⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4 PT2

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone and everyone!
When: October 31st, 2017 HALLOWEEN!
Where: The Count of Crow's Underground Realm
What: The displaced carnival members break into the Count of Crow's underground fortress, in the hope of taking control of the ritual and maybe saving Childermass's life.
Warnings: Violence, ritual blood letting, other stuff.

DAYS OF WINTER PT2↴ The night of hallow's eve has come, and there's no more time for waiting. As Portland begins enjoying the festivities of the night, you are tasked with something darker - you must find the Count's realm within Portland's underground tunnels, and fight off those that would stop you. The ritual will be starting soon, and once it's finished the very nature of this reality will be in the Winter Court's hands... the only choice is to intervene.

Comments

[moonfang]

"BWAAAHAHAHAHAH!! Are we Leeroy Jenkins'ing this shit?! FANTASTIC!"

That was a fresh meme in 2005. He knows this one.

Zangetsu is now carrying not one but two swords, in his fully angelic form. One sword is made of pure light, and the other seems to be made of gleaming white metal. He swoops past the bulk of the group. He didn't have the finesse to free someone from ice.

But he sure had the power to fight off the crow family. With a sound like a cacophony of trumpets and pained human screams, he descends on the count and his daughters .

[puddingemote]

There's a lot happening at once here, Tamaki realizes as he emerges from the wall he just passed through (it's easier to get around demons by floating straight through the surrounding earth, he realized). He's finding he recognizes more and more people here, particularly Lambert and Yuya as they head for the center - not just from around Portland, but from the Carnival that is becoming more solid in his mind.

But what's most important here is that everything is freaking scary.

Still, he wants to help the earth spirit, so he flits down around the group approaching the circle behind Lambert, knocking rocks airily into crows as he goes. It works, more or less.

[whattaprick]

Even buzzing with the borrowed power that makes Lambert feel too small for his skin, Lambert's still Lambert. Mostly. Being possessed by Tamaki was one thing, like trying to share the same seat with someone else: uncomfortable and awkward, but doable. This is...

But it's not trying to wrest control from him, and though his soul feels like it's possibly being put through an industrial-strength washer (it needs it, part of him thinks almost absently) he doesn't have time to dwell on it. The shield dissipates as the shadows are vaporized by it, whatever magic they were being held together dispelled as they hit it, but there are more shadows coming, and the pillar and the ritual still aren't close enough. Lambert's aware he's been followed, but at the moment, he finds he can't much care about who it is.

The world feels like it's brimming with possibility, if he can just reach out and find the right thread to pull. There's stone under all this ice, isn't there?

He shuts his eyes, visualizing a prank he's pulled on -- his sisters? Someone else? he doesn't remember -- like yanking a rug out under someone's feet, except this time, that feeling is directed at the stone under the Count and his sisters.

Although, while he does that, yeah he just stops in the middle of everything, so. There is like no thought to this at all.

[tacosgay]

Taako, meanwhile-- well, he's focused on two things: keeping himself, Foster, and their other companion from getting murdered, and clearing a path for Foster to make it to... whatever the fuck is going on up there.

His first action is, of course, to cast Shield on himself-- his defense of his ally faltering for even a second could be bad news bears for their plans. Without waiting even a beat, he moves into a cast of Scorching Ray, aiming to clear a path to allow Foster to make his way closer to the ritual itself and, hopefully, whatever it is he'll need to do to stop it.

"Get in there!" He shouts to Foster, taking out as many crows as he can with a sweep of aforementioned Ray.

[hippocarnival]

"Don't break what's already... damn it." He just had to trust them, right? Miss Pru only drilled the strategy to Yuya a dozen times.

Yuya ducks with a yelp as a crow dives for him, swinging with his crowbar to try and bat it away. He starts shuffling closer to the ritual circle, lest he get left behind for the birds.

