[Playthings] (Narrated Open RP)

[Kieg]

"nO, WaIt," Krexx gurgles, before being lifted bodily over Fangs' head like a toy doll, and flung at the feet of the construct. The ruined mage bounces against the floor and lies still. Kieg grimaces and edges closer, a mix of pity and curiosity showing on what features are visible beneath his helm.

"Are You.. uh.. You still alive?" He prods the prostrate mage with an armored boot. Krexx squirms and utters a broken, watery moan in response, and Kieg smiles with genuine approval. "Oh great! You're much tougher than I would have thought. ...See, you should have stuck with us! I told you, we're really good!"

Atop the Construct, Viper's blade severs the machine's control wires with a serious of almost melodic twangs. The machine's arms fall limp instantly, and it's legs begin to buckle as something heavy seems to go off balance in it's interior. Kieg is just aware enough of what is about to happen to grab Krexx's arm and pull his mangled body out of the path of harm as the construct topples forward onto the floor where he was laying. A ragged grinding from inside the machine slowly winds down until it jerks to a sudden stop. In a final cloud of steam, the machine lies dead and silent.

Kieg grabs Krexx by the shoulders and props him up against the side of the faceplanted construct. His pulped face is almost unrecognizable, and a few of his teeth seem to have gone missing. The archmage raises a quivering hand and Kieg immediately clamps his fist around it, preventing any gesticulations. "Sorry but let's not have any of that, hey? Don't think you could take too much more of a beating." The big man turns and smiles at the others, hoping they don't notice he has no idea what to do next.

"So.. Ah.. We got him! What now?"

The Guardian Mage, an oddly green shade of pale and his eyes wide, stumbles forward. "Don't hurt him! Please!"

((Anyone who is particularly observant might notice that Krexx's staff, which was dropped when Fangs' assault started and stil lays at his feet, no longer looks like it once did. It seems almost like it is a ... pitchfork? A simple and well-used one by the looks of it, dried muck still clinging to the times.))

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

Kat rides the falling machine merrily, holding on with one hand, the other waving around like she was on a bull. Extatic hoots and triumphant hollars echoing about the large room. Just before it hits the floor she hops off, dusting her hands before taking a theatrical bow.

Seems, however, there was no one offering applause for her grand and single handed dispatch of the construct, much to her irritation. Everyone's eyes seemed to be on the gurgling mage.

Huffing with a pouty scowl, she walked up to him and crossed her arms, while jerking out a hip. She was looking him over when she heard krexx cry out not to hurt him.

A genuine laugh burst out as she cackled and pointed at the body crookedly, her tone dry and full of mirth, "that ship has f***kin loooong sailed." In the same breath she sighed and waved an errant hand, turning way from him, her attention already onto other things. Like how to go about removing the key they came for, "Shari.... Clean up that mess a bit, eh? Ain't no fun if all he's gonna do is gurgle and spit teeth every where."

[꧁ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲'𝓐𝓭𝓾𝓷𝓮 ꧂]

"Don't hurt him! Please!"

Shari had rushed over, dropping her staff, almost in step with the mage, the look on her face only a few notched below his own mask of horror.

"Oh goodness..." she winced, nodding to the Guardian Mage, "Don't w-worry Sir," she offered softly, glancing quickly to Keig gratefully, noting his gentleness and kindness even at this moment, "i will do m-my best to help him, i really do wish it hadn't c-come to this, if he had only not double-crossed us in th-the first place..."

Biting her lower lip, she closed her eyes, and focused on Krexx.  Healing magics began to swirl about her fingertips before a soft cloud of sparkling mist settled over him, mending his worst wounds.  He would still have lost his teeth, there was nothing she could do about that, and he would still be very sore- but his face would no longer look like mangled hamburger.   She didn't dare heal him entirely - seemed the Lady didn't want that, and she was additionally scared what Fangs might do as well - if she did.

"There...." she said softly, reaching for her staff, accidentally grabbing the pitchfork.  "Oh-  W-what is this?  A pitchfork?" With knitted brows she looked about, seeing her staff, but not that of Krexx.  "I-is this.... his staff?"

