[player plot] Operation Nightshade (And Other Adventures)

[bombdemon]

WHO: Anyone and everyone who wants to take part!
WHAT: Foiling Nightshade's plans to kidnap the Guild Leaders + rescuing a wig
WHEN: The night of April 27th
WHERE: All over Nightwake, (briefly) Autumn Segment
WARNINGS: Attempted kidnapping, violence, (temporary) depowering, possible injuries/gore. Please warn for individual threads if necessary!

::

– I. THE MEETING

SUMMARY:
• Katsura informs Otherworlders that the Nightshade Gang is planning an attack on the Guild Leaders the night after the Arts Festival. They want to kidnap one or few of them and exchange them for The Doctor who is still in custody.
• He presents several plans and contingencies, and makes preliminary assignments for volunteer Otherworlders to guard the Power Holders.
• Characters can mingle, share the information with others, discuss strategy, or refresh themselves with sparkling water and discount crackers.

As the Arts Festival comes to a close, some Otherworlders will find themselves waved over or tugged along by someone they know, while others may observe it happening to someone else and choose to follow, eventually leading them to one of the offices in the Dome that has been repurposed into something of a conference room, thoroughly checked for listening devices.

It seems a certain long-haired criminal freedom fighter has an announcement to make.

With the help of a deeply unnecessary flipchart and a laser pointer, Katsura reveals that the Nightshade gang is plotting to abduct the Guild Leaders, tonight. He discovered it by joining them a while ago under a fake identity. They claim to have a weapon that (temporarily) neutralizes seasonal abilities – something that both he and the Power Holders think is too dangerous to leave unaddressed.

“...We think the best way to draw them out is to allow them to proceed as they have planned, while of course making our own preparations to foil their success. At present, protecting the Guild Leaders and neutralizing this weapon will be our first priorities. Unfortunately, I was not able to ascertain its shape, however there are several broad categories of possibilities–”

He will proceed to suggest a number of plans and backup contingencies, accounting for variables like whether the weapon is something more gun-like, an area of effect device, a poison, a spell, whether this attack is a ruse to divert their attention from other things, like protecting The Doctor or the Research Center and the mechas, which may prove helpful later, but with some help from the audience he will manage to get to the point shared by most of those scenarios. Which is: people who do not rely on Seasonal Abilities to fight should report to the Guild Leaders to protect them. He will request a preliminary headcount, taking into account any preferences and assigning the rest as he thinks will be the most appropriate. While it will be their responsibility to make sure no leader is ever left alone, they are of course allowed to move as the battle dictates.

Bodyguard Assignments

Olwen: Levi (wingbound), Aventurine (dregs), Katsuki (boombam), Kantera (happydreamed).
Jade: Frieda (urtitan), Rinku (roundandaround), Oryou (kerontribution), Shadow (shatteredprison).
Dawn: Yogi (dornen), Kokichi (shamtagonist), SPOON (mayoninofukucho), Paulo (ikissedaboyandlikedit).
Sawyer: G’raha (cattegorical), Barghest (houndofmanchester), Gintoki (permboy), Zahc (thepartyshark).

Katsura will also provide anyone interested with a demonstration on how to use spherical electronic smoke bombs (there's a basket of them by the door, enough for the atendees to grab one or two each if they so choose on their way out) in case they need an edge in a confrontation.

He will ultimately excuse himself for “prior commitments” but encourage the attendees to discuss plans, grab more people if they have someone they believe can be trusted with this, enjoy the refreshments from the folding table (sparkling water and discount crackers), prepare, and ask that they report to their assigned posts within two hours at the latest.



– II. THE ATTACK

1. Ready Or Not

SUMMARY:
• The Guild Leaders and their bodyguards are trapped inside magical barriers that nullify Seasonal abilities and prevent them from leaving the buildings. This temporarily cuts them off from anyone not participating in the guard detail.
• The teleportation nodes between different guilds remain functional.
• Nightshade members are unaffected by the barriers and send in competent troops. They fight with various weaponry, and device-channeled magic that makes them a more significant threat, allowing them to shield themselves, sap Otherworlders’ energy and teleport short distances.
• The magical barriers around the guilds are maintained by four Nightshade members with special devices each. They are protected by the barrier, but can be attacked by the Otherworlders who are still outside.
• Those on the inside can try to use their non-seasonal abilities to bypass the barrier or to force their way through.
• Incapacitating any of the channelers weakens the barriers. When all four are stopped or taken down, the barriers are destroyed.

By nightfall, Nightshade moves to attack.

It starts off subtle; most of the city remains perfectly unaware that anything is amiss as the neighborhoods where the Guild Quarters are located are suddenly plunged into darkness one by one. The targeted power cuts hide some even dirtier work – moments later, powerful magical barriers rise around the guild buildings, effectively trapping anybody who happens to be on the inside of it and nullifying any Seasonal magic attempts within its perimeter. Fortunately, the teleportation nodes between the four different guilds are still working.