[betheman]

Gongenzaka isn't really...equipped for this kind of shit. He looks at the slew of overpowered carnival companions ahead (he's slowly and quietly realizing that his alternate reality self may have Screwed Things Up for himself before all of this, but this really isn't the time), and back to the few iron things he's equipped himself with.

Gongenzaka...doesn't have powers to regain. Mostly he's just earning back a few memories, and looking to his friends-who are due to act as the New Catalyst that's presumably replacing whoever is chained to the ice. (That's rough buddy)

...And yet...

As his true self returns, even in undead form, he finds himself imbued with some sort of dedication.

He sets a hand on his friend's shoulder. "...Yuuya," he begins, eyes watering somewhat. "...My memories may have been lost... ...But I, the man Gongenzaka, remember now-! And I will be with you to the end..!"

Are there stray birds coming after them, ones that Yuuya's crowbar missed? (Maybe the one that went for the head?) Because they're getting CLOCKED WITH AN IRON...THING.

He didn't really ask what he was being handed, he was just told it was iron.

[osteothropy]

"Hey, Peridot," Sans says, becoming physical again and bringing out his scythe. He says it like it's the most casual thing in the world as the two of them group around Lambert's radiating form. Memories have seeped in beyond his notice, and suddenly she's more than an acquaintances sister. She's a coworker. A fellow supervisor. Maybe even a friend?

"Looks like it's up to us to watch your bro's back - guy's got a one track mind," he says. He swipes his spear through the crows that are diving for Lambert in particular, pushing them back with an aura of angelic radiance. "You got this?" he asks her.

[puddingemote]

"He's being possessed by the earth spirit!" Tamaki calls out to Sans over the din. He feels like that might be important information.

[control_freak]

'In there' is a hot fucking mess, but Foster doesn't care. He doesn't care because figuring out what's happening is a lot less important at this point than making sure it doesn't continue happening. He only one directive here: he is not going back.

He is not going back.

He is not going back.

He is not going back.

Foster, all 900 lbs of him, barrels directly into the first crow in his path, roaring as he closes his jaws over a feathery body, feeling bones snapping between his teeth. He doesn't stop to keep fighting in one place--he surges forward, taking advantage of the chaos to aim straight for the circle.

[periphrasing]

The earth spirit? That catches Peridot's attention, before she can respond to Sans. What the heck was the earth spirit doing possessing Lambert?

No time to dwell on it. She cloaks a fist in a ball of flame and swats away yet another bird, shooting a grin at Sans. "You know what? Yeah! Yeah, I 'got this'!" she chirps much too enthusiastically, bolstered by his acknowledgement, bolstered by the fact that the earth spirit is here with them all, even if it has decided to take over the body of her nerdy not-brother, for some reason. And she shouts more loudly: "WE'VE got this!"

[npcarnival]

The Count's two daughters stumble, blood accidentally spilling from their bowls and onto the pure white snow beneath. They immediately looked terrified, fearing that mistake will gain their father's disfavor. However, for now, he doesn't pay them any heed.

It's the ground shaking under foot that really gets the Count's attention. It's only now that he turns away from the ritual to face the approaching group - the numbers are swiftly increasing, aren't they? - though his face is still neutral as if formed from inorganic porcelain. The blood bowl rests in one hand as the other is extended towards the attackers, and a violent blast of concussive air will rip out through the crowd, knocking anyone in the air to the ground, and possibly knocking those on the ground to their feet.

As they fall, sharp spears of ice will spike up from the ground, intended to pierce those falling - the needle sharp blades will cover the entire area of the courtyard, and avoiding them will be a challenge. There is something in the wind that makes it able to touch even the intangible - angels and ghosts included, and even the most powerful fliers will be pushed back by its force.

Ash's scrying attempt will show only darkness.

[periphrasing]

Okay maybe she don't got this

[tacosgay]

"-- fuck!" Taako tries to jump aside, thinking that he'll be safe, but a sharp shard of ice pierces right through his shield and slices his shoulder. "Fucking fantastic-- hey, Foster, look out!"

