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Post by mugenginga on Jan 30, 2010 12:27:37 GMT -5
Magus let out an stressed sigh as Ellie begged him to stay someplace other than the courtyard and Tara lost her lunch. It looked like he'd been right about who had exposure to fights. He didn't seem pleased with the display, but Magus doubted anyone except maybe the person who had set it up would be. He let his head nod once towards Ellie.
"I don't think anyone is here, so getting inside should not be a problem. However, I'd advise we remain away from the lower levels. That bird of yours tells me I'm not the only one aware of that," Magus lifted one finger off his scythe to point at Canary. He turned towards where Tara was currently hunched over, "If you do not wish to be left out here, I suggest you recover soon."
Why did this feel like babysitting? Magus let out a more audible irritated sigh and began walking towards the back of the courtyard, just to the left of the former scene of crucifixion. There were a large set of open double doors there. Magus noted a spot of pitch black dried substance on the ground. Likely the blood of whatever this world's version of Mystics were, a few of them were known for blood unlike a human would have. The man at this moment, Magus' unphased and overly practical nature probably reminded Ion of Jade. One could only hope he had the good qualities of the man as well.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 30, 2010 13:03:58 GMT -5
Ellie pulled Canary off of her head when Magus pointed to him. The bird looked practically terrified. No, not just looked. He was practically terrified. And fluffy. She petted the bird's soft down a little bit, and he wriggled a little bit in her hand. A few of the feathers lowered a bit, but he still looked like a glorified chicken.
"Er, yeah, let's stay away from the basement please," Ellie said.
Ion followed after Magus first. The man reminded him a bit of Jade, just without the sense of humor. He looked down at the dried black blood on the ground as Magus did. Probably monster blood.
"There should be somewhere for us to stay the night. Maybe a bedroom in the back of the castle," Ion noted.
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Post by Sweet_Chef (Ani) on Jan 30, 2010 13:12:57 GMT -5
Tara listened to Magus speak as she spat out the rest of the grossness onto the mud, pulling a water bottle out of her messenger bag's side pocket. Taking a swig, she swished the water around and then spat again. There was still a disgusting taste in her mouth, but it was subdued a bit by the water. Taking a few sips to calm her nerves, Tara put the bottle back and returned to the group. The scene before her was still disturbing and revolting, but not nearly as bad the second time around.
"So then there are living dead here. I knew it! It's practically a video game law. If there's a castle- especially in the middle of the woods- and it has a dungeon- which most castles do- there's gonna be zombies. And ghosts. And maybe even a walking skeleton or two. But as long as we don't hit any wraiths, I should be fine," she explained. Tara may not have had any real fighting experience, but she'd dealt with monsters such as those in plenty of video games. Maybe she could find a weapon in this castle to use, just in case they were attacked.
She followed after them, avoiding the puddles of blood and keeping her gaze locked onto their backs so as not to get too nauseous again. "Hey, won't it be dark in there? Anyone got a light?" Tara asked, reaching into the purse clinging to her back and pulling out a Nintendo DS Lite. "If not, we can use this. It may not be an actual flashlight or anything, but it puts off a good amount of light. Comes in handy during power outages, too."
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 30, 2010 17:35:17 GMT -5
Magus listened to Tara as she spoke. He didn't seem amused. This was the girl who freaked over nothing more than his appearance, and she was speaking about the "living dead" as if she knew what she was talking about. Magus was convinced she'd never stepped foot in a real battlefield. It was more of those "video games" the group kept talking about. If he had to known an ally unconscious for his scythe because a fight occurred, he'd go after her first. She'd just make the fight more dangerous. He shook his head.
"There are likely torches in there, I can light them once the sun sets. As for being attacked, that shouldn't happen unless one of you are stupid enough to enter the basement area. That is likely where the holding cells are. Possibly the torture devices as well, as I've yet to see a palace of this sort without them."
He didn't speak of sleeping arrangements. Ion was too weak to be left by himself. Tara freaked to easily. The bird on Ellie's head seemed to be a functional warning system, but he had to wonder how well she could fight. He didn't much like the idea of sharing a room with the group, either. It wasn't his place to protect them, after all, and fools were best left to the reaper.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 30, 2010 20:35:20 GMT -5
Ellie looked over at Tara as she finally rejoined the group and put her input in. She motioned over at Ion. "I think Ion knows Holy, so we shouldn't have to worry about too much undead. Right Ion?"
Ion blinked. "...Sorry, I only know seventh fonon based artes. I've never learned a fonic arte called Holy," Ion apologized. Ellie facepalmed.
"It was a joke, Ion!" Ellie said. Ion shrugged, and continued following after Magus. Ellie sighed and turned to Tara. "We need more people in this party who get Final Fantasy references."
Ellie flinched as Magus mentioned torture devices. She was already planning on avoiding the downstairs. Her bird didn't like it, so she didn't like it either. Canary was still all poofed out on her head. It was kind of funny how the bird looked, but Ellie just felt concerned. That bird was her lifeline back home. And he was her beloved pet. She didn't want to give him a heart attack from the spirits and stuff below the castle.
