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...”

---

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.

---

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.

---

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

2. Herb Gathering

[ironchef]

[Ah, man. Why do all the good herbs have to be way up there, and he be way down here? At least as a big guy he can be a suitable pack mule (not like the tree stars weigh much). The fruit cups? Those are a little easier. He's still big, but good at puzzling his way out of tangles. Happened a lot back in the Voltron days.]

[Ryou's got it under control, though, it looks like, and Hunk calls out a-] Hey, need some help carrying stuff? I got room in my pack. [And, when he gets closer? Oh, right.]

You uh... Hold on. You've got plant in your hair. Mind if I? [He reaches to pluck at it. But someone is definitely going to need some shampoo later.]

scrublands

[knifewithnoname]

Unfortunately for Crowley his fall is witnessed, witnessed by a small girl who luckily had been up a tree before the stampede had even started.

She was scouting around, looking for voidtears and voidblobs and getting some height was important for that. Also for avoiding goats.

She let out a sharp laugh when he fell, not coming down yet. Though she kept an eye on him, to make sure he didn't drown.

[fivemilesdeep]

[He's heard stories of hurricanes, but never witnessed one himself - he's lived his life too far inland for that.]

It's like a thunderstorm with no rain. Just...sound and fury.

[And then Yondu's message comes over the SCAs, and Ryo blinks as it sinks in.]

Or...that.

Guri | Star Wars | OTA - Team Purple

[marvelous_murderbot]

Weary Wanderer - For Alice

She's not really one for sleep - but she's at least made sure there's a charging unit in what could be termed 'her' room. But she also has other considerations in mind, and so she does what she does: she arranges things. People are often just not asked the sort of questions Guri asks, so it's harder for them to say no when caught off guard. She also has a way of asking in the face of obstinate refusal that is just off-putting enough to crack through - her expression is friendly, but with something behind it they can't identify.

It's an old trick she's used many, many times.

So Alice will find a note on the door to Guri's room: "Alice - On Patrol - extra key waiting for you at front desk. Have arranged room for your needs. Will be back soon. Yours, Guri."

The door will be a little bit...heavy, and the reason becomes apparent - there is a mattress strapped to it. There are, in fact, several mattresses in the room. Guri has, in her own way, soundproofed it. She has also left adequate water with a 'drink this!' sign, but there's a little heart on it because she felt the command was unfriendly, but wants to make sure Alice is hydrated.

After the rough month Alice had already had - she has a significant interest in helping things improve.

Displaced People - OPEN

She puts significant effort into finding the displaced, and shepherding them safely back. That didn't come without incident. At the present, she has some of them running at a trot while she brings up the rear, firing her heavy repeating blaster from the hip. Three of the gelatinous things are in hot pursuit, and she can't keep the civilians safe and knock them out at the same time - not three at once, given their speed.

"Assistance requested!" she calls.

Scrublands - Helping Out - OPEN

Granted, she also has significantly higher-than-normal levels of strength - so clearing debris is also something she takes in stride.

"Mind your head!" she calls, turning a corner - with a whole log on her shoulder, at least eight feet long.

First Night - OPEN

Of course when the noises and the rumbling begin, chaos follows. She moves into the night, switching over to her nightvision - a handy little trick thanks to artificial eyes.

Need help stumbling through the dark? She's your human replica droid...well, she's your person. Alice has done a lot to help her, there, with her self-view. Trapped? She's got your back, as the storms close in again.

And perhaps you come across her as she's heaving bits of heavy masonry aside like one might heads of lettuce, yelling to you. "Help me! There are people trapped underneath!"

[apokroteo]

Have you made friends, she asks, and it's such a typical thing for Pahja to do, to ask, that it almost amuses Emet-Selch as is. Unfortunately, he's being dragged out of a quite nice nap and asked to do work, and if it were anyone else he might well simply decide not to do it.

Unfortunately, in the end, he is quite weak to those he cares about. The fact that there are a number of those that he cares for on this strange train is enough to frustrate him entirely.

He's about to make a comment, likely one that is smarmy in nature, when the young boy seems to appear out of nowhere and drops entirely on top of Elidibus. Resisting the urge to laugh, Emet-Selch instead takes a step back, giving the two of them a little space as he tempers his own amusement into something a little more manageable.

"Oh, is that the only thing he need work on?"

Glancing at Pahja, half to check that she is well and to judge her own level of amusement, Emet-Selch breathes out and settles himself down, arms crossed and expression once again it's usual level of calm dispassion.

"I suppose now we might be able to begin?"

[redprayer]

Rezo is attending to another part of the herd when he hears a lamb bleating in distress, followed by Romeo’s concerned voice. Rezo gets to his feet and walks over to Romeo’s side, leaning over where Romeo is crouched.

“Do you see something, my child?”

[schrodingersghost]

"I've never timed that? As long as I need it to be weightless I guess." He shrugs. "Well, I did sort of develop ghost telekinesis a few months ago, but I don't have the greatest control yet. It would probably be easier to just carry it."

