⇨ 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

[mirrortide]

Once Steven is safely(?) inside the van, Lapis, who remains outside of it, does the most intimidating thing she could ever possibly do.

She blows a raspberry at the giant crab, completely oblivious of what Steven is saying because she's outside the van and can't hear shit.

[drrdrrdrr]

Amethyst blinks. Her eyes widen. "You think?" She leans forward again to try to get a good look at Tamatoa. "No way he can see that stuff in here with those beady lil eyes."

But...

"... C'mon, Steven, drop the bubble so we can get out there and smush him."

It can't be that hard, right?

[periphrasing]

"How are we supposed to accomplish that!?!" Peridot hisses, glaring incredulously at Amethyst. Her regular arms, her squid arms, and two more sets of tentacles are all hugging Steven close in a defensive sort of way; more for her own comfort than his, though.

[starseedling]

Amethyst, his eyes is like bigger than you are.

Steven has no objections to Peridot enveloping him at the moment, but his reaction to Amethyst telling him to drop the bubble is to become extremely anxious. Oh no, this is bad.

"No, Amethyst - somebody's gunna get hurt!" he pleads. "I can protect you guys!"

[fragileandsoft]

That big eye is still watching them, giving Greg the serious heebie-jeebies. He swallows hard, and doesn't dare turn his back as he glances towards the back of the van.

"It's all right, everybody. We're safe in here." He looks to Steven, eyes running over his son to make sure he's not hurt. He really doesn't want him to risk taking another hit like that, but saying as much in front of Tamatoa is asking for trouble.

[drrdrrdrr]

"Ugh, no!" Amethyst is clearly getting super antsy being stuck in here while the gargantuan crab threatens them. She desperately wants to get out there and do something, even if that something ends in her being poofed. "He's gotta have weak points! Lapis!" She raises her voice a little. "C'mon, can't you control water, you could wreck this guy!"

[periphrasing]

...Now that's a good point. Peridot perks up a little. "Hey, yeah...! LAPIS!!!" she shouts, taking her hands off Steven to cup around her mouth, egging the blue gem on. "Come on, rearrange his stupid crab face like you'd rearrange the surface of a new planet!"

[mirrortide]

It's a good thing Lapis is outside the van and not inside, or she'd be shooting Peridot A Look. But she does gather up as much water as she can, slamming it as hard as she can into the giant crabs side in the hopes that he'll be knocked over.

Look. It's. A lot of crab.

[npcarnival]

It is a lot of crab - and it's also a lot of water. Tamatoa buckles under the sudden current, largely caught by surprise. Unfortunately, the fact that the bubble is currently being held aloft by him makes this kind of uncomfortable, because when he stumbles over onto his side he takes the van with him.

He seems confused more than anything. The idea that Lapis is doing this doesn't seem to have crossed his mind, despite the fact that everyone in the bubble has been yelling about it.

"Whoa ho ho," he says, clamoring as he tries to pick himself up. "Current's picking up today... better take these indoors."

And, he goes stumbling towards his cave, because who even has time for this weather.

[periphrasing]

"...LAPIS WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING," Peridot yells again. She's a helper. An encouraging helper.

[drrdrrdrr]

"What the heck." Amethyst stares at the gently buffeted crab, and then at Lapis. "This is stupid, we need to take this guy down!" She reaches a paw out for Steven. "C'mon, Steven, let's steam this crab."

[starseedling]

Steven is too busy crumpling in on himself, at first, to really think of any kind of plan. The combination of trying to keep his bubble up and the emotional stress of everyone around him is making that really difficult (not least with Peridot basically yelling in his ear) and so Amethyst addressing him specifically is exactly what he needs to focus.

He knows what that gesture means. Right - right! Fusion! They can do that! That is totally something they've done before! Just remembering that combats his anxiety with a surge of lingering pride, and though it takes a few moments for her offer to process, gradually it sinks in and he blushes a little, nodding his head.

"Peridot - Lapis? You two gotta make sure the van makes it down okay. Amethyst and I have got this!" He reaches out to grab Amethyst's hand, filled with triumphant enthusiasm, before suddenly pulling back and remembering:

"But... we should probably get out of the van first." Smoky big.

Steven pushes open the door and tugs Amethyst along with him, immediately grinning and raising his own paw to initiate epic fusion high-five. The bubble with pop with an outward force that sends a shockwave through the water, and also knocks Tamatoa's grip loose for a few precious moments.

AND SUDDENLY, SMOKY QUARTZ IS THERE!

"Hey, hate to burst your bubble-" they quip, and immediately launches a yo-yo and Tamatoa's face.

[fragileandsoft]

There's far too much noise, too much motion and panic and anger and all-around chaos, for Greg to keep up with any of it. He just keeps gripping the wheel, white-knuckled and trying to grasp what little illusion of control he's got. It's when Steven and Amethyst climb out of the van that he pings in to what's happening.

"W-wait, Steven, what're you gonnaaaaaAAA CATCH THE VAN CATCH THE VAN"

The burst bubble leaves nothing keeping them aloft, and the shockwave of fusion gives them a head start down. Greg floors the gas, praying for an even landing.

[mirrortide]

Lapis is sort of expecting a little more than for him to be mildly inconvenienced by the currents she'd whipped up? She's about to try something else when Steven shouts for her and Peridot to make sure the van makes it down fine? And then him and Amethyst are crawling out of the van and-

Oh. Fusion. Everything else just kind of. Stops for Lapis for the moment.

Sorry, Peridot. This one is all on you. Lapis is busy having A Moment or Several.

[periphrasing]

Peridot is pretty transfixed by the sudden fusion as well, but Greg's screaming gets her attention right quick.

As quick as... Well, a startled squid, she shoots out the open door and swims around front, where she tries to focus her powers around the falling van.

"Don't worry, I've-- got this--" she grunts through gritted teeth. As long as no weird ocean currents come along, she actually seems to have a pretty good grip on the thing?

[npcarnival]

Tamatoa is just entering his lair when the bubble explodes, sort of hurting his claw? Mostly it feels like having someone slap someone out of your hand, which is both annoying and also sort of rude? He lets the van go, shaking his claw as if burned.

"Ow!" he says, obviously offended. And then the yo-yo smacks him in the face. He puts a claw to his cheek, stunned. "OW! Where did you come from?"

He focuses on snapping his claws at Smoky, since obviously they are the one causing all the problems right now. The van is free to sink at its own pace - he can get that later.

"Get... back... here!"