lucetimods: (Default)
Luceti Mods ([personal profile] lucetimods) wrote in [community profile] lucetilogs2013-09-07 08:19 am

Mission #14 - The Iron Eye

Who:
Doctors: Yamanaka Ino, Trafalgar Law, Elizabeth (Bioshock)
Investigators: Luke Skywalker, Natasha Romanoff, Asch, Itachi Uchiha, Maron Kusukabe, Selphie Tilmitt
Diplomats: Freyjadour Falenas, Marita Covarrubias, Gai Tsutsugami, Jade Curtiss, Ororo Munroe, Temari, Peggy Carter
Quartermasters: Haruhi Suzumiya, Akimichi Chouji, Eleytheria, Rudy Roughnight, Vash, Elizabeth (Persona)
Guards: Clove, Karla, Vegeta, Suki, Steve Rogers, Yuffie Kisaragi

What: Mission #14: The Iron Eye
When: September 7th - September 11th
Where: The Desert of Region Nine
Summary: Volunteers are sent to check in one the Iron Eye, a group of mercenaries who have convened in the desert for unknown reasons.
Rating: J for Just Deserts


Departure

As you may recall from the mission briefing, selected volunteers are headed to the desert in Region Nine. Before the nitty-gritty mechanics of this mission are revealed, characters must first try and gather as much intelligence as possible from the NPCs made available to them. The nature of their presence in the desert, the context of the vote you will have to make, as well as the larger picture concerning the existence of the Iron Eye all depend upon solid investigation and shrewd interrogation. Or, perhaps, dumb luck.

Diplomat/Negotiator characters will be permitted to tag as many NPCs as the player wishes. All other characters will have to choose just one of the NPCs to tag -- choose wisely! You’re likely still going to uncover some sort of intel. (Do note, each NPC is played by a different mod. So if you see one NPC getting more hits than the other, consider hitting up a different one to help spread it out.)

Investigator characters will have a thread purpose-built to allow those players in particular to ask the mods particular (and pointed) questions about what can be observed. Please note that these questions should be direct and specific rather than vague. For example, ’are any of the Iron Eye members looking particularly upset?’ is a valid question. What is the group’s general mood?’ is not. Remember, these inquiries aren’t going to be done out of character. There will be an In Character thread to reply to, meaning that any move you commit to has consequences and could draw attention to your character. So be careful!

Doctor characters will not only look after their own, but they’ll get a chance to help the Iron Eye deal with their own wounded. Without any special powers, they’ll have to rely on good old fashioned know how. However, there may be some insight to be found in just what ails these mercenaries.

Quartermaster characters are primarily responsible for their own - other volunteers. The trucks they arrived on should be packed with necessary supplies to keep them healthy, but they may have to borrow from the MSF if any of the group turns out to be thirstier than the Malnosso anticipated.

Guard characters have the unenviable position of guarding the small convoy the volunteers arrived in, while also facing extra scrutiny from the Iron Eye. However, even with all the mercenaries around, there’s still things out in the desert to worry about. Lone Shift Hunters often hunt at night, where their dark skin and silent steps can make them incredibly stealthy, especially without special powers to aid in anticipating them.

The camp they’ll be heading to is large and staffed by the Iron Eye. They are at least five thousand strong with men and have their own supply of trucks, jeeps, tanks, and even a few helicopters. Although not nearly so uniform as the MSF, it’s clear that this is a group that means business. Their numbers are composed of men and women of many species, some with large wings and some with small. Throughout the mission, they’ll have their own people coming and going from different directions. Beyond their camp is all desert where brutal Shifts make powers unreliable and have been known to have sometimes lethal effects. Although the Iron Eye camp has set up a small amount of protection against these Shifts, it’s nowhere near as secure as what you’d find in a proper enclosure.

Playing in this mission means you guys have to figure out exactly what the Iron Eye are up to. On the tenth, a post will appear on [community profile] lucetiooc for you to vote on whether your character will assist the Iron Eye or sabotage their efforts, regardless if they are fully aware of what they’re up to. Or they can, of course, just do nothing and not vote.

