Under the Sea: Mission start

[voidtreckermods]

After fleeing the strange shapes in the sky the voidtreckers are perhaps not looking forward to yet another mission and indeed the first few days of Fiddlesticks go by without any strange dreams, no warning that another mission might be nigh. Yet on the morning of day five their SCA's will glow with the colours of the void and a holographic message will appear.

Preperations

The dressing room is open once again, though the clothes this time are simple in choice. A wet suit for each void trecker as well as a pair of flippers, a helmet and a breathing pack. It at least has instructions and there will be a little bit of time for them to figure out how to use them. Apart from that there are some waterproof packs for supplies to be packed in.

They will have a couple of hours to get ready for their mission.

Arrival: Blue and Red

"We are now approaching world #7625000129523. Drop order is Red and Blue, Purple then Orange. Red and Blue team to doors. Arrival in world #7625000129523 in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

The train shudders and lurches as they exit the void, the view from the window goes from the ever shifting void to a beautiful deep blue sky. They fly through the air and swoop down to land on a sandy beach. The doors open allowing those who are taking part in the Blue and Red missions to debark. The doors close and the train swoops up into the air.

The beach stretches from one side to the other, in the distance as the beach turns into sloping green hills they can see a village. Beyond that there is a jungle. Any red team who check their SCA will see four points, the rock pools.

The villagers have noticed the huge train sweeping down onto their island and so contact is made quickly. They will be quite accepting of the help and explain the situation. They will help any of red team to the rockpools if asked.

Red

The rockpools are built up and indeed made so the water will reach a persons waist if they stand in them. The water is cold but not overly so. When the water shoots up anyone in them will shoot up also.

They will find themselves in a vortex of water, with anyone else who enters that rockpool. The water itself seems to be fighting them, tendrils of water reaching out of the whirlpool to try and drag them further into the chaos. It takes a whole lot of willpower to stay in the centre, the water can be fought with weapons, even with fists. They feel as if they are falling or flying, perhaps both. Surrounded by the pure chaos of the ocean.

Blue

Hopefully they spend the day helping with preparations because when night falls the monsters emerge from the sea. Terrifying twisted creatures. The villagers only have simple weapons but will tell them that fire is helpful against these water creatures.

Hold off the monsters and keep the people safe.

Purple

The doors close and the train flies off into the sky, flying over the island to the other side where it lands on a rocky bay, near tall towering cliffs.

"Purple team to doors." The doors open, allowing the purple team to disembark before flying off once again.

In the cliff face there is a large cave entrance, over the entrance there are symbols, translated by their SCA's. Clear mind, clear heart. Come those who seek to serve.

There are six people stood by the entrance, looking quite surprised at the new arrivals. One, a woman with silver hair recovers enough to speak first. "Ah. Void warriors. We are honoured by your help."

Once introductions are made the spiritual leaders will happily accept the escort and their adventure can begin.

Orange

They fly up and out across the ocean, a longer flight than before but eventually they descend and there is a slight juddering before they land, floating on the ocean.

"Orange team disembark, please use luggage or dressing carriage doors only."

They will step out onto an inflated platform that streches around the train. Down below are the depths of the water and their SCA's show them at the point of Bui. It is below them so all they need to is dive.

The dive takes a while, and depends on their swimming ability but hopefully with a bit of teamwork they arrive at the silent city of Bui.

Comments

Sleepy Ash - OTA

[sobothersome]

Dressing Room/Prep:

Maru (AKA: Sleepy Ash) was stood in the dressing room looking at wet suits. His was orange. Bright orange.

"Nope." He turned away. Did they think he was stupid or something?

The watch thing had told him he should come to the dressing room. Madoka said it was a mission. And he would be going with her. But there was no way he would be wearing a wet suit. He was fine with what he had on thank you very much.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin was in the dressing room, already dressed in one of those ridiculous orange diving suits.

"Not going to wear one of those?" he asked his teammate. "Are you staying on the train?"

[sobothersome]

"Not really..." He wasn't staying on the train. He couldn't even if he'd wanted to. Madoka was going out into the strange world so he would have to also go.

"... This is so bothersome." Maru sighed and narrowed his eyes at the wet suit, but then he blinked and he just looked tired with the whole thing again. "Do I have to wear it?"

[so_dark_a_road]

"I agree, it is bothersome." Curufin wasn't crazy about the wetsuits and the clunky breathing apparatus, either.

"It wouldn't be safe to try to dive without it, though. The city of Bui is a hundred meters under the surface, and that's too long a dive to be holding your breath!"

[sobothersome]

"I'm not diving..." He didn't think so at least. "... I'm with Blue." That was right, wasn't it? The Blue mission wasn't diving, that was Orange. That's what Madoka had explained to him, if he remembered right... He hadn't been paying that much attention.

The thought of being under all of that water made Maru shudder. "... I'm too much cat to want to dive like that."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Ah, you're going with Blue Team," said Curufin, nodding. "That's all right. You don't have to dive with Orange Team. But if you're going to be with Blue, you'll be up on the island protecting it against the sea monsters. Are you good at fighting?"

