our neurotic inside dog got out and is running way too fast around the neighborhood

[crittersheep]

WHO: Rose (+ Lethe, Charon, and Maomao)
WHERE: outer meadow
WHEN: Day 27, night

[Rose has been running around for the past day and a half, prepping everything they'll need for the mist expedition to save Angel Devil from eternal wolfhood. But in the wee hours of the morning, the night before they planned to head out, Shadow Fiend's bell jingles gently. If she weren't still awake, she might have missed it. But she doesn't, and when she follows a hunch and checks on Angel Devil's location, she gets the distinct ping of a flock member in the pasture—before it recedes back into the vague sense of "in the mist."

So screw tomorrow morning. This might be the best chance they have of avoiding an extended mist expedition. And so, a mass cube call goes out, to all of Rose, and Lethe, Charon, and Maomao, too.]

WAKE UP! Um, sorry. Change of plans, we're going after Angel Devil now. I just sensed him at the edge of the mist. He stepped back inside, but he can't have gone far—this might be our best chance. He's not far from where we planned to meet up tomorrow, too. Okay! See you there.

BAITING THE TRAP (MINGLE) | THE BUFFENING | OUTSIDE THE MIST | INTO THE MIST | BOSS FIGHT | PILLING ROSE'S DOG (SAVAGE) | AFTERMATH

Comments

[pleasantmisery]

[Shadow Fiend sprints for the skull, aiming to intercept it before it can reach Pond Fiend. as she runs, she unslings her glaive in one smooth motion, so it's ready in hand when she's close enough to leap at the skull, glaive already swinging--

--and she follows it up with three more blows, quick and precise, ending with a spin that brings the weighted butt of her glaive up and around, slamming it into the skull's weak point]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ the skull

Cracks, in three places, and then bursts apart into a lightshow of purple and red at the final spot she rammed with her glaive with a howl.


☆ NO MORE OSMOSE ☆ ]</sub>

[strateelgic]

[The merman watches her with a look of surprise, pen held at the ready.

He thought he might just hit it with a fireball, but that's a lot more impressive.

He casts another small ice spell instead - this one with blind attached to give Angie a harder time hitting them with anything.]

1/2 now actually just saw pondie

[finalbows]

<sub>[ as it vanishes

so, too, one by one, do the other spell-lights that have been constantly hovering around the werewolf.

It lays very still, breathing deeply. The vines binding it still steadily smolder and curl, glowing like coals in many places. Though it looks placid, something--

About that stillness--


seems incredibly dangerous, if you pay close enough attention.

The purple of its eyes seems more vivid, somehow. Perhaps more blue, at the edges?



And then the darkness spell hits those vibrant eyes, and hell comes. ]</sub>

2/2

[finalbows]

<sub>[ the grass around the wolf begins to curl and wither. the air around it starts to waver like a mirage. the werewolf lays still, but the vines upon it all glow like embers.

One paw, another, it stands, the last of Pond Fiend's ice that had done its best to still persist, cracking to pieces under its paws.

With the sound of each crack, a big spear of ice erupts from the ground in a random spot around the entire battlefield. up to y'alls discretion if it gets/nearly gets your character or not.)

It lashes its tail, and a strong gale of wind sweeps out, in whatever direction it waves. It's enough to bowl over anyone it touches .

But that's just the warm up.

It opens its mouth, as if ready to lunge and bite-- though it isn't turned toward anyone in particular.

A purple and blue light gathers between its teeth.

...what's so special about THIS spell that it has to spend all this time casting it...? ]</sub>

Re: 2/2

[pleasantmisery]

[one of the ice spears erupts near Shadow Fiend, with enough force to send her flying. she hits the ground hard, turning her momentum into a roll, with the air of someone who's gotten tossed around by magic AOEs before

admittedly, the gale of wind sends her rolling a little further than intended, and she needs a moment to reorient herself before scrambling to her feet, glaive still in hand]

[catposting]

[ what did he JUST say to the apothecary about avoiding a big fight. he really has to stop jinxing things. although it's kind of a relief to be forced into action in a way. fuck waiting. at least the ice spear missed him.

activates his pink aura and flies over, still in base form for now, stopping in the air a little ways away from the wolf. summons his giant nerfed to 10ft long fur tail. for those that haven't seen it before, it's a separate entity from his body, aptly named External Transformation (ignore the giant cat mount, it's dead).

whacks Angie in the mouth with it. ]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ yeah sorry b it disintegrates to nothing as soon as it touches the growing seed of the Ultima that's about to go off.

where the blind effect throws off his other attacks quite well, Ultima happens to have a nasty habit of homing in on the things he wants to see--

Die, dear friends, says Angel Devil's very soft, delicate voice, in the minds of all present.

