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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

PvE

[ Of course getting transferred (again) isn't as simple as crashing in by a nice Oska festival, kitchens churning out a feast. No, when Lancer gets rifted back to this neck of the multiverse, it's raining. So much rain. His bangs cling miserably to his forehead and thunder growls overhead as something else grumbles nearby, slithering about the underbrush. A welcome party featuring: ...just monsters, probably. Not that he could expect anything different, his life being what it is.

So after sharing a choice obscenity with the sky, he flicks water out of his eyes, assessing. He'd like to indulge in hunting, but having his main magical crutch chopped means it's time for caution. Coolheadedness. And making use of his oh-so-capable teammates, some of which are here expressly for a gallant rescue. Being sensible is dull, but he accepts his fate with minimal bitching. One entire groan later, ]

Hey. I hate to ask— [ he isn't sorry to be an inconvenience so much as a bore, but details. he waves towards the nearest beast. ] Y'mind taking care of... whatever that is?

[ Truly a damsel in distress. One that's too busy crossing his arms and cocking a hip to pull out a weapon (if he's got one at all). All that said, Lancer's unruffled by the swarm of crystalline wasps (or a mutated, spiky incarnation of hopelessness that spits acid and misery, or whatever monster of the week it is—). Instead, he perks up, grinning. ] I'm sure you can handle it.

[ Just watch the odd dimensional pothole or two. Or many. Actually—whole, broad swatches of the sky seem to flicker in and out of this reality, distorting with some other time.

A sign of bigger issues, maybe, but not getting eaten is priority numero uno. ]

WILDCARD

[ leave me a blank comment/any preferences and i'll write you a starter! or hit me up with your own prompt, i'm game for anything c: ]

[go nuts, i have no prefs. you can even have the dog if you want.]

[Lancer's bland expression was familiar enough, met by an equally bland expression. Its owner, a goliath of bad taste in clothing, was adorned in a tight red leather ensemble which looked more appropriate for a B-movie villain from the 1980s. He hiked a brow, just as wet and irritated as the servant of the lance.

Ban set his eyes on said creature, elevating a brow before regarding Lancer, again.]

As if you need help~.

Edited 2016-09-11 17:59 (UTC)

[ It's easy enough to get lost in the woods, the smell of mud clogging up the air and burying any footprints. And the last three times he's tried to leap to a higher vantage point's ended up with random pockets of reality spitting brimstone at him, so. Time for a different approach.

Wherever Riza's wandering about, she'll get a new companion: a small, flat stone with a runic engraving zips through the fallen leaves. It skates this way and that in quick, twitchy movements before jittering to a stop.

Then it suddenly zooms to Hayate, weaving between his stubby dog legs to get his (or Riza's) attention, as quick and animated as a mouse. It's probably the world's friendliest pet rock. ]

[Hey now, his dog legs aren't that stubby anymore. He's grown a few inches, gone from slightly pudgy puppy to something more resembling the noble and majestic adult dog he's meant to be. Of course, just because his body is bigger doesn't mean his doggie mind has expanded by much, and the sudden introduction of an animated rock between his feet has him leaping and pawing around in an attempt to identify this new object.

By some miracle - or perhaps a very kind gesture from a mysterious friend - he manages to entrap the rock underneath one paw, at which point he starts barking loudly and excitably, tail swishing back and forth as his nose catches onto a thin thread of familiar scent. All the noise is just enough to draw Riza's attention away from the small cuttlefish-slash-fox sliming up a nearby rock (disgusting) and towards her wayward dog, who's managed to pick up the rock between his teeth. He's quick to trot over and drop it into Riza's outstretched hand before starting up a second wave of loud, happy barks.

Hopefully Lancer doesn't mind drool getting all over his runes.]

A. [Okay so what's the deal this time? It's hard enough to navigate through the forest without a guide. Julius is proceeding with extra caution because it would be foolish to go in blindly. Upon discovering something he stops momentarily so he can examine it in further detail. There's a set of footsteps indicating that he's not alone. ]

Who's there? Look, it's not safe to be out in the forest alone.

[Julius speaks with a sense of urgency, but he also tries to lower his voice in an attempt to not draw so much attention. He's used to dealing with mission transfers and this isn't anything different from before. Except now the situation isn't exactly favorable towards them. Whoever's nearby better be an ally! ]

I saw an unfamiliar creature earlier and I'm almost certain it's not here to be friends. For now, we should retreat and save the talking for later. Sound good?

