soul_logs | EVENT: Retake the City

Entry tags:

EVENT: Retake the City

Characters: Every who signed up to retake the city
Location: Death City
Rating: PG
Time: July 4th
Description: There are Kishin eggs in the city. Like, everywhere. They've pretty much taken over and we can't have that, now can we?

Early in the morning, the sandstorm finally began to fade. By noon, it was gone completely, leaving behind far too much sand for comfort. The city is not in the best shape, having taken damage from the elements as well as the Kishin Eggs that are crawling all over the place, who seem to have made this place a new home.

They could move under the sand (and were quite fast when they did) and the fact that apart from their mouth the rest of their orifices was quite small it's clear that they were built to move like that. There's also the pesky fact that the city has buildings and alley ways they can hide in. The fact that Death City is layered like a cake is also a problem as it creates a lot of place for an enemy to jump down and ambush unsuspecting victims.

Of course, it's easy enough to repay in kind.

Either way, the familiar streets of Death City is now a battleground and the objective? Take back the city.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Psii stayed in city, mostly because knew she would be at shelter, and those were close quarters he would have done much more to avoid.

Meant to sleep after having mocha with Cupid, but that somehow hasn't happened. Hardware has not been cooperating like should lately, and instead of worrying about that, he dove back into programming project.

Which is probably why sense of caution has completely fled his thinkpan, and it doesn't even occur to him that Death City standing mostly-empty after sandstorm will attract unwelcome visitors. Food has run out, and Psii doesn't have much processing power to spare for anything but being hungry.

Until, that is, finds himself in streets so sand-strewn, are almost unrecognizable, with desert-adapted kishin eggs crisscrossing beneath the sand between him and communal hivestem.]

Hamel had his violin strapped to his back again, glad the sand wasn't blowing anymore. He always felt a little naked without it. Either way he'd somehow made it nearly all the way back to the huge apartment place when the first kishin egg had attacked. Frankly Hamel was shorter on temper than normal and having some stupid sand bug jump up and try to eat him was pissing him off. But he didn't have a weapon so he'd resorted to punching when he could and then running. Which was how he ran across a guy with horns staring at a street writhing with things.

"Son of a bitch!" He skidded to a halt and grabbed a board nearby using it like a cricket bat to bash the egg behind him sending it flying into an alley across the street.

"Hey man, you don't happen to have any rope handy do you?" He looked out across the street, his hands on his hips. He'd give a lot to have his magical music back. "Don't suppose they squish if you step on em huh?"

Psii spread his hands to show that no, he had nothing. Not even impromptu battering device like young human had just grabbed. Embarrassing.

Am not cut out for fighting, he could have said, but assumed that was painfully obvious from how he was standing there like wiggler that had just been hatched and didn't know how to work mandibles yet. He edged back from street as sand roiled too close to him for comfort.

"Haven't tried stepping on them. Doubt would have desired result.

"Am a Weapon, though."

Given tone it came out in, Psii felt might as well have said am not completely useless.

As the street roiled in front of Psii, Hamel stepped forward and bashed at the bug with gusto. Really waled on it, bashing it over and over until it scrambled back with a weird shreik. "That's what I thought you little bastard!" He shouted out at it.

Backing up next to Psii again he frowned. "Yeah, I'm thinking they don't squish."

Hamel paused and turned to Psii just realizing what he'd said. "Wait a minute. You're a weapon? What the fuck man, this is important information!" He pointed to him. "Right. Well, come on, what kind." He made a motion that implied hurry up we haven't got all day.

Combat tactic wasn't very graceful, but did make kishin retreat, and human seemed quite proud of it. Psii looked around for similar makeshift weapon, and found wooden slat that seemed to have been part of building, which he picked up and tried to look ready to use, edging closer to human for better defensible position.

"Am goggles," he answered quickly. "Weapon ability is telekinesis. Is much more effective than hardware--physical fighting abilities."

