The Will to Fight: Ongoing: Blue

[voidtreckermods]

So Far

It's been a hard few days of cajoling the citizens of the Shining City into and through the catacombs. Many still talk about returning to the comforts of the city, scoffing at the idea of danger. But slowly, as they get further away from the city, more and more of them break out of the illusion. Though some remain lost in the illusion still, the majority are clear-minded by Kazoo 9.

Their mission changes from hurrying stubborn people along to comforting them as the truth dawns on them. The atmosphere becomes more desperate, more angry. More driven.

A plan is offered by the citizens: there is a cavern marked on their maps that opens up to the surface. It can be used as a base whilst any that feel able can go out to join the fight against the demons.

New Allies

Not long after breaking camp on the ninth day of the month of Kazoo they reach the cavern. However, it is clear straight away that something is wrong. The cavern is dark with no exits to be seen, and the Voidtreckers will quickly learn they are not alone. There's a small camp in the cavern, all humans, and after a tense moment they will welcome the citizens and their escorts.

Their story is simple: they were outside the city fighting when they got overwhelmed; they took shelter in the cavern but a gate opened nearby on the surface and caused a cave in. None of the scouts they had sent through the tunnels to the city have returned. Their food is running out and they were on the verge of heading to the city regardless of what they might find there when the Voidtreckers arrived.

Breaking Free

The cave-in is a large one, several metres thick at its weakest and blocking the exit to the outside completely. Those trapped here have made some progress but it's going to take a lot of hands, and potentially some magical help, to clear the blockages.

If they can clear it though, it will mean those who can fight, both citizen and Voidtrecker can begin to head back towards the city to fight, without having to re-enter the range of the illusionary Shining City.

The cavern makes a good staging point, and a secure place for those who cannot fight. Even with the blockage clear it is easy to defend, and holds the same sanctified protections as the tunnels themselves.

Comments

[goingthroughaphase]

Breaking Free

[ Kitty was used to using her powers to help with cave-ins by now, so she got straight to work finding weaknesses in the structure and locating anyone who was injured. It was quite a big cave-in, though, so she couldn't use her powers too much unless she pushed herself too hard. But even when taking a break from clearing out the blockage she was found helping anyone who was hurt.

Once the debris is all clear, she stayed back to help defend the cavern while still helping those who were hurt. She knew she had to be ready, though, in case they needed more people to fight back near the city. ]

[adropofsunlight]

Breaking Free
[Rapunzel figured to try and help in her own way. So finding a place that was high enough to lift rocks she started to set up her hair.

She made sure she found rocks that she could use before looking over to see who else was around.]

Excuse me? Can you help me please?

[redmeguca]

Breaking Free

[Kyoko smirks and snaps her fingers, making a giant spear appear. It begins to spin as layers of chains spread across the roof of the cavern.]

I've got some experience in clearing cave-ins. Giant spears make good drills in a pinch.

[yondu]

Breaking Free and Defense

Yondu helps out with the rock clearing. Not just that, he makes some of the bigger guys get off their asses and help 'cause like hell is he going to watch a bunch of teenage girls break their backs when there are people that walked every bit as much as them and want to sit it out. Hell no! They can get off their asses and come help, thanks. Do not make those girls do that all on their own. Because someone else does not mean you are incapable, y'all lazy asses.

He's been sparse on using those supplies so far. He ate one meal a day and managed his energy the best he could, but once he's fed again after that work he helps himself to a bottle of beer in one of the evacuating local's stores. Then he slings his rucksack over his shoulder, grabs an old wooden chair, and heads out of the cavern.

Some of the citizens are making for the fight, but there are a whole lot hanging back and they need someone to keep this entrance safe. Sure he'd like to be over there where that good time is, but he'd be kickin' himself if one of those demons got down there and got somebody.

So Yondu plops down his chair in front of a rock about mid-shin tall. He opens up his pack and pulls out the smallest of the speakers he was given, does a small hook-up. Ope, wait. In the middle of this he hears little bastard scrambly noises somewhere off behind him. He stalls long enough to kill that demon with a quick whistle and a flash of red. Clear? Good.

He settles in the chair, kicks up his feet on that rock with one leg crossed over the other at the ankles, and pops the cap off his beer. He turns on a song that Quill liked (and he did too) for some quiet background noise. If someone comes up, they're going to find him camped out, easily picking off the occasional demon that comes around the corner with his arrow, enjoying his beer.

