you're in the jungle, baby / you gonna die

[lucetimods]

Who: All draftees
What: Fighting the Third Party... and perhaps the wildlife.
When: June 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. (Characters will be pulled out at 11:59 of the 6th.)
Where: An as-yet unmapped by the Malnosso tropical rainforest.
Summary: Here are your details. Try to stay alive, won't you?
Rating: Anywhere from PG to R.

No cut for you. Most of you will know how this works by now; if you don't, follow the lead of the others, or perhaps look to the last draft's fighting post for ideas. Don't forget to use your handy dandy character tags. Go forth and conquer thine enemies!

Comments

[wise_maiden]

[Even if there aren't pitfalls there are other traps lurking about. The sounds of the rainforest are louder than the fighting sounds. Not entirely helpful.]

If there are pit traps in the ground, watch the trees.

[corrinesbell]

I've been looking, but they do a good job of hiding all this stuff.

...Not that I want there to be a next time, but since there's gonna be, can it be our turn to booby-trap the place before the enemy gets there?

[wise_maiden]

I'm not the one you get to ask for that. [But she knows that was a joke, at least.] I wonder how long it took them to set these up.

[corrinesbell]

Even if they live here, to rig this whole place would take a week or two, to do a bad job.

[whereas they did a good one.

A flash of something catches Sheena's eye and she puts a hand on Raine's arm.] Stop. I don't think we wanna try going this way either.

[and with a nod, she tries to point out the thin wire, barely visible in patches of light that filter down, right at about Raine's chest level]

[wise_maiden]

[She stops, frowning as she focuses her eyes on the wire.] ... I'm wondering if we'll have to try the trees after all.

[corrinesbell]

I hope not. [it's tough, even for her. There are traps and animals up there too. She looks around and, upon seeing what may be their only other course, makes that face again]

I think we've gotta try going through that. [it looks like any gardener's worst nightmare in weeds. Jungle-style.]

[wise_maiden]

[And the bugs are probably thicker in there. Ugh.]

Whatever it takes, then.

[corrinesbell]

[let's hope for no hidden swamps, or they're both done for. Sheena pulls out one of her knives again. It's not exactly a machete, but it should help a little.]

[wise_maiden]

[Hold on, Raine has a blade around somewhere, if only because in a situation like this, you can't be too prepared. Tied right into the pack, but enough so that she could grab it when needed. Not that she really wanted to need it. Desperate times. She ties her staff back there instead.]

Should have expected something like this. Ready?

[corrinesbell]

I am never gonna be ready to hack my way through something like this.

[and she is going to do it anyway, ready or not. ...Onward.]

At least there probably aren't traps in this.

[wise_maiden]

We can't say for certain until we've made it through. [She's not happy about it either. It probably serves them right for getting separated in this. Still, it wasn't very long, and no one was pinging for them, yet.

Definitely more of a trial than expected. The plants didn't really want to be cut. Not that they could be blamed, being untamed growth that was there before them.]

[corrinesbell]

[The plants do seem pretty set against their passage. Sheena keeps her knives sharp and this one still isn't doing much good. And every few steps raises a new cloud of insects.

But they can't go any other way. It's gotta be this way. When she can, she looks back over her shoulder to make sure Raine's still behind her.]

[wise_maiden]

[For now she's trying to keep pace with Sheena as well as she can through this. The ninja moves quicker; her knife isn't as sharp, but for now it works. It's not really a time for talking--it's too hot and too oppressive for that right now, when all the focus should be on getting through.

Thankfully she is dressed properly for this situation. No loose clothing, no bright colors, everything as according to guidelines. It doesn't make it less uncomfortable. She determinedly slices her way on.]

[corrinesbell]

[it looks like Raine is falling behind a little, regardless. She doesn't want to slow down - it almost feels like they'll be stuck, or shoved back out - but she really doesn't want to get separated. So she takes a little more time to clear the path, even though it means not making as much forward progress.]

Damn, how thick is this stuff?

[wise_maiden]

... Don't know, but I don't like it.

[Don't trust it more like. She glances behind her; it hardly looks like they even cut their way in to begin with. The vegetation seems thicker all around... utilizing earth magic is still tempting. So much to learn from the environment.

But it isn't the time.] Keep going.

[corrinesbell]

I'm not stopping.

[even when she whacks at a few stems and all they seem to do is swing out and whack back.]

[wise_maiden]

[There's something familiar about this, but Raine can't place the knowledge for it in her mind. Sometimes there's so much in there that things get lost momentarily. The ground seems less... stable. Not in a pitfall way, but there's so much vegetation down there, and bugs and just that uneasy sense of movement--

Movement. She can hear the vines coming in before they appear--maybe a bit of an unintentional use of that magic-- as she watches Sheena ahead of her.]

Sheena, be--

[corrinesbell]

[That tone. Sheena tries to look back, and then to turn around, but she's finding that one foot is caught on something. A root, maybe.

One swift yank frees her...for little more than a second. It's followed by a stumble and an even more solid feeling of being trapped - and no longer able to see Raine through the leaves]

Raine!

[wise_maiden]

[The vines were sudden and thicker than they had ever been, evading Raine's knife as she tried to keep from getting caught. She can hear Sheena's voice through the wall of leaves that came between them, but barely. She can hardly keep her own footing as she tries to evade oncoming vines, suddenly finding herself feeling nearly tossed around--and very stuck.

Ridiculous.]

[corrinesbell]

[This is no big deal, right? This knife should be more than enough to free her so they can get back to everyone else.

...Except the hand holding it is also stuck fast now, unable to slash more than an inch or so. It's almost like the jungle is laughing at their efforts.]

Raine, are you stuck too?

[wise_maiden]

Are you okay? [It was good to still hear her voice on the other side, at least. It wouldn't do for them to be too far from each other.] -- and yes. I can't reach my knife.

[corrinesbell]

I'm fine, just...stuck. I've got my knife but it doesn't do me any good when my arm won't move.

[wise_maiden]

[Raine falls quiet, thinking for a few moments. The more she struggles, the tighter the vines seem. The less... where had she learned something like this before? Then it hits her...]


... I think I can get us out of this, but I'm going to have to use magic.

[And a normal spell might not be easily cast from this position. That's the problem.]

[corrinesbell]

Well do it! This is getting kinda tight.

[and if there's another bridge to cross later then they'll burn it as they go.]

[wise_maiden]

Fine, just hang on. And don't struggle--that makes it worse.

[If only there was enough sunlight, or any kind of light source to make it work. Would photon work? She mentally struggles for a cast, despite the awkward positioning. Just maybe...]

Photon!

[And there was the light. The plant seemed to recoil, the thick vines twitching and suddenly releasing her as she directed the light with the filial magic toward Sheena's side, through the leafy curtain.

Like having a sorcerer's ring in Gaoracchia forest. Hmm.]