2019-04-30: Friends, not Food!
- Log: Friends, not Food!
- Cast: Jacqueline Barber, Ethius Hesiod, Prissa, Marivel Armitage, Lulu, Seraph Solanine, Yuna, Ida Everstead-Rey, Auron, Rikku
- Where: Mi'ihen Highroad
- Date: April 30, 2019
- Summary: One fateful morning at an outpost of Rin's Travel Agency along the Mi'ihen Highroad, a Chocobo Eater attacks - having followed the scent of chocobo there with the desire to gobble up the poor birds! But thankfully, the chocobos are not without their defenders...
============================<* Mi'ihen Highroad *>============================ Many years ago, a man named Lord Mi'ihen, commander of a mercenary group known as the Crimson Blades, was summoned by the Grand Measter to Bevelle to answer the challenge that his group was a threat to Yevon. Though his followers suspected he would be executed and begged to follow, Mi'ihen ordered them to stay behind and walked along an old path to Bevelle, without stopping to rest. Moved by the display of piety, the Grand Maester formally adopted Mi'ihen and his soldiers into Yevon as a defensive force, known now as the Crusaders. In recognition of the momentous moment, the path Mi'ihen walked now bears his name. ...except not really, because the original one was wrecked by Sin a few hundred years ago. You can still see bits of it as you pass along the Highroad, on which the Djose Temple can also be found.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Rin's Travel Agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad attracted a lot of visitors. The location was convenient, making for a useful rest stop on one's journey - wherever it took them. It provided a wonderful view of the ocean below and scattered ruins of the Oldroad, and even offered chocobo renting and stabling services to make one's trip down the Highroad quicker.
The latter, as it happens, is the most relevant today.
It's a morning like any other. Quiet - peaceful, even. It's about the time most people would be getting up to have some breakfast and get started with their business for the day.
Jacqueline Barber had just emerged from the nearby hatching shack - a recent addition, conveniently the exact same size and shape as the Caravan Kinship's trademark vehicle, but this is probably just a coincidence, right? - adjacent to the chocobo corral, to check on the chocobos contained within.
She's not the only one there. The Travel Agency's chocobo attendant is present, and so are others, either working for the Travel Agency or checking on their own chocobos.
It starts simply at first - one of the chocobos begins to show signs of unease. It spreads rapidly through the birds, soon growing into panic and agitation. And then, the source of the panic becomes clear.
Chasing down a herd of wild chocobo is the aptly-named Chocobo Eater. With its massive arms, and durable, chitinous plates, it was a dangerous predator. Its movement hardly seemed hindered by its short, squat legs.
It crashes through the wall of the corral and birds scatter, emitting panicked kwehs. With one huge hand it reaches out, grabbing up one of the birds that was too slow to escape.
The attendant is the first one to react.
"Someone, help! The chocobos!" She calls out, cupping her hands around her mouth - her voice carries far enough to reach those inside. It does, however, reach the fiend as well.
The Chocobo Eater turns toward her, its free hand curling into a fist which is sent flying her way. Jacqueline reacts quickly, however, diving toward her and bringing her to the ground just before the massive fist passes overhead.
And then, just as people begin to emerge from the Travel Agency the Chocobo Eater leaps atop it. Its head, which comprises most of its bodymass, opens its mouth - the bottom jaw split in two, each half having its own tongue. Feathers can be seen lodged between its teeth.
Just as it starts to bring the chocobo closer...a lance of flame strikes the Chocobo Eater square in the face, eliciting a pained growl from the beast.
"Put it down." Jacqueline demands. To its credit, it does - by hurling the bird right at her. It flies toward her, but with a gesture its momentum slows, eventually landing on her with a soft, painless, 'whump' of feathers that brings them both to the ground. It begins to panic.
"S-shh, shh, it's alright! Please, try to stay calm!" She urges it, carefully grabbing hold and patting it gently. If she tried to just push the bird off her, it might panic even more - and that might end up getting both of them hurt.
The Chocobo Eater leaps down from its perch atop the Travel Agency, landing amidst panicking chocobos. Someone should probably do something to help them!
Cliffsides loom on either side of the Chocobo Eater. This fiend seems quite durable...it might be wise to figure out a plan of action for dealing with it.
DC: You switch forms to Bane of Horsebirds - Chocobo Eater! DC: Jacqueline Barber switches forms to Bane of Horsebirds - Chocobo Eater!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius is among the CaraKin members present about the Travel Agency after recently coming back from a brief visit about Kilika. He has been largely quiet in his dealings outside of that early set of scares right as they all came to Spira. Hey, weird guy, do this, do that. There is also 'hey weird guy, why are you wearing that mask if you are not even an Al Bhed' but he has already found himself a perfectly serviceable reason within the Travel Agency when he is roped into lending a hand.
He's still not used to the smell.
His inability to withstand the stench does nothing to slow Ethius' arrival when the attendant calls for help, emerging with a weird, almost evil-looking quarterstaff in hand as he looks around ground level (where the Chocobo Eater currently isn't), until he can follow the lance of flame. He starts to hold an open palm upwards - the sorcerous equivalent of a drawn ARM - when the Chocobo Eater takes a leap from their perch and...
Oh. He's right where they want to land.
It takes a dramatic dive to the side to avoid being crushed underfoot by the oddly-proportioned Fiend to land in a crouch. Just in time for a panicked chocobo to plow into him head-first into his chest and further hurl him aside into a wall.
The chocobo is an easily spooked creature, but it is also capable of concern and kindness. Concern and kindness like 'turning around, seeing the human it butted into a wall, and then butt their skull into their chest a few times in hopes of waking them up' which is a gesture that is appreciated in spirit moreso than in form.
He'll need a moment.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa, the Blade Dreamer, emerges from the Caravan in which she beds down with a cloth sack over her shoulder. Inside of that sack is a range of pieces of bar metal, several subsidiary pouches with other reagents; on her hip is a brace of several supporting weapons and a good trusty hammer on a hiked-up hand grasp. She whistles ostentatiously, because HA HA, ALTHENA CAN'T TELL HER NOT TO!
Probably.
Prissa glances towards the west, as if to warily check that some nun isn't about to bust her chops. Then she walks to her tent-sheltered open-air forge, sets her bag down, and checks the coals, feeding in some lumps of charcoal from a nearby bag along with traces of ground reddish crystalline powder. She puts her foot on the bellows and starts to pump in air.
She looks at the anxious chocobo in the corral. "Settle down," she tells the bird pleasantly. "It's fine. What, do you smell something coming?" Prissa smiles.
There is a rumble of many large avian feet.
Prissa frowns.
AND THEN COMES THE CHOCOBO EATER, massive and muscular, even as the attendant calls out for help. Prissa's head turns and she looks up at the massive acephalic THING with a horrid wince. Especially when it's already picking up a bird and - "Jay, don't stand in open!" Prissa shouts, her spine tightening as she twitches in momentary tension. It practically leapt onto Ethius! Sweet mercy!
There is no strong room to flee, no room to escape. Even if this Fiend only eats the birds, Prissa thinks, Rin will be ruined! He'll confiscate our stuff! And this uncharitable assessment of the possible economic behavior of one of her peers moves the forger of blades to reach into her hip pocket, abandoning her forge to peek out from the edge of the tent.
She draws out two dirks, holding them loosely. She bounces a little on the balls of her feet, sucking breath between her teeth. A second later she twists round, whipping the two heavy-tipped knives towards the Eater's eye!
GS: Prissa has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Spiral Dirks - Psyches Vun Meva! GS: Prissa has completed her action. GS: Sneak! The true nature of Prissa's attack becomes clear! GS: Jacqueline Barber guards a hit from Prissa's Spiral Dirks - Psyches Vun Meva for 60 hit points! GS: Riposte! applied to Prissa!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
A LONG TIME AGO
"Daddy," A young blonde girl with red eyes tugs on her father's sleeve. "Where does blood come from?"
Her father looks down at her. Eyes that are so often cold to the world outside her castle only has warmth for his child. "Well," He says. "Do you want to know?"
The blonde girl nods her head enthusiastically, eyes wide.
Her father stands up and slides his chair back under his desk and takes his daughter's hand, smiling down at her.
"Then, my sweet demon, I shall show you."
NOW
Can Marivel truly involve herself in a battle between Chocobo Eater and Chocobo? Are fiends unnatural? It does not seem to be the case, not for Spira, and yet here Marivel is, shrouded in heavy robes and a scarf protecting most of her face, when a Chocobo Eater finds itself turning on Jacqueline Barber after she tries to interrupt its meal.
She looks at the panicking chocobos for a long moment, unmoving. She has nothing against chocobos, even though she was nearly run over by one not too long ago. She finds them to be affectionate, warm creatures who serve many important roles for this civilization. If these chocobos are not saved, it may ruin livelihoods--it may ruin lives--but even so...
...Is she not unlike a fiend that feeds on the living? She may find her little ways to minimize harm around her diet, but she still drinks blood and chews on little flakes of spirit to maintain herself.
On the other hand, Jay's skull being crushed into fine powder would be a terrible end to a friend.
She is hesitant as she raises her hand up, red pentagram patterned seals rippling around the Chocobo Eater, pressing before remaining as sigils across its body--sapping the creature of strength.
"This creature is a fiend." Marivel says. "Be wary, friends, to be betwixt a hunter and its prey."
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Power Seal! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Marivel Armitage's Power Seal for 0 hit points! GS: Cripple! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
The Guardian Lulu is aware that theoretically, a danger to the Chocobos on the Highroad is not their group's problem. Their ultimate concern is more important than any individual flock or bird, and a danger here could take resources that they need to use against something more dangerous later on the road. And yet...
...Well, despite this obviously being the case, she doesn't expect for a moment that this group isn't going to get involved. So--
MOMENTS AGO:
"Oh no!" A voice calls, as the doors open, and someone from outside rushes into the Travel Agency. "The chocobos!"
Lulu looks immediately to the others. Wakka looks immediately to Lulu. And someone else--
Well. Lulu had a feeling.
