EVENT: Exploration

[rekindlemods]

There's a nervous feeling to this morning. More than a few people milling around the giant gates of Districts Five and Three. Among them are officials, giving safety and advisory talks on what to expect outside, and hoping that people will listen: it's not safe outside the walls, there is an energy drain in place that can only be held off by keeping in contact with someone (and that only lasts so long) plus a reminder on where the signal was pinpointed. Somewhere off to the north east of the city...And to be careful out there, above all else.

True to the announcement, the city gates open in the morning hours with plenty of heavy rattling noises to mark the occasion. And with that, all that's left is to step through the gates to the world outside.

Out there it feels like there's a near permanent coating of rust and ash on every surface, determined to work its way onto your mouth and into your lungs. Looming out of the shattered remains of streets and sidewalks are crumbled buildings that look like gaunt old skeletons of the familiar Saeng Seong locals. There's a stillness to the air that can weigh heavy on one's shoulders…And can probably get all the more heavy if you're not keeping up contact. You DID bring a buddy along to help you explore, right?

The company is probably needed, given how empty and desolate the outside feels. Save for the occasional groan of a ruin falling a little more apart...And perhaps a skittering of something close by.

Welcome to the dead zone ringing the city. Best look alive out there.

Comments

Giovanni | toward the lantern generators

[hotboss]

[Being one's own boss makes it easy to ignore the advice of others who don't have the same interests as him. The only buddies he needs are his Pokemon team latched onto his belt. Anything he finds outside the gates should prove useful if he wants to sway any of the city's scientists to his side - if they're as easy as the other scientists he's brought under his wing, he'll be out of here in no time.

The thick atmosphere outside is enough to distract him from the sinking feeling of unconsciousness mere minutes after he's left the city. By the time he reaches for his pokeball belt to call out a buddy he really should have had in the first place, he collapses into the dust. Help a former crook out?

[erfingi]

[Luckily for Giovanni, Loki is also buddy-less and only realized after leaving that he should have tricked someone into being his buddy. Also lucky for Giovanni, Loki is a not human and has a little bit more endurance. So spotting the man collapsing, Loki decides to be a benevolent god it's totally for his own benefit and help the man out.

Hope Giovanni doesn't mind being picked up, because Loki isn't feeling so benevolent as to sit and wait for the man to wake up. Loki wants to get as many things as possible and get his reward.]

Going Northeast, Anyone?

[someonetowatchoveryou]

September is more accustomed to working alone than not, so it doesn't even occur to him to try and find someone to go with him. After carefully listening to the warnings regarding the atmosphere and the wildlife, he constructs a rebreather out of bits and bobs and, when the gates open, heads out to the northeast.

To conserve energy, he does this the old-fashioned way, simply walking in realtime. He figures he's prepared for just about anything, carrying a satchel with sampling equipment rather than his customary briefcase, a light and his firearm at the ready. He also managed to acquire a hunting knife somewhere and while his knowledge as to its use exists entirely in theory, he is confident as only an Observer can be that his speed and intelligence will outweigh any lack of skill.

Ah, yes. That strange, serene Observer confidence--he takes no thoughts with him beyond the goal. Slowly, he lets any newly developed emotions slip into his subconscious. Surely that will grant him a little more time against the oppressive ambiance and the drain effect.

He walks and walks and stops occasionally to collect a sample of what appears to be mutated plant life, carefully and with gloved hands and tweezers, slipping them into small sample jars. Have you ever seen someone so deliberate and calm, taking his time with whatever he happens to do?

This calm likely doesn't last long once the foot-long IOUSes* start to swarm....


*Insects Of Unusual Size? He doesn't think they exist.... [SWARMED]

She is!

[shadowsgambit]

Fortuna would find a buddy later. For now, she was focused on heading northeast. That was the essence of the job, wasn't it? But then she comes on someone else collecting a plant sample, and then from around him, there were...

Bugs. Giant bugs.

Again.

All it takes is one that looks particularly bombardier beetle-like and September has an unannounced ally from behind in the form of a full auto spray of bullets from a high-end assault rifle.

Heading for the northeast signal source

[shadowsgambit]

Fortuna was going steadily towards the northwest. This was what they'd wanted to send them out for in the first place, so that's where she was going.

She was moving slower than everyone else though, and not because of energy - a cord trailed from behind her ear to somewhere beneath her coat and both drones were roaming the streets, spread out to either side and as far ahead of her as they could go. Her assault rifle was ready and held for the moment in her dominant hand, the other hand free for contact as needed.

She takes a detour through a house...and has to stop at the ominous wall-to-wall emergency broadcast, gaping at the sight. It never lost power? How was that even possible?

[heretic_hamlet]

It wasn't the first decrepit wreck of a town Ramza had been made to trudge through in pursuit of answers, though Ramza wondered if the first might have gone a little bit smoother with the aid of an eight foot tall ally with frighteningly-advanced weaponry.

Admittedly, though, the difference in stature made the arm-joining part of their trip a tiny bit difficult. But at least- he hoped- it would help Fortuna's focus from slipping off her drones as they moved along.

Of course, her expertise was a boon in ways beyond her armaments; and when they'd arrived in a room long kept aglow by its screens, the finer points of the technology's workings were lost on him; but the strangeness of their working, the fact that they were on felt... well, off. and Fortuna's reaction only made it even moreso.

"Do you think they hold a link to the screens in the city?"

Kanji | All over the place. Open!

[topgun_textiles]

This whole area gave him the damn creeps.

Kanji sighed, his breath a small cloud of mist against the cold, playing against the edges of the face-mask he wore to cover his mouth and nose from the ash as he rubbed his upper arms. It took a lot to make him feel cold, but he figured the aforementioned creeped-out feeling was the source of how he felt: He'd only touched just ten minutes ago, boldly grasping a hand while reassuring the person he'd be back in one piece once he'd checked out the area.

