Palatine felt herself being lifted off of the ground a bit, but it didn't last long because the youma's stinger broke off (success!). She quickly released her hold on the tail to land safely on her feet, backing up to put a little distance between herself and the thrashing youma as she attempted to figure out what to do next.
The stinger was gone (still causing trouble, but she was pretty sure it could easily be squashed), and the exoskeleton was cracked. She'd be surprised if this thing had much life left. It put up one hell of a fight, but with this many people attacking it, it wouldn't be able to defend itself completely.
Palatine looked around for something she could potentially use as a weapon. There were some shards of crystal lying around, but she was wary about what the crystals might do if she touched them, so she decided not to try that. She did see another Squire (Falias) near a pile of bones, though, and she decided he had the right idea. She momentarily left the youma to go over to him.
“There's a crack in its exoskeleton,” she announced. “Maybe try to wedge a bone into the crack? If we can't hack its legs off we can try to rip apart the body.”
With somewhat of a disgusted expression, Palatine looked through the pile of bones until she found something useful. The bone she grabbed was probably a femur, but it was a bit cracked and broken and there was a bit of a sharp edge. It could maybe manage a stab or two.
“This'll work,” she said.
Palatine made her way back to the youma. There was a barrier of beads around it now, which seemed to stop it from doing any damage to anyone outside the barrier. She smashed just enough of the beads to be able to fit her body through the barrier without giving the youma an opening to escape.
She approached the youma and stabbed it with the broken femur, hoping to create another crack in its exoskeleton.
“Varuna!” she called to her niece. “More snow!”
The more they could trap it, unbalance it, and stop it from moving, the easier it would be to hack away at it.
Guine
litian
Beckoning Chaos
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:33 pm
Dallol, Squire of Uranus
Fortunately for Corinth, Dallol managed to keep up just fine beside him despite the increased pace and all. She really wasn't keen on the idea of sticking around on the stairs any longer should the rumbling begin again. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs and saw the giant scorpion youma that the others were grappling with, she turned to look at Corinth.
Ok... now what? Of course they were going to help. She wasn't so unreasonable to stop Corinth from what he was about to do since having an angry giant scorpion youma in the same room as all of them couldn't be good for their health.
Calling her weapon to her hand, she ran along the left side of the youma that was trapped within the ring of beads for now, studying it for any possible weakness before swinging the arabic coffee pot that was her weapon at one of its legs. If they could immobilise it enough through their combined efforts, it was only a matter of time before the creature was vanquished eventually.
Torvil
Beckoning Chaos
baby_gwing
Fanatical Raider
Offline
Kyuseisha no Hikari
Crew
Dragonslaying Dragon
Online
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:52 pm
Newgrange, Squire of Earth
Newgrange found himself immediately cringing when the scalpels flew forward; he scrunched his eyes only enough that he could still see, but still had some modicum of preparation in case a scalpel randomly happened to fly in his direction.
Thankfully, he didn't even have to dodge—not that he'd have been able to. The closest scalpel sailed past him, missing by at least an inch.
But he didn't have much time to be happy about that when rocks were falling from the ceiling and it felt like the whole room could come crumbling down.
He didn't like the idea of using his magic, not when it seemed like the floor was caving in. It was a last ditch effort, and they had at least a few other options.
He hoped.
"You'll be fine, Paris," he assured; he sounded confident, but the truth was the he was just stubborn. "We're not going to die here, and we're not going to be buried alive. Don't let yourself get worked up."
He reached out like he was going to clap the male on the back, but hesitated; he didn't want to spook the guy. Instead, he stooped to tug at some of the rocks blocking the door. "Scalpels were a good try, Altair," he said, even though they hadn't don’t more than get his heart racing a little more. "Let's get these rocks out of the way. I'm sure if we can get something moving over here, we'll be able to get out of this room and back to the surface," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "Safe, and in one peace."
The truth was, he didn't know if it would work. But it was easier to move a few rocks and think it was helping than think about the alternative.
shyanimegrl
iStoleYurVamps
Beckoning Chaos
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 7:17 pm
Scholomance, Squire of Saturn
Scholomance kept to the wall, aware of footsteps behind him, and he glanced back fleetingly to glimpse the tagalong. The apparent centipede senshi, who he hailed before, chose to follow him now. He found no reason to mind; the more searching eyes and hands he had meant a higher chance of finding something, if there was something to find. "Unless the others simply fell into a hole and died, there have to be other chambers here. It's too dark to spot one right off, so see if you can't find a hidden passage of some sort. I imagine the others will keep fi- s**t!"
