Fissures of Time: Ongoing

[voidtreckermods]

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FISSURES OF TIME: ONGOING

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... POI 10-12

FOR SOME, THE MISSION HAS BEEN MORE MENTALLY EXHAUSTING THAN PHYSICALLY. Distortions sprout around the domain without rhyme or reason, and the camps must be moved every new day to meet them, as well as stopping a distortion from deciding to form under them from their presence.

While there's bare-bones vegetation, at least they have their own resources to help one another, as well as what can be retrieved from the Ministry base during return trips to take misplaced civilians to safety. It's straight-forward so far...

...but that wouldn't be standard for the Voidtreckers, and some in their ranks don't want straight-forward. Starting during the early hours of Poi 10, there will be occasional rumblings throughout the land. They last for a few seconds and then stop, seemingly for hours; but then they return, and as the days go on, so do the tremors increase.

It seems the distortions too have become affected...

THE UNQUIET CITY. (CW: People unable to die/rising from the dead, body horror)

A city of rubble and ruin stretches far out around them, where once there were hills and vegetation. Much of the rubble is still smoking as fires smoulder. The fighting isn't over, heard before it's seen.

It must be connected to the same skirmishes seen in other distortions, and so most of you are prepared to meet warriors on foot and mount. But what awaits isn't only the horror of bloodshed. No: the reason that the fighting still continues even as the city lies in ruin is because fighters fall and rise again, as if death were nothing but a short rest.

Puncture marks litter skin and armour, holes from weaponry and blessed-magic visible in torsos, even the spaces of where portions of one's skull and brain should be.

Yet they cannot stop fighting. They cannot fall to the ground, rest. Whatever drove them to fight this war still inspires them to continue, screaming as much in pain as in some sort of twisted ecstasy. Perhaps they are too shocked to do anything else. A city locked in eternal war, distorted in time, doomed to repeat itself.

It's hard to set the equalisers here. Not much is stable and fights are likely to break out wherever there are people. The people of this city have their factions, but they will not hesitate to band together to fight intruders.

EYE OF THE STORM. They might feel this distortion before they enter it. A spine-chilling thrill, the feeling one might get at the edge of a storm.

—For a storm it is. The moment they enter it their vision will be obstructed, winds howl around them and rain lashes down furiously making a swamp of the ground below them. It's freezing cold and as they walk they will feel something in the storm. Almost as if there are icy hands, reaching out to grab at them, to pull them further into the worst of the weather.

It's hard to know where to place the equalisers, hard to see where the edges of this distortion are. Easier, not by much, to move further in, to find the epicentre and try and take it down from there.

It's a treacherous journey, but the centre truly is calm, water frozen like crystals. Yet temperatures are dangerously low, so it's in everyone's best interests to set the equalisers quick and get out.

MEAN AND GREEN. As the rumbling continues, there comes a strange and worrying distortion. Worrying, as this distortion can be seen from the outside. A hazy blur that seems to move across the countryside, along the left side of the camp you're stationed at. It gets dangerously close at times, and when it does...

Green tendrils of plant life burst out, entangling people to pull them into the distortion. Or chains of flowers spread from the distortion out across the countryside. Beautiful and colourful in the otherwise sparse environment, but those flowers work as anchors, spreading the distortion, expanding it.

To get rid of it they will need to enter, and inside is a thick jungle of vines and bright colourful flowers awaiting them. The foliage is thick and the air musky and sweet. It's easy to get separated, and getting lost is only a matter of getting turned around. The leaves are sticky and vines move seemingly on their own, curling around unsuspecting limbs, trying to trap people in this colourful paradise forever.

And up in the sky above, a woman's laughter can be heard, the heat of the sun bearing down that becomes uncomfortable quick. But don't look up - you may find a large yellow eye - yellow iris, yellow pupil, golden yellow everything - peering back at you, and find yourself being pulled in by the very ground itself by a powerful force.

NO SANCTUARY. Protecting the camps hasn't been difficult, despite it being a Purple task. Other than rowdy refugees breaking out into fights, little else has appeared to disturb them.

'Eiiiiliiifii.... Siiiiliiifiii...
Merios? Herios?
Don't hide... don't hide...

Everything will be so perfect soon...'

People are woken abruptly in the early hours of Poi 11. If by some special sense, or by a grab at their throat, by a body falling on top of where they sleep, someone else stopping the refugee who was about to take a knife to them.

The refugees have become uncontrollable, raving about wanting 'their Gods back'. The ground rumbles as the woman's voice from the hazy jungle - ethereal, so divine - speaks from below. Grass rises and the sky above burns with a brightness like an approaching sun.

