Fantasy Tools of the Trade | MAIN

[eggsaladsandwitch]

» ELIJAH;

The craziness of the situation seemed to finally hit him a he heard his captor say the words, "This is so fucked." He almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Of course it's fucked, buddy, whose fault do you think that is? As Jonas continued to ramble, Eli raised a brow, glancing warily at the man whose sanity seemed to disintegrate by the second. He wasn't certain that talking him down from this proverbial ledge would work, but, at this point, he was willing to try anything.

"Hey now--" was all he got out before he was shoved forward, stumbling over his own two feet and landing harshly on the ground in front of him. Glancing back up at the other man, he barely had time to register the gun pointed in his direction before a shot rang out and---

Oh.

He didn't feel it at first, but in a manner of seconds the warm, searing pain coming from his lower leg allowed him to connect the dots. Brow furrowed, he quickly went to... apply pressure? That's what you do, right? He wasn't really in the practice of keeping things alive, after all. He did his best to suppress the rising panic that he would soon be caught in the middle of a shoot out, his gaze blurring as blood seeped out between his fingers. However, he couldn't help but note that the feeling of getting shot was a familiar one...


» BRIAR;
Somewhere above the streets, the bird that was leading the small group of heroes(?) faltered, nosediving and almost hitting the ground in front of Avery before righting itself. Its flying seemed... off. Every few feet it would drop a little bit, almost stuttering in mid-air before returning to a decent altitude... Doing loop-dee-loops and donuts before doubling back to the correct path...

»location; ?????
»mentions; ebb lostwanderer Pine

 

[Goonfire]

Drunken Shenanigans
Featuring:
Luna
( AI10100 )
+
Chris
( Athanas )
+
Rod
( Goonfire )
​

Luna gave a nod as Chris began to answer her questions, swirling her own mug thoughtfully as she listened. She let out a light laugh. “Oh don’t worry, I didn’t come here to fight crime or for justice or whatever. I came here with my brother myself.” If she had wanted to ‘perfect her craft’ she would have stayed back at home, and fighting crime had never been part of her future plan. Odd, how things work out.

She crossed her arms on the table, fingers still curled around the handle of the mug. “There aren’t many who look for wooden carvings nowadays too. It’s a dying art just like your sculpting.” She sounded solemn for a moment as she gulped down half of the drink she had ordered, giving the bartender a nod as a second round had been given to both Chris and Rod. “Do you have experience then? In… ah… fighting?” She turned to Rod for a moment to see if he had additional questions to that as well.

Rod cracked a wry grin as the discussion picked up. “And there are fewer looking for a sword, or really any handmade metal object,” he added. “Good old mass production.” He thought for a second while downing another gulp of beer; he was unsure of what to ask. That is, until the thought of something potentially valuable. “Do you know of anyone else with a unique gift? Aside from us, of course.” He glanced back to Luna, seeking some sign he was on the right track.

Chris laughed at Luna’s remark about dying arts. “Yeah, I suppose we’re all kinda screwed. Oh, why couldn’t we love a more contemporary craft, like coding or singing or painting? Instead we’re stuck trying to make a living for a market that doesn't exist. But alas.”

He downed another large sip from his second mug, almost halving it in one go. He could feel his head starting to get a little light, but it would take a lot more than that to really take him down.
Upon hearing both of their questions, he laughed a bit. He decided to answer Luna’s first: “Experience in fighting? You bet! I feel like I’ve done nothing but fight for the past half a decade or so. I’m only slightly worse at it than I am in sculpting, and you best believe I’m a good sculptor. At least on that front, I shall not disappoint you. Probably will be the only front, though” he joked.

“Unique gift... let’s see. I once saw a guy take three bullets and walk if off like it was nothing, though that was probably due to the fact he was a methhead. And I… Used to know a girl who could make me do anything she wanted with just a dozen seconds of eye contact and some physical proximity, although that too was probably more due to me being a fucking idiot rather than any mesmerising superpower on her part. So, overall, I’m leaning towards a no.” He laughed again, having taken Rod’s question jokingly.

He finished the rest of the mug and made a gesture for a third round. He really could start feeling it now. “They’ve got some really good beer here. You have good taste, guys!”

