MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

[ximilian]

● ● ● 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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Comments

[spacedisaster]

You keep saying that. It's my line. Peter jokes, but there's a tiredness to it, as if he's trying to be cheerful because that's what is expected of him. He's the clown, the fool, the one always running his mouth. Well, right now he's just tired and worried about Finn.

People are behaving, staying close to one another, or watching out for danger. We should organize turns in the future, just in case. [ He very deliberately doesn't answer Finn's question because he doesn't want to lie to him. ]

It does get too cold, c'mere... [ Peter slides his hand up Finns' back, then wraps an arm around his shoulder to pull him closer. It's not much for now, but the contact should help to keep Finn's temperature up, Force or not. ]

[hatejakku]

[ Even if Finn couldn't see the exhaustion, he knows it's there. The loss of people has gotten to Peter, he knows, and hearing the it's my line quip makes him believe that he's being just as transparent. Finn... hasn't had a good time here either. No one has, really.

He's about to ask about this organizing idea when Peter steps closer, puts an arm around him, and slowly brings him in for a hug. It's... to preserve heat, warm themselves, but Finn stays perfectly professional for all of two seconds before his eyes close and he melts.

His arms wrap loosely around Peter, too, and he sighs while his voice quietly makes itself known. ] Thank you...

[spacedisaster]

[ It's been a rough month for everyone, in terms of keeping a good health, but Peter feels mentally drained, almost tired of his own sorrowful emotions. But they still need to find the orb, and they are running out of time, and focussing on his misery will help no one. Peter isn't always very successful, but he's trying to put his feelings on hold until they get back to the station. Of course, trying to hide from someone who has the force might not be the most effective thing.

But Finn's human too, space magic powers or no, and the way he gives into the hugs prove it. Peter finds himself smiling a little, for real. ]

This is better, yes? [ Since Finn is fine with it, Peter shifts some more, so he can wrap both arms around him. He pulls Fin closer on top of him as he leans back a little, to let the man rest against his chest. He rubs lightly at Finn's back as he speaks. ] Have you managed to get any rest? some decent sleep?

[hatejakku]

[ This is better, but Finn only nods to answer the question. Peter is suddenly super comfortable, and Finn can't help but feel a warmth deep in his chest just from this affection he's being shown.

Blushing a little, he relaxes more and lets his arms hang loose around Peter.

Decent sleep... Now that he thinks about it, he has no idea. Before everything went to hell, he and James were at odds, leaving little room for restful sleep. Maybe in between all of that. Or before? That would have been weeks ago.

Damn, he's tired. And using the Force so much hasn't helped. ]

I'm all right. I sleep when I can. [ Deflect. ] What about you?

[spacedisaster]

[ The blush is cute, but Peter doesn't point it out. There is no need to feel embarrassed, they are friends and they need to keep themselves warm. ]

And how often do you do that? You can talk about it, I won't judge. We have a lot of things in our minds lately.

[ Deflecting doesn't work on someone who always uses that same technique. Peter is going to keep prodding. ]

I constantly sleep like shit. That if I manage to sleep at all. [ Having Gamora around had helped with the nightmares, but didn't make them go away completely. Now he's back to square one on the scale of traumatic bad dreams. ]

[hatejakku]

[ It's not that Finn feels embarrassed. Not so much as he just... likes the contact more than he thought he would. And he already knew that he was a big hugger.

Anyway, the deflection clearly fails, but Peter is really good about reassurance. So Finn is quiet for a beat. ]

... It's been a couple of weeks. Even before all of this, things weren't great... I'm so tired.

[spacedisaster]

[ Thankfully, he is with a guy who is also pretty clingy in general, and is more than happy to offer hugs. ]

Do you want to tell me what happened? Maybe getting it out of your chest will help ease the burden a bit.

[ If Finn says no, Peter won't insist. He didn't really feel like talking either when he first learned that Gamora had disappeared, and his friend had respected that. Peter will give him the same courtesy. ]

Or we could just try to fall asleep like this, of course.

