soul_mods: (Witch's Soul)
Soul Campaign Moderation Journal ([personal profile] soul_mods) wrote in [community profile] soul_logs2012-08-24 09:51 pm

[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!

Haha I cannot unsee it now ;)

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-03 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Curls of dust ripped through the area as Meteor came crashing down into their enemies. He was safe from the dust entering his lungs while in his Weapon form, unlike his unfortunate Meister who near-instantly began coughing as the dust swamped the entire area. Yet it wasn't that which caused the ex-General alarm.

He felt the shocking decrease in Cloud's energy levels after such a devastating attack. It was in that moment that Sephiroth transformed back, leaving his left arm partially-transformed, as he stood protectively in front of Cloud.

"It was something akin to Meteor, just far smaller," Sephiroth answered with as he remained defensively glancing around for any Kishin Eggs that might try to take advantage of their current state.

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-03 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
He continued to cough and wave his hand in front of his face to dispel the dust, but it was useless. There was too much of it, and his eyes stung already. It would be best to backtrack out of the caves, but that was almost impossible as well given the lack of visibility.

Still, coughing, he was alarmed when his Weapon abandoned their resonance and returned to human form. He kept his grip tight on the hilt as if to encourage the silver-haired man to stop from doing such things. Yet, he couldn't deny the relief in sagging against the ex-General's larger frame as exhaustion set in more profoundly now that their resonance was gone.

"You should stay in Weapon form. I can protect you better, and there is all this dust," he murmured, coughing occasionally as he accidentally inhaled more. He didn't even know if any of the Kishin Eggs had survived.

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-03 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
His actions had been proven right when he felt the blonde sagging against him in exhaustion. Regardless of his partner's stubborn nature, he wasn't about to let Cloud push himself when the younger male obviously needed the time to recover. While the energy drain had been significant on him, it hadn't been nearly as taxing as it had been on Cloud. Even if it had, he would stop at nothing to protect the man behind him.

"And who's going to protect you?" Sephiroth snapped in return while trying to avoid inhaling too much dust. Shifting his position, he fluidly moved to swipe his bladed-arm through the air in an attempt to create an air slice to cut through the dust, or at least find themselves a path out of the area. It worked... to a degree, but it wasn't anywhere near as effective as when Cloud wielded him.

"Keep close," he muttered as he moved to follow the direction he was cutting. With some luck, the momentary lack of dust in the air would help both he and Cloud breath a little better.

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-04 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Regardless of what Sephiroth wasn't saying, he knew that whatever had happened to create this mess had taken plenty of energy from his partner as well. He continued to lean for a few more seconds, gathering himself before smirking at the snapped words. "Is that concern for my well-being I hear?" He couldn't help but tease even in such a situation.

He looked up when Sephiroth's shoulders bunched, chuckling softly at the sight of air blades trying to move the dust away from them. No one could see them, and it didn't seem to help all that much. "Apparently your air slices just move the dust around," he remarked dryly even as he followed after Sephiroth.

He knew that they couldn't well be separated given their link, but he wasn't about to risk it. Besides, there were benefits. Regardless of his exhaustion, he moved up and slipped his arms around Sephiroth's waist, giving an squeeze. "Apparently I now have a strong enough will to activate Meteor," he murmured affectionately.

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-04 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Sephiroth glanced back at the smirk and the words that Cloud spoke. While he'd never admit to it, they both knew that was the truth, and he wouldn't deny it even if he wouldn't admit to it. That was why he gave a half-glare, half-pout in response to Cloud's words before turning his attention back towards their surroundings.

"Perhaps, but it will tell us if there's anything in our path as well," Sephiroth muttered in a hope to save some dignity while Cloud followed behind him. The hold around his waist had him momentarily flashing his gaze down before it returned to their path. It was... nice... Sephiroth thought while the hold around him tightened.

"I didn't think such things would be possible in this world," he thoughtfully murmured. He would have touched Cloud in return, but he didn't want to lower his guard. "Are you... okay with that?"

