epidemiology | [BOUNTY] you've goat another thing coming

Entry tags:

[BOUNTY] you've goat another thing coming

CHARACTERS: Lance (

ceruleo), Keith (

secondnature) and Aizawa (

eyedrop)
DATE: some nebulous point after arriving in Hanabira
WARNINGS: none at present.
SUMMARY: 2 dps + 1 "healer", no tank....pray 4 them

[ A 'troupe' of ogres, the natives had said, as if this was a bunch of circus performers. Lance isn't exactly looking forward to this, but you know what? He'll 100% take fighting brutish ogres over lady ninjas any day. After heading out from the farm in the morning, they made their way up the wooded mountainside, dappled sunlight guiding the way. Now it's late afternoon, the sun not setting yet but a finger's length from the horizon if Lance holds out his hand. Ogres are largely night-time creatures, the farmers said, but Lance isn't so sure he trusts that. Every snapped twig and birdcall puts them all on edge; even Lance has been largely quiet during their hike. (It's okay, he'll complain on the way down.)

They know they're close to their target because the number of cracked rocks and broken trees increases exponentially. There are smears of blood on the mossy ground, some goat hair caught on shrubs, and more gruesomely, some goat parts--a torn leg, a hoof, a head. All of it leads to one place The cavern's mouth is entirely in shadow, a black hole in the mountainside. They stop at a distance to observe, voices low. ]

Looks like this is our stop, huh?

[ They hadn't exactly discussed a 'plan of attack' beyond 'get in, kill the ogres, get out', but Lance isn't entirely satisfied with that. Nothing in his arsenal of skills is suited to 'go in and do as much damage as possible'. ]

Should one of us go in first?

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[This whole situation is odd. One, he has no idea who this Aizawa guy is. Oh, he got his name, but that he knows Lance? The newcomers being here all at once is really overwhelming for Keith. And then there's the part where he's not sure if he should be taking point and calling the shots. Does Lance expect him to be the leader here? What would help is if he voiced any of these worries.

Which means that he didn't. Why would he?]

I can go in first. [This offer likely comes as no surprise to Lance.

But he then follows it up:] Since we don't have any bait, I'm probably the fastest one. They won't catch me.

[ In stark contrast to the boys' nervous energy, Aizawa looks like he's on the verge of falling asleep. He slouches his way behind the two of them, his face half-submerged in the thick wrap of his scarf. He's got his thumbs hooked on the sash of his kimono, his eyes half-lidded, his movements languid--but still keeping pace.

He glances at Keith, making a noncommittal 'hm' noise in his throat. He's not going to challenge Keith's claim; rather, he'd like to see for himself where each of their talents lie. ]

Sure. I'll watch your backs.

[ He knows a little bit about Lance, and from that knows also a little bit about Keith also, though it's not much overall. He expects he's about to learn plenty, though. ]

[ He considers Keith's words, look back at the cave entrance, thinks. ]

No, we've got bait. Sort of.

[ He pulls down the collar of his black Paladin bpdysuit, which he wears beneath the loose cotton jackets the locals prefer; so doing he exposes the Hathaway implant that shines a soft blue against his throat. ]

My power is like, healing with my voice. I can probably talk 'em out...so they'll be calmer out here and you guys can— [ he makes a 'one-two punch' gesture ] —do your thing.

[ He looks back at Keith, mouth taut. For some reason, he feels no deference towards Aizawa, just a kind of confidence that whatever they decide, Aizawa will go on with. Maybe it's because the guy seems so unflappable. ]

But. We should all agree on the plan, so...if you think you're the best guy for the job, I trust you. I can always hop up and get some shots in. [ In a tree, he means. Regardless of what the plan is, he's letting Keith have the final say: they might not be completely on the same, but Lance's gaze is firm. ]

[There is a moment there in which Keith lingers on the tattoo on Lance's throat for a little too long. He almost doesn't catch the words that follow. Almost. He swallows, directing his attention to those words, and listens.

