Field Mission 3: Brushing the Sun, Part 2

[balancemod]

I couldn't be more proud of you all. NAVIGATION 1. THE UNRAVELING (CTA RESULTS) A. EVERYONE GET THE HELL OFF THIS CRAZY THING With the Bureau quickly packing up and getting the hell out of dodge, four Reclaimers — Kaede, Komaeda, Minato and Lion — made an honest attempt to evacuate the dwarves and goblins still on board. They were mildly successful in drawing half of all the goblins into their fold, but the dwarves were much more resistant. Ultimately, only five agreed to leave behind their precious forge. Bread and Barry were also handily convinced that it was time to leave. Their chosen method here included a lot of falling with style. With a little help from Lion, a breeze is whipped up to give the trip down a bit more wind resistance. Even though they didn't convince as many as they would like to leave, this is still a very large logistical effort — you may help pass out treats to help evacuees float down. You may wrangle up any stragglers that wander too far away from the group. Ultimately though, everyone who agreed to evacuate, as well as the Reclaimers who are helping, will be able to safely make it to the ground. Except for one. Upon ensuring that Good Girl Cocoa makes it down safe, Minato will find that there are no more magic treats to help him safely evacuate, too. And when Maru perishes, so does he. Additionally, Barry does go down with the evacuation group, but by the time Maru crashes to the ground, he's no where to be found, and presumed dead. This also means that very nearly every dwarf and goblin who refused to evacuate also perished. B. A CHAT WITH A TIRED SPIRIT, AND AN UNRAVELING Akira, Zelda, Maya and Sayori are assigned to try to take on the Whomping Willow so they can reach the forge it's guarding. With an insanely good hit from one of Zelda's Light Arrows, the tree is stunned — and with the unfortunate curse of sentience that drives it, it is humbled by the raw power, and elects to speak to the group. The Whomping Willow is several thousand years old, and so, so tired of this enchantment. After revealing the wisdom of the Beastmaster class, Maya is able to disenchant it, effectively reducing it to a simple willow tree once again — and with the help of a few Persona users, they are able to successfully transplant it to a small alcove in the Quad of the Moon Base. What does this mean for Reclaimers? Well, you now have some very comfortable shade to relax under. You have a monument to your successes. If you happen to know a druid with Speak with Plants, it'll also dispense some of the wisdom it's accumulated over the millennia in the form of advice. Meanwhile, Sans and McCree, with an easy entrance to the forge, make quick work of unraveling the yarn, setting the dwarves trapped there free, and successfully convincing them to leave the forge behind for their own safety. And as they continue to make this mission look outrageously easy, they manage to unravel the yarn without causing damage to themselves and the forge. It's done so well, in fact, that the falling apart of Maru is less of an explosion, and more of a controlled, structured demolition. It's actually quite a spectacular sight, for those of you on the ground to witness it. Like a ship slowly descending to the earth and breaking apart some 100 feet above it, it feels as if the entire planet shakes upon impact. Debris is sent flying in all directions — later reports that make it to the Director's desk indicate that mining equipment was found some 20 miles away from the impact site. Unfortunately, another Reclaimer is lost in the unraveling of Maru. McCree perishes while trying to escape — but he dies a hero. C. ON THE GROUND Two teams — Franziska and Wash, and Akechi and Ryuji — are sent out to try to locate the yarn and, being as buff as they are, try to clear out as many surviving monsters as they can. Along the way, Akechi manages to steal a priceless weapon off of Hethi, the guardian spirit of the paper mountain that once stood on Maru. Also along the way, Akechi says some really cute social link rank-up shit to Ryuji, which in turn causes his Persona to turn into a bear. Later on, Franziska manages to convince Hethi to move to the Netheril, effectively becoming Vista Virs' new guardian. She's so convincing, in fact, that Hethi sees this as a divine intervention, and Wash and Franziska are both incorporated into the mysterious guardian's origin fable as divine advisers. Both groups also find survivors of the fall, and safely evacuate them to Phandalin. While Ryuji and Akechi manage to blast through entire hordes of monsters with little injury, Wash and Franziska are not quite so lucky. Nobody perishes, but the both of them will probably need some assistance. Finally, with the help of Cocoa and her nose, Akechi and Ryuji are able to locate the yarn, and a recovery team from the Bureau retrieves and delivers it straight to the Director's hands. Congratulations, Reclaimers. Your third mission was a smashing success. 2. THE BEFOREMATH AND THE AFTERMATH D. EVERY NOW AND THEN I FALL APART You're only as good as your backup, as they say. And the Reclaimers who are not currently attempting to fetch a wayward overpowered ball of yarn are going to have a lot on their plates, before Maru comes crashing down in spectacular fashion. That plate does not include Maru itself. Every hour that passes that you do not escape on your own, the ground's stability grows more precarious. You can feel it shifting underneath your feet, like it's straining, trying to contract into itself. In the distance, an ominous rumbling. The land is literally cracking apart, and you do not want to be on board when it finally tumbles down to the ground. ○ Convincing those who could be convinced to evacuate was no easy feat, but for those of you on board with immediately helping, there's a shortage of hands on deck to move people as quickly as possible. ○ Much like how the wildlife scatters for cover when a thunderstorm hits, the fauna of Maru are aware that a disaster is looming. To that end, nearly every single creature that has settled inside the mines have started pouring out into the open, making an already unstable ground a little ... crowded. Bring your best weapon and your best spells to this fight — you're going to need both. E. THAT'S UNFORTUNATE Once you're on the ground, if you choose to dig among the rubble yourself, you may find any last resources that the impact site may have slapped to the surface. They're very small, but gems and diamonds are your highest prize here. The forge, however, was destroyed on impact, shooting a massive burst of magical energy straight into the sky, before it dissipates. Should you happen to find yourself anywhere near the remains of the forge, however, one of the following may happen: ○ You will be turned into an animal of your choosing for two hours. ○ Any remains nearby may suddenly be reanimated, again, for two hours, until the magical energy disappears. Enjoy your goblin zombie apocalypse. ○ A curse might follow you home — think things like tripping over your feet constantly, or not being able to sleep properly, or