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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[ Hey, guess who else has a glowy prosthetic! It's this guy! And he's walking towards Shiro, squinting against the darkness, in search of the misplaced recruits. He stops--on that twig--when he hears Shiro's voice call out. ]

No worries, partner. I got sent out here to lend you a hand.

[ McCree takes a few careful steps forward, both hands up--and then pauses. He's met this fella before. ]

Huh. How's about that. Fancy seein' you again.

[ His response is distant in his own way, less lost in sentiment and more noncommittal. ]

I've passed through. [ For some months, but who's counting. It didn't matter much that he'd left. And he doesn't look for the significance of being brought back. Instead, Lancer walks without a sound, trotting up to the wall to take a closer peek.

A place for spirits to go...

This whole vein of conversation has a wry humor to it, and he can't help a thin smile. ]

But you were there, huh? Does that make you a spirit—? You're awfully solid for a ghost.

[ The question has her pulling back, shaking her head firmly. ]

No! I'm human! I mean, I'm alive and human. I'm not a ghost. I'm not a spirit, either. I think they'd be insulted if you said I was...

[ But once she's past her own knee jerk response, she's examining his face. It's that smile that has her squinting just a little, keeping her hands close to her chest now. He might be joking. She's not sure, and being on uncertain ground with a stranger means she's more careful than she is with someone she feels more secure around. ]

... I only recently started remembering that place. It's been confusing. Familiar, but confusing. Seeing it down here is really weird. I... won't be going back for a long time, I hope.

[ Because she has a firm sense that the time she next sees that bath house with her own eyes, she'll be dead. ]

Yeah, likewise. [He seems like an okay guy so far, at least. Not panicking about the situation was definitely a good sign.]

It's a little lacking in road markers, that's for sure. Usually, people don't show up this far out. I'd make us a little illumination, but I think that'd risk attracting some unpleasant attention.

[And while he's not the least bit averse to fighting, he's not interested in advertising their location, either.]

No kidding, just drop that thought. You're right. It's not worth taking a risk like that. [Smooth idea. Julius nods in agreement. Then he clutches onto the grip of his sword and stands on guard. ]

We have to stay sharp. Notice anything peculiar out there? [Having another set of eyes and ears helps when you're in unfamiliar territory. Motochika could have seen something Julius missed.]

[ Absolutely waterlogged, and somewhat muddy to boot, too—but otherwise okay. It's fine, the weather's been worse before.

As Shiro illuminates the area around them—thick with tall grass and winding trees—Dipper gestures at himself, and then in the direction behind him. ]

I really should've thought about bringing a raincoat, but I'm okay! Are you one of the new guys? We're supposed to lead you back to the castle in Oska.

[ Thankfully, it's the same rock. And its owner, who greets Hayate with a welcoming pair of hands, immediately picking him up for a face-to-face greeting. ]

Oof—someone's put on a couple'a pounds, hm?

[ But Lancer still lifts him like a puppy, grinning despite the fact that the sky is dumping a season's worth of rain on them. And thanks to Riza doing all the legwork, he's slime-free and unharmed. Thanks, Riza. With that, the runic stone finally clatters to a stop, and Lancer turns his attention to her for a tearful reunion. ]

I meant Hayate. [ just to be clear. ] You look good... mostly.

[ Cue a pointed (if not way too amused) look towards her boots. ]

[ What sensitive spirits she must know. Admittedly, it's a varied bunch, some that'd turn their nose up at the living, some ambivalent, some just wistfully envious. What motley crew did this bathhouse have? How did she make it there—and more strangely, how'd she make it back? Spirits weren't usually so benevolent. Nor were they cruel, per se, but... still, curious stuff.

He hums lightly. ]

Well, that can't be helped. It won't make much sense until you've died, right?

