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Kaisou Mod Account ([personal profile] kaisoumods) wrote in [community profile] kaisou2022-10-04 09:00 am

October Event Log


October Event
Dominant Element: Earth
Waning Element: Water


Autumn is in full swing throughout Kaisou. The winds of September have settled down, leaving behind picturesque chilly autumn weather. During the month, the trees will be in full autumn glory, giving everyone a beautiful show of bright yellows, reds and oranges. At night, the atmosphere is perfect for a spooky Halloween night, with the moon showing brightly as you walk through crumpled leaves that skitter across the ground.


A Spoopy Time of Year

With the arrival of October, the city switches into full Halloween mode. You can't go anywhere in the city without finding some kind of Halloween decoration, whether it be jack-o-lanterns, paper ghosts, fake skeletons, or orange and black coloring. Restaurants and coffee shops are selling Halloween-themed refreshments, while there's a Spirit Halloween opening up in just about every empty building in the city for those looking to get yourselves a costume. Where did they come from? How did they pop up so fast? No one knows.

With school entering it's second month, students are finally getting used to the new daily routine. As they do that, maybe it's time to look into getting more involved. The Student Council are holding their elections, and there's auditions for the fall music concert. Meanwhile the clubs and sports are starting to gear up at both high school and the university as well. There's a wide variety, from high school baking club to the swim teams to the university anime club - or you can make your own club! There's lots of ways to be involved with your peers.

For those looking to get into the spirit of the holiday, there's plenty of things to do! The pumpkins are ready to be harvested in the farms of Stardew Valley, so you're welcome to visit a patch and pick out one for jack-o-lantern carving! There's also costume contests being held in the shopping center, with winners getting gift certificates to various businesses. Kami State Park are offering horse-pulled hay rides through the forest in the evening, for anyone wanting a fun date or family activity that's low on the scares. For those who want more of a thrill, the Gold Saucer has set up a ghost hotel experience. You can either do a basic tour that showcases all the typical things a haunted house has (creepy props, jump-scares, costumed folks, moogles in ghost costumes, etc), or for the truly brave, you can opt to stay the whole night in the hotel. The rooms are decked out to the macabre extreme complete with some creepy sounds occasionally occurring throughout the night. But hey, if that's what you're into - no shame!

The Halloween festivities aren't restricted to just the normal parts of town. In Undertown, plenty of merchants are getting into the spirit and selling Halloween items such as cauldrons (great for potion brewing), witches hats (enchanted to always be pointy), and witch brooms (enchanted to...just hover. No real flying). Meanwhile more traditional shops will focus more on protective wards and items meant to appease spirits, sometimes grumbling about the commercialization blinding people to the real dangers of this time of year. Enki Education Center meanwhile will offer plenty of classes about the history of Halloween and other related topics.



Samhain: The Lifting of the Veil

Those involved with the paranormal will be familiar with the idea of the veil between this world and the Spirit Realm thinning somewhat during this time of year. It's been a long known fact, and why so many holidays occur this time of year. However most years, the thinning of the veil results in nothing more than it being easier to conjure powerful spells, or an increase of supernatural sightings from normal people - some real, some fake, some from folks who have indulged a little too much in the Halloween spirit. Overall though, it's nothing to be too concerned about.

This year though? Between the already unusual activity from the Spirit Vein and recent damage done to the barrier by the man-made portal? The annual thinning of the veil couldn't come at a worse time. Instead of an mild increase in supernatural sightings? Normal people around the city find themselves bewildered as they become capable of perceiving all things supernatural. Your inhuman features? Your weird hair color? Those weapons you've been carrying around? The people can see them for what they are, and they have a lot of questions and concerns. The app users will be routinely dealing with the chaos that comes from those who once were oblivious now noticing what has been going around them all this time. Do your best to navigate the questions or escape if it gets to be too much.

Unfortunately, the problems from the thinning don't end just there. Throughout the month, tears, or smaller gates, will continuously pop up around the city. Each of these gates will lead to smaller labyrinths that looks like different versions of hell - complete with demons ready consume on any poor souls that happen to go near these gates. The surefire way to deal with these gates is to kill or exorcise the master demon of the labyrinth (which is a demon that's tougher than the other ones). This will cause the labyrinth to collapse and everyone inside will be safely teleported out. Do your best to patrol the city and ensure that no civilians fall prey to these tears.