He just had to keep his promise, that's all.

With a grunt, he ignored how dead the air felt as he pulled the strap over his shoulder once more, lifted the load against his back a little higher. Delicate lanterns and interesting talismans he'd wrapped in spare cloth he took with him from his own personal stores only vaguely weighed him down, his strength's limits not tested just yet.

Listening to nothing but the sound of his footsteps, he pressed on, stopping to look into any building that looked accessible. With an odd recording playing through the air from a home nearby - the voice and message was the same, over and over again, but he couldn't make out the words from the murmured rhythm - he vaulted over a fence, kicking up debris when he landed on the other side.

He was dirty and a little cold, but was it weird to be a little excited as well? This was new ground. He was on the lookout for something big.

In which Martians and Kanjis cannot catch breaks.

[littlewhitelies]

If she was honest? This place didn't have a lot of appeal for M'gann, either on the ground OR in the air. Ominous, barren, desolate…All it needed was a coating of red dust, and it would be eerily close to the surface of Mars. Still, it wasn't TOO different from conditions the Team was sometimes sent to, and she could adapt well enough. And keep an eye out for anything.

Such as that person below her, vaulting over the fence. Chances were, he was someone from the exploration team…But who, M'gann couldn't exactly tell; not with that mask over his face. Still, she couldn't help but feel that initial twinge of suspicion, and maybe a touch of worry.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Yeah, that sounded just about right; making it clear that she wanted to know what was going on, but not looking for a fight just yet. She didn't even have to resort to lifting things up with telekinesis, just yet.

Though it might help to continue this conversation/investigation if she actually moved down from the sky. M'gann let go of her telekinesis slowly…Or at least attempted to. Her powers decided just then that they were tired of working completely, sending her into an emergency landing as they sputtered on and off.

It was just her luck, that emergency landing point was going to be right on top of the person, if he didn't move.

Junpei | Minato | Pharos - North East ish, but mostly sticking to the Ruins.

[blazeoflife]

"...Holy shit."

Yeah, that's about all one could say about this situation. It looked like the world had ended out here; the stillness in the air, the ash and rust oppressing them. He now understood why he'd seen Naoto double back for facemasks, this shit was hard to breath.

Junpei couldn't help but wonder if this is what the world would have looked like had Nyx had succeeded. But he didn't want to dwell on that too much. Glancing back towards his team mate, Junpei frowned.

"...You sure you're up for this?"

He knew he'd asked this already-- a couple of times. But he really couldn't help but worry, especially since he'd been with Minato in the city from the start.

[evocalize]

"Yeah, I'm sure."

That wasn't entirely true and Minato was on his guard, warily inspecting his surroundings while trying not to notice how dry his throat felt just from breathing in the air, but he was at least used to sights much like the wasteland that lay ahead of them- as much as he hated to admit it, Saeng Seong's streets and comfortable apartments still felt alien to him compared to the dusty and skeletal remains out here that he could almost call home, if home was a place unthinkable to live in and it made one's shoulders feel heavy from standing still.

"...let's move quickly," he added a while later, already making an attempt to move. In spite of the warnings about being alone out here he still had to continually remind himself that there was nothing to run from, and that he couldn't leave Junpei alone. It only made sense then that they should get to work quickly and leave before anything could happen to either of them.

open | choose your own adventure!

[lightstrike]

[A day doesn't seem to be much for some people, but to Lightning, a lot of things can be done in twenty-four hours. With all that's happened in her life, she knows there are a lot of things you can cram into just one day if you do things right.

Her challenge though is actually keeping track of how long she can withstand being outside without falling over, since she's already split up with her sister to cover more ground. She's already tested being alone, and couldn't go even three minutes, but while sitting on an Eidolon, she can go up to two hours. Hence why she rides on Odin as Sleipnir as she travels through the outside world and in her full armor at that.

And really, the armor is not just to protect her body, but for her to feel safe-- the world outside Saeng Seong is ominous, and Lightning would rather take care than not. ... If only she could keep an eye on Serah here, she'd be completely set.]

OPTION A: NORTHEAST

[Ruins and Odin? Not a problem. They've traveled through worse. He could jump around from ledge to ledge after all, and he doesn't mind hard, uneven ground. She has absolutely no idea what to look for though, and what exactly the locals want.]

Do they want us to bring back some ruins, or what? [She's speaking to herself mostly, but the next part is for her steed.] I don't think you'll be able to carry something like that all the way back to the city.

OPTION B: MONSTERS--!!

[Monsters don't bother Lightning-- haven't for a long while. The flailing of one mutated animal doesn't concern her, especially when she's too powerful to care, and she can just swing her sword or let Odin trample it under his hooves-- she's defeated Behemoths, Cie'th and fal'Cie. It's the packs, flocks and hordes that concern her, and she's not interested in sticking around to see any of those.

But at the very least, she managed to kill a rat the size of a domesticated dog, and has it secured to Odin with vines because those scientists want a sample of the wildlife. Well, they want a sample, she's giving them an entire carcass. But unfortunately, the other predators want a piece of it, if the snarling way behind her is anything to go by. And probably her too, and she's not happy about this development, especially when she has cargo on her cyborg horse. She doesn't want to lose that and have to go out hunting again.

Some help pls? She'd never admit to it though.]

OPTION C: WILDCARD!

[Lightning isn't the nicest of people, but she can lend a hand to anyone who needs it. ... Or really needs it. If people need a hug to literally keep them going, she... wouldn't, but with the urging from the other Eidolons in her mind she'd probably just hold their hand or something. If people need a ride, she'd grudgingly let them sit on her horse behind her. If someone needs to transport something back to the city, she can do that too.

Basically, Lightning is an errand girl, no matter how much she doesn't want to be and has to go around everywhere.]

( b )

[pendragon]

Saber completely ignores the fact that this woman has an extremely strange horse and somewhat equally unique armor set to match; what matters is that this woman is being surrounded, and there's no reason for the knight to not help.