[sobothersome]

"Fighting is a pain..." Maru replied with a heavy sigh. "But I'll do it..." He didn't want to say he was strong, that required an ego. Pride was his brother. It wasn't him. All Maru could do was shrug noncommittally and shot a quick glance at the other guy. "... Are you?"

[so_dark_a_road]

"As long as you're all right with it, I'm sure Blue Team will be glad to have you fighting by their sides." He met Maru's glance. "Yes, I'm good at fighting. In fact, it's one of my favorite things! I wish I could go along with Team Blue, but now I'm team co-leader, so I have to stick with Orange, even though it looks as though we'll be solving a mystery instead of battling monsters." He shakes his head, ruefully and humorously.

[sobothersome]

He didn't really want to, but it was for Madoka. And so he would. Even though he really didn't have much in the way of choice. If he had he would have still chosen to follow her.

"Favourite things?" Maru looked at the man with a puzzled frown. "It's something you can enjoy? Hurting things...?"

[so_dark_a_road]

Everybody should have somebody they'd follow, even if into a place they didn't really want to go. It was a fact of life that friendship or devotion involved such choices.

But Maru had asked a question that was hard to answer. "I'm a smith by trade, but a warrior by vocation. The world I grew up in was a dangerous place, and everyone who came to Middle-earth was in peril. We fought the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, for six hundred years. His soldiers were creatures called Orcs, Balrogs, trolls, werewolves, and other dire things. He created them by twisting natural beings into things of great evil and savagery, and he endowed them with part of his own dread spirit. They were absolutely under his control as long as they lived. We Elves got used to killing them without mercy. Mercy was useless in the face of such evil. I personally became as savage as they were when I fought them. In such a world, there is a tendency to harden one's heart in order to survive. I still revert to that state when I fight something that is as mindlessly evil as Morgoth and his minions. But I don't enjoy hurting human beings."

[sobothersome]

Maru supposed... he could almost understand that. While he didn't fully understand the circumstances, how could be possibly understand the kind of world the guy was speaking of, he could understand the savage part. It was part of why he needed an Eve, why he needed their calm and their lead to help direct his aggression otherwise he could go the same way without meaning to.

It was just the way he had been created.

"... I don't like hurting things. I don't like being a monster... But I know I have to fight."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin gave Maru a look of sympathy. "I can understand. Some people are more averse to injuring things than other people are. That's the way it is, and that's the way it should be. Those of us who are less discerning need those who are, otherwise the world gets out of balance. But if you're going to go with Blue Team, will you be all right, fighting the creatures that come out of the sea?"

[sobothersome]

Maru gave a slow, bored seemingly shrug and sort of hunched in on himself a little. "... I'm a vampire. So I'm a monster. But I want to help if I can." And he didn't want to hurt people because of that. Because people expected him to. Because... well... it took so much effort to even care about someone enough to want to harm them.

"I'll be fighting what I can." Because he'll be directed to do so. But he would try his hardest.

[happyends]

"Maaaaru!"

He'll probably hear that before he sees Madoka, considering she attaches herself to him the moment she sees him standing in the dressing room like that by giving him a quick hug from behind. Madoka is probably so used to his cute kitty form by now that it makes her hesitate so much less with showing affection like that even in his human form..

Not to mention the girl seems rather excitable today. Usually she's kind of nervous for a mission, but this is the first time she's going with Maru. So it's going to be much better this time! She's going to be useful, she's ready for it!

Hence why, once she lets go after the quick hug, she moves until she's in front of him, smiling up at the other.

"You haven't put the mission clothes on yet?"

[sobothersome]

Even if he hadn't heard her, he would have known she was near. He didn't react though. At least until he was hugged from behind. It was something he was starting to get used to. Before Madoka he hadn't been hugged much, if ever. Maybe as a cat, sure. But in his 'normal' form, he couldn't really remember many hugs in his life...

When she let go to move into his line of sight, he was even able to give her a small, though tired looking, smile.

"No..." He agreed and looked away to where the orange wet suit was still hung up. "It's orange."

[happyends]

It's hard to tell if it's even possible with how wide Madoka's smile is at seeing him to begin with, but it's as if it grows just the tiniest bit wider at seeing him smile back at her. She's just so excited for this mission that she's glad to see him in an even slightly good mood too!

Though her gaze turns a bit more curious as she looks at the wet suits. "Oh?" That.. sure is orange, yes. Madoka looks back at the vampire. "Hm.. Is it the colour that's the problem? I guess it is kind of bright.. Maybe we can see if there's a spare blue one instead? It'd match your hair!"

[sobothersome]

"It is too bright..." Maru agreed. It hurt his brain. It was unnatural. It reminded him of someone...

Though he looked a bit hopeful when Madoka suggested a blue one. While he still wasn't too thrilled to be wearing something so skin tight. If it was blue he could handle it. He thought. Maybe...?

