February Event Log

[kaisoumods]

Dominant Element: Fire
Waning Element: Wind

Full Moon: February 1st - 3rd

※
Content Warning: This log will contain violence, murder, allusions to human experimentation (nothing graphic), allusions to torture, brainwashing, and other related topics. In general, you can expect the main content of the log to be around a PG-13. If it goes more graphic than that OR contains common CW-worthy content, please mark with content warnings!

After what has probably been the longest two weeks of anyone's life, it is finally time. Thanks to Jun sending off a holy signal flare in the form of his Armatus and Nephrite sending out a message, you now know where the captives are being held. Somehow, Hojo and his cronies got into the basement of the Crystal Tower and have had your loved ones there. You have no idea what condition these poor souls will be in, but you know one thing: it's go time.

Into Hell Itself

♪- A Long Fall

When you arrive at the Crystal Tower, you'll find the place is abuzz with activity from your fellow app users. A triage tent has been set up outside by healers, in case anyone needs on-site medical equipment or a chance to refuel. Meanwhile there's other folks who have readied themselves to monitor and patrol the rest of the Crystal Tower, just in case any monsters or kidnappers manage to escape from the basement.

The doors to the basement of the Crystal Tower, which are located in the foyer of the tower, have been sealed off since the tower first appeared in the city. Before now, there wasn't any real reason to head down there- but since the signal was given that the captives were being held down there- it was time to break open that seal. It's sealed both physically and magically. Physically is easy enough... just use a lot of physical force (some mechs will do) along with some well placed explosives. As for the barrier, well, there's more than enough magic users in this place that surely they can crack into it.

Once the barrier is down, you can make your way past the stairs leading up and head into the space heading down. This door has looked more like a wall for as long as the Tower has been in Kaisou, but now it's obviously a door, and all doors open. Be careful as you enter, and mind the gap. If you get injured, you can head back to the entrance where medics and other non-combatants will be stationed.

There isn't much this close to the ground floor, thankfully, though it's clear that Hojo is expecting you. There are glass containers with monsters in them, and while the containers are original to the tower the monsters are not. The monsters themselves are a mixtures of creatures that Hojo's managed to bring in from other places, as well as many of his own twisted creations. As you pass, some might break out of their holding cell to attack. Some may be let out by remote release valves, clearly a distraction from Hojo and his cronies. They're quick to die at least, though you might hear the sounds of bigger and nastier creatures coming from further in. Try to ignore that as you use the strange launch pads to proceed downwards.

Triage Tent & Upper Level | Basement Exploration

Yukianesa

♪- Under Heaven Destruction

Eventually, you'll reach a platform in the middle of the area. There's containment chambers, but they are all mercifully empty. Less mercifully, however, is who stands waiting on the platform. Jin Kisaragi stands between you and the next level down.

Battle with Jin

Deeper We Go

♪- High Treason

As you get out of Jin's way and proceed further downwards, the basement starts to feel less like the Tower and more like a mad scientist's lab. It's clear that this wasn't Hojo's doing, everything here is too old to be something he did, but it's also clear that this is why Hojo settled on the basement for his lab here. A weirdly glowing green plasma-like substance forms a dome in the center of this section, and those with magical sense get the feeling that something very dangerous is in that section.

Make your way down to the dome, and you'll be confronted by more monsters and even some humans. The humans are guards, clearly sent by Hojo in an attempt to delay you further. They're no match for you, of course, and some of them might even get eaten by the monsters they're supposed to be fighting alongside.

As you head down into the depths, you might notice some odd generators that seem to be active along this area. Inspect them, and you'll realize they're the barrier generators that not only kept the captives' locations hidden- but also blocked any attempts to teleport them out of there. Time to take a wrench (or a thunderbolt or a mech) to them and destroy them. Do that, and everyone will be able to teleport in and out of the basement freely. There's a lot of them, though, so you'll need to work together.

Sin Devil Trigger

♪- Devils Never Cry

Eventually, you reach the plasma dome, blocked off by a door. It opens as you approach, allowing you to step onto the platform where Dante Sparda awaits.

