middleofsomewhere | Wings of Wonder: Finale

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Wings of Wonder: Finale

THE DAYS have been long and tiring, always a job to be done. If it hasn't been taking out the birds that continued to come over the days, it's been fixing and repair; if it hasn't been that, it's been working with the crystals, offering energies, searching for a way to make powers work on a world that refuses them.

The Voidtreckers know the sali's plan, and have been working with them to achieve it, as well as to add their own ideas. Both groups are to make a team to head to the West Island where the birds gather their numbers, singing a song that calls more to them. Taking an airship and craft carriers, they will blow at the Red Storm being generated by the birds, and then take out their numbers before it can be amassed to any dangerous amounts.

And for the Voidtreckers not going West, they're asked to go South. The East will be protected by the sali and the Forever Ones there, and Enshala will need any extra aid in taking out the birds by disorienting them, making them easier pickings for both sali and Voidtreckers.

Finally, 11 Nebula arrives. People who wish to risk going to the heart of the problem are to meet either to the North, or at the Centre island. Hemla is coming with them, along with the Shrinlo, to closely connect the powers of the Forever Ones in the battle to come.

Over the SCAs, a call goes out - and a voice comes through: young, perhaps around 20s in terms of human age, androgynous in tone. Small yet driven, clear to any who hears them:

"Help from skies far, this is Hemla. I thank you deeply for joining us. For coming to help, for working with us despite the struggles it has taken, the pain.

I want to speak to many of you so much, but now is not the time. Through the tools you call S-C-As, we Forevers will sync with its energies and meld them to ours. We will trick the world into seeing your powers as ours. There will be limitations, so be safe - use the crystals made by our crafters and yours too. Speak to each other, learn how they work. The sali - and your people who helped - know.

I...will be doing my best to protect those who go West. Everyone I have spoken to, you are in my thoughts. Reach for me in your minds if you need my strength, and I will do my best.

Thank you... thank you."

With those words, there is some time before everything is set into motion. Until finally, the airship rises and starts its travel to the West Island. Until finally, both Voidtreckers South and West-bound feel their body lighten, the first proper relief they've had for days. As the Southern skies start to show approaching wings from a distance waning...

WINGS OF WONDER: FINALE

A TL;DR notes version of event/prompts: (click to show)

EVENT BASICS:

West Island

Boss Battle

boss battle

TO THE WEST

The sound of music sings inside the airship, powering its speed, and winds that repel the Red Storm. It resonates with the surrounding air, offering protection to the smaller crafts following at the sides. "It is time!" A sali declares, and two come to stand by what looks like a mix of a megaphone-cannon, pointed out from the front. Sali and Voidtreckers have smaller versions, and are directed to prepare their places - take to the sides of the ship, be ready for combat.

Already the birds are coming for them, covered in red, but their united power pushes them away. The White Forest is under them, and the cannon-phone starts powering. Another signal is given as a hand is raised, counting down from three. The instruction is simple: At zero, shout.

And indeed, when the fist is made, a great chorus of screams join, and the weapon at the front glows, and blasts a magnificent whirlwind of air that encompasses the mountain the birds have been nesting at. Many are blown away, every which where. The Red Storm thinning out, the airship flying close to the mountain peak, usually a crater.

Except a bird emerges with large red wings and rocks the ship as it ascends from their roosting spot, filling the air with its shrieks and presence.

The fight begins.

ATTACK FROM DECK. Some of the Sali are on the deck, armed with their blowhorns and any voidtreckers who feel they would be most use fighting the birds at range can join them in the skies. Those with magic, music, bows or guns join forces with the Sali to fight off the swarms of birds.

GROUNDED. Not all the fighting is in the air. The blast from the air ship has sent many of the birds tumbling to the ground where more Sali and those Voidtreckers whose fighting skills are best served when on solid ground are waiting for them.

The birds try and recover, but most remain at least low to the ground, attacking those they see.

KING OF THE AIR. Through the chaos of snow, red mist and birds comes a beating of wings as another threat appears.

TO THE SOUTH

Those that do not go West will be asked to go South, to defend island and the Sali who are too old or too young to fight..

