Re: Clinch River: Gotei, Rollout!

Thu Feb 10, 2022 2:46 am

.Hayden Cemplus

Hayden was nothing compared to the two more powerful shinigami, but he could match the pace of his peer. So rather than trying to keep up with Uruhara, he opted to stay at the rear, and ensure that at the very least no one would be left behind. With the display of speed, any doubt of their informant's ability to fend for himself was dispersed, so he figured the best choice would be to have an eye behind them. Though the village and then past the bog, there was nothing eventful. And so Hayden said nothing.

When they reached the building, he paid silent attention to the exchange of words. But the man only wanted to get in and out, so he avoided questions as to not waste any time. As the trio headed inside, he repeated the decision to be last, and rather than bowing, gave Urahara a nod and a quick two-fingered salute. Certainly not the type of goodbye the merchant would receive from soul reapers, but Cemplus was not exactly like other soul reapers outside of sword and uniform.

Being the last one down, Hayden was the last to approach the door. However, rather than draw his sword like his colleagues had, he moved to help force it open with both hands. The annoyance was louder when it was drawn, after all, he may as well enjoy the silence a bit longer, just in case. Using both hands, he started with the prying motion, then slid into the gap when he had enough space. This allowed him to push his arms outward, at the very least making the weight of the vault door easier on Hanako with his assistance. It also served as him making the inverse of his previous choice. He was now first, turning his head to stare down whatever the lab would greet them with...

END POST.

Fri Feb 11, 2022 7:56 pm

Clinch River

With an impressive display of strength from the Vice-Captain, aided in her endeavour by her comrades, made light work of their first obstacle. The unlocked but certainly unused door rolled clear after a few minutes of straining and perseverance. Those pained squeaks and groans of the metal as it was forcibly conformed back into the grooves it had once known finally grew still, and the trio was left with the ominous sight of what lay within. Another obstacle for them to overcome.

Darkness.

A black void that began after only a few paces and appeared to have no immediate sign of ending. The tunnel itself, from what little could be seen with the remainder of the outside light, appeared to be of a stable foundation and deep enough for the Shinigami to descend in single file. It was certainly descending, that much they could tell, but exactly how deep they had yet to go remained to be seen. It would certainly not be fast travelling if they had to feel their ways along the edge of the walls as they went.

That scent that had first been barely noticeable to even the acutest of senses was not beginning to bubble to the surface though. Like there was just the slightest of sounds similar to white noise that seemed to linger in the back of your mind, bouncing around just enough to disrupt transmission without causing any ill effects.

Into the Unknown | END POST

Sun Feb 13, 2022 6:41 am

The Big Woman

Hanako Yamada

Clinch River: Gotei, Rollout! - Page 2 6EdIfMt

The door sounded tortured when they finally, with combined efforts, got it open. It probably was no wonder, after being left here to rot and rust for Soul King knows how long. At least long enough to let this entrance be forgotten.

“I don’t know what WD-40 is, but knowing you it’s probably some explosive.” Hanako said in a quiet tone, almost a whisper, to Amon, followed by her usual crooked grin.

It was probably a joke Hayden didn’t understand, playing on Amon’s occasional directness and Hanako’s extensive ignorance about the world of the living. Hanako knew Amon well enough to know he wouldn’t do anything stupid like blowing up this sorry excuse for a building, just to get one door open, although she really had no clue what WD-40 was.

She stepped to Hayden’s side and touched his shoulder to let him know she had taken position there. With a nod she gave her silent thanks for the help in opening the door. But one brief glimpse into the dark hole that had opened up before them made her feel like it would be better to keep as quiet as possible from now on.

The void seemed to begin right there on the doorstep, swallowing the world whole. It was a really uncomfortable feeling for Hanako, and not only because of this smell and the general feeling that something was wrong. For her it was like staring into her own soul, staring into the empty pit that still existed there, at the centre of her being. Even worse…it felt like it was staring back at her.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” she muttered under her breath. It was so quiet even she barely heard it, not much more than a breath.

