bravenewworld | Event - Confrontation with the Enhanced

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Event - Confrontation with the Enhanced

With the revelation of the presence of the Enhanced, Union was able to quickly mobilize. As the strange conditions continued to worsen, the Trainers of Union once again set out to bring order to the chaos.

This time however, they do not walk entirely alone. A small, dedicated team remains behind in Union, sorting through the dossiers and information that Crystal and Rory have collected. Connected to those in the field via Warp Band network, hopefully they can identify the Enhanced and find a way to calm them before a tragedy occurs.

[OOC: There will be a thread for each active team based on the sign-ups. Any areas that did not have any sign-ups will not be present and will be addressed later. As per our usual standards, moderators and NPC helpers will progress the log at least once every 24 hours. The Union log will work somewhat differently from the battle logs in that the participants will be collecting information concerning the Enhanced; when enough information has been accumulated, they will be asked to tag into the battle threads to provide guidance and support to those out in the field.

Characters participating in the Union log will function as support staff for this event. They will have their own log interacting with Rory and Crystal and as characters in other logs encounter the Enhanced, they can use the observations made to try to find out more about the Enhanced in the field and help the people in the field determine an appropriate situation. Because of this, players in the Union thread may threadjack any ongoing log to relay information as needed.

The outcome of this event will depend very much on player decisions and the ability of the characters to respond to the threats at hand, so we would highly encourage you all to tag as regularly as possible. Thanks!]

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Eri's eyes flash a brilliant blue. As Tatyana returns to the ship, she extends her hand and forms a ball of ice which she launches into the air. It explodes, sending sharp icicles into the forming whirlpool in an attempt to slow the water, calming it around the ship. Even if it means freezing the entire water around the ship that would be preferable, she can always release it later.

Bracing herself against the side of the ship, Nozomi managed to call back the Wailord and summon Coeus, her Reuniclus. The bubble child bracing his human from behind, she gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, I'm fine," Turning her attention back to the whirlpool. "Help me find who's doing this."

Holding onto her shoulders, Coeus tried to scan the waters with psychic energy. Nozomi, meanwhile, cautiously took a hand from the side of the ship, reaching for her card holster and drawing a card--Justice--channeling Miracle Eye through it.

Edited 2015-02-01 08:14 (UTC)

With her team of ghosts, Maya almost feels as though she can do nothing to aid at the moment. Instead, she braces herself for the possibility of needing to use protect or light screen by focusing her own energy, instructing her pokémon to be ready as well.

The murmuring hum in the back of their minds, at times a whisper, at times a hiss, becomes distinctive now as the sound of human laughter. As Banzu attempts to steer the ship away, Eri's frost interrupts his valiant effort; whether or not it was the result of her powers or the third party altogether, the churning waters begin to solidify into ice. It seems as if this force simply wants to get this ship to stop any way it can.

Hm...?

Nozomi's Miracle Eye will probably not allow her to see through the bottom of the ship, unfortunately - but she will very clearly detect the presence sitting at the bottom of the whirlpool. It would probably be advisable not to use her psychic powers to brush too closely against this mind.

In any case... it also detects her.

Nozomi and Coeus may feel a sudden headache coming on as a strong Psychic shockwave ripples towards them in response.

Well this is lovely. Banzu will keep the throttle open and continue trying to pull out for a bit, but if they don't start moving he'll shut it down, because he didn't build the engine with this particular scenario in mind and he doesn't want to wreck it by trying to sail out of a block of ice.

There! While she couldn't see the source, she could feel it distinctly and, as she began to press further, Coeus gripped her shoulders tightly. The Reuniclus very rarely spoke--or made any noise at all--so the sudden distressed, pained gasp from the pokemon might come as a surprise.

Nozomi lurched forward as she gripped the side tightly, trying to play it off as a direct result of the boat's movement. Her head was screaming, she should let go.

Should. But wouldn't. Not yet.

Just a little longer, just a little more. Please, body, just hold out a little more. Nozomi kept her mind attuned, trying to reach out, to communicate. She wasn't much of a telepath, if at all, and the act itself was taxing, so she only managed a few words.

"Here. Help. Friends."

That was all she could take before she severed the link, whole body shaking, head threatening to split in two. "She's. She's below us." Nozomi managed to get out, struggling to keep her usual optimism present in her voice, despite the pain.

"NOZOMI!"

As Eri screams, the ice underneath the ship starts to spike out downward, reacting to her rage and driving down beneath the ship.

