soul_logs | [OPEN] Mission 155

Entry tags:

[OPEN] Mission 155

Characters: Open to those who signed up here.
Location: An unmarked cavern system outside Death City.
Rating: Various.
Time: March 18th, sunrise.
Description: Shibusen agents brave underwater caverns to take out the first of three Madness emitters.

Missiongoers pile out of the mirrors early in the morning, just as the first hints of sun start to color the walls of the sandstone canyon red and purple; it'll be the last bits of real light they'll see for at least a few hours. The atmosphere is electric -- there're quite a few new (and old) arrivals who're eager to see some action, but just as many people who're feeling rather more apprehensive… And for good reason.

The only way to their destination is blocked by a few hundred yards of sunken tunnels. Luckily they've been provided with mouthpieces, breathing apparatuses with enough oxygen to last about ten minutes: more than enough time, provided that the guests don't lose their way in the dimly-lit, twisted caverns. It's as easy as following the person in front of them, right?

Upon emerging safely from the pool onto mostly-dry land, they'll find themselves in an immense cavern, illuminated by countless, blue fungi clinging to the walls and ceiling, looking like stars dotting a night sky. Already the first signs of the way Madness has been corrupting the wildlife are evident: the mushrooms exude strange spores that make some people's head pound the same way the increasingly noticeable Madness wavelength does.

As they travel further into the watery caves and explore its many branches, they'll begin to encounter creatures twisted by Madness: moles, snakes, beetles, centipedes, all grown to monstrous proportions, some with a venomous bite that quickly turns their victim feverish and delirious. The more daring fighters can easily dispatch those and delve even deeper, and it's near the source of the Madness, in the chamber housing the emitter itself, that they'll encounter the kishin eggs.

There're dozens of them-- eyeless, white, vaguely human-shaped things, but despite their blindness they have no problem finding their quarry, fighting with claws and exuding their own Madness wavelength. If the missiongoers can stand strong against the kishin eggs and the ever-present wavelength given off by the Madness emitter, Shibusen's specialists will have enough time to shut the machine down for good.

OOC NOTES.
- The event summary post containing all relevant links is located here.
- Make your own threads, but please indicate in your subject line [CHARACTER(S) | LOCATION | OPEN/CLOSED] and, if applicable, if you need a kishin egg NPC!
- The locations are the sunken tunnels, the medics area, the cave system, and the emitter chamber, but only the medics will have their designated sub-thread.
- If you have any further questions, the mod thread on the coordination post is here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The more times that he fought in caves on this world, the less that he liked them. Maneuverability was always poor, and his katanas just weren't the same as the Masamune in his grasp. He never thought that he would form such an opinion given he had once hoped so much to have to face Sephiroth's Masamune in cramped quarters to limit the man's mobility. Now, with them partnered, it was just a pain in his neck.

Still, they had moved swiftly, Sephiroth's partial form good enough to get rid of most of the crazed animals and the lesser Kishin Eggs. He covered their sides and back, duel wielding the katanas that his partner had gifted him with. He was also keenly aware of the level of madness that his partner was feeling.

He had seen and felt the wound that Sephiroth had self-inflicted, but he kept his peace on the matter for the time being. It was important to get to the emitter quickly, so he allowed his partner to lead while they moved quickly down the tunnels, and he found himself stepping out next to his partner when they had finally reached their destination. Madness was probably everywhere, but he didn't feel it.

Cloud observed the horde in front of them and sighed as he sheathed his swords across his back and reached out to set a hand on his partner's bladed arm. "Easy now, we're almost at the goal. There's enough room for us to work together, yes? Can you transform yourself?"

It was getting difficult to think, but Sephiroth couldn't allow that to distract him. Until Cloud's hand came to rest on his partial form, he found himself unable to care about the army of kishin eggs in front of them. No, there was something in the back of his mind whispering for him to---

---that thought was slowly silenced as Cloud's ability sunk in through his body, and he felt a wave of calm washing over his body. Closing his eyes at the feeling, he took the moment to revel in it while his Meister's words seeped through his rapidly calming mind.

"I can," he quietly murmured before his body began to glow softly. It was a mere-moment later that Sephiroth's physical form had transformed itself into the long and elegant blade of his signature weapon.

There was a wash of relief that ran along their connection as his passive ability took affect of his Weapon, and he allowed a soft expression to twist his lips as his thumb rubbed on the bladed arm. He knew that fighting against the madness was worse than the Kishin Eggs, but he also knew that his partner wanted to gain immunity to the madness in time as well.

