Hell Bend

Locales found within the main city centers; primarily Inside, Riverside, and Skyside.
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Earl of Purple
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Earl of Purple »

Marketeering 102

Frigate remains content to observe the ensuing riot, intervening only to protect himself and even then only barely. He'll also try to interpose himself between any rioters and the hotel/casino, to make sure nobody goes in to trash the place and potentially hurt his friends inside.
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Gold »

[Blackjack]

"Betcha wouldn't be saying that if you had won," Solenoid mutters, slightly annoyed at being called a 'daft dimbo'.

"Either way," she continues, "giving you the ability to start a new life somewhere else isn't exactly something I can do on a moment's notice. I don't have all day, you know."

"So..." she starts, a grin slowly forming on her face at the idea that's just come into her head. "how about this? Either you tell me how to get to Crimp now and I help you move out later, or... a different deal. I do you a favour I can complete within a reasonable timeframe, and in return, you tell me what I need to know to talk to Gnash. What do you think?"
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Ironsmith
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Blackjack]

"Of course I'd be saying that if I'd won!" The succubus snaps. "Unless your creators went above and beyond with the anatomy, you really aren't my type."

"And it doesn't need to be that hard." She continues, her tail flicking behind her irritably. "All I need is [five figures of cash] and a bus ticket... it's not like I have suitcase upon suitcase of luggage I need to take with me. You probably dropped a comparable amount of money just to get in here." She folds her arms. "...But if all you want for that is a conversation with Gnash, I can provide that."
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Murkus
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Murkus »

[Upstairs]

Fettina closes her eyes for a minute. She takes steadying breaths. As terrifying as being in the room with a thing that felt like a big, scary animal could be, she isn't quite intimidated enough to lose her rational mind. Well, what little of it is there. Tina's never considered herself the brightest bulb in the box.

"So," Tina says, while she considers the rest of what the creature's said, "Say all that's right and true and I take you at your word because you talk a big scary game and I don't want to stand around in here any longer than I have to. We're talking hypothetical-like. How do you help me solve, as you seem to see it, an unsolvable problem? Hell, a problem that nobody actually expects to be solved."

Tina closes her eyes again. She taps her spear in her hand. She finds calm in the darkness behind her eyes - she feels it settle over her like a blanket made of liquid mercury. "Cuz see here, I'm thinking the alternative is... we plug the hole. What you're telling me is you all will keep showing up. Right? I mean. So you gotta be coming from somewhere. We just make sure you can't do that any more. Shut the door, shut off the teleporter, fuck up the spell, ward the area, what the fuck ever."
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Upstairs]

"...True. Were you to find all the entry points for our kind that are currently in Hell Bend, you could bar any further entry. Hypothetical-like." Chitinous coils wind around the room as the entity pauses, building time for the inevitable "but".

"I do not, however, think that is what you, personally, would want, Tina." The creature continues. "Not only does that involve destroying any chance these poor souls have of escaping eternal torment, but they know it and will resist you every step of the way. Perhaps the three of you could destroy one gate without word spreading. Perhaps a handful. But you could never destroy them all without facing down some very powerful demons... and others." A spike-tipped limb emerges from the surrounding darkness and gingerly tilts up Tina's chin. "And if permitted to live, these demons would re-establish the gateways as soon as they were able. Make no mistake, Fettina... though you may not have realized it when you suggested it, what you are advocating is, in effect if not in intent, no less than genocide."

"There are many things you could stomach in your quest for pay, Fettina, but even I know that would not be one of them." The demon purrs as the eye-lights dance around the room. "Riddle me this, little cherub... there are two peoples here in Riverside, one of which are foreigners who wish to stay and one of which are natives who wish them gone. What, broadly speaking, is it you would say should be done?"
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Murkus
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Murkus »

[Upstairs]

Tina grimaces and opens her eyes when she's touched. She stares into that dark, sparks of anger kindling in her eyes. "I don't really get how that's genocide, dude. It's not like I'm calling for an extermination. But..." She cools a bit. "I can see the problem. And I don't think anybody deserves eternal suffering, if you equate damnation to killing them all. Which, I mean... I don't wanna quibble about the spiritual stuff here, but if there's a confirmed afterlife for you guys, that changes a lot of things. It makes the issue a lot more complicated."

Fettina folds her arms. "I don't really mind the thought of some people being in hell a while. I mean, like, kiddy diddlers. Serial killers. People who talk in movie theaters. That sort of person. And Riverside doesn't deserve those types of people as their neighbors."