Battle with Dante

Abandon Hope

♪- A Despair Filled Farewell

If you're not fighting Dante, you'll be able to run past him and to the teleportation ring behind him that will send you further below. It takes you right through the green plasma, dropping you off at a dilapidated platform. There are signs that Hojo had his people try to repair this section, but it clearly didn't go anywhere.

This area is again crawling with monsters, and these may be the worst yet. While all of the previous areas had monsters that were absolutely terrible, something about the ones in this area feels wrong. Maybe it's their cries, which sound far too close to human for anyone's comfort. Maybe it's how they're slimy and covered in goop. Or maybe it's just the stress of running this gauntlet.

As you run down the hallways, you'll eventually find yourself approaching a massive door yet again. The magical signature coming from this one is dangerously high.

Last Line of Defense

♪- 畏怖 (Awe)

When the door opens, it's clear why. Veldora Tempest stands there in the center, and anyone who is familiar with the dragon? Will immediately be filled with the feeling that something is off.

Battle with Veldora

Reunited

♪- Knowledge Never Sleeps

Those of you who won't fight Veldora can find the elevator they used to bring him up behind him. Take it down into the lowest floors of the lab: the holding facility for the Kaisou victims. As you walk through the halls, you'll see that this area has been converted into a makeshift research lab. There are numerous exam rooms that have been outfitted with all sorts of equipment meant to carry out experiments- none of them humane. Pilfering through these rooms will find you various charts and experiment logs that'll give you an idea of the "research" they were performing. At the end of the day, while there was some medical research being done... most of it was simply experiments meant to benefit the researchers into gaining more power and control.

At the end of one of the long hallways, they'll find the elevator to the "gauntlet" that Nephrite mentioned. It's an arena sized area where people were forced to do battle, day in and day out. Connected to the arena are several branching off hallways that houses cages full of monsters that were being used in the arena. Best to clear those out, if you haven't had your fill of monster fighting.

Though... if you're looking to hunt real monsters, there's plenty of those to be found down here. Researchers and guards who had not gone up to the upper levels can be found here- many of who are either trying to escape, or may even try to plead their case that they deserve mercy. Some may even try to fight their ways out themselves. However, no matter what sad tale they spin, know that it's full of lies. These folks knew what they were getting into when they joined, and never once did anything to stop this evil.

But of course for most of you, your main priority is to find the captives. Eventually, you'll come upon the dormitory area in which many of them are being held. It's a bare bones dormitory, with small rooms that are all connected by a common area where the only reading material was research papers written by either the researchers down here or fellow like minded monsters. Though, they will also find the goodwill items that people sent, so it's good to know it reached them. And lastly... all the door posts in this place are covered in day-old remains of red velvet cake with coconut and rainbow sprinkles frosting.

As for the captives... they're all alive, though they're in rough shape. It's clear they've undergone a lot of pain and torment these past couple weeks. Some of them will need help getting out of the Tower, as well as out of any bindings that held them. Not only that, but besides the three captives you met on the way down? Jun and Harumasa are also missing from the dorm - having been taken to another location in the facility.

Rescuing the Captives

Heretic Hojo

♪- J-E-N-O-V-A Quickening

Some of you may notice something or simply have something nagging you in the back of your mind. You've found everyone. They're all here. You've done it! So why can't you settle? Why does it feel like something's wrong?

Then it hits you. You've seen signs of other scientists, but not Hojo. In fact, no one's seen him once during this raid on the tower. And you know, deep down, that if you let him escape, if you let him go, this will happen again. Maybe it won't happen here, but it will happen somewhere else and next time there may be no saving his victims.

It's time to chase him down. Just remember: a cornered rabbit will bite.

Dealing with Hojo

Aftermath

At long last, everyone is safe. You can take your time getting out of the basement if you wish. For instance, you may want to hunt down everyone's personal belongings that were taken when they were kidnapped, which are located in a side room in the holding facility area. Otherwise, you might want to take some time collecting the research data that have been created about the captives. These files can either be found in paper or digital form... though the digital stuff will take longer to access because, my god, these computers are malfunctioning so much after weeks of getting damage from the Inconvenient notes.

