2022-07-14: Musketeer's Stand
- Log: 2022-07-14: Musketeer's Stand
- Cast: Tristan Klein, Ratatoskr, Yue Rohay, Ganondorf Dragmire (as Helmaroc King), Hicalu Wilwisp, Gwen Whitlock, Ashley Winchester, Marivel Armitage, Seraph Clarine, Ida Everstead-Rey
- Where: Under Traffic
- Date: July 14, 2022
- Summary: Odessa launches an attack on the passage between north and south Meria--Under Traffic. The Merian Musketeers have answered the call, but they're going to be outmatched--unless someone can show up to help them, fast. They've put out a call for backup and are holding the line, but for how long?
==============================<* Under Traffic *>=============================== Under Traffic is the name given to a large cavern that runs north-south in Meria Boule. It connects the Merian Plains to the Damzen Marches, and in the kingdom's past, it served both as a way for rebels to escape and a path that Merian armies took to conquer the north. Now, it is a well-traveled underground path. The central path is relatively safe. It is large enough to fit a wagon, and many caravans do the cooler caverns than risk the worst of the Damzena Desert and treacherous mountain passes. A few waystations provide food and supplies. However, countless smaller pathways lead off from Under Traffic's main route. These can offer shortcuts into either region -- but also pose dangers, as criminal elements and monsters alike will often hide down here. BGM: Wild Arms 2 - Dungeon ~ Ruins Type 1
<Pose Tracker> Tristan Klein has posed.
'Reinforcements! This is the Merian army, at Under Traffic, under heavy fire from Odessa soldiers!'
Smoke rises from the entrance to Under Traffic, a ruined troop transport its source. Blocking the entrance, the truck is on its side now with its engine blown, and it threatens to burst into flames at any time. It is not a very good place to take cover. There are better places, such as behind the various rocks strewn about the area--but there's a lot of reason to take cover.
Odesssa soldiers maintain the high ground position on a hill a short distance from the entrance which is blocked off by the truck's wreckage. Huddled around raised stones are a few more Musketeers still up fighting. More are fallen in the open, from what was an ambush. The CO is among those who are down, and Tristan crouches behind cover, sharp brown eyes on the position of soldiers up ahead. "It doesn't look good," he says. "...But I've got an idea. On my cue we charge."
"Charge!? Are you crazy!?"
"Nope. They'll pick us off slow if we don't do something. And I can give them something to think about while we're on the way up."
"You--"
"I'll go alone if I have to. But I think I've got a better shot with you all."
"...Y-yes. All right. But this better be good!"
"If it's not, I won't be here to hear you complaining," Tristan says wryly to the man beside him, and then reaches into his pocket and pulls a small object, infused with magical power; a Crest Cap, a ready-made-spell that anyone can cast, in his hand and prepared. So he lifts up his arm suddenly, and squeezes his hand around it into a fist. "AQUA!"
He has to stand up to aim properly, but as soon as he does, the water crashes down from above, taking the dry ground and turning it muddy and slick, starting to send Odessa soldiers tumbling down the hill even as they rise up to shoot him. Tristan takes off in an instant, firing shots from his rifle with a battlecry as the soldiers behind start to charge with him.
The battle has turned... but there are reinforcements on Odessa's side coming quickly.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
The muddy earth changes the situation. Where Odessa once has high ground, it rapidly slips away (literally, for many of them). An advance is made from what was once an encroaching defeat, and the Musketeers are poised to gain back control of Under Traffic from being under fire.
Salvation appears to rain from on high, when Tristan puts his cap to good use in that Crest Cap, and his fellow soldiers are just about to crest that hill.
Something else also comes from on high, in the form of a blur of polished, shiny blood red descending upon the musketeer advance.
A flying knee strike bowls over one musketeer to Tristan's flank. Another finds themselves swept off their feet to be sent hurtling back down the hill with the sweeping motion of a segmented plate tail of squirrel-like shape, deflecting some rounds from ARM fire in passing as this latest assailant balances against the muddy ground to bear down upon one who would lead that charge.
Solid yellow eyes light up to a sharp-toothed grin of glee.
"Was that rainfall yours? Was that rainfall yours!" Speaks a boisterous, obnoxious voice as the horn upon their forehead gathers energy to cast its own illumination upon the field. "...That was cool."
Momentary consideration is given to the wounded and fallen - names and faces he will find and keep, as he glares down the latest interesting would-be war hero.
Title set for channel <Big Scene>.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
A crackle of violet electricity sparks in the air, not terribly far from the now-muddy hill as the Odessan soldiers tumble. Stillness, and then... further, further -- the crackling intensifies, until a ripple in space appears -- and the slow walk of metallic horseshoes is heard.
The metallic Nightmare emerges first -- Marivel's creation, currently in an... arrangement of looking after its rider, who looks a lot more dire than the steed itself. Sheathed in neck to toe in black, form-fitting armour with multiple stylised layers, with an enormous mechanical device that vague resembles a spine and chitinous shell.
Yue's decided to forego her helmet, because ARMS already knows about her guise from that one battle in Bikanel.
She doesn't... look great. She doesn't even look like she's here right now -- like a zombie inside a living body. The Veruni doesn't look like she's slept in at least 24 hours, if not more, and even accounting for how much like shit she looks usually, she doesn't... look this pale and unhealthy.
The device in her back crackles with that self-same violet electricity. Something's very wrong.
There's a small hovering crystal beside her.
"After all the time off you've so unceremoniously taken, a loooooooong, nice bout of therapy is just what you needed!" the crystal chimes, with a lilting, scorning voice.
"..." Yue isn't responding.
"Now be a good girl and support our allies. Oh, and get me some wonderful data on the System, hmm...? I need at least... ninety percent power. It won't kill you. Maybe."
Tristan's musketeers take aim at her -- but in one swoop of her black staff, the bullets ping off to the side; she swipes, knocking several muskteers aside that get too close.
<Pose Tracker> Ganondorf Dragmire has posed.
A loud SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW roars over the area, a beast of a scream descending from on high. The Odessa line gains a new, monstrous defender. Ganondorf's legions of weird goblin-men have been supporting the efforts of Odessa since near the beginning, but only rarely does one of the King of Evil's generals appear.
Having faced a grand victory and a stinging setback both recently, apparently he feels a need to play more of his hand.
A great bird swoops down, hovering with massive wings behind the backdrop of Odessa's soldiers.
A moment later, a crack of purple lightning and a man stands just below the beast, a figure wrapped head-to-toe in robes.
The figure that speaks for Ganondorf, the sorcerer-puppet named Agahnim. "Rally! Rally and observe the soldiers of darkness! Come forth, creatures!"
He extends his arm, and with more flickering lights, the little cudgel-wielding goblins called Bokoblins start to burst forth from trees, bushes, and bare earth, as though they'd been hibernating within for this moment.
The Helmaroc King shrieks in defiance at the Musketeers, the stone mask covering its eyes and beak serving only to highlight the malicious gleam of its eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
"Okay, so according to this map I just go down this road, and..."
Hicalu was holding his map upside-down. That might have been fine, if he wasn't walking towards the same cavern which a troop transport drove past. But all a sudden there's GUNFIRE, and an EXPLODING ENGINE, and --
Hicalu dives behind one of those many convenient rocks and trembles, there, totally invisible. (He isn't. His rock has a tail. It's extremely obvious.) This fox beastman is entirely happy to cower behind a rock while all those soldiers do what they're doing. Dressed in a light, mesh-hemmed shirt, a baby blue shawl, and loose shorts, he is absolutely not equipped for combat.
Except, that voice yelling out sounds familiar...
"O--okay, uh, one, o-one, one, one--" Hicalu tries to count up to three to muster bravery to look, only to get caught on the first number. "On--nnuhhh, uhhh, three!!" He all but yelps, to himself, as he finally peeks his eyes up over the rock. His fennec ears kind of give the game away early; they're very large.
Those ears pin down against his head, as he sees Tristan charging the somewhat sodden Odessa troops. "O-hh man, oh GEEZ, um, uhh, uhhh--" He stammers, hands clasped tightly near his mouth, and finally remembers he's sitting up in a combat zone and ducks back behind his rock. "Aaaaah whaddai do?! Why'se goin' right for them aaaah no that's where the bullets are coming from!" Hicalu clutches his fluffy hair, with a panicked grimace.
"No way, this is crazy! W-why's this a warzone, anyway?! Uh, uhhhh, forget it! Tristan's a soldier! Y-yeah! He can handle it! S--see???" C-a-r-e-f-u--l--l--y---, Hicalu peeks out from behind his safety rock again to confirm just how much Tristan has already kicked everyone's asses and all those combat noises are --
Oh. The combat noises are more of those other people coming to join the fight. Hicalu's ears wilt down a shade further.
He hums, hands tangling in his wavy brown hair, tail flicking back and forth with renewed anguish. "O-okay, but it's, it's not that bad! I should, I should just go while, uhh, while --" FLYING SQUIRREL KICK, "oh no"
Hicalu's terror over all of this -- and a weird girl who looks entirely hollowed out just devastating everyone, and, and, a GIANT BIRD?! WHAT?! -- is keeping him firmly behind his safety rock, securely held in his terror, right until..."Rauuuughhhhh!" Yells a Bokoblin, leaping out from the very rock Hicalu was hiding behind, leaping right in front of him."AIEEEEEEE!!" Hicalu replies, as he scrambles up and flees the horrible little creature before it can bring its cudgel down on him. Running out, he yelps -- "AAAAAHHHH!", as he makes eye contact with one of the Odessan gunners, and starts bolting in another direction.
Tragically, this is right into the fight. "Tristan! HEEEELP!" Hicalu wails, running to and fro in the fight with... actually, pretty impressive speed, he must be good at running away from things. When he isn't utterly panicked, anyway.
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action. GS: Hicalu Wilwisp accepts Hicalu Wilwisp's NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE! for 0 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"Odessa?!" This is Gwen's reaction as to why the new parts for the Halcyone haven't arrived yet. "You just said it was traffic!"
The mechanic sighs. "I meant... Under Traffic. It sounds like it's even worse now, according to the Musketeer's radio line."
Gwen's expression grows glum as she realizes her misunderstanding, and she rubs the back of her neck. "Well, if it's Odessa, and not traffic, then that's somethin' I'd better intervene in, then."
"By foot?" The mechanic looks incredulous.
"... I'm a courier. Got the endurance of the gazelle, pretty much!" She begins to stretch, almost as a performance.
"Nono, I meant-- .... on.... foot." Gwen is already gone by the time the mechanic turns her head.
---- NOW ----
Thankfully, Gwen got a lift, by Ida, who is riding in on her trusty Chocobo steed. ".... Thanks! My Gear was gettin' some parts replaced. Not that I'd be any more help if I *did* have my Gear, but y'get the pictur--" Gwen squints. ".... Is that a giant bird...?"
There's also a flance towards Yue, and Gwen's cheery mask drops, noting her condition. ".... Yue..."
She can't fight her. But she can fight a bird. "... Ida... let's go towards the bird..." And the... wizard? Who is that guy?
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
It's not the first time Under Traffic has come under attack. The passage is one of the most important transit routes leading into and out of Meria, after all. Most of the time, though, it's been some kind of bandit group or a wandering monster pack-- things that the Musketeers are more than well equipped enough to handle. But an attack directly by Odessa is a somewhat different situation.
