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AWAKENING
Who: Everyone
When: Midnight, July 7th
Where: Green Valley School
What: It is time
Earlier that day, the Navigators' message echo in the minds of Awakened and soon-to-be-Awakened alike.They are being hunted and they need to come together if they are to survive. They must get to the school at all costs...
Perhaps some might think back to horror movies, but for those who chose not to follow the warnings, a feeling of dread will begin to overtake them as the sun goes down until finally they hear an echoing annoyed sigh inside their head.
Seriously, this is not the time to kid around! You want others around you to die? Get going!
If they still chose not to go, they'll quickly find that their muscles are forced to act on their own and they make their way to the school as well with only an hour to spare. The target, a corridor in a wing of the school, is one of many and mostly empty at this time of year. Only a few people move between groups, casting a few confused whispers but ignoring them for the most part.
The phone's countdown continues to tick until the next day. It appears that Luci is still working on getting the network free of whatever is causing this problem for them in the first place, so all they have is the ability to speak to each other telepathically with the help of the Navigators...but perhaps they won't realize that the Navigators can hear everything that they think...and sometimes some thoughts might just leak out...
Whatever's causing this, they'll quickly realize once night falls that we're here. You guys better be prepared...this is it, lambs. Live free or die hard."
It's going to be a long hour inside the corridor.
At exactly 24 hours left to spare on their phone's countdown, all of the lights in the school go out. Anyone who is not Awakened becomes stone statues, unmoving, while the area around them begins to shift and change. The windows shrink to sizes impossible for a human to pass through, cracking as dark mist fills the area around them.
If they walk into the mist, they'll quickly find that they reappear at the end of the corridor, essentially stuck in a loop in a particular area of the school.
They move fast. Looks like they've already trapped you in here...
There’s a terrifying sound of scuttling feet, of a thousand legs moving in the corridors, in the pipes, in the walls and in the ground, as the tiles part like water before they rise above it. In this state, the world doesn't seem to play by the rules, and without the application to give them data, it's impossible to see what's going on...at least until the Shadows reveal themselves.
They look like giant rats, nearly half the size of a full grown human, they are unlike anything they fought before.
As their eyes glow in the dark, mist pours from their bodies constantly, causing the area around them to shift and move . The wallpaper begins to move, the portraits on the walls become corpses, and the lockers begin to grow metal teeth, attempting to pull them inside. The ceiling rises until it's impossible to see. If they are pulled in, they will find themselves thrown out in another part of the corridor, from the ceiling to the ground, or out of a portrait into the other wall - anything to give them significant damage. The school is like a giant, living entity that wants them to die...
Awakened will find themselves in their changed clothes, their magical skills and Persona at their fingertips once more.
However, the Shadows’ targets seem to be the Navigators first...Awakened or not, it does not seem to matter. The Shadows will not ignore Combatants should they chose to fight them, but the rats move towards the Navigators and school's lockers will try to grab them to keep them inside. It seems whatever is after them wishes to destroy the only advantage the group has in battle.
When the Shadows speak, they echo together.
And the Combatants will soon learn how difficult it is to fight these pests.
[OOC: For this prompt, the Awakened will have access to their skills, and the Unawakened will need to be helped out. Additional notes can be found in the OOC part below]
Even the Awakened can't continue this fight alone. They've already had many of their numbers disappear lately...they need reinforcements. With the Shadows giving them so much trouble, help is needed.
And so, a voice echoes inside the Combatants. Their hearts begin to glow, and the rats hiss backwards from the light. A voice will echo inside of their head...
The Navigators, on the other hand...their inner voice is softer. There is knowledge, and they'll need to stay calm if they are to control this chaotic battlefield.
The shadow rats scream together in anger.
The beasts' forms become more chaotic - additional legs on some rats, larger heads and tails on others, gigantic teeth on some, and they begin to match the pattern of the corridor - there's no guessing at what they can do.
Good thing you've got a few of you who can help out with that…
You've only got one shot at this! If you get it angry enough, it will show us its true form instead of this vermin bullshit!
Luci doesn't sound happy.
