here we go again...

[bulletbiter]

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

[deem]

Speci[A]l Delivery
[After warnings regarding Uvi activity are issued, 9S gets right to work. He helps craft as many shield modules as he can, building these units alongside the Palai and his fellow coven members. There isn't nearly enough time to cover every building, but they have to do as much as they can.

Once they've got the numbers, 9S sets about the real task: distribution. He can be spotted roving rooftops at unnatural speeds expected from a YoRHa android, a black and white blur rushing along only to drop in front of doorsteps and deposit modules near doorways, knocking on those doors to inform residents of the device's utility and how to activate and power it, advising an Eltos be present for this.

The only thing is...it's pretty inefficient. When he takes as many modules as he can carry, it's cumbersome, and sometimes they fall and roll away from him. When he's carrying less, well...then it's him running back and forth...

Give a guy a hand, put postal services to shame]

[B]locking Traffic
[When combat has broken out in earnest, 9S flits between buildings to run interference. Though tests have proven that impact won't damage barriers, that doesn't mean that a protracted battle is favorable. Wherever he sees a group of Uvi blindly attacking barriers (so reminiscent of machines...) or gathering around other people, he strikes.

But 9S isn't a typical melee fighter. Instead his weapon shoots through the air to crash into his foes, blade cutting a wide arc through the air to repel them. A short distance away, 9S waves his arm and the blade whips around again to cleave an Uvi's weapon in half before it flickers from sight and back to its place suspended behind him]

You okay?

[He wasn't made for melee, and it sure does show]

Old [C]omrades (for 2B)
[Anytime that 9S isn't occupied with attacking the enemy, he's off to find his partner unit. Reluctant as he is to leave 2B's side, he does understand that there are only the two of them and so many humans they're responsible for, and they necessarily part ways when enemies gather in different locations.

Even so, it's inevitable that 9S bounds back to her side whenever the opportunity presents itself. On one such occasion, several Uvi are rushing to join a pack 2B is already engaging, and 9S switches his primary weapon to a lance, hurling it toward these would-be attackers to stagger their progress.

It strikesthe first Uvi in this procession in the head with a sharp crack, its body buckling under the impact and forcing the others to stumble]

2B, behind you!

[Once, he'd failed to protect her. He refuses to let it happen ever again]

a

[imsorey]

[as soon as they get the warnings Sorey is out and about in the city looking for ways to help, so it doesn't take him long to spot 9S jumping around making shield module deliveries. he knows just enough to know that they're something that's going to help, and that they could probably use an extra pair of hands, so he flags 9S down when he isn't on a rooftop.]

Hey! Do you need help with those? How many do you have left?

[deem]

[If anyone ever wants to see somebody nail the superhero landing, watch an android thump to the pavement and stand right back up. It'd be pretty impressive too, if not for the fact that one of 9S' modules rolls right out of his arms and halts several feet away. Almost nailed it.

He's bending to pick up that errand bit of hardware when he hears someone speak, and he turns to find—]

Oh, aren't you Mikleo's friend?

[Yellow ear-feathers, how many guys have those?

He'll get back on the matter at hand once he's verified this. Friend identification clearly matters]

[imsorey]

[he's briefly startled by the question—people usually can't see Mikleo to know that they're friends, so it's something he's not used to. but he recovers quick enough and steps over to help pick up the module, a pleased little smile on his face.]

Huh? Oh, yeah, that's me! I take it that means you've met him. Doesn't that make you his friend too?

[deem]

Thanks.

[He says as much as he straightens, adjusting the armful of modules he's been carting around. They're not the most manageable load, and he wishes he had the necessary resources to change that, but there's no time for tinkering with that.

The question gives him pause, regarding feather-ears in curious silence for a moment]

I don't think he's called me one... But he's a nice guy. He helped me join that scouting mission a while back, even though a unit like me is pretty heavy.

[imsorey]

Unit?

[the odd choice of words gives him pause and he takes a better look at the kid. he doesn't look heavy, but looks can be deceiving.]

