VoidTrecker Express Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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middleofsomewhere2022-07-16 06:02 am
voidtreckermods) wrote in middleofsomewhere2022-07-16 06:02 am
Mission: You are Not Alone
After the missive from the ministry, voidtreckers might be expecting a task. On the eighth day of Symphony their SCA's glow with the colours of the void and a message appears. They have a few hours to prepare before they arrive in the system. Now will be the time to plan, with the warning of a catastrophe mission put out. What supplies will they need? Who will go where?
After half an hour, they hear the Voidtrecker Express again.
Shortly arriving in system #3721010010. Exiting voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
The train shakes as it leaves the void, into a wreck of a world.
After half an hour, they hear the Voidtrecker Express again.
Shortly arriving in system #3721010010. Exiting voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
The train shakes as it leaves the void, into a wreck of a world.
MISSION 18: YOU ARE NOT ALONE
SYMPHONY 8-11 ~ TEAM OBJECTIVES ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ OTHER DETAILS
ASK QUESTIONS ~ SHENANIGANS ~ TEAM PLOTTING ~ MISSION REWARDS
RED TEAM: THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT (WEIRWICH)
"Red team to doors. Approaching drop point."
From the windows, they will see what was likely once a sprawling metropolis of a city, now reduced to size - but neither abandoned, nor submitting. Smoke and debris wafts up in the air from activity, pockets of action seen as exchanged gunfire even from their distance, especially to the north, and there's a burst of light in the air as some kind of weaponry hits one of the buzzing dots in the air.
It's safe to say that the city under heavy fire. The train descends, covered in its own cloaking technology, bringing Red Team and anyone else looking for a fight down close to a wrecked street to jump down onto. Sounds of gunfire now join what they saw before, and the Voidtreckers will want to move quickly. If they're to figure out how to go beyond the skies, they'll have to deal with ground level first.
1. SEARCH AND DESTROY. The heaviest assault is happening at the north wall, though moving through the city will give them some early indications of what they're up against. Stalking through the streets are the searcher units attempting to gather intel, but to also take out targets from behind.
They might also come across some flight units, trying to get further into the city for sabotage or taking key defensive areas, before the walls are even breached. They attack anyone in their path, and so if it is a fight the red team are looking for, they will find it here.
Once they get to the wall itself they will be facing the larger tank units. The fight is desperate and the human lines are close to breaking. Some fresh fighters might be what is needed to turn the tide.
2. UNDERGROUND BASE. Once things calm (relatively), Red Team will be able to find out more about the world's space presence through conversation (and by confusing the locals, if you aren't good at being discreet). Their ships are underground, the dome shelters around the northern wall actually where they come out from, and their base of operations is underground too.
Going there, you will find a chaotic but organised system. There are spaces that act as infirmaries, sleeping quarters; but not hard to find is where they keep the fighter ships, close by to where battle plans are made. There is a call for everyone who can to come later in the day, to prepare for a search in space for the enemy's ships. They have some coordinates, and they're desperate for any good news on finding those damn things. The more accurate markers on the SCA's might just be that good news they are looking for.
Piloting: Not all those who volunteer to go are experienced, and if Voidtreckers are willing to take the time, they can learn about how the ships work: the controls are surprisingly simple, as long as you're familiar with video games, and even come with automatic flying in a pinch. There's a room with headsets and fake steering, used as a means of training people for flight. There's not much time, but the people would rather let someone spend an hour or two training than crash a space ship.
It's not the most sophisticated, but an army trying to keep standing against a vastly superior army.
3. OUT IN SPACE. The spaceships, it turns out, are simple because they are designed to be programmed in advance, towards a target, for exploration and research. The controls are there for emergancies, moving away from danger. They aren't really designed for the task of searching a relatively large area, but work by their coordinates and travel towards the pins on the voidtreckers SCAs.
There is no artificial gravity, and so everyone needs to be strapped in or they float around freely. The people from the world with the voidtreckers are all trained, at least a little bit, but there is a real sense of fear as their tiny ships drift off into space, towards enemies that they cannot detect.
The cloaking is good at confusing the human ships' sensors. It will take getting close enough to these ships to to use the zooming features on the screens to see, just barely, what gives them away: ripples in space, the darkness acting differently. If they push through this bubble, then they will be able to see the ship.
