VIVID PARTY | 01.

[solarbeam]

Who: THE VIVID PARTY.
When: IC: 10/13
Where: Inside ViViD.
What: Time to level up by grinding (unsexily), dancing with dragons and looting some corpses.
Rating/Warning: Probably just violence.

---

[ ooc: May as well break this up into sections similar to event logs!

001. Once they're in, Kara will be directing people to go talk to Takakage in order to give him telepathy permission! Of course, it's okay to say no. Also mingling. Don't get cold feet.

002. The main quest—a scouting crew of elven warriors equipped with bows, spears and swords. The field is this: a small encampment of human NPCs, and a large field, marred only by a long river running across it. The moment they arrive in ViViD, the crew will advance across the field. Crossing the river will take then fifteen minutes, getting to the encampment will take an hour in total. There's not too many enemies to be completely overwhelmed, but it's not going to be even close to easy. The first round starts when the spearmen arrive, who are then joined in the third round by the swordsmen and the fourth by the bowmen. Once the fifth round starts, anyone who stuck around can go up against...

The mage-slash-final-boss, hiding at the back of the crew, as he summons a group of dragons.

003. THE DRAGONS. They're fairly small and range in all different colours, but the thing is, they're less in it for the battle and more for the fun. And one thing a dragon likes more than fighting? (Hint, not virgins. Not gold either.)

Dancing. Each dragon will approach character and NPC alike and challenge them to a dance off. It's actually kind of easy to impress them, but if you insult their sick moves, you might get set on fire. If you successfully entertain a dragon, they'll turn on their master and attack him. (You'll also get bonus rewards if you do it. Like an achievement: Danced with Dragons.)

004. Getting down to the nitty gritty—the boss. A mage, casting dark spells and elemental magic, firing upon the battle from across the river. It's not easy to get to him, as he'll be shooting spells at anyone trying to get near him, but if your character braves it and manages to engage with the boss then he's pretty easy to beat up close.

The only thing is, he has a final trick up his sleeve—no, not more dragons. As the boss realises he's going to lose, he'll copy himself, again and again, until there are at least ten different versions of him. You're free to take on one or more, and the game will end once all of them are defeated.

BONUS. Sidequest time. There are four to choose from:

a.) One of the NPCs in the camp will be asking various players to carry cargo off of the battlefield, towards a ship in the opposite direction of the fight. It's the easiest one, giving the least amount of reward, but it's also quick. The only thing is some of the cargo may be pretty heavy... you should buddy up with someone.

b.) Inspiring time. Some of the NPCs want to see a wicked battle—they'll be asking characters to perform various feats in the midst of battle, such as performing elemental attacks on swordsmen, stabbing someone with an arrow, a suplex and using a "finisher move" complete with yelling out the name of the move. Look, your peers are very specific.

c.) Loot get. One of the nurses in the camp is asking around for people to pick through slain enemies' pockets for potential healing aids they couldn't get to. So, yeah. She wants you to dig through some dead, but it's unlikely they'll mind...

d.) Collecting dragon teeth. Sure, the dragons can be defeated by dancing, but a chemist in the camp wants their teeth and will pay heavily for them. This is the hardest task, since characters will have to either knock out or kill a dragon in order to get their teeth, and it's not something done easily. Watch your fingers!

ooc: SO THERE IT IS. Kara will have mentioned the date to anyone interested beforehand, which can be handwaved. This is pretty open to player creativity, and skills of the enemy can really depend on what you'd like, but this is meant to be a simple quest. With dance offs. Any questions can be answered here. Information on ViViD is here, and all credit rewards and upgrades are up to player discretion! ]

Comments

[flaredo]

[ 003. ]

[ Yang really doesn't have a problem with fighting. And while this isn't real, and she doesn't seem to be lacking in her power and abilities like some of the other members of this happy group, it's still fun enough.

And hey, she didn't know there was dancing involved. Which is why, in the heat of battle, you may see her busting a move. And if she sees you, she'll be calling out-- ]

Come on, I can't be the only one shaking my hips out here!


