hadriel_logs | Event Log: Null Attack

Entry tags:

Event Log: Null Attack

Who: Everyone!
What: The event log for the Null Attack event
Where: All over the city
When: May 29th- ?
Warnings: None

What starts as a normal day will begin to herald in the beginning of the end. On May 29th, you might see something in the sky out of the corner of your eye- blink and you miss it, but there's definitely something there, something that's not any kind of animal you've ever seen. Now that you know to look, you may be paying closer attention to the sky in order to catch the next one that flies past- a ship. A ship that that seems to be designed in a way that might remind you of the Null themselves.

As the days pass, it becomes unmistakable- the Null are here and are scouting out the area. It's time to prepare for an immediate attack and start putting all those contingency plans to good use. Will you gear up for a fight and fall into formation? Will you close and lock your doors and stay inside? Or perhaps there's some other plan that you want to enact?

You'll have time to discuss that on the network later, but now you need to start reacting to the Null's actions- which are apparently to start building smaller encampments around the city as they try to find the way inside. Confusion is holding them at bay for now but it might be time to start building some defensive measures and fortifications, because she won't be able to keep them at bay forever.

When they break in, they do so in a big way- with a massive explosion at Confusion's temple that rattles throughout the entire city. It's obvious that something has happened- and what exactly that something is reveals itself shortly when Null begin to flood the city, having broken through Confusion's protection.

This is when the fight escalates to an all-out war. Nobody is spared, and they're watching everyone from above. What will you do? How will you keep the ones you love safe? How can anyone survive this? All you can do is fight back, all we can do is wait. Good luck, Hadriel.

► This log covers the entirety of the Null attack
► 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 are killed by the Null, please let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This is wildly different than her last Null encounter. She had spent over a week without leaving her lab, in constant fear, broadcasting junk code and fixing weapons for the population while begging for help and safety. But this time, she can do something. She hasn't had a lot of training with this weapon- very little, actually- but damn, she's trying.

It probably makes her response to this less comforting.]

No, n-not really!

[But that, as it turns out, doesn't matter. The Null before them face them down, one on each side, and the first one takes a crashing step forward. Alphys screams but raises the key, as if it's the most natural thing in the world, and holds her ground as it raises its weapon.

She ends up too scared to take the first swing. But as it brings its beam saber down, she raises it up and parries, catching the blade on her weapon with a clang of metal on metal, holding it above her head as the Null presses down. At least Tinya is there to have her back.]

[and she's never faced the Null at all and while she's been learning how to use her katana ever since she came here, this will be the first time she's used it on something other than a monthly monster.

so she's feeling a little shaky herself, but she's trying to stay calm and in control for her friend's sake]

You'll be fine!

[the Null which faces Tinya is larger than she is, which is a little daunting. however, she stands her ground and waits for it to come to her. which it does, raising what looks like a giant sword arm down towards her.

there are visible sparks when their weapons connect and she growls, refusing to let it make her budge. it's harder than she thought it would be, but she's not about to let anyone down]

[What's happening here feels like a video game. The Null presses down and she can imagine herself sitting in her room, mashing the x button to escape a grapple and make a return combo. It's harder when it's her actual body having to pull off the moves, not a rigged an animated model. At least she has in her mind what she should do; Alphys tilts one way and the sword scrapes down and hits the floor, letting her back in control of her weapon. She brings it down hard on the fallen arm, and to her surprise, the metal gives way and severs the sword from the hand. Alphys lets out a disbelief filled laugh, looking back to Tinya.]

Did you s-see that!! I can't believe--

[Her head spines go almost all the way out as she swivels her head back and remembers the Null is still functioning, squeaking as she grips the keyblade harder.]

Ohgod it's still here!

[Time to swing again and Panic More.]

[Tinya's phased all but her hands which are holding her katana and is flying up, down, to the side, to the other side, stabbing and slashing at it as she goes.

she's damaging it, but what she has is a simple armory sword while Alphys' weapon is obviously something very different and capable of a great deal more destruction, as shown by the fact that she just cut its sword off]

I can. That was great!

[but yeah, they still haven't managed to find its core yet, which is worrisome. so she plunges her katana in at the top upper right hand corner and starts trying to pry it open. she's making progress, but it's slower than she'd like]

Yeah, it sure is. These things don't go down easy, do they?

[no, no, no, no need to panic. she's not alone here]

[Okay but hear her out: panic but Always,,,

Even though Alphys' weapon isn't sharp, strength of heart and magic adds a factor she sure as hell can't track with numbers. She just has to keep swinging and hope it's enough each time, utilizing what Aqua taught her and her previous knowledge of the Null.]

This one p-probably has more than one Core!

[Right on queue, the Null makes a startled and annoyed noise, like they caught it in a trap card. She does a quick pass, and decides to swipe for the legs.]

I'll-- knock it down!!