For this kind of thing, the Musketeers are not enough. Not on their own. But it was for this very reason that a particular organization was formed to begin with...
This very situation is why ARMS was formed...!
Out of the dark of the cavern, there is a flash of firelight and a roar of thundering gunsmoke. A series of strange, silvery pylons bury themselves in the water-slicked mud, propelled by explosive force.
Someone leaps out of the dark, firing one more is into the center of the formation. All at once, the pylons extend and activate, emitting a white-blue field of electricity that sparks and spreads across the waterlogged ground, racing to any Odessan who happens to have the misfortune of standing nearby.
"Reinforcements have arrived," the man shouts, landing at the far end of his makeshift electric field. "I'll handle the ones in front and draw their fire. Musketeers, handle targets of opportunity," Ashley Winchester levels his weapon, racking the slide on the enormous rifle-sword to discharge and replace the spent canister. "Begin!"
GS: Ashley Winchester has attacked Ratatoskr with Canister - Electromagnetic Net! GS: Ashley Winchester has gained 2 Combo! GS: Ashley Winchester has completed his action. GS: Ratatoskr takes a solid hit from Ashley Winchester's Canister - Electromagnetic Net for 147 hit points! GS: Jam applied to Ratatoskr!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel Armitage had JUST had a conversation with Eleanor about this but she expected there to be more time. Prophecy usually has a month or two of a headstart. But since this is hitting Under Traffic rather Klein itself, there might still be time for her to put her plan into action.
Marivel, of course, recognizes the Nightmare because of course she does. It's her Nightmare! And she recognizes Yue since...it's Yue. Every time Yue is forced into this position, Marivel feels a sharp metaphorical STAB IN THE HEART--but she can't sacrifice Klein's family to spare her feelings.
Marivel drops in with Ashley Winchester, though she doesn't take aim for Ratatoskr. Instead she brings her hand forward as a crackling red seal ripples into being around Yue Rohay--binding itself to her body to sap her of (physical) strength.
"Lovely to see you as always. As opponents, or as friends, tis always a blessing for me."
In one hand she has Guillotine, ready to fight!
In the other she has a half eaten donut. She bites into it.
"Been a while, want to...."
Her eyes flash crimson. "Talk about girls??"
This isn't just being cute. She'd much rather talk to Yue about girls than have to fight her and removing herself and Yue from the field with girl talk would probably be the best outcome for her.
It's probably not going to end with girl talk.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Yue Rohay with Power Seal! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Yue Rohay solidly guards Marivel Armitage's Power Seal for 0 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Yue Rohay! GS: FP up! Bad Luck activated!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Word has come of a fight having broken out in the Under Traffic - Odessa's forces, having attacked the Merian army. A request for aid has been sent out... and where there are those who ask for help, there will be those who answer. Clarine glides at speed with the rest of ARMS, light trailing behind her as she approaches the source of the call. The sound of battle functions as a beacon. Concern urges her onward, even as the sound of violence points her in the right direction. And when she arrives...
"Root of all creation, grant us the breath of life! Revitalize!"
Her incantation sounds and a Seraphic glyph appears beneath the feet of the musketeers as they make their valiant charge, light shining forth to rejuvenate all who feels its warmth.
"Brave soldiers of Meria, ARMS is with you. You have done well - please allow us to aid you." Clarine says. She doesn't know how many of them can even perceive her, but that doesn't matter. They can experience her healing all the same.
She scans the battlefield quickly, then, her eyes darting about as she looks for the position most in need of help. Soon enough, her eyes settle on Yue, who's... definitely looked better.
Clarine frowns a little, considering the best approach, before nodding to herself. In one swift motion Clarine's mirrors emerge from her sleeves and she positions herself between Yue and the musketeers, stanced aggressively.
"Do not concern yourself with them. I shall be your opponent." Clarine declares. ...It may be just as much for Yue's sake as for the musketeers'. Letting either of them fight the other seems like it will end only in tragedy.
But of course, Marivel is here too! So Clarine pauses for a moment before amending her statement...
"Ah... 'We', that is." She adds.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Today's... pretty different. Marivel can see the quiet signal of concern from Nightmare; Yue's head slumps to one side even as she battles, and she stares towards the red seal crackling into place around her -- and does approximately nothing, seemingly just pushing forward pass it even as it saps her of strength.
"Girls..."
The crystal bobs gently. "Oh, I don't think you'll be able to reach her so easily this time, Armitage. I've made... preparations."
She hears -- and sees -- the light of Clarine's magic, as the Seraph pushes to declare herself her opponent. "Cla... rine."
Yue doesn't seem terribly thrilled about chasing after the Musketeers, and raises her staff again. A pause, as she spots Hicalu screaming and calling for help from a Tristan; she pauses and spots Gwen amongst the crowd too. Ashley. Ida... ARMS...
"Urgg..."
"Come now, don't back down before your battle's even begun."
On cue, the violet electricity races from the spine-like device on her back, prompting her body to convulse violently; Yue's pupils shrink as she doubles over on her horse for a moment, and then wordlessly yells as she lunges, sweeping over both Marivel and Clarine with her staff.
As her staff threatens to make contact, it crackles with a dark energy, something... twisted... shifting, churning, something that draws away from the energies of the world itself.
GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Seraph Clarine with Quietus! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Marivel Armitage with Quietus! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Seraph Clarine critically guards Yue Rohay's Quietus for 46 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Guard bonus activated! GS: Marivel Armitage takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Quietus for 144 hit points! GS: Disease applied to Marivel Armitage! GS: FP up! Arcane Font activated!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
The Heimdall Gazzo is weighing heavy on Ida's mind. The thought that everything could fall apart within a matter of weeks, at best, is not comforting--and she decided it would be best if she took a ride through the countryside to clear her head. Sterling is, as always, an amiable companion. The air is warm and fresh. The scenery is beautiful.
And then a voice crackles through the empathite of Ida's radio. The terror carries through the mineral, and shoots down Ida's spine. She sits bolt upright, then crouches down, presses her heels to Sterling's flanks, and urges him to run. Sterling is only too happy to oblige.
NOW
A great, booming "WRRRRK" splits the air in response to the Helmaroc King's cry. A massive destrier of a chocobo, all white and gold, sprints down the road, bearing two passengers: Ida and Gwen. Gwen hops off, and Ida flashes her the 'OK' sign. "Not a problem!" she shouts, and then she starts taking stock of the situation. The bird. Soldiers of darkness?
Sterling, meanwhile, lets forth another challenging bellow, and spreads his wings in a clear threat display. Ida tugs his reins to the side, guiding him away from his headlong charge. She leans back, Devil's Due in her free hand, and fires a single shot at the Helmaroc's wing.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Brass Volley! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has entered Avenger Stance! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Ganondorf Dragmire suffers a terrible blow from Ida Everstead-Rey's Brass Volley for 113 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Tristan Klein has posed.
Some of the few defenders left among this squadron of Musketeers fall to Yue's staff. But not all. Tristan is still up, for one, and narrowing his eyes at Ratatoskr as his friends are knocked down. "You--"
Maybe he's shaer than some; he doesn't look away to the others and take his eyes off their too-quick opponent. "...It's actually my sister's," he quips of the rainfall, a bit of bravado to encourage his soldiers and himself. He was not, in theory, the leader--but he's sure taken over today. Even he can't help but glance once towards the source of that terrible SQUAWK before he lifts his bayonet to interpose it between him and Ratatoskr. "So, they weren't alone..."
"D-darkness!" one of the remaining Musketeers says to Agahnim's incanctation. "Look at that thing! Those monsters! This isn't--This isn't what we're trained for--"
'Reinforcements have arrived.'
"You heard him!" shouts the man beside him, and grins, starting to roll up his shoulders, feeling bolder. "Hope that knife I gave you's been treating you well, Winchester!" He moves to reload his weapon, and Clarine's healing rains down over all of them. He looks around in surprise. "And you brought friends!" He... doesn't appear to see Clarine, but the Musketeers cheer at the magic and start engaging the Bokoblins immediately.
Tristan for his part smiles grimly. "Glad ARMS could make it," he says. "Didn't expect to fight with you this soon, Ashley." A pause. He notices Marie Valeria, and--"Another Seraph?" he wonders of Clarine, before nodding his thanks to her. But suddenly, Hicalu is screaming!!
"Hicalu! What the--" To say that Tristan is surprised to see his new friend is an understatement, but he moves into action quickly all the same, interposing himself immediately between Hicalu and Ratatoskr. "Stay behind me!" he instructs the foxman. "But we're going to need that magic of yours. So keep behind me, but make sure you use it! Some kind of trash-eating demon might come in really handy if you want to come out of this alive!" He remembers what Hicalu said, after all.
He... does not comment on Marivel's donut and girl based fighting style. Neither can he focus on Ida and Gwen coming in with the chocobo. ...or on Yue's... approach.
No, he stays up between Ratatoskr and Hicalu for the moment, adopting a ready stance, prepared to strike back at any moment.
"I've never fought a Hyadean," he says. "You more familiar, Ashley?"
GS: Tristan Klein has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Knight's Bond! GS: Tristan Klein enters a Counter stance! GS: Tristan Klein has completed his action. GS: Gamble! Tristan Klein heals Hicalu Wilwisp! He gains 90 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Hicalu Wilwisp!
<Pose Tracker> Ganondorf Dragmire has posed.
WRRRRK is right, as the quite colorful Helmaroc King squawks loudly and then flaps once, moving to an aggressive posture. The ruffling Chocobo seems to get Helmaroc's attention most - an animal knows an animal's intent, perhaps - though that in turn only lasts until Ida fully blasts it in the wing.
It That makes it land, which might sound good until it suddenly hops toward Ida and pecking down hard enough that the dirt cracks every every missed peck. It hops after her, pecking repeatedly!!
Meanwhile, Gwen finds herself beset by Bokoblins throwing spears. They're sort of like Gobs except without a beard, or the same teeth, or, really, any similarity to Gobs whatsoever, actually. They're both short...?
GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Bone-Shattering Peck! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Incidental Bokoblins! GS: Gwen Whitlock takes a glancing hit from Ganondorf Dragmire's Incidental Bokoblins for 60 hit points! GS: Disrupt applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: Shield applied to Ganondorf Dragmire! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey fully evades Ganondorf Dragmire's Bone-Shattering Peck for 0 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst and Evade bonus activated!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel winks once at Clarine.
But it's brief. Marivel focuses on Yue Rohay. The horse expresses concern and Marivel munches on the donut while not breaking line of sight with the horse.
BADMOM speaks to Marivel and she exhales a sigh. "She's your daughter you know. Are you going to punish her forever? I don't understand you at all. They're good people. They're good people and you should be proud of them for that."
She curls her hand tightly around Guillotine. It's evident enough who she really wants to strike. "Right now you have the advantage over me, but if you deign to step back and consider your daughters' futures for a moment, I am fully capable of forgiving. Forgetting. You surely can't think this is good for them."
The staff collides against Marivel's midsection. Looks like girl talk isn't happening. She stumbles back from the blow, gasping for breath she does not need--a reflex born from pretending to be mortal.
"Rggh.... Tis good we are battling her, we can endure a bit more punishment than the average Filgaian. Be wary, though, this is not nearly as hard as she can strike for she is one of the Heroes of eld!"
