Something Wicked This Way Comes

[oleaeuropaea]

Who: Vash the Stampede, Kiera, Passenger, Wolfwood, and Zahilya. Plus some others if they want
What: It's time for a homecoming. Too bad the greetings won't be so warm.
When: End of September
Where: Around the Grove
Warnings: Gore. Character Death. Possession. References to holy imagery.

[As September draws to a close, the woods seem eerily silent. It seems almost as if the birds have stopped singing. They hold their breath, fearful of a predator stalking amidst the woods. Through the brush, maybe you’ll see it — feathers that stick up like blades. Once bright white plumage has been tarnished with dirt, debris, and perhaps even blood.

But you’ll have only a second to see it. For just as soon as contact is made at the edge of the woods, the creature bursts out.

Vash the Stampede has returned to Aldric’s Grove.]

Comments

[oleaeuropaea]

[While Vash feels the rush of air go by, he's far more convinced that it's a projectile weapon, rather than a bird. Thus, he doesn't spot them right away. It isn't until his head has whipped around two, three times that his eyes seem to settle on the bird.

Crazed as he is, he might have been content to leave it at that. Instead, spots the way the blood trickles from the creature and promptly realizes what ruse has occured.

The chase is on, Vash sprinting forward on all fours. They're harder to catch now, but that doesn't keep him from swiping wildly at their fleeing form. ]

[cryopathy]

[it's an effort that may actually end up costing them dearly, but the shrike does their best to weave around his claws. they seem to use the trees against vash, darting in and out amongst them where they may prove to be obstacles for the plant. notably, they only fly along the edge of town, never venturing too deep into the woods where they might lose their way. the goal is southwest of town, along the river. nobody seems to have been there recently...

if that fails -- they'll just have to see about hovering just out of his reach. hopefully his wings aren't also suited for flying, or they may very well be dead.]

[oleaeuropaea]

[Though a handful of swipes do manage to reach their target, it's clear that trying to do any meaningful damage isn't going to go well. A hiss leaves him, one full of absolute fury.

When he reaches the river, Vash stops short. He stares at the bird, before finally shaking his head. A dark, sinister laugh leaves him. He won't play their games. It might not be as satisfying as killing the little bird, neither would chasing them around and failing to target anyone else.

So he begins to back away. If he isn't mistaken, he hears someone elsewhere. They would be a far easier target, he's sure.]

[cryopathy]

[as torn up as kiera is at this point, they don't have the energy to follow him, to see who he's targeting next. they hardly have the wherewithal to flutter from roof to roof, back to the bar, to at least make sure luca is safe.

assuming vash is nowhere around here, and luca's middle-story window is cracked, they flutter in, their form becoming human again as they collapse to the floor, wounds on their hand, side, back, and leg still pouring blood.]