Onward: Purple

[voidtreckermods]

Rescue Efforts

Progress has been good, with many of the trapped citizens now rescued and parts of the city put to rights. There are only a couple of pockets of trapped people remaining, where it is proving difficult structurally to clear the tunnels. Even so, spirits are high; it’s believed they’ll be able to do so with the Voidtreckers’ assistance.

Work is still done in shifts and continues through the night. Voidtreckers are encouraged to rest after their shifts, and stagger themselves. It’s likely that there’s a mix of people awake and asleep as the sun rises on the third day.

Dawn Attack

Not long after dawn many of the Terran phones begin ringing with notifications and alarms, and there is a general wave of panic that spreads through the adult Terran. Followed by a rush of activity, as those asleep are quickly shaken awake to get ready.

It won’t take long, they’re told. There has been an attack. Not here, but in another segment of the city. Unknown forces, monstrosities of some kind coming down the service tunnels. Forces are holding them off but they need backup. Transport is quickly arranged and any Voidtreckers who wish to go and help can do so. 

Transport is a train, one that is sourced incredibly quickly and filled with combat-ready Terran civilians. Not all go, since people are still needed to finish the rescue efforts and prepare for any attack in this sector.

Those that do go will find a battle raging between Terran and monsters. It may be that shortly after the Voidtreckers and their Terran friends turn up they will be joined by some more adventurous members of Orange Team who followed the monsters down the tunnels.

Days of Fighting

Throughout the next few days (G7-G11), fights spring up around the city. Though the first fight was against monsters from the lab, it seems others have found ways of getting into the tunnel system. The Terran are practical and quickly set up systems of transport for quick response. They don’t have much in the way of lights; their own decorative lights are soft, which will drive the creatures back from illuminated areas but be unable to destroy them. 

They will happily accept as much help as the Voidtreckers can give. The fighting is lessened as the day goes on, as no new monsters enter the tunnels, but sunset brings fresh recruits.

For those who cannot or do not wish to fight there is plenty that needs doing. Centres are set up for the injured. Fighters need food and water. There are still collapsed tunnels that need repaired and cleaned up. The final trapped citizens need to be brought to safety. Children need to be watched and kept out of danger.

A Rumour

Talking of children, as the days go by the Terran teenagers get more and more agitated. A few times they can be seen trying to approach exhausted and stressed adults, mobile phones in their hands as they try and explain something.

They are quickly dismissed. If asked about it the teenagers will tell literally anyone who listens that they think the monsters are going after The Dweller. They will distractedly explain that it is some lifeform within the planet that ‘those Gry’ worship as a god.

‘Those Gry’ are their primary source of information, in fact, and most of their evidence seems to be coming from dream interpretation forums. Probably why they aren’t getting taken seriously by their stressed parents.

Comments

Roland Crane | OTA + Reno

[adregem]

< 1 - Dawn Attack >
[ Right into the fray he goes, with only forty winks and one ingested Potion to keep him going. Roland does a little touch base with the rest of the Teams, and begins to relay relevant information to the front lines, Terran and Voidtrecker passenger alike. ]

Prioritize the city's defense! Don't let them breach tunnels leading further down!

[ Roland expertly wields an intimidating looking gun in his right hand, ready to fire. He aims for a monster before it can stand up on all fours, flashing his SCA into its hideous visage twice in rapid succession. As soon as it recoils from the brightness, Roland fires three shots into its gem-like eyes, defeating the monster at last. He smirks in triumph, though there were more of them than he would like starting to swarm. ]

Use the light to immobilize them, then go straight for their eyes! Anywhere else seems useless!

[ He makes a stand next to a couple of Terrans who were armed without light, and assists them with his SCA's torch. His breathing grows heavy, and for once, he might be biting off more than he can chew... ]


< 2 - Days of Fighting >
Black Squad Shenanigans + Mass Healing + And Others!

[ The first wave was the worst. They were all caught unawares and plenty of adjustments had to be made to ensure defensive measures did its job to keep the monsters as far away from the wreckage site as possible. But it wasn't enough, and whatever the first wave brought was only amplified in the coming days ahead, as the monsters discovered a path into the deeper city through other tunnels. Skirmishes erupted in small pockets. It was going to be a fight of strategy and stamina.