[ There's no weight to his words—talking about death comes as casually as his greetings and quips, and transitions just as easily. ]

What's a [ living, breathing ] kid like you doin' wandering around places like that anyway? I knew guys who wouldn't risk meeting a spirit if I'd paid 'em. [ Crowds he'd hung with were very willing to stay huddled by the fire a whole night if the Otherworld made so much as an ominous whisper. ]

[ Lancer grins back; however brief the acquaintance, a familiar face in the midst of a kind-of-sort-of apocalypse is nice. Still, the rest of this is... not great. Some of the cuttlefrogs slowly roll their eyes towards his company instead, which finally prompts Lancer to start walking, smacking lightly at Haise's shoulder as he passes. ]

Much as I appreciate the attention—? Yeah, let's do that.

[ The creatures shift, following slowly, creepily. Whatever. ]

It's been a while, so I'll be countin' on you to take the lead. I mean, I don't mind wanderin' around in circles and catching up— [ He steps over a small crack in reality, where a patch of ground suddenly caves in on itself. So he does mind, a little. ] but this place seems like it's seen better days, huh? What a welcome...

[ A. Not all who wander are lost... but some are. ]

[ One moment, you have a bolt of white magic headed straight at you; the next, you're getting stormed on and in an unfamiliar forest. Wiping droplets off her goggled, Feferi looks around, and thinks to herself... yes, this is about right. She's almost positive she must be dead now, but she wasn't sure if it was supposed to feel this way. She wonders whose dreambubble this is. Terezi's, maybe? Her trident is still clutched in her hands, and her pulse is still racing; she keeps it out, one because she seems to have lost access to her sylladex (she'd always heard you can't take it with you, but maybe that didn't apply to thing you had in hand?) and two because it's a small comfort in a foreign landscape. She knows better, but, well... at some point, you've still got to go with your instincts!

She knows if she stands around long enough, there's a good chance of something happening, but she's not really one for waiting by idly, so it's off into the surrounding forest she goes, stepping gingerly over fallen branches, ducking through bushes. Thorns scrape at her legs, and boy do they hurt... were things supposed to hurt that much when you were dead? Hmm.

The longer she wanders, the more she has time to mull over the situation. It didn't really hit her at first, but it slowly seeps in, a fog encroaching her mind, the last few images of Sollux knocked out and Eridan coming for her. It's not that she's upset that she's dead, specifically, though that part is kind of a bummer. What really gets to her is the sinking sensation of betrayal; she's sad more than she is angry, and worried for her friends, as well. It's not made any better with the feeling that she's now lost in someone else's dreambubble, with no idea how to get out.

What a downer.

She's not really doing any good for herself, she thinks, though she has no idea how long she's been wandering out here. She finds a big rock and seats herself on it, just for a moment, just to gain her bearings. She's not sitting there for long when she hears a rustling. It's not the sounds of the storm that she's now become accustomed to, and her fins perk up, glancing around with a mixture of curiosity and a little bit of wariness. ]

Hello? Is anemoneone there?

[ Seeing as it's absolutely not the time for fish puns, that makes it the perfect time for fish puns. ]

[ B. Wildcard ]

[ PM or PP me at

culling for plotting! ]

[Peridot stops abruptly, turning slowly to face the human boy and look at him like it's the first time she's really seeing him. Without warning, she grabs him by the back of his vest to hold him in place.] What do you know about it? Wait. Are you responsible for gem-napping me?

[Peridot's kneejerk reaction is to SHOVE HIM OUT OF THE TREE, and the fact that she doesn't proves how much she's grown as a gem, though the impulse is still there.

That doesn't mean her actual reaction is pleasant.] Hey! Find your own tree, you- [except her insult is cut short when she sees the climbing swan-spiders and she makes a panicked eep and proceeds to climb nearly-catlike onto this new human's shoulders without regard for how comfortable this might be for him.] GO UP! GO UP!