B. [Some of these new recruits have been stuck in the forest for a few hours...which is completely unsurprising. Julius just wants to gather some herbs that contain medical properties. He's no expect at this, sure. Even so, the forest itself is filled with resources and Julius plans to make use of it. It's not completely hopeless yet. He doesn't want to give up when there's something he can do still. ]

This plant should help stop bleeding and throbbing pains. I'll take some with me just in case. [The sky turns darker than before and it starts to concern him. Instead of gathering more plants he decides to run towards a dry location. ]

Damn, the storm won't let up. How long do you think this will go on for? [Hopefully not forever. That would be unfortunate for everyone here involved. ]

C. WILDCARD OPTION? IT'S A WILD CARD
[Do whatever you like , i'll roll. ]

Edited 2016-09-11 19:11 (UTC)

[ No worries bro, your bad skintight decisions will find no judgment here.

But, eh—this is what he gets for not actually being a newbie. There are people around that can actually call him on his shit. Still, Lancer doesn't seem to rush to fish out his spear from the magical aether. ]

Hey now, I'm givin' you a chance to show off.

[ The creature—a quilled, yellow cuttlefish with tentacles that seem to be... moray eels—swims through the air like water. Oska's weird indigenous wildlife was something else. Lancer watches it out of the corner of his eye, but spends most of his effort huffing at Ban. ] You can be the hero today.

[Stomping around in the dark and rain in hostile territory wasn't Motochika's idea of a relaxing time, but he wasn't going to turn down a request to help find misplaced recruits, either. It just wasn't the sort of thing he could ignore easily.

It probably would have been more satisfying to show up as a confident ALASTAIR member with the whole situation under control, instead of basically stumbling across one of the people he was supposed to be helping, but he'd take it. Better than not finding anyone in this mess, that was for sure.]

Your rescue party, though it looks like you got a handle on the situation. There was a problem gettin' you here, got sent out to lend a hand.

[He pauses a moment, listening to the forest around them, trying to hear past the storm for threats. There were things lurking out there, for sure.]

Yeah, that's a good idea. We can get into the details later, when somethin's less likely to eat us.

[At the top of the list of Things Riza Hawkeye Would Like Never to See: the slow collapse leading to the end of a world, mountains and valleys all caving into each other as dark clouds swathe across the sky. Chaos takes point no matter where she walks, and despite the careful eye she keeps, she misses sight of a particularly nasty bit of cliff collapsing, sending debris and a particularly large boulder plummeting her away until moments before impact.

Someone else doesn't though, and something warm and living barrels into her before the boulder can, sending her tumbling to the ground in a heap. It takes a moment for her to catch her breath, but when she does,her gratitude dies on her lips as soon as a crackle of lightning lights up her rescuer's face.]

—Captain?

[Is he also just a fragment of this twisted alternate reality?]

[ It's been a while, and Oska was never much more than a pitstop when he was around last. So naturally, he turns a wrong corner. But after a tiny hitch in his step, he keeps going—when he wanders to the viewing hall, it's purposeful.

Except nothing seems to hold his attention for long. His attention flits between a dozen different screens as he wrings out his ponytail of rainwater, heedless of the muddy footsteps in his wake.

What he does notice is that he's got company. He pauses a couple steps short of reaching her, dipping into easy conversation. ]

Anything good?

[ Maybe she's found a fun channel. ]

[Vaguely recalling Lancer's 'issue', Ban snorted at the request. The creature itself looked as if it were eager to drag one of them off, unimpeded by the fact that it was out-numbered.]

Who'd be impressed by someone killing something this ugly looking~?

[He had a weapon on him but made no move to take it. Instead, Ban smiled and looked at the creature, directly. Murderous pressure rose up from him in an absent-minded gesture to crush its spirit and make it run. Coming from Ban, it was overwhelming.]

Get going or I'll kill ya'.

Edited 2016-09-11 20:06 (UTC)

Then let's move. [Good. They seem to be on the same page. Julius nods in approval. Motochika looks like a reliable person. He managed to survive for this long after all. ]

By the way, thanks for coming out here to get us. My name's Julius Visconti. What's yours? [Quick introductions are in order. He doesn't exactly want to be rude to someone he just met no matter what circumstance they happen to be in. ]

Lieutenant Hawkeye? [It feels like it's been months since he's seen her. Julius is suddenly relieved knowing she's alive and well.]

Is that really you? [Only Riza would still call him Captain even after he told her not to!]

My apologies. I was transferred to another mission abruptly and so I haven't had an opportunity to contact you. [Whoa, it looks like it's really her. He better salute and give respect while it's due. Honestly, Julius hasn't changed much since they last met. He's happy to see her all the same.]

