[OPEN] Mission 155

[soul_mods]

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!

Comments

[hand_of_judgement]

It was unclear whether it was the kiss to his cheek or the words that caused a displeased frown to mar his features, but whichever the answer was, Yuri looked rather displeased. He managed to hold his tongue though, even if his body flinched in surprise at the feeling of the cool cloth against his warm skin.

"They hadn't frozen in the past, so I would not want you to believe you can do such a thing," he muttered, the signs of his displeasure on the culprit. Yuri, in all honesty, didn't want to answer her stated question. All he knew that regardless of the answer, that all bets were off whenever she was involved. "I believe it's better to remain focused on the present rather than 'what ifs'."

[ghostofaqueen]

She couldn't help but be amused at his frown, a very common expression from him when she was involved. She suspected that he had plenty to say to her, but he was holding his tongue because he might live to regret whatever might happen. Plus, barking back at her tended to encourage her, almost as much as his sustained silence did.

"Well, the wound was dirty, so the injection is just prevention for the betterment of your health," she replied with an amused edge to her tone. They both knew that all bets were off if he couldn't move. Side-effects were actually death, but she'd never let it get that far. "So I should get you an injection to prevent any 'what if's, hmmm?"

[hand_of_judgement]

The cloth moved over his skin as she worked, and he did what he could in order to ignore just what was transpiring. There were moments were such things were difficult, but the Judge did what he could not to dwell on such things... it was a task that he found strangely easy to do when she continued to speak with her amused tone.

"Why am I under the impression that you would enjoy it too much?" Yuri asked as he glanced over a her. He held no doubt that she'd gain large amounts of pleasure out of his displeasure.

[ghostofaqueen]

She cleaned him up to the aspects that she could reach, having to change the cloth more than once given the mess that he had made. It allowed her a little more time with him, so she didn't complain about the activity or the length of time that it took. With his father settled in Yuri's apartment, she had stayed away and they had seen each other less because of it.

"Too much? I don't think I could enjoy it too much," she replied with a smirk on her lips. "However, I would enjoy it. It's up to you. It's your health, though I couldn't imagine what your father would say if he found you so ill..." she let her words trail off into a significant silence.

[hand_of_judgement]

His mind remained partially focused on the cloth that worked its way over his flesh. His body was slowly having the blood removed from his skin, and he didn't miss the change in cloth each time it happened. Yuri hadn't dared to look down, knowing that he wouldn't like the sight, and so he simply allowed her to continue her work despite their conversation.

There was a subtle grunt in reply to her smirk and the words. Yet his body froze at the mention of the possibility of his father discovering that he had been injured. That was something he didn't want to come out, and with a sharp gaze, he forced himself not to grit his teeth in displeasure. "Do whatever you wish."

[ghostofaqueen]

Sarah chuckled softly at the sharp look that he threw her, and his immediate surrender made it obvious how much keeping such an injury quiet meant to him. She wondered why he was so desperate to hide things from that man when Yuri spent so much time tending to his father. He had so many secrets yet remained doting and almost obsessive about his duties.

"I knew you would agree eventually," she murmured as she finished cleaning him up and dropping the last cloth to the dirty water. Her arm slipped around his waist to hold him as she lay her cheek against his shoulder. "Why do you hide from him so much?"

[hand_of_judgement]

The chuckle only seemed to receive a displeased look from the Judge, not that it was anything new on Kerrigan's end. There was some part of him that thought that she wouldn't stoop to such levels, but he didn't feel a need to try and push his luck.

Glancing away at her first murmur, he felt her shift against him as she finished her work before an arm came to slip around his waist. He didn't return the gesture at all, but the warmth did find his attention shifting back towards her at the press of her cheek to his shoulder. While he didn't return the hold, Kerrigan would have felt the muscles beneath her touch begin to relax as he murmured, "He has enough to concern himself with as it is."

[ghostofaqueen]

His displeased look did nothing to take the pleasure from her words, and she felt the way that he subtly relaxed against her body. It was that small reaction that eased her as she nestled against his back and held up his weight so that he didn't have to. Her fingers caressed the skin above the bandage affectionately.

She waited for a moment, considering his answer from all angles before slowly nodding. "Is that what you tell yourself or do you actually believe that?"

[hand_of_judgement]

It was subtle, but he glanced back over his shoulder to sight the top of her head hair. The every-present goggles were snuggly seated within the crimson tresses, and he found it somewhat relaxing to fixate his gaze on it even if this line of questioning was dangerous. Pulling his gaze away a moment later, he instead fixated his attention down to her caressing fingers.

