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

[When it all comes into view, Keith pauses, too-sharp eyes looking over what once was carnage. It likely says so much that he doesn't react so much to the death itself as he does the air. While the other sets of glowing eyes disappear, it almost feels heavier without their presence.]

What happened here? [He voices aloud, voice softening a little behind the slight growl. Even though the numbers are relatively few, there are too many for any of this to be natural. He's seen enough battlefields in his life to know as much, even if it's so old the forest has claimed them.

He glances to Ann with too-violet eyes.] You can let go now, you know. [He sounds calm, but he's terrified and not having a free range of motion because she's still clinging is n o t h e l p i n g.]

[ Finn takes in the scene with a grimace. The events here happened a long time ago, but there are too many bodies for them to not have been collected or picked over. It didn't even seem like animals came this way. ]

Maybe we should go back, get reinforcements. [ His suggestion was more than likely to get brushed away. After all, they were after an Eidolon. No one went into this thinking it'd be easy. But it took a lot more people than this to tame Leviathan and she had been willing to listen. This was different.

But the air- Perhaps it was already too late to turn around. ] But whatever's going on, I think we're getting close. [ Obviously. If the corpses didn't give it away. ]

... Yes, I believe we are.

[Perhaps the others would find their way here. Though they may have separated, it seemed as though they'd been guided this way - or lured. It was curious what sort of conflict may have occurred in this place, but something has settled here since.]

Leviathan? What were you sensing earlier?

Considering we got somethin' like Bahamut lookin' to kill us, I guess it ain't a stretch to figure others got a taste for blood too.

[He set his jaw. Going back for reinforcements sounded smart. But what if more illusions just erase their progress and they're back at square one?]

...What if we've been tested and backin' out means it'll take us out?

[A thought, and he'll try and fire up the iMog network from his tablet. Give him one second. Trying to contact the other groups.]

Hm...

[ She doesn't have all that much yet to add herself. As soon as Area Scan becomes available she'll use it again, even if it means overlapping a lot of the area she's already covered (kinda sucks her range is so short in Vaikuntha). But once that's done, she'll be examining the map in closer detail, keeping an eye out for anything notable or unusual - including in the air above them and possibly underground - and also being lookout for any enemies that might appear ]

[Hair being on end is one thing, but Bonnie is positively floofed up right now. Any more and she's liable to give someone an accidental static shock. The vanishing of the eyes is less than comforting, especially with the increased number of bodies laying about. Her moogle instinct is just about screaming that the owners of the eyes are just hiding now, waiting for the right moment to attack.

But she swallows hard and fights her instincts, at least for the moment. But the way she's clutching her weapon, it's probably best not to touch her at the moment. Even for soothing pettings.]

I ag-gree with K-Kanji. I-if we leave w-we might n-not be able to c-come back.

[Or worse, what if they're punished for their hesitation?]

[Getting backup isn't that bad of an idea. It was enough to get him to pause as he took a couple steps forward. Shoulders square and hunched forward slightly, like a caged lion pacing in metal bars. The way the air hangs around this place; heavy, ominous more so than the plethora of eyes had been. It set his teeth sharp, hair on the back of his neck bristling. It would be so easy to slip back into old habits; to let the dark bitter anger seep through.

He had to be decisive. He had to lead.] We don't know what would be waiting for us if we do. [He looked to his partner then, gaze almost feral yet contained.]Lingering too long in one place will only make us sitting ducks if anything is out there.

[He looks to Necronomicon, deferring to Futaba within it. What he would give for the scanning program Pidge helped to improve in their suits; her own especially. Or Kosmo's nose. He'd left his trusted wolf companion to help look after the house in their absence, and he's been regretting the decision since they entered the treeline.] Do you see anything?

[The vanishing eyes do not reassure Terra in the slightest. The corpses only make it worse. At least no one new has died here for a long time? That's not. Not helpful.

[Terra stays at the back of the pack, looking behind them, which at least means his back is to the relative safety of the group. That's a nice thing about not striking out on his own; he doesn't have to watch his own back. He'll take comfort where he can find it.]

Kanji's message seems to go out without a hitch, but there's no immediate response. Check back soon!

Futaba finds nothing immediately concerning, but many things of interest. The ruined structures are full of things, though they'll require a more personal investigation to identify properly. There's at least one up ahead that seems to be rather full.

Leviathan moves back towards Naoto, seemingly content to resume her vigil. The eyes do not return.

Hmm, damn... maybe we're too far apart. No error message, though.

[Well, that's all he could think of. He tucked away the slate and nodded to Naoto.]

Looks like Leviathan's stopped.

[He paused, looked ahead. Then he sighed, braced, and broke away from the group.]

I'm gonna get closer.

It seems that way...

[Though, Leviathan was also hovering fairly close again. The actual integrity of the structure was questionable... and what might be waiting for them inside it. She looked back towards Futaba, wondering if she picked up on anything.]

Right... Be careful.

[She would be following him anyway.]

