RE: Cloudsea - The Chronicle of Alice Van Vaugen
07-08-2017, 03:29 PM
Qhen's blood ran cold. A fantastic feat, considering their blood pumped much faster and hotter than a regular human, to properly get oxygen and nutrients to their unusual muscular system. You wouldn't know it from looking at them- not just them in the sense of Qhen, but the entire crew- They have ventured out into the CloudSea a couple of times. They stopped mostly because they couldn't make enough to make ends meet with supply costs. That and the captain died. Technically they had a new captain, but they refused to officially accept the position. Come to think of it, maybe being stubborn is just a human thing.
But Qhen remembers seeing one of these once. Like a cricket, but made of metal and crystal. Qhen could remember the sound of it's vibrations, carrying through the air- like... like a buzz, and a hum... while also uncannily sounding like someone singing in some sort of chorus. One was bad. Qhen could count about five, and their droning cries began to echo up into the sky. Up the rope, they climbed, as quickly as they could. They did not recognize the big thing. The little things? The crickets? They were... harmless. Sort of. They disorient the senses. It was the big thing that worried Qhen. They got a hand on the edge of the railing.
Qhen looked over their shoulder. They focused on the big thing. It glistened in the sunlight. Metal. Glass. Probably crystal. Probably the same materials as the choirbugs but... well- but bigger. They tried to guess how far up they were. They tried to think about what would happen if they missed and landed directly on the golems. They were sharp, and very hard... Qhen's skeletal structure was tough- but not that tough. Hopefully the high altitude strike combined with the small impact-zone of the hammer, and Qhen's own muscular advantage would be enough to damage it. At the very least, they would get it's attention with this stunt.
Qhen exhaled, and let go of the airship. All of their muscles tensed up, and while nobody else could see it to appreciate it, Qhen's skin almost seemed to harden into a kind of vaguely translucent, shimmering shell as they fell, hammer in hand.
Alice was breathing heavily. When the first of the strange insects came come out of the ruins, Viss hissed something about 'choirbugs'. Alice didn't have time to ask questions because it started to emit a loud droning noise... It's not like the noise itself was bad- in fact, it was almost beautiful, entrancing... and it made thinking really hard. Her first shot went wide, and it was only through carefully aiming that she blew the thing to pieces with a slug shell. Then more started to scurry out, and Viss practically dragged Alice back behind this rock. They sat there and listened, as they began to 'sing' with one another. One. Two. Three. Four. Five... and then, a stomping noise, and the ground began to shake under them.
Viss closed their eyes. They kept flicking their tongue, and their neck kept flexing. Alice could only guess that it meant that they were not enjoying the song any more than she was. Alice had tried to call for Empty- but if they were here, she could not hear them.
The sound of Qhen impacting caused the choirbugs to shriek, and then go silent. In those excruciating moments, Alice takes a moment to blindly reload her gun, while Viss pulls out a knife and runs out from behind the rock, falling upon one of the choirbugs and stabbing it a few times. Alice stumbles out from behind the rock, leaning on it, as Viss and Qhen disengage and move beside her.
One of the strange mechanical bugs has been dismembered, and while the golem hasn't been destroyed, one of it's shoulders has been very badly damaged and is spitting sparks everywhere... probably because Qhen buried the hammer inside it.
Empty looks from Alice, to Qhen, to Viss, then back to Alice.
( ) "Me."
( ) "Qhen."
( ) "Viss? Somehow?"
( ) "All of us?"
( ) "Can you fight?"
( ) [insert words]
But Qhen remembers seeing one of these once. Like a cricket, but made of metal and crystal. Qhen could remember the sound of it's vibrations, carrying through the air- like... like a buzz, and a hum... while also uncannily sounding like someone singing in some sort of chorus. One was bad. Qhen could count about five, and their droning cries began to echo up into the sky. Up the rope, they climbed, as quickly as they could. They did not recognize the big thing. The little things? The crickets? They were... harmless. Sort of. They disorient the senses. It was the big thing that worried Qhen. They got a hand on the edge of the railing.
Qhen Wrote:"Jules! There's a pack of choirbugs down there, and some sort of golem!"
Jules Wrote:"I can hear them! We're loading the cannons!"
Qhen Wrote:"Alice and Viss are still down there! I need a hammer! Someone grab me one from the toolbox!"
Jules Wrote:"If you can get them clear, we'll just hit forest with a broadside!"
