EVENT: HERE THERE BE MONSTERS

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: October 24 - October 31
Location: Throughout Exsilium
Characters: ALL; tag yourselves in
Summary: The Transports return from their mission to find the island crawling with monsters.
Warnings: Violence, possibly injuries (notify a mod if there's cause to add a particular warning!)

The Transports return from their mission to Medieval Russia, but the Initiative Hold is eerily deserted. Normally, their would be a number of Initiative personnel prepared to meet the Transports at the end of their mission for debriefing.

Instead, there is only silence.

That is, until a distant thumping sound can be heard. It is growing closer, and suddenly the beast is bursting into the room. It lets out a roar and charges. Within minutes, it is easily defeated, but damage has already been done -- it collided with the Transporter machine, which is now making a low fizzling sound and lets off a couple sparks. The commotion is enough to draw the attention of the few remaining Initiative personnel who still inhabit the Hold, who arrive immediately afterwards. They are able to tell the Transports two things: that the machine is broken and currently unable to sent anyone back in time, and that the island has been overrun with aggressive, mutated beasts sent by the United Earth. They have been under siege for months, with the island's population reduced to a mere fraction of what it had once been.

Comments

OPEN

[hostage]

["Safe Zone" - what a joke. How safe can it be, and for how long, with all those monsters out there? At first, Jesse holes up in his apartment, determined to wait this shit out. But it starts to get to him, being locked up in there. Like, what if everyone else dies? What if he's the only one left? He wouldn't be able to take that, either. And maybe he can make sure it doesn't play out like that.

So he takes both guns and goes out on patrol. He walks the halls of the housing building, then circles around the outside, then walks to the banquet hall and back. Sometimes when he stops to rest, he pulls out his oil pipe, tosses a rock in, and takes a hit. The crystal will keep him alert. Other times, it's just a cigarette he's smoking.]

[a_million_blossoms]

[Look, Jesse, here's an old not!friend just outside the safezone. He's fighting some of the smaller monsters with his sword.

Except it appears that he is moving ... a little too fast. fast enough that to a human, it would feel like he is actually disappearing and then reappearing just behind the beast he is about to kill, and then again to the next one.]

[hostage]

[Oh, there's that asshole again. Jesse would probably be pretty impressed if this guy hadn't been such a dick the first time around, because those are some sweet moves. He watches from here while he smokes his cigarette, no urge to get any closer because he has a feeling he'd be in the way. This guy doesn't need his help. Jesse does, however, keep his gun ready - just in case the monsters get bored of that prick and come for him instead.]

[a_million_blossoms]

[Byakuya wasn't necessarily planning on getting closer, but the monsters seem to be moving in Jesse's general direction. Not because they're bored, but they just go for whatever prey seems to be easily accessible.

Byakuya is about to let out a burst of reiatsu when he notices the human and reins it back in. He'd rather not have another 'Hero' have a go at him, especially if he ends up suffocating another Transport by mistake. being berated for killing some of the Horde was enough.

Relying on his sword only is tedious, but he can do it. and when he gets close enough to Jesse,... well.]

You're in the way.

[hostage]

You're doing a shitty job.

[Because as far as Jesse's concerned, he's well within what should be a perimeter of safety. How's Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass blaming him for walking where he's supposed to be walking?]

[a_million_blossoms]

You're not doing anything. Unless you plan on changing that, moving away from here should be your priority.

[Excuse him, slicing some beastie.]

Unless that is another human battle technique I have never heard of, of course.

[hostage]

[Jesse pinches his cigarette between his lips and switches guns - trading the dart gun for the one with actual bullets, because he's not sure whether monsters this size are affected by elephant tranquilizer. As far as he's concerned, shooting these bastards is infinitely easier than shooting humans on a battlefield. He steadies his aim and waits until one's close enough for a clear shot at its eye. Then he fires.]

[a_million_blossoms]

[Well, that's better.

Byakuya has never seen a gun in use, but from its effect on the beasts, he can guess that he doesn't want to end on the wrong end of it. Thankfully, Flash Step makes it relatively easy to dodge while cutting the beasts that evade the bullets, at least once he's figured out what type of velocity and trajectory he's dealing with here.

Which, in turns, would make them a surprisingly efficient team in dispatching the rest of the beasties. Who would have thought?]

