[OPEN] Mission 156

[soul_mods]

Characters: Open to participants who signed up here.
Location: Lake Tahoe, CA
Rating: Various.
Time: March 27th, late morning.
Description: The second of the three Madness emitters outside Death City is the target for this mission. Bundle up, everyone -- it's gonna be a cold one.

The mission begins late in the morning, to allow the mission-goers as much sunlight as possible in the warmest part of the day. Not that it'll help much… Temperatures are well below freezing already -- unnatural even for early Spring in the mountains -- and a howling snowstorm threatens to blot out the sun, beginning up the mountain where the slope just begins to rise sharply.

The slopes themselves are fairly barren: a windswept-looking tree here, a cabin that may have once belonged to the snow patrol there, maybe a Madness-crazed bear or mountain lion. Those braving the storm are lucky enough to see five feet in front of their face in these conditions!

Those brave few who manage to make it to the top (enduring falling temperatures and defeating the corrupted fauna and hulking kishin yeti along the way) may come across their goal at the very summit of the half-mile-high mountain: the Madness emitter itself, in the eye of the storm… And one last obstacle: the Witch guarding it.



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]
- If you have any further questions, the mod thread on the coordination post is here!

Comments

Medics Area

[soul_mods]

The wind whipped around the medic area. Fortunately Shibusen had managed to set up a number of portable walls to help deflect the merciless winds to protect those within the camp. There were three large tents set up with cots and medical trays, and along the walls, guards could be seen patrolling the area, their thick boots crunching the snow beneath their soles while they protected the medics and patients within.

[Yuri Petrov | Open]

[hand_of_judgement]

It was impossible not to notice the fact that there were those here in this camp that were here for a specific reason. Yuri had done what he could to ignore the presence of Kerrigan and Obito the best he could, and moved from tent to tent to check on the few individuals who had either been injured during battle or affected by Madness.

His injuries still pulled at his torso whenever he turned or made too much of a move, but the Judge managed to keep any reaction to the pain away from his expression. Instead he kept a polite air around him as he finished bandaging up the stitched up arm of one of the fighters, before stepping back and informing the young patient to rest until the mission was complete.

Wiping at his brow, he gracefully moved to pull the long bangs from obscuring his view and tucked it behind his ear. There was much more work to be done, and he couldn't let his thoughts distract him from his mission.

[action or prose is fine by me!]

Date Masamune | Open

[coolest]

[Date's pretty used to freezing temperatures, Oshu is pretty far up north. He opts instead for a less flashier appearance, dressed in a long dark coat and close fitting thermal trousers. Currently, he's prepping himself for the trek ahead. There's a roaring fire and he's choosing to stick close to it for the time being.

He and Tem had an advantage in that they would be able to traverse long distances in Tem's usual dragon form, but to do any assaults they would immediately lose that. So Masamune's got some in the form of plain old assault rifle, courtesy of rummaging through the weapons storehouse at The Watch HQ. It really was nothing more than a diversion if they were caught in the air but he'll take any advantage given to him.

Except he doesn't quite know how to put his guns on in this instance. So he's just kinda working out how the rifle works for now. Don't mind him. Or do.]

[shendefeng]

[Temeraire is there right beside Masamune, close enough to the fire to appreciate its warmth. It was not as good as a warm flagstone beneath him, but it would have to do. It was not as if he were not used to the cold, inclement weather - England had its own fair share of snow.

He did not mind that Masamune had a gun with him, it actually even seemed sensible enough if they were to try to make their way up the mountain as quickly as possible.

His claws were idly scratching the snow and earth for a moment, before he spoke up.]

Do you have good aim with it, Masamune?

[As he recalled, he hadn't exactly seen the man use any sort of pistol, let alone a rifle like he had at present. He knew from experience that people had to have enough experience in order to be able to shoot at things properly, even more so from aloft.]

[Sephiroth | Heading up the Mountain | Open]

[pure_lineage]

The Madness was thick on the slopes of the mountain. Already he could hear the sounds of the creatures mutated by Madness crawling through the terrain up ahead. They wouldn't prevent him from reaching his target. That thought caused his lips to pull up into the barest hint of a smirk.

This was where he was in his element, and despite his weakness to the Madness in the area, the ex-General wouldn't let anything stop him from reaching the summit. With his left arm shifting into a slender blade, he wordlessly took off up the mountain.

