middleofsomewhere | Event: Abort! Part One

Event: Abort! Part One

Until now there has been one mission in every month. The practice in Apple and since then one for each month. So for those that have been on the train for a while they will be extremely surprised when on the twenty fifth day of the month of Egret their SCA’s glow gold and a hologram appears. Another mission.

Strange or not preparations need to be made, the voidtreckers are needed, strange timing or not.

Preperations

As promised the dressing room is open once again and there is a collection of leggings, shirts and tunics. All are in bold, differing shades of team colours and are made of sturdy material. There are a couple of cloaks, like those they wore in the goblin world they look medieval in style but will keep rain off as well as a modern raincoat.

As usual they have about an hour of preparation time, to gather supplies, get changed and help those who need more help disguising themselves to do so.

Arrival

”We are now approaching world#27462947582. Warning: Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four,” Hopefully even those who are new know to hold on or sit down by now. ”Three, two, one.” A jolt and a lurch and the void from outside the windows disappears to show green grass and a blue sky.

The Voidtrecker Express has landed in a small dip between two hills. Tall enough to mostly hide it and once everyone who wishes to disembarks it vanishes.

The voidtreckers, on climbing the hill, will find they are inside the city walls, just. Here it is mostly farmland still but as they move towards the centre there are more houses and things become more crowded and bustling. The city is big enough that an influx of strangers doesn’t turn many heads.

Their SCA has a map, red team’s has a marker for the northern gate, purple’s show the position of guard posts. Orange and Blue’s shows the main gates that lead out into the kingdom beyond.

Red Team

Getting to the northern gate doesn’t take all that much time and they are let out without much fuss, though fair warnings about the monsters out there. It is clear that though this city is nominally guarded and walled, it has been a long time since there has been war here and people can come and go as they wish.

The desert is, much as can be expected. It is more a scrub land rather than rolling dunes of sand but the land is cracked and dry. They have to move at least an hour away from the city before they come across any monsters at all.

When they do they are strange almost-boar looking creatures. They are vicious and will attack on sight, charging with huge tusks and teeth that are far too sharp to belong to a natural creature. They are clearly intelligent, even if they don’t seem to have language. But they never come across more than five at once and there doesn’t seem to be any movement of them towards the city.

Purple Team

The guard posts are only have a few guards there at any one time. Though questioning any of them the voidtreckers will learn that there are other guards in the city, ready to come to the defence of the walls if the alarm is ever sounded. Those on the walls are there to keep watch.

It might take a little bit of persuading but there isn’t a huge problem with purple team being allowed up onto the walls. As long as they don’t seem to be causing or bringing trouble.

The surrounding countryside is clear. To the north is the desert but to the east, west and south there are rolling hills of green. The kingdom that this city is part of.

For them it is a few hours of tedium and anticipation. Watching the landscape, waiting for a threat. The other soldiers are curious enough that they could be coaxed into conversation or a game of dice.

Blue Team and Orange Team

It is very difficult to convince a city full of people who have not known danger in a long time that they have to pack up and leave.

There are difficult shop keepers, confused farmers, worried parents.

Some are able to be ready quickly and so can follow the Blue team out of the southern gates. It might take more than one group, with a few blue team going with each one. The kingdom isn’t particularly dangerous but who knows when that may change. Keeping everyone together and moving will be the challenge here.

For Orange team there are plenty of logistical problems to get stuck into. Animals need moving, people need help packing or wrangling small children. Older people need help finding carts to ride.

Not to mention the very stubborn ones who will take a lot of persuading. Those who were on the goblin world have had practice in this already of course, and hopefully have tips to share.

(OOC: Information about this event is here)

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Dressing
Khary wasn't thrilled how he kept losing the new clothing items he received, but the selection this time had him in good humor. Of course most people on the train have only ever seen him in good humor. He didn't anger easily and so far few have seen his temper. In the waking, Curufin. In the dreaming... Romeo.

But in the here and now, he was picking up an article of clothing here and there, smiling at it with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, but not picking anything for himself just yet...

Blue team
Herding would be so much easier with Scelties. It was what the little bossy dogs were bred for, really. But he'd spent enough time with them o have picked up a few tricks, and added some of his own. Like taking up the rear. Like an invisible shield out behind him that moved with him, curved into a gentle scoop sopping anyone who tried o double back in his group.

