Payback Time

[thewatchers]

PAYBACK TIME
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The daemon base was large, a massive obsidian skull carved from the base of a black, foreboding mountain within the Outlands and surrounded by a forest of dead trees. This was inevitable, as accompanying faculty could explain. As much as it could influence the human world, the Outland was heavily influenced and shaped by human thought and culture. Weaker daemons, such as those within the base, would find their personality, forms, and even desires inexorably shaped by the thoughts of humanity and what was perceived humans would expect and fear.

The focus of the two main assault groups would be the clearing of the main hall and the lower dungeons. The groups will be divided as follows:

Main Hall:
Ky
Mav
Kanata
Tyzias
Gunvolt
Bumblebee

Main Hall Support:
Toki
Kano

Dungeon:
Valvatorez
Goro Akechi
Ren
Minako
Naoki
Keith

Dungeon Support:
Ekkehardt
James

Control Room Supervisor:
Yang

To get through to the fortress proper, the students will have to make their way through the forest. This is an open log, even for those who didn’t sign up and will consist of clearing a path and fighting off living trees and mimics in the form of any number of objects that would otherwise be expected in forests such as rocks, brambles, bushes, and other foliage..

The Main Hall is lined with massive rooms full of daemons such as the banquet hall, treasure vault, and throne room where the daemon lord resides. The Daemon Lord is the target here, and he’ll be well-guarded. Beware! Many of the rooms are trapped with mimics taking the form of treasure chests, braziers, boxes, barrels, and just about any other item.

The Dungeons are where captured humans are kept and tortured. The objective is to free the humans and defeat the Jailer, a powerful Daemon who runs the chambers. Students should beware, doppelgangers are said to be commonly slipped in amongst prisoners to ferret out rebellion and will be hidden in with those who are to be rescued.

The Control Room is located in the Citadel, with a massive monitor visualizing the area with floor plans and video feeds. All students and faculty will be wearing small cameras that will record live footage, and will be wired with a communication earpiece that will let those in the Control Room communicate freely. Students working in the Control Room will be able to relay data and information, and use the powerful supercomputers to analyze items on the ground in near real-time.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[hippocarnival]

"You too, right?" He squeezes, briefly. He knows they're at this school to fight, for this to become their lives, but... Nana doesn't have to go back and take that burden right now. She's wounded, and it's enough of an excuse for Yuya to keep her right here.

[playitagain]

She wishes she could go back out there. She is glad she doesn't have to. She feels both of those things, simultaneously, and then guilt for thinking of either. Nana is grateful that he can't see her expression, then, because it is a stark one.

"I shouldn't. I don't think it would be smart with my arm like this," she admits. "Do you need... where should I take you? The infirmary? Back to the school?"

[hippocarnival]

"Here is fine!" He starts quickly, leaning back a little. "It's getting easier to think, I don't want to make anyone go out of their way to go back to campus..."

Granted, the ease is a ticking time bomb he's sure, until both familiars are too close again. But he won't sat that now.

Shifting reminds him his arm hurts, though, and he tries to subtly cradle it by his wrist. "I don't mind waiting for everyone else."

[playitagain]

Nana leans back, when he does. There is a soft, hitched sigh -- it jostles her wounded arm, too -- and she rests back on her legs. "We can wait here, then," she says. "For everyone else. But..."

She looks down at him. Her eyes drift to the wrist he's cradling. She has a soft smile on her face -- it's forced -- and still has a few lingering tears in her eyes. "...Is your wrist hurt, Yuya?"

[hippocarnival]

"No, not really." Yuya shakes his head. It's not a lie, because he's pretty sure his wrist is fine. The numbing pain is much higher on his arm, but he doesn't want to investigate it in front of Nana. If it's bad, she really will cry.

Instead he gives her a reassuring smile. "You definitely saved me from anything worse, so I'm thankful."

[playitagain]

Nana looks over his wrist for a moment longer, but... she doesn't want to challenge Yuya on it. She swallows, then she looks back up at him. She starts to wipe at her eyes with her free hand. "I'm glad of that," she says. "But... make sure you don't over exert yourself, and say if you need to go to the medical station."

[hippocarnival]

"I will! We have a whole play to re-script, I won't put all that work on you."

If they talk about something normal, it means the injuries aren't that serious, right? They don't have to focus so hard on how hurt they are... even though he has a hard time not staring at her own stained bandages.

"I wonder if we can write you the perfect lead? Even though you'd be great at any role..."

[playitagain]

"Yuya..." She smiles a little bit more, then she reaches her hand up, wiping away the tears. Her smile is less forced, now. She looks happy to hear the idea. There is still some strain in her expression -- and some is because her bandages are bloodied, and her arm hurts in a way that she has rarely felt before.

"I don't need to be the lead," she says. "I... just want to see everyone else shine. You would make a better lead than me, anyways."

[hippocarnival]

"Factually incorrect." Yuya points at her with a crooked grin. "And you need to be the lead because you're amazing and giving everyone a performance like that is doing them a favor."