[Cloud/Sephiroth | Towards the summit | Closed]

[pure_lineage]

Sephiroth couldn't move any further up the summit with the way that the Madness pressed against his mind. Gritting his teeth against the force, the ex-General remained frozen where he was. It took everything that he had to maintain the beast within. He could feel the monster clawing at his mind, wanting to be released, but that was something that couldn't be released.

"Cloud," the ex-General ground out, calling for his Meister to prevent what they both knew was coming. He couldn't afford to put Cloud into any danger, now with the threats that surrounded them.

[de_faulty_hero]

It had been a cold journey, though nothing like wandering the frozen storms of the Northern Crater. He managed to find a scarf for his neck and face, but otherwise, his body was left to fend for itself as usual. He had scouted ahead a little ways, looking for the summit or any sign of more of those white hairy creatures that they had fought once lower down. The animals were almost as dangerous in the madness it seemed.

Yet, it was Sephiroth call of his name that alerted him to real danger. He hopped, jumped and slid his way immediately to his partner, feeling the shifting change inside of Sephiroth that indicated madness was thick. Reaching out, he gently took the silver-haired man's wrist in hand and stepped in close as he held his katana to one side as he protected them both until Sephiroth was able to settle again. "It's alright. I'm here with you," he murmured comfortingly.

[Kanji/Tifa | Heavenly Mountain | Closed]

[topgun_textiles]

It was too bad that the ski resort was closed- for all the world, he was dressed warmly, as if ready for a day-long trip down the slopes. Perhaps with this Emitter down, they could see about it reopening.

But for now, with the storm raging all around them, blowing stinging snow and ice in every direction, Kanji had to focus on the mission at hand. His leg was wrapped tight, and he'd done everything he could to make sure it wouldn't become a problem. The cold helped with that, taking the edge off the pain, but there was nothing to say what would happen once his extremities warmed back up once the mission was complete. Pulling his scarf tighter, obscuring the lower half of his face, he trudged through the snow and thought warm thoughts: Hot chocolate, soup - shit, he was gonna make a ton of soup when he got back - hot springs...

Kanji froze when he saw something moving ahead. Well, that didn't take very long, did it? He pulled his focus inward, preparing a Soul Descent, and his eyes narrowed.

"Get ready!"

[heart_rhythm]

Tifa was getting used to the vast differences in climate in each of the missions, as much as she'd been used to the climate differences when AVALANCHE had traveled around Gaea. This was definitely not her preference, but there was little use complaining or even dwelling on it.

Kanji's condition and the reminders of what had happened on their last mission were in her head, but just as pointless as it was to complain about conditions was it pointless to expect Kanji to take it easy. Even when nothing had been going on, she'd had to literally wrestle him to stay in bed with a cold, so this was out of the question. He'd take better care, and she'd take care of him.

Alert as they made their way through the frozen terrain, Tifa readied herself as Kanji called out to her, catching sight of the movement across the snow.

"Got it!"

[Lezard/Lily | Heavenly Mountain | Closed]

[lezard_valeth]

In truth, he had intended to seek Nagi should there be a pause in the flow of patients to the Medics Area. Pulling his cloak closer around him, keeping his hood drawn, he tried to discern what he could from the hellish landscape, wondering if perhaps he'd stepped onto Jotunheim, the realm of the Giants without even realizing.

Not built for climbing mountains by any stretch of the imagination, preferring to teleport here and there, he found himself feeling unusually vulnerable. He hated it. He needed to find a Meister and shift forms soon, and continue with his original plan.

...And that was when he'd pushed the buttons of dearest Lily Ivory far enough, and she'd decided to find those in need somewhere among the slopes. What sort of human being was he if he let her go out on her own? Why, he turned and followed right after her. He hadn't any idea of whether or not Lily was a Meister, but two heads were always better than one.

"Somehow I doubt freezing to death was part of the mission objective!" He called, the howling winds nearly stealing the sound of his voice completely.

[vintage_magic]

Despite her still conflicted feelings about the war, Lily had volunteered to help this time. She’d simply stay in the medic tent and help patch up injured folks. But Lezard put a dent the size of Texas into that plan when he appeared in the medical area; she didn’t trust that sorcerer and strongly suspected he had gone behind her back to plant in the park after she’d made it clear he wasn’t welcome. Within half an hour, she was in danger of losing her temper with him and things tended to go flying when that happened. So, it seemed best that she went out onto the slopes to cool her temper and look for any injured people who might have needed help getting back.

