View source for 6275/Easy Choices at Sea

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/12/28
|Location=Spring
|Synopsis=Two cruise ships spring leaks, an Abyssal cruiser makes a choice about who to save, and things get worse very quickly.
|Cast of Characters=863, 1154, 6384, 765, 6856, 457, 42
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:863|Haguro (863)}} has posed:'''<br>-NOW-<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A ship is sinking, engulfed in flames. <br><br>-EARLIER-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cruise ships are common in this part of the ocean. Which ocean? The ocean. It's a popular vacation spot, and ocean liners owned by various companies often make their way out here for the scenery, the generally light weather, and technically being in international waters not beholden to any one nation's laws on how much alcohol anyone is allowed to consume.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As luck would have it this night, however, a pair of cruise ships had wandered into a storm and sprung leaks that necessitated intervention to save those on board. Their intervention arrived in the form of one Abyssal, Haguro, who transformed into her larger warship form. Physics being what it is, however, she only had enough room to let one ship's passengers board while the others would be doomed to perishing beneath the waves.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An international incident could have started easily here as the crew of one ship drew weapons, threatening to sink the other liner themselves so as to give Haguro only one choice of ships to save.<br><br>-NOW-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Haguro's turrets are still smoking as she lowers her arm, turning towards the remaining ship whose passengers look somewhat conflicted about boarding the Abyssal warship that had just sunk the ship of those who had threatened to kill them moments earlier.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1154|Wandering Dog (1154)}} has posed:'''<br>A small boat, with only room for a few people, not the entire ocean liner, is sailing towards the scene. Captaining this vessel is the Wandering Dog, still wrapped up in bandages from his ordeal with Empty Tidings, and he wants answers. What the hell is going on here? He spots Haguro and her turrets firing, and frowns, but she's his ally - he's not going to treat her as an enemy just yet. But as a hero, he can try and help any survivors.<br><br>The martial artist steps onto the water, solid beneath his feet, and begins moving forward towards the crashing ship. When he sees remnants of weapons, Wandering Dog gets confused, but it doesn't change his goal. As a cruise ship, it must have life preservers, and a few must have survived. Wandering Dog's going to (slowly, because injuries) try and find any preservers and activate them so that he can get survivors onto them. And as he does so, he clicks on his radio.<br><br>&lt;"Haguro! Got an explanation for what happened here?"&gt; Wandering Dog coughs in the process, straining his muscles by putting in this much effort. He's functional...but it's not fun.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As it happens, one Orchid was hoping to talk to one Haguro. She has some ideas for how she could help the Cruiser, but mostly she wants to understand the abyssal viewpoint. But none of those reasons are why Orchid is out today. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No, Orchid has deployed for one reason, to help save lives in sinking ships. And she has come prepared, flying in on her rocket surfboard, a number of boxes secured to her body. Three ships. Okay. One is sinking slowly, one is sinking more quickly, and one has smoking guns. Orchid knows where she needs to start; a bombing run of sorts over the flaming ship, pulling cords to activate the self-inflating life-rafts she is dropping.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The ocean, any ocean is a lot of distance to cover. Fortunately distress calls are rather easy to follow when you can fly at supersonic speed. Though one has to wonder how Gaonoir keeps a human on his back without her being shredded by the speeds. Probably just an aspect of 'riding' a Digimon in the first place and not worth stressing over. Though as they near the storm the ships were lost in he does have to slow down a bit.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they close in on the position however, the sight is not that which would of been expected, what with the Abyssal-fied Harugo adrift near the one ship, and the other sinking in flames. And little context how it got that way before the arrived. "Uh, this makes it a little complicated."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Does it?" Gaonoir growls softly. He pulls up, jet-boosters thrumming as they cycle down to a hovering speed. "What the null is going on here?!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To his credit Gaonoir isn't just jumping right into fighting, but seeing the way he clenches his large metal gauntlets it's an obvious effort to hold back.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sudden surge of negativity had called upon Kalia.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They appeared out of thin air, floating above the water between the vessels. One ablaze, sinking, the other still crewed. The specter took in what happened, breathing the air in like a hungry man might hover around freshly baked goods. Their form distorted and vanished immediatly after.