epidemiology | MINI-EVENT ★ WELCOME/RESCUE PARTY

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MINI-EVENT ★ WELCOME/RESCUE PARTY

WELCOME/RESCUE PARTY

The temporal insects have all either been squished or hopped into another dimension and all of Oska's inhabitants have gone back to their (relatively) normal selves. However, they didn't leave before chewing through some of the rift magitek, causing the new arrivals to end up in a slightly less safe place than the castle.

The new Audentes recruits are dropped right at the edge of this pocket universe in the untamed forest. It's easy to lose your way in here, and to make it even harder, it's dark and storming. Going off without a buddy or two isn't recommended; you may walk in circles for hours. Meanwhile, a select few recruits receive a frantic message from Dagny begging for their help in locating these members and bringing them safely home, promising a reward in return.

The forest is home to a whole host of unusual creatures, some friendly, some not. While you're avoiding a run-in with them, you'll also have to be careful not to step into the pockets of distorted reality left behind in the temporal insects' wake. Each pocket seems to be from the time before Oska was ALASTAIR's HQ, when it was still just a crumbling universe. The feelings and sensations are vivid; the earthquakes feel very real, as does the falling debris, so watch your head.

When everyone has returned safely to the castle, Dagny will be waiting with the promised rewards. Each established recruit who participated in the rescue and all the newcomers will receive two bracelets, both made of a thin gold chain, and the instructions to give the extra to somebody close to them to tighten their bond.

OOC NOTES

Established recruits are entrusted with diving into the forest and bringing the newbies back to safety. Once they have, everyone is welcome to get situated in Oska until the next mission starts.

Characters aren't required to give their second bracelet away, but those who do (or have their bracelet stolen/lost/found) will find that the moment both bracelets are slipped on, they'll share a significant memory of theirs with the other wearer and vice versa. This is a one-time effect and will not work after the first time, even with different wearers.

Please note again that this log occurs after the temporal bugs have been cleared out. Due to the OOC extension of the previous event as well as this mini-event, the IC time between the bug extermination and the start of the mission has been extended past the 24 hours stated in the dossier to around half a week.

As a reminder, this log is open to newcomers and those who signed up on the OOC post only.

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[Fiona is happy to get away from everyone walking around and moping about their shenanigans, and jumps at the chance to get the fuck out and explore. Even if it's in the middle of the night. And raining. (This hat is new, it's a tragedy.) She's still sort of dealing with the brand new concept that "rain" and "trees" and "mud" altogether make for a precarious situation, and as she's walking, she trips over some tree roots that are always convenient for this sort of situation.

She stumbles forward, which would be bad enough, but this particular be-rooted tree also happens to be on the top of a hill. Which she summarily slips down, arms pinwheeling, until she lands at the bottom in a heap. She just lies there miserably for a moment, muddy and getting rained on.] Ohhh, my god. I'm... so glad no one was around to see that.

Understood. The same goes for me as well, Lieutenant. I have missed you all.

[Julius nods firmly and agrees. It's sad, the more things change the more things stay the same. Riza's still got the right mentality for this operation. When Riza speaks like this it's very reassuring! He wants to catch up once they return to Oska.]

Do we have a secure route? This place looks is about to fall apart. We could get ourselves killed. I'll be mindful of our surroundings, I promise.

[If only you could immediately teleport to Oska!! That'd be great! Too bad they have to walk and take the long way. He can't wait to leave the forest. Just looking ahead fills him with a sense of dread. So many broken paths and uneven terrains. A part of him wonders where every path leads, but in the end he'll choose to stick with Riza. There is no better choice for them at the moment. ]

Excellent. Then let's get going. [Julius walks forward while scouting the area at the same time. He's careful to watch Haise's position too. ]

I hope you haven't run into too much trouble lately. Doesn't seem like we're running things smoothly...as usual. [Sadly, this is par of the course for ALASTAIR. Julius shakes his head in disapproval.]

Did you find anyone else on your way here? [It might be just them for now. Hopefully the other new recruits are doing well. Julius can't help but worry. This forest is dangerous because it's so unsteady. The looming storms ahead gives him even more chills. Yikes! Better move fast. ]

[ He sure does, bucko.

