[HH 5 vs ??] Science Party (Chris, Mal, Riley, Barth,Calder)

[Bilious]

The hunchback had given Calder specific instructions to make sure Barth was parked somewhere safe, and promised in return that he wouldn't venture too far without him. Even so, he was anxious to start looking for Amrita.

He had to find her.

Mistress would be here soon, then everything would be okay, she would make everything okay again. He just had to not panic.  

[Bilious]

Forgot to roll dice

Quote:

Rolling a 3: ALL DAMAGE HAS NO MODIFIER (ie: you don't need to subtract -6 ). You feel something brush against you, unsettling as it literally envelops you in a blanket of cold. You feel stronger but more distant, as if the battle around you is happening to someone else...

 

[Nio Love]

There, there, and - I'm confident someone's turned on the far east of the campus, oh. Oh, Malodore. Riley had to stop, so overwhelmed with the feeling. She could hear them, each and every one of them in her mind. Calling out for home. Calling for what she still wanted, somewhere deep down where the Insanity touched her. It almost brought her to her knees, for the sheer quantity of them.

She stumbled forward into the fog, both of her hands on her head as she tried to focus through the need, the desire, when she slammed right into Christof.

I'm sorry- ah, Christof. Please forgive me for taking so long. This place, there's so much.. She balled her hands into fists and put them at her side. It's not just Amrita, is it? How many?  

[Sosiqui]

Malodore was following Riley as best it could, though the headache was still a dull thud at the base of its skull. But it saw the fog loom, gulping forward as if swallowing her up - it let out a tiny cry and lunged, stumbling after her as the fog surged around them both.

... And it was aware of the fog in a way it hadn't been for months. The fog encircled every limb. Where it had once stood alone, the single sane mind in a sea of madness, it now could hear the faintest whisper at the edges of its consciousness.

Home.

"Riley," it croaked, wings snapping up. "Riley, I can hear it too." No. No. It was stronger now. They would need to recalibrate all their assumptions.

-Ah, yes, that shadow was Christof. "What is happening? Please - tell me everything you know," it said, voice on the edge of pleading. It needed data. Was desperate for data. Recalibration. Yes.  

[Bilious]

I'm Sorry, Christof had frozen at the sight of Riley, her tentacles tense, her hands on her temples- his hands moved nervously and quickly to Malodore, mentally translating the sign to Riley as he concentrated on each gestured word, "Should-not-have-asked-Mistress-to-come." He exhaled sharply, glancing around frantically, "Voices. Fog. Amrita-frozen. Would-not-respond. Humans-planted-thing-in-her. Don't-understand-how." his movements grew quicker, more frantic, "Have-not-been-able-to-cut-her-open-yet-and-investigate-they-did-something-the-humans-did-something-I-know-it-Crush-them-"  

[Nio Love]

All good intentions, Christof. Riley murmored approvingly. Crushing humans sounded pretty good to her, as well. But the fact that Malodore could hear the voices was making her heart sink in dismay. I thought you were immune to this. Malodore, if you're in danger..

She swelled with so much anger, so quickly, it made her swoon. She put one hand on Christof's shoulder to steady herself, and took a few deep breaths through her tentacles.

Christof, show me how she looked the last time you saw her. Was she.. well.. just show me.  

[Sosiqui]

Christof's words awoke a memory in Malodore's mind, and its gaze narrowed behind its lenses. "The humans - yes, yes. She told me herself. The Hunters implanted something in her core when they took her..." Its fingers curled, claws arching with the need to tear into flesh. "Always the Hunters! Perhaps she was intended as a weapon, hah, since they did not make her one in the literal sense."

And then its own anger was fed by a surge from Riley, which left it feeling dizzy for a moment - but strangely cleansed, as if everything had been swept away in that tide and only the sweet sanctuary of logic had been left behind. "We don't know that I'm in danger - I was safe before. Perhaps the Immunity effect is only dampened, not removed?" It shook its head. "And if not.. then I am on equal footing with everyone else. We will go together, and protect each other as best we can..."

It turned, pivoting and beginning to pace. "Her core. They implanted something into her core. It could promote instability, that sort of intrusion... an instability the Insanity could latch on to, perhaps, instantaneously instead of over a period of time..." Its hoofbeats, as it moved, matched the cadence of its speech. "Si, si, molto bene - that would explain it, but not the increased strength... unless the power that was concentrated into the Phoenix is now diffuse, covers a greater area, fed... dissipation in this area might..." Its words devolved into a series of fragments, though the thoughts in its mind were as clear as ever. Just no time for coherent speech.  

[Bilious]

Christof's eyes locked on Malodore, slowly taking in everything it said. He couldn't quite understand it, clearly the Plague Doctor had been doing it's research, but the gravity of the situation was clear as day. "Can-something-be-built," He signed before glancing back to Riley with a renewed look of worry and desperation. His brows furrowed, stomach clenched as he nodded silently.

Gently, he leaned forward, taking her hand before closing his eyes, immediately bringing to mind a flash of the undead ghoul's vacant expression, his rising panic and terrified noises as he tried to shake her, her friends gathered around powerless to do anything...

