melodiesofeternity | The Heroes of Light vs. The Sakura Forest (round 1)

The Heroes of Light vs. The Sakura Forest (round 1)

Who: Everyone who signed up!
When: October 10
Where: The Sakura forest
What: There's supposed to be an Eidolon here! Lets go find it!
Warnings/Notes: it's October and there are supposedly mimics in here.

This morning is damp and foggy, lingering swaths of mist a testament to the rapid changes in temperature that always seem a hallmark of the fall season. The sunlight is still too new to burn it away, and the world seems hazy and lavender.

It would be beautiful, if it wasn’t so eerie. Perhaps it’s simply the morning chill, but skin prickling up to gooseflesh seems to be a common occurrence amongst the gathered crowd, and Castor herself, standing at the head and sorting people into teams, is not immune to this.

Behind her stands the southwestern edge of the Sakura forest. The fog within seems particularly dense, and as it diffuses the morning light, the forest seems almost otherworldly; a glimpse at something fey and unknowable and eternal. It’s likewise eerily quiet; even accounting for the fog smothering all but the closest noise, there are no audible signs of life from within the forest’s boundaries.

If the hair on the back of your neck is slowly raising, you’re probably not alone in that, either.

“Alright!” Castor calls, once she’s finished organizing people, “That should be the lot’ve ye! We don’t know what all’s about in there, and I’ve had word that the local wildlife has been ornery of late, so keep yer wits about ye, and stay close te your mates!

“I’ve given each of ye a handful of ribbon…” she pauses to hold up a handful of her own, a cheery red that somehow looks ominous in this atmosphere. “A colour te each team! Use ‘em to mark yer way in; I don’t want te have te go fishin’ fer lost souls when all’s said and done, and if ye find somethin’ ye’ll leave an easy way back.

“I’d advise ye sort someone te keep an eye on the Slates. Twelve willin’ they work more’n ten fulms into the wood, stay in touch best ye can over the network. And don’t hesitate te turn back if ye feel things’re goin’ poorly fer you an’ yours. I’d rather ye come back alive and emptyhanded.”

Here she pauses again, seeming to count something out on her fingers. “I think that’s the last of what I’ve got te say. Try and be back ‘fore sundown, yeah?”

[ooc: And go! I will be endeavouring to reply to each party at least ONCE daily, regardless of who’s posted in the meantime (we’ll see how it goes)!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Finn hadn't met Keith yet, but he had a feeling he was about to get to know the guy. He figured Naoto and Kanji were sure to pair up. ] Partners? [ His grin at Keith is a little awkward but welcoming all the same.

But before they can get too ahead of themselves- ] Naoto, what signs should we be on the lookout for? Anything special we should notice? [ She was a Summoner, after all. ]

[Keith doesn't smile back (not that it could be seen well if he did; Ninja and all), but he does nod. He isn't the most openly friendly of the bunch, but there is a bit of warmth in his blue-violet gaze.] Partners. [He pockets one bit of yellow ribbon in his pocket; he saw the look Pidge gave it when they were handing out the different colors, and he made a note of it.]

Alright. If we get separated, keep communication channels open. We may not be able to communicate with the outside, but short range may still work.

[~~Or Futaba's scanning ability will pick them up once the danger is passed.~~ Huh. It's almost like he's gone through a similar situation before. Still, he looks to Naoto as well; quietly seconding the question Finn posed. His boyfriend had only recently picked up the asterisk, so he couldn't help as much. He has a feeling Naoto's more experienced than that, though.]

It grows dark quickly within the borders of the forest; the direction this party heads in seems to lead through a particularly dense tract of land. The visibility is decent, but not optimal, and you find yourselves needing to step carefully to avoid forest debris, and the cracks anad crunches of footfalls seem alarmingly loud in the gloom.

As it grows dark, so too does it grow chilly, as if no sunlight reached this place. The observant among you might notice the occasional stone cairn , not far off the sides of their path, as though to mark their way. They don't look like natural formations but are otherwise unremarkable. The very observant among you might notice a pair of yellow eyes...

Right back at'cha, Ann.

