genessia | [Action] Tentacle Monsters: Killing and Confiding (backdated to 1/2)

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[Action] Tentacle Monsters: Killing and Confiding (backdated to 1/2)

Not a day after New Years, and another Everglade menace popped up. In this case: squid monsters. One relief is that at least it was something easy. That is, not in the least controversial. Something he could kill without remorse or regret. A relief; something to be permanently slain. Best of all, no tiresome pavement-pounding! Good, old-fashioned search-and-destroy. Ted couldn't wait until vampires could be dispatched so cleanly. One day...

In the meantime, he's there in his usual goku uniform, pitch black and ready for action. These things lived in the sewers, right? And apparently they could pop out of manhole covers and drag people down. "Ghastly thought," Ted muttered as he meandered around one now. "And it's not as though these things are especially wide. What a gruesome fate. I'll find whatever mother is behind these loathsome spawn and put an end to it, if it's the last thing I d-aaaaahhhh!"

Rudely, one such tentacle snaked its way up and dragged him in, not content to let him finish his vengeful protest. At least this would be over quickly; it's rare the bounty sought its own seeker first.

*******

Later on that day, once he and the suit got a much needed cleaning, Ted felt like going to Memorial Park. A solemn ritual he embarked upon whenever the mood struck him. Many loved ones had their permanent loss etched here; seeing the writing evoked both cautious joy and finalized sorrow. It was the final, unmistakable way to know who had left him, and who still remained.

One name practically floored him, as he got on his knees to make sure he read it right.

Flowey.

Tears came, and he hardly knew why. He'd been told Flowey was a monster, in the worst way. An unrepentant killer who somehow killed his victims over and over again. He should be happy he's banished from the world. Even during his brief stay, he'd brought nothing but misery, hadn't he? So why?

He had some idea. He also had the idea that he'd go crazy if he kept all this in. He had to tell someone. But who? Was there anyone who knew? After some thought, he did remember. Koishi was there from the beginning; yes, they'd seen him arrive together. Maybe she would listen. He produced his phone.

"Good evening, Moon. Do you...have some time? I'd like to talk. About Sans." By his voice it was clear he was still in some depths of sorrow.

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Koishi picked up on the fourth ring. She seemed to be up high. Perched, in fact, on the edge of a skyscraper, kicking her feet a little bit. The phone was at an unusual angle but she seemed to be holding it with her tentacles as opposed to her hands.

"Hello Mister Spades!" Entirely too cheery. "I'm sorry. I almost didn't hear the phone. It's a bit windy." Fortunately the side she was holding the phone didn't have much wind. "Do you need help? I was gonna go chase rabbits but helping someone is much more fun."

Ted could guarantee the talk he wanted to have wouldn't be anywhere near fun. Cleansing, at best, but it was a selfish enterprise, and he didn't feel right dragging her away from more enjoyable recreation. "I...I don't know. Certainly chasing rabbits would be more enjoyable." So many of their talks ended sadly; it seemed like some curse that they kept following the pattern.

That's alright. Koishi didn't have a mood to bring down anyway. She stood up, rolling her shoulders once before she coiled, one hand moving to her hat as she rocketed up into the air. "Nooo. Helping people is always more important than rabbits. If you tell me where you are I'll come right by."

At the very least she could tell that there was some soft of heavy emotion on Ted. Talking over the phone was certainly not what Koishi wanted to do in a situation like this.

His grief relaxed a little. Koishi's insistence beyond shallow manners was one of the things he liked about her. "Thanks. I'm at..." A pause. It was comically pathetic. "Memoria Park; just outside. Here's the coordinates." Being at the site itself might attract company, so he went somewhere more reclusive. Not before he left a ketchup bottle there, as a sentimental token.

"Alrighty!"

She hung up and flew quickly toward the park, managing to resist the temptation to be distracted... but oh was it tempting. She angled downward after several moments, actually circling the park once in her slow descent before settling onto a branch near Ted. She hadn't once pulled her phone back out to check the coordinates, instead locating him by thought.

"Mister Spaaades! Hello!"

"Hello, Moon." He was cheered a little, if only through osmosis. He turned his face towards her out of greeting, before averting his eyes back to the front, and at nothing in particular.

"Koishi...what was your last memory of Deat-" he paused. Of all the nicknames he'd given, that had to be the worst. "-of Sans?"

Koishi blinked and tilted her head a little bit. She pursed her lips, frowning. She was thinking very hard. "Ah... Mister Spades? You mean the short skeleton, right? My head is broken, remember? I remember him but I don't really have a sense of time about it."

She dropped down, her power slowing her almost instantly until she was floating at about eye-level with Ted. "I exist moment to moment, so I probably can't tell you any details. I'm willing to try though."

Every time someone he loved disappeared or died, he felt a little more alone. Having someone else who knew the departed too eased that void, even if it brought the remembrance of them nearer. He avoided feeling too sad, for now, by smiling faintly at her comment. Don't they all exist moment-to-moment? He couldn't think of any other mode.

"Sure; whatever you remember best."

"Umm..." She tilted her head. "I remember he liked to wear blue. And that he had a funny voice. And that he told lots of bad jokes." She pursed her lips. "And I remember he always seemed a little sad. Even though he had that nice smile. I don't understand why that was."

