|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:22 pm
Quote: Bat Behemoth (2) - Construction, deforestation, typical Destiny City mishaps—you never know what you’re going to get around here. It starts with a squeak in the sky, and the flapping of heavy wings. If it’s dark enough, maybe you don’t even see the giant bat descending on you. They were pests a few years ago but seemed to have cleared out for the most part—except for a stray one here or there. This one is large even by comparison. It has an eight foot wingspan—a behemoth, growing fat and large in the years since the bats last descended on Destiny City. Maybe you’re lucky, maybe it just swoops by. Maybe it’s hungry, or mad, and you look like a prime target. If it attacks, you’re in for a rough time. Scratches cause an itch that might last for up to a day, but the bites are the worst. Being bitten by these bats leaves two small marks that will itch for a few hours. Then, exhaustion and fatigue sets in and you become extremely sensitive to external stimulus; skin feels like it becomes overheated in sunlight, bright lights are painful to the eyes, and smells and sounds can seem overwhelming. The victim will feel constantly cold and hungry, no matter how much they eat or drink. They may also be prone to agitation and bouts of violence. These afflictions may last only a few hours or a few days and then suddenly disappear. (Being attacked by the bat can be counted as a battle once per character provided there are at least two powered characters involved; no matter how much you seem to damage the bat, it will always fly away and hardly even seems worse for the wear. You cannot track it or severely damage it. This prompt can be used for the battle or the afterwards of being attacked, or anything else you might be inspired to play!)
The Bat, unfortunately, did not wish to follow the example of most Destiny City Weirdness.
One of the best alleyways for getting from Nagisa’s to the DCU campus or vice versa had been utterly unusable for ages because of that thing. Aside from how it swooped down on Vanya with a mind to attack whenever he tried to simply dart through the alley, the bat liked stealing food. Meat dishes, mostly, rather than any of the fish or vegetarian options. Cheryl and Mrs. Nagisa had put in at least two reports with Animal Control—two that Vanya knew of, having provided his testimony about encountering the bat for both of them—and even though this bat seemed far too large to be a normal bat and had a taste for attacking hapless delivery-persons and stealing from local small business owners? Nothing had come of them.
But now that Farbauti had come back to the alley, powered up and having asked Fang to please come help him handle the problem, the bat was nowhere to be found. Farbauti frowned, squinting into the darkness of the alley. He couldn’t even hear the rustling of that wretched beast’s wings!
“God, what gives,” he groused, stomping toward the nearby dumpster, looking high and low for the nightmare-bat. “Night-time is supposed to be when bats are most active, I’m pretty sure? I swear, every time I try to come through here in the day, that jerk swooshes out at me faster than candy disappears from the after-Halloween sales……”
Idly, he made a mental note to swing by the superstore where Autumn worked, once the holiday had passed. He wouldn’t try to get access to an employee discount by virtue of being her friend or anything—that would’ve felt like taking advantage of somebody who’d only ever been kind to Vanya and he wouldn’t have liked that very much—but……maybe he’d get there soon enough and the after-Halloween sale would still have some Reese’s cups or Kit-Kats.
First, though, Farbauti needed the bat to come out already. In the hopes of maybe rousing it, Farbauti knocked impatiently on the lid of the dumpster.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 4:58 pm
Fang didn't feel strongly about Halloween one way or the other, unless you counted the fact that he could just about get away with walking around as Todd without his glamor if he could hold his ears and tail carefully enough during the day. Night was much easier, when people couldn't see it wasn't mechanisms that controlled his movements. But, at some point, he did have to become Fang and patrol — Halloween, despite the fun benefits, was also a very dangerous day, it seemed. The real bad guys could easily hide among the people in costume, just as he did. Not to mention the creepy instances of magical beings. Like the one Farbauti had called him about. Fang sprang into action, running and leaping his way through the city to get to his friend's side, hopefully in time. He refused to let his friend get hurt or something even worse just because he couldn't be there in time. He arrived swiftly, with just enough time to witness Farbauti hitting the dumpster. He stared blankly for a long moment, then asked hesitantly, "Is... is monster big trash can?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 5:35 pm
Farbauti sighed, slouching as he looked back to Fang and feeling more than slightly piteous. As he shook his head and tried to put words on a good explanation, he couldn’t help feeling a weird chill—not from wearing such a skimpy outfit in an October that, lately, had felt rather a bit colder than normal, but from just……shame. Embarrassment. Awareness—painful, sharp, uncompromising awareness—of how so many other magical people in Destiny City were so good at this that they made it all look effortless, while Farbauti constantly felt like he’d tied his own boot-laces together and fallen face-first into a puddle, with a sign scotch-taped to his back that said <******** UP” instead of “Kick me.”