When: Midnight, July 7th
Where: Green Valley School
What: It is time
THE CURTAIN FALLS
Earlier that day, the Navigators' message echo in the minds of Awakened and soon-to-be-Awakened alike.They are being hunted and they need to come together if they are to survive. They must get to the school at all costs...
Perhaps some might think back to horror movies, but for those who chose not to follow the warnings, a feeling of dread will begin to overtake them as the sun goes down until finally they hear an echoing annoyed sigh inside their head.
Seriously, this is not the time to kid around! You want others around you to die? Get going!
If they still chose not to go, they'll quickly find that their muscles are forced to act on their own and they make their way to the school as well with only an hour to spare. The target, a corridor in a wing of the school, is one of many and mostly empty at this time of year. Only a few people move between groups, casting a few confused whispers but ignoring them for the most part.
The phone's countdown continues to tick until the next day. It appears that Luci is still working on getting the network free of whatever is causing this problem for them in the first place, so all they have is the ability to speak to each other telepathically with the help of the Navigators...but perhaps they won't realize that the Navigators can hear everything that they think...and sometimes some thoughts might just leak out...
Whatever's causing this, they'll quickly realize once night falls that we're here. You guys better be prepared...this is it, lambs. Live free or die hard."
It's going to be a long hour inside the corridor.
THE SHADOWS RISE
At exactly 24 hours left to spare on their phone's countdown, all of the lights in the school go out. Anyone who is not Awakened becomes stone statues, unmoving, while the area around them begins to shift and change. The windows shrink to sizes impossible for a human to pass through, cracking as dark mist fills the area around them.
If they walk into the mist, they'll quickly find that they reappear at the end of the corridor, essentially stuck in a loop in a particular area of the school.
They move fast. Looks like they've already trapped you in here...
There’s a terrifying sound of scuttling feet, of a thousand legs moving in the corridors, in the pipes, in the walls and in the ground, as the tiles part like water before they rise above it. In this state, the world doesn't seem to play by the rules, and without the application to give them data, it's impossible to see what's going on...at least until the Shadows reveal themselves.
They look like giant rats, nearly half the size of a full grown human, they are unlike anything they fought before.
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I ̧s͢ee ͡you. ̡Í ͢see ̢y͞ơu̕ a̧l̛l̷...̢h̡eh ̵he͞h͠ H͘AHA҉H̨AHA̵HAHA!̨
As their eyes glow in the dark, mist pours from their bodies constantly, causing the area around them to shift and move . The wallpaper begins to move, the portraits on the walls become corpses, and the lockers begin to grow metal teeth, attempting to pull them inside. The ceiling rises until it's impossible to see. If they are pulled in, they will find themselves thrown out in another part of the corridor, from the ceiling to the ground, or out of a portrait into the other wall - anything to give them significant damage. The school is like a giant, living entity that wants them to die...
Awakened will find themselves in their changed clothes, their magical skills and Persona at their fingertips once more.
However, the Shadows’ targets seem to be the Navigators first...Awakened or not, it does not seem to matter. The Shadows will not ignore Combatants should they chose to fight them, but the rats move towards the Navigators and school's lockers will try to grab them to keep them inside. It seems whatever is after them wishes to destroy the only advantage the group has in battle.
When the Shadows speak, they echo together.
W͏h̸y fi̶gh̵t̸?̴ ͡I͢gno͟r̵ąnce͏ i͠s͢ b̷lis̨s.̷.͞.͝so͏o̶n ̶de̢at͝h w͘ill͝ e̶n͏ve͞l͏ope̕ ̶you͘.̸ Do̡ņ'̕t ͘str̵u̢ģg̨l҉e̡.
And the Combatants will soon learn how difficult it is to fight these pests.
[OOC: For this prompt, the Awakened will have access to their skills, and the Unawakened will need to be helped out. Additional notes can be found in the OOC part below]
AWAKENING
Even the Awakened can't continue this fight alone. They've already had many of their numbers disappear lately...they need reinforcements. With the Shadows giving them so much trouble, help is needed.
And so, a voice echoes inside the Combatants. Their hearts begin to glow, and the rats hiss backwards from the light. A voice will echo inside of their head...
The time is now. I am thou, thou art I! Your mind is trapped, but I can set your soul free! My other self, will you die, or fight back?
