ic We're Still A Thing (IC)

[Nightshade]

Jessica's head went light for a moment as the magic coursed through her body. If it weren't for the mages, she... wouldn't be in this lovely predicament. At least she had the spirits. And Jack. She laughed as she heard the familiar roar. Not that she could see the carnage, but she knew there would be splatter. Little did she know it wasn't working out for him!

 

She shook her head as the magic flooded out of her body. Looking around to the mages, she scowled, "I don't know who you are or what you're up to, but it's not wise. At all." The spirits she commanded flowed into one of the mages.

[angrydurf]

Between the angry roars at the far end of the alleyway and Jessica starting to move breaking their carefully crafted rune of entrapment things were not going as the cultists had planned.  As the one in the center took a hasty step away from the freed hero and began dark incantations anew the cultist on her left dropped his blade with  a shriek of surprise, "You said she'd be trapped!"  he yelped in fear as the silver dagger clattered on the pavement scoring the paralytic circle and ensuring the spell couldn't be triggered once more. 

 

The cultist to her right was made of sterner stuff however and dropped into a low crouch flipping hte dagger in his hand to a combat grip before lunging with surprising speed to slash across her side with his serpentine blade.  As he attacked the seeming leader completed his invocation of fell powers.  Tendrils of inky black rose from the ground and shadows in a writhing mass around Jessica, the wispy limbs snaked toward her whipping around to ensnare her before she could make good on her escape.

[Jack]

Jack felt the impact from the blow. It surprised him, more then it hurt him. He let out a low growl and his eyes locked on the one who had hit him. The beast inside of him was enraged that this tiny worm had dared to attack it. Without thinking his fist lashed out at the cultist.

[angrydurf]

While Jessica evaded the tentacles in the dark alley jack face the towering thugs outside.  As he struck out he felt his claws rake along the creatures hide knocking the wind from it as it doubled over from the force that hide was like striking stone, carving deep furrows in the rocky creatures side but not cutting like they would against a less sturdy foe.  Clearly not all was as it seemed with these hoodlums.  Jacks paw closed around the bestial forearm of the gargoyle and despite the creatures might the bear proved the stronger binding the stoney enemy in a firm joint lock.

 

While it's comrade was neatly restrained by Jack the other gargoyle was unfettered and with the battle truly joined not so shy about unleashing it's full power on the giant man bear that was wrestling his fellow servator.  With a bestial roar it raised it's hands overhead in a vicious double handed chop, granite limbs driving with the force of a truck across Jacks back.

[Nightshade]

The tendrils would have been fun if it weren't for the obvious danger around her. Jessica sensed the fear in the cultist's failure. That was much more fun. She looked to each of the magic users, making sure she could get eye contact with each of them. "I'm not going to give you a chance to run," she said as her body lit up with vile purple-green flame, "just know this. You're going to regret messing with a Witchblood."

 

Hellfire does not burn. It attaches to your soul and eats away at it in very painful ways. It just happens to look like what people call fire. Demons never pass up a reason to make you fear their power. Something these three magicians might have known, or not. Either way they were bathed in the sickening balefulness of it all.

[angrydurf]

The cultists eyes grew wide as the hellish flames began to fan out from their target.  The panicking cultists glared at the apparent leader for a fraction of a second and began to bolt shouting angrily, "You said she'd be traaaaaa...iiiiieeeeee"  his words turning to a twisted scream as the flames overtook him and the others.  All three were scorched and collapsed the preternatural darkness in the alley falling with them revealing the devils trap inscribed on the rough asphalt of the filthy alley.  With their hoods cast back in the thrashing to put out the flames before succumbing it was clear the three were nothing more than dabblers in the dark arts.  Likely not even skilled enough to know about Jessica or her bloodline, someone higher up had sent them, and likely created the gargoyles still battling Jack at the entrance of the alley.

[Jack]

Jack barely saw the strike incoming. In the confined space he couldnt react to the strike and he felt the impact, but through the rage of his beast, he managed to push past it and shrug it off. He felt familiar heat off to one side, but he couldnt take his attention off of these brutes. He trusted that Jessica was ok now, for the moment at least. 

 

Jack felt the rock creature struggle beneath his grip and he tightened his claws on the creatures throat. He raised a fist and slammed it down at the dome of the second creatures head.

[angrydurf]

The rocky monstrosity staggered under the force of the blow unable to fend off the bears mighty claws.  It struggled ineffectively in Jacks grasp unable to shake off the furious assault and found itself entrapped as its fellow had been.   The other gargoyle regaining his senses enough to struggle still proved no match for Jacks mighty thews and despite it’s best efforts could not break free from the bears grasp.

[Nightshade]

The spirit of Pride welled up in her as Jessica watched as the minor mystics immolated in the hellish inferno. The fact that she had taken out most of her captors, she resisted the urge to evilly laugh. Only so much. Maybe a snicker. Still, Jack had the two big guys on him. No wait, he was on them! Oh, she did enjoy this little scene. Her boyfriend, in a complete rage, ripping into stony beings.

 

The fact that the things were helpless under Jack's might made this so much easier. She touched the one that looked like it had some fight left in it. "What do you want me to do to this one," she asked the raging bear rhetorically, "I could make it crumple under the weight of it's own..." Mid sentence, she got a devious idea. Walking over to Jack, she let a spirit of Wrath into him. Jack's form warped, his body now rippled with the purple-green flames that felled the cultists. "No need to horde the fun," she said backing up and letting the bear to his mauling.

[Jack]

Jack felt the presence in the back of his already crowded mind. He felt the pure anger slip into him, and it found the memory of Jess being led away, and the sheer powerlessness he had felt. Wrath latched on to that memory and amplified it a thousand fold. Way beyond the point of being able to verbalize words anymore, Jack let out an ear splitting roar of pent up pain and rage right into the faces of the two brutes he held. His brow furrowed as what appeared to be flames danced around him. He felt no pain, so he paid them no attention, focusing on the Brutes instead. He let out a second roar as he brought the brutes in close and then violently slammed them into the nearby wall. The wall buckled and cracked under the sudden force.

[angrydurf]

The wall cracked under the force of Jack ramming the stoney foes into it as did the rocklike hide of the gargoyles though they struggled feebly in his grip still.  The flames licked up his arms scorching the animate statuary and eliciting bellows of rage as they continued to burn under the fell flames of Jessica's magic.  These creatures were too heart to be so easily disposed of however and clung still to their semblance of life.  

[Nightshade]

Jessica zoned out for what looked like a long second. Watching Jack burn in nefarious light made her happy. She thought about what they could do together if they combined their magics. His was natural, hers was far from it.  Nothing about them made sense, and yet, it worked. Snapping out of the daze, she looked at the situation. Still in their favor. Yup. "Hey baby," she said leaning back against a wall, "finish them. Food's around the corner."

[Jack]

Jack's ears pricked up at the sound of Jess' voice. He knew he should be calming down now that she wasnt in danger....but the anger felt so good...it was so easy to slip into it and just let himself go. It was fine to let go, wasn't it?

 

He raised one of the stone monsters as high as his arm let him and slammed him down into the concrete, its body cracking harshly with the impact, his furry clawed foot putting pressure on its chest. With his second hand free he reached up and grabbed the second monsters jaw and spun it violently, the monster going limp. With a swift stomp of his foot through rock, the second monsters ceased moving. Jack let out a roar of victory and discarded his vanquished foe, tossing the limp stone monster into the far wall. 

 

His beast let out another roar of challenge and looked around for more prey that needed to be handled...but found none. It growled angrily at the lack of a fight.

 

Jack felt himself regaining control as the danger passed. He reasserted control completely, feeling his body twist and contort once more as he forced the beast back inside himself. With a bit of horror and realization he looked at the two stone corpses and then at his own hands. He couldnt bring himself to look at Jessica. He didnt want her to see the shame he felt of losing control like that. He slumped to his knees. A lite misty rain began to fall, as if the heavens themselves wept. Jack felt cold for the first time in his life and it wasn't from the weather.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Jack

[Nightshade]

It was quite an impressive display of savagery. While she was awed by his brutality, she knew he wasn't in his right mind. His rage, 'her' Wrath. He would crash any moment. Or worse yet, he wouldn't. The stone monster crumbled underneath him. With baited breath she waited for what would happen next. It was part relief and part grief. Pulling the Wrath spirit back, she stepped forward to him.

 

"Bear," she asked with a bit of worry. On his knees, she wanted to be happy for this moment. But it obviously wasn't time for that. Thoughts of doubt and sorrow crossed her mind. What had she done to him? What was she for him? Though she wanted to comfort him, hold him, but she didn't want to make it worse. "Jack," she said stepping towards him, "I'm sorry."

 

"Come on," she said trying to coax him up. For the first time in a long time, she was quiet. Soft, even. She couldn't stand around doing nothing though. There's was a physical love. They talked through contact some times. She hugged him, placing her head on his. "Let's go home."

 

After one of the longest, quietest walks home. She had time to think. There was no way she was any good for him. She loved him, but the relationship did nothing. Those feelings only stewed harder. She watched him, sitting on the couch. Quiet. This was the first time they hadn't been close in a while. She didn't know what to do.

[Jack]

It was a long moment before he spoke. "Da, I am sorry you had to see that lil one." He said softly. He felt ashamed that he had lost control so completely. He gingerly rubbed her cheek with his giant hand and played with her hair a little, actions he found soothing. "Guess I'm not so perfect as you think eh?" He asked with a subtle little smile.

 

His thoughts were still dark but at least she was here to shine a bit of light into the darkness. He had enjoyed being savage...he had liked letting the monster out. True he had done it with good intentions but...still. There was a part of himself that he didnt recognize yet, part of himself that had been changed by the beast inside.

[Nightshade]

She was happy when words came from him, but not the words that he said. It wasn't his fault. It was hers. She never should have did that to him! At least there was contact now. That made things better. Or worse. She couldn't tell. But she enjoyed it. "Mmm, nobody's perfect, Bear," she said feigning contented happiness. Inside the worry and doubt still stewed.

 

Wrapping her arms around him, she held on for a bit, she rested her head on him. "I know that some times I don't make the right decisions." It was an open ended statement, rhetorical. But it openly laid there in the conversation. Like something she could have not said. "Your actions today were because of me. In more ways than one. Like if you didn't know me, what would you have done?" She looked up at him, "you'd have helped, yeah. But would you have gone all heels? More so, would I have filled you with that Wrath spirit?" Again, more open mouth, out loud thinking. She didn't know where she was going with this.