They may be preoccupied. [He supplies as an answer. Considering how they were a little on edge all the way here and now dread is settling around them...

Keith takes a deep breath, and his eyes and teeth lose their edge. Just enough to send his own messages to his team before he follows.] Until we hear something, we keep moving. Stay with your partners.

[Maybe his ninja skills will be useful for something other than just pranking Lance for once this month.]

[ Well. That's interesting. ] Looks like there's... a lot of interest in the structures. Can't tell what anything is from here though.

Nothing hostile in the immediate area though. And there's a pretty big one up ahead.

[ Structure, that is. Meanwhile... Keith made the comment about partners so she. Sends down one of Necronomicon's tentacles. It pokes between Keith and Ann's heads gently. Like a curious danger noodle. ]

Here Ann, you can grab this while I'm up here.

[ ... it's possible this may not be the most helpful way of going about this. It's also possible Futaba knows this. ]

[Well, if Futaba had meant to get a reaction, she succeeded. It is barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but he does jump up slightly; a centimeter at most. The sliding away from both Ann and Necronomicon's tentacle before he realizes what it is is far more telling.

What did he get himself into this time?]

[ Finn had been tagging alongside Keith (and Ann, subsequently) when the tentacle came down. He stopped, eyes wide. Aren't there enough weird things today? But he doesn't say it, too grateful that she managed to break the tension. That, plus Keith's reaction-

He follows after Kanji, a hand hiding his smile. You guys totally didn't hear a quiet laugh. ]

[Terra jumps when he catches sight of the tentacle; it takes him a second to realize that it's just Futaba.]

Ah! - Uh. C'mon, Bonnie, let's stay together.

Do we want to spread out to explore more things, or stay in one group?

BWAHH~ [Bonnie lets out a strangled shriek at the sight of the tentacle, having a flashback to Ultros for a moment. She's halfway to Terra already as he encourages her to join him, only realizing it was Futaba all along once she's safely behind him.]

Ah...r-right. Let's go, kupo. Um, we probably shouldn't split, but if we do it should probably be no more than two groups, kupo.

[Maybe they could get by with three but the more they split up the more of a disadvantage they were risking putting themselves at.]

As they approach the largest of the structures, Kanji's slate pings with an answer from Naomi. Oops.

Within the walls is a veritable armoury - rusted swords and spears and shields lay against the walls and litter the ground. There doesn't seem to be a forge nearby, so this might have been a storehouse? There are certainly a few crates about to suggest so and...

Is that a treasure chest?

[See, he was smart and had his set to vibrate because no system in the multiverse ever had nice sounds for notification. But with the little bzzt-bzzt, he gave his messages a brief check and frowned. Oh. A wyvern. Well, shit. At least he knew his message reached the others.

He could only hope they'd check in whenever they had the opportunity.

Time to take a look in here. Swords, spears, shields... oh, a storage place! Too bad these weapons can't be used anymore. He worked at a weapons shop for months now... he could tell a lost cause when he saw one.]

Oh. Awesome! Hold on, I think I got some picks in my bag...!

[Sending a questioning look Kanji's way when he checked his iMog, she caught the frown and didn't ask what was going on. Nothing good was the simple answer... but now, they might have their own situation.]

[Various weapons again were scattered around - it seemed like a horde to her. How strange.]

[Even stranger had to be that lone chest.]

Hold on, Kanji-kun... Futaba-san, can you see if that chest is real or not?

[ Finn does spy the chest but doesn't really comment about it. Something attacked these people, that was for sure, but it was just as likely that they had a few good things left behind.

Meanwhile, he takes a look around, noting the weapons left on the ground. ] Looks like that battle started in a hurry unless we're not the first people to come back here. [ That... just makes him edgier. ]

[ Futaba's thinking along the same lines as Naoto, and is pleased to hear her say it aloud. ]

Oh yeah, the whole 'mimic treasure chest' thing is a fantasy RPG staple.

[ Now that she's close enough she'll do one more Area Scan of the building they're in, focusing her interest on that treasure chest. Was it real, or a decoy....?

As she work, she replies to Finn, almost abentmindedly. ]

Could be a little of column A, little of column B...

[Bonnie's happiness at the sight of the chest drops out as soon as she hears Naoto and Futaba's assessments. She slows her excited fluttering to a halt just out of potential snapping range of the chest.

Change of plans, she readies her spear, ready to give it a nice strong poke if need be, either to hurt it or to block it from biting Kanji if it goes that way.]

I have your back, kupo~

Or could have been something that they weren't prepared for at all. [Keith adds, frowning.] Did anyone even see places where a weapon hit the armor those skeletons were wearing?

[It was a shot in the dark, with how old the armor was. Yet it still needed to be said.]

What's an RPG? [Terra is only sort of paying attention to either question or answer, too busy staying with Bonnie and looking around for threats. Other than the box.]

There were monsters that looked like treasure chests back home. They were always big, fancy ones.

[The paranoia is contagious.]

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futaba sakura is a menace

she really is and have fun with this blackmail I GUESS...

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