[ Oh, cool, cool cool cool. Sounds like angry ghosts or zombies of some kind. That's uh, that's neat. ]
. . .
Who's "he"? Did you hear that? Humans, sounds like some bad stuff is coming our way.
[ The only thing she has with her is her haphazard glass shard, but -- it's going to have to do, for now. She enjoys human suffering plenty, but only if it's not at the probable danger of her own life. If it's a fight they want, then Power is more than happy to give one, given they're probably going to be in the way. She could be in better shape after having some blood (it's not like Suigetsu's missing any!!!!!) but sometimes, you have to make do with what you have... ]
[Can't let Kisame be the only one who knows how to use a shark for a good time. Perks of having a daemon with jaws of steel (heh).
Suigetsu is... halfway through wrapping a bandage around his midsection now, actually -- he's not moving terribly fast because movement is making him flinch but he's trying to like. Get moving. It's not going to be the best bandaging job in the universe but might as well secure his piercing. Piercing 101, folks, strap that shit in.]
Not spectres -- talkin'. [ow ow ow he also sounds out of breath and is talking through his teeth but let's get this dread] Zombies... Just my luck. Might be...
[At least you can hit zombies. Normally he'd be relishing a fight after all that bullshit on the ship but y'know. Uh. This is going to turn into a mess real quick considering the state of the troops.
Casually takes out a kitchen knife to cut the bandages because who has time for scissors in this economy. There's a groan as he finally gets mostly upright after putting everything away -- gotta use the shark for leverage, and Naito himself is basically hovering just above the ground in terms of mobility and energy, but it's better than nothing.
Oh, yeah, and he drew his sword at some point while he was down. Might as well if he has to carry it.]
[ The noise of it all, the voices, it's starting to become muddled. Dokja is vividly aware he is here and awake but his senses are dulling. He keeps shaking his head now and then, but at least the head injury isn't bad enough he's bleeding everywhere. Other than a light drip of both red and black, it seems to have stopped anyhow. Of course nothing as remotely serious like having a harpoon right through you. Nevertheless, his arm that isn't busy supporting Alphinaud, isn't in the best shape to wield the kitchen knife in his pocket and Alphinaud... well, on one leg and too busy carrying his things while keeping a hold on Dokja.
This wasn't looking too good. He clenches his jaw, sweating beading along his forehead as he's unable to hold back his shivering now. At least Jin is safely tucked away in his clothes as a snake. He won't have to worry about her until they're back at the castle safe and sound. ...Assuming they're even able to make it back in the first place. But, Dokja is stubborn and determined so even if he won't be able to provide a lot of talk this time around- he knows they're in a tight situation.]
We aren't in the best conditions to defend ourselves, so... ideally, let's avoid a fight if we can, yeah?
Oh, no. Oh no. Alphinaud freezes in an instant, a sudden tenseness in his body. Unlike the others, he's utterly lacking in bravado in the face of this unknown threat. ]
[ poor alphinaud. spoopy is pretty accurate - so is power's guess of zombies.
sort of.
you'll get your first look at them, in the dim light. they're coming from further back - looks like forward's the best choice, right now, considering your conditions - and they're.
well, grotesque.
long, gnarled fingers with webbing claw out of the dark and into the light, leading them in. exposed bone, rotting meat, and what might have once been human, a long, long time ago. now, their eyes are sunken in and heavy, dark, grieving and angry, forsaken, hungry. scales and chitin, spines, ugly and broken teeth of some deep sea creatures, barnacles, gills. each one is misshapen, laboriously breathing like you had all been only moments before. they are miserable, and tortured. like the ocean wrapped around them, warping them into something awful, inhuman. ]
Le̢t me͞ d̀i̕e̕.
He ̡s̵ent ҉yòù,͟ di̕d҉n̸'t͢ He̷!͢? ̸To ͠mo̷ck ̨us!?͢
Well. Unfortunate for them, who crawled here in addled minds seeking salvation, and only found a devil. And also three very injured boys. Power's face sets in a frown, glass shard held in her hand.
Sorry, but before any kind of saviour, she's a devil first. She's not interested in answering their cries for absolution, only in getting the hell out of here. ]
I can do the last one.
[ Sucks. She was hoping Fishman would be a bit more friendly than these suckers. Alright, if she must -- she'll take a swing with the shard at the throat of the first to approach. ]
What, they're not dead? I was hopin' they were at least dead...