Tattoo interlude aside, Keith is desperately out of practice with his leader voice. It's been a while. His message about the taraxa hosts was entirely in text. This is different. He'll stand up to it, though.]

You have a point, [he says, a few beats of silence as he does what really amounts to "Keith-style math" in his head. Lance provided a step to the plan that he hadn't considered: how to get the ogre out there. Fighting in a dark cave is less than a good idea.] Lure it out. Once you hear it moving, you go take up your post. Aizawa and I will handle the front lines.

[ Aizawa happens to be an extremely perceptive man.

He observes the dynamic between these two with some curiosity, as a result. Outwardly, though, he just shrugs. ]

No problem.

[ He takes a (hunched, weary) position near the mouth of the cave, though he's not directly within line of sight--he's huddled up just to the left, his body partially obscured by the outcroppings of rock. ]

Whenever you're ready.

[ Lance lets Keith fall into position as he, slowly and with a light step, makes his way to the cave. The sun is at his back, but none of it seems to reach beyond a few steps into the darkness.

The first thing that hits him is the smell: it's warm and humid and rank, piss and blood and bestial sweat. Keeping one hand on his bayard, he puts the other over his mouth and nose. From behind his fingers, he manages: ]

Hello...? Oh, ogres...where are you, ogres?

[ He can feel the very slight hum of the implant coming alive...just beyond that, however, in the darkness, he hears a rumble. ]

Ahaha, anybody home...? Why did I volunteer for this...

[ His laughter is nervous. He stays rooted in place as giant shapes come lumbering towards him. They're bigger than man-size, a muddy red and hair all over, horned with apelike faces full of big teeth. Some have tusks, and (very deeply traumatizing) visuals confirm those are the boys. Some are wearing crude hacks of bloody goat skin around their shoulders; one, the biggest male, has a massive stone club. Their fists are the size of Lance's head.

They stop a few feet away, a group of four hulking brutes. The biggest one stares Lance down; they all seem a bit bleary, like they've been woken up. Daytime was the right time to strike after all, it seems. They grunt curiously, like bears. One of them yawns, and one of them makes a grumpy growl. ]

Hey, guys...more with the friendly and less with the eating, yeah?

[ Lance takes a step back, and the ogres take a step forward. One step back, one step forward. Lance keeps murmuring softly, hands up as if to protect himself. It works though...until they reach sunlight.

As soon as the setting sun glares into the ogres' dinner-plate eyes, the spell shatters. The biggest one roars, stomping one giant foot, club coming up wildly. ]

Aaaaaah—

[ Lance is booking it to the tree line. ]

Edited (bloo text) 2018-01-16 06:29 (UTC)

[Maybe ... Lance should have gone in with a little more protection. Keith sits while he listens, looking oddly calm for someone waiting to ambush some ugly ogres on their way out of a nap. Or full day's sleep. Either way. His arm flexes to hold his knife in a specific position at his side, ready to strike at the ankle of the nearest ogre (and to put them off balance should Lance struggle in getting away).

It's only as Lance comes running out and in the direction of the tree that he grabs for the magitek around his neck, fingers wrapping tight around it as he draws upon his focus. In a fight, there's little that can break what Keith is paying attention to, so fortifying it all the more is a sign to him that he can win. (Besides, rampaging is something he'd opposed to—patience yields focus, so he'll take the extra help.)

With his eyes somewhat brighter than they were before, like he's more fully aware of the different intricacies of their sloppily-developed battlefield, he looks over to Aizawa.]

Let's get moving.

[ Aizawa, too, went for focus over rampaging; his trinket, a bracelet inlaid with onyx gems, gleams darkly as he calls on this ability. He stays where he is for just a second, though, waiting for Lance to beeline past. The ogres follow in his wake, and that's when Aizawa makes his move: he leaps down from the top of a nearby tree (how did he get up there? when did he get up there?), loosing the scarf around his neck as he comes crashing down.

