KAIJU FIGHT #1

[synfluxmods]

KAIJU FIGHT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: thalassophobia, natural disaster, drowning, body horror, violence, blood & gore.

▶ 001. SEAS THE DAY.

On the morning of the 1st, sirens will blare, forcing every Outsider and Neo Tokyo civilian awake. While it hasn't been activated for a while, every citizen within the city knows this alarm all too well - it wails through the city whenever a Kaiju has been detected, ordering everyone to return to their homes immediately and stay there until they receive further information. Outsiders gazing at Neo Tokyo will see the armored city in its full technological splendour for the first time today. Once the civilians have returned to their homes, machinery within the buildings will work like clockwork, sinking each and every LILITH-augmented building beneath the ground. Just in time, too, because the waves are starting to roar again, crashing beyond the shore and flooding the city once more. Observant Outsiders may note that not every building has been modified. The older ones remain standing, vulnerable to the impending flood. Does anyone live in those buildings? The answer is yes, but that's not a priority at the moment.

Every Outsider will receive a summon, ordering them to prepare for battle. The Kaiju has been identified and located. It's show time.

"Angels of LILITH. We have located the Kaiju coming from beyond the sea. A full mission brief including the information we have gathered will be sent to you immediately. For now, make your way to the bay where your transport will be waiting. Be prepared for anything, but mostly, be prepared to swim."

Waiting for the Outsiders at the bay appear to be ... expensive-looking, personal yachts? This has to be a mistake, right? It's no mistake. Through intel LILITH has exchanged with international companies, it appears that this particular Kaiju has a fondness for overturning civilian yachts, and there's no better way to attract it than to leave it its favourite bait. The goal is to attract these Kaiju towards the boats and then attacking.

The ships may look like they're outfitted for a fancy yacht party. In fact, some exploring down below deck in the lounging room, one may find caviar on fancy ritz, oyster tower, little finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off and bougie smelly cheese that nobody in LILITH's pay grade can identify. On another table, there is fancy ramen spoons filled with microgreens, crystal jelly vinegarette, and a thin slice of parmesan cheese. Some further looking may find some fine aged wine, but you're not here to drink and party, you're here to fight a Kaiju! Right? Right.

Despite the fact everything about these yachts just look like... fancy yachts... they are actual warships that are mounted with naval artillery such as swivel guns, missiles and torpedos. Spears, harpoon guns and fishing nets can also be found and used if an Outsider is more comfortable getting extremely close to the monsters. There's no time for a proper seafaring course, so Outsiders will be given a quick run down on how the controls work, and be sent on their way. They will also be given a special jewel-like implant that attaches to the skin, right along the forehead, and told to wear it if they need to go into the water. "Don't worry about it," the LILITH crew says. "But it'll be one hell of a ride if you use it."

Alongside the crew, Seok Dang seems to be also assisting (?) though he's gotten a hold of the reception food down below. Did he smell like fine wine? Possibly. But that's definitely a fancy, half eaten cracker in his hand. He's also got on a bright, neon life preserver. Maybe someone doesn't know how to swim.

"WHOOO HELLA YEAH, MOTHERFUCKERS. Don't know how to swim? Don't'cha worry. Daddy Dang has got you covered. I know CPR! I give the best CPR! 💖 I'll rescue ya. TONIGHT, WE BALL!"

Nobody uses that phrase anymore, but you know what? You do you, SD.

▶ 002. WHALE WATCHING.

Minutes into their ship's course, the boats will rock violently, as if those already violent waves have somehow come alive. There is something in the water! The mission brief would have been shared with them sometime during their trip, but maybe Outsiders want to pull up on their implant the image and debrief shared once again now that there is some action. The orca-like Kaiju trying to reach the shores of Neo Tokyo is called Shachimon, and she's been the cause of the violent waves and flooding we've seen for the past few weeks. Alongside of her and are her children orca who love to mimic everything their mother does. The biggest one, the matriarch of the pod, is over 60 meters in length - large enough to swallow a boat whole. The younger ones are smaller but just as ferocious, spanning from the size of a car to the size of a bus. The youngsters are a size small enough that they can leap out of the water, sometimes crashing down onto people and ships. Beware!

