Second: Quest Calling (Feb Catchall)

[corpsewarblade]

🧙 WHO: Mukuro Ikusaba and OPEN
⚔️️ WHAT: Doing some quests, being socially awkward with the local wildlife
🕒 WHEN: Throughout February
🗺️ WHERE: Various
⚠️ WARNINGS: Violence in the quests probably (will update as needed)

1) A Little Conversation



Mukuro had been trying to get a handle on suddenly having magic. Despite the seemingly supernatural levels of abilities the Ultimates at her school had, it was nothing compared to real magic. And, if she was to be honest with herself, she had literally no idea how to start learning. It wasn't like learning how to use a weapon at all!

But she wasn't about to give up!

Most mornings, she could be found around and about Brocéliande forest trying to...awkwardly strike up conversation with the local wildlife whilst her huge Hellhound found a shady spot nearby to nap.

"So, like...do you like carrots or whatever?"

To say the least, from the look the rabbit gave her before it raced off, it did not approve of the question.




2) The Libryrinth 🗡️



The rumours about the Library and whatever lay within certainly intrigued her. It sounded like a paranoid person had been jumping to conclusions from the original post, but then she noticed one of the weird symbols when she'd pulled out a book on animal care.

"...Maybe there is some truth in those rumours."

Well, it was late afternoon by now. Stealth and infiltration weren't out of her scope - even if doing so wearing Junko's obnoxious fashion was a task in itself - so maybe she should look into this one, after all.




3) A Tall Order 🛡️



"Ergh, seriously, do these things have to be so patronising?"

Initially, Mukuro was trying to work out a way to manage one of those sedan chairs all by herself... however, this was definitely not going according to plan. The elves were, to say the least, taking no time in pointing out that she was a disappointment and that this wasn't going anywhere fast.

"Oh shut up, I'm doing you guys a favour already!"




4) Wildcard!

[ooc: As always, feel free to PM me or ping me on Discord @ ArchangelAmy#4540 if there's something special you'd like to do with her!]

Comments

[corpsewarblade]

Punctuality was of upmost importance when she was undergoing her military training, and as such she arrived to their meeting point decently early - a couple of books about animal care underneath her arm. Of course, she'd also taken the time to stake out a few possible hiding places they could use.

"Huh? Oh, hey. Was beginning to think you'd, like, totally ditched me." Judging from her grin, she probably didn't mean that too seriously. "So the librarian was just clearing things out over by the reference section over there- so that seems the best place to hide for the time being. I doubt she'll go back over there before closing up so long as we're quiet, you know?"

[emet_sulk]

"Perish the thought," he says with a roll of his eyes. Well, to be fair, he has no qualms about leaving abruptly, but he also isn't one to renege on agreements - and he did agree to investigate this library.

Glancing in the direction she points, he nods. "A sound idea," he agrees, lowering his voice already. "Let's go."

He begins to navigate his way there, keeping an ear out for the librarian. He can hear her starting to usher the last stragglers out already. Indeed, he thinks - if they move into areas she has already checked, it's unlikely she'll check again. It's not as though people usually have a reason to loiter after hours in a library.

"This place is almost like a maze," he mutters. "We ought to stay together once the lights go out."

[corpsewarblade]

Despite her obnoxious high heels, she was able to move surprisingly quietly through the bookshelves, sparing a quick glance in the direction she could hear the librarian's voice just to make sure. This was enemy territory, in her mind, and she needed to treat it with the correct degree of stealth accordingly.

"Yeah, definitely. That's going to be a pain if we get separated," a peek around the corner, and then moving into the reference section. It looked like there were a few quiet corners they could sneak into, that she indicated with a gesture.

[emet_sulk]

He moves towards the spots she indicates without argument, tucking himself in as best he can so that he's out of immediate sight. As he does so, his gaze lingers on her and her movements, wondering yet again about the things she isn't saying about herself.

Ultimately he still doesn't care enough to pry but he's forming his own guesses. Whoever or whatever she is, as long as she is capable he couldn't care less.

"I think I hear her locking the doors," he murmurs. And then he falls silent, listening for the librarian's footfall as she makes her way to the back.

[corpsewarblade]

Mukuro gave a quick nod from where she had crouched down behind a bookshelf. It definitely sounded like the librarian was making her way out...just a little longer...aha, that was the sound of her getting further away.

Nearly time...

[emet_sulk]

Soon enough, her footsteps faded from hearing. Emet-Selch waited a few minutes longer to be sure before cautiously emerging.

"It seems she has left. But we ought to remain quiet just in case. Where should we begin our search, do you think?"

[corpsewarblade]

"Think I should just climb up near where I saw the first symbol? Mean I'm hoping I'll get a better vantage point from up here."

At least, the ones against the wall seemed like they'd be stable enough for her to climb up on.

[emet_sulk]

"Why not? We certainly won't see anything from here."

He starts assessing the shelves against the wall as well. Being built with more muscle than her, he suspects he's heavier than she is. Would they hold his weight...? He starts towards one and carefully takes out books to give himself hand and footholds for a test.

[corpsewarblade]

Mukuro, meanwhile, was peering around the back of the shelves. It looked like they were attached to the attached to the walls, so they weren't likely to topple over.