Luna raised her glass. “Alas, we just became gifted in arts that aren’t used anymore.” She took another sip of her drink until it was nearly empty but she still couldn’t feel the effects of the alcohol unless you count the temporary burn before relief that accompanied the liquor and its journey to her stomach.

“Meth-heads… rumor has it they have the strength of seven men. Ever wonder if Goliath was just a biblical meth-head?” Rod cackled and raised his glass in response to Luna. This little occasion was great for lightening the mood that had been looming over the metalsmith for the past few weeks. He was holding up quite well, not even tipsy yet, just talkative. “Oh, and I know a good winery about three blocks down, but you strike me as more of a beer guy, ya know?” he speculated, leaning towards Chris, obviously gauging the newcomer’s actions.

“Ugh, don’t get me started on Meth-heads. Had the displeasure of fighting one.” She grumbled as she swirled her cup. She made a dismissive hand movement. “And as for you fighting a lot, I have a couple of questions as to why but…” She propped an elbow onto the table and placed her chin on her hand. “We can leave that for later hm?” She wouldn’t be surprised if this man was some sort of vigilante or whatever.

She let out a chuckle as she reached to pat Rod’s shoulder. “Visiting that winery will come for later, if you pass, that is.” Luna mused. Getting into the co-op was a challenge in itself thanks to Avery’s ideas. It was way easier for her before but that was in the past. “Say, Chris, what exactly is your-” she raised her hand to air quote, “-’gift’ anyway?”

What did Eli see in him?

Chris smiled heartily at Rod’s suggestion “While you are technically correct in your assumption, So long as it’s alcohol, I don’t really give it much thought. If you say it’s good, Then I’m more than willing to take your word for it. And on the subject of metheads, I beg to differ: If Goliath was truly one, it would take much more than a measly sling to defeat him.”

His smile wavered as Luna grounded the conversation to reality once again, first expressing some minor suspicion regarding his statement about fighting a lot, understandably so, and then asking the important question: What made him special. He briefly considered lying to them but decided against it. If they found out, their trust would be nigh-Impossible to recover. Making sure no one else was looking, he clenched his hand into a fist, and it rapidly was covered with concrete, forming a gauntlet of sorts. He looked at them with an ambiguous expression, making it clear that this power was not exactly something he was comfortable with showing others.

“I won’t bore you with the specifics, but uh, basically I “absorb” it from the environment and store it within me. Concrete, gravel, marble, rock, most types of wood and polymers are all fair game. I have some trouble with most high-density materials, such as most metals. I can also extend it outwards in crude shapes, such as weapons, yes, even animate ones, and I can even propel it several metres forward, making hails of shrapnel.”

He reabsorbed the concrete within him, looking quite nervous as to what their reaction to that would be. “So uh, yeah. Basically, it allows me to take quite the beating, and give quite the beating right back. I may also be able to use it to do quick fixes on surfaces and such, but uh… yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

Rod eyed the materials being absorbed and raised his eyebrows. “Nice,” he simply commented. “If you could absorb metal, I’d let you go crazy in my workshop and call you Iron Man.” He snickered at his own joke. “Think you heard, but I make metal wearables that morph.” Rod then demonstrated by pulling off a steel bracelet. Running his fingers along it, the metal straightened and flattened until it was a small stiletto. It then returned to bracelet form just as easily.

The drinking game picked up, with Rod pounding another beer. “You think Avery will get lippy if we come back plastered?”

Luna watched with keen interest as Chris’s fist turned into concrete and she took a sip from her drink. She certainly wasn’t seeing things and by this point - between Chance’s ability with fire and Sunhee’s ability with her voice - she wasn’t surprised that Eli found someone who could… absorb certain materials. That would certainly be useful - no wonder he gets into fights and survives. She would be able to drag him around the battlefield as a mobile shield.

“Interesting.” She muttered to herself and gave him a few nods. After Rodger demonstrated his powers, she let out a chuckle. “Yeah, he supplies me with all my knives.” She brought up her hands coming up to a total of four bracelets. “At the off chance that I need to sneak knives in, this is my next best bet. They’re way better than the usual knives I buy anyway.” Luna continued with a wave of her hand. She laughed at Rodger's last question. "Oh definitely. But we don't have shit to do anyway so we'll be fine." She chuckled as she finished her mug and poured another one.

