world jump # 4 event post: an end is in sight.

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players an end is in sight. QUICK LINKS WORLD JUMP # 4: THE HOROLOGIUM. WORLD JUMP # 4: EVENT POST. MOD QUESTIONS GENERAL, THE MONSTER SIGNUPS KILL THE MONSTER, COLLECT AND CONTAIN THE CIRCLE, YOUR IDEAS HERE Congratulations Circle Members. An end is in sight. With the information you have gathered and the sacrifices you have made, you have just enough knowledge on what to do to try and rid the universe of this horrible monster once and for all. You have decided to split into two teams: kill the monster, and collect the bodies. Your strategy and your assistance will make a difference, though how much of one you don't know until you try. THINGS TO NOTE: ➜ Congratulations! You have succeeded in killing the monster (aka, enough of the Circle signed up for monster hunting! Congratulations!) ➜ The monster itself will not be NPC'd by the modteam. Your team may NPC the monster (and, subsequently, kill it) however you wish. All of the powers of the monster (psychological manipulation, speed, and the like) will still be in play. However, characters on the Bridge discovered certain things. Use as you wish. ➜ Regular Astoria powers have returned as status quo. ➜ Both teams can interact with each other, as they have learned enough about the belly of the ship to not get quite as lost. MEETING UP. The members of the Circle who went down below into the belly of the ship have returned. They are battered, bruised, and terrified . . . something attacked them down there, and while many of them may not be able to tell you what it is, it is certainly something terrible. But as people begin to mingle, and interact, you begin to notice something. Not everyone who was down there came back up. Where are the remaining members of the Circle? What happened to them? You fear the worst, but as members of the Circle begin to talk, maybe you have some glimmer of hope. Maybe, against all odds, some of them made it. PROMPT IDEAS: ➜ Members of the Circle who were down below are beat up pretty badly. . . . but then again, so are members of the Circle who stayed on the Bridge. Healers are in desperate need, and so is basic first aid. Rally together, and ensure you all don't die before you go traipsing into the hell that is down below, shall you? ➜ Breaking up into teams is something the Circle feels is necessary. You want revenge, don't you? For not only your fallen comrades, but for being attacked in the first place. You want whatever that thing is to die, and figuring out how to do it seems to be the next thing on the Circle's agenda. Members who were on the Bridge uncovered some clues as to what the monster is capable of . . . maybe putting some heads together can figure out a good plan as to how to defeat it. ➜ Or, maybe, you just need a break. Setting up a base camp at the top of the elevator shaft seems like a good idea, doesn't it? Rest, recuperate, and take a breather. Try to ignore the voices in your head. Keep the madness at bay, while you figure out what to do. Or, maybe, find a shoulder to cry on. You've been through a lot. Rest. ➜ After the fighting, the Circle will need to rejoin, and recoup. Report the findings of going down below. Report about the dead. Feel free to create your own prompts and threads throughout this week. You're going to need all the support you can get. TEAM: KILL THE MONSTER. You have decided that despite the dangers you face and the complications of this ship, destroying the monster is your priority. You have teamed up with others who have the same idea as you - you will kill this monster, one way or another. Even when faced with these horrors, you have decided that it is worth it - for revenge, for the safety of the others, or whatever else motivates you. And you succeed. THE HUNT: ➜ It lies at the very heart of the ship: the monster’s den is akin to a nesting ground. When you first enter, you’ll note the smell immediately; it’s the repugnant, sharp stench of rotted flesh. The odor is powerful enough to make you gag, and its source is hardly any more pleasant. Underneath the many layers of mangled wiring and discarded possessions are the remains of former crewmates. Watch where you step. As you begin to draw near the center of the den, your surroundings are suddenly shrouded in darkness. The rumbling vibrations of the ground beneath you cause the entire ship to quake, and if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, you’re likely to discover that wires have begun to snake around your legs and drag you down. This marks the beginning of what is to come. Because when the den is illuminated once more, the monster towers over you and unleashes a primal screech that shakes the very ship itself. THE FIGHT: ➜ PHASE 1: The monster will be utilizing a set of attacks Circle members may find themselves familiar with — it lunges forward, using its razor sharp tendons to slash