Side One, Ep.1 "Holey Ship!"

[Legendary Sidekick]

Episode One Boss: Reflexions

((Reflexions attack first, but feel free to RP a bit before the first attack.))


More demons appear. A sword with a glowing red rune lops off the pirate's head. As our heroes continue to slide across the slick deck, the demons emerge.

"This pink shit won't come off!" one demon gripes. "And how come the real me has punch-knives? Is he a swordsman or a boxer or—dammit! I want those!"

"Shut up," says the Hyena lookalike. "That's an order."

"I'll give the orders around here," says Fenella's image. "A crown outranks a hat."

"What kind of crap is that?" says the pink-haired demon.

"SHUT UP!" the other demons reply in unison.



Waves beat on the ship. The running water stifles any attempt to charge the demons while they bicker…

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

Oh, glorious. First frogs, then pirates, and now demons from a mirror-world. I grit my teeth as the first few emerge, knowing it's only a matter of time before I see my own doppelganger, and Diana's.

Another frightening thought rises: are the monsters left-handed, as we are right-handed? They'd likely have the advantage, then -- I doubt many of us are accustomed to fighting lefties. On the other hand, if that's so, would these demons know how to fight righties?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

A fourth demon pops out of the Hyena's head.

"Great. I'm female and tiny. How the hell am I supposed to do my Mistress' bidding?"

The demon princess says, "Being female isn't so bad. Dresses are pretty and comfy. Anyway, what are you doing in a dead guy's head?"

"It fell on me when you lopped it off!"

"Oh."

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

I call out to the demon muse despite myself. "Who is your Mistress?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

The little demon says, "You wish to know? Well… seeing how this body is completely useless, I'll tell you. She's… NONE OF YOUR DAMNED BUSINESS!" She giggles. "Maybe being tiny and cute isn't so bad. Humans want to talk to me."

​"Not with an attitude like that," says the larger demoness.

"Crap. You're right. Should I tell him for real?"

"You already did," says the demon captain. "He reads minds."

"Well, I don't! So thanks for telling me, ass-hat!"


((@Ireth, PM coming soon…))

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

I exhale as the demon muse's thoughts betray what she wouldn't speak. "Th'war. Daughter of Lady Death and The Warrior."

We're getting in over our heads, and I have a feeling things have barely started. Gods are for us, their children are against us, and we unlucky mortals are caught in the middle. Well, unlucky mortals and one muse.

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

My gaze remains on the demon muse as I read what lies behind her eyes. On principle I trust her even less than the dead captain, and yet her thoughts have the ring of truth. The demon, like the slain Hyena, knows better than to lie to a mentalist. She may be harmless in battle, but that doesn't exclude other means of having her will, or her mistress' will, be done. And I can guess all too well what that will might be. Death's daughter... these demons could be after her, after pretty blue-eyed--

No. No. I gave my word. This must not happen.

My eyes narrow, my jaw clenches. She makes me an offer. Do I dare take it? Voice knows we need a healer in our company... but is the price more than I can pay?

"...How much pain?" I ask slowly, watching the demon muse.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Diana ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (enemy damage reduced)
Fenella ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♪ [13]
Mariya ♥♥♥♥ ♪
Pale Jackal ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ [1]
Reaver ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (damage increased) [15]
Shan Mai ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (grappling power increased)
Vincent ♥♥♥♥♥♥ (offense increased)

---

"ATTACK!" shouts the crowned one.

"AAAAAH!" the tiny demoness shrieks in terror as the Hyena's head flies off of the runic sword, and over the heads of our heroes.

The demon captain pays no mind to her, but says to the crowned one, "I'm the boss! I say attack!" He rushes PJ, but his thrust is not even close.

"Oh, nice leadership there," says the crowned one as she strikes her 'twin.'

The pink haired demon only says, "Fingernails of Frustration!" He rakes claw marks along Reaver's face.

Vincent finds the tiny demoness clinging to his hair. She makes no attempt to attack him. Anyone who glances at her will see a look of fear in her eyes. She cries, "Tell them I'm harmless! Please! I want to keep this body!"

It is clear to Vincent and Mariya that the tiny demoness is making no attempt to cast a spell. The fighters who are not engaged, if they glance in Vincent's direction, can see that the demoness looks like she wants to bolt and could, in fact, escape easily. It appears that she chooses not to.

The captain hisses at the traitorous words, glaring at her and Vincent. Knowing he needs to get the brawler out of his way, he swings his other sword and misses by at least a foot.

"You suck,"​ says the crowned demoness.

 

[Reaver]

I wipe a small bit of blood from my face and a sick feeling washes over me. The same feeling I got any time I faced a daemon. "You are in contravention of the will of my goddess Lady Death! Return to whence you came and perhaps she will show you mercy! Stay and rest assured that I will not!"

I close my eyes and whisper a prayer to Lady Death and The Warrior. "Mighty ones, please grant me, your humble servant, the power to defeat these abominations. The strength to sned them back to be judged by you. I ask this in your blessed names..."


