Part One of Three: SEARCH PARTIES // HOSTAGES - Pre-battle prep

[nishimono.livejournal.com]

[You've all searched long and hard to get here--a strange manor surrounded by thick forests and right near the mountains that encompass Paradisa's castle. It's old-looking and you can't quite place the architecture...and it has an oddly empty feel to it. It certainly doesn't look like the place where a guts-eating monster would be dwelling, nor where she'd kidnap and torture people. But appearances can certainly be deceiving...

Now that everyone involved knows where she is, it's time to converge and figure out a battle plan.]


[[ooc; First off: PLOT TIME LINE
Second: OOC POST ABOUT TODAY
Third: BATTLE SIGN-UPS

These are all super-important!! Make sure you read these and join the plot chat: gonnabeanhero

Alright guys, go at it!

Hostages
Faildown (Allen & Dick exclusive)
Search parties
   Team 1 on route (groups can threadhop between themselves if you want them to run into each other. LITERALLY TAG ANYWHERE DIS JUST BE A GUIDELINE)
   Team 2 on route
   Team 3 on route
   Team 4 on route
   Air Support on route
   Misc. People involved who have no be officially placed in a team on route (Those in search parties are free to tag here & run into/pick these people up)
   Help via Castle
Everyone converges (you can comment here at any time!)
   Tim arrives with an important message!
   A rendezvous has been set!

Start commenting at your leisure! The battle post will not go up until later today. BACKTAGGING HERE WILL BE IMPORTANT]]

Comments

[flowersandsake.livejournal.com]

... aa. That's probably right. [BE A MAN, SHUNSUI... STAY STRONG... DON'T... crumble oh lawd he's wearing a dejected expression isn't he, he can feel it. Yep, there it is. This is the face of a man trying to maintain his dignity.]

[wishmadeinfire.livejournal.com]

[Ashura takes the measure of him for a moment, perhaps adopting some of his kingly aura in the face of that dejected look.]

Are you part of the search groups?

[His horse does a little jig that Ashura sits like an expert, moving his hips with the weight shift of the massive animal beneath him before coaxing him more forward to get a better look at the thing that had so terrified him.]

[flowersandsake.livejournal.com]

Not exactly, but I thought I'd offer my services where they'd be useful.

[Thing? Thing? He resents that... or at least he would've if he'd known it had been said. Instead, he opts for standing his ground, watching that abnormally pretty man with a smile he'd clawed on from somewhere. Honestly, man, you're prettier than half the girls he knows, what are you]

I'll presume we're heading the same way?

[wishmadeinfire.livejournal.com]

[Ashura relaxes more when he says that, though he's not quite so trusting. But, for now, he sees no reason to be uncivil or anything, and if Shunsui does try something, well... he'd deal with it. So he looses some of the 'bow before me' aura and smiles sweetly, but strained considering the situation]

Yes, I am. I was scouting a bit away from my group, to make sure we don't miss anything or run into unforeseen trouble. I'm Ashura by the way.

[And in answer to what he is: single. That's all you need to know~]

[flowersandsake.livejournal.com]

[An aura well lost, Ashura, because he really wasn't going to sway to it. Have a smile back! Aren't things much more comfortable now we've all chilled out a little?]

Kyouraku Shunsui, a pleasure to meet you. [A pause.] And your noble steed. [Gotta involve the steed when the horse was the only reason you stopped in the first place, you know?]

[wishmadeinfire.livejournal.com]

[Indeed, and he really doesn't like pulling that aura, but when he was unsure of who you were... well, it just seemed a good idea.]

Kyouraku Shunsui, yes, pleasure. [He laughs] He's not my usual tastes in horses, but for this venture he seemed appropriate. Lester, meet Shunsui. Shunsui, Lester. [The horses snorts at Shunsui, having determined him unthreatening after all.]

[flowersandsake.livejournal.com]

Lester. A fine name for a fine animal. [Chuckles as he's snorted at, reaching out a hand for the beat to sniff before he gives it a pat on the neck. Refocusing his attention on Ashura after this.]

We should probably get going. By the sounds of things, there's a fair way to travel.

[wishmadeinfire.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

[He nods and clicks, sending Lester into an immediate canter, confident Shunsui can keep up if he was moving as fast as he was before.]

Do you possibly know anything about whom we are facing? So far all I can assume is she's strong, which is in and of itself worrying.

[flowersandsake.livejournal.com]

[And keep up he does; god, horse, why are you so slow?]

A child, apparently. [Which is troubling, really, in more ways than one.] I'm afraid I don't know much more than that.

[wishmadeinfire.livejournal.com]

[He's just a horse! Don't diss him! D: As it was, Ashura saw a downed tree ahead and clicked, sending Lester into a hard gallop, rising up as the animal leaped, clearing a space of at least forty feet with ease and continued to pound along.]

A child?

[He glances over at Shunsui as he keeps low on Lester to aid the animal in its ground eating run, frowning deeply, then licks his lips, eyes hardening.]

No normal child would do this. I hate to say it but... if she must be taken down, she must.