New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 9 of 50 FirstFirst 1234567891011121314151617181934 ... LastLast
Results 241 to 270 of 1478
  1. - Top - End - #241
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    TherianTheorist's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    ...
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Parking Area!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rebonack View Post
    Meanwhile!

    "Collected shapes?" Zee inquires cursorily. "Is there something specific you have to do to get new ones?"

    She honestly has no idea how any of this 'moon champion' stuff works. She isn't one, after all. But like most things she's more than happy to learn. Part of the reason she loves the Nexus so much is just how many interesting stories there are to hear.

    And then guy trying to steal a motorbike is confronted!

    "You probably won't get away and I'll have to call Intersection once you get caught," Zee points out. "I'm pretty sure stealing... magical motorcycles? Is a pretty significant crime. Grand-theft road lion."

    It's a VERY serious crime.
    "Instinctively? Find an animal or person whose body I want, stalk it a while, chase it down, eat their heart. And then they're a part of me." Ashen explained casually. "There are other ways, ways of claiming a shape without killing the owner, but those are something we actually have to learn. Similar to how we have to learn how to use any shapes that are much larger or smaller than out human one." It's a good thing people weren't making assumptions here, because that doesn't do much to make the process less morally dubious than it sounds.

    He really should try and save the explanations for after getting his Road Lion back, though.
    Quote Originally Posted by Earl of Purple View Post
    Car Park

    The Road Pirate turns and sees the Exalt and Zee approach. He turns and mimes a pistol at them, eyes turning black and a blast of black energy is fired from his 'gun' towards the Exalt's feet. "You can't stop me, mate. I got yer bike." He pours more of his profane energy into the Road Lion, getting it to move and accelerate away. It's risky, though, and he doesn't realise just how dangerous it could be.
    While the approximation of an essence commitment was enough to start the machine, it turns out the actual flaw in the Pirate's plan was probably that artifacts have absolutely awful handling for people who don't spend several hours attuning them to their Anima first, just as true for bikes as it was for man-sized swords. Which is to say that turning around and taking a hand away from steering was an awful idea, and they're liable to crash.

    Ashen doesn't take the warning shot as a reason to slow down, more concerned that his property is being stolen. He pulls a pair of small knives from his jacket, and holds them loosely between the knuckles of his right hand. One more attempt at intimidation, then the universal art of violence. "It's attuned, I can sense which direction it's in. Long as you have it, I could know where you are, potentially to hunt and eat you. Still interested?" He added to Zee's more reasonable threat of calling the authorities.
    "Life before death, Strength before weakness, Journey before destination."

    Baking werewolf by Diremage
    Spoiler: Oddly true
    Show
    Spoiler: Previous avatars
    Show
    Beastly Squall avatar by linklele. Awesome Protean avatar by Serpentine.

  2. - Top - End - #242
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Maybe Not Quite Parking Area]

    Now see?

    This is a problem.

    Zee can't have people getting their modes of transportation stolen from in front of the tavern all willy-nilly. It reflects poorly on the tavern. And she's been trying to cultivate a more welcoming atmosphere lately! Some people avoid Trog's because of the random encounters. Chasing that stupid fae out who had been orchestrating them was easy enough. But that still doesn't stop all the other shinanagins.

    Now, obviously stealing the road lion is harder than stealing a regular old unlocked bicycle. There's some metaphysical commitment that has to be made that most people simply wouldn't have access to. But it looks like this thief has applied the magical equivalent of a hotwire.

    Then he shoots at them.

    Ugh.

    What a day.

    Zee pulls out her phone and speed-dials Intersection.

    "Hey Switchboard it's Zee over at Trog's Tavern. I've got a chucklehead here trying to steal someone's motorcycle, sending a video of 'em now."

    The barmaid snaps a picture of the thief and the bike. Wuh oh. The cops know who he is now!
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  3. - Top - End - #243
    Orc in the Playground
     
    Earl of Purple's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    With folk in the North
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Leaving Car Park

    The Road Lion is no longer being stolen, as Zee has just filmed the biker (who is probably wanted for other violent crime already; mugging and assault, most likely) lose control of the artefact and drive into a hedge. They weren't going very fast, and the hedge is pretty soft; it might have scratched the paint, but serious damage is unlikely. The tiefling climbs off the bike, mimes his gun and blasts three more shots in the direction of Zee and Ashen, before turning and running. He's reaching into a pocket and pulling out an ornate key-fob carved from bone. Unless stopped, he'll likely press the button next post and do... whatever it's going to do.
    Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!

