Zompania Draft - Draftees only, days 1-3.5

[lucetimods]

Who: All Draftees
What: This is your death. Followed by your time-traveling life and desperate bomb hunting.
When: From May 22 to May 20 to early May 23 (days 1-4)
Where: Zompania
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post is for the draftee-only portion of the Zompania draft--the day 3 death, time travel to day 1, and then the events until the arrival of the reinforcements. Be sure to use the above info post for any plotting needs you might have. Enjoy!

Please note that there is a specific top-level comment thread for:

• The day 3 arrival of the draftees and the 6 hours that follow until the bomb is dropped
  
• Death--This thread can be treated as REFERENCE ONLY. Responding to it isn't necessary.
  
• Threads prior to departing for Zompania--post resurrection freak outs, arguments over how to proceed, etc.

All other threading, from day 1 until the reinforcements arrive, should be conducted as normal.

Be sure to tag this post appropriately: [canon] character name

Comments

[friendshipfirst]

[ Day 1-2 ]

[ After Ash has been able to calm down enough to push forward he out with his Pokemon. He's mainly sticking to other people he knows and helping them out to the best of his abilities. But in the cases where they've been split (this is a big battle it's bound to happen), he's there just trying to fight off the enemy forces. He outright refuses to kill, but he and his Pokemon push themselves to at least do enough damage to push them away. He even uses the cuestick Gold gives him to whap them on the head if the fight calls for it. Charizard is the one doing the most damage, not afraid to give people some heavy burns for trying to mess with his trainer. But Snivy and Pikachu are also pulling their weight; bunch of cuts and bruises from Snivy's attacks and paralysis from Pikachu's electric attack.

He's mostly running on adrenaline and just trying to survive more than anything. Anyone is welcome to pair up with him and do plans (but depending on the plan you might want to go and consult Cilan). ]

[ Day 3 ]

[ HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN ASH aren't you having fun too bad you aren't actually aging.

By this day Ash is beyond his limits. He's exhausted, injured, and overall just doesn't feel good at all. Pikachu and his two other Pokemon aren't much better off and he finds himself trying to hide and rest more than anything else at this point. And if he can't help it he stays silent, not even speaking to Pikachu but only giving his best friend silent gestures.

When there is no other way around it Ash will still try to fight anything that comes his way off. But he's weak and only bring out Charizard or Snivy if he has to. Pikachu still tries to paralyze the opponent but only when he has the energy to pull off a thunderbolt. ]

Day 3

[frost_jewel]

[Once the bomb is disabled and they can all breathe a little, can regroup, buckle down for whatever wait they need to wait, Mia picks up her pieces and tries to get to as many people as she can. She's nearly drained of Psynergy and doesn't have a lot of spare energy for Nala either; fortunately she's held on to her bag of supplies throughout this mad rush.

Ash isn't easy to find, but when she does, Mia makes certain to approach from the front, so he can see her coming.]

Day 3

[friendshipfirst]

[ Ash was checking over Pikachu, making sure his friend wasn't as injured as he was when the electric mouse perk its ears. As the first one to notice Mia Pikachu notifies his trainer with a small 'pika' and point ahead. Ash lifts his head and attempts to get up, but winces and decides that it might be better for her to come to them than the other way around.

Once she's close enough he'll speak. Or.. at least try to. It comes out very small and hoarse. ]

Who're you?

Day 3

[frost_jewel]

[Masaomi has a pokemon like that, she thinks, looking at the little yellow animal and attempting a calm smile, for both of them.]

I'm Mia. I came to help you, if you'll let me. [She doesn't have to ask if they need help.]

Day 3

[friendshipfirst]

[ Ash nods his head. He doesn't have a reason not to accept it. ]

I'm.. I'm Ash. Thank you for coming.

Day 3

[frost_jewel]

[Ash reminds her of someone else she knew, a different boy she met on a battlefield, alone and brave. Mia gets close enough to kneel beside him.]

I'm a healer. Are you hurt anywhere? [Even when it's obvious, she likes to give people the chance to describe it when they can. Sometimes it makes a difference.]

Day 3

[friendshipfirst]

Umm...

[ he wanted to say everywhere and he almost did, but there were a few places that hurt more than your typical scratch or bruise. ]

My arm really hurts. And my back.