He wasn't going to get that much out of her. She hadn't interacted with Sans that much. Well, not enough to leave a deeper impression on the unconscious youkai's mind.

The waterworks started to turn, as her recount of qualities brought dear memories closer to mind. "Yes. All true." Ted had a pretty good idea of Sans' deeper melancholy.

"And...Flowey...what do you remember of him?"

"Ohh! The little flower! I remember a bit more of him because he was incapable of feeling love or compassion. He was so grumpy but I liked him. That's why I brought him to my birthday party. I thought he would have a chance to be less grumpy."

Koishi was absolutely beaming despite what she had said. "Though." She deflated slightly. "I wish I could have helped more. Simply being empathetic doesn't really help in a situation like that."

Ted wondered what it might be like if that had never happened. What if he never met Flowey? What if he never learned of Sans' seemingly severe mortality? If he hadn't, he never would've suggested the vain undertaking. And if he hadn't, would Sans have been happier? Would he have had a happier memory to part with? Maybe Sans wouldn't have left after all.

But he wouldn't have known the truth.

"...They're both gone. Both their names are there." He pointed to the monument; that lone grave that stood for everyone's.

Arro had come to Everglade to help as when Arro had jokingly offered to help Ted with a bounty, much to his surprise the man had taken him up on that.

Though given Ted's zeal Arro had expected mostly to hear him wax poetic as he slew the quarry. Instead Arro had found himself nodding along to Ted's words until hearing the scream. Looking up and tucking his book into his jacket pocket, Arro sighed quietly before whirling into motion. The only strange part about following Ted into the sewer was Arro climbed onto the ladder seamlessly upside down, and emerged onto the roof of the tunnel as if that were the most natural thing in the world.

Raising his right hand, a small mote of light appeared over two fingers and he slashed his arm, a whip shooting out of it and slashing partially through the tentacle that held Ted.

"Dear me, Ted. Are you sure you wish to pursue this?"

Ted's own life fibers, tentacle-like themselves, raised over his leg and finished the rest of that cut, severing the oily limb and making its attendant creature burble a noisome shriek. It was a black thing, thicker and heavier than squids its size, with a sharper beak to boot. Out of instinct it squirted an inky substance, before Ted finished it off with two shots from his futuristic pistol. No gun appeared, however; there wasn't even a flash. Two bullets simply sped out of a whole in his extended right palm. Afterwards, he stuffed the remains of a creature into himself, as though he were gathering a mess of poker chips. Gotta prove they actually did something somehow, right?

Ted didn't think his own powers were nearly as interesting as Arro's, which deserved comment. Ted remembered he'd described himself as a warrior of some description, which was all Ted needed to let him on without worry. The means, however eluded him.

"Er...Arro are you feeling al--good Lord, that stench!" Ted coughed, supposing he should've expected as much given their location. Which part was owing to Everglade'shoary infrastructure, and the vanquished creature itself was still a mystery.

"Your, ah, gravity seems to be out of sorts. Are you sure you wouldn't like a...hazmat suit, or something? Goodness knows what diseases lurk around here."

Edited 2017-01-10 03:28 (UTC)

"Is it? Why, everything seems perfect to me~" He replied, and indeed, it looked so; his hair was laying just as if he were on the ground, and likewise with his suit, nary a wrinkle to indicate the fact he was upside down.

"However, I would like the hazmat suit. I have a rather strong immune system...but stains are a dreadful matter~" His tone was teasing a to a degree, but that was to play off just how intently he had been observing Ted and his abilities. He was running it over in his head in great detail, but he lacked enough information to have a complete picture of how it worked. Something with subspace and the suit being a separate entity. Blinking, Arro stepped carefully onto the wall, his geometry adjusting seamlessly to the change in angle as he continued down the wall to rest just above where he might transition onto the ground, he did want that suit if Ted was offering, after all.

"I am feeling well, despite the smell, I might add. It is certainly... rich, after a manner. Remind me to collect a bit of this ink later." He wrinkled his nose. "Though it has noticeably lessened since you dealt with the squid. Should we hurry on?" He wasn't in a rush, really, he just wanted to keep Ted focused on what they were doing and less on him. Though Arro didn't have to worry much on that as he suddenly pointed behind them.

Another tentacle was curling around to try and sneak upon them. In a motion faster than a normal human eye could follow, he drew an arrow of ice from the very moist air, nocking it into a bow of ice that had likewise formed, and fired. There was nothing especially amazing after that, save the ice arrow plunged into the blackened flesh solidly.

"Heh, you've very lenient standards for perfection." Ted assumes that most everything can be adequately explained with "magic" and leaves it at that, though partially because he never wants to explain his own strange powers in turn. If he didn't want to be absolutely sure they nailed this squid-spawner in one go, he'd have left the 3-star behind entirely. But duty calls, and you can't be too careful.

It just now occurs to his absent mind how flagrant he's been with his subspace use. Too late for take-backs now, he thought, as he pulled a hazmat suit out of his wrist like a stage magician with a string of handkerchiefs. "Here you are," he said, presenting the yellow, rubbery thing. "Ought to keep your shoes clean, at the very least." He'd gotten this, as with so many things, out of a dump, but patched it up decently enough, though that didn't do much for the smell. At least foul odors weren't out of place.

