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 Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 11:09 am
Quote: The Creature in the Well (9) : While Destiny City has a modern water system, it’s not uncommon to see decorative wells around the city. Often in parks or around gardens, they grant a peaceful, countryside flair to the otherwise busy metropolis. Most days, they blend into the background. Not today. Maybe you heard a powerful, fierce splash, like something smacking violently against the water, or maybe it was the unnerving croak that echoed from deep below, but something has clearly gotten trapped in the well. Sometimes, there’s the distinct sound of something clawing, scratching, climbing–desperate to get out. The noise its making is deep enough to vibrate through the ground. If you go to investigate, you’ll see nothing but a pair of golden, snakelike eyes staring back up at you. Whatever it is, its body is completely submerged under the water, but just looking into its eyes is enough to petrify someone. There’s something hypnotic about it, something that seems like it’s drawing you into the well. And why shouldn’t you climb in? What’s stopping you? Danger is forgotten; the creature in the well has made a target of you. Hopefully you have someone to pull you out of the trance–or, maybe if you’re strong enough, you can do it yourself. If you lose the battle with the creature, you will fall unconscious just as you hit the water in the well; you will feel the sensation of something coiling around you, crushing you, and then–blackness. You will wake up in a hospital with a day lost and no memory of what happened in the well, or how you were pulled out. You only have bumps and bruises, and when you close your eyes you’re haunted by the chilling golden eyes in the well. If you return to it, you’ll find nothing but a strange, croaking echo. It was another night, another patrol, although this time, Mystras was putting some actual thought into where she was going so she didn’t end up in the middle of a haunted railroad or with a flock of possessed gargoyles or whatever. Nope. That stuff sent shivers down her spine. Fighting youma was fine. Ghosts? You couldn’t punch a ghost. So, she was out in the park. From what she’d heard from her housemates, plenty of sketchy Negavse business went down in parks, but as far as she could tell, they weren’t supposed to be haunted.. So, she was breathing easily as she spent some time walking down the paths and checking under the slides on the playground for anything suspicious. She was even humming one of the theme tunes from a show that had been going on earlier. Nothing weird had happened by the time she was walking past a seating area with some plants and an old well. That was when she heard it, though. That was when she heard the splash. There was no other water around, she knew. Had something fallen in? Did she have to save them? She thought she’d be pretty good at saving someone from a well, and she jogged over to see what was happening.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 11:40 am
It was as much of an apology date as she was going to get she supposed. That it had to end in patrol? Le sigh — boring!! But so long as she got to be a flashy, silken, lace layered princess? What had begun as a simple walk in the park (quite literally) post outdoor drive up slasher film-fest (they had fake cars from the 60’s and speaker buttons and the whole mockup) had quickly devolved into a game — thrown kernel residuals of popcorn dyed black and coated in red syrup.
Waru had all that power, but Aramis? Oh? She was fast— quick on the draw and quick to henshin up and quick to lose that beefy ********.
Mirabilite could still hear him shouting, the echo of it distant as he held to the rules of the chase. No teleporting, none of that binding s**t, just lure skill and power of will and the ability to dodge tree roots and low-made fences.
She felt like she was winning, if she yanked her skirts up, cackling like a breathless witch as she finally escaped the path of the behemoths aura on the last leg of a jaunt that became a full force sprint—
Mira bust through the tree line, causing herself snickering while bracing over a bench. Regretted every giggle and playful look back over her shoulders as her gaze ticked up and she noticed two things all at once.
Order. ********? A real life, actual, physical well, and shouldn’t have been so distracting. So disconcerting. The way the sight of it sent tingles up her spine, abortive and cut off at the quick, the dear that had grown was snuffed out entirely as she found her feet moving of their own accord towards the *danger*!!
*But there is no danger—*
Like a whisper.
*You’re needed here—*
Somebody needed help, she could hear it, a struggle beyond the wells depths! She thought maybe if shoving the order person into the hole of that opening; making way so she could claim the prize. The victory. Headlines on tomorrow's news in her eyes like stars!
Who saved little Timmy? Oh how brave! How beautiful! Why yes — why thank you — nothing at all for little old me. It was a two birds with one stone scenario and if the order bird died while she rescued the civilian one?
Then so be it.
The final glimmering thought before she approached ar a run instead, all caution thrown to the breeze now that her mind and heart were at one with the decision!
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 12:00 pm
Oh, there were evil people here. That made a lot more sense. She didn’t think that kids or whatever just randomly fell into wells these days for no reason. She’d learned from that one senshi she’d fought the other week, that maybe it wasn’t a great idea to just rush up and fight people stronger than you for no reason, but this was different. Something was wrong. Someone was in trouble.
So, she ignored the very strong and probably dangerous aura behind her even as she continued to charge for the well, at the same time as another dark senshi who would’ve looked like the most beautiful princess if they weren’t all ******** up and evil.
“Hey,” she called out, “Get away! Whoever’s in there, I’m gonna help them, and if you do anything to stop me, I’ll punch you in the throat, bruh.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 12:21 pm
The raised eyebrow, curled lip, surprise of a sneer Mirabilite leveled at — whatever this was before her, seriously? Some blond haired, gym-bralette of a well-muscled flesh mound telling her to get back or to get whacked —- just — what the actual hell?