Flipping forward over a rat, the monster is slain while she's still in the air as her blade is swung downwards to the ground. Once landing on her feet sturdily, Saber turns sharply to her left and begins to strike at the over-sized creatures close to her. Large insects, crows, whatever else.. it's nothing compared to fighting an infinite source of evil or the other strange enemies she has fought.

Miraculously, Saber finds her reflexes and abilities are keeping up to where they should need to be. Her blade, Excalibur, glows golden with her strength, but she's refraining from using her normal boosting and enhancing. Being a newcomer, the knight was not prepared for the sudden energy drain she would experience outside of the city.

But, for now, Saber can manage. She may just have to swallow her pride and ask this woman for a favor in return; of course, that favor would likely be a handshake while they exchange names.

[fons_et_origo]

[He's more than excited to get going, as even though there's technically not much to keep people inside the wall still represents a barrier. Being cooped up does not a happy Xehanort make, really. He doesn't even think about the need to have someone with him for contact, and is more than content to set out on his own.]

1. Monsters!

[It wouldn't be complete without running into some sort of critter that would like to bite one's face off. Of course, he has little concept of how long he can keep fighting without refreshing on touching, but he'll try to fight anyway. He unsheathes his blades and makes a charge, though he can't help but wonder why he already feels winded...]

2. Northeast, ruins-wise

[Picking his way through ruins sounds like a great way to spend his time outside. Even if he doesn't find anything, it's still fine to explore, and he takes advantage of it to the fullest. He definitely feels it, the drained feeling, and wonders if heading out on his own was perhaps a bit foolish...]

3. Random item collecting

[The artifacts of this 'lost' civilization are fascinating, and if it's small enough to carry he'll try to take it. He doesn't have any goals, but whatever he does come across he will attempt to take back with him.]

2

[dragoncrest]

[While Freya isn't the type to venture off on her own when she knows the risks involved, her goal here isn't particularly to look for things or explore as much as it is to make sure no one is going off on their own. She knows all too well about all the stubborn loner types in this city...

That's why she's leaping from one roof to another with spear in hand over Xehanort's head and stopping to survey her surroundings, the white-haired stranger quickly coming within her field of vision. He doesn't look like he's about to collapse yet, but...]

Are you exploring on your own?

Prussia & England | Feel free to join!

[wurstisyettocome]

Prussia is excited, for the first time since arriving he is going to get to see some of the world that surrounds Saeng Seong. New animals! New environments! New buildings! Maybe new people! As a nation he was always eager to explore new places, expand his influence beyond his boarders. And most importantly, claim more land.

So far, as far as he is aware, none of his fellow nations had found a native nation for whatever country Saeng Seong belonged to. With how advanced the city was, it was worth a guess that the corresponding nation should at least be a teenager. But no nation had been found. The only other option, in Prussia's mind, was that the native must be outside the city walls. Hadn't America, when little, lived in wilds and tossed buffalo about? The native nation was probably not that strong, though.

Finding the native nation would have more benefits to Prussia, then just allowing him to influence Saeng Seong. He could claim the nation as a colony and gain influence in city's government. He could also take care of the nation, which was probably weak and injured, and probably bring the power back faster.

Prussia's ultimate goal was to find this nation. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't be a loss cause. He's even more excited by the prospect of new and interesting animals. Prussia has always loved animals, its the reason he choose to work in the animal shelter. If he hadn't been born a nation, he probably would have been a zoo keeper. He was going to try to capture some of the new animals. Maybe he could keep one as a pet.

Which made Prussia think of his partner. He was standing right next to England and as soon as the doors opened, he grabs England's hand to drag him off for an exploration. He wonders what England's goals are, but Prussia's are very clear. Maybe if England speaks up, Prussia will "allow" him some time to look for things.

[unionjackoff]

At last, the gates were being open. England brought a hand to his mouth to cover it when a blast of wind blew some ash in his direction. The locals had been right; it was a wasteland out here. What had caused it? He squinted his eyes as he tried to peer farther beyond, unable to make out anything other than ruins.

Only when Prussia grabbed his hand did he move again. His eyes connected with his partner's, noticing the light behind them. Prussia was grinning widely, as though he had a plan. England was inspired. He then turned his head to glance around and see if America and that other country were around. Would they be going outside, too?

Well, that was no matter. He started walking outside, wishing he could tug his hand free. He hated the idea of holding hands in public, especially with Prussia, but they didn't have a choice. It was necessary to keep contact if they wanted to stay alive.

Tony & Steve | ruins! + OPEN

[ironyman]

[Somewhere in these ruins Earth’s Mightiest Dumbs Heroes are bickering like children. Like many around, Tony and Steve are out exploring the area outside of Saeng Seong, but even that isn’t enough for the two Avengers to behave maturely around each other.

Any unfortunate soul passing by will bear witness to this idiocy as they walk out from a crumbling building Tony’s just raided for leftover technology, his arms full of items he clearly deemed important. Steve doesn’t appear to agree, the frown on his face speaking miles of his disapproval.]

Just saying that something could’ve happened out there! I turned around and you were gone! I’m not against exploring, but don’t leave your position without telling me.

My position? Big deal, I walked away for like. Two seconds. And you found me anyway, so what’s the problem? Relax, Spangles, don’t get your star-spangled boxer briefs in a twist.

[ooc: Feel free to tag in! Tony is red and Steve is blue.]

[lightstrike]

[Is it a disturbance? It might be a disturbance. She's not sure. But two people arguing all the way out here is enough reason for Lightning to investigate.

Especially when one of those voices is familiar enough. Lightning lets her steed announce them with the loud clip-clopping of his hooves against the ground, just so she wont surprise them when she says:]

You guys having a problem here?