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On Haguro's deck, Kalia reappears, allowing their boots to touch the ground and placing their gloved hand on the railing, glowing white and black eyes gazing towards the remaining ship, but addressing, very clearly, Haguro and Haguro alone.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We think that was the right choice. You look very different like this, by the way. Where are your tails?" Valid question, all things considered, because warships don't have tails, do they? "Are they your propellers now?" And a good guess! Maybe.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But... is it alright to leave survivors? They'll seek revenge. They'll talk about this. Maybe we'll answer their call."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Telepathically, she adds.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">We would make sure not to leave undesired survivors, personally.</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Seeing the ship in flames and sinking, Evangeline flies right past Haguro and the saved passengers without slowing down. She rockets right toward the sinking ship and moves to land on the deck. And unlike most other times she lands, this time she actually touches down. A sinister red light starts to radiate from her... <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ...and then the flaming, sinking ship starts to change. It becomes Neuroi, segments of it being converted suddenly and in a wave radiating outward from where the little Neuroi is touching. A loud sound like a hammer hitting an anvil can be heard each time the Neuroi corruption spreads. Within a few moments the entire ship is sleek black armor with several red segments where cannons might be on an old wooden ship. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With Evangeline and the heavily damaged ship now one, the ship starts to regenerate. Slowly but steadily the holes in the hull close up, and bilge pumps get the water out of the interior. If there are any survivors, they should be safe now. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally, Evangeline's soft voice comes quite loudly from the cruise ship's PA system. "...what happened...?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A burst of red light streaks down out of the sky to land on Haguro's deck -- it resolves into Staren, in his usual armor. Attached to his waist are a pair of hydrojets in case he ends up under water. He runs, then flies to the edge of Haguro's deck, looking out at the damaged ship, then down at the water, then back and forth a couple times before deciding that he can't rescue the people on the boat without having a place to PUT them. So he hops over Haguro's side, hanging from the railing by grapple line and lowering himself close to the water, then pulling his matter manipulator out, and... wait.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He detaches the grapple and flies over to the other ship, trying to find Wandering Dog. Then he begins assembling a liferaft -- there's plenty of black-and-white-striped wood stored in the manipulator, and he just starts laying it out in a big flat raft! "Dog!" he shouts over the storm, "How do I make this stormworthy?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:863|Haguro (863)}} has posed:'''<br>"That should do it. Okay! Um.. Y-you can board now." Haguro's voice echoes lightly as the Abyssal ship drifts closer to the non-burning slower sinking ship, a long plank covered in black metal extending towards the cruise ship. It settles into place gently, and people are soon boarding while Haguro answers those who have arrived.<br><br>"Oh. Mister Dog! Hello. Ah... And Mister Staren and... Gaonoir? Eva, too... Okay!" She sighs lightly, apparently doing a thing she can just do despite being a literal warship at the moment. "I only had enough room to save the people on one of them. The crew on the burning ship said they'd shoot the other one if I didn't pick them up. I... Guess it's so I'd have to save them instead?"<br><br>"So I shot them." If she could shrug, she probably would. She has that shrugging tone in her voice. There's a more startled noise when Kalia appears on her, though, and she lowers her voice to her... On deck voice so as to not be too loud in responding.<br><br>"It's... Um. Complicated? Fleet Daughters and Abyssals can turn into their.. Erm. Ship selves, so the tails are... Around." Indeed, there's quite a few more black armor plates along all of Haguro that weren't there in her regular form, and there's even ominous-looking mouths serving as the bases for her turrets. "I.. Um. I guess? It's fine if they survive, but they were threatening the people over here."<br><br>Some of her turrets waggle at the people boarding. Some of the boarding people, understandably, freak out a little.<br><br>"As long as they're not, I... I could do that, couldn't I?" Haguro murmurs to herself, then there's a pause. If she was in her non-ship form, she'd be shaking her head right now as if fighting off a bad idea. "... N-no, I can't just... Do that. That'd be.. Wrong."<br><br>Evangeline's efforts manage to shore up the burning and sinking ship, but the corpses are still corpses. Still, the survivors on board now aren't in any danger of sinking due to being shelled minutes earlier! Staren's efforts to build a raft are also likely to be appreciated once it's finished, considering that there's only so much room on Haguro for passengers even if people pack themselves in like sardines.