onemind: (Default)
THE N E S T ([personal profile] onemind) wrote in [community profile] station722017-08-23 07:57 pm

[mission: hyrypia] then the holy paths we'll travel strew'd with rubies thick as gravel

CHARACTERS: EVERYONE
WHERE: Hyrypia - The Graze
WHEN: DAY :014 - 016
SUMMARY: Two days of horseback hunting training, followed by the second round of competition.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. Need a warning added? PM this account please!






THE GRAZE
DAY :014 - :015

THE DAY FOLLOWING the festivities finds the majority of competitors and spectators still buzzing with the competition’s failures and successes, but there is little time to gloat or moan about the results. By the time the sun has risen over the graze there's a new announcement: there will be two days of additional training followed by another day of competition. Today and tomorrow will be dedicated to learning skills vital to the hunt.

0. TRAINING

THE TRAINING FIELD has become familiar, but the decor has changed- as have the the teachers. Unlike the previous riding and herding lessons which featured ropes and hooks, today's syllabus includes a series of more dangerous tools. The short spears that line the racks may be dulled but they still look painful, and the speed at which they're hurled from the intricately carved Sarvat - the traditional spear throwers - is intimidating.

At first glance, the slings of woven and stained Gryer leather are less impressive-- but the different ammo that can be loaded in them proves interesting: a bio-luminescent tagging liquid that stains the targets that it hits and leaves distinct trails, hard metal weights, and carefully handled poison globes.

Over the next day the envoys are are trained to use the weapons from Elinback in addition to being schooled in a number of simple traps and snares that leave little confusion as to the nature of the next challenge events...



THE GRAZE &
THE MINIATURE FINGER MAZE
DAY :016


I. THE CHASE

THE HERD of technomanced automaton Gryer sits idle in the knee-high silvery grass of the Graze. They're nothing like the Elin (who exhibit all the traits of live animals); these automatons seem to know only two basic concepts: don't run, and run. Right now they're practicing the former as the competing riders are divided into large, mixed hunting parties. Once the parties have been formed, they take turns taking their runs at the herd. Among the herd of thirty, four Gryer have been painted a brilliant sapphire. To strike one down requires either two metal weights to the head, a spear to the neck piece, or two spears to its midsection.

When the hunting parties take off so do the automaton Gryer. And they're fast, moving as of one mind - a school of mechanical fish through a sea of silver grass. It'll take cleverness, skill and a bit of daring riding to either cut the targets free of the herd or go crashing through among the running Gryer to strike a target down among its brainless brothers and sisters. Once struck enough times or in the right place, the sapphire Gryer will lose power and drive spectacularly into the earth.

The attentive audience (many of them armed with an array of binoculars from their personal belongings) might cheer when appropriate, but due to the distance at which much of the action takes place most of the observation is spent eating, drinking, and enjoying the shockingly pleasant weather.

II. THE 75th HUNGER GAMES PURSUIT

THE BREEZE GROANS through the shadowy pocket of the canyon system, whistling tiredly through the coral structures - along narrow bridges and between tight passages. Familiar to anyone who competed in the individual race on Day :013, this shadowy miniature canyon is crawling with automated creatures to 'kill.' The only problem? Beating everyone else to one of them. With the blare of that now-familiar horn, the hunters mounted on their Elin take off into the canyon and rapidly splinter into disparate groups or simply go off on their own into the tangle. It doesn't take long at all to lose sight of other riders, to begin to feel completely alone in the low light of early evening. Mist rises from the canyon floor and the breeze moans ominously through the pockmarked coral structures.

It'll take more cleverness and accuracy than high speed riding skill to claim a prize here. But best work quickly and quietly to avoid having your target poached out from under your nose…

III. THE AFTERMATH

THE SECOND CHALLENGE ENDS with a long, mournful cry of the now-familiar horn. All of the possible targets have been captured and to the victors go the spoils in the form of the accumulated scores, carefully kept by the judges. The losers are left empty handed-- at least until the spectators and competitors alike have made it back to the tent encampment. Then their hands are filled with the same liquor and a new spread of simple, filling, and delicious dishes expertly prepared by the servants of the manor.