But most likely, you're looking to get out of there as quick as possible. With the barrier now down, you can get a teleporter to give you the express trip up. Or you can find some other way back up by retracing your steps. At some point you'll need to go back in there to do clean up but for now, enjoy the peace you fought so hard to achieve.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Fire! Anyone with an affinity to the Fire element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Wind will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. If you wish to read about what the captives were up these past few weeks, you can read their log here. Please be mindful that the post contains the following Content Warnings: human experiments, torture, medical topics, abuse, injury, talks of death, mental torment, and any other topics associated with morally bankrupt mad scientists. Please proceed with caution!

Comments

TRIAGE TENT/UPPER LEVEL OF CRYSTAL TOWER

[kaisoumods]

Catch-all for all folks who are currently surface level- whether it be working at the triage tent, patrolling the crystal tower and surrounding area, working on the entrance barrier, or prepping yourselves before heading in!

[pharmacologic]

[Baizhu is planning to head in as a healer - and most particularly as Harumasa's pharmacist - but before that he can be found outside at the triage tent, helping to organize and distribute supplies.]

Be sure you're fully prepared before going inside. There are healers on hand, and support staff for transport, but it never hurts to carry bandages as well.

PEANUT GALLERY

[greatlydares]

[Belle has set herself up near the triage tent with Garrus watching over her, and on her laptop is a video feed of what she's seeing through Eous's eyes. She takes a sip of her drink and glances up at everyone else, her own eyes glowing blue.]

We had that under the Crystal Tower this whole time? Jeez.

[burgersplease]

[This was a serious mission they had to accomplish. For Anby, there were personal stakes in the matter, as she had family who had been caught up in all this. So you better believe she was early to arrive to the tower.

Right now? She's prepping herself. She's checking her ARCUS and her weapons for any last adjustments. She's making sure to fuel up by eating a burger. She's... checking her spotify playlist to make sure she's got all the songs she wants downloaded in case there's no internet down there.]

Should I have original Golden or the metal version....

[...

We all have our own ways to prepare for battle.]

[replicannot]

[Luke isn't strong enough to help with the fighting.]

[But he wants to do something. All his time not knowing this world existed, he can't do nothing anymore. He still remembers Jumanji. He still remembers people getting hurt, and he couldn't do anything but be a liability.]

[He ends up at the triage tents. He doesn't know how to heal, and he doesn't know how to cook, but he can ask people what they need. He can carry supplies.]

[He can offer moral support.]

Hey, uh, don't die or anything, okay?

[Well, close enough.]

GENERAL BASEMENT EXPLORATION

[kaisoumods]

For those who are exploring the basement or doing tasks in the basement that are different from boss fights or rescuing the captives- such as fighting monsters, dealing with the generators, looking for research, killing guards, or just taking in the atrocious vibes.

[mediocrites]

[In the process of rescuing March 7th last month, Ratio started to realize just how useful his shadow magic is becoming. With magical stealth that silences all his movements and an hour's worth of invisibility, he's practically undetectable by nonmagical means when he wants to be. Right now, he's taking advantage of that to explore the basement areas, making note of any points of interest - and particularly the locations of the shield generators.

Just because he can skirt around any major threats doesn't mean that everyone else down here is so lucky, though. He has his bow in hand as he goes, and if you find yourself menaced by one of the monsters roaming the halls, there's always a chance that an arrow will land seemingly out of nowhere to back you up.]

Be careful! [His invisibility hasn't broken (16) so the voice seems to come from thin air.]

[hexcrafter]

[To say Viktor was proud of what he had hurriedly accomplished would be a bold-faced lie. In all honesty he hated it; at his core, a kindhearted idealist who despised the use of science as a weapon. He could tell himself this was a necessity, that the same fault applied to REUNION tenfold...but it still didn't feel good, this act of escalation.]

[The act in question, of course, being the machine he was currently piloting, flanked. by the defense of a Tinkaton and Iron Valiant both. Still worn on his shoulder was the thin metal arm, currently folded and inactive; that he refused to weaponize unless things got honestly dire.]