[likeyouknow]

What Emet will see is Pahja laughing, loud and unashamed. Oh, Elidibus, when will people stop falling on you? Pahja does not take a step back but instead offers a hand to help Tidus up. Someone has to, and considering that Elidibus is in no state to and Emet would not, she does it without a second thought.

"Do not worry about it," she says to Tidus, "Elidibus may not remember it, but it would not be the first time someone has landed on him suddenly." Has she told Emet that she hadn't traveled into the past once but twice? No, but he can put it together soon enough.

Once she's certain their visitor is back on his feet, Pahja offers another hand to Elidibus, should he wish to take it. "Aye, we had best not keep Emet from his nap. He will get, shockingly, even crankier." Sorry, Emet.

[schrodingersghost]

"Right then," Danny says. And he claps his hands together as he shifted energy sources, sending a beam of pale blue energy at the creature. Wherever it touches ice starts to build up and it slows down.... but it doesn't seem to be doing any other damage.

Monster Hunter

[redprayer]

Rezo is watching- or at any rate, standing to one side of the field and listening intently- but at least he’s not laughing? One gets the impression from the way his hand is tucked under his chin in interest and his pensive expression that he’s on the verge of digging out a pen and taking notes. Or possibly narrating Wash’s battle with the same cadence of David Attenborough commenting on a fight between a polar bear and a walrus.

His primary observations, internally, are that this man seems to be a swordsman more than a sorcerer; and that the voidblob is very, very tough. Well, chimeras usually are…

This observation period honestly isn’t helping Wash OR Rezo very much, so Wash should probably yell at him to get off his ass and either run or help.

[stabgremlin]

"Honestly I'd even settle for a good knife."

Aden had killed plenty of people armed with just a knife throughout the years. He had a love for blaster rifles, sniper rifles, and fragmentation grenades, but the amount of times it had just been him and his knife against someone who should have been able to pop his head like a melon with a thought was quite a bit above zero.

And knives never ran out of ammo either. If he found a couple of poisonous things to add to the blade, even better.

Of course, those were just dreams as of just now. While he'd spotted a few things that seemed somewhat more... He supposed for a world like this it would count as high tech, for the most part he doubted they had the parts necessary to slap together a vibroknife for him.

"And it's less needing help and more being used to having an arsenal available to me at any time. I'm decent in scrap with just my fists, but..."

A vague gesture.

"You know?"

He was sure he could find a weapon or even make one if he ended up being so inclined or if he saw it was a necessity later on. Still, he didn't like feeling quite so underprepared.

[devilofaboy]

[Well that wasn't something you saw every day. The creature herding the sheep looked like something Ronan would dream, though. But a lot of things fell into that category; he had a broad imagination and there was usually little to stop him--except in this place.

But that aside, they were about to have a problem. He tried to redirect his own herd of sheep before disaster of any type could strike, but- a couple of his sheep broke off from the group at the sight of the others.]

God fucking-

[He swore under his breath, jogging to try and cut the sheep off before they got too far.]

[devilofaboy]

Something like that.

[He should probably have been more worried about secrecy but after everything he'd been through it was getting harder and harder to care. It felt like half the world back home knew what he could do and was trying to hunt him down. Once upon a time, he would have never dreamt around other people. He wouldn't have trusted himself not to bring back something extra, but...things felt a little easier here. Maybe it was knowing he had Kavinsky on his side or maybe it was just this place in general.

He wasn't even bothered by her grumpface; he had the same thing going on most of the time, himself. Long silences and unflinching stares were two of his best weapons, paired often with words that cut like a knife. But he'd been pretty mild on the train so far. No one had really won his ire. Yet.

Popping the earmuffs on for a moment, he snapped his fingers next to his ears, nodded in satisfaction, and took the earmuffs off again.]

I figured if I'm going to be dealing with those Dralites I'd need a leg up.

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Oh, goodness, probably not," Guri replied, crouching down and making a show of lifting up one of the fence posts.

"I'm sure that's too complicated for us. So I'll try it this way."

And without further ado, and with bare hands, drives the fence post into the ground, turning to peer at the one a bit down from it, already driven, and pressing down a bit, adjusting the height.

"I mean, look at that. I was off by two whole inches."

[silver_eyes_rose]

And Ruby tumbles over laughing as Guri shows off, leaving the Farmer speechless.

“W-well, I… huh… shows me a thing or two not to underestimate a void travelled…” he said, blinking in shock.

[agathokakological]

What Crowley isn't anticipating more than anything else is what seeing Alice in her sunglasses does to him. It seizes something in his chest and makes him actually rather happy. They had been a gift from him, but moreso they had meant to be helpful, and knowing that he'd done anything to bring her some level of comfort gave him some sort of fatherly pride that he truly would never get used to feeling.

This blessed train and its forced families, making him soft.

He scoots to the side to make room for her, shrugging in response to her suggestion and slapping the base of the open chair. "Sit down, yeah." he replies, looking out around the crowd, "Quick, before someone tries to rope us into anything we don't want to do."

Crowley takes a sip of his coffee, "You don't want me to improvise with your food, by the way. It'll get ugly."

[agathokakological]

Actually, in any other situation it is likely to be him. Animals don't tend to like demons, even hellhounds find them a sufficient snack.

