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Post by DanteMGalileo on Oct 26, 2017 19:00:13 GMT -5
"When I said discrete, I didn't mean dump me in the middle of nowhere," Val mumbled, bag slung over her shoulder. "Oh, look. I could have gotten my weapons here instead and saved quite a few shillings. Figures."
The blonde woman seemed irate and oblivious to the few other people around. Thieves and criminals, she thought. Just like me. Whatever. She had to find the most back part of the alley before one of those goody two-shoes found her. If not, well, time for Plan B.
However, the further back Val went, there seemed to be an increased presence of claw marks, white hair or fur, and... blood? She put her free hand on her gun's trigger, just in case whatever had caused the damage was still in there... Although she had a nagging feeling that she knew exactly who had caused it.
---
"Whoa! Coming through!"
Percy crashed just outside an alleyway, rubbing his head upon impact. "Ow. Ow. On second thought, they could have kept my deposit. I'd rather have the protection now..."
Groaning, the slight teenager got to his feet, noting that it seemed only a few hours had passed. Must be nice to have the sun and moon not hidden behind clouds all the time, he thought.
And then he heard the screaming, accompanied by the low growls of a beast from the alleyway, which turned into girlish giggling. "Oh, great. I really hope this isn't who I think it is..."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 26, 2017 21:08:10 GMT -5
"Ah, geez..." Paul muttered as he stared down the alleyway, appropriately disturbed by the unsettling sounds echoing from it. "More of this? Really? I know this island is full of weirdos, but really? Is there an end to this rabbit hole?"
"I hope so, because I am this close to strangling that white rabbit bastard and having a tea party with his corpse," Kelsey grumbled, earning an equally appropriate baffled look from Paul. "Metaphorically speaking."
"Well, tough s***, girlie!" Tri laughed over her shoulder, casting a chaotic grin down the alley. "You're in this for the long haul!"
"Of course I am..."
"So does anyone have even the slightest idea what that was and whether or not we should be concerned about it?" Paul warily asked anyone who was listening.
"I do!" Tri chimed in a singsong voice, not that he was going to elaborate to the one person who could hear him. It was more fun to keep her/them in suspense.
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Post by ColArana on Nov 2, 2017 14:17:11 GMT -5
"Aghtatatata...." Ranuen groaned in a combination of shock, and then lingering soreness, at the impact. "Not the most elegant arrival we coulda made, huh?" He grumbled out, as he tried to stand back up, rubbing his side. He looked around. "So we're back in town? But where exactly are we anyways?" He asked, an instant before he heard the sounds from the alleyway. Ranuen shifted into a defensive stance, one hand over the hilt of his sword. "Well, that answered at least one of my questions. Presumably somewhere we don't want to be." Ranuen checked the others he was with. "Anyone want to go in and take a peek, or should I?" He asked, and, giving only a moment's pause would begin to advance into the alleyway if nobody took him up on that. Carefully though.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Nov 4, 2017 13:34:50 GMT -5
Crunch.
Something broke under Val's boot, causing her to jump and fire off a red round into the air.
BANG!
Taking a deep breath in and out to regain her composure, Val examined the offending object, discovering what appeared to be... a bone. Well, this confirms it
"... Obsidian, I know you're in there."
From what seemed like nowhere, a massive, white-and-red fox jumped out, tackling Val to the ground... and began to lick her face.
"Heya Val! How'd you know it was li'l ol' me?"
Resigned to the face-licking session, Val sighed. "The bones, for one. ... Hang on. I need to ask you some questions."
"Ask away!"
"Untransform and GET OFF ME first."
---
The team entered the alleyway, only to stop upon hearing the gunshot, and seeing the red round. Percy froze up a bit at that.
"Oh, great, Val's in here."
And then came the "GET OFF ME." ... Just fucking great. "Aaaaaand it sounds like someone's about to get mauled by what I really hope is not Obsidian."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 4, 2017 16:49:36 GMT -5
"So you do know what's going on..." Paul mumbled, running his hand through his hair. "Well, whatever that was, it was kind of unsettling, so as long as we're here, what do you propose we do about it?"