She raises her weapon into the air and shouts, "The economy is crazy these days, Yue! You should invest in Batcoin!!"
A rain of gella comes crashing down for Yue Rohay!
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Yue Rohay with Gella Crazy! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay takes a solid hit from Marivel Armitage's Gella Crazy for 120 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Marivel Armitage! GS: FP up! Bad Luck activated!
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
There is a harbinger of an ancient horror over one way past Ratatoskr, and over there... Yue's not having a good day. As far as he knows or notices, Yue never seems to have a good day. But he's having one, because he is always happy to be alive in this era and in these events.
'...It's actually my sister's,' Tristan humbly admits of the Crest cap rainfall. It's hard to truly track where Ratatoskr's eyes are focusing when they lack detail beyond the solid color, but a slight upturn of his head may be indication he's trying to look for this fabled 'sister' without it clicking about the family resemblance to another. (Or he's hearing and watching Hicalu be a presence. Maybe both!)
Pylons fill the space where Ratatoskr has a foot in the water, and that final set pylon discharges the electromagnetic net, getting Ratatoskr's segmented plate tail to flare out like it's the spikiest damn pineapple-like thing to ever be.
To the panicking Hicalu, the Hydaelyn's silhouette is of frightening shape. He's incredibly tall when standing straight up and/or arcing his back in pain and shock, that tail's all flared out and spiky, and he's all glowing eyes and sharp grinning teeth.
Also, he's not dead from electrocution when he is able to ground himself. That is also kind of scary.
It does give the three presently accosting him directly time to reposition or posture however they will, and they will do so as smoke rises up from Ratatoskr's form, Livng Metal knitting and healing where it burns and stings.
"Ashley Winchester's here too..." Ratatoskr whispers, as Tristan asides to Hicalu about his useful magic and murmurs to Ashley about how he's never fought a Hyadean.
"You never have? You never have!" Ratatoskr cackles. "I'm right here...!"
To demonstrate as such, he leans in there with an elbow strike from above and a knee strike from below into where Tristan stands, whirling and pivoting into striking Ashley with a knee and then extending his foot out in a kick - which discharges compressed air at shotgun-like force from his heel. (This technique will be novel for Tristan to behold if he's of conscious enough mind after being the first one attacked, at least.)
But then, there's the cowering Hicalu, and Ratatoskr's eyes dim on the cowering, humble Beastfolk. "...Trash-eating demon...? Trash-eating demon!"
As if this were suddenly deeply offensive.
He might not be able to maneuver past Tristan's and Ashley's combined guard at the moment, but he has opening enough to discharge a laser blast from the horn on his head in their direction - though the energy crackles and sputters as such that its discharging is at blunted efficacy.
"How much history have I lost to these 'trash-eating demons'...!"
GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Tristan Klein with Cracker! GS: Ratatoskr has gained 2 Combo! GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Ashley Winchester with One Armed Dual Wield! GS: Ratatoskr has gained 2 Combo! GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with angry squirrel beam go! GS: Ratatoskr has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ratatoskr has completed his action. GS: COUNTER! Tristan Klein counterattacks Ratatoskr with Knight's Word! GS: Tristan Klein suffers a terrible blow from Ratatoskr's Cracker for 156 hit points! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp takes a solid hit from Ratatoskr's angry squirrel beam go for 111 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Ratatoskr! GS: CRITICAL! Ashley Winchester partially guards Ratatoskr's One Armed Dual Wield for 92 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Ratatoskr partially guards Tristan Klein's Knight's Word for 86 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font, Guard bonus, and Gleam activated!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
'Another Seraph'? Recognition flickers in Clarine's eyes as she looks upon Tristan. If he is who she thinks he is... then he must be familiar with Nimue or Boudicca.
"Yes, that is correct. Take heart - the light stands with you." Clarine replies. There is not much more time for conversation - her attention is quickly pulled back to Yue as the crystal beside her speaks.
'Preparations'... And the way Yue says her name... What truly draws her concern, though, is the electricity that courses through Yue's body from the device on her back.
"What have you done to her...?" Clarine recoils in shock, shaking her head in disbelief. It's... horrible. But she's given no time to dwell on it as Yue lunges. Clarine moves quickly, a mirror positioning itself to redirect the staff as it sweeps toward her.
The staff contacts the mirror, rather than Clarine herself, and it doesn't quite shatter - it's more that it simply falls away as its energy is drained. A frown crosses Clarine's face, and she nods toward Marivel.
"Yes... I can tell that she is quite formidable." Clarine replies with a nod. "While I have been curious to see what she is truly capable of, I did not want it like this..."
Clarine makes some evasive maneuvers, then, to keep Yue guessing. As she moves, Clarine's light refracts - seven Clarines appear, going their separate ways. Each of them points their hands out toward Yue, launching a volley of light projectiles.
GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Yue Rohay with Dispersion Feint! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Seraph Clarine's Dispersion Feint for 121 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yue Rohay gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Riposte applied to Seraph Clarine! GS: FP up! Bad Luck activated!
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
AAAAAaaaahhhhh they're all so cool!!! How are they so cool?! There are BULLETS! PLURAL! PLURAL BULLETS! MORE THAN ONE BULLET!
There's that guy mustering the Musketeers, and people on CHOCOBOS, Hicalu's never even SEEN one of those before but he's HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THEM HOW ARE THEY SO MUCH BIGGER THAN HE THOUGHT, and -- his ears radar back and forth as he hears Clarine talking, even though he can't quite see anyone where she ought to be, and it's all deeply confusing but he's just going to have to accept that he's hearing comforting voices or something.
Comforting voices who can rain healing down. That's -- listen, it's a problem for later, there are PEOPLE with GUNS and also HORRIBLE LITTLE MONSTERS who want to CLUB HIM TO DEATH, probably, Hicalu can only assume that's what horrible little monsters do.
Anyway, he's panicking about all this and basically just going "AAAAAAAAAAH!!" in the background right up until Tristan physically gets between him and the closest biggest threat and tells him what to do. Hicalu pulls up, and clusters behind Tristan instead -- he's a short guy, so that's pretty easy, as it happens. "Y-y-y-you think so? But I don't -- I-I'm not a -- I'm a baker!" Hicalu wails, miserably. "I-I should be making donuts f-for that lady to eaaat!!" Marivel, presumably.
His ears pin down against his skull as he looks around Tristan to behold just what he's fighting. A horrible monstrosity made all of metal, but -- but a kind of metal which doesn't mind being electrocuted -- and every PART of him is spiky and his tail is NOT FLUFFY! Hicalu's own tail (very fluffy, no spikes) wraps about his knees as he witnesses just how terrifying this Hyadean is.
"Aaahhuhhmmmmmm--" He is not too proud to whimper when Ratatoskr notices him, specifically. "W-what are..." ANGRY SQUIRREL BEAM is what, and Hicalu isn't quite quick enough ducking back behind Tristan to avoid the laser.
Specifically, it's his tail. His tail gets absolutely TOASTED. And his tail is attached to the rest of him! "Yipe!!!" Hicalu yelps, grabbing it back behind cover (the cover is Tristan) with a wounded expression.
"I'll, I'll, um -- y-you're already mad at me so don't get any more mad!!" Hicalu insists, as he takes a step back so that he has room for his hand gestures. The first time he tries, he fumbles it entirely, because his hands are trembling far too much. The second time, he manages to channel the power through, to release it with: "... Dark Devourer!"
A shadowy portal opens by Ratatoskr -- and tentacles reach out, grasping, pulling, threatening to drag him down into a demonic abyss. Even if they don't manage that, those tentacles detach easily -- and even after the portal closes, those suckers are still draining his energy.
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Ratatoskr with Dark Devourer! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has gained 1 Combo! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"Okay, let me off here. My weight's gonna slow Sterling down." Hopping off Ida's chocobo when she gets the chance, Gwen flashes an 'OK' sign and a big grin back at Ida. "Let's do this, Ida!"
A few minutes later, and what seemed like a dramatic, heroic start feels more like an embarrassing replay of Gulliver's Travels with the Lilliputans, with Gwen being the Gulliver this time, instead of... Gulliver, her horse. Also, the Lilliputans are much much taller, being Gobs instead of harmless humans that were a different aspect ratio.
Except, these are not Gobs. They're... okay, they're Gobs, but none of the charming rough characteristics she's used to. They're almost... pig-like? But not in the way they are throwing spears at Gwen. "Ow!" Gwen tries to bounce back at step, but trips over one of the spears that had already landed. "Okay, you asked for it!"
She reaches into her leather courier bag and draws out a small bag with a slipcord. "Have a bit of Ignas's finest pepper!" As another spear sails, she flings it with her left hand, and whips out her right to fire a shot, straight from the palm, as it tumbles overhead of most of the not-Gobs.
They didn't ask for this at all, but as the red ochre spice settles down like spicy snow, they are getting it.
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Auntie Frea's Fire Chili Spice Special! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 1 Combo! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"Armitage, Armitage, Armitage. I thought you of all people would understand me. You should know just how important promises are... and what happens to people who break their promise. No matter whether they're colleague, friend, lover... or family."
Girl talk isn't happening because a distaff counterpart is happening instead, from the end of Yue's cudgel to Marivel's midsection. Behold, Marivel, a hero of eld!
But Guillotine is raised, and a rain of gella showers Yue! Oh, but she is rich now! Rich... enrichened by the pain the gella coins inflict upon her! Is this what they say about throwing money at your problems?
At least it's a gella rain, not a zenny-nage.
It's true, Ratatoskr, Yue isn't having a good day... she never has a good day, does she? She really should learn from Ratatoskr, who's having a really good one.
Clarine questions what the crystal has done to her. "Isn't it wonderful? It's still a prototype, but imagine the applications once it's done... and what better testing bed to gather data from than Odessa's campaign?"
A pause. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Shijie Rohay. Yue's mother. Here, let me give you a quick demonstration!"
Another click, and Yue's body receives another violent shock; this time, a horrid red aura can be seen out of the spine-like device, and a growing, unsettling power rises from out of her.
"I can amplify her energy by a magnitude-fold at the touch of a button... all without an external power source. Isn't that efficient?"
The unspoken part is, of course, it's coming from her very life, demonstrated as Yue howls at the both of them and suddenly conjures what appears to be two large lances of ephemeral energy, tinged with a vicious blood-red colour.
At least Marivel can't say Yue isn't trying to vibe it like a Crimson Noble for her sake.
She throws the lances at them!
GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Yue Rohay with Consuming Dark! GS: Yue Rohay has activated a Force Action! GS: Yue Rohay has activated a Force Action! GS: Yue Rohay accepts Yue Rohay's Consuming Dark for 154 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Yue Rohay! GS: FP up! Sufferer activated! GS: Yue Rohay spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Marivel Armitage with Bloody Lance! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Seraph Clarine with Bloody Lance! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Seraph Clarine takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Bloody Lance for 170 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Clarine gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Poison applied to Seraph Clarine! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Evade bonus activated! GS: Seraph Clarine enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida's teeth jump on edge as she hears the sounds of the Helmaroc King coming in for a landing. The good news is that it's grounded--at least for now--but the bad news--
Ida digs in her heels. "Go!" she shouts, to Sterling; the chocobo ducks his head down and half-leaps, half-charges forwards. Ida looks behind her and sees that massive beak descending, razor-sharp and more than capable of skewing her like a small fish. The wind of its passage ruffles Ida's hair. It slams into the ground behind her; clods of earth fly into the air. Sterling skids to a halt, spreads his wings, and bellows again.
