[X-World] Conflagration

by **Brigid Plunder** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 11:26 pm

Brigid meanwhile decides to see if she can use its weight against it and tip it over off those spindly legs.

by **Narrator** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:46 am

The boar-monster is already toppling as it slams into Brigid, apparently aiming to pin her with it's bulk. Vertie's blades slice into it, but it's bones seem pretty tough. There also doesn't seem to be any blood despite Vertie's blades having cut all the way to the bone.

Meanwhile Miranda flies over the obstructing sun. Behind it Sundancer seems to be fighting Teri's swarm and doing a solid job of it. There are three much smaller suns around her, roughly the size of soccer balls, moving much faster than the huge one he'd used to cut through the forest. The suns are arcing through the air and the swarm filling the skies, leaving behind huge swaths of empty space as any insect caught near it's path is instantly destroyed. Still, there are a lot of bugs in the air.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:59 am

Miranda flapped her wings, looking down at Sundancer, watching the movement of the suns. She pulled the binding off her eyes and took a deep breath, "Sundancer!" She tucked her wings and dove, processing the possibilities as she fell, twisting her body to dodge the arcs of the suns, almost as if she knew where they were going to be. One hand reached out, trying to make contact with Sundancer's head in an attempt to lock her mind down.

by **Vertie Easley** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:01 pm

"Damn it! What is this thing!" She leap up again this time aiming to mount the beast and jam her daggers into it's head behind it's frill. Looking to destroy whatever passed for it's nervous system.

by **Narrator** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:15 pm

The giant pig is still trying to wrestle itself up from having crashed into rigid and also doesn't seem to have a very good sense of self-preservation, so Vertie manages to drive her daggers into the things neck. It seems to follow some biological sense, as it seems to collapse at having it's spinal column severed. It quickly begins to melt away into nothing just like the troll creature before it.

"Quit messing around, Genesis!" comes Sundancer's voice from the other side of the big fireball before she's interrupted by Miranda diving at her. Her smaller suns miss the descending woman, although even getting close to them singes some feathers. Sundancer herself is surprised, but quick to recover from the surprise, sluggishly struggling with Miranda while trying to fight off the mental assault. Without Sundancer's full concentration all four of the 'suns' begin to grow unstable, decreasing in size but instead beginning to erupt with arcs of flame that wipe out whole clouds of bugs as well as cut through more vegetation over and over.

At the same time a third creature begins to take shape on Vertie's and Brigid's side. This one appears to be floating in the air with a body that's 5 or 6 feet tall and long arms or tentacles trailing behind it.

by **Brigid Plunder** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:18 pm

"Vertie! Find where he really is!" She says, jumping up and grabbing her now-cool machete to face the tentacle monster.

by **Vertie Easley** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:28 pm

"On it." She wiped her daggers in some leaf litter and sheathed them before focusing and looking for the "mind" behind the "animals". While she never could manage control over "human" minds, she could feel the basic instinct within. She focused on those.

by **Narrator** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:50 pm

It's weak, but there's a faint impression coming from a little into the forest back down the path.

by **Vertie Easley** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:00 pm

"Gotcha." She took off, calling to the small group of squirrels she'd had asked to make the clock tower forest home just after leaving Teri's community earlier. "Find him, show him to me, watch him."

by **Miranda Weaver** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:48 pm

Miranda gives up the mental assault, wrestling with Sundancer taking up her concentration. "I don't suppose you want to tell me where Armament is." She breaks away from the tussle as one of the flame bursts cuts too close for her comfort.

by **Narrator** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 6:43 pm

Somewhere in the trees the squirrels find the slim figure of a woman, nestled into the crook of a big branch, apparently zoned out. Meanwhile the creature lashes out at Brigid with two of it's needle-tipped tentacles, aiming to catch one of her limbs and sting her.

The suns stabilize again, putting people at less risk of sudden death by arcing plasma. Sundancer tries to lunge after Miranda as she tries to disengage, trying to land a blow with his fist.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 6:50 pm

Miranda adjusts to catch the blow in one hand, managing that easily, but wincing as the impact twists her shoulder. "Didn't think so," she growls, trying to bring her free fist under in an attempted body blow.

by **Narrator** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 6:57 pm

Sundancer takes the blow in an attempt to stick close to Miranda and risks having the air knocked out of him in order to twist around and aim his elbow at the side of Miranda's head. "How stupid do you think I am?" she says while Miranda gets the vague mental impression of someone stalking through the ruins north of downtown somewhere. Something is weird about Sundancer's mental image but it's hard to tell from such a faint mental impression.

by **Vertie Easley** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:05 pm

Vertie moved through the brush and trees as quietly as possible, her daggers out once more. Her plan was to subdue first.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:12 pm

"You really want an answer to that question?" Miranda said, arm-blocking the elbow and hiding a wince as it continues to abuse that shoulder. "You've already revealed it's a 'he' and I now know he's in the ruins north of downtown, but seriously, you shouldn't think about him anymore," she said, not even pushing with her telepathy and just letting the natural human reaction to that phrase hopefully do the rest.

by **Narrator** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:21 pm

"Oh, please, do go and find him. I would love to watch that." he says, his mental picture taking a bit more shape but for some reason Armament still appears almost like a blank slate. A white stand-in shape for a human, almost. There's something jerky and almost technological about Sundancer's mental image of him. Along with those thoughts Miranda might pick up on Sundancer's plan to sweep Miranda's legs out from under her and shove her into one of the smaller suns he's bringing about.

Genesis still doesn't seem to notice Vertie.

by **Vertie Easley** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:30 pm

Vertie puts her daggers away once more and leaps out at Genisis, going in to grapple the other woman into a sleeper hold.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:33 pm

"I plan on it, but you won't get to watch," Miranda said, holding just long enough to get Sundancer to commit before vaulting backwards over the mini-sun, using her wings for extra lift and scalding herself.

by **Brigid Plunder** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:42 pm

Brigid hacks at the tentacles as they swipe at her, trying to parry them away or slice them off.

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 2:10 pm

After losing limbs in it's previous incarnation this one seems to be made of sturdier stuff, wrapping around Brigid's weapon as she parries it. The tentacle yanks backwards on the weapon to bring Brigid in closer while the main bulk of the creature seems to fold forward like a closing flower-petal, trying to envelop Brigid.

Meanwhile Vertie has no problem getting Genesis into a hold. The woman doesn't seem to react at all, her breathing shallow as she seems to lie either unconscious or asleep.

Sundancer grimaces at Miranda when his leg only moves through empty space. "This is tedious." he decides and with the flick of a wrist sends one of the smaller suns flying across the open space and towards Westminster Abbey. It leaves an empty corridor in the cloud of bugs still swirling at a distance, allowing the two a view of the sun gradually increasing in size before hitting the front of the building and immediately setting it ablaze. "The refugees!" Teri screams through the swarm.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 2:16 pm

Miranda doesn't respond for a fraction of a second, but then she balls up her anger and unleashes it on Sundancer in the form of a mindblast.

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 2:58 pm

Sundancer staggers backwards and goes down hard, blood trickling from his nose. He glares up at Miranda, though it takes a moment for his eyes to really focus again. In response there's a huge flare of flames from near the Abbey. "How many do you think I'll manage to burn to a crisp before you take me down, hmm?" he grins, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. Meanwhile the bugs have withdrawn completely and locust from all over the are converge into Teri near the abbey. She helplessly looks at the flames consuming the front of the building and lets out a sobbing scream that reverberates through the swarm.

by **Brigid Plunder** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:01 pm

"Well then, if that's the way you want to play it..."

Brigid tries to go with the flow, angling her machete into the center where the beast is trying to pull her, aiming to jam it in forcefully.

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:08 pm

The machete pierces what seems to be an eye in the center of the creature, causing it to tumble in mid-air while it's petals twitch. It's hard to tell if it's in pain or just frustrated, but either way it blindly stabs at Brigid with the clawed tips of it's 'petals' while trying to keep her trapped right where she is.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:14 pm

"Bad move," Miranda says, her voice going flat and emotionless. "I might have let you live otherwise. You've forced me to pass judgment. I could have forgiven the destruction of the trees and even the resistance. I will not forgive the killing of innocents. The daughter of the Morrigan cannot overlook such senseless slaughter." She stalked towards Sundancer, the feathers in her wings going even blacker.

"Vertie, I need rain on the bell tower now! Tell Jennifer to talk to Theresa."

