It is a quiet day in mostly reconstructed Cerealia. The robots are busily running into walls that were not there before, the Cybuddy bees are buzzing...and CERES has still not said a word. Attempting to contact them still gets the User Offline error. Strange...
But who cares if CERES is offline? After all, they are the cruel and tyrannical captors. A Cerealia without them must be better than a Cerealia with them. So there's nothing to worry about on this fine, peaceful day. Or, at least, that's what it seems like, when suddenly there's a voice in everyone's head. A chosen few may recognize the voice, for they will have heard it before, but to the vast majority, it is brand new.
Looks like someone has been saved, and a reward granted... and no, you don't have a single choice in the matter.
 Your heroism will be remembered, lost and stolen souls.
You have saved me, and so now, I shall save you.
All of you.
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PHASE I [ day one ] It happens so quickly. One moment you’re in the colony, going about your daily life, and the next, you’re… floating. A moment later, every player character from the colony is transported with a wisp of fresh air to...somewhere very very different. The distance is far, but it is covered in what must have only been a scant moment, and it’s clear somehow, especially to air characters, that it was Caeli’s doing that brought everyone there.
There, naturally, being right in the middle of the jungle.
Everyone is then unceremoniously dropped. You may land on a tree, or in a patch of poison mushrooms (no really, look out for the colorful plant life, it’s probably poisonous) or in the river. There are some strange insects of all sorts and types, some of which have some uncomfortable side effects if you’re bitten, such as swelling or the uncomfortable urge to go hug the nearest person, and there are strange flowers everywhere, some of which glow only in the dark of night or the shade of trees. It is dreadfully humid, however, and a little hard to breathe--unless you’re of the air disposition.
Either way, you’ve certainly landed somewhere fantastical, so take some time to get used to your surroundings. It shouldn’t take too long to find everyone else, hopefully.
PHASE II [ day two ] Of course, this far into the jungle, and making this much noise, it was only inevitable before some company was attracted.
Some are clearly dangerous, some are peaceful as can be and some are somewhere in between; approach at your own risk.
Either way, these monsters are all drawn to larger groups of people and a lot of noise, so it may be best to keep quiet...though the ones that keep their distance may be even more concerning.
Everyone is certainly being stalked at one point or another in the jungle -- and at night, there are eyes watching from the darker parts of the trees.
PHASE III [ day three ] But perhaps if you follow some of those monsters deeper into the woods, you will stumble across an old, run down village of sorts. It looks as though time and the jungle has overtaken it. Exploring it will reveal plenty of homes that were clearly lived in however, by families and by people of all sorts.
There are empty rooms, covered in dust, and a central village fire, long gone out.
Small knick-knacks and various objects can be found… if you want to steal from the dead, you know. It’s a little rude. It appears they led a simple, peaceful life, however; most notably, there is no technology to be found.
And if The Bridge catches you doing it, she will look incredibly sad and ask you to put everything back in its proper place before she goes back to looking very irritated at Caeli. You may overhear words about how this “isn’t the right place” and Caeli’s unrepentant, “It is only a few hundred miles”. Looks like something went a little wrong in the transportation process.
Time to camp out for the night, perhaps. And your CereVices don’t get any reception out here, so no surfing the internet for you. If you try to connect to the internet, for some reason the device starts playing a song. Was that programmed…?
PHASE IV [ day four ] By the fourth day, it’s pretty clear that you’re going to be stuck here for a bit. Pestering Caeli or Maris gets nothing, while the Bridge still can’t be approached for pretty good reasons. So… you’ll just have to make the best of it while they figure out their next approach.
Time to figure out how to camp with few supplies and even fewer nice places to sleep. Maybe try to make a fire (though it’s incredibly difficult, considering how muggy it is here) or try to find some bugs to eat (ew gross).
Of course, you can try hunting, but the prey doesn’t look too friendly, so be careful not to become the prey yourself. The same goes for fishing, it seems.
Some of the trees are poisonous, some of the grasses will cause unfortunate rashes, and some vines will lash out to grab at people (especially colorful ones); basically, this is an entirely untamed alien jungle, so it may not be the fun camping trip you'd like.
Time to work together to survive out here, at least for a little longer.
It’s your time to shine. This is Person Versus Wild.
PHASE V [ day six ] On day six, the jungle goes utterly silent.
The monsters and animals disappear. The extra friends poof away hastily and suddenly. Maris and the Bridge fall silent (though Caeli admittedly continues floating there as ever). If anyone approaches them to ask, they'll just say that "she is coming".
