destinystrings | Winners Don't Do Drugs

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Winners Don't Do Drugs

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Who: Anyone
Where: Everywhere. Please mark your threads accordingly
Summary: Saturday night, and Trihardo flares up for everyone
Warnings: Depends who shows up.
Music: ???

21st of September.

While it should have been a day to celebrate the beginning of Fall, it seemed that the citizens were too enthralled with trying to fix up the city to care.

People were furiously washing windows, painting walls, and sweeping the small falling leaves, sometimes shaking trees so more of them would fall. The entire day looked like it came out of a 1950s sitcom with everyone desperately trying to be the most proper, yet failing miserably. The painting jobs were covered in various colors as the painters tried to paint over previous work, thinking the color did not fit. Trees, sewer covers and small fences were painted simply because they didn't look good enough.

Demons appeared to be less affected, but even they could not escape the TRIHARDO as some donned capes and attempted to protect others... sometimes failing miserably or causing more properly damage. A cat that tried to cross the street would be rescued at the cost of three cars nearly being destroyed.

Then night came.

The symptoms got worse. Civilians began to sing about peace and held hands during the hours when they should have been staying inside. Others began to act like vigilantes, trying to stop those that were still painting the walls and houses.

It was a mess of people trying to help each other but failing. It was an entire city attempting to earn its gold star.

They tried. Oh did they ever try.

And the Visitors were affected too...

[OOC: You can specify where your character is (which ward) and if it's open. You all have full permission to NPC demons or citizens affected by Trihardo or your character. Go nuts! Have fun! Why did I link to this music? You'll find out.]

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[YEAH SO IF ALL YOUR STUFF IS MISSING it's probably turned up here. I mean, look at those piles. Good luck trying to find whatever you're trying to find.]

[Actually, good luck getting near those things at all. Sam, dressed in that black mask from before and completely affected by the curse, has started to guard all this stuff like he's a dragon with its treasure, hissing down at people and throwing things at them if they even get too close.]

You have too much of it, get away!

[He might even just go and steal stuff right from your hands to add to his pile. What? Don't look at him, this is totally his way of helping out.]

Edited 2013-09-21 10:16 (UTC)

After hours of searching, Flynn comes upon a massive pile of items.

"This must be it, Master," Burroughs says.

He nods in agreement, and cautiously walks closer.

"What are you doing? G-go away!!"

The voice of what seems to be a very angry young man comes from the top of the pile. There's Sam, mind flooded with nothing but the thoughts of keeping everything in this place and not letting a single thing leave.

He picks up a lamp, brandishing it in the air in a threatening manner.

"Don't make me throw this down at your head! Just go away, okay?!"

Flynn looks up to see the young man in a black mask. This must be the one who took them.
"I was asked by someone to recover their stolen items." He calmly replies.

He sees the lamp being waved angrily.
"Please, put the Relic down. I don't want to hurt you."
Flynn rests his fingers on his gauntlet, ready for a fight.

"Yeah? Well, they're not getting them back. Sorry."

He adds the last word like an afterthought. And then he swings his arm, and the lamp crashes into multiple pieces next to Flynn.

"That was a warning! I'm d-doing this place a favor, okay? Leave it be!!"

The lamp shattering startles him. He recovers.

"How can you be doing them a favor when people are miserable about it?"

This conversation is going nowhere fast.

"Because they don't understand. None of them do."

The hiss that comes out of his mouth next is almost inhuman, and he paces slightly over his objects as he looks down at Flynn with a dark, hateful stare.

"Leave."

"What they do not understand?"

That hiss sounds... powerful... demonic. He has to take a few deep breaths to steel his nerves for what he is about to do.

"No. I am afraid I cannot do that."

Fingers are flying over his left arm again.

"That they have too much of this stuff! Seriously, do any of you need more than one television. Ugh."

And he's raising a lawn chair now, totally ready to throw it down at his head to knock the guy out, if necessary.

"A-are you going to listen to reason, or what?! Go away, you idiot!!!"

"They might not need it; but nonetheless, it is theirs."

He sees the lawn chair being lifted up. Another deep breath.

"I will ask this once. Please put the Relic down. I just want to return a few items to their original owner. I will not leave until I do so."

[OOC: is it alright to summon his demons?]

Edited 2013-09-22 21:01 (UTC)

"It isn't theirs anymore."

He laughs, like the other told a particularly funny joke. His eyes are darkly glittering, his hand holding the chair ready to toss.

"Really? Try."

[ooc: Go ahead!!!]

"Then aren't you being hypocritical? You have no need for those."

