[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

[probablynoteren]

No, it's just... [he takes another breath, almost chokes on it because now that he's made a resolution but hasn't followed through on it yet, it's clogging up his throat and weighing down on his insides] I don't know if I'm making it worse, or not.

[There's another frozen moment where Lenka doesn't quite move, but he's scanning their surroundings, quickly -- checking that the street is deserted enough and that they have enough cover from all the debris. Then he turns toward Julius and in a silent, decisive moment rolls down the long glove on his right arm.

Something glimmers, crystalline and poisonous orange across his skin up and down his elbow -- it's not quite like any skin rash anyone should have. It's easily recognizable to anyone familiar with Oracle Cells and their effects, and continues in increasing intensity beyond the bared skin.

It's only a moment later that he pulls his glove back up again, eyes downcast. Even in Fenrir, currently, there are few who know -- and he hadn't exactly told them voluntarily. But here he... he feels a certain obligation, maybe. For better or for worse, the two of them are all they have.]

[bulletbiter]

[ At least Lenka is still himself. He's still human, despite those lesions. Julius has nothing to show, for the Oracle Cells have already claimed his body. ]

It's not your fault. [ Lenka would turn into an ordinary Aragami, if it ever came to pass. The Singularity would be untouchable by any that weren't it's own. That was the crux of Sakaki's plan. ] Whatever I experience is from myself. I have a unique strain... it is I who should fear affecting you.

[ Maybe he should be the one going away. ]

If you feel any more ill, you should leave me.

[probablynoteren]

[Now that they (mostly) understand each other, though, and the crux of the issues are over with (for now) -- Lenka's mostly back to his usual composed self. Or, perhaps more accurately, he's tucked away his remaining doubts beneath his will to keep moving; some of them are fuel, and some of them are simply shadow beneath his feet.

The shadows are a little longer, far away from home, but he'll do his best to stay ahead of them regardless. So he stubbornly shakes his head at Julius' warning, and doesn't budge, physically or otherwise.]

I chose to fight, back home. [chose to wield the God Arc again despite everything, because retirement would mean giving up, and he doesn't know any other way of life nor any other way of proving he's lived] I knew the risks. I know the risks. But I don't want to die here, and neither should you.

[It's not all that often that he bares himself in words. He goes a step further and holds out a hand to Julius; it's not the one with the armlet, the one the infection has claimed. Both are gloved.]

We can work with this. Work with me?

[bulletbiter]

[ Those words are familiar. Perhaps this boy had the same spirit as the person whom he had left his team to, being able to forge on without things to tie him down. Freedom to pursue what one thought was right.

He'd long thought himself past that possibility. Perhaps, there could be redemption, however painful it must be. ]

Trust me, the world would be better off without me.

[ But he also needs to respect the other's determination, one greater than himself; so he'll take that hand. His own hand feels cold. ]

I'll try my best.

[probablynoteren]

[Freedom is a strange thing: the lack of ties, but also sometimes the lack of roots or anchor; the inability to turn back. Lenka's found his anchor again in his Unit, and even here they keep him grounded and able to find his way, or at least the road signs. In some ways, it's about what's right and necessary; at the heart of it, he just wants to see them again.

So even if they don't have the same home, exactly, he can still pass a little of the warmth and strength of those connections to Julius with the handshake, and the small smile he gives him.]

There's a lot of worlds out here. [in a way, it's a reiteration of the hope he clumsily expressed when they met, and it won't be the last time; and if Julius is ready to go, he can also help pull him to his feet] Thanks.

[bulletbiter]

[ Lenka wants to go home. He should go home, Julius should not. Should he return, both their worlds will be forfeit. And with every world he lingers in, the more likely it will be that the Aragami taint might spread.

But for now, this is enough. ]

Let's go back.