Swirling Consequences Start

[voidtreckermods]

On day Seven of the Month of Quicksand as passengers are beginning their day there is an announcement over the ICP system. “Attention voidtreckers and passengers of the Voidtrecker Express. Please give your attention to the following message from the void ministry.”

A blurring of the screen and it fades into a video of an elderly woman, skin a swirl of purple and blue sat behind a dark wooden desk hands folded neatly in front of her.

“Greetings crew of the Voidtrecker Express. I am commander Orlaith of the void ministry. As you will be very aware, you were recently involved in a dangerous and somewhat foolish experiment of the tethering system which we assume was initiated by your voidcraft. We received your call for emergency assistance, and were able to stabilise your craft enough to allow it to focus on ensuring crew safety. We are under the understanding that it was a crew member who used the emergency signal given by the Inspection Arm of the ministry, and that member should be commended. So too should you all, for we have reports that the crew of the Voidtrecker Express took part in a risky and difficult anchoring task to ensure the safety of all. As ever, the crew of the Voidtrecker Express exceed expectations for a crew with no formal training.

However, in less positive news, the actions of your Voidcraft have had a ripple effect throughout the void. Worlds that are non void active have reports of seeing void activity in their skies, with residents reporting dreams and uneasy feelings. In void active worlds there are more serious incidents. We have voidcrews in thousands of systems working towards stabilising the void access points.

We understand that after such an ordeal, your crew may be exhausted however we do need your help. System #5739 is a hub world that is extremely void active. It is used to weathering void storms and the barrier between the world and the void is thin. However, it is currently experiencing an unprecedented amount of void activity and world bleeding effects. We need a team to go in and help the citizens there, clearing out any issues and helping stabilise things from within.

The people there know about the void, and are used to void travellers. However, try not to stir up any extra trouble.” The last sounds almost exhausted. Their reputation may precede them.

The video ends.

I assume no one has any objections as voidtreckers have chosen to work with the Void Ministry. Please see your mission briefs. This is not a catastrophe mission."

They have a couple of hours before landing, a few hours to study their briefs and prepare for what is to come. Teams might chat, people might give out equipment gathered over the months, some of the passengers who have been on the train since the very early days of the month of Apple may have advice to give.

Either way a couple of hours later there is another announcement. “Shortly arriving at System #5739. Exiting the void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...”

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SWIRLING CONSEQUENCES: START

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WEARY WANDERER ~ FOREST ~ SCRUBLANDS ~ FARMLANDS ~ COMMS

QUICKSAND 7-10 ~ TEAM OBJECTIVES ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ OTHER DETAILS
ASK QUESTIONS ~ SHENANIGANS ~ TEAM PLOTTING ~ MISSION TASKS/REWARDS

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ARRIVAL

The train shakes as the view of the void leaves its windows, giving way to a cloudy and wet sky in its descent. There's a small bump, and they land on a set of tracks that lead them uphill. Grassy mounds can be spotted on either side, occupied by sheep, goats, and the occasional six legged antelope grazing. In the farther distance are secluded farm houses, or small clusters of buildings.

Things don’t seem so bad, until the clouds spark with colour that sends animals running, far skittish for anything they're used to.

The sparse hills give way to more trees as the train weaves through them, until finally comes to a stop at a small station, no more than a raised platform in the woods. With a sigh, the train doors open, and passengers can walk out into the clearing. Once everyone who wishes to leave disembarks, the train sets off once again, flying up into the air and out of sight.

"Oh good. You’re here!"

Looking over, voidtreckers will spot a young girl at the edge of the clearing.

"Ma said we should expect some void heroes any day now. She’s put some stew on."

And she’s off. For any who wish to follow her, she leads them to an inn, The Weary Wanderer written on a sign. It’s a large inn, larger than might be expected in such a remote place, and the innkeeper Albany quickly organises rooms and food for any who wish it.

“Well, there’s a whole lot more of you than there was.” She takes in the group after Maia explains that they are from the Voidtrecker Express. “Storms are getting worse, we’re getting reports of stampedes, landslides and monsters coming through the colours.” She explains. She has some maps of the area and happily allows her main common room to be turned into a planning station. She’s clearly used to void travellers.

THE WEARY WANDERER

The inn has a large and open floor, the entrance close to where a fire crackles, chairs and a table beside it. To the right are places for eating, and kitchen doors that lead in and out, while to the left is where a counter separates another route to the kitchen, and to the family's own private quarters. By here too are the stairs leading up into the bedrooms, with some also available on the ground floor.

There's enough room for the voidtreckers to squeeze into the front at once, and the tables can be joined to create a more team atmosphere.

The problems are everywhere it seems. Farms need help, dralite chicks need rescuing, and their parents reassured before they go on a murderous revenge spree. Voidtreckers can stay or plan or jump right into things - the forest and scrublands are the closest to reach with both behind the inn, while the farmlands will take half a day to reach. Alabany will mark on the maps where to go for the farmsteads, or ones she knows about, and allow her inn to be used as an intiial base.

For those whose skills lie more in cooking and maintaining camp, she will happily take their help in the kitchens, or suggest They go down to the nearest farmsteads and lend a hand there. It'll take about half a day on foot to reach the nearest few, but many hands are needed. They will have better tools for moving debris and making repairs; she has a few, but not enough for everyone, and she'd rather they be used around the forest if anywhere. She needs those!

Albany will warn about the dralites, and to plug your ears if you're going through the forest. Their screeching can stun and slow people even at a distance, and with everyone worked up, it makes it hard to get through. They happen to like bugs, and a fruit called matts - similar to dates, fruits that grow off certain small trees in the forest.

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YELLING HEIGHTS: FOREST

Location of: Dralites, young and old, their nests; monkeys, voidblobs (uncommon), fruit cups and purple stars. Displaced people.

The Yelling Height's forest reach spreads far, wrapping around the lower third of the great Ciyesia mountain and its budding fellow heights, with trees as tall as redwoods making up most of its wood. This gives plenty of space for travellers to move through, but the treetops create thick canopies that shroud the world below, the dots of penetrating light visible in contrast. Against some trees can be found what look like bushes, and there's plenty of them around, along with moss; but looking closer, these have hollow middles, made up of pin needles, twigs, feathers and all sorts. Some have been ruined, some have eggs inside.

High-pitched cries can be heard echoing, but it can be hard to tell how far, or what distance they come from - there's too many, making what should sound distressing, sound like a racket. While there's paths that can be followed, some of the wood has fallen, with ways disturbed by rubble that's tumbled all this way down from the mountain. There are signs to aid - those that haven't been knocked over - to give some sense of direction. Still this wood is hard to navigate, and Voidtreckers will want to be careful about rushing in without a plan. Trouble lurks in all manners...

Dralites can be found scattered around this forest, big and small - Albany will tell them as much. The youngest are easy to locate, unable to fly, and make a lot of noise. Slow-moving and dragging their heavy wings, they need help moving with any speed. They can be found alone, or attracting the attention of the great chinchillas or monkeys (who see them less as prey, and more as something to bully and take out their frustrations on).

Some will accept help from the first person that approaches them, jumping on them and wrapping their wings around their neck or head, clinging on and accepting them as their ride. They will need to be returned to their nests, and will reject any nests that aren’t theirs. It'll be very similar to escorting a toddler, often throwing screeching fits if they don’t think their helper is trying hard enough, which can make it difficult for people to move around.

They are hard creatures to please, even so more the adults who are furious that their nests have been disturbed. As large as a sheep with larger wings and powerful talons they might just swoop down and grab smaller unsuspecting voidtreckers and carry them to their nests as workers to help fix them. Some of these adults may be near their nests, or will be seen swooping around above-head at startling speeds, searching for their young.

There are eggs that have gone missing too. A place they can hatch safely is essentia, since they can easily become pray or be snatched by the monkeys who live in the forest and steal from the inattentive.

As well as helping the dralites, there are herbs that can be collected here. Purple Stars are leaves that grow at the top of tall trees. These can be found deeper into the forest, and are different from the other trees by their branches only growing at the very top, their bark stripy. They will need to be climbed, or flown up to - not getting startled by adult dralites is essential, or becoming target practice to the monkeys. They have rocks.

Deep in the most dampest sections of the fores, Fruit Cups grow in a tangle around spider plants, that will ensnare the unwary into it’s sticky grip. For every few flowers, there's a wide trapping of the spider plants, vines impossible not to get stuck to. But as difficult as they are to collect, they are useful, and the potions they make will be handy to the communities that require help. Some voidblobs have gotten trapped here too, and they'll become active once people get close.

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YELLING HEIGHTS: SCRUBLANDS

Location Of: Farm animals, some voidblobs, great chinchillas, farmers in need; ruined paths, craggle leaf. Some dralites, mostly adult. Displaced people.

The trees eventually give way to a mix of rock and dirt, stone jagging up from the ground underfoot that travellers will need to watch out for. Vegetation is littered around, patches of shrubs as often easy to catch the eye as grazed grass poking out around mossy-coated stone. There are paths, or were, but only the remains of them can be found, the area reshaped by landslides.

Animals can be found isolated or in some groups, spooked by any newcomers around, and the odd shepherd trying their best to get their herds under control. But there's further trouble than blocked paths to deal with - because these jobs can never be simple.

The farmers' plans are to bring the grazing animals back down to the lower ground and to their farms, but they'll need help clearing up paths and guiding them off the mountain and back to their farmsteads. Not only will it mean moving debris and locating animals, it will also mean protecting them from the predators in the area - and other trouble.

The horned goats, often a worry on these slopes, have grown even more aggressive. They ram into herds and farmers alike, even attempting to send them rolling. They need driven off, away from the herds. The chinchillas are also more aggressive, running rampage through the hills and attempting to down the livestock and to take them back to their nests.

