Lunar Interlude 4 — corporate retreat

[balancemod]

I have a feeling that you'll find the next few weeks a little... in-tents. NAVIGATION 1. NEW RECLAIMERS A. WELCOME WAGON For those of you who will be arriving today, the story is the same: though you may not remember it, there was a moment where you were living out your life, at home or wherever you were ... and then there was the moment the Hunger came. And amid the television static that is your memory of that moment, a hand reached out to you, beckoning your escape as the tendrils of darkness destroyed everything that ever existed about your world. "Would you hurry this up, please? Your world no longer stands a chance. Come with me, we are the last bastions of hope for all universes everywhere. And we're going to need you." And then, unceremoniously, you are dragged through the universal wringer and plopped down on the soft, though not quite cushioned, grass of the Moon Base Quad. You're not alone, either. Along with the newest members of the Bureau, in a fashion probably not unlike this, there are people waiting here for you. People who wanted to see the heroes the Director has managed to bring in this time. People who are excited to see what you're capable of. You have a few minutes to talk with each other — or maybe lob a few questions at the impromptu welcoming committee, or any of the older Reclaimers who may happen to be nearby. But before long, you're whisked away to a different area of the Moon Base. B. THE VOIDFISH You are quickly divided into four groups, and brought to the easternmost geodesic dome, to an elevator in a well maintained, but sparsely landscaped field. There's nothing particularly ominous feeling about the space — in fact, the two guards who greet you at the elevator entrance seem pleased with your arrival. You are, after all, one of the few chosen by the Director, the few who will reclaim what the Hunger has destroyed. And in a few moments, you're about to find that out for yourself. After a tightly packed elevator ride, your group is ushered out to a rather grand looking hall, banners of the Bureau of Balance adorn both sides of smooth metal walls. And inside the Voidfish's chamber stands a tank — impossibly tall, and soaked in a black ink that obscures whatever the tank may be holding. You may notice a melody, someone playing the violin. It's a bard, on his fourth round of introducing Reclaimers to the Voidfish. When he's finished, he pulls out a few pieces of paper — sheet music — opens a drawer at the bottom of the tank, drops the papers in, and shuts it. And swiftly, you feel as if there's something you can't just shake off about the melody you just heard. If you seem alarmed, the bard takes notice of it. "Yeah, man, like... don't think too hard about it, it's like that every time. I'm guessing you're here to be inoculated? Just a heads up, you might want to, like, seriously, hold your nose while you drink it down. It tastes wicked gross, man." You sort of get the sense that he's said this speech once or twice in the past. It's well rehearsed, much like the stories you'd expect a bard to be able to recite. "Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you that you have a choice. If you drink the black stuff, you'll be able to hear through the, uh... Huh, how do I describe it? Through the [TSHCSCHTSHCHSC] sound. You guys like, hear that? Anyway, it's all about knowledge or something. I don't know, I'm just here to, like, feed the thing. We call it the [TSCHHSCHSCH], by the way. So, like. You get a choice. You can drink it and understand stuff, or not drink it and then hear that crackling noise all day every day. If I were you, I'd drink it. But, hey man, I'm not like, your dad or anything." The bard takes five cups and draws liquid from a spigot connected directly to the basin of the large tank. Stormy, muddy looking ichor is drawn into them, one by one. He offers each of you a sip. Drink it (he wasn't kidding about what it tasted like), and you're inoculated to the wisdom of the Voidfish. You try to remember the song this bard played a few moments ago and the melody, the meter, every octave, all come back to you. And if you think back to your arrival, some of the things you may have heard other people in the Quad say, that simply sounded like static, are suddenly clear. Bureau of Balance. Grand Relic. Reclaimers. Yet you still can't remember the Hunger or what it had done to your world. And as you look back to the tank in front of you, the water has become clear. There's a jellyfish, as tall as a building, floating within. You look into the body of the creature and you can almost make out a beautiful, tiny universe floating within it. 2. TEST OF INITIATION You're given approximately 48 hours to sign up for the test of initiation. Outside the Arena is a command console where you can push your biometric signature up against the device, pick a time, and get prepare to take your entrance exam. This one is a little different than the ones before it; the Director has posed a group challenge among her hopeful Reclaimers. One slot contains blank names for four people altogether. Two of them are backlit in a blue background, two in red. It looks like you're going to be competing against other Reclaimers. At the appointed time, you'll enter the arena's chambers and fill out into one of two rooms. You and your teammate will be allowed to dress and prepare accordingly. From the