It's huge, all harsh angles and fucntional metal. Built for carrying troops it sits, a fortress in itself - and a fortress not defenceless. Clever planning will be needed to take down these mammoth ships, and to not lose your own lives.
PURPLE AND BLUE: THE NORTHERN CONTINENT (MEDBOROUGH)
"Blue Team and Purple Team to doors. Approaching checkpoint."
While the sight of Red Team's drop off point had been bad, this new city is a mess. It's hard to find even one building that has not been destroyed, rubble and glass litter the streets, cars smolder and as for people... It is silent.
A silence that is almost sound itself. Their footsteps sound impossibly loud as they tread through the wreckage.
1. AMONG THE RUINS. This was not a walled cit - one of the reasons it has fallen so fast - but they are definitely dropped on the outskirts, where the ruined buildings are less tightly packed together. There's some cover capable amongst the rubble, but it doesn't take them long to be noticed. From the nearby streets searcher units attack, a small scouting group that hit hard, and make enough noise to make it dangerous to stick around for too long. Drawing attention is not a good thing.
2. FIRST CONTACT. It might take the teams a while to figure out where anyone is, and if there is even anyone left in this city to help at all. But then they will spot someone, darting between buildings or creeping through the burned out cars.
If they spot the voitreckers, they will gesture sharply to stay down and lead them towards the nearest tunnel entrance. These are guarded, but human voidtreckers will find no trouble being let in- others might need to talk sharpish or have others to back them up. Once through the guards the tunnels get lower, off the main passage and into smaller service ducts, places they hope the larger enemies won't be able to follow them.
Here in nooks and crannies are the survivors of Medborough and the surrounding areas. Gathered in groups of twenty or so in makeshift camps, children run messages through the tightest passages- which seems to be enough to be keeping them occupied and the panic at bay. The adults fashion weapons, cook meagre rations or sort through salvaged scrap. It's a whole city network down here, as safe from the enemy as they can be but very much besieged.
3. NIGHT TIME. It's hard to even tell when night is, but there is a definite sense of time to rest, as well as they can. As the caverns quiet the sound of the enemy above can be heard, booming footsteps and distant fighting. There are still people out there, and the adults take shifts keeping them away from tunnel entrances.
There's an argument that carries throughout this tunnel, one that has the beats of a well trodden one. Should they try and evacuate? Where would they go? Could they get the children out? Could they run fast enough? Elsewhere a child starts crying in their sleep, and another calls out that they can't sleep at all. In another part of the cavern, someone begins to sing lowly and so the night begins.
And it will lead to a new day of fighting to survive.
ORANGE TEAM: THE EASTERN CONTINENT (STARBURY)
"Orange Team to doors. Approaching checkpoint."
From the map that orange team have been sent the first facility to search is on the outskirts of Starbury and so that is the city they arrive in. Here the fighting is some distance away from the city, the human defences keeping the enemy at bay.
The train has them disembark just inside the perimeter. Far enough away to not be targeted but not close enough to the city to frighten people. They step out into what were once the suburbs of the city. The twisted remains of houses and trees telling the story of the battle here as the human defence pushed the enemy away from the city. It is silent, not even the sound of birds. The ground is charred and churned.
1. ARRIVAL. For those who wish to draw closer to the defences will find blockades of trucks, sandbags, hastily made barricades of furniture. They have weapons, including some large guns pointed at the air. They aren't under heavy attack right now, though some searcher units are keeping the defenders busy. Flight units can be seen at a distance, waiting for a weakened front to take their turn.
2. FACILITY. On the outskirts of the city, the first facility is calm. It is not quite abandoned: there are people in there and a couple of guards, though they are on the look out for enemy combatants rather than fellow humans, making it easy to enter.
Inside is a bit of a mess. There was clearly a fight here recently, and things have been left scattered, but in a way it makes it easier to start looking through. At least they aren't disturbing things. From a surface look at least it seems a normal facility, predominantly researching the oceans and marine biology. There might be void research hidden away in here, but first they must go through a lot of data about plakton.
3. STARBURY. The city is packed with people. As desolate as the other places have been, the streets here are full, and there are clearly more people than homes to place them. People move from building to building, and though there is a strong sense of welcome, they are being turned away at the door. No Room.
