agogelogs | beat the hustle, better get it right

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beat the hustle, better get it right

WHO? Genji Shimada (

doublejumps), Mamoru Hijikata (

amereswordsman), Ryuji Sakamoto (

ryuji), Thor Odinson (

worthyofthunder)
WHAT? HRHR: The Glitch
WHEN? June, after the eclipse
ANYTHING ELSE? Will edit if there's something other than violence to warn for!

[ It's in the aftermath of the eclipse that it feels as if they can all finally take a breather, at least at first. The Araneans seem calmer than they ever are, behaving as if they're resting after taking in a large meal. A quiet settles over the land around them, and while all of the COST agents have to wear protective gear out here in the wilderness, for a time it feels safer than it ever did within the city walls.

But then, someone has to take advantage, and the attack on the royal family begins. Genji and the other agents can only observe from afar, as only the highest ranked Araneans are allowed in the center of the valley. Still, they have a good viewpoint of the chaos that unfolds, and it's as Genji's watching the Twin Generals work to quell the oncoming mob that suddenly, everything shifts.

Instead of being surrounded by a red, almost desolate sort of landscape, Genji sees nothing but the vibrant green of trees. It's beautiful, but there's no explanation for how he got here, and as he looks around him he sees that he's not alone. Ryuji, Thor, and Mamoru are all here as well. Is it a coincidence that these are all COST agents he's spent some amount of time with during this mission? ]

... Where are we?

[ It's as he asks the question that he hears the sound of steel striking and the yells of Araneans engaged in battle. This is something they can never truly get away from, it seems. ]

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[ Thor has come to learn just how swift and sudden violence can be in a place like this, but it still doesn't quite prepare him for the attack on the Queen and the chaos that ensues. The moment it takes him to act is already too much of a delay. He spins his hammer and takes to the air - a much faster route than trying to weave through the chaos on the ground. He has no particular love of the Queen, but she is a sorely needed ally in this fight.

The sudden shift in scenery takes him from air to ground again, and Thor stumbles briefly to get his feet under him. He makes an irritated sound at the back of his throat, not unlike a growl. This isn't something he has time for.

The familiarity of Genji's voice does give him pause, however. He nods at the swordsman and shifts his grip on his hammer restlessly as he takes stock of his new surroundings. He recognizes Mamoru as well, so he assumes that the young man beside them is a cost agent too. ]

It's looked worse. [ He turns toward the sound of battle; Araneans, without a doubt, and somewhere nearby. ] Let's go ask for directions.

[ The other three are just confused by this turn of events as Genji, and he's not certain whether or not to be comforted by that. It would likely be preferable if someone knew what was going on, but at least he's not alone. They can get to the bottom of this together. Mamoru and Thor are both accomplished fighters, and while he hasn't ever seen Ryuji in a combat situation, he can only assume he has some tricks up his sleeve as well. They'll be fine.

At Thor's suggestion, Genji turns to him and nods. ] Let's stay out of their sight for now, if we can. [ He moves in the direction of the noise, gesturing for the others to follow. Stealth is his strong suit, so he doesn't hesitate to set the pace as they weave through the trees.

He spots the group of Araneans in a clearing below. Since they're on a forested ridge above the battle, it's not difficult to remain behind the cover of trees while they take in the scene. It's the twin generals themselves fighting another group of female Araneans. Judging by the clothing they're wearing, they're members of House Khah. ]

We could either engage or avoid them entirely. Unfortunately, I don't know how easy it will be to find our way back without their help.

[ No matter how he looks at it, this is a difficult situation. ]

[Even as Ryuji takes his mask out of his pocket, he feels like something is just... it's just not right about this entire thing. It's the pitting feeling at the bottom of his stomach that tells him danger is more than just a little abundant here. Call it his thief instincts, or maybe just the same anxiety that always has him rocking on the back and forth of his heels when he's standing still; it's apparent in the air, and it's apparent in the field before them.

He affixes his mask toward his face and notices something extremely vital missing. No wonder why he had felt his magic stronger, a return to a vitality that he hadn't felt in months. He looks to Thor, Mamoru, and then to Genji, but doesn't say anything. There's really not much to say about it. He's worried about the lives of two people now; his own and Mordred's.

There goes that feeling again. Ryuji's not the one to stand down from any sort of confrontation, but it's like death is calmly waiting at some midpoint in the clash ahead, and yet it beckons relentlessly.]

