The Gargoyles (3) : Even when you thought you’d seen the last of them, it seems like you’re never really in the clear. A while back, there was an infestation of awful gargoyle creatures–and while every Star Festival had its fair share of oddities, this one seems to have introduced a permanent infestation upon the city. Maybe you see them perched on the roof, or hiding in the shadows, but not all of these grotesque creatures are satisfied with just escaping their interdimensional prison–some of them still have a bone to pick. They seem stony; some of them will watch with a penetrative gaze and never strike to attack, but some of them will dive down to target anyone who gets too close. The monsters come in an array of sizes and shapes, but they are no more than half the size of their target. Their goal is uncertain, but they will crumble into a pile of rocks and dust if struck hard enough.
This RP can be used as a battle requirement as long as there are at least two powered characters involved; you must be interacting with another player’s powered character and cannot solo this with two of your own characters. This does not count as the ‘one youma battle’ per stage for growth. This can only be used as a battle requirement once per character, but there is no limitation for how many times a player can use this prompt.
It suited him just fine if nothing interesting was going on, if a Monday evening after work was relatively quiet and innocuous. Diesel would call it boring and lament how no one was around to pick a fight with, but Feldspar just called it easy. If he was out alone, he should consider himself lucky that it was ‘easy,’ since he was hardly talented in running or fighting. But he wasn’t shabby at playing around the ‘not a threat’ vibe, at being too pitiful to be worth antagonizing.
And he was wrapping up here, anyway. His apartment wasn’t far off, and he’d gathered enough energy to be satisfied that the hours weren’t wasted. Just a quick break, sat on a bench on the sidewalk, head tipped over the back of it, eyes closed, legs straight out in front of him crossed at the ankles. Feldspar didn’t look like someone worth bothering, so he didn’t expect anyone would.
He would’ve been right. Would’ve been, because it wasn’t someone accosting him that made him lift his head. It was the distant rattle and clank of a metal garbage can toppling over, coupled with a curse, and sounds of something distinctly unidentifiable scraping rock.
A shadow spilled around a corner, tumbling hard onto the concrete road in a tangle of limbs. It was distant enough and the lighting dim enough that Feldspar could barely even make out that it was humanoid in shape. It was mostly his aura sense telling him what he was seeing: another Lieutenant, rolling to their feet and lashing out at- something, more shadows that followed behind. Feldspar willed the other to head in the opposite direction, stay over there, don’t come over here, don’t come over here…
But when did anything ever work out the way he hoped it would?
The second Lieutenant was sprinting- <******** he was fast- down the road toward him, and Feldspar barely had the time to lurch to his feet before the guy and the shitstorm behind him was upon him.
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 11:41 pm
Fuuuuuuck- ******** didn’t know how this sort of bullshit always happened to him, but Magnesia had been out, minding his own ******** business- mostly, sort of- when down from the heavens descended these stupid- statue gargoyle things? That looked like they belonged perched on the edge of a creepy church or something, y’know, somewhere he absolutely didn’t frequent with any regularity. Maybe that’s what had their stones all in a bunch; they just attacked people of little faith.
Which was whatever. There were way scarier and more dangerous enemies out in the city.
…It was just that there were a lot of these stone gargoyles swarming him. And his sparky magic seemed to have no effect on them at all. But Magnesia was a pretty scary monster in his own right, and if he happened to catch his hands around one, he could beat it into the ground until it crumbled into dust. It was a lot of effort to take down one enemy of so many, but what else was he supposed to do? Run?
Run. He should run. Escape this stupid swarm so he didn’t end up bruised and battered from trying to fight off a heap of stone enemies that he didn’t really even know why were after him. They didn’t seem affiliated with the Senshi? Whatever. Run until he could sequester himself back in Negaspace.
He would’ve. There were places to hole up where he figured he’d be safe even powered up. But the aura of another Lieutenant diverted his focus. If there were two of them, maybe it’d be worth it to fight. Take these rock monsters down a peg. So he found himself moving in that direction, toward someone he could make an ally of. As he skid down the alley, tumbling over his own feet in his haste, Magnesia could make out a dark uniform and a head of red hair. A guy just sitting on a bench.
Well, Magnesia was about to bring some life into this rando’s dreary evening!
He didn’t miss a beat as he careened into the other agent, snatching at him with fingers tipped in sharp-pointed claws to try and drag him to his feet in a more timely manner because man, this dude was slow. “Hey, c’mon,” he barked out. “My friend, can’t you lend a guy a hand, or what?”
Behind him the gargoyles whistled back and forth through the air. Some had paused in the advance to perch on the rooftops and watch with a wary gaze as a new challenger entered the fray. Others swiveled to and fro, judging the new best way to assault them. Mag doubted they’d be deterred for more than a couple moments. So he and New Guy needed to get on the same page ******** ASAP. He glowered at them over his shoulder, low rumbling sounds bubbling out of his throat before he snapped out a rough bark to try and frighten the things off.
