Never cast away hope, and live on with pride. Don't ever become like me.
This is an independent roleplay account for Judge Magister Gabranth from Final Fantasy XII.
(Sidebar image is by Tumblr user kiltia and is not available for personal use.)
“Enough of this, you two. Any more and I will be obligated by law to take efforts against a potential threat on my life.”
Children of Discord ||| daughter-of-chaos
Gabranth removed his helm and looked the girl in the eyes. This was not something he did particularly often; in fact, he briefly wondered if the two soldiers he had brought with him had ever seen his face.
“Miss,” he said, interrupting her before she could speak any more, “I am afraid that you have left your world. This land is known as Ivalice. There is no ‘Cocoon’ here, and there never has been.” I am sorry, he would have added, except he did not know this young girl and nothing he said would change the fact that she was now in a completely different place and time.
She had to steel herself from flinching as the stranger before her placed his hands on either side of his helm.
Who knows what could be under there!
When she was instead met with a serious, but nonetheless very normal and human face, she eased up again. Though the relief was sort lived as he delivered his severe information.
Left… What?
“What… What do you mean? It has to be a mistake. I mean… Pulse is big! For all we know, the place I know is a sea away!” She spun around to look at the horizon just past this unfamiliar shore.
There’s no way I was separated from my world. An alternate timeline maybe, but…
Gabranth shook his head. “To the south,” he said, “is the Naldoan Sea, which extends to the northernmost reaches of the continent of Kerwon. There are no records of any organized hume civilizations inhabiting Kerwon before Archadian conquest.” To the east was the Archadian capital, to the west Rozarria, and to the north was Valendia. If “Pulse” was as big as this woman claimed, it was impossible for it to be located anywhere in Ivalice.
“Marling,” he said, signaling for one of the Judges behind him to approach. The man immediately handed Gabranth a detailed map of Ordalia, which he in turn handed to the young woman. There was a yellow marker next to the words “Phon Coast”, which he pointed out to her. “Do any of these landmasses resemble your… Pulse?”
Children of Discord ||| daughter-of-chaos
She paused for a second to let her memories seep in clearly.
I guess I’m Historia Crux lagged…
“New Bodhum, 003 AF. Or three years after the fall of Cocoon, if that makes sense…”
Looking to the horizon again, she said, “Seeing as I can’t even see Cocoon here and the fact you don’t know what a Time Gate is, I’m guessing it doesn’t…”
This is going to turn into a very long explanation, isn’t it?
Gabranth removed his helm and looked the girl in the eyes. This was not something he did particularly often; in fact, he briefly wondered if the two soldiers he had brought with him had ever seen his face.
“Miss,” he said, interrupting her before she could speak any more, “I am afraid that you have left your world. This land is known as Ivalice. There is no ‘Cocoon’ here, and there never has been.” I am sorry, he would have added, except he did not know this young girl and nothing he said would change the fact that she was now in a completely different place and time.
Children of Discord ||| daughter-of-chaos
Oh, it’s a man! And one willing to talk too…
“Uh…” She cleared her throat as the sound came out a bit strained.
Apparently, I haven’t spoken in a long while.
“I… I’m not sure?” She offered a weak smile, only to glance over her shoulder to see what he was observing.
I guess this is a period that’s never seen a time gate before.
“Er, that’s a time gate… I think I came here with it.” She folded her hands neatly before her and canted her head slightly. “Don’t worry though, I don’t mean any harm and neither does it. It’s a portal of sorts that leads to other places in time. They’re a medium I travel through… Kind of like a train station? If you know what that is?”
No, he had not heard of a train station before. He did, however, know a thing or two about time travel. Gabranth folded his arms over his chest as he thought, attempting to connect his knowledge of auracite with this strange… portal. He would have to trust the young woman for the time being, for he saw no discernable relationship between the portal’s mechanics and Ivalice’s Mist energy.
