+- Court of the Fallen (https://cotf-rpg.com)
+-- Forum: Out of Character (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=26)
+--- Forum: Important (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=27)
+---- Forum: Archives (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: [PQ+] gourd riddance! (/showthread.php?tid=10427)
RE: gourd riddance! - Lena - 12-09-2024
With plans in place, Lena remained confident, glancing and peering into the room to see –
[say]“Aww, how cute,”[/say] she murmured, completely and thoroughly amused by the antics on display. Maybe she’d even commit it to memory, draw an image of it later for contentment’s sake. Unbothered by the ridiculous natures, she waited until Koa and Zavien had made their selections, before pinpointing on the green gourd with its checked newsie cap.
Aware of the movements and motions of Zavien’s current predicament (but not the scene;
Mittens, meanwhile, hissed and grumbled, uncertain how to assist in the tangled mess outside, but strived to bite at one of the turban gourd’s vines.
--
[say]Lena compels the gourd with the checked newsie cap, and she tries to snag the cap!
Mittens tries to bite the turban gourd’s vines. [/say]
RE: gourd riddance! - Koa - 12-09-2024
Well, Zavien, it's unorthodox, but effective. Like a deranged conjoined mummy the Dragoon-gourd duo roll out the door, much to the squawked fury of poor Mr. Angelico. "The hat! Oh, the hat!" he cries, alarmingly purple and close to tears as he waves his cane and scurries in circles around Zavien and the gourd. "I told you to be careful! Don't tear it! Oh!" Poor thing, he seems to be approaching an apoplectic fit.
Luckily Zavien is dexterous (or lucky) enough to avoid any great disaster. As he untangles himself from his bizarre predicament, he will find he's able to keep the long length of gauzy fabric from tearing. The turban may be ruined, but it can be rebuilt.
Can the same be said for his pride?
Lena's calmer approach is met with a great deal more success. The compulsive strains soothe the Newsie gourd, who reverses course and makes toward the door, bouncing along merrily on long, tendrilled vines. Lena will have no issue snatching the undamaged hat from its head(?), and the gourd will be long gone by the time it remembers it ever wore a hat at all.
Then there's Koa and his query, who is, after all, just a lil' guy. [say]"Gotcha!"[/say] the Dragoon caws triumphantly as he scoops up the gaudy feathered hat and the miniscule pumpkin that hides within. [say]"Let's get you outside, eh?"[/say] he suggests, holding the hissing thing at arms length as he marches out of the store. Placing it upon the ground, Koa readies to stomp the thing - except that at that moment an image of Fangorn flashes through his mind. He hesitates too long and it scrambles away.
Only to be promptly snatched up by Pipsqueak, who cronches it triumphantly with needle-sharp teeth. Shuddering, Koa turns his attention to helping dislodge poor Zavien, while Mr. Angelico watches on with a series of high pitched warnings and shrieks.
Which leaves only the Mad Hatter to be dealt with, now.
Without its court of hat-wearing hooligans, the Hatter is feeling very mad, indeed. As the only one still by the store room, Lena will face the brunt of its wrath. Shrieking inhumanely, the tophat-wearing pumpkin floats swiftly toward the caretaker, its eyes glowing and tendrils raised. It snatches toward the woman, and while it doesn't strike her directly, one thick vine does take hold of the end of her staff. Eerie surrounds them as the beastie tugs, trying to tear the stick from Lena's hands and...
Well, if it has a plan from there, only Frey can say.
All three of you have gotten your normal gourds out (and their hats retrieved!) Only the Mad Hatter remains, and it's trying to steal Lena's staff!
RE: gourd riddance! - Lena - 12-09-2024
From an observation standpoint, at least Lena knew now that the reports weren’t lying. The situation became mildly out of hand as it attempted to take her staff. Not a violent person by any means, her impulse wasn’t to maul it as it pried; she merely pried in return, aiming to snatch it back via her own strength, which, hopefully would amount to more than an overly large pumpkin’s.