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:28 pm

"They're not dead yet, but they will be if you don't let me through." Sundancer smirks as he pulls himself to his feet. "Kill me now and you'll have to live with the knowledge that you doomed dozens to an excruciating death." he says, spreading his arms, inviting Miranda to attack him.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:48 pm

"You have no idea the amount of knowledge I have to live with," Miranda said, but she still stepped out of Sundancer's way, motioning for him to move on through.

by **Vertie Easley** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:55 pm

"So be it." Vertie pulled her dagger and placed it at Genesis' throat. "Wake, remove your pets and surrender or I will slit your throat here and now."

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:09 pm

Something about the metal against her throat seems to register with her, though it's unclear if she really caught what Vertie was saying. "Fuck!" she hisses when she realizes what situation she found herself in. At the same time the floating monster that had been chewing on Brigid dissolves into wisps of nothing.

Sundancer gives a mocking bow to Miranda. "Much obliged." he says before hurrying off across the open area. He pulls something from his pocket to hold up to his head and quickly corrects his path directly towards Big Ben. Eventually the huge sun blocking the path shrinks and zips off towards the clock tower to follow him.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:45 pm

About that time it starts raining, building and quickly progressing to a more solid downpour. Miranda smiles and takes off after Sundancer.

by **Brigid Plunder** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:47 pm

Brigid finally rights herself and runs off after Sundancer too.

"You're out of friends..."

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:04 pm

The sun lodged in the front of the abbey doesn't show any signs of going out. The rain is dousing some of the flames that have sprung up on the building itself, but mostly it produces a massive cloud of water-vapor as the rain evaporates upon contact with the sun. Similarly the entrance to Big Ben has a burning orb lodged in the bottom floor that has already begun to melt the stairs into slag. Suddenly one of the clock faces on top of the tower begins to glow as it melts, finally giving away and plummeting to the ground in a heap of molten metal and glass that lands on the roof of parliament. Sundancer's shape is barely visible standing in the opening, ASHLIE's inactive drone slung on her back. She gives the courtyard a mock salute before slapping something on to the lifeless frame on her back, which suddenly engages it's flight boosters and takes off through the cover of the fog. The roof of parliament gives a faint moan and then suddenly collapses as the still glowing clock-face eats through the support. Finally, the sun lodged into the front of Westminster Abbey whisks out.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:13 pm

Miranda sighs as her mind rolls through possible outcomes. "We need to help the people inside," she tells Brigid. "There's no good outcome to chasing him right now." She pulls the binding back out of her pocket and puts it back over her eyes.

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:39 pm

Teri is running to and from, what few bugs had remained driven away by the rain, trying to figure out what to do. A lot of the crops that had been growing in the courtyard were scorched when the ball of plasma had raced across on it's way to the Abbey. The building itself looks like it'll hold though the entire front is gone, turned into slag that survivors are beginning to carefully make their way across. The roof of the Parliament is still slowly collapsing but eventually stops. Big Ben is smoldering but looks like the rain is making sure the fires are going out.

Genesis doesn't seem willing to die for the hell of it and let's herself be tied up. How much good that does considering her power is questionable, but at least she won't run away. She's almost definitely going to require someone to stand guard over her at all times though or she might start summoning creatures again.

by **Vertie Easley** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:42 pm

Vertie hefted Genesis up easily and partly walk and dragged the other woman with her to the rest of the group. "Seer, a gift." She smirked and stepped away, pausing to check on Brigid before dashing into the nearest opening into the Abbey.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:56 pm

Miranda turned to look at Genesis, squatting down to look the other in the eye. "You've heard of me, right?"

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:23 pm

"Sure. You got a good reason for me not to try and kill you before you can do me in instead?" she says, sounding detached and almost groggy.

by **Brigid Plunder** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:26 pm

"Don't get smart," she growls at Genesis.

by **Miranda Weaver** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:37 pm

"Because I'll know you're going to try it and I'll melt your mind before you can," she said, reaching down into the dirt. She smeared some mud from her fingers onto Genesis' forehead in a rune shape, "Cyfrgoll ffwlcyn." Her words reverberated against Genesis' mind, but didn't have any other immediate effect. She fixed the other woman with a disturbing smile, "And now I've cursed you. All I have to do is snap my fingers and your brain will burn, starting right there," she pushed at where she'd put the rune.

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:41 pm

"Message received." she says glumly, then after a moment adds a bit more flippantly, "Though that's a whole lot of effort to avoid getting your hands dirty with a knife. You ever actually kill anybody? For that hands-on experience?"

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