2022.08.13 Eye Scream, You Scream

Eye Scream, You Scream
A spy is discovered aboard the Space Boat
IC Date	August
IC Time	Afternoon
Players	Pancake Branton Irsa Rhapsody
Location	Low Earth Orbit, Umbra
Prp/Tp	The beginning of a terrible plot
Spheres	Gaian Garou

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Cast: Rhapsody: Mr. Blue, Branton: Mr. Red, Irsa: Mr. Purple, Mercy: Mr. Green, ST: Mr. Black

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The story opens with the ship parked where the group can enjoy the sights of the Southern Lights while they chit chat.

xxxxxRhapsody blinks, and blinks, and blinks again. She points out there, down the hull of the ship where it starts to curve. "Do you see that? I .. I think it's a large eyeball? Eyeballs are not supposed to be that big... Mercy?" She has never seen something quite like that before. "Should we be concerned it is looking at us?"

xxxxxIrsa grunts, stashing that advice away. "Yeah. I'll do that. He's... yeah. Probably best t' check him out yourself." She looks up with a grin as Branton appears. "Heya! How ya been?" she asks him. "This ship's amazing. Pancake's been showin' us the sights." She sits up, looking over her shoulder at Rhapsody's words. "What?"

xxxxxBranton grins and is sitting down next to his mate as he looks to Rhapsody and then off to where she's pointing. He blinks a couple times and adds calmly "Well that's new."

xxxxxThere's *something* that ducks back past the curve of the hull when Rhapsody points it out, it might have been an eyeball, might have been a bit of space junk, but whatever it was is gone now. Or it's hiding.

xxxxx"Wait, what? What did you see?" Mercy asks with an alarmed expression. Not necessarily like she knows something the others don't, but like who wouldn't be really alarmed about a space eye ball, right? She leans WAY out there trying to see, and asks, "Where??"

xxxxxRhapsody has her hands ready to grab Iris if she falls off the side or something looking. "I have no idea what that was, but it seems to be hiding? Do you have another side to look out? Maybe it moved over there?" She does not know the lay of this ship to know. "That was just really weird.. Or I'm paranoid?"

xxxxxIrsa doesn't know what the hell's going on, but she's not going to take chances. She shifts up to Glabro, all the better to death-grip railings as she slides onto the deck. She joins Rhapsody in looking over the side. "I didn't see anythin'. What'd this eye look like?"

xxxxxBranton grins wryly at Rhapsody "You might be paranoid. That doesn't mean you're wrong though." Then he moves to stand by his mate "Want to get your wings out to go have a look? Or I could use my boots?"

xxxxxJust then, there's a high pitched scream from down at the far end of the ship, and a twiggy little plant spirit that just came up here to work in the garden in exchange for some easy gnosis comes sprinting down the balcony with terror on its green face, leaves quivering as it zooms towards the enclosed garden for safety. It does not bother to stop and tell anyone what it saw, it's just fleeing. But at least we know Rhapsody probably isn't full of crap!

xxxxxMuch more alarmed, Mercy stands and shouts, "Enemies on board! Search the ship!" a couple of times. Her 'intercom' lizards begin running around, shouting out her orders in their obnoxious Gilbert Godfrey voices. She's already nodding to Branton and FLOOF!ing out her dove wings. "Find it!" she says to the others, and dives overboard and into the light show.

xxxxxRhapsody doesn't have wings - just legs. She goes after the plant spirit that is fleeing calling out, "What was it? What did you see?" She gives up after it escapes her view and she begins heading the other direction toward where the plant spirit came from.

xxxxxPrimal Figure doesn't wait for the grass to grow under her feet. I mean, she's on Iris' ship, it could happen, but not right now! "I got high, can ya get low?" she calls out to Rhapsody, as she shifts to the war-form. The enemy is here, to arms! Hammer-Tooth snarls as she follows after Rhapsody, leaping up with her Gift to gain the higher deck so she can cover her almost packmate from above.

xxxxxBranton starts chanting and assorted bits of glassware and cutlery float out from behind the bar and start orbiting Branton as he moves to block anything that might make it past the garou in direction of the fleeing spirit.