Well, he wouldn't turn away someone who wants to help, heavy or not. And I bet if you asked him, he'd say you're a friend.

[deem]

[Reflexively, 9S moves an arm to salute, only to remember that he's got his hands full at the moment. All he achieves is jostling the devices in his arms before he halts himself]

YoRHa unit 9S, Sir. I'm an android, which uh...probably doesn't mean anything to you, but I'm a product of technological development. Mikleo told me where you're from, magic's more heavily relied on instead.

[And that information's quite useful now, as he adjusts his collection of gadgets in his grip]

Whether he sees me as one or not... I still want to help with his visibility situation. [A beat, before something occurs to him] Say, you're human, right? But you can see him?

[imsorey]

Just Sorey is fine, there's no need to call me "sir".

[politeness is fine, but that just makes him feel old. he scoops up the fallen module into his arms and steps closer, putting this information together with what other people have told him about their worlds; technology sure is something else.]

It's nice to meet you, 9S. I'll admit I don't fully understand what an android is, but if you give me a while I'll pick it up. I'm human, but because I have a high resonance I can see Mikleo. Can...you see him? Most humans on my world can't.

[deem]

I don't mind. At least you haven't told me I can't exist or anything.

[Because that's the most delightful sort of debate to get into...especially with members of a race he's inclined to obey. Thankfully that hasn't been a common reaction in his experience thus far.

If anything most people are more accepting than he'd expect, when they aren't familiar even with the notion of androids]

Not to much see as sense him, I guess. I'm a Scanner, so I can pick up on readings like body temperature, and I can tell where he is that way. [And sort of see him, after a fashion. 9S raises a hand and taps the air, holographic screens springing to life in front of him] But if I filter light just right, then I can.

[He pokes a small node on one of those screens, pulling up a picture of Mikleo he's recorded. All of his memories exist as files, so it's a simple matter to display one]

c.

[apatheia]

[2B doesn't bother to respond as she immediately turns around to strike the Uvi behind her, then spinning her greatsword in an arc around her and keeping her perimeter guarded. It's only natural for 9S to come support her in battle after all, and a little time spent in peace rather than battle isn't enough to affect how in sync they are. When it comes to working together in battle, they don't need to speak to know that the other will be there to support them.

Never mind that the last time they fought together, that wasn't quite how things went. She has no intention of letting things go similarly, not with both humans and the Palai to protect.

(The fact that his safety is paramount to anything else won't be changing anytime soon though.)]

We can't let them past us. [Behind them stands one of the unguarded buildings, a number of Palai evacuating now to head for somewhere safer.] At least not until that building's clear.

[deem]

[There's a certain old familiarity that comes of joining 2B on the battlefield. After whatever processes led to his repair, he knows just how many times it's been. He also knows how many times it hasn't; how many times he wasn't able to fight because a Scanner was never intended to. Here and now, it feels like the old days when they'd squared off against machines.

Except now the blood seeping into their uniforms isn't their own. There's no oil nor sparks bounding into the air when they strike opponents, only thick, cloying blood staining them.

It doesn't concern 9S so much, though he notes it's sticky in comparison to their own, falling into position beside 2B with his lance at the ready. He can easily see why she's here: covering the Palai retreat avoids further civilian casualties and allows them to reach a safer location.

In this moment 9S remembers that he hasn't been able to share what combat data he'd collected before, and there's a certain twinge of remorse in him for that. Later, he'll have to...though he knows of every unit type, 2B is the best suited to finding the most effective means to eliminate her opponents]

Right. [He agrees with a nod, and with a wave of his hand, his lance hurtles through the air to knock another Uvi over with a solid strike to the face. Its skull cracks as it falls, and his weapon flickers back into place behind him] Numbers aren't much of a strategy...but that's lucky for us.

[apatheia]

[There's certainly something strange about fighting against something entirely organic. As much as they resembled humans, androids and even Adam and Eve were still metal underneath it all, and the wildlife in the City Ruins might've been organic, but they couldn't fight like this. (Never mind the many fatal encounters you can have with a mad moose or boar.) It's something she keeps in mind as she fights them—how decapitating them would terminate all motor function for sure unlike machines, where their heart might be physically located inside their body.

