Never Ending Nightmare (Tiffanian)

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Her mother held the holly berries in one hand as Miranda disrobed, and then carefully returned the center of the painted circle. Her mother stared at Miranda for several moments after she'd proclaimed that she was ready, the stillness of the small ritual chamber immediately becoming claustrophobic. Nero, the subject that had inspired this particular idea, remained silent and distant within Miranda, but as the seconds ticked by, she felt his presence stirring again. This time was unlike when she had willingly called upon the daemon's aid, however, in that she felt his presence swelling, as if spreading throughout Miranda's mind and soul, and threatening to consume it. His voice issued suddenly into Miranda's thoughts, the forced intrusion of the daemon jarring and unpleasant; "You would be dead without me. You owe me, little cretin. Do not think that I will allow you to force me into captivity again without taking you with me." Pain once more exploded through Miranda's head, as though her skull was being cracked open, and she was once more bombarded with uncontrollable rage and abject terror.

However, just as the mental assault began crippling Miranda, her mother suddenly crushed the berries she had been holding. A drop of juice fell onto part of the circle, and the entire construction suddenly lit up with dark red light as a frown of concentration cross her mother's face. The circle blocked Miranda's view of her mother as it flared to life, forming a barrier around her, and the attack from Nero suddenly stopped altogether. "You think that you can survive out there, without me? You are nothing but a frightened little girl, too stupid to see the meaning behind the events around you. Do you think that your whore of a mother will be able to protect you? She can't even protect herself, Miranda. You saw how easily she gave in to those three. There are thousands, just like them, waiting for you outside. Eventually, they will take you both... And then you'll be just like them! empty, soulless shells! I can protect you! I can pro- argghhh!!"

Another presence delicately touched against Miranda's senses, and she felt Nero receding from her. An image of her mother, holding glowing crimson threads that had wrapped around her, appeared in Miranda's mind along with the crisp instruction; "Don't move."

Pain came again, but this time it came from all over her body, and the idea of curling up into a ball on the floor became incredibly appealing. As threads of power pierced into Miranda's spirit, the pain was amplified, and dwarfed even the torments that Nero had forced upon her when the daemon had taken control of her. The agony continued for what felt like years as Nero was torn forcibly from her soul, even though the entire process only took a few seconds overall.

An inky blackness suddenly wafted out from Miranda's body, and was absorbed into the glowing patterns of magic around her. The red light both intensified and darkened at the same time, and then suddenly began to close in around her. The light collected into a column around her, and then suddenly descended downwards, into the box between her feet. Eventually, the light disappeared into the box, and the ornate thing closed and locked itself. She could no longer feel Nero's presence within her, and the pain had faded down to a dull ache.... But Miranda also felt like some part of her had changed with the loss of the daemon. As if a... A hole, had been left in her soul, and only partially patched over. "Are you alright, Miranda?"

(Gain the Open Soul Flaw, but also 8 experience.)

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Miranda stood in uneventful silence for a few seconds, though it seemed like far longer than that. As time ticked away she grew more and more anxious, worried that nothing was happening, and her worries only increased as she felt Nero slowly creep into her consciousness, finally aware of what was going on. This time she felt his presence much more acutely than when she had voluntarily called upon him, almost seeming to edge her out of her own mind before even starting the attack that she knew was coming. The daemon’s words stung her, but before she could reply Nero began bombarding her mind just as he had when he had taken over her body before. Her head throbbed and pounded with some of the most intense pain she had ever felt in her life, that alone threatening to overwhelm her. Next came the barrage of images and feelings, ranging from things that were simply terrifying to others that were tremendously painful and unpleasant; of being raped to death, torn to pieces by wild animals, and being forced to do terrible things to her mother.