“If you came through this portal,” he asked her, keeping his voice even, “then where - and when - are you from?” He had heard of all other sorts of worlds, even though he had not visited any of them for himself. Yet. He had, however, visited Ivalice in the future and had seen first-hand the longstanding corruption brought about by the aftermath of Pharist rule.
Children of Discord ||| daughter-of-chaos
The pinkette groaned. Luckily, as far as she could process, the ground beneath was as hard as it could’ve been. It felt more soft and fine, almost grainy…
Sand?
She took palmfuls of it in her hand to confirm the suspicion.
Maybe… New Bodhum? Only one way to find out!
Mustering all her strength, she pushed herself up into a kneeling position and rubbed her knuckles into her eyes. Blinking once, then twice, she scanned the scene.
It was a coast. But the lack of Cocoon in the sky told her otherwise. Maybe she was in a time where it had ceased to exist?
It could be Oerba in the far future… But then, wouldn’t there be wreckage?
No, the area was fresh and flourishing, aside from the impact crater she found herself in.
I must have come here with the Time Gate. Like when I first met Noel! So maybe there’s a paradox that made Cocoon disappear. That must be it…
Getting to her feet, she went to pat the sand off her legs when she heard an unfamiliar voice. She looked back up, only for her eyes to fall upon a helm. Taken a back by the inhuman visage, she tensed up.
Is it an enemy creature or warrior of some sort..?
Gabranth turned his attention to the object that had appeared in the sand once more. The young woman did not seem too bothered by it, whoever she was; perhaps he could learn more about it by questioning her. Neither the girl nor the strange contraption appeared dangerous, but he would maintain caution nevertheless. Letting his guard down could very well lead to a fatal mistake.
He could only guess that she was not from anywhere in Ivalice, if only due to her hair and her manner of dress. Since his resurrection, Gabranth had dealt with enough outsiders to know how best to handle any matters that came up. Suddenly, he was glad that he had come to deal with this new situation himself.
“You are at the Phon Coast,” he said to the girl, “at the western border of the Archadian Empire. Tell me, for what purpose have you come? What is the device behind you?” Hopefully she knew more of it than he did.
“And I stand here before you, bored out my wits, five times o’er in this here day.”
“Bored, you say?” The Judge Magister dropped a stack of paperwork on the pirate’s lap. “Make yourself useful.”
1000th post!
OOC: To celebrate, here’s some crack artwork by Ajoramun because it’s all I have on hand.
Children of Discord ||| daughter-of-chaos
“Your Honor, we’ve received word of a strange new object on the Phon Coast.”
Gabranth did not look up, did not stir, did not give so much as the slightest reaction to this news. “Elaborate.”
“Well, sir, it’s… you may wish to look upon it yourself.”
The Judge Magister fought back a snarl of frustration as he took the latest reports from the soldier. It was far too hot for late spring, and he had a headache the likes of which he’d not experienced in a long while. The Phon Coast was the last thing he wanted to think of at the moment-
And then he saw the device drawn on the paper. Roughly forty feet in height, most likely more. Spherical at the base, with tendrils of what looked like metal extending upwards. Whatever it was, it did not look as though it had come from anywhere in Ivalice.
“Close off the camp,” he ordered. “None of the clans are to approach it until we have thoroughly examined it.”
“Shall I call for someone from Draklor to-“
“No.”
“Very well, Your Honor.”
Gabranth would look into this matter himself, headache be damned.
He arrived on the Phon Coast a short while later with a small accompaniment of guards and 9th Bureau researchers. The object had crashed into the sand roughly a mile from the hunter settlements, scattering the local fauna for the time being. At first glance, the area appeared deserted. Off in the distance, however, Gabranth noticed a lone young woman a short distance away from the strange contraption.
“State your business here,” he called to her, hoping his voice would be audible over the crashing of waves. “This area is currently under Imperial surveillance.”
(No really, this is my favorite Serah. She was around on the indie scene about a year ago and is now back and I’m so happy. Follow her, interact with her, give her love!)
for Gabranth- "In My Arms" by Plumb
((just think of baby Larsa ubooboo~))
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OOC: *single manly tear*