[happyends]

[ Oh god, Kyoko, please. PLEASE. CAREFUL.

Madoka was mostly focusing on helping the people who have been trapped down here - if not just because she knows there's not much she can do to help with a cave in. But she did come over to see how it's going, and to maybe offer some food to their team members who are working hard..

.. but that's when she sees that spear. The huge spear. ]

K-Kyoko-chan, are you sure that's such a good idea?!

[redmeguca]

Hey, I've done this before. As long as I'm careful and keep everything in place with my chains, it'll be fine. At least this time I don't have to deal with people randomly losing their sight or hearing.

[achickenformylove]

So Far
WangJi did his best to place himself near the front of the group as they went. Not only because he was trained in fighting, but also because he was the leader of the Blue Team. That was where he should be.

But when either his teammates or the citizens they were escorting needed some support, he would at least drop back to walk with them. Even if he wasn't the best with comforting words all the time, he wanted to show his support.

No matter where WangJi was in the group, he was easy to find at least. Bichen was partially unsheathed, emitting a blue glow as they walked.

Breaking Free
Given what they are facing with the cave-in, WangJi will immediately set himself to work. He'd use his guqin's energy to help break up some of the larger rocks and then hoist them up himself and begin to carry them away, carrying rocks that were far larger than someone his size should be able to carry.

[gundamofthedesert]

So Far
Quatre had no problem with the catacombs that they were walking through. That was the easy part for him. The hard part was all the emotions swirling in the air. Many on the brink of panic, it caused him physical pain as well. So it was in his own interest to do two different things. The first was to find someone who was remarkably calm during all of this and periodically walk next to them for a while.

The second was to find those putting out the strongest emotions and trying to offer them some comfort as they went.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. We'll make it out of this."

Breaking Free
Quatre might not be very strong. That had never really been his advantage. What was his advantage was a very technical mind and even here, it was put to use. There were so many rocks here, many that were balanced on top of each other, but not necessarily at ground level.

"We should try and move that one first," he said pointing to one that was a little further up. "If we can move that, then the ones below it will be easier to move."

[pleple]

That looks safe.

[ Well if the cave collapses further hopefully they all die quickly. ]

[pleple]

Break Free

Well, there's not much for Ple Two to do at this point - she doesn't have the expertise or equipment to do much about the blockage, and it seems to be under control. Relatively.

Hopefully.

If someone gets Madoka buried there will be a reckoning. Until then, she's positioned further back to watch for any interlopers or stragglers, a pistol at the ready, but she doesn't really have much to worry about it seems. Guard duty sucks butt.

Breaking Free

[yondu]

Yondu's been helping clear rocks. He also sometimes breaks off, goes and talks to some of the citizens. Comes back with the heftiest willing man or woman he can recruit, helps with more rocks.

At one point he takes up station beside of him, watching as WangJi hauls up a boulder that's way too big for him and honestly he's not even surprised at this point. Pretty boy has all kinds of tricks up those sleeves.

"There's a good twenty odd feet between us an' the outside, give or take a big ol' boulder."

[redmeguca]

I'm telling you, I've done this before! Telovia didn't collapse, this place won't either.

[happyends]

[ .. randomly losing their sight or hearing?

For a moment she considers asking about it, but then Madoka figures she'll probably get more confused by the answer instead of less confused, so she keeps her curiosity to herself.. Instead she slowly nods. She doesn't want to fully doubt Kyoko, after all - friends have to trust each other. ]

Well, if you're sure you can be careful.. [ Surely Kyoko is capable of that, right. ] I'm just a little worried there may be another cave in. And then all of us would be stuck here.

[achickenformylove]

WangJi is glad that they've been getting some older passengers on the Blue Team recently. Younger ones were enthusiastic, but sometimes physical limitations failed them in situations such as this. So WangJi was going to certainly accept any help, especially Yondu's and anyone else willing to assist.

Yes, WangJi is just full of surprises.

"Then it is not far. It will still take work, but we should be through it soon."

[redmeguca]

Don't worry, I'll take it slow. If it starts to look like I'm doing more harm than good, I'll stop right there.

[yondu]

Not to mention there is nigh on 900 some people in these caverns right now and not all of these people are too tired to pull their weight and watch some teenage girls break their backs. But that's just him a former slave judgin' up a damn storm.