As for him, himself. Anyone who doesn't know him or can't track magic would have little way to tell the shield was his. If they could even tell there was one. Certainly he didn't look like he was doing any sort of magic, let alone something so powerful. He had his hands in his pockets and seemed to almost be strolling along, rather enjoying the odd feeling of a cape flapping at his heels....

Preparations
Eva is terrified, even if she doesn't show it through the grim, no-nonsense set of her jaw and the hardness in brown eyes. There's a steady, unshakeable swiftness to her actions as she dresses, one born not only of experience, but of life in her world. Tunics, leggings, boots, cloak and all but the cloak are shades of orange. The cloak is greenish with faint vines and leaf motifs. Pokebelt and pokeball. Potions from the warzone in her bag.

Once she's done, she's checking in on everyone, starting with her team of course. "All set? Got everything you need? Say what you need to get the mission done. If you must, say you're a seer, oracle-"

Her voice is shakily, but she's trying, and in between people, she can be heard muttering what sounds like a prayer.

The City
a/ People

"Up you go-" Eva says as she lifts yet another child up onto a cart as parents clamber on, friendly smile firmly on her face. At least this time it wasn't too hard to convince them to evacuate, and she can count at least a few families on this one. "You'll be safe, you'll see."

"Thank you, young seer," One of the adults says, and Eva smiles. She's no seer, but to get people moving-

"Please, go. The next groups leaving soon."

It's only once they're gone does the mask crack, just for a moment, into honest worry as she turns to find the next group of people - to look for teammates who look like they need help.

But then it's gone, replaced with the unshakeable confidence of a Champion and someone who grew up in a world where evacuation on short notice happens.

"Need a hand?"

b/ Animals

Princess is, by and large, no animalherder. But, that is exactly what he's doing as he shepherds several sheep towards a larger flock, Eva's whistles helping to direct the pink pokemon as he races about on all fours, only breaking off and returning to Eva's side when the sheep join up with the flock.

She watches as the farmers then drive the animals down towards one of the departing groups.

"Thanks," she muttered to the pokemon, even as she's already moving away, stride swift, purposeful, eyes alert and keen; she isn't just Eva Iden'no right now. She's an Indigo Champion, a Professional Trainer- someone who very being understands the urgency and swiftness required.

Who's retreated solely into the role of get people out of harm's way as swiftly as possible.

There's no time to stop, to think. Keep moving, do the mission. Check-in on other Voidtreckers and make sure they're OK-

"Gods what I'd give for teleporters--"

Dressing
Najaran had been so sad when the clothes she took last time vanished. But she loved what she was finding now. Though someone might want to step in since everything she was picking was purple or blue. She was Orange, but happily choosing other colors for the mission. She found a really neat long purple cloak that she paired with a bright blue oddly shaped top. Blue skintight shorts under a purple skirt that seemed made of panels that didn't want to lay flat. A spiky belt that was going to take some getting used to, but at least it was a belt. But when she found a long metal staff that could be used as a walking stick her joy faded and she sat down, the clothes she picked on her lap, as she held the staff, unaware that a tear was rolling down her face as she studied it.

Orange
She reasoned out that she was using her cards to protect people, so it was fine, just so long as she didn't engage the enemy, since they weren't Cepters. So she had... a number of odd... creatures... out helping. A large suit of armor was carrying a few big bundles of supplies as he walked, careful not to step on anyone. A still larger creature of some sort had the community's largest cart hooked to it, and had a person riding on either shoulder. In each hand it carried a smaller loaded cart. A small creature and what could only be a gremlin had helped with packing and were now riding on the armor's shoulders.

Najaran herself was flying on the back of some odd alien dinosaur looking thing, helping to keep an eye on her group to make sure they were meeting up with team blue where they were supposed to. That done she was planning to go and help the next group make the check point.

For those who met her so far, they'd mostly have seen her as a sweet scared scrap of a thing who didn't know north from south. But now she looked serious and focused and on top of things - almost literally given her flying perch - except that she kept eyeing food longingly as it was packed.

Najaran landed her rather odd dinosaur-alien looking mount between groups, rubbing her forehead with the back of one hand as her various creatures gathered around her.

