hadriel_logs | Event Log: End of Arc 2

Entry tags:

Event Log: End of Arc 2

Who: All characters
What: The event log for the End of Arc 2
Where: All over the city
When: November 25th-December 12th
Warnings: A full-scale battle, including character death, NPC death, and various other ways to suffer

It was bound to happen. The Null warned you, after all, and this has been building for awhile - and now it's here. First comes the initial attack, the agents of the Null attacking Hope's temple. Then, an SOS, warning the city of what's happened: a betrayal, and Hope being injured. Luckily for everyone, thanks to the actions of his guards Hope survives the attack. Unluckily, his attacker, the goddess Delight, escapes and lets the Null in.

Flooding into the cave, the Null will attack anyone who they believe is resisting them. They'll destroy buildings and deploy dangerous crowd control weapons, in addition to their sheer strength and speed. Confusion empties the monsters in the tunnels into the city, to help distract the Null. Some gods fight, others provide safe havens, but everyone is in danger.

After about a week and a half of the attack, Fear summons enough power to teleport the city. This stops any new Null from arriving through the tunnels, but the remaining Null must be hunted down and destroyed, or else they'll signal their location to the rest of their species. The danger will lessen as Null are taken out, but things won't really be safe until Fear moves the city again, so don't get too comfortable.

What will you do? Run and hide? Fight? Help the fighters? Turn on the gods yourself? Whatever you do, it's time to make a decision.

► This log covers November 25th-December 12th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you get taken out by the Null, please let us know here.

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[ ... Despite the opportunity, she refrains from making inappropriate jokes about 'tag-teaming.' Not the time. ]

Please. I'm not that predictable. It'd be a very detailed labia.

[ Her head turns to the sound of The Null's mechanical footsteps. Creepy fuckers. She hadn't dealt with a lot of robots back home, but if this is what they're like... ]

Ready as I'll ever be.

Just so long as it's anatomically correct.

[Ah yes, because those are much better last words. Whatever.]

Here we go, I guess.

[He can already feel the Visitor chomping at the bit, now that its targets are in sight. It paces behind the bars of its metaphorical cage. All Michel has to do now is open the door and step back. And so he does.

He slumps forward, and less than a second later, the first skeletal hand reaches out of the air around him. A second one joins it, and together they dig their talons into the ground, leaving furrows, dragging forth first the skull, and then the rest of the creature. As the bones emerge, something gathers around them, particles of smoke or ash, something feathery, dark, and translucent. Once fully formed, the Visitor turns to glance at Rose with the blue lights that serve as its eyes. Finding nothing particularly threatening there, it turns instead toward the approaching Null and howls in its broken voice.]

[ Well, that's

metal as fuck, to be perfectly honest. It's not quite what she was expecting but certainly not anything she'll soon forget. A chill runs down her spine at those icy eyes that stare her down. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to perceive her as a threat. Instead, it directs its attention the ever approaching mechanical abominations. So does Rose.

The woman bares her own fangs, fur on her tail and ears bristling in tandem with what she hopes is an intimidating snarl. The Null don't seem too intimidated but she doubts anything would really rattle them. They don't feel fear, do they? They don't feel anything. That's the point.

Well, she hopes they can at least register pain. Because they're about to. In a blink, she's rushing the nearest one and not waiting - but hoping - for The Visitor to follow. ]

[Whether they feel fear or pain is not the Visitor's concern. All it intends is that they stop feeling (or seeing, or experiencing) anything at all.

It isn't quite as supernaturally fast as Rose, but it moves with a surprising speed for something so large. The long hind legs make its gait more of a gallop than something with a bear-like skeleton would normally be capable of. It surges forward along with Rose, smashing itself into the line of metal.

The Null closest to it is seized in its jaws and lifted up off the ground by its middle. Up on its hind legs, even taller than the robots, the monster proceeds to dismantle the thing by pulling off its limbs.]

[ It does keep up well. If Rose didn't know any better, she'd imagine it would blend in as a yokai rather well. Maybe a growing Gashadokuro? It certainly fit the image well. She'd hate to see this thing at one hundred feet tall though.

