MISSION: WISH FULL, PART 2

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   8 . 2

WATER WE DO • AWHALE WE GO • NOT AS IT SEAMS • WISH FAULT • FYI

// INTRO. WATER WE DO  

The morning following the disappearance of both queen and the princess, the orbers begin to corral in order to conduct their own investigations. Kovacs and Clara speak to the distraught King Krolis who tasks them with finding his wife and child. Sabriel sneaks into the palace to find the empty place where the orb used to be. And Yzak begins to follow the princess’ trail throughout the city to learn that she was seen alone, and swimming away from the city.

All of these things, coupled with the information Mal and Alina discovered through speaking with the queen on the night of the gala, all point to one thing: the princess, currently in possession of the orb and without real knowledge of what it was, has fled the city… but where the queen is in all this, no one seems to know.

The telepaths of the team attempt to see if the hvalus can track the source of the chaos that had led them to disappear beyond the city, while Sabriel gathers magic users to scry the queendom for the princess’ location. Meanwhile, a team of orbers led by Bucky, seek out Zivi, princess Xoria’s sea dragonling pet, in an attempt to track her down, and finally request an audience with the Queen Mother Xemiane to explain the situation ask that she come with them in trying to locate the princess.

XEMIANE

So you believe that little pearl to be something so dangerous? Oh, dear. Now I see why Xephia… well. Xoria must be located, and perhaps I have a better chance than anyone else in speaking to her. I will make things right.

When the information from the hvalus and the scrying has been pooled together, it becomes evident that Xemiane’s presence may be even more necessary than the team initially thought when the efforts of both the hvalus and the scrying pinpoint the princess’ location: Beliandria Grave.

XEMIANE

Ah, I feared that is where she might have gone. Very well, I will come with you to Gorgoneion… that is the official name of the city that has been built there. It is the home of a xrisora race that holds themselves separate from all other xrisora — the gorgons.

It is with the memory of that unsettling name that the orbers set off — with the niggling suspicion that perhaps “stone-gazer” is a better descriptor than they might have thought.

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// PART I.AWHALE WE GO  

The trip to Beliandria Grave is a three-hour swim that takes the orbers past a number of sights and locations that might already be familiar to some who have ventured out past Qruria City’s gates, with its deeper, darker waters and forested kelpscapes. The water here is quieter somehow, peaceful to some but a little eerie to others.

1.0   If the team leave for Beliandria Grave early enough, they might catch the last of the monks’ ceremony for the hvalus still gathered above them, their bioluminescent markings glowing in bright shapes against the calm waters. Their looming forms seem a little more distant than usual now — higher towards the Surface. The telepaths of the team might catch snippets of communication if they wish, the Presto Hvalus sending their hopes, dreams, and gratitudes, and the hvalus accepting them. They might pause as the crew draws nearer, their voice encouraging them past Kelpwood and ever towards the pull of chaos in the Grave, but it becomes very clear, very quickly, that this ceremony isn’t to be disturbed. Orbers can either pause to join the ceremony or will have to make their way around it, past the long, dark green foliage and out through the wood.

2.0   Once the team have made it through Kelpwood, they will start to see the terrain change dramatically from its lush (albeit just a little slimy) forest to bright white, soft dunes of fine beach-sand, marking their arrival to Valzria Sands. This desertscape is wide and covers a great expanse past what the team can see.

Depending on when you arrive, the late-morning or early-afternoon light from the Surface filters through the large leaves of the Zaarean’s Hat above shielding much of the Sands from the heat. All seems peaceful, just an uneventful swim past the sand dunes, but some of you may notice the way the ocean’s current begins to stir up the sands — and as you swim deeper through the terrain a storm begins. The only way forward, unfortunately, is to get past it and try not to get bogged down by the sand in your fins.

3.0   As if the sands weren’t enough, the team will swim their way towards Irian’s Grotto, native home of the Witch’s bark. They are quickly surrounded by craggly brambles and sharp, thorny bushes which are home to the venomous moray eels that slink through the vines and hide under the rocks on the seabed.

However, there is a small school of vampire sharks already at Irian’s Grotto, and they appear to be waiting. Among them is Jhiaaal, the vampire shark who befriended Finn, Marta and Itachi, and he has amassed a few of his friends to accompany the orbers down to Beliandria Grave.

The entrance to Beliandria Grave and Gorgoneion City can only be described quite literally as a giant ravine that cuts a sharp path into the rocky ground. It leads its descent several thousand meters towards the centre of the planet itself.

4.0   Following the ravine, you’ll find that it eventually narrows down into a path only wide enough for one average-sized mer-person to fit through. The urgency with which you’d been swimming has slowed and not by choice, and as you continue downward it becomes harder to see too. The water is almost too dark to see, so you’ll have to feel your way along the craggy rock surface. Just be careful as more Witch’s bark grows here, tendrils of bramble and thorns attaching itself into the nooks and crannies — and with its poisonous barbs, it’s vital that you avoid getting nicked. Some have even created blocks in the path but they are not impervious to destruction with the right amount of force — or maybe you deem it safer to find another way forward.