"Wow. I've never had to help evacuate a whole town before. How many more groups do you think still need help?" she asked. She knew they needed to jump right back into it, but she was wiped, and so were her creatures. They'd keep going. It would just be nice to know an end point was coming. Usually she just told people to run and stood between them and the threat. helping with the running was a whole other task. And it was harder than just having her cards out to do chores, though she wasn't sure why.

Khary came over and started rubbing her shoulders from behind, using Craft to add some warmth to his fingers. "Pretty sure no one will believe I'm a Black Widow," he said with a bit of a chuckle. He was trying to ease the tension in her some, in all the ways he knew best. Well, except knocking her out or getting her drunk. That could, and probably would, come after. He knew well enough to suspect that locking her in her cabin until after the mission for her own good would not go terribly well... for either of them. So he'd do what he could, what he would for any female friend who needed it.

Edited 2020-04-18 11:13 (UTC)

Preperation
He had worn many a style of clothing in his past, depending on what world he had ended up on. But this one was somewhat new, but not something he would be embarrassed by wearing. However, once he was dressed and looked at himself, he noticed a very obvious issue that he expected. Wouldn't the people they were seeing going to think his arm was odd or consider him ma witch or something.

A small frown as he looked at his left hand.

"I wonder, will the people we go to see freak out about things like my left arm?" To be fair, he used to being considered a freak when he was young, after all. Plus this was a good way of figuring out how this place worked too, right?

The Wall
Allen found himself sighing slightly. He had decided to watch from the wall just in case. It was sort of like patroling he did when he worked as a police officer or even when he was deputy guardian in the last world and the world before that. The only difference was at least with the first world with pirates there was always something going on that he would have to deal with in various ways.

Here. It just seemed rather peaceful. He soon moved to sit down, all the while looking out. He seemed somewhat bored just watching, looking at the view.

Preparations

She had been on the train since the very first day and this slight change from the routine they knew- where they were given a mission once a months, was strange. But she knew from her own world, things like missions did not always work to the timings you wanted them to. Events happened too fast or too slow and flexibility was required.

So she prepared the way she usually did. Gathering supplies, reading through the mission in her den in the luggage carriage. She moved to the dressing room not long after and began hunting through the tunics and leggings to find ones in her own size.

The clothes gave her some hope, they were very similar to clothes from her own world, it means she might be at least able to understand the world they were travelling to.

She waved at anyone nearby. "Do you be thinking it do be being because we do be doing well that we do be having more missions now?"

Arrival

She doesn't bother finding a seat for landing, she just sits on the floor near the doors. She is used enough to going in and out of the void now that it isn't worrying anymore. Once they landed she scrambled to her feet.

She jumped out of the train and looked around. Grass, pleasant enough weather. No immediate monsters. No weird lizards pointing guns at them. She checked her SCA and saw the red dot that showed where she was to go.

She looked around, prepared to wait for the others to get going.

Red Mission

She had mostly let the others take charge of them getting out of the city. She had stood close and observed. The city was a strange one, relaxed even though it bordered a place of monsters. Confident in it's own ability to keep itself safe.

She was glad she was fighting monsters rather than trying to persuade stupid people to leave. In a city like this, she couldn't imagine people would want to evacuate. It would be like evacuating somewhere like Gauig. Even though this city was a lot smaller.

The heat of the desert was welcome. After so many missions in stupid rain and stupid cold it was nice to be somewhere with a normal temperature. She knew heat in the wilderness like this could be dangerous so she was sensible, but there was definitely more of a spring to her step as she walked, eyes keeping watch, dagger in hand.

Fighting

She had never fought monsters like this before. She doesn't even know what they are but they are big and stupid and she can already tell her dagger isn't going to do much on it's own.

But she has gotten used to working in a team so she let's the bigger fighters be a distraction as she tries to get around the monsters, looking for a weak point.

