thebastion | Event: Day 278 [open]

Um...sight and sound, I think? Not smell, I didn't see it smelling around or anything, but it heard me when I tried to sneak up and untie Zee.

If we can get close, Ragnarok and I can cut him loose and fly away, then I can heal him. Or we can distract the bull. It's okay if we get hit by it.

It's okay if I do, too.

[Ryu takes a few steps back from the group, and plants his sword in the ground. There's a blue light, though he tries to keep his transformation as quiet as possible, and he hovers slightly off the ground in his hybrid form.]

Click on this before reading on. No seriously, do it. Play it in the background while you read, preferably on repeat since that clip of that sound is short.

[The mechanical Pyth sees the flashing light, turns to face the group, and charges. Fast.]

[Ryu's eyes widen and he darts ahead, holding out his hands and digging his clawed feet into the ground as much as he can to stop the bull, or at least slow it down enough that the others can help pull the Ura off of it.]

[There's no time to talk this out or think it through. The mechanical bull charges, and Ragnarok is in sword form in Crona's hand before the bull hits Ryu.

Then Ragnarok gives Crona wings, and the meister is up on the bull's back in a split second, slashing at the rope holding the Ura in place. Hopefully someone else can grab Zee before he gets trampled.]

[There's no need to worry about that- Zulf still isn't much of a fighter, but he's quick.]

[There's a small cloud burst of smoke and he's suddenly besides the bull with his fingers desperately grasping at Zee to heave him up into his arms.]

[...But with extra weight in his arms, he might not be able to do his little trick now. Hopefully someone else can help him drag Zee out of the way.]

[Aoi shrieks, but as soon as Zulf's hand is off her jacket she books it. Track and field has made her fast, but Caffeine Rush certainly helps.

Zulf gets to Zee before she does, but she has her arms open to help take him. She bounces on her feet in place.] Let'sgolet'sgolet'sgo!

[Oh good someone thought to grab Zee. He won't get trampled then.

Vee will also dodge, and go over to help his unconscious friend. With Zee knocked out though, it will take two, possibly three people to effectively move him if Pyth charges in their direction.

Fortunately, Pyth is a bit occupied. It finishes off its charge, smashing into Ryu with the force of a train. Can Ryu stop that much force?

Also, Since both Ryu and Crona are touching Pyth, they will be able to notice the faint magical hum coming from the mechanical bull, which was not there during the festival some time back. It seems as though something powerful is inside of the mechanical Pyth, making it extra-strong, extra-fast, and extra-angry.]

[Ryu can't, but he'll hang on as much as he can and try to at least slow it. It hurts, but his other options put people in danger and he just can't let that happen.]

I think there's a core in there!

[It's the only thing he knows that would make something this strong and magical. He digs in more, trying to at least slow Pyth down as he's pushed along.]

[Crona can feel the magic, familiar and unsettling. Crona does not like magic.]

Hey, Ragnarok? [Crona is clinging to the metal of the bull as it bucks and crashes around. But Crona is determined.

Crona offers Ragnarok the idea, and the mouth on the sword grins. Those black dragon wings dissolve into a splash of liquid that seeps into the bull, coating gears and mechanisms in blood.]

Freeze. [Ragnarok laughs, and the blood goes solid, trying to lock the moving parts in place. It will probably work. Things can't break through black blood.]

[Ghaleon frantically gestures to the group that's grabbed Zee to bring him over. Come one, he can teleport, and running out there to make the lot of them an even bigger target is a terrible idea.]

[Don't worry, Ghaleon- they're on it. With Aoi and Vee's help, Zulf is doing his best to move away from the bull so that he can get over to the other man.]

[The boy's life is much more important than the Core, to him. They can focus on that later.]

[Yep, Vee is helping Zulf and Aoi carry Zee, so they will be there within a few seconds.

Fortunately, Ryu doesn't end up getting trampled, since him grabbing on to Pyth manages to slow Pyth down just enough that Crona's blood can work into the gears and hydraulics and freeze everything up. The bull sort of topples over, since its momentum didn't stop when its gears did, and everything within it is making this horrible grinding noise as it tries to move but is stopped by the frozen blood.

Fortunately, it fell on the side that Ryu is not currently attached to, so Ryu ends up on top of it.]

[Crona holds on for dear life as the bull grinds to a stop.]

Hey, Ragnarok. Bloody needles.

[The blood that's clogging up the gears keeps them locked, but also shoots out in massive needles, tearing through the metal of the mechanical bull. Thankfully, Ragnarok doesn't stab anyone who came from the Bastion.]

[As soon as they get over to him, Ghaleon's just going to carefully take Zee from them. With only a "Take care" as warning, he flickers for a moment before disappearing in a rather less than inconspicuous flash of light. Hope there wasn't anything important you guys had to say before he left.]

[That is a good idea for disabling the bull, except that the needles puncture some wires while it is still running.