Mirabilite motioned to herself, as if to say ‘do you mean me, do you see this’ and most importantly? ‘The ******** are you calling bruh!’ She threw her hands up at the end of the verbal scald of a look and crossed them petulantly over her too flat in this outfit chest —
She did stop though, impatiently tapping one glossy heel in the grass, splaying hee fingers in the — again — page? Sure, the pages direction;
“Oh do go on then, throw yourself down the well after Timmy little miss lassie. I’ll just be here — waiting to push you in…hoping you fall…” grunted and grumbled, though the look on her face screamed impatience, the way the sounds from the wet continued to draw her attention. Stuck between eying hee sprinting opposition and the prize which surely came with a reward!
If she could just handle the meat stick instead of having to worry about her getting in the way of her moment of a hero’s debut!!
“Because actual hero’s don’t refuse a beautiful woman’s help!” Mira taunted, stamping her foot the one time as she tried to manage the mounting urge she had to break stance and bolt in, regardless of the threats leveled her way.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 12:39 pm
“Yeah, you’re gorgeous and bruh is gender neutral,” said Mystras with an eye roll that that was what this senshi was gonna get all caught up on. Was she serious? “I’d love to talk more about how pretty you are if it wasn’t for, you know, the emergency and the fact that you’re in the Negaverse.”
At least the woman didn’t seem to actually be doing anything to stop her, which was good. Not that Mystras would’ve minded going for the throat punching. The corrupt was all worried about being a lady. She wouldn’t have lasted five minutes. Mystras didn’t wanna get distracted with a good ol’ brawl when there was clearly still something scratching and thrashing in that well that needed help right now, not later.
So, she finished her sprint right over to the edge of the well and peered in.
Then, she froze. There was no child in the bottom of the well. No. Looking back at her were two golden eyes, huge and glimmering softly in the low light. Mystras couldn’t move. She couldn’t look away.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:01 pm
Mira was off like a racehorse at the muzzle-flash, her mouth already filling with trite words and slick responses, on the one hand? Good save with the gender neutral bit and beauty comment, on the other?! As her mouth ran, moments seemed to pass and the person calling her out from clear across the other side of every line seemed suddenly very stunned.
“It serves you, on silver and gold platters, it serves you right—” but the way the other woman had frozen up had her nervous enough, nervous and anxious and on the edge her heels to take her chance – and when she looked back up from the well to the person and back to the well she was somehow several steps closer and —
“I just hope when my friend comes and finds me, and I tell him about how rude you are, and *I* save this *kid* that you grow a pair of manners and apologize!” Quick cut jab followed by an eek of a swallow, because that? Whatever the hell it was dwelling down in the well was absolutely not - not – N O T – A goddamned Timmy!
The energy was all wrong and the eyes were all wrong, and….
“Stay With Me!” Mira dropped to her knees and panic-prayed, her magic sparking to life and surrounding them, if it made things worse or better? She didn’t bother to squint her eyes and look as her next words were her shouting for some sort of – a friend maybe? Like calling a big dog. The way the name that echoed around them sounded coming out of her mouth? It just might’ve been.[Sailor Scout Attack: Stay with Me! Quote: Mirabilite utters a heartfelt plea, and sheds a single crystalline tear. The tear shatters upon hitting the ground - sending up a mire of iridescent sparkles that seem to coalesce and condense in the air around him. Almost like a glittering dome of static. AOE: 10 foot radius Number of Targets: Only those within the dome. Number of uses: 3 Duration: 20 seconds Effect: All who are caught within the sphere are compelled to stay within it. Mirabilite's heartfelt plea and tears are meant to endear and focus them on him. An easy target, a helpless innocent. They're open to attack him - but why would they? He's just standing there asking them to stay with him. Just for a moment... Should any opponents overcome the magic that makes them feel endeared towards Mirabilite and choose to attack him, they will take half the damage of their attack. This works for both magical and physical attacks. Similarly, if Mirabilite attacks them, he will take half the damage himself as well. Mirabilite cannot leave the sphere, but anyone else can go in and out of it; the magic will compel anyone within the dome to stay with him, and anyone who attempts to leave the dome will feel like they are trudging through molasses. Because the attack can be seen, those outside it can avoid stepping into it. The dome does not act as a shield, but if anyone outside the dome attacks someone inside with physical or magical damage, the damage will be split evenly among everyone inside the dome.]
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:02 pm
For a second, Mystras was scared, but only for a second. The eyes were too bright against the shadows, and that was beautiful. She couldn’t quite see the rest of what was down there, and she wanted to. She needed to.
Just like that, all the sass and fight had gone out of her. She stood stock still, and then slowly and silently began to walk forward. When she had walked all the way to the edge of the well, she stepped one foot up to stand on the rim, and then another. She was silent, glassy-eyed.
It was only the sudden appearance of the sphere that stopped her from stepping into the well entirely. Stay with me. The words reached her, through the mindless desire to join the creature in the well, and she turned back to the corrupt, hearing a faint hiss from beneath her feet as she did so.