Flynn draws his sword.

"Very well."

He then activates his gauntlet, summoning three demons.

Flynn and his demons ready for an attack.

"Really? Wow, you're a coward. Going to let those things fight for you?"

But ugh, this isn't good. Sure, he could go and summon his Persona, but would it be good enough? Well, he's not willing to let himself go, so his Persona will have to do, he lets out a triumphant noise, throwing up his hands to the sky and letting that beautiful part of his mind stir and awaken. The air around Flynn suddenly drops in temperature, as something very large, very dark, and very monstrous slithers out from behind Sam.

"Hey, Mordiggian! Let's teach these group of idiots a lesson. Do a Mudo!"

And after gathering the darkness, Mordiggian does just that, sending it right at Flynn.

What a strange creature! Where did it come from? Flynn has no time to scan it as the spell races toward him. He braces for the Dark attack. It misses this time.

He sends out a Ziodyne at the new creature, and the others send out their attacks: Beji-Weng does Debilitate on Mordiggan. Arahabaki performs Megido against both. Oumitsunu attacks Sam.

Edited 2013-09-25 02:15 (UTC)

Ugh. Three against one! Hardly fair at all. Mordiggian shrieks at the impact of the Megido, while Sam lets out a cry as Oumitsunu hits him. No, no, no, no NO. Mordiggian is still weak, and he's not exactly willing to show his true form to tear this guy to pieces, as much as he wants to, and...god, this is all going terribly wrong.

He really did bite off more than he can chew.

Sam grits his teeth behind his mask, backing up. "Counter, Mordiggian! Come on!" The Persona obliges, bracing itself for any further attacks.

Time to move. Sam's form shudders, and like a liquid, his whole body suddenly seeps into the pile of things below him, disappearing from sight.

If he's not going to be able to defend himself from the top of this pile, then he'll do so inside of it.

His eyes open as his opponent melts into the pile of stuff. He and his demons keep their positions.

After a few long minutes, he edges ever so slightly closer to the pile with his sword in front of him.

Mordiggian moves to where Sam once was standing, leering at Flynn from above. The pile is still, unmoving.

Come closer?

He is weary of the leering Mordiggian above. He is also weary of the still pile where that black sludge went into. He stops and looks back at it.

He sends an Agidyne spell towards Mordiggian. The demons stand fast.

Pisces, day:
There's a kid on a bright yellow motorcycle skidding around corners here - it's probably best not to ask where he got it. His face is completely obscured, but the helmet shape might be vaguely familiar for anyone who's seen the Commander around before - it looks like that was horribly spliced with a motorcycle helmet somehow. Also, there's a cape and a worrying amount of spandex.
Whatever's up with this guy, he seems rather unhappy with some of the civilians outside. They're being far too compliant, unrebellious, and that's not justice. Justice is throwing off the shackles off social niceties and scrawling feelings on the walls, not whitewashing them. Justice must be discovered alone, not working together! But whenever he tries to interfere with this gross violation of what's right, other civilians swarm him, trying to be helpful, and the numbers are just too huge. He's been forced to retreat.
It might be a bad idea to do anything especially... proper in front of him.

Aquarius, an hour before nightfall:
Same kid, same ridiculous outfit. Except now, his motorcycle's been abandoned a few meters away - that's because he's cornered a student of Lacerta University at swordpoint. The student was studying just a tad too aggressively, and this is horrible and brainwashed and unjust! Students shouldn't be sitting in corners studying all the time, they should be out partying or something. Horrible.
He's shouting something about, "- in the name of the Eastern Guardian of the City!" and gesticulating wildly with his free arm. The student's still trying to sneak glances at their textbook meanwhile, and this 'Eastern Guardian' is starting to look - well, it's still impossible to see his face, but his body language is a touch too tense.
Surely a 'Guardian' wouldn't actually harm a civilian... right?

Capricorn, night:
The Eastern Guardian's patrol has taken him to the least busy ward after curfew, and that's got to be a blessing - 'good' rebellion doesn't extend to being outside without a permit at night. As he can't see too many people around, he's busying himself with something else, back on his motorcycle.
This Extremely Important Task is emblazoning messages of justice across the plains, with the aid of a number of spray cans. The swaying grass is occasionally ruining his attempts, but he keeps on gamely, humming something as he rides.
He's perfectly fine with stopping to help out a Visitor concerned with justice just like him - as long as they can prove they're a Visitor and should be out here first. Hope you didn't forget your card.

"Hey, you in the mask."