Rose ends up shouldering one of the metallic creatures hard. It staggers, bionic knees buckling. With it stunned for a second, she lands on her feet and twists her body in a snap to roundhouse kick one of the other ones. It clangs loudly but flops harshly to the ground a few yards away.

It's a good thing her bones are made of stronger stuff than their steel. Looks like she's still got it. ]

Dismembering, [ she comments, unsure of if the thing actually understands her. ] Classic. Good call.

[The Visitor drops the pieces of the torn-apart Null and pounces on the next one, tearing into it with its long claws. They go through the steel without too much effort, though it's more a testament to the creature's brute force than the sharpness of its weapons.

When Rose speaks, the lights of its eyes flick her direction for a second, and if you squint just right, it almost looks like it nods. An acknowledgment, even if it doesn't seem to participate in the sarcasm. But then it's over, and the monster goes back to trying to find the part that makes the robots stop moving. You know, with sometimes having to backhand a different robot for trying to pry it off of its prey.

And hopefully Rose doesn't happen to be in the way when said backhanding occurs, sending the machine skidding away.]

[ So, not as witty as Michael but- It still understands. That's a small comfort. Something of a relief, considering she wasn't sure what to expect.

Definitely not it having a mean backhand. She isn't directly in the way but she does have to kind of scooch a few inches to the side in order to avoid The Null that's sliding her direction. Once it passes, she turns her attention back to the ones she stunned but didn't kill.

One of them gets a dig of her claws into its chest. Or an attempt to. Instead, ] Ah, jeez, I broke a nail, [ she says. More like she broke all of them but- It's fine. Her pain tolerance is high and she barely registers that, instead switching tactics and taking her teeth to things' metallic throat. It raises its hands to pull her off but she manages to behead it before it can pry her off.

That'll at least slow it down. ]

[Ripping them apart is taking too long. What it doesn't lack in pure aggression, the monster certainly lacks in patience. After destroying the core in the Null underneath it, it decides on another tactic.

Another robot is attempting to cut it, and manages to laser off a couple of ribs before the Visitor turns, slamming a shoulder into its front, tackling it to the ground. The creature then proceeds to stand on its legs and balls its front paw-hand into a fist. Steadying itself with the other hand, it bashes said fist into the Null's center, attempting to simply crush the core inside the metal around it. Seems faster than rooting around for it, anyway. Even if it is cracking the bones in its hand a little bit.]

[ Patience is a virtue, Visitor. One that Rose doesn't actually have either so he's (its?) in good company. Also, that metal is really doing more of a number on her teeth than she thought it might. Perhaps her jaw isn't as strong as she'd hoped.

One of the Null is judo thrown as it careens towards her. Doesn't do a whole lot to actually stop it, but- These damn things are pretty sturdy. No wonder the gods had such a helluva time trying to shake them. Rose supposes it'd do wonders to not feel pain or need to, like, eat or breath or drink... Man, just think of all the time she'd save.

Only she shouldn't be thinking about that right now because the moment she's distracted is the moment she's sucker punched into the nearest tree. ] I'm alright! [ she declares, raising a hand in affirmation and spitting blood only a second late. ]

[No, patience is dumb!!!

The Visitor doesn't feel pain, or need to eat or breathe or drink, but that seems to have its drawbacks, at least as far as it's concerned. In smashing the Null with its fists, it's managed to fracture several fingers and one of its hands sits weirdly on its wrist. This does not seem to bother the creature, at least.

What does seem to bother it is seeing Rose smashed into a tree trunk. That is far too close for comfort to where it left its host.

With a piercing shriek it leaps forward and rakes its claws through the back of the Null that hit her snapping off an already-broken pinky in the process. The Null fights back, shoving at the black mass and its floating bones while the thing chews the robot's other arm off.]

[ Yeah, that's a good point. Hey, Michael, how you doing still unconscious alright that's fine she's busy anyway. Rose flinches as she hears that screech and gets to lifting herself up. Only one problem with that though: one of the Null has turned its sights on here where she's downed.