“As for me, well, unlike everyone else, I got nothing.” Luna admitted. Her tone wavered when she said that but it was easily passed off as the drink finally taking effect. “I am the co-op's frontliner. First one in, last one out of the battlefield." She pulled on the bracelet and the knife morphed on her hand and she grabbed it with practiced ease. "My choice of weapon." She waved it in front of him before gently tapping the tip onto the table with a silly grin. "If it's knives and fighting, I like to think I'm decent." She took another big gulp of her drink with a small smirk.

She spread her other hand onto the table and began humming the tune of the knife song, gently tapping the empty space between her fingers. The bartender perked up at the sound of her humming and furrowed his brow but let her be. So she started singing and picking up the speed of her tapping, expertly avoiding hitting all of her fingers despite her current state of mild inebriation. She urged the two to sing along with her as she continued the game before finishing off with the last tap and twirling the knife on her hand. She let out a laugh. "That was fun!" She spun the knife so she was grabbing the blade. "Do you two want to try it out?"

Chris downed his third beer and asked for a fourth, seriously elated someone else was handling the bills for once. He was a little caught off guard when both Rod and Luna seemed to regard his powers as nothing out of the ordinary at all. What, was seeing people that could turn into statues commonplace around here? His question was immediately answered as Rod turned a bracelet into a stiletto, something that should’ve been impossible even for the most flexible of metalworkers. His eyes widened in astonishment. “Well, that’s fucking cool! It has so much potential… We’ll put a pin on the Iron man idea, though” he chuckled a little, already easing up. These people seemed nice. A far cry from the blue-haired brats he’d seen back at the co-op.

Luna’s next statement puzzled him. Nothing? In a co-op with the preternatural metalworker, where everyone had all sorts of shit, he was sure, she was just...A fighter? “I sincerely don’t mean to be rude, but wouldn’t a gun suit you better? I enjoy a good scrap, but, sadly, we’re in the industrial revolution now.”

He choked on his words as he saw her absolutely dominate five-finger fillet, while inebriated, no less. He sang along, albeit his voice held a hint of absolute awe. “I...I sincerely take it back. This isn’t “nothing”, I assure you. I wouldn’t want to go against you if I had enough guns to make a hillbilly blush!”

He bit his lip in thought at her offer. “I fear I’m not as ballsy as you. I can try, but….” He extended his hand, covering it in concrete once more. He began slowly at first, trying to get the rhythm of the song down. Slowly, he picked up speed, and with it, confidence. He went faster, and faster, and faste-
DING!
The blade struck the finger directly. Had he not covered it up, it would certainly have caused a severe wound. He handed her the knife back, a small look of embarrassment on his face. “Gah...I can’t hope to match these speeds. Sorry if I chipped it.”

Despite his failure, he was having a blast! He downed his fourth and began motioning for a fifth.

Rod couldn’t hold back the amused laugh. “Luna? With a gun? I don’t see it happening anytime soon. Besides, knives can be thrown, and with more knives than a Benihana, she won’t run low, even in a firefight.” He saw Luna do her favorite game for the millionth time; it provoked little reaction. “I’m not too psyched to try right now.”

Rod bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes followed the knife in Chris’ hand. It ended the way he expected, though he couldn’t help flinching. “I’ll never get used to that,” he groaned before getting another mouthful of booze.

Luna couldn’t help but laugh at Chris’s amazement at her display but also at the suggestion of trying out a gun instead of just using knives. “Guns are too loud for me too. Speed and stealth is what I hold dear in my heart.” it’s what saved her life many times over the course of the years she had been doing this. That and her brother covering her ass, but she couldn’t count on that anymore.

She sang along with Chris once he began to try out. He was doing good at first until it became a little bit too fast and hit his hand with a ding - metal on concrete. She took back the knife and looked it over. “It’s alright man. Good try though!” Luna reverted the knife back into a bracelet and put it on once again.

She asked for another mug as well. “I just had a lot of practice and a lot of cuts.” Her hands were calloused from years of work and scarred from years of fighting and stupidity. But that was just how it is. “But I appreciate the bravery to take it on Chris. Even with the cover. And smartness on Rod’s part. Doing this drunk isn’t exactly the best way to get out unharmed.”

“You’ll fit in fine Chris, as long as you don’t piss Avery and Sunhee off. Or… well… don’t hurt them. Pissing them off is way too easy, ain’t it, Rod?”