So instead of showing Lulu's reactions to that: NOW:
The sweep of heavy skirts takes Lulu over the threshold and outside, flanked at first by a certain former Auroch as she examines the situation at hand--the Fiend, the chocobos... those assembled, and--
Lulu puts a hand to her shoulder, and then raises it, moogle dool tucked under her other arm acting as a focus. With a rush of magical force building around her, recognizeable to anyone familiar with the magic of Lunar--
A crashing blast of water erupts from beneath the Chocobo Eater, slamming towards it with the impact of a powerful wave.
"That's correct," Lulu answers after Marivel. "...For those of you who are travellers..." She starts to step to the side, even as Wakka throws in his addition to the moment and moves to get in front. "Fiends form of pyreflies--when the souls of the dead are not guided to their proper rest, they become these--resentful and envious of the living, their jealousy soon turns to hate. ...And so do they prey on those they find."
"Don't hesitate to strike to kill."
GS: Lulu has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Water! GS: Lulu has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber guards a hit from Lulu's Water for 81 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine had been spending a lot of her time in Spira along the Mi'ihen Highroad, sometimes she was there to battle fiends, though not so much lately, since an inopportune use of ARMs and Seraphic blessings agitated the local Yevonite civilian militias. She still helped dispatch or delay Fiends from assailing passerbys when the opportunity arose, though she'd hoped that there would be a lull given the early hour.
Unable to invisibly stay in unattended rooms as she's used to, she gets now why the Seraph Lanval was working for hire at all. Despite her run of bad luck however, Solanine has retained a sum of material wealth from her time on Filgaia and Lunar both, and only needing to secure lodgings without food has allowed her a flexible budget enough to have stayed at Rin Travel Agency on the night before.
She makes her way outside as the Chocobo Eater mounts its attack on the Travel Agency, the Chocobos and even Jay..?!
Solanine summons a wave of darkness, splitting it into a flow of shadow nightshade petals amd spreads them across the Chocobo Eater and the Chocobos.
For the Eater to distract and blind and weaken. Black shadow energy and Seraphic glyphs interplay with red seals.
For the chocobos - to hope to pacify their panic, especially the one perching on Jay.
The Seraph of darkness keeps Lulu's instructions in mind, once things have calmed down, she'll strike to kill.
GS: Seraph Solanine has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Somnifera! GS: Seraph Solanine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Seraph Solanine has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
When the call came out, a boy and a girl were sitting together at the edge of this world, where the rolling green grass falls away and the ocean expands outwards to the horizon, far below. They were watching the sun sparkle and dance across the waves. It creates a golden path...
...but only one of them could follow it.
They rise quickly at the sound of the commotion nearby, looking at each other, then at the fiend, then at each other again. The only-small-in-context blue Ronso nearby matches them stride for stride as they pass him.
No one notices Yuna tuck something small and round and palm-sized into her obi.
Tidus and Kimahri skid to a stop, dust rising beneath the soles of their boots and feet respectively, in front of the immense Eater and alongside Lulu, but Yuna -- whose face has opened with alarm and horror that mirrors that of the chocobos themselves, darts in between them with lightning speed, and lunges straight for the Eater.
"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" she roars, at mouse-pitch.
Her summoner's rod is a decorative slender weapon, but made of sterner stuff than it might seem.
Sparkles fly off of it in all directions as she smacks it towards the monster, and whatever sound it might make on impact is completely drowned out by a ringing, almost musical BONK! The light show feels more like nascent magic jarred involuntarily loose, than an actual spell of any kind.
More specifically, she swats it at the monster's calf.
That's all she can reach.
"YUNA!" complains Tidus, while Kimahri's displeasure and concern is silent but palpable.
GS: Yuna has attacked Jacqueline Barber with BONK!! GS: Yuna has gained 2 Combo! GS: Yuna has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
It's a beautiful morning. A warm breeze blows through the open window, rustling the curtains. Ida Everstead-Rey sits in the armchair beside it, a glass of fresh, cool water in one hand, and a book about Lord Mi'ihen on the table in front of her. The Travel Agency room is accomodating and private, and well away from the hubbub of Luca. Ida may be a city girl at heart, but sometimes it's good to have some peace and quiet.
It's good to have that, that is, until shrieks and squawks and thunderous footfalls filter in from outside, followed by someone shouting about the chocobos. Ida sets the glass down, rises, and glances out the window at the chaos unfolding around the chocobo pen. She frowns.
She reaches for the pair of enchanted boots resting by her chair, slides them on, and laces them up as fast as she can.
"Look out below!"
Ida comes plummeting down towards the Fiend, motes of green light dancing around her heels. A gust of wind--oddly powerful, and oddly-precise--guides her in mid-air, buoying her up as she twists her body around in a front flip. The wind changes direction, propelling the rolling axe kick towards the Chocobo Eater's head.
GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Seraph Solanine's Somnifera for 49 hit points! GS: Poison! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Yuna's BONK! for 22 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Auron has posed.
Auron pretty much comes and goes as he pleases, really. Honestly, where does he even -go-? Hard to say; nobody seems to see him, and he's not telling. But it's usually fine, he usually turns up in time to help when there's trouble. And this time is no different. Just as the call about the chocobos in distress goes out, the man in that familiar red coat is nearby again. But he's not just jumping into action. Not this time.
He's thinking about where Lulu is, really -- it's not their problem, and Yuna losing one of her guardians here would impact the pilgrimage. Though they do have plenty of non-Spiran help, it looks like. And Lulu's words bring another realization -- this is a really big, really strong fiend, and it's more than likely to pop up later if they don't take care of it here.
...Besides that, while Auron's not really particularly inclined towards chocobos, he -is- particularly inclined -against- Chocobo Eaters. Jecht had made them stop and help with one, and it kind of embarrassed the three of them. So yeah. He's sliding that arm out of his coat and pulling his blade fron the sheath on his back.
First thing, make it easier for others to cause damage. He pauses to gather his strength, and a bright gold gleam slides down his blade. Perhaps it's a cue to the others of Yuna's group (though he hasn't known them long enough for it to be clear) or perhaps it's just habit, he declares, "Your pain shall be two-fold!" He darts up to strike at the fiend, and if the blade hits, it will produce a strange gold spark... one that he hopes will break whatever the fiend has for armor -- scales, a tough skell, or just tough skin -- just a little.
GS: Auron has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Armor Break! GS: Auron has completed his action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Auron's Armor Break for 91 hit points! GS: Break! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Boot To The Head! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber guards a hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Boot To The Head for 43 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
Rin is just staring at Rikku as she conducts her transaction... because she isn't conducting it in Al Bhed. Arching a single blonde eyebrow, he looks both amused and quizzical at that fact, he's not taking it as an insult at least. "Thank you for patronage." Rikku just lets out this nervous titter, sweating a little, as she finishes handing over the gil to his employee for the sack of ingredients. "You're welcome!"
Rikku says as she hastily stows them away. Which is when there's a roar outside. And the girl's head whips around to look over her shoulder outside, as Lulu leads the way, and she starts to run out of the agency - to which Rin asks, "You are going to help?" Rikku nods quickly, "Uh-huh! It's - what I do now I guess!"
As if it were simply the description of being a Guardian to Yuna - without saying she's a Guardian.
Rin hoists another potion, "Thank you for your help. Take this!"
-making a short toss her way, as she catches it in both hands like he'd just thrown a blitzball at her. Grinning, giving a cheerful wave of the potion before continuing to rush back out.
Then she's rushing outside, Chocobo Feather's tied into her braids and blue ribbons streaming behind her as she rushes the Chocobo Corral. "That poor Chocobo!" She winces as she sees the outcome of Jay telling the massive fiend to put it down. And Yuna's roar - gives her a certain cheerful determination to make certain no other Chocobos are hurt. "Alright let's get 'im!"
As if she were simply illustrating Lulu's point. There's absolutely no hesitation in her stride as she rushes past Prissa - past Marivel - past Jay - towards the thing, streaking behind Yuna in an attempt to back her up. "Hooooo you're gonna get it now! Seeking a free lunch from one of Rin's corrals is just asking for it!"
She keeps sprinting towards it in what looks like a totally reckless frontal assault. She taunts it, the claw strapped to her arm leading in a slashing strike that's going to try and strike the creature in it's opposite calf if it connects...
GS: Rikku has attacked Jacqueline Barber with The Claw! GS: Rikku has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rikku has completed her action. GS: Sneak! The true nature of Rikku's attack becomes clear! GS: CRITICAL! Jacqueline Barber guards a hit from Rikku's Steal for 0 hit points! GS: Disrupt and Jam! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
... except it was a total feint. Rikku dives at the last second between the thing's giant legs and suddenly it's caught in the middle of an elaborate snatch and grab by her skilled hands working to pickpocket the monster for all that it owns.
The fiend finds itself being searched for it's precious belongings, discombobulated in her sudden attempt to take whatever she can find from it. It's not impossible she may have left a few surprises behind to fill the void of what she took.
Who can say?
"Takers Keepers!" She declares as she makes a beeline back to the group. It's only fair given that the fiend has the same philosophy of taking these Chocobos. Though she hardly cares about that. She'd say it anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
The Chocobo Eater hardly takes notice as Ethius flings himself aside in time to avoid getting crushed. But it does take notice of the chocobo that headbutts him. It strides toward the bird, hand outstretched... but before it can close around it, a pair of heavy knives come flying toward its eye. It recoils back as the knives score two long cuts just above the brow, and the chocobo remains free for the time being as it turns its eyes upon Prissa - and Ethius, who was behind it, will emerge unscathed as well.
For a second time, it finds itself barred from prey. It starts toward her and then, suddenly, red pentagram-patterned seals ripple around it, pressing in. It feels the very strength draining from its body. Weakening it.
Its stomach - or whatever equivalent Fiends have - grumbles ominously.
It felt weak, and... hungry...so hungry...
This thought seems to lend it some extra vigor, though hunger dulls its movements, as well. It rips a chunk of earth out of the ground, hurling it at Marivel in retaliation.
And then, power flows. Water erupts toward it with great force, pushing it back.
With a grumble, it takes one swing of its massive arms in retaliation - Prissa and Lulu both will need to watch themselves.
And then, a wave of darkness flows over the battlefield. For the chocobos, it's a calming shade - concealing them from their unnatural predator, providing them with some calm - even the one on Jacqueline begins to calm down...though it seems satisfied where it currently is. Maybe it just wants to keep her out of the fight?
