First Awakening (Open)

The Calamity was docked at the top of the station, located three floors above where the train tracks were at. It was one of the few places they could dock without issues, and they needed to restock on supplies. They had just finished another run of passengers from Spira to Midgar, and some of those passengers could really put the food away.

“Alright…so we have plenty of time and gil to get us by for the next week or so…Jareb and Kyto, you two are on food supplies,” Cypher said, the blue haired swordsman turning and locking eyes with the two.

“And for the love of fallen Yevons, please make sure it isn’t all spent on pancakes and chocolate…,” he said with a voice of slight disdain.

“No promises Captain,” Jareb said, before the two ran off to start getting the supplies ready. He turned then to the Valsis siblings, sending them off to get medical supplies and see if there was anything new at the tech shop so they could improve the radar on the ship. He hadn’t quite enjoyed being snuck up on in Ivelice airspace by those damn Judges.

Setona and Etzel had stayed on the ship, Setona the medic and Etzel the navigator, who wasn’t feeling very well at the moment. Apparently, the dark skies and polluted earth of Midgar had affected the Viera in a negative light.

So, that left Cypher and Gohrick, who were going down the floors to try and see if there was anyone else who would want a ride. Sometimes, people didn’t want to take the trains, but wanted to travel in style. IT was hard pressed to beat the style of the Calamity.

“Oh man…I think the train just departed…” Gohrick said with a sigh, the artist jumping down the last few steps and rounding the corner. He paused for a moment and took another sniff of the air…why did something smell burnt? He looked around and as he followed his nose, he started seeing a few pieces and shards of metal that seemed to lead around the train tracks area.

“Huh…I wonder if there was a crash or something…” he muttered, before turning back to Cypher.

“What are you thinking Captain?”

“I’m thinking we should stop following your nose and use our eyes…” Cypher said, walking past Gohrick, his coat billowing slightly as he followed the scraps, seeing the trail, before seeing someone laying out on the ground. Cypher continued to move forward, before ending up level with the male, bending down on one knee and checking for a pulse. The man was still alive.

“Gohrick, return to the ship and see if you can get Setona to leave the blasted medic ward for once…I’d rather not move this man unless needed,” he said, before looking back down and giving the man a faint shake to see if he could get him to wake up.

Gohrick simply nodded and started to run back quickly, literally jumping on and off the walls to cover more ground. It wouldn’t take him long to get the Medic, hopefully Cypher could help him out.

Cypher stared down at the man and didn’t even seem to make a move when he noticed him going for the machina. He knew a wounded man when he saw them, having seen so many in his time with the Crusaders. He stepped back as the man started to get up on his feet. It wasn’t advisable for him to do so on his own, but Cypher wasn’t going to stop him from doing so.

He took a few steps back to give the man his space, staring at the strange thing on the left side of his face, knowing almost right away that Jiranto would certainly like to take a look at the strange device. He then stared into the man’s eyes and started to answer the questions, not even seeming fazed by the fact that the man had started speaking in some odd language, but when he directed them to Cypher, he could understand them well enough.

“I am Cypherous Montarus, Captain of the Calamity. You are currently in the Universal Multiplex, more specifically, the ground level with the trains that run to each different dimension and planet. I’ve sent for our ship’s medic, you seem to be quite injured, though you hide it well enough,” Cypher said, quite bluntly and to the point. He wasn’t one for beating around the bush.

Cypher heard the emphasis on his title and found his head tilting slightly, his golden yellow eyes staring right into the strangers for a moment, before he was distracted.

“That was amazingly quick,” he simply said, before the halls were filled with the sound of yelling.

“Hurry up Setona, the guy didn’t seem like he was doing that well!”

The duo appeared the Gohrick was all but pulling on Setona, getting him to hurry up. Gohrick was wearing his brown bomber jacket and black pants, while Setona was wearing a white robe, his long white hair billowing behind him as he was dragged along for the ride.

“Seraph, this is Gohrick Trisona, Captain Ex Captain of the Calamity, and Setona Rejuna, Calamity Medic. However, now that you are able to stand on your own, I don’t know if you are still in such dire need of medical attention, but the offer is there regardless,” Cypher said, while the feline waved at the man, the medic just nodding his head, staying quiet.

“Now, for your last question Seraph, I have not heard of any place called Xeraxis, so I am unsure if there is a train back to that location…it would be wise first though, if we covered how you ended up here as you are though.”

Gohrick smiled up at the man, till he was poked in the forehead. He was pretty used to it to be honest, and then he heard the question that made him actually giggle. Setona found himself looking somewhere else, and Cypher only gave a faint smile; it was always fun to watch the dramatic feline in action.

