ximilialog | MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

● ● ● M I S S I O N 4 . 2

INTRO • THE DREAM DEFERRED • YOUR WAKE UP CALL • FYI

// INTRO. WELFORD BRANSON  

It is barely past twilight in Scorpion’s Bend, the twin suns having just set, taking their light with them — but the moons delay, and so darkness lingers over the town as Lan Xichen’s conversation with one Welford Branson comes to an abrupt end. At the same time, all around the town, the team will notice the town natives around them stilling — some freezing in the middle of a sentence, a man with a fork in the air, a woman mid-step on the street, some youngsters with their mouths open in laughter. All of them become statues in less than a heartbeat; still, eyes vacant, like everything that made them seem alive has been taken away.

And then — a reverberating sigh, echoing heavily in the ears of all the Orbers. What follows are words, spoken by a chorusing voice now familiar to most of the team —

“Well now you’ve done it.”

The orb’s echoing sound is filled with disappointment, even annoyance.

Some may see that amidst all the frozen townspeople, an old man runs, clawing at his thinning hair. Some of you may hear his words, muttered, desperate:

“I don't understand, I thought 'twas just a bad dream, everyone was fine, don't understand, what in the name of the Eight could've done somethin' like this —”

The disbelieving mumbles trail at his wake, making it clear he does not know what is going on at all — in fact, you may have a better idea as to what has happened than he does. But as you turn to follow him, open your mouth to yell at him to stop... everything around you shatters.

The lights in the buildings grow dim and break; the smell of food disappears; the horses in the stables simply fade away. You notice that if you were wearing or carrying something you bought while here, it too disappears, your clothes turning to those you had on upon arrival, all equipment shimmering away slowly.

But perhaps most importantly… the frozen statues of people crumble into ash right in front of you. It may fill the floors of the now-silent, dusty and worn-down houses, or it may blow away with the harsh desert wind — whichever it is, sans the team, the town of Scorpion’s Bend is now devoid of people.

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// PART I.THE DREAM DEFERRED  

The town that now surrounds the team is very different from the one it used to be — the houses are quiet, filled with sand and dust; doors broken, tables turned over, drawers open and mostly empty, aside from anything not valuable. The beds in Thornbush Inn are ragged, insects of various sizes skittering along the floors. The Saloon is dusty, furniture broken, and a lone piano stands in the corner, half its keys having crumbled away. The door to the Mayor’s office is ajar, a banging sound repeating as it hits the wall in time with the wind.

1.0 In the corners of the Sheriff’s office, the school and the church, the embera slither along, searching for food; owl-shrews hide from the Orbers on the streets, while feathered coyotes howl at the five moons now lending their light to see the town’s destruction better. The team may be the only living humanoids, but they are not the only living beings in the town anymore; in the absence of people, animals have made the town their home. And coexist they must, now, to survive the rapidly dropping temperature of the night that has fallen upon them.

2.0 The next morning, as the moons disappear underneath the horizon and let the two suns bring out their scorching rays once more, the team wakes up to the reality of having to survive Scorpion’s Bend… with very little supplies. So search the empty houses, for they still stand; the fire that has burned away the people has not touched the buildings… but they have not been immune to the passing of time, or the harsh weather in the desert. You may find clothing, basic equipment, pots and pans left on a now-cold stove; but no valuables, no money, no gems, no jewelry, no weapons.

But amidst your search through the town, remember that what you need, first and foremost, is to find water and something to eat — it will not be long until the suns are high in the sky, and some of you are already in desperate need of proper nourishment, without being left to endure the scorching temperatures the days on the planet of Badrock bring.

3.0 But should you want to brave the heat, you’ll find it is now possible to leave the town and venture out into the desert. Out there, the rock dragons search for prey, while bald vultures circle above your head in groups of three or four, their shrieks growing in volume the farther you walk. If you show weakness, any weakness, they strike — and the dragons, sensing their chance, are not far behind.

And when you least expect it, the ground underneath you trembles, like a small earthquake is approaching you… and then you see it: from the sand, a whale surges up, then another, and another, arcing through the air like suspended there, before the sand swallows them once more. Should you get too close, you too may be swallowed underneath the sand; unless you’re very, very careful, or have in your arsenal something else that may help you to deal with these near-immortal giants that have swam across the deserts for hundreds of thousands of years.

