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 Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:30 am
Report for Duty"Yes!" Wren chirped, because of course she had more to say. "As the portal has been around for at least a good month or so, it's no doubt affected the native species. If possible, I'd ask that you let us cage one or two of them instead of massacring every living thing in sight." Cue a smile, a pat of the small metal traps the Lifers had brought. Both were also more decked out than they were upon arriving, both for the cold and for the no doubt unstable energy around the distortion tear (pouches and belts and God only knew what in that pack Jack was carrying), with Wren in a blazing blue faded coat and Jack in his usual forest green accents. "What my Jackpack has here," ah, so clever, "is the device some of you saw yesterday. Placed by the portal, it should stabilize its energy output and create a buffer to allow for safer study up close." She looked positively ecstatic to be able to use it this time. "Barring any unforeseen interruptions, we will need at least a few hours to get a steady reading from it. Anything to add, Jack?" He reshouldered the backpack. "Horseman," Jack said after a beat. "The more of us gathered here, the more likely we might attract their attention. You've probably been escaping it since this area is so remote, but I'd suggest caution." Wren clapped her hands together. "And there you go! Any questions?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:46 am
Report for Duty"I wanna know why she wants a ghost soldier as a pet," Aly muttered and both girls snickered. Jordan's attention was caught and she said, "What? What is it?" Chel didn't want Aly to take the flack, so she piped up, "S'just- we were laughin' 'cause we been out here for weeks and all we seen is ghosts of dead dudes. Prolly not gonna be lil minipets frolickin' around." Chel wiggled her fingers to imitate the frolicking and Aly covered her mouth to hide her laughter. Serah was even smiling, but looking away to hide it. To be honest, they all sorr of thought the cages were overdoing it (but this was coming from people who had entire adventure packa filled with more runic bandages and runic torches than anyone would ever need). Emil was poking the cages, muttering to himself about how "a head maybe, foot possible..." At the end of the day, suns were suns. Wren probably wasn't going to get far with them. "Oh. Well we should still keep our eyes out! You never know! Um ... Anyways, I guess that's it." Jordan was wringing her hands together. "Radios on?" The suns gave various degrees of agreement. Chel didn't like the way her radio fit her (she much prefered her mounted radio on her goggles, but alas she'd left it at home). It was considered a necessary component of a mobile mission though. "... Move out I guess?" medigel feel free 2 timeskip o 7 o/
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 2:58 pm
Odd
Chel did something very odd at breakfast. Towards the end of the meal, while Jack was huffy, she took a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth. Then she took it and put it in a plastic bag and pocketed it in one of her adventure pouches.
There was no explanation no matter how much he protested, and the bags were on her all day so he never had a chance to steal it back. If he asked he would be met with "what are you talking about?" And "you sure yer not high?" It was, as Jack so keenly pointed out that he craved, a mystery.
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:03 pm
Odd
For the rest of the day, at least when they were in visible range of one another, Chel would be treated to long and curious looks every once in a while, as if doing so enough would somehow put together the puzzle for him. Every attempt to broach the topic was rebuffed, which of course meant it was going to stay at the back of his mind for a while because of course it would.
Whatever Chel was up to (he swore if it ended up being some voodoo doll-shrine thing to him he was noping the hell out), it had his attention even if it wasn't always at the forefront of his mind.
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medigel rolled 1 8-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-8)
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:06 pm
Investigation
It wasn't possible to directly settle next to the portal even with Wren's machine suppressing its energy (or rather, it wasn't safe to for a lengthy number of reasons according to her), but they were closer than most hunters got to be before the effects started to settle in. Even so, the air felt charged with something Jack couldn't name: a little like being in an area recently struck by lightning. In spite of his wry attitude, he was actually excited to be there: actual field research was hard to come by, let alone doing so in a space that was almost as controlled as the labs.
He was drinking in her story about other explorations as another device began to record the portal's thrumming energy when he heard it spike briefly: just an inch's rise on the monitor, just a slight flicker of his vision out of nowhere. Jack swayed in place and blinked as Wren looked up with a knowing smile.
"This your first time?"
"Yeah."
"What'd you see?"
"I'm...not sure. Just a quick distortion in my vision."
"It's amazing, isn't it? Even when dampened, its power leaks through in little spurts." She sighed dreamily before remembering Jordan existed. "Any movement back there? I'm wondering if its pulses might attract something..."
Total SP: 3/10
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chiickadee rolled 1 8-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-8)
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:21 pm
Nope
"The <********> is that?" The tiny unit came to a screeching hault as Chel pointed to something in the distance. It was wispy, white and beautiful.
It was a goddamn unicorn.
There was a look shared amongst the group that came to the consensus of "we need to go check this out." Upon approaching, the white purity vanished and only a cloudy blue was left. Not a unicorn at all. Ghost horses.
As in, ghost soldiers on ghost horses.
"s**t s**t s**t," Chel ducked behind a boulder, Emil hopped in a tree and Jerome took a thicket next to her. "Jordan," Chel crackled over the comm, finger depreciating the button on her headset. "The ******** cavalry's here, we're gonna be a while."
SP: 5/10
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medigel rolled 1 8-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-8)
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:32 pm
Earth Pony, Pegasus, And—
"Have you checked the traps, Jack?"
