EVENT ✨ Sugar and Siege

[avalonmods]

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The fairy queen is less than pleased, but not angry, with how her quest went. She has Princess Bluebell of the Guinea Pig Nation speak, and Princess Bluebell also has a favor to ask... which seems to be the calm before the storm, as an unknown third party who made off with the Fisher King earlier this month have performed a ritual to resurrect him and left the veil open, letting in untold forces that have engaged in a Wild Hunt... and the prey is Camelot.

CONTENT WARNINGS:

• 1st Prompt: --
• 2nd Prompt: Active: Battle, disease, famine, living death, rage; Historical/Not active in prompt: mentions of serial killers, murder, biological warfare, god/human love affair
  
• 3rd Prompt: --

This prompt is backdated slightly and takes place on February 18th.

A live broadcast comes to everyone's devices, featuring a rather peculiar speaker. "Attenchun, kindly o-otherwowders! Tis I, Pwincess Guacachia Bluebell of the Guinea Pig Nation of Nowth Elphame. Though our home is too small to be noted on the Laage Neighbow's maps, I asschuwe you I am caulified as Ambassadow for Chween Elphame. Though you had failed her chwuest, many of you have shown the twust she asked fow even if not the bwains. Those who have will be shown gweat gwatichude, but she does feel [squeaking sound of dismay that cannot be translated out of guinea pig adequately] as the Fishaa King's body was pawt of hew pwans to dishmanchle the Cawamidy and didn' want to speach chuday because of it. Evewyone send good wibes and wikes, she won't speak when she's not
[again: squeaking sound of dismay that cannot be translated out of guinea pig adequately]... the Cawamichy won't be ended if you all don't wowk with the Chween, King Awfur's gwaces or notch, you know! But that's none of myyy busy-ness! Elphame offews a rewawd fow the Fishaa King's body now, much to keep you "fat and happy" for many yeaws!    I also have a favew to ask on behaaf of my people. Our Festiva of Life is next week and the usuaw souwce of one of the chey ingwediench of our festiva cakes was a Leschawian, bwessings to them!" As it turns out, the Guinea Pig Nation (all talking guinea pigs who like to dress up in various outfits- in style now in particular is old western themed outfits, but the Princess must always wear her crown) are in a pinch because their Lestari hook-up for the feathers died in the fall of Lestari. They need help to pluck feathers from a bird called the Prism Tweeter! Their people love to decorate the outside of their Festival of Life cakes with their feathers, which are made of finely spun sugar in a variety of colors. These birds are typically found in the first Ash Mountain, but upon its fall, migrated to live in the Forest of the Felled as one of its new, more colorful residents. It only takes one feather to cover a cake, so pluck no more than one feather per bird and the whole flock will go unharmed... the only trick is catching these delectably sweet aviators: The birds can magically phase through physical, non-enchanted objects, so you have to surprise them to grab them. The plus side is, they really love vanilla beans, so they're easy to lure out of the trees.. you don't have to be George of the Jungle to help out the pigs.   More of a stay-at-home kind of helper? That's fine too. They need bakers to make as many tiny cakes as they need for the festival since it's so last minute this year! Hurry up and grab a friend to get to baking 3-layer 1 inch cakes wrapped in rainbow feathers to help these little guys out. The Elphame Traders will make a special trip to Camelot to pick up all of these cakes as a favor to the Guinea Pig Nation, so you can stay at home and bake with your friends no matter where you live. This prompt takes place on February 22nd and February 23rd.
	A few days after the fun and fancy-free stylings of the Guinea Pig Nation ahead of their Festival of Life (you weren't invited, sorry, too big you would destroy their homes- but they appreciate the help!) things are going pretty mundanely. That is, until what sounds like a battle cry is heard approaching New Camelot. On the horizon, what appears to be a massive cavalcade of demon horse-riding wraiths lead by four knights in what appears to be ancient armor rush toward the city. A few of the locals who hear the sound and come out to see what all the fuss is about immediately seem to spook, shouting something about the Wild Hunt. Usually it's something preserved for earth and those who find it will be taken along and dumped either in Avalon itself or taken straight to the underworld, but their presence here in Avalon.. well, that can't be good. The shouting seems to alert the castle, which seems to alert more people, and within a matter of minutes people are being rushed to take cover within the castle walls for siege.
All of Camelot's gates are closed and people are directed to a couple of different places: knights and those who wish to fight are to prepare for battle at each of the gates. Healers who wish to stay and help the wounded are to gather in the citadel, where the injured will be taken. Those who wish to battle and heal will act as field medics to get people into a state enough fit to be taken to the citadel. Those who wish to offer other support may be asked to hand out food and water within the citadel or fetch supplies around the city, or to rush to the library to try to figure out what the hell is leading this hunting party toward them. King Arthur will lead the knights into battle. Merlin will also be assisting in battle, using a variety of magic from atop the castle. If your character gets into a pinch and you aren't sure how to get them out, feel free to have him send a magic spell to block an enemy. Knights given the authority to direct other fighting characters as they see fit (though your non-knight fighter's compliance is, as always, depending on your choice as a player).  Those who wish to opt out of this event entirely will be whisked away by some of the Fairy Queen's spies to Nicnevin for safekeeping. If you do not want your character to remember or acknowledge any portion of this event, we can handwave that the Fairy Queen arbitrarily found your character annoying and put them under a sleeping spell for the duration of their stay. This will be done before the outer city gates are broken through, so your character can be safe the whole time and just chill in a hotel room in Nicnevin. Those who stay will be fighting wraiths (unkillable enemies) lead by four beings called the Knights of the Veil. Those who have rushed to the library to find answers will be able to spread the following information regarding the enemies, though first-hand experience may also be how your character finds out some of it: The Knights of the Veil live in the void between the world of the living and the dead and escaped when the veil was not closed during a ritual to raise a heavily cursed and protected corpse back to life. Though there's no way to know which corpse, recent news of the Fisher King's body going missing leaves some speculation and fear about who it was that was raised, but no one has any idea who did it. The Knights of the Veil have touch-based magic in addition to weaponry which you may have your character afflicted by at your behest. The four knights are as follows: Carlea: Once a proud Queen, she sold her soul to the darkness after her husband was killed by enemies and the prince of the enemy nation forced her to marry him. She used this ability to brutally murder every last citizen of her enemy's kingdom over time in secret and feed them to a pet bear she was gifted by her new husband, saving him for last. Carlea's touch will invoke a curse of famine, causing all food and drink to turn to ash in the touched individual's mouth. Rubion: Rubion was a serial killer in his world known for killing over a hundred people, though the exact number is not known. Who he was before that isn't particularly known, but as a killer, he was known for brutally killing anyone who crossed him in a fit of rage. He was from a time before forensics and tended to kill witnesses, so he was never caught. That is, until he missed seeing a small child hiding under his bed during one of his rampages. The child's grandfather took him in and killed Rubion himself after he found out why the child would not speak for a month straight. It is thought that his own god cursed Rubion to stay in the void where he could not torment his victims in the afterlife too. Rubion's touch will invoke uncontrollable, violent rage and turn even the smallest slight into a mountainous anger. Augusto: Augusto was the general of an army who used the blood of his people's sickly to spread disease in conquering nations. He did not choose to become one of the Knights, instead being cursed to eternal damnation by a priestess in one of the villages he wrought destruction upon. Augusto's touch will inflict a disease of the player's choosing upon their character, at full height of symptoms within 30 minutes of touch.  Pien: Pien is a god of an older religion who was banished from the heavenly kingdoms for loving a human so much she attempted to give her eternal life despite that it was forbidden to grant eternity to mortals. She has a high-and-mighty attitude, and if disrespected will disrespect you right back with dignity-obliterating consequences. Her followers tended to be on the M side of things. Her touch will invoke conscious zombieism, meaning that your body will die and begin to rot despite still being able to move, and you will be aware and able to communicate and feel during this experience.    The Knights and Wraiths cannot be killed by any means as long as the ritual remains in effect and their tie to the underworld is stable, so for the time being this is a heavily unwinnable battle. Thankfully, wraiths are not very coordinated even if they are aggressive in battle so it's easy to dodge, flee, or take cover.

On the second day of the Siege, devices will flicker with a face we haven't seen in some time. She is this world's mother goddess, after all, so if threatened she will come to offer reprieve. Morganna looks almost amused at how much destruction had been wrought by the actions of, truly, one man and those he had strung along. Morganna will not punish nor reveal them, but she will speak on the matter: "Those wishing for this to end, rejoice. I have birthed verbena upon your doorsteps. Take another's hand, light a candle and burn the flowers. Whisper 'lights out' three times together, and pray to send some of your magic to me. I need as many of you to do it as possible, or else I will not be able to freeze time fast enough to stop the calamity from engulfing this place afterward when I complete the ritual shutter."
That is all she says. The ritual won't do much if only one person does it outside of today as Morganna is keeping secret what she does on her end to complete it. If your character's name is possessed by the fairy queen, they will be forced to participate in this ritual so they may notice something odd if they weren't intending to do it. After the ritual is complete, all personal rituals will be voided and need to be recast. (This includes things like brownie summoning spells or the banishing of lesser frost fairies if your character was doing that from last year to keep their house warm.) This will also cause both the sun and moon to black out for about a day afterward, so you may want to get on board with artificial lighting or spells until a party heading to Celliwig to repair that ritual can get out there in about a day's time. The most dangerous ritual that has been broken will be the time freeze. Morganna uses everyone's magic to give herself superspeed to recomplete the ritual to recast it, along with a significant portion of the Isle of Avalon's itself that had been built up in surplus having everyone here for so long. However, there are still 2 seconds in which the massive event that threatens the multiverse can move forward. It is now visible in the sky to the north during the night even without being at the End of the World, and will stay that way for the duration of isleofavalon until the multiverse is saved. It is outright terrifying if you travel to the End of the World now, taking up the majority of the sky. For a month afterward, those who participated may find themselves fatigued without clear cause... but in general, magic will be misbehaving and causing accidents for everyone for about the next month.

