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Fionas Ghost Banishing 241209
In the haunting ambiance of Arkwright Cemetery under a first-quarter moon, an eclectic group faced a formidable challenge. Fiona, along with Eric, Lilian, Novel, and Illyana, encountered demonic apparitions and a troubling black mist threatening Fiona's safety. The group, each bringing their own capabilities to the fore, fought valiantly against the spectral adversaries. Illyana and Novel took on a behemoth infernal spider and its winged monkey-demons with fervor, while Lilian prepared a blood circle for a potent banishing ritual. Eric contributed to the ritual with a begrudging offering of his own blood, despite the clear danger and discomfort it posed him.
The climax of their encounter escalated when a phantom warrior emerged from the mist, armed and intent on Fiona's demise. Fighting for air and their lives, the group coordinated their efforts with desperation and cunning. Lilian, drawing upon the lifeblood gathered for her ritual and her necromantic prowess, managed to encapsulate the invading mists and their demonic originators into a restraining circle, focusing intently as her fellows fended off the direct threats. With a resonant command, she sealed the malevolent forces away, liberating the cemetery from its supernatural assault. Though tested and weary, Fiona and her allies emerged victorious, the tranquility of the graveyard restored through their collective resolve and Lilian's decisive ritual.
(Fiona's ghost banishing)
[Sun Dec 8 2024]
On the Sprawling Hillside of Arkwright Cemetery
It is night, about 24F(-4C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky. There is a first quarter moon.
There is the sudden smell of brimstone that fills the area, and along with a rising, black mist: smoke, coiling along the surface of the graveyard. It seems to form strange whorls and shapes, and as they draw close to %n they begin to look more and more like creatures -- horned creatures, with red eyes full of menace.
"Now just to find who caused it." As Eric, Lilian and Novel enters, she glances around. "Plus side, I get to hit things and not badly ritual." Then it becomes obvious, this is all on Fiona and Illyana gets to fight things. And so, her coat is discarded, hung over a convenient grave marker, and her fists glow with fire. "Oh I like these."
Lilian flashes Illyana a grin at the woman's enthusiasm at the creatures crawling up through the night. She reaches up to wrap a hand around her pendant that hangs between her breasts, the runes engraved in the black diamond gleaming a blood red.
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Fiona and their companions can see a black spider made of infernal smoke. It's huge, with a bloated belly, and then spun spider strands of black mist descend to wrap Fiona into some awful cocoon.
Fiona takes a step back as she looks briefly between Illyana and Novel, and she takes an extra, further step away from Illyana when fire becomes involved. "Oh, do have at," she says with approval, looking to the creatures once more. "Demonic things, or meant to make us think they are. Strange for a psychic echo." For now, she's watching -- before the mist wraps around her and actually gets a startled 'yalp' of surprise from her.
"Oooh. That looks fun." Lilian watches with wide sapphrie eyes as the spider wraps Fiona up.
Novel meets the attention of the demons with a perked, sudden excitement, straightening his shoulders up and looking totally delighted. "Hey, Eric, Lily," He calls out easily with warmth in his voice. "Nice fucking coat," He notes, as his eyes trail over it, and back to the sweater - and then his eyes focus on the entities as he cracks his knuckles and then suddenly he's ontop of the spider, punching it right in the abdomen and swarming to get a grip on it with his legs and his body to yank it back and throttle the thing.
Eric frowns really very deeply, and handles what is in the end just a steel knife. Thankfully, steel does beat silk, insofar he rushes over to cut at some of those strands without shanking Fiona immediately while he's at it
Is fast-- very fast, but it's not speed that's employed as Fiona gets wrapped in the cocoon. It's teleportation, as Illyana paths above the spider in the trees, dropping atop it with burning fists and a lashing flaming aura that sets the air to shimmer with heat. It likely catches Novel, but with the two demon blooded on it, it gives the actual casters in Fiona and Lilian And Eric the chance to deal with the problem as it stands.
Looks from Novel to Eric as if trying to work out if the spider given it's a psychic impression can actually be hit. "Are you... actually doing anything?" Lilian calls out towards the people actually doing stuff as her hand continues to clutch at her pendant. The ground underneath the spider rumbles, a rotting skeletal hand reaches up and through to grab one of the spider's legs and hang on.