There’s some ceremony to it - the meat they are eating is the same that they would have served if their hunt had been for something more than machines. However, mostly this seems to be a chance to relax sore muscles. That's aided by the addition of several leather-enclosed tents raised earlier in the day. Once the sun sets, these tents are filled with hot, relaxing steam and lined with benches: saunas! ...which might provide some comfort for anyone not stuck wearing a heavy robe. :(






((OOC Notes: This log covers the two days of mounted combat/hunting skills training and the competition which follows. You can find a full breakdown of the events/a place for mini-event specific questions HERE. Sign-ups will remain open until the next event log for the finale goes live, however going forward please make sure to either join the individual event or have a full team selected for the team events. Please be aware that signing up late won't give you extra time to finish your thread to qualify for the finale event.

Have more generalized questions? Drop them on the MISSION: HYRYPIA OOC POST or get in touch with us on the Mod Contact page.))







blooded: ᴀʟʟ ɪᴄᴏɴs ʙʏ SHITHOUSE. ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ. (Default)

[personal profile] blooded 2017-08-30 09:55 am (UTC)(link)
You're not as clever as you think you are.

just because damon has no choice but to indulge gildor for the moment doesn't mean he has to play into all of his bullshit. the elf is blind, not stupid, and damon would never be the one to conflate the two.

Answer my question and we can both stop this posturing. I have more important things to be doing with my time than threatening you.
perroquet: (09)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-08-30 10:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's better. It's a hurried and angered answer, but an honest one. Gildor is much more willing to entertain honesty, and his voice comes through clear as the music behind it. ]

(Well, the answer really depends on your intent behind the question.

If your intent is to hurt Elena and you suspect I will as well, then you are hoping to gain a new ally. If it is to protect her, then you are testing me to make sure I will not hurt her. If you mean to hurt her and I reveal myself to be in the way, that puts double the amount of danger on my brood.)


[ There it is - the pickle he's in is presented to the host on a platter. Three potential reasons, three potential outcomes with different levels of danger for Elena and himself. He is being cautious of all of them. ]

(So please, allow me one more question. Why do you ask?)
blooded: ᴀʟʟ ɪᴄᴏɴs ʙʏ SHITHOUSE. ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ. (Default)

[personal profile] blooded 2017-08-30 10:27 am (UTC)(link)
and yet, here damon is with the exact same problem.

If I tell you why I'm asking you could lie. If I wanted to hurt her, you could say you're on my side and actually be taking information back to her. If I wanted to protect her, you could say you do as well and take information back to Lakshmi.

if they want to conclude this conversation in a timely manner, someone will have to give first. damon doesn't intend to be that person.
perroquet: (04 play)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-08-30 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He shifts his staff to one hand, then the other. ]

(You forgot the one where we are both good men in agreement of keeping her safe, healthy, and as happy as she possibly can be after all she's been through.)

[ He did say several times he tries to be nice. Along with nice, he tries to be honest. He had hoped for the benefit of the doubt, but that hope is dashed for now. ]

(Your name then? We will all get to know one another eventually.)

[ And better than any of them likely ever wanted to.

Gildor still has the advantage of time, and he is willing to draw this out. An intention he makes clear with a long, long single note played on the violin in his head. ]
huntsmachines: (flutter by)

[personal profile] huntsmachines 2017-08-30 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
01. Training - Closed to Asuka & Rust - Separate threads are fine

[ Aloy is beginning to enjoy herself now. They're doing things she's used to, things she's done for her whole life. She stands next to her Elin, hefting the spears she's been giving, testing their balance, judging how far they'll need to go. Also learning how to throw them swathed in her robes. There's a joy humming in her chest that helps to keep her focused and happy and not thinking about what else there is to come.

