mallowmods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mallowmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
mallowhallow2013-10-02 09:59 am
mallowmods) wrote in mallowhallow2013-10-02 09:59 am
Entry tags:
[Video] Foggy World
8:29 A.M.
[As morning comes to Mallow Hallow, Tronctor's face appears across the communication's network. As usual, he's looking grumpy as all get out.]
All right, folks -- we have a situation. Sometime in the middle of the night, it appears that we somehow regained a district. Yes, regained -- there's supposed to be another one between Mallowhallow and Whitewood, but it went kaput before you lot showed up. But now it's back, apparently. And guess who gets to explore the prodigal district?
[Offscreen, a female voice speaks up:]
You will hardly be alone, Tronctor.
[Tronctor rolls his eyes.]
Yeah, well, forgive me for not jumping for joy about working with you again, Orion. Bloody magic. . .anyway, just stay out the area until we can check it out, all right? We'll report back in a hour or so.
[He cuts the feed, leaving only static.]
9:45 A.M.
[The promised hour later, the feed returns, this time with both Tronctor and Orion visible.
A very freaked-out-looking Tronctor and Orion. The pair stare at the screen for a moment before Tronctor finally gets some words out.]
DON'T. GO. IN. THERE. All right? Do NOT go anywhere near that -- that fog-laden hell! It is NOT a good place!
[Orion chooses this moment to chime in.]
It is haunted by restless spirits, by shades of terrifying strength, by -- by -- I don't even know. That fog is UNNATURAL! Keep far away if you value your life and mind!
[Tronctor nods, running his fingers through his hair.]
Damn straight, Orion. So yeah, DO NOT GO POKING AROUND! We're gonna keep an eye on the place and see what we can do to get that -- that creepy stuff out of there! In the meantime, just -- don't think about it!
Oh geez, is this what happens to the places that lose all their lifeforce. . .
[The feed cuts out again here -- but if you want to visit Tronctor and Orion personally for more info, just go toward the edge of Mallowhallow and Whitewood. You'll find a sudden area filled with thick grey fog, and a technician and fairy looking not-too-happy to be there.]
((OOC: Wondering what's going on? Have a lovely explanatory post! As for this post, feel free to have your character only see one of the feeds, or go visit Tronctor and Orion as they try to figure out just what the hell is up with their new district.))
[As morning comes to Mallow Hallow, Tronctor's face appears across the communication's network. As usual, he's looking grumpy as all get out.]
All right, folks -- we have a situation. Sometime in the middle of the night, it appears that we somehow regained a district. Yes, regained -- there's supposed to be another one between Mallowhallow and Whitewood, but it went kaput before you lot showed up. But now it's back, apparently. And guess who gets to explore the prodigal district?
[Offscreen, a female voice speaks up:]
You will hardly be alone, Tronctor.
[Tronctor rolls his eyes.]
Yeah, well, forgive me for not jumping for joy about working with you again, Orion. Bloody magic. . .anyway, just stay out the area until we can check it out, all right? We'll report back in a hour or so.
[He cuts the feed, leaving only static.]
9:45 A.M.
[The promised hour later, the feed returns, this time with both Tronctor and Orion visible.
A very freaked-out-looking Tronctor and Orion. The pair stare at the screen for a moment before Tronctor finally gets some words out.]
DON'T. GO. IN. THERE. All right? Do NOT go anywhere near that -- that fog-laden hell! It is NOT a good place!
[Orion chooses this moment to chime in.]
It is haunted by restless spirits, by shades of terrifying strength, by -- by -- I don't even know. That fog is UNNATURAL! Keep far away if you value your life and mind!
[Tronctor nods, running his fingers through his hair.]
Damn straight, Orion. So yeah, DO NOT GO POKING AROUND! We're gonna keep an eye on the place and see what we can do to get that -- that creepy stuff out of there! In the meantime, just -- don't think about it!
Oh geez, is this what happens to the places that lose all their lifeforce. . .
[The feed cuts out again here -- but if you want to visit Tronctor and Orion personally for more info, just go toward the edge of Mallowhallow and Whitewood. You'll find a sudden area filled with thick grey fog, and a technician and fairy looking not-too-happy to be there.]
((OOC: Wondering what's going on? Have a lovely explanatory post! As for this post, feel free to have your character only see one of the feeds, or go visit Tronctor and Orion as they try to figure out just what the hell is up with their new district.))
[Video]
[This occurrence is shocking enough to do something else near-impossible -- yank Colt out of his self-assigned exile.]
[Video]
Trust me, Colt, this is bigger than me and Voodoo-Lady not getting along. This is the stuff nightmares are made out of.