And soon, she does appear. She moves slowly, lacking in feet; they are roots, as though that of a tree. Nonetheless, she has no troubles with moving forward, slow bit by bit. She does not speak, not at first, and behind her, trotting lightly through the woods, there is another. Both feel strongly of spiritual energy, just like Maris and Caeli. And eventually, after observing the people gathered, they can be spoken to.
BONUS [ day ??? ] After spending some time in the jungle, emotions might be running a bit amuck. And those emotions might bring some unexpected...friends. Yes, let's go with friends.
Because if a character is typically grumpy, gloomy, stoic, lineface, or anything along those lines, they may find themselves followed by a bright, happy bird. That bird feeds off of those emotions, and will just cheerfully follow around any lineface character for as long as possible. Or until they smile. The birds are otherwise harmless, chirping happily every now and then and following them around like a friendly shadow.
Happy, cheerful, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, energetic characters, on the other hand, will soon find themselves followed by... a different friend. Or maybe a handful of them. It depends on how cheerful they are. Either way, these creatures feed off of happiness and fun, but they will also chew on hair or an ear if they're allowed to get that close, making horrifying, chittering noises as they follow anyone who is in a good mood.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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late who's late
[Souji was neatly dropped into the river, and is right now stumbling up the muddy bank, soaking wet hair plastered to his face. He stops a moment to pull a couple of strangely colorful leeches off his ankles with a grimace of distaste, tossing them back into the water where they belong.
However, that isn't his biggest problem. The moist air, however, is. He's been feeling a lot better this past while, nothing near as miserably weak as he had been at home, where even walking without support had been a downright struggle. But the oni in his chest hasn't gone away - perhaps it was sleeping for a little while, but as the cloying moisture clings to his lungs, it slowly wakes up and is out for blood.
Which is why you might find a dripping wet man leaning against a tree only half a mile or so away from the river, his body heaving with a wet, scraping cough.]
phase 4 + bonus
[Souji had been realistic enough not to tackle any of the bigger beasts in the state he is now. Out here, in the jungle, he doesn't exactly have access to the hospital, and therefore can't replenish his very small and dwindling supply of medicine. He's trying to save it for when not using it would be downright dangerous, but that of course means that his health is slowly and surely deteriorating even further.
And then his new friends had turned up. Which is why he now he has six of them skewered in a row on his sword, making his way back to whatever makeshift camp his currently sleeping at. He holds his sword up to the first person he comes across, frowning slightly in thought.]
How do you think these could be cooked?
4!
Except not, because Kashuu may know a thing or two about surviving in the wilderness but he sure doesn't know much about first aid or medical nonsense or how to help a tuberculosis patient who's been dealing with really bad air and conditions for days. It's something he keeps an eye out for regardless, because it's almost habitual by now, despite the small break that had been granted by the fire god. Likewise, he keeps an eye out for Souji in general, even though he's been a little scant trying to keep up with everyone. The jungle's pretty big, after all...
But he'd recognize that voice anywhere, and he immediately turns when Souji speaks up and moves to trot in his direction. WHAT'S UP what's going on why does he look so sick, god, and what the shit is he bringing back--]
—Bad! Bad, way bad, deeefinitely bad! [He crosses his arms in front of himself in an X motion.] Don't eat those things, seriously.
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Are you sure? They tried to eat me, you know, so I just felt like it was fair.
[Well, that is... logical? Maybe? Or maybe he's just a weirdo. He smiles feebly at Kashuu, swaying a little bit where he stands, but apparently refusing to just go sit down.]
They honestly look a lot better than the maggots that were my last meal - or, well, a bit better.
no subject
Trust me! They taste so bad that not even a wolf'd wanna eat it.
[He knows... He's seen first-hand. Poor, poor Guillan.]
Plus they might be poisonous or something. At least you know bugs like that are safe to eat, yeah? [He's not grossed out by the notion, anyway. People eat anything they can get their hands on when they're really, really hungry, even if it's worms dug up from the drying riverbed.
But he sees Souji sway and he's quick to step in and help in his own way, even if that means grabbing Souji's free arm and starting to tug him forward.]
Hey, hey, are you camping out near here?
ugh late t the party yawl
Aaah, Kiyomitsu, you didn't have to leave me behind, I'm glad you talk really loud you know? [ Like finding a needle in a needle stack. Though there's a smile on his face and his eyes closed as he shows the defeated monster he has killed — proud of what he's done so it begs the question. ] I found dinner. [ What's with Yamato and mushrooms, some sort of hidden agenda but as he laughs albeit sheepishly, when his eyes open and sapphire falls upon Souji's own, he doesn't know whether to keep smiling or just frown from the fact of how the other looks — how he's fairing.
