2017-08-18: Water Margin (Side B)
- Log: Water Margin (Side B)
- Cast: Siegfried, Alhazred, Riesenlied, Yarobeleedt, Ebon Zero, Malfi, Berserk, Lady Harken, Fenrir, Fei Fong Wong, Elhaym van Houten, Cassidy Cain, Ida Everstead-Rey, Xantia, Hiro, Layna Manydays, Morgan Newkirk, Animal, Jean, Corwynt, Lemina Ausa, Loren Voss, Kahm Yugh, Kent Hauch, Lucia, Kent Hauch, Noeline, Agatha Pyrelight
- Where: Guardian Temple
- Date: August 18, 2017
- Summary: The opening and Siegfried split of the arrival at the Guardian Temple, as Drifters and Metal Demons collide....
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
The Guardian Temple is a remote, long-buried ruin that is a hike from Milama. It touches upon a few of the hills north of Lahan, before the land gives way to the Great Aveh Desert. Despite rumors of its existence, finding the temple has been a challenge. The sands have made approaches hard.
And, when people have come close, they have found the huge stone doors utterly immobile. As these things happen, one might have assumed it was a matter of time until the way was decoded.
Siegfried, lord commander of the Quarter Knights, does not intend to wait until they figure the plan out.
The blue-armored knight stands, tall and proud, before the army that has descended upon this location. The Metal Demons mobilized quickly, and used the full teleportation powers of the Photosphere to terrific effect. Columns of white light erupted into the sky, one by one, until it was like a second sun. Hundreds of Metal Beasts appeared, though they did not rush towards Milama.
They surged, instead, towards the Temple: a huge, ziggurat-shaped building, with a stone edifice that was lined with great relief statues, showing a variety of bestial forms, with their eyes all looking outward. A perimeter has been established around the Temple. The Quarter Knight stands there, and another ancient Demon has joined him.
"Boomerang," Siegfried says. "You are certain that this is the place? That the humans will be coming for? That it will hold the information we seek?"
The tall, armored, yet slim form next to him nods. Siegfried looks at Boomerang -- and then down to the huge, purple hound that is ever in Boomerang's lee. His eyes narrow, for a moment, at the hound. Boomerang turns to look at him. "It is, Siegfried," he says. "Now let's get on with it. The battle I desire... this will bring that to pass."
"Very well," Siegfried says. One hand remains wrapped around the hilt of Glumzambor; the Dark Spear has been punched into the earth. The other lifts up. "Destroy the gateway!"
Dozens of the hound-like Metal Beasts crawling about open their fanged, metallic mouths. Points of light glow in their maws -- and then beams of light fly, slamming into the huge stone door as one. The door shatters apart in a colossal explosion. Fire and smoke burst high into the air and shudder, as a cacophonous explosion sounds. Anyone in Milama will hear. Anyone in Milama will see.
Siegfried has no interest in subtleties today. He starts forward, as the Metal Beasts around him roar. "Come!" he calls to the rest of the Demons. "Secure this place! If the humans attempt to approach, we will hold them back--we need only to have the Mimir Recorder operate long enough to secure a reading of the Guardians here! Riesenlied, should they break through, your and your team shall give pursuit!"
Boomerang watches, silently -- and then vanishes, the great purple hound with him, in a burst of dark shadow.
Siegfried steps forward, then holds out a device: a huge, yellow crystal shaped not unlike an eye. It pulses with light -- and then a ray of golden light begins to wash over the temple, as he strides towards the door. He smiles, as he walks. "Volsung. You did well to provide us with this..."
MISSION OBJECTIVE: Survive against the Metal Demons for five turns.
<Pose Tracker> Alhazred has posed.
For many years, the last of the Quarter Knights had not deigned to emerge from his laboratories on board the Photosphere. Alhazred had a number of experiments which simply must be monitored constantly, and leaving them alone should only be done under the direst circumstances. He had taken a few breaks - Arctica had been a most fascinating and educational diversion, and there was that one time five hundred years ago... oh where did the time go?
But for the most part, he had kept to his own work. Which did not mean that it was particularly SAFE to be anywhere in Alhazred's sphere of comprehension - those who ventured into his laboratory rarely returned in the same shape they had been when they entered.
But now was the time for SCIENCE. And READINGS. Readings were especially important, and Siegfried's operation would offer such interesting possibilities! "To think that the Guardians would hide from us in such dilapidated and disappointing environs!" The final Quarter Knight makes an odd screeching noise that is his own equivalent of clicking his tongue. "Still, the more data we can gather, the more progress we can make on our solution to this 'Guardian' problem. As long as I can obtain a sample in the progress. Can you imagine the possibilities?"
The destruction of the Guardians was a desirable outcome - domination of the world meant that Alhazred would have no end of test subjects. But creating his OWN Guardians... well that would certainly be a true miracle of science. The possibilities! Endless!
Distant and quite possibly unreachable, but ENDLESS.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The news of the Guardian Temple had loomed in the air, ever since Riesenlied saw that note of Boomerang's pinned to Siegfried's door by daggerpoint, ever so politely. It had concerned her, but...
...to her, this was also an opportunity.
It was an opportunity to know the truth, more than anything else -- to know the truth of the hatred of a thousand years ago. To know why such enmity is harbored by the Guardians to her brethren, to know what happened in the Metal Demon Wars from the opposing side. She wishes to know the truth.
But the truth does not come free, and it does not come without sin.
"... yes, Lord Siegfried," expresses Riesenlied quietly as she stands near the doors to the temple where the yellow crystal begins its work. She had never seen the Mimir Recorder before, but seeing its power at work was... something else.
A voice was throbbing at the back of her head.
You coward...
The young girl within her mind slips her blood-coated hands to her sides, mirthful with mocking laughter.
Your indecision only causes more deaths, and you know it.
The looming image of a menacing unicorn, distinctly draped in shadow and emanating with an aura of enmity snaps her out of her reverie.
The Guardians are near. She can sense them at the back of her mind, ever pressing against her consciousness to reject her. The power that sustains the world rejects her.
She quietly draws her side-sword and spreads her wings gently, letting out a faint and bothered sigh.
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
Yarobeleedt is among the Metal Demon hordes that touch down. He looks as foul and melty and kind of shiny as ever. As he is in the company of superior numbers to hide behind, his long tongue slobbers out the side of his too-wide maw as he crawls forward against the sand. Slowly. Achingly slowly.
Because it aches for him to crawl across sand. When the lower half of your body is a melting mass of metallic flesh, any particle matter getting in there is like getting a moving itch that travels anywhere and everywhere within your body until it can be somehow expelled. So it's less 'crawl' and more 'convulses.'
"Mother, Mother, Mother, Mother, Motheeeerrrr," his voice screeches in probably the happiest agony he's ever suffered, because they're soooo close! He flails his arms to relieve the pain and stress running through him. "Well in jest sand and dure for yoooouuuuu!"
He gets batted aside by some of the charging Metal Beast hordes. Wow, not even lowly Metal Beasts give Yarobeleedt any due respect. (By extension, they give him no undue respect either.)
<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.
Hidden behind Ebon Zero's helmet, Noeline quietly grinds her teeth in consternation. Arctica, then Adlehyde, and now this. Every large scale attack seems only to convince her even more that she doesn't want to fight alongside the likes of Berserk and Alhazred, that that kind of demon isn't the future she envisions for the Hyadean race. Each attack sets back her hopes that Metal Demons might learn to live within Filgaia, and leaves her more conflicted on her own place in the equation, as a Metal Demon who's learnt to hear the words of a Guardian through a medium.
For Wayside, she reminds herself quietly, her grip on her oversize sword tightening. For Riesenlied. At the very least, Noeline can hold onto that much - she'll fight if it means protecting the winged commander of the Tainted, if it means ensuring that the Tainted keep the only commander liable to care about them, if it means ensuring that her plan to give the dregs of the demons a home can continue unabated.
Besides... this might be the only chance she gets to sneak in to the Temple of the Guardians, to connect with and learn about Duras Drum and the history that they've lost, in some vain and tiny hope that she and it might be able to come to some kind of accord, and that that accord might be able to spread to others.
But that feels like a tiny, tiny hope right now - and all she can do is make her presence known at Riesenlied's side, silent but supportive. "... yes, sir," she comments, quiet and blunt, to Siegfried's order.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi positions herself inside the room, not too close to the entrance. The "scanning" intrigues her far more than fighting, but she's prepared to fight, just in case. She is armed and armored. This excursion may well let the Metal Demons find out more about the Guardians, and wasn't it impossible to have too much knowledge? It was, perhaps, too much to be hoped that one of the Guardian statues imprisoning Mother would be found here. Later she intends to take a closer look at that Veruni scanner. Maybe she can adapt some of its technology to her own.
DC: Ebon Zero switches forms to Chevalier of the Dragon! DC: Riesenlied switches forms to Tainted Dragon Riesenlied! DC: Yarobeleedt switches forms to The Favorite Chum of Mother!! Metal Darkman Yarobeleedt!
<Pose Tracker> Berserk has posed.
The Guardian Temple of Milama. A hidden piece of history, thrumming with stories untold. It looks ravaged by time, yet dignified. Natural. Striking--
BOOM
"GA HA HA! WHAT A PIECE OF GARBAGE!"
Somehow, the burbling, raucous laughter of the Quarter Knight known as Berserk manages to grate its way even past the shuddering, blinding explosion that ripples a shockwave throughout the grounds of the entrance of the Guardian Temple. Standing there near Siegfried, eyes blazing with contemptible yellow light, the monstrous Metal Demon just laughs as their mindless beasts rip apart that stone door. He even slaps a knee.
"Weak temple for weak Guardians, right?! HAH!"
And here, the very proud knight spits on the ruinous, scorched ground.
Let it not be said Berserk was ever one to not say or do exactly what's on his mind.
With a snort, the demon rights himself once more, towering over many of the forces assembled; his cantankerous gaze tracks over to Boomerang and his dog for a moment, a contemptible sneer peeling briefly at his lips. "Tch," he grunts unpleasantly, and promptly sets about ignoring the armored soldier, gripping all the more tightly to the spiked wrecking ball ever at his side, gaze sliding towards the Mimir Recorder.
"Pointless little toy," is his assessment of it. "Shoulda just let me put the screws to 'em like I said. I'd get those shitty little Guardians talkin'." Does he know how to summon a Guardian? Of course not. Does he know the Guardians here? Not in the least. Does he even really know what this place is? About 50/50.
But violence is always the best solution as far as he's concerned.
But Siegfried gives his orders, and Berserk prepares himself accordingly -- by snorting a loud, condescending snort as his gaze tracks towards Riesenlied for a long, contemplative moment -- as if trying to bore a hole through her by stare along.
"... Heh," he says, after a time, showing just how much he cares to engage in humanity by turning his back to the outside world and doing absolutely nothing to prepare for their coming.
"Fine by me. Let the trash handle the trash, right?"
Ever-thoughtful, ever-sensitive, Berserk is.
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
Where Lord Siegfried, first of the Quarter Knights and Mother's chosen elects to lead, unsurprisingly, the youngest of said Knights can be found barely a half-step behind. Towering, graceful, deadly, and recently medicated to be back under more careful control, the Lady Harken is at Siegfried's side as ravenous beasts of metal shred the ancient temple door and alert all the world to their presence. A muted smile is on her lips at the sight, perhaps savoring what is to come. The sickly golden light pulsating from the Mimir Recorder paints her in an eerie hue, contrasting strangely against her predominantly scarlet features.
Perhaps in contrast to Riesenlied, the only thing that bothers Harken is a certain clicking, screeching Quarter Knight of Science who (understandably, let's be real) probably feels like a kid breaking into the candy store. In fact, Alhazred makes Berserk's mindless thirst for destruction seem downright refreshing by comparison. But then, he opens his damn mouth and ruins everything again. Harkles, as she is known, frowns snarkily.
"Lord Siegfried doesn't waste his time on 'pointless toys', you imbecile. Find yourself a dumpster and crawl into it."
That's the kind of camaraderie that holds the Photosphere together. Harken icily hefts the shaft of her terrible scythe in one hand and strikes the ground with one end, feet squared, awaiting a challenge. At least for all her shit-talking, generally the two never come to blows.
Generally.
<Pose Tracker> Fenrir has posed.
Among the Metal Demons touching down upon the Guardian Temple is Fenrir, with the hordes. The wolf is wearing no disguise as she usually does, instead standing as close to the frontlines as she can manage, her left arm transformed into that of a wolf's with a claw, and her right arm visibly gone - jagged fleshshards at the stump and down the torso. The right side of her face is scarred similarly, and her eye on that side responds much slower than the one on the left. There's a scowl on her face, but in it is...joy. Joy for the battle coming, joy to prove herself worthy, as she flexes that claw back and forth.
The Guardians will suffer. Those who protect the Guardians will suffer. Fenrir has more right than any of them to exist, and she will avenge Mother. She will slaughter the humans. Fenrir will prove that she is the best Metal Demon there is.
<Pose Tracker> Alhazred has posed.
"Ah, direct and to the point as usual, my dear Harken," Alhazred comments as he floats over to be... in her general area at least. Which is likely to make her uncomfortable, as the Quarter Knights' premier scientist is not the most reassuring presence in the world. Not to mention being more than a little creepy.
"But Berserk has at least one point - remote observation has returned no measurable data to this point. More direct action is required to gather sufficient information to ensure our victory. However, I think we can do it with something more effective than 'screws'." He holds up one claw, and then looks to the other Metal Demons in attendance.
"If nothing else, Berserk's enthusiasm should be a shining example to you all! Those who oppose us have chosen their fates - it is up to you to place the final seal upon them! Just make sure to save any interesting bits for my collection!"
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"Yes," Siegfried answers Berserk, and someone who knows better -- Riesenlied, Lacan, Enkidu, or Fafnir (why are all of Siegfried's friends dead) -- would recognize this as sarcasm. "Yes, Berserk, I am certain that you would. Forward!"
But then he comes to a stop before the temple itself. The orb is tucked inside of the armor, and he turns around, to look at the horizon. Behind his helmet, his eyes start to widen -- and he takes his place in the door. His hand reaches up, and he draws Glumzambor from his back again, and the weapon's edge glints in the sun. He stares ahead.
Then, he looks to the side. "Riesenlied. They will come," he says. "If you must, withdraw into the temple. What we find there... may yet give us the answer we need."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
This attack of the quarter knights is hitting Fei a little close to home. Literally!! But more to the point, Fei Fong Wong knows of the attack in advance thanks to his investigations of the Old Petra ruins. He's made sure a few others know of it (Bart and Cecilia in particular) but he hasn't actually returned to the Yggdrasil to plan for the attack leaving him rather without his killer robot which suits Fei just fine. Sure, he's coming to grips with using Weltall, but it hasn't seemed especially better to use it against Metal Demons than his own flesh and blood. He'll manage.
What he has done, however, is bring Elly along. Considering the breadth of Fei's flashbacks lately have largely involved Elly-lookalikes dying horribly while fighting Metal Demons, this might not seem like a logical thing to do.
But he did it anyway because sometimes respecting and caring about someone is dragging them out to fight unstoppable metal demons together. Hey, it works for Lily and Leon, and who is Fei to judge? Fei has 'borrowed' motorbikes and is presently blasting off towards the temple with Elly. His genuine hope is that they reach the temple before the Metal Demons attack and they can warn whomever or whatever lives there and--
Fei squints over the horizon. Oh. They're already blazing on through huh.
"Well there goes Plan A." Fei admits glumly.
MEANWHILE
huh...
huh.
Fei blinks and looks towards the temple doors, a strange feeling hitting his gut.
She's synchronizing...How interesting... I think I've made a friend :)
Fei feels very uncomfortable, a point exacerbated by the fact that the killer transforming robot army certainly isn't helping, but is definitely not the source of it. He bursts over a hill and calls back to Elly, "Be careful!" He says before charging for Siegfried, keeping his head low.
"Siegfried!" He shouts. "Why are you attacking the temples!?"
He has feelings as to why but it's best to let the main man himself explain it.
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
- Ugh, ugh, UGH
Alhazred deigns, deigns to speak to Harken directly in the middle of the operation, and he's gotten like two words in before her nose wrinkles in disgust. The gross, disguised alien insectoid mess is even bobbing on thin air towards her, entering her general sphere of discomfort* (*'being within view'). "Berserk never has a point. Not on purpose." she immediately deflects whatever praise Alhazred might have been trying to make in his roundabout way with a bitterly sharp tone to her voice. Disgust, yes, but it's important to stress it's not hate. You don't hate the family dog for being a slobbering mess, do you?
"Don't get yourself killed before we fulfill our mission." are Harken's parting words to her #1 biggest space-fan, as she turns to stand tall with Siegfried and thus doom Science Slug and Garbage Knight to watch each other's backs. For Lady Harken, this is a great outcome. Let's not even pretend it isn't.
There's a few moments yet, as I write this, before Fei charges in and demands answers with a trademark despairing timbre to his wail. In these few moments, Harken glances sidelong to Siegfried and Riesenlied with what looks like dry amusement. "If nothing else," she points out, "With all of us gathered here, they don't stand a chance. It's almost kind of sad."
And that seems like a good point for the good guys to rush in on: typical villainous overconfidence.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied hears Siegfried's words, and Alhazred's. "Choosing their fates..." she murmurs, clutching at that brooch of hers, which shimmers with a very genteel -- but fearful -- light. She's twisted her hand just a little, gasping ever more shallowly. "Have any of us... chosen our fates?"
She looks to Lord Siegfried. "I understand. Fourth and Fifth shall keep against the flank and ensure that the Recorder shall have its time to absorb information--"
Her eyes widen as she stares towards Fei, as he challenges Siegfried directly.
Fei...
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
When Fei had informed Elly of what was going on in this area, she had demurred-- to go and get something out of her bag. When Fei came by, possibly with 'rented' motorbikes, Elly had traded in blue jeans for... stockings? The belt and the tunic dress over it keep things in line, but Elly explains as she does, "They're tougher than they look."
ALSO
While putting on her semi-discreet field uniform parts, Elly had tapped out a message to Gebler signal corps on her well hidden piece of digital equipment. It was pretty good info. Gold star(?)
SOON ENOUGH
Elly looks out onto the field of battle astride her vehicle, only loosely secure in the presence of her ballistic weave underclothing beneath the comfortable embrace of local homespun. She let her hair flick in the wind on the way in.
Now, though.
"!!" Elly then guns herself forwards, keeping relative pace with Fei, pace enough to raise her voice and say to him, "Don't worry - I can take care of myself! I'll back you up!" And then her attention goes towards...
Well: Elly has no particular recollection of Siegfried, but he is a towering man in full plate ARM(or), has a helmet with a spike on it, and a sword that is the Dark Spear, Glumzambor. In Elly's opinion, he might as well be wearing a colorful shirt that has been carefully painted to read: METAL DEMON COMMANDER.
Even on a reliquary vehicle, Elly doesn't get close enough to snap off an Ether of greeting. Something about this situation feels comfortable to Elly, though she has no real time or mental space to interrogate that feeling.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
The humid air fills with the tinny ring of a silver lighter's cap flicked open, and a flint being struck. A single red-gold tongue of fire touches on the end of her cigarette, briefly banishing the shadows cast by the brim of her hat. Emerald eyes shot with gold stare off at the distance between her horse and the temple; it isn't far. Caught in a slow egress from Lacour to the journey out west, this is about the last thing she was expecting.
But it's an opportunity nonetheless, and as always, she seizes it unhesitatingly.
"Tch. Came here looking for just one and I find an entire army of deranged monsters."
Cassidy glances at the small flock of cuccoos fleeing the scene.
"What will the day bring me next?"
Word travels quickly however, and as she dismounts, she eyes the temple with just a hint of overt trepidation before shoulders lift in a shrug. There's a glance towards her companion, who, despite recent events, has elected to follow her wake.
"Just as well, ay?" she says, fleet fingers removing her revolver from the small of her back, spinning the chamber to check it before slapping it back in with a flick of her wrist.
"Dinnae care if the one I want's nae here. They're Metal Demons. They all look alike to me."
<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.
Ebon Zero's faceplate turns towards Siegfried for a long and uncertain moment - as the Metal Demon does her best to try to judge the Quarter Knight's stance in this battle. His words are a lot more concilatory than Berserk or Alhazred's would ever be, at least - a fact that is extremely welcome, even if Noeline's well aware that at his core, Siegfried harbours the same sort of hatred that she feels is stifling the Photosphere and its inhabitants.
"Understood, sir. ... if worst comes to worst, I may have an idea as to how we can extract some information without Volsung's tool," she adds quietly. It's a bit of a dangerous admission - but she'd rather admit it in front of Harken and Siegfried, if she had to admit it to anyone at all. Still, she chuckles softly, privately, and without humour in her tone. "Even if I'm less than sure that it will actually work."
For a moment, her gaze flicks towards Harken, watching the woman's mannerisms - looking out for any sign of that odd dark light, of that murderous rage. Whyever would it have come out at the arena, and not here? Is Alhazred playing his cards so close to his teatowel chest? "... even so, Lady Harken... please be careful," she requests in a tone of voice quite different to her Crimson Noble fashion. "Drifters have a habit of-- surpassing expectations."
For a moment, her free hand drifts to Riesenlied's, momentarily taking it in hers to give it a slow squeeze. For some of the humans present, such a motion might be confusing or unexpected - for others who know Riesenlied and Noeline, it makes it suddenly crystal clear who exactly is under that armor.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida was already making plans to travel out to Boot Hill--she packed up everything she couldn't carry in her saddlebags, and sent that on ahead on the cargo line to November City. The valuable oddments--including the remains of those two scary security golems--were sent to her cousin in sealed, camouflaged arms crates. The things Riesenlied identified as "Artificial Mediums"? Ida's keeping those around. Then, word started to spread of the alleged "find of the century", which--in retrospect--seems likely to attract Drifters faster than a fresh carcass attracts vultures. Ida forked over a sizeable sum of money for train tickets out to the border, including comfortable, well-ventilated passage for their horses. The train reached town twenty minutes ago, and after retrieving her mount and gear, Ida set out to get her bearings.
Then a giant column of light erupted from the horizon. Someone got there first, it seems, and their intent may be less than noble.
Ida lies on her belly just behind the crest of a hill, observing the activity around the temple. Siegfried draws immediate attention--as does Berserk's raucous laughter--but Lady Harken is over there, and damnation, the one in the robe is Alhazred.
Behind her, Grey Lady snorts, and swishes her tail. Ida rises to a crouch, raises two fingers to her lips, and gestures in the direction of Millama. "Head on back, girl," Ida says. "I'll see you when this is over." She hopes. Dealing with her horse's anxiety is far preferable to dealing with her own.
Sounds from the distance. An engine--benzene?--no, two of them. As Grey Lady canters off to a safe distance, Fei Fong Wong and some redheaded lady Ida doesn't immediately recognize go flying over a hill, over the swarm of Metal Beasts, and immediately charge right up to Siegfried.
Ida's jaw drops. She reaches for the rifle lying in the sand beside her, a newly-machined number with a wooden stock, a metal box magazine, and a scope. An Everstead-Rey Model 15 Mk. II, identical to the one she's used against Kalve several times. Ida wrangles the gun into position, setting her body up behind it and bracing it against her shoulder.
After a moment's hesitation, she pulls a small, freshly-polished metal object from her pocket and pins it to her poncho. Riesenlied polished the brooch before giving it to her. Riesenlied is standing right over there, next to her superior.
A game
Ida feels the weight of the rifle butt against her shoulder, the brooch now pressed against it. For a moment, as she takes aim, Riesenlied's face looms large in her scope. The armored woman next to her squeezes her hand, a gesture that scrapes Ida's nerves raw--it's humanlike, if not familiar, sensical. She has to push down a sudden sickness.
for a child
Ida scoots to the side. She's breathing deeply, aware she's outnumbered, that Fei is in danger, that everyone else is in danger, that she's still rudderless, that she is still a lie and everything she does is to assauge her own guilt.
In her mind's eye, Riesenlied holds up the brooch.
who knows not her own limits.
Ida centers Siegfried's head in the scope. She sets her finger on the trigger, but does not pull. It helps that she cannot see his eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia, now a passenger on the Yggdrasil, which isn't exactly close by, should logically be nowhere near the temple at this time. Especially since she wasn't told by anybody in advance that this attack would be happening. Undoubtedly, Fei purposely didn't mention anything to her because that would make her immediately want to go with him, and he has enough on his mind as it is.
But wouldn't you know it, Xantia caught wind of the temple's discovery and went there on her own accord, already in Milama when things start to explode around the temple. As usual, it doesn't take her long to decide to charge headlong into trouble, rushing over to see what's going on with her own eyes rather than wait for the matter to become more clear. Obviously something bad is happening over there, which is all she needs to know. After all, what if this causes some vital clue to her past to get buried forever? It could happen!
And so, Fei will be surprised to hear a familiar voice echoing him from very close by. "Siegfried is attacking the temples?" There she is, running straight towards the site of trouble, making it immediately obvious that she has no idea what she's getting into. What else is new. It doesn't seem to have clicked immediately that it was Fei's voice she heard just now, only actually spotting him as he drives by on his sweet new ride.
"Hiii Feiiii," Xantia cheerfully calls after him. No idea what she's getting into at all.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
Their journey West was quiet and uneventful.
That's a blatant lie. It had a lot of running for their lives and shouting and the occasional scream. Every time they thought they'd lost the Destiny, it appeared on the horizon a gleaming centipedal warship following with ridiculous relentlessness.
It was only once they reached the Aveh/Adlehyde border that- "I think we... we finally lost them. How has it even been following us for so long!? Don't they need to stop and recharge it every now and then?" "I think it runs on our misery and tears..."
And that's when Filgaia started to shake.
First thing was first. First they collapsed into a coma for a while and rested.
And then they hit a nearby town, from which they heard the news- "Milama?" "Sounds like a lunch meat..."
That's what brought them here, after a long trek across the sands. Even in a covered horse-drawn wagon it was misery. Wiping sweat off his brow, he had his scarf off his neck and wrapped around his head for at least some protection. "You know we've lived near some pretty desolate places before... but Filgaia's badlands are something else..." Even a relatively short trip towards that looming newly unveiled Ziggurat felt like they should have prepared for a far longer one.
It'd be worth though, even if they just found one small hint on how to get... the young man squints, "Wait what's that around it?"
-=-=-
Dropping off the wagon a dune back- The metal demon perimeter was pretty tight, but there were already other Drifters here approaching it. ... ... "Wait is that!? FEI!" "And Siegfried..." His voice sounded a little low there. His eyes moving sidelong to Jean and Lemina since he swore he saw Lady Harken, and Riesenlied too. They're falling upon Jean in particular, "Let's go back them up." He takes a deep breath, "And be careful."
After what happened last time...
Sliding down a sand dune on his side, he casts a cantrip which whips up a small cloud of sand to obfuscate his approach a little as he gets up at the bottom and breaks into a run. "SIEGFRIED!" He shouts on his own he'd told himself he was going to let that grip of anger loosen, now that Lucia was fine... there's plenty of things he could say. On how the Guardians have no right to reject his people but that gives him no right to do what he's doing.
But as he slides to a stop raising more sand, his hand on his sword hilt, he just says one thing more, "I haven't forgotten what you did to Lucia."
He can imagine Riesenlied's disappointment here upon hearing what he said. He can. But right now that's just how he feels upon seeing that familiar dark armor and spear.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Layna stands on the horizon, arms folded in front of her with her cape and hair billowing dramatically in the wind.
Everyone's used to this already, so let's move on.
She was not alone here. Her crew were suited up and prepared for battle. And accompanying them...was a Gear, of all things, bulky and durable due to what it was originally intended for. It had once looked ancient and rusted, but now it was gleaming in crimson and gold, with a giant anchor attached to its back. Emblazoned on the chest plate was a symbol that some would recognize as belonging to the Manydays Pirates - a Jolly Roger with arm-blades crossed beneath a grinning skull.
"Alright, me buckos, listen up, aye!? Unit A - form a perimeter and prepare to defend! Unit B - retrieve any wounded and bring 'em back here! Unit C - give 'em hell!" She orders, her voice ringing loudly.
Unit C, as it happened, consisted soley of Layna Manydays herself. She had elected not to pilot the Corsair this time. That honor went to her Lead Artillerist, Victoria, who had been given orders to use it solely defensively. They would probably need the extra firepower.
With her orders laid out, Layna recites an incantation. A green glow and howling wind surrounds her and she's off, joining the others who intend to face the demons directly.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
"You're just lucky I guess, Cass." The drawl comes from one fox, Morgan smirking slightly as he notes the curling smoke and the shouts of anger and dismay from the others. "I don't know if its good lucky, or bad lucky. But there is defintally some luck involved."
He flexes his gauntlet for a moment, the ARM igniting with power as he smirks slightly. "Lets hope the day brings ya yer weight in gold, and a barrel of whiskey." He adds as he starts forwards, a large bore rifle appearing as his ARM activates.
There is a ominous sound as he jacks a round home in the long barrel of the weapon. "Anyone ever tell ya that yer a bit racist?" He asks of the conwoman as he starts forwards, boots crunching in the sand.
<Pose Tracker> Animal has posed.
Walking in to the area from wherever it is that Animal tends to come from, dragging something as he usually does. A big piece of ripped up metal that leaves a cleft in the earth at his passage, and seems not to slow him down much if at all, and only when he sees the flash of light on the horizon does he change his pace at all. Going from a casual walking pace to a more hurried lope, not because he expects he'll find anything other worldly or alien, but because it's weird, and there at least is a chance at novelty.
As he lopes along, he hefts his chunk of metal stuffs, and holds it over his shoulder, no longer dragging it, and hits the first rise at a rapid pace. Only to find the approach to the temple he'd heard mentioned littered with the armies of people, some a bit oddly shaped, but people all the same.
At a walk, he continues now, slowing down because he isn't interested in whatever festivities they seem to have planned. Unless those plans involve meat pies or BBQ or something to that effect.
Seeing the metal beasts then, he pauses a bit longer and tries to puzzle them out from his life in the Badlands. They aren't people, but they don't look very animal like either. "I wonder what those taste like.."
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.
The journey was brutal. ...Jean has lived much of her life among brutality.
Run, run, finding shoes would take time and the shoes Jean owns would be less than helpful in this kind of chase. They evaded the Destiny again and again, and she still has so much left to think about and time to think it while she was there. "Just keep moving!" the martial artist says.