[fortunately for her, hers is sharp and she does have magic to fall back on, but she'd need to be solid for that. she's trying to avoid that.

she's paid close attention to all of the stories she could get out of other people about the Null. how they moved, how they fought, how best to kill them. but nothing compares to actual experience]

Because it's so big? Or because it's so annoying?

[she abandons trying to pry it open because it's really not working and because Alphys seems to have a plan]

And then we'll carve it up!

[It really does feel unreal, doing this. Alphys didn't think she had the strength to be making blows like this, to throw anything into anything enough to hurt, but Aqua had told her it was all about the strength of her heart- not her body. So she just believes, wills it to be so, and it goes in a way she doesn't know how to describe. The Null teeters and comes down right onto Tinya's blade, and Alphys stumbles backwards to try and get a better look at it.]

You want to, uhm-- they look like lightbulbs, b-but longer! That's the thing! We have to get them all!

[She's searching to see if another one is visible, and also trying not to hyperventilate. It's a lot to keep track of for one anxiety lizard.]

[thanks to her time in the Legion, she has a lot of combat experience, but these Null aren't like anything she fought back home. for one thing, she's expected to kill them, not just subdue them. and her blade is sharp enough for it to go through the Null like a hot knife through butter, but it's still twitching]

Okay, light bulbs! [she takes a look into the Null where she'd pried it open and spots another one, stabbing it directly. but it's still twitching] Got any ideas of where more might be?

[Tinya's actually pretty calm, all things considered. she smiles over at Alphys, hoping to put her more at ease]

[Alphys does not have fuck all in the way of actual fighting. She has magical girl poses, video game backflip moves, and her experience fake Naruto running through her Lab until she hits a wall. But adrenaline is a hell of a drug, and she sure is out here doing it no matter what. Thankfully, Tinya doing the actual attacking makes it much easier to just tell her what to do, like she's managing her Persona team against a monster.]

It's meant to share a n-neural load, so-- anywhere with high processing! Arms and legs if they have weapons, maybe a few in the chest if they have, uh, special abilities! If it still has lights on we must have missed one.

[she's been trained in lerdit, a native Bgztlian martial art and has had plenty of other combat training with the Legion. but all of that training was with a living opponent in mind. the Null are outside her experience, but she's doing her best to adapt and overcome.

and her next stab sends the Null crashing to the ground, but a light still flickers. Tinya stabs the light and it glows brightly for a moment before fading out. she doesn't relax her guard, though]

So this one's probably dead now?

[Honestly, it's a little staggering that she says things and TInya just does it. She actually has?? expertise?? That sounds incredibly fake. Alphys flinches back a bit as the Null falls, waiting a few beats of silence and her heavy breaths before she takes a step forward, nudging the Null with the keyblade. A few more seconds of silence pass, and she finally drops her shoulders.]

Uh. Yeah. Yeah I think we, uhm, g-got that one.

[Which she determined from her very scientific test of poking it on the ground. Of course.]

Thanks for helping me.

[why should it sound fake? Alphys is smart and she was here for the first Null invasion and she knows that Alphys has been working with [Name], so as far as Tinya's concerned, she's as close to an expert on the Null as they've got.

brightly] Good! On to the next?

[if it pokes and doesn't wiggle, it's probably dead]

It was my pleasure!

[As always, people around Alphys have a better opinion of her abilities than she does. She also chronically undervalues herself, so y'know, there's that. But at least she gives her a little smile at it all.]

Guess we'll uh, go find another one, yeah. And uhm, I can help show you what to look out for.

[She also wants to try a little more swinging, but also, wow she is already tired. Maybe she can build some stamina though all this.]

Let's go?

[she thinks that Alphys is sweet and smart and brave and all kinds of good things. and Tinya smiles back]

Absolutely! There's no sense in breaking up a team like this, right? And I'm going to need that information, so thank you.

[stamina comes through experience, at least as far as she knows]

Onward and upward! [she grins] I could totally do upwards, if you wanted to.

[She's about to answer in another quick nod or gesture, but the upward comment catches her off guard, and she slowly turns to look at Tinya again.]

You... you can?

[....... shit wait she wants that,]

I, uhm, m-might be too heavy, but, maybe it would be easier to figure out where they are from, uh... above... right?

[she nods and smiles brightly]

I can!

[everyone wants that once they know it's possible]

This [she points to the ring] can carry up to three hundred kilograms. There's no way you weigh that much. So, come on, let's go!

[She presses her snout down a bit, sort of like how Kermit looks when he's angry, but it just serves to make Alphys look cuter.]

Well, uhm... i-if it's no trouble...

[Alphys might be hesitant to say yes and impose, but she is nodding for sure. Do it. She's a magical girl and now might have a team and she's gonna?? Fly?? This is the best day ever, invasion notwithstanding.]

[it's absolutely precious <3 ]

It's absolutely no trouble! C'mon, let's go!

[they're a great team and they're going to kick all kinds of Null butt and they're going to fly and it's going to be great]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event Log: Null Attack

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