MISSION: A WASTE TO LIVE

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   1 8 . 1

INTRO • ruin upon ruins • bottomless infinity • FYI

// INTRO. double the trouble  

It is the twilight hours, the time of day when evening blends into night, that the ping of a new mission file finally comes — some of you may have waited for it impatiently, while others have dreaded the now-familiar sound.

// VIVECA

“This is it — we’ve located where the two last orbs are. They’re in a world called Go’ama. The readings picked out both of them, one in the city, one on the plains. So we’ll split you into two groups, one headed for each orb. But… take care. It was very easy to find both of them — too easy. I fear they may be prepared for you.”

With that unsettling piece of news, she falls silent, leaving everyone to read over the file and make their final preparations, whether it is gathering your things, or making sure to spend the night with someone dear to you, before you are separated for the mission.

The next morning, after breakfast, the hum of the teleportation platform starts to grow, signaling that it is time to leave — for the last time. You may feel nostalgic, seeing all the faces around the platform, and take a moment to commit all of them to memory… or maybe you’re just eager to get it all over and done with. Whatever the case, Viveca and Degar will not send you off until everyone has arrived; instead, they stand and wait, pausing to look at everyone in turn, as if they, too, are committing to memory the faces of their teammates.

Finally, when all are present, Viveca nods.

// VIVECA

“Right. Are you ready? Remember, be careful. Expect anything. The orbs — at least one of them — know you’re coming. Don’t let them outwit you.”

// DEGAR

“We believe in you guys. And we’ll be here waiting for you. So… break a leg!”

Viveca smiles, almost despite herself, despite the visible anxiety on her face — but Degar is right. They do believe in this team.

A flash of white, and the platform fades — all there is, is a voice, a multitude of voices, telling you your very last task to do… until something seems to tilt, as if you’re pulled just a little bit to the side, losing your balance, an impossibility in this white nothingness —

And then there’s sand beneath your feet, and a scorching sun above you.

Welcome to Go’ama.

TOP

// PART I.ruin upon ruins  

The air is dry as you breathe it in, the stones of the city streets burning your feet — but wait, stones? Streets? You were supposed to be in the Plains. Not so, it seems, for the Roof bustles around you, people with their head and half their face covered with scarves glancing at you before they move on, ducking into some of the stone buildings, carved into and around the large, half-decayed ruins of what must once have been a great city.

It seems if you were packed and prepared for the wasteland of the Plains, whatever you have will not help you — instead, what you must dive into is the clan politics and the fragile peace between the three clans for the duration of the winter.

1.0   The Roof, it turns out, is a city built on top of a city, one that now lies in ruins — it climbs towards the sky with several levels, stone paths leading up and up and up, houses carved into rock and out of rock lining the streets. The houses have no windows, and the doors are each made out of a strange steel-like material that keeps out excess heat, yet keeps the house itself warm.

Despite what the planet has suffered from everything that happened nearly two hundred years ago, it still has some of its original technology that helps the clans to survive in the harsh climate. Some of it is on clear display in the houses: crystals that trap in heat are kept outside the houses during the day, then moved inside at night to provide warmth, and a round disc in the shower collects moisture from the air during the day, to replenish its supply for when it is time to have a (very, very short) moment to wash.

The first thing you must do, after finding somewhere to stay (an easy feat, as many houses lie abandoned, their once-owners now either prowling the Plains, or littering its surface with their bones), is find a change of clothes — the locals all wear some type of ha’fa, an outfit consisting of a long-sleeved upper part and either pants or a long skirt, made out of a special material that adapts to the temperatures and conserves water by minimising the water loss of the person wearing it. All in the Roof wear the insignia of one of the three clans, too, so you must make your choice of which clan to claim to belong to.

Should you choose Vo’a Mahdin (and yes, you can be a Daughter of Twilight despite being a man — gender doesn’t seem to be a factor for much of anything in Go’ama), you gain easy access to weaponry and can be sent out of the city to hunt or to patrol the streets and catch errant spark-users. If you choose Sen Reuma, you will find it easier to gain political influence in the city, as well as access to all the higher administrative buildings — including watching the prisoners. But if you go for Gal Masen Dai, you have access to all their produce brought to the city — not simply the limestone that inhibits the use of powers, but also everything that is used to make the local weapons, clothes, and a varied selection of food that is otherwise not traded openly.

2.0   When you are sure that you will blend in at least decently, you can take to the streets of the Roof and explore what there is to see. It seems that while the two lowest levels are full of houses meant for living, the buildings on the third level are made for the purposes of meeting and trading.

An immediate thing to catch your notice is the fact there doesn’t seem to be any particular currency — instead, things change hands through trades, and nothing is more valuable than water. In its absence, though, you may try and see if you have anything technological to part with, as that is what the locals keep in next highest regard. But whatever it is you want, be it food (mostly some easily grown root vegetables, a few different berries that still grow in the desert, and dried meat, out of rodents, insects and the monsters outside the city limits), new clothes, or some of the local weaponry — spears and swords made of a blue-tinted metal that are activated by heat from the one holding them, turning into a plasma-like substance that cuts through anything and everything — you will not get anything for free… and whatever coins you might have in your pocket have little value here.

