this is beginning to feel good, watching you squirm in your shoes

[animusmods]

Characters: Jason, open to characters who are in the labyrinth
Setting: the labyrinth
Format: party-style
Summary: Fighting Jason and other fun labyrinth activities.
Warnings: violence, gore, disturbing content, Animus event
Note: Most of this thread will be used for fighting Jason. Doing things in the labyrinth that are not fighting Jason is perfectly fine, just use the subthread here!

[Jason moves, when he's really running, something like a spider. Arms shift and twist over each other as he does so, though he never seems to get tripped up on them, and he's quick to respond to any sort of movement near him by keeping away with it. This time, it doesn't seem like he's looking for a fight. He's made it to the edge of the labyrinth, and he's feeling about for something, but whatever he's searching for he doesn't seem to be able to find it, and his frustration is obvious. If there's fear, he's hiding it beneath anger.

He still has his abilities, but he doesn't seem to be able to escape the labyrinth. And, considering everyone else in the labyrinth is alive, he doesn't seem to have his kill switch either.

Good luck.]

Comments

NON-FIGHTING THREADS

[animusmods]

To the rescue! Open to anyone who wants to meet him or needs help - or wants to evacuate

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch is not deliberately looking for Jason. He's never wanted to kill him. Never wanted to kill anyone. So instead, he's looking for injured people. The fatigue from volunteering for that machine is no longer so bad anymore - his endurance levels seem reasonably human. For someone not quite as athletic as he is, unfortunately.

His only weapon is an orcish sword with a bent tip - clearly meant as last resort, it couldn't possibly be very effective the way the blade has been obviously misused. That's tied to his jeans with a bit of gauze - which is what he's carrying in his hands. Two rolls of it. He'll attempt to patch up anyone he finds - anyone who is injured - and will either ask them to follow him or carry them if their injuries are severe.

On the off chance that he does encounter Jason for some reason (he is wandering randomly, after all), he will raise both hands in a gesture of meaning no harm and back away, though if Jason is not clearly threatening he may attempt to talk, as well.

But chances are, he will be encountering others. Hunters will be urged not to kill prey, at least, and he'll tell them he can get them out of there if they follow him. He will try to draw people not interested in fighting Jason towards the center of the maze to facilitate escape.

All that said, would anyone care to have an encounter with someone in a hospital band (reading 011) but not a gown?*

[undroppedeaves]

Sam had a blade at his side as well and was looking around the labyrinth for anyone who had been part of the hunt. He was specifically looking for Tetra and Quark but anyone who seemed injured or lost, or... well anyone. No one who didn't want to be here should be, as far as he was concerned and he would concentrate on getting them out before anything else.

He walked as quickly as he could whilst also keeping alert to anyone who might be near.

Team Raganarock Rescue Efforts

[provenworth]

[Whether or not it was foolish to enter the labyrinth will be up for later evaluation. But given the opportunity to be of service and help those trapped within the horrid game, Elena was apt to jump on it. While she doesn't have much in the way of a weapon save her firearm with only 12 rounds in its magazine, she's enough of a weapon by herself especially given the new power armor that Rick was so kind to give her. And if that wasn't enough, she's at least flanked by a trio of the team to serve as support.

Maintaining a proper speed where the team can move as a unit is important. So is communication. Which means every so often Elena will call back to make sure the team is still together, still moving. And to ask if they've seen anybody that might require assistance.]

Priorities [closed to Rick and Veronica]

[bashfulshifter]

[It wasn't the best decision Rick's ever made, splitting off from the group to search for someone who's been assigned to actively hunt people--and who's powers give her every advantage to do so. But as soon as his animal form picked up on her scent, all of that logic was left behind with his team. They are more than capable without him.]

[Veronica, on the other hand, is alone. And Rick worries for her, almost unbearably.]

[He's a dog at the time, all the more convenient to track her scent. Hopefully he's getting close...being alone in this place makes him exceptionally uncomfortable.]

open - name the time when responding, I'll match you!

[slightlyoblivious]

[Yukiko didn't hesitate for a second, not after what Aria had told them. This is less about Jason than it is finding her friends, but if she's honest? If she sees him, she's going to do everything she can to take him down. That's a more cold-blooded approach than usual, and she knows it, but the other choice is letting him live to keep hurting the others. That's simply not acceptable.

