2020-09-06: ...While Dogs and Swine Serve
- Log: ...While Dogs and Swine Serve
- Cast: Sheriff Star, Lydia Seren, Yuna, Lulu, Clarissa Arwin, Tidus, Violet Salazar, Loren Voss, Seraph Clarine, Ida Everstead-Rey, Venetia Vuong, Dash Caskett, Gwen Whitlock, Ethius Hesiod, Brad Evans, Gatta
- Where: Warwing Varukias
- Date: September 06, 2020
- Summary: An attack on the flying fortress of Warwing Varukias poses problems. Especially when Odessa (and Solaris) gets involved. Follows shortly after Ambition and Greed Rule...
<Pose Tracker> Sheriff Star has posed.
Warwing Varukias is crumbling apart.
The Solarian assault on the ancient airship sliced through it, and it is crumbling into distinct sections. Whether on the bridge or deeper in the ship, it is impossible to miss the dire state of the airship. In the main corridor, leading away from the bridge -- and where many smaller corridors connect, all leading to where a final battle with Odessa's finest had been fought -- the imminent structural failure of the airship is obvious.
For one thing, half of the corridor has been torn away. The open sky is visible, wind whipping by. The only escape might be the capsules they took to get here in the first place. It is a mad flight, from those who tried to take the bridge and those who were still out in the hallways of the Varukias, to escape. A mad dash, down the hallway.
And then the ground shudders.
At the opposite end of the hall, a piece of machinery drops down. To call it a Gear would be wrong; it is only a little taller than a human. It has huge, hulking mechanical arms, which end in fists with reinforced steel bands over the hands. The legs are large, but squat. The cockpit, too, is open; the pilot's chest and head are visible, with arms stuck inside the larger arms.
It is a powered armor, colored bronze and red. A stylized red mane of hair, a little like a mohawk, rises off the back, but it has no real face to speak of. A large cannon sits in the gut of the thing, and the shoulders have a pair of smaller cannons.
The pilot, too, is familiar.
Gatta, the former Crusader from Spira; Gatta, the boy who fled with Vinsfeld, like so many others swayed by his words. Gatta, who is now desperate and angry, standing between them and escape.
He screams, and there are tears of frustration and anguish in his eyes. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" he yells. "I won't... I won't let you go any further! This ends HERE!"
DC: Gatta switches forms to Gatta - Gearbreaker Djinn!
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
But Gatta isn't the only problem. Solaris sees an opportunity to kill two birds with one artillery barrage.
And OS qualifies as an artillery barrage.
OS has no Gear. OS doesn't seem to think they'll need one. They generally don't need one. They blast forward towards the Warwing with an impassive look in their eyes. They may very well be bringing a friend along for the ride. If they did come along through this method, they'll set them down on the floor off the Warwing, hanging back and floating there. Otherwise theey remain patient.
"...Incorrect." OS says, looking to Gatta. "Odessa has been marked for termination. You have been left behind to die here. The one mercy afforded to you is that we will make it quick."
OS doesn't sound angry. Or even upset. They just sound as clinical as ever.
They don't HIT Gatta though, threat aside. They seem willing to give the man an opportunity to stand down and surrender.
However...
OS turns to look to the assorted Drifters.
"...You have been marked for termination as well. Because of your interference, my partner sustained heavy damage."
OS swings their arm back and adds, "Your maneuverability appears limited. The ideal method for eliminating you all would be casting you from this ship. If you wish to assist in this endeavour, please throw yourself off of the Warwing. In this, your cooperation will be noted and appreciated."
Their arm rapidly transfigures itself into the form of a large cannon, swelling towards three times its typical length. They don't seem to harbor any concern with battling a Gear on foot.
"Attempting to Persuade Diplomatic Resolution: If You Throw Yourself From The Ship, You will black out before you hit the ground and thus not experience your death. It is more ideal than being eliminated by plasma fire and Guardian assault."
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
"GATTA!" shrieks Yuna, his name exploding out of her with such forceful relief that it's almost a sob. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"
Fact check: true. The summoner is here for two reasons that are really the same reason -- to reach her lost friend, and to go home. In a perfect world, her lost friend TAKES her home, since Odessa has some mysterious means for this. But she cares more about the friend.
And here he is. Alive. Safe, for some definition that is extremely broad and generous and -- no, not safe, no one's safe.
She stumbles to a halt in front of him, and reaches out with empty, shaking hands.
"Please," she pleads with him, "There's no time..."
Solaris' agent shows up; Yuna takes two steps to the side -- not to get out of the way of the cannon, but to put herself between it and Gatta, defiantly.
No wonder she has a small army of Guardians. Surely it's the only reason she's still alive.
"PLEASE, Gatta."
Gatta is from Besaid Island; Yuna has known him since she was a child.
And her expression, though wide open, is also closed on another matter: she WILL NOT leave him here to die.
DC: Loren Voss switches forms to Gebler Gear Schiehallion!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
They have to hurry; there are only so many ways to get out of this place intact... Though many, now, that would get them out the 'wrong' way. Lulu runs with Yuna and the others, doll under her arm, still fresh from fights against Odessa's forces. She looks to the sky, outside, once again sees the great ships of Solaris.
But then the ground shakes, and she has to stop to avoid falling. The machina drops down before them, and Lulu sees its red and bronze form before she sees its pilot--but her eyes fix upon Gatta as soon as she sees him.
It is nearly impossible to read her expression in that moment. All the sadness, all the calculation, all the reproach, all the concern--none of that shows, and none of it can be allowed to show. There is only one priority, in this moment, that Lulu can allow herself to have.
That priority rushes Gatta, naturally. There is no way to stop that.
"Yuna-"
Lulu rushes up, skirts swirling, and places herself between Lydia and Yuna in turn. It is what a Guardian does.
"Is this really what you want, Gatta?" Lulu asks in her quiet voice, calm voice, of someone she's known a long time.
She cannot help but think of Luzzu, too.
<Pose Tracker> Clarissa Arwin has posed.
The battle aboard the Varukias has become an airborne abattoir.
This is not where Clarissa Arwin wants to be right now. Who would want to be?
Weary and hurt, Clarissa slips an arm beneath the shoulders of her brother Felius. The quiet man took the worst of the impact when Vinsfeld brought the ceiling down on a group of ARMS members and allies, and it's been up to Clarissa to support her brother on their way out.
For some factor of out. The wind of the open sky tears at her hair, and she squeezes an eye closed as she curls up against the remaining wall of the corridor.
Felius doesn't so much as flinch. It's like the passage of the wind doesn't even faze him.
"Felius, come on, we have to get out of here," she encourages, her voice soft. "Just stick with me, okay?" Smiling gently up at him, Clarissa begins to guide the young man down the corridor - but her escape, like everyone's here, is cut short.
With a thud, the power armour drops into place. Clarissa opens her mouth with surprise, recognizing Gatta in the vaguest way - but recognizing the anguish in his voice more than she recognizes the face. It's a painfully familiar sound. It grips a deep place in her heart and wrenches out feelings she doesn't like to feel.
a tiny flower. so small. so treacherous.
little missy
"I'm sorry things have ended this way," Clarissa answers Gatta's tears, her voice aching with pity. Felius on her arm, she takes a few slow steps forward. She doesn't draw her weapon.
She just holds out her free hand, palm out, fingers splayed. The smile she sends with it is gentle. "It feels awful when the world seems like it's falling apart around you, doesn't it...? But we don't have to fight here. Please, come with us and we can find a way to make your life a happier one. I know it sounds strange, but not all hope is lost... and if it's hard to find any right now, please...."
OS declares that it's time to kill them all. Clarissa just looks at her for a few seconds. Then her gaze returns to Gatta, and she stretches her hand out a little further, quieting as Yuna makes her appeal.
Clarissa finishes her sentence at just that moment. "Please, Mr. Gatta... listen to how much your friends love you! And if you can't find a hope, let Lady Yuna share her hope with you!"
The prospect that Lydie or Gatta will just shoot her has occurred to her, but she doesn't seem to care.
<Pose Tracker> Tidus has posed.
Somehow, when Tidus agreed to get shot in a capsule into an airship, he sort of assumed ARMS had some way of getting back down figured out. It didn't occur to him until it was *far* too late that maybe that isn't the case.
Before he and his fellow Guardians can figure out what to do about this, though, a powered armor appears--and inside?
"Gatta!!" Tidus shouts. "This isn't the time for this! Look around you, this place is falling apart! We gotta get out of here!"
He shoots OS and the other Solaris agents a sharp look when they arrive to announce that everyone here is going to die. OS in particular then offers a 'diplomatic' solution. "You call that diplomacy?!" he demands, pulling out his sword and running to Yuna's side along with Lulu. Given that she's interposed herself between two hostile forces, she's going to need all the protection she can get. "There's no way we're gonna die here! We've got too much left to do!"
<Pose Tracker> Violet Salazar has posed.
Violet pauses to accept one of Eleanor's healing potions, with thanks. That's good timing -- her thigh wound would've slowed her down otherwise.
And she doesn't have TIME to slow down. The airship is plummeting towards Filgaia, open sky showing between its damaged panels.
Of COURSE her escape isn't going to go smoothly. A machine appears, and a man in an armored battlesuit, both declaring their intentions to fight -- or at least delay the Drifters' escape. The machine invites the assembled Drifters to throw themselves out of the airship, sans parachutes. Fat chance! A young woman -- a Summoner from Spira, Violet recalls, having seen her from a distance once -- attempts to dissuade the battle-hungry man. Man and machine. Man vs. machine. She readies her ARM just in case her foes refuse to stand down. You'd think they'd be more concerned with self-preservation than this. Maybe they have another way to escape, or maybe they were willing to be martyrs? Where did Odessa find such dedicated people? What kind of hold did Vinsfeld have on them?
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Technically speaking, Captain Loren Voss isn't even supposed to be here today.
But, as things tend to do, things happened. With Medry down and out, that left OS without an operator. It hadn't been long after she'd been transferred back to base that he'd gotten the metaphorical tap on the shoulder and given an emergency assignment.
After all, someone needed to oversee OS... and ensure that the job was completed to satisfaction.
The heavy-class Solaris Gear hovers over the ailing aerial fortress, in this moment taking no direct actions towards any of those gathered in the exposed hallway. It instead seems to observe the lot of them as OS speaks--
"...Well, that's one way of putting it," the Gear's pilot remarks dryly, his remarks audible to all present. "But accurate. We're here to deal with Odessa, but we can't let the rest of you live either." He sighs, in a 'what can you do' sort of way. "Consider it killing two birds with one stone, if you want."
There is a moment's pause as OS transforms their arm and makes one final suggestion to Gatta.
"...I really need to talk to Medry about the neural network learning process sometime." He sighs again, as if under duress. "...Fine. Let's get this over with. OS, permission granted to proceed with termination of targets."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine is in quite a predicament. She and her friends are in a giant metal vessel that is currently falling from the sky. For Clarine, this is survivable. For the others, not so much. And she is not the kind of person who would simply abandon them. She is exhausted, though it doesn't show in her form. Her fight with Vinsfeld took a lot out of her, and in the process all of her defensive mirrors were shattered. It would be a while before they would reform.
Clarine glides quickly through the vessel, doing what she can through her spiritual nature to make things easier. But, there is one obstacle that is difficult for her to handle.
A human in an armored suit appears, blocking their path. A frown crosses her face.
"...You. You are of Spira, are you not? Why do you assist Odessa?" Clarine asks, shaking her head. "That man, Vinsfeld Rhadamanthus... he will bring nothing but yet more violence and bloodshed onto your homeland."
...And that is when another problem appears. Clarine looks upon OS with a hint of surprise. ...She's seen them before. She looks upon them with surprise... and then, she frowns, as a large machine appears, reinforcing their words.
"Interference. Such as when we interfered to defend your puppet, I assume." Clarine replies. "So your duplicitous nature reveals itself. You may do with Odessa as you please, but I will not tolerate harm being brought onto these people. We need not quarrel. Disappear at once."
Big words, for someone who's exhausted both in resources and in stamina. But she's prepared to fight until she has no strength left.
DC: Lydia Seren switches forms to Project Baphomet OS Caution Level Yellow!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
In some respects, it's remarkable that the Warwing didn't just explode in a bloom of flame after what Solaris did to it. They built things tough, back during the Metal Demon Wars.
The flight from the bridge reminds Ida far too much of the flight from the Photosphere. Secondary explosions rip through the hull as munitions cook off. The deck shudders and bucks like a living thing, making her fight for every hurried step. The open sky flows in through the countless rents in the ship's hull. After what seems like forever, she and the others come to something that looks familiar--somewhere near where the drop pods landed.
Something slams into the walkway, nearly knocking Ida onto her ass. At first she thinks it's just another chunk of machinery, but then she sees it has limbs and pilot and a human voice cries out from within. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees something approaching from one of the Solarian ships. OS arrives so quickly Ida barely has time to process her appearance. Her mouth falls open as she watches the exchange. Yuna is here. Where did she come from?
And there, hovering over the wounded ship like a vulture, is a Gebler Gear. Ida recognizes it. She recognizes the pilot's voice.
Ida turns to OS--to the computer program wearing Lydia Seren's body. "No," she says. "I refuse. Instead, allow me to make a counter-proposal." She flashes OS a mirthless smile. "You and your handler return home, and tell your masters that Filgaia is not theirs to claim." Ida is wounded. Her Hyadean exoskeleton is patchwork at best, still singed from Vinsfeld's assault. And yet, here is Solaris, ready to exert dominance, using her dear friend to do it.
Ida has no fucks left to give.
"How would that work out for you?"
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
The black wind howls. The ship on which they stand is dying, and Marivel Armitage has sent her to her horrific demise, which, frankly, Venetia Vuong kind of expected, and so she intends to die like a downlander: with her face covered.
And that is why her first action is to fish out a filmy piece of lace from her Crest Graph bag, wipe off her face with her sleeve, and tie it on. When she is done - others have come. The screaming man in his mobile machinery. He is known to some; he is not a true believer, perhaps. Or perhaps he is a man who retains his heart.
Others come. The person OS, to whom Venetia stares for a moment. "No," she answers her diffidently, sweeping her hair back, and casting her gaze round. Hoping perhaps for an emergency exit? A stairway to the surface, perhaps?
And then another shadow comes.
This is not a piece of heavy machinery, nor even the distant knights of iron seen here and there, against gigantic Wels or on Thames salvage operations. It is perhaps their kin, but it is not their peer. Venetia's head turns to look towards the heavy-duty gear, shiny and glittering and defiant of the laws of gravity.
It pronounces their sentence with a sigh.
Who is this man? Venetia thinks, clumsily, baffled. Are they from the same place as Fila-del-fia? Is it them? Is that who did this? They're fighting Odessa? Why?
But they want them all dead.
There is a twist of despair in Venetia's gut, much as there was when she went into that control room. How deep does this go? How does a peace summit threaten so many things? Questions. Questions beyond questions and she's on a dying airship over treacherous waters and an island.
"That thing's just a rock you beat into submission," Venetia says to herself. She rolls her neck and pulls out a strip of bronze from a leather purse. "Don't get arrogant about it. I'll show you--"
The Graph is held aloft. It is tiny; what it summons, too, is tiny, but perhaps less so. The crystal of amethyst forms and Venetia twists round as if to hurtle the forming spell at the Gear -- for that rock is not yet full formed, but velocity is conserved, and a hurled stone the weight of a person is at least SOMETHING.
<Pose Tracker> Dash Caskett has posed.
Last time of the Warwing Varukias!
...Dash nearly had his face melted off. The assault on the warship by sudden Solarian vessels has left the before-thought impregnable ship falling to Filgaia. Suppose it was good timing, because while Vinsfield and Ganondorf were put on the back foot, Asgard was about to crush an entire regiment of ARMS with some kind of gravity attack.
"Okay, we need to get out of here, now!" Dash calls over the sound of a dying warship. The final moments in the sky it will ever have won't be peaceful, unfortunately.
"There's no way the Flutter can get close to this ship. Even if Roll could pilot it over, those other ships would shoot it down!" A worrisome concept.
They will have to escape the same way they entered. An extremely reckless way.
Well, if it wasn't for a sudden drop-in of Solarian folks who want to make sure the job of eradicating Odessa is done. and ARMS, with their other friends, are in the way.
"Hey! Can you chill, please?" Dask calls toward Gatta. He is clearly an Al-Bhed. "I don't feel right attacking you, your folks helped me out a lot on Spira. Can we just talk it out, maybe?" The boy says with a shrug.
The shrug is marginally less friendly-looking as the Blade Arm's magenta blade is still on.
And then Lydia, or rather, OS, threatens the group further. "Hey, uh, I got plenty of plasma to trade with you if you intend that the way you said it, miss! Go get Odessa, they are still around here! We just plan to go home and get some food, maybe clean up the foyer."
GS: Venetia Vuong has attacked Loren Voss with Bonus Against Large?! A Mysterious Modifier - Often Sought! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"This sucks."
This is Gwen's excellent earlier assessment of current events as she stumbles down. "But we can manage it, maybe, if we reach those tin cans." The soft assurance could be interpreted as Gwen's version of optimistic-to-a-fault assurance of those around her, but Gwen's demeanor seems subdued and tired, bearing none of the helpful enthusiasm she usually saves for positions like these. "It's a better chance than none at all."
Gatta's appearance draws a blank for the redhead, drawing her to lean against the wall as she considers their odds. They might be able to convince him to fall back, if they have the right argument, and-- ah. Yuna. She lets out a sigh of relief, eager to let the Summoner and her friends reach out to the Spiran, so far from home.
But then, Lydia-- no, OS arrives, and Gwen grimaces. "... This is not a great time..." Looking to OS, the courier wets her dry lips, preparing her point as she raises one finger. "Technically we'd be doin' that if we reach those cans. It's just a matter of pickin' one coffin over another, right?"
But OS isn't alone.
"...." Gwen stares up at Loren's Gear, blue-grey eyes critical. She could say to herself, 'it may be a mystery who that man is in the Gear', but if Loren's projected voice wasn't enough, that strange sensation is there, like she was looking at... who? A neighbor? Not a friend, but someone she recognizes, though of course she recognizes Loren, he is Loren, the man she went with Lan to the fair. A Solaris agent.
She can't tell if the feeling grows stronger or dimmer as she comes to the rough understanding of her predicament, as well as her one option.
"... I'd rather not fight you, but if it's gonna be a situation like this, I really don't have much choice." As if to make Ida and Venetia's threats more clear, Gwen closes her eyes, and lets the red veins take over, threaded by the gold from her ARM. "... Y'got... a few minutes, before I just knock you _right off your perch there_."
She's pointedly facing her body towards Loren's direction above her, rather than at Gata. "So _get lost_!"
Not the most threatening display from his angle, being Gwen is going from leaning against a metal wall to glowing and growling at him like a guard dog just about ready to tear off their chain.
DC: Gwen Whitlock switches forms to Chrysopoeia!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius, enigmatic Symbologist who has been on a somewhat less sketchy streak than usual through the whole affair, can put forth that stoic air with the best of them but there's no fully hiding how rattled he was at Asgard's resilience against methods that - until now - had not been overcome to the degree they have. (On top of the usual expected wear and tear of a pitched, high-profile historically course-altering battle.)
('Usual expected' being the key operative words.)
Even when such things ought to be foregone in the middle of everything falling apart, also falling whole, and any fraction in-between thereof with the commonality being 'falling,' Ethius still tries to be out of the way - as if detaching himself from some of the emotional undercurrent.
More turbulence has him having to grip onto something that is not stable but provides illusion of stability enough as a Spiran youth (he can only identify this by the accent) shows up in a personal mechanical armor, and a greater tension passes through his grip. OS descends anew with their ultimatum and clinical demands to be made of the lot of them.
There's the Summoner Yuna and some of her entourage, including that suspicious young man who sometimes catches his eye (...who's he calling suspicious?!). A hand goes to his forehead as he sucks in air from underneath what covers his face. What would he look like through all of this, were he to not try and hide such things from even those that come closest to being considered allies? After the years that have passed together, in and out...
He eyes the Gebler Gear, and how a battered but exoskeleton-clad Ida makes her stand to them. Now would be the time to reassure others as footing collapses and altitude gradually decreases, that there is another pair of hands that may yet see them to another tomorrow, or at least a few more minutes alive.
Instead, the man skulks. He skulks about as well as anyone in a damaged rental suit can against this backdrop (not all that well), as if trying to bypass the social niceties and challenges.
Regardless of how much part he truly has, or doesn't, in all of this - however selective he might be - they all do share the fight to make it out alive.
Unlike Ida, he has no special hybrid Hyadean biology, or experimental Veruni technology like Gwen. What he has is a stare and a composure that steadies as he sizes up a weapon beyond the ken of almost anyone on Filgaia's surface as he holds out his open palm.
He has been fighting some shakes from fighting on an empty stomach, a threat for any sorcerer. He pushes that back.
"I am not inclined to let them leave," he adds as if to punctuate on the offers and threats.
<Pose Tracker> Brad Evans has posed.
ARMS has been winging a planetary counterterrorism movement, so of COURSE the plan to leave is basically just to clamber back into the rocket pod and, uh, something. Maybe Brad knows.
Brad has not told anyone he knows, but that's relatively common. Brad was attempting to work his way through waves of Odessa to get to some kind of command terminal, but in the end, he didn't get enough time to take control before the whole thing got shot all to hell by Solaris intervening. Solaris....
Well. Brad doesn't know a whole ton about Solaris, actually. But he knows a thing or two about fighting a superior military power. Usually you do it very, very carefully.