This... this feels like a bad idea, guys. Are you sure it's a good idea to get involved? [Maybe there's another option here. If only Ryuji could think of what that actually was.]

[Stepping closer and taking in the scene before them, Mamoru mutters a very quiet 'magnify' to make the system in his shades zoom in. He frowns, analyzing the situation. While perfectly more than capable, The Generals are having a hard time dealing with strength vs. number.]

They're Khah. Though I see some Jankeh armory and weaponry. Guess they just stopped caring as long as they get to the goal. [He says, sounding as if he finds this a sound strategy. Take care of the biggest obstacle first, deal with the intricacies later.] They don't seem like they're winging this - this was planned in advance.

[He glances at the other COST recruits with him. Both Genji and Thor stand out for being super-human, and while Ryuji has his own set of skills, Mamoru doesn't really know how it could help a battle such as this. Perhaps if they were going against the Twins, it could disrupt how they work in unison to compensate each other and protect each other's backs. But as it is, it complicates things.

The situation is strategically a good opportunity for the mission's success. There's the matter of not knowing how the hell to get back.

Also, he considers as he takes a deep inhale - takes in the sounds around them that don't come from the battle itself. ] I think we should engage. Too good of a chance for us. This place could be just as dangerous as being down there. [He tilts his head to Genji - he seems perfectly at ease at doing scout work.] What do you think?

[ Even from a distance, it's easy to see that the generals are skilled fighters in their own right. He'd seen them decimate their way through the arena battles, so that in itself is unsurprising. Still, even an exceptionally skilled pair of fighters can be felled by an army - and that seems to be what house Khah has brought here today.

Every time the generals fell an adversary, two more seem to leap from the trees or foliage to make their attack. Mamoru's assessment of the situation sounds correct, but it doesn't explain why COST is here. It's entirely possible that there are more allies or enemies waiting to strike.

He responds to the general thread of the conversation. ] If we don't get involved and the generals are overwhelmed, we'll have lost the protectors of our only ally. I'm going to fight. Decide quickly if you intend to join me.

[ While Genji can hardly blame Ryuji for being unsure about this entire situation, their hands are tied. Even if they were able to get a message out to the Commander or Young, it's unlikely they would reply quickly enough to give them their orders. They're going to have to make a snap decision here, and Thor seems to have already done so, for himself at least.

Mamoru has already done a good analysis of the situation, and so Genji is quick to respond to him when he requests his opinion. ] The Generals may not be able to win this if we don't take some of the attention off of them. I suggest that you and Thor engage head-on. Ryuji and I can sneak around behind House Khah's group and begin to distract some of them away. [ That should be the safer job, and will allow him to hopefully keep Ryuji safe. Fearsome as that mask of his might be, Genji still doesn't know what his capabilities are. ]

If we can get the Generals on our side, maybe they'll let us know how to get back to the others.

[ Genji isn't usually the one to hatch plans like this, but he's run enough missions that it comes almost naturally to him. Others provide distractions while he does the stealth work -- it's what he's used to. ]

[A distraction, huh? Ryuji still doesn't like that they're so forward with wanting to join the fray, but he's not about to openly defy the entire group when it'll just make him look like a wussy. He's spent so long in COST trying to prove to everyone that he was worth being here; once the decision's made, he realigns, tries to figure out a way to make it work out.]

Aight. If that's what we're gonna do, I guess we oughta get goin'.

[He looks to Genji, and then to the other two.] I can definitely provide a distraction if that's the plan. [Cracking his neck, he double checks to make sure his persona is still buzzing inside him; it's been so long since he's summoned Seiten-Taisei that he's slightly worried that the dude might be a little pissed off at him.

Which is ridiculous, because... his persona is just him. Which would mean he was pissed off at himself. Go figure?]

[He can't help but be a little concerned for Ryuji. He had no concern for himself, Thor is... well, a god, and he's still going to process that entirely, and Genji is enhanced to almost no tomorrow. These last two were obviously skilled fighters. While he knew that the kid was capable, as he had witnessed with the coup against Mary Smythe, Mamoru knew that he was still somewhat out of his comfort zone.

He'd have to trust them. He nods at Genji and Ryuji.] Settled. Always think, and remember these Araneans' weak spots if shit hits the fan.

[To Thor:] Ready when you are.

Edited 2018-06-29 00:36 (UTC)

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beat the hustle, better get it right

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