Ted tried to think of some connection between laser whips and ice archery, and found none, so "magic" it remained. Yes, he still took the time to look at way-cool superpowers. They had all day for monster slaying, right? Had to make time for the little things, like gawking.

"Good shot! Ought to take our time, though. Got to clean out the whole area, or at the very least find the source. Don't suppose you know anything pertinent about squid biology? Do you at least remember the difference between them and octopuses? Or is that octopi..."

In the meantime he's leaving what look to be brightly colored breadcrumbs. What are they? "Neon fish flakes," Ted explained. "Nova City has them in case you'd like your aquarium to double as a garish light source. Ought to make a good record of where we've been; I confess, in my travels, I've left these sewers largely untouched. Oh well! We'll be seeing all the sights anyway. Don't want to leave any area unexplored or creature unexterminated, eh?" He motioned forward, leading the way to more of them.

A lot more. The next room was so black Ted wondered if someone cut the lights. As misfortune would have it, it was simply a room filled wall-to-wall with teeming masses of squids. Ted's first clue was finding his next step much squishier than the first. It hissed out a violent shriek before a volley of tentacles snapped towards them.

On the plus side, clearing out the area ought to cull their numbers significantly. On the negative side...well, how's Arro's aoe?

Edited 2017-01-11 02:00 (UTC)

Taking the suit when offered, Arro stepped into it and onto the ground, zipping it up snugly.

"Ah, thank you Ted~ These are Italian leather, which I suppose is the best I can get around here." Actually his very slight accent could be mistaken for Italian, not that Ted may recognize, and when asked about the nomenclature of the cephalopod, Arro chuckles.

"Technically if we want to be absolutely correct from its etymological root; octopodes. Though octopuses tends to work better. Squids have three hearts, gills, and good vision." Though he paused with the sight of the fish flakes. Garish was a word for it. Honestly Nova City always seemed so overdone with their technology. Though that might be just cultural pride on his part. "I can't say I blame you for leaving these unexplored...but I agree on making sure everywhere is explored. Though I would like to alter it to examined some of the life here is unique..."

Which was a small pout on his part, but of course he wasn't going to argue much about it. Perhaps he could ask Ted to collect another body, and by extension demonstrate that fascinating ability again! Moving ahead as well, Arro kept a little more back, wrinkling his nose again. He expected more, but not quite the amount Ted had stumbled upon and raised both hands out and up as they were almost overtaken by the ambush.

"Chill the soul--
Carve the flesh--
Pierce the bone!"

Despite them being underground, a large shard of ice rained down, shearing off the tentacles from Ted at least. Arro had to pat himself on the back; he hadn't used Frost Tower inside and now found the notion utterly silly. He raised his right hand pointing to the squid with two fingers again. Rather than a whip from this hand; a black beam shot from it almost instantly punching a hole straight through the squid and even boring slightly into the wall before he dropped his hand.

Though his AOE was fine; he had been more concerned with dealing with Ted's error. "If you will buy me a moment of time, Ted, these fellows are a bit more hardy than I gave credit for~" He called with a hint of urgency in his voice as he stepped back to the mouth of the cave away from a writhing tentacle., already working on a stronger attack.

Ted had to agree on Nova City's excess, but then that was part of the charm. Much like colors on his clothes. Hopefully. "Octopuses it is!" ~~It's the one the spellchecker won't reprimand~~ Ted doesn't have much interest in the squids themselves beyond getting them on the extinct species list expediently.

Ted was a little chilled himself to hear what sounded like dark incantations, before solid cold cut off the attack. Gift horses and mouths, he thought. Maybe he's just getting psyched?

"That I can do!" A black canopy shot to the sides of their surroundings as the life fibers went to the perimeter of the entrance tunnel. Ted's abilities came in handy in cramped places, though it left something to be desired for sight; if Arro judged solely by his eyes, only a dark canvas was there, cutting off the creatures.

If he went by sound, however, he'd hear a slight hum as Ted prepared his arc projector, ionizing the air in front. After that, a sharp zap as lightning formed from his chest, frying the beasts with arcs of electricity. They don't smell much better when they're smoking, but it would give him some breathing room. "Let me know when you're prepared the coup de grace!" He'd let the canopy down then.

Edited 2017-01-12 03:09 (UTC)

One day, you'll be duly educated on color choices, Ted. Fashion is a must as the old adage; "Can't fight crime if you ain't cute" is something that Arro fully believes in. However, that's for another day as the pair did need to get themselves out of this situation, and Ted's movements were impressive.

Yes, that definitely confirmed that to a degree; the outfit was alive, and there was more of that wonderful subspace usage. The ability to use something in a pocket dimension without drawing it from said dimension is quite complicated, so it is of great merit. Though this was hardly to imply Arro was simply observing.

Arro could see and hear better than one might think, despite the fact that he wears glasses. However, he takes in the sound made by Ted's weaponry and found it intriguing. Meanwhile, he was preparing magic that he hadn't used in some time, to the point where what little light there was is slowly being consumed as all the shadows around them grew larger, which only exaggerated the effect from Ted's Goku.

"NOW--!"

"Drop, hammer of lightning.
Strike down those that would stand in my way-- MJOLLNIR!!!"