"What we need is a screening process. A way to know who can stay and who can't. Who should be allowed through," she looks around at Crimp. "And who should stay down there." She blinks, groans, and bangs the heel of one hand against her head. "Holy shit, we need immigration control. This sucks."

"Most of you guys just seem like regular guys. I know some of you are basically harmless. I don't know why Riverside wants you gone, exactly - but they're giving you a place to stay, and you're gonna have to follow their rules. Everyone else here pays their taxes. You can't just run a separate society in someone else's country and expect them to be okay with it," she says. "And it's not like we're lacking for space around here. There are other places you can go."

"So the way I see it, it goes like this. We break the gates until there's a manageable number, and we - we being MERC or Riverside or whoever - control them. You wanna hang here, you hang by Riverside's rules."

Tina bows her head a bit. The silver light of hope eternal gleams in her metallic skin. "I know it's not gonna be simple. I know it's gonna be hard. But there's gotta be a humane way we can do that and save as many redeemable people as possible."

"...Which brings me to a sorta question, Crimp," Tina says. "Did you used to be a living person? Like, a human?"

"What'd you go to hell for?"
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Upstairs]

"Have they, now?" The room echoes with the sound of darkly-amused laughter. "I do not believe it accurate to say that Riverside has given us anything, especially with the imminence of their intent to take away what little we have. No, we settled in a place that Riverside has abandoned, and they have decided they do not want us so close to their homes. If you intend to take the position that we are their guests, it may behoove you to see to it they are willing to be gracious hosts first."

"Your proposal is... interesting." The room-sized demon continues. "I suspect we will not be able to talk proper terms between the two of us. Regulating the gates will require gaining the trust of many different demons in Hell Bend. And no matter how careful you are, you will always have to account for gates that are not allowed or controlled by your earthly authorities. But, in simple terms... perhaps a compromise can be reached."

"And as for myself... I confess myself curious, why is it you wish to know these things?" The demon chortles. "Did my little speech stir some spark of empathy within you, little cherub? I suppose it hardly matters. In the interest of keeping our dealings fair, I will answer.

First, you are not speaking to Crimp. There is no Crimp; not anymore. There has not been a Crimp in... somewhere on the order of three hundred years, I would say. It's difficult, tracking time as you mortals do. Kristoff Olafson, the man who would be known as Crimp among his fellow demons, sold his soul to me long ago. In doing so, he surrendered his being. Crimp does not stir these bones to life. Crimp does not stir anything."


The room is still for a moment, the demon inhabiting it relishing in the time between denying being Crimp and explaining its true identity. Clearly, it has a taste for the dramatic.

"Inopia, Deviless of Greed, pleased to make your acquaintance." The creature chitters finally. "Crimp came to the Abyss because he was mine already; he simply did not acknowledge it yet. The angels felt that he could not be redeemed, as he pursued the comforts of wealth and security relentlessly. In the end, they were entirely correct."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

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Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Reinholdt
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Reinholdt »

[Big Bad Wolf]

A woman, pale skinned and freckled is walking around. Her tousled brown hair bounces lightly with her every step and her green eyes stay upwards. There's a grace to her movements and a natural voluptuous invitation to her body that may be made all the more alluring by the deep red cloak she wears that twists and flaps naturally around her, covering part of her one moment, then revealing her the next as she walks with intention. It's not closed fully around her because one arm rests upon a duffel bag, carrying something of note, hidden away behind the zipper. The careful placement of her hand upon the bag suggests she's more than aware and ready for any potential pickpocketers, deterring their unwanted presence with vigilance.

She is not looking at the shops, the wares, the people. She is instead eying the buildings, seeking an abandoned warehouse, a condemned apartment, or a run down house. Something that looks like it is vacated, or at the very least, could be vacated of its inhabitants with minimal effort.
► SHOW SPOILER
Ironsmith
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Big Bad Wolf]

The woman's presence doesn't go unnoticed; as she walks through the streets, she'll quickly find herself being stared at by demons of both sexes, with varying reactions. Some of them are transparently wary of her, keeping their distance and not taking their eyes off her until she's passed them without incident. Others seem to have a different agenda in mind, and it will be a rare moment when she's on the street and nobody is catcalling or whistling at her. Still others only vaguely acknowledge her, looking up at her for no longer than it takes to give her a little nod before returning to their business. No telling how many of them are pickpockets warded away by her clearly not being an easy mark, but it's presumably a non-zero number.