Accept me for who I am! Forge this contract by letting go of your fears! Revolt against this world, and TEAR OUT YOUR HEART!
Accept me for who I am! Forge this contract by letting go of your fears! Revolt against this world, and TEAR OUT YOUR HEART!
The Navigators, on the other hand...their inner voice is softer. There is knowledge, and they'll need to stay calm if they are to control this chaotic battlefield.
The time is now. I am thou, thou art I! Your mind is trapped, but I can set your soul free! My other self, your soul already knows part the truth.
My other self, shall we show them what it means to cross us? Let us finish forging this contract by letting go of your fears! Revolt against this world, and TEAR OUT YOUR HEART!
My other self, shall we show them what it means to cross us? Let us finish forging this contract by letting go of your fears! Revolt against this world, and TEAR OUT YOUR HEART!
The shadow rats scream together in anger.
No! NO NO NO NO ! You're not supposed to Awaken! Stay asleep! You aren't
supposed to awaken! STOP IT! STOP THEM! K̢I͏L͡L!͜ CR̨US̡H҉! ͘D͘ESTR̛OY͘!
supposed to awaken! STOP IT! STOP THEM! K̢I͏L͡L!͜ CR̨US̡H҉! ͘D͘ESTR̛OY͘!
The beasts' forms become more chaotic - additional legs on some rats, larger heads and tails on others, gigantic teeth on some, and they begin to match the pattern of the corridor - there's no guessing at what they can do.
Good thing you've got a few of you who can help out with that…
You've only got one shot at this! If you get it angry enough, it will show us its true form instead of this vermin bullshit!
Luci doesn't sound happy.
OOC
Everyone is able to speak to each together thanks to the Navigator's telepathic abilities (but always keep in mind that any Navigator can hear you even if you try to speak to just someone else).
For now, characters can only use single spells. The boss battle will unlock the teaming up skills.
The lockers that grab a character will throw them out as mentioned in the prompts and will additionally deal DARK damage and may confuse users, causing them to see other users as the enemy. They will need to be healed by any of the dispell spells to cure them.
The Rat Shadows only have 1 HP and attack with physical spells which can poison about 1/4 times (or more if you want to poison your character), HOWEVER they will be constantly going from Fire, Ice, Wind, Electrical, Nuclear, Psy, Dark, Light, Physical and Gun in that order, and switch constantly as to not be hit.
Only Navigators will know when the time to hit them is correct for your character, so make sure to aid them as much as possible! Navigators have also been given additional data regarding how the Shadow rats move and what spells can cause one hit-Kos or what spells can be used against them, so when it doubt, tag it out and see if it hits! There are over a thousand of them, and, as mentioned in the prompts, the school itself is also alive, so feel free to make this as terrifying for your characters as you wish.
An OOC PLANNING POST can be used to ask questions or to form teams.
For now, characters can only use single spells. The boss battle will unlock the teaming up skills.
The lockers that grab a character will throw them out as mentioned in the prompts and will additionally deal DARK damage and may confuse users, causing them to see other users as the enemy. They will need to be healed by any of the dispell spells to cure them.
The Rat Shadows only have 1 HP and attack with physical spells which can poison about 1/4 times (or more if you want to poison your character), HOWEVER they will be constantly going from Fire, Ice, Wind, Electrical, Nuclear, Psy, Dark, Light, Physical and Gun in that order, and switch constantly as to not be hit.
Only Navigators will know when the time to hit them is correct for your character, so make sure to aid them as much as possible! Navigators have also been given additional data regarding how the Shadow rats move and what spells can cause one hit-Kos or what spells can be used against them, so when it doubt, tag it out and see if it hits! There are over a thousand of them, and, as mentioned in the prompts, the school itself is also alive, so feel free to make this as terrifying for your characters as you wish.
An OOC PLANNING POST can be used to ask questions or to form teams.
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[Emergency medical supplies. A Swiss army knife. Flashlight. Matches. A few light snacks and a couple small bottles of water. One spade shovel.
Kouyuki thinks he's ready. Thinks that he's planned enough, thought far enough ahead, and knows the terrain well enough to secure some kind of an advantage. He thinks he's above fear because he has something — someone — to protect. But he's not.
