Re: The Grand Battle II! [Round 2: Destructo World!]
10-12-2009, 05:54 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.
Vyrm'n replied affirmation through the pair's link. Teamwork. The Faceless retreated into its own thoughts for a while, relieved a resolution had been reached. Vyrm'n still found Gestalt as unfathomable a being as ever, but wasted little extra thought on it.
How do you suggest we take down the conjurer? Gestalt had found some abandoned cardboard boxes behind a tent and was now testing them for durability. The schrotgolem did not even dignify it with an original answer, content to bounce the Faceless' own words back at it.
All I ask is that you allow me to snuff his life without interference, and aid me should things proceed poorly.
Vyrm'n moodily broke the connection at this show of one-upmanship, taking the hint. Gestalt had no real desire to stay here, nor was it in a hurry. If Vyrm'n wanted out quickly, Vyrm'n would have to hunt Cabaret down by itself.
The Faceless sent out another pulse of consciousness, trying to pick out the sparks of life tangled within the chaos. Though the replies were faint, it picked up on the songs of all six other contestants. All seemed present and accounted for. Vyrm'n abandoned Gestalt, and lurched off up the most convenient main thoroughfare to head in Cabaret's direction; towards the solidly constructed building which housed the arcade. The thick, concrete walls the low roof rested on stymied the Faceless' attempts to determine what was inside; though that it was cluttered and jam-packed with all sorts of contraptions was plain to Vyrm'n's senses.
The Faceless was unwilling to enter the mess of matter, and just imagining being in the midst of all that was almost enough to put the Faceless off entirely. Yet, it knew for certain that Cabaret had been in here recently. Shutting itself off to the inevitable onslaught, Vyrm'n entered through one of the entrances to the Arcade, stooping on account of its height and the low roof.
The interior was just as distasteful as Vyrm'n had predicted. Despite its training in the research laboratories, the extent of the Faceless' prowess with machinery and contraptions extended about as far as using one item as a clumsy limb, or making the connection that pressing buttons did things. In stark contrast to its new ally the schrotgolem, Vyrm'n truly struggled with extensions of itself. Heck, even its approximation of a limb was a clumsy mannequin, devoid of bone and muscle to give it true structure.
As it slowly took in each of the stalls, attempting to place their use with difficulty; Vyrm'n struggled between keeping its senses open to detect Cabaret and keeping them shut to block out the cacophony which assaulted it from all around.
As it walked alongside some pinball machines, Vyrm'n placed its considerable weight upon a length of string without thinking about it; one end was attached to a leg of the nearest pinball machine, the other leading into the back of some other stall which faced a different avenue.
As the string was dragged down, so was the pinball machine; it rattled and dug its feet in against the ground in shrill protest, setting Vyrm'n's metaphorical teeth on edge. With a solid crunch it rammed the pinball machine into the wall, towering over it as its circuits moaned disconsolately and the sound effects tailed off with a powering-down groan.
Behind the Faceless, the other end of the string yanked away the backing board on the mystery stand, letting it fall with a bang and rattle. Vyrm'n shifted its focus from the hiccoughing pinball game to "stare" at two sawn-off shotguns, each with their triggers tethered to pieces of string. Between the Faceless and the two guns were those targets which were cut-outs of rabbits and ducks, squeaking and grinding along their tracks.
Vyrm'n couldn't make the connection that the string tightened as the duck it was looped around completed a full circuit, nor did it understand how this made the shotguns go off.
It wasn't too hard for Vyrm'n, though, to realise it had two very unwelcome pieces of shot embedded in it moments after the dual BANG. Nothing burnt on the Faceless' soul more than unwelcome contact with matter. With a shudder of pain, something in it snapped and the void rose up in it like a swell; but instead of the calm, dull emptiness the void was alive with Vyrm'n's pain- and frustration-filled fury.
By a different entrance of the Arcade to the one Vyrm'n had entered, Cabaret tried his hardest to stifle a laugh at the startled Faceless as it barrelled into the pinball machine. He couldn't believe he'd managed to pull off the shotguns too; it was lucky he hadn't shot himself while trying to set them up...