--

The volunteers were transported to the outskirts of the desert courtesy of a cargo plane. Given the variety of participants, the pilot would only feel secure after turning the power cap on to one hundred percent, even though his co-pilot insisted they had nothing to worry about. After all, he said, Lucetians almost never try to escape. All the same, power cap it was, and the long flight set in. When they landed at the airstrip in Region Nine, it was revealed to be little more than just that. A paved area to land, a few buildings, and then a caravan of trucks that were to be handed over to the volunteers to make use of.

Several miles into the trip, it became obvious when they arrived in Iron Eye territory. Scouts from the mercenary crew spotted them even miles before they had arrived and cautiously followed them into the encampment. The soldiers greeted them with suspicion and weapons raised, but called off their attack. After all, the leader of this particular outfit was already well-acquainted with these new arrivals. Hoi Hidekan had dealt with them before now. Many of the other members of the Iron Eye likewise recognized Lucetians. Many of them weren’t so happy to see familiar faces, having been slain by Lucetians in the battle at Depot 8. Hidekan himself was on edge. He didn’t like where this seemed to be going, but it was with gritted teeth he allowed the Lucetians entered. Immediately, he assigned a guard to watch over them. He watched Trafalgar Law carefully in particular, but said nothing. For the moment, at least.

It wasn’t until a particularly jovial and blue man arrived that things eased up. Sir Catherine, known to the organization as Bilirubin, wore a wide grin as he came to meet the Lucetians. He greeted them warmly despite the situation.

“Ah, what are the chances of meeting out here in this place? I do hope the organization hasn’t sent you out here to arrest me. I imagine by now you may have heard about that eensy problem I ran into regarding my little plan to eliminate Count Zompano. Ahaha, well, I think we can all agree that absolutely went dreadfully. Who would have thought he’d join up with the cultists? In any case, I’m afraid I won’t let you do that. I’ve hired the Iron Eye, you see. I shan’t be turned over to the organization. Not when there’s work to do. In any case, I look forward to speaking to you all individually. Please, relax! Pitch a tent. Have some of our water. Enjoy the sights. The nights are rather bland, given the lack of stars, but the sand dunes to the west are rather splendid to look at once you’re good and properly dehydrated. In any case, off I go!”

And just like, Bilirubin popped back into one of the tents, but he’d be out and about again before long. Hidekan was less pleased and followed the blue man, leaving the Lucetians to figure out how they were going to make do for the next four days. Sticking close to Hidekan was a young woman, another former member of the MSF. But only one of the group would recognize her as Aka Furuka. After all, Gai had been involved in the same mission that involved putting a stop to her and the people she was working with. It was clear that she didn’t relish the idea of being recognized. Nobody would. The incident at the hospital was messy business.

With that settled, the volunteers were left to set up camp, figure out their supplies, and make themselves ready to investigate the surroundings, deal with any creatures that bump in the night, and tend to any other difficulties that would arise in their four days.

--

Any other questions and/or plotting can be handled at the Announcement post here.


PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOTE HERE - other plotting and IC discussion is on this post as well.
biliruben: (Businessman)

Bilirubin

[personal profile] biliruben 2013-09-07 12:22 pm (UTC)(link)
The eccentric scientist was simply not built for this kind of terrain. He had his own tent and spent most of his time inside. When he went outside, he did so with a floppy fisherman’s hat on and a generous layer of sunscreen applied to his blue skin. The exact science of how sunburns affected blue skin was not fully explored, but Bil insisted that it wouldn’t take long for him to turn purple from exposure. He felt fortunate, at least, that he was far younger now. Not only did he look more fashionable in a pair of sunglasses, but he stood a much better chance of not dying from the heat.

