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Illyanas Ghost Banishing 250117
In the eerie twilight of Arkwright Cemetery, Illyana and her unconventional band of arcanists and fighters stand their ground against a host of malevolent spectral entities. As hellhounds and smoky specters formed from the cemetery's brimstone-laden fog assail them, the team exhibits a chaotic yet effective mix of magic, brawn, and quick wit to confront their adversaries. Novel revels in the combat, engaging in a violent melee aside from the main conflict, while William focuses on preparing a complex ritual, drawing intricate symbols with his own blood for a banishment ceremony. Sae-byeok, despite her fierce demeanor, succumbs to an overpowering psychic assault, leading to a tense moment where her intentions and safety become a primary concern. Savannah and Juliet, amidst the tumult, find themselves struggling to cope with the relentless supernatural onslaught and their personal reactions to the chaos.
Despite the disarray, the apex of the confrontation sees Illyana effectively taking command, harnessing her powers to both protect her allies and assault the phantasmal foes directly. William's ritual culminates in an awe-inspiring display of 'hentai magic,' as Illyana dubs it, with tendrils of light ensnaring and pulling the misty apparitions back into the earth, cleansing the cemetery of their presence. In the aftermath, as the spectral threats dissipate and the cemetery returns to a somber peace, there's a palpable sense of relief and camaraderie among the group. Sae-byeok is secured to prevent further self-harm, and despite the harrowing experience, there seems to be an unspoken acknowledgment of a job well done. The group's eclectic combination of talents and sheer determination have once again proven effective against the dark forces that sought to emerge from Arkwright Cemetery.
(Illyana's ghost banishing)
[Thu Jan 16 2025]
On the Sprawling Hillside of Arkwright Cemetery
It is dusk, about 39F(3C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky.
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.
William nods his head slowly "I am casting this time... I am kind of done with dealing with the mist beasts"
Sae-byeok says "Ghosts. Whatever."
"Oh, cool. Another arcanist could help." Novel mentions in offhand to Illyana before he eventually focuses on Savannah's lecturing about being more careful about spicy, magical nonsense. He takes in a deep inhale of his pipe before puffing on it, sweet-scented smoke curling out if it. "I mean, I LIKE picking fights with ghosts. It's fucking fun - see?" He gestures around at the spooky, violent brimstone-ghosts. "And it was was HANDLED. It was all like, just a fucking electrical fire. And people hallucinate all the time at Sludgefukk. Nobody's gonna question anything, Sav." He pauses, thinking.
"Thanks for covering it up though, Sav, Venice would be kinda a pain."
Novel makes a so-so gesture at Sae-byeok's words, pulling a bow knife from inside his jacket and turning to advance on the ghosts.
"Oh, these guys." Illyana grins. "Goody. I hate the fae one." To Juliet, Illyana explains, "Bill, Sae and Novel deal with these guys a lot, so in short, they only want to kill you, which is easy." Pointing to William, Sae-byeok and Novel, Illyana adds, "Long story short, magic them away and keep them distracted. Easy."
For a moment, the dark smoke is still around Illyana ... but then a low, evil laughter begins to echo. It takes only a second to realize the laughter is echoing inside the heads of those who fight here, and with it comes a sudden urge to give into everyone's worst sin.
Juliet points at herself wide-eyed and asks Illyana. "Wait, I'm the BAIT?"
Sae-byeok puts in ear plugs, holding the sides of them as she simultaneously sticks on her sunglasses. She stares at the back of Novel, tilting her head slightly in silence.
Novel responds by glancing over at Sae-byeok, meeting her gaze, slowly sliding his sunglasses up his face - and then immediately commits violence.
Sae-byeok swoons.
"Something like that, yes" William says after Illyana speaks, pulling his own knife from his clothes and confirming "Kind of, yes..." He tells Juliet, looking for a place to hide himself from any incoming attacks, behind one of the gravestones, before starting to listen to the laughter, bringing his free hand to his head to rub it slowly, groaning a tiny bit as he glances at the people around him
Sae-byeok swoons like ragdoll punched in the face as her cradled hands come just up to set next to her face.
"People walk by on the streets and my normal beat includes the shipping yard. It is just good to keep it, uh, fuck," Savannah says to Novel as she is interrupted by looking out towards the danger approaching, "Guess I'm stuck in this for a bit..." She does walk closer to Sae-byeok and Novel, turning to look out towards the graveyard.
Novel runs directly at Sae-byeok, flicking a knife at her in violent, aggressive charge as the dummy triggers combat and then locks everyone out of emoting. "FUCK YOU!" HE calls out.
Sae-byeok tongues her cheek, reeling from Novel as she sets herself up, glaring up at him as she darts under the strike and jams out her own.