The woman will find no shortage of "abandoned" houses; there are plenty of broken-down domiciles here, many od them having the rough appearance of the bombed-out ruins of a war zone. What the woman will struggle to find is a house that's not currently occupied anyway; if there's an intact wall anywhere in the neighborhood, there's a demon in the fetal position next to it, a newspaper pulled over them and resting their head on soggy cardboard.

One of the houses she passes seems to be hosting a meeting. Three demons are present in total; a suit-clad incubus, an intimidating succubus in black leather, and another one in jeans and a black tank-top.

"...ight not look it from the neighborhood, but we have standards, Tiff." The suit-man grouses.

"Yeah. It don't look so great for your hotel when it's crawling with vermin like that. If you don't do something about them, we'll be shutting you down." Leather-lady adds.

"If you could, you would have already." Tank-top counters, arms crossed. "I'm not firing them just b-"

"Firing?" Suit's skepticism is audible even all the way back there. "You mean to tell me you've got them working for you? Oh, that is rich!"

That's about all the woman will hear if she maintains a comfortable pace going past the building in question. Any more would require stopping and listening, or at least setting up nearby.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

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Here's to us!
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Gold »

[Blackjack]

The succubus's words give Solenoid pause for a moment. Come to think of it, she didn't pay anything to get in here - she just let her teammates foot the bill. Given that, maybe she can afford to pay the cost for the succubus' information.

She gives a resigned sigh as her hand moves to the messenger bag at her waist, opening it and pulling out two large, solid and fairly weighty rectangles of clear pink diamond. "This should cover your... travel expenses," she says as she presents them to the succubus. Truth be told, she doesn't know this for sure, but it is a lot of dia (in fact, it was a most of the money she was carrying on her), enough to cover a small place's rent for a month or two.

She won't give them up just yet, though, and will refuse to let go if the succubus tries to snatch them. "Now I've shown you that I have what you need, it's your turn. So, how do I go about paying a visit to Mister Gnash?" she asks.
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Thursday Violist
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Thursday Violist »

Ironsmith wrote: Apr 15, 2023 6:02 pm [Intact House]

What it might absorb, however, is thirty-four inches of hickory wood, swung at the back of his head.

While he was busy worrying about the drugs in his system, Mallory's snuck back into the room, baseball bat hoisted over her shoulder as she takes her position behind him, moving as quickly and quietly as she can while he's still distracted. The poison didn't seem to be working fast enough for her, so now she's taking an alternative, slightly more straightforward approach.

It's clear from her stance and the nonplussed expression on her face that she's done this before. Not just once; she's probably lured in dozens of victims with the promise of good food, poisoned them, and then moved to knock them out when the poison didn't work quite as intended.

Whether that works depends on the paladin's reflexes and resilience. But, if he goes down now, she isn't going to just wail on him until he stops moving. She has other plans for that body of his.

[Intact House]

Absorbing wood is a pretty difficult thing to do.
Zophiel probably needs to practice a bit more before he's mastered this particular skill.

Sadly, the paladin has one of the most common foibles of being a protagonist: lack of a helmet.

Upon getting hit, Zophiel feels all the usual things associated with that kind of blow to a head. A flash of light, moments of unconsciousness, sharp pain, confusion...
He gets up.
And promptly loses balance and has his legs give out under him.

He tries to push himself up, but can't muster the strength in his arms. So, instead, he looks back at Mallory, and - after a flash of anger, confusion, betrayal, and a few other similar emotions - he uses his greatest weapon in his arsenal: a look of disappointment. Very clear disappointment. He's not mad, he's just disappointed.

Okay, maybe in the state he's in, that's not the most useful weapon.
So, to compensate, he gives a shrill whistle.


Just outside the house, the two enormous swords that Zophiel left out there lose the stasis power that was holding them in place. They start slowly tipping and falling, digging up dirt and gaining momentum.
One moment passes.
Two moments pass.
Three moments pass.
The hefty swords crash into the building's wall, just next to the front door, and break through. And, as massive as Zophiel is, each one is heavier than he is - it's a wonder he was able to carry them around, let alone get away with calling them 'swords' instead of 'giant hunks of metal in a vague sword-shape'.
Needless to say, the crash is noisy and can break through a wall or two. But...after that, it's silent. Nothing else noisy happens.

Several moments later, however, a creature climbs over the swords into the house! It's Caramel, Zophiel's forest shark (which would have been extraordinarily useful earlier if she was here earlier, to the point that Zophiel probably looks really stupid for not actively having the help of his animal companion that specializes in tracking, hunting, and sniffing out danger...i'm sure Zophiel has a reason for doing this and it's not just 'his player is forgetful').
Well, in a word, it looks adorable. The size of a dog, six legs, three fuzzy tails, big head, adorably large eyes, big ears, so fluffy it makes great for cuddling, and a large mouth that - even with just a single glance - leaves no doubt why it's called a 'shark'.