"... Blue would be better. I like blue." And he did. Back home it was his colour. Blue and black. Not orange.

[happyends]

"Then let's have you wear a blue one!"

Madoka sounds rather happy. Mostly since she's just glad to have found a solution! There's no way she would want to force Maru into something against his wishes right away on their first mission.. She'd feel so guilty about this, especially since he's going along with the mission so well since he's there to protect her.

She picks up a blue one, holding it out to him so he can take a better look at it.

"I'll be wearing blue too, of course, so we'll even match! Then we'll even look more like partners." Madoka likes that word for their contract. It makes them feel much more like equals in this deal, which she greatly prefers, no matter the fact that she is aware she is the one controlling him when it comes down to it.

[sobothersome]

Orange reminded him of Mahiru. It wasn't a colour he needed to be reminded of. He preferred blue. He preferred Madoka's colours.

He watched as she went to find something that would fit him. He tool the wet suit when it was handed to him and eyes it suspiciously. It was a better colour, but it still looked several sizes too small. It would constrict him. He wondered if it would hinder his ability to fight?

"Partners..." Mahiru has said that as well. It wasn't a term that was uncommon to him, and in all honesty he liked it too. While he didn't think for a second they were on equal terms, he liked to think they were a team. "... Yeah. We will."

[happyends]

She smiles when he agrees with her. It's just so sweet.. Even though Maru is so strong, he listens to her. And sure, technically he has to do that, but it doesn't feel to Madoka like he'd full on disobey her if he had the ability to do that. He just seems like a good person, no matter the fact that he's a little lazy.

It drives her to want to be more and more accomodating to him, which is why she's already thinking about how to make this wet suit deal even easier for him.. Madoka glances around for a moment before she seems to have an idea.

"Oh, how about I put one on first? Then you can see what it looks like and that it isn't so bad at all! It's just.. um.."

She nervously glances at the door, letting out a shy little laugh before looking back at Maru. "You'll just have to help make sure no one comes in while I'm changing.." Guard the door from the outside for her. Like a good kitty guard.

[sobothersome]

Maru looked over his shoulder at the door, and then back again. Was she expecting someone to come in and peek? Were there strange people like that on the train? That was weird...

"Alright..." He'd guard the door if that's what she wanted. No one would get in and see her. "You put yours on first." He turned and walked to the door, then stepped out and leaned against it, arms folded. Maru wouldn't let anyone enter unless Madoka said they could.

[happyends]

"Thank you so much, Maru..!" She calls out after him, right before he leaves the room for a moment. Honestly, it's not even that Madoka thinks anyone would look on purpose, but.. it's just a busy time right now, with everyone getting prepared for the mission. What if someone accidentally walked in on it, it'd be so embarrassing!

It says a lot about her trust in Maru that she doesn't even hesitate to change clothes once he's outside of the door. Madoka truly believes Maru wouldn't let anyone in, no matter how lazy he might seem.

And she thankfully doesn't take too long anyway. A few moments later there's already a knock from Madoka's side of the door, and her calling out that he can come back in. When Maru does, he'll find her wearing one of the blue wetsuits, spinning around a little to show it off to him.

"Look! It's a little different from normal clothes.. But it doesn't look that bad to wear, right?"

[sobothersome]

Maru didn't have to turn anyone away, luckily. He just stood there, arms crossed, looking bored with the whole thing and like he was moments away from just falling asleep. And he might well have done if Madoka hadn't chosen that moment to knock and call him back.

He stepped through and closed the door behind him before giving the girl his attention.

Okay, so maybe it didn't look so bad on her. But she was small and cute. She could get away with it. Maru was not small or cute. He could not.

"Not on you..." He sighed and then gave a shrug as he started to pull off his orange hoodie. "I suppose I don't have much choice. If I have to wear one."

[happyends]

Uh oh, apparently that's the wrong thing to say in front of Madoka. Because she's ready to fight (okay.. maybe not fight, but still..) Maru over him not being cute according to him! She thinks he's plenty of cute. Yes, even in this form, not just his kitty form!

So even though she isn't going into full on pouty scolding mode, her cheeks do get a bit puffier as she shakes her head.

"It'll look good on you too, Maru!"

And anyone who will tell him otherwise will have to be prepared for some extreme puppy eyes! The horror!

"I'll guard the door for you this time. Don't worry, no one will get past me!"

[sobothersome]

No, definitely no choice. He gave Madoka a nod for her to watch the door, if that's what she wanted. Though he didn't think there was a reason for it, no one would want to look in on him and even if they did it didn't bother him. What would be the point?

He waited for her to leave and the door to close before he started to peel out of the rest of his clothes. He had to work at getting his own suit on, it was a bit tougher than Madoka's attempt, it seemed.

But when he was done, he grabbed his hoodie and slipped that on over the suit. Maybe the colours would clash, he didn't care. It was more comfortable.

Maru went and opened the door and stepped out beside Madoka. "... It feels weird."