[Video]
This doesn't have anything to do with Astralfield, does it?
[He may not be the most active ruler in the world, but if his district is starting to get out of hand. . .]
[Video]
Look, just -- stay where you are, okay, Colt? I don't want you getting hurt. I'll come by and reconfirm that the dreams are still confined to the barriers of your district if it helps.
[Video]
Great. Just what we need, a whole district of crazy.
[Astralfield's already got that covered, thanks new place. He looks noticeably relieved by Tronctor's promise, though.]
That would be great, thanks. I'll see you later, then.
[Video]
[Lumbiee doesn't look as sure about that as he would like, though.]
[Video]
They may wish -- harm -- upon those who were not able to save them.
[Video]
And you know my wife, she's not going to take that lying down.
[Video]
I will try.
I know. But please -- I fear she would only inflame what passions remain in them farther.
[action]
So the toy left its cozy pillowfort-house to try to find them. If they needed to be rescued from nasty shadows... well, Doll didn't know the take-me-out-of-this-crazy-place skill, Traesto, yet, but if they'd run into something that'd scared them, and of "terrifying strength", at that, then perhaps they needed help! And Doll was good at making the nasty Shadows stop what they were doing and go away!
Followed by its pet kitty plush, Doll hurried out of Mallowhallow, looking around for... huh, that hadn't been there before. Maybe that's where they were? Doll neared the area and began circling around, looking for where there were signs of anything but barren land and fog, and eventually found the two standing there.
Doll waved at them to get their attention, picking up its pace again, the cat still following.]
[Action]
Tronctor's got a scanner on him, and is attempting to take readings while Orion stands guard by him. As Doll comes up, Tronctor hits the thing with a groan.]
It's still not giving me a clear reading. . .damn it, I swear the other stuff is scar-- Hey!
[He spots Doll and holds up the wand part of the scanner (which looks a bit like one of those wide-mouth attachments you put on a vacuum cleaner hose, amusingly enough) almost as a shield.]
Where the hell did you -- did us clearly saying "stay out" not register in that empty plastic head of yours?!
[Action]
The big toy had run out all this way to try making sure they were staying safe, and this was the thanks it got, being called empty-headed? Being called stupid?
Doll's eyes narrowed in a glare. Tronctor's instrument was probably going to have a minor panic for a few seconds, as the shadows in the area seemed to darken even further, the sunlight's weak rays paling further. Something was draining the loose energy from the immediate area, and that something was Doll, yellow irises glowing subtly brighter. It seemed that the human had just struck a nerve of some sort. Fortunately for him (and due to proximity, Orion as well) Doll's cat was just then catching up, and bumped against Doll's leg.
Doll looked down. The energy drain stopped, and the area began to revert to how it had looked a moment ago, as did Doll's eyes. One potentially-dangerous temper tantrum had just been averted, thanks to a plush pet's arrival. Apparently, even an oversized toy couldn't stay too mad when they had such adorable furry attention being paid to them.]
[Action]
When Doll starts glaring, Tronctor's instrument gives out a truly wretched squeal, and -- oh no. The whispers of the lost are getting thicker and the world darker and whatever's standing in front of them knows this power much better than they--
And then there's a toy kitty cat, and things return to normal -- or, well, what passes for normal around here. Orion stares at Doll as Tronctor blinks and starts muttering to himself about energy spikes, then grabs her fellow ruler's arm and yanks him close.]
That boy before us is a native to this fog, and the source of your 'energy spike.' And you just upset him.
[The implication being that if Tronctor doesn't apologize, Orion will kill him before Doll does. Tronctor, however, is somewhat distracted by what came before.]
Native -- what? But -- I've seen him on the networks before -- [Suddenly, to Doll:] This is part of your world?! But that's impossible, the portal system isn't designed to take the real estate, how could --
[Cue all the wand-waving at Doll while Orion indulges in a rare facepalm.]
[Action]
While Doll typed, the cat wandered to the two leaders, looking up at them for attention next.]
[Doll held the phone up for the two to read, looking between them. The earlier insult was already forgotten; Doll still wanted to make sure they were okay, and find out what was going on.]
[Action]
Oh, for -- give me something to work with here! There must be some way to properly measure this -- whatever it is!
[Orion shakes her head and reaches down to pat the kitty.]
There are some things science simply cannot comprehend, Tronctor.
[Tronctor frowns at her.]
I'll believe that when I see it -- hmmm?