Someone in a robe has their own, glowing sword out and is only a few feet away from the masked yellow figure holding a student hostage.

"Let the kid go and you won't lose any limbs," she challenges, reveling much too much in the meddling heroic savior role for her own good. Or at least, for the poor student's own good.

The Eastern Guardian is almost expecting this to be another civilian - but, no, that sword looks decidedly Visitor-like, once he turns to look around. As the Commander, he would've wondered what kind of engineering was behind it; as the Eastern Guardian, the fact that it's from outside of his portion of the City is all that he needs to know.

Luckily enough, he's not quite wrought up enough to do something drastic to the student with the interference, even if he doesn't move his swordpoint yet. Instead, he shifts to half-face the new arrival and announces dramatically, "You don't want to interfere in the true course of justice, Madame."

"Pulling a sword on someone who's studying quietly isn't any kind of justice," she says. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

Oh look, her Jedi Hypocrisy stat is also maxed tonight.

His free hand rises to point dramatically. Very dramatically. "You are mistaken! Studying upholds the unjust institute of learning, where people's wills are crushed to conform to an arbitrarily appointed standard!"

He is obviously Completely And Utterly Right about this and will not be convinced otherwise.

"...seriously? Learning isn't a problem, it keeps people from making stupid mistakes, like waving a sword around in front of a Jedi," she retorts. "Reading a book expands your mind, it doesn't crush your will. Standardized testing, well, that's its own set of problems, but--"

Hoping to end the standoff, the Exile cuts herself off mid-sentence so she can thrust out her hand and use the Force to knock the hopefully distracted masked man away from the student so the latter could run away. The farther she could Force Push him, the better.

The Eastern Guardian will not be denied of justice. This 'Jedi' is just spewing propaganda!

The Force does push him back a few steps; he'd probably have overbalanced if he weren't so short, his center of gravity close to the ground. The student, freed from swordpoint, runs around a corner - where, if anyone cared to look, he slips to the ground and returns to the textbook.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Guardian straightens up again, cape swirling dramatically. "Aha! Another PSI user! Well then, I will fight fire with fire, Madame!" This is followed by a shout of 'Shield Alpha,' glimmering blue squares swirling into being in front of him for a second before fading. They won't actually help against PSI attacks, and probably not the Force with those, just physical ones - but the 'Jedi' doesn't know that. And right after - "PK Love Alpha!"

...yes. He's jumped straight into fighting. To be fair, there was a lightsaber out and he doesn't know much use of non-support 'PSI' that isn't intended to be damaging...

Meetra will readily admit to starting this (by assaulting a kid, no less) once the virus wears off. Although it is her nonlethal training saber.

In the meantime, now that the civilian is out of the way, Meetra braces herself against the psychokinetic assault. She has no experience with such attacks and is knocked back by the force of it.

"Urgh." She shakes her head, and focuses. She doesn't know what PSI is, but she can take a guess that a shield means. She also figures this masked figure for a strong-willed type, and decides on knocking him out quickly.

"Persona!" she yells, calling forth an oversized cutesy robot to blast the Eastern Guardian with an Electrical Storm.

The Eastern Guardian's eyes widen at the electrical attack - not that Meetra would get a hint of that, with the helmet. But he also flinches back, not nearly in enough time to avoid the Storm. Anything electrical based is sure to do huge damage to his cybernetics, he's in trouble -

Only... apparently not, the electricity fizzing off him like it's just a light show. The Eastern Guardian's as surprised as anyone else by this, staring down at himself for a moment or two as if trying to figure out what secret ability he just learned to forestall damage.

(The secret is spores. Spores is what it is.)

Then he's back to posturing. "Ha ha! The Eastern Guardian of the City^TM cannot be beaten by attacks backed in the very opposite of justice!" Now convinced that by being a Guardian, he has gained invincibility, he darts forward to try slashing at Meetra with his own sword. This one's definitely not a training one, either; on the bright side, it's not a lightsaber, at least, just a sword.

Oh, a lunatic in weird cybernetic armor charging her with a sword. Finally, a familiar situation. Meetra parries the charging strike - thankfully, we don't have to bullshit a reason for it not to be sliced in half like the writers of KOTOR did, since this is just a training saber - and retaliates with a high kick right at her shorter opponent's masked face, trying to knock him off balance.

Bam and - yeah, okay, now he's very grateful for the helmet-mask. The Eastern Guardian of the City!'s face should not be seen - justice should be faceless - but here's another reason to have that mask. Even with his shield springing back into sight and absorbing exactly half the impact, a hit to the face is never fun. It knocks him dizzy for a second.