She knows of course there are others who aren't as adept at this and so she'd offered, sending out an open offer to anyone who wanted to learn to handle a spear and how to stalk, to ride, to hunt. Though she felt that riding was well handled by now, the handling of a spear was not so simple. So she waits, resting and checking the balance of her weapons. ]



02 - Hail the conquering heros - Open

[ After the long day's hunt, Aloy is deliciously sore in a way that makes her smile. Even her injured leg isn't bothering her as much thanks to attentions from Adra and the distraction from a day spent mounted and hunting. She finds her hands full of good food and drink, though she only sips at the liquor. No need to be drunk, right? It's not to her taste, anyways. Instead, she wanders with plate in hand, nibbling happily at her food and radiating confidence and happiness with her day. When she finds a familiar face, she sits down to greet them with a cheery burst of mental energy. ]

( What a day! Wasn't that hunt wonderful? )
Edited 2017-08-30 17:59 (UTC)
redheadcarrier: (Fingers on the screen.)

[personal profile] redheadcarrier 2017-08-30 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Asuka knows how to hurl a spear and the riding she's figured out. But she's never hunted a day in her life. All of her food has come from supermarkets or restaurants and even if she knows in the abstract that someone has to go out and farm or hunt the food, she's never done anything like it. Combat doesn't really count, either. So she'd decided to get just a few pointers before she embarked on her competition. She was sure she'd do fine, in the end - she always did - but a bit of learning from Aloy wouldn't hurt.

She approaches in a swirl of skirts and robes, kicking up a bit of dust in her wake.
]

So, what are you going to show me today?
blooded: ᴀʟʟ ɪᴄᴏɴs ʙʏ SHITHOUSE. ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ. (Default)

[personal profile] blooded 2017-08-30 11:39 pm (UTC)(link)
It's adorable that you'd take that as a given.

and by adorable damon clearly means moronic. he doesn't trust anyone but himself and sam with elena's wellbeing, and even himself he hardly trusts. sam's the only person he thinks could be uniformly good for elena, and giving anyone else that trust without making them earn it, the way he'd almost done with misato... he won't make that mistake again.

but he's gotten his answer, at least enough of one that he can let go of the charade, and the connection between them widens even further, now a free exchange of information.


Damon.
perroquet: (06 song)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-08-30 11:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ What Damon will find on the other end of the connection is a vast expanse of seemingly nothing. His mind and memories are all sensory based, and by focusing on his blindness he can keep others blind to his thoughts without the use of walls. Still, the darkness is open, warm, welcoming, and the sound of the solo violin blooms into an orchestra that had been playing there the entire time. ]

(Damon! She mentioned you. Lots of affection behind it, said you were a friend.)

[ His mental voice has gone back to it's usual pleasant cadence, but somewhere in the darkness he's planning the talk he's going to have with Elena soon. Specifically about her taste in friends. All of this would have been so much easier if he just gave his name in the first place. ]

(Don't worry yourself Mr. Damon - Miss Gilbert is quite safe with me. If the Rani tries anything again, I am ready to stand between them.)
greentech: (eager beaver)

[personal profile] greentech 2017-08-31 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
( You can't see. )

[ Which is a bit blunt, but Pidge tends to be blunt. So there you are. She glances down at the instrument that he's trying to tune. She hasn't had much to do besides watch the races unfold, so hanging out with Gildor seems like a golden opportunity. ]

( I could help you out, though. Maybe give you a chance to try something new. And it'd help us test out the limits of the Nest connection. )
deployed: (213)

[personal profile] deployed 2017-08-31 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The distraction feels like a haze to Bellamy. His perception of Gildor's mind had been tangled up with the low vibration of a cello, and the sharp focus on the sickly sweet alcohol is a diversion Bellamy hadn't expected. He lets the glass drop and spill, stepping back to avoid it splattering across his robes. It seems the best thing to do, even if Bellamy doesn't understand the root of Gildor's reaction. ]

( Adra doesn't like it either. )

[ But Adra's aversion to alcohol had felt different. It had been exasperation, rather than the shaky tangle radiating from Gildor now. ]

( What's wrong? )
perroquet: (07 notice)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-08-31 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He can't blame her for being blunt when she hits the correct answer on the nose. He was about to elaborate more on the matter - how being so high off the ground is unnerving, how he much prefers solid ground beneath his feet and not putting his well-being in the trust of an animal. While those are all still true, he listens and- ]

Hmm.

