Pyrophanite was tired of being the bottom of the barrel bottom feeder. Between his a** being kicked by Zircon, anyone of Order and kids off the street, he was feeling very inadequate. Weak. Useless. He hated his bus, and he hated his stupid rank.
It's why when he had looked up the coliseum, a training regimen offered by some dude named Titansomething or other whatever. Something cool that he was not. b*****d.
At least, that's what the facade was. What he was really after was the entrance into the youma infested rift. It was there that most of the captains and generals claimed one of the creatures for their own. And within the rift, the most powerful of the youma's sulked around, looking for a way out.
He had read all the warnings, of who not to take in, of who to take and ******** to that, he thought. He was going in now, and he was taking the only person that he trusted and had his back. Haüyne was given the rundown, the whole idea of it. He didn't want to tell her that Senshi were generally unwelcome, because...well...
"So. We should do this right?" He stared at her, as a captain stood off to the side. Their entrance into Titan's training.
Ivynian
SO IT BEGINS
Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 7:35 pm
"You checked the specs and all - this is how we can get down in there, all the manuals just say ' don't pull a dumb and try to get a youma alone as a lieutenant' and you're not alone cause I'm along, and you've been wanting s'more kick in your soldiery step....it all checks out. It's not like there's a sign up roster for this brick with a stick, so he'll never know we're gone. Can't offend him that way, right? And deuce-bro that brought us down doesn't get in trouble for any regulations either because he's none the wiser we didn't walk through the arches in to the Colosseum. We're in the clear. We got this, you an me. And we'll find you whatever sidekick you think you like- punch it into submission, curtains on the act and we're good to wait at the gate to outzville. " Haüyne grinned, speaking quietly and softly only for the lieutenant's ears, and gave Pyro an enthusiastic thumbs up. "You get kudos for having ingenuity, I'm not bored, win-win. You'll be a captain in no time. "
The corrupted gave a wide grin at the waiting captain. "Gotta minute? We have a MIGHTY NEED."
Pyro liked Haüyne's pep talk. They had a good shoulder on their head. He'd never doubt that they'd be up to it, but it was always that question teenagers make like 'this is dumb but should I still do it?' and the answer is always, 'yes, let's do dumb things. but we do it smart.' Which is why he worked hard on his plan.
"Yeah, Yeah. It's a good plan. Just gotta be natural." He shook out his hands and then followed after Haüyne, looking the captain up and down. The captain returned the favor of the two before shrugging.
"I don't got time to babysit you two, so I'm dropping you off and then you're Titan's problem." he waved a hand and started to lead them away. The walk was PAINFULLY quiet from the Captain. Pyro was listening and chattering to Haüyne while they did and before long the landscape changed. Shifted. Gone were long dark corridors lit by crystals. It was replaced by even dimmer hallways. Pyro almost thought of pulling out his phone to use as light when it brightened. And not in the good way.
"Hall of Shadows." The Captain said as he looked at the actual shadows that pawed at something, Pyro couldn't tell if it was glass or just his imagination. The shadows were hella creepy though and he moved a little closer to Haüyne.
"s**t's creepy as ********." He whispered to them. "What the s**t would they need this kind of hallway for?"
Ivynian
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 2:54 am
"I think my brief was something about they're super oldies youma and all weirder and worse than the garden variety yelpers and creepers in the parts near the castle? And a whole lot of 'don't go deeper, this ain't Inception'. Like these are the deep all dredged up and tanked to guard dog the staircase. " Haüyne reached over and grabbed for Pyro's hand. It had been pretty clear in the briefing that a captain at the very least was absolutely necessary to pass the hall and not get pulled in by the things with claw hands, uncanny-valley people parts and glow eyes. What the difference the things saw between an agent and a senshi hadn't really been made clear. It's all a bunch of dog muck- I mean...its real enough and all. Lookit 'em all pawin' the barrier like they're beggin' for bacon. But I serve Metallia every bit as much as Pyo here. They can kiss my can. I'm the one out there in the city doing the work while they moan around like patient 0 here in nowheresville.
"Buncha zombies more than youma, if you look at them. Not a thought between those ears. If they have any. It's hard to say. Or like ...clothes. Not gonna go close to check it, man. "
It got worse as the hall became a stair, so they had to navigate the curving walls, sticking to the middle still to minimize risk, while also navigating uneven stoneways that lumped down upon down. When it opened out into the Rift proper, stale and star-stone sky with weird smelling 'water' and the looming lower fortress, the corrupted super still took a long, relieved breath. "There has got to be something to improve that whole shindig. But hey. Onwards and forwards right? Let's get dropped off and all~"
"Don't go deeper, inception s**t? Levels." He shook his head, "We just need one big bad old youma, not one of..." He hushed as the captain looked back at them, as if to make sure they were still there before scoffing and continuing on. If he seemed bothered by the hallway, he held it well within himself.