[The magitek armor and its far more violent escorts moved through the basement behind the far less pacifistic and more bloodthirsty of their number--not a frontline combatant, despite being a walking tank. He was here to help their friends and locate research materials, not start fights. However, in the course of that, if they came across a barrier generator or a particularly stubborn monster...]

[Well, he'd give fair warning before flipping a switch and pressing a button, firing off the literal cannon he'd built into the armor's frame.]

[lanternae]

[Flins had seen many an atrocity in his life. With the Wild Hunt, tragedy often came with it. But there's a big difference between the Spirit Vein wreaking havoc on the mortal realm, and human experimentation on their own.

Gone is the playful fae that would listen to cringey music, or would turn someone's vases purple against their will. Gone is the smile, or the soft eyes that he looked upon the sea to read it's behavior. What stands before the tower is now a Lightkeeper, polearm in hand and lantern in the other, determined to get back their loved ones by any means necessary.

He enters the tower, his flame burning a blue with a magenta/red glow simmering at the bottom, an instinctual sense that danger lie ahead. The monsters may come at him, only to be met with glowing blue eyes that one can only describe as 'possibly human', the end of his polearm, black chains of shadow, and blue electricity that does not discriminate in intensity.

He will find everyone. He will find Lauma, and Jun and Harumasa.

The winds awaken, the leaves whirl 'round...]

Close your eyes.

[His polearm shoots out to take down another monster, his lightning finishing the job quite quickly.]

I do not have time to deal with you.

[myriadeclipse]

I
[ Getting past the fights to get to the basement was not simple, but he made it through. Now that the hallways were more vast and the roamers were numerous, Hugo was getting to work. He was here for a reason, and that reason was going to keep him there for quite a long time.

The Hugo that is seen walking through the hallways doesn't seem to care much about hiding or sneaking, crossing his arms and walking from doorway to doorway with an almost disinterested look. The doors open with a simple touch, peering into rooms and moving to the next after taking a note on his phone about what he sees inside. ]

This is going to be so annoying. Some of these rooms are redundant. It gives me no hope for the computers.

[ It doesn't seem he's paying attention to anything coming through the hallway, but there is a scattering of plants in his wake that are just hanging out around his general area. Anyone with general information about plants would know to definitely not touch any of them. ]


II
[ Within one of the computer rooms, Hugo was inside. The blond man was sitting at one of the computers, tapping at the keyboard to look through what he can find inside the hard drive. The sour look on his face does not look as if he's found anything he's happy to find. ]

I was well aware this job was going to be a long one, but I vastly underestimated how stupid intelligent people can truly be.

[ He grumbles a few unsavory lines in French, continuing his work. By the door, Lycaon seemed to be pacing back and forth, his hands held behind his back as he went back and forth. Vines climbed against the entrances of the room...

But Hugo stopped his typing to rub his forehead. ]

... What a time to be without my proxy. Time to put those months of classes to the test. I might have to put Lycaon away, though. This is going to take all of my concentration.

[ The thief sat back, looking at the screen that was filled with ad's and malware. ]

They're all going to be like this, aren't they...

[paraselenic]

General Exploration.

[Lycaon had heard that there were monsters in this tower, and that for the most part, they were run-of-the-mill pests that could be easily disposed of. It seems Hojo wanted to juice them up a little, which left Lycaon having to spend a little more time exterminating than he wanted to reserve his mental real estate for.

The scents of all who had been taken, ones that were absent from his mental library were now overpowering his nose, and it took everything in him to not run in a circle in following the strands.

He had to collect himself, find one to focus on, and start from there.

Until he could figure out who was closest, he'd stick to clearing out the area, heading in the general direction of the heart of the facility and making sure Hugo and Lia didn't encounter any complications.]

Lighter, stay with me.

We are not to be separated unless it is absolutely necessary, and to clear a path for Hugo.


(Towards the) Computer Room.

[Once the captives were in capable hands, and the matter of Jin Kisaragi had been solved, Lycaon made his way towards the computer room, with only Hugo's scent of Lavender and Mahogany to guide him. He was worn, panting from exerting so much energy during the battle that it made his legs, metallic as they were, feel sluggish.