Keeping his balance is another story - there, he's lucky enough to have PSI, and an instinctive use of it. He throws a hand behind him and lets out a burst of it to stay upright even while he staggers a few steps back.

Meetra presses the attack with her training saber while her opponent is mostly off-balance, and she takes a strong horizontal swipe to try and disarm the Guardian.

Even TRIHARDO'd, she's not going to go for lethal attacks.

But am I narcissistic enough to think that I started a trend?

[Phantom Girl murmurs to herself as she drifts throughout the city and observes the bizarre happenings and the many many 'superheroes' that had popped up in the last few days. She also likes to think that her alien physiology is different enough that she's escaped the worst of this. Whatever this is, anyway. It was all very unusual, to be -- ]

Wha -- hey!

Your cape is dirty. You don't deserve to wear it - off!

[For the rest of the day, Phantom Girl can be found confiscating any piece of clothing that looks even remotely like it resembles superhero clothing. Including other Visitors'.]

Geez. What's with all of these imposters?

Edited 2013-09-22 00:28 (UTC)

[If you're anywhere in the northern districts, you might see a very odd sight flying past you on a sapphire blue motorcycle: someone wearing a skinsuit covered in wave patterns, bucket-cuff pirate boots, a pirate's greatcoat, and even a tri-corner pirate hat with huge feather plumes. Over the coat is a long cloak edged in silken cording, flapping in the wind behind him. All of the costume is in shades of deep ocean and sapphire blue with black and silver accents. You can't see who would be crazy enough to wear such an outfit because the person's entire face is covered by a silvery-blue mask without a nose or mouth and only one eye opening over the left eye, decorated with more waves. Where the other eye would be is a large black "N" in fancy font.

Heaven help you if you so much as jaywalk in front of this maniac. If you're doing anything even remotely wrong, he will draw the dagger on his hip and charge you with the motorcycle, bellowing at you with a very exaggerated pirate accent.]

AVAST, YE SCALIWAGS! YE BE SULLYIN' THE TERRITORY O' THE GREAT NORTHERN GUARDIAN O' THE CITY! I'LL HAVE YER GUTS FER GARTERS!

Edited 2013-09-22 23:43 (UTC)

...
.......
......................

[Even affected as he was by the disorder, Atsuro had the sense to still find this mysterious person completely insane. The boy pauses awkwardly as he watches his accoster riding towards him on the bike.]

I wonder if it's too late to ask Philemon to go home.

[He had, of course, been sitting in the middle of the street with his computer out, busily creating a new logo for the nearby bookstore and blocking everyone's way because even Atsuro's crimes were nerdy.]

[The masked "Guardian" spots the boy sitting right in the middle of the road and his eye widens in disbelief. Not only is that extremely dangerous, blocking traffic is highly illegal! Oh, this young upstart needs to be taught a lesson, for his own sake and the safety of those on the roads!

Drawing his dagger and brandishing it high, he revs the blue motorcycle and speeds toward Atsuro with a loud, growling "ARRRRR!"]

((Aha whoops I meant sitting in the sidewalk but too late to fix awkward typos alas. Moving quickly past that, then...))

[Atsuro quickly shuts his laptop and inserts it into his protective case because let's face it's probably way more important than his life anyway before standing.]

If you're worrying about sullying anything, I'd worry about all the noise you're making with that thing first.

[The "Guardian" screams right toward Atsuro and that distinctive dagger flashes out, trailing bright blue fire, sapphire sparks snapping from the spikes along the hand guard. The blade is aimed right at the boy's face, its wielder clearly deigning to maim to make his point.]

I'll see ye to Davy Jones, boy!

I don't even know what that means. But I do know...

Pedestrians always have the right of way!

[This is not nearly as cool or badass as Atsuro intends to make it sound. The weapon is vaguely familiar, but he's only seen it once before and it's hard to really focus when it's coming straight at your face. In a flash of light, the Persona he had shown Yurick once before appears before him.]

Water Dance!

[The tides that wash around Enki rouse themselves to surge forth towards his assailant.]

[The Guardian can't pull the bike up in time, and the powerful tide not only blasts the dagger from his hand, it sends both machine and rider to the street. The motorcycle sputters and coughs into silence, its engine flooded. The blue-clad Guardian groans, momentarily stunned by an element that's anathema to it despite its color scheme. Still, he's struggling to sit up, more determined now than before to punish this upstart.]

Ye'll dance the hempen jig sure 'nough, ye yellow-bellied bilge rat...! I'll not let ye sully me city another day, I swear upon me blood and bone!