PAINT IT RED. The Sali have an area for those who cannot fight, protected as best as it can be by geography and Enshala's power. However with the birds swarming everywhere there is need of defenders to make sure that it remains a safe space.

Though before it seemed that certain birds had flocked to certain islands now the swarms were more varied, any of the different kinds of birds; swift wings, red wings and steel wings all dive down to attack.

SENDING HOPE. Of course the Forever Ones hold the key to all of this, helping the Voidtreckers be able to use their power better than before, helping hold back the birds from strategic places and creating a web of power across the islands that connects all the Sali and their allies in the Voidtreckers.

Enshala welcomes any who needs to rest and of course anyone who wishes to help by lending energy, or anything else they feel they can contribute in a spiritual sense. Her area is one of peace and rest.

It is also where those Sali who cannot fight are sheltering and though they are resilient, those who can help with food or persuading small Sali that they cannot fight birds, is also a task worth doing.

DIVEBOMB. Despite the attempts at shielding the area a swarm of birds has broken through to where the herds of woolies and headbutters are. Any Voidtreckers who can be spared to fight are asked to assist fighting the birds off. They arrive to scenes of chaos.

OOC NOTES

NOTES: OOC info is here, info about powers/magic here. Ask questions here, submit shenanigans here, submit rewards here.

ABOUT POWERS: Powers are available around 40-50% percent. People can teleport easier if they stick around the area, but will still need to watch how often they do it. Manipulating the environment is still greatly difficult (the air, plants, gravity) etc, but anything that relies on one's own inner power (magic, chi/ki/qi) works easier.

ENERGY/ETC BEINGS: No longer feeling so much a drain. Will be able to run around and fight without being completely drained.

ABOUT USING STONES/SALI WEAPONS: During the battles, the Voidtreckers will be able to tap into some special weapons and elemental stones. These are:

BLOWHORN:

will

SLINGSHOTS, BOW AND ARROWS:

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:

banjo

AIRNADO:

FLASH BANG:

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Emporio aims to get higher- as high as possible, intending to get over that upside down bird as soon as he can. Warily, he watches the birds as they circle. If need be he'll have to attack...Lash out with close range gusts of wind...

But for now, if they aren't attacking he intends to take full advantage.

Katsuya doesn't quite have that luxury. "AMAR! COTTON GUARD, NOW!"

A wall of wool in the form of a sheep made of cotton more than sheep wouldn't Seem to be a good defense, except with Pokemon nothing is quite as it seems- while the birds will presumably shear through at least somewhat (leaving a very unfashionable Amar in their wake), it buys time; more importantly, with any luck they can gum up the bird's wings and make them easier pickings. "Kaseri, focus on d'fense!" he adds, before giving a whistle along the lines of what he's been using all week. Come along, Woolies! "OI ROMEO, FOLLOW ME!" They can get them to safety, they can!

Ah, of course there'd be some focus on him. He sticks out like a sore thumb, after all. But, for now, there's this odd creature coming at him and seems... on fire. Or will be. Something of that nature.

For once he's very, very glad that his attacking methods generally are not considered physically contacting. Also he's quite glad he has some chakra reserves and has trained in this nonsense long enough to not be extremely exhausting even while moving to stand properly, but tensed enough to move out of the way, hands covered in some sort of blue glow.

If this bird is going to come directly at him, then perhaps he can get to the neck, along the back, or one of the wing joints to scramble the nerve signals to said part(s). And get out of the way while he's at it.

Hopefully.

Xie Lian wishes he had a sword. The little bandage around his arm can only do so much in this kind of scenario. But he came to this area because he wanted to protect those that were hiding and avoiding the fight. So he was going to do as much about that as he could.

He wishes he could do something about this upside down bird. So he heads towards that. He extends Ruoye out, sending the silk bandage in the direction of the bird in the hopes he might be able to encircle one of those legs and be able to climb onto it.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...

Wait no, it's a plane. Otoha zooms around in his armor - not as fast as he would normally go, and he can tell his attacks aren't as strong as they should be.

Still, some energy-based shots can still distract birds, and maybe even down some of them. Hopefully it'll be enough to take the focus off some of the less sturdy fighters.