Just as she was about to lose her mind, her mother crushed the holly berries she had been holding, and some of their juice dripped into the magic circle. The whole thing burst out in dark red light, which then surged upward to the roof as it formed a barrier, and Nero’s attack on her mind abruptly ceased. Still, the daemon continued to barrage Miranda with insults and dire predictions, though now she was able to reply. First, I owe you nothing at all, you wretched creature. Your helping me was payment itself, for freeing you from your prison! I promised to help you even further, but in your avarice and malice you tried to steal my mother from me, to make me commit horrible acts against her! For that I’ll imprison you again. Even if I need your help, it comes at far too high a price. Besides, I’m not the scaredy-cat little girl I was before. I’ve faced down horrible monsters, even without your help, and burned them to a crisp, and I’m only getting stronger! Of course I’m still scared, but I can overcome it! Things have worked out so far. It was a strangely confident, optimistic speech coming from her, but in just this one day she had seen horrors unimaginable to her only hours before, and hadn’t broken. Her next thoughts added in a tinge of rage at his dismissal of her mother as a “whore:” Maybe my mother isn’t the strongest, but then she was alone. Together we can protect each other where we wouldn’t be able to individually! Now be gone from me, you vile thing! she mentally screamed as Nero’s presence receded a bit, replaced by her mother. The older woman was holding several glowing threads of red energy, which Miranda could see were wrapped around her. "Don’t move" she said, and that was good enough for Miranda.

Suddenly, though, pain erupted all throughout her body, just as bad as the headache from before, but even distributed across her entire form. The threads shot through to her very spirit, amplifying the pain tenfold, and it seemed as if her entire body would disintegrate into nothingness, or at least that her nerves would be burned out. Even though it lasted for only a few seconds, it seemed like a year of hell. The threads seemed to pull Nero out of her, in the form of a strange, formless blackness, with soon was absorbed into the magic circle. The red light glowed more intensely, but darker, and closed in around her briefly before falling swiftly into the little box, which closed and locked with a loud click that had a certain finality to it. The pain faded quickly into an ache that covered her entire body, down into her bones, but it was still bearable. More importantly, Miranda could no longer feel Nero inside of herself, though it seemed like something more was missing too… As she breathed heavily, recovering from the intense ordeal, she placed a hand carefully over her heart, and had the thought that she would never again be totally complete, knowing that she had somehow been damaged in the bargain. Briefly before answering her mother she cursed herself for having been so stupid as to get involved with the daemon in the first place. ”I… I think so…” she said finally. ”But I feel wrong somehow. Like a little piece of me is broken.” She was shaken about it for a few moments, but suddenly another thought crossed her mind that ended any worrying about herself. ”Wait… Mother, where is father…?” she asked, a terrible feeling growing in the put of her stomach.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Helena nodded, as if expecting that Miranda would say something of the sort, and explained; "The daemon had bonded to your soul. Its removal left a.... A hole, if you will. It will heal, over time, but so long as it remains some creatures will be able to sense it, and possibly even harm you through it. If they do, the damage may increase further, and perhaps even become permanent. You must be very careful from now on, Miranda. You have done extremely well so far." She tossed the crushed berries aside and wiped a hand on a handkerchief that she drew from the pocket of her robes. Then, she broke the circle that had housed the spell with her foot, and Miranda suddenly felt a weight lifted from her shoulders that she hadn't even noticed before.

At her question about her father, her mother replied; "Last I knew, he was at the Tower Goldspike. I left to come find you some hours ago, but when last I was there, it was being held against the invaders. The Queen's personal guard is there, as well as half of the mages in the city and a sizable portion of the city watch." She bent down, picked up Miranda's clothing and held it out to her before she continued; "Get dressed, and we can get on our way. We must return there quickly, for a I fear that many of the creatures that now plague Therion will be in our path. The sooner we are safely among our comrades, the sooner we can determine what is to be done about these creatures."

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Miranda gripped at her chest, clearly disturbed at the prospect of having a hole punched in her soul. It added a whole other level of terror to the prospect of being raped by any of the creatures outside, but with a few brief moments she was able to push the prospect out of her mind. She had been fine so far, and now her mother was there to help her, so she would surely be okay. As her mother broke the magic circle she suddenly felt ten pounds lighter, which was strange considering she hadn't felt it before. The thought crossed her mind that she wished she had paid more attention when her parents had tried to teach her magic, though where the thought came from exactly was hard to say.

Miranda let out a sigh of relief initially at her mother's words, replying "that's good. I was worried he had been here too, and that..." she trailed off, unable to make herself finish the sentence, though that relief soon turned to a dull sense of dread as she realized that they would have to fight their way through half the city. Still, that was an improvement; not half a day previous she would have been crippled with fear at the idea of doing such a thing. That gave her at least a small bit of pride as she took her clothing from her mother and slipped it on. "Alright. Is there anything we need before we start out?" she asked, wanting her mother to think it all through one last time to ensure that there wasn't anything helpful that they would leave behind.

Spoiler

Spend 4 exp to nullify the Coward flaw

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 47, Status = Grappled

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception (Miranda) : Failure.
Perception (Helena) : Failure.

