004=audio; un: grimreaper666

[rebellions]

M'kay, let's get this over with.

[ Despite the utter chaos that's engulfed Aldrip once again, Ragna's tone is closer to "Ah shit, here we go again" than genuine distress. ]

Those giant monster heads poking out around Aldrip? That thing's from my world. They call it "the Black Beast". Don't even think about mindlessly throwing yourself at it, unless you wanna end up as a snack. If you can't fight it, run. And even if you can, make sure you don't stay around it for too long. Trust me, seithr poisoning ain't pretty.

[ Surely they can't mess that up. The way it is now, the monstrosity is basically untouchable, so that should dissuade anyone from throwing themselves at it without a plan. Speaking of which─ ]

... I know a way to stop it... or, at the very least, slow it down. It's a bit different this time, so I dunno how much time I can give you. A week maybe? Either way, don't make me wait too long.

[ What does he mean by that, exactly? No time to elaborate! Instead, he swiftly moves on to the more important topic. ]

Any of you who can use magic? Now's your time to shine. That's gonna be super effective against it, so go all out. Don't think there's any causality weapons lying around here, but things with any kind of magical enhancement should do the trick, too. Forget your run-of-the-mill swords and guns unless you're completely outta options, those things ain't gonna leave a scratch on it; at best, maybe they can keep it occupied for a moment or two.

[ He makes a pause to let that sink in. He may not sound overly stressed, but it's clear he's serious about this and wants to get his point across. ]

... It seems stationary for now, but I'm not sure it'll stay that way, so chop chop. It's a small miracle it hasn't leveled the city yet, so let's take advantage of that.

[ That should about cover the most pressing things, right? Unfortunately, he has no way of knowing if things will work exactly the same way as they did back home, so the most he can give them is these general pointers and hope for the best. And make no mistake, he hates the idea of relying on others, but... that's the only way this time. Ragna lets out a small sigh, signing off as he starts preparing to head out. ]

If you've got any questions, ask them now or forever hold your peace.

Comments

audio; un: QUEENOFZAUN.

[opheliac]

[there's a lot of noise of her boots scrapping against pavement, and her breath heaving with her trot. maybe nobody else is able to pinpoint the meaning of his words, but jinx unraveled it. she knows a self-annihilation mission when she hears one, especially when she is... well.]

Ragna? .... Ragna!! — Don't leave me...!

[maybe if he hears her voice, he'll have second thoughts. maybe if she gets to the church in time (if that's where he is), he'll reconsider. she wasn't able to stop isha, but maybe this is her do over to stop someone who is important to her from sacrificing themselves for everyone, for her.]

[rebellions]

[ For a brief moment, hearing her voice does give Ragna a pause; but the hesitation passes almost immediately, as the message only strengthens his resolve. In the end, that's the whole reason he's doing this, isn't it? To keep her safe, and to protect the world where she's managed to build a life for herself. Sure, he'd probably sacrifice himself even without that in mind, but it makes him exceptionally determined... though a part of him does wish he could spare the girl the pain of it. ]

... Hiya, Smurfette. Stay safe, 'kay?

[ His tone is light and gentle, like he's trying to reassure her that it's fine. Everything's gonna be fine. ]

[opheliac]

[she can use her shimmer ability to run faster, and she is trying to focus on her soles to encourage it. but her mind is a wreck, and the voices of the death are howling and overlapping into a sea of pandemonium.]

But family sticks together! Do you hear me, idiot?! — We're supposed to stay together!!

[her tone cracks in desperation, suddenly getting tossed back in time of her younger self pleading to her older sibling to either take her with her, or to stay put. she can almost hear the rain so clearly, the phantom aches of her scrapped elbow and bruised nose.]

Please don't go! I need you, please come back!!

[rebellions]

[ It breaks his heart to hear her like this, repeating almost the exact same words as the one his little siblings cried at him during their last meeting. Telling him that they needed him, that they didn't want him to go, that they'd only just been reunited and he's already leaving them. And just like back then, Ragna steels himself, speaking in a calm, even voice. ]

Yeah. And you've still got family, remember? You've got your sister, and your old man. Hell, you've even got your boy. You're not alone.

[ As far as comforting someone goes, it might seem almost laughable that he'd try this angle, but it's true. Ragna knows he's leaving her in good hands, and that takes some weight off his shoulders. Sure, it's scary now, but Jinx has every reason to go on, and he believes she can do so just fine.

After all, he's always needed his younger siblings more than they ever needed him, and the girl here is no different. ]

... Me, I'll be in a timeout for a little while. Gotta clean up my own mess.

