Video: UN - JustD

[distant_one]

[The video isn't of D, but instead a carefully drawn map of Trench and its close surrounding areas with rough lines indicating the tunnels. The video zooms back to show a rough outline of a path leading from Trenchwood further inland, denoted as '30 miles' and then a point circled and labeled as 'outpost lantern'.]

Earthquakes and underground tunnels last month, and severe storms this month. If this city sinks into the ground or is washed away, there's nowhere to go.

[D puts another sheet of paper down in front of the video, this one showing a rough outline of ruined building and some sketched in structures and a perimeter wall.]

Last month, Manabu Yuuki led an expedition, this lantern point is as far as we went before we had to return. The wilds are full of aggressive plants and animals, high levels of corruption, and even the plants that don't attack will probably kill people.

But this is a chance to make an outpost. Every time I've gone out there I've come under attack almost immediately, but if we made it that far, we can make this work too.

I'm looking for anyone who can and will fight, anyone who can aid in building fortifications to make defenses easier, and anyone with the ability or knowledge to provide magical protection and reduce corruption, or who can provide supplies and support.

I'll provide food and shelter or items for trade to anyone who works on turning this outpost into a haven.

My name is D. I'm setting up a staging point for people and supplies in the house near the Watch Tower with the red door and cloth banners. Contact me here, or look for me there between mid afternoon and sundown.

[OOC: Plotting post for this open and approved player plot here and location post and information here. An open log post will be going up sometime in the next week.]

Comments

[fogsong]

[ between the cyborg horse comment and the fact he thought to just fight a nightmare, the look she throws his direction is one of exaggerated disbelief. ]

Don’t worry, I don’t go around picking fights. [ with anything or anyone. she’s fairly passive despite her tendency to jump to sarcasm and snark when frustrated or annoyed.

when he mentions the outpost, she sucks on her teeth in a moment of thought as she leads him further into the forest, following the drag marks. ] What will it be like then?

[ her tone implies she’s not too worried but it’s clear she wants a better understanding so she can be properly prepared. ]

[distant_one]

Unfortunately just going around might be enough to pick a fight with one.

[There's a faint hint of dry humor in his voice. He respects the strange unicorn's aggression, and that for all their strength they'd rather eat something already dead than kill for food.]

This is going to be a battlefield in one of the worst scenarios possible. Defending an unfortified location indefinitely. We lose the advantage defenders sometimes have of picking a location and preparing to our advantage, and our only objective and only means of success is to hold our ground. We'll be under attack with no choice in when or how many enemies we engage at once or how often we have to fight.

[There's not much that would be worse except perhaps fighting that kind of battle through the neighborhoods of Trench.

The trail they're following is curious. D has seen the marks from time to time before during his exploration, but has never followed them.]

[fogsong]

[ she’s quiet for a breath after his explanation, mulling over his words with the seriousness they deserve. she knew it wouldn’t be like anything she’s done before, not as Sharon Da Silva, but oddly enough the prospect excites her as much as it makes her nervous. ]

I think I’ll be able to handle it, especially with my guardian around. He was made to protect me from anything and everything and the place he comes from… [ she trails off, uncertain how to describe the otherworld and the horrors it encompasses. ] I know I told you there aren’t monsters where I’m from but that wasn’t entirely true. There are and they’re nothing like what you might encounter here. They exist in a separate plane of reality that your average person won’t ever see. He’s from the Otherworld, a place of darkness. To many, it’s Hell.

[ the further in they go, the fresher the marks appear and soon they come across remnants of brutal fights. days old blood. monster body parts yet to be scavenged away entirely. there are damaged and downed trees and bits of old monster flesh in branches as if something were torn apart and scattered. ] If I can’t handle something, he can and will.

[distant_one]

This will be quick and chaotic. You can't depend only on him, and there are concerns other than just fighting.

[Which is part of why D wanted to have this conversation.]

I don't know if you've noticed, but I almost never use my right hand for anything even though I'm right handed. You should start practicing doing the same and avoid using your dominant hand, it's a common practice among my kind of Hunter to keep that hand busy to grab your weapon.

[He's ambidextrous, really, but more practiced with his right hand, and having his Left Hand makes wielding a weapon with that hand complicated. It's also why they're not working with a spear too long to used with one hand even if it's much less effective.]

It's time for new boots, too. At least up to the knee, waterproof and for your case fireproof as well. Gloves too with the problems blood corruption causes.

[D reaches into a pocket and pulls out a pair of decently sized coins, both solid gold.]

There's no money system here, but gold is gold. You'll be able to get blood-enchanted clothing with this.

