subdivided | week two: mingle

week two: mingle

Week Two
26 in Competition

As the sun rises on Monday morning, all participants will find themselves awakening with a sense of purpose. Regardless of where they slept the night before, they’ll find themselves compelled to return to the main meeting hall first thing in the morning.

Approaching the hall, however, they will find a large, swirling mass grey in color looming near the sakura tree. This swirl cannot be approached just yet, but seems to be locked and waiting for something more.

As the last member of the village enters the hall, they will find Lune and Sol at the head of the room. Though they’re together, it’s Lune who speaks up first this time.

"Good morning, good morning. You've done well to purge the corruption in the previous gateway - allow us to assist with the finishing touches. For the time being, it would appear as though we've been able to locate another. The land might appear a bit familiar to some however... I only advise you watch your step."

When Lune finishes, Sol chimes in from their place at Lune's side.

"The corruption is still out there, and we're going to do all that we can to find a way to contain it. But until then... stick close to others this week. Do your best to protect yourselves and look after each other. Okay?"

The moment participants leave the hall, they will find that the gateway has changed from grey to white, the opening widening enough for multiple people to step through. The Signs will soon take their leave, and all will remain peaceful once more.

The only oddity is that throughout the week, in a noise that extends past the portal but seems to resound even through the village, there will be the occasional, resounding call of a war horn.

In addition, as the week goes on, partners will find ever-growing feelings of anxiety and nervousness dwelling within them the longer they are separated from one another. They will feel compelled to be very close to their partners at all times, and will be on edge if separated for more than an hour by the end of the week. Welcome to surprise codependence at its finest.

Welcome to your week two mingle! As a reminder, murder proposals are open. We will also be hosting a mini-event on Tuesday, so please be on the lookout for that.

In addition, ensure that all of your week one private conversations were reported on the page, and your week two private conversations are reported on that page. If you'll be taking anything from locations, please report that as well.

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[in comparison, lili has definitely managed to keep her knife. it's sheathed at her hip now that she's managed to change out of her flowing robes and into one of the ninja garbs even though she definitely complained for a solid minute about how it's annoying that it's more formfitting. it's fine.

at the very least, she looks at least decently comfortable now that she's found a katana and holds it in her hands, listening for the same sounds that miki is.]

If we have to fight, get behind me.

[ - it's a little odd, because normally those words are said to her, but lili feels like she can say them now, with some modicum of confidence.]

[ it's fine. ]

I'll be alright. Ideally we can get by without needing to fight at all, but if not, well...

[ This isn't the time to be coy. ] I have some experience with things like this. [ If only she had some glowsticks or something to make loud noise with... but it wouldn't fit with the time period. She'll have to make do.

Still. It's nice to know someone has her back. ]

[ . . . well, lili has some questions. there's a moment where she watches miki before deciding that she'll leave them for later. and then she'll shake her head.]

... you and I both - but at the very least, don't be against leaving me behind if it means you can get more help. I can at least handle myself for a little while.

[she'd seen the creatures of sorts that had started to climb their way up - and she can hear them now. the lumbering footsteps that echo through the halls and lili just sighs. they can't leave it just wandering around, or else it has a chance of finding the children or the injured.]

We can't let it keep wandering - the infirmary isn't too far from here.

[ that's valid, lili. ]

I won't if I don't have to. I don't leave people behind. Not if they can be helped.

[ it's said very seriously, with weight behind the words, before she turns back to listen out for the sounds of those footsteps moving around. ]

They'll probably be drawn to movement and sounds. If we can figure out somewhere to lure it, we can keep it away from the injured and hopefully get rid of it altogether. Maybe... a rock against the opposite building? It should make enough of a noise for it to head this way. But it might lure out others in the area too.

I can help myself.

[even though she can understand miki's words - they make sense to her. lili wouldn't be able to abandon people either... so she supposes that the last she can leave it at is the reassurance that she, at the very least, will be fine. so she'll just face miki and frown]

Mm, if you think that'd work, we can.

[miki seems like more of the planning type - lili would honestly be more motivated to charge to right into a fight than to think of a strategy if it isn't escape]

Admittedly-- [ She crouches down, feeling around for a stone on the ground - one that will have enough impact without causing significant property damage. ]-- I'm going off of different knowledge, but if these are similar then...

[ straightening upright, she tests the weight of the rock in her palm. ]

Loud noises, bright lights, they'll gather around eye-catching things. If not, then they'll probably find us anyway so we might as well try and lead them away from the injured. Do you agree?