"No. I'm the bate." Illyana tells Juliet, then that sensation floods through, the mist flowing around Illyana, Novel, Sae-byeok, William and Juliet. Fortunately, Illyana's deepest sin is vainglory, so Illyana stands there, making herself presentable. Good job this isn't an anger day. That could go horribly wrong for everyone. Then the fight breaks out, so Illyana takes care of that, throwing herself at an easy target- Sae-byeok and Smack!
"Calm the fuck down," Savannah says to Novel as she tenses when watching Sae-byeok and the man go at it, "We have more important things to worry about with these freaking things coming down on us!"
William sighs, looking over at Illyana while Novel and Sae-byeok fight, commenting "Can you make them- Just keep any of them from getting to me..." He says with a deep breath, his gaze lingering for a moment on Savannah, before he uses the knife to cut his own palm, letting some blood start pooling on it
Novel gets engaged in a violent knife-fight with Sae-byeok, ignoring the demonic ghosts in favor of the clash of steel and metal, grinning with delight and putting a hole in her - and then Illyana slaps Sae-byeok down. He draws back a moment, holding up a weapon and sniffing the air - and then suddenly he's bounding over towards the brimstone smoke ghosts, ignoring the downed target in favor of trying to maul ghosts.
"Sure." Illyana agrees, stepping back from Sae-byeok.
Antoinette says "I thought I sensed a party "
Sae-byeok groans as Illyana slaps her senseless. A bruise across her cheekbones reddens violently in a quick, passing heal- but the bloodstain on her leg lingers.
A hot wind blows through the cemetery, and with it comes sibilant whispers in the ears of Illyana and all their companions: they promise depraved, decadent desires fulfilled, and for a moment that's all anyone can focus on.
After saying that, William simply lowers himself onto the ground, staining his fingers with some of the blood in his hand before digging them into the dirt, starting to draw a sizeable circle where he is, beginning to draw the ritual and distract himself from the fighting - That is, at least, until he slows down, letting out another groan as the whispers reach his ears, complaining as his gaze lifts back up from the floor, and onto his banishing partners once more
Novel snarls something incoherent at Antoinette, and he smells like blood and the blade in his hand gleams with it before he's suddenly plunging in red, brimstone smoke, violently cutting with the occasional CRACK as blade or boot encounters stone or more unsettling, organic noises.
Novel is, nevertheless, smiling the whole time.
cackles with enjoyment before fixing her hair- Good, no nails broken. The bohemian grins over to Juliet. "It's usually quieter than this. Just fighting demons." And of course, that's when the whispers come, and Illyana pauses, focusing on them, listening to what they have to say, Novel, William, Sae-byeok, Juliet, Antoinette and Savannah forgotten in that moment before she shakes herself free long enough to remember why she's hear. Still, she doesn't move, frozen, clearly enraptured by the suggestions in her mind.
Juliet slumps down onto the grass, paralyzed by a fear of violence. She just gives Illyana a soft nod of mild comprehension and looks around wide eyed, murmuring, "Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck..." to herself.
Savannah walks over towards Sae-byeok now, crouching down beside her, looking like she's concerned for the woman after all was done recently. She asks Sae-byeok, "Are you good? We need to take care of that bleed after this, it doesn't look too terrible..." She gestures to the woman's leg, lifting her eyes up towards Antoinette, "Not a party, everyone is fighting what looks like their own demons today, I don't know..." She gestures towards Novel and Illyana as examples, and now Juliet, "Take a breath, try to calm yourself down, Jules, you'll be okay, maybe."
William takes a heavier breath this time, clearly something else on his mind, trying to focus though, he lowers his face back to the ground, letting out another groan as he keeps on drawing, slower than before. The first circle followed by a concentric one inside of it, and later by a couple more towards the edges, six in total without counting the original ones
A twisted figure forms out of infernal smoke, shaped like a terrible canine shape. It's a hellhound, leaping towards Illyana with an awful snarl. When its mouth closes on %n, it has some phantom force, sending a vision of suffering in hellfire.
Sae-byeok groans on the ground, thighs trying to strangle each other as she grips her chest and blows cold air in and out of her teeth.
"I-I'm NOT HUMAN! I'm fine!" She snaps.
Sae-byeok, barefoot, covered in fire extinguisher foam from the chest down, limps up from the snow, staring at her muted reflection of the wet-slick knife on the ground below her.
Juliet breathes on the suggestion of Savannah, though it's a bit more akin to hyperventilation. She tucks her knees to her chest, ducking and flinching at the apparition of the hellhound, even without anything directly threatening her at current.