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-04 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
The half-hearted glare was amusing, and he knew that Sephiroth was concerned for him and his well-being. He wouldn't deny the ex-General that either, aware that it was a good outlet for Sephiroth to expose his care with. So, he made no complaint about being protected in the dust area that they were in and he kept in close for safety and comfort.

"I think everything will be dead," he replied dryly. He hadn't seen how much damage Meteor could do, but judging by the silence and the amount of dust, he doubted much survived. "We should get extra souls for this epic success," he added as his hands slipped down to slide over Sephiroth's hips before he playfully groped his partner.

"It wasn't the real Black Materia... it felt different," he murmured even if he was practically walking on Sephiroth in his attempt to keep close. "I'm fine as long as I learn to control it."

I can't believe that I never replied to this. I'm so sorry that I missed it :(

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-16 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)
It certainly did feel that way as he tried to stretch out his senses. Sephiroth continued to move forward regardless, even if his movements were slow and cautious. With his eyes remaining sharp to the dusty world around them, he murmured, "Have you heard of pairs making such an attack?"

His question, though, became far more strained when there were suddenly hands touching him in places that only got them in trouble. Inhaling a sharp breath, his own hand snapped down to grab at Cloud's to regretfully pull them away.

"How so?" Sephiroth couldn't help but ask, even if there was a touch of huskiness to his tone. Despite everything, he found himself hanging for the answer his partner would give.

You're a bad person D:

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-16 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
He forced himself to listen and feel out for any danger that might be in the area, but aside from coughing and questioning voices, he heard nothing of the Kishin Eggs in the area. Perhaps they really were vanquished, but his attentions strayed to his partner. "No... but I've never asked either." They kept to themselves when it came to the system they lived in.

He found himself amused by Sephiroth's vocal change, enjoying it as he stepped up to the silver-haired man. He would have carried on a little more, but he felt a hand grasping his wrist and forcing it away. He made a soft noise of disappointment but relented to the refusal.

"It wasn't as... heavy to me. It felt like it was connected through the both of us, but united and not... opposing," he murmured softly. "It felt like it was there to help us both."

I really am :(

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-16 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
The fact that Cloud had never asked didn't come as a surprise. Sephiroth was a far cry from discovering further information about how their partnership works here within this world. To him, it was something that was private, and while those of the city knew that they were partnered, he was more than happy to keep it at that little amount of knowledge.

He could feel Cloud's amusement though at his actions. While he wouldn't have hesitated in taking things further, he would never do so with the possibility of harm coming to his partner. That was the only reason why he forced that hand away, even if he would have preferred Cloud's attention on him.

Sephiroth did pause, however, at Cloud's softly murmured words. While he'd never admit to it, the moment that he had caught sight of the Black Materia, he had felt a fear shoot through him of the possibilities that could arise because of that symbolization. Yet Cloud's words moved to comfort him greatly from his concerns as he subtly inclined his head and murmured, "As if our united desire was there to manifest and protect us?"

Out of the sandbox :|

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-17 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
He had normally just found things out in this partnership through trial and error. It hadn't led them astray just yet, but he might have to inquire about that attack. It had been some kind of resonance attack he suspected given that he and Sephiroth were so tired. It was also obvious in the way that his partner was being protective of him.

He was walking so close to the ex-General that the pause caused him to bump into his partner. His arms found their way around Sephiroth's waist again, more to steady himself but didn't deny that he held on longer than was really necessary. "That's what it seems like. Perhaps we're now powerful enough to create such attacks when we want to."

How the hell do I keep missing the notifs? 8|

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-20 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Things always seemed to be rapidly changing between them, something that Sephiroth usually just blindly followed along with, but this was one aspect that hit far too closely to their past. It left him somewhat unsettled to know what his partner truly thought in regards to the appearance of something similar to the Black Materia, given the symbolism that it caused between them.

Yet there were still arms wrapping around his body, and he couldn't help but glance down at where they joined together. His hand slowly came to rest on top of both of Cloud's, as if taking comfort from the gesture, while the words slid over him. Momentarily closing his eyes, he couldn't sense any level of negativity within his partner - something that left him subtly murmuring, "Mmm perhaps we are."