Comments

kate galloway × original

[morns]

( ooc; some life shit has cropped up so please bear with me if things are somehow more erratic than usual. )

— the day i died, i didn’t tell my body.
( CW: zombie curse effects, violence )

( it starts with a tickle, just in the spot where Pien touched her. a little itch on her wrist that’s distracting but harmless. nothing that stops her fighting, so she doesn’t. her knives are strapped to her thigh for the comfort the weight provides more than any practical use; all her fighting is done in blasts of magic growing more accurate by the battle and the hopskipjump of kinesis which has her flowing between wraiths like water.

it becomes a peeling, a drip of black onto the ground so small she doesn’t notice it for what it is. a bit of debris, a chunk of lint from her clothes. it could be anything, but it isn’t as important as knocking back a wraith’s blade as it skims too close to another fighter. Kate doesn’t acknowledge the worsening itch in anything but a nip of her teeth to her lower lip in an attempt to distract herself from the burning at her wrist.

that’s when the first flakes of skin touch her tongue, teeth peeling back chunks of decay which lie bitter and slimy against her tastebuds. Her expression twists, movement coming to a halt in the middle of battle — a rookie mistake, she’ll acknowledge — to spit death from her lips and bring her fingers up to brush against them.

what the hell is that? rot seeping down from her wrist to her fingers, black and stinking, is enough to wash away thoughts of scrubbing her tongue clean with her hand. Something pulsating, something entirely wrong shucking layers of skin from bone and muscle—

she doesn’t notice the wraith’s blade heading right for her shoulder. hopefully you do. )

— do you love me enough that i may be weak with you?
( CW: possible mentions of zombie curse effects )

( is there a point in fighting? these things don’t fucking die and right now, getting home seems an impossibility; saving Marc, saving Ainsworth?

how could she have ever expected that to happen? not for the first time, she thinks Avalon chose the wrong person from her world to fix this mess. she can fight, true, she’s survived this, even as her body rots and decays off her, but these wraiths aren’t exactly genius fighters, just numerous and unkillable. there are better picks from home, surely. Ainsworth could have handled this. he loves this playing hero shit. Kate’s only ever wanted to save two people, and she can’t even do that right, too easily lulled and lured into this playing house shit by all the days where Avalon seems to completely disregard that they’re on the cusp of wiping out every single universe.

But that’s a resolution for another day, because Morganna’s announcement is grabbed with both rotting hands. What other option do they have? )

C’mon.

( whoever the unfortunate soul closest to her is finds her beckoning them towards the nearest verbena plant — well, she’s guessing that’s what this thing on the doorstep is, anyway — and inside. it isn’t her house, isn’t even her business, but right now that doesn’t matter.

what matters is getting shit done. )

— am i supposed to be grateful to have survived this?
( CW: mentions of zombie curse effects, PTSD, self-harming behaviours, references to assault, possible sexual content )

link to my catch all in case things need locking

1

[themogget]

[The entire place is an assault on the senses. Why is Mogget there at all? Perhaps it's better not to ask.

But it's lucky that he is, and lucky that he's watching, because while Kate is distracted with her own unfortunate physical decomposition the cat spots the wraith, and the blade, and the weapon is halted by an invisible barrier that shudders and sends out sparks of light when it's hit.

Light magic is useful in a lot of ways, but there aren't many ways in which it can be used defensively. Right now, all they need to do is get away, and the small white cat deftly bends the light around Kate to render her all but invisible.

And, quite suddenly, there is a small white feline near her feet.]

You're going to want to move, I can't keep this up forever.

Azul Ashengrotto | Twisted Wonderland

[dottedline]

Guinea Up

[This may be one of the weirder things Azul has done since arriving here, but, well. Leaving out vanilla beans, grabbing a few feathers while the bird eats, and then scurrying away with all speed is hardly difficult.

(No one make any comments about how frazzled he looks.)

The baking is even easier, though Azul isn't as good a baker as he is a general cook. Either way, Azul can be found either in the kitchen of his restaurant baking or en route after buying more...boxed cake mixes.

What? He isn't going to go all out for weird birds and anyway if you think 98% of the baked goods on his menu aren't mostly a boxed mix with some extras added, that's on you. He will deny it if asked.]

The Wild Hunt | no CWs in top level, please do not tag with the zombie prompt

Oh, fuck.

[Azul swears. It does happen.

Azul continues to swear as he makes his way to the library with the others who want to help find answers, knowing that this is where he'll be most useful. Yes, he is a largely selfish, fairly greedy asshole but only absolutely bastards want the end of the world to happen!

(Also it's nearly his birthday, and he had plans. These plans did not include the Apocalypse.)

Once in the library, Azul bustles around as best he can, getting books and taking notes and compiling what information he can as fast as he can. Unfortunately, it's incredibly frustrating.]

I have never wished to have all my limbs more since taking that potion, good grief....

Solutions

[A few days later, once it's all said and done, Azul stumbles out of the library and more or less collapses on either:

-a nearby smooth surface that can support him and his weight
-you

If the latter, he mumbles an apology before trying to get himself upright.]

Solutions

[mushroomaficionado]

[Here, have a rather large surface for Azul to fall onto.]

Azul...

[Jade's been doing a lot during this whole affair, and realistically, he's also on the verge of falling over. But exhaustion has never stopped him.]

Need me to take you home?

Toshirou Hijikata | Gintama

[mayoninofukucho]

1) The Wild Hunt

A ⦿ Siege

[When Hijikata wakes up in his hut at the outskirts of the Forest of the Felled at dusk he’s ready for a quiet night of magic studies. It’s already been a week since he was poisoned with giant hogweed potion, and he’s been feeling a little better, but his spectral subordinates sat him down soon after the fact and insisted that he take it easy and leave the night patrol in Camelot City to them until the end of the month at least. So when he checks AOL and sees countless posts, official alerts and shelter instructions regarding an attack of wraith warriors his heartrate instantly skyrockets. Shit!! Did he seriously sleep through an invasion?! He grabs his knight cloak, equipment and totem and sends a distress call to his familiar.

Before long he meets the crow tengu in the chaotic city streets. Many civilians have already sought refuge in the castle as instructed, and virtually everyone capable of fighting or supporting the fighters is doing just that. He briefly checks in with one of his ghostly Division Captains, who confirms that the Yuureisengumi has started to help fend off the wraiths as well now that it’s dark, perhaps exchanges a few words with any friends and allies who cross his path, then initiates the Familiar Fusion without further ado and takes to the sky on large black wings. Should anybody have asked to fight together with him he'll be happy to do so.

He uses his death-magic-enchanted sword to block strikes from the wraith blades, but his main weapon is the same exorcism spell he used to force the ghosts out of the stone giant during the autumn equinox. He draws sigil after sigil into the air with his lit cigarette until they rotate around him like glowing glyphs, and whenever a spectral rider approaches he slams his palm in the middle of each to activate it and banish the wraith off this plane in a blast of golden light. Whether you're partnered with him or on your own, perhaps you're fighting in the air too, or on the rooftops, or down on the ground - either way, he spots an enemy galloping towards you and rushes after them while yelling a warning.]

Watch out!!

B ⦿ Augusto's Curse (CW: Blood/Tuberculosis)

[Fairly early on in the battle Hijikata targeted one of the enemy leaders. The wraith knight didn't hesitate to engage with him, and after a brief clash Hijikata managed to set off his exorcism spell and banish him - but not before the adversary reached out with his free hand and clasped his shoulder with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Hijikata was confused. Perhaps he wasn't a sore loser, despite co-leading this unprovoked attack on Camelot?

It started slowly - of course the touch went right through him, cold and painful, but the longer Hijikata fought the colder and shakier he felt, as if there was a fever running through his spine. Gradually his chest started hurting more and more, the chills got heavier and heavier, and breathing was getting harder.

About half an hour after the encounter he can't keep himself in the sky anymore and slowly trundles down to the ground, where he leans against the nearest wall and has a coughing fit. There's blood in his palm afterwards, and he struggles to understand. He wasn't hit, was he? He thought he managed to block any attacks... and even if, the wraiths shouldn't have caused any internal bleeding. The damage spectres do is of a different kind. Or is this a late effect of the hogsweed potion? Did he overdo it? Did he rupture something? He coughs again, and his lungs hurt with every shake.]

C-crap...

[He looks up at the sky where countless wraiths are still rampaging. He banished so many; why does it look like their number hardly decreased? Wait-- isn't that the knight he exorcised? Did he return from whatever netherworld he was thrown back to? Did... all of them return? Hijikata groans. This is a disaster. Did all his efforts even make a difference? Arashi's mental voice reassures him. If nothing else their temporary absence gave respite to those seeking a hiding place or carrying the wounded off the battlefield. Hijikata nods, inhales and spreads his wings - he needs to make the most of what little time they have left as a fusion! -, but only gets wrecked by another painful coughing fit, this time so badly it makes him slump to the ground. This won't do! He usually endures pain bravely enough, but he can't apply himself like this! He looks around for a healer, not knowing that what he needs is a siphoner.]


