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 Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2020 3:20 pm
Quote: Confronting the Creature (1) : Everything about this place tells you that you should not be out at night. The forest turns wicked, a horrible fog rolls in, and a monstrous creature stirs. But you, for whatever reason, decided to be out late. Perhaps you thought you could hunt the creature, or solve some mystery, or perhaps you were simply unlucky. Either way, the creature has found you. This must be a battle, and you must quote the shop mule, Beckoning Chaos, if you wish to pursue this plot. You will need to send a PM to this mule to declare if you intend to escape or be captured, and any special requests or information you need to share! A moderator or GM will be assigned to RP the creature in this roleplay. You may manage to escape into a building if you are close enough into town, however if you manage to do this you will spend the rest of the evening with the creature tormenting you, banging on the house and trying to break in; you will suffer horrible hallucinations and be plagued with paranoia and fear until morning. If you do not manage to seek shelter, or if you would like the creature to break into your shelter, the creature will defeat you in battle and you will pass out. You cannot defeat the monster, but you may learn something about it in battle. If you lose, you will be taken to a cellar with other prisoners and held outside of the city. Please see the below prompt for more information!
It would have been of no use to have everyone outside, with the fog the way it was and the inherent risk that came with it, it stood to reason that the potential for all of them to become disabled by it was simply too high. At least this way, if they all remained indoors and safe then it would only be himself who met a grim fate as opposed to all of them. They were all sensible enough not to do something stupid, some of them had even demonstrated they were quite capable... but this didn't mean he'd heard some protests on the way out.
Obviously they had been summarily dismissed.
No sooner had he closed the door behind him than he had launched himself forward at a sprint towards the forest and breached its depths. Several minutes turned in to many in his search for the wayward soul and by the time he had found her darkness really was upon them and they were very much out at a time when it was not advisable. Suffice to say that the last time this had happened he had become a bit of a mess and he wasn't quite sure what would happen in the moments that the fog swept up his nose.
For now though, relief had flooded into his expression as he found the Dark Mirror senshi who had turned round with a furrowed brow. Her features implied she was rather confused by the sudden interruption, hands filled with little talismans that she had seem to have gotten carried away with. She'd been collecting quite a few of them and after a moment it would dawn on Athalia that there was a reason he had found small piles of them every so often as he'd passed through.
"You told us this would help so I thought I might give it a try...?" she replied. She still hadn't taken her immediate surroundings into consideration and at this point, hadn't quite realised that she was out long passed the time that she should have been. Interestingly, she hadn't even come to realise that the tell tale mist was coiling through the tree trunks within the forest and that even here that would be no shelter to be had.
"What -" he shook his head, held up a hand and sighed.
Now was not the time for fury, what she said was right and he had indicated it seemed to do something, to dissuade her wouldn't serve any purpose.
"It seems to, but I would prefer you weren't doing it after dark," he growled as he thumbed behind him.
In those moments Shaowei's gaze drifted passed him and she leant to the side to regard what lay beyond his broad shoulders. What light had once broken through the canopy with each talisman she had tugged from the trees was now gone, replaced with a seemingly endless night. Worse still, she finally noticed the wispy tendrils that had caused her so much distress on previous evenings and to return home would require them to walk through it.
"Oh god," she uttered softly and returned her gaze to the Senshi. All things considered his expression was a patient one, though his jaw did remain tight. He wasn't immune to any of this either and now she understood why he had been so sharp on his arrival. "We need to go," she muttered as she took a breath and moved passed him.
"Good plan," he agreed as he turned round and stepped in beside her.
"There's a little cabin nearby, it's intact so we can probably use it," she added as she moved forward. She sounded sure of herself for now but once that fog hit there were no guarantees that she would quite so reliable or coherent...
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2020 5:42 pm
It seemed to take only seconds for the waves of fog to roll in, dense and curling around everything it encountered. It travelled in a wall, swallowing up everything around it. Like a wave, crashing down, in the blink of an eye it billowed between the two and their destination. The white haze was too thick to see through--too thick to breathe, nearly. It was wet, and the moisture tasted stagnant and earthy. There was no smell, only a chill that froze the skin and travelled into the blood, into the lungs. With it, the hallucinations. The paranoia. A black silhouette seemed to teeter just in the distance behind them, and a thousand eyes burrowed into their backs. The figure was dark, but even then the fog seemed to wash over it, too. Something was watching them. Something was hunting them.
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 6:38 pm
It had always been impossible to outrun the fog but when it came to the machinations of these worlds, this really shouldn't have come as a surprise. There was always something to remind them that they were just toys, play things in a sadistic little game that some higher power always seemed to find so entertaining. Regardless of how unsurprising these things could be though, the magic and the feelings that came with them could never be avoided.
...Or at least Athalia had yet to find any real way to mitigate anything that had been thrown at him in these pocket worlds of insanity. Whatever they might have been, whoever created them, it was all irrelevant as in in the grand scheme of things, it always ended the same way.
