shardmods: (Default)
shardmods ([personal profile] shardmods) wrote in [community profile] shardbond2025-02-23 12:00 pm

WEEK 7






Though it may not have been easy or fun, your time in the Void was ultimately productive; you've become far stronger than you were when you entered, and you may have even made a friend(?) or two. Shadow insists on remaining behind in the Void because he does not want to interfere with this world or potentially cause problems with this world's Shadow (wherever he may be), but Infinite is free to either accompany you or stay behind and fight Shadow, depending on whatever you guys would like. Surprisingly, he'll respect your wishes without complaint (though this may be because he wants to fight Shadow).

You return to the outskirts of Chicago, and it seems that the city has changed some in your time away...


THE CITY


Eggman's chroma has taken over damn near everything. The buildings, the streets, even the wildlife. It seems that the changes have only hit the city itself, as the outskirts (where the base is located) are mostly chroma-free. Still, it's a stark change - you haven't really been gone for all that long, have you? It's kind of hard to tell judging from your time in the Void, but if you check a calendar you'll find that approximately two weeks have passed. All this in two weeks seems a bit much...

The city itself still retains the same landmarks, shops, and people - though the former two are Eggman-ified. The people are back to going about their business as lifelessly as ever, completely heedless of the robots even if they do get in the way... but even the robots are back to patrolling as usual. There are far more of them now, however, and they aren't the same ones you're used to. Sure, you can still fine drones, B33s, and tanks here and there, but they've mostly been replaced by newer, tougher foes.

You're going to have to fight if you enter the city for any reason. The robots will recognize you as a threat and try to kill you on sight, and there are far more of them now than there ever were. But you're stronger now, so you can certainly keep up, if not destroy them easily.

THE BASE


The new base that Sonic and friends have moved you all into is quite different from the last one. This one seems to have been an office building at some point; a simple two story building with plenty of large rooms and smaller offices that have been repurposed as bedrooms. You can room with the same people as before, or you can even claim your own room! There's plenty of space here, after all. Knuckles will even move beds around if you want to rearrange things and can't lift them yourself.

Unfortunately, this base isn't nearly as furnished as the previous one. Sonic Team has managed to get all the bedrooms functional in the span of a few days, but everything else? Well... You're going to have to help with that, aren't you? The kitchen is barebones, there's no rooms for entertainment, training, or anything else, and security is minimal. Tails is still working on getting his surveillance up and running, let alone all the various research he's been working on. In short, you've got your work cut out for you building this place into something you can truly call your own.

But it is located on the outskirts of Chicago and it is is safe. After all, you've got each other to rely on.

SHARDS


Shadow's test may not have immediately had any sort of effects on you, but as you return to Chicago and resume fighting, you'll realize that controlling your shard and its power is innate at this point. You won't be struggling with it anymore - in fact, you've completely unlocked your shard's power. You're capable of a great many more things with it now than you were before. You should be able to use your shard for offensive and defensive purposes - which yes, means our healers can do the equivalent of averaging their HP with the enemy in order to deal damage to them. Fun times all around. You'll find that bonding with another shardbearer is also easier, and you can bond with many more of them now. You're growing stronger; maybe your time away in the Void did some good after all.

As you fight with your allies - particularly those you have a close bond with, positive or negative - you may feel the tug of something in the back of your head; it tells you that you can do more. Together, you can become more powerful. You can use your shards together. Doing so will grant you a new power, or strengthen the one you already have. The more you trust one another, the easier this power will be to use.

It might be good to experiment with these new powers; after all, you never know when you may need them.

TAILS' TASKS


Returning to the old base is ill-advised, but you can take a ring and hop over there if you've got someone to accompany you. After all, Tails would appreciate more of his old gear back, and you've probably left things behind there too. You'll find that the place is simply swarming with robots - they're on patrol rather than smashing your things, almost as if they were waiting for you all to return. Bring back whatever you need or whatever will prove useful - and be careful about it.

Of course, rings are running low again... so you know what that means. Scour Chicago and the outskirts in search of those pesky rings and make sure to bring them back! As always, they'll be found in increasingly bizarre and frustrating locations, but you'll be able to find them easier now than you could before. You won't even need a radar - your shards will innately draw you toward their location now!


ENEMIES


While you're undoubtedly going to find yourself running into familiar bots from the previous weeks, there are many new ones to contend with - and they are far stronger than the others. Eggman's army has more or less taken over Chicago, meaning that you'll be running into some sort of enemy frequently. The outskirts of the city are practically deserted, with the exception of your old base, that is.