Maya's gaze snapped to Coeus and Nozomi, and, hesitantly, she took a step closer to her cousin. With so little she could do, she felt almost useless-- but if anything, if she was able to keep herself out of damage, she could later try using Pain Split with anyone who might need it.

Her concentration was thrown instantly, though, at Eri's exclamation.

"Wait--" Maya began, though the effort was futile. What could she do? Wouldn't further stressing Eri just make it worse?

"..."

If Nozomi isn't a strong telepath, her conversation partner certainly seems to be. She might not get the response she desires in words, but flashes of thoughts and emotions will swirl about in the mental link they briefly share. Noise. Pain. Screams. Anxiety. Fear. Echoing back and forth until it's not at all clear whose mind these feelings stem from. When she looks at Eri, she will feel her rage. When she glances to Maya, she will see her indecision.

At the end of this, the unseen assailant's face will imprint itself into Nozomi's mind for a brief moment, one hand over an ear, the other holding a finger over her lips. Her face is hauntingly lovely... her hair fans out about her in the water. There is the sensation, the very distinct sensation that this person is drowning... though surely that doesn't make any sense...

Shhh...

And then it is gone.

Back in real time, as Banzu brings the ship to a halt, the sound of the engine dies down to give way to nothing but the sea once again. Eri's scream echoes loudly over the waters, and the ice spears down towards the woman within its depths. Perhaps it strikes true, but it's not entirely clear...

But there will be plenty more time to attempt to strike. All around the boat now, large swells of water gently cascade up from the sea, giving way and receding as something surfaces on each side. To their north, a Starmie; to the south, a Lanturn; to the east, a Jellicent... And to the west, right where they are clustered by the edge, a young woman with vibrant red hair, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest and a half-smile on her face.

"..."

While Eri's scream just confuses him, not seeing the reason for it, Banzu half-stands from his seat when he sees the Pokémon and woman rise from the waters.

Damn time you showed yourself.

He aims his Warp Band's camera at the woman through the window of the wheelhouse and transmits to Union.

"It's Banzu. She's shown herself. Red hair, control over water, two..." Multi the Smeargle taps him on the shoulder and points to the rear. "Make that three Pokémon, a Starmie, a Jellicent, and one more I can't see from here. Tell me what'cha got."

The Beheeyem, Carbink, and Rotom at the bow eye the situation with caution, the Carbink slowly floating towards the girls, trying not to provoke an attack but also trying to get close enough to be able to get at least one of them behind one of its shields if they're targeted. Banzu unholsters his Thunder Wave handgun, keeping it out of sight for the time being as he flicks the safety off.

Staring out into open water, her mind was assaulted by images, sensations; Nozomi was nearly overwhelmed by it, forcing herself to swallow down hard, lest she be physically sick.

She could see her. Her face, the vivid color of her hair. Nozomi mimicked her gestures unknowingly, one finger moving to her lips, and the other hand cupped over her ear. She felt the water around her, enveloping her, and, before breaking from her trance, as if the woman was in front of her, Nozomi took her hand from her ear, reaching out, tired, pained mind reaching out.

Nozomi hadn't realize she wasn't breathing until she suddenly started coughing and gasping for air. What was--for a moment, she felt like the two had been.

...Was that what she was trying to tell them?

"Ericchi stop!" Finally gaining control again, she grabbed tightly to the other woman's wrist, then looked toward Maya. There were tears in her eyes; whether they were tears of pain or for the woman she saw, it was unclear. "Tell them we don't want to hurt her."

Quickly turning her head, she shouted over the roar of the ocean. "Banzu, cut the engines! No one make a sound!" And before he could argue; "Just do it! Trust me!"

If she was wrong, they were dead--but if they continued down the road they were on, she was almost certain they would be lost at sea either way.

Through great force of will, Eri grits her teeth and the ice around the ship dissipates as she loosens her grasp on it.

At Nozomi's words, Maya's face went from one of concern to a more resolute one. Something was wrong, and there was no time to act like a child or act worried, or frightened.

No one make a sound-- but if Maya could concentrate long enough, she could send some sort of sign. She wasn't telepathic herself, but her psychic powers relied more on spirits and the mediation between them; thus, closing her eyes, she tried to make her aura as peaceful as possible. Tried to reach out, to push forward.

Using the shadows to zip to the other side of the helm, Shinrei dragged Boss to motion toward the pokémon waiting at the other side. With ribbon-like feelers extended, Boss did his best to communicate as well.

