WEEK 4

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WEEK 4

READY, STEADY, GO-KARTS!

After a harrowing week of forced honesty and a surprise attack from the God of Conflict, it seems the Goddess’ “gift” has finally faded - and just in time! Today marks the date of the highly anticipated Go-Kart Race, featuring a whopping twelve teams from the Goddess’ picks and a number of teams comprised of locals. Fortunately the weather is holding up well for the event, with clear skies and a radiant sun beating down on all contestants as they wait to begin, the heat reflecting off the asphalt. Hopefully everyone thought to use sunscreen!

The local arcade has decked out the go-kart track in flags representing the different teams, and some local businesses have set up both a spectator stand area near the finish line, as well as kiosks selling snacks and drinks for the spectators and anyone who happens to wander by! There are also some midway fair game booths and portable game machines if you're not really here for the go-karts and just here for a fun afternoon out. The best part is that everyone who enters the event zone gets three free tokens courtesy of the arcade, so you've got nothing to lose~ Unless you do happen to lose, which means that you'll probably have to purchase more tokens from the distracted teenagers volunteering manning the admin booth.

ALL'S WELL THAT-- HUH?

Eventually, all the preamble is completed, and it’s time for the race! A light counts down from red to yellow to green, and the racers are off!

While the start of the race is a jumble, a few in particular begin to pull ahead of the pack: Spade of the Sea and Kururu and Schneider in particular! Tragically, Team Bloody Angels just can’t seem to get the speed they want and seem to get stalled by various traps, falling further and further behind…

In the middle of the bunch, Atem and Sunrise manage to maintain their speed, while THE CUTIE PATOOTIES, Fire’n Ice, and Aaron and Morgan all struggle to surpass each other - leaving Beautiful, Bright Knights of Lovely Radiance, and Exquisite Midnight Shimmering unfortunately trapped behind the three and unable to pass at all. Towards the back of the group, Badass Ladies compete directly with TEAM ROADKILL for their place, while Frieren and Arven have a leisurely drive by comparison.

The first and second laps go without incident. But on the third…

Something about the local teams changes. Instead of the regular frustration of losing, some of them seem to fall into, well, road rage.

Schneider and Kururu, nearly caught up to Hiiro and Jordi, find their hopes dashed as a woman in a blue bandana bumps them from behind - the impact enough to cut their engine for a moment too long, allowing Hiiro and Jordi to pass the finish line in first place without any trouble.

The middle of the pack gets the worst of it. Jesse and Mafuyu find themselves hounded by a woman in aviators who manages to ram into their Go-Kart hard enough to dent the guard, putting pressure on the wheel - while they cross at the same time as others, they are unable to steer the Go-Kart due to the damages, and find themselves ramming into guardrail. While Mafuyu is miraculously without injury, Jesse takes the brunt of the force and will be feeling that whiplash the next day.

Aaron and Morgan get a brick - a literal brick - chucked at them, and while they manage to avoid getting hit themselves, they have to do a violent swerve to do so. That’ll also be a bit of whiplash for them, too. Badass Ladies get sideswiped by one of the locals and their kart ends up grinding against one of the guardrails. Eek.

The real destruction, however, hits the back end of the group - a man in yellow sneakers manages to bash hard into Eli and Kirumi, pushing them off course. The impact causes them to bump into Aerith and Maika along the way, who lose control of the steering wheel and knock Fray and Argenti into the wall. Fray sustains injuries as he’s dragged against the wall for a moment until Argenti is able to right their path again, pulling them back into the middle of the course. Eli and Kirumi don’t get off so easily, either - the bump against Aerith and Maika isn’t enough to stop their momentum, and Eli cracks his right shoulder against a barrier as Kirumi hits the brakes to prevent further injury. Fray, Argenti, Eli, and Kirumi will be feeling whiplash the next day.

Braphine’s chosen aren’t the only victims, either - a woman with red combat boots and a man in a green jacket each crash into local competitors, and the result is a six-kart pileup.

Frieren and Arven and Team Bloody Angels witness all of this from the back of the race, though neither team can do much except to continue on to the finish line.