Shachimon will be fighting to knock over boats, or climbing on boats with their amphibious legs. Once they get their hands on humans or Outsiders, they pull them into the water, tearing them limb from limb to feed. Their control over the waves are no joke, either. With a powerful swing of their tail, they can conjure up tsunamis capable of overturning ships. The matriarch, if left to her own devices, seems bent on submerging Neo Tokyo to make food of all its citizens.

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Shachimon
HEIGHT: Younger whales are 4 - 18 metres. The matriarch is 60 meters in length.
WEIGHT: 1500kg - 5000kg
CLASS: Highly dangerous.
LOCATION: Large bodies of water
ABILITIES: Use of sonar to detect any water movement. Fast swimmer. Very sturdy body thanks to all that whale blubber. High intelligence - commonly works together as a pod to take down prey. Capable of creating tsunamis that overturn boats. The largest Shachimon can sink a city if not stopped.
WEAKNESS: Electricity (since it will be inside water), dissection, spearing its eyes or blowhole. Loud vibrations within the water can stun or confuse it.
EXTRA NOTES: Dislikes and will attempt to overturn civilian yachts. Carnivorous, eating marine life and human flesh. Sadistic personality, may play with their food prior to eating.

█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Lead the Shachimon away from the shore.
✖ Extermination of Shachimon in the water and if they reach the shore.
✖ Protection of nearby fishermen's boats and civilians within those boats.
✖ Teamwork to destroy the matriach Shachimon.
✖ Bring back specimens (live or deceased) for research purposes.

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:

As a note, Outsiders who wish to remain on land and help civilians there may do so. There are waves flooding the city, and some of the smaller, quicker Shachimon will have made it to shore. They will need to be taken care of before they can terrorise the city.

▶ 003. OCEAN GEMS.

Shachimon are most deadly in the water and their go-to strategy is to pull others into their turf, where they have the advantage. That's where those jewel-like implants come in. These implants, called OCEAN GEMS, when attached to the skin, temporarily modify the body. Once activated, nanobots will invade the bloodstream and alter the user's lungs, giving them a set of breathable gills. Their legs will also be altered, giving them fins and the tail of a fish. This is a recent invention by LILITH ever since the first Shachimon was spotted a few years ago, and the technology is still experimental. This means that the transformation process will be significantly uncomfortable, feeling a bit like being asphyxiated and having your legs sewn together at the same time. Deactivating the gem and turning back feels just as uncomfortable, and being experimental technology, it can take a while before the user can successfully revert back. Those who want to fight in the water and lack any weapons or abilities that can be used can request Seok Dang for a weapon. There's a limited supply, but they will be given a special trident. Directly driving the spear into one of the kaiju will electrocute it, giving a higher chance for higher damage. These tridents will be handed out to those who want to use their Ocean Gem and ask.

It's up to Outsiders whether they want to use this new technology or not. Being able to fight the monsters on their own terrain is certainly an advantage, so LILITH would highly encourage it.

▶ 004. MEDICAL BAY.

Healers and those with medical experience will be placed on the warship with a red flag on it. Dr. Spim & Alex will also be present on this ship to assist any major injuries to both LILITH and civilian fisherman alike. This ship is bigger than the others, and while stocked up with the same artillery, it is also stocked with beds and medical supplies. This will be the Outsider's naval medical bay during the siege on the Shachimon and all injured Outsiders or civilians will need to be transported there. This ship will also need to be protected heavily, because once the Shachimon catch on that all the injured, vulnerable prey are being transported to the larger ship, they will start to target that ship in particular. Characters that need immediate medical help should be transported to this ship via a dataportal. Each yacht has a dataportal that can teleport anyone instantly to the medical ship. The dataportals are also located down below deck to prevent them from getting damaged.

