[OPEN] Mission 157

[soul_mods]

Characters: Open to participants who signed up here.
Location: Nocturne Bazaar
Rating: Gen.
Time: April 5th.
Description: The battle to destroy the last of the three Madness Emitters is upon us.

It happens early in the morning: a strange and lingering air of disquiet, almost imperceptible even to those trained to recognize it for what it is, quickly rising to a mind-shattering crescendo. On the floating island above the city, black liquid bubbles up from the cracks in the cobblestone streets and materializes into tall, thin, clown-shaped creatures. Oversized carrion birds take wing from the rafters of buildings, trailing dust from their dirty wings. The screams of civilians are clearly heard even from Death City so far down below, waking its citizens up from fitful, nightmare-filled slumbers.

The Witches are here!

It doesn't take long for the defenders to rally: Kid sends out the call to arms and, after admonishing all but the most skilled pairs to stay off the island, instructs those attending Mission 157 to prepare to get on the gondolas which still remain the only way to and from the Bazaar.

The streets are not as packed as they were the past two days, but there is no less commotion. The carnival workers and residents, fleeing from the marauding monsters, clearly have no hand in this deception. In between trying to save their lives, striking down the Black Blood-formed clowns and avoiding the talons of swooping bird familiars, the pairs certainly have their hands full.

At the epicenter of the battle is the yellow-bricked fortune-telling building. Waves of Madness emanate from it with an almost physical force. If you aren't careful, you may run into the black-feathered Witch guarding it…

By the end of the conflict, the island is incapable of supporting its own weight. With the help of volunteers shuttling civilians and fighters alike from the Bazaar to the ground, everyone must race back to the gondolas before the entire rock crashes in the sands.

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) | OPEN/CLOSED]
- If you have any further questions, the mod thread on the coordination post is here!

Comments

[ritsu_kouyou]

Easy for you to say. You're not the one in danger of being slashed by a giant bird's talons.

Akiha growled internally and chucked the thing she'd snagged off the booth at the one they'd just left. It hit with a crash, drawing the bird's attention. It swooped down at it, giving Akiha the opportunity to attack it from behind. Leaping up, she brought the staff's heavy falcon head down on the junction between the bird's wing and body.

[computations]

Even I can be damaged from being manhandled!

There was a mental sigh of relief as Akiha crushed the creature with the attack. Even if it wasn't dead, it certainly wasn't going to get up from that escapade.

...good work.

[ritsu_kouyou]

I fail to see how you can get damaged from being 'manhandled' when I can beat enemies with you over and over again and you be perfectly fine.

Yes, Akiha was a little snippy as she landed, wincing and hopping on her good foot for a moment. She hopped out of the bird's range as it flailed in an attempt to get up and gingerly put her foot down. Testing it, she bore the pain as she carefully approached the crow.

I remember bird bones being hollow, but what about their skulls?

[computations]

....Akiha. Did she seriously ask that question?

All skulls are hollow, Akiha. Otherwise, there would be no room for the brain.

Please just finish it quick.

[ritsu_kouyou]

THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! I MEANT DENSITY! SOME SKULLS ARE THICKER THAN-- Just never mind.

Akiha smacked the thing upside the head with the staff and just... let Sion stay covered in bird brain bits and blood since the skull caved in pretty easily

Well, that answered that question.

[computations]

Gross and completely immature. Sion mentally rolls her eyes and glares at Akiha for that treatment. She didn't dare change back either because it would be all over her clothes.

Are you doing this on purpose?

[ritsu_kouyou]

I'm sorry, Sion, is something bothering you?

Yes, Akiha was doing it on purpose out of spite. She didn't like being treated like she was an idiot just because she failed to phrase her question to the exact specifications the genius needed to have to know what she meant.

Besides, it wasn't as if the meister was bird brain free. There was some on her skirt.

[computations]

Seriously rude.

Perhaps. But it may have something to do with the fact that I am absolutely disgusting.

Two people could be passive aggressive here.

[ritsu_kouyou]

You shouldn't be so hard on yourself.

Weren't they a lovely pair? Akiha needed to stop soon before they lost their resonance and the staff became heavy. She stepped over the bird's wing and continued further into the island.

...she didn't know where the closest restroom was, but she was looking. How else would she clean the bird brain off Sion. She'll just be petty along the way.