The Disappearances

It starts slow, at first it's just one or two people from the app who go missing. Those who have the Libra app might suddenly find that they can't get a hold of their friend. For some, they might rationalize an explanation: it's October and some people are getting really busy with school or work as the big holiday season is right around the corner. Nothing to get too worried about, right? But for others, such rationalizations doesn't sit right. Not when a person they live with doesn't come home, or fails to show up to work when they've never been known to skip out.

Investigating these disappearances don't yield much at first. In most of the cases, there's no signs of a struggle. Though for a couple, especially with people who tend to be difficult normally, there's some signs that maybe something occurred - but there's no trail, no fingerprints. If you submit a missing persons report to the police, they won't have much in the way of leads. Zodiac too seems concerned, saying they'll look into it but not having more details to share at this time.

By the second week of October, things have escalated to the point that not even the most laidback of people can rationalize things away. Several people, all on the app, have gone missing and no one has been able to contact them at all or locate them by any means, magical or mundane. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to who's taken or when they were taken, just that they were likely alone when they vanished.

Just where then, is everyone going? Will you be next?



A Gate to Hell

It's not until October 13th does a lead finally get found. Zodiac will send a message through the app, it's signal blaring as usual.

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE LOCATED AT KAISOU HIGH SCHOOL.
Element Classification: Earth
Danger Level: High
Designation: The Qliphoth
A large gate has been detected at Kaisou High School. We have received information that this gate is connected to the disappearances of app users. Some locals have approached our agents with information on this realm. They have also requested assistance in stopping the demons within and saving the hostages. This realm is HIGHLY DANGEROUS, please only go near it if you're prepared. Please visit the Zodiac Office if you need any questions answered or equipment. And whatever you do, do NOT make any deals with demons.

Visiting the Zodiac Office, they will find that the atmosphere is once more very serious. There are Zodiac employees rushing around, trying to get a handle on the multiple crisis going on. Professor Willow looks rather pale and like he hasn't slept in a week. When asked about his condition, he'll just explain that he just pulled an all-nighter researching. Though when the TV in the office shows another news story of someone reporting a supernatural sighting of some kind, he seems to pale even further.

But before you can focus too much on the Professor, the Zodiac attendants usher you over to the group that requested assistance. It seems to be a mix of people that hang around the Underground and ....yeah, ok, that's a 7 foot tall demon with horns with them. Before you can brandish any weapons, the humans with them insist they're a good demon. They explain that within the realm of the Qlipoth, a demon lord by the name of Zoray is attempting to harvest power with human sacrifices - the folks who had been kidnapped. As such, they need help in putting an ends to the plans.

Once you're ready to go, the gate can be found on the football field at Kaisou High School. It's completely overtaken one of the endzones, a massive and twisted monolith that just reeks of evil as you approach. The grass around is turning brown and quickly dying off as red light from the gate itself reflects on. Needless to say, the homecoming game has been cancelled until further notice.

It becomes incredibly apparent, as soon as you step through, that the situation is much worse than what Zodiac was expecting. Before your eyes lays what looks to be once a normal city, not unlike Kaisou itself. However, its days of being a normal city are long gone. The sky bleeds between bright reds and blues, often mixing into an odd but eerily clear sunset, and two major landmarks greet the eyes amongst the urban ruins. Nearby, an old castle looms with impeccable stature, while in the distance lies a horrid and twisted tree.

One of the most prominent things to note, then, is the slight scent of copper wherever you go. It lingers on the tongue as something familiar, but you can't quite name it as to what. For folks with enhanced smell, however, they can tell exactly what that copper is– blood. The entire gate reeks of it. Even worse is how there is an oppressive air constantly around, one that feels heavy and has weight to it overall. The flora and fauna have too many eyes, too many teeth, and many look like if you mistreat them, they'll bite off your fingers or worse.

What a way of greeting the incoming help, huh?



Kidnapped: Face Yourselves

As for those who were kidnapped, let's rewind a moment to what happened. They had been in Kaisou when they were approached by a stranger, pleading to help someone who had been trapped within the Spirit Realm. Those who were reluctant to go were offered rewards of various sorts. Anyone who agreed to follow the stranger would've found themselves quickly nabbed by demons before everything went dark. As for those who resisted all attempts to lure them - well, the stranger had enough and called on their demon friends to jump you anyway.