From where she lays, Rose suddenly twists, pivots, and leg sweeps the Null as soon as its close enough. Once it's downed, she steps on its chest with an impressive amount of force

repeatedly. Mercilessly. Teeth grit and eyes intense, she doesn't let up on the creature until it stops making the attempt to grab at her.
She might not have destroyed its core but she definitely did enough damage to slow it the fuck down. ]

Fuck these things, dude.

[If he were awake, Michael would heartily agree. The Visitor seems to agree also, but in a more physical way. Finished disarming (ha-ha) its current victim, it whirls to face the remaining, encroaching Null. The brief distraction has given them enough time to advance a little, and this does not please the monster.

It surges forward and slashes wide, trying to force the robots back. Those in front attempt to attack it, but between its claws, most of what their lasers find is the ashy black. The shadow stuff parts easily enough, but just as easily, it re-forms around the creature's frame.

The lasers at least give the beast a place to aim, though, chomping down on the nearest weapon-arm and wrenching it sideways.]

[ It doesn't please Rose either, if she's being perfectly honest. These things are way too sturdy for her liking. While she's stronger than before, she's still recovering from starvation. Not at her peak strength but nothing to sneeze at.

Still, it's not enough. ]

Alright, I'm gonna try something different.

[ That's all she says before channeling her ki differently. The Visitor might sense the change however it's capable of but if not- It'll see what's coming, at least. There's a soft sound reminiscent to the breaking of glass as Rose places her palm on a Null and frost bursts across it. Consumes it. The ice splinters across it's metal frame and at such a temperature it becomes brittle. ]

I got a couple more charges in me. Make 'em fucking count, dude.

[The monster senses something, a change of some kind, a surge, but it can't decipher the meaning, only the presence. The meaning becomes clear soon enough, anyway.

It may not understand the physics of cold and metal, but it can see the frost, and it can hear the implication in Rose's words. And, you know, it's prone to thinking that violence is the solution in all situations, so why would this one be any different, right? The monster lashes out and hits the frozen Null with the full force of its powerful arm, shattering the robot into silver splinters.

Yep. It likes this, whatever it is.]

[ A creature after her own heart. Rose doesn't want to admit that, but- Here they are, fighting off robot enemies. Rose hadn't imagined that her life would lead to this and yet it did.

Rose managed to move in a blink to the next Null. She gives a grunt of effort and frost blossoms across it again. Sweat lines her brow from how much energy she's expanding though. Too much, too fast. She might have to tap into her ki reservoirs for this.

What are a few years off her lifespan, at this point? Rose has already lived far more than she ever imagined. ]

[Hey, the Visitor is all about that wanton self-destruction in the pursuit of violence!

It doesn't move as lightning-fast as Rose, but it doesn't exactly take its time to follow her to the next frozen Null, smashing into it full-force and then doubling back to crush what's left. It actually seems to be enjoying this, not that it didn't seem to be enjoying this before. But now there's none of that screeching frustration, it's more of a frantic delight. It's relishing this.

At this rate, they'll make quick work of the few remaining. If Rose doesn't destroy herself in the process, that is. Not that the Visitor is going to stop her; if it even knows she's weakening, it makes no indication, just waits expectantly for the next.]

[ Her vision starts to blur but she squints past that, past the splinters of pain shooting through her as she uses up too much ki too quickly. One, two freeze. One, two, freeze.

One, two, fre- Instead of the sound of another Null being iced up, there's the thunk of Rose hitting the ground hard on her knees. Not quite facefirst - not yet though she sways dangerously - but she's expended too much energy. ]

You- Ya' gotta' get the rest of 'em, dude.

[ Ah, yes, there we go. Now it's time to eat dirt. ]

[The Visitor bounds along after her, smashing the Null as she ices them over. Thankfully it's anticipating the opportunity to pounce, so when Rose goes down, the monster is able to intercept the Null in front of her before it can take advantage of her weakness. The two sort of tackle each other, winding up with their arms locked over where Rose has faceplanted.

The slight advantage eventually goes to the Visitor, who has teeth in addition to its arms. After a brief struggle, the creature manages to pull the robot sideways and smash its core.