The Nightshade cultists themselves appear unhindered by the barriers and enter the buildings to try and carry out their plans to kidnap the Guild Leaders. They move in teams of several people and are well equipped, using a combination of various weapons and portable gadgets to fight. The gadgets appear to be some sort of magitech; the cultists are able to use it to put defensive barriers around themselves, to warp themselves short distances via small portals, and to create beam and area of effect attacks that sap the magical energy of anybody it hits. The look and feel of all these constructs is not identical but similar to the outer barriers. Some of their weapons have traces of Darkness corruption on it; best not get hit by those!

The Nightshade coming after the Guild Leaders specifically will be tougher opponents and likely require teamwork to take down, but there are also some groups of lower-ranking members sent in to deal with any other potential problems, like lingering guild staff. It will be up to the volunteer bodyguards to keep the Guild Leaders safe until someone can figure out what’s going on!

With some cooperation and investigation, Otherworlders will discover that each barrier is maintained by four cloaked Nightshade members, channeling some sort of a spell through a roughly pot-sized mechanical contraption each. The gadgets look similar to the ones that other cultists are using to fight, likely using the same or very similar technology.

The barrier casters are more vulnerable to attacks from outside the barrier, however with Guild Leaders’ advice, it may also be possible to briefly break through the barrier at a weak spot with a concentrated attack from several Otherworlders, or use non-Seasonal teleportation or summoning to circumvent the barrier and attack them that way. Incapacitating any of the cloaked figures or their barrier devices makes the whole barrier short-circuit temporarily, allowing those fast enough to slip past before it stabilizes itself again, and taking down all four will destroy the barrier for good.


2. Monsters Invade Nightwake

SUMMARY:
• Nightshade floods the streets with Darkness-corrupted monsters.
• The monsters will attack anyone in their way while moving toward the Guilds.
• Otherworlders will take down most of them before they can make it there, but some will slip past. This will make things more challenging for the bodyguards.
• Characters can fight various medium to lethal threat level monsters, rescue and protect the citizens who were out enjoying the city’s nightlife, help protect various important locations like the Research Center and NCPD, or assist the other groups with neutralizing the Anti-Seasonal barriers by attacking the channelers.

Annoyed by the unexpected pushback they’re experiencing inside the Guilds, the rest of the Nightshade decide to cause havoc in the city proper, hoping to split and overpower the Otherworlder forces. They release large numbers of various Darkness-corrupted beasts into the streets, supplemented by more gang members, sympathizers and interns of varying skill levels.

They come suddenly like a wave, almost as if they were teleported in – one moment it’s calm, and the next people are screaming, beasts roaring, windows crashing – causing immediate chaos. The monsters will attack anybody they run into indiscriminately, putting regular citizens in danger, and seem happy to make side-quests to terrorize ellipsians and Otherworlders alike, however they do seem to be gradually gravitating toward the Guild Headquarters. Perhaps it is the magic used for the barriers drawing them in.

While the Otherworlders freely roaming the streets will be able to deal with the bulk of the incoming beasts, some will inevitably slip past. The monsters appear to be able to ignore the barriers around the Guilds, just like the Nightshade members, and will attack anybody still trapped inside. Considering that Darkness-touched monsters are resistant to most non-Seasonal attacks and the people inside the barriers are unable to use their Seasonal powers until the barriers are taken down, this will be an additional challenge for those protecting the Power Holders until they can take the barriers down and use Seasonal abilities again.

Of course, on the outside, hunting down monsters is not the only task that needs attending – characters can choose to protect and rescue the locals as the monsters attack and corner them on the streets or around various nightlife venues, fight the Nightshade gang members, help reinforce and defend other important areas like the NCPD jail and the Research Center Mecha Garage, and find other ways to help!

They can also help take down the barrier channelers and/or their gadgets, making escape simpler for those trapped inside, or try to observe the machinery they’re using.


3. The Machine

SUMMARY:
• Characters who can sense magic will notice that the magical machinery Nightshade is using seems to be connected and powered by the same source.
• Following these energy trails will lead to a Nightshade-occupied power station, where a mysterious large machine is sapping the city’s power supply in order to feed the magitech.
• The machine is protected by a barrier and high-level Nightshade members who are also wielding the Seasonal-ability disrupting tech.
• Power Holders eventually arrive and help turn the tide of battle. A portion of the remaining Nightshade flee while others are taken into custody.

Characters who are sensitive to magic will be able to tune in on a flow of energy from the location of the barriers around the Guild Quarters, converging in one point inside the city center. Similar but smaller and harder to notice streams of energy seems to be extending from the same spot to the portable devices that Nightshade agents are using to channel magic.

Following this energy to its source will lead to one of the Nightwake Power Stations, from which electricity has been cut to the neighborhoods containing the Guild Quarters earlier. Rather than shut down, these sectors’ output appears to have been rerouted with new cables, feeding into a large machine at the center of the building. Nightshade members are patrolling all floors.