Carefully Hanako stepped forward. There was a tunnel going on from the door. It seemed to go down, but it was hard to tell since she couldn’t see very far. Also it wasn’t broad enough to descend in more than a single file. At least she couldn’t feel anything living in the immediate vicinity of the entrance, so that was something.

Hanako still carried her sword in her hand when she took the first steps into the darkness. It seemed to close over her like water closed over the head of someone drowning while their soaked clothes slowly dragged them down, and down, and down.
The moment passed and Hana fought back the thoughts and the association with her own void. Instead she concentrated on more immediate problems, which ironically was also the darkness. It would be slow going if they had to feel their way around blindly.

She suddenly had an idea and held Bakumusha horizontally in front of her. As if she wanted to use Shigure Shinrin Ryu she channelled some of her energy through her arm and into the blade, only a lot less, and she didn’t finish the technique. The energy just flickered over the blade, giving off a hilariously faint glimmer of light. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“If anyone has something better but still discreet, feel free to chime in.” she whispered over her shoulder. Then she started down the tunnel.

Coding Altered From: [The Frost]

Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:19 pm

((I'm so sorry for the wait fellas, been working crazy shifts and I got sick recently. And sorry for the short post, I haven't had the energy for making something longer than this. ))

Ready to hack at anything that would pounce from out of the dark, Amon had gotten quite close to the door with the rusted metal barely missing his nose. But there was nothing in the figurative and literal void that was ahead. He didn't bother commenting on the playful quip from Hanako showing that right now Amon was serious He allowed for the two other Shinigami to pass through, opting to take rear to cover them… whatever that was worth, he was weaker of the three but didn't argue or complain about that fact.

Careful with step after step, Hanako finally lit her Zanpacto in a series of dull sparks. It was something. Amon then went on to comment quietly, "Hey, I'm not complaining, although in a military facility like this we could find a flashlight, hell, maybe even a gun with one. Or we could find signal or emergency flares, give us better lighting… I dunno, anything that looks like it could give us light I'd grab it."

Fri Feb 18, 2022 7:43 pm

.Hayden Cemplus

Hanako was right, of course. His first instinct was even to blurt out a correction, but he did hold his tongue. The darkness ahead was unsettling, after all...

As he felt the contact on his shoulder, he was grounded. It felt secure, with his feet on the ground and him knowing exactly what and who was around him, with the exception of the tunnel that he could at least see. But when her hand ceased contact, everything felt weightless, the dark seeming to eat at him. All the panic from back during the briefing had begun to resurface. His heart rate increased ever-so-slightly as the fear set in. But nonetheless, he stepped forward despite all of his troubles, taking the middle this time.

As darkness consumed the group, he felt even worse. So reluctantly, his hands moved behind him, with his left gripping the bottom of the sheath, and his right wrapping around the handle. The blade made a very feint noise as it was being drawn, which did cause Hayden to grimace momentarily despite the low probability anyone could have heard it. At least, he hoped so. Maybe in the dark hallways it echoed. Hayden didn't know, as he was too worried about the darkness around him than his own noise levels.

Lips closed; his jaw began to move to form the motions of the words "any advice?" in complete silence. And strangely enough there was no response from the blade, which only worried the shinigami even more.

END POST.

Sun Feb 20, 2022 8:38 pm

Clinch River

The all-consuming darkness, barring the slightest of lights given off by Bakumusha in Hanako's hands, was certainly menacing. It was silent, so quiet that the Shingami could hear themselves breathe, but just in the distance was the faintest hum of something ahead.

Pushing onwards, the team were able to find switches that might have been used for lights once in a lifetime ago but were certainly decommissioned now. Any hunting for further resources, storage of any kind, would prove fruitless as they continued the slow descent until eventually, they came to a crossroads.

An arrow pointed to the left path with the sign "OBSERVATION DECK" hanging overhead, whilst a similar arrow pointed right with the sign "LABORATORY 201-208", and a third sign for should they use to press forwards "BIOLOGICAL STUDIES".

That sense of discomfort was still there in the background, like a passing static in the air at this point. It did seem to grow stronger as they lingered around the edge of the Laboratory path. Perhaps that was the way to the source, or should they be more cautious? What would our intrepid explorers do next?