For his part, Siebren's renewed (not fully restored, but he will work with what he has) control over gravity means he's been working to nullify the effects of the upside-down bird, plucking upended and floating animals out of its shadow and setting them down in spaces that are safe, at least for the moment. But now that his teammates are more heavily involved, his priorities expand that much more, and he throws up his experimental barrier, shielding Katsuya and Romeo from the barrage of feathers. It may not last long against the onslaught, but it should give them enough time to move. "Shout if your gravity is affected - I can assist!"

He spots Xie Lan sending a tether in the direction of the upside-down bird and calls out to him. "Do you need a lift?" Wait. "Literally."

Tidus isn't against using the gifts from the salis to deal with this problem. Keep these birds distracted and keep them away from the farms - sounded like a good job to him.

He uses a nearby hunk of rock jutting out of the ground to jump off from, giving him a boost of height, before throwing an airnado stone at the cluster of Steel Wings and other birds being a nuisance at those trying to escape with the animals. Any no longer caught in the wool or any free from it will be swept up into a circular air bubble, thrown around like trapped in a washing machine. Oh dear.

As his feet land on the ground, he'll be keeping his eyes open for any other birds, where he can lend support that won't knock around the other person at the same time.

"LINE" His borderline went up but Siebren's barrier bolstered it and stopped the feathers from shattering it. His borderlines were still really weak.

He quickly checked the woolies, luckily none of them had been hit with feathers. He shooed them further on, trying to make them move quicker, away from the birds.

It might be that Xie Lian needs a bit more than a lift as when his bandage extends and wraps around the talon of the upside down bird he will, unless he or Siebren can prevent it will fly up into the air, gravity forgotten.

The birds surrounding Emporio decide to attack, diving at him, both trying to attack with talons and beaks but also to cut him off, move him away from the upside down bird and indeed the rest of the fight. It seems these are bullies, who would rather their victim be alone.

The plane that is Otoha catches the attention of one of the large swift wings that swoops down to meet him, talons outstretched to grapple the plane...

Between Katsuya and Tidus the birds tormenting the larger herd of woolies are gone for now, flung up and away by their attacks. Though a couple of the smaller bully birds are swooping in to try and cut Romeo and his herd off from where he is trying to follow the others.

The bird that Kabuto is fighting goes down with a squawk, allowing him to get clear for now.

Emporio shouts, and Weather's defenses react like a bomb exploding- razor winds erupt from off his body, the clouds surrounding him quickly developing fists to snatch and swing at the birds. It's a shame for the bullies- He's never alone, and with an angry snarl as he focuses on the crystals they were 'both' given, along with his experienced ability to focus a power that normally spread miles into a mere foot or so, the birds will at minimum find themselves blasted back. Either way, the boy is determined-

He refuses to be pushed backward, even if it means turning the air around him into some sort of turbine. (...Though he's aware, quietly, that he cannot do that forever; not if he wants to keep breathing.)

Back on the ground, Katsuya momentarily breathes a sigh of relief- only to scowl when he looks to where Romeo is and sees the local birds following the ideas of 'pecking order'.
Pulling out his signal horn- which might or might not have been outfitted with crystal, depending on what the answer had been in regards to instruments vs signal instruments- he blows.

PHRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"OI! Feather faces!" he snaps, hoping the sound is enough distraction as he charges. Snatching a stone from the ground, there isn't much he can use, but he can at least try and hit one right? "Pick on somethin' with a 'challenge' why don't yah?"

Following Wei Wuxian's information on the comms, Xichen has sought to consult the Forever Ones and the sali, and his jade xiao has a stone embedded into it now. For the most part, he is assisting with the shielding of residential areas, but when the fight seems to be taking an odd turn, he steps with the instrument to help out.

It seems that one of the voidtreckers fighting is surrounded, and Xichen closes his eyes before his fingers begin flying over the holes of the instrument, a Song of attack empowered by all that he has been able to get, to force a part of the birds around Emporio to be pushed into another part, in an attempt to relieve the pressure on him.

Xie Lian expected this at least, letting the bird lift higher and hopefully further away from the forces on the ground. Luckily this god isn't afraid of a few anti-gravity moves. He uses Rouye to pull himself to the talon and grabs onto it for support, keeping the silk bandage attached as well as wrapping the other end around his waist so that he makes sure nothing has him go flying. He trusts the little bandage to hold him steady.

