PLOT: WISE SNAKE'S EMERGENCE

[theearth]

Who: OPEN.
When: March 9th, Sunday, daylight hours.
Where: The business district of Locke City.
What: An enormous snake monster is pissed.
Warnings: Violence.

[The alien explodes silently - but it explodes.

First in a small cloud of hot (rose-scented) gas - those there to watch its final moments will want to step back.

A ripple in the air pulses - heavily - from where it once was, with absolutely no sound and color, but penetrating force. Anyone standing within two miles of the point of origin will feel a push, with those closest guaranteed to be knocked off their feet and temporarily dazed. Cars swerve and crash. Staff in the nearest office buildings launch into disarray. There’s no shielding from the blast - it can be felt through walls, through structures, in the air, and underground.

And it is felt underground.

The entire business district starts to shake, abruptly, jarred to a stir by some movement. It rises over the span of a long half-a-minute to the magnitude of December’s earthquake.

Tuning Towers experiences the worst of it - windows are smashing and objects are shaking loose and falling from the upper floors.

It finally ends - with screaming - as the head of an enormous pink snake breaks the lobby floor.

It flows its way quickly out of the hole it’s made, breaks itself another hole ever so politely through the main entrance doors, which were not meant to accommodate a twenty-foot-tall-and-wide exitor, and as it draws the last of its tail out after it, the quaking dies down.

It’s now roaring its way through the streets of Locke City’s business district - all several hundred meters of Wise Snake, emerged in the flesh (or stone?).

No regard for the walls of buildings, streetlamps, civilians, stopped and blindly pulled-over vehicles, anything else on its course - in a frantically-awakened, unrestricted rampage.]



[ OOC: This is part two of the Season 1's finale. The first - the assault on the farmhouse - is here; pertinent plot posts one and two. ]

Comments

[thebalrogslayer]

You haven't even picked it up yet! [Gabriel chuckles, elbowing his friend gently. But then Thorir has Thorin's sword in his hands and then he draws it, and he registers the ache in his chest only for a moment before he's flung back into a memory of shadow and flame and someone that there's only deep affection for as he falls beneath it, the sword clattering to stone.]

Ecthelion! [The name is shouted out loud, but then he realises what he's done and he glances from Eliot to Thorir, breath shuddering. He feels sick from this latest echo, the death of a close friend - a brother? And that creature. It feels him with dread in a way that he can't explain.] Sorry. I've seen that sword before.

[lordofimladris]

Perhaps, I would not be surprised if Elves were similar in an extended lifespan. [Eliot said with a smile, chucking as Gabriel elbowed him. But he's distracted when his friend suddenly blurts out the name.]

Gabriel? [Eliot reaches out to rest his hand on his friend's arm, worried the way he heard the other man's breath shuddering in such a way.]

[disdainfully]

[The sword is sheathed again within seconds and Thorir at Gabriel's side, not touching him but sitting down next to him, proximity replacing touch as that is already coming from Eliot.] And not in a happy moment.

[It's obvious from the reaction. He would ask who or what that name (?) was, but he assumes that Gabriel will tell them himself should he feel like it.]

[thebalrogslayer]

I'm fine, it was just... [He nods towards Thorir, indicating that his guess was correct.] Today seems to be the day for that. [As the memory settles again, though, he relaxes somewhat. It's hard to set the memory aside completely, though.]

May I see the sword?

[lordofimladris]

[Eliot nods as he withdraws his hand, still concerned but he does not wish to press Gabriel for the unpleasant details.]

Indeed it does, hopefully we will be spared any more for the rest of the day. [He can tell the day has taken a mental and physical toll on them all as it was.]

[disdainfully]

[There is a moment of hesitation, but then he hands the sword, still in the sheathe, over.

And then he will just... stay where he is, not leaning back, tense as he watches Gabriel carefully. It's not that the other man has always been happy in his presence, but that was a rather strong reaction to the memory and he is worried.]

[thebalrogslayer]

[Taking the sword, Gabriel unsheathes it, holding it up to the light and testing the weight. He can see the similarities between this and his own sword, though it's heavier, the wielder was stronger. A good blade, though, he things, as he runs his fingers over the runes. If he could read them...

As he slides it back into the sheathe he notices the crest on the hilt and his breath catches again. He knows this. Ecthelion's crest, though he can't remember what it meant. He rubs his thumb over it, enjoying the contrast between the smooth metal and the scratched crest. Sighing, he offers it back to Thorir.]

The man who wielded this before you was a good man. I think he'd be glad to know you have it. [Although he can't say about Thorir's past self, if he was anything like Thorir he's sure it was the case for him too.]