He tries to continue moving as he casts, but holy shit is it hard to keep his concentration right now. He does manage to break a couple of the blades that have emerged near and in front of Foster with a higher-level magic missile.

[bananaspeedrider]

The wind quite literally blows the draconic form of this guardian angel away into the ground, since Yugo's hovering and doesn't exactly have legs to attempt fruitlessly bracing himself with. So instead he digs his claws into the ice below so he's not sent skidding too far away from the goal.

And now being stubbornly braced, looks up at all the knife-like icicles in the air and at a bunch of them lets loose a torrent of his... DIELECTRIC breath. Yes! That's what he had named it!

[control_freak]

Foster stumbles midgallop. He staggers sideways, falling to his side and rolling--his broad bear shape helps a little, but the ice spears erupting from the ground do not.

Taako's quick thinking probably saves his life. One of the blades cuts open his side, his blood freezing briefly to its surface before he actually (accidentally) rips himself off of it in the process of regaining his feet. It leaves a bigger wound behind than the spike itself did.

But the most basic perk of a pact with a demon is access to fire. Hell fire, specifically. Digging his claws into the earth, his paws wreathed in it, flames leaking from his jaws, he throws himself forward into the blades themselves.

Hopefully, hellfire is strong enough to melt fae ice--or he's going to turn himself into a 900 pound bear kebab.

[fortuneglass]

"NGHHHK-!" Carly being quite literally hot and melting what she can, it's more than enough to keep her from being skewered.

Not so much to keep the wind from battering against her, but that's what FIRE is for right? No?

That's not how it works?

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH...!" Carly brings her arms forward like a shield, and violet flames in a similar manner. The hellfire burns to melt any ice it can at her feet, and she steps steadily forward, forward, FORWARD-

[moonfang]

FWOOSH. That wind is something else, that's for sure. It knocks back mortals, angels, and demons alike. And Zangetsu isn't immune to it -- his four wings catch the cold, bitter wind like sails and he's blown back nearly to the edge of the ritual site before he manages to dig into the snowy ground with his claws.

"Christ--"

But that's not the end of the assault. Ice spikes from the ground, and Zangetsu isn't fast enough in this large, somewhat ungainly form to avoid them. One spears him through the back leg, another through the side of his gut.

"Fuck!!" A burst of energy is enough to blow apart the ice and this time, the energy is black instead of holy white. Now THAT was the real shit -- HIS shit! He could work with that! The wounds ooze for a moment before white goop explodes from them, quickly sealing them shut.

[tacosgay]

When Taako sees the tumble that Foster takes, sees him freeze to one of those icy blades, he rolls his eyes so severely that his entire body leans into it, and then casts something else entirely.

Beside him, in the only clear space he can find, a creature appears: a quasi-real horse-like creature, as a matter of fact, in pure white, two rainbow horns emerging from its head. The binicorn turns to Taako and juts its chin out by way of greeting, and then it speaks:

"Let's go, my main man."

Taako is on Garyl's back before he can even think about it, attempting to ride him inbetween the blades and the rest of the crowd, charging towards Foster to try and aid him a bit more directly.

[osteothropy]

Sans hasn't been flying high or anything, but floating on wing has just been his way of things when fighting. He isn't really expecting that blast of wind to catch him despite the fact that he's attempting to shift intangible. He sees the spikes start to raise, and he recognizes the scheme immediately - just like a trick out of his own book. One he's seen many times before.

Peridot is the first thing that comes to mind in this situation. Lambert has his crazy Earth Spirit possession magic thing going on, but Peridot isn't really a fighter in either world. Not that he thinks he remembers? So, he uses what boost he can get from his wings and launches himself in Peridot's direction instead - and manages to lift her up in time for one of the spikes to pieces straight through his torso.

...You know, in the harmless gap between the ribs kind of way. It mostly just ruins his hoodie, for now.