[Tronctor peers at the little pillow screen, carefully deciphering the message.] Good God, your typing is still worse than Lumbiee's. . . If 'trayesto' is some sort of magic thing, ask her. [He nods at Orion.] And I don't think we're lost -- yet. I mean, I remember this --
[A growl comes from the junkyard, making him shudder.]
from before. . . Orion just said you're from this place. Is English not your native language, then? We should have some sort of automatic translation field going on, I made sure that was one of the first things I put into place. . .then again, wouldn't be surprised if that went down just as this showed up. . .
[He's only asking because trying to make sense of Doll's typing is going to give him all the headaches.]
[Action]
Doll, for its part, is looking back at Tronctor, not sure how to react to all those statements and questions, one right after the other. But... native language?
If Tronctor were paying close enough attention to what Doll was doing with that phone -- if he were close enough to see the details through the fog -- he'd see Doll switch the input method, from keyboard to handwriting. What lines Doll traced over that part of the screen, afterwards, were certainly not those of English letters, but kana and kanji. When Doll finished and presented the result to Tronctor... in Japanese, Doll had asked if writing in Japanese would be better.]
[Action]
But that's not his fate, and those snarling electronics and other mechanical debris aren't going away anytime soon, it seems. He sighs, then watches as Doll starts -- drawing on his phone? Well, pictures would probably be easier to understand than his massive misspellings. . .
Or not. Tronctor blinks and squints at the kana and kanji. What the -- wait. Is that--?]
Japanese? You speak Japanese? Really wish I did. . . Although. . .
[He holds out a hand.]
Let me see that a moment, will you?
[Action]
And then Tronctor made his request, and Doll glanced between him and the plush phone, before offering the phone over as requested, curious. Was he going to demonstrate something on it that would make it easier?
Let's see if Tronctor can manage to use Doll's phone so well when the UI itself has been set to display in Japanese. Hopefully he knows what all the options are well enough that that won't be an issue for him....
And as for the cat, it was busy being a lush for the affection, rubbing against Orion's hand and leg, as friendly as any cat -- or plush, let's be honest! -- could be.]
[Action]
Definitely Japanese. . . Thanks.
[He takes the phone and starts fiddling with it, one eyebrow raising as he notes everything is set to Japanese. He knows the phones like the back of his hand -- he connected all their various forms to the systems and provides whatever upgrades and bug-fixes you need -- so it's not really a problem -- just a curiosity. He gets to work, going into various menus and muttering to himself as he messes with certain options.
Orion, meanwhile, is only too happy to keep lavishing affection on the cat. It keeps her from thinking about what's lurking right behind her.]
Our world gives such wonders. . .the spark of life in that which was once inanimate. . . [She looks up at Doll.] You would sympathize, I suppose. No offense intended -- but you are clearly not made of flesh and bone.
[Action]
Doll was watching Tronctor, curious about what he was up to, but turns to her when she speaks. A head-shake, smiling. No, not made of what other living things are. Not at all. And a hesitant sort of pause, about to reach for its pocket to pull out that phone, except... right, Tronctor has it. Hmm.
A little pause, and then some careful gestures: pointing to itself, and then crouching to cup a hand low to the ground, and indicating the dark area under it, running a finger around the perimeter and tapping inside that.
Doll looked back up to her, tilting its head. Had she gotten that? A Shadow? If she hadn't, Doll would be tracing the word on the ground with a finger.]
[Action]
She watches carefully as Doll indicates itself, then the dark energies permeating this world. She nods a little.]
The powers of this world are strong with you. A creature made of energies beyond almost all comprehension. . .
[Her eyes flick back to the graveyard for a moment, with its twisting shadows and ever-present whispers.]
You seem rather more -- friendly -- than the others that populate this plane of existence. And rather more solid too.
[Tronctor, still adjusting things in the phone, puts in:]
Might be a side effect of being pulled through the portals rather than -- whatever caused this.
[Action]
Doll smiles a little at her judgment about being friendly... and then looks over at Tronctor, to shake that messy-haired head. No, it wasn't a side-effect of coming here, it--
Tronctor still had Doll's phone. But that wasn't the only thing Doll could write with; it put a hand into each pocket, pulling out a piece of origami paper from one, and what looked like a stick of foam from the other. Doll crouched to kneel down, setting the paper on its thigh for a writing surface, and twisted the foam stick in the middle, which made a pen nib come out of one end. Time to write!
Which meant that on top of Doll's inability to spell, Orion would get to deal with some very childish, unpracticed handwriting.]
[The little page filled already, Doll dug out a second.]
[Satisfied with this for the moment, Doll offered her the little papers.]
[Action]
Oh, I see. So you're of the same substance, but not truly kin. A thing that has transcended the normal limits of the fog, perhaps.
[Tronctor starts to say something, but stops as Doll's phone beeps. He grins, triumphant.]