There will also be sightings of the voidblobs for the more unfortunate, dubbed such by the locals. Gelatinous and luminescent, they are a mess of what were likely multiple creatures that have been fused together, patches of fur and teeth and claws held together with thick veins of colour. They attack indiscriminately and without reason, and are difficult to take down, never responding to blows of any type. You only know when they're taken out by when they stop moving - otherwise, they will continue.

During the first night there is a disturbance on Ciyesia. Trees are felled, the mountain seems to rumble and more animals flee, spilling panicked down the mountain to the farm lands below. For whatever aid is giving to the area on the first day, this event causes more damage to the surrounding areas.

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LOWER LANDS: FARMLANDS

Location of: Voidblobs (common), great chinchillas, a few horned goats; ruined pathways, farms in need; people to craft balms and potions, access to tools.

While not as high as the Ciyesia mountain, nor as shrouding as the blanketing forest, the rolling countryside shows its sloping and uneven distance, varying fields split by tones and sandy paths - or what should be sandy paths. But the damage to the earth is noticeable, chunks of the various mounds ruined, broken at parts. You can see trouble, ensuing or approaching, just by looking around long enough.

And the biggest trouble will be reaching it.

Buildings squeeze against fields and fencing, separated far from anyone that could be called a neighbour. But there's a few of what can be called villages, where trades are conducted and visitors are sure to stop. There's usually a singular inn, but people looking to call on the help of a void traveller to help with this mess. They can promise hot meals and some goods in exchange, but first needs to come the help.

Though moving the herds closer to the farms is a sensible idea that doesn’t mean the farmlands themselves are safe. Landslides have cut communities off, some of the chinchillas and horned goats have made their way down the mountain and angry dralites stalk the plains looking for their young.

The shaking of the earth and the landslides have caused damage and debris. Trees have been felled bolders moved, barns and houses have been damaged. There’s a big clean up operation required. Farmers have wheelbarrows and shovels and Albany has some more that can be borrowed. It will require a team effort to clear the roads and make sure essential supplies get where they are needed.

Most of the farms and villages have protections in place, but they are overstretched and exhausted. Villagers take turns patrolling, protecting the herds and the people from creatures should they be goats, chinchillas or the new and terrifying void blobs.

Extra people to set up perimeters are very welcome, as are those who can drive the creatures back into the forests. It’s not just the homes themselves that need protecting but also the paths between them, so voidtreckers and others can deliver supplies to the further afield communities.

Making the herbal remedies will mean finding the right people for it, but locating the villages is a good bet. Tinctures and teas are the best method, boiling the plants and breaking them down over hours. Even if you're not experienced, people being around to help monitor the pots and bottle them will be helpful. The craggle leaf are good as they are to feed upset livestock, but also as medicine, for helping against the voidstorm's headache-inducing effects.

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FROM THE VOID...

DISPLACED PEOPLE: Once or twice a year, people can be found in the Yelling Heights, wandering around dazed and confused, hailing from a whole other world. Since these storms have begun there have been at least two a day, perhaps more that have yet to be found. They have no memory of arriving, some might not even have memories of who they are, or where they come from.

For now they need found, gathered in once place and care given to them.

VOIDBLOBS: The voidblobs, as they have been dubbed by those who have seen them, are truly monstrous creatures. Perhaps once multiple creatures they have been fused together, a mess of fur and teeth and claws held together with thick veins of colour these creatures have one instinct and that is to kill.

They are rampaging, strong in their urge to destroy. Fighting them is difficult as nothing seems to slow them down until they die, it’s hard to know how hurt they are and injury doesn’t seem to stop their brute strength or will to kill. They rarely will stop and fight either, requiring a team just to keep up with them as they will lash out and fight but keep rampaging on, drawn towards groups of people or creatures. They can be found anywhere.

VOIDTEARS: For now, it's Red Team's task to find these tears and secure a perimeter on them - a difficult enough job that will take the first few days of the mission. They aren’t visible except in the storms, and so finding them requires braving them, where the wind sings with void music, rain pouring with hail, and a strong sense of unease growing until it too unbearable to endure. But the exact point of the tears must be found: a spot where the kaleidoscope of colours shines down onto any under it, only visible in that area.

STORMS: These are scattered around the lands, never moving despite the clouds that do. In the storms, the voidtears pulse with colour. Being near them is uncomfortable, and there is always the risk of a voidblob coming through. Being near the voidtears for too long even outside of voidstorms will lead to headaches, and so it is wise to rotate who is guarding them.

THE FIRST NIGHT: Late into the first night, there will be loud noises, the earth rumbling and a worrisome show of lights as the full moon hangs in the sky above. There may be word from fellow voidtreckers what's going on, but either way, this disturbance will bring out trouble into the night, breaking fencing and some buildings that were on their last legs.

OOC NOTES

OOC Post ~ Questions ~ Shenanigans ~ Tasks Check-In & Mission Rewards
This log lasts for 7-10 Quicksand, with the next log going up on the 21st March (11 Quicksand). Please remember that we will be determining the progress of the mission by task objectives being fulfilled, so PLEASE visit the task objectives toplevel and let us know what your character has been working towards! We accept handwaves (especially if your character is around but you're on hiatus), but actual thread links will count more towards success!

An extra list of prompts for ideas, arranged by team (click):

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RED TEAM

You've either wandered into a group of voidblobs or see some approaching. They're annoying on their own, but as a group, they can cause serious damage.

The voidstorms are easy to find by the literal storms they bring, but the tears themselves? They're a pain to, only visible once you're right under them. How will your character persevere in the search? Flying, if you can, might seem the quickest option, but a closer level to the sky seems to make the headaches and disorientation worse.

You've somehow been convinced into fixing up a fence during watching the perimeter. Yes yes, that's important, but the area is clear for now, and what if an animal gets loose? More hands will get this done quick.

BLUE TEAM

What kind of people will you find out there in the wild? Someone desperate for an offer of aid, or someone suspicious, distrusting? Are they even human, or some other race - or sentient object?

The dralites aren't good at in any way but wailing. But their eggs are unique, obsidian in appearance. So if you see a monkey carrying any such thing, or see one being carried by a great chinchilla - that's no lucky lump of goal. That's your way of calming down the ticking time bombs of angry parents.

PURPLE TEAM

Farm work isn't your chore, but the farmers need all their herds before they go anywhere, so you're getting involved whether you want to or not.

Make a good impression on the farmers, and they're likely to help you out. Need to borrow tools? Or can you convince the farmers to let you and your friends borrow some, passing them onto the people who need them?

ORANGE TEAM

Herb collection is hard enough with tall trees and spider plants but watch out for the monkeys who want to steal the prize.

Once herbs are collected they can be made into potions. They aren't too difficult to make and Albany has recipes if asked.

Herbs aren't the only things monkeys want, there's a group converging on a dralite nest, those eggs look very shiny.

ALL TEAMS

Distance is a real concern. Who will go where, where are places and people in need? Scouting is a good idea, and so is organising who will be best, where. ... or, you can just go and do your own thing.

Image Sources: Top header - Tavern - Farmlands - Void coours

Comments

Tidus, OTA ; Purple/Red

[blitzcheer]

1; WEARY WANDERER arrival, plan talk (purple)

The inn was cosy; cosier than what they had to deal with on Praeus, warmer than even the building the Ministry had been housed in. By the map provided by Albany, there were a few known farmlands out there, people to check up on, and they had some roads they could take. He's got one such map on a table, spread out to look at for anyone interested in heading in the distractions of the locals.

"So, it looks like Purples are going to be split - who's going up the scrublands and around the forest? To the village? We should figure it out before we split up."

Better to know who to reach out to, before moving along. Did anyone want to be a spotter? There were a few always ready to take charge on Purple, but it depended on where they fancied heading. Cassie, Trunks, Devero, and Hera - they were always good at keeping an eye on people.

2; RUINED PATHS rubble, travelling the lower lands

He's heading south, Albany lending them a cart and horse with a few supplies she can lend out (buckets, a shovel) until they can get more for their tasks. It would be a nice way to ride, if riding along the paths went that far before...

"Uggh, okay - anyone got a good idea how to clear this?"

There's been landslides, where the hill terrain has tumbled, the steady(ish) paths ruined of a good way forward. There's going around them, but even that isn't always an easy task. If they'll have to get a shovel and start clearing, that's one thing. But is there anyone with skills better at clearing?

Otherwise, there's storms that can be seen spread out, a misty curtain falling down in different parts of the Yelling Heights. Tidus stops, observing the sight - but it's when the crash of multi-coloured 'lightning' comes down that he lets out a small "Whoa!"

"Is that normal? ... we should probably ask."

Might be good.

3; FUR(R)Y TROUBLE great chinchillas, crowned goats, voidblobs

But there isn't just incredibly uneven roads to deal with. Whether on the first day or next few, the trouble is plenty.

( a; horn-crowned goats )

Helping to transport farm animals, or just trying to scout the area to clear it up, the horn-crowned goats are never not in a bad mood. On Tidus's first introduction to one, standing with its head turned in some other direction, he doesn't deliberately approach it -- but it turns its sights onto him and his travelling group, and it starts kicking its legs, huffing and snorting loudly, until it starts rushing its way towards them.

And for Tidus, specifically - what is he, some really stand-out target?! He has to make a less than impressive roll out of the way, the goat bashing its horns into the side of the cart, snorting as it turns to find a new target.

But on other encounters, Tidus is far more prepared. He might even be working to scare them off from the villages, from whatever farmland he's stopped by to help. With a partner, this will make easier work.

...but there is a time, where there happens to be one stuck with its head shoved in a barrel. It's trying its best to lash its head around, but it's hard - it's a pretty big barrel.

"Uhh... so it's going to knock us down if we try helping it, right."

( b: voidblobs )

"What is that...?"

He's squinting at the moving...things? in the distance, on his first encounter with the voidblobs. They're like bags being brushed along the scenery by a wind with how they move, without any apparent purpose. Not yet close, and Tidus can't tell much about their features - but to the person he's with, he turns to them. "Let's check it out?"

