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

[lordhotman]

What you're doing is careless and stupid! You're just drawing more of them over here!

[justdid]

I can't just stand there and let them kill me!

[their yelling probably isn't helping the whole "drawing more attention over here" part.]

[lordhotman]

You're going to get yourself killed if you keep this up!

[Zuko then sighs in frustration and pinches the bridge of his nose.]

I can show you how to control your firebending.

[justdid]

[Wan would have calmed down if he had time to breathe, but relaxation was a luxury now. Fear quickly replaced his frustration as the heavy sound of cultists charging through the muck became loud and clear.

Between Wan's fire and their bickering, the trench was now a very obvious target.]

You might wanna do that now

[Considering they were sitting turtleducks.]

[lordhotman]

[Zuko pauses and listens, hearing them as well. Well crap.

Unfortunately, now is not the time for breathing exercises and hot squats.

He lowers his voice as he speaks to Wan now.]

Just follow my lead and watch what I do.

[Zuko then listens again, trying to pin point which direction they're coming from. He then leaps out of the trench, punching his fists at the air successively, which results in several fireballs being hurled at the foot soldiers that are closing in on their position.]

shout out to whoever gifted me a paid <3

[justdid]

[Wan is going to imitate what Zuko does: leaping out of the trench, punching the air, and using that to make a fireball. But his punch is slower, and contains a lot more fire power behind it. Enough that the recoil pushes him back almost back into the trench. He has a lot of power, but zero form.]

[lordhotman]

[... Zuko glances to the side as he... watches Wan nearly firebend himself back into the ditch.]

Take it easy, you're trying too hard! Focus, breathe, and use the fire like an extension of your body!

[All the while Zuko is throwing more fireballs and then creates a stream of fire as more cultists begin to swarm in.]

[justdid]

[It was difficult to calm down once panicked, and Wan wasn't exactly sure what he meant by an extension of his body. But he tried to calm himself and focus despite that.

This time he stuck with his own stream of fire. Mimicking Zuko's more grounded stance, which kept him from sliding back again. It was definitely more controlled, but short lived. More of an extended fire ball.]

[lordhotman]

That's it! Use the fire but respect it.

[With their combined efforts the cultists were hesitating, perhaps rethinking things as several of their colleagues were engulfed in flames.]

[justdid]

[He should be proud that he's learning to control his fire better and to use it effectively. But any positive feelings are twisted up with the horror that he is really hurting- or even killing other living beings right now. But he doesn't have a choice. He's tried to get by with his tricks and he knows he'll be killed as long as his enemies were alive. But these weren't powerful and somewhat abstract spirits with terrifying forms, these weren't people he could reason with or run away from either. As far as he could tell they were still humans- only monstrous ones.

But he'll push through it because he has to. His fire is weakened considerably by his emotional state but his moves are more swift and decisive. He just wants this battle to be over with.]

[lordhotman]

[Zuko doesn't like it any better than Wan does, but he also knows that its either kill or be killed out here. That was made pretty plain really fast. And really, he would prefer to live.

He sticks close to Wan, making sure the other can see what he's doing. Using a variety of different stances and attacks as if in demonstration, but while fighting off the cultists at he same time.

Finally, those pursuing them dwindle, and Zuko ceases his firebending in favor of his swords. Finishing off a couple foot soldiers.]

[justdid]

[Wan noticed the demonstration and in turn started to experiment. Turning his arm- and by extension his fire into a whip. He could knock them down and push them back even if he didn't want to kill them.

But he knew that wasn't an option. They weren't like any other human he's ever known. They didn't beg or cry when their life was on the line. They were predatory. They wanted him dead and even when they and their friends were burning up they didn't stop.

What Wan learned very quickly was that soldiers could be incapacitated if he aimed for at lease one of their wings. It wouldn't kill them, but it would make much easier targets for Zuko to kill. ]

[lordhotman]

[Yeah, Aang was definitely right about that part. These guys were just ruthless, even more than the Fire Nation army.

As Wan starts incapacitating cultists with his fire whip, Zuko swoops in and goes for the kill. Making short work of it with his swords, going mostly for the wings.

However, there's one cultist that he thought was dead that gets the jump on him. Tripping him up with his spear and then thrusting it into his shoulder. The firebender cries out in pain, but not without a final enraged swing of his sword that lops off the head of the cultist.]

[justdid]

[That was quite possibly the most horrific thing Wan has seen on the battlefield up close and personal. And as of right now, one of the most horrific things he has seen in his entire life. But right now there are more important things to worry about.]

Zuko!

[He has to make sure he's going to be okay. That injury looked pretty bad.]

[lordhotman]

[It took Zuko all of two seconds to realize what had just happened. His eyes going wide he drops his swords and scrambles away from the now beheaded body of the cultist. A look of horror on his face.

And... Oh right he's in pain.

He hisses and grips his shoulder which is now bleeding freely, hearing Wan behind him. He needs to get to a healer but at the moment he can't find the words to say so.]

[justdid]

[He might not have the words to say so, but he doesn't have to say anything. Wan quickly tries to support Zuko on his uninjured side. Leading him back down to the relative safety of the trench. His voice is strained as he tries hard to conceal his panic.]

How bad is it?

[He's been beaten up and kicked around but he's never had one of his friends stabbed.]

[lordhotman]

[Zuko accepts the support and bites back a cry when they flop back into the trench. He then spares a moment to look at the wound and grimaces.]

It's deep. I need to find a healer.

[His own voice is strained due to the pain and the gravity of the situation.]

[justdid]

[He could leave Zuko alone to find a healer, but Wan really, really doesn't want to leave him behind. What if more of them came back?]

Can you walk with me?

[His tone is serious now. Even if the answer is "no" he'll find a way to work it out. He has to.]

[lordhotman]

Yeah.

[His legs still work, but this arm won't be any good until he gets it taken care of.]

[justdid]

[Well, that settles in then. Wan will help Zuko to his feet- mindful of the injured shoulder.

This was going to be a long and painful walk.]

[lordhotman]

[Taking Wan's help, Zuko gets up and walks with him away from the fighting. This was going to be a long draft too.]