Tactically, they were at a minor disadvantage. Enclosed spaces meant limited mobility for offense. Compromised structures meant manpower had to be cognizant of where they were fighting, and how destructive they were becoming. Civilian rescue ops were still ongoing, which was a whole other can of worms but the worst of it was fatigue. Roland doubted a single person on Purple was able to get more than a few hours of sleep, and that compromised performance on the field. It also meant rotations of who would defend, who would rest, and who would continue with the extraction of trapped Terrans. ]

Please group together by buddy system for those falling back! Spread the word, we're getting some backup from another team above-ground! Can I get a count of tired and injured?

[ He falls naturally into a state of trying to get things together, attempting to organize what he could. He was more than grateful for Reno's offer to drop by to heal them while the fighting was dying down in the early afternoon, but they didn't have much time to dally. When the night comes, the fighting will crescendo again. For now, he will take whatever rest he can get, though it doesn't really mean much. Roland was still on his feet, talking to teammates, to Terrans, and setting up camps and defenses while they had a break... ]

Gah.

[ He touches part of his rib cage subtly. It's tender and bruised from the inside. A particularly quick foe almost got him, until he swung his sword out last second so he could get a clean shot into its face. Knowing his body could take more anyway, he ignores the growing, dull pain and proceeds like there was nothing wrong. More people needed the healing, he had one more Potion and an Elixir. He'll just have to walk it off. ]

[theturksway]

"I saw that, yo," the redhead said from not far behind Roland. The signs of teleportation quickly faded from sight and it was Reno and the spider that stood there behind Roland, his black band the target for the spider's spell.

Reno turned to the spider and in quieter tones relayed his intentions one last time to her. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to head back out and join another team, okay? See ya later, Stinger." As Reno stepped away from the spider and towards Roland, runes of teleportation surrounded the spider and she disappeared once more.

"Here," Reno said as green motes of light temporarily surrounded him as his own magic activated, and a Cure spell fell over Roland. "No use in coming here to heal if I don't start with the guy leading the way."

[adregem]

He was in the middle of delegating some small supplies to a couple of Terran youths who were volunteering to shuffle around in the relative peace when he hears Reno and the Spider Seamstress drop down behind him. He nods to the Terrans as they run off, quietly marveling at the teleportation magic.

"Stinger, huh? She lets you call her that? I guess it does sound kind of cool. Has a ring to it." If you think Roland is masterfully trying to evade what Reno saw, then you're right. And it really almost doesn't show, like a fleeting moment of weakness that dissipated as soon as someone noticed it. He smiles warmly at Reno as he approaches in quick strides, genuinely glad to see a friendly for back-up. Before he could dissuade him from healing him, the Cure spell already does its job, a comfortable warmth healing his own fatigue. The affected rib finally halts its ceaseless throbbing.

He shoots Reno a look, though its not one without honest gratitude.

"...Thanks." He rests his hand against his hip. "But you should have healed them first, I could have been last. My injury wasn't debilitating." He silently gestures to the line of Terran fighters and rescued folk with a tilt of his head, each nursing a wound of their own. A couple of Purple team members also lingered in the periphery, awaiting a turn. Every single one of them looked a little bit worse for wear than when they disembarked.

"Not that I doubt your abilities, but magic has its limits too right? If you run out of steam, at least prioritize the civilians first. Anyway, more than anything, we really appreciate you coming down here to give support. I realized too late we didn't have active healers in the spades."

[theturksway]

"Whatever, don't sweat it," Reno said dismissively of Roland's chiding. "Magic's only as limited as the person casting it. I'm not that weak. 'Sides," he flashed a bottle of something really quick before putting it away in a pocket again, "I've got it covered."

An Elixir would go a long way in helping his own magical capacity as well as healing anyone he may have trouble patching up with simple Cure spells. But that was a last resort because while the train thought they may come cheap, back in Reno's world they really never were. So old habits die hard and all, he wouldn't use it willy-nilly just in case the train suddenly decided not to be so generous to them.

"Red Team complained about not having any healers. And I'm a fighter more than anything anyway," he said, making excuses for why he wasn't with Purple Team this time around. Honestly, the truth was way more selfish than even that. He just didn't want to look at another Midgar. Ruined cities were never all that pretty.

"How many people you got in the area?" Not that Reno really needed to know, probably, because he didn't know if Carbuncle even had a limit but he was stalling for time as he looked out to the crowds and prepared for the mental taxation he was about to force on himself with the amount of magic he was likely to cast in the next several hours.

