Re: The Gradual Massacre (GBS2G4) [Round 1: Focal High School]
06-01-2010, 07:49 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.
Tickety clickety tickety click. The Countess was rather grateful for the rain; it masked the rather distinctive tempo her spider-limbs rapped out upon the scuffed, well-trodden linoleum hallways. Following the Controller's directions, she scuttled down a few more empty corridors, gave a pleased little snigger in passing at the pain Thane was currently inflicting upon Lucas and his cohort, turned a few more corners... Ah. Right on target.
A small scrum of contestants were already in various states of altercation. Algernon was making a considerably unsuccessful effort to escape the knight's grip, despite his captor's attention being divided between the scrappy human and a hysterical elf. The sight of her made the Countess' row of teeth ratchet backwards a little; the better for seizing and shredding Holly's flesh from her bones. Absolutely no subtlety. The Countess considered for more than a moment leaping in there and divesting that fine-featured face of a pointy ear or two, but conceded she could play by the Controller's rules and still enjoy herself in the long run. Plus, such behaviour was unlikely to earn Arnold's respect, which'd be essential to earn the trust of the rest of them.
"I doubt that's helping, Holly, darling. The good knight can't go saving princesses when they're latched onto him, can he, now?" her magnified, harpsichord tones chimed up the hallway; Arnold to his credit avoided drawing his gun at the unabashedly sinister silhouette of the Countess up the corridor. Holly looked furious in a prettily tear-stained kind of way, while Algernon ceased his struggling for a moment to appreciate The Countess' strut up the corridor, the strobes of lightning as good as camera bulbs on a runway to the automaton. She clicked and whirred her way towards the group, raising a spidery hand to her lowered head in graceful greeting. Her jaw lowered a comfortable amount for those present without detachable ones, making her fanged smile far less threatening (though the trio still looked rather uncomfortable at how close she'd gotten).
"The Countess," she sang, hands spread to show she was unarmed, though the effect was more of a pair of skeletal wings unfurling. "Monstrous in appearance, I may concede, but I can assure you of my civility. The last thing I'd want is unnecessary blood spilled." The hands retracted, before unfolding, forwards this time, proffered to Arnold. He seemed unsure of which preoccupied arm to commit to the handshake, at which point the Amalgam trilled with more than a snicker, "Miss... Tallbirch. For one who professes to control emotions, dare I say it, you seem to have lost a grip on yours-" noting the outrage that was clawing its way out through the misery on Holly's face, The Countess smoothly amended, "-or did I misunderstand that Controller gentleman's explanation of your abilities?"
Sniffing wrathfully at The Countess, still standing there with her hand outstretched, the elf grumbled, "I can't just 'control emotions'-" The Countess dismissed the end of her explanation with a flick of her hand, having seen the beginnings of dangerous comprehension cross the knight's face.
"Too complicated to explain. Understandable. Before we can engage in such pleasantries... Algernon, my dear," the multi-lens monocles that were serving as The Countess' eyes swung with little purrs and clicks as her mechanical face neared Algernon's, "please, calm down."
Arnold, distracted by the whirring details of the amalgam near his own face, didn't notice the gentle prod The Countess' gave to a thoroughly de-miserified Holly. Glowering at the clockwork monster, she tossed Algernon's rage haphazardly into a locker behind them; the only visible sign was a brief, dull glow from the vents as a students' possessions spontaneously combusted. The man stopped his thrashing, and sheepishly let Arnold put him down. The Countess' jaw lowered a little again, her very scary equivalent of a smile.
"Now, I know we were all introduced by that Controller gentleman, but I'd prefer to know my allies first-hand. So. I am The Countess, and though I find fighting for sport like this utterly barbaric, I can defend myself if need be." She shuffled about a little, feet pricking little holes in the lino. "And, as the Controller mentioned, I can reform myself when damaged. About the extent of my skills, really," she clanked as she shrugged. "And how about the rest of you? What skills brought you to the Controller's attention?"
Tickety clickety tickety click. The Countess was rather grateful for the rain; it masked the rather distinctive tempo her spider-limbs rapped out upon the scuffed, well-trodden linoleum hallways. Following the Controller's directions, she scuttled down a few more empty corridors, gave a pleased little snigger in passing at the pain Thane was currently inflicting upon Lucas and his cohort, turned a few more corners... Ah. Right on target.