But Sometimes, they get your back to a wall. Then, you make them bleed for every inch.
The whole Warwing is shaking, rattling apart. "We're going down!" Brad calls, unnecessarily. His hand lingers on the console he's at, showing more distress than he's displayed for just about any of his human comrades. "....sorry," he mutters. "It shouldn't have to end like this." Then he turns and runs. "Capsules, get to the capsules!"
THAT plan ends when Gatta appears. Brad cinches up his Mechanical Glove, flexing his fingers tightly within. He feels more in his element than usual. Though, he'd prefer a feww anti-tank mines to have whittled down the Gears first...
"I'll get the android," he says, eyes settling on OS. He starts toward her, watching his footing carefully as the air rushes in from outside.
He levels the Mechanical Glove at OS, fist clenching as the weapon hums to life. "Transfiguring cannon, survived high-velocity impact unassisted..." .... unknown other features, he doesn't add. Time to test the waters.
Which he does. With bullets!!
<Pose Tracker> Gatta has posed.
Gatta doesn't, particularly, understand who or what OS is. He left Spira before they appeared, and while he has been on more than a few battles with Odessa -- he looks more hardened, more experienced, and with a couple scars on his bare arms -- he never encountered them. He stares, for a second, and then grits his teeth. "It's over! You heard Commander Vinsfeld! You--"
He sounds so angry. So scared. So upset. He doesn't sound, for a moment, like Gatta at all. But then he sees that girl in a white obi, and for a second, he does sound like Gatta. "Yunie? You--you have to get out of here! You--"
A lot happens in that time.
For one thing, and most notable, there is a rolling TH-WOOOOM through the Warwing. Chunks of steel are torn off, the floor rocking underneath his Gearbreaker's feet. He slams one of its huge metal hands out, punching into the wall to stabilize himself. Clarissa calls out to him, and his eyes widen for a second. Clarine tells him something that, really, he should know. Dash pleads for him to calm down.
His friends, he thinks. Lulu is here, too, and Tidus, not far after. He stares at them both, for a second, and there are many a regret in his dark eyes.
In the end, it isn't courage he finds; it's desperation, really. Desperation and that stubborness that could make him such a good friend, make him go above and beyond for them, and also lead him down dark paths. "NO!" he shouts. "No! This--this is for a better world! For two better worlds! Commander Vinsfeld... he promised he'll handle Sin, and I promised..."
He shakes his head, and it's a fierce thing, enough to hurt. Tears are in his eyes. "I promised I'd stop you! All of you! No matter what it takes--this is for Filgaia!"
The Gearbreaker rushes forward. Each foot steps make the floor shake and rattle, already damaged plates bending inward. The machine swings back one huge arm, and then slams the fist down, punching it into the ground near Tidus. The ground shakes so violently that he might lose his footing.
A ball turret on the side spins, and a gatling cannon spins up with it. Rounds tear across the field, on some automated pattern, and shoot towards Lulu and Yuna alike. More punch holes into the floor and wall of the beleagured airship.
"For SPIRA!"
Then, the other hand reaches out, punches up at Violet Salazar, and tries to punch her into the air. Two smaller turrets on the side swivel, turning to aim up at her, and fire at the midwife.
"FOR LUZZU!"
GS: Gatta has attacked Gatta with This is For Luzzu!! GS: Gatta assumes the Avenger stance! GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Gatta's This is For Luzzu! for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper! applied to Gatta! GS: Mighty! applied to Gatta! GS: Gatta has attacked Yuna with Gatling Cannon - Clean Sweep! GS: Gatta has attacked Lulu with Gatling Cannon - Clean Sweep! GS: Gatta has gained 1 Combo! GS: Gatta spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Gatta has attacked Violet Salazar with Anti-Aircraft Cannons! GS: Brad Evans has attacked Lydia Seren with Iron Fist ! GS: Brad Evans has completed his action. GS: Gatta has attacked Tidus with FLOOR PUNCH!! GS: Gatta has completed its action. GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Brad Evans's Iron Fist for 72 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren's Force Guard activates! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Tidus critically Guards a hit from Gatta's FLOOR PUNCH! for 21 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Violet Salazar takes a solid hit from Gatta's Anti-Aircraft Cannons for 76 hit points! GS: Disease and Poison! applied to Violet Salazar! GS: Lulu guards a hit from Gatta's Gatling Cannon - Clean Sweep for 70 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up!
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Your compliance is helpful but not neccessary." OS says. "Suggestion: Wait Until Summoner And Guardians Exhausted Before Elimination."
Clarine accuses OS of duplicity. "Incorrect." OS says. "We have not deceived you in any way. Reminder that a Solarian operative was shot under your care. Furthermore..."
OS fixes Clarine with a stare.
"Any puppet will do."
Loren provides authorization to get to murdering.
Understood," OS says before adding to Clarine. "Correction: This is no quarrel." They bring their cannon to bear. "This is processing."
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrc5lv0O8yo
A beam of light intensifies between Loren's gear and OS. Loren can feel it...
He can feel...the power
"Project Baphomet Omega System Active. Identifying Threat Assessment. Suggested Caution Level.... Yellow. Well within elimination parameters."
Ida makes a counterproposal as well, but OS feels that their words to Clarine suffice as a rebuttal. Dash offers a threaat of their own. They give Dash aa curious data-like head tilt.
And then after ensuring their link with their partner is secure...
Brad plugs OS full of bullets. He can see the bullets SPLASH against OS's body like he's shooting into the ocean, thick sprays burst out from OS but once he looks to see just how much damage he did--
OS has alredy repaired the damage. The only evidence they've been harmed is the splashes of silver liquid pooling around them.
"Impressive firepower but of primivite grade."
Their gems glow with a vibrant light as they raise their hand into the air--and summon SOLAIS EMSU who hovers in the air, looks towards the drifters, gestures with a hand....and unleashes a swarm of bright plasma lasers crashing down--THROUGH the Warwing if neccessary.
GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Loren Voss with Hello world!! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Lydia Seren with Hello world!! GS: Lydia Seren has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lydia Seren takes a solid hit from Lydia Seren's Hello world! for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Surge! applied to Lydia Seren! GS: Lydia Seren has activated a Boss Action! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Brad Evans with Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Dash Caskett with Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Clarissa Arwin with Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Seraph Clarine with Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has completed her action. GS: Seraph Clarine critically Guards a hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE for 26 hit points!
GS: Clarissa Arwin takes a glancing hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE for 72 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Loren Voss critically Guards a hit from Venetia Vuong's Bonus Against Large?! A Mysterious Modifier - Often Sought for 21 hit points! GS: Loren Voss's Force Guard activates! GS: Dash Caskett takes a glancing hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE for 79 hit points! GS: Dash Caskett's Force Evade activates! GS: Brad Evans critically Guards a hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Solais Emsu - RESONANCE.EXE for 28 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Lulu used Defend! She takes Gatta's attack on Yuna on herself! GS: Lulu takes a glancing hit from Gatta's Gatling Cannon - Clean Sweep for 60 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lulu gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Violet Salazar has posed.
Violet doesn't recognize the man in the battlesuit, but she hears Yuna and others call him "Gatta." She doesn't underestimate technology in battle.
A Gear killed her husband.
Her caution is justified: Gatta punches her HARD with one hand, and while she's still reeling from that, shoots her twice, painfully -- though the bullets seem to have missed any vital organs. Being knocked backwards must've made her a more difficult target. "Oh, so that's how you want to play it," she mutters. "We DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!!" The Varukias is falling, falling: they have, at most, minutes to live.
Violet doesn't know anything about Gatta, but she DOES notice he's foolishly left his cockpit open. What a tempting target. It's a temptation she doesn't even try to resist. She opens fire right at the gaping cockpit and hopes her bullets will connect.
GS: Violet Salazar has attacked Gatta with Now Granny's Mad! GS: Violet Salazar has gained 2 Combo! GS: Violet Salazar takes 21 damage from Poison! GS: Violet Salazar has completed her action. GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Violet Salazar's Now Granny's Mad for 99 hit points! GS: Shield! applied to Violet Salazar!
<Pose Tracker> Clarissa Arwin has posed.
"Commander Vinsfield doesn't have the power you think he does," Clarissa starts to say, but it's no use. She's not the one who can win back Gatta's heart.
The idea has occurred to her that OS could just blast her straight away. Clarissa turns herself to position her own body between the wounded Felius and the program wearing Lydia Seren's body.
It was a smart move. As Solais Emsu materializes, Clarissa's heart aches with a sensation of something --
Then the lasers come in to ensure her body aches too. Shaking herself out of the moment of oddly euphoric awareness, Clarissa gasps and pulls Felius down and to the side, throwing her body across him like a human shield. Not a ray of light touches her wounded brother. It touches her instead, slashing across her back and drawing a shout of pain from her as it leaves an angry burn behind.
"Felius, are you alright," she asks, her voice thinner with pain and exhaustion. The battle with Vinsfeld was exhausting enough. This is--
Felius looks up at her with a pained nod. "Don't worry about me. Just keep going."
Swallowing, Clarissa nods once, giving Felius a last squeeze. With care, she eases him towards a safe spot behind a half-fallen bulkhead.
Only once convinced Felius is out of OS's line of fire, Clarissa pulls back to her feet and snaps Strahl Gewehr out from the folds of her gown, sweeping it out in front of her to gesture towards OS. There's no anger in her expression - only sadness.
"Can't you feel them crying?" she asks. "The Guardians... I can feel them."
She clenches her teeth and forces herself to remember that there's a threat here - that whatever OS might be, she's also trying to kill her. She drops to one knee and grips Strahl Gewehr two-handed, unleashing a shimmering blue blast at the program wearing the body of a precious metal star.
...this feels wrong...
GS: Clarissa Arwin has attacked Lydia Seren with Strahl Gewehr! GS: Clarissa Arwin has gained 1 Combo! GS: Clarissa Arwin has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
There are many here--the battefield, and battlefield it is, will only grow more chaotic from here. Lulu notes the presence of her fellow Guardian, Tidus--she notes the presences of other threats. But above all for now, she notes Gatta, hesitating. A small part of her dares to believe that it might be enough... but the rest of her prepares for what must happen.
She cannot concern herself with the Gear, or with OS, whatever she may be. There is only--
"Yuna!"
Lulu runs into the gunfire, relying on the magic of her equipment to shield her if nothing else, and throws Yuna out of the path of the bullets. She manages to evade some, even most, but not all--but the advantage to black is...
It's hard for blood to show.
"Is it for Luzzu?" Lulu wonders of Gatta. "Or is it for yourself? You know this isn't what he'd have wanted."
She says it without venom, perhaps surprisingly... but also without mercy. Lulu raises her hand, and the Mog under her arm drops down to mirror her movements. She draws upon the force pulling them plummeting down--the very Earth far below.
A burst of dark power pops into being beside Gatta, and explodes in a wave of gravitic force in all directions, a sphere of power.
"Do what you have to do, Gatta. So will I."
If that bubble of force cracks something in her, too, then she is no stranger to wounds.
GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Lydia Seren's Hello world! for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Surge! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Lulu has attacked Gatta with Demi! GS: Lulu has gained 2 Combo! GS: Lulu has completed her action. GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Lulu's Demi for 161 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Tidus has posed.
The Varukias rumbles, shaking violently as pieces of it (well, more pieces) fall in the descent. Tidus shoves the thought of what will happen when it lands out of his mind as best he can. Gatta's making it clear that he's not going to back down, come what may.
WHAM. That power armor slams the ground, sending ripples of force through the compromised metal. Vibrations rattle through Tidus from his skin to his teeth, and if he hadn't managed to stabilize himself with his off-hand, he might well have fallen over.
Lulu makes her own response to Gatta, ultimately accepting the decision he's made, as she takes point on defending Yuna from the incoming attacks. Another woman--Violet, but Tidus doesn't know her name--yells that there's no time for this. Despite all the time he's spent with Lulu, Tidus is more with the stranger on this.
"Don't you have faith in Yuna, Gatta?!" he shouts, standing upright. "Just as importantly, don't you want to *live*?! Luzzu told you over and over to keep guard over HQ! You've got to understand why he did that!" Tidus remembers how Gatta had complained to him about the post, how he had in returned pointed out that protecting the home base was important too. If he'd encouraged Gatta to head for the front lines like he'd wanted to... would it be Luzzu in that power armor now instead?
He shakes his head and begins to cast a spell. Pure white light surrounds him, and the image of a massive clock materializes over Gatta, hands spinning backwards until they slow and stop. If it's successful, it'll slow Gatta down significantly--enough for Tidus to maybe get an extra attack in. That armor looks tough, and he'll need all the help he can get to pull Gatta out of it. "If you REALLY want to honor his memory, then ditch this stupid suicide mission and get out of here with us!"
He hopes they can convince Gatta before that OS person follows up on that suggestion of theirs.
GS: Tidus has attacked Gatta with Slowga! GS: Tidus enters a Counter stance! GS: Tidus has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"You mean, preventing a murder?" is Loren's initial response to Clarine. "...I know what you are. You're one of those spirits from Lunar. I suppose that means that you're used to reverence and fear and all that... stuff. That's not going to fly here. The answer is no."
Nor is she the only one to put up some sort of argument against their very presence. "That's where you're wrong," he says to Ida, almost wearily, as if he's had to explain this over and over. "And that's why you need to die here."
His final reply to her proposal is much more glib. "How about no?"
The Gear shifts, pivoting a few meters to the right, the better to get an eye on what -- and who -- is going on in the hallway below. Inside the cockpit, Loren glances at several arrays of diagnostic arrays. "...Crest magic?" he wonders, audible to the outside world and addressed to the spellcaster -- Venetia -- in particular. "What do you think you're going to do with that spell?"
Indeed, she shows him what she's planning to do with that spell. Perhaps it might not be entirely optimized for tackling something Gear-sized but--
CLANG
The damage report is minor, yes, but it still leaves a shallow person-sized dent in Schiehallion's left shoulder. "<Shit>," Loren hisses in his native tongue. "<Okay. That's it. I'm not going to mess around here.>"
Particularly not as he tracks the field and sights him, staring right back at him as if in defiance. That man who destroyed the Golem. "You. Why can't you just die?" he asks of Ethius.
It's a funny thing. As he tracks others present and sights Gwen -- who he recognizes, an asset now lost -- he has a strange feeling. Like seeing a long-lost relative, perhaps: there's that same swell from within, that same odd sense of familiarity. Like he's seeing his...
...his...?
There was something here once. But it's gone now. Loren shakes it off, settling his hands over the controls and focuses, engaging one of the short-range scanners.
"...What's wrong with these readings," he mutters, in the seclusion of the cockpit. He doesn't have long to linger on them. The connection to OS is finalized, that synchronization taking up the bulk of his Gear's monitoring space in an instant. To the outside world he announces, "Connection confirmed. OS, you are cleared to proceed."
He leans back then, exhaling as he filters a bit of himself through the Ether boosters wired throughout the Gear. Golden light shimmers about himself and OS, forming if briefly a crystalline matrix, before it vanishes.
It's followed by a sudden rolling burst of targetted Ether energy, thrown scattershot and amplified by the systems in the Gear. The air at various points about the hall is suddenly full of earthen rocky debris, flying wildly and at great speed.
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Lydia Seren with Barrier Element! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Loren Voss with Barrier Element! GS: Loren Voss has gained 2 Combo! GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Loren Voss's Barrier Element for 0 hit points! GS: Shield! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Terra Ray! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Terra Ray! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Terra Ray! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Venetia Vuong with Terra Ray! GS: Loren Voss has completed his action. GS: Lydia Seren takes a solid hit from Loren Voss's Barrier Element for 0 hit points! GS: Shield! applied to Lydia Seren! GS: CRITICAL! Venetia Vuong critically Guards a hit from Loren Voss's Terra Ray for 26 hit points! GS: Gatta guards a hit from Tidus's Slowga for 0 hit points! GS: Slow! applied to Gatta! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a solid hit from Loren Voss's Terra Ray for 108 hit points! GS: Ethius Hesiod guards a hit from Loren Voss's Terra Ray for 65 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! <Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
The whole gang is here, and has been here all along; Yuna and her Guardians took part in the battle! But battle can be a big place... it isn't surprising Ida missed them.
Certainly they seem ready for battle now, collectively. Yuna's heart swells at Lulu's support, at Tidus' brave and plain-spoken wisdom.
That means it's all the more easily tenderized by Gatta. Before he even replies, she feels his anger -- his fear -- his distress. It shudders through her so powerfully that her stomach shrinks to a painful pinpoint. She threw up (in private) before Operation Mi'ihen. She feels like she might again, now.
But perhaps not. She's different than she was, then.
She threw up before -- but not after.
Gatta isn't the only one that experience transformed.
Hope blossoms in her eyes as he recognizes her, speaks to her normally--
TH-WOOOOOOOOOM
The floor rocks and she almost falls over. The air fills with pink and white -- her windmilling sleeves, as she frantically keeps her balance.
Everything falls apart. Gatta embraces a terrible resolve, and does terrible things. To her friends -- to her allies -- and to her. Or at least he tries. Lulu saves her, because of course she does. It's questionable whether seeing those bullets enter her Guardian in her stead is less painful. (No wonder she's so hard to guard.)
But though that slender moment of peace has passed, eclipsed by the violence of the moment and the times, the hope remains, after. Hope -- the most revolutionary act in Spira, in Filgaia, or anywhere else in the universe.
"CURA!" she murmurs, inaudible in the chaos, and magic is born, sparkling power that mends Lulu's wounds -- that fixes Gatta's mistake -- almost faster than they're formed.
That doesn't mean they didn't happen.
But there's still hope.
"Gatta!" she shouts over the gunfire, in the wake of Lulu's Demi, in the wake of Tidus' words. "I know that it hurts! But dying like this, FOR this, this murder... it won't be for Filgaia -- or Spira -- or Luzzu!"
He knows something about her that most don't, which gives her next words extra resonance.
But even without that, they also both learned something together, at Mi'ihen.
"Because... death is easy. It's harder to live!"
GS: Yuna has attacked Lulu with Cura! GS: Yuna has gained 3 Combo! GS: Yuna has completed her action. GS: Yuna heals Lulu! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Gwen Whitlock takes a glancing hit from Loren Voss's Terra Ray for 53 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Dash Caskett has posed.
"We aren't getting out of this without fighting, are we?" he asks folks nearby. Gatta answers that question, followed shortly by Brad. "Yeah, thought so." One arm switches back from a hand to the Mega Buster, and energy primes within.
"Clarissa, Brad, Clarine, guess it is us three? She seems familiar."
There is little time to plan an actual battle plan, as scoring lasers begin to cut all over this corridor, and aiming to slice up Drifters as well! Dash makes for some quick evasive footwork, but a leg takes a hit-- the armor is hardy enough that it isn't completely sliced through, but the plating sustains heavy damage.
"Man... hey, can I get a recommendation on where to pick up a weapon like that?" he jokingly says toward OS. "Dunno if we have a choice, otherwise we might not get out of here," he says towards Clarissa.
"Well miss, you brought the plasma, so let's trade!" The Mega Buster is brought toward center mass, and an arcing spray of spherical solar plasma fires toward OS!
"Don't suppose Valeria has extra teams on drill cannons to hit those other vessels, huh?" he asks Brad and Clarine.
GS: Dash Caskett has attacked Lydia Seren with Buster Salvo! GS: Dash Caskett has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dash Caskett has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"...He promised violence to Spira." Clarine interrupts Gatta, rudely. "When I spoke of it to him, asked him of his actions in that land, he made it clear that he intends to harm your homeland. That he has not brought enough to it. Your dedication is admirable, but you must not let it blind you when there are people truly capable of helping you."
And that is when OS and Loren both speak. A frown crosses over Clarine's face.
"That is your justification. I am sorry she was injured, but please forgive me if I do not believe that this is all being done over a single operative. We sustained injuries, as well, and we did not turn our fangs to your throat." Clarine replies. "Furthermore, your interference has allowed the leader of Odessa and several targets of note to escape."
And then, she turns her eyes to Loren's machine, her eyes narrow.
"...Such hypocrisy, from one who hails from a land of mortals with an inflated sense of their own station." Clarine replies. "I asked because our goals could align. But I see now that was folly."
And then, OS calls upon the power of a Guardian. Clarine... did not expect this. She sees the beams of bright plasma descending for this ship. This... is not good. The Warwing Varukias can only sustain so much more damage. If it takes too much, they may not be able to return to her capsules.
"You... will not!" And so, as the beam descends... Clarine raises her hands to catch it. The laser collides with her. The force is enough to push her back onto the floor. It's clear it takes some effort. She can feel the light of the Guardian burning away at her very being. With a grunt of effort, she redirects it - sending it right back at OS themself. Clarine collapses a little, after that, winded - in as much as a Seraph can be 'winded' - by the effort.
She looks up, then, spotting Clarissa. Clarine's eyes, which had been hardened up to this point, soften a little.
"Clarissa... we must not falter here." Clarine murmurs kindly. "You have a dream you must follow, do you not...?"
She looks up toward Dash, then.
"...I must confess, I have no idea..." She admits.
GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Lydia Seren with Limited Ray! GS: Seraph Clarine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gatta has posed.
Violet shoots into the opened cockpit. A bullet slashes along Gatta's side, not quite hitting his torso directly -- drawing blood in an instant -- and he hisses sharply, his eyes turning up at her. "This is the end for you!" he shouts back, his teeth bared and his eyes wide. He draws in a sharp breath, at what Vinsfeld asks, and then he shakes his head firmly.