It is full of noise and confusion. There isn't any traffic, and it seems any fuel has been taken for the military, and so people walk the roads or sit in the shade of buildings. Children play, as children do even in times of great strife. There is some organisation, if they go looking for it. It becomes clear there are some people very desperately trying to organise all of these people, find places for them to stay and ration food. But it is a momentous task and they are in desperate need of extra hands.
OOC NOTES
NOTES:
~ Transgates will be set up between Weirwich, Starbury, and Medborough by the second day thanks to Thanatos, Seto Kaiba, and Wei Wuxian.
~ Communication will be key on this mission, in finding ways to establish contact between the different continents and how to help them bring their might together.
~ Take note that it will take time for the locals to be willing to let obvious non-humans fly their spaceships, perhaps by the third day if they've been engaged in fighting before that. The sudden show of inhuman powers and non-humans is going to have many people alarmed, even if many will welcome it too.
~ We're interested in any attempts of research, aid, or any other ideas your character has in investigating and helping out on the planet. Are they good with computers? Will they and establish good relations with the people of this planet, gather info and work with them? Do they have any skills you think that could be useful, or aren't too sure and want to know if they can be? Maybe they can help with the trouble they're having in tracking the enemy ships...
~ We always welcome any questions, and will help you get involved if you're feeling unsure. And if your character is going to be trying to put their skills to the test in a noticeable way, leave them over on shenanigans!
Fighting: Every location will have enemy forces coming in to try and infiltrate over the 3 days. While they won't always be large groups, any of the searcher units can be encountered at any point, even outside the cities (most likely the beasts and wasps).
Fighing: There are also enemy camps, locations where they have based themselves for their attacks. The big ones near the cities are not going to be easy to attack but there are smaller ones around the place that a small team could hit and thin out the enemy ranks.
Fighting/Space: Wasp Units will start being deployed after the first day, and will acting as pests to chase or bring down people searching for their transport ships.
Strategy: Pushing the enemies out of the city is one of the goals. Finding ways of setting up defences, planning among one another will help with such large areas. Can the materials around the cities be used?
Aid: Not everyone is in a city. There are still pockets of people trying to get there, trying to find shelter elsewhere or mounting ill advised revenge attacks on the enemy. Seek them out, and bring them to safety quick.
Aid: Healing and comfort will always be useful, but will every person be accepting of magical talents? The people are more welcoming of humans than obvious non-humans, but there will still be mixed feelings about these strange people now amongst them.
Aid: The people of Medborough have lost a lot, including their own culture. Even entertainment is a rarity, and so anything that can be scavenged - entertainment, books, clothing and jewelery - would bring small pleasures to the people.
~ Transgates will be set up between Weirwich, Starbury, and Medborough by the second day thanks to Thanatos, Seto Kaiba, and Wei Wuxian.
~ Communication will be key on this mission, in finding ways to establish contact between the different continents and how to help them bring their might together.
~ Take note that it will take time for the locals to be willing to let obvious non-humans fly their spaceships, perhaps by the third day if they've been engaged in fighting before that. The sudden show of inhuman powers and non-humans is going to have many people alarmed, even if many will welcome it too.
~ We're interested in any attempts of research, aid, or any other ideas your character has in investigating and helping out on the planet. Are they good with computers? Will they and establish good relations with the people of this planet, gather info and work with them? Do they have any skills you think that could be useful, or aren't too sure and want to know if they can be? Maybe they can help with the trouble they're having in tracking the enemy ships...
~ We always welcome any questions, and will help you get involved if you're feeling unsure. And if your character is going to be trying to put their skills to the test in a noticeable way, leave them over on shenanigans!
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"I don't know. Do we retreat and call someone with proper weapons for help?"
Was there even time to do that? He groaned in frustration, looking around them on the roof. He wasn't going to find a machine gun up here or anything, but....
"Really regretting not finishing the shield in time right now."
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"We got this!" He promises, because they can do it. He knows they can, and Esteban's grin is already a reassurance in itself. They just need to be smart about this-- and Kaiba is smart; he already knows this.
"You destroyed one earlier, right?" Its crumpled remains were still smoking underneath the rocks after all. "We just gotta find a way t' get them vulnerable." Esteban is not a planner himself; he doesn't really know how to guide them through this, but Kaiba-- Kaiba might. He peeks down at the crawler again, sees its head is entirely turned away, not even facing them.