Attacks: Miranda and Helena are both automatically hit.
Aphrodisiac: Miranda is at 12/24 Resistance. Helena is at 18/30 Resistance.

"No. Everything else that might help us would take a prohibitive amount of time to pack up. Haste is our ally now." Helena replied after Miranda had finished getting her dress back on. "Come. We need to be away from here, and quickly. You must have cleared out the stairs in the East wing, so we should proceed that way." She continued, and then turned and left the room, walking swiftly and expecting Miranda to follow.

~~~~~~~~~​

Their home was deserted as Miranda and her mother walked through it. Even though she knew that it could be the last time that she would walk these halls, however, it didn't look much different from any other day. There was a mess, in a couple of places, but otherwise it looked like it did on any other day. The walls were the same color, most of the decorations were still in the same places as they had been since she was a child, and the halls had the same claustrophobic emptiness that they had always possessed.

They began down the stairs that Miranda had taken down to the basement before Nero had been taken from her, having left the daemon in his box back in that chamber without a second thought. They were just as Miranda had remembered, slightly slimy but without any threats that she hadn't already dealt with on her previous trip through this path. Her mother led the way down, but rather than go all the way down, she opened the door to the first floor and stepped out. She glanced about quickly, and then looked back to Miranda for a moment and nodded before setting off again. They walked down the hallway together, Miranda either walking side by side or behind her mother, but regardless, they remained together.

As such, when a chunk of grey goop the size of a small carriage dropped from the ceiling, both of them were caught in its radius. It washed over Miranda and her mother, splitting in half as it hit the floor, but remaining as two fairly solid pieces as it wrapped around the both of them. The by now familiar heat of arousal from the aphrodisiac slime coursed instantly through Miranda's body. The slime was already seeping through her robes, and had the both of them almost completely covered already, but a lot of it had also pooled around their feet when it had landed courtesy of the effects of gravity, so much of the slime around their upper bodies was still thin. That was likely to change within the next few seconds, however, unless they did something immediately.

Unfortunately, Miranda's normal tactic in this situation would almost certainly catch her mother within the blast. The image of the charred corpse of the woman she had killed by accident back when she had been running around in the city, which felt like it had occurred a lifetime ago, flashed through her mind. Still worse, it seemed like these weren't the only thing that they would have to worry about. Two more blobs of slime, these a dark violet in color and far more opaque than the grey ones that were currently wrapping around Miranda and Helena. They shaped themselves quickly... Strangely taking the form of voluptuous, smiling women as they rose up from the floor, only 20 feet away from them.

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

”Very well, that suits me just fine” Miranda said, perhaps not as eager as her mother to head out into danger, but still hoping that at the end of this next venture they would be in a place that was at least a little bit more safe than here. She followed her mother swiftly out of the little room, down the hallways as they made their way to the stairs she had just cleared not long ago. It was a surreal thing, really, walking quickly through her home. Despite the few areas that were damaged or messy most of the house looked exactly as it always had; neat and almost oppressively orderly, just as her mother had always kept it. She ran a hand against one of the walls as she went, realizing that this might be the last time she would ever be here. Gods, give us strength, and help us through this horrible day she prayed as they reached the stairwell, finding it just as she’d left it; slimy in places, but more or less unobstructed. They made their way quickly down the stairs, getting out at the first floor and heading out, Miranda a step behind and a little to the left of her mother.

If only she had been a little bit farther back, she might have noticed the slime before it dropped down off the ceiling and onto the two of them. The goop washed over her, getting a coating of the slime over her head, seeping through her clothes and onto her pale skin. Just as with the one before, wherever it touched she felt the brilliant heat of induced arousal, and already she felt as if maybe everything would work out better if she just relaxed and accepted what the slime had to offer… She shook off the idea and prepared to go with her standby tactic of throwing a fireball into her feet, only stopping herself just in time when she remembered that her mother was right there with her; the memory of having killed the random civilian above the blacksmith’s shop flooded into her mind, and she shuddered. That was something to be avoided at any cost, even at the cost of allowing the slime to have its way with her. Through her slimy and matted bangs Miranda could see that there were more slimes gathering, these more like the first slime she had encountered, before she had rescued her mother. Can I even do anything? I can’t aim at something on top of me with a normal spell, I can’t use a fireball… I did not get rid of Nero just to prove him right before I can even get out of this house! Think of something! She wracked her brain for an idea as the slime ate away at her ability to think and to resist it, finally remembering a special spell her father had taught her long ago; a strange sort of spell that would hit anything so long as one could see it. Knowing that this was probably her only chance, she put all the power she could into the blast.

Spoiler

Cast Magic Missile (Level 1 Arcane spell) with Empower Spell.
[(2d4 + 10)*2]*2

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 36/46, PP = 63, EP = 37/47, Status = Injured, Grappled, Horny

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success.
Damage: 1 + 2 + 10 = 13 * 2 = 26 * 2 = 52 damage.

Casting (Helena) : Success.
Damage: 1 + 2 + 12 = 15 * 2 = 30 * 2 = 60 damage. The same spell, with the same damage rolls, in the same order. :|

Casting (Enemy 1) : Success.
Resistance (Miranda) : Enemy wins (by 1)
Resistance (Helena) : Enemy wins.
Both Miranda and her mother have been stunned.
Attack (Enemy 2) : Hit.
Miranda has been grappled.
Aphrodisiac: Miranda is at 5/24 Resistance.

Skipping the stunned round since neither of you can act.

Attack (Enemy 1) : Helena has been grappled.
Grapple: Enemy wins, Miranda's clothing has been removed.