[lordofimladris]

[The symbols on the swords seem familiar but nothing else comes to mind. He instead takes Hadhafang into his hand, letting himself feel the weight of the sword before looking up at Gabriel.]

You seem to remember a great deal about these swords now. [He remarked, he would have to ask Gabriel about it later, when they are all more well rested.]

[disdainfully]

I would like to hear more about him and those swords.

[He throws Eliot a short look, and then turns to Gabriel.] When you feel like talking about it, and maybe when all of us have gotten some rest. What are your plans for the night? [He doesn't want to push the other two out of the house, and will gladly offer them a bed should they decide so, but if they have other destinations in mind they should get going before the adrenaline runs out completely.]

[thebalrogslayer]

Not that much. I remembered the man that wielded it more than anything else. [Gabriel chuckles tiredly, and glances at his own sword.] I know more about it than my own, though. And nothing about yours, Eliot. [Though he is curious to have a look at some point to see if that will trigger any memories. Hopefully something more pleasant, although since it's a sword he doubts it.]

I was planning on walking home,. In a little while, though, if I'm not in your way. You probably have your hands full as it is?

[lordofimladris]

If you would like company walking home, I am going that general direction walking towards the hospital before driving home. [Eliot offered, though he knew Gabriel could take care of himself.]

I should get going, it's late and I still have an early day tomorrow. That and I'm sure both of you have many things to attend to as well. [Eliot said with a tired smile, he was looking forward to being able to get a few hours of sleep by now.]

[disdainfully]

You would be welcome to stay as long as you would, Gabriel, even over night, but going with Eliot may be a better idea. [He looks at both of them.] I will retire soon as well, don't worry about that. [He already got words of 'crash before you really crash' from his brother, and he knows his limits (even if they are expanded now).]

[thebalrogslayer]

[Gabriel sighs. On the one hand he's unwilling to stand up again, but on the other making his way with Eliot sounds like a better idea than heading home by himself later.] You probably have your hands full as it is. But thank you. If you don't mind the company, Eliot, I'll walk with you.

[He stretches out his long legs, and then slowly stands, reaching for his sword, but then hesitating.] Thorir, do you think you'd be able to make me a sheathe for this?

[lordofimladris]

I don't mind the company at all. [Eliot said with a smile to Gabriel, standing slowly as well. He's sore, his back aching, he's not able to push himself as far as he used to be when he was younger.]

Thank you but I should get home, get changed for an early shift tomorrow, it's going to be hectic. [He said to Thorir as he grabbed his bag and sword, carefully to make sure he didn't drop it.

[disdainfully]

I can make a sheathe, but I will need the sword here for that. It will need to fit.

[He stands to walk over to the door and open it for all of them so they can be on their ways - getting up later will only make it still harder.]

[thebalrogslayer]

Get changed and get some sleep, I hope. [Gabriel tells Eliot, frowning at him.

But he takes the sword in the end, adjusting it naturally to hold it comfortably in his hand.] Then sometime next week, when all this has calmed down somewhat, I'll be by to drop it off. [Thorir will no doubt be too busy to have time to be playing around with something like that, and Gabriel wouldn't want to put the extra pressure on him.]

[lordofimladris]

Of course, I will try. [Eliot promised with a smile before turning to Thorir.]

Thank you for all your help today, get some rest yourself and I'll call you tomorrow to check in on things.

[disdainfully]

I'll hopefully hear from both of you tomorrow, then.

[He'd ask them to check in when they get home, but almost assumes that he will be fast asleep by then.]

[thebalrogslayer]

I'll text you when I get in. [Gabriel squeezes Thorir's thigh as he passes him, smiling at him. He won't sleep until he knows that Eliot's home safe anyway, and this way Thorir knows to put his phone on silent if he's planning on going straight to bed (which Gabriel hopes he is).] Let me know how Killian is in the morning? And sleep well.

[lordofimladris]

Certainly, remind Killian to rest. [Eliot said with a fond smile as he heads out the door ahead of Gabriel. He would have promised to call that night when he got home but he had a feeling that as soon as he laid down and stopped again he would be asleep.]

[disdainfully]

I will let both of you know of his state, and do my best to have him rest.

[He's not sure how successful he will be with that, but he will try. That leg needs rest. Maybe move him to the living room for a while if he can't sleep anymore. At least he can easily pick him up and carry him over.

Thorir will see the two others to the still cardboarded door of the shop and watch them walk away for a moment before returning to wrap up a few more things and then head upstairs for sleep.]