The forest shark comes in and stops in the bedroom doorway, cutely looking at Mallory with its mouth wide open and its rows of pointy teeth just...being there.
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Reinholdt »

[Big Bad Wolf]

Certainly interesting and on any other day on any other mission, Red would have taken the liberty to listen in to get to the real juicy intel. Today, she's fighting a deadline. She continues on, one hand reaches up to tug lightly at the velvet red choker around her neck, clearly unused to fabric there. Her standards are steadily getting lower. Any run down place with four walls and a roof that can fit up to eight or so people will do. It'll probably be occupied when she gets there, but that can be fixed. One of those buildings has to actually be some sort of apartment-like complex, possibly. That would likely be the most ideal now. Just some run down, ramshackle apartment with a very unlucky tenant. Red keeps looking.
► SHOW SPOILER
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Blackjack]

The succubus grabs hold of the diamond, but since Solenoid isn't releasing it yet, doesn't pull it away; at this point, she's more concerned that Solenoid might go back on her word and take the money back after she surrenders the relevant information.

"...Okay. You want to talk to Gnash, he's usually at the chessboards in the back." The succubus explains. "Grey suit, smug grin, small notch in his tail that you absolutely should not mention. Can't miss him. Offer to play against him and tell him Isabella sent you because she doesn't think she can keep up with him anymore. Once you get him going, talk." She tilts her head quizzically. "Is that enough for you?"


[Intact House]

Mallory starts as the swords go crashing through her wall, bracing to defend herself with the bat. This... did not go as she had planned. Zophiel had looked to be alone, he'd left his weapons outside and walked right into her favored snare. How on earth did the situation degenerate to this point so quickly?

Clearly, it was time for a new plan.

Looking around frantically, the succubus's eyes settle on the circle on the floor, and she visibly shudders as she looks it over. It's not ideal, but she needs to get Zophiel out of here before he becomes a credible witness. She can't do it by killing him... but maybe she can do the next best thing.

"You stupid son of a bitch!" She growls, tossing the baseball bat aside and abandoning her previous, flirtatious mannerisms. "All you had to do was lay down and go to sleep! But no! You have to go and make things complicated! Now I've got to do something I really wish I didn't!"

Mallory drops to the floor and presses her hands against the edge of the circle, muttering unknowable profanities under her breath.

Then, everything goes dark. Dark and cold.

Bitterly, bitingly cold. The sort that freezes one's muscles and makes one's face hurt. That stabs through one's ears like an invisible knife and cuts across the skin, such that it comes across as a miracle every time one looks at their hands and sees that they are not, in fact, bleeding to death.

And if the cold wasn't bad enough, it's accompanied by a ferocious wind, blowing up past Zophiel, driving that horrid chill into his eyes.

It might take him a moment longer to realize that he's falling; there are no markers in any direction that make it clear.

...

Fortunately, that doesn't last.

As abruptly as the darkness set in, it disappears again, leaving Zophiel in a musty-smelling room with a bare bulb overhead. Pipes run in every direction, over a cobblestone flooring with a familiar-looking hexagram carved into it, which he is still sitting in. There's a set of wooden stairs to his left, leading up toward an askew door, while to his right there's a series of boilers that rattle and spit ominously. In front of him, a rack of x-shaped shelves carrying various opaque bottles lines the wall, while behind him... well, he can't really see behind him, on account of the dust and the cobwebs.

No sign of Mallory, his swords, or the forest shark anywhere.


[Big Bad Wolf]

As it turns out, searching for four intact walls and a roof makes for an even more narrow scope... but Red does eventually find a place matching that description. An empty outdoor apartment building, while mostly broken down, still has a serviceable shelter on the first floor. A quick look inside reveals that the otherwise ordinary-looking residence is, curiously, abandoned. There's no electricity to power the overhead lights or the air conditioner, so the space is dark and stuffy, and there doesn't appear to be any running water, either. But, it's a place where she could potentially camp if she needs to.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Reinholdt
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Reinholdt »

[Big Bad Wolf]

Well Red doesn't think she's encountered any space more suspicious in her life. It's not exactly welcoming, sure, questionably even livable, but nobody here at all? Could be they were just out right now and notorious for murdering anyone who tries to take their shelter. More likely it was something much worse that kept people out.