She can certainly sense the related psychic energy required in communication with the spirit world, though not to the same extent as a telepathic link. As Nozomi lists and gasps for air, the woman in the water slowly rises upwards, buoyed by a great wave that swells and deposits her gently on the railing of the boat. The Pokemon silently keep watch from their positions around the ship.

On land, her movements are quick, a little jerky - some combination of preferring the fluidity of the water and a mild discomfort with her own body. She lightly steps towards Maya as the spirit medium closes her eyes and meditates.

"..."

........Yes. She likes this. She has never seen anyone do this before... Her half-smile becomes a dreamy, vacant expression as she, too, closes her eyes and circles around Maya and her spirits, all of whom will feel a strange presence lightly brushing against them. It's a frenetic feeling at first, though it begins to slowly calm - and there comes a sense of the wonder of someone experiencing something for the first time...

Her eyes snap open quickly, though. A frown.

Abruptly, a wave of water will casually lift from the ocean and brusquely try to smack Eri away towards the back of the ship. It's not meant to be overly offensive, but it's a clear sign to go away. In contrast, despite that Banzu is holding a weapon at the ready, she seems accepting of his presence.

Edited 2015-02-02 05:33 (UTC)

Banzu hesitates when he hears Nozomi's request; if he shuts down the ship's engine completely it'll take time to get it started again, preventing them from escaping if they need to. But she seems to have a plan, and collectively they do vastly outnumber the woman.

...

He grits his teeth and manipulates the controls. Superheated steam vents from the rear of the ship and the standby sound of the turbines winds down as the boiler pressure drops. Indicator lights flicker as Pathfinder switches over to its battery reserves, and within a minute the only sound the ship makes is the soft hiss of escaping steam.

You'd better know what you're doing.

The sudden wave of water makes him jerk in surprise. His Carbink isn't close enough to Eri to interrupt the attack, but if she starts to go over the side his Smeargle will teleport in and teleport her back onto the deck.

Eri's eyes seem to somehow blaze against the cool blue glow as she raises her hand to freeze the incoming water. She isn't going to move to attack - yet - and is thoroughly displeased with the situation.

Maya could feel it, feel that aura against her own-- and with it, tried to push forth worry, concern, questioning. They were in danger, and perhaps their 'opponent' was, as well, or at least, that was what Nozomi had implied.

With her attention on meditating, Maya could barely tell that an offensive move had been pulled against Eri. Around her, her ghosts made sure to stay steady and survey what was going on; Chikao hurried to Nozomi's side, calling Boss over in case of a need of defence.

Even before Eri decided to freeze the woman's attack, Nozomi lumbered herself in front of the blond, wincing deeply and waiting for impact, should it happen. No one would hurt Eri, not if she could help it.

There is a grunt of irritation at this behavior. In the blink of an eye, the woman teleports in front of Eri and Nozomi and attempts to gently scoop Nozomi up and move her to the side, like a doll in a toyhouse being rearranged into the correct position. She will get a light pat on her head for her troubles if she doesn't protest. Banzu will receive the same feeling through a quick psychic flick of the mind. She knows who stopped the boat.

At the same time, though she hadn't meant to keep it intact, Maya is still lightly connected to her aura. There is a pulsing anger now. Anger, irritation, distemper - all directed, of course, at the blonde-haired blue-eyed object of her wrath. ...That person is just like them. She hates people like them. She never wants to be with people like them again. All they feel when they see her is negative. Disgust, fear, distrust, anger - there is nothing she hates more than to be flooded with the minds of petty little people and their petty little upsets.

There is the sense that she is about a half second away from telekinetically flinging Eri somewhere far away - maybe Citadel.

Edited 2015-02-02 17:37 (UTC)

"Coeus, help me."

Her voice was barely above a whisper. The Reuniclus, still on her back, looked at his human, stunned. You... you knew what you were asking him to do, right Nozomi? That it would probably hurt, right?

Nodding and taking a deep breath, her Warp Band activated with a gentle hum. Nozomi closed her eyes, focusing, taking a deep breath and opening up her mind again. She wasn't sure that she could reach out to this woman's mind again, not after the pain it caused the first time. She wasn't meant to do that sort of thing. But Coeus might be able to help...

Please don't hurt her.

It was obvious that Nozomi was struggling to try to speak to her, with the Reuniclus doing most of the heavy lifting. Still, she felt it important--after all, she was the one that made the first mental contact. She couldn't form her thoughts into proper words, so instead tried emotions.

Please, don't hurt Eri. This woman... she cared about her. Eri doesn't understand, she thinks that Nozomi was in danger. She only wants to protect Nozomi, please don't punish her for that. Please...