What should have been a celebration at the end instead turns into panic as medics are called onto the scene and emergency personnel are summoned to the track. While many of the people in the stands seem roiling with discontent and beginning to argue and fight over the cause of all these injuries, a few of the locals hurry down to the course to help. Schneider, Aaron, Argenti, Aerith, Eli, and Kirumi will find themselves aided by familiar faces - the boutique staff recognized them and are here to lend them and their partners a hand in getting treated for their injuries.

As the racetrack descends into chaos, it soon becomes difficult to keep track of everyone. However, Hiiro, Schneider, Sally, Morgan, Argenti, Aerith, Frieren, and Celeste all notice a figure in a strangely ancient hood standing among the stands, a fierce grin on their face - before the figure turns and disappears into the crowd.

Mina - having come to spectate and cheer on everyone from the stands - gets a rather panicked look on her face as she watches it all unfold. She quickly takes out her phone and begins typing frantically at it, before hitting “send.”

All at once, all of Braphine’s chosen will hear their phones begin to beep.

CALL FOR HELP.

I've added emergency commissions to the app - please take them on if you are able to/need to!

We can get through this if we all work together. So, please... look out for each other out there, okay?

COMMISSIONS

HELPING HAND

Please help the injured! Even if it's as small as first-aid or comforting a scared child who's gotten lost in the aftermath of the go-kart crash, any little bit of help would be appreciated by the overwhelmed medical staff at the scene! Unless you’re already injured, in which case, please allow yourself to be tended to!

(OOC note: For clarity, this commission reward applies both to characters who are helping the injured and those who are injured in the thread!)

HOLY HEALING

The hospital is going to need more supplies. For those who are strong enough, please seek out Archangel Shadows in the Nekyia. They should drop blessed feathers - these feathers then can be taken to Braphine’s Temple, and the priest or priestess there should be able to turn them into medicine for the injured.

RACETRACK REPAIRS

In the aftermath of the go-kart pileup and everything associated with it, it's time for people who are good with their hands to roll up their sleeves and help the locals with repairs - clear the debris off the track and make sure the way is clear for the emergency vehicles and construction crews who need to access the site!

OOC

READ ME!!!!

• Welcome to your Week 4 event log! While this log covers the go-kart race and its immediate aftermath, please feel free to use this log to thread out anything else happening during the week after and we will see you next week for the Week 5 event!
  
• Note to all go-kart participants that there has been some shuffling in the team compositions due to player drops as well as Everything That Happened on Friday. Regardless, you can claim event participation gacha rewards if you signed up and have one thread of at least 10 comments with a go-kart related prompt on this post.
  
• Archangel stats and information have been added to the bestiary!
  
• AC is due end of the month! Make sure you get that in~
  

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Comments

[bloodandstars]

i. aftermath

[ Once the dust has settled a little Maika will be going from kart to kart, a dog after the scent. In fact she can probably be caught literally sniffing the air when she approaches the wrecks that belonged to any of the conspirators. Ah, the scent of burnt rubber and absent vandals. ]

Fucking cowards.

[ Whatever. She changes course the second she spots anyone who looks to be nursing an injury. If you have an injured character, she's probably marching towards you with menacing purpose. Otherwise she can be found accosting NPCs with her usual gracious bedside manner. ]

Hold still! Unless you want to bleed out before a medic gets here.

ii. racetrack repairs

[ And once that mess is dealt with she can thankfully fall back to the tasks much better suited to her: brute force manual labor. How much hauling of large machinery can a medium-sized one-armed woman do?

Apparently, plenty. She's not fast, but she is persistent. If anyone wants to lend her — literally — a hand with the chunk of kart frame she's dragging across the pavement (to the accompaniment of horrific metallic screeching), she might be too preoccupied to bite. ]

iii. (un)holy healing

[ And throughout the week after she can be encountered at Nekyia at random hours hunting feathers, generally solo. Has she not yet learned how to use her skills? Has she grasped enough of RPG mechanics to be hoarding spiritual energy? Because for the most part she's trying to shred monsters with just physical attacks from the clawed gauntlet she came equipped with. Party up?