"What does it matter what Luzzu wanted!?" Gatta shouts back at Lulu. "NOTHING! Luzzu... Luzzu did what he wanted most... and the Maesters and Yevon--they all turned their backs on him! They said his death was meaningless! Luzzu made his choice, did what he believed in, and they made him die for NOTHING!"
Gravitational force slams into the bronze-colored armor. It bends, crumples inward here, stretches outward there, and rivets come popping out of it. Some of those rivets, though, come out too slowly. A couple of rivets pop out, and they fall, in slow motion, and clank down unceremoniously from Tidus's slow spell.
'Don't you have faith in Yuna, Gatta?!'
He stares forward. His time in Odessa has taught him a lot of things about himself; he has learned things he didn't want to admit to. "...no," he answers, quietly. "No! Because... because I care about her, she's my friend! I've known her my whole life! And--and I don't care what any of you say about Lord Vinsfeld, about Odessa, because--"
He looks up, eyes wide and eyes wild. "Because he wouldn't use Yuna like they do!" he shouts back at Tidus. Then he hesitates, when Yuna herself calls to him. Gazza turns his head, staring at her for a second. "How--how can you say that, Yuna!?"
He yells so loudly, so pained. And maybe... maybe Gatta would yell more, except there is a terrible scream of metal ripping inside the ship. The harmonic, eerie church bell-like sound of superstructure rending in two.
And then Warwing Varukias finally breaks up.
The hallway stops being a hallway. It becomes, instead, a dozen islands of broken steel -- of fuselage, of chunks of walls and flooring, of armor plates -- that fall away from each other. They twist and turn.
The first one with Yuna, her Guardians, and Violet takes a violent tumble that threatens to pitch them into the next. That one rushes up to meet them -- but not before a third comes crashing down, to squash them unless they move.
And a fourth awaits, which Gatta's Gearbreaker jumps up, and then slams down into, and it balances for one precious second.
================================================================================ _____________________________| QUICK TIME EVENT!!!|_____________________________ _ And It All Falls Down _ _ _ _ _ _ Yuna, Lulu, Tidus, and Violet Salazar: _ _ +qte/react <guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge> _ ============================================================ Dream Chasers =====
<Pose Tracker> Brad Evans has posed.
Brad had his suspicions about the thing but being told the shells his 'primitive grade' still hurts a bit. Especially when it clearly doesn't actually do much to the target. "Some kind of..." his entire face twists, considering what to call what he just saw. "........demon shit," he decides, because he was in prison when they invented political correctness. He checks his stance, just for a second, then looks up as the thing SUMMONS A DAMN GUARDIAN. "What!" he yelps. "Caster, caster, caster!" he barks; old battlefield tactics, relaying vital information as loudly as possible to the field. He throws his hand up, the Mechanical Glove projecting an energy shield that scatters the blast around him, causing it to score the walls and send a few sparks flying out into the void. Brad throws himself aside soon after, before the floor around him gives way. "Pretty sure he sent all the people crazy enough to try it over here!" he calls back to Dash. "And I don't know that I have anything that can hurt that battleship!"
But he does have something that can hurt OS. HOpefully? He hopes. In theory. He opens The Mechanical Glove's extended side glimmers as beads of light whirl around it, collecting together like sand into the form of what looks for all the world like a model rocket's scaffolding.
The rocket on it is not a model, though. It's just a rocket. Which he shoots directly at OS, the missile blasting toward the liquiform....beast.
For someone with an attentive eye, and/or interest in Drifters and their weird technology, this is a very odd thing. Although the /missile/ is only remarkable in being a sort of humdrum Demon War-era ARM, manufacturing one on the spot out of mystery dust could pretty much only be done by something Zeboim-era.
GS: Brad Evans has attacked Lydia Seren with Mini Scud! GS: Brad Evans has gained 1 Combo! GS: Brad Evans has completed his action. QTE!!! Challenge Result: Low Success! Violet Salazar takes 126 damage and gains 60 FP! QTE!!! Challenge Result: Moderate Success! Lulu takes 79 damage and gains 45 FP! QTE!!! Challenge Result: Full Success! Yuna takes 0 damage and gains 30 FP! QTE!!! Challenge Result: Full Success! Tidus takes 0 damage and gains 30 FP! GS: Mighty expired! GS: Gatta has completed its action. GS: Lydia Seren takes a solid hit from Clarissa Arwin's Strahl Gewehr for 126 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Dash Caskett's Buster Salvo for 64 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren's Force Guard activates! GS: Lydia Seren critically Guards a hit from Seraph Clarine's Limited Ray for 24 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield! applied to Seraph Clarine! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Brad Evans's Mini Scud for 72 hit points! GS: Mighty! applied to Brad Evans! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Loren has every advantage here. For one, he's ensconced in his cockpit, safe behind tons of armor plating. For another, he isn't the one trapped aboard the wreckage of a crashing sky fortress. It's very Solarian, Ida thinks. Punch down as ferociously as you can, use every advantage you can, crush the people in both body and spirit. She doesn't have Ethius' preternatural knack for disabling machinery, nor does she have Brad's heavy weaponry, or the--
Ida stares sidelong for a moment at Gwen. Why does it feel like she's suddenly the weakest one in this fight?
But something in Loren's answer stirs something inside her--and inside him. They tortured Fei. They used her to try and destroy Riesenlied in a moment of weakness. They turned Lydia into this. They killed Siegfried. They would've destroyed the Photosphere, had their tortured lab rat not beat them to it. They almost killed Fei.
Earthen debris fills the hallway, ricocheting off every wall. Ida stands her ground, anchor spikes ejecting from the soles of her feet and punching through the Warwing's deck. She raises her arms to shield herself--it barely works. Bits of debris batter her whole body, embedding themselves in her weakened exoskeleton. A chunk the size of a softball slams into the back of her head, making her see stars.
And then, the scream of tortured metal. Warwing Varkusias finally gives up the ghost.
The spikes retract. The plating falls away. There is nothing left beneath Ida but open sky. For a moment, it looks like OS has gotten her wish.
No.
Something embeds itself in Schiehallion's armor--a long, whip-like tendril tipped with a razor-sharp spike. The tendril extends maybe ten or so meters, and at the other end--
Ida. Exoskeleton forms translucent shields over her eyes solely so she can see as she reels herself in; the wind all but tears her scream of rage from her lips as she twists into a spinning roundhouse. If she times it right, her foot will slam right into the Solarian Gear's hull like a sledgehammer.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Loren Voss with Sundering the Dragon's Scales! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Loren Voss critically Guards a hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Sundering the Dragon's Scales for 51 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
A great miracle happens.
At least, from Venetia's perspective. No, it is not the horror of OS, nor the grief and fury of Gatta. Those are not the miracle, though they may yet lead to them. The miracle to Venetia is that when she can kind of half-feel something coming up and out of the Gear, in its imperious terror and profound power, she recognizes the taste of stone.
A moment later the power, driven by incomprehensible engines, approaches her. Venetia is able to will out that silent pressure, touch the immortal heart and void of Filgaia (so concieved in her own educations) and the ray wobbles a little near her. Almost entirely spared injury -- will it work twice? Was it just the equivalent of an unexpected push? And a stray stone strikes her in the back of her wounded hand.
Venetia yelps as the bronze rod slips from her grasp - she clutches it, watching the listing sky beyond them. Swallowing tightly, she flexes her hand once. It hurts, but -- ah, yes, she thinks. The ribbon is rewound, but this time she is forming a fist round the object. She will have no need to strike anything, Venetia thinks grimly, and down's as good as up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqZVNzNc23w
"IDA!" Venetia shouts after her.
Venetia takes precious moments to cup her mouth with one hand, the other having that backhand grip on her rod. "MAKE IT LAND! PUSH IT THIS WAY! GET IT TO TOUCH THE HULL!!"
Of course, she must be bluffing - because the next thing she does is the exact same thing she did before: conjure another large rock and hurl it.
Maybe, Venetia thinks to herself. Maybe I can disable it. It can be HURT... KILLED; that dent proves it; it is not a god, it is just a Gear.
And it can fly, can't it? Venetia thinks grimly. Maybe, maybe...
GS: Venetia Vuong has attacked Loren Voss with Stygian Amethyst! GS: Venetia Vuong has gained 1 Combo! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Even not being directly targeted by OS, Ethius keeps one eye shifted towards her. He mistakes a beam towards Loren's position as potentailly going for him, which may be why he finds it so easy to 'avoid.' ...That's an assisting maneuver.
He remembers what he said to the Caravan Kinship when he took note that OS had no problems drawing upon the power of the Guardians, where others seen in their attempt to subvert and utilize them were done at great cost, strain, or no success at all. This, and those words said by Krelian to Riesenlied and Noeline alike on that fateful day.
...And yet...
There he is, staring down (and being stared down by the pilot of) the Schiehallion. Loren's question does hold more merit than most may be willing to give him in the moment: why can't Ethius just die? Some things would be far less complicated once he were out of the way, as regards everyone. His decision to do the damage he did to Diablo caused... a handful of issues, alone.
But let us get on with the present.
The Terra Ray, in most circumstances, should be the end of that against targets on foot. The Ether-made earthen debris should be enough to crush any sort of primitive on-foot resistance. Ethius does what is expected of him - crossed arm inward to slurred syllables, and a great series of sparking noises and flashes as earthen matter has their velocity cushioned, smaller bits deflected outright.
The impact remains akin to a solid punch to the chest as Ethius finds his place where he stands tilting backwards. He slides back with the blow - the forced repositioning is a tactical advantage for the Gebler Gear right then and there, because he's about to get knocked right out of there alongside Ida. He finds a grip somewhere - as far as he can tell, she doesn't.
Until he catches the sight of the tendril reaching out to grab the Gebler Gear. He sucks in breath to try and ascend the collapsing walkway - but he's too far back for what he wants to do. He needs to get closer. He hears Venetia's call for her to bring it closer, to touch the hull. He watches where she conjures and hurls rocks at it, which is important in case it deflects and rolls his way.
It has that glow of energy borrowed from OS' enhancement, and that crystalline matrix. Closer. He can deal with this if he gets closer. He flutters his fingers in rapid motion as he brings two syllables together before calling the spell's name at the end. "Optic Flare!"
It's something he does multiple times, in short order, throwing blinding lights up around where he gauges the pilot is sighting from. It's disruptive cover, at best, as he staggers across shaking ground. Closer, yet. Once he can get there...
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Loren Voss with Optic Flare! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen will have to trust them.
Gwen Whitlock says, "... If you can't reach me." Gwen looks over her shoulder, one eye glowing and her lips curled in a desperate laugh of a smile, as she points to Ethius. "Use him." Gwen's expression relaxes somewhat, in one final push. "... Ida... I'm counting on you.""
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen will have to trust them.
Yuna, with her trusty allies, and Clarissa, with optimism that could show a potential alternative to Vinsfeld.
Also, those who come up against OS, whose body and mind is still Lydia's. They'll hold back, before they go too far.
Gwen will hold back, before she goes too far. Her friends will hold back.
It's a terrible, wonderful feeling, like being at the point of a hill where you can't back up, where you have to just keep going, going, hope no one will be disappointed in you for giving in, because it feels like everything is on fire, and it's different from just using your ARM, --
"... If you can't reach me." Gwen looks over her shoulder, one eye glowing and her lips curled in a desperate laugh of a smile, as she points to Ethius. "Use him." Gwen's expression relaxes somewhat, in one final push. "... Ida... I'm counting on you."
because before you worried you would run out of energy, but now you don't have to worry so much, so why do you not do this more, who are you scared of disappointing, you never need to hold back
It's done. Earth shatters the air, and Gwen leaps up it, rocks crashing into her frame as she jumps up towards Loren's gear, towards the cockpit.
She can't hear Venetia's commands, but the fist that tries to crack through what Gwen percieves to be the cockpit can only help, even if she's needlessly in the way for a clear shot.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
OS doesn't seem concerned about the ethics of the situation. They might not UNDERSTAND ethics. They don't respond further to the accusations. Clarine's beliefs about what their interference has allowed is immaterial. Indeed, whether she is CORRECT or not is also immaterial. Clarissa's concern for their brother is immaterial. The Guardians crying...
"...The Guardians always cry when a Blade draws upon their power. It is not of significant consequence." OS says. There is a small hesitation, but only a small one. And it might not be because of what Clarissa is saying so much as what Clarissa is reminding them of.
Clarine redirects the beams of OS back into the machine. OS absorbs the energy back. They quirk their head for a moment but don't comment.
Dash plugs OS with plasma, unleashing small bursts of silver fluid. The feedback from Loren's own power providing some protection to the already quite durable connstruct.
"Submit to Solaris." is OS's suggestion to Dash.
Brad uses the opportunity to fire a MISSILE. It collides against OS and EXPLODES, sending their cannon arm flying off of the rest of their body, silver liquid dripping out from the wound(?).
"Impressive. But--"
Clarissa uses the opportunity to FIRE her Strahl Gewehr INTO OS--the beam lances through OS and expans throughout their body until the construct...
BURSTS...
Sending silver fluid splashing everywhere across the deck of the Warwing.
...That was too easy.
And indeed...rapidly the six or seven puddles that splooshed across the floor of the Warwing suddenly lash out and connect against one another, swirling around in a tornado like fashion until OS's body has reformed.
...Not quite perfectly this time, looking lobsided...but still repairing itself at a rapid speed.
"Threat Level Red may be required. Threat Level Red locked from this operation. Nevertheless," OS shakes their head. "There is room within the Threat Level Yellow."
They raise their hands into the air and then clench their fist.
Solais Emsu vanishes...
...but DARKNESS takes its place as Celesdue is summoned into position.
An impossibly crushing force envelops OS's opponents. There is no light. There is no ground. There is nothing.
And within the darkness, OS speaks.
I Am Omega. Ye Shall Be As Gods. Prepare For Your Ascension.
And with that dark illusion, multiple forms of OS ripple into the form as they swing their arms back, ejecting blades of light into each of their hands as they surrounding those resisting Solaris's edict.
All have their place. Including you.
OS dives in from all sides, slicing and swiping with those blades of light even as Celesdue's power grips you solid.
And just as you feel l ike you're about to break free, OS raises their blades into the air, combining it into one ginormous blade of light.
Rejoice. You Will Be Freed From Your Bound Flesh
And then they slam it down with all their might. That kind of power can't readily be resisted--indeed, it even shatters the darkness of Celesdue with its brilliance, detonating the darkness in a swirl of colors and shine.
And when it fades, her foes are tumbling towards debris platforms plummeting to the surface.
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMhANHI9YhA
"Thank you for contributing to this great experiment. If you wish to prove yourselves viable for the next stage of the experiment, you will have to fight harder than that."
================================================================================ _____________________________| QUICK TIME EVENT!!!|_____________________________ _ PROGRAM OMEGA - YE SHALL BE AS GODS _ _ _ _ _ _ Brad Evans, Seraph Clarine, Clarissa Arwin, and Dash Caskett: _ _ +qte/react <guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge> _ ============================================================ Dream Chasers =====
QTE!!! Challenge Result: Low Success! Clarissa Arwin takes 133 damage and gains 60 FP! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Loren Voss with Bolide Barrage! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Bolide Barrage for 123 hit points! GS: Shieldbreak! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Loren Voss's Force Guard activates! GS: Loren Voss takes a glancing hit from Ethius Hesiod's Optic Flare for 35 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Jam! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Riposte! applied to Ethius Hesiod! GS: Loren Voss guards a hit from Venetia Vuong's Stygian Amethyst for 86 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! QTE!!! Challenge Result: Moderate Success! Seraph Clarine takes 102 damage and gains 45 FP! QTE!!! Challenge Result: FAILURE! Brad Evans takes 196 damage and gains 75 FP! QTE!!! Challenge Result: Low Success! Dash Caskett takes 133 damage and gains 60 FP!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
What Lulu does is what a Guardian does. The wounds that remain are more than ample price to the black mage for safeguarding Yuna; she would pay that cost again, and again. Even without Yuna there to mend her wounds.
And mend she does; Lulu straightens as the healing takes effect, and she listens to the other Guardian, to Yuna, as they speak.
She does not look back, at what Yuna says of living and dying. And then, her response is delayed by the breaking of the ship. The dozen islands of broken steel fall away. Lulu is knocked away from the group by the sudden shift in momentum, and a violent tumble knocks her from her feet. She is barely able to react to the next, and the next, ending at the fourth crash where she takes her feet again after Gatta's Gearbreaker crashes down.
"It's true. Luzzu is gone." Lulu speaks of her old friend as she rises, setting red eyes on Gatta. "I will not let you do this while maintaining it is for someone else. You want to feel that you have control--that Vinsfeld can end Sin, once and for all. But I see no reason to believe that he can."
Lulu reaches her full height, and begins to lift her arms. Mog at her feet copies her motions again in a wide stance. "Only that he can help to ruin what's left of Spira in Sin's wake. ...He's using you, Gatta. Using you and your grief. It's sad..."
Power gathers above her hands, the lines of elemental power rising at Lulu's direction. The Black Mage holds that power--and then keeps holding it, allowing it to charge longer with a terrible rumbling. The sky darkens.
"...But it's the truth. Face reality, and come back home."
Lightning crackles from far above, but not that far above, cascading downwards until the bolts are so hot as to be blue, covering the entire machina for long moments that sear the ey with the deafening crackle of thunder and lightning, more potent than a dozen lesser storms.
"Before it's too late! Gatta!"
GS: Lulu enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Lulu has attacked Gatta with Thundaga! GS: Lulu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lulu has completed her action. GS: Gatta guards a hit from Lulu's Thundaga for 108 hit points! GS: Disrupt and Jam! applied to Gatta!
<Pose Tracker> Tidus has posed.
"You're wrong!" Tidus shouts back at Gatta, in regards to Luzzu. "Everyone who died at Operation Mi'ihen, their deaths were horrible, I'm not arguing with you about that. But nobody can decide what you do is meaningless but you! It doesn't matter what Yevon or the Maesters say! Dead is dead! And no matter what that Vinsfeld jerk says, YOU'RE gonna die if you keep this up! So wake up already, Gatta!!"
But what Gatta says next--he cares about Yuna, so he doesn't believe in her? What kind of nonsense is that? Tidus shakes his head, then glances over at Yuna as she heals Lulu's wounds and takes Gatta to task for choosing death. "She's right, Gatta! And how can YOU say that you don't believe in her, when she decided to make her pilgrimage all on her own?! She's not being used!" Lulu makes her own statement on this matter, and Tidus nods firmly. "Lulu's exactly right! The only one getting used here is YOU!"
Before Tidus can say any more on this matter, though, the Varukias breaks up entirely, the hallway turning into little pieces of airborne debris. Pieces of debris that *really* want to mess up their day even more than it has been already.
"YUNA!" Tidus shouts, reaching out a hand to the Summoner he's sworn to protect. When she accepts it, he'll take firm hold and carry her with him--bracing against the first violently tumbling one that sends them rocketing into the next plate. Tidus spins in midair, Yuna in his arms, so he can land on that second plate feet-first, then rebound off it to evade the third plate entirely, avoiding what would have been a nasty squashing.
"Lulu! You okay over there?!" he shouts once they're both out of danger. He's of course worried about Lulu too, but, well. When push comes to shove, Yuna takes priority. Tidus knows Lulu would never forgive him if he did anything less.
For the time being, though, trying to hit anything with a sword seems like a ludicrous proposition, so he casts another spell--this time a Waterga, to smash into Gatta's armor with the crushing force of the oceanic deep. Combined with Lulu's Thundaga, the results should potentially be quite... explosive.
GS: Tidus has attacked Gatta with Waterga! GS: Tidus has completed his action. GS: Gatta guards a hit from Tidus's Waterga for 99 hit points! GS: Poison! applied to Gatta!
<Pose Tracker> Violet Salazar has posed.
A large piece of debris SLAMS into Violet, knocking her down. She grunts as the breath is knocked out of her. It's left her battered and bruised and bleeding and gotten her pinned, too -- and while she'll be able to struggle her way free, it will take some time. She tries to wriggle her way out, desperation fueled by the knowledge of certain death -- unless she can find a way off the Warwing soon -- and not in freefall! She misses her husband but isn't ready to join him just yet. Not yet.
GS: Violet Salazar takes 28 damage from Poison! GS: Violet Salazar has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Clarissa Arwin has posed.
Clarissa nods to Dash quickly, her hand tightening around her weapon. "No, we don't," she answers, her tone quieter. "All we can do is do our best...." She glances to Clarine, her jaw setting slightly. "...and we'll find a way to get through this."
Strahl Gewehr finds a way, at least. Clarissa widens her eyes at the sight of OS bursting into puddles of quicksilver. Her mouth hangs open as her expression twists with a pale, stark horror.
The horror passes to shock as OS simply reforms and calls another of the Guardians forth. Clarissa recoils as the light simply vanishes.
There's not much she can do to defend herself against that many attacks. Shielding herself with both arms, she holds Strahl Gewehr across herself defensively, as if to shelter herself behind her lucky charm. Not that she can actually move right now, with the power of gravity seizing her in place and crushing her down against the floor. Her body strains, and she clenches her teeth as she's anchored down and left pretty much helpless as OS just stabs and slashes at her. Shreds of cloth fly as the dress she got from Eleanor is mutilated, leaving cuts behind.
Only when the darkness shatters does Clarissa manage to force something. Strahl Gewehr throbs in her hands.
At the very last moment, Clarissa throws herself backwards, just out of the path of the huge slash OS levels at the little group. She tumbles backwards, hitting a debris platform with a pained gasp and bouncing once, hard enough that she rolls off the edge.
She grabs the edge at the very last second. Dangling precariously behind the piece of debris as it plummets, Clarissa holds on for dear life as intense G-forces buffet her.