Although Lily had seen a fair number of snowstorms and mountain landscapes in her travels, that didn’t mean she was used to hiking up one in the middle of a blizzard. The unfamiliar snowshoes, snow so thick it resembled grits, frigid wind that threatened to knock her off balance and send her tumbling back down the slopes. It had the potential to end even more embarrassingly than the time she went camping with those students in the Swiss Alps. And worst of all, that magical nuisance was still following her!

“Then, I reckon you should have stayed at the medical tent.” Her teeth chattered as she yelled back over her wool coat-clad shoulder. “I didn’t ask you to come with me! And I don’t need your help or your sarcastic quips!”

Turning her attention back to the snow in front of her, the witch squinted at some large impressions on the ground. Were those snowshoe tracks? They were already half-obscured by the falling snow but someone had come this way before… She pulled her scarf closer and trudged on, following them.

[Hisoka | Lower slopes | Open]

[jokeralwayswins]

Hisoka may have preferred lighter, easier-to-move-in clothing, but he wasn't an idiot - he'd hunted in enough mountain slopes to know how to dress.

Instead of his usual loose pants, and a tank top, he had a thermal underlayer, thick fur-lined hiking boots, snow pants and a fur-lined snow jacket over the top of a double layer of long-sleeved shirts. Thick gloves adorned his hands, while a scarf was wound around the lower half of his face so only his eyes were showing.

They glinted in the sun that was reflecting off the snow.

He was ready to hunt.

[kill_some_time]

Like Hisoka, Hades too knew about the importance of wearing clothes that were fit for the circumstances, especially with weather as murderous as this. Unlike Hisoka, he hadn't bothered to act on it though.

The negligence was part due to him just being too used to not having to bother about whether he was freezing or fried and part because the fur that covered him body kept making him not care for adding layers of clothes over it as well - which resulted in a more than limited wardrobe to choose from.

Since he had decided to go here on a whim (and hadn't even bothered to tell his 'Meister' about it, a thing he was sure he would get bitched for later on), the god had arrived wearing the bare minimum: black pants of an undefined material, a light black coat that reached barely over his knees, warm boots and thin gloves. His long, black hair was once again loosely braided and slung around his neck like a makeshift scarf.

After spending a good half an hour just wandering the lowers slopes, he had decided that while he appreciated the murderous nature of the place he didn't care much for being susceptible enough to the weather to freeze his ears off.

Stopping next to the trunk of a tree in a way that made him practically melt into its shadow for anybody not really close to it, he sighed and slowly started to unwind his hair. Maybe it would be warmer in his Weapon form.

[Gray/Tassadar | Lower areas -> up the mountain | Closed]

[aiursfavoredson]

Tassadar's armour protected most of his body from the cold and biting winds as he charged through the area towards his prey. His people were gifted in many ways, as their bodies were easily adaptable to almost any type of environment, and it was no different here as his large form travelled with ease. While his visibility may have been low, Tassadar didn't need it as he instead relied on his strong sense of smell to navigate the area.

That was how he had found one of the madness crazed animals waiting to ambush whoever walked by its territory.

He didn't need any mundane weapon in order to fight. The sharp claws on his hands were more than enough to offer a fatal blow if the need ever arose. Besides, he had fought against far worse than what this world could throw at them, and had nothing but trust in his abilities in these battles.

[iceontheground]

Between finding out Natsu had left and that Juvia was apparently living in Lyon's apartment for some reason (which he would be sure to make things clear on), maybe it hadn't been the greatest idea to take on another mission, especially with the Madness level on this one. It had been annoying enough on the last mission.

But Gray couldn't resist being able to go to a snowy mountain, just for the nostalgia factor, even if it wasn't the one he was used to. As soon as he'd arrived through the mirror, Gray had automatically stripped his shirt off, but luckily had the presence of mind to at least remember to tie it around his waist.

Of course, being practically immune to the temperature didn't mean he could see clearly, as Gray squinted through the flurry of snow. He thought he was seeing things that reminded him of things he didn't really want to remember, but whenever he got closer it turned out to merely be a large rock or a tree. Now though, Gray had traveled fairly far from his original starting point, and there was practically no one around as far as he could see. He hoped he hadn't gotten lost. That would just really make his day at this point.