▶ 005. THE CALM AFTER THE STORM.

It's a bloody, soggy and gruesome battle and the seas' waves begin to calm down, the sea filled with kaiju carcasses. LILITH's clean up crew is working hastily to collect these corpses, but with the Outsiders' occupied and recovering from their fresh battle, help is limited. Search and rescue scavenges the sea to find any civilians who didn't make it or may need medical help. Meanwhile, the valiant teamwork and effort has paid off. After many hits from many different weapons, artillery, natural abilities, etc. the matriarch kaiju has been downed and sank to the bottom of the ocean floor. LILITH's team will work to retrieve the massive carcass, though it will take awhile. Those who put in notable effort will receive praise and a little extra payout. Outsiders will see an instant transfer of funds to their account: 340,000,000 KRYPTOS. This is roughly about 2500 USD.

The intense battle will have lasted several days and Outsiders are free to go from land to sea as little or as often as they like. It is all over, though, and Outsiders will be called to return to the MAIN BASE for rest and recovery. LILITH will also be searching for the rift where the kaiju came from while Outsiders recover. A message from an unknown voice will pop up an hour or so after all Outsiders have returned to the MAIN BASE. Outsiders may use this time to socialize in a commons area, wash up in the showers, get a meal in the cafeteria or rest.

"Good work."

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our first Kaiju log! All prompts are highly encouraged but OOCly optional. ICly, characters can choose to fight in the ocean, on the ships or stay behind on land and protect the city. At the end of the siege, characters who accepted an Ocean Gem will be asked to return it. It's experimental technology, so LILITH will need to do more tweaking before they can properly release it. Outsiders who use the gem may have whatever fish tail they like, as long as it is a sea creature.

Feel free to NPC your characters' fights with the smaller kaijus. The main fight with the Shachimon matriarch will be determined via a HP-based system (See below).

Please note that all tags in this log count for 2 reward points each. Ask any further questions below!

Below is also the month at a glance. We understand the CALENDAR has been a little inconsistent, but the mod team is sorting all of this out. Expect a FEEDBACK POST this month as well so we can check in with the playerbase and make any adjustments to the game. This log, even if the time stamp says JANUARY, will count for FEBRUARY AC.

FEB 1st: Kaiju Fight Log in LOG COMMUNITY
FEB 15th: Text Post in NETWORK COMMUNITY
FEB 25th: Mod posted MEME COMMUNITY; FEEDBACK POST is live.

Thank you all for being a wonderful and understanding playerbase!

code

Comments

rodion | limbus company

[axethrows]

Plotting Comment | Character Permissions | (top level content warnings: body horror transformations)

i. (pre-fight)

[Rodya is no stranger to fighting horrifying creatures, but the sea already exhausted her enough at home and she feels like she is going through it all over again. Regardless, she is climbing onto the yacht even if her current feelings on the matter are pretty negative. Maybe she craves going back into the action again after a long period, as the simulations can only do so much. Or maybe she has an unspoken reason locked inside her chest that draws her to get to work. There could be some other influences that include the thoughts of a fat paycheck, but she kept her mouth shut until she goes below deck to explore once the ships set sail.

-- There's alcohol and you damn right she is going to go drinking before combat. She can only find wine, but she did find shot glasses and that's one way to not go overboard on drinking (she's tempted, don't test her-)]

Hey, hey, come here~ Don't be shy!

[This is more towards fellow adults and while it's clear that she has some stress, she is forcing up a smile.]

Bet you can't keep up with me on the drinks. I know, we got to go fighting soon, but can't fight clearly with a distracted mind. It's just a little bit~

[As Seok Dang said, we ball.]

ii. (combat)

[Good news, a little drinking before things start to pop off did improve her mood! The Shachimon are attacking and Rodya is doing her part to the best of her abilities as she is treating it like she is back on The Great Lake again. She does have to keep reminding herself that her dear manager isn't with her (both a blessing and a curse), but she's been aiming to slash their eyes or cause any form of punctures with her axe.]

