"We opened the door to the shadows...

[nightbeyondfire]

The man sat alone, back slumped against a wall as he stared down at the pistol in his hand, unloading and reloading it in silence. Over and over again. How long had he been here, ignoring the sounds of life around him and the chatter and racket from the communication device on the ground along with the discarded necklace? Days? Weeks? Months?

It didn't really matter. None of it did anymore.

Load. Unload. Reload.

"You look like crap."

The man looked up, staring upwards at his only companion for what felt like an eternity. Himself... only different, like seeing a photo negative version. The colors were all wrong and there were a few things off.

It had no eyes. He'd found that strange once before the feeling had been bled out of him.

Load. Unload.

It was this thing that had shown him the truth. It had started with whispers in his mind when he was alone and had grown from there, appearing in shadows, taking the place of his reflection and finally standing right there beside him exposing the plain, hopeless reality of where he'd found himself.

An ugly grin split the negative version's face.

"So, what's the hold up, jackass? You know what you have to do now."

Load.

Yeah, he did.

-------------------


In the early morning, it happened without warning. A shudder ran through the entire city and for just a moment it was almost as if reality itself... bent for a moment, warping out of shape before snapping out of place and one of the buildings of Genessia's skyline vanished into a rising cloud of smoke and dust.

The thing rose up out of the cloud, standing over the buildings around it. Misshapen, grotesque, it could only be called humanoid in the most generous of terms. Its body was colored in splotches of red and black, its limbs twisted with the right arm many times larger than the spindly left and it stood on legs that should have been bent and twisted too awkwardly to support it at all.

The head swiveled from side to side on a too-long twiglike neck, wide, blanket white eyes that seemed painted on searched the city and a toothless mouth opened wide in a low, groaning howl that rumbled over the city.

The creature’s body convulsed and with a chorus of sickening splits and cracks its body bristled with weapons, and they all fired as one, shearing the top floors off of the next several blocks and covering the rest of the town in burning debris.




Through the city, every communicator screamed out a deafening alert, which was followed by the voice of the AI.

“CORRUPTED ELEMENTS DETECTED. PLEASE ASSIST IN PURGING IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SURVIVAL OF THE CITY AND ITS INHABITANTS”


[OOC: Subthreads are up. Post in them for combat, or go nuts with planning/reactions through the rest of the comments.]

Comments

Re: OTA

[lazygurl]

An innocent person was walking through the streets, carrying a bag of groceries. Karina was slightly pleased that whenever she needed to go shopping for the necessities, she didn't have to make the effort for two trips. Sadly, that was countered by her roommates asking her to do theirs as well. And they asked for such heavy things. If only a strong wind, or a mugger, would oh-so conveniently take her chore out of her hands.

To her misfortune, something did. An oily, lanky arm grabbed her ankle, and she fell face first, produce spilling out of her bags. Slowly she was dragged toward its mouth. "Help! Something's got me!"

Setting up the opponent

[nightbeyondfire]

The hand around Karina's ankle is quickly joined by a long, sticklike arm and then the rest of the creature. Its chest and legs were thick and bulky in contrast to the rest of it, but that didn't seem to affect the strength in its arm as it lifted the girl up.

Its mouth split and its jaws opened impossibly wide, ready to swallow her whole.

1/2 part combo attack :3

[celestial_wizard]

[ ffh clicked wrong link :D; ]

Sorry Karina, no muggers or strong winds here today. Lucy pivoted at the sound of the cry, eyes widening. "Erza!" She called out to get the redhead's attention. Without waiting for a respond like she should she sprinted towards the creature, whip at the read and snapping out wards to lash it across the face. "Put her down!"

DROP IT. DROP IIIIIIIT.

2/2 combo attack >:3

[scarletrequip]

Erza moved swiftly at the behest of her blonde friend. Armed with a sword in each hand she charged at the flank of the grotesque creature slashing as she went. Hopefully she could dispatch it quickly. Failing that, she could at least break its hold on the person it was trying to eat.

"Lucy, get the girl!"

[nightbeyondfire]

It looked like this was indeed Karina's lucky day as Erza's strikes separated the arm from the rest of it, dropping the girl to the ground. The hand didn't let go though, just clung even tighter to her ankle while the rest of the limb flopped around like a fish on a hook.

Jaws snapped shut in surprise as Erza continued to slash at it, cutting deep gashes that bled a thick, purplish goo, into... whatever the thing was made of. They didn't return to normal size though, leaving it with a weird, hugely wide jaw.