The effect of Arro actually putting effort into a spell should be obviously markedly different from what he did before to save himself and Ted, and indeed; it is. They had been thinking on the same wavelength; electrocution. There is a crack of thunder, and suddenly the entire room is awash in electrical energy. Immediately, he rushed to grip Ted, to help ground the other man; he hadn't used a full-force spell like this indoors, and he didn't want friendly fire occurring. Granted Ted seemed hardy because of the outfit, but linking arms with him, he turned both of them into part of the circuit and directed it out and away from them.

It found it's final purchase in the squids, and the cooked smell grew worse.

Ted chooses colors the same way dramatic platoon sergeants choose dying infantry; as many as he can. No hue gets left behind! Unless it's his goku uniform, which bears no colors at all. It's one of the reasons he hates it.

He's warming up to Arro's own dramatics, at least. Even if spells are wrong, it felt very right to precede them with poetic yelling. Then again, there was a touch of egotism behind it.

The thoughts are jolted out of place as he finds himself the unwitting channel to the rest of the room's destruction. First darkness, then overbearing light as the swarm was vaporized.

For once, Ted's pretty speechless as he surveyed the room and looked for movement of any kind, save the slow rising of evaporated remains. "Ah...well done." Nothing looked amiss. If they wanted, they could probably take a picture and call it a day right here. The bounty office would definitely call this a deed well done.

But Ted's desires are strong, and he'd rather find the root of the problem, then pluck it out. There's work to be done yet! So he's back to chattering and laying down a crumb of flakes. Just in case they somehow forgot the room with more charred squid than visible brickwork.

"So...are you from Earth? Or else Norse mythology has spread much farther than I thought." It was a remarkable reference in his spellcasting. Ted's almost tempted to make and shout protests of his own.

He'll settle for idle conversation, trekking the rest of the sewer and picking off what squids revealed themselves. At one point he spotted a skeleton and grimaced. They'd been vanquishing so many, he'd almost forgotten why it was necessary to begin with. Damned things; with renewed determination he marched on. Where was this no doubt bloated and sleek mother of theirs hiding? It must be very large, he thought, to spawn so many. Thoughts of vengeance kept his spirits up through noxious fumes, cold, and dark. Then again, Nova City definitely had some gadget or another to deal with all three of these things.

It puzzled Ted very much how something so large with such narrow tunnels; some that had to be crawled through. He was tempted to simply traverse space with the threads and have them do the searching. But that seemed like showing off. Perhaps the mother came from...the ocean? The river? Maybe they weren't there after all.

His doubts were satisfied when they came to a larger room. Positively spacious compared to the rest of their journey. A sort of hallway, with walkways on either side of a water lane connected by thin beams. And lights! Well, some. They served to illuminate the black squids speckled along the walls, which Ted wasted no time dispatching.

"Goodness, feels like we can really stretch here, eh? And this seems like the first body of water one could really submerge in. I wonder, do you think-"

But the colossal squid waiting in the depths thought faster, apparently, as it whipped two tentacles at the both of them to drag them down into the depths. The size of the monster disagreed with the smallness of the sewers, making for a sedentary life affixed lengthwise along the middle water lane. Nonetheless, it was a fearsome predator. Its eyes, large as soccer balls, had no blind spots, and could perceive well and far, even into the dark. Beneath it lay a huge clutch of eggs, containing the seeds of future evil. Second verse, more exaggerated than the first...

"I learned the spell from a friend and improved upon it to a degree~" Which answered neither of Ted's questions, but it was not a lie, either. He cleared his throat after. "I am not from earth, however." It was by this point and time obvious that people from other planets with a very similar to human makeup was here in this place, but old habits were hard to drop.

Of course, if Ted was ever the studious sort; Arro would not mind teaching him heathen spells. As he followed the other man, Arro noted the flakes once more. "Tell me, Ted; are you from Earth, then?" He was trying to piece things together, but then again, 'Earth' was quite a broad term as most people seemed to be from there, but the descriptions never quite seemed to match. It was a fine curiosity for him to ponder on in his free time.

The walk though was annoying. At least the squids were easy to dispatch. He was letting Ted do most of the work here, as he was taking the lead. Arro was more than content to follow and clean up whatever survived. The skeleton did catch his interest as well, and he did pause briefly. His reaction was much more subdued, a simple quiet reflection on the fallen.

As they emerged into the new room, Arro hummed as Ted went to work. He had his doubts about the water-level in the room. But of course even if he wanted to keep back, there was no room to. About to voice concerns over the depth of the water, both men were cut off as they were dragged in. While Ted was very swift in his disappearance, Arro's nails ripped through the gloves of the suit, digging into the stone. However, brute strength was not his forte, and despite resisting for perhaps a handful of seconds, he disappeared underwater as well, carving tiny scratches in as he slipped under.

Which of course had Arro very put out as the haz-mat suit was now filling with water, and his suit was either going to be ruined, or require immense cleaning. Taking a breath, he unzipped the haz-mat, slipping free from it rather like a candy bar from a wrapper. Though this squid was hardly sluggish, and swift to try and capture him again. Glancing to see if Ted was still trapped, he paused, allowing himself to be caught again. The issue was that he couldn't use anything electrical, not with both of them underwater and Ted in the monster's grip.

Instead it was going to be the hard way, as it often seemed to be. Arro whipped at the tentacle holding Ted to help him break free; Ted had been underwater longer, and while he hadn't entirely discerned the nature of Ted's abilities, air was usually a vital component to most life.

