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Post by The Sidhe on May 17, 2013 15:52:36 GMT -5
It wouldn’t be long at all, now. They would reach their destination soon. Having identified the proper means of direction, Gretel continued to lead the students although less guidance was needed now that the forest had opened up a bit. While the terrain was more open, the trees had gotten larger. Their trunks were massive, dark wood shooting up who knows how high to block most of the sunlight with thick and heavy branches. Gretel occasionally looked up through them but still continued walking. The danger of tripping should she not look where she was going didn’t seem to faze her. Cyrus’ Soul Perception would reveal little of the Kishin Egg’s location. The group was still too far. All he’d catch, really, was Gretel and Lavender. However there was something strange that would most definitely be taken notice of. Gretel was soulless. Her outline was there, a glowing white of what she was, but she had no soul to speak of. Whoever took a good look at her first would get it. She’d appeared solid and imperfect for most of the hike, but now as they neared the Kishin Egg’s lair she was changing. A few rips had appeared in her skit and there were rather tough looking dirt stains on the knees of her tights. The most telling clue of all, though, would be that little Gretel was vaguely transparent. Speaking of their now known spirit guide, the blonde had paused. Humming. Gretel and the students both would be able to hear it. Soft, sweet, but entirely misplaced in the middle of a forest. It was enchanting, relaxing even, but the tune itself was haunting. The little girl swallowed hard. She’d heard it before. She knew exactly who or rather what it belonged to. Even now it ate away at her mind, coaxing her forward, back to that wretched clearing with the ash tree where she would be waiting. Stiffly, she continued forward. Her pale eyes were fixed straight ahead on a break in the trees. A pale light could be seen just beyond. That was where it would be. The closer they got, the more Gretel changed. The brilliant red of her dress became dull. One of her sleeves appeared torn at the seams of the shoulder. A hole appeared in the back of her jacket, a dark stain appearing in and around it before boring clear through the little girl. Her skin grew paler until it turned grey; the shining gold of her hair growing dirty and the ends of her braids appears tangled. She did not look back at them. She couldn’t. They’d come this far, she wouldn’t scare them away even as Gretel began to remember more and more and wonder if this time would be any different. The tree line broke and the group wandered into the clearing. It was a gorgeous site to behold, at least at first. Wild flowers covered the entire area with every color imaginable, all in varying vibrant shades. In the center stood a great ash tree, several stories tall and with thick branches and boughs that cast shade over much of the area. The sun shone down on the scene, casting everything in glittering gold light. For a moment it looked like a page straight out of a fairytale. Until they ventured in further. Patches of empty space would appear between the flowers, seen from afar as mere breaks in the color. Upon closer inspection, it would be found that they were trenches. Perhaps three feet deep, each was filled to the brim with water that shimmered in the sunlight. Stray petals floated atop the nonexistent currents, but what was held within would be cause for alarm. The first would be found not even ten feet in, the furthest from the bunch. It appeared empty at a glance, but that wasn’t quite true. Closer inspection would reveal a very small set of shoes, the blue color dulled from being underwater for an extended period of time. Disturbances in the bottom of the small trench would be barely visible, but breaks in the dirt would glint white. Bones. Small bones belonging to that of a child, perhaps even several, that had been kept within. The other trenches would appear further in. For a time most appeared empty save for the glint of old bones and the occasional garment of clothing left behind. However as they ventured further towards the ash tree, bodies began appearing. The first few had been dead for weeks, little more than skeletons with greying, water-logged flesh barely hanging onto them, their milky eyes gazing up through water they would never leave. Other appeared newly dead; their lips blue, their skin pale, and decay only just starting to show. Even more troubling, though, was there were more children that appeared to be alive kept beneath the water. How it was being accomplished was a mystery, but their eyes were closed, apparently held in sleep beneath water that somehow did not drown them. Gretel paused at the head of one of the trenches perhaps twenty feet from the ash tree. Within was a little boy, perhaps six years old, with blonde hair and pale skin. He appeared only to be sleeping. Kneeling slowly, Gretel gazed down at him, relived, “Hansel.”But relief was not something to be felt yet. The humming had stopped. No other sound came from within the clearing other than the soft sway of leaves and flowers in the wind. From the ash tree, though, came a sudden giggle. The bark in the middle of its trunk twisted and churned before seeming to open. The Kishin Egg emerged from within, and as Gretel had stated to the students beforehand, she did indeed look as though she’d been grown from the earth. Pale green skin was covered in a way that barely rendered her decent by bark and vines which seemed to grown out of her. Dulled silver hair tumbled from her head in slightly tangled yet still elegant curls, flowers and leaves woven into the strands with partial braids and twists. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal nothing but black. A grin made up purely of malice spread over her face as she stepped slowly outwards, gaze fixed on Gretel first and foremost before it shifted to the two students. Oh, what fun they would have.