If you have nothing to give, you may bargain with favours: cleaning, metalwork, maybe offering to join those digging for groundwater — or maybe you’re confident in your hunting skills, and wager that you’ll be able to brave the edges of the Plains to bring back one of the monstrous creatures that inhabit it.

3.0   On the fourth level, a large, dome-like structure houses not only the relics from times long past, prior to what is known to those living today as the Choice, but also the clan chiefs and their advisors, dealing with everyday troubles under the Roof — and of those, there are many, with clans whose members have many feuds with one another, where the clan’s leadership is only as secure as the strength of the one holding the position… as anyone, anytime, can challenge the clan chief to a fight for the title.

For that, in the middle of the dome, there is a large circle within which duels can be fought — both those that are held in practice, and those that are fought to the death. On the nights when there is no true duel fought, the space is open for anyone wanting to test their mettle; though sometimes, the battle is not fought with weapons but with words, contests of poems crafted to insult, or arguments of logic carefully shredding the opponent’s reasoning. Under the Roof, you can fight not just with spears or swords but with your tongue — and those who succeed in either often gain regard for their clan and themselves.

4.0   Everywhere in the city, members of Vo’a Mahdin patrol the streets, their spears high and faces masked, only their eyes showing as they watch for signs of anyone using the spark, for the telltale glow around the person — but even if it’s not there, anything suspicious, anything unexplained, and you might have an unpleasant encounter with their plasma spears… and, if you’re not lucky enough to be able to outrun them or maybe portal yourself to another part of the city, be sent to the prisons to wait for the next time a batch of prisoners is sent to the plains — in one month’s time.

But the Daughters of Twilight are not the only thing to note when walking the streets of the Roof: it seems that clan members regard those of other clans with suspicion, and sometimes even members of their own clan, hurrying along when they don’t recognise the person looking at them. If you listen carefully, you may hear whispers of outsiders — they’re among us, someone says in hushed breaths, Hahn’s legacy come to destroy us all! We must find them, and kill them, before they kill us.

It couldn’t be that these outsiders mean… you?

And something else seems to be happening, too, that you might find strange: one day, you see a rat-like creature scuttle across the floor of your house, when it suddenly falls over, dead, on the spot. The next day, the heating crystal cracks in half when simply standing still… and wasn’t that thornbush across the street alive that very morning, when come evening it’s withered and dead, as if all life has been drawn from it?

It seems that whatever is happening under the Roof, not all is as it should be — and you, all of you, may be in danger. The only way through is to find the orb that is hiding somewhere in the city.

TOP

// PART II.bottomless infinity  

You open your eyes, and all you see is sand. That can’t be right. Weren’t you supposed to arrive in a city? A city on a desert planet, sure, but a city nonetheless. But rather than civilization, what you see before you are miles and miles of barren wasteland, occasionally broken up by sparse smatterings of flora that look about as tough as the harsh sun bearing down on you overhead.

You check the network and find everything in working order. It seems the groups were sent to the wrong places during teleportation. An awfully inconvenient glitch, but it could be worse. At least everything you’d packed to take with you into the city is still on your person, even if, perhaps, most of those items won’t be of any use to you now. In the Plains, the only politics you’ll have to deal with is the law of the jungle, and diplomacy is left for forging alliances with the strong and the trustworthy.

5.0   After gathering your bearings, there’s nothing left to do but adjust and adapt. Trying to return to the Roof is not possible — the outside of the city is paved with the limestone that restricts the use of magic, and members of Vo’a Mahdin patrol the outsides, so trying to go back is a guaranteed death sentence — which the Plains, though tough, is not. You quickly find that the weather in the Plains is straightforward: long days of clear skies and sweltering heat, and even longer nights with brisk winds and temperatures dropping as low as 0°C.

No matter which extreme, the harsh temperatures can sometimes have an effect on the mind. Mirages or hallucinations can suddenly spring up without warning, making a person believe they are in their most treasured or safe space. It will take more than just a splash of water or aggressive shaking to snap a person out of their delusion; intense feelings of ecstasy or pain are the only known successful solutions.

NOTE: There are potential themes of noncon/dubcon associated with this prompt. The severity of a character's lack of agency during these hallucinations is entirely up to player discretion. All threads with content warnings should be marked as such.

6.0   While most days can be uneventful, every now and then a sudden sandstorm rips through the area, kicking up sand and detritus and anything else light enough that hasn’t already been weighed down. The sandstorms are brief but powerful, utterly rearranging the landscape of whatever area they formed in. Here’s hoping you had other ways of mapping out your journey!

7.0   Speaking of journeying, you’ll definitely want to watch your step. Quicksand is an ever-present and almost undetectable threat, and some of the local flora prey specifically on travelers who aren’t paying attention. Maw traps (CW: mouth and teeth imagery) like to hide within the cracks of red rocks and sediment, snapping open to feast on any poor creature that happens to skitter past. Though they may only be about a foot wide, their grip is vice-like and more than capable of damaging flesh and tendon.