But Mittens must have known something was afoot, for no sooner did the abominable snowball assist in the other melee, did he ramble inside to defend his bonded – immediately moving to bite and distract the possessed figure.
--
[say]Lena tries to pull her staff back, and Mittens rushes in to bite and distract the possessed gourd.[/say]
RE: gourd riddance! - Zavien - 12-10-2024
The Dragoon is extremely grateful for the assistance, and the tangled mess is quickly unraveled. With the release of fabric and vines, Zavien flops back in an undignified manner, feeling his tendons protest against the recent exertion. With a huffed laugh, he spares Sol a polite scratch under the chin before he lunges back into the fray, certain that there's more trouble to stop.
Emboldened by the presence of gourds outside now, Sol takes it upon himself to stand like a golden statue against the frame of the door, their ever-diligent guardian. Meanwhile, Zavien sees Lena struggling and immediately jumps in to help, but the flurry of the abominable snowball gave him pause. Mittens seems to be a force in itself, so the Dragoon settles for snatching the hat off its head, and hopefully attracting its attention.
Zavien rushes in to help Lena by grabbing the hat while Sol guards the entrance to the shop.
RE: gourd riddance! - Koa - 12-11-2024
The Mad Hatter does not take kindly to having its prize wrestled back from it, tendrils snatching even tighter around the wooden staff. It's even less amused by Mittens, snarling and casting illusions of fireworks around the snowball in an attempt to distract the thing.
But then its hat is snatched away by Zavien, and with it the last of its fight seems to fade. With a final howl of defeat it releases its hold on Lena's staff - just in time to be snatched up by Koa, who yoinks the gourd from where it floats and hustles it to the door. With a firm [say]"And stay out!"[/say] he punts the pumpkin, much to the delight of Pipsqueak (and perhaps Sol as well), who launches herself into the air in pursuit of the makeshift football.
Clapping his hands together in satisfaction, Koa looks to his friends. [say]"Alright, that's one down. Should we head to the Plaza before Mr. Angelico can gather his composure enough to chew us out?"[/say] Indeed, the mustachioed man has hustled into the back room with a series of sighs and squawks and squeals, and Koa has no qualms about bowing out before he has a chance to remember that the Dragoons are around.
Mr. Angelico's shop is cleared, and no hats were killed (only slightly maimed)! Off to the Plaza and the next infestation we go!
RE: gourd riddance! - Lena - 12-12-2024
Lena had the sense to look and feel mildly ashamed about the whole thing, neatly tucking her staff back into her bag with a shake of her head and cheeks flushed. Mittens was a proudly defiant little beast, smug for its efforts, and then there was Mr. Angelico…the Caretaker made a careful note in the back of her mind to simply not peruse the shop in the future.
Eyeing the man as he seemed to be going through a fit, and not wanting to catch the brunt of it, the Attuned nodded. [say]“Plaza it is.”[/say] More than ready to avoid any tension or confrontation with the individual, and certain there wouldn’t be much they could do in the way of defusing, she aimed to follow their Dragoon assortment towards the determined area.
--
[say]Lena follows![/say]
RE: gourd riddance! - Zavien - 12-12-2024
Sol is in fact overwhelmingly delighted to help Pip chase off the gourds, twisting through the air with all the excitement of a caffeinated toddler on a sugar high. His stubby body doesn't look nearly as elegant as the older dragon, but he makes up for it with pure energy, the quick flapping of his wings like a hummingbird. Zavien leaves him to his fun, certain he'll follow Pip to their next location.
Meanwhile, the Dragoon does his best to gently (and discreetly) place the Mad Hatter's rescued hat upon a shelf before sneaking out after the others. He doesn't take a full breath until they're part way down the street towards the Plaza. Then he smiles, glancing among the group. [Say]"I'd say that went pretty well."[/say]
Sol helps chase off the gourds while Zavien follows!