[ A cultist managed to deliver a cut deeper than he normally receives before Pikachu electrified them with a thunderbolt. And there is only so many times your back can be slammed into something before it starts to hurt. A lot. ]

Day 3

[windandrain]

[Twilight, well after the bomb and the airships have been dealt with, the fighting is beginning to shift from open and often vicious fighting to small patrol teams of cultists attacking anyone who hasn't quite made it to shelter yet. Saori is feeling at least a bit more steady...secure in the knowledge that the horrific bomb isn't going to go off again, so she's ventured out of the fortifications to look for stragglers.

And as she rounds a corner she finds two things. The first is a boy running her way with a Pikachu held in his arms and the second is a a group of cultists. And the boy? Looks remarkably like Red. Cracking her knuckles, Saori steps into the street and waves Ash past.

Then, spreading her feet she starts to call up her Anima, lightning dancing along her fingertips.]

Well isn't this just a bad day for you. [To the cultists. And to Ash?]

Get behind me. I'll protect you.

Day 3

[friendshipfirst]

[ Ash was told not to use his arm which is why he doesn't have the cuestick he received out. His Pokemon have been helping; attacking the Cultists to distract them as Ash then runs for cover. What caused him to be a straggler was his foot; he twisted it during one of the several escapes he's made.

When he notices Saori there wasn't even a sense of relief. He just gritted his teeth and pushed himself a little faster so he can get behind Saori. If there is anything he has learned during this draft is that it's really okay to just go ahead and rely on others then he needs it.

And he definitely needs it right now as the Cultists close in. ]

[windandrain]

[She moves forward, stepping around Ash, as her hands coming alive with motion. The nearest cultist, a dark-skinned woman with a pike, catches the first blow squarely on the chin. Thunder and lightning explode from Saori's hand and send the enemy crashing through air to land in a heap.

The second diverts his attention from the injured boy to face the more obvious threat. His sword cuts in an arc at her, and in a display of inhuman dexterity Saori catches it between her hands. Electricity snaps and buzzes down the metal blade, the smell of ozone filling the air.]

Stay down, boy! This won't take much longer.

[friendshipfirst]

Y-Yes Ma'am.

[ Not as loud as it usually wouldn't have been but an answer nonetheless. Ash makes sure to stay down and keep Pikachu as close to him as possible as she continues to talk out the Cultists. It was pretty amazing what she can do but at the same time it was hard to watch. Just like everything else that was currently happening here on the battlefield. ]

[windandrain]

[She doesn't say anything just yet, as there are still two more enemies to deal with. One of them appears to be a shift-sorcerer-elite of some sort, his hands working in the motions of a spell while the other is a heavily armored woman with a sword and shield.

Saori charges the "tank" and lashes out with a snapkick into her shield. As the force knocks the metal shield back, she jumps, propelling herself into a flying tumble. When she passes by the sorcerer, her hand snaps out in a sharp strike that sends him to the ground, stunned or dead.

One more to go...]

[friendshipfirst]

[ Ash managed to watch a little more of what Saori did. At least until she sent the cultist to the ground. Since he wasn't sure whether he was just stunned or dead Ash found himself looking away not wanting to watch the rest of it.

Despite all this he's made sure that he hasn't added to the death count. It was hard enough for him to see all the corpses and he wouldn't be able to handle actually causing them. ]

Day 3

[sketchingideals]

[In a moment where Ash does find himself facing an enemy that comes his way, he'll receive help from someone who looks just about as good as Ash feels. Magic flowing within him, Jeb does as he has for the last few days and conjures up vines to shoot up from the concrete, holding the threat in place.

He wants to hold off on killing, he really does. He shoots Ash a look, as if to tell him to look away just in case he can't. But really, what's the point? They've seen so many dead bodies already, right...?

Still, Jeb method of battle doesn't leave much room for killing in a manner that isn't outright brutal. He hates that, more than he'll ever be able to express.]

Day 3

[friendshipfirst]

[ Ash was ready to try and defend himself from the enemy that was coming his way but stops when he sees the vines getting shot up from the concrete. Snivy can't do that his Grass Pokemon isn't even out right now so then...

He spots Jeb right as he's giving the look to look away. Even though he's seen so many dead bodies he's avoided actually watching them being killed.