She keeps looking around her as she enters the labyrinth - finding Ryoji is her first priority, but she wants to help the others that have been in there, too.]

open thread for rescuers and those who wanna be rescued

[glassceiling]

[Assassin is here to look for Claudia, not to pick a fight with Jason. As a result, she dashes through the labyrinth, only looking for her partner.]

Claudia?

[She calls as she weaves through the labyrinth. She certainly looks distinct enough from everyone else, since she has the cloak Claudia made wrapped around her and a dagger in her hand. However, should she run into anyone who isn't Jason, she'll be more than happy to put the weapon away and offer to guide them to a safe location.]

CLOSED

[unhealing]

[After several days of wandering the labyrinth, the effects of all this activity on Claudia's body are starting to show. Her health may be better than it once was, but she tires easily, and without taking the time necessary to recuperate, she simply grows weaker and weaker. They have to keep moving, though. They have to keep searching for food, and they have to find Jason and kill him, and it's not like there are proper beds for her to rest in, anyway. There's no other choice, so she keeps her mouth shut and doesn't even consider complaining.]

[...But whether she complains or not, it's increasingly a struggle for her to keep up with Kirei, and she knows he's not even moving as quickly as he could, if he weren't tethered to someone as frail as her. She trails behind him, her steps growing more and more frantic as it grows harder and harder for her to keep pace with him. She can't ask him for more accommodations than he has already given her, though, so she stubbornly continues to chase after him without saying a word, the only noise she makes the sound of her breathing as it grows labored.]

[miseris_socios]

[Ken keeps moving. He knows it's the only way to stay alive, and by this point he's used his shrinking ability to avoid fights. He doesn't have a weapon, and he doesn't know what to do, but staying mobile is the only way he knows to make sure he gets out of this intact.]

[... Until he hears the scuttling. Jason. He knows he doesn't have a chance, knows that fighting him is going to be stupid, but maybe, just maybe he can inflict some damage, even if it's just with his own two hands. He wants to stay alive, but the burning anger in his gut tugs him towards Jason. As soon as he determines he's close, he shrinks, scurrying along after him. If he can catch him off guard...]

[animusnpcs]

[Jason seems to be attempting to find something on the wall of the labyrinth with increasing frustration, though it's difficult to get a read on his face given its inhuman features. He pauses, glancing about, but for the moment he hasn't seemed to notice Ken yet.]

[evokingfool]

[It's foolish, and he knows it. But with his new power, maybe he can have a small chance at Jason. As long he make eye contact long enough, and he can make his move...well, he can probably get a good hit in.

He try to keep his movement as silent as possible, walking and seeking out Jason. And other allies, if he can find any. But it's up to luck if he find one or the other first.

Until he heard sounds and pause from behind the corner, peeking a little to determine who it is.

Jason.

Of course.]

[animusnpcs]

[Jason is indeed standing there. His clothes look mussed, and he's alert to noise around him, but, turned away from Minato's position, he doesn't notice him.]

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer dashes through the labyrinth, keeping his ears open for Jason's scuttling. Even if he can't defeat Jason on his own, he's determined to at least inflict an injury on him. With the power that the bracelet has given him, it's not impossible.]

[When he catches sight of Jason's beak, he presses himself against a wall next to a corner, hoping to gain the element of surprise.]

[animusnpcs]

[Jason is on the move again, heading in Lancer's direction. While he hasn't spotted Lancer yet, he will in another few paces. Blood is splattered on his coat, but it doesn't seem to be his.]

[neverbeamemory]

[Surprising.

Even without his killswitch, Sephiroth thought that Jason would have hunted them all out relentlessly to put an end to the game. This is why he's kept his sunken head down and away from Jason on perhaps a couple of fleeting moments where paths could have crossed over the last day. That kid, Capell, has been incredibly helpful with his heightened senses and so Sephiroth has stayed close, though not quite solidly, with the younger man as some sort of loose alliance.

But they have tracked Jason, all the same.

