🏝️ dulces sueños group excursion! 🏝️

[hearthwarming]

🏝️ who: intrepid adventurers (vacationers?) and more!
🏝️ what: ori organized (origanized?) a group trip to the resort! mass memshare ensues.
🏝️ when: fall 9-10
🏝️ where: dulces sueños resort
🏝️ warnings: threads will be marked as needed for memshares.

[ Hopefully everyone had fun on the Arco Lunar! The morning after the boat departs from the docks, a letter arrives to your mailbox: ]

Hello, intrepid adventurer!

I am excited to have you along for a group excursion to the mysterious new island! In two days' time, let us gather in the town square and set off from there! Please be prepared to stay the night. It will be so fulfilling and memorable for everyone to spend a night on an adventure together!

If you have any questions or concerns, please come find me at my flower shop in town or at the forest farm where I live!

Sincerely,
Oriphi

[ If she accidentally delivered it to a few wrong mailboxes, then... Oops!

On the promised day, once everyone (and likely a few surprise tag-alongs) has gathered or been gathered, Ori distributes little paper bags of snacks to everyone. Inside are cookies, oat snacks, and a freshly-picked apple from her and M-21's orchard. Do with them as you please... Just don't let her catch you throwing it into the sea or something. 🥺 ]

Alright. I think we should head out, then! Thanks for coming along, everyone! I hope it'll be a great time. Oh, and please don't forget to drink plenty of water and use this incredible ointment I discovered on this island! It's called "sunscreen!" Tieflings don't really get sunburnt, but you should use it!

[ And with that our intrepid adventurers set off to the mysterious, dangerous, unknowable... resort island! ]

( This is the ill-fated mass extinction memshare event. Please refer to the event for details on the resort and the plotting post for any specific details for characters' memshares! There are toplevels for each area of the resort (and for the memshare). Enjoy! )

Comments

[chronosynthesis]

[Teleportion, that sensation is familiar enough. Eyes closed on the bright light, his mind is spinning around all the other details. Time travel? Otegine time travels? There's some degrees you aren't supposed to mess with reality!

Break the whole thing and all that.

He opens his eyes to the sight of... well, not much more familiar than the other place. It's two of them, and he can work with small numbers but he's in an unweildly body, with a blade that feels too big, and he's pretty sure he can't teleport. Stealth will be difficult. So will a frontal push.

He looks aside to Kotegiri. He's supposed to be the one in charge here, but...] They're after something in particular, aren't they? What do we have to draw them away from the gate?

[passthrough]

[He's eager to give his opinion, it seems, his voice hushed as you both sort out your opportunity.

"Aruji had reason to believe Hideyasu-san was a target, right? We won't know for sure until we see for ourselves, but... that was Tonbokiri-san shouting from inside the grounds, wasn't it? Maybe he and Muramasa-san are being pinned down. If they push through before we can get in... who knows what they'll do to Ieyasu-sama and his family."

You haven't been spotted yet, but there's several waves of troops already on a beeline for the gateways. Tsuru and Akashi are already splitting down the eastern side, picking off numbers from the back.

"Um... We can cause a distraction at the stables, or we could try to find a way to block the gate altogether. Or, if you have my back, I can move to distract since I'm faster, while you make your blows so we can thin some of the numbers. Right?"

You nod. Eliminating them all right now is unrealistic... getting Tonbokiri and Muramasa to a more supported position has to be the goal, no matter how you chose to do it.]

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya deliberates, but not for long. He's sure it's true Kotegiri is fast, but he's one person and could be easily overwhelmed or have his own escape routes block.

So--] We'll check the stables. If we can cause a stampede to break their ranks, it will make picking them off easier.

Mild cw: combat

[passthrough]

["Mmn! Even if it just provides a distraction, we need to try. We'll need to be careful to not catch Tsurumaru-san or Akechi-san up in it, but they're made for the offensive more than you and I. I believe in them.

I can lead--"]

No. [It's a sudden cutoff, your hands tight against your spear.] I know how to get us there. I trust your support, wakizashi Kotegiri.