It's entirely wrong that Illyana's responce to having a hellhound jumping Illyana is to raise a forearm, catch the hound and snarl in its face. Yet, that's what Illyana does. There's a glance around herself, and that gaze, now glowing with hellfire sweeps over Sae-byeok, William, Antoinette, Savannah and Juliet before tracking down Novel. There's a rendingand Illyana rips the hound off her arm. HOlding it by the scruff, Illyana calls to Novel, "Incoming!" before throwing it bodily at the demonborn.
Antoinette steps carefully, surveying the current happenings, nodding to Savannah's words. "Sorry, yes. I was being sarcastic. I didn't think it was actually a party." And for the moment, since she isn't being assaulted by these visions yet, she closes to the distance to where William is working on a ritual circle to try and assist him in the work.
Oh no! It's a second hellhound jumping at Illyana No wait, that's just Novel. And he's tackling the hellhound, a terrible, white-toothed grin spread from ear-to-ear as the bowie knife plunges into it and he tackles it ... directly towards William, the tumbling pair of demonblooded and smoke-hellhound tumbling across the grass, shrieks and yelps as the ball of pair goes straight towards the man.
"Okay, okay!" Savannah responds to Sae-byeok, backing up and standing up. She looks towards Illyana afterwards, concern on her features and steps closer to the other woman now, drawing out a knife from her belt, watching Novel tumble around through the fighting.
"I'm sorry." Sae-byeok croaks in a whisper, eyes manic as she pants down and grips the bowie knife in two hands and slumps to her knees, holding the blade up
Illyana remembers at that point why she's good at this; She blinks, freeing herself from the melee to stand between Sae-byeok and William and the on-coming forces. There's a ripple and the air shimmers with a guardian aura, Illyana standing bastion between Novel who fights on, and William, Sae-byeok, Juliet, Antoinette and Savannah.
Once the whole circle drawing is done, with both blood and a slight push to the dirt of the ground, William starts drawing what looks like a triangle, connecting three of the previously drawn circles by the edges of it, and then comes a second one, inverted, making the whole thing look more like a six pointed star, with circles at the tips. Moving swiftly and just after finishing that starting to draw little runes along the borders of everything drawn on the ground. His head tilts to a side as Antoinette comes closer, glancing at her for a second before he looks back down at what he's doing "What is it? Bit busy over here..."
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 Illyana 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.
"Re-revocacionem-" Sae-byeok hisses in a long exhale, resting her forehead on the tip of the blade and beginning a long line of red from the dot, but she doesn't have the breath to push out the words.
Novel slits the creature's throat, leaving smoke and sulfur and brimstone behind, emerging from it in foulness before he catches himself up against Illyana - there's a momentary hesitation, his face flexing in confusion and bliss as he presses against her - and then suddenly he's springing away like a shot, an animal sent back on the hunt and charging directly at the hooded figures, gagging on lack of air with hacking noises.
William seems to go to say something else, but decides against it, and simply focuses back on the ritual "No one panic if it looks a bit... Voidy..." He comments, considering a lot of people here hadn't been to a banishing with him on the past, or hadn't seen what it would look like when he was done with it. But the tracing of small runes and symbols stops as he starts feeling the air missing from his lungs, coughing at first, and then simply reaching for both his chest and his neck in complain, gasping and panting a little bit as his eyes rise up once more, towards the figures, and then to Illyana, Novel and Savannah, almost urging them to do something about it before losing their arcanists
Stepping forward, Illyana produces a ball of fire in a palm. That is likely what Illyana intended on doing, but plans are often thwarted at the outset. Though she stands between the others, Sae-byeok, William, Savannah, Antoinette and Juliet, with Novel as vanguard, those spectres manifest in the demonic smoke and the air vanishes-- That of course includes the air needed to have fire grow, and so as Illyana tosses the fireball towards Novel and the hound, it winks out. Good too, because Novel finishes it with a knife. Illyana catches the demonborn before he runs off again, and Illyana shakes her head again. She clearly wants to say something-- Do something more distructive, but that lack of air is a real problem.
Antoinette flicks a glance over William's work, but seeing that he has things well in hand she shifts her focus to trying to aid in distracting the next incoming group of smoke monsters, working on instinct it might seem as she slices a pocket knife blade along her hand, speaking in Gaelic as shadows coalesce around her hands, making some heads turn and likely aiding Novel and whomever else in doing actual damage.
Juliet slumps to just about a fetal position as the air is knocked from her lungs, seeming frozen solid by fear and laying with her cheek pressed to the cool grass as she watches the smoke monsters rolling closer and the battle unfolding all around her.
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Illyana 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 Illyana into some awful cocoon.
Wheeling, Illyana solidly clocks Sae-byeok. "We'll not have any of that." she tells the unconscious woman. "No one gets to die today."