"Run." He ordered as he grabbed hold of the Dark Mirror Senshi's shoulder and threw her forward.
He knew the sickening sensations that were creeping deep into his head, tendrils coiling around his mind to strangle any rational thought, and before long he would be as coherent and about as useless as a toddler. He wasn't invulnerable or immune to this and with no real way to fend it off, he stood no chance of winning against whatever that was.
Just another part of the same story.
Always the same damn story.
"Right," Shaowei didn't argue as she made one of the more impressive choices and pulled off her own shoes. Suffice to say she knew she couldn't run in these things and she knew that right now she needed to sprint, not dawdle. With both shoes in one hand she shot forward and began to make her way in the direction she thought she needed to go.
She was driven by gut instinct of course, the manner in which this forest worked meant that nothing was ever a guarantee and for all she knew, she may find herself in an entirely different play than she had intended. Nevertheless she had to at least try to reach where she needed to go, to find the shelter they so desperately needed and in turn, keep whatever demon had found them from dragging them to hell.
She could do nothing more in those moments than do as she was told, reassured only by the clattering of the other senshi's feet behind her. So long as she could hear him then she knew he was keeping up and provided they weren't separating then things would turn out ok.
...Well, this was what she had told herself.
Sadly, the newer senshi had yet to discover that in the grand scheme of things, these types of magics just didn't care. In the end she really was just a pawn and all best laid plans really did fall to the wayside against something that didn't have the inclination, or even capacity, to care.
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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:45 pm
The movement triggered something; Shaowei in the lead had the advantage of distance against the beast, but the fog seemed to swarm after her, desperate to keep her in its clutches. It clung to her as if trying to get a good grip--as if trying to drag her back. It might have settled for bruising or scratching, but it didn't relent. Athalia was not so fortunate; the fog seemed to be thicker around him and had a greater strength. In addition to an almost tangible hand grabbing onto his ankle, the thickness of the fog made it difficult not to inhale it and the hallucinogenic properties seemed to be enhanced. It didn't help that the monster had caught up with him and pressed a heavy weight upon his back, forcing him into the suffocating haze.
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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2020 4:15 pm
Oddities clattered around her feet as she ran, fog obscuring piles of disturbed branches and talismans she'd tugged down from before as she tried desperately to avoid the fog. It seemed intent on claiming her, wispy tendrils that clung to her and tugged at her limbs, all the while causing her to stumble. Whether these 'tendrils' were a product of her mind remained to be seen, but regardless of what had or hadn't conjured them and what they truly might have been, the challenge remained for her to move.
"Keep going!" The man's voice was clear behind her, the other senshi once so near and yet now subject to the influence of something she couldn't even see. It was with a glance back towards him that she saw the fog rolling in more thickly than before and with strained eyes it seemed like something was in there.
...Were her eyes playing tricks on her?
She wasn't sure, but if they were then it seemed those tricks were also affecting her companion, one who seemed to have cast a glance back towards his own leg, all while leaning precariously closer to that fog they both knew to be bad news.
"Shaowei's Request!" She spoke before she had even taken the time to consider what the consequences of such an action might be, but if she could at least stun the thing then perhaps it would buy him a little more time.
Whatever the case might have been, her outburst had caused Athalia to tear his gaze away from his own leg and what he thought was something grasping for it. Instead, his attention shifted back towards the Mirror Senshi and it was with considerable horror that he stared at her.
"What are you doing, run!" he instructed.
He wasn't naïve, the weight upon his back was indescribable and even the slightest hint of fog had already caused parts of his mind to shrivel up, instilling a nausea inducing sense of anxiety. While he maintained his faculties now, it took more strength than he would have cared to admit to resist the weight pressing down between his shoulder blades and he wasn't certain he would be able to keep his head above the water for long; and once he went under, well, he wasn't sure whether he'd be of much use then.
Though the senshi may have hesitated she didn't seem to be inclined to run yet and he couldn't understand if this was due to a morbid curiosity in terms of whether her gambit would work, or if she'd simply forgotten that you needed to do more than stop and stare at these things.
Gulping in what little 'fresh' air he could, the man plunged himself into the fog and grappled about for anything that might come to hand. Not entirely sure of what he had picked up, he eventually resurfaced and threw the debris in both directions.
Little talismans, branches, leaves and stones soared through the air in a feeble rain, but perhaps enough to keep attention on him from their visitor and to remind his now idle companion to do a little more than stare.
"Shaowei," he snapped.
Though a response wasn't entirely forthcoming.Quote: Sailor Scout Attack: "Shaowei's Request"
Duration: 25 Seconds.
Number of Uses: 3 Times per Battle
Range: Frontal (15ft), for this magic to hit the target needs to be looking at her.
Attack Type: Daze/Slow
Description:
Shaowei offers a bow and motions to the target sending a 'ripple' of energy towards the player. This ripple in itself does nothing to the target save for the sensation of a breeze as it hits. However, when 'struck' the target may find themselves hesitant to step forward as if they may be considering an unheard 'request'.