2) Unideal Solutions (for silvergarden)

[When Hijikata wakes up he's in a familiar room... and that very fact makes him jolt up, because he shouldn't be here. Why is he in Rinea's home again?! After she took him in during his apparent 2-day stint as an amnesiac (that's what she and his ghosts told him; he can't remember anything) he was so mortified that he never wanted to be a burden on her again! He had downright planned to avoid her for a good while, if not for the rest of his time on this island. Didn't he ask his Division Leader to turn to any death mage for help in getting him and Arashi off the battlefield and, in his case, into a light-proof place when the exertion of the Familiar Fusion would put them out of commission?! That didn't include Rinea!

He sits up, finding that someone was so attentive to take cloak, shoes, bag and sword off him (he sees them neatly put together on respectively under a plush chair nearby). But when he swings his legs out of bed to grab his belongings and rejoin the battle - a quick look at his phone confirms that it's evening again and thus safe to head out - he feels such a strong chill run through him, combined by a wave of nausea, that he has to lie back down and take a few moments to breathe. At least breathing doesn't hurt so badly anymore... are these just some aftereffects of the wraith's curse? Or did he simply overdo it on the whole this month? Even if so, he couldn't just drink tea at home while those wraiths overran Camelot! The battle is still raging, he can hear the muffled sounds from outside! After a few moments he sits up again, more carefully this time, manages to walk over to his bag, and mutters to himself as he rummages through it.]

Where's the damn potion... I know it's in here!

[He's not looking for the Countercurse Potion, he's looking for the Deadpool Juice. Whatever is still affecting him now, be it the poison from a week ago, some psychosomatic symptoms of being hit by the curse, or general overexertion, his body needs to shape up so he can rejoin the battle! King Arthur is on the frontlines; he has to support him!]

b

[luciing]

[ He'll find a sturdy hand taking him up by his upper arm, lifting him back to his feet. A stony voice follows, firm with conviction: ]

Come, Deathmage. You shall not fall here.

[ If there is anyone who may have an advantage against these creatures, it would be him with his magics. Somnus would see that he will not perish on the fields of this forsaken isle. ]

Harry Potter | Harry Potter

[phoenixwiz]

Guinea Up, Pawner
(He has never came across talking guinea pigs, let alone those wearing costumes of various kinds, but he has become accustomed to not expect anything normal in Avalon these days when he saw Princess Bluebell’s video message. Getting Prism Tweeter feathers for the cakes, that does sound like a great idea to help. He thinks that he could try to use kinetic magic to gather the feathers without harming the birds.

So when he arrives in the area where the birds are now at, he goes right in, some pods of vanilla bean on hand, looking at the birds in awe as they fly about in the sky. He is now wondering how it will turn out.)

The Wild Hunt
Library
(It seems to Harry that February is becoming a cursed month for Avalon, especially with news that the Fisher King’s body is nowhere to be found and a group of undead wraiths are causing havoc all over Camelot, not even Helleste Café is safe from discussions regarding the whole thing. He wasn’t too happy to hear that or the fact that the King could be alive and hiding somewhere, but there is nothing he could do despite trying to retrieve it for the Fae Queen.

He really wants to find out more about their leaders, the Knights of the Veil, which is why he has come into the library to get more information as much as he can before he could head to battle.)

Okay, there is got to be a lot of information we can learn about these Knights. Maybe we should check out this section over here.

Battle (cw: possible anger flare up, just no illness or zombie curses for now)
(The chaos in the fight has been stuck inside his head the moment he stepped in to help. But he didn’t expect that the wraiths were this hard to kill, not even a single fire attack he has thrown at them couldn’t burn them easily. But luckily, he has mastered teleportation very well that he could dodge their attacks at any given moment.

Harry has fought hard to keep the wraiths away but they are such stubborn creatures while the ritual that has brought them here is still in effect. While in battle, he might run into you or he could be unlucky to be near Rubion's touch to get cursed with anger issues.)

Unideal Solutions
Well, this is going to be a long night ahead. Hopefully Morganna’s ritual will work as intended to fix the veil.

(Harry muses on as the ritual to fix the Veil is about to begin. He has been preparing to get the candle light up for this, the verbena flowers aren’t that far away from him either as it does require him and his partner to burn them as part of said ritual’s procedure. The only thing that he is worried more beside the possibility of it going wrong is if someone is willing to hold onto his hand while they say the magic words to send some of their magic to Morganna for her to use to seal the veil.

He then turns to his partner with a nervous smile that looks like it could shatter at any moment and begins to ask them one question.)

So, are you ready to do this ritual together?

Somnus Lucis Caelum | Final Fantasy XV | OTA

[luciing]

[ OOC: CW for all prompts for blood, disease, fighting. ]

The Wild Hunt: Curses: A: Augusto/Disease:

[ The world is more important than any one individual, any one kingdom, any one dynasty. Disease is a great equalizer, as it may take any of them at any notice.

Somnus stumbles from a battle against one of the Knights of the Veil, afflicted with the curse of an unknown disease. The question now remains: is it contagious? With the possibility in mind, should your character notice him and attempt to give aid, he brushes yours aside, even as he seems to stagger. His voice cuts through the cacophony of battle, and while his visage is ashen, his breath raspy, his gaze remains sharp. ] Leave.

The Wild Hunt: Curses: B: Rubion/Aggro:

[ It becomes increasingly obvious that the mounted wraiths the Knights of the Veil lead cannot be defeated by anyone, and what a revelation it is that all otherworlders are powerless despite being granted the realm's unique magic. The news of their origins, from the library-goers-- that the veil was not closed properly during some ritual to resurrect a cursed corpse and the speculative, but ultimately unreliable, information that the Fisher King's body has gone missing-- do nothing to help the present problem of protecting the city and fending off the vermin. It seems to be a growing pattern, that Camelot is woefully defenseless time and time again. That does not stop him from doing what he can, and those on the battlefield with him will see how ruthlessly he engages each opponent. Unfortunately, being mortal once more, exhaustion eventually takes hold and small injuries accumulate. Then, all at once, his luck runs out when he engages Rubion, one of the Knights of the Veil, and is struck by its malevolent magic.

The wrathful curse takes hold, and almost immediately he feels it set in place, a frustration and anger beginning to boil through his veins. Knowing that rage does not help with combat, or worse, may injure allies, his faculties remain intact just long enough for him to decide to retreat-- not to shelter, for he knows the curse would not be safe to others.

Encounter Somnus near a small, makeshift garden, where the soil is freshly turned over as if seeds had been recently planted. He sits, slightly slumped, next to the shed, taking a bandage and wrapping it over a wound upon his forearm. The band snaps with the force he uses, and uncharacteristically, he tosses it to the ground and instead simply places a hand to his forehead, fingers massaging against his brow. It seems he's attempting to calm himself-- a futile effort, against the curse, and it twists like a painful knife in his chest. It was a good idea to isolate, being so afflicted, but slowly and surely, the reason for isolating becomes forgotten as anger overcomes his mind.

When you approach, his head snaps up, and his gaze is anything but kind to you. ]

The Wild Hunt: C: Rescuing You:

[ If you're caught in the midst of battle and injured, having someone pull you from the ground and onto the back of a horse. Now you're riding behind a grim, pale man, and he's bringing you back to the city proper. ]

There are healers within the city. Let us find one.

Wildcard

[ Have an idea? PM this account, drinksteapots, or Jade294#6977! ]

The Wild Hunt - B

[tantailizing]

[It's getting worse trying to fight against the wraiths, but he can't just slink off to try having the curse dealt with. The wraiths and their Knights don't care about exhaustion just like they don't care about anything except their rampage. Still, maybe he could afford himself a minute or two to try resting, give his head enough time to stop spinning and refocus, and take care of that stupid self-inflicted nick he got on his arm. Daggers are evidently not a weapon to use while stricken with a high fever.]

[The garden seemed like a good spot to lie low, maybe walk over to a shed, but it takes him another second to realize someone else is there. Oh, and that someone seems pretty mad at him?]

... Somnus? Uh... [Dammit, he tries standing up to his usual posture as best he can.] Hey, lemme help you with that.

[There seems to be a discarded roll of bandages (?), and Somnus does seem wounded at a second glance.]

Ren Jinguji | Uta no Prince-sama

[saxsongs]

A. Guinea Up, Pawner
→ Shining Karaoke

[Ren has a sign outside Shining Karaoke, offering a place for anyone to come and help with baking cakes for the guinea pigs. He's in the kitchen area himself, hair tied to a simple ponytail to keep it out of the way. There are few cakes in the making, all small in size, so he's hoping to get help with the finer details.]


B. The Wild Hunt
→ CW: painful healing, siphoning, eye injury, blood, rage spell

[1]

[Ren stays in the battle to act as a field medic to his best ability. He's also capable of siphoning curses out of people, but mostly he's focusing on anyone who needs their injuries healed since that's his stronger, primary magic. So perhaps someone will be helped by Ren with Healing Magic when he's still normal or maybe your curse is healed with siphon magic.]

[2]

[Unfortunately at some point of the fight, Ren gets cursed by Rubion. Normally he's calm and doesn't let much bother him. However with the curse he's figuratively seeing red. The whole situation is stressful already so it's no wonder even a calm guy him would snap.]

You're injured? Well, not for long.

[Maybe he's healing a bit too roughly by just quickly closing wounds without thinking much about comfort or anything. Just get it out of the way and move on - and start to walk away immediately.

Other options is him using siphon magic to sap magic out of fighters and redirect them at wraiths if he's irritated enough but wants to direct his annoyance into the enemy. Of course the magic might go through the wraiths, depending on what it is.]

[3]

[There's a loud scream.