[opheliac]

But you're my brother, you're apart of us! Please, I'll —... I'll be less annoying, I won't pick fights with anyone ever again. I'll...

[she pauses, trying to frantically think of something else to convince him.]

— I'll be a better sister or whoever you want me to be! Just... stay here with me. Who's gonna be my partner in crime while you're gone? What if you don't come back?

audio, un: fauna

[nightwild]

[Well. Maybe this would have been good to find out before she ran off and got beat.

...

Well, no. She wouldn't have listened anyway. So when Fauna adds something to the post sometime later, she's trying to keep her tone as clear as possible.]

The Beast may be worse than before. It got me good- I lost my Seeds to it. Wish-granting items from my world. They shouldn't work here, I think... but I don't know what it'll do with them.

[rebellions]

... You've gotta be shitting me.

[ Seriously? Failed step one? Usually it's Ragna who would do something that stupid, so forgive him that he's a little stunned there are other idiots ruining things for everyone around here. ]

I appreciate the attempt to make me look better by trying to be the most impulsive dumbass around, but you're actually making things worse.

[ Okay, now that the sassy response is out of the way, what is he supposed to do with that? And why did it have to be wish-granters of all things? He just knew this subject coming up in the earlier post meant trouble... ]

I'll... try to see if I can suppress them in any way, but don't count on it working. Whatever the hell happens with those, that's on you to fix that.

[ Harsh? Perhaps, but it needs to be said. ]

[nightwild]

Look, when I detect a monster, my first reaction isn't to go check the internet about it!

[... she sounds self-conscious....]

... I'll let everyone know what to do.

[rebellions]

There are monsters, and then there's a world-ending apocalypse. Learn the difference.

[ But that's where he's willing to end the shit-talking part, since there are more pressing matters to address. ]

... Good. Make sure they know what they're up against. [ A beat. ] Those "Seeds" things. What happens if the Black Beast uses them?

[nightwild]

It shouldn't be able to.

[She sounds firm on that point, at least.]

The Seeds work on 'despair' and 'wishes'. A monster that doesn't have either of those shouldn't be able to use the Seeds itself.

audio; un: shades

[laserguy]

Alright, use magic. Resistant to regular weapons. Hopefully my powers don't count in the latter category. Don't suppose it has a big weakness that we can focus our attack on? And are there other attacks we need to worry about besides that poison you mentioned?

[.....]

How do you plan on slowing it down anyway?

[rebellions]

I'm gonna hazard a guess and say yes? Anything outside "logic" counts. Hell, that includes stuff like vampires and werewolves, too. But maybe test it out before going all in.

[ Just be on the safe side; he can't guarantee it'll work, this being a whole different world and stuff, but it's worth a shot. ]

What, like some kinda video game boss? As if. All I can say is, it'll probably feel like you're making no progress whatsoever, but it is possible to take it down. [ As for other attacks... ] Be on the lookout for smaller pieces of it, even after it's down. They can spawn in the places it's been at. Not sure if it'll happen here, but better safe than sorry.

[ And for his final question... Well. Unlike the previous ones, that's one he's being stubbornly vague about. ]

I have my ways.

[laserguy]

Well, it's pretty much the only thing I got, so not much of a choice there.

[Other than running around and getting others to safety. Important stuff still, but Scott would like to actually fight the big monster thing.]

So smaller parts of it can come back. That's really annoying. [Best to have people stick around in those areas then? If they even have enough fighters. Probably? Scott pinches his nose, barely holding back a sigh. And then...]

Yeah, that's a vauge ass answer. Not going to share that part with the class?

[rebellions]

Yep. Get to work, hero boy.

[ Ragna may act somewhat callous, but he really is counting on Scott and others like him, much as it kills him inside. ]

Only until the whole thing's been taken down. After that, it should be good... for now.

[ He adds that last part, because there's still a chance this place will end up bringing him back to life like it usually does with the Chosen, and as long as he's around, so is the Black Beast. But it's not worth getting into right now, so he leaves the interpretation up to him. And speaking of not giving all the details... ]

That info's on the need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know.

[laserguy]

[Hero boy..........

But more importantly, the last bit of what Ragna said. Scott frowns more at his tablet, not losing his cool, but just sounding vaguely annoyed. It really feels like he's missing something important.]

Uh, dude, you are talking about doing something that's going to stall the giant monster that's currently attacking the city. It kind of sounds like something people should know.

audio; un: spartan

[melnik]

How about the obvious one: what are you planning on doing?