It can see that it's fighting alone now, but they've taken out most of the threat already, so it isn't such a monumental task to eliminate the few remaining. The Null's weapons manage to take one of its hands and fracture part of its jaw, but the monster is relentless, and in short order there's nothing left of the machines but smoking wreckage and icy metal shards.

When it's sure nothing else is moving, the Visitor turns and limps back toward Michael, but it does make a brief stop to stare down at Rose, as if trying to determine if she's still alive.]

[ She's breathing but fading in and out of unconsciousness. Despite her eyelids feeling like lead, she's struggling to keep them open and fend off the darkness encroaching through her peripheral vision.

She's weak. This would have gotten her killed in the ring. Even eating again, she's still not what she used to be and it's a bittersweet thing. Isn't it all she ever wanted, to be baseline? Only now that she's, it's so damn inconvenient and all she can think is how she should be better. How she promised.

She can sense that the creature stops and lifts her arm shakily to give the most fleeting of thumbs up before it plops back down to the ground. Still alive, for better or for worse. ]

[The Visitor starts moving again the second Rose's hand lifts. The weak gesture seems to satisfy whatever curiosity it had. It limps over to Michael now and simply doesn't stop, sinking into the space around him as it goes forward, like someone doing the fake "going down the stairs" trick behind a couch. Except it isn't faking. The monster is gone within seconds, leaving behind only traces of the sooty blackness, which vanish as soon as Michael opens his eyes.

He squints hard, even the cave's dull light enough to hurt his head. It takes him a moment, having to sort through the afterimages of the Visitor's little outing. There's the same thing he sees every time he lets it out lately: crunching, a swarm of robots, steel between teeth. But there's also something else, Rose making frost spread across metal, Rose stomping a Null, getting thrown against a tree, lying on the ground, barely moving. Actually, that last one is still happening. Shit.

Michael drags himself upright, and then manages to stand. He's shaky, exhausted from days on end of the same shit, over and over. He stumbles over to where Rose is and sinks back down onto his knees.]

Hey, you still alive? [She seems to be breathing, at least. God, he sure hopes he doesn't have to carry her. He'll do it, but it'll be a mess.]

[ At first, there's only the unsettling sound of silence in reply. Her eyes are closed and breathing shallow. Given a moment, however, and her weak voice sounds with, ]

Are any of us truly alive? [ ... Yeah, alright. If she's coherent enough to get existential, then. She'll probably be fine. ]

Gimme' like five, dude. I feel like lead at the bottom of a river.

[ She needs to work up the willpower to actually move. After today, she'll be surprised if she doesn't sleep for all the hours she's missed this past week alone. ]

[Michael's worried enough that he's about to start checking for a pulse when Rose finally speaks. He sighs and sinks down further so that he's properly sitting.]

Alright, Nietzsche. But if you're taking a break, I'm taking a break.

[He wipes the dust off his glasses and surveys the carnage around them. Some of the robot corpses still have frost melting on them.]

By the way, that crazy ice thing you did? Pretty badass.

[ Okay, yeah, that gets (what sounds like at weak attempt at) a laugh from the blond. Finally, she's able to push herself up aaannnndddd flop immediately onto her back. ]

Thanks, dude. I try. [ Ice definitely has a nice aesthetic, doesn't it? ]

I'm gonna pay for it for a while, but. It's fine. Got the job done.

[ Not like she wasn't already on borrowing time to begin with and all. ]

Yeah, you and me both.

[He probably isn't losing years off of his life, but it's not like he's had long enough (or information enough) to determine the effects of this whole murderghost thing. He's definitely losing a lot of mental stability and every ounce of non-exhaustion he has left. Which wasn't much to begin with.]

Whatever. If we live through this, we can sleep for a week.

[ Hopefully not. He might wanna', y'know, figure that out... Not that Rose didn't figure out the ill-advised effects of draining her ki and then using it past her limits anyway. ]

Sounds good to me, dude. I can't actually remember the last time I took a nap.

[ Well, she couldn't. Until it suddenly happens, exhaustion taking hold and rendering Rose unconscious in minutes flat. Sorry, Michael, looks like you might have to drag her sorry ass back to safety after all. ]

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Event Log: End of Arc 2

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&wrap?!