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Post by Shark a' Pult on Apr 6, 2014 1:54:04 GMT -5
Ermakor was home to some very lovely gardens. The arrangements were top-notch of course, but the real attraction was the various waterworks situated throughout. Since the primary city sat downstream of a great waterfall, it was just one more way of dealing with flooding problems. Artificial streams, wading pools, and even breathtaking fountains (including most notably, the jumping kind). One could very easily get lost in the beauty of the place, and lose a day amidst the water and flowers.
The place seemed emptier than usual though, or at least certain parts of it. It appeared as though a large portion of the gardens had been rented out for the day, preventing the common citizens and usual traffic from passing through. Only one figure stood out in this area, physically standing amidst the cool, calm waters of an extensive but shallow pool. The blue tiles lining the underside made the water take on an unbelievably clear, blue hue. All there was, was the sound of running waters, birds, and the occasional lotus flowers bumping into the legs of the person. They merely stood, and waited.
Appearance-wise it was difficult to discern much of anything about them since they wore a thick cloak and hood, but just from stature they appeared rather large and hulking, as if they had distinctively hunched shoulders.
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Post by CJ on Apr 10, 2014 12:02:59 GMT -5
Beth Anthony had the Devil's power or so they said.
Growing up on Gomorrah Island was tough, tough enough for a normal little girl to make any friends. Beth Anthony's powers alienated her from other children. She was prone to anger and rage and would often use her abilities to scare others away. It didn't help she didn't have a father and her mother was emotionally detached. It wasn't until she was much older that she learned what empathy was.
In her new life as Beth Anderson, she still liked to act tough, but inside she constantly struggled with anxiety, praying no one would find out about the horrible person she was. But was she a horrible person? She didn't have any tangible evidence for it, at least for any decisions she personally made. This nagging thought kept rising that somehow she didn't deserve any of it, her family, her friends, her former business and mostly everything else.
Her Devil Fruit powers had been with her since the beginning, so she never felt guilty about having them. They did lead to some issues in her social life though. The "energy" she felt from others painted a vague picture of them in her mind. Connor's aura flickered and waned, demonstrating his rather fragile heath. She often would address what she saw to people in question, making them understandably uncomfortable. It didn't help she could sense people in other rooms. Friendship with Beth often meant sacrificing privacy.
The being before her demonstrated a cluster of energies she had never seen before in what she assumed to be humanoid. Sure, she could feel the presence of ants and other clustered creatures, but this was totally different. She remembered Kaede's words, that the 4th rank was more of a group of people than one person. Rather than blurt out how much she knew about them, she figured she would let them explain it for themselves. Her goal was to defeat this "group" today, but she wanted to treat the ordeal as simply business. She already had too many enemies.
Plucking a lily nearby, Beth approached the pool of water, but did not enter it. Smiling briefly, she figured it wouldn't conflict with her inability to swim, even if she tripped and fell into it. She twisted a lily's stem in her fingers in anticipation, she looked up at the cloaked figure.
"Are you Number Four?" she asked. "I'm Beth Anderson. I was told to meet you here."
OOC: Let me know if this post isn't OK, Shark. I assumed Beth would be able to sense certain things.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Apr 11, 2014 1:01:53 GMT -5
"Aye, we are."
The cloak did a pretty good job of concealing the hulking figure, even as it turned to face and better address Beth. While it had been caught off guard by her arrival, it was not altogether perturbed or worried, and seemed fairly calm.
"Anderson you say, we remember that name. Destroyed the machine and jumped ahead of us. Some of us would have thought you'd go right along to Devastis, but here you are."
It was probably obvious to Beth what was meant by the machine and what happened, but there was some genuine curiosity or confusion in the person. At least, towards Beth, whomever this Devastis person was wasn't clear.
"To keep going would have been safer, this might be the one time backtracking is more dangerous. At least with the Second, you wouldn't die."
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Post by CJ on Apr 16, 2014 13:58:11 GMT -5
Beth was disappointed she couldn't see what was under the cloak. She faced a similar problem with Shroud Demon and the bucket over his head. Maybe it was because she had so much access to people's privacy that anything concealing identity made her uncomfortable, more than most people anyway.
Placing the lily in her pants pocket, she started to stretch her legs as she listened to the cloaked figure. She wore sweat pants and a long baggy shirt, not exactly the most noble or strong attire, but more practical than Connor's apron and khaki pants.
Devastis. So that was the name of the second ranked rogue, the first person she and Connor would team up against if she was successful here. She reminded herself to keep that thought in the back of her mind through this fight. After this, they'd be together and the Grand Path, at least in her perception, would be a cake walk.