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Jun 24, 2013 16:30:49 GMT -5
The forest eventually opened up, and with a sigh Lavender stepped out of the treeline and out into the open air. She looked worse for wear - the hard tangles and branches had ripped up her dress and given her a couple of nice scratches on her forehead and cheeks - but Lavender was tough. She crossed her arms and looked around, her eyebrows furrowing. "You sure we're in the right place?" She asked, turning to Gretel. The clearing was beautiful. There were flowers blanketing the grass, and the light was a buttery gold, a nice change from the grey of the city they had left. There was a gigantic tree in the middle of the clearing, huge and covering most of the clearing with its long-reaching branches. The light that filtered down dotted the grass and flowers with exquisite shadows, almost lace-like in appearance. There was a sound like humming in the air. Lavender had to admire the beauty in front of her, but something about it felt...wrong.
Something was wrong with Gretel, too. Her hair had become disheveled and tangled, her knees scraped and dirty. Her red dress seemed duller than before - or was that just Lavender's imagination? - and her skin ashy. Almost translucent. With a start, Lavender realized that Gretel was slightly see-through. Lavender stared at Gretel for a long moment, wondering when the change had occurred. When they had first met the little girl, she certainly hadn't looked this way, and Lavender knew that Gretel had not had any issues walking in the woods and knew for certain that she couldn't see the tree bark through her once-solid head earlier. Whatever was happening was far more sinister. Lavender looked away, further out across the flowers, wondering if Cyrus had noticed.
She mused on Gretel's appearance as she walked, noticing a break in the colorful flowers. Almost without meaning to, she began to make her way nearby, noticing the small water pool and smiling at the petals within the shining, clear waters. Her eyes settled upon a pair of shoes, stuck in the silt in the bottom of the small brook. Lavender's expression became puzzled as she knelt down to get a better look. What were shoes doing here? And surrounded by small, white bones-
Lavender yelped and skittered back, but what she had seen wasn't a mistake. There were bones in the water. She gaped at the scene before turning her eyes to the other trenches, her face strangely still.
They walked further in, towards the giant ash tree. Every so often a bone or a scrap of clothing was laying in the water, and Lavender felt herself begin to step carefully around them, giving them a wide berth.
Then the bodies appeared.
The first one Lavender saw was bloated from laying in the water, the flesh almost all separated from the bone save for whatever was above the water line. The child's face was to the sky, milky white eyes and sagging, bloated flesh giving off a putrid image. Lavender felt her stomach heave, and she retched, doubling in half and gasping for air. She hadn't eaten anything on the plane, something she was glad for. There was nothing for her stomach to expel, and after a moment she caught her breath, although she didn't stand up right away. She could see the bodies in the other trenches, some little more than skeletons, some obviously freshly dead, with blue lips and broken skin. Lavender felt the nausea rise again, and she had to pause to dry heave again, coughing, tears running down her face. She could barely breathe.
Feeling shaky, Lavender stood up, almost in a daze, mascara and eyeliner running down her face. She didn't bother trying to wipe it off. Gretel had run off and looked relieved, staring into a trench nearby. Lavender silently walked over, barely noticing that the boy inside seemed less dead than the others.
They're all dead all dead all dead all dead-
A sudden, high pitched giggle snapped Lavender out of her shock. The ash tree was splitting, bulging and twisting, and out of the opening waked out the Kishin Egg. Gretel had been right - the Kishin looked mossy, her body swathed in what looked like bark and vines. There were flowers in her hair.
She was the ugliest person Lavender had ever seen. The pinkette's eyes narrowed and she looked angrier - was angrier - than she had ever been in her life. She had never wanted to hit anything more than the thing in front of her, shoot the smile off her face and stamp her head into the muddy trenches.
"Let's kill it," she hissed to Cyrus.
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Post by Cyrus Owen on Jul 24, 2013 23:54:09 GMT -5
Looking around Cyrus wasn’t sure what to expect. Soul perception wasn’t completely foreign to him but he was still new at all this soul ability stuff. Kishin eggs on the other hand were something he had no experience with. From what he did know he expected there to be some sort of red menacing glow but nothing like that showed up. Instead he saw the soul of Lavender and the lack of soul in Gretel. Instead he found their guide to have a white glow around her and a deteriorating appearance. It seemed to start with her clothes but spread to her body as well.
Pausing for a moment Cyrus wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t sure what Gretel actually was but at the same time she didn’t seem malevolent. Deciding to just keep an eye on her for the time being he continued on following her lead. When Gretel stopped moving Cyrus did so as well, keeping an eye on her for anything suspicious. The suspicious thing didn’t come from their guide though; it came as a strange humming that should not exist in the forest. The sound was strange yet oddly alluring, it almost felt like it was beckoning them in a certain direction.
Not thinking much of it Cyrus simply followed Gretel when she started moving again. She seemed to be headed toward what looked like a break in the forest. Her appearance was deteriorating more and even without the use of his soul perception he could see it. He was mildly concerned but figured it was best to focus on the mission for the moment. Gretel’s new look may be odd but at least she didn’t seem hostile, so they should concentrate on the largest threat at hand. Once the kishin was dealt with any other mystery could be looked into.
It was a clearing that they walked into. The space and light was a much welcome change from the rest of the forest. Cyrus had faired fine but easy terrain was always better and it would be less difficult for Lavender. There was still plenty of shade from the main tree that stood out in the clearing but it didn’t seem as constricting with all the flowers around them. Progressing deeper into the clearing revealed the trenches within the blanket of flowers to the meister. Alone they would be hazardous but nothing too life threatening. They shouldn’t be too deep, enough to get your leg drenched but not swallow you up. That was until he spotted the bones and shoes.
