A strange new life.
Iris Amicitia: Gladio's little sister was just a student in high school when the Crown City fell. She has harbored an innocent crush on Noctis since she was a little girl, but in her heart, Iris knows her fantasy can never become reality.
Daughter of House Amicitia and Gladiolus' younger sister by eight years. Her family's closeness with the crown brought her into contact with Noctis at a young age, and the two became fast friends. Many mistake the crown prince as aloof and unaware, but Iris knows how caring and compassionate he truly is. With the aid of her retainers Monica and Dustin, she manages to flee the chaos of the Crown City post-ambush and arrive safely in Lestallum.
Iris first met Noctis at the tender age of 5. Her big brother's stories piqued her interest in the prince—a curiosity that one day drew her to the Citadel in search of this young man. The castle grounds proved too labyrinthine for the tiny Iris, and she soon lost her way. By some fortuitous turn of fate, it was none other than Prince Noctis who came to her rescue. From that day onward, Iris has harbored a special admiration for him, though she is loath to ever reveal her true feelings. Instead, she opts to show him affection via handsewn gifts.
Iris is a 15 year old girl with short dark brown hair, and brown eyes. In concept art and in her official render, she wears a black and red short-sleeved hoodie, and a black and red tartan-pattern miniskirt. In the game, the red accents of her outfit are brown. She wears black heeled boots with red soles. She has a leather choker and a necklace with a round black pendant. She wears two belts with a chain hanging from one attached to her skirt. She has red cord wrapped around her left wrist, and a leather bracer on her other wrist.
Having known Noctis and Ignis since she was a child, Iris is a trusted friend to Noctis's royal retinue. She is a strong girl at her core who tries to remain positive even in tough situations. She is independent and headstrong.
All her life, Iris has admired her friends and wanted to help them in anyway she could. Even joining them in battle when she could... but on one unfortunate day, that determination would prove to be a fatal mistake.
Noctis and his team were going to reclaim a stolen crystal from the Niflheim Empire, and despite their protest, Iris insisted on going with them, hoping she could help restore everyone's homes. But everything fell apart when Noctis was absorbed in to the crystal, and the resulting chaos lead to Iris being caught in a blast that killed her... or at least, that's what it was supposed to do.
Iris opened her eyes and found herself in... an empty space... one she had no idea of what it could be. She was confused a worried as she looked around "Am I... dead?".
"You did indeed die, but you were not supposed to" Came a dark, thundering voice.
Iris looked up and what she saw almost made her eyes fall out of her skull. She saw a being that dons a metallic suit of armor similar to that of the traditional Dragoon armor, and is more humanoid in appearance. He has a dragon's tail and the wings of his armor are made of swords, 15 on each side, himself also brandishing one. He is big enough for Iris to fit upon the palm of his hand and his raw power could be felt by her very soul.
"Y-you are..." Iris began but could not find her words.
"I am Bahamut, the Draconian I am one of the Six and the God of War. I was the one who bestowed the powers of the Oracle and given the Ring of the Lucii and the Crystal onto the chosen king" The mighty being answered "Everything that has happened through out this world's history has been by our design".
"Your design?... Wait... That means you are responsible for everything that's happened to us?!" Iris asked.
"Indeed. It my purpose to make sure that history plays out in the way we intended it to. But you have disrupted the history by not following your own destiny" Bahamut answered.
"My destiny? I don't understand" Iris said.
"It was never your destiny to die here this day. You were never even meant to join Prince Noctis on his quest to reclaim the crystal at all. This was not your path" Bahamut explained "And I can not stand by and allow such an deviation from destiny to go unchecked".
Iris shook her head "But that's not fair! We should be able to chose our own destiny! What gives you the right to decide it for us!?".
"Our purpose is far beyond the understanding of your mortal mind. You can resist your destiny all you want. But it will be meaningless in our grand design" Bahamut answered.
Iris felt utterly hopeless. For the first time in her life, she did not have anything positive to cling to "But... what kind of life is that? What point is there for me to exist if nothing I do is my own choices?".
Bahamut was silent for a moment, before he suggested something that was out of character for him "If you no longer wish to live the life we planed out for you, I can offer you an alternative solution".
Iris got a glimmer of hope "What is it?".
Bahamut moved his hand and opened a portal, which seemed to lead to another world "I have been observing this world for a long time. But it is beyond the reach of the gods. We can not influence it in anyway. Everything happened by it's own design. However I can sense that the history of this world is not set in stone, and that it can be altered by something I am not familiar with. And I can not go there myself, because the barrier between the two worlds prevents me from creating a portal powerful enough for me to travel there. It's only powerful enough for you to travel there".