He let go, his stitched, lopsided expression trembling, wet at the cheeks and seams under his eyes.  

[Nio Love]

I don't want you on equal footing. Riley growled quietly. I want you safe. Riley was, and always would be, a selfish creature. She made no attempts to hide that particular flaw.

The theories over Amrita's sudden Insanity were flying, and Riley's mind went into overdrive trying to figure it out as well. If the Hunters implanted something within her, I wonder if they are using her. Using all of them. Are they guinea pigging us to lure the Insanity away from them? Or study it? Why can't we just kill them all be DONE WITH IT-

Riley's anger flared again, but she pulled herself together quickly. There was no time for it. Christof's visuals came to her, and she watched, paling with each moment that passed, until-

Riley's eyes closed and she turned away, her expression furrowing in dismay as she saw it. Her visual ignored this, of course, and remained firmly placed in her mind. She pushed Christof's thoughts away.

She wasn't infected. Riley sounded like she was talking to herself - but they could hear it. She was just convincing herself not to think the worst. There was a foreign factor. Something triggered this, whatever it was they implanted. She still could be safe in there. She could be whole, if we could remove whatever it is that's doing this.

But deep down, she feared that the ghoul was already lost. Even if they did save her, by killing her, she would forget everything.

Just like Riley did.

Do we have any information on the structure at all? Metal? Organic? I recall a similar embedment in a friend of Roch's. I told him to find Malodore, to attend to it, but now.. well, I assume it's far too late for that.  

[Sosiqui]

Malodore looked startled at the mention of its name, snapping out of its pacing reverie. "I... was not approached by anyone," it said, after a moment. "It would be dangerous to attempt removal; Amrita told me that. I did not attempt it... perhaps I should have." It sighed, raggedly. But no, it was not going to go down that well-worn path of guilt yet again.

The past was lost to it. Only the present, and the future, remained.

"I do not know if the Hunters created Insanity, but they most assuredly strengthened it by feeding most of the Four Clans to it - I can only hope those fallen Horsemen are not conscious of their loss," it said, with a shudder that made its wings chime dissonantly. "But we must proceed. It may be that, without the initial taint, the fracture will be impermanent..."  

[Enoh Love]

The fog rolled in, dragging along with it whispering voices. A form began to take shape, and with it a single voice became prominent, louder than the rest;

Hoooome...

It was a homesick wail at first, but as the creature realized it was not alone, the tone took on a more angry note. These things were trying to stop it! Always trying to stop it. So many had tried already...all it wanted to do was go home! Backward claws began to flex, itching to remove those in it's way.

Get out...! Want...home!

The creature's blue eyes narrowed into thin slits, backward claws lashing out in wide arcs towards two of the invaders.

OOC

Total HP : 60 / 60
Damage done: 12
Targets: Mal, Chris

 

[Bilious]

Christof turned as he sensed something that sent prickles up and over and down his hunch. Amrita.... His hands fell to his sides as he took the apparition in. He stepped away from Malodore and Riley, drifting towards her as though drawn, his arms outstretched....

Suddenly, claws lashed out and the hunchback gave an anxious noise, staggering as his seams threatened to be ripped but he concentrated on keeping it together.

Amrita... he could save her. He just needed her to wake up- With a pained, fury-filled muffled howl, his fists swung through the fog.

HP: 38/50
Damage: 12
Target: Rita  

[Sosiqui]

Malodore recoiled sharply as Amrita appeared; the attack caught it by surprise, and it staggered. "Amrita!" it cried out, reaching back even as it spoke, feeling at the sharp feathers of its wings. "Home is not that way! Come back..."

But it knew, somewhere, that sterner measures would be needed. Her appearance was changed greatly, yes, but she was not the same as Riley had been - she did not encompass all of the gestalt in her shifting form.

Unless the gestalt had become too massive for any one being to contain, and become aware of that fact. The plague doctor ground its beak as it detached a single feather, throwing it towards Amrita - just the smallest strike, but it was going for precision. Perhaps it could detach a sample for analysis, crude as it was. She was a patchwork. It could fix her afterwards...

Si, just so.


HP: 38/50
Damage: 2
Target: Amrita  

[MoonKitsune]

A high pitched whinny and the sound of thundering hoof-beats sounded through the fog, and from the white mist form a fast-moving figure headed straight for the group.

Moving before them, the mare rose up and threw her hooves at Amrita, before falling on all fours and stretching it's neck to whinny at her. "Stop this, Amrita! We're your friends! You don't want to do this!!" Amrita needed to be taken away from here, and he knew that she would never want to hurt the ones she loved the most. It was what she had feared since being rescued.


HP: 50/50
Target: Amrita
Damage: 14


Total Damage: 28
Amrita HP: 32/60  

[Enoh Love]

No...Friends would take me home!

The fog growled out as it collapsed in on itself, fading out of the area.

OOC

Total HP : 32 / 60
Damage done: NA - FLED
Targets: NA - GONE