[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

[consider8]

"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."

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

[yamagishi]

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!"

aww aww cuuute~

[consider8]

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

[yamagishi]

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...

[consider8]

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.

[yamagishi]

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.

[consider8]

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.

[yamagishi]

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.

[consider8]

"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.

[yamagishi]

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."

[consider8]

"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!"

[yamagishi]

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.

[consider8]

Aranea giggled quietly. My goodness was Fuuka making a fuss.

[yamagishi]

Meanwhile, Fuuka was still mumbling a little bit.

"Um...is there something funny?" With that, she just blinked before turning to the other direction. What did she do that was funny?

[consider8]

"Oh, it just occurred to me." Aranea stated plainly. "That you were much better at providing me first aid than accepting a compliment. And yet you weren't worried about your proficiency with that at all."

"It's a little funny if you think about it: you're worried about things you are good at, and aren't worried about things you aren't good at!"

[yamagishi]

And yet, there was another pause. She let out some laughter before responding back to her.

"I'm afraid that it's something I'm learning to grow out of. Is it...quite obvious that I need to gain some more confidence?"

[consider8]

"Totally." Aranea said past a knowing grin.

[yamagishi]

Yup, Fuuka let out a small sigh before apologizing.

"Sorry." However, she let out a small smile as she did. "I'll promise that by the time I get to another mission, I'll have my confidence there."

[consider8]

"If you like." Aranea nodded. "But don't feel as though you need to prove yourself to me. I've already been convinced of your worth."

[yamagishi]

"But..." She mumbled some more before looking the other way again. It doesn't seem like Aranea is the type of person who would say bad things about other people. But then again, so was Fuuka.

"Then can I ask you something? You seems like you know a lot about medicine and you know how to do first aid but um...would you mind teaching me how to get better at it?"

[consider8]

She would, but Fuuka wouldn't get to know that fact on this first meeting. "Of course. If you like if you are not tending anybody at the moment you can follow me around and ask me questions after. How does that sound?"

[yamagishi]

With that, she nodded. "If that's okay? I don't want to take away time if you're tending to anyone else here."

[consider8]

"You're welcome." Aranea said graciously.

[yamagishi]

"So...um...does that mean you'll teach me how to become better now or..." She continued mumbling. "I mean later would be okay too?"

[consider8]

Still need to work on that confidence, Fuuka. Still, there was nothing wrong with what she was asking. However, in the corner of her eye she saw a group of meisters dragging their ways over to their tent. "Why don't we split up and tend to those new people coming in, and after that we'll see how things are going."