Event | Satellite | Spectres!

[ironwood]

Characters: Any and all!
Date: May 23 - 26, 2013
Location: Keeliai, turtleside, ARSHEPHELIOS cluster remains
Situation: Repairs and salvage operations operating innocently have triggered an invasion of spectres that possess and wreak havoc upon all they see.
Warnings/Rating: Please put CW in your subject lines

Satellite Crash Event

Crash Landing | Salvage Party | Shocking Spectres


Questions | Keeliai | ARSHEPHELIOS


Salvage is sweet, but not all is well on board the ARSHEPHELIOS cluster. The seamless cylinders salvaged from debris and the cluster, now being frequently traded, turn out to be pods the first time one is penetrated or cracked open. Each breached pod releases a flood of energy-based apparitions hellbent on world domination -- or, more accurately, person domination (and it's not the fun kind).

These apparitions -- spectres, if you will -- are driven by a need to protect the technology of the satellite cluster that their pods are associated with. They will stop at nothing to see this through. Each is immune to physical attacks, but seem to be injured or dissipated entirely by things like electrical shock or other energy-based projections. If people touch them, there is also a brief window of vulnerability, but it acts also like a door that swings both way. Through contact, these spectres can and will invade one's psyche, take over their body and cause them to attack friend or foe alike! Should the possessed body be subjected to sufficient electrical shock, the possession should fade. Strong natural will can also drive the spectres out, but it is no walk in the park to do so. Possession is not the only tool in the arsenal, for these spectres use electricity as their main offensive weapon. They'll leave deep-tissue burns on anyone they fight, and show no degree of fatigue after constant use of it.

Ten thousand of these creatures will be freed from pods, resulting in a veritable flood of Keeliai, the turtleside, and the satellite cluster. With such a driven enemy, it comes down to killing or being killed.

Meanwhile, those taking shelter indoors may notice that the spectres will get into the biomechanical functions of Keeliai. Consoles will be malfunctioning during this time, with lines of mysterious code and strange, ghostly images. One might hear people screaming for help or hours of patchy radio static.

Comments

[dungfu]

[... Well then. That's something she wasn't expecting, but thinking back, it's probably better this way.

Amaterasu relaxes, but only just enough so she can run towards the building and inspect the wall. It's taken a beating, though that's to be expecting, considering how strong this green giant is. It's just fortunate that there had been no one around, otherwise she would certainly have fought to keep them safe from him.

And speaking of him... She trots towards him. He looks slightly better, she supposes but still she wants to make sure everything is fine. Probably not likely to have an outburst again, but she feels she should be prepared for anything.]

[angermanaging]

[It was more or less a tantrum, but he needed to vent some of his anger if he was going to try to be peaceful with someone. The fact that she isn't human shaped at all is what gets her this little bit of relenting.

He doesn't do more than give her a short, quiet growl, a warning but one without intent. Hulk gives her an uncertain look, almost a question. What is she?]

[dungfu]

[Ears twitch at the rumble, but pfft, yeah no. Not intimidated in the least. She approaches him like she would any other animal-- straightforward and fearlessly.

She's still wary of setting him off again, of course, but she's pretty sure she'll be fine.]

[angermanaging]

[It's probably more appropriate to treat the Hulk like an animal than like a person, in all honesty.

Some part of him has a glimmer of memory of another life, like a far off hazy dream that remembers what you're supposed to do with dogs. (Bruce likes dogs. He's met Amaterasu.) Hulk never listens to what Banner wants, but sometimes there is information that comes through that he can use. There's just a flicker of it's okay, won't hurt you in his mind.

Hulk stretches out one massive hand to let her sniff. That's what dogs do, right?]

[dungfu]

[Normally she would forgo the sniffing because it's not like she has to put her nose to something to smell it, but she does so right now with the hand, craning her neck and walking around.

Yes, she hadn't been mistaken. She can definitely pick out the scent of that one human she'd met a while back.

