Spooktacular Extravaganza: Let's Talk (About Me And You)

[excusemesir]

Multiple tentacles rise from the sea like cobras to a charmer, surrounding the Black Tide on all sides. The top deck is suicide.

WHAM. WHAM!

Each slaps into the hull with denting blows, again and again, until the monster decides to grip the ship with its whole self. A tentacle lashes and settles on the deck, calmed by -- a man? How did he get there? He pats the appendage for its services, and gives it a quick smooch. The tentacle rises and falls again as he steps away, slamming down onto the deck hard enough to crack into the flooring with the sheer power of its blunt force. Rain pours in, and the cacophony of the storm pollutes Deck 02. The hull screeches and vibrates with every hit, jostling the entire vessel as the monster slips inside each and every puncture it is able to make.

BOOM!

Elsewhere, an explosion is set off - Rowe’s cannons are now rendered out of order, a catastrophic chain reaction set off between them like a match thrown between fireworks. Rowe’s crew had better have a quick fix for this! The Black Tide needs a defense!

I wonder if any more explosions will go off?

BOOM!!!

Passengers are now free to leave the Pourhouse, now that a massive hole has been blown into the side of it. What are you waiting for? The best defense is a good offense, and the Black Tide needs defending. More chipmunks scamper in through the hole. Prepare yourself!

The man above deck seems unphased. His attention turns to the windows of the ship, and he steps over the tattered fake turf of the golf course from the prow with the intent of gaining entry. Talons the size of his arm unhook from the deck before him, every suction cup making a squelching 'pop' as it pulled away. He parts the monster's grip on the hull like the red sea - and each tentacle in turn comes down again behind him to do more damage, sink in harder, constrict tighter.

Behind dark sunglasses, he's got his eye on a prize, and he doesn't look terribly pleased.

Comments

[foxytrot]

Iseul's hand is on her sword, ready to draw as soon as he made a move-- And then he was gone.

She turns gracefully on her heel, bounding quickly down the hall after him, trying to catch up, or at least keep him in her sights. Her hope is to chase him into a dead end. Then she could take care of at least one threat.

[reddemon]

The Red Demon leads her up one corridor and down the stairs, lower, lower, into the depths of the ship. Locked doors melt open before him and sometimes Iseul only catches a glimpse as the Demon rounds another corner. The soft civilian lights give way to utilitarian neon fixtures and concrete decking. The Demon sprints past crates and crates of cooking oil, bricks of salt and spices and dried foodstuffs. The towers of ship supplies form canyons and blind alleys as she pursues him.

Finally, it appears the masked man's luck has run out. He's caught in a dead end with walls too high to vault. Slowly, the Demon turns around and points at Iseul--then jerks his thumb across his neck.

[foxytrot]

Is that a threat? Iseul's not exactly impressed. But at least now's the exciting part. She unsheathes her Hwando and raises it into position. She eyes the Demon carefully and looks for any potential weapons he might have. Besides explosives, of course.

And then she nods her head slightly. It's his move.

[reddemon]

That is definitely a threat. The Red Demon unsheathes a hunting knife and whirls it around before slashing the air before himself. You're next.

The Demon sinks into a martial posture, knife in one hand, other hand spread for balance. The moment hangs between the two warriors.

The Demon charges without a sound but his booted feet hitting the decking, crossing the distance between them in an instant.

[foxytrot]

There we go. Now the party's really getting started.

She sprints forward quickly, right after him, first move to disarm him as fast as possible. And then she could probably just drag him to the brig and let Rowe take care of him.

Which isn't nearly as fun.

[reddemon]

The Red Demon brings his hand forward in a quick slash and she goes to grab his wrist. He allows that, drops one knee and his momentum slides him across the floor and under her arm. The Demon hops to his feet and keeps running. Now Iseul has a flash decision to make: hold onto his hand and get flipped onto the floor or let him run?

[foxytrot]

He was fast, and she hadn't been expecting that. Her bad.

Isuel let's him go, since the last thing she wants is to end up on the ground in a pointless attempt to hang on to him. She could catch up again, lead him somewhere he couldn't easily escape from.

She turns and runs after him.

[reddemon]

And the Red Demon continues to flee. He pauses here and there, but the second she's not paying attention, the Demon is attempting to disappear. Finally, he leaps up a staircase. Two grenades jumble down the stairs towards Isuel, rattling and beeping.

The Red Demon doesn't bother checking to see if they work. He's already hiding in the depths of the ship.

[foxytrot]

Fiddlesticks.

Iseul heard the grenades before she saw them, and she sure as hell wasn't going to let herself be blown up by them, either. She dives away and takes cover.

And when the smoke clears a fox pulls itself out of the rubble.

There was no way she could catch up with him now. Damn it.