at those within its immediate vicinity. It will be attempt to tear through any limbs within its reach and immobilize you. Your powers will be flickering on and off as well. Be careful! The back of its head appears to be vulnerable, as it delays its attacks for extended periods of time. ➜ PHASE 2: The monster’s attack range has expanded as it hangs from the ceiling and strikes from above. The ground begins to shake violently once more, and you will lose your grip on reality intermittently. Voices and visions plague you — you may find this to be a boon to your strength or a disadvantage, but regardless, the monster will be attempting to slice through as many Circle members as it can in a single sweep. Long range attacks are more likely to throw it off balance and send it hurling towards the ground. ➜ PHASE 3: The monster is aware of its own weakness. It skitters around the walls and spews out a vile, black sludge that webs across the floor. The black sludge will attempt to suffocate and consume you whole once it’s made contact with your skin. The psychological effects are prevalent as well, as you will find yourself paralyzed with fear...yet for some reason, this time the words of another Circle member still have the capacity to bring your back to your senses. Once the fear has left you, the sludge can be peeled off through sheer force. The monster is getting desperate — cracks begin to form in its skull. Once the skull has shattered entirely, the cries of the dead will echo throughout the entirety of the ship. The monster disintegrates into the very same black sludge it had spewed out, threatening to flood the room before you make your escape. It’s over. And yet even when you leave, you can’t help but feel like something is watching you. TEAM: COLLECT THE CIRCLE. A good number of Circle members have been left down in the lower level, as their teams had to retreat as quickly as they could to safety. Retrieving their bodies will be an arduous process, slow and cumbersome, but with magic down below seeming off, how can you tell if Astoria will be able to bring them back if you leave them down below? Each team will need a couple of members - one to act as look-out for any activity of the monster, one to two to help carry the dead weight of the body back up the elevator shaft, and one at the top level to help receive them. Coordinate, and work together . . . you have to, if you have any hope of Astoria being able to bring them back. If she can bring them back. PROMPT IDEAS: ➜ The silence that has overtaken the ship is deafening. Their corpses have been hidden away in the shadows, the crooks and crannies of the ships, isolated rooms and the corners you’ve been avoiding all this time. Who will you find, and what will you do? The trip to the elevator shaft will require at least one other pair of hands. ➜ But once you find the bodies . . . you hear voices. Again, you think, but it seems to be the voices of the members of the Circle who have died. Death reverberates throughout these halls, and you could almost swear you hear the voices of your fallen comrades telling you to run. Get out. But you can't possibly leave without them, can you? You can't really leave without finishing the mission . . . can you? ➜ The bodies of fallen Circle members have been gathered and lined up along the Bridge. You’ve won, but the feeling of loss permeates the air. The bodies will need to be tended to and stowed away appropriately. But can you bear to deal with them, let alone look at them? Their bodies are in pretty rough shape, depending on how they died . . .what in the hell did they run into? ➜ A makeshift morgue has been established. It's an unoccupied room on the ship, and appears to have been a storage room long, long ago. The bodies are in the process of being cleaned up and sanitized accordingly — there's still work to be done. But even in these times, it's necessary to keep your morale in check, isn't it? Work together, make sure the Circle members are ready to go back to the Temple . . . god, is Astoria even listening? Where is she? And why are they still on this damn ship? mod note. ➜ The Test Drive Meme for the April application round is being pushed back until March 24th. We want you to be able to obtain some level of wrap-up in the Horologium before we launch you back into the Temple. Therefore, the Circle members will be on the Horologium until March 24th, which is the end of World #4 and the beginning of the TDM. ➜ Because of this, characters will return to the Temple 3 days later than normal. If characters have been through a few jumps and would notice this, they can. ➜ The Game HMD will also be posted on March 24th, to give current players the opportunity to give feedback on the world and the game writ-large! ➜ EMP/ATP will go up as scheduled on March 18th. ➜ Reserves will open as planned March 24th at 9:00 PM EST, as will applications April 1st at 9:00 PM EST. Be careful in the dark.