He tosses multiple strands of the scarf as though it's some kind of whip, wrapping up the first ogre to come into his line of sight. The big brute groans, flailing, struggling to lift his arm and club his way out of the situation--but he's locked in tight, near totally immobilized.

Aizawa jerks his head at the ogre coming up right behind, even as he's tossing the big guy up into the air. ]

Take care of his friend.

[ He barrels past Aizawa's perch, narrowly missing the club's downswing before taking a running leap at a tree. He barely sees the other man move; he's in a state of high alert, focused on just getting up where he can get a clear shot.

He catches the lowest branch, swinging himself up and over with the ease of practice. After scaling so many sheer, slippery Galra ships to find the perfect alcove, a tree feels breezy in comparison. Settling himself in, the red bayard comes flaring to life, scope at the ready. The ogre Aizawa has immobilized it suddenly airborne, giving Lance just enough time to line up and--boom, right in the clubbing shoulder. Big guy goes down ass over teakettle on the hard ground. ]

[Meanwhile, Keith gets to work, his Marmora blade extending to its fullest length. He usually doesn't keep it that way, but these ogres aren't the usual fare of "easy to knock out" bad guys. He needs both his agility, strength, and his blade to ensure they come out on top.

While he doesn't climb a tree, it's obvious he's using their positioning to his advantage. He moves swiftly, aware of precisely where they are when he needs to propel himself off of them, right before his blade hits the underside of the ogre's jaw, knocking it back. It stumbles before ultimately not falling, but Keith keeps at it, delivering a series of blows to the recently asleep creature until it's knocked flat on its back.

He pants and looks behind him, waiting for further strikes.]

[ Aizawa looks back at Lance, a big grin breaking over his usually dour face. He turns that same look on Keith, too. ]

Nice work.

[ As good as his students, he thinks. A few more ogres remain, and they seem more agitated than before--angered, perhaps, by the fact that the big guy is presently down for the count. Aizawa leaps beside Keith, more cloth spinning wildly from his hands; he controls the individual strands with unearthly precision, like a spider with a web. Two more ogres get snapped up in it, lifted, thrown, and crushed hard to the ground. ]

Just a little more.

[ Lance would probably blush from the praise if he was at all focused on Aizawa, but he's not. All he can see is his crosshairs, all he can hear is the rush of blood in his ears. He has to admit though, that scarf is pretty cool.

The more aggressive ogres are harder targets, arms waving and feet stomping. Aizawa takes two down; one turns to Keith's back, but before it can bring down those meaty fists Lance breathes in, breathes out—he shoots the ground right in the few handspans between it and Keith. With a cry, it jerks and stumbles back, giving Keith the opening.

Lance lets his shoulders relax a bit...is that all of them? ]

[The moment Lance takes the shot, Keith is quick to act, sweeping in thanks to instincts and experience in working as a melee fighter with someone else. He knocks down the final ogre, kicking it once for good measure, before he straightens up. He's clearly listening for more. There are probably more out there, aren't there?

Keith's lips twist downward.]

That ... feels like it was too easy. I'm not the only one thinking that, right?

[ Aizawa stands over the unconscious ogres, shrugging. He unravels his scarf, whomping their big bodies against the ground once more as he does so--for good measure--and then starts to wrap it back around his neck. ]

Well, we still need to get the goats.

[ Meaning, he assumes, that they'll need to actually delve into the cave. ]

[ Still sitting astride the branch, Lance dispels his bayard but doesn't make a move to come down just yet. ]

Go back in there? All the way in there? [ Gulp. ] What if all the goats already got eaten?

[ That means they can just turn back, right? ]

You already went in alone once. You can take the rear. We'll take point. [There's a hint of impatience to his voice, like he doesn't want to point out that Lance is being ridiculous because he's already pointed out that Lance has been ridiculous in the past too much recently.]

It's better if you do that anyway. [Keith doesn't explain, hoping Lance will take the ... good meaning instead of the bad.]