[What if there are monsters around? Odin doesn't report any through their mental link but fighting out here is not really a good idea.]

open | all over the place (prose or brackets)

[littlerat]

Red had taken in the information shared on the network that announced the event of the day. It was something new, information gathering through a network, and though his arrival to Saeng Song was new as well, missing out on seeing outside the walls because he still wasn't sure what he believed about the city would be losing out on what sounded like a rare opportunity.

He preferred to work not exactly alone, but with himself and his pokémon. Here, however, in this place, operating that way wasn't for the best of anybody, inside or out. So he wasn't opposed to meeting up with others or joining along any groups. And so...

( Option 1 - around the district 3 gates)

Before the gate in district 3 is opened, a meeting with familiar faces could happen. Those who recognise Red approaching him, or would he see somebody that he knows? And maybe somebody entirely unknown would like to approach him for whatever reason. Nerves? Looking for a partner after listening to the warnings given by officials?

( Option 2 - around the ruins, charizard )

He takes Charizard with him outside the city. Pikachu might've been smaller and much more nimble, but anything that looked worth taking back would be easier with the flame pokémon's size, strength, and transport abilities. A person suffering poor health was definitely a sight to be looking out for, and Pikachu wouldn't be able to carry anyone like that on his back, unlike Charizard.

So the two could be found around, maybe with company- searching the ruins and the roads. They at times keep to the streets, but also take to the air, though not far up in case that would have any draining effects - but just enough to allow room for those who will ride or walk on ground to have their space. They may stand out to some, more so than those with might've brought lights: the end of the beast's tail burns, a light source for any to catch. Also at times, perhaps a growl or a roar could be heard, particularly admist a fight against mutated beasts that won't take no for an answer, being offered a whack of the pokémon's tail or warning embers from her mouth.

And how would that look like, to somebody unaware of this sort of creature?

( Option interval - near the gate entrance/on the way back to the district )

They'll go around as much as they can, but take a break to return back to the gates to give to the eager and interested representatives of those who put out requests for materials. Some lanterns, items that were possibly religious and whatever else Red thought about picking up. It was a chance as well to let Charizard breathe in some cleaner air, maybe get just a bit of energy back, before going in again.

[ prose or brackets welcome. Red could be met searching around ruins, off his Charizard or on, or even trying to scare off some monsters. if you want your character to mistake Charizard for a mutated monster go ahead. Red will be willing to help out anybody who needs it. \o ]

interval

[capturespecialist]

[Crystal's back from a run herself; she's definitely getting more tired as the hours pass, even if she hasn't been keeping to the same Pokémon for every job. There's no overestimating her abilities nor her stamina, but the fatigue she's got isn't from doing jobs -- it's from the heavy atmosphere.

A break every once in a while is good, and while she's no less focus on their job she's definitely happy to see Red. A little wave as she - and her usual ride, Archy - head up on them.]

Are you doing all right? [Fuss fuss.] It can't be easy to just arrive and then go out like this.

MINAKO & SEES MEMBERS | all over the place, open!

[allout]

When you have such a big group travelling together, it's important to stay together and maintain order. Minako was trying her best to do so, while leading the group just as she did in their expeditions into Tartarus. The Dark Hour may not have been something to worry about here, but the heavy atmosphere of the area brought on the same feeling of dread she had felt in the tower.

With her naginata gripped close to her side and her Evoker strapped to her waist, she's ready to take on anything that the outskirts of Saeng Seong will throw at them. Occasionally she looks around her to make sure that her friends are all right, or to see if anyone has found anything interesting.

"How's everyone holding up?"

[littlewhitelies]

Doesn't she know that person? A second later, the memory of meeting her at the welcome center clicks into place. Naturally with that in mind, M'gann feels compelled to go a little closer and check up, to make sure everything is going okay.

"I could ask the same-"

It's only after M'gann says that, that she realizes a few things. One, she's still cloaked in her camouflage and other than a little bit of rippling is near invisible. The other is, as her memory belatedly tells her, she'd appeared in normal, peach-colored skin instead of green when they met. She can fix both of those things with one shape shift, peeling back her invisibility and lightening her skin. It all even goes mostly well…Except for the part that her skin is looking a bit on the pale side as she shifts back, with a little green around her eyes and lingering on the tips of her fingers. All in all, she doesn't really fit the image of a healthy person.

"I-I mean, I could ask if you're okay? I just saw you and wanted to check up."

aka fetch quests galore

[capturespecialist]

[Waking up early is no problem for a habitual early riser, even if most of her bright-eyedness is thanks to a cup of coffee or two. Hey -- no one said she wasn't still tired in the mornings, just that she's used to get up at an early time! She's just in a better mood than most people! Even if the outside's heavy atmosphere is weighing her mood down the longer she stays out in it...

With only a day to scout out in, to do the requests placed by the three biggest groups of Saeng Seong, and to find the signal in -- it's pretty much time to buckle down and get Serious. Her Arcanine is her ride as always, and anyone used to a cheerful, fairly easy-going Crystal is going to be a definite shock at this personality change.

It's almost like a light switch!]

A. i want to see the lanterns

[Or the administrative district does, anyway. While Crystal's stocked up on emergency items - for her Pokémon and for herself - there's still room in her bag for the batteries scattered in the ruins. The old lanterns are a little harder, but she has help in the form of her team; her Meganium specifically. His vines are perfect for hanging the lanterns on, though he keeps one wrapped around Crystal's wrist to make sure the whole contact thing's going on!

They'll probably be migrating between the city proper and the ruins for the two hours physical contact's still working between them, so come help out!]

B. gotta catch 'em all

[The scientists are the ones asking for wildlife, and if there's anything Crystal's a pro at -- it's capturing things! And who better to capture with than Chumee (who has a mean look capable of stopping any foe in their tracks) and Bonee (whose restraint enables him to be powerful enough to knock out an enemy, yet not kill it).