Ida reaches into a belt pouch, pulls a small metal sphere free, and lights the cotton wick protruding from the top. She hurls the flare grenade fastball-style, and then directs Sterling away, trying to turn him so that the flash doesn't blind him, too. The noise might startle him, but he's a steady bird, and doesn't startle easily. (Potential predators that want to harm his flock, on the other hand...)
"Keep them busy, Gwen!" Ida shouts, to Gwen, because she trusts her. Raising her voice even more, she addresses Ashley. "Ashley! Get the wounded to safety if you can!"
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Flare Grenade! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Ratatoskr takes a solid hit from Hicalu Wilwisp's Dark Devourer for 159 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disease and Poison applied to Ratatoskr! GS: Charge!! You gain 55 FP! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Gleam activated! GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Ratatoskr receives 100 temporary hit points. GS: Ratatoskr enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire takes a glancing hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Flare Grenade for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ganondorf Dragmire gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind applied to Ganondorf Dragmire! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire suffers a terrible blow from Gwen Whitlock's Auntie Frea's Fire Chili Spice Special for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ganondorf Dragmire gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Hex and Mute applied to Ganondorf Dragmire!
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
"You're...!" Once upon a time a certain Musketeer gave a thoroughly greenhorned Ashley Winchester his very first digging tool. It was a weighted knife! One that had... inexplicably infinite ammo. That part was kind of weird, to be honest, but it's probably just the result of some restriction of gameplay. Like, you can't have a knife that you can throw to flip switches from halfway across the room if you would then be expected to retrieve that knife! That'd just be a massive restriction on level design.
But more importantly, it's a knife that... Ashley does not have anymore.
"Ahahaha, wow! What a coincidence, running into you here! Uh, about the knife. I kind lost it wedging a door open long enough for us to get away for some extremely unfriendly reaverbots. So I guess I have you to thank for saving our lives back then...! Sorry I never had the chance to say so before, but--" Ashley is rambling just a little bit in the middle of a fight. This is probably not a good plan, especially when there's an angry Hyadean flying into a veritable whirlwind of violence. The Musketeer is cut short by Ratatoskr's pneumatically-enhanced kick, but manages to absorb much of what could have been a lethal blow by bracing the flat of his enormous bayonet against it at the last moment. A blast of wind sends him skidding back through the mud a couple of feet before the Musketeer can turn his blade into the wet earth, using it as a lever to redirect his momentum.
He vaults into the air, roaring with a battlecry as he once again swings his weapon down in a crushing arc into Ratatoskr's guard, firing a gunsmoke cartridge at the moment of impact to unleash a punishing explosion of firepower...! "Tristan! Glad we could make it in time. Hyadeans are durable, but they're really weak to magic. If you've got any more of those crest caps, now's a good time to use 'em!"
Speaking of magic, there's... weird dark tentacles groping all over Ratatoskr's business right now. Ashley backsteps out of the way of their clingy, limb-tangling embrace before they can snag him too, and double-takes at the beastman responsible. "Another baker...?" What is with bakers and access to ominous dark powers...? "Keep it up! I'll try to draw his attention!"
GS: Ashley Winchester has attacked Ratatoskr with Dead or Alive! GS: Ashley Winchester has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ashley Winchester has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Tristan Klein has posed.
Tristan has listened to a lot of stories from Eleanor about Odessa, but mysteriously Eleanor tells fewer of them of Ratatoskr. It's ironic, since he's so insistent on retaining lore himself. Tristan will have occasion to ask why. ...But he might just get it. Because he does notice Ratatoskr looking around despite his solid eyes, and answers, "She's not here right now."
He also notices Ratatoskr shrug off lightning so that's concerning. "You're right. I guess I'm doing it right now."
The technique is very novel in fact--Tristan, instead of moving out of the way, moves into the blow, aiming to use himself as a shield to protect the weaker Hicalu. It works in that capacity at least, but sends Tristan tumbling backward to hit a knee at the shotgun-like blast, which crashes into his armor and cracks something in it. "Gh--" But th barrel of his ARM is smoking; he delivered a counterattack after all in the moment.
He rises from one knee. "I know you're a baker," he says to Hicalu. "All I ask is that you watch my back and do what you can. We'll get you out of this."
Eventually Tristan can reply to Clarine, "Then thanks. The light... you're Clarine, aren't you? I appreciate your help. You just saved some of our men's lives." She may or may not be able to hear or respond to him in the moment, but he says it all the same.
"That's what eats your table scraps?" he says, dubiously, to Hicalu. "You're more of a warrior than I thought..."
But the soldier whose knife Ashley lost says, "Hey, if it saved you in a pinch that's REAL useful! I'll take it!" He laughs good-natudly, and then goes, "WHOA!" as a bokoblin stabs at him, and he hacks back with his bayonet!!! Thanks to Clarine a lot of these soldiers have a second wind.
Tristan though notices Ashley's sheer physicality and wonders a little; using his weapon as a lever is a trick that few of them could pull off. "Weak to magic, huh? I've got one more--let me look for a good opportunity to use it!"
In the meantime, he charges. "If you want history, then chew on this!" he calls, slashing out once in a feint before he pushes forward with a powerful thrust of his weapon.
The soldiers who took Clarine's healing and Ashley's encouragement are doing well against the Bokoblins; the ones advancing on the Helmaroc... less so.
GS: Tristan Klein has attacked Ratatoskr with Advancing Thrust! GS: Tristan Klein has gained 2 Combo! GS: Tristan Klein has entered Avenger Stance! GS: Tristan Klein gains 10 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Tristan Klein has completed his action. GS: Marivel Armitage takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Bloody Lance for 156 hit points! GS: Poison applied to Marivel Armitage! GS: FP up! Arcane Font activated! GS: Marivel Armitage enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ratatoskr suffers a terrible blow from Ashley Winchester's Dead or Alive for 107 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disease applied to Ratatoskr! GS: FP up! Gleam activated! GS: Ratatoskr takes a solid hit from Tristan Klein's Advancing Thrust for 113 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Gleam activated!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
YUE'S MOM ATTACKS MARIVEL WITH: GET UNDER HER SKIN.
Marivel breathes through her fangs.
"Althena," She says patiently though the crimson glow in her eyes does little to hide her fury. "Was not a teenager. She was an adult. She was not my child. She was MY MENTOR. But even if by some convoluted twist of logic you want a child to have things as well figured out as the most brilliant mind and shining soul of the Age--then you have completely gone mad. But yes, let us presume equivalency here."
"I am STILL ABSOLUTELY READY TO FUCKING FORGIVE ALTHENA if she bloody well apologized! Which she will never do! Because she's too PRECIOUS to apologize!"
She exhales afterwards, fans her hands from side to side--
--a mistake because Yue HOWLS and a lance of ephemeral energy crashes through Marivel's side, causing her to stumble back. The blood red color briefly seems to linger on Marivel's body, spreading slowly through the wound.
She grumbles because Shijie is still being absolutely chill.
So she summons a blitzball into her hand and chucks it at Yue's face since she doesn't really want to go all out against Yue even if that might be what it takes for her physical form to remain intact today.
She thinks of Ragnell chiding her earlier about this exact thing and adds a "shutup," to the imaginary Seraph Ragnell in her head.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Yue Rohay with Shut up And Jam Ball! GS: Marivel Armitage takes 25 damage from Poison! GS: Disease expired! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay solidly guards Marivel Armitage's Shut up And Jam Ball for 52 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yue Rohay gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Jam applied to Yue Rohay! GS: FP up! Bad Luck activated!
<Pose Tracker> Ganondorf Dragmire has posed.
Helmaroc pecks the ground so hard it sends a musketeer flying, peck, pekc, HOP HOP HOP--!
Then both Gwen and Ida assault it, a blast of fiery spice wafting across both it and the bokoblins; meanwhile, Ida flashbombs it, causing it to SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAARK in anger.
But it's raspy and painful because, horrible powders.
Angered, the Helmaroc hops EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVELY, bouncing up and down in a way that shatters earth and hopefully also all of Ida's bones!! It lands on one of the Musketeers.
There is a deeply horrible CRACK before a man goes flying away, flung aside in the bird's rampage.
<Big Scene> Fennec Man Seraph Boudicca says, "i have creative, so i CAN HAVE ONE"
GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Furious Hopping! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Furious Hopping! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine looks, briefly, toward Marivel.
"Marivel..." Clarine murmurs. Marivel seems upset, but Clarine doesn't blame her. Unfortunately, though, there's little she can do to help her at the moment. The voice of the crystal - Shijie Rohay - then espouses the virtues of the spine-shaped device on Yue.
"...'Wonderful' is not the word I would use. It is a horrible thing you have done." Clarine states... and then, is taken aback as she introduces herself. "You are... her mother?"
There's disbelief in her tone, and surprise on her face... quickly replaced by disappointment, as she shakes her head.
"...I would not have guessed as such from your actions. But that is not a concept natural to my people..." She says... and then, she frowns. "'Efficient'. I suppose, but... is that the only thing that matters?"
With a howl, Yue conjures a pair of blood-red spears. One of them is sent flying toward her - Clarine attempts to dodge out of the way, but she isn't quite fast enough. The lance strikes through two of her light images, the backlash of which elicits a wince as the two Clarines dissipate, returning to the whole.
She focuses briefly for a moment, then, before making a quick downward gesture to send a beam of light down from above toward Yue!
GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Yue Rohay with Limited Ray! GS: Seraph Clarine takes 22 damage from Poison! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action. GS: Gwen Whitlock critically guards Ganondorf Dragmire's Furious Hopping for 35 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Gwen Whitlock gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey suffers a terrible blow from Ganondorf Dragmire's Furious Hopping for 117 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst activated! GS: Yue Rohay solidly guards Seraph Clarine's Limited Ray for 67 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yue Rohay gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Bad Luck activated! GS: Yue Rohay enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Cripple expired!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida's gambit bought her a few precious seconds. She tucks her knees into Sterling's sides, and he doubles back, running for the musketeers' line. But the Helmaroc recovers quicker than she hoped; she sees a shadow falling across her, talons outstretched. Sterling screams defiance. Then, a bone-shuddering WHAM as something slams into her back, knocking her free from the saddle. Sterling's squawks mingle with that horrible crunching. A sickening dread twists Ida's guts, and she hits the ground. Pain takes over for a few heartbeats.
Ida opens her eyes, and scrambles to her feet on reflex. The King's rampage has stirred up a dust cloud, but she sees Sterling's silhouette, and a Musketeer--unconscious? bleeding out? dead?--who got thrown from the melee. Pain traces a line down her back. She doesn't have to look to know the Helmaroc cut her; she can feel the blood running down her back. Her whole face twists in anger as the wound knits itself a temporary patch. "All right, you bloody monster," Ida says, lips peeling from her teeth. "You want this?"
Sterling endured an unpleasant fall, but he's in better shape than his owner. He snaps angrily at the air, wings spread, talons ready to kick. He's a loyal bird with good protective instincts. Ida rushes out from behind him, dashing towards the Helmaroc's massive form. Golden-white Breath flows across her right hand, congealing at her fingertips. She leaps into the air, and drives that hand forward, lashing out with a deceptively-gentle poke that won't do more than graze a few feathers.
