Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[Swith Witherward]

Watching a piece of a hut being torn away by the winds, Torii gulped. The first tiny drops of rain sprinkled her face, which alerted her of a greater problem; her diary and Guitar. She opened up her jacket and stuffed the two items in uncomfortably, which was awkward, and didn't exactly help her movement either. She wriggled a bit to get space with Gio and sat her stuff down, then looked up to the godling. "I can't hold my stuff....it'll get wet..."

....

"G'day, Ti.", Katya said quickly, before a gust of wind blew her skirt and coat tail to the sides; they rested back once it had passed, but it gave her a chill.

"We do need to move. I fear it'll be bad soon."

"Miss Torii?" Ogoti furrowed his brow, "I can slip your things into a pocket. Your guitar and book. They'll stay dry."

"Yuna, do you know where the caves are? If so, let's go," Ceril grunted. "We're all here. Those who aren't have to weather the storm in their own fashion."

[Germanic Templars]

"Maybe. Well come on then, we have to get inside the factory so we can at least get the truck to deliver the supplies." He said, before running off to the factory.

Wren trotted after him.

The wind had picked up and a few large rain drops splattered onto her hood.

---

It was starting to rain on other parts of the island as well. The not-so-distant clouds rumbled towards the tiny island, a curtain of water cascading as it went. The waves increased in strength and began to lap at the huts nearest the shoreline, eating away at the primitive stairs and support poles. A sudden gust of wind whipped through, tearing at the thatch covering the Nikanor hut before ripping off a small piece of it. The thatch blew upward and vanished somewhere in the jungle.

Marcus looked to Yuna. "Well? Do we have a game plan or are we just going to huddle here?"

Moments later after reaching the factory and closing the door behind Wren when she entered, Barox threw off the robe on him, which gained in 5 pounds due to water alone, and was standing there in his exo-suit.

Off in the far corner, on the other side of the factory, near a pile of junk, next to a storage closet, was a truck covered over with a tarp with a bit of dust on it. Barox then quickly made haste over to it. He grabbed tightly onto the tarp and ripped it off before running off into the admin room. "Wren come in here please, I might need help finding the keys to this truck."

[Giovenith]

"Yes, give them to Ogoti," Giovenith hurried over to the foliage, anxious to get going. There wasn't anymore time for pleasantries, or dilly-dallying. "We can settle anything else on the way there, the storm could hit anytime now. We should move!"

Although the godling was doing a fairly good job at being reasonably calm, it was clear that she was becoming more scared by the second, and for good reason. She had already hopped over the first greens of the treeline, and poked her head out to look at the others. "Yuna, come on, please..."

[The BranRiech]

"Yeah, I know where they are." Yuna meeped to Ceril. He was big and imposing, but didn't seem like a very bad guy (Whatever he really was). The Pyersai knew never to judge based on appearance in this world of Humans, but again, that's besides the point. The real point was that they needed to get through the island and to the caves that held their safety.

"Tell everyone we're moving out." She said, starting to trudge onwards into the jungle first, allowing people to follow. "We're leaving." She said to the people around her.

[Torsiedelle]

"I agree with Giovenith!", Torii said, and handed her belongings to Ogoti. "I hope Yuna gets back soon,, because we're in greater danger every second. I don't want to do it, but it may he necessary to leave some behind; at least, that's how I see things."

[Giovenith]

Giovenith followed Yuna into the jungle quickly, though Willow hesitated, looking over his back sadly, before being encouraged by the sudden sight of Sterling, along with Albert, Jacob, Sig, Octavian and whosoever else brought with by NA via the magic of his User gaining permission to say they tagged along. Loyalty worries dispelled, the pegasus was now willing to follow the others into the jungle, determined to be smart and get through this.

"The rain's not going to get any softer!" he called over his back, voice muffled by the trees.

[Swith Witherward]

Off in the far corner, on the other side of the factory, near a pile of junk, next to a storage closet, was a truck covered over with a tarp with a bit of dust on it. Barox then quickly made haste over to it. He grabbed tightly onto the tarp and ripped it off before running off into the admin room. "Wren come in here please, I might need help finding the keys to this truck."

"Right behind you."

Wren skirted around the truck and followed him to the admin room. "Do you have a lock box here, or are they on a desk?" She visually scanned the area in the hopes of spotting them. The rain drops weren't an encouraging sign.


---

Ogoti carefully placed Torii's items in his pockets, making sure the flaps were seal again when he was done. It really added no extra weight, and he was careful to put them in an empty pocket where they wouldn't get damaged by drums of soup.

"Miss Giovenith, breathe deep," he soothed the frightened godling. Her anxiety was infectious. His eyes roamed the beach and he called out to Dora. "Hey, you won't grow any taller by getting watered. Let's go."

