deercountry | [Open] 🚬 July Flames

[blame his mother for not passing along the right genes. though dabi could assist if he wanted to try doing some control burning, that's hardly what he specializes in. his flames are quick to spread and due to their sheer heat and power, aren't stopped or smothered as easily as other fires.

perhaps in petulance, perhaps in resignation, dabi slips his hnds into his pockets while nara'a moves past him. glancing over his shoulder at the guy's back, the same thought comes up... but he turns and heads after him. oy, oy. he's not so easy to ass kick without losing a foot or two to reach his ass. ~~go for the head~~]

The outpost?

[no, he's heard of it. scouted the network and knows that strange guy with a big hat and pale skin was talking about setting up something further out in the wilds. but he wants to play dumb and see what nara'a can or will tell him about it. and he does follow along, half to watch the man work (study him) and half to keep an eye out for his own fire.

guess he can be somewhat helpful, point out if something looks like it's about to branch off into worse territory so nara'a can catch it quickly.]

Yeah. We went about three days out past Feed and the other farms. It's an old, run-down church that we put a lantern by. The monsters are pretty rough out there, and they need people to fight them off while others are reinforcing the building.

[He might as well try to get the other to be productive. He steps towards the raging flames and considers how best to proceed. If only he had his black mage job stone... but red mage will have to do. He swaps back to his previous outfit, taking the magic focus off of his belt and unsheathing his rapier. He focuses, brings the two together, and... releases.]

[A large amount of stone crashes down on some of the flames, instantly followed by another set of stone. The flames underneath go out and he sighs. This is going to take a while...]

What's so important out there ya needed a lantern by? Plannin on startin a new part of town?

[another church. hmph, then again, a lot of the architecture in this place was decidedly western from what he's seen. wasn't like a lot of eastern temples and modern malls or business towers were hanging around.

dabi isn't below sidling into other people's groups if he feels there's an advantage to doing so. he joined up with the league of villains back home because they were the best augment to his own plans and the ones who had the most promise to go against the tide of the hero society.

a white brow arches at the sudden wardrobe change, but by now has clocked that as being nara'a changing his skills. it's not just a clothing switch. still no word on getting one of those stones for himself, but who knows. weird shit shows up here all the time. the rapier reminds him of the demon. how about not cutting open your stomach this time, nara'a...

rocks? dabi tenses at the sudden crashing as stones fall from above and smother the flames. yeah, that much debris will certain put out the fire. if he's got more to do. ~~(probably won't be too long before other trenchians and sleepers show up to combat the blaze = ooc note.)~~]

Not really, more like planning more trips out there to see what's beyond Trench. There's got to be more - there's a road that goes out that way, after all.

[He'll probably be fine mana-wise, as long as he doesn't have to raise anyone back from near-death. He casts it again, and another time instantly - Dabi will have time to note that the first cast takes time while the second doesn't seem to take much concentration at all.]

We're trying to see if we can find any signs of recent life other than monsters out there. If there's more people, they might know more about this world.

[Not like he's exhausted his sources for information in Trench, but it's always useful to see if they can find more out there. There's nothing but monsters so far, but that doesn't mean that's all that's there.]

The monsters have to be living off of something out there. Maybe each other, but maybe other people.

So they're making an outpost to stop on the way while explorin further.

[not exactly a stronghold at first, but it's going to turn into it. isn't that how history happens? you stake a place and hold fast to it, then slowly things around it begin to develop as people get settled and decide to stay.

no one's gonna be out here dead in the forest, unless nara'a's planning on reviving whatever beasts end up getting caught in dabi's flames. granted, he hasn't set as much on fire here as he has in other areas, so that's lucky. he notes the lack of time spent on the second casting. like warming up a fire; once it's going, it's easier to produce more heat than when first kindling.]

And the people who can fly? No one's ever asked them to go scout ahead?

[granted, there are winged beasts out there as well ~~fucking butterflies~~ and dabi certainly hasn't volunteered his services to go aerial searching beyond the current borders. then again, since death isn't exactly permanent here, it's not a big deal...]