He didn't take his hand off of the bladed form even as Sephiroth began to transform, but his grip shifted so that he was grasping the hilt of the blade when it appeared. He smirked when the blade began to sing its unique song as their soul wavelengths wove together.

"We'll fix that wound of yours when we're finished here. I can't have you getting too weak from bloodloss now." He was only teasing, though he was committed to looking at the damage Sephiroth had done.

The injury honestly never bothered him. Pain was something that the ex-General had been used to even before he knew the meaning of the word. So while he used it to help focus and anchor his mind, any level of pain never crippled him.

He could feel their resonance syncing in with each other, and settled himself into that sensation. There was no level of resistance felt, and he took what comfort he could from their link as he heard Cloud's teasing words.

'I hardly doubt that I'll get 'too weak' from such an insignificant wound, Cloud,' Sephiroth murmured in reply. Of course, he said nothing about Cloud fixing his wound.

He waited for the Kishin Eggs to close the distance, separating the pack out into easier to manage groups. He also savoured the resonance that they achieved, taking a moment to allow it to wash to all levels of his consciousness. Of course, he was all the more aware of Sephiroth's own thoughts in this state.

"I never said you'd be too weak, but I might have to make you take some down time to recover from such blood loss." He shifted his stance, settling the long blade of the Masamune in front of him as the hordes grew closer. "I can kiss it better, yeah? Ever have that phrase used on you?"

He sensed the rapid approach of at least one of their targets. Sephiroth held no doubt that it would be easily dispatched, as they generally were, and focused on keeping the resonance of their souls in harmony as Cloud sprang into action. There was no need to dwell on whether or not Cloud could handle the situation, as he already knew the answer to that. Why else had he focused himself on obtaining Cloud as a Meister to begin with.

'I hardly need any such down time,' Sephiroth half scoffed as the Kishin Eggs turned their soulless white gaze towards them before breaking out into a near-frenzied run. He was far from concerned, and instead inwardly scoffed at the notion that such a gesture would magically 'make it better'. 'I hardly need it to be used on me to know that it's a fabrication.'

One broke away from the main group and charged down a direct line on them, and Cloud moved quickly to intercept as he spied an opening. He used the sizeable length of the Masamune to knock aside a clawed arm, opening a hole in the defense of the body. He struck quickly, cutting through flesh and knocking aside the dying creature as it began to dissolve.

"Aren't you supposed to do what I say when you're hurt? I let you boss me around when the tables are turned." He was, after all, still fighting with a cast, though he had mostly healed because the staff was tired of replacing it. "Hmpt, you're too serious and logical. What happened to whimsy anyway?"

Edited 2012-08-26 21:26 (UTC)

The first threat was neutralized, unsurprisingly, and Sephiroth watched as Cloud efficiently took the creature down with absolute precision. He didn't pay any further attention to the dissolving beast, as the ex-General caught sight of a number more breaking away from the main group in an attempt to take them down. Hn, such foolishness.

'It hardly counts when it's such an injury, and besides, you would only make your injuries worse if left to your own devices,' Sephiroth said with a subtle huff on his voice. While it couldn't be seen, Cloud could definitely feel the smirk Sephiroth made at his partner's following question. 'When have you ever known me to be whimsy?'

He was already moving to engage the next few that had taken to charging. He slashed one brutally across the face before jumping to avoid the claws of the second and spearing the creature through its one eye and out of the back of its head. It fell before he could withdraw the Masamune, and he rolled backwards to avoid the third creature from taking his head from his shoulders.

Rolling away with his blade, he came up in a crouch in time to air slice the charging Kishin Egg to knock it off balance. It gave him time to rise to his feet and charge forward himself. "That's rich coming from you who just ignores his injuries." He cross-slashed the Kishin egg before surveying the group just arriving. "I thought your middle name was 'whimsy'."

He was ever-mindful of every target in their immediate vicinity as Cloud began his assault. Sephiroth did what he could in order to not distract his partner, especially when a number of the beasts attempted to attack all at once. They were no match for Cloud though, and he smirked in satisfaction as his Meister effortlessly wiped them out.

'I have no clue as to what you're talking about,' Sephiroth dismissively murmured as Cloud charged towards their enemies to slash out towards them. 'Just as yours is 'dorky'?' He asked in return. It was a term he rarely ever used, and when he thought about it, Sephiroth wondered if he'd ever used it before in his life.

These were strong Kishin Eggs compared to those he and Sephiroth normally fought, which indicated that the madness here was thick. He frowned as he flicked blood from the Masamune as he rolled his shoulders to prepare for the next wave. So many of them here were going to hurt innocent people, and this was where he and his partner were at their best. They would protect those who were weaker than themselves.