"Oh, you think I'm going to die here? I thought these fights weren't to the death. Or was I mistaken? Then again, I did destroy Tomohawk, as you said. I guess death should be seen as an obvious risk."
She was outwardly confident, but a lingering fear grew inside her. If for some reason, she were to die here, Connor would be subject to this group of creatures and whoever else decided to challenge the Grand Path. He wouldn't last long, physically or mentally. Then Meek would be alone with only the Smith twins to protect him from the World Government and other scum.
In her heart, there was only one way this fight could end. She was going to win.
"Let's be civil, shall we?" she asked with a cheeky grin. "What should I call you all? Do you have individual names?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Apr 20, 2014 4:32:36 GMT -5
The cloaked personage didn't feel the need to deign Beth with a response towards her line of thought on the lethality of these fights. If she wasn't clear about the nature of things, she'd die for it.
"Let's be civil, shall we? What should I call you all? Do you have individual names?"
"You know what to call us. You wouldn't be here if you didn't."
Tugging at the cloak, the personage no longer felt a need to hide from the sun. Certainly they were a fishperson from their stature and various characteristics, but likely not one Beth had ever seen before. In fact they would be surprised if she was familiar with their marine animal counterpart. Like any fishperson they had a bigger build than the average human, but their profile was dominated by hunched back that seemed to contain nothing. Their body or rather their skin was transparent, organs visible within, but their back seemed to be filled only with air. In a way, it almost resembled something like a clear hollow turtle shell on their back. A closer inspection to see past their hulking, slouched figure, would also notice that they didn't seem to be entirely one person. Almost as if they were made of many different transparent fleshy building blocks, the being was certainly humanoid overall, but it looked almost like someone had create the mold of a man and filled it with amounts of different colored jello. In this way, while it was clear to discern them as one whole being, it could be difficult to make out any features since the differing body segments of various colors were distracting to say the least. At least the entity seemed to care about decency in some capacity, as underneath the cloak they had on at least a pair of dark blue swim trunks with a white trim, but that was about it.
A keen eye might make out a "head" with the normal features of any other head, but it clearly wasn't responsible for all of the voices.
"Do you have a next of kin arranged for your child? As we understand it, your partner is also involved in the game."
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Post by CJ on Apr 21, 2014 11:03:47 GMT -5
"So, you really want to be called Pet Shop then?" Beth asked with a smirk. "Suit yourselves, Pet Shop. I've got no fancy nicknames. Beth or Anderson will do."
There was nothing mysterious or wonderful about Beth Anderson in appearance or in name. If it wasn't for her introducing herself, Pet Shop might have mistaken her for a lost passerby. So when he started talking about her personal life, she was surprised. Then the realization sank in. Whatever these things were, they knew about her son. It all but confirmed her fears. Even if they were able to get out of the Grand Path, Meek would always be in danger. His identity alone lured creeping eyes, but now that both she and Connor were involved in the games, he might become target once more for someone or something else.
"How much do you all know about me?" she asked with a laugh and fake smile. "Seems like I can't get any privacy. All you need to know about the situation we have going for my son is that I'll be taking your rank today. It doesn't matter what we have set up for him. Connor and I getting out of these games one way or another. He's going to be safe"
Focusing on the creatures before her, she began to analyze the auras about them. Unlike most people, she couldn't get a clear feel what of it was she was looking at. For once in a long time, her inexperience with whatever they were made her Devil Fruit powers nearly useless for deduction.
"I've heard of Devil Fruit that can create life, but from what I'm sensing of you, this seems to be natural. You look like a fishman, but you're not one person. What the hell are all of you?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Apr 23, 2014 4:39:30 GMT -5
This human talked a lot. Also she didn't plan ahead, so it would be a shame when her child ended up in an orphanage.
"Never seen a Man o' War?"
As the cloak drifted away, across the pool with the water current, Pet Shop began to wade towards the shore and Beth.
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Post by CJ on Apr 24, 2014 11:09:08 GMT -5
Beth paused and tilted her head.
"Man of war? Of course I have. See em' all the time. I've hired an ex-Marine at the restaurant I used to manage. Not sure what that has to do with your composition though."
It was clear she wasn't book smart or at least had little education in aquatic life. She had a sympathetic look on face, peering at Pet Shop as though they were the ignorant ones.
"It doesn't matter if you can fight or not. You won't get the opportunity, Pet Shop. Your energy is mine."
