middleofsomewhere | Fissures of Time: Ongoing

Fissures of Time: Ongoing

FISSURES OF TIME: ONGOING

... 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Complain about the heat, and suffer in the opposite direction.

There's been bouts of heavy weather in the other distortions, but Tidus can't see in front of his own nose - nothing but a curtain of rain forever in motion.

Gibbers in his heart comes out, a delightful idea that almost gets the small higgledy swept away before Tidus wraps his arms around them. But they glow, and start to do their best to control the intensity, at least in a bubble of space around Tidus.

"Hey? --Hey!"

And Tidus tries to walk, to move somewhere, searching for anyone else. Crap -- does he have to set an equaliser all by himself!?

Was that a voice? Romeo's head came up, even if that made the rain stinging his eyes even worse. "Hello?"

Wait was that glowing? Were glowing things bad? Or good?

Only one way to find out! He began trying to move over, keeping low to the ground to avoid being buffeted by the winds too much.

"Is anyone there? It's me! Romeo!"

He catches snippets - snippets of sound, what might be voices (a voice?), but it's hard to tell. Is it friend? Foe? But even in this state Tidus would rather risk bumping into a stranger than nothing.

"Hey! Hey! I'm over here! Over here! Keep yelling!"

He's moving too, trying to search out the voice. He can't do anything for the winds pushing against him, but if he can at least keep the rain down and find this other person...!

He can hear the voice, it's a bit closer and it sounds like a grown up rather than another kid.

That's good. He would hate for Ken or even Madoka to be stuck in this storm!

"I'm here! This is so windy! Can you hear me?"

His head turns this way and that, looking for whoever is shouting.

Wait, doesn't Tidus know that voice? He thinks so, but it's hard to tell much beyond what sound does catch in his ears, mingling with the wind.

Ugh, he has no answer for dealing with wind. Maybe Ryo could-- but there's no point cursing answers you don't have.

"I can hear! Keep shouting! Make a light? Gimme a sign!"

"I can't make light!" He can hear him though so he must be close...

Wait!

"LINE"

Borderlines don't keep rain off, very sadly but they do glow blue. He's not sure how well humans could see them, but considering humans weren't supposed to be able to see him and no one had that trouble on the train...

Can being a creation of a higher power/dream boy count for seeing Borderlines in this instance!? Let's say it's that, or even Gibbs (not a human at all) squeaking and spotting the new lightshow, directing Tidus. Either way the effort helps, and the pair - being pushed by the wind, but resilient - rush towards it, witnessing it growing brighter.

When Tidus sees the figure, small, a familiar bed of hair along with that voice, he starts to realise-

"Hey, hey-! Romeo?!"

But just as Tidus's voice calls for Romeo, a hand grabs for the boy from behind - the rain itself, trying to stop Romeo from being found.

"Mister Tidus!" And Gibbs! He was relieved to be found, even more relieved to be found by some good friends like this!

He stepped forwards, through the rain towards them when he felt something behind him. A hand, cold and icy on his shoulder, pulling him backwards, further into the storm.

"Ack! LINE!"

The borderline just spins right through the stormy hand, doing nothing to stop Romeo being held in the swirling storm.

"Let me go!"

"ROMEO!"

Tidus springs forward when he sees Romeo pulled back, but something catches at his foot and he falls, Gibbs bouncing and rolling with a squeak. The rain returns to splatter them, fingers tugging at Tidus's own shirt, yanking at him as he struggles to find his feet when he can barely see where he is.

"Hold on," struggles out, too low, but rising as he does back on his feet. "Hold on!"

Pain tears into the sides of his arms, stings he refuses to look at, unguarded without a hoodie or else to cover them. But all Tidus has on his mind is Romeo, reaching for him and grabbing for him, willing to tug of war at the kid, so long as he can get his arms around him, pull him to his body and be a shield around him.

"L-let--go of him!"

Magic, tricks can come along in a second - but he wants Romeo first, to get him safe.