Despite knowing substantially less about the Uvi compared to machines, being organic provides a number of ways to eliminate them, it seems.]

This shouldn't be anything we're not used to. [For better or worse. As one quickly approaches her, she switches to a pair of combat bracers briefly for something a little faster. Her greatsword has been the best of her weapons for cutting through their tough hide, but it's not ideal for a single, agile target.

It might be time to invest in finding a new light sword though. She can make do like this just fine, but she kind of misses it.]

[deem]

Easier to take out threats like this.

[The choice of weaponry doesn't escape 9S' notice, and it makes him wonder what equipment she's currently got access to. Their supplies are necessarily limited by their circumstances, but he's still able to produce a variety of weaponry he'd had at his disposal back where he last recalls being. Perhaps that's part and parcel of repair...

But knowing the last time 2B was active, he can't be sure of how well-stocked her supplies are. He frowns as he considers that, reluctant to ask her lest he remind her of what she had endured, and rounds on a pair of Uvi that try to flank him.

A gesture's all it takes for his lance to come crashing down on them, catching the light with a flicker as it strikes the one stupid enough to look up and gape at the airborne weapon. Awfully easy to skewer an opponent that way, come to think of it... 9S will have to remember that one]

Their hides are pretty tough, but not compared with metal.

[apatheia]

Let's hope they don't have any surprise Goliaths lying around.

[It's sort of a joke, but it's not like she's unused to surprise unfortunate events like that either. While she doesn't say it and has no intention of letting her guard down, the Uvi have been much easier opponents in comparison to the machines thus far. The most difficult part about this has been keeping the Palai safe against the Uvi's massive amount of numbers. The coven just isn't large enough to keep everyone covered.

After delivering a series of punches to her current target, she jumps, brings both her fists together, and slams them down to crush its skull right under her. Not even bones could compare to the metal frames they usually dealt with when it came to machines. As the two of them continue to decimate the Uvi almost effortlessly, it seems like they might be getting the hint that they won't be making it past these two.]

[deem]

[First the number of attackers dwindle, and eventually they drop off entirely. 9S attempts to detect any further presence of hostiles in their vicinity, but he comes up with nothing. Animalistic as the Uvi apparently are, perhaps they've determined that androids are the apex predators around here. On the one hand, they might be able to use that, but on the other, it means they aren't a suitable diversion anymore without pursuit]

...Guess we're not very popular, huh, 2B?

[At least this means that the building ought to be secured. But the city is vast, and though 9S lets his weapon return to its place suspended behind him, his steps are cautious. They weren't built to deal with magic, and the Uvi are making use of such an arsenal in this assault.

In the distance, he can hear the splash of rushed footfalls in displaced water]

[apatheia]

... Seems like it.

[Which would be for the best if they were after survival, but they're not. They're here to defend.

She turns her attention towards to building, making sure that the Palai inside are all on their way out and evacuating. It doesn't look like any Uvi will be heading back here, so she turns towards the sound of the splashing. There's no doubting he heard it too, so.]

Let's check it out.

[deem]

Right.

[9S nods and trots after 2B. These may not be humans they're fighting for, but the Palai have been kind to them, and coming from a world as frequently cold and brutal as their own, that stands out. If he can help, then he will.

Besides, there's no way he's leaving 2B to fight alone. That's something he's not about to do again]

...Sounds like there's a fight up ahead.

b

[alphonse]

[Maybe it's not what 9S was made for, but it's still an impressive technique. Al would probably say as much, provided they had a moment to spare. As it is he takes advantage of the outrage and distraction of the remaining Uvi, clapping and transmuting the stone beneath them to twist up around their legs and hold them in place. He's not about to kill anyone, but he's not going to risk them recovering and doing more damage either.]

You've got good timing. Thanks.