Chris laughed a little at the praise. “Fair enough, I suppose. Maybe after a few months of practice… Until then, I fear, can’t contest your title as the bladed virtuoso of the group.”

He drank a little more, now feeling his head moderately lighter than he should. Yet, he didn’t take pause. “Seriously though, that’s...Fucking cool. Both of ya! Metalwork that defies physics...Bladework that defies sense. Remind me not to piss any of y’all off, okay?” He chuckled a little.

His expression soured slightly at Luna’s warning. “Yeah, well, about that… I mean, I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt, and I’m sorry to say this, since they’re your friends, but, uhm… They look a little like brats to me. I make no promises.” He chuckles, whether or not that last statement was meant in jest unclear.

Rod rolled his eyes dramatically. “Don’t get me started on those two,” he moaned goofily. “They’re kinda—well, no… they ARE brats. It’s easier to just avoid them and pay for your own things, though I wouldn’t be opposed to spending money from the budget on clothes like they do.” The slightest twinge of resentment lingered over that. One could practically count the threads left in the knees of the blacksmith’s scuffed and worn jeans.

After finishing his fourth beer, he didn’t seem to be in terrible condition; he handled his alcohol well. “Most of us are more chill, so don’t be too intimidated aaaand don’t take any of us hostage.” That last clause seemed tacked on, more of a joke than anything.

"Facts." Luna agreed before taking another big gulp of her drink. "Asking Avery for some spending money you clearly deserve is a struggle to prove that you deserve it." She pointed out. Her closeness to Avery did very little in convincing him to buy her a motorcycle. She couldn't help but snort out a laugh at the mention of the two's spending habits. "Went shopping with them once and I felt like I couldn't even legally be in the store for being so poor. There are way cheaper alternatives. Thrift stores ain't too shabby either, if you find your style there at least."

"It might be for the best to keep alert though. You never know what's in your drink if you left it out for a while." Luna pointed out with a snicker as she finished drinking.

Rod was about to say something when his phone interrupted him. He glanced down at it, a deadpan expression saying it all. “Speak of the devil and he calls you,” he jested before answering. “Wha—“

The blacksmith’s face fell as Avery blasted orders and information. The volume was turned up on his phone, so the others could catch bits and pieces of the rapid-fire instructions. “O-okay, we’re on our way,” Rod eked out. He had gone pale. “Did you hear that? Eli’s missing. We’re meeting Avery ASAP; let’s go.” He bolted up, about as ready as he will be.

 

[lostwanderer]

t e s s a

Tessa kept her pace at a slight jog as she followed along, though it was not because she wasn't up for running. If anything, that notion would even be far from it, she could quite as easily caught up to the bird if she really had to. Rather, it was because she wasn't quite sure of the usual machinations in going out on operations like these anymore. As the coop slowly grew in number, the number of times she had to tag along on assignments outside the building became few and far in between, both for her own protection and the welfare of the group altogether. These days, she would just be waiting on the wings, ready to take on the next person who needs fixing to come to her. She doesn't mind being able to stay back, since that gave her more time to develop her concoctions further according to their individual response to them, however she initially did have her moments of missing what it felt like being out there, to test out firsthand the efficacy of her own experimentations.

Faintly hearing the psychic talking to someone on the phone, probably calling in the other guys for help on what's about to happen, she noticed Briar acting up like his(?) batteries were running dry, 'That's weird, did he get tired or something? I don't think I've seen Eli's creations fluctuate before...' She slightly picked up her pace to catch up, mostly keeping her curious gaze on the bird as she made a slight side step to avoid getting caught in the drunken nose-dive while it continued to struggle finding its rhythm back, which further confirmed her initial thoughts, 'Okay, now I'm sure something happened to Eli...' At the thought, her stomach clenched at the slightest tinge of worry bubbling at her insides but she quickly shook it away. It was not the time to get tense, especially now when she was running with the potential risk that she might have to deal with an injured member, she has to keep at her wits and keep a calm mind. 'He's capable of taking care of himself, he's going to be fine. I just hope whatever it is, it doesn't escalate too soon.' She took a deep breath when the bird finally got himself back together, and continued onto their route.

code by Ri.a

 

[Pine]

It was too soon in her Co-op career to argue with Avery. Instead, Claire squinted her eyes and crinkled her nose a little at his assessment of the situation. She felt a little defensive of the pale weirdo. After all, he wasn't there to defend himself when Avery accused him of being a liability and getting in the way of his 'real work'. It seemed unfair to her. Either that, or Claire was just looking for an excuse to be annoyed by Avery's attitude.