  4. - Top - End - #244
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    TherianTheorist's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    ...
    Gender
    Male

    d6 Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Beyond Parking Area?]

    The barmaid snaps a picture of the thief and the bike. Wuh oh. The cops know who he is now![/QUOTE] Artifacts are durable, though the Road Lion's non-jade segments might need a cosmetic touch-up after that run in with the hedge. But Ashen, having rarely had a good relation with law enforcement in his own world, would rather collect it now, than wait for the authorities.

    The Changing Moon does his best to evade, losing some bits of his coat in the process. He's more than willing to fight for his bike back, though his constitution was fairly unimpressive for his kind, so he would have to make it quick if he actually wanted to win. "You can still walk away." He began, demonstrating his knife-throwing abilities with what he intended as a pair of warning shots. "Just give up." He continued, attempting to close the distance on essence-reinforced legs before that ominous button could be pushed. If he made it there in time, he'd be able to do something more direct about the situation.
    Last edited by TherianTheorist; 2020-03-22 at 02:14 AM.
    "Life before death, Strength before weakness, Journey before destination."

    Baking werewolf by Diremage
    Spoiler: Oddly true
    Show
    Spoiler: Previous avatars
    Show
    Beastly Squall avatar by linklele. Awesome Protean avatar by Serpentine.

  5. - Top - End - #245
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [In General Proximity to Trog's Tavern]

    Zee doesn't get shot.

    Nope.

    Sure doesn't.

    Instead the black projectile goes whizzing right through her phone, blasting a hole in it.

    "Gah!" the barmaid exclaims, tossing it away shortly before it burst into flames on account of the battery getting punctured. "You JERK I was still making payments on that thing!"

    This is why you should invest in the insurance plan, Zee. You never know when your phone might get blown up by a teifling hooligan stealing magical motorcycles.

    And next up comes the little button thing. What's it for? Who knows! But Zee figures that whatever it's for probably isn't great. She begins to stride toward the punk at a pretty fast clip, focusing on the machine. She's guessing it's going to produce some kind of signal when the button is pushed. Maybe activating something else? If she's right she'll try to scramble whatever message the device broadcasts.

    We'll see whether or not that ends up being helpful.
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  6. - Top - End - #246
    Orc in the Playground
     
    Earl of Purple's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    With folk in the North
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Beyond Parking Area

    The button doesn't actually do anything; it's a focus for something the biker can do on his own. Should also note that, despite firing blasts off at Zee and Ashen, he's also running away, abandoning the Road Lion. Ashen can probably catch up, but after the button is pressed a motorbike made of shadows and flame erupts from the ground underneath him. It's a chopper-style bike with a wide rear wheel, the headlight is held in the mouth of a screaming face, the smoke emitted from the exhaust is thick and black, and looks like reaching hands and screaming faces. The engine is hard to see, black and shadowed, the handlebars are gorilla hanger style and shaped like spinal columns. The bike doesn't roar. It really doesn't. It screams, like a tortured soul.

    If Ashen grabs at the tiefling, he could pull him off his bike. Then... Do whatever he wants to do to him.
    Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!

  7. - Top - End - #247
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Quote Originally Posted by Rebonack View Post
    [Curtained Dragons]

    "The different orders of seraphim get different titles as the climb the Tower. I'm a Glory, incidentally. They're all themed! I dunno who came up with them, though. And you might want to cover your eyes for this first part since it's pretty bright," Zee warns a moment before she's immolated in a flash of brilliant light.

    All of a sudden there's a single, crystalline tone and Zee has been replaced by Yezekiel in her partially unveiled form. Humanoid at the moment, a vaguely cervine draconic entity, tall and slender. Two huge feathered wings stretch from her shoulders, two from her hips, and a smaller pair where her ears (or a cobra's hood) might be. The scales on her belly are glossy black, those on the rest of her body deep amber. The wings shimmer with green pinions glittering gold. A pair of antlers stretch back from her head, forming an interwoven ring with an orb of cosmic darkness hovering in the center, ringed in white starlight. She has no eyes in her head. But that's okay. Her wings are full of them. Glory radiates from her, filling the booth with golden orange light that spills out under the curtain. It feel likes the sun shining in its strength after a heavy rain. Clean and bright.