Vyrm'n replied affirmation through the pair's link. Teamwork. The Faceless retreated into its own thoughts for a while, relieved a resolution had been reached. Vyrm'n still found Gestalt as unfathomable a being as ever, but wasted little extra thought on it.
How do you suggest we take down the conjurer? Gestalt had found some abandoned cardboard boxes behind a tent and was now testing them for durability. The schrotgolem did not even dignify it with an original answer, content to bounce the Faceless' own words back at it.
All I ask is that you allow me to snuff his life without interference, and aid me should things proceed poorly.
Vyrm'n moodily broke the connection at this show of one-upmanship, taking the hint. Gestalt had no real desire to stay here, nor was it in a hurry. If Vyrm'n wanted out quickly, Vyrm'n would have to hunt Cabaret down by itself.
The Faceless sent out another pulse of consciousness, trying to pick out the sparks of life tangled within the chaos. Though the replies were faint, it picked up on the songs of all six other contestants. All seemed present and accounted for. Vyrm'n abandoned Gestalt, and lurched off up the most convenient main thoroughfare to head in Cabaret's direction; towards the solidly constructed building which housed the arcade. The thick, concrete walls the low roof rested on stymied the Faceless' attempts to determine what was inside; though that it was cluttered and jam-packed with all sorts of contraptions was plain to Vyrm'n's senses.
The Faceless was unwilling to enter the mess of matter, and just imagining being in the midst of all that was almost enough to put the Faceless off entirely. Yet, it knew for certain that Cabaret had been in here recently. Shutting itself off to the inevitable onslaught, Vyrm'n entered through one of the entrances to the Arcade, stooping on account of its height and the low roof.
The interior was just as distasteful as Vyrm'n had predicted. Despite its training in the research laboratories, the extent of the Faceless' prowess with machinery and contraptions extended about as far as using one item as a clumsy limb, or making the connection that pressing buttons did things. In stark contrast to its new ally the schrotgolem, Vyrm'n truly struggled with extensions of itself. Heck, even its approximation of a limb was a clumsy mannequin, devoid of bone and muscle to give it true structure.
As it slowly took in each of the stalls, attempting to place their use with difficulty; Vyrm'n struggled between keeping its senses open to detect Cabaret and keeping them shut to block out the cacophony which assaulted it from all around.
As it walked alongside some pinball machines, Vyrm'n placed its considerable weight upon a length of string without thinking about it; one end was attached to a leg of the nearest pinball machine, the other leading into the back of some other stall which faced a different avenue.
As the string was dragged down, so was the pinball machine; it rattled and dug its feet in against the ground in shrill protest, setting Vyrm'n's metaphorical teeth on edge. With a solid crunch it rammed the pinball machine into the wall, towering over it as its circuits moaned disconsolately and the sound effects tailed off with a powering-down groan.
Behind the Faceless, the other end of the string yanked away the backing board on the mystery stand, letting it fall with a bang and rattle. Vyrm'n shifted its focus from the hiccoughing pinball game to "stare" at two sawn-off shotguns, each with their triggers tethered to pieces of string. Between the Faceless and the two guns were those targets which were cut-outs of rabbits and ducks, squeaking and grinding along their tracks.
Vyrm'n couldn't make the connection that the string tightened as the duck it was looped around completed a full circuit, nor did it understand how this made the shotguns go off.
It wasn't too hard for Vyrm'n, though, to realise it had two very unwelcome pieces of shot embedded in it moments after the dual BANG. Nothing burnt on the Faceless' soul more than unwelcome contact with matter. With a shudder of pain, something in it snapped and the void rose up in it like a swell; but instead of the calm, dull emptiness the void was alive with Vyrm'n's pain- and frustration-filled fury.
By a different entrance of the Arcade to the one Vyrm'n had entered, Cabaret tried his hardest to stifle a laugh at the startled Faceless as it barrelled into the pinball machine. He couldn't believe he'd managed to pull off the shotguns too; it was lucky he hadn't shot himself while trying to set them up...
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