Sorry! I know I am a snack, but I don't want to be on your menu~ [Throwing random chatter out there to try to hide any of her stress, as that is simply what she does: masking the emotions she dislike to show.] Let's try this!

[It happens in a flash that it could easily be missed. Regardless if you see it as magic or holograms, her plugsuit has been replaced with a certain uniform and spikes of ice also burst out of her flesh as soon as the uniform manifested. A giant bird talon also appears in her hand and she swings into the face of the nearest Shachimon, ice 'magic' bursting out on impact. While it's more of a blunt weapon, the impact could stun the kaiju enough to leave openings for anyone else fighting on deck.]

iii. (combat: friendly fire mode on)

[Power always comes with a price. Rodya is familiar with that yet she continues to test her odds. She's biting more than she can chew with her E.G.O. that she suddenly froze up in between the waves of kaiju. A sharp pain in her chest, her sanity slipping further away as her cruelest thoughts burst out due to becoming exhausted... It's happening, no matter on her choice.]

Ah... That's right...

[Her head looks towards the sky as the colors in her eyes drain away. Her voice became somber with heavy breathing.]

No matter what I do... I can't let go... I can't change...

[Right on cue, more spikes on ice burst out of her body. Her back, her face, her skull- It all became ice as it breaks out of skin. It transforms her into an avian-like form and as soon as one Shachimon jumps on the ship, she is quick to attack it. Her movements are much more aggressive and the talon in her hand is creating more bursts of ice with every hit. Everything that moves is her target now including you and due to her aggressive swings, the yacht may face some damages if she is not stopped.]

iv. (under the sea)

[Eventually after a period of rest and going back into combat, she goes overboard. Due to the jumping Shachimon shaking the boat, one shake enough to knock her off was bound to happen. It's why she grabbed an Ocean Gem, to take a gamble on it in case she gets thrown into the water. She shoves it on as soon as she lost her balance and that another mistake in her massive list of life mistakes.

While she is not exactly a swimmer, being stubborn along with the adrenaline and general fear does help her start on collecting her bearings as she would rather not die in the ocean. Both breathing and her legs are going through unfamiliar pain, but she moves her body to get familiar with her new tail despite the great pain in her expression. Man, someone on the LILITH team is going to get chewed out for making this hurt!!!

She should get back on the boat, but clearly the whales are not making things easier for her so she's back fighting with everything she got while in this position. She's definitely going to need help down here.]

----

[Whenever she gets back on the boat, she discovers the hard way of taking off the gem and she hasn't turned back to normal right away. If nobody is around to help her, it doesn't stop her from crawling towards a safe spot without trying to be a tripping hazard to anyone. She shoves the LILITH crew away from her when they tried to help her out. She doesn't care if she has been trailing water or leaving a mess in her path. She made it to the lounge and the woman with a long shark tail is going to crawl up on the sofa and crash there. She will make her way to the dataportal for the medical bay eventually, she needs to recollect her energy.]

I'm still alive. I'll drag myself away in a second, let me have a moment.

[Saying that with her eyes close, but she can still hear people moving around. This is towards anyone that approaches her, but she could be talking to the air as well. This girl ain't going back into the deep sea ever again.]

v. (post-fight hot pot; text and action)

[After some days of resting and recovering where things are more back to normal, everyone on the network will get a message:]

Best way to end a rough mission is always a good feast, don't you think?
I'm setting up a treat in the cafeteria if you are hungry.
You get more extras if you come help me out or bring your own ingredients.

----

[Everyone get in here, it's hot pot time. After all the shit she went through, she is going to eat and have fun with this huge paycheck. She's not really a cook, but thanks to the civilian job she got, you pick up some things on cooking. You can come find her in the cafeteria kitchen, working on a broth at the stove or at one of the cafeteria tables where she got a decent spread going; various vegetables, meat, and fish ingredients on their own plates along with a smaller yet wide pot containing the broth that is simmering on a portable stove. There is more broth in the kitchen, not to worry. Once all seems to be set, Rodya is already going to start simmering pieces of meat in the pot because she's ready to eat even if the set up took a good amount of time.

