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

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.]

[ As her scan is doing its thing ]

I've already tried explaining memes and shipping to you people. Hard pass.

[ Calling not it. ]

Edited 2018-11-03 07:45 (UTC)

... [Keith sighs. Really. Are we going to leave this to the meme novice?

Fiiiine.]

Role Playing Game. You pick a role you normally aren't in real life and play it out, whether it's an electronic or board game. [A pause, and he shrugs.] ...Preferred first person shooters myself.

[And then he points at Necronomicon (and thus, Futaba).] Don't tell Lance.

[If only he knew...]

It doesn't have to be a mimic.

[Maybe Futaba would understand...? Or... maybe... not? Either way, Naoto glances over at Terra, then looks at Keith, and... decides to make a small addendum.]

You don't always pick your role in an RPG either. Most of the popular ones typically make the main character a sword user and the rest of the party will be filled by another character for physical damage, then a spellcaster for magical damage, and finally, a healer.

I'd... say more, but perhaps we continue this conversation another time?

[She's already embarrassed to add that much.]

[Whoa, all this video game talk. He wasn't much for video games himself, not like Yosuke-senpai, but it wasn't much of a surprise to hear an answer as well as an addendum from Naoto.

He chuckled. He put a hand to the side of his mouth as if to mask his volume, but the whisper was theatrical regardless.]

Y'know, we're all kinda dorky here, Naoto. I could talk for an hour about crafting. But unlike me, you're still pretty damn cool at the end of the day.

[He stood up taller and cracked his knuckles.]

Okay, so the chest might eat me. Whatever. Let's keep goin' and maybe I'll give the chest the old-fashioned Berserker Special on our way back. We're burnin' daylight.

Futaba's scan doesn't even have a chance to finish, nor does Kanji have a chance to move away before the chest springs open in a whirlwind of gnashing teeth and screeches. The mimic makes a beeline for the blond, trying to chomp at his leg. From the pile of rubble, two more similar boxes begin to stir.

There's an echo of laughter in the distance.

[CHOMP.]

FffffffFUUUCK-

[His eyes burn yellow as he goes from zero to Berserk, his thoughts bleeding from clear to red as he slammed a fist into the offending, chowing mimic. He lingered for just a second before he grasped the rim of the mouth in both hands and began to forcibly pry open that maw.

Two choices: He makes the destruction quick if it lets go of its own accord, or he retrieves his chewed up limb and dismantles the thing piece by piece.]

Edited 2018-11-04 21:37 (UTC)

[Naoto winced slightly when - sure enough - the chest was a mimic. And shaking her head at the shifting rubble behind it, she'll put the sound of laughter on the back burner while she draws her gun.]

[Kanji in his Berserk mode has actually pried open a good target for her as she unleashes Trigger Happy havoc into its mouth. At her shoulder, Leviathan swirls and blasts the same target with a small Tidal Splash.]

[ The others may be preoccupied with the thing latched onto Kanji's leg, but for Futaba, her scan completes, and she notices movement elsewhere in the room. Crap. crap. ]

Guys, there's two more of them! figures

[ And then she hits some buttons, using a Moral Support to heal at least some of the damage being done to Kanji's leg. ]

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futaba sakura is a menace

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

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