arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-05 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
["there isn't-- they can't be reprogrammed," he says, miserable, even if sora probably doesn't hear it. but he seems to think of something, at naib's words; he holds still where he is for a moment more, then shakily gets to his feet. "out of here. right. right, i-- please, keep them distracted. i think i can-- if i can reach the terminal, i can stop this."

the squirrel clings to sora as he yeets himself up onto one of the machines, and while it's heavily armored with no apparent entry point... it does turn its attention to him. so! good and bad news! it may give naib an opening, but sora is going to have to dodge while on top of this thing, as panels slide open to expose more weaponry that begins to take aim.]
reconnective: (Tides Change)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-05 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
[he doesn't really hear any of that, no! but he thinks naib is more equip to make a plan, and he can only focus on giving him the cover he needs to execute it.

be safe, little squirrel! sora's busy volleying himself up to the top of one of the machines, and even though he can't find an entry point he'll take the distraction. he doesn't shout for naib's attention and he tries to keep an eye on them without being obvious. the more the machines don't focus on the people, the better.

granted, weaponry is bad. ohhhh fuck is weaponry bad. so! he will dodge to the best of his ability, using the metal to try and shield himself while jumping and dodgerolling out of the way. truly hope that buys people enough time.]
dependably: (pic#14975812)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-05 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
Then do that. [ if it'll stop this, that's all they can rely on. it's either they die here or this man manages to reach his destination in time. he doesn't bother asking what this terminal does- maybe it controls these machines? who the hell knows.

he pats at the man's back as if to indicate go now just as he removes himself from the makeshift barrier and rush at the current machine Sora is busying himself. he'll leap to lunge with his weapon out, aiming to dig his blade into the crease inbetween metal platings. just to give himself enough grip to steady himself onto it.

well, now the construct has 2 (two) obnoxious humans clambering all over it. that's gotta be enough distraction to keep their attention on them. as he does, he makes sure he isn't just hanging idly- don't want to make it too easy for the weaponry?? parkour over its shoulders. ]


We gotta last as long as we can. Just keep doing what we're doing now. [ he isn't exactly going to make it obvious as to what, don't need to point out where he left the guy behind and just. expose their plan to the machines on the chance they focus and terminate the guy before he even escapes. but he's sure that Sora will take his word for it. what's the worst that can happen? :slight_smile: ]
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-05 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
[well! they may have found a way for the machines to attack each other-- and given that the machines got a whole ass 7 on a d20, yeah, this actually works. the two of them parkour all over this thing, and the second machine tries to shoot them; in doing so, it strikes the machine they're on, instead.

there's a horrible screech of metal, and they just might want to get out of here, if the way it rumbles ominously is any indication.

off to the side, the man naib helped is running, dodging through the battlefield on his way to wherever this terminal is.]
reconnective: (Momentum)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-05 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
[goodbye machine!! now that naib is here and the machines are focused on each other, he's dodging again to get closer to him. as the second machine strikes the first, he's jumping down to a ledge a little lower than the top.]

This might have to be long enough! [he would rather not fall to his death? so he will parkour his way down the back, trying to keep the second machine's attention on them to buy the main more time and hoping naib is following along with him.]

What do we do about the other one?
dependably: (pic#14864263)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-05 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's a good enough view to catch sight of the man. can they see anything in the direction he's heading? they could potentially follow him but- it's as Sora says, they still have one more to deal with.

and well... with the screech and sound of the rumble he's definitely following after Sora, this is the end of this ride so they definitely need to move. ]
Let's get away from this one, doubt the other is gonna let us out of its sight but we need some distance.

[ cause that sound gives him a bad feeling? his instincts are practically screaming. he ushers Sora to keep moving once they're on ground again. ]
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-05 06:32 am (UTC)(link)
[on the bright side: they may find some cover, in the impending smoke.

on the more dangerous side: well. the smoke is from the impending explosion, considering these things weren't exactly made to defend themselves from each other. they're all on the same side, after all.

if they get enough distance not to get Fucking Blasted, they might have a smokescreen to get a move on. "run!" their squirrel helpfully squeaks, from sora's hood.]
reconnective: (Break The Sky)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-05 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
[following may have been a good idea to ensure the man reached his destination, but this is where they are. he's looking back to make sure naib is behind him, but he hits the ground running with a nod.]