Marcus had already walked into the brush with his father. The old cyborg wasn't all that familiar with the island but he had a good idea of where the caves might be. "Not too far from here, there's a short path. It takes us in the general direction we need to go," he advised Yuna and the others.

[Torsiedelle]

"Well, after you.", Peter stepped asode for his wife, who stuck her nose up and walked past. "What a bitch.", He mumbled in a half-joking tone, following behind, while Katya led Yoshi.

"Thank you, Ogoti.", Torii said. "We gotta go now! Wait up, Gio!"

She ran off to catch up with her friends.

[Tiltjuice]

Ogoti carefully placed Torii's items in his pockets, making sure the flaps were seal again when he was done. It really added no extra weight, and he was careful to put them in an empty pocket where they wouldn't get damaged by drums of soup.

"Miss Giovenith, breathe deep," he soothed the frightened godling. Her anxiety was infectious. His eyes roamed the beach and he called out to Dora. "Hey, you won't grow any taller by getting watered. Let's go."

Marcus had already walked into the brush with his father. The old cyborg wasn't all that familiar with the island but he had a good idea of where the caves might be. "Not too far from here, there's a short path. It takes us in the general direction we need to go," he advised Yuna and the others.

Dora nodded, not minding that reminder a bit. She was, to be candid, holding up the procession most likely. Chrys was ahead of Marcus and Ceril, and Luceandsophie, Dia, Deader and Calvin were about even with the two.

Fortunately, the dress hadn't gotten too soaked and she was still able to make a decent speed down the trail, joined by Cuisine at the last minute, who stepped aside to avoid being run into by Torii.

"Careful, sister," she called out after the teenager.

[Germanic Templars]

Off in the far corner, on the other side of the factory, near a pile of junk, next to a storage closet, was a truck covered over with a tarp with a bit of dust on it. Barox then quickly made haste over to it. He grabbed tightly onto the tarp and ripped it off before running off into the admin room. "Wren come in here please, I might need help finding the keys to this truck."

"Right behind you."

Wren skirted around the truck and followed him to the admin room. "Do you have a lock box here, or are they on a desk?" She visually scanned the area in the hopes of spotting them. The rain drops weren't an encouraging sign.

The admin room was possibly the only cleanest looking room in the whole factory, possibly due to its overall white texture. On the desk, next to the screen, was a large stack of papers with a few folders and 2 books next to it.

"Right, right, right.. Now it should be here on this desk under the stack of -" At the exact moment, the power to the factory shut off. Soon, the emergency red lights flickered on while what sounded like screeching metal from the outside lasted for about a few seconds before coming to a stop. Barox looked at Wren. "Please tell me what just happen did not just happen. Please tell me the dome has not been put up?"

[The Damnatius]

Calvin followed along wearily. Having fallen behind, he sped up to whomever he was closest to, who happened to be Deader.

"Is this normal? You're all acting really calm about this..." He said in combat with the wind, his voice slipping through small traces of the internally locked fear.

[The BranRiech]

"Got it."

The young Pyersai trundled onwards, trying to find the paths that would make her job in this foreign world a hell of a lot easier. Having a path would eliminate the guessing game of navigating through the jungle, and trails were probably safer too. Yuna knew not what sort of wild-life inhabited the island, and assumed that whatever lived there, must be dangerous.

Well, maybe not as dangerous as the cicadas Yuna'd seen.

The girl held out her wings slightly, hoping they'd be a beacon of sorts for people wondering who to follow.

[Swith Witherward]

The jungle was humid. The dabbled light on the dirt path began to dance as the winds picked up, and the tree canopy high above them moaned and swayed. The rain wasn’t heavy enough to penetrate that thick growth but dark trails appeared on the trunks as gravity drew it towards the earth.

“We need to be wary of-“ Ogoti started to say, but his voice was carried away by a sudden, heavy gust. Loud creaking and a brutal snap announced the destruction of the first misfortunate hut. The tree tops above cantered forward from the squall and then snapped back into position, shedding leaves on the party below.

“Keep pressing on,” Ceril’s stern voice urged them. “We need to find the cave before this bastard makes landfall.”

As if to stress the point, a second crashing sound foretold the demise of another hut.

Ceril picked up his pace and took the trail at a trot, using his body to break through the vegetation that hampered their progress.


---


“What in the hell was that?” Wren physically ducked, thinking the building was somehow about to come down on them. Her arms flew over her head and she squealed.

Her eyes slowly opened and she peered at the ceiling. “Barox?”

The red light wasn’t helping at all. She allowed her optics to shift between spectrums before settling on one that took the harsh glare from her vision. Barox’s face loomed in the darkness and she stared at him, wide eyed and wondering what had happened to their world.

[Germanic Templars]

“What in the hell was that?” Wren physically ducked, thinking the building was somehow about to come down on them. Her arms flew over her head and she squealed.

