Outside 48: Hotter than Inside

[Nova_Eclipse]

[A Different Sort of Party]

The rabbit seems to relax slightly.

"Well, that's good news, at least. And it seems that this is a long-standing thing between Magtok and Malice. Apparently, this might just be the latter's way of saying, 'Hey, remember me? I'm still here'." Electra pauses for a moment. "I need to discuss something with you in-person, but I'm likely not going to get there before sometime tomorrow, given how the night's been going. Make yourselves at home; I'll keep you updated as I learn more."

[Recaiden]

Benedict goes to stand where Moschu can't see what he's up to and readies his pistol. He can't read what the wasp-person says, but knows things are likely to go sour and has his pistol ready.

With the drawing of the pistol, the wasp becomes deadly calm. "Look behind you, carefully," she buzzes, "Do not draw attention to yourself. The human lies, and is preparing for the consequence. He drugged us and paralyzed my compatriot in some way. See how he readies his weapon. He knows I am not strong enough to escape. That is the act of a male preparing to kill."

The truth of this is not obvious to her. She has no clue how to tell if a wasp monster is lying even in a mundane way. The impending violence, though, that's obvious enough to Moschu. She can sense the bullets nearing their moment of firing, the claws about to be raised. If this goes badly, she might have to fight everyone else here. She might need help.
At a few of the corners of the room, the curves in the web of time separate. Pale smoke hisses forth into the room. Not enough to endanger anyone or even obscure vision, but perhaps enough to be concerned by.

Instead of trying to turn and look at Benedict surreptitiously, Moschu just keeps talking to the wasp.
"And why would he do that? There are so many different groups of humans, surely that's not supposed to matter to him."

[Earl of Purple]

Old Wood

Well, things seem to be going better than expected, so Benedict lowers the pistol but doesn't holster it yet. He doesn't particularly want to fight Moschu; he's not sure about all the giant spider can do, and he's not got many minions left. Not here, at least; he's got others, but they're guarding his home.

He's a little worried by the smoke, but he's still got his vortex of clean air around him, and trusts that to at least hamper the smoke long enough to do something stronger if it looks like he needs to.

[Morty]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

The ooze makes a sound like a full-body shriek when Thryscir is set aflame. It lets go of him after a moment, then recoils and trashes around, trying to put itself out. Some of the burns do seem to decay, but slowly. The creature isn't entirely biological, but enough so that some damage is done.

[bc56]

Old Wood

"How should I know? I don't study xenopsychology! You speak his language, ask him!" The wasp goes back to struggling, believing that she won't get through to Moschu for a rescue.

[Recaiden]

In the smoke clouds, things start to move, the long questing tongues of some bizarre creature reaching into this place from else...not elsewhere, exactly, but not here, either. Something Other.
Humans call them 'hounds' because of their infallible tracking abilities. But really they're nothing like dogs.
Moschu's people call them 'frogs' because of their snatching suddenness of movement. But really they're nothing like amphibians.

"I can't believe your fight with humans runs so d-"
In the middle of her sentence, Moschu blinks through space to appear behind Benedict, trying to wrap her front legs around him.
"Now what do you think you are doing with that gun?"

[Earl of Purple]

Old Wood

Benedict jumps when ambushed by the giant spider teleporting- or seeming to- behind him and grabbing him. The gun is dropped, but doesn't go off. "The skeletons are weakening. I didn't intend them to do this, and their strength works better in short, sharp blows, not holding something for an extended period. They're guardians and warriors, not porters." A lie; they're intended to be as effective as porters as guards. He didn't know what he'd find, after all.

His lie will be reinforced by the fact he's simultaneously having the skeletons' loosen their grips, so if the wasp keeps struggling, she might be able to break free.

[bc56]

Old Wood

The wasp yanks an arm free of the skeletons, then wasting no time, pulls the other three arms free as well, using the first for leverage. She spins into an attack on the skeletons, attempting to relieve them of their weapons before they can draw them.

[Recaiden]

The monster in the smoke picks a corner to exist in and steps into the room. It has a gaunt look to it, and only four legs at a time. Something about it looks cute, like a cartoon character or baby. Something else about it looks withered and fragile, a faded photograph.