hell, accidentally passing along the curse to anyone you touch. Dr. Tank back at medbay on the Moon Base can remove this one for you. F. THE TOWN OF PHANDALIN The aftermath of Maru's collapse can be viewed from Phandalin, a nearby prospecting town that is now host to a host of floating island evacuees. Well, a whole lot of dust can be viewed, anyway. For those of you who arrived here with said evacuees, or simply evacuated here yourself, consider yourselves put on something of a mandatory two-day vacation. The orbs back to the Moon Base just can't seem to get past the dust choking the air directly above the town. Phandalin is on the small side, and inhabited mostly by prospectors looking for valuable resources deep within the nearby mountains. To say that this is the biggest influx of visitors they've ever had is an unfathomable understatement — and while they are hardly a settlement built for tourism, they're more than willing to take your coin. Or any remnants of Maru you happen to have on hand. Now is your time to rest. Gather your bearings. Or, work more, if that's more your speed. ○ A small group of dwarves need to figure out where to go next, after all. Will you help them find a place to stay in town? Or will you help gear them up so they can set out on their own, once the dust (literally) settles? The blacksmith in town can't make anything new on such short notice — but he does have plenty of tools and weapons for sale. ○ Should you make your way to Stonehill Inn to escape the dust, you may find a Kenku in a corner, ignored by the other patrons as much as he's minding his own business, mug at the table in front of him. And should you decide to engage with him, he'll lean forward, closer, voice so husky it could pull a sled. "Oi, you're one of those visitors, ain't ya? You know what happened. With all the dust." There isn't a particularly discernible tone or expression here. If anything, he sounds on the brink of a personal revelation. "You've seen it then, right? My house. Where the hell's all my stuff?" (Some of you already know who this is — it's Jingler, the owner of the shack on Maru that is now part of a heap of sod and brand new landscape not too far from Phandalin. He is a completely pilotable NPC, meaning you are free to use him how you like for your threads. All you need to know is, he's a bard, that shack held all of his most valuable treasures, and Garfield owes him a lot of money. He won't say for what, though.) ○ Finally, not too far from the town square stands a fortune telling machine. It goes largely ignored by the regulars passing by, and if you happen to ask, it's because of one of the following reasons: It's a waste of money to begin with, or it's a waste of money because it keeps spitting out the same fortune. Pop a single gold coin in the machine, and it'll print out your fortune. It's true that it seems to be running on repeat, though, because you're guaranteed to get one of the following two fortunes: Disaster has invited itself to your doorstep. Or, Mild fortune bears down on you like the sun. Another thing that's guaranteed: Whatever fortune you receive will have to manifest in some form. That's rather unfortunate for the ... more unfortunate ones. G. A REPRIEVE IN THE ORCHARDS An old half-elf by the name of Daran Edermath tends to an orchard just on the edge of town. It's a bit of a locally hidden gem for Phandalin- the old, retired adventurer turned vintner keeps the trees well nourished and tended to all year long. It's spring time here in Faerun, and naturally, there should the crowns of budding apple blossoms coming up and ready to take shape. But wandering in here, you'll notice that they've developed into beautiful looking, ripe apples. Daran is one of the oldest living people in Phandalin and while he hasn't been around long enough to know what happened to the Lost Mine of Phandelver, he does seem to wear a sort of smile when he hears about it. See, in his youth, he snuck down there with only an apple for rations to his name. He doesn't know how he stumbled upon it, or even how he really made it past the monstrosities that lie in there. But Edermath farms remembers. Those apples that are perfectly colored and perfectly ready to eat? They're all the result of that one apple he dipped into the forge. Must be about 100 years ago. The sweet scent of cider, sauces, and butters fills the air in almost every direction. It's a time to relax and enjoy the days before returning to base, and he's more than willing to trade a few silver pieces for a bucket of the stuff. For those of you with a little more adventurous taste buds, Daran offers you to try an apple from a tree that grows many different colored fruits. He'll explain that there's a little bit of magic in those too, but nothing that'll hurt you. Give it a try, see what happens! These will last up to 24 hours. ○ Red - your senses elevate far beyond what a normal human should be able to accomplish. You can hear, see, smell, and touch better than you ever have before. Take a walk out into Phandalin after the dust settles. The color and the scent of the flowers should be amazing. ○ Green - you become incredibly pensive, seeing insightful things about your life that you haven't noticed before. You recall past events with a crystal clear level of understanding, to the level of being able to close your eyes and remember details that are minute- like the sound in a memory you forgot, or the way the breeze felt on a particular day. ○ Yellow - you feel lethargic. Enough to probably take a nap wherever you're currently standing. It's not a bad thing, but if you've been feeling really stressed lately or pushed yourself in battle quite a bit, waking up is going to feel about as refreshing as humanly possible. ○ Blue - you become incredibly confident with yourself. Things that might have scared you to say or do in the past feel like small anthills compared to the mountains they once were. You speak your truth when you want to, you fear nothing and become closer to your true self. ○ Pink - you're hit with a wave of affection. You're all about hugs and hand-holding and being close to people you care about. It provides a sort of blissful state that makes you want to be around other people. Eventually, though, the dust will clear, and with the jutted earth and remains of Maru in the horizon, you'll board the orbs and return to the Moon Base. Because a true rest after this mission is waiting you back home. You could say it's going to be quite the retreat. 2. OOC NOTE Congratulations on successfully reclaiming the third Grand Relic! We hope you enjoyed exploring, and ultimately unraveling, Maru. For people new to the game, you may notice that there isn't an RNG thread. CTA logs generally do not have one, just to give us mods a bit more time to work on the interlude, and the next field mission. You can check out our calendar to see what's coming up next! The TDM will be posted Monday, April 29. Reserves open Wednesday, May 2 and applications open Saturday, May 5. blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

QUESTIONS

[balancemod]

[ribticklers]

Can we bring some of the colored apples back with us?

