Mission 1: Explorations

[lookouthalifax]

Characters: Montblanc, everyone else you know. if you want.
Format: Anything up to and including indecipherable grunts.
This log is: Wide open!
Location: Anywhere. Well, probably not any dorms but the Red one, but he's a busy guy! He'll at least glance at everything. Backdated to the first day.
Summary: Montblanc explores! The first thing you do when you're in unfamiliar territory is to learn what's what. Or what's where, actually. The point is, Montblanc has is going to be having a good time doing everything from figuring out how to use computers (NOT LIKELY TO WORK) to reaching the end of the sea wall.
Warnings: Kupokupo!

He had prepared an itinerary as soon as he saw a map of the grounds, and was following it determinedly. He explored the entrance area first, slipping unobtrusively--as unobtrusively as a moogle in a human world could--through the strange halls to see if he couldn't get a little more information about the game and, more importantly, how he could escape it. He couldn't recall why, but he was sure that his clan needed him... for some reason. It upset him that he couldn't remember what was happening, but it just meant that he had to get home even faster.

His next stops were the two school buildings and the recreation centre, where he had been shooed away from the library and the pool. Apparently unclaimed weapons weren't allowed to access them. That left the computer room. He gave it a shot with the same determination that had made him a Clan Leader. This was just a different kind of challenge that he could handle, right? Weren't moogles the most technological race in Ivalice? Of course they were. No problem!

He eventually managed to turn one on.

He was frustrated by both the main hall and the mysterious building nearby. While he could explore the first floor of the central building, the rest of it as well as its neighbour were blocked off. There had to be a way to access them, but when no options presented themselves, he was forced to move on.

The forest was his next adventure. He walked along the wall at first to keep from getting lost, but eventually he gathered the will to venture into the forest proper. It felt larger and lonlier than it actually was. Usually, the moogle would be travelling with at least a few others for protection in the monster-infested forests of Ivalice, but they were all back home. Hopefully safe. He lost himself in his thoughts as he wandered, only snapping out of it when he reached the edge of the forest near the ocean. He finally ventured out to the end of the sea wall. He sat for quite some time, deep in thought about the clan he had left behind.

Comments

[loyal_liar]

Clans? Well, the only clans Lyra knew of were clans of witches, but she supposed it might be something similar.

"I'm Lyra Silvertongue!" She told the Moogle, before looking at his pompom. It would be rude to try to touch it, she reminded herself.

[lookouthalifax]

"Kupopo! It's good to meet you, Lyra!" The pompom bobbed back behind his head when he straightened up, safely out of her reach... at least for now.

"Are you from Ivalice like me, or from somewhere else? I'm starting to wonder if I'm the only person here from my country, kupo!"

[loyal_liar]

"Ivalice? I don't think that country exists in my world," Lyra said, tilting her head.

"Not that I've heard of, at least. You're new, like me, right?"

[lookouthalifax]

"That's right!" he nods and the pompom bounces again. "It's awfully exciting, isn't it, kupo?" Exciting, but also strange and very worrying. Despite his enthusiasm, he can't help but be very concerned by all that's happened.

[loyal_liar]

"Really odd though. And being a Player means I have to fight, or I'll lose tokens," Lyra said. Although apparently there was a way around that.

[lookouthalifax]

"Oh, kupo, of course! Your name was on the list." He hadn't realized that he was talking to a player until now. He frowned, suddenly concerned for her sake.

"How old are you, Lyra?"

[loyal_liar]

"Twelve," Lyra dearly hoped that she wouldn't have to put up with another person telling her she was too young. That hadn't mattered before. Why should it matter now?

[lookouthalifax]

He nodded. That was nearly old enough to be a part of a clan, even though she'd definitely be started out with easy jobs like picking herbs or driving weak monsters away. Fighting actual people was another thing entirely, even with the Judges preventing anyone from being killed.

"Have you ever fought in an engagement before?" he asked, looking her up and down with shrewd eyes. What job would he peg her as? Maybe an archer or a thief. She didn't feel like a white mage, but he wouldn't put black magic beyond her if they were back in Ivalice.

[loyal_liar]

"An engagement? I've had to fight before I came here, and I've fought one duel here- which I won," Lyra explained. At least he hadn't reacted as badly as some people had.

[lookouthalifax]

He nodded. That was a relief! He wasn't exactly happy about a girl as young as she was being forced to fight, but at least it wasn't a matter of life or death and at least she had some experience with it. It could be a lot worse.

"What kind of weapon do you have? And what did you use back home, kupo?"