.... I've only fought soldiers, so I'll listen to whatever you have. [is that reassuring? lili doesn't know. regardless she'll shake her head and straighten her shoulders] Speak more confidently, I'm listening to you.

[miki has her support.]

As long as it keeps them away from the infirmary, I'll do whatever it takes.

[that's the bottom line for lili anyway

though they might need to hurry - it sounds as though there's something... scraping... like another dagger that's carving along the edges of the wood walls as something draws closer]

Okay.

[ she hefts the stone in her hand and, taking a step back, flings it out from their hiding place towards the wall opposite. there's a loud crack as it hits the surface, and a little splintering from the impact. miki shifts her weight and slowly lifts her improvised weapon a little higher.

there's a pause, before the sound of the shuffling, and the scraping of dagger against wood grows faster, and louder, and just as it gets near enough to almost be around the corner--

-- she swings the long trowel in an arc, cracking it into the side of head of whatever these things are as it ambles into view. ]

[brutal.

though at this point lili's seen enough of war to not flinch from the intensity of the swing, the way that whatever it is just falls over, but there is a groan from it, an insistent noise as it isn't quite done yet even after the attack.

perhaps worse is the fact that it doesn't seem to be alone, and a second enemy rounds the corner, hand reaching out for miki automatically—

which is when lili will reach out to grab her by the collar, dragging her away from the creature's reach before it can manage to get her]

Move!!

[ welp. there they go.

miki's able to keep a hold of her weapon for the moment, and falls into step once she's yanked back, after that momentary confusion over where her balance and. well. most of her was going. ]

Right! I don't know where the others were, but if we keep moving--

[ Moving targets are harder to find than stationary ones. ]

That's fine - they're not that fast.

[at least from what lili can tell, so as long as they don't end up within arm's reach, they should be okay. she ambles backwards and gestures for miki to take the lead on where they should be led to so they don't end up in a corner.

but seeing as the beads haven't been sliced and the scrolls haven't been dislodged, the creatures are definitely still moving after them in creaky, inhuman movements. though it seems like they've been agitated, so they're not entirely as slow as lili was hoping for

just better watch out for traps as they try to make their escape]

[ yeah those traps that won't harm them in any way. miki just keeps running and hopefully lili will keep up. still, she can't help but glance behind her. ]

I wonder why they're like this. There's no talk of viruses, or infections, just all this fighting.

[ she pauses, before grabbing lili's wrist and tugging her down a narrower alley-path. there'd been a couple of those things in the distance down that road, facing away from them. it wasn't worth risking it. ]

You think they could be this way because of sickness? They already look pretty sick to me.

[though lili won't care about being tugged - she'll only pull free once she's actually able to so that she doesn't have to worry about not having a hand on her sword if they have any issues. the creatures continue to amble behind them and lili just frowns]

Let me know when you think we're far enough.

[because they can't keep running forever]

It could be. Not like catching a cold, but something that specifically messes with the body like this.

[ look, she can keep running for a While. and really, the further they are the better. she takes them down another smaller side road, before pausing to look out onto the open -- and oddly empty -- bigger area it opens onto. ]

I think we're good here.

[ but rather than run out, she steps out to the side and tucks herself against the wall. ]

[lili will follow after - because she supposes that this is another one of miki's plans. she settles against her, looking out as she watches the creatures lumber after them, frowning]

What are you planning?

They're slow... I should be able to defeat one, if you can manage to distract the other.

If they're chasing us, they'll usually just keep running forwards. Because that's what they'll assume. And at the very least, they'll have to turn themselves around or round the corner.

[ they'll have a moment of extra surprise time. ]

I can do that. Just be careful -- don't let them corner or bite you, just in case.

I won't - just keep your distance. I can make small chunks of ice once they're closer for you to throw - but obviously they're not last very long.

[since you know. ice. but at least it'll be something for miki to be able to use at a distance. lili will breathe in as she can hear their pursuers coming closer and closer, tucking herself against the wall by miki even as her hands tighten around the sword. right, she just has to focus.

she can do this - she's been practicing with far more capable opponents, after all]

I told you, I'll be fine. But thank you - if you make them a little sharp I might be able to slow them down even more.