But he also intends to do whatever he can to get this bird upright to see if that settles some of the chaos. Years of busking and busting blocks on his body has made him strong. Summoning up as much spiritual energy as he can...as limited as it may be...he uses all his strength and power focused into his fist and aims to the one side of the bird's upside down body. Maybe he can force this guy to turn upside right with a solid punch onto the side of his stomach.

Otoha swerves out of the way of the large bird just in time, spinning to shake it off. He can't get too fancy right now, not like this, but he still can fight. He sends some blasts directly into the bird that hit him, sending a few at the other birds nearby. There looks to be more than a few people on the big bird - he can take care of some of the trash.

Lan Wangji has had better days, but this is familiar territory. He takes the role of support, looking a little uncomfortable with the banjo until he starts plucking a tune and things fall into place. He can only play in short bursts, focusing on distracting birds as they try to attack others from unseen angles.

He can feel how tiring it is, and when he has to stop he chooses to try and herd the woolies away to safety... or at least in the right direction by ushering them towards Romeo. If you call out for a bird distraction noise blast he's more than capable to provide.

Between Emporio's own attack and Lan Xichen the birds surrounding Emporio are blasted back and fly off, leaving him alone for the moment, now that they had ascertained he is not an easy target.

Katsuya's horn catches the attention of some of those birds surrounding Romeo and then turn their attack on him instead, divebombing at him. The others dive down to attack Romeo, his woolies and the extra woolies that Lan Wangji is sending his way.

Otoha's blast sends the bird plumeting and his second blast takes another down as well. From behind him there is heat as one of the red wings rushes towards him, fire in their feathers.

The big bird swoops and turns, trying to catch more fighters in its shadow whilst trying to dislodge Xie Lian. As he punches a talon swipes towards him.

There are too many moving parts in this battle for him to be able to keep track of everything; the equation is too complex. All Siebren can do is focus on the variables he can affect and be prepared should any others require his attention.

He is, for example, keeping an eye on the upside-down bird as it wheels closer, calculating a trajectory, waiting for it to be close enough for him to hit with an accretion. The improvised boulder will only go so far - potentially less so with his powers currently diminished - so for now, he waits for the bird to be within range.

Far more immediate is the flock of birds still harrying the woolies and their herders, and he fires his hyperspheres at them, aiming to ricochet them from one bird to another and knock them out of the air. "Focus on moving the animals! I will protect you as best I can." His barrier is useless to stop the creatures themselves, but that will not stop him from creating the best defense he can from a good offense.

"THANK YOU-!", Emporio manages to cry out, before refocusing on thr upside down bird. Once he's higher than it, then he can strike...but only then!

Back on the ground...

Katsuya may have made a mistake.

"Wwwwww-whOOAAH SHIT-!"

His pokemon occupied with making certain that the Woolie are safe and accounted for, he is quickly running from birds. "Shit shit shit, FUC-"

The blond ducks- and at that moment his shadow 'leaps' up, Red Eyes arcing protectively over the boy and blasting fire at its foes.

Worst case, at least Katsuya can say he is defended.

Getting up to the gravity changing bird doesn't seem like a bad idea, but for the time being it seems someone might have an idea or two on that matter. Meaning he'll leave his attack for the time being, but making sure to keep an eye on the situation.

If things get worse, he can always try his hand at it. "I might be able to paralyze it, if need be. Can't really fly if you can't get your nerves to a wing to work correctly, right?" But, for now, he probably should head in the direction of the other birds causing problems. Maybe his more non-human appearance might attract attention to him instead of the others.

He catches a little of what the other man says about paralyzing it. It is a good plan and he wonders what he could do to go about doing it. He doesn't have any sort of ability to force it into happening and now he is avoiding a talon as he tries to consider his options.

Then it comes to him...instead of avoiding the talon he grabs onto it when it gets close, using the silk bandage to wrap it up and tries to tie the legs together. Maybe if he upsets this part of the bird's balance then he can get it distracted enough to stop it's flight.

For a moment, Xichen lowers the xiao from his lips. He is not shouting, but his voice carries enough, hopefully.

