THE SQUAD'S SPA RETREAT ON WEATHERTOP [log post] [free-for-all] [modplot]

[wildermods]

THE SQUAD'S SPA RETREAT ON WEATHERTOP
OOC POST
The hills the squad travel through make an undulating ridge, often rising almost to a thousand feet, and here and there there are low clefts or passes leading into the land beyond. In the low-lying areas there are the ruins of walls and other buildings, and on some of the hills lie the ruins of different forts and watchtowers.

The highest hill in the area is Weathertop and this is where the squad will make camp on the fifth night of travel. This hill will provide them refuge but no refuge can truly keep them safe. As the crows said, they are the ones that were Chosen by the Green and the darker forces of this world have already found out about their existence.

However, the night starts normally. They make camp and set up watch and the hours pass without much reason for worry. A waxing moon rises into the sky, casting a gentle glow on the world. There is a light chill but nothing insurmountable due to their campfires. All is calm and peaceful.

That's why what happens next probably seems strange at first. Even those who aren't on watch may find themselves suddenly jerking out of sleep due to strange feelings of dread seemingly coming from nowhere. Those with holy magics, blessed weapons, or banked holy spells will find themselves feeling some kind of evil approaching. Those with cursed weapons or unholy powers will feel a sick sort of welcoming feeling, like something dark is approaching, yes - but that they should be glad.

Then the feeling of dread reaches them all, regardless of powers or weapons, clutching at every heart. Even those normally immune to fear may find themselves feeling the cold reaching its way inside them with prying fingers.

That's when the calm, misty night is shredded by the first screech, something inhuman, half-animalistic, half metal scraping over concrete. Another screech answers it from a different side of the hill, like the sources of the screeches are pack hunting and slowly closing in. More cold rolls in and the feeling of despair deepens as the sky starts to blot out with floating shadow shapes. The dementors aren't the source of the screeches but they're being spurred on by them, as if the unearthly shrills are calling out orders of some kind. The cold that sets in makes those that can feel cold feel as if they'll never be warm again.

But that isn't the worst of it. There are loud pops as living human figures pop in around the hilltop and its various trails downward. The ceramic and metal masks of dark wizards glint in the moonlight and spells start sparking from their wands as they start firing at the group - and at the dementors and approaching Nazgul. Cackles and sadistic laughter fill the air. Their leader is a woman with a cackle that sounds more mad and more sadistic than the others.

As the first of the cloaked Nazgul approaches from beyond the ring of stones, practically exuding darkness, one of the Death Eaters steps forward. She is shaking and though she pretends it's all rage and the thrill of potentially killing, at least some of it is fear. Even the Death Eaters can feel the chill from the Nazgul and dementors. Lestrange tries to cover that up with her usual sadistic glee.

"Naughty naughty, trying to steal my mistress' prisoners out from under her nose," she crows, flinging curses. "They're not your toys to play with and we'll send you back to your pathetic formless master with your tails between your legs. You may not be able to die for good but we'll make you wish you have!"

She cackles with shrill laughter and the fight begins in earnest. The Nazgul and dementors descend on the group and the Death Eaters do as well - and both sides attack each other, too, not caring who's in the middle. In the space of minutes, the Squad is in the middle of a deadly battleground.

Fortunately, the hill isn't the worst place to make a stand with its ruins providing cover and good vantage points and there are woods to escape to in the lands below if they make a run for it. Maybe, if they're very, very lucky, they might survive the night.

But their odds aren't great. The Death Eaters are a sadistic force to be reckoned with, and the dementors are no less horrifying for having changed sides to work with Sauron. If anything, they're even worse now, and their orders are that only a few need to be captured for Sauron and the Nazgul - the rest can be killed or have their souls sucked.

And many have fallen at the hands of the Nazgul and all flee before their faces - save the one who desires to have the Nine deliver the Squad into his hands, where they can be broken in the deep dungeons of Barad-dûr, where no light has ever touched.

---

NOTES
✦ Post in actionspam format. Plots and mod-run events in the game are meant to be in actionspam format to keep a brisk pace.

✦ Free-for-all Post. This event will be in "free-for-all" format, meaning that threadhopping is encouraged and that threading should be treated in the same conversational way as network posts.