"Gogg... goggles?" That sounded completely fucking useless. Sand wasn't even blowing right now. Hey wait. Wasn't telekinesis the word for what he did with his music? That and induced empathy.

So wait, this guy could give him back part of his abilities? "Well suit up then eyes let's make the bugs dance!" It never even enters Hamels mind that they might not be able to resonate. Of course he'll be able to pick this up. It'll be, like, a billion times easier than trying to use a fucking sword. Hamel's strong suit is not in anticipating how he will actually be able to interact with other people.

Edited (better describing name :)) 2013-09-26 07:12 (UTC)

"Suit--?" Psii started to ask, then realized what human idiom must mean. "Oh. Right."

Hoping relief at not having to fight in usual hardware wasn't too obvious, he dropped piece of wood, stepped close enough for human to be able to catch goggles, and concentrated on changing to Weapon form. Was slightly rusty at it, but to say streets being full of kishin was extremely motivating would have been understatement. After just a moment, he transformed neatly into flight goggles with one red and one blue lens.

Psii had never had too much trouble with superficial resonance, and prepared to open mind enough for combat, but not enough to overwhelm human.

Oh good, he'd seemed like he was going to start questioning things but the dude stepped up to the plate neatly. Hamel, though, nearly missed catching the goggles, but snatched them out of the air at the last minute, looking down at the two different colored lenses. Well, the guy had had weird heterochromea so that explained that.

Now the problem was getting them on. Hamel noted the band to hold them on was definitely not going to fit over the brim of his hat. Which meant he'd have to take off the hat to get the goggles on. Fuck.

He glanced around but no one seemed to be nearby. Maybe he could do it real quicklike. As he moved to do that, he was hastened on by a wormy thing getting more bold, the furrow of sand headed straight toward them. Hamel ripped his hat off, exposing a horn of his own right in the middle front section of his head and he yanked the goggles on before whirling toward the oncoming menace and ... thinking hard at it. He really has no idea how to use the goggles.

Psii had brief moment of panic when seemed as if human might drop him--didn't hurt, as such, when that happened, but felt very strange and unpleasant--but luckily, human recovered.

Could sense, in strange not-seeing way of Weapon form, the kishin rapidly approaching them, and was faintly aware of Hamel's annoyance at having to remove hat. Defense was much more important than curiosity about that, and urgency of need to act pushed aside Psii's usual worries about how much resonance might reveal. He opened his mind--as orderly as database, except for shadowed sectors where data was tangled and corrupted-- and quickly reached for power. Didn't take time to calibrate it, simply handed psionic energy off to human as soon as it felt strong enough to damage kishin.

Give it push toward target.

This was so much easier with music. But still, the idea was the same. He could almost feel the order in Psii's head and if Psii sensed anything of Hamel's his would pretty much be chaos with an underlying sadness that no one was ever to speak of.

Hamel... was enthusiastic about the push. And he didn't just do it mentally, he curled his fingers into a fist and punched it forward physically as well.

((Don't know how well you want them to resonate. If you think they'd do well, he can stop the thing cold, if not it can sort of fizzle and redirect the thing?))

Psii was focused on maintaining power, but caught glimpse of disorder of Hamel's mind, nearly polar opposite of own, though there was something about it that didn't feel entirely unfamiliar...

Battle was no time to consider that. He turned his thoughts back to giving energy an extra outward push, and was pleased when kishin they were targeting recoiled from psychic impact, injured though not destroyed, and obviously decided to look for easier prey.

Can probably finish it off, Psii said, and hastily sent new wave of energy outward.

[ooc: 'pretty well' seems about right. :) a second shot would kill a kishin, i think.]

Hamel was pretty much single minded about things. When the egg bounced off the barrier and was knocked slightly to the side, he gave out an enthusiastic (and slightly manic laugh. "You like that asshole? That's right, Hamel's BACK!"