He's laying it on thick, but he does genuinely think Nana's a great actor who'd really shine on the screen... it's too bad instead of being able to do that, she's having to learn to fight monsters and risk herself. It really isn't fair.

[playitagain]

"No, no, I don't need to be the lead!" Nana laughs, waving one hand -- and wincing a little when she tries to move her other. She lets that fall back down, with a little sight. "I'm not... I-I mean, I suppose I am talented. But... it means a lot more, if I can help everyone be their best."

She bobs her head.

"And... besides," Nana says, softly. "You're as good as I am. You shouldn't sell yourself short. You could be in movies or on Broadway, if you wanted to be, Yuya."

But he has to be here, instead. That thought is sobering.

[hippocarnival]

"I think my English needs some work, first," Yuya chuckles faintly.

Then he pauses, staring at Nana before he shakes to awareness and turns to Odd-Eyes as he approaches the two of them. His familiar lowers his head and admits loudly.

"Sorry, did I worry you too?" Yuya reaches to rub his snout.

[playitagain]

"He brought us both back here," Nana admits.

She couldn't have carried Yuya alone. She certainly couldn't have moved fast enough with her injuries and trying to carry Yuya. She smiles at Odd-Eyes, then leans over, and pats him once on the snout. "He did very well, I think."

[hippocarnival]

Odd-Eyes lets put a low rumble. Yuya smiles. "He always does. I can always count on him."

He snorts, and Yuya draws his hand back. "What, I was trying to help! There was way too many out there..."

[playitagain]

"Maybe Odd-Eyes thinks we were reckless," Nana says.

She is absolutely trying to take some of the blame (or all of it) onto herself.

[hippocarnival]

"I think he's jealous." That Yuya summoned another familiar, like he wasn't doing enough--but Yuya knows they both has limits. And anyway, with Odd-Eyes so close he's sure he can sense a little worry...

But Odd-Eyes responds by giving Yuya a hard shove with his snout, knocking him over. Yuya yelps, and when he hits his injured arm chokes on a startled cry as pain blossoms around it. Ow, ow.

[playitagain]

"Odd-Eyes! D-Don't push him, he's..." She looks down at Yuya, and sees how he hit his arm. She frowns. "...I think he's sore. Yuya, are you sure you aren't hurt?"

She reaches out to pat Odd-Eyes again. "You don't need to be jealous, okay?" she says. "You know Yuya cares about you a lot."

[hippocarnival]

"F-f-fine." Yuya forces a thumbs up and the fakest smile he's ever strained. Odd-Eyes growls something else Yuya chooses to ignore as he slowly pushes himself back up.

[playitagain]

"Yuya."

Nana's expression has flattened into nearly a line. She gives him a very cross look. Behind it is a pang of worry; a reminder she did less than she wanted, that she couldn't keep him safe.

"We need to get that looked at," she says, finally, with a sigh.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya deflates at the Mom tone, averting his gaze while he pinches his sleeve.

"I'll tell Mr. Hieke." And insist after it's looked at that it's fine. Slowly, he works himself to his feet with one hand.

[playitagain]

“How bad is it?” Nana asks, as she does the same — a mirror of how he pushes himself to his feet with one hand. “Can I see?”

[hippocarnival]

"It's--" Yuya starts to shift his sleeve up, but as a long button up it doesn't go far enough and just ends up brushing the wound harder, making him flinch.

Yuya pauses before trying again, rolling it up until he gets it over his elbow. He bites his tongue as he turns to show Nana, unable to actually see it himself.

It's barely peeking under his sleeve, but part of the skin to his elbow looks ashen and... grey?

It isn't the normal sign of a bruise, burn wound, even tear.

[playitagain]

Nana’s breath catches the moment she lays eyes on the ashen patch of skin. She doesn’t know what it is or why it’s there. She had assumed he hurt his arm during the ride. But, that isn’t a bruise. She takes a second to speak, which may say as much as her words.

“We need to get you to a teacher right now,” she says, quietly.

Nana’s good hand curls into a fist. How can she protect him if she doesn’t know what’s happening to him? She feels her shoulders tremble. Nana stares down at his arm.

She says, mechanically, “It’s going to be okay.”

[hippocarnival]

Is it bad? That sounds bad. It sends a spike of worry through Yuya, clear in his eyes even as he tries not to say it.

"Y-yeah, I'll be fine!" He's reassuring himself as much as Nana. Just what did she see...? "If Mr. Hieke isn't busy, I'll tell him now."

[playitagain]

“It’s turning grey,” Nana says. She keeps her voice as even as she can. There is still a tremor of worry in her voice, that all of her acting experience can’t fully mask.

“Do you want me to get him?”

[hippocarnival]

"Grey?" Yuya'a attention snaps up, a beat of silence heavy between them. "No, I'll go!"

Before either of them worry more, Yuya doesn't wait before dashing off to the tend the Hieke is tending to people in.

Nothing stops Nana from following.