But from that encounter on, Tidus both gets and doesn't get the reason for their name. He'll be on guard and village duty, and whether it's helping a farmer move his animals safely, or to protect the perimeter of any grounds, he'll whistle to alert others with him.

"Blob, to my left!"

Call him for help, too. The same goes for great chinchillas, or any other trouble.

4; FARM HELP/WILDCARD transporting aid, making shortcuts, everything else

Tidus will be where he needs to. On the first day, he'll be working to get transgates set up in good locations - one at Albany's inn, one around the scrublands, one at the nearest village, and then another wherever they think is good. Albany will look after the transgate to make transport back to the inn safe, but he'll need help setting up the others - and passing the word of where to find them.

But if you need a fighting partner, or someone to help guard civilians, or farm grounds, Tidus will be there, happy to work with others - and even to look for help himself, with a "Hey - you looking after this area?"

Feel free to team up, or include him in your own plans.

1

[healerscorned]

I'll take the Forest area. I've never met a tree I didn't want to climb, and I'm curious what the ones in there are like.

["Curious" is a good word for it. It doesn't really encompass the Core Crystal deep need to find out, but it works well enough.]

roland crane (purple) | ota

[adregem]

[ a. ] setting: train, post-mission briefing.

”Kind of like Earth, huh…? I wonder."

Roland isn't really speaking to anyone in particular, the way he mutters to himself, chin tilted up to the ceiling as he awaits to disembark by the standard car. Not that the idea of coming to a place familiar to him is going to stop him from doing his best during the mission, but it does inspire him somewhat to do marginally better than before. Void active or not, civilians were in need, and he was ready to get into the thick of it sooner than later.

Until such a time that the Voidtreckers commence their journey, Roland can be seen stationary in this area, fixing supplies, polishing his pistol, or sharpening his swords imbued with magic. From time to time, he can also be seen ferrying advice for newcomers, so this would be a good time to ask questions.

[ b. ] setting: the weary wanderer.

He helps arrange tables to make the area more communal for their mission up ahead, his brows furrowed deep and his eyes focused on the maps provided. He's used to this kind of work, but from time to time, he's distracted by the hustle and bustle of the inn.

Or better put, his eagle eyes were already scouting talented folk; gaps in their personnel that he might need to tend to, among others.

He spends half his time helping the innkeepers with the amount of void travelers that come in and out. From waiting and serving food to carrying cargo, Roland's eyes and ears are everywhere. He may even be chatting with the locals to help gather info.

The rest of his time is spent with the Voidtreckers themselves, purple team or not. "What's your plan? We only have a basic idea of where things are. We can't get too excited."

[ c. ] setting: forest.

It's not as quiet as one might expect a regular forest to be, on account of the swirling storms and clouds that thunder across the atmosphere. But from time to time, rustling of leaves and bushes can be heard, close to the ear yet far enough to avoid detection. Then, out of nowhere, a blur drops from the heights, steadying itself into a timed barrel roll back unto its feet.

Roland has his pistol out - not an ordinary gun by any means, but an enchanted weapon with a grappling hook attached to its barrel. He doesn't seem to be any sort of bothered from his descent as he looks around. Spotting the closest Voidtrecker, his serious demeanor only slightly softens as he approaches, gun pointed to the ground.

"There's about three or four people a few meters from here, but they're not looking too good."

An invitation, of course. If his frown is any indication…

[ d. ] setting: farmlands.

Are you perhaps attuned with magic and spirits, better than the rest?

Maybe you're secretly a good person with a heart of gold, even if traditional narratives are ready to paint you out to be the bad guy of your tale?

If you're one such type of person, you may hear them before you see them: tiny sprites that glow with an abundance of magic, as if phenomena and emotion in physical form. They squeal in high pitched higgle! piggle! like a chorus in the void, and despite their size, they seem to have sentience, scattered in areas around a dense gathering of grass leading further inwards. As the earth cracks into claws, sprawling into jagged terrain, the leader of these creatures begins to jump up and down, louder in its squealing than the others following its lead. This one was a bit bigger, with a crown upon its head and a billowing cape on its shoulders.

And though they lacked the words, those who can hear him know he is signaling for something. Or for someone.

If you follow this trail, or if you deign to trust your instincts that resonate like a heightened sense of resolution, you will eventually find Roland a little worse for wear, blood dripping from his nose, his hand cradling the side of his head.

He's kneeling on one leg, and all around him are pieces of debris from what looks like a split boulder, bigger than four of him combined.

There's an attempt to say something from Roland's end, but his vision is still blurred, and his gaze is dizzying as the world moves in a pace he can't follow. What happened? What is he trying to say?

[ e. ] wildcard.

Go crazy! Am up for all sorts of adventure. Message this journal or HMU on Discord for ideas.

A NOTE ON HIGGLEDIES: They can be seen by anyone who is pure of heart. How you define that is completely up to you as a player, and how your character perceives themselves and their overall intentions. The prompt doesn't close just because they don't fall into this category, however! Higgledies can be heard and felt even if they can't be seen, as they are essentially the phenomena of the environment who decided to grow tiny arms and legs.

Or, you know, feel free to encounter Roland on your own without the little ones :3

b;

[voidtreckernpcs]

[ Albany has been helping as she can, in the kitchen and getting people what they need, or what they ask about her that she can provide. Her tools are few, but that's why she approaches Roland, seeing him as one of those going around to everyone with a certain air of getting things sorted. ]

You and your groups should find and ask the farmers for more help. If they know what you're doing, they'll lend a hand. I can give your people my rooms, but I don't have too many tools.

lioriley; orange; ota

[invigorates]

❱❱ pre-arrival

As soon as the announcement was made, Lioriley set to work. The handwritten list of passengers she had kept taken down so she could quickly make another copy down in her journal. As she had previously during the tethering process, she made her rounds in hopes of noting who might be doing what — either outright asking if she knew the person already, or simply listening in on louder conversations that gave any hint to their intentions. Mostly, she was just trying to make sure everyone was there and ready, and no one would be left behind accidentally.

❱❱ the weary wanderer

Here, it was essentially the same plan: keep a tally of the voidtreckers and make sure no one ended up lost or horribly injured and without assistance out on the mission. Only this time she narrowed it down to the Orange team (including those working with the other colors), assuming that the other three teams would do well enough to manage their own.

"You do not have to," she would start, staring down at the page of names, carefully scanning through until she found who she was looking for, "But for the sake of assuring our continued safety and ability to finish this mission, if you could possibly give a brief idea of what your intentions are? 'Twould be easier to send help, should we know where to begin. Either that, or a quick nod upon your return to assure you are still with us would be beneficial." it wasn't a demand, just a suggestion for the sake of keeping some sort of order in case of an emergency. Lioriley also kept her list out on the table so people could adjust it as necessary, for those that might not want to interact with her directly but still contribute.

Any reports of incidents upon the nearby farms and such were noted along the way, as well as any potential updates on the farm owners and things that still needed to be done. Given the obvious need to keep things as well maintained as possible, she would stay within range of the Inn as much as possible, aiding Albany and her kin with cooking, cleaning, and general upkeep when needed to assure their base of operations remained as solid as possible. And, of course, she was always there for healing the injured.

Voidtreckers coming back looking particularly weary might even have a bowl of stew or a glass of water set before them without even asking, followed by the assuring smile of the Lunari when she met their eyes. "Do remember to take care of yourself, hm?"

❱❱ itsy bitsy spider-plant

(closed to Rezo)

The few times she did leave the inn, was to further contribute to the orange teams primary objectives. Not an herbalist by trade, Lioriley knew her way well enough around medicinal plants and, with Albany's recipes, had assumed it would not be difficult to make the potions asked for.

Gathering the plants might prove...difficult alone, however, and while she had not intended to move too far outside of her own team so she was not in anyone's way, she did recall a certain priest that might be inclined to assist.

"Rezo." She would call softly once she spotted him, "Are you busy currently?" everyone was, but that wasn't the point.

❱❱ wildcard

you know the drill! I'll make custom starters if people want them, etc.

The Weary Wanderer

[cureofmanyworlds]

"You don't have to remind me; Hera would get on my case if I didn't." Nozomi said, smiling at Lior as she approach her and the welcomed meal.

"Are you doing well?"

Nozomi Yumehara | Purple (main), Red, Orange | OTA

[cureofmanyworlds]

Yelling Heights: Monkey Trouble

Nozomi offered her assistance in getting people to and from the forest, using her Cure Dream form as a means of strength and protection. Of course, things aren't as easy as they seem. Passing by a group of Dralite, one of the young ones lets out a screech, stunning Nozomi. As she recovers, she's promptly beaned in the head with a rock.

"Owowowowow... what in the world?" she groaned. She looked up to see a couple of monkeys hanging on one of the massive trees. And they have rocks. "Hey! You can't go throwing rocks like that!"

And that's responded to by having more rocks tossed at her. And as Nozomi covers her head, a couple more monkeys climb down and grab her, causing her to yelp in shock.

"H-hey! Let me go! This isn't King Kong!" she yelped in a panic, the monkeys carrying her higher.

Scrublands: Goat-Fighting

"HAAAAAAA!"

Now, there's a sight to behold - Cure Dream slugging it out with the horned goats. These gruff billygoats are being such a pain to the farmers and their herds, attacking them and causing them to scatter. Thus, Nozomi took it up to encounter these beasts and give them a taste of their own medicine, using her own strength to counter theirs.

Once one has had their fill and saunters off to deal with another, Nozomi spots someone watching her and waves.

"Hey! Wanna watch me fight goats?"

...that is not something you should say so casually!

Farmlands: Clean-up

Oh, this is something Nozomi is used to. Something she did on and off back in her time in Equestria - helping tend to farms. Their little town was built by the visitors, so they had to do their own things.

