Something Wicked this Way Comes
Part 2
The emergence of the second and third tentacle was nowhere near as stealthy, the creature sensing perhaps an awareness in Toby that threatened its easy meal. With a whistling lash of a projectile moving through the air, they shot forward in a blatant attempt to ensnare him, the original tentacles suddenly zipping tight like a noose as they sought to entangle the doctor and his date. Rising up out of the water the slug like creature opened its gaping circular maw in a threatening manner, directly
across from Misty. Egg white eyes, pupil-less but shockingly direct as it emitted a weirdly vibrating roar of hungry intent.
*Shriiiiiiiiiek!* ?Omigod!!!? Misty jumped back, her tail whipping around to try and catch the doctor and Fiora, to pull them out of immediate danger.
"Perhaps some time we can-ARCK!" The tangle around his legs caused him to tumble, that hold he had around Fiora turning so that he landed more on his back, breaking her fall with his body. Frantic, Euriya looked to see what had him and then followed its length back to where it emerged from the fountain. "I knew it!" Always one to confirm his deductions.
With a hiss, Misty slammed a fist into her palm, causing tiny lines of light to glow on her gloves as she brought the imbued magic within them to bear, then dropping into a half-crouch, ready to spring to her friend's defense.
Turning quickly at the commotion by the fountain Jake rushed over to offer whatever assistance he could.
"Ngh!!" Toby?s sudden shove back from the fountain was halted by the thick, slippery tendril now strangling his upper body. He dropped his lemonade, his hands failing to get a good enough hold to even try and use his own strength to rip himself free. His eyes, flashing gold with thin slits for pupils shot up at the emerging creature, widening with a quick but obvious display of disgust and fear.
Kicking with his free foot, Euriya sought to bash the encircled tentacle in hopes of prying it loose of its hold. Taking Fiora by the hips, he pushed her upward, away from the creature and toward Misty who was positioned closer to his head. He was prone, though still square enough to gain some leverage with his stomping.
Fiora screamed. It was high pitched and girlish and she wasn't about to feel any shame in that, as the world suddenly tilted through alternating jerks. She was yanked off her feet by a tentacle, spun by a psychiatrist and grabbed by a cat's tail, all in the amount of time it took for her to say, "WHAT in the hell?!"
Misty?s tail pulled back, hopefully bringing Fiora out of harm's reach, just before she pounced, aiming a glowing fist at the length of tentacle between the fountain and Euriya's ankle.
The tentacles possessed tiny suckers that oozed a clear gel of paralytic fluid. Sadly should it touch bare skin it was a fast acting agent, repelled for the moment by the slacks of the Shilo and the shirt of Toby, Fiora's nylons did little to disabuse it of its purpose. As the realtor was pulled free from its grasp it tightened greedily around Euriya's prone form and tried to drag him toward the hungry mouth that awaited. The magical might of Misty's punch enough to encourage it to let go after a few feet.
As Misty was helping Fiora and Euriya, Jake grabbed for Toby's arm to try and pull him back away from the...fountain squid? While pulling his knife with his free hand.
With the strength of an octupi it struggled against Toby's grasp, the ululating watery growl growing more frantic as it grew eagerly excited at the idea of its first real meal.
Euriya considered drawing his katana, except he wasn't a samurai. He then thought that he might cast a spell, but he wasn't a wizard. He then realized that unless the monster had some deeply imbedded father issues or battled OCD or depression, as a psychiatrist he was virtually useless. With lavish Italian loafers leading the way, he kicked, and kicked well. Oh, and with a palm on the taut curve of Fiora's energetic ass, he shoved her away from the grasping tentacle.
(s)"Sh*t.." Toby palmed at his back for the dagger he kept hidden. His focus went haywire when Jake grabbed his arm, but it didn't stop him from slicing at the tendril with an arc of his arm swiftly enough to whistle and create an afterimage in its wake.
She wasn't afraid to get dirty. She wasn't afraid to squirm with ungraceful unladylike motions, as her body became assaulted with a heavy sense of lassitude she continued to wiggle. Using the momentum of Misty's reaction and Euriya's...going for the feel, really?...quick thinking push, she rolled some distance. Attempting to sit up as the fall of her russet curls spilled from the tidy upsweep she'd kept them contained in.
Thrusting down with his knife at the tentacle, with a swift rip in an attempt to slice it off....Jake hoped that all those years of castrating calves was about to pay off.
It was young. Newly hatched. Unused to opposition as its meals had been birds and the curious squirrel. Almost pathetically it reared back away from all of the explosions of pain, the magic of Misty's gloves muted as it did exhibit some magical resistance to the blow. The slice of Toby's dagger was wicked fast and the first tentacle fell to the ground, writhing as it lashed about near the prone Euriya even as Jake's own knife sunk deep into the remaining binding tentacle, biting into the chunk of flesh and causing it to fully release the lemonade drinking young man. Furiously the tentacles shot back toward the slug like body for the moment, gathering for the attack. An observant eye might note that the body of the creature was oddly contorting, heaving really as if it were working something up from its belly.