[@sylverdubs]

“XUTH!” Bares-The Fangs exclaimed in a very angry howl. He fixed murderous yellow eyes on Krexx then slowly looked from Kat to Kieg and finally setting his gaze on Shari.

He slowly gripped his two-handed mace with both hands and, fury radiating off of him, stomped towards the diminutive wood elf kneeling next to Krexx.

"KUUDA WOOD-ELF! MOVE OR BE SLAIN WITH THE THUXIS!” *He promised, looking very much like he would appreciate killing Shari along with Krexx for healing him at this point.

[Kieg]

Kieg looks up from Krexx at the sound of Fangs’ fury, concerned that the Argonian might hurt the mage before the someone smarter than he can get the answers they want out of him. “Hey, the fight’s over of now-“
Noticing that Shari seems to be partially the focus of the Argonian’s anger the concern turns to near panic. He stands, hauling Krexx up by the hands he still has in his grip, and put himself between Fangs and Shari. “Hey-!”

“EVERYBODY STOP!!” The Guardian Mage’s voice is the loudest it has ever been, amplified by magic and full of fear and anguish. He hurries over and also tries to get between Kied and Fangs; prying at Kieg’s fingers with his hands, to no avail. “STOP! Don’t hurt him any more or I’ll do.. Something!”

Krexx dangles in Kieg’s grip, looking less on the verge of death but still weak and mangled. His eyes turn slowly at Shari’s mention his staff, and once it is in his view he seems unable to look away. Growing horror spreads across his features.

“No…” He shakes his head weakly… “Get that away from me.. It’s not .. mine.”

((I realize things at this point probably do not make much sense.. It's not wrong to be confused; answers forthcoming don't worry. ))

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

“KUUDA WOOD-ELF! MOVE OR BE SLAIN WITH THE THUXIS!”

Apparently not seeing a way yet to remove the key, Kat spun around after Fangs' outburst and pressed her way in between him and Kieg, baring her fangs, eyes flashing, "BACK.The.f***k.OFF." She didn't hold any weapons to the large Argonian, clearly, she figured her very presence and tone was more than enough. After all, she was the leader, right? Her lips pressed together tightly then, as she narrowed her eyes and jerked her chin at him.

Her eyes locked with his, and she would stare him down for as long as it took. It was true she didn't know much about Argonians personally, but she did know this one seemed to respect her (of course), and had already (she thought) accepted her in the place of a leader. This was her testing all that. If she was wrong, well, Shari could (hopefully) repair her mangled and pummeled body, so she could return the favor to him.

((If Fangs mangles Kat, then just omit anything posted after this point. ))

If Fangs decided to back down, she would only very sloooowly pry her gaze from his, hissing softly, "Just wait."

Turning around, she then stared down both mages with the same degree of disdain, finally focusing on Krexx, though addressing them both, "I be one fer a good game. A good mind f***k. But now I just be getting f***king annoyed. Seems ye two be all buddy buddy. Let me guess, did 'ol Shaggy put ye both up to this, against each other to see who would get the keys first? Maybe a brotherly squabble er some sh*t?" She smirked and winked, "Oh I know... I knew all along."

[꧁ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲'𝓐𝓭𝓾𝓷𝓮 ꧂]

“KUUDA WOOD-ELF! MOVE OR BE SLAIN WITH THE THUXIS!”

Glowing eyes, suddenly wide with terror, looked up at Fangs, who, from her current angle, looked like a freaking giant. Kieg was suddenly between her and the looming Fangs. 

The pitchfork staff-thing was instantly dropped as she squeaked and fell backward, crab walking awkwardly to take cover behind Kieg.

"i'm s-s-s-s-sorry Ssssir!" she managed- just barely.  Fear seized her then, and she remained frozen in place as Kat appeared and inserted herself between the two men.

 "BACK.The.f***k.OFF."

The sound of Shari's heart pounding, she hoped, wasn't heard over all the yelling.  Although to her, she felt like it was the loudest thing in the room.

Grateful for Kieg, and Kat, she stared between everyone, not entirely sure what was going on.