[This isn't where you spent the most time, but you visited the shogun's property so often, it's not a mystery anymore. So you carefully lead Kotegiri around the western path, picking off what soldiers you have to as you go. The combat exhilarates you, satisfies you. The blade and you are one and the same, like arm or leg or head, and you feel every blow.

You finish pinning an enemy to a nearby tree close by to the stables, slicing your weapon free with minimal effort. Kotegiri has gone ahead, already trying to scout to see if you can enter without being spotted. Fortunately, you can tell the answer from here, given that Kotegiri makes a clean jump straight up to the rooftops for a better view, slicing at enemy tantou that pursue him up the tilings. You can hear the whinnies from inside - the stables are panicked.

There are multiple entrances. You could let the horses out freely, or try to set it up to be more controlled. Unnecessary civilian death must be avoided... but sometimes it cannot be helped.]

[chronosynthesis]

[Yes--he can lead. Syrlya is a leader. It's his responsibility, even in Otegine's body. Being the superior at least means it's easy for him to take control.

Otegine's spear feels foreign and not in his hands, and he lets the memory guide a weapon he's had little practice in. Once the stables are in view, he gives them a look over. Watches Kotegiri to ensure his back is secure.

Already panicked is, in this case, good. So Syrlya hurries to the gates and begins to yank (or break) the locks to swing the doors with open. With any luck, they'll run out on their own without being pushed.]

[passthrough]

[Kotegiri sees you head inside and quickly follows suit. While you yank with brute strength, the wakizashi snaps ropes with a much smaller blade. The horses need no invitation, a mass of pure muscle shoving their way out of the musty building.

The first two or three attract attention. You urge Kotegiri to go faster, and your reflexes are strained to try and not get run over yourself, snapping the gates open and then hoisting yourselves into the back of the pens, snapping the bottom of your spear to the ground with a loud crack of a noise to startle them further. Kotegiri opposite you raises his voice, trying to herd the beasts out and urge a stampede.

It's not perfect. But panicked beasts on a rampage plow through the battalions that had separated to see what in the world was going on. Not many have been injured, but they're dazed, caught off guard.

You could either wipe out part of their numbers here, or make a run for the shogun's grounds.]

[chronosynthesis]

[Their ultimate goal isn't forgotten: they can't afford to try and wipe all of these guys out and let their back up surround them again.

The horses will continue to cause trouble as they fight for their own lives in terror, and he expects the situation will get worse for them before it gets better.

So he runs towards the Shogun's grounds.] Forward, Kotegiri!

[passthrough]

["I'm on it!"

It's all reflex as you dart your way through. Kotegiri leads this time, and the two of you move like clockwork - you pin down the larger bladed foes to keep the both of you from being swamped, and Kotegiri in turn picks off the faster troops before they can sneak past your slower speed. You bolt.

The enemy army has already started to flood in. You can recognize Tonbokiri from a mile away, even dressed up in the fashion of the era, bellowing and swinging his own spear with such force that enemies go flying. At his side is his brother Sengo - where Tonbo yells, Sengo laughs, a sadistic and low chuckling even as fresh blood spills to the grass.

The two Muramasa are split apart from one another in a mad rush for space. Kotegiri splits for Sengo, while you beeline for Tonbokiri, who is pinned to a corner. With a cry of effort, you slam your own weapon through three soldiers in succession, wincing at the feel of the force but following through nonetheless.

"Otegine!!"

Tonbokiri's eyes light up just as much as his voice, and your heart soars. One of your fellow Sanmeisou, though you will never be as great as him. All the more reason to get him out of trouble.]

It's been a while, eh, Tonbokiri?? [There's a smile to your voice as you rip your blade free and thwack it back through another, clearing our space for your fellow yari to free himself. He's just as postured and polite as ever, a warm smile framing a polite bow of relief he still manages, a split second before he nearly cracks an enemy in two over his own blade. "Fifty years feels so very short at times when you talk like that, Otegine."

The two of you fight in perfect synchronization. You can hear Akashi joining Kotegiri far behind you, see the flash of white of the jacket of your captain, Tsurumaru. You hold the choke point, though only temporarily.