Sephiroth's not stupid enough to launch in an attack at Jason right away, considering his condition makes victory uncertain, and will linger back around intersections in the maze to keep an eye on the frustrated admin. He will observe perhaps a few of the skirmishes others present, before feigning back way from Jason's location for a period.

Sooner or later though, that motivation cannot be ignored any longer. It might be presenting a red herring of an opportunity to Sephiroth but he's not thinking about that anymore. It's now or never.

Ducking his thickened head low, Sephiroth tucks his sword along the outside of his forearm much as he would do with Masamune, before charging tackle-style directly in Jason's direction. Somewhere inside that head logic whispers that the impact is going to hurt, but that's irrelevant as well now.]

hope this is okay

[regenleif]

[It had been easier than Capell would have thought to track, Jason sounded different to everyone else, because of the extra limbs. Capell still wasn't sure why he could hear and smell and see much better now, but it had come in useful and there didn't seem to be an obvious bad side to it like there was with Sephiroth's head.

Now that they were there though he was being cautious, watching for any openings. Sephiroth however seemed to other thoughts, and Capell watched him charge.

He ran after him, because Jason was no opponent to face alone, he had his sword but it clattered to the floor as his body transformed, fur covering skin, teeth becoming sharper, nails turning into claws. It was almost enough to make him stop completely, but his legs kept going and he pounced at Jason. Not sure what was going on, panicking at the changes that had just happened.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica sprints through the maze, eyes and ears on full alert in case Jason suddenly gets the drop on her.

Her previous thoughts had been completely abandoned. If she could kill Jason, than no one else had to die. With her new powers, she could do this.

When she sees Jason, Veronica will activate her invisibility, hopefully it wont have to be on for long.]

[animusnpcs]

[Jason is heading in Veronica's direction, but he doesn't seem to be able to see her--it seems her invisibility is working for now. He's traveling quickly, looking to have some specific location he's trying to reach.]

Team Hot Mess

[sageprincess]

^{((ooc; Given how many people are in this group, I've written up their general strategy here for reference. Hopefully it will help with sorting things out!))}

[Tracking Jason's movements once he is within range of Tetra's bracelet given powers is a relatively easy task. No one else is so obsessively checking the walls with multiple limbs and a large, gruesomely fleshy beak, after all. The group of prey (and Asch)'s tactic for attempting to take him down is similarly simple, if only because they know things rarely go to plan once the administrators get personally involved. After watching Jason scurry along the edge of the maze for some time, they've chosen a fork in his path with many corners to hide behind as their battleground.

Now to see if they can't get him to lower his guard somewhat, or at least become distracted so the others can strike.]

This certainly brings back memories, does it not?

[He'll hear Zelda's voice echo off the otherwise silent halls of the labyrinth before she actually comes into view. When she does reveal herself, she is unarmed, seemingly alone and unaggressive.

Hardly a threat, right?]

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji has been hiding out, not too far from Jason, but not close enough that he'll be caught. He needs a plan before he rushes out there blindly, and he's not skilled enough to take Jason down alone.

When he sees both Ken and Minato fall, the need for a plan is pushed aside by the need to help his friends. He sprints to their bodies, checking both for a pulse... and then very gently touching their foreheads. It's an instinct, and he's not sure what it will accomplish, but soon after, he sees the markings on his wrist are moving... decreasing like a timer. Ryoji's brought back-up to the fight in the form of his two reanimated friends.

With that, he's confident enough to try to attack Jason, running straight on before dodging to his left and thrusting his blade forward.]

[slightlyoblivious]

[And soon there will be more backup. Yukiko hadn't spotted Ryoji before then, but she runs in, not even hesitating. Now isn't the time for that.]

Ryoji! Here, allow me.

[Her powers have been a little flickery since she got them back, but she feels pretty confident at the moment. There's not much of a pause before she summons Konohana-Sakuya. Yukiko casts Fire Boost on herself first, then follows it up with an Agidyne.]

Team Ragnarok

[attheclocktower]

[By the time they reached the outer wall of the maze, only some of their number were still there - Elena, Amelia, and herself. They hadn't seen any predators or prey in a little while, though given how big the maze was that didn't mean much.

Xion stops short when they reach the outer wall peering around the edge at the noise and - sure enough. They hadn't meant to find him but... Her voice is quiet as she addresses the other two]

He's there.