Into the Unknown | END POST

Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:24 am

The Big Woman

Hanako Yamada

Due to the extremely low energy Hanako was using, in fact so low she could probably go on for days if not weeks, the shimmer of light Balumusha was producing was faint. It was more of a less darker shadow, leaving their surroundings still grey, barely enough to see one or two feet beyond the tip of the sword. Yet down here, in this ink-black darkness, it seemed bright, almost painfully so. More and more the contours of this strange underground world were peeled out of the darkness, only to be swallowed by it again after the small group had passed.

Twice Hanako stopped and bowed down to check some debris: cases, cans, containers of various sizes, scattered rags or completely undefinable things that were lying on the floor, broken and scattered. It was all just trash, the place basically empty, looted long before. Only dust to find down here so far.
With a touch of amusement Hanako thought of Amon and his hope of finding some relics down here. It seemed as if he would be disappointed in this matter.

They walked further and further down, warily but steadily. While they were making their way forward Hanako actually struggled to keep her sense of time. It was like they were at the bottom of the ocean, with no way of telling how long it had been since they'd descended, and Hanako unfortunately knew exactly what that felt like. The strange feeling Hanako had, that tingling at the back of her head, the tightness in her gut, she attributed it to this.

Eventually they reached a crossroads. The way they had come down split into three: one path led straight on, and one to either side.

‘Oh great’ Hanako thought. ‘As if this damn darkness wasn’t making it hard enough.’

For a moment she stood there, thinking. That was when, for the first time, she consciously realised the hum. Curious. Up until now she had thought that it was deadly quiet down here.

“Can you hear that, too, or am I imagining it?” she whispered to the other two. “I hear something humming.”

To investigate it she approached the new paths, starting with the left. With each she took a step in and risked a slightly brighter flash from her sword, to see a bit further ahead. When she came to the right path something made the tiny hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck stand. This passage really felt uncomfortable. Strange…

“Something is wrong with this passage.” she whispered, unable to put it into words any better.

Hanako turned around and looked at the signs. She had noticed them earlier, but couldn’t figure out what was written on them, since they were written in western characters. She still had trouble deciphering them.

“Can any of you read the language? Amon?” she spoke again as quietly as she could.
“What does this sign say, where does this path lead?”

She pointed with her left hand towards the right passage, while holding her sword up, so the others could use what little light it produced to read the sign.

“I think this could be our way.” she added. Something about the discomfort she felt when she even thought about taking this path...the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that for that exact reason they had to take that path.

Coding Altered From: [The Frost]

Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:49 am

"No..." Amon starts nonchalantly, quietly but just enough so they could hear him, "You're not the only one. I'd laugh my ass off if this relic was some sort of generator."

As the walked through the enveloped dark, every trace of light was dull and barely held up against the surroundings deep. It was still something, it allowed him to look around for anything better however there was nothing but trash. That's a shame. He let loose a small sigh, starting to get a tad antsy with what the silence save for the humm which was starting to get annoying at this point. Hanako however broke the silence when they started to come across signs above entryways to various rooms, now dormant from whatever power was left long ago.

Amon read the signs as they passed them, "Observation Deck... Laboratory 201 to 209- wait that's an eight... Biological Studies? What in the hell were they experimenting on? I swear to God if this is some Resident Evil bullshit... Hanako, I'm thinking the lab is out best bet, what do you think? May e a bit further down?"

There was something ominous the further they went, an eery feeling that they were all getting but regardless of that Amon was undeterred. As he said to Hanako before, he wasn't anyone's bitch, and he wasn't gonna act like it. Whatever it was he prayed it wasn't some possessed relic of the past, or someone who's batshit insane waiting to tear them apart.

Mon Feb 28, 2022 3:37 pm

Clinch River

Choosing to venture down the rightmost path, the Shinigami elected to press onwards toward what might well be the source of this disturbing sensation. Into the laboratories. Progress was still slow, the light of Bakumusha remaining the only source of illumination against this consuming darkness, and the trio soon found themselves wrapping around and around in a spiral descent. Down and down they went, any sense of bearing now rather thoroughly jumbled.