Aphrodisiac: Miranda is at 0/24 Resistance, and has become Horny. Helena is at 10/30 Resistance.

Miranda's spell poured energy out of her, far more than it ever should have, but she couldn't have asked for a more dramatic effect. The slime around her body suddenly flashed brightly, and then sloshed off of her to form into a pool around her feet. The slime around her mother flashed similarly, and collapsed around her feet. "Excellent now we... ahhhh!" Helena said, before suddenly doubling over in pain as magic coalesced around the both of them. Pain suddenly wracked through Miranda's body, pure undiluted agony coming from seemingly every one of her nerves at once. She very nearly blacked out entirely, but it suddenly ended a moment later.

Miranda blearily glanced up, noting that she had fallen to the floor from whatever had dropped her. One of the slimes was looming over her, a smile spread across its liquid face as it rolled over her, covering her in its body. The dirty, violet goop coursed through her system, amplifying the effects of the aphrodisiacs already in her body. She couldn't move, not even to try and resist it as it casually tugged off her dress and expelled it out. She noted that her mother had also been absorbed into the other slime, and that she was struggling weakly next to Miranda. That was just about the last thing that she saw, however, before the slime suddenly pulled her into a kiss. A chunk of the substance was forced into her mouth, and still stunned from the sudden burst of pain, Miranda swallowed it without a second thought.

The effects of it were instantaneous as Miranda felt her body pulsate with blind, needy arousal the likes of which she had never experienced before. "Miranda... No..." Her mothers voice sounded desperate, pleading almost, but Miranda only barely noticed through the lustful haze that now dominated her mind.

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Miranda’s blast of energy worked exactly as she had planned it to, the slime covering her shining in a sudden flash of light and then slowly flowing off her to a puddle at her feet. A similar thing happened to the slime around her mother, though as she listened to the older woman pain that came from nowhere and yet covered her entire body hit her full force. She screamed out in an agony that was becoming troublingly familiar after her various encounters with Nero. The edges of her vision went black, and she ceased properly perceiving the world around her for she knew not how long.

The ceiling. Why was that there? She hadn’t been looking at the ceiling before. Then she saw the dark slime smiling over her, and she remembered just what she had been doing. She tried briefly to struggle, but the slime slowly spread across her body, easily engulfing her from her neck to her toes. The aphrodisiacs in the slime quickly began to work on her, mixing with the stuff from the other slime, very nearly overpowering her. The combination of the aftereffects of the pain and the aphrodisiacs kept her from moving as the slime disrobed her; vaguely she was aware of her mother in a similar situation next to her, but she turned her head away, not wanting either to see or be seen in the condition she was in.

As she did so, the slime pulled her head up to it, pressing its “lips” to hers in a deep kiss. No amount of resistance could have prevented the slime from parting Miranda’s lips, and when it did it forced a chunk of itself into her. She was already quite aroused, but this took it to a whole other level. It had been a long time since she had had sex… a very long time, and now she needed it like she never had before. She couldn’t do anything within the slime to help facilitate that, barely able to wriggle around as she waited. Though a part of her, deep in the back of her mind, was conscious that she was surrendering to a monster, and a sick feeling of self-hatred started to well up inside her that she tried to suppress by focusing on her burning arousal. The small, vague thought that her mother was still fighting, and that she had failed her, crept into her mind and then was banished by her need to be ravished.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 47, Status = Fine

"No... No.... Nononono...... Noooo!" Miranda's mothers words were suddenly drowned out and replaced by a choking sound as she was forced into a kiss just like the one that Miranda had received a moment ago. Her struggles stopped just as quickly as Miranda's had, and Helena moaned a moment later.

Miranda had her own concerns, however, as the slime slipped part of itself past her nether lips and into her folds, and at the same time forced itself into her anus. The burning heat spread along with the slime as it filled both of her lowers holes, but being so filled also gave her more pleasure than any partner she had ever had before. It filled her completely, but only lightly stretched out her insides as it shifted around within her body. The slime slowly invaded both her womb and her bowels, and muffled moans from nearby suggested that Helena was receiving the same treatment from the slime on top of her. The slime also seemed to coil around the tips of her breasts, and seeped beneath her clitoral hood to directly stimulate her sensitive nub.

At the same time as she felt the overwhelming pleasure from all of the ways that the slime was stimulating her, however, she could also feel the tear in her soul widening as her essence was sucked out of her. The feeling of having her soul fed upon was almost orgasmic in and of itself, and the accompaniment of it with all of the other sensations she was being put through shattered what little was left of Miranda's mind and buried her consciousness completely. The slime writhed and shifted inside of her, stretching her holes and then allowing her to squeeze tightly, sometimes even vibrating against her g-spot and clitoris at the same time, which sent her into the throes of ecstasy over and over and over again. She orgasmed again and again, every climax allowing another part of her immortal soul to flow from her being and into the slime that was stimulating her.

Eventually, however, the lewd screams from beside her that her mother had been emitting went quiet, and Miranda saw something forming within the slime just above her mound. It seemed to be some sort of crystal, and it was barely the size of a coin as it formed, and slowly flowed down the slime up into her flower. She felt it brush against her inner walls several times, until it was eventually implanted within Miranda's womb. When she felt it take root within her, the slime ceased to pleasure her, and Miranda came to realize just how drained and empty she felt. She couldn't move, or even feel much of her body other than her overstimulated erogenous zones. She felt no emotions, even as her head lolled to the side, and she saw the slime pulling away from her equally limp and lifeless mother. The slime withdrew and released her, and Miranda passed from consciousness completely.