When he wasn’t traipsing around the camp, moving from one tent to temporary structure to another, he had managed to find himself a small gazebo to look out at the dunes in the evening. It wasn’t a proper gazebo - just an open canvas to block the sun and a few foldable chairs. But with a large bottle of iced water, he almost felt like he wasn’t completely dying under the brutal sun. However, unlike at TERRACE, he could not manage an entourage of guards from the Iron Eye to follow him around. Oh, certainly, there were mercenaries everywhere. But most of them paid no attention to him until he asked them to. It was very difficult for him to get so little attention

He wasn’t avoiding the volunteers, precisely, but he did not make any extra effort to go find them past the initial greeting. Aside from watching the sunsets at his little gazebo, he spent the rest of the day seemingly caught up in busy work. Anyone who caught him moving from one place to another would catch him mumbling mathematic equations with a deeply intent expression on his face. Whatever he was working on in this desert, it was complicated and his body wasn’t the only thing overheating, his brain seemed to be getting quite a workout as well.

Hoi Hidekan

[personal profile] malnosso 2013-09-07 12:22 pm (UTC)(link)
A tumbleweed rolled past a pair of utilitarian boots. Boots which lead up a self-assured sort of man -- the kind of man who did not impose himself upon the scenery, but who fit into it regardless of where he is. This was Hoi Hidekan -- and for the moment, his face was practically unreadable. But perhaps that was because it was half-hidden under the wide brim of a dark hat. The man had clearly taken a beating or two since last scene at Depot 8, but he wore his battle scars in the way of one who’d gladly suffered his injuries either for ideology or else for pride. Little about him was frivolous, and much approached a zen-like composure which tensed only upon the approach of a Lucetian volunteer.

He could be found most often stalking the edges and lesser-known pathways of his camp -- on a makeshift patrol, as if he could supplement his guards simply by being near. But a fortunate soul might also catch him at the mess table at any of the daily meals, for he was never above eating across from anyone else -- be they friend or foe or wary stranger. In a similar show of dubious courtesy, he would speak with anyone who chose to speak to him...even if he might often allow his suspicion (or his distaste) bleed unmistakably into his words.
deathsdoctor: (Neutral | Judgement by sword?)

Placeholder

[personal profile] deathsdoctor 2013-09-07 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Hoi Hidekan and himself had a history stretching back beyond Depot 8 was the thing most didn't know. At least those in the enclosure. Looking around him, Law saw no one from the cargo run mission where he had been second command on the Tyr's Revenge with the exception of Selphie, who did not remember. There had been the Kraken. They had lost half the crew. And Law had never forgotten the faces of the MSF who had been on that deck.

Perhaps that, in part is why he saved him... though given how things had gone down, Hidekan might not be appreciative. He meets the other man's gaze that first time with a certain knowing. I knew you'd be here. Have you wondered why you were able to walk away from that town?

Why I saved you?


Hoi Hidekan wasn't a stupid man. By now? He had probably realized the truth of the matter.

So on the edge of the Lucetian camp, Trafalgar Law waits. The path of the other man's patrol will take him take him by.

And in relative privacy? Words can finally be had.
Edited 2013-09-07 16:37 (UTC)

Aka Furuka

[personal profile] malnosso 2013-09-07 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Aka Furuka was new. She knew it, everyone in the Iron Eye knew it, and the new arrivals probably knew it, too. Suspicious eyes had been on her since she joined the mercenaries, and their skepticism was well-placed. Rumors had circulated. They knew someone who had been at the Desset hospital mess was now involved with the Iron Eye. It wasn't a memory she much relished to think about herself. But that was the past, and this was now - this was the path she had chosen.

Though she spent plenty of time on the heels of Hidekan like a faithful puppy, eager to prove her usefulness, when she was alone she kept to the fringes, watching. Watching other mercenaries work, watching the Lucetians about their investigation. She wouldn't seek them out to speak with them, but she could be spoken to. Avoiding them would only arouse their suspicions, and she had already had enough of that.