Those who were taken will wake up and find themselves in caverns below grown, beneath a massive tree far bigger than any tree or really any building you'd find on Earth. Any weapons on your persons has been taken from you, and the phone can't get a signal - not even to Libra, thanks to the magic radiating from the tree roots. No one is being tied down or anything, as the demons are sure there's no way you could ever get out from beneath the tree. Listening in on their conversations, it sounds like they plan to sacrifice you. Those who are able to sense magical energy will be able to tell that even now, the tree is slowly siphoning their energy just by being here.

If you want to try, however, and perhaps avoid the fate of being sacrificed, you can attempt to escape. The kidnapped victims are in the root system of the tree, so they'll have to use their best judgement to navigate through the roots without getting caught. Though getting out is easier said and done to actually, as the root system is a maze, with twists and turns and dead ends and the occasional gap that must be traversed. Anyone who attempts to escape using magic will find their way blocked.

There are small mercies, as you don't seem to get hungry or thirsty while trapped in here. However after a few days, the tree's roots will absorb enough of your energy to create demonic doppelgangers of the captured. These demonic doppelgangers appear as twisted versions of the person they're copying, and worse - they reflect every inner demon within oneself and magnified. Someone prone to jealousy would have a demon that flies into jealous rages, while the demon of someone greedy will not stop until they have everything. These demons are their literal inner demons made manifest, and they were created to make sure you do not escape. Some will try to kill, while others aim to break you mentally by making you face your worst features. Do you face them head on and defeat your inner demons? Do you try and befriend them? Or do you just run the other way and hope they can't catch you?



Meanwhile, Back with the Rescuers

Returning to the rescuers, there are two avenues in which a person can assist. For those who aren't quite suited for or willing to do a marathon of battle, you can head to the castle. Meanwhile those who brought weapons and an itch to fight? Well, you're directed to head to the tree.

Route A: Raising Spirits at the Castle

The path to the castle is a straightforward one. The stronghold itself seems out of place, an old castle that's in a pristine state amongst modern buildings in ruins. As you approach, you may being to spot the residents of this castle. Demons of every shape and size fly, flit, scamper, and walk around the area with no malice or ill intent. They aren't the only ones here, as there's humans mingling among the demons as well. It's not until a group of these residents, the human kind, come forward that you may realize that this isn't a place of terror or horrors, but a refuge from what is happening outside.

Once they notice you, you're ushered towards the fortress. The group explains that long ago, this was a normal city, but one day that demonic tree appeared along with an army of demons. The humans that remained now are part of a witch coven, descendants of the citizens who lived here once. Their duty these days is to keep the balance within this realm in check, and stop the demonic legion from spreading further. While some demons have learned to live in peace with the coven over the years, there are many more that still seek to wreck havoc and conquer. Recently, the evil demons have grown fiercer, thanks to their leader Zoray's plan to harvest a fruit that'll boost their power and allow for them to push their army into the next realm over - Kaisou. The only way for the fruit to be produced? Sacrifices, and lots of them. They were particularly keen on folks with high spirit energy, like the app users that got nabbed. The coven is doing what they can, but they need help in both places, and in more ways than just fighting.

That's where you come in.

While many wish to go to the tree and save those who were kidnapped or even assist those who go, there's another way to help out. One thing that serves to weaken the force of the demonic army? Positive energy. Being a safe haven for demons doesn't exactly make it a place that one would consider happy or positive, and it shows. As the plans to take on the demons and Zoray are laid out, the group admits that having enough good energy back at the castle will help take off the edge of the demons at the tree.

Seeing as there's plenty of people who can help bring in some positive energy, they've begun preparations for a Halloween celebration, roping anyone into it that chooses to stay behind. Lights need to be hung, streamers need to be unrolled and placed, food needs to be prepared, events need to be broken down and planned so things run smoothly. Demons and humans alike will split the work, though watch out for some of the smaller demons, as they like to be mischievous and have fun when people are doing their job. Once things are all set up, then the fun begins. Games have been set up to entertain everyone there, including bobbing for apples, telling spooky stories, dancing, even a costume contest to keep spirits high, and have things last for a long while.