    "Okay, come on Yezzee, inside voice,"
    the seraphim mutters to herself, resisting to the urge to blast BE NOT AFRAID at everyone in the tavern.

    Her mouth splits into a toothy smile that somehow manages to be simultaneously comforting and deeply unsettling.

    "Okay, this is pretty close to what I actually look like. Not exactly the same, but close," she explains. With each breath, each rise and fall of her chest, light pours out from between her scales. She's almost painfully bright to look at.

    A dragon, shining like a star, scales of molten glass. And with her leafy wings spread like that she does in fact evoke the image of a tree.
    [Curtained Dragons]

    Ambrosia closes her eyes and looks down at the table as Zee immolates. She had more questions, but they could wait for the time being.
    Once she can tell that the strong surge of light has passed, she looks up. "Amazing."
    The scholar quickly prods her animated pen which suddenly shakes violently as if it was annoyed for a moment before turning to an empty page and starts sketching.

    "I assume it's okay if I make a sketch of you?" But without waiting for an answer she gestures to Yezzee's wings. "Your eyes, do they symbolize your enhanced sight? Since they look so similar to living creatures, and I can't help but note a similarity to beings commonly known as 'angels' as well." Though after a moment of staring at Yezzee, Ambrosia have to put her arm over her eyes and stare down at the table again. The sketch continues to be drawn however.
    Last edited by Shadowcaller; 2020-03-23 at 07:30 AM.

  8. - Top - End - #248
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Murkus's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2010

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Quote Originally Posted by Zefir View Post
    C4 sights.
    "As I said AMEN isn't working with the demons anymore, they rather treat them as enemies. Thought they don't take actions." he says. It is a bit more complex since some members just do what they want and they could already talk with the demons for their own reasons.
    "They are up to NOTHING. And that is the point. Sure members do their own stuff but unless someone calls out a big plan nothing happens." he says then pause. With his hand he messages his forehead.
    "I don't know what is keeping me there. Maybe it is the urge to repay a dept, maybe it's just that I got nowhere to run, maybe it's some kind of magic keeping me there or maybe it's this blood outh thing. Whatever it is, there is allways a voice in my head telling me to return. I tried to deal with it, but you know the results."
    There is in fact a reason why he is there. One of the objects is rather fond of what AMEN was so it wants to stay around.
    "I don't understand what it might be, man, but if it's magic we can break it. If it's just... if it's a thing in your mind, we can get over that. I know some people you can talk to. Just... you have to choose to walk away. Do you wanna do that? Walk away? Cuz even if they're up to 'nothing', man, there's some nasty people in there."

    "I'd say 'let me take you out of there', but you have to want to get out. Do you want out?" He looks at Zefir earnestly.
    My avatar was done by Gullara. Thanks again!

    "If you meet a spirit walking,
    Incline your head.
    Do not meet their gaze.
    Do not follow after."

    -Things Our Mothers Tell Us

    Nexus Characters

  9. - Top - End - #249
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Curtained Dragons]

    "That's fine," Yezekiel replies with a nod. Her mouth isn't moving when she speaks. The light pouring off her pulses with each word, vibrating the air around her. Each sibilant syllable weaves the notes of celestial song. "That's safe enough to do with me. I haven't climbed the Tower high enough for pictures of me to be hazardous."

    Yet.

    "Some people call us 'angels'. But the divine servants they're thinking of aren't us. They might be a shadow. I'm not sure,"
    she says, followed by that fangly smile. "They Nexus runs off a whole bunch of cosmologies after all. There are plenty where people like me don't exist."

    The whole 'all cosmologies are true' thing throws a real wrench into any claims of ontological exclusivity.

    At the mention of her eyes, Yezekiel unfurls one and turns her head to look at it. Not that she has to. The humanness of her motions are still unconscious.

    Those eyes aren't typical by any means. They don't resemble the eyes of any living thing. Instead they're orbs of absolute darkness ringed in celestial radiance. Like a black hole and its accretion disk. They devour all light that touches them and staring too deeply probably isn't healthy.

    "I don't know. They might? Malakim have a whole bunch of arms. Does that symbolize the inescapable reach of their will? Ophanim are full of wheels. Does that represent their sovereignty over the turning of time? Were we made this way intentionally by someone? I still hope so. But I would have to make it to the top of the Tower to find out," the seraphim replies, her smile apologetic. "Sorry I don't have a whole lot of answers. I'm still new to all of-"

    She gestures at herself.