✦ NPCing. Players can feel free to godmode the Nazgul and dementors in their own threads, as these npcs don't talk, and have very little personality beyond being pure evil. Please just make them realistically difficult to drive back as they're very powerful, unkillable enemies. However, the mods will npc the Death Eaters since they're intelligent speaking people. A thread will be available in the OOC post where players can link to their threads to request a Death Eater npc to participate.

✦ Fairy Swaps. Now that the fairy swap mechanism will be in place, players can make their quest characters and Brugh characters magically swap places whenever they want, including during the event itself.

✦ When it Takes Place: ICly this is 5 days into the Squad's journey through the hills.

Comments

Shuichi Saihara | OPEN + CLOSED PROMPTS

[shyhara]

a. OPEN

[It had seemed like a good choice of route for such a long while, too. Sure, days of walking through such hilly terrain wasn't exactly easy, but they'd gone five days without encountering any trouble. Given all the warnings they'd been given about the different paths, those quiet days of walking had been encouraging.

But of course, that fifth night had to turn everything to shit.

Right before all hell breaks loose, he's seated close to their campfire for the night, a small distance away from the bulk of the group as is his tendency when he doesn't have a Kaede or a Kaito around to drag him into being more social. The wave of dread that hits suddenly seems so irrational without any immediately obvious causes, but he can't shake the chill running down his spine or the sense that something awful is coming.

Which is about when he notices the sword he's been carrying around since waking up with it here. He's been keeping the thing tied to his belt with the most durable scrap of fabric he could find at the temple and otherwise generally ignoring it, but in the heavy shadows of the night and flickering firelight, it's hard not to see the white light just barely escaping from the crack between the hilt and sheath. Frowning, he tugs the katana out of the sheath and can only blink at the brightly glowing blade.]

Uh...

[What does he even say about something like that? "Hey guys, my sword is glowing for some reason"?? Kinda obvious. Any opportunity for comment he might have had is pretty immediately lost anyway, as a shrieking sound from overhead sounds as seemingly a cue for the ensuing chaos, startling him so badly that the sword practically jumps from his hands, clattering to the ground and across the stony ground like an oversized glowstick. And then everyone is up and yelling and running about and he's too easily jostled about in the commotion to quickly retrieve it. Shit.]


b. REVAN

[He'd expected to be less than useless with the katana. It's not like he's ever touched a sword in his life before waking up here, and carrying the thing around for a week didn't really count as any kind of training. He's surely more likely to accidentally hurt himself or someone else swinging the thing around without any real clue what he's doing.

And yet. When he pulls the sword from its sheath, it feels like he's been doing so all his life and just forgotten. One of the black cloaked things swoops in close with that aura of dread and cold, and when he strikes at it the movement is precise and controlled, slicing through tattered ends of fabric as the thing dodges away at the last moment before pulling back to a safer distance.

What the fuck.

He'd like that bewildered thought to be his only thought on this matter, but unfortunately, no. As wild as this seems at first, it's not the first he's heard of people being given amazing talents without them even realizing it. Thinking that this, whatever it is, could be more of the same, he feels faintly queasy in a way he knows he can't blame on the cloaked monsters.

Still. Whatever's going on, whatever his feelings on the situation are, this isn't the time for his normal overthinking. If it helps them all get out of this alive then he'll make use of it for now. Steeling himself, Shuichi lifts the blade again and sidesteps the monster as it darts in again, once again failing to do any damage but succeeding in fending it off. That's fine, he can work with that. He darts behind a ruined wall and then hurries around another, trying to lose the thing and regroup with the others he'd someone gotten separated from in the initial fray. He can feel it pursuing more than he can hear it, that dreadful aura far louder than its rattling gasps.]


c. BART AND LATER DIXON

[All this is so far out of his usual realm of expertise that he barely knows what to do. He's always been strategic and cool under pressure, but that's like...the pressure of impending deadlines, or even a hurried investigation before a trial with everyone's lives on the line. Pressure, potentially lethal pressure even, but it's still really not at all the same as a battlefield full of monsters and dark wizards slinging spells. This is frantic and fast-paced, more about quick thinking and fast reactions than strategy or whatever. He's pretty sure he'd be dead already if not for this new swordsman talent he's apparently been given.