This may cause the target to move more slowly due to their musings or hesitance during this period. Note that Shaowei does not impart a specific request on the target, she only delivers the 'sensation' of the individual being asked for a favour.
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Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:34 pm
The creature let out a low hiss, like it registered that she had done something, even if it didn't understand what it was. It raised its head and bellowed at her, a cry that half sounded like it was trying to chase her away and half trying to call her back. It shifted uneasily, perplexed and almost disoriented itself. Its eyes were on her even as Athalia pelted it with debris, but something caught it under its chin and, suddenly, its attention snapped back to him. It lowered itself on him, face dangerously close to the senshi, and let out a low, rumbly hiss by his ear. Fog billowed from its mouth and pooled around him. This fog was denser and thicker, and unavoidable. It came with a strange drowsiness that almost felt safe. Comparatively, of course, to the alternative of drowning, surrounded by horrible hallucinations. The creature's eyes shot back to Shaowei, like it was planning on how it was going to reach her as soon as it was finished with this one.
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Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:48 pm
The shriek had certainly caused something to stir in her eyes, but whether the senshi had become overwhelmed by the fact she had done something semi-successful or the fog had finally gotten to her was something that Athalia wasn't entirely sure on. Regardless, the ominous bellow hadn't seemed to cause any movement and it was with one final attempt that he lobbed one of the talismans from the ground towards her and smacked her right in the middle of her forehead.
"RUN!" He demanded.
In those moments however, his time had largely run out, the debris that he had tossed around him in the similar fashion to a disgruntled toddler had done something to distract the creature and as he returned his gaze to it...he was met by a face that had haunted him for longer than he personally cared to admit.
He'd expected a below, a roar, even a shriek...and yet as the fog billowed around him his immediate reaction wasn't one of trepidation, it was one of surprise. The hallucinations that had threatened to rise up around him by something somewhat different, a sensation that made his limbs feel heavy and challenged every part of him to stay standing. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling either, a considerable improvement on what he'd been subjected to on some evenings.
Alas, until he could guarantee that the damn Mirror Senshi had left he had to stay awake.
Don't.
His internal voice demanded and his expression hardened as he exhaled deeply. He needed to buy her time, a moment for her to break free of whatever stupor she was in and then, if this magic was unrelenting as it always seemed to be, he could succumb.
His fist balled and in that instant he offered a rather unceremonious punch towards what he perceived to be the beast's cheek.
Behind him, the Talisman's impact with the senshi's forehead seemed to have done something at least as she seemed to give a start, even if it hadn't necessarily dawned on her that she was very much a subject of interest for their new found friend.
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 10:52 am
The beast's head turned and it glowered down at Athalia. The gesture made an impact; it sounded like a crack when his fist collided, but the creature did not seem so damaged that it lost the ability to fight. It growled again, eyes watching the back of the Dark Mirror Senshi. Athalia was a suitable distraction, and it didn't seem like the beast would be able to catch up with her at this rate. It tried to move, once more, but it relented and seemed to have settled with the fact that Athalia might be its only claim tonight. It shook its head and pushed him deeper into the ground, forcing more suffocating fog onto him.
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 4:49 pm
Finally, she ran.
The talisman had done job of knocking the woman out of her stupor and the other senshi's critical and pointed stare had made it clear that she needed to move. No sooner had she become aware of her surroundings again than she had sucked in a breath and turned on her heel. The fog would eventually surround her of course, in the end such things were inevitable, but until then she made it her only aim to find the shelter she had referenced.
Once there her fate would be sealed until morning, she'd bar the door, curl in a ball and simply wait it out while her own mind fought against itself and the otherwise questionable visions that flowed before her own eyes. It wasn't necessarily her idea of a good time, she doubted it would be anyone's idea of a good time, but in the end she would be safe.
...Athalia's fate was not quite so certain.
As the Dark Mirror disappeared from view a very brief moment of relief flickered through him, but no sooner had he acknowledged her departure than he felt that weight on him again, and again and again. With the slumber-like mist mingling with its less pleasant cousin, his legs eventually gave way and he collapsed into the depths of the fog itself. If fortune favoured him then perhaps the more benevolent of the two would take the greater hold of him, but for now, he was at the beast's mercy.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:38 pm
The beast hovered over Athalia's form for a moment longer as it watched the Dark Mirror Senshi disappear. A low grumble slipped from the pit of the creature's throat, a disappointed hum. But. It still had Athalia, and the night was still young. With one hand gripping the Senshi tightly, the beast began to drag him, face still shoved in the swirling, choking, mist. The creature wandered away from the village, into the strange, dark forest. For Athalia, there was no escaping--but at least he'd kept Shaowei safe. For now. Epine de Rose SHAOWEI HAS ESCAPED THE BEAST; ATHALIA HAS BEEN CAPTURED
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