Day 100 :: EVENT - Core [OPEN]

[bastionpc]

Who: Everyone
Open: Open
When: Day 100
Where: Skyway: The Wharf District
What: Another Core has been located on the Skyway. The PCs must go and retrieve it.
Format: action
Warnings: none

[One hundred days have passed since the Calamity occurred. In those one hundred days, nearly forty survivors have made their way to the Bastion, hoping for a chance at survival.

Of those forty, only twenty-eight remain. Morale drops with each disappearance. The reality of the situation, that this is what humanity has to look forward to, is finally setting in. With a mostly-broken Bastion as their only form of protection, everything is beginning to look bleak.

However, the Cores offer a small bit of hope. With each Core, life springs anew within the Bastion. With each Core, humanity is brought one step back to the way it was before the Calamity. With each Core, the residents of the Bastion can scout out further into new locations, looking for more Cores and survivors. Cores represent life in the world after the Calamity, which is why they are so precious.

And that is also why the survivors within the Bastion aren't the only ones searching for them.

On day one hundred, Nathaniel tells everyone about another Core out on the Skyway. This time it is within the Wharf District, which consists of hundreds of docks and long-abandoned boats. However, unlike previous Core retrievals, there are no monsters around. All that the Wharf District has to offer is shadows and silence.

The PCs should probably make quick work of their searching, because as quiet as the Wharf District is now, it won't remain that way for long. Monsters are drawn to the core, so it is only a matter of time before they show up.]

((For now, characters will be free to search the area. Just specify where your characters are searching if you want them to find anything. Shit will be going down after everyone has a chance to get started/search some boats.))

Links:

Stuff happens in a warehouse

escape back to the Bastion

Comments

[bastionpc]

[Two clean hits leave the Scumbag wounded and reeling, and Ippo's uppercut is enough to flip it over entirely, leaving it screaming and flailing as it tries to flip itself back over.

Good job guys! Now it's time for a free round of attacks as the Scumbag moves to pick itself up.]

[individuates]

[has been gradually making his way along the warehouse wall from the outside and carefully pokes his head around the entrance, eyes going more than a little wide at the size of the Scumbag. Oh, fuck. This is why he keeps off the Skyway.]

[yinyangfox]

[ Scanning the area and finding nothing immediately pressing, the onmyoji leans around Kaoru, chest against the boy's back as he peers at the mess in the warehouse. So far everyone seems to be on top of things. With no intention of letting Kaoru directly risk himself, Seimei presses two fingers to his own lips, moving them in a silent chant before pressing those fingers to Kaoru's spine, passing Taisan's orders from himself to the boy. In the event of real trouble the bird was instructed to defend the red-head first. ]

[individuates]

[Tama-chan sees. Tama-chan knows. Tama-chan flicks her tongue briefly against Seimei's cheek. Kaoru, on the other hand has absolutely no idea what exactly he just did and offers a reassuring smile over his shoulder, keeping his voice low.]

I'm fine, you know? Let's try not to let it see us...

[slips inside properly, darting behind one of the rows of crates to help hide him from view]

[windgod]

Seeing the Scumbag get flipped up onto its back hadn't been what Ippo had been expecting to happen; but in the grand scheme of things, he probably couldn't have asked for a better outcome. The creature was now defenseless and he not only had the advantage; he had momentum. He noticed Rin getting pulled away by Bon...but he had to focus for now, he only had one shot at this and if anything else; he could definitely trust Bon to make sure Rin was safe.

Ippo brought his focus back and turned the heel left of his foot sideways; channeling the momentum of his previous uppercut into a sharp turn of his body as he cracked his arm back, his hand turning a full 180 degrees until his palm was facing the ceiling. He remembered this particular punch vividly...the Corkscrew Blow that had delivered him his one and only lost; he doubted that he could hit the Scumbag's heart from this angle...but that didn't mean he couldn't make it skip a beat.

With that familiar green twinkle in his eyes and his fighting spirit burning in his chest, Ippo turned forwards and lashed his fist out straight in front of him as he let his fist turn back around mid-flight; his blow carrying the whole of the momentum he had built up and the added force behind the tension he had gained from his arm rotation. If his shot connected, it would sound like the creature had been hit with a sledgehammer backed by a condensed hurricane.

[fastest_thingalive]

[Sonic hoped Bon knew what he was doing, but at the same time, he knew he couldn't focus on that now. The priority was the Scumbag... and now that it was incapacitated, he leapt up, kicking off the ceiling in order to grab momentum, and then curled into a sonic spin as he shot towards the monster's belly]

OFF TO THE SIDE...