Route B: Speedrun Attempt

Of course, some may not care to scale the tree. For those who want a more direct approach to saving their friend, you hear rumors around the castle that the kidnapped victims are being stored away in the roots of the tree. Those who pursue those rumors and look around the roots of the tree (all while avoiding patrolling demons) will find a stash of items that were taken from the kidnapped victims. Take care of the demons guarding the stash, grab anything you recognize as belonging to your friend, and carry on. Eventually, the search will pay off and you'll find an opening that leads into the root system where the captives are being held. (note: if a character attempts to STEAL any items to keep for themselves, they must obtain permission from the player who the items belong to.)

Or at least, what seemed like an opening. As once you go inside? The roots will move and seal you within the roots. Just like the kidnapped victims, you're trapped within and subjected to the same torments the kidnapped victims must deal with. Whoops! But on the upside, you have weapons! Those will probably come in handy.

Route C: Battle at the Qliphoth (cw: trypophobia)

For the group that decides to head to the tree? Hell is about to get up close and personal.

Finding the path towards the tree isn't too difficult, but the further the group ventures in, more and more of the city they approach begins to show how devastating the tree has been to the environment. Debris lines the streets, buildings have crumbled and parts lay strewn across roads, and the smell of blood grows stronger. Perhaps the worst thing of all is the sheer amount of (cw: major trypophobia) husks left along the way, mostly in the shapes of people in complete and utter terror. Eventually the group will come across the witches assigned to watch the tree, still focused on keeping the tree's evil from spreading. A quick exchange of information from them fills you in on any missing notes– namely, that Zoray has gathered his minions and has gotten exceptionally protective of the layers of the tree. The higher you go, the stronger and greater amount of demons you'll encounter.

For those who try to bypass all of the obstacles given by the tree and its residents by teleporting or flying, they'll find a barrier forms less than halfway up the tree, with a phantasmal hand that shoos them away from going any further. Time to start climbing.

The Lower and Middle Levels

On the (cw: trypophobia) outside of the tree's tough skin, plenty of small fry (and not so small fry) will greet you enthusiastically and maliciously. Demons here more often than not don't speak in human tongue, they'll simply acknowledge your presence with a roar and bound after you. And where there's one, more are sure to follow. As if that wasn't bad enough, roots from the tree itself lash out every often, hoping to catch anyone who passes through unaware and impale them to the floor. Getting caught by one is going to have to use some quick thinking– either stab the root or shoot it, and the thing will let go. It sure won't be happy about losing its meal though, so be careful.

Far into the middle of the tree lies twisted paths and corroded edges, some of them almost looking more like a path of an elongated spine than the bark of a tree. Tougher demons lie in wait here, some even being commanded by others, and you may even come across spaces where the way forward is blocked by red spiderwebs that refuse to budge unless all demons are defeated. Finish them off, the webs will shatter, and you can move on your way.

The High Arena

Up at the top lies the demon lord responsible for this entire mess. Zoray watches over the rest of the realm, smug in his assumptions of claiming the Fruit once it ripens. The arrival of outsiders such as yourself is not something he expects, and it shows– he'll do everything in his power to keep you busy and unable to reach the Fruit, as he's standing beside it. It will take a lot of teamwork and cooperation to take out not only the demons serving Zoray, but the demon lord himself must be destroyed as well. Thankfully, the positive energy being created at the castle does help make his blows hit much less harder, and offer occasional protection to those who get struck. Everything is on the line, so bring your best to fight for the safety of the realm.

When the dust settles and Zoray is no more, most demons inside the tree will scamper, unable to handle the loss of their leader and not knowing what to do without orders. Make sure to destroy the fruit (which thankfully has yet to ripen) before you go. The trip down will be safer, and the coven will greatly thank you for your help once you return. Not only that, but the roots of the tree will pull back enough to allow openings for the kidnapped victims (and their would be rescuers) to make their escape and reunite with everyone. Any doppelganger demons that are remaining will need to be dealt with...or left to their own devices, never to be seen from again.



Aftermath

With the main threat dealt with, the city returns to....well, okay. Not fully normal, but a little bit calmer. Tears become less frequent, though still continue to be a problem thanks to the time as year. Normal people will still continue to notice more things than usual, but some of the more oblivious ones will stop noticing things. The coven witches, thankful for the help, will send everyone jack-o-lantern buckets that will refill with your favorite candies through October. Any items that were taken from the kidnapped victims by the demons will be returned to them if they weren't already. The staff at Zodiac will begin to relax, offering monetary compensation for samples of the tree and feeling hopeful that once they get past Samhain, things will return things to normal.