Re: QUESTIONS

[forhyrule]

Is Jingler the one that enchanted the willow?

[mccreehaw]

So... is McCree's corpse stuck for two days along with everyone else before he can get a ride back up? I'm picturing a Weekend at Bernie's scenario developing.

[gotyourbach]

Is there anywhere in Phandalin where Kaede might be able to find a violin? She's willing to pay for a good instrument for a Good (dead) Boy

[noblegarnet]

Is there any kind of library or collection of knowledge in Phandalin, and what might be found there? Mostly w/rt magic and the mine that just got destroyed. (This is going to be a recurring question, I'm sorry.)

[unrecovered]

Are any of the diamonds to be found big enough to work for resurrections, or are they just Shiny?

Did any of the other debris from the mine survive? (Is there any chance that any of the whiskey made it safely down.)

I assume Jingler's house basically exploded on impact, but can his stuff be found if anyone's looking for it?

[notthatbutler]

If we can bring some of those colored apples back, what perchance might cooking them do to the magical effects? (turning the apples into sauce, juice, pie, butter, etc) And if you combine apples, whether eating them raw or cooked, would the magical effects combine as well?

[napstar]

If someone was to walk or take a carriage from Phandalin to New Aspen, how long would that take? Since Maru was over New Aspen when it was discoverd but ended up near Phandalin when it broke apart it can't be thatlong of a walk/ride, right????

[feytality]

Am I safe to assume that thanks to Roxas and Maya's great roll on finding materials n the mines, they could have found some nice chunks of diamond for revival purposes?

[ribticklers]

A [closed to McCree, with guest appearances from Qrow and Maya if they'd like]
[Sans is glad for how handily the tree was dealt with, since he's pretty sure this untangling process is going to be--well, a Process. It's obvious this is dangerous. It needs to be done right. Maybe that's why Sans is helping do it. He doesn't think too hard about his motivations, though. There's other things to focus on, and thinking too hard about what he's thinking about is a good way to not get anything done.

But, going through the door, there's very clearly another issue besides the forge.]

I could be seein' things, but I'm pretty sure that's a dwarf over there. [You know, all tangled up in magic yarn. Actually, there's more than one. Great, just what they needed.]

B
[Frogging could have gone better. It could have gone a lot worse, but it could have gone better, too. Everybody's on the ground now. Some people are in better shape than others. Sans really wants to take a nap.

Instead, he hunts down McCree's body, working through rubble and trying not to look too hard at any other corpses or pieces of corpses he finds. None of them are in great shape, considering the fall. He has to look longer than he'd prefer when one of them looks a little more human than not. But eventually he finds McCree. The hat makes him--it--him--stick out.

Sans works magic with mechanical precision, web spells curling under and around. Easier to carry, easier for other people if they see it.]

Sorry. Back home, I could've done more. [But he's pretty far from home right now.] But I'm pretty lazy, so maybe it would've just ended up the same way.

[Once he's sure McCree's not going to be going anywhere, he starts the process of bringing him back to Phandalin.]

C
[If you want to talk to Sans about anything, he can be found near McCree's body most of the time. Sometimes he's napping, but never asleep enough not to respond if someone draws near. He's just making sure nothing happens to the body.]

[mccreehaw]

[ McCree knows the plan, but plans can change, and when they get into the forge to see the mess laid out before them, he starts wondering if they can do this in a way that keeps Maru from shattering apart high in the air.

But then he's distracted by Sans' question and the sight of a beard peeking out from the yarn. ]

Aww, great. Yeah, I'm seeing more of 'em too. We gotta cut them loose first.

[seasaltkeys]

[A - Hold the Line]

[Well, clearing out swarms of enemies is something that Roxas is pretty familiar with, even if these kinds of monsters don't disintegrate into shadows once he's done with them. But someone's got to clear the area for evacuation, so it might as well be him. He's got his keyblade out in one hand and the sword in the other.

He just didn't expect to be facing down an umber hulk so quickly. Usually they let you work up to the big ones.]

I wish I still had decent magic!

[He mutters as he Dodge Rolls out of the way.]

[B - You're a Kitty!]

[While it's nice to be safely on the ground again, Roxas is once again back at work. He's digging through the rubble looking for more gems, diamonds specifically. People died on this mission, again. The Bureau needs diamonds to bring them back. He's already found a bunch but the least he can do is find more. It's something to help at least.

And it's been going well so far, he's got a little bag of them. But he's been around the remains of the Forge for a while.

There's a pile of Roxas's stuff, along with a small bag of diamonds. And on top of that pile, a small, disgruntled looking, very confused yellow kitten.]

Mrow?

[C - At Dusk I Will Think of You]

[Back on the base, Roxas can be found in his usual place after missions. He's on the edge of the moon base, looking out at the sunset. It's a melancholy sort of atmosphere, as Roxas has a lot of questions about things and he's trying to puzzle them out. It's times like these were he misses Axel, who could help explain things or at least be a listening ear. He also misses decent ice cream, so he's probably going to have words with Bender one of these days. For now though, the sunset will have to be his comfort.]

[D - Wildcard]

[For all your other needs, or if you want something specific, let me know]

b.

[gundamned]

[Gundam is not opposed to helping look for shards of diamonds, although it certainly is a trying task among all this rubble. Even after three life or death investigations, he was a little weak when it came to picking up on critical details on his own. However, any great Overlord is able to recognize their limitations and rise above them.

Having Ribo-N scuttle about the pile of utter rubble for him and point out any worthwhile shards? Kekeke... it's as if he was never hindered to begin with.]

All visual chaos has been rendered asunder by the might of my nefarious Ribo-N!

[And yet despite his propensity towards being unobservant-- the soft and disgruntles "Mrow" of a nearby creature immediately catches his attention.]