[Amaterasu | Lower Areas | Open]

[motherofthesun]

How convenient for her white fur making her not only disappear in the cold thick, but it also kept her warm. Without a Weapon, she wasn't expected to move much higher than she was now, but that was fine. Her amber eyes narrowed and she let out a hot exhale of breath through her nose. She turned her head this way and that, ears tuning to listen through the wind.

So far, she had stopped several maddened creatures, preventing them from going any further or attacking the medics at the base. What else would come through the snow next?

[jokeralwayswins]

Hisoka could see various singles and pairs moving slowly up the mountain. Some were just standing around talking or waiting. He was quite happy to be left alone to get the job done.

As he crunched through the snow (not really caring how loud he was being - after all, why go after the prey when they were just going to come to you anyway?), he noticed something in the snow.

Squatting down, his gloved hand traced the outline of an animal print. Hnn...a wolf, he surmised. He wondered what it was doing so low in the mountains. Usually wolves hunted higher up.

Well, the tracks were heading uphill. Hisoka grinned. Why not? He needed some entertainment.

Taking off his snow boots and slinging them across one shoulder, he stealthily began to track the footprints.

[ Yuri Lowell/Ange Ushiromiya | Lower Areas | CLOSED ]

[second_star]

[ First underground caves, and now snowy mountains. Not unlike what he'd seen back home. He couldn't quite pin the feeling as nostalgic, it's only been a month since he got here, but it did make him think back. What he was doing right now wasn't too different from back home...To help destroy the emitters and stop the madness from destroying the environment...Just like fighting the Adephagos.

Only he wasn't, you know, a sword back home. ]

I'm a little jealous, Ange. You get to have all the exercise. [ He said blankly, looking up to her from the position in her hands. He couldn't tell how cold it was, thanks to his weapon form, but he guessed pretty cold, since her face was turning red. At least, that's what it looked like. In all honesty, she'd been this way ever since they left the tent. Jeez, what was up with her? ]

[entreats]

[ .. Seriously. Ange didn't even mind the whole snowy mountain part all that much. Sure, it never showed this much where she came from, and she had never visited a single mountain in her life, but she could get used to new situations. Adapting never was much of a problem for her. Plus, there was the fact she had already been on the last mission, so the idea of this one was not scary or nervous-making in the slightest.

No, the only problem here was her clothing. They had agreed there was no way she could face these mountains in her own clothes - skirts and thigh highs were not made for cold environments - but since she didn't have any pants herself.. she had been doomed to borrowing the guy's clothes. And wearing those was just stupidly embarassing her, to think she was wearing the clothes he normally wore-- it was only due to her overthinking that it was such a big deal to her, really, other people might just have shrugged it off.

But not Ange. ]

Believe me, I would switch if I could. [ Especially right now. Anything to get out of these clothes again. ]

[ Matt/Sollux | Lower slopes | Closed ]

[3rdbest]

[Basically, he can't see shit. At the moment he is really glad he fixed his goggles, else this would be a lot worse. Adding that, it's also really cold (Arctic kind of cold) and just looking at what they have to climb up is making him tired already.

This is such a fucking bad idea why the fuck is he even there?!

At least he has a gun - even though he technically is a gun, but Matt feels a lot safer with one - and while very unsure about all of this, Sollux is there too. He is still trying to figure out if that's a good thing or not. He's trying to trust the kid, who used to be Matt's partner so it means it did work out before, but the troll is still a stranger in a way.]


We can't use Portals here. [there is also that.]




[fml: fuck matt's life]

[silicomb]

[ Sollux is, and has been since they set off from base camp, freezing. He's obscured in what can only be described as several, numerous layers of clothing and outerwear, reduced to something humanlike with his features as swathed and smothered as they are. Matt's the only thing he can really sense at this point, stumbling along in his wake, and he idly wonders how lost he'd be the moment his erstwhile partner got too far out of range.

He cannot, for the life of him, remember why he agreed to come out on this mission. ]

If all else fails, we can use you to concuss the next enemy we encounter.

[ Sollux: full of helpful advice. ]

[Neji/Lee | Up the mountain | closed]

[heavenly_earth]

For all that he hated the desert heat sometimes, Neji was beginning to think that he preferred it over the chilling cold seeping through his coat and the flakes of snow and ice stinging his eyes. He had goggles, but they were uncomfortable at best, pinching the veins that rose on the sides of his face as he activated Clairvoyance.