But here, in the wagon, Jean is taking some time to stretch in the back when it happens. "They're something," Jean agrees, tilting her head and keeping herself limber. The chance to rest doesn't mean they're done with running. This crew... "At least I can't say it's just all of you who are good at getting into trouble anymore!" Jean says, sounding a little more like her usual cheerful self again.
At least she had time to refill her flask.
-=-=-
"That's Fei," Jean agrees with Ruby, "And... others." Jean stares at Lady Harken, glancing only to Riesenlied, then the others approaching. She hesitates, remembering how the last battles she's had lately have gone, remembering the feeling of blood coating her hand from Corwynt's chest...
Hiro says let's go back them up, and Jean sets eyes on him. "Careful... All right. I won't walk away without helping."
So Hiro shouts, and Jean rolls to the side to get out of the way, to avoid being close to him. Dressed still in maroon and black, a long loose wrap skirt and long loose sleeves, she shows no scar on her healed right leg. She shows nothing for a while though; she starts sneaking closer, scaling rock to gain a place she can leap off of quickly. Sightlines, terrain...
Two fans rocket out to take advantage of an unstable formation, thrown all at once as Jean catches then in a one-footed stance that becomes two slowly after. She doesn't call out, but she stares straight at Harken...
As she jumps into the dusty fray with the intent to disappear.
DC: Lady Harken switches forms to Quarter Knight Lady Harken!
<Pose Tracker> Corwynt has posed.
They don't stand a chance, Lady Harken states. It's almost kind of sad.
"I disagree with your assessment."
A deep baritone voice echoes outward, amplified by a sudden breath of air that sweeps across the dying land, a breeze that brings with it the faint promise of autumn, of the harvest, of the world's bounty given forth to those who walk upon its surface, work the earth with their hands, their sweat feeding it, their breath a prayer of fire and air promising plenty before the months of cold and dark. A promise of fellowship and purpose that will sustain them until the spring comes again. A sensation that has not been felt upon this broken world for millennia.
But the Children of Althena carry it wherever they go.
The little dark-haired man strides forward, the edges of his frayed gi dancing in a breeze that swirls around his body, sets the ends of his belt dancing. His bare feet strike the land in measured paces, and with each step he can feel the taint of it leaching into his body - a filth made all the more vile by the absence of something that should be there, of a presence that rings out in beast and man, land and earth, sustaining and renewing all upon it. The presence that pulses out from his body like the echo of a well-struck bell, stirring the languid air into a lively breeze that gains strength with each step he takes.
"Rejoice," Corwynt says, his tone carrying as he scans the field. "Rejoice, fiends who deny their duty and consort with the greatest of evil. Rejoice, murderess," he proclaims, with an acid look in Jean's direction. "Rejoice, soldiers of a silent Empire, and the foolish youths who would throw all to the void from misguided chivalry," he adds, glancing dismissively at Elehaym and Fei. "Rejoice. For this day, your sins are nothing compared to those lain at the feet of these Men of Iron. For this day, those who butchered a kingdom shall receive their reward for the death and slaughter they have committed."
Corwynt raises his right hand upward. Greenish-white energy surges, and a howling spear of wind coalesces into existence, keening as the little man hurls it in the direction of the nearest Demon - in this case, the masked creature near Riesenlied. "REJOICE!" he repeats. "For this day, ALTHENA IS WITH YOU!"
GS: Corwynt has attacked Ebon Zero with Air Lance! GS: Corwynt has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
"They had a long time to charge up in Adlehyde," Lemina notes to Hiro. "They can probably go forever. Well... not forever but long enough." Lemina, as always, is committed to being right, even while running from things and people.
Scooting toward Jean in the wagon, Lemina whispers, "Ugh, for Althena's sake, now I have to watch you so you don't get into trouble. Mega-taxing..." Despite the sass, she's smiling -- it's clear the rib is meant to be good-natured.
-=-=-
Lemina's not too far behind Hiro, her full loadout of ridiculous implements at the ready; right now, the 'active' one is her bow, because it's the least conspicuous of the bunch to move with. "What if, instead, we ran for our lives?" Lemina muses at Hiro's suggestion of backing them up -- but despite this, she's right at his back, moving along with him. While her investment in Lucia isn't quite so achingly personal as Hiro's, her anger at Siegfried not quite as hot... seeing him again does turn her grip white-knuckled and her gaze just a little harder.
When Jean moves in, Lemina moves with her -- despite herself, she continues to worry about the dancer... especially after what happened last time.
<Pose Tracker> Thomas Blackwell has posed.
There had been rumors circulating -- certain activities in the region had been demonstratably unnatural even in wake of recent events -- but in the end what had really clinched things was, well, Elly's report in about what she had heard from Fei.
Which had lead to the assembly of a semi-impromptu undercover investigation team, goal to survey and ascertain the situation taking place at the site.
And to keep an eye on a few people of interest who may be in the area.
But that's just the unofficial story. The real story here is that a medical student from Bledavik, following up on something he hopes might save his hide from his pursuers, hires on a few men as bodyguards because he's definitely, definitely just a medical student.
The approach -- made most of the way on foot to avoid drawing undue suspicion, for reasons -- hasn't been an easy one. Particularly not given some of the current companions of Thomas Blackwell, completely ordinary medical student.
Things being what they are, of course, of course, all hell breaks loose before they even arrive.
In silence, Thomas squints at the temple, just a bit ahead of them in the distance. 'Backup?' he mouths at Marcus Rider, in a language no one on the surface should know.
But even backup would take a while to arrive, if it can even be spared. Guess who gets to hold the line however in the meantime. So with a sigh and a shake of his head, the medical student presses on ahead.
...And this day keeps on delivering, apparently, to judge by the presence of the Metal Demons here. Gaze settling on Fei and Elly -- not all that far from the medical student and entourage as it happens -- Thomas draws a gunsmoke revolver from beneath his coat, glancing over at Marcus for confirmation.
Hey, even a medical student needs to pack some heat.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
You're just lucky, Cass.
There's a tug on the corner of her mouth at that. "Ay," the blonde conwoman murmurs. "I've been told that verra many times. Luck and I have a love-hate relationship. By that I mean I hate tae love it and I love tae hate it. It's verra confusing, but I think any affair's doomed tae failure if you dinnae wonder about it now and then."
With Morgan stepping forward with his rifle, she follows him, taking a step into his larger shadow. There's a laugh; genuinely meant, as if they hadn't had a blistering fight just a few days ago - the mark of a dangerous connection, when she could sling what she has at Morgan and yet he is still here. There aren't many of those in her life, for that reason. "Will take the whiskey first before the gold, will probably be a wee bit more helpful for the journey out west."
She braces a foot on the base of the ziggurat, looking up.
Anyone ever tell ya that yer a bit racist?
There's another laugh at that, another pull of her cigarette.
"They tried tae kill humanity eons ago, luv," she reminds. "And they tried tae do the same just a couple of months ago in a bordering kingdom. World's just going tae have tae deal with the fact that I picked my side a bloody long time ago - in my line of living, second guessing yourself tends tae shorten your lifespan and despite what it looks like, I..."
She lifts an arm, cocking back the hammer of her pistol.
"Intend tae live for a verra long time."
<Pose Tracker> Marcus Rider has posed.
For all that many of Gebler's rank-and-file eschewed field work among the lambs, there was a great deal of advantage gained by going among the drifters in a pleasant disguise. Such agents were often the first to hear word of notable events taking place away from Bledavik, allowing to respond and make decisions more ably and agilely without having to struggle with the traditional channels of command.
For Captain Kahm Yugh, AKA Marcus Rider, this meant he was in a prime position to intercede when the reports of renewed demon activity spread throughout the region, perhaps emboldened by the collective lack of response to their attack on Adlehyde. A well-timed tip from an agent who recently under took an even deeper cover mission points them in the right direction. Lieutenant Van Houten's embedding was already reaping benefits.
He arrived onto the scene in the company of Lieutenant Voss (Also clad in his alias) and respective bodyguards from the black ties. They had covers in place in case they needed them (Medical student, bodyguards), but the officer had a feeling there wasn't going to be a whole lot time for questions.
Their approach does not go uncontested, sneaking underfoot through demon hordes respective blows as chaos brewed on the horizon. A shining pillar light portended ominous events, and the motley crew of drifters carried with them their own brand of threat, the gaudy, golden gear lumbering forth around Layna's retinue not the least of them.
'Drifters.' He whispered back to Blackwell with a shake of his head, catching view of Elly in her own company, saying nothing even with his eyes. She will need to imagine the thanks.
Fei leaps off his no-doubt stolen conveyance to demand answers, and the rest of the crew does so in shade. Marcus is curious as well, but he is not as patient. He answers the medical student's question by of hefting a compelling single-use caliber rifle brought for just this occasion, taking careful aim at Siegfried and-distinctly unlike Ida-pulling the trigger no doubt while the Quarter Knight leader was in the midst of a monologue.
He shouldered the weapon immediately and unsheathed his blade for close combat. "That should get their attention. Be ready to earn your paychecks."
He was more than willing to beat the teardrop was on one of them.
DC: Marcus Rider switches forms to Kahm E Yugh!
GS: Marcus Rider has attacked Siegfried with Disrespectful Snipe! GS: Marcus Rider has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"They do not," Siegfried says to Harken. "And yet, do not take them too lightly. The accursed humans have a way of surprising us." He has no answer for Riesenlied. After all, he noticed the same thing she did.
He turns, looking back towards Fei Fong Wong. They gleam, the slate grey eyes flashing red and reflecting metal when they do. His lips curl back -- into a scowl, instead of the usual wolfish, eager grin when he fights humans. "Fei Fong Wong," he growls. "You should know that I have come for what I always seek--the future of the Metal Demons! And if you would stand in my way..."
He regards with quick, practiced efficiency the approach of Elly on a motorcycle. The grin comes; the proud, eager smile of a Metal Demon ready to attack humankind once again. "...No. You would know better than TO EXPECT MERCY!"
He rushes straight towards Fei and leaves Ida's sights. He leaps halfway through his charge -- but instead of leaping high, he leaps long, and twists around at the waist. He slashes, blade chopping at the young man's midsection. Then, he lifts his left arm. The armor plate lifts, revealing a cannon.
He fires a pulse of ion energy, which screams through the air towards Elly's bike, before he turns on a foot, to look directly at Hiro. "And yet you return, so I can do it again, human?" Siegfried snaps in Hiro's direction. "Perhaps I shall oblige you. This is war, boy, and we mean to win it!"
Siegfried is, however, a master of the battlefield. He has senses honed over a thousand years of warfare -- and in this case, his gut instinct tells him that two more opponents are drawing a bead. Cassidy Cain's pistol is cocked--and then the Quarter Knight leaps, electricity crackling over his body, and he comes crashing down right between Morgan and Cassidy a split second after the conwoman says 'long time.'
He slams a fist forward, smashing it for her face, before he whips about, and slashes the Dark Spear out for Morgan's midsection with his other hand. Siegfried has no off-hand.
GS: Siegfried has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Shadow Slash! GS: Siegfried has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Arm Cannon! GS: Siegfried has attacked Cassidy Cain with Hyadean Martial Arts! GS: Siegfried has attacked Morgan Newkirk with Shadow Slash! GS: Siegfried has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Elhaym van Houten takes a glancing hit from Siegfried's Arm Cannon for 79 hit points! GS: Fei Fong Wong takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Shadow Slash for 120 hit points! GS: Cassidy Cain takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Hyadean Martial Arts for 117 hit points! GS: Corwynt has attacked Ebon Zero with Air Lance! GS: Corwynt has completed his action. GS: Morgan Newkirk critically Guards a hit from Siegfried's Shadow Slash for 23 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Two men accompany Thomas Blackwell, as they always have, whether he wants them to or not.
They are identical, a pair of men standing six feet eight inches tall, with shaggy blonde hair and clean-shaven chins and sidewalls. Both men are wearing white undershirts that barely contain their powerful bulk, with patchwork pants made from three separate pairs between them. Their only distinguishing feature are their noses, which have been broken in two different directions at some point in their pasts.
The men each have metal flasks in their hands with the same name carved into them in identical crude letters:
Todd.
"I forgot where we were going."
"Wasn't it the Melon Temple?"
"You're the name guy. I'm the number guy. We talked about this!"
"Then it's probably the Melon Temple. That name makes me hungry."
"Gross! Who would eat a temple?"
One sneezes. "Hey zoom tight," says the other one. Then, "Hey!"
"What?"
"That's my flask!"
"Oh, whoops."
They swap their flasks and, in unison, hold them up to their ears and shake it before appearing satisifed. As others come near, the Todds swell up, frowning at anyone that comes near them.
"I think that's the temple."
"Oh. Where's the rest of the head?"
DC: The Todds switches forms to Drunken Samuelh the Molotov! DC: The Todds switches forms to Good Boy Ribaldy!
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a quiet, solemn nod from Riesenlied in turn as she squeezes onto Ebon Zero's hand, and she whispers, "Be careful. And stay alive."
Corwynt's adamant monologue prompts a flinch from her, though she watches as he chases after Ebon Zero -- and then there's the firing line, coming from the hills nearby. "Arrange for covering fire -- angle 34.5 -- Lady Harken, could you please?" she murmurs to her throat microphone.
Hiro doesn't need to imagine Riesenlied's disappointment -- that expression is markedly clear as she crosses the battlefield and whips towards the bottom of the staircase, that fragile, thin sword held aloft to block passage to the blue-armored knight.
"Hiro..."
She lowers her head. "... Right now, as we are..." a pause, as she grips that sword tighter, her fingers laced onto the ricasso in twine with the wire guard laced around her hand.
"... forgive my cowardice. But I must protect a friend," she utters, as she draws her breath deeper. "And... to find answers, here... to hear the answers from the Guardians themselves."
She's wearing a longer garb today, a long and free-flowing gown that matches the rest of her Ellurian tribal cloak. It almost seems like it would make her look like a tribeswoman, from a time long, long ago. It's a deeply ironic outfit for a Metal Demon.
"Be on your guard, Hiro."
She sweeps forward and tests his readiness, a feinting strike coming from her thin, whipping sword that flutters gracefully amidst the desert air.
Of course, this exchange is in plain view of Lemina and Xantia, who're free to intercept and engage as-is.
GS: Riesenlied has attacked Lady Harken with Seek the New World! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Ebon Zero with Seek the New World! GS: Ebon Zero critically Guards a hit from Corwynt's Air Lance for 19 hit points! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Hiro with Hesitant Resolve! GS: Riesenlied has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Hiro guards a hit from Riesenlied's Hesitant Resolve for 72 hit points! GS: Ebon Zero takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Seek the New World for 0 hit points! GS: Reload! Ebon Zero gains 15 extra FP from Riesenlied! GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Seek the New World for 0 hit points! GS: Reload! Lady Harken gains 15 extra FP from Riesenlied! GS: Animal has attacked Ebon Zero with Throat Rip! GS: Animal has completed his action. GS: Marcus Rider has attacked Siegfried with Disrespectful Snipe! GS: Marcus Rider has completed his action. GS: Siegfried takes a solid hit from Marcus Rider's Disrespectful Snipe for 92 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Siegfried lands between Cassidy and Morgan.
He is shot a moment later. The round rips a gash into the armor on his head, not quite splitting it, but it sends sparks flying and leaves the metal gouged in an ugly way. The Quarter Knight turns, an angry glare in Marcus's direction.
His attention has, indeed, been earned. He focuses a moment -- and then a flash of light emanates from him, before imbuing into his armor with a red glow.
That is likely bad.
GS: Siegfried has attacked Siegfried with Overcharge Protocol! GS: Siegfried has completed his action. GS: Siegfried takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Overcharge Protocol for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper! Statuses applied to Siegfried!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei isn't going to stop Elly from equipping higher level gear. He's a pretty new player to Fei so he thinks Elly will be in the party for the rest of the mush now. Does he mind the spycraft? Maybe, but he doesn't know about it. Of course maybe not is also a possibility.
Fei hears Ruby and Xantia, but he has learned that telling people 'to be careful' usually--well, it doesn't work. If anything it seems to cause them to behave more reckless. He is going to have to add Elly to that list too now or maybe just abandon the practice altogether of telling people to be careful. He says, "Hey guys." What can he do instead of saying be careful? Hmm. He offers a thumbs up?
Corwynt appears. Fei feels a strong pull to suddenly pull off of Siegfried and try to chi blast him instead. He shakes his head. He can't get distracted by something like that. The Metal Demons will probably kill him anyway.
(Id meanwhile summons up a memory of popcorn and starts chomping down on it. Unfortunately, Id doesn't get good memories, so the popcorn is stale and too salty).
He continues to not know Blackwell exists but the presence of Loren's existence upon the fabric of reality everburns on him, something he's reminded of thanks to Corwynt's presence. He should have killed her, huh? He should have? Is that what you think Loren (IS it what you think Loren???).
"So it's the same thing then," Fei says. "For literally a thousand years, the same--"
He pauses as Riesenlied says why they're there.
"--wait, you just want answers?" He is briefly caught off guard by this answer, allowing Siegfried an easy in to SLICE him across the chest. He is knocked off his bike and it goes soaring through the sky before exploding against the Guardian Temple walls. At this rate Fei might do more damage to the Guardian Temple Walls than the Metal Demons.
Groaning, he picks himself up, pressing his hand to his bloody chest as he stumbles to his feet. "How long... are you going to fight the same war, Siegfried? If it's just answers you want, maybe..."
Then Siegfried fires at Elly with his plasma cannon.
Alright so we're doin' this.
Fei stands himself up, letting the blood fall from his wound. He isn't quite as easy to dispatch this time.
He darts in for Siegfried, throwing a quick series of punches and elbow strikes for his body!
Riesen is now talking about cowardice. Fei is focused on Siegfried, but the other guy? The other guy is listening to her. Listening for...something. Neither see Ida just yet.
<Pose Tracker> Animal has posed.
Running along now, Animal ends up hitting several of the metal beasts on his way into the melee, and throwing the whole big hunk of metal at a gathering of them before he leaps for one of the leaders. He hadn't understood what he'd been seeing at first. His mouth comes away from one of the metal beasts dripping with metal beast gore, and he continues along. All angry fists and bitey teeth.
Leaping towards Ebon Zero, who seems to be part of that bunch of bad sorts, he comes in all teeth and snarling noises.
"I don't know why we're fighting!" he growls as he goes for several bites at the person in the armor. "Sorry if you're a good guy!" he says to Ebon Zero, as he keeps trying to bite. Bite bite bite. His teeth gnash at the air.
GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Siegfried with Triangle Triangle Triangle! GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action. GS: Ebon Zero critically Guards a hit from Animal's Throat Rip for 19 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
"Truth ta that," Morgan replies with a smirk. "I guess if someone is tryin' to obliterate ya bein' ah bit of a jackass is ok." The fox replies as his tail swishes casually behind him. He tilts his head up slightly to glance at Harken and Siegfried. Eyes narrow as if something deep and profound is fulminating in his mind.
"Ya reckon she's pretty under that hat?"
A nod of his head towards Harken.
There is a pause as if contemplating it, then the fox shrugs. "I suppose it don't make much of a difference. I don't think she's tha' chatty type."
His arm comes up almost lazily to aim between the pair of Metal Demons. "Think they know we're he--"
And then Siegfried makes that impossible leap towards others. "--gorram jumpin bean stand still--" Then the Demon is leaping again. Towards them.
"Incoming!" He calls in the split second before Siegfried impacts. He brings his ARM up then as its sheild explodes into being. The energy barrier striking sparks against the massive spear as the fox slides several feet backwards. When the dust clears though the fox is grinning.
Because that ARM of his is not point-blank with the Quarter Knight.
"Thanks."
The weapon roars and bucks with the power of that single round, the slug aiming to slam into the Knight's midsection.
"Tell me ya didn't forget the grenades!"
GS: Morgan Newkirk has attacked Siegfried with Ace High! GS: Morgan Newkirk has completed his action. GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Fei Fong Wong's Triangle Triangle Triangle for 57 hit points! GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Morgan Newkirk's Ace High for 47 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
As she stated just a few moments ago: She has a love-hate relationship with Luck.
It just so happens that the leader of the Metal Demons has chosen to interpret her hostile intentions very accurately, nevermind the fact that Cassidy didn't mean him specifically. A completely different caliber for Vorthuzahl, perhaps, for he moves with blinding speed despite all his plate. The gauntleted fist sails for her face and she has to make a decision.
Instinct takes over. She turns her face aside, arm coming up - not to block, but to soak what's coming and the force of the blow nearly lifts her off her feet and fires her across the way. She manages to bounce, but like a cat, she twists and lands on her feet, bootheels gouging out grooves on the ground, gloved fingers resting lightly upon it until she stops.
The pain rejuvenates her, setting the golden shards within her emerald eyes on fire, adrenaline coursing through her veins and lighting up every nerve like a Christmas tree. She looks up from where she's crouched, a wild, reckless grin curling over her mouth.
"Just the man that I wanted tae see!" she calls out to Siegfried. "Where've you been, luv? After our dance the other day, I was hoping for an encore! But it's been three days with nae calls, nae letters, I have tae wonder....was it sommat I sai-- "
She pauses, and squints.
"Ach, your plate is blue. You'll have tae forgive me then, lad. Under all that metal, I just cannae seem tae distinguish you apart from your brethren. Maybe after this, I'll improve. I'll try my verra best. Cross my heart." A pinky lifts, to draw an X over her ribcage.
Misdirection, in the end, in an attempt to distract Siegfried from the deadly red indicator light winking at his feet, where she had dropped a grenade.
At Morgan's remark about the grenades, she winks at him from across the way.
"Now, luv. Have I ever forgotten a thing like that?"
GS: Cassidy Cain has attacked Siegfried with The Long Game! GS: Cassidy Cain has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly gives Xantia a passing, frownfilled look.
But only a passing one. Other people are shouting at Siegfried - there are Drifters here, the crack of their crude firearms filling the air - exhaling with great force, Elly hopes she is neither too soon or too late.
Perhaps they won't come, Elly thinks bleakly. (She is unaware that she is less than fifty yards away from 'Thomas Blackwell.')
And then Siegfried fires a ray of what Elly abstractly interprets as a form of electropotentive energy but not quite an Ether-type paranatural effect JUST before it hits the bike, crackling electric force arcing through the machine and killing the engine, which lets out a burp of greasy black smoke; the heat from the electricity incidentally ruptures one of the forward tires, even as some cthonic reflex leads Elly to shift her weight BACKWARDS, raising the front of the lightweight machine -
Which makes the bike fully commit to catching fire. Elly throws herself clear and tumbles on the ground, sprawled for a moment and boggling over what she just did before her head snaps towards where Fei has blood on him -
Elly's immediate response is to pull on the Ether, following an old routine-- but then she stops for a half moment, recalling what she was taught. If Siegfried is looking at her, it looks like she's staring at him in the course of pushing herself up to her feet. Her right hand comes upwards, index and middle finger extended in some kind of half-assed mudra as she struggles to say anything, but the potential in the air is already gathering, the stray electrons that his own ionic attack have scavenged arcing invisibly upwards.
Elly exhales. Her hand curves in a sort of J-pattern.
At this point the clear skies of Filgaia discharge an authentic bolt of lightning right down towards Siegfried's helmet. How insulated is he? SCIENCE FINDS A WAY TO DISCOVER
GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Siegfried with Anemo Bolt! GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Rejoice, demands the strange man in the gi, speaking of Althena. Ida does no such thing. She lets out a breath, and--
BANG
A sharp report, from a rifle not her own. The bullet slams into the Quarter Knight's helmet, and Ida's eyes widen--it only seemed to anger him. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a man rising to his feet, drawing a blade. Someone better-prepared than her, more willing to kill. Looks professional. Looks like he has backup.
a game for a child
"This is no place for either of us," Ida whispers, as Riesenlied speaks. "But yet, here we are--"
they are harsh, yet they have let me learn truths about myself that I had perhaps shied away from
Ida flicks the safety on, shoulders the rifle, and draws both revolvers in a flash of gleaming steel. She doesn't so much charge up the hill as leap from it, chi pulsing down through her spine, her waist, her legs. The ground just kind of leaves for a moment, and she traces a graceful arc up and over the Metal Beasts. She twists in mid-air, six shots ringing out one after another--six beasts, all fairly close to Fei and Elly, fall dead. Ida lands in a crouch, bullet casings rolling down the hill. Silvery blood spills into the soil.
"Siegfried, I presume," Ida says, managing to look calm and vaguely dangerous instead of absolutely terrified, which is what she feels inside. The brooch shines on her poncho, the lotus sigil of dead House Raye resting among the dragons and industry of Guild Galad.
"I think you should listen to Fei." She punctuates the statement with a revolver round aimed directly at Siegfried's center-mass. There is a sort of minimalist artistry in the way she takes aim.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Siegfried with Everstead-Rey Model 10 Mk. III! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
A strikingly cold chuckle from the Lady Harken as Hiro defiantly shouts at Siegfried, emerging from a billowing cloud of sand like some kind of heroic dune-skipping Wuxia legend with a heart of gold. "Oh, the whelp's angry. That's right, didn't you put his woman down, last time?" she has her arms folded, not even bothering to hold the dread scythe Azrael at all. Just letting it rest against her shoulder, free for the taking. "And here he comes, with all his furious and pathetic friends."
One of those inhumanly cold eyes fixates on Jean for the heartbeat-second she shows herself, appearing between a rocky outcropping and the dusty din of melee before her. True, there's a 1 / 250,000 chance that the eye contact they make is a co-incidence, but the yawning feeling of being detected by some kind of terrifying apex predator is harder to put down to circumstance. "And with him, he's brought something much more interesting..." Harken sneers unpleasantly, turning away from Siegfried as he charges into his own encounter. He's a big lad, and can handle himself without Some Asshole being here.
When the Quarter Knight begins to stride forward into the melee, the Metal Beasts part before her like the waves parting for some old-testament Baskar legend. They know better than to get between the terrifying red lady and her prey. "A shame, I recognize you... one from the human town with the coliseum, one from the castle we razed..." she calls out aloud in a voice that somehow carries over the din. Harken carries her weapon over one shoulder, and lashes out suddenly with it. She catches not one, but two catlike demons of flowing metal with the staff-end of the weapon and flings both of them bodily through the crowd at the disruption where Jean is trying to hide, and towards the cyclonic form of Layna as she sweeps onto the scene.
"And one coward trying to strike from the shadows."
The sneer on Harken's lips becomes a full-bodied grin as as she inexplicably swings Azrael, her enormous and blood-red scythe, at seemingly nothing in particular in front of her. What this actually does, however, is fire a tremendous crescent-shaped wave of scarlet fighting spirit into the temple's halls with total abandon for what this might do to the ancient stone. It also means that Mr. Marcus Rider has absolutely attracted more attention than he might otherwise want, as it turns out that demon version of the venerable Air Slash is bearing down on him at a terrifying speed.
GS: Lady Harken has attacked Layna Manydays with Minion Throw! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Jean with Minion Throw! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Marcus Rider with Fast Draw - Speed Fang! GS: Lady Harken has completed her action. GS: Jean takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Minion Throw for 57 hit points! GS: Layna Manydays takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Minion Throw for 56 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Marcus Rider guards a hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Speed Fang for 84 hit points! GS: Poison and Cripple! Statuses applied to Marcus Rider! GS: Siegfried takes a solid hit from Cassidy Cain's The Long Game for 88 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Siegfried guards a hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Everstead-Rey Model 10 Mk. III for 69 hit points! GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Elhaym van Houten's Anemo Bolt for 58 hit points! GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Siegfried! GS: Siegfried enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
REJOICE!
Hiro knew that voice. His head whips around as he fully expects a punch to be aimed at him. Fortunately Corwynt seems to have decided the Metal Demons are the greater threat today.
He still doesn't feel much like rejoicing.
Hiro's teeth grit together when Siegfried announces he's enabled him to do it to her again, at Harken's comment- on many things about Harken's comment.
He feels a certain fury at both of them announcing it. His silver saber slides free of its sheath, butterfly wings adorning its guard. "Don't count on it!"
And yet there she is. He can see it written upon her expression. And while his guard is high, wary, something wavers in it just a little. "Riese. Get out of my..." But he doesn't finish it with the word 'way'. His shoulders rise once. "...there's no way you're going to do that."
He knew it the moment she said she was fighting for a friend.
She tells him to stay on his guard, and he isn't at her strike. The low and graceful feint skitters off his blade to bite into his side and splatter the temple grounds with red. The youth hisses back pain through his teeth. However the pain does steady him again.
"You want answers from the Guardians?" He takes a step, "I don't think bringing war to their doorstep and desecrating this place is the right way to get them Riese."
And with that he advances inward. "You stay on your guard too... Riese..." It's like with their sword practice. Low, high- but then pivoting around he breaks up their usual rhythm of three with his orange scarf flying in the way. When it falls out of place the gleaming silver blade is reflecting the light of the sun in a blindingly bright flash a moment before he slices it across. "...because I sure haven't forgotten the promise I made to you!"
GS: Hiro has attacked Riesenlied with Bitter Nostalgia! GS: Hiro has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.
"... you too," mutters Ebon Zero privately in return to Riesenlied, hanging onto the other demon's arm just long enough to make her point clear; for once there is no bashfulness in it, no keeping it private. So what if Siegfried and Harken are both there? "Be careful."
She breaks away just in time to turn towards the assembled Drifters, to hear the roaring speech from the Child of Althena - and just in time to face down the lancing bolt of air that comes roaring towards her. The armored figure doesn't have a shield; instead, she has an enormous thick slab of white metal, its edges and lines glowing with a neon sort of light. The same size as the demon, she bunkers down behind it, using it as more of a wall than a weapon as the bolt of wind slams into it and dissipates away.
"... that is how you treat your allies, however temporary?" her voice rings out in return, the voice somehow quiet and loud all at once. Below it's carefully neutral tone is a light edge of anger, without anger or hatred but certainly with a wry sort of disapproval. "... Althena's Guard may be even more conceited than we are."
Her form tenses, and she's bunkered down again - this time, to stave off a leaping figure of claws and teeth. Animal's attack may be ferocious, but he's facing down some of the finest Hyadean armor; when it becomes clear his initial attack isn't getting through, Ebon Zero hefts her blade, sweeping the giant slab around in a way that a feminine figure her size should clearly not be able to manage.