Comments

Hunk | Open

[formleg]

1. Healing Hands
[Hunk sits in a corner of the lounge. He needs a break from his time on the Bridge and this is as good a place as any. Riza had designated it as a place to recoup, gather themselves, and heal. Hunk is attempting to do all three. If he sees you come in with any kind of injury, he sets the cards aside and offers a hand.]

Here. Let me.

[Otherwise, if not, Hunk greets you and returns to building a tower out of cards. Unfortunately, his hands seem to be a bit shaky. He never gets higher than about three levels before always causing them to topple over. He sighs.]

There it goes again.

2. Back Down
[With the decision to return to retrieve bodies and possibly deal with the monster, Hunk decides he is NOT staying up in the Bridge this time. Instead he sets up a space right near the elevator shaft, making a rudimentary sign that someone can find him as a healer. It’s not easy trying to make it any kind of welcoming, but he’s taken some towels and sheets from other places and set up barriers. He smiles slightly, recalling the time they’d all built pillowforts in the Temple.

While he waits, he tries to sleep, but he always ends up tossing and turning before waking again barely an hour later. Maybe he could use company into the night, if anyone else is waiting for news…]

3. Death’s Door CW: Dead Characters/Death?
[He should feel relief. They beat that thing. They can go home....right? But the words echo in his head: They’re gone. He knows he should go in, pay some kind of respects to the dead, but he can’t bring himself to move. Actually, come to think of it, he can’t even remember taking a seat on the floor down the hall from the morgue. It had to have been sometime after the news had been given to him. He vaguely recalls seeing bodies...but then his next memory is just of sitting out here in the hallway.

All he knows is he is done. For now, he’s just done and he's never wanted to return home so badly in his life.]

1.

[teratias]

[Waver's been relieved for the reprieve of getting out of Bridge. His primary reaction has been to turn over and to sleep on the nearest closet soft, squishy surface, which is to say he picked out a place in the lounge and conked out for a good few hours.

Awake, he hasn't moved from said sofa, but Waver has had one eye idly on Hunk and his card tower. Attempt at card tower, at least.]

Y'know I think I saw a bunk of old checkers pieces and poker chips in here if you want to build something sturdier.

[formleg]

[Hunk recognizes Waver from his own time up on the Bridge...even if at the time he'd been more focused on his assigned task than on exchanging many pleasantries. He doesn't try it now either. He knows all too well how much of a break they all need and leaves him be. He looks up from the cards he was placing together when Waver finally speaks up. ]

Not as much of a challenge...dominoes could be fun though. Have you seen anything like that? [He frowns though and then shakes his head.] Never mind. Those would be a little loud. You're trying to rest.

[teratias]

Not dominoes but something else tile-based. Mahj-something, I only got a glimpse at the box.

[Waver's pleasant enough even if he's resting. To the comment about noise, there's a shrug, clearly unbothered by the potential clack-clack-clack of tiles through the silence.]

People who're tired can sleep through just about anything, dominoes included.

[formleg]

Oh...oh I know this one. [He taps his head, trying to recall the name of that tile game. Suddenly he snaps his fingers.] Mahjong! Was it mahjong?

[Something new to focus on. Hunk hops up to his feet and starts perusing the games again.]

If you're sure...I can always try building a tower somewhere else. Although this place is really the only spot I feel any kind of calm any more.

[teratias]

I think? [Waver takes a moment, then nods, certain.] Sounds right, at any rate.

[He doesn't really turn to try and follow where Hunk's going. The sofa's comfy, moving means effort, and Waver could honestly just go back to sleep in a few minutes.]

It's fine. You're fine. Especially since this place is probably the best place to be right now.

[It'd be a dick move to tear anyone away from that.]

[formleg]

No arguments here. Thanks. I don't plan on leaving the lounge for awhile.

[Perhaps not until Astoria pulls them back to the Temple even, though he doubts he can stay away for that long. Inevitably someone is going to need help and Hunk isn't the type of person to ignore that. He just needs a break. Finally, he pulls out a box and while he can't read the alien text, when he opens the top it reveals itself to be some version of mahjong for sure.

Hunk sits on the floor now, taking a look at the tiles. They seem squatter than dominoes, but he's fairly certain it will have the same result. However, instead of setting them up as a tower, Hunk begins to stack them end to end in a line.]

1 - CW: body horror

[blindfoster]

[Quentin wishes he were relieved to be coming up out of the down below of the ship, but after everything that happened he just feels... scared. And angry. This isn't over.

He's also covered in a couple badly bandaged cuts -- at least one self inflicted when he had to cut various body parts that should not have been there off and out and. It's. Not great.

So when Hunk speaks up, Quentin certainly stops to talk.] Let you? Are... are you a healer?

[formleg]

[Hunk nods. Normally he wouldn't be so good at patching people up, but his Astoria-based magic certainly comes in handy for that. It's at least a change of pace from watching those videos.]

I thought it was healing hugs at first...but apparently it's just any kind of physical contact.