[ Bonus D! ]

[ Defeating a dragon in totally honorable dance-offs is all well and good. Knocking a dragon out to play dentist? You'll see her now, glancing at one of her gauntlets, and then at one of the still-rampaging dragons. By now, she's a little roughed up, but still her usual chipper self. ]

There's got to be some part of a dragon that isn't fireproof, right? Does anyone have a hose if Plan A goes up in smoke?

3 i'm embarrassed already

[rollin]

[ Yata wasn't watching or anything, he just wanted to see what all the commotion was about. Seriously. Maybe he was a little curious? Whatever. Yang's invitation has him laughing, but whether it's out of embarrassment or false humility is up in the air.

OR IS IT? ]

I dunno, it ain't my thing.

[ Says the guy who looks like a thug ready to breakdance. ...No, scratch that. He might have seemed reluctant before, but the smirk on his face gives him away as he gets the other dragons to clear the area. ]

shake your groove thang Yata

[flaredo]

[ ... Well, look at Captain Confident over there. Yang's smile grows wider as she spins and dips, because she can't exactly stop now. ]

Are you sure about that?

Yang's gonna get served and I can't even type that with a straight face

[rollin]

[ He shakes his head. Yang, Yang, Yang. You are talking to someone whose DDR scores more or less top the rankings on a daily basis. Of course he's confident in his abilities, even if where he's getting it from is pretty dubious... Yata... ]

I mean I could try, but [ And he dares to chuckle. ] I don't wanna make you look bad.

[ That's his cue. He's more hip hop, but from his fluid movements, anyone can tell he knows more than a thing or two about moving to a beat. ...He sure is breakdancing... Finally, he springs back to his feet with little difficulty and gives Yang a look. It's her move. Apparently, it's a competition now. ]

it's goin' down, I'm yelling YATAAAAAAAAAAA

[flaredo]

[ How much money have you wasted on the DDR machines in the arcade, Yata, and does she really want to know-- ]

Sweet of you to worry, but... it'll take way more than that. [ okay, she's a little impressed. So he's got some grace beyond all that awkward energy of his. Still, she rolls her shoulders back, and add a little bounce in her movements when she starts-- something not unlike his hip hop, although she's not about to go into all-out breakdancing... yet. Her style's no less dynamic, and the same applies to her pose when she stops and lifts an eyebrow over at Yata.

They might be missing the point of this, but at least the dragon seems entertained. ]

i'm still like, no, why is this happening

[rollin]

[ It's okay, he only spends as much as his part-time jobs allow him—

The more Yata watches Yang, the more he realizes that hey, maybe she's not so bad at this, either. Although he doesn't voice it, anyone can tell that the look in his eyes changed when the dragons started cheering. Not that he needs to say anything—he'll let his moves do the talking. He takes her last gesture as a challenge and uses the chance to set the bar higher, going as far as doing backflips and spinning on his head while his feet are on fire.

... It's totally cheating, he's totally showing off, but it still looks pretty cool. He figures it's all that probably matters to their simple audience. ]

you started this, I'm innocent

[flaredo]

[ She can't really set her feet on fire, and there won't be actual flames without activating her Semblance, and would she really do that just to win a dance contest?

The answer is fairly evident to anyone who knows her. Because there's nothing she likes more than a challenge, and Yata's given her one, beyond impressing a group of dragons. It's as good as waving a banner of SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT, and how can she resist answering that? He'd already impressed her, after all.

Yang doesn't have Weiss' ballerina-like grace and sweeping, precise movements, but she's got the power of improvisation and her fighting experience under her belt. So her hair starts to glow, little sparks and embers flying out when she spins, and she'll flip herself higher, landing with a burst of golden flames and straightening with a smirk as the glow fades.

Okay, she's possibly having too much fun with this. ]

b-b-bonus are U TIRED OF ME YET

[unjustify]

[Though Naoi is still kind of MEH about ViViD in general, he has an UNDYING GRUDGE AGAINST DRAGONS because he basically still hasn't gotten over that one time a dragon chased him into a fairy path. Life is hard...]