5.0   With a couple thousand metres behind you and the last thousand to go, the ravine finally begins to open back up, its mouth widening to allow a visual of all manners of sea creatures swimming past. Some of these creatures appear to be ten times bigger than the largest of you, some bearing bioluminescent markings along their skin (or scales), and some spreading a hallucinogenic aroma through the current with each wave of their fins.

Swimming through this water feels different, the temperature changing from cold to downright hot. There’s an underwater geyser here, and while it isn’t active, it seems to be spouting a cloud of hot ash, fogging up the waters and making it impossible to navigate the area — to say nothing of the way the cloudy water scalds your fins. You’ll have to wait for the geyser’s tantrum to pass, or figure out a way to cool the water’s temperature so you can move past it.

Finally, after leagues of swimming and what feels like endless travel, past the poisonous flora and hardier fauna, the orbers will find themselves drawing towards the ocean floor where a giant rocky archway opens its gates before them — it’s kind of beautiful in its own way, covered in kelp and underwater moss growing over its surface, but the most notable aspect about it is the carving of a face where a keystone should be. It’s a woman’s face, her expression severe and authoritative, with a tangle of swirling serpents framing her face for hair.

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// PART II.NOT AS IT SEAMS  

Every muscle in your body suddenly stills as you stare up at the face, and if you shift your gaze with as much movement as you can muster (it’ll be mostly the effort of your eyeballs) you’ll find that the rest of your teammates and the Queen Mother herself appear to be locked in place too. It isn’t just you. For those of you familiar with the myths, you might begin to wonder whether they’re a little more truth than legend.

And then you hear a voice.

HASAIZA

What’s this? So many visitors at once? Not very common. Maybe I should just feed you all to Eurie.

The voice seems to be coming from past the gate, a low and languid female voice that commands attention. After a moment, a lone figure emerges, resembling the carved face with sharp accuracy. She has deep, all-green eyes, and snake-like tentacles for hair, and looking in her direction only reinforces that feeling of being in locked stasis. The longer you look at her, however, you’ll realize it isn’t her eyes at all but something else about her that has already managed to ensnare you.

Another moment later, and a second woman swims forward, the coils of her hair twisting and turning as live snakes wind themselves around her head. They hiss when she comes to a stop and turns to the first woman.

MIXAEDRE

Sister, don’t be stupid. Can’t you see to the back, there? That is the former Queen of Qruria. We must assume these are her Guard. Let us take her and her guards to our aunt.

HASAIZA

And then we can feed some of them to Eurie? She so likes it when she gets to eat people.

The second gorgon sighs and swims in-between the paralysed orbers and Xemiane’s guards alike, before she pauses in front of the Queen Mother.

MIXAEDRE

My apologies, Your Highness. You know Eurie’s not eaten anyone for decades, and I’m sure auntie wouldn’t let either her or Nonie eat any who come here with you. If you promise your guards will behave, we’ll let them in.

Xemiane, free from the paralysis, nods; and as Mixaedre swims back to the gate, she seems to pull something in the water back towards her … and as she does, one by one, you’ll find yourselves able to move again, fin by fin, and limb by limb. From there, it seems that there is only one thing left to do: it’s time to follow the two gorgon sisters into their city.

6.0   Where Qruria City seemed so colourful and lush, coral and flora surrounding organic forms that have been shaped by the water itself, Gorgoneion City seems to be one steady, earthy palette of yellows and browns and bright (and warm) water. Every structure looks sturdy and unmoveable, all no taller than one or two storeys, sprawling across the seabed as though the earth beneath the water erected a city for its citizens rather than the other way around. Somehow the buildings appear dry even underwater.

By contrast, any citizens you might sight between archways and walls and stone columns are bright green or blue, with elaborate tentacles for hair. More than most will also have visible scars carved into their skin, and as you draw near, some will quickly pull away from you, hiding themselves from view. It is also interesting to note that the citizens of Gorgoneion City are all female.

7.0   Past a cluster of residences is a long columned path leading you and the rest of the entourage through a large oval amphitheatre, a colosseum of sorts. It looks as though the arena hasn’t seen as much action, or perhaps it was never quite meant for battle. Instead it seems to be a lead-up towards the domed rotonda where the Queen of Gorgoneion can be found. With open entrances on all sides and very few gorgon guards to secure the grounds, it might seem like an unlikely and unprotected place for royalty to hold her court but the seemingly modest size of the villa should not be mistaken for anything but a throne.

She sits now on a dais with a seat made of stone, its surface decorated in encrusted jewels and strange corals, and shiny hunks of metal of indiscernible origins. She is young and ageless, the tendrils of her hair longer than her subjects. With a skirt made of shimmery translucent kelp, and armour plated over her chest and shoulders, she looks like both a warrior and something altogether ethereal. Behind her, two eels turn their heads simultaneously to stare at their new guests. The Queen shifts her gaze towards them too, the tiny tongues at the ends of her hair twisting forward, and then she begins to speak.