ALASTAIR provides a bare thread of mana to run on somehow, but it doesn't make up for a proper Master. Or his knack for attracting all trouble in a ten mile radius. Case in point: a few hours of wandering earns him a nasty run-in with a monster that's best described as a mix between a giant ape and a pimple. Lancer'd speared the hulking beast through, but not without popping some of its (many and disgusting) globules. And getting swatted away in the creature's final thrash. There's a very satisfying thud of contact, and he goes sailing.

He faintly recognizes the magical signature he's tossed towards, bracing himself for a touching reunion. But whether or not he actually crashes into Koltira, or just the patch of mud and muck beside him, the best greeting he can come up with is a cranky hiss. Fearsome warrior crossed with waterlogged cat.

Hello again. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you. [So that guys name is Motochika Chosokabe? Mentally noted. It's nice to find someone who's willing to help even during a crisis like this one. ]

At least we have some way of reaching the castle soon. I admit that I was wandering out here for quite a while until you arrived. It's difficult to navigate through this forest blindly.

Uh—I don't know, man.

[ Nice to see you again too, Lancer. The surprise of coming across him after all this time vanishes as soon as the question is posed; knowing—well, more like remembering how he is—Dipper remains uncertain how serious a query this is.

It's dark, and the unrelenting downpour helps none, so whatever is creeping out there, its low growls blending in with the crackling thunder overhead, Dipper can't quite pinpoint what it is just yet. And he's wholly unprepared to do much fighting at all. ]

Maybe... maybe it just wants us to walk away.

[ Who's there? Just this kid, wandering the forest in hopes of locating someone who needs the escort back. He may not be the best candidate for the job, but it's better than no one, he figures. Hopefully.

Though, it appears that someone else found Dipper first. ]

... Oh—oh, hey! I know it's not safe, but we need to hurry and get back to the castle, too!

[ Arima is the least likely person to get intimidated by such an act. He might give pause at the sudden defensive nature but he doesn't look too surprised. ]

Arima Kishou. I've been sent here to bring any new arrivals back safely.

[ Saying this all with a stoic as can be expression on his face. ]

[ Hello Peridot, your escort for today iiiis... a one (1) Dipper Pines. He is, likewise, utterly drenched and it is absolutely one of the worst feelings in the world; he can't blame anyone for complaining.

Okay, maybe it would get grating after a while, but it hasn't been terribly long yet, and there's one thing Dipper ends up zeroing on. Briefly, he pauses his steps, glancing over his shoulder at the unfortunately placed newcomer. ]

Soooo... Not from Earth, huh?

[ Which isn't the strangest thing around these parts, but normally those types don't mention having been there, too.

Dipper resumes walking, in what he's seriously hoping is the right way to the castle. ]

They'll send us back! ... Eventually.

[ It's a friendly!!

Dipper freezes in place, hands held up defensively in front of him. Drawn in by an unusual purple glow up ahead—the first signs of light during this whole excursion that wasn't from the flickering lightning—he hadn't intended on making himself known until he knew what the source was.

Apparently, it's from a man with a blade for a hand. Yikes. ]

J— just me! [ Hardly an answer, but at least Dipper is most likely the least threatening thing Shiro will be seeing all day. He's peeking out from behind the thick trunk of a tree, though his hiding spot was ruined by twigs he had hoped wouldn't give him away. ] Definitely not anyone you need to use that thing on!

[Up she goes now that the moment is over, back onto her feet and as serious as ever. His assessment of their situation's spot-on; one wrong move and both of them could tumble effortlessly off a nearby cliff. There's also no telling when they'll step unknowingly through another rift and land themselves even further away.

Her hand reaches up, palming the set of rings hanging from a chain tucked underneath her uniform. There is one thing that might get them out of this mess without overexertion...

Riza glances back towards Julius, then lifts her voice to be heard over the howling wind.]

How do you feel about teleportation, sir?

[ The blue eyes draws all of Shiro's attention first, before he catches sight of the arm. Shiro straightens up slowly, frowning as he catches the recognition on Rhys' face. He lowers his hand, but the purple light doesn't waver.