Maybe we should lead it to a lake?

NEVER

[flaredo]

Who wants to be the bait, then?

[ sure, she'll go with this plan, it's a great(?!) plan. ]

EXCELLENT

[unjustify]

[Considering it'd give him the opportunity to throw things at dragons again:]

I can do that. Where's the nearest lake? [Looking around...] Or maybe I could just lead it to the river. [naoi no]

[flaredo]

... Are you sure just punching it wouldn't do any good? [ just to check. ]

[unjustify]

[A vaguely thoughtful noise follows, and he glances in the direction of the nearest dancing dragon.]

—You know, it might. The ones that I dealt with before definitely wouldn't have been, but these guys are a little smaller.

[And a little doofier.]

...Unless they do the same thing and turn into powerhouses if you throw rocks at them.

[why was he throwing rocks at dragons though]

[flaredo]

Wait, so were you testing to see if they'd die if you threw rocks at them, or were you seriously picking a fight?

[thirdarrow]

001;

Any team will fall apart quickly without fast communications, and his Persona fills in that role nicely. He takes a short moment to summon it, hopefully out of view, as the process can be startling to others - since it involves shooting himself in the head with an Evoker.

He makes his way towards the rest of the team once Awanagi is safely by his side. The Persona floats gracefully behind him, but it does not speak. Kara would have directed people towards him, and if they had any questions about the process or his telepathy he would be able to answer them.

002;

Awanagi has basic support capabilities, and he can scan each wave of enemies to pinpoint their weaknesses. Takakage stands at the back of their little group, working to disseminate points of information that would be vital. These enemies are all physical attackers, meaning that his magic shield would be useless - but he is not completely vulnerable. And since this is a simulation battle, he can go all out without fear of harming others.

Their opponents, however, seem to number in the hundreds. Their numbers are piling up, and he does not like how the flow of battle is going. Sooner or latter one of their party members may become disabled, despite all his warnings and scans - and of course, that cannot be allowed to happen.

A massive orb of water forms in the air above him, his Persona circling it a few times like how a dolphin would - before he lets it loose and pressure-washes the opponents closest to his party.

Which unfortunately means that the unfortunate souls fighting those opponents at that point will get splashed (possibly drenched) by the recoil.

"My apologies!"

004;

Through hard work and effort, everyone manages to drive the horde back. All that is left is the mage that they needed to face. He has fought magic users before, even angels and massive demons - but this is in no way going to be easy. As expected of a 'boss battle', in JRPG lingo - but he does have a few more tricks up his sleeve.

"I cannot scan it at this distance, but I doubt our opponent has weaknesses. A more direct approach will be necessary, since our ranged firepower is not strong enough. I can project a shield against magic attacks, but it would not hold for more than a few direct hits given the strength of our opponent."

He pauses here to flick some hair out of his face. The exertion has made him weary.

"We will need to strike fast and hard. I can handle the approach, but actual bruising will be in your hands." Seeing that most of his concentration is needed to keep up constant shielding and hopefully some scans.

"Does anyone require healing at the moment?"

bonus - b;

It is in (safe) battle that he really lets loose. Spells and tactical maneuvering aside, it gives him opportunity to be creative.

Awanagi floats forward and performs a corkscrew attack on some of the approaching swordsmen, which he follows up with a barrage of spellbook pages - a standard attack in his repertoire. However, what happens next is certainly not standard procedure - he throws the tome to the floor and steps onto it, levitating a few inches off the ground and essentially skateboards around the remaining elves, firing off several crescent shockwaves with his sword.

The elves fall over like dominoes, and he leaps off the spellbook to land in the grass a few feet away. The 'Achievement Unlocked' jingle starts playing in the background.

Maybe this isn't such a bad idea after all.