Her eyes slowly opened and she peered at the ceiling. “Barox?”

The red light wasn’t helping at all. She allowed her optics to shift between spectrums before settling on one that took the harsh glare from her vision. Barox’s face loomed in the darkness and she stared at him, wide eyed and wondering what had happened to their world.

Barox also allowed his optics to adjust to the light settings as well. He then peered around the room to get a better idea at what happened. He looked down to see Wren and sighed as he offered his hand to help her up. "Possibly the storm dome was activated by someone."

[Giovenith]

The shaking, the wind, the horrible cracking all around... Giovenith knew she couldn't let these things get to her, that breaking down was idiotic, suicidal, certain death. The little godling marched and marched as fast as she could alongside the others, occasionally letting loose a frantic gasp at some particularly jarring sound, but never, ever stopping.

Paradise has turned against us... she thought to herself with despair. This certainly wasn't the first time the apartment dwellers had faced what felt like a whole world crashing around them, though this was the first time Giovenith had really found herself smack in the middle of the rising terror. But gosh dang it, she had ferreted her way through these things before, and she would again. Everyone else would too, because they were fighters. Sucking up another breath of courage, Giovenith snapped one notably smaller branch out of her way and hopped over another, feeling ever slightly renewed in her flee.

[Torsiedelle]

"Agh, c'mon!", Torii blurted out, barely dodging Dora. Then came the sound of the huts falling, which sent a cold chill down her spine. She kicked into a sprint, and ran right behind Yuna, for her life. She only hoped that it wasn't her hut that crashed, though she shouldn't have thought that anyway. It was only a matter of time....

And she didn't even take her suitcase, so, besides her few personal belongings, she had no clothes other than a swimsuit, a dress, and her jacket and boots....great.

"D'ah, fuck me today, this shit can't get any worse!", She half-jokingly yelled, vaulting over some fallen tree limbs. Despite the danger, Torii was a little thrilled. The wind rushing around them, the trees scratching them as they ran, the muddy ground and the rain pelting them, it got her blood pumping. It felt good to be back in action like this....maybe she could make a hobby out of it.

[The BranRiech]

Ah!?

Yuna whipped her head around, not at the natural sounds of a chaotic storm or anything, such as the huts that were meeting their demise, but at Torii's unnecessary yelling. Her ears were just subjected to someone screaming right behind her, and naturally, Yuna was now not a happy person.

"Shut up." Yuna hissed angrily at the poor girl behind her.

She turned around and continued leading the way, hoping the path was somewhere close, lest her group start to doubt her.

[Cerillium]

“What in the hell was that?” Wren physically ducked, thinking the building was somehow about to come down on them. Her arms flew over her head and she squealed.

Her eyes slowly opened and she peered at the ceiling. “Barox?”

The red light wasn’t helping at all. She allowed her optics to shift between spectrums before settling on one that took the harsh glare from her vision. Barox’s face loomed in the darkness and she stared at him, wide eyed and wondering what had happened to their world.

Barox also allowed his optics to adjust to the light settings as well. He then peered around the room to get a better idea at what happened. He looked down to see Wren and sighed as he offered his hand to help her up. "Possibly the storm dome was activated by someone."

"Storm dome?" Wren's hand slipped into his and she rose to stand beside him. "Do you mean we're trapped in here?"

While the thought of being imprisoned with a sweet friend wasn't a terrible prospect, the knowledge of being at the mercy of the dome filled her with apprehension. What if it failed? What if the island flooded or toppled? What if the volcano erupted and they became encased?

She blinked at the red gloom. "Dr. Smith or Sapphire most likely did it to protect the children."

[Germanic Templars]

Barox also allowed his optics to adjust to the light settings as well. He then peered around the room to get a better idea at what happened. He looked down to see Wren and sighed as he offered his hand to help her up. "Possibly the storm dome was activated by someone."

"Storm dome?" Wren's hand slipped into his and she rose to stand beside him. "Do you mean we're trapped in here?"

While the thought of being imprisoned with a sweet friend wasn't a terrible prospect, the knowledge of being at the mercy of the dome filled her with apprehension. What if it failed? What if the island flooded or toppled? What if the volcano erupted and they became encased?

She blinked at the red gloom. "Dr. Smith or Sapphire most likely did it to protect the children."

"More than likely, I mean they were the only ones left on the compound besides us." Barox pointed out. He walked out of the room, still in front of the doorway. He examined the factory now lit up with red lighting, giving a relax, yet eerie feeling to it and the silence didn't help either. Barox turned back to Wren. "Well it seems we are stuck in here til storm passes. Maybe there is a backup generator nearby in this factory."