Neji swept the area with his Meister ability, constantly alert for threats because he needed all the warning he could get to have time to discard the snowshoes for combat situations. Turning away from a suffocating wind, Neji squeezed his eyes shut, blinking with exaggerated motions, and raised gloved fingers to massage his temples.

"When you start getting even slightly tired, Lee, transform and I'll carry you. We don't need to waste energy here."

[awokentospring]

Lee hated cold weather but he had some advantage over Neji; his hot-bloodedness was more than just a joke. Lee's constant physical exertion kept him rather toasty. His skin practically radiated heat, though he still needed a jacket and other protective gear in the extreme weather found on the mountain. He hated how the thickness of the winter wear limited his movements. If anything, the lack of ability to run at high speeds made him more nervous than possibly running into a dangerous witch if they weren't careful. Not that he was fearful of the witch herself as much as he feared what could happen if Neji was put up against such a foe again after his previous ordeal.

The taijutsu specialist was confident in Neji's ability to keep watch over the area. Instead, Lee watched his Meister for any cracks in his expression that might give away what he was seeing. So far they had been obstacle free but the day was still young. Lee witnessed Neji reach up and rub at his area where the veins protruded from his temples. Lee's own skin was bitingly cold from the wind; he could only imagine how chilly it was making the Hyuuga's blood with the veins so exposed.

"O-oh! Yes, I will do that before I get tired!" Lee blinked behind the goggles, his thoughts having been centered so strongly on his teammate's expression the words didn't quite compute at first. It was troubling him to see Neji uncomfortable. Moreso than usual lately. He chalked it up to himself having been the cause of discomfort for his Meister on their previous mission. It was a logical conclusion, after all.

Instead of standing there useless Lee decided he needed to take action! Moving to stand before Neji, he removed his gloves and stuff them in his pockets. The cold air hit his hands like knives but the young green beast had dealt with pain enough that it hardly phased him.

[ Demona/Londo | Lower Areas | Closed ]

[pmsgargoyle]

[When she was told it was going to be cold, Demona was pretty sure she could handle it well because Gargoyles have thicker skin and different metabolism and she is much better than those pitiful humans and she is great and why would she worry.

Yeah. No.

It really is very cold. Too cold. In the end, she is glad for bringing along something that covers her skin more - she accommodated the clothing so her wings and tail could still move easily - and she has come to the conclusion she can't really glide through the air with this weather]

We will have to walk.

[proudambassador]

[When Londo was told it was going to be cold he knew he was going to hate it. He'd grown up in the perfect climate of Centauri Prime's moderate zone and the Babylon 5 station had been kept equally acceptable. Especially his quarters.

Here he was sweating through the whole summer in the desert, and now they've arrived going where it's freezing. He has several layers on and is looking forward to the relief that transforming will bring when she speaks.]

...Do you like the snow? Because I, myself, do not. It is cold. We are hiking up a mountain, in the snow, which is particularly nasty to walk in, and you want to walk? This, I do not understand.

[They aren't supposed to fight, he knows that. They need to resonate. But he still feels a bit miffed. It's cold. Really, really cold.]

[ Saya/Sendo | Lower Areas | Closed ]

[sayatakagi]

[there is no way in hell Saya will walk. She looks up at the slopes and sighs, annoyed.]

We are going in blindly. We are nothing but cannon fodder, like this. [she isn't happy with the situation. It's very cold and they can't see much.] One step ahead will take us two steps back, we need something else.

[The genius eyes the lifts. No. Too unstable. If they stop in the middle of the journey ahead, it might be impossible to get off them due to height; worse, if they actually fall, they could get really hurt. She isn't about to risk it]

[naniwarocky]

Well unless you can suddenly summon or change into something that can get us to the top faster, then we are walking. [It was freezing and Sendo would much rather not have to walk, but he'd do whatever he had to do.]

[Chika Daimon and Aqua] The Slopes | Closed

[scatterflower]

*Okay, it was freezing.

Chika couldn't help but shiver, even underneath all her layers upon layers of clothing that she was wearing. It was just that cold out. She was... really going to have to be a bit more choosy about which missions she went on in the future. Though, considering how important this one was, there wasn't any real chance of her staying behind, even if she really didn't like the cold that much.*

Can we have a nice warm tropical mission next time?

*She sighed, before turning to look over at Aqua. They hadn't come across anything dangerous yet, but it was only a matter of time.*

Hey, you holding up okay?