The darkness isn't an issue at least. This didn't even touch the lack of light the Underdark suffered from. All the same, Red drops her duffel bag and pulls out a few candles to light. Then proceeds to scour the room edges and floor for traps, runic sigils, cameras, and the other shoe that'll drop any moment. Just properly checking the place out.
► SHOW SPOILER
Ironsmith
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Big Bad Wolf]

A thorough sweep of the house it is, then.

The living room, where she would have first come in, is clear, if a bit barren. There's not much in the way of furniture here; a three-seater couch with a blanket and a few throw pillows on it, torn around the sides and predictably lumpy, likely salvaged from a junkyard or some other abandoned apartment. A coffee table in front of it, the type with a liftable top, which houses a collection of sealed vials filled with red liquid. And that's about it.

The kitchen doesn't seem to have anything too terrible in it, either. No dishes in the cabinets or sink, but there's a few rolls of paper towels on the counter. The fridge, which doesn't receive any power and seems to essentially just be a room-temperature storage device, has a few small packages wrapped up inside of it, each no bigger than Red's fist; if she opens one, Red will find them to be hamburgers, surprisingly fresh. Nothing much to look at here beyond that.

The bedroom is where she'll find her first real sign that something is amiss here. The room is mostly empty, apart from a kitchen chair in the middle, which is covered in sticky red stuff. Despite what might be her first guess, it readily becomes apparent that Red isn't looking at blood; blood doesn't boil and froth like that on its own, nor does it generally coalesce into tiny red claws that seem to be trying to pull themselves out of the pool (to no avail, so far). Behind the chair, there's a bookshelf half-filled with empty vials, of the same sort Red found in the coffee table.

The bathroom... is an empty bathroom. The mirror is broken and still scattered across the floor, and there's a moldy towel up on the rack. Red's probably the first person to even come in here in a while.

That seems to about do it. Surprisingly little to look at in here, despite it being what qualifies as a "nice place" here in Hell Bend.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Murkus »

[Upstairs]

"You all might wanna consider that 'taxes' and 'being neighborly' thing," Tina says, crossing her arms with a huff.

"Well. I guess I'll have to relay the situation to MERC and Riverside and see what they say. As it is, it doesn't seem like forcing you all to leave will accomplish much, and I'll try to convince them of that. No promises, though. Maybe I can get myself appointed liaison and try to persuade more demons to this way of thinking."

"And... no, actually, Inopia. I don't know if it sparked anything. I mean, I have empathy for most people I meet." Fettina pugs up her nose like she's smelling something bad. "I just needed to know if I was going to have to blow you up or not."

"I notice you didn't really answer my whole question, though. Or, all of it." Fettina glances around. "You did used to be a person... didn't you? You're not just some mote of evil whatsit."
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Upstairs]

"Well, now that we've clarified the 'you' to whom you are speaking," the Deviless croons, circling the room, "I can tell you that you are seeking a rather simple answer to an inescapably complex question. Am I evil, to demand something of my creations? It would seem a biased stance for them to take, if the answer is 'yes'."

"Nevertheless, i shall answer as I am able, or as you are able to understand. I am not a 'person' as you would choose to define it; I do not walk this world cloaked in flesh as you do. I was never born, nor may I truly die, for my being is not tied to anything you can touch, let alone break. I am a whisper in the dark, a voice woven into the fabric of the universe, an inevitable idea... which, to paraphrase one of your earthly philosophers, makes me quite bulletproof."

The Deviless's "head"(?) settles in front of Tina, the myriad of glowing eyes fixed on the angel. "It is in your nature, as mortals, to always seek more than what you have. And I don't mean that in any esoteric sense; you will always want to sleep surrounded by more wealth than when you woke. More money. More knowledge. More power." The Deviless's face splits open into a misshapen, toothy smirk. "And well you should, for none of that lasts forever. It will always need replenishment, that it may replenish you; to abandon the seekage of wealth is to abandon life itself. Perhaps this is a notion with which you mortals are not entirely comfortable... but it is, all the same, the Truth which I give to you."

"Even you are no exception to this reality." Inopia adds, tilting her "head"(?) to the side as she regards the angel. "While affairs of the heart are more my sister's domain than mine, one can't deny the hard truths of your situation. Every love in your life has an expiration date. Perhaps some will love you until their last breath... but that day could come sooner than you anticipate. Some will abandon you before then; perhaps they will grow to find you distasteful, or simply wonder off on their own paths. But none of them is certain to outlive you. So always, always must there be more... or else there may be none."