"Yeah, Not gonna get close." He coughed, "I'm not about zombies. Dumb creatures." He flipped off the moaning creatures as they moved on.
The hallway got smaller and soon Pyro was trailing behind Haüyne in a way that suggested a single line, while admiring that his friend kept their cool.
"Almost there kiddo's." The captain nodded and Pyro shook his head.
"This place is dank. Dank as in terrible, not dank as good."
Ivynian
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 4:02 pm
The feel of so many thousands of Youma was new. It was like suddenly standing in a breaker zone on the beach without ever remember walking out into the water. The ruined city, sprawling, was interesting, fun, but ultimately held the same sort of profile as any other conglomeration where beings had dwelt for years on years- there were walls, rooves, window like structures and old doors. It was a ruin that was gnawed on with alien purposes, and by denizens that had ceased to entirely follow the needs of the bipedal, the agriculture, or a centralized society system. But it was still a city.
“How many agents are down here, you think, at any one time? Doing whatever work and stuff? “ It was idle chatter, important for keeping up the pretense of casual interest in the surrounding compared to the supposed final training destination, but it was ultimately meaningless. The surroundings left an impression, like train platforms and riding the bus, where the social feel of the crowd and place told that excessive conversation, eye contact, and fraternization weren’t welcome. Can’t lose this captain fast enough so we can get on with it. Move, dudefella. We ain’t got ten years.
"There's the place." The captain pointed, as if reading Haüyne's mind and his finger directed down a path that would lead to a giant coliseum. The agonizing cries and low murmurs of youma seem to waft from different directions. "I'm leaving, so follow the path down. Got s**t to do, look for the big hulk of a blonde, he's the one that'll...do whatever." The captain tucked his pockets in and then saluted. He headed back the way they had just came, and Pyro waited until the captain was out of sight (funny, the dude didn't even bother to look back to make sure they were still going).
"One less now." He looked around, waiting just a few moments. "Alright, Coast is clear, I got a map or whatever down into the rift. We can just..head this way instead." Pyro turned down a different path, pulling Haüyne into the darker depths of the riftspace. Ruins littered everywhere, and what crawled over them, made Pyro's skin crawl as well.
"I want something strong." Pyro nodded, "Big. Big means stronger right?" He looked around. "OH OH. THAT ONE!!!" In the middle of a large ruins was a large coiled object, the slow hum of hissing and sickening sound of crunching. The creature, a Large snake over 20 feet long and as wide as Pyro from shoulder to shoulder. It's jaw was unhinged as it mounted another youma. Its attention seemed almost solely on its food before the head rose up and the jaw clicked back into place.
"What's this?" The slide of s's came with a flick of tongue as the snake looked over, focusing on Haüyne. "A senshi in our domain." The sound of it uncurling and the drop of a corpse on the ground made Pyro's eyes narrow.
"And a Lieutenant. Me. I'm going to make myself your master." He summoned...his bus weapon and tried to grin. Bravado. "Come here snakey, snake."
Ivynian
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 12:47 am
Ha haaaa yeah, peace out, dudefella, and screw captain hulk wherever. Got BIZNAZ to do. The corrupted hopped into a springy step beside Pyro’s lead along the paths away. “What, just like ‘big’ size wise? I mean, yeah, sure, probably. I guess it depends on what you’re going for. Isn’t it smaller scorpions that are more dangerous with venom? But a grizzly is a lot stronger a doofy little black bear. I guess it’s like...do you want bears or scorpions? “
At Bus’ excitement, pointing and declaration, Haüyne couldn’t help but startle, and look as directed. The thing was pretty damn massive. Anaconda massive, which was a creep factor all its own since it was all cannibalizing its own youma pal there in a way that the corrupted senshi wasn’t aware that the beasts did. Sure, they were different shapes and sizes, but it didn’t necessarily follow that they then ate each other.
But that’s what it was doing. Right there. Yup.
And the creepo spoke. “‘Our’ my blue butt, bucko. This ‘domain’ belongs to Metallia, just like all of you Youma, just like all the officers and just like me. Now, respect his authoritay. “
Wants a snake? Okie...how we gonna play that out when it's all looking at me and not you, Bus?