Mockingbird still had a job to to, and rescuing the captives was only part of it. In his hand was a flash drive, downloading any information he'd found in Harumasa's room (11) after making sure the man had successfully gotten to the triage.

In his other was the Squad Locket, with Hugo's picture flipped open and held up to his lips.]

This is Lycaon. The captives have been secured and I am currently making my way to you.

[His voice sounds drained, and he can't help but let out a sigh as he continues. While on his way there, he may see someone wandering about, asking if they're okay, directing them to where they need to go.]

Are you quite alright? Please, rest if needed.

BOSS FIGHT: JIN KISARAGI

[kaisoumods]

[fubukianesa]

It was sudden when the usual monotony of the research facility changed to havoc. The lower conversation of the main room became frantic, but Jin was not there to find out why. He was already on the move, being led to a particular place with a small team that seemed to finally be ready to use him for that purpose they had in mind from the beginning.

When they stopped, Jin closed his eyes, raising his hand to have the limiter removed without wasting his time on conversation or questions. His thoughts were proven true when he felt the rough grab for his wrist and the bracelet there fall away.

The researcher in charge of him began to prattle on about whatever purpose he was there to fulfill, producing a syringe from his coat and sticking The blond's arm to administer the booster. Although Jin clearly wasn't listening before this, his attention finally turned to the instrument and the clear provocation being pumped into his veins.

In front of Jin, ice crystals started to form, climbing up from the ground and forming a thick, leaning pillar of ice that leaned and stretched to each side like a half-fallen cross. With the center of that pillar glinted an object that chilled the surrounding air, causing the frost to spread across the ground and climb the containment pods.

"I've had enough of your audacity," Jin said coolly, reaching across his body to pull out the syringe and toss it away. The concoction itched under his skin, burning through his veins like venom, but it's commands in his ears were nothing more than meaningless whispers when Yukianesa already made its home in his mind, preaching the good word of indiscriminate murder already.

The researcher and the guards that brought him there were being frozen where they stood, Jin breathing out slowly, inspecting the puff of cold air he made. This would do. He didn't know how long this would last, so his attention finally turns to the group before him.

"If you wish to save the captives, show me your conviction," He commands, reaching forward to that leaning cross, drawing his sword from within it and holding it at his side.

... Yes, it seems despite the scene that you have happened upon, Jin still intended to wipe floor with his own rescuers.

Special Team - Ragna, Jon, Dan Heng

[fubukianesa]

The cold reception suddenly changes as Jin lays eyes on Ragna. The cold image of the Leader of The NOL melts away as his brows raise and a spark of light and recognition glitter in his eyes. He didn't believe Ragna would come, or at the very least wouldn't come fore him. Yet here that familiar face was, standing on the opposite side of the boss arena.

"Nii-san?... Nii-san! What a momentous occasion!" his voice raised into a higher, 'friendlier' tone that did not fit the image the man had given until now. "Usually, it's me chasing after you. This time you've decided to come to me. Perhaps the suffering was for a reason after all," He breathed out slowly, a smile flashing only momentarily before that stone-cold expression returned.

"Nii-san, I've been thinking. It's the only thing I could do other than watching that brother pair that refused to be without one another. Those two, Jun and Harumasa. They're so different from us, aren't they? They stay with one another, protect each other. Formidable when they're together too."

"But you," His gaze snaps back to Ragna after briefly wandering their little arena. "You asked me to kill you the one time I didn't want to. You forced my hand for 'peace'. For the good of everyone," His voice falls quieter. "You are the one who made me take up Hihiirokane and take both your 'time' and 'memory' from that world. You. Left me."

"And then you replaced me." His deeper voice cuts through the light-hearted tone like an ice pick.

"The only way to correct this... is to erase you for this one too!!"