[loyal_liar]

"Here, I have three- a lance, an axe, and a gun," Lyra explained.

"Before here... I just used whatever I could, really."

[lookouthalifax]

"Three! Kupo, you're not far from finishing this round!" He sounded contemplative. The concern was still present, but there was a glitter in his eyes that betrayed the presence of a clever mind at work. If he could make an ally of a person with so many connections, it might benefit him in the future. As a free weapon, he could put her just one victory away from winning the round and earning enough coins to reclaim a lost memory. More, there weren't many people better equipped to teach someone how to fight than the head of the fastest rising Clan in Ivalice.

He wondered what she'd think of the idea. "You know, kupo, if you ever want someone to let you in on a few battle tricks, there's no one better than the head of a Clan, if you understand what I'm getting at. Kupo... And the truth is that I'm a Weapon without a Player! It can get awfully inconvenient." He coughed politely into a hand. He doubted it was possible to raise the issue any less subtly short of offering to be her weapon straight up.

[loyal_liar]

"Oh... If you're offering, then I happily accept!" Lyra said, beaming happily as she watched him. He might be shorter than her, but he seemed clever, and he probably had more experience than her.

"And I'd love to learn anything you could teach me!" she added, bowing her head in gratitude.

[lookouthalifax]

"Kupopo!" He practically chirped. "Then I am at your disposal, and I think that puts you a single weapon away from victory. Let's see what we can do to speed it along, kupo!"

He crossed his arms thoughtfully. "How do you like to fight, kupo? You've got four very different weapons to choose from. Your gun has the best range, of course, so you might want to choose that if you like to keep your enemy at a distance. Kupo! Moogles like me like to use them a lot since we're the smallest fighters on the battlefield." And no offence intended to her, but Lyra didn't look like she could take a warhammer to the head any more gracefully than he could.

"The lance is an interesting weapon, kupo, but I'm afraid I can't teach you anything from personal experience. It's an exclusively stabbing weapon, handy for mid-range. Very useful for forcing someone with a sword to stay away. Humans in Ivalice don't usually use them, but if it's not too heavy for you then you can do amazing things with them, kupo! Bangaa Dragoons have even learned how to draw the power of dragons from their weapons, kupo!"

"The axe is close-range like me. Kupo, it's not a stabbing weapon at all, but if you get a good swing going then you can do some major damage! The only problem, kupo, is that everyone's going to see how you move as you swing it, and if they're smart they'll dodge away before you land a hit." He shrugged. That didn't mean the axe was worthless, but it would probably be too large and clumsy for him to wield personally.

The lecture continued: "That leaves me, kupo! I'm a dagger. Small, quick, and lethal. I'm not going to be packing as much of a punch as any of the others, but a small weapon like me is lighter and more manoeuvrable. If you're the type who likes to get in close and hit exactly where you aim, a dagger's your best bet. It's another moogle favourite, kupo, particularly among Thieves and Jugglers." He nodded, his general overview complete.

"So which is your style, kupo? I can give you specific tips for guns and knives, but even if you prefer the other two, there are plenty of things I can tell you about general combat, too! Kupo! Let's do everything we can to help you win your next fight!"

[loyal_liar]

Lyra paused for a moment, absorbing all this information.

"Well, some weapons can make you stronger or faster- like Gino's Partisan makes me stronger, and also has an ability that lets me fly," Lyra explained.

"Road's axe can make attacks hurt more or confuse people when it hits, and Meryl's gun- she absorbs some of the damage I take," Lyra added finally.

"But in terms of tactics- well, I should learn how to at least use most kind of weapons but honestly? I think I'm probably the best suited to guns and knives. I'm a lot tougher than most kids my age, but I'm still not as strong as a lot of people who're bigger than me, even though I'm fast," Lyra added.

[lookouthalifax]

Montblanc listened attentively. Some things here were very similar to how they worked in Ivalice, but some were completely different. He didn't want to risk giving advice based on incorrect assumptions. The ability to fly, for example, seemed like an incredibly useful one. It was a shame that moogle wings were too small to actually fly with.

He brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Have you ever fired a gun before, kupo? That might be best for you," he said, tactfully not adding 'so you don't get hurt'. "They can be tough to aim and the recoil can make things difficult, kupo, but with a few days of practise we can probably teach you how to handle one well enough to win another fight."

Of course, he was assuming Meryl's gun was anything like the ones that moogles made and used. When he eventually gets to see it, he will probably be blown away by how refined it is compared to theirs.