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

[blitzcheer]

"It helps if you get multiples to swing it to stun them." And in example, Tidus lifts his hand with his SCA on it, waving it around (thankfully, with the light off). Inigo might already know that tactic, but it doesn't help to share. It has been for them in Red.

But perhaps more importantly, and a thought that doesn't take him long to think about. "Can he use a sword? He can borrow mine. I'm using my magic more, and we've got some other things in Red I can get."

Steel pipes, but it was about as good as a sword with these things.

"I'll let him borrow it if he ca give me it back. Or you. It's a copy of the sword someone gave me back in Spira."

Which he shares with the twitch of a smile on his lips. Maybe he really likes that sword, okay. Even just a copy of the real thing.

[flatteries]

"Tidus.."

Inigo may have been acting mostly casual while discussing how things are going here, but his voice takes on a surprising emotional edge as he says the other's name now. At first just because he's surprised, but there's a little more to it than that. Inigo can't be sure if he's just reading too much into it - he always worries about that with Tidus, that maybe he's just a little too emotional compared to the other - but he feels like this is kind of a big deal. He wouldn't let anyone borrow his sword unless he was absolutely sure he could trust them. He can't be sure if the same counts to Tidus, but there's the way Tidus smiles.. It can't just be some throwaway sword. And yet he still offers.

It makes Inigo stare for a moment before quickly shoving some more food into his mouth to try and hide the emotion. And failing miserably, since his cheeks start to colour slightly when he speaks up again.

"That's.. really sweet of you. You should keep it though in case you might need it. I don't think Gerome is very good with swords anyway - since he's more used to axes and other weapons similar to those, the weight balance might throw him off." He's telling the truth, rather than making up an excuse like he so often does about all sorts of things. "Thank you though for offering. Really."

[blitzcheer]

Inigo starts so softly, so touched, even from saying his name. It makes Tidus realise how sentimental he was getting, not that he was trying to hide it. But then suddenly, he feels silly, or at least embarrassed--like he shouldn't be getting all weird now about a sword, even if his feelings regarding it are the same.

It colours how Tidus responds, especially with the following sincerity. Lightly scoffing, shaking his head. There's no need for all that. Not from Inigo.

"Well, if you're sure... we've got some metal pipes that might work better. I can see about dropping one over? I don't have any with me," he say with a sheepish dip of his brow. "But there's nothing in the city he can borrow?"

Were they all taken up by the Terrans? Then again, he's yet to see what the Terrans are even using when he hasn't engaged with them for too long yet. It could be Gyueran all over again, scraping around for resources to make anything resembling a weapon.

[flatteries]

The last question makes Inigo shake his head.

"The people here seem to.. have an odd sort of relationship to weapons. They keep glancing at my sword and giving it odd looks ever since I showed up here." Granted, it's not as if openly carrying a sword is exactly normal in a lot of places out there, but it's so normal where Inigo thinks from that he doesn't think twice about just letting it hang off his belt - besides, they weren't as weird about it in other places before this one either. "I haven't seen a single weapon in this entire city. And whenever one of them does try to fight off a monster, they seem to attempt to do so with only their bare hands."

He shrugs, shoving another bite of food into his mouth before speaking with his mouth half full.

"They're an odd sort of people for sure."

Yes, Inigo finds their aversion towards weapons way weirder than their love for bugs as food.

[blitzcheer]

"It doesn't look like they have a lot of problems outside... I mean, all me and the other Reds have been dealing with are the orb fiends. There's nothing else we've been having to deal with."

It's strange that the Terrans have been risking themselves with the claws that the fiends have, but is it that peculiar? It makes him wonder, about the kind of world it is usually. There's so many worlds out there involved in war or some kind of destination, but...

"You think, maybe... they just don't see a lot of trouble? I heard these people and the other ones don't like each other much, but, it doesn't always have to mean a war, does it?" Unless it does. He's not up on the history lesson of this planet. "And if you don't have anything like fiends or monsters around, what use have you for weapons? Not that it helps them, right now."

[flatteries]

".. oh."

Something about what Tidus is saying seems to genuinely surprise Inigo. He doesn't bother to hide it either - maybe since he doesn't think it's bad enough to have to hide, or maybe it comes so instinctive that it's too late to try and hide it by the time it's already showing up on his face. Either way, he can't help but stare at Tidus as the realisation that some worlds just.. don't have constant threats dawns upon him.