Admittedly, that might be more for the light than anything else, but Shiro isn't letting his guard down completely. ]

Sorry, have we met?

[ Shiro can already hazard a guess at the answer. It's always the same, when he realizes he's lost memories somewhere along the way. It feels like missing a step on the stairs, like groping in the dark and coming up empty. ]

Do you know where we are?

[ His tone's gone brisk, like there's some way to sweep past the awkwardness of having forgotten someone who clearly knows at least of him, if nothing else. ]

[ New arrivals. Shiro's hand drops at that, curiosity overtaking the tension in his expression. There's no suggestion of menace, and the promise of some kind of information is enough to knock the defensiveness out of Shiro's posture. ]

Back to where, exactly?

[ Shiro's human hand has dropped to his side, Galra-made prosthetic still held up to cast light. All the better to see Arima's face with, and all that.

He doesn't look Galra. Shiro is still wavering one whether or not to trust him, but he's at least willing to hear him and out and consider his options. ]

[ Omg.

Shiro's hand winks out. Darkness isn't ideal, but scaring small children is also not great use of his prosthetic. He takes a cautious step forward, carefully settling his weight as he picks his way through the gnarled roots towards the interloper in question. ]

I'm not going to use it on you, [ Shiro promises, though he amends: ] But I'm going to use it to see, if that's okay.

[ Though who "just me" might turn out to be is still a mystery, Shiro's comfortable deciding that he probably doesn't have to worry about any immediate attack. ]

[ Giving up isn't in the cards for Shiro either, regardless of the rain or the gash in his side. Though even in the face of his relatively optimistic approach to the situation, he still isn't sure this is the moment to be collecting herbs.

That being said, the described use for the plants in Julius's hand seems relevant at this particular moment. Not that Shiro's going to mention it until they find actual cover, because it seems like a waste to sit in a downpour and attempt to figure out what to do about his own injury. He's holding up. That's what's important in the moment. ]

Could be all night, [ Shiro guesses, voice a little ragged. ] Or day. I'm not sure which it is right now.

[ It's an unknown planet. It's hard for Shiro to guess, and he isn't even totally sure what time it had been before they'd set out to get Allura. All those details are blurring together, probably because Shiro is exhausted, but again, not an important detail. ]

You know where you're going?

[ Shiro sounds hopeful. Maybe they won't be out here for ages. ]

[Fiona is supposed to be the one rescuing these wayward newbs from... being lost in the woods? Getting drenched by rain? She's not exactly sure why this is important, but it is, and she's got nothing better to do while everyone else in Oska is being awkward. Supposed to be is the key phrase here; it's not long before she's in trouble herself and in need of rescuing, which is a) embarrassing, and b) not good in general because she is currently fighting off a giant, screaming, floating skull.

With a tree branch. She likes to improvise.

Anyway -- waving a tree branch at a screaming skull the size of a car that may or may not be on fire (there's a chance it is magic fire, since it's not like the rain is putting it out) and trying not to back into a tree or something.] Get-- out of here, this isn't what I'm here for!

I'm from the Gem Homeworld. You've probably never heard of it.

[she really is slowly and surely becoming a hipster, but she's pretty well assured that most humans don't know anything about gems or Homeworld. not that she has been exposed to many since being stranded and subsequently embracing Earth. that horrid cheating human who dared to call her small at Funland certainly didn't understand a truly exceptional Peridot when he saw one.

She growls and kicks at a wet twig in her path.]

Eventually isn't good enough. Do you know who I am? I'm the leader of the Crystal Gems! They're nothing without me.

Edited 2016-09-12 18:32 (UTC)

[ Confronted with this particular spectacle, Shiro's momentarily at a loss. It's not every day you come face to face with a giant floating skull. Is this actually happening to him? He'd honestly thought the upper limit of unbelievable happenings in his life had maxed out after the Galra, the giant space lions and the green goo Coran kept trying to foist onto them, but apparently he was wrong on that.

And truthfully, this isn't what Shiro's here for either, but he's not about to walk away and leave Fiona to deal with this on her own. ]

Hey!

