Supercape Posted May 21, 2013 Posted May 21, 2013 You make a good point, Tazel... She grumbled in her head. Tazel could fire her up with immense strength and power, but he was as much a bane as a boon. Possibly more of the former. Why don't you stand guard for me whilst I sleep? With that, she contracted her abdomen and willed the demon out of her. The sensation was not painful, but it was a few seconds of the most horrible discomfort. She could tolerate it, but it would never be an experience to savour. From her mouth came a wisp, then a flame, then a belch of smoke, and Tazel floated in front of her, a foot high flame with deep red eyes burning within. "So, my little friend. Stand there and if anyone approaches, sing out and wake me. That's sing out and wake me. Not burn me, not set the house alight. Just stay there and scream if you see anyone in my room...and protect me. Got that?" She yawned, and crawled into bed, the bulk of her clothes strewn out, rock star style, over the floor. "And, yes, I'm pretty sure that's something funny is going on. I don't need your forked tongue to tell me that. His Rock Opera is almost my life, give or take. I doubt he is writing about me, but there is clearly something infernal spying on this. All that isolation theme? he is talking about himself, isn't he?" She tucked her head into a plush pillow. "And hands of Billy!" she added, her face below a pillow and a wagging finger poking out of the duvet.
Vahnyu Posted May 21, 2013 Author Posted May 21, 2013 GM Post "... But of course... Maaaaaster..." the infernal being slurred, as a devilish thought entered its mind. "And I'll make sure to leave Billy alone, as you commanded..." Thunder roared in the distance. The sky had been completely filled with clouds, and soon it started rainning, first a few droplets, before slowly building up to a barrage. Most of the rooms had been well-soundproofed, but even so, the rain had turned into a hailstorm, and the force of impact made a subtle, yet audible noise reverberate inside the room. Physical fatigue didn't take long to turn this into a white noise for Carmen... Phlegethon Villa 00:37 "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Loud noises emanated from the room next door, thrashing of furniture and screams of panic. "HEEEEEELP!!!! HEEEEELP MEEEEEEEE!!!!" came the distressed and desperate voice of Billy, giving the impression of a man running for his life. For his part, Tazel remained dutifully motionless, his stare keeping an intent watch for any trouble that might enter the room and cause trouble for his master. He appeared to pay no heed to Billy's cries for help.
Supercape Posted May 21, 2013 Posted May 21, 2013 Carmen dimly heard the screams in her sleep. Gunshots. A cry from a mother. Sirens. A heavy breath. A searing pain, down her spine. She was only an infant, but somehow she held a vague unconscious memory of the day when her parents were shot, and that fateful tattoo had been engraved down her spine. And the occasional nightmare. "noo...." she moaned. And then opened her eyes to the screams of Billy. "Hellfire! Blast you Tazel, you treacherous worm! Get back in here!" she commanded, opening her mouth wide to let the demon inside, whilst running for the door. She didn't even grab her cane. She wouldn't be fast without her callipers or cane - but Billy wasn't far away. She hoped she was fast enough!
Vahnyu Posted May 21, 2013 Author Posted May 21, 2013 GM Post Tazel only muttered a few words in Latin, before being swallowed up. The hallway teamed with four infernal creatures that looked like giant hornets, the size of a human hand, only their wings were bat-like, and an aura of a dark flame surrounded them. Carmen recognized them as Hellstingers, mindless low ranking flying demons that appear and attack in groups. Their existance in the material plane is usually the result of a high level demon entering the mundane world, but stray groups finding their way to the material plane by accident or happenstance is not unheard of. Carmen vaguely recalls that there's a surefire way to know for certain which is the case, but she can't recall more than that. Billy's cries could still be heard from the room, but there was no indication that he was hurting. Yet. The door was teared open, though. No longer did Carmen spotted the infernal Hellstingers, Billy Blooms came out of the door, running and dodging as a fifth Hellstinger dived for his back. "BOSS!!!? QUICK! GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!" he said, running towards her direction. No other person in the villa seemed to notice, but then again, their rooms were far far away, whilst Carmen's had been next door.
Supercape Posted May 22, 2013 Posted May 22, 2013 "Billy get into my room! Get my cane!" she said, feeling naked without it. Of course, jumping out of bed in the middle of the night with a t shirt and underwear made her feel a bit naked too. Damn! She wobbled slightly, without cane or callipers, but started to back off, slowly. "Back off, beasts!" she said, directing her anger to the hellstingers, as the spinal tattoo tingled slightly in anticipation. "You do not know what you face!" she shouted, although she knew the stingers were effectively mindless animals. Still, they may register the tone rather than the words.