Roughly the size of a van, the contraption looks like some sort of an extremely intricate loom with many moving parts, and emits a dark purple glow, forming an aura around itself that extends towards the aforementioned locations in barely perceivable energy tendrils. It works rather quietly, though there is definitely some mechanical noise similar to that of a weaving machine or an engine.

This machine is protected by another barrier just around it, and multiple high-level Nightshade members armed with the now-familiar power-disrupting gadgets that they can use to temporarily deny Otherworlders their Seasonal abilities. This is their last line of defense and they will fight tooth and claw to maintain it. They are also able to call back the Darkness-touched monsters to their aid; at this point the remaining creatures will abandon their other goals and flock here.

The battle eventually turns as more Otherworlders and the Power Holders join the fray. Depowering the machine (whether by attacking the sturdy power cables feeding into it, or breaking through the barrier to smash it) will cause all the magically connected devices to stop working, despawning any remaining barriers and leaving the Nightshade members more vulnerable to attacks. A fair number of them flee at this point, but plenty is left behind and the Power Holders will make sure enough of them live to bring in for questioning later.



– III. AFTERMATH

1. All’s Well That Ends Well

SUMMARY:
• The Guild Leaders are safe and the Nightshade gang has taken a significant dent in their ranks!
• Characters are welcome to assist with rebuilding and cleanup efforts.
• After examining the remains of the Machine, the Research Center suspects that The Scientist was behind the magitech devices and take to studying all of it.
• After they’ve had some time to study and adapt the tech, the researchers will offer the Otherworlders test versions of a pocket portal gun that has a working radius of ~100 meters. It can not access other dimensions. This is optional!
• The Guild Leaders thank the Otherworlders for their help and offer a generous monetary reward (~30,000 Moon Coins).

There is plenty of cleanup to do around the city, whether it’s clearing out remaining monsters, mopping up monster goo (while wearing Research-Center-issued protective gear just in case), aiding the police with scooping up Nightshade stragglers, helping repair the damaged shops and homes, or studying the remains of the mysterious machinery with the Nightwake scientists.

While its origin is not immediately clear, it is obvious that the Nightshade did not build it themselves. The researchers suspect that The Scientist might be responsible for this. They gather both the large core machine and the smaller devices for studying, hoping to reverse engineer it and figure out what makes it tick, as well as devise countermeasure strategies in case something similar is faced again in the future. While all the machinery now appears dead, the main machine’s core showing traces of an unfamiliar sort of magical signature that it does not function without, they can rather easily adjust the smaller handheld devices to harness regular magic.

In fact, within several days, they’ll be offering a test version of a new magitech device, based on the Nightshade tech but reverse engineered and rebuilt to ensure it’s basically harmless, that is essentially a pocket version of a short distance portal gun. These new devices operate with Seasonal magical energy and can open a person-sized portal (slight variations possible) between two locations no more than ~100m apart, but do not have access to any other dimensions. For now, they will only be offered to the Otherworlders that took part in this operation (if they want it – no obligation), but once the testers work out the kinks in the beta version, the devices will likely be made available to anyone who wants one in the future!

The Guild Leaders will also make an address, offering the Otherworlders their heartfelt thanks, as well as a generous monetary compensation of 30,000 Moon Coins for their help.


2. Don’t You Love Bonus Quests?

SUMMARY:
• It seems Katsura is missing! Tracking tech says he’s near the Darkness border in the Autumn segment all of the sudden. What’s going on?
• The rescue team catch a group of Nightshade escapees and leaders staging a public execution, as they figured out who ruined their plans. They plan to record it and later show it to Otherworlders (as direct livestream is too risky).
• They’re stopped before they can yeet Katsura through the barrier with a catapult, and the rescuers mop up the rest of the gang!
• However not every remaining Nightshade member was here, so it has to be assumed that some of them did escape for good.

While Nightwake and the Power Holders once again remain safe with the help of Otherworlders, something does feel a little amiss to a few people. Too much quiet, almost. It doesn’t take long before it’s discovered that nobody has seen Katsura since his showing up at the festival and the meeting earlier, and his friends are worried.

Fortunately, he’s been outfitted by enough tracking devices (his own making, Aventurine’s chip, and possibly one of SPOON ghosts) to reveal that he currently appears to be… not far from the Abandoned Amusement Park in the Autumn Segment, moving south from the teleport crystal spot. Gintoki (permboy), Hijikata (mayoninofukucho), Wendy (marvelloussky), Amaterasu (doggoduties), Eva (onesurvived), Mike (livesoutofspite), Zayne (bigdearsnowman) and any other brave souls they manage to rope in at a moment’s notice follow suit.

