lostcarnival | this is a robbery [closed]

Entry tags:

this is a robbery [closed]

Who: Childermass, Lambert, Cole, & Yuya.
When: Sometime later during the Harbinger invasion.
Where: The Wishmuth Museum of Art
What: The Harbinger of Fortune has his eyes set on ruining an exhibit opening for the museum's more lucrative patrons...
Warnings: Lambert's ass, Cole's TMI memory theater, and Yuya possibly wishing he'd chosen to team up with two completely different Guardians at that point in time tbh.

What would have otherwise been a quiet gathering of Wismuth's elite, to ooh and aah over the Wismuth Museum's newest additions, has ended up going a more poorly than anyone could have ever planned for. It all started with requesting to see the invitation of one man, having strolled into the reception in an indolent, uncaring manner. No one recognized him. No one was surprised when he told them he did not have one.

Surprise only came when the shadows all around them sprang to life before anyone could try and eject him.

Now the museum is surrounded by the flashing lights of cop cars and news vans, the radio and TV all announcing a strange hostage situation to add to the rest of the bizarre and dangerous events taking place in Wismuth these past few days. Not that the police can get in contact with the hostage-takers. Not that they can go into the building itself, either! The few who have vanishing just like everyone else who'd been in there before, considering their sole contact having been a short-lived emergency call from a security guard and then... nothing.

Overall, it's a mess all around the locked-down streets bordering the Wismuth Museum of Art.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The knife flies back to Cole's hand as the spirit effortlessly catches it. He's beat up and his forehead's bleeding thanks to a stray piece of debris but Cole's still standing in one piece. Which really, considering how he normally gets beat up to hell and back in a fight, he'll take this.

Cole walks over towards Childermass and Lambert, though he's looking at Childermass with an expression like he can see right through him.

"Even now he thinks of her," Cole sadly murmurs. "I failed, I've lost, I can't let her see me like this."

Childermass is the enemy. But Childermass is still hurting. Cole wants to help, but he doesn't know if he should. He looks up at Lambert with a confused and slightly pleading expression. Come on, tell him what to do!

Damn Cole and his abilities, as if Childermass wanted to hear everything already on his mind rambled to the damn wind. He raises his lip in a snarl at the spirit then turns his attention back to Lambert, the closest of the three Star Guardians.

"You look ridiculous in that," he rattles off the insult before reaching for something completely different than one of his tarot cards. He reaches for the sash of his costume, under which he's kept a very particular belt even with all the other changes. As it turns out, the witcher isn't the only one bringing extra knives to a magical girl fight.

There's the quiet snk of metal leaving a sheath and anyone touched deeply enough by faerie magic will know exactly what the little blade Childermass draws in, in a heartbeat, or more like they'll feel the uncomfortableness iron causes, on some level. Lambert's made the mistake of setting his boot down within shanking range and that's exactly what he'll try to do -- one little blade of pig iron straight into his leg. Not the worst iron in the universe by any means, but still.

Lambert doesn't know what to do, so he's got no idea what to tell Cole to do -- though there's one forming at the back of his mind, another half-baked plan same as all the rest of this has been.

Whatever CY-Ren or the Void did to him to make him like this, Lambert doesn't know. But Cole can see what's happened in a way Lambert can't. Maybe they could turn him back if--

Before he can open his mouth to articulate it, though, there's a sharp jab and then an explosion of agony in his leg as the iron sinks in, because Creation apparently doesn't believe in armor. It isn't the worst he could be stabbed with by far, no, but it still burns, nothing like the time he tested the edge on his own arm, and he jerks back. Except he's straddling a bike, so that goes as well for him as you'd expect. He tries to yank it out of Childermass's grasp before he can twist it for more damage, and get in a good kick to his face if he can too.

"Bastard!" he snarls. Pig holds steady, but maybe her rider's distraction is all Childermass needs to rip free of the floor long enough to get them off him.

Edited 2018-02-23 03:55 (UTC)

Something about the knives unsettles Yuya in a way he can't describe, but he doesn't really get the time to think about it on account of Lambert getting stabbed. Which, honestly, is bad enough even with normal knives.

"Lambert!" Yuya lunges forward, free hand reaching out for him. His gaze goes down immediately to the wound, and instinctively he raises the wand to try and smack it down on Childermass's arm. He'll feel bad about being rough later, but right now it's all impulse to stop Childermass from irreparably hurting Lambert.

As the least fae-changed of the lot, the most Cole feels from the iron is mild discomfort. However, Lambert's pain is like a beacon in his brain and Cole just lunges forward, knives still clutched in his hand, ready to just straight up fuckin stab Childermass should the situation call for it. He still doesn't know what to do. But he just can't let anybody else get hurt.

Throughout all this he remains quiet. Still, Cole is tense as hell and ready to spring if the situation calls for it.

It's kind of a team effort in the end. Well, a two-person team effort with Cole hanging out in case they need to tag him in. It all happens so fast. Lambert rips his leg out of reach, twisting the little knife out of Childermass's grip as he does so. He won't dwell on the loss, using the momentary distraction to rip himself free of the stars pinning him instead and roll out of the way, just before the witcher brings his boot stomping down where his face used to be.

Childermass makes one more desperate reach for the nearest card of his deck, this time willing it to fly to his hand rather than relying on physically grabbing it at a close range. He rolls back around just in time to raise it like a shield to meet Yuya's wand.

"Devil Trap!"

Oh god, now he's doing that, too. No. No, that's fine. That's a thing. He's just going to pretend this is totally normal. Right. The card is, in fact, The Devil, and shadowy chains immediately explode from the tarot card as soon as the words leave his lips. If nothing else, maybe he can take out just one of them. Isn't that better? Turning his failure into even the tiniest victory?

In any case, Yuya is about to experience what trapped so many other people here at the museum. If the chains catch ahold of him, if they don't break, he's going to find himself dragged into the card. Into darkness.

Yuya's so worried about Lambert that he doesn't even realize he's the target until it's too late. Yuya's eyes widen and he stares in growing horror as the chains manage to wrap around him, and although he jerks against the hold his feet end up sliding forward as they drag him to the card.

"No--!" He's thrown off balance, twisting and reaching out desperately for help. But it's a little too fast and too late, and Yuya's dragged into the card with a terrified scream.

That card can't be a good thing. Lambert lunges to intervene -- push Yuya out of the way or shove Childermass or something -- but his own injury and the fact that, again, it's hard to move around when you're straddling a bike makes him too slow, and Yuya's gone.

So Yuya disappears into the card just as Lambert stumbles off his bike, blood soaking into the white, spiritually generated stockings that came with his costume. He's pissed the hell off now, and Pig hums with energy. Lambert doesn't even have to think about holding out a hand.

Of course, it's Pig who starts saying it, not him. "The flash that cuts through the darkness--"

"-- the light that breaks the night. Morning Star!" In a burst of light, the seemingly superfluous decoration plating Pig's sides cracks apart and flies around, then coalesces into a sword in Lambert's hand.

Edited 2018-02-23 06:01 (UTC)

The problem with hanging out when you're going to be tagged in is that you can't really do much unless you're tagged in. As such, Cole is too far away to be any help to Yuya and can only watch in horror as Yuya's pulled in the card.

Well, he's certainly going to fight now. Cole wants to help Childermass but Childermass has hurt two people now and honestly, that won't stand.

"Fade Finesse!" he calls out, not even waiting for Nigella to fuss at him or encourage him this time. Shorter incantation, he's getting the first slash in. His daggers glow green with magic as Cole rushes forward at a faster than normal speed, attempting to slash at Childermass's arms.

Well, Childermass's triumph is short-lived. The burst of light distracts him and then Cole is swooping in to slice his arm. He makes a pained noise, jerking his arm back, but the pain has done its job. He's been startled into dropping the card, its image of the Devil now replaced by a stylized Yuya in his Star Guadian costume. Leaving that behind, he throws himself out of the way of the second blade, rolling up to his feet and spreading the wings of his own costume out.

He flies back a somewhat safe distance and waves his injured arm towards the cards. They all flicker with blue light and snap back into the air, zooming over to join him now that he's back up and on his feet.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?! I refuse to lose to the likes of you!"

With Pig around and capable of driving herself, this is still a three versus one, even with Yuya a card on the ground. Lambert forces himself to straighten, while Pig circles around to flank Childermass from the other side, her engine revving and Lambert beginning to glow with gold light. Being pissy isn't a good look on a magical girl, but he channels that anger into the energy of creation, the furious will to survive.

"Then you're out of luck," Lambert snarls back. "Life finds a way. Cole!"

He sure as hell hopes that creepy ghost power is marginally useful for coordinating attacks, because he's bringing his sword down and sending a cutting arc of light at Childermass (that weirdly trails sparkles) at the same time Pig somersaults forward to do the same, coming at Childermass from either side.

Edited 2018-02-23 06:57 (UTC)

Cole bends down to pick up the Yuya card. And again, he doesn't really have any pockets, so after a brief moment of deliberation, he sticks the card behind the brown ring of fabric on his hat.