Aha! That should help. I hope, anyway. Now to see if you're poetical, or more like Lumbiee than I'd like to think.
[He passes the phone back to Doll.]
I've updated your spellchecker, autocorrect, and set a few new translation options. So now, if you're more fluent in Japanese, you can use the handwriting option to write out what you want to say in that, tap this here -- [He indicates a new button on the screen] -- and it should give a much clearer English translation. Can't guarantee it'll be perfect, but it should hold you over until you get more practice.
[Action]
When Tronctor presented the phone back, Doll looked up at him, taking in what he had to say about it. If this worked -- if the phone could really translate for Doll more understandably than Doll could write in English directly -- then this would be a great help indeed!
With a grin, Doll reached over... and hugged the man.
With Doll's lack of strength, it was more a gesture than an actual squeeze, but the sentiment was clear; he'd made the big toy very happy. Doll let go again, paused to think, then tried writing something and pressed the button.]
[That... wasn't right, Doll could tell. Doll offered the little pillowphone back to Tronctor to see.]
[Action]
Whatever you may be, I hope you can help us with this. It seems -- already on the very edge of control.
[Which is really not good, since they've already got at least one district that brings the crazy.
Tronctor's more than a little startled at the hug -- he freezes up, eyes wide. Nobody's ever hugged him for helping them out before. Even Lea just pats him on the shoulder. Something deep inside that heart melts a bit. Congrats, Doll, he's probably going to go a bit easier on you for a while. Actual appreciation for his abilities counts for a lot.
He watches carefully as Doll tries it out, then frowns as the sentence comes out a bit mangled. Hmmm. He takes the phone.]
Must still be struggling with a few of the words. . . If you're asking what I think you are, his spelling isn't the greatest either. Though that's because he apparently just cannot get used to a keyboard. [He rolls his eyes as he makes another adjustment.] I've given him at least five typing lessons, and still. . .
[Over goes the phone again.]
Gave the grammar check a tweak -- try it again.
[Action]
And attention back to Tronctor again as he speaks, nodding a little, thinking, taking the phone... try it again? Hmm.]
[....
Well then.
Doll frowned at the screen, and thought for a moment, before looking up at Tronctor. It was gestures time. The somewhat universal one for cutting things, sticking two fingers out from an otherwise balled hand, as though holding scissors and opening and closing them, and doing so close to the pillowphone's screen. Then a mime of picking up small things from the screen -- the words it was displaying -- and moving them around. And then looking back up to Tronctor.
Was it possible to make it so Doll could rearrange the output? To cut up the sentences and correct them manually?
....Maybe that was best left for another time, though, given what else was going on?
Meanwhile, the kitty continued to be a complete lush for affection from Orion... only to pause and perk up, ears moving a bit as it listened, looking off into the deeper part of the fog. Something had caught its attention, some sound, perhaps, something quiet....]
[Action]
Damn it -- am I going to have to rewrite the entire translation suite to --
[He stops as Doll starts gesturing. Snip-snip motion at the screen -- moving words around -- ahhhh. He rubs his chin.]
I could probably do that. . .might be a pain in the ass for you depending on how well the translation comes out. But it would be a good work-around until--
[And then he cuts off again as he notices the plush cat looking up and off at something. He immediately tenses, eyes fixed on the spot where the cat is looking.]
Orion?
[The Fae queen stares hard at the fog.]
I sense. . .I sense everything and nothing at the same time.
[Stupid fog, ruining her 'magical uber-sorceress' groove.]
[Action]
So the obvious thing to do, seeing as how Doll knows more about the fog and its Shadows than either of these two, and isn't particularly afraid... is to go investigate! Not like Doll will go wandering so far away as to get lost! No, that's not at all in the plans here. Just... going to go check out whatever sound the cat seems to've heard, that's all.
Doll absently stuffs the pillowphone back into a pants pocket and holds a finger up at them, the universal "just a moment" signal, before heading deeper into the fog, leaving the kitty in their care.
Surely they can handle babysitting a small plush toy for just a bit?]
[Action]
You are aware that's completely unhelpful?
[Orion frowns back at Tronctor.]
Yes, that's why I said it.
[Tronctor narrows his eyes at Orion.]
You are a real -- where on earth are you going??
[But Doll's already given them the 'wait here for a sec' signal and is heading out into the fog. Tronctor moves closer to Orion, wincing as a car behind him growls.]
You think that guy knows what he's doing?
[Orion gives Tronctor a queenly glance (which may be ruined a bit by the fact she's holding a plush cat.)]
He is inextricably linked to the shadows, and has greater knowledge of them than either of us could ever hope to possess in all the lifetimes granted to us.
