soul_logs | [OPEN] Mission 155

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[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

She wasn't expecting a pat on the head. Was she older than she was? Maybe, Fuuka can't tell but she could have sworn that Aranea was younger than her. She definitely wasn't human so perhaps she might be. Either way, she doesn't seem to mind. She gave a small giggle. "Then I think I can say the same?"

She winced a bit as the rubbing alcohol touched her skin. It wasn't that bad but it was a brief reminder of how Juno wasn't there to help her anymore. She was use to having Juno protect her but now...

She let out a sigh before she decided to strike up a conversation with Aranea. "Thank you for helping me, miss um...may I ask what your name is?"

"Aranea." The troll responded while focusing on Fuuka's wounds. There was a good many, and she could tell right away that they would not come from helping out around the medical area.

"Had a bit of a run in with the wildlife, miss...?" She trailed out the miss so she could implicitly ask for the young woman's name.

"Ah, it's nice to meet you Aranea-san!" She smiled before she looked down at the ground once more. It was funny, just one battle and Fuuka is already had enough.

"Fuuka and yes, I did. I had...some beetles coming after Petrov-san and I." It was only luck that they manage to survive. "We just manage to escape them a while back but what about you? Did you encounter anything like that?"

"Oh, you are from the human society that adds the honorifics. I still don't understand how that's supposed to work, but I will be more than happy to give it a try, Fuuka-san." After all, it was best to be polite.

"I was a part of the defensive group that stuck around to make sure the front line fighters would have a safe path to return here if it was necessary. We saw some beetles, but mostly moles, centipedes, a cockroach or two a few ravenous plants. They were not especially dangerous but they had the potential to overwhelm us or, in the case of the plants, ambush us when we weren't expecting." She stopped, motioning over to the bandages and medical tape. "The most excitement came when a swarm of bats came out of the crevice. Apparently we disturbed their lair."

"You don't have to add honorifics if you don't want to! In Japan, it's common but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable about it!" And there Fuuka goes being awkward.

"I see, then you are certainly a lot braver than I am! I'm afraid that I don't know how to fight so...I was behind with the medics." Fuuka had come to terms with the fact that she was mostly around for support but it was difficult when she was in the situation like this.

Aranea stifled a laugh as she began cleaning Fuuka's other hand. "You know, that was the same reaction to the last person that called me that too." She looked up at Fuuka's eyes. "And I'll tell you what I told her. I don't think it would be right for me not to be conciliatory if I was given an honorific out of politeness. It would be rude." She offered the young woman a smile before continuing. "I'm afraid the only way I'm not calling you Fuuka-san is if you just call me plain old Aranea."

She returned her attention to Fuuka's hands, cleaning it like she did the other one. "I had a bit of fighting experience before going out there, though it has been a really long time. Mostly I was playing support as well. I stood back from the major fighting."

When she gave out a laugh, Fuuka looked confused. What, did she say something funny? "Uh...well, I wouldn't mind calling you just Aranea if you want?" Admittedly, it would feel awkward to talk to someone she just met without some honorifics but it would be a step in the right toward for Fuuka. She wanted to get along with people without making the other feeling awkward so...

"Really? Then what did you fight with?" While Fuuka can't really fight, maybe she could learn something here. "If you could tell me, that is."

Aranea looked over to a small table where her cutlass was resting, now back in its scabbard. "In another life, I was a pirate. I guess I sort of have a little bit of captain in me." She chirped a quick laugh. "I couldn't go out unarmed, after all."

"You were a pira..." Fuuka's eyes widen. "You were able to tell who you were in your past life? That's...amazing."

Suddenly, she found herself being a bit envious. She doesn't know a thing at all about trolls but it is kind of nice to know that they knew who they were in a previous life. "I never heard of something who is able to do that before."

Aranea shook her head. "Just the opposite, in fact. After I died I was able to see how my life would have been like if I grew up in a place that was much more inhospitable. I found out that in that world I became a famous pirate, sailing the seas." For a moment her eyes glazed off and she could practically visualize herself on the seas.

She's snapped out of it and returned to Fuuka. "I'm sure you'd be no different. A lot of who we are has to do with the circumstances surrounding our birth and lives. I am sure you would be surprised who you could be."

"Are you saying that the world you live in now is more hospitable?" At least, that's what she hoped. She tilted her head as she was looking off into space. She wasn't going to bother her if she was thinking about something else.