Likely each other. The Trench locales are simply easier food than other Beasts. And they congregate.

[ooc: would you like to fight a beast out here? i'll drive.]

Exactly.

[He tilts his head at the question. People that can fly?]

I wasn't aware that there were people who could fly here. I haven't seen anyone who can, or I would have asked.

[There must be a reason that there haven't been scouts out that far. It's an obvious missed opportunity... he'll have to ask Manabu. He's not sure who else he'd ask.]

Probably. But there's always a chance... and I don't know if beasts breed or if they have to come from people. I haven't been here long enough to know.

And at the very least, if we can find more things out there we might be able to tell what happened to this place.

[ooc; Sounds fun!]

[good to know he landed something right. dabi quirks a brow at the question.]

I know a few who can. Comes from their own world. Surprised ya can't; you're some magic wizard, right?

[still going with that thought process. as for the scouts, it's probably the logical concept of "go into that forest and you don't come out again" that keeps people from venturing into what's usually certain death.]

No clue. Think it's mostly shit that got corrupted. Used to think it was just people, but apparently animals too.

[he has zero thoughts on what might've happened to trench. doesn't particularly care, unless it has something to do with getting them back home.]

[He snorts a little bit. 'Magic wizard'...]

Unfortunately that one's outside of my skill set. I can jump pretty high, but true flight's not something I can do.

[It'd be fun, but he doesn't want to get too greedy.]

Animals too... poor things.

[He frowns as he thinks of them, but shakes it off. Right, right. Topic at hand.]

I've been called a bit of a nerd for my interest in ancient things... but it's come in handy more than a few times for me in the past.

[prove him wrong, with your magic costume changing and conjuring rocks out of nowhere.]

Depends on how ya wanna define "true" flight.

[because jumping pretty high/far is one kind of "flight" if you're gonna accept propulsion-powered locomotion as "true" flight compared to a sheer lack of gravity and utterly free aerial movement.]

Those idiots in the Sanctuary are gonna wanna save those Beasts too.

[obviously doesn't see eye to eye with this new sect of hunters. no agreement with them.]

Speakin of ancient things, did ya find anything interestin down in the caves last month?

[He would but he left his dragoon job stone at home.]

I suppose that's true. I've already got a lot I can do. I don't really mind - at home I can fly with the aid of other devices or creatures, like a chocobo. Which is like... imagine a giant chicken and paint it yellow, and that's close enough.

[Much smarter than a chicken though. Thankfully.]

I know they are. And while I agree that they should be saved if possible, I don't think all of them can be. And if they've been beasts for a very long time... they may not know how to be otherwise.

[He shakes his head a bit.]

Not really. Though I haven't looked in all of them yet. Why, is there something in particular you want me to check out?

A giant yellow chicken...

[that's not all too hard to imagine, though he can't really see the whole riding aspect. ostrich... and even that's hard to picture in his head. do people really do that? yeah, gonna focus on something else now.]

Nah. It's too dangerous to try and save them. Too much effort and resources. Best to take 'em out before they do worse.

[regardless of the length of time. there's always going to be more beasts. this place is full of them. and the sleepers will just come back once they're dead. if the beasts could be stopped so easily, they wouldn't have the problem they do now.]

If ya find any lunar orbs or weird tools, I'd be interested in takin a look at those. But a lotta the caves have been scavenged already. Ya might be wastin ya time down there now.

Mm. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I don't think it's too dangerous to try to save people... but then again someone like me would say that.

[He's well aware of his reputation as a hero at home. He's also well aware of why that label gets thrown around when talking about him.]

Yeah? Still might be worth a look... do you have interesting stuff you can trade for that sort of thing?

Heh, if only disagreein was all that'd result in.

[but it won't. disagreement leads to disdain which leads to the eventual clash. they won't learn until it's made a glowing example that they can't look away from. but... that's for another time.]

Yeah. What kinda interestin stuff ya lookin for?

[there were some other things he found down there in those caves, but those are things he's keeping.

dabi glances to the side, a slight frown coming to his expression.]

Oy...

[somethin's out there.]