“What am I? I am the greatest artist who has ever walked the lands of Vana’Diel! “He started, back flipping away, “I am the winner of 100 art contests” He continued, striking a pose with a hand in the air. “The winner of the Artistic Challenge and the winner of the Vile to Beauty contest!” He said, striking another pose, his arm point in front of him now. “I am that which paints from the heart, that which destroys evil and vile portraits! I am the sexiest Mithra who has ever escaped from home! I am Gohrick Trisona, Master Artist!” he concluded, finishing up with another pose, looking like he had just won a million gil.

“He is the Captain ex Captain of the Calamity and a royal drama cat,” Cypher said while Gohrick found himself stumbling out of his pose. Setona simply stood there, as if he was embarrassed to actually be standing next to the feline in question.

Gohrick found himself pouting once again, before he realized that the man was now falling. This didn’t catch his attention right away, so there was no last minute dive for safety…this was more ‘Oh, he’s leaning against me and now we’re falling together’ type of catch. Though, it wasn’t much of a catch, as Gohrick had been in one of his odd poses, so his balance was pretty shot…and down the pair went.

“Good job Gohrick…you killed him,” Cypher said, knowing no such thing had just happened, but unable to not tease the feline.

“Quiet you, help me get him off of me,” Gohrick whined, before the three of them managed to get him back up and, after some time, back on the Calamity.

Setona had worked on the man for a few hours, making sure he was in fact, alive and would recover. Amazing what a bit of magic could do for a person, but mostly, because he wasn’t awake to answer, wasn’t fully cured by the magic. Some people had an adverse affect to it, so it was best to wait and see how it would affect him.

Setona had just stepped out of the room to make a few more notes on ‘Project Seraph’ as he called it for the time being. He looked down at the clipboard and mentally sighed. The poor guy had a bone structure of a jigsaw puzzle. It had been a miracle to see him standing up as long as he had been when Setona appeared on the scene. He exhaled sharply, before making down a few more notes, before he heard footsteps approaching.

“So, how is our patient doing Setona?” came a woman’s voice, before coming into the clearer light of the small office. Etzel, Navigator of the Calamity and only resident Viera. She was clothed in only a simple black mid drift shirt and Capri shorts that went down to her knees. For once, she was barefoot, showing off those long, dark furred legs and ‘rabbit’ feet.

Setona looked up at Etzel and simply nodded his head.

‘He is doing well enough. I would assume him still asleep after all the exhaustion he had to have gone through. He is going to need to rest for a few days though, to make sure he makes a few recovery,’ he concluded in the only way Setona could speak, telepathically and only to Etzel.

“Ah, I see…well, looks like we will have a new resident soon enough then…and listen to that, sounds like he is up,” she said with a smile, turning her head to the unlocked door and seemingly waiting Seraph to open it. With her ears, it wasn't much of a wonder that she could hear footsteps approaching the door, much less at a rapid pace.

‘Tsh…he is just like the other two…they don’t seem to understand that rest is required and are always just itching to go out and about. Did you know I had to strap and tie down Cypher again the last time he was in here?’ Setona asked Etzel, who could only giggle faintly.

Etzel moved backwards slightly, just barely avoiding getting tackled by the flying hume, before watching him run out of the office and like that, he was gone. She blinked a few times, before looking over at Setona, who was just as stunned as the Viera.

“Well, clearly you are better at what you do then you let on Setona,” she said simply with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Setona simply blinked a few more times, before shaking his head and a waving motion with his hand. He clearly wasn't that fazed by the fact that a patient had just run away form his clinic...this wasn't the first time and probably wouldn't be the last time.

‘You’re the fastest of the group, make sure he doesn’t hurt himself,’ he ‘said’ simply, before going back to his paper work. If the man hurt himself though, that was going to create even more paper work...and if there was one thing that got under the 27 year old's white hair and pale skin, it was paper work.

“Fine fine…do you want me to bring him back here when I catch him?” she asked, before starting to walk towards the door. She looked slightly eager, as though the idea of chasing after someone was actually a game, not a hassle.

‘No, that’s not necessary at this point…clearly, if he can run like a maniac, then he isn’t too banged up anymore…’ Setona noted. He seemed already embedded in his paper work, filling everything out and making more notes on the sides. This was why the poor guy never got to leave the medic ward. And here everyone thought it was because he was anti social.

And with that, the chase was on. Etzel rounded the door and set off after the Hume, not saying a word and running quietly, using her ears to listen for the footsteps and following after them. Setona wasn't lying when he said that Etzel was the fastest in the group, and if the man had made just a straight shot, it wouldn't take too long to catch up with him.

‘Oh, I hope he doesn’t hurt himself,’ she thought with a slight mental sigh.

The tall female continued her run, and soon enough, had caught up to him. Now, however, as she watched him go down the stairs, her curiosity started to kick in. Just what was he doing? What was he looking for, and why did it seem like he knew where he was going?

‘Perhaps he has some sixth sense…’ she thought to herself, before moving silently behind him, glad she had forgone her footwear.