[adregem]

The bottle looked vaguely familiar, but it didn't take long for Roland to figure out where it came from - Tidus had given him the same thing. He smirks, confident that they could get through this if they just shuffled people around to cover their bases.

"Right. Good to know. If you need one more of that, I'd be happy to give you mine. You need it more than I do. I don't use magic." As Reno speaks, Roland nods along while gesturing for some of the current crowd to come forward, a smile on his face to encourage the Terrans recuperating on the side.

"Don't worry about it," he reassures him quickly. "If your talents were needed with the Red team, then nobody can fault you for that. You know what you can do better than anyone else." He isn't privy to the personal reason for his choice on this mission, but at the very least, the damages to the Terran city weren't as widespread as they were led to believe. An isolated wreckage site with small pockets of damage here and there - they could have gotten the work done had the monsters left them alone. Alas, Roland could only wish they were so lucky...

Casting another glance at the gathering folk, Roland realized they might crowd Reno too fast and too soon. Everyone needed a boost at this point, they were all so exhausted. He turns to Reno again, but lowers his voice so that only they could hear one another. "How many can you heal in one go without pushing your limit? We've got about a good dozen right now, Terran and Purple team alike. But more are coming after that. I'll traffic them for you."

[theturksway]

Reno contemplated keeping his mouth shut for two seconds as he looked at Roland but in the end he told him the truth. "Elixirs are good for more than just magic replenishing. It heals wounds, too." He didn't say 'keep it' but now Roland knew and could make the decision based on better facts, perhaps. But hell if he wanted to give Reno the potion then he'd take the damn thing. They only lasted for so long.

The guy was obviously trusting. Reno shook his head at Roland briefly as he looked away with a faint smirk. It was gone by the time he looked back at Roland once more. Damn, no one trusted him like that back home. No one, that is, except other Turks and Rufus Shinra. Even they had their limits on how much and when to praise him. Heh!

"I ain't got any Support Materia so--" he huffed a breath of air out, "--just get as many people as you can gathered around in this one area and I'll get a large scale mass heal set up for as many as possible."

Because it was going to be a pain for him to cast Cure two dozen or more times in a row on people individually. It could be done but it would be taxing. Instead, he'd use his Summon to get a majority of people patched up and then see what he could do for individuals that didn't make the first cut.

He knew what Materia he was getting next, god damn.

[adregem]

He pauses briefly to formulate a plan before nodding in understanding. He walks forward, attempting to gain the crowd's attention, which he does fairly easily since they knew why Reno was sent down underground to begin with.

"Everyone, please gather close. Can we have those with major injuries up front?" There's some general gesturing happening as Terrans move about, before Roland pipes up again. "Same with those who have been working on rescue ops, please don't be shy." His strategy becomes all too clear - Roland was prioritizing the citizens who needed Reno's heal the most. From front line defense caught up in the dawn ambush, to members who weren't fighting, but were working non-stop on the excavations. He scopes out the visibly weak, injured, and even those who looked like they were about to pass out from lack of sleep and total exhaustion.

As soon as movement stilled and the triage was complete, Roland turned back to Reno and gave him a thumbs-up. "It's all you. They're ready."

[theturksway]

While Roland was busy organizing, Reno cast his first bit of magic by Summoning the creature known as Carbuncle. A faint glow of runes appeared in the air as the magic worked and from the circle sprang forth a tiny white creature with a red jewel on its head. It shook out its fur and then eyed the mass of people out in front.

Reno gave it a command and then felt the effects of its Haste ability. He wasn't sure what affect it would really have outside of a fight but it certainly made him feel ready to get on with this quickly. He waited as he assessed the crowd while they shuffled about.

"Got'cha, boss."

Reno waved at the little fox-like creature. "Say goodbye, little guy."

It yipped once and hopped forward with a chipper attitude. It cast a large spell on the crowd as it backflipped and then suddenly disappeared.

All of the people in the room suddenly began to heal rapidly and feel much better than before. A few stranglers in the back might have been out of reach but the amount of people in the room didn't seem to matter. The creature was Legendary after all but Reno hadn't been certain what it was capable of. He let out a low whistle as he assessed the crowd. He was impressed to say the least. It looked like the little guy always cast a FullCure-All, which meant everyone in the crowd was very suddenly fully healed.

"Well, that was easy." Now all he had to do was individually heal anyone else he came across. Ha...ha.