"I be one fer a good game. A good mind f***k. But now I just be getting f***king annoyed. Seems ye two be all buddy buddy. Let me guess, did 'ol Shaggy put ye both up to this, against each other to see who would get the keys first? Maybe a brotherly squabble er some sh*t?" She smirked and winked, "Oh I know... I knew all along."

Oh right... She had forgotten about that, that the mad Prince had spoken to her and told her what he was doing, sort of, with Krexx... She had told the Lady.  Still, things remained clouded in a lot of confusion.

Still trying to calm her heart, she swallowed and very carefully, and very slowly, tried to find her feet to stand, her eyes locked on Fangs in case he should come at her.

[@sylverdubs]

Fangs lowered his head until he was eye-level with Kat. He was so close, she could feel the sharp, slow breaths escaping through his flaring nostrils. Fangs bared, growling softly but clearly, his yellow eyes bore into Kat's eyes.


"A dead wee-zard was promisssed. I will wait, sssnake-woman. Do not stop me again.'' He said, softly, chillingly. Suddenly he whirled around and stomped off, smashing whatever he could find with his huge mace and growling all the while. 


((if it wasn't obvious, Fangs is currently like a time-bomb. With a fickle timer. And a dozen different pressure points that could set him off...))

[Kieg]

((Sorry for the delay! Hoping to get to this tomorrow or the next day.))

[Kieg]

((Sorry for continuing delays, this post needs to be formatted with a bit more care than usual, and there's more happening these last couple of days than I anticipated. : /))

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

((It's ok, sounds like it's going to be juicy. RL first tho!))

[Kieg]

"Let me guess, did 'ol Shaggy put ye both up to this, against each other to see who would get the keys first? Maybe a brotherly squabble er some sh*t? Oh I know... I knew all along."

The Guardian Mage's mouth opens and closes in a fishlike manner, his curiously-shaped face bent into an almost comical expression of fear.

"I.." He squeaks, "You. You see. I ... It's. It's not... Krexx is my friend! My best and only friend! I just want him back the way he was, the way he is now isn't.. Right! Having the book will make it worse, I want..." Real tears spring out of the green-robed mage's eyes. He turns to fix the stricken Archmage with an anguished look. "I just want you to be happy!"

Krexx's beaten face slowly resolves into an expression of confusion and disgust. "...What..? How.. -dare- you condescend to me! Don't you. Know.. who I AM?"

"I DO! ...Veran it's YOU who doesn't know who you are! This isn't you.." The Guardian Mage pauses and seems to steel himself. His eyes flick between the others. "Sheogorath-"

Mid-word, the Guardian Mage freezes as though he'd suddenly become a painting.

A barely perceptible but unfathomably powerful ripple passes through the space, and what seems to be a man steps out from behind the air.

The silver-haired, purple clad figure turns to the unmoving Guardian mage and shakes his head in annoyance. "Tisk tisk! You only had ONE rule to follow! NOT TO MENTION ME!!" He shakes his head again and waves a dismissive hand. "..I'll deal with you later."

Sheogorath sighs and turns to face Krexx. A gleeful smile creeps the mad god's face as the Archmage stares back in angry defiance.

"O-ho! Looks like you've still got some fight in you, even after the mess you made of everything? All the power in the world and you still couldn't open a single book! HA!"

"Only becaus-" Krexx coughs and spits blood. "-only because of the asinine restrictions you set!"

Sheogorath laughs, leaning in close. "Well did you really expect it'd be easy to gain so valuable prize? Knowledge that would make you whole? To know the truth, about -everything-? " The prince snickers briefly at some private joke and then stands up straight. "Well the game's over now, you blew it!"

"NOTHING IS OVER!!" Krexx screams, his voice fraying. He thrashes in Kieg's grip, but the Nord's big hand doesn't budge in the slightest.


((
Pausing here to let people react or do things, but more explanation forthcoming, I promise. Sorry again for SUCH a long delay on this one.

The guardian mage appears to be alive and unharmed but is seemingly frozen and unaware, as though he has been stopped in time.
))