These two don't have anything special to keep in constant contact with Crystal, so Chumee settles for keeping a hand on her trainer's leg and Bonee just drags back whatever mutated animal he's managed to clobber into submission as fast as he can.

After an hour or two, they head back to the city with their alive, if out cold, specimens to turn into the scientists. Archy can only hold so many on his back, and Bonee's only got so much stamina, so lending a hand for taking them out or taking them in is appreciated!]

C. she's no indiana jones, but she'll do a little relic digging

[The easiest job, compared to her first two, is definitely collecting things for the priesthoods. Not only can she do this by herself, but she can safely tuck things in her bag. As far as talismans go anyway -- and she's definitely not missing how similar a few of them look to the ones they'd found in the snowfriends-turned-snowenemies. Except instead of dark and freeing, they're lighter in color and feel as if they've been held up by a fire.

The only thing she has trouble with are moveable shrines. Parasee isn't much help either, though as soon as a shrine gets balanced on her giant mushroom it's much easier to, well, move.

Lend a hand on getting the shrines back to the city and finishing up a few more fetch requests?]

B

[drank_the_milk]

[Yuna's out and about fighting monsters and collecting specimens for the scientists, too - it's probably the task she's the most well suited for, considering her magical talents are all offensive based. While Crys is out with her Pokemon, she'll probably see Yuna in her gunner costume, magical pistol in hand as she runs from place to place. Every so often she whips out a small wooden wand instead, chanting incantations before firing small blasts of flame.]

[allbymyself]

[If there's one thing Silver's always been set on, it's doing things all by himself. It's not something he's going to change easily -- he's spent too many years keeping that mantra up, just so he wouldn't be a coward who couldn't do anything on his own.

He leaves later in the morning than most other people - he's intent on avoiding anyone, including and especially nosy protags and difficult old men.]

A. selfish chickenshit

[And he leaves alone, save for his team belted beneath his jacket. The taste of the air isn't pleasant, and the sights would be despairingly foreign if he was one to despair over it -- but he isn't, so he just keeps on and concentrates on his one concern:

Getting as far from this city as possible. That bull about holding hands doesn't really fly with this guy.

Of course, being outside of the city too long without any contact really puts a strain on a person, and it's not long after that he's back at the food and drinks with his Typhlosion across his lap. Despite the closeness, he's not petting his Pokémon and thanking it -- he's sullenly sipping out of a bottle and watching the movements of the people who decided to stay behind and help on the informational and technical side of things.

If anyone needs any prompting to go over to check on him, he looks like he's pretty sick. Pale and unsettled, even with his Pokémon's contact.]

B. hot mess

[It takes a few hours for him to get into any fit form - and even then, his headache hasn't disappeared and the dizzying nausea he'd passed out from earlier's still lingering - but if there's one thing he hates even more than being helped out, it's sitting back and watching someone else do a job he was going to take care of first.

At least he's a little more conscious of the contact rule: he rides his Typhlosion through the ruins. He'll even brave the heat of his fire badger's Lava Plume - a huge flame attack that erupts from the back of its neck and just above its tail, scorching the ground and everything in a two yard radius of it (without hurting itself or its trainer) - as soon as any mutant rat or snarling dog tries to throw itself at him.

But that's not where the action lies; the main show's when he starts to get into some of the more technology-laden parts of the old districts. The static is irritating, but it's easy enough to push to the back of his mind. It's the emergency warning a few radios and televisions spit out that really irks him.

And they get destroyed, because he's not wasting time going up to turn them off while he's busy on his own mission. If you're in the area -- expect a lot of explosive sounds.]

b

[hotboss]

[Having the experience he does, Giovanni is always drawn to explosions! There's no reason for him to be concerned; his Nidoqueen is right by his side, arm extended so he can stave off the odd fuzziness of being out here. He's just encountered a few others out here and is making one last run before hightailing it back to town so he can rest.

So they really weren't kidding about the physical contact thing. Duly noted, though it just spikes his curiosity further. There's something out there - but that will have to be saved for another day. Cool explosions first.

He's still at a safe distance, obviously, though the two forms in the distance are simple to distinguish. His son, traveling alone out here? And taking out what appears to be frustration - some things haven't changed a bit.]

in the ruins

[beforetights]

[Cu Chulainn had set out with a big group, but without his older brother around to keep him in line, it doesn't take long for him to get distracted and separated from most of the other people. The rust and ash make him cough, while the heaviness of the air makes him tired. Several times, he stoops to rest, but he'll always be re-energized when something else catches his attention. He still heads toward what he thinks is north-east, but he often stops to climb over the ruins or pick up discarded pieces of technology, not noticing the danger.]

[In this case, he's made it into a house which lacks its roof. There's one of the room-spanning TVs in the center of the living room. While it flickers with static, Cu Chulainn still pokes at it. When it finds that it folds like wallpaper, he crumples it more and more, until he has a folded rectangle around half his size. After waving it around and finding it light, he starts swinging it around, pretending it's a sword. He gets so invested in his playing that he doesn't notice when a giant killer rabbit hops out at him.]

Ha! Are you an evil rabbit? I should warn you! I'm a hero!

[Though he sounds confident. He might be getting in over his head...]

[pendragon]

[ Saber set off on her own from the beginning, but it didn't take her long to realize maybe that was not the best option. Not expecting what the outside was like, the sudden energy drain quite surprised her. She felt fine enough; she would be able to protect herself from danger and already had.. She just had to limit herself to using her basic abilities and not use anything that drained additional strength.

During her wandering, though, she does come across a small house. And in that, she hears a small boy shouting. The knight feels the voice is familiar, so she makes her way over towards the house.

Once nearing, Saber quickly notices that this rabbit is fairly large and may be an issue for the boy. However, this boy is no normal boy and is Cu Chulainn. She will certainly offer her assistance, but perhaps he wishes to defend himself instead?