They’re close to the Darkness barrier by the time they catch up with a rather large group of Nightshade members, comprised of a portion of the forces that fled earlier, some new faces, and a few higher-ranking individuals, all currently too preoccupied to notice them. It seems that their leaders have realized who leaked their operation and, with lack of any more satisfactory conclusion, decided to take revenge. Which, in a suitably edgy, over-dramatic way, seems to include a big catapult aimed south, and a guy with a camera filming the whole thing (it’s not live, as they don’t want to tip anyone off before it’s done, but they definitely intend to distribute it later as a cautionary tale to anyone else planning to cross them.)

“You want to know about the Darkness so badly, why don’t we let you have a closer look,” one of the gang leaders announces to the laughter and jeers of his comrades as two of them herd a tied figure – Katsura, looking weirdly calm, if a little pale and with his right arm sticking at an unnatural angle, likely broken – toward and into the catapult’s bucket. “Any last words, traitor?”

“Yes,” Katsura says, staring them down haughtily, as he wiggles in his restraints only to pull his intact arm out with seemingly little effort and hold up… a clipboard? “Here’s my review of your operation and a forty-six point summary for exactly where and how you failed.”

They cut the catapult’s restraining rope.

…He never does fly through the barrier, however, as that’s when the rescue team springs into action, Gintoki snatching him from mid-air and everyone else descending onto the gathering.

This time it’s Nightshade on the receiving end of chaos, and with little in the way of defensive abilities without their tech, the rescuers will make quick work of them, eventually restraining the remaining gangsters to take back to the city and hand over to the authorities (though if anyone wants to just bury some of them in a ditch, they could probably go for it, assuming their companions don’t stop them…)

Katsura insists that he had it all under control, but nonetheless looks very touched by the effort and expresses gratitude to everyone who came to help him, encouraging them to ask for his assistance in return should they ever need it for anything.



– OOC INFORMATION

• The plotting post can be found here!
• You do not need to sign up in advance, or to have previous CR with Katsura, to participate. This is open to everyone, and characters can always join in later!
• As enough players signed up to provide the Guild Leaders with 3+ bodyguards each, the protection effort will be considered a success! The leaders do not sustain significant injuries and will be able to help the Otherworlders fight, as well as reduce the Nightshade threat in the city more notably.
• Multiple players have also expressed interest in helping Katsura, so he will likewise be successfully rescued in time and not suffer ill effects long-term. Moreover, this includes mopping up even more Nightshade members. This leaves only a portion of Nightshade (that had escaped earlier) free.
• Anyone taking part to protect the Power Holders, the citizens, or otherwise contributing on the evil machine and monsters mitigation, will be rewarded with a heartfelt thanks from the Guild Leaders, a monetary compensation (30,000 Moon Coins) and an (optional!) pocket portal device (still in beta testing) of their own for their efforts!
• You can ask questions here and/or get custom Guild Leader reactions or answers here.

Comments

Aimoto Rinku | D4DJ (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ) | Summer

[roundandaround]

[1) meeting]

[Rinku, naturally, had no idea about this, even as she's running on fumes directing the cleanup efforts. But as more and more people start heading into one of the offices she thought she'd cleaned out, she blinks, lifts up the boxes and boxes of sandwiches ordered for the volunteers with her telekinesis, and follows after.

Which leaves her walking straight into the meeting.]

Eh? Uh... hi! Are you guys hungry?

[At least it's not stale crackers.]

[2) bodyguarding -- start]

[The kids have been left at home with a sitter, the guard plush Max made for them, and the phone numbers of everyone strong in the neighbourhood or reachable via mirror portal. Rinku grips her sword's handle and tenses once the power goes out.]

It's like with the riots last year!

[And that's all she can get out before the barrier goes up and the glow that usually surrounds her dies out too. She shakes her head and tries to adjust her eyes to the darkness.]

[3) bodyguarding -- monsters; cw trauma]

[Fighting the Nightshade off has been a challenge. Rinku is battered and losing energy, barely managing to keep up even with all her magic items. Then something definitely not a cultist barges through the main doors.

When it comes to Darkness-enhanced monsters from the Spring Segment, especially ones controlled by people, the first to come to mind is the Faemoose.

Rinku freezes in place. The Faemoose bellows and charges, scattering the guild workers and cultists alike and overturning the reception desk. Really, with her immunity, she should be the one guarding people from the Faemoose's nightmare magic... but the fear of what else a rampaging supernatural ungulate can do still roots her to the ground.]

[4) machine/cavalry]

[With the guild leaders protected, Rinku and the rest of the guards can join the fight. She's bruised up and bleeding and limping a bit, the Nightshade are sure to notice and take advantage.

Until she pops open a yellow Glitter Force Doki Doki vial and spreads it around, and suddenly the cultists are looking anywhere but at Rinku and the person next to her.]

It worked! C'mon, let's try and break that thing!

[5) cleanup]

[After getting healed up, Rinku looks not much worse for wear. The same can't be said for the neighbourhood she lives in, which is in Solarpeak and a 15-minute walk from the Summer Guild. So it's time to pitch in and help out!