A small scrum of contestants were already in various states of altercation. Algernon was making a considerably unsuccessful effort to escape the knight's grip, despite his captor's attention being divided between the scrappy human and a hysterical elf. The sight of her made the Countess' row of teeth ratchet backwards a little; the better for seizing and shredding Holly's flesh from her bones. Absolutely no subtlety. The Countess considered for more than a moment leaping in there and divesting that fine-featured face of a pointy ear or two, but conceded she could play by the Controller's rules and still enjoy herself in the long run. Plus, such behaviour was unlikely to earn Arnold's respect, which'd be essential to earn the trust of the rest of them.
"I doubt that's helping, Holly, darling. The good knight can't go saving princesses when they're latched onto him, can he, now?" her magnified, harpsichord tones chimed up the hallway; Arnold to his credit avoided drawing his gun at the unabashedly sinister silhouette of the Countess up the corridor. Holly looked furious in a prettily tear-stained kind of way, while Algernon ceased his struggling for a moment to appreciate The Countess' strut up the corridor, the strobes of lightning as good as camera bulbs on a runway to the automaton. She clicked and whirred her way towards the group, raising a spidery hand to her lowered head in graceful greeting. Her jaw lowered a comfortable amount for those present without detachable ones, making her fanged smile far less threatening (though the trio still looked rather uncomfortable at how close she'd gotten).
"The Countess," she sang, hands spread to show she was unarmed, though the effect was more of a pair of skeletal wings unfurling. "Monstrous in appearance, I may concede, but I can assure you of my civility. The last thing I'd want is unnecessary blood spilled." The hands retracted, before unfolding, forwards this time, proffered to Arnold. He seemed unsure of which preoccupied arm to commit to the handshake, at which point the Amalgam trilled with more than a snicker, "Miss... Tallbirch. For one who professes to control emotions, dare I say it, you seem to have lost a grip on yours-" noting the outrage that was clawing its way out through the misery on Holly's face, The Countess smoothly amended, "-or did I misunderstand that Controller gentleman's explanation of your abilities?"
Sniffing wrathfully at The Countess, still standing there with her hand outstretched, the elf grumbled, "I can't just 'control emotions'-" The Countess dismissed the end of her explanation with a flick of her hand, having seen the beginnings of dangerous comprehension cross the knight's face.
"Too complicated to explain. Understandable. Before we can engage in such pleasantries... Algernon, my dear," the multi-lens monocles that were serving as The Countess' eyes swung with little purrs and clicks as her mechanical face neared Algernon's, "please, calm down."
Arnold, distracted by the whirring details of the amalgam near his own face, didn't notice the gentle prod The Countess' gave to a thoroughly de-miserified Holly. Glowering at the clockwork monster, she tossed Algernon's rage haphazardly into a locker behind them; the only visible sign was a brief, dull glow from the vents as a students' possessions spontaneously combusted. The man stopped his thrashing, and sheepishly let Arnold put him down. The Countess' jaw lowered a little again, her very scary equivalent of a smile.
"Now, I know we were all introduced by that Controller gentleman, but I'd prefer to know my allies first-hand. So. I am The Countess, and though I find fighting for sport like this utterly barbaric, I can defend myself if need be." She shuffled about a little, feet pricking little holes in the lino. "And, as the Controller mentioned, I can reform myself when damaged. About the extent of my skills, really," she clanked as she shrugged. "And how about the rest of you? What skills brought you to the Controller's attention?"
peace to the unsung peace to the martyrs | i'm johnny rotten appleseed
clouds is shaky love | broke as hell but i got a bunch of ringtones
eyes blood red bruise aubergine | Sue took something now Sue doesn't sleep | saint average, day in the life of
woke up in the noon smelling doom and death | out the house, great outdoors
staying warm in arctic blizzard | that's my battle 'til I get inanimate | still up in the same clothes living like a gameshow
clouds is shaky love | broke as hell but i got a bunch of ringtones
eyes blood red bruise aubergine | Sue took something now Sue doesn't sleep | saint average, day in the life of
woke up in the noon smelling doom and death | out the house, great outdoors
staying warm in arctic blizzard | that's my battle 'til I get inanimate | still up in the same clothes living like a gameshow