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// PART II.YOUR WAKE UP CALL  

Time passes at a snail’s pace without the comforts of the town you were used to. Scorpion’s Bend is now a wasteland you must survive, and it clearly isn’t easy. Some of you might question whether retrieving the orb is still an endeavour worth pursuing after all of this, but the rest of you know that it is. That you’ve come this far and you’re nearly there; you just need to band together and form a gameplan.

As the suns begin to set over the horizon on yet another grueling day of scorching heat and rough, dry sand in the ghost town of Scorpion’s Bend, you might begin to hear a distant thunder that has nothing to do with an oncoming desert storm or otherwise. It rattles at the already weakened structures of the old Saloon and the General Store, bits of broken glass and debris vibrating with the raucous sound of clattering hooves, feet, and paws. And as the sound of the invasion grows louder – you’ll hear the unmistakable manic howling and bellowing in accompaniment: these are the Bouldersnakes that some of you have already heard much of.

4.0 The Bouldersnakes are not a group to be taken lightly, and have garnered the fearsome reputation that they now hold for a reason. Kicking up dust, they arrive like a cloud of chaos in different sizes, shapes, and forms. Some have the ability to shrink and grow in size to match their opponents in physical size and weight. Other Bouldersnakes are agile and quick; and others yet are superhumanly strong and robust – either way, they make for formidable opponents when you, yourself, have been weakened from weeks of a lack of proper nutrition and sleep. The individual members of the Bouldersnakes are like a band of bloodthirsty brothers: from all walks of life and all colours and creeds, with a severe and mean streak to them, who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

What goals, you ask? Should you listen carefully, their leader, riding a winged lizard-like creature, shouts to their underlings:

“Find it! This is where it told us to come to. We missed it last time, but no more! I don't care what we have to do, we're getting our hands on that thing!”

As it so happens, you are not the only crew in search of that elusive orb; the Bouldersnakes have been tracking down the whereabouts of this mysterious and all-powerful object themselves, burning through towns – quite literally – to get it. News that Scorpion’s Bend has seen a resurgence of life and might still be the resting place of the orb has the bandits seeking out the town again. Their first round through Scorpion's Bend about a year ago had them coming up empty-handed (save for a few bits and baubles), but this time they are determined to find what they've come here to find. Though if there’s anything left here to salvage... they’ll ransack as they please.

Whether you confront them head-on or they catch you in hiding, they won’t easily back down from a fight. It will be best to keep your distance if you can manage it, and hope that they’ll pass you by. But the Bouldersnakes have their weaknesses too: once maimed, they still bleed, and none of them are immortal, though they are notoriously difficult to kill based on their talents alone... and when they carry weapons, too, well — those not accustomed to battles may find it best to hide. And even for those with fighting experience under your belt, teaming up with your fellow Orbers and combining your shared skills will be your best chance at survival.

5.0 By the time the suns have disappeared and the moons have risen, the Bouldersnakes invasion will make the bandit attack from the other night seem like a childish tussle. The Bouldersnakes don’t play nice and have adapted to the harsh lands as ruthless survivors. They arrive like a wave, many equipped with weapons: guns, sabers, pistols and small knives. A few others have engineered their own specially crafted weapons made of metal and magic (in the shape of guns, blow-torches, and blades) that wield a special element harnessed from mined ore called ‘pulsefire’. It is this pulsefire, glowing a deep blue (like the hottest colour of flame), that has the capability to destroy all living beings and allows the bandits to systematically ravage unsuspecting towns down to ash, reap its benefits (either for the town’s riches and wealth, or and especially: for any supply of ore), and then leave without a trace.

The best way to fight against pulsefire is to acquire weapons of pulsefire of your own and best a Bouldersnake before they best you. (Think high stakes, noon-time duels of the pistol.) Of course, this is a very risky and very dangerous affair as one shot by pulsefire could mean your untimely demise and the element itself isn't easy to put out either, so it might be best to work in teams to strategically disarm and swipe a pulsefire weapon to use before they manage to overwhelm you.

NOTE: If your character is alive, your character will be vulnerable to the effects of pulsefire. Unliving things such as buildings and infrastructure will not be affected. Pulsefire has a slow spread-rate over unliving things, but its effects on the living are instant. Once in contact with the element, pulsefire quickly consumes the living body and spirit until it is turned to ash. Putting pulsefire out over unliving things is relatively easy, but once pulsefire has touched the living, there's little to no chance of making it out in one piece.