It's such a wild thing to him, considering he doesn't know any different than fighting for his life every day back home. And they didn't linger for long enough at the end of a mission in any given place for Inigo to realise some people might have lived without the constant threats of monsters or enemies hanging over their head.. Do some people really live like that? Sounds fake, man.

"You.. might be right, actually. I haven't seen any other monsters here, nor have I heard any talk of war.." The realisation hit him so hard that Inigo still sounds slightly out of it as he speaks.

[blitzcheer]

"Gyueran was the same, right?" That water mission that they had, the island of farmers and few fighters, barely any weapons to speak of. "They had a random fiend come in now and then, but nothing like what was happening that called us in. Or it's something else," he grants with a small shrug. "But I'm not the best guy to ask how people usually get along."

Because this world--or this area, even--wasn't as small as Gyueran had been, separated from all but the Bui people, seemingly. He could be oblivious to a more obvious answer or reasoning, but he couldn't help that. Wasn't like he came from a world where people fighting each other was a constant, or the biggest worry around.

"But we can do with more than just weapons." He taps a finger against his knee--honestly, just moving on since, will a dead end in a line of conversation keep Inigo occupied? He's been eating, but that doesn't mean Tidus is against him staying put for a few minutes longer. "What about shielding? Our best weapons are the lights, so we need to keep people protected from the fiend's claws."

Did that make sense to Inigo? ...was it a good distraction from his need to throw himself into danger?!

[flatteries]

Hah. It's very optimistic of Tidus to think that he could keep Inigo here forever! The guy is already slowly now stopping with eating, apparently deciding he's had enough for the moment.. And something about the mention of keeping people protected has him sit a bit more upright again, alert. Like he's only now realising that every moment he wastes sitting here could be a moment that one of the Terrans is left out there defenseless against a monster.

"Wait-- Sweet Naga, how long have I been sitting here already?" Maybe like literally ten minutes, Inigo, slow your roll! You act like it's been 2 years! "Sorry, Tidus, but I should really get back to defending those people, now you're mentioning it."

[blitzcheer]

Uggggh!

He tried, he tried his best! But is his best good enough against the stubborn will of Inigo? Probably if he actually pounced at the guy and really tried, but it's hard to go that far when he doesn't really know when the last time Inigo took a break. He just has to trust the guy, right?

So while he groans before a sigh, an unimpressed face bordering concerned (they're practically side by side), he won't go to such extremes. But, nevertheless-

"Fine. But you better actually be taking breaks. Slow down once in a while! You're gonna give me grey hairs."

And Inigo thinks it's a laugh when Tidus calls him serious during missions...! But he saw him during Gyueran. He knows!

[flatteries]

Tidus very much knows. It's why Inigo is trying to pretend even harder like what Tidus saw on the beach is totally not the case - because he has a lot more convincing to do here. It's much easier to distract or convince people who haven't seen his overworking tendencies in action yet!

"Who says I haven't been taking breaks at all? You have much too little faith in me!"

No, no, Tidus has exactly the right amount of faith in you, Inigo.. Because you most definitely have only been sitting your butt down whenever Gerome has made you the past few days..

He stands up, reaching out to ruffle Tidus' hair jokingly, a big grin on his face.

"Don't go turning gray in your prime, old man." They're literally the same age-- "I'll see you again soon, alright? If not just once the mission is over!"

[blitzcheer]

The hand gets bapped away after the first ruffling, the unimpressed judgment sitting uncomfortably on his face, along with Tidus himself. When Inigo's like this, it makes him feel bad about resting! ...well, only a little. He's not that dumb about recovering.

"I'll find you for dinner," he says like a warning--or is it a date?! Actually, more of the former by the way he slightly squints at Inigo. You heard him. "I don't wanna eat alone down here. Just don't knock my food around next time, alright?"

Even if it is a bug burger. Come on! Don't do that to food!

[flatteries]

At first Inigo just stupidly grins at Tidus, like the other's squinting is just funny to him.

But then it's followed up by those words - I don't wanna eat alone down here - and even though it might just be used to try and convince Inigo to actually sit down and eat later, his gaze softens a little bit. Me neither, he wants to say, but that doesn't quite suit him when he's busy playing Inigo the Invincible, now does it.

"Alright, alright. Come look for me by then." His grin widens again, going back to fully looking ridiculous. "Though I can't promise anything about the state your food wil end up in!"

He raises a hand in greeting before wandering off. "Anyway, see you later!"