Halloween Town

[Aiden]

Serana

Serana was not annoyed by the sight before her at all. Not the slightest bit. Her eyebrow was far too regal to 'twitch' or whatever such nonsensical word humans had attached to the motion. Instead she crossed her arms under her chest, and inclined her head. "Yes, it would be most helpful if you would show us to that place."

[yinsukin]

Fox girl

3:30

The fox girl cocked her head to the side.  It was an odd way to ask for that.  Shrugging she simply said, "Well I said it might be hard to get a meeting, but you can see the building anytime!"


3:45 Halloween Town City Hall

The fox girl stood at the base of the stairs, one finger at the base of her chin.  "Odd, it seems like the candlemen are more plentiful here today.  And they are more.. active than they usually are...."

What was going on?

Meanwhile..

The candlemen had taken the man into another room, deep within the city hall.  It was a windowless room with nothing but an oval table.  A candleman on one end, and Lawarnce on the other.  The candleman's gaze was souless, almost as if he did not care.  Yet when he spoke, his words carried a strange weight of concern, both for his safety and for himself.

"We have called the Hollow Queen.  She will be here shortly.  Now tell me what you know and how we can fortify this district.  We must take action before the hollow queen arrives."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

"Aw. Maybe the queen's having a romantic dinner party." He grinned relaxedly, and put a hand on his hip. He looked amused, as if there was a joke going on that only he had gotten the punchline to. But the grin was short lived, his expression soon turned sour. A look of concern and worry over him. "Well, it could be a security meeting. The city is wriggling with all sorts of problems lately. Crime, violence, crazy lunatics out to conquer the world..." His eyes shifted to his lady for a moment.

"...Haven't you heard? There's this creepy cult blooming as of late. A bunch of humans worshipping some dead dragon and wanting to join it or something. Dunno, it sounded pretty dumb, but I guess that's what humans are. Greedy and foolish, even death to them looks like some kind of-"


Lawrence

"Salvation." His words were as grim as his lifeless eyes. But there was a spark of will in their shine for a moment. "That is what they call themselves. I had been investigating them a while, and found there has been a burst of activity as of late. Like I said, there is no time. You need to ensure the safety of the people, don't you? Unless... is that not the wish of your lady?"

His gaze was icy for a moment. Just what did he mean by that?

"Hey hey Lawrence! Quit antagonizing them!" The fiery bird's wings flapped, and he spun around one of the candle dudes before pecking his head, causing his head to lean to the side with a sour sheepish look. "But he's right. The weaklings should scram before things get ugly. You can do that, can't you?"

[Aiden]

Serana

The lich became very still as her willful servant began to ramble on about things it knew but had not seen fit to share with her. Serana placed a cool hand upon You's shoulder and gripped it tightly, digging her nails in with a smile. "You hadn't told me about this before. Were you trying not to worry me? How sweet."

[yinsukin]

Fox Girl

The fox girl guided them up the stairs, giving way to a marble floor covered in candlemen.  They were looking in either direction, their eyes shifting back and forth.  One of them locked eyes with the trio, rushing over and firmly planting itself in front of them.  "Please evacuate the premises.  This facility is in a state of emergency."


Hollow Queen

An orange portal appeared in the center of the table, the hollow queen emerging covered in a twilight hue, her entire figure a silhouette.  The light around her dissipated, revealing a woman who looked to be in her early 20s, late teens.

"What is the matter sweetie?" she said, standing atop the table with a playful grin.  Her voice was soft, almost sensual, as if she were talking to a lover, or perhaps even a child.  It was an odd combination of tones.  "I heard a human came in to warn us about some terrorist group or something, but... well you look positivily flustered!  Normally we only treat monsters, but we are striving to be a more equal society!"

She hopped off the table, slowly strutting towards Lawrance.  "What is your woe, your fear, your plight?  Tell me what you think is so scary to my people."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lawrence

He managed a weak, hesitant smile before the orange glow. When the lord of the district presented herself, he could only kneel. She looked...beautiful. It was a shame that they couldn't have met in a different circumstance.

"It is an honour to meet you, o hallow queen. But alas this is no time for festivities." He lowered his head like a knight. "Madness. That which sleeps in the hearth of man."

That was the one answer he could give her. And it was all that could be said. For as long as that man lived, this city would have no hope. It would eventually surrender and change into something else. All because of what happened on that day.