    "-this."
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  10. - Top - End - #250
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    TherianTheorist's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    ...
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Quote Originally Posted by Earl of Purple View Post
    Beyond Parking AreaIf Ashen grabs at the tiefling, he could pull him off his bike. Then... Do whatever he wants to do to him.
    Ashen tried to grab the pirate, and, finally, any other surprises snagged them off of a new bike? They already had one? That wasn't helping his view of them. Stealing what one didn't need was one thing, stealing what they already had was much, much worse.

    "Caught you~" He was pretty pleased with the light bit of chasing... But since he hasn't spent several days stalking his newly caught criminal, he wouldn't benefit that much from taking a bite out of them. Also, it would be rude to do that in front of someone he had just met. And so he drops the tiefling, stepping on their chest to keep them pinned in place. "You had a good run." He chimed, before looking over to Zee. "What does the Nexus usually do with thieves?"
    "Life before death, Strength before weakness, Journey before destination."

    Baking werewolf by Diremage
    Spoiler: Oddly true
    Show
    Spoiler: Previous avatars
    Show
    Beastly Squall avatar by linklele. Awesome Protean avatar by Serpentine.

  11. - Top - End - #251
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Curtained Dragons]

    Surely a simple sketch couldn't capture Zee's true Glory.

    Either way, as they were described as eyes I assumed they were eye-like enough for Ambrosia to describe them as such.
    "Really? Just how new are you to it exactly? Do you know? Since I imagine life must be quite different for you now. It's, as I understand it, almost as if you were reborn." She inquires as Zee gestures to herself.

  12. - Top - End - #252
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Motorcycle Miscreants]

    "The city has a police force and law system. Trying to steal someone's vehicle is a pretty major crime," Zee replies, scowling back at her ruined and still flaming phone. "Also assault with a magical weapon. That's a pretty major crime, too."

    She puts her fists on her hips and looms over the downed villain.

    "You're in big trouble, mister. And you had better stop wriggling around or it's only going to get worse. Intersection is already on their way to pick you up."

    Seriously.

    Is this jerk new to the Nexus?

    How did he honestly think trying to steal stuff from the parking lot of Trog's Tavern was going to go? Did he think that she wouldn't notice?

    Of course she would notice. She's got a reputation of being mostly on top of things!

    An Intersection patrol will probably be showing up in a few minutes to haul the criminal off unless something extraordinary happens.

    Zee flashes Ashen an apologetic smile. "I hope this doesn't reflect too poorly on the tavern. This sort of thing usually doesn't happen."

    Meanwhile!

    They most certainly look like eyes! Just weird ones. Weird is the order of the day with empyreans.

    "About... eight and a half years now? Nexus time. Time outside reality is a weird subject,"
    Yezekiel replies thoughtfully, tapping her chin with a claw. "I spent the first seven years or so up in the Empyrean putting myself back together. The last bit I've been here in the Nexus trying to get my life rolling again. Someone as young as me making it all the way into the Bronze Host within just a few years is kind of unprecedented? I think it's mostly because all of the mes got organized and worked together. That meteoric rise caught someone's attention and that's probably why I was sponsored to return here."

    She pulls a face.

    "Still no idea who my benefactor is or what their agenda might be, though."
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  13. - Top - End - #253
    Orc in the Playground
     
    Earl of Purple's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    With folk in the North
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Motrocycle Madness

    The tiefling is grabbed and hauled off his motorbike, which continues onward without stopping.

    "Yep, you got me. And I didn't get your bike. We're good, 'kay? No need to get the pigs involved, right?" The tiefling grins up at Ashen, seeming not very scared at all.

    As the bike has kept going, turned, and is accelerating up to hit Ashen. The Road Pirate, too, but the demonic vehicle is made of flame, shadow and the tiefling's original soul. It can't hurt him.
    Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!

  14. - Top - End - #254
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    5a Violista's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Next to the Mandolinist

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    A bunnygirl - Carlie - comes into the tavern and immediately goes to Paige to pay off the tab she had started the last time she was here when she was unable to pay. She's here in Inside to go clothes shopping - as supported by the evidence that the clothes she's wearing are starting to fit...less. Sometime in the next month, she'll start having to wear a completely different size.