With a half-encouraging half-teasing nudge from Tri, Kelsey rolled her eyes –which simultaneously turned ice blue– and unsheathed her claws. After everything else she had been through, it wasn't like she had anything better to do with her evening. "Gimme the word and I'll see what sort of damage I can do."
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Post by ColArana on Nov 5, 2017 21:34:02 GMT -5
Ranuen, however, was more of the act-first, deal with the consequences later sort of guy. Not the best mindset at all for someone who spent most of his day at the size of a bug, but what can you do? The moment Ranuen heard the gunshot, he launched himself forwards, so quickly he seemed to blur in the air. This was the same speed that had previously allowed him to deflect gunfire during the brawl at the Club, and he was putting it to use getting through the alley as quickly as he could. He didn't know what "Obsidian" was, but it seemed Percy knew what was going on. Didn't matter though, the swordsman was already in motion, sprinting through the alleyway as quick as he could until he reached the scene of the crime. Err... mauling. Err... aggressive interrogation? Whichever suited the situation best. "What's going on!? What is that?! Are you okay!?" Ranuen exclaimed, weapon in hand, but only not held aggressively. Ranuen was quickly learning that things weren't always what they seemed, and, contrary to his usual interests, sticking someone with a sword was a good way to get on the bad side of some very dangerous people.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Nov 8, 2017 18:10:51 GMT -5
"P-Please... Leave me alone! Get off me! I was just the guy they sent through on an experiment gone horribly wrong! PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!!"
An oversized white-and-red fox with nine tails was pinning a guy in a hoodie and glasses down, fangs very close to the poor man's neck. The man could feel the fox's hot breath... and take in the stench of its previous victims. "I could use some lean meat to wash those idiots down."
"I have n-n-no nutritional value at all! I'd also taste gamey and nasty and-"
A growl from the fox silenced that. "Silence, human. My hunger for human flesh has not yet been sated. 'Tis a pity that girl ran off. She could have been your knight in shining armour."
But Raunen's presence caused the fox to look at this new arrival. She licked her lips in anticipation. "Oh, good. Dessert's arrived. Put down your pointy stick, human, and I will make your death swift and pain-"
"NOX!!"
A burst of shadow energy came rushing towards the fox, forcing it to abandon its would-be victim as it jumped to the side, snarling. The man, freed from the beast's clutches, made a pathetic crawl towards his rescuers.
"T-Thank you! You saved me from this beast!"
"... Do I know you?" It seemed as though Percy didn't know this scared-looking man.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 8, 2017 21:50:04 GMT -5
"Sonova dick...!"
"Ranuen!" Paul anxiously chased after the young man, not wanting to see his impulsive decision land him in trouble, failing to see the irony in his own impulses. "Dude, wait!"
"Paul-!" Kelsey choked, moments away from chasing after him as well but freezing up just in time. Whatever was waiting for them down that alleyway more than likely had the potential to be dangerous, and if that was the case, having everyone charge at it headlong was just about the worst thing they could do. As such, Kelsey opted to approach from a different angle. With a mighty leap, she started bouncing off the walls until she had scaled them to the rooftops...
Paul, meanwhile, arrived on the scene alongside Percy, tensing up as he watched Percy's shadow spell startle the giant fox creature away from its potential victim. When the liberated man shakily approached them, Paul was quick to kneel over and inspect him. "You alright? Anything broken or scratched?"
His eyes flicked between the bespectacled man and the creature still looming nearby. Based on speculation, Paul pinned this nine-tailed fox as a kitsune, and an unfriendly one at that...
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Post by ColArana on Nov 9, 2017 15:12:40 GMT -5
Ranuen gave a sigh, at the sight. A monster-- well, he supposed he should use the phrase "beast", terrorizing a poor sod. His arrival had hardly been subtle or quiet, so attracting the fox's attention wasn't hard. Nine tails, huh? A legendary beast. Ranuen had heard stories of when a fox grew nine tails, and from what he had heard, they were extremely powerful. His eyes narrowed. Yeah, that's about right for my luck. He thought. Right up until a blast of shadows forced the animal back in mid-order. Ranuen grinned. "Sorry, what was that? You'll make my death what?" He taunted it.
