riverviewlogs | [closed] Mission: Don't Wake the Deity

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[closed] Mission: Don't Wake the Deity

who: Akihiko Sanada, Nico di Angelo, Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Rin, Keith, Lyle Dylandy, Khisanth (Onyx), Jason Todd, Ava Orlova, Morgana, Takashi Shirogane, Yuffie Kisaragi, Chloe Decker, Lucifer Morningstar, Thor Odinson, Link
what: Mission: Don't Wake the Deity
when: Friday, July 28th - after the scouting party has returned and shared their information
where: The Abandoned City and surrounding woods
warnings: Violence, probable monster attacks, mind control/people being compelled, etc. Will add more warnings as needed.

[Taken from the June TDM, with some additions:]

Whether you've just arrived in the city or you've been here a while, and you have a sensitivity to the spiritual, magical, multidimensional, or anything else outside the realm of everyday normal, you've probably noticed a distinct uptick in weird feelings, strange nightmares, or daymares - hallucinations of scary things that are lurking just behind you.

You're not the only one who's noticed it.

There are rumors going around that the psychological and spiritual disturbances are due to the emergence or re-emergence of a deity. Some people say that it's something new that's come through the portal with the sharp increase in new arrivals recently, and others say it's simply an ancient spiritual presence or some ancient incorporeal monster that's been somehow awakened. Gramarye, the top-tier magic research center in Riverview Quarantine, has been studying anyone who's felt this presence, and have recently confirmed that whatever it is, it's being fed by all the extra energies and prayers and thoughts as the city's population increases. The one thing everyone agrees on is that, if the expanding community is feeding the entity, then the entity has got to go!

A scouting party recently travelled into the Abandoned City and forests outside the walls to search for leads or any other evidence of a way to solve the problem. After a day of searching, the team stumbled upon an abandoned temple. While it didn't seem like much, its exterior run-down and wood rotting amongst the centuries' old mulch and muck, it felt... unsettling. Alive, almost. One member of the party could feel a powerful presence emanating from it; realizing they were out of their depth, the team returned to the Quarantine to relay the information and obtain reinforcements.

Teams are now being assembled across the city to travel into the Abandoned City or the forests outside the walls and find this temple once more. The mission might be dangerous, though - there are the usual dangers of venturing out into the wilds, but this time, characters may also face booby traps, spectral or physical guardians, and if the entity itself gets awoken? Someone may have to kill it.

[So this log will be set up in 'stages'. The first few headers will be closed to each of the teams for initial travel meetings, camping, monster fights, etc. Feel free to post your own top-levels underneath and tag out, mingle, whatever you'd like. Headers for further 'stages' of the mission (such as once all the teams meet up at the temple/deity hideout) will also be posted so that teams can intermingle/have more CR.

Since there are so many people involved, consider this one big mingle thread in the vein of the TDMs. Here's a link to the google doc for those interested as well.]

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Yes! Well spotted Akihiko, you're making progress already; now you just have to hope that you can prove your worth to a bunch of strangers who don't know what a persona is. Before he could apologize for the potential inconvenience to the guard, though, he paused at the question. He straightened his posture, unable to help the amused quirk to his lips.

"I do! Well, I guess I've not taken down a deity before, but I'm used to fighting uh. Less than corporeal things. Pol-- I can cast lightning, and heal, some!" He backed out of having to explain Polydeuces, his persona, for now- he could give the disclaimer on the large spirit if he was going to be traveling with these people. And, while was by no means the designated healer back home, but he could help a team get by, for sure. Smiling properly now, he held out a gloved hand. "I'm sorry- I'm Akihiko."

Ed noticed the smirk and couldn't help feeling like that had been a loaded question. He'll take a moment to listen to Akihiko's sales pitch before nodding some, although golden eyes fell to the gloved hand almost suspiciously before responding without a hand shake. "We could use someone that can heal... We only have two healers, and they're heading out with the other groups." Akihiko can downplay his other abilities all he wants, with Nico in their group Ed's priority was healing. The rest may just be a pleasant surprise down the road as far as he's concerned.

After a pause he takes a breath as if preparing himself for something before offering his own gloved hand finally, aware that if they're going to be fighting side by side this guy was bound to see the automail sooner or later. He is watching for a reaction as he takes Akihiko's hand to shake, because although he had certainly gotten a few so far, they were very subtle and not much of what he'd expected from the contact with metal. "Edward Elric, I'm kind of... running this mission."

Akihiko doesn't take the potentially rude gesture too harshly- prickly personalities don't mean someone can't make for an excellent team member, and scratches behind his ear with the hand that had been hovering before letting it fall to his side. With the potential vote of confidence, he perks up a little, shifting his weight back into his heels a bit. "Well I'd love to come along!"