Distracted by the idiot, Sae-byeok, Illyana doesn't spot the spider in time. Solidly cocooned, the bohemian bellows in incoherant rage before starting to struggle free. Heat bursts from her, though thankfully, that guardian aura is maintained, William is going to be safe as his spellwork continues.
After finishing the whole rune work, William slwoly peels himself away from the blood drawing, setting down on his knees in front of it and beginning to mutter something awfully low, even lower than one would whisper when wanting to be secretive, people fighting the mist creatures would probably have issues listening, and even if they did, it would sound mostly like utter gibberish, but he seems focused, closing his eyes to keep himself from getting distracted any longer, he simply chants, to which the blood responds by lighting up a tiny bit
Novel works through the robed ones like a rogue combine harvester and a field of dry corn, the magic work from Antoinette and William slowing them down and giving him something solid enough to sink his figurative teeth into as he tears right through them. When he finally manages to plunge out the other side his voice is panting. Oh, sweet, sweet oxygen. Now he sees Sae-byeok on the floor and Illyana being tied up as he bounds back over, his expression contorted in actual, genuine rage as he gets his zoomies out of running back-and-forth - the spider casually gets a bowie knife thrown into the thick belly of it with a SHUNK, producing a horrible screech from the creature as he beelines towards Illyana, producing a second knife and starting to hack into it.
The whole thing has Savannah looking between people and trying to assist as she has not been directly targeted by a creature just yet. She watches Sae-byeok get knocked out by Illyana and then winces, leaving the woman for now and trying to work at Illyana's cocoon by slicing with her knife. In the moment, she might actually cut the blouse the woman wears on accident, but probably avoids cutting the woman herself, gripping fabric and cocoon to slice away enough to help free the woman, "They're certainly trying to kill us that is for sure! Let's get you out of this!"
William continues with the nonsense mouthing, and as he keeps on going, the light only grows brighter, which might be inconvenient to keep the secrecy of what they're doing, giving the hour and the darkness of the night. What was at first just a fun little glow, is progressively growing to be more like flashlights, and after that, even some sort of party light. The color being white for the most part, tainted with some barely noticeable hues of blue and green here and there. Growing in brightness until there isn't any spot of blood to see, not in red at least
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 Illyana 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.
Juliet gets up when breath allows her to do, glancing over at her unconscious guide in Sae-byeok, William conducting the ritual, Illyana wrapped up in the cocoon. She glances over her shoulder then around the graveyard, searching for a path out, looking like she's set to run... but then the hooded figures close in again and she just crouches ineffectively, trying to stay clear of any danger and around the people who are actually capable of putting work in.
With the first wave of robed figures handled and Novel and Savannah working to free Illyana, Antoinette moves closer to the knocked out Sae-byeok and Juliet to try and protect them as she continues trying to work her magic to distract the new wave of robed figures and turn them against each other while William activates his circle. She doesn't seem entirely confident in the -how- she's managing to do this but she isn't questioning it too hard in the moment lest it stop working.
As Novel hacks from one side, Illyana hacks from the other, and soon, there's enough of a line of sight for Illyana to gasp a breath, the launch a fireball at the knifeblock spider. "Savannah, Sae's trying to kill herself. I need you to shackle her before she kills her baby..." A slight pause, then she adds, "And herself." Which is of course when the air vanishes... again, and Illyana grits her teeth. Nodding thanks to Novel, Illyana has enough room to path out, and does so, moving to William once more, her gaze sweeping over Savannah, the unconscious Sae-byeok, Toni, Juliette and Novel, seeking impending threats outside of that circle of demons that Novel is capable of removing.
And once the beam of light is strong enough, it starts to bend unnaturally. It no longer is a beam, or a ray, it starts twisting and coiling like it was something else. Parting itself and forming tiny little groups, slowly taking the shape of tentacles - Probably what he referenced when he mentioned it was going to look voidy - Behaving in a way that no light should ever, was magic not a thing at least. But it is. And even as the air starts missing from his lungs, William doesn't stop chanting
Finn skuls his way onto the scene, the large man's hands tucked into his jeans as he glances around. He looks down and sees Sae-byeok down on the ground and then glances at all present "The fuck did I just walk in on?"
When Illyana directs her, Savannah seems like she knows what she can do. She walks over towards Sae-byeok, checking the woman's breathing with a hand moving out to touch near her nostrils and mouth. After that is done, she grips the woman and begins to turn her to her side, reaching back to take out some cuffs and placing her hands behind her back, making sure she is propped up on a mound of dirt nearby after cuffing her and looking to Illyana, "Right, got it, fucking hell..." She begins to rise back up now, standing guard over the unconscious woman.