Ren's blind rage ends with a wraith getting to him, slashing his right eye with a sword. There's blood everywhere and he falls down, holding it. By now he's used magic so much he doesn't have much left to use on himself. He can stop the bleeding, sure... he's weak.

He might need help getting away from the battlefield and back into the castle.]

C. Unideal Solutions
→ CW: eye injury

[Ren has a makeshift eyepatch to cover his eye injury and he's honestly looked better. There are many regrets and he feels like crap. Then again, who wouldn't feel like crap in a situation like this?

He feels like he should rest so his first thought is to ignore Morganna's message and just do so. But there's a feeling he can't quite place that forces him to get up and forces him to find a ritual partner anyway.]

Do you want to do the ritual with me?


[ooc: I'm intending to keep his eye injured for a while, so no healing it completely for whatever reason.]

B3

[icyhotpaladin]

[Lance hadn't really had a chance to practice his new magical abilities too much, especially with his light magic being his primary and thus a bit more powerful than healing, so he wasn't sure he could help Ren like this. But he definitely needed to get him off the battle field and to someone who had better healing abilities than he did.

However, his training as a Paladin certainly didn't rust too much in the year they had spent cleaning up once the war ended and he slashed at the wraith just enough to get it to back off for now and just long enough for Lance to reach down and grab Ren's arm.]

C'mon, we gotta get you outta here. Just stay behind me and I'll clear a path, okay?

Caster | Fate/Stay Night (UBW)

[colchismagecraft]

A) The Wild Hunt Begins (cw violence)

[Caster hadn't managed to prevent the Fisher King's body from being stolen... but no matter, she hadn't been too invested in it to start with, so long as he suffered. For now she'd chosen to cut her losses and gather some potion ingredients outside of New Camelot proper, her familiar resting on her shoulder as she worked.

The little dragon was on alert first, moments before that terrifying battle cry rang out.

Abandoning her ingredient basket entirely, she rushed back in the direction of the city- But speed was not her forte. Soon enough, she found herself in the middle of the battleground, desperately gesturing in wide arcs as she weaved dark spell after dark spell to try and hold the wraiths off.

Was there anyone else out here...?

If any of her allies were also caught up in this, she'd want to help them, of course- that was her priority. But she’d also take whatever help she could get until she'd made her way to safety.]

What in Hecate's name is this madness...?

B) Siphoning Sorceress (cw famine curse/violence/injury)

By now, Caster had already been wounded, and found herself staggering beneath the veil of darkness she'd called upon for protection. She'd barely gotten away from that Knight- one that, in its way, reminded her of herself.

A vengeful being who'd embraced the darkness, and the bloodshed it brought, to harm the men who'd wronged her. One who had been warped by it, just as she had.

Perhaps that was why Caster had hesitated long enough to let it touch her before she could get away. And now, her throat stung with ash. Her wounds hurt. She gripped onto a dragon fang she'd enchanted, ready to activate her familiar fusion if need be to get to safety.

...Besides, she thought, if she'd been cursed, others might be too, surely? She might be able to do something about that with her own power.]

C) Morganna's Ritual: Unideal Solutions (cw injury mention)

The ritual, correct?

[There wasn't time to waste, and so for the time being, Caster wasn't picky about who she worked with- offering her free, gloved hand to whoever might be near, whilst the other held the flower Morganna had sprouted on her doorstep. She was exhausted- having barely recovered from her familiar fusion the prior night.

But this chaos needed to end. She'd deal with the pain from her wounds later on.]

...We haven't got time to waste. This isn't complicated magic, follow my lead if you're uncertain.

[OOC: Hit me up on ArchangelAmy#4540 if you want to plot something specific! Please be gentle/not too graphic if you're going the illness curse route, ty.]

B

[unknowntodeath]

[Archer still doesn't like Caster, but there's something about leaving her in danger that strikes wrong to him. It's not like helping her meant he had started to like her - it just meant she might have to return the favor (and not stab him in the back) sometime later.

Besides, he didn't want anyone to have to sacrifice a life for Caster. Yeah, that's the real reason he tells himself. Not almost dying because of full moon and seeing things in a new perspective. Not at all.

So when a wraith is about to approach her, Archer sends it back flying with wind magic.]

If you want to get to safety, come with me.

Stephanie Brown | DC Comics

[ichoosefight]

A. Agro
Steph was among the first fighters to head to the city gates. As soon as she heard the strange noise outside the walls she knew it was trouble. Of course, it wasn't hard to guess. Anything new or unusual is probably trouble.

That was a couple of hours ago. Under the continuous onslaught she's starting to get tired, and that's dangerous. When she realizes her heart is pounding too hard and too fast, she decides it's time to take a break. She fights her way toward the city wall, away from the gate and the thick of the battle. There she can finally rest while keeping a careful eye on the continuing fight, and drop her staff to one hand at her side.

B. And more agro
Steph struggles her way across the center of the battle, dodging and blocking attacks but otherwise ignoring the fight itself. Her instincts tell her that something is wrong, but she can't figure out what. It took a real effort to break away from her last opponent, who wasn't even a wraith. And how dumb is that? How dumb is all of this? No matter how hard she tries or how many people suffer, someone somewhere always has to do something catastrophically stupid and make things worse for everyone else.

She finally breaks clear of the fighting on the other side of the crowd, opposite the wall. It takes some distance before wraiths stop trying to get at her, but she manages it. She needs a minute to breathe, and a minute to think. She watches the fight carefully, staff at the ready, her mind racing and coming to no conclusion whatsoever.

[ooc | For questions or fight choreography/planning, contact me at flamingchemist or message this account! Otherwise, I play by ear and there's a decent chance she'll lose. ]

B

[usedforcepalm]

Hanabi has spent more time here fighting undead opponents than living ones. Though she's hardly an expert on matters of the undead, she has learned just enough to have an idea of what she can do that's somewhat effective against them versus what's totally useless.

Despite her young age, she's spent more than half her life training for hours each day, and she's doing her best to apply those lessons. One of the most important ones is to know when to fall back and plan.

When she approaches Steph, she puts her two kunai back in their sheath and instead pulls out a canteen she's been carrying.

"Do you need a drink of water? I have elemental magic. I can make some."

Mukuro 'Junko' Ikusaba | Danganronpa

[corpsewarblade]

A) Mission Wild Hunt: As Mukuro (cw violence)

[Mukuro had been in the city itself once the battle cry rang out- and immediately, all of her combat instincts were set on edge. It was for that reason that she’d already changed out of her disguise when she rushed out to se what was going on.

And from there, it didn’t take her long to find her way out on the chaotic battleground.

Surrounded by a sea of powerful enemies and hopelessly outnumbered, the Ultimate Soldier felt a strange calm wash over her. This was normal. This was the only place she felt confident.

Noticing anyone nearby about to get attacked, she'd rush forward without a word, unleashing a blast of light magic on the enemy and pulling the person out of the line of the attack.]

B) Evac and Triage: As Mukuro (cw violence/injury)

[It didn't take her long to realise that this battle was impossible. These creatures couldn't die- and they kept coming. By now, she was covered in scrapes and grime and mud, the hands clasping her pistol sticky with drying blood.]

...We need to retreat. Pull back to the gates! Now!

[Mukuro's voice was confident. Calm, but urgent as she made the call to evac. She wasn't afraid to fight her way back, keeping close guard on the others near her.]

C) Light After the Ritual: As Junko (tw injury mention)

[Whilst she hadn’t touched Morganna’s ritual herself- seriously, she had no idea what that would even do! She did step up once the blackout hit. Dressed back in her Junko guise, of course, with her wounds patched up as best she could.]

I've got a light if you guys need it- that's my magic type, you know? Hold on a sec-

[And with that, she held out her hands- bandaged fingers, palms and all- and took a deep breath to release a slow, steady glow around her.]

D) The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event-: As Junko

Woah... what is that?

[Everything said and done, Mukuro had walked to the edge of town- and there, in the night sky, she could see the apocalypse that she'd only heard mention of before now.

And for the time being, all she could do was stare at the end of the world, and try to understand the multitude of conflicting feelings that brought up within her.]

[OOC: Hit me up on ArchangelAmy#4540 if you want to plot something specific! Please be gentle/not too graphic if you're going the illness curse route, ty.]

A

[mayoninofukucho]

[By the time Hijikata joins the battle, fused with Arashi, night has fallen. Since neither of the fusion partners has particularly outstanding night vision he barely sees Mukuro in the shadows and he soars past overhead. It's only when he lands to quickly drink some water after exorcising another wraith that he suddenly notices her, getting a little startled.]

Junko! Is that you?

[They still never conclusively talked about whether she still wants to be called that, did they... but hey, look, by now Hijikata can actually also take control and communicate during the fusion! He has advanced in his magical capabilities.]

Noelle Holiday | Deltarune (Ch2 Spoilers)

[icedream]

(cw for Deltarune Chapter 2 Spoilers)

A) A Princess' Request (cw magical compulsion)

[That Guinea Pig Princess was so cute... Noelle couldn't help but smile as she listened to the message. And, well, how could she say no to that request?? But what sort of thing to bake, hm...

It was at the end of broadcast that she felt a strange jolt in her stomach. As she was asked to 'please lend us your assistance', she felt herself standing up and starting to get her things ready- all before she'd even told her body to react. It felt like-

Proceed

... No. She pushed the memory of that awful dream back. This wasn't like that. This was fine, wasn't it? No one was going to get hurt. It was just a simple ask. She didn't need to be scared.

Once she'd got to the Ash Mountain (or later, when she set about grabbing the rest of the cake ingredients at the market) she tried her best not to look nervous as she turned to whoever else was on this crazy quest.]