Etzel continued to follow behind him, watching him quietly as he started to break down the door to the storage room. She didn’t do anything, but watch from staircase, tilting her head slightly. She had yet to hear him make a sound, and now he was bashing down the door. As its own weight started to crush down, she was seriously considering that sixth sense theory a bit more…this was the storage room they had put his stuff for safe keeping.

‘A note to the Captains…we need to get stronger doors,’ she thought with a soft giggle.
‘Well, at least Setona will know he is pretty much healed…’ she thought, before slowly descending down the stairs and making her way silently to the broken doorway. Once there, she found herself leaning against the frame with a foot on the other side, baring the path. She watched him grab one of Cypher’s practice blades and find the strange machina weapons he had come in with. She found her head tilting slightly, before finally deciding to speak, keeping a loose grip on the wall, just in case she need to ‘fall to safety’.

“If you wanted your stuff back stranger, all you had to do was ask…no need to wreck the ship. Gohrick’s going to be mighty upset about the door you know…we might have to charge you for it if Kyto…actually, we might need to keep you away from Kyto. It is hard to tell who is more defensive over this ship between the two of them,” she said in a calm voice, with a hint of amusement. As if she was talking about something one might have seen in a sphere or something.

Etzel remained calm at seeing him aim the strange weapon at her. She had heard the others talk about the weapons before; the Valsis siblings had called them ‘Kihc’. She wasn’t too sure what a Kihc was, but she knew they were dangerous. Her ears twitched slightly as she gave a slight smirk.

“Now now now, there is no need to aim your weapon at me…after all, what kind of thanks are those? We took care of you, we healed you, we didn’t leave you for dead…honestly, if anything, you owe us your life, or at least some sort of debt…and here you are pointing a Kihc at me? Tsk, such rude manners,” she said with a slight smirk, not moving from her spot. She had seen Gohrick and Cypher mad…now those were scary sights. Having a Kihc pointed at her…it didn’t faze her as much as it should.

“Proper manners dictate that you should ask at least before kicking down a door…besides, would you really shoot someone who helped save your life?” she asked, her eyes widely slightly as she gave a slight grin.

Etzel simply listened and smiled slightly. She hasn’t moved from her spot, nor had she stopped looking at the scared, lonely Hume in front of her. She tilted her head slightly and listened to everything he said, before finally starting to answer him.

“Well, they say we must all be a bit mad to handle the world, but no Seraph, you are not mad, nor insane. You say you are from Krvos, correct? I am from Ivelice. Captain Cypher is from Spira, and Captain ex Captain is from Vana’ Diel. So, your situation is not unique, not ever since the Universal Multiplex opened up…Worlds and Dimensions, paths to all kinds of worlds have opened. Some can open and close within hours of each other…others are more stable, and we can use those paths to travel with ease…This has lead to the introductions of all kinds of species. We have Mithra, Al Bhed, Viera, Dragons and Behemoths, Moombas…all kinds of sorts,” she said with a slight smile.

“As for danger…I wasn’t too worried…I’ve seen scarier things…not quite as handsome for a hume, but certainly much more dangerous,” she said with a small smile.

Etzel simply smiled and lowered her leg, letting the young man leave the storage room and watching him with curious eyes.

‘He is a strange man…’ she thought simply, before shrugging her shoulders and reaching down into her pocket. She pulled out a small box and spoke into it lightly.
“Well, he certainly has a trigger finger Captain…but I don’t think he is all that bad…He might be trust worthy, if we can even gain his trust…” she said softly, before pocking the device and leaning back against the door frame…the broken door frame. Yup, Kyto was going to have a fit…

Cypher heard this and simply nodded as he heard all this in the bridge, moving his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Now what do they do? Well, if he was healthy enough to break down the door on the ship, than he was well enough to do as he pleased. Cypher certainly wasn’t going to force someone to stay on the ship if they didn’t want to, and if this man knew where he was going, then he was fine with leaving him behind. They were already behind schedule, needing to get those supplies to Lindblum Kingdom. They were still recovering after having the place destroyed during the war, but was coming along quite nicely. They needed to get moving. He moved to the intercom device and spoke into it, where his voice would be heard inside and just outside of the ship.

“Guys, we’re behind schedule. Anything your taking with you, get it on now. We’re leaving in 15 minutes,” he said simply, and leaned back in the chair. His thoughts were still heavy, and he wasn’t too sure what to do…thankfully, fate intervened.

Gohrick was rushing back towards the ship, a large backpack on as he moved as fast as his furry body could move.

He heard the message and stepped on it, knowing that 15 meant more like 10 minutes. He was NOT going to be left behind again. As he started towards the ship, he saw the patient walking off the ship.

“Oy, are you coming with or not? If so, the get back on mate,” he said with a smile, before skidding to a stop just outside the ship to the man’s left.

“Actually, are you well enough to be out on your own? You did look a bit like a Behemoth stampede just ran you down,” he said with a slight smile.