"If I am correct, they will strike from the merchant's block." He seemed sad, troubled. "Please, we must mobilize quickly. Your people need-"



Zeke

"Oh, I didn't think it'd be worth spooking you. They're just weaklings, there's no way they'd be able to get anything done unless someone gave them a whoole lot of help. And who'd be crazy enough to help a bunch of suicidal cultists anyway?" He cocked his head and waved his hand, brushing hers away with an easygoing smile. It wasn't an insincere one, it was honestly kind of cute.That is, until it warped into an absolutely  s m u g  grin

"It did get you to stop ignoring me though. My my, I didn't think you were into schlock rumors lady! Hehehehe..." He patted her on the head, compared ot her icy grip his little lovetap was as warm as it got.

"If they dare to attack in your presence, I'll crush them to burnt atoms! Same goes for you cutie." He winked gently at the fox-girl. Then, he turned to the candle-man with a friendly offering of his hand.

"Any way we can-"


? ? ? ?

"Help!" A man screamed from the distance. The sounds of people running were as sudden as they were grim. A loud crashing sound screamed through the air, and a hiss that pierced the skies. And another, and another.

"Ahhh!"

Slithering from the sewers beneath the merchant block, viscuous scales revealed themselves from the cracked rubble of a store. The merchant luckily managed to flee. But the shadow of the scales grew larger, and larger, larger...

Until a gargantuan serpent revealed itself, sporting a jaw large enough to swallow a truck whole. And another appeared right next to it, and one more... no, wait. It couldn't be-


Lawrence

"No..." He heard the scream, and his eyes widened in horror. If his body seemed pale, by now he was truly a phantom. He rushed to see what was going on by the window. "Shit shit shit! This screams trouble!" The bird cawed, panicking all around the room. Meanwhile, Lawrence stared in disbelief. That madman, could he really have?

"It can't be..."

"It's a hydra!"

[Aiden]

Serana

They had just had this conversation. They had just talked about not embarrassing her in front of other people like this. This time she did not visibly react, did not give her so-called servant the satisfaction of seeing her respond to this provocation. Instead she turned to the disturbance taking place somewhere behind them, and frowned. "Then I suppose you will wish to correct that problem."

It would not do for her future minions to be killed before she had moved the infrastructure into place to reanimate them.

[yinsukin]

Hallow Queen

The queen shook her head.  "I suppose I need to launch a counter offensive," she said, walking to a window and staring at the candlemen scrambling about.  Without moving their torso, each of their heads twisted towards the Hallow Queen, nodded then bolted towards the source of the rumbling.  When it emerged, there would be a small swarm of men waiting to take it on.

"Young man.  Tell me about this Hydra.  What does it have to do with this organization."

Fox Girl

The fox girl hid behind Zeke's broad body.  "Umm I think we should go.  I think something bad is happening."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

He closed his eyes and pouted. "No, wow, really? You mean I'd just let that lizard run around like that? Besides, there's no way we can let the people here get in danger. Right Serana?"

His eyes gleamed when he stared at the puissant serpent, whose trashing coils began to approach their location. He cracked his knuckles and energy began to swell in his chest.

"Stand back kid, we got this. I'm still pretty roughed up, but bosslady can show you how it's done." He looked at her like it shouldn't even be a question, and grinned. "Care to take the spotlight? Every story needs a heroine. What's your plan!? We need to help the people to safety at once!

It was no order, but neither was it a request. It was the roar of something ready to be unleashed.


Lawrence

Lawrence stared down in shock, while his bird squawked something in the background akin to "We're all gonna dieeeeeeeeeee!"

It wasn't it.

"I...don't know. The information I gathered should not be mistaken, and yet..." Hisknuckle hit the bridge between his eyes and he thought with a pained expression. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Unless...

"Are you just going to stand here while your people fight for you? We don't have time." He finally opened his eyes and looked at the queen expectantly.

[Aiden]

Serana

The lich took a moment to consider this, observing the chaos from afar. Her heart was not stirred by the danger to these creatures. But her servant's words appeared to move something in her, because she began to saunter forward toward the beast. "Come forward then, creature!" Black chains seething with destructive mana wrapped themselves around Serana's arm as she pointed in the direction of the monster. "Let us see how long you may hold onto your freedom against me."