So, when the farmers needed help cleaning up the damaged caused by the storms and the earthquakes, Nozomi quickly came to their aid. Being Cure Dream for so long was a little taxing, but she still had plenty of strength.

You might find the pink vest and bracers of her uniform hanging on a fence as Nozomi is busy moving rocks from one place to another, getting it out of the way of the road. It seems like such a tough job, even with superpowers.

"Sheesh, this is crazy!" Nozomi uttered, wiping sweat off of her head. "I didn't think things would be so bad!"

Wildcard

(OoC: Want to do something else with Nozomi? Fight voidblobs, tend to herds, downtime in the inn? Hit me up!)

Goat Fighting

[redprayer]

Among the various personal objectives Rezo had set out with, assessing the individual strengths of the other voidtrekkers when out in the field had been one of them. He had been planning to do this furtively, of course; it would likely set others ill at ease if he’d openly gone “Hello, I want to see if you could kill a god.”

Naturally he’s been drawn by the sounds of chaos- girlish screams, goatish screams, sparkly sound effects- and probably would have been even if he hadn’t had his ulterior motive.

Unfortunately, it seems he’s been noticed.

Fortunately, it seems that… this girl is looking for an audience?

“Er, yes,” Rezo responds after a moment of being taken aback. “That sounds most diverting.”

kaiba | orange (yelling heights)

[blue_ice]

wayward wanderer

Kaiba's usual stony expression betrays the slightest bit of uncertainty this time. Farm work is absolutely not his area of expertise, not in the slightest. He squeezes into the room and pauses a moment to gather his thoughts, seated at a table with his hands folded loosely.

"I hate every part of this."

yelling heights: dralite egg task (finding and protecting)

Kaiba's expression becomes even more sour as they reach the forest. That constant backdrop of screeching is going to be the end of his calm. He's careful to step lightly, and his eyes are constantly scanning for potential threats. He can't promise he won't zap a ruthless attacker, but he'd rather not.

At last he finds an egg that has precariously landed on some low branches. He carefully wraps it in his hoodie and cradles it, searching for a safe place to set it. The mother will likely be returning soon, so he shouldn't take it too far. Unfortunately there are a few monkeys screeching and coming closer, and he wraps his arms tighter around the egg.

"No."

All he gets, naturally, is a screech in response and a swing of a tail. He jumps and tries to rush past them. Are they picking up rocks to throw?

yelling heights: hunting fruit cup task

Once most of the eggs are safely nestled away (and his head is thoroughly ringing), Kaiba's next task is to help with potion ingredients. He's not the most practiced tree climber, so he turns his attention to something closer to the ground: fruit cups. Potent plants surrounded on all sides by vines that will ensnare him if he gets too close.

He needs to somehow pick the flower without touching the vines, and he bends over, fingers outstretched...no, even his limbs aren't quite long enough. So he sits on the ground a safe distance away with his toolbox, holding a pair of wire cutters, a few long branches, and a scrap cloth that he's taping to a branch in the form of a net. If he can rig the wirecutters to move even when dangled at a distance, and somehow scoop up the plant without getting caught...

There's probably an easier solution than this makeshift mess if he would just ask for help.

yelling heights: hunting fruit cup task

[ironchef]

After a couple of minutes of wondering what Kaiba's doing, suddenly Hunk calls out a sharp "Wait! Wait wait, I've got an idea. Hold on."

He takes off his pack and things start coming out. Clothes. Water bottle. Self-made rations, And then, helpfully? Tongs. Because he figured he might have to cook out here so there was some basic cooking supplies. And tongs? Super important.

He jogs over to Kaiba. They're long enough handled to be useful for this, at least.

"Here! Try these. Pull them closer and then snip. I can catch what you cut off."

Bucky/Soldat | MCU | Purple team, occasionally slipping to Blue

[worthallthis]

I. Pre-Mission Prep

As everyone gets their things together (and Soldat does, too) Soldat can be found moving around between people on Purple and Red team with their usual Arms band on, and passing out the usual wrapped bundles of food: a quarter loaf of lembas, a few baked pies full of meat and/or vegetables (they ask if you are a vegetarian before offering the right bundle), six homemade granola bars, six fruit bars (think fig newtons), and six cookies.

"If you need more, you can always find me," they assure anyone who looks dubious, though they're more likely to be dubious about being handed a wrapped bundle of anything pre-mission than specifically over how much is in the bag.


II. The Inn

Oh this is amazing. Soldat takes a quick tour of the inn, being very polite and friend, then offers to help in the kitchen, since they clearly have a lot of people to feed.

Going forward, at least a couple hours of each say when they're not far afield will be spent in the kitchen, tablet up with music playing (often to the delight and/or annoyance to the local kitchen staff), as they bounce around making huge meals for anyone coming by.


III. Field Hand

Soldat stays close by for now, focusing on dealing with debris, hauling heavy things, and simple fixes like mending fences and roofs and such. They're not doing a lot of hunting for the first day or three, but can be found directing people to support side beams while they heave up the formerly load-bearing chunks and haul them out of wreckage, or wheeling heavy carts of stone to recobble roads, or using their shiny metal arm to shoo wildlife away from the flocks. They also keep whipping out snacks and sharing them with locals while they much.

They look the happiest they've been in a while. This is good, honest work, and they don't even have to kill anything to do it. Anybody coming by gets waved over. "Got a minute to hold this for me?"


IV. For the Birds

It's not technically Soldat's job to look after dralite babies, but the innkeeper sent them out into the nearby woods to collect some herbs, and somehow they wound up with one of the hatchlings clinging to their neck, cheeping ferociously. They don't have their home-made earplugs from Beacon anymore, but they do have headphones, so they have those on and playing very loudly as they trek through the forest looking for the right nest.

Help a guy out? He doesn't know what he's doing, here.


IV. Guard Duty

Finally a group of farmers and Voidtreckers are making a trek to some further fields, and Soldat can't in good conscience let them go alone. So he makes up a big batch of pasta back in the inn to leave behind, makes sure their current projects are wrapped up, and settle in for the trek with their rifle at the ready when they all clear out.

"You coming along, too?" they ask another Voidtrecker on duty, as well. "Want to take point or rear?"

The Inn

[averyusefultray]

Hera fully intends to get out in the field, but right now she's still here and there are still a lot of initial setup tasks to take care of.

She's more... well, at ease probably isn't quite the right word for her state on a mission. But she's focused and that seems natural on her now that they're out in the field. She doesn't need the manufactured activity of trying to use train chores to replace ship maintenance.

Plus she's developing certain habits. Soldat has the cooking well in hand but the thing about cooking large meals is they use an abundance of pots and pans. "I can give you a hand on cleanup."

Cooking is well outside her skillset, but there's no excuse to not know how to do dishes.

[bruiserprincess]

Farmlands- Cleanup

It's pretty obvious where Molly's going to be the most useful. As much fighting as they might need to do, she heard the words heavy debris so she'll be heading to the farms to help out.

She's looking around for the biggest pieces of debris and lifting them over her head while her eyes glow pink. "Where does this need to go?"

Farmlands- Naptime

It is... possible that Molly is not always the best at knowing what her limits are. They're higher than they used to be but they definitely still exists. So eventually it does reach a point where she sets down what she was carrying and then stumbles toward the nearest fellow Voidtrecker.

Naptime

[silver_eyes_rose]

Ruby blinked as she saw Molly approaching her. She looked really out of it.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, blinking.

Zelgadis [OTA, Purple]

[gathersnomoss]

Scrublands — Earthmoving
Zelgadis is finally understanding his limits. Which is why after he spotted the rockfall on the road, he sent up a light spell as a flare, then landed to move the rocks physically rather than using more earth magic. He could manage a decent amount with a shovel and his own strength, but the pile was barely dented. Zelgadis was seated on one of the rocks he did move, taking a break and having some water.

“It might actually be more efficient to just use magic, then be useless for the rest of the day.”

Or he could go back to the nearest farmstead and get heavier equipment than hand tools. Even a wheelbarrow would help.

Forest — Menaced by Goats
It turned out that, like many creatures, the local wild goats didn’t like bright lights flashed in their eyes. It also turned out that the local goats held a grudge and would chase someone trying to get their attention all the way back to the forest until Zelgadis could find a tree sufficiently old that the goat wasn’t going to knock it down.

Well, this small group of goats was not going to be bothering the herds of livestock. At least as long as Zelgadis was in the tree. He’d just need to cast a flight spell without the goats noticing him leaving. “Don’t you have a bridge to cross or something?” He asked them.

Voidstorm [locked to Rezo]
Zelgadis had been watching the weather as much as he could. The one void storm he’d weathered on the train had taught him to respect it as much as regular storms. Which, it was a mountain, they could rise up quickly. Like one now appeared to be doing. In addition to the change in the wind and the clouds, Zelgadis could hear something else on the edge of hearing that sounded like voices, and saw flashes of color.

No way he would make it back to the nearest actual settlement, but he’d seen a small hut the shepherds might use if they needed to spend the night out here, and it was better than his tent. After that, weather the effects as much as he could, and then stagger back to civilization.

Of course he was still keeping an eye out for either threats or fellow Voidtrekkers. Thankfully, the goats and the rodents were smart enough to also be seeking shelter from the weather.

Wildcard
My plotting post is here if you want another option.

Voidstorm w/ the grandson

[redprayer]

Rezo hasn’t had trouble noticing or finding this void storm. The singing of the void, the roar of the wind, the pounding of rain and hail, all those were easy for him to observe. He’d even braved his way into it, in spite of the way it made his skin crawl and his head throb. The monsters and the maladies were straightforward enough, really.

The real problem was finding the void tear.

The tears, apparently, would be distinguishable from the rest of the storm by the bright whirl of color that they shone upon the ground. Simple enough.

If you weren’t Rezo.

He’d spent a little while in the storm now, roaming about and refusing to admit that there was something that he was supposed to do, but couldn’t. When he’d finally retreated to look for shelter, he still couldn’t entirely frame it as giving up.