Haüyne crouched, trying to be ready to spring in case it got big ideas of being a cobra and striking- only not so sure how fast it was going to be. It's lunch was already a floppy thing abandoned, not something they'd gotten the opportunity to watch it take down. Natural, regular, animal snake species without magic all pumping them up arnold-style were already faster in a strike than most humans in some cases. SO...is it faster than me...like...a General's youma could be. A Sovereigns Youma could be...like they said there's crazy kinds of youma down here that could eat generals. Poop, Bus, this isn't that kind, is it?
The snake hissed again, the slide of its tongue the only sound besides the rustle of their clothing, and movements. Then it laughed. LAUGHED at Pyro, bring it's tail to wrap around the boy's ankle and fling him away. He landed with a crack against ruin wall, it crumbling with the sudden pressure. <********." Pyro mumbled out.
"A senshi in our domain, you are not of metallia." It hissed, uncoiling and moving it's way to surrounding Haüyne's body with its own larger one. "We do not, bow to your kind. You are not allowed here." As it spoke, Pyro slowly lifted himself from the ground and tried again, his voice lifting higher.
"Oi, Jafar, we don't have time for your games." Pyro didn't gather the attention from the snake at all, and he squinted. It left him, he thought, ample opportunity to find a weak spot. His gaze went to Haüyne and then away. If the snake wanted to play with her for now, that was fine. He'd just find another way.
"Come, I will devour you, and take your power." The youma rose and kept rising, the puff around its chin passing the top of Haüyne's head, then it swayed back and forth baring it's fangs and taking the first dive at her, barely missing.
Ivynian
Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 5:58 pm
"BUS!" Instinct was to cross to him, but there was no real time as the youma was creating a ring out of itself for it's own cage-style grudge match. He'll get up. He'll be okay, just a woozy. It's all eyein' me up so ...so he can-
Then Haüyne was diving out of the way of a strike. The air rushed past- too close for easy comfort. "I sure don't see any other queens about, Trouser. "
With how big it is, it'd be really hard to miss. May as well keep pissing it off something mighty. Maybe Bus can brain it from behind. He can jump that high, right? " By the Axe! " The Corrupted the first two nails of both hands along the uniform daggers of the opposite wrists, drawing out in a blink an executioner's axe of magical blood. Then hucked it at the Youma's fat tube of a middle.
Duration. Instantaneous (like magic missle) Effect Summary. The axe makes moderate wounds where it cuts. It is corporeal enough to actually remove someone else's body part- severe damage is only allowable by other player's consent and preference. Otherwise it just inflicts deep lacerations. Weaknesses. An executioner's axe is a very specialized sort of axe- heavy and not suited for combat. They were meant to strike an immobilized prisoner- weight, angle of the blade, and sharpness were all factors specifically designed to make limb removal fast....not for attacking mobile and very aggressive prey. It has awkward projectile physics that will take a lot of aiming practice. An enemy that blocks it with their weapon dispels it. Frequency of Usage. Once a battle
Pyro was stiff and sore already and he had been here for less then five minutes. He wanted to cower and run, or find something weaker but then...wouldn't that just prove the point? He was weak and he could only have weak things. He wanted THIS youma, because it was strong. Because it was powerful.
Because when Hauyne's axe grazed into the body, it didn't take a chunk out of the snake, but left a deep cut. It reared its head in pain, a stream of slurred words and the snake started wrapping itself tighter. How could Pyro...How could he deny that such a beast was strong? And it made him want it more.
"Do you think you can best me, Mamushi of the old ones? The viper of Metallia?" The snake cackled at her attempts. The scales were hard, the blood of youma was....not normal and didn't even act like blood. It seeped slowly, clotted slowly.
It made him forget that his friend, his one and really only true friend was in the middle of it's attack, that Haüyne was in danger. It was like Pyro forgot all about them, and was so focused on the snake. He went to the wound and dug his bus in, the snake howling with pain.
It happened so fast, he thought. He was had been pushed aside in the youma's attempt to writhe the toy free. Its body thrashed and the toy bus clattered to the side.
It continued to ignore him though, threatened by the magic of senshi, harmed much worse by it and fouled by the very presence of her, Mamushi fell back again, this timehe wrapped his tail around Haüyne to limit her movement. Its head rose again, swaying back and forth. A death strike from a viper.
It was meant to be the end.
