[Event] Act 1 - Into The Woods

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

WHO: Ami, Celty, Gladio, and anyone else interested!
WHERE: From the hangar to the hotel
WHAT: Ami has to return to her hotel room to fetch something incredibly important to her. Unfortunately, there's a whole lot of plant matter between here and there.
WHEN: August 11
WARNINGS: Potential blood, definite adventure



As entertaining and full of life as Eorzea had been, Ami had some regrets for her sudden departure. The thought of returning to Agri 10, however, did come with the relief that she could simply resume her attempts at studies and making more friends on the alien planet. And, of course, have her one remaining link to her own home world back. She spent the journey back watching out the window as one planet receded into the distance, and another did the reverse.

Seeing the state of Temba upon arrival, however, did give her pause and she had to adjust in her seat to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "There weren't that many plants visible from the surface when we left, were there?" Ga Re's warning, the state of the hangar, watching the vines actually growing over the hangar roof? Yes, she definitely needed to get back to her hotel room. This was going to require a kind of gardening that was beyond the abilities of the young schoolgirl. There was one complication: That said schoolgirl was going to have to return to her hotel room first.

So it was that a rather anxious Ami dashed out of the Twin Roses, her wide-eyed pleading look going from one He Row to the next. "I- I need to return to my hotel room. Now, before dark. There's something important I need in there. I can't do it alone, it's dangerous out there. Can someone help me?"

Comments

[crystalmaster]

Radley is still very stressed. He isn't getting along well with the pilot of his assigned ship, and coming to the homebase planet and seeing it in this state just further horrifies him. He feels completely overwhelmed. How will he ever get home?! This mess looks unfixable!

He stares at Ami. "How far away is your hotel room?"

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

The school girl turned to her fellow new traveler, "Its not too far, I think?" She had her datapad in hand and was already thumbing through the map of Temba. "We have to get to the center of town from here in the northeast corner. But if the plants are everywhere and growing?" That was the problem and what brought Ami's wide blue eyes to him, "How good are you at clearing weeds?"

[crystalmaster]

"Pretty good when it comes to regular garden weeds," he said. "I grow roses. But this ... !" He gestured outside. "This is a whole new level! Does anyone here know how to fight plants that want to fight back?!" He somewhat doubted it. But they apparently had to start learning now.

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

Ami was rather dejected at that. The nice man was friendly, but she absolutely needed someone who could help. "Maybe if we could find something here that could help us keep the overgrowth at bay?", the girl offered. Her brow furrowed for a moment in thought, "Put some sort of weapon together ourselves?"

[crystalmaster]

"Yeah, that's what I was hoping to find," he said. "Maybe an old sword or something?"

He walked to some junk and started poking around.

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

Ami's mind had been working towards something more MacGyver-ish, given the right chemicals and a proper dispenser. That would, however, require knowing what chemicals they had. A sigh at science failing her, and she joined Radley in poking about the junk, "Something with a sharp edge you could use as a machete?"

[crystalmaster]

"Yeah, exactly!" Radley poked some more and found a rusted blade. He started to pull it out. "Maybe this would still work...."

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

There's a hesitant nod as the girl withdrew a step, "Be careful with that, you might catch tetanus!" Is tetanus even a thing from wherever he came from? Where did he come from, Ami now realized. He wasn't with them when they boarded, was he? Or was she too busy being a wilted flower to notice?

[crystalmaster]

"Don't worry, I don't have any intention of getting cut by it!" Radley said. "I wonder if there's anything we can use to clean off the rust...." He glanced around the hangar.

[ziedrich_bearer]

Gladio had been one of the first off the Starduck, and when he had come out he'd gathered his blade to him. The massive thing was in his hands now, being sharpened because he knew he was about to use this thing as some serious ground clearing. Poor thing deserved better than that.

But he wasn't expecting a young girl to leave one of the ships, calling out for help.

Well, he was a body guard, wasn't he?

"Are you sure you want to do that, young lady? Pretty dangerous out there. I could just go for you and fetch whatever it is you need."

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

"It is, but I have to go as well." Hands clasp to her chest as Ami tried to put it the best way possible, "It's something very dear to me, it's the only thing that came with me from my world. It's ... my only connection to my friends." Said with earnest plaintiveness, as there were no lies told. Just some omissions.

[ziedrich_bearer]

Ah, a precious gift from a friend. Well, Gladio won’t argue against that.

“Alright. You’ll want to stay close, but behind me. That’s the best place for you to be for me to protect you and still cut our way through. But more importantly, shout out if something is coming. Try and make it information, but a scream works too.”

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

There's an affirmative nod at that, "I'm good with information, don't worry!" The thought did cross her mind that might give a little too much away, at some point. On the other hand, Ami would very much like herself and Gladio to get to that point in one piece to begin with. Already, she stands close to the man, ready to follow his lead.