[ Aizawa nods in agreement. ]

You're the one with the gun. Best to stay in the back.

[ He can sense a little bit of the undercurrents flowing here, but it's not really his place to comment. So, for now, he's just going to focus on getting the job done--which means he's already heading back to the mouth of the cave. ]

Okay, okay. For the record— [ He lets a little bit of that testiness seep into his voice as he swings his leg up and over and lets himself fall, landing in an easy crouch. ] —it really reeks in there.

[ Straightening out, he examines them both; it's a futile effort, since they're both covered up. ]

Neither of you are like, hurting, right? I think I can heal you some before we go in.

[ It's 'numbing' more than healing, but whatever. Quibbles! ]

And you didn't say that sooner? [There's some surprise in his voice about that. Lance left out irrelevant information to the fight at hand. Of course, Keith probably also sounds judgmental. On accident. He didn't mean it, but sometimes he just ... fails ... at communicating ...]

Anyway, I'm fine. Nothing I haven't dealt with before. [A few aches and pains are par for the course. Truthfully, Keith probably likes it. He associates it with the rush and adrenaline of fighting. He's not really going to complain.]

Not a big deal.

[ Both to reeking caves and any question of injury. Aizawa rolls his shoulder. If he's in any pain, it doesn't show--and he's certainly not going to mention it, regardless.

He's walking ahead, still, and pauses just before the cave's dark mouth. Fetid air does indeed swirl out from the entrance, but he looks unperturbed. ]

No time to waste.

Uh, I did—

[ He wants to argue with Keith some more--seriously, what part of 'my power is healing with my voice' was unclear?! He totally disclosed all relevant info! But Aizawa's no-nonsense tone shuts him up.

Hefting his bayard, he falls into position behind them; his nose wrinkles when the smell reaches him. Seriously, yuck. ]

After you guys...

I was talking about the smell ... [Keith says this in an exasperated tone. It's hard for these two to let up, especially since Aizawa isn't Shiroing enough for the both of them. Still, there is some exasperation, but not ... anger. Or agitation. Or anything overtly negative, like they know the way they are.

Keith changes his grip on his knife, and then he proceeds to step inside, eyes pointed forward.

The smell ... is pretty gross, but whatever. His lips twist downward as he steps carefully, because that gross smell can only mean gross things to step on.]

[ Aizawa is pretty inured to bickering. Part and parcel of his job, after all. He's not inclined to intervene unless it becomes an active detriment to the mission, and the two boys are still moving.

The unpleasant scent only thickens as they press on. A sordid mix of dung, old blood, greasy viscera. It's stomach churning, but Aizawa's not losing focus. He can hear heavy footsteps, clomping just around the corner. Wood dragging against stone.

He pulls on his scarf, and mutters. ]

Watch yourselves.

I was being chased by ogres!

[ It's said in a stage-whisper, hissed through gritted teeth because he can't stand to open his mouth. Lance's hands are like a vise around his gun, tempted to let go just so he can put one back over his mouth and nose.

Aizawa's cue makes him focus sharply though, shoulders straight as his blaster comes up, at the ready. The footsteps are like thunder. ]

[Keith draws his knife in close. Something that heavy footed means that what's just around the bend isn't anything good. Goats aren't that big. Ogres are.]

I'll scout it out, [he says (the bickering can come back later), knowing that he has to say what he's doing before he does it. He assumes Aizawa will be there next. Assumes. It feels like a safe assumption right now.

He steps forward carefully, right as the ogre makes a sound, announcing its presence. It's definitely mad, well aware that its ... comrades have been lured out. It bodily hurls itself at Keith, who rolls out of the way. It's too dark to well, but he definitely rolled into something gross.

But there's no time for that. It's action time.]

[ Aizawa looses his capture weapon, throwing it 'round the big ogre's midsection. They're in close quarters here, pressed by the jagged cave walls, by the sheer fleshy size of their opponent, by the intensifying smells of butchery and rot. He grits his teeth, throwing the ogre back, slamming him up against a stalagmite. ]

Shoot its legs.

