Re: The Vivacious Deadlock: S3G6: Round One: Genreshift
08-09-2011, 03:33 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by fluxus.
Ivan winced slightly as Lieutenant Ryan’s breath ghosted across his skin, sweet and sickly. The wet cold turned every word he uttered into a wisp of cloud that only intensified the knotting sensation Ivan felt in his stomach. ‘You’ve really been an idiot this time, Ivan Norst,’ he though in dismay. Any pact he’d hoped to form with Phere had without a doubt disappeared down the sewer grate with both Abys and that godforsaken book. If only he’d been quicker, smarter…
He wasn’t spectacular at thinking on his feet- that was something he’d had to accept long ago. And right now more than anything he needed time and… and confidence. Klendel had managed to scurry off into another alleyway as some crazed but silent shadow and Abys had already entered the sewers; it took him a moment to realize she was descending a ladder into what had to be something of an underground cavern. Ivan let out his breath in a shuddering gasp and felt briefly as though his composure were washing away in the rain.
A sharp smack to the side of his head was what it took to shake him from his internal bout of panic.
“You listen to me when I’m talking to you, boy,” Ryan growled from beneath his whiskers and Ivan blinked up at him in shock, a hand instinctively flying to where he‘d been struck. The great form of Nalzaki was somehow comforting behind him. ‘Cant think on my feet?’ he mused, rubbing the side of his face. ‘Well I suppose this is as good a time as any to learn…’
“As I was saying,” the Lieutenant groused, placing extra emphasis on each word as he eyed Ivan with contempt, “You’re to present any weapons in your possession now or be prepared to have them confiscated by force. I said before that you would not be harmed so long as you cooperate. Keep that in mind.”
“Of course, sir,“ Ivan said quietly as he withdrew his pistol and handed it to the boy who’d first knocked him to the ground. Upon noting the suspicious glances he received for having concealed such a weapon, he shrugged. “My father likes me to be armed when I leave the castle. Apparently with good reason.”
Merrifield watched uninterestedly from her perch atop Nalzaki as the one they called Ivan negotiated with the leader of the parachute men. The boy’s style of ‘negotiating’ looked a lot more like giving this inconveniently nosy Lieutenant exactly what he wanted… but she wasn’t about to take his place. She was perfectly content to be concealed by Nalzaki’s bulk and for now she wasn’t going anywhere.
It was when she began mussing with her festering fingers, impatiently awaiting the outcome of their run-in with the soldiers, that Merrifield spied something out of the corner of her eye. In fact, it was a small pile of somethings conveniently concealed beneath a good bit of her flesh that had been sloughed off in their recent fight with Klendel. Although the Bookmarks were inherently useless without the Tome to bind them, they could still prove a fair bargaining price if she became separated from Nalzaki- and Merrifield was intent on having them back in her grasp.
She coughed delicately- but loudly enough to catch the attention of both Lieutenant Ryan and Ivan. Merrifield peered around Razaran just enough to grace them with what she deemed an encouraging smile before she yet again let loose the constrictions of her physical form. This time, however, it wasn’t by accident that her rancid body collapsed beneath her, sending bits of rancid flesh splattering about the alley way and onto Nalzaki’s back. Perhaps she could have a bit of fun with these humans before she collected her bookmarks.
Ivan loosed a startled cry as Merrifield spontaneously exploded in her place atop the hydra’s back. Many of the soldiers now had their arms pointed in her direction and, had he not witnessed a similar phenomenon mere moments earlier, Ivan would have been thoroughly convinced that Merrifield was no more. “W-what have you done to her?” he wailed suddenly, managing to dig up some of the grief he’d felt so many years ago when he’d discovered his turtle, Jim, dead in his aquarium. “You - she - you killed her! You said no harm would come to me or my pets!” Ivan turned wild eyes to Lieutenant Ryan, who clearly had no explanation.
It was then that Nalzaki reared upon their hind legs.
‘I told you the small beast was false!’ Razaran hissed silently to his fellows, a ripple of discontent shivering down their shared spine as a coagulated mass of Merrifield’s gory remains slid from their body. ‘This is not a disadvantage,’ Nalyg replied as they stampeded amidst the soldiers, feigning anger and fright. ’Merrifield has provided us with a viable reason for violence. If she wished us harm she would not have given us this opportunity.’ ’Agreed,’ Kanpeki added. ‘You forget she asked for our protection, Razaran. If not us, who will she hide behind?’ Razaran merely sniffed and snapped his jaws at the closest soldier.
A shout of “Control your beast!” erupted from somewhere behind them while Nalzaki continued to herd the unsettled soldiers into a disassembled mess. Despite the faint pain that still echoed through their front limbs, the great hydra continued its dance.
Ivan shrieked as Ryan grabbed him roughly by the collar of his shirt. “You will put an end to this. Now,” he spat, and Ivan felt him jab the barrel of his gun between his shoulder blades. He chuckled awkwardly, inappropriately at the Lieutenant. Things had certainly taken an unexpected turn, and not for the best.