Another arm hit the ground before it surged forward, opening its mouth wide to try to gobble up the redhead in armor.

[lazygurl]

Freedom! Kind of. An arm flopped to her bare leg, and it felt totally gross. She was grateful, really, but um...a finished job would be nice. She kicked her leg up and down, hoping that would discourage it. "Ugh, get off. (such a pain."

She looked to the others for assistance, but sadly, they looked occupied. With a weary sigh, Karina looked for something to help with. And there it was.

"Hiya". Karina threw her grocery bag at the goop. "Eat this! (Please. Those things are heavy.)"

[celestial_wizard]

"Got it!" Lucy whipped her weapon back to her side. But FIRST, she reaches down and collected one of the keys at her side, holding it out, "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

Budgeted magic showy sparkles aside, within seconds the gateway to the spirit world was opened, and the minotaur like spirit passed through, his double-bladed axe slung over his shoulder. Lucy hadn't had need to call on him up until now, and the unfamiliar surroundings had him pause for a second. Actually, less than a second, because he zeroe'd in on something else even more quickly. WOMENS.

"MmmmmmmmmBOOBS!" The bull spirit practically crowed his delight at being effectively surrounded by three lovely ladies. Erza in particular. Lucy huffed at his reaction.

"NEver mind that! Give Erza some back up!" She turned to trot towards Karina as the other girl threw her groceries, thoroughly grossed out by the arm still clinging. "Are you hurt?" She asked the girl, pulling to try and free the arm from her leg. Eeww.

Taurus, meanwhile, was all too happy to help Erza out, charging straight into the fray, swinging his axe forward to crash the blade into the beast's jaw. No nomming the babes!

[lazygurl]

Thanks to her protector's haste, the black pudding hadn't done much damage (except emotionally) aside from making her trip. She rubbed her reddened face; an area she was used to occasional injury towards. Let's just say that sometimes, pillows are protective devices. Bouts of narcolepsy can send faces into freefall, and who knows what kind of surfaces will take them?

"I've been better, but thanks." She looked at the cow thing in its underwear, and then at her, dressed like she was, and a whip...

"You're not a dominatrix or something?"

Lol what is the posting order? XD

[scarletrequip]

"Dammit!" Erza cried out as the thing came at her suddenly.

Dropping her swords she grappled its huge maw with both hands, trying to keep it forced open. She could hear Taurus arrive but couldn't see him because of all the teeth blocking her vision.

...What was that about a dominatrix?

MY FAULT SORRY! Let's settle on this from now on. Monster will go after Erza.

[nightbeyondfire]

Erza did manage to stop the monster in its tracks by grabbing its jaws, holding them wide an apart. It continued to press onward with ridiculous strength, trying to close its teeth over her. Fortunately, it had lost its arms to her attacks... unfortunately that just meant a long tongue came lashing out of its throat to attempt to wrap around Erza's neck and try to strangle her ew gross. Taurus had better watch out where that axe swing lands.

And what was all this talk about dominatrixes going on over here? The grocery bag attack doesn't do much to dislodge the flailing arm but when Lucy begins tugging on it, it will happily release Karina.

And start grabbing at Lucy's face instead.

*giggles* :D S'all good! Monsters going after Erza is canon! *Badumpsh*

[celestial_wizard]

"Anytime," Lucy grinned, inwardly grimacing at the arm in her hands. Eughl. Her head snapped back towards Karina with wide eyes at the question. Whoah whoah Was she a what?

"WH.. WHAT? OF course not!!" OH MY GOD. In that short moment of flustered reaction, her guard dropped, reacting too slow to the limb suddenly trying to get grabby with her face. "YEEE!!" EW EW EW EW Keep your hands off me you damn dirty... .. creature. If she could just get to her key for Saggitarius!

Taurus, meanwhile, was a little torn - he couldn't very well swing at so narrow a spot like that tongue, but he COULD try and add to the damage, swinging lengthwise to hopefully slice its along its jaw further, or perhaps its side.

Mind if I jump in? If not, I can delete. /o/

[shining_beacon]

It was about that time when a man dressed in green came walking past as calm as if he were on a Sunday stroll, mug of coffee in one hand, and what looked like a cane with a lever in the other. As he neared Lucy, Karina, and Erza, he stopped, tapping his shoulder with his cane.

"I do hope I'm not too late," he said, casting a look to where Erza was struggling with the monster as another version of himself came leaping out of the shadows and struck the beast's back with the cane, electricity wreathing around the weapon and sending sparks flying as he drove it into the monster's back. Looking back at Lucy and Karina. "Do either of you require any kind of medical assistance?"

OMFG GET OUT OF HERE PERV, WOMEN TALK

[lazygurl]

This stupid arm was like double-sided tape. Tugging at it would just make it stick to something else.

Karina saw Lucy flailing around, reaching for her waist. And she had noticed her use a key earlier. Maybe...

Karina knelt down, and purloined her keyring. She then took one, and thrust it in the air, mimicking Lucy. "Open, door of Virgo, Libra, Saggitarrius...(one of those ought to work, right?)"

Whatever the result of her experiment, she looked at Oz. "A ride out would be nice."

[scarletrequip]

It's like this entire monster's body was a weapon. The tongue catches Erza by the throat nearly cutting off her air supply but she doesn't give ground. She could see the new arrivals now as both Taurus and Ozpin strike at the creature. Seizing the opportunity Erza reverses her grip, trying instead to shut the fang-filled maw and sever the tongue.

[nightbeyondfire]

Three attacks all at once. First the jolt from Ozpin's cane sent electricity crackling through it, followed up immediately by Erza snapping its teeth shut on its own tongue, easily severing it as she'd hoped and leaving the end flailing about, spraying purple ichor into the air even while it still clung to Erza's throat.

And then Taurus' axe crashed into the side of its head, smashing teeth to bits and splitting its head in half right along its mouth. The follow-through sends the armless monster cartwheeling across the street to smash into a wall and stay there for now, the top of its head dangling off to the side.

But it seems the real battle is happening elsewhere as the arm continues to grapple with Lucy. ... The second one apparently forgotten. At least until it jumps off the ground and latches onto her back, trying to climb up like a spider.

[celestial_wizard]

.. yeah sorry Karina, those keys - like goggles - they do nothing! Just cold metal in your little hands. "HEY! GIve those back!" Her request came out more sharply than she intended, but those were important to her - and one of her keys was stolen once already. She wasn't about to let it happen again. Even if that meant her attention was divided between the hand and the other girl.

Of course, she didn't honestly think Karina was trying to steal them. Use them maybe, so the sight was kind of funny in retrospect, seeing her try to call forth the spirits. She tried smacking the hand against the ground a few times. WHY WON'T IT DIE. "I'm not hurt - but I need my keys!" Now plz.

Taurus looked pretty pleased with himself as he watched the monster go flying, turning to get some praise - at least until he saw that second arm - which Lucy had forgotten about - launch itself at her back. The feel of creepy crawling things crawling up Lucy's back had her skin crawling, and she abruptly suddenly started screaming. "OH GOD WHAT IS IT -"

W'HAAA she can't reeeeeeach. Abruptly she flung the one arm in her hands away towards Taurus, who was already moving towards her, ready to slam that axe down on the offending limb she threw away.

While his mistress proceeded to yowl and grab at the one on her back. Someone halp! "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!!!"

[shining_beacon]

Ozpin straightened, moving almost mechanically as the beast was sent flying by the massive axe. He reached for the arm on Lucy's back as the other version of himself - who seemed still rather relaxed - sipped on his coffee. "If you don't mind, I'd like to examine this, thing at a later date. Please do not kill it just yet."

The more mechanical looking Ozpin reached forward with his cane, shifting his grip slightly. With a much lower voltage he attempted to shock the appendage into submission.

[lazygurl]

"Sorry." She put the keys in Lucy's hands, sympathetic to how difficult it would be to use them while being groped. Karina did think her keys were pretty cool, and wanted to try out that toy for herself. Having a cow man to do the heavy lifting sounded great, for starters. Alas, so many things were personalized these days. One day, she'd find a magician to share.

In the meantime, she received Ozpin's help warmly. He seemed to be able to take care of things, so down her butt went for a sit. Time to take a much needed break...

[scarletrequip]

Erza tore the tongue from her throat and tossed it aside. She watched the creature's corpse for a few seconds, just to be sure it wasn't still moving, then walked over to retrieve her weapons.

It seemed that Lucy and the girl were fine now. Erza gave the bull-spirit a pat on the shoulder as thanks for his assistance and then went over to the others. The smaller girl seemed harmless enough, but she didn't know what to make of Ozpin just yet.

"Thank you for your help just then," she directed at Ozpin before turning her attention to the titanic creature in the distance.

"Do either of you know what's going on here?"