There's dignity in times of trouble, and then there's this, as Fiona is writhing in the cocoon of mist, her hand going to a bracelet tucked inside her clutch and pulling it on. Thankfully, breath isn't really a thing here, and she looks up and starts to murmur some words below her breath, trying to find some sense of control over what's happening as her other hand comes up. She bites at the side of it, tearing flesh and bringing blood forth, trying to twist it around herself as best she can.
She's not particularly good at this.
Lilian finds time to send off some texts on her phone as she looks over at the spider that's still trying to turn Fiona into a meal. "Um.. who wants to donate some blood for a circle?" She calls out to Illyana, Novel and Eric sweetly.
"Hey!" Novel sounds more offended then angry as Illyana sets him on fire, yanking hard and up to make the spider catch the worst of it, his arm flexing with straining strength as there's a sickening CRUNCH followed by the sizzling of seemingly-real flesh as it's drawn and pinned. His other arm quickly pats out head and shoulder with a broad palm, with the briskness of someone who's very, very used to being turned into a human torch. "I'm not a fucking spider!"
Some figure forms in the smoke: tall, it has twisted horns and red eyes. It levels a gnarled finger at Fiona, beginning to chant in an unknown language as the air begins to crackle with magic. Immediately, Fiona can feel something like a vise closing on their heart.
"I need some living blood." Lilian tells others as she glances over at the figure that's starting to crush Fiona's heart.
Eric really remainsbset on cutting away thick strands of webbing. Spiders, demons, and spider-demons seem to interest him not much at all, insofar he notably ducks his head and grimaces very deeply while trying to cut Fiona free
As the spiderwebbed mists start to fade, Fiona instead is feeling a pressure over her heart, and she openly grimaces there. The small runs on her wristband start to glow, and even as her heart is slowed, she focuses inward with her magic, trying to keep her blood running. If she can slow it down, surely she can speed it up, as well?
While Fiona probably doesn't have the skills to speed up her heart yet, Lilian sure does and picking up on what the vampire is trying to do, Lilian sweeps her hand towards Fiona as she waits for a blood volunteer.
"That's groce." Illyana calls over to Lilian as she shoves the spider at Novel like some grim tetherball. "And yes. You can get as violent as you like with these things. It's fun." Unfortunately for the spider, it has a trapped leg, and when two demons play, things get broken-- More so when parts of them are being grasped by undead limbs. Looking around the battlefield, Illyana notes Eric's efforts to free Fiona, along with Lilian and Novel's state. She's a talker. Talking is what Illyana does. It keeps her sane, so she casually answers Novel with a, "Sorry." Then she paths again, manifesting before Fiona in a pose she should really have taken at the outset: It's protective. Illyana is a guardian angel, after all, and Novel is best fitting for direct confrontation. Still, the horned creature is going something, and for its trouble, it gets a roiling ball of angelic fire through the face for its trouble.
Lilian sighs as she leans against the headstone of the undead she commanded, letting it settle back into the dirt, "Alright well I'll get banishing once someone donates some blood so I can do a spell circle. I can't use my own or I'm going to raise half the cemetary as zombies and then we'll have some realll problems.:"
... No, Fiona cannot, but Lilian can, so at least there's that. The odd stiffness that had started taking her muscles fades from her as the two forces battle in her heart, and she asks Lilian, "Why does it have to be living blood? Blood's blood, ours is better," as she manages to be freed enough by Eric to shield her face from the blast of angelfire.
With a howl, some kind of winged monkey-demon swoops down near Fiona, its body made of living smoke. It's all grasping claws, striking hard to leave psychic scars that hurt like deep slashes. Other monkeys attack anyone nearby, with similar screeching, rending claws.
Lilian says "Eh I'm a necromancer and my blood will raise half the place. Rather than putting them to sleep. That's just how it is. There is a shrug of @my shoulder, "I just need like... a small cut of blood geez." Shaking her head, she ducks behind the tombstone to avoid the monkeys."
Novel gnashes his teeth at Illyana, but it hardly seems to be a sign of anger, but more excitement. "Ask fucking Eric! I'm fucking busy!" The man calls back to Lilian as he meets the winged monkey-demons with headlong charge, getting his hands on one and seemingly shrugging off the lashing without any sign of concern or pain. In fact, he seems to be having the time of his life, slamming one into the other attacking Lilian and collapsing the both into smoke with a satisfying SMACK.
"Wish these things fucking bled more," The man notes.