An isolate beam of light, streaming with purple and blue and flecks of a rainbow of other colors, shoots off from the ball of light in its jaws. It doesn't fly at anyone in particular. It angles to fly up. ]</sub>

[catposting]

[ yeah no thanks.

he REALLY, REALLY didn't want to use this form in front of everyone's salad. he didn't want to use it at all, but that's how it be sometimes.

anyway a few things happen in quick succession:

1) the light around him pulses and he becomes completely inorganic. this is canonically very scary so if you don't have fear resistance, good luck?
2) the beam doesn't have enough time to really go anywhere before he TANKS IT HEAD ON. time to limit test Charon's thing, he guesses
3) the invisible Vengeful Child around him... stays invisible! but the Ultima itself becomes tinged with gold and green as it "hits" him. it doesn't even scratch him. Charon's barrier poofs out of existence once that's done, though.

he laughs ]

What, are you that upset about the play? Haven't you heard of keeping a backup, you big mutt?

[ aaand he flies right into the beast's mouth. CLEARLY NORMAL ROOTING AND NORMAL DISTRACTIONS DIDN'T WORK, SO. he's counting on you to remember, Shadow Fiend ]

[pleasantmisery]

[Blood Fiend?? what the fuck?? how many fucking powers to you have--oh, right. using Thaumaturgy again to crank her voice up 3x in volume again]

DON'T WORRY ABOUT BLOOD FIEND! Let him try--whatever the fuck he's trying, he'll be okay. Vine shields! Pond Fiend and Face-Making Devil! I'll cover Lily!

[she is not entirely sure WHAT Blood Fiend is up to, but she figures they shouldn't be out in in the crossfire until it's safer for those of us who are not catboy warforged to rejoin the fight.

anyway she is sprinting, again, closer to where Lethe and Charon and Azdaja and Melody are, so she can call up a vine barrier in front of them]

[strateelgic]

[Gosh if only he'd thought to bring that nifty scale he'd gotten from the salt caves. OH WELL.

He casts a regular barrier around himself and Face, along with using his own vines. Hopefully that will take some of potential oncoming damage.]

[wants_the_phd]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ if this fight were to have, say, a jrpg UI over it, this is what might appear, right now, as Blood Fiend rushes at the werewolf's jaws:



The vines are nothing but ash, now. They can't hold it. It eagerly rushes to meet him, teeth clamping down around

That strange, spiky shape in his chest,

and all the gathered Ultima energy goes off, and envelops him. ]</sub>

[catposting]

[ unravels and poofs. the light blinks out, nowhere to be seen.

bye ]

"Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[finalbows]

<sub>[ the werewolf trots three steps forward, stops, and abruptly spits out the glowing core, still seething with pink energy, if now missing a spoke or two.

It waves its head around, pained-- whines, like it scalded the inside of its mouth. It tries to sweep the glowing core away from itself with its tail, but now its the one getting its tail fur singhed. It settles for just ambling away from it instead. Its movements are a little slower, it looks like. Maybe those tranqs are getting SOMEWHERE--? Slowly. TOO slowly.

It sniffs the air, and turns, again, to the people that are still left.

Angel Devil's most cruel, affectionate voice says,
Eenie, meenie, minie... you. Whichever one you are. Rose. I can tell. You're next. You can't trouble me shining like a star from afar if you're all DEAD.

Completely ignoring the core behind it. ]</sub>

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[pleasantmisery]

[Shadow Fiend shields her eyes from the blast, and at the sound of the core hitting the grass she lowers her eyes, looking for Blood Fiend--

--who isn't there.

this is a lot more alarming than what he'd vaguely hinted could happen, but there's still an angry Angel Devil on the loose, so--she's just going to have to trust that Blood Fiend was telling the truth when he said he could come back.]

HE'S OKAY! I-IT'S OKAY! BLOOD FIEND TOLD ME--he told me he could take a hit like that and come back. He'll be okay!!

[and then, in a quieter voice, though still cranked up to 3x volume by Thaumaturgy--]

And if he's not okay, we can't do anything until we've dealt with Angel Devil.

[also she's running directly at Angel Devil to intercept again]

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[catposting]

[ not back yet but he looks like this rn ]

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[pleasantmisery]

[GLOWY FIRE THING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE SOMETHING YOU CAN RESURRECT FROM, SIR]

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[wants_the_phd]

[OKAY THIS IS ENTIRELY TOO MANY WTFs PER SECOND

DUDE JUST GOT VAPORIZED AND IS NOW A BALL OF PINK FIRE ARE YOU SURE THIS IS OKAY???]

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[strateelgic]

He's very resilient.

... I'm going to go deaf.

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[finalbows]

_{[ that's what I've been TELLING HER since the DAY WE GOT H-- ]}

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[catposting]

[ yeah about that.

the Core, missing two spokes, doesn't stay down for long. it floats up innocently behind the wolf.

it starts to fizzle, gathering energy, as if sucking it out of its surroundings. (Shinsu is "matter", after all. unable to be created or destroyed; only transferred.)

aaaand boom. he's back!

to Shadow Fiend: ]

If I turn permanently deaf after this, it's your fault.

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[pleasantmisery]

You're not dead!

Also you told me to tell everyone not to panic, so really it's your fault!

WHY DID IT END UP OVER THERE

[axingnicely]

Re: "Who is he targeting" idk and neither does he

[themanofyourdreams]

[staring in disbelief

Blood Fiend what even are you]