[ If you don't think Futaba is already sitting in Necronomicon's cockpit - thus meaning that the whole party in general is being trailed by a small ufo - well. Think again. Because she is. And boy does it feel good to be back in her comfort zone. Her specialty. ]

Just a heads up that so long as you guys don't go too far away I should be able to keep track of you, too. Noooow, let's see what we can find-

[ A few buttons pressed, and cue an Area Scan of the nearby environment. ]

[Okay okay, pumping the brakes. This could be far different from simply finding and stepping into a temple plopped in the middle of a major city. When the forest grew dark and cold, the latter of which wasn't a factor when the boy was a walking furnace most days and he was glad for the reprieve in rather toasty (sometimes stifling) armor. But the darkness and the chill also eased him to a far quieter, less energetic demeanor. Game time. Serious time. Let's rock.

As Futaba went on with the scan, he felt the hairs prickling at the back of his neck. So accustomed to being the target of a hard stare or three, Kanji's eyes snapped immediately to the yellows.]

...Shit. We're bein' followed.

[His voice was hushed, but he couldn't help the small grin. He welcomed it. The hammer slid off his shoulder as he remained locked on. One foot slid outward slowly, lowering his center of gravity. But for now, he kept the rage at bay. A patient berserker was an effective berserker.]

[That's everyone covered then; which happened to be perfect since the forest was growing darker, colder... immediately reminding her of the presence of those lost souls. By habit, she shuffled a bit closer to Kanji. Between him and Leviathan's calming words, she avoided panicking.]

... If those who can recall when Leviathan appeared, the air will become dense, thickened by their aura and magical power. Depending on the Eidolon themselves, the environment will change as well such as cooler air and frost when we faced Shiva, or heat and sporadic flames in Ifrit's domain.

[She knew some among them hadn't been there when the water eidolon had been awakened, but she hoped her explanation was clear enough. Eyes forward, but narrowed in the gloom, Futaba's scan would be most helpful right now. She had taken note of the stone cairn that they seemed to be passing... however, Kanji noticed first they were being followed. At his side, she had a hand on her holster, waiting.]

...

[Since he can't recall, having been found in the wave of new arrivals after they found Leviathan, he listens carefully to Naoto's words. While, inwardly, cursing that his own custom job remained incomplete. It would be a few more days at best before it would be done.

Keith sees that pair of yellow eyes at their 8 o'clock as well. Suddenly he's glad Shiro isn't with them right now; bad enough he's reminded of the nightmares he had when all he had were hints and doubts of who- what he is.]

Stay calm. If it really is something, then panicking will only play into its hands.

[And yet, his grip on the strange knife in his right hand tightens. Keith lets out a quiet sigh as he closes his eyes; he tries to pick up any sounds beyond the chatter and their footsteps. He senses nothing.]

Futaba, do you see anything?

[ Oh, Finn definitely remembers Leviathan. The problem then was that they were all caught unawares. At least things weren't so bleak this time, even if they don't have the numbers.

But he can't help but notice the change in environment...

Finn's preoccupied with wondering if the odd stone structures may be leading them somewhere when Kanji takes everyone's attention away. Could be an Eidolon, native beast, or something else entirely... He slowly and quietly takes his gun from the holster, thankful that Keith is willing to take this calmly, and glances around without turning away in the hopes that this thing doesn't hunt in packs. ]

[Terra follows suit, gently sliding his sword from its sheath. He's gotten much more comfortable at that over the past months. He takes up a position on the opposite side of the group from Kanji, the better to avoid being flanked and taken by surprise. He doesn't see anything himself, but he trusts his teammates.]

One thing, or many?

[Bonnie nods as she listens to Naoto's explanation. It's nothing new to her but she appreciates that someone is taking charge and making sure everyone knows what to respect. Still though, they had water for Leviathan, and Ice and Fire are pretty self explanatory. But which Eidolon goes with a forest like this?]

Do we have any guess of what to expect, kupo? Do we know which Eidolon we're after?

[She keeps glancing back at Futaba's UFO, just a little intimidated by the larger flying object that twinges her prey instincts, but she keeps reminding herself it's an ally. So when a potential foe IS called out she's actually ready instead of spooked, hushing up and steeling herself.