"Eh I'm a necromancer and my blood will raise half the place. Rather than putting them to sleep. That's just how it is." There is a shrug of Lilian's shoulder, "I just need like... a small cut of blood geez." Shaking her head, she ducks behind the tombstone to avoid the monkeys.
Eric double backs on out, away, preferring so very much to stay wellbaway from any smoke-wreathed demonsbthat may want to claw at him, real or otherwise. "Here. Fucking- do it then, if you really gotta." The man hesitantly eyes those various creatures before helping along.. Insofar helping along means cutting at the back of his left palm. He holds that too-long arm out, and offers it, stretched to the side, right oger Lilian's way
Whether Fiona accepts that or not is rather hard to tell as those slashes come in. Psychic attacks? Okay, she's actually vocalizing pain now, and about all she can do to hold out right now is focus on her own defense as everything in the cemetery starts coming for her, trying weakly to get behind Illyana and Novel, eyes closing in an open wince as streams of blood start to come from the corners of her eyes.
"Eric." Lilian nods as he makes his way to her, looking greatful as the man cuts his own palm. Her hands reaches out to cup underneath his palm, catching his blood. When there's a small palmful she nods to him, "There's a bandage in my bag." She nods towards the side slung designer bag and then starts to walk in a circle around the tombstones they're fighting around. Eric's blood drips darkly onto the ground at her feet as she walks a circle.
Illyana interposes herself between Fiona and the worst of that demonic assault as best she can. "Well then." she mentions, still quite casually. "Single targets I can deal with. Multiples I cant." Then Novel is on it, Lily has a plan and blood being offered. The larger monkey demon gets a solid uppercut for its trouble.
Eric glowers and scowls, the hasty cut bleeding more than he'd have really preferred. Perfectly content to let Lilian work any magics, he does the masculine thing of rooting through that handbag for approximately three decades before getting out the bandaging to wrap himself up
Some figure forms in the smoke: tall, it has twisted horns and red eyes. It levels a gnarled finger at Fiona, beginning to chant in an unknown language as the air begins to crackle with magic. Immediately, Fiona can feel something like a vise closing on their heart.
This time the figure comes to control Fiona's heart. Lilian is slightly busy walking her spell circle. "Novel kiss her or something to get her heart going." She yells out with a scowl as she continues to slowly walk the circle, about halfway now, the drops of Eric's lifeblood trailing her hand.
Novel slides in calm tandem with Illyana, seeming to be quite content with putting Fiona in the middle between the pair as he reaches down into his jacket - and then slides out a gleaming steel bowie knife. He pulls his hand back and HURLS it directly into that tall mancer trying to mangle Fiona, snorting back at Lilian, "You just want to watch me do fucking sloppy makeouts in a graveyard!" He calls back.
"What's wrong with sloppy makeouts in a graveyard?" Lilian calls back as she finishes three quarters of the circle now.
It's likely the bloodlust. It likely should be. If not, Illyana is psychotic-- Which she is, of course, but it's usually better hidden. As Eric bleeds and Lily works, and Illyana continues to put herself before Fiona and the demons, she calls back over her shoulder to Fiona, "You have never looked hotter." Another ball of fire is generated, then thrown at the demon with a grip on Fiona's heart, and Illyana tells Novel, with far too much good cheer, "Novel, kill!" Though of course the demon is already on it, with throwing knives a plenty.
"Fuck off with that," Fiona snaps back at Lilian, actual anger creeping into her voice as she forces her body's activation further, teeth gritting and fangs extending as she hisses defiance at the creature that is coming for her heart -- and she finally tears free enough of the bindings to focus on her bracelet again, lambent arcane energy flowing from her as she channels it out to the other arcanist in the area. Illyana earns a fangy grin.
Soft laughter shakes Lilian's shoulders at Illyana's complimenting of Fiona, "Maybe you should kiss her to make her heart beat faster?" She yells out at Illyana now as she finally finishes walking the circle in Eric's blood. Fiona's angry look gets a glance from her and she shrugs as she makes her way to the middle of the circle. "They know I'm kidding." She grumbles, looking slightly sullen as she kneels down in the center of her circle. The pendant on her neck starts to glow that deep blood red as does all the drops of Eric's blood on the ground, forming a large circle around all the mist.
From the smoky mist, a circle of hooded figures seem to approach, chanting in unison. At first, they seem to be living people, but as they draw closer to Fiona it becomes clear they are smoke monsters themselves. They reach out as their chants increase in volume, and it is as if they are sucking the air out of the lungs of everyone present.