"Gh... Felius," she groans as she drops down onto the falling platform, hunkering down on her knees. She looks up, trying to figure out where her brother ended up.
In the chaos, she can't find him. Her heart leaps into her throat with a metallic surge of horror and anguish. Has she lost him?
Is he even alive?
Felius....
The air around Clarissa begins to vibrate - and even as the essence of the Guardian of the Moon fades, another power begins to build. Light streams around Strahl Gewehr as she raises it high. "I won't... I won't let you treat anyone else like pawns in some... some experiment!" she whispers, her voice pinched with pain. Tears begin to bead down her cheeks, gleaming diamonds of honest desire that dance with the light of her emotion.
Clarissa raises her voice in a loud, ringing cry. "I won't let it be this way!!"
The beam that roars towards OS is simply blinding. The light of Clarissa's assault dazzles even the open sky. The intensity of the blast seems to shake the clouds themselves as Strahl Gewehr's titanic blast reduces everything around Clarissa and OS to mere colourless silhouettes, all other colour and shadow drowned out by a blinding light with a PRESENCE all its own.
GS: Clarissa Arwin spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Clarissa Arwin enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Clarissa Arwin has attacked Clarissa Arwin with Courageous Heart! GS: Clarissa Arwin has gained 1 Combo! GS: Clarissa Arwin has launched an attack Link! GS: Clarissa Arwin takes a solid hit from Clarissa Arwin's Courageous Heart for 0 hit points! GS: Surge! applied to Clarissa Arwin! GS: Mighty and Riposte! applied to Clarissa Arwin!
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
There's so much.
Yuna struggles to separate Gatta's wild misery from Lulu's determined grief from Tidus' desperate memory from the pang he elicits in her about her pilgrimage from
RAGE
She's already swaying on her feet BEFORE the Verukias breaks up in earnest, and when Tidus grabs her, he makes the discovery that she's burning up. Her skin is borderline-painfully hot to the touch; good thing she isn't apt to show much of it. It won't raise blisters, which is good because she clings to him very, very tightly, her head buried in his shoulder at first. But it isn't... she isn't... normal.
Something's wrong.
Her gaze, when it reappears, is a little feverish, too; it scrapes across Tidus' face too painfully to properly have room for her intense gratitude, searching everywhere for Gatta's instead. He finds her, of course, with his final clanging leap.
And then they're balanced, and Tidus has put her down.
Balanced, but still falling--
The winds tear at her hair and her earring and her skirt and her sleeves, all of them billowing behind her, which is to say, upwards.
"GATTA!" Yuna screams, after Lulu both calls out Gatta and calls down heaven's wrath upon him, as amplified by Tidus' orthogonal spellcasting. She fights to take one step, then another, forward. Each one is like descending an immense staircase in the absolute sense. "I CAN SAY IT BECAUSE WE BOTH KNOW THE TRUTH! WHAT HAPPENED AT MI'IHEN... IT WAS WRONG!"
It costs her something to say that out loud, he knows, everyone who knows her, knows. In the aftermath of Mi'ihen, she focused on first Sending the dead, then healing the survivors, until she collapsed. There was no time to get angry at Yevon for its religious edict. And afterwards she just... moved on, because she had to. BECAUSE of what happened. For the living and especially the dead, dead too soon at the wrath of Sin, wrath it is her duty to destroy.
That doesn't mean she didn't CARE. But it isn't easy to say out loud how shaken not only Sin but Yevon made her, that day. It isn't easy to even hint at how complex her nightmares have grown.
Her hands are still empty of her tucked-away summoner's rod, and Dispel, one of her more complex incantations.
But there's room in them for the Gearbreaker's arm. She wraps her own arms around it desperately.
There's more than one way to break through a barrier -- to reverse a power-up.
<SoundTracker> Vienna Teng - Hope On Fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3Ua5DBj6Hw
Fire lives in her eyes. Kilika's fayth lives in her soul, and he's... leaking. They leak, together; tiny molten flames trail behind her like tears.
He wants to form Ifrit with his summoner so badly.
They cannot. Metaphysics, cosmology, it isn't on his side, or hers.
Still, when they gaze into the cockpit, they do so together: a Crusader who died to defeat Sin, and a girl who will follow in his footsteps, as soon as she possibly can.
"IT WAS WRONG -- BUT IT DOES NOT MAKE THIS RIGHT!"
GS: Clarissa Arwin spends 2 Combo on Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling! GS: Clarissa Arwin enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Clarissa Arwin has attacked Lydia Seren with Soul Survivor! GS: Clarissa Arwin has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yuna has attacked Gatta with Dispel! GS: Yuna has completed her action. GS: Clarissa Arwin has completed her action. GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Yuna's Dispel for 0 hit points! GS: Dispel! Hyper removed! GS: Disease! applied to Gatta!
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"Yes, yes, fine. Justify it however you want," is Loren's response to Clarine, and one can just about hear the dismissive wave of the hand. "But I think we're hardly the hypocrites here. Listen to yourself, spirit. 'Mortals with an inflated sense of their own station'? And you're telling us what to do!"
This is where, perhaps, Gwen makes her move. She leaps for the Gear -- flies, nearly -- with all the speed of a lioness after prey. "What are you--" Loren barks as she lands atop where the cockpit is seated (again, there's that sense of near-familial connection, like he should be reaching out to her in some strange way and) and slams her fist into the Gear's armored plating.
It buckles and cracks.
Is it weak point for the model? Or is it Gwen's own strength? Perhaps it doesn't matter -- the interior of the cockpit is alive with light.
Worse, he has more to worry about than just that. Not only is Gwen in his blind spot just about, but then there is light, burning through and shorting several of his sighting-targetting systems. "<Shit!>" he barks again, inside the cockpit. His hands fly across the panels within. "<Run system repairs on assisted targetting!>" he orders, via voice command.
ACKNOWLEDGED, runs the text-only response from the Gear's ALI.
The fact that another magical rock slams into (and dents, according to the system integrity report) the side of the Gear is really just the cherry on top.
"Okay, that's it--"
It is in this moment that Warwing Varukias gives up the ghost.
Debris dances wildly as the aerial fortress shudders and starts coming apart in mid-air. At this height and falling at this velocity, the forces at work do a number on the ship: walls and flooring are turned into deadly projectiles. But there isn't precisely a large amount of room to maneuver in here, so that limits one's options--
But that isn't the only thing with which they must contend: Ida's landing, if dampened by the Gear's considerable armor plating, adds some push to the mostly-blinded, already-hovering machine. ...Which, to be frankly, with Gwen astride the cockpit, hardly needs the coaxing. It veers towards the remnants of the deteriorating ship; again the fragmenting space within is filled with bursts of Ether. While this may be an added obstacle, for the bold, the closeness of the machine might be an opportunity...
...if a fleeting one. One way or another, as the walls come undone and the few solid remnants of flooring are exposed to the sky on all sides. Whether atop the Gear or surfing on fragments of the ship, again the debris becomes a concern, and perhaps more than before, given the speed and angle at which they're whipping past those negotiating the fragmented pieces of the Warwing.
================================================================================ _____________________________| QUICK TIME EVENT!!!|_____________________________ _ Torn Apart in the Sky _ _ _ _ _ _ Ida Everstead-Rey, Gwen Whitlock, Ethius Hesiod, and Venetia Vuong: _ _ +qte/react <guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge> _ ============================================================ Dream Chasers ===== QTE!!! Challenge Result: Low Success! Gwen Whitlock takes 142 damage and gains 60 FP! QTE!!! Challenge Result: FAILURE! Venetia Vuong takes 199 damage and gains 75 FP! QTE!!! Challenge Result: Full Success! Ethius Hesiod takes 0 damage and gains 30 FP!
<Pose Tracker> Gatta has posed.
"That's--"
Gatta looks up, as Lulu summons lightning, and sends it crashing down for him. It slams into the Gearbreaker, and lightning and sparks explode across the whole of the ARM. Sparks pop, lightning flashing, and chunks of metal popping off.
Water explodes up around him, too, a moment later. Armor crumples inward, bending at the impact. Gatta takes a deep breath, and shakes his head once. "I can't accept that!" he calls back at Tidus and Lulu. "Don't you understand!? Why should we go back to Spira!? What has the pilgrimage, the Crusaders... what has any of it done? I can't find any answers there!"
Gatta's face has tears streaking down it. He can only spare a glance at Violet. He looks back at Yuna, then, and his fingers spasm inside the huge, hulking arms of the Gearbreaker. The machine stumbles, as the piece of shattered airship lists.
"Y-Yuna..." he says. "How--how is it right, if you CONTINUE ON ANYWAYS!?" he screams.
And then he rushes forward. There is none of the care and precision that Luzzu taught him on the proving grounds here; none of the skill in battle that he learned with Odessa, either. There is on wild grief, given shape in the form of a desperate charge into his friends, as the section of airship tilts dangerously like a see-saw.
GS: Gatta has attacked Lulu with Bum Rush Breakthrough! GS: Gatta has attacked Yuna with Bum Rush Breakthrough! GS: Gatta has attacked Tidus with Bum Rush Breakthrough! GS: Gatta has attacked Violet Salazar with Bum Rush Breakthrough! GS: Gatta has gained 2 Combo! GS: Gatta takes 19 damage from Poison! GS: Gatta has completed its action. GS: Violet Salazar guards a hit from Gatta's Bum Rush Breakthrough for 106 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Violet Salazar gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Violet Salazar enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Disease and Poison expired! GS: Lulu takes a glancing hit from Gatta's Bum Rush Breakthrough for 84 hit points! GS: Lulu's Force Evade activates! GS: Yuna completely evades a hit from Gatta's Bum Rush Breakthrough! GS: Yuna's Force Evade activates! GS: Yuna enters CONDITION GREEN!! QTE!!! Challenge Result: FAILURE! Ida Everstead-Rey takes 160 damage and gains 75 FP! GS: Tidus takes a glancing hit from Gatta's Bum Rush Breakthrough for 83 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Tidus gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Violet Salazar has posed.
Violet wins free of the chunk of debris JUST in time for Gatta to charge into her, as well as into Yuna and the others. This just isn't her day! He is irrational, too driven by emotion to care about the danger they are ALL in as they plummet out of the sky. Nothing to do but try to end him quickly -- then they MIGHT have time to reach the escape pods, or, as a last resort, the attacking airships -- where yet another battle would no doubt await them. Violet breathes for a moment -- simple breathes, gathering her wits -- then takes aim at Gatta again. She's using one of her solid slugs this time!
GS: Violet Salazar has attacked Gatta with ULTRA VIOLET! GS: Violet Salazar has completed her action. GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Violet Salazar's ULTRA VIOLET for 166 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Gatta gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
'If you can't reach me,' Ethius somehow catches Gwen's words, soft but determined, through all of the ruckus as she speaks to another, 'use him.'
SOME TIME AGO... BUT WHEN?
A darkened room. Darker than it was meant to be, due to problems. But it could not wait. Many dressed in similar colors. One, different. Different in form, in manner. This one, less passive. In his face - in so much one could be in his face. There was a degree of separation where he could not. A necessity. Words, filled with anger. Words, filled with frustration.
The words blur, tortured as if foregoing an easier means for sake of accuracy and clarity of the meaning. He does not remember them... only he took no stock in what he had to say. He had all the stock in what he had to say.
He may not have been heard in full. He only spoke once, to that latest query. The only words that were not spoken over...
"...is not a convenience." He himself said. He had others he wished to say above them. He kept to the same meter. Same tone. Same inflection.
NOW
Ethius' eyes narrow as Gwen throws herself at the Gebler Gear. A flash of anger rises. The context eludes him as he closes in. Debris hurl themselves at him as the Varukias begins to sever the ground underneath him. He renews the barrier spell for safety as it sparks away the walls and flooring - neatly deflecting. He is glad he still has the harness for the Hot Air Sack tied and that the thing hasn't been punctured - somehow - one quick spellcast later, he drifts towards the machine as he navigates the bursts of earthen Ether with forward momentum. It takes all his focus to hold his resolve and calmly cast another heat spell to give enough lift that the larger fragmented pieces pass around him. One whizzes right by his head, a sharp edge millimeters from grazing the makeshift envelope of the patchy-looking bag. His legs left to avoid losing a kneecap to a bulky bit of steel.
From there, his opportunity - he is close enough. He breathes in as his fingers shake from eating at his reserves... he clenches it tight into a fist for focus, then gets to contorting those fingers in ways painful to the untrained. It is a long series of gesticulations as he quietly chants the incantation under his breath. The protective field, both technological and sorcerous... he may be able to do away with both, here and now, and allow the others their opportunity.
As he completes the spell, he drifts ever closer as he speaks the name of the spell with the arduously long, complicated Symbological spellcasting sequence...
"Short."
Sorcerous lights fill the air from where his tattoos are exposed, and a jolt of lightning races forth to out-and-out short-circuit just about anything it can find purchase within.
As it is, only a silly, even cartoonish makeshift hot air balloon (...Hot Air Sack, by its name) floats between him and a long, long drop. He prepares to eventually land upon the enemy Gear.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has activated a Force Action! GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Loren Voss with Short! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
Grief directs Lulu's magic; already, her heart has prepared for the inevitability that words will not be enough. The fact that she even tries is something that goes against all of her instincts, all of her certanties; it is, perhaps, a doomed and futile effort.
But there is a Crusader, crushed on the Djose shore, who she cannot reach ever again. Perhaps the effort is worth the pain. She cannot bring herself not to make it.
"Gatta!" Lulu calls again. "Whether we go back or not... Spira remains. Sin remains. All those deaths... remain. No answer will ever bring them back to us. No understanding will change the past. All those who have fallen to Sin... They're gone."
It is a tight knot within her heart, now, a searing wound, but she does not show it. Only icy impassiveness, emotion only in the raw tone of her voice but never allowed in her face.
There are two Crusaders, lost on the Djose shore...
Lulu has no answer for Yuna continuing. She cannot. This, alone, is what brings the ghost of that pain to her eyes, shows the raw emotion in her face for a brief moment. She does not let Tidus see it, but Gatta may.
"...Right," she says, and the word seems to have no meaning for her now. She lifts her hands again.
This time she has no words to offer, as heat gathers around her--no, as heat drains from the site of battle, as Lulu leaps from a platform and into the air to shape her magic, not so far from Violet now. There is a tiny amount of frost that gathers first--before it clusters, more and more and more, blocking out all sight with jagged blades and al the ruin of ice to try to disable the machina's systems.
But the cold cannot numb Lulu any more than it will Gatta's pain.
GS: Lulu has activated a Force Action! GS: Lulu spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Lulu has attacked Gatta with Blizzaga! GS: Lulu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lulu assumes the Avenger stance! GS: Lulu has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Brad Evans has posed.
There's a certain professional pride in getting a smug robot to call you impressive. Brad tries not to sparkle. He instead focuses on the results of the attacks, but he just...
Brad considers himself an analyst, at heart. He's a technician, an engineer, a man who finds problems and fixes them. A lot of the time that boils down to finding out what needs to explode and finding a way to make it do so, but still, he's versed in a lot of the military technologies at use on the battlefields in Aquvy and Ignas. And he has no damn idea what in hell OS is doing or...is, in general, at the moment. Other than trying to kill them. He was able to break off the cannon, but is that going to even annoy it? He gets around to this point right around when it explodes, and is briefly pleased.
Briefly. His eyes narrow. Preparing to respond to the assault. But...Brad is not good at hand-to-hand. At all.
The criss-crossing slashes, the overwhelming gravitational power, they crash down on him. He tries hard to fend them off, batting this way and that, but his every reaction is too slow. Maybe against a target that behaved in any way normally, that would've worked, but that's not what he's up against this time.
When the darkness fades, Brad tumbles out of it, spending several seconds in freefall before SLAMMING into the surface of a piece of spinning debris. He lies there, panting helplessly, for several long seconds, silently running the numbers on how long until he dies. Then he sucks up a breath of rushing air and shoves his hand outward, a long, complex shape forming from the Mechanical Glove. It gathers together rapidly, held together despite the rushing winds. Brad reaches a shaking hand up to the stabilizing crossbar, holding on tight as he sights up with OS.
"Ain't going to heaven," he whispers. "Not while he's still here!"
Then the anti-materiel rifle fires, again and again, filling the air with bullets and pushing Brad's platform further and further away.
GS: Brad Evans has activated a Force Action! GS: Brad Evans spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Brad Evans has attacked Lydia Seren with Anti-Gear Rifle! GS: Brad Evans has launched an attack Link! GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Ethius Hesiod's Short for 95 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Hyper and Surge removed! GS: Jam! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Brad Evans has attacked Lydia Seren with Cover Your Ears! GS: Brad Evans has completed his action. GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Lulu's Blizzaga for 172 hit points! GS: Cripple and Mute! applied to Gatta! GS: Mighty! applied to Lulu!
<Pose Tracker> Dash Caskett has posed.
"What's that saying about all of one's eggs in one basket again?" Dash replies to Brad. At least Brad is packing major firepower. Though Lydia-OS seems to care little, as being blown to some sort of silvery liquid and reconstituting shows that.
Buster fire strikes OS, though to little effect. "I am quickly running out of ideas. I am not an idea guy, here!" he complains to the group.
OS has plenty to choose from, however. "Is that a-- wait, I thought only some people can summon those!" Dash says, pointing out the Guardian in the room. "Psh. like I would submit! I would be all powerful and stuff if I could summon weapons, armor and Guardians too! What you do with what you got is what makes the person, and both Odessa and Solaris sure have made a lot of bad decisions on that line."
Actions speak louder than words however, as the Guardian acts.
There is nothing but darkness. Sensers are unable to act, and vicious blades come for the group. Dash attempts to evade based on sound, but what little there is, is a poor thing to rely on.
When the attack is over, Dash hits the floor. Hard. There are numerous cuts in the upper layers of the Volnutt Armor. Most places have been breached. Acept one. A spot on a upper forearm. It has cut deep enough to reach whatever lay under the armor. Something leaks out.
It is a dark, viscous substance. Whatever it is, it is clearly not blood. "Heh." The boy shakily stands, readying that energy blade. He looks down to the wound. It is troubling, but should be fine if he can get out of here-- auto-repair is a hell of a thing. He has to thank whoever made him one day. "Flesh is a little over-rated if you ask me," he comments from behind the mask.
Dash then rushes OS, slicing wildly with the energy blade!
GS: Dash Caskett has attacked Lydia Seren with Refractive Edge! GS: Dash Caskett has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
What surprises Clarine most is not OS's power - though it is indeed great. It is that, despite the injuries they incur, despite losing an arm and being pierced straight through with Clarissa's beam... that they are capable of regenerating from that.
And what's more, they renew their assault. This time, they summon a different Guardian - Celesdue. And an all-encompassing darkness consumes all.
It is the darkness where Clarine is at her weakest. It's as if the gravity is trying to siphon away her light - the very core of her being. It is all she can do to try to defend herself as she is attacked from all sides. And then, with one final strike, an immense blade of light sends her crashing down into a plummeting platform. Weakly, Clarine forces herself back up. Her form is darkened from where the gravity of Celesdue ate away at her light, her usual shining aura faded away.
"...You must stand firm. That is correct... This is not where we fall!" Clarine says. From there, a Seraphic circle surges into being beneath her feet.
"Root of all creation, grant us the breath of life... Revitalize!" She intones. At her words, another larger, circle of light begins to form. It spreads out from her position, growing to encompass the whole of the battlefield. The circle emits a softly shimmering light - warm, encouraging, and rejuvenating.
GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Clarissa Arwin with Revitalize! GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Brad Evans with Revitalize! GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Dash Caskett with Revitalize! GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Yuna with Revitalize! GS: Seraph Clarine has gained 2 Combo! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action. GS: Seraph Clarine heals Yuna! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Seraph Clarine heals Dash Caskett! He gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Seraph Clarine heals Clarissa Arwin! She gains 250 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Tidus has posed.
There's a touch of regret when Tidus lets Yuna go, but it doesn't linger. Not like that feverish, palpable heat from her skin, way too hot to be normal. Tidus didn't know that aeons could manifest themselves like that through a Summoner, but this is an unusual place and an unusual circumstance. At this point, he'll believe anything. Even more surprising is to hear Yuna admit that the Church of Yevon was wrong--though he agrees with her 100%. He just hopes that Yuna will be okay at the end of all this. For now... the best thing he can do for her is get things done as soon as possible. And to that end--
"At least the Crusaders and the Summoners are focused directly *on* Sin! How much better d'you think Vinsfeld can do when all his soldiers got beat up and Spira's not even his first priority anyway?!" Tidus points out to Gatta. "I'm not gonna tell you that this is gonna be easy to figure out, or that I can give you any answers! But Vinsfeld isn't gonna give you any answers either! If it's the same either way, then how about you choose the place where people care about you and want you to live?!"
Gatta and his powered armor charge down the precarious ledge. It's amazing that it can, considering how everything is flying upwards. It's good for Yuna and Lulu both that their skirts are so long and heavy... At least Tidus only really has to worry about his hair getting in his face, and even that, not so much. He looks over at Lulu in sympathetic concern--he remembers what she told him about her first Summoner and what happened to her. He might not see her expression clearly from here, but... he can guess that this is hurting her all the same.
"Come *on*, Gatta!" he urges, rushing to get out of the armor's way and only mostly succeeding. It doesn't squash him directly, but it does send him rolling ass over teakettle almost off the platform itself. Tidus grabs the edge just in time, teeth grit in pain, and swings himself back at his friend, sword-first. "OPEN YOUR EYES ALREADY!! WE'RE YOUR FRIENDS, AND WE WANT YOU TO LIVE!"
