Event: Day 278 [open]

[bastionpc]

Who: Vee, Zee, and you
Open: Open
When: Day 278
Where: The Skyway, in the Pyth Orchard
What: GIMMICK BOSS BATTLE
Format: action
Warnings: Both NPC and PC death is possible, based on choices made during the event

[At about midday on Day 278, the taller of the two teenage Ura comes running in to the Bastion from the Skyway. Anyone who has talked to this pair of boys will know how odd this is, because they are usually inseparable.

He's out of breath, but he will call out as he runs towards the monument.]

Help! Help, it's Zee, he's- He's in trouble!

Comments

[freedom_engineer]

I'm going to need a few.

This thing here... I need to study it.

[He glances over at Vee.]

I'm going to need to debrief you and your friend later on. This isn't typical behavior for one of these things.

[He glances at Zulf, then motions with his eye to the glowing in the cracks. He doesn't think these things are NORMALLY in here...]

[notfell]

[ Wings, and all these spines around his head and down his back? Yeah, he's not meant for clothing.

Awkwardly tucking Crona into that sweatshirt, and then further up against him.. ]

If you aren't back by the time I've been to the hospital, I'll come back.

[ And now he's just going to run for the edge and go flying. ]

[amphibian]

Th-they're already bringing back the others... And y-you're gonna be okay, just...

[She trails off, and she can feel her hands start to shake with worry again before Vee comes over.]

...Yeah. On three! [Her determination renewed, she grabs Ryu's other arm.] One! Two! Three! [And up he goes!] That's fine, but we better go. Zulf? You coming back with us or do you wanna stick with Colin?

[fuckthemancers]

[No, it certainly isn't supposed to be in there, and Zulf has a dark thoughtful look in his eyes as he stares down at the machine. At Aoi's voice, however, he gives a small start and turns to look at her.]

Ah- I'll come back later, with Colin, alright? Please don't worry about me. I've survived out here on my own before.

[There's a pause, and then he gives the most disappointed and scolding look he possibly can to Vee. He already accidentally has two kids, he is a pro at it]

And then your friend, yourself, and I shall all have a discussion about aggravating the Gods, are we clear?

[amphibian]

'kay, if you're sure. [Being told not to worry does not make her look any less worried, but she trusts Zulf.] Come back safe, all right?

[She glances sympathetically over to Vee, lips pursed. That scolding look has been trained on her more than once; she gets him.] Yeah, yeah. C'mon, we better hurry up and get Ryu back... [And she starts hustling right along.]

[freedom_engineer]

Thanks for the help, Zulf... I like to think Pyth would have heard me, but hearing from you was probably a lot more convincing.

[He gives Zulf a grateful smile, and then starts setting out tools so he can remove the core. He waits until the others are out of earshot before he brings up his next point. Plus, he's aware that they'll have to move quickly when he does, so he wants to be ready...]

... So what do you think? Sabotage? I can't think of any reason why this thing would be in here that isn't malicious... Short of massive stupidity.

[bastionpc]

[Vee goes with Aoi, helping Ryu along. Thus leaving Colin and Zulf alone with the broken down bull.

If either of them care to investigate, a panel on the bull's stomach appears to have been opened at some point, and when it was closed it was not put back properly.]

[freedom_engineer]

[Investigation is absolutely the name of what Colin's doing here... he licks his upper lip as he spots the paneling, and he glances at Zulf. He's going to open it, but he wants Zulf at a safe distance first.]

I don't anticipate any problems, but you may want to step back just the same. This bull was definitely tampered with...

[fuckthemancers]

[What else is there to do but agree? He remembers Pyth at the Harvest Festival and this certainly isn't how he looked then.]

[At the warning, however, he steps back with his hands held up in front of him.]

In the event of your untimely death, I will be certain to give very emotional words at your funeral.

[freedom_engineer]

Nah, you can go ahead and call me an annoying little shit. I don't want anyone lying about me after I've kicked the bucket.

[He smirks back at Zulf, then he goes to work stripping open the paneling to inspect it. And yes, he's preparing to run just in case, or jump on a grenade if it looks like running won't do any good.]

[bastionpc]

[After all that hype, all that happens is that the panel easily pops off, revealing what is going on inside.