She reached forward and pulled her arm back in a rapid motion. In this action, a clear, white aura would pull out of Pet Shop and seep into Beth's skin. If they didn't do something soon, they would succumb to sleep or exhaustion, having their very energy stolen.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Apr 25, 2014 3:41:55 GMT -5
As soon as she reached forward, Pet Shop turned themself side face in anticipation for some attack. Instead, they felt something entirely different, of being tired. The segments of that side, particularly their arm, began to droop as the energy was stolen. There was more than just one source of energy though, and still the hulking figure stumbled through the water now, nearing the shore and the target.
Swinging their other side forward, a mass of various animals seemed to erupt from their form. Whole animals, including a dog of some kind and a rhino-looking beast, what looked like an ostrich or other large bird and a type of insect with nasty looking pincers. All of them connected though, like some sort of chimeric abomination of nature. The energy-robbed segments of their body remained as they were, but it seemed more and more of the rest of the body was shifting into yet more animals.
All vocalizing their rage if possible, and practically clawing their way over each other to get at their one united purpose; the human that seemed to be more a threat than they realized.
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Post by CJ on Apr 28, 2014 19:04:39 GMT -5
Beth lifted her hand and watched the energy swirl about her arm. It was multicolored, which wasn't surprising to her, considering the being was actually many different creatures. It seemed into her skin as she watched the group transform into a variety of dangerous animals.
"What the fuck?" she shouted in surprise. "THAT'S why they call you guys Pet Shop? I'm sure you can't buy half of those things from a normal shop!"
Stepping back, she watched as the creatures formed together into something she only once heard of in fairy tales.
"What exactly did I steal from you freaks?" she asked, as they fought each other to reach her.
She found herself ducking and swerving under hoofs and talons, but she didn't think about it. It just happened. It was as though her body knew exactly what to do without ever having to think about it. It was like breathing.
In a quick and static motion, she brought her one arm up in an a devastating upper cut, intending to send the creatures flying. In the action of the attack alone, her body became larger and her muscles tenser. The energy she sucked from Pet Shop was making her more animal-like, though it was yet to be seen what animals she had harvested energy from.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 3, 2014 4:44:30 GMT -5
The process of physically touching the beast might be on the list of most painful things Beth would ever experience. When it was sent hurtling away, back into the water a good distance away, an array of what appeared to be clear threads connected her hand to Pet Shop. Hanging like power lines over a distance, they were actually the uncoiled stingers naturally present in the body of the being. With the sensation of a hot knife digging into her skin, the stingers uncoiled upon making contact and began to spread through the affected area, tearing through skin right down to ripping apart nerves. The secondary effect and risk however, was that the longer they continued to perforate her hand from within, the more venom they spread. The initial result of which, would feel as though her skin was boiling off, or something similar to that.
All the while, the array of threads tethering her to Pet Shop drew her towards the creature. Not all that strongly since only her fist had made contact, but enough that resisting caused further pain and the spreading process to speed up. The question was how to break away though, since contact with the threads would only begin the process anew with whatever unaffected skin came into contact with them. Thus, an effort such as grabbing the lot with her unaffected hand and trying to snap the connection, would simply cause the stingers to further activate and start spreading to her other hand. Something like gloves or a means of protecting the skin to come into contact, or even some tool or weapon to break the connection would do but without those or something akin, Beth might be faced with a very real danger.
Pet Shop itself though, wasn't out of the fight entirely. Beth's blow sent it flying and combined with the further sapping of energy, only a few portions of the body remained active. A small, but wildly disparate collection of animals thrashing about under the rest of the body's weight and unable to move. It didn't seem that Pet Shop would be much of a threat on it's own anymore, but even completely taken out, the stinging process and drawing prey closer and closer would continue regardless. Even if the creature were killed, since the whole stinging and ensnaring process was involuntary to begin with.
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Post by CJ on May 4, 2014 22:22:45 GMT -5
The moment seemed to last forever.
In one of the longest seconds of her life, Beth stared at her right hand, almost admiring the clear strands that were embedded in her skin. She had never seen anything like it before, threads that reflected the colors of the flowers surrounding them. So this was the Grand Path, a collection of beautiful wonders, hidden in bloodshed.
The pain hit her like a bolt of lightning. She collapsed and cringed, gripping onto her wrist. In her panic, she fortunately didn't touch her knuckles with her other hand, but it wasn't that much better. Her mind went wild as she tried to think of anything to stop the pain. She threw her fist into the ground, but it only made it worse.
