ximilia | Video; un: Naruhodo

[When Ryunosuke's voice comes in, he sounds harried. Like, even more than his typically high-strung ass already tends to sound a lot of the time.]

Alright, so I don't have actual confirmation that this is orb related, but given the chaos of the situation, I think you'll all agree it's a pretty safe bet--!

[The cause for his tone is immediately apparent: the video that goes along with his words is from his own point of view, and up ahead, over a dozen Team Torpedo members are all sprinting in the same direction, shouting and calling out cubits that they can hitch rides on to get wherever they're going all the more quickly. Ryunosuke seems to be trying to sprint after them, judging by the panting and the shaky cam quality of the footage.]

I think they must have been tailing Yasuo! I don't know how they pulled it off, but they all just popped out of nowhere and everywhere at once-- I saw one of them come out of the sewer for pity's sake! And now they're all DEFINITELY after the boy's Bulbkip!

[Yes, for those of you who theorized that "BK" meant Bulbkip: you are in fact, correct. No Burger King involved. Sorry, Whopper enthusiasts.]

I think we all need to get to Doubleleaf Glen as fast as we can. I--

[Whatever he's about to say next is cut off by a cacophony of competing noises. The POV shifts as he looks up: in the skies overhead, a chopper emblazoned with a blue upside-down triangle has appeared, the whirring of its blades absolutely deafening... But the sight of it, the sound of it, is absolutely nothing compared to the other notable presence up there.

Khhaaaaaaossss!!!]

...What the deuce is that!?

[A serpentine beast that's at least the size of an 18-wheeler soars through the air, with a certain mad scientist whooping gleefully atop it's back.

Ryunosuke brings his attention back down to ground level to scan his surroundings, accidentally shouting both on the network and out loud:]

KAZUMA! I need you and that ghastly whale of yours over here right now--!

---------------------------------------------------

OOC: You can read the full NPC thread for context here, but in summary, assume that everyone on the crew has access to at least the following information:

Ryunosuke was invited by Yasuo Fern to meet up for lunch ahead of their championship fight. They chatted a whole bunch, but as you might expect of a kid of 11 years old, he didn't seem to know a whole lot about any of the weirder stuff that's been going on around Ankata.

Yasuo's famous Bulbkip, Bubbles, was out and present for the whole lunch conversation. Bubbles is NOT Yasuo's starter cubit, as it turns out; his actual starter is a Hopgar named Poppy.

Yasuo has never had a run-in with Team Torpedo before, and he seemed only tangentially aware of the trouble that the group has been causing lately.

Yasuo said when he first started out on his cubit training journey, he wasn't having much luck catching new cubits... until the night he met Bubbles. While camping out in an open field (exact location he could not recall), Bubbles showed up at his camp trying to steal some food. Yasuo said the cubit was in "bad shape" when they first met, and that it used to be "super grumpy". It seems like he won the Bulbkip over with a bit of food and a lot of love. Yasuo speculated that Bubbles may have been mistreated by whoever his trainer was last, given the cubit's condition and general attitude at the time.

Bubbles was fairly quiet and uninterested throughout most of the conversation, but as soon as Ryunosuke brought up the shooting star, the cubit began to grow increasingly restless, until finally it thrashed and squirmed out of it's trainer's arms and bolted.

The second that Bubbles took off, the waitress who took Ryunosuke and Yasuo's order revealed herself to be a member of Team Torpedo and shouted: "Target is alone and moving! Repeat, BK is alone!"

Swarms of Team Torpedo grunts have now appeared from all over Beacon's Hill and are in hot pursuit of Bubbles. Koga Birch is present up above in a chopper, and Dr. RM Chamise is flying in as well, atop what is presumably the legendary Cubit Ankhaos. She seems to be controlling the legendary using some kind of energy based reins.

All above parties (including Yasuo, who is understandably concerned about his beloved cubit) are now chasing Bubbles, who has disappeared into the woods outside Beacon's Hill. He seems to be running with unnatural speed towards Doubleleaf Glen.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ directed to the rest of the orbers, rather than the presumed dead ryunosuke: ]

It seems our friend has been eaten. It might be too late for him, but we shouldn't let his sacrifice be in vain; we should all head over there and try to help Yasuo.

[ a pause, before adding: ]

Assuming the creature doesn't eat the bones, someone should pick them up so we can give Naruhodo a proper burial.

Wha...

Literally why would you say something like that right now!?

Oh, the snake creature hasn't caught you yet. Then you might still have a miraculous chance of survival.

[ good luck 👍 ]

YET!?

It won't if you can run fast.

Right, I don't know how to tell you this, but we're the ones currently following the 'snake creature'? On the back of a terrifying but friendly ghost whale, no less. And frankly the "ghost whale" part of the equation is already a lot for me to deal with, so I'd rather not be worrying about getting eaten on top of that.

"Ghost whale"? If you're speaking about a Gaslord, they're perfectly harmless creatures. [ she has one of her own after all. ] I can ride on Sir Franky to catch up and help.

Just don't follow it too closely. I don't think you'll fully out of harm's way in potentially being swallowed.

It probably would be wise to get the fuck out of there and find somewhere small enough where that thing can't reach you.

[ You know, just in case it DOES have a thirst for human blood since it's hanging around said mad scientist. ]

Yasuo is still down there somewhere in all this mess, I can't just go hide!

Then find him and wait until we get there to help! Some of the team is in that area already, right?

And we're close, so we're on our way...!

Since that woman is riding it, maybe that means it doesn't eat people...?

[Trying so hard to be Optimistic here]

[ optimism? robin doesn't know the word. ]

Of course she wouldn't be eaten. I doubt the creature could stretch back to bite into her. Everything else in its way is an entirely different story.

But then, how did she get on its back in the first place without getting in range for biting, right...?

I knew it! I knew—

Oh, wait, shit.

The Cubit made the deal with the orb…?!

[OKAY OKAY NO FOCUS]

I’ve already been here in Doubleleaf Glen! I’ll try to intercede before the Torpedo Twits get to it first!

[Though obviously his success will be slim pickings; he’ll still do his best anyway!]

Edited 2023-07-25 22:29 (UTC)

...The Cubit did what?

[No, sorry, hold on, he's getting his head around that.]

Is that what we're thinking now? That Bubbles is the one with the deal?!

[Apparently he hadn't yet reached this conclusion himself.]

Edited 2023-07-25 23:37 (UTC)

I mean — it seems real likely?! I can’t say anything for certain, but it sounds like it! It seemed to freak out when the orb was mentioned, yknow!? The kid seems oblivious!

[Sorry he’s running and talking, he’s terrible at cardio.]

[Ryunosuke is just a little bit stunned by this revelation, but... That IS the explanation that makes sense, isn't it? He realizes now, that feeling he was getting while he and Yasuo were talking... He was skirting around the edges of this truth, just not quite ready to make that final jump yet.

Now he's there, and he's ready to jump right into the action.]

...We're going to need Yasuo's help to get the cubit to give up the orb, then. It's a stubborn little creature, and rather unfriendly to anyone who besides it's trainer. I don't think it will even listen to us if we try to talk to it alone.

I'd advise those with flying Cubits to give rides to those of us who don't. It'll be the fastest way to get us all there. And since we have no idea what this chaos Cubit is capable of, get yours with the best defensive abilities prepared.

Good advice, though if you're going to fly in I'd also warn you to steer clear of that other flying machine. It looks like it has a whirlwind of swords attached to the top of it!

[Maybe he should know what a helicopter is by now, but he's mostly just seen sci-fi spacecraft, ok?]

[ He and Joric both. Shuttles that fire lasers? Sure, why not? Things with giant spinning blades? He has no clue what those things are. ]

Right. No sense flying in only for your Cubit to chop you both up to bits.

[ There is the sound of rustling in the background and a door closing. Joric's on his way! ]

Are you in any immediate danger or are all of them focused on capturing that Bulbkip?

Oh what the fuck.

[ That scene needed some Benny Hill fuckin music. ]

[ Jake's mouth is full of half-chewed jelly donut when passively watching the... situation. Unfurl.

Right about when the serpent shows up, Jake takes another slow bite. ]

Oh hey. That's the lady that shot me. [ Chew chew. ] Y'all doing alright over there?

Edited 2023-07-26 01:23 (UTC)

Video; un: Naruhodo

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