Dressing Room Prep

[ Though she'd been in pretty high spirits when she'd heard they were allowed to raid the dressing room, when Bryn actually sees the assortment on over, she makes what I can only describe as a stinkface. ]

[ She's got her nose all wrinkled up, too. This might be the most exasperated anyone on the train has seen her look so far. ]

Red Team

[ Snobbery isn't enough to keep her from getting changed though, apparently, since Bryn turns up all dressed up once Team Red are fixing to head out. Despite her earlier grouching, she's got a big sunny smile and she's armed with a spear that she appears to have ~~stolen definitely borrowed with permission from one of the guards. ]~~

[ Her enthusiasm is all well and good but – well, she doesn't even go here, does she? She's not even wearing any Team Orange colours. So much for all the teamwork she was allegedly so excited about. ]

Out Huntin'

[ Bryn seems to take relatively well to the heat out in the desert – partially because of how she's dressed for it, but mostly thanks to her own innate affinity for fire. Which in practice only means that she looks cool as a cucumber and infuriatingly unruffled while everyone else is sweating their asses off. Thanks, Bryn.

At the very least, she's putting her composure to good use and setting on the boars with the same kind of enthusiasm that she's been bringing to everything else, though it's a little less endearing when the thing she's so enthusiastic about is killing huge monstrous animals. Don't worry about it.

She's pretty proficient with the spear she's using, but she's also using her bare fists and her body weight a bit more than you'd expect of a girl as small as Bryn. For those of you who might've heard her chattering about her strength, this might be expected, but for those of you who aren't, it might be kind of shocking to see her flip a boar onto its back at one point before she goes at it with her spear.

During a break in all the fighting, you might find her inspecting one of the fallen boars, her eyes alight with interest. She's elevating a hoof, stretching out limbs to watch how the muscles move and moving her hands along the carcass to feel lines of meat and fat. And then she looks up, looking like the proverbial kid in a candystore and declares: ]

[ the food motivation really jumped out, huh ]

Preparation/Decision

While Webmind will visit the Dressing Car and have a look at the offerings, he looks rather dubious at the prospect of fitting in on this world.

He's still having trouble fitting this whole thing into his worldview. And having to lie about where they're from, and potentially everything else about themselves, to protect these people...

Well, he's doubting he's suited for the job.

Remaining on the Train

An empty train is an eerie thing - and given his ticket only lets him into his own cabin, it's not as if he can explore everywhere while people are out!

But he keeps up his work on fiddling with the new programming language, as well as further exploring the shop options, all the while wondering if the fog outside is better than the void.

Preparations
Conan casts an annoyed glance over the clothing options, but quickly selects a set of orange tunic and leggings. A cloak is quickly added.

But then he takes another look at the selection with a frown. No bag or backpack options this time. That was going to be a challenge.

Red Team Northern Gate
Conan heads straight for the Northern Gate, and takes a seat there as he waits for everyone else to show. As he waits, he occupies himself with checking over his skateboard.

Red Team
Once the group starts moving, Conan keeps up by traveling on his skateboard. He keeps a wary eye on their surroundings as they move.

Preparations (for close CR only)

No. No no no no no no no no.

He isn’t ready for this. It’s too soon. He’s only been back from the dead for...what? Ten days? He can still feel the laser tearing through his body, killing him. He’s had nightmares about it every time he closes his eyes, and he’s quite certain that those nightmares are going to continue for the foreseeable future. He can’t go back yet. He’s not ready. He can’t even protect himself anymore.

Those who know Joscelin well may find him hiding in a dark corner of the dressing carriage, still in his regular clothes. He’s curled into a ball, rocking back and forth as the panic threatens to overwhelm him.

Blue Team (OTA)

Somehow, for reasons still a mystery to him, Joss ultimately decided to go on the mission. Someone needs to look after Romeo, even if he can’t protect his friend like he used to. And it’s just evacuating people. He’s done that before—rather successfully on the mission with the dying planet, he thinks.

So, down by the gates, one may find a small boy in a brilliantly purple tunic and cloak helping to convince people to flee the city. He’s so pale he almost looks like a vampire again, his fists are clenched so tight his fingernails are cutting into his palms, and he can’t seem to stop shaking, but he’s here.

Another mission so close to the last one was strange but Romeo was ready. Of course he was ready. People needed them to help and Romeo would never let people be hurt without trying to help!

Of course. He had let someone get hurt. Joss. His best friend who had died to help him, when Romeo hadn't been able to help him or save him at all. He's worried for him. He worries about all his friends but Joss takes things so hard. He's a kid but also really old and Romeo thinks it has muddled him all up.

He's not surprised to see him hiding, but it still makes his heart hurt to see him so scared.

"Joss..." Romeo sits down next to him, to sling an arm around his shoulder. "It will be okay Joss."