[fogsong]

[ Sharon gives a hum of acknowledgment when he tells her she needs to practice more with her non-dominant hand but she doesn't pull her attention from their surroundings until he pulls out the coins. She stops moving and looks back at him, bright eyes bouncing from the coins in his hand to his face. A tiny small graces her lips. ]

I'll work on using my left hand more and I'll pick up new gloves and boots but I'd prefer to pay for them myself. [ She likes that he's offered but she's fiercely independent when it comes to certain things and this is one of them. ] I won't even dally, I'll get it done after I get back. [ Because she's prone to put things off, as he's surely come to notice. ]

[distant_one]

When I started teaching you I took on responsibility for more than just giving lessons. If you want to hold onto them and give them back when you start working alone as a Hunter, that's fine.

Until then, they're yours.

[D takes his commitments very seriously and the only thing stopping him from handing over a handful or two is that it would be way more than she needs and he has limited availability compared to his usual wealth.]

Get a metal spearhead as well.

[fogsong]

[ She'll take and pocket the coins with a wrinkle of her nose. ] These are wasted on me, D, and I'll just put them away until I can return them. [ She is frustratingly stubborn at times.

It's not long before they reach an area of the forest that lacks the usual sounds of life. No insects hum and no birds sing. It's as if life knows something walks this area beyond unnatural. The drag marks are the freshest here. Sharon comes to an abrupt halt and soon an odd, tinny groan echoes through the trees in front of them. It's like a whale song but hollow and muffled.

Something large shifts ahead of them and a hulking creature comes into view. It's human in appearance but stands well over seven feet tall. Its strange pyramid-shaped head twists in their direction and its grip tightens on the overly large knife it holds at its side as it notices D. It recognizes the danger he poses but makes no move towards them. ]

The Order of Valtiel thought of him as an executioner because he would hunt them down when the darkness came and tear them apart. Anyone and anything that would harm me would die, if not by my hand or by the monsters, by his. [ There's a warm affection in Sharon's tone. ]

[distant_one]

[D's sixth sense picks up the same thing that has the insects and birds quiet. It's similar to the aura he has that keeps birds silent and away from him. He remains still and quiet as they wait for the thing he's been hearing to approach.]

I see.

[For someone who feels hunted, D can understand Sharon's affection for the hunter chasing her tormentors.]

And he won't attack sleepers as long as we leave him alone and aren't harming you?

[This thing has a more solid form than the otherworldly horrors of D's experience, but perhaps it needs a more stable and physical manifestation.]

[fogsong]

Exactly. As long as they're not active threats to me or him, he'll just ignore them. They won't mean anything to him. [ It was how it had handled the prisoners in the asylum that hadn't attacked her and it was how it dealt with Chris and Vincent after Claudia had been taken care of. ]

We'll just need to make sure people know to be careful when fighting anything near him. [ Red Pyramid groans as it shifts closer towards them, dragging the large, rusted knife behind it and it leaves deep wounds in the ground, tearing up dirt and root. The closer it gets, the more visible the old wounds and scars become. Its upper body is peppered with them and it becomes obvious the apron around its waist is made of stitched-together human flesh, old and leathered. ]

I think he'll be useful. More useful out there than he is out here.

[distant_one]

[That is far from the first garment D has made from human skin, and he doubts it will be the last.]

He will be very useful. I'll get something to put on him to make it clear to anyone who sees him that he's not an enemy.

[D has a hard time telling just how much of a mind is in there. It's not mindless, nor is it a puppet. It clearly acts of its own will, but D isn't sure how it decides what to kill and what to ignore. Is he able to tell on some instinctual level when something is a threat to Sharon whether the thing he's looking at even knows she exists or not?]

Will he react if I put my hand on you, or intend you harm, or only if I do something threatening.

[fogsong]

Good idea. [ Not even Alessa tried to accessorize Red but Sharon knows it won't care, not if she's the one to put it on. Chances are good it won't even notice. ]

I don't totally understand it, I probably never will, but... When I'm afraid, he comes, and if I need him and I'm not afraid, I can just reach out to him. It's as if there's a thread inside of me that leads to him. [ He was born with a purpose and that purpose is tied to her. Every monster in the Otherworld has a purpose even if she doesn't know them. ]

I think he can see when something could be a danger. [ A heavy pause as she looks back at D. ] He sees you. [ Her face screws up in a look of concentration. ] But he feels what I feel. I'm not afraid of you so he won't hurt you. If that were to change, though... [ She trails off. The implication is obvious. If she were to fear D or if he were to endanger her, chances are good this giant of a monster is something he would have to face if she willed it. ]

[distant_one]

[Whatever else D might be, he can't deny that he's always dangerous. The concept makes sense in a strange way even if D has no direct parallels to draw from that kind of connection isn't unfamiliar, even if it's usually one created intentionally.]

I see. I understand now why you're confident he'll always be there to protect you, he's not a fully separate being. Remind me to tell you sometime about the witches of my dimension and their guardians and familiars.