RE: gourd riddance! - Koa - 12-16-2024
Koa looks up as Zavien proclaims their first stop having gone pretty well, laughing merrily at his friend. [say]"A good omen, I hope,"[/say] he grins to the others. [say]"Hopefully the next ones won't be quite so, uh, fashionable. Looks like we're heading to..."[/say] he pauses, leafing through his notes, [say]"...the fountain!"[/say] A place of near-misses for the three of them prior, but ultimately their last venture had been a success.
Today, the Fountain is surrounded by a small crowd of busybodies and gawkers. Koa leads the charge in elbowing through, his declarations of [say]"Dragoons incoming! Stand aside, please!"[/say] smooth and practiced, balanced with jovial authority. What they'll find upon breaking through is that the fountain is currently being bogarted by a massive possessed gourd. Large enough to fit a medium sized child in, the monstrosity floats at the top of the fountain, cackling and spitting at anyone who deigns to get too close. And it's not just water the thing is spitting - among the streams are glinting coins, ready to bruise and maim any passersby. Already a series of victims sit upon a nearby stoop, wet and bruised and, in a couple cases, bleeding.
[say]"Ah. Great."[/say] Pursing his lip and glaring up at the gourd, Koa flexes his jaw. [say]"Alright. Thoughts?"[/say]
RE: gourd riddance! - Zavien - 12-16-2024
The fountain was not necessarily a place Zavien likes to visit anymore. After seeing it full of nasty goop (that had ended up all over him), he couldn't look at the peaceful flow of water quite the same. It didn't help to see the new occupant causing chaos in the square. Following Koa through the parting crowd, and noticing the glances at their pristine uniforms, he tries to focus on the task, specifically the gourd flinging water and deadly currency into the crowd of bystanders.
Ducking to avoid a flicker of gold, Zavien considers the situation with his keen strategic mind. [say]"Maybe Lena could attend to the injured while we deal with the gourd playing fountain?"[/say] He knows she'll be too concerned with them to really focus on the other problem. And glancing at the drops of blood, they could probably use the help. [say]"Meanwhile, I could distract it. Draw its attention using a shield or something to block the attacks while you sneak up from the other side?"[/say] Not being the stealthiest Dragoon (as Lena can attest), Zavien assumes he's better suited to the 'diversion' role. As if on cue, Sol dives to land on his shoulder, a flutter of wings and shiny scales. He beams with excitement, peaking his head to see the gourd atop the fountain. The dragon will be hard to miss, and easy to target. And the best part? He'll think it's a game the entire time.
RE: gourd riddance! - Lena - 12-17-2024
These gourds painted quite the picture – though she’d never run into one that had presided in so much disaster. Eyes widening as she took in the sights, sounds, and scenery, she didn’t even need the plans circulating through the others before she was beelining her way towards the citizens already maimed by the creature. If worst came to worst, she could help the boys when she was done here.
[say]“I’m so sorry this happened to you,”[/say] she murmured to each. [say]“Can I take a look at your wounds? I can heal you.”[/say] Inspections took place in gentle, soothing measures, glancing at bruises and trying to placate any upset notions. Then she took her staff, only applying the light pressure of the elegant item, over bleeding wounds and deep contusions. [say]“Once I’m done, maybe it’d be best to seek another road,”[/say] she mentioned. [say]“Until we can take care of this one.”[/say]
--
[say]Lena goes to heal/assist/guide NPCs.[/say]
RE: gourd riddance! - Koa - 12-17-2024
Zavien's plan is a good one, and Koa nods in approval, beaming proudly at his
Roles assigned, Koa slips from Zavien's side and into the milling crowd. He'll have to be stealthy to avoid the attention of The Great Spittoon, but he trusts that Zavien and the dragons will be able to keep it sufficiently occupied. Already Pipsqueak has shot into the air, her trills and a puff of fire grabbing the obstinate gourd's ire. It lashes out with vines, but the little dragon is too quick to be caught, diving down toward Zavien as a stream of penny-laced water is spat from the toothy mouth.