Iris looked at the other world in awe, but was still confused "So... what are you trying to tell me?".
"I am offering you a second chance at life. If you truly can't follow the destiny we laid out for you, then you can go to this world and forge a new life that will be your very own. Just know this: As soon as you go there, you will not longer have the blessing of he gods and any trace of any magical powers you might have will be forever lost to you" Bahamut explained.
"But I will be able to decide my own path?" Iris asked.
"Yes, but it will be up to you keep yourself on that path and if you die in that world, I can't tell where your soul will end up. In short, you will have to do everything yourself" Bahamut confirmed.
Iris thought about it for a long time... should she take the chance to forge her own path, even if it means leaving behind her friends or brother? Or does she submit to a pre-decided destiny where everything she does is not because of her own choices? With a heavy heart she made her choice, one that would change her life forever.
"I... accept your offer... I want to forger my own path" She said, tears running down her face as she knew there would be no going back now.
"Very well then. All you need to do is step through the portal. But know this: Your memories will be slightly altered. You will still remember your past life and everyone you've ever me. And you will remember the reason why you went to this new world. But you will not be able to mention me or our conversation. My name shall not be known to the people of this new world" Bahamut explained.
Iris could only nod as she went to the portal. She took a deep breath before stepping in to her new life.
When Iris opened her eyes, she found herself in a raging storm. The worst one she had ever seen. The wind was blowing so hard that trees were knocked over and boulders was sent rolling down the hills. Iris covered her face with her hand to block the powerful rain that all but whipped her in the face. She had no idea how she just ended up in such a nasty storm, but she knew she had to found shelter as soon as she could. She saw a light house nearby and figured it was her best bet and she began making her way over there.
'What is this? This is not how I pictured my new life!' Iris thought in her mind as she struggled against the wind until she finally made her way over to the night house, only to gasp when she saw a massive tornado heading towards a town 'Oh no! That tornado will completely wipe out the whole own and whoever is left in there!'.
"Hey! You OK!" Came a shout, making Iris look to see a girl, who looked only a few years older, walk towards her.
She has an understated style that consists of a simple T-shirt bearing and generic jeans. She has auburn brown hair, blue eyes, and freckles. She appears to wear eye shadow and eyeliner, although this is also quite understated. She wears a set of three colored bangles on her right wrist that appears to be silicone wristbands.
Iris struggled as she began to move towards the stranger "I need help!".
"Just hang on! I got you!" The girl said as she walked towards Iris, fighting against the strong wind "Here! Grab my hand!".
Iris reached out and took the girl's hand... only for everything to go white...
Iris gasped as she sat up, breathing hard. She looked around to see she was in a forest. But the storm from before was gone and the sun was shinning peacefully. Iris rubbed her face before standing up and walked over to some trees so she could get a good look at the area. She saw the small town from before, but no signs that there had been any tornado.
"What was that?... Did my new life really start with a nightmare? But it felt so real" Iris mumbled to herself before looking at her hand "And that girl... she felt real. What a strange way to start my new life. But hey, Life is strange".
With that, Iris walked towards the town. But little did she know, what she just experienced, wasn't a simple nightmare.
Iris explored the small town but then her stomach growled "Ah man, I need to eat something... but how? I don't have any money..." She sighs "Starting a new life will be harder than I thought".
She found a small spot and sat down to think about everything. Her memories were fussy, but she could still remember her brother and all her friends from her old home. She really wished they could have come with her to this place. At least then she wouldn't be alone. She sighed, wondering if she really thought things through before coming here.
"Excuse me, young miss" Came a rather friendly voice.
Iris looked up and saw a blonde woman look down at her "Oh, hello".
"Are you OK? You look a little lost" The woman said.
"You could say that. I just got here and I have no money to buy any food" Iris answered.
The woman looked worried at that "Are you homeless?".
Iris looked down "Yes... Yes I am".
The woman was silent for a moment before offering her a hand "Here, come on in, I will put some food in your belly".
Iris wanted to refuse, but she was far to hungry to do that, so she just accepted the hand "Thank you".
The woman smiled "I am Joyce. You?".
"Iris" Iris answered.
"Cute name for a cute girl. Now let's feed you" Joyce said as she lead Iris in to her house.
Iris smiled, at least the first person she met in this place was nice. So maybe it was not such a bad start to her new life after all. Once inside, Joyce lead Iris to the kitchen and had her sit down by the table as she went to prepare some dinner for her.
"You sure this is OK?" Iris asked.