Rinku uses her restored telekinesis to lift up beams that need to be replaced, welds new metal joints with fire and heat, and uses the reverse-rot skill to fix food that went bad during the power outage. Even her Poké-babies are here to help, Mecchan shooting water into the air to cool off hot and tired workers and Hina carrying bags of supplies in her mouth.]

Don't worry! We'll fix everything in no time!

3

[cattegorical]

[Luckily, G'raha is nearby. Without hesitation he jumps in front of the Faemoose and blocks it with his white light shield. The Faemoose is strong, but G'raha holds his ground with Absolute Balance added to the mix.]

You're not getting any further!

[roundandaround]

Wah!

[Rinku's head shoots up. She shakes her head, tries to go for her fire, and nothing -- right, barrier. They're in the Spring Guild. This isn't then.]

Watch out!

[She forces herself to move. Draws out her ribbon stick and snaps it at the Faemoose -- she doesn't know if it counts as seasonal magic, but the magic doesn't come from her, so it should work, right?]

These guys are weak to light!

1

[bombdemon]

[ Katsura is in the middle of a lengthy explanation what to do if the Nightshade gang turns out to be employing a M*rio pipe system to move around when Rinku strides in and he only blinks at her twice before casually reaching for a sandwich. ]

Ah, excellent timing, Rinku-dono. I do believe I forgot breakfast today.

[ It's evening now... ]

[roundandaround]

It's supper, Katsura-san...

[She ordered a good range of flavours! Shrimp, egg salad, tuna mayo, chicken katsu, bacon... why is there a spaghetti sandwich? Why do they even sell that?]

Have you been holding a meeting all day?

Kantera | END ROLL (Imeeji CRAU) | Spring

[happydreamed]

[bodyguarding: the fight thread one]
[Naturally, Kantera heard that people were going to be in danger and wanted to be out there helping, especially knowing that Spring healing would be inaccessible. He made certain to reassure Saya that he would call her the instant he needed help - after this he suspects he'll want to hug her tight no matter how well or badly this goes.

But in the meantime, there are gang members to face as he protects Olwen. Kantera is not well-suited for front-line fights, so if he's given the chance, he tries to engage in places with enough space for another bodyguard to take point while he provides backup with ice magic and healing.

That isn't mean he's entirely helpless if forced to fight close up, as a Nightshade who gets close enough to stab him in the side is returned with a giant funeral portrait forming around them and then shattering, which knocks them right out.]

Extremely rude. I'll deal with that in a minute.

[healing]
[In one of the few moments where Kantera isn't fighting anyone, he makes certain to take care of healing, both for the others guarding Olwen and for the other guilds.]

Higanbana, higanbana...

[He sings softly, and the wounds of his fellow Otherworlder close right up.]

-There. Did I get everything?

[aftermath]
[In the immediate aftermath, Kantera goes to hug his wife and reassure her he's okay. He has priorities.

The next day, he goes around to damaged shops and homes, healing any injuries that natives or Otherworlders might have sustained. The natives are very grateful about this! Some invite him for dinner to show it.]

Ah, that's truly very kind of you, but-

[He looks around for an excuse and sees another Otherworlder about to leave.]

-I have prior obligations, actually. My sincerest apologies.

[Coming right up to them like hi, take him with you, person who he definitely has plans with and isn't just using to avoid saying 'I would rather spend the evening with people I actually know'.]

[wildcard]

bodyguarding!

[dregs]

{ luckily for kantera he's grouped with someone who excels at shielding. when shit goes down and they're ready for the fight that breaks loose, aventurine doesn't actually seem fazed at all. he rubs his watch, clicks his fingers with a smile and tells the group- } Here, it's on me.

{ there's a flash of gold with a suit (kantera gets a nice diamond flash up for a second, along with the number 6) then the shield is in place. attacks will bounce off him for a while, so long as it isn't like... burning damage or something like that. }

As for the rest... Let's see how well they can keep up, hmm?

{ how many members of nightshade are expecting massive dice to come tumbling down on their head? probably none. it's why the first two are smacked straight in the face as aventurine flicks them towards their group, not holding back as they hit hard before disintegrating into nothing. }

[happydreamed]

Thank you, I greatly appreciate it.

[It's always good to be a slightly less squishy mage.

Kantera follows those dice up with a blast of ice magic, staggering them again the second they start to recover from the dice on their heads.]

-Attacking with dice is certainly more stylish than a funeral portrait.

let's start with healing and see where we end up--

[wingbound]

[ They haven't spoken face to face before tonight, but they seem to make a pretty decent team. Levi very much is a frontline fighter, and he'll be doing his best to keep the brunt of the attackers off both Olwen and Kantera. ]

[ When there's a temporary lull between waves of enemies, though, he'll take the chance to fall back a little and get his injuries looked at. There's nothing too threatening so far, but since some of the cultists had ranged weapons and Levi's fully melee without Seasonal powers, he does have plenty of grazes and glancing cuts where he hadn't managed to fully dodge all of the bullets or arrows, and of course flying debris from walls, ceilings and floors getting damaged aren't much more fun either. ]

[ The gash on his forearm that's being fixed up had actually been bleeding quite a lot, so he's glad he doesn't need to wait to get that patched up. ]

...Think so. Thanks.

yolo

[happydreamed]

[Not only are the wounds gone, but all the aches and pains disappear with them.]