So the question is: what is going on?

She makes an inquiring sound in her throat, blinking up at the giant. Can he speak? She would make an effort to do it herself if he's willing to have a conversation.]

[angermanaging]

[Hulk can speak if he puts enough effort into it, if he strains to maintain coherency long enough to put syllables together, but it takes some pretty profound motivation to get him to do that.

He just grumbles in response, pulling his hand back and staring at her, occasionally glancing around to check that no specters are creeping up on them. He's as hyper-aware of his surroundings as always. But it's clear from the way his eyes focus on her when he is looking that there's a sentient intelligence, and not just blind rage.

If there's going to be a conversation, though, he's definitely not going to initiate it.]

[dungfu]

[Or silence. That works too, considering she dislikes words.

So Amaterasu circles around him, making observations here and there. For all intents and purposes, he's a very large human. Just... green. So how does a human become an even bigger human? Is he possessed? Doubtful if he is possessed by specters, otherwise he would have been attacking her instead of them. if it's a curse placed on him... well. She cant do anything about that, because magic is not her expertise.

All in all, she got nothin'.

So she sits down in front of the giant and barks once. Hi hello.]

[angermanaging]

[He tenses warily as she inspects him, turning his head to keep her within eye shot as she moves; this might be a truce, but in Hulk's mind, that's all it is, a truce. He has too little experience with actually interacting with anyone without violence to think of it as more.

When she sits and barks at him, he seems to huff. He can read the hello there well enough. He's starting to feel some tiredness from fighting for what's been literally hours, nonstop, as the rush of battle is fades. With that calmness, Hulk also starts to feel... curious.

What is she? She looks soft. And Hulk has so little time while he's out that he isn't fighting, maybe he should take this chance to indulge his curiosity... It'll probably be years before he has another one.

So he reaches his hand out again, but this time it's one outstretched finger, tentatively trying to stroke over her fur without hurting her.]

[dungfu]

[The first time his finger meets her, it's like getting headbutted by one of the Kusa dogs.

... Not that she's honestly bothered by it. If she'd not been at full strength, then she would be a little bothered. But right now? Not at all. In fact, she fully endorses petting and pushes against that finger.]

[angermanaging]

[That's good, because Hulk would be extremely upset to accidentally crush his new friend (?) when he's making one of his very first attempts at reaching out, ever.

He grumbles in satisfaction and continues to pet her with that one finger, careful and slow as he knows how to be. He's clearly trying, anyway.

This is probably about the time that they should get attacked by another specter, to be honest, given Hulk's track record with attempting to form positive relationships... but maybe they don't?]

[dungfu]

[What, you're just going to keep being awkward there?

Nope, fluffgod wont stand for that. She trots up, closer and closer until she's right up at his feet. Personal space, what personal space?

She has always believed in a very hands-on method of making new friends, even if it's not the same style she takes when doing godly matters. Though this isn't a godly matter. This is a friends matter.]

[angermanaging]

[This is literally the first time in his existence that the Hulk has ever pet anything. There's bound to be some awkward.

He bristles for a second at her nearness, face contorting into a wary snarl, hands curling into fists. But when she just stands there and continues to be nonthreatening, nonhuman, and... well, frankly, fluffy, he can stand to let go of his defensiveness. Hulk is too tired after all the fighting today to keep it up when there's no need.

That tiredness sinking into him, he unceremoniously drops to sit on the cracked pavement with a whump, cracking it further. Then he reaches out to resume petting, this time with two fingers, and noticeably better about not using so much force as he gets practice with it. Though it'd probably still knock over a regular wolf.]

[dungfu]

[Yes, okay, better. She approves of the pressure because at least it's not tentative.

But she's itching to move, and she really, really wants to because there's still much to do-- but she flops onto her belly instead, because this new friend probably needs some time to get himself together. And it's not as if she's going to leave him alone, especially since she's the one with the abilities to stop the creatures.]