Live free or die hard, Luci tells them. As if they've even got a choice.
Then the lights go out. The world around them comes alive in nightmarish ways, not shifting, but warping into something completely unrecognizable. The school is no longer a place of refuge, but the deadly maw of some larger beast closing up tightly all around and refusing to let them leave. And then they appear, the nonhuman enemy he was warned about. Screaming, scuttling, monstrous sized rats. Don't struggle, they say, as if death should be a comfort. But it's death that Kouyuki fears most — even more than monsters.
And so he swings his spade when they come, raising his voice above theirs in a shout that carries down the winding, unfamiliar corridor...]
Get... Get out of my way!
II - KIDOU: SLEEP UNTIL ⚔ YOU WAKEN
[It seems there is no end to them, the rats with glowing eyes and bodies that spill an undulating darkness into the hall. They keep coming, all razor sharp teeth and claws, their raw malevolence a force unto itself leaving some quaking where they stand, or worse, being backed into corners. But that's what they want. That's how they'll separate them and pick them off, one-by-one...
Kouyuki won't stand for it. He has fought so hard to find his way back to his brother's side in all of this. He still doesn't have all the answers he needs, but he knows what he must do, and for now...it's enough. Even while Michi and the other "Navigators" guide them, he knows he must protect Michi. He must protect him at all costs.
As if sensing that determination, or perhaps sensing something else, some threat to them, the rats shriek with rage. They come. More of them. Faster. Stronger. Stranger — more frightening. Their shapes warping. More heads. More eyes. Larger teeth and claws. Tails that thrash at the dark behind them or aim to sweep at their prey's legs. There is no mercy, only an unrepentant hostility: a desire not only to kill, but to completely annihilate what stands in their way.
A desire that resonates within Kouyuki as he and his brother find their only exit blocked, and something inside shatters, revealing a voice...]
My other self, will you die, or fight back?
Accept me for who I am! Forge this contract by letting go of your fears!
Revolt against this world, and
TEAR OUT YOUR HEART!
[Without thinking, Kouyuki obeys that voice, his hand relinquishing its hold upon the spade he's wielded all this time and reaching instead inside...
...and he snaps violently awake.
Like a sleeping person who has fallen into frigid waters, the breath is painfully sucked from his lungs, awareness forced upon him whether he's ready or not, and with it, all the memories of another life very different from the one he's led in Eddan. Of painful loss and loneliness, a heart and mind divided, and of all the joys of soccer. They're coming to our school... He remembers friendships forged by necessity and strengthened through sharing their burdens, and then, with a violent scream from the beasts still charging, one that rattles around in his skull like an angry wasp, he recalls what's most important of all. The present, and...
Michi!
Who is no longer standing where Fubuki remembers he'd been. Instead, in his place is the familiar figure of a friend and teammate, someone he hadn't known was here with him until now. Hadn't seen, despite living with him under the very same roof all this time, fighting alongside him here in this school all the while.]
Kidou?
[Questions. Confusion. They don't have time for this. The thing at his back, a pale and feral winged wolf with two heads that stands of a height with him, reminds him of their need for urgency with a forceful nudge — and his soul echoes back. Eyes glowing gold. Blood rushing through his veins, fueled by an adrenaline that won't know rest, not now, won't quit, doesn't know how...]
Let's be like the wind!
III - OTA: WHEN YOU WAKE 👁 YOU'LL SEE THE WORLD
[He's powerless to stop Kidou from being snatched away by one of those traitorous lockers, their separation by design of this thing overtaking their school. They're not as strong divided, they're more vulnerable. And it shakes Fubuki to his core to know that not only is this power of his still too new, it isn't enough and it's cost him...
Again, he's lost...a brother.
He rages against the monster that snatched away the only person who could help him make any sense of any of this, his weapon, an enormous steel-bladed snow shovel, slamming again and again into anything that dares come too near. The hungry hole in the wall, the demonic shadows and twisted forms of rats, all the while yelling incomprehensibly and desperate, his persona in just as feral a state. Hackles raised, ears on both heads laid flat, tails lashing, and fangs bared...