[hatejakku]

[ Mm. Finn kind of does want to talk about it, actually, but he's not sure he should. Not with it concerning others so much. But-... ]

I just... got in some arguments with McCoy and James. We fixed it. [ Sort of. He hopes. ] But it was-... It's all right now.

[ They're talking again, anyway. Finn sighs. ]

Sleep sounds like a good idea. Though, maybe indoors? [ Hey, look, he's got a little smile! ]

[spacedisaster]

Was it about the food issue? Because McCoy and I also had an argument of sorts.'

[ 'Of sorts' because Bones yelled at him when Peter told him to take care of himself too, and Peter decided to avoid the doc from that point on. It was weird but he figures that McCoy was just stressed out.

His hand moves absently towards Finn's nape after he sighs, his nails gently scratching the scalp. ]

Right, that would be better. We can move. [ Peter manages to smile back and reluctantly nudges Finn, so they can stand up. ]

[hatejakku]

[ His shoulders slump, and he gives another long sigh. ] Yeah... I'm sorry you guys got into an argument, too.

[ Even though Finn was to one suggest moving, he's already shut his eyes and decided to really enjoy the scratching on his neck, letting it lull him into some sort of bliss. So he makes a face when he's nudged but moves, anyway. ]

Thanks, Peter. [ Not about moving. About the other stuff. ]

[spacedisaster]

Tell me more about it once we get inside. [ It's bothering Finn, clearly, and Peter wants to see if he can help. ] It's okay, it was a bit one-sided. I'm used to people screaming at me, anyway.

[ Now, Peter, that isn't something to be casual about. But it's not a lie, so he's come to accept it. He gives Finn a fond look at the man's reticence to move, and he wraps his arm around his waist again as they move inside. ]

That's what friends are for, isn't it? [ And inside they go, trying to find a room that is not absolutely covered in dust or freezing cold. A challenge all on itself. But some orbers had cleaned a few rooms while Peter had been hunting, and for that, he's immensely grateful. He leads Finn to a nearby cot so they can resume their previous positions. Peter snickers at Finn, asking casually. ]

Top or bottom? 

[ Meaning, if Finn wants to be lying on top of him like before, or the other way around. He doesn't clarify, waiting for a reaction. ]

[hatejakku]

[ Finn's not sure he wants to talk about it any further. It's... fixed? Probably. It's complicated and there needs to be more discussions. But at the moment, he's just tired. And kind of lonely if he were totally honest, which he's not.

He does give a surprised laugh from the question, though. ]

Here.

[ He grips Peter's hand and tugs him forward, kicking his shoes off and moving to get into the bed, side by side. ]

I like to switch, anyway.

[spacedisaster]

[ In that case, they don't have to talk about it. The mission has left them all really messed up and exhausted, and it isn't even over yet. Peter would be fine with a night of cuddling and doing nothing more than surviving together. 

There's a warm feeling in his chest after hearing Finn laugh. He's pleased that the bad joke got him to smile. ]

Hmm...yeah I like that too. More fun that way, really, plenty of possibilities. [ He makes himself comfortable on the bed and shifts his legs to tangle them with Finn's. ] I should warn you, I've been accused or wrapping myself around people like an octopus while I sleep. I guess I never got enough hugs as kid. You don't mind cuddling, do you?

[hatejakku]

Not at all.

[ He's already going in for the cuddle, getting his arms around Peter's middle and hugging him close, resting his head beneath his chin. He shuts his eyes and lets go of a deep sigh. ]

I didn't get enough hugs either.

[spacedisaster]

[ The air of the room is cold because half-destroyed wood buildings have, unsurprisingly, shit insulation. So it's really comfortable to snuggle up with someone for a change. ]

Ah, that's a shame. We can remedy this now. [ Peter lets out a low hum at how naturally they fit against each other, his own arm ends resting over Finn's back and his fingers caressing the short hairs at his nape. Fin seemed to enjoy that before, and it's going to be a good day to lure him to sleep. It won't take long for Peter to fall asleep, either, he's very comfortable right now. ]