    Which, to be honest, is something she's used to, but normally for a different reason - this particular time, it's because of pregnancy.

    So, once she does that, she orders just some basic food. It's still early in the day, so that's probably a normal thing that people do here at this time of day. Only the *super* regulars here drinking, probably, she assumes.
    Favorite sports:
    Fencing
    Football (Soccer)
    Figure Skating
    (and basically everything else that starts with 'f')
    ALSO! Come roleplay FFRPG in the Nexus!
    Nexus Characters.

  15. - Top - End - #255
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Purple Eagle's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    West Africa

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    ignore pls
    Last edited by Purple Eagle; 2020-03-31 at 01:28 PM.
    Purple Eagle's character list
    Love is the message.

  16. - Top - End - #256
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Curtained Dragons]

    Ambrosia nods thoughfully. "Chances are that even if you knew you might not even understand it. Or perhaps just mortals wouldn't. It's like being introduced to a completely alien culture, you need so much context to understand some actions within it. It's not enough to simply ask as they themselves might not be aware as to why." She gestures towards Zee. "But to get back to my questions. How many of you were there again? I was not quite clear on how you interacted with your other selves. How similar to you-you are they exactly?"

  17. - Top - End - #257
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Curtained Dragons]

    "If I've learned anything over the years about 'incomprehensible motivations' it's that they're usually pretty comprehensible if you have the right context. When you don't have the context it just seems scary and unknowable."

    Cthulhu is just trying to plant a nice garden but there are all these human-hills in the way.

    "I don't know exactly," Yezekiel admits. "A few thousand of me got dumped into the Empyrean all at once. And then there were the others who had come before. Before Krax got blown up I didn't interact with the other mes. None of us knew the others existed. As far as we could tell there was continuity of memory between each iteration of us so we didn't really question it? When one of us would have subtle or even major differences in personality or appearance we just assumed it was Nexus weirdness or something. I think it was Krax experimenting with us? That's just speculation, though. Maybe she thought they WERE the same? Or at least close enough."

    Considering that she wasn't even the same species a few times 'close enough' must have been pretty broad.

    "The higher someone has climbed in the Tower the more inhuman their outlook tends to get. Normally by the time someone has gotten as high as I have they're weird as heck. I've only actually been up that high in the tower once before when I got booted out of the game by a skinwalker sorcerer a while back. I used the time to poke around in the 'library'-" finger quotes are supplied for the word library. "-and encountered more than a few other Bronze host entities. Didn't really interact with them from the most part. They all had their own business and I felt pretty out of place."

    It was super-weird.
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  18. - Top - End - #258
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Arkhosia's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Studybun

    "I guess you could say that I am," Kyoko answers with a smile. "I'm really more of a witch, funnily enough! Didn't wear the hat today, I'm afraid." Nor the cloak, for that matter - as much as she fancies the look of them, they don't seem quite suited to the chilly early-spring weather. "Er, name's Kyoko, by the way. I, uh, research magic."
    "Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
    ~Welcome to Night Vale

    Spoiler: Quotes from Friends <3
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by SliiArhem
    Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.

    Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? Try joining our Discord server!

  19. - Top - End - #259
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Devixer's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    I go places

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Studybun

    "I mean, what is a witch besides a magic scientist?" Aimi laughed, before shaking her head. "I kid, I kid. Scientists don'tget the cool pointy hats, after all. Plus I bet magic's a whole different beast, even researching it." She smiled at Kyoko. "My name's Aimi. I, well, I used to run a café. But now I guess I'm between jobs."

  20. - Top - End - #260
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    TherianTheorist's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    ...
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    ((Sorry about the wait.))
    Quote Originally Posted by Rebonack View Post
    [Motorcycle Miscreants]

    "The city has a police force and law system. Trying to steal someone's vehicle is a pretty major crime," Zee replies, scowling back at her ruined and still flaming phone. "Also assault with a magical weapon. That's a pretty major crime, too."

    She puts her fists on her hips and looms over the downed villain.

    "You're in big trouble, mister. And you had better stop wriggling around or it's only going to get worse. Intersection is already on their way to pick you up."

    Seriously.

    Is this jerk new to the Nexus?

    How did he honestly think trying to steal stuff from the parking lot of Trog's Tavern was going to go? Did he think that she wouldn't notice?

    Of course she would notice. She's got a reputation of being mostly on top of things!

