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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 24, 2020 21:19:06 GMT -5
The force of the shattering sent Kelsey stumbling back a bit, but she otherwise stayed on her feet, staring up at the monstrosity that had broken out of her sphere. A familiar sight, one that was quickly spreading panic throughout the block, but one that Kelsey strangely didn't seem the least bit shocked by. Nervous, sure, but if anything, she reacted to the transformation that had occurred and the sight of her new friend replaced by the beast from the night before with what could only be described as resignation.
"Okay."
Kelsey stood up straight. She adjusted her neck. She cracked her knuckles, then she whipped her arms down and unleashed her claws, fangs and horns, glaring icy blue daggers at the cosmic beast. "Let's get this over with."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 24, 2020 21:45:42 GMT -5
The beast let out a snort, then exhaled, releasing a blast of grey mist at Kelsey, the cloud dispersing in a wide radius. It was less an attack, more of a smokescreen. It repeated this motion a few more times, covering the center of the plaza in monochrome haze, its stony exterior a near-perfect match for it. Once it deemed itself hidden enough, it took slightly to the air, silently gliding through the fog.
It lashed out its its claws, returning bright read and hearing a pained sound. The beast let out an amused sound, as if chuckling, bringing its scarlet claws to its maw, licking them.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 24, 2020 22:15:18 GMT -5
"Hmph." Kelsey paced in a slow circle, glaring at the surrounding grey haze. "Well, at least you're not a mindless monster."
"Can't tell if that's better or worse," Tri mused, floating back-to-back with Kelsey. "I could go either way. I'll let you decide."
"For the record, once this blows over, you're still not off the hook."
"Oh, please. When am I ever off the hook?"
"You said it, not me." Unfazed, Kelsey leaped back, strafing away from a wide claw swipe. The action was delayed just enough to earn one wayward slash at the wing, to which Kelsey let out a small squeak. It healed with ease, but it did put her slightly more on edge.
Tri reflexively raised an eyebrow in the beast's direction. "Really? He thinks that wimpy little nick is funny? Cocky little sh*t."
"Remind me, Tri, is this the pot or kettle I'm dealing with?"
"How about you eat my *ss, okay? On your right."
"YIPE-!" Kelsey promptly tumbled back, deftly avoiding another claw attack. Dang it, girl, FOCUS!
Her bright blue eyes took on a striking luminescence as her true vision kicked in. Through the grey, she could clearly see a distinct marble aura. With her target in sight, Kelsey let the monster circle her for a moment, keeping absolutely still as she awaited her moment. Then, when it drew near once again, Kelsey enveloped herself in flames and torpedoed straight into the beast.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 25, 2020 10:31:07 GMT -5
The beast sniffed, picking up the stench of flame within its haze. It couldn't help but chuckle at this attack, and rather than attempt to evade the fiery torpedo that was Kelsey, it simply dug its claws into the ground, scaled chest out and braced for impact. Sure enough, when Kelsey crashed into it, all it gave was a small grunt, the attack little more than a small scratch on its hard scale.
It quickly recovered from this impact, and it retaliated with a bite to Kelsey's arm, iron-rending teeth sinking into the demonic girl's flesh, the monster giving its distorted chuckle. Once it deemed the bite enough, it twisted its long neck, releasing Kelsey in a throw.
It laughed again, vanishing back into its haze. The sound of rock scraping could be heard, followed by crunching sounds.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2020 11:05:23 GMT -5
Kelsey hadn't expected a strong reaction. She was still on a learning curve, after all. So when she felt the teeth sink into her arm and the beast subsequently fling her away, she wasn't particularly surprised. It still hurt like hell and nearly ripped her arm off, but that was par for the course by now.
She hit the ground in a three-point landing, skidding back a bit before glancing back up at her opponent. By then, the marble shape in the astral plane had retreated, mingling with the sickly black splotch in the near distance, and the sound of crunching rocks was a pretty clear indicator of what was going on.
"Um, excuse me!" Putting on a show like being ignored offended her, Kelsey dashed out of the cloud, blowing much of it away with her tailwinds alone. She flew above the monster and let loose her shadow tendrils, digging them into its open mouth just as it was about to take another chunk out of the meteor. The shadows gruesomely snaked down its throat just enough to provide Kelsey with leverage, at which point she hurled the beast over her head and slammed it into the pavement twenty yards away.
With no time to waste, Kelsey soaked her hand in a coating of slime, smeared it in a circle around the meteor, then created a spark, igniting a wall of fire. She then unleashed her shadows again, ensnaring the infernal space rock.
"You want this so badly? Gonna have to get through me..." Kelsey flapped her wings with apparent strain, gradually ascending at a ninety-degree angle. The road cracked and buckled as the shadows slowly started to tug it loose.