It isn't a strong strike - in fact, the demon soldier chuckles softly from under her mask. "... I wouldn't say I'm a bad guy - but I'm not a very good one either, right now. I'll take you on until you figure out your own place."
Another wrench of her arm seeks to throw the wild Drifter right off of her and to one side - and then Noeline uses the momentum of the turn, sweeping her enormous sword around to carve a crescent blade of light in the air. It hangs there for a moment, then sweeps towards Corwynt.
DC: MISS! Riesenlied completely evades Bitter Nostalgia from Hiro!
GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Animal with Heave! GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Corwynt with Broad Slice! GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
On the one hand... Lemina still worries about Jean. On the other, Riesenlied is right there, and she can't exactly ignore that... "Riesenlied," Lemina murmurs. "... I guess this is how it has to be, huh?"
She reaches to her back, retrieves an arrow, and nocks it. She ... doesn't really want to fire just yet, though. It's clear to her that even Riesenlied doesn't want to fight, and Lemina holds no grand love of combat, despite the radically outsize game she tends to talk.
"We can talk forgiveness later. Right now..." Her expression sours, and she affirms, "There's nothing to discuss."
Lemina's hand twists just a little, and a thin layer of sparkle manifests over her arrow; she then hops back just slightly before firing toward Riese, letting her magic do its thing and bring an arrow squarely to the target. She can't find any sass or pithy quips to make -- this whole situation just feels kind of awful.
GS: Lemina Ausa has attacked Riesenlied with Mystic Bow! GS: Lemina Ausa has completed her action. GS: Riesenlied takes a glancing hit from Lemina Ausa's Mystic Bow for 40 hit points! GS: Animal guards a hit from Ebon Zero's Heave for 50 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Well, Fei seems relaxed enough about this. Clearly that means that there's no danger here at all and everything will be just fine. Xantia's reasoning is as simple as ever. She fails to spot Elly, because peripheral vision is for losers.
And then she's set upon by the army of Metal Beasts that comes charging in. Not that this serves to alarm or deter her in the slightest. It suits her just fine, as the fact that her smile only grows wider will attest.
It's easy enough to spot where exactly in the melee Xantia is - it's the spot where a group of Metal Beasts suddenly start flying every which way. She's having a field day with her air-displacing punches, literally blowing away the obstacles in her path. Not that she even has any idea where she's going. She can figure it out as she goes, right?
And figure it out she does, as she spots a familiar face within the battle. Familiar wings, rather, as it's the first thing she notices whenever she sees Riesenlied. So cool. It's too bad it had to turn out they're on opposite sides. Something which up until now she failed to entirely understand, but from those words she caught just now, things are becoming a bit more clear. Protecting friends and finding answers, huh. Not unlike the things that are most important to her.
Even so, Riesenlied will find one of the Metal Demon army's beasts is suddenly heading in the opposite direction, straight towards her current position. Not by choice, but propelled by Xantia's fist, smashing through the defenses preventing her passage to the winged demon. "...maybe you should tell your friends not to blow everything up while you're looking for answers. You're not the only one this place is important to, you know!"
GS: Xantia has attacked Riesenlied with Minion Dodgeball! GS: Xantia has completed her action.
DC: MISS! Riesenlied completely evades Minion Dodgeball from Xantia!
GS: Corwynt takes a glancing hit from Ebon Zero's Broad Slice for 50 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.
Lady Harken sees Jean, and Jean sees her. Nothing but intent shows in Jean's eyes, though she feels the cold grasp of that fear on her heart, its fingers pressing around and tasting like bile in her throat. Interesting. It isn't long. it doesn't have to be long. Jean is preparing for exactly that encounter. However..
Jean has that moment, staring into Corwynt's eyes as he looks at her, acid taken in as if it were water, still finding a mark with that title of his. She shakes her head, does her best to shrug it all off. He speaks, and he's so...
Jean grits her teeth. "One day..."
He just makes her so angry. That's the feeling that fills her as she listens to his moralizing, more than guilt and more than pain at the fact that he is right about her and wrong about her both. Or maybe what he says about Althena--
Jean shakes her head, darts behind a stone, uses her fans to kick up a little extra sand on top of what's already there from from the Metal Beasts charging ahead. Maintaining her hold on her emotions never was always easy. But as she moves upward, Harken swings her weapon and two great cat-demons rush towards her--Jean stares, and twists at the final moment, taking the claws of one to her side hard to allow herself to evade the other completely, slamming the one attaching to her into a rock that she leaps under and starts to scale.
Then, she puts down her fans, and makes strange mudras with her hands, closing her eyes as she focuses on Lady Harken--and her dark eyes snap open again as she starts to twirl in place, shimmering until there are three of her, all surrounding the Quarter Knight at a short distance, perched on whatever is there. They start making throwing motions as needles crash towards weak points in her armor, towards arms and face.
With a shimmer they all fade, and Jean is right in front of Lady Harken. "Hai!" She ducks down and delivers a hard punch straight at metal, as if she could crack it from here.
"Do you remember me?" she asks, as the shadows fade from around her.
GS: Jean has attacked Lady Harken with Needle Step! GS: Jean has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied feels her very blood chill as she hears Fei, as she-- exclaims, "Yes-- we just want--" but she knows she's drawn into her own battle, and there's no time for discussion, no matter how much she'd love to just... talk it out.
Ida addresses her, which surprises her -- she isn't expecting her, but at the same time, she's... pleased that she's found her footing. Since last time...
There's a timorous breath and an anxious noise, as Hiro's silver saber clashes with her thin sword -- she doesn't have the advantage of strength nor speed against him, and she's outnumbered here.
"... I do not think so either," Riesenlied responds to Hiro's query of bringing war to the Temple's doorstep. She knows. He knows. She's powerless to sway the military advance of the Metal Demons. "But... wherever I can... however I can..."
Her eyes whip open as she hears Lemina's comment -- and she lets out a strangled noise as she throws herself to one side and abandons her engagement with Hiro to avoid being struck against Lemina's true aim -- even with her reaction, it still draws a large, red gash against her arm, ripping her sleeve apart.
It's not over -- and suddenly a Metal Beast is headed her way, as Xantia grabs and flings a Beast her way!!
...
...
As the Beast lands on Riesenlied, she's somehow held onto it as she nearly kipples one way over, with a pained gasp-- then sets it down.
The Beast mewls and tilts its head, and Riesenlied pats it on the head. "Stay out of trouble, okay?"
The Beast makes a :3 face, clearly charmed, and runs off.
"I understand that, Xantia," Riesenlied answers. She remembers her from when she was evacuating Hymir Squad... and at Old Petra as well. When she helped them evacuate. And this was... how she could repay her?
None of this felt good. Not even to Riesenlied.
The winged demon draws high into the air, held aloft by the arid desert currents surrounding them -- and she's swept in for a fly-by attack, first towards Hiro in a manuever that she hasn't shown him before; she seems even more at home in the air than she does in the ground.
She strikes at the Consort of the Destroyer with her pommel, aimed to numb and strike that saber out of his arm. She skims past with an updraft as she draws in towards Xantia's zone, striking forth once more with her hilt -- and finally, to Lemina with an equally non-lethal strike.
GS: Riesenlied has attacked Hiro with How It Must Be! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Lemina Ausa with How It Must Be! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Xantia with How It Must Be! GS: Riesenlied has completed her action. GS: Hiro critically Guards a hit from Riesenlied's How It Must Be for 21 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Marcus Rider has posed.
Marcus had been planning on getting attention-though perhaps not quite as well-pointed as that. The false lawman isn't up-to-date on the full breadth of Harken's capabilities, or that she could rapidly close the distance between opponents with that scythe.
Instinct alone saves him from the full fury of the red quarter knight's attack, neatly countering the unseen force with a peerless blow from his own blade, but the disruption is only partial. The man's clothes and body are buffeted by the furious disruption of space shredding his clothes (but not his ballistic weave underneath) and possibly busting a rib or two.
He'd have to trust in Thomas to take care of that, because he was pressing on to close distance despite the pain.
He ducks low to avoid any cross-fire as he closes, eyeing Lieutenant Van Houten's attack against Siegfried with silent approval. The anyone else, it seems like he passes the young woman without comment. Only she is privy to the barely whispered voice he slips between them in the space between seconds.
"I showed you how to burn steel for a reason."
And then he leaps, thrusting through the air at Harken in a shimmering speed that just coincidentally happens to trade with Jean's strike. "The teardrop." He doesn't mince words, "Where is it?"
GS: Marcus Rider has attacked Lady Harken with Straight Thrust! GS: Marcus Rider takes 9 damage from Poison! GS: Marcus Rider has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"Fighting the same war--this war has never ended!" Siegfried shouts back at Fei. The fists slam into his armor, one after another, smashing and railing against the plate armor. He grits his teeth -- and then he slams the Dark Spear forward, trying to smash it into Fei and drive him backward. "What did you expect, Fei?"
At some point, they became on a first name basis. There is a hint of anger, more than usual, in Siegfried's voice. He is conscious, though, that his blade just bounced back off a barrier -- and he turns to look at Morgan, just when the slug slams into his midsection. It slashes along the armor, then skids off with a spray of sparks. Siegfried grips his sword in both hands.
Then he cleaves down at Morgan, trying to slash him open along the chest. When he does, he turns on his heels, cape whipping out as he turns to look at Cassidy Cain. He hears her insults. His eyes narrow, with a flash of something. Not anger, precisely.
"Human," he says. "You think to mock me. You--gh, trickery!" He realizes a moment too late -- and still raises a barrier around him, a dome of interlocked hexagons of white light that absorb much of the grenade. They blow Siegfried back, and he lands in a crouch. His plate armor is articulated, rising and falling with his motions, and he stands up. A bolt of lightning smashes down onto him, throwing him backward. He stumbles, before his eyes catch Elly's. They meet.
They widen, with a nostalgia misplaced on the battlefield.
FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
'Ah, Sophia, this is...'
It was the awkwardest that the Quarter Knight had ever felt. It was wrong to try to fit into human society. He said it was for the purpose of knowing his enemy -- of understanding them. And yet, there was something different about that. This served no purpose; it reminded him of emotions that served no purpose for Mother. Siegfried adjusted his tunic, then smiled. His face was younger, then.
He glanced at his black-haired friend, then nodded. "...You may call me Sigmund."
PRESENT
A revolver shot slams into his chestplate, driving him backward, and his eyes turn and flash in the sunlight as he looks at Ida -- and then at the crest. More memories, earlier, come. His eyes widen -- and then he scowls, then spits. "You! I recognize that crest! You--I will see you join your ancestors!"
He swings his sword out. Light ignites, shudders, and leaps off the Dark Spear. Then, huge arcs of multi-colored light come ripping and slashing out. They twist and bend to catch Cassidy, before they come ripping out to slash at Elly from the side. Then, finally, two lunge at Ida -- and try to smash her aside, with the corpses of the Metal Beasts she struck.
GS: Siegfried enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Siegfried has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Blade Barrier! GS: Siegfried enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Siegfried has attacked Morgan Newkirk with Dark Spear! GS: Siegfried has attacked Cassidy Cain with Negative Rainbow! GS: Siegfried has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Negative Rainbow! GS: Siegfried has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Negative Rainbow! GS: Siegfried has attacked Siegfried with Hi-Shield! GS: Siegfried has completed his action. GS: Shield! Statuses applied to Siegfried! GS: Siegfried heals Siegfried! He gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Xantia takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's How It Must Be for 104 hit points! GS: Elhaym van Houten critically Guards a hit from Siegfried's Negative Rainbow for 37 hit points! GS: Cassidy Cain takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Negative Rainbow for 185 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Negative Rainbow for 184 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
When you're moving that fast, it's a little hard to see where you're going, or what's in front of you. Layna sees the demon flying towards her, but even if she tried to veer away her momentum would carry her into it regardless. She winces at the impact but rolls with it...literally.
Once she's on the other side of the demon she kicks off of it, spiraling in the air before touching down.
She straightens up and points at Harken dramatically with a grin.
"So pleased you remember me! And here I'd thought you mighta forgotten, aye?" She comments. She glances toward the side, and notices that she's not alone in fighting Harken. She nods toward Jean in solidarity and rushes in alongside her.
She reaches behind her and equips her gauntleted armblades and, once she's right in front of Harken, locks them together and pushes before leaping back.
'Marcus' gets a glance too, but she quickly turns her attention back on Harken.
GS: Layna Manydays has attacked Lady Harken with Bash and Buckle! GS: Layna Manydays has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Animal has posed.
"Okay, thanks!" Animal says to Ebon Zero as he takes a hit from her big swingy sword. He ends up stopping at least some of the blow by simply physically pushing back against the blade with main force strength and briefly slowing the weapon between clapped hands. With barely a pause he then goes back to attacking again. Going for another bite at her throat, or maybe even just a swipe with plain unadorned fingernails. His attacks lacking all subtlety and grace, he just seems to be relying on his strength and speed. "Are you guys here for the temple dig too?" he asks, making conversation as he looks around, his eyes half-lidded and continues the battle.
Noticing that Corwynt is joining in with him, or perhaps that he is joining in with Corwynt, he looks at the other and watches them, and maybe tries to do what they're doing, just a little. Since he doesn't recognize them, because they aren't mustachio'd now.
"Hi, I'm Animal," he introduces himself to his fellow combatant, and then goes back at it. Since they aren't likely to have much time to talk. He looks a bit bored, even as he bleeds a little.
GS: Animal has attacked Ebon Zero with Throat Rip! GS: Animal has completed his action. GS: Lemina Ausa guards a hit from Riesenlied's How It Must Be for 61 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Layna Manydays's Bash and Buckle for 83 hit points! GS: Poison, Cripple, and Jam! Statuses applied to Lady Harken! GS: Layna Manydays takes Cover! She gains 50 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Corwynt has posed.
"The arrogant are blinded by humility, seeing only their reflection," Corwynt answers his Metal Demon opponent, still walking forward calmly, his tone conversational. But with each step he takes, the winds begin to strengthen, grains of sand and loose chips of stone carrying up into the air. "I have no conceit - I am a servant of the goddess, Man of Iron - nothing more." Ebon Zero's arcing slash scythes toward him, and the little man raises both arms, gleaming metal vambraces peeking out from the sleeves of his arms. Corwynt crosses both arms in front of his chest, catching the energy blade cleanly; he grits his teeth, swells his chest, and snaps his arms down and to either side, shattering the blade, shards of it biting into his body before dissipating.
He keeps walking forward. And the wind grows stronger.
"All those who have earned the wrath of Althena shall suffer the lash of her wrath in time," Corwynt continues to recite, his voice carrying. "My only wish, if I may be permitted to have one, is to be the instrument of that vengeance - to visit Calamity upon Calamity," he roars, ensuring his voice carries to the Fiends and their mistress both. "Had I been born a hurricane, to rip across the land and shatter the unworthy, I would have been content! Had I been born a towering wave, crashing down upon the unfaithful, I would have been content! But I was born a man!" he cries out, greenish-white power shimmering along his form. "And so as a man---"
Corwynt vanishes into a flickering line, stopping short of Ebon Zero, driving a powerful palm at her chest, sending a shrieking gale along with the blow.
"---SHALL I STRIKE YOU DOWN!" he raors, then rises to his full height. He stops at this last, turns toward Animal, and offers a faint smile. "Hello, young man," he says politely. "I am Corwynt, the Storm Fist. WOuld you like to know more about the Goddess Althena?"
DC: MISS! Lady Harken completely evades Straight Thrust from Marcus Rider!
GS: Lady Harken guards a hit from Jean's Needle Step for 19 hit points! GS: Break! Statuses applied to Lady Harken! GS: Corwynt has attacked Ebon Zero with Tearing Gale Palm! GS: Corwynt has completed his action. GS: Morgan Newkirk takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Dark Spear for 116 hit points! GS: Ebon Zero critically Guards a hit from Animal's Throat Rip for 18 hit points! GS: Ebon Zero guards a hit from Corwynt's Tearing Gale Palm for 45 hit points! GS: Break! Statuses applied to Ebon Zero! GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Siegfried's Blade Barrier for 42 hit points! GS: Siegfried takes Cover! He gains 50 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.
'And one coward trying to strike from the shadows.'
"Are you referring to me?"
It's not as snappy as it sounds; Lucia's voice is rather distant and vague, just like her gaze -- she struggles to focus on the scythe-wielding Metal Demon amid this sea of chaos. Nonetheless, beneath the layers of cloud and of rain, there's a striking, shining glint to her brilliant green eyes, like the burning, living heart of the world itself looks back at Harken.
Also she might have been replying to the 'Didn't you put his woman down, last time?' part, which would be a little less cool.
Jean is everywhere and nowhere -- but the young man near her, who Lucia has emerged behind has asked an important question. She rewards him with a gesture that trails glittering light, not light like lightning or even light like plasma. It is perfect and brilliant and as defined in its opposition to darkness as a single candle in a gigantic dark room.
Light does not have to be large to be powerful. Just a little is infinitely more than none at all.
It pours into him with a surge of strength that defies its twinkling smallness.
She doesn't smile at him, or at anyone. Her face is as cool and blank as a statue's.
Blank as a statue's -- but for those eyes.
GS: Lucia has attacked Marcus Rider with Cleansing Litany! GS: Lucia has completed her action. GS: Marcus Rider takes a solid hit from Lucia's Cleansing Litany for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Lucia clears debuffs from Marcus Rider!
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
That stab knocks the smile right off Morgan's face.
It powers past his shields, scattering them to land solidly against the gunman's midsection. Blood sprays as he tumbles backwards, narrowly missing being disembowled right then and there. He manages to roll back to his feet, crouched and bracing his unweaponed hand on the ground as he pauses a moment to make sure all of his important bits are still where they should be.
"I'm glad, Cass. Cause I'm thinkin' we might need all of em on this one."
Then he's up again and shooting. The big-bore weapon doing most of his talking for him.
Most. But not all.
"I think he doesn't like ya very much, Ida!" He calls out as he continues to fire, rounds follow Sieg as he switches targets.
GS: Morgan Newkirk has attacked Siegfried with Ace High! GS: Morgan Newkirk has completed his action. GS: Siegfried critically Guards a hit from Morgan Newkirk's Ace High for 15 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Thomas Blackwell has posed.
Ah, yes. The Todds, yet another thing that makes 'Thomas' regret his life decisions to date. Unfortunately, despite his attempts to explain otherwise, they've decided to accompany him again.
"It's Guardian, not melon..." Thomas replies in the same faintly irritated offhand way he usually responds to the things they say. He really shouldn't even bother correcting them, but...
Drifters. Naturally. The medical student dips his head in a shallow nod, his gaze tilting off towards the assembled Metal Demons and their creatures. He has some idea of the general size of the crowd from here.
But it's only when he closes that he has a better idea just what their odds are.
Not to mention what they're up against.
Technically, he's only seen a couple of the higher-ranking Metal Demons here before, under rather different (and better equipped) circumstances. But you don't need to have met someone before to understand presence -- growing up where he has, Thomas can just about feel it. Damn, damn... It's yet another reason to hesitate as he considers his options, firearm drawn but not yet used, the medical student just another body in the crowd, quieter approach giving them the chance -- particularly as Fei and Siegfried exchange words (and hostilities, Elly included) -- to take a more measured response.
That should get their attention.
It... kind of does.
Thomas can feel the pulse of the earth. Ready, waiting. All he would have to do is to bring it up in a wall. But the attack doesn't come in from the angle he's expecting... or towards him, for that matter.
"--What?!"
That armored knight -- Harken, though he has yet to learn her name -- comes in fast, blade-driven arc cutting through the air for Marcus Rider alone. Even if he had anticipated it in time, it might not have been enough.
Marcus evades the strike but not cleanly. "--You--"
He doesn't just stand there. He moves, falling away. Watch the rest of the team, make sure everyone stays standing, but don't worry about individuals, watch him, he's still moving, pace yourself, pull the heat off him while you have the chance, runs the litany.
Pull their attention away, the medical student settles on. He can handle this.
He was good enough with sidearms. Not his focus, but good enough for practical purposes. It'll have to do for now. The firearm -- also not what he's used to, though he's had practice with this primitive type of ARM -- rises up smoothly, seeking out Lady Harken, even as fast as she is. Cover would be good, if he can find it, but if he can't...
"Maybe you should pay more attention next time!"
GS: Thomas Blackwell has attacked Lady Harken with Why Don't You Just Shoot Them! GS: Thomas Blackwell has completed his action. GS: Lady Harken takes a glancing hit from Thomas Blackwell's Why Don't You Just Shoot Them for 41 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
You think to mock me.
Despite how her end of the fight is going, Cassidy laughs; she can barely feel her arm, from the blow she had just taken. "You misjudge me, luv," she tells Siegfried. "There was nae much thinking involved there. That, on the other hand..."
She nods to the grenade just as it explodes.
"You'll find verra quickly that I'm an able multi-tasker."
A thousand years of warfare makes its mark on the man, green-gold eyes watching him as he engages not just one opponent but many. While revenge remains her primary drive, there is something else there, underneath her smiles.
She isn't just watching Siegfried. Not really. She's watching the entire battlefield from where she stands, that sharp, virid stare hopping along and fixing on the Metal Demons as they engage the near overwhelming crush of Drifters that have moved to engage them. It costs her, though. Her arm lifts but too late, and the blinding whirl of a spear sends arcs of crimson spraying from gashes rent open....but somehow, despite the solid hit, Siegfried misses anything vital because of her footwork, the way she dances and pivots just so, even when he tries to gut her.
The indelible mark of a lifetime's worth of study in the art of the sword.
But there's no blade on her person, save for the one on her belt - no longer than a knife. And she still, however, manages to keep to her feet.
With the pain comes a cascade of images, of flashing silver and pitch-black rooms. She takes a step to the side, aiming her revolver towards the back of his head as he spins around to engage Fei.
"I bled one of yours, the other day," she tells Siegfried.
"One of your comrades. The sands were silver when I was done with him. Nae much one for trophies, but I collected what I could and turned them intae bullets. Thought there'd be some poetry in that....trying tae kill the lot of you with the contents of your own hearts. This one..."
She pulls the trigger.
"This one's got your name on it."
Pause.
"Who are you again?"
GS: Cassidy Cain has attacked Siegfried with Say Hello To My Little Friend! GS: Cassidy Cain has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong can't help but marvel as Elly summons a lightning bolt from the heavens to strike at Siegfried directly. Like an actual blast of lightning. He watches it for a moment with wide eyes. This really isn't the time for it, he knows, and there's probably an element to his feelings here that could be considered disturbing, but he's feeling kind of turned on by Elly's incredible ether power. He takes a moment to rub at his eyes. Maybe... maybe don't look directly into the lightning blasts. But what's this? He feels words formulated by his vocal chords and escaping out his lips, "Nice!" He says. "Elly, that's amazing!"
The coward holds onto a memory from 500 years ago, a happy memory from a long time ago. Perhaps if he shared such a memory, something would change, perhaps it wouldn't. The memory doesn't reach Id. A memory that doesn't reach Id cannot be shared with Fei. He is ignorant of such a meeting.
But Siegfried's eyes widening confirms something all the same. He knows her. He knows Elly.
"I expected," Fei says quietly. "That we could be friends. I thought maybe--"
Siegfried slams him backwards. He doesn't have Lacan's strength or power. He sinks to one knee, coughing sharply because that slam got him right in the wound. He needs a moment to clear his thoughts.
That moment doesn't come. Ida comes in hot and blasts metal beasts away that were going to take advantage of his moment of weakness. He says, "Ida..." He laughs. "You're watching my back, huh? I still think we can reason--"
He looks towards the brooch and he stops. "That brooch...! Where'd you get it?"
BGM INTERRUPT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sabsuEKPdMk
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
ONE THOUSAND YEARS AGO
That man from before. Not Valeria, the one with the black hair. The vision is hazy. It's incomplete. But there's something here this time.
A woman with grey-blue eyes walks behind him. She says something but he can't quite hear it. The vision intensifies. He's looking at a waterfall but can see the reflection. He doesn't turn back and look at the woman. Not yet.
"I'm not interested," He says.
"He was right. You're just a coward." The woman says.
"Maybe the brave thing to do is to NOT kill people with my bare hands." The black haired man suggested instead. "When has war ever fixed anything?"
The woman with the grey-blue eyes pulls him around and slaps him in the face. "Wake up! This isn't a war over territory, it's a war over survival! Maybe one day we can talk about this, but we don't have the luxury right now!"
The man with black hair didn't respond. He just looked at the floor. The woman, disgusted, stormed off but the man raised a hand and said, "Hold on--"
The woman stopped.
"...Let me at least teach you something to keep you safe. Maybe you can adapt it with your ARM. It's called the Kakei..."
GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Cassidy Cain's Say Hello To My Little Friend for 64 hit points! GS: Siegfried enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong grabs at his head suddenly and cries out in pain. That memory. That memory isn't a happy memory. He should have stopped her. He should have stopped her. He shouldn't have given that to her. What was he thinking? Because of stupid mistakes like that...
He pants for breath, shaking unsteadily. He summons chi energy to his hands. It ripples with a red twinge, just barely, as he channels ether power he shouldn't actually have, infusing his chi with it.
He stands himself up and holds out a palm and points it towards Ida for a moment. Then suddenly, as if changing his mind, he manages to wrest it away and point it for Siegfried.
"Who are you?!" He shouts at Ida. "I can understand Siegfried, but why you!?"
Yeah he sounds like a complete loon right now. He stumbles back after firing the chi blast, looking dizzy. In his mind, a cross swings.
Yes...just a bit more...
But then he sees Elly and his mind focuses. "No..nggh... Not like Old Petra..." He takes in a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I'm good. I'm good." He looks back over to Siegfried. He recognized it. A symbol of her ancestors, he said. That means... "She killed him, then...?"
We can only really understand others through destruction
GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Siegfried with Guided Shot! GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.
At the very least, Ebon Zero-- seems to lack some of the fervour of the other demons present. Or perhaps it's better to say that the demon seems perfectly willing to let her opponents dictate the pace. She's clearly not out to go on the attack - she's there to protect a point, and to hold that point no matter what, and her movements reflect that as she allows Animal the chance to jump straight back in, with Corwynt following behind. If her attackers were to break away, there's no sense that she'd follow.
"Some of us seek answers," she echoes Riesenlied's words as she catches the wild kid on her blade once more; it's difficult to get around the giant slab of metal and land a decent hit, the demon able to interpose the blade in the way of his strikes with an improbable sort of grace. Her voice is still held steady, but she can't hide the irritation and upset in her voice when she adds: "... others here seek to destroy the Guardians wholly. Demons are just as varied as humans."
The point is apparently worth making, despite the time it takes; another wrenching sweep seeks to throw Animal off of her once more, this time bringing the flat of her blade around with a low 'thrum' of air as she seeks to do nothing more complex than baseball-bat Animal away into the distance.
It takes too long, though, and she can't re-set the blade in time to wholly block the shattering strike from the Althenan Guard. "Kh--" is the light yelp; she's sent backwards, managing to balance on her feet but send skidding back several paces from the sheer force of the blow. Only the blade, shoved deep into the ground, slows her retreat - then she's used it to vault up into the air, yanking the slab of metal from the ground to somersault into a dropping strike, bringing the weight of the sword to bear as the light along the blade draws a vividly bright arc downwards. "To pronounce judgement so casually - who exactly is the arrogant one?!"
GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Animal with Drop Crush! GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Corwynt with Rainbow Blade! GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Corwynt takes a glancing hit from Ebon Zero's Rainbow Blade for 83 hit points! GS: Disease! Statuses applied to Corwynt! GS: Animal guards a hit from Ebon Zero's Drop Crush for 51 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Animal has posed.
"Sure!" Animal says to Corwynt, and seems to slow down in his assault on Ebon Zero. Instead, he just defends himself for a moment or two, as his wounds simply start to heal. Closing up visibly as he wears only that plain green vest and shorts, it isn't hard to see his wounds or the way in which they pull themselves back together.
Scratching at his head a little, he hunches over and looks around the battle field, then goes back to paying attention to Ebon Zero. Perhaps not paying enough attention to the battle. He's just not used to this sort of thing, and doesn't know to take it seriously.
It is this lack of attention that results in him being bounced off her blade with a 'yelp' that befits his name. He lands on the balls of his feet then, and starts bounding back towards Ebon Zero and Corwynt. "That wasn't nice!" he says, starting to feel like this is a threat. Like Ebon Zero intends to eat his food.
That's not nice.
GS: Animal has attacked Animal with Wild Regeneration! GS: Animal has completed his action. GS: Animal heals Animal! He gains 100 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> The Todds has posed.
The Todds fold their arms.
"That's a lot to guard someone's temple."
"Melon should wear a hat. You know, like a regular person."
"One of them hats with the cute flaps."
"Like the ones your momma makes."
"Don't talk about my momma!"
They scowl at each other, and sip from their flasks in unison. Thomas has never actually seen them exchange blows. All Toddly disputes are settled with games of horseshoes that have the atmosphere of a murder trial.
Speaking of disputes, Thomas shoots someone! "Yikes!" they shout, head snapping over toward Marcus and Lady Harken. Thomas then darts away, leaving one Todd rubbing his head while the other yells after him, "You shot that lady! Did she turn you down?"
They start trotting after him, having not seemed to grasp the situation.
"It's OK if she turned you down!"
"That's right! There's plenty of other ladies!"
"Not that you should've shot her for turning you down. Ribby always says you should respect women!"
"Maybe he's shooting her because she's trying to kill that guy?"
"That doesn't make a lot of sense."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
There is a twinkle of familiarity as she looks to Siegfried, but Elly is still full of the terror of the battlefield. She cannot explore these feelings, not now. Not when Fei and everyone is already bleeding.
Part of her wants to apologize to Siegfried. Or chide him. But that's a part buried beneath honed battle reflexes. As Elly comes to a fully upright stance, she muses for a moment on how not so long ago she was being imperiled by a forest reptile - she'd been the one who needed rescue, then...
A man passes near her and speaks in a familiar voice. Elly's eyes widen in sheer astonishment, but - she can't reply - b e c a u s e . . .
Horrible rainbow-prism light is coming towards her. Elly cannot stop to think of what element is the best to throw against something like this and so she reaches upwards with an unformed mental preparation, the substrate on which Ether effects are often built (at least if you went to school for it) - the rainbow light there HITS some kind of mesh gridwork, the rainbow light pouring over it and activating a weirdly dense polygonal field of some kind. The meshwork of unformed Ether stunts and slows the pouring blast - when it pushes through, it is more of a spray than a lethally focused ray of rainbow death. It strikes proudly nonetheless, and Elly staggers.