"Don't worry, my husband is at work, so he won't bother you" Joyce answered before she noticed Iris' worried face and quickly added "Oh, don't worry, he's not a bad person. Just very paranoid. He used to be a soldier and some of it still lives on inside him".
Iris nods at that "My father was a soldier too...".
"Was?" Joyce asked until she noticed the sad look on Iris face. She understood right then and there. Iris was an orphan "Oh... I'm so sorry for what happened".
"It's Ok... just takes a while to move on" Iris said. She missed her dad and the rest of her family.
Joyce wanted to change the subject to something less depressing "I have a daughter. She is a few years older than you. She can be a handful, but she has a good heart".
"Where is she now?" Iris asked.
Joyce sighed as she put the food in front of Iris "I guess she is smocking in her room. Eat up, you need your strength".
Iris nods and began to eat. She was so hungry she almost forgot to chew. As she ate Joyce watched her, while thinking about a few things.
"Say, Iris. You are new around here, yes?" She asked.
Iris nods before she swallowed "Yes, I just moved here. But due to my lack of money I don't even have a place to stay yet".
"Have you seen the town yet?" Joyce asked, Iris just shook her head which gave Joyce an idea.
Iris finished eating and Joyce took her plate to wash it. But then a voice was heard "Mom, I'm heading out!".
"Oh, wait Chloe! There is someone I want you to meet first!" Joyce called back.
Iris looked up as a young woman walked in. She has a punk aesthetic. She wears pale bluish-gray ripped jeans with braces/suspenders, black boots, and a white vest with either a skull, heart, or snake on it. She's always seen wearing a necklace that has three bullets hanging as pendants. She sometimes wears a brown leather jacket and a dark blue beanie.
She has a tattoo sleeve on her right arm, an intricate design featuring flowers, butterflies, and a yellowed skull. Her dyed hair is mainly bright blue with teal highlights, with roots that fade out from pink to light purple. Her natural hair color, strawberry blond, is visible at the roots from new growth.
"Iris, meet my daughter, Chloe" Joyce introduced her daughter.
Iris gave a shy wave as Chloe gave her a curious look before looking at her mom "So, what's her deal?".
"Don't be rude, Chloe. She is homeless and has even less money than we do. I let her in so she could get some food. I could not just let a little girl starve in the streets" Joyce answered.
"Fair enough" Chloe said before looking back at Iris "Yo, Iris right? Nice to meet you I guess".
"Likewise" Iris answered politely. This Chloe had an interesting aura around her.
"Well, Chloe, before you head out, Iris has not seen the town yet. Mind giving her ride?" Joyce asked.
Chloe shrugged "Sure, if she's up for it".
Iris stood up and bowed "Thank you".
"Wow, no need to bow, I am not a hella princess. A simple thanks is enough" Chloe said. Iris blushed, she was still getting used to the fact she's in a new world, so the clotures might be a lot different "Well, if you want a ride, I'm heading out now".
"Coming!" Iris said as she followed Chloe outside, neither of them noticing Joyce smiling at them.
Soon enough, they sat in Chloe's beige truck as they drove towards the town in the distance. The ride was mostly silent until Chloe broke it "So... you're really not from around here, are ya?".
Iris shook her head "No, I'm not".
"So where are you from anyway? Your name almost makes you sound Italian" Chloe said.
Iris did not know what Italian was, but decided to roll with it as telling Chloe that she's from another world would just make her sound crazy "Yeah, I am Italian".
"So what made you move to this shit stain of the world?" Chloe asked, using some rather flavorful language.
"I didn't really have a choice... there was nothing left for me back home, so I moved here hoping to start a new life" Iris answered.
"And you ended up broke on the streets?" Chloe asked, but quickly realized she shouldn't have said it like that "Oh, I am hella sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that".
"No, it's OK. You're right, I don't know what I was thinking" Iris said with a sigh.
"Hey, I know the feeling. I want to move away too. Maybe after I get all my shit together I can bring you along" Chloe said.
Iris looked at her "You sure you want me with you? I mean we only just met".
Chloe shrugs "My mom likes you, and even though she has an shitty taste in men, she might be more spot on with you. And you haven't given me a reason to hate you yet and you seem pretty OK so far. Trust me, I know shitty people when I see them, and you are more of a can of air refresher".
Iris could not help but to laugh a little "You sure got an interesting way with words".
Chloe smiled at that "Well, would you look at that, someone who don't want to kick my ass for having a dirty mouth. You sure are different, Iris and I always wondered what having a little sister would be like".
"Well, I always wanted a sister myself" Iris admitted.
Chloe stopped the car and looked at Iris with a smirk "Well then, I guess we are sisters from other misters now. Put it there!".