"I suppose so?" She let out a small laugh. "I'm pretty sure that I would have been a doctor if it weren't for the situations back home." Or probably a cook but she can dream right?

Othh shoot, she was confused, which put Aranea at an impasse. On one hand she could try to correct the mistake and make her understand, but on the other hand she'd risk making her more confused. She decided that for the most part it was easiest just to answer things as they come and if things needed further explaining she'd be sure to provide the information.

"Yes, in a matter of speaking." Of course, anything is more hospitable than being dead, but she digressed. "I'm sure you would make a wonderful doctor, but you know one of the first axioms of being a medic is do no harm. And bloody hands can be harmful, you know." She was nearly finished, finally wrapping up her other hand.

She let out another nervous laugh. "And when you try to do no harm, you accidentally harm yourself in the process. You're just too worried about other people compared to yourself." She said before looking at her hand. With a flex or two, she looked back at Aranea.

"What about you? I should take a look at your hands..." Pause. "Um, if you want me to?"

"Yes, of course." Aranea said, raising her hands for the human to see. "I should warn you one thing ahead of time. My blood is blue. That's normal, but it may be a little alarming."

Fuuka had a closer look at Aranea's hands. Yes, there were a bunch of cuts here and there but it shouldn't be anything Fuuka can't take care of. At least, that's what she hoped.

What does she remember from those textbooks? "That's okay, I don't mind that." As long as she can heal them in someway, that's fine with her. "I hope that I can bandage them as well as you did!"

Aranea smiled in encouragement. "Give it your best, and I could ask no more."

With that, Fuuka looked at her hands and started to do what she just did. She was looking around for some rubbing alcohol before she looked at her. "Um, this will hurt?"

She could ask for her to get some soap and water but would this work better? It's been a while since she looked at her medical textbook, she had no idea if she was doing this right. It shows as she stares at the rubbing alcohol before looking back at her hands...

If she's doing it wrong, Aranea isn't saying anything. Instead, she just smiles and watches what Fuuka is doing. Nodding on occasion whenever Fuuka makes a correct decision.

Meanwhile, Fuuka had decided to put some of alcohol on the cotton swaps. Now that she thought about it, this was the first time that she had actually done any real first aid. Just relax, Fuuka, she thought to herself. If she was doing it wrong, Aranea will tell her. Everything will be fine...

Once she reaches for the bandages, she made sure that it wasn't too tight. "Um...did I do it right?" Although she was just coping Aranea.

She lifted up her now-bandaged hands for Fuuka to see. She wasn't going to give her what she wanted, well, not right away, but the look on her face was definitely smiling.

"What can you tell me about how well you did?" She asked knowingly.

Was it just her or was Aranea starting to sound like her teacher in some way? No, that probably wasn't it. Would mentor be a good word? Fuuka wasn't sure but she was rather surprised by her response.

"Um...that I was able to bandage your hand fairly well?" Fuuka wasn't use to praise so commenting on her own good work was a little...awkward.

"Yes! I think so too!" Aranea said excitedly. "What else can you tell me?"

Aranea knew she could tell her outright, but she'd never be confident in her own abilities if she kept asking others.

She stared at her hands some more. What else did she do? In her mind, she copied what Aranea just did so it felt like she deserved the praise.

"I don't think I deserve to praise myself, I simply did what you did. I don't think what I did was anything special."

"Yes, but don't you see? That was what is great!" There was no denying that she was a mimic, and in a surface perspective her parroting was activity without substance.

But Aranea was never one for a surface perspective. "You knew that this was important so you observed me, very carefully I might add. And then you overcame your insecurities of providing care while using my methods as a model of what to do. Then you responded very carefully, making certain to perform each act in sequential, careful order. And you succeeded past your inexperience to be able to make sure not only that my wounds were treated but also that my therapy was not causing me harm either. To say that you did nothing special would be a severe underestimation, and to say simply you succeeded would be stating it at the basest level of appreciation. You achieved, Fuuka. You did what you aspired for and you did it!"

Fuuka just stared at her for a minute or two. How was she suppose to feel about that? At first, Fuuka wasn't sure how to respond to her and just simply stared. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Instead, she looked down and started to blush a bit. Nope, she has trouble accept this. What is this praise you speak of? After another moment, she finally decided to speak up.

"...T-Thank you? I'm...I never had anyone say something like that about something I just did." Even when she was around Minato, she still had trouble accepting compliments.

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The moment I realized the icon moved, I jumped from my seat xD

aww aww cuuute~

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