Then she sucks in a deep breath, even as Fei - yells at - Ida? "Fei! Don't let yourself be distracted!" she calls to him with a strangely plaintive note.
Elly's eyes return to Siegfried then. The shimmering after-effect of the Ether grid in the air is fading, but some tiny fragments of his weapon's effect cling like morning dew as the invocation finds its proper form. It collapses and elongates, subdividing into a half-dozen spikes of ice that smash forwards with staccato force towards Siegfried, the air growing noticeably dryer from how much water just got sucked out of the immediate area. (Hopefully nobody left their drinks open.)
If he's metal, Elly thinks - and I can reduce his functional temperature AND his movement... then the follow-up...
GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Siegfried with Aqua Ice! GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action. GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Fei Fong Wong's Guided Shot for 78 hit points! GS: Siegfried critically Guards a hit from Elhaym van Houten's Aqua Ice for 27 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
That's kind of--well, not the only--but one of the things about Harken that makes her so uncomfortable to face down. It's the sense of inevitability to her movements, that ever step of hers and every stroke of her weapon comes with an inescapable gravity. The disguised Marcus Rider has learned his first lesson about this particular enemy general the hard way: nonsense fighty magic is not to be taken lightly.
Now hold one moment, because something else commands Harken's attention. Inexplicably, given the heat of the melee and the seeming insignificance of such a small item--the Quarter Knight, Lady Harken, turns her head to look across the sprawl of the beast-filled melee before her and fix her eyes on a dizzyingly familiar sight. A tiny brooch affixed to the poncho of a girl, Ida specifically, who Harken last saw lying in an ever-spreading pool of her own blood on the floor of the Lacour coliseum. Curiously, it causes the scarlet-armoured woman to put a hand to her throat-mic and growl a question into the coded frequency all the Demon officers are using: "I slew that girl, why is she here? Why is that crest here?"
But this question likely goes unheard by he who knows most, Siegfried, who is currently having his own problems. And Harken has her own, too. The beautiful dancer from the moon is first among them, springing from a veil of sand and defeated beasts with three separate forms of her own to strike with. "Oh, I remember you." Harken croons richly to Jean, as she effortlessly parries thrown needles with heavy plate arms and a casual sweep of her terrible scythe. "The girl in whose fists death lived. Will you show me again...?" the question is posed moments before the images fade and the real Jean's fist lands square in her abdomen. A lesser martial artist would have broken their hand with such an effort, but no such fate befalls Jean. It's just--it doesn't... feel like the blow found much purchase. "Because that won't do at all."
"Hmmph. I don't forget so easily." Harken quips casually in response to Layna, sneering unpleasantly at her with all the confidence of one who thinks themselves leagues above mortal strength. It is this overconfidence that is her downfall, for once, unprepared for the momentum behind the pirate's charging bash. Surprisingly, it pushes her backwards. The surprise on her face is evident, but it also comes with an acknowledgement: time to stop short-changing the humans.
So Marcus Rider can blame those two for riling Harken up by the time he crosses the distance between them, blade at the ready. With speed unimaginable, he flickers across the entire room with a lunging thrust that entire schools of swordplay could probably be written around. Unfortunately, his opponent is the fastest known combatant in the Photosphere, known for such hits as 'being made of metal' and 'gross science genocide'. As such, his sword is intersected at the last possible second by the wicked blade of a scythe, pushing the blow aside. Leaving them face to face. Hell, maybe he's still mid-supersonic flight while they have this chat. "I don't answer to you, Human, it's somewhere beyond your reach. But if you'd like to see..."
Harken chuckles darkly and recoils backwards a step in cutscene-time, surrounded by hostile combatants. She puts a hand to her chest and begins to glow with a light best referred to as 'unholy'. "I can show you."
Not to insult Thomas Blackwell's attempts to help out, but even despite drawing a solid bead on the Quarter Knight whose name he does not know, the gunpowder-driven bullet seems to lose a hell of a lot of velocity as it gets caught up in her filmy, negative nimbus of light, and the shower of sparks it produces as it strikes her armour does not look like it achieved penetration. Switch to AP rounds, mate.
Finally, I promise this pose is done, Harken cranes her head lazily to look at Lucia. The destroyer. The girl she could have sworn her boss took care of last time, in Adlehyde. "I wasn't referring to you, but... I see they patched you back together again." she chuckles darkly, as her scythe begins to glow with a similarly terrible light. "So if you want, I can play with you, too."
Pros: everyone piled on Harken successfully.
Cons: they're all in striking range.
The scythe flashes in one tremendous arc. There's no poem to write about Harken's martial prowess here, it's a single violent strike that moves faster than the speed of sound at everyone in melee range. For those outside of melee range, good news: the Quarter Knight's fighting spirit is so palpable and strong that it reaches out like a spiritual boxing-glove on a spring to engage in Astral Grappling.
"Futile!" she roars with the multifaceted attack, pulse beginning to race. Let's hope Alhazred's medication can hold on for a bit longer.
GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lady Harken with Killing Intent! GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Lady Harken's Killing Intent for 0 hit points! GS: Lock and State! Statuses applied to Lady Harken! GS: Restore! Lady Harken clears debuffs from Lady Harken! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Jean with Fast Draw - Slash Rave! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Marcus Rider with Fast Draw - Slash Rave! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Layna Manydays with Fast Draw - Slash Rave! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Thomas Blackwell with Fast Draw - Slash Rave! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lucia with Harken Pulse! GS: Lady Harken has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Layna Manydays critically Guards a hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Slash Rave for 25 hit points! GS: Poison and Cripple! Statuses applied to Layna Manydays! GS: CRITICAL! Lucia takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Harken Pulse for 80 hit points! GS: Poison and Cripple! Statuses applied to Lucia! GS: Marcus Rider guards a hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Slash Rave for 66 hit points! GS: Jean takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Slash Rave for 56 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida hasn't so much found her footing as braced cleverly so it looks like she's found it. The redhead, she thinks. That hesitation. Siegfried knows Fei. How does he know Fei? Why does he know Fei? What did she--
The Quarter Knight whirls on her, and she can't even have the tiny bit of satisfaction over the dead-on shot. "What of it?" Ida says, but she doesn't get out the rest. Her world is awash with sickening light--her eyes and head hurt to look at it. She twists, rolls, dives, but it's no use. The light glances off her side, leaving burned flesh and steam in its wake as she rises to her knees. She doubles over, and manages to turn the throat-rending scream of pain into a sickly choking noise.
"What," she says, her voice trembling a moment. "What do you see in it--"
'I think he doesn't like ya very much, Ida!'
Ida laughs. It's not a nice laugh, but the laugh of someone who is trapped in a terrible, ridiculous situation with no way out. "If you see anything in it besides exploitation and desecration of graves, I would very much like to know." Her tone is polite, but edged with that manic, desperate, terrified laughter. Cassidy says something about turning Demon blood into bullets. Wrong material, Ida thinks. Fei's looking at her--no, looking through her--and asking a question she has no idea how to answer. She starts reloading, and oddly, the sensation of bullets sliding home is comforting. "Fei!" Ida cries, losing track of Siegfried for one crucial moment. "Fei, it's me! Get ahold of yourself, man, whatever you're seeing--" The gun jitters, falls, hits the sand. "Damn!" Ida cries, and reflexively reaches down to grab it--
Siegfried's right there. Ida looks up at the raging Hyadean warrior. Her hand curls into a fist.
One thousand years ago, Siegfried looked down on another human warrior with grey-blue eyes, driven by vengeance instead of nothing. That despair, though, that helpless anger--it's familiar.
"I am not your TOY," Ida screams, perhaps to the universe in general. "I should've shot, put you in the ground just like your friend!" Ida means Enkidu. Siegfried will probably not equate it to Enkidu, especially as Ida swings for his face, chi coiled so tightly around her clenched fist it glows
GS: Thomas Blackwell guards a hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Slash Rave for 66 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Siegfried with Unladylike Fisticuffs! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
"Fei are you alright!?" Ruby calls from overhead. He looks like he's seen a ghost... and he's yelling at Ida. And she has no idea why. He says he's good but- "Are you sure? You don't look good!"
His sword clashes against hers, and he finds himself striking nothing substantial as he skitters on by, moving into the footwork, "I know the situation your people are in..." The two are broken apart by Lemina's shot, and he tries to follow up on that, but he has to dive out of the way as a Metal Beast comes crashing down on Riese. "...but you'd be the first to admit that just having the desire for something different..."
None of this feels good.
He's back up on his feet in a flash, though the terrain makes it a stumbling gait for the first few steps. And then Riese is flying by him, faster then he expected. Whipping up his shield arm, her pommel smacks against it- jarring him with arm-numbing strike back three steps, as she moves on to the others.
Recovering as quickly as he can he decides to use the fact that she's aerial against her as best as he can. A spell chant upon his lips. Overhead, Riese might feel the shift in air-currents. "-it doesn't change the fact that you're still complicit- FEROCIOUS WINDS!"
It descends in a horizontal spiral upon her, the cyclonic currents attempting to catch her within those fast moving revolutions and slam her against the side of the temple. He's hoping perhaps that Lemina can follow up on that.
And that's when he sees Lucia on the battlefield.
She's pretty easy to pick out, even in the middle of all of this chaos from the red of her cloak which he knows certainly isn't stained in the blood of innocents. For just one moment he pauses- just to make certain Corwynt has not in fact broken off to attack her and calls over the wind.
"Lucia!" He waits for a moment to make certain she hears him and- "If you get in trouble. Just call out!" At this distance he wouldn't be able to come, but he sure trusts Jean, and Lemina... and others besides. He sees Harken coming at her, and he trusts that she'll be alright.
He has to right now, engaged against an opponent like Riese.
GS: Hiro has attacked Riesenlied with Cyclone! GS: Hiro has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Siegfried guards a hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Unladylike Fisticuffs for 112 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Hiro's Cyclone for 198 hit points! GS: Riesenlied enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Corwynt has posed.
"Excellent," Corwynt responds to Animal, giving the young man an approving nod. "Seek me out after the battle, and I will teach you the ways of the goddess." The Storm Fist's smile is warm and genuine, a breath of sun shining into the canyons of a face riven through long since with sorrow.
It is possible he has saved a soul today, and this is a greater work than anything else he might do.
But the Man of Iron is not done, and so the Storm Fist's travails continue; he raises both arms in a guard and braces himself for her assault. "Your question is flawed," he answers, back-stepping as Ebon Zero leaps and slashes downward; she carves a thin, shallow line down the right side of his chest, carving through flesh and fabric with equal ease. Corwynt grits his teeth against the pain and continues. "The judgment is not mine, but Althena's - a goddess who loved the world so much she clasped it to her bosom," he snarls, shrugging his right arm and shoulder out from under the gi. "Who loved its people so much she blessed them, for all of time, and asked of them only that they remember."
Corwynt tears the shirt from his body, tossing it to the dirt behind him, revealing a chest criss-crossed with scars - some old, some even older, the newest the still-bleeding line Noeline herself has opened. Metal bracers are wrapped around his forearm, and hanging from his neck is a simple silver chain, from which dangles a brilliant blue gem that resonates in time with the Blessing pulsing in his veins.
"But to the core of your question - I am the son of a murdered father and murdered mother," Corwynt answers, his voice hot as he steps forward, the clouds overhead beginning to shift and turn. "Brother to a murdered sister. Friend to dozens of murdered children, whose crime was to live free and happy in a city at peace... until they were attacked by demons of shadow, and slaughtered all!"
Corwynt charges in, flickering past Noeline, lashing out with a punch. "So I ask you, DEMON!" he snaps, then flickers past again, throwing another strike. "I ask you, MONSTER!" Another blur, followed by a straight to the belly. "I ask you, Man of Iron!" he roars, dashing in to try and sweep Ebon Zero's legs out from under her; he rises upward, a whirlwind forming around his right fist, eyes blazing with righteous indignation. "If not me, then who?" he asks, then drives the fist downward. "IF NOT ME, THEN WHO?!" He smashes it again.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
Lemina brings her arm up to defend herself from Riesenlied's hilt strike. In practice, what this means is Lemina gets hit on the arm and cries out in pain, shrinking back from her just a little. She's more used to pain than she used to be, but it's still pretty bad -- Riesenlied is a lot stronger than Lemina herself.
"... I'd ask if you're sure you can't just act like we hurt you real bad and let us move on, but I know that's not happening," she says, her tone brassy and almost as though she's trying to suppress an eye roll. "Maybe pull a hamstring or something?" A pause. "Do you guys... have those?"
She puts away her bow and starts to backpedal in an effort to protect herself, though she's definitely sure Riese's forward speed well exceeds her backward speed. She stops herself, though, when she realizes she's about to back into a different group of Metal Demons entirely if she stays on-course.
When Hiro calls out to Lucia, Lemina's head snaps back briefly... but that's all the focus she can spare for Lucia. Out of their little group, she's probably the least experienced fighter, and not by a small margin, either; even with all the experience she rapidly gained in the tournament, she stll doesn't quite have the rhythm of real, serious battle.
Thrusting her staff forward and then spinning around once while chanting, Lemina declares, "ICE STORM!" before letting loose with a single, massive spike of ice aimed at the Tainted's lower leg. It feels a little extra-nasty, but... what else can she do?
GS: Lemina Ausa has attacked Riesenlied with Ice Lance! GS: Lemina Ausa has completed her action. GS: Corwynt has attacked Ebon Zero with Great Breakthrough! GS: Corwynt has completed his action. GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Lemina Ausa's Ice Lance for 121 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Morgan's shotgun slams into Siegfried's side -- and this time the round bounces off that advanced armor, bounding away and slamming into the building. Siegfried turns to look down at Morgan. His eyes narrow, into a glower, and he raises his left arm. The cannon mounted there fires several pulses of ion energy down towards him, rapidly.
He turns quickly, then, and finds himself looking down at Cassidy -- first at her gun, then at her eyes, and then at the silvery round that punches into his armor and leaves another dent there. But, it doesn't break through. "You collected the blood of a Hyadean... and turned it into a bullet," he says. "You not only dishonored my soldiers--you put that blood to waste, girl."
He pulls the bullet out of the crater in his armor and squeezes, his hand crackling with lightning, until it is red hot. Then, he stalks forward, and swings his hand around in an open-palmed slap. The bullet has been melted into a red hot glob of silver, which he tries to slam into Cassidy's midsection.
"Inquire about my name in hell, worm. Die with the blood of a Demon in your veins," he spits as he finishes the slap.
And then he turns, to look right back at Fei, his eyes locked onto his. His lips curl back into a snarl. "Friends..." He remembers Lacan. His eyes blaze with something else. He runs forward -- and the bolt of energy slams into him, a black scar on his armor, before he comes crashing down, and kicks into Fei's side hard. "Another Demon, felled by another human champion--but she died in turn!"
He expected that he brought Elly low. He realizes he didn't, when she calls out to Fei. His head snaps to the side, and he detects the air losing all moisture. He focuses, and then a barrier shoots out -- and pushes the moisture-draining away, to briefly preserve it and hold it at bay.
He leaps, then, bolting directly towards Elly. He turns in midair -- and despite his recognition from a moment before, he slashes down, and the Dark Spear slashes at her side in one massive cleave, an afterimage of the slash left in its wake. "Do not presume that I have forgotten you, human!" he bellows down at her, even as he lands, and skids across the flagstones outside the temple.
Only for Ida's fist to smash into his face, aglow with the light of her chi. His helmt blasts backward, cracked, and flies in two pieces off his face. Silvery blood runs down a split lip and a gash on his cheek, as his too-human face turns to look at her. His blue hair is soaked with sweat. His grey eyes are filled with rage.
"I will not give you the chance! Let me send Fafnir a gift in the afterlife!" Siegfried shouts. His chestplate opens -- and the cannon inside glows, bright white light drawn into the arm. Then, a column of white energy explodes from it, hurtling at Ida -- and shooting her into the Temple's foyer, if it strikes true.
GS: Siegfried has attacked Morgan Newkirk with Ion Pulse! GS: Siegfried has activated a Force Action! GS: You have activated the Force Action Full Clip! GS: Siegfried has attacked Cassidy Cain with Blue Destiny! GS: Siegfried has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Hyadean Martial Arts! GS: Siegfried has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Azure Cleave! GS: Siegfried has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Proton Beam! GS: Siegfried has completed his action. GS: Ebon Zero takes a solid hit from Corwynt's Great Breakthrough for 127 hit points! GS: Disease! Statuses applied to Ebon Zero! GS: Ebon Zero enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
It would be difficult to view what Riesenlied just did with the Metal Beast she rescued from a nasty fall and not feel anything. That was kind of like the way people treat pets, Xantia thinks. Unfortunately, she doesn't really understand people's relationships with their pets either, and at times like that, still can't help but wonder why people are making friends with food. Leave it to her to see what should have been a charming moment and just have a question mark bubble pop over her head.
Soon enough, she frowns again, understanding even less when her statement isn't denied or otherwise rebuked. "If you understand, then why is this happening?" By which she both means the situation in general, as well as the fact that they're having to end up fighting again. Is it really just because of the amnesia that so little of this seems to make any sense to her?
And yet, despite the seriousness of the situation, Xantia manages to get entirely distracted by another familiar face. Someone she saw last after a fierce fight in the Lacour coliseum, because despite her substantial injuries, she was gone from the medical ward in a flash, not allowing for a chance to do something she said she would. "Oh, Lemina, hi! I was hoping I'd see you again, you still have to tell me about your magic guild! After all, I promised I'd listen!" Why, of course the middle of a battle is the right time to bring that up, why wouldn't it be?
Maybe because it gives Riesenlied ample time to swoop down and clock her directly in the head. Lucky for her that wasn't a lethal strike, but it doesn't feel particularly lucky. "Owww!" Xantia clutches her head, instantly reminded that yes, this is still a fight, she should probably be fighting. With a shake of her head, she refocuses her attention on the flying Metal Demon. "So you're still gonna fight? In that case...!"
...in that case, she needs to somehow get at her opponent, who is now high up in the air. Well, that's no problem. All she has to do is jump high enough. The fact that your average human wouldn't be capable of jumping that high doesn't stop her from doing exactly that, fist-first, to deliver a flying uppercut.
GS: Xantia has attacked Riesenlied with Physics Defiance! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Elhaym van Houten takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Azure Cleave for 190 hit points! GS: Shieldbreak! Statuses applied to Elhaym van Houten! GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Xantia's Physics Defiance for 99 hit points! GS: Cassidy Cain used Mystic on Cassidy Cain! 100 Temporary HP gained! All statuses cleared! GS: Cassidy Cain has activated a Force Action! GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Siegfried's Hyadean Martial Arts for 68 hit points! GS: Cassidy Cain takes a glancing hit from Siegfried's Blue Destiny for 91 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey critically Guards a hit from Siegfried's Proton Beam for 42 hit points! GS: Morgan Newkirk guards a hit from Siegfried's Ion Pulse for 84 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.
Layna gets a nod right back from Jean--brief, certain, as the martial artist puts both Harken and Layna in her vision for a brief instant to know where the other woman might movee. That tells her where she can move. She needs it; as she struck, she heard that rich tone of Harken's memory, the demon who knows her name. Jean is in front of her now though, swinging. Her bare hand slams into Harken's armor and nothing breaks; nothing much of all seems to happen but the jar through her arm of a strike that is reflex after many years to accept. "Death. It wasn't enough." The memories of their encounter on the top of that castle return, and as Harken says it won't do, ean remembers her anger. But she needs to ind an opening.
But what Harken shows them? Blackwell's assistance registers vaguely as a gunshot, but Harken moves back with a hand to her chest, glowing with something awful. But then...
It calls to something in Jean, something also awful, as she grits her teeth, seeing suddenly Lucia. "Lucia!" she calls, concerned, but she is helping now, and suddenly there is movement. This violent strike hacks out at her, and Jean moves faster than a human ought be able as she lunges backwards with her arms already extending. Futile, she says, and she can see the blood that seeps out as Jean's body remembers to bleed onlyafter Azrael strikes her, her shirt sliced just above her midriff.
Jean hits the ground and rolls, and immediately kips up. Her teeth set. She knows what she could start doing. She tries to hold herself apart from it instead, and surges forward after only a moment's hesitation, sweeping in with a kick that spins her into a backfist, into a punch and another punch, moving so quickly and forcefully that her hair whips behind her and her knuckles bleed against armor. But she only needs to find one weak point, slam through that darkness once.
"Think what you want!"
GS: Jean has attacked Lady Harken with Whirling Fists! GS: Jean has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's eyes widen at the sight of Fei's rather unusual reaction as well, and she's uncertain why Ida is triggering such a reaction from him -- or what the young woman is doing either, as she charges at Lord Siegfried with a fist that glows with a certain luminosity...
"... it can't be...?"
Her distraction proves rather critical, however, as she listens to Hiro as she descends and is caught in the cross-winds of his wind spell. "Ah--"
Her wings start to strain, and she yelps in pain as she feels a painful palpitation, a stretch as the arch of her wings fail her, and she's caught in the spiral that Hiro's trapped her within. As much as she wants to, she holds on tight to her sword and-- fails, and the thin sword just simply gets blown off and lands with a 'thunk' against one side of the Guardian Temple without much fanfare.
As Hiro predicts, it allows Lemina to capitalise on that chance well, as the winds grow frostbitten and inhospitably frigid -- and that proves to be all the difference that's needed as the ice spike just sinks straight through Riesenlied's left calf and prompts a rather painful wail from the demon--
--long enough for Xantia to leap high and anti-air her with crushing priority like she just completely lost the aerial footsies game, dropping face first into the ground for, perhaps, what they call in the business, an okizeme.
"... I never called myself innocent," Riesenlied stammers out a weak reply, seconds later. "... I know I can't... I know that I am complicit in all this... and I can't simply pretend, Miss Lemina."
She rises to her feet -- faltering on her left, where Lemina's lance still sticks on through, her unnatural blood refusing to clot around the icicle. Her garments are less shredded than one would think, perhaps due to some mystic weave patterned into the cloak itself.
"But if you want to ask why, Miss Xantia..."
She concentrates, and holds her hands to her brooch as it shimmers with a pulsating array of colours -- that light of empathy flows free through the area once more, photonic motes releasing from the span of her wings as she calls upon a power that she has not in a while.
"I have people I can't abandon... people who have no voice, no choice... and whose welfare would be all but decidedly lacking were I to discard them."
Riesenlied twitches, convulsing violently as she gathers forth that power -- and the hilt of a sword bursts out from her chest in an indefatigable shimmer of light. There's a strangled, strained noise of pain as she holds onto that hilt, and draws forth a twisted coil of a sword whose make is very much similar to that of her horns and wings.
The Fallen Sword.
"... I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't expect me to be able to forgive myself either. But if there's any iota of chance that they can live in peace in the future, then I must take that chance, no matter what...!"
She concentrates upon the length of her blade... and strikes thin air--
"Life is short... bury!
Fallen Sword -- Silent Nirvana!"
--and a cascading array of light phenomena rains from the heavens, creating phantom blades made of her own life to stun and numb the Drifters in its wake. If they're caught in it, they'd find that the blades are designed to deny them the area and make it more difficult for them to manuever around the battlefield.
DC: Riesenlied switches forms to Fallen Sword Riesenlied!
GS: Riesenlied has attacked Hiro with Fallen Sword - 'Silent Nirvana'! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Lemina Ausa with Fallen Sword - 'Silent Nirvana'! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Xantia with Fallen Sword - 'Silent Nirvana'! GS: Riesenlied has completed her action. GS: Hiro takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Fallen Sword - 'Silent Nirvana' for 160 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Marcus Rider has posed.
Marcus's blade strikes true, but Harken's scythe intercedes. There was a terrible shudder of distortion in the air, coruscating through local space as the two weapons peeled off on another, leaving operative and quarter knight a heartbeat to glower at one another and trade barbs. He didn't rise to the woman's certainty except to say, "We'll see how long that holds true."
The knowledge of the demons, it seemed, was somewhat lacking.
Meanwhile: the defiant voice that questions Harken from behind Marcus is surprising, because he'd not been expecting it to be there.
Even when occupied with the chaos of battle, sneaking up on him is no mean feat. He can't afford to turn his back to Harken, so that leaves him only to speculate something ensorcels his body and mends his wound. Something foreign.
It was nothing like the effect of etheric healing, it was not clinical, nor was it tactically applied in proper does. It was....overwhelming, as if his mind's eye were suddenly filled with the blinding light of the sun, leaving him a new man. You'd think that would make him a grateful, but suspicion is the first thing that replaces the light in Marcus's mind once it has faded, glancing only just to catch a face that seemed cut from marble for all it's unflinching focus. He did not know this woman, but the call of the young man who had defeated Foobach-Hiro, and the dancing woman, gave her a name: Lucia.
Lucia, the supposed lord of calamity...?
But there's no time to question this unexpected arrival when Harken demands immediate attention, swinging her scythe in a viciously powerful, but ultimately PREDICTABO maneuver that the false lawman is ready for. Where other might jump, Marcus moves in, holding his blade up to block the impact of weapon and instead getting carried with it's sweep, ducking low and being pushed away by the sheer presence of will-force Harken pours into the group attack. He is not force into retreat with leaving something in exchange, tossing a small device with an underfoot sleight-of-hand that swiftly sprouts weight cables and tosses itself about the quarter knight's legs in an attempt to bind and constrict that legendary speed.
That should leave everyone else to risk life and limb against her while he tactically assessed the best time to strike from afar: this was the Solarian way.
For his trouble, Thomas receives a series gestures and hand motions that suggest: Maybe try ether, and hope the Todds do something natural when they see an opportunity to bully a tied-up opponent.
GS: Marcus Rider has attacked Lady Harken with Tactical Bola! GS: Marcus Rider has completed his action. GS: Xantia takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Fallen Sword - 'Silent Nirvana' for 156 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
"Good! Neither do I!" Layna replies with a grin. Getting that sneer was a victory in itself - seeing Harken pushed back by the force of her attack was another.
And Layna wasn't joking - by this time, she's recognized the timing of some of Harken's attacks. As she was already in a defensive stance, it wasn't difficult to adjust.
With Harken's speed, the key was to be ready for the attack before it actually came out. If you tried to defend in the heat of the moment, it was already too late.
There is a horrible sound of steel on steel as Azrael collides her her shields, the force of it pushing her back somewhat. While Layna doesn't actually take much damage herself, with the sheer force that had collided with her she didn't think she'd be as able to reliably attack or defend.
"Good, good! I don't know what happened to you last time, but it looks like you're in top form again, aye?" She comments, her grin almost manic.
Simply put, she loved this more than she rightfully should. A battle against a powerful opponent, someone she logically should have no purpose going up against. She jumps back, reciting an incantation as she moves. This should also give Marcus and Jean more room to manuever, as well.
A series of whirling gales launch out, each as sharp as a blade, converging on Harken's position.
GS: Layna Manydays has attacked Lady Harken with Air Blades! GS: Layna Manydays takes 5 damage from Poison! GS: Layna Manydays has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
Cassidy Cain lies for a living.
Though the purpose of this specific one isn't all too clear, save for the fact that she is doing her best to offend Siegfried - to ellicit reactions beyond his refined efficiency and thousands of years of military experience. That tells her nothing - she already knows they are deadly, driven by the need to eradicate her species from the face of the planet. However he decides to take her words, however, will tell her something more significant than the things that are already apparent.
The contents of his heart, as it were.
A con is a behaviorist by nature and trade, and when Siegfried turns to her, light gleaming from his helm and positively emanating with the need to crush her, she knows she's struck a chord. But it isn't without its costs, or surprises - for this is the last thing she has expected a ruthless monster to react to.
Enough to get up close and personal to try and slap her for her god damn mouth.
She stands her guard, her heart in her throat. The smile remains but her eyes are burning. He probably knows, given his chosen prey, that human beings live their lives coveting the things they have yet to have.
What he would see in her is desire, and one that goes beyond that every day want. An intense, all-consuming thing bordering on rabid, tenacious need - one that threatens to obliterate her and everyone and everything else around her. And at this moment, that desire is keyed to one thing, and one thing only.
As his shadow falls across from her, she moves at the very last minute. The gauntleted strike and its burning ember glances off the taper of her waist and the flare of her hip - it burns with heat and purpose, and pupils shrink at the pain, but in this, she is relentless and utterly implacable. Dexterous fingers flip the knife-blade in her hand, green mist escaping the scabbard as it is drawn with a hiss with a single strike.
She reverses her hold in an attempt to slam the weapon point-first in the nearest, most vulnerable spot she can find - and in the doing, flood it with her own poison.
Die with the blood of a Demon in your veins.
She tilts her head back to meet his eyes with her flashing, purposeful own through his helm. There is no smile this time as lips part to murmur.
"You first."
GS: Cassidy Cain has attacked Siegfried with Trickster's Thorn! GS: Cassidy Cain has completed her action. GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Cassidy Cain's Trickster's Thorn for 61 hit points! GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Siegfried!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei says, "R-right..." to Elly's advice that he pay attention to what the hell is going on. He takes in another deep breath, focusing his mind, his inner chi. "Good enough," He tells Ruby. "Don't get hurt worrying about me." Fei doesn't really know how powerful Ruby is. Maybe she could end this fight now he doesn't know! But presumably if she could do that, she--uh--would have done that already, so he has to assume that she is largely providing moral support. And hey--it works.
He raises his arms and manages to block Siegfried's strikes to his body but they're still Siegfried's blows so they still reverberate against his arms, threatening to snap them into pieces. It's only through Fei's focused mind that he manages to direct the blows so that his arms don't break like twigs.
He slides back and is slow to throw a counterattack, allowing Siegfried to leap towards Elly. "Shit...!" He says.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING FLASHBACKING!? HE GOT AWAY!
'I WASN'T TRYING TO FLASHBACK', Fei shouts back at the voices in his head.
He runs after Siegfried and says, "Shit shit shit...!" Luckily(?) Ida is there to hyper clobber Siegfried away. "Ida! Don't--don't shout shit like that! He's only going to get MORE Murdery!" Maybe Ida is okay with that. "And wait--who did you kill? It can't be Fafnir. He just said the person who killed Fafnir died??"