Romeo is holding on as best as he cam! Fighting against the rain hands even as he can se Tidus and Gibbs going down. "Let go of them!" He yells, trying to escape from the icy fingers trying to drag him into the storm.

He reaches out to meet Tidus's hands, letting him pull him one way even as the storm drags him the other way. It hurts! It's like the birds all over again! But he grits his teeth and keeps hold of Tidus, not letting go.

He kicks his legs, trying to untangle himself from the storm. He just had to hold on, as Tidus' arms wrapped around him. "You got to pull really hard!"

He braced himself, he knew this would hurt!

He's gripping onto Romeo as tight as he can, worried for the boy, but not as much as he would be if he let go. The back of his mind frantically searching for other options, but his hands are slowly managing to round around Romeo's back, to drag him in closer.

Gibbs! He calls out with his heart, desperately hoping on the little guy. There's no looking for him now, pulling Romeo closer to himself, except--

The rain freezes, pausing with it is, a small glowing blue light where the high higgledy is in the air, caught in its thrashing. It doesn't stop the wind, but it gives Tidus a chance to bring Romeo to him fully, cradling him close.

Just now, they have everything else to worry about - like getting through the damn storm!

"Romeo! Can you make us invisible?"

Gibbs to the rescue! He's a good friend. Romeo clung onto Tidus as the higgledy stopped the rain for a moment, making their sight clear and letting them get closer, hold tighter.

Romeo's hair is plastered to his hair and his clothes are dripping, Tidus is in a bad state as well and they still need to figure a way out of this mess!

"Yes!" He nodded into Tidus' chest. He took a breath. He could do this! He could make them invisible.

"Tidus! Umbra!" He calls, waiting to feel the spell take place and Tidus go invsible. "Shosoki! Umbra!" He vanished as well.

"Um... It might work on Gibbs... What's his real name!"

Tidus should be able to hear him, if not see him. Luckily Romeo could see Tidus fine since it was his spell!

Tidus thinks he feels something happen, but it's when Romeo disappears that he tells the spell is working. Alright, cool, as long as he's invisible too! The question pauses him for a second though.

"--Hibber-Gibber!" But he does remember, regardless. The small poor higgledy is smacked by the wind, rolling from his belly and onto his back, and in his squeaky voice, adds:

'The Hopeful, higgle!'

Can't forget his title, now!

That's a long name! But Romeo nodded. "Okay! I'll try!"

It didn't work on gods but he has no idea if it will work in magical creatues who live in his friend's heart. "Hibber-Gibber. The Hopeful, higgle! Umbra!"

He pointed at him as well, for good measure.

Is that close enough? It's close enough! And with the spell said, the small higgledy disappears from sight - not quite a god, but instead a special little friend. The whipping winds seem less frantic, but still blowing. Still wild, but in a way that's not as focused on them.

"Can we get to him?" Tidus can't see him now, though he thinks he can feel him out if they need to. They can't start moving without their higgledy friend!

Oh it worked! That was good! Romeo nodded and reached out for Tidus' hand, he should still be able to feel him even if he can't see him.

"Yes! Keep hold of me and we'll go get him and then we can all stick together."

Because that was important. At least the bad storm hands seemed to have been tricked by the invisibility.

Tidus keeps a close hold of Romeo as he shuffles with him to get where the higgledy is. They might need to stand soon, but Tidus wants them to retrieve their other company first, with Gibbs getting tiny squeaks that lets them fortunately (if with some hard hearing) where he is.

Romeo, he'll be good for you to hold. While Tidus suggests, shouting over the noise:

"We need to stop this storm! Let's try an equaliser here!"

Romeo reached out to grab the higgledy, hugging him close as Tidus shouts the plan. He nodded. "Okay!"

They needed an equaliser, to stop the storm and that would require a bit of organising.

"Let's go to that flat bit over there!" Not so far at all, only a few steps.

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Fissures of Time: Ongoing

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