Which led Arro to an interesting idea, but they would have to get free first.

Koishi followed where Ted pointed, pursing her lips a little bit. "Ah... I see." Her expression didn't change much, but the looped heart over her left shoulder came undone. "You liked the short skeleton, didn't you? He was a very nice person."

She was silent for several more moments, watching him, her head tilted some. Her eye was facing him, but remained closed. "Simmering slowly and thickly and then cooled with a layer around metal. And sour. Backed up and crouched low like a rabbit. What is that feeling Mister Spades?" She tilted her head the other way. "It's familiar but I don't see it often."

Ted figured as much; blue-haired people usually aren't from the blue planet. Especially not the magical types, which he very much isn't. Not a magical bone in his body, really. Maybe a drop or two of elfin blood, like some fairy tales but Ted was very pleased with his muggle-hood.

"Hah, yes, born and raised." Judging by the sheer quantity of Earths, he figured it must be the most important world in the universe. Certainly the best represented.

Once the struggle started, much flooded his mind. How to breathe, how to break free, what kind of position Arro was in. Water is hard to see through in the best of times, let alone the murky sewer water that's had monstrous squids stewing in it for goodness knows how long. But first thing's first: Air. He had to reroute the subspace to provide him with air while draining the water around him, slowly but surely causing the water to recede..

Next, check on Arro. Damn! The absence of striking yellow signified the loss of the suit. Ted hardly wanted to think what kind of filth might make its way into him so exposed. They needed to make a getaway, and fast! The first thing that came to mind was pure instinct: winning a tug-of-war with the creature. He applied the goku uniform's enhanced strength to the purpose, trying to widen the tear Arro had made until it tore off. The tentacle stretched and squeezed, yet ultimately snapped and writhed in separation.

For his trouble, he got a great gush of ink as the mother squid's own instincts kicked in. The water turned an impenetrable black, much like his own suit, as the ink dispersed. No good; his suit could once again take and absorb any that might blind him personally, but that didn't make the situation any clearer. They need to surface and try an attack from above.

But Arro needed to be free first, lest the waters darken so much as to lose sight of him entirely. It seemed he might have to do a maneuver he hardly wished.

It was one thing to put objects into the void. But people? That he saved only for the very wicked. Plunging someone into impenetrable darkness like that seemed a great wrong, but it was an undeniably sure way to get someone from point A to B.

Hang it all; he'd just have to apologize to him later; if he hesitates for even a moment longer...no time. Ted swam towards Arro, blade at the ready to sever the appendage holding Arro captive. Even if that succeeded, it wouldn't be long before the squid sent more their way. Tend sent one thread towards the surface for an exit point. Upon successfully parting Arro and his bind, he'd attempt to engulf him, then move through the thread-bound space up above to relative freedom.

Edited 2017-01-18 05:15 (UTC)

Ted nodded slowly, growing faint. "Yes, I did. He was." Sans and he were kindred spirits; two who loved humor without wit. Genessia had its fair share of jesters, but so few of them could laugh without darkness. Vyers could do it; but he was gone. Porrim could do it, but she was gone too. Sans could do it best of all, and so was he. He wanted to say that he loved Sans, but stopped short. When he thought about how he treated him, what role he might've played in the death of Death...he doubted the truth of it. Love meant acting solely with the good of another in mind. Had he?

Koishi's subconscious soliloquies were received passively. What was the word for it? Love rebuked by regret.

"Contrite, perhaps." That seemed a good word to express his frustrated repentance. It was a hard thing to say, precisely because the one he wanted to say it to was gone. Yet he wanted to divulge regardless; a sympathetic ear in Koishi was the best he could do. His words grew firmer and heavier, tinged with deepening remorse. He kept his eyes forward and to the ground.

"Flowey told me about him. Or...rather, they told me about each other. I figured out...that Sans was going to die." That was hard to say, even though it seemed he was dead already. Maybe it was just admitting it that made him shudder.

"It would've been so easy for Sans to lie. To tell me that Flowey was obviously spouting nonsense and mendacity. I would've taken his word in a heartbeat. But he didn't; not once did he give me lies for comfort. Bless him for it." Such a thing happened too often in this world. Ted thanked God that Death, at least, would not succor with good intentions.

"Sans was an incurable optimist, you know. I...suppose his constant smile gave that away. He believed someone like Flowey, whom he told to be a ruthless killer, had good in them. It was so infectious that I...started to believe it too." His tone darkened, for his confession began in earnest now.

"Flowey compelled me into a...sort of game. It was like Danmaku but worse. It exposed my soul--or heart or essence or something--to deadly magic. I'd be surprised if it wasn't a sin. Somehow I got it into my head to...ask Sans to help me beat him in that. Saying it now...it's so idiotic. Suppose I wanted to be prepared if Flowey attacked with more vicious intent. For some stupid reason I thought if I could best him in that arcane endeavor, I'd be able to..." Ted trailed off. It seemed too senseless for words. Even if Ted did manage to win in that strange battle of hearts and magic, what then? How would that have redeemed a killer? He feels foolish just mentioning it. He shook his head.

"Anyway, Sans agreed. Together we practiced the same game in preparation for some fateful encounter. Those...were our last days." He exhaled with slight horror at himself.