Qhen Wrote:"Right- Thanks. Hold us steady for a second-"
Qhen looked over their shoulder. They focused on the big thing. It glistened in the sunlight. Metal. Glass. Probably crystal. Probably the same materials as the choirbugs but... well- but bigger. They tried to guess how far up they were. They tried to think about what would happen if they missed and landed directly on the golems. They were sharp, and very hard... Qhen's skeletal structure was tough- but not that tough. Hopefully the high altitude strike combined with the small impact-zone of the hammer, and Qhen's own muscular advantage would be enough to damage it. At the very least, they would get it's attention with this stunt.
Qhen exhaled, and let go of the airship. All of their muscles tensed up, and while nobody else could see it to appreciate it, Qhen's skin almost seemed to harden into a kind of vaguely translucent, shimmering shell as they fell, hammer in hand.
Alice was breathing heavily. When the first of the strange insects came come out of the ruins, Viss hissed something about 'choirbugs'. Alice didn't have time to ask questions because it started to emit a loud droning noise... It's not like the noise itself was bad- in fact, it was almost beautiful, entrancing... and it made thinking really hard. Her first shot went wide, and it was only through carefully aiming that she blew the thing to pieces with a slug shell. Then more started to scurry out, and Viss practically dragged Alice back behind this rock. They sat there and listened, as they began to 'sing' with one another. One. Two. Three. Four. Five... and then, a stomping noise, and the ground began to shake under them.
Alice Wrote:"Viss... Why can't-"
Viss Wrote:"Choirbugs. We have not observed more than a couple specimens, but our last captain had heard of them. Or perhaps seen one before. The sound they emit disrupts thoughts. Sufficiently simple minded creatures or those with impressive mental fortitude do not seem to be as affected. In case Aliss is wondering, Viss is in the second category. Ha ha."
Alice Wrote:". . . Never would have... said- otherwise. What's the. . .p- po-...-p...-pa...p... pl..."
Viss Wrote:"The PLAN... Aliss, is that hopefully that shot you fired off caught the attention of the crew. The crew will... mobilize the airship... and at best... they will find a way to extract us from this situation..."
Alice Wrote:"At. . . ... Best...? Dare I ask.... worst..?"
Viss Wrote:"At worst- Aliss, We die... like the last captain... when they bombard our position with the ship's broadsides... The fact-"
Viss closed their eyes. They kept flicking their tongue, and their neck kept flexing. Alice could only guess that it meant that they were not enjoying the song any more than she was. Alice had tried to call for Empty- but if they were here, she could not hear them.
Viss Wrote:"The fact... that there is so many- means that either there was a small... dormant... nest- Or... Your townspeople... were hiding autonomous weapons... from the Cloudsea."
Alice Wrote:"I would rather... worry about that... after we don't die."
The sound of Qhen impacting caused the choirbugs to shriek, and then go silent. In those excruciating moments, Alice takes a moment to blindly reload her gun, while Viss pulls out a knife and runs out from behind the rock, falling upon one of the choirbugs and stabbing it a few times. Alice stumbles out from behind the rock, leaning on it, as Viss and Qhen disengage and move beside her.
One of the strange mechanical bugs has been dismembered, and while the golem hasn't been destroyed, one of it's shoulders has been very badly damaged and is spitting sparks everywhere... probably because Qhen buried the hammer inside it.
Alice Wrote:"Hey, Qhen. What took you so long?"
Qhen Wrote:"Wh- I- YOU didn't want me to come along! That was made abundantly clear when you grabbed your gun and ran off in a huff!"
Alice Wrote:"-- I - I was just trying to be cute about you showing up and saving the day..."
Viss Wrote:"Viss would like it if this waited until maybe after we were safe?!
Qhen Wrote:"And you went with Alice! I told you not to bother, but you insisted on following her because you were worried she was going to get in trouble!"
Alice Wrote:". . . BUT- she said-"
Viss Wrote:"Aliss WAS in trouble! Aliss IS in trouble! Viss is in trouble! Qhen is in trouble! WE ARE ALL IN TROUBLE!"
Empty Wrote:( Is now a bad time? )
Viss Wrote:"A GHOST?!"
Alice Wrote:"Empty! Oh goodness- NO, thank you. Please tell me you can help us."
Empty looks from Alice, to Qhen, to Viss, then back to Alice.
Empty Wrote:( I have a method to make you or Qhen stronger in combat, yes. I lack what Viss needs to enhance their power. )
Alice Wrote:"Great- No time to hesitate, Help-"
( ) "Me."
( ) "Qhen."
( ) "Viss? Somehow?"
( ) "All of us?"
( ) "Can you fight?"
( ) [insert words]