Mm.

[He hopes that's all that will result. He's not ready for a huge clash to break out in Trench. He's still getting a feel for the place, for the people who are around.]

Interesting books, mostly. I'm not really in need of much, so I'm only really looking for things to add to my research habit -

[He hesitates, having heard... something in the distance. And it's approaching. He's not sure what it is, but he readies himself for a fight.]

[nah, he thinks it'll be a while before anything comes to a head. it also depends on how far and hard the sanctuary starts to push for things to change. that's something he keeps an eye on quietly. while he doesn't exactly have a problem with what the sanctuary stands for, it's when people start to call other "wrong" or "bad" for doing it another way that begins to spawn problems. and dabi's waiting for the sanctuary to step over that line...]

Come back to that.

[can't say he has much of the greatest reading materials, but he's got a store of them. that said, dabi turns his attention to the side. black flames crawl up the outside of his leg before peeling off as a large black wolf emerges from his body, glowing blue eyes and blue flames dripping from its mouth making it meld in and stand out among the mostly-smothered flames around them.]

Ya wanna take this one?

[asking nara'a because if dabi fights, well...]

[He nods and draws his blade, waiting for whatever it is to come crashing out. His own omen appears, a lesser panda sniffing ahead and trying to determine what it is. He can't seem to figure it out, but Nara'a steps forward, nodding to Dabi. Yeah, he can take this one.]

[There's a crashing sound, and something that looks like a mutated panther leaps out of the trees towards the pair. Nara'a ducks and concentrates, a blast of razor-sharp air whirling towards the creature. He follows it up with lightning, scorching the beast's hide. He follows it by darting in to slash at it, his blade glowing with vermilion energy, backflipping to land where he started, ready for the thing to attack.]

Back up and get ready to dodge.

[His usual warm tone turns cold as he snaps out the order. Not that he expects Dabi to follow, but he has to make the attempt anyway.]

[a panda? dabi arches a brow at the appearance of the creature, though certainly not as much as he would've had it been its larger cousin. ~~that'd be a more tai lung response.~~ between the two of them, wolf could probably eat it without a problem, but since it's omen to omen, there's no point. besides, the lupine creature is more focused on what's ahead.

with the nod, however, dabi merely steps back, leaving nara'a to handle the incoming beast. oh? feline. smaller than he thought it'd be. not lax enough to leave his hands in his pockets, the villain braces himself, ready to move as his eyes follow the beast's battle with nara'a. from the razor blade of air to the sizzle of lightning (look, you're burning shit too; stop giving him grief cause he's better at it), and the finish of a glowing-bladed slash, it's an impressive combo.]

All right.

[hey, he's selfish enough to get his hide out of danger range if nara'a's gonna do something big. though he doesn't like the look of this creature in front of them. it's angry, but in the way that seems injured. and wolf is still on alert to more sounds further. this seems like something running from something else.]

Better finish this one off quickly. Think there's more comin...

Yeah.

[He nods and focuses again, a white energy exploding around the thing, and he follows it up with a rotation of his rapier. Red circles appear, and he dashes through them to become a red streak, slamming into the panther's side. It roars and tries to turn towards Dabi, but a quick uppercut to the jaw has the monster focusing on him again.]

[That one's not a technique, just dirty fighting.]

[He slashes again, trying to avoid spilling blood - some gets spilled anyway. He huffs and backflips, sending another round of air and lightning at the creature until it's howling in pain. He dashes in and kicks it in the face - there's the snapping of bone and then a stab through the head. It stops moving with a gargled growl, falling to the ground.]

Should probably move before something comes to eat it.

[dabi's silent as he watches nara'a deal with the creature in front of them. strange, mixed techniques, impressive in their own right, though he pays attention both out of self-preservation and to keep in mind anything that he'd need to remember in case he and nara'a came to blows. they almost had at the start of this, after all... from energy explosions to sword slashes.

and with that flurry, it's over. dabi rubs the side of his neck as the creature falls to the ground. he won't put it as "dead" immediately, but it seems handled well enough. without waiting, he extends his hand-]

Outta the way, Nara.