...!!

[It takes him about 30 seconds to stumble upon Roxas' new feline form.]

[unrecovered]

1. I Hurt Myself Today

[If you're out in the dusty, monster-strewn battlefield within the first day of the collapse, you may run across Wash. His armor is banged up and blood spattered and dusty; his sword still has monster blood on it; and he's walking slowly, gripping his right arm up against his chest with his left. He and Franziska have fought hard, and even convinced Hethi to take up a new guardianship elsewhere, but right now the fight is over for him and he's obviously hurt.]

[He pauses for a moment and looks at you.]

Hey. You okay?

2. It's Dangerous To Go Alone

[Wash looks a little better, though his right arm is still bandaged pretty tightly. He's waiting by the edge of town, doing much the same thing he did in Vista Virs: waylaying people who look like they're heading out on their own and joining their party, because it's monster-infested territory out there and he's not about to let anyone go it alone.]

Are you monster hunting or treasure hunting?

3. She's So Lucky

[That fortune machine is intriguing, and after about his fourth time passing it on the edge of town, he stops and puts a coin into it, reading the slip aloud.]

"Mild fortune bears down on you like the sun." It's like a fortune cookie fortune.

4. Bring Me Two Pina Coladas

[Wash has found a table outside the inn and is sitting outside, with two small barrels of cider and multiple glasses spread across the surface of the table. He definitely bought some cider from Daran, and he's definitely up for sharing. As you pass by, he nods at the cider.]

Want some?

5. Ante Up

[Wildcard! Want to do something different? Toss up a prompt, or hit me up on plurk at kiaxet!]

Wildcard: CTA: Closed to Franziska

[unrecovered]

[It's a rough goddamn ride, watching Maru fall apart as they descend to the surface in a sphere. Hopefully everyone made it out. Hopefully most of the monsters will be killed on impact and they won't have to fight too many of them. Hopefully they'll find the relic. Hopefully.]

[But they've discussed strategies, and Bread is safely on the ground and ready to meet them when they land and quickly briefed. They face the dust cloud, full of monsters and one very elusive ball of yarn.]

You ready?

[Bread is ready! How about Franziska?]

[notthatbutler]

D: I'm kind of tired of putting Dwyer quotes in here so let's just call this "evacuation assistance"

[Dwyer's not looking to get himself flayed by a tree or ensnared in hyper-magical yarn, but evacuation duty? He can do that. This is not a problem. There's candies that can help you get to solid ground safely? Yes, you got it, he's handing them out. Does Barry have one? Did we get Barry on board? The guy with the blue jeans, make sure he - oh, he's probably fine, he's not stupid. Dwyer needs to think that, or he'll find himself far too worried about his brother-in-chili. There's some other things that need tending at the moment. Like the absolute instability of the ground right now, and the frightened and angry Dire Bears emerging from what remains of the forest.

He feels bad. Really, he does, but - how do you get a monstrous bear to understand evacuation? Is it possible? Oh Gods, they were going to die once Maru crumbles to dust, weren't they? They can't stay here long, either, and - ooooh, this is really a bad time to feel bad for bears. But everyone who wants to evacuate needs to be kept safe...forgive him for the slightly unfocused expression of worry on his face, Dwyer is trying to keep some of the group together, but the bears are approaching and he can't take one down on his own. More than one? Fuck.]

F: Surprise, it's not a giant disc of obsidian

[Phandalin. Here it is. Civilization, bless it, Dwyer can't think of anything better, but his mind keeps wandering to all the dwarves who refused to evacuate what is now a large heap of dirt outside of town. He can't stop feeling badly for the monsters that likely fell and were crushed to death. And he's asking everyone-]

Have you...seen Barry Bluejeans? He should have arrived with the rest of us...he's wearing something called "denim"?

[He asks this of fellow Reclaimers and townspeople alike, because he's sure Barry evacuated, but he can't find the man to check on him. There's something wearier than usual in his gait the longer he's up and about asking...you, um. Might want to see if you can convince him not to worry too much.]

G: He's not just doing this for you Dave but it is partly for you

[Magic colorful apples.

Well. That's a distraction if there ever was one. Dwyer would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by their apparent properties, and if they're not going back to the Moonbase right now immediately, he kind of...would like to know how one might cook with these. What happens if you make a blue apple pie? Or pink cider? This is cool.

If you don't see him quietly trying to figure out how to get a significant quantity of every color up to the Moonbase, you will definitely see him underneath the tree of colorful apples, absolutely sawing some sweet sleep logs, a bitten-into yellow apple still in his hand.

Nap Apples. Magnificent. He loves this.]

f!

[dialetheism]

Not... since before we left, no.

[ Which is starting to worry them too, because even one of the few people who actually decided to leave being missing is a terrible thing.

Incidentally, this is possibly related to why they look about ready to head out and search the area, again, to no avail. ]

But that's... not necessarily cause for alarm, right? Maybe the wind just knocked him off course. [ Y'know, the wind they made, while under the effect of a Bender Food that means they can never miss. Ha. Haha. ]

[noblegarnet]

D

[Ferran has some things to work out. Unfortunately, the tools in front of him are monsters, magic, and an evacuation to be protected.

So that's what he's using.

Luckily he's seen a number of heavy objects around, and he's letting gravity do the work—copying a minecart just above an umber hulk's head with a red sparkling light before it drops. This requires him to be a little close for comfort, though, so he's using his singular icy attack spell to slow it down enough for him to duck out of range again.

It's probably be good to make sure he doesn't die? He's not slacking, and he's decently agile, but he's not a physical class anymore.]

F

[He doesn't go anywhere near the bodies.

It's selfish of him, but he's already had to fish one corpse out of a lake this month and he's not keen on reliving the experience. He hasn't met any of the people who died, anyway, except briefly. He doesn't feel any particular obligation towards dealing with the dead, even if every death still weighs on him.