OH MY GOD WHY IS VIOLENCE SO COMPLICATED?!?!?!
Of course, that's when Siegfried unleashes an omega super attack fully intent to kill Ida. No matter what Ida's PARENTAGE was, or Fei's feelings on that, Ida is still a good person isn't she? Yes she is. She's watched out for him more than once. Uhh--wait does that mean good? Okay, okay, focus. Focus like Elly would say. It's not like you can kill Siegfried right now so you have plenty of time to figures this out.
He breathes out again, eyes watering, as he finally sees Siegfried's face.
A voice, barely Fei's at all, whispers, "...Sig...mund?"
It's gone just as quickly. Fei might not have even noticed he said it. Instead he throws himself at Siegfried, trying to kick him repeatedly in the chin, fully intent on lifting him into the air so he can kick him back down to the ground again. He doesn't look like he's enjoying it, though. "What's wrong with me...?" He mutters. "WHY me...?" He refuses to let what happened in his vision happen again. Not to her. Not again. Never again.
But it's always again isn't it, a small voice whispers.
<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.
"I can't afford to be nice, right now," the figure in armor replies in Animal's direction, her voice rather quiet and subdued and a mile away from her undisguised accent. Noeline can't help but sound a little sympathetic, even, as she huffs out the rather blunt statement. "Even if I don't agree with this fight - there are people here I need to protect, in order that they can go on protecting others. I can't let you past to them - not until we're done here."
Her gaze flicks towards the - what to even call Corwynt? A priest? A preacher? The metal demons only know about Althena's Guard via second-hand information, and Noeline can't say she's ever seen the situation on that planet with her own eyes. On the other hand, if there's anyone's word she'd trust - it's not that of a zealot. The arrogant might be blinded, but so are those who believe too strongly, and Photosphere is a prime example of that.
Her blade manages to catch Corwynt's first strike, the punch somehow managing to produce a sonorous ring from the slab of metal - but she's simply not as fast as the human, and the second strikethrough manages to ring against her breastplate.
"--you--" she starts to say, but the words are bitten off as the ground suddenly disappears from under her; she lands heavily, and only just manages to bring her arms up in time to take the first hit, blocking it against her gauntlets. The second rings home, shearing some of the metal away in a twisted gash that drags across her arm to draw silver blood.
Only then does she manage to catch the man's last strike on her blade; time seems to hang for a narratively appropriate moment, as the blank faceplate stares at the man whose face is lit up with rage. "... I apologize. I feel for your loss," is all she says at first - but then she starts to push inexorably upwards, summoning a strength she wasn't using before. "Call me what you will. But, even so--"
She pushes abruptly, then wrenches her sword upwards; the wild swing helps to propel herself up to her feet in an instant, instinctively feeling the light of Riesenlied's conviction as it flares up somewhere to one side. "--have you learned anything with your own eyes? Or just given up to let others see for you?!"
She sweeps the sword down again; this time, the arc of light does not fling forwards in a single line so much as simply extend from the blade, a vivid and bright lance of light that hangs in the air - before the cross-slash that follows sends it winging forward, tearing up the earth in its wake, both formless and deadly all at once.
GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Siegfried with Hoten! GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action. GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Animal with Infinite Slash! GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Corwynt with Infinite Slash!
<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.
Harken casts out her spirit and finds Lucia's. For a moment she gets a hint of something -- like a spark between two blades at the moment of contact.
But then she's gone, dragged into the darkness by icy chains, ebbing like the last few spurts of blood from a vein, draped by a thousand thousand veils, each one as thin and choking as smoke and as agonizing as the human heart in the throes of a terrible failure.
Through this, Harken can tear effortlessly as the blade that she embodies. And in the real world, Lucia trembles, gasps as though she's been stabbed. And she has been -- twice. In a moment she'll fall like an oak overturned by a storm. Already her blood-red robes are fluttering. Already that flash of defiance in her eyes has faded and dulled, back to distance and strangeness and, inexorably, approaching the precipice of despair.
But she isn't alone; Hiro calls her name, and Jean. She is in trouble already. She is trouble, in every respect. If she could find her voice, she might call out, as instructed--
--but Hiro brings down the wrath of the winds upon Riesenlied, Lemina the heart of the ice--
--while Jean slams into Harken with blinding speed--
--and on some level, even if she had breath to give, Lucia might hesitate to distract them. Harken's fighting spirit was magnificent, and it devastated her. But her friends... their spirit devastates her, too.
She continues to waver. Harken will not get an answer; cannot.
But she does not quite fall...
GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Lemina Ausa guards a hit from Riesenlied's Fallen Sword - 'Silent Nirvana' for 175 hit points! GS: Jam! Statuses applied to Lemina Ausa! GS: Lucia has attacked Lucia with Cursed Calamity! GS: Lucia takes 5 damage from Poison! GS: Lucia has completed her action. GS: Lucia takes a solid hit from Lucia's Cursed Calamity for 0 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Corwynt takes a solid hit from Ebon Zero's Infinite Slash for 192 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Animal guards a hit from Ebon Zero's Infinite Slash for 105 hit points! GS: Lady Harken guards a hit from Marcus Rider's Tactical Bola for 9 hit points! GS: Entangle! Statuses applied to Lady Harken! GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Fei Fong Wong's Hoten for 69 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Layna Manydays's Air Blades for 84 hit points! GS: Poison, Cripple, and Jam! Statuses applied to Lady Harken!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
The demon lord is going after Fei and Elly feels a sick twist of helplessness, especially when Siegfried raises up his hand and calls upon his OWN magical energies. The ice is dissipated, the stout brutal crystals breaking apart and deliquescing.
Then Siegfried comes - rises - and Elly throws herself backwards on blind reflex, which is why these situations do not degenerate swiftly. Siegfried's blow does not crack Elly's skull open like a melon or sever a limb; it rakes along the side of her body and smashes her down, her leg and hip screaming at her, her ribs struggling, her lungs feeling as though they've collapsed. Miraculously, the ballistic synthetic underclothing means that she's not cut.
Well: More accurately, it wasn't cut. She's bleeding underneath it, but a truly impressive array of bruising is better than seeing what your gallbladder looks like. Elly makes a low sound, sort of a croak, as Siegfried lands and bellows at her - just in time for Ida to cross-check his mouth!
Elly watches that clash for a moment. She feels surprisingly cool and collected in the moment. (Loren, or the cops, would probably call this 'shock.') Elly doesn't get up off the ground where she's been knocked, though she does pull in her legs. Her fingers curl in among the flagstones, ancient working.
Who put these stones here? Elly wonders. What did they live like? How did they build their own happiness? Did they have children they loved, homes to return to? Did they love their work or were they compelled. Fei speaks and that catches Elly's attention away. She has gotten up to all fours when:
He kicks -
And the stones themselves flow upwards to create a set of jagged punji-stakes, friable and barbed, to welcome Siegfried back to Filgaia. Breathing heavily Elly shoves herself back up to her feet, favoring her left side (which did not get crush-slammed by the Dark Spear, Glumzambor, any time recently).
GS: Lady Harken guards a hit from Jean's Whirling Fists for 40 hit points! GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Siegfried with Terra Lance! GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Animal has posed.
To Corwynt, Animal says, "Okay," and seems to be fine with hearing about this Goddess Person. They're probably another of those invisible things that he keeps hearing about from others.
Turning his attention back to Ebon Zero, he squares off again and decides that while he isn't sure who is a good guy and who is a bad guy, and who wants to eat his food, if he were to have anyfood here to be stolen. This one has taken to hitting him rather squarely, repeatedly. Apparently taking the fight a bit more seriously, Animal starts to attack again, in an attack sequence that grows faster the faster he attacks, using hooking motions with his fingernails and even the occasional bite, he attacks faster and faster.
"I'm sorry about your family dying," he says aside to Corwynt as he continues to attack Ebon Zero. "Well then I can't be nice either!" he says to her.
GS: Animal has attacked Ebon Zero with Frenzy! GS: Animal has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Siegfried guards a hit from Elhaym van Houten's Terra Lance for 124 hit points! GS: Ebon Zero critically Guards a hit from Animal's Frenzy for 27 hit points! GS: Ebon Zero enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Thomas Blackwell has posed.
It's far from the optimal shot, and far from the optimal tool he has on hand, so to speak, particularly to bring to the table against an exceedingly swift opponent who even now glimmers with a sickly light.
But sometimes you do have to play the hand you're dealt in life, and this is clearly one of those times. At best, he figures, he's only annoyed her, but perhaps he'll be able to still sufficiently pull her attention towards--
It only takes a moment to clear his thoughts and focus, sinking his awareness into the earth at his feet and pulling a jagged piece of it up into the light of day in a curved arc with a sharp jerk of his hand as in a split-second the world appears to be fill with the edge of a blade. Even the impromptu earthen shield shudders against the force of the strike, sections of the wall buckling, crumbling, and giving way as impact passes. Thomas is forced back half a step, some of the weight of the blow translated to his body.
And it's in the aftermath of THAT that the Todds come running on up, and shout at him about, of all things--
'Did she turn you down?' is, simply put, a distraction he can ill-afford at this point in time. "What--" Thomas utters, focus briefly shifted before it sweeps outwards, searching for whatever allies or semi-allies they even have in play on the field thus far. He spots something, indeed. "--Go make yourselves useful!" he off-handedly instructs the pair of Todds, gesturing vaguely with his free hand.
Handsigns. Try ether.
He holsters his firearm, taking a slow breath as he dips his head in a short nod. From this distance, Marcus might not see that his instructions were received, but...
"Actually, give me some cover..."
It's a similar enough technique to Elly's, not much earlier. Even a place as dry as this has some molecules of water vapor in the air, and if you know how, it's possible to gather them together, to apply pressure and force them into the state you want. Push from gas to liquid, right down into a semi-solid form. And then from there, to push further. Colder, colder than it should be.
Sleet, someone might call what comes raining down towards Harken from sight alone, but...
Maybe it'll slow. Maybe distract. All Thomas needs to do is buy Marcus time.
GS: Thomas Blackwell has attacked Lady Harken with Aqua Sequence! GS: Thomas Blackwell has completed his action. GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Thomas Blackwell's Aqua Sequence for 39 hit points! GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Lady Harken! GS: Lady Harken enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
It is, Riesenlied.One thousand years ago, a tall, rangey Hyadean in flashy red armor clasps a hand over Siegfried's shoulder and laughs. "I'm sure Enkidu's got it," says Fafnir. "I mean, how many times has he done this? He's probably stolen the face of one of their generals and is banging their wife." Fafnir's grin turns... contemplative. "I have no idea what that means. What do you think it means? Humans have the strangest turns of phrase."
They never found his body.
The helmet gives beneath Ida's fist. It survived a rifle round, but it did not survive Ida's fist--the former undoubtedly weakened it, but Ida is not thinking about that. As bits of alien metal crumple and tear, she finds herself looking into a very handsome face. Square-jawed, precisely what Ida would imagine if you asked her to imagine the model soldier. The eyes are almost the same color as hers, without the blue, with a metallic tint. He's handsome.
Ida's eyes meet Siegfried's. This is a man. This is the man she was trying to psych herself up to kill.
Ida lands, snatches up her revolver with her off-hand, holsters it. Siegfried looms over her again, bellows at her--Who's Fafnir?, Ida thinks, as his chest starts to honest-to-God split open. Inside is an ARM. More specifically, it's the ARM that Siegfried shot, and that slammed Claude into a tower, obliterating much of the tower itself.
It's aimed at her.
Ida wants to scream. She wants to cower. She wants to let freeze up. Driving rage wells up inside her, and instead of trying to get away, she stares him down. Chi boils in her hand, and lines up against everything behind it--it's like what she does when she fires a revolver with a ferocious recoil one-handed. This time, though, the force isn't coming from a gun she's wielding.
"HYAAAAAH!" Ida roars. She slams an open palm into the center of the beam, and it glows white-hot like the sun. The Proton Beam hits Ida's hand and boils outwards around it, parting neatly--smaller beams refract off, one catching Ida in the bad shoulder. Others trace their way through the Metal Beasts, thinning their numbers with sizzling, boiling plumes.
The beam gutters and dies. Ida springs into the air, and balls that same hand into a fist. She drops on Siegfried, all her weight--and all the force of her despair, her anger, her spirit--aligning behind it.
One thousand years ago, the beam gutters and dies. The Demon Fist springs into the air, and balls that gauntleted hand into a fist. She drops on Siegfried, all her weight--and all the force of her rage, her hatred, her spirit--aligning behind it.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
It is, Riesenlied.
One thousand years ago, a tall, rangey Hyadean in flashy red armor clasps a hand over Siegfried's shoulder and laughs. "I'm sure Enkidu's got it," says Fafnir. "I mean, how many times has he done this? He's probably stolen the face of one of their generals and is banging their wife." Fafnir's grin turns... contemplative. "I have no idea what that means. What do you think it means? Humans have the strangest turns of phrase."
They never found his body.
The helmet gives beneath Ida's fist. It survived a rifle round, but it did not survive Ida's fist--the former undoubtedly weakened it, but Ida is not thinking about that. As bits of alien metal crumple and tear, she finds herself looking into a very handsome face. Square-jawed, precisely what Ida would imagine if you asked her to imagine the model soldier. The eyes are almost the same color as hers, without the blue, with a metallic tint. He's handsome.
Ida's eyes meet Siegfried's. This is a man. This is the man she was trying to psych herself up to kill.
Ida lands, snatches up her revolver with her off-hand, holsters it. Siegfried looms over her again, bellows at her--Who's Fafnir?, Ida thinks, as his chest starts to honest-to-God split open. Inside is an ARM. More specifically, it's the ARM that Siegfried shot, and that slammed Claude into a tower, obliterating much of the tower itself.
It's aimed at her.
Ida wants to scream. She wants to cower. She wants to let freeze up. Driving rage wells up inside her, and instead of trying to get away, she stares him down. Chi boils in her hand, and lines up against everything behind it--it's like what she does when she fires a revolver with a ferocious recoil one-handed. This time, though, the force isn't coming from a gun she's wielding.
"HYAAAAAH!" Ida roars. She slams an open palm into the center of the beam, and it glows white-hot like the sun. The Proton Beam hits Ida's hand and boils outwards around it, parting neatly--smaller beams refract off, one catching Ida in the bad shoulder. Others trace their way through the Metal Beasts, thinning their numbers with sizzling, boiling plumes.
The beam gutters and dies. Ida springs into the air, and balls that same hand into a fist. She drops on Siegfried, all her weight--and all the force of her despair, her anger, her spirit--aligning behind it.
One thousand years ago, the beam gutters and dies. The Demon Fist springs into the air, and balls that gauntleted hand into a fist. She drops on Siegfried, all her weight--and all the force of her rage, her hatred, her spirit--aligning behind it.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Oh god lasers.
Morgan has that long to figure out just what happened before the burning beams slam into him. His death lock together as he bites back against a scream. Forcing his ARM up he uses its power to absorb at least some of the strike. Enough so that the fox isn't a burning pire of fur on the ground at least.
"Fei," His voice tight as the smell of burning fur wafts into the air. "I'm pretty sure he's gonna get more murdery anyway and--"
Then Siegfried turns his attention to Cassidy and Morgan's eyes widen. "Ah hell."
She's still moving though. Still with the strength to spit definace into that massive form of Metal and Hate. He smirks just slightly at that before running forwards. Rushing to the fallen conwoman even as Siegfried leaps away. "I'm pretty sure he didn't like that, darlin!" He calls as he offers her a hand back to her feet. "No lyin' down when there is a fight on either. Ain't allowed!"
Then he's spinning back to the combat himself his ARM swiftly changing. The barrel slimming down and splitting in two. The boxy body attached to is forearm slimming into something else as barriers slam into existance around him.
A smirk then as the Demon's helm comes off. A smirk that grows, devilish light coming into his gaze. "Well ain't he a pretty one." A pause. "And he bleeds. If'n he bleeds, that means he can die. I'm thinkin we put that to the test."
He's raising his ARM even as he speaks, the rounds streaking towards Siegfried in twin-tracer lines streems as his focus is on Ida.
Which is apparently the thing to focus on now, since she's a lightshow all to herself.
"Well," The fox drawls. "Its good ta see the doc gettin' all fired up like that...DUCK!" Because those beams and that fist punch is going everywhere.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Siegfried with Steel-Breaking Fist! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Morgan Newkirk has attacked Siegfried with Blazer Gauntlet! GS: Morgan Newkirk has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Siegfried guards a hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Steel-Breaking Fist for 114 hit points! GS: Siegfried enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Siegfried takes a solid hit from Morgan Newkirk's Blazer Gauntlet for 100 hit points! GS: Morgan Newkirk takes Cover! He gains 50 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> The Todds has posed.
By the sort of happenstance that makes one think 'children and fools', the Todds are just barely out of range of Lady Harken's strike as they come to a stop near Thomas. The wind cut does little more than whip their hair around.
"Hey cool! You didn't die!"
"Yeah mostly our job is to make sure you don't die so we'd have to do a lot of mouth to mouth if you died a little bit."
"Not that there's anything wrong with that."
"Yeah but I ate three onions on the way here."
"Yikes. I don't want to be on his mouth after your big onion mouth."
"Anyway, there's one thing I always say. What do I always say, Todd?"
"Dinner time!"
"Also, being useful's what we're the worst at!"
"Cover, though? We're super good at being in the way."
"Let's do the thing."
The Todds reach forward, shoving their flasks into Thomas's back pockets with a simultaneous, "Hold this!" before taking a step away from him, between him and Lady Harken, facing each other. They take a deep breath, gulping in the air.
Simultaneously, the two giant men swing their fists at each other like mirror images. Their punches impact each other with a tremendous thud, blowing dust away from their feet. A little smoke rises from the point of impact. Like a building landslide, they keep swinging at each other, blow after blow whamming together as their knuckles slam into each other. It's either painstakingly reversed or they know each other that well. Smoke billows away from their fists.
"Dora-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-I LOVE KICK'N BUTT!"
They turn as one, opposite legs slamming into the ground and hurling themselves forward heedless of the threat of the Metal Demon due to either bravery or stupidity. Their fists swing forward in a paired straight punch, forearm-to-forearm, the skin on their arms molten and blotchy like they've just come out of a smith's forge.
Many of the Black Ties are attached to one of the Suits or another, learning their particular styles. The Todds are a bit different - too stupid to properly teach, but always watching, picking up a little bit of everything with a savant-esque intensity.
Art of the Hot Body - Hammer and Anvil Style
<Pose Tracker> Corwynt has posed.
Corwynt laughs weakly, his voice sad and weary. "What has this world become, that simple faith is so hard to understand?" he asks, then steps back, watching as Ebon Zero leaps away from him, drawing her sword once more. "I have seen hell, Man of Iron. I have seen war. And I have seen the slow death that claims this world. And I have seen the one place where this ruination is held at bay - in the sheltering arms of the Goddess." The corner of his mouth tickles upward in a ghost of a smile. "You ask what I have learned. Let me show you, Man of Iron," he says, rising upward, even as Ebon Zero tears in. Corwynt raises his arms out to either side of his body, opening his defences. "Come and see."
The little man closes his eyes, and the lance of light tears up the earth. It tears up the wind. It tears into the body of the Storm Fist, who vanishes in a sea of blinding light.
When it passes, he is still standing, his body battered and bloody, smoke curling up from scorches hair. A shiver runs through his form, and then the man's eyes slowly open, tears cutting liquid lines through carbon scoring. "I have learned...two truths," he says roughly, "The first is that there is evil in this world. Monsters in guises of men, or shadow, or living steel. Who may mouth their excuses, may say they are doing what they do for a reason. Who may sleep at night, for their lies, all the while fearing the day they turn to ash in their mouths."
The winds pick up again, stirring earth and stone. Green-white light begins to rise out from Corwynt's body, a wavering haze growing stronger, accelerating faster, until the howling gale begins to push against Ebon Zero, against anyone in the area, a funnel cloud beginning to descend from the heavens, toward the battered little man on the earth below. "And I have learned that the Goddess Althena is the only hope - the ONLY HOPE - for any world!" Corwynt roars, his voice cutting through the gale, the power of his Blessing beginnign to leak out from nose and mouth. "I have learned the joy that comes from knowing that my mortal flesh can stand between those innocents and war's devastation! SO what have YOU learned, MAN OF IRON!?" he asks, the gale force battering Ebon Zero now. "WHAT HAS YOUR SLAUGHTER TAUGHT YOU?"
The winds grow ever stronger.This is getting out of hand.
GS: The Todds has attacked Lady Harken with Double Horseshoe Straight! GS: The Todds has completed his action. GS: Corwynt has attacked Ebon Zero with The Gathering Storm! GS: Corwynt has been weakened by Disease! They take 0 hit points of damage, and burn off their temporary hit points! GS: Corwynt has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
A message pings off Thomas's and Marcus's communicator: Artillery support inbound. They may not notice.
"The corpses that could have been your ancestors tried," Siegfried spits down at Cassidy -- as she slams the knife blade through a gouge in his armor. It draws blood -- quicksilver and too thick, like most Metal Demon blood, and he stumbles back. His momentary stumble, however, is far from something to bring him low. He pivots on his heel -- and slashes the Dark Spear down with one fast, hard slash across Cassidy's front.
Siegfried is breathing hard, as he steps past her, looking at Ida -- to try to see whatever effects that may have had -- and then he sees Fei rush in. He catches the name -- his eyes narrow, in an instant, as Fei closes. He kicks into his shin, and Siegfried shouts mightily, before he swings his sword down in a massive overhead arc at Fei.
"A question I do not--GRNGH!"
The jagged spikes punch into the back of Siegfried's armor and split through it, lodging there. Silvery blood gushes out, and he stumbles. Then, he straightens out, the rock cracking. The Quarter Knight pivots, hard, and swings his blade up. The weapon flashes -- and then more arcs of undulating, twisted color whip out. Three snap out like sick whips, slashing for Elly. Morgan's twin beams of light fire in, slashing through his shoulder -- and he snarls. Another trio of arcs of light rip out, black, then yellow, then white, and slash down for him.
The rest slam into Ida, even as she comes rushing in. Her punch slams into his armor -- and throws him backward, as he shouts a wordless expression.
And yet, he doesn't fall. He hits the ground, still standing, panting, and glares at her. Glumzambor comes up, as his Negative Rainbow strike fades into after images. "Then, you are not dead yet," he spits. He prepares his sword, and starts rushing forward. "Let me finish tha--"
An artillery shell explodes twenty feet over Siegfried's head. A concussive blast wave throws him backward, smashing him to the ground, before he forces himself up. He turns and stares.
Artillery shells begin to rain down over the Guardian Temple. They slam into sand -- and a few into the Temple itself. Fireballs erupt, chunks of stone hurtle up into the air, as the building shakes. The source becomes clear: three land battleships, each flying the flag of Aveh, and some two dozen Gears trudging from them, rifles raised. They shimmer, like mirages, in the heat of the desert.
The artillery cannons on the ships fire again -- and flag of Aveh snaps against the masts of the ships, before fire rains down once more.
Siegfried stares, gaping for a moment. Then, his eyes narrow. "Damnation!"
GS: Siegfried has attacked Cassidy Cain with Dark Spear! GS: Siegfried has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Azure Cleave! GS: Siegfried has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Negative Rainbow! GS: Siegfried has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Negative Rainbow! GS: Siegfried has attacked Morgan Newkirk with Negative Rainbow! GS: Siegfried has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
Hiro winces at the 1-2 spell combination. But then what happens next as the light of empathy flows through her wings. And she produces a sword that looks very similar to-
He's never seen her do this before. He's heard stories of the things she can do, he's seen the results of her contact with the Demon of Elru. But he's never seen it face to face. Phantom light rains down, and he tries his best to parry it with an overhead swing of his blade, but they fall down and pierce him one by one by one by one...
The noise from him is wrenching. And he nearly swoons outright under the assault from Silent Nirvana. Taking a knee, he's fenced in by numerous blades.
"Yet every time you do this... the chances for that peace for your people get further and further away... you want answers on why the Guardians unfairly reject you... and then you help attack their holy places...? Even if that's not what you wanted, you're still doing it!"
The last vestiges of his wind spell blows across him, and he slowly climbs to his feet, almost swooning again as he does. He's not certain how to fight her at his full strength, but he had to do something. Looking left and right he can't find a gap in them.
So instead he puts a hand to his belt, and takes out a angular arc of medal, with a flick of his wrist he throws it. Mid-way through it's flight, it breaks apart into two seperate boomerangs- before criss-crossing over her in an X as they strike simultaneously to try to knock her out of the sky. "You're setting yourself and them up for failure!"
Ruby will be the most powerful! When she grows up. "As if I'd let myself get hurt! What's wrong with me? "Hey- pull yourself together! Don't dwell on questions like that while you're kicking someone's butt!"
Across the battlefield- Lucia does not call, but she doesn't fall either. Hiro steals a singular glance- and freezes at seeing her expression just moments after Harken's strike. "Lu... cia..." Not knowing what that expression means, whether it's pain... desperation... sadness... or fear... that ignorance of how she feels is worse agony that anything else on the battlefield could ever inflict upon him.
GS: Hiro has attacked Riesenlied with Cross Boomerang! GS: Hiro has completed his action. GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Siegfried's Azure Cleave for 119 hit points! GS: Shieldbreak! Statuses applied to Fei Fong Wong! GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Hiro's Cross Boomerang for 129 hit points! GS: Ebon Zero takes a solid hit from Corwynt's The Gathering Storm for 93 hit points! GS: Fei Fong Wong used the Force Action Protect! He takes Siegfried's attack on Elhaym van Houten on himself! GS: Fei Fong Wong has activated a Force Action! GS: Fei Fong Wong takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Negative Rainbow for 190 hit points! GS: Fei Fong Wong has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Ida Everstead-Rey takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Negative Rainbow for 274 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight! GS: Morgan Newkirk guards a hit from Siegfried's Negative Rainbow for 113 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
"Enough? No, of course not!" Harken is very helpful, pointing out to Jean what she did last time that worked, as opposed to what isn't working right now. She does this with a braying, taunting note of laughter to her tone, moving in a single, beautiful, fluid motion with the inexplicably-effective weapon in her hands. All of those people who yukked it up about scythes being poor choices for melee combat didn't take into account ones made of impossible alloys and full of strange magical energies, did they? "You're holding something back. You're not taking this seriously." the Quarter Knight is practically lecturing Jean at this point, nevermind the dangerous flanged effect present in her voice as her aura blazes dangerously around her. It helps reinforce that reminder: Harken isn't human. Metal Demons aren't human. They're something else. The inhuman, scarlet general enters the martial dance with Jean as a full-fledged partner: she meets each fist-strike with a one-handed parry of her own. Knife-hand blocks, trapping the dancer's arm inbetween her own metal joints, turning aside what blows she can with a martial prowess that begs of the green-haired woman: more, more. The scythe remains motionless, uncalled for, unwelcome in this exchange. Be it the spirit in Jean's fists or the hardening of her body, she does not find the blows numb and hurt her hands where they land on the Quarter Knight's body. "Better," Harken taunts her. "But insufficient."
In the same moment: Marcus Rider, free of certain shackles imposed on Filgaian opponents, displays the kind of fluidity, grace, and tactical acumen to his movements that marks him as being interesting in Harken's books. This is arguably the most dangerous thing to be, because that elevates him to the esteemed level of 'plaything' instead of 'enemy'. "I don't lie." the Quarter Knight continues their previous conversation, even as wire bolas wrap around those mighty plate calves and fasten with mechanical precision. "I am very honest about my duty, human. And my duty, unfortunately for you, is to kill all those in Lord Siegfried's way." and that inhuman celerity, in the end, goes unbound as the bola-wires snap like twine once Harken puts boot to ground and lunges. It was a good move, tactically, but the woman wreathed in negative-coloured flame could probably bench-press Gear parts for a workout. Again: more data for him to consider later, should he survive. Because the tactical retreat finds itself compromised when Harken boomerang-whips her scythe at the retreating Solarian-in-disguise in an interception. Of particular note is how the glowing red weapon's blade whines with an otherworldly, keening roar and adjusts course to bear down on him as he moves. Good lord. Please dodge.
"Last time?" Harken asks of Layna, raising her now-free hand to form some kind of a defense against the oncoming slew of vaccuum-pressure blades. "I'm always in top form, human. Don't be an imbecile." she spits this suggestion at her with some degree of disdain, focusing briefly, inwards, and meeting the dagger-point edges of magical wind with another pulse of her own Demonic will to fight. It's a kind of bass-heavy special effect that rattles your teeth and makes the windows in the theatre flex, and sends deflected magical energy ricocheting dangerously around the room, including right back at the source. How susceptible is the Pirate Queen to her own sorcery? More importantly: how susceptible is Thomas to Layna's sorcery? Because the driving, magical rain is blown aside by the oncoming gale of vacuum blades, and if he doesn't dive to one side, one will probably skull him or at the very least, give him an insanely bad haircut.
On the astral plane, too, the struggle persists. If Lucia is almost adrift in the sea of Harken's violent will, so pure and focused, then the rock of her friends' presences that she clings to only further infuritates the demon bred for battle on a subconscious level. Something about the destroyer makes her feel vehemently ill, and she cannot place her finger on why, only that Alhazred makes her feel something so similarly disgusted, in his unknowable and alien way. "I will deal with you, witch, in time." Harken snarls as she closes a hand around Lucia's visage, distant as she is. "Pray farewell your friend Jean, first."
Gasp! She remembered her name! K--kawaii...!
GS: Cassidy Cain takes a solid hit from Siegfried's Dark Spear for 123 hit points! GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from The Todds's Double Horseshoe Straight for 77 hit points! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Marcus Rider with Azrael - Guillotine! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lady Harken with Lethal Momentum! GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Lady Harken's Lethal Momentum for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Quick! Statuses applied to Lady Harken! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Layna Manydays with Fast Draw - Harken Tempest! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Thomas Blackwell with Fast Draw - Harken Tempest! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lucia with Fast Draw - Harken Tempest! GS: Lady Harken has completed her action. GS: Lucia takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Harken Tempest for 166 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
"Sure! Let me give you my detailed sales pitch in the middle of this battlefield!" Lemina declares to Xantia brightly. "At the Magic Guild of Vane, we embody a mega-rich, mega-cool cultural tradition of not getting owned by Metal Demons out of nowhere!" She nods once, firmly, shortly before getting owned by a Metal Demon out of nowhere.
