Event Log: Predator vs. Prey

[hadrielmods]

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the Predator vs Prey event
Where: All over the city
When: March 13th-March 21st
Warnings: None

It all starts with an explosion, because Rage is excellent at managing her anger. But an explosion isn't enough - she hasn't worked out all her feeling yet. Not until the city itself has gotten caught up in her anger at Fear for being unable to save Delight. And yeah, that means you.

So now you're a predator (Rage) or prey (Fear). You want to hunt, or you're being hunted. Maybe you were defenseless before, or maybe you're the sort who no one could be afraid of... but it's different now, because the gods are passing on their blessings to you. All the better to catch and kill, or run and hide.

What will you do? Try to resist the urge? Good luck with that. Who would want to resist, anyway, when it feels so right to give in? Hunt someone down like a cat after a mouse, or flee like a deer before wolves. Maybe you can find someone to help you, whether that means hunting in packs or looking for safety in numbers. Who knows, maybe you'll even make a few new friends while trying to kill your old ones.

► This log covers March 13th-March 21st.
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you get caught by a predator or have things turned on you by your prey, please let us know here.

Comments

[pocketspa]

[He hasn't gotten as far as he wanted. Ten seconds is not very far for as far as he wants to be from her- which is very right now- and he can hear her screaming still. He has to do something though; she's savage, she's running around, who knows who she could go after next. She knows where they live, could find Angus or Lup--

He swallows hard at the thought of facing her again. Could he kill her? There was a point he would have absolutely said yes without any hesitation. But is he worried now because of the stupid liches, or because he actually might--

Taako shakes his head with a sigh, trying to dispell the thought of it from his mind and silently hoping she isn't loading up a locate person spell or something. As quiet as he can, he slides from his hiding spot in a nearby building, peering around the corner to where he knows he left her, still trying to think of a plan as his mind reels.]

[madamdirector]

[ Lucretia's not about to waste her spell slots on Locate Person right now. Not when they could be put to better, more violent use. If Taako's still around, she'll find him. If not...she'll find another target. Sooner rather than later.

Going after Lup or Angus specifically isn't something that occurs to her, though. She wants prey, any prey. Bonus points if it's Taako, who deserves this so badly, who's been so stubborn and frustrating for months, who'd trapped her and run like a coward rather than face her...but if not, the next person she happens to run across will do.

She scours the area, staff gripped tightly in her hand, and she's just about ready to conclude that he'd transfigured himself and scurried away like the insect he is when she catches sight of something out of the corner of her eye.

He's still mostly hidden by the building, nothing much more visible than one arm resting on the side of the building and half his face as he peers fearfully at her. It's enough.

Lucretia cries out in mixed rage and triumph and raises her staff, three Magic Missles shooting out of it and streaking down the street directly towards Taako's exposed arm. ]

[pocketspa]

[Shit.

He sees her coming too late, once the spell has already been cast, doesn't have the reaction to react fast enough. The missiles slam into him and an audible crack rings out through the air, followed by his own scream as he pulls himself back to grab at his bicep.]

Fuck!

[He's gripping his arm too hard, feeling the bone slip in a grating pain that forces him to clench his teeth. Shit. Shit.

Taako's eyes whip up towards her and for once, he feels actually afraid.]

Lucretia, come on, don't-- don't fucking test me!

[He doesn't wait for her answer, and just tries to get away.]

[madamdirector]

Test you?

[ She laughs, loud and cruel, actually stopping in surprise. ]

What are you going to do, Taako? You gonna stop me? Huh? You've never managed before.

[ He's scrambling away, but she just stays where she is, looking down at him maliciously. ]

I own you. I ruined you and you didn't even know. You're pathetic.

Go on. Just try and stop me. Just try and run away. I'll fucking find you.

[pocketspa]

[He doesn't know when this got real. He can't pinpoint the exact time, maybe-- maybe it was the Circle of Death, maybe it's the way he can feel the break in his arm grate against each other as he tries to move, the tears he can feel pricking involuntarily at his eyes from the pain of it all. Shit. Shit, she's actually going to kill him, he doesn't--

Fuck pulling his spells. He can't do everything that requires large gestures and he knows she knows that she's gotten him, but he can do this. His hurt arm is pressed to his side, but he can turn the palm, hold the Krebstar in his good hand to slide it across as he stumbles back, and for a second, there's a small, bright line in the ground between the two of them.

And then the street bursts into flames.

The wall of fire separates them, burning heat towards her so she can only see him through the flickering flames. He moves his good hand across his body to hold the busted one in place, dragging his cape off-shoulder to haphazardly press it against him.]

You don't own shit! You're never going to fucking own me! You wanna see hell??

[He nods out at the fire separating them, unsteady on his feet.]

Then come fucking get me!

[madamdirector]

[ She just watches, her eyes glinting in triumph when she sees the way he's cradling his broken arm. He's beaten. Even if he manages to pull off one more miracle and buy himself a few seconds, even if he manages to evade her for a few more seconds after that, he's taken too much damage. It's inevitable now.

She flinches back from the fire, shielding her face against the heat, but a moment later she straightens up again, retreating back a few feet and gazing scornfully at him through the flames. ]

I don't have to.

[ She can end him from right here, thanks. She raises her staff and icy hailstones begin pounding down on the far side of the fire, centered directly on Taako's position. ]

[pocketspa]

[Well that was fucking stupid. He has area of attack spells, why would he do that--]

Shit!

[The hail pelts him and he makes the decision that his arm can't get more broken, so that's the meat that'd going to protect him. One still hits his face, too close to his eye, cutting the skin there as blood goes past his vision and drips down his face. Damn damn damn damn. Fuck this.

He needs to run, and he knows it, but he won't go out without a fight. He extends his hand forward, and the wall curves away from him and starts to encircle her, nowhere to run but through the flames or back away. He's making his own moves out through the slippery, ice-rocked floor, trying to stay in range of the fire spell and out of the ice so he can properly bolt. As soon as his feet are clear, he'll run, regardless of how close she's following.]

[madamdirector]

[ Lucretia tries to move forward, then stumbles back again as the flames curve closer in. She can't put out the wall of fire and attack at the same time, and with Rage's fury coursing through her veins, critical thinking isn't her strong suit at the moment.

Which is lucky for Taako. Rather than taking a moment to try to douse the flames or cast something on herself to allow her to pass safely through, she focuses instead on him. The Scorching Ray that shoots through the barrier won't be easy to dodge or fun if it hits, but as long as he keeps running, he'll be out of range and safe from her in a matter of seconds. Congratulations, Taako. You solved her murder puzzle. ]

[pocketspa]

[Oh wow, a murder puzzle he solved without murdering the person back! That feels like a new record.

At first he thinks the heat he's feeling is from his own spell, but he turns just in time to see the bolt of unknown fire flying at him. He's got no shield, nothing to fucking block with, and he throws himself to the nearest cover before it hits. It's... not a perfect dodge, for sure, and he feels it over his shoulders, the painful burn as it scorches exposed skin. But he's alive. He won't stop moving this time, even as his body screams in protest, until he can find a quiet corner to get his bearings.

Welp. That's another thing to go in the file of never discuss ever again. He can do that, right?

Sure.]