[adregem]

Roland watches openly, eyes wide in awe, as the Carbuncle cast its healing light over the large group of Terrans. The civilians almost seemed scared at first, but when the warmth of the Cure spell washed over them, the spring in their step returned, and many began cheering to return to the front lines. He continues to watch the creature until it disappears in mid-air, and resists a quiet urge to give Reno and his creature a clap or two.

After the spectacle, Roland approaches him again with brows high against his hairline, grin forming on his lips.

"That was something," he says, genuinely. "I've never seen anything like it. Is it...some sort of magical pet that you call on whenever you need help? Whatever you did, I'm impressed. It'll go a long way while we keep the work going." As he speaks, he opens his right hand from behind him, palm facing up, and accesses his hammerspace. In a glimmer of gold light, like glitter in the air, an Elixir comes popping out - the same one Tidus had given them both.

"Here, heads up." Roland could have handed it to him easily, given their distance, but he felt like a spectacle like that deserved an equally amusing response from him. So he gently throws it in a graceful arc, low enough that it would be impossible for someone who didn't have good reflexes to catch it. "With skills like that, you definitely need it more than I do. Please, keep your strength up and help more people."

Days of Fighting

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel shows up to the Healing Party, not because he needs any healing, but the monsters actively avoid his light, so he's there as defense, lighting up the cavern like it was noon.

"I saw that too. Good thing Reno healed you, we'd be up a creek without you coordinating all of this," Glorfindel said seriously, giving Roland his best Look.

He himself was just fine. Elves don't actually need that much sleep, so the hour or two he gets in the middle of the day when things are at a lull was more than enough to keep him going. And he usually spent it meditating while shining his light in the cavern with the wounded. Not as good as Reno's Carbuncle, but every bit of healing helps, right?

He pulls out of the maps he'd been given by the Terrans to help him make his way around the various caverns. "We've gotten most of them cleared, but they were coming in here, here, here, and here, today," he said, pointing out the hotspots. "If they run true to form, I suggest we wait for them tonight here, here,....here, and maybe here? What do you think?"

[adregem]

Roland already knows he sounds like a broken record, but he can't help the sigh of relief that washes over him every time Glorfindel shines his light. On the train, it's only a dim glow that he's more than used to seeing from the elf general, but when on a mission literally awash with thick darkness, there was nothing more calming than watching him shine light on their enclosure.

He shakes his head, a smile on his face to match his Look. He recognizes that because he gives other people the same expression. "Heh. You guys are pretty eagle-eyed, I have to say." His pistol is resting away from view, nestled in one hand while he speaks. "And hey, don't worry about me tapping out if it ever came to that. I'd be more worried if they came after you...Without your light and delegation, we'd be at an even worse disadvantage. You...don't run out of that, do you?" Roland's not too familiar with the magic of Glorfindel's world, but just to be safe, he asks in case he needs a Potion or an elixir.

Grateful for the map, he leans close to scan the cross marks and lines depicting the cavernous areas of the Terran city, some tunnels leading above-ground thanks to their rail system. He points at some of them, tracing back up to the labs Curufin mentioned in another broadcast earlier that day. "Good idea. We can set up sentries and outposts so nobody is caught unaware." Thank goodness for Glorfindel's deep well of wisdom. "Where will you go for this wave? I'll go the opposite way if you want to stave off the next attack tonight, make sure someone's around to keep the rescue site clear."

[laurefindil]

"It's an elf thing," Glorfindel confirmed for him. "We have excellent hearing too."

He shook his head at Roland's next question. "The Light, no. Not as far as I am aware. It...I was given this power by the Valar when I was reborn. It is the light from my world's sun, the fruit of the Tree of Light. The only thing that could quench it would be to kill me, and I am a lot harder to kill now." he said with a grin. "Tougher and meaner things than these monsters have tried." One does not simply kill the Champion of the Valar. It would be like putting out the sun. Though there was a reason it was only the fruit that lit up Arda now, so he wasn't going to say it was impossible.

He nodded at Roland's assessment. "I thought I would start here this time," he said, pointing at the map. "Then work my way that way, going dark until the Terrans have lead me right into the thick of them. After the area is clear, we move onto the next one." It was working so far.

[adregem]

"Heh. Don't tell me you can fly, too. Now that's just unfair." Roland jokes easily, a grin forming on his lips. Just because they were in a rescue mission with monsters attacking every which way didn't mean he couldn't pull some fun out of it. He finds that it helps keep morale up, too.