Ivynian
O V O
SOON
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 10:57 pm
An image came to Haüyne's mind, unhelpfully, how it might have been better if this Great Mamushi were even BIGGER— then the corrupted could wiggle backwards out of the coils in a 1950s, cartoon slapstick. The overgrown snake would bite his own coils, bunch up and make a face. Wasn't that a cartoon somewhere? It had been a pink snake. Pink and purple. Since this wasn't a cartoon, it wasn't a very helpful line of thought. Come on, Bus. That bus is useless. Your hands man. Pull the wound in half, don't lodge a toy in it.
Coiled, Haüyne's own options were limited. My magic's out. One shot wonder and not a whole lotta blood. Overdid it a bit, maybe. Ballsballsballs. Not exactly a constrictor here.
"LASDHAKJSHFLWHLKSJDHFSA!!!" A little hopeless, the corrupted but the nearest coil of scales as hard as a super strength would allow, making as loud a garbled-not-really-words as possible to try to urge ? plead? something- Bus to some more useful action. Like leap kick it's face or something. It was gonna strike.
Pyro was thinking of bleak things. Why did he bother coming down here? Why did he think he could achieve anything in here? He was just some lowly nega lieutenant who didn't do anything. He couldn't even stop a snake from eating his friend.
Wait, he could try to stop a snake from eating his friend. Haüyne didn't deserve this for being here. he almost forgot about her...almost...but didn't really. he pushed himself up, and moved as fast as his body would allow him. At the same moment, Mamushi went in for the kill, its head diving to engulf the senshi in its fangs and jaw.
The loud sickening crunch, was followed by a vile smell of venom and rust. The constriction around Haüyne vanished immediately after, the snake's body just poofing out of existence like it was never there.
On the ground in front of her, was Pyro, holding his hands over one of two large gaping holes in his side. Blood mixed with a dangerously bright purple liquid that was slowly...ever so slowly seeping out. The young man was pale and unmoving but the slight raise in his chest.
Ivynian
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 5:19 pm
Haüyne was already opening mouth, even as the scales blinked out. Wide blue eyes took in the tightening slip of jaw muscles and pumping fangs around a body and uniform which they should have never contacted. "PYRO!"
The moment boots hit ground, the corrupted scrambled over to him, dropping to knees in a short slide. Balls we gotta get that venom out and you outta here. Balls. We can't get back through that creepy hallway. Balls. What if that s**t is numbing or acidic- I can't just start sucking it out and still hope to call for help. Help first. What the hell is first aid for youma venom. Where did it go? It poufed like a balloon. It didn't poof after eating that other sad sot when we first saw it.
"Hey AnYONE OUT THEREGET HEREAND HELPUSSS!" Whether it was the few years of stage experience, the hard acoustics of crystal and stone, pure adrenaline, or some mix, the sheer volume and echo was like something that should shatter storm doors. A glove was torn off, wadded and pressed at the still uncovered puncture to try to sop up the venom and stop the bleed. "Pyro, stay with me. You're still breathing- you're still in there. You can here me. Stay with me. We'll get out of this, you just gotta stay with me. "
"COME ON, " chin turned up and shrieked it to the dappled sky-ceiling, "PLEASE!"
At the Colosseum, it wasn't hard to make out a very 'human' voice. There were youma that could talk, reason, and scream if they wanted, but usually there was very much no need or wisdom to doing so and risking the attention of many, many others. Captain Titan heard, held his hand up to command a pause with a feral he'd been training with. After a round already, the thing understood to heed the command out of self-preservation. The captain turned on his heel and went out from the structure. There were more calls, frantic. He followed where it got louder, turned back where it was just echoes- it wasn't very far.
There they were. A corrupted and a Lieutenant, and some youma starting to creep along, circle in. Titan swung his hammer from it's resting on his shoulder down onto the stone ground. It buried and cracked into the path, startling all the Youma and the corrupted alike into stillness. But it was an effective warning for now. "You shouldn't be here without a captain. "
"LATER. He's wounded! Get us out of here. "
"Lift him carefully. Keep his heart above the wound. Like a bride. I'll protect you." It meant not putting his hammer away.
Blood slowly started to clot and form in the wounds, either because of the poison from the snake, or from the healing buff that negaverse experienced. Not a crazy amount of healing, but just enough that the wound stopped seeping so much out. He was breathing, faint shallow breaths.
"o....i...." Was all he managed to get out. He couldn't hear anything, but the rush of something. Like the loud sound of waterfalls, blood pumping. Was that it, his blood was pumping a lot. It was hot, so very hot, he felt like he was melting.
A scream escaped at the hammers strike on the ground, it resounded so painfully against him. Then he was quiet.
So very quiet.
Ivynian
You can whisk him away into the rift sunset! WHEEEE