For the Chocobo Eater, however, the shadows blind and distract.
It flails, more falling over than actually attacking Solanine with the very weight of its body.
And then, as it begins to rise, it feels something bonking against its calf. The strike itself isn't very powerful, but there's a weight to it that can't be ignored.
The chocobos take notice of this, and as the Chocobo Eater makes to bring down a fist toward her, one of the wild birds rushes forward with a beak jab, redirecting the fist toward the ground below and letting out a defiant 'kweh'.
The Chocobo Eater emits a growl and it turns its eyes onto the chocobo...but before it can react, Ida descends with a powerful axe kick that sends it stumbling backwards.
Auron is upon it, then. Its eyes find his. Is there recognition there? With it destabilized, however, it has no hope of avoiding his blade - and its armor is nothing compared to the might of that weapon. With a strange, golden spark, weapon leaves a long rent down the middle of its face and armor, and it falls back - but not before taking a swing at Auron.
This is an opportunity Rikku can capitalize on - it can hardly stop her attacking - or, in actuality, making a feint to dive underneath it. It is force to weather both the taunting and the theft of its valuable.
Got 1x Chocobo Feather!
It lands solidly on its back, and struggles to get up...but for now, it's vulnerable. Now might be the time to try and push it back!
GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Hungry...! GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Hungry... for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Slow! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Brief Reprieve! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Marivel Armitage with Rock Throw! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Lulu with Arm Sweep! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Prissa with Arm Sweep! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Seraph Solanine with Body Splash! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Yuna with Miss!! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Flailing! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Auron with Giant Fist! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Rikku with Chocobo Feather! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes 20 damage from Poison! GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action. GS: Prissa takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Arm Sweep for 56 hit points! GS: Yuna takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Miss! for 0 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Flailing for 78 hit points! GS: Hyper! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Auron has activated a Force Action! GS: Auron guards a hit from Jacqueline Barber's Giant Fist for 96 hit points! GS: Lulu takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Arm Sweep for 56 hit points! GS: Marivel Armitage takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Rock Throw for 63 hit points! GS: Cripple! applied to Marivel Armitage! GS: Ethius Hesiod takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Brief Reprieve for 0 hit points! GS: Seraph Solanine takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Body Splash for 60 hit points! GS: Break! applied to Seraph Solanine! GS: Rikku takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Chocobo Feather for 0 hit points! GS: Quick! applied to Rikku!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The chocobo in question seems to be in the process of mastering the practice of CPR - or it is just so scared that all it can do is keep butting someone in their chest and make it nearly impossible to take in oxygen. It gets more rapid as the Chocobo Eater seems ready to bear down upon it.
It is not the growing shadow over him that spurs the strange man to action. It is not the desire for his lungs to take in oxygen that gets him back up on his feet.
It's the smell. It gets through the mask, made all the worse by the horsebird flailing around, and Ethius is an upright coughing mess for a while as a number of people gather and bear down upon it. It is more the grace of the gathered that he get the space to retch and choke but also make at least some attempt to reclaim any level of fight - let alone dignity - as he takes his weapon again and starts to pace around the perimeter of the gathered as though it were just as important to take stock of who's here.
Familiar faces about the Drifting community. But also... locals. There was the one who went out of their way to help the various displaced - the Otherworlders - get up to speed. Lulu, who was reportedly part of an important religious journey. If she is here, this means--
He hears a young man yell 'YUNA,' and a part of Ethius grows hesitant to make himself too showy or noticeable a factor. He just ('just?') looks like some strange dark-skinned, white-haired man who charitably might be confused for being an Al Bhed Psyches fan, at best. He paces around the fallen Chocobo Eater for a while.
Somewhere, at some indistinct moment he thinks the creature might move to regain his footing, he moves in quietly from an appropriate angle to swing his staff down against the ground in a sweeping movement, calling the attack name only because that appears to be an important component.
"Ground Gain!"
A mere, low-key attack to sweep and keep one off their feet. If given the opportunity, Ethius once again withdraws away from the fray.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Ground Gain! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Ethius Hesiod's Ground Gain for 70 hit points! GS: Entangle! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Auron has posed.
Auron has some idea how this thing attacks. Maybe it's the same one, who knows? If not, the one he fought back then was enough like it that he can see the fist coming this time. He turns his sword, and the fist slams into the flat of the wide blade, blunting it. Mind you, the strength behind that attack is nothing to sneeze at. It doesn't fling him back, like it probably would have done if he -hadn't- blocked it, but it definitely sends a jolt through his arms! He grunts with pain and effort at guarding the strike, his feet tearing up some of the grass as he's pushed back with the hit.
Fortunately he's still on his feet. Even better, the Chocobo Eater seems to have fallen onto its back. "Attack with the strongest you can muster now, before it gets back up!" he offers. He is, however, sticking with debuff support. He's fairly sure the others have stronger. Besides, Auron is not the hero here; this isn't his story. Also most of what he can manage are variations of 'hit a thing really hard with his sword'. And speaking of hitting things with a sword?
A sickly greenish purple light seems to slide down the edge of his blade, and he darts forward again. This time, should the Chocobo Eater not dodge the blade, the explosion that happens is that sickly green color, and very much resembles the bursting of a festering sore. Ew.
GS: Auron has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Zombie Attack! GS: Auron has gained 1 Combo! GS: Auron has completed his action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Auron's Zombie Attack for 74 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has been weakened by Disease! Temporary hit points tick down 1 round! GS: Disease and Poison! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
A LONG TIME AGO
"Blood comes from chickens?!" The little blonde girl gasps.
Her father had led her to the garden and had pointed to a large chicken coop whereupon the blonde girl exclaimed that in shock and understanding. Her father laughs. "Well close, but not exactly. Chickens are just one example of where blood comes from." He picks one of the chickens up. It is plump and well fed and it is clueless. A crueller Noble might have ripped out the creature's throat right then and there, but Marivel's father was not a cruel man. "Many living creatures on Filgaia have blood--and more yet have other kinds of nourishment that we can partake in, my daughter. One day you will hunt your own meals but that time is a long way off."
He ruffles her hair and the child is annoyed.
"I am ready to hunt now--!" The young one says. "I will prove it to you!"
The smile fades from her father's lips. "No," He says harshly. "You will not. Not until tis time for you to come of age, sweet demon."
"But...why?"
"Because we are the Crimson Nobles, predators of all, keepers of power. We, more than anyone, must respect life before we take it." Her father says. "That is the balance we must keep within ourselves, my child, otherwise what are we but parasites upon this world, this very world that gives us a home, that gives us the moon, that gives us stars?"
The girl, properly chastized, nods slowly. "I like the moon'n'the stars."
To her annoyance her father rubs her hair again. "Me too, Marivel, me too."
NOW
Marivel is, sad to say, not surprised at this point that Yuna and her Guardians would intercede on this small matter while on their world saving pilgrimage. Tis the sort of thing that Ana would have done, after all, and she has already noticed many similarities between Yuna and her old friend.
Perhaps she is thinking on old memories in this moment too much, however, because she is slow to leap out of the way of the rock thrown at her. It collides against her side and she sinks down suddenly into a crouch, wincing and grasping at her side. Being immortal does not exempt her from pain because nothing is more important for an immortal to feel than pain. If they forget it, then they become worse than any fiend. She sees Yuna bonk her staff into the creature and she can't help but snrrk into her hand, covering it quickly. When she lowers her hand she smiles at her. "Thank you. Perhaps I can lend more of a hand."
She stands herself up, looking towards Lulu (who gets a nod) then Auron, who gets a warm smile.
She had been meaning to talk to him again, but now is hardly the time for such a sweet discussion. Rikku too, of course, she only has sweet words for. She's glad again that she has managed to become so quickly an indispensible team member with a group she had very recently been fighting against.
Better avoid the thunder spells though, she thinks.
It does not seem like this creature likes darkness. Marivel has methods to unleash the night. But for now she holds off--the natural sun limiting her recourses.
She darts forward herself and places her hand on the Chocobo Eater. That's it.
And she pulls... something blue, ethereal free--it is not quite unlike a pyrefly, in fact, and she closes her hand around it until it dissipitates into her.
What manner of spirits make up this creature. What can it teach her? She is not eager to see it, yet her technique does not hesitate.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Skill Drain! GS: Marivel Armitage has gained 1 Combo! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Marivel Armitage's Skill Drain for 113 hit points! GS: Marivel Armitage drains Jacqueline Barber! Marivel Armitage gains 56 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
Wakka doesn't notice a thing. He's suspicious of Rin, naturally, but he figures even suspicious Al Bhed are pleasant to nice cheerful girls when they're shopping so it's fine.
But out here--
Lulu has made herself a target, and naturally, that has results. The creature swings right back. Surprisingly light on her feet, the stoic black mage suddenly steps backwards, and an attack that would have sent her flying via sheer impact instead swipes against her and doesn't harm her balance in the least. She nods to Marivel too, and looks ahead--Auron, there, and--
"Yuna!" Lulu calls, not in scolding but in warning as the creature strikes outward. But it seems even the Chocobos are fond of her. ...Hmm.
She watches with some interest the results of Rikku's assault, getting still more sense for her talents. While Auron's advice seems to carry the weight of experience; Lulu knows personal knowledge when she hears it. So naturally, the black mage shifts, even as Wakka makes it to another side and starts throwing his ball for the creature's face.
"Let us handle the likes of these," Lulu suggests to Yuna, and then liffts her hand, breathing in as Marivel works. "...Anyone need a light?" she offers the group.
Abrubtly fire slams down out of nowhere straight on the fallen creature, red and orange and yellow and blazing with heat.
GS: Lulu has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Let's Start A Fire! GS: Lulu has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Lulu's Let's Start A Fire for 141 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa's braids jingle a little from the glass beads as Rikku whizzes by. "Yah," she says: "Free anything."
AMOUNT THAT PRISSA STILL OWES RIN:
292,200 GIL
Prissa's eyes flick round for a moment. She sees a woman in summoner's robes lunge forwards bearing a rod and swinging it to dramatic effect, and as she moves to grasp at several of the swords she has just sort of laying around the open air workshop, Prissa calls to Yuna: "It will eat you for meze if you don't mind yourself!"
