushes to try and eat them.

He lets out a relieved exhale as he dusts the residual dirt and leaves from his clothes before fixing Eight with a pointed stare. ]

How did you do that... the spell?

[ He doesn't even know what he's hoping for except it might be the first connection he's had to his dad in a long time. ]

[Eight's quick to pick himself up, raising his fists rather than calling upon or drawing a weapon. But the animal retreats just as abruptly as it had come, and he doesn't pursue. He does wait for several moments before relaxing his posture, only deciding that they're not likely to come under threat once those creatures have disappeared into the greenery.

Maybe next time it'd be better to avoid anything small and seemingly harmless, just in case it's got friends that'd come after them. The guy's offer of food wasn't an attack, but that thing with the horns doesn't appear to have gotten the memo.

With that situation resolved, he brushes off his uniform, mess that it already is. It bespeaks the damage that he had once endured, though somehow he's been healed despite the sheer impossibility of it. He takes particular care to adjust his cape-turned-scarf, the thing that signifies his place in Class Zero.

All that's left is this uniform...

The thought isn't one he can long dwell on when he's questioned, and he shoots the man a curious glance in return]

Protect? It's pretty standard-issue... [Among cadets, anyway. But Class Zero was strange for their lack of reliance upon the Crystal for that ability. Would that be the reason he's asking? But then, he's heard nothing about Crystals so far around here] Just a matter of concentration. Why?

[Not that he's sure he can expect a straight answer]

[ That's hardly much of a reply, though Noctis isn't sure what he'd been expecting to say. It's not like he got his powers from his dad or the crystal or anything like that. It just had looked so familiar that for a moment, he'd wondered if this guy had been from his world somehow. Maybe it's just completely wishful thinking, and Noctis really has to stop getting wrapped up in possibilities.

He shakes his head after a moment, trying and failing to school his expression back into something more neutral. ]

Just wondering. I didn't realize magic was so common here.

[ It's hard to get used to the idea after seeing how intimately tied certain aspects of it had been to the royal family. To know that other worlds are just brimming with people of all kinds of powers makes him feel less significant... he can't decide if that's a good thing or bad. He may not have the weight of the world's fate resting on his shoulders, but being just another prisoner out of dozens makes him wonder if he can do something like free others trapped by ALASTAIR one day. ]

It's another Agito thing, isn't it?

[ He assumes it's all connected, and he does want to find out more but has a feeling this guy isn't going to talk to him that easily. ]

[Eight plants a hand on his hip with an idle shift of his weight. Outwardly he seems quite relaxed, but he's certainly listening for signs that anything else might leap out and attack them. Next time it might be a creature far less easily deterred, and he's not about to get caught off-guard twice in a row. Once was far more than enough, in his view]

I don't know about common. Been seeing magitek around here, but...

[That's about the sum total of what he's observed in terms of magic. Portals used for transportation are nothing new to him, even if the design isn't what he knows. It just goes to show that he's most certainly not in Rubrum anymore, much as that reality is a bitter thing to stomach]

Most cadets rely on the Crystal in order to use magic. [Not just cadets, but instructors as well. It was through the Crystal's blessing that such power was typically gained, whether it was the gift of magic or being chosen as a l'Cie] But I'm not most cadets.

[A shrug. He'd mention that every member of Class Zero is like him, but it's a challenge to voice when he's quite unsure whether he's the last of their number. Saying it when they're not here...he doesn't know how to feel about that]

[ The mention of the crystal makes his whole body lock firmly in place, eyes widening involuntarily. If he's able to channel the crystal's magic... no, that's insane. He's definitely not related to him nor could he be one of the Kingsglaive. He was sure they all perished in the attack.

Then is he with Niflheim? Have they figured out how to harness the crystal's magic? Last he heard, they were mass-producing MTs and using daemons to help fight their battles for them. When did they get cadets as young as this guy?

No, he has to be off about that, too. There has to be a more reasonable explanation because none of it makes any sense. ]

Where did you say you were from again?

[ He never told him, but Noctis thinks it's a little important considering there's only crystal he knows of, and it belongs to Lucis. He can't help but sound a little more than frustrated when he keeps pressing him, knowing he's the one acting suspicious at the moment. ]

Cadet from where?

[That look is one Eight easily identifies as recognition. It's something he has yet to see around here, when he dropped in bits and pieces of information about home. Names, places, or in this guy's case the name of his class. None of it seemed to ring any bells, but it seems talking about the Crystal has sparked something...unless he's just that surprised someone like him is capable of tossing spells around.

He's going to assume it's the fore and not the latter. Does that mean wherever this guy's from, he's heard of Crystals? It'd be a first, as bizarre as that has been for him, what with every major nation having had one, at least before Milites went on its campaign of trying to seize or destroy them all.