BOSS FIGHT: DANTE

[kaisoumods]

[advivo]

[ the deeper into the facility they go the worse things appear to get. the brilliant blues of the Tower are replaced by sickly greens, crystals with metal stained with bodies and blood. that is what greets the the deeper they get, bodies felled not by bullets or swords but by claws and teeth. they long lost control of the devil in their midst and any attempts made to bring him back under control only ended up in bloodshed. what were they to do? the only thing they could do was put him in the way of his rescuers and hope the problems sort each other out.

it isn't Dante as they know him that the rescuers stumble upon but the devil that lays dormant in his blood crouched over the body of a guard. a horned, winged devil ripping into the body with the ferocity of a starved beast. the foolish may think the beast far too focused on it's meal to notice their approach, but those familiar with the devil know that is not the case. it knows they are there, it knows and it does not─

wings twitch and stretch out as a horned head rises from it's meal, turning to face the collected group. blood drips from sharp teeth, from the jagged edges of it's jaw, blazing red eyes looking over them. the concoction the scientists injected Dante with courses through his veins viciously, painfully, hissing commands that barely have a moment to settle before they are consumed by the overwhelming urge to rip and tear. he's hungry, he's so damn hungry, he has to eat more get stronger, defend his territory from invaders. from the devils trying to move in on what is his and his alone.

gone are the witty quips, the one liners, the taunts that Dante would ordinarily give his opponents. he snarls instead, standing to his full height as his wings extend out. you are nothing but prey in the face of a predator, invaders to be struck down and consumed. Don't pull any punches here because Dante won't be holding back. ]

BOSS FIGHT: VELDORA

[kaisoumods]

[soulreleaser]

And oh, the pressure has been begging for somewhere, anywhere to go. Opening the door is an exercise in remembering, suddenly, that breathing is a wonderful thing that gets taken for granted all too often. It’s like stepping into below freezing temperatures, or into a summer’s day that’s pure humidity–but it’s raw magical aura dripping into every available space, desperate to make room farther from the beast that’s emitting the constant pulse of magical energy.

( Magicules, in his world. The raw essence of a monster’s very being, he’d told his friends, boasting about the might of the Storm Dragon, of his Dearest Companion’s rapid growth– )

But Veldora Tempest isn’t showboating. He isn’t striking heroic poses, or calling corny one-liners about his power, or the battle yet to come–he’s just standing there. Staring. There’s a glassy emptiness to his eyes, something that glows with the same sort of bored contempt that a wolf shows a rabbit.

He tilts his head, as if considering the group assembled before him–and then he moves to stand straight again, fingers flexing. An assessment made; judge, jury, and executioner decided in a mind that simply isn’t its own anymore, something dangerously more primal resting comfortably in the space that Veldora’s usual intelligence so loudly occupied.

The simple blue-white scrubs that he’s wearing sit strangely on his form–both not quite big enough to accommodate his bulk and too short for his stature. Given the state of the researchers that had accompanied Jin and Dante before him–perhaps all of the men with a healthy skepticism as to how much control they truly had in a situation were given to the Storm Dragon instead. Shackles glow around his wrists, ankles, and throat, green energy twisting and swirling with brass-colored rings seeming to bind the glow into its pattern of pulsing spirals–

And then the color dies. The wrist and ankle shackles drop.

The pressure ratchets up, and the man at the center of the platform sighs–a thorn pulled from a lion’s paw, his fingers flexing into claws again as he shifts into a looser stance. He raises a hand, extending it palm up towards the rescue party–and with another tilt of his head he curls his fingers, beckoning them closer.

Step into the ring. The air roils with the promise of the looming squall.

You face the Storm Dragon, Veldora Tempest, fourth-born of the True Dragons.

( The last and greatest defense of the nation of monsters, repurposed for the whims of a wretched madman. Rimuru would bring an Empire to its knees for the same insult, but it’ll be interesting to see what you all do. )

OOC Information Sheet

[soulreleaser]

please don't post under this comment <3

General
BOSS: Veldora Tempest
SPECIES: True Dragon
DC TO HIT: 13
???: ??
Additional Notes: Zelos' Analyze; resistant to Holy/Fire/Water/Wind/Water attacks, Spiritual/Physical attacks, and Pain in general.

Skill Explanations
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RESCUING THE CAPTIVES

[kaisoumods]

Catch-all for rescuing the captives! There will be toplevels for the captives, but feel free to make your own toplevels as you explore the areas of the basement near the captives.