Silently screaming, she succumbed to the pain, completely forgetting everything. She couldn't think of anything or anyone now. Her husband and son were gone. All that was left was the pain.
Like her movements before against the chimera, her instincts overruled her consciousness. The energy changed her more and more. Her skin became paler, more translucent. Her nails grew as her pupils became slits, widened, thinned and changed rapidly, trying to juggle the mass of various auras caught and raging within her, much like the beasts before her.
After coming to a stand, she actually grabbed onto the threads with her other hands and began to wrap them around her wrist. The pain coursed through her, but it didn't stop her. She tried to create tension between her and Pet Shop. If successful, she would fling the monsters into the ground. Regardless, she paced toward them, aiming to feed off their energy from the bond between them.
With every second she was growing more and more like them. Her face was practically as lifeless as the group's had been at the beginning of the fight. Nothing mattered anymore but sucking every last bit of energy from the creatures and ignoring the pain pulsing now throughout her entire body.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 4, 2014 23:42:21 GMT -5
The force at which Beth gripped the stingers and pulled, was enough to snap them, even before her intent to swing Pet Shop around and smash it into the ground and such. The collection animals as well, the minority unable to move the majority, soon succumbed to her energy draining effect.
Before long, the fearsome creature lay motionless in the water. Something worth noting though that even with the stingers physically separated from the beast, they would continue their stinging process, but at least there wasn't a risk of Beth being drawn towards Pet Shop and touched with even more stingers in more places.
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Post by CJ on May 5, 2014 23:40:01 GMT -5
Beth pulled her arms to yank Pet Shop again and realized the thread had snapped. She tilted her head, curious as to why the threads weren't any stronger. Was she just that powerful? She wasn't so sure.
Pacing to the collection of creatures in the pool, she staggered as her legs twisted and turned toward the fountain.
"How do you stop it?" she gasped as her whole body shook.
Her eyes were dull and lifeless. Her body was nearly identical in composition to Pet Shop in the beginning of their encounter, though only one segment. She collasped at the edge of fountain. Her arm drapped over the side of the fountain, nearly hitting the water. Her slited eyes focused on it as it transformed into a bird's wing, a paw and then back to the translucent jelly-like tone.
"How do you stop the pain?" she asked again, holding her head low as her body continued to spasm.
What was she even there for? The pain was so intense, she couldn't think straight. There were two people in her life who meant something to her, but they didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that she wanted the pain to end. Unfortunately, this also applied to Pet Shop. She had no idea to what extent she put the creatures in. The pain was so immense, she couldn't tell if they were conscious. She wanted an answer, but would she get it?
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 6, 2014 2:54:57 GMT -5
"Beth? Beth!"
At some point or other, Kaede arrived on the scene, afraid that what had been worrying her had come true. Pulling Beth away from the fountain, she went through basic triage procedures to make sure she was at least alive. She wasn't a doctor, but she knew it was bad.
"Bader, I need an anti-venom kit!"
"Ey yo dat betch is deeeaaad."
The robot floated around nearby, but seemed more interested in the downed Pet Shop and began to gravitate towards it, intending to poke at it.
"Not if I can help it! Oh, and some vinegar as well!"
"Chill gurl, I'll get around to it in a-"
"I NEED IT NOW!"
Her emotions got the best of her, since having to respond to the robot took her focus away from Beth, but she shouted without pulling her attention from the one who needed it. Surprisingly enough, the robot didn't have some crass retort or turn to violence, but actually sputtered away in the air a little.
"It's... it's done."
It might have seemed like an eternity for Beth, but moments later and a storage capsule touched down nearby, smashing through the paved path and sending up a little debris. Scrambling for the contents inside, Kaede had some difficulty given her physical shortcomings, and cursed herself for it. Eventually though she made it back to Beth with a bag, and a jug. Emptying the vinegar on Beth's hands, she called after the robot that had slowly drifted over to watch.
"Here, take the stingers off her please."
"Done."
The vinegar afforded some relief, but even just removing the threads caused the stinging effect to speed up, and then there was the issue of actually drawing out the already spread cnidocytes. Kaede would have done it herself and it would have been faster, but even with just a layer of skin over her mechanical endoskeleton, she still would have felt it. As well, she didn't have the kind of robotic precision that Bader had, and the robot with several extended arms worked to a maddening level of care to properly remove the stingers.
It was not short or easy process, but tossing them into the water after, Beth was no longer at risk of being stung to death. Only the venom in place remained, that final looming threat that threatened to take her from this world. Kaede though wasn't about to let that happen, and she had the proper tools for the occasion.
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