He adjusts his sword around his waist, brows furrowing in disbelief. Every time Roland is reminded of how much grandeur Glorfindel exudes just by being around, it both relieves him to know they're allies, but he's also shocked at how someone so otherworldly could have been kidnapped by a magical train that travels exclusively through voids. What kind of magic were they actually dealing with here...?

"And that's precisely why I'm glad we're on the same side."

As soon as Glorfindel shares his plan of attack, Roland all but agrees completely, arms crossed back against his chest. "Then we've got our strategy for the first few hours until we thin out the incoming herd. You know what to do if you need backup. The SCA tactic works wonders too, so I'll stick around highly concentrated areas full of Terrans where your light hasn't reached yet. They don't have any torches strong enough to break the monsters."

His pointer fingers drifts close to the giant encircled camp site, where trapped Terrans were still being excavated at a slow pace. "So long as this, this, and this are covered, then we'll be able to cut off impending monster attacks that could bottleneck the rescue site."

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel laughed. "No, no flying. Not unless you have a Giant Eagle tucked away in that Arms Band of yours. Though they are not fond of the ground, let alone under it!"

He would also like to know what kind of magic the Train uses, or if the Valar agreed to this 'borrowing' of him.

"I am as well," Glorfindel tells him seriously. "If I were facing an army that had someone competent like you on their side, my job would have been incredibly more difficult!"

He nodded. "If I need you, I will let you know, don't worry. Once the incoming monsters are thinned, and there are no more large concentrations, I will return to their," his finger also hovers over the encircled camp site, "and provide a light barrier to keep lone monsters out."

"How are the final excavations going?" he asked.

[adregem]

"We're at the home stretch. Just a couple more civilians to go, though there isn't much to report on in terms of structural damages. That's going to be beyond our scope."

At least on that front, they were making progress, however slow. When Glorfindel pulls monsters to a certain area, Roland reacts to it just enough so that he can tail them and fight without leaving the rear end of the rescue site without aid. It was working so far, but he hopes nothing else disrupts their plan...

"Thanks for the huddle, Glorfindel. Keep yourself healthy, Mister Nightlight." He grins again, and readies his gun with a smooth flourish. Time to get back out there.

I can't believe I used the wrong there! And we're at 8 of 10. Not that we have to continue, but...

[laurefindil]

"As long as we can keep their people alive, I think they'll be okay in the long run," Glorfindel agreed.

He grinned at Roland, brightening a little in response. "If you think about it, that's all the sun is, too. A giant Nightlight."

"And I'm not the one to worry about," he said, giving Roland that Look again. "You keep yourself healthy, young man!"

WAIT, LET'S FINISH IT AT 10 FOR SOME SWEET BONUS AC hahahaha! Here's the 9th! >:)

[adregem]

"Me? A young man? Heh. I need to hang around you more often." Because he's pretty sure elf-age had nothing with magical dimension-hopping age. Though come to think of it, Tidus aside, Roland wasn't really sure who knew the truth of who he was - not that it was hidden, since the Passenger Roster was quite clear on that front. Still, if Glorfindel didn't notice it, then he may be confused at how someone with such a young face could say things like that, but sounds like he means it...

"I have an extra sword in my Arms Band if you need it, by the by. We need to be cautious in case we get swarmed. Though, let's hope that doesn't come to pass. Just let me know if you need a spare weapon." He would gladly lend Glorfindel the Cat King's Claw if he needed a sword to brandish, as he had lent Tidus the Interstellar Sword already.

wildcard 4 roland

[blitzcheer]

[ Reno came before to help with healing the wounded, and the fifth mission day brings Tidus to Purple Team to offer his services. A lighter purple bag of heals sits hanging from a shoulder, but rarely touched in favour of using his own healing magic before the scant resources that couldn't be refilled through sleep.

He gets shown to the centre where the wounded are, giving a little extra to the process in an ability to induce cheer; or rather, to help shave off some of the exhaustion of the past few days, to make the body for a time feel easier to carry than it has. It's not forever lasting, but it's a pleasant difference that makes the body remember the strength it has and more. A little extra gift for the suffering populace.

But Tidus isn't here just for civilians, nor the type to stay laser-focused on the job. He's here, he has friends on this team mission, and so he keeps an eye out for faces he recognises under the grime of the past few days. ]

Roland! You hanging in there?

