here we go again...

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Who: Everyone
Where: Aimintas
When: Day 56
Open/Closed: OTA

[ Feel free to use this entry as a mingle for whatever your characters will be up to during the bigger Uvi attack! You can find details about it in this weekly update post.

(This post is forward dated by a few hours as I temporarily forgot how timezones work... please forgive me.) ]

Comments

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[ Feel free to wildcard it up with me! Julius will be calling up people he knows via telepathy as soon as he receives news of the attack via Kosuzu's dreams and her telling it to the barrier crew. Being a field leader back home, he'll try to organize small teams to be posted around Aimintas and have their weapons ready for an emergency. I can be reached via PMs for plotting, if you'd like to discuss anything!

Basically I'm playing this by ear so let me know if I can help. ]

➛ ota

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preparations;

[ It helps being in a team. Even if they were all from different worlds - everyone's efforts helped to increase the odds of this impending bloodbath becoming less of a bloodbath. And as long as Julius can still move, he'll help to further said odds. They'd have to pry his sword from his cold dead body... if he could even be killed in this state. It's not a thought he'd want to think too much about. ]

Are you ready?

[ It's a vague sort of question, designed to fish out whatever details that he could possibly help with. His sword was never far from reach nowadays, so he considers himself primed for battle.

Old habits are hard to kick. ]

in the storm;

[ The Uvi have landed. It's much more chaotic than the last attack, which was logical given how they had planned for this ambush. It also means the coven members must band together for this threat - and as much as Julius advocates for others to go out in groups, the advice is ill applied to himself.

As soon as he can be sure the others will hold, he'll strike out on his own. Maybe you're the one running after him, or have encountered him in the streets after a while. Those who have seen him in the previous battle wouldn't find it too strange, the sight of him wielding his two-metre long greatsword as a counter-balance in a blade dance of death - but if one looks closer, they would see that black spider marks have appeared all over what's visible of his skin.

There's even one on his face. Yet he continues fighting in spite of it... almost like a possessed man. If you're still standing there gawping, he'll have a message for you: ]

Take this side, we need to clear this road!

prep

[yancat]

I'm not a warrior by any means. I'm not a mage either.

[There's little sense in asking Jumin such a question, because the answer is a clear no. He's a corporate heir far too underqualified to fulfill a duty thrust upon him by the coven and the Palai. He fiddles with his cuffs — a habit Julius might have seen more often these days.]

But I'm not about to shirk responsibility.

[He has a set of magically charged throwing knives strapped to his person. For someone whose never seen war, it's a strange choice of weapon.]

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[ It may be a strange choice of weapon, but at least it works for a weapon. And if not, Julius can always cover for him. ]

I'll help you.

[ For someone who's more of a support role, stepping forward is already putting a great deal of risk on himself. No one must die in this battle... no one. No one that Julius can reasonably save. ]

[yancat]

[Jumin looks at him from the corner of his eye. If monsters and shadows appear when you least expect them, will Julius show himself when he looks away? The magical is not a matter he's ever had to entertain — too many unknown factors.

He adjusts his collar.]

That's as much your duty as it is mine, but I won't be taking to the front lines.

[bulletbiter]

[ Definitely understandable. Julius has to judge his own abilities as well - while his wounds have healed, there are... other issues. ]

Where will you go?

[yancat]

A handful will need to reassure and keep the Palai in check while the others take to the front lines. Fear is a powerful thing.

[Not that he knows what war is like. He's just doing his best not to panic, himself. He's damn good at it so far.]

You? Not climbing trees for your employer again I assume.

in the storm (also v late)

[secrowtary]

[ Last time they have seen each other, Hibiki sure asked about Julius' greatsword and its length.

Who would have thought that he's going to get the answer to his question right in the middle of a battlefield? Not that it doesn't make sense, but it's definitely not what Hibiki expected back when he posed that question. ]

Understood, but...Julius-san, are you positive that you can fight in this state?

[ The noticeable black spider marks aren't affecting his performance from what Hibiki can see, but he's still a bit concerned. ]

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[ There's no response for a few moments as Julius focuses on driving off the Uvi on his particular side; it's only when the fishmen fall completely still does he straighten up. ]

I still can. Though perhaps you shouldn't come too close to me.

[ Not trusting that his voice would hold, he'd opt for telepathy altogether. Given the length of his blade, it would have a wide swing and might hurt an ally. ]

[secrowtary]

Still?

[ Hibiki narrows his eyes, feeling like this single word might be crucial. ]

I would advise you to—

[ Whatever his advice is, he doesn't have the chance to finish as another Uvi group is approaching. ]

Do you think you could break their formation?

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Yes. I can't be sure that I won't hit you in the process, please stay back.

[ Julius straightens up and eyes their approaching opponents; there's a good number, but not too many. He may be able to split them and round them up from behind.