[Tronctor stares at Orion for a moment.]
That Fae for "I hope so?"
[Orion colors, then admits in a small voice:]
Yes.
[Action]
The cat, meanwhile, remained alert, gancing back at the two humans before resuming its watch, as though it could see any better than they could.]
((battle, or cutie little blobby thing? I'm leaning battle just because I'm an evil mun, but how about you? ))
[Action]
I hate this place. Been here for what, half a day at most? And I hate it.
[Orion nods, squeezing the kitty a bit.]
Any right-thinking being would. I think most wrong-thinking beings would as well. Speaking of which, you never did offer your apologies to our guide.
[Tronctor narrows his eyes at the implied insult, then sighs.]
I was just worried. . . But right, I should probably do that before --
[He freezes at another sound. Now what was that? Is it running time again so soon?]
((I am always up for a fight XD Let's have some fun with them.))
[Action]
Something sailed through the whiteness, leaving it swirling in its wake -- several somethings, the one landing closest to them a familiar-enough little pillow-like phone. Another, landing just within view, looked to be a once-smooth curving plate of plastic, pale but for a gentle hint of peach. It must have been part of Doll, the piece which formed one of its pecs; a mangled ball joint stuck out from the inside of one corner of it, at about the end of a subtle ridge that could have been part of Doll's collarbone, or the pretense of one, and something else seemed to be missing from where the shoulder should attach, that corner of it mangled and twisted.
Almost immediately afterward, there was another flash, bright, and a sound, like the crack of thunder. Another crash, and more debris was flung through the fog, landing just out of easy view -- more pale shapes, and something else, something dark. Most of the pieces began to disappear swiftly, the pale plastic losing substance, sublimating into the darkest of black vapors, which disappeared as though it was never there to begin with. It wasn't really mass to begin with, and now it wasn't anything at all. The phone remained. The dark shape -- one of Doll's shoes, the sock still inside it -- remained too.
And then something was approaching, coming through the fog toward the two. Several shapes, two of them -- or three? It was hard to tell, with the visibility of the area so impaired -- slowly became visible, one of them a dark thing, a half-solid ghost, ethereal and menacing. The other was more angular, something in it sparkling -- sparking -- in electrical fits, the static of television "snow" playing across jagged shapes near the top of it, in the busted display, thin cords waving like tendrils beside it from somewhere in its twisted mass, acting as arms which shouldn't be arms, will given to that which shouldn't have any will in the first place, the illogical construct limping and swaying along, dragging itself over the ground with the scraping sound of metal against small pebbles and dry dirt.
The cat was shaking, subtly, twisting to see Doll's debris landing nearby, tail beginning to lash even before either Shadow lurched into view. This was not a safe place. This was not a nice place. And even in the comfort of the fae queen's arms, danger was everywhere, and the menace that was no longer very far away had just destroyed its owner. Its fur stood on end the way only fake fur could, and it tried to climb higher on Orion's shoulder, never taking its black, artificial eyes off of the threat ahead.]
((TL;DR, Doll's temporarily dead again and you have some
playmatesShadows! Hopefully this works? ♥))[Action]
[He's cut off by the sudden crash of debris in front of them. His eyes widen as he sees the phone, and then--] Oh fuck, no!
[Orion is similarly horrified -- she doesn't even have the words to express her shock as more pieces rain down from the sky, and then slowly dissolve away into the fog. Neither does Tronctor, really. He reaches out slowly and picks up the phone, feeling a wave of sorrow.]
This is -- fucking hell. Orion, I don't know about you, but I don't want to stick around and -- and. . .
[His voice fails him as he notices the cat freaking out -- and what the cat's freaking out about. He moves backward a step as he sees the -- he doesn't know what either of them are, but every part of his body is screaming for him to get out of there. He yanks out his personal weapon -- a multiphase gun that can shoot anything from lasers to rock salt -- but his hands are sweaty and he can't pull the trigger and oh God the very thing he loves is going to kill him--]
ORION! SOME OF THAT VOODOO SHIT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL ABOUT NOW!
[Orion's been gazing at the restless, unformed ghost in almost a trance -- it seems to have no face, yet it reminds her of someone; no voice, yet she can hear it howling rage; no feet, yet it moves forward, hungry for her body -- but Tronctor's yell manages to snap her out of it a bit. Gathering up her energies, she blasts the two creatures with pure Fae magic, a column of light bursting from her hands as she does. Whether it actually lights anything in this strange, horrible shadowy hell is up for debate, but Orion will be satisfied if it keeps them at bay for a moment.]