[ The thoughtful hum out loud might be taken as his thoughts on the progress of his fine tuning, but he's actually considering what Pidge is suggesting. Normally he wouldn't be open to practicing something like riding, not without the direct aid of a sighted rider mounted with him, but testing it with the symbiote is something he hadn't considered. After what she was able to show him the last time they tried, he's surprised at how open he is to it. ]

(Must it be tested with riding though?)

[ He's still going to give getting out of it a shot. Can't she do something safer like show him what clouds look like? ]
perroquet: (02 sweat)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-08-31 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He hears the liquid pouring out somewhere behind him, and for another second he's angry. Just for a beat, like an hard hit to a drum. It's a side of himself he's even more unhappy to recognize. ]

(Nothing's wrong. No, no, it's better this way, it's better on the ground than in your head-)

[ He's mostly talking to himself, putting up a strong mindful effort to keep calm and grounded. The smell is still permeating through his thoughts, and it carries a powerful temptation with it.

Gildor fumbles to find his staff again, knocking it over before he can stand. Foreign curses run through his mind, barely crossing his lips. Instead he inhales sharply and speaks aloud, not trusting his brain to form another sentence through the symbiote. ]


I need to leave here.
deployed: (193)

[personal profile] deployed 2017-08-31 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Bellamy had slipped through life largely untouched by the kind of problems Gildor was facing. He had been isolated enough on the Ark that he'd never seen people with too much of a taste for alcohol, or who would thieve whatever Nigel wanted for a different kind of high. Gildor's reaction isn't something he can place immediately, but it goes far beyond a simple distaste or aversion to the scent of alien liquor. Bellamy sets a hand on his back, trying to steady him. ]

Alright.

[ He can see Murphy, and Lexa at a glance. A prickle of discomfort rises at the idea of leaving them, but Bellamy doesn't waver. ]

I'll go with you.

[ But he bends to retrieve Gildor's cane first. None of them should go anywhere on their own. Regardless of the fragile truce that seems to be holding three factions at peace, Bellamy knows how easy it would be to break that anyway and he knows that the Enemy is at hand. Their people are safer in a cluster here than Gildor would be making his way back to their tents by himself. ]
perroquet: (05 feel)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-09-01 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
I'm fine, I can-

[ His anger has subsided mildly, but Gildor still isn't completely in his right mind. He stops himself from saying he's fine anymore, but switches to showing Bellamy - in a sense.

A completely alien sense.

Bellamy places a hand on his back, and suddenly Gildor is very aware of his presence. Every movement, every inch of him is felt through an inhuman ability he has kept shielded in the darkness of his mind. A hypersensitivity to the subtlest of vibrations paints an imageless moving picture of not only Bellamy, but the entire dining tent. Despite being unable to see them, Gildor is aware of Lexa and Murphy, the table they sit at, the servant that walks past them, the chairs, even the rug laid over the ground. Everything within at least thirty feet is plain as day to him, and there's even the sense that it's all somewhat dulled through the layers of disguise.

All this combined with the smell of alcohol is a sensory overload, but he'll feel bad about accidentally sharing the load with Bellamy later. Right now he is 'looking' for the exits. ]


Thank you. If you would please... lead the way.

[ He's already located one flap in the tent, and though he wants to, he resists dashing straight for it. He still has a cover to maintain. ]
huntsmachines: (downcast)

Closed to Lexa

[personal profile] huntsmachines 2017-09-01 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ In the aftermath of the hunt and after having talked over the issue with three people, well... Aloy was feeling a bit better. A bit more confident. She felt like she could actually talk to Lexa instead of just yelling at her or just turning around and walking away before she even opened her mouth. So she wanders among the congratulatory crowds, trying to chase down the feel of one particular mind--ah. There.