With effort, the front gates are barred. But there's a deep, unsettling ripple through the air - Kotegiri jumps to his feet almost immediately, before you even have time to recognize what it is you feel.

Something strong is within the Shogun's grounds.

All of you brace, eyes alert, weapons on the defensive. The enemy army starts to file in, from with the grounds itself. And leading the charge is a young, bitter face of a man in his twenties that makes your heart drop.

Hideyasu leads the HRA. And he, himself, is the source of the distortion.

You can't fight him. You can't. He's part of history, he's your master. But he is still drawing a blade at you.

What do you do?]

[chronosynthesis]

[... Hm. What is the protocol if the apparent leader of the group you're supposed to stop is "part of history"? It means he definitely can't kill this guy, right?

Otegine's heart isn't in it, anyway, so maybe he can just keep him occupied while the rest of the team does... whatever they're supposed too. Presumably the captain is in charge here.

So, he tries to steel himself past Otegine's reservations to go straight for Hideyasu. He will hold back with his blows, being careful not to cause fatal wounds. He's just going to keep him busy, limit his ability to lead his army.]

[passthrough]

[Everyone, it seems, is hesitating. Tonbokiri looks about as distressed as you feel, panicked mutterings to Sengo whose expression has also paled. The army moves forward, and so does Hideyasu. At least for now, you all have to fight. You have to try to get to him, to see what's going on.

He doesn't let any of you close at first, despite your best efforts. Troops come flooding in from all sides, and just when you think you're close enough to him, four other soldiers fill in to take the spot and push you back.

As he raises his blade, the distorted wave strengthens, with the strange sensation of someone else. Kotegiri's voice chokes as he bats himself free from a soldier with a rip of his blade. "That's--- I know him! That's my brother!"

Though you don't know who, exactly, Kotegiri could be talking about, it explains the sensation immediately. The blade is controlling him. Possessing him. A tsukumogami without a body of its own has gone rogue. The spirit is using your master.

But then... what do you do????

Tsurumaru and Kotegiri pick off a path to Hideyasu, who throws them each back in turn without effort, parrying blades with strength he should not have. But with the way clear, you hear Tonbokiri's voice clearly yell for you.

"Otegine!! Come on!"

You grip your spear tighter, trying to knock off the enemy that hinders you and join your fellow spear. But your eyes meet Hideyasu, and too many feelings pour in, freezing you in place. This was the boy who first truly owned you, who USED you, who made you into a symbol worth any sort of recognition. You made one another great. If he falls here... what happens to history?

What happens to you?

"Otegine! Pull yourself together!!!"]

A-ah.... Ah!!! I... I'm coming! I'm ready!

[You don't feel ready. You feel your heart is about to rip from your chest. But you force yourself to Tonbokiri, force your weapon up, force yourself into a charge.

Your master meets you without hardly blinking, filled with rage. He screams at Tonbokiri, meeting the both of your blows with a mind that you know comes from a short but talented military life. Given the strength of a fellow tsukumogami, you both struggle to even make a blow.

His blade rips into the skin of your leg, your shoulder. Tonbokiri seems to have the same idea as you - maybe there's a way to stun him, to knock him to his senses... but you're both hesitating. You're both holding back, and blows that should leave him rattled do nothing to down him, sending the both of you tripping into one another. Tonbokiri easily helps you up each time.

As long as that sword is solid in his hand, you're going to be in trouble.]

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya stamps down that heartache as best he can. The battlefield isn't the place to hesitate. If it's the weapon that's the problem. then he needs to focus on disarming Hideyasu.

He grits his teeth as the blide strikes, twisting the spear and relying on Otegine's muscle memory to leverage it for defense. It isn't quite enough, not used to this body, but at least he hasn't been stabbed fatally.

He'll attempt to surge forward and get Hideyasu's attention again, trying to draw him to strike. If he can, he'll try to catch the blade in the thrust with the shaft of the spear and twist it to try and yank the sword out of his grip.]