Setting an equaliser will calm the refugees, but only those in the camps. Starting from lunchtime, more warriors and civilians will be found appearing from the distance and from thin air, seemingly knowing where to find the Voidtreckers' camps - and after some very specific people.

Those with divinity, control over weather, nature, and death will be especially targeted, along with anyone who received blessings from the Gods.

OOC NOTES

OOC post. Ask questions here. Let us know about shenanigans here. NPC requests here, set up a thread here. Rewards go here.

TL;DR: Starting on Poi 10, there will be odd tremors around the domain, and more aggressive time distortions. From Poi 11 refugees will lose control of themselves and start attacking Voidtreckers, in and out of the camp.

It will happen abruptly to begin with, but some keen to reading energy will find that it is shifting; like something is breaking in from somewhere else (similar to the time distortions).

Extra equalisers can be picked up from the Ministry base and they will be there to help, but there are also more distortions happening around the domain, so they'll be dealing with those. The Ministry will advise that any non-combatants should stick to the base, and even use the scouting drones to help from afar, if they really need to help.

Undead warriors can be found outside of time distortions, and not all of the people outside of distortions will be 'permanent' people. Equalisers can be kept going for a few hours to keep these people away, but will also need go into recharge/cooling mode.

Don't worry if you're still busy with the Starting log! Or if you've been meaning to tag, jump in here!

Comments

Bad vibes

[soldier_blade]

This wasn't Sonya's assigned camp, and getting there was something of a trek (not just because of the distance either), but she had a reason that wasn't entirely to do with the mission.

Not for the first time, they were on a mission that reminded her of her 'last' mission back home. This Cassie hadn't experienced it yet, but she knew the results, and had still experienced the undead.

So assignments or not, she still wanted to check on her.

She's had to deal with a few enemy stragglers on the way of course, probably detrimental to any sort of rest, but nothing she didn't expect.

There's still a sense of relief when she sees Cassie at the edge of the camp, waving an arm to get her attention.

III.

[azrthmtrnznthos]

Raven has stayed mostly around the camps; it's where she's felt needed and most useful. Mostly by making sure their own teams and allies take breaks too. When she's slept, it's either been sharing a tent with Yondu (she feels safe with him) or with Soldat (who she also feels safe with).

Speaking of breaks, she's due for one of those. Blue cloak trailing behind her, her cowl is down too; over her purple uniform she's wearing a short leather ravager-jacket. Giving Soldat a tired smile, as she holds out her bowl. "I'd ask when you sleep, but I know you don't on missions. Gonna need time in a quiet cabin after this mission?" And if so, did he want a nap buddy? The emotions on this thing have been rough on Raven.

closed to guri, poi 10;

[irrationally]

Alice heard rumors about this distortion, even before she headed in there.

But it is worse than she expected. Dealing with zombie-like people is something she has done before, but those zombies did stay down after a while. These ones here though? It's like they just keep coming and coming, no matter what you do. Even if you maim them, they just continue with the limbs they have left.

Alice is fairly sure that if you would behead them, they would just try to bite your ankles with their detached head.

At least she's not alone in all of this. She knows that Guri is right here with her, fighting alongside her - and there's no one Alice quite trusts to do that the way Guri does. She knows the other is incredibly powerful, and that Guri - on top of it, or perhaps more importantly - truly has her back.

But it doesn't mean it makes enduring the waves of warriors that just refuse to die a whole lot easier..

.. and it seems to really start to get to Alice, judging by the annoyed tone in her voice as she speaks up, whacking another zombie warrior to the ground with her hobby horse.

"How come there is no end to these things?!"

[happyends]

Equalisers. Would those help? Madoka does admit that it seems to be the only possible solution here. Even if they don't know what's going on, there is a chance that it has something to do with those distortions, and those things were what helped clear up the distortions..

So even though Madoka thinks about it - briefly, knowing that they don't have much time here before someone else might decide to take out their frustration on the two of them - she's pretty quick to nod.

"O-Okay! I know where they are, miss..!"

Sure, Leia might know too, but maybe Madoka just wants to feel like she's at least being a little helpful in that situation.

"Could you maybe help me get there..?" Since it's not going to be easy for a girl like Madoka to get there by herself when there are this many fights going on in their previously safe camp.

[happyends]

"Y-Yes!"

At least that's a more comfortable task for a girl like Madoka. This much she can do, even though she's tense with worry and barely contained panic.. But if these missions have taught the girl anything, it's that you have to keep going, even when you're panicked. Because it's the only way to try and make things end up alright.