[Look, zombies have their own issues but the issue with the not-quite-dead is that their daemons can't help. Naito makes a frustrated half-circle, too tuckered out for more but still irritated that he can't take a bite or five out of these things -- daemon taboos are a pain, okay?
Anyway, he's backing up as best he can, giving himself clearance because unfortunately the nerd squad is the least mobile right now and Power is already going on the offensive. Also takes out his kitchen knife again real quick.]
Yo, Power! Catch.
[Here's a knife, man. He's going to brace himself with another groan and pick up his sword off the ground -- it's not going to get very far because hahahaha but it's still good enough for him to take massive low swings at anything that gets past Power.
Also extra special bonus points: if you chop off their legs they'll be less mobile than Alphinaud??? Strategy!]
So, anyway, he's essentially useless in all this. Maybe Dokja is too? Who knows, he's here, somewhere, because capitalism is a cruel oppressor. Neither one of them will be helpful in this, let's try to hobble out of danger while you two go nuts. ]
[ undying and undead are, unfortunately, dissimilar enough that you probably don't want naito chomping on any of them, yeah. but it doesn't take long for them to lunge at the two of them, only one at first, but then the rest follow.
power's strike lands true, though the effectiveness is temporary. the fishman falls, bleeding brackish and frankly rank smelling blood. they're down for a little while, but a hand starts to claw out along the ground for purchase not long after. suigetsu's sword does a decent amount of damage, and does render a few unable to move as easily, clawing forward and wailing miserably as they bleed the same rotten ichor. accusing them, blaming them for their fate, accusing them of having His favor.
these poor travelers are to blame. why do they get to die? why can't they die? why won't He let them die? why did they have to fall?
power's glass shard (and eventual knife, thanks suigetsu) still do damage, but she has to get more up close and personal with them for that. for her efforts, she'll find herself getting clawed at, terrible jaws chomping at the bit for a piece of her. she'll be able to fend them off well enough, especially with suigetsu to help cover, but watch your head, power!
alphinaud and dokja get to hobble out of range while the jocks cover for the escape. all of your feathers feel warmer, heavier, offering some sort of solace in all of this. the book is dull and offers nothing.
the plush in alphinaud's arms continues to feel like warm sunlight and the promise of a more hopeful dawn. follow the light. go. ]
She catches the thing seamlessly with an appreciation. It's a much better weapon to have.
The smell of blood... man, she's one who allows a lot, but blood that's been absorbing the rank taste of ocean-bottom saltwater is probably a bit on the line even for her. She's sorely disappointed, excited for a moment to see the spurt of red and the prospect of spilling more, only for the fanfare of her success being brackish and sluggish and honestly kinda gross.
This salted brine covers her as she slashes with abandon, but it gives her a pitiful amount of joy to do so. She doesn't fight for blood and excitement, she only fights for their survival. At the least, she can show these nerds exactly what she meant when she said she bragged about her strength and prowess all these days -- she's certainly not anything astounding, even without her injuries and nerf probably, but she's still formidable as she stabs and cuts with what she's given.
At least until one of them grabs for her harshly by her hair and slams her roughly against the cave wall. Oh, that smarts and her pace plummets, as does the strength in her arms to cut away. It's probably around here that more of them manage to get through to Alphinaud and Dokja too, and Power fully tries switching from the offense to the escape, though she's having a horrid time trying to stay oriented and in the right direction. ]
[What's better than Power with a knife? TWO jocks with knives.
Whatever Suigetsu says, the Kubikiribouchou really is very much like a huge butcher's knife -- it's built to both capture and cleave right through masses of enemies, to separate limbs from trunks, heads from their owners, organs, you name it, it goes flying. It's a hilariously apt weapon for him, even though it wasn't his originally; but that's not the important part!
It's his now, and he makes furious and unrelenting use of it -- or as best he can under the circumstances, because even a seasoned ninja would be hard put to be completely on their game at this point, and Suigetsu... isn't used to it. Real and unmitigated physical injury, that is, his gut flaring like fire with every movement and occasionally staggering him on the backswing but hey: wouldn't Taka be astounded to see him now? Powering through it, that is. The legend of the Second Coming of the Demon is as dusty and gravebound as the Seven Swordsmen, but the blood on this blade is fresh, even if it smells about a century old.