xxxxxMost of the spirit crew of the ship look confused and alarmed, those unfit for defense running towards the ship's innards while other more capable things either produce their own weaponry parts or find weapons available to use. They're not really sure WHAT they're defending against, just that someone saw something and now there's a problem! The cannons along the sides of the ship 'totally help' by just randomly firing into space and making noise. So helpful.
xxxxxFrom on high, Irsa can see some of the crew fleeing from... something... it DOES look an awful lot like an eyeball though, down towards the stern of the ship, near the railing.
xxxxxFrom down low, Rhapsody can hear the spirit-speak equivalent of 'what the fuck is that thing?!' and 'Oh Gaia, it's so slippery! IT TOUCHED MEEEEEEEE!'

xxxxxFrom behind these two, Branton gets the influx of fleeing spirits, who are all in that state of panicked confusion, alerted to danger but not knowing if it's a particularly ornery bee or like a giant dragon of doom, or what.

xxxxxHammer-Tooth snarls, << There's an eye near the railing, down near the stern! Do you see it, Rhapsody? >> She's already reaching for the crossbow across her back as she nimbly darts across the upper dart, looking to get within firing range.

xxxxxRhapsody hears the spirits and knows there is something really off here. She shifts to crinos as she keeps moving through the ship to get a better look at whatever this is. >> Get inside! We'll take care of this! << Better to be safe than sorry, she's ready with all she can bring to bare. Looking more where Hammer-Tooth is calling out, she's getting closer to the railing near the stern to look for herself.

xxxxxBranton has an established policy of when in combat to let the garou go first, as a general rule. So he's guiding the non-combatants to safety and maintaining his sorcerous terrain hazard of whirling bits of glass and metal "The Pantry only has the one access point right? you'll be safe in there. The garou will have this sorted shortly."

xxxxxAt the rear of the ship, now within visual range of both Garou, there is, in fact, an eye. It's almost the size of a human head, and there's no lids or any other sort of fleshy encasement, just the freakin eyeball. It's HIGHLY mobile though, the optical nerve of the thing acting as a sort of stalk for it while it's many, many little flappy end tendrils act as feet. Now to be clear, this does not look like a human eye, it's a fuckin weird eye with an oblong orange-red iris and long slit pupil, the nerve-body a sort of purplish red and its sclera has purple-reddish veins running across it. It has no mouth, of course, but its body language is all 'OH CRAP!' as it skitters with horrifying nimbleness across the deck, trying to find a way out of this or a place to hide!
xxxxxMeanwhile, Branton guides the gentler spirits to safety, and only one or two briefly wonders if they're going into the pantry because they're food now. Not that they argue, they'd much rather be safe with a lifetime's supply of Dorito's than out there where the scary stuff is.

xxxxxRhapsody calls out, >> Something wyrmy, this way comes! << in her best pirate voice, but in Garou so it does not come out like a pirate one bit. Rhapsody shifts into crinos. Protector-of-Hope takes the hilt of her Power Blade, and activates it, much like a Jedi with his lightsaber. It has that same exact sound of the beeeezzzzeeerrrk of electricity creating the sword with the hilt. >> Ready to eat sparks, wyrm! <<

xxxxxEven though this thing is literally just an eye and nothing else, it's easy to see that 'oh shit!' vibe intensify as its pupil narrows to a slit at the sight of not one, but TWO garou! Oh shit oh shit oh shit! It's probably the shock of this unexpected turn of events that makes it's retreat so terrible and sloppy! It practically trips over its own tendrils as it tries to get up over the railing, leaving some suspicious wet spots in its wake. Does crying count as peeing your pants if you're just an eyeball? Asking for a friend.

xxxxxHammer-Tooth takes a couple of shots at the eye is it retreats, but it's too quick for her. The bolts zip past the eye as the theurge growls in frustration.

xxxxxAll the Eye wants to do is get off this crazy boat, but before it could even try a freakin light saber is coming at it and it's forced to try and dodge to one side. As quick and skittery as it is, this does not go well for it and it's tagged soundly by Rhapsody's sword. The eye is tough! It's really NOT tough, but it managed to avoid getting popped like the world's most disgusting grape, so there's that!