The painful, burning energy that lingers after that strike is another story.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Searing Ember Strike! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 2 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
Ashley makes the call as a piece of advice that Hyadeans have difficulty dealing with sorcery (a bit later on than this point of time, though), and what transpires when Hicalu calls upon the shadowy portal of the Dark Devourer...
There's a good show of effect to back up Ashley's advice. Tentacles grasp and pull, and they make good on the muddy, soft ground underneath Ratatoskr to make it difficult to hold one's place. There's struggling and straining, but then...
One of those tentacles reaches out and picks up a spent ARM round from one of the fallen musketeers nearby, and Ratatoskr just comes to life and wrestles with it. They don't drag him into the portal, but there's light draining from his eyes and (much more subtly) the silver of what visible flesh there is losing luster and going paler.
"This," Ratatoskr hisses as he holds his prize, "comes from a model of ARM almost completely phased out by the Musketeers...!" His grin narrows to a smile, and Hicalu may be forgiven to think that is a facial expression of a less mad Ratatoskr.
Ashley comes in with a leaping crushing blow as Ratatoskr tries to parry it with an outward thrust of his elbow. He doesn't succeed in that, and there's a splatter of quicksilver to decorate the ground as the Hyadean warrior is brought down to a kneel from that point-blank explosion that leaves a firmer stinging sensation that's not... numbing as quickly as it ought. (This is around the point in time where the aforementioned advice about Hyadeans and sorcery comes into play).
"Draw my attention? Draw my attention!" Ratatoskr's grin starts to come back. "Come on...! You already have it..."
Alas, Tristan's sister isn't here right now, but he charges with a fierce courage. Ratatoskr does read the feint correctly and sways appropriately, but Tristan reaches further and further with that invitation for him to chew on this. The blade goes high, and with Ratatoskr's current hunched posture post-sway, that blade... does surge through his shoulder.
"If I chewed on it I'd damage it," Ratatoskr complains about that more than the searing sting as he wriggles and wrestles off the last of the detached trash-eating summons and gets the bayonet blade out of himself, leaning in to grab Tristan up by his uniform and lift him up.
"One more...? Then let's see it!" This would be a merely intimdating gesture if he did get a hold of him, but it's not the focal point of what comes next - it's the compressed air discharging from his palms to try and launch Tristan away.
As a grace, it seems an attempt to send him away from where the Helmaroc King and Yue Rohay are having their... individual days. Whether it's tactical myopia or something else, who knows.
Somewhere after this attempt resolves, RAtatoskr hurls himself at Hicalu in a seemingly ceaseless array of strikes. Elbows, knees, kicks, punches. Anything and everything to shake off the enervation of those devouring appendages.
"I don't even know how I can get any more mad!!" He assures(?).
As Ashley wished to hold his attention, and as Ratatoskr himself had said, Ashley already has it as the horn's energy sputters and struggles underneath the electrical treatment of earlier as it fires off a more focused, broader ray his way.
"If only we fought deeper inside Under Traffic!" Ratatoskr calls all the while. "I've heard so many things about famous ambush spots and the like...!"
GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Tristan Klein with Skyward Scatter! GS: Ratatoskr spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Ceaseless Conflict! GS: Ratatoskr has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ratatoskr spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Ashley Winchester with Yggdrasil Burst! GS: Ratatoskr has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ratatoskr takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Jam expired! GS: Ratatoskr has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
'Keep them busy, Gwen!' Gwen gives a casual salute. "You got i-- ow!" That was the last of the spears that she had to knock away, at the last second.
The powder does its terrible, phlegmy work, as Gwen begins to look on in awe. "... Man... even the bird's affected... Auntie Frea needs to stop before she designs a proper weapon of war with all these peppers..."
She regrets the casual joke a second later, as a few of Auntie Frea's books *did* talk about such terrible weapons existing already. This was simply the aftereffect of Frea looking for properly spicy food.
Gwen glances back towards Yue, momentairely distracted, and feels her gut twist as Yue is prodded and urged along like a puppet on a string. "..."
A few tears are cast as the ground rocks with Helmaroc's thrashing, violently rocking Gwen's body to and fro as she struggles to keep standing. The horrific crunch of a poor Musketeer does not escape Gwen's ears anymore than they could escape Ida's own. "... Shit...!"
She brashly fires the Mockingbird at the Gobs in a random manner, yelling over her shoulder. "Once I get th'damn Gobs off I'll help you with the bird, Ida!"
Hopefully, with Ida being Ida Gwen won't even need to help her.
GS: Tristan Klein suffers a terrible blow from Ratatoskr's Skyward Scatter for 143 hit points! GS: Hyper and Mighty applied to Ratatoskr! GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Tristan Klein receives 100 temporary hit points. GS: Tristan Klein enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Hicalu Wilwisp suffers a terrible blow from Ratatoskr's Ceaseless Conflict for 229 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Ratatoskr! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Coil Cannon EX! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Ashley Winchester solidly guards Ratatoskr's Yggdrasil Burst for 73 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Ratatoskr! GS: FP up! Countermeasures activated!
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
"Y-you think I can?" Hicalu hurries over to Tristan, and, well -- he can at least try to help him up. "I-- I don't know i-if you should really trust me with that, I'm not really, um, you might get hurt... but, but..." Once his tattooed hands are free, he wrings them, looking from Tristan back to the still deeply horrifying Ratatoskr. "... mmmhhhh... okay!" Hicalu balls his hands into fists, tail lashing behind him. "I-I'll do it, if-- if you really think I can..!"
After all, Ashley is telling him to keep it up, too. "Ahh-- yeah, a baker! I'm a baker!" Hicalu agrees, ears perking forward, for a moment. "Name's Hicalu Wilwisp! And you're, uh, Ashley, right?" The terrifying Hyadean said as much! How did Hicalu hear him whispering over all the fighting? Those big ears must be good for something.
"S-sorry I'm not much help, but, um -- here!!" He hurries forward to Ashley and fumbles with his knapsack, dropping it so he can dig through and find a covered tray of muffins. "I managed to get a hold of an oven to show these off -- i-if you're gonna get that scary guy's attention, it'll help!" He proceeds to hand over...
A Heal Berry Muffin.
Just as healing! Twice as delicious!
Of course, taking out your backpack in the middle of the fight is -- let's say -- something of a rookie mistake. Hicalu is busy crouching and trying to tie that up again when Ratatoskr takes advantage of his distraction to fall upon him, and Hicalu YIPES in dismay as he goes down under the flurry of blows.
"Aaah! I'm sorry! I'm sorrryyyy!!!" Hicalu wails, covering his face with his hands, and -- not really having much of a defence against the assault aside from that, really. It's remarkably easy for Ratatoskr to focus on Ashley, after that, because Hicalu kind of forgets he can summon demons from hell in favour of curling up in a little ball for a bit. "Oowwwww... w-why's that guy s-so scaryyyy...!"
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp spends 1 Combo on Reload! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Ashley Winchester with Heal Berry Muffin! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action. GS: Hicalu Wilwisp heals Ashley Winchester! He gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Quick applied to Hicalu Wilwisp! GS: FP up! Hicalu Wilwisp's Reload! activated! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire suffers a terrible blow from Ida Everstead-Rey's Searing Ember Strike for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ganondorf Dragmire gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple and Disease applied to Ganondorf Dragmire! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire solidly guards Gwen Whitlock's Coil Cannon EX for 55 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ganondorf Dragmire gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Countermeasures activated!
<Pose Tracker> Ganondorf Dragmire has posed.
Helmaroc King does not appear to understand like, words. Bokoblins might but the only words they CARE about are variations on 'KILL THAT', which hasn't been pointed their way. Agahnim floats at the backmost line...apparently content to let his minions rampage.
The King does appear to briefly consider Sterling's aggression; just a moment, long enough for Ida to get close and just, ever so gently...poke!
Three seconds pass.
Then Helmaroc SCREAMS, a furious, hopping agony dancing through it, before it pecks down at Ida, hemming her in with a one-two against the ground before it SLAMS its beak down at her with full intent to simply punch entirely through her brittle human bones.
She doesn't have those, but birds don't know that.
Gwen, meanwhile, continues to assault Bokoblins. Unfortunately, Bokoblins don't really go unaccompanied very often...as Gwen learns, when a pig-faced soldier the size of a saloon door suddenly leaps at from the side, carrying a spear the size of a tree and lashing at her hard!!
GS: Ganondorf Dragmire spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Stone-Shattering Peck! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Very Specific Moblins! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire has completed his action. GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a glancing hit from Ganondorf Dragmire's Stone-Shattering Peck for 113 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst activated!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"I expected full obedience from her. I spent all my time and energy moulding her into the very figure of military grace I expect from all my efforts! And do you know what she did? She cavorted around my back, playing with you, and Anastasia. Worse, she listened to her father and became a spy of the state!"
The crystal glows violet for a moment, as if her anger is so uncontainable it's affecting how light shines through it.
There's an all too wicked laugh, even as Yue gets beaned by a blitzball because she can't slam with the best so she'll die like the rest. (Wait, was that how that song goes?)
"Mari..." Yue hoarsely says, as a flicker of light starts to rise into her eyes. Her eyes look like she's waking up from a bad dream and discovering that she's still in a bad dream. A nightmare, if you will, which isn't being helped by the fact that she's riding on Nightmare.
(It's symbolic.)
Clarine summons a beam of light while Yue's still distracted by the blitzball; the horse hops to one side, but it scours a portion of her armour and it dissolves away into half-melted slag, as if the light were banishing the darkness of her armour.
"And here I thought a Seraph could understand. Perhaps not," Shijie tsks. "I have no such need of uncertain qualities. All I need from people is their absolute loyalty... yes, I want their deadly efficiency, carried out to the very letter."
"Grovelling around in the dirt, hiding in the ravines... what a despicable state of being. She learnt how to be human from you all, and she became useless for it!"
Yue raises her staff once more, horizontal in stance, and a rather dire channel of power rises from within it. The power shimmers effulgent, with a vicious crimson tinge... and then she thrusts it forward-- a dark wave to blast them in a wide radius.
GS: Yue Rohay has activated a Force Action! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Marivel Armitage with Flood of Darkness! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Seraph Clarine with Flood of Darkness! GS: Yue Rohay has entered Avenger Stance! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Seraph Clarine partially guards Yue Rohay's Flood of Darkness for 129 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Clarine gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Guard bonus activated! GS: Marivel Armitage solidly guards Yue Rohay's Flood of Darkness for 82 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst activated! GS: Gwen Whitlock solidly guards Ganondorf Dragmire's Very Specific Moblins for 82 hit points! GS: Slow applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: FP up! Guard bonus activated!
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
In spite of ostensibly being a baker and thus predisposed to being called 'doughboy' by far too many people, Ashley Winchester is in fact remarkably buff underneath his pressed, uniform shirt, jeans and ascot. This is entirely because Ashley Winchester has a slight crush on Brad and has gone above and beyond to capture even a fraction of the Hero of Slayheim's tremendous, mountainous physique.
Which is why he can use a sword like that as a lever, as it turns out.
"Right! We can catch up after the fight," Ashley asides to his knife-giving former-senpai-in-arms. (But not senpai-in-ARMS, that's basically just Marivel.) "I'll try to get him to drop his guard. Once he does, we can hit him good," this time, he's speaking to Tristan. But then...