It's a wonder that, by the time he does hear Kidou's voice in his head again, he's able to back away from that edge at all. A testament to just how deep their strange and unexpected brotherly bond runs.
There's an unmistakable ruthlessness to the way he lends aid then to any he comes across, or to any Navigator orders he carries out. It's unclear if behind those golden eyes is the gentle defender known as Shirou, or the bear-killer himself. He never touches the long scarf that wraps around his neck or hangs down his front, after all.
But one thing is for certain. This isn't a fight he can go alone. Not on days without proper sleep, or with a body that won't know when to quit or retreat until it simply can't fight anymore and gives out instead. He tells himself he's fine. He's got this. But he doesn't know the patterns of those attacks, and some of them seem to strike harder than before, even bringing him to his knees despite his rage...
What is he doing wrong?!]
IV - WILDCARD: IF I'M ☠ NOT MISTAKEN
[OOC: Got something you'd like to play out that's not covered here? You can HMU in a PP, on plurk, or on Discord at JOJO#1374 and we can hash out ideas!]
NO 3 stop killing urself
[A hand clamps down on his shoulder, spinning him around, and gosh look who showed up after all? Guts looks a bit worse for wear, his own weird scarf cape is tattered and he's sporting a lovely pair of double black eyes from the lockers around the hall. He is entirely unconcerned with this, when there is someones absolutely terrible fighting form to consider. He's no snob but there's harnessing your rage and there's not even thinking.
He shakes the kid a bit, pulling him to his feet.]
I told ya didn't I? This ain't no fucking game so get the hell up. I know you can do better then this.
thisisfine.jpg
There isn't time.
Lumbering into the hallway behind Guts is a mutation unlike any Fubuki has seen so far. It stands taller than him, with a dozen eyes or more and several snapping mouths, and when it registers the pair of them standing there, it moves with a readiness and speed something of its size shouldn't possess.]
Look out!
[Instinct again takes over, the defender rushing to defend. Here, his small stature is to his advantage. A smaller target is harder to hit. Lighter on his feet. And he can move swiftly around an in front of Guts with his Persona by his side...at least, until he commands it forward and toward that monster.
He doesn't know how he knows what to do, he just does. It's not unlike hissatsu in that sense, this power coming from within. If he just listens to it...]
Go! Marchosias! Bufu!
SLAPS MUG AWAY. U R NOT FINE CHILD.
Seems you finally found us a real challenge! [His normally grey eye glows gold in his awakened form, and its hard to keep the maniac smile off his face. He'd forgotten how pent up he got when he didn't get to do things like this!
Still grinning, he grabs Kouyuki by the scruff again and drags him back behind the massive sword. ] Nice work kid. But next time if your gonna do ranged shit, stay behind the guy who can actually block.
AT LEAST HE STILL HAS BOTH EYES AND ARMS. UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.
Fubuki catches Guts' wrist before he can let go, firmly trying to hold his own ground. He can do this. He doesn't need to be protected. Won't become a liability! Especially for someone who can't afford to worry about other people. Guts has a brother, after all. Just like him.]
If we're going to do this, we do it together.
[Side-by-side. As a team. Where they can protect and defend equally, minimizing the need to worry, and maximizing their damage potential. And, if need be, control the enemy. It would take precise timing, but both he and Guts are members of the track and field team in this world. They've got speed on their side. Speed like the wind itself. He can push through the pain he feels for that. He's done it in the past. For his team. For his school. For victory.]
It's still coming!
[This thing isn't going to be stopped so easily. KILL, DESTROY, RIP THEM APART! It screams as it moves, its body rippling with a living sort of darkness, but as it draws close...something unexpected happens.
And bad.
The creature splits apart...and from within the gaping center of its body spills forth dozens upon dozens of smaller, quicker rats, each attempting to swarm over Guts and Fubuki both.]
no subject
Damn, you really are a tenacious brat. You wanna help, you stay behind the sword ok. This thing is hard to aim and I like brats like you better when you have your heads.
[Team ups are fine but the job of damage magnet has had Gut's name on it since before you were born. He can take a hit and block pretty well, so its only logical that Fubuki should focus on long ranged attacks and wearing down the stronger enemy.