"Heh heh," he manages, still holding her up above himself and away from the spikes. "Whoops."

[betheman]

Gongenzaka has ONE thing going for him in this place-and it seems that thing has finally been called into action.

He was STEADFAST-able to stand against just about anything flying in their way...and that?

Fortunately includes wind.

"TCH- HOLD ON!" he roars, his wings breaking through his shirt to form a slight block. He grabs for Yuuya, holding him close lest the other blow away, and while they aren't moving forward they aren't falling back onto the spikes either.

So it's Something. "NGhhhh..."

[periphrasing]

Peridot just kind of lays on her back in Sans' hands, all four of limbs held in close to her body while she blinks rapidly in shock. Whatever the heck that was just happened so quickly and just-- Stars. She nearly got shish-kebab'd just now?

Shock quickly gives way to outrage though, and she starts to growl, some of her more animalistic features beginning to show through.

"RrrrrRRRRRRGHHHH... THIS CLOD IS SERIOUSLY ASKING FOR A CLOBBERING!" she shrieks at what is frankly a legendarily high volume, her declaration carrying on the wind across the courtyard.

She glances down at Sans, eyes flashing with a righteous fury. "Lets get closer so I can fling HOT METAL into his STUPID CRUDDY FACE!"

[control_freak]

The good news is that fire works on ice. But even then, Foster's advance is irregular, achieved not step by step but leap by leap, as he digs his claws in and lunges forward, covering ground by means of pure fiery determination. So fixed is he on his goal and the obstacles in his way--on the ice, on the wind, on his own focus and purpose, his refusal to accept his fate--that Taako's mounted approach almost gets Garyl mauled.

In fairness, he wasn't expecting the literal goddamn fucking cavalry.

The literal goddamn fucking cavalry on a unicorn.

Duocorn? Bicorn?

It doesn't even matter. He's bleeding from his side, red soaking into his shaggy blond fur, but he isn't limping yet. It's a weird moment in the midst of all the chaos and violence; Foster's beady blue bear's eye rolling sideways to look Taako and his absurd fantasy steed up and down.

[whattaprick]

If nothing else, at least that's proven that lets them get their attention. Lambert isn't paying as much attention to his surroundings as he should be, but with the strength of this spirit powering him, he at least manages to brace against being knocked down flat, though he skids back a few good feet or so and the flying ice shards cut at his arms. Ice spikes come up to gash at his belly, but another surge of will and a wave of his hand -- he's cast a spell like this before so many times he's already lost count -- push a wall of flame outwards from his hand in a steady stream, melting a path through the ice.

A familiar screeching overhead makes him glance up.

Right. One of the other reasons he's doing this. Though every second they spend standing here is bringing back more of his real memories, part of him still clings hard to the false life he's lived here, and his resolve firms again, raising his chin and looking at the count. Even if the fae wears no expression at all, Lambert grins, reaching over his shoulder.

It's a funny gesture, since he doesn't have anything there, but the moment his fingers touch it, there's a blaze of light and -- he's holding a sword? It's kind of like a sword. It's really concentrated willpower and whatever the hell kind of earth spirit high he's currently on.

"Come on!" he shouts -- at the Count of Crows, at everyone else trying to converge at the ritual point, at the Earth Spirit, who knows -- and he rushes forward again. He'll be using the 'sword' to parry and cut through whatever's flung his way, entirely heedless of the fact that he's started dripping blood from his nose.

[tacosgay]

"What's up," says Garyl, in response to Foster's sidelong glance-- not Taako, but the steed himself. Taako, meanwhile, is grinning smugly down at Foster from Garyl's back, though it's only a second before it's wiped away in favor of a more serious look of determination, his gaze redirected towards the circle.

"So, uh. I mean, fuck this, right?"

And then he quickly scorches a path ahead of them, smashing and melting as many of the blades between them and the circle as possible.