Chloe held up her fist, Iris looked at it for a moment before bumping it with her own. Chloe did some motions that confused her, making Chloe roll her eyes.
"Remind me to teach you how to properly fist bump later. Let's go sis" Chloe said as she continued to drive.
'Chloe is one strange lady... but I can't say I'm complaining' Iris thought to herself.
Meanwhile, the girl Iris met wakes up and examines her surroundings while thinking 'Whoa! That was so surreal'.
This girl was Max Caulfield who was currently in a lesson, lead by the famous photographer Mark Jefferson "Alfred Hitchcock famously called film "little pieces of time" but he could be talking about photography, as he likely was"
'Okay... I'm in class...' Max thinks as a pen falls to the floor 'Everything's cool... I'm okay...'.
"These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadow; from color to chiaroscuro..." Jefferson continued, not noticing one of the girls throws a paper ball at another girl who looked really sad "Now can you give me an example of a photographer who perfectly captured the human condition in black and white? Anybody? Bueller?"
'I didn't fall asleep, and...that sure didn't feel like a dream... Weird' Max thought.
"Diane Arbus" A rather cool looking girl answered.
"There you go, Victoria! Why Arbus?" Jefferson asked.
"Because of her images of hopeless faces. You feel, like, totally haunted by the eyes of those sad mothers and children" The girl named Victoria answered.
"She saw humanity as tortured, right? And frankly, it's bullshit. Shh, keep that to yourself. Seriously though, I could frame any one of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation. And any one of you could do that to me. Isn't that too easy? Too obvious? What if Arbus chose to capture people at the height of their beauty or innocence? She had a brilliant eye, so she could have taken another approach" Jefferson explained.
"I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of her work. I prefer...Robert Frank" Victoria admited.
"Me too, Victoria. He captured the essence of post-war, beat America. And there was honesty about the economic conditions of the era, but a beauty in the struggle. You don't have beauty without a beat. Which explains why Frank was Kerouac's photographic muse and both were great chroniclers of the 1950s. Well... We've all seen that iconic shot of Kerouac on the balcony—and if you haven't, shame, shame—capturing the romantic urban solitude of the 20th-century poet. You dig? Now, contrast Frank's stark Americana with Salvador Dali's surrealist photographs. Like Cocteau, he was a true renaissance man, and his famous self-portraits are famous early examples of that truly awful word you pesky kids love so much, the "selfie". And it's a great tradition, and I wholeheartedly fight for your right to self-expression. Or selfie-expression. Heh, sorry, I know. So if anybody wants to question the portrait as modern narcissism, they could go back hundreds of years to blame society. Speaking of questions, I bet you thought I'd talk all the way until the bell rang. It's your turn to lecture us. Now, based on the chapters I have no doubt you all memorized, who can tell me the name of the actual process that led to the birth of the self-portrait? Anybody? ... This does not bode well. Just jump right in with an answer. This was in the chapters you read. You did read the chapters, right? Your silence is deafening. If this were a photo, I'd call it a still life" Jefferson explained.
Max looks at her entry photo while thinking 'Look at this crap! How can I show this to Mr. Jefferson? I can hear the class laughing at me now'.
But then she had the bright idea to take a selfie with her camera. Catching Jefferson's attention "Shh, I believe Max has taken what you kids call a "selfie"... A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. And Max...has a gift. Of course, as you all know, the photo portrait has been popular since the early 1800's. Your generation was not the first to use images for selfie-expression. Sorry. I couldn't resist. The point remains that the portraiture has always been a vital aspect of art, and photography, for as long as it's been around. Now Max, since you've captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?".
Max found herself in a awkward spot but did her best to answer "You're asking me? Let me think... Um..."
Jefferson interrupted her angrily "You either know this or not, Max. Is there anybody here who knows their stuff?".
"Louis Daguerre was a French painter who created "daguerreotypes", a process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror" Victoria answered before she turned to Max "Now you're totally stuck in the Retro Zone. Sad face".
"Very good, Victoria. The Daguerreian Process brought out fine detail in people's faces, making them extremely popular from the 1800's onward. The first American daguerreotype self-portrait was done by Robert Cornelius. You can find out all about him...in your textbook. Or even...online" Jefferson said before the bell rings "And, guys, don't forget the deadline to submit a photo in the Everyday Heroes contest. I'll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you'll be feted by the art world. It's great exposure and it can kickstart a career in photography. So Stella and Alyssa, get it together. Taylor, don't hide, I'm still waiting for your entry too. And, yes, Max, I see you pretending not to see me".