Except, that's not what happens. In the final weeks of October, after the Qliphoth has been dealt with, the days will get progressively shorter. Much shorter than what's normal for this time of year. Daylight will go from lasting half the day to only a couple scant hours. It will culminate on October 31st, Halloween, when the sun does not rise at all - leaving the city in perpetual darkness.

Going to Zodiac will yield little answers, as they have no explanation at all. Clergy at the church will inform you that the Black Order is looking into it as well. As for POKEGO, well strangely....Professor Willow is nowhere to be found. In fact, no one has seen him since the days have begun to shorten.

That's probably a coincidence, right?



OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Earth! Anyone with an affinity to the earth 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 Water 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.

Player are still allowed to sign up to be kidnapped! Just head to this comment and sign up! Sign-ups for kidnappees will close on October 13th.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up October 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

cantgetanyworse: (057)

[personal profile] cantgetanyworse 2022-11-12 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
He can't go higher yet.

[She's not going to rule out this getting 'worse' along the line. It does seem like things have really just started for them.

And despite Varian being younger than herself, she'll take what he says for the good advice that it is. It does sound like he's looked into it and doubtless other people have as well, and if there's simply nothing to be done about what happens then the only other option is to cope.
]

And... how have you coped with it? [Jane asks him curiously.] If it's not too strange a thing to ask.
cantgetanyworse: (159)

[personal profile] cantgetanyworse 2022-11-12 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ah..."

Nightmare fuel. Maybe she doesn't want to know? It's moments like this she will probably come to miss in the future, when she knew less and the safest thing for her to do was stay home and wait for things to calm down.

"Demons. Are they staying... in there?"

Please don't tell her there are demons roaming Kaisou. That might be too much.
alwaysbeentrash: (pic#16053334)

[personal profile] alwaysbeentrash 2022-11-12 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[He smiles back in response, relaxing. Okay, he didn't ramble too much.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. For what it's worth, I'm hoping you win.
couldntsaveone: eating (pic#15908157)

[personal profile] couldntsaveone 2022-11-12 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Really? Why? You're still you and they make you look cool.

He does, at least, lower his voice, alright he isn't whispering.
blurrier: (oh hey it's you)

[personal profile] blurrier 2022-11-13 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Rika knocks the Pidgey out with a round of Fury Swipes, preventing any more Gust attacks while Yoosung runs over to where Luffy is in the tree, looking up at him in surprise. The Meowth comes over as well to peer up at the rubber man curiously.]

Are you okay?! Oh, uh, this is Kanto, where Pokemon live! They're like animals and other creatures that have powers and they like to battle each other-- Hey!

[Realization lights up his features.]

You're "pirateking," from the Libra app!

[The rubber powers were a giveaway.]
once_reborn: All icons spiffied up by the wonderful Jax! (neutral)

[personal profile] once_reborn 2022-11-13 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
"And it can lead us to him...how? Wouldn't he need to be on the, you know, the other end?"

That she's willing to accept the explanation says a lot about what she's experienced since arriving here.
once_reborn: All icons spiffied up by the wonderful Jax! (Default)

So good to RP with her again. If your Jane had a fan club, I'd join. :P

[personal profile] once_reborn 2022-11-13 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
She nodded.

"Those ones certainly won't be paying us a visit," she replied, "and I haven't seen any others coming out."

She leaned her head back, and a bit of the fringe fell back with it, revealing the edge of an ugly, old scar that clearly ran over a significant portion of her skull. A hint that dealing with demons wasn't nearly the worst thing she'd experienced, and certainly helped explain her casualness about it. She leaned forward again, wincing, rubbing her face.

"I think I'm done fighting them, though. Need to rest. And I haven't the slightest idea where my apartment is right now."
blurrier: (contemplative)

[personal profile] blurrier 2022-11-13 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, that's me! [He brightens for a moment.] I'm ShootingStar! It's what my name means, Yoosung, in Korean.

[The smile dims a bit as he realizes that means Cale doesn't really know anyone, but...]

Oh... But... Even if they're not coming to rescue you directly, I doubt anyone coming to help would leave you behind just because they don't know you... That would be pretty cruel...

