capemods: (Default)
capemods ([personal profile] capemods) wrote in [community profile] capeandcowllogs2013-08-26 02:56 am

ASTHENOA

WHO: The imPorts trapped in a video game.
WHERE: The virtual world of Asthenoa.
WHEN: 10AM August 26th to 11PM August 31st.
WARNINGS: Violence and fighting. Alert me of anything else for updates.
SUMMARY: A comedy of errors: imPorts are trapped in a Vulcanus-made video game.
FORMAT: As you like it.



Asthenoa is a land set on lush rolling hills under a bright blue sky eternally streaked with clouds. The only celestial variance comes during the nightly setting, where an eternally yellow full moon partially hides behind those clouds. The people of Asthenoa may be human, or elven, or dwarven, or they may have animalistic features, but none of that is of great social concern. Asthenoa has always been this way. The heart of the land is a medieval town set upon one of the highest hills, and the middle of that town sits a majestic stone castle. The busiest part of the town is the center, which hosts the marketplace. There you can buy necessities, or meet the blacksmith and other artisans at their working studios. Beyond the artisanal studios are the taverns and the inns.

Beyond the cheerier inns is a place called The Shriveled Shrike. If you head to the second floor and knock on the third room door thrice and rub your knee against the handle once, it will magically open and expose to you a staircase. People of the Rogue class know this inherently.

The staircase is five flights long. It leads to a black market in a mile long, mile wide underground bunker, where gambling and other darker magicks are indulged. You might meet a necromancer or three. You might run into trouble.

If you were to step out beyond the town, you would have to cross a moat via the drawbridge. It’s always closed up at nighttime, you can only pass during the day.

Beyond the moat (where serpents might swim) is a hilly pasture. Beyond the pasture is an enchanted forest. Strange things happen in these gnarled woods – this is where mystical creatures lurk. Acres of dark wood house sparkling lights and floating orbs and very unusual flora. The fauna includes many mythical beings, including centaurs and fairies and griffins. There could be even more hidden within secret caves or pools of darkening water.

You feel the need to venture past this alluring wood. You feel it deeply.
glowsferatu: rude, glow (pic#6650709)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-08-31 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ kanaya's similarly lost when she hears someone around the corner. if there's one thing she's figured out about this place, safe isn't in the cards, so she's ready for the worst. she hugs the wall, hefting her sword and preparing herself for whatever might be waiting for a few moments.

she finally rounds the corner in a quick motion, swinging her sword in front of her, maybe only inches from hitting him. maybe a lot more than that. either way, she lowers it the moment she recognizes him.
]

Oh. It's just you.

[ little does she know that three rugged bandits are on the ceiling, just waiting to drop in on the two of them. ]
waiting: (i have two big hands)

bradbury has all the luck

[personal profile] waiting 2013-08-31 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ it seems bradbury just has no luck keeping the companions he's acquired throughout his treks in the labyrinth; he keeps getting separated or losing sight of the people he's traveling with somehow. considering how the place is very nearly endless (and apparently flooded with monsters, at that) he's starting to think he should get a toddler harness for the next person he runs into. maybe then he'll have a better shot at sticking together with them.

by now, he's gotten the hang of his axe enough to be comfortable swinging its weight around, but of course it's slower than kanaya's sword. good thing they aren't fighting each other (hah) right now, or things could have gotten ugly. he blinks, recognition making him relax his guard a little. ]


Nice sword. [ it's possibly the most inane comment he could have offered at the moment, even as he glances over her shoulder, instinctively looking for a companion -- which she doesn't appear to have. there's a rustle of moldy cloth as one of the rugged bandits overhead crouches, preparing to strike. ]
glowsferatu: wait (pic#5727987)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-08-31 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
It wouldn't have been my first choice, were I given one. [ it's actually a little light for her tastes, and, well...static. it has no kick or roar, which can have just as much psychological effect as practical, and she's used to her weapon fighting her almost as much as they both do her opponents. this is just a sharp metal stick, and it feels all the clunkier for it. ]

I take it you're alone th--

[ a kicking sound distracts her, draws her eyes up just in time to see the three figures falling their way, swords drawn. ]

Move!
waiting: (these are the eyes of disarray)

[personal profile] waiting 2013-08-31 07:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ they don't have any eyes. that's the first thing bradbury notices, even as his body's responding to kanaya's warning more quickly than his brain can catch up to what's actually going on. their attackers are humanoid, but definitely not human, not by any stretch of the imagination, when there's nothing peeking out from under the bandit's garb but more densely knotted, twisted cloth.

using his axe feels intuitive enough. bradbury grits his teeth and drops into a fighting stance. he's not sure how much of a fighter kanaya is, in a world where neither of them can use their powers, but these guys are quick, and speed isn't on his side.

so, distraction. ]


Come get some, assholes! [ the taunting seems effective enough, since it diverts two of the bandits towards him, leaving him occupied fending off their blades while trying to cleave them with his axe. ]
glowsferatu: mean, chainsaw (pic#6499833)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-08-31 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ luckily, she was no slouch in combat even before her awakening, even if this isn't her preferred weapon, and she's done a fair amount of training just for situations like this. after smashing the one outlier against a wall, she takes full advantage of bradbury's diversion and drives her sword through one of the bandits, letting out a deep hiss as her eyes take on a red glow.