----

Before the day of the hot pot feast, she could be found in several spots in the base. Showers, common area- you name it.]

ooc

[Well this is an embarrassing, long top level. Folks are free to wildcard or ask for something specific!]

under the sea-ish?

[yuwon]

[ within the confines of the tower, a water based battle wasn't necessarily easy, but it wasn't infeasible to complete even without enhancements. that is, outside the typical stats of a player. hence, he didn't feel the explicit needs for the gem, even as he wanted to explore the depths of the sea. fortunately, even in the deep water, his eyes still allowed him to see with decent clarity and whatever he couldn't see, he could sense with his sensory field skill.

however, that's not to say he wasn't curious.

especially, at the tail end of the battles; his body tired through the fight with the kaiju. hence, he tried the gem temporarily. perhaps, to help lessen the burden of trying to swim back up to the surface amongst the corpses. the transformation itself seemed less jarring than the side effects, however. since then, he's placed the gem back in his pocket, but he still feels a bit out of it, and it's in this... that he encounters rodion.

considering that she helped him last time, he feels like the least he can do it provide her some support (in theory, he's trying...). he seems to gesture to her in the ocean, as if suggesting they both try and surface. but, even in the ocean water, he feels like he's capturing a hint of something that smells really good? ]

[axethrows]

[Oh, that's a familiar face and a welcoming sight in these waters.

Despite her disadvantages, keeping her body moving in place does help her get a feel on her new form and when there is an opening, she will swim towards Yuwon by kind of mimicking how the Shachimon moves. There is still some pain and discomfort, but she reaches him in time while the kaiju have more of their attention on the boats. Unlike the other, she doesn't smell anything too out of the ordinary yet.

She doesn't say anything while underwater even if she can breathe down here, but she will give help to Yuwon if he needs some support before she starts to move towards the surface with him. As soon as the two of them reach the surface, she will speak up:]

Hanging in there? [How are you doing, handsome. She's not looking or feeling great herself but she's still alive despite everything.]

[yuwon]

[ her willingness to assist hasn't changed since their last encounter, but he's unsure if it's a comfort, or if it was bit... burdensome in that he hasn't exactly returned the favor yet. still, he at least tries to repay it by remaining alert as they traverse back to the service. even while a bit exhausted from the constant use of his sensory field and other skills, he still keeps it up, his eyes glowing red as he reads the path in the water.

his eyes are likely still red before he turns to look back at her. to be honest, he was focused enough that he didn't really notice the scent getting stronger or weaker, but it's definitely stronger. it's why he's distracted a bit at first, before he responds to her. ] Something like that.

How about you? [ he says this, while leaning in a bit closer, as if to silently see if she really was the source of this almost perfume-like scent? maybe it was something in the water? ... or i guess, idk i am shameless and it's [redacted]

but, he does also seem to be genuinely looking her over. ]

[axethrows]

[Sometimes you help a guy out for personal benefit, other times you just... do it. Out of instinct, out of a drive in your heart that pushes you forward. She lets him do his own thing while supporting him like a buoy, moving her tail to float them closer to one of the boats or at least an area with less kaiju until they are able to get to somewhere safe.]

Yeah, even if I am having the worst day right now. Still alive thanks to the dumb gem, but now I am stuck with fish legs.

[She also corroded earlier and lost her shit, but of course the moment she goes back into the fight after taking a recovery break, this happens. She notices his eyes on her instead of their surroundings. She's nice to look at, she knows fully well, but something seems a bit off.]

What's up? Something on me? [Listen, she gotta ask. What you up to with this boy, Bijou...]

ii!

[wheft]

[ well, a little bit of alcohol does go a long way when it comes to combating Whales. ishmael would know. she mostly left the food alone and opted to learning more about the inner workings of the boat they're using as bait, especially now that the time is nigh.

seeing rodion equipping her E.G.O is nostalgic, tbh. it's like they're back at the Great Lake again, with the same stakes; the Shachimon and her children work like Whales and their Mermaids, though there's no telling if the baby orcas actually come from the kaiju organically or they're originally humans themselves. either way -- ]

"Looking good, Rodya."