He will be able to see her approaching with her sword drawn, the blade glowing golden. Saber slowly edges into the living room. ]

Are you alright, Cu Chulainn?

open | pretty much anywhere

[darkhourdear]

[Pharos doesn't understand why he would need someone else out here with him- it's not like barren loneliness is particularly new to him, after all. Add that to the fact that he's aware that he can't die, and you wind up with a small boy who's completely ok with wandering around alone.

That's not to say he won't join people temporarily- on the country, he'll meet up with some people and then depart, often without warning, as he goes. But he doesn't have one of the goals get out for the guests in mind, instead just wanting to see and explore anything and everything that catches his eye. Which is everything. Seriously, if you're somewhere, there's a pretty good chance Pharos is around.]

[fons_et_origo]

[Well then, it seems that Pharos has a kindred spirit. While Xehanort doesn't know anything about death in this place, he has relatively little fear and has yet to experience the draining effect to its fullest. Thus, where Pharos wanders, he's just as likely to find Xehanort wandering as well, exploring and examining whatever he can find.]

open

[dragoncrest]

A.

[Ever the cautious type, Freya doesn't particularly want to head out on her own, not knowing what might be out there or how things might affect her, so she's approaching the others as they all head out to offer her partnership. Safety in numbers...

She doesn't introduce herself just yet, instead deciding to get straight to the point.]

Do you have an idea of what you're going to search for?

B.

[Being on her own does offer some advantages, however, such as higher mobility--her jumping prowess allows her to easily traverse the ruins and head towards the source of the signal that they were asked to locate--though she isn't opposed to searching for relics or technology. She's not about to avoid anyone, however, so as she head in that direction, it's likely she'll stop to greet those she sees to replenish her energy. How the greeted will react to a tall rat woman with a spear jumping down to meet them remains to be seen.]

A

[capturespecialist]

[Certainly she'd seen some strange things in Saeng Seong, so she should definitely be less surprised about a tall rat woman. And she is, but not by much. None of her team's out for the moment - conserving their energy until she's out of the city proper - so she doesn't have to worry about too many introductions...]

Some of the groups in the city have put up requests, so I was going to take a few of them on. [They're nice and neatly outlined for what they want exactly. It's so nice.] After I've cleared a few of those, I guess -- it's out to do what we were formally asked to do, about finding the source of the signal.

[A tougher job. But her main focus is the first: fetch requests.]

M'gann | All Over Town | Open option!

[littlewhitelies]

[Open]

Luckily, the sky today was bright and clear, even if the warmth cut out once she left the city walls. Unfortunately, there were also bugs. Bugs which didn't take well to having someone else in THEIR airspace. Adding the energy drain to that was the capstone to the 'this worked out so much better in my head' situation for M'gann.

Though she could at least maneuver in the air well enough to avoid some of those stingers and pincers. She wove, dove, and flew as fast as possible through the ruins in an attempt to shake off some of the insects. She even had enough power left to somersault through the air and turn to face the bugs, and even smack one or two of them out of the air.

Just…With the slight downside that she didn't know who might be below those falling insects. Or might be in her flight path as she skimmed the ground and weaved through the buildings.

[Closed to Robin: Please contact if you would like in?]

…This REALLY went a lot better in her head, M'gann thought as she made a rough landing on the ground. She hit the cracked sidewalk and street hard, and skid for a moment before ending up in a crouch. Turns out flying from place to place and not always having contact wasn't the best plan. There was a low ache settling into her muscles, making them not want to work correctly…Or even hold the shape they were supposed to.

Even her skin was looking pale, and that was enough to speed her heart up and leave a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Oh no, no-" M'gann whispered to herself, staring at the green leeching out of her finger tips and TRYING to get the color back in place. And trying to get back into the air, or at least stand up…All with mixed results.

Re: M'gann | All Over Town | Open option!

[drank_the_milk]

W-whoa!

[Yuna's dashing around on the ground while M'gann is up in the air, and very nearly trips right into one of the bugs as it falls out of the sky. Looking up, she sees a familiar friend tearing through the sky.]

M'gann! Heeeeeey!

Shura | Distracted on her way to the northeast

[demimaudite]

As Shura sneaks inside the ruins to avoid the giant bugs buzzing angrily outside, she finds herself in an electronics shop. Most of the screens display only static, but she can hear a voice in the distance. A static-y voice advising people to stay calm and take refuge in the designated areas.

Now, Shura is aware she is not the sharpest crayon in the box, but she's able to put two and two together. This emergency broadcast, broadcasted on a sweet rollable screen, the instructions from the authorities, and the presence of the lantern generators everywhere tell her that someone, somewhere, knew this catastrophe was coming.

And the more she thinks about that fact, the less she likes this place.

Re: Shura | Distracted on her way to the northeast

[not_really_charlie]

The whole thing felt like some sort of surreal video game to Charlie. Like something she would have designed - blearing announcements, fuzzy screens, annnd.... Sweet sweet loot. Technology shops were a siren call that the tech girl couldn't ignore.

Shura, however, was a sudden surprise. "...Hey." She offered.

Y'akeno | Pretty Much Open

[ofsongandstrings]

A. Must Find All The Shiny Things
[A day may not seem much time for most to find things, yet for her... it seemed like the perfect amount. Or perhaps that's just her being used to having but a few hours to complete an errand. Regardless, for this one venture outside, she thought it fitting to bring Brahma with her. Maybe then she would be able to carry things a bit more efficiently, what with the makeshift cart she fitting his barding with as they made their way.

Though unfortunately, physical contact and archery did not go hand in hand as easily as one would hope. Thus she found herself switching to conjurer as she wandered looking for any sort of strange technology or talisman. Whichever she found first. Maybe even a hapless fool who needed a ride and maybe a few hugs. After all, Brahma was definitely the warmest and fluffiest chocobo she knew. Maybe he could help them both!

Though hopefully no one found the outfit she wore as odd, what with her kitten finding her normal conjury robes the best little nestblanket.]