<br><br>Ocean liners are huge.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We understand. Killing is hard. Killing unprovoked is even harder," Kalia says, turning to look at... well, Haguro, in the sense they're looking at the deck of the ship. "But we want to show you something."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"All of them have darkness in their heart. You think you're giving people a chance to be better. You think you're being fair. We understand. We were very confused early on too. We didn't know what to do about things. But evil men will always be evil men."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia's gaze sinks back towards the sea, the flaming vessel and its desperate crew. Their hand comes off the railing, raising into the air. Strands of darkness trace themselves in the air, like power lines spread in a spider web, extended towards the flaming vessel.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">Look. Look how easily they accept to commit attrocities if told it can change their fate. Look how easily they discard morals out of desperation.</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A pulse. An offer.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">Life is within your grasp. Seize it from those who would rob you of it. Curse those who put you in this situation.</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And just like that, the flaming ship's crew and its passengers hear the call. It's their decision to answer it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Between Orchid's life rafts and Eva's help, it looks like the ones on the ship that made the threat are as safe as they can make them, at least for the moment. Orchid's next objective is seeing how well armed this cruise ship is. Because, unless this area is rife with pirates or sea monsters, there isn't much profit in a cruise ship having enough guns to sink another cruise ship. So when Orchid DOES find those guns, she wonders how 'innocent' the crew actually was.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1154|Wandering Dog (1154)}} has posed:'''<br>As Wandering Dog does his work, he moves over to Staren when he calls for help. He's not an expert in boat design, but he knows the basics of 'what makes a good raft', so he explains that to Staren real quick before heading back towards the formerly-sinking ship. He's about to ask people if they need to be carried...<br><br>When darkness swirls through the air. "The heck...?" Wandering Dog takes a defensive stance, in case it's an attack. "Haguro, is that coming from you?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Erika sighed softly at the radio, and leaned up from Gaonoir's back a bit so she could speak quietly into his ear and only the Digimon would hear her. "Would this be a bad time to point out this is all kind of... hypocritical, considering you--"<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I never said I wasn't," Gaonoir mumured back. "Knowing how it feels is all the more reason to end it for someone else... One way or another." The wolf chuffed softly. "Doesn't matter, as long as she has civilians on her decks..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Okay, people are trying to help the other sinking, burning ship. It's in more capable hands than his... But what else is going on? Gaonoir doesn't trust that there isn't some ulterior motive going on here.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:863|Haguro (863)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Haguro makes a curious noise as Kalia does something that the heavy cruiser can't quite understand, watching those tendrils move in the air illuminated by dying flames. Although she can't see what's happening, those in the general area can see it clearly.<br><br>Some of the living crew and passengers on the once burning ship become engulfed in darkness, and some even scream to the heavens as they cling to their last remaining hopes for survival. Others are still sane enough that they hide among Evangeline's fortifications or wait for rescue from Staren, Wandering Dog, and Orchid, but those covered in the darkness have heeded Kalia's call. They begin fighting amongst themselves as well as launching themselves across the liner towards the other ships, letting their anger get the best of them as they begin attacking everyone almost indiscriminately. The once-doomed passengers are also attacking the once-doomed crew for putting them in that position in the first place. <br><br>It's quickly becoming a mess with the evacuating passengers unsure of which way to go, Haguro unsure of whether to move or stay, and a fair number of darkness-enhanced desperatation fueling those attacking just about everyone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And now fights are breaking out on the sinking ship. "Keep moving!" Staren urges the ones not surrounded by darkness to take advantage of the various escapes open to them, like Orchid's rafts and the one he's making. He transfers the matter manipulator to his other hand, freeing up the beam cannons to shoot any dark-posessed that come after the ones he's saving. (Saving THEM, too, would be idea, but this was far from an ideal situation to start with).