Hamel gathered up that energy and took a running leap out over the sand in the general direction of that egg that seemed stunned for the moment and as he came down he used his fist to drill into it with Psii's energy, red eyes gleaming purple behind one lens and fiery red behind the other. The energy forcing the body flat since there was no way to go down into the dirt without digging.

It really was only his third or forth victory, and he paused as the thing dissipated beneath him. "OH YEAH WHO WANT'S A PIECE OF US YOU SANDY JACKASSES!?"

Hamel was starting to remind of best friend's descendant, to whom Psii most often referred as 'small, angry SS.' He was rather fond of Karkat, so comparison wasn't a bad thing.

Psii wasn't immune to excitement of battle, either--felt breathless from rush, despite not having lungs for breath at all in this hardware.

Have never had Meister combine Weapon ability with physical attack.

Was clearly a good idea. Psii kept channeling energy outward until kishin was destroyed. Was feeling effects of having neglected training, but was far from drained. He'd forgotten how exhilarating could feel to use powers in real fight.

Want to take out some more?

It was an odd feeling having his own excitement amped by someone else's. But the Violinist kind of liked it. "Gotta direct it with my instrument usually, gives me a way to focus it. We can try other ways too."

Hamel dusted his hands off and spun in a swirl of cloak. "Fuck yeah, let's kill these bastards." He exclaimed, sending his hand out in a sweeping or raking motion like he was trying to drag through the sand and find himself another unlucky sand bug. "Come to Papa~!"

Psii assumed at first 'instrument' meant some kind of electronics, until picked up on mental image of human musical device. Strange. Would have to remember to ask about it later.

The sand stirred as he directed power that way, channeling it through Hamel's motion, small blasts of energy like puffs of air across the surface. Sure enough, disturbance drew one of the creatures out of hiding. It bared its teeth at them, and Psii sent another pulse of energy to Hamel.

Am turning up power.

"Hello beautiful." Hamel crowed and he could feel the power amp up as Psii's words came through. "Can your power move them specifically?" He asked aloud because Hamel has not figured out Psii can read his thoughts yet. "Like... bend an arm, or whatever?"

He took a few quick steps and instead of using his fist this time he made to kick the beast like a football, focusing the energy and aiming for the brick wall behind it. "How many kicks to get to the center you think?"

Psii found that by paying close attention, could send jolt of extra power right as Hamel kicked out, intensifying the attack. After a few kicks, the kishin hit the wall hard, and didn't move anymore.

That many kicks, he said, amusement coming through in their resonance.

Haven't tested it yet, but think controlling things is possible. Think have to work together to control energy. Find another, and can try to take hold of it with ability.

It was like playing ping pong with his feet. Pretty fun actually except it didn't take enough kicks. He snorted at the mental note from Psii. He was starting to like this guy.

"That... would be fucking awesome." Hamel announced and started kicking through sand looking for more Kishin because he would love that to happen. He hoped it had hands. Because he had plans man. He had plans.

And that was about the time a larger Kishin burst up through the sand, spraying it everywhere and landing on his feet. Yes it had feet. Then it roared at them.

Hamel spit out sand. He couldn't tell how much he'd worn down Psii and this one was definitely big. "Whaddya think?"

Think we can take it.

Psii's mental voice was determined, but there was a slight hesitation before 'we.' Wasn't as difficult to say as 'I,' though, and being able to use resonance to speak made it even easier.

He was riding the high of fighting--of using something like his real powers again, and it going so well--and knew would be exhausted later. But that would be later. Right now, wanted to test theory about level of control Weapon ability afforded them.

He summoned power again, stronger still this time, until seemed to feel it as familiar blue-red crackles, and reached out with it, while sending it through their resonance at the same time, for Hamel to control. (Felt strange, but not unpleasant, sharing power this way.)

If works as expect, you can strike with energy, or use it to affect kishin.

Sooner or later they'd discover if feeding off each other's battle lust was a good or bad thing. Hamel's eyes scanned up the six foot tall monster and pushed his cape back over his shoulder, grinning like a maniac.