Everyone currently touching the mechanical Pyth suddenly gets a very painful and very long electrocution.]

[... Ryu is very glad that he's not human, but it still hurts. Not as much as it would if he were in his usual form, but it's enough to make him roar in pain and nearly lash out again before he controls himself.]

[Crona is human, or at least close enough. And Ragnarok is tangled up with the machinery, laced in to the things that are sending out the electric shock.

There's a scream, two voices in a horrible screeching unison. The blood collapses into puddles and sharpens back into spikes at random and Crona collapses and seizes and falls off the side of the bull and just twitches.

The air is full of the very horrible smell of burning flesh, and there's a growing puddle of black blood underneath the meister's body.]

Edited 2015-02-09 22:58 (UTC)

[Aoi's ready to settle down with Zee out of harm's way—but then there's the shock, and the screaming, and she gasps, screeches, freezes—

Crona's not moving. They're both hurt but Crona doesn't get up.]

Crona! [And she sprints over, drops to her knees beside them without regard for the blood puddle or the bull—her hands flutter over the meister for a moment until she forces herself to take a breath slow enough to focus.

Aoi hauls Crona by the shoulders into her lap. Light from her healing hands ability shines at her trembling fingertips, spreading across Crona's body and lingering over their wounds. It has to work, it has to; Crona has to be okay.] C'mon, c'mon, please...

[Ryu floats over to Crona and a white ball of light appears in his hand. He sends it towards Crona and touches down near them. Rejuvenate isn't the best healing spell, but hopefully it'll be enough.]

[Hopefully. ]

[Ryu doesn't say anything, just touches down gently.]

[Vee doesn't even know what he can do to help, he's no healer, but he's going over there too, if for no other reason than to help move the two injured people away from the sparking bull.

it's still sparking, by the way, and some nasty-looking (and nasty-smelling) smoke is coming from it. It looks like it could explode at any moment, and with how injured Crona and Ryu are, a big explosion wouldn't be good for them.

Of course, an explosion would destroy the power source within the bull, too. With time precious, there is an important choice to be made: help move Ryu and Crona out of the way, or try to get to the core?]

[ Well, screams are an easy thing to find. As uncomfortable as Moon is with showing this form to other groundlings, he's circling and coming down.

Nasty smoke is another warning sign. And wow, that blood scent is odd.

Okay, one last circle shows a sparking metal thing, which is the nasty smoke, and injured people, which is probably the blood.

Moon lands, claws sheathing once he has his footing and wings folding so he doesn't accidentally brain anyone. ]

Get away from that thing.

[ Sparking bad smelling things are never good. Assuming no one stops the new dragon-like person, Moon is going to scoop up Crona as carefully as he can and start retreating. ]

[Colin's running behind Moon, yeah, he's not happy with how this went. Dammit, people, wait for reinforcements!]

[Fortunately, he's tangled with Pyth's Bulls before. And this time, he suspected there would be some damage. So he's got a toolkit, insulated gloves, a heavy smock adorned with yet more tools, and he's got a large hammer, and he's got... a charm bracelet? And socks on under his shorts? Why, you'd almost think he had a feeling there was some godly thing going on here to some degree or another...]

Everyone! Get at least a hundred meters back! Zulf, pray with me! Pyth needs to hear us asking for a little order for at least a few more moments!

[His cybernetic eye is black, he's already scanning the bull. Yeah, that thing is going to blow up... but there's something inside. Something that seems out of place. Yeah, this screams wrongness... And energy he's seen before. Well, that's just swell...]

Oh Wakeful Bull, harm has befallen one of your idols... Hold back the turmoil, I beseech you, so that I can try to repair it.

[Yes, his sensors are screaming at him that this is a bad idea. That this is a phenomenally bad idea. But he's an engineer, this is what he does. He's going to approach the bull carefully. And he's going to try to get the bull open. He actually doesn't care all that much about the core, though it certainly makes him wonder if the might be more cores in other bulls?]

[No, what he cares about right now is the bull. During the festival, it definitely had a mind of its own. Or at least one in line with Pyth. It doesn't strike him as right that this bull should be defiled... and if it was sabotaged, then something REALLY needs to be done. The gods deserve better than this.]

I do not ask for much, Wakeful Bull. I simply ask that you delay the coming explosion... I can cut off the power, separate the volatile materials, and repair this machine of yours... I need only some time.

[He's paying honor to the gods here. It isn't much, but sometimes... even the divine may appreciate a little help and acknowledgement.]

[With his preparations done, Colin sets to work on the mechanical bull. He continues to murmur quiet words to Pyth as he works, describing his actions to the god even as he undertakes them. Please to not be exploding on him as he opens your frame and starts trying to save what he can.]

[The bleeding has stopped, and there's no more smoke coming out from between the plates in Crona's armor. But the meister's unconscious, and the blood puddled around Crona's form ripples uselessly. Crona's not going to be any help for the rest of this fight.]

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