Ellie looked over at Ion again. "Hey, Ion, you can room with me. If any of those ghosts get out of the basement, I can take 'em down for you."
Ion looked up. "Oh, thank you, Ellie."
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Post by Sweet_Chef (Ani) on Jan 30, 2010 22:56:44 GMT -5
"Right. Forgot about torches," Tara replied with a nod, slipping the game device into her hoodie pocket. "No worries about me going anywhere near any basements. I don't like them to begin with, and if they're dungeons full of the living dead and torture devices, that's just more incentive for me to stay the Hell out of there." She hadn't quite gotten Ellie's joke, seeing as she'd never played Final Fantasy. However, she understood what the spell probably did, so went along with it.
Smirking, Tara merely nodded and shoved her hands into her hoodie pocket. She glanced over at Ellie and Ion at their short exchange of words, unphased until the meaning behind them hit her. Blinking a few times, she turned to gape at the pair. "Wait, wait, wait, hold on! Are you saying I'm gonna be rooming with him?! I mean, not that I have a problem with Magus or anything, but... really? Come on!" she groaned. The living dead actually sounded more welcoming.
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 30, 2010 23:08:55 GMT -5
Magus didn't understand what Ellie was referencing. He understood the words, but he knew nothing about any 'final fantasy' either. He could piece together what she meant, though. The group had reached a long hall by this point. Most of the decorations were tatttered, but a crest of some sort could be seen on one of the few banners in any kind of reasonable condition. Magus didn't attempt to read it, it was unlikely he would know it. He stopped when Tara freaked about the rooming arrangements and turned to the group.
"I can room by myself, perhaps you three should take a room together. If the beds here are intact, I suspect they're too decrepit to support someone laying on them anyhow. So that shouldn't play into your decision. I am more than capable of taking care of myself, you've seen my magic."
The implication, of course, was that the three others were not. Magus was sure he had a guaranteed ten years on all of them, probably more in some cases. Ion perhaps had the potential for powerful magic, but he was weak. Ellie seemed to have more than met the eye, and Tara... well, they would be rid of a dead weight if she were killed. She'd caught him off guard with that gun of hers before, but against a group of enemies it would be useless. Not that it seemed they'd be running into anything antagonistic here...
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 31, 2010 10:47:40 GMT -5
Ion sighed, but didn't object to what Magus said. Magus certainly seemed able to take care of himself, while Ion... could not. It would be nice to have two people around that could protect him. Heck, with how devoted Ellie was to him, she was practically a Fon Master Guardian. She was glaring at Magus.
"Hey! Just because we're not rejected drow concepts with massive sister complexes doesn't mean we can't take care of ourselves!" Ellie said. She pointed at Magus. "And besides! You said the zombies wouldn't go after us as long as we stayed out of the basement!"
"Ellie, please don't start a conflict right now," Ion said. Ellie ignored him, and Ion looked at Tara with an expression that practically said "kill me."
"Okay Magus! I've got a challenge for you! When the inevitable undead attack happens (and it will happen; we are going to be sleeping on top of a haunted castle for Martel's sake), let's see who can take down more undead!" Ellie said. "The dude with the massive sister complex or the girl with the bird and her friend with the potato cannon!"
Ion's expression fell. "Ellie..." Ellie had pulled that once again.
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Post by Sweet_Chef (Ani) on Jan 31, 2010 14:44:31 GMT -5
Tara had been gazing at her surroundings in awe when Magus spoke, the place reminding her of one of the many haunted forts found in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Well, most of them were haunted. Some were just filled with marauders or necromancers. Not looking at Magus, Tara listened to him as she ran her hand along the cold, rough stone of the walls. When he'd finished, she shrugged and patted her bags.
"Whatever, dude. Do what you want. I don't mind staying with these guys," she replied with a grin. Tara looked over at Ellie in obvious surprise when her fellow fangirl began chewing Magus out, though she had to admit it was entertaining. The guy had been underestimating them the whole time; and he wasn't exactly keeping the belief to himself. Snorting at her description of the magic-user, she raised a finger into the air at her next statement. "She has a point."
Tara sent Ion a smirk at the look, signalling to him that she wasn't going to be much better. Tightening her ponytail, her smirk became a grin as she wrapped an arm around Ellie's shoulders. "I second the motion! Hell, I don't even need my potato cannon. Just give me something hard and blunt." Not only had she faced the undead in Oblivion, but she'd killed infected (far worse) in Left 4 Dead and its sequel as well.
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 31, 2010 16:01:24 GMT -5
Magus didn't look amused. Then again, he didn't look pissed either. He was in fact, very calm. He regarded Ellie as she ranted. When Tara started, he turned to her. His face was impossible to read. It wasn't bored. Amused. Angry. Anything. He might as well have been dead if it weren't that the low light levels reflected off his eyes.