Nephrite Curtiss - cw injury

[keterclass]

[Lying on a bed in a cell that someone's moved him to, Nephrite is in very bad condition. Although he looked in good health on the broadcast, it's clear that Hojo took serious issue with his actions that day: he shows signs of having been severely beaten, as well as some of the marks that some of the test subjects bear showing that he's had samples taken after the beating was done. His wounds have been treated to the best of the other captives' ability, but he's semi-conscious and not entirely lucid.

He will respond, sluggishly, to anyone coming close, squinting and searching their features. There's someone he's waiting to see.]

Jun Nightroad - cw for injury and medical talk

[whiteshroud]

CW for Injury, Loss of Senses (Temporary) and Medical Stuff (nothing too graphic)

[Jun wasn't with the other captives in the main dorms. Had the other captives been asked, they'd say they hadn't seen Jun in a couple days- not since they took him and his brother away. Instead, Jun himself is in an exam room far away from the other captives. Unlike other rooms, this one has a heavy metal door that's locked- you'll either need to find a keycard, or more likely, apply a nice explosive to the locking mechanism.

Inside the room, they'll see that there's two sides of the room that are divided by a wall of thick glass. The side closer to the room is an observational area meant for researchers analyze their work, where a guard has remained station. Deal with the guard, and you'll find various research materials specifically about Jun... though it might take some time to get anything of use from the computer in the room- thanks to the sheer amount of malware and computer errors the system's acquired.

On the other side of the room? Is an exam room, that's full of medical equipment and other tools used for what could only be more experiments. In the center of the room is an uncomfortable looking hospital bed, where Jun is currently laying in... or rather, he's been strapped into- by the sheer amount of restraints they've put on him to keep him from moving.

He's in rough shape. Like all the other captives, he's dressed in some uncomfortable hospital garb and looks gaunt and pale. His hair has been drained of color leaving it mostly white aside from a few wisps of his mint green hair that have stubbornly maintained their original color. Usually his hair only turns slightly white when he's used a lot of his powers- a telltale hint of what they've been putting him through. They've hooked him up to an IV, and installed a medical port on both his hand...and more concerningly, on the back of his neck- which leads to a lot of questions to why there.

Though maybe you have more questions about his chest. The collar of his shirt is lowered just enough to expose a circle directly on his skin that's glowing gold. The glow is slowly dimming as time goes on, by the time everyone reaches him, it's nothing more than a faint glow-- but it's still not normal.

Thankfully, he's still alive, and seems to be lightly dozing- only beginning to rouse from the commotion. As he slowly opens his eyes, they're unfocused and seemed to have gone mostly white like his hair. The only bit of color in them are flecks of gold that definitely weren't there before.

He'll mutter quietly to himself he wakes, his voice weak]

Still... can't see anything. Or hear... [He pauses, taking a couple sniffs] Is someone there?

[OOC: Just a note that Jun's sensory issues are temporary, it's just a side effect hiccup of his pact powers being over-exerted]

Harumasa Asaba | CW: Death, some blood, injury, medical experimentation

[life_ethereal]

Full CW List: Injury, some blood, medical experimentation on an adult and allusions to medical experimentation on a child, vivid visions of death, and Wow, Ryuu, What the Fuck

[Like Jun, Harumasa isn't with the other captives. The room he might be in is a sterile space, smelling of antiseptic and blood, and the walls are thick enough to block sound from within with the door closed. An examination bed sits in the middle of the room while desks line the walls. The trays are full of various medical instruments, such as syringes and tourniquets, and there's a huge overhead lamp that can be adjusted. There are some vials that seem to hold blood and others that hold a clear, almost watery liquid. Two guards immediately spring into action, but it won't be difficult to take them down.

The charts and computer files are all about Harumasa, including some research data and "patient history" that's older. It doesn't just go back to his childhood years, but it includes other times he's reincarnated under different names.

You look to the right.