Now, luckily for Euriya he was completely narcissistic and was in impeccable shape that far exceeded the range of even the most fit professional athlete, so when the punch Misty delivered freed up his ankle for even a moment, he snapped his body away from the monster and rolled back along his shoulders and up onto his feet. And no, he wasn't going for the cheap feel. He didn't have to with Miss Shantalaine. "I really wish I was a werewolf or some dragon/demon hybrid, but unfortunately I'm not, and can't simulate their same sort of fire power." As the severed tentacle fell nearby he took a few steps back.
Leaving a smoking hole in the ground from her punch, Misty stood in between the monster and the two play-goers, her fists held up. ?You two! Run! Get help!?
"Vomit." Euriya deduced. "The thing is about to throw up." He took Misty's advice and clung splayed fingers in Fiora's. "Run!" He turned and dashed away, though not too fast as to jerk her along. She was an acrobat in a former life and he was pretty sure she'd have no problem keeping up.
"H-help..right." She nodded at the good advice, or meant to nod, but everything kind of swam in a hazy swarm before her eyes and she wasn't sure if she'd actually nodded or not. No way in hell was she simply going to play the damsel in distress however and she pushed to her feet, limbs she really couldn't feel, fairly certain she hadn't been this stoned since...wait...she'd never been this stoned.
Misty cussed a little under her breath, a white nimbus of light forming around her fur as she brought up more magic to help fight this nasty critter.
Toby shoved, writhed and slashed at the remaining tendril until he felt its hold on him loosen enough for him to jump free?thanks in part to Jake?s own diligence with the dagger?straight up into the air with an absurdly strong leap.
Euriya blinked as she struggled just to move forward, turning back to examine the paralytic form of her lower limbs. "Fiora? What's wrong?" Unaware of the secreting agent thanks to his slacks (Armani, in case anyone is wondering).
Jake?s hold on Toby released just in time as he began to back away from the fountain. ?What the hell is that thing??
The doctor was right in his consensus, despite its alien body it was very much resembling a creature about to puke and from its gullet it emitted a stream of noxious slimy ooze, resembling the paralytic gel that its suckered tentacles had previously emitted. It attempted to coat the entire area with it and of course anybody that it could hit.
*Armani armor! Go Doctor!* Misty kept her eyes on the creature, a shimmering field rising up from the ground to catch the splatter.
Her legs felt like jello and she stumbled after Euriya, "We should get the Watch," Fiora managed to say around her tongue, which felt two sizes too big. Hell, her face felt numb.
Run, the answer to every situation was to run. Somehow Jake was still getting the answer wrong, and now by simply taking a step or two backwards he found himself with a nice glob of squid puke..
Misty glanced back over her shoulder, keeping the shield up with an outstretched hand. ?You have to go! I can't hold this thing forever!?
As a doctor, he'd seen the effects of paralytic agents plenty of times, and recognized them there. With the shield Misty produced Euriya was safe from the spew, and took advantage of that by scooping Fiora up into his arms and starting off. Cradling her, he made his way along the path toward one of the alleyways he knew led to the Plaza. In his office he had plenty of counter-agents that could reverse a plethora of paralytics. "Try not to talk, Fiora." He suggested, though knew this would be a feat of epic proportion.
Flurple. And yes, that's what she did as she was attempting to feel her tongue and not in response to such an uncharitable thought about her. But, she'd recognize his path and she'd put up a struggle after but a few feet, "Nope! We'vegottogettothewatch!"
Toby felt the overwhelming urge to do something swell in his chest like a giant balloon. He had power, he was learning how to use it. He could help. The thought surprised him. He didn't know any of these people. He merely recognized three of them, but even then that was in passing. His feet touched down on the fountain's ledge, his arms crossing in front of him to take the brunt of whatever the creature had been spewing. He felt the ooze all over him, hard jerks of his arms trying to get it off. As his golden his narrowed to slits, it felt like he was fighting to see through a fog, his ooze covered arms tingling like they were falling asleep. His knees locked up. Was it this gross stuff clinging to him that was doing it..? His hand tightened hard on the dagger he was holding, a wavering but murderous glare shot up to the creature.
Fresh off the job. Sure, it was late for a girl dressed in a maid's uniform to be just getting off of work, but her boss felt it necessary she stay behind and tend to the garbage takeout and table cleaning. May was the probie. They had this in the works for her. She rounded a corner, entering the heart of the Market District, the, at first, vague sounds of calling and sloshing becoming more and more apparent the closer she drew; laced up, ebony heeled boots snapping an unsteady rhythm along the cobblestone. As the distance between she and the audible noise was closed in on, so was her ability to gather understanding. A bag held loosely in one hand slithered from her grasp as she took in what was transpiring at the fountain.
Euriya knew that she wouldn't stop until she got her way, and with the way her body was responding in such a gelatinous way, it was getting hard to keep he contained in the comfort of his arms. "Fine," He said. "But I have to get my phone." He tried a few times to fish the device from his pocket, though struggled to keep her aloft, and finally resorted to draping her over his shoulder. With his left arm curled around the backs of her thighs, his right hand delved inside his pocket and produced his Blackberry.