He could feel Psii's power coalescing and he stretched his fingers in preparation. "Rock on." He replied before lifting his hand and clenching his fingers in mid air like he was strangling someone invisible. He formed a mental hand in his mind, extending it out toward the egg and grit his teeth. Once he had it perfectly formed in his head, he jerked his hand to the right, right at a brick wall, as though bashing the invisible victim into it.

The Kishin egg stumbled to the right. Not quite hitting it but looking really confused and pretty pissed off. "Come on... coooome on...." Hamel lifted his other hand up trying to add his own strength to it. The thing jerked it's head in his direction and met Hamel's eyes. Something pinged inside him and suddenly it wasn't as much of a struggle. Their resonance was still new but something of his meister ability kicked in though he didn't realize it.

Someone egging on his more violent and reckless side would probably prove not best thing, in the long run, but Psii didn't care--wasn't even thinking about that. Felt same shift Hamel did, as something seemed to click, and energy began to feel that it flowed more easily between them.

Psii reached for more power, found it. Channeled it to Hamel, trying at the same time to shove kishin. It was a balancing act, fixing own intent on target, trying to do in such a way as to not interfere with Meister's. Kishin continued to stare them down, but twitched, as if pulled in two directions at once, until Psii relaxed into flow of power and let it simply go through him. Then thing hit the wall and crumpled to sand.

Sending more power necessarily meant opening mind more, but Psii found could do it without usual concern about revealing darker parts of software. (Maybe, thought fleetingly, crisis mode was best for him.) It also made perfectly clear how much he was enjoying this. Unfortunately, combat was starting to take toll.

Am afraid will run out of juice soon. Retreat might be called for.

It took a bit of effort, if they'd had more time to practice together, they might have been able to make the thing hit himself like Hamel wanted but as it was, it jerked to the side and crumpled, he tried to shove it again even though it was on the ground and made it's head bounce off the wall again before what Psii had said got through his excitement.

"Right." He kicked the thing in the shin and then turned toward their temporary home in this place. "OK, trying to get into the apartments, right?" And with that he ran across the kishin egg just to spite it, stepping on it's head as he jogged toward the tall building, watching for movement.

"Haha this is awesome! Weapons should be USEFUL like you."

Psii was amused when picked up on what Hamel's aim had been.

Is probably more efficient, though less funny, to make use of surroundings.

Was surprised into silence for a moment by last thing Meister said.

Have always felt like Weapon form is one of most useless. Of course, main objection was taking form of something she had given him in own world. Was like wearing sign of imprisonment all over again. He deliberately pushed thought away as they approached communal hivestem.

Live on second floor.

"Well, maybe we can practice it sometime." Hamel replied offhandedly. Not that he was particularly concerned with efficiency.

Probably was pretty useless to be goggles when someone didn't know what the hell they were doing. "Yeah well, not everyone's awesome like me. Lotta good a damn sword is when I'm shit at using one. BAMF goggles are about fifty times better man."

He got a hint of ire at the goggles but he wasn't particularly good at concerning himself over the feelings of others with any critical thinking.

"Huh, I'm at the top. I figure once we're in we'll have passed most of the eggs." And then he burst through the doors into the lobby, pausing and looking around. It was more apparent now that the lenses were two different colors and it was really throwing him off in the darker space. He stood quietly for a second listening to make sure nothing was going to jump out and try to eat their faces. Well his face anyway."

Don't know what 'bamf' means. From context, though, was apparent it was desirable quality.

Would be glad to practice. Have found it easier to resonate in emergency, but suspect fine control would only come with work.

Was relieved that he didn't seem to sense any more of the sand monsters nearby once they were inside.

Think are in the clear, if you want to remove so can change back to usual hardware.

Would be decidedly awkward if lost hold on Weapon form while goggles were still on Hamel's face.

EVENT: Retake the City

Psii | Near Casualty Communal | closed to Hamel

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