Right. [it's with a sharp nod, and the squirrel doesn't have to say it twice before he picks up speed with his hunk of metal and bolts. will it be enough distance? that's a great question, but he sure is hoping they can book it fast enough. naib had the right idea even before the smoke started to billow.

how far can they get before the machine explodes?

also, if they were supposed to be transparent how did this even happen? wait. whatever, that's something to consider later.]


Which way? [he will let naib decide because he thinks they're both at least in agreement that running is the best option for the moment.]
dependably: (and when you're weak in defeat ❬)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-05 07:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ not even a little blasted? as a treat?

it's alright, because Naib knows which direction he ran in. he couldn't have gotten that far-- unless the man got some zoomie tech shoes?? but it's the only way he can think of them to go. to ensure the man gets there alive and... if he doesn't? maybe finish the job.

the smoke does help at least keeping further hidden (2x stealth?!?!) from at least this machine following them, if it works long enough. and don't question things okay, they're in the middle of a hecken war zone and Naib is teetering on and off from panic attacks.

with hopefully some distance made, he'll answer. ]
Where the soldier went. He says there's a terminal that could stop this. Assuming he can get there in time.

[ and y'know, doesn't get spotted along the way. but that's why they're heading in that direction now hopefully. ]
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-05 07:23 am (UTC)(link)
[you can get blasted if you want, i'm not your mom, just your cyoa runner. you can absolutely get your distance via the force of this machine blowing right up. YEET.

also we're assuming the squirrel lost focus and dropped your stealth at some point i definitely did not forget,,

they can see the soldier running ahead, though, ducking between debris to try to avoid being spotted by other machines; it's a bit of a minefield of enemy fire, however, missiles landing on the ground here and there. why don't you go random me a number between 1 and 20.]
reconnective: (Tell Me It's Okay)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-05 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
[a widdle blasted as they're flung across the area, sure. regardless, he's following along and heading away from the machines toward the soldier even as the first machine blows up behind them. sora's reaching a hand back to curl around his hood to protect the squirrel as they're running.]

A terminal?

[that does sound useful, and so they go. this is dangerous and bad and the number is 20 i guess. here's hoping.]
dependably: (without you here ❬)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-05 07:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ any bruises and cuts gotten from debris would be brushed off like nothing. he's gone through worse, he's an ex-solider and retired Mercenary. he also has taken so many protection hits for other people. it's just a given he gets hurt a lot and used to it.

Naib would shrug at the mention if they weren't in mid-run but hey they can see the soldier and that's good enough. even as they try to duck here and there to avoid being seen. and here's my 15. ]


He sounds confident that it'll work so, it's all we got. [ and if that fails well... fuck! ]
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-05 07:58 am (UTC)(link)
[wouldn't it be fucked up if i told you high rolls were bad and sora is just dead, again? but no, they both do well enough to escape mostly unscathed. a couple burning pieces of metal bury themselves into naib's side as a missile strikes debris nearby, but he isn't directly caught or thrown aside by the impact.

the man they're following has similarly done well-- he seems very familiar with the area, making a beeline for a mechanical structure in the ruins of a building. he's feverishly pressing buttons when they arrive, desperately murmuring to himself-- come on, almost, almost, nearly there-- until finally he finishes the sequence, slamming his hand down on the last button.

and as a truly enormous explosion begins somewhere not all that far away, he watches it, awestruck-- perhaps horror struck, trembling slightly.

"i've done it," he whispers, as they draw close. "that's all of them, gone. ...all of them gone."

an entire fortress is falling apart, what appears to be the last visible bastion of a structure amongst all the flattened ruins. heat is building from its direction. smaller explosions sound off closer to them, as war machines self-destruct.

"is anyone left alive to know?"

is this war, too? the squirrel asks, in their heads once more. what was the point?

the person before them has nothing to say.]
reconnective: (Break The Sky)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-05 08:06 am (UTC)(link)
[there's no time to stop, exactly, so they're on the move in the direction the man had run. as they approach and the sequence is completed, it's almost eerie how the explosion happens and the effects seem to be happening both in front of them and far away simultaneously.

everything is empty and maybe quiet after that, and sora doesn't reply to the squirrel immediately. machines self-destruct one by one, and he frowns softly.]