It's strange being part of a team like this. He doesn't know that he's suited for it.

Instead, he seeks out information—or tries to, anyway. For much of the two days that he's not spending duplicating medical supplies that may be needed, he's reading (where'd he get that book?), talking to the locals, or continuing to practice his magic just outside of town.

He won't be accidentally hitting anyone this time; he's intensely focused on improving the accuracy of his Ray of Frost and the dexterity of his Mage Hand. They're particularly flashy spells coming from Ferran, despite whatever he may want them to look like: the frost a pure white with gold glittering, and a glove with a red gem as the spectral hand, which he's using to toss and catch a dagger.]

G

[Ferran sits in the inn, the remains of a green apple on the table as he stares at a photograph in his hand. A dark-haired man with glasses has his arm around a stout woman with blonde hair, and between them is a smiling young Ferran. The scene behind them is a beautiful view of a city on the water.

He brings a hand over his face, hissing a quiet curse.]

Damn it. I'm such an idiot...

G

[gambolshroud]

[The inn is a popular place at the moment, especially with the sudden influx of evacuees in town. Blake has been out doing her part to help those who were evacuated from Maru to get settled, ensuring that people had food and necessary medical supplies available to them, but eventually she feels satisfied enough with their progress that she allows herself a short while to get off her feet.

Almost immediately upon entering the inn, she scans the crowd for familiar faces— and though Ferran's hand might be covering most of it, she recognizes his all the same. Even from the doorway, his body language is alarming, and she frowns slightly before ducking out of the path of another patron, proceeding to weave through the tables in order to reach his.]

Hey...

[She does notice the remains of the apple on the table, but doesn't think anything of it just yet.]

You doing okay, Ferran?

evac cta - closed to lion, minato, and nagito

[gotyourbach]

[While the other three are doing their best down below, Kaede has since gone back to the moon. They need supplies, and if Lucas won't do anything on his own, then the only choice is to go straight to the Director herself! Which, well,]

audio; un: akapassionata
Miller-san won't modify the bubbles without the Director's permission, and she won't budge.

[A keen ear might be able to hear the telltale hoarseness in Kaede's voice, hinting that she was either crying or shouting. Probably a mix of both. But she presses on, trying to keep to the point as much as possible.]

She said it's too dangerous, 'cause... she has to think about everybody on the moon. So she can't risk changing the bubbles and making them open to anyone.

How's it going for you guys?

[dialetheism]

That's... unfortunate. Even if we promised to safeguard the spheres the whole way?

[ Understatement of the month, but there's only so much positive energy they can muster in between wrassling gerblins with the others. Case in point: one angry gerblin in the background insisting that no, really, it needs to take it's giant pile of junk with it!! ]

It's- Hey, put that down!

[ Whoops, nevermind, it's someone else's turn to talk. One of them got into Lion's bag again. ]

[alethiological]

1. a brief dirt nap

[ It's after the fall-out's ended. The few scant survivors are loitering in Phandalin, Reclaimers are relaxing or mourning or some variety, and generally no one has been insane enough to go past the remains. To anyone who is, there's someone whistling and digging like it's just an average Tuesday. It's definitely a song of some variety, but not one with any discernible melody. Or rather, one that probably shouldn't be whistled.

Ah. Paydirt. The whistling restarts, though quieter, and the shovel is put aside to unbury the Obviously More Diamonds prize by hand. Though it becomes pretty obvious to anyone aggroing for conversation he's not digging up diamonds.

He's digging up corpses. jfc ]

Might wanna turn around. This one didn't come out whole.



2. the less horrifying option

[ Edermath is a happy man today, because not only is there a wave of new people in the town, but for once there's no "Okay but why would you put an apple in the Forge?" or "Hey can I sleep in your orchard for the night?" It's just someone who actually took his offer to buy a basket of apples with barely any complaints. Until that heretic tree comes out.

Like. Okay. The colors are a bit too bright, but you can make an argument they're grannysmiths or golden delicious. But. The skepticism is visceral. ]

Blue? Why.

[ Daran shrugs, they sell high, and leaves. ......Yeah, fair. ]



3. i got yelled at to make a toplevel

[ WILDCAAAARD. Rather than loitering in the city proper, he's more like to be on the outskirts helping the dwarves find mementos left behind and keeping any of the monsters that escaped from making a second attempt on the remains, like any good grave tender worth their salt would be doing. But if you have any ideas or want to plan something, hmu on discord or a pm! Or just tag me, I'm down for anything all the time, hit me. ]

wildcard bc you really should have expected this

[dialetheism]

[ At some point while rescuing corpses to hopefully return to their respective families, Will gets accosted by the smallest, fluffiest yellow cat on the surface of Faerun. It happens all at once - one moment he's alone, the next, there's a loud mrow that forewarns a pebble being smacked at him to get his attention.

In their defence, they have no idea that it's temporary and might be kind of panicking. ]

Future Gohan

[lamentingly]

D

[lamentingly]

[ Gohan knew he wasn't very useful with the evacuation, not when he couldn't travel the same way he used to. But all the same, he did his best to help, even if it was just making sure that people didn't end up trampling all over each other. He was having a surprising amount of luck with agitated people, getting them to calm down, and directing them to where they needed to go...

But that calming effect could only go so far, when the monsters and animals in the mines started stampeding out in the open. ]

Keep moving! Don't look back! [ He grit his teeth, glancing back at the creatures. He could understand why they were running around all panicked, but they were only making things more difficult. He called out to the evacuees, while sprinting toward the creatures: ] Don't stop moving! I'll buy you guys more time, but keep it moving!

[ How would he buy more time? Good question. He ran out without thinking, without any plan in mind. But that wasn't going to stop him. So, while running, he took a deep breath... and yelled: ]

HEY! YOU'RE ALL STUPID AND UGLY AND YOU SMELL!

[shootstyles]

Orchards

[Izuku is a curious fool. Always has been. So he can't help but go to the orchards when he hears about it.