~~~~~~~~~​

Miranda awoke to the worst headache she had ever experienced, and a sense of profound exhaustion despite having been asleep for so long. Her memory was hazy and unintelligible, and for a moment she couldn't even open her eyes. Light blinded her through her eyelids, and the sound of footsteps coming toward them, heavily muffled, only served to cause her head to throb painfully. A second later, she was being shaken, and an unfamiliar voice was speaking to her; "Are you alright? Hello?" The voice was male, and sounded fairly young, and the hand that touched her felt like it was encased in leather. "She's waking up! Hey, are you alright?" When she opened her eyes, she could barely see out of them for several moments, but eventually the disorientation went away, and she found a young man in scale mail and sporting a Therion Guard's insignia crouched down next to her. "Are you alright?" He asked again, his voice almost painfully loud.

(Gain a mutation.)

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Vaguely through her haze of arousal Miranda became aware that her mother would soon be in no shape to help her any longer as the older woman moaned lewdly, ceasing to struggle with the same immediateness her daughter had. The last little bit of her hope shattered then, and she tried to relax herself rather than fight against the inevitable. Still, she couldn’t help but feel guilty at having lost so easily…

All that was pushed instantly out of her mind as the slime penetrated her; it easily parted her ready lower lips, spreading the burning, tingling arousal inside her. It also invaded her virgin ass, causing her a bit of pain, but the slime was relatively soft and not nearly as harsh as it could have been. She was stuffed full of slime, slowly shifting deeper and deeper into her, stretching her ever so slightly, and it gave her more pleasure than she had ever come close to feeling before. Miranda let out soft moans as the slime made its way into her womb and deep into her bowels, barely able to believe the amazing feeling coursing through her body as the slime began to coil gently around her small breasts, wrapping around her nipples and squeezing, while more of the slime seeped around her clit, poking and prodding at the sensitive little button.