All through this, you must still remember your goal — it is not to stay in Scorpion's Bend, or even fight the Bouldersnakes, but to find the orb... and that means finding Welford Branson. How will you convince him to give you the orb, when all signs point to him not even knowing what it is, or what it has done? That is what you must decide... if you survive the Bouldersnakes in one piece, of course.

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place ICly right after the end of the NPC thread.

• The voting for how to get the orb is now open! Please head HERE to submit your idea for how the team should proceed to get the orb, or +1 others’ ideas.

• The conclusion of the mission and the return to the station will be posted on February 13.

• If you have questions about anything in this log, please direct them HERE.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

THE DREAM DEFERRED

[following the collapse of the illusion and ford’s escape, xichen grows quieter. while he does not hide, the warmth he’s cultivated and normally shown has melted away into a polite, distant calm. he cannot explain the not-quite-guilt and grief. it is not the collapse of the illusion alone, though he does feel that this could have been avoided, but a cumulation of things.

logic reasons that ford's mental break was inevitable, a matter of time. but xichen has lived under the weight of the expectation of his title, of zewu-jun, as if he were not a man but an idealization carved from jade and animated into life. not quite on the same level as the rest, elevated along with his brother. so he feels like he could have done something to prevent it.

in ford he sees himself mere months ago, knows the feeling of having his world ripped from under his feet. then there are the shells of buildings and the knowledge that this place burned like his home once had.

so the grief, guilt and quiet he slips into are not so simple. a mish-mash of triggers and memories, all brought on at once and overwhelming. this mission is, as some might say, fucking awful. regardless of the fact that the he is aware the opportunity to change a regret would never come easily.

still, he does not idle. during the day there are supplies to help organize, hunts to assist on when he learns the animals can be pacified for a short time with his songs. more importantly, ford branson needs to be found.

as the days turn to nights and the temperature drops if anyone who finds themselves in the same shelter as him and looks like they're struggling with the cold, will soon have company. kneeling close by, xichen pulls out a piece of paper from inside his sleeve and mutters a few soft words. the words light up and warmth radiates from the sheet, enchanted to last through the night. now there's no need for a fire, which may draw predators in from the streets.] This will help keep you warm for the night.

YOUR WAKEUP CALL

4.0

[war and battle are familiar to lan xichen, though each one brings its own twists and turns. no battle is easy, no enemy the same.

the advantages of having superpowers or abilities that enhance what they can do don’t give the orbers the upper hand here, xichen realizes that. the bouldersnakes are just as fast, just as powerful in some cases. they show up like a storm and it’s clear that they’re back for what they’d been searching for when they’d set this town ablaze, consuming ford’s treasures and all life with blue flames.

it was the orb itself. the reason why matters very little as they storm into town.

when havoc breaks loose, it’s clear on the first night that it will not be easy. luckily, xichen can hold his own in battle with nearly three decades of practical experience behind him. where his magic fails, physical training steps in. his fighting style coupled with cultivation means he moves quickly through the air, incorporating flips and spins to dodge any attacks from enemies with blades. the matter of protecting himself from guns though, well, any cover is appreciated because if an enemy approaches an unsuspecting orber he’s quick to trade sword for flute and push them back out of the way to give them time to counter.] Behind you!

5.0

[by the second attack, xichen feels the fatigue of the mission in his bones but there is no time to rest. magic works differently in all worlds and here, with his flute, xichen realizes quickly he is not able to utilize the full extent of his powers.

the pulsefire cannot be contained but it can be slowed, pushed back as it heads in the direction of an orber who’s caught in the cross-fire.. ] Move! [he jumps down from the spot he’d taken on a rooftop, brings his flute to his lips to play a melody that sends blue light which holds the flames back for just long enough before it burns through.]

WILDCARD

[ooc: if there's anything different you want to do or if you'd like a closed top level, feel free to reach out via pm or on plurk @ cloudrecess!]