Moschu refocuses all her eyes on something only she can see and briefly divides the Old Wood into two parallel universes, only one of which should make it back to the main course of history.
[Universe A]
"Why not just ask me to poison her? Just like the other. No, you're up to something!"
The spider leans forward, trying to wrestle the occultist to the ground.
"Get the skeletons!" she instructs her monster.

[Universe B]
"Of course I would wind up working with the worst necromancer. Can you not look after your aura at all?" Moschu complains, expecting his necromancy to work by the same rules as in her world.
She lets Benedict go and-
"EEee! She's getting away! Stop that wasp!"

[Earl of Purple]

Old Wood

The skeletons are slow and clumsy, and disarming them is quite easy.

Universe A

"I thought you wanted one alive...ugh." Benedict is not very strong, and easily wrestled to the ground. He's grasping and reaching into his robes, whilst his now-unarmed skeletons are running towards Moschu, to defend their creator if possible. They'll try to avoid the beastie, and if that fails they'll punch and scratch with skeletal fists and sharpened phalanges.

Universe B

"I'm not a necromancer. I'm an occultist. The undead are... not my main focus." For possibly the first time, Benedict's telling Moschu the truth. After being released and the skeletons disarmed, he draws red lines in the air to create another shot of exploding needles in the wasp's direction. The skeletons will attempt to hug the wasp, getting in close and denying the use of the weaponry. They would be slightly damaged by the exploding needles, but they don't have soft tissue to disrupt and the needles aren't capable of penetrating bone very far.

[CosmicHobbit]

The Ruins of Old GLoG

Thryscir falls to the ground but quickly hops back to his feet, still covered in flames. He cracks his neck and starts walking toward the creature, a spiked gauntlet forming around his hand from the smoke that seems to constantly surround him. The gauntlet is covered with the same flames that surround him when he gets to the ooze. He pulls an arm back and as he tries to punch the ooze the wine purple of the flames shifts to a crimson color for a moment. Should the punch hit, it'll feel like getting hit with something that weighs 50 tons.

The arm used for the punch will turn to dust either right after the punch hits or right after the arm stops moving.

[bc56]

Old Wood

Universe A

The wasp chases the skeletons, slashing at them from behind with their own swords, moving with manic glee towards the fallen occultist behind the monsters.

Universe B

Once she has the swords, the wasp doesn't bother to stick around. She dashes towards the second room, dodging around the skeletons' grabs and narrowly avoiding getting hit by the needles.

[Morty]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

The ooze is struck, sending ripples throughout its body that spray it everywhere until only a small core of it remains, burning and decaying. It starts trying to crawl away, slowly. If Thryscir wants to finish it off, it can't do much to stop or avoid it.

[CosmicHobbit]

The Ruins of Old GLoG

The fire around Thryscir goes out so that only his eyes are left on fire, and with his left arm he holds the stump where his right arm used to be. He briefly considers taking pity on the thing, but changes his mind and stomps over to it. His mouth twists into a grimace of pain and disgust as his foot lights with the fire once more and he tries to stomp on top of the core of the creature.

[Morty]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

Thryscir's coup de grace smears what's left of the ooze on the ground, and all its remnants dissipate into stinking green smoke with a mournful wail. The hounds seem to have dealt with the other spirits, in the meantime, and no others are coming. Perhaps they have decided the opposition is too strong. After a while, all the images and memories swirling around the place suddenly surge towards a stone container Amalungak is holding struggling vainly not to enter it but wounding up sealed there nonetheless. All is silent.

[Reinholdt]

[Tauron's Temple]

Tauron shrugs. "Just a suggestion. One would hope they aren't just killing them for fun, but who knows with those wretches. The sooner we are rid of them the better. Either way, I'll send my eyes out to seaside in case you can't find anyone to assist you then if that's alright."

[Tauron's Temple]

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you." Ilpholin gives a respectful bow. "I should get going before my belly swells too large and I can't fight properly," Ilpholin jokes about one of her deeper concerns before turning to head out in the direction of New Inside.

