Brave Galaxy is set in a world loosely based on Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail and Eden’s Zero. It is a PG-13 or so rated space fantasy RP, and uses a combination of character statistics, which can be acquired via roleplaying and events, and creative freedom to help direct players’ characters. While there is a main storyline, which can be found in the events section, characters are free to interact with others and their environment however they see fit.
Explore the galaxy. Overcome the obstacles in your path. Shape the future of humanity.
Post by Reya Starlyght on Apr 20, 2020 2:05:54 GMT
His surroundings receded from him, the luminous pool replaced with tides of black, lapping against gray sand. A faint silver light reflected against the encroaching sea, the sphere and stars around it recognizable from earlier that day in form, a millennium ago in reality. No trace of the Annulus could be found, however, the beach and cliffs of obsidian beyond it were all he could see, all that seemed to exist in the twilight realm. The sea did not carelessly surge, however, it was a gentle erosion of the shore, creation and destruction at peace. He could have easily been lulled into the murky depths, whether metaphorically or literally, were it not for the voice that cascaded from above, its mental clarity striking compared to before, the note of recognition still just barely beyond his grasp.
Weathered, however, the figure had an untold age to him, even with only a shadowy outline to go off of. What carried through the wind were only murmurs, however, the distance was too great. Despite the calm, Leo was still haunted by the previous night, the scene bore too much resemblance to it for him to trust any position but where his feet were currently planted. Even time could precariously shift that, however, the illusion of tranquility could easily be shattered, perhaps was false in the first place. He stared upward at the silhouette, its shape omnipresent, almost, unyielding to the darkened desert. Leo had done as was told, so why was there no answer? Admittedly, his methods might have been a bit unconventional, but the ends justified the means. It would have been better than stumbling through another dream, struggling to control that which had always slipped from under his fingertips, an extra dose of motivation would do no good against something he had fought against for a majority of his life.
There was no other option but to approach, then, evidently a staring contest wasn't doing any good, although he couldn't exactly discern any eyes from the profile. As he began to pace slowly toward the cliffside, the ocean followed him, never encroaching on his own steps but dissolving footprints left behind. Soon, little coast remained, and Leo faced the precipice, jagged protrusions the only apparent way up. He reached to grab the first handhold, yet his palm came back wet with blood, a burning sensation persisting even as the wound closed almost instantly. He glanced up at the long climb, before gritting his teeth, preparing to ignore the pain. His gaze fell to the figure once more, however, the trace of a wistful smile the only thing detectable on his shadowed visage.
Post by Reya Starlyght on Apr 20, 2020 13:31:22 GMT
As well. Leo took a step back, boot brushing up against the high tide that stained it black. With those two little words it all fell into place, much to his own horror. It was impossible, yes, but the evidence was right in front of him, there was no mistaking the man's identity even with no face to base his recognition. Yet as the shadows cleared it was not the appearance he knew to belong to Alastair. He was older, wiser, almost human were it not for the piercing eyes that shifted in hue with even the slightest twitch. Neither did speihha adorn the sides of his head, only a speckle of salt and pepper, snowfall upon what had once been strands longer and darker than midnight. Wrinkles set the familiar features of his visage, however, the same he found within every mirror.
"I... no... I'm sorry," Leo managed to stammer, amidst his confusion. The apology wasn't for him. Granted, from a certain perspective he owed his father a lifetime of penance, but that was a viewpoint that failed to take in the context of it all, a stance Leo had struggled to overcome himself. Nonetheless, a different chord was struck, he had forgotten, after all, there was no excuse other than perhaps his own memory and that was truly insincere. There was nothing Leo could do about that, however, what was lost could not be found. Fix the things one could, and the rest would have to be lived with. It was really the only way he held onto some shred of sanity, a lapse in that mindset only set off a cascade of hopelessness, drowning in all the despair of the world.
Alastair hadn't moved from his perch above, hadn't even offered a word in response. "I don't understand, though, your sword is back on Earthland so I shouldn't be able to speak to you," Leo stated. There was a low chuckle, another smile although it was more mischievous in nature, though not necessarily malignant.
"I think you have a more pressing concern at the moment."
The waves had indeed begun to lap at his feet, seeking to carve into the cliffside. There was only one path up, then, through the pain. He grabbed a crevice with one hand, hoisting himself up to it even as blood began to spill, mixing in with the liquid below. At least no metallic scent was evident on the wind, he hated to think what an entire ocean of vitae smelled like, let alone what it meant.
Post by Reya Starlyght on Apr 20, 2020 14:54:52 GMT
A few more handholds up and his grip began to falter, injuries seeping into beyond the physical realm. He was almost there, yes, but with that sliver of hope he underestimated the next gap, reaching upward to find nothing to grasp. In and of itself, that was not a problem, but at the same time a foothold gave in under his weight, sinking into the sea below. Unfortunately, while Leo wasn't necessarily inept he wasn't exactly an expert climber either, and thus his balance slipped, sending him falling backward into the dark waters. At least, he was plummeting until he wasn't, an abrupt shift in perspective as instincts kicked in, wings of shadows sprouting from his back and driving him upward, eventually touching down on the higher ground.