But through it all, he can at least keep in mind that goal and grouping back up with everyone and from there...something. They could figure that could when they got to that point.

Up ahead, he spots a vaguely familiar figure. One of the other younger members of the group, someone he recognizes but hasn't talked to. But anyone is good right now. He hurries over, half-focused on keeping his footing on the hilly, sloping terrain with all its scattered rubble -- the swordsman talent hadn't extended to his general athleticism it seemed, tragically.]

H-hey!


d. WILDCARD?

((ooc: Hit me with a starter of your own if you'd like, or prod me @ tinybro if you wanna plan somehong specific!))

[therevanchist]

[Atop the wall, Revan rolls out of the way as a spell explodes harmlessly in the air where she'd been a moment before. Unfortunately, the crumbling stonework at the wall's edge can't support her weight, and gives way beneath her in a shower of masonry and mortar. She curses, not caring how un-Jedi-like it might be, then grunts with the impact of her graceless landing, forced to steady herself with an outstretched arm.

That's one way to get out of range, she supposes. At least no one saw her fail to stick the dismount--oh, dammit.]

Shuichi.

[He doesn't look like he's taking notes on anyone's performance, and Revan recovers quickly, sprinting the few meters into the cover of the wall beside him.]

You okay?

[shyhara]

[Shuichi startles a little as one of the walls starts crumbling above him as he passes under it, stumbling and hurrying to the cover of the next crumbled building, but he slows when upon glancing over his shoulder he sees Revan dropping down with the the loose stone.

He's definitely got no room to judge anyone's athleticism even in the best of situations. Right now, he just looks relieved to have found one of the others, especially one that had seemed both friendly and capable. She joins him and he automatically edges backwards to clear a bit of room for it. It's not a terribly big piece of cover, unfortunately.]

Are you alright?

[Yeah, it's...definitely easier to focus on the fact that she'd just fallen from the ruin wall than his own wellbeing right now. Especially because he really has no idea how he's doing at the moment.

For a second he's distracted anyway, catching his breath against the wall and trying to gauge the location of that monster thing just by the intensity of that feeling of dread. it's far from a precise science, but he might have bought a few seconds.]

There was...one of those cloaked things. The quiet, unarmed kind.

[Even in all the chaos, he has noticed that those monsters seem to come in two variations, and he's been filing away the differences without even thinking about it.]

[therevanchist]

Could be worse.

[They're absolutely surrounded by dark siders and thanks to whatever idiotic metaphysical laws govern this place she's less useful in a fight than an apprentice, but she hasn't been hit by a fireball. Revan manages something sort of like a smile, but the expression doesn't make it all the way to her eyes. They go unfocused when Shuichi mentions his last encounter, as though she's looking through the wall beside them.]

Yes. It's still hunting you.

[She can feel the knot of black despair where the thing twists the Force around it, moving through the chaos. Close, but they have long enough for Shuichi to recover a little.]

We can't kill the blasted things. All we can do is let the two sides distract each other while we head for the forest.

[shyhara]

[Ugh, why him? Not that he wants it hunting any of them, but. Y'know. Still.

He doesn't really get what's going on with her when she seems to zone out -- a frantic part of him, heart still pounding, wants to shake her into alertness. But she sounds confident in her conclusion there, and all he can do is nod uneasily. Maybe she's just got a better sense for that unnerving fear aura, who knows.]

It seems wary of this.

[He holds up his sword, blade still glowing such such close proximity to all the evil shit about. It's definitely counterproductive as far as stealth goes, but he figures he's better off keeping it out when it's the only thing that's been keeping him alive here.]

But we need to find everyone else. We can't risk leaving anyone behind.

[He manages to sound sure of himself on this subject, at least.]

[therevanchist]

It's a...I'd call it a light side artifact. They're useful against dark siders.

[The blade is a small bright presence in the maelstrom around them, but a candle won't do much against such all-encompassing darkness.

...They can discuss metaphysics later.]

I have no intention of leaving anyone behind.