If he’d complained that he couldn’t tell what was going on because it was ‘too far away,’ being up close hardly made it better. The other Lieutenant- was he a Lieutenant?- was a quick talker, and Feldspar was admittedly a little too distracted by what he was seeing to pay too much attention to what he was hearing. This guy’s aura felt like an agent, but he looked like a monster- gray skin, claws on his hands and feet, tall horns, crazy long ears, and slitted pupils- and that unhinged barking sound he’d made.
He could’ve easily- easily!- just mistaken this guy for a well-dressed, taller, more talkative version of the small group of stony creatures now prowling the tops of the nearby buildings, contemplatively staring down at the two Negaverse agents below, and he didn’t actually know where the safest place to keep his focus was: on the nearby monster? Or the ones farther away?
He swallowed, gaze darting again to take in as much of the other as he could in a split second before veering back to the gargoyle-things that had actually been on the assault
Aaaand, it clicked. “********, you’re a half-youma,” he muttered. A Lieutenant half-youma. No one could blame him for it not being something to cross his mind too quickly. Feldspar didn’t know any half-youma to any personal degree, and he’d only ever seen… two or three ever? …And always in shitty situations, like this one. “Man, you’re not gonna be happy when I tell you I doubt I’ll be able to give you much help against these statues…” Or anything else they might have to fight off, for that matter. Feldspar gave a light tap of his cane to the side of his shoe. He was on his feet, but it wasn’t like he could go hand-to-hand with anything.
There was a reason he didn’t pick a fight if he could help it.
“What’d you do to piss these things off?”
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 11:33 am
He found himself glowering shamelessly right at the other Lieutenant. The ******** did he mean by <********, you’re a half-youma,’ like were they going to have a problem or something? Magnesia’s was a weird look for sure, but no one with the Negaverse should be shocked or alarmed about it. They knew what they were signing up for (probably)!
The growl rumbling from his throat turned from the gargoyles to his new accusatory friend. “Nothing!” Magnesia spat. “I didn’t do anything to them.”
Which was completely true! He had not even cast a single glance at some random, slightly creepy Destiny City statues. He’d been occupied in other ways because there were more interesting things that he needed to accomplish. That stupid guy tossing a fit when Magnesia was just trying to meet his quota. …And then that Senshi. Magnesia hadn’t been able to find him and his stupid cat, but these stupid gargoyles had managed to charge Magnesia instead.
And not for nothing, but he’d had an active night, and he was kind of running out of juice.
“Look, don’t be a little b***h. Help me out here, right? I’m gonna buff you up, and we’ll break these stupid statues to bits.”
Just once more. This was pretty much all he had in terms of magic, and he’d burned a lot of it today dealing with… things. But Magnesia could pull out one more if it meant another body would help ward these things away from him. Static prickled in his fingers. Little pulses of lightning flicked along his skin. He pushed the power outward in a small area, snaring the other Lieutenant, and anything else stupid enough to be so close to him.
EchosSweet
Magnesia's magic: A static charge emanates from around Magnesia in a 5’ radius. Nearby allies receive a little extra juice! Negaverse agents (including himself), youma, and corrupted Mauvians receive a 25% boost to their strength and speed, while senshi have one use of magic restored up to Magnesia’s rank (Basic). The electrical discharge is uncomfortable. Enemies and allies may choose to take light shock damage. Magic is new to him and his electricity can get out of hand. :< The boost lasts for 25 seconds and has 3 uses. General Sovereigns are unaffected by the buff.
It would appear they were at an impasse, because despite the obvious threat still lurking along the corners of the nearby buildings, all the pair of them could do was glower at each other. Feldspar ‘tsk’ed, rolling his eyes. ‘Nothing’ was what they all said, and it was as unbelievable as ever. “Right…” He grumbled.
It would probably be good-spirited of him to do whatever he could to get this dumbass kid out of whatever trouble he'd gotten himself into. Promote camaraderie, or whatever. They were both out here, and they should work together- but since there was a brief lull in the gargoyles' willingness to assault them, as they tried to decide how much more effort would be involved in attacking Feldspar, wouldn't it be better for everyone to just... dip? Bow out now and save themselves the commotion?
Feldspar wasn't a fighter. He was on his feet now, and the other guy should use his eyes to see that he wouldn't be of any great use-
But of course he was an idiot, who was too focused on what he wanted done to take Feldspar's situation into account. Even if it did make him a 'little b***h,' Feldspar pressed his point. “No, buddy, you don’t get it. I’m not going to fight- I can’t help you. Listen!”
Literally no one ever listened to him.
The half-youma's magic fizzled around them, creating tiny arcs of electricity where they bounced between him and Feldspar. The extra currents in the air must have reinvigorated the gargoyles' rage, because just as the prickling power of static roiled against his skin, they dove. Whatever this power was, it stung, twinging his nerves and making Feldspar jerk away from the other boy. But there wasn't anywhere to go now. He was part of the 'threat,' apparently.
The creatures darted toward them, Stony claws wings and claws snaring skin and fabric and bludgeoning with their tough bodies. He'd wanted to leave, but there was no chance for that now. Feldspar picked up his cane like a bat, and swung with all the force he had to bash one of the gargoyles' out of the air, cracking it with more power than he would've expected, and sending it careening into another- and then another after ********> he breathed softly, a little stunned despite the commotion still clamoring around him. "You- That was you? You caused that?"