Honestly this is the grossest battle he's had in a while. Man.]
Man... [ah, there goes Power, into the cave wall, and there go a few fishman not-so-zombie stragglers towards the back of their disaster lineup] Oh, come on...!
[This too is ridiculous, being in the position of covering retreat for people he barely knows (again?), even if it's also necessary so that he can retreat -- he and his daemon are both vastly slowed from their normal speed, by weight and exhaustion and injury and so on. He'll regroup in a minute and do a full, almost 360-degree swing with his blade to try and take care of the ones that got through, but he does need a minute here.]
[ the frontline is flagging. alphinaud and dokja are injured, and slow, and easy targets. a few of the undying get through, and dokja takes the brunt of the clawing for alphinaud's sake. power needs reoriented, but she's at least heading in the right direction so far, ritty safe with her and away from clawing hands.
suigetsu can have a breath, but we don't promise him a minute, especially considering one of the undying lunges for him to sink its terrible teeth into the meat of his shoulder.
but when he can do the swing, it's enough. they've been cut down, screaming in unbridled fury and hatred more than in pain. for years, and years, and years, and years and years and years they've known pain.
they want it to end.
and you can't do that for them. none of you can. not here, not now.
but you have the time to escape, now.
the undying's twisted howling and sobbing will follow the entire way, until there's a fizzle of familiar blue light in the cave itself. while everything looks the same, more or less, the group will realize that the same thing that happened on the ship is happening, now. time jumps, and alphinaud, dokja, power, and suigetsu can see the dim blue light in the distance. an opening to the cave.
it'll let you out north of krankaz.
you've made it back. ]
From the depths of the Leviathan, a good end.
For your reward, you will find yourselves in possession of:
★ Your injuries, of course. ★ Power's fancy overcoat, currently in Alphinaud's possession. It's fancy, but will always remain dry. ★ You can have a pegleg in the pocket of the coat. It's just the peg. ★ An undying fishman's head, I guess. ★ The cat doll, warm as the break of dawn and comforting. It doesn't do anything else. ★ A detective novel; the cover is torn and some of the words are hard to make out, in some places, but it details the misadventures of a nonbinary crime solver by the name of Detective Robin. It will allow the user to connect the most relevant piece of evidence to a case. One time use; can be renewed through exchanges with the NPCs once a week. ★ Suigetsu will find that there's been a feather added to his coin. Congratulations, you have been given a one-time ability to summon the Alpha Crab! An enormous crab will appear when used. Roll a d20; 1-10 it's friendly, 11-20 it's hostile to you. This cannot be renewed, but does not expire. Like other coin abilities, the associated feather on your coin will disappear after use.
For one time use, the feathers made of Dust that you've acquired will grant you abilities. The feathers do not disappear after use, but do lose some of their warmth.
★ Alphinaud's feather will grant him green magic, allowing him to control plants, up to 5 minutes. ★ Dokja's feather will grant him increased strength, up to 5 minutes. ★ Power's feather will allow her to conceal one secret, whether physical or verbal. ★ Suigetsu's feather will allow him to locate one lost item, of any size.
Later, you'll notice that there's a scrap of paper bookmarked in the detective novel. The paper is water-stained, salty, and has dark splotches. It's been ripped from a piece of parchment, and reads:
Before the darkness takes us, know this - it took only a single night of misfortune to wash away the history, but we have eternity to rise again.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
. . .
Who's "he"? Did you hear that? Humans, sounds like some bad stuff is coming our way.
[ The only thing she has with her is her haphazard glass shard, but -- it's going to have to do, for now. She enjoys human suffering plenty, but only if it's not at the probable danger of her own life. If it's a fight they want, then Power is more than happy to give one, given they're probably going to be in the way. She could be in better shape after having some blood (it's not like Suigetsu's missing any!!!!!) but sometimes, you have to make do with what you have... ]
no subject
Suigetsu is... halfway through wrapping a bandage around his midsection now, actually -- he's not moving terribly fast because movement is making him flinch but he's trying to like. Get moving. It's not going to be the best bandaging job in the universe but might as well secure his piercing. Piercing 101, folks, strap that shit in.]
Not spectres -- talkin'. [ow ow ow he also sounds out of breath and is talking through his teeth but let's get this dread] Zombies... Just my luck. Might be...