[ miki tucks herself into the wall as well, and then crouches herself down. whichever one lili goes for, she's got a plan for the other one. ]

[there is a pause and at the very least, there's a moment that allows them to be quiet. she'll take that second to focus, concentrating the moisture in the air into a crystallized, cold form. small tear-dropped shaped pieces of ice form in lili's hands, the only shape that she can think of that would allow miki to hold onto them but one end is sharper than the other.

so she'll offer those out to her, even though they're obviously quite cold, and then focus as the creatures lumber on by - right past them, actually, like miki suggested - and then lili moves. she steps out and slashes at the one with the dagger, steel cutting through its arm

though it's not the arm holding a dagger and she has to move as it suddenly swings the knife in her direction]

[ miki takes one, and keeps one in her hand despite the cold, with the other on the ground next to her.

it's only when lili's target lashes out with its knife that she does throw it, aiming for the creature's shoulder with the sharper pointed end. she doesn't have time to see where it lands fully before she has to turn her attention to the second creature, swinging her pitchfork at the creature's legs with the direct aim of knocking it flat. ]

[battle girls are fine.

miki's successful as the creature gets knocked right off their feet, collapsing on the ground. with a confused groan. even so, it doesn't stop it from turning toward her, reaching a hand out as if to grab onto the pitchfork and steal it away from her. its strength even now is absurd, and it wears the scroll on its neck even still.

lili, meanwhile, is able to duck away from the knife being arched in her direction, scowling as it seems like the creature isn't even fazed from losing its arm.

of course as she take a step back, that's when she manages to set off a trap as a spike suddenly extends from the wall, darting out immediately and she has to duck if she wants to avoid being skewered]

[ miki's focus ends up being on trying to keep the pitchfork out of the creature's hands - her left hand scrabbles along the ground, grabbing hold of the ice spike lili had left with her, and stabbing it into the creature's arm.

she's able to fling herself, and the pitchfork, back when it flinches away, rolling a little across the ground -- and finding herself face to face with a wall of spikes when they all extend out of the wall as lili activates the trap. she's just out of range of it, by some miracle. ]

There are traps here too?!

[ she pushes herself upright, back on her feet and finds her balance again before the creature she was struggling against pulls itself upright. ]

[lili wants to say "apparently" - she really does.

but it's a little hard when has to dodge both a spike that darts out to nearly impale her - but it manages to catch the creature that she's fighting against instead. it forces the monster to stay in one spot, which would normally kill a man but.

but here we are, and it happens in a second, the way that lili is still raising to her feet to try to slash at the beads that are holding the scroll against the creature's body, and the wild swing of a knife that cuts across her face, like a jagged break across porcelain.

she screams in the second later - but the scroll falls.]

--LILI!!!

[ By this point, screams flag up real fear in general with Miki, so it draws her attention almost immediately. Which is all well at good, but it lets the creature in front of her get a grasp on her pitchfork. ]

Ah--[ She keeps her grip on it, for better or for worse. Probably worse, as it lets the creature with all its strength use it to send her flying to the ground. As soon as she hits it, she tries to roll herself away, but it's not fast enough. Fast enough to avoid the swing of the knife that follows hitting somewhere more fatal, but there's still a moment of blinding pain in her left hand that almost blacks her out for a moment that draws a kind of muted but real noise of pain from her mouth - only quieter because her teeth are clenched so tightly her jaw aches.

Her response is entirely reactionary, twisting herself around and pulling at the blade in her hand before she can really think about the fact that it had gone through far enough to require pulling from the ground, and, holding her injured hand close to her chest, she swings out blindly with the knife now in her hand. There's the sound of something cracking and pattering to the ground, but Miki's too busy dragging herself up to her feet to try and get away from her attacker and over to Lili. ]

[it's so painful she can hardly breathe - but there is a lingering certainty and awareness that she's not done yet. the creature in front her has stopped moving, impaled by a spike and without the scroll. she's dizzy and uneven but she tries to kick the scroll away so at the very least it has no chance of reuniting with her opponent even accidentally.

tsurumaru had told her that he felt more comfortable with a blade in his hand - and now as lili uses the sword to pull herself up from where she'd collapsed, heaving herself onto her feet, she wonders if this is what he meant.

she's bleeding profusely but she can't stop, because there's one more of these things, and miki is in danger. she finds her footing, her footing, which was her weak point before but now she knows that she has to keep steady if she has any hope of being able to accomplish this much]

..... one more.

[that's all she has to do - one more breathe, one more step, one more opponent, one more]

week two: mingle

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