Then the great creature swings an arm towards Prissa. Prissa is near enough to her little open air forgeworks that she has to throw herself to the side, and the Chocobo Eater hits one of the belaying points for the pavilion tent cover... which, as you do, falls over, and then promptly wraps around the freshly lit forge. Sensibly enough, the colored fabric opts to react to this by catching fire, although fortunately, the rope and cloth does not wrap around the creature's arm...
This time! So the fire should be fine! Right??
Cursing to herself, Prissa grasps at one of the swords she is carrying round and stabs the - two? three? - hard to tell into the dirt as she approaches the great creature. The blade she has grasped is glitteringly sleek, a single-edged curved blade with a hand guard and a rather broad blade.
She keeps running...
And starts whaling at the side of the Chocobo Eater with the shamshir! The chopping motion is extremely amateurish, but you don't play fair with fiends. The blow seems to liberate some kind of subtle citrus aroma, possibly helping dilute the lingering scent of chocobos.
"Don't stand around!" she shouts at Marivel. "Rikku, why are these people all standing in the open? Do they crave death??"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
"Whump!" goes the sound of fiend-bulk slamming into Solanine, though her attempt to dodge spared her from a direct hit, a little goes a long way, when confronted by a creature to whom a little is still a lot. She staggers back to her feet, her gait still uncertain from the impact. She looks around briefly at the others assembled and takes stock of how their attacks are impeding the creature, suggesting that she should lend direct assault. steels herself for a direct attack,
Solanine is however almost disrupted completely by the FLASH! eruption of fire on the Chocobo Eater, wincing from the light behind her red sunshades. She can't deny the effectiveness of Lulu's spell on the Chocobo Eater, but if she'd had time to respond, she might've politely declined needing a light.
She shakes the flash out of her sight and begins her attack anew. She draws her two handed thrusting sword, and steps to flank the opposite side of a Shamshir attacker, and a Katana both, plunging her own blade forward in a full rush, aiming to slide it between one of the Eater's armored plates and into the flesh beneath.
GS: Seraph Solanine has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Gramosolen! GS: Seraph Solanine has gained 2 Combo! GS: Seraph Solanine has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
Rikku does this little hop before applying the Chocobo Feather to herself in an impromptu use. Suddenly she starts to move like she just drank a lot of expresso, her rhythm picking up in a little bob and weave.
The Chocobo Eater falls on it's back, and the Legendary Guardian tells her to hit it hard. "One souped up ouch-ouch item coming up!" Rikku reaches into her pouch, and pulls out this phial of something that looks like dancing glimmering snowflakes within. "Well Lulu - now that you mention it..." Taking a step back, she cocks back her arm once - twice. And tosses it.
Indeed she's avoiding the thunder spells here - Marivel.
The arctic wind she found on a white flan shatters, suddenly blanketing the fiend with with freezing cold that flash freezes the thing just moments after Lulu had lit it on fire - forcing it to face the stark extremes of heat and cold all at once. "A light is exactly what we needed! Ta-dah!"
Rikku hears Prissa shouting at her, and suddenly a bead of sweat erupts on her brow. "Welllll - maybe it's their first time fighting a fiend this size?"
Rikku cheerfully suggests in a language they all understand, "Which is why we gotta look out for them!"
Before she then rushes up to Prissa and whispers frantically. "(No Al Bhed right now I am begging you! Later I will explain!)"
GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Seraph Solanine's Gramosolen for 106 hit points! GS: Rikku has spent 1 Combo on Gatling, including 1 on Gatling! GS: Rikku has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Use: PeRiOdIc Table of Spiran Fiends! GS: Rikku has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Rikku's Use: PeRiOdIc Table of Spiran Fiends for 100 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida lands in a three-point crouch, motes of green light rising from her heels. A moment later, the Chocobo Eater falls on its ass with a tremendous crash. "Hah," the martial artist says, as she raises her fists and sets her feet. "Not the most agile, is it--"
Ida almost catches a fist to the face for her trouble. One of the Eater's hands rushes at her in its blind flailing; the naturalist's eyes widen, and she twists back at the waist, trying to duck beneath it. It's almost enough. The Fiend's fist grazes her right hip, knocking her off her feet. Ida falls, tumbles a few feet, and lies there a moment. Heat moves down and out of the place where she was struck--something she's coming to recognize as Hyadean tissue reinforcing human flesh.
Right. Don't get hit again.
Ida clambers to her feet, glances at Rikku. "Appreciated. Perhaps I've gotten rusty now that I'm no longer fighting Demon warlords every other week." As she speaks, Ida moves, her stance shifting. She opens her hands, raising one to head-height, and keeping the other closer to her chest. She walks around the downed Chocobo Eater, circling it with wide, cris-crossing steps--everything's fluid, graceful. She thrusts a palm forwards, testing the creature's defenses--and then follows up with another, and another. Mixed in between are little flicks and jabs, focused more on harrying and distracting the target than inflicting actual damage.
The woman in the unique dress and the gentleman with the sword seem to be handling that just fine.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Open Palm! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Open Palm for 132 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey assumes the Stoic stance! GS: Prissa has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Shamshir - Tangerine Oil Quench! GS: Prissa has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Prissa's Shamshir - Tangerine Oil Quench for 107 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
From its position on the ground, the creature can only shift its arms to try to protect itself as those assembled lay into it. The short legs flail as they try to find purchase on the ground so that it can lift itself up - but Ethius catches them with his staff, halting its efforts.
Auron comes in again with another swing of this blade. He has seen its weakness - and he will make it weaker. A sickly light slides down his blade, and into the Chocobo Eater itself as he swings down. The resulting explosion of light is instilled into the creature's very being...but Marivel will be unaffected by this as she lays a hand on it.
It is unable to stop her, and something is pulled free from its being. And once Marivel is out of the way, fire slams down onto it from nowhere. It lets out a howl, somewhere between anger and pain.
It does not take well to fire, it seems - and especially not while in such a vulnerable state. And then, while it is still coping with the heat of Lulu's spell, Rikku brings out a souped-up item. The phial shatters, coating its body with an icy chill. The combination of intense heat and intense cold right after the other in such a short amount of time causes its chitinous armor to become more brittle(because that's how things work here, after all).
Prissa is upon it, then. Her motion may be amateurish but it is undoubtedly effective, cutting right into it.
Solanine joins her soon enough, a single thrust burying itself a good distance into the creature's flesh. Its eyes find her - as a spiritual creature itself, in a way, perceiving Seraphim is no trouble for it.
But before it can focus too long on her Ida moves in, feeling out its defenses with a palm thrust and following through with a flurry of blows that make it difficult to focus.
Through every one of these attacks, it feels that hunger more and more intensely...and that only serves to make it angrier, and angrier, as they assail it.
It may be on its back, but it is not unable to defend itself. Its slender fingers move in mystical patterns, and with a roar, ice magic is invoked.
Sharp crystals of ice form, chilling to the bone - and for Lulu, the attack will come with greater intensity.
And then, with some effort, it stands...and sweeps its arms out again with great force, centered on Prissa - this time with the goal of knocking those gathered backwards, to give it some more space.
It follows up with a flurry of blows - a pair of punches aimed toward Ethius and Rikku before lunging toward Marivel with a headbutt.
Considering that this creature is mostly head, this is a somewhat worrying situation to be in.
GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Jacqueline Barber with So angry!! GS: You may only respond to attacks from yourself with +accept. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's So angry! for 0 hit points! GS: Restore reduces negative status durations by 3 rounds each! GS: Burst! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Mighty! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Seraph Solanine with Blizzard! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Blizzard! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Auron with Blizzard! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Lulu with Blizzara! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Fury Hammer! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Rikku with Fury Hammer! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Prissa with Push Back! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber enters a Counter stance! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Marivel Armitage with Clean Your Clock! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Blizzard for 116 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action. GS: Rikku takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Fury Hammer for 68 hit points! GS: Ethius Hesiod takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Fury Hammer for 66 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Marivel Armitage takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Clean Your Clock for 90 hit points! GS: Auron guards a hit from Jacqueline Barber's Blizzard for 66 hit points! GS: Seraph Solanine takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Blizzard for 114 hit points! GS: Prissa takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Push Back for 57 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Standing out in the open might well be inviting death, and Ethius underestimates the combined flexibility and reach of the strangely proportioned creature's massive arms. The punch that flies for him as he is withdrawing and repositioning from the sweep misses physical contact with Ethius by the length of a Chocobo's own feather, bone-crunching fists directly coming up short...
...but the way Ethius avoids it with a dramatic backwards hop leaves him vulnerable to the rush of displaced air from the swinging limb, hurling him into a rough tumble across the landscape until he can stab the tip of his quarterstaff into the ground for a stopping point and deal with some of the resulting whiplash.
He watches the movements of Yuna and her Guardians as they work like a well-acquainted team in moving to deal with it. He dares not raise his voice or play armchair general to what they are doing. He feels a residual chill in the air from the tantrum of ice spells that the flailing creature used for its protection while it was on its back.
When he has it in him to stand again, the strangely-dressed man ambles about again, circling the gathered. That he seems to be trying to avoid specific line of sight with the locals might be worthy of suspicion from those who are charged to keep an eye out for that sort of thing, but nonetheless...
When satisfied with a prospective opening, Ethius begins the usual chanting and gesticulating with a single hand. His fingers flutter smoothly, rising as he completes the combined components of the spellcasting ritual of Symbology.
"Overheat."
The heat becomes increasingly sweltering around the space the Fiend occupies, visually more low-key than any fiery explosion, in an attempt to quietly sap away its rage- and hunger-given strength as lights emit from his person as the give-away to his contribution.
GS: Lulu takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Blizzara for 62 hit points! GS: Hyper! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Overheat! GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Auron has posed.
Marivel's smile did not go unnoticed. But she's quite right, this isn't the time to address friends and have serious, heartfelt conversations. It's the time to either kill a fiend, or get thrown off a cliff. And Auron doesn't want to get thrown off a cliff again.