the bandit simply stops for a moment before glancing at her over its shoulder and bending backward to swipe at her with its sword. the third has already recovered from her blow as well, accompanying its partner's attack with a slash to her back.
]
waiting: (i feel when the dogs begin to smell her)

[personal profile] waiting 2013-08-31 09:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ bradbury would miss his gun more if he felt like it would be helpful in this situation. as it is, using the handle of his axe to block the sword of the third bandit and keep it from getting at his throat, gritting his teeth before throwing his weight forward and forcing it to stumble back.

it frees him up long enough to wheel around and take a swing at the bandit aiming at kanaya's back, metal clashing with metal with a clang that sets his teeth on edge as he deflects the blow. ]


Not today, shamwow! [ he should probably save his breath for the fight and not for banter, but he can't help letting his mouth run off. he disengages his axe from the sword and brings it down to try and lop off one arm, but the fibers are heavily knotted together, resisting being cut. he's about to curse, but it's interrupted when the bandit he'd pushed away picks this point to leap on his back and send him crashing down on the hard stone floor. it could have been uglier if he was wearing full armor, but he manages to roll onto his back, gagging as the smell of unwashed rug hits him. ]
glowsferatu: glow, mean (Mcfussyfangs It Must Be Then)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-09-01 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ any banter will have to be left to him, because kanaya's gone properly berserk, eyes burning red with rage and her glow suddenly bursting to life, and her contribution to the conversation will only be a series of hisses and grunts.. she manages to dodge the attacks from her bandit fairly easily, but no matter which way she tugs, (because she hasn't tried to pull it out so much as cut it free) aren't met with any kind of success.

instead she swings the brigand by her sword into the other one, now approaching since the third has bradbury pinned. the whole force tears the hole bigger, knocking her sword loose and throwing off her balance for a moment as she swings her foot to face the two on the ground. she lunges forward, hacking repeatedly at the fabric homunculus that has bradbury, the ferocity and strength tearing into it.

meanwhile, the other two are starting to get their bearings back.
]
waiting: (as i cross the macon county line)

[personal profile] waiting 2013-09-01 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ being prone doesn't mean being defenseless, though it does mean bradbury has to waste time getting to his feet once kanaya engages the bandit practically on top of it. it's suitable distracted by the force of her onslaught-- or more accurately, it's too occupied by the strength of her blows to have any room to do much else.

were he less distracted, bradbury would probably take the time to admire the sheer animal ferocity in kanaya's movements; it's a far cry from the girl who simply let herself be kileld in a makeshift arena. is this closer to what she's really like when put up to a fight, then? he's really glad she's on his side, for once, but he knows better than to get in her way.

he focuses on keeping the other two occupied while kanaya hacks into the third -- his attacks aren't effective, but he can keep them off her back and let her focus her blows. they seem to be effective, at any rate, the creature's attempts at fighting back getting weaker as each swing sends bits of cloth flying every which way, whittling at the very fabric of its being. ]
glowsferatu: smile (Make Way For The Monster)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-09-02 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ by the time she's finished with her bandit, one side of her sword has dulled against the marble floor, and he's lying unfurled across the floor in a way that really ties the room together.

the sword she just flips around, one edge being useless still leaves the other. him she isn't concerned about anymore, he's dead enough to satisfy her, and has another sword she can take too. but bradbury only managing to hold them at bay while she was busy only frustrates her more.
]

FIGHT! HARDER!

[ and that's about as chatty as she can manage right now, moving into to run one brigand through with both swords, ramming it to the floor and stabbing until the swords won't come lose, pinning it to the floor. the bandit isn't exactly pleased with this, struggling and grasping to the best of its ability, but there's no getting free.

kanaya signals it to bradbury with a grunt and a jerk of her head, then pounces on the last one, hands closing tight around its neck as her hiss echoes through the hall. it flails its arms, trying to beat at her back, but its useless, she's too far gone to care what he tries doing to her.
]
waiting: (these are the eyes of disarray)

[personal profile] waiting 2013-09-02 06:44 am (UTC)(link)
[ i'm trying, bradbury might have yelled back, if he'd had the time and attention to spare. instead, he translates words into action. he's quick to move on her signal, moving in to bring his axe slamming down to chop the pinned bandit apart -- it's like trying to make kindling, only not nearly as satisfying, since the cloth just tears instead of splitting apart. With no organs to speak of and no circulatory system, there's no chance of the hempen hoodlum dying from blood loss, but it's not long before it's reduced to dishrags on the floor.

he looks up to see if kanaya needs help, but she's clearly got a handle on the situation. trying to step in at this point would probably only piss her off more and not accomplish very much, so bradbury just watches, slack-jawed, as she tears the rugged bandit a good deal more than a new one. ]