Tri floated up to Kelsey's side, his eyes eagerly flicking back and forth between her efforts to dislodge the boulder and the recovering monster. "You're doing great, kid! But, uh, I have a better idea..."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 25, 2020 11:39:36 GMT -5
The beast growled as the tendrils encroached on its meal, and it snarled when they entered its mouth. It let out an indignant sound as Kelsey quite rudely pulled it away from its snack, slamming into the concrete.
It took a moment to regain its senses, then looked around, its grey haze blown away by the demonic girl's wingbeats. It began a trot back to her, teeth bared.
And then, a wall of flames ignited around the meteor, and the damn human began to try and carry it away.
Its pace picked up, and it quickly closed the distance, slamming a clenched paw into Kelsey's head. As she recovered from its punch, it used its other claw to grip the top of her head, bringing her to his face, pupils barely visible against the twin seas of red and blue. It opened its jaw and let out a piercing roar, the stench of a thousand rotting corpses on its breath, drenching Kelsey with spittle.
It then flew down to the ground, slamming her into the concrete. It gave a deep, rumbling chuckle, then began to fly close to the ground, dragging Kelsey.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2020 13:09:35 GMT -5
"Oof. You know what this guy needs?"
"TRI-OH F*CK!!!"
"Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-wah~!"
Kelsey braced herself for impact, screaming and sputtering as she was dragged across the pavement, straining to break free of the beast's grip or at least twist herself into a more optimal position.
"It doesn't matter what comes
Fresh goes better in life
With Mentos, fresh and full of life"
"TRIIIII!!! GHGCK-!!! AHH!!! F*CKIN' AYY!!!"
"Nothing gets to you
Staying fresh, staying cool
With Mentos, fresh and full of life!"
"WILL YOU F*CK OFF ALREADY?!!" Nearing wit's end, Kelsey forced an unprecedented amount of acid slime to the surface, thoroughly coating every inch of her skin in it until it was dripping off. She reached behind her and grabbed the monster's wrists, digging her claws in as the flesh melted in her grasp. With a bit of effort, she lifted her head off the road and spread her wings, dragging herself and the beast over to the nearest streetlight. There, she kicked forward and wrapped her legs around the pole, acting as the awkward, makeshift chain keeping the angry mongrel in place.
Kelsey panted heavily through gritted fangs, the skin on her face effectively ravaged, a little bit of her cheekbone exposed. Her grip remained secure, claws hooked in, dark pink skin shimmering with acidic mucus. "YOU TWO... ARE REALLY TRYING MY PATIENCE TODAY!!!"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 25, 2020 13:47:52 GMT -5
The beast growled at the acid burning into its hide, growing louder as the claws dug in, effectively trapping it in this state. As the demon girl attached herself to the streetlight, it glared at her, undeterred by the exposed bone or fangs. Instead, it locked eyes with Kelsey, a deep rumbling sound coming from its throat.
The area suddenly grew dark, and the beast began to give off a soft light, eyes flickering with every colour of the rainbow, slightly opening its jaw, mist leaking from between its teeth. It let out a strange sound, a cross between a whimper and a growl.
At once, the luminosity around the beast peaked, becoming painful to look at. A stream of energy surged up its long neck, throwing back its head as if in pain.
A burst of rainbow light rushed out of its maw, blasting Kelsey with the force of a thousand typhoons.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2020 15:21:37 GMT -5
Too stymied to let out so much as a squeak, Kelsey hastily unhooked her claws, retracted her arms, and straightened out her legs, swooping away from the beast just as it unleashed its chromatic ray. Though she dodged the brunt of the attack, the blast managed to hit her legs, singing her pants, tearing up her sneakers, and leaving a decent number of abrasions on her exposed calves. She hit the ground hard, spiraling from the stray hit, tumbling for a moment before propping herself up on shaking arms.
"Rrrrrgh... Jesus Herald Christ, why do you hate me?"
Kalth, what are you doing? You're better than this.
Kelsey straightened up with a sharp, almost startled inhale and a sudden burst of adrenaline. Her heart sped up, sending waves of purifying fire flowing through her veins. The healing process in her face and legs visibly sped up. She shot to her feet, the cold glow of her eyes turning almost fiery white.
With a wide swing of her arms, Kelsey summoned a mass of dark tendrils from all around her, be it from her own aura, the shade of the surrounding structures, or even the beast's own shadow. At her command, they entangled the monster from head to toe, wrapping around its torso, restraining its legs, clamping its muzzle shut.
