[WORLD ONE | UVI ATTACK]

[spellbindmods]

Who: The Uvi and coven members
Where: In and around the city land of Aimintas
When: Day 32 & 33
Open/Closed: Open to All

For coven members who haven't been in Aimintas very long, the panic of the Palai the past few days may seem like overkill. The day goes by rather quietly and Aimintas looks like a ghost town throughout the morning and most of the afternoon. Not one Palai can be seen, with shops closed and the roads virtually empty, aside from coven members. It isn't until the sky is turning a nice shade of pink that things begin. Observant people who may be gazing up at the ocean will see the very small dots in the sky that begin to approach at a very quick speed. If you're outside, you may get to see the Uvi up close -- but perhaps not for very long. The Uvi have rubbery bones, and they hit the dirt in a curled up position, unrolling themselves and leaping up on long, scaled legs. The shortest Uvi might come in at five feet tall, but most range from six to seven. They're lithe and gilled -- you may think they want to rely on stealth, but the sound coming out of their gills is very loud and raspy. There's no way you can't hear them coming as the ominous and rapid noise follows them everywhere. Some of them are walking around empty handed, eyes scanning and striding up to buildings, banging on the outside and observing the inside of the house as much as they possibly can. Others are carrying large, bleached tools made of fish bone and teeth. Some look like long blades, while others look like long axes. These are used for cutting into doors and other violent tasks they feel the need to complete. A ▢ If your character is wandering the streets, whether of their own ignorance or because they're part of the team trying to protect/negotiate with the Palai, they're very likely to run into one of the Uvi. While left to their own devices they'll only be focused on sniffing out Palai, but they're committed to going after anything they see alive and moving. If your character confronts the Uvi, they better be prepared for an attack. B ▢ Alternatively, maybe your character is caught outside and ill-equipped to handle the Uvi. Running is an option! ...But they better be able to run fast. Maybe your character gets lucky enough to run into someone who can help them, but they'd best hope they find each other fast. C ▢ Your character may also be committed to love and justice, fighting the forces of evil with good. It's very unlikely that Palai blood goes unspilled tonight, but your character may be able to prevent it as much as possible. Just be warned: if they confront the Uvi who are trying to break into a Palai house, they're going to be in for a fight. D ▢ Other characters may already be hiding, whether in the coven house or with Palai in their own homes. They'll hear the Uvi's harsh, gasping breathing before they see them, but if they do hear that raspy noise, they'd better be quick thinkers. Whether the Uvi visiting turns into a brawl or a blood bath, eventually the Uvi will return to the ocean with Palai bodies in tow. At around 4 AM, the Uvi begin to shriek, some making noises that are too high pitched for most ears to hear. From the sky, large flying fish descend from the sky and find their masters. The Palai are hoisted onto the back of these creatures and they take off, flying back into the ocean. E ▢ If your character is committed to defeating the Uvi, they may want to try and target the large fish they'll be flying out of. It's possible to kill them in the air, but watch where they fall. They're incredibly large -- larger than the sharks and bigger fish that have fallen out of the sky before. They can also be killed on the ground, but you'll also have to do with their protective Uvi owners. F ▢ Maybe your character is more into the idea of following the Uvi back home. It's possible! Once the Uvi breach the ocean, they swim fast through the dark water for miles and miles. The journey is treacherous, and some may stop the trek to attack in the water where they're more at home. If your character makes it to their lair, they'll find that it's a dense wad of seaweed that stays static in the ocean. The Uvi are used to the toxicity of the leaves, but trying to enter means touching these leaves that leave large, skin-melting welts as they grow and burst. G ▢ Wildcard! How will your character handle this violent and volatile situation.

Comments

[talim]

... How can you tell?

[ jude cocks his head to the side. is this what 9s meant by being a scanner? maybe it's the goggles. ]

[deem]

[There are quite a number of details 9S takes in about any environment, once he's in it. That's the sort of thing he's made for. Sometimes, it's incredibly distracting, even in the middle of a battle.

In this case though-]

I can hear them moving, and there aren't any electronic signals. [Meaning it's not machines, though he knows that's not really a factor in this place. On the other hand, there's a fairly telltale sign] There's also the blood...

[talim]

Blood... ?