With a group like this, her ninja training may be good, but dragoon would be better. Better to work with Terra as a partner rather than strike out to the edges in a place like this. She readies her spear and flutters up next to him, keeping to his shield side.]

Futaba's area scan turns up nothing of note. No life forms beyond what one might expect in a forest and no treasure chests hidden in the brush.

And certainly nothing where those yellow eyes peer out at them from the gloom.

They're hard to focus on, seeming to shift into the periphery no matter how hard one tries to look, and...Oh that's a second pair, identical to the first and just as hard to focus on. Those assembled who'd ever encountered a shadow of themselves might be finding the eerie golden gaze a mite familiar.

[Kanji grit his teeth. The smell of a sauna, the heat and sweat wouldn't be long to refresh in his head and his nostrils.]

L-let's keep goin'. Might be tryin'a get us confused.

[But he was just as quick to snap:]

...Which is a one-way ticket to gettin' his shit kicked in again!

[You hear that, possible-but-not-really-because-why Shadow!? He's kicked your ass twice, he can do it again and accept the fuck out of you.]

[ Okay that's.... honestly frustrating. So either it's a hallucination, realistic enough to send her fight or flight sense tingling, or it's... something the likes of which she's never encountered before. ]

My scan's not picking up any signals in the immediate area. Not saying we should let our guard down, but... whatever we're seeing doesn't seem to be real.

[ She thinks. ]

It could be something out of our range messing with us, maybe.

[While he said to remain calm, Keith's finding he's having a little trouble with doing so himself. That he can't keep a good visual on whatever it is (it can't be Galra; he's the only one he's heard of here that wasn't in a memory, but god does it look like it from the glances he keeps seeing) irritates him. Keith pauses as Kanji snaps, gaze turning toward him. He's done his best to keep his own fear pushed down, but it's starting to show in his face. Specifically: his eyes. Despite the low light, or perhaps because of it, his pupils shrink into catlike slits; the whites of his eyes glowing a pale yellow.]

Then we keep moving. [He says, tying a ribbon on a nearby branch and trying to push the thought from his head.

It's not real. He can't hear anything beyond them and Futaba isn't sensing anything, either. It's not real.]

I'm not sure which Eidolon might be here. However...

[Her voice trailed. Considering the fog and the eyes, it's familiar... too familiar. It would be wise not to linger on it, and better to ignore it if it began trying to make itself an issue. Removing her hand from her holster, she continued walking forward, her eyes looking towards Leviathan. Her accompaniment - or her ability to summon while in her other asterisk - gave her a different sort of comfort. She wasn't Yamato maybe, but it was almost like them.]

... Let's just remain on guard. There's still more forest to cover.

[If this illusion was a shield of some kind... was there an Eidolon that could cast illusions?]

Edited 2018-10-14 05:42 (UTC)

[ Finn wasn't convinced that the thing wasn't there. Perhaps it had no physical form but that meant very little back home and even less so here. He could see it. He could feel its gaze. It was real enough.

But they also had to keep moving. Whatever this was, they didn't need to be pinned down. ] I'll watch our six. [ Futaba clearly had them covered visually, but a second layer of defense never hurt. He lets the others pass before slowly following along, still watching the yellow eyes. ]

I'll stay with you.

[Terra hangs back with Finn, blade ready. Those golden eyes... Futaba would probably be able to detect Heartless, they aren't exactly subtle, but what if she wasn't? Fighting them wouldn't be easy without a Keyblade, but maybe if he really needed it...]

[Bonnie shivers in fear from the eyes peering at them. She's had her own experience with Shadows, even if they weren't her own, and they were such frightening things she was happy to just leave the experience a world behind.]

K-kupo, I will too...

[She stays with Terra as he moves, not quite willing to give up her chosen shield, especially now. She doesn't cling onto him but she's just as close as she peers around his shoulder and back over her own as she keeps her eyes on the forest.]

As the party moves, the eyes follow, never growing closer but likewise never falling behind. They simply follow. And multiply. Within a half hour of travel, those two pairs of eyes have become dozens, all standing in silent witness to the group walking through the gloom. It's grown darker and the fog denser and even the trees themselves have taken a more sinister appearance - all of them gnarled and dark and leafless. Branches intercept the path like arms reaching for the travelers, and the path itself is like to trip someone not paying attenion.