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope raises the blade again, and the buzzzz with the slice along with a burning sound cuts through the air as she hits and damages the eye. She waits for any squirt of gloop from thie eye creature, but not moving because she wants that attack to go through!

xxxxxOh no, things are REALLY going bad for the Eye, as it's first slashed by this burning hot electrical blade, and then sees Hammer Tooth almost right on it! It tried again to get out of the way, to get away from the Garou, but it just is not working. Bleeding some sort of gross whiteish goop from the mostly cauterized cut in its sclera, it stumbles aside and it just knows it's about to die.

xxxxxHammer-Tooth slings the crossbow across her back and races across the deck. She bounds down from the upper deck like a rabid hare on meth, snarling a hymn of death and destruction with every step. She lashes out with a set of claws as she reaches the Eye, tearing through the wyrmy thing like... well, like a Garou with a nasty set of claws. What a mess!

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope makes a turn around, and slices at the eye again with her powerful lightsaber and it SIZZLES as it slices through the air. >> PEW PEW!!! << the crinos spirit warrior howls as she does. That must not have pleased anyone, as he swing may hit, but does NOTHING.

xxxxxI wouldn't say nothing, a taser doesn't do damage but it still hurts like hell! No new wounds though. The eyeball is stumbling, some of its tendrils don't work right and just drag behind it, it's not perfectly round any more and it's gettin goop all over the deck. AND on the garou that keeps touching it with her pointy bits.

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope gets it right now. Instead of slicing, she goes for smacking it. She holds the lightsaber and prepares it like a bat. She joins in the sound of it being held there, >> Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnn << Measures up the target, and SWINGS BATTER BATTER!! >> Vrãu! vrãu! << She's getting the hand of this now. It is enough force to not only do damage, but to send it flying into the mast of the ship where it hits with a loud THAK. It's squished and goo and just slides down the mast until it lands on the ship in just a puddle of mush.

xxxxxLike a disgusting water balloon that's been sputched against a wall, ocular fluid goes EVERYWHERE when it hits the mast. It looks like the whole back of the ship got the money shot. And why wouldn't it, space boat has a nice broad backside. The creature is finally still, its slightly smashed pupil not dilating at all, just laying there in a gross heap. POSSIBLY waiting for a jump scare! But probably no it's just dead.

xxxxxHammer-Tooth isn't about to wait for that to happen fake-out to happen. She's seen way too many zombie movies. With a growl she pounces on the creature, piercing it with her claws to make sure that Eye-thing is fully dead. << There's more Wyrm-taint. Do you smell it? >> she asks Protector-of-Hope.

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope sniffs around and says, >> Still some Wyrm, but it may just be the good all over here from that... eyeballthingy? << That's a good technical term, right? >> We should cleanse the ship first. Then can see if there is anything left or what. <<

xxxxxMercy is briefly seen making a pass over the ship on her way to Branton to tell him, "I didn't find anything else." And to try and shut the cannons up. And the lizards, they need to shut up too. This boat gets noisy some times! She's not at the Cliath pair yet, but she can see some of their deck space and says, "Holy Gaia, did something explode?" when she sees eye goop all over the place.

xxxxxHammer-Tooth slides the rapidly-deflating spirit corpse where Mercy can see it. >> This thing. We didn't see any others either, but both of us smelled taint. <<

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope is looking over this thing and thinking. >> Mercy's Messenger'rhya? What do you know of these things? If I'm recalling correctly, I know it is a bane and from what it looks like and how it did not really have combat abilities, I'm betting this was a spy. Coming to spy on your ship. << She is going full investigative mode now. >> This may just be the beginning. <<

xxxxxHammer-Tooth snorts. >> Figures. I don't know what kind of Bane it is, but I bet there's more spies around. <<

xxxxx"Ew. One second..." Mercy says, and leaves the deck real quick to go get some ritual supplies. And a mop. Her player goes to get coffee!

xxxxxBranton gives a low whistle as he comes up on deck and gets a look at the remains "A Scryer bane. One of the most obnoxious kinds really if you think about it. Never seen one in person, They're a stealth recon sort."

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope growls a little bit, mostly in frustration. >> Space Boat is here over .. Australia .. and it followed here? Or maybe was here and just found us. No, it sounds more like something fishy going on. <<

xxxxxHammer-Tooth wrinkles her muzzle. >> So, someone's really got it out for you two. The question is who that might be. How many enemies might know you're out here? >> she asks Branton.

xxxxxMercy returns with a bowl of clear water and a willow sprig, just a little one from a little dwarf tree in the garden, but handy for the job of cleansing. Also she has that mop she was after. "Who's our rite leader today?" she asks, looking at the two junior Theurges. Sure, she could do it, but why take the fun away from other people? Besides, the danger appears to be all dead as far as she can tell. For herself, Mercy is doing a decent job of not looking like she's freaking out, holding those eyebrows DOWN damn it, though she's listening, and she's not liking what she's hearing! But she's thinking about the question posed by Irsa even so.

xxxxxBranton tilts his head and considers "It could have been in transit and stumbled across us. Enemies though? I generally don't leave live ones behind me but there was this one I never tracked down directly and the stuff I was putting in that file stopped happening. And since I generally don't look for trouble I let it go. There was some...artificial fomori that turned up pestering some sorcerers I sold some goods to. And eventually it just stopped. Maybe whoever was behind it didn't actually leave town? Or left and came back?"

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope looks to Hammer-Toot, >> I got in the final blow, you go ahead and lead the rite and I'll assist. << She prefers to share and share alike. >> It sounds like this is a mystery. Perhaps there is some way to trace where it came from? <<

xxxxxHammer-Tooth turns to Rhapsody. >> Sure you don't wanna Rock paper scissors for it? << she rumbles. She extends her fist over her palm in the classic schoolyard battle posture. Her jaws part in a wolfish grin.

xxxxxMercy hands over the ritual stuff to Irsa - or to Rhapsody, whomever! - and steps back, then says, "Oh shit!" and whirls to ask Branton, "Is Pink here or at the caern?!" with a sudden rush of panic. Doubtless he's fine even if he IS here, but still, worried mom. He might be being LOOKED at by an EYE!

xxxxxBranton grins wryly at Iris "He was picking some replacement elderberries. There was some enthusiasm and an incident that wound up with his fur gaining a new color. There's places still in the patrolled lands that have some coming in wild and ripe."

xxxxxHammer-Tooth grins and throws, coming up with rock. Nice, strong, solid rock, but utterly predictable for her. Her love of throwing bricks and rocks is well known.

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope was ready for this - and while nothing beats good old rock - paper does! She throws her hand out with a flat palm, and boom! She wins! Taking up the implements Mercy has passed off to her, she begins the ritual.

xxxxxMercy relaxes, but it takes some effort. Still, he's not HERE in danger, thank goodness. It takes a minute for the tension to drain a bit, while Hammer and Protector rock paper scissors their decision out, but by the time they've decided and the impliments are passed over, she's not quite at the edge of a freak out any more, and leans against Branton while the ritual is done on Irsa and the stern of the ship.

xxxxxHammer-Tooth growls a laugh. >> Nicely done! << She begins helping Rhapsody with the prep work and lends her own efforts to the Cleansing ritual.

xxxxxBranton is soothing his mate's nerves. Its an important job for sure. Otherwise he's just being quiet while the ritual's in progress.

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope leads the dance, and chants along, although it comes off more as just yips and growls while in crinos. But it is super respectful as she goes along. While a solemn important rite, it is a bit light hearted as they are removing the dark taint post the friendly game.

xxxxxOh shit, this one's a dance version of the Cleansing rite. It's all good, Hammer-Tooth's got moves, as her prowess at Torey's party proved. No Beyonce, alas, this is serious spiritual business. She follows Protector-of-Hope's lead, lending her deep, booming voice to the song.

xxxxxMercy howls with the rest to frighten away the Wyrm as the ritual closes up. As the rite banishes away the taint, the dead bane begins to unmake itself, drifting away in bits and pieces and becoming nothing as it returns to the spirit. Sadly, it's just going to get back up again somewhere else after some undetermined period of time, like a god damned zombie. With most of its remains gone, Mercy un-leans from Branton to mop at some messes on the deck and says, "Well, that was not how I was expecting today to go. But we got a cool light show, so... I mean that sorta balances everything out. Gaia. ... You want me to steer us back to California?" she asks the group in general.

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From here, our heroes returned to Prospect, off to take care of their own business.