[ Shiro follows up that shout with a rock whipped at the back of the skull. It's not his best plan. The rain isn't making a dent in the flames, and that doesn't bode well for either of them, but better the giant flaming skull chase him around the forest than anyone else. ]

Right, let's go. Everyone's waiting for us there. [Just to be sure, Julius wants to check how Dipper's feeling. No one's going to die here today.]

Will you be alright to carry on like this? Let me know when you start feeling unwell. I don't want you to overdo it. If we stick together, I know we'll manage somehow. [This might be an extra precaution. Still, it never hurts to double check things through. They can head off once Dipper says he's okay or whatever.]

[Peridot clings to her branch, one foot dangling off the side as she tries to maintain her balance. This is humiliating and disgusting, and while she's grateful for the rescue, she's not happy that it isn't Lapis or one of the other Crystal Gems. Where are they anyway?]

I can't even tell which spot is its face. [she growls in frustration.] Just... Just keep hitting it or something!

[she's such a help.

who would have thought disgusting animal hybrids would be worse than gem mutations.]

If the transportation method is stable, then I don't see a downside to it. Yes, perhaps it may even be faster using that way instead.

Do you plan on using teleportation here Lieutenant? [He's not wholly against the idea of transportation. Admittedly, it sounds almost a little too convenient to be true. Is there a down side to this? It can't be that easy to achieve teleportation. Technology's advanced in the world where Julius comes from and even they haven't created any teleporting devices yet.

He keeps walking cautiously while trying to avoid any potential pitfalls. Within three seconds Julius losses his footing slightly and he nearly falls over. Helppp Riza! He's not going to die or anything, except he can't get up on his own and that's a problem. ]

Unfortunately, no. [He doesn't like being this useless. This time, it's not really his fault though. The new recruits were dropped off at the wrong location. Disaster was bound to happen. ]

I don't know how to head back to the base. Will you assist me for the time being? There's no telling what will happen if I'm left to my own devices. Going with you would be the safer option.

[Many new recruits were just tossed into the forest without a clue. It's dangerous for them to be here without someone more knowledgeable of their surroundings. It's a shame that Shirogane might be right. The storm could just keep going for all they know. That'll make it even harder to navigate the terrains. ]

[ lbr it wouldn't be much of a match if he did decide to attack... But Dipper doesn't, because he's a sensible person here on a rescue mission. Okay, more like escort. He can't take down monsters on his own, but he can lead the way.

When all turns out well, Dipper steps out from behind the tree in full, climbing out of overgrown brush and muddy puddles. ]

For seeing is totally fine. Wouldn't mind a bit of that, myself.

[Carefully, she fishes out the necklace from underneath her uniform before carefully lifting it slightly to show off the two rings dangling from the silver chain. Neither are particularly remarkable - two silver circlets, each with different inscriptions - but one might be the key to them leaving this side rift without a hitch.

Hopefully.]

I've had this ring for some time. Supposedly it'll return the wearer to his or her last place of shelter - Oska castle for me. I don't know if it'll work with two people, but it might be worth the risk.

[She can't think of any better time to use it than now, and with a better person than her first friend here.]

But I'll leave the final decision in your hands, sir.

[After all, his life is at risk here too.]

[ Ooookay, so she's angry. ... Maybe she'll get over it once they're out of this rain.

Instead, a sense of familiarity flickers across Dipper's expression. ]

Gem Homeworld...?

[ It's the first he's heard of that specific place, truth be told, but pieces of past conversations from months and months ago slowly dawn on him; they haven't gone forgotten, yet they hadn't been thought of in quite some time. So if she isn't from Earth, but lives there now, and keeps mentioning gems... ]

Wait—gems. Does that make you one of those... [ Dipper briefly trails off, gesturing vaguely into the air as he continues walking. ] Those magic space stones or whatever?

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MINI-EVENT ★ WELCOME/RESCUE PARTY

wildcards you before this gets too OUTTA CONTROL

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:*

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u know the one, i said i would

a!

arrival~

bees. (it's b)

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hands you a gold medal

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b.

wildcards because i'm not like all the other girls

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you loose cannon you

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