She was still silent, though, still blinking slowly, caught between two forces while her own brain tried to keep up or get its own hint of a thought in.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:05 pm
Mira stayed knelt, whispering, to herself or too the creature – the words so soft and the two opposing pulls so strongly swelling in the air – one of glittered sheen and another full of malice and oppressive aura. Mira had never been so glad of her magic, even as she panicked over the seconds she could feel ticking down along her spine like a trickle of sweat, so sure that whatever was in the well would soon come out to greet them with its whole chest and no love in it’s nasty, people eating heart!!
Because that was what every well monster in every wicked movie had ever done, hadn’t it? Eaten someone, and maybe if it only ate the Page!? But not her, please, please, please not her, please—-
‘I’m too pretty to die in a well! I’ll swell and bloat and all my skin will melt off and that is not the kind of look I want for my nice open-casket funeral!’ He’d heard Mira before he’d seen her, wandered into the grove that he’d been running the wrong direction from only to be slapped in the face with a light display, “The actual kind of ******** is this….” and Mira looked petrified, and the – page? Knight without a capital K looked very much like she’d been playing a game of freeze tag, and hell, if somehow both of them had lost?
He wandered just outside the barrier, circled it slow and panther-like, eying the two like a puzzle he just couldn’t figure out. “******** it – Praxidikes Exacting Justice!!” Rarely as he ever did he called upon his own magic, reached with it for whatever was in range, and yanked on the pair of bodies the lashing chains of magic took hold of, ever so carefully dragging the pair, Mira’s sphere and all – back – and back – and back – and away – watching as the shimmer born of seconds was suddenly cast off in a shower of failing sparks.
“Of all the things I expected t’have t’do tonight? Fishing was not one of them, ******** – you good Mira? Hun?” an apologetic wince and soft tone aimed for the basic, a stern sort of side-eye for the dazed and dragged page beside her. He almost didn’t want to know what they’d been getting up to, whatever kinda meanness had caused his best girl in glitter t’cry out like that and use her magic so recklessly without him. Eternal Sailor Attack: Praxidikes Exacting Justice! Quote: All of Albites tattoos appear to tear from his skin, lashing him to his three nearest enemies. They weigh like chains, and can squeeze to the point of bruising. The magic in the tattoos creates the feeling of being choked and beaten by a heavy hand; giving an opponent the sensation of being driven down and short of breath. Albites opponents can still move/fight, but remain bound to Albite until the magic is ended, or the bonds severed. The tattoo tethers are still magical and so can draw no blood. No physical or lasting damage is done, unless the target’s player wishes it. The illusion ends after 25 seconds. In which the bindings vanish along with the sensations. Range: 15 Feet Duration: 25 seconds Number of uses: 1 Number of targets: 3
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:16 pm
It took another kind of magic to tip the scales and physically yank Mystras off the precipice where she’d been frozen. Even that she didn’t notice as much as she should have at first, when a rope that seemed to be made of ink or something wrapped around her waist and squeezed hard enough to keep her from breathing right.
She was yanked off of the rim of the well though, and she landed hard on her knees a couple of feet away, and that was the point where her awareness kinda came back to her all at once with a fresh rush of pain and a string of half-choked curses.
Part of that realization was that these two hadn’t pushed her into the well when they’d had a chance to. She couldn’t really tell if they’d been trying to save her, though, of if they’d just been trying to save each other and gotten her out of there in the meantime.
She coughed one more time as the binding magic let her go, and she looked between the two of them still not quite sure what to think other than the fact that the one who had just shown up, the one who actually looked like a gym bro, had an aura so intense it made her want to throw up.
That might have just been the aftermath of everything else, though.
“Thanks?” she said, slowly, but they had at least kind of helped her.
She wasn’t gonna stick around to find out what their plans were to do next were. Maybe she could’ve tried to talk to them and see if they were interested in getting out of the Negaverse, like she had, since they were all into saving people and stuff.
She’d gotten lured into enough traps for one night, though, and so once she’d stumbled to her feet, she was quick to stumble away.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:17 pm
Albite let her wander off without much of answer, blinking from the page, to the well, to Mira at his feet — before shaking his head at true strangeness of it all and sighing — it wasn’t worth the trouble, he’d decided. To ******** up his whole night by chasing down one little page. Plus?! He had Mira to attend to! “Jeezus girl, you’ve got, like, grass stains all over— should’ve called me sooner — Hey!“
“And bruises, you a**! Owh—“ Mira groaned, smacking at him solidly as she finally got her air back and the dizziness of being caught between the monster's hold and her own magic wore off. Sounding not so much mad as shaken, and it wasn’t long before she was fussing over her skirts while demanding, like the princess she was, to be carried out of the place. She had, in her own mind, won their little game of chase after all. Taking her home was the least Albite could do!
“Forget the gym-bra — I’m done for the night. I wanna go home.”
“Alright, alright — big baby — though — maybe we’ll come back t’mmorow n chuck something mean n explosive down that well, huh? What do you say—-“ and his laugh echoed in the dead feeling space as he finally teleported off with Mirabilite in hand.
(Fin)
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