...Crap. Auron had forgotten this thing could do magic. It's actually pretty hard to 'guard' versus magic aimed at one, but well. When you don't know much about magic yourself (and also you're a TANK), that's what comes naturally. Once more he slides the blade before him; whether it actually helps or not is anybody's guess, but he's still on his feet. Though he does have to take a moment to bang the sword on the ground to dislodge the icicles from it. Chilling, isn't it?
At this point, the blade is still pretty damn cold -- maybe that will be enough to enhance the attack a little, who knows? Besides, Auron hasn't QUITE exhausted everything from his bag of tricks, but he's waiting for the right moment, gathering his strength so he can try to unleash something devastating at the beast at a time when it's more likely to fall to it. Battle has a rhythm, and he's not completely unable to follow it.
So for right now, he moves in for a simple strike with the still-chilly blade. It's unlikely to actually do much more than a typical normal strike, since fiends generally don't attack with the same elements they're weak to, but a whack with a sword is a whack from a sword.
GS: Auron has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Swing the BFS! GS: Auron has completed his action. GS: COUNTER! Jacqueline Barber counterattacks Ethius Hesiodwith Counter Attack! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Ethius Hesiod's Overheat for 85 hit points! GS: Weaken! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Auron's Swing the BFS for 96 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Ethius Hesiod takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Counter Attack for 85 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
"Hmm," Lulu muses on Rikku's addition. "Not bad," she allows for the newer Guardian. Wakka, meanwhile, during all this talking in Al Bhed? Well--he happens to be busy, right at that instant, defending against an attack!!
Lulu herself, though, shifts--she doesn't simply stand in place, making herself a moving target as she looks for a better angle for her next spell. Her red eyes are focused as she does so. The assembled group hammers in...
Until the ice comes. Lulu brings up her arm again, shifting slightly to make herself a smaller target, stepping such that she at least misses the most intense section of the ice--but her lips remain pressed together for the moment.
...She looks next over Ethius, after all, among all the others; he's strangely dressed, but that itself is not unusual. His avoidance is notable. ...The unusual spells....
"Hm," she remarks to herself, and looks back to their monster friend again. "...I need to get into position," she says. "Wakka--!"
"Right!" he answers, and as she shifts back, he shifts forward, throwing his blitzball straight for the Chocobo Eater's face as Lulu, behind, begins drawing in magical power in a visible rush.
GS: Lulu enters a Counter stance! GS: Lulu has attacked Jacqueline Barber with L1! GS: Lulu has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Lulu's L1 for 82 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
Yuna gasps as a chocobo defends her, the literal opposite of 'get out of here'. She, a human, can at least obey this demand when Lulu makes it.
"Okay!" she agrees, skipping back and making room for Kimahri, who lunges in, halberd-first, to thrust at their foe.
When he roars, it is in no way, shape or form mouselike.
GS: Yuna has attacked Jacqueline Barber with L1! GS: Yuna has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Yuna's L1 for 76 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
Coming away from whispering to Prissa, she responds with a - "Demon whatnows?" Rikku asks Ida in a teasing tone as if cheerfully saying 'Welcome to Spira.'
And as if to demonstrate the danger, the thing is up, offering a sweeping hammer blow to the casual way that Rikku is taking this. The girl does a quick backstep, shifting her weight so that her Targe arm slaps the ground in a quick handstand that misses it's terrifying blow. It's a good thing she stole that Chocobo Feather huh?
The sheer force of the blow still knocks her backwards even if it didn't strike. The girl scrambling back up in her recovery. "Sheesh. Talk about a hard nut to crack." The girl pats her hand to the side of her head as if to knock herself back in space, before sorta puffing up from the compliment from Lulu, a grin blooming on her face, "Gotta prove I can keep up with the rest of Yunie's Guardians."
However she certainly did notice something. It being able to cast magic is certainly an advantage and Rikku has something for the occasion. "Think you have the edge on us now?" Pulling a pin off a grenade, she cocks her arm back once, twice, three times and let's it fly on the third.
It detonates into a concussive - ear ringing explosion in a blue cloud of smoke. A caustic substance is left behind in it's wake that makes it difficult for the thing to focus on its magic. "No more magic for you!"
GS: Rikku has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Use: Silence Grenade! GS: Quick expired! GS: Rikku has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Rikku's Use: Silence Grenade for 123 hit points! GS: Mute! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
A LONG TIME AGO
She is so hungry.
She wants to drink
But that is how it should be. As has it been for so many Crimson Nobles that had come before her. Not that she has seen another undertake the ceremony since her lifetime here but it is what she was assured it would be liked. Their explanations of what she were to do were given freely. They desired her success but only she could make it happen, they could only make certain she was prepared.
She had never felt so hungry before in her life. She could scarcely see her family, her people. She could scarcely see even beyond her nose. All she could think about was the pain and need coursing through her body, the...emptiness.
She was given a target. To feast on anything else and she would have to try again in a decade.
The smell of the lifefluid, the pounding of the hearts--as blinded by starvation as she is, she can sense between all the little hearts. The one that's different. The one that's her target.
She pounces upon it and opens up her jaws wide, long fangs pointed downward. This is the moment where all those talks with her father will be proven to be wasted time or a treasure to remember.
She remembers enough of herself to bite down gently, ever so gently. The blood haze lessens as the warm fluid drips down her throat. She pulls her mouth away and her vision clears and she looks down at the creature in her arms.
A bloodied chicken looks up at her and coos softly. Bloodied, yes, but alive. She exhales a sigh of relief and lets the bird go.
Her mother, face brimming with pride, is the first to congratulate her.
NOW
The Fiend slams into Marivel's chest and sends her crashing to her back. Another thick grimace cracks across her features. Did she get enough? Yes. But using the skill she obtained is not likely to be of benefit here in this moment. Her arms cannot compare to that of a Chocobo Eater. That is not what makes her an ultimate predator.
Marivel stands herself up, more slowly this time. The scarf around her face is pulled up and firmly protects the majority of her face both from view and the light of the sun.
"Fiend," Marivel says as the Chocobo Eater's own shadow pulls up out into the air and lashes out, seeking to take hold of its arms and pull its body taught. "Be not envious of the living. Though we do not live as they do, take not your envy out on those that have which you do not."
Marivel starts advancing forward. "To feel hate for the prey is to show your own weakness, to prove tis more than hunger that guides you. Regret is the poorest of seasonings. Tis time for you to rest and abandon that which was never yours. You feed not because you are hungry, you feed because you have forgotten how to eat."
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Escape Down! GS: Marivel Armitage has gained 1 Combo! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Marivel Armitage's Escape Down for 0 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has been weakened by Disease! Temporary hit points tick down 1 round! GS: Disease, Entangle, and Shieldbreak! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine takes a direct hit from the creature's ice magic, and still shaken from the previous blow has little defense against it.
She groans with pain and... begrudgingly wishes she had that fire now. Light or not, the warmth would be welcome. Darkness can do many things, especially against Light, but providing warmth against ice isn't one of them.
She takes a moment to wait out some of the chill, keeping her eye on the Chocobo eater for signs of its invocation. Spellcasting directly on the target takes a quick eye to dodge, but she can play that game too, and battered by the other assaults - explosions, sword strikes, stabs and... sports balls?, she doubts it's prepared to move out of the way... then the Chocobo Eater's own shadow animates and binds it downward in a way she'd used many times except... she didn't command it?
Solanine watches Marivel closely and listens to her speech to the fiend... but she'll wonder more later once this creature is slain.
For now, she summons a Seraphic glyph on the Chocobo Eater. which shortly explodes into a flare of shadow energy in the shape of a Datura nightshade.
GS: Seraph Solanine has spent 3 Combo on Gatling, including 3 on Gatling! GS: Seraph Solanine has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Shadow Fleur! GS: Seraph Solanine has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Seraph Solanine's Shadow Fleur for 120 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
"Hanh? why is this important" Prissa says to Rikku as she keeps on chopping. She's packin', whackin', choppin' that fiend. Is that what this sword is for? Well, it's holding up. She just makes the damn things.
She glances several times in the direction of the Seraph, as if she's seeing her a little unusually. And then comes...
THE ICE! Which does not target Prissa. The creature rears upwards, and Prissa backpedals a pace or three, looking up and saying with slowly dawning terror, "Ah no. No no no. Rikku, Rin must know I do not transfer my debts to-- Hyaaiieeee!!!"
The arms spread and Prissa is thrown back! Flat on her ass, and subsequently very shortly thereafter, her back. From the ground, she turns her head to look at Rikku - and then pauses to say, this time back in the standard language, "Wait a minute -- what is this you call yourself?" She does another glance towards Lulu, towards the Blitzer, towards Auron, towards the others.
She then kips back up and grabs her big sword.
Grasping the blade of Galatine, she pulls it loose from the sere earth of the Mi'ihen Highroad! "Let's do this." And then Prissa, boldly, does... the exact same thing she did again. She reflects momentarily as she closes the distance that things were more chaotic on Filgaia. And yet, she reasons as she breaks into a run, AND YET: Wasn't that all crazy stuff involving transluminal invader beast ships and megastructures that made Home look run down?
It's a funny old world, Prissa thinks as she closes forwards and swings down in a huge overhead chop, the violet crystal inlays of Galatine surging to sharp actinic orange for a moment!
GS: Prissa has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Galatine - Dutiful To The Grave!! GS: Riposte expired! GS: Prissa has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Prissa's Galatine - Dutiful To The Grave! for 152 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"Long story," Ida says, to Rikku. "I know. Later." By now, she's completed one full circle around the grounded Eater, gauging it, sizing it up. Her gaze flicks down to the Fiend's hand as it makes those arcane little gestures--
Sorcery. That's new, Ida thinks.
Biting cold rips through the air, freezing water vapor into an icy haze. Ida's right forearm is right in its path; she whips her hand away, but too late to keep the chill from gripping her. Bare skin flushes bright red, striated with softer bands of pale blue.
Ida grits her teeth. Her stance shifts again--she clenches her fists, raises them. She keeps circling the Eater, jabbing and striking, but things have suddenly gotten more aggressive.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Lotus Sets Its Roots! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 2 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Lotus Sets Its Roots for 46 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey's Stoic stance ends. She enters the Avenger stance!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
The Chocobo Eater flexes its fingers and bellows in warning, the sheer sound of it enough to start some of the chocobos panicking again. They know that call - they fear it.