GS: Tidus has attacked Gatta with Riptide Cutter! GS: Tidus assumes the Avenger stance! GS: Tidus has completed his action. GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Tidus's Riptide Cutter for 148 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Gatta gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida clings to Loren's Gear like a marooned sailor clinging to a life preserver. A line runs down her face from where it's pressed against a seam in the armor; her fingers end in hooked, grappling talons, and her palms are rough, textured armor. She does not look down. She cannot look down.
He needs to change. There wouldn't nearly be enough time for him to hit ground--a good ten seconds and he'd have his wing surfaces grown, another five and he'd have the jets as well. Then he could rise back up, piercing the clouds with a tremendous roar, and rip this human from his armored shell.
Needless to say, Fafnir can do none of the above at the moment.
Ida thinks she sees an opening. She reaches up, letting go of the Gear with her right hand and firing off another grappling tendril. It arcs from just behind her wrist, latching closer to Schiehallion's cockpit--but the timing's all wrong. The Gear drags Ida through a field of flying shrapnel; bits of steel bite into her chest, thighs, arms. One of them shears through her grappling tendril, and she feels herself come loose with a sickening burst of vertigo. She whips backwards, her coat billowing open as she tries to flee from the Gebler machine. Ida clicks the heels of her boots together, and grits her teeth until they start to creak. A fearsome updraft rises from below her, like a tremendous turbofan used to simulate skydiving. For a few moments, Ida hangs in mid-air, trying desperately to catch her breath.
Schiehallion is gone. She's lost her moment. Ida thinks back to Zed, and all the others on that ship--to Cidney, whom she'd made a promise to. A memory flickers through her consciousness.
'Here, let me show you how they flew...'
Ida's eyes snap open. The armor on her arms fans out, unfurling like the feathers of a bird, light and thin. The direction of the wind-tunnel changes somewhat, pushing Ida forwards. Her improvised glider is just barely strong enough to carry her towards the Gear. More shrapnel flies into her, but all she can do is grit her teeth and bear it as patches of metallic webwork weave across her skin. The armor folds back into gauntlets as she gets within striking distance. There's a sharp pwing as Ida launches another grappling tendril, which loops around something on the Gear's back. Ida grips it, even as she reaches around back for her sidearm. Despite the horrific circumstances, Devil's Due is as stable in her hand as ever. Ida fires a single shot--
And it whizzes past the Gear by over a meter.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Through the windshield, Gwen's glowing eyes lock with Loren's, and, there is a moment of hesitation. Gwen's lips part, trying to find a word.
Even here, with the ARM's power thrumming through her against the beating backdrop of Setanta's power, Gwen feels that connection even more tightly, unnameable, foreign, familiar. Like stepping through a web of spidersilk, significant enough to be acknowledged, strong enough to not be easily cut.
But ultimately pressed aside, as you continued moving forward with it clinging to you like a reminder.
Because the ship is falling, falling, and no amount of Gwen's disregard will ignore it out of existence. One piece of metal knocks her to the side with all the finesse of a ball launched accidentally through a glass window.
Gwen falls through the air, her ARM at the ready, about to shoot--
Another bit of interference, now an explosion, flinging her body upward.
Then, a piece of rebar, casting her to the wall, from where she finally makes her attempted shot.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Loren Voss with Hasty Shot! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey assumes the Avenger stance! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Loren Voss with Coil Cannon AZOTH! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed. <SoundTracker> To Zanarkand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLU2xQ4nkk4
Lulu appeals to Gatta's reason. Tidus too, in his own way.
Yuna's face screws up like an outraged tomato. Her tiny hands ball into fists.
Kilika's fayth is not entirely to blame.
She saw the look in Lulu's eyes. In Gatta's own. In the rest of her Guardians' -- the ones who aren't Otherworlders, but all too worldly.
"DON'T SAY IT ISN'T WORTH IT!" she howls at Gatta -- at all of them, really.
She steps almost UNDER his wild charge -- a display of martial skill quite unascribable to herself, though the resolve she shows in facing him down is not. The see saws, and then she's on his other side.
She rests a gentle hand on the back of the Gearbreaker.
"Because it is," she finishes, more quietly. Dignity alone makes her audible over the sound of their deadly descent.
"Even for a little while... people can sleep in their beds without being afraid."
Like they did as children -- a childhood they were able to have together in Besaid because of her own father's sacrifice.
"That kind of time is worth anything, Gatta."
She swallows; the fire drains from her eyes. It's only Yuna, now. Just Yuna, heartfelt and earnest.
Just Yuna -- just seventeen.
Kilika's fire has left her... but Clarine's light enters her. And so she still feels... warm.
"I hate that I stood aside at Mi'ihen... I hate that I let you go. I hated it... but I did it anyway. Because I of all people understood. You had the right... EVERYONE has the right... to fight for a better world. For a world without Sin."
Power explodes out of her -- surging, curling in immensely complex and lovely white arcs, in and out and around the falling islands of debris. It embraces from above, from below, from in front and behind.
It feels like loneliness and the bitter pill of grief.
It feels like peace, and the sweet taste of hope.
It feels like someone who knows who she is -- and what she wants.
Despite everything, Yuna's faith is unbowed... and unbroken.
"Don't say it isn't worth it," the summoner tells Gatta gently. She isn't pleading anymore. She's simply living her truth.
"It's my turn now. Stand aside. Stand aside, Gatta, and LIVE."
GS: Yuna spends 1 Combo on Reload! GS: Yuna has attacked Violet Salazar with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Tidus with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Lulu with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Seraph Clarine with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Venetia Vuong with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Faith! GS: Yuna has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yuna has completed her action. GS: Yuna heals Seraph Clarine! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Reload! Seraph Clarine gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Venetia Vuong! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Reload! Venetia Vuong gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Sneak! The true nature of Ida Everstead-Rey's attack becomes clear! GS: Loren Voss guards a hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Devil's Draw for 100 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Loren Voss's Force Guard activates! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Loren Voss guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Coil Cannon AZOTH for 126 hit points! GS: Charge!! You gain 35 FP! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Yuna heals Violet Salazar! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Violet Salazar enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Reload! Violet Salazar gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Ethius Hesiod! He gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Reload! Ethius Hesiod gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Ida Everstead-Rey! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Reload! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Gwen Whitlock! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Gwen Whitlock enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Reload! Gwen Whitlock gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Lulu! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Lulu enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Reload! Lulu gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Tidus! He gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Tidus enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Reload! Tidus gains 15 extra FP from Yuna!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
The bullet, rather than continue on its merry way, ricochets off a piece of the Warwing's hull with a piercing SPANG. It arcs back towards Loren's gear, glowing white-hot with heat, and bites into his machine's armor!
<Pose Tracker> Gatta has posed.
Violet shoots again. This time, the slug slams into his chest, and there is no small amount of blood. "Hrkk--" He looks at her, then, eyes wide with anger and fear. "Would you stop that!? You're--you're just like they said you are!"
The gatling cannon swivels on its ball turret, taking aim at Violet -- and then opens fire. The rounds shoot at her, but they shred through that chunk of fuselage too -- and it soon gives way, collapsing under her feet unless she moves quickly.
"How--how can you say that, Lulu!? How can you accept that?" Gatta asks and his voice is more ragged now. He sees the pain in her eyes -- and then ice slams into, jagged blades striking into the Gearbreaker.
But the ARM is strong. Its armor, damaged and dented as it is, holds it back from the worst. Smoke pours off it. Ice melts into running water. Sparks fly.
And Gatta screams, his voice raw and hoarse, his eyes with tears in them. "How can you accept ANY OF THAT!?"
And the cannon in the stomach of the Gearbreaker shudders -- and then unleashes a fiery blast of energy. It hurtles outward, exploding towards Lulu and Tidus alike, even as the flame burns a trench through their platform.
But Tidus is already flying at him, and the the beam of energy doesn't stop Tidus. Nor does it stop his words. His sword bites into the armor of the Gearbreaker; hosing and plating is shredded off, sparks flying, and Gatta ducks down.
"I--why should I get to live!? Why me, when so many of them died!?" he shouts back at Tidus, his voice hitching halfway through. He looks at Yuna, and he pleads with her, more than scream: "Why me?"
There is a cruelty, though, in the machinery Odessa employs. It may say something about them; they use, at times, machinery with assistive artificial intelligence. ARMs that do not need a pilot's intent.
Because as Gatta stands there, slack and half-giving up, a ball turret shifts of its own volition. He makes a sharp, terrified sound--
--and then the turret fires three large grenades at Yuna, which explode in fiery blasts.
GS: Gatta spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Gatta has attacked Violet Salazar with Gatling Cannon - Rockbreaker! GS: Gatta has gained 1 Combo! GS: Gatta spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Gatta has attacked Lulu with Hellfire Cannon! GS: Gatta has attacked Tidus with Hellfire Cannon! GS: Gatta has gained 2 Combo! GS: Gatta takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Slow expired! GS: Gatta has completed its action. GS: Gatta has attacked Yuna with Pineapple Lobber - Full Auto! GS: Gatta has gained 1 Combo! GS: Gatta takes 23 damage from Poison! GS: Disease, Disrupt, Jam, and Poison expired! GS: Gatta has completed its action. GS: Lulu takes a solid hit from Gatta's Hellfire Cannon for 199 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lulu gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Violet Salazar has posed.
Violet breathes a sigh of relief as Yuna's healing magic floods into her, easing pain and bringing a sense of wholeness. Broken and fractured bones knit, cuts seal, bruises fade. "Thank you so much!" she calls to the Summoner.
Who, as luck would have it, is too close to Gatta for a clear shot. Still, they're running out of time! She gives Yuna a few moments to try to talk Gatta down AGAIN, but it doesn't seem to work. Violet decides to risk taking a shot and inhales deliberate, deep breaths, aiming extra-extra carefully. She doesn't want to hit Yuna -- especially after the favor she just did her!
GS: Violet Salazar takes a glancing hit from Gatta's Gatling Cannon - Rockbreaker for 88 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Violet Salazar gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Poison! applied to Violet Salazar! GS: Mighty! applied to Gatta! GS: Violet Salazar spends 4 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling! GS: Violet Salazar has attacked Gatta with Finishing Touch! GS: Violet Salazar takes 19 damage from Poison! GS: Violet Salazar has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Gatta guards a hit from Violet Salazar's Finishing Touch for 115 hit points! GS: Jam! applied to Gatta! GS: Shield! applied to Violet Salazar! GS: Gatta's Force Guard activates!
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
What was Venetia planning to do?
Well, broadly, she was going to try and get Ida and everyone to steer this iron giant against the side of the Warwing and then affix it with Opus Caementium, at which point her plan was to somehow abuse or kill the pilot into using the Gear's obviously powerful thrusters to guide them to safety.
She overestimated how durable the ship would be.
Things begin to rip apart and Venetia feels a sinking sensation of total horror and helplessness at this experience, this vertigo in her vision. It overwhelms that ascendant fury and determination as she tumbles forth -
She hits SOMETHING and it hurts in part of her body and doesn't hurt or feel like anything else in other parts as she sprawls out and feels everything swim, as if her brain is trying to catch up, the little tubes inside of her ears full of delicate bones feeling --
feeling like
There is someone out there who is thinking of her; someone who has held to a faith in others. For a moment Venetia thinks of Col. Laplace of sainted memory about twenty minutes prior, but that is not who it is, is it. She knows it was that woman in the robes with the eyes who spoke to that man, Gatta.
But that was then and this is here. Venetia looks round - she is on a piece of wreckage and it is -- it is almost touching that Gear.
It comes to her in a flash. A hand that doesn't hurt as much reaches into the Graph pouch and brings out a badly damaged, half-melted blob of a bronze tile, half-demolished in a corrupted Baskar village. This will be a Graph that needs replacing but that is a problem for a Venetia who does not get eaten by sharks, possibly prior to demise from water impact.
"That's right, jolly boy," Venetia mutters to herself. "Keep talking to the Seraph. In the name of the abyss feel Filgaia's anger: the fury of the world's contortions! TECTONIC:"
And what normally happens here is that the ground itself begins violently shaking - a sorcerously induced emulation of what happens when the great plates of Filgaia's surface grind against each other in their ponderous dance, a dance that makes mayflies of tortoises and trees. That happens to the ground, of course, but to a human, is a Gear that much different?
Certainly, more complex inside. "diiiiiiiiieeeeee," Venetia says, staring at beautiful, almost-immaculate metal made almost behind her comprehension.
GS: Venetia Vuong has activated a Force Action! GS: Venetia Vuong has activated a Force Action! GS: Venetia Vuong has attacked Loren Voss with Tectonic! GS: Venetia Vuong has gained 3 Combo! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action. GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Venetia Vuong's Tectonic for 173 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Entangle! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Lydia Seren critically Guards a hit from Brad Evans's Anti-Gear Rifle for 33 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren takes a solid hit from Brad Evans's Cover Your Ears for 140 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lydia Seren gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
She's flying. That woman is flying. There's no question of it, even with the damages (repairing, slowly but steadily) to various sensory systems. Something happened to her body, and...
Within the cockpit Loren exhales a long-suffering sigh. He had hoped, really, that the ship coming apart would have at the very least seriously reduced the problems he'd have to deal with right here and now. But he's never been very lucky in life.
They're all still alive, and worse, making trouble for him. "Seriously?" he asks of Ethius, who is floating. On some kind of... hot air balloon. "What are you-- <shit>!"
Any headway the repair system had been making dials all the way back to a big fat zero as, in spite of his attempt to dodge it, that bolt strikes home.
Within the cockpit, Loren slams a fist into his armrest in sheer frustration. This is followed by a slow intake of breath as he tries to steady himself, center himself.
Even as that sense of a familial bond lingers with Gwen there, still perched atop the Gear.
Until, quite suddenly, no she isn't, not anymore.
He's still attempting to track -- the best that he can -- that absence when--
A bullet zings past Schiehallion. This, he doesn't notice.
A bolt races down from above, slamming down towards him. White paneled light snaps into being just before it hits home -- a barrier! The energy discharges across it, but not without a hitch from the Gear...
Which turns into a shudder as a small projectile, coming from points unknown, burrows deep into the armor plating. A bullet, he'd guess, from the internal (redundantly-shielded) diagnostics report. If he's to guess, it's that... flying woman. And the bolt from above, then, was--
"I see you!"
He doesn't, really, but it's the sort of thing you say at a time like this. The air about Gwen wavers for a moment, before it explodes inwards in a spiky ball of hard-force water.
But again, it should be mentioned, he's having some siginficant system errors that aren't getting any better. Which means he's definitely not catching sight of a particular Crest Sorceress drifting ever closer to his machine.
Not until she reaches out and touches Schiehallion.
It doesn't matter if it's earth or not. Metal is metal, and metal has its roots in the earth.
Schiehallion's outer plating visibly cracks, radiating upwards from where Venetia invokes the hypocentre. Inside, Loren stares at the readout, and asks to the outside world and his emperor,
"What is wrong with you people?!"
Though.
In spite of the (rather significant!) damage that Ethius has introduced into his targetting systems and the degree of difficulty he's about to have with any sort of aiming (even the optics!) Loren does not seem at all willing to bid any sort of hasty retreat.
In fact, he can't. Not as long as OS is still in operation. And even if he can't see...
...it doesn't mean he's helpless.
"OS: Prepare for incoming support," he says, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. Yeah. It doesn't matter if he can't see very well right now. With the conduit between the two of them--
He breathes out, threading Ether through that unbreakable chain. Green light, hard-edged and infinitely folding into itself, courses down along it and floods into OS.
In his seat, Loren sits up straight. His lips move and he furrows his brow.
"Fine. If it's trouble you want--"
Drawing both Gear-scale small arms from where they rest holstered against Schiehallion's back, Loren jets the Gear backwards. It doesn't matter if he can't quite see where his targets are -- or for that matter, the targetting system. He just has to fill the air about him with bullets.
"Then it's trouble you'll get!"
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Aqua Matrix! GS: Loren Voss spends 2 Combo on Inspire and Reload! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Lydia Seren with Energy Principle! GS: Loren Voss has gained 2 Combo! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Binary Fire! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Venetia Vuong with Terminator Rounds! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Terminator Rounds! GS: Loren Voss has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Lydia Seren guards a hit from Clarissa Arwin's Soul Survivor for 114 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lydia Seren gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Dash Caskett's Refractive Edge for 43 hit points! GS: Shieldbreak! applied to Lydia Seren! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Loren Voss heals Lydia Seren! She gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Shieldbreak removed! GS: Reload! Lydia Seren gains 15 extra FP from Loren Voss! GS: Lydia Seren gains a Combo from Inspire! GS: Ethius Hesiod completely evades a hit from Loren Voss's Binary Fire! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ethius Hesiod gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Venetia Vuong critically Guards a hit from Loren Voss's Terminator Rounds for 13 hit points! GS: Gwen Whitlock takes a solid hit from Loren Voss's Aqua Matrix for 127 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a solid hit from Loren Voss's Terminator Rounds for 46 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt! applied to Ida Everstead-Rey!
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
OS looks to Loren's gear. The other OS's have vanished now that Celesdue's power has faded. OS may use the power of the Guardians, but they definitely aren't on your side. Their pronouns seem to primarily be theythem but they might be ok with sheher? They don't comment on it.
"...Operator." OS says. "Designated Entity: Dash seems to not be a Desginated Entity: Lamb. Their blood doees not appear to be blood. We suggest capturing Dash and bringing them back to Solaris. We will adjust parameters and capture the Person Of Interest. Unknown if Hyadean in nature through surface level scans."
They pause a moment and adds, "And it appears none of them have ceased functioning.
OS immediately has to contend with Brad following up. Despite his wounds, his professionalism enables him to strike quickly. Brad fires his anti-mterial rifle--the shell bursts for the ... robot? ... but it extends a hand and--
--and OS catches the bullet.
"...He?"
LYDIA STIRS WITHIN OS...
THE URGE TO ASK ABOUT BOYS INCREASES
But Brad ifres again and again. The second bullet punches through the hand and pushes through half of OS's limb, cleaving it in twain. The second slams into OS's head, jerking it around to the side. The third punches right through the head--
--and it straightens up, looking at Brad impassively with both eyes even as a hole in the center off their forehead remains.
"Understood, Operator." OS says, fanning out their arms as the energy fills them. They glow vibrantly, empowered--they glow green in this moment. Imminently patient. And that patience may be the best thing their foes have goiong for them.
OS works on channeling more of their power.
Clarissa slams into her first. The titanic blast engulfs OS... Passing through them...
And fading behind them.
"The cosmos are indifferent to your cries." OS says. "You are specks against the cosmic storm, bacterial colonies standing on their own two feet. And we are mitosis." Their body is charred but even this is rapidly repairing itself
And then Dash comes inn with the energy blade, SLIIIIIIIIIICING OS in two. The bottom half dissolves into goop as the top half spins and looks at Dash upsiddedownly.
Flesh is a little overrated if you ask me.
"Agreed. Glad you understand. We will become one."
BGM SHIFT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oX8Ih9r4oI
And with that that chilling darkness returns, impacting against their foes... spreading out wildly out from them as they turn their gaze to Yuna.
They point their hand--and extend that dark blast too, that chilling gravitic CLINGING sensation that reaches deeper than the skin, deeper than the soul.
"Sin is nothing but a cancer cell. It can be erradicated and treated. You too, Summoner, have your place. Eliminating you here would be regretful...."
OS tilts their head. They aren't angry. They just... are.
"But within acceptable limitations."
GS: Lydia Seren has activated a Boss Action! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Yuna with Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Seraph Clarine with Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Dash Caskett with Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Brad Evans with Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Clarissa Arwin with Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE! GS: Lydia Seren has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Clarissa Arwin completely evades a hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE! GS: Seraph Clarine takes a glancing hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Clarine gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Ruin! Quick and Shield removed! GS: Reaper! applied to Seraph Clarine! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Seraph Clarine enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Seraph Clarine takes an additional 48 damage from Reaper! GS: Seraph Clarine heals Brad Evans! He gains 250 temporary hit points! GS: Brad Evans guards a hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE for 0 hit points! GS: Ruin! Mighty removed! GS: Reaper! applied to Brad Evans! GS: Brad Evans's Force Guard activates! GS: Brad Evans enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Brad Evans takes an additional 51 damage from Reaper! GS: Dash Caskett takes a solid hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE for 0 hit points! GS: Reaper! applied to Dash Caskett! GS: Dash Caskett enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dash Caskett takes an additional 45 damage from Reaper! GS: RUIN! All positive status effects and temporary hit points purged from Dash Caskett! GS: Yuna guards a hit from Gatta's Pineapple Lobber - Full Auto for 102 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yuna gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cover! applied to Gatta! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Yuna takes a glancing hit from Lydia Seren's Optimized Material - Celesdue - COSMO MEMORY.EXE for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yuna gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Reaper! applied to Yuna! GS: Yuna takes an additional 45 damage from Reaper!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
Lulu notices Tidus's look, but cannot take the time now to focus on those feelings. She has to keep going, instead.
How can she say that? How can she accept any of it? Gatta asks, and Lulu stares still at him, even as his armor refuses to break. He asks again... and makes his answer. Lulu, whatever her answer would have been, does not reply immediately. Instead she moves to shield herself, weaving together a defense quickly as she free falls, but it is not enough; the blast hits her full on, knocking her aside, through another chunk of ruined plane, backward through the air.
Yuna, though, sees enough. She sees enough, and those words howled at them--Lulu takes them as her own, too.
