⇨ SHINIES

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone who wants to pick on Tamatoa.
When: Day 45 onward.
Where: In and around Tamatoa's lair.
What: People getting up into Tamatoa's grill for some reason or another. Anybody is welcome to participate, but please communicate with the mods first so that we can discuss how to set up the thread and what your characters are attempting. Tamatoa may attack people outside of his lair, too, but you'll need some kind of narrative hook to prevent him from just eating you if you want to engage him that way.
Warnings: Crab related violence.

TAMATOA'S LAIR↴ Tamatoa lives in a giant clam shell, inside of a mysterious cave that lies about a half hour's swim away from the city. This is also where he keeps most of his loot - either stashed somewhere in the lair or (mostly) sitting on the back of his shell. He hangs out in this cave most of the time he isn't stomping around looking for sunken ships. Tamatoa is gigantic. In fact, he's even a bit more gigantic than he appeared in the movie Moana - and those combating him will find that he also seems to be somewhat resistant to magical affects. A human is the relative size of a pen cap in his claws, and he could crush a normal person will trivial effort. He could also pretty easily toss them into his giant mouth - which he usually will, given the opportunity. Facing Tamatoa could come with great reward, but with equally high risk.

Comments

[semi-closed]

[fragileandsoft]

"Whoa-oh, it's me and you down in the blue
Where the coral and the kelp all grow and sway
Sun's kept at bay above the waves
But the tides'll guide us to a brighter day"

Having a car isn't wholly practical in the ocean, what with there being no roads and the option to swim anywhere without gravity tying you to the ocean floor. But things don't have to be practical to be fun. Driving along the sand could lead to seeing a lot of neat things you might miss swimming up above.

Mostly though, Greg just wants to enjoy a nice drive with his friends, and he doesn't need much more excuse than that. He glances away from the road (well, lack thereof) ahead, and shoots a grin at his passengers.

"Sing along if you want, guys!" By which he means make something up, because he sure is.

[drrdrrdrr]

Amethyst turns herself into a guitar. The hole is her mouth, which probably affects the sound in some capacity, but whatever!! Who wants to jam one out, guys

[starseedling]

"Whoa-oh," Steven chimes right in, mimicking Greg's tune and going along with Amethyst's notes.

"It's you and me down in the sea!
Where fishes swim and mermaids play
Wait - do you see those ocean caves?
Do you think we should go that-a-way?"

The last part is sort of half sung, as Steven has become distracted with the side of some cavern-esque structures off in the near distance. He pops up to the windshield, his many lion fish fins unfortunately getting in the way of anyone in the back who may be trying to look.

The van being full of water just kind of means you can float all over, since using the seat belts is sort of weird.

[mirrortide]

Lapis is, unlike the rest of them, smart about where she is. She can't lay on her back on the roof of the van, but she can sit over the side of it and hang on? Either way, she's not getting involved with the whole singing thing. She'll enjoy it and the currents, but she's not adding her voice to the mix.

Sorry nerds, it's not Lapis' song episode yet.

Besides, it's... surprisingly nice to enjoy being underwater without being chained down in a fusion. Who would have thought?

[periphrasing]

Peridot will pick up that beat.

Or... Well. She's not going to sing this time, but she will contribute by wrapping her new chainmail bikini top -- a priceless treasure which she found while she was out scavenging wrecks a few days back -- around her hand, and start to rattle it in time with that song.

[fragileandsoft]

They've got a full musical entourage!

"Why not, sure! Our band's on tour
Let's take our riff all through the reef
And find out what's in store!"

The van's headlights flicker on as Greg drives over towards the caverns Steven pointed out. Small fish flit curiously around the car, drawn by the light and noise.

[npcarnival]

When they are about half way to the ridge of ocean caves, an enormous, shimmering figure will lumber into sight. It's a giant crab, in the process of scuttling up onto the top of the hill - only to spot the van driving in the distance with an exaggerated movement of surprise. It's two stalk eyes narrow.

Only a few moments later, it's clamoring in the van's direction, small bits of gold falling off of its shell in its hurry. It isn't hard to put together. Based on all the descriptions from the merfolk...

Yep. This is definitely Tamatoa.

[drrdrrdrr]

"Whoah," says Amethyst, abruptly ceasing to be a guitar and filling this space of the van with a sudden profusion of tentacles and hair. She leans forward past the passenger seat to try to get a better look.

"Is that... the crab guy?" She squints. "What the heck's he want? Isn't he s'posed to be into, like, shiny stuff? No offence, Greg, but your van is kinda..."

[starseedling]

Steven immediately pulls back from the windshield, looking startled. He casts a side eye to his dad with a clear expression of 'oh no, do not want.'

"Uhh..." he starts, uncertainly, his voice quavering a little. "Maybe we should turn around..."

AND DRIVE REALLY FAST.

[mirrortide]

Why does this always happen whenever Lapis is starting to finally relax--

She looks between the giant enemy crab and the van. "I definitely think he's coming this way and that we should get out of here." Also Lapis can't actually tell if she wants to get into the van with everyone else or stay outside of it in case a quick retreat needs to be made.

[periphrasing]

"EW!" is Peridot's only contribution. She sounds genuinely offended? She's staring out the window at the rapidly approaching crab and just. Wincing. SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT.

[fragileandsoft]

"OooouhhhhhiiiiI'll take it as a compliment!" Greg's voice hits an awkward pitch as he cranks hard on the wheel--hoping Lapis is holding on--and hits the gas. He heard plenty enough about Tamatoa at Triton's castle, and he has no interest in tempting fate there.