[blue_wayfinder]

[She wasn't really used to this kind of weather. There were mountains in the Land of Departure, but none like this one, covered entirely in snow. She still had some warmer clothes left over from winter, but it really wasn't enough.

Inwardly, she agreed that a mission to a nicer climate would be nice, but that really wasn't important right now.

Instead, she nodded.]

Yeah. I'm fine. What about you?

[Gai and Kakashi | Heading up the mountain | Closed]

[spandexisyouth]

[It's cold. Gai's bundled up as much as he can be, but it's still cold. He was from Fire country, not Snow, and he'd never really gotten used to the snow and the cold. Every mission there he'd rather disliked, to tell the truth. But now they were headed up, throw the snow and the storm, and his cheeks were beginning to burn.]

It should not be too much farther!

[He had to shout to be heard over the wind. It was taking most of his energy, though, to stay optimistic.]

We will make it, Kakashi!

[grab_my_bells]

[Kakashi does not like the cold that much more, to be honest, and he's starting to feel a little stiff in his joints from the ache of cold setting in.]

That's what you said ten minutes ago! [And ten minutes is a long time when they have to trek through the snow, on foot, and without the aid of jutsu to walk over the snow. Crunching through the loosely packed snow is more than miserable. More so, Kakashi misses his dogs. His dogs, not the pets he has here, but the nindogs back home. He always would take them with him to Snow Country missions; they made everything warmer.]

...You and your stupid missions. [He grumbles under his breath, sure Gai can't hear him, and then steps up his pace just enough to close the small gap between them.] Next time I'll pick the mission! [Some good that will do them. It isn't like they get to choose the location that Kishin eggs are found, but the sentiment is clear, he hopes, just the same.]

[Waka | Towards the summit | Closed]

[halfbakedfruitcake]

It was the chance to observe a Witch in action that had caught Waka's interest. The vague summary by Shibusen was far from satisfying, and without the sources he had once possessed in Nippon, the only way to find out more would be to find one himself. Not to fight it -- he wasn't quite arrogant enough to think he would stand a chance as he was now -- but to watch.

Not that this snowstorm was helping the visibility any. Fortunately it worked the other way around as well; be it through luck or something else, he managed to avoid Kishin Eggs and other monsters as he made his way towards the summit, far beyond the areas Shibusen had assigned for unpartnered guests.

Waka squinted at the skyline, trying to estimate how far he was through the raging storm. He would have to be more careful the further up he got... Besides the obvious threat of a Witch, he was beginning to feel strangely heavy and trip over things that shouldn't be there. It was growing darker, too, despite it being daytime. So this was the famous Madness wavelength he had heard so much about... Not that different from the cursed zones back home, surely. He could handle it.

Ducking behind trees, rocks and walls, he slowly made progress towards the emitter, confident in his ability to keep his presence hidden.

[namelesswitch]

The Witch stood at the very summit of the mountain, the emitter pouring out wave after wave of Madness into the air and atmosphere around her. The thick woolly coat wrapped around her shoulders made it look like she was wearing a jacket, but it was anything from the truth as the dark grey wool was almost white from the snow. Icicles hung from the long horns protruding out from either side of her skull, but the Witch paid it little mind as she watched the struggles below.

They were coming. The Witch could see through the thick and harsh wind to witness Shibusen attempting to scale the mountain. She had been waiting for them. Ever since the Shibusen dogs had destroyed the first emitter, they had been watching, waiting, in order to lure them here. And they had come like the imbeciles they were.

Akiha and Sion | Lower area | Closed

[computations]

It was freezing. Who cares how much Sion had bundled up in preparation. She was used to dry, hot climates. Cold and wet were her absolute bane and it showed. Her body was visibly shaking and she huddled in on herself. Not only that but her cheeks were a bright red, the blush caused by the cold and the wind.

"Is this really worth it, Akiha?"

Sion never thought she'd be turned off from a mission but right now, she was having second thoughts. If only her brain would work faster. If it weren't for the cold physically slowing her thought processes, she might be able to figure out a way to get around the biting weather. Why, Egypt, why?

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Yes."

Her teeth were chattering, so Akiha took a moment to wrap the scarf tighter about her, proceeding to cover up her face from the nose down. It would muffle anything she said, but she had decided she just wasn't going to use verbal communication with Sion.

We cannot become stronger until you consume more souls. Stop whining.