Vahnyu Posted May 23, 2013 Author Posted May 23, 2013 (edited) GM Post Billy froze for a moment and stared at Carmen's determined look. Deciding that whatever the demons could wrought to him would pale by comparisson to what she might do to him in her current mindframe, he followed suit and jumped inside her room. The Hellstingers buzzed and flew around Carmen, their piercing stingers emitting hypersonic sounds in anticipation. A few made false dives, missing Carmen on purpose, and one even thrashed an ornamental table with a flower vase on it. "FOUND IT!" Billy shouted, as he threw the cane to Carmen's hands. The young photographer was still unclear as to what was going on, and especially on what Carmen's plan was. "Uhhh... Boss? What should I... uhhh..." Billy's terrified voice could scarcely be heard over the ruckus the demons were raising, as the hailstorm outside continued to rage on. The Hellstingers were already done toying. Four of the Hellstingers surrounded Carmen, and tried to sink their demonic feet on her arms and legs, in an effort to immobilize her for the fifth Hellstinger. Two of them succeeded, managing to keep her left arm and right leg in place, and the last Hellstinger took the opportunity to dive at her in full force, aiming it's hellish sting straight at the woman's heart. Edited May 23, 2013 by Vahnyu
Supercape Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 Carmen batted them to one side, stumbling as she did. She reached out one hand to steady herself against the walls. Tazel, fire me up! she shouted, as the demon bubbled up in her belly. Smoke started belching from her mouth, along with a wisp of flame. Her eyes were black and red. Leather, boots and silk, studded and black, crawled over her body and smoked slightly. The silk top weaved its way over her, leaving the spine untouched as her t shirt disappeared. Taking a big breath in, she focussed on the infernal forge - a plane of metal and fire, the magic of the Cantos family. And exhaled... A stream of fire hurled down the corridor, engulfing the little demons...
Vahnyu Posted May 24, 2013 Author Posted May 24, 2013 GM Post The fire engulfed the demonlings, but as soon as it made contact, the dark flame that surrounded them glowed intensly, to the point of being called bright, if not for the fact that it was dark. The flame shielded the insectoid demons from Carmen's fiery breath, absorbing it and dissipating it. However, the fire did serve at ticking them off, as they now buzzed more furiously; Carmen had registered herself as a serious threat to them, and the demons, while fairly simpleminded to the point of relying on one tactic only, were still a dangerous threat, by dint of fact that it was one damn well effective tactic. Thus, once again, they surrounded Carmen, this time three of them succeeding on holding her in place, letting the last one to try its luck at injuring the woman, this time on her belly. Meanwhile, Billy from inside the room was left with his mouth agape "... What?" So much so, that all sense of fear had abandoned him, and replaced with befuddlement.
Supercape Posted May 24, 2013 Posted May 24, 2013 Pitch wrestled free of the firebugs, her rage growing. Even Tazel seemed to be enjoying the fight, from what she could make of her inner rumblings. Of course, his motivations where always suspect. She should have guessed, of course, demonfolk were often used to fire. But then, some hated it. This should be done the old fashioned way... She had been in enough trouble in her adolescence and adulthood, she knew how to fight and brawl, even with her disability. She snapped her arm of one of the firebugs, and with a ferocious strength, punched at with a flicked wrist and little mercy...
Vahnyu Posted May 24, 2013 Author Posted May 24, 2013 GM Post The punch pierced the bug's sternum and cracked it open, causing a green slime to drip downwards, as the bug fell to the floor. The dark flame that not minutes ago protected the Hellstinger now greedily consumed the unfortunate demon as if it was a parasite feeding on its host. Soon, there was nothing left to even suggest the evidence of such a creature... that is, aside from the other four Hellstingers that were still alive and kicking, once again trying to hold Carmen for the last one to make its move, their dwindling numbers doing them no favors as they tried that simple set up. "Hell YEAH!" Billy shouted in enthusiams, not caring anymore how Carmen dealt with the demon, but merely that she did, and will continue doing so. "Go on and sock 'em, Boss!" He cheered her on.