<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If any of the ones on his raft look particularly clear-headed, he offers them weapons to help defend the raft from the dark-posessed too.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And that would be the other proverbial shoe falling. For the good Haguro is trying to do, her little special passanger is causing more trouble by the sound of it. Gaonoir's attention snaps around as the fighting is breaking out, but immeadiately swings around towards Haguro and his visor zooms in on the red figure that's been pointed out over the radio. Goddamn it, how did he miss her before? Stupid, letting himself get too conserned with watching the Abyssal Haguro he totally missed the other less obvious presence.<br><br><br>Engines flare up a bit as he shifts, lowering himself closer to the Abyssal and the red... whatever she is. "Hey red bitch! Things are crazy enough without whatever voodoo you're doing! So cut out the bullshit before I make you cut it out!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With one ocean liner salvaged and floating again, Evangeline the Cruiser makes her way alongside the other ship. And more of her red panels appear around the survivors already on board her. "...do not attempt to interfere..." she says to them over the PA, then gives the people on the still sinking ship another option for survival. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Which seems to quickly become a non-option as the survivors on deck start to cower, flee, or in some cases fight. More and more red panels appear all along the S.S. Evangeline, but all she can do is try to scare the berserking passengers into stopping. She can't open fire when they are attacking people, and can't really move like this. She fires small beams whenever there is a clear shot. Her intent is not to kill anyone, but even with tiny beams she can't exactly make them non-lethal. There are bound to be more casualties if someone else can't stop them. But, she does try to make things a bit easier to manage by pulling away from the other ships once again.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia's hand lowers. They aren't bluffing - and they repeat it, to be crystal clear. "We won't interfere."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's aimed at Gaonoir, of course. The specter makes no sudden movements, no strange anythings. They are still, and there isn't an ounce of magic or anything flowing from them anymore. Actually, it's really more like all the negativity in the area is flowing TO them. Like they're feasting on it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We spared you the trouble of saving criminals and pirates. We showed you their true colors, what they're willing to do when they have nothing left to lose. Their fate is theirs. We suggest you work on controlling them. They're a lot stronger than they look right now. If you hold back, you might actually lose. Don't worry. That means they can take a beating, too."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Their gaze shoots straight into Gaonoir for the next reply, their scarf eerily still the entire time despite evidently talking.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">We're not going anywhere, though.</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1154|Wandering Dog (1154)}} has posed:'''<br>As everything goes to crap, Wandering Dog swears under his breath. He's slower and weaker than he'd like to be, what with his injuries still healing, but he can at least try to help. As he's attacked, he enhances essence through his body, reducing damage, but it still bludgeons him and makes him focus on reflexes instead. They're not as fast as he'd like...<br><br>But WAndering Dog moves towards those attacking those fleeing with Haguro, and moves to disarm them, somewhat slow martial arts strikes going for their arms and legs, throwing them overboard if a kick to the head doesn't knock them unconscious. They'll have to swim and get back to their old ship.<br><br>"Haguro! Start pulling away with the survivors! We'll have to leave the ones causing problems behind."<br><br>Wandering Dog needs to not get overwhelmed. He's still badly injured...so help from his allies might be appreciated, because he could actually easily lose to them if they swarm him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So someone is inciting a riot. Fine. They'll be dealt with later. But for now, Orchid deploys her full compliment of spider drones. They'll fan out through the ship, spreading their webs to divide the interior into smaller section, webs thick enough to keep them from getting through, to keep the fights smaller and more contained. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eva's ship form would get more attention from Orchid (mostly along the lines of 'ooo, nifty, how does that work?') were things not quite to hectic. Orchid trusts Eva to keep the ship from firing on other ships, so she's focusing on the people. Her spiders will wrap the violent ones in silk bonds, trying to get things to settle down.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While they're hovering nearby still Erika peeks up from Gaonoir's back, holding up her D-Port just enough to use the smartphone camera to get an image of Kalia standing on Haguro's deck as requested.