When the big rat splits up however, he has to dramatically reconsider his battle plans. ]
Kid! [ He brings his sword down in a wide arc but Guts is good at fighting things bigger then him, has been his whole life, the many smaller rats are a new threat] Do that ice shit again! We gotta make some space!
no subject
Certainly, it makes for fewer targets in his immediate vicinity, as half the rats remain focused on Guts, while the other half chase after him. But another attempt at casting Bufu proves futile, the ice failing to harm the majority of the smaller rats, with only one or two disappearing into a wispy puff of black smoke and vanishing.
As if they were suddenly immune or something.]
Dammit! Why isn't it working!?
[He swings again, knocking a few of the small beasts back away from him, but at this rate...
A nervous glance back over his shoulder reveals a row of open and waiting lockers. They're boxed in, with the only way out being through an enemy that has defenses he can't pin down, or through one of those lockers and into...whatever lies in wait on the other side. Kidou'd made it. He'd said he was fine. If they retreated that way, would Guts and he be alright, too?]
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2
He's aware - too aware - that he's effectively useless as a guard here. The walls are closed in on them. There's no space to really step back. And in the darkness above them, there's no telling what horrors could lurk that he can't see. But he'll take his stand as best he can, fighting for both their lives. It's not enough. It could never be. But it's all he can do on his own.
Fortunately, he's not on his own. Kidou feels it before he sees it; that surge deep in his mind. Information flares to his awareness, filling a dark spot in the back of his mind with the knowledge of exactly how his older brother is doing. He knows that he can't afford to take the time to watch, but he does anyway, openly staring as his older brother is replaced by someone else, also familiar.
Years and years balance out against a few months in Kidou's mind - one is the truth, but one holds more weight. Deep down, he can't help but also feel relieved; all this time, Fubuki was right there with him. He didn't have to go find him at all. But how could he possibly have missed that? He knew what Fubuki looked like! How didnt' he ever connect this?
Additional confusion swirls into Kidou's mind, carried underneath his name. He can't say he doesn't understand that sentiment. There just isn't time to acknowledge it, now that they've truly found each other.]
Aa.
[A soft noise of agreement is all Kidou can really get at first as he forces himself to find his composure again. It's not that hard, really. They're in a life or death situation - it's amazing how priorities get rerouted in that circumstance. And then Kidou's allowing a small humorless smirk across his face at the followup. With his brother - with Fubuki at his side, they've surely got this.]
Right.
[Raising his gun again, he shifts back to telepathy, aiming to save time and breath, and cut over any noise he'd have to ordinarily shout over. This is a useful tool. He likes this tool.]
Let's go!
no subject
...they're perfect.]
We won't lose to these rats. Let's show them how we play.
[He moves forward, taking a position ahead of Kidou with his snow shovel hefted over one shoulder. The faster they clear through this infestation, the sooner he'll be able to ask questions and finally, finally, get the answers he's been wanting for so long as Kouyuki, and even more now as himself. If this is, in fact, who he's meant to be? But that isn't something he can afford to contemplate, not here, not even if the one who'd gotten him to question any of that in the first place is standing at his back now. Eligor 10. Michi Yamashita. Brother.
Three rats move towards them. In a line at first, and then splitting apart suddenly, two veering left and right respectively, and one charging straight ahead and down the middle, their bulky bodies not slowing them down any, and their ravenous teeth gnashing at the air in hungry anticipation.
Fubuki targets the rat in the middle, the closest to either of them and the most immediate threat, springing forward and hammering down the blunt and heavy underside of his shovel atop its head...
Don't think about it. Don't think about it. One down, two to go...that's not a bad place to start. The odds are even now. Except...they don't really stand a chance.]
no subject
And Kidou can hear that voice. It's softer than Fubuki's reply, as if from a distance. Kidou's fairly sure that it's not something meant for him to hear.
He doesn't really share that confidence. For this part, they're fine, but if everything goes as it was unchanged... it isn't those rats that stand no chance at all. But Fubuki doesn't need to know that. He needs to hold onto that conviction, and Kidou just needs to steer it. That's all.]