The mechanical Pyth appears to run on a power source, most likely a core or a large shard. It also appears that someone opened what is essentially the battery panel and placed the core in to make the thing run. The core is not a perfect fit, however: it is too big, and parts of the containment area had to be removed (via very messy prying and pulling, even) to make it fit. And with the holes in the protective covering, more juice than usual got into the Pyth's workings, which probably is why the bull went haywire.

It's also worth noting that the core itself looks different than most cores. The parts that were sticking out of the battery area are a deep, dark, nearly black-in-color purple color, and wisps of the same color are swirled throughout the core.

If anyone searches the nearby area, they will find a large shard, which would have been a perfect fit for the battery opening, except it is completely drained of power.]

[freedom_engineer]

[Colin frowns, setting aside the paneling. He looks around briefly, before looking back to the core.]

It's clear. I don't... someone either didn't know what they were doing, or they were in a hurry.

I... can fix the bull, and I intend to, but this is a lot of damage. This was a slipshod job.

[He exhales, and then a string of very unflattering curses referencing base elements, poor breeding, unnatural hell-scapes, and various forms of bodily waste spill forth from his mouth. He picks up several tools even as he continues to curse, and he starts to separate the damaged elements and clear away the battery alcove so he can remove the core. But he's not going to do that yet.]

I don't know if this will be of use to us. It's damaged too, I think.

Whoever did this has a lot to answer for. From the Ura, from the Gods, and from this poor bull...

[fuckthemancers]

Don't worry, I'll add in all your negative qualities in the part after when I've had a few moments with my pipe.

[The only thing better than insults are the kind of insults you make while stoned, after all.]

[He watches as Colin inspects Pyth's avatar, grateful that it's all understandable and nodding along.]

It doesn't look so much damaged as simply... discolored. There are some large shards- not quite cores but close enough- that often come out bright pink before they mature. Perhaps it's the same? [His tone is more than a little unsure, however, and he quickly adds-] I am, of course, speaking from a place of ignorance. I do not know much about them beyond what anyone else does in Caelondia or the Terminals.

Do you want to bring them both back to the Bastion or not?

[freedom_engineer]

The crystal, be it core or shard, is disconcerting. But I'm not an expert on it, I think we should get it back to Nathan and see what he has to say. I don't know enough to say whether or not it will be of any further use after this.

It's the bull I'm worried about. The power system has been rather badly brutalized... and that's not even factoring in the damage that Crona, Ragnarok, and Ryu did.

I think I'm going to need to have Paar come and pick this up. I could fix it out here, but my workshop would be much better suited to the task.

[He reaches up, dragging his dirty hand down his face with a look of annoyance manifesting.]

Those kids have no idea how lucky they were... I hope the bull doesn't have a good memory, or bringing it back to the Bastion for repairs may give it a chance at round two.

[He pauses, then he looks back at Zulf.]

Of course, the question of whether or not it's a core will definitely be answered once I pull it out. We're going to have to run like the hounds of hell are after us once I do, if it is a core.

[fuckthemancers]

Possibly for the best... I don't believe you've encountered anything that a dragon wouldn't be able to scare away.

[He's pretty sure of that. At any rate, he's pretty sure he'd die of a heart attack if he didn't live with Paarthurnax.]

Do you want to risk it? [A dry smile.] I believe we've already tried our luck courting death just by staying so near when it threatened to explode, so we may as well try to use every bit we've been given. I'm quick on my feet, besides.

[freedom_engineer]

That is an exceedingly short list, yes. I certainly wouldn't want to meet anything that wasn't afraid of Paar on some level.

[He smiles, and he starts putting away the tools he's not going to need.]

Only real question is, which of us is going to carry this sweet thing back?

[fuckthemancers]

It seems as though you're going to be carrying a fair amount as it is.... If you don't mind being used as live bait if something comes after me, I don't mind carrying it.

[freedom_engineer]

Sounds like a plan to me. You run, and I'll cover your back.

It'll get you back in no time to check on the kids, too.

[With the majority of his tools put away, he reaches down to unfasten the holster strap over his pistol, and then he goes to work on extracting the core. It's all you in a sec, Zulf.]