Holding that thought in mind, he'll position himself in the middle of the road and wait until the Uvi are within striking distance. Taking a breath, he hefts his blade and dashes forward, swinging the sword in a wide horizontal arc. The Uvi may be able to dodge his swing, but they were unprepared for the countless air blades that manifested behind it. They would bite into flesh with the strength designed to pierce monstrous hide, which should be enough to stagger them for a short while. ]

IN THE STORM late and i changed my mind oops

[lohengrins]

[ percival's eyes narrow -- sword in hand, his eyes dart from the enemy and then towards julius.

it's a difficult decision to make: julius is entirely correct, the road must be cleared, and yet those marks rouse something within him.

so without further ado, percival hastily makes his way to julius. ]

Back down. You'll die if you continue to fight in this state.

pets

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[ It's ironic, how fighting makes everything stand out in bright clarity, the only time when the Singularity would align itself with him. To kill, destroy, and make anew... though if he did had a say in it, it would be that only monsters should be killed.

Julius straightens up, wiping the grime on his face using his sleeve ]

I'm fine.

[ Well, he's not, but he also will not die. His body will see to it. ]

it just gets worse.....

[lohengrins]

The marks all over your body say otherwise.

[ he unsheathes his sword, his form clearly now defensive, and steps forward. ]

How did you get those? And have you received any kind of healing whatsoever?

:')

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[ Considering that Julius is using a greatsword that's longer than he is tall, he had hoped it to demonstrate his capability to some effect. ]

Healing won't do anything. [ Because it's a curse that comes from within. ] If it bothers you to see them, then I will go elsewhere.

[ It's said frankly, without any trace of passive-aggressiveness. If it's a hindrance, then it should be corrected. ]

➛ closed to established CR (warning for mild-ish body horror)

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part one;

[ There's simply too many of them. A swarm, and as much as they try to push them back, it's evident that the Uvi outside wouldn't be mopped up so easily. They need a better solution. A solution that had been staring at him in the face since he came here. He had came out of it alive once, with others' help. The blond man looks down at his hands, now covered in the scrawls of the Black Plague. His body remembers, even as he tries to forget. If the people here would not abandon him to fight alone, then perhaps... ]

Do me a favour, would you? Take these civilians to the barrier. I need to try something alone.

[ Should his partner agree, and return later, they will find Julius literally rooted to the ground. White branches have sprouted from his back and pierced through his clothes, planting themselves into the ground below. A few of them grow into something resembling long, slender wings, wrapping themselves around him in a half-formed cocoon. Only his upper body is visible at this point. ]

You're here? [ there's the slightest feeling of oh shit even if the man would never be caught using these words ] Stay where you are! Don't come closer. Please.

part two;

[ Or maybe you've taken a bit more time to escort the Palai away from danger, and had skipped the tree formation process entirely. Instead of finding Julius where you've left him, you will see his blade left lying on the ground, at the (hovering) feet of someone else.

Who's that? ]

P1 sidles in fashionably lateish

[probablynoteren]

[Lenka's reluctant to go. To be more precise, he doesn't want to go at all; he doesn't really recognize the strange scrawling marks on Julius' skin, but given what they both now know they chill him all the same, ice creeping down his spine each time he looks over in the midst of the fighting and sees that they've spread farther.

But they're on the front lines, and losing ground, and they're not going to be able to guarantee the safety of these Palai or the remaining barriers if they don't fall back and reinforce the modules -- they can't afford to lose any of the Eltos, and Lenka knows that having civilians exposed while he's fighting does neither him nor anyone else any favors. Still--

Whatever Julius wants to gallivant off by himself to do, it can't be anything good. But there's no one else within easy distance to herd the panicking Palai out of the line of fire, so Lenka finally grits his teeth and does it as quickly and cleanly as he knows how; at the very least he's experienced in commanding, cajoling, dragging people bodily to safety if he must. But it takes time, no matter what, with groups of this number -- seconds ticking by where Julius is out of sight and he has no idea what's happening, or whether their line of defense is holding.

By the time he finally manages to extract himself from the uneasy crowd and the module, he's running, knife in hand and magic ready -- however much help that would be in the middle of this mess.]

What-- [Julius' warning falls on deaf ears, but is unneeded for the moment once Lenka finally rejoins him, because he stumbles to his knees a fair distance from the rooted cocoon; there's a long moment of silence where nothing moves except the Uvi forces nearby] Julius. It's stronger. What did you do...?

[Even his mental voice is shaky, shot through with noise and confusion. They don't have the time for this song and dance when Lenka can see perfectly well with his eyes what's happening once he gets his head back up, and there are more Uvi coming. But it's hard to comprehend even if he's staring right at it: Julius certainly has some strange connection with plants, and he'd thought at first that he'd gotten tangled in shrubbery again.

But that's definitely not shrubbery, and the strange reaction that had knocked him right to the ground is much too familiar in the worst way.]

ayyyyy

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[ The Bias Field around him flares, unfortunately out of his control - for his body is no longer his, and he has to wait until the assimilation completes before trying to temper it down. The Oracle cells flow into each other, reassembling and robbing him of the capability to feel in his peripheral nerves - because he doesn't have them anymore. ]

Stay away!

