Vertigo

Expedition to Isekai

𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭

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Duncan had tried to argue, and if it'd been just that creep Hiroshi that disagreed with him, he felt like he would've had a chance, too. He knew the general direction of where they'd come from last night, and that should have been enough to at least find the clearing. He'd done some orienteering bullshit when he was a kid. Granted, it was with a map, but---

But then Daisuke had to open his mouth too, and eventually the decision was made for him. Duncan figured he could have just run off ahead once everyone settled behind him, but that would have made it seem like he was running away, like he was doing something wrong. So fine. The others could follow, but he would not slow down before he reached the clearing. True to his word, he didn't. Not even when he slowest members lagged behind (they'd catch up eventually, they were all headed for the same damn place anyway), or when he heard mumbling from behind and saw some of the others looking sullenly into the bushes a little off their path. Judging by their faces, Duncan didn't want to know what they saw.

He did quicken his pace, though.

Once they arrived to the clearing, he went from speed walking to stopping dead in his tracks in a second. Dead as... no, fuck.

Everything had happened so fast and in such complete darkness that Duncan hadn't gotten a proper look at whatever was attacking them last night, and Kunio's descriptions could only do so much. He'd told them there'd been giant monsters, but judging by the destruction, they'd been bigger than Duncan had imagined. Still were; there was no way to move a corpse that size, so the fact that none were in sight meant the damn things had lived. Had the others? There weren't any human bodies around. Unless... whatever those weird birds were eating was...

A pat on his back snapped Duncan back to reality - and into action. He was just about to take a step towards the vultures, when a spear flew towards them, only to practically bounce off their feathers. Wait, what?! Duncan's gaze trailed to Masato, who looked just as shocked as he was.

Hiroshi - goddamn, why couldn't they have left him behind? - strode up to explain. Resistant to anything that didn't come from a monstrous source? Shit, they should have harvested more from the beasts when they had the chance. They did have that one corpse, though, Hana was right. She was right in more ways than one, her attitude something Duncan appreciated. Yeah, no point mulling over shit they couldn't do anything about now, right? They had to focus on the future. Come on, Dunk. Just like always.

Daisuke declared they were ready to go, but looking around, Duncan wasn't so sure. "Right, yeah, nothing to see here," he gestured around at the destruction, "But once we find that stream, we should stop. Or at least the ones who can't keep up should. Let them chill and leave someone to look after them, and have a smaller group go ahead and scout for... well, shit, I don't know actually." He shrugged. "Anything? A direction. A place. Somewhere we can drag everyone to. There's no point just walking around randomly and dragging everyone and everything along. That just slows the fastest of us down."

Duncan was too impatient to just sit and wait, but he was also too impatient to have to slow down for people who could barely - or not at all - walk. His gaze fell on Yuki, and dread threatened to churn his insides, but he quickly chased it away. Yuki'd be fine. Hell, he'd been fine, and he'd seen the colour of his innards. But even he'd needed some rest to do it, so... long as Yuki could take a little breather, he'd be up and about soon. The others too, probably. Shouldn't be that hard.

"I can carry that," he gestured at the wolfbear corpse. He'd spent most of his time resting, so he hadn't even had a chance to try out whether he was actually stronger now, somehow, or whether he just felt like. Despite the circumstances he cracked a grin, looking almost excited; the way he did before an important game, except this time it wasn't fake. "Hell, maybe something else too. One way to find out."

With a roll of his neck, he bent down to try and heave the corpse on one shoulder.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

𝔏𝔢𝔦𝔣𝔲𝔯 𝔊𝔲ð𝔪𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔰𝔰𝔬𝔫

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With the Blightbeasts driven off, little bothered the party for the rest of their trek to Midgar. Leifur would have liked to keep their stop brief, but the looming storm threatened to hole them in, and he supposed some people had business to take care of besides.

As they approached, Leifur paid little attention to his surroundings past what his senses readily gleamed. He had a good memory when it came to remembering people, the threats they might pose and the secrets they might harbour, but the same could not be said of places. After a century of travel, the many towns and cities he'd visited had started to bleed into each other; roads led to towns they had no connection to, details and atmospheres were carried across borders like wind. In time, he would forget what he saw today, too.

Except the smog. Leifur had been to the city before, but it was so long ago the smog was the only thing he remembered now. He had never tried the coffee. Nor had he participated in any ... leisurely activities. At the moogle's suggestion they do so now, Leifur found himself taken aback, shocked as if he'd just been asked to fly.

Galahad offered them lodging and a promise they would not stay long, at least on his account. Leifur nodded approvingly as he dismounted, giving the bird what he assumed to be one final pet. "The lodge sounds as good a place as any. With any luck, we will not have need for it for long."

Leifur was in the middle of taking mental inventory of what he'd need to buy - bullets, at least - when his fellow gunbreaker mentioned wanting to sample coffee shops - for a few weeks. He assumed she did not mean right now, but the idea sounded crazy enough in general to make him slip out an entirely confused: "Weeks? Surely coffee shops cannot be that different from one another; the novelty ought to wear off after one or two."

But though he shook his head at Éliane's enthusiasm for the local bean water and was quick to return to taking inventory, one of his long ears did turn sideways to overhear whatever spot Galahad might recommend.

... If he was ever going to try the damn thing, now would be as good a time as any.

Persona: Roll the Dice (5e)

Just checking with @Lucius Cypher too then!

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Oohh, interesting! This is some juicy stuff, gonna have her ponder on this later. Also oop missed the Endora bit!

Expedition to Isekai

𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭

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Come morning, Duncan didn't wake up so much as he just pushed himself to sit, waiting for the others around him to stir. To wake up would, after all, have implied he actually slept.