Supercape Posted May 24, 2013 Posted May 24, 2013 Gripping the Cantos Cane, Pitch steadied herself, and with a deceptive slowness pushed the goats head of the cane, now smouldering with power, into the thorax of another stinger. I think I can do better than that... "Beast, you must be truly mindless to face off against me. Does the Cantos cane mean nothing to you?" she asked, a grin painted onto her face, with blackened teeth and smoke. The cane began to howl a horrible screeching incantation from the head of the goat, as its power flowed into the stinger. "You are mind to command now, beast, bound to the power of Pitch!" she said. "Vent your power on your infernal brothers!"
Vahnyu Posted May 26, 2013 Author Posted May 26, 2013 (edited) GM Post One of the remaining Hellstingers fell to the commanding power of the Cantos Devil Stick that Carmen held, seemingly completely immobile and mesmerized by it at the time, while the others, feeling that their comrade turned unresponsive, started buzzing furiously and around the area in fervor. taking their distance, they all lunged together at Carmen, each from a different angle, with their spear-like stings primed for causing the maximum amount of damage possible. Only one managed to catch her off-guard, and while it did land it's stinger, it was at such an awkward angle, that Carmen's iron skin not only deflected it, but she even bent it, causing a dull hollow sound as it did, and eliciting shrieks of pain from the creature. Edited May 26, 2013 by Vahnyu
Supercape Posted May 27, 2013 Posted May 27, 2013 "That all you got?" asked Pitch, rhetorically. "I eat demon's for breakfast. I won't be bothered by a few little imps like you!" she said, growing in confidence - and aggression. "You!" she shouted, pointing the Cantos stick at the demon whose soul was now hers. "Defend me!" she commanded, a smile on her lips. For all the dangers of binding demons, it still gave her a little thrill. Hefting the stick, she whipped it across from left to right, pinning another Stinger to the wall in a pulpy mess. Aside from its great power in commanding the infernal, it made a heck of a cudgel...
Vahnyu Posted May 27, 2013 Author Posted May 27, 2013 GM Post At Carmen's command, the Hellstinger quietly obliged, attacking its kin with its deadly stinger. It struck true, but due to both demonic creatures floating in air, it lacked the necessary pressury to injure its former comrade. The two remaining Hellstingers flew eratically, as another black flame claimed an ally of theirs. Once again, returning at Carmen, whose movements had turned sluggish enough, they both managed to land a hit, and while the woman was able to deflect one stinger, the second found a soft spot in her left arm, just bellow the shoulder, were it drove its stinger. Like a bee's stinger, the sharp object got lodged in her arm, leaving a hole in the demonic bug's bulb, that sprung another stinger almost immediately. "... ! Ahh?! Boss! Are you alright?" Billy inquired, once he realised that Carmen had been wounded. Emboldened by their achievement, their first 'real victory' during this so far catastrophic for them encounter, the Hellstingers buzzed in gleeful joy and glutonous voraciousness.
Supercape Posted May 30, 2013 Posted May 30, 2013 "I'm jus' fine, Billy!" replied Pitch, breathing acrid, sulfuric smoke from her mouth. "This is my other job!" she smiled. Damn bugs she cursed herself, as she pulled out the stinger. Where they poisonous? Can't remember. Don't matter anyways, Tazel will burn out any poison in me. Ain't that right, Tazel? It was a rhetorical question of course, the malignant demon was bound to do whatever she commanded. She just liked to drum it home to him - to it - sometimes. She tossed aside the stinger and smashed the offending demon with the brass goats head of the Cantos cane. "I'll have the trash cleared up in no time, Billy!"
Vahnyu Posted May 30, 2013 Author Posted May 30, 2013 GM Post As Karmen attacked one Hellstinger, hitting it with force and splatting it all over the floor, her newly aqcuired thrall attacked the other Hellstinger, piercing it with its stinger with such force that it dug through a hole out of its victim's chest, making the last opposing demon's body rip in four pieces, as their remains burned to the black flame. Only Carmen's thrall remained, which now buzzed in the air aimlessly and disorientedly, as if lost. Billy, for his part, looked positively awestruck. When he finally gathered his wits about, he rushed towards Karmen, in order to congratulate her. "Awesome! Too awesome, Boss! You were too awesome for words to describe! You were like a warrior, a legendary barbarian in rage like in movies and books, or a wizard or a shaman or... a... a... a Superhero!!" he exclaimed excitedly, praising Carmen's accomplisments. "The way you went up against them, unflinchingly... you must have done this a lot..." A commotion could be heard from the stairs. "...that the rest of the personel is alright! Alvaro! Yanni! You two check on master Phlegethon's guests! Make sure they're alright, and if more of these creatures appear, don't hesitate to shoot. Mark, I want you with me. We will be checking on master Phlegethon himself. Hurry!" Came the voice of Alex, Acheron's valet, and he alongside Mark quickly dashed past the second floor, at the stairs leading up to the third floor as Yanni and Alvaro climbed the stairs, towards Carmen and Billy
Supercape Posted May 30, 2013 Posted May 30, 2013 Tazel looked at the studded leathers that adorned her body. The costume, along with the smoke and licks of flame, was conspicuous to say the least. She didn't mind the odd person finding out was Pitch. Rumors would add to her mystique. But it need not - should not - must not - get out of hand. "Billy, back in the room, now!" she hissed, shooing him into her room. Shut me down, Tazel! she ordered. Dutifully, the demon simmered down, the smoke and leathers dissappearing. Yeah...back to nightwear...she wasn't a modest lady, and didn't have a body to be modest about. But still, running around like this was a step to far. She dove into the bed, covering herself with the duvet before realising Billy was in the room with her. Oh good grief... She tossed the cane aside, and pulled him into the bed beside her. "It's for our cover!" she smiled at him. He wasn't bad looking, she thought in the back of her head... She lay down, only to stiffen up and look at the bound Hellstinger. "And as for you! back to where you came from!" she commanded.
Vahnyu Posted May 30, 2013 Author Posted May 30, 2013 GM Post A black colored hole appeared bellow the floating demon, sending light upwards, in a cylindrical fashion. The circularly-shaped black hole then ascended, making the Hellstinger disappear bottom-up, as Billy wordlessly followed Carmen's orders, first heading for the exit, and then going back and getting under the sheets, although, he was honestly feeling a bit lost by now. This is WAAYYYYYY over my head. he thought. In a manner of moments, Alvaro and Yanni entered the room, seeing the door open and the mess in the hallway, with their hunting rifles trained. "Hey! Everything alright, madam Canto?" Yanni asked, after making sure that no super-sized insects were flying his way. "We didn't come too la-..." "Some weird creatures appeared in the house, all over the place, and started wrecking things. We managed to kill most of them, and repel the others, but two of the staff, Katrine and Dimitri, have been injured." Alvaro explained, while watching for Yanni's back. Seeing Yanni pause, he turned to his coworker. "... Hey? What's the matter? Do you see any more of the... the... oh!..." "... Ah! Sorry, we didn't mean...." Yanni said, and the two men awkwardly turned their backs to Carmen and Billy.
Supercape Posted June 3, 2013 Posted June 3, 2013 Carmen sat up like a bolt, drawing the top sheet round her body in a manner both concealing and suggestive. The sheets pulled away from Billy's prostrate form, exposing him to full view. "What happened? who? where? what?" she babbled, all questions rolled into one without any specification. "And you can point those rifles away, gents! I don't like being shot!" she asked, waving the hunting rifles away. "I was...errr...asleep..." hey eyes darted for an instant to Billy. "I didn't see or hear anything! is it safe now? does Acheron know of this? is he safe?"
Vahnyu Posted June 3, 2013 Author Posted June 3, 2013 GM Post The two men, their backs still turned away, relaxed their grips on their rifles. "... Ummm... we're not entirely sure what's going on..." Alvaro said. "Some of the staff said that monstrous creatures forced their way into the manor from outside. Personally, I witnessed a few of these buggers materialise in front of me out of thin air. Honestly? I-I-I was so freaked out at the time, I still don't understand how I managed to escape with all my limbs intact." Yanni said, visibly shaken at the memory of today's events. "It all happened a while back. Ten, fifteen... maybe twenty minutes ago..." "After we gathered everyone we could find from the first floor and the ground floor, we barricaded in the living room, and fought the monsters from there." "We got rid of most of them, but some monsters may still be lurking around." "As for master Acheron, we are unsure as of yet." "Mister Movida and Mark went to check on him just now." "At any rate, if the two of you are..." Yanni said, turning slowly back at the guests, and witnessing Billy, who after realising he was missing a few key pieces of clothing and a sheet to cover himself, had awkwardly hidden himself behind the bed. "... ready, then I suggest that we get a move on back to the living room. The longer we stay here, the worse our chances of making it back safe and sound become."
Supercape Posted June 3, 2013 Posted June 3, 2013 "That sound's like a plan" replied Carmen, pulling on a leather jacket and some jeans. She still looked half dressed with just a t shirt, jacket and jeans, but at least she wasn't too immodest. She would have to do without her boots and calliper - there wasn't the time. Instead, she gripped her cane and followed the two guards to the living room. "Come on Billy!" she said at the young man who was trying to keep pace. "We haven't got time to sit on our behinds!" "Lets get to the Living Room. And if there are any monsters around, I want a piece!" she said, indicating - with a pull of her finger and thumb - a firearm. Sure, she could hurl out metal and fire and smoke that would far surpass any firearm, but that would entail giving her her identity to a few more people than she was comfortable. And besides, demons could be immune to the fire she spat at them.
Vahnyu Posted June 4, 2013 Author Posted June 4, 2013 GM Post "Now now, ma'am. You two are master Phlegethon's guests, and it is our job to make sure that no harm will come to you." Alvaro said in response to Carmen's comment. Yanni added "Well, arming you two isn't a bad idea, per se, but that's under the condition that you don't put yourselves in harm's way." By the time he had finished, Billy had gotten himself dressed as quickly as he could, but as soon as he and Carmen were at the door, gunshots coming from above started echoing. "Alvaro?" "Sounds like it's coming from above..." "Above?" Asked Billy. "Isn't that where Acheron and his valet should be?" Yanni and Alvaro looked at each other uncomfortably. Finally, Alvaro said. "Alright, you two, go with Yanni where the others are. Yanni, as soon as you take those two there, bring a three or four armed people from the staff with you and come to the third floor." "Alvaro... *Sigh* okay, I'll do as you wish. Be careful." Yanni nodded with understanding. "Same as you." More gunshots could be heard, and a lot of thrashing. Alvaro dashed towards the stairs.
Supercape Posted June 4, 2013 Posted June 4, 2013 "Damned if I am missing out on Alverado fighting off some hellspawn!" said Carmen, annoyed at being dismissed, even if it was with good motivation. "This is a story! Billy! get your camera! we are going to save a rock n' roll legend!" she yelled, pumping her fist. Carmen whipped her hand down and snatched the rifle from Yanni. "Gimme that!" she grinned. "If you ain't gonna use it! and go get the backup!" she explained, and, with the gun in one hand and her cane in the other, she proceeded to a limited run up to where the gunfire was coming...
Vahnyu Posted June 5, 2013 Author Posted June 5, 2013 GM Post "Boss?..." Billy asked, needing only a moment's confirmation to shift gears and grab his photographic camera. "Understood!" he simply said, and followed behind Carmen, who had taken the lead, as Yanni protested. "Miss Canto, please, you heard my colleague. It's for your safet-arrggh!" He screamed in surprise as Carmen forcibly disarmed him. "Wa- Wait!! Give that back!..." Yanni took only a few steps before Carmen and Billy managed to outrun him. "What about me? How am I supposed to... to... Without a..." he fearfully gulped and after looking front and back, he madly dashed towards the stairs leading to the base floor, his heart pounding at an accelerated speed. The hailstorm raged on, as Carmen and Billy made their way to the third floor. A few dozens of paces in front of Carmen, Alvaro looked horrified, his rifle trained at the room in which persumably Acheron and Alex were at the moment. Gunshots could be heard comming from inside the room, a loud buzzing noise and reverbs from impact. Alvaro started opening fire as well. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" he cried, both out of terror and in order to bolster his courage. In front of him, two demonic creatures looking like minotaurs clad in dark colored knightly armor, and their feet looked reptilian, like a dragon's. They yielded sharp swords, and they were surrounded by a dark flame aura, just like the Hellstingers. Acheron layed in the floor, clutching a wound in his foot, while Alex in front of him was firing furiously at the demons.
Supercape Posted June 5, 2013 Posted June 5, 2013 "Take this!" said Carmen, jamming the Cantos cane into Billy's hands. "And hit anything that comes at you with it!" she ordered. The Cantos cane was an infernal device, a screaming whispering goats head that spoke horrible phrases in a perverted Latin. Technically its power was accessible by anyone holding it. But it was a soul-shattering experience if you didn't know how to handle it. Not something she would want to inflict on Billy. And besides, she wouldn't trust him to know how to handle a bound demon. She debated firing up Tazel in her belly. But the flames of these demons would be unlikely to hurt her. She slung off her leather jacket, her short t shirt revealing the terrible Cantos Tattoo, and raised the rifle...
Recommended Posts