"Why are you so afraid of using what is yours?"
Yes, he could have saved himself a lot of pain by avoiding the obstacle presented in its entirety, perhaps that had even been the entire point of it. Anything was better than succumbing to the darkness, however, Leo did not trust himself to be able to resist even as he dismissed his magic in that moment. He shrugged. "It certainly doesn't feel like mine."
Alastair laughed, a hardy guffaw so easily recognizable that Leo questioned how it had taken him so long to identify the voice before. Not that he had heard it in any recent era, but some things were unforgettable, snippets of the past preserved in stunning clarity, incapable of being lost to the sands of time. "You have grown so very human, my son," he spoke. It was not necessarily chiding, more so an observation as he approached, leaning somewhat on the cane in his hand. Now up close, Leo could see the detail within every piece of his outfit, buttons adorned with some type of crest while the crutch itself seemed to flicker with every moment, as if it was in reality something different.
"I-uh, thanks?"
There was another chuckle, though it was more subdued. Alastair placed his hand on his shoulder, looking down upon him ever so slightly. "Oh, Leonidas, that isn't a bad thing. Your magic is an inseparable part of you, though. By rejecting it, you are rejecting yourself; that is why I look like this. I thought I taught you better." His words stung, even more so because Leo knew the truth behind them.
Post by Reya Starlyght on Apr 20, 2020 19:03:26 GMT
It wasn't the same as before, however, there was a stark contrast between the past and the present. One was simple, natural, while the other was twisted beyond recognition, a consequence of his own actions. He shrugged away from Alastair's grasp, glancing downward. "This is different, though, it's-"
He dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "Is it?"
Was it really? Of course, it was the only logical conclusion, after all he had never before struggled with controlling his magic, it was more so his own temperament and emotions. Or perhaps that was his point, that the two had once been one. That was an impossible concept to grasp in the modern day, however, it had been too long since he had even known what it was like to truly be a mage, not operating at barely a flicker or completely out of control. "I don't know," Leo answered honestly. "I don't even know what I'm doing here, if you're just going to be vague and spout off things I'm already aware of." The growing frustration was evident in his tone, this had not been what he had expected, but then again hoping for some magical jinn wasn't exactly going to do him any good either. Nothing worth doing was easy, he supposed, although immediately he thought of more than a handful of exceptions to that.
"Not a fan of family reunions, eh?"
Leo had to sigh at that, of course his sense of humor hadn't changed. To some, yes, his tone would be considered irreverent, but they had never possessed that kind of relationship, for the most part. "I wasn't exactly born into a family that hosts them." There was a moment of silence between them, even though his words had been nothing more than a witty retort the sentence spoke volumes about them both. It had all been so long ago, it felt strange to even slip into casual conversation but nonetheless there they were, regardless of whatever cosmic circumstance had allowed their meeting to be partaken in. The smile on Alastair's visage had been wiped cleaned, however, melancholy replacing it. He turned away from Leo, staring out at the abyssal ocean instead before beckoning him forward and sitting down at the edge of the cliff. Tentatively did Leo follow, gazing into the waters that had died down, once again content with their position in the endless battle. A perfect reflection was thus presented, even as he leaned forward and saw his own face amidst the stars.
Post by Reya Starlyght on Apr 20, 2020 20:42:07 GMT
Alastair raised his cane toward the sea, a wave rising with it. Instead of foam as it surged, however, the edges of the water evaporated into shadows themselves, evidently it was not water at all. "A sailor does not navigate the seas with the hope of taming them, he merely uses the tides to his advantage. If one seeks to control everything, they will accomplish nothing. Now you try." He flicked his staff away from the shoreline and the torrent fell back into monotony, moonlight now rippling across the surface of the... whatever it was. Leo shook his head, he couldn't manipulate something he didn't even understand. Then again, it didn't hurt to try, and thus he tentatively gestured toward the endless expanse, as he predicted to no effect.
"Oh look, I can't do it. What a surprise," Leo said, deadpan. At that Alastair simply sighed, shaking his head.
"I didn't want to do this."
Before he could ask what, Leo was falling for the second time in the past hour, quite clearly his father's cane was just for show. No trick could save him that time, however, and while the ocean didn't necessarily look to be threatening he knew appearances were often deceiving, especially when in some phantom dimension created by an ancient artifact of obscurity. Yet as he descended time seemed to slow, or more so his perception of it. Arms outstretched he channeled his sudden bout of fear into power, forcing the void to funnel away from his point of landing. However, even as he caught himself with a knee on the soaked sand, Leo's troubles were far from over. He could not ward off the cascade for long, even in the scant few moments his concentration was beginning to give way, sweat pooling on his brow.