Ranuen saw the man crawl along the ground toward them, praising them for saving them and he rolled his eyes. "Saved might be relative at the moment." He replied, not taking his focus off the fox. "Percy, bro, you seem to be the one in the know here. Do you know this thing? On a scale of 1-10 how screwed are we right now?" He asked. The fox's statement towards Ranuen had not made him particularly comfortable with the idea of it as a friend, and so he brought up his weapon, stepping in front of Paul, as they checked on the guy. Ranuen was a strong physical fighter, so he figured that if this thing was hostile, he may as well be the one to take the front line of defense, ahead of the others. Ranuen didn't say anything further to the wounded man. He'd let Paul handle that. His focus was on the beast before them. How much longer do I have like this? He wondered briefly. Been holding it up for awhile. Ten minutes? Maybe? Certainly hoped it wasn't less.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Nov 10, 2017 19:40:36 GMT -5
"Hello, Obsidian," Percy said, as if the fox was an old friend, although the shape of a sword began to form in his right hand. "You're some distance from Mount Ijuf, eh? How many men have you eaten? And... Why exactly are you here? I thought the clan leader was unable to- argh?!" The nine-tailed beast cut the teen off by lunging at him, fangs sinking into the newly-formed sword that rose to block her attack.
"I have my reasons, human."[/i] With a sudden burst of strength, Obsidian tore the sword from Percy's hand, tossing it to the side, the weapon dissolving upon contact with the ground. "Now stop talking and GET IN ME!!"
The fox pounced at its original prey, yanking the poor man back by his ankle. "AAAAAAAARGHHHHHH!!! Help! I don't wanna be fox food! There's still so much I haven't se- AAHHH!!!" He felt the fox's fangs sink into his flesh, blood splashing from the wound. "Do something!"
Crap, what do I do... I can't use my sword, and I doubt blasting her again will work... Percy winced at the display, more from the man's high-pitched screams than anything. That's enough.
"HELP! HELP!! She's gonna tear my leg off at this rate!!"
"... Here's what we're gonna do. Everyone, get whatever magical attack you may have ready. Don't worry about the aiming. I've got that." With a wink, Percy turned back to the fox and her victim, raising his left hand and pointing it at the beast.
"BIND!"
A grey tendril formed from what appeared to be thin air, ensnaring Obsidian and forcing her to release her victim. It growled indignantly, before a second, smaller tendril formed from the first and coiled its way around her snout. A third wrapped itself around Percy's ankle, although this did not seem to be of concern.
"Get her while she can't move! I can only hold her like this for a few seconds!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 10, 2017 23:15:31 GMT -5
"H-Hey...!" Paul stumbled a step forward as the man was dragged away, once again freezing up when he quickly realized his severely limited options. Sure, he was strong, but it was unlikely he was strong enough to pry the kitsune off. He could set himself up as prey, considering his dragon hide could sustain a great deal of damage, but how would he even get himself in a position to take the man's place? What was he supposed to do??
Paul then did a double-take and stared at Percy, taken aback by his order to strike the fox with magic attacks. "W-? Everyone? B-But I don't-"
Too late. Percy already had the kitsune bound in grey tendrils. Paul was tense as he watched this, then turned to see what Ranuen had up his sleeve. Soon enough, more tendrils erupted from the shadows, ensnaring the fox by the legs and a few of the tails; a familiar strategy carried out by a currently unseen party member.
And all Paul could do was stand there helplessly, only offering a shrug at any looks he got regarding his apparent uselessness.
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Post by ColArana on Nov 11, 2017 0:11:18 GMT -5
Seemed Percy DID know the kitsune and was attempting to negotiate with it. ....Well that lasted all of one sentence, before the man was attacked, and disarmed in a single motion. Ranuen did recognize a word in there. Clan Leader. "I thought the clan leader was unable to" .....something. So this was the clan leader of some kitsune group, Ranuen guessed. Probably really strong indeed. Fortunately, it seemed to be satisfied with disarming Percy, and went back for the man on the ground, who went into a blind panic. "Yare yare daze..." Ranuen grumbled, as Percy declared for everyone to get a magical attack ready. Well, for Ranuen that was twofold. He specialized in two magic types. Fire magic, and enhancement magic. But his fire magic was.... difficult to use with precision. Ranuen had an idea that might help for the others though. He focused his magic into his arms....