It is strange, though. No matter what direction you walk, you’ll always be able to see it: a lone, tall tower, nothing more than a smear of black against the horizon. Looking at the tower for too long will start to feel wrong, and before you realize it you’ve already looked away.

8.0   You have other things to worry about. The wildlife, though limited, can be a danger all on their own. Fruit flings are small but make up for that by being incredibly annoying. They travel by the dozens, swarming anything even remotely resembling a food source. Bioluminescent sand salamanders like to swallow up heat sources and burrow into bags or pockets. Bonekits are ruthless and solitary scavengers, known to sometimes follow stronger predators to then lay waste to whatever prey they may have fallen. Chameledons are massive herbivores who use their individually rotatings eyes to seek out vegetation and snatch them up with their whip-like tongues. While the desert devils only feast on the bleeding, able to sniff out a single drop of blood from over thirty miles away. At least they’re all, in their own way, edible.

9.0   Don’t worry, not everything about the Plains is unforgiving. Discover a cave in one of giant rock formations scattered throughout the Plains and you’ll find the refuge you’ve been looking for. These caves seem to hold all the humidity that’s absent in this desert planet, lit entirely naturally by bioluminescent fungi along the floor and ceiling. In here, it is easy to take a break from the harsh realities of the Plains, and even enjoy a nice soak in the crystal clear waters of a cave pool.

10.0   But don’t forget: you and your crew aren’t the only ones out here. On top of the beasts and the plantlife, you will also have to share the Plains’ finite resources with the others who have been banished there. Many have formed groups out of pure necessity, making it easier to ambush lone wanderers or smaller groups for a chance to rob them of their goods. Remember that these people were sent here to their deaths after showing evidence of the spark, and there are no laws here to keep them from using it to their advantage. If these ambushers don’t attack you with homemade weapons, they’ll use their spark to fling you aside, rip your own weapons or goods out of your hands, send shockwaves through the earth that will have you falling flat on your face, or even hit you with an invisible force so hard it steals the breath out of your lungs. The attacks are always quick, messy; the only real warning you get before someone uses their spark is a sudden glow around their person, but by then it could already be too late.

One such group is one you’ve already been briefed about. It would not be very long until a member of the Dai’a Svar hears wind of your arrival. As the most prominent — and thus the most powerful — group formed under the banner of magical liberation, the members are always eager to seek out new followers to help them with their cause. Identifiable by four intersecting lines carved into the apple of their cheek, these devoted followers are happy to answer any of your questions… you need only follow them to speak with their leader, Garam, first.

But don’t let the treacherous Plains distract you from your real goal here: somewhere within this dangerous wasteland is an orb, and the sooner you find it, the sooner you get to go home.

TOP

F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of January.

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

• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.

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

TOP

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Comments

QUESTIONS.

[ximilian]

For any questions regarding the events or information on this log, ask them here.

Re: QUESTIONS.

[astudyinviolet]

How big are the flora compared to a normal human, and how tough are they? Tough as in hard to break or tough as in able to survive in this environment?

Can any part of them be used like a walking stick or rope or shade umbrella?

[facultative]

is the limestone a blanket power nullifier or does it only work on the spark?

[morethan084]

Hello! I have a question about the limestone. I know it nullifies powers, but I'm a little confused. Is that limited to a specific area where their powers won't work? As people seem to be able to use their 'spark' in the settlements they've come to make. So would Daisy be able to use her powers in certain areas?

SEARCH REQUESTS.

[ximilian]

Speaking to an NPC? Exploring any of the locations? Poking around for information? Tell us what your character is doing to gather information and we'll let you know what they happen to find out.

To limit the mods' workload, each character has one (1) search request. Please remember that multiple characters can combine their search requests and form a mini-team to be able to search areas or speak to people that one character would not be able to. For those doing a search in a group of 4+ characters: in case that the search will yield no results from the start, you will be given a chance to re-do the search.

Note that not every search request will necessarily yield a point of plot relevance, and some of these search requests will wind up with dead ends. Despite this, the mods take care to try and give everyone something to work with. In the event of a search request yielding no further results, the mods will clearly explain this during the search request exchange.

More info on search requests can be found HERE.

Search requests will remain open till JANUARY 19, 6PM GMT.

[lostdestiny]

Shinn figures that the biggest group in the plains has to know something that will be useful for finding the original orb and the new orb – about Rehil Hahn and the apocalypse that happened two-hundred years ago, why the city people hate magic so much, if anything weird has happened recently, what that tower is. Also the Dai’a Svar sound rad and can probably give the plains crew shelter and supplies that will help them stay alive.

So the second time he makes contact with a Dai’a Svar member, he agrees to follow them and talk to Garam.

[mienai]

STEALTH GIRL, BACK AT IT AGAIN!

Hagakure might as well put her 'spark use' to work, since it's on 24/7! She will be patrolling the streets as an invisible girl, looking especially hard for any spark users who don't realize they have company and that she can see their 'illegal' activities. She will use her ability to also warn them of any patrols that may come up at an inopportune time, to win favor with them!

Basically, looking fo spark users to get a foot in the door, when it comes to information that could relate to the orb. Anywhere that may be of interest? Perhaps someone that seems like they're trying not to be noticed?