[ hi rodya, hope you don't mind ishmael making commentary through your oculars. she's manning the controls of the ship right now, but she still has a fine view of what's going on in the deck. ]

"Any debilitating effects? If you keep using Rime Shank, you can weaken them hard enough to hit them back with your axe."

[axethrows]

[It wouldn't surprise her at all if the kaiju were once human. Wonder what place taught her and Ishmael that sometimes humans succumb to terrible fates, hmm-

Speaking of Ishmael, hi sweetie. Rodya manages to give one harsh strike against one of the orcas with her E.G.O. that it disorients them enough to fall overboard. Not a dead kaiju as she would like, but she'll take it for now. She doesn't take her eyes off where it fell back over, but her eyes lit up to give her fellow Sinner a response:]

"Mm. They got thick meat on them, but they aren't fully immune to blunt attacks. I can tell that a heavy hit will take energy out of them."

[So good news, sinking debuff does have a little play in things.]

"Waiting to see if that one comes back up now. How's everything from your view, Ishy?"

[wheft]

[ SINKING SUPREMACY... it does show with the way the orcas are getting dazed with the blunt attacks rodion's been afflicting them with. rime shank may not be one of the more powerful E.G.Os they have on the bus, but in rodion's hands, it may as well be. ]

It's just like with the Headless Ichthys, but obviously with a head. We've fought with it plenty of times in the Mirror Dungeons, so it should be easy pickings for you.

[ as for ishmael's status: ]

So far so good. Winds are less than ideal, but that's to be expected. Estimated time of arrival at the matriarch will be in fifteen minutes. I could get us faster there, though. [ hold on, give her a moment to readjust the controls. ] In the meantime, you're gonna have to solo everything. But it's no different from dealing with Mermaids, so you should be fine.

[ right??? ]

pre-fight

[hitokiller]

( here's a guy who doesn't have to force a smile.

the presence of alcohol alone is enough to get him grinning from ear-to-ear, incoming chaos be damned. in fact, he's already pouring himself a shot... or two, as he plops down on a bar chair opposite of her. one of those fancy ones with a round stool. )

Hah! Doubt there's many here who won't judge ya for it sides me. What's the harm in a little drink before we're out there clashin' with beasts?

( he raises a glass, an unsettling glimmer in his one eye. )

You sure you wanna challenge me to this?

[axethrows]

That's right! Finally! Someone with good taste around here~

[A little bit of joking since there are some fun people she met, but not everyone would drinking right before throwing themselves into combat. The masks she wears can be heavy, but she's genuinely pretty excited someone is taking her challenge.

She pours herself a few shots herself. While she is not a wine person, she can make do with it. Her blue eyes still show it's stress, but there is a certain sparkle in them now since she is throwing herself into a distraction from the hell that they are sailing towards.]

A little competition does help with motivation. Plus you gotta take the fun things in life while they are available. Cheers!

[She raises her glass before slamming the liquid down her throat and grabs the other one.]

I'm not normally a wine gal, but this one is pretty good.

[hitokiller]

( it's a little funny to find someone speaking his language after these two months of partying alone. don't call him lonely or anything, but............

he quickly follows suit, downing a own glass with enthusiasm, the crisp, harmonic acidity down his throat a something he hadn't experienced before until now. huh. it's not bad. )

What's got a gal like you so nervous about what's comin', anyhow? We're all agents of LILITH, yeah? Which means you've gotta have some ridiculous strength hidin' in there I don't know about yet.

( there were all those logistics on-board to handle that he didn't care about, too. maybe she'll in charge of those... )

Well, even if ya don't... you've got guys like me to take 'em down, so don't worry yer head none. You've got the Ghost of Tosa on your side.

v.