    An Intersection patrol will probably be showing up in a few minutes to haul the criminal off unless something extraordinary happens.

    Zee flashes Ashen an apologetic smile. "I hope this doesn't reflect too poorly on the tavern. This sort of thing usually doesn't happen."
    Quote Originally Posted by Earl of Purple View Post
    Motrocycle Madness

    The tiefling is grabbed and hauled off his motorbike, which continues onward without stopping.

    "Yep, you got me. And I didn't get your bike. We're good, 'kay? No need to get the pigs involved, right?" The tiefling grins up at Ashen, seeming not very scared at all.

    As the bike has kept going, turned, and is accelerating up to hit Ashen. The Road Pirate, too, but the demonic vehicle is made of flame, shadow and the tiefling's original soul. It can't hurt him.
    Ashen was caught in that moment for what felt like forever. Taking in the small victory, and the fact that he was in an area with actual law enforcement for once. "Not reflecting on your tavern. May still reflect on what I'm willing to leave unattended here, depending on how fast the city's forces show up." He was more used to small islands where the law was more a set of guidelines. It had really been- oh, right, the bike was trying to run him over.

    The changing moon's tattoos flare to life as streaks of silver light, an aura of shadowy purple light pouring off his form, rapidly expanding in a grand display of raw, shifting strength. Segments of a new body reach out from the light, Interlocking plates of black exoskeleton resembling stone, still bearing his moonsilver tattoos. Four massive front limbs, one still attempting to hold the thief in place. Fourteen hind legs, all braced for impact. Lacking in traditional defenses, Ashen retreated into the largest, most invulnerable form he knew, that being a massive crustacean he'd taken from the deep west's grand reefs.

    He's still liable to be hurt, or lose his pin on the pirate, but he won't make it easy by moving out of the way.
    "Life before death, Strength before weakness, Journey before destination."

    Baking werewolf by Diremage
    Spoiler: Oddly true
    Show
    Spoiler: Previous avatars
    Show
    Beastly Squall avatar by linklele. Awesome Protean avatar by Serpentine.

  21. - Top - End - #261
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Zefir's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Not in a secret base, no!

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Quote Originally Posted by Murkus View Post
    "I don't understand what it might be, man, but if it's magic we can break it. If it's just... if it's a thing in your mind, we can get over that. I know some people you can talk to. Just... you have to choose to walk away. Do you wanna do that? Walk away? Cuz even if they're up to 'nothing', man, there's some nasty people in there."

    "I'd say 'let me take you out of there', but you have to want to get out. Do you want out?" He looks at Zefir earnestly.
    C4 thinks for a moment of it getting things in befor he finally speaks.
    "Yes I would like someone to take ...." his voice suddendly breaks up like he got hit in the stormatch or someone put a hand over his mouth. If Adit looks up, neither seems to have happened. A second of silence follows which feels like minutes, but befor Adir can speak up, C4 will speak again. Only this time his voice is different. It is still coming from the same person, but it sounds more like someone who has fun and with a different emphasis in his voice. "That's far enougth. Let's go home. You sure left the oven on." C4 shakes things off like there was a bug.
    "I got to go." he says and will stand up and head to leave.
    Grammer is my declared deadly enemy!
    Avatar by Ceika

    Let's PLay's in German Take a Look at Bravely Default.

    Nexus Characters: LINK

  22. - Top - End - #262
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Nearish the Parking Lot]

    It all seemed pretty sudden, but Zee's perspective gave her plenty of time to read the situation. Quite literally. The thief obviously doesn't want to get caught and he's willing to cause some pretty significant harm to accomplish that goal. A bike made of shadows, flame, and soul-stuff isn't the most pleasant thing to get clobbered by after all. Had it been aimed at her, the bike-ram could have actually been pretty dangerous. She doesn't have much in the way of defense against impossible things.

    She could have just let Ashen tank the hit.

    But that would probably have resulted in the thief thinking he's actually got some sliver of a fighting chance.

    So instead she steps around the giant crustacean, hauls back a fist suddenly wreathed in solar-plasma, and aims to punch the bike.

    Now normally punching a magical bike isn't the most effective thing to do, but considering that the blast of raw force that follows should be enough to send the machine careening across the street it appears to be something of an exception.