"If anyone has any kind of sensitivity to such things, can you tell if the birds are coming of their own will, or are they controlled in some way?"

It might be a long shot, but he still thinks it might be worth asking. If something is controlling them, resolving the current crisis might still leave the sali with a problem for a later time.

And then Liebing is back at his lips, and he focuses his help towards the birds harrying the woolies. The more they can protect, the better.

Oh no! These birds are big bullies. Romeo waved his stick at them. "Go away!" Jonouchi's horn was a better distraction but then it meant the birds were attacking him and then some were attacking Romeo and the woolies! And there were more woolies.

"LINE LINE LINE" He fired three borderlines at the birds, stumbling with how tired that made him. It was better than before, but still not good!

"This way!" He shooed the woolies away from the birds and ran down to round up the other woolies, he swung out at the birds nearby.

Katsuya's shadow blasted the small birds, knocking two of them out of the air completely and sending another after an easier target. He's safe for now but there is a swiftwing swooping above, stalking him.

Between Siebren's blasts and Romeo's borderlines the woolies are herded further up to join with Kaseri and the other woolies. From behind a red wing swoops over Siebren in a move that seems to be distraction rather than an attack, though it gets close enough to perhaps singe his hair. Meanwhile two swift wings dive towards the now together flock, one trying to grab Kaseri and the other Romeo and lift them into the air.

Kabuto and Lan Xichen will have to be careful as the struggle up above means the shadow of those wings are cast towards them, if they are caught in it they will find themselves flung up into the air. Though they may remember that Siebren had offered to help with that!

Up in the air the bird is not taking to having it's feet tied without a fight, it twists and turns trying to kick Xie Lian away. A few of the smaller birds have come to help, though their flying is thrown off by the affects of the upside down bird they still try to peck at Xie Lian as they fly past in chaotic flight patterns.

Emporio seems safe for a moment before a rain of feather-knives fly out of the clouds nearby. No bird can yet be seen... But it's clearly out there.

"Thank you sir!" He calls at Siebren, glad that the birds had flown off enough for him to get the woolies away. It was good that they had got the herd all together again and he circles again, keeping them all together.

He has done a bit of animal herding on missions before, which still doesn't quite account for how natural he finds this. But he's not thinking on that. Rather he is distracted by talons, digging into his shoulder.

"No! Bad Bird! Bad bird!" He swung his stick, trying to beat away the bird that had him in its grasp, even as his feet lifted off the floor.

Lan Xichen tries to evade the shadow, out of habitual reflex to avoid things coming his way which give an off feeling, though if he is close enough to Kabuto, he might try to spin the other out of the wingspan reach and take the risk himself.

He keeps hold of his xiao at any rate, and will try to continue dealing damage, on the ground or off it.

Edited 2021-09-23 20:29 (UTC)

Siebren feels that sudden source of heat and ducks on instinct alone, watching as the flame wing swoops low overhead. Well. It certainly has his attention, and he is going to make it regret that. If it's close enough to affect him, after all, then it's close enough for him to hit.

He'd been preparing the accretion for the upside-down bird, but instead he hurls the makeshift boulder in a short arc at the flame wing, aiming to knock it out of the air, along with any bird unfortunate enough to be near it at the moment of impact.

That's when he hears Romeo yelling, turns to see him clutched in a bird's talons, and reaches out, taking hold of Romeo's center of gravity. "I have you!" If he aims his hyperspheres at the bird, they'll implode too close to Romeo to avoid hurting him; he'll need other help disengaging from the bird, but for now, Siebren will not allow him to be carried away.

[Note: Accretion is an improvised boulder that stuns the target when it hits, shatters on impact, and does blunt damage to the target and surrounding targets with what is effectively Earth Shrapnel. We have fun here.]

That help might come in the form of winged Death Incarnate using the flaps of his wings to augment his floating to move faster. Thanatos grips his sword to slice at the bird holding Romeo, hoping that Siebren will make sure Romeo doesn't come to further harm.

He weaves through the birds to help Emporio with the large upside-down bird he saw shadowing the sky. He could try to wound it up close with a sword, but he might be better to distract it to let Emporio do his thing.

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