The squire did not initially spot the severed stinger hurdling in their direction, so its sudden appearance in his periphery led him to jump and hastily retreat from its presence. The stinger cut across the pant leg of his uniform where venom ate through the cloth effortlessly. Even his boot stood little chance against it; the mordant fluid ate through all it could before the remainder started on his skin. Scholomance kicked at the stinger to send it away from the pair shortly before the crippling pain of melting flesh halted his movements. Then, he hissed terribly as his lips drew away from teeth in a grimace. Kneeling, he cursed aloud. Hastily he tore at the remainder of his pant leg for material to soak the venom, or to wrap the wound - whichever prevented more damage.
Pained eyes snapped up toward Centisima, his newly-gained follower. "Do something!" Inwardly he hoped he knew a senshi with restorative magic or was one himself, even if his outfit spoke more of centipedes than any viable healing sphere.
The rest of the group looked far too preoccupied with the youma; he imagined, then, that he would need to proceed crippled for the duration of their short time down here.
Ruriska
i don't mind at all!
Strickenized
Garbage Cat
Offline
a-disgruntled-dragon
Offline
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:51 pm
Andronicus Squire of Uranus Puppetting Themiscrya w/permission
Hah! So it could be broken! Awesome. Andronicus ran around the scorpion to Themiscyra and grinned at her.
"I have an idea, and you're not going to like it," she said, waggling her eyebrows. She explained her idea - receiving a wonderful look in response. There was a great chance this would fail, but no sense in not trying it, yeh?
Yeah.
Themiscyra snapped out her chain, in an attempt to catch it around one of the scorpion's legs. She tugged once it latched on, and Andronicus jumped, slamming her mace down on one of the vulnerable joints in an attempt to break it.
Kaefaux
Keeping ya updated
Beckoning Chaos
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 5:08 am
Sailor Altair
The scalpels did backfire and with that realization, Altair took in a sharp breath in alarm and held it as she threw her hands up to catch and wrap over her head when she ducked back onto the floor by taking on a form as close to a shape of a ball with her body as she could to shield herself from the projectiles she had fired being reflected to head in reverse. She whimpered as she fought back anymore tears and when she heard and saw Newgrange and Paris as they were moving in endeavoring to clear a way out, she was thankful that her attack seemed not to have injured them.
"M-me, too," Altair responded with a sniffle stifling the lump in her throat from morphing into sobs, "I-I really hope everyone one of us makes it back to the portal and home alive, P-Paris, N-Newgrange."
She, too, did not seem to be injured in light of her not having registered any additional pain now. However, she felt weighed down with fear as she moved in a crouch to help the attempts to move away obstacles in their path towards freedom from their perilous confines. With her body feeling like tons of lead not wanting to budge, she took a seated position at one yet unoccupied and tiny corner of the pile to start off pulling at the stones there while hoping for the heaviness and terror that seemed to have heaped on her in the latest moments past to subside. And gradually as second after second went on, she breath a prayer of thankfulness in her mind that she felt she was slowly regaining more of her senses and strength.
And then in next transitioning to shift from her seated position, she went back to a crouching form on her feet as she helped pull at stones in hopes of removing loose ones and contributing to the aim of opening up a clearing in the rock pile for them to escape through.
The page quickly tried to cover herself from the spray of venom by holding her arms up before her face and running off to the side. Unfortunately, spritzes of it landed on the sleeves of her uniform, and she grit her teeth through the pain. She feared the youma would chase her down, but thanks to the hold of the beads, it seemed to be stalled in place. For now, anyway. She amended whoever's magic was used to keep it stationary.
When she noticed someone attack the scorpion with what looked to be a... bone? Slievenamon guided her eyes to where the other had ran from and hurriedly over there as well. Randomly, she stuck her hand into the heaps of cloth and bone and withdrew whatever blunt bone would serve as a good weapon. Then, with whatever she had, she attempt to club at the legs of the youma.