((Yes, this works! :D))
[Action forever]
And then the construct moved, the little wheels at the bottom of its mangled stand spinning, cords reaching, wrapping around rocks and nearby trash and gravestones, to pull itself up again. It was further broken, but not defeated. Not yet. The snow on its fragments of screen-surface flashed wildly, the static growing louder again, somehow managing to sound more like a hissing growl than it had any right to.
The blast had hurt them, the construct-Shadow more obviously so than the ghost. If the ghost was more than angered by it, it was difficult to tell.
And they were coming forward again.]
((Oops, I think I like writing horror stuff. :3 But uh. Let me know when Doll should come back? I'm thinking in another tag or two...))
[Action and ever]
Hit them again! I think that -- pile of crap is weak to your brand of lunacy! [And to the junk monster:] Growl at me all you like! We're going to -- Orion?
[Orion, unfortunately, is not in any mood to start blasting again. The ghost seemed hardly affected by the blast, and now it's snarling at her, demanding restitution, payment for her crimes. . .
You left me and mine to DIE, you so-called Queen of Fae. . .you left us to be torn out of very existence itself. . .you dare call yourself a master of magic when the proof of your failure lurks on your very boundary?!
Orion drops to her knees, tears trickling down her face.]
We tried to save you -- I tried to save you --
[You did nothing! You just prance about and speak in riddles and do nothing to help. . . Claws reach for Orion's head. I could do so much more with flesh again. . .
And then there's a laser blast hitting the ghost square in the chest. Tronctor stands over Orion, gun in his hand and eyes narrowed. Oh hell no -- he may not like Miss Voodoo here much, but he ain't abandoning her to die like Doll.]
Fuck. Off. You.
((LOL, it's fine, you do it well. And yeah, in a couple of tags should be fine -- give these two a chance to get a few shots off.))
no subject
Before the shade returned, the construct drew attention to itself again as it scraped a stand's broken, wheel-less corner behind it on the ground, dragging itself by its cords and the remaining wheels, rickety as they were, as unstable as the rest of it. It was off balance, leaning precariously in a way that suggested that it should have rightfully fallen over long before it'd ever reached them, but there it was, lifting one of its cords, a miniature lightning bolt crackling around something that could have been an antenna. It turned a little, something popping inside what was almost still a box of some kind behind the monitor, and the glow of electricity grew brighter along the antenna as it swiveled to point at them. It was charging up, threatening something... and a sound of static was rising again.
Whatever it was they were going to do, they might want to do it soon.
The cat, nervous, tried to get into Orion's hood, soft tail accidentally bapping her in the face as it climbed higher up on her shoulder It slipped, tangling a soft paw in her hair a bit, but caught itself somehow. It might have better luck in climbing if it weren't merely a plush, if perhaps it had any actual claws, or pads on its feet that weren't silky threads. Alas.]
((o7 ...just tell me when you're ready for me to throw Doll back in!))
no subject
But he doesn't feel that way when he looks at the ghost. He feels guilt over not being able to save the missing district, sure, but it's something he can tamp down, something he can overcome. . .but Orion seems a lot more susceptible to that. . . He hauls his Fae companion to her feet.]
All right, from what I've observed, you're better at hurting the junk pile monster, I'm better at hurting the screamy ghost. What say you stop him from lighting us up and I'll stop the shade from bringing you down again?
[Orion looks at him with pain-filled eyes. That shade did a number on her -- speaking to her secret fears that she didn't do enough to save that district, that she still doesn't do enough to save the rest of them. . .that she's not a good leader of the Fae, or anyone. . .that none of her fellow rulers really likes her because she's just too old and ancient. . . That's she's good for nothing but riddles and looking pretty and being bothered by Sir Joy.]
She wants to steal our bodies, our very souls. . .did we do enough, Tronctor? Did we really abandon this world?
[Tronctor grabs her by the shoulders.]
We'll never actually find out if we die in here, will we? [He pulls the cat out of her hair and sets it on her shoulder.] Here, you -- keep her morale up so we can get out of here in one piece.
[He starts toward where he thinks the shade is, then stops as he sees Orion still hesitating. For the love of--]
Come on, Orion. . .it's technology! You hate that shit! SHOW ME UP ALREADY!
[That gets her by surprise -- but after a moment, she starts grinning.]
Anytime, mortal.
[With a flick of her hand, she calls up a shield, countering the static charge of the construct while at the same time using her other hand to mentally try to pull pieces of it apart -- starting with that antenna.]
((This is really fun XD Maybe you can hint he's coming back together at the end of your next tag, and then he can show up again in the one after that?))
no subject
The shade, too, had evidently recovered... there was a swirling in the fog over the thick shadows in the grass nearby -- had the shadows been so dark there before? -- and it reappeared, slowly, gaining what might've passed for substance as it shrieked at him, hands beginning to glow with an aura of some sort as it began to approach, gaining speed as it did, intent to take him down obvious.