But it has its own fears, as well - and the heat that Ethius's Symbology generates is one of them. It is low-key but no less dangerous for it, the sweltering heat causing it to become that much more sluggish.
It cannot process heat well...but that he is the source of it does not go unnoticed. It lashes out with a backhand aimed toward him, then follows that up with a second punch.
But while it's busy with Ethius, Auron moves in. The frosted blade comes down, digging in deep and causing the creature to recoil with a growl. It whirls around, its eyes narrowing...and then, it points with one of those long fingers, directly at him.
It's a worryingly coherent gesture for a creature that so far seems to have only been operating on bestial instinct.
This is about the time that Lulu calls in Wakka, and the Chocobo Eater is smacked in the face with a Blitzball. It's not a difficult feat. There's a lot of face there to hit.
It almost seems taken back by this, but not so much that it can't attack.
Once more it rips a chunk of earth out the ground, this time hurling it in Wakka's direction.
It turns toward Yuna just in time for Kimahri to bar its path, thrusting his halberd right at its torso. Even had its armor not been rent and brittled by their assault, the halberd would sheer right into it regardless - the might of the Ronso is not to be underestimated.
The chocobo from before stays close to Yuna as she steps out of combat range, as if to keep a close eye on her.
For Kimahri, the creature prepares another Blizzard spell...when suddenly, some manner of device rolls up to its feet. Suddenly, it erupts in a blue cloud of caustic smoke.
It tries to cast Blizzard, but...
Can't cast!
This only seems to make it angrier.
It stomps and then rushes through, charging through Rikku and Kimahri in a rampaging motion - trying to force them back further.
Soon, it fixates on Marivel who addresses it directly. It almost seems to sneer at her and it pulls a fist back...but suddenly, its as if its body has frozen in place.
Its very shadow rises from the ground, massing arm seizing massive arm and rendering it unable to move. It struggles the shadowy grasp...
...And who better to capitalize on this situation than one who is one with the shadows themselves?
Solanine's magic burns a Seraphic glyph into its form, soon erupting into a burst of shadowy power.
Prissa is next, drawing out a big sword. The artistry that went into Galatine is a sight to behold, and as it happens, the blade is as beautiful as it is deadly - it slices cleanly into the fiend, dealing a grievous blow.
But, finally, it manages to tear itself free of its shadowy binds...but before it can adjust to its newfound freedom, Ida is upon it.
It finds her difficult to pin down as she circles around it - jabbing and striking without giving it a moment to react.
With a roar it reaches down, grabbing hold of the terrain again...but rather than lift it up and throw it, it aims to tear up the chunk of land that Ida and Solanine are standing on, and hurl them.
And then, Marivel.
It is hard to tell if it understood her words. Perhaps it does, somewhere in there. The only thing it knew was that it was so, very hungry. It needed to eat, needed to consume, and, somewhere, deep within its being, it desired chocobo.
It didn't know why. Why?
For Marivel, it has a massive punch. But it is slower than before, though not at all weaker. They had done quite a number so far, and that only made that hungry feeling intensify.
GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Follow-Up Punch! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Auron with You're next!! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Lulu with Rock Throw! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Yuna with Rampaging! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Rikku with Rampaging! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Marivel Armitage with Giant Fist! GS: Jacqueline Barber has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Violent Upheaval! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Seraph Solanine with Violent Upheaval! GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Hungry...! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Hungry... for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Slow! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Rikku takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Rampaging for 88 hit points! GS: Ethius Hesiod guards a hit from Jacqueline Barber's Follow-Up Punch for 68 hit points! GS: Hyper! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Auron guards a hit from Jacqueline Barber's You're next! for 0 hit points! GS: Break! applied to Auron! GS: Mighty! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Jacqueline Barber's Stoic stance ends. She enters the Avenger stance!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
For Prissa - the creature practically topples over once more. It does not quite fall over, but even so it would probably be wise to step up out of the way.
GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Prissa with Body Splash! GS: Entangle and Shieldbreak expired! GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action. GS: COUNTER! Lulu counterattacks Jacqueline Barberwith Counter Attack! GS: Lulu takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Rock Throw for 122 hit points! GS: Cripple! applied to Lulu! GS: CRITICAL! Seraph Solanine completely evades a hit from Jacqueline Barber's Violent Upheaval! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Lulu's Counter Attack for 126 hit points! GS: Yuna takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Rampaging for 185 hit points! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey takes a glancing hit from Jacqueline Barber's Violent Upheaval for 77 hit points! GS: Marivel Armitage takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Giant Fist for 162 hit points! GS: Prissa takes a solid hit from Jacqueline Barber's Body Splash for 137 hit points! GS: Break! applied to Prissa!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius underestimates its reach again, even from this distance, and that return backhand clips him as he tries to go low. He does sort of succeed in that, in that he gets thrown down onto his back in a momentary daze. The second punch comes in to lay him ever flatter--
The quarterstaff gets flung upwards, an attempt to deflect the fist that comes out in favor of 'not being flattened into paste.' Ethius' back drags against the grass and the rock before he can stand up again.
He catches Lulu casting a glance at him.
She is a prodigial sorceress. There is no sneaking anything past her immense attunement and skill in the magical. The odd man there is a sorcerer of a different discipline.
"I am fine." Ethius remarks. He over-sells his present injury a touch, falling to a kneel, as he catches his breath and better observes the goings on. Others make substantial contributions, eye-catching, decisive movements in which to strike at or redirect the wrath of the Fiend. Some even twist their own shadow against it. From behind his mask, his gaze hardens a bit.
When he finds the confidence to move again, believing his movements aren't being expressly as followed again, he takes another few steps closer by necessity. This puts him, positionally, approaching Tidus' flank.
This is because Tidus is a loud personality and will be good cover to help hide the chanting in his voice as he starts to twist his hands in sorcerous gestures, more complex syllables strung together. At the terminus of the spellcasting ritual...
"Grave Dust."
It looks just like dust and dirt form and collapse in small amounts around the Chocobo Eater, but the truth is much grislier under the surface - as is the action. An attempt to fill the body full of invasive, painful, granular matter that should not be in a body, to thusly weaken its ability to fight back as the Guardians of Yuna and other concerned sorts go forth and put the Fiend down.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Grave Dust! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Ethius Hesiod's Grave Dust for 152 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has been weakened by Disease! Temporary hit points tick down 1 round! GS: Cripple and Disease! applied to Jacqueline Barber! GS: Jacqueline Barber enters Critical health and gains 25 FP!
<Pose Tracker> Auron has posed.
...A pointed finger? Really?
Mind you, Auron's not making less of the threat this creature repesents -- no, not at all. Having been bested by one of these at an earlier point in his life, he knows they're very dangerous. And yes... it's quite a bit more cognizant than he would have expected from a fiend, even one this big. Perhaps that's why Braska, Jecht, and he were defeated by it last time -- if this is the same one, of course -- they might have perhaps underestimated its intelligence.
But, well. Characteristically, threats have never worked well against him. They really only serve to make him more insistent in his course of action. Whether it's revenge for his defeat back then, wanting to make certain none of Yuna's guardians are lost to this fiend, or just a way to give the middle finger to a fiend that thinks to threaten him...
...Either way, Auron's not wasting his chance.
A hand comes up before him, palm open, and he rest his weight on his back foot for a moment, golden energy sparking around him, before he darts towards the Chocobo Eater again. It's easily mistaken for just another swing... until right before the very end. A gleam of light slides down the blade...
And he turns the sword, so that the flat will impact the fiend. If that sword does happen to impact the fiend, that energy that gathered in the blade will help out with the strike, exploding out of the blade upon impact! If this wasn't so big a fiend, it might be launched at the explosion and impact combined, if it were to hit.
GS: Auron has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Shooting Star! GS: Auron has completed his action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Auron's Shooting Star for 153 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
One of the Chocobo Eater's hands slams into the ground next to Ida's right foot, and digs in. Can it really, she thinks, and then the turf beneath her buckles and shudders. "Solanine, move!" Ida shouts. The naturalist turns on a heel, plants a foot on the ground, and tenses as she prepares to leap.
The Chocobo Eater wrenches the chunk of earth free, and Ida goes with it. The motion knocks the martial artist off her feet, and she very nearly goes flying with the earthen projectile--but she rolls as she falls, tumbling forwards. Ida lands on solid ground in an awkward crouch, and grits her teeth. Rusty, she thinks.
Ida lets out a sharp hiss of breath. She steps back, away from the Fiend, and breathes in. She exhales, and motes of glimmering golden-white flicker from her lips. Her eyes hood. She feels the alien lifeforce of the thing before her, swollen and hungry.
Ida draws in a deep breath, and closes her eyes. When she opens them again, they flare brilliantly--as though her essence has condensed to two brilliant points.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has spent 1 Combo on Link, including 2 on Gatling! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Inhalation! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has launched an attack Link! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Inhalation for 0 hit points! GS: Dispel reduces positive status durations by 3 rounds each! GS: Entangle! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida's right hand leaves a golden-white trail behind it as she reaches behind her back. She doesn't poke around to find the holster concealed beneath her shirt, nor does she have to find her weapon's grip--she just takes it in her hand, effortlessly, as though reuniting two parts of a single whole. Ida draws Devil's Due, and her eyes hood again as she sights using her sixth sense. Light gleams along the ARM's demonbone barrel.
This is the Second Precept, Mother had said, when she started training. Killing must come as naturally as breath. Inhale, exhale. Inhale...
Exhale.
Ida pulls the trigger. Chi surges from her body into the ARM. The interior of the barrel glows like a tiny sun. The Dragon Filament ignites.
An inferno pours from Devil's Due, the breath of a Metal Dragon stoked with Ida's chi. It washes out at the Chocobo Eater, all-consuming, inexorable.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has spent 2 Combo on Poison and Gatling, including 1 on Gatling! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Breath Of The Fire Dragon! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Ida Everstead-Rey's Breath Of The Fire Dragon for 167 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber suffers an additional 26 from Poison's Combo effect! GS: Poison! applied to Jacqueline Barber!