Meanwhile, Lena will find the injured denizens deeply grateful for her care. But as she continues her ministrations, she may or may not notice one bold young girl who seems to have decided to get in on the action. The child is creeping toward the fountain, out of Koa and Zavien's line of sight. She has a slingshot in hand and a look of determination about her. Will you stop her? Or let her join the fray?
-----
Zavien and the dragons, distract that pumpkin so Koa can sneak around to the other side!
Lena, you've gotten the worst of the wounds healed, but there's a young girl potentially putting herself in peril! What will you do?
Feel free to powerplay any NPCs
RE: gourd riddance! - Lena - 12-17-2024
Lena hummed as she worked, content to see the healing process begin; new skin stitching together or brimming away from a stormy-hued bruise. While she tended though, others seemed to notice something, even so far as poking at the Caretaker’s shoulder. ”Miss, there’s a girl over there.” At the notice, the Attuned stood up from her crouch, striving to pinpoint the youth making her way over to the fray. [say]“Thank you,”[/say] she whispered in return, patting the other on the shoulder, granting her a reassuring wink.
Shifting into her cat form, to be much quicker at working her way through the crowd. With Mittens overhead as a guiding beacon, she eventually reached the little one and returned to her human form, immediately stepping in front of the emboldened girl and her slingshot. [say]“We should let the Dragoons take care of this,”[/say] she whispered. [say]“I would hate to see you hurt too.”[/say]
--
[say]Lena goes to stand in front of the girl (to shield her) and tries some convincing.[/say]
RE: gourd riddance! - Zavien - 12-17-2024
Lena's prompt disappearance brings a smile to his face. Obviously, she hadn't needed the suggestion to make up her mind about going to the injured citizens. That's just who she is, always concerned about others, and not waiting for permission to be a healing touch or a soothing voice.
Zavien on the other hand, is much more suited to the distraction role. Confirming the plan with Koa through a smile and an official salute, he grabs the lid of a nearby garbage bin. Once he's sure the civilians are out of the way, he begins banging his sword against it, shouting loudly as he approaches the gourd. [say]"Hey you! Look over here!"[/say] Jumping from his shoulder, Sol takes the opportunity to zip around the square, blasting small bits of fire between loud chirps to draw the creature's attention. The Dragoon gives him an encouraging pulse through the bond as he continues making his way towards the fountain. He doesn't know whether the thing understands words, but he decides to have a little fun with it. [say]"Bet you can't get us! You creepy, stinky pumpkin!"[/say] In between 'creative' insults, Zavien slams his sword against the metal lid again, causing a sharp sounded echo to ring around the plaza. It'll be hard to hear any stealthy attacks over the ruckus.
Zavien and Sol try to distract the gourd with fire and sound!
RE: gourd riddance! - Koa - 12-17-2024
Oh, Zavien. You try, you do, and
"It hurt my brother!" the young girl counters Lena's gentle admonishments, glaring up at
the Caretaker with defiance in her eyes. "And I'm gonna be a Dragoon someday!" Surprisingly quick for such slight thing, the child slips past Lena far enough to snap her slingshot at the massive gourd - landing a rock right into one glowing eye socket, and earning its absolute attention and ire.
With one great vine an an unearthly scream the beast reaches for the girl, wrapping a thick vine around her waist and tugging her into the air. "LET ME GO!" the child hollers, beating ineffectually at her captor, terror and defiance in her voice.
At least the distraction means Koa's managed to slip behind the gourd unnoticed, though his plan for electrocution is going to need to be scraped. [say]"Fuck- Zavien!"[/say] he barks across the fountain, [say]"Try to get its attention back on you! Lena, Can you catch her? I'm going to try and cut the vine!"[/say]
As he speaks he readies his chakram, prepared to hurl it toward the vine that holds the child. He won't until he has Lena's affirmative - and until Zavien, hopefully, is ready to draw its glowing eyes back to himself.