She turns, starting to fiddle with her SCA. She sends out a few calls, first to people she knows are in other camps. A few don't seem to pick up, but then she finally seems to have a short conversation, obviously hurried because of the current situation..

.. and when she turns back to look at Wei Wuxian, the worry in the girl's eyes is obvious.

"It.. It seems that they're having the same problem in all the camps.. It's like all of the displaced people suddenly got really agitated and aggressive out of nowhere."

[happyends]

Madoka does allow herself to be pulled into the hug. She's very uncertain and worried about this entire scenario, after all, so she will take absolutely any comfort being offered to her, no matter how awkward it is with how bad she feels at the moment.

She lingers in the hug for a moment, seeming to think about Nozomi's words.

Then she finally softly speaks up again.

".. I want to help too, though.."

Even if she doesn't know what she can do. But just standing by the sidelines and doing nothing but witnessing everything.. That doesn't feel right, given the circumstances.

[happyends]

There's a nod.

Though it's a slightly.. hesitant one? Thankfully Mordin isn't left to have to figure out what the hesitant edge to it means, since Madoka does clarify as she speaks up.

"I.. haven't done it yet myself." She was too worried about accidentally ruining one of the drones by doing something wrong.. "But I watched the other people do it at the edges of camp before."

So she does know how to do it. She paid attention. But she doesn't have any actual hands on experience yet.

[flatteries]

Jingyi might still be dealing with the aftermath of this friend saving plan, but Inigo is already moving on. It's not like Jingyi can keep his fat dragon body tail on top of the guy forever. And Inigo already seems to receive some resistance, Jumblie hopping out of Inigo's chest to grab a rope and carry it back to Inigo. He mouths a quick 'thanks' at the tiny creature, before looking back up at Jingyi.

"Yeah? What do I taste like?"

It's obvious a joke, though there's no real mirt in Inigo's voice. This is just him coping, operating under the default modes of his brain. Slinging back a remark like that takes no brainpower, neither does the next part of what he says.

"Get partially off the guy for a moment, I'll tie him up." Since that does seem like a better idea than just.. stabbing them, considering they're still the people they were supposed to save..

[flatteries]

Inigo doesn't verbally reply at first. Instead he just shifts a little, trying to position himself so he can both push down the guy still, yet also give Ryo the space to work on tying the other up. Inigo has no objections to that plan, at least. What else are they supposed to do with these people? It's not exactly like they can hurt them, especially when they still have no clue what's going on.

.. especially since what the guy is saying doesn't help Inigo much. It just sounds like more of the agitation these people have already had ever since coming to camp, but..

Well, it's not like it's ever been this bad. It's not like they've ever been attacked.

"I don't know about all, but.."

Inigo pauses. On purpose, like he's trying to make the sound of the chaos in the rest of the camp obvious.

".. It sounds like a lot of them." Or maybe just some really loud ones. It's hard to tell until he'll get a chance to fully check out this situation. "Like this, suddenly overnight.. It's strange. It's not like some sort of distortion appeared over us."

They would've noticed, right? But the camp looks the same as ever. It's just the people who are different, and Inigo frowns as he alternates between watching Ryo at work and keeping an eye on their surroundings, in case anyone else looks ready to jump them.

[cureofmanyworlds]

Nozomi listened to what Madoka had to say. She could understand the need to help and she needs to figure out what she can do.

"What do you think you can do?"

[flatteries]

Honestly, it's still a little hard for Inigo to leave everything behind. Even though he knows that this is the right thing to do in the end, even though he knows Taiki needs them, so they have to be there.. There's still a pit of guilt in his stomach at leaving all the fighting and cleaning up of the mess in the camps and the distortions to everyone else right now.

No matter how much this mission has basically drained Inigo's everything - especially two breakdowns and a near-death experience later.

But he's still come along without complaints. Showered without complaints. Made his way over to Taiki's room without complaints.

Though he is quiet. It's easy to blame that on the fact that Tidus already called out, so there's no need for him to do so either, but the quiet lingers a little beyond that. Inigo is just so mentally exhausted, only managing to still stand here rather than collapse into a heap due to the hand holding his own, and the sheer knowledge that Taiki needs them.

[flatteries]

"It would be easier if they'd just stay down," Inigo adds.

It's an attempt to try and joke along, but it's hard. There's a certain strain to Inigo's words that's audible, even in the middle of all this chaos. This entire situation is just a little bit too much like home, and it's seriously starting to wear on Inigo.