It would be nice to be trusted, for a change. Ah, well. Maybe when this was all over, she would finally earn her place.
Edited 2013-09-07 16:14 (UTC)
descrier: (❖ 012)

[personal profile] descrier 2013-09-07 07:51 pm (UTC)(link)
She had been on an uneven plane — metaphorically — since the last incident. Her brief stint at the mental asylum shook her to the core, reminding her of those two arduous years in Fort Marlene, and was plagued by images of a cool, empty hallways and the air of hopelessness in ever finding a way to get out.

Marita got out, of course, but hardly unscathed. Mental and physical scars were always there to serve as a reminder of what she had gone through in both her world and Luceti.

Being sent as a volunteer, she supposed, would help her gather up the skills she so fervently worked for half of her life. Diplomacy was a perfected art to her, always knowing what to say, when to say it, and when to say nothing at all with her lips pressed into a slight smile. It was like falling back into the comforting warmth of a lover's embrace knowing that it would be the chance to pull her from her reverie and keep her mission focused. She didn't see Mulder along the ride with them, so she knew it was on her to obtain the right sort of information that could possibly help.

"Excuse me," she said, catching the strange blue-skinned man when she hoped he finally had the time to address the volunteers without running off in such a hurry. "You mentioned Zompano and the cultists when you were speaking earlier. I'm still fairly new to Luceti and didn't really have a chance to brush upon past events dealing with them. Would it be alright to ask you a few questions regarding the two?"
selphie_t: (spunk in a can)

[personal profile] selphie_t 2013-09-08 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
These kind of missions were nothing new to Selphie. In fact, she felt right at home in a camp of mercenaries. It didn't really matter to her whether or not they liked her or her fellow Lucetians. They all had a job to do and regardless of the fact that she didn't remember any of the past missions or drafts she's been part of, she wanders the camp freely. Many might be wondering what a fresh faced looking teenager was doing in the heart of the Iron Eye but nobody seemed to concerned.

Being a mercenary herself, she knows how they think and waits for them to get over their initial aversion before the perky brunette begins poking around the camp. With her nunchaku in tow, Selphie settles herself at a table of her fellows. If need be, she'll prove that she can run with the punches just as well as any of those seated around her but for now, it's time to get to work.

She waits a good twenty minutes for them to hopefully forget that she's seated herself with them before asking any questions. "So, what're you guys doing out here in the desert? What's The Iron Eye all about?"
yourfononsarewhack: (Default)

[personal profile] yourfononsarewhack 2013-09-08 01:53 am (UTC)(link)
Jade Curtiss eventually manages to locate Bilirubin's so-fashioned gazebo and makes his way there with a confident stride. His own complexion could rival Bil's - after all, he had clearly been out in the heat all day while wearing his full military uniform. Yet he didn't show signs of having been worn down by the heat or even sweating. In fact, one could even still make out the faint fragrance of a cologne. He still brought his own half-drained water bottle as he approached Bil.

With a hard-to-read smile on his face, Jade crossed an arm against his chest while managing a slight bow. "Good evening, Sir Catherine. I was starting to wonder if you ever took moments to relax." He had probably, at the least, spotted Bil making his trips around earlier.
biliruben: (Goodness!)

[personal profile] biliruben 2013-09-08 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Bil was in the middle of re-hydrating himself with a generous portion of icy water. He had fortunately learned not to wear a business suit in the desert, which proved to be extra wise, because he did manage to dribble some water on his chest. He hadn't been paying her any mind until she suddenly spoke up, causing him to cough and sputter.

"Oh- ah. Excuse me." He stared at her, then suddenly smiled. "Oh my, yes. Please. Ask away." Bil watched her intently. Or rather, he was fixated on her hair. Marvelous.
biliruben: (Oh dear)

[personal profile] biliruben 2013-09-08 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah, Mr. Curtiss. If this is relaxing, then oven's should be advertised as vacation spots for slabs of meat. But do sit down, preferably over there where I don't have to look into the sun."

Bil gestured to his right, rather than the seat across from him.