[kyotoprincess]

[Bon held onto Rin, gritting his teeth as he did so. It's good that Rin's flames are going down, because that shit hurts. But Bon will help that along with one of the many chants he knows that are effective on demons.

The one he's saying isn't actually an offensive one, surprisingly. It's a barrier spell, one that prevents any demons or their abilities from crossing it. Everyone else would be able to see a glowing, translucent bubble appear around Bon and Rin, though this one is meant to keep Rin's powers contained within, rather than to keep a power out.

But Bon is also hoping that hearing the familiar chants will help Rin calm down. She seemed to react positively to them before, so maybe it will help again.

He's also really hoping that everyone else can handle the Scumbag, because while the barrier prevents demons from crossing, it does not protect against monsters.]

[nightchan]

[An almost synchronized triple attack, all aimed at the belly of the beast, she rips a long gash into the flesh with her blade now covered in fire. Being engulfed by her own flames, most of the goop that had clumped on her arm and legs was being burnt off, but her self control was levels better than what Rin's was, by far.

Even if she did look more demon than human.]

[bastionpc]

[Three more strong attacks seriously wound the Scumbag, and it is now bleeding a sickly black blood from several cuts. One of its arms is almost useless, and its movements are becoming sluggish.

But it manages to flip itself back over, and since everyone attacking it is right there, it will jump up in the air and slam itself down with amazing force.

Anyone right under it who doesn't move will be squished. Anyone within ten feet of where it lands who doesn't jump off the ground will feel a bone-rattling shaking go through their body, stunning them for a moment.]

[windgod]

Ippo hadn't really been expecting such a sudden counterattack after such a brutal assault...if anything he was expecting the thing to have keeled over by now. He managed to lean back and was in the process of letting himself slide backwards when the Scumbag hit the ground; the force of the shot sending him flying back a good few feet with enough force to cause him to tumble when he hit the floor. It took a few seconds for Ippo to orient himself as he got back to his feet; thankfully he was okay sans a few bruises that would probably appear later. The best he could do for now was to rush back in and keep the pressure on the Scumbag with a flurry of lightning fast jabs to keep the focus on him while the others got their shots in...

BACK OFF TO THE SIDE WHERE THINGS ARE HAPPENING

[hellpyre]

[Bon's chants started to take effect, and bit by bit the flames receded. Rin's voice became less distorted, but her words stopped being coherent, begging dissolving in to sobs. The sword fell away from her hand and landed on the floor with a clatter, and with it the rest of the flames vanished. Her hands went over her face, trembling, fingers clawing in to her hair with sharp nails bad enough to draw blood.

As helpful as she could have been during all this... her own emotions had betrayed her, to the point where she was unfortunately not going to be worth much even once she calmed down.]

[fastest_thingalive]

[for once, Sonic wasn't quick enough. He scrambled to get clear, but he couldn't get traction on the creature's stomach, ended up being squashed as the Scumbag rolled over. His partially broken and injured body was then knocked flying across the room... right in front of Rin]

[nightchan]

[The shock sends her flying back into a few crates. The damage to anyone else would probably be worse, but in the next few seconds she was already healing from whatever wounds she suffered during the shock wave.]

Ippo! [She grips the hilt of her sword and knocks a few wood splinters off her chest before running back out into the fray. She shoots a line of fire off between the Scrumbag and Ippo.]

[bastionpc]

[The Scumbag is happy, it is doing pretty good at taking out these annoying pests.

It moves in on Night, because it is still annoyed by her. It will try to jump again, aiming to land directly on top of Night.

On the plus side, the shockwave might not be as devastating this time, since everyone is not centralized around the Scumbag and should be expecting it now anyway.

Also, this Scumbag looks like it's on its last limb here. A couple more good hits should finish it off.]

[windgod]

A split second...that was all it took for Ippo to take a horribly dangerous idea and make it a terrifying reality. He didn't think about it, he couldn't think about it; thinking about it would delay him and Night would be injured... As the line of fire missed its target, Ippo stuck his arm out and let it be engulfed in the flames...it felt hot; but oddly it didn't hurt at all...but this wasn't the time to be focusing on such strangeness.

Using his arm movement to propel his momentum, Ippo spun full circle and flung himself at the creature; his feet sliding across the blood staining the floor, giving him a good shot to turn his body into his shot as he sunk low to the ground. When he had reached just below the Scumbag, just as it was coming down; Ippo popped his body up like a coiled spring and rocketed his flaming fist straight up into the Scumbag's underbelly, the force of his shot extinguishing the fire consuming his arm as he pushed harder into it, hoping to punch straight through it.