Are you alright?

[ do u need some magic lil man. ]

[She only barely registers his words, too busy searching his face for proof that he is, in fact, real and alive and not another illusion. But illusions aren't warm and solid, like his forearm under her hand.

He's back.

She snaps back the salute out of habit, a smile spreading on her face despite the severity of the situation.]

It's good to see you back, sir. Things have changed quite a bit since you've been gone.

[But there'll be time for explanations later. For now, she straightens, glancing around.]

We need to get you back to Oska first.

[ She answers in a distracted way, watching wind tease at the banners of what looks like a well-kept, multi-story bath house across a red-railed bridge. It's close to sunset, and she's leaning forward, not quite touching the 'mirror' she's watching so intently. ]

I don't know. I think it is for spirits...

[ She's trying to better understand why, and she thinks she has it, but it's then that she registers someone had asked and she'd just answered out loud.

Chihiro jerks back, straightening up and whirling to look at Lancer. ]

Oh! Ah, hello? ... You didn't just come from the hot springs, did you.

option a | halfway house, lost kitten in the street

[Peridot's life is a series of unfortunate situations, and this moment is probably one of the most unfortunate yet. Here she was, just enjoying at evening at the barn, contemplating her latest morps when suddenly, out of nowhere, she ends up in this... horrible wooded area crawling with horrific monstrosities that look like fusion experiments with Earth animals. Yikes.

Since she has no metal on her and there doesn't seem to be any metal in the forest, she's a bit at a disadvantage, and it's hard to get your bearings when all these horrible things keep coming at her, which is why she keeps getting chased up trees. She's up one right now, actually, hissing uselessly at a creepy weirdly hollow gorilla or some swan-spider hybrid or whatever the hell monstrosity has tried to make dinner out of her.

Save her.]

option b | walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain

[rain can't hurt you. that's what steven told her, and she believed him, and while the rain has not actually harmed her, being out in it this long is making her miserable. she can't really catch a cold and her appearance modifiers aren't retaining water like a normal person's clothes would, but the sensation of being this soaked through is awful and she doesn't like it.

which is why, once she's finally been convinced to follow someone to this so-called "castle," so she can have some ACTUAL ANSWERS, she proceeds to bitch the whole way.]

Stupid, miserable planet. How come when I actually wanted to leave the Earth, I couldn't get anyone to come and get me, but now that I'm happy on Earth, I get picked up on complete accident. [she makes a weird growling sound. one of many weird sounds she's probably made on this journey.] And why is it still raining? Is it ever going to stop?

Edited 2016-09-12 00:00 (UTC)

ARRIVAL.

[ So, this is an unexpected turn of events.

Shiro's initial mild summation of his current predicament soon gives way to a few other observations: he's in an unfamiliar forest, caught in a storm, and he isn't immediately certain of how to get to safety. If safety is within walking distance, though Shiro figures he'll be able to find shelter if he keeps moving. The rain has plastered his white forelock to his forehead, and Shiro pushes it up and back as he picks his way over the tangled roots and moss-covered forest floor. His prosthetic casts a bright purple glow as Shiro holds his hand up. It's not an ideal flashlight substitute, but Shiro's going to make do.

There's three deep scratches in his side that Shiro's doing his level best to ignore. He'll need to stop to attempt to treat them at some point, but right now he has no supplies and he's still caught in the rain. The wound will have to wait.

It makes sense that he's not alone out here, but he still jumps when he hears the rustle of bushes accompanied by a cracking twig. He spins, immediately defensive as his prosthetic hand flattens into a blade ]

Who's there?

[ Hopefully not Galra. Please let it be friendlies. ]

WILDCARD.

[ do whatever, i'm down to ride. alternately, hit me up @ kanyeshrug to request something specific. ]

[ Trudging through the forest sucks, this sucks, but he'd been promised a reward, so he threw on his ALASTAIR coat and grabbed his shock baton. Which is actually not the best weapon to use when it's raining cats and dogs. In fact, none of him is good for when it's raining, he's having to tuck his whole cybernetic hand into his pocket avoid a repeat of the last time he went through a storm. It was worse than this storm, to be fair, but he wants to avoid any slight chance of having a limp, dangling metal arm again. His eye's the only part of his cybernetics he's still using, simply to find his way around, and it's glowing an eery sort of blue when Shiro notices him. ]

Hey. [ He holds his hand up like Shiro's a spooked horse or something; it's dumb, but he still hasn't learned a proper response for someone pulling a blade on him besides, "Please don't kill me!!!!" ...If there even is one. ] Back off, I know jiu-jitsu, so— [ Halfway through this sentence, his eye focuses on Shiro's face and he sighs in relief, the blue glow finally fading for now. His hand falls back down to his side. ] Oh, man, I am so glad it's you. I don't know jiu-jitsu.