Together, we can do this. These rats have a trick to them-
[It might not always be the right timing to hit the rats and kill them, but they can still pin them down or stave them off until they break through. Kidou finally smirks, pulling the trigger on that rat that he'd allowed to get almost too close, and winces at the recoil. The rat explodes into black wisps. As soon as he's fired at one, he's letting the gun fall loose at his side and kicking his soccer ball right into the other rat's face.]
-but they're not invincible. Don't let up!
no subject
That was a good shoot.
[But, by the sounds of the scurrying headed in their direction, not the only one they'd be needing. Much as Fubuki wants to hurry back to Kidou's side, he holds the front line for now and concentrates on the direction the noise is coming from. It's so difficult to see those shadowy bodies in the dark hall of the school. How many will they need to fight this time?]
You said there's a trick? [He lowers his shovel as Marchosias joins his side, the pair of them ready to be given direction and to defend Kidou with all that they have.] What's the plan, then?
no subject
Can you stand?
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Sakuma?
[When last they saw one another from Fubuki's perspective, the boy before him had nearly crippled himself fighting for victory on Teikoku's pitch. And, at the end, despite claiming that he didn't want to see Sakuma fall apart, and fighting to protect him from having that happen, Sakuma had still fallen.
He thinks to himself, if he doesn't stand back up now, that will happen all over again. He can't do that to Kidou. This person with him, someone he knew vaguely as Kouyuki, is someone of incredible importance to...his brother. He has to protect him. And so he nods.
And rises to his feet.]
Mm. It looks worse than it is.
no subject
Despite Fubuki's answer he still casts Dia on him, which won't fix him a hundred percent, but it'll lessen some of the strain on him at least a little.]
Okay, [he says after a moment, and doesn't argue, just knocks two rats out of the area in front of them.] Then, back me up?
[He'll take point. He doesn't want to see that happen to Fubuki again. Not when the part of him that's still Yoshio is telling him who this is. He'll keep him safe, spurred on not only by the fact that this is someone he knows -- no, this is someone close to Kidou. He won't let anything happen to someone precious to him.]
no subject
His determination to protect Sakuma hasn't changed.
Grateful for that healing spell, if a little taken aback by it, Fubuki answers the other boy with a nod and a small smile. This time...this time he would make sure that Sakuma wasn't harmed.]
Alright, that's fine with me. But first...
[He's still unfamiliar with his demon and its powers, but if he concentrates, he feels like he can understand it better and what it's capable of. The strange things it will allow him to do. And perhaps it's appropriate if he's to be Sakuma's defender...that he should have a spell in his repertoire that will double the other boy's defense.
Rakukaja. He casts it as his way of saying thank you. And promising there won't be a repeat of past mistakes this time around.]
We can go now.
i
[A crossbow bolt suddenly goes shooting through the air, cracking into a rat and making it scurry away with an alarmed squeak. It's not the right timing, not the right element, but it's enough to give the younger boy just a bit more breathing room.]
[At the end of one of the twisting corridors is Chikusa, crossbow balanced carefully on the coils of a massive snake whose eyes follow where his own look. With how tightly it's wrapped around him, it keeps away from any lockers that might be near.... but restricts his movements as well. Still, he adjusts the crossbow.]
Get over here already...
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Maybe...maybe he should run, too?
But he isn't given the chance. For, in his distraction, another of those beastly vermin takes the opportunity to try and bite down. He's fortunate that those elongated teeth miss his wrist and hit his spade instead, but now that the thing's got a grip on it, he's not going anywhere. Not unless he relinquishes his hold. And he refuses. This is all he's got besides a small knife in his bag...]
L-let go! Give it back you stupid—!!
[He pulls. And pulls. And it's a mistake. That thing pushes at the same time, and before he knows it, he's falling onto his back with the wind knocked out of his lungs. The oversize rodent's weight bears down on him and its teeth saw at the handle of a shovel that's the only thing standing between that mouth...and Kouyuki's throat.]
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[There's not even a chance for him to yell at the boy to move before he's attacked, before he's hitting the ground, and Chikusa grits his teeth at the sight. Not only is there the one rat, but there are hundreds more filling the school until it's bursting at the seams. If this boy stays down any longer,
then the rest of the swarm will reach him.... And the rest of the group will be down one valuable meatshield or navigator.]