[Recaiden]

Universe A

The skeletons are slow and clumsy, and disarming them is quite easy.

"I thought you wanted one alive...ugh." Benedict is not very strong, and easily wrestled to the ground. He's grasping and reaching into his robes, whilst his now-unarmed skeletons are running towards Moschu, to defend their creator if possible. They'll try to avoid the beastie, and if that fails they'll punch and scratch with skeletal fists and sharpened phalanges.

The wasp chases the skeletons, slashing at them from behind with their own swords, moving with manic glee towards the fallen occultist behind the monsters.

The first thing Moschu does it try to bite Benedict, while her beastie fends off the skeletons, lashing at them with its tongue and flailing claws. The scratching bones are able to cut the thing's loose skin, drawing thin blue blood.

Then there's time for talk. "I have one alive. And you just got another. What are you really up to?" After all, the venom won't kill you, unless you end up dosed with rather too much of it. It's just supposed to stop you from moving for a while, long enough to be wrapped up in silk.


Universe B

The skeletons are slow and clumsy, and disarming them is quite easy.

"I'm not a necromancer. I'm an occultist. The undead are... not my main focus." For possibly the first time, Benedict's telling Moschu the truth. After being released and the skeletons disarmed, he draws red lines in the air to create another shot of exploding needles in the wasp's direction. The skeletons will attempt to hug the wasp, getting in close and denying the use of the weaponry. They would be slightly damaged by the exploding needles, but they don't have soft tissue to disrupt and the needles aren't capable of penetrating bone very far.

Once she has the swords, the wasp doesn't bother to stick around. She dashes towards the second room, dodging around the skeletons' grabs and narrowly avoiding getting hit by the needles.

"You're alone in an alien world! What do you think you can accomplish by running?"
Moschu pursues the fleeing wasp, but she can't get too close for fear of the needles and skeletons getting in her way.
Her monster (which is sometimes (and incorrectly) called a 'Thing That Lives In Corners') has no such trouble. It scampers to the back of the room and vanishes in a puff of smoke, reappearing at the far edge of the second room, hopefully in time to trap the wasp before it.

[Earl of Purple]

Old Wood
Universe A

"I... I wanted both. One to vivisect. Find out how they work, maybe trap their souls and quiz them on their biology, see if there was anything I could use. The other- I'd have summoned a demon into them, bound it to my will. It'd be stronger bound into a living person rather than a corpse. I... I hoped I might be able to convince you they were both dead, not paralysed, but I've done too much in too short a time. My powers need to coalesce, and I couldn't paralyse the second." The fangs enter Benedict's body and he's just able to pull out a small glass bottle before he finds himself unable to move. He's glad he's still breathing, and focuses on that. Well, that and the skeletons; now he can't move his own body, Benedict puppeteers his minions to a greater degree, able to direct their attacks at the monster's eyes, nostrils and maybe even its tongue.

One of the skeletons has had its ribs smashed by the flailing limbs, and both have been decapitated by the swords. They should aim at the spine for best results; they don't need most of their bones, so attacks directed at their torsos aren't very effective.

Universe B

Benedict doesn't pursue, still a bit drained by the paralysing touch used on the other wasp. Instead, the skeletons start to move a little more naturally as they run after the fleeing wasp, directed by Benedict as he waits for his reservoir to refill. If they catch up, the wasp will find they aren't as stilted on the attack as they were, though as Benedict isn't really a brawler (and isn't even much of a swordsman) they still aren't the best combatants.

[Morty]

[A Different Sort of Party]

Fayyaad breathes out.

"I expected as much. At least this place is indeed quite comfortable. Might as well settle in."

[Arkhosia]

[A Different Sort of Party]

The songstress looks slightly disappointed by this development. She puts that aside quickly however, nodding. I’m sure it won’t be too difficult. Hopefully you’ll be able to say the same about your own night.

[bc56]

Old Wood

Universe A

The wasp dodges around the fighting skeletons and stands over Benedict, glaring. It's too bad she doesn't understand what he's saying, really.