There is... a muffin...!
"Oh...!" Ashley chimes, seeming to forget about the battle raging around him for a moment. "Don't mind if I do!" Munch. Munch... Munch!
HP AND FP RESTORED
AND YOU FEEL FULL!!
"That was amazing!" The Musketeer grins, "Perfectly buttery and soft, and the flavor of the berries was blended just right with the dough! We'll need to trade recipes later-- what!!" Ratatoskr, rude squirrel demon that he is, interrupts this conversation with a thorough pounding. The sight brings the edge back to Ashley's eyes, and by the time Ratatoskr turns his attention back on the Musketeer...
He's not nearly as easy of a target as he could have been.
That beam slams again into the wide face of the Bayonet, splitting on impact into twisting beams of searing light. Mud flash-bakes to clay as the split beams slam into the ground, allowing Ashley a firm foothold to duck out of the way and load up... a new canister.
This one is a single slug that bursts as soon as it gets close, releasing a pressurized cloud of cryogenic gas. At the same instant, Ashley himself clasps a delicately carved symbological array on his weapon, triggering a corresponding set of runes built into the canister to release a potent burst of frigid magic. Together, freezing gas and ice magic combine into a potent, immobilizing attack...!
GS: Ashley Winchester enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ashley Winchester has attacked Ratatoskr with Hi-Canister - Frigid Coffin! GS: Ashley Winchester has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ashley Winchester enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ashley Winchester has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Tristan Klein has posed.
"...We do have some older models," Tristan says to Ratatoskr, visibly disturbed by his obsession. But to his new friend, "I think you can!" Tristan says to Hicalu, clasping his arm as he helps him up. (It's mostly his legs that do the work, but Hicalu's trying!!) "I'll probably get hurt," he tells him, "But that's OK. You can give me one of those muffins and we'll call it good." He doesn't even question Ashley eating a muffin in the middle of a fight because that's just what you do, it's normal.
Knife Buddy will be happy to catch up after the fight, but first he has to deal with a horrifying bird who just squashed one of his buddies. (If someone heals him he'll live. If not, well. Birds are heavy!!) "Raaaagh!" He throws knives!! Apparently he had more.
Tristan does question baking talk during battle a little, but if a great hero like Ashley is kind of eccentric, then that's just fine. "Hicalu!" he calls when the foxman goes down, and narrows his eyes at Ratatoskr. "You--" Ratatoskr lifts him up off the ground. "I'll show you when I'm ready," he tells him. BWAP. The blast of air hits Tristan dead-on and sends him flying backward, tumbling to the rocky ground some distance away. "Ugh--"
He is certainly disturbed by Ratatoskr's manner. "You're mad, all right!"
To Ashley, "Right--I'll take aim when I can," he says, pushing herself up off the ground. Then, as Ashley unleashes freezing gas...
"Haaah--" Tristan rushes up again, and takes aim. He fires once--and then leaps into the air, extending his smaller Bayonet one-handed to fire again, again, and again, unloading its entire complement of ammunition on Ratatoskr in a whirling maneuer that makes him land right in front of Hicalu again.
"We're not through yet!"
He looks like he could be, though; despite the burst of resolve he feels, it's clear that he would not be doing nearly as well without this help. ...But his weapon's barrel smokes all the same, now that he's got it.
GS: Tristan Klein has activated a Force Action! GS: Tristan Klein spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Tristan Klein has attacked Ratatoskr with Pride of Klein! GS: Tristan Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Tristan Klein gains 10 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Tristan Klein has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
"Oh my Guardians." Marivel mutters. "AND IT WAS A LOVELY TIME ACTUALLY. Yue is one of my dearest friends. I love her and I would do anything to travel with her and Ana once more, to explore the world and find wonders anew."
"But you," She says. "You get a kick out of using her to torment those who care for her. That's what gets you hot and flustered isn't it? Knowing you can make us suffer at any time, at a drop of a hat while you hhhhiiiide.... and act so very polite as you're tearing out our hearts. You'd make a wonderful demon, Sijie. Perhaps I ought to send you to the abyss to see what kind of fiend they'd make out of you. Yes Shijie... Tis very clever to hide behind these crystals, watching like a medieval tyrant at a colliseum. So like Shakhan. Knowing that for today, I cannot wrap my fingers around your throat and give it the gentlest of squeezes before i bite down and drain thee dry."
Mari....'
Marivel snaps out of it.
"You can only evade us for so long, Shijie."
GS: CRITICAL! Ratatoskr suffers a terrible blow from Ashley Winchester's Hi-Canister - Frigid Coffin for 179 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Delay and Slow applied to Ratatoskr! GS: FP up! Gleam activated! GS: CRITICAL! Ratatoskr solidly guards Tristan Klein's Pride of Klein for 127 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Charge!! You gain 55 FP! GS: FP up! Charge bonus and Gleam activated!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
"Oh my Guardians." Marivel mutters. "AND IT WAS A LOVELY TIME ACTUALLY. Yue is one of my dearest friends. I love her and I would do anything to travel with her and Ana once more, to explore the world and find wonders anew."
"But you," She says. "You get a kick out of using her to torment those who care for her. That's what gets you hot and flustered isn't it? Knowing you can make us suffer at any time, at a drop of a hat while you hhhhiiiide.... and act so very polite as you're tearing out our hearts. You'd make a wonderful demon, Shijie. Perhaps I ought to send you to the abyss to see what kind of fiend they'd make out of you. Yes Shijie... Tis very clever to hide behind these crystals, watching like a medieval tyrant at a colliseum. So like Shakhan. Knowing that for today, I cannot wrap my fingers around your throat and give it the gentlest of squeezes before i bite down and drain thee dry."
Mari....'
Marivel snaps out of it.
"You can only evade us for so long, Shijie." Marivel says. "Filgaia is only so big and this time I do not merely have the closest of companions. I also have an army. You can chortle all you'd like now, but I'd think about how furious you're making a demon with little to lose."
She takes in another breath, focusing back on Yue as she swings her cape in front of her, the crimson dark splashing against it. Marivel grimaces because Yue's power is not so insignificant that she can simply tank the darkness, even as someone who is resilient against such forces.
"And perhaps you could learn more from Clarine. She, at least, knows how to guide."
She extends her Guillotine out, then brings it back.
She swings it forward, an exploding surge of energy lashing out towards Yue!
"DEMON FANG!" She shuots.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Yue Rohay with DEMON FANG! GS: Marivel Armitage takes 26 damage from Poison! GS: Poison expired! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Sneak! The true nature of Marivel Armitage's attack becomes clear! GS: Yue Rohay takes a solid hit from Marivel Armitage's WILD CARD for 219 hit points! GS: FP up! Bad Luck activated! GS: Yue Rohay enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
NO WAIT!!!!
IT IS ACTUALLY DOUBLE DEMON FANG!!!!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
As Shijie speaks Clarine begins to frown slowly.
"Is that what you think of Seraphim...? No... I understand you quite well. And it is because I am a Seraph that what you desire sickens me. You are not interested in people. What you want is a tool." Clarine replies. "But we-" She starts, realises what she said, then corrects herself. "She is not a tool to be used as you see fit."
It's not something she personally experienced, but she knows there are people who viewed Seraphim that same way.
"I have come to realise... that humanity is a precious thing. And if you find it useless to you, then you are pitiful indeed." Clarine concludes.
This statement doesn't come without punishment. Dark power brims from Yue's staff... and when she thrusts it forward, the resulting flood of darkness consumes Clarine and her images, blasting them all back into the nearest wall. When the light returns, only the original Clarine is left now, the wide-ranging attack proving effective at banishing the rest.
With some effort, she floats back into position. She looks pleased, briefly, as Marivel compliments her ability to guide, but her focus soon returns to Yue herself.
"My apologies, Yue... Please endure this." Clarine says, holding her arms out. "Prism Sword!"
At this, seven blades of prismatic crystal descend to form a cage around Yue - a departure from its usual usage, where the seventh is aimed at the target themself - which then erupt in a bright, rainbow light!
GS: Seraph Clarine spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Yue Rohay with Prism Sword! GS: Seraph Clarine takes 32 damage from Poison! GS: Poison expired! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Yue Rohay critically guards Seraph Clarine's Prism Sword for 68 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yue Rohay gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Seraph Clarine! GS: FP up! Bad Luck activated!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Agahnim hasn't entirely escaped Gwen's notice, but getting a good shot at him would require ignoring a giant bird that could easily grind her down to paste with a few solid pounds of its feet, as well as the gobs(?).
Oh, wait. They're called-- "Bokoblins! They're called Bokoblins! Now I remember! It was kind of a cute name, but the real thing is..."
Well, the smaller ones could be considered cute in a sort of pug way, but the one that just bumrushes her out of nowhere?
"GH!" Gwen manages to catch the majority of those swings against her right ARM, and it *hurts*, but not as much as letting that giant spear clock her upside the head would.
".... Ah, so you're the little piggy that went to market..."
Nevermind that this meant the piggy was fat enough to be sold to the butcher, not that they went to shop for food.
When Gwen is finished, she's sure she'll make that meaning true too.
"You hit hard, but can y'handle one of these?!" Gwen then unceremoniously attempts to uppercut the pig-faced soldier with her right hand. "Try this on fer size!"
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Gwenhug! GS: Disrupt expired! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Gwen Whitlock has canceled their attack on Ganondorf Dragmire. GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Shoryu-Gwen! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 1 Combo! GS: Disrupt expired! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
In another time, and another space, Ratatoskr would have his priorities set straight and he would be trying to shakedown delicious baked treats. His priorities are not set straight. In that direction.
...ahem
"Why aren't you fighting back?" Ratatoskr's offensive relents somewhere in this combination of events, as he raises his forearm to see how the insatiable appendages from beyond that were once there have left some lasting pock-marks that'll take a bit longer for his natural healing to regenerate than he's used to.
"...You're not weak..." Ratatoskr trails off as he moves to tackle poor Hicalu up against a raised surface nearby as an enervating discharge of energy escapes his horn on direct contact (should he manage it), like he might be moving to corner Hicalu now that he's scattered them successfully.
Ashley, though, is doing good on demanding attention so that contact at worst case scenario is exceedingly brief, as Ashley gets his opening to load that canister and fire off the Frigid Coffin. Ratatoskr has an outstretched hand to catch it. He does.
Where it erupts in its immobilizing, ice-encasing manner, rooting Ratatoskr on the spot and managing to do something so very few do - getting Ratatoskr to shut up for all of a few key moments for Tristan to catch his breath and open fire. Rounds rip through the ice, giving Ratatoskr back enough control of his ability to move that he hurls himself backwards at Ashley. Tristan's still got more shots going, and Ratatoskr should be (and is) defenseless beyond that movement.
He finds it in him to do it again, hurling himself forward through the flurry even as most of that finds purchase in his Living Metal. Tristan has his pride of the name of Klein, and as a maneuver in terms of athletics and ARM handling, it's something to be proud of.
Pride did not stop the Metal Demon armies.
Ice shears off of Ratatoskr's form as he rushes into Tristan's position in front of Hicalu, throwing a clawed hand up against the length of the musketeer ARM to jerk that arm upwards. The claws will not so much as leave a scuff on them.