Holy shit.
glowsferatu: smile (Default)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-09-02 07:01 am (UTC)(link)
[ she grits her teeth, nostrils flaring with every breath as she looks for some kind of emotion, some reaction beyond bare self preservation. but there's no face beneath the rags, no sign of true life, only malevolent animation.

she tears off its head without any further fanfare.

but can she really trust that will be enough? if it's enchanted, if it doesn't truly live, then any part of it can renew its threat. ripping it open down the chest and scattering its upholstered innards makes too much sense not to do. pinching its fingers in her hands and pulling them in separate directions until the arm was split to the shoulder seems like a perfectly reasonable decision. the way she pulls at its kneecaps until they rip away gruesomely, tearing the legs into pieces she scatters behind her, is a consciously calculated move.

pounding the whole thing with her fists well after its stopped writhing for mercy, well, that's just anger. anger that slowly resides once there's nothing left to direct it toward, nothing more to fight. well, there's bradbury, but she isn't sure he's really worth it. certainly not right now.

instead, she stays straddled over the eviscerated corpse of rags and rugs and berbers and she waits until she's calmed down, shoulders heaving with her breaths as her glow starts to die down.

she'll be there about a minute, bradbury. he'll be okay as long as he doesn't try to touch her.
]
waiting: (he will kill for you)

[personal profile] waiting 2013-09-02 09:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ without adrenalin powering him, bradbury can take a moment to calm down, too, registering for the first time the injuries he's accumulated in the fight. he's lucky he had a fighter as competent as kanaya around, or this could have gone a lot worse -- he's cut and bleeding in places where the swords slipped past his guard, and the soreness all along the side he was brought down to the floor suggests he'll be sporting impressive bruising there later, if he hasn't actually fractured a rib. he can't really feel for it underneath the scale armor he's wearing under his tunic, but that isn't really important right now.

he looks to kanaya instead, warily, trying to gauge how far she is mentally -- whether or not she's in a mood to listen to him right now. quietly, without drawing attention to itself, a gilded treasure chest drops to the floor, sending up a soft puff of dust.

feeling the ache of exertion setting into his bones, he steps over to her, though he keeps well out of arm's reach -- or he hopes he is, anyway. ]


... You with me? [ she's... terrifying, but at the end of the day, she's not someone he thinks of as his enemy -- and wherever she was just now, he's not sure it's a place he can bring her back from. he's looking her over, trying to see if she's sustained any damage from the fight. despite the abundance of torn cloth around, he doesn't think they'd make decent bandages right now. ]
glowsferatu: thought (pic#6650765)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-09-02 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she doesn't respond to him immediately, not moving at all aside from the her shoulders with each breath she takes. after ten seconds, even that stops as her skin settles into its normal grey. she moves to her feet carefully, not putting any weight on her arms. they feel numb right now, trembling from the leftover adrenaline, but she knows they'll be throbbing with pain from the overexertion once that wears off. ]

I'm fine.

[ she walks casually, almost as if in a daze, to where she'd stuck her sword, but the blade is worn to uselessness and she's not sure she's up to pulling it out. she passes the chest a second time and seems not to notice it at all, more focused on one of the blades dropped by their felled foes. she flexes her fingers to make sure they're still there before picking it up and claiming it in her scabbard, then throws her pack over her shoulder from where she'd dropped it earlier.

looking around at the remains of the battle, right now might be a good time for her not to be around anyone. her handiwork, typical even without her normal abilities. sticking with bradbury would just put her with two people she doesn't trust, and that's two too many. so, she doesn't wait for him as she gingerly begins making her way down the hall, in the direction he came from. it can't be a giant loop, he must have missed a turn somewhere.
]

Good luck on finding your way out. We may both need it.
waiting: (is that it's you)

[personal profile] waiting 2013-09-03 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ incredulous, he shoots her a look as he strides over to the treasure chest, advancing warily -- but it opens itself without his touch anyway. the contents are unremarkable; a glove, a handful of coins that would be more interesting to him if he didn't see people spending gold like water in town. a familiar-looking potion in a bottle, which he picks up. ]

Gonna need more than just luck. Here: healing potion. Take one for the road. [ this techncally the second time they've been allied, and it's just as temporary but more visceral than the first. he holds up the bottle, then lobs it at her underhanded, the bottle sailing in a gentle arc through the air. If she doesn't catch it, he vaguely hopes the bottle is shatterproof, or that might be more injuries neither of them need. ]

Thanks.

[ this time, he remembers to say it sooner. he represses the urge to say anything truly stupid like "we make a good team" or "you're handy in a fight" and just settles for stepping back and letting her go with that, absently picking out the glove from the treasure box as he goes. is there seriously just one? ]
glowsferatu: sad, wait (I May Feel Slightly Sad But I Wont Cry)

[personal profile] glowsferatu 2013-09-03 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ she does catch it, barely. her arms aren't working right, so she fumbles a bit before getting it in both hands. thanks for ruining her cool, cold exit there, bradbury.

she shoots him a look before continuing her way on. she isn't sure she wants to drink it, she doesn't trust drinking strange when she's been two months sober, but right now she's tired enough that she can't manage to toss it back to him.

she waits until she's around the corner to down it. she's earned this one.
]