[hostage]

[He shoots at any remaining beasts until they're all dead between the two of them, not wasting a single bullet more than he has to. But if this guy expects some kind of thanks for the help, he's out of luck. Jesse's just sour enough about the attitude to keep an arrogant air. He lowers his gun and rolls his shoulder out like none of this was a big deal to begin with.]

idc that we have another thread i love them already so um deal ♥

[paracosmic]

[she'd seen him before, spoken to him. he was kind. babydoll was coping, but it was easy -- at least for now. she needed to befriend more people, to be able to help more people.

so she approaches him.]

Hey, how are you?

yeeeee ♥

[hostage]

[She's caught him halfway through hitting the pipe, and once he notices her walking over, he straightens up and... hides it behind his back. Because that's the thing to do, clearly.]

O-Oh, hey. Yo. I'm good. What about you?

[paracosmic]

[her eyes may have followed what he hid behind his back, but she doesn't ask about it. he wasn't obligated to tell her.]

I'm about to go out to the perimeter.

[she shrugs.]

It's getting tiring, don't you think?

[hostage]

[He's glad she doesn't ask. He slides the pipe surreptitiously into his back pocket.]

Yeah... But, I mean, you don't have to go, right? You could just hang back here.

[paracosmic]

[that's where he was wrong.]

I do.

[it was that simple -- she wasn't angry about it. no matter how tired or frustrated she was with the choice she made for herself, it had to be done.]

It's not easy, but it's worth it.

[hostage]

Nah, there's gotta be something more fun to do. Something with, you know, less blood and guts.

[Nevermind that he's also wandering around out here voluntarily.]

[paracosmic]

[she shakes her head.]

I want to find a way out. Sometimes we have to do things we don't enjoy to get what we want.

[hostage]

What's that mean, "a way out"?

[payback]

[She's been out already, with her usual luck gotten smashed on some already, and is now on her way back to the hold to find medical attention, a meal, and a long map.

She doesn't even bother being sneaky about coming back to home base all bloody either. Her mood is actually good. She successfully killed some of these bizarre things and she doesn't even have to feel bad about it. Her good mood staves off some of the sting from the cuts on her face and hands (from falling, not monsters). She has some slashes too (from monsters, not falling), but hey! She's not walking around holding her entrails in with her hands. That counts as a win.

Just walking down the street, blood smeared down her face, wiped off from around her eyes, still carrying a bloody sword. There's a clinic, she knows that much. She can just go there and get whatever futuristic patch-ups they offer. This will be great. Perfect plan.]

[hostage]

[When Jesse catches sight of Rin approaching from all the way down the street, he can tell something's wrong. He takes a few steps forward and the cigarette falls from his fingers.]

Oh my god.

[He takes off at a sprint - though he's horribly out of shape and out of breath by the time he reaches her. She looks even worse up close than she did from far away.]

How bad is it?!

[payback]

[She catches a glimpse of him from a distance, but she has no idea who it is until he's closer to her. Upon which she just looks astonished.

Head wounds being bleeders it's no surprise he jumps to the worst possible conclusion, but Rin has little actual idea of how bad it might look. She raises a hand in - kind of a wave.]

Hi! I'm, um, I'm okay... how are you?

[hostage]

You're bleeding. Jesus, hold on...

[He puts his hands out like he's ready to catch her if she suddenly collapses or something. Meanwhile, he's looking her up and down to try to assess her condition. Her talking doesn't reassure him much.]

I gotta - I gotta get you to the medics or something.

[payback]

I-it's okay! [She's not feeling that great, actually, but she doesn't think she's in danger of dying. Rin steps forward and reaches out to actually pat at one of his hands. She has to concentrate a little on actually hitting her target.]

Yeah, bleeding is what happens, you know? But medics are a good idea.

[hostage]

[Yeah, he can sort of... tell that it takes more effort than it should. He's had plenty of concussions. He knows all about head injuries, really.]

Lemme carry you or something. We'll go faster. I don't want you to fall.

[payback]

I'm okay. We can walk really. I'm pretty sure I've had worse than this. [She watches him with a weirdly patient expression. He's offering to take her to do what she wanted to do anyway, so it's all good.]

What are you doing out here?

[hostage]

I don't wanna scare you, okay, but it looks really, really bad. Can you see straight? Are you sure you're not -

Here, just...

[He offers his arm, at the very least, so she can lean on him.]