He just needed to dry himself off. And deal with the headache. And take a moment to strategize.

It is thus a very frazzled Rezo who, when he finds a shepherd’s hut tucked away at the edge of the storm, does not stop to consider that his great-grandson may be in it, and may be less than pleased to see his estranged great-grandfather burst in, resembling something like a six foot tall red-and-purple drowned rat.

Nell, OTA , Orange

[nell_of_soulwood]

Weary Wanderer

Since she was here Nell decided she might just as well lend a hand with the cooking and cleaning as people got settled in and figured out where they were heading off to. It was pretty clear that her talents would be best used in finding the plants and herbs as well as helping to make the tinctures and potions, but for now she'd help out here the best she could and make sure that those doing the majority of the planning were fed and cared for.


Forest

The purple stars were too high up for Nell to get to easily, but having an eye for that sort of thing meant she could point them out to others more able to harvest them. Eventually, though she made her way deeper into the forest to find the fruit cups. Here she would sit outside a cluster of the fruit cups and spider plants, hands on the earth, encouraging thr fruit cups to grow further up and around the spider plants so that they could be more easily harvested. She still got tangled up in the sticky vines more frequently then she wanted, but it wasn't hard to convince the spider plants to let her go. Still, by the time she'd harvested a good two sacks full of the flowers she was exhausted.

Farmlands
Nell had finally made her way to one of the villages with as many of the fruit cup flowers and purple star leaves as she could carry. She chuckled to herself as she went, feeling like a pack mule with her body draped with bags and bags of the herbs. It took her closer to a full day to arrive, but she eventually arrived and found someone to show her to where they were making the teas and tinctures.

She could be found talking with the villagers as they worked with the herbs, adding in a suggestion or two of her own as to how something might best be made.

When the heat from the boiling of the herbs got to be too much she'd head outside for a breath of fresh air or to eat something to recoup her strength.

Wildcard

Come find Nell anywhere doing something else!

Forest

[cureofmanyworlds]

"Wow, you got a lot...!"

Nozomi couldn't help but notice Nell and the work she had done. Being connected to nature sure had its uses. However, before Nozomi could speak again, the poor girl was beaned by another rock.

"Would you stop?! Stupid monkeys!"

Xie Lian | Purple Team

[lucklessgege]

Breaking Boulders
Xie Lian thought he could help in the kitchen but it seems some of his trainmates thought he would be better off helping with clearing of debris. He isn't sure why they think he should be kept out of the kitchen but he does think that harder labor is going to be more what he is better suited for.

He reaches down and easily starts to pick up some of the larger debris. He has done manual labor for hundreds of years. His body is far stronger then he appears so he is well suited for this task. He tosses the large rocks out of the path, wondering if he should break them into smaller ones so that they are less problematic.

He pauses to wipe his brow with his sleeve. "This shouldn't take too long." Of course there are far more paths to clear.

Herbal Remedies
He is not really the best choice when it comes to cooking, but someone has felt he can handle the task of boiling herbs. This might be a poor choice as well but for now he has been left with a pot full of water and leaves and he is stirring it to make sure they don't burn.

He is very attentive to the pot in his care. He stares at it very intently. "I wonder if I should add some things to it."

Patrol the Perimeter
He isn't afraid to help out wherever he needs to. And that includes making sure none of the predators lurking in the area stay away from the farmers and their stock. But sometimes it seems like he is just on an afternoon stroll as he walks along te perimeter.

He holds his hand up to cover his eyes as he turns his face towards the sky. "I wish I had a head covering." He muses, missing the old hat that was given to him centuries before. He doesn't know why it didn't come with him on the train but now he misses it.

Wildcard
[If you need Xie Lian for any other missions let me know!]

breaking boulders

[blitzcheer]

How many super strong people do they have?

"Just let us know if you need anything, okay?" He's holding out a sports bottle, one of the ones filled with water often and handed out. "We might need to break down this mess and move it around, create some walls so we don't just get more coming down."

Thankfully, a few people knew about landslide prevention in the teams.

Senku Ishigami | OTA | Orange, tiny bit of Blue

[10billionpercent]

The Inn – Quicksand 7

Senku was not terribly good at tasks that involve traveling and dragging things back, so he offered his help in the kitchen. There would be more to do, but he couldn’t help but offer some assistance so he could keep his ear to the ground, to hear whatever information he could get.

There was a huge container of potatoes needing to be peeled, and he just shrugged to himself and sat down and started.

He glanced up when someone else came in. “Got into this one too? Knives are over there.” He pointed at a counter and kept peeling.

Foraging – Quicksand 8

Since the food situation had improved significantly since they were on Irivar, Senku no longer felt the need to forage or hunt for the train. However, that was the goal here since they were looking for specific plants that were at the top of trees.

He looked at the tree and tilted his head, pressing his hand to the bark as he considered his options. He could hear monkeys in the distance and he hoped he wouldn’t catch their attention. That would be the most ideal.

Senku turned to see a teammate passing by. “Hey.” He whispered, beckoning. “Can you watch my back for monkeys?” He summoned out of his arms band a length of rope and wrapped it around the tree to give him something to hold onto.

“If we’re sneaky enough hopefully they won’t notice us.”

Potion making – Quicksand 9

“Ah.” He said, to get attention as he was looking around. “There’s instructions around here right?”

It would be easier if someone had them already, but he could go find them if he needed to. “I brought some of the ingredients, I can help, just tell me what to do.”

Landslide Aid – Quicksand 10

Senku wasn’t the best at hiking or traveling, but since some people were cut off there was no reason not to turn his attention that way.

For one thing, they could need medical help, for another he could bring a lot of food and water without carrying it, thanks to his arms band.

“Anyone interested in going to those who are stranded?” He called.

It was safer not to go alone, after all.

Any Night

Luck was on their side in this world because there was a beautiful, clear night sky. Sure, it had unfamiliar void streaks and probably unfamiliar stars but it had been so long.

Too long.

Senku could be found a number of places, either on the roof of the inn, or lying in a field hoping for luck to hold out so he could lie on his back and look at the stars.

This to him, was downtime. Time to think, time to just exist and time to marvel at the wonders of the universe, something he desperately loved. He’s smiling, it’s soft and reflective, but approaching will get a gentle smile of acknowledgement.

Wildcard

[Choose your own adventure. Senku will be staying in the blue/orange areas, but who knows, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t need help in combat for example. Hit me up with anything.]

Landslide Aid – Quicksand 10

[yondu]

Yondu, at least, isn't bad at it. He can't fuckin' fly or do any ninja shit, but he's gotten a whole lifetime worth of hardiness and his joints haven't given up yet! At least he's good for that.

"Yeah, I'll come with ya." He goes to get his pack, figuring it'd be better to escort Senku there. He's got a hell of a lot of hardass friends and could do better than Yondu but, eh.

Might as well make sure he doesn't get goat-butted into a voidhole or something.

Lan Wangji | Blue Team

[weisexual]

Dralite
He currently has one of the little bird things wrapped around his neck as he tries to find its next. Carrying for small animals is something he won't readily admit to enjoying but...he does have practice at it. So he is doing his best to escort each of these lost little creatures to their appropriate nests.

He doesn't know how many he has helped at this point but he is working on helping another one as he moves from nest to nest.

Moving supplies
He is currently working on collecting some of the supplies that are needed by people cut off by landslides and other blockages. He has been gold that there are people who need help so of course he is going to do his best to do so. He feels even more inclined to help considering he wasn't around to help anyone in the last few weeks. A guilt has settled inside of him about his absence when there were those that needed help.

So now he is fully prepared to work until it is time for sleep. He doesn't care how many trips it takes or how long the distance is, he will get everyone anything they need.

He starts to take an inventory to make sure he has everything he needs.

Wildcard
[Open to him helping with any task if you want him anywhere or anything else you might want to do.]

Moving supplies

[yondu]

It takes him a moment to be sure. Not his Wangji. Got it. But still a Wangji, and Wangjis in general are pretty reliable guys to have around.

"I think we got some cleared paths if we go above the landslides an' work our ways down. Hold up."

He pulls up his wrist and taps the map on the SCA. "I went that way earlier and it wasn't too unstable. I think the worst has passed in that region. You heard any differ'nt from anybody else?"

Wash | Purple (+1 Red task) | OTA

[unrecovered]

1. Mission-Oriented

Wash is determined to do what he can on this mission. He hadn't been able to do a damn thing when most of his teammates had been lost, incorrectly tethered, back home but not really - he hadn't been able to help anchor - but this? Fight monsters, protect people, help rebuild? This is Faerun shit. He's got this.

(Never mind that he disappears for about an hour after they get settled in the inn, or comes back with a huge grey cat draped across his shoulders. Find Familiar takes some time, after all, and he's missed Athena.)

He can be found helping ferry people from place to place, holding off the threats from the forest that have made their way to the roads. He can also be found helping move debris, and if you look like you're capable of lifting something large, he may reach out to you and ask you for a hand. And if you hear a thunderclap in the farmlands, it's not a void storm - it's him, using Thaumaturgy to try to drive a pack of bloodthirsty chinchillas back into the woods.

Lend him a hand - much as he might try, no man is an army, even if he does have a fae cat helping out.

2. Monster Hunter

He'd heard about the voidblobs. He'd been warned. Somehow, he still wasn't expecting to come across one, and while he's not completely unprepared, he's still not happy. He's lost his rifle somewhere in the grass, and he doesn't have time to look for it while this thing is on his ass; instead, he's doing his best to fight some horrifying amalgamation of buffalo and hyena that has way too many eyes with his borrowed sword. He parries a set of claws and dodges to the side as Athena, furious and unable to help, hisses and yowls from out of reach. Her yowling and his yelling are certainly catching attention. "Why are you immune to swords? What the hell!"