[Her voice is tight and unhappy more than it is determined. Not that Revan had been given much choice in the matter, but fresh as it is, the memory of abandoning Bastila to a Sith Lord still stings with a sharp mixture of dread and wounded pride.]

But first we need to shake that thing chasing you. Up for a sprint?

[shyhara]

[He has...absolutely no idea what she's talking about. And normally he's a really good listener who takes the time to try understanding the weird shit everyone he knows talks about, but this really isn't the time for that. So he defaults to the other thing he's really good at, which is smiling awkwardly and nodding to just go along with the weird shit people love telling him about.]

Ah...right.

[He's about to just agree and take an extra moment to finish recovering before following her lead, but that air of dread suddenly returns in full force as the cloaked thing glides over the top of the wall they're hiding behind. He yelps, stumbling back.]

Y-yes, go!

[He'll turn to run, and for all that he knows she's probably more accustomed to this kind of thing than he is and definitely in better shape, he still can't help but reach out to catch at her arm, making sure she's getting clear of the monster ghost thing.]

[therevanchist]

Just run. You're not gonna lose me.

[Only one of them is out of breath, and it's not her. Revan's exasperated, but she can't truly fault the little gesture. It speaks well of Shuichi's priorities, if not his common sense.]

[shyhara]

[ look his common sense has been conditioned to anticipate someone dying every time he turns his back, you can't blame him.

The look he gives her is lingering and hard to read, eyebrows knitting together in something like uncertainty or concern or frustration (why would you just casually raise a death flag like that, why. But his jaw tightens and he faces forward to just run, focusing on not tripping on the uneven terrain.

But it's impossible to get far in this clusterfuck without encountering some baddie. Another of the phantom things suddenly cuts in front of them -- one of the ones with a sword, which means it's definite different from the one giving chase, which means the other one is still behind them, fuck -- and Shuichi moves on instinct, both hands gripping the katan's hilt as he slashes upwards. The subsequent shrieking suggests he might have actually made contact this time, but unfortunately it doesn't collapse or cease to exist or anything nearly so helpful.]

c

[outofresets]

[ Quick thinking and fast reactions where what Impulse was all about. They were the traits that had managed to keep him alive through all his own bad life decisions and all the tough spots the superhero life dumped him into. But in this situation, he still wasn't fairing much better than Shuichi with this power switch up. Against the people in masks, he was doing pretty well. It seemed like they didn't see physical attacks coming, let alone his newfound ability to steal their spells and turn them back on them.

But the creatures in the sheets were something else entirely. While his chain spell was able to pin them for a time, there were too many here, and with little restraint to his name, he'd run out of those spell slots far too quickly, and physical attacks did nothing against them as far as he could tell. The flying ones were particularly nasty, affecting him in a way that was getting harder to shake off with every encounter. So as much as he hated doing it, he'd resorted to trying to avoid them and concentrate on the human attackers, unless he could catch a stray spell that would affect them.

Unfortunately, he wasn't doing a great job of that. And as he was trying to take shelter behind some of the stone work for even just a short chance to catch his breath (and man, that was new, as a speedster that had never really been much of an issue unless he was really pushing himself), he could already feel the pressing dread that heralded the approach of more of those things. Hearing someone call out nearby broke him out of his thoughts and looking over to see one of the other teens from their group, he quickly got to moving again, rushing up to the other boy. ]

Please tell me you have some kind of holy spells or something, 'cuz I'm tapped out.

[shyhara]

[The face Shuichi makes upon immediately being greeted with talk of more magic shit would probably be pretty funny in any other situation -- it's his nature to be polite and understanding whenever possible, even when people are spouting complete nonsense at him, but goddamn this irrational fantasy stuff everyone else has apparently just immediately accepted is getting really old. It's a brief war between grimacing and just awkwardly faking a smile and shaking his head, made worse by his panting as he catches his breath.]

Uh, no. But I have this.

[He holds up his sword, blade still glowing, and shrugs. "Holy spells" or "light artifact" as Revan had called it, whatever. He can grapple with the bullshit later, for now he has evidence of it being effective against the cloaked monsters and that's what matters right now, that feeling of dread indicating it's probably gonna be needed real soon.