The cat shifted its round little paws nervously, giving Orion an unintentional and very light little hint of a shoulder massage as it did so, crouching down, ears and head turning around, flicking back and forth as it tried to pay attention to everything at once. It was hard to say whether the little plush noticed how the light seemed to be paling, the shadows deepening, just a little. It made everything look a bit more washed-out than it ought, and the areas under the gravestones and junk piles an impenetrable inkiness, as though the place hadn't been ominous and dead enough before.]
((Like this? ♥ ...'cause when Doll comes in, the fight's going to be over. Doll's not going to be in a mood to play with those Shadows, like when it demonstrated mana-stealing for Victor....))
no subject
The cord strikes the edge of the shield and manages to scratch her wrist -- Orion growls in pain, then seizes the cord and yanks on it, using her magic to enhance her strength in an attempt to pull it from the root. She uses her other hand to hit the creature with another blast of pure magic -- not as strong as her first blast, but still pretty powerful.]
Bow before my might, foul beast of the debris of man's so-called intelligence!
[Tronctor never thought he'd be grinning at one of her insults toward technology, but damn it, these are unusual circumstances. He spots the darkening in the shadows and aims for it, blasting the ghost with another round of laser light as it starts streaking toward him.]
Slimer you're not, buster.
[He flicks a wheel on the side of the gun and follows up with his own blast of electrical current for good measure, before dropping and rolling out of the way, just in case that doesn't slacken the shade's speed enough to keep it from bowling into him. Neither he nor Orion pay that much attention to the subtle change in the lighting -- they're rather too busy keeping themselves from joining the dead in here.]
((Yeah, pretty much. And I don't blame him -- the junk-monster didn't SMASH HIM TO BITS.))
no subject
The technological abomination let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a cry, shuddering as the cord's base broke something inside it with the strain it took, and popped, ripping out through the side of the monitor's flat box with something at the end, perhaps a chunk of what was once a circuit board, or just a mass of wires. It was difficult to tell what shape it held exactly, past the bright flickers of electricity which fell from the end and hole alike, as though it were the thing's blood, a shining whitish-blue trail of crackling flickers which fizzled out as they hit the ground. It left the thing teetering precariously on its base, toward Orion... and when the magic hit it, it caught the thing full on, and sent it toppling the other way. Its form bent and crunched, and had it a more human shape, one might have guessed that it was trying to tuck and roll to save itself some of the damage from the impact... but it hadn't, and wasn't, and it must've been partly due to its own failing strength and something snapping in its center that its base flew up over its monitor and landed on the other side.
It didn't stop moving, though; a jointed metal bar, perhaps some sort of swiveling crane-like little thing, did what it could to reach out and push itself back upright. Parts shifted inside, rearranging to compensate for what was now destroyed, and its monitor was lifted again, glass all but entirely gone, little pieces littering the gravel under it only momentarily before turning to black vapor and disappearing.
The shadows in the area had gone dark.
There was darkness, and then there was darkness. One was something caused by a simple lack of light. It happened when the sun went down behind the horizon, or someone turned off the lights while indoors. The other was something that couldn't possibly have existed naturally, a result of the light being somehow sucked out of the environment, drained from it until it all looked like a poorly-developed photograph, the brighter parts pale and washed out, and everything else too dark to see detail in, all reduced to inky shapes.
Not that the fog allowed for great visibility, but the darkness seemed to be more intense somewhere off to the side and a little behind the fight, more toward the thinning, gradual end of the fog, near the trash piles.
A figure stood there, thin, with short hair, scowling at the two attacking Shadows through narrowed eyes. The large yellow irises glowed more brightly than they probably ought to, not simply reflecting light, but giving it off.
Doll was back. Somehow, Doll was back. And Doll was not happy with having been destroyed just a short while ago. Not happy with it at all....]
((Oops, I accidentally wrote a lot. :D))
no subject
At least you seem to be doing a bit better than me.
[Orion turns toward him with a tired but faintly amused smile.]
Now how much of your pride did you -- what's --
[With her attention off the monster she's battling, she now notices the way the shadows around them have gone midnight -- no, more than midnight black, an absence of light too great to attribute to merely the lack of sun. There seems to be a power growing to their side, something angry, something with the power to make light the most distant memory. She's just about to suggest to Tronctor that maybe now was the time to run --
When she sees it. And her jaw drops.]
Doll?!
[Tronctor spins and catches sight of the giant toy, eyes wide with shock.]