In the odd moment of rest, if she thinks she's alone, she seeks the respite of a staring contest with Anubis. ]

And what good are you if you don't know shit, anyway?

iv. wildcard [ If you want to hit me up for something different or something specific after the meeting, plotting is here! ]

for aerith

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika's got a million things jostling for priority in her head the second their kart finally skids to a stop. First and foremost is getting her teeth in the throat of those fatherfucking trash that keep picking this fight with her—

Or it would have been, a year ago. She can't say she's changed for the better. But she does know she's changed, even empty in a different way now than she was before Zamora. "You need to care more than anyone. Dangerous people have to... they have to love more than the rest of us."

Fuck.

She shakes off the disorientation and hops out of the kart before offering her hand to Aerith. ]

Still in one piece there? Told you I didn't know shit about driving.

[gardenful]

[ Staff from the boutique come to fuss over Aerith (and by extension, Maika), but she waits for Maika to offer a hand to help her up before doing much of anything else. With a smile, she stands, using the grip she has on Maika's hand to hop out of the cart.

For just a moment, her gaze shifts elsewhere, to a strange, hooded figure relishing in the chaos before disappearing. But her focus shifts back to Maika quickly enough. ]

Yep. I told you I was tough, didn't I? [ She will continue to insist on this!! ] It woulda been fun if those drivers weren't such bad sports.

[ Finally letting go of Maika's hand, Aerith gives her a quick onceover. ]

How are you feeling, though?

[bloodandstars]

[ She really doesn't look rattled, huh? Maika sweeps a quick head-to-toe glance over Aerith, in search of any obvious injuries she just hasn't seen fit to mention yet. ]

If they wanted a blood sport, they could have just asked.

[ They might have one now, when Maika gets her hand on any of them. But she gives her head a brief shake to clear it. ]

The last time I crashed a tank I burned half my hair off. This is nothing.

[ For her! She leans a little to the side to see how Aerith's eyes are tracking. Really, actually fine...? ]

[gardenful]

[ Totally fine! She can feel Maika continuing to fuss over her, so just to give her a little bit more comfort, Aerith spins around. ]

It really is nothing, huh? Last time I was in a race, it was car chase.

[ So... not a race. ]

Glad your hair didn't get burned off this time.

[bloodandstars]

[ Eyes focusing? Balance fine for spinning? Maika lets out a nearly soundless breath of relief. ]

A car chase? Instead of trying to convince me how tough you are, you should have just told me you're a fugitive.

[ It's half-joking, but... maybe she is! Maika can't put anything past anyone here, really. She flicks her hair back over her shoulder with a sigh. ]

I can live without the burning smell, at least.

II

[kandata]

[That hellish screeching from the dragging is making Kirumi wince over there. She was doing hands-on repairing to a side, when she hears Maika's attempts to take that piece of go-kart around. Well, better get that solved before resuming...]

Excuse me.

[She says, before grabbing the other end of the piece of frame, lifting it. Kirumi isn't the strongest gal ever, but she's athletic. At least this won't be scraping all over the asphalt anymore]

[bloodandstars]

[ Two people lifting it is enough to stop Maika from making that racket, at least! She gives a momentary tiny scowl, like the unholy din had been achieving some kind of obscure purpose, but doesn't actually tell Kirumi to stop. ]

Fine. Excused.

[ Although after a second some slightly more sociable instinct kicks in. She takes another look at her helper. ]

Hey, you were driving too. [ With Eli, whose name she might or might not have gotten. She remembers. ] You weren't injured?

[kandata]

I got a bad case of whiplash. Nothing to worry about. I still can move.

[More like that's plenty to be worried about, but Kirumi doesn't know the meaning of taking it easy. She won’t stop unless she's in a full body cast]

[bloodandstars]

[ That's plenty to be worried about?? Girl?? Maika is giving her the most sardonic look imaginable over the wreck they're moving. ]

Moving is exactly the wrong thing to do with whiplash. You know that, right?

[kandata]

There is way too much yet to be done for me to rest. Besides, I am not overexerting myself.