"Tragic." The Deviless whimpers, a few beads of some unidentifiable liquid falling from her eyes to the floor. "...Forgive my digression. I find myself rather underappreciated among my siblings. Absent the raw passion of Lust or Gluttony or Wrath or Envy, I am nonetheless inclined to wax on and on about my purpose and intentions." The Deviless lifts her head again, withdrawing it into the darkness. "But that is who I am. Inopia. Keeper of Greed, donor of Truth, bearer of needs. You may decide for yourself if that makes me a 'mote of evil.'"
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Reinholdt »

[Big Bad Wolf]

Someone was using this space but only questionably living in it. Perhaps sleeping on the couch? Not anymore at any rate as Red lift the couch with remarkable ease and shoves it in front of the bedroom door. A flask of holy water is poured around the threshold of the door as well. Hopefully that's enough to keep whatever that red ooze madness is in that room. A spiritual and physical barricade might slow it down at the very least, in the event it decides it is actually strong enough to claw it's way out of that kitchen chair.

Red will also secret away some of those vials from the coffee table for analysis later. Whatever horrible demon experiments are going on here, she should find out about it and look for alternative ways to counter them.

Finally, she will likewise shove that refrigerator in front of the main door she came in, just to block off as much as she can while she works.

Speaking of work, she moves the coffee table out of the living room as well before pulling out chalk from her duffel bag. She kneels down and begins to draw upon the floor in the candlelight, each stroke of the chalk swift and unerringly precise. Skritch skritch skritch.
► SHOW SPOILER
Ironsmith
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Big Bad Wolf]

Neither the couch nor the fridge shows any remarkable resistance to Ilpholin's attempts to move them, and they're quickly relocated to places where they can serve as barriers. The holy water, meanwhile, immediately starts foaming as soon as it hits the floorboards; Red might be reminded of peroxide used to clean an infected wound.

It takes a few minutes to do all of this, during which she remains uninterrupted. But, as she goes to work with the chalk, that doesn't remain true for much longer than it takes to get tbe basic outline done.

tuk

"...The hell?" A feminine voice can be heard muttering in disbelief and annoyance from the other side of the front door.

Followed quickly by a wham! as someone tries to force their way through. Judging by the distance the fridge jumped back, it's a fairly strong someone, too. Red has maybe two more of those between now and the newcomer's entry into the apartment.
Last edited by Ironsmith on Apr 28, 2023 3:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Murkus
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Murkus »

[Upstairs]

"I... don't know," Fettina says, scratching her head with one fingernail, producing a sound like metal squeaking up against metal. This is getting too far out of her wheelhouse. These ideas are getting too big for her head.

The creature was right though, wasn't it? She hadn't really thought this whole angel thing through. At least her reset chip had been elective. She wasn't sure she even could 'die' in an appreciable sense. And where would she go? And what about all the time between here and there?

"I guess that's it for now," Fettina shakes her head. "You've given me a lot to think about. I'll report back and see if we can't keep MERC and Riverside from clamping down. See if they'll listen to my idea. Please try to keep everybody here calm, maybe even, like, receptive, if you've got any sway over that."
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Upstairs]

"I make no promises." The Deviless replies simply. "But I will not stand in the way. It is in our best interest that Hell Bend continue to exist."

As the eyelights start to go out, the Deviless gives her one last look and flashes her a needly-toothed smile. "And Tina... don't be a stranger, now."

With that, the massive creature disappears into the darkness, and the door Fettina entered through slowly creaks open again, revealing the same office, untouched.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Thursday Violist
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Thursday Violist »

[Intact House?]

If Mallory really just wished she didn't have to do it....why doesn't she just not do it? It's not that hard.
In fact, not doing something is slightly easier than doing something.

He's not worried about the forest shark - he's sure she can handle herself. Nor the weapons - not only are they quite big, he's pretty sure most residents of Hell's Bend would find them quite distasteful to touch. The earrings he found, though, that would be a clue about where to look next? Absolutely no guarantee on their safety.

This kind of cold, he's only felt once...no, twice before.
It's quite uncomfortable, but fortunately between the drugging and the percussive treatment he's not exactly feeling everything that he should. So that's a relief, it doesn't feel as bad as it could.

Upon being on steady ground again,
the first thing Zophiel does is try to heal his wounds. Namely, black threads escape from his fingertips and move towards the back of his head, sewing themselves into his skin until...well, it's starting to heal now. Just need five or so hours and it'll be healed, probably.

He feels around for the earrings, to check if they're still with him, or if they were left up in that bedroom.