Then, suddenly, a potential source of that gentle hum was revealed. There was a light at the end of the tunnel.

THUMP...____________________________________THUMP...

Upon entering, it was blinding compared to the blackness they had known for the past... How long had they actually been down here? Well, that was probably not their top concern right now. As the strain of the constant bright light finally passed and their eyes adjusted to new surroundings, they were in a vast illuminated chamber. Eight workstations dominated the middle of the room, ordered like long desks at which various workers might once have sat. But there was not a soul to see.

Each station appeared well preserved as if it had only been abandoned a matter of minutes ago. Mugs of coffee left half-finished, rambling notes still sprawled out, research tools left midway through various experiments. But there were still cobwebs gathering around the corner of the room, a layer of dust that revealed the truth. Whatever had happened here, it had happened instantaneously, but that had been several decades ago at least.

THUMP... THUMP...

Advancing further inside, two more things would stand out. Firstly, the troubling scent of discomfort covered every inch of this room like a light fog. It did not seem to originate from anywhere, in particular, rather just indicated that they needed to press forwards. To which end, there was a door at the other side to the entrance, with a keypad, that gated further progression.

Secondly, they were being watched. High above them, in what could only be described as an Observation Deck, a single figure stood by a large glass window. It was little more than a shadow from down at the ground level, as the lights did their best to hide any particular details, but they were rather animated. Pointing down at something that was hard to distinguish and then banging on the glass with no small degree of concern. Despite the distance, that muffled sound was breaking the silence.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

And, as their collective gaze was drawn skyward, suddenly there were other shadows moving in the rafters. But these weren't in the Observation Deck, no. They were inside the laboratory room itself. Dozens of shapes, moving indistinctly as if something had roused them from slumber.

Almost on queue, the doorway from which they had entered slammed shut.

Into the Unknown | END POST

Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:54 pm

With every move ushered in the further sense of dread, but that didn't stop Amon from being... Amon. He created every scenario from movies to practical jokes of the situation, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Dawn of the Dead... Shawn of the Dead. The enclosed halls created some sense of paranoia but he played it off as overcautious. Then again, he's only ever gone against lesser forms of Hollow sparingly, Amon never gone against hardcore beasts like... Well, anything more than a newly turned Hollow! Still, he kept his trap shit and moved forward in hopes of getting to where they needed soon.

But then there was the light at the literal end of the tunnel. It could have been outside however it didn't seem lively as such, he didn't feel the damning cold of the frigid Tennessee, he didn't hear any birds chirping or any winds shift. Letting loose a nearly quiet sigh which was almost muffled by the humming, Amon's anticipation grew more and more. He started to hear a noise other than the growing humm, thudding.

Once they entered the room it was a rather large open laboratory, and there was fog. Amon's heart accelerated as he could see everything now and not just what a dim spark provided. He saw the door on the other side which was closed being locked by a key pad but other than that, from above his attention turned to the individual shadow behind the glass panel. They were pointing at something, almost urgently which Amon did his best to follow what they were pointing at and decidingly followed the direction. A very broad direction, as he let out a vocal, "Hm, well... Door password I guess?"

And then the door slammed shut, and just now Amon started to noticed several- no dozens of shapes and figured stand, almost if they woke up from a nap. Then his Asauchi spoke, "Find that password now!"

"How the fuck do I know it's a password?" Amon replied now being careful, starting to back up to the few steps to regroup with his fellow Shinigami.

"Because right now you're trapped in here with whatever those are, and the only other way out is that pad locked door, now hurry!"

With a harsh sigh, Amon said to his Captain, "I think that guys to help us Hanako... If I didn't know better I'd say we're not alone right now. I think he was trying to help us, whatever... Whoever these people are, they're bad company, and I'm pretty certain that dude was pointing where to find some password yonder over there," He pointed to the general direction of where that individual was pointing, "But I think I'm gonna shut bricks if it's on .. one of these pleasant fellas."