"You know, I've always thought there's a reason why people leave. Some deadening in one's spirit. One doesn't talk on the network, or settles into more and more unremarkable routines and grooves. They grow bored or hopeless; their souls slack and then...well, the spirits said they wanted those who best exemplified life, right? Suppose they've no use for the other thing.

"Sans...after we practiced, he was so tired." Ted talked through tears. "The work so exhausted him that we did nothing else. I wish he would've said something; as we went I got better and could last longer, and so did the sessions." He couldn't bare to say more. His tone darkly burned.

"And now Flowey's gone. So much for that. It was all in vain!" He let out a small and sharp cry.

"I was such an idiot. Egging him on to prepare for an opaque battle that would never happen. Why did he agree? Why did he keep on? Why didn't he say anything?" Ted wanted to blame someone. God? That was futile. Genessia? Too broad. Sans? That's how he started off; angry at Sans for not being strong enough to live. But that wasn't satisfying in the wake of his absence; all that was left was Ted himself, taking responsibility for an act mysterious and awful.

"That's how I spent our last days together. Engaged in an activity we both despised for the purpose of absolutely nothing. Complete vanity. Suppose I can't blame him for leaving; if one of my friends treated me thus, I'd leave them too. It feels as though I killed him myself." Ted's tears had reached their full measure. He brushed an arm across his eyes.

"I wish he were here; I wish I could tell him how sorry I am." Ted broke down and wept. That was the worst of death. If he only had a minute more to apologize; to at the very least say farewell. Yet the talkative man couldn't say a single word more to the one it mattered most.

Edited 2017-01-17 07:17 (UTC)

The ink to further stain his suit was only adding insult to an already grave injury, in Arro's mind, anyway. Ignoring his clothing for the moment, he looked to Ted in the dimming water, losing him utterly in the waters before suddenly, Ted was gone, as well as everything else. Feeling the tentacle fall away, suddenly Arro was aware of the pressure and gravity change.

This was perhaps a mistake on Ted's part if it ever came to pass that the man opted to turn his blade upon the Scholar. For in using it on him directly; he gave Arro the greatest scope of how the combined abilities of his suit and subspace abilities functioned. The void was now tangible to him in the same way that the pocket dimension that held Lhikitia and Nianzinite had become. Reaching, he tested for the tactile sensation that he could never hope to describe...only to instead be out; they had arrived to the surface, and he breathed for a moment, the lucidity of things coming back to him.

He moved to the wall, away from the water, thinking about how to best seperate the water from the squid; freezing would not help. Instead, he turned to Ted, "Stand back, please."

Alas, there wasn't anything especially sensory about the void. It rather refused every sense, save the cold, dull, and slight feeling one might have with its floor, the exact make of which even Ted didn't know. Aside from that, it was what one would expect of oblivion: a wide expanse of featureless nothing, save the air he'd stored for extractions like those. It's not something that gives him any pleasure to think of, which is why he disgorged Arro back into the sane, sensitive outside the very instant he could.

Not that the outside was treating them much better, drenched as they were in filthy sewer water with a furious giant squid still pressing the attack. Ted fended off more desperate grasps as enormous tentacles sprang from the inky depths and lunged at them. Streaks of cutting rime marked where his blade went through its rubbery flesh, and for a moment, it seemed to retreat back into the water.

Ted gave Arro a sharp nod at his request, endeavoring to do what he's told, per usual. Then a strange sound passed by his ears, almost imperceptible. Squids are largely silent predators, yet he could've sworn the queen, or whatever it was, made something like a dog whistle. More sounds came after that; the familiar, sucking sounds the squids made in their sinister locomotion.

By the time he realized what had transpired, they were already swarmed. It had uttered a cry for help, and gotten its wish. Its children were rushing to its defense; black, oily forms converging on their position. And what a position! This was the widest space of the sewer they'd had all day; Ted thought that'd afford them an advantage. But now, with the many entrances, it simply gave them more positions to be attacked from all at once. Now they had to deal with the mother and the one its drew from all over.

"Watch out!", Ted cried as one thread from his suit whipped at the first tentacle to grasp at them. Looks like it was the same tactic they'd tried before: protect the squishy mage. Only now there was a wider area to cover with foes from all corners. Ted had mere moments to set up a defensive perimeter, with more threads shooting out to cover all the hallways. Threads and tentacles thrashed at one another as he tried to give Arro the room he needed to work. Still, Ted's spatial awareness isn't the best, and the multitudinous counterattack he mounted was bound to have holes. He just hopes it's enough.

Edited 2017-01-22 08:35 (UTC)

While Ted seemed immune, Arro had to cover his ears as the sound was unbearable to his more sensitive hearing-range. While he reeled from the loss of balance, he attempted to adjust gravity around himself to keep from tilting over, which did anything but. Sending loose debris in a myraid of directions, Arro finally found the wall and leaned against it. Eventually the noise ended, and Arro was sure his ears had bled by the end.

Finding balance coming back gradually, he listened as Ted made noises that weren't entirely coherent just yet. However he took his cue and moved closer, barely missing a tentacle as Ted sliced it cleanly. Now it was time for him to gather his thoughts in a very short time.