Lilian doesn't need to breath so continues to work her magic as swirls of red start to rise from the circle of blood she's drawn into the ground.
Novel produces another knife from his jacket, identical to the first - where is he carrying all those?! He flashes a white-toothed smile back at Illyana, looking openly gleeful at the violence and mayhem swirling on around him as he flicks the blade up, twirling it around to catch it between pinched fingers by the tip and winding an arm back before he starts to fling them at the new robes - and halfway through the air there's a choking noise, gagging at his own lack of air and prevented from whatever oh-so-clever quip he might have thrown back at Illyana.
Instead he dashes forwards, right towards one of the smoke monsters, catching one by a shoulder in a football tackle and attempting to create a violent clothesline pile - and snatch up his knives again on the way by with his free right hand.
Eric grits his teeth, hunching down a little while binding his own wound. The lack of air has the motions slow down a little, and he mutters quiet swear words to humself after a moment, watching Lilian's magics do something flashy at last. Perhaps it'll be enough
Not her AIR. Fiona finally manages to pull through the assaults enough, with blood smeared across her cheeks, to clench her fists. "Lessons learned for next time, I suppose. They're just smoke, right?" she asks mostly herself, the last of her air forming those words, then barrels at one of the cloaked figures with her shoulder as fast as she can.
Red glimmers of light, looking almost like wisps or spirits start to rise from the edges of the circle drawn around all of them as Lilian kneels in the middle. The same eerie blood red glow lights up her face from the runes on her pendant that gleams brighter and brighter at the same time as the wisps. Bringing one of her hands to her mouth when everyone is busy, Lilian slides down her fangs to nick her own thumb for a second, showing she isn't particularly against drawing her own blood before sitting her hands onto the ground. Her head tilts back as she stays on her hands and knees and perhaps omimously, the ground at her feet starts to turn black, shadows stretching out from her towards the edge of the circles.
Out of the smoke charges an armed and armored warrior, spun out of black mist. He is dressed head to toe in archaic plate armor, wielding some huge, two-handed sword as black as his armor. With a roar, he rushes at Fiona, swinging the sword in some attempt to cut off their head.
Was very likely about to respong to Lilian with something witty-- Or follow that good advice with a kiss, but now having realised what she should have already; This is actually serious and Fiona needs protecting, she doesn't. It's not through lack of want. But as with Novel and Eric, a lack of air is, for some unknown reason, a problem. Funny that. It really isn't fair that Lilian and Fiona get away with this casual freedom. Not breathing has its advantages, after all. Still, the lack of air means that by extention, lack of fuel for Illyana's fire, and the flames around her fists gutter out as she fails to even remotely say anything. Truly, this is worse than the loss of air. How is Illyana going to quip now?!
Well, that's a big sword, Fiona realizes as she skids to a stop in frost-dewed grass, somehow managing to not snap a heel as she stares at the creature swinging at her, then dodges just in time that it only grazes her shoulder. Sorry, Illyana, maybe another time -- Fiona clearly is neither the most skilled arcanist nor combatant here, by a mile, and had maybe gotten in a little over her head with no idea what to expect. She starts to back quickly away from the singular, imposing figure, motioning toward it quickly.
In start contrast to Illyana, Novel seems even more intelligent when he doesn't waste his by-far extremely limited braincells to bother talking, instead focusing on the issue at hand. Which is to say: Stabbing as many ghosts as inhumanly possible in as short amount of time. He breaks free of the robe'd smoke, scattering it about him with a large bowie knife in hand and bloodshot eyes, looking like even more of a maniac than usual. His mouth opens and there's a sudden sucking drawing of air, released from the robed creatures -
His legs piston suddenly across the ground, putting on a burst of speed as he hits the giant warrior right in the back, slamming the two weapons into the vulnerable joints in the back of the knees to make the ghost-knight stagger.
The shadows underneath Lilian deepen until they stretch all the way to the edges of the circle as the woman on her hands and knees starts to chant softly underneath her breath. There is no time for her to care about the giant wanting to behead Fiona. She can only trust her companions would be able to hold it off as the last of her spell sinks into place, sealing the circle. Her voice grows louder and louder, until it is almost a shout and there is a deafening crack before the circle around them shrinks in from the edges dragging the mists and all that come from it towards Lilian. Lilian's hand that has her blood claps down when the circle is palm sized, sealing it into the ground with a soft sigh.