Beckoning Chaos
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 10:00 am
Havasu Falls, Squire of Pluto
Havasu was yanked to his feet by the same senshi he pushed out of the way (Varuna). "Dismiss..." Hav had forgotten that he could do that since he rarely ever actually had to, he promptly dismissed the rope that was still tied to the youma while Varuna pulled him behind her as she yanked another senshi out of the way (Centisima).
His luck however ran out when, right as Varuna was suggesting they go after the tail, one of the scorpion's claws side swiped him sending him flying into the crystal layden wall, face first. He clipped a large crystal with his right shoulder, dislocating it before coming to a rather painful stop against a bare patch in the wall. Hav's pain laden scream was muffled by the stone as his legs collapsed under him. He was able to flip himself around, and was now facing the fight, his arm tucked up against his body as he tried not to whimper in pain.
This was the third time this had happened. Not only would his doctor kill him but Phact would do a better job at it. Hav absently swiped the back of his left hand against his forehead and realized he was bleeding. He must have cut his head when he practically kissed the wall, his hat was lost somewhere in the mess of the fight.
Guine
Sorry... last few days sucked for RL
Ruriska
Proximity
Beckoning Chaos
The youma is free of his rope, not that it was hindering it much. He likely won't be able to fight well anymore ^.^'
Fiction1119
Original Lunatic
Offline
Beckoning Chaos Crew
Offline
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 2:21 pm
Hit after hit, strike after strike against the protective shell were beginning to pay off. Cracks were continuing to appear in the exoskeleton of the Scorpion giving way to the softer flesh underneath. Small ones at first, thanks to the sharp point of the femur Palatine used. But as weak points began to form, those small cracks began to spread. With the added force from Andronicus and Themiscrya’s combined attack on a leg, it looked as if something was about to finally break…
With a cry of its own to match the pain both Scholomance and Slievenamon would feel from the acid eating away at their flesh, the youma struggled to free itself. It wanted to lash out, to smash another of the intruders against the wall and leave them holding on in pain like it had already done to Havasu. But all it could do now was remain in place, calling out and striking those who came in range trying for its legs.
The successful smash of three hits by Corinth, Dallol, and Slievenamon threw one of its legs back causing the youma to shift and fall hard into the side and thus into the bead shield around it! The bone Slievenamon was holding though was of no more use. It had broken upon contact sending the piece flying backwards towards anyone who was there.
With the loss of a leg dropping the creature off balance and sending it smashing hard into the ground, it appeared it would be easier prey. But this time, it didn’t get back up.
The moment the weight from the oversized Scorpion made contact with the already weakened stones from its quick, heavy steps, the sound of a CRACK ripped through the room. One moment all was still and the next…
The floor began to disappear from under the Scorpion.
Small at first but quickly taking every stone with it as the radius spread out. Grabbing at whatever it could, the creature tried to pull itself back up the falling stones but it was no use as the darkness swallowed it whole.
But the abyss would not be satisfied with only one victim.
Stone after stone continued to fall, expanding outward towards the walls and the places the visitors to the Academy huddled. With only one way out, the way they came in, it was time to move before the darkness claimed not only them but their exist!
And the Code Piece that lay exposed before them still on the opposite side of the room…
--- Hands grabbing at the rocks had been the safest bet. Each small that was grabbed by either Altair or Newgrange opened up a bigger and bigger hole at the top of the old door frame. The Boulder was moving free!
But just as they grabbed another few, the room began to shake.
All at once, the boulder rolled free…well…more dropped free into a hole that appeared below it. Looking across the only about 3ft hole were the stairs that people could be heard making a break for.
It was time to move or be forever swallowed up!
Quote:
The lower levels of Academy are giving out! It’s time to make a break for the surface and move quickly!
However, there is still one thing left of importance down there: The Code. All players who have participated in this ORP are welcome roll 1 100 Sided Dice within the next 24hours from this time stamp to determine Treasure Grab and Ease of Escape!
Players are also welcome to forgo the roll and just run like hell up the stairs!