QUEEN THISE

I suppose there is a good reason you have decided to invade my city. Xemiane… we’ve long been friends, and I must say I am disappointed. You should know better — even if it’s about your granddaughter. Yes, she swam past our city some time ago… we let in out of respect for you and your family. Mixaedre tried to stop her, but curiously, there seemed to be some kind of field protecting her… so we let her pass.

XEMIANE

I do apologise for the invasion, but you know our intention is not to harm any of you. It is only to bring my grandchild back home. May we go to her? And, Thise, you’re sure you didn’t see my daughter with her?

QUEEN THISE

No, I should hope to recognise the queen of Qruria if she were to appear here. Xoria was alone. And you may follow her… well, soon enough. As it happens, there’s something I need help with, too. Since you’ve gone to the trouble of bringing all these xrisora here, why don’t we do an exchange? Your help for the permission to follow Xoria into the sacred caves.

A hum of understanding passes through the guards around Xemiane — clearly the caves have a meaning, and the gorgon queen’s reluctance to let outsiders there without compensation stems from their importance.

There is little else for Xemiane and the orbers to do but agree to the terms, and Queen Thise explains the task: for countless high-turns, the gorgons and sea beasts have lived alongside one another in harmony, the beasts in their tunnels and grottos at the edge of the gorgons’ city, but recently, they have abandoned their tunnels and started to make new grottos for themselves inside the city, taking over buildings and even trying to swim into the sacred caves.

They need to be taken back to their own tunnels, but only after finding out what is keeping them from living there… and hopefully removing whatever it is.

QUEEN THISE

You know where their tunnels are, Xemiane; after all, that’s where the pearl we gifted you was found. Your guards should know the way, I hope — you may stay here and wait.

There’s nothing else to it but go, the few of Xemiane’s real guards accompanying you out of the rotonda.

8.0   The guard will share as much of their information about the sea beasts as they know as the orbers are led back into the city when they’ve finished speaking with Queen Thise. Often seen as a contrasting force to the hvalus, the appearance of the sea beasts are referred to as bad omens, and having shared similar treatment throughout history means that the sea beasts generally lived in equilibrium with the gorgons. Outcasts in a state of self-imposed exile by the xrisora, the sea beasts were also feared for their ability to breathe venom into the water, paralyzing their prey and their enemies — a mirror of the gorgons’ ability. They were easier to avoid than to face head-on in most cases.

Either way, it seems that being seen with the Queen seems to assuage their own anxieties and fears, even sparking some interest in so many new faces. The city suddenly seems to rumble into life, opening itself for exploration, and to offer any orbers who might need the right tools to deal with the outsiders the queen spoke of — all without killing them.

9.0   When you have prepared yourself for the queen’s task, her guard will lead you and the rest of the orbers towards the general vicinity where the sea beasts have been sighted: mostly outside of the city’s gates, but there are some that have made permanent homes of a neighbourhood now cleared of gorgon residents and their families.

It’s easy enough to spot them, and to see how they have taken over the structures in the neighbourhood. They are larger in size than you had imagined, with a long snake-like shape not quite unlike the gorgon’s hair, as though they had removed themselves from the scalps of the women of Gorgoneion City and taken charge of their own lives. They hiss with their tongues and reveal rows and rows of small razor-sharp teeth. And with sharp, ebony-coloured barbs at the tips of their tails to contrast the deep grey-green scales of their skin, they have clustered in areas like a dark and aimless cloud.

Moving past them and getting to the source of the problem will be your first priority. The sea beasts’ grottos and the deep crevices of their homes have become uninhabitable and you’ll see why when you swim closer. It’s the chittering and scraping of claws against rock that alert you first. And there’s movement in the dark holes of the sea beasts invaded homes — a flash of bright red and orange, and big, shiny ink-black eyes that peer through the cracks before disappearing again before the deafening screech that follows.

Swim back a couple of paces and you’ll see truly gargantuan crab-like forms squeeze themselves out from their hiding spots, bursting through cracks, many-legs first. They claw at the rock, crumbling and cracking the edges as they do so, destroying the walls in their wake. The walls, too, seem to be coated in a slimy fluorescent substance that eats away at the rock’s surface, making it clear why the sea beasts couldn’t stay here. “They’ve mutated,” one of the queen’s guard will shout. “They were never this large or this aggressive, as though something has taken hold of their minds and has set them off so they can’t control themselves!”

You’ll have to gather your resolve and combine your abilities to best these beasts by force before getting rid of the slime itself — only then can this place return to being homes for the sea beasts.

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// PART III.WISH FAULT  

The orbers will feel exhausted but accomplished when the Titan Crabs are defeated, and the sea beasts are led back to their homes. The grottos returned to their original dark, ‘dry’ state will need some repairs, but the sea beasts seem more content to be back in their homes than to make temporary shelters of the gorgon’s city.