"I went fifteen minutes ago."
She tapped the monitor. "There's been some unusual spikes," Wren pointed out, indicating the blips that came at almost regular intervals for a span of thirty seconds. "Something must be nearby." She smiled brightly. "If you're nervous, dear, take Jordan with you; that's what Suns are for." Cannon fodder and escorting when Moons weren't around.
He scoffed and turned to go. "Yeah, if you can handle yourself for ten minutes without—"
And then he stopped because there was a unicorn at the perimeter. At least, he thought for a moment it was, given it was equine, bright, and had a horn protruding from its head. But that didn't make sense, it wasn't a creature of Fear. Owain in his hand and his eyes on the creature, he announced to the ladies, "Company!"
The light faded but the creature did not; even at a distance he could tell that what he thought was a horn was actually a sword skewered through its skull. Similar gruesome cavalry assembled behind it.
"Oh." Wren didn't seem phased, though her brows were raised a little. "Well I simply can't leave this equipment unprotected, it's highly sensitive—"
"Yeah, got it." Jack was already on the move to meet the ghosts. "Jordan! Want to make another bet?"
Total SP: 7/10
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chiickadee rolled 1 8-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-8)
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:57 pm
What
It was nearly sunset. It was still light out, still incredibly cold, and not much had happened that day. They'd fought horses, dead soldiers, mythical dead creatures and not much to report other than a lot of dead things.
Unfortunately the world was not done with them, and Chel was fixing some bandages when it happened. A tree up and walked. It ******** walked. All three turned to one another in confusion. It just .... kept walking ...
"Do we do somethin' 'bout that ..." Chel said, returning to wrapping her arm in the cool grey material. "Kinda seems dumb it ain't attackin' or nothin' ..."
Maybe she was also slightly inclined not to because it kind of reminded her of Owain.
SP: 9/10
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:02 pm
Earth Pony, Pegasus and--
"Um ... a bet?" Jordan blinked a few times at Jack. The mist tilted her head slightly. "Do tell?"
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medigel rolled 2 10-sided dice:
3, 1
Total: 4 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:11 pm
Earth Pony, Pegasus, And—
"I bet I could get a higher score again." He smirked and acted like it was skill rather than frustration and luck that had gotten him first place last time. "Loser has to take the winner's watch shift and wash their laundry." Since if the last battle had taught him anything, it was that these ghosts liked to ******** bleed.
He thought these would be the easy to hit if not also hard hitting targets from before.
He was very wrong on the first part.
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chiickadee rolled 2 12-sided dice:
4, 6
Total: 10 (2-24)
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:16 pm
Earth Pony, Pegasus, And—
Jordan gave a distressed "help me" look at Wren, but unfortunately Wren was busy and Jordan had a penchant for gambling.
(Unbeknownst to the lifers, Jordan had been the one who began all the business about the camping chairs).
"Ooookay, but if I win, you have to tell me about you and Chel!" Despite her stoic leadership indifference this morning, Jordan was very much a huge gossip. The biggest gossip. "I heard from Serah about you two last night~"
And then she summoned her crossbow, a beautiful red and white streamer amidst the blue and grey. It was hard, but shiny like diamonds, and it pierced straight through two horses and their riders.
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medigel rolled 1 8-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-8)
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:17 pm
When Will My Reflection Show
He's right there in clear view and he wonders if this is how Narcissus felt. Is it narcissistic to compare? Isn't it appropriate if so? Perhaps and perhaps not, but this is no mere reflection: it is frighteningly lifelike. The river flows but the reflection is completely still and perfect—as is the specimen in it.
Except it shouldn't be there. (Therefore, not perfect? Incongruous? Flawed by simply existing?)
He stares in a strange mixture of abject horror (are they here? no, why would they be drowning? can they also breathe under water, do they even need to breathe?) and pleasant surprise (well hello to you too). He forgets for a moment about the portal and makes wild conjectures in his head (why would they be here, what is there to gain, is it me?), and then he worries that there are others leading the group astray (maybe he should have told her, but when would have ever been a good time?), and then he blinks and the copy doesn't.
The hand not holding a cage summons his weapon, but the perfect image is gone. He blinks again.
"Hey, Jack Attack!" Wren calls. "You okay? Don't tell me you messed with the specimen!"
He remembers himself and glances as the two-headed bird caught in their trap, bouncing about the cage with dissonant chirps from different throats. Shaking his head, Jack wades through the water and returns to them, slightly unnerved.
Total SP: 12/10
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:41 pm
Earth Pony, Pegasus, And--
"I win," Jordan decreed, as though it was a death sentence or a roll call. "So 'fess up~" Her crossbow was desummoned as she took her very cute leather boot off of one of the fallen ghosts- it disappeared as soon as she removed herself from it.
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:49 pm
Earth Pony, Pegasus, And—
He grumbled as he picked his way through the ghostly carnage and flicked blood off his sword.
You should have known better, Owain added most helpfully; Jack knew he was enjoying this for more than one reason.
"What did Serah tell you?" he managed after a moment.
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:18 pm
Earth Pony, Pegsaus, And--
"She told me enough-" Jordan said with a slitted eye look, one of utmost suspicion. "-And she made it sound like you two were really really cozy."
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