B. Heading Northeast
[Call it her being more feline than most in the city, but she couldn't exactly help being curious to a fault as to the signal hijacking. Despite her interest in helping the scientists update their cameras, let's face it: she sucks at anything electronic. Thus she begins to lead Brahma more towards the direction of the signal, keeping an eye out for anything less... friendly. Or others heading the same way.]

C. Goddammit Giant Spiders I Just Washed These.
[Of course, she didn't exactly think that it would be an easy run through the ruins. Though giant spiders that reminded her of the banemites back in the Black Shroud? Now that was definitely from left field. As were those big...dog... things.

Uh-oh.

They look a liiiiittle hungry and she is very squishy right now. More squishy than usual, what with her current skill set.

H-hopefully she didn't push said giant mutated dog your way with that water spell, but at least it seems a bit dumbfounded as she shouts out something.]

S-sorry-!

[She is so not used to this anymore... Sob.]

C

[fons_et_origo]

[Not to worry, for someone else is out there and looking for trouble. There's not a lot of people around, so it's easy enough to hear her voice... and it sounds like things are Not Good. While he isn't one to save the day normally he should be a gentleman... as much as he can be!

With the flick of a wrist he activates his blades and charges in, winding time about himself tightly to give him the burst of speed he needs to get behind the creature and deliver a short combo to it. Hopefully that will distract it...]

[heretic_hamlet]

Open

He'd risked his life to find religious relics in the past; and perhaps it wasn't the same urgent and foul workings of his homeland that compelled him to the task here and now, but when the call had gone out for aid in finding the artifacts and implements of the priestesses, he found himself at a loss to refuse.

After all, he'd found the truth of matters in Ivalice through such means. Perhaps the relics of Saeng Seong would also shed some much-needed light on the city's mysteries... or, at least, would earn a few answers from the priestesses themselves.

A - Atrophy

And given his past fortune with such endeavors, dragging another guest into his search and his struggles was the furthest thing from his mind. A lapse he chastised himself for with every trudging step as he sunk deeper into a weariness even he couldn't endure. Worse still, his usual means of bolstering himself or his allies would not save him; he had no mettle left for it.

"Help..."

Ramza prayed his voice could be heard through the quiet as he dropped to his knees in the dust, his legs too weak to carry him back.

B - Battle

Some threats, of course, were more overt than a pervasive, slow fatigue; and twisted, misshapen wild dogs were only subtle until they'd crossed Ramza's path and caught notice of him. And, worse still, they hunted in packs.

Of course Ramza had thought to arm himself, but fending off packs of dogs was taxing enough without having the vitality slowly drained from him. Sometimes he could fend them off with a quick kill and the others would run; more often, he'd try to lose them in a chase, and sometimes he would even suceed.

Other times, however, he was left frantically searching for an ally, if only to replenish himself long enough to cut short the chase in favor of a swift finish.

A

[noparachute]

Steve knew that he was taking a huge risk going out on his own like this. He was separated from Tony for a while now, but he just kept on going despite the dangers to himself. Maybe he could find something or someone out here to get rid of the symptoms. Hopefully, if luck was on his side.

He really should have planned better.

But with the help of his enhanced hearing, he was able to hear Ramza's call for help, prompting the soldier to quickly run towards the direction of his voice. So, someone was out here. He kept on going until he noticed the young man on the ground, looking a bit weak, but he didn't see any sign of blood or monsters at least.

"Let me help." He didn't really know this guy, but wasn't he that... Chocobo person? Steve had seen his posts on the network, but hadn't engaged contact with him until now. He seemed like a nice person though. "Take it that you're having trouble with the required touch?" Steve asked as he placed a hand on his shoulder for now.

[fallingsky]

A - Do you wanna fight some monsters?

[So, it looks like Sora has made some new friends! A whole family of them, in fact - about ten or so medium-sized, dirty-looking things with strangely large teeth. They look almost as if they could have been descended from small dogs. Or very large rats. It's hard to tell.

Apparently he found their home in some unfortunate abandoned space behind a row of houses, and they weren't expecting company! It seems they don't approve of surprises.]

Um...sorry?

[He's a little out of practice, but hopefully he can take care of this fast! He wouldn't object to some help, though, that's for sure.]

B - Or maybe head to the Northeast!

[As much fun as looking around for stuff was, they still had a job to do, and not a lot of time to do it in. Feeling the need to start heading closer to their goal, he starts to approach other people who seem to be doing the same thing, looking to chat and pass the time away...or just because, y'know, buddy system! It's important to not get sick if they want to get stuff done.]

C - Yes it has to be some monsters. (Locked to Riku)

[Sora sticks close to Riku at the start, setting off to look at a nearby building...and probably dragging Riku along with him, given the buddy system rule.]

Everything's a mess. Just what do you think happened out here, anyway?

[He was gonna keep walking, but then...what was that weird growling noise?]

...did you hear that?

D - goddammit I'm out of fun titles! (Locked to Y'akeno and Xehanort)

[Before he goes any farther, Sora wants to stop and look for anything interesting - he knows they need to move quickly, but he hated leaving so much unexplored. Besides, they were supposed to be looking for generators and stuff anyway, right?

He had spotted this one area just around the block, where the neighborhood seem to stop and trail off into empty space for a little while. No one was headed in that direction, but it seemed like there was something out of place about it - it couldn't just be there for nothing, right? He wanted to take a look.

Right now, though, he was by himself, which wasn't good whether he went or not...but he did spot someone familiar (and her chocobo!) that he could ask for help. So, naturally, he doesn't hesitate to walk up to her and flat-out ask.]

Hey, are you doing anything right now?

okay bye

[risingland]

[You say this as though it isn't Riku doing the dragging in an opposite direction because let's face it he was starting to get cabin fever all over again. He shrugs a little, waving it off with his free hand.]

