ic Violence is Golden

[Supercape]

GM

 

"What plan?" came the invisible voice. "March into the Graveyard, shoot out lightning, and hope we dont get our bones snapped? Or zombies rise from the graveyard?" she asked. 

 

"Wait...if she is mistress of bones....and this is a graveyard....errr....dont graves have bones in them? I mean, this is fighting on her turf isn't it?" she asked nervously. "Like, skelingtons and stuff. Shall I try an buy a chainsaw or something? Like in the movies?" she asked, getting a little too keen about the idea. 

 

"As for the Salon. I don't think it is safe to enter. I mean, it might fall apart if we even look at it. I mean...look at it!" she said, indicating that Alex should follow her gaze to the Salon. 

 

With the accumulated pressure of two gazed on it, the half rotten "SALON" sign creaked, and dutifully fell to the road. 

[Exaccus]

"Hmm...i see watcha mean...here." holding his keys aloft "if things go south fer the winter ill do my best to fry em whilst ya get that back up i mentioned yeah?"

 

"I dont think a normal human skeleton has enough power to smash outta a coffin and up through 6ft of earth...though magic's not my area of expertise...she might've exhumed a few for muscle but they wont be infinite ill wager....gonna go radio silence whilst we're in here so i don't give you away, though ill shout out anything important."

 

And with that he put his hand on the pedestrian entrance and pushed it open, stepping into the unknown

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Sure. I can ride a bike. I mean, its simple right? only two wheels?" asked Pixie, a little unsure. 

 

The Graveyard was rather pleasant in the sun, with plenty of green that ran this way and that, and over gravestones. Fax could see no mourners, but every now and again their were flesh flowers, and the smell of the pleasant was a gently natural one. It was indeed a peaceful repose. 

 

The graveyard was middle sized, not too big, and a few dozen yards in, Fax spotted her. The mistress of bones, dressed as she had been before, clutching her staff and studying the graves around her, mumbling to herself feverently....

[Exaccus]

This was a golden oppertunity to gather information and evidence if not testimony so applying all he had learned from his time amongst other claremont students as well as being a young adult to skulk his way forward, using the headstones and monuments as cover on his approach.

 

straining his ears to filter out the ambient sounds around him and focus in on his elusive quarry.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Mistress of Bones was gripping her long staff hard with white knuckles. Her eyes were almost closed, and between the drooping eyelids and her mumbling, she seemed for all the world quite oblivious to Fax's silent approach. 

 

The language appeared Latin, and whilst Alex was mult-lingual, alas, Latin was not part of his repertoire - although he recognised the language well enough. 

 

The Mistress swayed slightly, lost in concentration, lost in ritual. She seemed thin now, even more so than before, but wiry and vital all the same. 

[Exaccus]

Well that can't be good.

 

and with that brilliant deduction he emerged from his hiding place and pointing an otherwise innocous finger at the so called mistress of bones bellowed the first words that came to mind.

 

"Freeze!"

[Supercape]

GM

 

With a snap that sounded like cracking bones, the eyes popped open. 

 

The mistress of bones was quick on the uptake, her mind razor sharp, and her body spun around with alarming speed. 

 

"What? Who? You!" she spat, recalling her adversary. 

 

"You caused some real headache for me back at the concert, my friend. But this is a different playing field" she said, voice low and slow. "Before I crack open your skull and scoop out the straw inside, tell me...who are you?"

 

She looked at a nearby grave. 

 

"And what would you like on your gravestone?"

[Exaccus]

"Ha! Thats funny, 'cause i am kinda like a scarecrow ya know, i ward off beady eyed buzzards looking for easy pickings like you." He rumbled as his internals, now copper coils and magnets whirred to life under his clothes.

 

"But its gonna be you singing "if i only had a brain" with your jailbird boyfriend, bonehead!" He taunted as he slowly circled round and out into the open from his hiding place, as he kept his finger leveled at the so called mistress of bones.

"you're right about the playing field, There aren't any injured bystanders i need to protect here."

 

"Facsimile's taking you down you crook!"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Ha! Skull was a fool to love me! He was bait for fools!" she retorted. 

 

"Now, I'm done needing him. Instead....I have these lovely fellows!"

 

With a raise of her staff, the ground erupted in earth, and ten glistening clean skeletons flew out of the graves around Fax. Mindless and hollow eyed, they started to advance - and these were no shuffling undead. The mistress of bones knew her craft, and these fellows were as quick and agile as they were when alive. 

 

For her part, the mistress moved behind a large gravestone, chuckling to herself!