Novel nods back at Illyana, brisk, a sort of dawning realization crossing his features at Illyana's words and then down towards the comatose woman. He shares a glance with Savannah - and then hefts aloft the threads in his hands in thought. He chucks the bundle of silk that would do an admirable job of tying someone up to Savannah. He holds out a hand to catch the knife that falls out of the sky from a cloud of smoke before LUNGING out towards the rob'd smoke cultist things that are choking everyone out, a snarl on his features.
"Hentai magic." Illyana cant help but to hiss out as William's magic takes form, reaching for the out-laying demons. Thanks to everyone involved, this is going to be a success, Illyana knows it, and she spends the time to shoot Juliet a grin and a thumbs up before nodding with solemnity at Savannah. "Thanks."
William seems to finally shut up, but that doesn't stop the magic from working. It seems the ritual is completely, and the tentacles of light, seem to latch towards the mist, attaching themselves to it, almost sticking to the gaseous substance, not allowing it to take on different shapes, trapping it and making it unable to keep on attacking people. And after the mist issue seems secured, they begin pulling towards the ritual circle drawn on the ground, dragging the spirits back towards the ground, trying to suck them back into the same earth they came from
Juliet looks over between Savannah and Sae-byeok in her cowering position, as if asking if everything is going to be alright, seeming to take the thumbs up from Illyana as a good sign.
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.
Despite the disarray, the apex of the confrontation sees Illyana effectively taking command, harnessing her powers to both protect her allies and assault the phantasmal foes directly. William's ritual culminates in an awe-inspiring display of 'hentai magic,' as Illyana dubs it, with tendrils of light ensnaring and pulling the misty apparitions back into the earth, cleansing the cemetery of their presence. In the aftermath, as the spectral threats dissipate and the cemetery returns to a somber peace, there's a palpable sense of relief and camaraderie among the group. Sae-byeok is secured to prevent further self-harm, and despite the harrowing experience, there seems to be an unspoken acknowledgment of a job well done. The group's eclectic combination of talents and sheer determination have once again proven effective against the dark forces that sought to emerge from Arkwright Cemetery.
(Illyana's ghost banishing)
[Thu Jan 16 2025]
On the Sprawling Hillside of Arkwright Cemetery
It is dusk, about 39F(3C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky.
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.
William nods his head slowly "I am casting this time... I am kind of done with dealing with the mist beasts"
Sae-byeok says "Ghosts. Whatever."
"Oh, cool. Another arcanist could help." Novel mentions in offhand to Illyana before he eventually focuses on Savannah's lecturing about being more careful about spicy, magical nonsense. He takes in a deep inhale of his pipe before puffing on it, sweet-scented smoke curling out if it. "I mean, I LIKE picking fights with ghosts. It's fucking fun - see?" He gestures around at the spooky, violent brimstone-ghosts. "And it was was HANDLED. It was all like, just a fucking electrical fire. And people hallucinate all the time at Sludgefukk. Nobody's gonna question anything, Sav." He pauses, thinking.
"Thanks for covering it up though, Sav, Venice would be kinda a pain."
Novel makes a so-so gesture at Sae-byeok's words, pulling a bow knife from inside his jacket and turning to advance on the ghosts.
"Oh, these guys." Illyana grins. "Goody. I hate the fae one." To Juliet, Illyana explains, "Bill, Sae and Novel deal with these guys a lot, so in short, they only want to kill you, which is easy." Pointing to William, Sae-byeok and Novel, Illyana adds, "Long story short, magic them away and keep them distracted. Easy."
For a moment, the dark smoke is still around Illyana ... but then a low, evil laughter begins to echo. It takes only a second to realize the laughter is echoing inside the heads of those who fight here, and with it comes a sudden urge to give into everyone's worst sin.
Juliet points at herself wide-eyed and asks Illyana. "Wait, I'm the BAIT?"
Sae-byeok puts in ear plugs, holding the sides of them as she simultaneously sticks on her sunglasses. She stares at the back of Novel, tilting her head slightly in silence.
Novel responds by glancing over at Sae-byeok, meeting her gaze, slowly sliding his sunglasses up his face - and then immediately commits violence.
Sae-byeok swoons.
"Something like that, yes" William says after Illyana speaks, pulling his own knife from his clothes and confirming "Kind of, yes..." He tells Juliet, looking for a place to hide himself from any incoming attacks, behind one of the gravestones, before starting to listen to the laughter, bringing his free hand to his head to rub it slowly, groaning a tiny bit as he glances at the people around him
Sae-byeok swoons like ragdoll punched in the face as her cradled hands come just up to set next to her face.
"People walk by on the streets and my normal beat includes the shipping yard. It is just good to keep it, uh, fuck," Savannah says to Novel as she is interrupted by looking out towards the danger approaching, "Guess I'm stuck in this for a bit..." She does walk closer to Sae-byeok and Novel, turning to look out towards the graveyard.