The other arm tries to position itself underneath Tristan's soldier and lift him up, bringing those glowing eeys face to Tristan's own as Hicalu stands at risk of watching someone else be put in a scary position for their sake - and for Ashley to once again see another Musketeer in potential lethal peril.
"You know... you do look a lot like someone I've fought before...!" His grin widens, as in a worst case scenario Tristan might have a free hand.
GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with What's Wrong...! GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Ashley Winchester with Reverse Ambush! GS: Delay expired! GS: Ratatoskr spends 1 Combo on Reload! GS: Ratatoskr has attacked Tristan Klein with Clincher...!! GS: Ratatoskr has gained 3 Combo! GS: Ratatoskr takes 32 damage from Poison! GS: Poison expired! GS: Ratatoskr has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Ashley Winchester solidly guards Ratatoskr's Reverse Ambush for 50 hit points! GS: Cover applied to Ratatoskr! GS: CRITICAL! Tristan Klein takes a solid hit from Ratatoskr's Clincher...! for 0 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst activated! GS: Tristan Klein enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ganondorf Dragmire solidly guards Gwen Whitlock's Shoryu-Gwen for 38 hit points! GS: Shieldbreak applied to Ganondorf Dragmire!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"Oh, please, Armitage, are you seriously calling me aroused by this? How absolutely passe. Perhaps that is why so many dime-store romance novels exist about Crimson Nobles? It's always with the unrestrained passions and secret seductions with you lot."
Maybe it's kind of a mercy that Yue is barely awake and unable to hear this conversation right now. She might roll into a little ball and curl up.
No, she does that on a regular basis anyway.
"Oh, I'm well aware of the power you've built since before the times. Very well aware indeed. But the ball's in your court right now, while I bide time and progress my own plans. You have your hands so, so full... overextended, even, might I say."
Marivel's next move is to perform Yue's favourite move -- Demon Fang! No, it's actually two Demon Fangs! Nightmare leaps past the first one, but lands into the second one and Yue grunts a little in recognition. She's looking really battered at the moment.
"Nightmare... isn't..." Yue mutters to Marivel. She's concerned about the damage the horse is taking...!
"Admittedly, I've only heard second hand accounts, but I can scarce imagine the luck those people had, being born at such a era as to have you Seraphim as malleable puppets. What a shame, what a shame..."
Clarine urges Yue to withstand the Prism Sword, and it's with difficulty that she does so; she's trapped in the labyrinth of six swords, and attempts to evade -- but the rainbow light slams straight into her, prompting another gurgle.
"Yue, let your body hold on for this one final pass. Then I'll have the data I want from this exercise."
Something... eerie and quiet occurs -- there's stillness in the air around Yue, and then she raises her staff high into the air. The staff disgorges out of itself, violently breaking the laws of conservation of mass, transforming into an enormous hooked greatsword of vile black energy.
Power continues to well, from the very ground underneath her, high to the skies above. The legendary iron-cutting blade...
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIWfW7iaj68 )
It was only felled once before, when...
GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Yue Rohay with Yue raises her Sword...! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay has entered Hero Stance! GS: Yue Rohay accepts Yue Rohay's Yue raises her Sword... for 0 hit points! GS: FP up! Sufferer activated! GS: Jam expired! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Hicalu Wilwisp takes a solid hit from Ratatoskr's What's Wrong... for 130 hit points! GS: Dispel! Quick and Shield removed! GS: Disease applied to Hicalu Wilwisp! GS: FP up! Countermeasures activated!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida lands next to Sterling, who bellows out another booming challenge. The fact that he hasn't gotten a hit in personally doesn't seem to faze him; what matters, perhaps, is driving this giant predator away from his flock. Conveniently, this also ensures Ida doesn't have to worry about the giant nightmare raptor hurting her bird so much.
Unfortunately, having the Helmaroc King's complete and undivided attention is a problem in and of itself.
Ida throws herself to the side, but the King is both large and angry, and one of the frenzied beak-stabs catches her in the shoulder. It's like being hit by a giant's spear; only a split-second shift keeps the beak from shattering bone and punching through flesh. Instead... Ida's body seems to grow dense and tight at the point of impact. Blood wells up in the wound, and pain shoots through her, but it's not as devastating as it should be.
Ida hits the ground again. Her heels trace furrows in the dirt. The rest of the fight has been mostly tucked in the periphery of her mind; she will worry and grieve and grow angered once this is done. The heiress sucks in a breath. She glances over her shoulder to see if Gwen needs aid (she doesn't, for now, and narrows her eyes. The faint glow around her right fist burns brighter, turning into a tiny bonfire. Ida's legs tense beneath her as her Breath coils down into her muscles.
She leaps into the air like she's been shot from a gun, leading with her fist. A shockwave trails out behind her as she lunges right for the Helmaroc King's beak. Uppercut solidarity.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Ganondorf Dragmire with Unbroken Lotus Fist! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Ganondorf Dragmire suffers a terrible blow from Ida Everstead-Rey's Unbroken Lotus Fist for 298 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
Pride did not stop the Metal Demon armies.
What did was the gumption and bravery and pure dumb luck of perfectly normal men and women just like Tristan Klein. People who were utterly ordinary except for extraordinary courage to face impossible odds, boundless love for their families, friends and homes, and just enough hope to overcome the crushing despair of war. Ordinary people.
But they could never do it alone.
Tristan is hoisted up just as Ashley recovers from the Hyadean's pounce. Again, his strength training is coming in handy. His other training is, too. Ashley draws a perfectly inoccuous-looking boomerang from his hip and hurls it in a single, smooth motion. As it leaves his hand, a series of runes flash to life all across the red arc, sending it flying at speeds far beyond what his quickdraw-throw would normally muster. The boomerang buzzsaws through the air, and... directly into Ratatoskr's wrist...!
Another set of runes flash. Magic is unleashed. This one...
TURNS RATATOSKR BLUE.
That's it. That's the spell. (It also causes a brief, sorcerous stun, as it happens.)
"Tristan, do it now!" Ashley shouts. "Mister baker, are you able to do anything to hold the Hyadean down? I'll..." Ashley carefully loads a peculiar canister- one of pure, blue crystal- into his weapon. "Need a second to charge...!"
GS: Ashley Winchester spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Ashley Winchester has attacked Ashley Winchester with Unison Impulse! GS: Ashley Winchester has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Unison Impulse! GS: Ashley Winchester has attacked Tristan Klein with Unison Impulse! GS: Ashley Winchester has launched an attack Link! GS: Ashley Winchester has entered Link Stance! GS: Ashley Winchester accepts Ashley Winchester's Unison Impulse for 0 hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Blitz and Shield applied to Ashley Winchester!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel isn't TRYING to hit Nightmare but it's a fight amd tjey
GS: Tristan Klein accepts Ashley Winchester's Unison Impulse for 0 hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Blitz and Hyper applied to Tristan Klein! GS: FP up! Gleam activated! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp accepts Ashley Winchester's Unison Impulse for 0 hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Blitz and Hyper applied to Hicalu Wilwisp!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel isn't TRYING to hit Nightmare but it's a fight amd there is only so much she can do about an opponent she is trying not to hurt too seriously that's on top of another opponent she's trying not to hurt too seriously.
"Then I'm afraid I need another explanation." Marivel says simply enough. "For such open sadism. When she was a youngling did you think 'oh boy i can't wait until she's my servant?'??"
Nightmare isn't, Yue murmurs. Marivel bites at her lip. "You really aren't making this easy."
She backpedals, looking to Clarine. "I'm gonna try something different. I'm counting on you to finish the fight."
She then POUFS into batform!
And she flaps rapidly towards Yue, twisting in midair even as she raises her blade mightily as she gathers dark energy to her blade. This is the sort of wound that Marivel can take better than Clarine but--
--Ragnell's dumb face flashes in her mind again--
--but HOPEFULLY, Ragnell, it won't come to it this time as she REPOUFS back into Marivel's form as she lashes down with a clawed arm towards Yue's chest--
--striking with claw, but really striking at something unseen--pulling it into herself as she attempts to steal a skill--
--and nom a little of that soul, an infinitesimal slice. Like a spiritual biopsy so that she can learn more about Yue's condition.
But really also about stealing a skill come on.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Yue Rohay with Skill Drain! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
Hicalu's face lights up, when Ashley recognises the structural truths of The Muffin. He makes this exact face: :D! This only makes it more heartbreaking when Ratatoskr just straight-up rugby tackles him back to reality.
Ratatoskr has an important question about Hicalu's lack of fight, which Hicalu answers with a wail: "I-- I-- I caaaan't! I'm SCARED! I-I'm not supposed to buh-BE here! There's a girl getting t-tortured over there a-and it's horrible and there's, uh, a BIG SCARY BIRD?! A-and you're just, super terrifying! Why, just, why are you made of knives?! That's way too pointy!!" He's... freaking out a bit. It's probably fine.
Unfortunately, it does mean Ratatoskr can tackle Hicalu up against a handy stone surface (safety rock betrays him again!) and make that insistence. "N-n-no I'm super weak totally weak I'm the most weak person you ev--aaaaaahhhhHHHH!!" He squirms and screams, but he can't manage to get away from the scary death laser of death.
Thankfully, Ashley's attack distracts the horrible death squirrel of scariness, so Hicalu scrambles away quick-smart. "... I-I'm okay!!" Hicalu yells, to Tristan. (IS HE, REALLY?)
Hicalu probably doesn't actually need to tell him that, though, because Tristan just -- leaps up and shoots before even hitting the ground, what?! Hicalu goes for his poor, beleagured pack, to find a less-squished muffin, and hands it to the other Musketeer when he lands. "H-here! Ahhh, I-I really gotta get an easier way to carry t-these around..." Hicalu doesn't really think about making his heal berry baked goods accessible.
Does this mean he'll have to bake muffins for the entire musketeering squad after this so it's fair? That's fine. He's resigned to his fate.
But Ashley asks if Hicalu can hold the Hyadean down, and Hicalu panicks, looking back and forth. "Umm, I, I already --" The demons from hell are full, Hicalu already knows the perils of overfeeding them. "Uhh--"
He looks to Tristan, and gulps, ears pinning back against his head. "Y--yeah!" He agrees, as he grabs a metal stick from his belt, about long enough to be grasped in both palms. Holding it out, he hits a button -- entirely uncoordinated, it's not a sleek motion in the slightest -- and the telescoping staff telescopes out, becoming five feet long instead of one. (Two feet hidden in each end of the staff. It's very clever.)
"Y--you like weapons, right?" Hicalu asks the Hyadean, entirely too nervous. "T-then-- umm-- uhh, I-- yaaaaaaaah!!!" It's his /very best battle yell, as Hicalu charges forward to try and /bonk Ratatoskr over the head./ "CRASH ARRANGEMENT!"
Maybe Hicalu really ISN'T weak...?! (Listen. We're grading on a curve here.)
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Formation! Blitz! Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Ratatoskr with Crash Arrangement! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action. GS: Yue Rohay solidly guards Marivel Armitage's Skill Drain for 39 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font activated! GS: Marivel Armitage drains Yue Rohay! Marivel Armitage gains 20 temporary hit points! GS: Ratatoskr suffers a terrible blow from Hicalu Wilwisp's Crash Arrangement for 41 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Gleam activated!
<Pose Tracker> Ganondorf Dragmire has posed.