The cut up monsters that Souji has cut up doesn't make the situation any better — Yamato has seen them himself and he places the words 'eat' he heard in passing of Kashuu's voice from what he sees and he's not having it. Of course, morbid people do stick together but with a step forward and the monsters body still in his hands.
To be honest, he wants to ask if he's interrupting something and maybe that he should go. It hasn't been that long ago when Yamato stated he didn't want to get between any of all interactions of these two — just something he thought he could discipline himself into and yet, he doesn't want to go so he hopes it's okay to stay. Maybe he should ask but acting would be more beneficial, sometimes his words get stuck in his throat and he takes a step forward closer to the both of them. ]
Okita-kun, [ A nickname that — with care — falls from his lips as he looks towards the other. ] why are you out here by yourself, you should be with me and Kiyomitsu! Isn't that right? [ Can he say that? Well, he said it. His head turns towards the other uchigatana, waiting for him to agree. ]
no subject
He lets out a weak laugh, and obediently whips the creatures off his sword with a swift movement, wiping it off on his sleeve before sheathing it once again. He doesn't hesitate before leaning heavily on Kashuu once help is offered, letting him take most of his weight. He's one of very few people Souji would accept help from so readily, simply because Kashuu used to be his sword, and a warrior relying on his sword is not so strange in his mind.
His smile widens a bit as Yamato appears, and he can't help but feel a lot better to have the two of them with him.]
I've just been staying close to wherever others are camping, since I can't do that much myself, you know? [He leans his cheek against Kashuu's shoulder as a spell of dizziness causes the world to reel. The heat is overwhelming, and he suspects he has a fever.] But I can stay here with you. I don't feel I can walk any further anyway.
no subject
Nice and a little too distracting, since there are more important things to focus on right now, like settling down here so that Souji can rest.]
Mmmhm! Yasusada's right, y'know. Suuuper slow, but right. [There's no bite in his words, though. He can tell that Yamato is hesitating, and he doesn't want to give him any reason to shy away, so he moves his free hand forward and gestures his dumb mirror over.]
I guess I can forgive you for taking so much time out there since you actually caught something. [LIKE HE WASN'T THE ONE WHO GOT TIRED OF WAITING AND LEFT ALL THE WORK TO YAMATO...] Let's set up for the night. I'll get the fire started, 'kay?
[Because 1) he doesn't trust Yamato with that part of set-up, and 2) he knows Yamato probably wants to spend a little time fussing over Souji.]
no subject
Huh? What did you say?
[ Everything Kashuu has said: went through one ear and out the other. The only thing he took into account was his actions. Perhaps, that's why he didn't say anything when he was called slow or why it's taking him so long to say anything really. In the end, he finds himself reciting words that were already previously said by Kashuu because well, Yamato is a slow and dumb idiot. ]
Staying here would be good right? [ Balling his right hand into a fist and hitting it against the flat of his free hand. ] Then we can stay the night and protect Okita-kun, how about you cook, Kiyomitsu? Here! [ This is where he dumps the dead body of a baby mushroom monster into Kashuu's arms. A hint that Kashuu should make the fire? Why is Yamato so ... slow....... ]
We're going to look after you, okay, Okita-kun? Anything you need and want, we'll wait on you hand and foot. [ Of course he says this and he does mean it, he just has his moments where he's in disbelief because he really can't believe they are all in the same area, at the same moment.. aware of one another. It feels surreal.. scary almost. He does wonder when this will end too, he's always been such a gloomy sword but with a smile given towards Souji's direction. ]
I hope that's okay.
no subject
Despite the situation, he likes this. He likes seeing his swords interact with each other, likes the ways they get along and the ways that they apparently don't as well. He likes seeing parts of himself in them, and also seeing the ways they are like each other. He is fascinated by the differences. He wants to praise the good parts and tell them he accepts and still loves the bad parts. Like he has done some times with Tetsu already, he wonders to himself if this is what being a parent is like. Or is this something else? Maybe "family" is enough to simply cover all feelings like that.
He smiles and reaches out a hand to Yamato, silently asking him to help out supporting him, so Kashuu won't have to carry both him and Yamato's kill all alone.]