[At least you can hit zombies. Normally he'd be relishing a fight after all that bullshit on the ship but y'know. Uh. This is going to turn into a mess real quick considering the state of the troops.
Casually takes out a kitchen knife to cut the bandages because who has time for scissors in this economy. There's a groan as he finally gets mostly upright after putting everything away -- gotta use the shark for leverage, and Naito himself is basically hovering just above the ground in terms of mobility and energy, but it's better than nothing.
Oh, yeah, and he drew his sword at some point while he was down. Might as well if he has to carry it.]
slides in before work gets super busy
This wasn't looking too good. He clenches his jaw, sweating beading along his forehead as he's unable to hold back his shivering now. At least Jin is safely tucked away in his clothes as a snake. He won't have to worry about her until they're back at the castle safe and sound. ...Assuming they're even able to make it back in the first place. But, Dokja is stubborn and determined so even if he won't be able to provide a lot of talk this time around- he knows they're in a tight situation.]
We aren't in the best conditions to defend ourselves, so... ideally, let's avoid a fight if we can, yeah?
[ Good luck. ]
no subject
Oh, no. Oh no. Alphinaud freezes in an instant, a sudden tenseness in his body. Unlike the others, he's utterly lacking in bravado in the face of this unknown threat. ]
Wh— what...
[ it's spoopy, and he HATES THIS ]
no subject
sort of.
you'll get your first look at them, in the dim light. they're coming from further back - looks like forward's the best choice, right now, considering your conditions - and they're.
well, grotesque.
long, gnarled fingers with webbing claw out of the dark and into the light, leading them in. exposed bone, rotting meat, and what might have once been human, a long, long time ago. now, their eyes are sunken in and heavy, dark, grieving and angry, forsaken, hungry. scales and chitin, spines, ugly and broken teeth of some deep sea creatures, barnacles, gills. each one is misshapen, laboriously breathing like you had all been only moments before. they are miserable, and tortured. like the ocean wrapped around them, warping them into something awful, inhuman. ]
Le̢t me͞ d̀i̕e̕.
He ̡s̵ent ҉yòù,͟ di̕d҉n̸'t͢ He̷!͢? ̸To ͠mo̷ck ̨us!?͢
Càn̨ ͢y̛o҉u ͝d̢ié.͏.? W̕i͡l̛l͘ ̨y̕o͜ur̡ s̵o̶uls̀ ̛sav͘e ̸oúrs̷..? ̨Can̨ ̢we k̴ill yo҉u͝..̴?
Yo͜u ̧fe̢él so war̶m͡...̕ ҉ju̢s͏t̸ ͘ą ҉ĺi͡t҉tl̛e clo͠s̛èr̴...
LET UŞ ҉DIE!̧
no subject
Well. Unfortunate for them, who crawled here in addled minds seeking salvation, and only found a devil. And also three very injured boys. Power's face sets in a frown, glass shard held in her hand.
Sorry, but before any kind of saviour, she's a devil first. She's not interested in answering their cries for absolution, only in getting the hell out of here. ]
I can do the last one.
[ Sucks. She was hoping Fishman would be a bit more friendly than these suckers. Alright, if she must -- she'll take a swing with the shard at the throat of the first to approach. ]
no subject
[Look, zombies have their own issues but the issue with the not-quite-dead is that their daemons can't help. Naito makes a frustrated half-circle, too tuckered out for more but still irritated that he can't take a bite or five out of these things -- daemon taboos are a pain, okay?
Anyway, he's backing up as best he can, giving himself clearance because unfortunately the nerd squad is the least mobile right now and Power is already going on the offensive. Also takes out his kitchen knife again real quick.]
Yo, Power! Catch.
[Here's a knife, man. He's going to brace himself with another groan and pick up his sword off the ground -- it's not going to get very far because hahahaha but it's still good enough for him to take massive low swings at anything that gets past Power.