    And exposing something made of soul-stuff to the searing Light of Truth probably won't be terribly comfortable to the owner, either. Not lethal, no, but more like 'ooww, that was an ontological punch to the kidney'.

    "Stop that," the completely normal human barmaid commands. "You're only digging your hole deeper."
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  23. - Top - End - #263
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Curtained Dragons]

    Ambrosia nods in agreement. It was all a matter of different perspectives.
    Her eyebrows are raised when Zee mentions that there apparently thousands of her entered the world at the same time. Sounded like a poor management decision.
    "Any clue why you were choosen by Krax in particular? Whatever their experiment was, you still seem morally compatible with most mortal societies to me. But I'm going on a whim and guess that these other library guests were not? Of course, that might have been hard for you to tell considering how strange the experience was to you."

  24. - Top - End - #264
    Orc in the Playground
     
    Earl of Purple's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    With folk in the North
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Outside the Car Park

    The bike doesn't alter its course as Ashen changes, though the Road Pirate's eyes widen in shock at the transformation.

    The bike dissipates totally after Zee blasts it, the flame and shadow that makes up the bike's frame disappearing. The tiefling screams in pain. That bike wasn't made out of just anyone's soul; it was made out of his soul, after it was ripped out and replaced with the dark energies of his patron. His soul tried to flee back into his body, collided with the hellfire that replaced it and bounced off. Instead, it's headed to the Road Pirate's patron, who will rebuild the motorcycle from flame, shadow and the soul.
    Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!

  25. - Top - End - #265
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    TherianTheorist's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    ...
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Somewhere beyond a parking lot

    Ashen tilted his head quizzically, still faintly glowing from the essence expenditure it took to become a massive crayfish-esque kaiju. "▅▅▄▄▃▃▂▂?" He was impressed, but more with how easily the bike was de-materialized, as he realized he had just used his second-most dramatic form for a situation that hadn't required nearly as much as he had estimated. Expressing it in words had to wait, though, the best he could do with his current body was radiate sheer, majestic approval for the barmaid.

    He also made an additional mental note not to move much until authorities could collect the pirate he was stepping on. Already committed to showing off, might as well make sure it was useful on some level.
    "Life before death, Strength before weakness, Journey before destination."

    Baking werewolf by Diremage
    Spoiler: Oddly true
    Show
    Spoiler: Previous avatars
    Show
    Beastly Squall avatar by linklele. Awesome Protean avatar by Serpentine.

  26. - Top - End - #266
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Curtained Dragons]

    "I'm not sure if Krax intentionally dumped all of me at once or if that was just the result of her getting blown up here. Either way, I'm glad. It cut my puppet strings," Zee clarifies. "Dunno why she picked me. Any of the mes, really. I have basically zero context for who or what we were before she messed with us, but that makes it pretty hard to figure out if there might have been some kind of pattern to it. It doesn't help that I've never been able to get the original me back, either. It got gobbled up by something that's about the size I am right now. I could possibly get that me back, but it might mean a kaiju throw-down and I'm not sure if I want to risk that."

    Giant monster fights are usually pretty high-stakes.

    "Most empyreans really don't care about people down here. Not just because they're really big or really powerful or really old, but because they don't think the people here are real," the seraphim says. "I didn't really get the whole thing when I was down here. Of course we're real, right? What an absurd thing to think. But... when you've seen the Eternal Game from the outside? I get it now. But this is all still real to you guys and I think that's good enough. It has to be."


    [Detaining Criminals!]

    Zee gives her hand a few shakes to get the spooky shadow nonsense off. It looks almost as if her hand had suffered some minor frostbite.

    Even touching that stuff isn't good for her.

    "Are you DONE YET?" she growls at the cowering criminal.

    Hopefully so, because an Intersection patrol should be showing up pretty soon to cart the road pirate off to a temporary holding cell where he can await trial.

    She also gives an apologetic smile to the giant crustacean.

    "Hee... sorry about all this. Things have been pretty mellow recently but every now and again we get jerks looking for trouble still."
    Last edited by Rebonack; 2020-04-02 at 10:10 PM.
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  27. - Top - End - #267
    Orc in the Playground
     
    Earl of Purple's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    With folk in the North
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Outside the Car Park

    The Road Pirate has, in fact, given up. He isn't struggling, and nods rather vigorously to Zee's question. He really doesn't think his energy blasts would be able to hurt Ashen right now, and even if they do, all Ashen needs to do is adjust his weight and there's a leg going right through his chest and killing him.