Well, the shadow tendrils binding this thing. That was as good a signal as any. Ranuen lunged forward, sheathing his sword and then grappling the massive Kitsune. The shadow tendrils might only be able to hold her for a few seconds, but Ranuen figured he could probably hold Obsidian a bit longer, if he put his all into it. His arms went to circle the fox's head, and his legs braced himself against the ground, using all of his magical power and physical strength to hold Obsisian in place, holding shut the beast's jaws, and trying to force its head down to the ground to prevent it rising up and attacking him with its claws. "Come on man!" Ranuen snapped at the scholar. "Don't sound so pitiful! If you think you're going to die, try going out with some dignity!" Putting all his efforts into restraining Obsidian, as he expected the shadow tendrils would be giving out any moment. "Not that I plan on letting that happen, now that I've gotten roped into this, anyways." As He said this, Ranuen threw an attack into his attempted restraint, the swordsman’s arms suddenly bursting into flame. The same arms he was attempting to bind the fox with.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Nov 14, 2017 17:44:40 GMT -5
"Nrgh... gah!"
With that, the Bind spell wore off, releasing Obisidian from the tendrils, but... The shadowy ones remained, and Raunen's fire appeared to be forcing the beast to back off.
"Fire doesn't scare me unless it roars like the volcano god. Now, you've all earned yourself a-"
With a cracking noise and a puff of smoke, the kitsune vanished, leaving in its place a girl with a rather... peculiar outfit, red markings along her body, and white-and-red hair matching the fox's fur. The girl seemedshocked by this sudden reversion. "Uh... whoops. Guess I overestimated my transformation limits."
"Heh... Could you please put some more clothes on? It's hard to take you seriously all tied up and wearing... That." Indeed, Percy seemed to be trying hard to avert his gaze up at the white-haired girl' face.
"If your buddies would let me go, I'd think about it! Grr... You get to keep your life, human. I bet you would have tasted nasty anyway."
"I-I probably would have! There was the one time I got injected with essence of belladonna!"
Percy sighed. "Just stop moving. Bishop." A grey light appeared in his hand, and the glowing hand touched the man's bloody ankle, causing the wound to seal. "She's going to leave after she's been released."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 14, 2017 19:05:09 GMT -5
Well, at least the kitsune looked significantly less dangerous now, but Paul knew better than to assume that was the case. Still, despite his wariness, the look on his face was clearly one of self-deprecation, of frustration that he had done nothing to help the situation. In an effort to make himself feel less useless, the dragon man once again knelt down next to the downed human, watching as Percy healed his wounds, then offering him a comforting pat on the shoulder whilst casting the girl a sharp scowl.
Seemed Paul wasn't the only one reluctant to let their guard down...
"Give me one good reason why I should let her go," Kelsey snarled, unseen from within the darkness. "What's this thing's deal?"
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Post by ColArana on Nov 14, 2017 23:18:32 GMT -5
Ranuen grinned at Obsidian's retaliation. "Roars like the volcano god? Is that a challenge!? 'Cause--" Poof. Oh. That happened. After so many times that Ranuen had miscalculated his own transformation time, it was... encouraging, to see someone else having the same problems. "....Wow.... I mean I can sympathize-- I mean wait, no, hang on. That was a transformed state!?" He exclaimed, trying to reel it in. Obsidian demanded to be released, and with Percy's approval, Ranuen acquiesced to her request, releasing her, and putting out the flames on his arms. "Speaking of transformations, I don't have much time left either..." He said, promptly shrinking back down to insect size before the group and Obsidian's eyes. Probably not the safest thing in the circumstances, but Ranuen was confident in the others' ability to keep anyone from exploiting his weaker form.
Contrary to Paul and Kelsey, Ranuen seemed a lot more at ease with the situation. Not like he was a stranger to killing or violence himself, and Obsidian seemed interesting enough to pass at least some of the time. "Well, that was entertaining!" He admitted, cheerfully, seemingly making light of the near life-threatening experience they had all just gone through.
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