Below the mineshaft roads, it will all unfold;

[vetala]

Who: See tags
When: 08-30; 5PM and onward
Where: The mysterious (not)abandoned mines outside of town
What: Kanti has finally called everyone together to
Warning: Content warnings will be tagged as the threads progress. Prepare for possible violence at the least.

After much planning, the trip to the mine is finally coming to fruition. Granted, this fruit could be ripe and juicy mangoes or disappointing red grapes with the seeds still in, but the point is that it is coming to a head. The supplies have been purchased and packed. The lunches have been made and also packed.

Early Friday morning, a post goes up on the network that is filtered to the known volunteers with directions and the words:

Today. 5PM.

What does this all boil down to?

Aww yeah motherfuckin' mines!

((OOC: The details of what to expect in the mines have been posted in the Gdoc so check that out before you post. The info is a bit too long to be posted here. People not involved in exploring the mines can feel free to tag in the Pre-Trip Preparations thread if it's suitable.

Sorry for posting it this early, but I work late tomorrow and I don't want anyone to have to wait up for me.))

Comments

[doomedtheworld]

[Vanessa fumbles with her dagger while the creature goes after Isaac. Memories, both from her life and another, flash through her head. Dogs, monsters, men with spikes through their eyes, all coming for her. For a second, she zones out before she snaps back to reality.

No. Not this time.

The Vermedi is almost on Miria when she dives in, flipping the knife around in her hand, and slamming her shoulder into it. The knife flashes once, twice, three times, digging past thick hair to bite into whatever the creature had for flesh before it turns its claws on her.

One swipe of the claws comes close but she twitches her head to the side as she dances back out of reach, leaving a thin red scratch on her cheek, before she settles between it and the Dians with the bloodied dagger held in a reverse-grip before her.

If it wanted them, it would have to go through her first.]

[originaloddcouple]

[Miria almost thought she was alien food before the dagger struck. She quickly took the opportunity to help Isaac get back on his feet. Isaac's attention was on the multiple stabbings, but he could still sense exactly how bad his wounds were. His right arm was hurt, but nothing that wouldn't heal soon. His left arm, oddly, seemed to be perfectly fine, although he didn't reflect on it long. That was when their buddy stepped between them and the monster.

Vanessa is now deemed the coolest person ever in the Dians' books.

Let's count the numerous aspects of Vanessa's awesomeness: smart, cool, courageous, cool, friendly, funny, cool, and can kick pretty much anyone's butt.

Of course, the couple couldn't think about more details at the time. More important things were occurring.

In no shape to fight, not to mention his lack of a weapon, Isaac stood behind Miria. As for his wife, Miria stepped closer to world's greatest warrior Vanessa, her bat raised high above her head.

Bring it on, jerk.]

[doomedtheworld]

[Right now, Vanessa's focus was far away from how "cool" she was, she wasn't even thinking about where the sudden knowledge in her head had come from. It was like suddenly having a map in her head, of vitals. Heart, lungs, stomach, arteries, veins, tendons. All at once she knew where they were and how to strike each one.

Later. She could worry about it later. Now, they had to deal with this thing. When Miria comes up beside her, she gives her a quick nod and goes on the attack again before the wounded Vermedi has time to recover.

Its right side had taken the worst of the stabs and she zeroes on in that side, following that map in her head. Feint, get inside its defenses and then, gut, chest, throat, the inside of its arm. She's vaguely aware of claws scraping down her shoulder and then she pushes it away. Between the cracks to the skull from Miria earlier and the stab wounds, the thing staggers away with one good arm but still doesn't give any sign of being out of the fight.]

Miria!

[originaloddcouple]

Yes, sir!

[Miria, not having the same knowledge as Vanessa, chose to hit any random spot on the Vermedi that was open. It seems to do a bit of damage actually. A hit to the head, hit to the stomach, hit to here and there. Generally, seems to be working well.

That was about when the next echo hit.

She's back on the train, wind racing by. She can see trees speed past her. She looks outside, toward the bottom of the locomotive.

A boy, covered in blood, possibly missing an arm, is lying not ten feet away. She can't even tell if he's alive.

The sense of vertigo passes, but Miria finds herself unable to move from her state of shock.

But the Vermedi sure can, as it moves to scratch the woman.]

Miria!

[doomedtheworld]

[That was probably the upside of bringing a bat to a knife fight. Precision really wasn't as important.

Things seemed fairly well in hand so she hangs back a moment to grab some of that pewter from her pocket and swallow it. The heat of burning metal rises up in her stomach and quickly dulls the pain in her shoulder, while causing a rush of energy to flow through her.

Then she sees Miria stop her attack and freeze in place. What was that? An echo? No time to worry about it as the Vermedi is already making a move to slice into her.

Later, she can worry about the brutal precision she moves with. Later, she can worry about how she doesn't even hesitate. Later, she can worry about how it must have looked when she suddenly grabs the thing from behind, trapping its arm and drives her knife up through the base of its head, twists and pushes the blade in further until it finally stops struggling to live and goes still.]

[originaloddcouple]

[He was hurt. She had to help. But she wasn't actually there anymore.

It took a while, but Miria snaps out of it after a minute or so. Isaac had reached her, and was holding her carefully.]

Miria, are you-

[She shakes her head.]

Yeah... I'm fine.

[She doesn't look fine. She looks up at Vanessa.]

Thanks. I'm sorry I... didn't help as much as I could've.

[Although, she privately doubts that she could've finished the job.

For his part, Isaac doesn't look firmly convinced that his spouse is feeling her best. Still, he gives their buddy a grateful smile, trying not to look at the dead monster. Because... dead monster.]

[doomedtheworld]

[Vanessa let the monster slip to the ground and stepped back from it, breathing hard while she stared down at the carcass. She had done that, and it had been easy. Not that the thing had gone down without a fight, because both it had drawn blood itself but the act itself had come so naturally to her.

She knew how to kill now.

She shook her head. She was being stupid. It was a monster and it was trying to attack them. It wasn't like it was a person.

A person wouldn't have survived her first strike. She knew that too. Jesus.]

It's fine. [She says that in a small voice and then gives her head another shake, and looks up, seeing both Isaac and Miria looking at her and quickly banishes her doubts. Freak out later.] It's fine. I think we're done down here for now.

[originaloddcouple]

[Miria nods slowly.]

Yeah... Yeah, I... I want to leave.

[Isaac, not in any particular mood to stay either, just keeps Miria close.]

That was... really good, Vanessa.

[doomedtheworld]

Yeah. Maybe somebody else had more luck.

[She glances back toward the dead monster before dismissing it and pausing to grab her flashlight which she'd dropped in the fight. She spins the knife around in her hand, sliding it back into the leather sheath she'd carried it in, pausing for a second as her brain catches up with the action. She didn't know how to do that either.

She glances up at Isaac as she goes to take the lead again.]

Yeah. Didn't know I had it in me.