He glanced upward at Alastair helplessly, the small column of air he was managing to sustain shrinking with every second, grip pushed back by an inevitable force. From up above, all he offered was a slow clap and some useless commentary. "You never did learn anything useful unless your life depended on it, I see that hasn't changed," Alastair said. Leo could only respond with a pained huff, any quip escaping his limited range of thoughts at that moment. "The sailor, Leonidas. You're the sailor." The hell did that mean? He most certainly didn't have a boat, nor was the darkness an actual sea. Did he not understand that in an emergency spouting riddles was not the best idea? Even putting so much thought into figuring out what Alastair meant left less of himself devoted to ablating the oncoming catastrophe, it was a paradox in itself.
Post by Reya Starlyght on Apr 21, 2020 4:08:04 GMT
He couldn't brace it any longer, was going to drown in the facsimile of reality, whether that would kill him or just send him back to Coreopsis Leo had no idea, but it meant he had failed regardless. As the shadows started to creep from below, it was then that he had a sudden epiphany, letting go of the sliver of control that still remained. In that act alone his consciousness almost faded, yet he just barely managed to cling to it. A good thing, as passing out in that moment would have left him at the whims of the sea, and he supposed Alastair if he decided to actually do anything. As the temporary walls collapsed inward, however, he focused on one thing alone, rising with them. Controlling everything was futile, yes, he had only lasted a few moments. Simply bending a small portion of it to his whims was child's play in comparison, and that was all that was needed to survive.
Leo let the waves ripple under him, maintaining his stance on the surface even as he caught his breath. Alastair continued his applause for a moment before he halted, standing up. "Good job, you figured it out. Now get back up here," he said, a groan from Leo his only response. At least he knew how to do it now, funneling the abyss upward before he collapsed onto the cliff, straight on his back. "That wasn't hard, was it?"
After a few moments he sat up, wiping the condensation from his visage. "We have two different definitions of that word," Leo huffed. "But thanks for pushing me off a cliff." Alastair laughed, unfazed by his apparent struggle. He waved his cane again, except it was no longer a staff but a sword, steel blade engraved with a symbol he knew all too well. A slice upward and the sea followed with it, a great tsunami of force that came crashing toward them until he slammed his weapon into the obsidian and the advance died down in its entirety, the lake more still than it ever was before. "I... oh...." Leo trailed off, his endeavor asinine in comparison. "A sailor definitely can't do that...." Alastair turned back with a grin, sword replaced with its mundane counterpart once more as he leaned upon it.
"Oh, absolutely not. I have many a years experience on you, however, given that chose to deny your own power for a millennium. Neither was I forced into it as you are being now, it was always a choice. You must take one step at a time, however, regardless of the circumstances. If you leap too far you will end up right back where you started, and I believe that is what you fear most."
Post by Reya Starlyght on Apr 21, 2020 4:48:06 GMT
Time, yes, the logical answer to every question seemed to be to slow down, think it out, make each and every move calculated and worth the effort. Despite himself, Leo could not think so far ahead in the future at that moment, his patience had already been worn thin, which was a rare occurrence in and of itself. It was necessary, however, he could draw that conclusion based on his past few months of life alone. From one misstep to the next, too much blood was already on his hands as a result, or at least the vitae of those he hadn't intentionally doomed to die. With every chance at finding a solution he only made the situation even more precarious, Leo was genuinely surprised that only a singular life had been taken by his hands that day, a beast who had been the aggressor at that. Perhaps that meant he was getting on the right track, or maybe it was just sheer coincidence, luck that no one had stood in his way.
Leo rose to his feet. "Teach me, then." There was no gravitas, no formal request. His tone was in one word desperate, in many the cry of a child asking for help, seeking solace from the nightmare of his own machinations. He was never so direct, always had some twist behind his words, they were a tool to accomplish his goals, after all. Yet all of that had fallen away, replaced by the sheer rawness of the truth. There was nothing else to give, after all, he had nothing to offer to the man who had long since passed, except perhaps the letters he had written in retrospective, meaningless in form. They would do no good.
Alastair smiled, a soft, somber expression as he shook his head. "Your destiny lies behind you; you must find the balance within yourself." Leo glanced over his shoulder, for the first time truly searching beyond the shore. In the distance, the silhouette of a pyramid was found, its shape identical to the night previous, he didn't have to see its features to know such was the case. He turned back to speak, yet his father was gone, not even a trace of his person left behind. Clattered upon the stone was instead the broken blade of Calamitas, the only sign that any interaction had occurred. Then again, perhaps it had all been nothing but his imagination, but something about the command rang true regardless, a call to action he could no longer deny. Thus, he picked up his sword, took one last stare at the shadowed sea, and set off in the only direction he could.
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last edited Dec 1, 2020 0:17:16 GMT by fairchild.txt