But yes, oh, yes, Akiha was very, very cold. Unlike Sion, she had at least seen snow before and was used to being cold, but this was a biting cold that hit the bone. She kept flexing her fingers beneath the two layers of gloves to keep the blood flowing through them as they trudged through the snow.

Auron -- heading up the mountain -- open

[nofarplaneyet]

Being on the mountain made Auron think of similar treks up and down Mount Gagazet on his pilgrimages. Like those trips, he wore heavy clothing, gloves and a red hood to cover his head. The shades helped to cut down on the snow glare.

Would he be able to find a Weapon in need of help? That would remain to be seen.

[morecowbell]

Nanami didn't have the luxury of purchasing the perfect coat of the trip, she had only recently gotten a job with the Watch and had spent most of her stipend from Shibusen on food. The coat and gloves she had were lighter than she would have liked but she had been bullheaded enough that she was going to go on this mission come hell or high water.

Of course Nanami was currently very warm and why was that? She had managed to attract the attention of a small pack of deranged and possibly very hungry coyotes and was currently on an adrenaline high while trying to hold her ground before they completely backed her into a corner. It seemed her bad karma with animals had followed her all the way to Death City.

"Come on you dogs, want a piece of me? Bring it on!" She had already managed to injure two of them since she had originally felt pity for them but she was now relying on her instincts which told her she better aim to kill if she was going to make it out of here in one piece. Was it her imagination or had the coyotes in front of her multiplied when she blinked?

[ Eve and Keroro || halfway up the mountain || closed ]

[nolicenseyet]

[The fauna affected by Maddness were relatively easy to deal with...as long as she wasn't caught by surprise.

One had to wonder how long their luck will last.]

[starfruitfrog]

[Don't jinx it by saying that, Partner.]

The road looked relatively clear to Keroro. But Keroro didn't have any soldier senses (having avoided being bitten by radioactive soldiers).]

[Sheena Fujibayashi || Patrolling around the med tents || OPEN]

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena paused, her eyes and ears scanning the area for any signs of trouble. Unlike many of the others, she was wearing only a scarf with her normal outfit. It's design kept her warm for the most part, and if she needed to move, she couldn't afford to be weighed down by any heavy clothing.

She knew from her own experiences that medics tended to be a target in any battle since without them, people tended not to survive or be able to continue to fight. A thought that made her wish that she had been able to bring her gels to this world to make their job healing the physically injured that much easier; too bad they couldn't help with the Madness.

Sighing, she turned her gaze to the mountain; maybe if she hadn't had such a bad experience with the Madness, she would have a partner by now and she'd be heading up there, too. She was definitely going to have to remedy that as soon as possible.

[blue_wayfinder]

Aqua was supposed to be heading out with Chika soon, but she needed a moment to collect herself.

Funny, before Death City that would have only taken a split second. But so many things have happened since then that she didn't quite trust herself to do that.

It was by chance that she wandered towards the med-tent, really. She stopped when she spotted someone standing nearby, staring towards the mountains.

"Is everything all right?"

[Raidou & Alucard | Up the mountain | Closed]

[timelessummoner]

Raidou hadn't expected to dig out his winter coat again, yet here they were. The wind was bitingly cold as it kept blowing his cape back. It wasn't quite as bad as some of their missions earlier that year, however, and so they pressed on, slowly making their way up the mountain.

While the cold didn't worry him overly much, Raidou was bracing himself for the Madness. It would have too many things to target, and Rei's recent disappearance hadn't helped his mental state. It might have been safer to stay behind, or to remain on the lower areas... But in the end, he couldn't just hang back. The war had to be finished, and soon.

Your keywords. So accurate

[draculabackwards]

Alucard walked beside him, his cloak whipping behind him in the wind. He naturally dressed in several layers of clothing so he wasn't too bothered. He led the way up the steep trail.

Kid had given him good advice about how to fight madness. The only hard thing would be to put it into practice. "Raidou!" Alucard called back. "I can't scent anything in this cold. We will have to be wary and on our guard."

[the Bakurae | on the way up | closed]

[feelsgoodinyou]

It was kind of divine irony (of the worst kind) that had led the both Bakuras to decide to go and try working on this mission together, albeit each one of them had not only different motives but would be also quick to blame the other of how exactly it had come to be. (There had been lots of arguing and back and forth snarking involved, as well as loud complaining, shouting, some whining and one or the other death threats.)