The light rains from the heavens, and Lemina's whole body feels like it goes numb; she collapses to the ground for a moment. Nothing feels like it's working; she can't tell if one of her arms -- or either of her legs -- are moving. It's not a particularly terrible feeling, in some senses, but it is pretty disconcerting given the circumstances.
Slowly prying herself back up off the ground, Lemina takes a moment to reassess the situation surrounding her; Hiro seems to be in better straits than she herself is, and accordingly, Lemina takes a moment to get as close as she can to him, moving as carefully as she can. The battlefield is newly quite treacherous, after all...
She gives her staff a wobbly spin, chanting but issuing no final declaration this time; her whole body still feels off, and even performing the motions is taking a lot of concentration. A ring of fire pops up beneath Riesenlied, surging up just slightly; evidently, the Tainted isn't the only one who wants to render the battlefield innavigable for her opponent.
GS: Lemina Ausa has attacked Riesenlied with Fire Ring! GS: Lemina Ausa has completed her action. GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Lemina Ausa's Fire Ring for 138 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Layna Manydays takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Harken Tempest for 155 hit points! GS: Poison and Cripple! Statuses applied to Layna Manydays! GS: Thomas Blackwell guards a hit from Lady Harken's Fast Draw - Harken Tempest for 130 hit points! GS: Marcus Rider guards a hit from Lady Harken's Azrael - Guillotine for 129 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia lands back on the ground directly after Riesenlied - on her feet, quite unlike the latter. Though she did set out to knock her opponent right out of the sky, succeeding at this brings her no joy. A slight frown is the best she can manage in this moment, feeling more frustrated than anything else. It's hardly the first time that she doesn't feel like the smartest person in the world, but not being able to come up with a better way than solving the problem at hand with her fists feels particularly bad this time.
Lemina provides her sales pitch then, promping a nod from Xantia to follow along with Lemina's own. At least that was easy to understand. Except... "...wait, really? That seems awfully specific." If even Xantia notices that much, you know it was really obvious.
Either way, there isn't much time to contemplate this, as her gaze returns to Riesenlied, who's getting back to her feet, and ready to answer her question. But while the answer she receives is a perfectly valid and understandable one, Xantia still doesn't fully understand, and gives voice to the frustration involved with all this: "So why are you helping these Metal Demons? These are the ones who want to kill all of us, aren't they?"
She's already stopped looking at Metal Demons as evil by definition, but she knows the ones led by Siegfried are the bad guys. That can't be who Riesenlied is talking about... what's going on here? Far too often, it feels like the more she hears, the less she understands.
She certainly doesn't understand swords coming out of people's chests, but that one she's pretty sure isn't actually a normal thing. This may be the first time she's properly considered the fact that Riesenlied isn't like humans, or beastmen, or anything that she is at all familiar with. It looks like it hurts - of course it would, why would anybody choose to pull a sword out of their body? Just because you can doesn't mean you should! "H-hey..." she starts, but doesn't even know how to begin.
Xantia's concern about this was pretty much fully for Riesenlied, failing to consider that this is the setup for an attack, and she might need to be concerned for herself. Even if she did, she would have expected the attack to come from the sword itself, not a multitude of phantom images that descend upon her in short order.
Her bracer reacts first. Without consciously thinking about it, a flash of red emerges from her right arm-mounted ARM, materializing a blade of pure energy. There's too many opposing blades to fight back against, but she certainly tries, slashing away at the images - only to be struck by another from another angle. This quickly proves a futile effort, as she feels her strength rapidly waning from the numbing blows. The only way to stop this might be...
"...sorry!" It's not much of an excuse, but it's the best she has to offer, as she lunges for Riesenlied, turning her energy blade upon the Metal Demon herself. She aims for the weapon, in an attempt to disarm and stop this attack, but it is in the end an act of desperation, and accidents might happen...
GS: Xantia has attacked Riesenlied with Crimson Flash! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Xantia's Crimson Flash for 130 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Now Fei DOES notice Thomas Blackwell because he's using a similar move to what Elly did earlier. Gebler is sneaky and he can't help but wonder--but he knows that unless that guy is Loren, and lets face it--it probably isn't--he probably shouldn't bother. His mental image of Loren involves an absolutely hideous mole on his nose. Also his eyes are always crossed. He may be mildly biased thanks to Elly here.
Ida has lost it, Fei thinks. What's he going to do? Just let her rampage? Going completely bonkers didn't work out well for Ida's GRANDMOM or whatever obviously since she DIED apparently.
Fei is carved up along the chest, creating a nice bloody X across his chest. "Ngghaa...!" He shouts. "I have to!" Fei shouts at Ruby. "I'm so tired of all of this...!" All of what exatly? "Dammit Ida....what the hell is wrong with you..." He mutters. He just doesn't understand the rage. Unless...maybe whatever is afflicting him is afflicting her as well? He can't worry about that right now because he sees what Siegfried is about to do. He recognizes the move, deep within his gut. It's a familiar move.
TEN YEARS AGO
A swirl of multicolored energy spins through the air, each tendril its own snaking current of horrible energy. There's a red ripple in there. There's a splatter of blood. It's all over him.
A cross swings by. It's so impossibly large, blocking out everything.
Fei sees Elly's staring, dead eyes looking up at him. No, no, that's not right. That's not the right memory!
He was going to try to manipulate those energies somehow. He changes his mind. He can't do that. He won't do that. A cowardly instinct inside him won't let him.
But he won't let Elly die either. He turns around and tackles Elly, protecting her with his body even as the three tendrils slam into his back. There's a spray of blood as it punches through him. It splashes onto Elly's pendant.
And onto Elly.
Fei looks down at Elly, panting for breath. He hears Aveh attacking but can't look up to see it. He manages a smile. Somehow, this way--it makes him feel better. "Whew....close one..."
And then he dizzily tumbles to the side and collapses to the ground, unmoving.
Well, time for the next cycle I guess. I'll have to check on Riese in a few decades or so
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
There's something about The Todds. Everyone would agree that there's something about the Todds. From humble beginnings chilling out near a wagon while Kent Hauch did all the work, to being present here in this temple as the earth shudders and shakes and war is waged on planes physical, mental, astral, and nasal, there's just something about the Todds. Maybe they're the real Abnormal Survivors, to have made it this far against these kinds of odds. Or, and this is just a guess, the martial schools developed and honed in the camps and lounges and bar-room-brawls of the Black Ties are no joke. That is why Todd the first, and Todd the second, have become a whirlwind of smoke and flesh that sweeps through the temple hall in an animated plume of defeated metal beasts, XP messages, and loot drops.
What meets their outstretched fists, their movements made in beautiful unison, is a pivoting axe-kick made with one of Harken's too-long plated legs, the heel of her greaves meeting twin red-hot knuckles mid-strike as she engages now three melee combatants at once. All those digits meet midair and cause a totally sick shockwave to turn a nearby pillar into crumbling dust, buffeting the Quarter Knight and Jean's hair because of course it does.
Harken sneers, prepares to make a jeering comment, and is then interrupted by the thunderous roar of artillery, explosions, and generally she and everyone she is engaged with are silhouetted like total badasses.
- Danger Level: Sweet as hell.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Fei goes down. Ida is at point-blank range. There is no way she could dodge Siegfried's fury, even if she wanted to. Arcs of sickening light play across her body, incinerating clothing and scorching flesh. She hangs there, backlit, a terrible, burnt smell slowly emanating into the air around her. Something explodes above her, sending Siegfried sprawling. Ida hits the ground next to him, and he can clearly see what he's done. Most of her torso is burned--her arms are likewise a mess of burn wounds, and the agony is unlike... well. It's a new and novel data point on her collection of injuries. That's what Ida would think if it didn't take all her focus to keep from screaming, collapsing, and falling into blissful lack of consciousness in roughly that order.
"I don't want this," Ida says, to Siegfried. Her voice sounds wet, and positively agonized. The entire artillery barrage goes unnoticed, mostly because there is still a battle going on. "But I do. Pur--purpose. I need--please--" Stop toying with me, Ida thinks, of the universe in general, and tell me. Tell me why everyone seems to hate me now, when I'm... when I'm finally starting to hit back.
That brooch is still pinned to the tattered remnants of her poncho. It's just a little scuffed up, a little dirty.
<Pose Tracker> Ebon Zero has posed.
With another huff of air, Ebon Zero catches the flying Drifter in her good hand, taking him against the flat of her blade once more; she rocks with the strike, taking its weight in a roll to disperse most of the strength behind it and letting Animal's attacks bounce off of her; she gives up on words, at least for the moment, and just catches the Drifter with a hand, another burst of that unnatural strength flinging the boy back.
If it seems dismissive, it's perhaps meant to be - because at the very least, it gets Animal out of the way of the suddenly whirling winds, launching him clear of the incoming whirlwind just in time for Ebon Zero to plunge her sword back into the ground, anchoring it there deeply as the shrieking gales start to overwhelm her.
It tears at her armor; whips her exposed hair around her face, threatens to rattle through her entire form. Her grip nearly falters as she's forced back a step, and then another - but then she grits her teeth, redoubling it as she seeks to ride out the storm and battle against it. Gashes and tears split the metal in places, tearing through the bodysuit underneath - and ripping the helmet off of her with the final burst, a grunt of effort and pain accompanying it.
Perhaps it means little to Corwynt, but for others, the face underneath is unmistakable, as Noeline's crimson eyes glance up from beneath the curtain of black hair, her crimson gaze settling on the other man. She looks battered and beaten - but unbowed, expression set and still on her feet as the last of the winds recede. She doesn't even move when the shelling begins; explosions rocket into the ground either side of the Temple, threatening to reduce it to so much rubble, and her only response is a soft laugh as she glances upwards.
"Hah... Aveh, once more? And here we just wanted a look inside. Are you quite sure you've got the right targets?" she mutters, before her expression hardens once more. "... I have slaughtered no-one," she admits lowly, an undercurrent of anger in her voice. "I have only ever held this blade in defence of others. But if you want to know what my time in the world has taught me--"
It takes a noise of effort, but she lifts the blade again, her eyes lit up with a fierce sort of determination. "--I will be true to my own beliefs! I will protect that which I care about! --now fall silent, before you tear this place even further apart!" she commands with a cry of urgency, tearing her blade back down through the air to deliver another of those vibrant slashes - this time, lit up in yellows and golds from the explosions around them.
GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Ebon Zero with Tech Training! GS: Ebon Zero takes a solid hit from Ebon Zero's Tech Training for 0 hit points! GS: Shield! Statuses applied to Ebon Zero! GS: Ebon Zero has activated a Force Action! GS: Ebon Zero enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ebon Zero has attacked Corwynt with Infinite Slash! GS: Ebon Zero has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The phantasmagoric light from the blade is powerful -- and it is clear the message it brings: that Riesenlied is free to fight as she wishes, without fear of harming her opponent overmuch. The kind of weapon that she desires to have... yet...
...it compromises herself -- starting from that gaping wound in her chest, and from how her movements are less fluid as well. She's groggy as she sees that boomerang, and attempts to evade in the way she has in training--
--yet she can't quite manage it, the downwind of Hiro's spell enhancing the swerve of the boomerang as it strikes harshly against the side of her head, concussing her.
He's right, you know.
The next time she opens her eyes, she's in a breached, dark room, her eyes covered by the young girl in the robes once more. Blood continues to drip from her fingers.
You refuse to cut your losses. You refuse to save a hundred because you hold out a foolish hope that you can save five thousand.
Her lips curl into a wicked smile.
That foolishness will kill all of you... in the end...
That dizziness allows Xantia to sneak in with her grasped blade, and the Fallen Sword is turned upon herself and knocked out of her hands with a rather powerful strike. Xantia notices that, as it falls out of her hands, it starts to dissipate into those same motes of light... and return back into Riesenlied, where it once belonged.
Her eyes shoot wide open as she stares towards the skies, and the skies themselves darken -- she can see the very sight of artillery shells, and they explode, sending incendiary fire throughout the entire battlefield. She hasn't seen such destruction, and from overhead as well. Fire engulfs the field, chunks of metal and stone rupture through the air in the midst of sand and storm.
Even with Lemina's ring of fire sapping away at the last vestiges of her strength, she makes her resolve. She concentrates deeply...
"A-all of you -- everyone! I don't care who! Get behind cover!"
She holds onto that brooch of hers and creates a powerful barrier of light that erupts around her in a spiral of shimmering photons, seated against the side of the temple and providing shelter against Aveh's attack, rising indefatigably into the air as it begins to collide against the continually dropping shells -- the barrier shakes for a few moments, but... ... then, it holds... for the time being.
But Riesenlied is not going to last long herself, clearly having spent the last of her power on the shield -- and it costs her, visibly, as the flames swelter and catch onto her wings where she's overloaded herself.
GS: CRITICAL! Corwynt takes a glancing hit from Ebon Zero's Infinite Slash for 100 hit points! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Hiro with Killing Your Enemies With Kindness! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Lemina Ausa with Killing Your Enemies With Kindness! GS: Riesenlied has attacked Xantia with Killing Your Enemies With Kindness! GS: Riesenlied has completed her action. GS: Riesenlied heals Hiro! He gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Riesenlied heals Xantia! She gains 100 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
The sudden expansion of the barrier that encompasses the battlefield - encompasses all of them, even Noeline and Corwynt and Animal - makes the demon visibly pause, her eyes wide as she glances behind her. "--Riese!" she calls in recognition and a sudden frisson of fear, juking backwards in the wake of her strike on Corwynt; she's not exactly breaking off from the battle, but certainly dropping back abruptly and quickly to draw towards Riesenlied to more closely protect her.
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.
Jean doesn't find Harken all that helpful. She finds that laughter unhelpful, brushes it past and lets it run around her as she keeps herself steady and focused. If she lets go, she does worse than give an opening.
"You think I'm not taking you seriously?" Jean reacts, with obvious skepticism at the very idea. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm holding back." Jean moves with a dancer's grace as they fight, but also an assassin's grace; she holds back less than she would want, but more than Harken would hope. Another strike, another grit of her teeth as this one hits joints.
"There are things best held back!" Jean argues with Lady Harken. "Even against someone like you!"
But while she is fighting Lady Harken, Lucia is still off over there, where Jean can't do anything more than call to her. She can't even fully keep Harken's attention. Unless...
"Harken!" Jean snaps, as she's mentioned. "Deal with her after you deal with me!" But the artillery comes in, and Jean glares over at the cannons. What do they mean for this? What do they mean for any of them? That symbol is unfamiliar to her... Though they're enemies of...
"Get back!" Jean demands, and reaches down to her hips to pull her fans suddenly, rearing back to lay out two snap kicks at Harken before she sweeps in with a movement of her razors, ending in a dance of strikes and slashes and kicks in a rhythm only she can hear.
But, perhaps of more interest to Harken, little specks of shadow gather about her feet as she kicks for Harken's glowing chest.
GS: Jean has attacked Lady Harken with Razor Dance! GS: Jean has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.
And now the sky is falling; the world ends in fire. Instinctively Lucia closes her eyes, and what washes against the backs of her eyelids is not the muted red of Aveh bombs. It is paler. It is older. It is worse.
It takes her to her knees at last, and her robes, pooling all around her, are like enough to a puddle of blood that Harken's crushing intent, which she is defenseless against, wracked by wreaking memory, might as well be a piercing intent instead.
A candle flickers in the darkness, but it is just a candle. In moments it will be snuffed out.
All around her, Lucia's friends suffer. Jean suffers for her, directly, daring Harken's attention and her rage. Friends of her friends suffer too; determined as Lemina and Hiro are to oppose Riesenlied, she remembers words spoken softly and fondly around a campfire. She remembers the expression on Hiro's face, in the burning realm of Adelhyde.
She finds her voice.
"HEAL."
The world answers.
Marcus got a little firework's worth of light, like a sparkler poured straight into his soul. What detonates now is more profound. Like she is a nebula at the heart of a galaxy, sparkling stars pour out of her to fill the chamber -- though even these are so small and fine, like grains of sand, that there is a sense that they are mere shadows of something more. Lesser or no, they are drawn to those nearest her, physically, emotionally.
And they are drawn to something else.
'And I have learned that the Goddess Althena is the only hope - the ONLY HOPE - for any world!'
Does Lucia know that she's healing her enemy? Does Corwynt know who's healing him? A battle lies between them, and much other chaos besides. To those who can see, a star might enter them, enter and warm them as it dissolves into its chest. But one enters the back of the Captain of Althena's Guard, and if it feels like anything to those so touched, it feels like the favor of the Goddess; a cooling hand, a warm embrace. Someone -- something -- worth fighting for.
On the ground, Lucia coughs up some actual blood to go with her signature color.
<Pose Tracker> Animal has posed.
Thrown clear, Animal doesn't know what is going on, with the artillery and all of the other business happening all around him, and is genuinely a bit confused, but he weathers the storm rather well. "I'm hungry," he decides as he stands there, breathing heavily, and wipes some of the torn up turf and gravel from his hair and off of the front of his dapper green vest. His wounds closing, he watches as Ebon Zero goes chasing off, and considers it a victory.
Animal one won. Ebon Zero, zero.
Fist pump in the air, he reaches into his pocket, pulls out some pocket foodstuffs, and starts to eat. Filling up on carbs for his regeneration.
GS: Lucia has attacked Marcus Rider with Calm Litany! GS: Lucia has attacked Jean with Calm Litany! GS: Lucia has attacked Layna Manydays with Calm Litany! GS: Lucia has attacked Lemina Ausa with Calm Litany! GS: Lucia has attacked Hiro with Calm Litany! GS: Lucia has attacked Corwynt with Calm Litany! GS: Lucia takes 9 damage from Poison! GS: Lucia has completed her action. GS: Lucia heals Hiro! He gains 100 temporary hit points!
DC: MISS! Corwynt completely evades Calm Litany from Lucia!
GS: Animal has attacked Animal with Wild Regeneration! GS: Animal has completed his action. GS: Animal heals Animal! He gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Lucia heals Layna Manydays! She gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Animal used Mystic on Animal! 100 Temporary HP gained! All statuses cleared! GS: Animal has activated a Force Action! GS: Riesenlied heals Lemina Ausa! She gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Lucia heals Lemina Ausa! She gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Lucia heals Jean! She gains 100 temporary hit points!
DC: MISS! Lady Harken completely evades Razor Dance from Jean!
<Pose Tracker> Marcus Rider has posed.
While Blackwell tests his etheric mettle against Harken's fiery resolve and The Todds test....her patience, if nothing else, Marcus receives a certain call on his commlink.
Artillery support inbound.
The lawman's eyes narrowed. It was time.
Time, apparently, for Harken to make good on her own rapt analysis of his threat by depriving herself of her scythe to deal with him, even if only for a moment. Marcus reacts swiftly and nimbly, pedaling back on his feat while considering the implications of the quarter knight's ability to casually break a restraint that was graded for at least type-V demihuman strength, winding and twisting around the motions of an infernally curved, burning blade that seemed calibrated to track and attack him from very angle his sword deflected it from. A 'smart' weapon, perhaps? Either way, the deadly dance as an inevitably a crescendo when the blade manages to open a searing line of cauterized flesh up on of Marcus's arm (but not his sword arm, at least) before the false lawman can finally escape from it.
"Tch." He regards the wound with a degree of annoyance, tinged with respect, "Persistent woman."
Speaking of those.
Marcus has not been waging a battle in isolation. Eyes, ears, and other vaunted senses have tracked and weighed the flow of this monstrous engagement to this moment of inexorable decision. The action of one other combatant in particular has drawn his eye, whose seemingly uncalculated motions and reckless trajectories belie a certain sense of strategy he could at least put to use. Everything-the onslaught of the Todds throwing Harken off-guard, the retreat from Harken's murderous tracking scythe, the distraction the artillery strike took from Siegfried-had been weighed to provide this opportunity.
For one moment, Marcus Rider came back-to-back with Cassidy Cain. He shot Loren a glance and a silent word-hopefully he knew what it meantt.
"There's a minute delay in her windup before she swings the scythe, and a blind spot." He asides to Cain, "Strike well."
And in the next moment he's past her, drawing a bead on Siegfried that puts him in the Demon's personal space in the blink of an eye. His weapon, the anemo blade, surged with a sudden spike of overbristling electric power as every ether circuit opened at once, and the blade itself thrust forward as burning lance of accelerated, frenetic particle, aimed squarely at the quarter knight's breast before it fired-and perhaps pierced-with the all excessive joules of a gear-carried ether rifle.
Misdirection, castling, the bait-and-switch. At any level of society it was a tried and true tactic, and one that did not escape a Jugend education.
GS: Lucia heals Marcus Rider! He gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Marcus Rider has attacked Siegfried with Terminus Est! GS: Marcus Rider has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly pants for breath, trying to think. He's going for Fei, she thinks, some powerful urge inside of her wanting to throw her body forwards, something she can't name. But all that comes of it is a huge twitch and agony running through the slim toned and extremely bruised muscles all up and down her right side, bringing a tight yelp out from her and making her stagger, just in time to look towards those twisted color rays, flying at her -
Fei comes out of the field of Elly's left vision and tackles into her. Her side hurts but it's a more distant thing as the wet and intimate smell of blood falls on her, splattering on the inexpensive tunic she's wearing over her miraculous undershirt. Fei breathes heavily afterwards and Elly gasps as she looks at him, the words from his mouth passing as he slouches heavily to the side and collapses.
Elly says something as the artillery shell bursts but the noise swallows it up. When that moment of flash and shock fades she has her hand on his cheek, looking at him with wide eyes and an expression that is difficult to read. Her fingers trail blood on his cheek, and then
Elly stands up.
The motion is smooth and fluid, unhindered by pain. The passage of Corwynt's wind pulls at Elly's hair as she takes a single step forwards, placing herself before where Fei has fallen. She gazes towards Siegfried as he looks towards the Aveh forces and curses his fate. An artillery shell falls towards Elly's position before hitting something inexplicable about twenty yards up and being diverted, as if it was a waterdrop pouring on a turned-over glass bowl. She doesn't flinch at the explosion but her mouth is moving during it.
In a lull of the barrage, two words cross the space between her and the Metal Demon: "Your pain," and without context these don't mean very much.
Which is about when Elly blinks once and feels as if she's waking up. Did she lose consciousness for a moment?! Is that - Fei - no, she knows it's not that. She remembers what he said. But that blood. She raises a hand to her chest, fingers resting on an old relic of tarnished silver that's hanging by her neck before she breathes in -
"GO AWAY!" she shrieks at Siegfried and she does not amplify because she put it all in those two words. Her eyes narrow a moment later as the instruction of Kahm Yugh comes to her and she reaches out invisibly, across those subtle lines of force that underly the cosmos, feeling the air, the wind, the dozens of chords people have struck in the area, the building heat, the gathered Slave Generators in those Gears and landships -
Everything focuses on a space on the abdomen of Siegfried, on his rippling armor. Half an instant of nothing-in-particular and then the superheated shifting of a thin scraping outer layer to plasma - it might be the air, it might be Siegfried himself, but either way there is a cube of plasma that is as hot as Filgaia's sun, in an atmosphere used to, oh, much less than that? So there's an explosion too, one way or another.
GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Siegfried with Thermo Cube! GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
"Aye, last time! You said you 'don't forget so easily', but it looks like you don't remember how our last fight ended. Think back. What happened? What happened to you?" Layna asks. She watches her blades of air travel...and then collide with some kind of strange barrier.
Layna immediately launches into another incantation as her spell, reinforced by Lady Harken's will, comes flying back at her.
Not one to be outdone, Layna attempts to combat the reflected spell with another, more powerful one of her own- the opposing sorceries clash and roar violently, but eventually Harken's reflection and Layna is buffeted by her own magic. Her coat is torn and bloodied...but even still Layna grins maniacally.
At least until an artillery shell detonates somewhere in the distance, sending out shockwaves that nearly threaten to throw her off-balance.
"Dammit! Those blaggards are spoiling my fight!" She grouses, then glances around her, assessing the situation. This wasn't good. Jean was continuing to fight, but that artillery bombardment was going to make things difficult. She feels something pleasant wash over her, relieving some of the pain she had been feeling.
She spots the woman in red on her knees and runs up to her.
"On your feet, lass! This isn't a good time for this!" She says. It's almost an order, and though it's a bit harsh it's meant out of kindness. Layna moves to interpose herself between Lucia and Lady Harken, just in case the Metal Demon decides to take advantage of this situation...
...Though, admittedly, she won't be of much help if a poorly-aimed artillery shell comes flying toward them. Do what you gotta do, I guess?
GS: Layna Manydays has attacked Layna Manydays with On Your Feet Me Hearties!! GS: Layna Manydays has attacked Lucia with On Your Feet Me Hearties!! GS: Layna Manydays takes 9 damage from Poison! GS: Layna Manydays has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
The corpses that could have been your ancestors tried.
Her smile returns at that, brilliant and searing from under the shadows of her hat.
"Joke's on you then, luv," Cassidy retorts in that split second before their separation, twisting her blade into the wound and savagely wrenching it away, silver blood coating her fingers in viscous trails. "I was born of fire."
And that, to her, is not a lie.
The Dark Spear comes rushing at her and she is simply too close to block it. She goes sailing across the way and down, but not out - for someone who looks so delicate, she can withstand a tremendous amount of punishment. The blade has managed to shear through the front of her shirt, slicing over the stitches left there from the last tie she had engaged a metal demon. Bleeding profusely from the reopened wounds, pain rattling her senses, a strange wave of relief washes over her at the thought that at least she'll be coming out of this with an opportunity to use other means to close her wounds, and not rely on a needle.
Laughter, instinctive but out of place, bubbles up from the back of her throat.
"Fook," she says, to no one in particular. "That hurt."
Another shadow falls across her, friendly this time. Meeting Morgan's eyes from the ground and the hand he extends down to her, she does nothing but look at him for a long moment, his silhouette wreathed with smoke, the shadows on his face splintered by artillery fire on one side.
"That night..." she tells Morgan, her voice nearly drowned out by the battlefield's ballad. "...when we fought. I wanted tae ask you why."
Her hand reaches up to clasp the Beastman's fingers, using his help to draw herself back up on her feet. Her stare moves away from him to fix back towards their opponents.
"But I s'pose in the end, when the dust settles....it dinnae really matter much, does it?"
Looking over her shoulder at him, she winks. He'd catch a glimpse of something rare - something more genuine, for just a few precious seconds before it vanishes again when she turns away.
"Especially when it looks like the cavalry's here."
And then, she's moving again. She dodges friendly fire, slides across the chamber, kicking up dust in her wake, in an effort to get close to Siegfried. She espies Ida's form, flat on her back, a few yards away, but there is nothing she can for her right now. Her engraved revolver out, she twists sideways, and finds herself back to back with Marcus Rider. Her head tilts slightly, though she is unable to see much of him.
And with his words, she knows immediately what he's getting at.
"His armor's a fookin fortress," she tells Marcus in turn. "But he's got a gaping wound on his left side. You're going tae need tae get close."
And once that is said, she pivots, her slender back rolling along his as they split apart once more, with Marcus attacking Siegfried, and her attacking the Lady Harken. She attempts to use the element of surprise and that blind spot to her advantage, watching the way the woman wields her scythe...
And fires a single round, aimed for the throat,
GS: Layna Manydays takes a solid hit from Layna Manydays's On Your Feet Me Hearties! for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Layna Manydays clears debuffs from Layna Manydays! GS: Cassidy Cain has attacked Lady Harken with Sucker Shot! GS: Cassidy Cain has completed her action. GS: Lucia takes a solid hit from Layna Manydays's On Your Feet Me Hearties! for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Layna Manydays clears debuffs from Lucia! GS: Lady Harken takes a glancing hit from Cassidy Cain's Sucker Shot for 51 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
"Lemina did you really give a sales pitch on a battlef... nevermind." And that's when artillery shells start to rain down- the earth around them explodes and he has to shield his eyes against the rain of and- Hiro's head whips around them to see the three land battleships and Gears. He's never seen a Gear in action, so seeing a few dozen metal titans advancing upon his position is sort of a mind-blowing experience for him. He catches his boomerang, and hesitates. He knows they have to get into cover. He knows they have to get out of here.
And that's when a barrier of light forms around him. "Riese..." He sees her in that state and there's only one thing he can think of- "RIESE! GET OUT OF HERE! RUN!"
But it's not just her that needs to run. All of them do. He's taking cover on his own behind stonework, bolstered by the barrier. The calming light of Lucia's healing washes over him- and he runs. "Lemina come on! We've gotta go or we're going to get caught up in it!" He's making a beeline for Lucia.
But he skids to a stop behind more cover just to take an opportunity to look Riese's way-
If she isn't running... then he doesn't know what he's going to do.
Meanwhile Ruby sees Fei tackle Elly- Fei who sprays blood as the tendrils punch through him- Fei. "FEI!" Ruby freezes in mid-air- wings flapping. It's carnage as Ida soon falls too. Another thread to her life, her origin possibly severed.
And just one moment after Elly tells Siegfried to go away, does Ruby descend- perhaps unexpectedly. Perhaps not- the only warning is- "KEEP BURNING YOU MONSTER!" And then following up on Elly's etheric cube of plasma is a second blazing gout of flame, right at his armored helm.
GS: Hiro has attacked Siegfried with Rubyvention! GS: Hiro has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan is quite happy that those tracer rounds hit home. Less happy at the responce from Siegfried. The trio of light beams crash into him, tearing though his shelds. Though they do their best to take the brunt of it.
The rest of the energy slams into the gunman as he staggers backwards. Blood painting the sands. Though thankfully? Not as much blood. Since there is a lot of burning.
...maybe not thankfully.
Hauling Cassidy to her feet he just smirks. "Gorram right it hurts, makes ya feel alive. Don't it?" He asks as he glances up at the sky. "Better than fireworks." He adds with a wicked grin.
That wink though, caught out of the corner of his eye that wink from Cass bring an easy smirk to his face. Amused. Honest. In the middle of a firefight is the best place for honesty he's found.
"Glad ya finally figured that one out."
But then there is movement again as the fox pounds after the conwoman, towards the entrance. "I can get Ida under cover!" He calls out as he crouches down near the downed woman. "And Marcus," Oh he sees him there. "If ya do anything stupid, I'll give ya some cover too."
Because he knows Diggers. He knows the breed.