Novel runs directly at Sae-byeok, flicking a knife at her in violent, aggressive charge as the dummy triggers combat and then locks everyone out of emoting. "FUCK YOU!" HE calls out.
Sae-byeok tongues her cheek, reeling from Novel as she sets herself up, glaring up at him as she darts under the strike and jams out her own.
"No. I'm the bate." Illyana tells Juliet, then that sensation floods through, the mist flowing around Illyana, Novel, Sae-byeok, William and Juliet. Fortunately, Illyana's deepest sin is vainglory, so Illyana stands there, making herself presentable. Good job this isn't an anger day. That could go horribly wrong for everyone. Then the fight breaks out, so Illyana takes care of that, throwing herself at an easy target- Sae-byeok and Smack!
"Calm the fuck down," Savannah says to Novel as she tenses when watching Sae-byeok and the man go at it, "We have more important things to worry about with these freaking things coming down on us!"
William sighs, looking over at Illyana while Novel and Sae-byeok fight, commenting "Can you make them- Just keep any of them from getting to me..." He says with a deep breath, his gaze lingering for a moment on Savannah, before he uses the knife to cut his own palm, letting some blood start pooling on it
Novel gets engaged in a violent knife-fight with Sae-byeok, ignoring the demonic ghosts in favor of the clash of steel and metal, grinning with delight and putting a hole in her - and then Illyana slaps Sae-byeok down. He draws back a moment, holding up a weapon and sniffing the air - and then suddenly he's bounding over towards the brimstone smoke ghosts, ignoring the downed target in favor of trying to maul ghosts.
"Sure." Illyana agrees, stepping back from Sae-byeok.
Antoinette says "I thought I sensed a party "
Sae-byeok groans as Illyana slaps her senseless. A bruise across her cheekbones reddens violently in a quick, passing heal- but the bloodstain on her leg lingers.
A hot wind blows through the cemetery, and with it comes sibilant whispers in the ears of Illyana and all their companions: they promise depraved, decadent desires fulfilled, and for a moment that's all anyone can focus on.
After saying that, William simply lowers himself onto the ground, staining his fingers with some of the blood in his hand before digging them into the dirt, starting to draw a sizeable circle where he is, beginning to draw the ritual and distract himself from the fighting - That is, at least, until he slows down, letting out another groan as the whispers reach his ears, complaining as his gaze lifts back up from the floor, and onto his banishing partners once more
Novel snarls something incoherent at Antoinette, and he smells like blood and the blade in his hand gleams with it before he's suddenly plunging in red, brimstone smoke, violently cutting with the occasional CRACK as blade or boot encounters stone or more unsettling, organic noises.
Novel is, nevertheless, smiling the whole time.
cackles with enjoyment before fixing her hair- Good, no nails broken. The bohemian grins over to Juliet. "It's usually quieter than this. Just fighting demons." And of course, that's when the whispers come, and Illyana pauses, focusing on them, listening to what they have to say, Novel, William, Sae-byeok, Juliet, Antoinette and Savannah forgotten in that moment before she shakes herself free long enough to remember why she's hear. Still, she doesn't move, frozen, clearly enraptured by the suggestions in her mind.
Juliet slumps down onto the grass, paralyzed by a fear of violence. She just gives Illyana a soft nod of mild comprehension and looks around wide eyed, murmuring, "Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck..." to herself.
Savannah walks over towards Sae-byeok now, crouching down beside her, looking like she's concerned for the woman after all was done recently. She asks Sae-byeok, "Are you good? We need to take care of that bleed after this, it doesn't look too terrible..." She gestures to the woman's leg, lifting her eyes up towards Antoinette, "Not a party, everyone is fighting what looks like their own demons today, I don't know..." She gestures towards Novel and Illyana as examples, and now Juliet, "Take a breath, try to calm yourself down, Jules, you'll be okay, maybe."
William takes a heavier breath this time, clearly something else on his mind, trying to focus though, he lowers his face back to the ground, letting out another groan as he keeps on drawing, slower than before. The first circle followed by a concentric one inside of it, and later by a couple more towards the edges, six in total without counting the original ones
A twisted figure forms out of infernal smoke, shaped like a terrible canine shape. It's a hellhound, leaping towards Illyana with an awful snarl. When its mouth closes on %n, it has some phantom force, sending a vision of suffering in hellfire.
Sae-byeok groans on the ground, thighs trying to strangle each other as she grips her chest and blows cold air in and out of her teeth.
"I-I'm NOT HUMAN! I'm fine!" She snaps.
Sae-byeok, barefoot, covered in fire extinguisher foam from the chest down, limps up from the snow, staring at her muted reflection of the wet-slick knife on the ground below her.
Juliet breathes on the suggestion of Savannah, though it's a bit more akin to hyperventilation. She tucks her knees to her chest, ducking and flinching at the apparition of the hellhound, even without anything directly threatening her at current.
It's entirely wrong that Illyana's responce to having a hellhound jumping Illyana is to raise a forearm, catch the hound and snarl in its face. Yet, that's what Illyana does. There's a glance around herself, and that gaze, now glowing with hellfire sweeps over Sae-byeok, William, Antoinette, Savannah and Juliet before tracking down Novel. There's a rendingand Illyana rips the hound off her arm. HOlding it by the scruff, Illyana calls to Novel, "Incoming!" before throwing it bodily at the demonborn.
Antoinette steps carefully, surveying the current happenings, nodding to Savannah's words. "Sorry, yes. I was being sarcastic. I didn't think it was actually a party." And for the moment, since she isn't being assaulted by these visions yet, she closes to the distance to where William is working on a ritual circle to try and assist him in the work.
Oh no! It's a second hellhound jumping at Illyana No wait, that's just Novel. And he's tackling the hellhound, a terrible, white-toothed grin spread from ear-to-ear as the bowie knife plunges into it and he tackles it ... directly towards William, the tumbling pair of demonblooded and smoke-hellhound tumbling across the grass, shrieks and yelps as the ball of pair goes straight towards the man.
"Okay, okay!" Savannah responds to Sae-byeok, backing up and standing up. She looks towards Illyana afterwards, concern on her features and steps closer to the other woman now, drawing out a knife from her belt, watching Novel tumble around through the fighting.
"I'm sorry." Sae-byeok croaks in a whisper, eyes manic as she pants down and grips the bowie knife in two hands and slumps to her knees, holding the blade up
Illyana remembers at that point why she's good at this; She blinks, freeing herself from the melee to stand between Sae-byeok and William and the on-coming forces. There's a ripple and the air shimmers with a guardian aura, Illyana standing bastion between Novel who fights on, and William, Sae-byeok, Juliet, Antoinette and Savannah.
Once the whole circle drawing is done, with both blood and a slight push to the dirt of the ground, William starts drawing what looks like a triangle, connecting three of the previously drawn circles by the edges of it, and then comes a second one, inverted, making the whole thing look more like a six pointed star, with circles at the tips. Moving swiftly and just after finishing that starting to draw little runes along the borders of everything drawn on the ground. His head tilts to a side as Antoinette comes closer, glancing at her for a second before he looks back down at what he's doing "What is it? Bit busy over here..."
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 Illyana 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.
"Re-revocacionem-" Sae-byeok hisses in a long exhale, resting her forehead on the tip of the blade and beginning a long line of red from the dot, but she doesn't have the breath to push out the words.
Novel slits the creature's throat, leaving smoke and sulfur and brimstone behind, emerging from it in foulness before he catches himself up against Illyana - there's a momentary hesitation, his face flexing in confusion and bliss as he presses against her - and then suddenly he's springing away like a shot, an animal sent back on the hunt and charging directly at the hooded figures, gagging on lack of air with hacking noises.
William seems to go to say something else, but decides against it, and simply focuses back on the ritual "No one panic if it looks a bit... Voidy..." He comments, considering a lot of people here hadn't been to a banishing with him on the past, or hadn't seen what it would look like when he was done with it. But the tracing of small runes and symbols stops as he starts feeling the air missing from his lungs, coughing at first, and then simply reaching for both his chest and his neck in complain, gasping and panting a little bit as his eyes rise up once more, towards the figures, and then to Illyana, Novel and Savannah, almost urging them to do something about it before losing their arcanists
Stepping forward, Illyana produces a ball of fire in a palm. That is likely what Illyana intended on doing, but plans are often thwarted at the outset. Though she stands between the others, Sae-byeok, William, Savannah, Antoinette and Juliet, with Novel as vanguard, those spectres manifest in the demonic smoke and the air vanishes-- That of course includes the air needed to have fire grow, and so as Illyana tosses the fireball towards Novel and the hound, it winks out. Good too, because Novel finishes it with a knife. Illyana catches the demonborn before he runs off again, and Illyana shakes her head again. She clearly wants to say something-- Do something more distructive, but that lack of air is a real problem.
Antoinette flicks a glance over William's work, but seeing that he has things well in hand she shifts her focus to trying to aid in distracting the next incoming group of smoke monsters, working on instinct it might seem as she slices a pocket knife blade along her hand, speaking in Gaelic as shadows coalesce around her hands, making some heads turn and likely aiding Novel and whomever else in doing actual damage.