Her body had never been stimulated so completely, but just when she thought it couldn’t feel any better the slime began to feed on her soul. The whole that Nero had left tore a little bit wider, and the essence of her being began to pour out of her; it was easily the most intense and wonderful pleasure she had ever felt, and it quickly shattered her capacity for conscious thought. The pleasure the slime was giving her became her world in that moment, everything to her, and she soon squealed out in pleasure as she came harder than she ever had before. The slime wriggled and writhed inside her, stretching her out slightly and then contracting, allowing her to squeeze down on it, vibrating against an incredibly sensitive spot deep inside of her that she had never known existed before. Just the feeling of having her soul fed on was almost orgasmic in and of itself, so with everything else going on she came nearly, screaming in absolute ecstasy until her voice was hoarse and her throat sore, each orgasm allowing her soul to flow out faster and in larger quantities, intensifying the pleasure with each passing moment. She began to drool mindlessly, not even close to being able to control herself anymore.

Finally something changed, though Miranda barely registered the difference. A tiny little crystal formed in the slime just above her, and slowly made its way through the slime and into her body. It brushed up against her a time or two, she couldn’t be sure, and finally set down into her womb, taking root in a bizarre feeling. Instantly the slime ceased to pleasure her, slowly pulling out of her as she felt the consequences of all that pleasure. Her entire body was numb except for her sore lower holes, and she laid her head to the side against the floor, still drooling freely as she fell into merciful unconsciousness.

--

Darkness. The back of Miranda’s eyelids. She quickly wished she couldn’t see them, as her head pounded and throbbed in some of the worst pain she had ever felt. She was still completely exhausted despite having slept for gods knew how long, and she could barely remember how she had gotten into this state. Even the light filtering through her eyelids was painful, and she didn’t dare open them, though she heard something approach. Even muffled footsteps nearly overwhelmed her with pain, so when what was apparently a man shook her and practically shouted questions at her she froze up, barely able to process it. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly through the pain the light brought her, but through her haze she eventually was able to see a young member of the city guard crouched next to her. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, only a sickly squeaking, though finally she managed to whisper "please… not so… loud…" She kept blinking, trying to regain proper feeling in her limbs, not quite able to pick herself up through the burning pain.

Spoiler

Gain mutation Fetish (Soul Drain)

Also, can I spend exp?

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 47, Status = Fine

The man grimaced down at her after she finally responded, having not shut up even once until she had given her reply. He turned away, and her head began to pound even louder as he shouted; "Over here! At least one of these two isn't gone yet! She can still talk!" Footsteps, many of them, followed the voice, and a moment later, the still naked and barely conscious Miranda was surrounded by half a dozen men in uniform, all of them armed and grinning down at her. "She's a looker, eh? You finally found yourself a girlfriend, Caleb? Or would you prefer the girl's old maid?" One man, who wore the insignia of an officer on his shoulders, said.

Scowling, the young man crouching over Miranda sternly replied; "It looks like they were attacked by a slime, sir. They're lucky to be alive. I hardly think this is the time for jokes." The officer scowled in return, and some of the men snickered before another wave of pain accompanied the man's return shout; "You don't get to talk to me like that, boy, I don't care who's son you are! Now get up and get back to the door and stand guard with Axle, these two are probably ghosts, like all the others we've found!"

The young man, Caleb, scowled, but rose, saluted, and left. A moment after he was gone, the snickers of the half dozen other men around her turned sinister, and one of them said; "What do we do with 'em? They look fresh. Maybe enough of 'em is left for us to have some fun before they get taken over completely?" Another muttered; "I've seen more naked flesh that I couldn't touch today than in ten years of campaigning." The officer laughed at the man who had muttered, and spat; "It's a wonder you ever got any, you witless piss-ant. Yeah, you can do whatever you want with these two, just make sure to take the heads off when you're done!" And with that, the man began to simply walk back down the hall, following Caleb back away while the six men around her glared down at her naked body.

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

Spend 18 exp to get 6 Body and 12 Mind

Miranda groaned as the guardsman standing over her yelled out to unseen comrades, the voice echoing in her pounding head as she squirmed a bit on the ground. Slowly the fog was lifting off of her mind, but it still felt like she had been run over by a speeding carriage. Soon enough she was surrounded by members of the city guard, led by a man who seemed a little… less than savory. "M… mom… where is mom…?" she groaned out, starting to stir as the soldier who apparently was named Caleb’s words sunk in. “At least one of these two isn’t gone yet!” he had yelled, and the fear that her mother was in worse shape than her let a knot to form in the pit of her stomach, a sinking feeling that only got worse as the officer spoke.