Vo’a Mahdin Squad

[chilloutdickwad]

Yes, team. Uncle Bob has decided to become a Daughter of Twilight.

Quite effortlessly, too. He wants access to weapons, he is good at patrolling, but more than that, he would like to engage with the people who are in the group and see if there is anyone of interest to speak with. His focus will be on any ongoing conversations, which he hopes to hear even more clearly with his somewhat more advanced cybernetic hearing, or by actually. Like. Making 'friends'. However humans and other sentient life does it.

[legalcy]

When the crew is ambushed at some point, Minimus is going to try to capture one of their assailants, using his heightened durability and strength to subdue them. He'll interrogate them about the local area for practical survival knowledge and request (politely and threateningly) for any recent unusual sightings and local events. According to Minimus, the Plains group are recent exiles from the city and want to know what's out here.

Just as an added note, he's doing all this while wearing a hard-light hologram of Wei Wuxian to fulfill his personal goal of impersonating someone else.

[drawsblood]

Joric will join the Gal Masen Dai clan and will focus on produce and digging for ground water. At first he won't say much to others he's working alongside and will just listen for rumors but after the strange events start occurring (the dead rats, bushes, broken crystals), he'll start asking his coworkers what he thinks is causing it and (pretending he's been in the city all his life) will say he can't recall if it's happened in the past but then again, he's never been any good at paying attention.

He'll try to lock down if these recent events are restricted to a certain part of the city, certain clan maybe witnessing these things, etc. If it's an orb causing this, he privately wonders what deal was made that would make things worse for these people.

[astudyinviolet]

Sherlock, struggling with his personal mission of not meddling in other people's business for one month and worried about what happened on his last mission's investigation, decides to try an "investigation" of his own. Without telling others because that's how a Holmes rolls.

He's going to stare as much as he can at the tower as he attempts to walk towards it, stubbornly fighting against how wrong it feels as much as possible despite how much such a feeling will effect him. As soon as he realizes he's turned away, he makes himself look at it again. He's gathering as much data as he can as they can never fully escape its presence on the plains. If something happens to him, so be it as long as he can pass along any information to others.

[greenpower]

Ivy isn't supposed to help the local plant life as her personal mission, but she can't ignore it when she notices a bush here and there go from as healthy as any of the scrubby, desert flora to dead in a matter of hours. She notices the plants first, but once she's looking, she notices other creatures apparently sudden deaths.

Maybe she's not in an entirely useless place after all?

She'll try to learn what she can about these strange deaths, investigating the dead plants and animals she might be able to collect. If there are any locals around when she sees the rodent die, she'll ask if that's common—there's not a plague around here or anything, is there? That kind of thing.

Wei Wuxian

[singlelogbridge]

Grateful that there aren't any windows in the homes, Wei Wuxian is going back to his "I see dead people" roots and pulling out his good old faithful flute. He will lock the door, set silencing talismans on the walls, and get to business.

He plays to call any spirit he can find to himself, but he has a specific goal in mind. If anyone appears to him, he will ask them about Hahn's choice, shared by Shinn in a baton pass. He will also ask what they know about the limestone. He will speak to as many ghosts as he can (if there are any) in his efforts to find information on these items, or anything else they bring up that catches his attention. He will play for as long as it takes to find someone, even days, unless he senses that there aren't any spirits here.

Akakin and Aleksander

[cruelyethuman]

Posing as members of the Vo’a Mahdin (Aleksander) and the Gal Masen Dai (Anakin), they want to find out more about the limestone. Both of them notice the absence of power when near them and are not happy about that.

They will start with coworkers in both factions and compare notes, paying special attention to 1) where does the limestone come from, and 2) who found it / implemented the use of limestone against spark users ('such a clever idea, really, to take it from them').

Vash and Clarke

[rootlessly]

Vash and Clarke are going to join the Gal Masen Dai to quietly poke around the supply lines and see if there's anything suspicious about them that might imply orb influence, and when the Strange Occurrences start happening, they'll reach out to the clan leader Lei Bajh with the suggestion that it might be ~someone using the spark~ and offer assistance with finding who's responsible. Would she give them any leads?

[servesyouwright]

After what Shinn found out, Phoenix takes it upon himself to go talk to Manaia. Since he doesn't really have much resembling magic himself, he's careful about even hinting that he has anything to do with the spark. Instead, he'll focus on surviving the desert and talk about how after spending a while out there he couldn't help but notice the tower, and he's heard from a ~little birdie~ that she knows something about it.

Shinn Asuka // Gundam SEED Destiny

[lostdestiny]

[ All open for now. Additional and closed may follow! ]

[lostdestiny]

[ Plains team are welcome to threadhop 5.0 for general survival antics and connecting with people who know how to not die in the desert, everyone is welcome to threadhop 10.0. ]

5.0

[ The not-terrible news is that Shinn assumed the city team would be getting into scraps and making occasional forays into the desert, alongside the Vo’a Mahdin or otherwise, so he at least has some weapons and gear suited to general survival and to being in the desert for short excursions. The terrible news is that short-term gear for one person will be next to useless if he’s going to be out here for weeks. And the really terrible news is that short-term survival gear for one person will be completely useless for a whole group if they’re going to be out here for weeks.