I open my eyes and attack the hell-spawn in front of me:

My wounds from earlier make my attack feeble. I wonder what I did to lose favor with my deities. I must make penance.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Diana ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (enemy damage reduced)	Tiny Demoness ♥♥♥♥ ♪
Fenella ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♪
Mariya ♥♥♥♥ ♪
Pale Jackal ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Reaver ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (damage increased)
Shan Mai ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (grappling power increased)
Vincent ♥♥♥♥♥♥ (offense increased)

---

The tiny demoness perks at Reaver's words. "Lady Death! Yes. Yes! Surely, you've heard of the Song of Sacrifice! I will not harm you. Surely the mind reader knows this!"

The demon captain shouts, "I'll tear off your little limbs and eat them!"

"How?" scoffs the crowned one. "You can't even hit a big target!"

Ignoring her fellow demons, the tiny muse sings.

"I would rip my heart out for you
Dripping blood to the beat of the drums of war
I would sacrifice all for you
And the worthy cause that you're fighting for

Rise, fallen brothers
Against all the others
Who stand for what smothers
What makes us free

Fight, my brave sisters
May your might slay the misters
Who don crooked crowns
Intent to take the world down

And leave me here to lie here and bleed
It's my sacrifice, my pleasure, your need"

All of the humans feel their wounds sealing up. The tiny demoness grunts in pain.

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

"She's right," I speak up to the others as the tiny muse squeals. "She won't do us any harm. She doesn't want to." And thank the gods for that. One less foe to worry about. I watch the hole in the wall, still expecting my own dark twin to appear. Would my double have reflections of my magic?

 

[Reaver]

I have heard about the Song of Sacrifice. I look at the diminutive daemoness. "If you truly are a servant of Lady Death, then we will spare you tiny one! I will protect you from all your foes, even these foul ones! You have my solemn vow."

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

I look at the tiny shadow on my shoulder. "Well, that's two of us for starters."

Diana

I read Reaver's and Vincent's lips, then look at the tiny demon. She certainly seems harmless... and if she could have harmed us by now, she would have. I catch the demon's tiny glowing eyes and give her a reassuring smile.

Vincent

"Three," I amend, smiling at the little demon. After a moment I add, "Do you have a name?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Muziko

She shudders as cracks form along her body.

"Then s-sing for m-me… b-before I shatter like a b-broken mirror. Muziko! My name is Muziko. If t-two of us s-sing t-together, the s-song neither heals us nor harms us. P-please sing it! If you l-look into my m-mind, the s-spell will work-k!"

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

"I will." Muziko... a lovely name for a dark creature.

Her thoughts assuage my doubt, replacing it with pity. I recall the song Muziko sang moments before, and echo it, loud and clear.

"I would rip my heart out for you
Dripping blood to the beat of the drums of war
I would sacrifice all for you
And the worthy cause that you're fighting for

Rise, fallen brothers
Against all the others
Who stand for what smothers
What makes us free

Fight, my brave sisters
May your might slay the misters
Who don crooked crowns
And plot to take the world down

And leave me to lie here and bleed
My sacrifice, my pleasure, your need."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Diana ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (enemy damage reduced)	Muziko ♥♥♥♥ ♪
Fenella ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♪
Mariya ♥♥♥♥ ♪
Pale Jackal ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Reaver ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (damage increased)
Shan Mai ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (grappling power increased)
Vincent ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♪ (offense increased)

The damage to the tiny demoness is undone. As well, Vincent's wound does not seal itself. The rest of our heroes continue to heal. Even those who were struck by the demons' attacks feel stronger than when they were hit. Diana's skin is unblemished. Any pain she felt from battle is gone.

Muziko's teeth are chattering. Red tears run from her glowing eyes.

"T-tears of blood. I'm hideous," she says. "B-but I'm whole." She clings to Vincent's lapel, and studies Reaver and Diana. "I will s-stay here. The s-song will not hurt if t-two of us sing."

More calmly, she adds, "You have a nice voice, Mind Reader. I didn't expect that."

 

[Ireth]

Diana

I sigh as my wound heals, and the pain quickly fades. I keep my sword ready for an attack, unsure if the slippery deck will allow me much of a chance against these demons.

Vincent

I reach up to wipe the bloody tears from Muziko's tiny face, and smile at her compliment. "Thank you. Singing is a huge part of my life. I've had a lot of practice."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((NOTE: In case it's unclear, Vincent has used his turn by singing the healing song, and Reaver rolled his attack.

Everyone else can roll attacks now. The slippery deck was just me making an in-game excuse as to how you lost the coin-toss to determine who attacks first, in case you needed a reason why you can't attack the demons while they're talking so much.

Technically, I would decrease uphill movement and increase downhill movement ±1 square, but everyone is so close that it makes no difference. Anyone can attack the target of his/her choice—though those engaged in battle, I'd expect, would stick to their current opponents.))

 

[Ireth]

Diana

Enough talking -- time to fight. I move to attack the nearest enemy, the demon-Jackal.

Fighting someone who looks so much like my comrade frays my nerves. I falter, and the blow misses completely.

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

Unbidden, Muziko sends images into my head -- whether they're memories or fabricated fears, I can't tell at first. Two demons tower over the tiny one, taller than any mortal, hideous beyond description. And the things they do to Muziko -- unthinkable, and impossible. I raise one hand to clutch my churning stomach, the other pressed over my mouth. Poor thing... little wonder she doesn't want to fight and be killed! Who could bear to return to that? Risking fear and rejection in the mortal realm, even in a tiny, harmless form as she wears now, would be preferable.

I fear for her. I fear for us all.