The smell of smoke seems to peak, and then, with a rush of magical power, it's gone. The smoke monsters in the cemetery disappear, banished -- fading away as wisps of mist in the air around $n.
The climax of their encounter escalated when a phantom warrior emerged from the mist, armed and intent on Fiona's demise. Fighting for air and their lives, the group coordinated their efforts with desperation and cunning. Lilian, drawing upon the lifeblood gathered for her ritual and her necromantic prowess, managed to encapsulate the invading mists and their demonic originators into a restraining circle, focusing intently as her fellows fended off the direct threats. With a resonant command, she sealed the malevolent forces away, liberating the cemetery from its supernatural assault. Though tested and weary, Fiona and her allies emerged victorious, the tranquility of the graveyard restored through their collective resolve and Lilian's decisive ritual.
(Fiona's ghost banishing)
[Sun Dec 8 2024]
On the Sprawling Hillside of Arkwright Cemetery
It is night, about 24F(-4C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky. There is a first quarter moon.
There is the sudden smell of brimstone that fills the area, and along with a rising, black mist: smoke, coiling along the surface of the graveyard. It seems to form strange whorls and shapes, and as they draw close to %n they begin to look more and more like creatures -- horned creatures, with red eyes full of menace.
"Now just to find who caused it." As Eric, Lilian and Novel enters, she glances around. "Plus side, I get to hit things and not badly ritual." Then it becomes obvious, this is all on Fiona and Illyana gets to fight things. And so, her coat is discarded, hung over a convenient grave marker, and her fists glow with fire. "Oh I like these."
Lilian flashes Illyana a grin at the woman's enthusiasm at the creatures crawling up through the night. She reaches up to wrap a hand around her pendant that hangs between her breasts, the runes engraved in the black diamond gleaming a blood red.
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Fiona and their companions can see a black spider made of infernal smoke. It's huge, with a bloated belly, and then spun spider strands of black mist descend to wrap Fiona into some awful cocoon.
Fiona takes a step back as she looks briefly between Illyana and Novel, and she takes an extra, further step away from Illyana when fire becomes involved. "Oh, do have at," she says with approval, looking to the creatures once more. "Demonic things, or meant to make us think they are. Strange for a psychic echo." For now, she's watching -- before the mist wraps around her and actually gets a startled 'yalp' of surprise from her.
"Oooh. That looks fun." Lilian watches with wide sapphrie eyes as the spider wraps Fiona up.
Novel meets the attention of the demons with a perked, sudden excitement, straightening his shoulders up and looking totally delighted. "Hey, Eric, Lily," He calls out easily with warmth in his voice. "Nice fucking coat," He notes, as his eyes trail over it, and back to the sweater - and then his eyes focus on the entities as he cracks his knuckles and then suddenly he's ontop of the spider, punching it right in the abdomen and swarming to get a grip on it with his legs and his body to yank it back and throttle the thing.
Eric frowns really very deeply, and handles what is in the end just a steel knife. Thankfully, steel does beat silk, insofar he rushes over to cut at some of those strands without shanking Fiona immediately while he's at it
Is fast-- very fast, but it's not speed that's employed as Fiona gets wrapped in the cocoon. It's teleportation, as Illyana paths above the spider in the trees, dropping atop it with burning fists and a lashing flaming aura that sets the air to shimmer with heat. It likely catches Novel, but with the two demon blooded on it, it gives the actual casters in Fiona and Lilian And Eric the chance to deal with the problem as it stands.
Looks from Novel to Eric as if trying to work out if the spider given it's a psychic impression can actually be hit. "Are you... actually doing anything?" Lilian calls out towards the people actually doing stuff as her hand continues to clutch at her pendant. The ground underneath the spider rumbles, a rotting skeletal hand reaches up and through to grab one of the spider's legs and hang on.
There's dignity in times of trouble, and then there's this, as Fiona is writhing in the cocoon of mist, her hand going to a bracelet tucked inside her clutch and pulling it on. Thankfully, breath isn't really a thing here, and she looks up and starts to murmur some words below her breath, trying to find some sense of control over what's happening as her other hand comes up. She bites at the side of it, tearing flesh and bringing blood forth, trying to twist it around herself as best she can.
She's not particularly good at this.