Sometimes, Eight really wonders which it was supposed to be, exactly]

Rubrum. [To be precise, Akademia, but he's been going with his nation so far. So far nobody seems to know the same nations, somehow. He sure hasn't heard of that Asgard place Loki is from] Heard of it?

[His tone suggests that he's already sure of the answer; there's nothing hopeful in it, only a cursory inquiry]

[ Not a name he's familiar with at all, but his knowledge of minor territories outside of Lucis is a bit lacking. He can't even say if it's a place in his world, but he's sure he would recognize it if they did have a crystal of their own.

Maybe he's getting all worked up over nothing. Other worlds could have crystals, ones that operate differently than those in his own, but it's a little bizarre that his protect spell resembles his father's closely enough. All the coincidences bother him more than he'll give voice to, and he has a hard time swallowing the urge to keep pressing him some more. ]

Not really. So no matter how far away you are from the crystal, you can still use your magic? What if ...your king dies? Or emperor. Whoever leads Rubrum?

[ If it really operates on the same level as Lucis' crystal, that means all magic is tied to the king. He knows his friends would be helpless if anything were to happen to himself, which is more impetus to stay alive and survive while he's here. He wonders if it's the same for this guy. ]

[It's quickly growing apparent that this subject means something personal to this guy, even if Eight doesn't know just how. Maybe he's looking for something connected to his home. If that's the case, they might be equally lost in this world run by cats.

Although whether seeming to recognize similar terms is enough of a connection remains a mystery]

Even if the crystal's jammed, I can use magic.

[Not that Eight's the best spellcaster in Class Zero, because he absolutely isn't made for that life. His blizzard spells are his strong suit, but he's just about the last person he'd pick for support or even fire spells. The fact is, he and the others are unique in this way]

Other nations have monarchs [Or did] but Rubrum's run by the Consortium. Isn't it a problem if any ruler dies?

[He'd think as much, at least, though he fails to see how that's got anything to do with the Crystal]

[ ...Consortium? So more than one person? Then who holds the crystal's magic? Is it freely given out to everyone with no single point person like the king? The questions keep appearing in Noctis' mind, one after the other, as his brows draw in close together. The rest of his face scrunches up briefly in a concerned frown, trying to disseminate how everything works without actually giving much away about himself. ]

It is, but I figured maybe the king or queen probably control who gets the crystal's power. Otherwise, wouldn't anyone be able to use it?

[ -and with bad intentions. At least, his father had gone through great lengths to personally vet through his Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive, though the latter had been more of a concession to make peace with the refugees after being unable to protect their homes. ]

How many crystals does your world have?

[ He can't imagine how much power would exist if there were more than one. It's bad enough that things have drastically tipped in Niflheim's favor after they took the Lucian crystal. Noctis knows he has no real chance of defeating them unless he gets it back. ]

[And the questions continue on. Eight eyes the guy for a lingering moment before he gestures over his shoulder, back in the direction they'd been headed prior to their encounter for alien fauna. He wastes no time turning on his heel and continuing down the path, assuming the guy still wants to find the lake.

At first it seems he's abandoned the subject entirely, but he interrupts the ensuing silence as he ducks under another low-hanging branch. If he's got to bend, that ensures the other guy will have to do the same]

Each nation on the continent had one. [Had being the operative word] Before the Empire set their sights on others, anyway.

[It's all general knowledge, so far as Eight's concerned. The questions make it clear that they're both familiar with the concept of Crystals and some basic principles, but at the same time, their understanding is divergent. He can only wonder what that means for their points of origin, having met no one else who knew the first thing about them.

This guy doesn't know Crystals, but he does know Rubrum]

I guess a ruler could decide how that power's used, but that's a lot of influence to grant to just one person. The Crystal decides that in the end, doesn't it?

[ More than one crystal... would that have solved any of their problems if Tenebrae and Niflheim had their own? He thinks that would have made Niflheim all the more power hungry, but he doesn't know completely why the astrals' one crystal had ultimately ended up in Insomnia and why his line was chosen to be the line of kings. There's so much he never even considered about his own world, so many questions he has now about his powers in relation to the crystal.

His steps slow down as more thoughts broil in his mind before he asks- ]

Which empire?

[ Because that could be the final piece that either links them or not. Noctis only knows of one Empire after every other had been laid to waste by them, and he's been determined since arrival to see if they have any hand in their current situation. Considering Noctis' last memories consist of the Chancellor carting around him and his friends around after taking his car, what else is he left to believe? ]

What happens if they get all the crystals?

EVENT ★ WELCOME TO TERRA FELIS

III. for the wicked

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