...they always do something stupid.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
The landships start to fire on the area, and it takes Lemina a few moments to realize what's even happening -- but Riesenlied, at least, does her best to shield the group, and Lucia's healing handles the handful of shrapnel that does hit Lemina before she even has time to register she's been hurt.
Lemina looks back to Lucia, seeing her cough up blood; instantly her heart starts to sink. THat's a serious injury, and she's no healer -- but, at the very least, she can return the favor as best she can and try to protect Lucia a little bit.
She points her staff with a simple cry of, "Hang in there!" and just like that, a set of icy shields begins to float around Lucia, serving as a barrier from the worst of the bombardment. That's all she does, for now, other than try to move with Hiro; she gestures for Xantia to follow her, noting, "If you want the real sales pitch, come on, move it!"
GS: Lemina Ausa has attacked Lucia with Ice Shell! GS: Lemina Ausa has completed her action. GS: Lucia takes a solid hit from Lemina Ausa's Ice Shell for 0 hit points! GS: Shield! Statuses applied to Lucia! GS: Morgan Newkirk has attacked Siegfried with Blazer Gauntlet! GS: Morgan Newkirk has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Thomas Blackwell has posed.
Mouth to...
Alright then.
If there were a camera here right now, it's safe to say that Thomas would be staring into it in a picture of absolute disbelief. As it is, he'll settle for staring at both of the Todds in absolute disbelief.
Though there is one thing they do well.
"...At least you're good at something," he mutters, largely to himself.
It's just too bad that even ether doesn't seem to make much impression in Lady Harken's defenses... that or he needs to try a different tactic.
Offense arguably isn't the medical student's forte.
The most Thomas catches off his communicator is the tail-end of the message.
'Inbound'.
There's no time and certainly no opening to request clarification. Whatever is inbound is, regrettably, something he will have to live with. Or not, depending!
He does try -- briefly -- to get Marcus' attention, before realizing that the effort is first of all futile right now and second of all impossible to convey. Not a half-heard message.
And Thomas may, in fact, have more pressing problems.
Specifically Lady Harken. He can feel it, the way the ambient energy in the area twists, vibrates into infra-sound, and he--
Dodging was never his forte. His instinct falls somewhere else. The wall of stone he half-way dredges up from the ground below isn't quite fast enough to absorb even most of the force behind Layna's redirected spell.
Forget a bad hair day, he's going to have to worry about a little more than that when everything's through.
Thomas staggers back as if drunk, rock wall eroding as it sinks back into the earth and reaches up to touch a hand to his head. It comes away bloody.
Something falls, whistling throught the air before detonating in a bone-rattling explosion far too near at hand for the student's taste.
Artillery.
That's what was inbound, the thought comes racing in, even as a fusillade of stone cast forth from the nearby stone rains down in a torrent. Answered, as it happens, by an explosion far too close at hand for his taste -- and with far too familiar a form for him not to know that Elly is involved. Squinting, one arm raised as he falls back -- casting about for his teammates in this encounter -- Thomas really only thinks one thing:
'So, this is how he dies.'%R
His gaze meets Marcus' -- back to back with a woman he doesn't know and only dimly recognizes -- a brief silent communication that passes undeterred between soldier and captain in spite of the chaos rapidly unfolding about them.
He doesn't nod, he doesn't suggest in any way that he understands. This time, Thomas just acts, leaning in and reaching across the distance as Marcus pivots, surging at the leader of the Metal Demons.
His hand reaches up for his glasses, half-smeared with his own blood.
The air shimmers around Marcus -- white, crystalline, the barest trace of a shine -- before the sanctity and strength of stone seeps into his body, reinforcing flesh and bone alike.
GS: Thomas Blackwell has attacked Marcus Rider with Barrier Prime! GS: Thomas Blackwell has completed his action. GS: Marcus Rider takes a solid hit from Thomas Blackwell's Barrier Prime for 0 hit points! GS: Shield! Statuses applied to Marcus Rider! GS: Restore! Thomas Blackwell clears debuffs from Marcus Rider!
<Pose Tracker> Corwynt has posed.
Corwynt staggers backward under yet another assault from the armoured Metal Demon... whose identity, or at least face, becomes more clear to him as he drops to one knee. "Fight... for your ideals, then," the little man says, chest and shoulders falling as he sucks in air. "And I shall crush them before you, by the will of the Goddess."
Only... not right now, apparently, because Noeline is dashing off to tend to another fallen Metal Demon, and Corwynt - despite his words - is feeling the aftereffects of his ferocious battle, so soon after the assault upon the Vile Fiends a few days earlier. He closes his eyes for a moment, murmuring a brief prayer to the Goddess, asking her to take the pain away, to allow him to rise again and carry out her will. And in that moment, he hears a word.
HEAL.
It's a word and a voice, ringing with power, a bell tone in his soul. It's a word and a voice that are achingly familiar, as if reaching out for a thought he can barely recall. But it's a word and a voice he heard a few days ago, when a woman with blue hair remade a dancing girl, an assassin, in front of his eyes, twisting her flesh until it was forced into function. It's a voice that calls to the fragment of the Goddess within him, seeks to offer him the surcease he so desperately sought.
But where Lucia's power touches him, something else rebels - a force unseen and unknown, arising from nowhere she can fathom. And it rejects the power of Althena, stopping it cold. "I cast thee out, Destroyer! Calamity!" Corwynt roars, suddenly emboldened. "Your gifts will NEVER touch me! NOT EVEN IN DEATH!" The little man raises his arms and grips the base of the whirlwind.
And begins breathing it in.
Torrents of air flow into his body as the little martial artist inhaling the storm down to the last fragment of its being. It takes a dozen seconds, maybe more, but by the end of it the air is calm and still... and Corwynt is a brilliant column of roaring power. "I should wipe your stain from the world itself!" Corwynt screams, the Blessing of Althena leaking from his mouth like a misty cloud on a frigid day. "But though it pains me, I am commanded to stay my hand by the White Knight of the Goddess! This day... this day I claim a poacher."
And then Corwynt's eyes turn to Jean."
"YOU DIE, SHADOW DRAGON!" the Storm Fist roars as he surges forward, channeling the whirlwind's energy into power and speed, accelerating across the battlefield in a jagged, flickering line. "For your crimes, for your sins, for the blood on your hands! You will die!" he promises, then grits his teeth.
And drives the uppercut toward Lady Harken's chest, trying to hurl her into the skies.
"But it will be by MY HAND!" he screams into Jean's face. "NOT HERS!"
GS: Corwynt has attacked Lady Harken with Wind God's Fury! GS: Corwynt has completed his action. GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from Corwynt's Wind God's Fury for 149 hit points! GS: Siegfried critically Guards a hit from Marcus Rider's Terminus Est for 36 hit points! GS: You do not have any attacks from that person in queue. GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Elhaym van Houten's Thermo Cube for 93 hit points! GS: Siegfried guards a hit from Hiro's Rubyvention for 33 hit points! GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Siegfried! GS: Siegfried takes a solid hit from Morgan Newkirk's Blazer Gauntlet for 108 hit points! GS: Morgan Newkirk takes Cover! He gains 50 temporary hit points! GS: Siegfried enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> The Todds has posed.
Todd, TODD!!, and Lady Harken lock up. The smoke rips further out of their skin, like a chemical woodfire mixed with an alarmingly tantalizing note of pig fat. They are in the end repelled and finally driven apart. One of them manages to keep his feed, skidding across the ground to his left, while the rightmost Todd is picked up and dumped much further away on his back. The artillery hits, briefly confounding their fate.
Like a vision from a nightmare, a Todd rises from beneath the smoke, one still-smoldering hand shading his eyes, towering a dozen feet in the air, coughing.
"HEY!" he shouts, having lifted just in time to see Elly fire her ether beam. "Cool fire!"
"Am I missing a good fire? I want to see the fire!"
"Fire's gone. You lost the last game. You know how this goes."
The shelling residue fades, revealing one Todd standing on the other's shoulders, hands wrapped around his ankles. They separate heavily and look back toward Thomas.
"Stop getting shot!"
"We can't cover you if you don't be covered!"
"Big bullets from the sky aren't in our contraaaaact!"
"They're great though."
"Oh yeah no this owns."
Partway through that exchange they'd started punching each other again, rebuilding the heat in their arms as they take strange side-steps toward Harken.
"Hey, everyone else here's better at this than we are."
"Time for the other thing!"
The Todds suddenly separate, kicking a plume of dust up at Harken in absolute rudeness, trying to obscure her vision for one crucial moment before diving at her.
The Todds hit the dirt and slide, suddenly on either side of her, grabbing at her ankles.
GS: The Todds has attacked Lady Harken with Blacksmith's Tongs! GS: The Todds has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia lets out the breath she didn't realize she was holding when she successfully disarms Riesenlied without... unfortunate side-effects. The energy blade, its job complete, instantly dissipates. She holds out hope that they can end this battle a different way. For once, the violent way is not making her feel very good at all, even beyond the lingering effect of those blades.
She gets a sudden bad feeling as two familiar words that she, too, has shouted at enemies in much the same way, ring out from across the battlefield.
GO AWAY!
What... is going on over there? Xantia is too far away to see clearly. And she probably shouldn't just be standing there, staring off into the distance, when there's artillery fire incoming.
A shell slamming into the barrier surrounding snaps her out of it. That... could have ended badly. She looks about in confusion for a short moment, and quickly deduces the source of that shield. "Riesenlied..."
Though even less sure than before about what Riesenlied is thinking, Xantia is now pretty certain of one thing. Whatever the circumstances, whatever her nature, this is a good person. Which means that she can't possibly leave, not like this, not without saying anything. But what could she possibly say at a time like this?
Lemina urges her to hurry. Xantia looks back, just long enough to respond, "Go! I'll be right behind you!" It's not technically a lie, she does plan on doing that. But not before she does something else.
In a flash, Xantia rushes back to Riesenlied. To deliver a final, devastating... hug. "...hang in there," are the first words of encouragement that come to mind. The danger can just wait for a few seconds, this is more important.
Then, just like that, as quickly as she approached, Xantia is gone, fleeing from the bombardment. At least now, she's able to feel a little bit better about the whole thing.
GS: Lady Harken takes a solid hit from The Todds's Blacksmith's Tongs for 37 hit points! GS: Xantia has attacked Riesenlied with Reconciliation! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Xantia's Reconciliation for 0 hit points! GS: Reload! Riesenlied gains 15 extra FP from Xantia!
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
"You aren't so foolish as to truly believe that." Harken counters Jean's optimism about holding back with her frank, pessimistic pragmatism. Even with this many opponents, her tempo doesn't seem disturbed. Those who have encountered her in such situations before, like the loss of control she suffered at Lacour, might remember well the way she just seems to perpetually pick up speed. Such as here. "You called upon something much greater on that rooftop," the scarlet-haired Knight sounds disappointed, bitterly so, still holding off Todd Fists with her outstretched foot as she faces Jean wholeheartedly. Her smile is not a True End smile. "Show me! Again!"
The first kick glances off of Harken's metallic forearm, and she's forced to put both feet on the ground again to square her stance, adjust her weight, and catch one of those flying razor-fans in-between her teeth. The unarmed Knight raises one leg of her own to intercept Jean's second kick and spits the razor fan out, disdainfully. The flickering motes of shadow, however, do not escape her notice. If Jean were to learn anything from this fight, looking back on it later, maybe she'll put her thoughts together on how Harken moves around in that armour as if it were nothing heavier than silks. Because those are some rapid-ass movements taking place here. "That's more like it," the Scarlet knight notes, glancing briefly to one side. She has the feeling the Veruni device is taking way too long to work. "The next time you try to stop me, come at me like that from the beginning."
It's not so much a request as it is a command, before the inhumanly powerful Quarter Knight utilizes the uncomfortably close proximity to the beleaguered dancer to strike her in the midsection with a mule kick with such force that it hurls her at the weakened Lucia like a tan-skinned boulder. Damn. Brutal.
The exchange of info between Marcus and Kassidy Keine (I'm onto you, lady) is brief, but needed. Especially where engaging the enemy generals are concerned. The spirited young woman's egress through the crowded floor of battle goes unnoticed by her scarlet-haired quarry, so busy is she with her fighting dance with the lithe dancer from the moon. In fact, that scythe isn't even in Harken's hands when Cassidy lines the shot up, so it's easier than it might otherwise have seemed to draw a bead on that small fraction of her that isn't armoured and pull the trigger--
The round spirals straight and true through the air, because there's one moment where Harken is standing still while she and Jean block one another, and--
- *Clunk*
That is the noise the bullet makes as it cruises into Harken's outstretched palm, crumpling in slow motion, her hair making that L'Oreal commercial swish as she slowly turns to regard the bullet's source from across the room with silent fury. There wasn't a single frame of animation where she moved to block it, but sure as hell she seemes to have wound up doing so. Another entry for the record books: the Metal Demon lady with the scythe is, actually, faster than a speeding bullet. "That was a very poor idea, young lady." Harken informs Cassidy Cain in the same tone of voice a peeved librarian might use, if said librarian was also 12 feet tall and designed to kill all life on Filgaia with their bare hands. Noselling poor Jean for a split-second, Harken closes her hand around the bullet and angrily flicks it out of her palm, her pretty scarlet gauntlets now featuring a huge hole in one of them. Terrible.
But don't take this to mean it was an attack made in vain. No, the distraction is real. Cassidy's flanking shot pulls Harken's attention away from the psychotic martial artist with the jealous streak who has enough time, with all that is going on, to go through an entire kata and power up before screaming his empassioned threats into Jean's face while simultaneously striking the Demon officer with unbelievable force. Perhaps this is another note for Jean to record: being calm in battle is no match for going completely ham with your emotions, it seems, for Harken's eyes go wide and she is carried upwards from the force of the blow, taken from her feet for just a moment. A moment where everyone piles on, including The Damnable Todds. They barely even need the dust-kick to distract her, capitalizing on her stunned state instead. Consider though: what do you do with a Quarter Knight once you've caught them? Is this a dog-chasing-the-car situation?
"Don't think you've won with one good strike, Human." the towering woman sneers once more, as she often does. Nevermind the blood that trickles from her nose and mouth, a curious and disgusting mix of silvery colours and crimson. ... come to think of it, has anyone seen her scythe, Azrael, lately? After she threw it boomeranging away after Marcus Rider? Because it hasn't stopped moving since.
Dear Cassidy Cain, how good is your hearing? Can you recognize that helicopter-blade noise from somewhere behind you? Because if so, you found my scythe. Please return it.
Love,
Harkles.
GS: Lady Harken has attacked Jean with Friend Rejoining Kick! GS: Lady Harken has attacked Cassidy Cain with Azrael - Guillotine!
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Siegfried's eyes are, for a moment, locked on the horizon. He has to consider this element. He has to consider what to do. The attack, however, has no let up.
He sees Fei fall. He feels something akin to regret -- and then he tries to quash it, mentally undo it, make it stop. After a thousand years, he can do that. The Lord Commander of the Quarter Knights makes himself look away. He looks at ida, uncomprehending. "If you think I will help you--if you think that I would give you your answer, even if I knew it... shows that you know nothing!" he spits, as she falls.
He leaves the brooch, as he starts to walk.
He hears Riesenlied shouting to get to cover. Another blast of flame erupts, as a shell lands nearby -- and then a blast of electricity from the anemo blade slams into his side, 'Marcus' striking true. The Quarter Knight stumbles forth, then hurls a punch at the Solarian's midsection. "Get out of my way!"
He roars it. It isn't much -- it isn't enough to really hurt. He staggers -- and then he feels something ripple in his armor, before a superheated burst of plasma explodes and melts through his armor and flesh. He stumbles, thrown forward and to his knee. He plunges his sword into the ground, as smoke wafts from him. Smoke, burnt flesh, and worse. He turns to look at Elly. He glares at her.
He considers, for a moment, striking her down, except that Marcus is still in front of him.
And Ruby is breathing fire at him, leaving another scorch across his armor. He feels another shockwave through the ground, and looks up. Gears are charging forward -- and infantry behind. A round whizzes by his head. It slams into him. Then, he sees another shot slam into someone else -- one of the Drifters on the fringes.
The Aveh military, the ancient Metal Demon thinks, is not being terribly discriminate.
- -=-
"Admiral Laukken!" a soldier cries out, as he climbs up onto the bridge of the land battleship Shakhan's Scythe. The soldier snaps a salute. "We've formed a cordon around the Temple. Your orders, sir? Do we move in?"
"No," the admiral says. An older man, with grey hair and a thick mustache, he turns -- and cracks a smile. "Keep firing. Don't hesitate to shoot the Drifters. If this can lure out the Yggdrasil... then it'll be worth it."
"But, Admiral--the Metal Demons..."
"We have them surrounded," Laukken says. "We hold the high ground." He stands, and motions through the forward viewport. Metal Beasts lay scattered -- and here and there, an unlucky Drifter lay on the ground, bleeding out. Dozens of Gears and the land battle ships have moved to surround the temple, cannons trained on it. The thunder of their fire makes a steady, percussive shake through the ship.
The admiral crosses his arms, then smiles. "...We'll wait. We'll wipe them out."
Laukken watches -- and sees the only hope for escape: the inside of the temple. Some were already rushing for the doors, or the holes cut into the side. It didn't matter. He could afford to wait.
- -=-
Another explosion rockets through. Siegfried takes a deep breath -- and then he looks, briefly, at Marcus. His metallic red eyes meet his. Then, he calls out: "Riesenlied! Get them into the Temple! Harken, support if you can--otherwise, with me!"
And the Quarter Knight explodes into the air. He shoots up past Ruby -- and then comes crashing down towards the lead Gear. Its rifle lifts, aiming upward -- and the Quarter Knight twists past a shell from it.
Then he comes down, and Glumzambor comes ripping downward.
It slams into the Gear's head -- and cuts through, shearing through it from head to groin. The Gear falls in two around the huge blade -- and explodes in an enormous fireball. Shouts and screams come from the battlefield. The desire to protect remains -- and yet, the wolfish, hungry grin comes back.
Siegfried looks towards the next Gear. "Come, humans," he spits, "It has been too long since I have done this for hours on end!"
GS: Lady Harken has attacked Lucia with Friend Rejoining Kick! GS: Lady Harken has completed her action. GS: Cassidy Cain used Mystic on Cassidy Cain! 100 Temporary HP gained! All statuses cleared! GS: Cassidy Cain has activated a Force Action!
DC: MISS! Cassidy Cain completely evades Azrael - Guillotine from Lady Harken!
GS: CRITICAL! Jean takes a solid hit from Lady Harken's Friend Rejoining Kick for 145 hit points! GS: Poison and Cripple! Statuses applied to Jean! GS: CRITICAL! Lucia takes a glancing hit from Lady Harken's Friend Rejoining Kick for 76 hit points! GS: Poison and Cripple! Statuses applied to Lucia!
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Thankfully, Corwynt doesn't pursue - and Noeline has bigger problems to worry about than her face being identified. She's already got a bounty against her head, after all - already got any number of people who know she's a Metal Demon, and have either made peace with that or are at least willing to trust her for the moment. Briefly, she does wonder what the Princess and her retinue might have to say about the demon strike on the Temple--
--before even she has to correct herself. What they did wasn't much of a strike, in the end. They brought troops - but only wished to scan the Temple, not reduce it to rubble from the skies. "--Riese!" she calls urgently, not sure if the winged woman sustaining the barrier can even hear her. "Come on! You heard Siegfried! We need to get inside!" she offers, doing her best to prop the other woman up on one shoulder, and send them both lurching towards the doorway to the Temple, pausing over to feather the microphone that managed to survive the cutting of her helmet. "--Ebony Wings! Get under cover! Get inside the Temple! Form up!"
<Pose Tracker> Agatha Pyrelight has posed.
There are more explosions - this time from the back of the Aveh formation, as another force joins in the battle.
They had been late to the party, but the Yggdrasil is approaching at full steam, cutting through the sand like a terrible dark grey blade of vengeance when it comes to dealing with Shakhan's forces. On the bridge, Bart looks out for a moment and starts designating targets. "Try and put Bart Missiles here, here, and here," he orders. "Full spread of torpedoes, and break back for the open desert once we've offloaded our people. Sigurd!" he turns, pointing to his first mate. "I want you to do your best to harry Shakhan's goons until we've had a chance to look the temple over - I don't know if what I'm looking for is going to be in there, but Ceci's group certainly has something that they need to find and we need to give them cover until they do. If you need to break back to one of the supply bases, do it earlier rather than later - we're really going to need you here to pick us up."
And so the battle outside the temple intensifies, with the Sand Pirate Ship laying down clouds of smoke following it's barrage of missiles and sand torpedoes. Great plumes of debris and dirt go flying, and almost unnoticed in the midst of the carnage, Bart and a hand picked* team* of experienced* pirates* go flying out of the hanger in a modified sand buggy. They're headed straight for the temple, and it isn't going to take too long for them to arrive.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei is not dead yet, but he's weakening.
Meanwhile, in the room of the cross, Id sits on a wooden chair. Fei is weakening which means Id has a bit more control. Not enough control to take over, but a bit more. That emotional weakness isn't there. He is freaking glad he managed to get mauled protecting that girl. He can sense her. That little bit of a kindred spirit lurking within Riesenlied. It wasn't his imagination. He licks his lips lightly. He oughta do that girl a favor as she's new to the game. He can only connect with others through destruction but that doesn't mean he can't connect with her.
That empathic link isn't entirely gone. The others that tried to link up all fell apart like broken dolls, but Riesenlied isn't reaching the full depths of the mind twisted by the collective unconciousness. It allows him room to maneuever without killing her. It's like a sprinkle of rain compared to a storm.
She won't listen He whispers. She's just like him. She won't listen. If you want to reach the stage rather than lurk in the wings forever...
The boy smiles. It's a friendly smile. You have to make her suffer. Show her what she doesn't like seeing. It's only fair
And then he's snapped back. Fei's not dead yet.
Fei has rolled over onto his back as he stares, raspily breathing, into the sky at the Aveh ships bearing down on them.
"Bart..." He manages, as his ships arrive. He smiles faintly. Right on time as usual. He'd hug the guy if he wasn't bleeding to death on the floor.
He sees Siegfried, barely, going forth to do more battle. Maybe that's what Siegfried is in the end, just some hungry soul who wants war, just like that dark voice inside of him.
He's in too much pain to think on the matter further. Maybe he was just foolish to think he could alter the course of a thousand year long war. But he was able to change one thing. At least so far.
"Elly..." He manages. "---Cover." He hacks a few times. He's not thinking much right now about how they're technically her allies but then for allies their weaponsfire isn't especially discriminate now is it? Luckily he thinks Bart's cover should help. Hopefully??
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Siegfried doesn't move to kill her. Ida stares up at him--he's little more than a gunmetal-and-blue blob with the vague shape of a man, thanks to the fact that her gaze is glazed over with pain. Fortunately, Elly deprives Siegfried of his chance to have second thoughts. Ida closes her eyes, but even that doesn't seem to be enough to block out the tiny sun that Gebler's premiere Ether-wielder just conjured out of nothing.
She could die here. She could bleed out in the sand, alone and forgotten, just like K.K. said.
Ida pushes herself up on a hand. Something seems to have taken root in her, but she's not sure where it came from--an anomalous feeling of hope. It doesn't feel like Riesenlied's, and there is far, far too much conviction in it to be Ida's.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied isn't exactly -- running -- it's rather clear that barrier requires her full concentration, thus exposing her to attack in the midst of the bombardments and shelling that's happening from the air.
"... Just... go... Hiro... Lemina..."
Her eyes scrunch tightly as her eyes tremble, and she feels her wings start to fail and scream against every inch of her being. It feels like they could melt and fall off at any point. Her blood is boiling, exhausted from a wellspring of impurity rising high about her.
The girl in the robes looks up towards seemingly -- nothing, just for a moment. But she can hear HIM -- through the empathic link, through the depths of the minds ensnared together. Spooky action at a distance.
There's a warm smile. It is wicked, and yet at the same time sorrowful.
She is already so good at setting herself up for disappointment.
She reaches towards the seated Riesenlied again, once more planting that bloodied hand to gently stroke at her hair, staining it red.
Those who avert their eyes most fall hardest in the end, don't you agree?
Her neck is crooked as she does a particular headtilt, that smile widening.
I don't mind playing the long game. It's fun to see her struggle.
Just as she feels like she's about to collapse, Xantia -- embraces her, from behind. It snaps her out of her dazed reverie. She trembles, and a tear rolls from her eye.
Just what is the right answer, in the end?
Is there a right answer?
She glances weakly towards Noeline as she rushes to her side, whispering, "Your helmet's broken... what about your cover...?"
But it isn't over yet -- she hears Siegfried's command, and she follows in with Noeline's command. "... yes, we-- we will see you inside. Please, be well," she replies as best as she's able to her throat-mic.
Finally, that barrier dies down as she's flat out incapable of sustaining it -- but Siegfried's fortunately given the enemies some distraction, not to mention the Yggdrasil in turn.
She stumbles onto the actual temple courtyard -- where Ida is crumpled on the ground, and winces faintly as she drops to her knees and throws the Raye Clan heritor's arm around her shoulder. She looks towards Morgan for a moment, frozen for a moment, before insisting: "... please. Let me take her to safety."
She doesn't bother to wait for a response -- time is of the essence here, and danger still surrounds them all.
She stares towards the entranceway of the temple. For a moment, the unicorn's presence is like a sharp spike at the forefront of her mind.
"... I can't be afraid..."
She marches, with Ida in tow, Noeline by her side.
"I won't be afraid..."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Well, Id reflects. She ain't wrong
Fei continues to bleed in horrible and tremendous pain.
<Pose Tracker> Marcus Rider has posed.
Lucia's command of unknown power fills him again, though this time it is tempered by the more familiar effect of Blackwell's healing attacks. Enhancing power sustains and drives Marcus's furious blade, but they have another very important effect: augmenting a personal field of etheric non-fuckery around Marcus, which happens to quite beneficial when Elly lets loose an infernal geometry of cosmic fire around the Quarter Knight leader just as Marcus lands his attack.
In those breaths before the air becomes plasma and Siegfried's fist forces him back, he gets a word. Just between two of them. In Solarian.
"(Remember: You are not this world's rulers.)"
A million shades of light distort and refract off the spherical barrier surrounding Marcus before he is thrown back, and even the sheer intensity of the heat was a force be reckoned with. Even considering the instruction he provided, and the short amount of time she had to practice it, the operative was taken aback. Did she siphon power from slaves? He wondered in quiet, slightly awed speculation, gaze briefly tilting up in recognition of the forces that assembled above them and, even now, continued to bomb the structure. Not a particularly subtle move, Prime Minister, but an effective one.
He stares Siegfried down appraisingly before the behemoth decides, sensibly, to deal with this new threat.
Marcus will have to wonder later what furious emotion could have anchored the Lieutenant's power so-all he'd seen was the SLIDE-1 pilot go down. Quick movements carry him back to the side of Blackwell and The Todds as drifters began to scatter one way or another. "We're pulling back." He speaks quietly, "This is indiscriminate and sloppy. Shakhan must be acting on his own."
That doesn't mean, of course, the won't be fine as soon as they get out the area they were bombing to oblivion.
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.
Jean hears Corwynt's shouting as she tries to find purchase on Harken, and in one of those lulls between motions she prepares herself for ambush at the Guard's promise. She doesn't look at him at his assertion that she will die. He isn't her priority right now.
Harken counters Jean, and Jean narrows her eyes. "I do believe it. There are powers this world is better off without, Harken." Jean did not see that lost of control, but she sees the great speed. She sees her motions and attacks stymied, again and again, by the sheer speed of all of this. "It wasn't greater on the rooftop," Jean spits.
"It was a mistake." And it's one that she knows she will commit again if it comes to it, to protect those she cares for. But if she says that... She might as well be asking Harken to harm them.
The Scarlet Knight compliments her, more or less, and Jean knows what she must have seen. "You--" Whatever she would have said is cut off with the sudden movements, and Jean's arms are burning at each of these motions, but worse in her stomach as tht kick hits like a train she's never seen and slams her straight back at Lucia, who she was trying to protect.
Her shirt tears further, and blood tracks on Harken's boots as the sharp edges cut into Jean along with the dizziness that harms all her movements.
But dizziness doesn't matter while she's slamming straight into her friend.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida feels someone pick her up. She's limp as a ragdoll in Riesenlied's grip, but she's still breathing. Her skin is still sticky with blood. Most of her arms and torso are covered in burn wounds. The one thing that hasn't been destroyed--or damaged, really--is the damnable piece of jewelry that started the whole thing.
"Mother," she mumbles. Her voice is low and plaintive, but still audible.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
That was a poor idea, young lady.
The red-haired Demon's eyes turn to regard her and she feels her heart lurch painfully against her ribs, the battledance calling her again like distant drums getting closer. The front of her shirt wet with blood, pale skin luminescent with perspiration, she should be on the ground, quietly bleeding to death like the ancestors Siegfried had claimed to destroy. But she isn't, on her feet and that wild grin on her lips; never does she feel more alive than when she is about to die, and in what could be her very last seconds of life, she chooses, still, to burn.
"Ay?" she breathes, the revolver suddenly gone in a smooth sleight of hand, replaced by one gun in each set of fingers, hammers cocked back after they've finished their glinting revolutions. "Give me time. I'm full of those."
And she is about to prove herself a prophet.
Before she can line up another shot, the thunderclap of spinning blades make themselves known to her from somewhere behind her. She reacts immediately. A pistol holstered with lightning speed in spite of her injuries, she spins around and hurls a grenade with that free hand, the red indicator light winking in the shadows of the temple. Her other gun arm is up, firing another shot.
The bullet ignites the explosive, the yield and shockwave enough to send her flying sideways, and just enough to disrupt the deadly weapon's trajectory. She lands on her feet, skidding to slam against the craggy surface of one of the temple walls. The scythe's spinning blade stops within inches from her face, buried deep somewhere past her left cheek.
She says nothing for a long moment.
"Ha ha...ha ha ha ha..." Her laugh spills out despite herself. "Dangerous and beautiful, ay? Nae going tae lie, luv, I've got a thing for redheads, these days. Considering what you are, though..."
She grabs the shaft of the weapon, and pushes it with all of her might. The heavy, dangerous object lands on the ground with a clunk. She crouches next to it, arm draped casually over the blunt curve of the blade.