Also extra special bonus points: if you chop off their legs they'll be less mobile than Alphinaud??? Strategy!]
no subject
So, anyway, he's essentially useless in all this. Maybe Dokja is too? Who knows, he's here, somewhere, because capitalism is a cruel oppressor. Neither one of them will be helpful in this, let's try to hobble out of danger while you two go nuts. ]
no subject
power's strike lands true, though the effectiveness is temporary. the fishman falls, bleeding brackish and frankly rank smelling blood. they're down for a little while, but a hand starts to claw out along the ground for purchase not long after. suigetsu's sword does a decent amount of damage, and does render a few unable to move as easily, clawing forward and wailing miserably as they bleed the same rotten ichor. accusing them, blaming them for their fate, accusing them of having His favor.
these poor travelers are to blame. why do they get to die? why can't they die? why won't He let them die? why did they have to fall?
power's glass shard (and eventual knife, thanks suigetsu) still do damage, but she has to get more up close and personal with them for that. for her efforts, she'll find herself getting clawed at, terrible jaws chomping at the bit for a piece of her. she'll be able to fend them off well enough, especially with suigetsu to help cover, but watch your head, power!
alphinaud and dokja get to hobble out of range while the jocks cover for the escape. all of your feathers feel warmer, heavier, offering some sort of solace in all of this. the book is dull and offers nothing.
the plush in alphinaud's arms continues to feel like warm sunlight and the promise of a more hopeful dawn. follow the light. go. ]
no subject
[ 'What do you have there Power?' 'A KNIFE!'
She catches the thing seamlessly with an appreciation. It's a much better weapon to have.
The smell of blood... man, she's one who allows a lot, but blood that's been absorbing the rank taste of ocean-bottom saltwater is probably a bit on the line even for her. She's sorely disappointed, excited for a moment to see the spurt of red and the prospect of spilling more, only for the fanfare of her success being brackish and sluggish and honestly kinda gross.
This salted brine covers her as she slashes with abandon, but it gives her a pitiful amount of joy to do so. She doesn't fight for blood and excitement, she only fights for their survival. At the least, she can show these nerds exactly what she meant when she said she bragged about her strength and prowess all these days -- she's certainly not anything astounding, even without her injuries and nerf probably, but she's still formidable as she stabs and cuts with what she's given.
At least until one of them grabs for her harshly by her hair and slams her roughly against the cave wall. Oh, that smarts and her pace plummets, as does the strength in her arms to cut away. It's probably around here that more of them manage to get through to Alphinaud and Dokja too, and Power fully tries switching from the offense to the escape, though she's having a horrid time trying to stay oriented and in the right direction. ]
no subject
Whatever Suigetsu says, the Kubikiribouchou really is very much like a huge butcher's knife -- it's built to both capture and cleave right through masses of enemies, to separate limbs from trunks, heads from their owners, organs, you name it, it goes flying. It's a hilariously apt weapon for him, even though it wasn't his originally; but that's not the important part!
It's his now, and he makes furious and unrelenting use of it -- or as best he can under the circumstances, because even a seasoned ninja would be hard put to be completely on their game at this point, and Suigetsu... isn't used to it. Real and unmitigated physical injury, that is, his gut flaring like fire with every movement and occasionally staggering him on the backswing but hey: wouldn't Taka be astounded to see him now? Powering through it, that is. The legend of the Second Coming of the Demon is as dusty and gravebound as the Seven Swordsmen, but the blood on this blade is fresh, even if it smells about a century old.
Honestly this is the grossest battle he's had in a while. Man.]
Man... [ah, there goes Power, into the cave wall, and there go a few fishman not-so-zombie stragglers towards the back of their disaster lineup] Oh, come on...!
[This too is ridiculous, being in the position of covering retreat for people he barely knows (again?), even if it's also necessary so that he can retreat -- he and his daemon are both vastly slowed from their normal speed, by weight and exhaustion and injury and so on. He'll regroup in a minute and do a full, almost 360-degree swing with his blade to try and take care of the ones that got through, but he does need a minute here.]
no subject
suigetsu can have a breath, but we don't promise him a minute, especially considering one of the undying lunges for him to sink its terrible teeth into the meat of his shoulder.
but when he can do the swing, it's enough. they've been cut down, screaming in unbridled fury and hatred more than in pain. for years, and years, and years, and years and years and years they've known pain.
they want it to end.
and you can't do that for them. none of you can. not here, not now.
but you have the time to escape, now.
the undying's twisted howling and sobbing will follow the entire way, until there's a fizzle of familiar blue light in the cave itself. while everything looks the same, more or less, the group will realize that the same thing that happened on the ship is happening, now. time jumps, and alphinaud, dokja, power, and suigetsu can see the dim blue light in the distance. an opening to the cave.
it'll let you out north of krankaz.
you've made it back. ]