On the right is a reinforced, metal door that slides open and a large window that looks into this sectioned off room. Inside is a chair that wouldn't look out of place in an optometrist's examination room, but without a headrest. Heavily restrained to the chair is Harumasa. His wrists, ankles, and chest are bound in tight, metal bands to force him to remain sedentary. Worryingly, despite the fact that the walls are made of metal, there are deep gouges on the walls and floor that seems to have been made by talons or claws. Some blood stains darken parts of the room. The door is currently closed and locked by keycard, but strategically placed explosives will easily work as authorized entry.

Once you enter, however, that's where Harumasa's current condition becomes all the more stark. His eyes have turned an unnatural blue with bright, yellow pupils and a faint ring of yellow. Old needle scars and brand new ones can be seen on the sides of his neck, which may explain why he always wears a choker no matter what, but at the back there's a port that hints at more scars, old and new, peppering his skin. His scrubs hang a little loosely on his body, but it's very difficult to say if it's because they're poorly fitted to him or due to losing weight. His signature yellow headband is still around his head, but it does nothing to really make anything better.

What's truly horrifying is that Harumasa doesn't even react to the door opening or anyone calling his name. His eyes are focused straight ahead, but it looks as if he's not seeing what they're seeing. Those familiar with how he receives his visions will notice that it's the exact look he gets when his Sight is active. He's gripping at the armrests so hard that his knuckles have gone bone white. His body is completely tense, occasionally flinching slightly as if he's seeing something unexpectedly horrible, and the way he's breathing makes it seem like he's tightly controlling his emotional response as much as possible.

His worst fear has come to pass: he's lost in his visions. All he can see, over and over and over, are the deaths of all those trapped here and those who are trying to rescue them. All he can hear are their screams, their last words, their last gasps of breath, the blood dripping from their wounds. All he can smell is death, decay, blood, and other scents associated with the ways they died. It's enough to drive anyone to madness and despair.

But Harumasa is stubbornly clinging to his last glimmer of hope. He still believes that they will be saved. If they weren't, then he wouldn't be having visions of a rescue operation... right?

It's what he tells himself. It's what helps keep him sane.

The only way to get Harumasa to react and focus on the present is by touching him. For as vivid and realistic as his visions are, the touch of another person has always been the one thing they could never replicate.]

{OOC: Please note that the out of control visions and lightning magic are temporary. Anyone who has friendly CR with Harumasa is safe to touch him without repercussion!}

Zevran - CW: injury and dissociation

[mmmleather]

[Out of everyone, Zevran is probably in better shape. That's not saying much, though. He has not slept, and he looks it. He's left his hair a mess, tangled from constantly toying with it. Braiding and undoing the work, just for something to do with shaking, uncoordinated hands. He hasn't really rested since being dismissed from the Gauntlet. Since several of their number vanished, and he'd slipped into that space in his head so far from here.]

[Since he'd died, since Neph wasted his healing on someone like him. Who couldn't even do the one thing asked of him. It's banging down the walls of his little fantasy, of his mental retreat, clamoring around in his skull more than anything that was ever done to him here.]

[The biggest wound from the fights never completely healed, just patched, an oozing, ugly hole in his side that barely missed anything vital. Bruises and abrasions hidden under clothing, ignored, some angry and red. Marks from restraints circle wrists and ankles, injection sites in his limbs, occasional marks of smaller cuts.]

[If he isn't holed up in his room, he's pacing. Slowly, gingerly. An almost obsessive circle around empty rooms, the doorways of occupied ones, lurking like a pale, bruised ghost. He has to try - he has to look after them, because he has to stop being fucking coward about everything emotional and actions are all he knows how to. Already, he failed to do so for that missing handful. No matter what he feels, no matter how much pain. He has to. A Crow is used to that. Trained for that.]

[In between rounds, he presses himself into a corner, somewhere he can see as much of the holding area as possible - the doors, the rooms, folding himself small for a few minutes of mentally retreating. His head nods occasionally - either pain or exhaustion or the creeping chill up his spine doing so. But any noise has his head jerk up, eyes literally glowing in the dark like a cat's, though his expression is glassy, unfocused.]

[Recognizing faces... may take a moment. Or longer.]

CLOSED: CONFRONTING HOJO

[kaisoumods]

Please Stand By.