"Just makes me a wee bit resentful. I'm really..." A glint manifests in her green eyes. "... really starting tae hate the lot of you." She inclines her head. "Annoyed enough tae be tempted tae leave my filthy human cooties all over this thing. What do you think, luv? Big red letters? Maybe a heart?"
She pulls out a marker from her back pocket, wiggling it at Harken.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly returns Siegfried's gaze, her right hand clenching despite the swift mottling of the skin on the back of her hand. (It'll get better. Probably.) She gathers herself, waiting for him to make a move, a second strike. He grounded his sword, Elly thinks. If he doesn't turn away when he pulls it out - I'll be able to-
Elly's eyes go up to Ruby with simple and complete astonishment. She does not aggress against the precious pink creature, but she also does not let her eyes leave Siegfried for more than a moment. Fortunately Siegfried does not take this opportunity to kill them. Instead, he's -
Oh.
"Thank you," Elly says to Ruby, with heartfelt warmth. Then Fei is talking to her - and Elly goes to kneel next to him, hisses and shifts knees, before telling him, "-- Yes, I understand." Nearby, THOOM. Elly reaches into her tunic and pulls round the leather pouch full of... things; they make no sense, but Elly seems to jab Fei with a plastic pencil and then the pain gets better. (He probably doesn't even feel the needle!)
Elly considers her next move, and then an artillery shell bursts close enough that she feels something go 'WHIZ' through her hair, shedding a few red strands along the way. "This is going to hurt, I'm sorry," she half-shouts at Fei, rolling him forwards and SLAPPING HIM ON HIS SHOT UP BACK - oh, that was a pad of gauze of some kind, or something. It sticks.
After this Elly slides down and despite feeling very clearly as if her thigh is going to rip apart like a roast chicken wing and gush blood into her ballistic nylons, SOMEHOW Elly finds herself standing upright - with a hand free, yet.
Elly looks momentarily towards - she can't even see where the motor vehicles were. Wait, there's one - the mostly intact, though disabled, motorbike is then hit by an Aveh shell.
Elly slaps her hip with the free hand but no, the tablet computer is hidden in a locker back at the bike 'rental' area.
Crap, Elly thinks.
Having no other choice she runs towards the temple.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline is visibly gritting her teeth against some pain herself; some of her armor, especially at the arms, is twisted and broken away, and true enough - as Riesenlied makes the comment - she grimaces from behind her hair. Still, her gaze is surprisingly strong and certain, this time around, a marked contrast from how she carried herself earlier. "--now isn't the time to worry about something like that. It's fine. I chose this path, same as you," she stresses, her brow furrowed in effort as she gives her strength towards hauling the human inside the temple, taking much of the weight from Riese.
In the moment, her support might be rather blunt - but it's well-meant, at least, and gives her the chance to cover Riesenlied as she glances back to the Temple's entryway, planting her sword in the ground. With a rising whine, the neon light at its side intensifies, a beacon for any others who might seek to follow them in. There are no Ebony Wings to hear her earlier command - but she's happy enough to leave the makeshift guidepost for anyone else, instead.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a tender laugh from the robed girl as she starts to disappear. Riesenlied's proximity is straining their link with one another.
I don't have any friends here. Let's play again sometime.
She whispers a name, just as she succumbs towards the recess of her mind.
Riesenlied, for once, is still standing as she ducks towards the archway of the temples, murmuring angrily, "That was Aveh... just what do they plan to do with an attack like that? Sloppy..."
She lets out a haggard noise as she looks towards Noeline and she shines the light on her sword, and she reaches to her pack to apply some emergency unguents that Kalve has concocted for them, laying it to some of her wounds...
...
... before pausing and rummaging through another pack, working quickly to apply some of her own burn salve and medicinal unguents to apply to Ida's injuries, all the while shimmering with a soothing light of empathy as she works to sustain the Drifter through harm.
"... we're too deep in ... and ... I want to hear the truth. No matter how harsh it may be... no matter how harrowing they may be..."
<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.
With Layna's encouragement, Lucia somehow gets to her feet. Hiro is running to her; Lemina shielding her with a brilliant invocation; and Jean, Jean--
--Jean slams into her with all the force Harken can bring to bear. They fall in a pile; somehow, through total martial mastery of her own form, Jean winds up on the bottom.
It's hard to see much of them but Lucia's hair, everywhere, shrouding them in blue. Her cap has been knocked clean off, and, forgotten, dissolves swiftly out of existence.
It takes too long for her to get off Jean, dazed as she is, but what she cannot do swiftly, more explosions do for her. The ground shakes and then they are apart.
"The Guardians," she breathes in horror. Perhaps the wrong horror given the hell of war converging all aroung them, but a typically Lucian horror, certainly.
"We must -- we must go in."
She tries to get up. People see a slender woman struggle beneath wounds and heavy raiment.
Harken feels the chains.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
There is a flash of movement to Morgan's left and he sees the familiar figure of Reise there. A whispered plea and Morgan just sighs slightly.
"Go." He growls out towards her. "I got yer back."
His ARM glows as he holds it up, fingers splayed wide. Blue energy swirls out to form shields, catching shells as he pours his own energy into the ARM.
"Goddamn Aveh bastards wanna bring the whole damn thing down. Bullets arn't being picky!" He calls out over the roar of combat. "Cass get yer sweet ass over here and stop flirtin'!"
A beatpause.
"If yer gonna put somethin' on there though I'm goin with smiley faces and hearts. I bet the lady over there loves smiley faces and hearts." A longer pause. "Maybe unicorns."
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
Ruby screeches and cuts a sideways arc in the air as Siegfried leaps past her. "Tin-Plated Bastard..." Though it's less of a curse and more of a whimper of Ruby's impotency against someone like that. Against anyone really. She can't protect anyone as she is, but she always tries. Always. It was her nature.
Flying down to eye level with Elly, she hears what Fei said, "Oh he's alive... thank goodness. Um- you're welcome- Elly right?" She winces at her motion with the gauze, "Geez... tough love but I guess it's better than me cauterizing them or something... Ah-" She starts flying alongside Elly, providing further motivation, "Go-go-go!"
Hiro bites the inside of his lip as he sees Riese telling him to go. He steps towards her. As if he were just going to grab her- but she's made her choice. He had to respect it, didn't mean he had to like it- just like her choices of what to do in this whole conflict.
His shoulders slump as he watches her focusing, watches others run to her side. "Take care of yourself." He murmurs, before he starts running in the opposite question towards Jean- and Lucia.
In a half-jog he breathes more easily when she says that, "Ah... thank the Goddess you're both okay. Scared me for a moment." 'We must go in.' "Well if that's the case-"
Putting down a hand, he laces his fingers inside Lucia's to try to pull her back up gently with a smile on his lips and determination in his eyes, "-then I'm glad we're all going in together." Looking at the looming temple though, escaping the advancing army... he hesitates for a singular moment "... Why does this feel so familiar?" He breaks into a run with her.
<Pose Tracker> Lady Harken has posed.
If there is one voice that can truly cut through the furore of battle and reminds Harken of why the Demons came here in the first place, surely, it is Siegfried's. Her head snaps in his direction for a moment as he calls for her--there is work to be done, in places other than this. The Drifters are no longer their primary concern, and the Demons are fleeing further into the temple, or... in the case of Lord Siegfried, taking the fight to Aveh. His call will not go unanswered.
The scarlet knight turns her gaze away, then, from both Jean, who crashes uncerimoniously into poor, poor Lucia (but perhaps this... is better than being struck by that horrible scythe)) and from Siegfried alike. Because something important of hers still needs retrieving.
See, the advantage, and the fun of being such a superhuman shithead is that Harken has the celerity needed to about-face and watch the most inventive process of dodging she has ever seen as Cassidy Cain detonates a hand grenade at Danger Close distances for a kinetic boost to her dance moves. To be fair, it works: Azrael's life-hungry edge bites only the unyielding stone of the temple, sinking through it as if it were a tender roast for the carving. Not a pretty image.
A detached smirk finds its way onto Harken's face as Ms. Cain does her the service of prying the blade free from the wall, and then drapes her pretty little self over it. "I'm partial to the signature and the date, myself, but I wouldn't touch the blade, if I were you."
The Quarter Knight waggles a plated finger at Cassidy in that smug, taunting tut-tut fashion before splaying that palm open. "It doesn't play nicely with human flesh. And I'd hate for a pretty thing like you to shrivel up without a fight..."
Azrael, for its part, is a 200-something pound scythe made out of terrible alien alloys and infused with some kind of energy antithetical to life. It doesn't have anything to add to the conversation, but it does begin to vibrate uncomfortably beneath Cassidy's form as its owner calls to it. At some point, and possibly not before she draws a C'n'B on Harken's weapon, it flies back to her hand with a terrible woosh of a noise.
"We have won this day. As we always do." and Harken proves, once again, that she is a wretched shit of a person who must get the last word before Wuxia-leaping out of the Temple to join her Lord and Master, Siegfried in his endeavours. Before Hiro can get a word in at her, given that she was really very rude to his friends. At the very least, if you hate Aveh and its people and its armed forces, watching Azrael's scarlet blade leaving glowing trails through gear-joints turning cockpits into flowering blossoms of flame might help. Uh. Maybe.
- Quarter Knights. They're jerks.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline stares at the Aveh ships for a long moment, committing them to memory; her brow furrows hard before she shakes her head, turning back to Riesenlied to kneel next to her with an uncertain noise, watching the other demon work to give Ida something in the way of first aid. "It's the same as the fairground. I'm sure it will turn out the same way in people's eyes, instead," she mutters, a spike of sarcasm and bitterness unbidden in her voice before she shakes it away, and does her best to assist.
"... I know. If we left now, this would all have been for nothing. We can't do that," she mutters again - this time, her voice carries more in the way of conviction, the voice of someone who's ready to pick herself up and continue. She pauses, glancing around them for a moment - Siegfried and Harken are not present, nor are the other Quarter Knights - before she lets the faintest echo of Duras Drum's power thrum around her, resonating with the stones of the Temple building. She hesitates - and then slowly nods.
"... I'll do my best to feel us through."
<Pose Tracker> Animal has posed.
Healed up from the scuffle with the lady in the armor, Animal doesn't like the nearness of the artillery fire, and like a dog running from a vacuum, he is able to muster a great deal of speed as he goes pelting across the battle field. Jumping clear over some enemy and potentially friendly forces as he sprints along, eating the foodstuffs he'd dug out of his pocket as he goes. Not sure what is going on, but content to get to cover, which seems to be in the temple.
Leaping and springing along, he runs at a mile eating sprint, and glances around as he does. Looking for something new to carry, since he lost his metal pieces earlier.
He spots something that broke off of a huge metal beast, some sort of leg or tail or something, and starts dragging that. Leaving a cleft in the ground behind him, as it bounces up and down at his rapid pace as he gets out of range, or rather, out of the line of fire.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"Mother," Ida says, again. Who is she seeing, as she hangs there between wakefulness and delirium? She sees calloused hands, and a face that remains gentle despite the scars. She's exhausted. She threw everything she had at Siegfried when she should've just shot him in the head as many times as it took. If she could've even done that. Instead, she ended up with nothing, not even the grim satisfaction of putting a giant hole in the Metal Demons' heirarchy.
And she's tired. God, she's tired.
Ida's eyes flicker, and open. She looks at Riesenlied. She looks like she's about to start crying.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Unbeknownst to most, however, someone did win the day:
The Metal Beast that Xantia chucked and Riese caught, who's decided to follow Riese's advice of running free and is now curled up underneath a nearby cacti to doze. :3
<Pose Tracker> The Todds has posed.
The Todds know exactly what to do when they catch a Quarter Knight! They cling tighter, balling up around her legs like enormous spheres of heavy muscle.
"Sorry!"
"What?"
"No, to her! Ribby says you should never hug a lady unless she likes you and I'm pretty sure she definitely wants to kill us a lot which is like almost the opposite of like."
"Oh. Oh--" Todd pales.
"Especially the legs which a lot of people say is the most important part of a lady but usually after they say that someone punches them so I think a doctor hasn't said it yet."
"Ahhh!"
"Ahhhhh!"
"AAAAAA" "AAAAAAAA"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASORRY"
Having worked each other up into a state of panic, the Todds throw themselves off of Lady Harken, scrambling after Thomas.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Layna moves in to try and intercept the flying Jean, but she's moving far too quickly and collides with the person she had been trying to protect, Lucia, instead.
Whoops.
Layna winces. Well, their friends were here. Her part was done. She had to worry about herself now.
Well...what to do now...
Going out wasn't an option. Whatever force was attacking them was that direction. She was worried for her crew, but...Dahlia was smart, Layna knew that she would have pulled everyone out as soon as another aggressive force showed up. She just had to trust her judgment, and trust that she had managed to get everyone gathered up and safely out of the line of fire.
For now, Layna's only option was to move in - into the temple, and into whatever mysteries lay within.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied turns her eyes to Noeline, before she remarks, "... it is what it is. You know the price we paid when we followed through to be here... it matters not." She looks towards Ida as she murmurs, and she steps back after she's done.
"Mother... your mother? Or...?" Riesenlied questions. God, she's exhausted. She only hopes Xantia, Hiro and Lemina made it in all right -- she lost track of them in the ensuing chaos.
"... it's okay. Rest a while," she murmurs as she places her hand to her head softly, gently, to pat it.
<Pose Tracker> Thomas Blackwell has posed.
Holding his hand to his head, Thomas just looks at the Todds, as if to quietly ask 'why'.
Not that he expects an answer!
If dimly -- considering the more existential threats, as much as Elly is and may forever be a threat in his mind -- Thomas is aware of how much of a proverbial punch was behind that explosive hit of plasma-oriented ether his fellow lieutenant had unleashed.
...No, she couldn't have used that. Could she?
Another shell falls, detonating handily, a reminder that friendly fire is not actually friendly.
Aveh's military is being incredibly reckless, he thinks, chancing a glance towards the battleships.
They're going to have a problem -- more of a problem -- in quick order.
Marcus pulls up alongside him, confirming what he was more or less thinking. He dips his head in a shallow nod. 'Make contact' Thomas mouths in Solarian -- meaning to the ships, so they don't get killed out here before they can make a proper retreat -- before saying outloud, "Agreed. This is ridiculous..." Underhanded, crude, and absolutely detrimental to their aims.
With a glance, a gesture, the medical student attempts to get the attention of the Todds. "You two! We're--"
Another shell falls, the air and the surroundings redolent with the stench of smoke following the explosion.
"--Come on!" Thomas settles for, waiting a second for the two men to catch up before moving to catch up to Marcus.
Elly's still with them, he thinks, hesitating for a moment.
...He hates to admit it, but he'll have to trust her with this one.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
Leaning against the scythe, the blonde conwoman's managed to plant a fresh cigarette between her lips. Her smile curls up from around it.
"Nae a fortune teller, luv, I leave that tae the gypsies," she tells Harken gamely, as always up for trading barbs as she is with trading blows - and those closest to her, if they even exist, generally know how much she prefers the former. "But sommat tells me that sooner, rather than later, the lot of you's going tae discover that the fight in me is downright endless when I want sommat. And there's sommat you got that I want verra verra badly - and while I hate tae disappoint you in our first meeting, it's nae your mouth. Pretty as it is."
The marker finishes its swipe with a flourish, though she's only got time to scribble '<3 C.C. was--' before the scythe decides it's become way too uncomfortable with this kind of talk and flies back to its owner. The blonde levies herself back up, adjusting her hat.
"Ay, well, there they go again," she mutters, exasperation and good humor escaping her lips, punctuated with thin trails of cigarette smoke.
Cass get yer sweet ass over here and stop flirtin'!
"What the fookin hell do you think I am?" she shoots back at Morgan. "Pudding? Chocolate? Since when am I ever sweet? You'd think after the night you had recently, you'd be reassessing that notion."
Falling a step next to Morgan, she claps a hand on his shoulder, still coated with Siegfried's silver blood.
"You ken me, luv. I'd rather be cinnamon than sugar."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
For a moment, Noeline nearly answers Riesenlied - but she bites her tongue, looking down as she heaves out a sigh and tugs some hair out of her face, trying to tug it into some semblance of order. "... I know," she mumbles, closing her eyes for a moment; the energy almost leaves her shoulders as she nearly sags, but the effort she makes afterwards and the way she sucks in a breath propels her back to standing.
She pauses, as the woman between them stirs - and she can at least find a little humour in the way Ida calls for her Mother, and nearly calls Riesenlied her Mother. "... I sympathize... but I think, somehow, that Riesenlied has enough in the way of unruly children," her teasing is perhaps out of place, but she'd rather try to recover some semblance of whatever counts for normalcy these days. "... take a moment, as she says."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"Yes," Ida says. She glances over at Noeline, somehow managing to convey surprise at seeing her in Ebon Zero's armor despite realizing that the armored figure was in fact probably her. Everything hurts. She has so many questions she wants to ask, but she is in no shape to do so. "Thought you were... her. Hoped this... was a nightmare."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied would like no more than to just buckle down at the sheer impossibility of her situation, but the day isn't over yet, and as much as she can sense that sardonic side of Noeline nearly come out, she just pats her on the shoulder to say, "... no one said that being with me is easy. You said it yourself, yes?"
She has a lighter smile as she looks towards Ida again. "... it's not a nightmare. It is what it is. I'm pretty certain I saw the Yggdrasil's counterattack out there -- there'll be a chance to slip out if you want to retreat back to Linga."
She sighs as she looks towards the depths of the temple. "... there's no running for me, though."
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.
Jean knows how to take a fall, and if nothing else she can make it a little easier on Lucia... But that doesn't do her much good once she's on the ground dazed and blinded by hair. Blue, everywhere. More explosions solve that.
Jean manages to get her bearings and looks alarmedly at Lucia. "What?" They must go in. "That... seems like what we'd better do anyway," Jean admits. "We can't stay out here."
But Hiro is there and Jean smiles at him. "Glad you're fine, too. Lemina?" She looks around to find her, as she gets up to her feet.
"It looks familiar because we're all really, really bad at staying out of trouble, Hiro." Jean rubs her head and takes off running after the rest. Together.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei grimaces as he is jabbed with the needle. He gasps out for a moment but his eyes focus. He seems a bit more coherent. He feels strangely better. Is this 'body preparing to die' better? No. No it's not that. Oof. No. He's going to fill it the moment it wears off ain't he? But at least it lets him speak without croaking.
Thank god for Ruby. He looks over to Ida, feeling suddenly rather guilty, but--no, there's no time. He'll run into her again. He often does.
He starts to try and get up on his own but stops. Instead he manages a, "Thanks," to Ruby before Elly hefts him up.
"AARGGGHH...!!" Pause. "I'm...OKAY!"
And he's carted in a fireman's carry into the temple.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
"Cinnamon, red pepper, sandpaper. All depends on yer mood, darlin'." Morgan replies as he keeps the shields up. Backing up the steps one by one towards the entrance as he attempts to keep the shelling away from the rest of the retreating ones.
"And ya can be sugar when ya wanna be." He adds with a smirk.
Then they are at the entrance. About to come down. The others are dashing in as Morgan takes the last few steps before everything comes crumbling down.
A pause after the rumbling stops.
"...the hell is this place anyway?"
Nope. He has no idea why they are all there. He was just hunting Demons.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"Fei..." Elly begins, as she's exhorted into further running by Ruby. The pink cat is a good coach.
"L-- fff - D, did you tell your cat friend about me?" Elly huffs out in staccato bursts as she puts on the throttle towards that temple entrance. Hopefully there will not be too many Metal Demons inside.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"Being with you is easy, most of the time," huffs Noeline, managing to at least find a moment's humour as she flicks her hair back, the motion a little off without it being managed into two separate tails. "You even managed to stay on your feet, this time around. It's everyone else I'm irritated with at the moment," she adds - but there's a huff back there, and her expression is firming slightly as she looks towards the passage that leads further in.
"It is not a nightmare," she proclaimes towards Ida - then offers her a gauntleted hand up from where she's sat on the ground, a wry smile on her face. "And at the same time, I do not doubt that you're strong enough to be able to cope with the situation, Miss Everstead-Rey. ... and, really, do you think we're immune to calling for our family?" she adds with an amused sigh. Thankfully, she didn't say 'Mother', or that would possibly be really awkward.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
"As mercurial as the winds," Cassidy agrees, as she shamelessly exploits Morgan's shield.
The sugar comment, though, has her rolling her head over at the Fox Man, giving him a long, long look.
"Well, considering how weird you actually are, your definition of sweet is pretty much suspect, anyway," she replies, taking another deep drag of her cigarette - the last thing she needs while she's bleeding the way she is, but she isn't one to deny herself the smallest vice, no matter the circumstance.
The hell is this place anyway?
A more resigned look settles on her features.
"Dinnae ken. Sommat tells me I'm already going tae hate it, though. Prior experiences and all."
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
Lemina gets caught up with the rest of the group in short order, moving almost immediately toward Jean once the two lock eyes. "I'm fine. ... still a little numb, but, uh, fine," Lemina answers, taking a second to try to stretch. "... and, yeah, that's pretty much it. This is kind of our thing."
She doesn't move to help Lucia -- mostly because she's fairly certain that'll only result in both of them falling over, instead of Lucia getting back up. She knows better.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Riesenlied suggests retreat. In all honesty, this is probably what most people would conclude upon seeing her. The bandages help--as Riesenlied coats more of the young human's wounds, she starts to slip into a less pain-clouded state. She's still too wobbly to take the hand up, but she gives Noeline's hand as much of a reassuring squeeze as she can manage. "No," Ida says. "I--I have to--" Do what? Throw yourself bodily into the churning gears of the world in the hopes that maybe your mangled body will stop them? Something focuses her, though. "...Fei. That woman, the redhead. Morgan. Did they--" Ida pauses, seeming to focus a bit more. Worrying about others gives her something to draw herself out of her own helplessness.
"Was Kalve... out there? Is he all right?"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Riesenlied suggests retreat. In all honesty, this is probably what most people would conclude upon seeing her. The bandages help--as Riesenlied coats more of the young human's wounds, she starts to slip into a less pain-clouded state. She's still too wobbly to take the hand up, but she gives Noeline's hand as much of a reassuring squeeze as she can manage. "No," Ida says. "I--I have to--" Do what? Throw yourself bodily into the churning gears of the world in the hopes that maybe your mangled body will stop them? Something focuses her, though. "...Fei. That woman, the redhead. Morgan. Did they--" Ida pauses, seeming to focus a bit more. Worrying about others gives her something to draw herself out of her own helplessness.
"Was Kalve... out there? Is he all right?"
Noeline assesses her as 'strong enough to cope'. "You have more faith in me than I do, Miss Noeline," she says. This is probably bog-standard familiar for Noeline, but weird in that it's coming from... not Riesenlied.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Her name is Ruby." Fei says. Didn't someone say something to him about calling her cat once? Or is he just hallucinating it. He's not actually entirely sure, in his condition, that he did tell Ruby about Elly or that he didn't. "I... don't think so, but...hnn... Mabye I did?"
He is quiet for a few moments. DID HE DIE? No, he's just thinking about how to best describe Ruby.
"Ruby's the voice of wisdom for Hiro." He summarizes succinctly.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks towards the hallways, wondering where everyone did go. In truth, this was probably the worst position for them to be in. The Drifters, scattered into here, were probably not going to be very happy to see them. But again... being with her isn't easy. It never was.
"No, Kalve is... he has other arrangements," she expresses, which is about the most of what she knows about where the mercurial scientist is. Literally.
She doesn't make a comment on Ida's state of readiness -- she trusts Ida to make her own judgement on that front. "Morgan covered for us when we entered inside. He'll be fine. I think I saw Fei tended to as well..."
She sighs faintly, looking to Noeline, then back to Ida. "Can you move? I don't mean to rush you, but... I am rather concerned for those who seek to hunt us, and we need to make ourselves scarce."
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan just smirks slightly. "Of course ya are gonna hate it, ya used up all your good luck not dyin out there." He adds towards Cass before he chuckles. "You know yer still bleedin' right?"
He doesn't tell her to stop smoking. Just points the bleeding out before he hears another voice.
"I'm fine, Ida." Morgan calls out into the darkness. "Well. All my bits are still attached, and after whats happened thats close to fine as I can get."
There is still a rumble as the shelling continues outside.
A pause at a thought. "Didn't see yer bug there." He adds towards Ida as an afterthought.
Then a longer pause. A thoughtful one. "...I wonder if that big blue bastard can take out a sand cruiser."
He shrugs for a moment. "Well no use ponderin' that. I suppose we should try to find a way out." A smirk at Cassidy. "...I bet I could scrounge up a stick ta pick a direction."
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
"Yeah that's me- and no he didn't say anything! Geez, Fei's not the type to talk about someone behind their back anyhow."
How'd she hear someone though? She lurches when Fei gets real quiet, ready to grab him with pink pawsies and convince him to live through SHAKING HIM A LOT. But fortunately he didn't die.
"Accurate. He'd be totally lost without me."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"People do tell me that a great deal," Noeline admits in return, finding more of that humour from somewhere. Her grasp is remarkably sure, for the beating she's taken - perhaps this is part of the difference between Riesenlied and herself, in as much as she's got the regenerative abilities of a 'true' Metal Demon somewhere under her lighter frame. "And yet, I have lived amongst your kind for a few centuries, now. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you all just don't know when on Filgaia to give up, let alone stop and rest for a moment."
That's meant to be encouragement, right? Probably?
She meets Riesenlied's expression, then nods in return. "At the very least, we should get away from the entrance a little more. I can't begin to talk about the physical structure of this place - and I've only a faintest idea where to go. My... instincts don't appear to think particularly highly of the temple in general, it seems," she adds, a little cagey about the fact that she's relying on Duras Drum to see her through the place.
Which is for the best, especially when Morgan pipes up-- and she lets out a soft chuckle, at Ida's question.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
"Oh, I would nae say that," Cassidy murmurs absently. "Like I said, Luck and I have a verra tumultuous love-hate relationship. And you know what happens in those? No matter what happened, happens, or will happen, nae either of us will be able tae let go of one another so easily."
At the fact that she's still bleeding, the blonde looks down on her front. "Right. Well, that explains why there's two of you," she tells him.
She falls silent when Ida addresses Morgan; the woman gets a blithe smile and a wiggle of her fingers, brows shooting upwards.
"We've got tae stop meeting like this, Ida," is all she says, before she turns to head deeper in the darker underbellies of the temple.
"Dinnae follow for a bit, Morgan. Need tae see how bad it is, and as much as I like you, I dinnae like you enough for you tae see me naked."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"He's not a bug," Ida says, far more irritably than she habitually displays under normal circumstances. "He's a friend." Later, she will blame the drugs for this. Ida settles in, trying to think. Objectively, she is alive, her horse was probably halfway back to town before Aveh rolled in, and she hasn't lost anything that cannot be repaired or replaced. She is going to have to regroup and find a way out of the hellpit she's blundered into, but she has allies. More than that--she has friends. Strange friends, but friends who cared enough about her to get her to safety, despite having every reason to abandon her. Noeline smiles down at her, and Ida...
Does her best to sweep both Noeline and Riesenlied into a hug, despite most of her upper body being covered in fresh bandages. "Thank you," she says. Her voice is soft, and it sounds like she's starting to tear up again.
'We've got tae stop meeting like this, Ida.'
"Agreed," Ida says. She turns to Noeline. "When this is over, I feel we need to have a proper discussion of these matters. There is only so much you can do to help you and yours while the existing Quarter Knights are in power."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied draws herself up as she hears Morgan and Cassidy's voices, fortunately they don't appear to have been spotted yet. "... I'll leave you a missive. The Tainted have plans," she expresses to Ida as they hug, looking -- surprised herself, and in no small amount like she might tear up a bit as well.
She looks to Noeline, then quickly departs into the darkness, seeking to hear the truth from the power that sustains the world... but not for them.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
'I'm not?' Fei wonders dimly. Is Ruby being the best wing-dragon or is this an actual insight? Well okay, she is the best wing-dragon, but is she the best wing-dragon AND giving an actual insight?
"I hope he's okay." He recognizes they're heading into the temple and says, "Well, us too."
Pause.
"Looks like you saved me this time, Elly." Though uh didn't you get hurt trying to help her? Well that's okay, she did the hard thing so it counts as a point in her favor
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
As much as she's doing her best to play it stoic - Noeline's huff as Ida tugs her into a hug is plainly surprised, and more than a little relieved. "Well-- that's the spirit, isn't it?" What is also apparently the spirit: suggesting the demise of your leadership. To say that the spy's eyebrows soar would be a dramatic understatement - in fact, she nearly scoffs aloud, but shakes her head afterwards with a laugh.
"--as Riese says... we will let you know. We have a plan - one to be truly proud of," she adds softly, and without reservation - and if it's Noeline saying this, given her stance on Adlehyde and Arctica, it's fair to say she means it.
And then she's let out that breath, turning towards the passageway as she follows after Riesenlied, more of that dark aura flaring as she starts to tap into what power she can.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
"I'd think so, yeah." The gunman replies with a smirk. He reaches into his coat and pulls out a small first aid kit that he flips towards Cassidy. "Should be some healing things in there. I got a few others ones."
Then she's starting to walk away and he shakes his head. "Hope springs eternal!" He calls out after her. "...I'll figure a way to go while yer plugging the holes that shouldn't be there." He adds as he pulls out a second kit for himself.
Then a flash of a grin back towards Ida. "Friendly bug." He agrees, eyes dancing with humor. Possibily because acknowldgeing just how badly he's hurting won't do him any good.
...and possibily because he still has a half-bottle of whiskey somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Cassidy Cain has posed.
The first aid kit tossed in her direction, Cassidy catches it, somehow, despite presumably also seeing two of them. Were this a reality, it would only, probably help.
Probably.
"You're so well prepared," she tells the Beastman, pivoting on her heel to move deeper into the temple, darkness enveloping her slender shape as she moves, the kit cradled against her side.
Hope springs eternal!
"Ay. I'm sure it's eternal, because you'll be waiting forever." She winks over her shoulder at that, always every time she has to hit someone with sass.
Once she's safe and clear from the rest, she leans against the wall and slides down. Eyes riveted to the ceiling, the dying embers of her cigarette yield one last puff. A hand lifts, coated in silver, still, watching faint tremors riddle up nerve endings rendered hypersensitive by pain and adrenaline.
Fingers close tightly in a fist. Her jaw sets, all levity vanishing with the errant wisps of smoke.
"Fuck," she whispers, closing her eyes and taking a breath.