[They're being held in the same place, so rescuing one would still be rescuing them all, right?]
bossy_boots: (success)

[personal profile] bossy_boots 2022-11-13 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
He'd definitely prefer her version of it - where there was cause and effect, a definite path between study and practice. Where action caused reaction, where energy created required energy consumed.

Sensible magic, really.

"I'm always up to learning something!"

And the way her eyes glitter will indicate that learning may well be her greatest passion.
bossy_boots: (geeky idiots)

[personal profile] bossy_boots 2022-11-13 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
She giggled in return.

"And one very, very nice kiss. You kinda knock my socks off, y'know that?"

The romance always had. Luz had hit her like a thunderbolt and never stopped striking.
bossy_boots: (curious conversation)

[personal profile] bossy_boots 2022-11-13 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
[She sighs, pulling out a notebook and writing down 'Hawaii'. Something else she needs to learn. She likes the learning process, but there's just so much!]

Right. Hawaii.

And maybe it's the time of year...sometimes the walls between perception and reality get thinner.

poisontippedcure: (pic#13454328)

[personal profile] poisontippedcure 2022-11-13 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
It's a long story.

[She shakes her head.]

I won't lie and say it's friendly, but I can keep it under control. It helps me survive, at least.
couldntsaveone: (pic#15850272)

[personal profile] couldntsaveone 2022-11-13 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
Kanto? Pokémon?? Cool! Tell me more!

He jumps down easily, not worried about getting hurt. Being rubber definitely has its perks.

I am! I'm Luffy, I'm going to be King of the Pirates! Who're you? And what's that cool cat thing with you? It's amazing!
a_cute_batata: (us two)

[personal profile] a_cute_batata 2022-11-13 06:30 am (UTC)(link)
Luz couldn't help but reach over and give Amity a kiss.

"Well, here's another one. It's to remind me how incredibly lucky I am to have you here, candy and all."

Eda had been great of course, but Amity was actually from her timeline. She couldn't have imagined what would have happened if it had not been HER Amity.
schrodingersghost: (pic#15049188)

[personal profile] schrodingersghost 2022-11-13 10:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Danny raises a hand and aims a blast of green energy at the attacking demons eyes, hoping the distraction would throw it off before it could reach his friend. ]
playtag: (Shield at the ready)

[personal profile] playtag 2022-11-14 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Ah, she might have her transformation back, but she has still lost some of her strength it would seem.]

[The glowing hand gives her just enough warning, as she shifts the hammer's form into a basic round shield. The fire hits it as she lands to her feet, wincing as the metal slowly grows hotter closer to where it connects to her hands. Yet Eve holds the shield steady to block the flame.]
playtag: (Serious face)

cw: body horror

[personal profile] playtag 2022-11-14 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
[The girl who looks like Eve does not seem to notice or care about the danger. She doesn't react at all.]

Tag.

[With that one word, she holds an arm out to her side. Tenons pop and crack as her lower arm and hand start to shift. The flesh extends and changes to a dark metal sheen, until it no long resembles a hand, replaced instead by a giant blade.]

I am the demon.
prontissimo: (ormai ce l'ha insegnato)

[personal profile] prontissimo 2022-11-14 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ And her words get at his point better than his own managed to. ]

Right, exactly! We don't know what they're capable of! Every move we make matters! Signora, I— What do I do? I'm not giving up, but— I'm not magic...! I wanna help, but I wanna be— I dunno, useful! This is too important, Bruno's out there and I just— I-I can't mess this up!

[ His thoughts are still on Bruno and nothing else, the more his own ineptitude and lack of combat skills starts to weigh on his conscience. There'd been rumors that the kidnappees were trapped beneath the roots of the tree, so as they ascend toward the branches to get to the source of the problem, Alberto's heart is still pulled backwards, back down from whence they came, wondering if Bruno's somewhere behind them. He's no idea how he'd find him; but he's even less of an idea how he'd help in battle if the demons above are just going to get stronger and stronger. Alberto's terrified, in general, but as his panic mounts, he's terrified of the familiar fear that once they're further up, he'll personally somehow "ruin everything." It's a concern Alberto's dad drilled deep into his mind, trying to control Alberto's rash indiscretion as a child. That's not changed, though; now he's just impulsive and insecure... But frightened as he is, worried about his own uselessness as he is, this moment is still all about Bruno in his eyes. Wherever Alberto can feel useful, however Alberto can actively help rescue the man, that's where he wants to be and what he wants to do. ]
prontissimo: (s’è chi ogni sera)

[personal profile] prontissimo 2022-11-14 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ Alberto grins at the accusation. He's really amused speculating about Hoshi, whose help is sometimes less than obvious, it's true — but he's inclined to believe he's real, as more and more crazy magic things happen around him since he's been here. He leans into it, bull-shitting as he's prone to do, whatever the odds are. ]

Ha-hah~! That's right! We teamed up! Think you can take us both on, piccolina?