It was too much to keep this going, and Nozomi flinched deeply, cutting the connection and taking a few deep breaths before slowly placing herself between the two women. Coeus, however, wouldn't.

Miss Eri means so much to Nozomi, and only wants to protect her. Please, don't make either of them cry. We want to help you, but please don't make them cry...

Banzu takes a deep breath as he re-safeties and holders his handgun. Time to try being extra not-aggressive. He uses Iron Defense to mold black metal into armor around him, stopping the process early so the armor doesn't cover his hands and face and is hidden by his clothes. He leaves the wheelhouse and walks forward so he doesn't need to raise his voice to talk to the others, trying to step as quietly as he can in a pair of heavy work boots.

Emotion-wise, Banzu is currently carrying around mostly apathy; he doesn't particularly care about the personal well-being of anyone else on the ship, his allies only getting some concern due to how it would be inconvenient and annoying to deal with people back in Union if anything happened to them. He's cautious of Naomi and has no ill-will towards her, but is confident that they could overpower her if need be and is only really interested in seeing that she stops messing with the ocean, the exact details of how that's accomplished being irrelevant to him. He isn't without negative emotions though, they're just in the background and directed at whoever forced her into this situation, because even to him that was a dick move and he's not unconvinced that she's at least partially justified in getting some kind of revenge on them. There's also a faint thread of negative feelings towards himself for completely unrelated reasons, but those are well in the background right now.

"Naomi," he says softly, once he's close enough for the others to hear. "Water/Psychic with an extra resistance to Dark. Overwhelmed by external sounds and thoughts. A child who's thought to not be able to relate to other humans. Doesn't talk much."

Eri returns Naomi's gaze defiantly, but says nothing. She's not making any threatening moves but she's not backing down and running scared either.

At the motion, Shiyon breaks Maya's concentration from the meditation by shaking her shoulders; she has to be in the real world now, has to pay attention. And when Maya does realise what's going on, she's quick to start toward Nozomi.

"W-wait--"

Though Maya's voice isn't loud, Maya can't keep herself from speaking. Surprise, surprise. As she takes a few more steps toward Nozomi, she keeps her eyes on Naomi, aware that Shiyon is tailing her.

"Let me help Nozomi, aaaand then let's... talk about this. Or. Something."

Yeah, she totally heard you say she doesn't talk much, Banzu, but. Loudmouths gonna be loudmouths.

Booting Eri off to Citadel will have to wait as she whirls around quickly at the reestablished mental connection. That fractured, incomplete mind will seep into Nozomi's, the same as before - she's more stable now, but that amplified pain and noise is something she will carry with her regardless of how stable she ever gets. Nozomi's own message, if understood, goes unacknowledged. Not through that means, at least. She's clearly not suited to playing this game, and Naomi would like to keep this one a little while longer at least; if Nozomi hadn't cut it off, she would have the moment she'd understood.

...There is a scowl.

But Eri is not flung off into the Citadel.

The situation is changing now. Without warning, she blinks and teleports again back onto the railing with her feet hanging over the edge. Everyone's resumed moving and worrying and talking and thinking, and it's growing too complicated.... It was all so much nicer a few moments ago. She liked that. She wants to feel that again.

Naomi closes her eyes and kicks her feet and the boat rocks back and forth as the ocean beneath it tips it gently to and fro.

In response to her increasing discomfort, the two Pokemon capable of it float up into the air while the Lanturn begins to make slow circles around the grounded ship. Not that anyone's liable to notice, really.

Edited 2015-02-03 05:09 (UTC)

Eri not flung off to Citadel was a net win as far as Nozomi was concerned.

Looking over her shoulder at her cousin, the girl nodded, then directed her attention back to Naomi. What was she doing? Was she going to try to capsize them, or was this just a warning? Her Warp Band still active, she could summon Ryujin in a pinch, if it came to it. She hoped it didn't.

They needed to stay quiet, but they also needed to communicate. They needed to try to reason with her, calm her down, but Nozomi was beginning to wonder how they would manage that. She didn't want to hurt her--she was already in so much pain, if her own head was any indicator. She wouldn't be able to reach out again, not trusting herself to stay conscious after another onslaught of visions.

There was one possibility.

Activating her Warp Band, she summoned Hathor, the Altaria. The flier hovering in the air, she looked to Naomi, then Nozomi.

"Sing us a lullaby, Hathor."

Event - Confrontation with the Enhanced

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