What were things like that doing there? The trenches shouldn’t be enough to kill much of anything on their own. Even a child should be able to get out, plus not be this deep in the forest if they couldn’t anyway. Continuing on things only got worse as whole bodies began to appear. This was most definitely done on purpose. So this was the work of a kishin egg? Cyrus wasn’t sure what to expect but this wasn’t it.
By the sounds he could tell Lavender had found the bodies as well even without looking. He stared at the corpse in the trench not sure what to think. He was far from unfazed by the sight but managed to withhold any reaction. Seeing a body in person like this was a new experience to him but he had seen worse scenes before. Researching military history had revealed plentiful horrors to him but he had time to come to terms with them. The worse part about what was before him was not how the corpses were but what they were, poor children who had found themselves like this.
Standing up and steeling himself into the calmest he could manage Cyrus walked over to where the entity that was Gretel was and looked at what she was staring at. A boy that was the Hansel she had talked about. Something was strange about him though so Cyrus crouched down to get a better look. Certainly he was under the water but unlike the others he saw there were no signs of decay that came with a drowned body, in fact he looked to be more sleeping than dead. Not noticing how the humming stopped Cyrus reached out to the body and was about to try and pull it out when he heard the giggle.
Snapping to his feet Cyrus wasted no time getting to the side of Lavender. Reaching his destination he stared at the tree and activated his soul perception. With something actually emerging from the tree he had no doubt that this was the kishin egg so this was his best chance to see what an actual corrupt soul looked like. It looked human for the most part like he expected but she did look like something made of nature. To think something like that had once been a human was unsettling but it meant he should think about it as one instead of some unknown force.
Keeping his own feelings suppressed as best he could his thoughts were reflected in Lavender. His mouth turned into a grimace at the kishin eggs’ smile. Ending the terror brought on by this monster was his foremost thought. ”I couldn’t agree with you more.” Extending a hand he readied himself to take Lavender’s weapon form and fight the monster that lied before him.
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Post by The Sidhe on Aug 6, 2013 22:45:30 GMT -5
The bark of the tree welded itself shut soon as the Kishin Egg found her footing outside of it. Newly budding flowers sprang up where her feet touched the ground. Her black eyes turned on Gretel for only a moment and the ghost cowered beneath her gaze. Hunkering down beside the pool that held her little brother hostage, she only wished there was something she could do to help fight the damned thing. But she trusted the student team, and so she would remain silently vigilant. Confident that the former meal wasn’t going to try anything stupid, black eyes were turned once again on the student team. Oh, but the looks on their faces! Priceless! More so the girl with the pink hair than the boy with the glasses, but with any luck she could soon change that. The wolfish grin on her face widened at hearing their words. Kill her? They could try, they would fail. She would make sure of that. The Kishin Egg placed a hand over her chest, playing a step backwards as a stagger and pulling a face of mock anguish, “Kill me? But you’re just in time for lunch!”Her voice was grating at best, no matter how sweet the humming had been. The lullaby worked only in that there were no words. The Kishin Egg’s voice was split in tone, sounding as thought a child and an adult were speaking in tandem, one sickeningly sweet and one wholly sadistic. The act vanished once she’d had her laugh, shrill giggles bubbling from her throat and falling from her lips. Smirk back on her face, there was nothing left to do but get the party started. There was no fun in just killing them outright, she enjoyed playing with her food first. It was always so lovely to watch them run and scream and of course then they would trip and fall into the pools anyway. These two were a bit old for her tastes and they certainly would never fit into any of the trenches, but she would manage somehow. Lifting both her hands in the air, she made as though to leap for them only to instead drop to her knees. Her palms landed flat against the flowerbeds, fingertips digging into the earth beneath. It responded to her call, roots bulging up from the ground and twisting together. The thickets split into four, winding back for a split second before lunging out at the student team. Two earthen ropes lashed towards Lavender, the other towards Cyrus. While keeping them apart would be boring, it would at least make them all the less threatening and easier to defeat. The rest of the ground seemed to have come alive as well. The flowers were bending and wilting, the force used to bind the earthen restraints apparently sapping the life from them. Elsewhere small roots began rippling up from the grass, pulsing and arching out of the earth. For the moment they were merely tripping hazards, but they appeared ready to spring to life at the Kishin Egg’s first command.
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Sept 8, 2013 15:17:14 GMT -5
Dashing toward her partner and grabbing Cyrus' hand, it took no time for Lavender to dissolve into a warm purple light, her pistol form solidly within her meister's hand and out of the reach of the roots that had been aimed at where her body once stood. The battle had just begun, however.
"Move!!" Lavender yelled, although Cyrus probably didn't need to be told twice. The roots beneath their feet would prove to be a big pain in the ass, she could tell already. "Don't trip and drop me," she added, her tone snooty as always. Even in the face of certain danger, she didn't want to get dirtier than she had to. It would also be an unfortunate thing if they got separated - if Cyrus proved to be too slow, hell, she was gonna turn back and get the green bi- witch herself with her partial form and killer left hook. Lavender couldn't imagine anything more satisfying than shooting (or punching) the evil smile straight off her green face.