And speak of the devil: shit.]

M-move!

[He abruptly grabs Bart's arm to yank him forward, further away from the phantom monster thing that just suddenly rounded the corner with an rattling hiss, his other arm lifting the sword in a smooth instinctual motion to ward off its lunge towards them.]

[outofresets]

[ If Bart noticed the odd forced smile he didn't react to it as if he did. Then again, he'd never been particularly good at telling the difference between a real smile and a fake one. Not that he had much time to ask why he would need to fake a polite smile before the other boy held up a glowing sword. ]

Does that actually affect them?

[ A glowing sword could mean magic, or that it has some unusual properties to it that would make it effective against less corporeal beings, or it could mean it's just a sword that glows. Where he came from it could be hard to tell if you didn't ask. But he barely got the words out before that dread sunk its claws in a little deeper, and one of the ragged phantoms came slinking around the corner and lunging toward them.

Still not use to people being able to just grab him without him seeing it coming, he looks more than a little startled to have his arm yanked on, almost tripping over his own feet as he's moved out from their new pursuers path. ]

[shyhara]

[The next few moments answer that question better than Shuichi can himself. A gnarled grey hand reaches out from the folds of the cloak and the tip of his sword seems to just catch it -- hardly a fatal or even very significant wound, but the way the monster recoils immediately suggests it definitely didn't enjoy it. Shuichi takes his hand off Bart so he can wield the katana with both hands, internally screaming a little as he sets himself between the dementor and the other boy. Fuck, he is no sort of heroic type or fighter or anything like that, but he's the one with the glowing sword here and he has to do something.

His grip on the weapon seems sure and practiced, far more confident than the uneasy waver of his voice.]

I-I don't know if I can...

[Actually kill it, whatever it is? Hold it off for very long, even? He's not sure where to go with that one. The cloaked thing recovers and inches forward once more, apparently cautious now of the weapon.

But even if he can deal with this thing, there are so many others, and the people in masks too, and their own group is scattered and scrambling. It's hard to judge if the anxious, hopeless feeling in his chest is from the dementor or just simple logic.]

[outofresets]

[ It goes against every instinct to let someone else put themselves between him and harms way. Even among his fellow superheroes about the only ones he feels comfortable standing behind are Kon and Cassie and that was because they were both nearly indestructible, with Kon, in particular, being the teams brick shithouse that regularly used himself as a human shield for his friends. But Shuichi was the one with a weapon and he knows when to let someone else take point.

And as that decaying hand creeping toward them suddenly pulls back when it's merely nicked by the katana he feels a faint swell of hope, that's immediately crushed by the other boy's wavering voice and uncertainty. ]

That's okay.

[ Putting a hand lightly on Shuichi's shoulder, he tries to talk as calmly as he knows how, hoping it would be assuring, despite the fact that it's such an unpracticed tone coming from him that anyone familiar with him would probably see it for the alarming sign of just how worried he actually was.

It wasn't so much worry over himself, dealing with getting himself out of this kind of situation might have been a pain but he'd been in worse spots. Lately though, he hadn't had what he considered a good track record of keeping others safe on his own. And without his powers or even any useful magic, he was pretty much useless in this situation, which meant all he could do to help them out of this was to think, strategize. Not really skills anyone considered him to be known for or good at.

Still, it was probably better to at least sound like he knew what he was talking about, and assure the other kid that they will get out of this okay. So he tries to channel his best Tim voice.]

It's just one, and it looks like your sword can still hurt it, so maybe if we just back off [ With his hand still on his shoulder, Impulse cautiously takes a step back and tries to pull Shuichi with him away from the creature. ], it will stay back far enough for us to make a run for it and we can regroup with some of the others.

[ And with that knock on wood, voices and footsteps draw closer from behind them. Looking back, while he can't see them yet, it's still clear they're heading their way, and with the luck their groups has been having in this situation, he's willing to bet it's not the sound of the cavalry coming to help. ]

Grife.