Regardless, Crowley is hardly a damsel in distress (he tends to be the one doing the rescuing). He's hissing at the air when Yondu picks him up, and in his moment of disorientation doesn't exactly realize who has come to his rescue. In fact, he sees an arrow zip through the goat's skull first, and immediately thinks that is the thing he should be afraid of, and starts flailing those gangly limbs until he almost falls back into the water and mud.

Eventually he does turn to look behind him, glasses askew and serpent eyes dilated, then goes limp upon the realization that it's none other than his charming knight in shining red leather or whatever.

"Please don't tell anyone you saw that." he mutters in irritation.

[agathokakological]

As if this could get any worse, of course there's a witness.

Crowley pushes himself up, hopping to the side just in time to only narrowly be clipped by the horn of the goat's crown, which tears off a piece of his jacket and continues running into the trees. "This is bespoke!" he growls after the infernal thing, looking over himself and attempting to shake his hands free of the filthy water covering them.

"Are you enjoying the show?" he calls out, his tone a bit calmer with a deep breath, then grasps the lapels of his jacket and gives them a firm and quick tug as if he's trying to straighten them out, but miraculously all of the mud and water covering him is shook loose at the same moment, leaving him clean and dry.

[unrecovered]

This definitely isn't Wash's best showing. He's fighting with weapons that aren't his, he's already lost one of them in the grass, the unholy amalgamation he's attempting to kill seems to be supremely unbothered by repeated stabbings-

And then there's this guy. This asshole, standing in the back lines, not even laying down any cover fire, just present enough to be a distraction. He'd say watching, if this guy ever opened his eyes; instead, it's just...observing. He has to know that if this thing gets away from Wash, it's going after him next. And yet...here he is.

And he is pissing Wash off.

The one upside of this is the extra spite-fueled strength this whole situation is adding to his blows. One of the creature's heads gets under his guard, and he grapples it, using the momentum and a quick twist to hurl the damn thing a good ten feet away - a feat that would have been impossible without his Athletics-augmented strength, but probably looks impressive enough on his own.

...he shouldn't - it's arrogant and just a bad idea - but fuck it.

He turns quickly to face his observer, sword in hand, arms spread wide. "Are you not entertained?"

His best Russel Crowe isn't very good, admittedly. It doesn't matter - his point is made, the beast is back on its feet, and in the next moment Wash turns and is right back into the heat and rhythm of battle.

Seriously, fuck this guy.

[redprayer]

Rezo will amend that while this man doesn’t seem to have much magical firepower, his strength is certainly well above average. The speed and force of his blows would be enough to take out an ordinary beast, and at one point the man even manages to grab hold of the voidblob and hurl it away from himself.

Which buys the man enough time to… yell at Rezo for looking bored? No, he’s being sarcastic. Ah.

And there, whoops, the voidblob is up and about again and the man is back to hacking furiously at the tenacious monster.

“Should I take that,” Rezo says, raising his voice to be heard above the noise of battle, “As a request for backup?”

[yondu]

The arrow comes to a stop beside them, and Yondu plucks it out of the air where it's floating and puts it in his holster. He'd say luckily his boots are watertight, but he can feel some dampness creeping in from having crouched in the water. Oh well.

"I already saw your husband in a wet shirt-" after Lapis's panic attack "-so just seems like y'all got that much more goin' for ya."

He realizes that Crowley's never had to see him use his arrow because he has had no casual need to be violent with him around. And he glances back to the goat with a frown and a sneer.

"Yeeaaaah, I know you can handle it, just. I didn't wanna see ya get stampeded. Just in case."

[redprayer]

There certainly are people working on plant collection, and properly, not just out of idle curiosity. So if Rezo can’t find any of his own, perhaps he can ask Lioriley if she’ll spare some. She’s easygoing enough that it wouldn’t be too difficult to ask her.

So the matter is easily set aside in favor of lost livestock.

“I do only have two of these,” Rezo admits, “And I am not sure when I could get another. By all means, I would be grateful for your assistance.”

Both as alternate bait for sweater-hungry sheep, and as someone who can help with spotting them.

“I was speaking with a farmer earlier who could not find two members of his flock. He went downwards, while I agreed to search upwards.”

[acapriciousthing]

"I've got my rucksack." She doesn't need to carry most of what is in it by default, but it's sometimes useful to have it available for other people.

"Nice to meet you, Crowley. I'm Death." She has a feeling he's probably not the sort of individual she needs to offer a less disturbing name to.

[blue_ice]

Seto resigns himself to staying a while. This is fine. Cat is comfortable, cat is also difficult to move. He responds with more attention for her ears, sighing contentedly. She's so soft...

"You have a home, right? Somewhere warm to go?"

She's definitely not wild, not with her behavior...and she can't exactly answer him, but he can try to figure it out.

mercy mission

[monkeyinthewrench]

"I can try to pull together a medic tent," Jake offers, rolling up his sleeves as he stares at the land. It's a mess, all of it. But they can carve out a place within.

"I figure the actual medics are busy prepping, let me do the grunt work. Right?"