O- Oh, are you here for the Princess' request, too? Why don't we work together?

B) Wildhunt (Magic: IceShock) (cw: violence/dissociation)

[When the Wild Hunt had begun in earnest, dread sunk itself into every single fibre of Noelle's being. She'd been getting stronger, sure, even whilst she'd been in Avalon- but against a force like this?? How was anyone supposed to fight against these creatures, really??

...Noelle wasn't sure how she ended up outside the walls. How she ended up on the outskirts of the battle, face to face with the enemy.

What had started with small, panicky blasts of elemental magic and cowering at anything that came close to her, slipped into something else- a shift into calmness that both seemed sinister, and far too easy.

Another enemy. She should freeze them.

Her hands outstretched, she unleashed more ice at the enemies around her. Concentrated now. The air and her fingertips were getting colder, but perhaps that would give cover or assistance to anyone else in the fight.]

C) Wildhunt (Magic: Heal Prayer) (cw: death ment.)

[The battle carried on. Sooner or later, the overwhelming cold had started to snap Noelle back to her senses- and that brought with it a panic that someone was hurt. That someone might have been frozen, killed.

Oh- her familiar was still here, flying overhead. Somehow, the sight of its wings beating surprised her more than she'd suspected.]

B! Can- can you help me find anyone hurt?? I want to try and help them, please...?

[Please let it not be too late...!

And so, Noelle and her snowy owl spirit went out on the search for anyone wounded in the fighting, rushing over to the side of anyone they might come across. She hadn't realised it yet, but a different sort of magic was bringing a gentle glow to her hands.]

Gosh- hold still, okay? I'm going to try and help you-

D) The Queen's Demand (Morganna's Ritual) (cw: magical compulsion)

[By Day 2 of the siege, Noelle had all but collapsed from exhaustion in her Inn Room. The previous day had taken a lot out of her, and all she wanted to do was hide away and try to convince herself it hadn't happened. Which... well, her memory of the battle was patchy enough, so, more evidence to suggest she'd just had another nightmare, right?

The Fae Queen had other plans, though.

For the second time this month, she felt an unnatural compulsion- something pushing her body to move before she'd even thought about it.

Wait, that announcement from... Morganna, was it? She'd ignored it at first, trying to block it out, but panic started to rise in her throat as she found herself racing outside all the same.

And sticking a shaking hand out toward the nearest person she could find.]

T-The ritual... um...

[OOC: Hit me up on ArchangelAmy#4540 if you want to plot something specific! Please be gentle/not too graphic if you're going the illness curse route, ty.]

D

[readytolearn]

[Elsa notices Noelle coming towards her and closes the distance after seeing the state she was in. She takes her hand, too, to show that she's there for her.]

Noelle? What's wrong? You seem shaky.

[Of course the past two days have been horrible, but it feels like something else entirely is bothering her.]

[dontgetintherobot]

[Wild Hunt- Wraiths]

[When the emerging armies are first spotted Alfonse immediately gets onboard with trying to evacuate and protect the civilian populace and holding back the wraiths. He would attempt to be using his shield magic, but he remained clumsy with it, and thus was focusing primarily on his gunblade unless he distinctly needed a shield. He'd either be in the forefront of the battle trying to hold the line, or knocking on doors and trying to usher civilians to safety.

Feel free to join the fight alongside him, or have him guide you to safety.]

[Wild Hunt-Plague]

[As the fighting wears on the hit he took from Augusto takes its toll. Alfonse has gone ghostly pale, and despite attempting to continue the fight, he staggers and stumbles, taking more blows than he is fending off. His familiar familiar has stepped forward to try and give him more cover, but despite his condition worsening he still tries to continue fighting.

He may need some help retreating before he falls over mid battle.]

[Unideal Solutions-Infirmary]

[Well here he was. Laying among the other plagued and wounded. Everything hurt. He had a worsening fever. He kept coughing up blood. He knew this illness, it has been what killed his parents. Now he had it.

And yet this was still not the worst day he’s ever had. Not even the second worst if he's being perfectly honest with himself.

So he accepted the healers trending gracefully, and was generally patient while they hurried about. He was more annoyed by the inconvenience of it all than bothered by the pain and discomfort. What was the worst that could possibly happen?

So come visit him as a friend, or mind his wounds and illness as a healer.]

[Unideal Solutions-Ritual]

[For the first time since winding up in the infirmary, he decided to misbehave, but for a worthy cause! Anything to end this nonsense.

So in the middle of the night he slips from his bedroll and makes an attempt to sneak out, however, still reeling from wounds and illness he isn't exactly as quiet and subtle as he would like. Not that it was easy being subtle when you have to duck under most doorframes. So feel free to either catch him and turn him back to bed, or join him in trying to complete this little ritual.]

[Wildcard]

[Hit me up with your own idea, or ping me on my dubbins ]

Unideal Solutions-Ritual

[localdeliveryboy]

[ ooc: As promised! ]

[ This was all terrible beyond belief. Combat was nothing new to him but this, what was happening - all this unbridled chaos....it was too much. Too horrifying. He's not sure what this all even is, never in his worst nightmares has he seen something like this. Was this war? Is this what the gods of his world saught to prevent? He understands why now, perhaps he should give religion another try but for now - now he had to digest.

The night used to be comforting, and to a degree it still is but tonight was still as dreadful as the day. At the very least, he could think and try to digest - well, add another thing to digest - as overwhelming as it is. But still, the night offered some comfort. And a miscreant. ]

And where do you think you're sneaking off too, hmmm?

[ He whispers, though loud enough for Alfonse to hear as Noah crept up behind him the Au ra. ]

You know, there's a really cute nurse on shift at the moment, nice smile, has kind of a girl next door vibe to her. I'd love to take her out for a spot of tea - you reckon I'd score some points with her if I played all good helper like and made a fuss about you?

Claire Redfield | Resident Evil | OTA

[cameprepared]

((General CW for language, violence, mental health, and talk of zombies.))

A) Enemy at the Gates (OTA)

[There was a time, not all that long ago, that Claire had begun to think of Camelot as a little boring. Yes, she had been knighted and she'd had a ton of adventures, but for the most part her day to day wasn't all that different from back home. And then there were days like today, when she was standing between a dinosaur-bird and her barghest familiar...watching a horde of screaming phantoms bear down on what'd become her home.

Definitely not boring day material, at all.]

...Jesus fucking Christ. This is some real Kull the Conqueror stuff. [She looks over to anyone nearby.] You think they'll make it over the walls? I don't see any ladders.

B) A Knight's Duty (OTA)

[In a few hours time, when the fighting has reached Camelot's streets, Claire doesn't really have time to reflect on it, but she really could have picked her words better. The violence of the Wraiths inside Camelot, the shrieks of rage and pain that tear through the streets, and the clatter and clang of weapons occupy too much of her focus to think about five minutes ago, let alone hours ago. Still, she's willing to do her part, throwing herself into the defense of the city.

She might be shouting orders as she descends on her archaeopteryx, calling out to knots of people as she lands, her hands wreathed in shadow magic. Her mount's claws scrabble on cobblestones, its shriek calling attention to Claire as she calls out to any nearby defenders.]

There's a group of civilians moving a few streets behind us! Help me divert these freakshows so they can get out!

[Or she might be swooping in to the rescue, her mount skimming just above the rooftops. The aerial vantage she has helps avoid the wraiths, letting her find safer pathways, but the streets are often too narrow for the dinosaur to grab up people outside of squares, plazas, and other wider areas. So if she spots someone in need of aid, she grabs a downspout of a nearby house and takes it down like a firepole, shouting to who she's come to help.]

Hey! This way! I can get us to safety, just follow me!


C) Memories of Raccoon (Closed to Chris Lightfellow)

[It's been more than a year since Claire arrived in Avalon, and therefore more than a year since that terrible night in Raccoon City. She'd thought she'd put it behind her, moved on, and healed. The expedition near the Lands of the Dead had been unpleasant, but also her only exposure to the walking dead since coming here, until now. Pien's touch on locals had caused this particular trauma to return front and center, and when coupled with the chaotic violence cause by Rubion, it was a recipe for Claire to just shut down. She could be brave, she could be strong, but this was her nightmare scenario and there was only so much she was able to do.

Panic had driven her into a corner, separated from her mount and her familiar both, and she'd ended up in an abandoned house, the occupants thankfully having made it out. Unfortunate locals milled around outside, the two curses mingling in such a way that she couldn't get out. Barricading herself on the second floor, she went for her communicator, reaching out to the one person she knew who might be able to understand.

Whispering into it, she can't keep from stammering.]

Chris. I need help. I can't deal with this...there's...I'm trapped.


D) Wildcard

[If anyone wants to do something not listed with Claire, feel free to hit me up on intercession to plot!]

A

[phoenixwiz]

I don’t know right now, I don’t even see ladders at the city walls either.

(Deep down, Harry has a lot of things to worry about and the wraiths encompass all of them today. Maybe these phantoms are capable of scaling up walls without ropes or ladders? He isn’t sure just yet as he ponders on the thought, Hedwig lets out an ominous hoot as she and Rose also hear the wraiths’ screams.)

Possibly if they have the strength to scale up the walls without any help?

Zidane Tribal | Final Fantasy IX

[tantailizing]

I. Guinea Pig Up, Pawner

[Yeah, he gets that they should work with the Queen, but she had to realize that trust was a two-way street and all the ways the fae like to play weren't going to exactly win most of them on her side... even if it was the fate of their worlds, people don't like royalty everywhere. All thoughts aside, of course he was going to help the little bird Princess with preparations towards their festival; hell, he'd been wondering what was with his new colorful feathered neighbors in the Forest of the Felled so this made sense.]