She zeros in and takes a moment to approach in an even, measured manner. She needs to stay focused and try to see if this scrap can be remade into something more useful. ]


( Lexa? Can I speak with you? )
greentech: (easy listening)

[personal profile] greentech 2017-09-02 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ Pidge lets him think. She can be pushy sometimes but this is not one of them. She'd rather just let him sort through his thoughts on it on his own. After all, she's not the one who's going to be dealing with bruises or injuries if something goes horribly wrong. ]

( I mena, it doesn't have to be. I just think it'd be kind of fun. Or at least fit the theme. )

[ She leans in toward him slightly, as if listening to his tuning efforts. ]

( It could be anything, though! You seemed to like getting a chance to see an Elin. )
Edited 2017-09-02 02:36 (UTC)
miscreant: ({ if you show me the way; ❄)

Seviilia | ota.

[personal profile] miscreant 2017-09-02 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
HANGRY GAMES

[For this adventure, Seviilia opts to ride off on her own -- partially out of boredom, and partially to give her a chance to ride free. She'd already won the favor of the crowd in the last round, and she knows well enough that the win doesn't really matter.

She'll still put on a show. She's just going to take her time doing it. She'll also make it her business to interrupt others attempting their claim on the prize. From a distance, she flings a spear to murder a kill being chased by another host.]


Sorry -- was that your's?


AFTERMATH

[Meat and saunas -- two pleasures Seviilia would kill to indulge in. Unfortunately, being trapped under layers and layer of cloth made such things impossible. The meat wasn't quite rare enough to her tastes, and she couldn't find the idea of sitting still in full cloth enjoyable.

She can be seen hovering near one of the more royal of their hosts, or sizing up their given meal with some disappointment. Or, if you're lucky, you might find her hovering near the saunas, trying to absorb some of their warmth without being overtly obvious about it.

The preference for warmth is new -- something she's certain she must have obtained while being connected to the rest of the Nest.]
wille: (& phone)

i forgot to track this rip me

[personal profile] wille 2017-09-02 07:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ Misato knows, too, that for all the vitriol Asuka harbors toward her that the need for acceptance and commendation would overcome her personal vendetta. Now, Shinji would have been a different case altogether. To the girl, then: ]

I'll take left!

[ She banks on sheer daring and intuition when driving her Elin straight toward the herd, intent on beating the girl and a quiet Carpathan to make sure she herself is the spear-tip of the endeavor. It comes out of pride, of course, she would never be accused of being modest, but also the need to make up for all the battles that she has had to witness while sequestered in an underground bunker, wishing it was her own bare hands tearing through the bowels of her enemies. This is hunger at its keenest tunneled into a single want.

It's instinctual, the way she pinpoints one sapphire Gryer in her mind and communicates the target to the rest of them. She cuts a path through the herd by throwing her weights in front of her, slicing through and driving away the rest of the automatons bit by it, as one might peel an onion, layer by layer, in order to isolate the one. ]
wille: (& it wasn't me)

[personal profile] wille 2017-09-02 07:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ Preceding his yelp is her own eek! at the secondhand horror of seeing that spear seemingly fly straight toward his head only to miss, by some miracle that she is sure to pay for one of these days, and merely skewer him onto the ground like a trapped rabbit. She would laugh at him if the guilt of nearly murdering her own comrade isn't blocking her throat from sheer worry.

She busts through his scrambling and his robes and the dust flying which way to try and grab him by the arm to steady him. ]


Shit! Are you okay? Did it stab you anywhere?
ryohji: (pic#10951786)

wildcard

[personal profile] ryohji 2017-09-02 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ there was nothing to gain and nothing to lose from a little check-up, he'd told himself. anything less would be callous of him, he'd told himself. ikari's arrival had surely psyched her for the worse, he'd told himself. the ball was in her court to dismiss him at any time, he'd told himself.

she was best left alone, his better sense had replied. the robbers who'd ransacked her life were those very presumptions of adults who thought they knew better, his better sense had replied. a group to which he belonged, his better sense had replied. after this, he was going to hell, his better sense had replied.

and yet here he stands, only moments away from having a conversation with asuka soryu, for reasons as yet unknown. he catches her at the camp enclosure. it is not so much her height but her posture, spine perpendicular to the ground, those stubborn shoulders, that tip him off.
]

You've been really putting yourself out there, Asuka. [ so this is how a young girl will interpret his challenge, forget or die already. it is no marked departure from her coping mechanisms from before. any changes to her tried and untrue routine were perfunctory, cosmetic alterations that didn't even pretend to interrogate the dissatisfaction in her heart. kaji doesn't understand. it wasn't as if she had a lover that kept her from reprieve. her life was truly her own, no strings attached, her own to consummate.

he guesses, that's part of the problem.
] How's it finding you?
perroquet: (04 play)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-09-02 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
(I did like that, yes.)