When they return to Gorgoneion City, Queen Thise is already waiting for them, with new gorgon faces at her charge to guide the orbers towards the sacred caves behind the city — as promised, albeit a little reluctantly.

10.0   It is not immediately clear why the sacred caves are named that way, but past the winding tunnels and forks along the path meant, perhaps, to confuse and render any intruder eternally lost, the caves begin to tell a story. Quite literally, the gorgons have engraved beautiful and intricate illustrations into the walls that tell the history of their people, starting from their first queen Beliandria, and the sadness and tragedy that preempts the city that stands today. As the story concludes with a large drawing that shares the likeness of Queen Thise, the caves start to reveal walls of encrusted jewels and brightly-coloured clusters of coral exposed to channels of light from above. The refracted light from the jewels and the illusion of the corals glowing seem to turn the domed cavern into a truly magical place; someplace sacred, indeed.

But before you can pause to take it all in for too long, or become too lost if you fall behind, you’ll be urged to keep going. Time is of the essence, after all, and Xoria’s trail is becoming cooler with each moment that passes.

Just past the large chamber room with Thise’s portrait, a small and familiar sea dragonling suddenly flits into existence as though through some magic of its own, appearing before two orbers at eye-level. Zivi turns circles and spins on its axis, and seems to be desperately vying for their attention. If they decide to follow it, Zivi will quicken its pace, darting through the water like an arrow’s spear. It moves through the tunnel, tilting its head to glance briefly back and ensure that the two orbers are still following, and then ducks through an archway, making a beeline for a small form that has curled in on herself on the other side. She looks up when Zivi nuzzles at her cheek, her wide eyes suddenly unreadable — and then scared.

XORIA

No! Stay back! Just leave me alone!

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of September. The team will return to the station by mid-September.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• To submit completed quests, please do so HERE.

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

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▶ NAV

Comments

questions

[ximilian]

Any questions about the log can be asked here.

Re: questions

[bindsthedead]

Would the scrying spell give any info about the state of Remi's binding- is it intact/starting to fray/mostly gone/entirely gone?

Re: questions

[singlelogbridge]

I'm sorry I'm like this.

In the scuffle with the giant crabs, if one of the crabs were to lose a leg, let's just say Wei Wuxian found that leg and wanted to store it in his qiankun pouch.

A: Is it edible?

B: would it go bad before they got back home?

[morethan084]

Hello! Question about the Witch’s Bark and their poisonous barbs. What were to happen if an orber is pricked? Like how quickly would symptoms set in, and is there any antidote?

[coordination]

A tl;dr is fine since I don't wanna saddle you guys with MORE TYPING!! But for the sadness and tragedy part of the cave illustrations, is there anything specific interesting/to note about? Anything that might reference the found pearl in the history?

NPC THREAD(s)

[ximilian]

NPC THREAD — PRINCESS XORIA (closed to MINIMUS @legalcy and SABRIEL @bindsthedead)

[ximilian]

This thread is meant to be a continuation of the log as Minimus and Sabriel happen across princess Xoria. As we want to give you the freedom to choose how to approach Xoria, you are encouraged to write your own starter.

Please make sure to respond to this thread within 48 hours and tag it consistently. The thread should be finished by September 14.

itachi uchiha | ota

[blackfire]

AWHALE WE GO

2.0 (darude: sandstorm)
choose this option for the 'there was only one bed??' trope, netflix and krill, etc.

（ itachi has been here before, and as such he is inclined to look out for the others as much as possible. without chakra, he may be lacking in his usual power but helpless he is not, so when the storm kicks up he is quick to snag the nearest orber with his tail and pull them off towards an underwater cavern.

via the earpiece — We won't be able to move forward like this. Come with me. ）

3.0 (that's eelmore)
choose this option to fight eels or meet vampire sharks! (the shark-meet can lead into the other, just lmk!)

（ once the storm has passed, he pushes aside the detritus blocking the mouth of the cavern he's sheltered in and makes his way back into the grotto. others, presumably, have done the same — few are built to withstand the excoriating underwater current. but the dust has, metaphorically, settled and there is visibility again. the white sand is still, and the eels are circling warily in the distance, kept at bay by the presence of the vampire sharks.

they may look intimidating, especially in a larger group, but itachi is quick to say to whomsoever happens to be close to him — ）

They aren't hostile.

（ he swims closer, and jhiaaal comes nearer to meet him. it is still more nervous around him than either finn or marta, but when he extends a hand the shark comes to butt its nose against it just the same. itachi's long draconic whiskers twitch faintly — it is difficult to identify a dragon's expression as anything, really, but he seems fond. ）

This is Jhiaaal. He helped Finn, Marta and I on our previous visit here.

NOT AS IT SEAMS

8.0 (everybody's working for the slime-end)
the 'lull before the storm' prompt.

（ dragons, as it turns out, are not especially effective weapon-users. most everything is too small, too long, not long enough — and his claws are largely more effective at cutting than anything else he could do.