[Cerillium]

Savage rain broke through the tree canopy to drench the jungle floor. Weak branches snapped free of trunks to hurtle towards the people below. The jungle seemed to lean towards the direction most needed to go. The huts crumbled one by one, no match for the ocean’s assault or the winds spiraling from the storm. Swith’s gathering room’s roof tore free to tumble across the lagoon and into the pavilion, shattering both.

Ceril had survived worse storms. Typhoons, much like hurricanes, were nothing but large storms. However, he’d never attempted to weather one from the unfortunate vantage point of a small rock in the middle of nowhere. Wren was safe (she’d communicated that once the dome activated) but his second born was trudging along beside him. Where in the hell was Naomi? She could have formed a weak portal and spared everyone the risk. He pushed aside ire; she might be holed up with the Christmas feast or else occupied with a greater good.

Sophie’s plaintive wail was in part muffled by the material swaddling her as she jostled against Luce’s back. The frightened toddler wanted her father and there wasn’t a person there who didn’t know it by now. Klaus did not respond to her mortal summons; he was deep within another dimension and unable to sense her.

Ogoti remained beside Giovenith. He wouldn’t allow her to stumble. He kept Dora in his line of sight as he trudged up the steep incline.

The party was slowly gaining the hillside. They crested the last rise and found themselves atop the bluff. The cliff wall was steep and lead straight down to the rocks below. No waves crashed upon that side of Ni Island; Yuna and the others had found the lee.

“Ropes!” Marcus dipped a hand into his pocket to pull the heavy cords out. “We’ll need to rappel down.” The wind pushed him towards the cliff’s edge but he dug his heels in and squatted.

[Cerillium]

"More than likely, I mean they were the only ones left on the compound besides us." Barox pointed out. He walked out of the room, still in front of the doorway. He examined the factory now lit up with red lighting, giving a relax, yet eerie feeling to it and the silence didn't help either. Barox turned back to Wren. "Well it seems we are stuck in here til storm passes. Maybe there is a backup generator nearby in this factory."

Wren propped her hands on his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes to peer into the red gloom. It was actually pretty. The light bathed equipment in soft tones that, to her faith, signified the harmonious nature of the Machine. She almost wished the generator couldn't be found.

"Well," she breathed in his ear, "At least it's dry here. What a way to spend Christmas holiday, huh?"

Christmas! They didn't have it in her time; the Emperor abolished it like so many other pagan beliefs. There was only one God and He sat upon His Throne. Wren didn't subscribe to the belief that he was a component of the Omnissiah. Living embodiment? Fuck, no. She rested her chin against Barox's shoulder for just a moment and then drew back. Christmas, much like his thoughts and feelings, was an unfathomable and mysterious thing. "Okay, generator."

[Torsiedelle]

"Hey, make me!", Torii hissed back, just having to have the last word.

She didn't expect the cliff, when they hit it. "Rappel?", She called to Marcus. Eh, she wasn't that afraid of heights, anyway; just falling. "Well, let's not wait!"


Katya was less enthusiastic about their plan. "Um.....Tora, I don't think I can, I-"
"You're pregnant?"

Katya jumped a bit. "You knew?"
"It's pretty fucking obvious, duh. Don't worry, I'll figure out a way to get ya down....there's always a way....."

There was always one way or another, Torii knew. Just a small obstacle, but she could beat it. "So, rappel....how many ropes are there, Marcus? How good will they hold?"

[The BranRiech]

"How many times do I warn you, Torii, that my ears are sensative?" Yuna hissed back, really not wanting this to go on any longer. The girl was nearly at the level of wanting to punch her friend in the face. She should know that her ears were fragile things, and now she was being loud simply just to spite her. "Unless you want me to go deaf, I urge you to shove it. This storm is already playing hell with my hearing anyways, I don't need your immature screaming and joking."

Shrugging as Torii probably wouldn't listen, Yuna approached the clif face, stopping next to Marcus. "I could fly down, maybe secure some ropes to the cave? My brother could as well.

The rest of the Branriechian crew came to rest nearby, thankful to be at their destination. They waited ti see what was going to happen next.

[Torsiedelle]

She growled. Sometimes, her friends just annoyed her, but now wasn't the time to get into an argument.

"Look, I'm sorry, Yuna, okay? So....", She rubbed her brow a bit, "you and your brother can secure the bottom...that sounds good. Can you carry someone down? If they need it, I was wondering. Anyway...."

Marcus had ropes, Yuna had wings, Torii had...something? What was she going to do to get people down? She wasn't exactly prepared for this, either. Maybe....one of the adults had some power to help them? Maybe.

[Giovenith]

"I could carry about two at a time down," suggested Willow, flying next to Torii. "But I can't fly everypony down, I won't be fast enough. Does anypony here have any reason they'll have difficulty going down the ropes?"

"Careful!" Giovenith ventured closer to the edge when she noticed Marcus was slipping a bit due to the rain, and offered a hand from a distance should he have needed it. "It's slippery, don't fall off."