In any case, the roots worried Lavender. What if the kishin blocked their shots with her control of the plants around them? Lavender mentally crossed her fingers that the kishin was too stupid to think of that. A couple clear shots was all they needed to take her down. Shoot her so full of holes she can't help but turn into mulch. Was the anger she felt a smokescreen for how scared she was? Definitely. But the sooner they took the kishin out, the sooner they could leave. Lavender was already booking the first-class airplane tickets in her mind.
Idly, Lavender looked around, and she noticed for the first time that the kishin had her hands dug into the earth. Does she have to be connected? she wondered, turning the possibility over in her mind. Maybe...
"Psst! Cyrus!" She hissed, her form appearing in the metal barrel of the gun. "Try to get that tacky hag's hands away from the ground!" She didn't offer any explanation, hoping Cyrus was quick enough to understand what she meant. If her hypothesis was correct, it could save them a lot of trouble. If not...
Well, since when was Lavender ever wrong? In fact,the idea that it could be just a coincidence had never crossed her mind. They were fighting for their lives. Lavender was disgustingly rich, but even she couldn't afford to be wrong at a time like this.
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Post by Cyrus Owen on Oct 24, 2013 18:57:27 GMT -5
It was good that they had managed to catch up to the girl but she didn’t seem terribly off put at causing them additional problems. Cyrus didn’t press the issue though; they had more important matters to attend to. Perhaps they would have a chat with Gretel’s parents after but that was the least of his concerns. At the moment the woods it front of them were the more menacing then the bad behavior of a little girl. At least she had some logical reason for her actions but that didn’t excuse her from them. He was too used to his strict upbringing to fully tolerate Gretel’s unruly actions.
Listening to Gretel’s introduction Cyrus was trying to pick up on anything useful. The constant worry of messing up was in the back of his mind but he would do all he could to avoid it. Hearing the remark about how the paths vanished did nothing to reassure him. If things did come down to that he could hopefully use his soul perception to find the others. With any luck they could get through the forest and find the kishin quickly. Cyrus wasn’t sure how actually fighting the thing would be but he was more positive on that front. If there was one thing he was sure of it was his ability to shoot.
The kishin went for some attempted witty remark before changing its stance into a more offensive position. A leap looked like it was coming but Cyrus wasn’t sure what that would accomplish. Watching as the kishin fell to her knees Cyrus attempted to prepare but had nothing to go off of. Roots emerging from the ground were not something he would have expected but it did seem to go with the nature theme this kishin had with it. At least it didn’t involve more of its obnoxious voice.
As soon as the assault started Cyrus felt Lavender grab his hand and transform into the more familiar shape of a pistol. Having a weapon in his hand was a relief to Cyrus plus he wouldn’t have to worry about the roots getting Lavender and just focus on himself. Her desire to not be dropped was understandable, falling into a puddle would be horrid but the ground in general would be inconvenient. Now armed Cyrus took one shot aimed at the head of the kishin before focusing his attention on the roots and the ground.
With the terrain and his own abilities Cyrus knew he needed to prepare for the roots before they got too close to him. Keeping light on his feet he moved around in a perimeter, not wanting to get closer for fear of any other tricks she had. Distance was definitely something they should make use of; ranged combat was certainly more his forte than close range. Keeping his attention between the ground and the kishin Cyrus looked for an opening or something that looked like a weak point that could be exploited. With any luck it would be relatively easy to find the point.
While trying to spot a point of interest Lavender’s words caught his attention. Her hands? Now that she mentioned it the roots didn’t come after them until her hands touched the ground. Well it was as good of a lead as any so he might as well go for it. Taking a quick moment to calculate his position Cyrus aimed at the woman’s hands before pulling the trigger. Two shots, one for each hand. Lavender held six so he had 3 more before he had to reload; he was familiar to this with actual guns so it came as second nature.
Moving in he kept a good distance while observing the kishin. With Lavender at the ready he watched the kishin and the ground. Whatever she did next he would be ready for, if even posthumously they would avenge Gretel and the others.
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Post by The Sidhe on Dec 18, 2013 15:37:10 GMT -5
The team managed to reach each other in time. The earthen woman narrowed her eyes, but the grin on her face didn’t falter one bit. Keeping them separated would have made this far easier, but now at least she was in for a challenge. It had been a while since anything interesting happened, the latest having been that stubborn girl. What’s more was their burst of instant boldness, a shot aimed straight at her head. The Kishin Egg’s hands left the ground as she saw the Meister take aim and bent backwards at an angle that should have been impossible. The bullet grazed the bottom of her chin.
As the creature’s hands left the earth, the roots noticeably died down. Without direction, they had nothing to do and nowhere to go but sit idle, apparently still riled enough from her feet still being firmly planted to the earth. A low, dark chuckle left her as she righted herself and then rose. Black eyes followed the team’s movements closely. This one was quick to be certain, but she felt the need to test agility against grace. Just how was still something she still was formulating in her mind, but for now she let the roots twist, though her hands appeared poised even now. For what was a mystery.
