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ximilialog2022-02-02 06:57 pm
- ! event log,
- ! open,
- altered carbon: takeshi kovacs,
- critical role: percy de rolo,
- doctor who: clara oswald,
- doctor who: river song,
- doctor who: the doctor (11),
- fear street: ziggy berman,
- grishaverse: alina starkov,
- grishaverse: the darkling,
- gundam seed/destiny: yzak jule,
- knives out: marta cabrera,
- marvel comics: gwen stacy,
- mass effect: kaidan alenko,
- mcu: daisy johnson,
- mcu: shang-chi,
- pacific rim: newton geiszler,
- pacific rim: raleigh becket,
- star trek aos: james t. kirk,
- star trek aos: leonard mccoy,
- star wars: finn,
- star wars: luke skywalker,
- supernatural: dean winchester,
- the 100: clarke griffin,
- the old guard: andromache,
- towards the terra: soldier blue,
- transformers: drift,
- transformers: megatron,
- twisted wonderland: deuce spade,
- yakuza 0: goro majima,
- yakuza: zhao tianyou
MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2
● ● ● M I S S I O N 4 . 2
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 —
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
F Y I
• 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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Yes.
（ and if you want to be an idiot, go right ahead. he's mindful enough he's noted the connection between pulsefire and the planet's sun/moon cycle, and susano'o can block out the light with his yata mirror. but it's an enormous drain on his chakra, and he doesn't like using the mangekyō without a dire need. which, if newt sets himself on fire he supposes does count.
the pinwheel tomoe in his eyes sharpen to blades, and he summons the avatar preemptively, so that newt doesn't just — launch himself into this experiment before he's ready, and newt is treated to... essentially, a giant chakra mech. susano'o. it carries a mirror-like shield in one hand and a bottle of what appears to be liquor in the other, but it's the shield that the guardian spirit holds aloft. if he brings newt inside susano'o, it should (in theory) disrupt the pulsefire and smother it.
if not, well. there won't be enough of newt left to explain to the others what happened, so either way it's not much of a loss. ）
no subject
[Sorry, he's breathing it like this isn't a life or death situation right now. But then reality hits him again and he just about literally shakes himself free of that trance, moving to pick up his little voice recorder. He talks into it, not particularly bothered by Itachi's presence.]
Newtrilizer Trial Run - Attempt One. Hopefully not the only trial, but we'll see. In theory, I'm going to be practically rewiring the chemical components of the pulsefire and therefore diminish the effects of its composition.
In the very small but unfortunate likelihood of my death, I just want to not think too hard about this and let you all know I'm proud of you guys and love you. Please don't get vaporized into ash, you know I don't like sharing any spotlight. [He looks a little nervous in that moment - and just in that moment. Then:] Hermann, you're a rat bastard. But thanks for everything. Don't let my secret snack box go unused.
[He puts the voice recorder on the desk, turns in his chair, and looks up at Itachi.]
Ready?
no subject
Yes. But please ensure you trial it on a limb you don't object to my removing should this go awry.
（ ninjas are very, very casual about amputation, okay. he can probably react at least as fast as the pulsefire itself. ）
no subject
Well, duh! the leg's where it's at! You think I'd risk hurting these awesome tats?
[... Also, y'know. The idea of not being able to properly play guitar or piano or work on a specimen. All of that wound be horrible. Not that there isn't tons of ways to make those work without organic limbs left, but he'd rather not have to relearn.
As he turns to his bared lower leg, he gulps — and then holds up the blade.]
Countdown it is, then. Always a classic.
... In three... two... one-
[He moves to press the blade to his leg, the blade hissing as it touches him, which in turn causes him to hiss. He drops the blade urgently to the floor, leaning over and anticipating the smallest possibility that he'll be consumed in pulsefire in 0.2 seconds. But his work is good, it's genius, and he knows it — You're fine, he thinks, you're fine, you're fine- Which, y'know, being able to have the time to think that means something was a success.
The wound glows with blue flame, about a few inches of skin still alight, but it doesn't instantly spread. In fact, it's slowly spreading, crawling in a struggle compared to the horrific instant evaporation of its prior state.]
OwowowoWOWOW-!
[Yeah okay, please put out the fire this shit hurts like a bitch!]
no subject
to newt, mildly — ）
Being able to feel pain means the burn is not deep.
（ he is so good at this reassurance thing. ）
no subject
[He says it in a tight, clipped voice. The burn is certainly edging into second degree if not just so, despite how quickly the flame had been applied and removed. He moves to grab his voice recorder, but decides against it; it's fine, it's enough. Once Itachi's healing is applied, he feels the pain diminish somewhat, and his shoulders sag in relief.]
It's still — pretty potent. But at least it buys people time; as long as we can keep someone alive, we can fix the damage done. I've got artificial skin in the works back on the ship, so if anyone's in need of grafts, it can be done.
[It's all coming together. Pre-planning never hurt anyone, huh?]
Here-
[He leans in, pins the Newtrilizer he'd made onto Itachi's cloak.]
This'll keep you alive. And you can put it out, so you're double-protected.
no subject
stiffly, ）
Thank you. I will ensure it goes to someone in need.
（ which is a very polite way of saying i have no interest in this. sorry, newt, you have not reached the social link necessary for him to tolerate any expression of care or concern about his life. ）
Can you walk?
no subject
Dude, you need to look out for yourself, too! Use it!
[But after a moment, he glances down at the leg; the burn looks kinda gross, but he just waves a hand.]
I can walk, I can run, I can jump, hop, skip, etc. Don't sweat it. I'll wrap it later. First I gotta get more of these made; there's dozens of us, y'know, so time's of the essence.
no subject
（ you made him say the thing, newt. you did this. and at that — stubborn assertion, one eyebrow twitches faintly upwards before he settles back into his usual passivity. he's not going to argue because newt is an adult (if... one that makes him question the parameters by which one becomes an adult in his world) but if you lose the leg to infection it will be no one's fault but yours, newt. ）
I will assist. Show me how.
（ he can copy the movements easily enough — he does not have to know why the parts are assembled as they are, only how. and if he makes a crow clone or two he can accelerate the process even more. ）
no subject
[But then Itachi throws him that curveball, and he looks caught off-guard by the offer.]
You wanna help?
[He's not really used to people helping, not in the last few years. Even if he were a more palatable personality, times were hard, funds were tight, and they didn't really have the luxury for extra hands. That was back in the last faltering years of the Kaiju War, obviously, but still.]
I'll show you, yeah! Yeah, that'd be good. You sure?
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instead, he focuses on their task. ）
Yes. Work quickly, I have an eidetic memory and do not require explanation.
no subject
I don't doubt it, dude. Let's get this going.
[They'll have tons of these created in no time. Well, as long as they have the materials. Luckily, there's a few Orbers out there ready to deliver.]
no subject
etc etc.
anyway, it was a good time. ）
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which are like cooties but
newtier. ）
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