"Denial was always your way of hiding." He twisted to avoid a stomping foot, cutting the creature from stem to sternum in response, using the falling body as a shield as he darted to the next. "Did you seriously just call me 'dorky'?"

There was little need to draw attention to the incoming foot as the creature attempted to catch Cloud unaware. Sephiroth hadn't missed the path his Meister's thoughts took either, and while he didn't care about the others in the city, he held no animosity towards them anymore either. No, instead the one he wished to protect was someone already wielding him in battle.

'I deny nothing,' Sephiroth stated, but there was an undeniable smirk accompanying his words. 'If the boot fits...'

As the corpse dissolved, he passed through, getting a little of the blood spattering on himself as he drove himself sword first into the stampeding Kishin Egg behind the fallen one. It wheeled away screaming in rage as he found himself flung from side-to-side until he could brace with his feet and twist the blade to slash open the creature's side. He finished it with a slit throat and dodged swinging claws of his next opponent.

"Don't you smirk at me. I can sense it, you know. I'm doing plenty of hard work here." There was no heat to his words even as he shook his head. "I've never heard you say that word. Makes me think that you're sick."

Cloud was efficiently taking out each and every kishin egg that they came across. He could feel their blood beginning to coat his bladed form and relished in the notion that so many were being taken down. Sephiroth knew that there weren't many other strong fighters in their group, and that responsibility fell onto them to take the creatures out. While he cared nothing for the others, Sephiroth couldn't help but slip back into his old sense of responsibility.

'Yes, of course you are, Cloud,' Sephiroth muttered with a subtle chuckle. It was moments like these, and the odd moments they had to themselves, that he truly felt alive. It was a feeling that he didn't hide from his partner as their resonate seemed to soar to New heights. 'Then I will have to think of more appropriate terms, hmm? Can't have you thinking that after all.'

He smirked at Sephiroth's elated emotions when it came to their efforts on the battlefield, and he used that emotion to build on. For others, this was a dangerous situation, given the emitter was still active, but he and Sephiroth were built for these kinds of odds. This was what they were good at, what they took so many missions for.

Avoiding the fall of claws, he couldn't help himself as he deflected away a kick with his fiberglass cast. It jarred his arm, but he kept fighting regardless of any damage. As they fought, he felt power building between them, pushing him further, faster, and stronger. "If I get to call you 'whimsy' or 'lover boy', then you can call me 'dorky'"

The smirk was felt as they continued to slash their way through their targets. While he was often outwardly dismissive to such shows of pride and arrogance, Sephiroth rather found them amusing. Just as he did this time until Cloud used his cast to block an incoming attack. He inwardly frowned at that, not saying anything, but the feel between them giving away the fact that he didn't approve of the method.

"Is that a fact?" Sephiroth asked with amusement colouring his tone. He didn't mind the nicknames Cloud gave him, not in the slightest, but it still felt somewhat odd to be giving them in return.

He drew on their combined strength, hearing the timbre of the Masamune's song increasing as he drove deeper into the ranks and closer to the emitter. He didn't feel the madness, but the Kishin Eggs seemed far more wild, strong and quick. He took minor scratches as he used the long length of the sword in his hands to bring down two at a time.

Yet, he found himself distracted from their banter at the feel of something building between them. It seemed to center at his chest, which wasn't the most comfortable sensation, but he also felt somewhat empowered. "Are you... doing something with the JENOVA link?"

Sephiroth felt his protectiveness soar when he sensed his Meister being on the receiving end of those scratches. It didn't matter that they had already taken down droves of Kishin Eggs, or that the scratches were minor. No, all that mattered was the fact that he felt that protectiveness surge within him as Cloud continued on.

Yet he was pulled away from his focused thoughts as he felt the confused question being asked to him. Flickering his attention to his Meister, Sephiroth quietened his thoughts. "I am not, no," Sephiroth answered honestly with.

He had to appreciate the ex-General's protectiveness for any injury that he sustained no matter how many. How long ago had it been that Sephiroth would have relished in his agony and wanted to inflict more pain upon him? Those days were over, and the hovering, over-protective partner that Sephiroth had developed into was endearing. He made certain to try to avoid more injury, but the scratches were little more than annoyances to him.

Still, the strength between them seemed to build even at the honest reply, and he dodged a falling Kishin Egg and lopped the head off of the confused one behind it. "My chest... it feels strained," he said, not wanting to alarm his partner, but it kept getting worse. Still, he fought on as the ranks seemed to converge on them both as others were forced to fall back.