[ There goes their exit. Okay, new plan! New probably even worse plan! ]

Okay. That's still okay. The guys in the masks aren't a problem for me, so...[ So, what? Just leave him here to deal with the monster he doesn't know if he can handle, while he plays hero? What else was there to do? Why couldn't Cassie or Tim be here, or Anita or even Kon? Any of them would know exactly what to do. ] so if they come this way I can deal with them, and make us an exit. Do you think you could hold this thing off, or would you rather try and break through them together, see if they take care of the creepy laundry pile for us?

[shyhara]

[The contact is more comforting than it should be, even if it logically doesn't improve the situation. He's always done better with someone more confident backing him up. He tears his eyes from the dementor just briefly to cast a look over his should at the other boy, trying to quench the sparks of uneasiness no doubt being fanned by the monster's presence.

The sound of footsteps and human voice approaching really works counter to that effort. And the latter of those suggestions only makes his grimace worse.]

This is a sword. [Thank you, Captain Obvious. But in his defense, it's not so much sass as distress.] Those are still people. I can't... They could die.

[And it hasn't eacaped his notice that these people aren't attacking to kill. Not that that would make him more inclined to kill in return, but like. Dude. He can't turn a bladed weapon on a bunch of humans, no matter how clearly "magic and evil" they are.]

But he can't just fall apart here, however much he wants to -- and god he wants to, it's like Ouma's reveal of the outside workd all over again, only this time there's enough adrenaline running through his system to keep him on his feet. Is all that really the monster? Is there really a way to weaponize despair so directly. He bites down on his lip hard and shakes his head, forcing himself to focus.]

I'll...I'll deal with the cloaked thing.

[It's not a super convincing attempt at assuredness, but the thing makes another sudden lunge forward only to lurch back away from a swing of the katana, so at least he's definitely giving it a go.]

[outofresets]

[ Bart throws him a horrified look at the implication that he was asking him to kill them.] That's not what I-!...I meant-! [ He started defensively before stopping himself, wincing. ]

[ Grife. Maybe they were like Dixon. A civilian who just woke up here with that sword; barely knew how to fight with it and probably couldn't fight at all without it. He really needed to stop assuming everyone here was used to taking down supervillains with their fists, or that none lethal takedowns went without saying. He definitely didn't want to encourage another Wheeler incident. Stupid. ] Nevermind. You're right.

[ The other boy's attempt to assure him he could handle the cloaked monstrosity on his own, was about as convincing as he'd probably thought it was, and when the creature lunged at them, Imp's breath caught in his throat and he came close to instinctually shoving him out of the things path. Thankfully Shuichi was quicker with his sword than Bart could now react and the thing reared back away from them again.

Further proof that it really was scared of getting hit with it, which was a much more genuinely reassuring sign the other kid would be okay on his own. He still didn't feel comfortable with the idea, but as footsteps drew closer and the glint of light reflecting off masks in the dark became visible, they were running out of time to come up with another option. ]

O-Okay, just...if you need help just shout, alright? [ Not that he would probably be much help. ] I'll get you when I've dealt with these guys. And if you get another opening before I can make one, just take it, I'll find a way to catch up.

[ And before he could think too hard into it, or talk himself out of it, or get caught up in what-ifs, he took off toward the oncoming footfalls. ]

[wildernpcs]

[Two Death Eaters swarm in - and then a third. Whuh oh.]

[They're led by a male Death Eater who cries out:]

There he is! [Apparently Bart's already making a rep for himself.] The mudblood thief!

[They start flinging curses Bart's way, making it so he's stuck in an almost VR-like challenge of his reflexes. With Shuichi not far behind him, he can't even risk dodging spells - he has to somehow be fast enough to reflect and deflect them all.]

It's time someone put you in your place for stealing magic, you muggle filth.

[The air starts to zing and sizzle with different curses, burning brightly with acid colors.]

[A]

[the_hit_list]

[ The glowing sword caught Tim's attention - it was hard to from the moment it was unsheathed, burning through the dark like a sunbeam. It was a good thing, too, because that meant he knew exactly who'd lost their weapon.

He ran a straight bead through the increasingly confused campsite, dodging friend and foe alike.

An attack was bad. An unarmed teammate during an attack was worse. But leaving a magically glowing weapon lying around for anyone to grab? He didn't need to be told that was a bad idea. Tim doesn't stop, just dips down for two steps as he passes the sword to scoop it up without breaking stride.