Pleasantly surprised by the offered hand, he gave an enthusiastic handshake, and fortunately or unfortunately for Ed, Akihiko isn't the best at hiding initial reactions. It was only after he'd let go that his brows rose, belatedly registering what he'd felt, but said nothing as he listened to the introduction. Well, he'd managed to run into the best person to speak to. "Oh wow, thank you for doing so! It's nice to meet you." There's only a slight pause as Akihiko manages to not ask possibly the most tactless question to someone he just met. Instead, he sets his bag on the ground at his feet for now since it seems they have at least a little time to wait. "When did you arrive here, then? I was just in the last wave."

Ed had never had to deal with so many handshakes in his life, this place was weird like that - but he was getting used to it, and he was getting used to the overall lack of a reaction to his automail. It was almost enough to put his mind at ease... almost. He hadn't forgotten the mention of being able to cast lightning, which was still an interesting concept to him, but he didn't press it, asking off-handed, "You can defend yourself too, I assume." Even if he couldn't a healer might be valuable enough to take on anyway, Ed would just have to be more aware of him if he was going to need help.

There was the reaction he was waiting for, but mercifully no questions were asked, and Akihiko certainly didn't know him well enough to be filled with all sorts of inappropriate concern like his floor mates had been. It was a relief knowing he wouldn't have to field that issue later, for once, even if Akihiko had been tempted to ask about it. "You don't need to thank me, I want to know what's going on out there so I made a plan to check it out. A few friends decided to join, that's all." This was said as if it wasn't the biggest deal in the world that they had, but he definitely could use the help so he appreciated it even if he didn't say as much.

After a pause he offers the faintest smile, probably a sharp contrast to the initial appearance of Ed being strictly down to business. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm sure we could really use the help." Having a healer in the group would certainly put his mind at ease, even if he didn't know the guy. It wouldn't be the first time he was teamed up with total strangers after all the crap Purg had pulled over the years.

The last question makes him pause, because it was such a change of direction in conversation but he doesn't dwell on it, shrugging a shoulder. "Since June." Not very long, and he's aware of that. "I've been doing this sort of thing for a few years, though." Being stuck in alternate worlds, fighting monsters? He doesn't specify which he means, but both is a pretty accurate answer.

"I certainly try," Akihiko said good naturedly, tapping the small bandaid that he still had on his forehead. Honestly, he was fine to have it off; he was mostly just covering a scab, at this point.

He nodded along to Edward's explanation of his own drives. While his thanks were brushed off, he didn't take it personally- as long as Ed knew the gratitude was there.

If Akihiko notices the hesitation, he gives no indication of it. He's been overly curious about how this whole place works, so it had been a common question for him to find out who might have answers. So, he hums at the response, thoughtful. Akihiko hasn't even considered the idea of hopping between multiple worlds, but the answer certainly gives the impression that his own experience is likely nominal in comparison to Ed's.

"I'm used to fighting Shadows.. the monsters back home, but I'd only ever gone on short trips from my home town. So this," He makes an all encompassing gesture at the city. "Is a pretty big transition." Akihiko lets out a little laugh. It's quite something to go from never having moved from the house you grew up in to not knowing anyone around you. Which he guesses Ed might be used to, if how quickly he networked after getting here a month before him is anything to go by.

"You get used to it." Then you find out that you're not staying in one place all that long, after all - but he doesn't add that part. "Back home I traveled the country with my brother, the first portal I was pulled through brought me to a place sort of like living outside this wall. Monsters and no electricity. I was there long enough to forget about ever making it home again... Then I found myself some place else, and after a year there? I'm here. Apparently I brought myself to this one, but verdict's still out on whether or not I buy that theory."

So yeah, he's traveled a lot. Both in his own home world, and beyond it. Piece of cake, at this point. It was a lot easier to settle in a place like this than it had been in the previous worlds, there wasn't anyone gunning for you at all times like Ed was used to - which is probably why he made a point of finding things to get himself involved in, instead.

"What are Shadows like? I get the feeling they're not ... actual shadows." For one thing it was polite interest in this guy's world and experiences. For another, it would help Ed determine what he was used to fighting and how handy it might come in here.

He quietly packs away another internal point of respect for his new acquaintance- it wasn't his place to pry into the implications of such a passing comment, but he certainly feels it's weight. You can get used to a lot of things, even if you don't necessarily want that skill.

"Oh! Um," There's a moment's pause before he shakes his head at himself- secrets back home didn't really matter where there wasn't a Dark Hour to keep secret, so he might as well give a proper explanation. "No they aren't, they're more like.. they were just black spirits made from human emotions." Not the most creative naming, huh, who was in charge of that?