Here, Arro finally forced himself upright as the cacophony slowly filtered in, and he saw they were indeed surrounded. Ted also seemed to left a few holes open as the mollusks slowly filtered in through the breaches. Raising a hand, Arro annhilated one with the same black beam from earlier. However, he found his arm gripped by one that had managed to come behind him. This one was electrocuted on contact, but they were out of time, which led Arro to the conclusion; he may have to take this seriously to ensure Ted got out safely as well.

"Do not look at me, Ted." Arro said quietly. The reason why being immediately obvious; he was undressing. While he could do this in a hurry; there was the worry another squid could come and distract him and cause soemthing to go wrong.

His state of undress not withstanding, he brought both arms in, taking a deep breath as the room dimmed further still than Ted's threads brought it. The absence of light made the glow from Arro's eyes apparent, as well as the series of lines that drew themselves on his body, casting a faint glow.

"O, Kard of gnitsalreve eth llihc. Enim siht Seimene evisserppo tel nithiw ecorf reffus. Morts kcalb eldeen."

Arro's silhoette vanished briefly before the room returned to the dim lighting of before and Arro was hastily gathering up his clothing as black and purple needles began erupting from any nearby shadow, radiating outwards. Several squids were aeriated immediately and lay where they fell. Some attempted escape only to be cut off. This was obviously a last resort on Arro's part because while it was effective, it was also cruel; herding the squids in towards the mother until they were all run though.

However...giving the immense size of the beast, Arro was not sure she was dead.

"If you have a final insurance method to kill her, I recommend haste." As a wounded beast could be all the more deadly than a healthy one. He also sounded tired at last. Which was not surprising given the scale of the magic, but at the same time, what an amount.

Edited (misfire) 2017-01-25 01:04 (UTC)

Ted's focus was consumed by repelling the mass of monsters descending on them. He expanded the territory of the black threads, filling holes and swatting away their advance. He hardly heard Arro's request, though by then he was so focused on the enemy he hardly needed to.

What did get his attention was the chanting; specifically, how much more aberrant it sounded than the rest. The lights were drained, like last time, before their foes became pin-cushioned. On the off-chance his spell had friendly fire, Ted's suit would reflexively open pores to absorb any stray projectiles. It had the same response for anything that moved too fast for its liking.

Despite the relief the attack granted, Ted felt some uneasy parallels between their powers. Both seemed to increase darkness in the world. A sinister symbolism lay behind that.

But there's no time to stew over the metaphors of dark and light; the root of the problem had yet to be plucked out.

The threads snapped back into his suit like measuring tape, only to be shot forth into the main body of water, where the mother bled out its final moments. They went to attach themselves to its form, spreading out and encroaching on the beast's surface area.

After that, Ted acted to ensure the finality. The ends of his arms disappeared, yet by the motion of his elbows up to his shoulders, it was clear he was swinging wildly. By the manipulation of space, he arranged the momentum of his furious fencing to apply itself through the threaded void directly to the squid, underneath and away. Thus, the swipes of his frostbrand lost almost no force as it slashed and slashed. The length and severity of the hews defied their origin, owing to the brute strength provided by the suit.

The ink-black waters churned and burst. Ebony became dotted with ivory as chunks of ice flew from the surface, for the blade froze all it cut. Once Ted felt no more resistance, he knew he had bisected so finely that it became mere mincemeat. The waters attained a level of calm as, true to a sewers' noble purpose, it carried the filth of the city away. The threads retreated back into him, and he knew the work complete.

His posture sank as he drew breath. The moment of reprieve allowed his senses to catch up to him. The exertion, the stress, the gore, and the smell worst of all combined until he knelt down to the ground and vomited.

Thankfully, subspace also prevented such things from further dirtying the environment. One could only tell from the sound. It's clear Ted's not at all used to butchering his foes on this scale. He'll check on Arro once he's got it all out of his system.

Edited 2017-01-25 06:59 (UTC)

"Dear me..." Arro had taken in Ted's preformance carefully, forgetting to dress himself again until the moment had passed and Ted was upheaving anything he might have eaten that day.

Which reminded Arro to offer to treat the other man, after they showered. He decided he was just going forgo attempting to save this particular suit unless he could actually remember one of his most useful cleaning solutions. Alas, the issue with too much knowledge was sometimes sifting through it all. Speaking of sifting; if he wanted another sample, he was going to be hard-pressed to get it as Ted had thoroughly elminated any traces. A pity to a degree.

Carefully dressing himself, he did wish someone could come along to wash them, but it was not going to happen here, and while Arro could handle water as well, he generally handled it from a source. Given their current options, he declined. Instead he reached to rest a hand on Ted's shoulder when the other man was finished. While the smell was terrible, especially to his olfactory sense; he had dealt with worse.

"Well done, Ser Ted. I have not seen such a display in some time. Let me say that I am not opposed to working with you again in the future. Though if I may request; let us work in cleaner environs, please~"

Once Ted had taken a few breath mints and let his senses subside, he remembered that their work wasn't quite finished. Seeing that no more squids would disturb them, he took out his phone, panned around the room, then snapped a picture of the surrounding carnage. That ought to convince the bounty office of what they'd accomplish.

And while he's remembering, he recalls the clutch of eggs the mother was holding. He'd made sure to cut it to ribbons, but he wasn't so sure some small spawn might not have survived in spite of that. He went up to the water's surface, pointed his hand, and delivered a fatal current from his arc projector.