Edited 2022-02-05 03:49 (UTC)

[ burdening xichen with coming to her rescue is becoming a terrible habit to develop, alina thinks to herself, just before she pivots out of the way. don't, she wants to shriek, unleashing the warning caught in the webbing of her throat. instead, she can only gape, her limbs petrified by dread — paralyzed into watching xichen drift across this makeshift battlefield in a symphony of melodies. something oddly out of place, dissonant among the gore and gasping breaths, in its loveliness.

the sluggish steps she makes toward the edge of town suddenly freeze, locking her back into place in her indecision. she can't repay his kindness with the cruelty of abandoning him to the mess she's made, the well of power their weapons drain from her — another source of light in their orbit. removing herself does nothing to help, if he's left in their radius.

as the pulsefire whirls past her, alina abruptly snags her fingers into his collar and yanks, jostling him into an alcove behind a building before more can reload their weapons. ]

Keep playing!

[ — easier said than done, when alina's movements are jostling him. at his side, she shakily reaches for the revolver holstered at her hip. a terrible shot, they had all said among the first army ranks, trained to hold a pencil rather than any weapon — but it had hit its target, when it had mattered. maybe she'll have the same stroke of fortune, here. ]

[protecting someone is something xichen can do, at least. battle is familiar and where his words have caused harm, even if it was necessary and the least cruel thing to do, his sword and cultivation can at least keep those he cares about from danger.

he does not wish to kill anyone he does not have to, but he will protect. this is not a war, the battle not necessary, but keeping orbers safe is. alina very much included.

he is glad to see her safe but the relief turns to shock as she pulls him along with her.] I can hold them in place too. [the pulsefire will burn through the qi, but a bouldersnake that is reloading their weapon can be held at bay or in one spot as long as he keeps playing.] Get to shelter. [short sentences, brief. He lifts his flute to his lips again and picks the targets closest to them that had aimed for her. They haven't reloaded yet and so, mid-move, they are held in place by a different sort of blue light.

it probably does not do them much favor though, gives them a few moments for alina to choose to run or take the shot. xichen has been low on energy from dipping into cultivation when food was low, from sleeping less, from the mess before the ximilia. he can only play in small bursts at the moment.]

Edited 2022-02-07 04:58 (UTC)

[ she has only seconds to appreciate the shimmering spindles of light twining around xichen's flute, spiraling down to immobilize the bandits. his warning hammers in her ears, to the same rhythm of her blood pounding like a war drum in her skull — deciding her course of action for her, before she can consider taking the cowardly route. rocks wedge into her knees, grating through the patchy holes in her trousers, as she shuffles to peek more clearly around the corner.

no, she doesn't say aloud. it leaves too much room for some noble protest on his behalf, always swooping in to come to her aid. she owes him this — and even if no debt were formed, she won't add this moment to her unraveling list of regrets. won't relive it in her nightmares and loathe herself, condemned by the knowledge that she could have done more to help. with a shaky breath, she looks down the revolver's silver barrel and —

jerks with the recoil, her shoulder throbbing. a bullet ricochets off of the awning of a building from her clumsy aim, but it's enough — enough to distract them from firing their own weapons. enough to keep xichen the space to draw a breath, between what alina notes are short showers of music. her head ducks back to the safety of the alcove as one of the scaled men points, shouting for the rest of his group to "take out those pests." ]

[of what little time he has spent with alina, a part of xichen is not surprised by the fact she has not moved. if faced with the same order, he would not have run.

he had once, a long time ago. he'd fled with sacred texts from a home that was burning and lived with the regret, even if he knew that it was his uncle's orders that ensure the sect's survival. it is a matter of pride, of knowing one could have done more. if he'd stayed, after all, perhaps the worst of it would have been that he was captured. then he would not have met meng yao again, would not have inadvertently brought so much death into their world.

so xichen understands when alina moves instead to shoot, poor shot that it is. it is enough, enough time that he can draw more air or even think of next steps. the song shifts, subtly and those still in place are sent back by another burst of light but this time it swirls around and seems to come in the same direction as the awning alina hit. the group is knocked down as xichen changes the tune, able to gather his thoughts and breath.

they're disoriented from the sound of it, unsure where to search between their improvised teamwork.

tucked in the alcove, he lowers his flute.] We need to move. Are you able to run? [because if not, she'll find him sweeping her up to jump across the rooftops to safety.]

Yeah. Of course I can. You don't have to worry over me.

