These days I've been taking that heavy so lightly [Group text; action for Arcrion]

[photoshooter]

[The good news first: Prompto has a job!

The not-so-great news: They're still trapped in another world with no idea where they are, why they're there, or how to get back--or whether there will be anything left of the world if they do. Every time he thinks about his talk with Stella, dread churns uncomfortably in Prompto's stomach, and he can't let go of his worry for Noct, for Ignis, for Eos. For himself. What's happening back home, if Noct's springing Ardyn's trap only to find Prompto not there? Will he be okay? Will Prompto be okay, out here, with no idea how to support this other Noctis by himself?

There's also the fact that Noct appears to be turning into some kind of lion cat, and Prompto doesn't know where to even begin wrestling with that. He's choosing to pretend it isn't happening, as much as he can. As long as it isn't bothering Noct, he can deal.

So Prompto's trying to focus on the positive, for now, and he really does love his new part-time work walking dogs in the city. They're really great dogs, different kinds, big ones and little curly ones and all of them his new best friends. Dogs are so good. Mankind doesn't deserve them. And they leave him plenty of time to take photos and explore his surroundings, though he hasn't had much luck finding out more about those weird cultists who brought them to Eludalsia.

Part of the problem is he's been tired. Taking care of the city's cute puppies isn't really strenuous, but it's like the sun itself boils the life out of him; but then at night, when he could rest, he feels fine. So it's not like he's sick or anything. Reasonably, it must be stress, but he's got to keep it together. He's one of the grown-ups. And he's tired of not pulling his weight.

That said, most of his research has been limited to trawling the weirdly official-like information he can find online on his retooled phone (thanks, Yuusei!), and he hasn't found much.

Today, when the light of the noontime sun is just too much, he retreats to his favorite off-leash dog park, lies down on a bench in the shade, and sends a group text to everyone who took a phone and gave him their number:]

anybody find out anything about some group called the joyous???
when i described the people who summoned us, that's the answer i got. "that sounds like the joyous order." but the coffee guy didn't know much more than that. just that they're a cult and he doesn't think they're ""dangerous.""
if you've got any other intel pls share with the class! thnx!
- prompto a.

[Anyone visiting the park in Arcrion this fine day may come across a familiar blond supine on a bench, one freckled arm thrown over his face, looking a little washed out as a Maltese, a Dalmatian, and a big, fluffy mutt frolic nearby.]

Comments

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[planetary_bonds]

No, I welcome the additional input. The time my friends and I dealt with one cult, they'd already started making their move and were well on their way to endangering the world. The group behind them is more circumspect, and we have little to no clues on how to deal with them.

[Iliaster...just what were they after, instigating the Dark Signers? If he can learn anything about how cults hide, then...]


If you know any signs to look out for, we can all look out for them together, cover for each other.

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[corruptedcoil]

The first I know of, the Lambs of Dalamud, were active for around five years before I learned of them - often holding sacrifices to create creatures from beyond the Void. I doubt they can be studied well.

The second I can think of, however, had begun as a legitimate organization to unite Eorzea (which is made of three four main city-states) to combat the threat of the Garlean Empire. Until they learned of the power of Primals, and slipped into the role of holding Crystal sacrifices. The things I would look for is:

- Groups of people wearing similar insignia, even if they do not have full uniforms.
- Areas which seem to be either oddly abandoned or oddly popular for their location.
- We cannot assume we are the only ones to be summoned. If we can witness a summoning, we may be able to learn more about how to track them.

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[planetary_bonds]

All of those are valid points.

The ones that I know of, the Dark Signers, they were similar to the second group you describe. They all wore similar robes, and bore unique markings on their arms that were symbols of their gods. They also inhabited a ruin of an old experimental site that had destroyed a good deal of the city, so a place that everyone else avoided. They used human sacrifices to summon them, although that was after they started their battle for real.

The other, Iliaster...I don't know much about them. I know that they were the ones who ended up instigating the first Dark Signer to come into existence and use that experimental site to force open the doors of the Underworld. Other than that, I'm not sure what else to say about them. I only know that they could have been anyone, the Director of our Security bureau was a member of Iliaster, and helped to keep the Dark Signers isolated so that they could grow unrestrained.

I expect we might be able to find some Joyous in some positions of power, if they're able to do this much unrestricted, is what I'm saying. For them to be universally dismissed like this despite evidence starting to show up to the contrary, it could be some higher-ups are trying to get people off their backs.

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[corruptedcoil]

The Crystal Braves had allies in positions of power - before they began to try and summon Phoenix, it became known to my brother that they had been taken over by the Ul'dahn Syndicate. (A group of Lalafell - a race of child-looking Spoken - who controlled the markets and the entire city-state. Leaving the Sultana - Nanamo Ul Namo - simply as a figure-head. And it was the same for my brother.) I would not assume otherwise for this cult - that is one reason of many I desire not to appear to people of power.

However, I may be able to seek positions which seem to be feared. I am the current vessel of a Primal. However, that is because of these cults. Where I hail from, at the very least, a certain Primal can only be summoned once, in one place, at one time. (I fear for what may happen if that were not the case - if there could be multiples of the same Primal, it would be even more chaotic for the Warriors of Light then it is right now.)

Is it possible for these conversations to be recorded and observed by others? This is my first time using a phone.

[planetary_bonds]

So if there are positions of power that could be used to steer resources or hide their reputation...we should keep an eye out on anyone in those positions, if possible.

It's a group chat, so whoever got the first text from Prompto should be able to see what we're typing. We can try compiling this information in a more easily shared venue if anyone missed out.

[photoshooter]

i can make notes when i get home!
orrrr maybe somebody else can
my handwriting's not that great
too bad we can't upload it somewhere and print it out because that'd make things way easier



actually now i have another question

[planetary_bonds]

For now we could simply email the important parts of this message to everyone, at least. Maybe if one of us gets ahold of a computer later, we can see about printing.

Go on.

[photoshooter]

if we're all from different worlds, how can we possibly all understand each other? shouldn't we be speaking different languages?

[corruptedcoil]

A good question. I do not have the Echo, so that is not the answer. (Spoken with the Echo can understand all languages.)

[planetary_bonds]

[...Actually no, you've stumped him on this one.]

That is a good question...You don't think something about whatever brought us here did this?

[photoshooter]

what kind of magic does that? and why? i mean, if they were gonna turn us into god food, why bother letting us understand what's going on around us?

[planetary_bonds]

They could have intended to communicate with us for some reason. Who knows?

[Add another question to the pile.]

[lostcompany]

Holy shit you're right

[photoshooter]

(you don't have to sound so surprised)

[lostcompany]

Didn't mean it like that I promise.

Just didn't think about it before. I've never heard any language that's NOT Japanese, definitely didn't pick up another in the last two weeks.

[photoshooter]

japanese is what they speak in
toekiyo?

- prompto a.

[lostcompany]

Tokyo but yeah.

[photoshooter]

why isn't it tokyoese?

- prompto a.

[lostcompany]

Bc Japan used to be bigger than just Tokyo. Or we just got cut off, IDK, but it's from the name of the country.

[corruptedcoil]

That will need to be a job for one who does not have a tail nor horns.

So cultists cannot spy on this? Then it is already better then Linkpearls - not simply because it is text-based.

[planetary_bonds]

No, not without actively trying to hack into the network, or if they stole someone's phone.

[Actually now that you ask...]

I'm not even sure if they'd know to look for these phones, since they're all either revamped devices from our own worlds or phones I reactivated out of the dump. We shouldn't be too cocky, but I'd assume they're safe for now.