The Kishin Egg appeared to grin and then glide back several paces, keeping close to the edge of the ash tree, the bottoms of her feet apparently skimming over the grass and dirt like skates on ice. She came to a stop and knelt, setting both palms flat against one of the thicker roots. The wood groaned and the soil shifted, slowly at first but then far quicker. From beneath the earth, several smaller roots no doubt connected to the main body of the tree shot out, aiming once again for the Meister’s ankles. Her eyes were intently focused on the earth, but as black darted once again to the team she would react to the sound of gunfire a seconds too late. Her body jerked, but the left hand was still hit.
Blood spattered and then oozed from the wound. A brief but shrill sound left the creature before she recoiled, apparently twisted away to hide herself for however many short seconds it would take for the team to make the opposite side of the ash tree visible. Pressing her back against the back was a near comfort, but her mind was working fat. Now? For a hand wound? No, not yet. Not unless she needed to. The children were precious after all; there was no need to put one to waste for something so small. Besides the other was just fine.
Seeking to slow the team down, she inched around enough to peer at where they last were. She placed her feet upon the ground beside the great roots, burying her toes into the soil and calling the smaller stems to life. Once again, younger and thinner roots grew, creating a sort of net in a crisscross formation upon the ground. She aimed to trip them. It was her best bet. It would slow them down at the least if it worked and possibly grant her ample opportunity to gain the upper hand, particularly since she was now down one. A sneer present on her face, she waited. Let them think they had her cornered. They would find out soon enough that the roots were the least of their worries.
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Dec 27, 2013 17:13:23 GMT -5
"That's my meister!!" Lavender yelled in triumph as the bullet hit the Kishin square on her hand. Her hasty retreat only served to make Lavender prouder - it was on the defensive. They were making the Kishin run away. "That's what it gets for trying to attack my team," she said snootily, her reflection in the side of the gun looking entirely too self-satisfied.
Lavender was delighted. She had only seen Cyrus in the firing range, after all. She had no way of knowing if he would be just as accurate in a real battle, if he was worthy of her. It was nice to know she had been right. Cyrus was so calm and collected! He was serious, but she supposed in this case it was a benefit, even if it made him seem boring.
"Come on, follow her!" Lavender said, impatient. "The sooner we kill this hag the sooner I can be in First Class on the plane ride home. I'm going to need to repair this poor dress, too..." Lavender sighed. She was going to make her next mission outfit out of sturdier material, and a matching one for Cyrus. The lack of outfit coordination bothered her. If they were going to work as a team, she wanted them to at least look like one. She remembered Gretel. "Oh, yeah. The sooner we can save the kid, too," she added boredly. It was mostly an act, though - Lavender had retreated inside her Rich Lady Rudeness to cover the fact that she was terrified. The dead bodies had been pushed out of her mind for the best. Lavender didn't want to throw up again.
"Hurry up," she sniffed, not caring if she sounded demanding. The sooner this fight was over, the better. Lavender absolutely hated being out in the woods where her shoes got muddy and her stockings got ripped. "Watch out for her stupid roots," she admonished. "And don't trip! And especially don't drop me! I mean, I don't mind saving you, but I'd really rather avoid the trouble," she said. "And the dirt."
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Post by Cyrus Owen on Jan 3, 2014 21:34:42 GMT -5
There were more things going on than Cyrus had expected. Splitting his focus between his own movement, what the kishin was doing, the terrain, the roots, and how many shots Lavender still had before needing to reload was taxing but necessary to stay alive. It may not have been exactly like what his dad had told him but this was probably close enough to normal combat for him to think about parallels. He did notice through the medley of different things that the kishin did dodge his shot aimed at her head so she wasn’t invulnerable to normal attacks. When she dodged however the roots attacking them lessened their intensity enough for him to pick up on the connection.
So it seemed that she needed to have some form of physical contact with the ground in order to use it as a weapon against them, not really a relief but somewhat positive regardless. At least knowing this gave them a clear thing to look out for as well as an obvious target. Keep her hands away from the ground and shoot at them if they went for it, simple enough of a plan to follow. Seeing an opening he took a shot at each hand to see what would happen.
Unfortunately his shot at the right hand missed its mark but the left was spot on. It was hard to imagine the kishin could make a worse sound than its voice but it managed to with its scream before recoiling away behind the tree. Lavender’s exclamations served as additional motivation to keep up the assault on the kishin. They were doing really good so far when it came to going against their first kishin egg, just had to keep it up and finish this creature off. Lavender’s call to go after the kishin was a good idea and the sooner they finished her off the better.
”I couldn’t agree more.”
Deciding to take the rest of what Lavender said as concern or shared sentiment to leave Cyrus focused on planning how to approach the kishin and deal with her. The terrain was clearly in her favor and soon Lavender would be out of shots and need to reload. Having next to no experience with a gun that fired bullets of wavelength he had no idea how long that would take and would rather make the shots count. With the crisscrossing roots Cyrus had to approach without tripping from the roots or the puddles.
Accepting that anywhere they set foot was in some level of danger Cyrus took the risk and began his approach. Hopping up he ran along the roots with the best footing he could. Moving along the perimeter of the tree he held Lavender at the ready and put trust into his own shooting skills. As soon as he caught side of the kishin he jumped off the roots hoping to quickly get her in shooting range before she could move or counter. Raising up Lavender he took three shots in quick succession. One for the head, one for the remaining hand and one for the chest.