[Says while helping to carry this heavy junk! Kirumi really wants to downplay anything that can get in the way of her work]

i

[imperiosity]

[Aaron didn’t come out completely unscathed from the race, but frankly, he’s had worse. The adrenaline still running through his system also certainly helps —- and maybe he’ll end up paying for this later, but for now he’ll simply deal with the stiffness around his neck, because he would much rather investigate where the vandals went.

So here he is with his mildly whiplashed self, wandering vaguely in Maika’s direction as he goes to check out one of the abandoned karts by her. Admittedly it’s kind of weird when she sniffs the air, but go-karts are more important!! Not that he can see anything that helpful left in the wreckage.

He clicks his tongue in frustration.]

Bastards can’t have gotten that far.

[He attempts to look over to Maika, opening his mouth like he’s about to say something, but it immediately turns into a hiss as a sharp jolt of pain shoots up his neck. While he reflexively presses a hand against the affected area, he’ll just kind of pivot on his heel so he can face her instead.]

Someone outside might’ve saw ‘em as they were making their getaway.

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika has definitely done more inadvisable things in much worse physical shape. Luckily: Maika also isn't unduly burdened by worrying about hypocrisy. When he winces she shoots him a judging look and a slightly less obvious sweeping glance to scan his condition. ]

And then do what, hobble after them? Looks like running away is the only thing they're good at.

[ And maybe not so much his forte at the moment. She jerks her chin to gesture at his general condition. ]

Hurts when you turn it? Arms feeling numb at all?

[imperiosity]

[As frustrating as it is, she's right. Even if they could catch up with the perpetrators, there's no guarantee that they wouldn't get bounced back and trapped in a barrier like before, too. Still, the circumstances are vexing enough that he doesn't want to admit it, which is why he simply lets out a huff at the comment. The questions about his condition also don't help his mood any either, so he gives her an annoyed glare.]

I'm fine. This is nothing. Once all this shit's all done with, I'll just go back to that Nekyia place and heal myself.

[Granted, he doesn't actually know if it would actually work for this sort of injury, but whatever. He's fine!!!]

[bloodandstars]

[ Wow, what a glare! That hot temper matches her own mood just fine — but she's probably not helping matters at all by nearly smiling in response to it. He's probably right that it's nothing lethal. And if it's what she figures? He'll rethink this in short order anyway. ]

Not sure it works like that. But I'm not about to waste time arguing with you, either. Not a bad idea to question the bystanders before they've all scattered.

[ So she'll make good on that suggestion and stride that way, listening for his steps behind her. ]

If you can't keep up like that, I'll just leave your ass in the dust.

[imperiosity]

[That smile certainly doesn't do anything to improve his mood!! But in fairness, not much really would at this point, short of actually finding a lead or catching those hooligans and whooping their asses. Getting down to business is really as good as it's going to get here, although he clicks his tongue again at the taunt.]

Like hell I'll let something like this stop me.

[He will indeed follow, and he'll even speed up enough so he can catch up and match her pace. Since he's at least wizened up about what not to do with necks when you've got whiplash, he'll just do a side glance over at Maika.]

What was up with what you were doing before, anyway? You smell something weird?

iii. (un)holy healing;

[beautifulknight]

[ Maika, why are you fighting solo in the Nekiya.

Why are you fighting solo in the Nekiya against the oncoming Archangel by your lonesome? Anyway, lending a helping hand isn't exactly an impossibility; it doesn't matter if their last talk definitely ended terrible, he isn't about to just let Maika fight solo here.

So, in the midst of a fight against one of those strong monsters, she can expect to witness Argenti lashing out right as the monster faces her. Unfortunately, it's still high level so it definitely needs to still take a beating. Surely, this will still be kind of easily manageable with one to face down...

...Just kidding, there are three of those monsters, but he struck the one first. ]

I believe we should attempt to mostly concentrate the bulk of our attacks on one at a time to finish them off. Do you agree?

[bloodandstars]

[ Because she hates everyone and she hates the stupid fucking goddess in particular? And she's so over "bonding"? So she deserves a little solo murder as a treat, because apparently that's how everyone does things around here?