The Moblin stares at Gwen with full, murderous intent. It is a vaguely boar-faced monster the size of a bear.
Gwen drives a flaming uppercut into it. It staggers back three steps.
Then it looks at her again, drawing its spear back with apparently no damage.
Helmaroc, meanwhile, is not smart enough to identify why its prey is not now several smaller, screaming prey. It looks around, squawks in each direction, and eventually finds Ida. Just in time for her to smack it in the face so hard there's a loud CRACK from its mask fracturing. It flares its rather lovely plumage in an apparent intent to attack again--!
"Enough," Agahnim's voice is quiet, but somehow reverberates across the field.
The moblin grunts at Gwen. The Bokoblins squawk like disappointed children.
And then they just...file off, disappearing into the woods at their master's command.
Helmaroc, too, breaks off, squawking as it roars off into the sky.
The man in robes chuckles low, his voice strange and ethereal. "We've done as we must," he says. "...we shall meet again."
And then, with a crack of darkness, he too is gone.
<Pose Tracker> Tristan Klein has posed.
There's a lot going on in this battle. Tristan is not blind to Yue's plight, nor to the strange and powerful bird, or even to all the lesser monsters fighting his friends! ...But he gets a brief, brief moment as Hicalu yells he's OK and just hands him a muffin. "Thanks--" CHOMP. He doesn't chew with dignity this time, just downing it all at once as best he can because he needs that healing. ...Later, he will tell Hicalu that it was an extremely good muffin. Right now....
Pride did not stop the Metal Demon armies. Ratatoskr is suddenly in Tristan's space, and his arm (and ARM) jerk upward as a result. The claws don't dig in--but the motion is still jarring, even before Ratatoskr uses his inhuman strength to lift Tristan straight off the ground. His brown eyes meet Ratatoskr's glowing, and Tristan's narrow in something like anger. Oh, he's not without his fear--but it's something he would explain to Hicalu if he could... But instead he can only say, "Yeah? Can't imagine who that would be." ...It's an obvious lie, but Tristan isn't going to give up his sister.
Able to conquer his fear or not though, Tristan simply isn't strong enough to break Ratatoskr's grip. Limited by human frailty, he lacks the raw power of many of those here. He is a normal man. ...But he is not alone, today. Ashley's boomerang is enough--Tristan lets go his ARM and it clatters to the ground, reaching for something else as Ashley calls out. A soldier, he knows how to work in time with others. And working with the hero beside him to protect their friend and his comrades gives him a boldness that empowers him.
Ratatoskr's other arm still holds him, now asymmetrically, and as he swings in tune with the laws of physics his hand snaps into his pocket to pull out the small rune-inscribed tablet he was going to use. Even as Ganondorf's minions start to break off, Tristan squeezes the Cap within his palm, ad calls, "AQUA!"
A torrential blast of water pours forth from his hand towards Ratatoskr, knocking Tristan himself backwards with sheer recoil. The blast is stronger than it should be, stronger than the one that took on the hill earlier--
"Now's your chance!"
GS: Tristan Klein has activated a Force Action! GS: Tristan Klein enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Formation! Blitz! Tristan Klein has attacked Ratatoskr with Crest Cap: Aqua! GS: Tristan Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Tristan Klein gains 10 FP from his Daredevil! GS: Tristan Klein enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Tristan Klein has completed his action. GS: Ratatoskr suffers a terrible blow from Tristan Klein's Crest Cap: Aqua for 111 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ratatoskr gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font, SOS Overdrive, and Gleam activated!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Nightmare, the horse... Clarine looks briefly apologetic. She hadn't even considered that. Hopefully, the horse will be alright too. Her train of thought is brought to a screeching halt as Shijie speaks again. It's a moment before she can even come up with a response. It isn't a nice one.
"...May your path be eternally darkened, to grasp vainly at shadows." Clarine replies, her tone strained.
The air, soon, becomes still... and Yue raises her staff in the air. The staff transforms into a terrible blade, and power begins to well up. Clarine feels a chill run down what would be her spine - a sense of imminent, life-treatening danger.
The sight of a legendary iron-cutting blade, raised into the air... for a brief moment Clarine finds herself wishing Ragnell was here but she can't quite place why.
"...Yes. I shall do my best." Clarine says, as Marivel departs to perform an experiment. If Marivel trusts her to finish this... then finish this she must.
With a gesture, Clarine's mirrors disperse and she holds her hands out in front of her as she recites a spell.
"One thousand divine lights, arise and light the path to tomorrow... Radiant Cannonade!" Clarine incants... and at her command, a volley of countless rays of light fires off from her position, impacting mirror after mirror as they bounce around the area, before eventually redirected toward Yue and her general vicinity - though many of them are aimed instead at her sword.
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
Ashley isn't quite sure what he was going to get when he asked Hicalu to tie up the Metal Demon. Maybe he thought that there'd be more hellgates? But it's fine. A brief moment of heroism is all that he could have asked for. It's enough time for Tristan to get free. Enough time for him to load up his ARM.
A blast of water swallows up the Hyadean. That's his cue. "Mister Baker, Tristan get clear!" Ashley shouts, his weapon already glowing with a brilliant blue light. The canister he shoved into his gun is something of a technological marvel, courtesy of the ladies over at Chateau Valeria's R&D department. The castle itself hides a tremendous resource of ancient technology, and when combined with a powerful enough refractor and a healthy does of empathite, what results is... this.
A weapon that, in some degree, answers to its user's will-- and, to a greater degree, contains a truly ridiculous amount of energy considering its size. Ashley pulls the trigger, and unleashes a catastrophic flood of brilliant, blue energy directly at Ratatoskr. In the brief moment that it crosses into the lingering torrent of water, the beam would seem to split and refract into a rainbow of colors, but by then the diffusion would come too late to do anything but make it harder to avoid.
A well-improvised combination attack, if there ever were one.
GS: Seraph Clarine has attacked Yue Rohay with Radiant Cannonade! GS: Riposte expired! GS: Seraph Clarine has completed her action. GS: Ashley Winchester has activated a Force Action! GS: Ashley Winchester spends 3 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 1 into Gatling! GS: Blitz! Ashley Winchester has attacked Ratatoskr with Rising Nova! GS: Ashley Winchester has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ashley Winchester has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Ratatoskr suffers a terrible blow from Ashley Winchester's Rising Nova for 265 hit points! GS: Jam applied to Ratatoskr! GS: Hyper applied to Ashley Winchester! GS: FP up! Gleam activated! GS: Ratatoskr has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Yue Rohay solidly guards Seraph Clarine's Radiant Cannonade for 72 hit points! GS: Yue Rohay has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen bounces back two steps from that hit punch, shaking her right hand out as the Moblin stands there, none of the worse for wear. "Yikes, you're made of stronger stuff that the others..."
That giant spear isn't just for show, apparently.
Before they can have their next bout, Agahnim commands his minions to retreat, and that their work was done.
Gwen glances upwards with a suspicious frown, worried as to what he might meant. Her next glance is to Ida, just in case, but Ida seems relatively fine, at first glance. "... What was that wizard guy talkin' 'bout? I ain't too fond of what that might imply... Let's do a quick looksee around and help clean up."
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"Yes??" Shijie answers Marivel, simply enough. ... really? Just like that? "One does not build a dynasty catering to their every whim and wish their children have, Armitage."
But Marivel transforms into a bat and flaps rapidly towards Yue! Oh no, she's stuck in the pose, she can't do anything about it!! POUF, Marivel's back to normal and claws at her chest!!
She draws just a little infinitessimal chunk of Yue's soul and
W O W
If the soul of someone who's in their prime, of sound and healthy mind, body and emotional wavelength was like a delicious meal....
Yue's soul is like a sad, flabby cookie that's been twice-unfrozen and studded with microcrystals of ice (Avril's fault).
Clarine summons a truly grand spell into existence indeed, a volley of countless rays of light firing off from her immediate position and bouncing mirror after mirror, as if to guarantee there'll be no future as the carnage of light strikes her, one after another, and more importantly striking at the sword--
She lets go with a growl of pain, and the sword dissolves into little more than its component pieces within the armour. The punishment of light is entirely too much, and Nightmare whinnies softly as it tries to keep Yue upright, but eventually its rider collapses to one side.
... still, Marivel gets a skill out of it:
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRSDe2qCaWs )
YOU LEARNED
Senkko Tsuijinga
' Light Spear Cuccannon '
A textbox with annoyingly spaced characters and really loud bleeps opens:
Description: Channel the power of cuccos and light to strike upwards. Press the Sp. Technique + UP buttons to activate.
"Yue here may be a lost cause, but I can still use her as I see fit. But you have another daughter of mine, come to think of it. She's been spending too much time with runts from Meria Boule, and the Kleins no less... I'll be taking back my armour now."
Minder.
The suit of armour disappears in a flash of disturbing violet lightning, leaving Yue in just the form-fitting bodysuit underneath.
"Until next time!"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida lands on her feet, fists raised. Sterling keeps screaming bloody murder. For a moment, tension fills the air as the King displays its full plumage--
'Enough.'
And that's... that. Ida's eyes narrow as the dark figure gives his orders, but she's hurt and winded and she's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. For his part, Sterling lets out one last throaty boom at the retreating King, flares his crest, and kicks at the dirt with his talons.
"I think we found Link's bird acquaintance," Ida says, reaching out and taking Sterling's reins. She boosts herself back into the saddle. "See to the wounded." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a bottle of Heal Berry tonic. She tosses it in a gentle underhand at Gwen.
Ida moves in to do just that. She might not have healing magic, but she has a bag full of Potions and tonics and basic medical knowledge. Triage is always grim work, but if she can save some lives here, it will be worth it.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
Hicalu speaks of a primal truth that is difficult for those bred to be fearless, immortal killing machines to grasp. Hicalu is terrified, what's going on around and behind them is traumatizing to witness (to say nothing about the one subject to the despicable acts by someone who no child should ever feel threatened by).
Ratatoskr's arm is bumped gently by a shiny red boomerang, and all of a sudden he turns into a bright, visible blue hue everywhere and finds himself incapable of moving. This does little to fight his existing hold and grip, but...
It's a stunning combination to pull off in succession.
Hicalu does his best, withdraws a telescoping staff, and bonks Ratatoskr on the head with a 'clunk.' It doesn't rearrange much, it's not much of a crash. It's a... Clunk Check, kinda, maybe, in the big picture. But it is a successful Clunk Check.
Tristan, emboldened by assistance from a hero beside him, breaks free the other Crest Cap, gives it a squeeze, and holds it up. Water descends and envelops Ratatoskr as the recoil safely pulls Tristan away from it.
Ashley finishes the combination by loading another canister into his ARM of seemingly impossible make, and Ratatoskr's silhouette seems to disappear into the blinding flood of blue energy as gravity overtakes the stunned, bludgeoned, washed-away Ratatoskr to send him tumbling further down the hill and beyond.
It puts him clear of Hicalu, of a presently disarmed Tristan, away from Ashley - and ultimately away from Under Traffic, as this latest Odessa attack appears averted. Most importantly, the stun lasts long enough that there isn't the usual cackling or gabbing attributed to the obnoxious nineteen-to-twenty-five-year-old Hyadean remnant.
ARMS is already aware of how much of a distraction this whole matter was, and what time is being borrowed.