Joscelin flinches when Romeo touches his shoulder, but then relaxes into the contact and leans against his best friend.

“I can’t do this,” he whispers. “I can’t protect you.”

Romeo had had an idea to help Joss. As his ideas went it wasn't a terrible one, especially since Blue and Orange were working closely for this mission so he would be close to Elfnein if she needed him.

Being able to help Joss and being close enough that Elfnein can call him to her side and he can talk to her without being close to her meant that he felt a lot less worried about his friends being hurt this time.

The downside is that when you are a tiny weasel this city is huge and though he is actually above the weasel, able to see anywhere, he can only run as fast as the tiny creature. But he gets to Joss' side eventually. Joss will feel a scrabbling at his boot as a small white weasel begins to climb his leg. He will also feel a lot less scared as a feeling of hopefulness washes over him, helping him face the fear he is feeling.

Joscelin is startled out of his reverie by a strange sensation on his boot. He looks down, confused, as a small, white rodent scrambles up his leg and then moves toward his shoulder. Somehow, it makes him feel better. Less alone. More optimistic.

Mystified, he reaches out to pet it. As he does so, something clicks.

...It can’t be.

“Romeo?”

"I will keep you safe!"

And indeed, Orisa proved well-equipped to do just that. Strange as her eyes might look, they were no less keen for all that, and as she stomped forward over the brush and brambles without a second thought, she kept said eyes peeled for any signs of their foes.

More than once, the first warning of danger was her fusion driver lifting to unload a veritable fountain of particles off into the distance. "Prepare yourselves! Enemies approaching!"

Romeo squeezed his shoulder. "You did though. You protected me and you died Joss. It was me that couldn't protect you!"

He feels really bad about that. Joss should never have been hurt. If only Romeo had been quicker with his borderline. If only he was a better fighter, then Joss would have never died.

Joss shakes his head. “I’m stronger. I...was stronger. Stark told me to keep you safe, so I did. I was always going to make that call, because you’re far more important than I am, Romeo.

“But now I can’t even do that. I’m useless.”

He buries his face in his arms.

No sooner did the teams disembark than a truck fell from the sky, slamming into the ground next to Zetta and his minion horde with a force that ought to have shattered it, but didn't because that's how we roll around here. Without hesitation, the minions clambered into it, squeezing into the generous cab and piling into the truck bed. The Prinnies were on the roof, and if that wasn't safe, well, they were only Prinnies.

"All right, let's get this done," proclaimed the book, visible through the passenger window.

"That wouldn't be nice of them sir!" Romeo looked over from where he was sorting tunics, looking for a smaller blue one. This man was one of the people who had arrived when Romeo had disappeared. He still hadn't gotten to know everyone yet!

"So I hope they don't."

There is a weasel on the window screen. A familiar weasel perhaps, white and close enough that Zetta will feel himself growing more hopeful.

Despite the hopeful feeling, the weasel looks annoyed. It's nose is twitching and paws waving at Zetta in a very annoyed manner.

It's a bit of a clamber to get to Joss' shoulder but soon he is curled up there. He is glad when Joss moves to pet him and gladder still when Joss realises it is him!

He had been a bit worried that Joss would shoo him away.

The weasels nose twitches and he nudges at Joss' neck. It is him! He is here to help!

"No." He shook his head and twisted round so he could look Joss in the face. "I'm not more important and you're not useless. That's all not true!"

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around Joss again. "It's not true at all, so don't say things like that!"

Nita had been trying several different kinds of clothes out for the past several minutes - her mind was most definitely not focused on the task.

"Dammit, I keep losing track of the arms in these things!" she muttered, fruitlessly trying to pull a sheet-like shirt over her head.

What was with all the metal people? It was very strange. She had seen this ones picture on the roster. Her name began with an O.

She had ran around the various red groups, sticking close to people and getting ready for the fight. When she heard the warning she got ready, knife in hand and looking into the distance.

"Monsters do be approaching? How many do there be being?"

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Page 1 of 56

Event: Abort! Part One

Khary - OTA

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Najaran - OTA

People!

Preperation

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Bryn - OTA

OTA (ish)

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Preperation

no subject

Blue Team

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Red Team ASSEMBLE!

no subject

no subject

OTA

preperation

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no subject

no subject

Dressing

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