[personal profile] malnosso 2013-09-08 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
In the time that she had sat down, the mercenaries had changed their discussion to less pressing topics. None of them seemed particularly thrilled by her presence. You only had to look into someone's eyes to know what kind of things a person had seen. Experienced the girl might be, but she hadn't seen the world they'd seen. And so their conversation was complaining about the food, making fun of the people who prepared it, and making jabs at one another for what they did eat. All up until she spoke up.

And then they shot her a dirty look, exchanged looks with one another, and proceeded to get up and move on. Only one of them bothered to talk to her.

"Sorry, short stack, but we've got work to do. Why don't you go bother your own people."
yourhatred: (i saw everything)

[personal profile] yourhatred 2013-09-08 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
Itachi was unused to planes. He had no problem with heights at all, had flipped and lept to levels that would turn the stomach of the best trained fighter pilot. There was something about the confines of the cabin combined with the lack of control he had over the flight itself that left him a little green afterward, however. Thankfully, the fresh air soon cleared that up.

Speaking of oddly tinged complexions, the ninja set his sights on Bil immediately after his speech, keeping an eye on him for a time after. This is all meant in a metaphorical sense, of course, as Itachi is near blind without his Sharingan activated and there was no need at this point to worry anyone in the camp by wandering around with one red eye. Still, he has his ways.

Rather than bother him in the gazebo, Itachi waited until he was distracted by his own mutterings, approaching him at a time when there were just enough people in the nearby vicinity that the man wouldn't think he was being attacked, and just few enough that they'd have relative privacy.

"You'll have to forgive me. One of the few boons one may receive from losing one of their senses is learning the full potential of another. I don't suppose there's anything I can do to assist you?" These were the words of a concerned volunteer upon hearing the man's mutterings.
biliruben: (Success)

[personal profile] biliruben 2013-09-08 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
Bil stopped somewhere around the coefficient of fourteen e cubed y or some other nonsensical mathematic equation as he stared at Itachi, looking for the moment stunned.

"... ahh, assist? Oh dear, I'm afraid I've lost where I was."
yourhatred: (standing casual)

[personal profile] yourhatred 2013-09-08 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
"Assist, yes. You seemed troubled." Itachi's expression is neutral, as it usually is, making both concern and trickery equally possible.

"Have I broken your train of thought? Then I'll apologize again, and repeat back to you your last few lines if necessary." Not that it made much sense to him, but it might get Bil back on track and he'd prefer to act courteous for the time being.
yourfononsarewhack: (assessment)

[personal profile] yourfononsarewhack 2013-09-08 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, I certainly can't turn down an invitation such as that," he says with an airy shrug as he approaches. It's important to maintain a cool head - and most importantly, for him not to dwell on what he had had read in the tunnels about himself. He takes a seat - he finds the chairs so uncomfortable but sits with a formal-looking posture. "Perhaps you'd do better conducting your business in more arctic environments."
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Dust in the wind)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2013-09-08 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
Vash spends most of the trip out here quiet. He's dressed a bit more like his old self, donning his old red jacket and boots once more. They were good for keeping the sand and sun off the skin. Before they take off he will be offering advice to those not dressed for sand about tucking their pant legs into their shoes at the very least. No one likes itchy sand stuck in their clothes.

His hair is still long and tied back in a short pony tail to keep it out of his face. As soon as they come close to landing he slips on a pair of golden sunglasses on his face to make scanning the desert easier. All old habits he slips into easily and he's not exactly thrilled to be back in a desert setting.

Still, he knows what he's doing and is taking his task of quartermaster very seriously. While he won't outright deny anyone water should they ask him for some he's doing his best to ration it. He doesn't exactly trust that should something unforeseen happen of getting more. Should anyone be watching his actions any it's clear that he himself isn't drinking too much. Enough to get by, but he's attempting to give his share to the people who may not be as use to this climate then he was.

Vash is doing his best to be friendly with the members of the Iron Eye around. Ignoring any jeers he gets from them and happily striking up a conversation with whoever is willing enough to talk to him.