There has to be someone else left. [he doesn't know if he can say there was no point, because he doesn't understand this war or what these people were fighting for.] Maybe...they've escaped somehow. We can go and find them.

[but, more importantly, now that they have a moment where they aren't running and trying not to die he turns to naib with wide eyes.]

Are you okay? We should get that taken care of before we keep moving. [you know. because metal burying in your comrade is not great!]
dependably: (pic#15355827)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-05 08:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ the array of explosions are sent flying off, like a shower of stars as they hone in and that distant burn of fire and ruin has Naib flinching. one hand braces briefly at his head, standing there despite the burning sensation in his side. the pain is a distant feeling compared to the flash of memories, the smell of blood and burning--

heavy green eyes can only stare at the man who whispers before the terminal, glancing over to the scene in the background as the darkness is shrouded in fire and destruction.

"is anyone left alive to know?"

he doesn't have an answer, do any of them do? what was the point of war? ]
...To survive.

[ that's why he had gone to war. for the sake of surviving. he says nothing else after that. has nothing else to give, even with Sora's clear optimistic outlook. he doesn't readily agree, he doesn't encourage the idea that some like escaped. that there might be some if they go looking. he only stares at the background until attention is brought to his side. his hand moves over it, only for a moment before he shakes his head. ]

It's nothing, it doesn't hurt right now. I can just look it over later. [ there's more important things- like finding a way back. he glances over Sora now, and presumedly wherever that squirrel is hiding in his hood. ] You both alright?
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-05 09:00 am (UTC)(link)
[what meaning is there to living, if one does it only to survive...?

it does hurt. i feel it in you. but it is not the pain of the flesh.


it sounds sad, at that. it seems physically uninjured though, just like, depressed.

there is no one to find. i cannot... there is no other presence here, it continues. the heat from that explosion is still encroaching, light growing brighter from its direction. it's intensifying, rather than calming.

the man doesn't move. he just says, "you should run."

the squirrel tugs at sora's hood. i want to go, it says. we should... we should keep going. there must be a better answer somewhere. please, let's go.

it's lifting them off the ground, so if they have objections, now would be the time.]
reconnective: (Hourglass)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-05 09:24 am (UTC)(link)
[living to survive sort of sounds miserable, really. naib dismisses his concern in a way that makes it hard to argue, and sora's hand is up to curl around the squirrel in his hood as he thinks about what he's hearing.

there's more to life than waiting to die. but the squirrel also then says "i feel it in you" and he's looking at naib curiously.]


We did what we could. Even if there's no one left here, we can move again to find other answers. [the explosion almost feels as though it has a ripple effect, but:] Let me help you. Then we can keep going.

[he doesn't really specify if he means physically or what either.]
dependably: (pic#15379534)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-05 11:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's true. it does hurt, after all he knows well the cruelty of war. he also knows that being hopeful about the world despite having such knowledge is rare. so even if he has spent most his life surviving, he's still hopeful despite everything. maybe it will be able to feel that as well?

he feels that curious gaze, and he meets that look but merely looks back to the battlefield. his body still feels a bit numb- that same empty sensation, a feeling of dissociating while also trying to anchor himself in the present. ]


Let's just focus on continuing on.

[ let's focus on this little friend here he doesn't say. off they go-- hopefully to not another war zone. ]
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-05 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[it might feel that. it might be a little harder, with this world being what it is-- but it likely does, and the squirrel manages to continue on, lifting them up. when naib says to keep going, rather than stay and let sora help... it listens, and off they go into the stars once more.

...but they'll certainly have time to talk once they arrive at the next world, because it's empty and quiet. maybe peaceful, in a strange way; maybe unsettling, depending on how they choose to take it. it's almost desert-like, sand stretching out, but there are pools of water, a deep, deep blue in color and almost glittering with little specks of light. odd structures dot the landscape, either alone or in groups.