[He gives Quentin a once over.]

You'll probably want to sit down...it looks like you have a lot of injuries.

[blindfoster]

[There's a small attempt at a smile at "healing hugs" because that's absurdly cute. Even in the circumstances. But Quentin hesitates, glancing back over his shoulder, frowning.]

There might be people who need your help more though.

[He wouldn't want to waste Hunk's energy if someone needed it more than him.]

[formleg]

You...have seen yourself, right? There's no avoiding the number of injuries we're going to see...but you're here right now and I can help you right now.

[Hunk may be tired, but it's certainly not from healing. He'll feel better if he can do something productive that ISN'T related to the Bridge or monsters.]

[blindfoster]

Yeah. I mean... unfortunately I have.

[It was terrible, Hunk. But okay. Quentin won't argue help any more, because the truth is he needs it.]

I had to cut the things off. I think I kind of made a mess of it.

[He adds, almost apologetic for the mess he's clearly made of it. And then because it's still important to try to have manners] I'm Quentin.

[formleg]

Cut the---oh man I'm not sure I want to know. It was something that happened down there wasn't it? Never mind...I can...I can fix it though.

[He'd been hearing a few stories, snippets of conversation from the others, but he hadn't followed up on much unless it was a direct conversation.]

My name's Hunk. Normally I'd say something like it's nice to meet you, but there isn't a lot of nice things happening right now. [He considers that and then smiles slightly.] So, actually this might be the nicest thing that happened. It'll be even better when I've got you fixed up though.

3

[elegant_and_proud]

[Offering comfort to others isn't something that comes naturally to Ikaruga. She's not completely devoid of empathy, but mercenary work isn't exactly suited to a deeply empathetic individual. She's a warrior, and the comfort she offers tends to be indirect - by being able to maintain her composure and stay calm even in the face of immensely dangerous situations, she serves as a calming influence on allies around her.]

If Astoria has the power to pluck us from other worlds and give us new abilities, perhaps she can do something to help them, even now.

[She doesn't really know what the extent of the enigmatic witch's abilities are, but it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility to her.]

[formleg]

[Hunk looks up. While his eyes are red from crying, he's not shedding any more tears at the moment. He appreciates the gesture, it's something he wants to believe rather badly.]

Yeah...yeah I've been thinking about that too. It's just...we haven't heard from her at all. Why hasn't she said anything since this all started happening? Why let so many of the people she wanted to help her just...just die?

[elegant_and_proud]

[Ikaruga is thoughtful for a moment. Why indeed? She has a possible theory.]

She may have been having trouble maintaining her connection to us.

[The creature's interference, perhaps. That doesn't explain why Astoria isn't in contact with them now. It may be that she hasn't checked back to see if she can connect with them. For now, Ikaruga just explains her reasoning.]

For a time down there, my original powers returned to me...and those include the ability to sense magic. There were moments when everything was chaotic, as if the monster's influence was disrupting magic itself. The energy was completely erratic, and sometimes vanished entirely for a few seconds.

[Something she'd honestly found worse than the voices. At least she knew the voices were a trap, no matter how much she'd wanted to hear some of them.]

It may have been something akin to a bad communications signal.

[formleg]

[He listens to her assessment of the situation. He doesn't know anything about magic, but what she says does seem to check out with things he had either heard from the others or witnessed himself.]

Kinda like the watches failing to communicate as well--we couldn't contact anyone when we were on the bridge and you all were fighting down below. I was thinking that was separate...but maybe it's all based around the same connection Astoria establishes with us to pull us back to the Temple or send us other places.

[It's easier to focus on a problem like this than on anything else at the moment.]

[elegant_and_proud]

I think it stands to reason that they are powered by her, to an extent. Inability seems more likely than indifference, as far as Astoria's lack of response.

[And possibly a bit of airheadedness, too. Astoria doesn't strike Ikaruga as a bad person, so much as an idealist who has no idea of what the hell she's doing. But Hunk is upset, and she's making some effort to be reassuring here.]

I suspect her power, vast as it is, is also ill suited to direct combat or even direct interference with the worlds she wants to save. That would explain why she needs the Circle in the first place.

[formleg]

Maybe. I'd...I'd certainly like to think so anyway.

[He's really not held any ill will towards her until recently, although it was more doubt and uncertainty than anything. It didn't help that everyone he knew seemed to distrust her to some degree.]