[-and blasts a stream of fire towards the fallen beast. blue flames immediately swallow it, taking only two seconds to reduce the entire thing into a pile of blackened ash. out of minor "give a shit" towards nara'a's original comment, he aims the flames towards the ground more than a horizontal burst, trying to hit the floor instead of send a stream further into the trees forest around them.

but that's just in the face of something else finally approaching them. trees push to the side, falling beneath the larger mass, blue fires mottled out beneath blackness. oozing fluid bubbles and runs downward as a slogging hand reaches through the trees, fingers pushing the boughs to the side. looming above them, the beast pours into view, a dark mass of molasses-thick mahogany liquid continually oozing off its body. shoulders and arms visible within a tar-like "cape" of dripping flesh that's somewhat indistinguishable from the folds and squishes of gunky "robes" covering its body, crowned with a skeletal face pushing out amid a dribbling hood of similar sticky substance. the plants fallen beneath it are quickly absorbed within the dark fluid, leaving a slime trail path behind it of gooey emptiness. it regards the two through hollow eyes sockets, faint light deep within.]

... gross.

[He moves out of the way and watches the other incinerate the panther-thing. At least he's aiming it down -]

[Shit. Something else is coming. He hears the heavy footfalls before he can see the creature, and once it starts to come into view he shifts back to his reaper outfit. He's not sure what spells are going to do against something like that, and if the creature has flesh... his scythe will find it. He takes a deep breath, readying himself to pull on the darker energies he has access to.]

Very.

[He dashes forward, scythe swinging into the goo to seek out any flesh underneath to cut. He might need to try to slash a few times to get at it, but he's less concerned about damage at the moment to himself rather than the creature.]

[surprise. dabi can be accommodating when he feels like it. though as the new threat drags itself forward out of the trees, he's somewhat irked that he'd avoided a full-bore blast. that would've given them something of a head start on this thing...

whether or not those dripping flows down its body are flesh or something else, he can't tell. it looks like the creature is a living blob, but somewhere within those rolling oozes is a framework of a body. dabi lifts one hand to the side, a ball of blue fire appearing and abruptly spiraling into a wilder, more intense flame as he charges it up.]

Not sure I'm gonna be able to avoid settin the forest on fire. If ya got some kinda handy teleportation spell, better use it now.

[and shoves upward with a brief spurt of flames from his feet. getting above the creature while nara'a goes at it with his scythe. it's almost like carving into sentient molasses, with the scythe carving into the folds and gunk and rending it open in a clean slash, but that cut's just as easily sealed up as more of its slime oozes down into the split.

it does, at least, recognize the attack, and turn its head towards nara'a before sprouting one of those large humanoid arms and reaching for him with a splay of dripping fingers. not fast, but still large and powerful. and probably sticky enough to capture a hand or foot or weapon if left longer than a second on its surface.]

[Normally he does. Here? Not so much. He kicks backwards, getting his distance and assessing his options. He's dealt with slimy creatures before, but they tend to have at least some kind of core. Maybe this one doesn't.]

[He hisses at the creature and ducks to avoid the slimy arm, getting in another slash and another. Right, then. Time to get serious.]

[The miqo'te concentrates and a figure manifests behind him, shooting a cloud of dark energy forward. He dodges and slices, all the while the dark entity swoops and almost 'breathes' out the clouds of dark energy. Finally he twirls his scythe and the being settles around him like a cloak, and Nara'a is changed.]

[He knows it won't last long, but he darts around the creature, sending bolts of dark energy at the thing. He has to destroy it before it hurts someone. He has to. With a final bit of strength, he tosses a ball of dark energy at the creature, sending red and black spikes up to impale it. The avatar leaves Nara'a's flesh and disappears, and he's back to how he looked before.]