Assault Drones have more or less replaced the majority of weaker patrolling drones. Unlike those, these are built for combat and they will not hesitate to engage in it. Capable of both shooting lasers, exploding, and sending out a loud siren call for reinforcements, they are not fun to fight. Still, they're the weakest of the new enemies by a long shot... though if you aren't quick enough and they get that loud siren out, they're going to be joined by those stronger enemies.

E-1000s are robots with gun arms that want you dead. They're capable of limited flight, shooting many lasers, and are quite durable... and to make matters worse, some of them even have shards allowing them access to a knockoff copy of one of your powers. The E-1000s usually patrol solo, without any other robots for backup, but they can and will call in reinforcements of the previous weeks' smaller robots when necessary.

Shadow Androids are basically what you'd expect. Shadow androids. They not only look like a certain black and red hedgehog, they also act like him, moving quickly and striking with hard hits and utilizing their fake Chaos Emerald shards for Chaos Control to both warp and temporarily freeze any opponent they face. They usually patrol in pairs - two Shadow Androids or a Shadow Android and any other assortment of weaker robots. Chaos Control is far more useful when someone else can take advantage of it, after all!



hexalding: (sure there's nothing left to try)

[personal profile] hexalding 2025-02-23 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[As they settled in to the new base, Viktor immediately was all over the place; hair tied back in a messy ponytail, mismatched goggles perched on his head, and the Hexclaw carrying a hurriedly bolted together toolbox of bronze and silver-colored metal. Between that and the hoverboard on his back, there was probably a weird aesthetic clash of 'insane engineer' and 'robot messiah' going on, but Viktor didn't seem like he was going to change anything about his clothes after this long.]

[Regardless, he could be found all over the building; helping Tails set up surveillance, installing security cameras and repairing locks, generally keeping himself busy. He'll even accompany people into the city if asked; the Hexclaw's laser was seeing more use as a welding torch, but he was finding its power far more adjustable now. Generally he just kept himself busy and largely undaunted by the fact that he openly admitted to committing mass murder by way of ego death.]
tworo: ([rain])

[personal profile] tworo 2025-02-24 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
[Turo is generally subdued after the move to the new base. He'll pitch right in with getting everything set up, of course! Mostly, he helps with the surveillance system. With so many engineers around, though, there's really no particular need for him. So he'll do some supply runs too. Maybe carry some of the larger appliances back; he can be useful that way at least. When he is around, it's typically just a stop-off to make some deliveries.]

I'll be going back out soon. Do you need anything?

[He's dressed in black slacks and a plain black turtleneck throughout. He has more than learned his lesson about trying to choose his own clothes!

He does also spend some time in the city outskirts, still trying to train. It doesn't feel the same without the company of those Pokemon...but it isn't worth wasting a ring over. He'll set up some targets of his own, trying at a distance to hit them with flying crystals. He'll also spend a little while trying out new maneuvers with them - a shield, a targeted ridge, a cloud of tiny sharp shards that just floats in the air to pose a hazard. In an actual fight, he may not have the time or focus to actually use any of them, but it's sort of interesting anyway.

At some point early in the week, he does also take a moment in a wild area, or at least the nearest thing he can find. He takes Squirrel out of his pocket one last time and kneels to set him down in the grass.]


Go on, then. You're free.

[Whatever care he's provided has not improved the animal's condition. He's in no situation to be trying to care for anything in the first place; the loss of the first base plus getting caught in the void for so long certainly proved that. So - it's better this way. Squirrel will be better off somewhere free and happy, and far, far away from him. Just like Miraidon. Just like Arven.

He sits there in the grass for a long time.]
tworo: ([distance])

base

[personal profile] tworo 2025-02-24 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, hello.

[Turo has also been helping to set up surveillance! He's installing a security camera in another corner right now. No goggles or anything - where did Viktor even get those?]

You look busy.
scythegun: (OKAY ⇝ "regaey" is yeager backwards)

sighs, locked to tales of nikke

[personal profile] scythegun 2025-02-24 06:16 am (UTC)(link)
[So! That sure was a party! Yeager thankfully knows his alcohol tolerance well enough to get back to his room in one piece, but unfortunately he also kinda sorta may have forgotten a certain conversation he overheard earlier...

Which leads to him opening the door on a certain duo. Yeager stares at Dorothy and Raven. Hmm.]


...Ah.