Landing he planted his feet on the ground and rested Lavender at his side. He didn’t like emptying the remaining shots like that but one was too avoidable and having only one shot left would leave them open. Mumbling a quiet ”One clip” under his breathe he kept track of how many shots he had used so far. Hopefully Lavender would be able to reload quick and not leave them open for too long.
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Post by The Sidhe on Feb 18, 2014 21:18:06 GMT -5
The rooted net seemed to at least slow them a bit. A grin yanked at a single corner of the creature’s mouth, pointed teeth glinting form the light filtering down through the leaves of the great ash tree. The mad soul’s joy didn’t last long though. The Meister was clever; she had to give him that. Running along the roots was certainly not the reaction she had expected, but no matter. Scowling, she stamped one foot. The roots disappeared back into the ground, and she watched deliberately as they drew closer. She saw the Meister raise the gun again and ducked.
Movement and speed were on her side. The first shot whizzed past her ear, the next hitting her square in the clavicle and the other in her wrist. Another shriek left her, but once her legs were uprooted she was moving again. She ducked around further back, completed a half-circle to earn some space between herself and the team. Blood soaked through the moss covering pale green skin and ran slowly down her chest. Now was the time.
Shallow pools containing slumbering children dotted the ground nearest the ash tree. The same humming from before started up, and Gretel until now having been at Hansel’s side felt a familiar chill. The Kishin Egg was beyond her sight, but she knew. She knew what came next. Milky eyes sought out the team and she prayed they would still listen to her, “Stop her! Stop her humming, quickly!”
The creature stood with her back pressed against the bark of the tree, feet placed purposefully on a great root extending to the nearest pool. As sweet notes of lullaby clouded the air, the water began to glow and the tree itself shuddered and groaned. The glow traveled from the water through the roots, following a path into the trunk and then into the green maiden. Gradually, flesh stitched back together, blood ceased to flow, and the pain numbed. Even as she healed, she was not idle.
Digging her toes against the grooves in the roots beneath her feet, the Kishin Egg made a rough estimate as to the position of the team and sent jagged roots shooting out of the ground, aiming to impale them. She noted their absence and pause in pursuing her and grinned. Either they were waiting for her, or waiting for something else. Somehow, she felt as though the latter was correct. The branches of the ash tree shivered and creaked, few leaves fluttering down to the green grass below. Perhaps all she needed to do was adjust her own strategy.
As the creature continued to regrow, the child in the shallow water deteriorated. A little girl not much younger than Gretel inhabited it, soft brown hair bound tightly behind her head, eyes closed. Her skin paled to near the color of her blue dress, the fabric billowing idly around her under the water. Her brows furrowing as though trapped in a nightmare. Gretel dared not leave Hansel’s side, but still she called to the team, “Please hurry! If you don’t stop her humming, someone else vill die!”
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Mar 20, 2014 18:53:49 GMT -5
One clip.
Reloading was simple.
Vizualize the empty chamber. Focus.
Lavender was delighted that her weapon form came with six shots - she'd seen regular Queen Anne pistols in museums before, and they usually only had one shot before reloading.
But, of course, Lavender was always a little better.
She'd focus on that as soon as the last clip had been emptied, though. Right now, Gretel was yelling.
"Stop the humming?" Lavender mused, her reflection appearing in the polished barrel of the pistol. "Okay, well, shoot her in the face!! Quickly! If she can't make noises, she can't do anything." She's got an ugly voice, anyways. Matches her face.
At her angle, she didn't have a clear view. The Kishin egg was outside of her line of vision.
Why? Lavender thought, brow furrowing. What's that humming got to do-
Roots exploded out of the ground, aimed straight at the team.
"Cyrus!" Lavender shrieked, suddenly feeling a chill.
One clip.
"I'm reloading!" She yelled.
Who cares if there was one shot left? Lavender closed her eyes. Evened her breathing.
We need more shots.
At least reloading was simple.
Breathe in. Concentrate.
Breathe out. Focus.
The pistol glowed a soft lavender color, and there was a small, metallic click as the bullets loaded up, tan light visible inside the barrel.
Six clips.
"TKO," Lavender advised, opening her eyes and sending surges of determination through her wavelength, hoping Cyrus could feel it. "Let's get this over with! Round two!"
No one else will die today, Lavender thought grimly. I'd especially love for it not to be us.
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Post by Cyrus Owen on Mar 21, 2014 20:00:14 GMT -5
Taking the kishin egg down in one clip would have been ideal but Cyrus was learning that fighting these corrupt souls was more difficult than he originally imagined. At least he seemed to have outsmarted her with his act of running on the roots to avoid being tripped up. Defeated in that regard the roots vanished shortly after he jumped off them. Not as fortunately she did notice his aiming and managed to duck enough to avoid the shots from landing in their intended locations but not enough to dodge them completely. Hitting where they did managed to do some damage but it wasn’t as much as he would have liked.