He hadn’t learned very much about chrysocyon yet—Vanya was still on a waiting list for his turn to check out some of the library’s books on them, which he wanted to do because they were Fang’s magical sphere animals and Fang/Todd was Farbauti/Vanya’s friend—but he felt pretty sure that chrysocyon were supposed to hunt wet rats, not help keep them from getting themselves killed by sheer force of ineptitude or, like……whatever Farbauti’s problem was.
“No, no, it’s like……it’s like this giant bat,” Farbauti finally managed to say, shame twisting its knife even harder as he……tried to will more words into existence? By gesticulating in a way? That he hoped might jog some memories of how to use the English language like a grown-up? ……Mostly, Farbauti sort of tilted around aimlessly, miming bat wings and feeling like a complete idiot. “It’s like this giant bat, and the Animal Control guys my boss has called haven’t done anything about it, even though it comes at me every time I come through here and, like……” Farbauti sighed, shoulders slumping and face falling into a dispirited pout. “And I know it’s not as important as punching Chaos and stuff, but like? It still attacks people—especially me—and it’s stolen or ruined some really expensive orders out of my bike basket, and I just thought…… I mean, I was hitting the dumpster to try and startle it out of hiding, but it didn’t work and I just……”
Farbauti shrugged helplessly. “I just wanted to do something good and cool that would help people……like the way that Fang does……”
Maybe if Farbauti hadn’t fallen so easily into his own head, he would have heard the approach of a giant, furry body on massive, leathery wings. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t have. Although it lacked a Chaos aura, the giant bat moved through the air too quietly for it to be completely natural.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 6:16 pm
Fang tilted his head, ears flicking in curiosity as Farbauti began to explain. His friend seemed... off in some way, and he tried to discreetly sniff the air, but only the stale trash assaulted his nose. People weren't like animals—he couldn't smell them in the same way—so he wasn't quite sure why he tried, except for the speculation it was pure instinct. He couldn't help it. The imitation of the big bat had him humming in acknowledgement. He still wasn't quite sure what the beast was exactly, because all he knew about bats were the vague shapes people used for decoration this time of year, but "big flying thing" wasn't that hard to understand, and he felt certain he could pick it out if the animal decided it wanted to show up again. He wanted to speak, but he held his tongue until he was sure that Farbauti had ceased speaking. There was much he had to say, wanted to say, and his words needed to be given careful consideration anyway. Then, of course, the bat showed up. His eyes zeroed in on his prey and he growled, crouching slightly to pounce. "Behind!" he warned sharply as he slashed his hand through the air, shouting his spell. "Slash!" Quote: Fang swipes once at his target, and the ghostly paw of a Chrysocyon with claws extended springs forth, causing the appearance and sensation of shallow scratches that burn slightly if it hits. This lasts for about thirty seconds, has three uses, and has a range of ten feet. This can tear through clothes or can cause lasting damage at player discretion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 7:12 pm
—That was not what Farbauti expected.
Admittedly, his idea about what he’d expected had entered his silly little head fully formed, under the assumption that the bat was just not here to be handled, so anything involving it would have flouted Farbauti’s expectations. But in the more immediate moment, he’d expected something soft and sensitive that made an incredibly complicated universe feel so much simpler and like it actually made sense, the way that Fang usually responded to things.
Still, Farbauti reacted quickly, falling behind Fang and watching as he rushed in to fight the giant bat.… God, Fang was so brave and so selfless, and so everything that Farbauti wished that he was but knew he wasn’t……and by the look of things, the bat cared exactly not at all about Fang’s courage, or how hard he could fight.…… So, it wasn’t Chaos, then, but……maybe it was still magical?