[ jude's expression grows concerned as his fingers curl around his wrist, wringing it in a familiar nervous gesture. ]

We should go check it out. No — we have to. Are you with me?

[deem]

[9S nods, and starts toward the commercial facility, strides quick despite his small stature]

I'll take point.

[If any hostiles appear, it would make the most sense for him to dispatch them so Jude can attend to the wounded]

[talim]

Got it!

[ jude jogs behind him to keep up, his mind flashing back to the sketch 9s drew once again. he is pretty fast. it'd be neat to watch him and 2b jumping from roof to roof like the sketch depicted. ]

[deem]

[It doesn't take 9S long to reach the structure, entryway half-collapsed under its own weight, rendered brittle by the Uvi assault. He glances around before spotting a broken window, glass littering the pavement now.

This space is sufficient for someone his size, and Jude's, so he gestures for the other boy to follow before ducking inside the building to have a look around. If there are any enemies milling about, better that he be attacked rather than his human companion]

[talim]

[ jude follows close behind, not deeming it wise to allow too much distance between the two of them. ]

How close are the signs of life? It's rather...

[ he squeezes past a narrow space. ]

... cramped in here.

[deem]

Considering the damage, we're lucky we've got this much space...

[Still, 9S can understand the discomfort. He ducks under a fallen support beam and continues on, ignoring the dust that clings to his dark uniform]

There should be two just up ahead, judging from the breathing.

[talim]

[ his lab coat is already getting dirty, but that's the least of jude's worries. he doesn't even realize he's holding his breath, heartbeat stuttering. ]

... So how bad do you think it is?

[ he shakes his head, despite the fact that 9s isn't looking at him. ]

Never mind. I guess we're about to see for ourselves.

[deem]

They were able to move from the entrance to here...

[So at the least that means one of them is ambulatory, if not both.

9S casts a glance around before he veers off to the left, through a doorway. He trusts that Jude will follow, and he's quite sure the structural integrity of the building will hold.

Otherwise, he'd be sticking pretty darned close to Jude right about now]

Over here.

[He calls once he's spotted the injured Palai, crouching beside them and tapping the air with one finger. What he pulls up on a holographic screen is data he's gathered on the physiology of the locals — he's had as many questions for them as they had for him]

[talim]

[ jude takes a good second or two to marvel at the advanced technology 9s is using before he snaps back to reality and rushes over to the wounded palai, crouching opposite of 9s. immediately, his hands begin glowing a bright white. 9s was right; there's blood pooled beneath them. the palai are unconscious, but they're still breathing. ]

I'll handle this. 9S, keep on the lookout for any approaching Uvi. Chances are they're still lingering around here somewhere.

[ it's more of a command than anything else, jude's voice cutting sharply across the bleak corridor. it's a voice 9s hasn't heard before, coming from him. ]

Do you have any information on the Palai I need to know?

[ he's focusing all his mana on casting healer, eyes closed with concentration. ]

[deem]

[So, rather like Emil, Jude is capable of magic. Well, perhaps not exactly like Emil — Jude is still human so far as 9S can discern. Still he wonders about this ability, and whether it's one of those ones that this "Qri" apparently distributed among them. Just as soon as the question comes to mind, he discards it, because Jude seems quite in command of that ability.

Were it new, it would be just as unnatural to him as the strange network to which they had all been connected.

If anything, the order feels more appropriate to him than Jude's usual insistence that they're equals. This, he thinks, is easier for him to understand]

I've gathered information on Palai physiology, though since you're using magic, I'm unsure how useful it is...

[He brushes the screen aside with a touch and it vanishes as he rises to his feet, but he takes pause for a moment to concentrate. If he can transmit images and speech, can he also transmit data to a human? During the silence that follows he makes an attempt, even as he turns to stalk down the hall, sword flickering into being in his grip]

[talim]

Don't worry about that. Just read me the information. There's still a decent chance it will help. At the very least, it can't hurt.

[ before 9s has the chance to read it out loud, however, it's just... it's flowing, like magic he's never seen before. ]

Wait. I think I've got it.

[ judging by 9s' data, it looks like his healing capabilities should be just as effective as they would be on other humans. with a sigh of relief, jude moves on to the other injured palai, feeling more confident in his abilities than he did before. with this amount of attention, they should make it. ]

[deem]

It worked then?