(he has not, and likely will not stoop to biting things unless it's that or death — he is a professional, and professionals have standards, thank you.)

nevertheless, he drifts through the stalls with their wares on offer, examining much but ultimately coming away empty-clawed.

but, to a nearby orber — ）

I can carry whatever you may require if you wish.

（ look, he's huge. he may as well make use of his second life as a pack...dragon? ）

（ ( ooc: feel free to PM me or hit me up via seafaring if you'd like a custom starter, or wildcard me at your leisure! ) ）

FINN;

[blackfire]

FINN | (2.0)

（ they've been stormed in, the yawning mouth of the cave sealed off by sand. itachi, never one to be without resources, has fished a small bioluminescent lamp out of one of his pouches and is curled near the entrance, effectively blocking it with his large body to prevent any of the storm's furor from entering the cavern. ）

We can only wait it out.

（ he cracks one red eye open, giving finn a curious look out of the corner of one eye. there is no denying that the man has changed since he first met him. the last months have been difficult for him, and in the interest of not wishing to push, itachi has been content to leave well enough alone.

but they are friends, after a fashion. so, after a long moment — ）

James' return to his world must have been very difficult for you.

（ blunt... but well meaning?? ）

MAL;

[blackfire]

MAL | (8.0)

（ as people are making plans for the sea-beasts, breaking off into splinter groups with various specialities, itachi seeks out mal. ）

Mal. Can you spare a moment of your time?

（ from one of the guards, he's gotten a piece of cloth smeared with that slime, fast disintegrating the fabric. he's careful about how he holds it, well away from his body. better to be safe than sorry, and he offers it out for mal's inspection. ）

I spoke with one of the guards. This substance is threatening their habitat.

GWEN;

[blackfire]

GWEN | 9.0

（ one's perception of battle math does not diminish when one is bereft of one's abilities, but one's ability to react in a way to which one is accustomed certainly does. itachi finds himself cornered at one point, with only a handful of ways to react and little time in which to do them when gwen arrives.

calling her the cavalry isn't quite the right choice, but he can think of little else as she hovers elegantly between he and the rampaging crab. mildly, ）

You took your time.

（ he has no ego to be bruised at being saved, instead his tone is simply amused. ）

BONES;

[blackfire]

BONES | 9.1

（ they're in the rubble of one of the worn-down homes. distantly, sounds of the few remaining skirmishes to be had with the mutated crabs echo, but itachi is paying them no mind. the others can handle what is left.

(it is not quite trust in them, but it is not quite anything else later — teamwork is still so tenuous.)

one of the crabs had grabbed him about what he supposes anatomically passes for a dragon's chest. the crack of ribs still rings loud in his ears, the odd scrapes where pincers broke through scales. the pain is negligible, he is considerably more annoyed at having been injured at all. he is slower, without chakra to augment his body.

he watches the doctor as he works, the graceful surety of his hands. finally — ）

You seem to have made friends among the local healers.

（ the bandages and salves are largely local. hydrophobic enough to bear application to underwater wounds. ）

SABRIEL;

[blackfire]

SABRIEL | 10.0

（ his nod to her is polite when she draws near. they are all gearing up to go into the sacred caverns, with little information offered about what lies before them, but he is not especially troubled by it — they have certainly confronted greater difficulties in the past.

he seems no worse for wear, though there are bandages expertly looped around his dragon's chest, and the faint underwater scent of medicines applied to open injuries. ）

Sabriel — have you had any luck with your scrying?

KIRIGAN;

[blackfire]

KIRIGAN | 10.1

（ they've entered into the caverns, and the images on the walls loom, dancing in the shadows as they pass. itachi pays mind to the story told in the reliefs and paintings, though he takes care not to touch anything, nor to let any part of his immense body accidentally brush against the sides of the cavern. ）

It paints an interesting history.

（ and it makes him think of another time, another place, where faces are carved in stone. ）

[firstroar]

[more's the pity for Itachi - if he saw anything of interest to actually pilfer, he can't...and with this area of the city emptied for fear of the beasts turned loose upon it, no better chance to take whatever he wished.

the mer he drifts up to doesn't have that problem, and is in fact taking advantage of the fact there's no one to scowl at his handling of wares. psionically blind for the moment, the voice gives him a gentle startle, prompting him to turn around with the hunting knife gingerly resting in his palms.]

Itachi... [it's strange to see him as just the creature he is now, present without the subtle tones of his mind to mark him as who he is.]

That's generous, thank you... But I doubt there'll be a need to carry much. [he looks down at what's reflected in the steel.] It'd be dangerous to be overburdened, facing what lies in the tunnels.

2.0

[morethan084]

[Daisy never thought she'd have to worry about a sandstorm underwater, and yet...

She tries to push forward, one arm shielding her eyes as she tries to keep swimming forward. She just wants to get this all over with, it's been a rough month for her and as nice as a distraction this mission's been, she'd love to not be a mermaid anymore.

Suddenly she's being pulled in a direction, and at first she thinks it's the storm and tries to swim the opposite way hastily. Only relaxing slightly at the familiar voice, it's hard to make out which direction she's going. Not that it matters, as he's thankfully taken the lead.]