He did pretend to, whenever Haruko woke and checked up on him, but his heart beat a million times a minute and his mind was too busy coming up with increasingly innovative and gory ways for the abandoned students to meet their ends to leave much room for counting sheep. To make matters worse, Duncan's body didn't exactly feel exhausted. He felt fine; better than he had in a while, and way better than he should have, considering the circumstances. There wasn't even a scar left behind to remind him of what had happened, and Duncan was sure he could have taken whatever the monsters from tonight could have dished out, too. Hell, if anyone could, it was him. He should have been out there fighting!

So what the fuck was he doing here?

"Protecting the others" was the answer he came to, time and time again. But no matter how genuine the sentiment was, with no actual threat in sight, it felt hollow. Maybe that was why, in the darkness of the night, every sound around him transformed into a potential threat; every time someone snored, every time a stomach growled, every time someone thrashed in the grip of a nightmare, Duncan's body tensed as if preparing for a fight.

A fight that never came.

With dawn came the realization that his vigilance hadn't been worth shit. The group had needed no protection, had ran into no threat. It didn't matter whether he was here or not - but him staying behind could have made a difference.

But it could've also meant his friends stayed behind with him, and then they could have died instead, Duncan tried to tell himself. Better some classmates he hardly knew than-- no, fuck, that was messed up. Who said anyone had died, anyway? Maybe it didn't matter where he was. Maybe they were fine either way.

... He needed a smoke. Again. He was running out of cigs just as fast as he was running out of excuses not to turn back and check up on the others.

So when Masato voiced that option as a possibility, Duncan raised his gaze almost too quickly, his tired face scrunching into a scowl. "I'll go."

He stood up, and though his body wasn't bothered by the sudden motion, his head was a different story. His mind felt foggy and heavy from lack of sleep, and he could feel a headache blooming in his temple. He was hungry again - starved, and withdrawal was making him both anxious and irritable. He wanted to run, or maybe punch something. Both. He wanted to do both.

"Alone, I mean," he stressed, glancing at Daisuke and Haruko in particular. Mostly because Maki wouldn't listen to him anyway, but he could outrun her if she tried to come with. "No point dragging everyone into danger, in case something's still lurking back there. Got better chances getting out alone, anyway."

Duncan wasn't sure that was true, but he sure as hell wanted the others to believe it. This time, he did glance at Maki, grinning. "I got a cheat ability, remember? You guys stay together, don't stray too far if you go for food and water. Stick with the prez, sure he'll keep you safe."

He gestured at Masato, an unintentional sneer lingering in his tone. He knew the guy was now one of the strongest ones among them, and the only other one like him among the people present, but he was also still a total nerd, and that fact was difficult to forget. Dude was really good at organization and giving speeches, but he didn't exactly strike Duncan as someone he'd rely on in a fight. Hopefully, there'd be no need to while he was gone. If nothing else, he could definitely rely on the guy to try and keep things in order. Whether people like Duncan and Daisuke would listen was another story.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Retroactively studied the shadow dragon, if that's okay, since felt it was appropriate for her to do! If it's too late for that though, just ignore that bit.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔

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Throughout their showdown with the shadow dragon, Fellwing had refused to budge, or look away, or tremble. How could she, when Stargaze so bravely held the creature's eyeless gaze? No, she wouldn't shrink way from danger and abandon her, not this time. She would gaze back into the abyss in front of them, and she would learn its secrets. She was of house Kebros, and they did not shy away from Darkness.

Then, as quickly as their standoff had begun, it ended. At Stargaze's bravery and resolve, the shadow dragon growled its displeasure, taking wing and fleeing to the skies. It lingered there, a dark, stormy cloud in an otherwise clear sky, threatening thunder, then disappeared beyond the treeline.

It was over.

It was over at last, and without further casualties. She couldn't believe it - wouldn't believe it, until she could no longer hear the beat of the shadow dragon's wings. The whole forest seemed to sigh in relief in tandem with her; a gentle breeze that chased away what shadows still lingered. To think that the answer to defeating the creature wasn't magic, but... friendship? Fellwing still wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but she knew if she'd gone at this alone, she would've not made it through. Facing it alone was what it wanted, and to think she almost played straight into its claws...

"Stargaze, you-- you're amazing!" the Seer's voice came to her gradually, starting from a whisper, then teetering on a shout. She rose to her back legs, wings beating as she beamed at her friend, proud. "Wait until Echo hears of this!"

Echo would hear of it, Fellwing would made sure of it, but for now they still had work to do. Luckily, it didn't take them long to find the first of the captives - and Skobeloff, safe and sound, with friends in tow. Fellwing chuckled at him. "I'm sure you've more chances for more showdowns soon enough."

She said it with a smile and an upbeat tone, an attempt to cheer up a friend, intoxicated by the flippant atmosphere as she was. But no sooner had the words left her mouth, than the memory of the shadow dragon returned. So as Skobeloff bounced off to find another captive, the Seer turned her gaze to the skies, feeling a shiver run through her scales as she thought back on their encounter - and the fact that the shadow dragon hadn't been vanquished, it had simply left.

For now.

ooc

Fellwing studied the shadow dragon, and with an 11, asks: "Who are you holding a grudge against?" (trying to figure out what its agenda is, sort of) and "What could I learn from you?"

Persona: Roll the Dice (5e)

Just checking whether this is still a thing? Will add a post to this on my list if so, sorry for the wait on my part.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Alright, now I'm actually back, sorry 'bout that. Just caught up on reading through everything! Will have a quick post of Fellwing reacting to stuff and maybe doing some surveying/magic of her own just for any potential extra tidbits of info and stuff, but otherwise ready for the wrap up.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Dealing with a fever, but hoping to get to posts soon!