"What d'you think?" If Kaiba doesn't have a plan... "I can maybe buy you a bit more time, 'f you need some."
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Then the beast. He tries to remember how he beat the other one---
"I hit it head-on, right? Was the weak point in the facial structure? I need to hit it in the face again to check."
There's step one. "Let's...get its attention? I'll charge a shot."
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"Alright. You keep these for now--" It's not much, and he's a little afraid that the beast might pounce while he's busy with the other metallic fiend. But if they don't try, then they don't even know if it might work at all. At least the smokebombs should help slow them down. The last, Esteban keeps in his hand, switching it and the grav-con around, for his best aim possible.
"Click on the button t' activate it, an' it'll burst on next impact. It's got a bit of a kick to it, so try an' get some distance, kay?" It's the best he can do for his friend. As for the crawler.
"I'll get you a clear shot." And at this, Esteban leaps, swirling off the low wall that kept them in cover, his voice loud as he snarls again.
"HEY, TIN-HEAD!" the half-elf shouts, bouncing further from the wall and landing near the needle-thin legs of the monster beneath. This time, when he reaches a taloned wing, he is careful to tug the leg on his left, across towards the right-- and smirks when the creature spins around just to keep itself steady.
His wings tuck in through his back, melding in without a trace of their existence, the tail entirely gone. The leather now out of the way leaves a far clearer shot for his friend up on the rooftop, and Esteban sits still, eerily still, as the crawler spins, and turns, as it lifts its entire head up, mouth aglow with this odd redness that permeates the air like a stain. Even his lungs are still as he faces down the monster limbs taught and steadfast.
Just like a dance, he tells himself, poised. He is not. Allowed. To Move.
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He watches as Esteban draws its fire---this isn't exactly what he had in mind, that's way too close! But. It's now or never. He rushes to the edge, steadies his arm, and fires a full blast right at its maw. No killing a friend on his watch.
...it had to work, right? He could hardly breathe through the suspense, his free hand ready to start lobbing smoke as a last resort. But he hears an encouraging creaking and rattling---maybe that's enough.
no subject
And the bolt hits the crawler right in the face. Directly. Damningly.
There's the crack and crash of lightning, a flash of colour that half-blinds him, and Esteban's hold onto himself breaks, stepping back and sheltering his eyes from the glare. It crackles across; a thin web of sparks that sputter and flare against the machine, wires bursting from their sockets; and red, staining glow whirring with a sharp churring sound. It sputters, maddened like a fiend from hell--
And blinks out; blood-red glow fading, the colour draining from its pit-stained gaze.
Esteban takes a breath-- two.
And hurtles himself back up towards the rooftop, grav-con clicking so fast that he's left his stomach behind again. The roof is clear-- for now, and Esteban grins, vaulting over the low ramp, his heart and lungs still left behind even though he manages a weak-- thin.
"See?! We got this!" He repeats, and he's so excited and so proud that they have, he's hardly steady, stumbling right over the stone and half-crumbling onto the roof. Nerves caught up with him, and he's not as stable, but they aren't done yet. They aren't, and Esteban forces himself to rise to his feet.
"One down, one to go." The beast shouldn't be far by then.
no subject
"Next one's too fast, don't try that," Kaiba pleads, peeking over the edge of the roof. It's getting closer. Not good. "We have to get its jaw open...maybe I'll be the bait this time?"
He leans over and taunts it. "Hey...hungry? I've got a snack for you..."
Is this risky? Definitely. But he needs the clear shot and he wants to end this.
no subject
Already half-stumbling on his own feet, it's not as hard a tug as he'd wanted, and the coat catches onto his friend's shoulders enough that the pull yanks him a bit back, over the low wall and out of immediate danger. There's a crunch of stones from underneath them that does not bode well to the half-elf, but he doesn't know anymore where the beast has crawled off to. 'Dians, the uncertainty is rattling behind his ribs.
"That's dang'rous!" At least the crawler had been in full view and slower than the agile beast. This isn't something they can tackle so easily-- but he doesn't--
His thoughts become disrupted as the rooftop beneath their feet shakes and shudders, spiderwebs fractures darting across the concrete in moments. A curse drops his voice from his throat to his ribs, rumbling in his fury and nerves, as Esteban scurries further, trying to keep ahead of them and glancing to make sure Kaiba won't be staying back either. Another shudder, and part of the roof caves in, crumbling stones and grit rising in the air in a blinding cloud of dust and dirt, thin as ashes.