[ The berkana rune has probably suffered more than a little drool in its life, this is fine. In fact, it's still and patient until Hayate's through playing courier.

Then the stone hops, skimming in an excited circle around Riza's palm like a bug on water. It skips to the ground with a life of its own, bouncing off Hayate's back and zooming forward. If rocks could talk (and it can't, let's not get ridiculous), it'd be a sprightly 'follow me.'

...Which would probably work better if it weren't headed toward a whole lump of cuttle-fox. ]

[What on earth.....

As far as strange things go, a moving rock hardly tops the list. But as far as things with a clear intent go, it's got more purpose than anything else here. Off they go then, with Hayate bounding ahead in the lead and Riza following reluctantly behind, if only because the ground ahead is covered with a thick layer of slime.

Really, couldn't the rock have been more considerate?

Turns out the slime is the least of their worries; once dog and woman are within two feet of the things, they all spin in her direction to hiss sharply. One even scuttles forward to bare a surprisingly sharp set of teeth at her. Great.

She looks up at the great wide nothing.]

You couldn't have picked a different direction?

[Truly an image of someone in deep distress, over a gaggle of what look like landed cuttlefish with frogs' legs. Now, Haise does eye these creatures, but they appear to be doing nothing but leveling vacant stares on the man. While a little disturbing to look upon, he can't see them as anything but harmless otherwise]

They seem pretty taken with you.

[At least, their attention is riveted on the man. Haise does pay attention to them, kept within the periphery of his vision as he looks at the new recruit, or rather...

He's quite sure that he's seen this recruit before]

I'm sorry if you don't recall this and it sounds odd, but... Weren't you on Nalawi?

[Haise has the good fortune of possessing sharper senses than some of his fellow recruits. He picks up on scent before he actually sees his new associate, though it's muddled by so many bizarre creatures along the way. Weaving between dark, spindly trees, he eventually comes within sight of one wayward recruit.

Before he can say anything, however, his new associate is already speaking. It seems that he's taken stock of the situation easily enough and his assessment isn't wrong, so far as Haise is concerned.

He nods, then, keeping solid grip on his sword-like quinque]

Yes, I think you're right.

[It'd be preferable to avoid altercations. Killing these odd creatures where it may not be necessary is something Haise would be keen to avoid]

Castle's a ways off, but we'll get there eventually if we head back the way I came.

[He gestures back off into the darkened forest.]

No problem. Couldn't just leave people stranded out here. I'm Motochika Chosokabe.

( considering the mess of the timeswap, Graham actually appreciates the distraction of a rescue mission. it's a lot to consider, the uncomfortable realization that the man he'd been before the curse isn't one he wants to be now. so instead of processing, it's just better to do something. right? okay. maybe not. but he'll have to think about it later, because as always, when he has work to do, trying to understand a mire of distant emotions is pushed to the wayside.

he is here to rescue, so when he finds the small green creature hissing from her perch in a tree, he has to guess that's one of the new, soon-to-be recruits they are intended to save. so he does do his best to try and distract the creature after her, a bizarre spider-swan? that's new. an arrow slices through a wing, and the thing squawks in complaint, baring teeth and turning in his direction instead. did swan have teeth, or was that a spider thing? or a new thing all together? what a mess... )

I'm here to help. ( just in case Peridot thinks she's fallen out of the frying pan and into the fire. Brother bounds up and howls, and the monstrosity seems a little lost in how to react. ) The wolf is with me. ( also an important addition, considering the wood was full of bizarre creatures. ) Can you see any weak spots from up there?

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Page 1 of 15

MINI-EVENT ★ WELCOME/RESCUE PARTY

lancer - ota, mostly wildcards

i'm here for a wildcard

PvE

of course, dog is mandatory

ah i'm glad we're on the same page there then

julius - ota

no subject

A

wildcard; i'm gonna godmode julius a bit, lmk if it's not okay

closed - back in oska

no subject

no subject

idc do what you like man

wildcard me nu

yeah!! goes wild

no subject

peridot } ota

shiro | ota + wildcard.

BACKFLIPS INTO FIRST PLACE

no subject

no subject

pve

A

no subject

a!