And the eyes keep staring.

One of you might trip, actually, and not over a root or poor terrain. One of you might trip over something thin and brittle, that clanks softly as it's jostled. It's a clank of long rusted armour, and that brittle thing that tripped you - the thing wearing this long rusted armour - is absolutely a skeleton.

[Remain on guard. Buddy system. The sheer nerves he could practically smell from the group. With the eyes steadily burning, mocking, Kanji wasn't sure if it was his Berserker Asterisk or his own short fuse that had him make what might be the first mistake since the expedition began.

There was a damn good chance they were being led in circles, or were moving headlong into a trap. Whatever the case, he knew he hated being stared at, and it was always because something felt like it was better than you.

Kanji's eyes grew steely, his jaw sore from being taut. Unblinkingly, he stooped and grabbed up a fist-sized stone. Let's see if these sets of eyes keep staring after getting a blunt object hurled at it. Conclusion from Futaba seemed to be that this was all bullshit. May as well physically make a point of it.]

If it's whatever's out there just screwin' with us, how do we know if we're goin' forward or not?

[And that would be when somebody might trip over the skeleton or discover it. Kanji's not on the ball when it comes to observing today.]

[Keith has been studious with tying off small bits of ribbon in periodic spacing; measured, trying to use it to keep sane. He keeps glancing back to Finn in order to keep an eye on his partner. It's... difficult, fighting back that feeling of being watched.

He's used to it. The judgmental stares. That doesn't mean it still doesn't get under his skin when it doesn't avert after so long, though. As they progress, it grows steadily worse. The mantra of it not being real only helps so much when the "eyes" multiply, and he's still not picking up any movement other than their own. The fact that the woods almost seem to die around them doesn't help either. It feels unnatural. That this part of the forest shouldn't be this way.

A lot of this shouldn't be the way it seems, but he keeps pushing onward. Shooting a glare at Kanji as he heard him throw a rock.]

That's what the ribbons were for, [he almost-growls out.] Been tying 'em at the same height, and I haven't felt any with my fingers-

[That's when his boot hits something that dully clangs. He pauses, eyes widening as far too catlike eyes glance down-]

...

[Oh, just an armored skeleton. No big deal. A startled noise escapes him as he jumps back. Keith's gaze focuses on the skeleton he nearly tripped over.]

What- happened here?

[He looks around after a moment, trying to spot if anything else is out of the ordinary.]

W-Whoa!

[ keith isn't the only one who lets out a startled noise. in fact, ann's is louder than his–so loud that maybe nobody will even hear his. ann is not good in scary situations. ann clings to the nearest person, whoever that may be.

and sorry, to whoever that is. ]

[Terra doesn't dare take his eyes fully off the yellow eyes to see what's happened, but he steals a glance ahead at Keith and Ann. They don't seem to have been attacked...]

What is it?

[He's half-expecting a Shadow to manifest in the middle of the group, and then what will they do? He focuses on breathing evenly. Fear leads to darkness, and darkness lures the Heartless.]

[Keith shoots a quick glance at Ann- who is now clinging to him. It's a good thing he looked; he's waaay too keyed up right now thanks to what's been going on so far. It's like a switch gets flipped in his head as he goes from fear to anger. Not directed at anyone in particular, but-]

Armored skeleton. Guys, look around; see if you notice anything else.

[He's just. Going to keep it within his sights and knife at the ready. In case it decides to get up and start shambling.]

[It's about the time the fog began to thicken and the eyes persisted that Naoto wished she had her glasses. Not that they would do anything, but they might. It felt like that sort of situation. Still, Futaba couldn't detect them before and now there was a armored skeleton corpse in the ground...]

[... Were they just more ghosts then?]

[She suppressed a shudder, eyes glancing around. By her ear, Leviathan let out a faint hiss. This was reminding her of something...]

... Bodies under the cherry blossoms?

[She really hoped that wasn't the case.]

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hhhh sorry for the late guys

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