Also because he's a little hungry. So when Daran mentions magical apples that are all sorts of strange colors, he can't resist testing one out. He picks the blue one, because it seems the most strange, and takes an experimental bite.

Wow. It's like someone turned the switch off on his anxieties and turned his occasional confidence he finds in battle up to the max.

That's probably why he's taking a seat next to you, someone close to his own age hopefully, with a smile that's open and not at all nervous.]

Hello, I'm Izuku Midoriya and I want to get to know you better. We're all in this together so it would probably be good if all have a little bit of background on each other, you know?

...Also, you're kinda cute if you don't mind me saying.

CURSES, CURSES.

[Izuku is walking around Phandalin, talking to himself as he does. If you catch what he's mumbling, it's something like "the energy... I was close enough to it and the proximity of the burst was pretty wide. Hmmm, it certainly makes sense that there might be some kind of-"

He promptly trips over his own feet and lands on his face. He mumbles an "owwww" before standing up, brushing the dust off his pants, and resuming his mumbling.

Until a few paces later he trips AGAIN. In fact, maybe he trips right INTO YOU. He turns red and sputters for a few seconds.]

Ahh, I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening!

Wildcard
[Hit me up at mythal or on discord!]

ORCHARDS BUT LIKE DIFFERENT

[bakucchan]

[Honestly, the only reason Bakugo ate one of those stupid apples was because he was starving. He was starving, and he took the biggest bite out of the closest one in his reach which just so happened to be... pink.

Right after he finished it he had a really sudden urge to seek out one of his two friends here and thankfully he found Deku not too long after, wandering around the orchards himself. Which is probably unfortunate for said Deku because.. well.]

DEKUUUU!

[Here comes Bakugo, screaming his name and using his explosions to burst his way towards him at top speed. It looks like he's ready to beat the shit out of him but when he gets close enough, he throws his arms in front of himself and...............



............wraps them. Around the smaller boy in an embrace???? Which may or may not knock poor Deku to the ground whoops.]

[gotyourbach]

1. Yakety Sax playing frantically in the background

No, come back, you have to take these!!

[Kaede is quite literally chasing a goblin down, clutching a small bag of treats in one hand.]

Aaaaah, jeez! Don't make me do this!

[Either a) you can step in and stop the goblin yourself, or b) Kaede will cast the bard spell Sleep on him.]

2. The opposite of Yakety Sax, honestly; cw: death, potential DRV3 spoilers

[After Maru had fallen, night had finally fallen as well. A thick cloud of dust still hangs overhead, obscuring the stars, the moons. She hasn't even lit herself a campfire yet, though she's more than capable of it.

Anyone who's even passingly familiar with Kaede knows that she would much rather spend her time inside, in the closest inn, than out here near the rubble. But Minato had died out here. His body might be covered by a cloth bag, taken from a town used to mining accidents, but one might be able to guess at the damage from the violin beside her. It's crushed, shattered, some of its pieces missing and the rest barely held together by its strings.

In her heart, Kaede knows the instrument probably means more to her than it did to Minato. He was willing to trade it away! But to her, it's a symbol of the music they've played together and the time they've spent together.

It feels wrong to leave him. That's all she knows, so that's why she's staying close to him, knees drawn into her chest and face buried against them.]

2

[hxppythxughts]

[Sleep comes in waves for Sayori. Sleep too much one day, and can't sleep enough the next. She sleeps when the fog rolls in to blanket her mind. She doesn't sleep when there's a storm raging, giving her too much sadness and misery to ignore.

It's a stormy night for her.

She doesn't know what she hopes to find in the dusty night. But she finds Kaede.

The sight of the body bag nearby makes Sayori's gut churn and her eyes sting. Kaede's curled up form is almost as heart-wrenching. She wipes her eyes on the cuffs of her sleeves and then approaches, cautiously.] Kaede?

[feytality]

I. (thriller music plays in the background);

[ you're near the forge when something frankly upsetting happens! there's a strange noise like shifting earth, and suddenly, out of the ground, pops out a goblin! or, well, it was a living goblin, now it's just a corpse. in the vicinity of the corpse is maya, with her eyes going very wide at this new development. ]

[ she walks over as the gobin groans, slowly, as if in a trance.... her cute sam(aya)urai spear in hand, then...... uses the butt of it to gently push the gobin back into the ground. like this. ]

Come on, enough already!

[ the zombie goblin.... zoblin? struggles and groans as maya just keeps trying to push it back down. she huffs. ]

Who around here do you think has brains?!

[ is this a self-burn, or has she noticed you, the bystander to this scenario, and is dissing you? mystery. ]

II. having a (winks) ruff day;

[ you may have seen a skeleton hanging around a specific area (for some reason), now witness..... a small, black, fluffy pomeranian! how cute. it's extremely fluffy, actually, and looks like it's in need of a good brushing. ]

[ and maybe some food or something, it's looking a little lifeless. when you approach, it jumps up and barks at you!! but as you come closer, it takes a whiff of you, makes that little doggy face of offense like it smelled something bad (rude), and then it pins its ears back. ]

[ the dog then stares at you with its big sad puppy eyes for a few seconds.... then tucks its tail between its legs, and flops on the ground. what a sad doggy. ]

III. doing push-ups, doing ab crunches, getting strong;

[ have you ever seen a movie where the main character, accompanied by a dramatic swell of music, has resolved themselves to get strong and start training and there's a montage going on and it's sort of satisfying to watch? ]

[ that's really not what's going on here. a plucky sidekick is hanging upside down from the branch of a tree, trying to do what looks like an upside-down crunch..... and her hair is flopping over her face. it looks ridiculous. ]

Mmf! Gack!

[ despite this, she valiantly tries to do.... whatever it is she's trying to do. instead of dramatic music, what might mentally be playing in your head is a sad trombone noises. ]

[ after about a minute of this pathetic struggling, she loses her grip on the branch and falls on her butt, yelping loudly. hope you've got your popcorn. ]

[ she gets up slowly, rubbing her sore butt, then looks at you and sighs. ] How do they do it in the movies?