But he knows he can't give in to this feeling right now. If he gets too distracted, or too emotional, then he'll just be easy pickings.

"I really hope that not--" Inigo pauses, grunting as he stabs the first returning warrior through the stomach, even though he knows the blow will only down it for a moment as he pulls out his sword. "-- not a lot of these particular distortions opened up."

He isn't sure how many he's got the emotional bandwidth to deal with.

[goingthroughaphase]

Kitty catches sight of the swirling wind, and sees the refugees looming just out of its reach, waiting for it to coming down. She phases underground, making her way forward until she's able to pop up by Zelgadis' feet.

"Hey!"

[stonefvced]

An understandable reaction. Tobirama himself wasn't entirely keep on unwanted physical contact but the other had been too close to risk not just blatently stopping them to save the harm that would come if they continued reaching out. So for that, he'll step back and apologize. Explaining, briefly, his reasoning.

"No need unless you desire to try it." He was confident he could get to Esteban in time should the attempt fail. "I asked because I can help if you cannot yourself." Out came another clone, barely a flash before it darted elsewhere with but a blink of the eye. His own eyes darted to the distance. "But we'll need to make the decision quickly." Given the mad shambles coming their way.

[yondu]

Willow

Yondu doesn't remember much about how he got to the temple. Most of the clear memories are the pain, the look on Raven's face, going from accepting his fate to struggling against it just because he didn't want her to see him as a corpse. Most of it's a daze, though, and Raven was only able to patch him up to stable.

Generally he just looks very tired and very old, and he's tucked himself off to himself again with his back against a wall now that he's regained conciousness. Even as badly wounded as he is someone probably had to point him out rather than him putting forth much of an effort to ask for help. He's still in his Voidtrecker Uniform rather than his Ravager gear, and he's a mess. Even before the near-finishing-blow he was wounded and healed and wounded again, dark blood with iridescent purple and green tones dried into the fabric. Something he'll have to discard the moment he has a chance to get cleaned up properly.

There's a hole through his shoulder, one that grazed blood vessels that would have caused him to bleed out if he hadn't been tended to and out of all the damage done to him, so when he sees Willow he gets ready to tell her which of the ragged areas on him is one that hasn't been treated and isn't just a leftover.

[marvelous_murderbot]

She'd shifted her weapons to their stun setting fairly early on. Kill shots weren't useful, not in the long run, so at least she could make use of some temporary stopping power.

Logically, she knew all they needed to do was hold the line, keep the combatants away from those planting the beacons.

"I can only speculate," she responds, taking a moment to hook a rock with her foot, flinging it at one that seemed to be getting too close to Alice's flank while her aim was elsewhere. "If these disturbances are temporal in nature, then perhaps they are in some sort of flux state - reverting back from injuries. There is no physical reason any of them should still be standing."

[lucklessgege]

The bandage loosens so that the passengers can crawl down. It retracts back to its hiding place beneath Xie Lian's hoodie. Xie Lian hops down as well, helping anyone that seems a little uncertain about the dismount.

He smiles and ushers them off before turning towards Jingyi. "Are you alright after all of that?" Because he could tell how difficult the flight was and all he was doing was holding on. The one who actually had to navigate it had it much harder then he did.

III.

[subcircuits]

"Rust and ruin, gimme that," Devero says, dropping into a crouch beside the pot and reaching for the spoon to take over stirring duty. "Focus on eating before you eat your hand by accident."

Oof, action scenes are hard.

[crowneddragon]

The earth rattling under their feet does not get missed. The half-dragon winces, keeping steady as best he could until it passes, wings settling close to his back once the tremors fade. He nods at his companion; they ought to help out as best they can. And with his shape already changed, Esteban doesn't need to hold back.

He brightens a little more than really appropriate. Dangers surround them, the echoes of something singing people to madness still whisper-soft into their ears, and here Esteban is, relieved that he doesn't-- that he can help, properly help. It quirks his lips up in a grin, both in careless relief, and an attempt to cheer Tidus on. They'll need all the strength they can muster.

"Gotcha. Don't get lost, Sunshine~" He can try his best at least to offer the support Tidus had given him, back before he'd even any knowledge of the battles ahead. There is still a knot at his throat, but he swallows it back, braces his thoughts, and starts running.

His strides are longer, balancing on the ball of his feet even just at a jog. Heels no longer touch the ground, but he paces himself to stay close to the blond, a careful eye glancing back to make sure he's keeping up, and remains steady. Just in case.

His smile fades softly; joyfulness eclipsed by a harder edge. Determination thins the edges of his mouth, but he curves them up for his friend whenever he checks on him.