[Fortunate for those coming to help, that meant he could help them seek out the birds.]

C'mon, and don't wander off. We might have those birds about, but we also still have unseelie too.

[And while he's friends with a Dullahan, that doesn't change much about the rest of them.]

II. The Wild Hunt (CW: Illness)

[What idiots did this? And he's probably not the only one thinking that while gearing up for what sounds like more undead about to swarm Camelot. But at least it's here and not... everywhere in danger. There's enough of that already.]

[Still, doesn't mean things couldn't be worse, and was it.]

[Not only was it the undead, but wraiths, and they couldn't be just dealt with. But leading them had to be the worst still. Honestly, he didn't know what he encountered, but the Knight had come with a swarm that so occupied him that he was lucky to only be touched by them. Or maybe he hadn't wanted to be touched at all.]

[Minutes passed following and Zidane was stumbling on his feet. His head felt foggy and muddled, his face felt hot - honestly, all of him did - and his grip on his daggers was becoming slack. He only just managed to disburse and send another wraith to hunt another direction when he landed and promptly fell backwards.]

Shit... ugh...

[He forced himself to rise again, but he wasn't back at full height. No, he looked like he might collapse again.]

III. Unideal Solutions

Option A. Lights Out

[Zidane's going to have a few words with those possessing a great deal in this world at some point, and they weren't going to be kind. Again, he hated it when folks did that smug tone and lip service in actually dire situations. Still, for now, the matter of the verbena and casting this ritual.]

[Doesn't matter who was with him, he held out a hand.]

Ready to do this?

Option B. Light it Up

[Talk about a blackout, but it seemed like whatever Morganna did was working... maybe. For now, Zidane reached into his shirt collar and pulled out what sounded like a chain. It took a whisper, but for what verbena were not gone, they'd begin to glow within a 100 foot range. He should get back to Atys and check on his people there, but first... he looked toward anyone who had been lost in the blackness and nodded.]

If you need, I know the Candlebloom spell. Let's get some lights going.

[It's a little odd for him being serious, but the time for being jovial and brightening moods would have to wait until people in need of aid were attended to.]

IV. Wildcard

[OOC: Anything else you might want to do? Hit me up at demidemonLove or PM me. I know he's definitely going to be staring at the end of the world above them in horrified awe.]

II

[cameprepared]

[Claire had heard the struggle, the din of a fight, and she'd come running. Sure she couldn't kill the wraiths, but most of them could be diverted or waylaid in some way with her magic...and that was what she was prepared for. Coming 'round a corner, handgun in one hand, the other raised for a spell, she stopped when she saw a young man alone and struggling to rise.]

Hey. Are you wounded?

[Normally that'd be an obvious question, but she's seen these curses...]

I can get you out of here, if you think you can move.

Rider (Sakamoto Ryouma) | Fate/Grand Order

[amakakeru]

[ 1. Wild Hunt ]

[ Ryouma can't stand back and watch while all of this is going down. He has the skill necessary to fight and heal, so he serves the role of field medic as best he can. His interest is more in ferrying the wounded to safety than actually fighting, but his weapons aren't just for show.

The battle is as fierce as it is hopeless and the wounded are numerous. It's a matter of picking one out of the crowd. He rushes over to one of the recently wounded. ]

Are you alright? Can you walk?

[ He should be asking more than that, but it's a start. ]

[ 2. Hiding the Sun From the Sky ]

[ He was just supposed to be a medic, but when there's this much chaos, there's no escaping being involved. He was never supposed to be grabbed by Rubion. He'd heard words of curses and to stay away from the knights. He wasn't good at listening.

The rage seizes him almost instantly. Someone who's supposed to be a field medic should not be so ready to fight. He shouldn't be aggressively attacking the wraiths and definitely shouldn't be yelling at the people he's supposed to be helping. ]

Hurry up and get up already! Maybe I should just leave you here to teach you a lesson. Just stay out of my way...Otherwise I can't guarantee your safety.

[ It's a huge change from his usual demeanor and off-putting to say the least. ]

[ 3. Pale, Grim, Deep in Shame ]

[ After he realizes something is very wrong, he retreats to the detective agency to protect everyone else. The only one who may show up is someone who can handle his angry outbursts -- not that Izō deserves it. It'll be something to deal with later. His shame is too great already.

There is a complicating factor that everyone knows he works here, so maybe someone besides Izō will come looking for him. When he hears a knock or the door opens, he looks up from where he's sitting at his desk. Rage boils through him; how dare someone come here. ]

We're closed, so get out.

[ It's the best he can do to temper the anger. ]

[ 4. Wildcard ]

[ The prompts not doing it for you? Did we plot something out? Drop me a starter or PM me here or on discord glitzkrieg#0673 and we can work something out! ]

2 ok i'm ready to suffer

[hitokiri]

[ izō should've known that he isn't cut out for what he was trying to do. it's not even a skill thing it's an izō is only one guy problem, but he thought he could manage and protect them both...

he knows the wraiths can't die but it feels good cutting them down anyway. it's an illusion of progress even though they just rise again, but aren't they just buying time anyway?

izō doesn't see it when it happens, it's the yelling that gets his attention. it scares him, because something being terribly wrong is the only reason he can think of why ryouma might be yelling at anyone. it's only once he's closer that he realises it's something else entirely. izō has seen ryouma fight and he knows that he doesn't draw his sword lightly, even against enemies like this. ryouma's not fighting like a person defending himself and it's so jarringly strange that for a few seconds izō forgets he should do something about it.

snapping out of it, he hurries over before ryouma can find something else to go after and grabs him by the arm. izō is out of breath and as dishevelled as one would expect someone to be after fighting all this time. his hand is shaking a little, mostly coming down from the scare earlier although whatever's going on right now isn't very comforting either. ]

Y' alright? The fuck's gotten in t' ya? Ain't gotta try that hard when I'm around, y' know?

[ he plays it for a laugh because... maybe it's stress or something? which isn't good. izō isn't supposed to be the reasonable one. ]

the Netherlands | Hetalia

[oranjekonijn]

(I. get a feather for decorating a cake)

[ Hells, this felt like a… what was that again?

That thing that Ja—Kiku liked to put in his games?

“Fetch quest”.

Something like that, yes. This felt like a fetch quest. And that god-awful accent—it was a miracle he was able to understand the gist of ‘get one feather from one bird’ despite all the mispronunciations abound from whoever had blasted that message across the speaker.

There was also another catch—they didn’t specify exactly how many feathers were needed. ]

“Wait, so do we get only one feather, or as many feathers from as many birds as we can catch?” he muttered to himself, a frown crossing his features. Damn it all, there was only so much context to go with…!

---

(II. Looking for info at the Library)

“Are you kidding me?!”

[ He hadn’t even been here a couple… days? Weeks? And then shit happens!

Seeing as he has next to no current battle experience—well, naggy familiar aside (who knows where they’d gone off to) the best that he can provide at the moment is information. Knowledge, intel—whatever it is, name it he’ll find it.

The only problem is where the hell would he even start searching in the library?! He’s definitely lost at the sight of mounds and mounds of books, so… ]

“Geez.”

---

(III. Ritual with a candle)

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

[ That’s about all he’s going to say, considering that again, there was so little context provided with the message sent to everyone who’d gathered to try the ritual. This… if he was being honest, it felt like the things that England would do behind closed doors on a near-daily basis.

If not England, then Romania. Or Norway. Those three always seemed to be together doing this weird magicky mumbo-jumbo stuff, back where he came from. ]

“But it’s not like we have a choice, right?

---

(Wildcard)

[ Got anything else in mind? Send help, the cavalry’s (sorta) here! ]

III

[resistetmords]

"Ah, don't worry about it, it's all going to be fine."

She's pretty certain it's all going to be fine! Though, even after spending close to a year here, she still hasn't quite gotten used to the... everything. BUT! She's doing much, much better than when she first got here. Meaning, knowing her brother, he'll probably catch onto things quickly in no time.

She might also need the help, given that she had been rather busy dealing with an invasion of angry ghosts.

Taichi Nanao 🐶 A3!

[arf]

A. Guinea Up, Pawner - Closed to Azul!
[ It's toward closing that Taichi comes to Azul's restaurant, Golden Silence. He has a favor to ask but he knows that at least for him, brownies take care of the cleaning at night, so obviously whatever restaurant fairies exist, they'll also come at night so he doesn't want to pester Azul before opening when they won't come.

(Believe him, he's tried to get them to clean during the day, and brownies weren't having it.)

So he pops into the restaurant probably about 15 minutes before it's time to close and finds Azul, pressing his hands together to plead and bending over in at least a 60 degree bow. He's got a cooler with him full of ingredients (including feathers) already collected, so at least he's not making Azul foot the bill. ]

I need to use your kitchen please!

B. The Wild Hunt - OTA, free healing! (Camelot)
[ Taichi is not a fighter. Not in a way that counts when it comes to a siege against the dead, anyway. Which is why it's probably surprising to anyone he knows that he's choosing to stay behind in Camelot. He can heal, which means he can help. Maybe this place isn't where he's from, but he's been here long enough that it's his home, so he's going to do what he can to help the people that he wants to protect out. He can't do much, but he can do this.

He fires off small healing spells via DM toward everyone he knows who works at Kaika Theater- the text with it simply says Open attachment if you're hurt! Call if you need more! It's not strong- but if someone takes a non-fatal hit, it'll definitely at least close at least one wound.