There was a flash of concern felt within when Cloud mentioned that his chest felt strained. Something like this had never happened before during a mission, and he couldn't help but fear for the worst. Was something happening to Cloud's body that he was entirely unaware of? He couldn't transform out of his Weapon form considering their hostile environment, but what else could he do?

"Cloud..." Sephiroth muttered, his tone obviously holding the concern he felt for his partner. He did what he could to keep himself calm, and instead he stretched out his mind and soul towards Cloud's in a hope that it would help ease whatever was bothering his partner.

He could feel Sephiroth's concern for him mounting, and he was certain that if the ex-General was in human form, it would involve plenty of hovering. As it was, he was concentrating on fighting off the Kishin Eggs that were starting to press in on him in significant numbers. He slashed the Masamune, pushing his own soul wavelength to get passed this. Was he having a heart-attack?

He felt the bite of claws in a glancing blow that was deflected by his spaulder, but he shook it off as the pressure seemed to increase with their soul wavelengths, though he didn't assume it was the reason. Grunting, he was forced to give ground for the first time in the battle, keeping the Kishin Eggs at bay because of the long reach of his sword which seemed to sing on a different note.

What was wrong? Their resonance was better than ever, the madness not even coming close to touching them. Their confidence was unbeatable, and yet, why was it getting so hard to breathe? He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to draw in a breath even if it sent pain through his entire being before his eyes caught on a strange glow from his chest that was only getting brighter as the Kishin Eggs closed in again. He blinked when a ghostly black orb emerged, absorbing light around it yet still shifting. That looked like the Black Materia, but how...?!

Sephiroth's concern for Cloud remained just as strong and as present as before when the blonde didn't seem to be getting any better. In fact, whatever was happening to his partner was getting worse with every second passing.

He was so fixated and distracted by the problem, that he failed to sense the threat taking a swipe at his Meister. It was only fortunate that it was a glancing blow with no injury. However, any thought of fixating on that problem disappeared the moment he saw something far too familiar emerging from Cloud's chest.

'...How...?' Sephiroth managed to mutter in stunned awe as he watched the Black Materia, as ghost-like as it was, beginning to hover and spin around as it absorbed the light around it.

Once the object had emerged, he found that he could breathe easier, yet his gaze remained fixed on it. When was the last time he had seen such an object, especially since materia didn't exist in this world. How had it even been in his chest when Sephiroth had been in possession of it last?

There wasn't much time to consider his shock as he felt pain light along his arm as claws sunk in. Instinctively, he reached to grasp the Black Materia, to take it into safe keeping. The moment his fingers brushed the orb, a shock way of power knocked back the Kishin Eggs before he became very aware that the materia had turned into a considerable sized Meteor and slammed down in front of him, deafening and blinding him as the ranks of Kishin Eggs were destroyed.

Oh geez, he hoped the emitter was alright.

The impossibility of what was occurring seemed improbable to him, given the fact that he had absorbed the Black Materia into his body over two years ago, and yet the imprint of it remained within Cloud. He couldn't even begin to figure out what the connection was, or what would happen here in this world because of it.

That was when the Kishin Eggs moved in to take them down, and the pain lacing through Cloud's arm broke him out of his thoughts. 'Cloud!' Sephiroth called out right as his partner reached out to take the Black Materia into his grasp for safe keeping. Everything around them seemed to go to hell in that moment, and he watched in wide-eyed surprise as the materia morphed into Meteor before it slammed down into the rows of enemies in front of them.

Meteor...? But... how...?

Their shock seemed combined when the object of their previous contention drove into the ranks of the Kishin Eggs, though in a much more minor scale. The dust that was thrown up was probably a good reason why such things didn't happen underground anyway. He couldn't help but cough as he inhaled his share of the dust that blocked all view of anything and anyone in the area.

Cloud also felt a significant decrease to his strength, and his knees almost buckled beneath him. He wanted to breathe deeply, but he already knew the folly of that as he slowly forced himself to take a step, waving his free hand in front of his face in an lame attempt to clear the dust.

"That was... Meteor, wasn't it? And the Black Materia?"

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Apparently new heights needs a capital N lololol >_>;;;

That's just how 'new' they are. XD

Damn straight they are ;D

>_> Not really here

I see nothing xDDD

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Pardon my lack of icons T3T

It's okay. We get to look at Sephiroth's butt anyway

You do make a good point xD

I knew you'd see it too