"Percy! I don't wanna do this!" Kelsey hollered fiercely but honestly. "I don't know how conscious you are, but I want you to know that I hate this as much as I hope you do!"
Kalth. Twist your hands clockwise and repeat after me...
Kelsey held her hands up, palms out, turned to her left. With a snap, she twisted them to the right and reeled back...
Ca'alos.
"CA'ALOS!!!"
A warbling mass of multicolored energy shot out of Kelsey's hands in a flash, aiming straight for the beast's face.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 25, 2020 15:57:32 GMT -5
The beast let out a snarl, clawing at the shadows ensnaring its back legs, before finding its front legs tangled up as well. It let out a roar, its form flickering, before another tendril muzzled its jaw shut. It growled at Kelsey, its form flickering with each sound that managed to escape, the light from its form dying down.
It struggled against the tendrils that ensnared its jaw, trying to pry it open and unleash another burst of its best weapon. It could not, and its form flickered again, features becoming indistinct.
And then a blast of energy punctuated with a thunderclap slammed into it. It felt its hide burn as though it had been swiming in a pool of acid. It let out the best scream it could with its jaw restrained, its form flickering, knocked to the ground, slowly shrinking in size, features retracting...
Its front claws split, forming two fingers each, the third relocating into another position. The tail twisted in on itself, vanishing. Its horns grew limp. Its muzzle retracted, its mane receded into its skull...
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2020 16:12:44 GMT -5
"WHOA-HO-HO!!!" Tri was completely enthralled with the turn the battle had taken, excitedly observing Kelsey's spell like it was the finale of the greatest superhero movie ever made. "Fresh goes better with Mentos fresh and FULL OF LIFE!"
Kelsey, on the other hand, was completely stupefied, figuratively blown away by the spell that, seconds before, she didn't even know how to cast. Her mind was such a chaotic tangle that it was taking a while for her to process that she had hit the mark. When she did finally realize that the beast's form was changing, Kelsey released the breath she had been holding and dismissed her shadows, letting the tendrils drop their quarry and slink back into the darkness.
Her demonic features retracted as she broke into a sprint. She wiped her hands off on her flannel shirt as best she could. Once she was close enough, Kelsey dropped to her knees and anxiously examined the being lying next to her. "Percy...?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 25, 2020 17:14:25 GMT -5
The figure on the ground let out a groan as the tendrils released him, monstrous features retreating back into its form. He let out a few pained noises as its features began to show again, although its wings remained, flickering.
Percy groaned as he slowly lifted his head, eyes slowly returning back to their not-so-usual blue, mop of brown hair hanging over his face. His long cowlicks flopped down. His clothing was in tatters, small acidic burns scattered, slowly healing. He flapped his wings, finding them too heavy to do more than that. He slowly looked around, taking in the damage, ending on-
"W-What the fuck happened? I remember being drawn to that meteor and..."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2020 20:54:03 GMT -5
Kelsey dropped her tense shoulders with a heavy sigh, equally relieved as she was frustrated. She was glad that the monster had been sealed away, but Percy's cluelessness was honestly the last thing she wanted to hear. Whatever the contributing factors were behind both the transformation and the amnesia, whatever that blasted meteor was doing to the guy, Kelsey felt more inclined to create some distance before seeking any answers.
"Can you move?" She inched closer to Percy and extended an arm, offering him leverage. Her voice was low and gentle, her expression meek and concerned. "I think we need to get out of here."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 25, 2020 21:19:14 GMT -5
Percy let out a groan as he slowly reached out for Kelsey's hand, the claws on his thumbs shrinking back into a regular nail. He slowly got to his feet, knees shaking, stumbling and shaking. He took a slow step forward, nearly falling back down. "... Sorta," he replied. He ran his free hand through his hair, brushing some of it out of his face.
As Kelsey lead him away from the meteor, Percy tried to keep himself from looking back. "I... I can't remember anything... What happened to you? Did... who did that to you?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 28, 2020 18:40:31 GMT -5
Kelsey hauled Percy to his feet with little personal issue, wrapping his arm over her shoulder for personal support. She spared one last look around them at the new additions to the collateral damage. Then she started walking, moving at a slow, steady pace for Percy's sake.
She didn't respond to Percy's question at first. Instead, Kelsey cast him a sad glance, then looked up at Tri as he floated down to their level. "Tri, I... I thought you said..."
The spectral demon merely offered an indifferent shrug, then drifted a few paces ahead of the duo.
Kelsey stared at Tri's back for a moment before dropping her head with a low sigh and directing her attention back to Percy. Her voice was heavy with clear concern. "The, uh... The monster from last night showed back up. Seemed like it was trying to eat that meteor. I... think I drove it away for now. Don't worry about me. I'll recover."
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