Hearing her shriek was almost pleasant if not for the fact that she wasn’t fatally hurt and managed to run around the tree after she was hit. Cyrus didn’t head after her immediately since he needed to be ready to attack her as fast as possible and Lavender needed to reload. Not seeing the kishin egg he did hear her humming but didn’t think too much of it other than confusion as to why she was doing that now. Before they started fighting her the humming made sense as some form of confidence but now there was no reason for it that he could think of.
While musing he heard Gretel shout that they needed to stop the humming quickly but he couldn’t fathom why. From what they had seen so far it looked like the kishin needed to make physical contact with the earth in order to send out vines and humming didn’t seem to add anything to that. He did notice the tree shudder a little but that alone did nothing to help him understand the situation. Deciding they needed to get her in sight again even if they couldn’t attack he got ready to move when he noticed movement and heard Lavender.
Roots headed at them Cyrus started running to get out of the way. Getting hit with one of those would put them in a bad situation and right now they couldn’t afford to be set back as such. Running in a perimeter he kept as much distance between himself and the roots as he could before getting out of their range and sharply turning in to run at the tree and the kishin. Lavender was reloading as he ran so maybe he could make it work out in their favor.
When the kishin came into sight Cyrus had to force himself to keep running instead of stopping from the shock. It wasn’t that she was glowing that bothered him, but that was certainly cause for worry, but that the wounds that they had dealt so far were healing away as she stood there. Calming himself from the worry that crept in he focused on the situation and looked to see what he could take in. The glow wasn’t only on the kishin but also the tree and the water in one of the pools that connected to the root.
Things started to come together with that and he needed to think of a way to deal with it quick. They didn’t have very many options but they had to do something to stop the kishin even if the outcome wasn’t guaranteed to work for them. Noticing the lavender color and hearing the click Cyrus knew Lavender had reloaded so now was the time to act. ”Alright, I have an idea but things might get a bit reckless.” He felt the need to give Lavender some warning before he acted on the impulse and taking a deep breath he began.
Running as fast as he could Cyrus headed not toward the kishin egg but for the pool of water that was glowing. So far all of her attacks had come from the ground so that was a problem but there was nothing they could do except hope they were lucky. With the kishin in sight Cyrus raised Lavender to aim but didn’t shoot right away. Keeping to the tips of his feet to minimize contact with the ground he avoided moving in a straight line in an attempt to not get trapped by any sudden attack. When they were close the more ridiculous part of the plan took place.
With the pool near Cyrus jumped up and toward the water in hopes that he could dodge any last minute roots and fired a shot straight toward the kishin’s chest. Landing on the ground he dropped down and stuck his left hand into the glowing pool. Moving as quickly as he could Cyrus grabbed for the child and pulled them out of the water of the pool but could only get them to the ground near it with such a hasty motion. It was only a hunch but if it did work they might be that much closer to taking out the kishin egg and being able to save everyone there.
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Post by The Sidhe on Mar 28, 2014 15:14:07 GMT -5
Thought the humming never ceased, a smirk twisted its way onto the creatures face when she heard the Weapon shriek at her partner. It meant her estimate of where they were hadn’t been too far off, perhaps right on the mark. With any luck this troublesome Cyrus and his shrill partner would be impaled and she wouldn’t need to worry over them further. What’s more, the next words only encouraged her further in that she was winning. Reloading? How inconvenient for them, and how fortuitous for her. As her wounds neared closing, the creature appeared to almost relax in leaning against the tree. Apparently she’d put too much stock in the teams planning skills.
With her focus on the gradually dying little girl in the glowing pool, she didn’t hear the Weapon’s reassurances that the team actually was, in fact, good to go. She noted their approach, of course, but paid them no mind at the moment. She paid no mind that in their passing, the path of the glow stemming from the child’s watery prison to the roots of the tree would become obviously coiled around a knot in the bark near to her. There the light was strongest, and from there it pulsed outwards into the creature herself in tides of healing, having stolen life from the little girl.
Seeing the team head towards the pool, it took physical effort for the creature to keep from rolling her eyes. Extending a hand and being sure that her toes were still connected into the grooves of the tree, she sent jagged roots shooting after their feet from where the stepped in the earth. But as they grew closer, she stopped, a scowl etched into her features. They were too close to the girl; she couldn’t risk spearing her life ticket if the roots came up through the pool. Clever, very clever.
Save for the shot to the chest. What was he trying to do other than stall her? The humming stopped nd a strangled sound left the creature instead. They had to be given credit for that at least, but it wasn’t as though it would stop her for long. As the glow started to fade, she let herself lean forward off the tree lest the healing affect redirect. She could pause for a moment, it wouldn’t kill her. Grinning, the creature took breath, or rather tried to. Her expression dropped, blood in her airway making her rasp, all that came from her being gargled sounds of pain and the burning in her chest. She couldn’t hum. She couldn’t heal. Cold realization setting in, her face drew dark as she stepped brazenly away from the tree. The glow faded completely, lingering only vaguely in the knot in the bark before disappearing entirely.
When the Meister reached in to grab the child, a shock of impossibly cold water would seem almost as though it were attempting to sap his strength and pull him down with her. But as the glow faded and he yanked the girl from the water, it would leave him only with a lingering chill that something wholly unnatural had tried to coax the life from him. The little girl, once out of the water, would remain sleeping. A bit of her color slowly returned, her skin gathering brightness as it hit the grass and losing the blue tone it had taken on. There was a wheeze and then coughing as water left her lungs, but she appeared to still be breathing. For the moment, she was safe sleeping.