It was an odd feeling, being so ruthless. To think not only of slaying the monster, but wiping out all its possible progeny too. Still, he was right to do it, wasn't he? He'd have been content to let the monster live out a pleasant, natural life if it had made out to live pleasantly in kind. But it wound up in the papers, which, for Ted, meant all but certain doom. The thing he took solace is was the way the sparks lit up the room. Light, at long last.

Arro's congratulations snapped him back to his senses. "Oh...thank you." It's strange; Ted began his adventures with so much more enthusiasm than they had upon completion. He supposed that's natural; when you're fresh and verve, compared to when you're tired and surrounded by corpses.

"I'm, heh, surprised you saw much of anything." The sewers weren't especially well-lit at the best of times, let alone after being suffused with black threads and black ink and enervating spellcraft. Those glasses must enhance his sight better than he thought.

"Goodness, glutton for punishment, aren't you? I confess, were I in your shoes, I'd have second, maybe even fourth thoughts about daring-do with someone so drastic." Ted wondered if working together had been the best of idea. They'd had camaraderie, hadn't they? Looked out for each other, and so on.

But he couldn't shake this unnatural feeling. He'd shown Arro the suit and its emptiness more than anyone, and it went without comment. He wasn't sure he wanted much more of that. Then again, working together on these things left a better taste in his mouth than going solo.

"Well, suppose we've got our proof of the deed. Here, let's follow the flakes out; I'll convince the Sheriff's office of our work and let you get a head-start on your bathing. I think you'll need it more." A light joke based on sure fact; Ted's suit had yet one more blessing in letting his body go unscathed, from scars or smells. The suit itself might need stricter washing than he did. And yet, even if he walked out of this not an inch dirtier than he started, he still felt in desperate need of a cleansing.

Edited 2017-01-26 13:03 (UTC)

Arro's frame of mind was much more utilitarian in that by removing the squids, the people above could walk a little safer. Yes transport would have been ideal, but given the location; moving the mother would have been all but impossible. So he settled for which would have been the most beneficial in the end.

Plus, Arro had seen war and it was never pretty. Scaled down, it made sense that battles often seldom ended in a way that could be prettily tied up with a bow and labeled 'done'. Rather they tended to stay with the people involved. Much like the Scholar surmised this might linger with Ted to a degree. The change from the beginning of their jaunt to now was undeniable, and to an extent he felt responsible. It seemed oft that he brought out such in others in the end. There was a small sigh from the man, but it was cut off as Ted spoke.

"As they like to say on Earth; they have an app for that," He jested about not seeing much of anything. When the comment came about his current state of dress, Arro shrugged. "Such is why I like to say I'm not a field man as it is very likely to occur in the field...but sometimes it can be entertaining." Going out with someone did always help to break up monotony, and such was very necessary in cases such as these. One might take a step too far down the road of vigilante without another to caution.

Plus Arro did want to see more of Ted's suit. While he was understanding more of it, that did not necessarily mean he understood the why of it. That came naturally with spells and such, but this particular item felt more and more like it's own entity. Which had Arro curious, but he opted to wait until Ted was more settled. Right now he seemed haunted by their work.

Falling into step with Ted's suggestion, they started on their way out. "I do appreciate it. I may have to throw the suit out regrettably, but we shall see."

"That would be unfortunate," Ted offered sympathetically. Had he more sense, he'd question why one would bring one's good clothes into combat. Then again, knights wore their shining armor with pride. Suppose squires were there to make sure it stayed that way.

As he retraced their steps, the flakes disappeared as Ted deliberately stepped on them, absorbing them back into the void. Waste not, want not. Using it purely for convenience felt a touch vain, but by now he'd used it so much already...

He'd almost forgotten! A jolt of awareness galvanized him into speech. "Arro, I deeply apologize for...putting you in there. I thought you might be strangled or drowned and I got desperate so I..." a flurry of words that trailed off. It's clear Ted's not proud, even if the intentions were good.

The reaction to Ted's words was likely not one that could be easily expected. He held up a hand to cut him off and grew quiet for some moments.

"Ted, oft are the times that we do things we do not enjoy in war." His tone echoed the other man's to a degree, as it gave him flashbacks. Mar had been very inhumane to its enemies at times. "However..." He trailed off, breaking into a smile and resting a hand on Ted's shoulder.

"The day is won, and other than a stain we are none the worse for wear~ So fret not and I shall be more careful still next time." Which was a direct implication that he intended on joining Ted again at some point in time. "Now I thinking will take you up on getting a head start home. It would be unseemly for me to be caught out like this."

Ted's cheered at that. Showing the suit made him nervous enough, let alone stuffing someone inside. But if Arro took no offense, that was a weight off his heart.

"Heh, well said. Though I think proper wars have greater numbers...anyway, yes, I'll bring our proof and send you your cut shortly. Thank you for your assistance, Arro. May we fight cleaner battles next time."

Thus, Ted unwittingly agreed to future agreements. Whoops! Oh well, suppose one more person in on his costumed crusade wouldn't hurt. Ted stepped out of the sewers, parted ways, and made for better dress. The air, even Everglade's foggy variety, had never felt so fresh.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Action] Tentacle Monsters: Killing and Confiding (backdated to 1/2)

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The bounty, AKA I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going.

arro plz

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