Glad to be of help. Thank you for being in between the gang members and myself.

Oryou | Fate/Grand Order | Winter

[kerontribution]

[bodyguarding: fight?? thread. threatened vore]
[It's actually not much of a fight, or at least this particular gang member going after Jade isn't putting up much of one.

A Nightshade shoots Oryou and the bullets simply fall to the ground without hurting her in the slightest. He has a comedic 'oh I'm fucked' expression before Oryou floats over and punches him hard enough to shatter his jaw and knock him out immediately.]

...Can Oryou eat him?

[He's not even dead yet, just unconscious!]

[healing: Stupid Edition]
Oryou can heal you.

[She says this to another bodyguard even if they are missing limbs. Because she can heal that!]

Can Oryou heal you? She was told it's important to get permission first to kiss people to heal them.

[She can be taught!]

[aftermath, there's monster vore in this one]
[Oh, there's still monsters around? Great! No one will mind if she gets herself a snack to reward herself for her hard work if they're monsters and not humans.

You can find her munching on a very, very dead giant worm.]

...Do you want some? There's plenty even for Oryou.

[wildcard]

healing

[roundandaround]

[Okay, so she's badly bruised up, struggling to stay standing, and sincerely hoping no one comes in during this lull in the fight, and she may have accidentally left the healing potions at home on the counter and hopes Hina hasn't tried to drink them. But she stares blankly, a little out of it.]

...eh?

Re: healing

[kerontribution]

Can Oryou kiss you to heal you?

[Humans get dazed when they're very hurt. Oryou will be patient.]

Evangeline | Original (Lobotomy Corporation) | Summer

[abnormalizes]

[fights and rescues, cw: cavalier talk of killing, potential limb loss and decapitation of bad guys/monsters]
[Evangeline had elected not to take bodyguard duty because she knows herself, and if someone is coming at her with intent to kill, she's going to kill them and not feel bad about it? Which might be a little bad to do directly in front of a Power Holder.

Instead, she's roaming the city with her monstrous scythe in hand, ready to jump into any fights going on. Whether it's someone who clearly needs help, she'll place herself firmly in between them and the threat, possibly announcing herself by slicing off an arm they were about to use to attack.

Someone who's holding their own will get called out to first.] Mind if I join you for a while?

[load-bearing gang members, more casual talk of killing]
So we just have to kill these guys and the barrier will go away?

[...The post said incapacitate, Evangeline.

If you'd like to complain about it from either side of the barrier, speak up quickly.]

[cleanup]
[Evangeline, in what is basically a hazmat suit, mopping up monster goop:]

This is the most Ellipsa has ever felt like home, honestly. [A bit wry.]

[wildcard]

Fights and Rescues

[freedomfighterhammer]

[Amy jumped at the sounds of screaming to see Evangeline there casually while a guy trying to ambush her is screaming his head off in pain.]

Evangeline? Did you…? Why…?

[abnormalizes]

He was going to hurt you.

[What a weird question. Of course she chopped off that guy's arm.]

Are you okay?

fights and rescues

[curuiosity]

[Rui isn't hiding in his theater during trouble this time. He's out in the action, slashing at foes with his water sword. He's doing his best, but he's clearly out numbered and out matched. He's been training, but training isn't really the same as experiencing, as he's learning now.

He gets his sword knocked out of his hands and stumbles back and falls. Not great, but he doesn't have time to dwell on it because they're coming in to take advantage of him being disarmed. Perhaps he should've stayed in his theater.

And then Evangeline is in front of him??? Attacking his attackers with a scythe. He quickly pushes himself back up and scrambles to grab his sword. He grabs it just in time to block an attack.]

You're...Just in time. Thank you.

barrier stuff (and maybe skipping to cleanup later)

[wingbound]

[ Hey, death is just another form of incapacitation! Generally. ]

[ When Levi goes ahead to check out the barrier, he doesn't expect to find someone on the other side -- but it seems he's in luck. He quickly glances back to make sure that Olwen isn't following behind him, but sure enough, it seems his teammates are doing a good job protecting him for now. And without his watchful eye on them-- ]

Worth a shot, in any case.

[ Oh, sorry, was he supposed to talk her down from it? ]

Katsura Kotarou // Gintama // Autumn

[bombdemon]

💣 III - 2. Don’t You Love Bonus Quests?

a) [ After he's been safely put on the ground and patched up with some directed Spring healing, Katsura will be joining everyone in beating the crap out of his kidnappers... and he is, of course, very much not open to criticism of his performance. Which means that someone should definitely do it. ]

[ Aside from that, though, if you end up next to him during or after the fight, he seems to be in a pretty good mood as he looks at you. Is he crying a little? ]

Oh... you really came out here for me! You did not have to, of course, but I am beyond grateful that you thought of my wellbeing--


b) [ Or maybe you come across him pouting as he lobs some bombs at fleeing gangsters. ]

I can not believe they didn't want to read my notes. This is exactly why they are a mere third-rate arc villain and will remain that way.