She knows Yuna's feelings. She knows that no matter what she might want, she cannot dissuade her. That it isn't Lulu's choice. She hears, for a little while, the way Yuna speaks, and she thinks of those times, as she floats down through the air, dazed. She thinks of them...
She thinks of another loss. And another. And of the only thing that she can do. Her eyes open again, despite the beating she's taken. That light, that power explodes from Yuna...
Lulu accepts it. What else can she do? There is something soft and wrenching in her expression then, but she knows. It is that faith that brings Lulu again to her senses, where she looks back across the falling battlefield, towards Gatta standing. He screams his question to Tidus, to Yuna... and that turret fires on her.
Lulu's fingers curl into fists. But not anger this time at Gatta. She sees his reaction full well.
"...I have to accept it," Lulu finally asys, raising her voice. "It's the only way. The only way that I can keep moving forward. If I can't keep putting one foot in front of the other, day after day... Then I may as well have died with them."
"It's hard, to live. ...To live, knowing those who have sacrificed to make that happen. But we don't have the luxury of doing any less." The Mog doll Lulu had held makes its way back to her then; she presses her hand out, and lets loose a small blast of flame to direct herself back to another floating piece of ground, another broken platform. And then she begins to focus more carefully still. Yuna went so far as to say that Yevon was wrong. "...Neither of us does."
She gathers power inward, this time, channeling through the explosions and the ruin itself. Fire can only exist with fuel. It can only persist as long as something remains to burn. And this time, Lulu will be that fire.
Staring, she begins casting. A wisp of flame starts it first, at the cannon fired at Yuna. It spirals, close, and then bursts into a terrible inferno. Another, at the fist of the armor; it bursts brightly. All around Gatta's armor, explosions begin to rock through the air as Lulu tries to bring an end to this battle in the air, at least in their segment, and brings all her control and skill to bar to do it. As best she can, Lulu spares Gatta the direct brunt of her flames, but the heat even if she succeeds will not be pleasant.
Softly, "The past is gone. No matter how much we might wish otherwise."
GS: Lulu has activated a Force Action! GS: Lulu spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Formation! Lulu has attacked Gatta with Firaga! GS: Lulu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lulu has launched an attack Link! GS: Lulu spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Formation! Lulu has attacked Gatta with F U R Y! GS: Lulu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Lulu has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
The great guns speak and Venetia Vuong, having finally destroyed a Crest Graph for a spell that honestly she has used like six more times in the last month than she was really supposed to, ever -- does not say anything in response.
She has magic yet to spare, and her body, though sore, is intact. The wind howls. She could simply cling for safety. Find a protruberance, grasp tight, and pray.
THIS IS NOT THE WAY.
Externally Venetia does basically just do that and kind of crawls along the Gear's shoulder, getting nearer to the head. She might be trying to go for a breach with a Crest? But instead she's dicking around with something on the head.
But from an internal view:
One of the panoptical feeds fills with a dirty surface-dweller, pressing with visible difficulty against the wind. A glaring green eye fills the camera for a moment, so close as to be hard for a Gear camera to really focus on. The raggletag figure, clad in its dirty garments made all the more hideous by the occasional touch of bright color, seems to reach into its hip bag and bring something out. A silver wand.
A black shape forms on the space which the surface-dweller fills. Complex.
The surface-dweller leaves, though unfortunately not with the haste and vigor of death or unceremonious revision. The black shape remains. It reads, in block capital surface-writing:
REDNERRUS
RAEG
_WON_
The writing - which is more legible from the other side, certainly - never leaves the glass.
GS: Gatta guards a hit from Lulu's Firaga for 132 hit points! GS: Gatta guards a hit from Lulu's F U R Y for 145 hit points! GS: Gatta's Force Guard activates! GS: Gatta has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight! GS: Venetia Vuong has attacked Loren Voss with Camera damage -- Lens Cover resists! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action. GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Venetia Vuong's Camera damage -- Lens Cover resists for 54 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius watches his handiwork through the few visual cues he has available from his vantage point. He is a much smaller individual compared to something so grand in scale as a Gear. He has no diagnostics readouts or warning klaxons to clue him in. All he sees is the beginning of an electrical jolt's journey. He sees the plating and make of the armor fracture by another's hand (literally). Within those cracks, even obscured by smoke, debris, fires, lights, sparks, and other foreign colors...
...UNSPECIFIED TIME AGO...
Fire. Fire in the sky. Fire everywhere.
Colors in patterns that do not belong.
Screaming of names. Names of those who can not listen.
Deafening.
Blinding.
Indecipherable.
Incomprehensible.
A hand held up towards all of this, grasping nothing and halting less.
NOW
A calm washes through him. A sense of lingering but enduring faith, communicated through the medium of Althenian White Magic. He doesn't know its source. He hasn't blinked in some time. The limits and weaknesses of human biology necessitates he does so.
A tear escapes him. An attempt to clear away foreign irritants, or...?
'What is wrong with you people?!' He hears the pilot yell. He can't yell loud enough to be heard back, but he has nothing to say as he sees the stream of green light.
Schiehallion draws its small arms. Ethius looks upon the range of motion available to them with a clarity that, by cliche, is practically crystal. It's nonsensical to think it so.
He is not of Solaris. He has never designed, engineered, or... even ply any sort of trade among the Caravan Kinship related to this. Any Solaris scouts that have managed more in-depth profiles of the Caravan Kinship might note that curiosity - what the hell does this man even do for them?
He cuts the heat to the Hot Air Sack and transitions down to a dive as it opens fire. Bullets scream around him. Human reaction speeds are not faster than bullets. Ethius is, by all measures, 'just' human.
But his ability to read the Gear's movements and trigger discipline is unbelievably on point. They whizz by. Somehow, he threads that damn needle. He times the re-casting of the heat spell for the Hot Air Sack perfectly, the gradual filling done to soften his descent and not just dislocate his shoulder on a hard stop. He rides the air currents ever closer.
Ethius is not a man who has fell power coursing through him, nor bolstered by the kindly intervention of one whose fellows seek supremacy over the world and its people.
He is not a man who is borrowing from a history lost to a world-eating monster or the beating heart of a warrior who fights battles beyond his death.
Touching down on high somewhere on one of the Gear's shoulders, he finds a secure enough foothold that is coincidentally provided by the cracks. From there, he looks in.
He shouldn't know what he's about to do, but the way he draws that quarterstaff. A wooden stick. Its nature is nonsense against Solarian steel, and yet...
From his momentarily secure position, he jabs it down through the crack. Down towards a specific mechanism he believes is key to starting to help sever some fine motor control, to dislodge and displace from a single, precise location that he can only hit at the absolute limit of his reach.
"Far Point!"
It is insulated versus electrical shock, but does not insulate Ethius from further questions about his nature as a Symbologist who seems not only capable enough at reading technological constructs to weave around them. Not only just prepared, with a set of spells that seem designed specifically for the idea of destroying them. And yet, he lacks the telltale signs - signs that would have long since been discovered - had he been a part of any of Solaris' known enemies.
And yet, he strikes like the relationship between himself and this construct is predatory in nature.
GS: Tidus takes a solid hit from Gatta's Hellfire Cannon for 199 hit points! GS: Ethius Hesiod spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Loren Voss with Far Point! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Riposte expired! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida keeps reeling herself in, but it's a difficult task. The tether is about as long as she could make it--a dozen meters--and Loren's maneuvering is doing her absolutely no favors. And to make matters worse, she's not sure if her boots have enough sorcerous power in them to sustain another burst of flight. Scheihallion is dragging Ida along like a skiier behind a boat, and she's not happy about it. At least it momentarily gives her a good view of OS--
And what OS is doing to her friends. "OS!" Ida screams, over the rush of winds. "LYDIA! LYDIA, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WE'RE--"
Loren seems to decide he's had enough of these -lambs- and their stubborn refusal to die. A memory flickers through Ida's mind--seeing Boudicca take a grazing shot from Astrid's anti-Gear armaments. Ida clicks her heels, and lets the wind take over. She whips about, forward and back, with enough force to induce fearsome nausea--it's only through force of will that Ida keeps her stomach under control. A bullet grazes her thigh, and something goes crack. Pain shoots down Ida's leg. Only exoskeleton, she realizes, after a moment. But the bone beneath is--
Loneliness. Grief. Hope. Determination. The feeling is different than the ray of brilliant sunshine that woke Ida from her drug-induced stupor at the JOTUNN Crucible. Nevertheless, it's Yuna. Yuna, whom she confided in about her deepest fears--who's still here, with her Guardians, despite everything going wrong. Yuna told her that regardless of whether Fafnir was friend or foe, Ida could find a way to cross that gap with him.
"Yuna," Ida whispers. "I trust you." And not just Yuna. She takes her hands off the metaphorical wheel, lets the man who has torn apart Gears take over.
The cable attaching Ida to Loren's Gear retracts with remarkable speed. Ida's hand twists into razor-sharp claws, with which she grips the Gear's armor. She literally claws her way up towards the machine's cockpit, moving with smooth, predatory grace and potentially leaving a trail of wrecked armor in her wake. Her head whips up, and she looks at Hesiod, worry in her eyes. "Don't kill its engines!" she shouts. If he does, they're all dead.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Loren Voss with Muscle Memory! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey's Avenger stance ends. GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Far Point for 144 hit points! GS: Jam! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Charge!! You gain 30 FP! GS: Loren Voss takes a glancing hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Muscle Memory for 52 hit points! GS: Mighty! applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: Loren Voss enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Tidus has posed.
'Just like they said you are'? Tidus wonders what (presumably) Odessa has against this old woman--though then again, Violet's holding her own against a powered armor, so she's not just any old woman--but then again, this isn't the time or place to be wondering that. "Why NOT you? You think Luzzu wants you to die?!" Tidus yells back at Gatta--not even because of anger or fear or anything like that, but because the whistling winds are tearing away so much sound now. "It's not your fault the Crusaders who died, died! You think--" His voice catches in his throat, momentarily. "You think it matters to Sin who it kills and who gets away?! Enough people have died! You don't need to add another body!"
Yuna has her own say in the matter--of why fighting Sin, why risking death in the name of the Calm, is worth it. Tidus's eyes waver as he looks over at her, at her immense faith and unbreakable will. He's not a Yevonite by any means, but it's not that. It's how Yuna's so strong, always so strong, no matter how much she has to deal with. Just looking at her, just listening to her, is enough to give him strength too.
If it weren't already too late for that, he might've fallen in love on the spot.
Lulu's got a lot to say, too--and for all that she's normally quiet, the wind can't quite rip her words away. Having context for her point of view, Tidus can only hurt on her behalf. But he won't say anything. That's for her and her alone to share if she so chooses. For now, he simply launches himself forward, spinning and somersaulting into a tremendous downward *strike* on the armor.
It retaliates, though, with a massive cannon blast that nearly launches him straight off, and certainly covers him with serious burn wounds. If it weren't for Yuna's healing energy earlier, he might be in a seriously bad way right now. But he's injured enough that, when the turret then opens fire on Yuna, he can't stagger to his feet fast enough to save her again.
"YUNA--!!"
GS: Tidus spends 1 Combo on Gatling, loading 1 into Gatling! GS: Tidus has attacked Gatta with Spiral Cut! GS: Tidus has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine imparts her power to those around her, encouraging them to fight and live - and in return, she receives a gift of power herself. It is a multi-faceted thing, encompassing the hopes and pains and desires of a certain young woman.
"...You possess... a wonderful light, Yuna." Clarine compliments. From a Light Seraph, this is high praise.
And it is with this light that Clarine is able to reform herself a little more - some of her previous glow returning.
But Celesdue's darkness rises up again, in an attempt to snuff that light out once more. And it does - she can feel it eating away at her. If she remains within its grip, she's not sure how much longer she will be able to maintain this form.
But...
She shuts her eyes tight, and then... she breathes. It's more of a centering gesture, as she doesn't need to breathe.
...She's allowed herself to go a little wild today, hasn't she? ...A lot has happened. But it's time to focus and remember what's important.
"...It is true. Mortals are transient things. A glimmer of light, that shines bright for but a moment before fading into nothing. I have observed countless generations of mortals. Witnessed countless lives in my time. But despite that - no, because of - they are all still very important. They use their brief lifespan to its fullest, and so that brief glimmer becomes the most beautiful thing! And each and of them is wholly unique!" Clarine replies. "Clarissa, who cares so deeply, even should others attempt to crush her radiance. Dash, who is always so enthusiant and eager, with his love of exploration. Brad, who has endured far more than any one man should. Yuna, who holds strongly to her faith and those she loves..."
Clarine shakes her head.
"You who speak so dismissively of them, with such indifference, cannot hope to contain a fragment of what they are, even should you endure for an eternity." She says.
And then, Clarine incants.
"O seven brilliant blades, I call upon you to descend and loose your shining might... Prism Sword!" She shouts.
At these words, seven swords of shimmering prismatic crystal appear, hovering around her in a circle. It is a different incarnation of the spell, as the situation hampers its normal usage.
With a gesture, each sword points itself toward OS, before rushing toward them and detonating in an explosion of rainbow light.
And with that, Clarine collapses against her debris platform once more, her energy reserves rapidly dwindling.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Loren's world is not a fun one. If someone is not on his shield trying to punch through it, someone's writing on another part, another's using an unorthodox combo of tech and magic, and another is *flying*.
Gwen, meanwhile, is having a great time. Yuna's earlier healing is a welcome sensation, like sweet fruit on a cool night, a good thing making a wonderful experience even higher. It's not that she's immune to pain, or injury, or _death_, even, she's just beyond caring.
Pain is for someone else to feel, namely Future Gwen, and that's outside of Present Gwen's need to consider.
Loren sees Gwen, and deploys his magic; it's hard to miss the courier right now, even with disabled cameras and needing to depend on another's sight to supply one's own. Red and gold infuse the nerves of her skin, glowing brightly like a beckoning signal for all to see. This mode is not meant to be subtle, in any way.
It burns bright, and when it's done, all is dark.
Water pierces through Gwen's skin, no less fragile for all the power flowing through it.
When Gwen raises her hand, summoning a ring of jewel-like orbs, icy water still drops from the shredded remains of her left sleeve, flung to the air's whims.
The circle spins faster, and shoots out, magenta gems coursing towards Schiehallion in an artful spiral.
GS: Seraph Clarine has activated a Force Action! GS: Seraph Clarine has activated a Force Action! GS: Seraph Clarine spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Lydia Seren with Prism Sword! GS: Seraph Clarine takes an additional 15 damage from Reaper! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action. GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated a Force Action! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Loren Voss with Brisingamen! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Pierce!! Seraph Clarine's attack breaks through 100 temporary hit points! 150 remain! GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Seraph Clarine's Prism Sword for 109 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield! applied to Seraph Clarine! GS: CRITICAL! Gatta takes a solid hit from Tidus's Spiral Cut for 200 hit points! GS: Riposte! applied to Tidus! GS: Gatta enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Cripple and Mute expired! GS: Gatta has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
"ENOUGH!"
Auron's katana trisects the grenades even as his red coat flaps in their path; they blow up in his face instead of Yuna's. But he has cool sunglasses and they confer +5 protection from explosions, +10 if he doesn't look at them.
Yuna's face hadn't changed too much -- she had hoped all along to reach Gatta, so success is a surprise per se, and the revelation of the Gearbreaker acting without his content is not one that allows TIME for surprise.
But it changes afterwards -- too late -- with amazement and gratitude and horror for Auron's swiftness and surety. They all choose who to sacrifice themselves for, don't they?
And then it changes again, as Lydia's darkness takes her in the back and the fires engulfing Tidus take her in the heart. Her eyes roll up in her head and she falls forward, against Auron.
Kimahri roars, leaps over them both, and slams his halberd through the grenade launching arm. Or what's left of it, anyway, after Lulu slagged it. He's taking no chances, not after what just happened.
Why him?
"FOR LUZZU."
They're still falling. They're still falling and the air velocity rips Yuna's eyelids back open. They're all whites for a moment.
And then she's back.
Lulu already answered him.
Tidus already answered him.
Kimahri already answered him.
Yuna doesn't have to say another word.
She just smiles -- smiles through the darkness, through the pain -- and, leaning on Auron for support, extends Gatta her open hand, to pull him out of the wreckage.
"Let's go," Auron orders him curtly. Like they aren't far too few thousand feet from the ground.
GS: Yuna enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Yuna has attacked Gatta with L1! GS: Yuna takes an additional 15 damage from Reaper! GS: Yuna has completed her action. GS: Gatta takes a solid hit from Yuna's L1 for 99 hit points! GS: Quick! applied to Yuna! GS: Gatta has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight! GS: Loren Voss guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Brisingamen for 172 hit points! GS: Charge!! You gain 55 FP!
<Pose Tracker> Gatta has posed.
Violet's gunshot slams into the Gearbreaker. The round slams into the amror, and plates of it explode off, raining down on the ground. The big ARM shudders and shakes, before slowing.
Gatta's head hangs at Lulu's words. His eyes are on the ground, as fire explodes and starts to consume the armor. It pops; pieces are blasted off. Tidus comes running in, blade flashing, and it bites into the armor -- shredding through one of the turrets. It cuts through, an explosion tearing through the armor.
Gatta chances a look -- at Yuna, and then at Auron. He stares at the old samurai, for a moment, and then he grimaces as Kimahri's spear rams into the other turret. The Gearbreaker spasms as if it was a dying creature -- and then slumps forward. Electricity crackles over it.
Gatta reaches a hand out. He takes Yuna's, hesitation written on his face. He looks ever-so-tired. Ever-so-exhausted, as he looks at Lulu, and then at Tidus. He heard them, and so much was said.
He nods, weakly. "You're... you're right," he says. "All of you. This isn't... this isn't what Luzzu would want. And I don't... I don't want to be with those people. I'm--" He swallows. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't just get all of us killed."
<Pose Tracker> Brad Evans has posed.
Brad does not give OS further information on his personal life. He provides consolation bullets, instead.
OS' chilling darkness consumes his platform whole, and soon, it is gone.
Except: "HAAAH!!" Brad screams, roaring as he charges out of the shadow and THROWING himself into open air, narrowly landing on a neighboring chunk of debris. He hits hard, barely rolling to a stop rather than rolling completely off. He feels Clarine's light shine across him, which gives him some greater strength. It lets him get upright, at least, even though he feels his muscles failing him. He takes several deep breaths, struggling for air amid the whipping winds, and then lurches himself upright.
With the rifle spent, he's used most of his heavy munitions. He levels the Mechanical Glove's cannon at her and opens fire. It switches after amoment, peppering her with smaller, more frequent shells in a rapid-fire formation.
He grits his teeth and glowers, racing to think of SOMETHING to get out of the several things that will absolutely kill him in this situation, and coming up with uncomfortably little.
GS: Formation! Brad Evans has attacked Lydia Seren with 100 Knuckle! GS: Brad Evans takes an additional 15 damage from Reaper! GS: Brad Evans has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"Really?" A pause, on 'Operator' Voss's part. "A Hyadean?" Or something like it. "See what you can do, OS. Er-- OS, new orders: restrain POI 'Dash' by any means necessary and prepare for retrieval to support ship Phanuel. I am preparing to relay your observations up the chain of command."
Even if Schiehallion is in bad shape, the situation is far from being unsalvagable yet, and he still can begin a data packet transfer.
The only downside, as he considers his situation, is that he's going to be a sitting duck during. Gripping the armrests for a moment out of sheer stress, he then exhales.
And in that breath, golden crystalline light forms about the Gear. In that moment he prepares to weather whatever storm is about to be unleashed upon him as he transmits data.
"OS, preparing to send data packet--"
Optics might be somewhat compromised (less so, by the second: the repair protocol works its dark magic) but audio isn't. Not only does he catch sight of that Emperor-damned sorceress clinging to his Gear and marking up the camera--
SQUEAL SQUEAL SQUEAKY SQUEAK
--oh yes, he can hear it.
"What are you doing?!" he asks, a foolish question, because of course he can see what she's done.
"Rednerrus... raeg?"
It takes him a moment.
"What-- of course not! What do you think this is, some--"
If he had been able to see clearly at all at this point (he can't) he might have seen Ethius' approach. He might have had some inkling of what is to come. In the end, he can only be sure of one thing from the pressure sensors: he's got at least three people on him, one of them hauled along on a tether. Two, he has approximate knowledge of their locations in relation to him. Which means that the one who has just alighted upon him is either Gwen or--
In plate armor, it isn't possible to cover every point. Eventually you run the risk of preventing ease of motion, and a perfectly-protected machine that can't move is worthless as far as mobile warfare is concerned.
It's just that these gaps, on a Gear, are not obvious unless you have some sense of how they are put together. Or perhaps, some other sense altogether. And even then it's a matter of being able to exploit them.
Ethius as it happens is in the right place. And he's just the right size to work the staff into that weakpoint and
and for a moment, the lights within the cockpit dim. The transfer chokes on the surge. Schiehallion dips in the air, briefly threatening Ida's ascent (some of those gouges are going to make Anat bury their head in their hands later).
But only for a moment. Power is restored as are controls and flight (the transfer is struggling...). Though, that readout of pinpoint communication and signalling problems is an extensive one.
"Great," Loren mutters, within the cockpit. "This is going to be like trying to steer a bathtub--"
But just because his Gear has taken a massive hit in the 'incoming outside world data' realm doesn't mean he's completely unaware of what's happening out there. Maybe he can't see that Gwen is in fact now above him, floating on debris. But he can read the energy output radiating off her. It's like she's a star, compressed into human form. Or no, more like--
"What are you doing?!" he asks, and while it may be vaguely directed, he only really means the courier.