He pounces into the next open area with narrowed eyes, darting with quick skips to the nearest refugee he spots. It still feels wrong to manhandle these innocents, but thinking is a luxury; they don't have the time to be delicate.

His movements have to be swift-- quicker than their voices; Esteban does not have the advantage of stealth. Grappling is easier, strength lent to him by his monstrous form, and height means their struggles are relatively pointless. He drags them quick as he can back, wings curled protectively over the refugee's form as he backtracks towards Tidus.

Oh! A wild K'zeka! I always meant to find him around!

[crowneddragon]

It makes the fire spinner grin, to see someone interested in his craft to this point; but really, the poi make more than half of the dance. Still, Esteban takes it as his cue to slow, taking deep breaths after all of his running around. His cheeks are flushed with his constant movement, and he stretches his hand out with both poi, offering them easily.

"Wanna try with 'em?" he asks with a grin, slipping the straps out from between his fingers. He's developed fairly strange callouses from the constant use, but one night shouldn't harm his companion too much.

He doesn't remember his name right off the bat, but it can wait, Esteban figures. They'll have the time to chat if someone else comes along to help them both with entertaining their disgruntled guests.

[xue_yang]

He pauses in his movements when he hears her. He looks over at her and then down at the two toys in his possession. "They weren't doing anyone any good here so I thought I might put them to good use elsewhere."

Of course it is possible that they won't actually be able to leave this area and might disappear as soon as the equalizers are in place. But that doesn't mean he couldn't at least try and keep them.

[crowneddragon]

Oh. That-- makes sense. Esteban is still shaking the claws of sleep, of the phantom aches that press down along his throat. He doesn't have the composure to feel sorry he'd misunderstood the cryptic words, and it takes a lot of strength to simply smile to his companion.

At least the scales at his back bring him comfort, and he gathers what he can from the familiar feeling. It helps soothe his frayed temper, the ice that had choked up his veins him twice as badly as the person's hands had. It's only now that he can find some worry for the nameless stranger he'd punched straight in the face, wincing at the state they might be in at this point.

The dragon's words snap him out of it, mentioning tying up the girl, and she shrieks again, fighting him even as the rope drops in front of him. Stones would be easier to swallow even down his bruised throat, but Esteban forces himself to move, grasps the girl around her waist so she doesn't run off, even as a foot slips under the rope, and kicks it up. Catching it is the easiest part of the struggle.

He tries his best to block out the sounds of her rambled musings, words and tones that makes no sense as he ties her hands first, feeling wretched and horrible already. They are dangerous. To themselves, and to his friends. It is the only steel that manages to make him tug the knot into the rope.

"Are we keepin' them with us?" He would-- it's not in his interest to; she's causing a ruckus already, and her voice keeps on startling him. But he does not feel well taking away her freedom, nevermind not being there to release her as soon as she comes back to her own mind. Whenever that may be.

Dead Guardians in a ditch, he's had kinder nightmares than this.

1.

[subcircuits]

It's not just Ryo. Devero has been very present in the camps over the days of the mission: hauling gear, helping direct set-up, guiding and taking care of people-- standing to defense, even, when he's needed to. He's not always been in this camp, but he's here now as the situation escalates around them.

Occasionally, his deep voice rings out in an unmistakable bellow, Oi, watch that or Over here or Don't make me come over there! as restless refugees lash out in their fear and anger.

Right now, that voice is bellowing Ryo's name as Devero carries a bleeding native just delivered from the war-torn city through the camp.

[calmness]

"I did," Xichen says that with a soft nod, an upward tilt to the corner of his mouth that is not quite a smile but nearing it. He is tired and it shows.

He looks at the drink, which he had fully intended to drink while burning off the alcohol, "Tea would be a welcome addition, if you'd prefer that alcohol in this not go to waste." He offers the drink back, knowing that Wei Wuxian has a better tolerance than most here. Then, because even if he is younger than Wei Wuxian, he is still used to being the one checking in on others. "Are you faring alright here?"

[fivemilesdeep]

His gaze snaps up when his name is called, expression starting at surprise and settling into grim determination as he sees why his name was called. "Over here! Medical is this way!" He waves urgently, and once he gets Devero's attention he heads towards where medical is set up. It's not much - it never is, in a camp where magic is forbidden and chaos is barely controlled - but it's better than nothing.

He rolls out a blanket. "Set them here. Let me have a look. Anything out of the ordinary?" If the patient is violent or hallucinating, Devero has probably noticed by now.