The creepy ghost power is kind of useful for coordinating attacks. Cole quickly understands what Lambert's doing and darts in between Lambert and Pig. His daggers are still glowing green as he tosses one at Childermass. Despite the fact that he's throwing a goddamn dagger at Childermass, it'll do more magic damage if it hits and less pointy damage to various organs.

Someone definitely should have invested in a shield spell because Childermass is about to get wrecked.

Not by all three, hopefully, because he will draw one last card to throw at Pig — a teleport spell that, if it hits her, will dump her in some far off, random location. Then he's catching a magical dagger in the shoulder and being hit by a waaaay too glittery energy slash. Combined, they throw him against the wall of the exhibit hall, hard, knocking the wind right out of him.

Childermass's last-ditch effort to minimize damage works, but not quite in the way intended -- as the card sails towards her, Pig's limited mobility as a bike means she can't dodge, but it does mean she transforms back into her familiar form to drop solidly on the ground, interrupting her attack before she can get it off.

Not that it matters. Almost soon as Childermass is winded, Lambert's right on top of him, storming over as fast as his injured leg will allow to try to grab the magician by the front of his idiot coat.

"Cole," he pants, pained, teeth gritted. "Make him forget."

CY-Ren, the Void -- whatever will shake him out of this.

He'll try. Cole lets go of the daggers, which turn into green light and turn back into Nigella. As he physically reaches out towards Childermass, Cole mentally reaches out into his mind. The Void...there's a lot in there. It's woven deep, changing his being as well as his mind. But CY-Ren's influence, that devotion to her, that's something he can take care of.

Besides, at least that way Lambert won't have to listen to Childermass fawn over CY-Ren anymore.

"Forget," Cole murmurs, as he keeps his outstretched hand a few feet away from Childermass. There's a bright light and that's it. Childermass has forgotten just what exactly CY-Ren meant to him, how she manipulated and implanted that desire.

He struggles, he fights. It's only natural, trying to wrench Lambert's hands off of him and push him away. Maybe if the other man weren't a Star Guardian, but that's not the case. Childermass doesn't have anything over the witcher when it comes to outright strength. His command to Cole, well, that only makes him fight even harder.

Terror wins out over anger at the thought of it. Forget? Forget what? Who? It's obvious, isn't it?

"No!" He twists in Lambert's grip. "You can't!"

And the fear tinging his voice is too real, attention snapping over to Cole even though he knows any plea that leaves his lips won't be listened to. He doesn't want to forget! Don't make him forget her! But the light goes off and he'll go limp for a moment, cards following suit as they fall to the floor a second time around. This suddenly gives Lambert dead weight to grapple with. He isn't out, just dazed, and the despair from before is already giving way to confusion.

"What was I..."

What had he been upset about just seconds before? Something about CY-Ren, but what?

The terror in Childermass's voice, the way he struggles -- it's a reaction Lambert has seen more times than he can count before, and he reacts much the same way he always does, scowling and tightening his grip. He screws his eyes at the flash of light, but all too abruptly has to find himself scramble to catch Childermass as the fight goes out of him, even as his leg screams protest. He's really going to have to do something about that.

The Harbinger costume hasn't been dispelled, even then, so he has a brief horrible moment to think Cole fucked it up, that he made him forget something else because he thought that was helping. Then Childermass is stirring in his arms, and while the confusion probably isn't something to be grateful for, it's at least better than the fear and anger. Though it's still too soon for relief.

"John, you fat fuck," he swears, despite the fact that he could easily heft Childermass without a sweat, and has, but the costume throws him off. He wrestles him back upright and props him back against the wall, trying to get a look at his face. "Are you done now?"

Edited 2018-02-24 04:40 (UTC)

There's not a lot of warning from the card that Yuya's trapped in for Cole, while he and Lambert crowd Childermass. One moment any emotion from it is faint and it's a stiff and still pieces of paper. And then there's a strong force, and in much the reverse of how he went in, Yuya dives out, any long chains unfurling as he goes hurdling out of the card. He kicks out reflexively as he falls, so hopefully Cole can dodge before he's met with a foot to the head.

He hits the ground with a thus, rolling over with a slightly pained groan and a shiver of terror. But it's not so dark anymore.

Cole just watches the whole thing as if this is something perfectly normal, as if wiping someone's memory and the weird confusion that follows is business as usual (which to be fair, it is for him.)