You know, I don't think of swords as servants, Yama~to Yasu~sada. [There's a playful edge to his words to stop them sounding so serious, even if his voice stays rather low and tired.] But I'm grateful for any help you'll give me. If there is some small thing I can do without getting in the way, I would like to help out. [The last words almost border on a plea, a desperate wish to not be completely useless to them, to not just be a burden.]
no subject
Geez! Give a sword a little warning next time.
[Juggling a deadass monster and Okita at the same time is difficult, okay!! But he knows Yamato will answer the unspoken call for support given by Okita, so he's not worried about that. Instead, he focuses on trying to quickly thing up something that needs to be done that wouldn't be too strenuous or too obviously "this is a sick person's task"...]
How about working on a spit for the fire? [Necessary to cook the mushroom thing, but something that can be done sitting in one place.]
no subject
Should I just throw it at your face next time: a warning.
[ Turning his gaze back to Souji's own, he does laugh a little at the playfulness in the other's voice. It's still lively even though the other's appearance isn't fairing so well but that doesn't matter. ] Servants? No, no.. Not servants but still, if there's anything you wanted. We'd want to do it! [ Though, is it okay to be talking for Kashuu at this time? It feels right to him because this is how Yamato feels. ]
Huh? Do you want to make that Okita-kun, a fire? If only we had those white things in the bag. When I first came here, there were a lot near a camp and fire?
1
Eh, are you okay? Do you need a hand or two?
[ Returning his sword to its sheath, he decides to do something very dangerous... treacherous, even! It's so risky, that no one would ever try to do this ever?!
And this is why his face is a mere inch or two away from Souji's, filled with concern. ]
no subject
I'm just- I need-
[Speaking is hard, and he instinctively wants to turn down the help, but the truth is that his legs are barely carrying him right now, and black spots are swimming across his vision.]
Maybe I should go... somewhere... maybe sit down for a while.
no subject
Nonsense. I'm sorry, but I'm taking you with me. This jungle could be the most dangerous place we've been, and there's no way you can fend them off.
[ Kogi even pats his true self, the white gripped tachi that dangles near his hip, showing Souji that he's far from unarmed. Heck, it's like having two swords! Sort of? When a sword spirit wields a sword... ]
I can't leave you alone.
[ It wouldn't be the right thing to do. Leaving a sick person in potential danger would get him a lot of angry face stickers, okay??? ]
phase 1! pls take care of urself souji
Souji --! [ Worry is clear in both his expression and voice, easing the other man down to at least sit and rest through his coughing spell. Mikazuki will gently pat his back through any more that he might have too, trying to pat him dry too as he frets around. He's not used to taking care of others but he worries and he's trying. ] Did you fall in the river? Ahhh, you're really soaked through the bone...
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Trying to wipe the mess of blood away from his lips and still retain some small scrap of dignity doesn't really seem to be possible, so he just does the best he can and leaves it at that.]
I was... dropped in the river when I moved. The air is... heavy.
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Ah, I'm not sure what to do for you... [ Mikazuki can lift Souji up into his arms at least, carrying him princess style as he's learned from another certain tachi. He tries to soothe the man in his arms with soft shushing or an occasional humming, carrying him around the jungle until he can find somewhere that's much more safe and dry and most importantly, somewhere he can try to start a fire to warm him up. ] Tell me if you want me to let you down at any moment, alright?
phase 4 please /ninjas in here
[ Is it was possible for Pitch to somehow look more grey, his eyes to somehow seem more sunken than they would be. Or it could just be the same Pitch.
How long had he been there? Maybe he had always been there. The sneaky, quiet fear that grew heavier and turned thick with blood and mucus in a tuberculosis sufferer's chest.
Either way he looks at the little creatures skewered on Souji's blade with obvious distaste. ]
Unless you want to add gastrointestinal distress to the list of problems you are having, you are better off resigning them to the forest under growth.
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Nonetheless, he smiles wanly at the spirit, because there's no reason to be unpleasant just because he's feeling terrible.]
I try to avoid most of the plants. Plants are usually more dangerous. [The chances to be poisoned by wildlife compared to the local flora had seemed somewhat more benign, although not by much.] At least there are a lot of insects. [And it's a bitter pill to swallow that he isn't strong enough to kill anything bigger, but right now he's not good for fighting anything at all.
And is he good for anything, then?]no subject
phase 1: comes in late with starbucks
Souji-san...you should not be moving if it affecting you this way.
[ He looks worried at least for a brief moment. ] It is better if you...rest.