While he and Pikachu manage to look away right before it happens the fact that it is happening right in front of him causes Ash to put a hand over his mouth and close his eyes tightly as if to stop anything from happening. Nothing does but when he thought he couldn't feel any worse than before well...

He was wrong. ]

content warning: decapitation

[sketchingideals]

[Jeb isn't going to be able to avoid killing this one.

He can feel this enemy already beginning to break free, and if Jeb lets that happen it might go straight for Ash. He feels bad--he can tell Ash is younger than him. But this... this can't be avoided, as much as he wishes it could.

He concentrates again, causing more vines to shoot up from the ground--this time, they wrap around the neck. Focusing again, he makes them much more durable than they would be normally, and he goes for the kill. It takes a lot less time than he thinks it should for the decapitation to occur.

Once it does, he allows the vines to disappear and for himself to fall to his knees. He hates this, he absolutely hates this. The only thing he's okay with in this situation is being able to save someone, when he couldn't save any of those people.

He gives a paranoid glance around them before he says something, voice incredibly shaky.]

I... I'm sorry--!

[It doesn't matter if it isn't actually his fault. It shouldn't be happening in the first place...!]

[friendshipfirst]

[ He takes him a moment until he can move again. When he does he turns feeling as if he took a step he would just collapse but he didn't want to be facing where the kill happened. Even the idea of looking scared him. Not after the sound he heard coming from the kill. He's trembling and even though he hears Jeb's apology he had trouble finding his voice in order to respond.

Not until Pikachu nudges Ash a little in concern does he manage, voice incredibly shaky and broken. ]

I... I don't feel good.

[sketchingideals]

[He looks back over to Ash. He really does feel apologetic, even though he's sure he only made things worse for the boy as far as not feeling good is concerned. He sighs.]

...is there... anything I can do to help...? [It's asked guiltily.]

[friendshipfirst]

[ He glances at Jeb before looking around at where they are except for where the headless cultist lays. He can tell that Jeb is sorry (though even if he didn't there was a big chance he would have believed it anyways). He doesn't see any enemies around but staying in one place hasn't been safe yet.

And it isn't safe now. He also had Cilan to find which meant more to him than mostly anything. ]

I.. I need t' find Cilan.

Day 3

[justdid]

[Wan is scouting the area for other draftees to help. The bodies and blood around him was too much for him to handle. He was going to help as many draftees as he can even if it meant he could be hurt or killed in the process. He wasn't going to let anyone die again. But it's quiet now, as if the cultists had already left the area. Or waiting to ambush him.

A kid trying to hide is the last thing he expected to see. He would have felt angry if he wasn't so emotionally drained. Instead he'll approach Ash quietly, sitting across from him to get on his level. Masking his own weariness with kind and gentle facade.]

Hey. Looks like you need a place to stay.

[No way is he letting a kid roam around the streets. Especially not when it was going to get dark and even more dangerous.]

Day 3

[friendshipfirst]

[ Pikachu perks his ears and is the first one to see Wan. He looked like someone who isn't what they have been fighting so the electric mouse allows him to go near his trainer to speak to him. At Pikachu's movements Ash also looks up at Wan and nods his head. ]

Y-Yes sir. Do you know of a place?

[ He wanted to find Cilan but... he can trust that his best friend is safe and has found a place to hide. He should do the same. ]

[justdid]

[His pokemon are definitely strange, the only thing he's seen like them are spirits. But that's something to ask about later, when they're safe.]

I do, follow me.

[Wan smiled, holding out his hand.]

My name is Wan.

[friendshipfirst]

[ Ash nods and takes Wan's hand. It's painful to move after staying still so he doesn't respond until he's standing. ]

I'm Ash. This is Pikachu.

[ Pikachu bows his head from Ash's shoulder. ]

Snivy, and Charizard.

[ Snivy also bows her head while Charizard just makes a small grunt. This isn't really the time okay. ]

[justdid]

Nice to meet you.

[Now let's get the heck out of here! He turns, mentally retracing his footsteps. Lucky for them he has a very good memory for places he's been. ]

Stay close, okay?

[The last thing he needs is for the poor kid to get jumped.]

[friendshipfirst]

Okay.

[ Before he follows he takes out two Pokeballs and returns Snivy and Charizard to them. He's learned that it's easier to travel when there are less things to spot so those two have been in and out of their balls as lot.

Once their pokeballs are back on his belt he follows as closely and best as he could. ]