The beast leaps, a danger from below them, striking the ground with a sheen of metal and grit, its long limbs coiling anew. Rocks crash from underneath it, crumbling in the dust, and its next jump has it rise above, claws scraping the tiles where it lands out of their reach, the sleek body turning with a malicious eye, glowing red and staining the clouds with its cold, calculating gaze. There's a churring sound, sharp and high and painful to hear as it watches the two treckers, limbs coiling for another pounce.
no subject
Oh. They're being attacked from below. Kaiba lunges to the edge of the roof, staring up in horror as the beast smashes through. He absolutely has to make his next shot, failure's not an option. A brief image of a plan flashes through his mind, but there's no time to elaborate on it before it's time to act.
He makes a quick judgment on its speed, throws his arm forward, and rapid-fires a steady stream of lightning. This has to be the strike.
"...we might wanna bounce?" he suggests. There's a promising piercing sound and flash of light, but they probably shouldn't stay at point blank range.
no subject
It's a crazy dive off, their backs to the drop and Esteban echoes a curse again, shifting to scrape the toes of his boots against the wall. It's not much, but the tiny tap has them bounce further, pockets of nothingness that shift their weight enough that the landing is-- decent.
Esteban half-stumbles out of the leap, and the jarring wobble at ground level yanks Kaiba out of his arm, but it's just a couple of rolls before he can stretch back to his feet. There will be bruises, but the pain doesn't stop him from bouncing back up.
"Kaiba! You okay?" Quickly, he bumbles on his way to the younger man, worried about him, and glancing up at the rooftop where they've left the beast. He doesn't see it peering down again, but that's not an answer per say. They're both battered and bruised, but-- but they can still fight. Esteban is sure of it.
no subject
He lands on his side with a loud thump, biting the inside of his cheek against another grunt of pain. He doesn't want any more in the area to come this way. But he has to get up, he has to move...
He manages to push himself up to his knees when Esteban reaches him, forcing a little more effort to stand. Kaiba stands, still a little woozy, but he's squinting up at the roof and listening for those terrifying sounds.
"...dare I hope we got it?" he mutters, winded.
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"I'll go check. Just a hop," he mentions, because he's not about to do something crazy when he doesn't even have a chance to take the creature down. They do this together or not at all. If there's any need for anything-- with luck. With luck they ought to be done.
The tap of his toes against the stone coils something tight into all of his muscles-- awareness, or worry. Something that presses like a weight on him, like eyes on the back of his head. It's enough to launch him high, but Esteban can feel the strain of the grav-con now-- he'd never pushed this hard with it before. They're reaching the end of their resources. He lands a floor lower than intended; in the dust and debris the beast had left in its wake when it destroyed the ceiling above. Another hop has him jump the last of the distance, and he lands in a crouch, ready to leap off again.
It's not moving. Metal and wires and the red, red stain that has no more pulse, its maw pressed against the ground like an ashen skull, gaping hole where the light used to gather and refract. There is still the lightest edge of a stain, but blue sparks clash over the beast, the last of Kaiba's strike still burbling across, in a requiem to the fallen. Esteban kicks a leg-- just to make sure...
And dashes off the roof.
He bounces on the street, landing hard-- again-- but too jubilant to care, mouth stretched in a grin so wide they can probably see it from the next city over. His reckless careening doesn't stop there though, and he dashes to Kaiba, catches him in a hold that squeezes his lungs for just a second-- maybe one and a half, he's being greedy, before he gains just enough distance to attempt not to overwhelm him.
"Nice shot!~" his friend encourages, grinning all the while. "You got it straight on! It's down and dead now!" There's a quick moment where he's not sure whether to pat his shoulder or to bump at his arm before settling on the latter, all of his relief finding so little outlet for it--
Until he crumbles, flopping down gracelessly on his backside, but still raising both arms in their obvious victory.
"Take that!~ I toldja we could do it!" So, Esteban is a little proud of himself. They defeated three creatures between only the two of them, he's allowed a little victory pride!
no subject
Except Esteban, who he catches with a soft 'oof', clinging to him in relief (and out of pure exhaustion). He manages to stay on his feet as his friend comes to his senses, then flops to the ground.
Naturally, Kaiba crouches next to him with a soft chuckle.