Anyone Taichi runs into, he'll ask if they need to be healed or if they're okay. But he didn't see Hikaru in the Citadel, so he's for sure not leaving until he finds him and hears or sees that all of his friends are safe. Even if he's so scared right now he's definitely cried judging by the redness and slight wet around his eyes. ]

C. Unideal Solutions - In the Dark, OTA! (Nicnevin)
[ At some point, Taichi did manage to make it to the safety of Nicnevin after prioritizing Hikaru, who wouldn't leave without him. That doesn't stop him from screaming when the lights go out. ]

I'M BLIND!! HELP!

[ ...Look, he did the candle ritual, but he blew it out after he was done so he's just kinda standing there thinking he can't see anything now. Help him. ]

D. Wildcard
[ Have another idea? Hmu tartetatin or taylotjelly#4556 on discord. ]

[dottedline]

[Azul sits behind his desk, having been going over the books for the day as they finish up, and just stares at Taichi and the cooler.]

Why?

[They can discuss the subject of payment in a moment.]

closed to monika;

[reloves]

[ Minako didn't even stop to think about this for a moment - whether to be out there fighting or not. Of course she had to be. This world may not be her own, but it is the one she's currently living in. It's the world in which so many people she cares about exist right now. She can't just allow a huge battle like this to go badly - especially when it means other people might get hurt.

So she goes out there to fight, determined. Even though the battle seems unwinnable, she still goes out there, and she still keeps fighting, even when it seems like the sheer odds are against them right here. She's fought other things in this place, surely she can make it through this too.

If there's anything she's worried about here, it's the presence of a specific someone nearby. Monika being near here, playing a support role, Minako being reminded of the other girl's presence by occasionally witnessing one of the spells whizzing past to hit one of their enemies. Minako knows Monika can fight, and the other girl has helped her out before during battle, but.. well, with just how much Minako cares about the other instinctively, there's no way she can't worry about someone this important to her being this close to so much danger.

Still, she doesn't tell the other to leave. It wouldn't be fair. Instead she just steels her heart, telling herself that she needs to keep fighting as hard as possible to try and quell this threat, so she can get Monika out of danger as soon as possible too.

Still fighting, Minako turns her head, glancing over in the direction of the other girl as she calls out: ]

Are you still okay? [ Look, she is in the middle of a fight, but she's got to know. Otherwise she'll just get too worried. ]

[peninhand]

[ Normally, Monika wouldn't have taken part in the fighting. She was by no means a fighter, and she knew where her strengths were. In the library, researching the ongoing attack and finding solutions to help those on the frontlines. She'd always always been aware of her own strengths and weaknesses. But something had changed.

Someone she loved more than anything in this or any world was fighting. And to stay behind when she could do something to protect her? Unacceptable. There were so many ways Minako could end up getting hurt in such a battle— The mere thought was horrifying. And it was her duty to make sure none of them would happen. She'd look after her.. And there was a very noticeable pattern to her attacks. She tried to get to any enemy that threatened to get close to Minako. Of course, there were too many for her to get them all, and even had there been less she just wasn't good enough to hit every target she aimed for.

But she made a difference. Monika wasn't that bad of a fighter. She wasn't great, but she wasn't a dead weight either. So long as she kept attacking from a range, she could defend Minako without being a problem. Or so she hoped. When Minako turned around, a thought crossed her mind. What if her very presence distracted her? What if by wanting to protect her, she was actually putting her in danger? Minako was the expert here. Monika was just an amateur by comparison... She couldn't just delete their enemies or rewind things back. She was a normal human here.

Her heart skipped a beat but she tried her best to hide her worries. ]

I am. [She nodded.] Don't worry about me. Just... Please be careful...!

[ In spite of her efforts, the worry was plain on her face. She remembered when she'd confessed, that topic had come up, hadn't it? The fact that Minako may have to risk her life every now and then. She'd accepted it. But... That didn't mean she couldn't do everything in her power to protect her, right? ]

Belgium | Hetalia

[resistetmords]

I - GUINEA PIGS AND THEIR LITTLE GUINEA PIG CAKES

[This is adorable, this is just to, gosh-dang adorable. Naturally Belgium just had- she just HAD TO, do this. The tiny squeakers were just going to absolutely adore the cakes she made for them and their little festival. It would certainly be a highlight for her, given her recent dealings with the full moon and helping out a naked guy in the middle of the forest....

Right, moving on in life.]

Ah- yes I'm coming! [In response to a knock on the door to her apartment. She quickly rushed towards it. All she really had left to do was to put the final touches, and hopefully the person at the door was her helper in getting that last ingredient. The feathers she needed to top the cakes.]

II - The Wild Hunt

[ooc: I'm more than open to discussing closed threads for this one. For anyone interested in doing so, feel free to check out my post here.]

[II-A]

[She reacted as quickly as she could when the alarm bells went off. Great, just when she figured that she could get some proper rest here everything decides to blow up. Dressed in her uniform and a makeshift axe in hand, created out of using her alchemy abilities. She didn't know how useful her abilities would be against a tidal wave of ghosts, but she was going to do her best here!]

DO. NOT. ENGAGE. DIRECTLY.

[She called out, pulling someone back and out of the way of one of the specters, before summoning up a wall of roots to block it off as best she could and press it back. So long as her little group could stay organized, they'd have a decent chance of holding off the tidal wave for a fair amount of time. Her lion familiar let out a loud roar, it's large and imposing size giving perhaps a small amount of comfort to those around her. Instilling a sense of bravery at having the huge beast on their side.

Well as things stood, she figured the only real victory they'd see here was in simply living through the attack.]

[II-B]

[She kept it up, still pushing against the wraiths as they continued to batter away at the city's defenders. By this point she'd been separated from her group. Her only companion at this point being her lion familiar. His fur standing up on end and his face pulled back in an ever present snarl.

Not good, but they could hold their own and knew what to do at this point.

Really not good though, she was on her own. Tired, voice hoarse from calling out commands, and now looking for any stragglers that need help.]

Hey... you there!

[She called out, rushing towards the person in question.] If you're not fighting then lets get you to the keep!

[She could already hear another wraith nearby and closing in quickly. There might not be any time for her to get them to safety herself, but perhaps she could hold it off on her own.]

III - Afterwards

[She sighed, finding herself sitting down on a bench. Well, that was all very stressful... she could go for some beer and a smoke... and waffles... and a good helping of most of whatever other vice she could think of to take the edge off.

Silently, gently she reached down to pet the head of her equally tuckered out lion. She was really grateful that her brother was here to do that ritual with her when she'd finally managed to break away.

A small smile formed on her lips at the thought.]

Made it through another one, didn't we? Ha~! We could really use a drink....

[Her lion huffs in response, but it seemed rather satisfied.]

[WILDCARD]

II-B

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata, only having joined the battle after nightfall, is nowhere near as exhausted as Belgium. His Familiar Fusion gives him access to his crow tengu partner's vast amount of magical energy, and he's been putting it to good use - but his cigarette, the embers of which he's been using to place his exorcism sigils in the air, burned down a moment ago, so he landed to quickly light a new one and get an overview of the overall battle situation.]

I am fighting!

[He, too, sees the wraith coming towards them, so with one swift motion he draws the next symbol in front of him, and it solidifies from a trail of smoke into a glowing glyph with several circles rotating around it. Just before the wraith reaches them he activates it with a push of his palm, sending out a blast of light that seemingly dissolves the spectral warrior, leaving nothing behind. He spreads his huge wings, ready to take off again - but then he hesitates, seeing how exhausted Belgium looks.]

Are you okay? Can you keep going?

[He wonders how well she's been faring against these undead enemies. Presumably they aren't particularly weak against her magic types, so it must have been hard for her.]

Bruno Madrigal | Encanto | OTA

[sandinmyhair]

Wild Hunt: Citadel

[Sushi monsters are one thing, but this way above Bruno's pay grade. He considers joining the evacuees to Nicnevin, but... no, he can't do that. Not when there'll be injured to tend. Sure, he's not his sister, he can't heal injuries with food, but he can do his best to patch people up the mundane way, or offer them some comfort until a Siphon can be found.]

[The moment he sees you, he'll start fretting.] Ay, another one... Come sit down, let me at least clean you up a bit, huh?

Unideal Solution: Aftermath

[Oh, that was not a good idea at all. Well, it was a good idea inasmuch as it helped to solve the problem, but it was still a bad idea as far as Bruno's day-to-day is concerned.

Which is why he's developed a tendency to fall asleep in public places. That's not the worrisome bit. The worrisome bit is that a gigantic black hound with terrifying teeth and green-glowing eyes is often seen lying or sitting next to him, eyeing anyone who might come near while Bruno sleeps.

N-nice doggie....?]

Citadel

[admiralchiss]

[Thrawn's been busy using his military knowledge to good use for the wild hunt, and as a result, he's bruised and dirty. He also looks tired and in need of a rest.

He doesn't resist when Bruno comes over to tend to him.]

Thank you. I suppose I should rest.

Fran || FFXII

[ranksinmistlore]

{Wild Hunt}

[For all that Fran is not, by her nature, anything she would consider a hero, the sound of the alarm being called is enough to catch her attention. More so, when it becomes aware that people are preparing for a siege, and though she has little idea as to the nature of their foe, and less with preparing for a siege, she is not without her ability to fight and so she makes for the gates, picking up fragments of information along the way.

(Ghosts, at least, are not anything new. There had been any of a number of spirits she and the others had fought, on their travels, though few that had been spoken of the manner these ones are.)

Her experiences only partially prepare her for the battle that ensues. While she is undeniably a good fighter - and nimble enough on her feet to dodge what attacks come her way - she soon grows frustrated at the fact that there is very little to show from any of her attacks or those of any others. Ghosts are one thing; ghosts you can't actually kill are quite another.]