He then tries to think through what his priorities right now should be. Try to reverse what happened and appear back in the bedroom? Unfortunately, in the state he's currently in, he's not even sure he could do that. Come up with an antidote for the poisoning? That probably isn't something he could handle right now, either.

The Paladin tries to push himself up and get up again. And has the same result: failure.
Okay, maybe that should be the first priority, then.
And...he doesn't have enough power to do this himself. Ugh, he's going to have to depend on her power, won't he? This is not really something he's okay with, but...
He sighs, and, starting from his hands, black ivy tattoos appear on his skin and grow up along his arms and on to the rest of his body, like an actual fast-growing vine. Except it's gaudy and doesn't really match his aesthetic. Fortunately, it does seem to allow him to actually stand up, somehow.
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Reinholdt »

[Big Bad Wolf]

Well that's a distressing reaction and bodes poorly.

Red shouldn't then be surprised when her fridge barricade starts shaking from the force of someone returning home. But she still quietly tchs to herself. A glance around shows she moved most of the good hiding places and she does not trust the ceiling in any way, shape, or form to properly hold her weight. So no ninja'ing up there, much as she'd like to do that just once.

With a few sharp breaths she blows out the candles she was using and then ducks around a corner. The small hall leading to the bedroom. Hiding in a corner right by the front door is sure to be the first place the owner will check. And Red's best chance here is to fully lure the returning figure all the way inside first.
► SHOW SPOILER
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Murkus
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Murkus »

Ironsmith wrote: Apr 28, 2023 2:35 pm [Upstairs]

"I make no promises." The Deviless replies simply. "But I will not stand in the way. It is in our best interest that Hell Bend continue to exist."

As the eyelights start to go out, the Deviless gives her one last look and flashes her a needly-toothed smile. "And Tina... don't be a stranger, now."

With that, the massive creature disappears into the darkness, and the door Fettina entered through slowly creaks open again, revealing the same office, untouched.
[Upstairs]

Fettina gives herself a squeaky scratch on the head again. "...Huh."

And with that she'll trot out to go find the others, dispelling her spear as she goes. Time to talk to MERC. This problem was too big for three people to just say 'you're evicted' and hope these people listened. The Deviless was right enough about that.
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Intact House?]

Zophiel will be relieved to know that the earrings traveled with him; they clattered onto the floor just in front of him, within arm's reach. As soon as he's feeling up to the task, he should be able to retrieve them without further incident.

At the top of the stairs, the door opens rather abruptly, bathing Zophiel in a shaft of light, apart from the shadow of another horned woman standing in the doorway with her hands in her hips.

"Shivers, what did I say about using the gate when I'm not here?" The woman snaps coldly.

"S-s-sorry, miss Tiffany. A squeaky voice rings out from the cobwebs. "H-he j-j-just fell in, I thought you'd want to-"

"You know what? Never mind. We'll talk about that later." The succubus steps down the stairs toward the paladin, stopping at the bottom to examine him more closely.

Without the light shining directly behind her back, her features are much more visible. She's a short-haired woman, dressed in a black tank-top and worn-out jeans, with a pair of leathery red wings folded stiffly around her back and a spade-tipped tail rolling around the air behind her. Her expression is considerably softer than her initial tone would have suggested; she's eying Zophiel with a look of worry, as though she expects him to collapse any second.

"You okay there, mister?" She asks quietly.


[Big Bad Wolf]

As soon as she's in position, the door finally opens, and for a second there's only quiet.

But only for a second.

"Well, well." That voice croons again, the door closing behind her. "Another volunteer. Get sick of life here in Hell Bend, sweetie? Just couldn't take one more day of this place?"

The fridge groans as its dragged across the floor again for a moment; probably back toward the door.

"Can't say I really blame you. Life's for the people who are living, eh?" The woman chuckles bitterly.

"...Wait a moment, what's this?"

There's a sound of plastic clinking against wood, as well as small objects being rolled around inside a box.

"Oh, I see how it is. You're looking to earn yourself a Darwin award. Well, I can oblige that, too." The voice punctuates the statement with a soft, metallic click.

And then silence.

Followed by more silence.

And still more.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Gold »

[Blackjack, And Other Games Too]

"Hmm... That should be everything," Solenoid says once the succubus is done talking.

The robot releases her grip on the dia and turns to leave. Before she opens the door, she waves to the succubus behind herself and says "Despite everything, you've been a real help. For that, you have my thanks." Then, she exits the bathroom.