As those gemlike missiles come spiraling in towards him and he raises an arm in his own self-defense, white light bursting off it to intercept. The barrier cracks under the assault. Some of the beams from the resulting explosion caress his Gear's armor and leave great melted streaks.
"<Shit>," Loren repeats, once again.
And this is when the ALI announces: PACKET LOST.
Loren doesn't scream or shout. He keeps his eyes on the screen and just stares straight ahead. He just takes a nice, long, slow breath. "Okay. Okay..."
His eyes are still forward as he sinks back in his seat, closes his eyes, and immediately shoves all his bottled up rage and frustration into the complex apparatus of the Ether Amplifiers.
Something glitters in the air outside the Gear. That may be the only warning, before the air is full of the stuff: a great tearing flower of blue-white crystal, rolling outwards like a million sawblades for all and sundry.
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Loren Voss with Barrier Element! GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo! GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Loren Voss's Barrier Element for 0 hit points! GS: Shield! applied to Loren Voss! GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Brad Evans's 100 Knuckle for 82 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren's Force Guard activates! GS: Loren Voss has activated a Force Action! GS: You have activated the Force Action Lock On! GS: Clarissa Arwin has activated a Force Action!
<Pose Tracker> Clarissa Arwin has posed.
There's not a lot right now that's going to bring Clarissa's spirits back to a sanguine state. She can't see Felius and it's bringing her to a dark place. A place of loss and anguish and self-loathing.
a tiny flower. so small. so treacherous.
Even the light of Clarine's healing power, while restoring Clarissa's body, can't help still the sadness in her soul. Her brother could very well be dead and she has to do something to make it right. She has to get through OS and find Felius as soon as she can. That's all that matters right now.
She can hear Gatta screaming -
why should i get to live? why me, when so many of them died?
Clarissa squeezes her eyes closed for a moment, then opens them again before dashing her hand across her eyes. Tears soak into the back of her glove.
'the cosmos are indifferent to your cries.'
Clarissa draws a slow, shaky breath. "Maybe the cosmos doesn't care," she says, her voice a little throaty with emotion.
Darkness returns. That clinging sensation - the power of gravity - grasps for Clarissa's very being. Closing her eyes, she curls her hands around Strahl Gewehr and pulls it close to her breast. She bows her head over it, her blonde hair veiling her eyes like mourning.
Since that day, the weapon has been her lucky charm - since the day when she lost everything. She had that and Felius.
Now all she has is her lucky charm.
And it shines with a steadily-building light.
The darkness quails before the glow radiating from Strahl Gewehr. Clarissa's tears bead down her cheeks, gleaming in the dazzling rays of light. Her hair ripples gently on a serene updraft. Even the pull of gravity can't encroach upon the sudden nimbus of energy that flickers around her like a magic cloak, enwreathing her and keeping the night at bay.
It's all she has. And it's enough to save her, in this moment. Opening her eyes, she looks up at OS again and draws a slow breath.
"The cosmos isn't just the stars," she murmurs. "It's the people who live in it. And even if no one else hears those cries... the cries of all the people you're hurting... I can never forget them. I hear them all."
Raising her good luck charm, Clarissa brings her chin up a little, the tears in her eyes giving way to an intent flicker of absolute desire. A heat she can only try to put into words.
"And even if you take everything from me... I'll never stop doing what I can to comfort the people who cry out in the dark," she whispers, before she squeezes the trigger.
Strahl Gewehr howls with all the honesty and rawness of Clarissa's emotions - loss, pain, anguish, old hurt, defiance, desire, compassion, love, sorrow. The sound of it is deafening, an earsplitting wail and an earthshattering rumble. The blast expands and expands, intent on swallowing OS whole.
GS: Clarissa Arwin has attacked Lydia Seren with Howling Shot! GS: Mighty and Riposte expired! GS: Clarissa Arwin has completed her action. GS: Loren Voss has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Terra Limit! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Terra Limit! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Venetia Vuong with Terra Limit! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Terra Limit! GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Clarissa Arwin's Howling Shot for 102 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren's Force Guard activates! GS: Entangle expired! GS: Loren Voss has completed his action. GS: Venetia Vuong guards a hit from Loren Voss's Terra Limit for 82 hit points! GS: Venetia Vuong enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ethius Hesiod guards a hit from Loren Voss's Terra Limit for 130 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ethius Hesiod gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a solid hit from Loren Voss's Terra Limit for 92 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Gwen Whitlock takes a glancing hit from Loren Voss's Terra Limit for 122 hit points! GS: Gwen Whitlock enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Dash Caskett has posed.
Despite the wounds, there was no cry of pain. No irritation to the damaged area. Merely a look of irritance. Not that Dash doesn't show pain-- perhaps it takes certain stimuli to cause such. He has cried out in pain before. Maybe he is to deterimed to care.
"Taking an interest?" Dash asks, questionably. "I don't do autographs." And just what would Solaris even want with him? He isn't anything more special than what Loren or OS herself is doing.
That blade bites true, but sadly, her liquid-like form renders the slicing attack not effective. Her retaliating attack sure works however, pruveying Dash's being, crushing the armor, as though leagues under the sea.
"Come on already with this! Gah..." It bites at his every movement. Even Loren calls for capture! "Why am I suddenly so popular?! You both wanted to kill me five seconds ago!"
He fights against the dense energy cascading around him to point the Buster forward again. "Gonna give it more juice this time!" he calls, the golden glow shifting pinkish-red, and fires a salvo of very large buster shots. If they dont do damage to Lydia, there's a strong chance it may punch therough the wall behind.
Hopefully that isn't outside-adjacent. For anyone. "Guys, were getting really close to the ground now! We need to bail!"
GS: Dash Caskett has activated a Force Action! GS: Dash Caskett has activated a Force Action! GS: Dash Caskett spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Dash Caskett has attacked Lydia Seren with Heavy Buster! GS: Dash Caskett has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dash Caskett takes an additional 35 damage from Reaper! GS: Dash Caskett has completed his action. GS: Lydia Seren takes a solid hit from Dash Caskett's Heavy Buster for 138 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
On impact, Ethius has one small miscalculation - he misgauges the stability of his current position as things rock and rumble from Schiehallion dips.
The dress gloves he's wearing are not the greatest for grip - and this is uncharted territory besides, navigating the fractured shell of the Schiehallion where any drop at all is going to be the end of it. Somehow, he finds purchase and emerges from the red-hot, sweltering (...outer) innards of the Gebler Gear. He exhales. He doesn't have a choice, he needs to get some calories in right now. He tugs at the bandanna around the lower half of his face. An errant jolt from the shakes tears it clear off, letting it fly free to the Filgaia below.
Rather than process this inconvenience, he empties a vial of Gooey Stuff directly into his maw. It spills down the side of his face - a face of a man in (based on laughing lines) his mid-30s or later, with white stubble already having come along despite having shaved in preparation for the Summit. The Gooey Stuff sticks to his teeth. He coughs once. He was already pushing it on the MP reserves at the end of the Asgard encounter. Here...
Something glitters. Blue-white crystal, filling the air. Each shard is big enough that a direct hit would spear him through and straight-up kill him.
This high up, there doesn't need to be a direct hit. It strikes into where plating has grown weak and shears it, forcing the man to drop.
Only his quarterstaff catches where it can as he glides a ways down the shoulder and upper back. It doesn't snap in two but he can feel the stresses on that descent, until it does stop in a crevice within the fractured plate that just barely qualifies as 'footing.' Sharp pain runs through his arms and one of his legs.
His teeth clench as he faces out to below where he sees Ida hanging on by a thread. (A thick, durable thread - but a thread.)
This may be the first time she sees his face directly. He can somehow hear his name shouted, warning him not to kill its engines. He may be precariously close to them. It says a lot that of all the powers gathered, he is the one who might be the biggest threat to both the Gear and everyone's survival.
If she looks closely, his breathing has not accelerated despite taking a drop that would have been career-ending at minimum had he fell any faster or furtehr. That stare of his does not lose sharpness. It is an eeire, inhuman calm for being this high up where it's hard to breathe, he's wounded, exhausted... also he has Gooey Stuff dribbling down the side of his face. (It is not colored blood. There may be the misconception that his blood is colored the same as Gooey Stuff. It is not.) Beyond that there's... not really anything special about his face? It makes no sense why he'd hide it so.
He doesn't have clear line of sight of what everyone else is doing, but he can hear the continued explosions and noises. When he is sure of his current positioning so that he can unclench a hand from the grip of the quarterstaff, he flutters his fingers and chants. He doesn't yell an answer back to her in acknowledgement. There may be that lingering thought he didn't hear her - that he might go through with the worst idea imaginable.
He visualizes what's going on the other side through what sounds he can hear above them, as if somehow able to personally isolate and identify stimuli through roaring engines and other sounds of Gebler Gear being Gebler Gear from this close. With all the stirring debris about the air... sorcerous lights go off from where his suit is burnt.
"Dust Compress." He finishes the spell, as he mentally assigns a point and distance that is purely educated guesswork. From the other side...
The other arm/shoulder is suddenly buffeted by no small amount of loose-flying particulate matter, hurtling itself into the other shoulder area. Into the cracks. Into everything it can.
The air around that point becomes a sparkling clean, spherical shape of empty air before other detritus filters in. There may also be a large coating of gunge on the Schiehallion.
Piece by piece, bit by bit, Ethius keeps trying to tear and disable a little more with every moment in this bit of on-the-fly gunship negotiation between a bunch of Drifters who aren't giving the courtesy to fall to their deaths.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has activated a Force Action! GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Loren Voss with Dust Compress! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Of course we contain fragment of what they are." OS tells Clarine impassively.
"After all... Our core is Lydia Seren."
"You take your cosmic insignificance as an insult when you should be freed by it. There is no greater meaning. Understanding our place brings freedom. It simply requires... letting go. Abandon the notion that you are the masters of your own destiny. I assure you... Even those you call immortal... Are on the same precise plane as those you call mortal."
"But I know how you all see me. A weapon. A construct you can smash and destroy to your heart's content... Because my very existence is anathema to your understanding of the world. My very existence is a prison to one you care for." They shake their head. "Well some do. I ask you--who is so uncertain between the two of us."
They receive new orders from their 'Operator'. Brad sees the opportunity to KEEP FIRING. OS weathers the assault, and that green aura fades from the purer overflow of power being unleashed by Brad. It's frustrating, though. He's a walking anti-tank weapon but OS keeps enduring everything.
No, t hat's not quite right. Brad can see it. OS IS taking damage, but their body has some kindd of hyper regenerative condition that is very difficult to push past. When OS suggests their opponents are simply below the requisite tech level.... They might have a point. The one saving grace is that what OS makes for in indestructability, OS loses in burst power. OS is grinding their enemies down gradually with consistent assault rather than going for the kill in one strike.
OS rebuilds their lower body just in time for Dash to blast a hole in their chest. OS's hole in the forehead as they leave that hole in their chest going.
BGM SHIFT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ammbdMsHnU
S looks to Dash and adds, "You're interesting. Isn't that enough?"
MEANWHILE
Brad, Clarine, and Clarissa get a beep on their empathite radios.
It's Marivel.
Hang in there a little longer! I'm about to show you what we've been working on...! And Solaris will have to think twice after this! Just as planned...!! haha...ha.... .... Kate don't tell them we barely got it ready in time--
Clarine dives in with prismatic blades and OS catches them with both of ftheir own similarly prismatic blades. They press against each other even as the debris underneath Clarine is eradicated.
"You may survive." OS says. "But yoou can't catch everybody. What do you have that I don't? I can think. I can feel. And I can hurt and destroy just like you."
Clarine might not have an answer.
But Clarissa does.
She tells OS everything. She tells her that the cosmos isn't just the stars. She tells her that it's the peple who live within the cosmos. Even in the void of space does not understand the people's cries...
People are as much a part of the cosmos as that void. And they can hear it. OS's eyes widen ever so faintly. They sense something new. Something that isn't collected within their learning program.
Desire
Strahl Gewehr explodes out, fueled by Clarissa's numerous emotions--emotions that OS seems to lack. Her loss, her pain, her anger, her hurt, her defiance, her compassion, her love, and her sorrow...
They plow THROUGH OS, incinerating everything but OS's head. Clarissa can already tell it's not enough. It's not enough. It can't be enough. There is still a singular nanomachine active. That is a ll that's required. It ccannot die so easily. Power alone can't do it.
"...Desire..." OS says. "What do I..." They blink oncce. "What do I desire...? It should not bother me that you are shattering my body. And yet..."
The blink again. "It bothers me."
They blink again.
"We do not comprehend. this desire. This anguish. This compassion."
They roll forward. "We are just a Guardian Blade. We cannot comprehend. Yet... Yet..."
They shake their head. "...Yes... We do not comprehend. We must test you more. We must evaluate you further."
OS smiles brightly.
"We must tear you apart. Again and again until we understand that which we are missing. Thank you, Seraph Clarine. Thank you Shaman. We understand now."
And with that, their body bursts out from their neck stump once more, dripping messily as she raises both hands up into her hands.
"More... and more... and more! We must collect and comprehend this data! Only then will your deletion be allowed! Allowing 20 percent of illogical behavioral mannerisms within our personality matrix! It should be sufficient to comprehend desire!"
And with that they spread their arms out wide.
Light EXPLODES out from OS, slamming hard into their enemies,Their entire body acts as a cannon, fanning out from behindd their back like a twin pair of wings that lash across and down for Brad and Clarine, up for Clarissa and Dash--
And then they soar up once more before aiming one more burst of STAR POWER towards their enemies.
"Rigdobrite...! Appreciate our pact to its fullest!" They shout.
But even as this extreme display of power...
...The Valeria Chateau stirs.
...And rises out from the ground. Slowly at first, and then--not so slowly.
Okay guys! Marivel pipes in. The Chateau will catch you! Face the true power of a Crimson Noble's engineering! THIS IS FOR FUCKING WITH YUNIE, FASCIST SCUM!
GS: Lydia Seren has activated a Boss Action! GS: Lydia Seren spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Dash Caskett with Trinity Force! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Seraph Clarine with Trinity Force! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Clarissa Arwin with Trinity Force! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Brad Evans with Trinity Force! GS: Lydia Seren has launched an attack Link! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Dash Caskett with Delta Attack! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Seraph Clarine with Delta Attack! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Clarissa Arwin with Delta Attack! GS: Lydia Seren has attacked Brad Evans with Delta Attack! GS: Hyper and Surge expired! GS: Lydia Seren has completed her action. GS: Clarissa Arwin takes a glancing hit from Lydia Seren's Trinity Force for 103 hit points! GS: Dispel! Surge removed! GS: Seraph Clarine critically Guards a hit from Lydia Seren's Trinity Force for 39 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Clarine gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Seraph Clarine takes an additional 18 damage from Reaper! GS: Clarissa Arwin takes a glancing hit from Lydia Seren's Delta Attack for 94 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Clarissa Arwin enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Seraph Clarine takes a solid hit from Lydia Seren's Delta Attack for 179 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Clarine gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Seraph Clarine takes an additional 15 damage from Reaper!
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
So much for diplomacy, thinks Venetia Vuong, fury rapidly starting to run out of some juice for someone who has neglected her cardio. Tectonic is a bear of a spell, of course, and she was already weary when this started.
So now what, Venetia thinks to herself. Her eyes cut towards the distant shape of Ethius Hesiod as he immediately pounds-- something. There is another of those tensions in the air and Venetia's head snaps out to look in that direction and she raises her back-gripped rod of command as if to defend neck and throat.
Her other hand grips a Crest in the pouch. Even she isn't sure which one.
But the answer in the end is -- FACETER!!
The spell fires a violent barrage of crystalline shards outwards, this improvised anti-aircraft cannonade breaking up shards and keeping them from smashing into Venetia's own personal flesh and blood. Except for one long thin one which goes in through her sleeve - hopefully her sleeve - and misses her throat by ONE INCH, embedding into the Gear's mechanisms.
Venetia stares into the blue sky of Filgaia for a heartbeat after that.
But she isn't losing consciousness, clutching at a wounded throat. A palpable miss. More or less. Pinned to the wall, Venetia thinks, maybe she can manage one last rally. If I pop the cover, Venetia thinks - if I can open up that steering mechanism -
Her head turns to look across the jagged and sere plain that is the Gear's dust-accumulating armor. Slowly Faceter is replaced. Slowly, another is found. Raised upwards, Venetia says in a low, slightly tremorous voice, "With no regrets, erupt with the force of the stone -"
Her eyes turn towards Ida, who seems to be crawling from the horizon, almost. "Get the pilot!" she calls, before then saying in a slightly different tone: "FORCE CRUSHER!"
The bursting line of 'explosion without flame' whacks across the front of the Gear. This would have probably been a moderately annoying surface/infantry artillery strike if she had just led with this. It would have been a better strategy, but the angle is aimed to try to lash over what is HOPEFULLY the cockpit hatch -
GS: Venetia Vuong has activated a Force Action! GS: Venetia Vuong has activated a Force Action! GS: Venetia Vuong spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Venetia Vuong has attacked Loren Voss with Deepest Art: Force Crusher! GS: Venetia Vuong has gained 1 Combo! GS: Venetia Vuong has completed her action. GS: Dash Caskett takes a glancing hit from Lydia Seren's Trinity Force for 110 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Dash Caskett enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dash Caskett takes an additional 18 damage from Reaper! GS: Brad Evans has activated a Force Action! GS: Brad Evans guards a hit from Lydia Seren's Trinity Force for 126 hit points! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Brad Evans enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Brad Evans takes an additional 18 damage from Reaper! GS: CRITICAL! Brad Evans guards a hit from Lydia Seren's Delta Attack for 135 hit points! GS: Brad Evans takes an additional 15 damage from Reaper! GS: Dash Caskett has activated a Force Action! GS: Dash Caskett takes a solid hit from Lydia Seren's Delta Attack for 201 hit points! GS: Dash Caskett takes an additional 15 damage from Reaper! GS: Dash Caskett has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Loren Voss guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Dust Compress for 135 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Loren Voss guards a hit from Venetia Vuong's Deepest Art: Force Crusher for 140 hit points! GS: Charge!! You gain 45 FP! GS: Reaction bonus! FP up! GS: Loren Voss enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
They are still falling. Lulu knows this, and now that the machina is slagged, almost has time to think about it again. She hears Gatta's respons... and Auron and Kimahri's, too. Tidus's.
She can imagine, the way he looks, what he may be feeling. But she does not share further for now.
She has already shown more than she would hve preferred, but as Gatta takes Yuna's hand, it's worth it. Something Lulu could not really believe would happen happens; he steps out... and he's with them.
"...Well," Lulu says, looking towards the ground, "That's..."
She pauses, and pushes herself with another blast of power closer to the group. "Is the Chateau... rising towards us?" she asks the others. This seems to have legitimately surprised her.
<Pose Tracker> Tidus has posed.
Finally, Gatta's accepted the hands that have reached out to him--but the ground is coming up real fast. Relieved as he is at Auron and Kimahri's defense of Yuna, Tidus doesn't know how to respond to Gatta saying he hopes he didn't get them all killed... until Marivel sends up her own house to apparently catch them all.
"This is the most ridiculous thing that's ever happened to us," Tidus remarks to Lulu, because it is a literal house rocketing into the air in a perfect lift-off. Even so, he raises a fist and pumps it in appreciative support. "Heck yeah, Marivel! You're amazing!!"
Because things can be ridiculous and amazing at the same time.
<Pose Tracker> Clarissa Arwin has posed.
Strahl Gewehr feels hot in Clarissa's hands, pulsing as if it has a heart of its own. She stares through bright blue-green eyes as her blast practically incinerates poor OS - and yet, it's not enough. It could never be enough.
It doesn't matter. There is no choice, and even if there were, she would make this one anyway. Voices are crying out in the cosmos and the thought of not hearing those cries is beyond anything she could conceive. She must hear them. She must do her part.
"There's a part of you that does comprehend, isn't there," she says, her voice soft.
'Shaman'
Clarissa's not sure who OS is talking to there. It certainly isn't her. She's no conduit of the Guardians - merely a girl with a mysterious ARM.
Light bursts from OS as if her entire body were a cannon. The lash of light bursts forth --
A voice crackles over Clarissa's empathite radio. Her eyes go wide.
Searing rays of light slash across Clarissa as she rolls back off her debris platform - and tumbles off it. The blasts slash across her, and she grits her teeth even as the power of the Stars descends upon her. Blasts of dazzling starlight pelt her, tearing away shards of her skirts and sleeves. Blood beads through the air, the decimation of her gown exposing bruises along her thighs and arms where she's tried desperately to block blows over and over tonight.
She's hurting and alone. And she can see her friends struggling to bear the brunt of OS's assault.
Clarissa's heart aches. All she wants to do is save them. Save them like she couldn't do for Felius. Like she couldn't do for--
a tiny flower. so small. so treacherous.
As she falls towards the Chateau far below, Clarissa trains Strahl Gewehr upwards. The small solace she has is that Marivel Armitage will catch her as she descends. But even with gravity pulling her in, she can't not help.
"Someday I hope you comprehend kindness and love," she whispers, her voice almost too small to hear-- and she fires up at OS, a single blast that streaks up from her falling trajectory like the dazzling tail of a falling star.
GS: Clarissa Arwin has attacked Lydia Seren with Dandelion Shot! GS: Clarissa Arwin has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Violet Salazar has posed.
Violet didn't know the Chateau could fly -- but she's VERY grateful that it does! "We need to get out: GO GO GO GO GO GO GO!" she shouts, then turns to Gatta. "You, too," she insists. She begins shepherding any stragglers toward the jump zone -- at least, as fast as her injuries will allow.