"I usually know what I'm doing. But...you kept me alive through it. Are you all right?"
He offers a hand to haul him up.
no subject
"Oh, shit-- y're hurt!" The dismissed hand gets pulled instead, and Esteban tries to convince his companion to sit without saying so, pulling at the bag he'd dropped nearby when the fight had just begun. Flying with it on him was just... not much of an option, and Esteban pulls out vials of leaves and plants from underneath his purple VoidTrecker shirt which he glances at, face pinching as he considers them.
"I got some burn medicine, but I'd need to mash it--" And while Esteban is... used to roadside medicines, he has an inkling Kaiba might feel a bit disdainful over his methods. Just a bit. "D'you have something y'rself?" Different worlds would-- probably have different medicines, right?
no subject
And then---oh, right, the adrenaline wears off and he feels that sting. He squints at his sleeve and frowns at the gash in it, and...oh. This is the problem with his outfit---there's no quick and easy way to get at the injury with all these belts, but he's practiced enough that he can peel off the coat, bracers, arm belts, and the shirt in a minute or two. Still stings, though, and he's hissing and gritting his teeth all the way.
"It's still working fine, just hurts. But I have disinfectant and bandages," he says with a grunt. He digs them out of his bag with his not-stinging arm. He picks up one end of the roll, but...yeah, he'll probably need help here.
no subject
The image is amusing if nothing else.
It brings a smile to Esteban's dust-coated cheeks, and when his companion reaches for the sleeve, he is ready to pull it for him at least, pinching the fabric above the wound so that it won't rasp against the burned skin. It looks to be an almost-miss, just the length of a finger, reddened and just a little bruised around the sting. That's... odd.
"I got it--" Though it would almost seem dubious-- Esteban isn't known for his delicacy after all-- he's surprisingly gentle when he helps Kaiba with this, catching the odd tube of medicine. He gives it a curious sniff, and his nose scrunches at the foul smell, but Kaiba seems confident enough, and Esteban believes him. The pinched look never quite leaves his face as he works; that's some weird medicine, alright.
He dabs a generous amount onto the wound, touch a mere flutter, leaving a slather of the salve over the skin. The bandage is held next, but Esteban checks again, an eyebrow raised.
"Clean cott'n cloth?" he asks lightly, but when it isn't immediately in reach, he tugs into his own bag, pulling out a small pouch of small clean square cloths. He's very, very careful as he handles one, touches it lightly to the salve, and starts winding the bandage around it, keeping the tension steady throughout.
"Not too tight?" he asks, when he's reached the end, ready to tuck the end away once he's sure it's good enough for Kaiba. It's... surprisingly well-made all around.
no subject
He lets out a little sigh of relief when it's finished, carefully pulling his shirt back into place. And of course he now can't afford a replacement.
"It's great. Thank you," he says, ducking his head a little. "But if we're going to rest we should probably find shelter first..."
All the fortified buildings are overfull, but there's some relatively stable rubble they can rest in, maybe. "Sure you're all right?"
*nudges at the scientists probably terrorized in the building XD*
(yet another one)it up, so he's quick to be done.The half-elf nods lightly when Kaiba asks again, grinning. "Yeah, I'm good. Could use a nap, but then, who wouldn't," he shrugs easily, and despite the grim fight and the struggle, he almost seems to have bounced back just as quick, ready for their next challenge. This time he does get up, and though there's a bit of pain that gets him wincing, he does a few kicks to try and get his legs steady again.
Still, there's a brief look as he glances back at his friend, an eyebrow raised up as he half-questions.
"So lightnin', hun. That's pretty awesome~"
The bolts had been a surprise. A relief as well; seeing the creatures closing in on him, knowing he wouldn't make it-- he'd been scared. He'd been scared to lose his friend. But Kaiba's first strike had found some purchase, giving Esteban just enough time to drop in-- heh-- and help him deal with the other two. They'd made it! Esteban had said they would!
"Y'r aim's really good too~" He adds with a sunshine-bright grin.
no subject
He chuckles softly, surprised by just how relieved he feels. They did it---the rest will be fine from here, somehow. Even if he has to spin a tall tale to get them through a door. How's he going to explain all this...?
"About six months ago, we landed on a false world where our memories were rewritten and we were introduced to a world where everyone had a superpower. When we left and our true selves were restored, that potential remained. I'm finally mastering control of it."