[ she nods, a movement half-distracted by watching the aftermath of that bursting light — familiar and distantly strange, all at once. when she whips her gaze back to face him, strands of black hair lash against her cheeks, a little roughspun by the wildness of her wide-eyed panic.

still, it isn't a complete truth. a lie won't stitch together her injuries, but alina fixates on the threat of her status as a liability — a pawn the others would discard like a rusted and dulled tool, no longer of functional use. with a stubborn set clamping her jaw into a vice, locked into the steel tightness of an iron trap, she moves to follow that instruction — only for her leg to immediately buckle. a burning throb zings up her ankle, into her calf — twisted and scraped, in the commotion.

her lips part with a hiss, an excuse poised at the tip of her tongue: i can do it, driven forward by the momentum of her panic. only — there's no need for it. a whoosh of her lungs expels a startled breath as xichen scoops her up like a weightless feather, his footsteps floating with the same grace of one across shambling rooftops, until the bandits are a blip in the distance. ]

（ it's in the aftermath of everything, when the warmth of day is just beginning to recede, blanketing the world in a desert chill that he hears it — the melody of a flute, melancholic and soft.

standing is ... difficult, and his vision is still little more than a bare perception of the contrast between light and dark, but it draws him from his rest. eidetic memory of the city's layout aids him where sight cannot, and following the sound is not difficult. eventually, he realizes that the player is on the roof.

he has chakra enough for this. climbing the side of the building he is deft and graceful, and once he is on the flat surface of its roof he cocks his head like a bird, tracing the music to its source.

he says nothing, not especially wishing to interrupt. he simply sits seiza on the roughly-hewn rooftop and waits for the player to finish. the music is — settling, and despite all that has happened over the last few days, he finds himself in an odd calm. his instinct is that it's something very like audio genjutsu, but it does not feel intrusive the way genjutsu does. ）

[on the rooftop, xichen sits with liebing pressed to his lips. the sound that permeates through the streets is soft, but a song that he has played on the ximilia countless times for himself and a handful of others.

normally, he asks before letting qi seep into the notes but there is no one seemingly around and the music is meant to calm unsettled minds. a passing orber may need just that.

he does not stop when he feels he has company, the distinct change in energy when someone is near. he feels the energy around him shift. when the song comes to a natural close, he sets the flute into his lap.] It is the song of Clarity. It eases the minds of those near and in need. [it feels appropriate to explain what this is, to someone who he had seen on the battlefield but had not introduced himself to yet. netwon had felt its effects even though he was not in tune with such a thing as qi, he is sure the others may feel it more keenly.]

（ now that he's heard the voice, he recognizes its source — the man posting on the network under the username lanxichen. hm. which means, the musical technique he had mentioned — ）

You are using energy?

（ he says it curiously, more than anything. such a thing could be very dangerous, but it isn't something he would fear when healthy wariness serves him better. ）

I am. [he should be reserving it, yes, but this song is second nature even if it is complicated and the calm will help him rest.

without this and doctor mccoy's medicine, sleep has been hard to catch this mission.] But not enough to hinder me in a fight. [that would be his concern, were he to see someone using a spell or power he did not know when another battle may be on the horizon.]

（ that gets something of a smile — wry, barely turned up at one corner. ）

That was not my concern. （ and he's hardly one to talk. he has run himself ragged on this mission, and is not likely to be of significant use for a time now. far be it from him to chastise another. ） Your music is very beautiful. I recognize the feeling it evokes — it's similar to abilities in my world.

[xichen has a brother who communicates in micro-expressions so that tick of the lip is enough.] Some of the crew hold that worry.

[which is said with a hint of his own amusement. even if it does irk him that his ability to gauge his own limits is put into question, he recognizes it comes from a well-meaning place even if not always welcomed.

he is surprised by the others words, though.] I have yet to meet anyone who is familiar with anything close to cultivation. [but more importantly, if it's recognized then perhaps the man is in need of its effects.] I can play Clarity once again. [both a statement and an offer.]

Mm.

（ it's a soft note of agreement. he tolerates the others well enough, but few have that deep spark of understanding of what it means to wield power and know its limits.

to the offer, he shakes his head. ）

No, thank you. It has served its purpose.

（ he is curious — mind alight with how such a thing may be countered. auditory genjutsu is very difficult to stand against, as is any that requires losing a sense to ensure your mind stays its own. he can fight both blind and deaf, but it is not preferred, and knowing there is one on the station who may necessitate the latter will mean additional training to that effect. ）

Will you describe your 'cultivation' to me?

● ● ● M I S S I O N 4 . 2

F Y I

lan xichen | the untamed

5.0!

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wildcards gently;

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dream deferred — ;

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the dream deferred

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