We do nothing. There must be another way.

[What, she doesn't know. But it's clear enough that what they're trying is having no effect, and while she is not unwilling to continue holding the foe at bay, she is just as willing to leave to find another answer.]


{Lights Out}

[Magic rituals - in any form - are not anything terribly new to Fran. After all, this is not the first thing she has encountered where the solution has required some specific spell or another. Nor is it likely to be the last. That said, she does still have her doubts as to whether or not sending magic to another person is even something that will work, much less something that will help with the problem.

Still, there have been answers found in less, and should it not work they will at least have tried.]

Have you a candle?

Wild Hunt

[menphina]

[ She'd been racing to aid whoever she could with her potions and field healing, but she knew she couldn't just sit around while others were fighting.

That's when she joins the fighters, even as the knights take command- she hasn't attained any rank yet, but she's rushing in to help whoever she can off the field herself. These wraiths aren't taking any damage from her.

And when she spots the viera-shaped figure, she immediately recognizes her- and her voice. ]

Fran!! Watch out!

[ She calls out to her, quickly launching herself into the air to dive with her lance onto a wraith approaching her- it does nothing to harm it but there's enough time to reach out her hand to her- ]

Let's get out of here, quickly!

[ There's no time to linger, they have to move! ]

Venat | FFXIV

[heartofthestar]

Ritual Beginnings

There is... always something, isn't there?

A ritual, to invoke salvation. How poorly this sat with her, yet how truly she knew she could not judge by experience what worked or did not work for this world. It held more in common with almost-doomed Etheirys than her land of birth, so what they undertook to help it should not compare to the conjuring of a Primal. Or the sundering of the star.

"Light the candles, burn the flowers. Take another's hand and pray." To whom? Venat shook her head, then lifted it, hoping to catch the eye of another who might join her where she knelt before the verbena she'd plucked.

[absentconstellation]

She doesn't exactly catch his eye, since he's looking at the bit of greenery, but the Cat approaches all the same. He's studied the magic of this world as much as he could, but there's only so much that can be learned from books. If this ritual will be performed regardless he may as well get involved himself.

"I believe a paw will suffice," he comments idly, sitting in front of the woman and turning his bright purple eyes up at her.

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd | Fire Emblem: Three Houses

[asaviorshand]

[The Wild Hunt]

[The very moment that Dimitri hears that there's an attack coming, he begins gearing himself up for battle. He knows what he's skilled at, and he's determined to put those skills to use.

So naturally, when the battle is raging in earnest, he can be found right at the front, tangling with the wraiths. He figures out pretty quickly that the wraiths aren't dying to his spear strikes, not even from Areadbhar. While that's frustrating, Dimitri puts it in the back of his mind just as quickly, figuring that he can still buy time for the ritual to go off. Indeed, the wraiths are having a hard time landing any lasting hits on him -- he manages to dodge strong attacks with little difficulty and he flat-out ignores weaker attacks, and those are just the ones he doesn't just block. For a brief moment, he has enough breathing room to let out a boast at his enemies:]

How do you hope to stop a ritual if you can't get past me!? I don't care how long this takes, you will not advance a step beyond this point!

Chrome Dokuro | Katekyou Hitman Reborn!

[illusionaryskirt]

Guinea Up Pawner

[Chrome hasn't had much luck with forests, but that doesn't discourage her from pursuing the prism tweeters herself. From behind a tree, she quietly watches a flock of them flutter around playfully. They were pretty birds with equally alluring feathers. Not just for the mini cakes, but Chrome kind of wants to take home a feather for herself.

She's waiting for the right opportunity to take one by surprise. When one bird flies over to her tree, she jumps out of her hiding place and tries to grab it. However, the surprise causes the bird to panic, and it manages to phase through her, escaping from behind her.]

If they can pass through me, how will I pluck their feathers?

[ Chrome is speaking to herself, but if someone happens to be in the area, then maybe they can offer this girl their assistance or give her a hack for catching prism tweeters.]

Wild Hunt

[ Chrome isn't on the battlefield. She's not confident she can be of any help, but that doesn't mean she can't be of use in other ways. She stays within the citadel to help the wounded or even be a runner for supplies. So you might catch her passing out water and food for people taking refuge in the citadel, or helping to bandage someone up.

If you're someone she knows, she'll come over and check up on you.]

...Do you need anything?

[Or maybe you're just someone Chrome's helping out at the moment and she's just making conversation.]

This happened so suddenly, I wonder what brought this on.

[Or it could be one of those things that Avalon tends to do, but something feels off to the illusionist. She usually has a good intuition about these things.]

Unideal Solutions

[ With the battle the day before, and now the darkness that engulfs Avalon, Chrome feels a little unsteady. Instead of staying within her inn room where it was probably safe, she didn't want to be alone. So she decides to wander around the city, but even with electricity going on, everything still seems so frightening. She's never seen a sky so void of light before, it makes her tremble. Why is this happening? What does this mean for them?

Her mind keeps racing, she's lost and the dark sky looms over her head, it's enough to bring her to a breaking point. Tears well up in her good eye, and she collapses into a corner, sobbing. She hugs her knees to her chest, burying her face against her knees as she cries. Her body shakes as she hugs herself tightly.]

I can't do this...I can't do this. I want to go home, please just send me back!

[She's not strong enough to deal with this, and maybe she might never be.]

Unideal Solutions

[readytolearn]

[Elsa has luckily found some candles that she's bringing around. With the candlelifght, she spots Chrome in a corner. She walks over and puts the candle down near her, sitting down nearby.]

Hey... I'm here. Look at me? You'll be fine.

doppo kannonzaka | hypnosis mic | ota

[doppomine]

Feather Catching

[ Even with a vanilla bean in hand, Doppo's pursuit for one of these feathers leads up to an actual pursuit that didn't even last a minute.

As he lies on the ground after his little chase for a feather ends with a collision into a tree, he can't help but wonder if this is a punishment for existing wondering if the birds would technically make naturally sweet karaage. ]

...it's not like I actually would do that... [ He adds out loud, as if to argue with himself like he does so often. He wipes his nose to make sure it's not bleeding and slowly sits up, back still very much stiff from his daily life back home. When he realizes that the vanilla bean had been snatched from him, he figures...it's probably okay to just continue to lie here until his soul back recovers. ]

Wild Hunt aka Doppo's Magic is Stupid

[ Bless anyone who chooses to remain around Doppo. While he's gotten better about his magic, the timing of his arrival cannot be any worse. He's been avoiding any attempt to transmute things or make any use of his alchemy out of the fear that he may create an explosion or something that would probably want to die upon creation. When he intends to levitate an object, he ends up throwing the other person or even himself up the sky. Needless to say, Doppo's doing his best to keep his abilities in check.

But it seems like every time he sneezes, he ends up disappearing and reappearing in another part of the area. Maybe these abilities are tied to his stress level...which is obvious to anyone who has known him for any amount of time.

At this moment, he's caught putting himself down for letting yet another one of these incidents happen again in the form of mumbles. ]

Ahh...I'm just no good...this kind of thing isn't meant for someone like me. How can I be any of use here when all I did back home was to be useless also...? It's the same no matter where I go, isn't it? [ The metaphorical dark rain cloud over him might as well literally appear despite Komainu sitting on his feet as an attempt to comfort. Doppo's petting his familiar's head so at least there's that. ]

wild hunt

[currysseur]

( Izumi's job right now is less about the fighting, or the healing, and more about making sure people are safe and well. as well as anyone can be in this situation.

and it's during one of her rounds, walking through with her sword heavy at her waist (she's yet to use it, and she hopes she never has to), that someone pops — quite literally — out of thin air and appears in front of her. )

E-eh?!

( okay, so maybe reacting out loud wasn't the smartest decision but who wouldn't be a little surprised by sudden teleportation and deprecation. )

A-are you okay...?

Emet-Selch | Final Fantasy XIV

[emet_sulk]

This isn't how it was supposed to go.

When the spectres stream out of the rift they created, when the four Horsemen emerge and start to lay waste to the land, Emet-Selch realises that they've done something terribly wrong. But in the chaos, he's lost sight of the man who had tricked them - lost sight of all the others too, in fact. Now he's skulking about like some...some mortal afraid for their life and a deep anger burns in his chest. Anger...and not a small amount of fear.

The end of the world had seemed so far away. Now it feels like it's come anew and he's reliving the nightmare of it once again. Though his heart pounds as he strikes down the lesser wraiths (he'd seen the effect one of the greater knights had left on someone and quickly realised the folly of facing them), he forces himself to move onwards, eyes scanning the streets for any sign of the man called Ardyn.

[hitokiri]

Izō had seen to what he could, making sure Ritsuka got to safety and making efforts to buy some time for the medics. He had also seen what one of the Horsemen had done to someone and had had a particularly unpleasant encounter as a result. If he wasn't motivated to get some payback before, he certainly is now.

This isn't exactly how Izō might have hoped his first time doing what he does best would go. Any other reason but this would have been great, because now's there's an urgency he doesn't care for. He used to do this because smarter men than him treated people's lives like pieces in a game of chess. Izō feels supremely underqualified to do anything dealing in the existential or catastrophic, but if the world's going to end anyway he's not going to start giving people a pass now.

He's angry, but not so much that he doesn't notice that he's not the only one on the trail.

"Ain't lettin' it go either, huh?"

If Emet-Selch hadn't noticed him before he spoke up, it's probably because his voice is coming out of a magpie with messy looking feathers. He could change back, but he's standing on a ledge that isn't person-sized.