"It changed him," Cole explains, looking over at Lambert. "I can only make people forget, not remove. CY-Ren was thrown from his thoughts, but the rest—"

And Cole's not going to be able to finish that sentence as Yuya springs out from the card and Cole gets kicked right in the head. He stumbles backwards looking damn confused before he brings his hand to rub at the goose egg that's forming on his noggin. What just happened?

And that would leave Lambert all on his lonesome to deal with Childermass while the other two sort out their own confusion. Whatever daze the missing memories threw over him isn't a long-lasting one and he looks up at Lambert with a stronger focus when he asks that question. Is he done yet?

"I'll only be done once everything else is," he spits the words and reaches for his older magic, his faerie magic, all crows and shadows. It doesn't hold a candle to what he can do now, with the Void, but it has its uses.

In this case, the use is to break free of the already struggling witcher. He's having trouble keeping a lone man under control. How is he going to do with a bird? A giant one, at that. The only real difference between the shift that happens next and Lambert's own dragon form is Childermass doesn't destroy his clothes. Well, that and he doesn't turn into a dragon. If anything, it's bizarrely similar to a griffin and it's something Lambert's actually seen before.

Talons burst from Childermass's fingertips. So do feathers, so many feathers, as his form twists and grows into a massive, monstrous crow-like beast. It's quick, almost as quick as his smaller crow transformation, and he'll be flinging Lambert aside with a massive wing given the chance to.

Of course. It would be too convenient if that alone could fix everything. He rolls his eyes -- evidently, whatever Cole did wasn't enough to cure the dramatics -- but then the form under his hands shifts and man turns into monster.

Given Lambert really wasn't expecting Childermass to turn into a giant bird and he's in the middle of turning to boggle at Yuya bursting out of the card and kicking Cole in the he head, he definitely isn't prepared for being suddenly smacked by a giant wing. He curses sharply when he's thrown backwards, head over heels, and ends up sprawled on the floor, staring at Childermass as he assumes that monstrous form. With the scent of his magic in the air, not the emptiness of the Void, he knows this isn't something that comes with being a Harbinger.

Irrationally, When did that asshole learn to do something like that? is the first thought that comes to mind.

Guess who else didn't know Childermass could turn into a giant bird: It's Yuya. He rolls over onto his back when he hears another thud, and opens his eyes to see a great, black, looming beast. And he just stays right where he is, half-dazed and staring with his mouth agape and not enough sense to register anything except that's a really big, really scary bird.

Nobody told Cole about the bird thing either. So he just looks up, downright confused, wondering just how hard he got kicked in the head as he stares up at the giant bird thing.

Nigella seems to be the only member of the group who's actually registered that they should do something about the bird, as she zooms through the air in an attempt to...tackle Childerbird with her tiny little nug body. As such, she bounces ineffectively off. Childermass: 1, nug: 0.

Childermass keeps a lot to himself, especially when it came to magic. What all he can do, what tricks he has up his sleeve these days, no one else would ever know, which is probably why he's chosen this route. It's a surprise.

Poor little Nigella is shrugged off, not even spared a glance because he's leaping after Lambert. He rears up, drawing back a clawed wing and snapping his serrated beak, blatantly poised to strike the witcher while he's down, but he doesn't. He wavers, uncertain now that CY-Ren isn't taking up all his thoughts on who he cares about.

Killing a pack of Star Guardians should be an easy decision and yet--

He moves back a step and lets out an angry shriek at the witcher instead, then fight turns to flight, literally. He brings his wings down, sending debris flying everywhere, all save his scattered cards. Those all blink away, out of sight, in little flashes of blue light. Then, he takes off, barrelling through the exhibit hall for the big bay windows that line the high parts of the walls.

In the moment before Childermass strikes, all Lambert can do is grab over his shoulder for a sword that isn't there, his weapon having gone clattering out of his hand. Scrambling backwards towards where he dropped the sword just brings a hand into contact with the small iron knife still slick with his blood on the floor, and even as the iron burns his fingers, Lambert has a brief, wild mental image of grabbing it and flinging it into the beast advancing towards him.

But Childermass hesitates, and so does he.

When the crow shrieks, Lambert flinches, ducking his head in a vain effort to protect sensitive ears. From there, he quickly has to move to covering his head as everything goes flying -- until he realizes what it means.

"No!" It's his turn to yell denial, rolling to his feet and starting to run after Childermass as he flees, hand already raised to summon Pig back into bike form again. He doesn't have any plan, just running after him to catch him and drag him back ... except he's forgotten that he's been stabbed in the damn calf, and he stumbles after a few steps. It's not bad enough to incapacitate him by any means, but it does slow him down.

"Get after him!"

this is a robbery [closed]

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