[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

[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."

[computations]

"Since then, yes." Now that she thought back, it had been since then. Especially when she had asked that Yuri to do things for her instead of Sion. That had frustrated her. Even now, she felt lingering twinges from that.

"But I doubt it had anything to do with your attitude."

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Then I don't know what the problem is, Sion."

Akiha finished the wrap and smoothed her skirt back down. Turning to her partner, she started to cross her arms in annoyance, but stopped herself. This was not a time for closed-off body posture, even if she wasn't sure how to fix this.

"But I do know that you're my partner and you're the one I count on when things get hard here. I'm not used to this style of living, having to hire myself out as a common soldier." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "At least I have you with me. It makes it... not so bad."

[computations]

"Can you just do me one favor?"

Sion turned to face Akiha but she didn't look her in the eye. She didn't have the courage to do that, especially with what she planned on asking Akiha to do next.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Akiha raised her eyebrow. What possible favor could Sion want?

"And that would be...?"

[computations]

"Can you...close your eyes. Just for a moment? I ask for no more."

Sion squirms just a little uncomfortably at making that suggestion.

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Close my--" Akiha gave Sion a confused look and then shook her head with an exasperated sigh. "Fine. If that's all you want..."

And she closed her eyes. Whatever Sion wanted, it better be quick. She could hear another scream and was impatient to go do their job. She just knew the two of them had to come to some kind of agreement or their wavelengths weren't going to resonate well enough.

[computations]

It was quick. All she did was wrap her arms around Akiha in a hug. It...settled her conscience a little. Sion wasn't aware of why, only that the physical contact helped her feel better, even if it was Akiha that had made her mad in the first place. Hopefully Akiha wouldn't think she was too weird for this.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Akiha's eyes didn't stay closed. They flew open at the contact, her body tensing up just a bit in surprise, and her hands came up to Sion's shoulders.

"What--"

But she didn't push Sion away. Face flushed, she relaxed and slid her hands about her partner to return the hug. It was... nice. Akiha let out a small sigh.

"Y-you could have just asked..."

[computations]

Yes she could have. But Sion didn't think she would have been able to work up the courage either way. But, for whatever reason, any issues that had existed in their connection evaporated from Sion's end. When she let go, she could finally look Akiha in the eye though she did have a red face.

"I am in a well enough state to continue now."

[ritsu_kouyou]

Once free, Akiha busied herself with pulled the headband from her hair, running her hands through it and then putting the band back in it to make sure it was in place. And it bought her some time to tame her own flushed cheeks.

"Alright." Akiha held her hand out. She would focus on business for now, glad Sion's wavelength had calmed down. "Let's go investigate those screams. We're supposed to also lend support to the evacuations."

[computations]

Without hesitation, she transformed back into a staff and landed herself into Akiha's hand. Hopefully, they could finish up soon so Akiha would be put under too much stress.