[sparse]

[ The message is something he almost disregards. It's not like he's ever been the type to socialize with others, even if the rest of the Outsiders are technically his coworkers until LILITH decides that's no longer the case. But maybe it won't hurt to help out. Just this once.

He arrives at the cafeteria kitchen, eyeing the spread of veggies. ]

Need a hand?

[ He's already on his way to grab a cutting board to start slicing and dicing. Even his messed up hands can handle that much. ]

[axethrows]

Hm? Oh, thanks!

[Extra hands are always welcomed in the kitchen. A bit of a surprise that it's someone like Blade coming in to help since he's that type, but she welcomes him regardless as she's been on pot watching duty in front of the stove.]

It should be ready in a bit. I think it's coming out pretty good~

[At least someone is excited to eat.]

[sparse]

[ The flicker of surprise is to be expected at this point. If anything, he'd be the type to never show up to something like this to begin with, but he's here now. Might as well get something to eat while he's at it.

He's cutting up some green onions first. Important. ]

It smells good. [ He doesn't sound as excited, but... ] When others arrive, it'll be gone in a few.

[ Especially if it's delicious. ]

ii

[likemybooks]

[Taryon has seen incredible feats of magic and physical prowess on the battlefield. That doesn't make Rodya suddenly sprouting ice and swinging a massive axe any less impressive. Taryon stares for a good moment, clutching his simple magic spear and wondering just what he's supposed to be doing here.

Someone like you, I would probably stay on the outside. You got a little in the crunch zone, right? You seem to have a good range on your weapons.

Even if Grog was being dismissive when he gave that advice, it's reassuring to know that some people stay a considerable distance from the main action. Still, it would be cool to land a killing blow on one of these monsters, and the stunned orca is the perfect target.

Taryon has a split second to come up with a cool one-liner before he jabs the spear into its eye.] Looks like they're on our menu! [The tip squelches into the soft flesh, spraying Taryon's plugsuit with droplets of blood. At least he thinks its blood.]

[axethrows]

[There is nothing wrong with fighting from a distance, but every now and then, you gotta rush in and Do Something Cool, something that will surprise everyone. Of course, it's another story if your attempt fail, but it's great when you pull it off!]

Ooh, nice! [While the stab into the eye does cause great damage, she rushes in to give another follow-up blow as a precaution. Getting sprayed by blood is nothing new in her book so Thankfully, the kaiju falls down and after making sure it doesn't move for a while, Rodya sighs before giving a thumbs up to Taryon.]

That's a good hit you did there.

[She gives compliments when they are due and he did good!]

[likemybooks]

[Taryon rips the spear out of thee orca as it falls, spraying more fluids and flakes of muscle over his plugsuit and the floor. The viscera is gross, and Taryon is thankful that he's not wearing anything he's bought for himself.]

It was, right? [He responds with a thumbs-up and a lopsided smile. Any attack that succeeds is an awesome spectacle to Taryon, but it feels so much better when a teammate also agrees.] Do we just [He gestures at the corpse.] Leave this here? They want some bodies for research, right?

i. fuck it we ball indeed

[domitrix]

( looks like she isn't the only one with more or less the same mind to play around a little before the real deal. seemed a shame to let it all go to waste when they've gone through the trouble of setting this all up if the ships were mostly going to end up at the bottom of the sea anyway.

so sure, she'll slip on in next to her. what's the harm? )

I won't go drink for drink with you, ( kafka isn't exactly the sort to get absolutely sloshed even on the best of occasions, but she taps a fingertip on the side of a glass anyway to signal she's ready to be poured one. ) But I can at least keep you company.

Maybe if we're lucky, we'll find an old scotch somewhere to take back with us.

the ball will keep bouncing until it blows up

[axethrows]

Hmm... [She pouts in thought, but it's with a playful tone so it's not really meant to be taken seriously. She shrugs before pouring Kafka her glass.] Well, I can work with that.