"My father is a recovering alcoholic who has yet to truly overcome his addiction," Yuri simply said. He wasn't lying, in that aspect, but the Judge knew that he had also spent decades hiding everything to himself. The thought of allowing others to see such weakness, especially the man who'd sired him, was unsettling at best.

[ghostofaqueen]

His skin was warm against her cheek, which meant that he hadn't lost too much blood. He would have to take things easy though, and she hoped that he wouldn't push himself too far, too fast either. Perhaps she should check on him more regularly while he was recovering so he could better hide the wounds.

"Has he shown signs of returning to that state," she asked quietly. She had seen alcoholics fighting personal demons, but most of the were products of war. She knew a little of why Yuri's father went that way though. "You would do well to use this opportunity to help yourself as well as him." She paused for a moment, her fingers stroking over his bandages. "Are you still sleeping on the couch for the time being?"

[hand_of_judgement]

"Not yet, but he has yet to fully recover from his wounds. Having him return to society will be the true test to if he will or not," Yuri softly murmured. The fact that his father had been an alcoholic was why he avoided the substance, and there would never be a single drop found within his apartment. The thought of his father returning to such a destructive life didn't sit well with him, but he had to try and do everything he could to avoid such a thing.

He fell silent at her pointed comment. What help she was referring to was something he didn't want to admit to, and largely kept himself unaware of. That was why he said nothing abut it in return as her fingers stroked over his bandages. "I am. He will remain in my bed until he has fully recovered."

[ghostofaqueen]

Nodding her head in acceptance, she wondered if he was worried that such an outcome could be on the horizon. None of them had powers here, so it was the right environment to return to such a life. However, it was a different world with a different set of values and circumstances. Perhaps the man could resist after being killed? "Perhaps... you would do well to head this off at the pass. Do you think he'd do well in therapy?"

She didn't press when he failed to comment on her pointed suggestion. There was no need because she knew he had heard and processed it. She hoped he would do himself a favour. "If you like... you can spend a few nights here and there at my place," she offered softly, an invitation she never offered to anyone else.

[hand_of_judgement]

He wasn't quite sure what he could do given his position. His mother hadn't been able to sway the man once he got an idea stuck in his head, and he doubted that anything he suggested would require such a thing. Yet the thought of his father needing therapy weighed heavily within him, and he found himself falling quiet at the thought.

The offer was unexpected, and he couldn't help but glance back over his shoulder towards her while his mind thought it over. Much like himself, she never allowed anyone within his apartment. Could he do such a thing though? So far everything about what was between them had been on her terms, and there few moments where he had decided to do much of anything. He knew the significance of his answer, and the affect it would have as he glanced away and softly murmured, "It is... something that I will keep in mind."

He couldn't leave his father as things were right now, but as her fingers played over the bandages, Yuri couldn't help but retain her offer in the back of his mind.

[ghostofaqueen]

She wondered if Yuri had considered that sort of remedy to the problem that may reoccur. No doubt he would do what was right rather than what was easy, but this was also an opportunity to mend so many old wounds. Of course, the Judge would have to stop holding everything tight to the chest in order to achieve anything close to that with his dead father.

She felt the way his shoulder muscles moved as he turned his head, and she tipped her cheek to peer back at him. It was an offer she would only make once, and if he rejected it, she would keep to her own privacy. She had invaded his enough to know it was generally unappreciated, even though it tended to work out in her favour.

There was a strange twist of pleasure in her stomach when he didn't refuse, and she gave him a gentle squeeze around the waist in reply. "For you, my door is always open, Yuri."

[hand_of_judgement]

He felt her emerald gaze on him moments before his mind registered the sight. It would have been easy driving a wedge between them right then and there, and yet the words simply didn't form. That was a large reason to why his attention had dropped down to the fingers moving over the bandages moments before the hold she had around him tightened.

The Judge couldn't bring himself to say anything in return. It was an offer he had never expected from anyone, least of all from someone like Kerrigan, and yet there it was. No matter how much his mind wanted to tell him it was all for show, Yuri knew that the offer had been genuine.

[ghostofaqueen]

Sarah remained in the silence just holding him, feeling the weight of his body against her own and aware that their time was short. She smoothed her hands over his bandages one more time then up his sides affectionately before forcing herself to draw back in the silence. Just before she stepped back, she planted a little kiss on his make-up covered cheek.

She flexed her shoulders when she was away from him, grasping her sniper rifle from her back and nodding to him. "Take care of yourself. I'll be around the perimeter if you need me," she murmured softly before heading to the edge of the tent. She would get him antibiotics later.