IV. praying for your soul;

[ congrats, you've found mccree's corpse! you've also found his murderer, clearly, because there's a girl kneeling in front of it. it's maya! she did it, quick, arrest her!!! ]

[ as the obvious murderer, she seems to be lingering around the crime scene for some nefarious purpose... maybe to cover up her crime. ]

[ just kidding, she's praying. she's deep in concentration, hands clasped together and eyes closed, and is mumbling something under her breath. it's hard to make out what she's saying, and she's focusing so hard she doesn't notice you... it seems like she's been at it for a while. interrupt her y/n ]

wildcard;

[ hit me with anything! like sans, maya will mostly be around mccree's body ]

CTA -> Womp Womp

[feytality]

[ well, here goes nothing. or, well, something. the people are different this time -- sayori, zelda, akira, akira's super cool pocket monster or whatever it's called (persona, but there's no time to geek out right now. maybe in a minute or so. ) and most importantly, the plan is different. maya cracks her knuckles as nick junior, (a phoenix) nests on her head. ]

Whew.... okay.... I think we're ready.

[ they have a plan, they have the skills. she's still incredibly nervous, but she's not going to let that show if she can help it. everyone else seems so confident! and she can't fail this time. she just can't. there's too much on the line. ]

Break a leg, guys, right? Well, not literally! We need our legs. And other body parts.

[ the scar the willow has left on her is already aching. is this nerves, or some harry potter nonsense? probably nerves. ]

[hxppythxughts]

♥ 1 - a fallen forge! ♥ (OTA)

[She shouldn't have wandered too close to it. She doesn't know what horrible urge possessed her to approach the wreckage again in the first place. But Sayori is driven by impulse, and impulse is what has gotten her here.

The sound of barking and other dog noises may cause one to suspect that Good Girl Cocoa is nearby. But following the sounds does not lead to Cocoa. Rather, it's some kind of spaniel--closest to a Cavalier King Charles--with a very fluffy pink-salmon sort of coat. Regardless of whether it's barking, or sniffing, or maybe even napping, the dog isn't found too far from a pile of belongings. A BIAS, a bow that's in rough shape, and a set of warm-toned bard's clothing. It may even be napping on the clothes. But if it is, it will wake up when someone approaches.

It's also wearing a Bureau-issued bracer, so, you can probably figure out what happened.]


♥ 2 - amazing apples! ♥ (OTA)

[It's not obvious, at first, that Sayori has indulged in one of Daran's magical apples. The most obvious sign is how uncharacteristically quiet she is--even in her fun outfit, she barely draws any attention at all from the little table she occupies at the Stonehall Inn. She's even taken her hat off! It hangs off the backrest of her chair.

Hunched over the table as she is, with one arm resting on it, it's obvious what she's doing. She's writing very intently, and with a more seriously thoughtful expression than usual.

There's a mug of some sweet drink on the table, and on a tiny plate, a very picked clean apple core.]


♥ 3 - a helping hand! ♥ (OTA)

[But most of the time, of course, Sayori isn't occupied by any strange magic. And most of this time, she's focusing deeply on her fellow Reclaimers. It's the most effective way to ignore the storm clouds gathering in her mind, trying to provide care and companionship to her teammates.

So you could be pretty much anywhere in Phandalin--if Sayori sees you, she'll approach. Usually with a careful smile, unless your demeanor seems incredibly foul.] Hi! How are you feeling? [And, if you happen to look a little worse for wear in some way:] It's not very strong, but if you're sore from the mission, I can heal you.

3

[unrecovered]

[The yarn has been recovered, the fighting is mostly over for now, and Wash is dragging his injured self through the gates of Phandalin. His armor is battered and he's holding his busted right arm to his chest with his left arm. This...is not how he wanted to run into any of his kids, least of all Sayori, but here they are.]

Like I just fought a bunch of dire bears.

[Which. He did. So there's that.]

[He tries not to slump in relief at the offer. Healing magic. Right.]

That would be great.

[bakucchan]

i.

[He didn't mean to get too close to the forge but sometimes things just. Happen. Like that.

Honestly, he'd been curiously looking to see if he could find anything else helpful with the restoration of Vista Virs. He still feels.. admittedly, quite guilty for being a useless piece of shit during that time and hindering everyone more than helping, so if he could at the very least help with rebuilding it it would relieve his stresses a little bit, he thinks.

That's when he wanders a little too close and feels something, for a split second, take over his body.]

What the--?!

[And before he realizes it, he's been... turned into a small dog.

And he's pissed.

So, the first person who happens to walk by is going to hear a high pitched sounding growl at their feet from a feral pomeranian with Bakugo's mask hanging around it's neck and bright red eyes that look like it's ready to kill. A normal look for Bakugo all things considered but holy shit is this embarrassing.]

ii.

[Bakugo was starving, and too stubborn to care about how weird the apples looked. He's aware that they're edible, and he's never really been the cautious type.. at least, not now that he knows this place is a little bit trustworthy. He still thinks the Director is a crazy, lying hag but the food hasn't killed him yet since he arrived here so he grabs the closest apple to him and takes a huge bite out of it. He's colourblind, anyway. Has no idea that it's a pink one.

And.. the strangest feeling overcomes him. A weird longing for physical contact that drives him absolutely nuts.

So, after he's finished his apple he looks around for someone-- anyone, really, and barks them over with a sharp order.]

OI! Gimme your fucking hand or I'll kill you!

[don't ask why just do it]

i

[lamentingly]

[ Out of all the things Gohan had been expecting to find among the wreckage, a loud energetic pomeranian was definitely not one of them. The one armed man blinking at the sight, pausing for a moment to make sure that, yes, this is real and not a product of his imagination. He walked closer, bending low. ]

Um... hey there, little guy... [ He offered his hand, palm open, giving the dog the chance to come sniff him. ] You alright there? Do you need help?