Sunshine Alouette
Palatine
Guine
Super Varuna
serpentsong
Nirvana
Shanyume
Sailor Sidouer & Sailor Alcor & Sailor Eleonora
Unoderi
Slievenamon
a-disgruntled-dragon
Andronicus
shyanimegrl
Sailor Altair
Strickenized
Scholomance
Ryuthulhu
Kairatos
Stump_Fairy
Ananke
Fiction1119
Havasu Falls
Kyuseisha no Hikari
Newgrange
litian
Sailor Athene & Guardian Liryn & Falias
LP
Niflhel & Guardian Snowball
Ruriska
Sailor Centisima
baby_gwing
Dallol
Torvil
Corinth
Stump_Fairy
Sailor Ananke
shyanimegrl
Sailor Altair
MoonKitsune
Arthur
iStoleYurVamps
Paris
Kaefaux
Themiscyra
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 2:43 pm
A three foot hole looked so much smaller when it wasn't appearing almost before your feet. Newgrange had a lump in his throat as he watched the rocks tumble below.
That was a hole he didn't think they'd be walking out of.
"Go," he urged, planting his feet and standing firmly. He gestured for Altair and Paris. "Get a running start if you need to, but you can make this, easy. There won't be any falling down holes, no being buried alive. We just have to get over those stairs and back with the group."
Three feet was nothing—as long as messing up didn't result in falling into a hole you knew you weren't going to crawl out of.
He remained where he stood; he wasn't going until they were both safely across, just in case something happened. He seemed patient, and tried not to let any anxiety show; his heart was pounding in his chest but his expression was impressively deceptive. He even managed a little smile.
"Hell yes! .... Oshit move move moveeeee!" One second the scorpion was down, then the next the scorpion was down and the floor started to cave in. She glanced up at the stairs and took a halfstep in that direction before she remembered something incredibly important.
The Code.
"s**t s**t s**t, I'll meet you up there Themi, go!" she said, pushing the Martian to the stairs. Wind tugged at her clothing again. Time to do something really stupid.
Andronicus took off at a sprint, launching herself over the hole to where the Code was.
Having brought some damage to the youma was short-lived when not just the scorpion itself, but the very floor seemed to give out beneath it. Slievenamon internally cursed as the natural signal for her to flee and the calling of The Code pulled her in opposing directions. Unfortunately, the desire within her wanting answers—something she would've given up great things to know—did not win this time. Seeing the morning again was more important.
Before she left, the page quickly dashed over, collected her shell flute, and then got the hell out of there. She ran in the direction of the exit with what little strength remained in her legs. However, this was with an extremely heavy heart and it betrayed the usually collected look on her face. I feel like I am losing the greatest opportunity I had, she thought against the crumble of rock underfoot. What a waste.
While Corinth didn't know what the thing across the room was per say - he knew it was important. Looking to Dallol, he frowned. They had little options and time was running out. Still, he turned, gave her a quick kiss, and then mad a mad dash around the outside of the room, trying to get to the code piece.
It was a risk, but it seemed too important to leave behind. Not if that big damn scorpion was guarding it.
He was this damn close to the Code, this damn close to having proof that his argument with Babylon about the code wasn't just him jumping at shadows... he wasn't going to give up on this without a fight... apparently even if it goddamn killed him.
Even if agents of chaos would have a harder time reaching the damn thing, he didn't want harder, he wanted it -out of their hands entirely-, he just...
he had to take a chance. He'd prided himself on speed once. He hoped some fraction of it hadn't abandoned him as he tried to reach the code
Beckoning Chaos
He'll take what he can get but he like Corinth is shooting for the gold
The scorpion was gone, but the floor beneath it and around them began to give way. Palatine backed up as far as she could from the widening hole in the ground. She had absolutely no desire to fall down there. Quickly, she glanced around to make sure Varuna was safe.
“We have to leave,” Palatine said.
She wanted to turn and make her way back up the stairs, but she found herself drawn to the Code piece on the other side of the room. A part of her wanted to leave it there. What did it matter if it remained? Was taking it with them even necessary? How were they supposed to fight their way out of Negaspace if they had this thing to worry about?
But it seemed important. It was a piece of the Code, and it shouldn't be left to Chaos.
“Damn it all to hell.”
Palatine quickly ran across the room, avoiding the crumbling hole in the floor, doing her best to join some of the others and reach the Code piece before the entire expanse of the ground beneath them gave way.