Once out of there, she'll start heading toward the back areas of the casino, seeking out some checkerboards and by extension a demon who fits the description she bought off of the succubus.
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Reinholdt
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Reinholdt »

[Big Bad Wolf]

A demon who kills other demons for gruesome hell experiments. Red's tempted to leave them alone. But that's what demons do, isn't it? Tempt. How many non-demons did this one kill along the way. The helpless, the homeless? True progress will only come when this monster's put down.

Something being placed on the table... Red's duffel bag?! Shit. It was left out there. No, wait, that was a different sound. Some sort of box the demon brought home then? Must have been. And the click? Not a sword being unsheathed. Maybe a switchblade. Much, much more likely to be a gun. Science demon was being too smart to step into any blind spots too. Likely just patiently looking for a shot. The first move would have to be Red's. Science demon could outwait her.

With a flick, a single silver coin suddenly traverses out across the room, a bout of sudden movement to draw the eye. To pull an itchy trigger finger who understands the difference between life and death is a moment's hesitation. As the coin lands with a cling a half-second later, the cloaked beauty moves, rolling forward, and keeping exceedingly low to the ground where she uses her legs to kick. Changing her own trajectory while maintaining momentum, pushing herself in a flurry towards where the demon last stood according to her highly perceptive ears. Red's hands change in this moment to a massive purple glowing greatsword, attacking in a broad sweep, clearly aiming to cover as much area as possible in an effort to sever the homeowner from this mortal plane. Or perhaps their legs.
► SHOW SPOILER
Ironsmith
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Blackjack -> Chess]

Once she knows to look for him, Solenoid will find the demon difficult to miss. While there are no shortage of smug-looking incubi hanging out around the chessboards, the suit and notched tail are both somewhat unique markers that lead her to Gnash, who sits in front of a mostly-empty chessboard that he's quietly arranging back to the starting position.

He looks up as Solenoid approaches. "...Well, hello there." He greets with a polite, but detached smile.


[Big Bad Wolf]

An impressive display of ingenuity and acrobatics on Red's part.

...Too bad nobody seems to have seen it.

Her first hint might have been when the coin failed to draw any audible gunshot, suggesting there wasn't a shooter in the immediate area.

Her second hint would be the apparently empty apartment bathed in the glow of her greatsword, with no sign of the homeowner anywhere. She's clearly been here... the door is indeed blocked by the fridge, and Red's duffelbag has been displaced but unopened. And Red's senses will tell her that the succubus is here somewhere... but not where.

...Wait.

No, there's something there. A twitchy little thing that wasn't on the floor a minute ago. A triangular piece of flesh, maybe just small enough to fit in the palm of Red's hand. It almost looks like a meaty leaf, or...

Well, Red's probably seen it before, actually. It's the spade tip of a demon's tail. Only the tip of the tail. The rest of the demon is unaccounted for.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

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Here's to us!
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Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Reinholdt
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Reinholdt »

[Big Bad Wolf]

Red glances around quickly but only spots the tip of a tail. On the floor? That could mean two things. Eit-

Red's greatsword reverts to hands as she suddenly and erratically backflips away from her current position. In the few moments she's upside down, a silver knife slides free from her boot. Falling into her hand, Red catches it mid flip and tosses it whistling through the air to where she imagines an invisible attacker would be based on the tail on the floor and her own previous position. Finally she lands in a crouch. A flicker falls over her right eye, turning it red as she filters her vision to thermal, looking for heat in abnormal areas.

Either the tail tip meant the demon was invisible and soundless and Red just caught a piece of her. Or it meant that the demon has slipped down into the floor itself and the tail was like a cute, lingering snorkel giving away her position. In both cases, Red absolutely did not want to stay where she was. Maybe it meant something else, but every single one of Red's instincts screamed invisible attacker, move now. She had no intention of waiting for a counterattack to prove herself right.
► SHOW SPOILER
Ironsmith
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Re: Hell Bend

Post by Ironsmith »

[Big Bad Wolf]

In the second before Red's thermal vision kicks in, she'll see the silver knife abruptly knocked to one side, spinning across the floor for a moment before losing cohesion, leaving a silvery pool of liquid where it used to be.

Her thermal vision, itself, is quite informative. As Red suspected, the succubus is still right where she thought she would be, in a defensive stance. Her wings are wrapped around her body, and her tail is tucked up against her leg, the tip noticeably absent. She's holding something about the length of her forearm, an item that renders black in thermal vision, suggesting it's quite cold compared to the background.

The succubus, meanwhile, advances on Red, seeming to sense that she lost her advantage from concealment and looking to finish the fight quickly, before she has a chance to outplay her with superior technique. She flicks out with the weapon toward Red's throat, aiming to slice open her trachea.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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