"Figurin' once we get through, I'll go help watch the mouth of the caverns. I ain't no kind of moral support." All he could do was motivate some people to get off their ass and do stuff, drag his captain persona up and put on the pressure.

"I can get out there and ain't nothin' gettin' by me. I don't miss. If it's too big I'd just holler."

Breaking Free

[comefadeaway]

Yoite wasn't sure how strong he was, but probably more than a layperson, at least. He had some combat training, so he had decent strength and muscles.

He would trust that Quatre knew what to do when it came to which one was best.

He nodded and stepped up onto a rock, made sure it could hold his weight and grabbed the one he liked, before tossing it aside. He looked to Quatre.

"Show me what ones you want me to move?"

Senku Ishigami | OTA

[10billionpercent]

I. Muddled Mind

[ No one has been more useless on this mission than Senku, save perhaps Gen since it was entirely their own fault they're in this position. He had to be walked out of the city, the SCA wrestled back onto his wrist.

He's blue team's problem. People are going to be rather thrilled with him, and if he was aware he would know that.

He'd gone back and forth since leaving. He's been going on about how great the city is, how safe it is like one of the denizens and how he can't wait to go back home.

His chatter has quieted though, he's speaking up more often than not for awhile, but every so often he'll shut up, lucid and quietly frustrated. ]

II. Lucidity/Breaking Free

[ The illusion's grip loosens the further he is away from the city and now that a couple of days have passed, he's more lucid than not.

During these periods, he intends on helping.

He's on his feet, trying to lift rocks. His legs and arms tremble, he's breathing hard...the rock's not that big, but he's not going to complain. He has to do something ]

[achickenformylove]

WangJi also noticed there were a lot of people just standing around while they worked. If it had been his sect, he could have used the sect rules to either motivate or punish to get the work done, but they wouldn't care. He didn't even need to ask that. It was easier if he did it.

"That would be good. We want to make sure that everyone is able to get out and get to safety."

[gundamofthedesert]

Quatre had moved to climb some of the rocks. It was easier to see that way rather than standing on the ground. He knew everyone wanted the rocks moved, but if smaller ones could go first, it was better. Also less likely that more would fall.

Quatre reached to pick up a rock as well, not going to let others do the work alone even if he couldn't get the big ones.

"That one next," he said after 'tossing' his rock to the side. Tossing... more like setting it down on a sloped edge so it slid off and didn't hit anyone. He pointed to it so Yoite could see the exact one.

[yondu]

"Yeah, I'm a lil worried that if that thing shows up, the one a few people dreamed about? This is most of the population of the city underground with only a couple of exits. I know we got a teleporter but that is a lot of people. We got someone with abilities that can reinforce this exit once it's cleared?" Or is everyone out there fighting.

He climbs over a big rock to start removing some smaller ones. He's trying to avoid that bigger one causing a landslide of some sort.

[comefadeaway]

He nodded and kept it up, moving that one next.

"If you point, I'll see what you mean." He said, a suggestion so he'd understand Quatre with potentially missing what he was saying exactly. He couldn't look at rocks and people at the same time.

[happyends]

Thank you.

[ Look, sometimes people are just nice enough to thank others for doing something as simple as being careful. Madoka is most certainly one of those people, judging by her very genuine smile as she looks at the other girl. ]

Um, by the way.. How has this mission been so far for you, Kyoko-chan? I guess we haven't had to do a whole lot of fighting, but.. I can still imagine it being kind of weird, being in an entirely different world like this! [ Sure, it's not like they didn't have weird things to deal with back home as well, but this is a whole new kind of weird. ]

[achickenformylove]

"I am as well. We do not want people to get hurt or attacked. We have a lot of fighters, but I believe Wei Ying might be able to use a talisman to strengthen the exit so we do not have to worry as much about it. There may be some others as well."

There seem to be a few who were technically minded in this group and might have ideas for supporting the exit.

WangJi moved to pick up some of the smaller rocks, lest they slide down and hit someone.

[gundamofthedesert]

"Of course." Given that Quatre wasn't aware of he was hard of hearing, it was certainly a possibility. Of course, if he had known, Quatre would have tried harder to make sure he saw what he was saying. Even so, he was more than willing to accommodate.

After moving his next rock, Quatre paused a moment to survey the next group that was best to move then he pointed to show Yoite the rocks.