Having an idea of what to expect from the cold weather thanks to his stay in Japan, Bakura had opted to wear light-colored winter clothes that he had acquired at a high quality from Shibusen's local army and sports shops (the bills were going to Shibusen), starting from a warm cap that covered his hair to a neck gaiter, sturdy boots, gloves and so forth. Together with the rest of his pale appearance it made him look a lot like a particularly angry snow wraith.

At least part of his anger was directed at the snow mobile that he had found and been busy trying to spur back into working for the last fifteen minutes, muttering to himself and the thing angrily.

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura himself was bundled up in far more brightly colored snow gear, having found a teal coloured down filled skiing jacket that puffed around him and the sweater he had on under it to give the illusion of him having a healthy weight. The dusk red scarf that just avoided clashing with the faded teal flapped in the wind as he tried to keep his hair from whipping him further. He hadn't bothered with a hat, not figuring he'd find one that would go over the mass of white hair, opting instead to just use the hood of his jacket, but now he was starting to regret it as the hood did little to hold back the mass of hair the wind kept teasing out into the cold.

He glanced back over at the snowmobile and the faux yeti swearing at it. " Let's just walk it, it's been too long already," he half sighed, shifting a little to try and hold in his heat better. Stupid stubborn Ring Spirit... they could have been half way there by now!

[ Kid, the Thompson Sisters, and a Witch walk up a mountain-- | Near the summit | Closed ]

[perfectorder]

Unlike most of the mission goers, Kid didn't need as much gear. He did dress accordingly, but it was just him and his weapons. He needed to carry light if he wanted to get through the storm and up the mountain. If it weren't for the storm he could have just used his skateboard to fly, but as such they had to do it the harder way—climb.

But after tearing through their own fair share of kishin eggs, the other parties after the witch had split up and the trio moved closer to the summit where the snow was the thickest and the winds the harshest. If visibility had been better, they may have been able to see the Emitter further ahead. Still quite a distance, but close. Even without sight they could feel it, and even if the witch had her Soul Protect off (and it was likely she did at this point), the amount of Madness was making difficult for even Kid to pinpoint her location. And there were moments when he would see familiar flashes of the Kishin Asura's symbol or suddenly become hyperaware that there was something else out there. Something that could come and grip his very being and tear him apart—

He staggered a few steps and pressed a hand to his forehead as he snapped out of the delusion, taking a few deep breaths as he did. No, he couldn't lose his focus here, Not now. Not when so many were riding on their success on taking down the witch. Otherwise destroying that Emitter was going to be impossible and there would be more fatalities.

"How are you two holding up?" he finally forced himself to say through the storm. He had to stop thinking and maybe some small conversation with his weapons might help.

[tallerbrooklyndevil]

Liz's reflection appeared in the side facing Kid. "A little cold but okay. I'll bet it's way worse for you right now."

Of course, with his death god body, Kid was very likely just fine. Or at least not as bothered.

[Yako and Kaworu | Heading up the Mountain | Closed]

[itaidakimasu]

It was beyond cold; it was bitterly, unrepentantly freezing. Yako had on two sweaters beneath her coat, a hat and a thick scarf, and she could still feel her teeth chattering. Worse than the weather, however, was the Madness. She could feel it pressing in on her, trying to squirm its way into her head and seep down, poisoning her rationality and shattering her focus. Being close to a Meister helped keep it at bay, so she hadn't strayed more than a foot or two away from Kaworu since they had left the safety of Death City.

"A-Are you okay?" Even with him so close, she had to raise her voice to be heard above the howling winds.

These weren't the best conditions for a conversation, honestly, but Yako needed something else to focus on beside the desolate, imposing aura hanging down over them like a guillotine. Anything would do, even an inane back-and-forth about the miserable weather.

[diedforyoursins]

"S-Somewhat..." Kaworu was uncharacteristically flustered by the weather, his typical serenity literally shaken with shivers. "I have not ever...experienced weather this cold before. I-it is more intense than I was expecting."

He had dressed warmly as advised, of course, but the Earth of his universe was one that had lost its seasons to a shift in the tilt of the world's axis. Germany had been a land of eternally mild weather literally since the day he was born, and his few days in Japan's endless summer had not done much to help him acclimate to extremes. He was more grateful for Yako's presence than ever, if only for the body heat she gave off.

Detaching his arms from where they had been wrapped tightly around his torso, he reached back to latch onto his temporary partner's hand, half for its warmth and half to keep her close in these conditions. "I-is winter normally this cold?"