Thanks.

[Daisy says once they're in the cave, brushing the sand that she can reach off of her tail.]

Didn't think storms underwater was something we'd have to think about.

3.0

[oiorpata]

[ andy keeps her distance and keeps a stillness, not because she is afraid so much as she knows that a stranger rushing in close will spook it. if she wants to befriend it herself, she has to be patient. and she can be! she already went sand-whale riding with itachi, a vampire shark is gonna be easy. ]

You made a friend. [ she sounds both teasing and impressed. how fucking cool are these sharks!! ]

2.0

[coordination]

[ The downside to elegant, flowing, iridescent fins is that when the storm kicks up, it's those same fins that weigh him down and get him tossed about in the torrents easier than others. ]

Fuuuuck!

[ Bless Yzak, though, he's stubbornly fighting against it with everything he's got and isn't doing too bad a job of it. Alas, he can only do so much against nature of this sort. Especially the nature of a vast ocean, something he's unused to. ]

Hey! [ He yelps, so focused on his struggle that he doesn't notice the tail until it yanks and pulls him away.

He blinks twice. ] Where?

8.0

[callada]

[Rosinante may be big, but he's no dragon. Surely.

Whatever it is they're about to face in those tunnels, he's not going in unprepared. Law will have his back, there's no doubt about that, but he needs to have Law's in return, and neither his own pistol nor the one acquired from Levi will fire down here. His fishing spear, while definitely a useful tool, has only as much range as he can reach with it - and if it or his knife breaks or is lost somehow, he'll be pretty useless.

Luckily, the people down here have their own ranged weapons, and as he hears Itachi's familiar voice, he's also just hoisting a tough seaweed pack full of javelins onto his back.]

You sure? What about you, don't you want to pick anything up?

[singlelogbridge]

Awhale we go: 5.0

[Wei Wuxian isn’t unfamiliar with hot springs. Usually, he finds them quite relaxing and soothing and has even been known to fall asleep in them, but the underwater geyser swiftly changing the temperature from warm to uncomfortably hot isn’t anything like them. A current of searing water brushes against the edges of his tail and he yelps, pulling it up into his chest and glaring at the water around him.

Yeah, okay, no, enough of this crap.

With a quick glance around to make sure he isn’t in view of any of the locals, Wei Wuxian traces out the shape of several unknown symbols into the water. When he’s finished, the symbols glow brightly just for a second, and then they sinks into his tail. He lets out a soft sigh of relief and then continues on ahead.

Anyone swimming near him might catch him doing the same thing anytime the water around them starts to get too hot. After the first initial array that he’d put on his tail, the rest sink into the water itself before disappearing.

And if anyone appears to be especially uncomfortable, he’s likely to make his way over to see if he can assist.]


Not as it seams: 9.0

[Despite their size and ferocious appearance, along with the many ways they could easily make a snack of him, Wei Wuxian finds himself immediately fond of the sea beasts. Maybe it’s because they’ve been kicked out of their homes, or maybe because by virtue of being dangerous, they were feared and outcast. Both are sentiments he can relate to.

So it’s with a calm ease that he does his best to help herd them back to their caves once the mutant crabs have been taken care of, and with patience and slowly growing concern that he swims after one that has gone farther away from the rest. He stays far enough away not to be immediately eaten if it turns on him, while trying fruitlessly to get around it and encourage it in the other direction.]

Aiya, come on little Xuanwu, don’t you want to return home? Please be a good sea beast and come back with me…

[He could probably use some help.]

Sabriel

[singlelogbridge]

[He sees her out of the corner of his eye, talking to someone about something that he can’t quite hear. It’s definitely something important if her tone and body language are anything to go by. It isn’t until she’s already swimming away from the person she’d been talking to that he recognizes her. She looks different of course, covered in scales, but her face is easy to recognize.

There’s an urgency in her movements that catches his interest, and he swims over to her quickly, his brow drawn.]

Hey, Sabriel. Is something wrong? [Well. Hmm.] Aside from the obvious.

Spock | Star Trek AOS

[dichotomized]

[ Closed starters below. Reach out if you want one. ]

For Bones

[dichotomized]

[ As they swim on, Spock keeps a close eye on Leonard. His energy has been dwindling and Spock has only recently learned why. Knowing the reason has only increased his concern. Leonard is ill and he will get worse. Spock will not allow him to neglect himself and rush the process along. He tries not to dwell on his feelings on the matter, though he also has removed the necklace that was allowing him to ignore some of his less enjoyable feelings, too.

It has all left him with a sinking feeling. Jim is gone and Leonard is ill. Spock will have to put Leonard's needs ahead of his own for a time.

For now, that means that on missions, Spock will keep an eye out for signs that Leonard might require assistance.

The water around them is getting darker and dimmer, anyway, so the fact that Leonard has a bioluminescent glow is both helpful and a convenient excuse to stay close so that he can watch for the larger tendrils of Witch's Bark.