[This is a little awkward, isn't it.]
reallyfishy: (★ apphrension)

:pensive:

[personal profile] reallyfishy 2025-02-24 06:31 am (UTC)(link)
[Raven has gotten Dorothy nice and settled on his bed and is in the process of kissing her when he hears the door open.

Oh.

His brain screeches to a halt.

Right, Yeager lives here too.

He breaks the kiss to give Yeager the most awkward stare.]


Uh. Probably should’ve said somethin’, huh.

[PROBABLY.]
ungratefuloz: (🌸 we fight the fall)

:why:

[personal profile] ungratefuloz 2025-02-24 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
[Dorothy hasn't been this comfortable in a while, all be told. Maybe it's at least partially the alcohol, but she's got a hand in Raven's hair and while he's got her beat in experience, she's responding to the kissing with enthusiasm and--

Dorothy tenses right up when she hears the door open, not quite shooting up from the bed but beet red nonetheless as she looks to see--oh. Uh.

...WELL...]


...We likely should have. Ah...good evening, Yeager?

[...THIS IS SO AWKWARD RIGHT NOW but at least it's Yeager?? Small mercies, she supposes, but Dorothy rubs the back of her head--]
scythegun: (FLUSTERED ⇝)

[personal profile] scythegun 2025-02-24 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
[............he probably deserves this,]

Ja, I'd say so!

[though he did overhear it, but he's just going to pretend he didn't shhhh.]

My apologies for interrupting~ I'll take another room tonight; have fun you two~!

[let's just pretend this never happened, okay??? okay!!!]
reallyfishy: (★ winded)

[personal profile] reallyfishy 2025-02-24 07:01 am (UTC)(link)
[It being Yeager honestly makes it even more awkward for Raven. Here he was, making out with the same woman Yeager kissed and was clearly into earlier… Even if they’re all close and have made plans for life beyond this mission, romance was not an explicit part of their conversations and he can’t help but feel like he’s crossed a line.]

Y-Yeager, wait.

[He can’t just let Yeager leave now. The vibe will just be dead in the water otherwise.

They should probably talk.]
ungratefuloz: (🌸 i'll overcome the fear)

[personal profile] ungratefuloz 2025-02-24 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
[...That makes two of them, honestly, and if anything Dorothy feels even more guilt because she feels like the axis here. It's her fault, isn't it? She should--]

Yes, hold a moment, Yeager. Would you...

[This is her fault, right? She should at least take responsibility for it. Dorothy doesn't know what any of this means, if anything really, and it's...]

...Would you like to join us?

[It's gentle, at least. An invitation she genuinely wants to extend, because she's...

Well. She does care about them both, and the last thing she wants to do is drive Yeager away when he's been such a major part of both of their lives, and to leave him behind in any of this feels...wrong, at this point. This night has been confusing in multiple ways, but Dorothy's certain of this much.]
scythegun: (... ⇝)

[personal profile] scythegun 2025-02-24 07:14 am (UTC)(link)
[Waiting seems like a terrible idea, actually, as that involves talking, and he'd greatly prefer to avoid doing that. Especially after drinking so much. Really, it's perfectly fine to just leave them to it - what comes afterwards is future Yeager's problem and he's not going to even think about it until he's sober. So it'll be fine! And if it's not, then that's not his problem right now!!

But then Dorothy asks a question that completely unexpected and that does get him to pause, head canted to the side.]


...Really?

[That just sort of leaves him before he can stop it. That's...

...

Hmm. Well. There's one more pressing question he has to ask first:]


Your thoughts on that, Raven?

[It's not a "yes" but it's definitely not a "no" either.]
reallyfishy: (★ embarrassed)

[personal profile] reallyfishy 2025-02-24 07:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Raven’s visibly shocked by Dorothy’s suggestion for a second. He wasn’t so certain about this earlier in the night, but after all of the discussions he’s had and the confused feelings he’s experienced, he…

He agrees with Dorothy on this one, actually.

However, he’s a lot more awkward about it. His gaze darts somewhere else in the room and he rubs at his chin.]


I think I’m done pretendin’ like I ain’t curious.

[He pats the bed.]

C’mon, before we all lose our nerves.
ungratefuloz: (🌸 under the mask of pride)

[personal profile] ungratefuloz 2025-02-24 07:50 am (UTC)(link)
Really, and truly.

[Honestly, it's more than a bit of an impulsive decision, but...Dorothy thinks about the both of them, how they both held her hands weeks prior. How the both of them have been essential parts of her life, and the idea of having one but not the other in it, it doesn't...

