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

[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. ]

[The moment he hears movement, his gaze snaps over and he's already in motion. This many people in a storeroom... Shit. Shiiit.] Quiznack-! [Right. English. Probably more useful right now.]

We need to get to more open space! If there's more of them, we'll need the room to maneuver.

[Yet he still rushes over to Kanji's side, sticking his luxite knife into its maw and prying it open near the hinges.] Go!

[ Finn was still very confused about RPGs and first-person shooters but now wasn't the time. He put himself between the rest of the group and the movement against the wall, using his Flamethrower on the rubble. Hopefully, they backed down from the fire. That, or he just got the first lick. ]

Get him out! I'll hold the other two off!

[ Seriously, though, Kanji. This is the second time. Walking target much? ]

So it's a ga- [Oh crap they were right! Maybe too right. This is more being correct than Terra enjoys.]

Not alone, you won't!

[Turning to face the movement behind the group, he brings his sword to a guard position and activates Rampart. A little more defense for everyone can't hurt.]

With combined efforts, the Mimic is successfully pried off of Kanji's leg - it didn't deal too much damage, but there's definitely blood and it stings badly. The Mimic is thrown away by the others, but it's only down for a second before it's lunging again at whoever's closest.

The other two emerge from the rubble around then, one racing towards Finn and his flamethrower, disregarding that it has begun to catch fire, and the other dives at Terra.

[His leg freed, burning from the wounds and stoking the flames of that berserk, Kanji was making a beeline, hammer raised to pound the Mimic into paste for its transgression.

The decision was made: He'll tear this thing apart, piece by piece, until it was magic and kindling. He hadn't noticed the other two yet, but gods forbid...]

Unfortunately, we have to wait for Kanji-kun to get out of his berserk state...!

[And considering Keith had leapt forward to help pry the fake chest off, the mimic had shifted targets to him now. Naoto would take the opportunity to reload her ammunition and take Aim since she now had to get past the two of them.]

Will we?

[Because there's one thing he likes to do, and he does it well enough. Especially since he just learned Throw. He sees that beeline, and he waits for the mimic to get close before he dodges to the right and grabs it by a handle. With both hands.

He lifts (oh god, why- he's going to feel this in the morning) it by the handle, and yeets the mimic over their heads and toward the door.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

... I rolled a 20. I can't believe this is my life, now.