[That's a relief. At least 9S knows that he can share his gathered data with others then, even though only 2B is an android like himself. And maybe those AI units operate similarly, chests that solid matter phases right through aside.

Passionlip's structure remains a true mystery.

9S doesn't pause for long, continuing down the hall and looking for any signs of hostiles or other wounded Palai, steps cautious and measured]

[talim]

Seems like it.

[ jude lingers behind to continue casting, putting every ounce of focus he has into the healing artes at his disposal. sure enough, he can sense that the wounds are closing up. at this rate, it shouldn't take much longer to finish up. ]

... Be careful, 9S. It's dark down there. Watch your step.

[ it's jude's way of telling him not to stray too far from his side. ]

[deem]

I'll be fine, my pod has—

[He stops himself short. Sets his jaw. Pod 153 is missing: all of its utilities and even its simple presence are currently lost to him. His free hand clenches into a fist. No matter how miraculous the existence of 2B and mankind are, losing his pod isn't something he'll accept. But for the time being, there's nothing he can do.

The lapse between halting one sentence and amending with another is longer than he means it to be, and comes with an uncharacteristic stiffness, for those who didn't know him during his roaring rampage of revenge days]

...My goggles should suffice.

[talim]

[ jude tilts his head, obvious concern written in his features. right. his pod. jude has gotten so used to seeing 9s without one he almost forgot about 2b's, and how enthralled he was by it. he can't help but feel a little guilty.

as soon as he's finished, he takes several careful steps closer to rest a gentle hand on 9s' small shoulder. ]

We'll get Pod back. For the time being, though, I'm tagging along with you. The Palai should be fine.

[deem]

[9S stiffens under that touch. It's not the contact that prompts this, but rather the expectation that Jude would remain with the Palai, where it's relatively safe. If he's coming with him...that's more dangerous, isn't it?]

You're sure someone shouldn't stay behind to protect them?

[The suggestion is quite guided, rather than being wholeheartedly sincere, but...]

[talim]

[ he feels 9s go rigid underneath his touch, and jude is quick to remove his hand. maybe he should have been more considerate of 9s' personal space, but jude has always been one to offer comfort on instinct alone. ]

It doesn't look like the Uvi could manage to squeeze back through the front entrance. It's a pretty tight fit down there, and now that they've been healed up, the Palai should wake soon enough.

... I mean, I suppose I could stay and keep an eye on them, but I really don't know how I feel about letting you go off on your own.

[deem]

You don't think I could handle myself? [9S doesn't believe that's the sum total of what Jude's thinking, but...] Before I was assigned to work with 2B, I was always in the field alone.

[He didn't like it, of course. It was frightening, and it was lonely, but he managed nevertheless, just like any Scanner would]

[talim]

[ a somewhat bewildered frown tugs at his lips. he knows 9s didn't intend it, but that kind of hurt. he didn't mean to underestimate him, but he didn't expect 9s to snap at him, either. ]

What? No! That's not it at all!

[ he waves his hands in protest. ]

It's just... I was just... We agreed to back each other up, didn't we? I never meant to imply that I don't think you're capable. All I meant is that exploring in a pair is always safer than heading out alone. After wll, we don't know what's in here, but we do know that it can't be good.

[deem]

[In turn, Jude's reaction surprised 9S. He had only meant to state the facts, and thinks he was calm enough about doing so, yet it seems he's prompted this explanation.

Later, he'll have to review and analyze this. But for now...]

In close quarters like this, that might be dangerous. [9S lifts his sword demonstratively — it's nearly as tall as either of them] The way I use my weapon isn't the same as others, because I wasn't designed for melee combat.

[talim]

[ jude holds out his calloused fists, turning his palms over to give 9s a good look at them. ]

Combat isn't exactly my specialty, either, but we'll make it work.

[deem]

[9S does glance down at those hands, though he feels like Jude ought to have a melee weapon if he intends to fight up close. It'd be safer, coming from the perspective of a unit like himself]

...Are your hands damaged?

[Excuse him, because he's never seen calluses before]

i think i was spelling callus wrong this entire time up until this tag

[talim]

Huh?

[ oh. the calluses. jude squints down at them — he'd forgotten they were even there in the first place. they used to bother him. ]

Oh. Those are just calluses. They're toughened areas of the skin in response to friction and other things. They aren't harmful. Just sort of there.