One such spiked bramble floats out into the way as they swim down and Spock reaches around Leonard with a green tentacle to break it away from their path. ]

This area is becoming increasingly tighter to travel through.

Yzak Jule | Gundam SEED

[coordination]

#0.5: A Job Whale Done | (quest stuff ; ota)

[ Before the whole Princess and the pearl mystery, Yzak took on a couple of Levi's quests. Partially because making his way around the city and interacting with its residents might prove useful down the line (and it did!), and partially because maybe he'd get something cool out of it as a reward.

He does, indeed, get two different items for his aid. The [a. first] is a necklace which he can be seen with whenever your character happens by him. Yzak swims idly along and holds the chain in one hand while he experimentally cups his other over the pendant. ]

It really isn't fading...

[ The [b. second] item he can be found with also wherever and whenever your character happens upon him (we do what we want). Here he holds a stone slab with an image carved into it - to some, it may be a familiar image. It's clearly familiar to Yzak himself, as he glances down at it making his way by, brow furrowed. ]

This should prove useful to keep around. Ycxter this time, huh.

---

#1: Travel Commocean | (awhale we go ; ota)

[ Yzak does not balk when they begin their journey outside of Qruria City; he's used to anticipating danger and more than willing to face it for the sake of a mission. When the [a. storm] begins and the current quickly picks up, though, is when it specifically works against him. The way his long, elegant fins blossom and flow on his body makes it harder for him to navigate through the rougher waters. He slows down considerably, stubbornly kicking his tail as hard as he can to fight the waters, but he may need a bit of a hand from somebody else with a form better for this.

On the flip side to his shortcomings against the current, once they're through and come across the [b. grotto], whether it's from the bark or an eel, if any Orber happens to get too close and not realize a gentle shifting of the waters moves the brambles toward them, Yzak calls out: ]

Hey—!

[ And then swims up to his ally, pulling out his carried blade to cut away at a vine. ]

---

#2: Crab Battle | (not as it seams & wish fault ; ota)

[ Yzak was none too pleased when he was suddenly rendered unable to move upon their arrival at Gorgoneion City. So much so that the moment they could move again he just jerked his entire body as if ripping himself away from the feeling as hard as possible, the spines on his back and face rustling angrily. He is not fan of feeling out of control in any way, especially in a way like that. So until they start of their little task before they're granted access to the sacred caves, he wears a pretty sour expression.

...

More sour than usual since let's be real he looks that way a lot in general.

Anyway. That brings them to the [a. titan crabs], and once they begin to emerge in the forms that are clearly not natural for them, Yzak swims quickly toward the nearest teammate after sizing the creature up. ]

We've probably got to combine our efforts. I can use blinding and immobilization magic, but they tend to wear off quicker on bigger things like this.

[ Time to get busy!

If the busy falls less on crab battle and more on [b. restoration], Yzak will lend his abilities on removing that gross slimy stuff coating the rocks and repairing the grottos.

Finally, once they're given access to the sacred caves, Yzak slows the speed of his swimming, drifting slowly along the [c. walls] and running a careful hand over the illustrations on their surface. ]

Amazing... [ He mutters with an easily captured awe. ]

---

Wildcard & OOC | (anything you please ; ota)
Feel free to tweak any prompt and I'll roll with whatever! Or just wildcard me with anything you're feeling and I'll rub myself all over it. Contact at gaignun, Tara#1768 or PM me here if you have any questions/want to brainstorm/etc! The inbox is always open, too. ♥

.5

[firstroar]

There you are.

[Blue swims up, leaving Levi's wares with something in-hand, his expression thoughtful. with his psionics absent for the time, it took a bit to find Yzak again amid the lingering, troubled festival-goers still in shock of the happenings at-play.]

The items you collected...what do you make of them?

Edward Elric l Fullmetal Alchemist

[chrysology]

1.0:

[Ed may not be a fan or religion or believe in it. But that doesn't mean he is going to swim over and barge in to interrupt the monks or anything. He simply figures to swim around them, trying not to disturb whatever it is they were up to. He might watch as he swims by, but that is all. He figures to leave them be. The orbers have their own priorities. The sooner they find the princess and Queen, the orb, the better.]

I guess just leave them to it as long as they aren't hurting anyone. As long as they are safe. We have our own stuff to focus on.

2.0:

[Ed has become somewhat more aware in changes in the weather. Usually through his auto-mail aching from the changes in pressure and such but. Even without it, he is still somewhat sensitive to it out of habit, instinct or something. He pauses in feeling the current changing.]

Something's different? You feel that?

4.0:

Tch. More of this stuff in the way. You want to go around or?

[Or figure something to break through? Maybe there is something here Ed could use to transmute something? Without actually touching the stuff? He glances around, wondering if they might be so lucky to figure something to work with. Ed doesn't mind either way. Though it might be that breaking this might be quicker. If possible.]

6.0:

This place is.....different?