[Gritting his teeth together, he raises the crossbow and has it switch to one bolt in particular. It's a 50/50 chance, but...]
This might hurt.
[That's all the warning Kouyuki gets before the bolt goes flying, straight into the rat's flesh. The creature freezes for a split second, glowing eyes wide.... And then it explodes.]
[The good news is that, this way, it takes out the rest of the rats that had begun to get too close to Kouyuki, meaning he'll have a good few moments to not be bitten or poisoned.]
[The bad news is that a giant rat exploded on top of him.]
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But he's not given a choice.
Even for all his struggling against the rat atop him, Chikusa's aim is true. The arrow strikes and the beast explodes. All before he can look away. Before he can truly brace for the impact of its body going to pieces against his own, for all that weight to suddenly...be gone.
He stares, motionless, where that creature used to be, dragging his spade back to his chest and taking a hard swallow. It could be worse. He could be in the rat's position. But...that person, their warning, did that mean they were willing to risk that?
Can he blame them if they were? He'd rather be hurt than dead, after all. And thanks to them...he has his life.
Slowly, as he gets back to his feet, he opens his mouth to say thank you, but the screams of more rats closing in from behind silences him. This time, Kouyuki wastes no time putting distance between the shadows and him, hurrying towards Chikusa and that enormous snake wrapped around him. For now at least it seems Kouyuki has to trust him.]
What can I do to help?!
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In here.
[It'll be easier to keep an eye on him when he's close, and Astaroth offers at least a little protection.... Even if it's a double sided sword.]
[Once Kouyuki is close enough, however, he'll find a strange sensation sweeping over him. Dia isn't the heaviest spell, Chikusa has found, but it's better than nothing, and it should be more than enough to ease the worst of whatever damage the other boy might have taken.]
[If only his other spells were available to him.... Explosions, especially when used for rescues, are by far not his first choice.]
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vaguely 1??? SOMETHING
It had felt...right, last time, to turn up as two almost equally unprepared parts. Which means arriving at the rendezvous alone this time, no matter how much better it fits who he is, feels wrong. He showed up as early as he could and there are still a few stragglers trickling in, and just standing around waiting by himself, looking for missing faces, is making him antsy. Better to find something somewhat useful to do.
Shovel in hand, Kouyuki looks exactly how some of them did last month. Armed with whatever was manageable, not knowing it would be ineffective, trying to prepare for the unknown. The countdown hasn't finished yet. This could be a very long night - but it's close enough that maybe he can give someone a little more mental preparation without hurting much.
"You're one of the newer people, I take it." Hopefully, he'll be able to speak about it somewhat freely. No one uninvolved is nearby, and the countdown is almost up. And it's not like there's much point in hiding anything from the unawakened anymore.
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Still, the last thing Kouyuki wishes to do is worry anyone, so he conceals his own worries with a smile and a gentle laugh when Jun addresses him.
"Oh, is it that obvious?" He knows it is, but making light of the situation is his only defense. The spade he's carrying rests on his shoulder almost casually, but the way his hand occasionally flexes upon the shaft hints at his underlying anxiety. He's not very good at waiting. And he's worse at waiting and not knowing what to expect.
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"I don't know how much I'm allowed to say, but secrets don't seem very worthwhile at this point." They're either close enough to ready, or things are about to take a very, very bad turn. God, he hopes it's not aliens this time. "Is there anything I can do to help you prepare yourself?"
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Whatever the case may be, useless or not, Kouyuki's glad he has his spade. It might not be effective against what lies in wait, but it helps to steel his nerves. Without it, he's not sure he'd be doing even half as well as he is.
"I don't really know," he answers truthfully, slender shoulders rising and falling with a shrug. The weeks leading up to this moment had filled his head with so many questions, but now that he's here, he feels almost as if someone has pulled the plug. There isn't an overflow, but instead, everything is draining away. "You've done this before, haven't you? What was it like?"
Probably, that was the best place to start.
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What it was like a month ago...hm. "It was...chaotic. We were in the orchard. There were more of them than us, many more, but they were weak. Most of us had no idea what we were doing or what to expect; there was very little planning involved in anything that happened that night."
The tornado full of bombs was effective, but impromptu and risky.
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