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gaonoir's eyes narrow behind his visor. "Don't play your games with me." Pause as he leans closer for a moment. "I've already been there. Consider yourself lucky Haguro already has innocents on her decks."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And with that the digimon pulls up and away, heading back towards the other ship. Priorities, as much as he'd rather punch that bitch until she couldn't do this again, priorities.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Okay people, that's enough. Break it up." Blunt as ever Gaonoir just drops down admist the group of rowdy troublemakers so they can't get to the sane people, grabbing for two of the nearest in his large metal hands to hold them apart. "Turning into a pack of rabid dogs is just making your situation worse."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:863|Haguro (863)}} has posed:'''<br>Staren, why would you do this. Now there's untrained passengers with more guts than training adding lasers to the fray! Thankfully, said passengers are the ship's crew that are willing to take up arms to aid in the defense, so it's not like they're just foppish rich people or something. The relatively few passengers still aboard the sinking ship are confident enough that they'll more likely survive this ordeal to board Haguro, at least, and the sinking ship is now (finally) evacuated!<br><br>That still leaves the problem of the berserk passengers from the second ship attacking each other, Elites, and those on the second ship, but one problem at a time. "Ah... U-understood!" Haguro replies to Wandering Dog as the long plank retracts, and the Abyssal ship starts to move again. If nothing else, it should help minimize how many of the people from Evangeline's that had taken Kalia's power can get on board, but there's still a fair number of them!<br><br>At least the turret-mouths aren't just for show. They take some bites out of those berserk passengers who get too close, shaking them around like ragdolls before flinging them into the sea. Passengers armed by Staren help shoot down some of them as well, and Wandering Dog's strikes disable several of the passengers and help thin the herd of those advancing to try and batter him or blast him with their own dark auras. Gaonoir's grabs draw their ire as wel, the captured passengers launching their own blasts of desperation-infused darkness at him. <br><br>Orchid's spider drones help to keep the fighting controlled by dividing people from being able to bash at anything besides the webs themselves if they're not being bound already. Evangeline's lasers also subude several of those on Evangeline herself, her own movements helping to keep the casualties to a... Not quite minimum, but slowing their climb.<br><br>Strangely enough, though, these berserk passengers are quite sturdy! Not so sturdy that they don't go down, but sturdy enough that they're not just dying from getting struck or shot immediately. Indeed, it does seem as though using high force is not going to be a problem here, especailly with the ships separating as they are.<br><br>With any luck, they might even be able to reach port fairly soon.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Erika is more focused on making sure her footage gets saved like a good conspiracy agent should. So when Gaonoir is attacked directly she yelps a little in surprise, shoving the device back in her satchel somewhat awkwardly as she scrambles up on the Digimon's shoulders to keep away from the rebel rowsing passangers. "I don't think they can be reasoned with at this point."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I guess not." Gaonoir turns his head back towards the other's rescue efforts. "Get the ones you can out of here." He doesn't bother with asking how they're going to do it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not when he's got deluded, dark infused hooligans attacking him. He winces softly, it's minor physical harm at best. These men may be boosted but he's still made of sterner, darker stuff. He tosses the two he had grabbed aside, scowling. "I said KNOCK IT OFF!"<br><br>It's not just a shout. Much like that certain wolf of folklore his bellow produces a powerful blast of air, aimed to blowing the corrupted men farther away from the uncorrupted ones being evacuated. Blow them across the deck, possibly off of it if they're stupid. At least then they're off the ship, and maybe a dunk in the water will cool their heads.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No games. This is all yours," Kalia reinforces to Gaonoir as the pair leaves.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia looks back towards Haguro as the warship departs, now curious. "Do you understand now? They call you a monster, but they don't realize there are worse people clad in humanity's own flesh, waiting for the right opportunity to leap out. A righteous man would turn us down. A righteous man wouldn't take another's life to save their own. It's when they're desperate that you can really see what people are like."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The specter adjusts their scarf.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The small amount of chaos still present on Haguro doesn't seem to concern them in the slightest - probably because even in that state, the maddened crewmembers should recognize Kalia as their power, and so shouldn't be too likely to engage.