[she peers over the edge of the branch, observing this violent display with borderline sadistic glee. that's what you get for treeing her, you fusion monstrosity, and if she had access to something metal or could concoct a flawless Peri-Plan, you'd wish your end had been as simple as all that.]

There's dozens. [but feeling safer for now, she starts trying to clamber down the tree. "trying" because she ends up slipping and falling a good ten feet to the ground.] Ow.

[SHE'S FINE THOUGH. Totally fine. She even starts to get up seconds after hitting the ground.] Where is this place?

Hurk—

[ Wow okay that's one way to stop a walking kid!! Dipper fumbles over his feet, regaining his bearings quickly enough to turn on his heels, looking both affronted and surprised. ]

—What? No! If I were leading a kidnapping scheme, it sure wouldn't be like this. [ Not that... Dipper often mulls over a hypothetical kidnapping scheme... ] We're both in the same boat. Chances are you're here because you wound up going through a dimensional tear, just like everyone else.

[Upon seeing Julius stumble, her cool demeanor cracks just enough to let a small smile through, gentle and kind. She's always been in the same boat, forced to be an anchor of support, unyielding. It takes a lot to admit to weakness. He shouldn't be penalized for that.]

You're fine, sir.

[And that's all she says before directing all her energy towards the ring in her other hand, wishing and hoping. Insubstantial material for a maneuver such as thus, but also the strongest there is out there. They flicker out of existence for a brief moment—and then when they wink back into existence, instead of falling debris and the threat of rain there's only solid castle wall surrounding them and a steady glow from a nearby torch.

Her shoulders sag in relief.]

We're back.

[ The sound ahead is only instant for a second before it sounds behind the man, and in which a woman with an English accent sounds out in response. ] Quick to bite, aren't ya love?

[ Given her blinking abilities, it makes sense why she wouldn't be sensed right there a good distance behind him till that very second. There's a glow of the chronal accelerator device on her chest but hey at least she seems human enough? ]

Name's Tracer, and I'm part of the rescue party sent here to collect each and every new recruit! You a new one, yeah?

[ The sudden shift in sounds around him makes his hackles rise, and he's tense, ready to attack if necessary. So, when she steps free of the trees, he has his blades in hand as he blinks a few times in startled confusion. ]

I am, yes.

[ You can't blame him for being cautious, really. She isn't really anything at all like what he might have expected, had he bothered to stop and expect. Significantly more cheerful, if nothing else. ]

"Anemoneone"? [ That's an odd word, though at least that answers Feferi's question. Pushing through the shrub however is a young woman, so sorry no fellow troll here, just an older woman with an English accent to her name and a glowing device on her chest. ]

Hiya! You oughta be more careful, forest isn't safe for sitting around. --Oh, right, name's Tracer! [ And by the looks of it this younger girl must be new, of course. Her appearance stands out but she's actually talking than you know attacking without warning. ]

I'm here to rescue you! [ Which she says with as much practice that it sounds as normal as a greeting. ]

[ Nope, she doesn't blame him one bit. Being in the middle of a forest with creatures lurking about? All the same she holds up her hands to show she really doesn't mean any harm. Her pulse pistols are safely tucked away and not armed at her teeth in same. Not now anyways, that's a different question if they come across anything. ]

Perfect! Makes my life easier then. [ Her voice is light-hearted, smiling widely until she gestures for him to follow. Trusting enough she doesn't mind turning her back on him. ] We've got a bit of a sticky situation in Oska, making your guys' lives harder by dropping you off here instead of there. So they sent plenty of us to come get you guys.

So if you stick with me, I'll get you back safe and sound! By the way, you got a name, love?

[ Oh! A human! She's first off relieved to see that it's just an otherwise normal human, but then piqued as well... she's never met this one before, and that's unusual. There aren't a whole lot of humans wandering around the dream bubbles... ]

Hello there! It's nice to meet you, I'm Feferi! It doesn't seem dangerous to me, and I have my trident anyway... but rescue me from what?