[napstar]

A (warning: death)
[ Maybe you were one of the people that recovered his remains, or spent a shift watching over his body bag (accompanied by an utterly destroyed violin), or one of the people that dragged his body into the temple. Or maybe you just heard the rumor of a blue haired Reclaimer that chose to die to save Cocoa's life.

He's been revived in Phandalin's temple thanks to a generous donation from Maya. He's in constant pain though, so he hasn't moved very much. He certainly hasn't left to explore the town. And without anything to distract him from the pain -- no paper, no violin, no mp3 player -- he's become very cranky. The temple attendants constantly asking how he's feeling doesn't help. When footsteps approach his makeshift bed in the temple he rolls over with a groan, not even looking to see who it is. ]

Fuck off.

[ Enough prodding will get him out of his bed, if you can put up with his sour mood. ]

B
[ Congratulations! You've argued with him for more than two minutes and successfully gotten him to grumpily climb out of bed to see the town. The orchard is what catches his attention the most, especially the ripe apples. Aren't apples best in autumn? He's not sure these can taste too good if they're ripening in spring, even with magic.

From the tree that Daran has offered them to peruse, Minato's eyeing the yellow apples and the pink apples. He's already died, so it's not like whatever dumb shit these apples will due are going to do worse. Well, they might, but his pain doesn't let him care enough to think that far. Ultimately he can't be assed to decide and turns to you. ]

Suggestions?

C
[ The second the spheres started arriving he dragged his ass into one and checked in to the moonbase's infirmary. Precious, gracious relief flows through his veins. He can finally sleep his life away just like he has always wanted!

And he would, but he's been having trouble falling asleep for some reason. He's been tossing and turning for hours. It just isn't coming as naturally to him as it used to. The medics seem to think he's fine and probably just needs a bit more rest. You have to be kind to yourself; Dying is a very traumatic experience.

Next to him is some paper and pencils where he's been writing something out. His MP3 player sits neatly on top of them. When you enter he's not doing anything in particular. Staring into space, lost in thought, wishing he was asleep. He nods to you as a greeting. ]

Wildcard
[ Cocoa lived! Mission success! If you want to plot something out hit me up on Discord at Kelories#6484 or on plurk at kelories. I'll be on hiatus from May 8th to the 24th. I might be able to tag though. We'll see. ]

A!!!!!!

[gotyourbach]

Arisato-kun?

[Kaede's steps falter, her heart sinking somewhere into the floor and all but disappearing. He does hate her after all, huh? She'd been afraid of it, but had managed to convince herself that there's no way.

At least he's alive. Even if he hates her, he's alive.]

S-Sorry... I'll go if you want me to. I just... thought maybe you'd want to eat something together.

[As soon as she'd heard he was breathing and awake, she'd come running, only stopping long enough to get a basket of food from the local inn. Some kind of meat stew and coarse bread; nothing to really write home about, but she'd really thought that something like that would be comforting for him.

She'd wished there had been a friend there for her after her execution, after all.]

[forhyrule]

F-1, honoring the fallen

Graveside service

[ After all of the casualties from the fall of Maru have been buried, Zelda can be found walking among the graves. She carries a large basket full of blooming wildflowers. She stops at each grave to say a prayer and lay a flower upon it. The prayers aren't like any heard in Faerun; they're the last rites of the religion from Zelda's kingdom, Hyrule. Hopefully the dead (and the living) don't mind. Zelda just wants to bring their spirits peace after these untimely deaths. ]

The shrine of the lucky goddess

[ Zelda can also be found inside the little shrine, sitting at one of the pews with her head bowed and hands clasped together. It's quiet enough to hear her prayer: she beseeches the goddess Nayru for guidance, the goddess Din for resilience, and the goddess Farore for braveness. She finishes with a prayer of apology and gratitude to the Faerunian goddess Tymora, the patron of this shrine. Feel free to sit down beside her and listen. She'll offer to pray for you if you want. ]

F-2, Good fortune is not so good

[ "Mild fortune bears down on you like the sun."

If you're in the area near Stonehill Inn, you might hear a little -plink plink plink- of something raining down on the roof. But the sky above you is generally clear and the sound is coming from only part of the roof. Further investigation will lead you to Zelda, standing not far from the front door. Rain is pelting down onto the awning above her head, but it's not the usual rain. It's a steady shower of copper and silver coins, materializing from nothingness to shower down on her.

You would think that a literal shower of money would have anyone leaping for joy and gathering up as much as possible, but Zelda just looks annoyed. She has a hand pressed against the top of her head, a little line of blood staining her cheek.

Be careful if you approach. Those coins are falling fast enough to cause injury, as the unfortunate princess has already found out. ]

G-1, Conversations with apple trees

[ Talking to plants has quickly become one of Zelda's favorite activities since arriving in this world. Her conversations with different flora tend to be as varied as they are with people, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.

The apple trees at Edermath are excited about the captive audience they have in Zelda. When they're not boasting of the quality of their fruit, they're gossiping about the multicolored apples. Those ones are weird and creatures that eat them behave weird; try our apples instead.

Zelda needs their warning, but notices that the other Reclaimers do not. When she finds someone holding one of the strange apples, she will approach them and gently warn them of the potential dangers of eating it. ]

Wildcard

[ Surprise me with whatever you fancy or plot with me at knighted. ]

F-1, shrine.

[gambolshroud]

[Blake isn't much for praying, but all things considered, she figures they can use all the help they can get. She finds Tymora's shrine occupied when she arrives— not too surprising, she supposes. Other people are probably looking for some source of comfort after the mission— another 'success' with too many casualties for her liking.

She approaches the shrine and proceeds to sit near where Zelda prays, clasping her hands in front of her and listening with interest rather than interrupting. If nothing else, the prayer is lovely.]