[computations]

She probably did because their resonance was certainly getting very shaky. And overridden with a lot of anger. Yes, that much was very, very obvious.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Akiha had to use both hands on the staff as it was getting heavy. She frowned and tried to steel her own wavelength against that anger... and the madness wavelength. Geeze, it wasn't as if she wasn't looking for something to clean Sion off with. She just wasn't letting her know.

There. Bathroom.

Calm down.

Which is all she said, expecting Sion to listen, as she carefully pushed her way into the bathroom. Creeping silently through it, she checked the stalls and, seeing nothing, relaxed. Then she turned the faucet on and started running the staff under the water, washing the brain and blood off. At least it's warm water.

[computations]

Even if she was clean, she wasn't exactly fond of being insulted either. Some of the anger cleared up but it didn't leave altogether. Sion was kind enough to at least send a mental huff, if one could call that kindness. But as it was, her frustration couldn't be cooled that easily.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Once clean, Akiha took some paper towels to dry the staff off and then leaned it against the wall. Either Sion would choose to maintain that form or return to her human one. Akiha didn't care which she chose to do as she focused on getting the bird remnants off herself.

[computations]

Once she was clean and dried off, she returned to her normal form. The glare and crossed arms she had spoke a lot, if Akiha didn't already understand.

"I hope you are satisfied."

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Next time, don't answer me like I'm an idiot just because I fail to phrase a question perfectly," Akiha replied, rubbing a paper towel against her skirt. "I don't have the time or capacity to sit and go over the exact words I use in the middle of battle because you're too smart to infer the actual point behind my question."

[computations]

"How you word yourself is exceedingly important!" She shook her head twice. "Besides, I was not insulting your intelligence. That is what I thought you had asked!"

[ritsu_kouyou]

Akiha shot a glare at Sion.

"It's obvious that the skull itself is hollow to accommodate the brain. Common sense would have told you that I already knew that. I had wanted to know if the bone that made up a bird's skull also had the air pockets in it like the other bone, making it a lot easier to break than a mammal's skull."

[computations]

"What is so obvious about it? A question not spoken in the way it was intended only increases confusion! Clear communication is blocked when you want me to understand what you mean but not what you say!"

With someone as literal as Sion, clear conversation meant specific questions. Otherwise, this would happen.

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Are you really that much of an idiot that you can't infer anything from my words knowing what is commonly known regarding the subject in question?"

Akiha was ticked and she knew she shouldn't call Sion an idiot, but she was frustrated.

"You know what? Next time we're in the middle of battle, I'll stop what I'm doing to compose you a thorough essay on what I'm asking you. We'll see how efficient we are then!" She crumpled up and threw the paper towel away.

[computations]

If Akiha was going to result to an insult like that...

Normally, Sion would have just fired right back. But, for some reason, coming from Akiha, it hurt a bit too close to home. Maybe if it were a less serious situation, a normal reaction would have been brought out. All she could do now was huff loudly then turn around to keep from facing Akiha as she bit her lower lip, not only dealing with the bad feeling but wondering why it had hit her so hard.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Honestly, Akiha had been expecting Sion to blow up at her. She may have even done it on purpose, picking a fight with her partner to get some of her frustration with the whole situation (and the pain she was in) out. When Sion didn't take the bait, Akiha crossed her arms and glared at a spot on the opposite wall. She was well aware that she tended to go for low blows when she was upset. She shouldn't have--

There was a scream in the distance, drawing the meister's attention. Raising her head, Akiha sighed and walked over to Sion, putting a hand on the middle of the alchemist's back.

"We need to go."

[computations]

Sion took a deep breath and pulled just a little from Akiha's touch. "If we go now, we will be disadvantaged. That much, I am aware of."

It didn't even have much to do with an apology at this point. It was more about Sion's thoughts being conflicted and confusing that would be a drag on the partnership the two shared.

[ritsu_kouyou]

The physical reaction made Akiha frown a bit, but she took her hand back and walked a bit away from Sion. She propped her foot up on the sink and used the moment to adjust the shin guard and check the wrap on her ankle. She didn't say anything for a bit, mulling over what all was upsetting their resonance.

"...you frustrate me."

[computations]

"I-I can say the same but..."

Her voice suddenly dropped off. Why? What was the issue here?

"...but I do not understand why. I would not normally be like this."

[ritsu_kouyou]

Akiha didn't look up, undoing part of the wrap and adjusting the placement of it. Now that she had fought, she knew better how to make it lay so she wouldn't chafe her skin.

"It's been like this since Tahoe." That much Akiha did know. But what caused it? "I acknowledge that my illness was a factor. I was not pleasant to be around."