[ --which includes a certain young-old man, wherever he might be, hopefully not in too severe a state. Tidus has lost his purple hoodie by now, down to a shirt with a few tears around the arm, covered in dried stains, one of his pant legs much the same. But there's no scars or wounds to be noticed; actually, he looks decently clean in places, of someone taking water to their face and arms, but not much else.

He's looking about as good as anyone is around here. ]

[adregem]

[ Roland had just come out of a rotation from the service tunnels, drenched in sweat and covered in grime, when he sees Tidus approach. He had been fighting the remaining wave of monsters for quite sometime, something that would be evident by the way he had totally done away with the sleeves of his shirt, tore them off immediately after blocking a nasty swipe. As for injuries, minor scrapes and bruises, only from rolling around and getting hit with debris as he evaded attacks. His Interstellar Sword rests in the grip of his dominant hand, though it soon dissipates in a gold glimmer, back into his hammerspace, when he grins and greets Tidus back. ]

Hey! Good to see you're still in one piece. Heh. Your armor, on the other hand, could do with some patchwork. [ Roland says it jokingly, but he honestly means it, and it shows when reaches out to grip Tidus' arm in relief. ] How are you faring, top-side? What's the status above-ground? Were you hurt or injured at all before coming down here?

[ Tidus has only ever seen Roland when he's on his downtime on the train, doing chores, doing patrols...But on a mission, his tendency to be too serious shows even more. His arms are crossed against his chest right away, assessing his friend with a sharp eye and his mind already ready to receive new intel. But his natural inclination to be hyperfocused aside, who could really blame them? The Purple Team was moving like clockwork, on strict shifts that ensured no one was too overworked to fight, rescue, or give aid to those who were plain knocked out. ]

that icon be like, show me ur arms more daddy

[blitzcheer]

[ what's with all these people getting mysteriously disappearing weapons when he doesn't??

Not that Tidus has his weapon on him currently, not even sheathed, given to another on Red Team should they need it, while his magic would be of better use in dealing with the creatures should he get involved in that while with the Purples. ]

We're fine! We're hanging in there. [ Which is the case, honestly. For the frustration that being with Red Team in the last few days has put on Tidus, a tiredness in his reply, they currently didn't have to deal with the monsters finding darkness to keep them active. ] We're being sent over to who-know-wheres, don't know if you heard. There's civvies stuck in some of the undergrounds along the way -- I just came from one. It's gonna be a while 'til they get anywhere though, so I thought I'd come over now.

[ It was a long stretch of desert, and maybe Tidus should be relieved to be avoiding that trek. Really though, it was the doing nothing else that bugged him about it. ...actually, it was a lot more than that.

Regardless. ]

Any of the guys over here need healing though? I can spare some lightning if it's safe. Or I can give you a quick boost if you're taking five.

man, if i showed you the /whole/ image

[adregem]

What?

[ That completely catches him off-guard. He had been so busy with helping the Terrans and his fellow Purple-mates down below that it never occurred to him civilians were being affected elsewhere. He looks concerned, head shaking just slightly, gaze cast down. ] ...Dammit. I'd go and help outside of this area, but we need to prioritize those trapped under here for now. We started with eighty-five Terrans caught up in the explosion. When the monsters attacked, we were just barely getting half out.

[ He doesn't mean to sound like he was taking responsibility for it - because that would be illogical, really - but he isn't pleased that innocent civilians were getting caught up in attacks that had no rhyme or reason. ] I've been monitoring the comms, but has anyone actually figured out the origin of the monsters? Maybe we can attack the source, somehow? Stop them from coming back and bothering these good folks.

[ As Roland pries Tidus for more info from his position up in the Red Team, he also expertly multitasks, guiding his companion to an area tented away from the tunnel they were currently in. There was more light here, thanks to the combined efforts of the Terrans and the Purple Voidtreckers to create a nicer environment for both species, and there lay a significant number of injured and resting Terrans who were still recuperating from the last wave. He gestures to a group of around ten Terrans with a nod of his head. ]

Don't worry about me, I've been patched up. [ That Cure spell really saved him a headache, thank you Reno! ] If you've got some spare resources, please help these Terrans who were out for god knows how long trying to hold back the last wave. [ Thankfully they were thinning out again, but they only had windows in between attacks, especially when they were steadily approached nightfall. ]

eyes, bow chika wow wow

[blitzcheer]

The origins are everywhere. [ He starts speaking before Roland starts leading, wanting to answer him, and he'll start where Roland left. There's some he can do to ease Roland's concerns--but also, with what he's starting with isn't that. ] They're all over, everywhere. Those orb? Don't know if you heard, but those are them. The fiends. You stick them in the dark and ten or fifteen come outta the ground from the orb. And you take that light away? You get more orbs than you started with.

