[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

[deem]

They should live, at least...

[And he's collected valuable unit data on the enemy, which is always a plus.

The hesitation gives him pause, studying Jude's features before he responds]

...Sometimes measures you'll find unpleasant are necessary. You'll have to remember that units like me and 2B are accustomed to this sort of thing. It's not the same as it is for a human.

[Did he guess right?]

[talim]

[ ... he guessed right. ]

Listen, just...

Next time, when you're going to jump into danger and self-destruct, mind giving a guy a little heads up first?

[ he doesn't think he's asking much here. ]

[deem]

[Does Jude think he'd self-destruct while he's nearby?

Because that's...really the most awful thought]

...I wouldn't ever risk harming you.

[He might've guessed right the once, but this time...]

[talim]

I know you wouldn't. Of course I do. That's, uh, not what I meant.

[deem]

Advance warning would be necessary if you'd be endangered, wouldn't it?

[Explain to him the flaw in his logic, doc]

[talim]

Well, yes, but—

What I'm trying to say is that you really freaked me out there. I thought you were in danger, and I'd really appreciate it if you just... didn't startle me like that.

[deem]

Oh...

[That stab of guilt is very real right now]

I'm sorry I worried you over nothing.

[Ah yes, overheating his systems in order to cause an explosion: nothing at all]

That sort of thing isn't lethal like a black box reaction would be, but damage to the area would be prohibitively extensive, not to mention in a world like this it'd cause fatalities... and 2B and I don't have any backup bodies...

[talim]

[ jude can read the guilt, practically feel it radiating off of him in waves, and he instantly regrets his choice of words. he should have realized that 9s might take it the wrong way. damn. ]

That's not what I was trying to get at. It's not nothing. Not to me. Hearing an explanation helps, but... all I'm asking is that you be a little more careful.

[ jude rests a hand on his back that he hopes is reassuring, and tries a smile. it's small, but it's there. ]

Okay?

[deem]

[It's difficult to see where he had gone wrong, having ensured that Jude and the Palai were a safe distance away with a stone wall serving as a barrier between them. Maybe it's another case of applying human standards to him...

He doubts he'll ever acclimate to such a thing, especially when his core programming rails against such indulgent treatment. Even so, it's another case in which Jude simply proves himself too kind]

I'll...try to give you advance warning.

[Is that even what he's asking for? 9S can only guess]

[talim]

[ jude breathes a long sigh of relief, and then he smiles, warm and genuine. ]

That's all I ever wanted.

[ he stands up and dusts himself off. he'll have to wash his lab coat... there are stains coloring the white material everywhere. ]

Come on. No point wasting any more time around here. Can you stand?

[ jude extends out a hand for 9s to pull himself up with. he doesn't think twice about the gesture. ]

[deem]

[9S looks up at Jude's hand and can't help a weary laugh, small thing that it is]

I'm pretty heavy, you know...

[Of course he knows, he'd gathered him up before. He gets up slowly, and a little unsteadily at that, but he's on his feet soon enough. It's not the first time he's needed to recover from detonation.

After a moment of consideration, he just drapes his shorts over his shoulder. He can put those back on later, no big deal]

We should evacuate the Palai.

this is prob a good place to stop

[talim]

On it.

[ and off they go. ]