[She also hates food and drink to go wasted like this if the ships end up getting sunk or the food rots away if the ship survives. Who put them here in the first place anyways? Then again who needs details when you get free stuff out in the open like this-]

If we got time during the chaos, a little digging for a secret stash would be fun~ [Rodya speaks with wishful thinking as she pours her own glass and already taking a sip.] I would hate for this stuff to get wasted in the end.

v

[plagiarists]

[ After catching a glimpse of Rodya by one of the cafeteria tables, Sooyoung spins on her heel and leaves. It might seem that she's not coming back but that's not the case actually—she just had to grab something from her room.

That something is nothing else than a bottle of the fine aged wine she "borrowed" during the yacht party. While Sooyoung isn't the most empathetic person around, after everything they've been through with the kaiju, Rodya could use some wine.

Well, from what Sooyoung has seen from afar, it might have been worse for her than other people. Rodya's E.G.O corrosion was hard to miss, even if the orcas kept everyone busy. ]

Hey. [ She sets the bottle on the table. ] This should go nicely with the hot pot. I just need to think of a good price.

[axethrows]

Oh? [She's almost done setting up, but her eyes do lit up on seeing alcohol as she picks up the bottle to look at it. While she is not a wine type of person, she is also the type to not refuse an offer of it.] Not bad! I'm surprised you managed to snatch one and sneak it back with you.

[Rodya would have done the same if she, well... didn't have fish legs and wasn't so exhausted near the end of the fight with everything going on. She sets the bottle down and points at the hot pot spread that is out right now. The small pot is already turned on and starting to bubble carefully.]

Help yourself if you are hungry! You want me to grab you a glass too? [You drinking too, Sooyoung?] Also does the meal help cover the cost or do you mostly want money?

[plagiarists]

I'm resourceful.

[ She just used one of her avatars to steal it and run as far as possible from the battlefield. Monster fights and glass bottles filled with expensive-looking wine just don't go together, after all. ]

Let me think... [ The pause here is solely for suspense-building purposes since she's already made up her mind. ] I get two glasses of this wine and your hot pot and you get the rest of the bottle. Do we have a deal?

iii. friendly fire me

[frostfist]

[ Why's it always gotta be ice?

First the yuki-daruma and now...whatever this is. Rodya but not, a creature as inhuman as the Shachimon swarming the waters around them. But unlike the limbed sharks that dive towards them with their giant mouths full of sharp teeth, he doesn't want to hurt this one, not when there's a good chance that the person inside is still there and able to be saved.

The indiscriminate bolts of ice sailt past him, and its only the creation of a(nother) small wall of ice in front of him that he's saved from becoming an impromptu shishkabob. ]

Hey, Rodya! [ That's what she'd told him to call her right, and maybe something in that nickname will spark a flicker of recognition. ] Snap out of it!

coming right up, the chef is free and in etc.

[axethrows]

[Some people can never escape the cold. They learn to tolerate and survive it until the end.

Thankfully, there will be a break from anymore Shachimon for now once the recent one falls down. Wriothesley's voice does reach her, but she is going to rush towards him and attempt to slam at the ground near his feet to knock him down. As if something else is using her body as a temporary vessel and everyone is a target in it's eyes.]

Freeze. [Her voice is there yet it's greatly distorted with another presence. Emotionless yet somber.] There will be no more pain once you are frozen.

[Rodya still not here, please keep holding until she picks up the line.]

[frostfist]

[ Girl please, pick up the phone.

And hang on, isn't it supposed to be his job to be cracking the ice-related jokes and one-liners here? Damn, imagine holding onto a job in this economy. But fine, whatever, he can put up with this for a little longer. Whatever it takes to shake some sense back into her.

Though first, he needs to keep his balance in the wake of this assault. He does fall at the impact, though only so he can drop and roll, using the force of her slam to roll further away. ]

Thanks, but no thanks. I've tried that before and it doesn't work out so great.

[ One more roll has him on his feet, pivoting and standing so he can return (friendly) fire by blasting a wall of ice her direction. ]

C'mon Rodya! I know you don't want to freeze either!