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
With Yuna pulling backward, Lulu is satisfied for the moment; their front line is surely strong enough, with all those forward--her eyes cant particularly to Auron, first, already accustomed to watching for him now that they've come this far, but to them, too.
"It's good to test your limits," Lulu answers Rikku at her hopes and at her grin. "But don't push yourself too hard." She has to temper that expectation, of course, doesn't want Rikku to get a big head and get herself hurt, or risk them all...
But she doesn't have to say that she approves of the use of that particular grenade. She can feel the difference already. And when the monster counterattacks--
"Ha! Got it--You ready, Lu?" Wakka braces himself for the coming strike, but there's only so much he can do; he takes the hit full-on. ...In the process, though--he keeps Lulu free to finish her casting, and she smirks at the enemy.
"We have something you don't," she points out, and fire crashes straight down for the monster as Wakka rejoins her. She looks him over quickly--finds nothing Yuna won't be able to heal--and takes another step forward. "I'll take it from here," she tells her fellow Guardian as he recovers himself from the nasty hit, and switches back forward while he recovers.
She doesn't stumble; she doesn't hesitate. She observes. ...Observes Ethius's response, is readiness... and frowns, sharply, as she identifies the sort of magic that Ethius is using. She is not a Symbologist, does not undestand all of its subtleties... But what she can tell is enough to make her suspiciouns sharper.
That frown remains, as she looks to the enemy again. The power already gathering around her is briefly visible in shimmering, faint notes of green light. The temperature of the air near her plummets as she lifts both hands this time.
"...Let's see just how tough you are."
A moment's tension--and the first explosion rolls in, brilliant and orange-red with concussive force. Then the second, then the third, the fourth, a barrage of powerful Fire-aspected magic that bursta and bursts as Lulu keeps stepping forward.
...Wakka, behind, frowns.
GS: Lulu has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Get Down! GS: Lulu has launched an attack Link! GS: Lulu has attacked Jacqueline Barber with F U R Y! GS: Lulu has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
The ground shudders beneath the Shadow Seraph's feet as the Chocobo Eater seeks to hurl her and Ida off of the very earth on which they stand.
At Ida's direction, Solanine channels the weightlessness of her element and leaps away mere seconds before the Fiend rends the entire area asunder with its fearsome strength. Sola is dismayed to see that in taking the time to direct her to evade, Ida wasn't as fortuitous as she was... As she reasserts density to her form, she concentrates her power on the Chocobo Eater.
Multiple glyphs like the one she used before appear on points of its form, and one after the other begin to explode in shadow flares that bloom in the shapes of nightshade flowers of increasing intensity, nearly blocking out peripheral sunlight for anyone looking directly at the Fiend.
GS: Seraph Solanine has activated a Force Action! GS: Seraph Solanine has spent 2 Combo on Gatling, including 2 on Gatling! GS: Seraph Solanine has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Shadow Floraison! GS: Seraph Solanine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Break expired! GS: Seraph Solanine has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Lulu's Get Down for 105 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Lulu's F U R Y for 246 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Seraph Solanine's Shadow Floraison for 138 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Galatine's inlays glow. "Hah! You're dead," Prissa tells the Fiend as she recovers from her strike, raising the weapon up as if to deter or parry incoming blows. She steps back another step... whoops in delight when the thing chokes on its spell...
And begins to fall. Towards her.
"Ugh! Do I owe it money too!?" Prissa cries in dismay. She turns away from the chocobo eater, running flat out for her fallen tent space, which is now smouldering merrily. The impact of the great Fiend behind her is just shy of actually smashing into her tender body, and so she is spared Hephasteus's fate of being struck lame (and, later, getting a very sexy spouse) in favor of vaulting forwards again, casting Galatine aside lest she -
Oh, yes; it was a good plan, given how hard she lands face down, teeth clacking. Holding onto the sword would have been rather a bad idea in such circumstances indeed. Rolling to her side, she says, "Finish it! Finish it off!" When fire starts to pour, she segues into a pure shout, getting back onto her feet with one hand in the air (and the other reaching down for some kind of short sword - you know - just in case).
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel can feel the hunger. "I thought I knew what it was like to be starved before." She tells the Chocobo Eater. "To hunger so desperately. T'was not long after I learned how wrong I was."
A LONG TIME AGO
The last of her people sits alone in a dark room. The faint whiff of ashes are fresh upon her nostrils. She wonders if the smell will ever leave her. Her father, were he there, would tell her that it would it time. In time this would seem as a bad dream that had happened to someone else. In time she would be able to raise her head proud once again. She was an adult now, her mother would say, and the world is often cold and scary and cruel to adults. That is why rites of passage exist, the rite of passage you passed and proved yourself in. The Guardians will take us when it is our time, they would say, for even an undying race must fade to dust eventually.
They would tell her that a Crimson Noble shows no weakness and that she should be stronger than ever in this moment. To require an embrace to sink into is hardly a crime, but there are too many in a time like this that would like to curl up and weep. Now tis the time for those that wish to curl up and weep to set aside their pain for the good of the people of Filgaia--no, of Filgaia itself.
She has allowed herself to suffer far longer than an adult should be allowed to. She should be thinking of all the people who lost loved ones that day. She should be thinking of all people who will yet lose loved ones should she not act.
She should be the Hope of her people as spoken in their last words. She should follow the path set before her.
She wants to.
She really does.
But her body won't move. Her arms won't lift up. She felt weaker, more desperate, more blind than even during her trial.
She wanted to move. But all she could think about was the smell, and the light, and right now she wished for nothing more to be in a dark room.
But light enters as a door is opened. A familiar scent enters. A familiar sound of footsteps. A familiar sword at her side.
She sinks to one knee, eyes free of judgement and places a hand on her shoulder.
Marivel shakes her head but does not pull away. It took tremendous effort to even manage that but the other girl does not pull away, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"There's no time..." Marivel whispers. "No time for this..."
The hug tightens against her body.
"There is always time for this." She is chastized by her dear friend.
Her arms gain the strength to return the hug. They hold the position for a long time until that emptiness in her is full once again.
NOW
Marivel smiles at Solanine. Did she catch the look? Well soon that smile of hers is replaced by the Fiend's fist which practically encompasses her whole body. Marivel's hands scramble against the creature's limb for a moment before she manages to get a nice firm grip on the beast. Not so firm that she can't be sent flying once more, but enough that she is able to reach forward and latch onto the creature's shoulder, smoke dripping out of her mouth from repeated heavy strikes to her body.
"May you be ever full." Marivel says, having made her decision already and she rears back her head and clamps down, fangs first, onto the beast with sudden, ferocious, strength empowered not by the size of her body, but the sorcereous might within her that fuels ever cell of her being.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Life Drain! GS: Marivel Armitage has gained 1 Combo! GS: Cripple expired! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Marivel Armitage's Life Drain for 175 hit points! GS: Marivel Armitage drains Jacqueline Barber! Marivel Armitage gains 88 temporary hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
The creature rampages, and Rikku goes bug eyed for a moment. Ducking under one swipe. Then diving into a roll as it's meaty arms bowl her over. The glancing blow sends her rolling precariously far - almost all the way back to the cliff. "Whoa!" As Lulu tells her not to push herself too hard, she seems a little dazed, "I'll keep that in mind. I just prefer to think of my limit as... a line that's always moving forward!"
That's an optimistic way to look at it. It is also her way.
Scrambling further away from the ledge, the Guardian who is certainly not an Al Bhed suggests to Prissa, "And I'd offer you something to help pay off your debts Prissa but this fiend is just asking for it!"
Leaning off to the side for a moment, she pockets a hand full of gil.
And just starts tossing it.
"I give-" Handful after handful of stinging gil is sent flinging at the monster with each flick of the wrist. "- and I give! - "
It feels like an absurd waste of money.
"- and I give!"
Now she's just being gratuitous! How much money is she going to waste on this thing?
GS: Rikku has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Spare Change! GS: Rikku has completed her action. GS: Sneak! The true nature of Rikku's attack becomes clear! GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Rikku's Mix: Cluster Bomb for 182 hit points! GS: Jacqueline Barber has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
... some of them are gil coins certainly. And they certainly carry the sting of currency. It's a distraction though to lull it into complacency. The next shower of high speed gil has a yellow painted larger shape in the middle of it. The fiend might notice it just a split second too late.
That's no coin.
There's a 'SHINK' noise as the yellow painted bomb breaks apart, showering the Fiend in dozens of tinier explosives.
"BOOYAKA!" The girl cheers.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
"Dude" Prissa says to Rikku as she begins to throw away cash.
THEN she sees it. Objection withdrawn.
<Pose Tracker> Yuna has posed.
From the rear, Yuna can see it all so much more clearly.
Ethius' magic, and the determination that inspires it.
Auron's decisiveness in the face of a major threat.
Ida's protectiveness of her allies even as she unleashes incredible destructive power.
Tidus' recklessness, as he flips out of the way of that power at the last minute; Kimahri's toughness, as he chooses to stay close in order to get off a final shot.
Lulu's stern and magnificent Guardianship.
Solanine's dismay over Ida's condition.
Prissa's desperation.
Marivel's truth.
Rikku's cleverness with the machina that helps to save them all.
Wakka's wounds.
Everyone's wounds.
It's so understated, what she does next.
"Heal us," she says simply and quietly, easily lost to the battlefield. She gestures lightly with her rod, and though it is a ceremonial motion, the grace which it contains makes it almost casual. It comes to her so easily, as easily as breathing.
She believes in everyone's strength... and everyone's wholeness.
And so it becomes.
Ultramarine at its center, lightening to violet, to pink, to white, the healing magic that pours through the most wounded is as spectacular as the casting wasn't.
It sparkles off the chocobos, too.
She won't be Sending anyone today.