Help him, or watch and laugh and pray the voidblob doesn't turn on you. Both are legitimate strategies.

3. Meow

The camp is, if not peaceful, at least calmer than most places. Wash has finally sat down for some rest and some food, because there's no point in pushing if it'll just cause him to collapse. Athena fusses long enough to make sure that he is taking care of himself, and once she's satisfied he's resting, she moves on to the rest of the camp. He'd told her the mission tenets, and one of them is making teammates feel better, and she can definitely do that. She's a cat, after all. People love cats.

To that end, you may find a very large, very fluffy grey Norwegian forest cat rubbing against your ankles or settling very insistently into your lap. Time for you to relax. Relaxing is good. Let her purr all over you.

4. Wildcard

[Got other ideas? Hit me up or write a separate prompt!]

Meow

[bakegarasu]

Otoha is sitting and eating some lembas bread when he feels something rub up against him. He looks down to see a cat and he smiles a little bit.

"Hey there." He scoots back and offers his lap, digging in his pockets for anything that might be appropriate for a cat... nope, nothing. "Sorry I don't have a treat for you, but you can stick with me for a while if you want."

Ruby Rose | Purple (main), Red | OTA

[silver_eyes_rose]

Yelling Heights: Forest - Dralite Taxi Service

"Okay... that's too many... help...!"

Ruby had expected things to be easy with the Dralites - plug up her ears, find lost babies, return them to home. Too bad the little creatures decided that she was going to be really helpful.

Now, there's a purple-hoodied girl in a red cape with a large gathering of feathered creatures latched to her head, making her look like a large dandilion.

"Could one of you move so I can see? If you want me to get you home, I need to see!"

Farmlands - Fencing... not that kind

Ruby sighed as she found herself helping other farmers with building a fence. They can't help but tease and prod the poor girl who seems out of her area in dealing with such a thing, but she's trying.

"Are you sure you need me for this? I'm sure others are out there..." Ruby began.

"Young'n, you need more meat on your bones and hard work's a good way to get it!" a farmer replied.

"I know, but... augh..." She groaned, surrendering.

"At the end of the day, you'll be sore, but you'll come to realize it was worth it!" the farmer said.

Voidblobs

A) Ruby had been wandering the roads in search of others, intending on helping them out when she caught sight of the strange creatures before her. A group of two, maybe three of them, harassing a group of farmers.

She quickly hit her SCA to get others' attention before she raced in, slashing at one beast with Crescent Rose.

"Back away from them!" she shouted. The trio got her attention. Good, that means the farmers can escape. "You want someone, go after someone who can fight!"

Hopefully someone can come in the nick of time...

B) Perhaps this was way too much for Ruby. One really heavy blow from a voidblob sent her flying into a rock. Her Aura fizzled by the strike, her cloak coming loose and hanging on the rock and Crescent Rose dropping too far for her to grab.

She was regretting this as she watched helplessly as the voidblob approached her, its gelatinous body covering her feet and trying to draw her in.

"N-No..." she uttered, scared. Okay, she could use the help now!

Wildcard

(OoC: Free to do just about anything else! Hit me up if you have ideas or start one up!)

Voidblobs B

[healerscorned]

Ruby! Catch!

[Nia throws the Catalyst Scimitar towards Ruby. Should she succeed in catching it, strength will fill her body as a glowing blue tether forms between her and Nia.]

Zelda | Orange | OTA

[wisdominshadows]

I. Pre-Arrival

"No dreams," Zelda notes quietly as the announcement rings though the train. "That's interesting."

A product of the void storms, perhaps? Or of the fact that it was the Ministry summoning them? Without any information, it's hard to guess. Still pondering the issue, Zelda makes her way to the greenhouse. A few extra Deku nuts couldn't hurt in an emergency, after all.

II. The Forest

It's been a long time since she had to climb anything like this, but Zelda is patient and not completely out of practice. So she makes her way up slowly and carefully as Impa taught her, and keeps an eye out for branches that might hold her weight.

The problem? The inhabitants of the forest are also quite fond of those branches. The monkeys in particular seem to take an inordinate interest in pushing the trespasser down the tree.

So if you see a flash and hear a bit of indignant simian shrieking coming from the trees a few minutes later? Well- as it turns out, those Deku nuts really are coming in handy.

III. Villages

"Is there a witch or alchemist here? I have some purple star leaves for them."

She pulls out a decent number of leaves, counting them as she hands them over.

"If not, I might be able to help. I saw the recipe at the last village I visited, and there are a few fruit cups in my pack as well."

Pre-Arrival

[silver_eyes_rose]

“Zelda?”

Ruby had been further back in the train when the announcement came up, prompting the Huntress to pass through the greenhouse. Doing so meant meeting up with the princess.

“Something wrong?”

Ronan Lynch | Orange | OTA

[devilofaboy]

[ooc: I'll also match prose if you prefer!]

i. The Weary Wanderer

[After disembarking from the train, Ronan followed the group to the inn, looking over the maps of the area and figuring out which issues he wanted to tackle first. He wasn't very interested in gathering herbs or assisting with helping people directly (he was sure there were plenty of others who were better suited for those things), but the things that involved animals had his attention more than the rest.

After mapping out a plan of attack, he tucked himself into a corner of the room, out of the way, more or less out of sight, and dreamed. Nothing extraordinary seemed to happen, but after he straightened up again he had a pair of what seemed to be regular black earmuffs. Anyone was welcome to approach him as he looked them over, turning them this way and that in his hands.]

ii. Yelling Heights; forest

[The Dralites were something else, that was for sure. They weren't super strange compared to some of the other things he'd seen, so he didn't really bat an eye at their appearance. He approached one of the young ones with caution, talking in a low, calm voice, earmuffs looped around his neck but not yet over his ears.]

Easy there. I'm here to help you, got it? Don't bite my face o-

[Before he could finish his sentence, the baby Dralite leaped at him, scrambling up his back and clutching at his neck and shoulders. Though he hated himself for it immediately after, Ronan jumped. As soon as he realized the Dralite wasn't actually attacking him, he scowled.]

So that's how it's going to be, huh?

[Reaching up, he pulled his earmuffs on, a task that was harder now that the Dralite was clinging to him, but he succeeded in the end. The earmuffs blocked out all sound, so if you wanted his attention you'd best move where he could see you, first.]

iii. Yelling Heights; scrublands

[Ronan had grown up on a farm. He'd lived around animals his whole life. Herding animals wasn't the easiest task in the world but he knew what he was doing. He got the sheep clustered into a group first and then started the arduous task of guiding them back to the farm where they belonged.

Every now and then, one of them spooked or got the bright idea to try and make a break for it, which brought the whole operation to a halt, more or less, while Ronan looped around to gently herd the sheep back with its fellows. The task would have been easier on horseback or with a partner, but seeing as how he was currently on his own, he was doing his best.]

iv. Lower Lands; farmlands

[Ronan looked like a mess. And he smelled like animals. Goats, specifically. Probably because he was currently carrying three of them with another trotting along at his ankles. There was a goat in a sling on his back and he carried a baby goat in each hand, cradled against his chest.

He'd rescued all of them from different predicaments, either trapped in holes or stuck in mud or- you get the picture. Despite the mess and being covered in mud and dirt though, he looked almost at home.

One of the goats in his hands bleated, little tail wiggling.]

I know. I'm taking you back to your family; you'll see them soon.

scrublands

[longforgottenpromise]

[Taiki had had a similar idea, about it being easier on horseback. Or at least it being easier in kirin form and he was attempting some herding of his own. It wasn't the most successful but he is at least fast in kirin form and can fly, which puts him at an advantage over the sheep.

There's a small flock, coming down the hill now, about to clash into Ronan's group, pursued by a black horse-deer type creature, horn protruding from its head.]

[averyusefultray]

Weary Wanderer and Beyond

This is a far reaching mission and as usual Purple team has objectives that require a lot of spreading out. And that sort of scope is what sends Hera into General Syndulla mode regardless of the timeline of that apparently forthcoming promotion.

She'll be checking in with anyone from Purple along with those she knows might be working toward similar goals. Anyone who meets those criteria will get asked where they're planning to head next so she can nudge people together and know where everyone is in case someone drops out of contact.

"Don't forget to comm if you get in trouble and bring enough rations."

General Syndulla also occasionally resembles Mom.

Escort Duty

Hera's never been one to ignore those in need and understands how vital it is to keep the supply lines moving in a crisis. She'll be happy to provide protection to locals as they move along to the further flung communities.

"They know the route better than we do, but there could still be plenty of surprises," she notes to her Voidtrecker companion.

Cleanup Duty

SOmetimes supply lines mean protecting people from danger on the road. Sometimes they mean making sure there actually is a road. She'll join in on the cleanup project and keep an eye out for more places that need attention... and there do always seem to be more of those.

"The last supply run ran into more obstacles than we expected, it's not going to work long term until we get that debris out of the way."

Cleanup

[worthallthis]

"If we dig at some of the mud around it," Soldat offers, giving the mess a critical once-over. Sarge is helpful here, with his war knowledge. "I can lever the tree trunk out of the way. Then someone can maybe plane it for repairs in town."

Ple Two - OTA - Blue

[pleple]

1 - WW

It's nice to have such a warm welcome. How much do the people here know about why this is happening again? It's not like it's their fault, and and she really doesn't truly blame the Express either despite its failed experiment, but she's not the one having a relatively peaceful existence interrupted. She'll find whatever local hot beverages are available and sit peacefully, listening to the planning.

"Manual labor... animal care..." she mutters, mulling it over. "I might be best suited for tracking people down. I can usually feel anyone intelligent enough to count as a 'person' better than I can an animal." While Ple Two is far less hopeless around animals than she was, she's still better with anyone she can talk to.

2 - Fruit of the Forest

And gathering potion ingredients, apparently. Sharp eyes are good for tracking down the plants, and she's small and nimble and not as prone to getting tangled - while having good enough skills with a blade to cut around the plants she can't avoid. She's trying not to hack the ecosystem up too much, but the fruit cups are paramount.