[The implication that if Sharon ever becomes afraid of him he'll have to deal with this creature doesn't seem to bother D at all. It's just one in a long line of strange things he's encountered, many of which could have killed him, some of which did kill him.]

We should get him out there sooner rather than later when it's time to start.

[fogsong]

Mm, I'll do that sometime. [ It's definitely something that interests her given that Christabella thought of her as a witch before she saw her as a demon. A part of her is desperate to figure out what she is though she's mostly resigned herself to the fact that she may never truly know.

When he speaks again, she nods in understanding. ] You just let me know when and I'll get him out there. [ The metal-headed creature gives a groan in an echo of her statement. ] This'll probably be good for him. I don't know if he gets bored or... if he feels much of anything but maybe he'll like having more to do.

[distant_one]

Beings made for a purpose are usually happiest when carrying it out.

[Or reprogrammed to carry out a task, but D suspects this one came into existence with its purpose in mind.]

There are a couple ways you can use your abilities that will be more useful in the wide chaos of a larger fight as well.

[D has apparently decided that's all he needs of the strange creature, and he turns away from it to walk back towards the lamp point without any concern.]

Feet are very rarely a true vulnerability, but in a situation like this hampering the mobility of a larger number and avoiding doing so to allies will be helpful. It will also help buy you time for your guardian to handle enemies.

All this rain will make it safer to practice carpeting areas with fire. If you can bring fire up consistently in a spot behind you or in a ring around you, that will also be a technique to work on. Aside from the precision and speed work those two will be more useful in this kind of situation than anything else we're working on with your abilities.

[fogsong]

[ D turns away and Sharon follows suit. Red Pyramid will follow them for a distance until it decides Sharon isn't in danger from the creatures in the area and wander back to its resting location.

She listens and takes mental notes. ]

I'll up the time I practice then and see how consistent I can get. I've done rings of fire before, though they were easier when I was angry and had plenty of living kindling. [ Her main worry here is setting allies on fire but she's been getting better and better with her control, especially given how often she's been working on it. ]

[distant_one]

[If this was a situation where Sharon faced the true risk of death, D would have more to say, but Trench is kind in this one aspect only. Death is easy for sleepers to overcome.]

We'll put tracking and other lessons on hold unless you're injured and need something less demanding to work on.

[For now, D is eager to get back to a house and out of the rain. He might even make some tea of his own volition... except.]

Would you mind bringing a teapot and some tea to the staging point?

[D doesn't actually have anything required to make tea.]

[fogsong]

And here I thought you'd have thought of everything. [ There's a teasing lilt to her tone before she adds: ] Yeah, I can do that. Any preferences? If not, I'll just bring what I've got at home, which is mostly light teas.

[distant_one]

It's all the rain.

[Even just stepping out into the rain causes his body temperature to drop at least four degrees and his metabolism to drop by twenty percent as his body starts to shut down.]

Any tea is fine.

[D does have preferences on tea, but he isn't going to share them when he's already asking a favor.]

[fogsong]

The rain? Really? I wouldn't have thought a big bad dhampir would be bothered by a little rain. [ There's still some teasing in her tone but it's more curious now than anything else. ]

[distant_one]

If you're going to call me a 'big bad' anything it should be 'Vampire Hunter'. Vampires are weak to running water, and that includes rain.

[And D, being part vampire, shares that weakness.]

Most of them would go comatose if they fell in a river.

[fogsong]

I was just teasing you, D. [ She huffs beneath her breath. She wonders if he's sensitive over what he is. ]

I think it was part of vampire lore back home that they couldn't cross the ocean without... [ She hums in thought, brows creasing. ] I think they had to have dirt or something with them. I always thought it was kind of silly but now... [ Well, it seems there was some truth to it. Even if she still doesn't believe vampires exist in her own world (not that it matters anymore). ]

How badly does all the rain affect you?

[distant_one]

That's close. Vampires prefer to have dirt from their homeland with them in their coffin when they travel, but they can go on boats or submarines without it. It's being in water that's difficult.

[D holds up his gloved hand and shakes some water from the surface of the material.]

As soon as I step into rain my body temperature drops four degrees and my heartbeat and other metabolic processes drop. The longer I'm out in it the worse it feels, especially during the day.

[fogsong]

You should have let me know the rain would bother you. I'd have suggested we go at night. [ She picks up her pace. ]

[distant_one]

I can't just put off going outside because the weather is unpleasant.

[But D picks up his pace as well.]

If I stop altogether, it'll be harder to do when I truly need to.

[fogsong]

There’s nothing wrong with staying in if you’re under the weather, D. I understand not wanting to do it constantly but there’s no harm in it occasionally.

It’s not like we had to go out and see him this instant, you know? [ It might seem like she argues just to argue but the reality is that it’s a sign she gives a shit about him and his health. ]