Because Sephiroth doesn't actually like Cloud :|

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-23 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Cloud remembered well the power struggle that had once existed between them involving the Black Materia. It's appearance back then had signified his complete and lack of control of himself and slowly revealed his broken psyche and flaws. Sephiroth had found ways to build him up and then destroy him, and he remembered well what it had felt like to press his hand into the mako crystal where the ex-General's forming body had been contained. How he had wanted to just die then... yet, Sephiroth's presence had still remained, holding what little remained, refusing to allow him into the Lifestream. Even then, no matter how twisted, Sephiroth had kept him from death, regardless of him remaining a shadow of himself.

He paused from withdrawing his arm when Sephiroth's hand came to rest on his own, and he remained there for longer. He rested his cheek on the ex-General's shoulder. "I'm glad we've come so far against all odds. Never forget the past, but never let it hold you back either. We're more now than what we ever were before this place."

This is true. He hates him more than he hates ShinRa and the Planet ;D

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-24 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
Sephiroth didn't say anything further as he felt Cloud's words wash over him. The absolute truth behind them was undeniable, and the ex-General found himself falling within the feelings of what the other was experiencing. It was so rare that they ever approached the topic of their past, but he found it far from daunting at this moment.

He could never forget the past, of how he came to be, but it was difficult to release it from the emotions that had fed and kept him going over almost the last decade.

Tightening his grip on Cloud's hand lightly, Sephiroth soon after released it as he muttered, "We should head back. The others can take care of the rest."

I knew it! :P

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-24 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
He waited to see if Sephiroth would respond to what he had said, but he knew that it wouldn't be with words. He knew that the past was a dangerous mine field for them both, but he had come to accept aspects of his. Of course, he had to resolve them to be partnered with the man he was holding, and he had had his revenge back on Gaea. There was no point to pursue revenge that he had already had.

He felt the tightening and leaned his forehead a little more on Sephiroth's shoulder before he silently accepted the change of subject. His fingers caressed the silver-haired man's stomach before he withdrew as Sephiroth's hand did.

Stepping back, he coughed a little because the dust still hung heavy in the air. "I guess the best part of this adventure will be finding the way out now."

Ye~~~p there's a lott'a hate going on 'round 'ere 8Dc

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-24 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
Sephiroth wasn't quite certain how Cloud would take his reaction, but there wasn't any surprise felt within when the blonde seemed to accept it for now. That was more than enough for him, especially given the situation, even if he knew that his partner would only wait for him for so long before his patience eventually wore out.

Hearing the cough, the ex-General allowed a smirk to cross his features as he began moving again. "You make it sound as though we'll have trouble finding the exit."

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-25 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
He let Sephiroth walk away enough before he caught the ex-General's belt at the back and used it to follow along behind his partner. This seemed much better than trodding on Sephiroth's heels all the time after all. Yet, he could feel the smirk.

"Well, who knows if we'll find a dark tunnel where no one will find us," he replied with a smirk of his own. "Follow the fresh air otherwise, I guess."

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-25 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
The pressure appearing around his waist wasn't missed, and he couldn't help but relax at that feeling. He didn't stop though, and continued to navigate his way through the area while the dust swayed in the air.

"Knowing your instincts, you'll be able to locate one," he muttered in return, although there was a hint of amusement on his voice.

[personal profile] de_faulty_hero 2012-09-25 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
He followed along in Sephiroth's wake and tried to avoid breathing in too much dust. It was already irritating his throat again, so the sooner they got out of here, the better in his mind. They needed to figure out about that Black Materia attack as well.

"I always find the dead-ends, but I also always find my way out of them in a timely fashion," he replied and couldn't wait to get some fresh air.

[personal profile] pure_lineage 2012-09-25 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
Try as he might, he couldn't help the small sound of a chuckle from escaping him at Cloud's comment. He had watched as the blonde had done just that throughout his travels, and shook his head lightly at the thought.

"Then perhaps it's wise that I remain searching with all things considered," Sephiroth thoughtfully murmured while he continued on through the cave.