"it's so... quiet," the squirrel says, a little concerned, but they can take a short break here if they want.]
reconnective: (Idle Worship)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-05 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[looks at the game. wow things have happened. anyway!

he frowns a little when naib says that, but he doesn't get argue. he does want to get them out of here, and they are here to help their squirrel friend. so up they go.

they're in the stars and when they land sora stays quiet as he looks around the sand and the structures.]


...what is this place? [he asks, like the squirrel may know. he turns to check on naib though.] Where do you think we should look first? Those things? [he points to the structures, but he's not in a rush to move just yet until he's able to get a read on both naib and squirrel.]
dependably: (pic#15355824)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-06 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ god and we still have another day so who even knows wtf is gonna happen next

once they land, once they have feet on ground again, Naib will walk a bit. not forward, or back, or far just- around right here. as if to remind himself he's still here. not drifting off somewhere. even if he... doesn't know where here is.

it's almost gloomy. the desert-like areas seeming quite familiar to Naib. like a nostalgic twinkle in his eye. he thinks he sees slabs of... stones? in the distance, but hard to say.

he looks over to Sora when his voice pipes up and back to the area. ]
If we're looking for an answer here, then maybe the structures over there should work yeah. [ one hand stays against his own side, his other hand raising in a gesture of 'why not?' ]
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-06 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
["I... I'm not sure," the squirrel admits, poking its head out from his hood to look around. "The nearest star with life. Where we might find answers-- might ask its people what gives their lives meaning. But..."

but it's so quiet. it sounds a little worried.

if they do approach the odd structures, they'll find it's still quiet; there are no immediate signs of life around. just these stones(?), with odd purple crystals glowing softly here and there, built into the structures.]
reconnective: (Honey)

[personal profile] reconnective 2022-01-06 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
We really should try to fix your side. [this is to naib because he's concerned even if he is dead? like. bro. but the structures are a good idea, so he will walk as the squirrel speaks to them.]

...giving their lives? [...huh. why does that sound familiar?] Some people give their lives because it means others can keep living. [...he thinks this over a little more.] In some cases, maybe it's like the ultimate act of love. To protect those that matter to you. And some might even say it's their whole purpose.

[i hate that he got the 14 lore before hyth died, but also i hate kh3. so. onward! as they approach the structures, he's keeping an eye on naib but he does approach the structure to look at them.

also. he will take a closer look at the crystals to see if he can glean anything from them.]
dependably: (pic#15379548)

[personal profile] dependably 2022-01-06 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
It'll heal quickly. [ because he's dead? i say confusedly cause wouldn't it be funny if he pulled a sora and came back to life too. im crying this is so funny.

anyways, he'll remove some of his black bandage wrappings around his own arm to wrap around his middle to secure his side. there! it'll be fine like this. at least while they're on the move towards the structures. ]


..I think everyone has their own meaning. You can't really get an answer from one person. As he says, love can be something that gives someone's life meaning. Someone else might say just being happy gives their life meaning. [ man, Naib is saying a lot for once. normally he's quite quiet. ] There was a time where I felt like my soul was exhausted... but then I suddenly felt rain on me, and I started to feel a real sense of life. [ how it wasn't all entirely empty. ] Rain is pretty depressing, isn't it? But I can't say I hate it. Since in some areas, it's a blessing and can save lives.

[ wow, he kinda opened up there. he's quiet for a moment then quickly moves on as they approach these weird ass crystals. ] Anyways, what are these?

[ gently knocks against the crystal. are these real solid chonks of crystal? ]
arkitect: (pic#15378928)

[personal profile] arkitect 2022-01-06 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
["love and purpose...?" the squirrel says, wondering, mulling that answer over before it listens to naib-- and it hops out onto sora's shoulder to do so, peering at him. "i have never seen the rain. i don't know if it's meant to be sad, but... it makes things grow too, does it not?

i think i understand."


it seems less unsettled, now, content to ride on sora's shoulder rather than huddle in his hood once more.

as they approach the crystal, it seems to be glowing softly. sora will find glowing purple glyphs on the structures that match the color of the crystal, and when naib knocks on it...

well! something comes out of it!

a strange creature stands there, looking at them. its head does this.]

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