"They all had different weaknesses, so you had to memorize who's Persona would be best-- er; basically those are the same thing as a shadow, but controlled by one person." Going from proper explanation to a mess of words pretty quick. "..Sorry, since we weren't supposed to talk about it I never developed a good elevator pitch." A sheepish grin as he seemingly has to force himself to stop digging a deeper hole with his words. He bites back the urge to respond with a question of his own; let the guy have a chance to process half of what you said, Aki.

Ed had gotten used to Purg enough to consider it his home, now with Al here he was hoping to be able to do the same. If they came through this portal willingly, maybe it was for a reason. Maybe it was for a fresh start, or at least so he'd like to convince himself.

"Spirits made from human emotion..." That sounded difficult, it wasn't as straight forward as monsters so Akihiko might not have any real skill in self defense against the things out there. However, if they're up against a deity, someone with experience with spirits would definitely come in handy. Of course, there was always that healing skill he'd mentioned.

He blinks at the "elevator pitch" line, but brushes it aside with a wave of his hand. "So you control a Persona?" Honestly the idea that a person had to memorize who might be best in each situation like that sounded complicated. Ed's not even going to relate it to his own ability to set up these groups based on who had which skills before they headed out. Ed gives a nod as if understanding this, or at least accepting it. He's not expecting questions, but he also didn't mean to put the guy on the spot either, even if he did want to know what he was getting into letting him in on their trip.

The tense line of his shoulders visibly relaxes a little when Ed seems to accept the far-fetched sounding explanation. "Yeah! Mine's called Polydeuces- he can summon lightning, but he's also why I'm able to help with healing." He makes a note to warn that Polydeuces could be frightening for any party members who aren't used to seeing Personas as they aren't exactly cute, but leaves it for now. Their presences are fleeting on a battlefield anyway, only materializing when it's time to make a move and evaporating as soon as they are no longer needed.

"It seems there's about a million and a half ways for "magic" to work, though. Do you have any exciting talents?" The airquotes were done literally, tone conversational. Akihiko didn't have a tactical reason to know, he was just legitimately curious and in a place where it seems more people than not have some sort of extraordinary ability, it doesn't seem too far reaching to assume.

Ed is nearing his sixth year away from home, sadly Shadows are hardly the weirdest thing he's ever heard of. He almost smirks when Akihiko visibly relaxes, but he contains it, listening to his explanation with interest. It was an interesting skillset, lightning power hardly went hand-in-hand with healing, but Edward wasn't going to question it.

There's a slight tension in Ed's posture at the question, Akihiko hadn't exactly compared alchemy to magic, and the way he worded it was innocent enough - but the mention of magic always made him a bit wary to get into any discussion about his skills. "I'm an alchemist. Back home, alchemy is the science of deconstructing and reconstructing matter. It's useful for making or repairing things." Sure, he's downplaying it, almost making it sound pointless in a battle unless you have the time to create weapons with it.

Without another word, Ed crouches to the ground and claps his hands together before touching them to the dirt there with a crackle of electric blue light. As he stands up, he pulls a spear along with him as if creating it out of thin air - although the ground is uneven where he'd used the materials to create the spear.

"Comes in handy."

He picked up on the discomfort, but his initial worry was just that he'd overstepped and Ed wasn't open to discussing that part of him at all. Or perhaps he had more practical talents, and took Akihiko's question as dismissive? He didn't quite regard Personas and Shadows as magic either, since they just.. are sentient to an extent, but it's been a learning curve on how to explain them and the new skills he's learning exist. He's relieved when Edward answers, brow briefly raising in thought at the explanation.

There's no attempt to hide the wonder in his expression at the trick. He leans forward to look at the little depression that was left before following it up to the spear, almost reaching out to touch it as if to see if it's real before catching his hand. He grins as he straightens back up.

"Dang- doesn't that mean you can basically make anything with the right setup? That's incredible!" He shakes his head with a smile. "I'd love to hear the basics about how it works when we aren't about to go on an expedition." Akihiko didn't forget it was a science- he's sure any actual depth of understanding would take much longer than a chat to get, but damn if it wasn't cool.

“Basically,” He’s not going to downplay it. “Sure, when there’s time I can teach you about it.” Maybe get some ingredients and do a demonstration from scratch. “If you ever need anything fixed-” A gesture to indicate his creation of the spear, “It only takes a second. My brother and I are probably going to be opening a repair shop once we settle in.” Or, so he’d like anyway. At this point he doesn’t really think Al plans on sticking around.

"We should probably exchange network info anyway, in case we get split up during this little trip for some reason."

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[closed] Mission: Don't Wake the Deity

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sorry I've had a rough month for tagging!

no worries, same here ;; we're in this together!

o/

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DW has eaten this tag more times than I can count