His brain immediately tries to correct his grip to a two-handed one, but with his right hand holding his bo, that can't be done. Anyway, he reaches the swordsman ten seconds later and swings the weapon back to the side of himself, like he's done it before, to offer it hilt first. ]

I think you dropped something.

[shyhara]

[Shuichi's heart nearly stops for a momeny as he's trying to make his way over to the dropped weapon and someone else beats him there and scoops it up. It would be just his luck if one of the evil wizards or whatever nabbed the only thing he had that might keep him alive here. But fortunately his luck isn't quite that shit tonight, and it's a vaguely familiar face that crosses the rest of the space between them and offers him his sword back.]

Th-thanks...

[From the awkward way he takes the sword back, like he's half afraid it'll bite him, he certainly doesn't look like much of a swordsman. There's definitely a part of him that thinks he should just tell this much more capable-looking guy to hold onto it instead since it'd probably be more effective in better hands.

He doesn't, though. Maybe because it feels wrong to let the thing get too far away from him, or just out of some selfish need to be able to at least try to protect himself.]

[the_hit_list]

[ This is definitely the owner of the sword; Tim doesn't really question that. He saw the whole trajectory. But... yes, it doesn't appear that the guy has been studying very long. ]

You're welcome.

[ But Tim abruptly switches plans. What had been "reunite weapon and master, continue on into the fray" is now, basically "or not." Until Tim is convinced that the swordsman can look after hiself, he'll stay close enough to jump in, although he intends on hanging back should anyone come at them to see what Shuichi will do.

Like now, oh dear. Someone's charging them from Tim's 3 o'clock. Whatever shall they do? (Brace himself and wait until the last second to engage as needed, obviously.) ]

[shyhara]

[The mistake here is being convinced that a dude with a sword is a swordsman. That is just 100% wrong in this case, no matter what the universe or the producers or whatever seemed to think when they dumped him here with one.

Maybe that's evident enough when something comes charging their way and his first instinct isn't to raise the weapon. No, it's to move, and maybe panic a little that this guy isn't doing that.]

H-hey!

[Maybe this guy is experienced and knows what he's doing. But maybe he's just as lost as Shuichi and freezing up, and Shuichi isn't taking chances. So he very abruptly grabs the guy and yanks him to the side, hopefully out of their foe's immediate path.]

[the_hit_list]

[ When the guy reaches to yank him out of the way, Tim moves with the tug. Testing to see what his companions can and will do is fine. He wasn’t going to stand there as an angry, growling whatever clad in black lunges at him – or the space where he was.

It might be human, but Tim won’t assume with the masked face. The size is right, but the posture is off. Still, a hood implies a head, and that’s where Tim brings the end of his staff down with a satisfying thunk. ]

At least you have good reflexes.

[ That’s as much of a compliment as he’s going to give for now. ]

Who are they?

A

[coiledscales]

[ The night has very quickly turned chaotic and Alacruun positively despises chaotic. He's wearing his humanoid form (for the moment), trying to take up a bit less space and attract a bit less attention. The camp is disorganized and full of shouts and the creeping, dread feelings that come with the Nazgul and the Dementors and Alacruun - Alacruun is having none of this.

This is not how he goes out. Not here. Not now.

There's also a glowing sword that's been skittering across the ground by the rush and he glances at it and then up at Shuichi. ]

...I assume you'll want this back.

[shyhara]

[Pushing through the scattering bodies, Shuichi stumbles through the group over to his sword, fortunately still glowing and thus making it much easier to keep track of. He knows he needs to keep track of that thing no matter what.

He's rather less sure what to make of the man standing over it, almost uncomfortably cool despite the general chaos. Are those horns? Jesus, those look like horns.]

Y-yeah, thank you...

[He'll just...tentatively reach for the dropped katana, like he's uncertain if that comment was supposed to mean something significant.]

[coiledscales]

Here-

[ Alacruun bends without any hesitation and picks the sword up, offering the hilt to Shuichi. His smile, despite that, is all teeth. ]

You'll do better with this than I will. You'd better hold on to it.

[ Don't let him fool you, Shuichi. ]