No clue, and we won't find out by-

[Well, he was going to say "-by standing around and trying to tug each other in different directions" when that growl emanated from somewhere nearby and behind them. His Ryu Dragon turned around as well, giving a further bit of warning that danger was close by.]

Yeah. [He smirked a little bit, nodding.] Looks like, something's been following us for a while.

[Maybe it wanted to play?]

The Final Stretch

[rekindlemods]

After the groups advance a few miles Northeast - probably just before noon for those truly diligent explorers - they will find that the winding streets and endless-seeming houses of the suburbs do come to an end. The roads look no less neglected and worn-down for being farther outside the neighborhoods, that's for sure. The state of the vegetation is more obvious in the open area, and though most of the plant life has clearly been devastated, there are signs of revival scattered around; a leaf here, strong patches of grass there, though bits of what's growing back are oddly discolored (why is that leaf blue? why is some of the grass rust red?). The same evidence of revival is not apparent in the animal life, however. Out in the open, it's even more important to be diligent about monsters, so stay sharp!

Right away, though, it'll be apparent that there are several options for how to proceed. There is the main road, obviously, with the various heavily-rusted and beaten signs directing the traffic of the past nowhere but forward. Not too far outside of the neighborhood area, though, is a small footpath, the entrance of which is covered by an arched wooden gate, unpainted but with intricate flowers carved into the four corners. Red lanterns, long unlit but still surviving, hang from the top corners.

The truly observant characters will notice some other things out of place, however. If one were to glance at the trees lining the road, they may spot an unlit torch resting next to one of them...and the start of a trail of footprints. On the other side of the road, there is a spot where the pattern of trees and vegetation breaks up rather suddenly, and this seems to continue in spurts and stops for awhile, though there's no obvious evidence of it being used as a road. But it's still rather odd, isn't it?

[lightstrike]

Ironically enough, it's not Lightning who notices the odd trail of footprints or the odd, uneven patch of land, but Odin, as she's been occupied with the slight change in scenery-- not the coloring of flora, considering she's seen similar things before, but the ruins themselves, and all the intricate details still lingering. Not to mention the lanterns, and she's considering taking a few of them back to the city, because that is what some of those engineers are looking for, right?

But her steed turns until her line of sight is looking right at the prints then the uneven vegetation, and well, she cant ignore that, can she? It's probably nothing, maybe a fellow "guest" has been here earlier. But she'll check it out anyway.

She spares a glance at the torch-- what's what doing there anyway?-- but her goal right now is to see where the footprints go, so she has Odin follow them as well as he can. When she's done with that, she can check out what's with the other side of the road.

stupidly late to this party @_@

[earthshards]

Option 1 – Inside City Walls

[For someone expecting trouble and danger outside the city walls, Terra hardly looks prepared. He doesn't seem to have any supplies on him, though he might have something in one of the cargo pockets of those pants of his. He doesn't appear to have any form of physical protection, either, aside from a gauntlet and bracer combo on his right arm. He even appears to be unarmed, even though those going out had been told to expect trouble. The only thing that he looks at all prepared for is the item gathering, if the bag he has slung over one shoulder is any indication.

Then again, looks can be deceiving when a number of those that reside here have some form of super-human/mystical/not normal abilities.

Given what the various requests were from the key groups, he looks like he's thinking over his options.

He also vaguely has the air of someone that's waiting – possibly for others to arrive.]
Option 2 – Scouting on Ground – Item Hunting

[With only the descriptions of the kinds of items the major groups in the city were searching for and a large amount of ground to cover, Terra had thought it prudent to split up and cover more ground.

Remembering the descriptions of the religious artifacts – small crystals and animal masks – he decided he would begin with searching for those. If anything caught his eye during that search...

Well. You never knew what you could find.]

1

[humility]

[one of those others he might be waiting for runs up before long. it's obvious why she lagged behind; Aqua broke out her old battle outfit from home after a long break from it. there's also a brand new backpack slung over one shoulder as she hurries up to Terra, and it seems to be full.

she slows just as she catches level with Terra, not sweating or out of breath though she jogged the whole way.]

Sorry, I just thought of a few things at the last minute. Are you ready to go?

So late. But Open

[little_girl_lost]

Combat

Having been cooped up in the city for months and stuck hanging around a farmhouse before that, Kara's more interested in exploring right now then in fighting monsters. But she is Supergirl, and they are a potential threat. Every so often she stops to engage a group of enemies, firing off lasers or freeze breath like it's nothing.

And under normal circumstances, it would be nothing, but just being out here is using up a huge chunk of her energy on its own. She falters sooner and more often than she's used to, but she's determined to finish her fights.

Crashing

Kara's been a little spoiled in the last year and change by her usually unending energy reserves. Unfortunately, sunlight isn't the only thing she needs out here for energy, and pacing herself isn't her strong suit. Several times she ends losing serious altitude, cruising low and not perfectly even and looking for someone to touch base with. So to speak.

Helpful

Eventually, Kara does learn at least part of her lesson, darting down from the sky whenever she sees a person or small group. Maybe she can get some direction, and if not, at least it'll be good for a recharge.

or other

Crashing! Before she hooks up with her group.

[acro_bat_ic]

When your girlfriend calls herself Supergirl, you don't really expect a lot of chances to come to their rescue. Strength wise, it's never really going to be an equal partnership. Especially out here, in a world without kryptonite.

Of course, in Saen Seong those without powers last longer than others. It takes double the time before the energy drain starts to really effect them. And while it wasn't like Barbara ever (ever) wanted to see Kara in danger... she couldn't help but feel a little happy when her girlfriend needed her. Even if it was just as a glorified battery.

Of course, it was a little hard to feel happy about anything when your giflriend was crashing to the earth.

"Kara! No...." she runs forward, the rational part of her mind - the bit that said Kara's invulnerability might protect her longer than her flight, and that she'd heal with just a little contact - momentarily squashed by the simple site of the faltering blonde.