Even as her head pounded with the excessive loudness of the conversations around her, Miranda slowly began to recover her wits, pondering the meaning of the captain calling her mother and her “ghosts,” but all that became secondary as Caleb was ordered away, and the room seemed to take on a sinister air. The men were leering over Miranda’s nude body, snickering sinisterly. Fun… taken over completely…? she thought, emitting a low groan as she began to panic. They’re going to rape me… they’re really going to rape me… All this, and I’m going to be raped and killed by the city guard…? As the officer left the room and a half dozen soldiers crowded around her she finally began to groan out speech as she tried to get up, her hands searching around. "What… are you doing…? Don’t you have more important things to do than using me?" she asked, her hand brushing over the hilt of her still-sheathed rapier, which fortuitously had fallen not that far from her. "You’re supposed to protect the people of the city… to protect me…" she continued, as she felt herself filled with a pleasant warmth, and she made a snap decision. Magical strength came to her body, and swiftly she drew the sword and jumped to her feet, still in pain, but with no option other than to fight through it. This was the only way. She had no way of knowing how far away her mother was, no idea if a fireball would engulf her as well, and she didn’t want to set the whole house on fire again anyway. "I don’t want to hurt you, really I don’t, but I will if you come at me" she said, feeling herself almost superhumanly strong as she pointed her rapier at one of the men.

Spoiler

Cast Heat (Level 3 Fire spell) with Empower Spell to increase Miranda’s Body stat by 96.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 33/47, Status = +96 Body

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success.
+96 Body!

The leering guardsmen all jumped back as Miranda spoke, staring down at her in utter shock as their would be victim reminded them of their duty. They stepped back even further, one of them tripping over a man who had been crouched next to her mother's limp form, when she rose to her feet, sword in hand. They couldn't know of her magically granted strength, but they were all visibly terrified of her anyway.

"She's alive!"

"She still has her mind! She's still herself!"

"Impossible!"

"Someone give her a cloak or something!"

One of the men, his face ashen, pulled the blue-grey cloak from around his shoulders and offered it to her. "We ain't gonna hurtcha lass, we thought you two were ghosts! Like all the others we've found! Someone check the other woman, maybe she's alright too!" One of the other men who was wearing a sergeant's insignia said to her.

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Much to Miranda's surprise, the guardsmen all around her backed off as she got up, fear and shock writ across their faces. The young mage wasn't fully able to appreciate the irony of her terrifying a squad of warriors, still with a combination of fear, anxiety, and terrible pain clouding her head. As the men shouted out their disbelief she twitched, muttering "please... quiet..." as she clutched her rapier until her knuckles were white. When one of them offered her his cloak she took it with her left hand, draping it over her shoulders rather than taking her hand off her sword. I can't let down my guard, they were all going to do something horrible just a few seconds ago... she thought, still very much on edge as she regarded the sergeant's words. "What do you mean... ghosts...?" she asked, slowly making her way towards her mother's limp body. "Is something..." she started to ask, before she saw her mother's unmoving figure, and some of her paranoia about the men around her melted away, replaced with a deep terror that ate at her gut. She was soon at the older woman's side, poking her gently with a concerned look on her face. "Mom... Momma..." she whimpered pitifully, desperate for some sign of life.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 33/47, Status = +96 Body

The man she took the cloak from backed away once she grabbed it, giving her her space. As she draped it over herself, her front was still fully exposed, but at least some of her nudity was concealed by the garment. The soldiers that had been preparing to rape her a few moments ago backed out of the way as Miranda went for her mother, the one who had tripped scrambling away on his hands and knees before regaining his feet only after putting some distance between himself and Miranda. Helena remained utterly still as she approached, her head lolled away from Miranda as she laid upon the carpeted floor.

A few prods later, during which the soldiers thankfully remained silent as well, and Miranda's mother began to stir. At first, a light groan that nonetheless caused the mage's head to throb painfully. Then, another moment later, Helena's eyes blinked open, and she slowly sat up, her hand coming to her head to both massage her temples and to shield her eyes from the light. "Lets.... Not tell anyone... About this.... Alright.. Miranda?" She quietly muttered, closing her eyes and holding a pained expression on her face.