What -- you can reform?! . . .Can they all do that?
[Because it doesn't say much for their survival prospects if these things can just come back every time you kill them. Not that he isn't happy to see Doll, but still.]
no subject
The ghost reappeared, near the junk monster, trembling, a glow forming around it as it called up power of some sort, readying to attack them again, the junk-beast beside it shuddering and rising once more, unsteady but determined....
And Doll stepped forward, hands balled into fists at its sides, not quite heading for Orion and Tronctor, but pausing near them, intent on the other two Shadows. It was becoming more obvious that Doll had already sucked most of the energy from the area, and was still continuing to do so, as the unnatural shadows followed the big toy, darkening the ground around it more than it ought to be, until it actually shone, almost a deep purple of some sort, a soft glow which seemed to rise up in a loose, hazy ring around it as the energy tried to spill out again, eager to be let loose once more.
And Doll did let it loose again.
There was no sound at all as Doll, still mute, screamed at the two Shadows, a lack of voice, a silence that was somehow deafening beyond any noise. The toy raised its fists over its head and threw them back down again in the very image of a childish tantrum, eyes squeezing shut briefly, only opening again to re-focus on the two as it straightened back up a little to repeat it, not quite jumping in place, stomping its foot down and weakly flattening a few blades of grass beneath the sole of its shoe.
The fog shook with the force of that fury, an expression of pure rage and hurt given real, effective power somehow... and it was all directed ahead, at those two Shadows.
Poor them.
It was difficult to make out exactly what was happening, but the purple energy seemed to taint the fog densely around the Shadows, though briefly -- or perhaps that was simply the black vapor that the two were being torn apart into, forcefully disintegrated into the same substance, or lack thereof, that Doll's pieces had been. They twisted, squealing in agony, though their cries couldn't drown out the non-sound of Doll's, and before either of them could get free of the onslaught, of the immaterial bulldozer of emotion and raw power directed at them, it had torn them to shreds.
Nothing remained. It had been over fast, at least, and the echoes of Doll's silent scream died out as any sound would have. The shadows and light came back to balance, the ambient power settling itself back into place as swiftly as the Shadows' vaporous forms disappeared. Their energies had been torn apart, the sense of them no longer coherent, but drifting away lazily, a solid nightmare which had just been very forcefully, very thoroughly dismissed.
....And then Doll turned back to the two living beings, face still pinched in upset, though it wasn't anger now, so much as sadness. It took a step toward the two, shoulders shaking with what could only have been the beginning of sobs, little jerks which grew by the second. One thin hand was raised to the eyes, now absent of the odd glow the irises had held, to wipe at tears that weren't there, and whichever of them was physically closest was going to be leaned into gently, Doll's head lowered to rest that mask-like face on their shoulder while it cried, apparently needing someone to comfort and support it, now that it was spent from its violently furious fit.]
((Sorry leaders, but it looks like you're dealing with a powerful... kidlet, of sorts. Emotionally, at least.))
Sorry this is so late -- I forgot to check this for a while >.<
You think your shield can hold against a double dose?
[Orion barely acknowledges the question, eyes on Doll as it approaches, staring at the gathering energy and the way its irises burn through the shadows.]
Perhaps, but -- Tronctor, look at him, the power --
[And then Doll has his little temper tantrum. Tronctor grabs at his head, wondering how the hell a lack of sound can hurt worse than the shrillest ringing, while Orion hastily tries to shield them from any of that almost-black purple energy that might go astray. The sight of the two nightmarish creatures being reduced to nonexistence is one that would make even the bravest heart shudder. Not that the two aren't glad to see their foes defeated once and for all, but the raw anger exploding off Doll, ripping through the air to rend and shred -- well. It's clearly a force that far outmatches either Tronctor's best tech or Orion's best magic -- at least, in this cold shadowy place. And that's about the least comforting thought one can have here.
And then its over, and -- Doll is crying without tears. It seems to be able to do a lot of things without what you would normally expect to be necessary. Orion, fortunately, is the closest, and she wraps her arms around it as it weeps.]
There there. . .it's -- it's all right. . .
[Normally she's a bit better at this comforting business, but she's rather shaken right now. Can you blame her? Tronctor stays to the side, not sure if he should say anything. Instead he examines the area, making sure no trace of their former enemies remain.]
reaction/action
Surely it can't be so bad.
[
Don't call them Shirley!He was going to be checking this one out on his own. Well, maybe on his own, if he could get past Amery and out the door without hurting himself. He just grabbed a jacket, not bothering with shoes, and stepped out the door to go toward that district, feeling his way along the buildings with his fingers and along the edges of the sidewalk with his toes and feet.]