Maybe…… Farbauti didn’t really trust his magic, and frankly, it often scared him. But if it could help—
“Fang!” He called out, doubling back closer to his friend. “I’m sorry if this doesn’t feel good? But—my magic! It’ll give you a boost, like……like.” Sighing, Farbauti backhand slapped the air behind Fang’s head and called, “Rage Outburst!”Quote: Sailor Senshi Attack: Rage Outburst! Instantly, the target feels possessed by a powerful rage: pre-extant negative feelings are magnified; everything is liable to piss them off; any physical pain inflicted on them only enrages them further and they seem to fight through it as though nothing happened; and they can only focus on releasing that rage. For the duration of the magic, their physical and magical attacks will hit somewhat harder, but they will feel less controlled as the rage overpowers them. Until the magic ends, they will find it harder to discern friend from foe, and very difficult to calm down. This attack lasts for 30 seconds and Farbauti may use it three times per battle. The effects of any physical injuries incurred during the rage will set in when the magic ends, and may be exacerbated at player discretion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 7:47 pm
Fang bared his teeth at the bat when it didn't seem fazed—then Farbauti spoke and one of his ears twitched back to catch what he saying—something about something not feeling good, and then— He screamed. Everything suddenly felt like so much more, and it pissed him the ******** off. All of it. Everything. He screamed again and launched himself at the bat, howling at the top of his lungs and swinging his hands at it, trying everything he could to scratch it, grab it, harm it however he could. The bat seemed to tire after only a few moments of dodging the angry alien and swooped away. Fang attempted to give chase, but he didn't make it to the end of the alley before he could no longer see it. He yelled in anger, anguish, even, that the prey had escaped him, and he turned to leap on the dumpster and began beating the s**t out of the lid, snarling and snapping the whole time, ignoring Farbauti.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 8:33 pm
Getting ignored while Fang raged felt……oddly familiar. Not like something that Fang usually did—because, even though he’d seen Fang fight before, Farbauti had never really seen Fang get all……like this, whatever this could be called—but, well.…… It struck a chord in Farbauti that he recognized as distinctly Not Farbauti.…… Whatever being Farbauti meant—and he had to admit that, at present, he didn’t really know—it felt like Farbauti was supposed to be strong, and powerful, and self-assured.
The chord that resonated in his chest as he slunk back against the brick wall, though? It was one of Vanya’s chords, not something intrinsic to the Farbauti starseed. It sounded like old Russian folk songs playing off cassette tapes while Ritka Bulgakova-Renault paced the hardwood floor before her award case full of pageant trophies, swishing an oversized wine glass full of vodka and cranberry juice, raving about how she could have been Miss America and really made something of herself if that idiot, her husband, hadn’t gotten her with child. It smelled like bourbon whisky and the heap of cologne that Jacob Renault used to cover it up, like shoving rocks into a corpse’s pockets before dumping it in the bayou and hoping that the gators did the hard part for you. It felt like Vanya’s ribcage clenching around his lungs and trying to suffocate him.……
But unlike all those things, Vanya’s magic didn’t last forever.
As he hung back, he counted off thirty seconds in his head—that was about how long the magic had seemed to last when he’d managed to practice it correctly—and then let Fang have a few more moments on top of that, just in case.…… Rage, Farbauti knew all too well, did not always follow rules or logic, and it generally did not play fair. Watching Fang closely, for any sign that he might still be in the grip of it, Farbauti approached slowly, with his hands out in front of him so Fang could see that he wasn’t trying anything with them.
“Fang?” He said softly, when he’d gotten closer—hopefully close enough that Farbauti could remind Fang that he wasn’t alone but not so close that he’d feel smothered or like he was being backed into a corner. “I……I’m sorry. That it didn’t work? Even with my magic trying to help? But you were really brave anyway, and you did a really good job.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2023 10:15 pm
Fang finally relaxed a few moments after the magic left him. He breathed in deep and slow, jumping off the dumpster in front of Farbauti. "Far did good," he said as he reached out to pull Farbauti in a hug. "Bat stupid. But bat gone. Far safe. Thank you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