Lilian finds time to send off some texts on her phone as she looks over at the spider that's still trying to turn Fiona into a meal. "Um.. who wants to donate some blood for a circle?" She calls out to Illyana, Novel and Eric sweetly.
"Hey!" Novel sounds more offended then angry as Illyana sets him on fire, yanking hard and up to make the spider catch the worst of it, his arm flexing with straining strength as there's a sickening CRUNCH followed by the sizzling of seemingly-real flesh as it's drawn and pinned. His other arm quickly pats out head and shoulder with a broad palm, with the briskness of someone who's very, very used to being turned into a human torch. "I'm not a fucking spider!"
Some figure forms in the smoke: tall, it has twisted horns and red eyes. It levels a gnarled finger at Fiona, beginning to chant in an unknown language as the air begins to crackle with magic. Immediately, Fiona can feel something like a vise closing on their heart.
"I need some living blood." Lilian tells others as she glances over at the figure that's starting to crush Fiona's heart.
Eric really remainsbset on cutting away thick strands of webbing. Spiders, demons, and spider-demons seem to interest him not much at all, insofar he notably ducks his head and grimaces very deeply while trying to cut Fiona free
As the spiderwebbed mists start to fade, Fiona instead is feeling a pressure over her heart, and she openly grimaces there. The small runs on her wristband start to glow, and even as her heart is slowed, she focuses inward with her magic, trying to keep her blood running. If she can slow it down, surely she can speed it up, as well?
While Fiona probably doesn't have the skills to speed up her heart yet, Lilian sure does and picking up on what the vampire is trying to do, Lilian sweeps her hand towards Fiona as she waits for a blood volunteer.
"That's groce." Illyana calls over to Lilian as she shoves the spider at Novel like some grim tetherball. "And yes. You can get as violent as you like with these things. It's fun." Unfortunately for the spider, it has a trapped leg, and when two demons play, things get broken-- More so when parts of them are being grasped by undead limbs. Looking around the battlefield, Illyana notes Eric's efforts to free Fiona, along with Lilian and Novel's state. She's a talker. Talking is what Illyana does. It keeps her sane, so she casually answers Novel with a, "Sorry." Then she paths again, manifesting before Fiona in a pose she should really have taken at the outset: It's protective. Illyana is a guardian angel, after all, and Novel is best fitting for direct confrontation. Still, the horned creature is going something, and for its trouble, it gets a roiling ball of angelic fire through the face for its trouble.
Lilian sighs as she leans against the headstone of the undead she commanded, letting it settle back into the dirt, "Alright well I'll get banishing once someone donates some blood so I can do a spell circle. I can't use my own or I'm going to raise half the cemetary as zombies and then we'll have some realll problems.:"
... No, Fiona cannot, but Lilian can, so at least there's that. The odd stiffness that had started taking her muscles fades from her as the two forces battle in her heart, and she asks Lilian, "Why does it have to be living blood? Blood's blood, ours is better," as she manages to be freed enough by Eric to shield her face from the blast of angelfire.
With a howl, some kind of winged monkey-demon swoops down near Fiona, its body made of living smoke. It's all grasping claws, striking hard to leave psychic scars that hurt like deep slashes. Other monkeys attack anyone nearby, with similar screeching, rending claws.
Lilian says "Eh I'm a necromancer and my blood will raise half the place. Rather than putting them to sleep. That's just how it is. There is a shrug of @my shoulder, "I just need like... a small cut of blood geez." Shaking her head, she ducks behind the tombstone to avoid the monkeys."
Novel gnashes his teeth at Illyana, but it hardly seems to be a sign of anger, but more excitement. "Ask fucking Eric! I'm fucking busy!" The man calls back to Lilian as he meets the winged monkey-demons with headlong charge, getting his hands on one and seemingly shrugging off the lashing without any sign of concern or pain. In fact, he seems to be having the time of his life, slamming one into the other attacking Lilian and collapsing the both into smoke with a satisfying SMACK.
"Wish these things fucking bled more," The man notes.
"Eh I'm a necromancer and my blood will raise half the place. Rather than putting them to sleep. That's just how it is." There is a shrug of Lilian's shoulder, "I just need like... a small cut of blood geez." Shaking her head, she ducks behind the tombstone to avoid the monkeys.
Eric double backs on out, away, preferring so very much to stay wellbaway from any smoke-wreathed demonsbthat may want to claw at him, real or otherwise. "Here. Fucking- do it then, if you really gotta." The man hesitantly eyes those various creatures before helping along.. Insofar helping along means cutting at the back of his left palm. He holds that too-long arm out, and offers it, stretched to the side, right oger Lilian's way
Whether Fiona accepts that or not is rather hard to tell as those slashes come in. Psychic attacks? Okay, she's actually vocalizing pain now, and about all she can do to hold out right now is focus on her own defense as everything in the cemetery starts coming for her, trying weakly to get behind Illyana and Novel, eyes closing in an open wince as streams of blood start to come from the corners of her eyes.
"Eric." Lilian nods as he makes his way to her, looking greatful as the man cuts his own palm. Her hands reaches out to cup underneath his palm, catching his blood. When there's a small palmful she nods to him, "There's a bandage in my bag." She nods towards the side slung designer bag and then starts to walk in a circle around the tombstones they're fighting around. Eric's blood drips darkly onto the ground at her feet as she walks a circle.
Illyana interposes herself between Fiona and the worst of that demonic assault as best she can. "Well then." she mentions, still quite casually. "Single targets I can deal with. Multiples I cant." Then Novel is on it, Lily has a plan and blood being offered. The larger monkey demon gets a solid uppercut for its trouble.
Eric glowers and scowls, the hasty cut bleeding more than he'd have really preferred. Perfectly content to let Lilian work any magics, he does the masculine thing of rooting through that handbag for approximately three decades before getting out the bandaging to wrap himself up
Some figure forms in the smoke: tall, it has twisted horns and red eyes. It levels a gnarled finger at Fiona, beginning to chant in an unknown language as the air begins to crackle with magic. Immediately, Fiona can feel something like a vise closing on their heart.
This time the figure comes to control Fiona's heart. Lilian is slightly busy walking her spell circle. "Novel kiss her or something to get her heart going." She yells out with a scowl as she continues to slowly walk the circle, about halfway now, the drops of Eric's lifeblood trailing her hand.
Novel slides in calm tandem with Illyana, seeming to be quite content with putting Fiona in the middle between the pair as he reaches down into his jacket - and then slides out a gleaming steel bowie knife. He pulls his hand back and HURLS it directly into that tall mancer trying to mangle Fiona, snorting back at Lilian, "You just want to watch me do fucking sloppy makeouts in a graveyard!" He calls back.
"What's wrong with sloppy makeouts in a graveyard?" Lilian calls back as she finishes three quarters of the circle now.
It's likely the bloodlust. It likely should be. If not, Illyana is psychotic-- Which she is, of course, but it's usually better hidden. As Eric bleeds and Lily works, and Illyana continues to put herself before Fiona and the demons, she calls back over her shoulder to Fiona, "You have never looked hotter." Another ball of fire is generated, then thrown at the demon with a grip on Fiona's heart, and Illyana tells Novel, with far too much good cheer, "Novel, kill!" Though of course the demon is already on it, with throwing knives a plenty.
"Fuck off with that," Fiona snaps back at Lilian, actual anger creeping into her voice as she forces her body's activation further, teeth gritting and fangs extending as she hisses defiance at the creature that is coming for her heart -- and she finally tears free enough of the bindings to focus on her bracelet again, lambent arcane energy flowing from her as she channels it out to the other arcanist in the area. Illyana earns a fangy grin.
Soft laughter shakes Lilian's shoulders at Illyana's complimenting of Fiona, "Maybe you should kiss her to make her heart beat faster?" She yells out at Illyana now as she finally finishes walking the circle in Eric's blood. Fiona's angry look gets a glance from her and she shrugs as she makes her way to the middle of the circle. "They know I'm kidding." She grumbles, looking slightly sullen as she kneels down in the center of her circle. The pendant on her neck starts to glow that deep blood red as does all the drops of Eric's blood on the ground, forming a large circle around all the mist.
From the smoky mist, a circle of hooded figures seem to approach, chanting in unison. At first, they seem to be living people, but as they draw closer to Fiona it becomes clear they are smoke monsters themselves. They reach out as their chants increase in volume, and it is as if they are sucking the air out of the lungs of everyone present.
Lilian doesn't need to breath so continues to work her magic as swirls of red start to rise from the circle of blood she's drawn into the ground.
