EVENT ★ LABYRINTH II

[futurologists]

DEEPER Following the marked path near the lake leads Audentes (and George) further into the maze, closer to the goal found at the center. Some other inmates (including Zymandis agent Mavahari) and correctional officers follow along, having picked up on the organized manner of Audentes and figuring it’s their best bet on getting out of here alive. Unlike the dry stone and sand in the outer ring of the maze, this next section is overflowing with flora. Jungle vines cling to the walls to the point where seeing the stone underneath is a difficult task; trees sprout from between cracked tiles, bearing alien-looking fruit; branches and brambles cross certain parts of the maze, and will need to be hacked through unless you want to find another way around. Water is more plentiful now as well, since obviously the plants need it to flourish. For the first time since setting foot in the labyrinth, a rain begins to fall, drizzling and gentle. This can be a respite or an annoyance, depending on how you look at it: while it’s soothing and can make collection of fresh, clean water easier, walking around in wet clothes is probably not that pleasant. Your fellow ALASTAIR recruit George has inexplicably struck up a friendship with the Zymandis agent Mavahari, and they can often be found exploring the maze together, with Mavahari helping him due to his broken arm. They seem to be getting along well enough, but maybe checking in with George is in order. Otherwise, survival is the name of the game; though the center of the labyrinth is closer, it’s impossible to tell how close, and how long to expect to be here. Collecting water is simple enough, but food is growing scarce. The tree fruits may be a good solution, but it seems as though some have unfortunate reactions to them, ranging from stomach cramps to rashes to fever and temporary blindness. But an allergic reaction may just be the least of your worries. LOVE ME LIKE A REPTILE The monsters seen so infrequently in the outer ring of the maze are now a common nuisance. Giant insects and rats scurry about, hungry for whatever flesh they can find, but they’re easily defeated, particularly if encountered as a group. But with new terrain comes new, adaptive animals, and the labyrinth is no different. Lizards are now the main threat: enormous and camouflaged, they stalk their prey and take their time, looking for the perfect opportunity to ambush. The lizards are three-headed, with each head containing fangs dripping with venom, capable of rendering its victims paralyzed within five seconds flat. Their blood is also poisonous, capable of burning through metal, not to mention flesh. If a head is severed, the lizard will retreat back into the jungle, presumably to nurse its wounds but possibly to grow another head -- no lizard will ever be encountered with less than three heads, so it’s possible they have regenerative abilities. The best way to defeat one is to remove all three heads at once, or simply kill it in whatever way possible. The lizards are quick and mean, but not invincible. Now more than ever, it’s important to take care in exploring the maze. Stray too far from the group or try to make it alone, and you might not survive. OOC NOTES Once again, we have a plotting post here and search requests for the next ring of the maze. Please note: during the labyrinth event, all drops are ICly delayed. What this means is that characters who drop will be handwaved to still be around on auto-pilot until connection with Oska is resumed, at which point they will be transferred to a different team as usual. If you have any questions about the labyrinth that aren't answered here, please direct them to the Leramzen dossier. If you have questions for any NPCs, please direct them there as well! Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ and you may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Comments

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[Heh.]

You drive a hard bargain, pumpkin spice. [He wiggles the gun a little closer to her, but it's still out of reach.

Long arms. They may not look human enough for his liking anymore, but they still come in handy.]

Charger first.

[slapfight]

Fine. [She pulls the bag off her back and rests it on top of his head for a second, twirling her fingers to remove the necessary metal components and allow them to float in front of her in her magnetic field. Once she's gotten them all together, she begins working, letting the parts she doesn't need continue to hover.

She's getting quite good at this.] Annd... Done! [She leans back a bit so she can try to get a better look at him.] You should probably use it while in rest mode. It won't carry as much of a charge if you're active while using it.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[He can't feel it in this form, but Mettaton hears the little "poff" of her dropping her bag into his hair. He pouts, close to chastising her, but

...okay, it's cute. She gets a pass.

That and it's fascinating watching her work. It's like watching Alphys fiddle with the parts of his body she hadn't yet finished, or parts that would never end up in the final project. He's so busy watching her, he just barely manages to look back down in time to miss a tree root that would have had the two of them eating mud for dinner.

He pirouettes out of its way, which was a completely necessary gesture, before continuing on. By the time she's finished (...which, really, was only about the time it took him to take three more steps past their potential death), Mettaton twists his neck at an unnatural angle to get a look at her work.]

Noted. [He sounds impressed because he is.

He drops the offered gun into her magnetic field. Done deal.]

[slapfight]

[She snatches up her extra tools out of midair, stuffs them in the bag, and grabs the gun in a surprisingly fluid series of gestures considering how clumsy she is normally. Magnetic fields make even the least coordinated gems extremely elegant.

That done, she hugs the gun to her chest like it's a teddy bear.]

Ahhh. I've missed having blast cannons around... Dropping improbably large pieces of metal on my enemies is satisfying, but it's always nice to go back to the basics.