"I might need a hand actually reaching this one..." She turns to whoever's nearby, faced with an annoyingly dense tangle.

3 - Blob of the Forest

Mostly, Ple Two has been using her sense for danger and her fleet footwork to try to avoid confrontations. She's armed and packing healing equipment, but a gun and a few charges of healing are very much more of a support role.

And there's a Voidblob shambling out of the tangle around a fruit cup she was going for.

Slowly backing away, she glances around silently for help. She can fight it, surely, on her own, but that doesn't mean she wants to push her limits already, if she can help it.

1 - WW

[yondu]

"I think you're probably right."

Best thing about military training at least was good for helping find people. "I'm thinkin' maybe if we could find a mage capable of it we could set up a light trail through the woods. Somethin' people could follow should they happen across it.

"Or chuck some glowsticks if the Ministry thought to bring any of those."

He doesn't know why he hasn't thought to stockpile those, honestly. But it seems like lights are an easy thing for lost people to follow.

Vegeta | Red Team | OTA and one closed

[renegadeprince]

I – Arrival and The Weary Wanderer
Their arrival location seemed rather unassuming considering what they came here for, but Vegeta supposes that would make sense; a place more suited to deal with such events wouldn’t need them here in the first place. And their mission seemed simple enough, at least for Red Team; take out alien risks, protect locals, shut down the source of the invaders. He will leave aside any thoughts towards the message they received regarding the cause of said voidtears, however he does keep it in the back of his mind to bring up later with certain people he’s spoke with about all of this going on.

As always Vegeta is prepped in his armor and any supplies he has brought have been hidden within his capsule. Though the inn they arrive at is a nice alternative for the mean while at least. He’ll make plans with others to how to start this all, for how and where Red Team will spread themselves out to keep others safe and finding these threats. Armed up with earplugs to deal with the dralites, he’ll head in with those going to the forest first.

Return of the Oozaru – found below and closed to selected CR

II – Aftermaths – Quicksand 8
Considering everything that had happened the night before… Vegeta is using this day to rest up. Any injuries that have happened have been cared for, and while he’s not totally exhausted, he still needs time to recover. As typical after a fight, he was starving, so much food is needed to replenish all that ki used during his transformations. Luckily he’s learned to come prepared on missions now days, always having more than enough on him, including a good supply of the Lemba bread that is available on the train.

As the day drags on he will fly over to see the damage he has caused to the scrublands during his rampage, making a note to try and make up for what he has done in the coming days and to help repair what he has destroyed.

III – From the Void – Quicksand 9 onwards
Fully recovered and with a new form to try out, Vegeta will head out with the Red Team into those storms as they spring up, looking for voidtears to close. While he may not enjoy it, he is capable of putting up with the changes in weather, ignoring it for the most as they work on their mission. He will take up an active role in helping to close the tears themselves, or to defend those who are doing so from voidblobs as they pop up.

In a way he may appear more suited for the Red Team in his new form he’s unlocked, the red fur of Super Saiyan 4 matching much better than his typical blue and white armor as he uses these missions to trial out just what this transformation can do.

IV – Wildcard

Return of the Oozaru – Closed to selected CR

[renegadeprince]

In a sense this is his own fault, Vegeta had gotten so relaxed with not needing to keep track of moon cycles he hadn’t even considered the risk of stumbling across one on a mission and being surprised by it. It’s while they are getting settled in for their first night at the inn that he is speaking with Trunks and Yondu outside of it in the night air, making plans for the following days. There was certainly enough light from the sky for him to register a presence of at least one moon, but to not consider consciously that he may had arrived during the planet’s full moon and to be cautious of that. Or maybe it’s just part of Saiyan nature, to be drawn to it even without realizing.

Whatever it is, it’s during their conversation that his eyes are drawn to the sky, more meant as a glance than anything, when his gaze locked onto that moon. And stayed there. It takes a moment for his brain to catch up to just what had happened, to feel that tremor travel down his spine. No… this is not how he wanted this to happen, he had wanted a controlled location where he could choose when this would happen, not… this. But that wasn’t important right now, it had already triggered what was going to happen.

Gritting his teeth tight, Vegeta shot a hand out to grab the front of Trunk’s shirt, pulling him in to make sure he had his attention, before managing to get out. “Follow where I go. Bring him. Warn the others to stay back.” The release of his son was almost a push, to get him back as Vegeta jettison himself skywards into the air. It’s half controlled, half the force to throw himself away as fast as possible, and hopefully towards a location where no citizens of the planet reside. He manages to angle himself towards what felt like empty grounds, fighting that change, that mental shift that was clawing at his brain, however towards the top of his flight it seems to take over enough for him to just crash land against the mountainside of Ciyesia, landing heavily within the rock face.

Rezo | Red Team | OTA

[redprayer]

Weary Wanderer and Thereabouts (approx. Q7)

Maps are somewhat hit or miss for Rezo, who has to read the ink with his fingertips; generally, the simpler and less detailed a map is, the more likely it is to actually be legible to him. The innkeeper at least is obliging enough to let him inspect them, and the first one he can actually read he takes aside to a table in the dining area where he runs his fingertip along it, brows furrowed.

Besides trying to decipher the maps, Rezo will also be speaking with the innkeeper and her children about the situation, and you may overhear Rezo nodding along seriously to Maia and Enero lecturing him about the proper handling of dralites or what to do during a voidstorm.

The Scrublands and Such (approx. Q8-Q9) - cleanup, animal herding, fighting wildlife

At some point during the night there was apparently a disturbance up in the scrublands. The disturbance itself has been handled by other people, apparently, but it’s as good a reason as any to head out there by the break of dawn.

Perhaps surprisingly, Rezo will mostly be working on clearing the roads; but rather than use a shovel and/or wheelbarrow like a normal person he’s relying on his earth shamanistic magic to do the trick. You may notice him chanting incantations that cause the rubble to shift itself into more convenient positions, or supervising constructs of living rock as they carry debris to out of the way places.

While it’s not specifically one of his assigned duties, Rezo also takes the time to help out the farmers he comes across, and at one point he finds himself having to drag a sheep back to its fold. Fortunately, it seems to understand that Rezo is A Friend. Unfortunately, it also seems to be under the impression that his hoodie is delicious.

You may see Rezo gently but firmly pressing his hand against the head of a nanny goat, trying to wrestle it away from his sleeve. “No, stop that. We are headed for your pasture right now, and once we’ve arrived, you can-” The goat chomps down on Rezo’s sleeve again. “You’re not listening to a word I say, are you?”

Alas, it’s more than Rezo’s wardrobe that runs into danger. While he’s patrolling the area for lost lambs literal and figurative, he attracts the attention of a horn-crowned goat who does not appreciate the presence of Rezo and his noisy staff. With a thundering of hooves, it begins to charge down a slope at Rezo-

“Bomb Di Wind.”

-only to get knocked off its hooves and several feet back up the slope by a gust of wind with enough force to move a thick log around, let alone a poor disgruntled ram.

The Farmlands and Between (approx. Q9-Q10) - medical care, perimeter protection

Once he feels like he’s done a reasonable amount in the scrublands, Rezo journeys down the mountain and heads through the forest and towards the farmsteads. He opts to leave the Weary Wanderer behind, and when he gets tired before reaching civilization, to set himself up a campfire and makeshift shelter. If you’re also traveling after dark, you may spot him seated in front of his fire, looking pensive.

As soon as he arrives at the nearest farmstead Rezo wastes no time in asking about where he’s needed, and gets to work on healing farmers, livestock, maybe even other voidtreckers if they’d like. Of course, the locals have been treating themselves well enough, but white magic can certainly get people back on their feet faster, and you’ll often find Rezo with his hands outstretched towards an injured someone or something, alight with the glow of healing magic.

And of course he’ll be joining others in patrolling the perimeters of the farmsteads and villages, so you’ll also find him traversing the region keeping an ear out for hostiles.

Wildcard (HMU)

Rezo will be doing his level best to keep busy during this whole timeframe, so feel free to make up your own starter if you want to interact with him; in particular, he may go out of his way to observe people fight (and intervene if it’s clear they’re getting their asses kicked) and he will chase after voidstorms if he runs into any while he’s out.

scrublands q8

[blitzcheer]

That goat went for a trip.

Last night's event has brought more people over to Ciyesia's scrublands to clear up what can be done for the mountain, or just enough to make a semi-functional path. One that will need more work on done by the locals later on, but the Voidtreckers still had interest in it, with a few potential voidtear leads surrounding this side of the land.

It's mainly for this reason Tidus has showed up around the scrublands from the village, though he doesn't really have anything than manual labour and a search for farm animals he can help with; the latter better than the former, considering some talented people around here.

And speaking of. Tidus hadn't even noticed the goat when he hears the spell, catching it as it's slapped away by the wind. Just let him. Stand there and be amazed at that.

"...something tells me you deal with way bigger problems than any of this."

Like. Just a guess this is some basic stuff for this guy. He saw his golems.

[eternalinquiry]

Yelling forest rescue

Ask any of the Lan Wangji's and they will surely tell you that they like animals, typically the small and fluffy kind. This one is no exception, but his goal is a lot...louder than his usual animal companions. Wangji is on the hunt for lost Dralite babies and their eggs. If a fellow Voidtrecker spots his blue team hoodie in the trees Wangji will be in the process of bolting after a chittering monkey with a shiny black orb in it's grasp.
"Stop that, if you can! The parents of that egg are circling overhead."

Scrubland scuffle

Wangji has got his sword and is somewhat quietly delighted to be able to offer assistance by whizzing over the countryside on it. He's currently herding giant chinchillas back into the forest so the harried farmers can escort their herds home, as non-violently as possible as the animals are only following their nature. He will be glad to have a helping hand or see a friendly face.
"If you are feeling capable, would you mind assisting me with the removal of a large tree? There are some cattle behind it that need rescuing."