He pulls down a pair of goggles against the glare of the sun (thanks, Conille?) and turns to the rest of the plains team, most of whom he has never talked to, and who for all he knows could be the softest silliest people in the world or hardass return-to-nature types. As much as he’d like to think that he can take care of himself, he’s really hoping that someone falls into the second category. ]

The hell do we do now?

7.0

[ Shortly after the immediate issue of the group not promptly dying from heat/cold/sun/wind/exposure/etc. has been temporarily addressed, Shinn yells very loudly as he steps right into a maw trap. ]

10.0

[ Pretty promptly after the “not very long” that it takes the the Dai’a Svar to make contact with the plains team, Shinn sends a text message to the crew. It's mostly to hash plans out with the plains group, but city-slickers are free to weigh in. ]

We’re joining the Dai’a Svar, right? They fight the crazy bastards in the city and they know how to survive out here. And if they're the biggest group in the plains, they're probably our best chance of finding the plains orb.

[ Is he predisposed to team up with a desert rebellion and also to say "fuck you" to a society that kicks people out for doing something weird, even though he got a lot of his information from people who are clearly biased and he knows he doesn't have the whole picture? Hell yeah. ]

ahsoka tano | star wars | plains

[unjedi]

( 6.0 — sandstorms )

[ you know what she hadn't missed? tatooine. hadn't missed that at all. if anakin was here, this would be easier, but he wasn't and she had limited experience in the desert. gritting her teeth, she pulls her cloak over her head. ]

Let's find shelter fast. Or at least do a makeshift tent. We'll be buried, but we'll be safer.

( 7.0 — quicksand and traps )

[ ahsoka had quickly dodged a sudden sinkhole. she watches with a shocked expression as the hole reveals a maw trap. or, in the galaxy she's from: ]

Sarlacc. Here?

We better watch our step.

( 9.0 — cave pools )

[ finding a little bit of beauty in the desert has been quite the respite. ahsoka only dips her feet in. she lets out a quiet sigh. ]

Definitely nicer than Tatooine.

( wildcard )

[ got a prompt in mind? hit me up @ timmtams or dm this journal. ]

( closed to anakin )

[unjedi]

I'm stuck in the plains.

Yzak Jule | Gundam SEED

[coordination]

#01: Pre-Mission

And we're just as prepared for them.

[ A haughty little huff is let out when they begin to gather at the teleporter. Much like what Yzak's done once before where the team's emergency supply packs are concerned (so to some, this may actually be a familiar gesture), as one of them who's volunteered to ensure all of the team is equipped with them this time around, these packs have a little something extra attached to them; tiny little omamori.

If asked or so much as given a look of even vague wonder, Yzak's answer is the same. ]

It's for luck. On our final mission.

---

#02: Arrival...?

Shit.

[ That's all that tumbles out of Yzak's mouth when they arrive, the error of their assigned destinations recognized immediately. This half of the team obviously did not prep for this wilderness roughing, instead for city life and politics - and a quick affirmation with himself confirms that, unfortunately, their belongings remained with them. So they are suddenly rather ill-prepared for what they're going be in for.

Still, Yzak thinks as he starts considering next steps, that doesn't mean some of what they've taken with them can be put to use if they get creative. And as his gaze scans over his other teammates who are here with them... ]

Good thing there are at least some number of us who are trained for this kind of thing. Let's go through what we've all got with us and check out some of these rock formations so we have an option for cover until we figure out what we're going to do now.

[ He looks up to the sky, blue eyes squinting against the brightness that the sun scatters across it. ]

Of course we'd end up in a fucking des—

[ And it's then that a quick little sharp breeze kicks up a gust of sand around them. Awful. Terrible. Disgusting. It gets in Yzak's eyes and mouth since he was mid sentence. ]

—AAAKKPPHHTHH!!

[ He hates it already. ]

---

#03: Let's Get Tropey

[ Yeah, that undetectable quicksand? SUCKS ASS!! Yzak was one of the unfortunate ones who stepped into it, Ryunosuke tried to help, Newton tried to help, it was a chain reaction of absolute clownery and Yzak never wants to speak of it again after it's all over. He'd managed to get out of it, he had sand in places he'd never knew existed on himself, but thankfully a dip in those cave pools saved him there and he was able to wash up.

It's nightfall now, and the weather's dropped considerably on this night in particular. Whether they've made a fire outside, just inside of a cave (so they don't choke on smoke) or have made smart use of their extra clothes to layer up - maybe a few of them even packed sheets and/or blankets (but that still makes them scarce so OOO WE GOTTA SHARE OOO), the point is: Coordinators are pretty hardy against extreme weather, and Yzak himself runs pretty warm... so you know what this prompt is here for, let's get platonically body warmth cuddly on this final mission, bitches.