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

As Miranda knelt and began to poke at her mother her spirits sank to a low she had never before known in her life. The soldiers could have been speaking all around her, crowded in close, and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to her. In that moment the only thing in Miranda's world was her mother, and her world was looking rather bleak. It's amazing the difference a quiet, pained moan can make in a person's day given the right circumstances. Even though her mother's groan caused her head to begin pounding once again, Miranda's heart jumped up out of her stomach as her hope was rekindled. Helena slowly sat up, closing her eyes and saying something that Miranda didn't bother to decipher. Tears sprang to her eyes as a wave of relief washed over her, and she leaned in to wrap her arms around her mother, too overcome by the moment to speak. Despite everything that had happened, and the potential danger of the guards still in the room, for the first time since everything had fallen apart Miranda felt safe and relatively at peace. There were no monsters to be seen, no daemon was inside her in need of removal, and she and her mother were alive and (relatively) well, which she appreciated much more than she ever had before. She didn't speak, knowing that it would only cause the both of them pain, instead opting to hold her mother tightly to her, tears of relief and joy streaming silently down her face. She would continue in this way until someone or something pulled her back to reality.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 33/47, Status = +96 Body

Helena seemed startled as Miranda grabbed and hugged her, but wrapped her arms around Miranda in return and patted her gently on the back. The men around them remained silent except for the occasional shifting of their feet, though Miranda could hardly be blamed if she didn't notice them at all. Her mother, for her part, recognized that Miranda needed this moment, and simply held her, rocking back and forth slowly.

Finally, after a few moments, one of the men around her cleared their throat. "Miranda..." Her mother quietly and gently whispered, easing her hug slightly so as to allow Miranda to pull away on her own.

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Miranda stayed wrapped in her mother's embrace for a while, deaf to the world as she cried, rocking gently. For about a minute or so she let out all of the pent up emotion that had built up ever since she had first seen the giant tentacled thing appear over the city. Finally she heard her mother whisper her name, and disengage just a little, and the girl took the hint, pulling back and drying her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm so glad..." she whispered, smiling and slowly getting up. "If you're ready we should probably try to find father" she said, feeling a little better after her moment of catharsis. She turned to look at the guardsmen, saying "maybe the situation has improved since the last time I was outside, if they're here" with not a little bit of hope.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Spoiler

HP = 46, PP = 63, EP = 47, Status = Fine

At her mention of the men around them, Helena grimaced, but said nothing about it. She was quite understandably uncomfortable being naked and surrounded by a group of men, and hesitantly allowed herself to be helped to her feet by one of the men once Miranda had released her and looked away. "Right... Yes, we need to get to the tower. I'm sorry, but could I bother one of you for your cloak?" Her mother said, but one of the men had already removed his, and sheepishly handed it to her once she had finished speaking.

"I... Ahhh... Hate to disappoint you, ma'am;" One of them, the same that had given Miranda the cloak off his back, began. "But it's not... Well, it's not good out there right now. The streets are still crawling with those monsters.... You two are the first normal people that we've found since.... Whatever the hell these things are showed up."

"Come on, we gotta get back to the sarge. He's going to want to talk to these two." Another said, and then beckoned for Miranda and her mother to follow him down the hall. "He's gonna flip..." Another of the quartet of soldiers said, before she was interrupted by Helena; "Hold on a moment... Where are you from? Who sent you here?"

The men glanced between one another, and then one replied; "We're part of the garrison, ma'am. We were on drills when all this started, but all of the officers were off base at the time. It took us hours to sort out the chain of command while we were fighting off those... Things. That's where I we'll be taking you. We've got a few dozen refugees in there already, along with the rest of our garrison."

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Miranda (Tiffanian)

Miranda's heart sank when she heard that the streets were no better now than they had been, still full of monsters. It was no doubt worse where they were going, as she couldn't imagine that the battle for the tower was over if the city guard hadn't begun securing the streets. The fact that there were apparently very few survivors also weighed heavily on the mage. It made her wonder what made the two of them special, that they had survived and almost no one else had. Then again, she had always been lucky...

She took the time now to properly adjust the cloak she had been given so that it covered her about as well as it could, though she still didn't let go of her rapier. Remembering what she had woken up to, she still didn't fully trust this group of men... Then her mother asked them to explain some things, something she probably should have thought to do herself, and she listened quietly to the reply. "The base...? Isn't that the opposite direction from where we want to go?" she asked her mother, fairly certain that it was. She had no desire to go out of her way to be cooped up with these men, and at this point the only thing she wanted to do was find her father and get to some safe place with her parents, if any such place existed.