But the creature was drawing closer, livid and reckless in her attempts to finish them now that she had no means to one up the team in terms of well-being. Kneeling only briefly, she took fistfuls of earth in her hands, yanking up great ropes of roots woven together as she strode towards them. Only able to snarl her displeasure, she swung both in an arc towards the team, aiming to knock them straight off their feet. With red staining her chest and dripping from the corners of her mouth, there was no more time left to play games.
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on May 3, 2014 15:11:37 GMT -5
Lavender's profile appeared on the side of the pistol, her face suspicious.
"As long as 'reckless' doesn't mean I get dirty," she groused, but didn't say anything else. So far, Cyrus had been a reliable partner, and she was willing to trust him, but if anything went wrong she was already gearing up to blame him for it and punch her way out of the mess.
Cyrus began running, raising Lavender up, but he didn't shoot.
Lavender was puzzled, but then she saw the logic. Can't waste any more bullets, she agreed. She beamed. Of course I'd have the smartest meister. No less will do.
Cyrus was weaving, making sure never to run in a straight line, but Lavender could see that his trajectory was taking them to a small pool of water. She looked over at the Kishin, noticing how relaxed she seemed, and her blood boiled. Something caught her eye, and her ire subsided for a moment when she noticed there was something glowing near the Kishin Egg-
Cyrus jumped.
He pulled the trigger.
The pistol fired a shot straight at the Kishin's chest, and when Cyrus landed back on the ground he made a dive toward the pool of water, shoving his free hand inside. In a smooth movement, he pulled the young girl free from the icy water of the pool, laying her down on the ground next to him.
Lavender shuddered. Who knows where that water had been? But she was delighted to see that the child wasn't dead. She coughed a little, the color returning to her cheeks. Lavender wanted to brush the hair out of the girl's face, but there'd be time for that later.
Right now, they had to destroy the Kishin.
"Cyrus!! She's on the movie!" Lavender shrieked, noticing the Kishin begin to advance, blood oozing from her chest and the corners of her mouth. Lavender felt sick just looking at her, but there was a bit of satisfaction in seeing how enraged the Kishin was. "Shoot her in the head!! Shoot her in the head!"
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Post by Cyrus Owen on May 12, 2014 16:33:59 GMT -5
Sticking his hand into the water probably wasn’t the best idea he had had but that was a consequence of being reckless. The water was freezing and he was glad it had only been a child he needed to pull out and not something that would have taken him too much time. Letting out a quick brr he shook the water off his arm and wiped it on his pant leg to get the cold off of it. Having a numb hand was generally not the best thing to have when using a gun against a monster intent on killing you.
It looked like his recklessness had managed to work in his favor however. The kishin seemed to be injured and no longer healing herself. Still having a nearly fully loaded Lavender ammo wasn’t a major concern as long as he could finish off the kishin egg. She looked to be on her way out but taking risk was not something to do when being cautious could grant them the victory. Rushing the kishin may prove to be a winning strategy but keeping distance gave them better options and kept Lavender safely away from the dreaded dirt she was so adamant on avoiding.
Getting on his feet Cyrus quickly moved away from the pool and moved in the perimeter around the kishin. He needed to stay focused and standing near the child would put her at risk of getting caught in the path of one of the kishin’s attacks. With the feeling returning to his left hand he raised Lavender and kept her steady with both hands while scoping out the kishin egg and how to handle her. She was approaching them and the root ropes she pulled up did not look like something he wanted to be on the receiving end of.
Obviously the kishin was the biggest threat and he heard Lavender’s advice about shooting her in the head. Well he couldn’t exactly deny that it sounded like a good plan and he did share the sentiment but he needed to keep thinking about this logically. Yes a head shot did usually put things out of commission but they were harder to land and easier to dodge. He would have to take a chance with it but that was to be expected considering what they were fighting. Taking a breath he steeled himself and focused his attention and wavelength on the gun in his hand.
”I’m pretty sure for weeds like her you need to take out the root of the problem.”
His attempt at a joke wasn’t the best but with everything else going on if he tried to stay too serious he was going to explode. Preparing himself he watched as the roots were prepared for an attack and he made his move. As soon as the roots were after him he kept his eyes on them and moved his right arm to aim not at the kishin but at the part of the tree that had been glowing. Maybe it was useless now but better safe than sorry. Quickly bringing his arm back he fired twice at the kishin egg, one toward her stomach and aimed to collide with the roots of her first swing while the other followed Lavender’s advice and was focused directly between the kishin egg’s eyes.
He hoped his shot at the roots would break or at least disrupt them but he was more concerned with killing the wretched thing first. In doing so he didn’t try to avoid the attacks until after he got his shots off. With that taken care of he attempted to take a quick jump back and avoid the attack of the kishin egg. His action was delayed by his attack but if he could take out the monster in the assault taking some collateral damage wasn’t the worst outcome. If not, well he was going to have to be careful with the last two shots and hope for the best.
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