Victoria walks over to Jefferson making Max think "Victoria doesn't waste a second kissing ass...".
Max was about to leave until she noticed her friend, Kate, looking down. She was the one who got hit by the paper ball and Max decided to walk up to her.
"Hi, Kate" She greeted.
Kate looked up with the most forced smile Max had ever seen "Oh, hi, Max".
"You seem quiet today" Max said with some concern.
"Just thinking too much..." Kate said, her false smile dropping fast.
"I hear that. Want to go grab a cup o' tea and bitch about life?" Max offered.
"Thanks, but not today. I have to go over homework" Kate said.
Max could only nod "No worries. Let's hang later".
Kate smiled a little "Sure".
Max headed towards Jefferson and Victoria as they talked.
"Yes, Victoria, you still have to do your homework this week, even if you're submitting your photo for the competition. Everybody in class is turning a photo, so you see the dilemma" Jefferson said.
"I know, Mr. Jefferson. I just worked so hard on this shot, and I'm sure you know what it's like to be consumed by your work. I just really think "Everyday Heroes" is an important cultural event and I want to represent Blackwell Academy" Victoria said.
"You have just by participating, by putting yourself out there in the world. Well, no matter who wins, this is just a bump on a bigger road. I don't want anybody to feel excluded from this process. But I also want everybody to know that this photographic world is not for everybody. I had my moment in the camera eye and everybody should have that chance, right?" Jefferson asked.
"Oh, totally. I only want to share whatever gifts I have with the world..." Victoria answered.
Max only rolled her eyes as she approached them "Excuse me, Mr. Jefferson, can I talk to you for moment?".
Victoria glared at her "Yes, excuse you".
"No, Victoria, excuse us. I'd never let one of photography's future stars avoid handing in her picture" Jefferson said.
"I didn't have any time... Way too much homework" Max said, not wanting to admit that her photo was simply to bad for her to hand it in.
"Max, you're a better photographer than a liar... Now I know it's a drag to hear some old dude lecture you...but life won't wait for you to play catch-up. You're young, the world is yours, blah, blah, blah, right? But you do have a gift, you have the fever to take images, to frame the world only the way you envision it. Now, all you need is the courage to share your gift with others. That's what separates the artist from the amateur" Jefferson said.
Max could only sigh as she leaves the art class. Out in the corridor she looks around at the others while being deep in her own thoughts 'Welcome to the real world... I need a serious timeout in the bathroom. Splash water on my face and make sure I don't look like a total loser'.
Max began to move through the corridor while hearing some conversations going on around her... one of two girls named Courtney and Taylor who just so happened to be talking about her.
"Why would anybody want to carry around a dorky instamatic?" Courtney asked.
"Because Max wants everybody to see how hip she is" Taylor answered.
Courtney shook her head "As if. She plays it so shy".
"She's so fucking shy she take selfies with a giant camera" Taylor pointed out.
Max puts on her headphones and turns on some music to drown out the sound. Max walks along the corridor but she could not shake the memories of her nightmare out of her head. It felt so real and who was that little girl she saw? When they grabbed each other's hands, Max felt like she truly did touch someone.
This was getting way to strange for her taste.
But while all that was going on, Iris and Chloe arrived near something that looked like a school. Chloe stopped at looked at her "Alright Iris, I need to take care of something real quick. Wait here until I get back, and don't talk to anyone. Got it?".
"Why can't I talk to anyone?" Iris asked.
Chloe shook her head "Trust me, there are some people here you do not want to meet. Just do what I say, alright?".
"Fine, I will not talk to anyone" Iris said, sounding a little annoyed.
"Good, I'll be back soon" Chloe said as she got out of the truck and headed towards the school.
Iris wondered what kind of people would be here. And why Chloe did not want her to talk to any of them... little did she know, that she would soon find out.
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Well this is the first chapter of my Life is Strange X Final Fantasy XV story. I've been thinking of writing this story for a while now, but I had another idea for Life Is Strange that clashed with this one. In the end, this one won out and I decided to do it. There aren't a lot of Life is Strange and Final Fantasy crossovers out there, which is surprising given both are made by Square Enix.
I know having Bahamut himself send Iris to the Life is Strange world might sound a bit much, but it was really the only way for me to come up with a good way of how Iris would end up in another world and also have that she went there out of her own free will and not just being sent there out of the blue where she ends up becoming a fish out of water and has some basic idea of what's going on.
And in case it was not clear already: This is before the time skip, so Iris is still 15 in this
This will be a tricky story to write, given Life is Strange is a game where the player decides how events plays out so it will be an interesting challenge.
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Well tell me what you think of this first chapter.