the black bean massacre; action

[mongoosegrin]

[Alex shoved the stupid little bean stuck in his pocket into the dirt of one of Edel’s plants before setting off, just before the sun rose.

he’s been very careful about a single thing and careless about the rest, but he’s finally, finally done it. blood - not his - is soaking the ground near his feet, and the animal is dead and no one or no thing

Comments

WONDERLAND DISTRICT.

[mongoosegrin]

[Alex has begun to whine, but is dragged along all the same by the familiar affixed to him. Fexis smooths over the hurts and puts pleasure in its place, but the feeling is just as fleeting as it is in the midst of a kill.

it makes Alex run, and he runs like something tugged by something faster than he is, back arching backward and feet stumbling when the street changes to the Wonderland cobblestone.

smell, child. trees. you can stop there, but not yet! more, i smell, and i will have...]

(LOCKED TO FIRO + RION)

[mongoosegrin]

[the Darkov scourge is black and raw and creeping up around Alex’s feet and to his ankles, making his gait wobbly and graceless. Fexis pushes the body against walls to halt him and gloss over the damage to keep any outcries bottled up.

it smells a strangely familiar, immortal smell nearby and twists itself to attention, probing the air in its way for sight of it.]

[immamartillo]

[ The darkness if finally gone and Firo's thankful to have returned to his normal routine. Training with Rion is a welcome distraction from wandering aimlessly and being homesick.

Firo's wrapped up in reviewing what techniques will work best for Rion, and so he's unfortunately unaware of Alex and Fexis in the area. ]

[derped]

[Truth be told, Rion's glad for the distraction too. He's a lot less.. talkative than he was before, and Firo probably knows enough about what happened to get why.

Nothing too out of the ordinary, right?]

[mongoosegrin]

[until that foul smell begins to waft in the air, that is. it's the prelude to a third (and fourth) guest, yet unseen, but soon...]

[immamartillo]

[ Firo looks around for the source of that awful stench. He's never considered before that Splendor would have sewage problems, but that's the only sensible explanation he can come up with. He takes a few steps away from Rion, then looks back at him. ]

...What's that?

[derped]

[... Rion is not sure what that was; he sort of assumed it was a fart but it's way too vile for that. He doesn't seem to know either, because his expression is... like sixty dogs farted in unison.

Which sounds and smells really gross.]

[mongoosegrin]

[Fexis leads and the body follows, a red and ravenous balloon leading its boy into view one staggering step at a time. it grins ever-broad at two fresh bodies with eyes for the immortal and is set to drooling in its way, contents evaporating the further they fall from its mouth.]

Nnuh...[Alex groans, head sagging while he is forcibly steadied into place. one foot forward, knee bent, elbows up.]

[immamartillo]

[ He recognizes Alex from their brief encounter by the ocean. Except the thing dragging him around is new. Firo backs up to stand in front of Rion; he's not going to let his student get mauled by that thing if he can help it. He reaches back to his knife, ready to grab it. ]

What do you want?

[derped]

[Rion isn't familiar with it either, but he knows he's probably not in a state to... really do much; he can't fight as well as his teacher, nor is he really sure what to do in a situation like this.

It's not something that's really come up before; uncertainty is etched on his face.]

[mongoosegrin]

[from waist up, Alex bows, leaning weight to his bent leg, balancing on the ball of his other foot. there's a slow inhale, and then fast, forward motion, rolling off his shoulder and bringing his straightened leg drawn up and over in a windmill-like motion. his chain-flail follows, arcing high and brought down hard with his followthrough.]

[immamartillo]

[ Firo draws his knife when he sees Alex move, but even then he's unprepared for what comes next. The flail surprises Firo nearly as much as the strange beast hanging around Alex. There's no time to gape, he has to act. But he can't dodge; that would just leave Rion to take the hit. Besides, Firo's immortal, he'll just come back, won't he? He stays in place as the flail hits and tears across him.

Firo crumples, nearly falling back on Rion before he hits the ground. The blood wiggles back into his corpse, but he doesn't stir; his soul is caught in Fexis' trap. Sorry, Rion, you're on your own for this battle. ]

(LOCKED TO PRINCE SIEGFRIED)

[mongoosegrin]

[as Fexis’ belly swells with the souls of the slain, it grows in girth and strength to pick Alex up under the arms and practically carry him along the path. to the water, odd-colored but water regardless, it drops the body at its base and twists him to face it and drink.

physical shapes are such troublesome, high-maintenance things.]

Re: (LOCKED TO PRINCE SIEGFRIED)

[richest_heart]

[Siegfried comes along the path; his steps earnest and his face set with fresh determination. Now that Rue is with him again, he must do something to show her his affections. Though his previous attempt at obtaining flowers was so ill-fated, he still finds the idea pleasant.

However, when he comes across that odd figure, he pauses, his feet automatically assuming what is for him both a ballet and battle stance. He cannot say why, but he has a chill dashing along his spine.]

Excuse me... Might I ask what business you have here?

[mongoosegrin]

[Fexis pulls Alex's head out of the water, coughing and sputtering. he groans, rolling his eyes Siegfried's way as he's told, but registers nothing. bah! such a child...must Fexis do everything?

that mongoose shape is still clutching, affixed by lengths of itself that stretch and thin the further it drifts away. it floats off the perch it made of Alex's head and begins to swell, a back absent of spine curling into a sharp u-shape and a neck twisting in a serpentine fashion.

it bares ghostly, wavering teeth as it snarls, grinning.]

[richest_heart]

[He draws in a sharp breath, hopping elegantly back and calling forth his sword in a flash of clean light. The only reason he had hesitated with his weapon before was the lack of open aggression- his nature is not a violent one, whatever his skill as a fighter. However, the plain threat sees a swan-graced blade leveled at his apparent enemy.]

What are you?

[For all that his eyes are wide with shock, he does not waver as he takes in his monstrous opponent. All that he currently fears is what might happen if he hesitates.]