    They won't resist, at least so long as they're on the floor like this. "Yeah, you got me. An' you wrecked me Harley. Dunno how you even did that, Miss. It's supposed to be, like, part of me." It still is, fortunately for the tiefling. It's just regenerating elsewhere.
    Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!

  28. - Top - End - #268
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    TherianTheorist's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    ...
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Shellfish Kaiju Bike Heist?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rebonack View Post
    [Detaining Criminals!]

    Zee gives her hand a few shakes to get the spooky shadow nonsense off. It looks almost as if her hand had suffered some minor frostbite.

    Even touching that stuff isn't good for her.

    "Are you DONE YET?" she growls at the cowering criminal.

    Hopefully so, because an Intersection patrol should be showing up pretty soon to cart the road pirate off to a temporary holding cell where he can await trial.

    She also gives an apologetic smile to the giant crustacean.

    "Hee... sorry about all this. Things have been pretty mellow recently but every now and again we get jerks looking for trouble still."
    Quote Originally Posted by Earl of Purple View Post
    Outside the Car Park

    The Road Pirate has, in fact, given up. He isn't struggling, and nods rather vigorously to Zee's question. He really doesn't think his energy blasts would be able to hurt Ashen right now, and even if they do, all Ashen needs to do is adjust his weight and there's a leg going right through his chest and killing him.

    They won't resist, at least so long as they're on the floor like this. "Yeah, you got me. An' you wrecked me Harley. Dunno how you even did that, Miss. It's supposed to be, like, part of me." It still is, fortunately for the tiefling. It's just regenerating elsewhere.
    Ashen made another quizzical sound, having not invested in ways of cross-form communication other than body language. And that was a bit constrained by the leg thing being pretty true, even if the pirate was overestimating his current shell. High strength and low stamina is like that. "~♪"

    And so he stood there, being a majestic, faintly glowing sea creature, and hoping the local law enforcement didn't assume that he was a threat. It had happened before, with other forms he'd taken. Though those were usually mobs of random peasants, of whichever pirates ran the local port...
    Last edited by TherianTheorist; 2020-04-03 at 11:41 PM.
    "Life before death, Strength before weakness, Journey before destination."

    Baking werewolf by Diremage
    Spoiler: Oddly true
    Show
    Spoiler: Previous avatars
    Show
    Beastly Squall avatar by linklele. Awesome Protean avatar by Serpentine.

  29. - Top - End - #269
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rebonack's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    The King's Grave

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    [Pirate Pinning]

    One should never under-estimate the power or angry peasant mobs!

    Regardless, the local police shortly arrive!

    A squad car with a completely normal human and a completely normal ultra-intelligent shade of the color blue riding inside it. They'll collect the villain, ask a few questions, and be on their way. They seem to be completely unmoved by the fact that there's a giant glowing crustacean just chilling next to some nice shrubs.

    Apparently that's normal around here?

    Normalish...?

    Something.

    Regardless!

    Once the thug is gone, Zee asks a very important question!

    "Do you want me to grab a bike lock or something for you to make it harder for people to drive off with your road lion?"

    A kind offer.
    Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
    The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
    It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.

  30. - Top - End - #270
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Murkus's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2010

    Default Re: Trog's Tavern CLIV

    Quote Originally Posted by Zefir View Post
    C4 thinks for a moment of it getting things in befor he finally speaks.
    "Yes I would like someone to take ...." his voice suddendly breaks up like he got hit in the stormatch or someone put a hand over his mouth. If Adit looks up, neither seems to have happened. A second of silence follows which feels like minutes, but befor Adir can speak up, C4 will speak again. Only this time his voice is different. It is still coming from the same person, but it sounds more like someone who has fun and with a different emphasis in his voice. "That's far enougth. Let's go home. You sure left the oven on." C4 shakes things off like there was a bug.
    "I got to go." he says and will stand up and head to leave.
    "Hey, C4, wait up!" Adir gets up to go after him, but doesn't follow close. He doesn't know who he just heard speaking through C4's mouth, but... "...just... call me if you figure this out, alright? Or even if you don't."
    My avatar was done by Gullara. Thanks again!

    "If you meet a spirit walking,
    Incline your head.
    Do not meet their gaze.
    Do not follow after."

    -Things Our Mothers Tell Us

    Nexus Characters

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •