Event: Core [Day 61]

[bastionmods]

For more details, or if you have any questions, please see the OOC post.

For this event, Player characters will be split into two groups: Group A and Group B. Group A consists of any characters who arrived in the Bastion before Day 61. Group B consists of any characters who arrived in the Bastion on Day 61. Please keep your posts to the threads that have the heading that corresponds to your respective group.

There are two goals that need to be met:

1: Group A must locate Group B and safely bring them to the Bastion.
2: Someone must bring the Core back to the Bastion.

The second goal is time sensitive. If the Core is not found in time, it will disappear from the Skyway.

This event will consist of free-form tagging. There is no set tagging order, so feel free to have your characters respond to occurrences as you see fit.

All important threads are listed below:

Group A starting thread
Group B starting thread
Group A: at The Melting Pot
Group A: searching the stalls
Groups A and B meet up
Boss battle

Comments

THINGS ARE HAPPENING

[bastionpc]

[Most of the Peckers are killed, yielding a few Shards each. The rest stop attacking the party as they reach the other side of the walkway, since it is outside of their range of caring.

Congratulations, you made it to The Melting Pot!

The path everyone took opens up into a plaza of sorts, with stalls lining the sides and continuing down the streets in every direction. Each stall seems to be selling something different: weapons, food, trinkets, you name it.

Any perishable food has long since been ravaged by the local monsters, but some non-perishables can still be found if you look.

There are several statues strewn about the area. Men, women, and children, all looking like they were engaged in a day of shopping before the Calamity happened. Be careful about touching them if you have a weak stomach!

This is a good spot to stop and do a search before continuing on.]

((NOTE: follow the link to the search thread, and respond to this post for continuing on after searching the area.))

[notduchess]

[ Duke has stopped to stare at a statue. There's nothing particularly remarkable about it, just that... its a statue of a fairly ordinary looking person. ]

... I think I get your point now.

[ the knight has already bundled up her findings, just looking aimlessly about while avoiding statues. ]

[hellpyre]

[Rin came to a stop next to her, and though it makes her uncomfortable, she manages to look at the statue that Duke is staring at.]

... most of 'em are like this. Just. People. But when I first got here--...

[her voice goes quiet, practically a mutter]

some of 'em had True Cross uniforms...

[notduchess]

... That's... lovely.

[ Duke grumbles it. ]

Then there's a bunch I'd really rather not come across out there... somewhere.

[ Aand catching onto Rin's mood. Well. ]

Found anything interesting yet?

[hellpyre]

[She's looking away again, and for a moment her expression almost says everything she hasn't said out loud: why couldn't I save them? Why did it happen this way? Where are my friends? My sister? Why me and not them?

The question breaks her out of her thoughts, and she looks up, giving a nod.]

Fabric. A coupla bolts and some scraps, but it's somethin' at least. I can finally get rid of my trashed uniform, and probably get some one at the Bastion to make clothes for others too.

[notduchess]

I found.. well, I guess it could be a mesh-armor shirt. A bit long, but that is how some of them are. I don't really have much use for it, but someone probably will.

[ Duke is totally just trying to distract you, Rin. Is it working? ]

[hellpyre]

[More or less.]

Probably should give it to some one not as durable as me. I'm okay with gettin' knocked around without armor.

[notduchess]

Its a step above cloth, it'd mostly be there to help with slashes than knocking about.

[ The knight clanks one gauntlet off the other. ]

These are a bit better against knocking about.

[kyotoprincess]

[Here comes Bon with a couple bags.]

I found something edible. Even if we don't find the core, at least we won't go hungry.

[Finding the Core would be way better, though.]

[hellpyre]

[Damn Bon, puttin' those muscles to work aren'tcha?]

At least we found somethin'. I'd rather not go back completely empty handed.

[They should still look though, so Rin takes a few steps away from Duke, Bon and the statue to cup her hands over her mouth and call out.]

Oiii! We gotta keep lookin' for the Core! Let's more forward a bit and keep lookin' there!

[notduchess]

It may be best to start, and search more thoroughly as we move on. Pairs would be a good way to do that, with keeping at least one other group in sight at all times.

[ The knight half turns to look over things. ]

At the very least, within sight would let the delay between needing help and receiving it decrease..

[hellpyre]

Hey, that's actually a good idea!

[Rin turned around, smiling at Duke with a surprisingly cheerful expression. Sure she said she'd lead, but she didn't say anything about having any leadership qualities. Really she was just doing it because she and Maka actually knew the Skyway better than most of the new arrivals.]

What do you think, Bon?

[kyotoprincess]

I dunno, there's lots of alleys around here, it would be easy to get separated without meaning to.

[And considering how at least two of their party get lost in paper bags, that is not a good idea.]

[goodlifechoices]

Aha! There you all are!

[ Here, have a timely example of people easily getting lost. She's apparently empty-handed, having tucked away the one thing she did find already. ]

I got a little turned around when I was looking about.

[unflattering]

...Um.

[And Maka just sort of


Takes Marie by the sleeve.]

Let's stay together, Miss Marie.

[hellpyre]

[ALL OF THE LINEFACING BON]

See? If the right people pair off we'll be fine.

[unflattering]

Yeah, if Miss Marie has someone with her she's fine. Crona and I can look after her.

[Because he doesn't really want Crona off with strangers himself.]

Since Rin's leading, Bon, you, her and Duke can go on ahead. In case some danger comes up from the rear, we can handle it.

[bastionpc]

[Before anyone can get moving anywhere, a group of Peckers suddenly take off and fly away from an area further within the Melting Pot. It's hard to see exactly where it is, but it looks like they were startled by something.

Also they completely fly past the group, hauling ass out beyond the Melting Pot itself.]

[notduchess]

... That seems like a good point to head toward.

[ Duke will just step forward a bit, ready to. Maka had mentioned something about .... something for searching, earlier, which gives the knight pause. Duke looks back. ]

Unless you'd like to check in that direction first.

[ Duke is pretty sure they could take on a Windbag or something, if that's what scared the peckers off... ]

[unflattering]

[Oh that's...not a good sign.]

I...hang on, I'm going to use Soul Perception.

[And Maka goes silent, concentrating his senses outwards--in the direction the Peckers went as well as the circumference of their "world."

The energy bearing down on his senses causes him to gasp, as though struck in the stomach, he clutches at his head and shakes it to break the connection.]

...Th...there's...

[Did he...get that right?]

In the direction they went off...there's a bunch of baby Peckers and one--big one. Boss, probably. N-not too far away from that, there are...there are survivors! Two survivors!

[hellpyre]

Maka!

[Seeing Maka nearly collapse, Rin went to his side, not so much catching him but offering a shoulder to lean against at the very least. The revelation of survivors, while certainly not a new thing to them, was surprising to happen on a supply and Core run. That certainly made things more difficult.]

How far off are they?

[goodlifechoices]

[ Marie was already right at his other side, so she gets an arm around him in a gesture of obvious concern as well. Fussing over Maka is a cooperative sport. ]

[unflattering]

[...You guys, stop.]

Three blocks away. We should be able to get to them in time.

[notduchess]

If you're ready to walk, we can go as a group.

[ All amusement is staying inside. ]

[bastionpc]

[As the group hurries along, eventually they will come to a crossroads in the Melting Pot.]