[npcarnival]

Unfortunately, their lack of momentum in the opposite direction has Tamatoa catching up extremely quickly. Have I mentioned that he is extremely massive? As he gets close to the van that fact becomes more and more obvious, until his striding legs are pretty much right over to of the van, caging it in for fear of one of his legs accidentally stabbing it through the middle when hitting the ground.

Meanwhile, Tamatoa is trying to reach beneath himself with his claws to crab the van like someone trying to gather papers that are blowing in the wind.

"And what's this?!" he coos to himself, apparently not considering that the van is already filled with people, quite yet. He didn't really get a close look at Lapis yet, because he's frankly quite distracted. "Some kind of metallic contraption - ? Hey, you stop that. Stop spinning around this instant."

A claw plunges into the sand in front of the van.

Team Crab Raid (Joker, Strange, Ash, Sherlock, Miko)

[pipers_son]

[With how much Joker has socialized over the past days they've spent in Atlantis, it shouldn't be much surprise that he's able to find out a few details about this Tamatoa. After asking around and getting some preparations made, he finally thinks they've got the beginnings of a small hit and run operation made.]

[So here, hidden in an outcrop of rocks, he flicks a strange serpentine knife inbetween his fingers and grins at the people who've shown interest on this ridiculous shitshow.]

So! Everyone remember what ta do?

[It's, theoretically, not a difficult or two difficult plan. Strange and Ash, with their magic, distract and blind the giant crab. While it's distracted, Sherlock and Miko grab what they can into the sacks. And Joker, well... Joker will help, and also has a knife.]

[You know.]

[Just in case.]

[amusicaladventure]

Oh yeah. Do what I was literally born to do. C'mon, chief, the hair color's just for show.

[Ash is fired up and eager, her fish tail lashing the way her cat tail would -- except she doesn't have to hold onto the rocks to keep her cat tail from shooting her forward too soon.]

If he's actually a good singer, maybe we can recruit him. [No, she isn't serious.]

[kingsroads]

[ Strange is also fired up and eager, grin on his face as he looks at the crab...and is honestly paying more attention to Tamatoa than to the others. Sorry gang. Joker's words snap him back to the group, looking back at the rest of team crab raid and giving them a nod. He's ready. ]

We'd have to shrink him down first, [ Strange teases, giving Ash a wry little smile. ] He's already the size of the big top as is!

[npcarnival]

[When they showed up, Tamatoa was just rummaging around through his clamshell, looking through various new oddities he's picked up like he's trying to decide which ones are the most attractive. He holds them up to his shell as if trying to pick out a new dress - it's all very complicated, one assumes.

Suffice to say, he isn't paying much attention to you guys, but he is extremely present.]

[thevictoriandetective]

Sherlock gives a casual wave and a smirk to Joker.

Danger, horror, and a reward? He didn't care so much for the gold as for the game. Now this was fun and the kind of trouble he wanted to get into.

"Ready when you are."

He swims over to a rocky outcropping and lays perfectly still, his long shark tail wrapping stealthily around it as he waited, his webbed hands clutching a large sack.

[amusicaladventure]

Okay! I'm going in!

[With a lash of her tail, the catgirl surges forward, practically giggling in delight. ]

Hey, Tamatooooooooooa!

[pipers_son]

[Times like this, he really loves the people he works with.]

[Doing his best to stay out of sight with his colorful lower half- not to mention his hair, frankly- Joker starts to lead the two other sneaks with him as Ash does her best to get Tamatoa’s attention.]

[npcarnival]

[Tamatoa looks up, and then scuttles around in a couple circles, looking for the source of the sound. It probably doesn't make sneaking any easier at the moment, but eventually his stalked eyes will settle on Ash.]

What? Who's there?

[kingsroads]

[ Strange swims into Tamatoa's view as well, muttering an incantation under his breath, eyes looking down at the sandy ocean floor instead of up at Tamatoa. Once he finishes the incantation, he looks from Ash to Tamatoa with a wide grin.

Time to make sneaking a bit easier as Strange magics some sand off of the floor, having the particles hover in the air for a moment. ]

Only a few magicians come to take on the fearsome Tamatoa.

[ With a flick of his wrist, the sand shoots in Tamatoa's direction, aiming for the general vicinity of his eyes and mouth. ]

[amusicaladventure]

Aww, Strange! I wanted to hear him sing! I actually hear he's pretty good at it!

[Well, they could have planned this better, but hey, if they're getting right into it they're getting right into it. Ash slings her guitar off her shoulders and into her hand, flicking her claws over the strings to open the battle with a triumphant peal of music.]

[Then she launches her opening salvo -- not a magical attack, but a shot fired straight across the crab's pride.]

Not as good as ME, though!

gently drops a late tag here to confirm i'm not dead

[pullingamiko]

[It's mostly excitement that's kept Miko quiet thus far - and a vague understanding that, in fact, she probably should not be yelling within earshot of the giant murdercrab.

She sticks close behind Joker when he sets out, hesitating when she's briefly distracted herself by the show of magic (and also guitar-playing). Then she reminds herself what she's supposed to be doing and speeds up to stay by Joker.]

[pipers_son]

[The sand is indeed very helpful! At least so Joker wants to think, anyway, carefully waiting in place after making sure that his two accomplices are right behind him and flashing a grin at Miki. For a second, he stays in one hiding place in particular, watching the giant crab to make sure that his attention is on Strange and Ash.]

[And if there’s any scabs or open spots on the crab for his knife to get into, well, he’s looking out for those too, of course.]