window, you can see a single, solitary mountain that rises so high you can barely make odds or ends of the peak. An array of items stands before you, four in total. You can only choose two, as the second both of you claim one item, the other two become translucent and untouchable. Placing either of your items back on their pedestals makes them corporeal again. All in all, you have: ○ Booster boots - aids you in climbing and scaling the mountain, quadrupling your jump speed ○ Spiked boots - when landing on a surface of the mountain, it magically locks into place and prevents you from falling or being otherwise deterred in moving upward ○ An enchanted cloth - you're not sure what this is capable of, but if you try it out a little bit, you'll realize it resists the push of air. Essentially, a portable hang glider ○ Grappling hook - standard issue, its reach is about 50 feet. When it locks onto a surface, it's impossible to remove unless a button is pressed on the device to loosen it Both of your teams must make it to the top. What awaits you there is a wand, standing on an intricately carved, raised dais. The base is made out of stone, but written in very clear, etched letters around the bottom are the words: THE GRAND RELIC, WAND OF PLANAR DISPLACEMENT. Does it sound too good to be true? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. You need to get that relic back down to the entrance room. The caveat here is if you happen to be tempted, and let's face it, the easy way out is always rather appealing, you can try to use it. It'll take you back down, easily enough, but the wand will not come with you. Looks like you're going to have to trek your way back up there. Either way, the first team to make it down wins the contest. What's the prize, you ask? Gloating rights, mostly. 3. THE REAL CAMPY FUN BEGINS As The Director mentioned, you will be spending this month on a corporate retreat! And she wasn't kidding when she said she said this retreat will be an exercise in working together. Shortly after the newest Reclaimers are all good and initiated, and shortly after the rest of you have packed what you can, you're all whisked away to Gwynneth — a beautifully lush forest on the Moonshae Isles. Blanketed in a canopy of lush greens and soft, comfortable grass that seems to grow even in the farthest corners where the light can't reach, the forest looks and feels like something out of a storybook. A peculiar, but not unpleasant, scent that is a blend of sweet olives and cherry blossoms wafts throughout the forest no matter where you turn. That is to say, for those of you who have been in the Bureau for the while, and are used to roughing it with your BIAS: Welcome! This should be roughly old hat for some of you. Not far from the clearing where you all land are two perfectly lined rows of cabins that are in particularly bad shape. On the door frame of each will contain some information... and you might have guessed it. "BARBARIANS," "FIGHTERS," "PALADINS," "DANCERS," "MONKS," "RANGERS & ROGUES," "BARDS," "SORCERERS," "WARLOCKS," "DRUIDS," "CLERICS," and "SMART PEOPLE." - you get the idea. Each cabin will have just the essentials (creaky bunk beds, chests at the foot of each, and a few spare desks per room). Rest assured, the Director's enchanted the cabins to reject entry to anyone who doesn't fit the proper description that's labeled above each door. You will... most likely have to clean the place up prior to habitation. Showering, toilets, and mirrors are communal, but divided into stalls in the administrative cabin, adjunct to the Bureau's cabin. And for those of you who don't fit into any of the above (hi Lucas), uh, well. There's an old shack close to where you were dropped off, but you probably don't want to stay inside for too long. It smells like something died in there — and maybe something did. And boy, does this whole trip have "campy corporate retreat" written all over it. When you arrive, you're informed that your "mission" here, so to speak, is to safely make it through the month's activities, including the penultimate task: Braving what staff is only referring to as the Tomb of Horrors. But we'll get to that later. Right now, you've got some camping activities to do. C. GET IN LOSERS WE'RE GOING CAMPING If there's a camp activity that you can think of, we guarantee that there is space set aside for it, and that a Bureau member The Director brought along to assist the Reclaimers is helping to run it. Here are a few of the more prominent activities to get you started, however: ○ Fight Club/Struggle Tourney/Whatever you want to call it: For those of you who are in clear need of more training, or simply like getting yourself into a good strife, a small arena has been squared and roped off for your said strifing convenience. You can sign up in pairs or go mano a mano against one opponent, but there's a catch. This activity is about improvising, and learning your fellow Reclaimers' fighting styles — an absolute must for when you're out on the field in the thick of a battle. You will only be allowed to use fighting ring issued weapons. A magical barrier will knock your regular weapon right out of your hands if you try to enter the ring with it! And, I mean. Who wouldn't want to fight with these Fantasy Costco exclusives? (Note: If you want to join an actual Fight Club, the magic barrier is down for two hours starting at midnight. Use that information how you will.) ○ Arts and Crafts: Another camping given. Stretched out between two large evergreens is an equally large canvas, though short enough that every Reclaimer should be able to reach. You'll be given a paintbrush — magic, of course, according to the Bureau member helping out with this activity. It magically fills itself with paint, allowing you to add color to the canvas without the need for a palette. Because curiously, it seems you're capable of painting in only one color. And more curiously, it's a color that's very unique to you: no other Reclaimer is going to have the same hex value as what's flowing out of your paintbrush. If you ask her, the Bureau member will smile somewhat pensively, and explain: That paintbrush allows you to paint in the color of whatever energy you're giving off right now. Take this with a grain of salt, of course, but the basic hues can be interpreted as follows: Red can mean that you have a problem that you need to solve. Yellow means there's a secret that you're keeping from someone important to you. Green elicits a feeling of calmness, but there's something else that you're not allowing yourself to address. Blue means there's something you need to confess, whether it's the fact that you have a crush on someone, or the fact that you stole something or told a lie. White means, simply, an energy at peace. Of course, you may find yourself painting in any color out there — and they may represent something else, depending on you specifically. Use this prompt however you'd like! And, that's not to say that these are all things that we need to sit down around the campfire and hash out — though that's an activity later on if you want it! These energies aren't necessarily a bad thing either. It wouldn't be much of a painting, you wouldn't be the person you've grown into right now, if you're always painting in white. ○ Ghost stories: Speaking of campfires, every night, you'll be invited to have a seat at a large campfire and to try to tell your best ghost story. Not too far away from the campfire are four busts of wizardly looking men and women on pedestals. Yes, they are haunted by the very same wizardly looking men and women. And yes, they will be offering frank commentary on whatever story you decide to tell. I'm just gonna leave this here. ○ Field Day: What's a camping trip without the likes of potato sack races, music, tye-dye booths like you'd find at the typical spring fair, and friendly games of capture the flag? If you find this whole field day thing a little bit childish, then, well ... yeah, you're probably right! But even stuffy old people like Lucretia know that the people even stuffier than she is need a chance to cut loose once in a while. So go right ahead and get yourself a fried charisma oreo. There's a dunking booth, by the way. Yes, you can dunk the Director if you want. You might bump into Lucas while you're here. He is having pretty much the worst month right now: sunburned, blown up on histamines and more than ready to go back to the Moon Base where there's air conditioning and technology. ○ Man eff that: If the campy camp activities are a bit too campy for you, then The Director certainly isn't going to twist your arm into participating. Well, actually, she might. A little? In any case, if you're hellbent on boycotting, you might join Lucas in the aforementioned Smelly Shack, as he tinkers with the tech he managed to bring with him and is generally a pain in the ass about having to be out in the forest. Saru and his band of kitsune, if you remember them from Vista Virs, now full-fledged members of the Bureau, will take you on hunting trips if you're interested. If you need to actually learn how to hunt, then Carey and Killian are here to help. If you're still gonna be a stick in the corporate retreat mud, then the Director might ask you to clear as big of a path to the Tomb of Horrors as possible (Note: You will not be able to go inside, or find a way inside the Tomb of Horrors, no matter how hard you try. This isn't Breath of the Wild, sadly, you can't defeat Ganon right after falling off the Great Plateau). It's about five miles directly to the east, and behind the thickest and densest part of the forest. Who knows what else you'll find out there? Have fun! D. AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION One more thing. Something strange is happening overnight, while everyone is asleep, whether it's in their bedrolls, or holed up in the Smelly Shack. Something — or someone seems to be draping a blanket of magic over the entire camp, leaving those who were asleep rather susceptible to it. You may find yourself afflicted with any number of inconvenient status effects for the day, whether it's a burn on your arm you can't seem to heal, more, uh. Well. More sleep. You blink, and suddenly, 24 hours have passed. Maybe you enter a 2v2 in the fighting ring and suddenly realize you can't tell friend from foe — even though you'd agreed on the teams before entering. Maybe all the food suddenly loses its flavor, leaving you to marvel at how intense textures suddenly are. If you happened to be painting in blue, maybe you're suddenly compelled to blurt it out to the next unfortunate soul who passes. It's a smorgasbord of minor inconveniences. Almost like something's spotted the corporate retreat, and has decided to use its participants as their plaything. But what? blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

[korekara]

[ ... There's so much happening here and Honoka doesn't have time to unpack all of it. All she knows is that she's being yelled at and oh god, it's like Umi really was here all along except somehow, it's not quite as scary?? Maybe years of having Umi yell at her has fried out some part of her brain.

That would explain a lot of things, come to think of it.

So on some weird instinct that she can't really account for, Honoka finds herself... snapping him a salute?? ]

Uh, sir, yes sir!

[ That's the kind of thing you're supposed to say, right? ]

I mean, I really don't wanna break a leg on my first week here so if you know what you're doing, that'll make things a lot easier.

[bakucchan]

[..okay admittedly, it's kind of hilarious to have her snap into a salute like that and the corner of Bakugo's mouth twitches into a smile for a hot second. Just a hot one. You won't catch him laughing but inwardly he is.]

Damn fucking straight!

[But any inkling of smiling is gone immediately as he's back into it, and he walks over to the items to start looking them over.]

You're fucking lucky you've got me as a partner! I'll make sure you don't break any of your bones, ya' damn punk! We'll have an indisputable win against that other shitty team-- with not a single scratch on us!

[He picks up the Booster Boots(tm), and sets them aside. Probably would be useful.. probably.]

[korekara]

[ So many swears... okay, maybe it's not so much like being around Umi after all.

But it's weirdly reassuring. There's so much volume here, but he doesn't really seem to be yelling directly at her? Just sort of around her, in general. She gets the feeling that this is a boy who operates at at 10 when really, any given situation calls for a 5 at most.

... Not that Honoka can say anything, obviously. ]

Right! We just gotta zip up and down there as quick as we can!

[ Since they're settled on the Booster Boots, Honoka takes the opportunity to scope out the tools they've been given. If they could take all of them, it'd make things easier, but that's probably part of the challenge. ]

Getting down is probably gonna be the hard part, though... we'll wanna make sure we do it safely!

[bakucchan]

[More like Bakugo always operates at a 20, honestly.

But he gives her a nod in reply. If he had Feather Fall it'd be easy.. hell, if he had his explosions it'd be easy. But of course, this is a test that's not meant to be something they can just solve in a heartbeat. Though it's a lot better than what he had to deal with, all those months ago.]

The grappling hook ain't gonna help shit-- it'll just take us twice as long to get up and down and we'd lose so fuck that. Same with those other boots-- what, are we supposed to just have a fun hike down the mountain?? No fucking way!

[He snatches that cloth, without really knowing what it's good for and the other two items become intangible.]

We'll make due with what we've got!

[korekara]

Right!

[ For the first time since coming in here, she manages a grin. All of her usual bubbly energy's finally starting to warm up, now that she knows exactly what she's got to conquer. She's got a teammate, they've got the tools so really, it's impossible for them to fail! Or at least that's what she'll tell herself. ]

There's only one pair of those shoes, though... so how're we gonna make sure we get up there at the same time? We can't share them, can we?

[ That sounds like a one way trip to at least one broken leg, honestly. ]

[bakucchan]

[He didn't think of that.

He.. didn't think of that......... shit.]

....hold on to me as tight as you can unless you want to fall off and die.

[Of course, that's the only real reasonable solution he can think of. He'll probably be able to use those boots fine, being used to traveling at rapid speeds thanks to his Quirk and she probably isn't that heavy.


...probably.]

[korekara]

Huh?! Like a piggy back ride or something?! I'll never be able to hold on!

[ Especially if they're going to be zooming along through the mountains. That sounds like a death sentence.

She furrows her brow in thought for a moment, but then her face lights up again, the proverbial ding of a lightbulb popping on above her head. ]

Wait, I know! [ she digs into their basket and takes out the cloth, giving it a flap so it billows out. ] We'll use this! If we tie it tight enough, it'll be like a safety harness!

[bakucchan]

[..seriously?

That sounds really sketchy and frankly stupid but whatever. If it'll get them up the mountain safely then it'll just have to do.]

Sure, whatever. As long as it works I don't give a shit what we do.

[korekara]

[ Would you rather let her DIE, Bakugo???

don't answer that ]

Right! Gimme just one sec...

[ She gathers the cloth back up and rolls it a little, just to make it a little easier to work with and then turns to Bakugo expectantly. ]

I'm ready anytime you are!

[ You're lucky Bakugo's not a girl because she would've just yeeted herself up onto his back already without another word. ]

[bakucchan]

[YEAH PLEASE DONT YEET YOURSELF ONTO HIM YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY DIE???

That said, Bakugo simply gives her a scoff in reply as he moves to take a seat, so he can kick off his Hero Boots(tm) to put on the Booster Boots(tm) instead. They don't match his outfit and frankly he's upset about that but if they get the job done, they'll get it done.]

I've fucking been ready!

[He snaps that as he walks over to her, now booted, and crouches down in front of her so she can climb on his back easily since he's a whole like. Seven inches taller.]

[korekara]

[ She's so small. Please make sure she doesn't snap clean in two.

Without any apparent hesitation, Honoka clambers readily onto his back. She's light enough that her worry of just getting blown clean off his back by the wind probably doesn't seem so ridiculous now. Once she's situated, she whips out that length of cloth again and... does her best to fix the two of them together with it. She even double knots it. Foolproof! ]

There! How's that? You think it'll hold?

[bakucchan]

[Welp. He now has an idol tied to his back like a baby backpack or some shit this is fine.

Bakugo gives the cloth a tug or two with his hands to make sure it's tight enough to hold, and from there he reaches back to grab her legs like one would giving a piggy-back ride before he stands up straight again.]

If it doesn't hold, I'll fucking kill it.

[is he threatening a cloth]

[korekara]

It might kill us first if it doesn't hold...

[ HONOKA DON'T SAY THAT SHIT OUT LOUD, THAT'S HOW YOU GET JINXED???

But despite her obvious fretting (she's kind of trembling like a leaf in high winds) the way she sets her hands on Bakugo's shoulders is surprisingly decisive. She's just got to do this, no two ways about it. ]

Okay... are we ready to go?

[bakucchan]

[AS IF HE'LL LET THEM DIE but he'll keep that to himself as he just. Starts walking towards the door, and kicks it open with one of his boots quite loudly.]

I was fucking born ready!

[A grin spreads across his face as he makes way to the base of the mountain, and tilts his head up to see if he can even see the top from here. Of course he can't.. but that's what makes it more fun.]

You better not drag me down, Tangerine.

[korekara]

No way!

[ It's impressive how confident she's managing to make herself sound considering that she's at least 40% of the way to passing out in fear. ]

I wanna win just as much as you do! We just gotta blast through here!

slides back here finally

[bakucchan]

[She's got more guts than she looks, he'll give her that.

He just gives her a little scoff of a reply, maybe sounding a bit amused before he starts stretching his legs. If they're gonna be climbing, he'll have to make sure his body is actually y'know.. ready for it before starting.

But it doesn't take long before he's ready, and he starts with a boost from his boots-- sending them up into the air, and he sticks the landing almost too well. This is more like it, honestly. He hasn't been able to do things like this since he got here, with his Quirk being weaker than it should be but this is much more his style.

They'll be up there in no time.]

time for honoka and bakugo to die

[korekara]

[ In the picosecond before Bakugo launches them into the air, Honoka has a moment where she realizes that maybe – just maybe – this could be a potentially bad idea. The mountain looks really high all of a sudden and she's suddenly really aware that all that's keeping her from plummeting to her doom is a messily tied strip of cloth.

Huh.

So she opens her mouth to say something like hey, maybe we should work out a plan B too, just in case but all she gets out is– ]

Hey–

[ And then before she can say anything else, off they go. She kind of screams? The whole way up there? Thankfully, the speed knocks all the air clean out of her lungs so it's more of a distressed wheeze, but still. ]

b y e

[bakucchan]

STOP SCREAMING IN MY EAR, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME FUCKING LOSE AN EARDRUM!!!

[Bakugo yells (read: screams) that over his shoulder at her as they start to fall down towards the mountain, and he clings tight to her (is he holding onto her like a piggyback i cant remember he is now) as he prepares for his feet to touch the ground.. rock... side of the cliff.

They do, and it's a little slippery of a landing but he's got fast reflexes, and sends the two of them back in the air within a couple of seconds, up towards the top. This isn't the kind of hiking he's usually used to but.. he can't help the excited smile on his face.

It's actually kind of fun.]

[korekara]

I CAN'T HELP IIIIIIT! [ WHEEZE

She's doing her best to be a good passenger apart from the distressed wheezing, though. She's keeping her center of balance relatively level and though it's clear she's scared out of her wits, she's not holding onto him too hard. But definitely still hard enough that her knuckles are kind of white.

She squints into the rushing wind, trying to gauge how far up the mountain they are. She's not fool enough to look down but she can't see anything with her hair whipping into her face. So she calls; ]

How far up are we?