[ Isn't that a good thing? Does he want to make them more competent?! ]


💣 III - 1. All’s Well That Ends Well

[ Back in the city, he'll be joining the cleanup efforts. He's got his right arm in a sling -- it's still a bit sore despite being healed, and doctors recommended he rests it for a couple days -- but it seems to do nothing to dampen his enthusiasm. ]

[ He'll be asking for gossip, joining the researchers as they examine and test the recovered devices, and helping clear debris from the streets (metal and wood manipulation certainly comes in hand here). ]

[ Right now, he seems to be operating one of the beta test portal devices, opening a passage for the city workers to get past a toppled food truck blocking the narrow street. He's humming something that sounds suspiciously like the P*rtal credits song. ]

How exciting! Have you tried it yet? All your limbs appear intact, that's good--

[ Of course he's sending citizens through it before trying it himself-- ]


💣 IV - Wildcard

[ Surprise me or plot with me! ]

IV; for permboy

[bombdemon]

[ Honestly, he's not too concerned, even if the way things have played out for him is not quite preferable. From the tidbits of their rants and the very fact they're here doing this rather than celebrating, he can assume the Guild Leaders are safe. The mission was a success. ]

[ And right now, in their rush to get rid of them before he says anything else they don't want to hear, they didn't bother to re-restrain him before shooting him out of the catapult. As long as he's got an arm free, he can reach a bomb -- they've confiscated most that they could find, but he's got his secrets -- and while he'll likely end up taking some damage from the explosion, it should be enough to divert his trajectory not to end up inside the Darkness. And then... well, he'll have to fight, he supposes. Hopefully the others are coming; if not, he should at least be able to flee, even if it would leave this part of the gang free to do as they please. ]

[ Not ideal, but his survival is the priority whenever possible. ]

[ Except he doesn't even need to go for Plan B, because as he soars through the air in an elegant arch, his notes raining down on the ground below, something else is suddenly flying at him from a different direction. ]

[ Something fuzzy and silver. ]

--!!

3-A

[marvelloussky]

[One of Katsura's rescuers is a flat-out Dragon, an enormous creature with feathered wings, her body covered in blue down. She inhales as she turns to face his kidnappers, magic building between her jaws.]

Sky Dragon's... ROAAAAAR!

[She exhales, and a powerful torrent of wind comes out. It strikes with the force of a tornado, throwing the Nightshade members about and scattering them for the others to pick off. She turns to Katsura, her voice surprisingly gentle for her massive frame.]

Are you alright, Kotarou-san?

3.2-A

[bigdearsnowman]

[Some of the cult members can't speak right now; they're both stuck in various stances and unable to speak thanks to the frigid ice running up most of their bodies, including makeshift tape over their mouths. They'll be fine. Probably.

Hey, isn't that the guy who helped Katsura with that group of people that suffered from burns during that time protecting the barrier between the Spring and Summer segments? Yes it is.]

Because I wanted to. You're a good person and given what you've managed to stop, it is worth it.

Levi Ackerman // Attack on Titan // Winter

[wingbound]

🍵 II - 1. Ready Or Not

a) [ Levi, of course, volunteers to protect Olwen, and that's exactly what he intends to do. He may not have magical powers outside of the seasonal ones, but he's certainly lethal in his own right, and naturally, he shows up in full 3D Maneuver gear. ]

[ The problem is that he's not sure whether he can do anything less than kill the attackers. Olwen would probably not like that very much. ]

[ What he doesn't expect, though, is having another unexpected advantage. Having spent half his life underground, he sees well in the dark -- and his eyes adjust quickly once the power goes out. Quickly enough that he sees a Nightshade group stumbling along the wall toward the leader's office before they ever see him, and he uses that moment to pull whoever happens to be on the lookout in that spot with him behind a corner. ]

Shh.

[ The cultists are headed this way... and now Levi and his companion are in a perfect position for an ambush. ]


b) [ Of course, that's just one group, and the others are more careful -- until an all-out fight breaks out, of course. And it's during that chaos when he spots a Nightshade separating from the rest to go on a flank, and even in the dim lighting, he can see them lifting what looks like a dart weapon, aiming for Olwen -- or maybe you -- and his hackles rise immediately. ]

Watch out--

[ His grapple finds its target before he's even finished calling out, piercing the dart blower's throat and then reeling them in like a fish as Levi lunges forward to finish them off with one clean sword strike. Only once the body hits the ground does he realize that this has all happened in front of an authority figure. ]

...Shit.