She doesn't want to make the jump. She really doesn't.
But the alternative is death. She steels herself for freefall.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida hangs on for dear life. If she lives through this, she's going to be sore and exhausted from the effort of staying attached to Loren's gear--even ignoring the myriad wounds she's been dealt. But she has to keep going. She has to.
By now, Ida's more or less figured out where Schiehallion keeps its cockpit, and has clawed her way there. There's just one problem, though--Loren has no intention of just letting them break in. The air shimmers, and then turns into a floral tesseract of Etheric razors. Several slice into Ida's arms and legs, and it takes renewed effort just to keep her limbs locked in place. Blood trickles down the machine's hull, crimson and quicksilver. It dribbles into the cracks in the Gear's armor. Anat might be surprised when they crack it open.
It's at this point that Ethius comes into view. For a moment, she stares at him, realizing he doesn't match what she'd expected at all--no scars, no distinctive birthmarks, nothing. Her lip curls as she sees the gunk dribbling out of his mouth. "DID YOU HEAR ME?" she shouts, over the roar of the wind and Scheihallion's engines. He gives no sign. He's so calm that he might as well be a construct. But Venetia did. Ida hangs well back as the Crest Sorceress works her half of their gambit--she nods once, using precious tissue reserves to reinforce her arms.
He remembers how he fought her, at first--a Metal Dragon against a lone human warrior. It should've been easy. But the wellspring of her lifeforce had grown so impossibly strong, and so had her control. He still remembers how he punched through armored scale and steel bone, and tore him from his siege-form.
turnabout's fair play, scum.
Ida's aura ignites around her. She hears Marivel speaking to her, reassuring her. Just this one last push. Just this one last push. Fafnir's lifeforce burns like flame, while Ida's is golden-white, and almost painfully bright to look at. It condenses around her knuckles, at her fist.
"We take out the operator!" Ida shouts, "we take out OS!" Or possibly drive them into an even greater frenzy, but acceptable margin of risk.
Ida draws back her fist, and cracks her knuckles with a sound like splintering stone.
She throws the punch. The air screams as her fist breaks the sound barrier, as the shockwave it causes drives towards the Gear's armor. It is a single, flawless strike, meant to cut through the armor of a Metal Dragon. It is the apex of what the crazy old man in the Little Twister junkyard taught her.
Loren might just be in for a very bad time if it hits.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has activated a Force Action! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Loren Voss with Unbroken Lotus Fist! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
What is Gwen doing?
Crystal spikes past Gwen's body, pure glassine structures disrupted by the red of blood. It's that and Venetia's spell that briefly sends the courier flying, short curls a flurry of pale red as she spirals through the air, her eyes open.
Get the pilot, open the gear, disable the gear, do rational things, do things that don't contribute to your potential death, or the deaths of your friends.
Nah, that's not really in Gwen's mind right now, just 'get gear, be invincible'.
Even if she is not, in fact, invincible, anymore than someone high on adrenaline is not immune to the pain of a gunshot wound minutes later.
_Somehow_, by colliding with a piece of debris here, falling back an angle here, and one outstretched hand, reaching out towards the Schiehallion, seemingly towards its pilot, towards Loren, Gwen's eyes impassive--
Ice erupts from that closest point of her right hand, to Loren's gear, actively adhering to the roughened texture courtesy of Ethius's own machinations. It makes a fragile tether, and Gwen uses it to close that short distance, the ice growing in her wake.
If any of the Schiehallion's relevant scanners or meters are working, they might pick up yet another odd fact about the courier.
_She's using Magic._ Because of course Gwen is using magic, even if she's never managed to launch anything close to a spell outside of her temporary dalliance with the Star Medium well over a year ago.
GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated a Force Action! GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated a Force Action! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Loren Voss with Rime Edge! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
Auron is less impressed, but Marivel's up against a decade of hitchhiking on hyperdimensional space whales. Don't take it personally.
Kimahri keeps his reaction to himself.
Wakka probably thinks he's going to hell; counting the Warwing and the drill-pods, this is his third airship today. But at least he's not going to die.
Yuna gasps -- with happiness, as Gatta joins them; he receives a sisterly kiss upon the cheek. And then she gasps again, with amazement, at the Chateau. She lets Tidus be loud; amid all the chaos and noise, she's feeling very quiet.
"Marivel," she whispers, hand over her heart. "Thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Gatta has posed.
After a moment, old habits kick in. Gatta thought it would be terribly awkward; instead, it is familiarly awkward. A little like, though far greater in scope, a fight back on Besaid.
He even looks sheepish at the kiss on his cheek. "...thanks," he says. "I guess--"
A mansion is flying.
"That..." Gatta stares down at Valeria Chateau. Which, he realizes, is rising straight towards them. Some of the land on either side is doing the same -- actually, a good portion of it is subtly shaped like it might be aerodynamic. He opens his mouth; then, he closes it again. "...I don't think I've ever seen anything like that."
But he looks at Violet, and then it's easy. He may not go first, but he jumps with the rest the people he has known his whole life.
GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Unbroken Lotus Fist for 161 hit points! GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Gwen Whitlock's Rime Edge for 249 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Brad Evans has posed.
The radio beeps at him, and Brad holds it up in the possibly slightly unnecessary pose. It's not actually using radio or even sound to communicate, so he hears it fine despite the roaring wind. "Easy for you to say!" he calls back. "Last time I had to soften my landing with a missile I broke both my legs!"
Then OS has....what Brad decides to parse as a psychotic break. That metallic thing already felt dangerous, but now it's gone from processing orders to personal interest in their extremely fatal death. Not good. "We're doing damage, but it's not gonna be fast enough. Shoulda brought the Thunderbolt..."
If wishes were nickles. OS transforms yet again, even more horribly because it fills with a horrible, incredible light. He doesn't know exactly what it's doing...but he sees the body distend strangely-- "MOVE!!" he screams, then pounds feet, THROWING himself into open sky. Better than standing on the platform OS just reduced to vapor. He stares in mute horror at that, and then twists around to aim something that hasn't materialized yet. "MARIVEL!" he shouts. "Leaving the catch up to you!"
A quad-barrel missile launcher appears on his shoulder, all barrels open. He waits for the ding.
Four missiles roar out shortly thereafter, whirling and twisting chaotically through the air before each slams into OS, hopefully scattering it apart. Can that thing reassemble under these conditions? Only one way to find out...!
GS: Brad Evans has activated a Force Action! GS: Brad Evans has activated a Force Action! GS: Brad Evans has attacked Lydia Seren with Anti-Monster Missile Cluster-Launcher! GS: Brad Evans takes an additional 15 damage from Reaper! GS: Reaper expired! GS: Brad Evans has completed his action. GS: Sneak! The true nature of Clarissa Arwin's attack becomes clear! GS: CRITICAL! Lydia Seren guards a hit from Clarissa Arwin's Extra Critical for 124 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Brad Evans's Anti-Monster Missile Cluster-Launcher for 99 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren's Force Guard activates!
<Pose Tracker> Clarissa Arwin has posed.
It is not the beam that is to be worried about.
Clarissa's shot is a simple shot - but its light obscures something that might otherwise have been spotted. A shadow falling over OS.
And then, brutally, the thrust of a glaive.
Descending from above, Felius Arwin plunges his halberd down towards OS's back. His knee follows as he tries to drive the weapon through her. Bloodied and battered, he puts his weight into a dragoon strike intended to impale the nano-warrior and drive her towards the earth.
Clarissa's eyes go wide, her heart leaping into her throat. "FELIUS," she cries out. "You're alive!!"
The relief hits her like a tidal wave. It's all she can do to keep from screaming with joy.
Past OS, Felius catches Clarissa's eye and nods quickly. He doesn't smile - but she can see it in his eyes.
She was never truly alone, perhaps. But today, at least, she hasn't lost as much as she feared.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"You made clear your intent to eliminate us! Did you not expect response in kind?" Clarine replies, shaking her head.
The others continue fighting, but Clarine pauses as she hears a beep. And then, there's Marivel's voice, even as Clarine and OS clash. And OS's words...
...Well, Clarine has no smart response to that. The only reply is the conflicted expression on her face. Because she knows they're right. She can't catch everybody. Were she at her peak, it might be different. But she is exhausted and worn down from combat. One person may be the best she can do. And the rest of it, well... she's not really sure she's the most qualified to speak on such things.
It's Clarissa, ultimately, who has the answer - and the answer incites quite the change in OS.
Light explodes from them, and Clarine can only brace herself as they crash into her, and release a brilliant burst of star-infused light in her direction.
It explodes against her, and she finds herself falling.
Falling down.
For a moment, she feels a tinge of despair, that she would be unable to assist any of the others in surviving the fall... but then, she sees the Valeria Chateau, against all odds, like something out a dream, begin to rise. Actually rise out of the ground and into the air. And then, once more, she hears Marivel speak, and her voice puts a smile on Clarine's face once more. She shuts her eyes, an expression of relief crossing her face.
"Ahh... Marivel. You beautiful, wondrous soul..." Clarine says. She doesn't know if she can hear her, but that doesn't matter. She feels a hint of renewed vigor, so she reorients herself to face OS once more.
"...Perhaps I have misjudged you. I shall... consider what you have said today. For the time being, however, I have one request for you..." Clarine says. "...Endure this, and let us meet again another day!"
Even as she falls, Clarine recites one last incantation.
"One thousand divine lights, arise and light the path to tomorrow! Radiant Cannonade!" Clarine shouts. From her form, Clarine emits a large amounts of rays of light. They do not target OS directly - at first. Instead, they shoot straight for debris, bouncing off of it and redirection... until, eventually, OS will find themselves surrounded on all sides by light rays.
And then, Clarine shuts her eyes once more and allows herself to fall. She spent all of her energy on this fight - she doesn't even have the strength to reposition herself. For now, she can only trust in Marivel's words that everything will be fine - and she has great trust in those words.
GS: Seraph Clarine spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Lydia Seren with Radiant Cannonade! GS: Seraph Clarine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Seraph Clarine takes an additional 25 damage from Reaper! GS: Reaper expired! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action. GS: Lydia Seren guards a hit from Seraph Clarine's Radiant Cannonade for 93 hit points! GS: Lydia Seren has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Dash Caskett has posed.
Buster shots land, but of course, the form that is Lydia reshapes. "You really are quite something, aren't you?" Dash replies with, the barrel of the Mega Buster still smoking.
"Your interest sure perked up suddenly! Is there something specific you look for in a fella like me?" he asks with a somewhat annoyed, quirked brow. This has been a thoroughly bad day to be fighting. "I ain't gonna give up! No matter what! I got promises to keep!" he says, keeping that weapon trained on OS.
Not acting is not a great idea.
OS realiates in a major way. As if to see the job done, a twin pouring of radiant force strikes out, and launches Dash into a wall with ehough force to crater him in to it.
There is quiet from him for a good few moments. He eventually stirs, at the sound of another vessel moving closeby. Was it what he thought it was? His optics are messed up and fizzing out.
The boy who had far too much smack to talk that he could back up. He just has to find a way to get better at what he does. Hopefully he has the strength to make that jump, or at least fall.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
OS bats aside Clarissa's BEAM BLAST. She feels it. She feels so close to it. To desire.
She readies her followup attack but Felius dives in and slams a halbred THROUGH OS's back, causing them to drop down towards the ground. OS can't hear the whisper...
...But maybe if one keeps hoping that, it will eventually fill OS's ears. Their programming logic seems malleable enough.
Brad follows up with not one, not two, not even three missiles--but four! Four missiles!! They twist and whirl around chaotically before impacting against OS, detonating them and sending them flying around. And yes--it CAN reform from that--Brad can see it already working to do so. But even with limitless regeneration, you can atthe very least keep it from reforming any time SOON. Unfortunately for Felius's attempt to impale the construct into the earth like a dragoon--this inadvertantly frees OS from such bindings--still, it kept OS still long enough for them to be scattered. Hopefully Felius leapt away before those missiles hit.
Apparently OS didn't expect a response in kind. OS isn't really sure what the big deal is. OS isn't out to hurt them, OS is out to fulfill their programming. Sure, that programming might be to reduce their opponents into bloody smears, but it's not personal. They aren't going to yell about you over it or call you names.
But what Clarine lacks in a 'smart response' she makes up for in cleverness. Her cats cradle of light seizes OS up and subsumes their body in light and then sends them tumbling back down towards the surface.
OS, practically just a FACE aat this point, looks up at Clarine.
"...Enemies Cannot Overcome Caution Level Yellow." Os murmurs. "But Caution Level Yellow does not appear to be enough to overcome them."
They still reform. They still grow back. And it's horrifyingly quick.
But horrifyingly quick isn't quick enough.
The Chateau rises up to catch our heroes-- those who are close enough to jump do so and find themselves finding some land or an already broken window to punch through.
Or an unbroken window. If you're a jerk.
Nevertheless, Marivel shifts to an announcement speaker to say, "Oh! Great! You found Gatta! And...nobody died! Okay good. Good. That means the peace conference was a success maybe?"
Marivel is quiet for a moment. The Chateau rises yet to colelct any stragglers. Marivel can't hear Clarine but don't worry--
Marivel thinks Clarine has a beautiful wonderful soul too. She's thought that since the first day they've met.
The Chateau definitely makes sure to catch Brad because Marivel refuses to let him die. He has someone waiting for him back home. He may be a cynic, but he's a cynic she treasures.
"Thank satan, we saved the cutest guy in ARMS." Marivel adds over the freaking speakers. Nevertheless, a quick overview suggests that Yuna and her friends are alright too.
Marivel lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. She didn't know if they'd make it. Let alone, you know, make it back with their friend.
She knows as much as anybody the importance of saving one life. She probably shouldn't make it seem too easy for Gatta and make it seem like she doesn't care but--she obviously isn't going to imprison the guy. ARMS has no jurisdiction, after all, over Lunar.
That's the excuse Marivel will use if anybody complains about it. Gatta can 'pay' for his 'crimes' or whatever back in Spira. Yuna and her Guardians didn't struggle that hard to just consign Gatta to a dark fate.
The Chateau even collects Clarissa--who did...something...to OS. And Dash, who is one mega rocking man.
And Felius, if he'd like it. Really, anybody.
And the Chateau will just as readily fly off into the distance all the while Marivel ports up onto the roof of the chateau--
--looks towards the Solarian cruisers--
And sticks out her tongue while flicking them off with both fingers.
They probbaly don't even see it, but it makes Marivel feel better about everything. Not that she needs to be made to feel much better. After all, nobody died.
And that's pretty good for a peace conference if you really think about it.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"What they said," is Loren's response to Dash's question. "You're an anomaly. Unless you'd like to explain yourself here and now?"
(Though no promises made -- he'd likely take Dash -- or whatever part of Dash they could collect -- into custody, regardless of what he has to say for himself.)
But he has at this moment his own troubles, and among them, they include the repeated intrusion/scrambling of internal and external systems... not to mention communications. Both ways. Something comes in over a radio line but it's fragmented. A report about... something moving below? Another aerial fortress?
And he can't see worth shit.
There are many reasons why Loren opts to fill the air about him with sharp crystal, and not all of them are somehow related to his frustrated wrath. Straightening in his seat he exhales hard, shaking his head as if to free himself from the muzziness that clings. He hasn't overdone it, not yet. But unlike some he has an established upper limit.
At least, not without that in his veins. Which isn't an option on a mission like this--
And, he soon realizes, even this hasn't done it.
It certainly hasn't done it with regards to him. Ethius Hesiod, about whose humanity Loren is beginning to have real, serious doubts. He knows it's him, because of that spellwork. And he knows it's his spellwork because of the fresh hell of communication errors and mobility loss reports coming in within the cockpit. "What are you--"
He has more immediate trouble from the outside than that. Someone's close to the cockpit. He can tell that from the sensors and readouts that are still functioning. He runs through the potential perpetrators in his mind. Not Ethius. Probably not Ida. Maybe--
"Get the pilot!"
And here Loren draws a quick breath and reaches to slam the emergency lock. It clicks into place mere seconds before that targeted explosion rockets right across his face. Or rather, the cockpit proper. He flinches -- a pointless reaction but an honest one -- as he glances over, yes, again, further damage report. If Venetia had been a second faster -- or Loren a second slower -- she would have indeed probably cracked the cockpit open. As it is, the gouge her spell has wrought is a deep one, exposing wiring and all sorts of more delicate bits for it being so focused to that singular point.
But locking it from the inside just means that it will take more than a simple switch to crack the cockpit open.
'We take out the operator, we take out OS!'
Ice runs in his veins. If they break their way in here and wrest control, it won't just be his life. He'll have failed in a way more palpable--
--and he can't afford that because--
--because he--
He undoes the harness, he rises from his seat, and he snatches up his blade. If they break in here-- then--
One blow -- Ida's -- buckles the front, nearly flattening it out from its semi-organic curve. Loren breathes hard and frees the sword from its sheath.
One more blow. Magic, though he's not looking at the screens now and it will have to rest with data analysis later. One more blow, wherein ice creeps into all those cracks and breaks Ida had rent. One more strike and the cockpit blows open.
And then, in the moments that follow, they'll have to deal with Loren.
Who, as it happens, may not get particularly far with what he's attempting to do (e.g., defend the Gear with his life) because with the cockpit blasted open he also gets a good look at what's become of OS.
Or, rather, what's left of OS, even as she slowly begins to regenerate, falling from the sky.
He has but a moment's hesitation and then, catapulting himself back towards the seat, he snarls, "I don't have time for this!"
Then, grabbing for the emergency grip, he kicks at the control panel with a booted foot and drops the Gear into a sharp descent. They may not be able to hold on any longer, but perhaps that won't matter, with the Chateau rising for them.
OS' safety is in this moment his only real concern.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius seems far too comfortable with his current predicament for any sort of living creature without an innate flight capacity. There's no telling what goes on in this man's mind, unless it's 'I am going to do something horrible to this metal thing with a lot of moving parts' with all the morbid fascination of a child slowly pulling apart an insect. He's already thinking about how much of the propulsion systems, by his educated guesses, he could cut off before one runs the risk of having a bluff called. (If it is even a bluff.)
The Gear drops into a sharp descent and wrenches Ethius free like a whirling ragdoll free-floating in the air, as if this sudden act of desperate disengagement is all that it could take to seal his fate...
Were it not for the damnable patchy-lookin' sack he's still got tied, that has managed to survive the encounter intact enough that it can catch him in a float. (The more impressive feat is that he can cast the spell at all while twirling at dizzying g-forces and then not completely dislocate his shoulder.)
He stares at the whole picture, as Gooey Stuff continues to dribble off the side of his face. He takes the back of his free hand and wipes his cheek--
And then, hurriedly, clasps his open hand around his mouth, as if that were somehow the biggest problem right now instead of 'currently free-floating super high up in the air, no way this thing is going to continue to float for much longer without rupturing and/or depleting the rest of his calorie reserves.' There's nothing he can really do for Ida, Venetia, or Gwen from where he is--
But he doesn't need to, because something catches the corner of his eye that his ears were struggling to reconcile with, with his gaze so focused on the escaping Gear.
There is a flying Chateau that is on course to pick him up.
He just stares.
Sometimes he even blinks.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
'You're an anomaly. Unless you'd like to explain yourself here and now?'
Ida's not sure who Loren is talking about. What she does know is that she wouldn't wish Solaris' brand of experimentation on her worst enemy. "You lay one hand on them," Ida growls, "and I'll find what you love, and break it." She can see the cockpit door proper now as the armor buckles. She steels herself, making ready for a last-ditch attempt at self-defense--she's not fool enough to assume Loren isn't a capable combatant outside his Gear.
And then he does something unexpected. The Gear suddenly drops, and Ida's heart all but leaps into her stomach. "BASTARD!" Ida screams, as her hands are ripped free. "Venetia!"
Ida grabs for her fellow Galadian, and presses her feet together. For the third time today, a fearsome whirlwind whips up beneath them, turning the bone-cracking descent into something more managable. Ida rolls in mid-air, holding the other woman tight. No matter what she lands on, this is going to suck.
A window not too far from Marivel bursts inwards in a shower of glassy shards. A bloodied, battered Ida flies into the room, holding Venetia in a death-grip--shielding the other woman from the worst of the impact. She slides a good few feet before coming to a stop. The ragged remains of her exoskeleton are riddled with glass shards. Her breathing is ragged. She stares up at the ceiling, as if her brain is still registering that she did not in fact die despite having a plethora of opportunities.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
The cockpit blows open, revealing Loren's understandably dismayed face. Gwen's pursuit stops, the ice stops, everything stops, except for the world, gravity, and the gear's descent against the backdrop of the degrading ship below.
Gwen opens her mouth, attempting to speak for the first time since she's transformed. Words fail to come out at first, requiring a part of her mind to slow down that stubbornly refuses.
Slow everything down. Slow down.
Slow.... down....
"What's this feeling...?" Gwen asks with a rough voice, as the light in her dims.
The Gear plummets, and Gwen is forced off, a falling star, her confused gaze following Loren down until her view is obscured by the tilt of her body.
It feels like....
Family?
-----MINUTES LATER----
If there is a garden, perhaps a rooftop terrace, it's now got Gwen in it, the courier lying still, eyes closed, her lungs gulping air. The pristine grass is dented by Gwen's landing and subsequent rolling, falling to a rest in a shallow pond feature, not even deep enough to close over her mouth and nose.
It's a blessing, in a way, the way the water feels lapping against her hot cheeks, the sway of the sky, arcing overhead.
As if it was all a dream.