[He's no stranger to fighting, but most of the Uvi are almost as big as he is and incredibly difficult to handle in groups. He's about to ask how 9S is holding up too, when he's cut off by the sounds of another Uvi hoard moving in to investigate. There's probably enough time to evade them, but if androids are as tireless as suits of armor Al can't think of two better targets to hold their attention.]

That thing you did with the sword--can you keep it up?

[deem]

[Rooting opponents to the spot is a useful skill, and 9S can admit as much to himself as he observes just how easily Alphonse achieves this. If they have access to some living Uvi that don't pose a direct threat, perhaps they can study them and get some kind of answers aside from how to most swiftly dispatch them in combat.

Answers are something they're sorely lacking at this point, so...cooperation seems like a rather useful approach. Not to mention, he's still undetermined as to what Alphonse's physiology really is, so this gives him more chances to observe him too.

Scanners divide their focus all the time, anyway]

My power source doesn't run out; I could do this all day.

[Although at some point he'd tire of it, and surely complain...

As the next wave of Uvi approaches them, 9S extends a hand in their direction, and his blade flickers into motion again, darting through the air to meet them]

[alphonse]

Good. Let's hope we don't have to.

[He gives 9S a nod before charging on ahead. It's a simple strategy, taking advantage of the Uvi's animalistic nature. He'll keep them angry and focused on him so that 9S can finish the job with his swordplay uninterrupted.

It doesn't take a lot of observation to see that Al's fighting style makes absolutely no sense for armor that bulky--while he does use his size and strength to his advantage, the underlying technique is still very much martial arts and against all logic his movements are only slightly slower than a normal person's would be. More than that, he seems completely unconcerned that the Uvi's weapons will succeed in striking through what should be vulnerable areas.]

[deem]

Hopefully not. Most of us get tired and all.

[That oddly nimble movement remains an anomaly, and occasionally 9S shoots glances in Alphonse's direction as he continues to try and analyze it. He can tell from the sound that his weight is...less than it ought to be, with that much metal.

Plus there's taking damage that should cause injury, yet results in no blood, much less reactions to pain.

It's less that he isn't occupied with sending his sword whipping around the Uvi to keep them occupied and penned in and more that any Scanner will find time for distraction. They're designed to have wandering minds, and he knows it.

He's pointed it out, even]

[alphonse]

Even you?

[As he ducks under the swing of an Uvi weapon, his tone carrying the almost casual air of someone who grew up having conversations during sparring matches. A battle this prolonged and brutal is way more out of his depth than he wants to admit, so he'll take what distractions he can.

Fortunately, 9S' sword is successfully keeping the Uvi at bay, making it that much easier for Al and his alchemy to pin them down. He'd feel some measure of relief at this, but the constant background noise of similar fights raging across the city makes it hard to find much to celebrate.]

[deem]

[Maybe on this day it's a good thing 9S is such a talker. Goodness knows nobody back home could get him to shut up before misfortunes piled on him so heavily that he simply lacked the spirit for it.

Nowadays, he may not understand how he's come to be here, but he'd count himself fairly lucky]

Well, I mean...wave after wave of enemies gets pretty old [A wave of his arm, and his weapon darts to the next free Uvi to come lumbering their way, flashing in the light] don't you think?

[alphonse]

You've got a point. [His fist slams into the nearest Uvi's temple with enough force to knock them out.] It's like they brought their whole city down here.

[Al steps back as the last of the group falls, brushing off his armor and surveying the damage. A good portion of putting Aimintas back together will be fixing the things he's personally done to the streets, but that's a worry for another time. Over his shoulder, he looks back at 9S.]

Still good?

[deem]

[His sword flickers back into place suspended behind his back, and 9S surveys their surroundings. So far as his readings would indicate, they don't have any immediate threats in the vicinity that aren't either unconscious or bound in place by Alphonse's magic-science...whichever of the two it is.

The jury's still out on that one in 9S' mind]

No damage to report.

[He replies as he turns his focus back to Alphonse. The silence that settles around them isn't total by any means; the distant sounds of conflict can be heard pressing in around them. Even so, he doesn't rush off just yet...because he has a theory]

Are you controlling that armor remotely?