[ Alberto takes a wide side step backwards, brandishing one sword at her, pointing it with his arm outright, as he uses the other sword to try and gesture toward... somewhere Hoshi might be...? He does not manage to point at Hoshi. But that's okay. He's been acknowledged. ]
prontissimo: (pensiero stupendo)

[personal profile] prontissimo 2022-11-14 06:27 am (UTC)(link)
Alberto makes an exaggerated scowl at everything she says about the mermaid party, shaking his head ruefully, still goofing off and taking his troubles in good humor, at least. But her suggestion lights his face up, even sending him standing straight and at attention, bright eyes and a bright grin.

"Yes! That's the best idea ever!"

He shoots her the double finger guns in his excitement, emphatic as always, but can never leave off a little smug joke.

"And, I mean, you and me? Obviously we'll kick butt at anything~"
a_cute_batata: (nice to meet you)

[personal profile] a_cute_batata 2022-11-14 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, not every mission was going to be a success, was it? Luz, after all, had spent a few hours as a cat due to the loss of one of her own missions, and it had been some time since she actually went another one.

So why not do the next one with her partner in crime?

"Right?! With our charisma and sharp wit, we can do anything!"

Luz totally agrees with his sentiment! Now which one to choose...

"There's a mission where we have to go collect a bunch of mushrooms, and there's also one where we have to organize a ton of books! The other ones are, well, a little more violent. Those might be out of our league."

Not specifically out of Luz's, but she would definitely need a fighter on her team, and Alberto did not have the skill set for that quite yet.

"There IS also the one about stopping a grave robber though, if you like to live dangerously!"
callmekacchan: Neutral, Safe (Steampunk)

[personal profile] callmekacchan 2022-11-14 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[Katsuki has zero experience with a weapon. The closest he's come to a sword fight is nearly getting himself stabbed one time by being an aggressive punk. So his form is just as bad as Alberto's and mainly consists of trying to brute force it.

As Alberto digs out a second sword, Katsuki's grin just grows. Totally into this mock battle and loving every second of this opportunity to fully unleash his inner chaotic gremlin.]


What, can't beat me with one?

[This cocky bastard responds by putting his free hand behind his back in a display of ridiculous confidence. And then he's right back to swinging. By now some customers have alerted employees to the situation and there's a tired looking young woman watching them from the other end of the aisle with no idea what the protocol is for spontaneous sword fights.

This situation can only get worse.]
senorita_perfecta: (Miracle at Work)

[personal profile] senorita_perfecta 2022-11-14 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe you can try to sneak past the demons or even distract them while I can try to fight them while they’re off guard. If we can surprise them when they’re not on alert, like setting up a distraction of some sort, maybe we can fight them when they least expect it.

(She can feel the rush of adrenaline running through her veins and tons of concern racing in her mind. And it can be very tricky just trying to come up with a plan in short notice, but they have to do something before things go horribly.)
crystallinememories: (G'raha [Uuuuuh])

[personal profile] crystallinememories 2022-11-14 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
That's... good?

[Yeah that sounds like a problem for later.]

Let's... at least find somewhere to sit without a portal for the moment. [if she doesn't need a healer, than she at least needs a rest.]
droptheious: (Maybe you should stay)

[personal profile] droptheious 2022-11-14 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[Varian's pulling out a notebook from his backpack and has started taking notes on this. He might not like magic, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to avoid trying to understand and study it. ]

Right, right. So whatever fruit you choose to eat depends on what powers you get, Though...it's not always clear what they'll be. So you could end up with literally anything.

[But then, he supposes that's how it works here, too. There's no way of knowing what element you get aligned to, no choice to make. It just...happens.]

Wait, you were seven?

Huh, so...it could be that no one actually explodes and it's just propaganda to stop people from gaining extra abilities?