The weary wanderer needs a nap
Wangji has been working quite hard, he's the dirtiest anyone has seen him with hoofprints and paw marks on his clothes and dirt on his cuffs. He looks tired and heads for whoever has food or a hot drink.
"Is there any tea available?"

scrubland scuffle

[blitzcheer]

"Whoa-- Wangji! You got this?"

Tidus hasn't been around this side of the map, but on the second day he does take a visit, mainly to gather some of the plant-life to take back to the villagers who know what to do with it. He's come quite a ways up than sticking to the inn, coming across - this sight. Wangji, and a pack of feisty chinchillas.

He's careful about moving more. But if Wangji wants backup, he's got it from Tidus!

Katsuya Jonouchi | OTA | Blue/Orange

[luckydragonsfoot]

[INN CUISINE - D7 EVENING]

Oh MAN th's is great!

[The first day out in the field for Katsuya, goes fairly well. Primarily handling Blue and Orange team matters, he fell right into pattern with herding work and farm efforts. It's a familiar, if anciently so deal, and by the time evening comes he's gladly sitting himself down with a plate of food.

Even if his mouth is. Probably full while he's cheering.] Y' gotta try some of th's, 's real good hot..!

[So he'll say to pretty much anyone in range.]

[The AfterMath (D8ish)]

[Where the first day was relatively simple, the storm that came through the night brings worse with it. Trees and minor wreckage end up strewn about in the affected areas, with fleeing animals making for a vital focus of his work. Of course, panicking beasts also make for clumsy feet-]

Oii- oii, c'mon, it's alrigh'..! [he's trying to assure a little dralite, making shushing sounds as he approaches.] Jus' stay the-

[The dralite starts, unfortunately, to roll.] Aaackk- no no no no no- Oi!

Wait! [he shouts, scrambling foot over log and jumping for the little thing.] Yer' gonna end up in somethin's mouth doin-

GAKG-!

[The dralite, fortunately, ends up in nothing's mouth. Instead, Katsuya ends up face first in the mud, just in time for a monkey to come over to stare at what unfortunate soul just completely beefed it.

And of course.] ....UkiIISHISHISHISHISHISSSS-!

[....It waits until Katsuya raises his head before laughing in his face.]

....real cool, pal...

[The monkey keeps laughing.]

[WILDCARD - Katsuya will be handling Blue and Orange duties primarily, with a focus in search and rescue, particularly for the dralites, so have at it!]

the muddy aftermath

[happyends]

[ Technically Madoka is here to help the poor animals.

.. but it seems like said poor animals aren't the only ones who could use a little help here, huh. Despite the fact that a muddy version of Katsuya lying there wasn't something Madoka expected to find here, it's not like she's just going to leave him there without doing anything.

So before Katsuya knows it - or perhaps before he can be completely ignored and keep some of his dignity as he might have wished - there's already a fussy girl at his side, tugging on his dirty arm. ]

I-I don't think it's a good idea to keep lying around here..

[ Sure, this world might not be as dangerous as some they've visited, but it's still definitely not just sunshine and rainbows.

Quite literally not that, considering all the storms. ]

Emporio Alniño | OTA | Red/Purple

[seacub]

[DAY 7 | INITIAL RED/PURPLE TASKS]

[Such is something Emporio can be heard muttering as he and whoever else he travels with first break through the forest on the first day. It's been a long walk even with any magical or technological help, and while the transgates will make things simpler once established, they all still have to get there to begin with- and Emporio wasn't about to sit around waiting for that.

Not when he'd determined himself most useful on the proactive end of combat this time.] We also have to look out for...voidblobs?

[That one is a statement left hanging in the air.

...at least until much later.

When it comes to the goats and chinchillas, Emporio has a good amount of luck- sending Weather Report after them with gusts of wind, literally carting them to better areas. But then-]

Th...that's a void blob..!?

[So he shouts while Weather tries somewhat in vain to just freeze one down. Emporio might need a hand here!]

[NIGHT 7 | INN]

[It's the middle of the night when it happens. The sound of rumbling, distant through the air. Of a storm raging, trees cracking under the strength of natural force. Emporio shoots up in the middle of the night with an almost shuddering gasp, but manages to quiet himself at the sound.

Even so, he can't help but whisper- not enough to wake any, but certainly loud enough for any already awake themselves to hear-] ...What...was that..?

[DAYS 8-10 | VOIDTEAR SEARCHING]

[Ultimately after the storm there's not much to do save continue on with their task. The most brutal of them being the simple locating- and securing- of the Void Tears in the area. The stormy weather around them is brutal indeed- but Emporio makes heavy use of Weather Report, even as the strain makes him grind his teeth. He can only manage localized control-

But at the very least, he does his best to ease the rain and wind- clearing the air so that they can keep searching the area there. For-]

There-!

[The tear, perhaps? Or instead yet another Voidblob in the way?]

[WILDCARD - Emporio will be working with Red and Purple missions primarily, focusing on searching for Voidtears most of all- with other tasks addressed as he encounters them. Have at!]

[knifewithnoname]

[The voidblobs are new. They were not here last time. They had come with whatever the weird storms were.

The word voidblob conjures up an imagine and when she sees the first one it's... close... She wrinkles her nose.]

We should be shooting it.

For Alice

[knifewithnoname]

A storm had blown in. A void storm that meant rain came with signing and colours and was very weird and uncomfortable. The best thing was to hide in the inn or a barn, or anywhere indoors except it was also the best time to find the tears.

Finding the tears was red teams job and the quicker they could do it the quicker this mission would be over.

She stomped through the inn, to gather some supplies. Whatever food people had made and then looked around. She would need some help. Unfortunately. Voidstorms brought void blobs and they were more difficult than she could deal with on her own.

It's frustrating. Who could she...

"Alice." She hasn't seen the older girl in a while. She's not in red team. But she likes fighting.

[irrationally]

Honestly, Alice wasn't even exactly planning on going out there.

Which is why she's sitting here inside of the inn instead. She's found a corner that has relatively less people - because honestly, it's impossible to find a spot totally devoid of people in this inn - to sit down at a table and sulk. If anything has drained her motivation for these missions, if not just to do anything at all, it was everything that had happened during the month before this one.

Even the idea of smashing things up doesn't exactly provide her with any sense of joy or motivation. Hence why she's just there, slouched over a table, only moving to turn her head when she suddenly hears someone calling out her name.

.. ah. Her. Alice doesn't seem too surprised to see her. If anything, it looks like she's still sulking.

"Were you looking for me?" She simply asks.

Lea- OTA- Blue/Purple

[hotheadwarmheart]

Gathering Up the Lost- Blue

As it turned out, finding displaced people wasn't too difficult. The ones he'd seen tended to stand out, their clothing and sometimes the colors of their skin and hair marking them immediately as not locals, even from a distance. Most of them were even willing to come along with a friendly stranger with a minimum of hassle.

Finding a safe place for them to gather, rest, and- if need be- get medical care was a bit more difficult, but hardly impossible. Though it obviously wasn't going to be a permanent arrangement, it didn't take too long to begin setting up a camp. Campfires were no problem with Lea around, but there were other areas in which he was rather lacking.

As was evident when he approached the camp area supporting a woman with bright pink skin, long blue hair, slit-pupiled yellow eyes, and unusually long fingers. She was walking with a noticeable limp and leaning most of her weight on Lea, one arm hanging onto his shoulders and him with one arm helping hold her up. "Hey," he called into the camp as they approached, though most likely they'd have already been spotted already. "Gonna need a hand here, if anyone's got one." Obviously someone with healing skills would be preferred, but really any help in getting the lady somewhat settled would be appreciated.

Clearing out unwelcome guests-Purple

Lea had learned from his experience with the purple pandas that herding passive animals wasn't really his strongest skill. However, clearing out unwanted animals when one was free to get a bit rough? That was a whole different story. Especially when animals of all stripes tended to be scared of fire.

He was using that fact to his advantage just then to keep several horn-crowned goats at a safe distance and even somewhat herd them where he wanted them by lighting his chakrams on fire and sending them spinning in the goats' direction. The throws weren't meant to do more than graze or singe them, just enough to let them know the danger was real and drive them further from the farmlands where they weren't wanted, but were highly effective nonetheless.

All in all it was going rather well, and the goats were looking about ready to give up and turn tail. But so focused one his horn-crowned adversaries was Lea, that he hadn't noticed the small pack of cute, fluffy terrors in the form of a small pack of Great Chinchillas that were quietly scurrying up behind him.

Clearing Debris/Protecting workers- Purple

Landslides meant a lot of work, and that meant a lot of hands were needed. Fortunately, Lea was rather stronger than his lanky frame suggested, and was well suited to the task of helping out. That didn't mean it wasn't hard work though. Or somewhat repetitive; pick up rock, move it out of the way, repeat. Some conversation would help pass the time. And a drink of water probably wouldn't go amiss either.

Or, when not working, he was perfectly willing to keep an eye out for trouble and act as a guard. Most of the time on these 'guard shifts' nothing much happened, which made the relative downtime perfect chance to grab a quick something to eat that could be consumed without leaving his post, or to have a conversation with someone. Every so often though, something would turn up that proved why the guards were needed. And in those cases, things could get hairy quickly without a bit of backup.

Wildcard

(OOC: Want Lea for something else mission related? Go for it!)

Unwelcome Guests

[unrecovered]

Thankfully, someone else notices the chinchillas - a big fluffy grey cat, Wash's familiar. The chinchillas are of a size with Athena, but that's not about to stop her from running down the foremost one, claws out and yowling loudly. The chinchillas are mean, but fifteen pounds of angry cat is a lot to deal with at speed.

Wash isn't far behind, swinging his sword low and upending several of the chinchillas with the flat of his blade. "Watch your back - you've got flankers!"