[ The memory of the Elin is still there in his newly developed mind's eye, preserved as perfectly as he can manage. It's clear he cherishes it, as he holds it in his mind like someone might handle something rare and made of glass - lovingly and delicate. ]

(With all the emphasis on riding of late, I'm worried we will be continuing this pilgrimage on horseback... or Elin-back, as it were. Rani Lakshmi has graciously tasked herself with assisting me should that occur, but... I suppose some practice between that is warranted.)

[ He can't vouch for practice in everything and then not follow through, especially not in front of someone so young. He's been practicing with the little alien ukulele each day and improving. Riding isn't his forté, but with Pidge's help perhaps it won't be so bad.

He finishes tightening the last string, satisfied with the sound it makes. It's difficult to pluck with gloves on, so he's using small clawed rings that sit over the nails and act as picks. He sets it along his left forearm and plays a brief song to test his handiwork. ]


Hmm. [ He sounds more satisfied this time, as the last note fades. ] That'll do it for tonight I think. Shall we be off?
otrazhenie: (020)

>> a

[personal profile] otrazhenie 2017-09-02 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
( How did you end up there? )

[ There's a hint of amusement in the words, because of all the people to be stuck up there, it's the most unfortunate for Gildor. Still, he's her broodmate, so even if it wasn't in her personal nature to do whatever she can to help him, the symbiote certainly edges her toward it. She's not exactly the sports commentator type, though, so giving a running commentary of the various rounds of competition might not be all that exciting, but...

There might be another way. ]
perroquet: (05 feel)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-09-02 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It takes a moment before he can form words, as he shakily rolls over to his side and begins to push himself up. His staff is missing, dropped somewhere, and though he cannot see it he knows it's close - he can feel it through the ground, though vaguely. His every sense is still on high alert. Some of it bleeds over to the unfamiliar host approaching him, her footsteps still resonating against the ground as she closes the gap between them. Likewise, several Hyrypians are running towards him to check what happened for themselves- the last thing they need. ]

I... no! No, I'm fine, I'm-!!

[ In dire need of a chance to catch his breath, bruised from the sudden fall, but miraculously in tact. He tries again to get up, but the spear through the end of his robes is keeping him pinned. ]

I'm just... I'm stuck.
otrazhenie: (198)

>> aftermath

[personal profile] otrazhenie 2017-09-02 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Elena misses the feeling of the sun on her skin. It's only been two weeks but it feels like an eternity, especially since that's what she's facing without a daylight ring. She'll always have to stay away from direct sunlight or be covered in heavy robes like they have been for this mission. It's... disheartening really, and she's tried her best not to think on it too much.

She might be able to pretend for just a little while if she could use the sauna. Virginia summers are humid, so the heat and moisture of the saunas might provide just a few moments of escape... if only she could use them. That longing keeps bringing her near the tents, though, and that's when she comes across someone else from the Nest, someone she hasn't yet met properly. Taking a deep steadying breath, she figures she might as well. ]


( I wish we could go inside and enjoy them. )
perroquet: (10)

[personal profile] perroquet 2017-09-02 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
(You might be surprised at the places you can end up by simply acting as though you belong, Miss Gilbert.)

[ For someone who has never really belonged anywhere, it's how he's rolled through life. That and typically no one wants to be the one to tell him he can't be somewhere, and he's fine with using that to his advantage. But today he does have a reason, which he explains with a bit of an exasperated mental tone- ]

(To be honest, I just wanted to be well out of range of anymore projectiles for the rest of the day. Care to join me?)

Page 2 of 21