He shakes his head. "So much for staying away from the front lines, huh?"
no subject
His tug to pull Esteban's arm across his shoulders manages to nudge some understanding in the half-elf, and he startles, eyes wide and confused, before his lips stretch into a warm smile, and he allows a bit of his weight to be transferred. He's very careful over Kaiba's wounded arm, but since he's on his opposite side, it should be good.
"Thanks~" He mentions lowly, trying not to make too much out of the gesture although he's really touched. People on the train are far too kind. It's been a long time since Esteban has had-- anyone to worry for him, really, and it's been... It's given him warmth. It's given him more than he can truly say.
He hums lightly at the explanation, absolutely not following most of it. How the hell did they get to a false world? And gain powers? And the entire aspects of memories being messed with does not sound like a fun time, he's going to get confused over it all if he thinks too hard about it.
"Why lightnin'?" he asks instead. "Was it just-- randomly chosen? D'you like lightnin' an' storms?" He's genuinely curious at this, and he's tempted to glance at Kaiba as they wobble their way off to a door that Esteban hadn't had the eyes to notice before.
Look at that; there was a thing here! Clearly he needs to get better at observing his surroundings.
"Pretty sure that's the front lines that came to you," he manages, and being this close to the half-elf, Kaiba can feel the snicker that doesn't quite escape his lungs, shivering through his ribcage.
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Seto doesn't seem to struggle too much with the carrying, thankfully. He's fine, they're both fine, they'll get through this. And hey, there's even a door! Small miracles.
But Esteban's question does give him some pause. Lightning...he knows the reason, but it might be awkward to explain.
"This might sound strange...but I've always loved dragons. Since I was a child, I admired the Blue Eyes White Dragon, a monster from my favorite game. Her strongest attack is a burst of lightning, and...if there was a reason, some part of me must have wanted to be like her."
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"Why w'ld it be strange?" Esteban's a little confused at this, even though he doesn't really linger beyond his quick question. Entirely, absolutely unbiased as he is, thank you, dragons are definitely the best lifeform there is, hands down and no doubts given.
"Blue-eyed white dragon? Wow~ that must've left 'n impression~" he agrees as they follow the trails left behind. It seemed these people were going downstairs, though where to, Esteban's not sure. A refuge, perhaps?
"An' storm dragons're pretty rare-- even I never met one." Alright, he can admit it. "I'm jealous~" He lets his grin speak of how his envy isn't thorny or warped, just a little wish he can get over quite easily.
"'F she's from a game, is she why y' learned t' program?" He's not... following much about programming, but he's sort of gathered that games were made from the programs Kaiba uses? some way, somehow? And also the train. He's not sure how those two relate-- but he knows they relate. Sort of. Oof, this is going to give him a headache if he thinks too hard about it.
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"Yes. Everything I built was inspired by her. She gave me hope when things felt impossible. The small dragon form I took when I ate the candy was the same color as her, actually..."
He didn't exactly look like her, as she was an armored wing beast, but...it had been an interesting realization. Once he's sure they're in a safe place and relatively alone, he reaches into a secure pocket on his pant leg and withdraws one of the cards.
"She might look like just a card, but Jonouchi tells me that her spirit is within it. She's been watching over me."
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The colours are striking alright. The dragon itself looks... a bit odd by Esteban's standards, but he can recognize the reach, the sweep of the arms. There's something strangely protective about the stance, and he can believe Jonouchi when he says this.
"Like a Guardian Spirit." There's an interesting thought. "I didn't think--" he pauses, shifting the card just a bit, and there is something about the way her eye is affixed to his own that is a little distracting. He moves on. "I didn't know you c'ld get one this way." The card is carefully handed back to its owner while Esteban lingers onto these implications. There's a bit of a snicker as he adds.
"Guess I shouldn't swear 'round you then. She might take offense." Too many of his swears involve Guardian Spirits after all.
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"I don't think she's easily offended. Not with me as her human," he teases as he gently places the card back in its proper place. "But I'm sure she appreciates the respect. Are you feeling better now?"
He digs in his pack for anything that might be of use---he doesn't have a potion or anything, but he does have rations. He offers his friend a granola bar.
But as he does so, something else occurs to him. "But...ah, if you have guardian spirits, I'll keep that in mind."
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