[ Despite the fact that he's so ready to cut to the chase, however, he is appreciative for this information. It certainly saved him some time and bullets. ]

[rebellions]

[ On one hand, the old man seems to be the right person for the job of organizing the battle like this... on the other, there are probably better questions he should be asking here. ]

The hell does it matter? It's something only I can do anyway.

[ Clearly he's not willing to share his secrets. ]

[melnik]

I have no interest in trying to stop you. I just want some assurance that your plan is actually sound before we agree to trust you with our lives.

[ Throwing himself into the first kneejerk decision that suits him? Seems par for the course. The only difference here is that he seems to be more familiar with this problem than anyone else. ]

If we're going to work together on this, we need to lay it all out. [ But look, even he knows that's not likely. So — ] At the very least, if we're going to be playing decoy for you, you had better let us know when to take cover.

[rebellions]

[ "Trust". "Together". Those are words that normally wouldn't form in Ragna's head, let alone make it past his lips. The whole thing leaves him somewhat uncomfortable, and honestly? He's not entirely sure where to even begin with that. When he finally replies, his tone is a bit softer than usual. ]

... You've got it backwards.

[ If anything, he's the bait here. Which isn't his preferred role, mind you, but in this specific care, there's no way around it. ]

I know what I'm doing. But once shit hits the fan, I won't be able to tell you anything. You guys will be on your own.

[ He exhales slowly, perhaps giving the impression that he's almost tired. But it's fine if people don't believe him; he'll still do everything in his power to protect them. ]

Whether you trust me or not means jack shit. We've still got an apocalypse to deal with.

[melnik]

[ "Backwards." Yes. That's news to him. But regardless of the role that Ragna intends to take in this, the result is going to have some kind of effect on the rest of them, and that's what he's worried about. Perhaps it is some minor solace that he seems to be trying to act to neutralize this threat personally...

But if he's going to make some grandiose gesture and sacrifice himself, then he'd at least like to feel confident that it will do some good!

It doesn't matter what he wants though. He thinks he'd have a better chance arguing with a brick wall. What's with these people who just can't help themselves in playing the hero? The reminder of his own son-in-law is impossible to push out of his mind, and Miller makes an exasperated sound, his voice rising an octave. ]

And so what? You think this is my first apocalypse? You may think you know what you're doing, but in refusing to explain yourself to anyone, you only get in the way of the rest of us coming to an informed decision!

Even you know you can't take this thing out on your own!

voice; un: ushiromiya

[entreats]

[ --Well, okay, that's-- that's a whole lot of questions this entire thing is generating right there, but Ange realizes that this is also the time to focus. First the most important stuff. ]

Is it any kind of magic in general that's super effective against it, or something more specific? Do you know?

[ If there's anything Ange has learned in this place, it's that magic can vary so much from world to world - and sometimes there's even different kinds in the same world.

Her voice isn't quite as emotionless as usually. She still sounds pretty serious, but there's an undertone of worry in it. ]

[rebellions]

[ Just the person he was hoping to hear from. Yeah, there are probably some differences between his world's magic and hers, but Ange is still a mage, so she'll probably be a great asset in this fight. ... Not that he wants to drag her into this, but it's a little too late for that. For now, better to focus on what can be done. ]

Any kind's good. Sure, the real magic ─ or anything else that exists outside "logic", really ─ would be the most effective, but even magic diluted with technology works on it too.

[entreats]

That's exactly what my magic is like.

[ Her voice is so quiet - and filled with emotion on top of it. He's getting to hear her realization in real time here, practically speaking. ]

Ragna, that's exactly what my magic is like! It's meant to be something that goes against logic specifically!

[rebellions]

Figured as much.

[ He's only seen a little of what she can do, and given the different worlds and all that it may very well have been something completely unlike what he knows, but he did have a feeling it might be sorcery that she uses. ]

Looks like you're gonna be one of our most important assets in this fight. [ A beat. ] No pressure or anything.

[entreats]

[ Without hesitation: ]

I'll be there.

[ Apparently she doesn't seem to mind the pressure, huh.. ]

I'll need to arrange some things. [ Because even though her magic seems to be effective here for once, Ange knows that without backup she is going to just get killed out there before she can do all that much. And she knows where she has to go for backup. ] And--

[ She pauses.

It's like she suddenly realized something in the middle of thinking a million thoughts a moment. ]

Wait, what about you then? [ Apparently Ange's brain decided to pick this moment to shove the thought that something was off about Ragna's message back to the forefront of her mind.. ]