As her chains snaked out to grasp one of the beast's many heads she paused in her walk to think aloud. "I wonder how many heads a hydra needs to live in this world? It never does seem to stay consistent..."

[yinsukin]

Hallow Queen

The woman sighed.  "I suppose you are right," she said.  "Even I can become afraid.  But no matter.  Come.  Fight along side me.  If this threat is as bad as you say, we will need all the help we can get."

Doors slammed against the wall, revealing the Hallow Queen's short figure.  Within her palm, a pumpkin grew from nothing into the size of your average jack o lantern.  She looked down, only to see another pair of newcomers stepping up to deal with the threat.  Perhaps she would not need to show all her cards at once after all.  All of the candlemen gathered before the hydra, lined up in formation as though they were spartan warriors.  The first row struck the Hydra's body with their fists, testing it with their strength.

[Kotomine_Rin]

The Hydra

The seven-headed serpent screamed from the chains, and lashed its tail left and right like a hammer. It tried firing a jet of acid, but the chains must've jerked its head, for it flew over the magician and instead landed right next to... wait, where was Zeke?

...

The fists smacked against its massive body, but the candle-men soon met a violent lash from its body and were crushed, their life snuffed out by merciless jaws like a light. It was relentlessly advancing, but the chains seemed to slow it down, enough that the terrified commoners managed to flee and take cover from its rampaging path. Heads twisted and waved about, and bit the chains in order to sever them. It would only be a few seconds before it'd break.

Meanwhile, Zeke, being a brave and supportive employee, hid behind a car and took cover with the cute girl protected in his arms. He totally wasn't sweating in fear, nope! That's just your imagination playing tricks. The trembling? Pft, it was just kinda chilly.

"Isn't my boss cool?" He grinned at the fox-girl. He looked pretty scared now, it was kind of cute.

[Aiden]

Serana

If anything, the level of struggle the beast was able to provide put a smile on Serana's noble face. "My, what a lovely beast. You're so stubborn about your rampages!" A laugh escaped her as she channeled a tremendous amount of dark magic through the chains, inducing rapid cellular decay in the creature's thick multi-headed hide.

"Now heel."

More chains to channel her magic, and she tugged down hard on them to punish the beast.

[yinsukin]

Hallow Queen

The hallow queen stared down at the two from atop the flight of stairs, not even bothering to acknowledge the hydra, nor the small pool of bodies of her beloved candlemen scattered around the beast.  With each clack of her boots against the cold marble, her jack o lantern grew larger.  It went from the size of an apple to the size of a watermelon, to the size of a small car floating above her head. 

"My heroes!" she said, looking upon the chains that held the beast down.  "Now leave this to me.  I am this districts guardian after all."

With a flick of her arm, the massive pumpkin was flung at the beast, engulfing it in flames.  "You two better move before-"  A massive explosion englufed the entire platform, the candlemen each exploding themselves, their wails filling the air as their bodies crackled in the flames.  The fox girl huddled behind Zeke.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

"Wo wo wo wo woaaaaaaahh!!" His eyes were wide open when flames suddenly surrounded everything with a massive explosion. His feet were covered in fire, the ground cracked, and he tried to back away, but the blast was so strong it sent him flying away! His head and body bounced down the streets, the fox safely curled in his arms while he got rag-dolled unceremoniously where the rest of the civilians were hiding. "Ow! Ouch! Agh..!

His shut eyes flicked in pain to look at the cute fox girl's face. With that, he sighed in relief. From her expression, his body was still in one piece. He grinned at her.

"Aw. You're still adorable."

The surrounding folks would surely blush at the very obvious romanticism... if they weren't shivering in fear!

Meanwhile the beast screamed. Its heads, its wild eyes struggled against the chains.  One of its heads was brought down to the floor, pinned ultimately with no chance to escape. Enraged, the beast moved with such fury it rippe done of the heads, but the flames and the explosion ultimately forced it back with gruesome wounds to show. Its eyes darted, until they found something amidst the crowd. Seeing it, it charged forward with even more reckless abandon, its eyes flashing with rage.

It was almost as if the two threats that were in its path did not matter. Or rather, something else was causing it to enrage. Only its ravenous fury as it lashed out towards the crowd, swelling in order to prepare a jet of acid directed at the intruding ladies!

"HyeeEEeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKkkkkk....hrghheeeekeeeeeEEE!! Zghraaaahhh!! ZeEEE-"