[Exaccus]

"Yeah i figured, its a shame really, you two have so much in common." A taunting condescending tone on his voice as he removed his jacket to avoid having it disintegrated as he wreathed himself in lightning and lept forward towards the densest cluster of skeletons he could find.

 

"I might be the first hero you've fought but you're not the first looser i've put in blackstone!" As he brought his crackling fist into contact with the first skeletons sternum, arm twisting as he connected, amplifying the force with the economy of motion just like his boxing lessons and various brawls had taught him.

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

Bzzzzt! came the sizzling sounds of sizzling bounds. As fists flew, full of supercharged electical electricity, the skeletons advancing in front of Fax exploded into dust and ash, completely unable to take the force and the fury. 

 

"Oh dear!" said the Mistress of Bones, not best pleased. 

 

"Yippee!" said an invisible voice, most full of cheer. 

 

As the skeletons behind him continued their advance, the Mistress of bones pointed her staff at Fax. 

 

"Well, that was impressive. Shockingly impressive!" she conceded. "But Ill snap that smile right off from your jaw bone!" she declared. 

 

And Fax did indeed feel a most grinding pain in his jaw...

[Exaccus]

Groaning slightly in pain as his jaw grinded against itself and dizzied slightly he rubbed his face a little.

 

"Jeeze that stings! Ill get to you shortly so hold on." He huffed as he crashed bodily into the second group of skeletons with a fulminious flurry of fists and sparks reducing them to dust and ash.

 

"Now then! You and everything else infront of me is about to have a headache!" And with a swing of his palm he let loose a wall of less intense electricity that washed over the landscape.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Mistress of Bones staggered back, her blue hair rising high and straight with the shockwave. SHe gripped her staff tightly with bony fingers, and let out a scream of pain as she stumbled. 

 

"Ooh! That stings!" she gasped, her breath still with her but ragged. "I could almost feel my ribs crack! Yes! a bit like this...." she said, teeth gritted and pointing her staff once more at Fax - this time he felt the most splintering sensation (which was unpalatable to say the least) in his left side, his ribs attempting to bend and contort in some macarbe dance. 

 

"Now, let me get on with the real work!" she added, and half ran-half stumbled into a small (almost tiny) stone mausoleum in the centre of the graveyard. It could not have been more than a dozen feet across, and it was covered in greenery. It felt cold, somehow....

[Exaccus]

This time the pain hit him hard, his vision blurred and his head span, unable to do as much as stumble after her

 

He didnt even have time to think or say anything only managing to hold onto his mimicry and footing with strenous effort 

Edited July 20, 2018 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

As Fax entered the tiny building, the Mistress of Bones spun round to meet his gaze. His shuffling feet kicked up dust and reverberations easily captured by the walls. 

 

"Persistant and bone headed" she commented. "And I should know about bones!" she added, brimming with pride. 

 

"I'd crack your head wide open just for your stupidity. A pleasure, it would be. But you are also in my way, and doubled is my reason for doing so" she threatened, waving her staff. 

 

"This place is full of power, can you not smell it? Bones under rich soil, buried with ritual and magic. If I can harness that, then nothing would stop me..." she explained, eyes glazing at the mere thought of such wealth. 

[Exaccus]

"Look lady, i hear this spiel a lot, about power, wealth, control and all the stuff it can get ya." He sighed and leaned back against a wall almost casually as he looked around at the mausoleum

 

"Only thing i can smell in this place is "the funk of forty thousand years"  through the cracks in the stone....so lemme ask you seeing as you feel chatty, why'd you want power? You seemed pretty set up for life is all, yet you threw it away for graveyard stank?"

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Everyone wants power" replied the witch. "Or is lying if they say they do not. Who is truly content with an life ordinary? unexceptional? who does not wish to make their mark on the tapestry of history? Would you be a thread through which it is woven?" she asked. 

 

"You have power, and you are in no position to judge those who do not. "My vision is grand, my sight is far. I studied the occult, and found this staff and have the will to use it, to master it. I would not throw that away, no, I embrace it! just as you have embraced your fortune"

 

"I have splintered and broken bones, this is true. Of the fit, healthy, and blessed. Not killed them, just tought them a lesson in fortune and misfortune. And in doing so, learned more. It is a knowledge I will use wisely!"

[Exaccus]

"As someone with "power" lemme tell you it ain't all its cracked up to be." He sighed as he shifted against the wall "it always comes with a cost and it is always too much; My brother feels the way you do, he's the only one who knows about my "fortune" and he in a fit of jealousy tried to turn me over to a rogue goverment agency on the promise of giving him power." Alex laughed humourlessly a little.

 

"Im sure you've heard of MAX? They were going to hop him up on that and chemically lobotamize him." He said plainly "i was tortured with flame throwers till i figured out how to turn into energy and rescue him."

 

"Just last week some freak was trying to see if he could dismember me when i was made of diamond." He stood up and examined his hand "dunno if he just wanted to brag about his kungfu or wanted to mine me for litteral blood diamonds."

 

"Only good thing about this power is now and again i can help people, like i told marcus, i don't like hurtin folks, when im not doing this song and dance im fixing stuff for the neighbours or hanging out with my friends and im honestly a lot happier then."

 

"It invites challenge, inspires envy and attracts people who want to use you cause they can't see anything but it."

Edited July 21, 2018 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Boo hoo hoo" replied the mistress of bones, wiping away imaginary tears and looking like a bad hollywood actress mocking an awards ceremony. "Everybodies got a sad story. Woe is me. Look at how brave I am to overcome tradgedy and misfortune!"

 

"Save it for your therapist, pal" she snapped back. "I'm not here to hurt. I'm here to not be hurt. And if I have to hurt to not be hurt, then so be it" she concluded in a rather clumsy, but passionate summary of her philosophy. 

 

"Now, do you want to break your left leg in crippling agony, or your right one?" she asked. "Choose wisely, or ill break them both!"

 

"Your a meanie!" came an invisible voice. 

 

"Whose that!" said the mistress of bones, startled. 

 

"Not me. I mean. Nobody!" said the invisible voice. "Just the wind!"

 

The mistress startled around again, before coming back to Fax. 

 

"Whose that! Answer or Ill break every bone in your body!"

[Exaccus]

"You are a psycho and i am done going easy on you." Facs said with a cold fury filling him as he clenched his fists.

 

"Time to ride the lightning all the way to the brink."

 

And with that he unleashed a blinding bolt of blue electricity towards the mistress of bones, he felt the hair on his phantom flesh and blood form stand up on end from the voltage he loosed her way.

 

The shot arced wide however and scored a black scorch mark on the stone wall.

 

It did however provide just enough distraction for him to vanish into the air ominously just as the brightness subsided

Edited July 22, 2018 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

Whilst the mistress of bones liked to talk, she was no fool. 

 

Just as Fax unleashed a bolt of electricity, she slammed forward her staff. For none had the drop on the other. 

 

If it was fire or ice she was firing, it would have met the lightning in the middle of the two, but as it was...well, the electric charge hit to her left, shrivelling some vines and leaves in a furious display of power. And at the same time, Alex felt a crunch in his pelvis; and not, it should be made quite clear, in any pleasurable way. No, for once again, it was the grind of bones twisting quite out of character....

[Exaccus]

A whispering wind filled the mausoleum "close but no cigar." He teased as he fully turned to atmosphere and  invisable and silent he hung in the air.

 

And thought out his plan of attack for a few scant moments.

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

"You're mean! A mean meanie!" shouted the invisible Pixie. 

 

Of course, being invisible meant one could not see her. But if one could, through means arcane or mundane, they would see the short pixie rush through the air at a blisteringly fast, inhuman, speed, and give the mistress of bones a massive shove. 

 

"Take that, meanie!"

 

Fast as she was, the Puzzle Pixie weighed next to nothing and was not possessed of strength. The Mistress got shoved rudely to one side, but leant on her staff and straighted up. 

 

"Cheat!" she proclaimed, quite irritated. 

[Exaccus]

Hovering his way over he felt the memory of his face smiling at pixies adorable outrage, he'd have to compliment her later but for now he had a psycho to put away.

 

Drawing as close as possible he hooked his fingers into the air, it felt like a reem o fabric to him in this state and as such it could be manipulated.

 

"Don't waste your breath....you're going to need it!" He couldn't maintain his stealth with the violent yankin motion that was required to pull the air from the boneheads lungs but he had gotten the drop on her for now.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"What! Whooo....uuuuhhh!" gasped the Mistress of Bones. 

 

She dropped her staff and staggered around theatrically, like a model-turned-actress trying to grab an oscar. To extend the analogy, such a model-turned-actress would have as much chance of catching said oscar as the mistress of bones would have of catching her breath. 

 

"...uh....wishbone...." she wheezed, before passing out with a thud and clonking her head on the stone floor for good measure. 

 

"Yippee!" declared Pixie, becoming visible and throwing her hands in the air.