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This would have happened sooner or later. If not now, then when they had time to regroup, rearm, and plan their vengeance. Putting them down is mercy."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Below decks, it seems like Orchid's spiders are doing a good job of keeping the violence from getting out of hand. the more violent an individual is, the more they struggle against restraints, the more webbed they will wind up being.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For her own part, Orchid is heading up to the main-deck... where she gets a face full of Gaonoir's shouting as she climbs the stairs. Thankfully she's only slammed into a rail, but that huff and puff will leave her ears ringing. @.@<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately, Staren's attention is divided. He has to keep expanding the raft to let more people on. Fortunately, more and more survivors accept guns and help protect eachother.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He's not really interested in /finishing/ the berserkers -- as long as they get the survivors away, the berserk can sink with the ship. He just needs to keep them back.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If the flood of survivors becomes a trickle, he may be able to get ahead of them in expanding the raft and actually leave the raft to help the last few survivors; Once it looks like he's got everyone he can, though...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He realizes he didn't bring any cables strong enough to help Haguro tow all these rafts. Hmm. He starts asking the others if they've got anything.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Evangeline can do little but continue moving and try to subdue as many of the darkly influenced people as she can while Orchid and her spiders subdue or block the rest. Once they are all down Evangeline directs those that weren't attacking into another part of the ship, letting the spiders keep the berserkers locked up. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If there are still rafts with survivors, they should have room on the integrated oceanliner once it is secure. "...we have room up here..." she says over the PA as she floats near the rafts. "...or I can tow the rafts if needed..." <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Once everything is secure Evangeline actually moves into formation with Haguro, taking up position on Haguro's right flank. The last few holes in the hull close up, and...then the entire Neuroi oceanliner actually leaves the water, floating just above the waves. It is quite the spectacle!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:863|Haguro (863)}} has posed:'''<br>With the efforts of all the Elites involved in separating people, subduing them, knocking them overboard, arming thme to subdue others, or getting them to safety aboard the two ships and the gigantic raft, the immediate threat to the survivors has finally subsided. <br><br>That leaves the Abyssal cruiser more time to mull over what she's seen and heard today. Although there's some doubts as to whether or not Kalia Had been involved in the berserk passengers' actions, the fact that they wen to such lengths draws a troubled noise from the cruiser regardless.<br><br>It also freaks out the passengers some to hear a person's sigh coming from around them. Not everyone is used to seeing a boat that's also a person! "It was more violent than I expected, but... Can you blame them? It's like getting angry at a snake for shedding. Or a dog for biting off its own bandages. They can't help do what their instincts tell them to. Mercy, though..."<br><br>Haguro hums. That's slightly less frightening to the passengers. "... Maybe it is." That's just confusing to most of the passengers, and particularly frightening to a select few. Perhaps not as frightening as a ship flying overhead, but still frightening nonetheless.<br><br>-EVENTUALLY- <br><br>By air and by sea, the ships and rafts full of rescued passengers, unconscious passengers, and possibly quite a few corpses finally reach a dock at a scenic vacation spot. Everyone departs fairly the quickly, largely due to not wanting to be around the EVERYTHING that just happened, and Haguro is soon transformed back into her more human-sized and human-shaped Abyssal form.<br><br>"That'll do... Ah. G-good work, everyone!" She congratulates the Elites, actually looking rather happy despite her usual nervousness. The tail coming out of her gut, meanwhile, just lays its heads on the ground.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1154|Wandering Dog (1154)}} has posed:'''<br>At the end of all of this, Wandering Dog is exhausted, in a lot of pain, and still injured. He's going to need to rest immediately, and is probably going to stop at whatever port they bring the passengers to. The small ship that Wandering Dog came in on docks as well nearby, as the martial artist moves to grab a big walking stick and lean on it. "Ugh, I might have made things worse."<br><br>And a pause and turn to Haguro. "You saved some people, even if that was chaos. Good work, Haguro. If you do what you believe is the right thing, and work with allies to figure out what that is, well, you can be a good hero in time, yeah?" He's hoping they can lead her towards that, at least, even if he's not too broken up over the other ship. They were assholes, in his opinion.