[ So no, that wasn't a good sign, and wasn't going to make anyone's day pleasant, but Tidus wasn't going to hold back that info. Truthfully he wanted to find a way to get rid of them completely, but those on Red Team weren't getting anywhere on their own. ]

But don't worry about the guys we're dealing with. They're tunnels--work places, you know? Nothing like this city. We're managing them, and the Terrans are helping us out too. We've passed a few factories and the like. No lights to spare though.

[ Tidus wishes. But now they're before the Terrans Roland has led Tidus to, and he nods, giving him a tight smile. ]

I'll deal with them first. I'll tell you anything else you wanna know once I'm done.

apparently he never missed arm day at the gym when he was younger lmao

[adregem]

But didn't they appear after that planet storm came? Part of me wonders if that's a natural occurrence or...[ - if it was engineered, is what he wishes he could say out loud. But it wouldn't do them any good to say things like that in their host's camp, especially without proof of anything, only a gut feeling to go by. He could be wrong, but how could it have been natural if neither Gry nor Terran ever experienced it before...? ] Anyway. I'll keep my ears close to the ground if I find out anymore information. Keep me looped in on whatever findings you may have on that too. I'd be happy to lend my aid when I can.

[ He was hoping his black band would be of more use this first mission, but as it stands, every person on Purple was essential to get the work going. ]

You got it. I have something I wanted to bring up with you, too. For now -

[ Roland assists Tidus as best he could, either assuaging the fears of some Terrans with major injuries, or introducing Tidus as part of the team assigned to help save the Terran city. Whatever Tidus needed from Roland, he jumped right in without hesitation. ]

[blitzcheer]

[ 'Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit!' Tidus knows how to stay bright as he works, though he isn't the one who needs to speak, thankful for Roland to be there to assure them before he gets to work. It is as he says, painless work, with just a numbing sensation at worse, and if he's slow going, Tidus can spread the job over two of the people at once.

He takes some time now and then just to pause, and he'll take a drink of water too, if Roland has some. 'It gets to your head,' he might say with a laugh, excessive use of magic like a fog than anything that affects the limbs. But he's alright, and he's been getting better at this, knowing how to deal with it, knowing when he might be pushing himself too far.

There's no mass healing Tidus can do than what he is, but he gets through it, and with some speed. Enough for the Terrans to show no signs of wear than the dirt and grime of their work, some exhaustion in the bones. Tidus will suggest they should get some food and drink too, sleep if they can spare it.

He's mostly been kneeling, and when he's pretty much done, he falls down on his butt with his legs lightly crossing. Rolling his head this way and that, and letting out a low groan. ]

Hmmmrgh...know what'd be good? Energy drink. We should've saved a few from the potions. I haven't had one in forever.

[adregem]

[ It becomes apparent to Roland even before Tidus finishes his rounds with the Terrans that he was exhausted. As they moved through the healing, with Roland giving support where prompted or needed, Tidus may have felt that stare against his back, the Chief Consul watching him like a hawk. ]

Please don't rush to come back out. The sentries have changed guard already, and we've deployed enough Terran fighters. [ Roland addresses the last of the Terrans in the first-aid area with a calm yet decisive tone. ] Take it easy, everyone. Rest well.

[ He turns back to Tidus, already plopped down on the floor as majority of their charges vacated, either to eat or to check on their own homes and families. His arms are crossed and that is most definitely not a smile on his face. ]

...

[ Roland can't really reprimand Tidus - he would be doing the same if he had the magic ability to spare. He probably already has worked his body to exhaustion, but Roland surmises that this was the only purpose of his youthful visage, so he couldn't show fatigue or complain about it. Instead, he silently accesses his Arms Band again, this time materializing the last Potion in his stores. He also takes a waterskin attached to his hip, filled with water from the tap. He expertly drops the Potion from where he stands so that Tidus has little choice but to catch it and take it. ]

Good thing I kept this on me for emergencies. [ Look familiar? He then hands him the waterskin with a fluid sway of his hand. ] Drink up. You're beat. [ And that wasn't a question this time. It was a statement. ]