[ Fortunately, there's no time to discuss this now, as the fight isn't over, and he launches himself at the next person, this time taking care to avoid a lethal blow. ]


🍵 II - 2. Monsters Invade Nightwake

[ He may not be the worst equipped to deal with the creatures -- but his fighting style does include physical contact, and enough of them have a Darkness aura that after cutting down a few monsters, he's forced to replace his blades before the ink-like pollution crawls up high enough to reach his triggers. ]

Oi! We've got to do something about that barrier!


🍵 III - 1. All’s Well That Ends Well

a) [ He's agreed to help the researchers move the large machine to someplace more secure -- but he has to pause and just take it in for a moment. He's never seen anything like this, and while he's got no particularly warm feelings for tech, you might catch him muttering under his breath; ]

...They would have loved this.


b) [ He also helps with the repairs around town, as Winter powers are especially well suited for this. Another shop owner tearfully beckons him over to an almost completely demolished storefront, and Levi puts his hands against the remains of the wall only for all of the debris to sort itself, jump back into place and join together -- as if watching a reverse recording of it blowing up. The shelves, the floor, everything else in the building that had gotten damage is fixed, too, and the owner thanks him and insists on giving him a paper bag of fresh pastries for his trouble. ]

Tsk. Maybe I should do this full-time. [ He supposes it would be sort of cheating, as far as being a repairman goes, but hey. He didn't ask for magical powers! And that's when he spots you and holds the pastry bag out. ] You want this?

[ It seems, peaches aside, he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. ]


c) [ And, of course, he will also volunteer to help clean up the monster and darkness gunk. He does take the basically-hazmat-suit from the Research Center, but he's also gone through the extra effort to wear a respirator and a hair cover underneath. He's also been given a large tank of something that can only be described as a mix of disinfectant and a magical cleanser, and whenever he's not shoveling gunk into toxic waste barrels, he's hosing down the street where it used to lay. ]

[ Something about the calm, methodical way he goes about washing off the remains almost looks like he's having fun. Is this Powerwash Simulator in real life-- ]

Stop right there!

[ Uh oh. It looks like you tracked into a puddle of monster goo and he's approaching you threateningly with the spray hose. ]

Alright shit-shoe, lift it up. Now.


🍵 IV - Wildcard

[ Surprise me or plot with me! ]

Barghest | Fate/Grand order | Autumn

[houndofmanchester]

1.) The Meeting [For cattegorical, permboy, and thepartyshark]

[Barghest drags four chairs together to form a loose circle near the snack table. She gestures at the other members of her group to join her, and will start after about ten minutes whether they're all gathered or not.]

G'raha Tia, Sakata Gintoki, Zahc Thurman.

[Slightly eerily, she pronounces each of their names the exact way they themselves do.]

If we are to work together, I believe it would be best for us to become familiar with each other's capabilities beforehand. I will start. I am a skilled swordswoman, with some power over fire from my mantle of Gawain. I am a thaumavore, capable of absorbing magic around me to the point of forcibly taking it from others should I will it. I can project a field that protects all those I consider allies within the area with equivalent strength to a master-craft fortress wall. While I doubt it will come up, during the three hours between 9AM and midday, and 3PM and sunset, my strength triples.

I possess middling resistance to magic, sufficient to protect me fully against weak magic and dulling the blow from anything stronger. I can take on a purely spiritual form, becoming imperceptible to all but Winter holders and those with magical senses. Finally, my ultimate technique, my Noble Phantasm, is Black Dog Galatine, a move where by breaking off one of my horns, I grow to great size and unleash a devastating blow to my enemies. This is an Anti-Army attack, with a maximum range of one hundred targets. Additionally, if it still works under their field, I have a magic tattoo which gives me a shield-bearing guardian and command over Neutral energy.

Any questions?

2.) The Attack

[Barghest has chosen to linger around Sawyer in her Spirit form, ready to materialize the moment she's needed. The moment the attack begins, she's moving. A shadowy figure wielding a shield takes a protective stance near Sawyer as Barghest springs into action, Galatine gleaming as Foul Weather's protection springs to life.

She's surprisingly fast for her bulk, smacking cultists with the backside of her blade. Her guardian is somehow doing the same despite using a shield, a weapon with no blade. Best not to question it. Her biggest contribution is that any of the barriers the cultists use to protect themselves instantly break when she hits them, Wild Rule absorbing the magic that composes them.

However, the Elite units going after Sawyer are enough to give even her a run for her money, so as strong as she is, she definitely wouldn't mind some help there. And when the monsters get in, well, that's it's own problem.]

2-3) The Machine

[Barghest arrives late, having lingered behind to make sure the attackers had truly either been defeated or had abandoned their objective to protect their base. What Barghest does from there is simple: she attacks the barrier around the loom itself, ignoring all attempts from the cultists to stop or attack her as she uses Wild Rule to draw the magic powering it into herself.]

The Machine

[freedomfighterhammer]

Barghest! I hope you don't mind a bit of extra help!

[And Amy leaps in, smashing her hammer against the barrier!]