[ziedrich_bearer]

Giving things away isn’t a bad thing here. They’re allies, they are in this together. That’s just what they are supposed to do.

“Alright then,” he says, and ready to go now, he jerks his hand to the side, letting go of his massive sword. And with the release, it disappears in an explosion of blue crystal and sparks of light. Better to start defensive. A shield forms in his hand instead, massive, more than enough to hide a good bit of the large man behind, so probably enough for her too.

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

Well, if everyone else is freely showing off their magic...

A stunned Ami gasps at the sword's transformation. Was it possible that his world was not that much different from her own? "Oh my," said quietly as wide blue eyes peeked up at the man. A question formed on the girl's lips, but she decided to put aside her curiosity with a nod to Gladio. "I'm ready!"

[ziedrich_bearer]

Hardly even his magic, or a transformation of any sort. Just a weapon summoned that he felt would better suit the task at hand.

"Guessing your world doesn't have crystal magic," he said with a smirk and a shrug. "People just can't get enough of it."

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

Crystal magic. It almost sounded as something from a video game. "Not our world, no. My world is far more mundane. There are, however, the Sailor Guardians." At least Ami could explain them as best she could. She peered outside to gauge the situation, glancing back, "I'll explain more on the way."

omg laaate

[tsundullahan]

This wasn't exactly how Celty expected their return to go. Once the ship was landed, she was quick to move for the exit as well.

At least Shooter was more or less where she'd left him, the motorcycle poking out just slightly from the draping of canvas she's covered it in beside a stack of crates. Celty gave Ami a light tap on the shoulder before motioning for her to follow. It was probably strange to be patting a motorcycle like some beloved creature but the helmeted woman did so once she'd pulled the canvas from it. She picked up her tablet from where she'd stowed it, thankful to have a means to speak again.

[I can get you there.]

Re: omg laaate

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

Celty has a cool bike. That would explain why she also has the cool helmet, but there's just the slightest twinge of jealousy that Ami didn't get at least a bicycle! "Thank you!" That the roads are also overgrown had to have been known as well, but there was something in the rider's silent confidence that has her starting to smile. Celty also obviously has a plan, and never let it be said that Ami was one to turn down something awesome.

[tsundullahan]

Well, a rough plan, anyway. Celty starts to walk her bike towards the hangar entrance. From what they'd seen of the city upon their landing, things had looked so different out there. There's a moment that she begins to have some doubts about things, but staying here isn't really much of an option.

Celty glances back at Ami, holding a hand out to form...a helmet? out of the same mysterious shadows she'd previously used to speak to the girl through. Safety first?

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

There's a surprised blink at that, "Is the bike part of your powers as well?" Crafting shadows and helmets out of thin air, Celty is winning more cool points from the impressed teenager. Ami flashes a very appreciative and impressed grin before fitting the helmet snugly and joining aboard the bike. There's a moment's hesitation before holding on to her jungle cruise captain. "Is... is this okay?"

[tsundullahan]

Ami's first question gets a bit of a hand wiggle. Kind of? Celty's not even sure how to explain it. Well, depending on how things go, perhaps she'd get a better idea. The woman types out a quick response as Ami looks for a proper place to hold on.

[That's fine. Just hang on as well as you can. We probably won't be going fast given how much plants there are, but it might not be a smooth ride.]

Once Ami's gotten herself settled, Celty pushes off, spurring the motorcycle forward. Funny, there's no sound of an engine roar, but an eerie echo as the wheels peel out and they move away from the hangar. It almost sounds...like the whinnying of a horse?

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

This is the strangest motorcycle ride ever, and Ami is here for all of it. Eyes widen inside her helmet at the whinny, but they're off and rolling before she can get her bearings on just where that horse was. Maybe its one of those new electro-bikes? "I wasn't expecting a smooth one," she answered back while hanging on to Celty as they take off.

[tsundullahan]

Clearly they won't be getting too far even with wheels. Almost immediately, the pair are met with an opposition of brambles that has Celty pull her bike up short. She brings her hand out again, although this time it isn't to fashion a helmet.

The shadows elongate, forming a staff and finally a curving blade- a black scythe. She grasps it tightly and swings, the blade proving very much tangible as it cuts through the offending plants with ease. Two sweeps clears their path, and again they move forth, Celty holding the blade out at the side in preparation for future roadblocks.

[alwayssomethingtolearn]

The roadblock brought a gasp from behind Celty, Ami was momentarily apprehensive at the overgrowth now coming with thorns. This was a lot more dangerous than she had originally thought, more so since they didn't have any way of cutting through-

... Oh.

There's an even more louder gasp this time, and they speed past the cleared brambles. "You- What can't you make out of shadows," she tried asking over the sound of Shooter and the rushing wind. There's a timid pause after, a thought through Ami's mind. If she's unafraid of showing her power, then... A shake of her head, and she held on tighter. She'll have to decide on that should the time come.