[ She wants to say you're too late for that I'm already dead, but she's curious now. It's probably obvious, isn't it? You can always tell the dead from the living pretty easily. ]

I am Loki. [ There's a brief pause, as though he's about to say something after, but he bites it back and stops short. ] And you are most welcome company, Tracer. I take it this place is not the sort of test new recruits are meant to encounter?

[ He follows along a few steps behind her, not quite daring to lower his guard--of her, or of the location itself. After all, an angry creature will not care if he's with her or not. ]

[If there's water on her face, it's because of the torrential downpour and not because of any particular wellspring of emotion bubbling up within her. Plenty of surprise, to be certain, mixed with a healthy dose of uncertainty, but he is still more friend than anything else and that above all else is what leads her chin to lower in relief and the lines running through the rest of her body to relax.

Never fear though, Hayate has happiness covered by a long mile, tail tick-tocking furiously back and forth as he squirms happily in Lancer's hands.

Being a dog is so much easier than being a person.]

I could say the same to you.

[By which she means, thanks but no thanks, we both know we look like absolute disasters in the rain. And while rain is hardly a large deterrent to either of them - unlike certain other men she knows - she would still like to get out of it sooner rather than later.]

I take it you haven't managed to find your way out of here?

[Hence, the rock.]

A | ARRIVAL

[ As much as she’s ashamed to admit it, waking up in strange places with no idea how she even got there isn't anything new for Knives Chau (18 years old). After all she's been in college for almost a whole semester now, and just the year before that she spent most of her time hanging out with "cool", somewhat directionless twenty-something musicians/gamers/hipsters/gay dudes/etc who didn't care if an underage Chinese-Canadian teenage girl had a beer or two. Or three. Or even five...

Anyways, the point is that she's got more than enough experience dealing with the consequences of getting Asian Girl drunk.

However, waking up in the middle of a dark, creepy forest filled with scary-ass monsters while getting completely drenched in the rain is a very new experience for her.

The only thing she can assume right now is that this probably a very, very, very BAD situation. ]

OH. [ /insert melodramatic pause #1 ] MY. [ /insert melodramatic pause #2 ] GOD!!!

[ Sorry to any poor sap unfortunate enough to be around her. That scream is loud and shrill enough to break glass. Or make someone's ears ring for days. Or catch the attention of any hunting creatures of the night. ]

W-WHERE AM I? [ She should be in the bathroom of some washed-up hipster’s apartment in Vancouver, hunched over a toilet, not in this creepy place! ] WHAT'S GOING ON??!!

[ And for whoever ends up being the lucky bastard that saves her, don't freak out if she starts throwing up on you. She's not injured, poisoned or anything. She’s just very, very, very DRUNK. ]

B | WILDCARD
[ Go wild, buddy. I'm down for anything and everything! If you'd like to plot something specific, feel free to contact me through PM or

supamaneuvar]

[ A normal human as far as wearing a glowing device on her chest goes! But she gives a friendly smile all the same to Feferi and nods. ]

Feferi! Well, it's nice to meet ya. [ Trident, that's a funny kinda weapon. But hey Reinhardt uses a hammer. Not everyone is a gun kinda gal or guy. ] From here 'course! Oska is where you oughta be, not in this forest here. But the recent batch got dumped here instead so we're a bit on time to get all of you back.

[ Well, it gets her up off the rock, anyway, but she's still looking a little puzzled. No, this doesn't seem right... ]

What is Oska? What do you mean, a recent batch?

[ Her mind immediately goes to her friends. Had Eridan really done it, were they all dead now? But that doesn't make sense, she just can't factor the strange human into it. Maybe if it had been Jade, or that weird one with the glasses, or... some kind of familiar face, she might have understood it. ]

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Page 4 of 15

MINI-EVENT ★ WELCOME/RESCUE PARTY

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Feferi Peixes | OTA

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A!

Re: A!

A!

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knives ♥ ota

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