[dabi remains where he is in the sky, watching the miqo'te assault the creature with enough flare he swears he's watching one of those weird video games that shigaraki likes to play. from scythe swinging to creating some kind of ethereal creature behind him that attacks with him in tandem, it's an impressive display that has the villain figuring he made a good call to pull back his initial antagonism towards nara'a when they met today.

that said, it also means he can't get in a good shot with this asshole flipping and dancing around the pile of goo. dabi's not known for precise sniper shots of flames...

while the scythe doesn't seem to do anything to the creature, asides from threaten to get itself stick the more and more its blade and shaft get splattered with the gunk, the dark energy pouring out onto the monstrous beast does have more effect. calcifying, crystalizing, freezing, burning, whatever he wants to call it, the energy hardens the outer exterior of the drip-covered skeleton. the beast's lumbering form swipes at nara'a multiple times, but like a giant swinging at a fly, it's not able to catch either attacker. however, it's big enough that unless the miqo'te has a way to extend his scythe's range, he's not able to cut deep enough into the beast's oozing cloak/flesh to reach anything solid or vital. if there is indeed anything under there...

with a final lob of a bomb, spikes erupt from the creature, causing it to recoil and roll back on itself, one arm up and a low groan of annoyance and pain emanating from within it.]

Move.

[that's all dabi's going to call in warning before sending down a flood of blue flames from above. directly above. almost as if the beast is taking a shower in burning fire. with the spikes keeping it--somehow--in place, and nara'a to the side, dabi's got a clear shot to outright drench the thing in an inferno. pouring his flames out to cook and incinerate. the massive size of this thing reminds him of that damn giant all for one left behind, but its slow flailing and groaning indicates it's not nearly as impervious as that bastard.

only after he notices a faint wisp of smoke rising from his own flesh does dabi cut off the attack and drop back down from the sky. he lands on the ground a bit of a distance from nara'a, though the scent of burning flesh is prevalent among the smoke. at least until the odor of the torched and impaled beast rushes past them. it's gonna be cooked into a solid mass.]

[He's frustrated, angry that the thing doesn't seem to be reacting. It's just making him more and more angry as he continues - but he hears that call and shifts to the side, leaving a glowing portal where he was.]

[The flames pour down and he winces, frustrated that Dabi got the kill. He knows he should just be glad the thing is dead, but his scythe can only reach so far... ugh. Whatever. At least the thing's done. The stench doesn't really bother him all that much - he's used to the stink of monster carcasses.]

[He huffs and squares his shoulders. At least it's done.]

Should have gone paladin... just haven't had much cause to use my voidsent much.

[truth is, dabi wouldn't have felt confident enough to pour down those flames without nara'a's involvement. the dark energy and the spikes certainly left the creature slowed down enough to give him the chance to charge up and strike it. without catching the miqo'te in the blast. consider that a brief extension of trust.

dabi looks at his hand, frowning slightly at the faint wisp of smoke drifting up from between two of the staples on his wrist. he's not at his "warning" threshold yet, in that what burns he's endured will heal fine without further scarring. but until he has a chance to cool down, it won't be advisable for him to pump out more flames.

that's what you get when your damn mother gives you an freeze-resistant body and your fucking father gives you a fire-manipulation quirk.]

What? Ya sayin that's enough to wear ya ou-

[*thwup*

dabi's voice cuts off as a dark tendril of slime abruptly slams him right in the chest and knocks him off his feet. the charred husk of the creature cracks and more of that slime spews from the burned carapace as the beast semi-literally sheds its outer "shell" and sloughs out onto the battle again.

who said this thing was dead?

waves of sludge-like flesh shlorp and splash onto the ground and the beast's skeletal face once more pushes through the "hood" of its vaguely body shape. it does look smaller than before, both men having burned and energized and skewered a chunk of its mass away with their first assault. but neither got close to hitting anything "core" on it. and now it's faster, retracting that tendril of slime before launching off four more towards nara'a, coming in like living snakes of viscous flesh.]

he has... a few. but burning beasts is the current one. thanks event.

try chess, dabi. or checkers.

which one's more like shogi?

... chess? i think???

he could probably be convinced to learn chess...

i bed nara'a knows chess or something simlilar. the nerd.

if they can't find a board, probably can make one.

can't be that hard...

better than trying to do playing cards on toilet paper squares...

honey no...

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