Universe B

The wasp's homeworld has its own physics-defying horrors, so the Hound of Tindalos emerging from the corner doesn't shock her as much as it could. She brandishes both of the skeletons' swords, twirling them in wide, slow arcs, and buzzes something at the Hound, circling aggressively around it.

[CosmicHobbit]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

Thryscir's coup de grace smears what's left of the ooze on the ground, and all its remnants dissipate into stinking green smoke with a mournful wail. The hounds seem to have dealt with the other spirits, in the meantime, and no others are coming. Perhaps they have decided the opposition is too strong. After a while, all the images and memories swirling around the place suddenly surge towards a stone container Amalungak is holding struggling vainly not to enter it but wounding up sealed there nonetheless. All is silent.

The Ruins of Old GLoG

Thryscir has been through quite a few worlds, and the memories are pretty standard magical fodder to him. However, he has no idea if his arm'll grow back. He's never had to sacrifice one before.

He doesn't break the silence, instead heading toward the hound closest to him. Once he gets there, if the hound allows him, he'll start petting it.

[Morty]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

The hound doesn't react to being petted one way or the other. Though it manages to look confused despite a lack of features. This may be the first time anyone has ever pet it. Amalungak, meanwhile, approaches him, smiling.

"That is quite a wealth of memories I've gathered... but I see the fighting was accordingly severe."

[CosmicHobbit]

The Ruins of Old GLoG

Still petting the hound, Thryscir says, "Yeah, don't think I've ever had to sacrifice an arm before. A foot, twice, a leg, once, but never an arm. It was worth it to make my first act in this world a charitable one, though. Hey, do you think you could get one of these dogs that acts more like a pet than a fighting machine, one that I could keep?" Thryscir's tone is strangely carefree for losing an arm and a couple of ribs in a battle just moments before.

[Morty]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

The normally unflappable elf looks surprised by Thryscir's request.

"I... do not know. They aren't mine; they're my lord's hunting hounds. But you have done him a service by helping me, so I could ask him on your behalf."

[CosmicHobbit]

The Ruins of Old GLoG

Thryscir nods approvingly. "Sounds good to me." Stopping his petting and turning to Amalungak, he says, "So, do we have to go to your lord first to drop off those memories, or can we head straight to a bar or club or whatever they have here?"

[Morty]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

"I think I would rather deliver those memories first," Amalungak says, after a moment of silence. "Gathering this many... I am not sure how long the seals on the container will hold. And this way I can make your case to him soon. A Lord of the Faerie rewards those who help him."

[CosmicHobbit]

The Ruins of Old GLoG

Thryscir nods."Makes sense. Lead the way!" He almost asks about who this Lord of the Faeries is, but decides that he'd find out soon enough.

[Morty]

[The Ruins of Old GLoG]

Amalungak nods and leads the way. The hounds follow them, but seem to vanish from sight as they do - except for flashes in the corner of the eye. The road leads downhill, through fields and glades as the terrain gets lower. Eventually, they will find themselves descending into a swampland.

The air is deadly quiet. Not even insects seem to make any noise, or appear at all. The water is murky and still, broken only by their footsteps. Amalungak stops in an otherwise unremarkable patch of swampy water, between old, black and leafless trees.

"My King. I come with the memories you desire and bring someone who helped me bring in a greater bounty than I had expected."

"So I see," says a voice from the direction of one of the trees, off to the side. If Thryscir looks there, he'll see that one of the trees isn't actually a tree, and is turning around to face them. It's a figure draped in a black cloak, tall and thin. Its head is a rat's skull adorned by deer antlers. There's also a set of branches on its back that resemble skeletal wings.

[CosmicHobbit]

The Swamp

Thryscir does turn to face the elf's king, and upon seeing this creature his eyesockets go wide. Well, slightly wider than they were before. His skull is still hard to make expressions on. Also, Thryscir feels like he should have clothes on, even though he is just a skeleton.

Thryscir bows, saying, "Pleasure to meet the person I helped when I first entered this world." As he bows, his eyes search around him for any dangers. This place has him freaked out and on high alert, and the rat-deer-tree thing isn't helping.