[Forward-dated: Monday afternoon] [Tower Boss #2]

[allurprincess]

Characters: Anyone facing the Firebird.
Format: Whatever you like!
This log is: open
Location: Conquest campus, starting from the tower plaza and spreading outwards.
Summary: As the Conquest Tower opens, the island enters its second boss battle. Read this if you're confused.
Warnings: Fire.

[ This battle is nowhere near as surprising as the arena wyrm's attack, but there's something fundamentally terrifying about globs of fire raining down on you from the sky that that last one didn't have. Whilst the buildings, with their sudden blue sheen, seem immune to the flames, the Players and Weapons outside of them are a tad more exposed.

The firebird is content to make regular, swooping passes at the fighters, which whilst dangerous due to its talons, puts it within range of the melee weapons. It isn't very fast, and is forced to avoid the roofs of the campus in its attacks. Its fire is only dangerous when it's directly overhead. ]

Comments

[savedbyasong]

[Shion frowned, he was right it might. But it might also make him sick enough he would fall.] Let's try it without first...

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex nods and moves closer to the building. He moves back a few steps, then tries running up the wall to see if he can get high enough to reach on a window, or maybe a gutter. He doesn't quite manage it, though it seems possible to make it at least.]

[savedbyasong]

[Since Alex, larger than Shion and probably more fit couldn't manage running up Shion didn't think he had much chance, he searched along the wall looking for anything that could be used as a lower hand or foot hold.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex points to a high window that looks like a storage room window.] I c-can give you a b-boost.

[savedbyasong]

[Shion looked up, it was high and he hoped he could reach.] Okay then...

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex got in a spot where he could help Shion get up and got ready. He was glad he had done this before for Loretta to get into the vents a few times. She was smaller and could fit.]

[savedbyasong]

[Shion was light despite being tall and tried to put as much weight on his arms as possible, as to not hurt Alex. He reached up and finally managed to grab at the window sill to pull himself up.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

You g-good, Shion? [Alex was ready to follow, but Shion had to get the rest of the way up. Alex would be there to catch him until Shion was somewhere stable.]

[savedbyasong]

Yes... [Shion called down and then fell silent as he concentrated on finding the next handhold. He was terrified he couldn't look down because he didn't want to know how high up he was.

He took a deep breath and reached out to grab onto a ledge, his fingers scrabbling around but finally finding a hold.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex stood behind him watching carefully. If only he could use his shadows, he could make this easy.]

[savedbyasong]

[One hand and then another, one leg and then another. Shion could barely breathe because of fear but he couldn't let go or he would fall. He just had to keep moving.

But unfortunately it seemed like he couldn't move.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Sh-Shion? A-are you okay? [Now Alex was worried. Why wasn't Shion moving? He looked like he had a good enough hold.]

[savedbyasong]

uh... [He was going to fall he was going to fall he was going to fall he was going to fall.

He was shaking now, barely able to breathe.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex decided to try something stupid, but Shion was freaking out and something had to be done. He focuses on his Data Master ability and tries to judge how he could get Shion down without getting him hurt. It really was a blast of information, but it felt little different than when he's staring into lines upon lines of code, trying to figure out how to overcome an opposing digital security system.

He spied just the way to grab Shion and acts on it, running at the building at an angle, using the window's sill to jump, wrapping his arm around Shion's waist and thrusting the shield at the ground as they land to take out a decent amount of the impact. It left Alex feeling bruised, but it was safer than Shion letting go out of fear and hurting himself. A little breathless, Alex suggests, "Wh-why don't w-we look f-for a building with roof access?"

[savedbyasong]

[Shion was trying to breathe, trying to move when all of a sudden he felt an impact on his back and he was falling. He screamed, and lay shaking on the floor after the impact. He slowly realised Alex was there and that despite hurting everywhere no bones were broken.] Sorry... [He stared at the ground, shaking from the fall and the fact he had failed.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex slowly gets up, stretching out the ache. Tomorrow it would hurt, but they were fine for now.] Sh-should've t-told me you were scared. I-Is it heights or climbing?

[savedbyasong]

[Shion wasn't looking at Alex, or anyone. His mind screaming that he had failed and was a coward and shouldn't have even tried. Nezumi's voice mocking him for being a burden and weak, too weak to climb.

He gripped the floor, tears forming in his eyes]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex hugs Shion, petting his hair gently,] I-It's okay, Shion! W-we'll just t-try another way! I dunno i-if I c-could make it either!

[savedbyasong]

[The hug just made Shion feel worse and he pressed his face into Alex's side still not wanting to face the fact he had failed. He was trembling, the fear hitting him even though he was safe now.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex moves to stand,] C-comeon, Shion! W-we'll f-find another way t-to the roof! W-we still haveta fight the phoenix! K-keep Becca safe! [He tugs on Shion, trying to get him to stand too. He was desperate, and he hated seeing Shion like this. He hated it so much, for only the second time in his time here he wished he had his powers. He wished he could eat Shion's fear and pain.]

[savedbyasong]

[Keep Becca safe... they had to continue. As if to remind him a shot of fire hit nearby. Shion yelped and jumped to his feet, half clinging to Alex.] Stairs...

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex pats Shion's shoulder and leads him on, still holding onto his shield. He began sizing up buildings, trying to guess which ones would have a roof-top access, and to his surprise, percentages started hovering over different buildings along with floor numbers and apparent slopes of the roofs.] scheiße... D-Didn't know i-it c-could do that!

[savedbyasong]

[Shion blinked, taking in the information and despite the headache it gave him he pointed to a nearby building.] That one...

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex nods, heading over to it and trying the door, glad that it actually opened.] O-okay, we're g-good. L-let's head up!

[savedbyasong]

Okay... [He followed Alex, his confidence still gone.]