Novel produces another knife from his jacket, identical to the first - where is he carrying all those?! He flashes a white-toothed smile back at Illyana, looking openly gleeful at the violence and mayhem swirling on around him as he flicks the blade up, twirling it around to catch it between pinched fingers by the tip and winding an arm back before he starts to fling them at the new robes - and halfway through the air there's a choking noise, gagging at his own lack of air and prevented from whatever oh-so-clever quip he might have thrown back at Illyana.
Instead he dashes forwards, right towards one of the smoke monsters, catching one by a shoulder in a football tackle and attempting to create a violent clothesline pile - and snatch up his knives again on the way by with his free right hand.
Eric grits his teeth, hunching down a little while binding his own wound. The lack of air has the motions slow down a little, and he mutters quiet swear words to humself after a moment, watching Lilian's magics do something flashy at last. Perhaps it'll be enough
Not her AIR. Fiona finally manages to pull through the assaults enough, with blood smeared across her cheeks, to clench her fists. "Lessons learned for next time, I suppose. They're just smoke, right?" she asks mostly herself, the last of her air forming those words, then barrels at one of the cloaked figures with her shoulder as fast as she can.
Red glimmers of light, looking almost like wisps or spirits start to rise from the edges of the circle drawn around all of them as Lilian kneels in the middle. The same eerie blood red glow lights up her face from the runes on her pendant that gleams brighter and brighter at the same time as the wisps. Bringing one of her hands to her mouth when everyone is busy, Lilian slides down her fangs to nick her own thumb for a second, showing she isn't particularly against drawing her own blood before sitting her hands onto the ground. Her head tilts back as she stays on her hands and knees and perhaps omimously, the ground at her feet starts to turn black, shadows stretching out from her towards the edge of the circles.
Out of the smoke charges an armed and armored warrior, spun out of black mist. He is dressed head to toe in archaic plate armor, wielding some huge, two-handed sword as black as his armor. With a roar, he rushes at Fiona, swinging the sword in some attempt to cut off their head.
Was very likely about to respong to Lilian with something witty-- Or follow that good advice with a kiss, but now having realised what she should have already; This is actually serious and Fiona needs protecting, she doesn't. It's not through lack of want. But as with Novel and Eric, a lack of air is, for some unknown reason, a problem. Funny that. It really isn't fair that Lilian and Fiona get away with this casual freedom. Not breathing has its advantages, after all. Still, the lack of air means that by extention, lack of fuel for Illyana's fire, and the flames around her fists gutter out as she fails to even remotely say anything. Truly, this is worse than the loss of air. How is Illyana going to quip now?!
Well, that's a big sword, Fiona realizes as she skids to a stop in frost-dewed grass, somehow managing to not snap a heel as she stares at the creature swinging at her, then dodges just in time that it only grazes her shoulder. Sorry, Illyana, maybe another time -- Fiona clearly is neither the most skilled arcanist nor combatant here, by a mile, and had maybe gotten in a little over her head with no idea what to expect. She starts to back quickly away from the singular, imposing figure, motioning toward it quickly.
In start contrast to Illyana, Novel seems even more intelligent when he doesn't waste his by-far extremely limited braincells to bother talking, instead focusing on the issue at hand. Which is to say: Stabbing as many ghosts as inhumanly possible in as short amount of time. He breaks free of the robe'd smoke, scattering it about him with a large bowie knife in hand and bloodshot eyes, looking like even more of a maniac than usual. His mouth opens and there's a sudden sucking drawing of air, released from the robed creatures -
His legs piston suddenly across the ground, putting on a burst of speed as he hits the giant warrior right in the back, slamming the two weapons into the vulnerable joints in the back of the knees to make the ghost-knight stagger.
The shadows underneath Lilian deepen until they stretch all the way to the edges of the circle as the woman on her hands and knees starts to chant softly underneath her breath. There is no time for her to care about the giant wanting to behead Fiona. She can only trust her companions would be able to hold it off as the last of her spell sinks into place, sealing the circle. Her voice grows louder and louder, until it is almost a shout and there is a deafening crack before the circle around them shrinks in from the edges dragging the mists and all that come from it towards Lilian. Lilian's hand that has her blood claps down when the circle is palm sized, sealing it into the ground with a soft sigh.
The smell of smoke seems to peak, and then, with a rush of magical power, it's gone. The smoke monsters in the cemetery disappear, banished -- fading away as wisps of mist in the air around $n.