... he's fine with it, as this is somewhat of an emergency and they're scarce on supplies and he's a soldier so he knows they've got no choice but to share things and stick close. He's also got with him a little notepad and a pen and while they all wind down to huddle together and whatnot, he's scribbling something in it that he looks very thoughtful over. Thoughtful and occasionally fussed about as his face will randomly go pink and scrunch up and he'll have to pause for a few moments. When not writing he has whatever he's wearing unbuttoned and draped over his shoulders while he removes his prosthetic right arm from the housing system on his body and he very meticulously works on getting what of the quicksand got into that out ... grumbling and cursing under his breath. ]

---

#Wildcard

Hit me with something completely different! Or kick around ideas with me, I'm over at gaignun and urtv on Disc.

---

2

[morethan084]

[Daisy has to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the way Yzak sputters.]

Good idea.

[She says belatedly, waiting until he can open his eyes again to start walking towards some shade. That's when she realizes something...]

My powers aren't working.

[The words are said quietly, despite knowing there wasn't anyone dangerous within earshot.]

Wei Wuxian | Open

[singlelogbridge]

Network (Video)

[A day into their arrival, Wei Wuxian's voice trickles out over the network, accompanied by the username "Wei Wuxian."]

It's been a while since I've done this.

If you don't know me, my name is Wei Wuxian. I have some talismans available that might make things a little easier on this mission, especially for anyone who gets themselves into a pinch.

But listen closely because if you don't use them right, they can make things worse for you.

I've got invisibility talismans that will make a person invisible for thirty minutes. If you get caught using abilities or are on the run, this would be perfect to aid in a getaway, but watch that thirty minute mark, and keep in mind they only hide you from the naked eye. It won't work on any kind of technology with infrared, and it won't hide your energy, qi, aura or anything like that. [Shout out to Yennefer and Lan Xichen and that time they all discovered infrared cameras together.]

I've also got talismans for changing your appearance, changing your voice, and temporarily paralyzing someone for a short period of time. If you want one of these, come and talk to me.

Lastly, I have water purification talismans. Not sure how much they'll be needed here but always worth mentioning.

I'm located in the city, so if you're here in the city, I can meet up with you.

If you're in the desert speak to Lan Xichen, or to my son, Lan Sizhui. [Did he just say...son? He definitely did. And he's not going to explain that at all, just keep on going like this isn't the first time he's admitted this in public.]

One last thing. If we haven’t met before and you want my paralysis talisman or the changing appearance one, you’re gonna need to provide a reference. [Is he being serious? He definitely is.

He winks and gives the feed a jaunty wave before cutting the video.]

2.0: Hunting

[It isn’t that Wei Wuxian doesn’t have anything else to bargain with so much as it is his desire to explore the outer most edges of the Roof that lead him to trading manual labor for water. Specifically, for the manual labor of bringing back the meat of one of the creatures that resides along the border of plains and city.

He has his bow on his back, worn over his ha’fa, and cloth pulled over his head and mouth to protect him from the elements. It’s evening when he sets out and the worst of the sun’s cruel heat has already passed, and he knows that the day will pass from blistering to achingly cold in short time. He’s dressed in layers, but he isn’t prepared to be out here overnight, so he hurries his pace.

Thanks to Newt, Yzak, and Ryunosuke, he’s had the opportunity to learn a little about the traps that lay hidden in the sand, and he uses a walking stick as he moves, tapping it carefully in the sand ahead of his steps. The downside to the walking stick is that it creates a soft rustle in the sand, sure to alert anything that he's coming before he sees it. He supposes it's a tradeoff he's willing to make.

After a long while of walking, there is a growl that sounds from in front of him and it is quickly joined by another and then another. Ah, something that travels in packs. Wei Wuxian winces and trades out his walking stick for his bow, quickly firing off an arrow that lands with a thick thunk followed by a high pitched shriek, and then he is putting his bow aside as well and reaching for his sword.

In the fading light of dusk, Wei Wuxian is surrounded by half a dozen desert devils.

It isn’t an impossible battle he faces, but help certainly wouldn’t be unwelcome.]

3.0 Dueling

[Before coming to the Ximilia, Wei Wuxian’s hand to hand combat skills had been alright at best. In a world where the use of anything but the sword was considered crass and beneath a cultivator’s dignity, there wasn’t much emphasis on being able to subdue an opponent with fists alone.

Of course to Wei Wuxian, there was no such thing as a crass weapon, there was only surviving or not.

Which is why he’d taken the time aboard the Ximilia to hone those skills every chance he could get, and why he’s drawn to the nightly duels, eventually stepping into the ring to test his skills. The fight isn’t an easy one. His opponent is much bulkier and much more muscular, but Wei Wuxian makes up for it with agility and superior reflexes. He takes two hard blows before coming out triumphant in the end.

He’s rolling out his shoulder when he makes eye contact with a fellow orber and he raises an eyebrow in clear invitation, a warm challenge in his eyes.]

3.0 b

[Or perhaps just as Wei Wuxian is suggesting a fellow orber join him in the ring, the duel has changed to a competition of archery? A battle of wits? Or maybe said fellow orber has rejected Wei Wuxian's invitation and is now witness to Wei Wuxian realizing that if he remains in the ring he'll have to best someone with rhymes?

A little help?]

Wildcard me!!