[ The cocoon closes over him, its interior lit up by a white lambent light; no shadows visible to suggest what happens within. Lenka will have about half a minute to wait as Julius' telepathic voice cuts out, as if smothered by the bias field - until the pressure seems to vanish entirely.

The pale membrane cracks in half, opening in a manner reminiscent of wings unfolding to reveal something entirely unfamiliar. ]

[probablynoteren]

[He's way too dizzy and disoriented to do anything but stay away, which may be a good thing given how stubborn Lenka can be about these things; what he does manage to do is climb to his feet, unsteadily, by the time the pressure starts letting up. It leaves his head ringing so fiercely he can hardly hear his own thoughts, never mind anything Julius is trying to communicate.

He takes a moment to shake it a little, wincing but somehow in one piece (the bias field is invisible, certainly, but it somehow feels like it should have left a mark all the same at that intensity; he'd be afraid to look under his gloves or in a mirror). There's only a moment or two to stare in consternation at what has taken Julius' place before the next wave of the Uvi attack slams into them, but the image burns itself into his memory all the same, even at a distance.

A form he's never seen before, but the construction of which he knows on an instinctual level, has known all his life as a clawing dread at the pit of his stomach -- something made solely to destroy, rend, devour. Aragami.]

Julius. [is all he manages in between trying to dodge the sudden waves of salt water, sea creatures and enemy blades; he's still not particularly well equipped for it, and is distracted besides. Still. He reaches out anyway, shoving aside the implications of what Julius has done and what he is or isn't -- a call, a question and an appeal all at once.

He doesn't know if he expects an answer.]

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[ The Aragami hovers still for a few moments, Julius wrestling for control with the core that had now become exposed in the creature's heart - but this isn't the first time, and he's long since grown used to keeping it under control. He will stay himself for the sake of others.

He doesn't reply at first, the floating blades behind him coming together in some sort of flower formation before a laser arcs across the field; knocking an Uvi behind Lenka straight back into a wall. ]

If my presence make you feel ill, you should go.

➛ the pruning (closed)

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[ It's been a long day.

Somehow, controlling his Aragami form hadn't been as difficult as he had thought it would be. His sword was no longer needed; thus it was given to Lenka with the explicit specification that it would be used against him in case he turned berserk. So far, staying himself had not been cripplingly hard. The additional firepower was welcome against their opponents and their tactics, being able to simply blast through barriers with sheer force. The question now is, how long will he be able to keep it up?

It's impossible to speak without actual vocal cords, so he's been keeping communication with his allies by means of telepathy. Screening the discordant noise from his words is easy given his willpower, so it wouldn't be too incapacitating for them. He'd made sure of that.

But he's been quiet for some time now. ]

[deem]

[A long day indeed. 9S has spent the bulk of the day running himself ragged, hunting down and attacking Uvi and the stray bit of vicious marine life whenever he's spotted them. Mostly he's interfered wherever their numbers have threatened to overwhelm anyone, but they've shown up in much greater numbers than last time.

He could really use a bath, right about now.

But when he hears from Julius, he knows there remains something he has to do. A certain discomfort settles in his middle at the prospect of needing to stop the man, knowing him to have been kind and accepting in a way that was both comforting and strange at once. When he hones in on Julius' location and spots him, he wonders if perhaps he might better understand why]

Julius— [He starts, only to forcefully clamp his mouth shut. Right. He'd said he couldn't speak, before...] Julius, that's you, right?

[It's a little difficult to believe, just looking at him]

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[ Julius' human form appears to have been repurposed as the Aragami's head, his body pierced through by the crown-like structure behind him. But it helps to fight, as perhaps evident by the six organic blades behind his back. It's not a sight that most people would be comfortable to see, which makes him grateful that 9S had indeed come. ]

Yes, it's me. I'm sorry.

[ And it's a good thing that 9S is an android, since his Bias Field might have sent any other human reeling. ]

I think I can still go on, for a while. If we do have to fight, I would hope we do it away from the others.

[deem]

[It's a phenomenon 9S has to see to believe, and even then he questions how such an ability exists. He isn't sure if this is the work of magic or something else entirely, but it's worrisome to look upon even at a distance like this.

Is Julius in pain, using this form? He can only wonder]

You think I'll need to fight you?

[He bites his lip, finding the thought troubling. Perhaps he will have to, for the sake of others, but harming the man still isn't something he looks forward to the prospect of]

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[ It's only by virtue of his self-control that Julius is able to restrain the Singularity's mind from transferring across telepathy. Pain and discord can still be held at bay as long as he has a greater goal to focus on. ]

Perhaps. I have to fight the instinct to destroy all that is in my path... I am still myself now, but in case I slip - knocking it out will give me a chance to recover.

[ He's not sure what to call... the thing. It. Singularity. Lots of technical terms. ]