She seems pretty powerful to me...but I guess maybe her power is limited to the one thing we've seen her do and it's not like she can do it all the time or whenever she wants it seems.

2

[nogoldenmirror]

[Morrigan had been back down below, but when she lands on the landing as a black bird, scanning the area before judging whether it's safe or not--

She didn't expect to see a makeshift infirmary. Though she recognizes the boy resting beside it. She'd offered some assistance to Riza's attempts of an infirmary in the lounge as well, even making some homemade saline solution for open wounds before going back down again. She'd frown if she wasn't wearing a beak instead of any other face the other witch allowed her to have, so instead she lets the shape go.

She's so tired. While this time no poisonous vines were involved, she still aches and is covered in cuts. Definitely seen better days, yet she doesn't move to wake him. Instead she pulls at her pack slung over her back and retrieves a bottle of water she'd snagged from a safe room down below; placing it beside him. He looks as though he could use it and the sleep, and she knows enough to keep her own injuries in check.

Morrigan sits opposite him and starts wrapping any of the wounds that reopened on the way back up. (Thank you, safe rooms.) Though one on her shoulder causes her to hiss. ...Oops?]

2

[formleg]

[It's not a heavy sleep by any means. Hunk can fondly remember the time where he would go to sleep and it would take at least five alarms to wake him up. Being with the Garrison and then later on Team Voltron had fixed that problem a little, but he'd still slept through the night without nightmares then.

Now, that wasn't so much the case.

It felt like every time he closed his eyes and started to doze he would start to hear voices. Or, sometimes, his mind would decide now was the perfect time to remind him of the Bridge blackouts and the shadows clawing at his arms and side. Any one of these thins might have caused him to wake or perhaps it was the sound of the hiss.

Whatever the case, Hunk twitches and forces his eyes open. He's not quite startled, thankfully sleeping with Keith and Shiro had brought him some peace of mind, but it's not a peaceful waking either. Hunk looks around, his hand bumping the water bottle before he notices Morrigan.]

Oh....oh it's you. How long was I out?

[He yawns and then picks up the bottle she'd set beside him. He takes off the cap and pours a little into his hand, before quickly splashing that on his face. As he blinks the water out of his eyes he finally notices all of the wounds. He sits up straighter.]

You're hurt.

[nogoldenmirror]

At least a few minutes. [She nods toward the supplies she'd brought up with her. whether they use them here or bring them back to the temple with them, they should be useful.] You were asleep when I arrived.

[More like "flew up before the others returned", but who's counting on the details? She isn't. Yet she frowns when he points out the obvious.]

'Tis but a few scratches and cuts. Hardly life threatening.

[She'd say "don't fuss" but something about him reminds her of a few people she spoke to in a village once. The type who fussed over children with scraped knees.]

[formleg]

[Hunk glances over at the supplies. If she wasn't so injured, he might be more nosy about it. Instead, he quickly returns his attention to her.]

Maybe not. But my only role here at the moment is healing...so at least let me patch up the more serious ones.

[Hunk may look like a push over, but he can be just as stubborn as anyone. At least now he has someone to focus on instead of just general worrying for something he can't change or do.]

Besides...if it isn't life threatening that means it'll be a quick job.

[nogoldenmirror]

[He can be nosy about them later. Unfortunately, she knows that tone and that look a little too well. A year of traveling with a trained healer helps to pick up the cues. Morrigan sighs, rolling her eyes.]

If it will keep the incessant healer chastising to a minimum.

[...She'd be grateful, but come on. She needs to maintain SOME semblance of the whole morally ambiguous witch thing going.]

[formleg]

It will, yes.

[Hunk doesn't understand this stubbornness that some people have not to feel better. Why would you want to continue feeling miserable when there was someone who could help right here? It's honestly ridiculous, but then again Hunk has never felt the need to be the tough guy.

It's weird being a healer though. He feels like he should ask about the extent of the injuries or at least see them, but his powers don't need all that. He just has to touch the person and it doesn't even have to be anywhere near the wound. Hunk moves closer to her, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. After all, he didn't want to aggravate any injuries.

Immediately he felt his hand grow warmer and that warmth spread into Morrigan. Since, according to her, they were minor injuries he kept his hand there for a minute or less, but it would go a long way to mending anything major and anything minor would probably even disappear. He only pulls back when he can see some of the more visible cuts have closed up.]

There, see, it didn't even take that long.