Magus was, in fact, pissed, but it was very hard to tell. One pretty much had to know a person that showed they were pissed by unnerving calm to realize it. None of the group had shown any reason for him to even attempt to change his opinions of the group. Yes, he was looking down on them. Tara the most, but Ellie came close. Ion he looked down upon, but not in the same way. There was a hiearchy in his thoughts how he regarded the group. He then turned away and spoke. His voice was as flat as his expression.
"I see no need to waste my energy on your 'games'. If you are still alive in the morning and insist upon keeping your offer, I will meet you then. If you feel the need to commit suicide, the basement should not be hard to find for experts such as yourself. Excuse me," he then began walking down the hall.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 31, 2010 19:15:34 GMT -5
Ellie smirked as Magus turned tail and left. "And if we win, you have to say, 'My name is Janus and I have a sister complex the size of Mount Everest' over the intercom at El Grande Mall! While naked. In the front lobby. So you better start killin' zombies now, 'cause otherwise you're stripping!"
Ellie turned back toward Tara and Ion. "Alright. Lets see... we've got the designated staff chick--" she motioned toward Ion. "--a fighter--" she motioned toward Tara. "--and a monk. I think. I don't know what class I'd be, okay? Anyways, Tara! Let's go find you a weapon to use. With a castle this big, there's gotta be a mace or a sword or a chainsaw somewhere in here. Ion, you wait here and wait for us. You're team healer/buffer now."
Ion blinked. "...Ellie..."
"THIS IS A CHALLENGE WE CAN NOT LOSE." Ellie thrust her fist into the air. "So try not to get hurt. If a ghost even glances in your direction, run like hell."
"...Okay," Ion said.
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Post by Sweet_Chef (Ani) on Jan 31, 2010 19:58:07 GMT -5
Tara lifted a finger and pointed at Magus's back. "You, sir, need to learn some emotions. Like, now. And for chrissake, GIVE US SOME CREDIT MR. TOUGH GUY!! Jebus..." she called, crossing her arms over her chest. Really, the guy was starting to get on her last nerve with his condescending tone and superiority complex. Tara nodded in agreement with Ellie's words, until she got to the stripping part. Instantly, her left eye twitched at the image, and she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"That... just totally scarred me for life. Yeah," she muttered. Sighing, Tara rubbed her temples and nodded once again when Ellie spoke. "Right. Really, I'm most comfortable with a bow and arrow, but if we can find a sword then that'll do. I'm only good with blunt weapons if they're light; in other words, a frying pan would work a Hell of a lot better than a mace. Maybe if we find a kitchen..." she rambled, rubbing her chin. Grinning at Ion, Tara nudged him with her elbow and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Hey, if you happen to find any silver or magical weapons or ammo, make sure to keep hold of it. It's supposedly the only weapons that work against ghosts; regular magic works, too, but you're the only one here that can do that. And we've seen what it does to you."
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Post by mugenginga on Feb 2, 2010 22:53:03 GMT -5
Magus made no reaction to Ellie's furthered taunts, and was almost at the end of the hall. He'd heard them, and for a moment he had considered attacking. However, it was not entirely untrue. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by "complex", but it was true his entire life had been about Schala. It was useless to get more angry about something that was true.
As for the direct threat, Ellie would die if she tried to force it. Magus had mowed down people with more power than she seemed to have for his goals. If it caused Ion and Tara to leave, he didn't care at this point.
(OOC: I've got an OC that I can sign up for this if the group continues on with the whole "hunt" thing, btw)
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Feb 13, 2010 9:23:57 GMT -5
"Oh... Okay," Ion said. He had never been one much for fighting. Actually, he was beginning to be sure that the two girls he was with were a tad bit insane. He knew Ellie was a tad bit on the insane side, but that was due to events in her past. Tara, though, Ion hadn't really been sure about.
Ellie turned toward Tara. "There's gotta be a kitchen around here somewhere. Whoever used to live here had to eat, right?"
Well, okay, they didn't have to. Demons and ghosts and doppelgangers and all.
"There's probably a small blunt object or something for you to use. If not, there should be an armory, if I remember every castle in fantasy games ever," Ellie said. "Come on, let's go look. We've gotta get ghost slayin' before night falls. Never go ghost slaying at night. Ever. Take it from me."
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Post by Sweet_Chef (Ani) on Feb 13, 2010 14:50:20 GMT -5
Tara nodded. "Yup. Exactly. If we could find the dining hall, that should have a door leading into the kitchen. And the dining hall is usually entered through a door in the throne room... which is usually just behind the main hall!" she thought aloud. Grinning, she snatched one of the flickering torches from the wall and waved the light around so as to examine her surroundings better. "Yeah, there'll be an armory somewhere. It'll be harder to find, though. And ghost-hunting at night? Done it before, but... I had night vision. So yeah, not a good idea for regular humans," Tara agreed.
Then, her face lit-up as her searching finally revealed a small archway cut into the stone. Peeking around the wall's end, she squinted and could just barely see the outline of the cliche throne room. "A-ha! Found the throne room! One of the doors in here's just gotta lead to the kitchen," Tara called over her shoulder as she entered the large, cavernous room.
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