Ivan winced slightly as Lieutenant Ryan’s breath ghosted across his skin, sweet and sickly. The wet cold turned every word he uttered into a wisp of cloud that only intensified the knotting sensation Ivan felt in his stomach. ‘You’ve really been an idiot this time, Ivan Norst,’ he though in dismay. Any pact he’d hoped to form with Phere had without a doubt disappeared down the sewer grate with both Abys and that godforsaken book. If only he’d been quicker, smarter…
He wasn’t spectacular at thinking on his feet- that was something he’d had to accept long ago. And right now more than anything he needed time and… and confidence. Klendel had managed to scurry off into another alleyway as some crazed but silent shadow and Abys had already entered the sewers; it took him a moment to realize she was descending a ladder into what had to be something of an underground cavern. Ivan let out his breath in a shuddering gasp and felt briefly as though his composure were washing away in the rain.
A sharp smack to the side of his head was what it took to shake him from his internal bout of panic.
“You listen to me when I’m talking to you, boy,” Ryan growled from beneath his whiskers and Ivan blinked up at him in shock, a hand instinctively flying to where he‘d been struck. The great form of Nalzaki was somehow comforting behind him. ‘Cant think on my feet?’ he mused, rubbing the side of his face. ‘Well I suppose this is as good a time as any to learn…’
“As I was saying,” the Lieutenant groused, placing extra emphasis on each word as he eyed Ivan with contempt, “You’re to present any weapons in your possession now or be prepared to have them confiscated by force. I said before that you would not be harmed so long as you cooperate. Keep that in mind.”
“Of course, sir,“ Ivan said quietly as he withdrew his pistol and handed it to the boy who’d first knocked him to the ground. Upon noting the suspicious glances he received for having concealed such a weapon, he shrugged. “My father likes me to be armed when I leave the castle. Apparently with good reason.”
Merrifield watched uninterestedly from her perch atop Nalzaki as the one they called Ivan negotiated with the leader of the parachute men. The boy’s style of ‘negotiating’ looked a lot more like giving this inconveniently nosy Lieutenant exactly what he wanted… but she wasn’t about to take his place. She was perfectly content to be concealed by Nalzaki’s bulk and for now she wasn’t going anywhere.
It was when she began mussing with her festering fingers, impatiently awaiting the outcome of their run-in with the soldiers, that Merrifield spied something out of the corner of her eye. In fact, it was a small pile of somethings conveniently concealed beneath a good bit of her flesh that had been sloughed off in their recent fight with Klendel. Although the Bookmarks were inherently useless without the Tome to bind them, they could still prove a fair bargaining price if she became separated from Nalzaki- and Merrifield was intent on having them back in her grasp.
She coughed delicately- but loudly enough to catch the attention of both Lieutenant Ryan and Ivan. Merrifield peered around Razaran just enough to grace them with what she deemed an encouraging smile before she yet again let loose the constrictions of her physical form. This time, however, it wasn’t by accident that her rancid body collapsed beneath her, sending bits of rancid flesh splattering about the alley way and onto Nalzaki’s back. Perhaps she could have a bit of fun with these humans before she collected her bookmarks.
Ivan loosed a startled cry as Merrifield spontaneously exploded in her place atop the hydra’s back. Many of the soldiers now had their arms pointed in her direction and, had he not witnessed a similar phenomenon mere moments earlier, Ivan would have been thoroughly convinced that Merrifield was no more. “W-what have you done to her?” he wailed suddenly, managing to dig up some of the grief he’d felt so many years ago when he’d discovered his turtle, Jim, dead in his aquarium. “You - she - you killed her! You said no harm would come to me or my pets!” Ivan turned wild eyes to Lieutenant Ryan, who clearly had no explanation.
It was then that Nalzaki reared upon their hind legs.
‘I told you the small beast was false!’ Razaran hissed silently to his fellows, a ripple of discontent shivering down their shared spine as a coagulated mass of Merrifield’s gory remains slid from their body. ‘This is not a disadvantage,’ Nalyg replied as they stampeded amidst the soldiers, feigning anger and fright. ’Merrifield has provided us with a viable reason for violence. If she wished us harm she would not have given us this opportunity.’ ’Agreed,’ Kanpeki added. ‘You forget she asked for our protection, Razaran. If not us, who will she hide behind?’ Razaran merely sniffed and snapped his jaws at the closest soldier.
A shout of “Control your beast!” erupted from somewhere behind them while Nalzaki continued to herd the unsettled soldiers into a disassembled mess. Despite the faint pain that still echoed through their front limbs, the great hydra continued its dance.
Ivan shrieked as Ryan grabbed him roughly by the collar of his shirt. “You will put an end to this. Now,” he spat, and Ivan felt him jab the barrel of his gun between his shoulder blades. He chuckled awkwardly, inappropriately at the Lieutenant. Things had certainly taken an unexpected turn, and not for the best.