For now, she'd take a couple of books out and try to climb up- ergh, it would be so much easier if she wasn't stuck wearing Junko's high heels and far-too-short skirt.

"Seems pretty robust to me."

[emet_sulk]

Emet-Selch, quite oblivious to her wardrobe concerns, begins to carefully climb up the shelves. Apart from being attached to the wall, they're also thankfully quite sturdy. He makes it to the top without issue, wrinkling his nose at the thick layer of dust, before turning to peer down.

"Well, if I could make it I dare say you can as well. Though you may wish to remove those shoes."

[corpsewarblade]

"Uh- yeah, good point." With a sigh, Mukuro took off her heels. If he'd suggested it then it would be okay to do that, right? And at least he had climbed up first- that meant no awkward cliches coming from him climbing behind her.

Well, for now, she'll climb up to the top to join him, leaving her boots on top of the shelf. "Let's map out the terrain and carry out recon- then we should have a better idea what we're looking at."

[emet_sulk]

"Map out? Did you bring paper and writing utensils?" he asks, looking at her in mild surprise. He does agree with her assessment but he honestly hadn't thought to bring anything to facilitate it.

...Well, in a pinch, there's certainly a lot of paper around them at least.

"Nevermind. I'll go that way." He points in a direction and starts to carefully crawl his way over there. It's interesting how being up high gives one a different perspective. The shelves definitely look like they're arrayed deliberately now.

[corpsewarblade]

"Huh- I was just gonna make tiny marks on the walls to get our bearings- shouldn't be noticed if they're up here."

Well, for now she makes a little mark on the wall with her knife, and starts to crawl along one of the shelves. Something's definitely off with how things looked from up here.

"...Something's weird, isn't it?"

[emet_sulk]

"Ah... Go ahead then."

He feels a little silly for assuming she intended to chart a map. Of course she wouldn't have the time to do that.

Shaking his head at himself, he replies, "Indeed. Most libraries are not laid out in such a confusing manner. There may be merit in the quest-giver's claims. Let's make our way further in. If I wished to conceal something, I would surely put it at the heart of such a labyrinth."

[corpsewarblade]

"So we've got to navigate to the centre of this mess, huh...I take left path you take right and we see what we find?"

[emet_sulk]

"Agreed."

With a nod to her, he starts crawling forward. No matter how careful he is, dust accumulates in grey clouds about his hands and knees, and he ends up having to stifle a sneeze. Dust bunnies float down from the shelf but with minimal noise he steadily progresses to the heart of the labyrinth.

The closer they draw to the centre, the more it becomes apparent that something lurks there. The walls change from shelf to stone, and as luck would have it, they quickly run into the monsters set as its first line of defence.

"Enoshima!" he hisses.

[corpsewarblade]

Yeah, she heard the distinctive sound of distinctly not human movements moments before Emet-Selch hissed to her. She quickly drew her combat knife out ready, but they were already outnumbered- and this was only the first line.

"...Yeah, I have eyes on the targets. Retreat or engage?" her voice was colder, now, more focused.

[emet_sulk]

He eyes the monsters. No point going in recklessly. They ought to gauge the opponent first.

"Lure one of them first to be safe," he whispers. "I will ambush it around the corner so we an get the measure of them."

[corpsewarblade]

"Right-" With that, she crept closer, closer- soon getting the attention of the slime!

...Far more quickly than Junko hoped, if she was going to admit it, and it rushed with force to the ambush point.

[emet_sulk]

He bites back a curse. The slime is faster than he would have thought possible for a gelatinous, oozing thing. He rushes out with gunblade in hand and attempts to cleave the thing in two.

...His weapon bounces right off its body, sending him reeling back.

"What?!" he exclaims without thinking. And unfortunately, the noise attracts the rest. A veritable horde of slimes, bearing down upon them at speed.

[corpsewarblade]

They were immune to bladed weapons? It wasn't as if she had a firearm she could use- and if his weapon bounced off, there was only so much her little combat knife would be able to do.

And now there was a whole swarm of them coming their way.

"Shit- retreat, now-!" It didn't help that the manoeuvrability here was extremely poor, either. There weren't really any viable options left.

[emet_sulk]

He doesn't argue. As they run, he tries to use alchemy to throw up a stone barrier to slow the slimes down. It's hasty and not well-constructed but it slows the creatures down enough that they can find their way out of the labyrinth and then out of the library.

No point remaining inside. The noise will attract the librarian.

"Such a simple creature, and yet..." Breathing hard, he leans heavily on his weapon as it digs point-first into the ground.

[corpsewarblade]

"Yeah... it's defences shouldn't- nothing made of a material like that should be so resistant. Didn't even look like ballistics gel..."

She took a deep breath, glad that even with their hurried escape, she wasn't feeling too winded.

"...Hey, you okay?"

[emet_sulk]

"I'm fine... It has just been a while since I've had to run for my life."

And this body is somewhat unfit. But he's working on it. After a few more seconds, he sucks in a deep breath and straightens.

"Now I'm very curious about what that librarian is hiding. But it seems we're currently too weak to explore past its initial defences."

[corpsewarblade]

"If you're sure-" Digging into her bag, Junko grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it over to him- it looked like he needed it.

"But yeah. Let's...have a think, regroup, plan a re-engagement once we've got more resources, right?"