He's right at home in this setting really. Out in the desert; surrounded by people who don't particularly care for him. Come find him if you need a break of talking to the Iron Eye or just need to quench your thirst.
biliruben: (How unfortunate)

[personal profile] biliruben 2013-09-08 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
Bil chuckled, but shook his head. "Ah, I'd hardly think that would be wise. The artic tundra is no place for people, Malnosso or cultist."
biliruben: (Goodness!)

[personal profile] biliruben 2013-09-08 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it's no good. The last few bits will hardly help. I was in the wrong direction anyway." He then looked around and realized he was rather far from his tent. "In more than one way, it seems. Oh my."
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Teehee! I'm going to kill you!)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2013-09-08 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
Vash hadn't missed the way Aka Furuka followed closely behind Hidekan. The way someone who wished to prove her worth to someone or the way when she wasn't with him how she kept to the outside and keeping her eyes on everyone. Most of the Iron Eye were keeping their eyes on the Lucetians and not each other. Vash had been trying to keep tabs on just who were watching who in this camp as he had spent enough time back on his planet around mercenaries to know that some bonds within groups of them weren't always as strong as they needed to be.

So when he catches Aka during one of her times away from Hidekan he tries to give her a kind looking smile. It wasn't easy being on edge around everyone all the time. Something you learned after being the most wanted man on the planet for over twenty years. "I don't know about you, but I hate how this air dries out my skin. How are you managing to keep your skin so soft and young looking in this heat?"

It doesn't matter if her skin looks dried out or not. The man with long blond hair tied back into a pony tail, dressed in a red coat, and gold sunglasses is just trying to give her a compliment.
yourfononsarewhack: (teatime)

[personal profile] yourfononsarewhack 2013-09-08 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
"That's a shame. I'll have to eliminate it as a potential vacation spot if that's so." And as a known inhabited area - not that it's necessarily useful information, but it's something. "And it's unusual as well. The cultists seem to have such cockroach-like tendencies, it's hard to think that there's environments in which they cannot survive."
calmbeforethe: (gratuitous lens flare)

[personal profile] calmbeforethe 2013-09-08 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
Although Ororo had not encountered Hoi Hidekan herself during the mission at Depot 8, she'd heard enough about him to recognize him when their paths crossed here. She approached him with a measure of caution - she knew to expect tension from him, especially after how things had gone down then. But where she had not had the opportunity to speak to him then, she had that opportunity now. And she was definitely going to take advantage of it.

It is during one of the mealtimes that Ororo decides to take a chance, taking her tray of rations over to the table where Hidekan sat. She meant to take the seat across from his - but Ororo was nothing if not polite.

"Is this seat taken?"
selphie_t: (Look to the sky)

[personal profile] selphie_t 2013-09-08 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
Go bother her own people? Why should she go bother her own people when the people all around her look like a bunch of fish out of water to begin with? Her eyes narrow slightly but she forces herself to keep her face as neutral as possible when the person who'd taken the time to speak to her gets away. She reaches over the table with practiced speed and grabs their wrist. She's not about to let him get away even if they do have work to do, her last question for them won't take long at all. All she needs is a push in the right direction and she'll let her target go with a sweet smile.

"Can you point in the direction of someone who will tell me what you guys are all about?" She shoots out quickly before someone has the chance to make a scene.

Selphie's discovering that the direct approach may not work with these guys and they're definitely not like the locals in Luceti who will just tell you what you need to know. She may have to rework her tactic on gleaning information out of them. Eavesdropping may be her best bet from this point forward.
yourhatred: (hrm)

[personal profile] yourhatred 2013-09-08 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Itachi turned his head as if looking off to the side, though of course he really wasn't. "It's a decent sized camp, easy to get turned around in if you aren't accustomed to it."

Then he looked back again, head tilted, considering. "Will you be alright? I could provide an escort for safety purposes - unless you found me to be a threat on my own, of course."

Page 1 of 34