She jogged to keep up with the other two, but made sure to take care and not spill her coffee.

It actually was absolutely the case that she just wanted to be annoyed with Avery, because tangentially she started thinking of another thing she couldn't stand about him: the drama. It was strange to see Briar so far from Eli, but she felt there was no reason to jump to conclusions over it. Why phone in Rod? And the new guy too, at that. He should be kept on standby for her and Tessa's test, not getting to jump in on the un-action. Eli probably just got lost. It was, after all, a huge city compared to whatever bumfuck hicktown he was from Claire has probably asked him the location of three times now. There was no reason for everyone to stop what they were doing just to look for him, other than Avery being a control-freak and completely overreacting. (It was obvious these criticisms were specifically targeted against their leader, because even though Tessa was the one to suggest Eli was already in trouble, Claire couldn't think of any complaints to leverage against her.)

All of this was until she saw Briar take a swivel through the air, and for a chilling second, she thought it had lost its reanimation altogether.

"He doesn't usually do that, right?" she asked, seeking confirmation from the two ahead of her. Claire had seen how the light goes out of the birds' eyes and the subtle stillness of returning to the dead in them when she'd borrowed them for tricks and illusions, but she didn't remember them ever doing this mid-flight.

This cemented in her that this could actually be an emergency, and spilling her cold espresso was now the least of her concerns. She stopped to set the paper cup down on the sidewalk, then ran to keep up. She might've peeled ahead, too, if they weren't relying on a bird that looked like it was running on dying batteries.

She started unloading questions. "I thought he was supposed to be with you guys. Why wasn't he here? What was he doing? How long ago did you last see him?"

 

[ebb]

[class=header] height: 200px; padding-left: 10%; width: 100%; background-image: url('https://i.imgur.com/EW9A4Tk.jpg?1'); background-size: cover; [/class] [class=body] max-width: 750px; margin-left: 10%; [/class]
[div class=body]

AVERY

"I thought he was supposed to be with you guys. Why wasn't he here? What was he doing? How long ago did you last see him?"

Throwing a shriveling glance over his shoulder, he eyed Claire in dismay. “Listen, it isn’t my job to babysit, if I had to hold everyone’s hand 24/7 I wouldn’t get any work done,” feeling bombarded by her questions, he responded defensively between breaths. Even when Briar was malfunctioning the bird could still haul ass, and he had to speak in broken fragments to get the words out. “The last I saw him was at the meeting. He was supposed to join us after a quick chore-” Avery shrugged, trying to think of anything that could’ve gone wrong. “He wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary, my money is on that bird just having a meltdown. Odds are we’re being sent on a goose chase. Or, whatever that gutter bird is.”

After what felt like hours, Avery was positive they’d end up on the other side of the city. Ducking into alleys and stepping around pungent piles of waste, he heard a commotion up ahead. Red and blue lights strobed across the brick pathway, washing it in surreal hues. Heart thudding from adrenaline and the sprint, he slowed, drawing close to the walls. He wanted to get a feel for the situation before he charged in. Hands and back flat against the wall, he peered from behind the alley.

To his right, an uneven row of police cars sat idle, engines still chugging quietly. Manned by a handful of police, they used the doors as cover, attention glued forwards. Yelling over one another, he was able to catch the words “gun” and “drop it” from the frantic group. Letting out a long exhale, he dreaded turning his head.

The scene to his left was a mess. A shaky, feverish looking man was standing at the center of the clearing, mumbling to himself like he was trying to summon an entity. An object in his right hand proved to be a gun, and the man was looking back and forth between it and someone on the ground-

“Goddamn it.”

He was close enough from the alley to recognize Eli. Despite the frustration he’d caused Avery, his first instinct was to protect his own, and he was flooded with anger. “For fucks sake.”