[There's a frustration - frustration at how things went last time, at everything he's done. She has half a mind to charge in now, but she knows at least charging in head first without making sure the others are ready isn't going to go well.]

[gradosfinest]

[Honestly the worst thing down here is the quiet, not really knowing when they'll encounter someone or what'll happen when they do. And the knowledge that he's running around down here has left her on guard the entire time, but with it having been so long since they encountered anything at all she's beginning to think this might be less eventful than she feared. (or is hoped?)

That thought is promptly dashed when Xion peeks around the corner and then suddenly addresses them in a hushed tone, and her words confirm it. They've stumbled across Jason, and in an instant military discipline takes over. The last time they fought him certainly didn't go well, but this time there's probably a lot less working in his favor, and they might even have the element of surprise on their side.

While running through every possible scenario she can think of in her head she slowly turns to look at Elena, pointedly not moving from her current spot lest her armor potentially give them away, and her own voice is quiet as well when she speaks.]

So do we have a plan? If he hasn't noticed us... [Surprise would certainly help and they need every last edge they can get.]

Team Double-ku

[justabignobody]

[It's been a while since Riku split from Xion and Sora - to cover more ground he's said, but if he's honest with himself there is a secondary purpose. He may not have any personal grudge against Jason - not anymore than the average resident of the tower anyway - but even so, he wants to protect Xion and Sora, wants to protect everyone here, really, and the best way to do that is to take out the biggest threat to them all.

Not having a personal grudge is probably the best way to go against this kind of dangerous opponent anyway, he thinks, less chance of his head being clouded by anything when he needs to think clearly, instead of rushing in blindly and paying the price for that, especially when he can't rely on his powers working properly (thinking back, it's almost a miracle he's survived Castle Oblivion, even with working powers). And well... if that messes up Ruana's game, then all the better, right?

In any case, he isn't out to face him alone and numbers are definitely an advantage - powers or not - especially when his partner is someone he trust like (almost) no other.]

[keybearer]

[Like his double, this Riku's trying his best not to charge in blindly. With the Oathkeeper Keyblade in hand, he follows alongside his partner, eyes narrowed and focused on their surroundings. He can feel the darkness squeezing his heart, trying to burst free, but this time, he's not even gonna try to hold it back. Worse comes to worst, it's a power boost, albeit a risky one.

He'd say something to his double under normal circumstances, but they need the element of surprise on their side. Thus, he simply glances to the other Riku before tightening his hold on his weapon. Here's hoping this doesn't blow up in their faces...

When Jason comes into view, he'll try pinning him down with a Graviga spell. Anything to slow his movements.]

Teamwork is for people who aren't Luke

[ambassadorasshat]

[The primary reason Luke had gone into the labyrinth in the first place was to help out the ones stuck in there, preferably without killing anyone in the process. Except maybe Jason. Jason was an exception, if only because Luke disliked him second most out of all the admins.

That said, he wasn't really hunting Jason, just trying to make his way through the labyrinth, which was a lot bigger than it looked from what he saw on the television screens.

...But apparently not big enough, as he manages to find the man himself not far down a maze corridor after turning a corner. And, after a pause to determine who he's nearly run into, promptly retreats back around the corner. Maybe he wasn't noticed...]

[zelfies]

[Link rounds a corner and spots Luke ahead of him... turning around? That can't be good...

He's hardly breathless, even after running around the maze and frantically searching for his friends. Link carries his sword and shield, and though the blade isn't particularly of note, the shield's surface is notably polished, almost unnaturally so. Tucked into his belt is a boomerang.

Link skitters to a stop, trying to make eye contact with the stranger he's just found and silently ask if he should be running as well.]

[idkworldruler]

[He hummed as he moved along, looking for this new target. It was just too good to be true that this was the real deal. But at the same time, looking back on how things have unfolded, it isn't all too hard to swallow. Either way, he needs information, he wants information. And if this was Jason, then the opportunity to get what he wants and more was just far to tempting to just leave.

Perhaps if he stopped searching and waited for him at a dead end he could trap the little bastard. Sounds like a plan to him.

Gasmask versus plague doctor mask. What a match up.]