Also because she just got jumped by a pack of them because RPG logic still escapes her. She's not so foolhardy that she doesn't know she could use a hand (figurative) (literal). But when she hears that familiar voice her expression goes flat; if she'd been blessed with wolf ears as a goddess mark, those would be perked angrily forward. ]

I'm not arguing basic tactics. Just stay where I can see you, or I don't promise where these claws are ending up.

[ But it seems like the appearance of her newfound company is enough to kick her into gear. Although up till now she's just been rending monsters with brute force, now she braces herself as lightning gathers around her fist and releases the roar of a Fang, Claw, and Fulguration at the Archangel Argenti already had stuck. ]

[beautifulknight]

[ Well, trying to solo three Archangels at once to get a chance for a murder...is a valiant attempt, though still not one Argenti — the unrepentant murderer in question — is going to think of as an improvement.

But, he is glad to see that Maika is ready to have a helping hand, even despite who it is — though he would have definitely inserted himself into the battle anyway regardless. As he is now. ]

You will not have to be concerned with how I fight. I will rely on your support, then!

[ Argenti simply says because after she sucker-punchers that Archangel, who reacts in a very pissed off manner and immediately strikes them back with a well-timed Vicious Strike. The other two Archangels are Charging.

As for him? He's casting Media on the both of them already. It won't heal all damage, but it should cover them easily just in case. ]

[bloodandstars]

Not the foremost concern in my mind!

[ But she won't deny that he can rely on her for support. And she won't turn down the chance to observe his fighting style either... once the enemy numbers are thinned down a little bit.

It's deeply annoying that these bastards can hit both of them with one strike. But with Argenti showing that he can manage the healing, she'll focus on the attacking, like she wanted to do anyway. Energy conservation can wait until the numbers are more in their favor, so she launches a Lunge... badly (4). Her claws screech off armor and graze a wing, doing mild damage, but leaving her very unfortunately positioned when one of those Charging Archangels decides to show her how a Lunge ought to be done, cleaving down right onto her good arm.

The strike bowls Maika over briefly, though she's already rolling back to her feet and shrugging off the pain in her shoulder. ]

Father-fucking shit-sucking mindless construct of a—

[ Hopefully Argenti isn't too distracted by her running commentary, because there's two angels still about to move. ]

[beautifulknight]

I am most glad to hear it!

[ Since it means she has faith in him, right? Though he turns his head towards Maika, looking kind of mildly offended at the usage of such language. It is like the duality in terms of differing responses. Help. ]

...Dear Idrila. That is quite the unfortunate language you just used - will you be needing healing again soon?

[ Argenti more or less has a wide range of focus on the ugly monsters that are in front of their very eyes, so while the other Charging Archangel decides to (fortunately) direct its attention towards Argenti with also a Lunge, he dodges nimbly around it. Then, after that, the red-haired male decides to follow up, capturing their mutual main enemy in a cage of roses, before the thorns themselves pierce into the trapped enemy. This seems enough to delay its attack for a moment longer, particularly when all the damage of Every Rose Has Its Thorns (15) settles in, scattering an explosive array of psionic rose petals to the wind.

Thankfully, he had timed his earlier heal so perhaps Maika isn't feeling it too hard there, but all the same. At this time, the main targeted Archangel seems to recover enough to hit Argenti with Kouha; it's a glancing blow, though it does find its mark. ]

Racetrack Repairs

[moodwrecker]

[Oh god her ears.]

What the-

[At least it's not hard to find the source of the noise.]

Don't just drag it like that!

[UGH running to grab an end and try to get it off the ground.]

[bloodandstars]

How else am I supposed to move it? Until the goddess gets off her ass and gives me my strength back, I'm not lifting this over my head.

[ Or there was always the unwanted option... teamwork. Maika adjusts her hold to match her new helper's without complaint, so they're carrying the piece nice and level at the same height. ]

[moodwrecker]

All you had to do was ask someone.

[Everyone here is such a disaster jfc. But thankfully Maika's cooperating enough that it's not a problem for Aubrey to help heft some of the weight and therefore spare everyone that horrid sound.]

[bloodandstars]

Looks like I didn't need to even do that.

[ After all, here this stranger is! Carrying! Maika can't help a little smirk at this victory. ]

Everyone else has their hands full right now anyway.