GS: Yuna has spent 1 Combo on Reload, including 2 on Gatling! GS: Yuna has attacked Prissa with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Marivel Armitage with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Faith! GS: Yuna has attacked Lulu with Faith! GS: Yuna has gained 2 Combo! GS: Yuna has completed her action. GS: Yuna heals Marivel Armitage! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Reload! Marivel Armitage gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Lulu! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Restore reduces negative status durations by 3 rounds each! GS: Reload! Lulu gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Ethius Hesiod! He gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Reload! Ethius Hesiod gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Ida Everstead-Rey! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Restore reduces negative status durations by 3 rounds each! GS: Reload! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 15 extra FP from Yuna! GS: Yuna heals Prissa! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Restore reduces negative status durations by 3 rounds each! GS: Reload! Prissa gains 15 extra FP from Yuna!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
The Chocobo Eater, though possessing sorcerous talents of its own, only utilizes them instinctively - it does not feel or sense the same as others would.
Therefore, it does not notice Ethius's spellwork until it is too late. On the outside dust and dirt form and collapse around it, but on the inside...it is so much worse.
Even a body formed of pyreflies is not exempt from the terrible sensation of invasive, particulate matter forming where it should not.
It freezes in place as it comes to the grim realization of what, exactly, is happening to it.
Before it can react, Auron is upon it. It tries to swing at him with one final Fist of Fury, but Auron is, as ever, a poor choice of one to threaten.
Gold energy sparks, light gleams...and Auron smacks the fiend with the flat of his sword, resulting in an eruption of energy that sends it flying, putting it on its back once more.
It is vulnerable - and to those who have been making preparations, now is the time to strike.
Ida feels out its lifeforce - hungry, hungry, HUNGRY - and draws her weapon, the ARM that has been with her so long. Chi and dragonfire mix together into an all-consuming flame that washes over the Chocobo Eater...but the fire does not stop.
Lulu's spell casting is complete, and it is a terrifying sight to behold as her sorcerous prowess is put on display - explosion after brilliant explosire of Fire sorcery rocks its body, seemingly without limit.
Soon, these flames are joined by flares of shadow erupting from it, blooming into the shape of nightshade flowers as Solanine demonstrates her own sorcerous might. Fire and shadow intertwine expertly.
And then, in what seems like adding insult to injury, Rikku hurls handful after handful of gil. The Chocobo Eater - injured, overwhelmed, but still alive(in some sense of the term) - attempts to roll out of the way...but the truth of the assault is revealed as a larger shape - concealed amongst the flurry of shiny objects - breaks apart and explodes into much shrapnel, which itself also detonates.
It may be easy to miss in the heat of battle - Yuna's quiet voice, the light, graceful, ceremonial motions...the faith and belief she shows in everyone's presence.
But there is someone who sees - the chocobo standing nearby.
The light washes over them and the rest of the birds as well - any scrapes and scratches they might have accrued in their panic are healed, and slowly, calm begins to set in.
The Chocobo Eater is still alive - but only barely.
And then, finally - Marivel.
It shoots her a look, holding on as she is. It shifts weakly to get out of the way, but it cannot avoid it as she leaves it with one last word - making her decision before sinking her fangs into it with sudden, ferocious strength and sorcerous might.
It is enough to finish the fight. Pyreflies begin leaking from its form.
It had felt so hungry, but that feeling soon fades. For the first time in so long it felt...sati s f i e d . . .
The Chocobo Eater relaxes...and then, dissipates into a cloud of pyreflies.
There's quiet.
And then, the attendant peeks her head out from around the corner...and Jacqueline finally stands up, as the chocobo that had kept her pinned and out of the fight finally lets her stand.
She sighs, patting the bird gently on the back.
"Is everyone alright...? That looked like a fierce battle." She asks.
From where she stands, though...everyone seems to have come out of it quite alright. Physically, at least.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The menace of the Chocobo Eater comes to an end - for now - as its pyreflies split and go disperse back into the open air. Healing power washes over the gathered - a grace most kind and welcome by the journeying Summoner as those who stood and fought (and foolishly out in the open) are given this bit of magical respite--
And then there's Ethius, who has spent the entirety of the fight skulking about and trying to keep his presence about as low-key and unnoticeable as possible risks being in the presence of the searing heat of the aftermath of Devil's Due. Indeed, standing around in the wake of the belch of dragon flame is asking for heat blisters at kindest.
Ethius endures it like a champ - or maybe someone who has decided it is worth suffering the blisters as though a better alternative to something or another - attempting to position himself in front of Ida as he brings his arms together and bows in the Yevonite salute. There is nothing wrong with his form in expressing this. The movements are right, the bowing is at the precise angle, the speed of it is flawless.
For what cultures he's appropriating from for his manner of dress, though, this is weird.
"Your timely assistance is much appreciated, Summoner," Ethius remarks in that tone of voice of his that's always a bit... flat.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
The pyreflies rise...
VICTORY THEME (it's a victory)
Prissa turns around. "Ah the fire!"
Some beating, flapping, and the dumping of a bucket that had been intended to water the chocobos later, the flame is doused.
It will be a mess, but fortunately it was mostly metal, a material known for its cleanability and lack of flammability in most cases. After this, Prissa steps forwards. She eyes Ethius as he executes the Yevon salute and bows.
She then dusts off one arm, and looks towards Yuna. "Thank you, my lady summoner," she says, with a certain caution. "I can promise you that I will remember this day. I hope you will not be troubled if I render it in a blade!"
Prissa then pauses and looks round again. She seems about to say something to Rikku, but then Jay speaks up-- "It was awful! But only one of the big ones! How are the birds??"
<Pose Tracker> Auron has posed.
Auron breathes a sigh of relief as the fiend dissolves. He tries really hard not to smile, because then he'd look ridiculous. Fortunately he's tall and has a collar covering his face, so he allows himself a -bit- of a smile, hidden by that collar. Whew.
There isn't time for celebrations, though. Stuff is on fire. Auron will move to help with that, since fire is a bad thing, particularly near chocobos. Feathers are flammable, and chocobos on fire would probably panic.
Jay's words get a nod. "Minor damage," he notes, referring to himself. Of course he's also going to see to Yuna, since he's one of her Guardians. That's kind of a thing a Guardian is supposed to do.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel holds on until there is nothing to hold onto. Faith helps her hold on. She sinks to one knee when all that she is holding onto vanishes in a cloud of pyreflies. The spirits of the dead have another chance to return to a place of peace. Her wounds ease from Yuna's spell and the smoke trickles to a stop from her mouth.
She performs the Yevon bow to the departing pyreflies before straightening up once more. She has always found spirituality on her own terms.
There will always be some of that emptiness in her. To be a Noble is, perhaps, to be born with it. It may as well be her birthright. But she remembers Yuna's faith and--more powerfully--the faith the drifters show one another again and again, scarcely thinking about it by all accounts.
"When I see your face in theirs," Marivel murmurs to herself. "How can I ever be lonely?"
Words that belie of the loneliness that yet lies within but ever soothed by such faces as those present here today, and those that could not be here today.
She smiles. "Thank you for allowing me to help, and for helping in turn."
She walks, pausing only to pat Auron on the arm, smiling at her friend with undisguised appreciation as she elects to take some time on her own and reflect on the monster whose deep nature was not so alien to her.
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
There it is; a familiar magic, now, that even if Lulu had never felt before she would still know. She and Wakka both feel it, as the magic goes... and Lulu lowers her hands, her casting finally complete. Her shoulders straighten, and she looks first to him, then to the others, and back to Yuna again. There is quite a lot that happens, here. More than is simple to discuss.
Lulu's eyes linger on Ethius before she turns, sweeping back towards Yuna again after everything. Wakka, with her, gives Ida a frown and Prissa a frown as he goes, but they did a good thing so he just crosses her arms and stays in place once he takes up a spot.
"We're all right," Lulu answers Jay then.
"...That," she continues, "Was--I assume--the source of the rumors going around the Highroad at the moment. The road should be safer for all involved, now that it's taken care of."
She considers those assembled. ...If she happens to have stopped in a place that's between Wakka and Prissa, then surely that's coincidence.
Her gaze lingers on Ethius, yes, but also on Ida and her weapon. "...You," she says to Ida especially, "Should be careful with those. This shop is Al Bhed-run--but closer to the cities, few would appreciate such things, even if you have helped." Her warning is calm, and even--but not cruel or even particularly angry.
She considers Solanine, and then looks to Marivel. "...I assume that you can take care of your people," she says to the Crimson Noble, as she looks to Yuna again. ...They, after all--do have some matters to attend, don't they?
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Exhale. Pull the trigger. Feel the enemy's life as it ebbs away.
Ida opens her eyes just in time to see Marivel bury her fangs in the Fiend's flesh. A look of shock dawns on her face--her mouth moves, a little, but no words come out. Steam curls off the barrel of her ARM. Ethius Hesiod earns an even, level stare as he steps in front of her.
"Bruised," Ida says to Jay, as she turns to look at the merchant. "A little frostbitten. But it could've been much worse." She glances at Yuna, offering the young Summoner a smile and as good an approximation of the Yevonite blessing as she can manage with one empty hand. Her other hand slips Devil's Due back into its holster once it's cooled down enough.
"Forbidden machina," Ida says to Lulu, with a nod. Her tone is a little rueful. "I'll keep them hidden. And I appreciate your concern."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline looks around. The chocobos seem alright. The attendant, now that the coast is clear, ducks out from behind the Travel Agency and begins to try to corral the Agency's chocobos back into the...well, corral.
As she does, though, she looks toward the gathered members.
"Thank you so much for helping the chocobos!" She says, gratitude in her voice.
Jacqueline smiles slightly, and then looks toward Prissa.
"Panicked, but unharmed. They'll make it through, I think." She says. The chocobo by her side lets out a 'wark' of agreement. It doesn't seem to be about to leave.
The wild chocobos, meanwhile, start to gather. The herd that had been dispersed rejoins each other and turns away...except for the one sticking close to Jacqueline, and the one staying near Yuna.
The latter looks over Yuna's party before bowing its head with a respectful kweh and turning to leave with the rest of them.
Perhaps, some day, you will meet again on a different field...
Jacqueline meanwhile, nods toward Auron and Lulu, who both confirm that everyone's alright, and once again to Ida who offers her own assessment.
"Ah, I'm glad to hear...I'm sorry I wasn't able to help." Jacqueline says with a sigh. She shoots the nearby chocobo a glance, who looks back at her almost apologetically.
"Do you need me to look at anything?" She asks, glancing toward Ida.