...Huh. That was anticlimactic.

[Atsuro blinks for a bit as both he and Enki lower their hands.]

Let this be a lesson to you, uh, upstart... vagabond... pirate person. Threatening people will get you nowhere!

Now go and walk the plank?

[The Guardian staggers to his feet and raises his hands, a giant black sphere with a glowing gray-white spot appearing over his head: a massive, lidless eye. The shining pupil dilates and turns the color of molten glass, an arc of cross-shaped lights flaring below the eye.

An Agilao spell bursts around Atsuro as the Guardian laughs hoarsely. Even as the Persona casts, the rider starts to charge his own magic... a very familiar magic that makes him hover in midair.]

I don't see any plank-walking!

[The Agilao scorches Atsuro properly, although his clothes, of course, remain magically intact as he stumbles away.]

So we're playing rough, huh...?

[Enki raises a hand again as shards of ice go shooting towards the mysterious assailant. A distant memory stirs in Atsuro's mind...]

...Yurick! I hadn't taken you to be a pirate! That's against city ordinances!

[The Guardian shudders at the name, though it could be the blast of ice further weakening him as it knocks him out of his spellcasting. He's too disoriented to try using his own magic, but he raises a trembling hand and his Persona rolls wildly as the cross-marks spin like propellers. This time it casts Makajam, attempting to Silence the annoying youth and his water-flinging Persona.]

Edited 2013-09-24 04:43 (UTC)

[Makajam is... successful! This is the first time Atsuro's been silenced, so the feeling is somewhat strange - most people didn't think to Silence him, usually, given his usual role in battle. He will default to that role now.

Yurick can pretend he hears Atsuro's noble battle cry as the boy dashes towards Yurick's Persona with fists outstretched.]

[As Atsuro rushes Balor, Yurick dives for his dagger and brandishes it, slashing at the boy. Balor tries to float out of harm's way and Yurick's instinct is to protect his Persona, not knowing what will happen to him if it's harmed. Still, the mage's movements are sluggish thanks to his injuries Two hits to his elemental weaknesses have left him sore and exhausted.]

[The slash doesn't do terribly much apart from turn Atsuro's attention towards Yurick for a moment or two and also cut one of his favorite shirts gee thanks. ...The mage is subsequently ignored as Atsuro holds out a hand and shoots a Holy Strike, a physical Light skill, towards Balor.

He didn't want to punch Yurick if he could help it. From personal experience, knocking out the Persona would succeed in KOing the user.]

[The Holy Strike knocks Balor back like punching an incoming rubber ball, the cross-lights winking out and the eyeball shot through with static. Yurick staggers, struck again in another weakness. Atsuro must have the devil's luck.

The mage can't charge if Atsuro is going to keep hitting him out of it, and Balor is momentarily out of commission. So he swipes wildly with the dagger again, trying to give himself some space to regroup.]

[Alternatively, Light, Ice, and Water skills are the only ones Atsuro knows and/or uses on a regular basis. Clearly they were meant to be friends. Still silent, Atsuro mouths a grunt of pain as the dagger pierces his skin this time, his back facing Yurick now. ...Healing would have to wait until the Makajam effect wore off.

In the meantime, he will whirl and try and grab the weapon away from his temporarily delusional friend.]

[Yurick's wild slash means he's not in a position to plunge the weapon into Atsuro's unprotected back, luckily for both of them. Instead his other hand curls into a fist and aims a strike at the other boy's lower back, a blow meant to stun. Yurick is strong but nowhere near as strong as Atsuro, a consequence of forgoing physical training for magical.

Of course, that also allows Atsuro to rip the dagger out of his hand, though it might cost the programmer a few cuts on his fingers thanks to both the blade and the spikes along the guard. Yurick roars with rage at the loss of the weapon. Even addled, he remembers it's his father's weapon and to lose it is disgraceful.]

Ye blaggard! Ye not be takin' me rightful property!

[Atsuro mouths something angrily that could later be translated into 'STOP TALKING LIKE THAT' if this was a visual medium and his lips could be read but as it is, it is likely to be unintelligible. The boy proceeds to stare at his fingers and let loose a silent scream of pain at the jagged cuts running up and down his hands now.

Yurick will receive a kick aimed at his stomach while Atsuro transfers the knife to his other hand.]

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Winners Don't Do Drugs

CAPRICORN DISTRICT (very open)

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Aquarius, Pisces or Capricorn Ward; open

Aquarius

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All Over, Open!

ARIES | TAURUS | GEMINI, OPEN TO ALL

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