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There's some time spent making sure the ones driven crazy are either calmed down, or at least put somewhere such that they won't be a danger to others before treatment. Orchid is a Paladin, and that means being a cop, in some sense.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I wish that could have gone better," Orchid says, once she gets a chance to talk with Haguro. "But so do you, I'l bet. I don't understand how that... monster spoke into their minds, but I heard her voice, and I didn't like it." She sighs herself, looking at Haguro. "My offer to listen is still open," she says with a half smile. "I still want to find a way to bring peace between you and Nagato." .o(I've even got some ideas to settle 'punishment' that they'll all be able to live with...)<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:'''<br>Gaonoir tosses a couple of unconcious bodies that he'd carried out of the water onto the sand. Someone else can deal with them when they finally wake up. Should just be glad they're still alive.<br><br>Then just turns and, after giving Orchid a brief nod as she attempts to talk with Haguro, walks back to the edge of the beach without a word and takes off again.<br><br>Erika looks back for a moment, then back down at Gaonoir with a hint of concern. "I'm glad you were able to... restrain yourself. But now that she was unpopulated and back in her base form..."<br><br>"No," Gaonoir grumbles as he jets off. "I'm not about to prove that bitch right. As much as I -want- to put Haguro out of her misery, attacking her after the fact would just reinforce the tripe that figure was spewing."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We wouldn't blame a wolf for eating a sheep, but we'd still put the wolf down to protect our herd. Isn't that how it goes?" Kalia asks Haguro, though as people begin boarding the warship, the specter starts backing away from the railing, and towards the countless survivors huddled in a crowd.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We think you made the right choice. But we also think they're going to blame you. No matter what you do or how well you do it, they're always going to think you could have done better. It's okay though. The only one whose opinion matters is yours. Don't let the admiral get under your skin."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia pauses.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... plating?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hm. Close enough.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia takes one more step back, and melds into the crowd to disappear from view.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once the danger is over, Staren collects his weapons (everything's wirelessly connected and computers are counting it) and searches out survivors on the rafts and Haguro that are in critical condition or 'dead'. Anyone who looks like they probably still have an intact brain is worth using nanobandages to stabilize; He'll have Concord technicians come move the 'dead' to his... Hmm. He doesn't have a name for the room with all the tubes. Hospital? Sure. He'll have Concord technicians come move the 'dead' over to his tube room^H^H^Hhospital, where they'll be instanciated in VR to discuss treatment options.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While they're en route to shore, though, he has reassuring words for Haguro:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You made a decision. Sometimes, that's what sets the elite apart from bystanders. Was it perfect? No, but we rarely reach so high a bar. If you hadn't been there, they'd all be dead. Learn from this. If this /exact same situation/ happens again, I'd say call us earlier so we can use our collective resources to save both ships. If you have time, that is. But it probably won't happen again. Next time it'll be some _other_ situation. You just keep trying your best, and learning from what happens. That's all any of us can do. The people who say they could have done it better weren't there. The people who deride you for making decisions that get people killed have never had to make a meaningful decision in their lives."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Evangeline floats her way to the dock before setting down in the water again. "...we will have to secure those that have been inflicted with madness before I can release the ship or let the passengers leave..." she says to everyone. "...please hurry...I do not like water..." she adds. Until such time as the hostiles are removed, Evangeline can do little but float there. Despite what happened though, she considers this mostly a success. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "...Good work...Haguro..." she says, flashing some lights at the Abyssal. "...you were presented with a hard choice...and I think you chose the best of the terrible choices...but I am a bit worried...Abyssals are mostly known for sinking ships...and even if you did so in order to preserve innocent lives...it could trigger some sort of hunger...or..something..." She is quiet a moment. "...please...talk to Orchid...if you can show that your judgement isn't clouded by Abyssal thoughts and you are still yourself...maybe the Admiral will reconsider..." <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is a very long shot, but Evangeline has to at least hold out hope that the Hikari fleet didn't break up for nothing.<br> <br>
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