It doesn't feel fair to either of them, considering how much she cares. Even if she's clearly bad at expressing it, considering the situation they've gotten into. It's something she never thought about, how this could look, and really Dorothy's worried she could end up driving Raven away too, but he at least says that much, and...

Well. Dorothy holds out a hand and gestures for him to join. Her own gaze darts a bit, but that much is genuine.

...

Honestly, Dorothy doesn't really even know where to begin with this, but at least having the three of them together is a start, isn't it?]
scythegun: (LAID-BACK ⇝)

[personal profile] scythegun 2025-02-24 08:00 am (UTC)(link)
[...Heh.]

Well, I'm pleased to finally have your answer to "hot or not", Raven!

[Don't think he missed that you skipped over him, buddy!!!

Anyway, Yeager properly enters the room and shuts the door behind him. Ultimately, it really is this simple. He likes Dorothy - there hasn't been any question about that in quite some time - and Raven...

Well, there's absolutely no denying that things have been different with Raven from the very start. Initially because of their shared horrific experiences and the dark place they both ended up in, but over time it's shifted to something different. He'd be lying if he said that the future he's been envisioning is one without Raven, after all. It may not have been the easiest conclusion to come to given everything, but here and now? Presented with this option?

Someone has to be the bold one here, and it's apparently not going to be either of them. So Yeager approaches with all the usual cheer, momentary embarrassment and hesitation a thing of the past.]


Then I suppose I won't deprive you all of my company any longer~ Move over so I can join you.
hexalding: (i can hear; oh i can hear)

[personal profile] hexalding 2025-02-24 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
We have a lot to do here, and I enjoy keeping myself occupied.

[He shrugged, the Hexclaw holding the camera in place while Viktor secured it t the wll with a screwdriver.]

Besides--my home lacks this technology, so I wnted to learn more about it while making myself useful.
tworo: ([affirmative])

[personal profile] tworo 2025-02-24 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Does it really?

[you're a cyborg, though?]
hexalding: (did i disappoint you)

[personal profile] hexalding 2025-02-24 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
It does--we have cameras for photography, but usually a system of mirrors and lenses would be used for such active surveillance. We also lack computers, as well as several other things that seem quite normal here. It has been a considerable learning experience.

[he sure the fuck is]
tworo: ([surprise])

[personal profile] tworo 2025-02-24 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
...you seem to have adapted very well.

[It’s sort of unbelievable, honestly.]
hexalding: (rather you not be here for)

[personal profile] hexalding 2025-02-24 03:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm an engineer. [A shrug with all three shoulders, judging by how the Hexclaw's joint shifted.] If I could not adapt, I would be a terrible innovator.

The only truly difficult step is accepting that the world operates on vastly different rules than one expects it to. After that, it is only a matter of understanding structures and concepts, no different than learning a new field of study.

[this is someone who accepted magitech was possible in 0.5 seconds and immediately did crimes to make it work]
tworo: ([software])

[personal profile] tworo 2025-02-24 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I suppose that's true.

[Is that what he's lacking? The ability to adapt?]

....the technology here is behind my world in some areas and perhaps ahead of it in some others.
hexalding: (sure there's nothing left to try)

[personal profile] hexalding 2025-02-24 03:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Is it? I can not claim that is altogether surprising. [Considering that being made of netal in part or in whole seemed a little unusual for this world, some things were definitely going to seem a little behind for either of them.]

What is your world's technology like?
tworo: ([sketch])

[personal profile] tworo 2025-02-24 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Warp technology is much more common. Sometimes they'll even have warp pads between floors, in office buildings like this one - though that's a bit of an expensive affectation.

[Possible, though, entirely possible.]

Pocket dimensions for storage, as well.
hexalding: (did i disappoint you)

[personal profile] hexalding 2025-02-24 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh--we created a form of teleportation, though that was on a large scale designed for airship travel.

[He adjusted the camera's angle before making sure it wouldn't come off the wall, turning his full attention to Turo and gesturing with the screwdriver in his hand.]

We never even considered shrinking it down to such a level, that's fascinating. And pocket dimensions...incredible, I don't think we would have been able to achieve such a thing even with magic.
tworo: ([stress])

[personal profile] tworo 2025-02-24 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, well, it is a naturally-occurring phenomenon under certain specific circumstances. I suppose it is only natural that people would learn how to cause it deliberately. We certainly have much more control over the nature of the pocket dimension now - Pokemon often spend time in them while traveling, or when it might otherwise be necessary...

[He might not have had to release Squirrel if he had something like that here...no, no. It was for the best.]

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