[hellpyre]

[Rin had almost missed Sonic landing in front of her.

Almost.

And it would have been better that way, really, but the shock wave had startled her out of her panic enough that she dared to lower her hands to look at the fight that was still going on.

That was when she saw the blood, and the crumpled mess that was Sonic.

Her chest started to rise and fall rapidly as her lungs refused to take in breath, eyes going huge and pupils dilating as she let out a shrill, frantic scream while trying to scramble away from Bon.]

SONIC!

[fastest_thingalive]

I'm... I'm okay...

[Sonic pushed himself up to his feet, ignoring the stabbing pain in his right leg. He smiled weakly at Rin, offering her a thumbs up]

You're... you're okay now, right? Let's just focus on beating this guy...

[and then he took a step forward...

... only for his leg to snap with an audible crack.

Unable to break into a run, Sonic fell to his knees, screaming. He couldn't run. He couldn't run.]

[individuates]

Rin...

[he could see her from his vantage point, but unable to figure out what was happening, had been inching closer and closer, only ducking behind the crate when the Scumbag hit the ground - feeling the impact, but not near enough to be jolted by it. His hands maintain a white knuckled grip, muscles tensing in his jaw as he grits his teeth, almost forgetting to breathe. He can't. He can't just sit and watch, but there's nothing else he he do.

So when she screams, he can't help himself. It's already tearing him apart but to hear her like that...]

Rin-chan!

[yinyangfox]

[ He winced, though not sure whether it was caused by Sonic's snapping bone or Kaoru's shriek. ]

Oh my...

[ Grounding himself steadily, though he was too far away to be thrown by the shock wave, he could still feel the vibrations. Still see the damage caused. ]

Kaoru, I suggest you help him-- [ He indicated Sonic ] --get out of here. I will...assist the others.

[ Shaking his head and flicking both wrists out to fluff his sleeves, the onmyoji marches around the corner and rushes forward. Raising one hand to his mouth like blowing a kiss, cheeks puff as he breathes out. Taisan wheels around in the air and dissipates briefly, erupting instantly from Seimei's mouth as he blows a gout of super-heated flame into the Scumbag, robes flapping wildly and hair flying, lifted by the scorching air filling the building. ]

[bastionpc]

[Despite how wrecked everyone got from that last attack, Ippo and Night somehow manage to pull it together and deliver the finishing blow. Before the Scumbag can land on Night, it is hit with the fire-punch-of-doom and just screams horribly as it dissolves into nothingness.

Within moments, all that is left behind are several half-broken people and one Core.]

[nightchan]

Wha-...

[Taking into account what just happened Night blinks the stars out of her eyes and looks around to assess the damage now that the Scrumbag was gone. Her eyes land on the core.] Jeez...

[She moves to stand up, sheathing her sword and with it all of her flames and horns, leaving her looking more sooty than anything. Compared to everyone else she looked pretty decent. Ippo catches her gaze near her and she changes her course to him. She'd grab the core after making sure he was okay.

Reaching out she shakes his shoulder.] Hey! Ippo!

[windgod]

Ippo had just lowered his arm when Night had walked up to him and began shaking his shoulder. He was nonplussed as to why she was being so loud when she was right there...but still, they had the core; so that was good, right?

Um...yes Night-chan? Are you okay?

[individuates]

[Darts out from behind Seimei as Tama-chan slips from the onmyoji's shoulder. The anklegator slides down his leg to get to the ground, before skittering ahead of Kaoru across the room to run a confused and worried circle around the barrier Bon erected. What's it for, and why is it keeping Auntie Rin-chan inside?

Meanwhile, Kaoru practically skids to his knees beside Sonic glancing around frantically. Broken bones, shit broken bones. They're supposed to be splinted, right? But there's nothing here; what's he supposed to do with nothing here? The priority is getting everyone safely back before another one of those monsters shows up, though. So he has to be brave. He draws in a breath and lets it out all at once-]

I'm gonna get you out of here it's probably gonna hurt I'm really sorry...

[-before reaching out to pick Sonic up.]

[fastest_thingalive]

[Sonic just shook, unable to say anything. He couldn't run. He didn't even register being picked up, either... he was more or less in shock]

[kyotoprincess]

[Yeah it was definitely time to get moving. Bon remembers how vicious the monsters got the last few times they grabbed a Core, and he is sure this time won't be an exception to that.

Dropping the barrier, Bon moves to help Rin up and give her a shoulder to lean on.]

C'mon, let's get out of here before more of them show up.

[He looks at Night specifically for the next part.]

Don't worry about us, just keep running with that thing. I think they'll chase you specifically, if you have the Core.