[rollin]

004

[ A great stream of water gushes forth from the magic circle the mage drew in the air and knocks Yata back. He might have even landed on you, oops. That fact doesn't seem to register right away, since he's still on whoever he took down with him when he yells back: ]

Stop casting water!

bonus a

[ Manual labor is Yata's jam. He can show off his—no, he's just used to lifting things thanks to Totsuka's various hobbies and the errands Kusanagi sends him on... Right after the second trip for cargo, Yata feels a little awkward about working with strangers, so to get rid the dead air, he attempts to strike up a conversation on the battlefield. ]

So, about that other quest, right? I don't got any names for my attacks, but I've been thinking of some, yeah? Like, maybe when I finish them off with an uppercut, I can say, "Rising Sun!" 'cause it's a fire move, y'know? But it's kinda lame. Honestly, it's cooler if I don't say anything. Ah, names are hard...

[ But if your character is female, he might be unusually silent for the entire trip instead, occasionally peering at her to check if she's doing alright. ]

004.

[solarbeam]

[ He does hit her, but she just pushes him back with one hand, raising an eyebrow. ]

I hope it's not a weakness of yours, because there's a lot more coming.

[ The mage is actually now casting something that looks like a mini tidal wave and is sending it towards them. Kara's offering a hand to Yata, preparing to dodge it. ]

This way!

[ Except if he takes her hand, 'this way' is gonna be up, so. ]

[rollin]

[ Her voice startles him, prompting him to get up and scramble back on his feet. ]

Sorry!

[ The battle so far is nothing new, there are just... more girls to work with, great. Kara and the others can fight; he has no problem with that. He just wishes they wouldn't make him feel so awkward. While distracted by these thoughts, what comes next happens in quick succession: the mage waves his staff, she offers a way out, and he doesn't even have the time to think twice—he takes her hand. ]

[solarbeam]

[ Kara doesn't really consider that people here aren't used to flying. She'd fly her friends around back home all of the time, sometimes to their terror.

To her credit, she only lifts him straight up, quick enough that they barely manage to avoid the water. Her full strength would make this an easy feat—thanks to being weakened, she does feel the strain of holding someone else. She's pretty sure that she can hold him as long as necessary, though. Unless he starts struggling or something, she can. ]

[rollin]

[ Yata doesn't struggle. He does, however, scream. It's not the high-pitched scream he lets out when he sees the faces of his ancestors, but it's a scream nonetheless. ]

Warn me before you do that!

[ Look, he spoke to her without stuttering. ]

This is so fucking cool, though!

[solarbeam]

Sorry!

[ If only she could scoop people up and fly them around like she used to... she appreciates it being called cool, though. It really is cool—she'll never get tired of flying.

As soon as the wave dissipates, she's gesturing with a foot towards the mage. It looks like he's readying to cast another spell. Without her speed, she doesn't think she can get to him in time on the ground. ]

Where do you want to land?

bonus;

[deontology]

[Honestly, you're trying a bit too hard with someone who is way too much of a buzzkill. Sousei came along to get a better grasp of things in ViViD, and he certainly has not had any trouble at all with taking care of what they've thrown at them.

But hope you're ready for the flattest look ever, Yata...]

... That sounds like a waste of time. [JUST SAYING...]

[rollin]

[ Wow, Sousei, don't be a dick!! It easily pulls Yata's face into a scowl. ]

Well, if I'm gonna play this game, I ain't gonna be some fucking underachiever. I'll do all the sidequests! Benchwarmers can sit over there and weep.

[ He jerks his head toward the harbor. ]

[deontology]

[SORRY FRIEND what you found is a killjoy. but he's already a little lost. It's not really a game, is it...? And the hell is a sidequest...]

...Does it legitimately help? [He's honestly confused by all of this.]

[rollin]

[ If Yata thinks of it as a game, it becomes fun. ]

'Course it does! If you want extra cash, doing more quests is the way to go. [ He snickers. ] You sound new...

[ YOU JUST GOT HERE, YATA. SHUT UP. ]

[deontology]

[The implications certainly don't bother him--he just tilts his head slightly, expression unruffled.]

I'm not here for money.

[Honestly.]

There are more important things at stake.