[ooc: if anyone plans to use wei wuxian's talismans and get caught as a result, please hit me up first via PM or on plurk, thanks!]

network;

[eschewings]

And what am I, pickled turnip?

[ excuse you he can make talismans as well!!

though — ]

Not that I want to be drawing talismans for anyone! That sounds like way too much work. So I guess I should be thanking you for leaving me out of this.

[ and finally, perhaps five minutes later, somehow conveying all of his whining tone in just text format: ]

Wei-xiong, there's so much sand.

Daisy Johnson | OTA

[morethan084]

5.0a

[Daisy had packed with being in a city in mind, so when she arrives in the Plains instead, it’s no surprise she is not very prepared to be in a wasteland. Almost immediately she’s taking off her suit jacket as the sun is so hot and bright she’s already sweating.]

We need to find shade, and then figure out what our next steps are.

[She says to anyone within earshot.]

First priority is finding water, and food.

5.0b

[Daisy sits down in front of a small, haphazardly built, fire with some paper someone had brought with them. She’s got her suit jacket back on, and has her hands tucked into the sleeves to try and keep her hands from getting too cold.]

Should’ve known something like this would happen.

[She looks past the fire when she notices movement, and her hand immediately goes for her gun. Of course she brought a gun with her.]

Did you see that?

[Unbeknownst to her, a sand salamander has been drawn to the fire they’ve built.]

7: CW | Injury, gore, blood

[Daisy sees the ground open up in front of her, and the person in front of her doesn’t seem to notice.]

Watch out!

[She shouts, grabbing them by the arm and pulling them back out of the way.]

What the hell was tha-?

[She’s cut off when the ground underneath her opens, and something grabs her ankle in a vice grip. The pain is searing, and she’s immediately trying to pull her leg free.]

10

[Even with the injury to her ankle, she and some of the others continue their exploration over the coming days. She’s not as fast as she’d like to be, and it’s only when someone insists that they stop for a bit so she can rest her ankle that she finally does.

Squinting against the sunlight, Daisy takes a sip of water before handing it over to her fellow Orber. That’s when she notices someone trying to sneak up on them, but before she has time to react she and her fellow Orber are knocked roughly onto the ground. It feels like she just took a punch to the gut, but no one has touched her. Grabbing at her stomach as she gasps for air, she looks up to see a few more people approaching.]

Wait.

[She gasps out, still on the floor.]

WILDCARD

[Have something else in mind? Feel free to write something below or PM/message me on morethan084!]

7

[hadbadays]

[ At first, he'd thought to himself that this wasn't too bad. Of course, it is bad to end up somewhere they weren't planning to end up, but he knows a thing or two about surviving in the desert. The problem is just that that desert wasn't an alien planet desert.

And he can't remember the ground just opening up like that.

His heart leaps into his throat as his foot finds no purchase, and it takes a moment or two for him to realise that he's not falling into a pit and that there's solid ground beneath him. When he does, he immediately gets back onto his feet, only to see Daisy with her foot stuck there instead.

When he goes over there to help her, he doesn't expect to see a thing. There's only one reasonable response to that, which is to pull out his gun and shoot it. ]

Minimus Ambus | OTA

[legalcy]

5.

I thought... [What can he say? This looks nothing like a city. There is no visible entrance to an underground location. Viveca and Degar said nothing about the city being underground. Minimus walks away from the rest of the group and finds nothing else on the horizon.

When he returns, his arms are folded, and he's staring at the sand that's collected on his feet.] Does anyone here know how to start a fire?

10.

[With the chaos of surviving in the wilderness having passed - or at least, it feels less stressful than before, Minimus decides now is the time to address the personal goal given to him by the orb. One morning, you see an orber in your group that you're very certain was sent to the city: Wei Wuxian.

The hologram is projected near Minimus's body, and he can sit in one spot while the group explores the surrounding area, sending his avatar with them instead. Two places, one time.

The fake Wei Wuxian smiles politely at his teammates.] Shall we investigate the cliffs today?

5

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock hears the question and tears off a page corner of his casebook. Then he half buries it in the sand. Keeping out of the way of the sun, Sherlock focuses the rays of light to a small point using his magnifying glass. The paper begins to turn dark before it smokes and alights. It goes out quickly given that it was just a small piece of paper with nothing further to fuel the flame. ]

Starting it will not be a problem. Growing the fire to something substantial and lasting will be.

[ It might have been a problem if someone didn't carry around a magnifying glass on the regular, but Sherlock Holmes was sent here too. ]

Toru Hagakure | My Hero Academia | The Roof / City

[mienai]

0.0 | Preparing for the Mission

We've got this, team! Everyone do your best!

[That's just a few of the cheerleaderisms Hagakure had fallen back on, during their mission prep aboard the Ximilia. She had always had a habit of it, anyway, and she figures that here more than ever, people could use a good peptalk. There are quiet moments between missions, though, where she finds herself set aside and alone -- distracted it seems by her own thoughts. Sometimes you just have to have some quiet reflection, where your mask can slip a little...

Not that most people can tell! It's not like people can see the worry or uncertainty in her face from time to time, as they begin to ready for this last mission. When the discussion of what everyone will bring to the planet is brought up, she does cheer up immediately; in fact, she cracks open her bag with a little giggle.]