[ Almost like instinct, he responds to that decisive tone by lifting the muzzle of his bayard. It's hard to breathe with the stench in the air, but his aim is aided by the sheer size of those kneecaps. It hobbles back to its feet, gearing up to swing—

Boom. Boom. One kneecap goes; the other shot pierces through the flesh of one thick calf. The massive creature screams as dark blood slides over its feet and its legs give out beneath it. ]

Keith!

[ 'Finish the job', he doesn't need to say. ]

[Thankfully, the focus from earlier allows Keith to really bypass the growing recognition of what, precisely, is on him now. His movements are swift as he slams his knife right in at a weak point, pushing it down into the ogre's flesh. It lets out a harsh cry and—for a moment—seems like it might recover.

And then it doesn't.

He draws his knife back, wiping the blood off on his clothes.]

The goats should be this way. [He tilts his head to indicate that "this way" is deeper in, though the more they move, the more it's clear that it's not much further.]

Edited 2018-01-29 20:18 (UTC)

[ No use crying over spilled monster. Aizawa does frown a little at the corpse, but it's a fleeting expression, gone in an instant, and then they're back to the job.

He draws his scarf back, and moves forward. As Keith predicted, the goats aren't far--they're being kept in a crude pen, half naturally formed of stalagmites and half hastily constructed wooden spikes. They're skittish, and scatter as the three strangers approach, pressing themselves back against the wall.

Aizawa glances at Lance. ]

That's your cue.

[ Lance doesn't look at the corpse. It's almost the size of the warden of Beta Traz, and ten times as smelly.

He frowns when they spot the goats, bleating miserably as they huddle back. His experience is with cows, sure, but that doesn't mean he likes seeing any animals so obviously frightened. Clearing his throat, he approaches the pen, letting himself inside. The Hathaway implant flares to life, casting him in blue light. ]

Hey, little guys. It's okay, sshh. You're safe now...

[ It's not healing, exactly--at least, not yet. It's just numbing. But it seems to quell the goats' fear, at least, or maybe just quells whatever aches they have from being roughly treated and kept in the dark. Either way, they're up and bounding to him.

A bit alarmed, he turns to Keith and Aizawa, making a lasso motion with his hands, because his voice is occupied.

One of them did bring a rope, right? ]

[For a few seconds there, Keith doesn't get it. The goats continue bounding toward their savior, calmer than they were before. And Keith ... Keith just watches, like Lance isn't making a motion.

And then he gets it.

He looks at Aizawa—or, more importantly, his scarf.]

I think we might have to use that. Unless you have something better.

[No, Keith didn't bring a rope.]

I got it.

[ He exhibits very fine control of the scarf. It's a versatile weapon, really--sometimes used to inflict damage, sometimes solely as a restraint. There's something a little supernatural about how he uses it, but a close eye would recognize it as simply very refined technique. The scarf seems to whip out from his neck like a fan, lashing around each goat's neck, like so many leashes. The goats bleat in confusion as they're stopped in their tracks: the scarf is significantly stronger than it looks, and they can't push against it without hurting themselves.

Aizawa moves behind them, holding the other end of the scarf with both hands, looking like a very disheveled shepherd. ]

Now it's my turn to take the back.

[ Thank goodness ONE OF THEM isn't totally useless???

Lance guides the goats like the Pied Piper himself, blabbering gently about how things are all right now and they'll be safe soon. It doesn't seem to matter what he says exactly, so long as the power is active, but it certainly seems to function better when there's some kind of meaning behind the magic.

Once they're out of the cave, it's easy to slip past the prone bodies of the other ogres, though the goats' heightened alarm means he has to keep talking.

Hopefully neither Keith nor Aizawa were too attached to the quiet. ]

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[BOUNTY] you've goat another thing coming

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