One of the cops took notice of the trio, and immediately elbowed the woman next to him. With two sets of eyes on him, Avery wanted to back away, but it was too late. He knew they must look suspicious, lurking in the alley. He raised his hands halfway as a gesture of surrender. Now was not the time to be distracting the officers or getting caught in the crossfire.






[/div]

 

[AI10100]

Luna Saunders

[class=picture] position: relative; display: inline-block; [/class] [class=text] position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0; opacity: 0; background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.2); color: white; z-index: 2; [/class] [class name=text state=hover] opacity: 1; [/class] [div class=picture] [div class=text]

"Will I ever be truly free?"​

location: hostage scene
tags: Athanas ebb Pine lostwanderer eggsaladsandwitch Goonfire

​

Luna shifted her attention to Rodger's phone when it began to ring. She took a sip from her drink and her eyebrows creased as Rodger seemed to blanch at the news. It was Avery that was calling and she had assumed it was to check on the task, but his reaction had on her on high alert. Before Rodger can tell them that Eli was missing, Luna already hollered at the bartender. "Put it on my tab!" She called out to him before nodding at the two. "Let's go."

She had more questions. What happened to Eli? Wasn't he supposed to be with Avery and the others? She wasn't... surprised per se that Avery somehow left Eli somewhere and now the guy's in trouble. But surely one of the others had managed to spot him? Obviously that wasn't the case and she just hoped that it wasn't the kind of trouble that would lead to one of them very injured and someone dead on the ground.

Of course, having been called out without a location made meeting up a bit hard. But they did still have to search for Eli, wherever he's gone to. She wasn't sure of how long they've been walking - the city is a big place after all - but the call of the police sirens caught her attention. Luna looked over to Chris and Rodger. "Who wants to bet Eli's in the middle of that mess?" She asked them jokingly but she wanted to be wrong. It would be nice if the cops weren't involved. They were a whole other mess. She respected them and they do work with them, but she has to make certain... compromises in her techniques to make sure it is within their standards.

Luna assessed the situation from behind the alley wall. The police had barricaded the area trying to calm someone down. She turned to look at the hostage taker and lo and behold, Eli was there. Bleeding. Shot. She gestured for her companions to stay down as she reached down and grabbed a throwing knife. "Stand by, you two. Once he drops the gun, you should be good. Get Eli out of there." The main danger was the gun. Once the gun was gone, Eli would be relatively safer. Especially considering the police were all poised and ready to apprehend. But they were bound by their honor and word to not shoot, she was not.

She spotted Avery, Claire and Tessa on the other side - having been noticed by the police.

But her side remained unnoticed. To get a clear shot, she'd have to peer out of the alley and be seen. But they did have to take action now, instead of later. She twisted the knife in her hand. Thankfully, the guy wasn't using Eli as his shield, or else this would have poised more of a challenge. She corrected her grip on the throwing knife and stepped out and threw the knife. The knife hit true to its mark, embedding itself onto the man's hand to make him drop the gun.

[/div][/div]

codedbycrucialstar | hidden scroll​

 

[Athanas]

As soon as Rod told them what he'd learned, Chris immediately knew something was up.
Maybe it was intuition. Maybe it was paranoia after having spent so much time in the wrong side of the law. Whatever it was, It made Chris's heart begin beating loudly in his chest. The guy who'd picked him off the street, this innocent, poor little sod, had gotten himself in trouble. Undoubtedly, he was unable to defend himself, scrawny little fuck that he was. Luna seemed to share this sentiment, and he practically leaped to his feet behind her, the Alcohol doing nothing but further stoking his emotions.

As they walked, every second, he felt the knot in his stomach grow. It was a second that Eli might be lying belly-open in some dumpster, life slipping away. He tried not to think about it. No good could come out of it, yet he couldn't stop worrying.. His knuckles were clenched so tight that he had involuntarily covered them up already.
Upon hearing Luna's joke he tried to smile-he really tried to smile, but couldn't bring himself to. He knew Eli would be somehow in the middle of this mess. His mind eased up slightly when he realized that none of the sirens belonged to an ambulance, but that didn't mean much. It might very well be on it's way, or they may not have had time to call it at all.

They went into the alley, and...There was Eli. Unmoving. There was a shell casing on the ground. The Cops were in a clear standoff with this guy- by the looks of it, a junkie, judging by all the twitching and mumbling he was doing. On any other day, he'd have felt bad.
But Eli's unmoving body was there.