Oh, I just have the basics! Important little things to get by and succeed! See?

[If you peek inside her travel bag, it's... all candies and other sweets.]

1.0 The City Arrival

~*~Hello, everyone!!!~*~



[The bouncy figure approaching isn't... quite dressed like she usually is. In fact, Hagakure is completely visible! Well, er, her outline is visible. Because she is dressed head to toe (fingers included!) in clothing from this world. Adjusting her little goggles, she gives the other crewmember a once-over.]

It's so good to see you! But, um!

[Her voice goes low, as she leans in to whisper:]

I'm a little confused; are we... like... supposed to be here?

[She could have sworn they were meant to arrive in the plains. That's why Degar hadn't given her a potion, after all! Her invisibility wouldn't have been too big a deal out there where people are already banished... Adjusting her scarf nervously, she goes about her day and tries not to be too obviously planted in this place. After all, if they notice any part of her can't be witnessed by the naked eye, she might just be on the receiving end of a spear or banishment...]

2.0 Insert Chase Scene Here

[And eventually, her luck does run out. Even being as careful as she could.

A local teen with too much energy had ran straight into her and knocked her goggles off her head. When it revealed the empty air beneath the headscarf, another hand had yanked the coiled cloth off her to reveal a complete lack of head. There, exposed, the small crowd gasped. "A spark user!" And so the Benny Hill yakkity yak music would play for her, as she started making a run for it.]

Oh no oh no oh no!

[You might see her running by, or rather, see clothes flying off as she kicks them left and right, abandoning them as she flees the scene. There's Daughters of Twilight on patrol to race after her with their unpleasant looking plasma spears. Hopefully they don't corner her in an alleyway — oh, wait, yes. There's an alleyway to be at the dead end of, much to her fretting. Turning around to press herself up against the wall, she hasn't had the chance to yank the gloves off before they'd caught sight of them.]

Please, wait...! I'm not using any magic; I'm not a spark user! It's just a quirk!

3.0 | The (Homeless) Roof Ghost

[Imagine, you're walking back home now that the day has become night... and you get this... eerie feeling that someone or something is following you. Strange, isn't it? It's enough to make the hairs on the back of your head stand up. Maybe you had heard the utterings of the children within the city — the talk of the Roof Ghost that haunts these streets lately. "The ghost asks to come into your home," one boy says, "And if you say yes, they'll haunt your nightmares before they kill you with pure fear!"

It's a hard to tell how long the silly little campfire story has been around, but it couldn't be real... could it?

But undoubtedly... there's a slow, eerie breath right behind as you approach your temporary home...

And then, the shape of an icy cold hand on your shoulder. A low, soft whisper:]

E-excuse me.

Can I come in for the night?

[It's very cold out here, you know. Her teeth are almost chattering!]

3.0

[drawsblood]

[ He's pretty sure he's watched this exact thing unfold in a movie once. Joric can't recall if it was one of Newt's movie nights or one he found himself in a supply drop off, but he's not going to be spooked by a ghostly creature. It would kind of go against his people's whole religion centered around bravery, wouldn't it? Instead he half turns and squints down at the person covered head to toe.

Oh. Isn't this the girl who cannot be seen? ]

Come in. I'll get a fire started.

[ No sense not sharing the space, after all. Besides, maybe they can share what they've learned so far, which in Joric's case isn't much. ]

The Darkling / Aleksander Morozova | Shadow and Bone. City

[cruelyethuman]

i.

[The heat is scorching, the air warm enough to shimmer even at the middle distance as the sun blazes on from a cloudless sky.

And yet, Aleksander finds himself right in the middle of it, tucking on a too-tight shirt to catch just a glimmer of relief. No shadows to hide in, as he walks briskly towards an orber.]

Really?

ii.

[Another night, another patrol and the Vo’a Mahdin prowl the streets. Armed and ready, suspicion on their faces - mirrored on Aleksander's, as they fulfill their duty.

He doesn't think too deeply when he's sent out. Another life, another name to remember and it is all too familiar. If he was a man to roll his eyes, he would be right now- they are looking for spark-users, hunting them down to slap them in to shackles that will take it all away.

Limestone bracelets and sharp knives.

There's a shout from up ahead and he hurries, slipping past the Daughter in front to see if it's someone he knows, fingers already twisting to deepen the natural shadows of the desert night.]

i

[laviny]

[Yelena is looking through her bag of supplies when Aleks approaches.She packed for the desert, but she supposes all this extra water and such will be just as useful in the city.]

Really, what? This isn’t my fault.

( closed to vash )

[ananym]

[ one of his goals was to feed on someone. which is barbaric, but that's the point of it, isn't it? he had narrowly dodged it back on their last mission, so it made sense that it would be demanded of him now.

he eyes someone down the alley, his expression annoyed. ]

This should not be so hard.

[rootlessly]

[Vash, of course, does not keep walking in the face of someone obviously having a problem of some sort.

He stops, meeting Alucard's annoyed expression with a smile trying for reassuring, albeit faintly tinged with concern.]

What's wrong?