[Ed is noting, wondering where any males might be, aside from those among their little group. But he figures it seems okay? If there really was some strict rules around no men being here, they'd be asked to wait or something? Surely. At the least, the scars on the others make him not feel so bad on his own, at his shoulder, at his back and stomach where he had gotten impaled back home.]

9.0:

Mutated? How?

[Because of the orb? Ed isn't sure what to make on that. It doesn't seem there is much chance to really process what that means exactly. He tries to focus on getting past the creatures, on trying not to get paralyzed again, not liking being stuck in place like that. For all that he is often restless, he does also hate feeling so helpless.]

Maybe if we just restrain them or something?

[He doesn't want to fight unless he has to. And he isn't sure using alchemy to say, create something from the walls, might be the best idea in this scenario? He doesn't want the caves to come down on them.]

2.0

[victorylap]

Feel what...?

[ Rodimus, alas, is not as finely attuned to the weather or currents. Even if he is a fish dude right now. He glances 'up' through the water, eyes bright. ]

Something coming?

Zhao Tianyou | RGG/Yakuza

[essenceofdeadlybeasts]

Zhao didn't spend much time prepping for the adventure, but he did ensure he had everything he wanted with him. If they found the princess and got the orb back there was no telling how much time they would have to spend underwater after that. Likely none. They would be done and that was that. So he had a small backpack of things with him as well as the new sword he got from Levi, as well as a few smaller pouches full of seafood ingredients and jewelry and other various knickknacks he wanted to take back with him. He didn't question much this time but was simply along for the ride, just another fighter to escort everyone to the job.

I. Part 1 - Just Keep Swimming

3.0
[The dragon-mer swan along smoothly for the most part, not talking much at first. They had a long swim ahead of them. But as they came across the Witch's Bark and the venomous eels, he began to offer help to others swimming along. A outstretched hand to help guide or a bump from his tail to prevent someone from running into the vine-like Bark.

At sight of the vampire sharks he couldn't help but make a comment.]

This gives the phrase 'I hope you don't kiss your mother with that mouth' a whole new meaning, am I right?

[It was rude, but it was also said in full jest, perhaps just nervous enough to realize it was meant to alleviate some of the tension. He had the decency to whisper it at least.]


4.0
[As the path narrowed, Zhao grit his teeth and moved forward. He wasn't afraid for himself, he found it easy to wind through the path and efficiently moved his snake-like body around the brambles with ease. He worried for others not so supple or agile.

He brought out his sword and began to hack away at what vines he could destroy. For everything else, he urged the person behind him to be careful whenever the brambles were particularly hard and difficult to pass.]

Part 2 - Crab Fighting

9.0
[This was what Zhao was here for. He could do this part of the job. As long as it was an even trade, he saw no reason not to help out. So he swam with the other fighters to see what was in the caves and, sure enough, there was something to fight. Large, overgrown crabs that were even more testy than the ones he encountered with Gwen on their quest given by Levi.]

Now this is a party!

[He rushed in without hesitation. His sword flashed in the water as he swung it to and fro. His lithe form swam circles around the hapless crabs and he easily found weak spots to chip away with his blade's sharp edge. His combat clearly held Chinese martial arts form to it, but with the battle taking under water and with his snake-like body he was very obviously mixing it up with freestyle. Sometimes it looked a little like dancing--even reminiscent of some of his moves from the party the other night, yet somehow now deadly.

His smirk was wide and bright. He was enjoying himself. And why not? He was good at this.]

III. Wildcard + 10.0

[Anything else is great, too. He's going where everyone else is going, feel free to talk to him along the way or whatever else. Once they get to the cave system in 10.0 he might get a little distracted by the murals so anyone interested in them please bother him. He's no expert at all lol but they're kinda cool.]

3.0

[aurable]

[ Drift has used his bulk and the length of his fins as a sort of bulwark against the Witch's Bark for his smaller teammates while being equally as cautious. One thing he was reminded of constantly was that, for the time being, he was as organic as the rest of them. With all the strengths and weaknesses that came with it.

The hyperfocus of this task was shaken by Zhao's comment about the vampire sharks. Drift pulled a face, ]

I don't have a mother.

Rosinante | closed starters below

[callada]

Mal

[callada]

[1.1.-2.]

[Well, so much for enjoying the party - but they all knew that they'd have an orb to chase down, after all.

It means their time here beneath the waves will come to a close soon, and Rosinante can't help but feel a little reluctant to go. This place has been strange, but wonderful - he might have the lower half of a large spotted ray, but he can swim, and as soon as they get back, he'll lose that and this ocean world that isn't quite like his, but hits closer to home than most have so far.

The monks' ceremony makes him smile despite all that, as he watches the hvalus circle above. If he had been born here, would he have worshiped them as he briefly pretended to earlier? Perhaps. And ahead, there are glimpses of white sand past the kelp forest that he's eager to explore. Would, if they didn't have a job to do.]

You ever feel like you're not ready to leave one of these places?

[He keeps his voice low as he addresses the person nearest - one he's seen around the station here and there, but never really spoken to. They have a long swim ahead, so now's as good a time as any.]