He felt the stress dissolve-Instead, he felt a fire in his chest. The edges of his vision slowly turned Red. The adrenaline made him throw up in his mouth a little. Almost without thinking, he knelt down, absorbing large bits of the pavement and forming a hard suit of armor around himself-Complete with a Minotaur head where his head had been.
Every muscle in his body tensed up. If It wasn't for Luna's warning, he'd have leapt into action already. But he held, as he saw her draw a blade.

She lodged it perfectly on the gun arm of the junkie, and he dropped the weapon. He could wait no more.
A guttural roar escaped his mouth, not so much unlike the beast on his head. He saw Red, and he broke into a mad sprint, head down-adrenaline practically pouring fromevery fiber of his body.

The junkie, dazed by the pain, didn't have time to get out of the way. He merely manage to shift his body a little so the vicious horns didn't gore him-but the body still made contact.
With a sickening thud, Jonas was sent careening backwards, the sheer inertia of the collision causing him to slam against a wall. Losing no time, Chris was on him, landing blow after blow on his body. When the desperate man raised his hands to try and protect himself from this beast, Chris grabbed the knife that was still on his hand, and pulled it sideways with enormous force, causing it to rip through tendon, flesh, and skin alike. Jonas cried in pain and tried to scramble away, but Chris caught up-With three vicious stabs, he annihilated the man's shoulder, before lodging and breaking the blade into his knee. His rage only fueled by the Violence, Chris slammed the man's head against the wall, before he tossed him onto another. Jonas crumpled on the ground like a discarded ragdoll, his knee hurting to much for him to stand.

He only stared in pain and horror as the beast reached towards the ground and seemed to absorb some more of the road, it's right hand turning into a rather large drill. With a terrifying whirr, the drill came to life, spinning with a horrible noise of rock grinding against itself.
"YOU WANNA FUCKING HURT MY FRIEND? LAST MISTAKE YOU EVER MADE, COCKSUCKING JUNKIE!"
It was plainly apparent that unless someone intervened very soon, This man's life would reach a violent and horrifying end.

 

[Goonfire]

Time slowed for the smith as the scene around him unfolded. His teammates bypassed the police presence, leaping into action before the initial shock could wear off. Rod’s legs then began to move instinctually, carrying him towards Chris and the gunman. His fingers freed the industrial piercing from his ear.

That one tiny segment of metal grew into a steel staff, which Rod brought in front of his comrade. He used it to drag Chris by the neck off the downed perp. “Not like this...!” he pleaded, trying to bring the newcomer to his senses. “He’s a disgusting man, but we shouldn’t stoop to his level.” With the scene coming under control, Rod turned his head and shouted, “Will someone get the goddamned paramedics!?”

ebb . D O V E eggsaladsandwitch Athanas AI10100 Pine lostwanderer

 

[SweetRose]

Ash felt the moment the fabric of her current exchange shifted. Before she was focused simply on drawing out a conversation and seeing what threads she could find to pull into a real story. It only got personal at the very end of Sunny’s miniature rant. She could feel a familiar bone-deep truth to her words. It was only then that she acknowledged the ever-present draw of the other woman. In her line of work Ash ran afoul of all sorts of charismatic people fairly regularly. She was good at letting the weight of their personalities slide over her without impact at this point, but Sunny was remarkable even by her standards.

Fleeting or not, there was something refreshing about not being able to feel the story they were trying to weave. Sunny had a remarkable level of raw presence, and combined with that little spark of genuine connection it was potent. With a subtle roll of her shoulders she set aside her professional manner. It helped that she already had genuine interest in both the artist and her work, but there was a measure of exaggeration and distance she maintained. The change was subtle, from fascinated super-fan meeting their idol, to a less exaggerated, more personal interest.

When Ash spoke her voice was warm, if dry, “I hope this is a break rather than work, although I understand if it isn’t. I’m delighted to meet you though, even if the circumstances are less than ideal. Personally I don’t think that anybody in the music industry or aware of it would call you irrelevant. If I’m honest, I’m a journalist in my working hours, and you would be an utterly fascinating person to do a light piece on. From any number of angles really. Your work, your fans, or even you personally all strike me as offering a wealth of worthwhile stories to tell.”

. D O V E