Juliet slumps to just about a fetal position as the air is knocked from her lungs, seeming frozen solid by fear and laying with her cheek pressed to the cool grass as she watches the smoke monsters rolling closer and the battle unfolding all around her.
There is a look above -- and then, from an overarching tree, Illyana 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 Illyana into some awful cocoon.
Wheeling, Illyana solidly clocks Sae-byeok. "We'll not have any of that." she tells the unconscious woman. "No one gets to die today."
Distracted by the idiot, Sae-byeok, Illyana doesn't spot the spider in time. Solidly cocooned, the bohemian bellows in incoherant rage before starting to struggle free. Heat bursts from her, though thankfully, that guardian aura is maintained, William is going to be safe as his spellwork continues.
After finishing the whole rune work, William slwoly peels himself away from the blood drawing, setting down on his knees in front of it and beginning to mutter something awfully low, even lower than one would whisper when wanting to be secretive, people fighting the mist creatures would probably have issues listening, and even if they did, it would sound mostly like utter gibberish, but he seems focused, closing his eyes to keep himself from getting distracted any longer, he simply chants, to which the blood responds by lighting up a tiny bit
Novel works through the robed ones like a rogue combine harvester and a field of dry corn, the magic work from Antoinette and William slowing them down and giving him something solid enough to sink his figurative teeth into as he tears right through them. When he finally manages to plunge out the other side his voice is panting. Oh, sweet, sweet oxygen. Now he sees Sae-byeok on the floor and Illyana being tied up as he bounds back over, his expression contorted in actual, genuine rage as he gets his zoomies out of running back-and-forth - the spider casually gets a bowie knife thrown into the thick belly of it with a SHUNK, producing a horrible screech from the creature as he beelines towards Illyana, producing a second knife and starting to hack into it.
The whole thing has Savannah looking between people and trying to assist as she has not been directly targeted by a creature just yet. She watches Sae-byeok get knocked out by Illyana and then winces, leaving the woman for now and trying to work at Illyana's cocoon by slicing with her knife. In the moment, she might actually cut the blouse the woman wears on accident, but probably avoids cutting the woman herself, gripping fabric and cocoon to slice away enough to help free the woman, "They're certainly trying to kill us that is for sure! Let's get you out of this!"
William continues with the nonsense mouthing, and as he keeps on going, the light only grows brighter, which might be inconvenient to keep the secrecy of what they're doing, giving the hour and the darkness of the night. What was at first just a fun little glow, is progressively growing to be more like flashlights, and after that, even some sort of party light. The color being white for the most part, tainted with some barely noticeable hues of blue and green here and there. Growing in brightness until there isn't any spot of blood to see, not in red at least
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 Illyana 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.
Juliet gets up when breath allows her to do, glancing over at her unconscious guide in Sae-byeok, William conducting the ritual, Illyana wrapped up in the cocoon. She glances over her shoulder then around the graveyard, searching for a path out, looking like she's set to run... but then the hooded figures close in again and she just crouches ineffectively, trying to stay clear of any danger and around the people who are actually capable of putting work in.
With the first wave of robed figures handled and Novel and Savannah working to free Illyana, Antoinette moves closer to the knocked out Sae-byeok and Juliet to try and protect them as she continues trying to work her magic to distract the new wave of robed figures and turn them against each other while William activates his circle. She doesn't seem entirely confident in the -how- she's managing to do this but she isn't questioning it too hard in the moment lest it stop working.
As Novel hacks from one side, Illyana hacks from the other, and soon, there's enough of a line of sight for Illyana to gasp a breath, the launch a fireball at the knifeblock spider. "Savannah, Sae's trying to kill herself. I need you to shackle her before she kills her baby..." A slight pause, then she adds, "And herself." Which is of course when the air vanishes... again, and Illyana grits her teeth. Nodding thanks to Novel, Illyana has enough room to path out, and does so, moving to William once more, her gaze sweeping over Savannah, the unconscious Sae-byeok, Toni, Juliette and Novel, seeking impending threats outside of that circle of demons that Novel is capable of removing.
And once the beam of light is strong enough, it starts to bend unnaturally. It no longer is a beam, or a ray, it starts twisting and coiling like it was something else. Parting itself and forming tiny little groups, slowly taking the shape of tentacles - Probably what he referenced when he mentioned it was going to look voidy - Behaving in a way that no light should ever, was magic not a thing at least. But it is. And even as the air starts missing from his lungs, William doesn't stop chanting
Finn skuls his way onto the scene, the large man's hands tucked into his jeans as he glances around. He looks down and sees Sae-byeok down on the ground and then glances at all present "The fuck did I just walk in on?"
When Illyana directs her, Savannah seems like she knows what she can do. She walks over towards Sae-byeok, checking the woman's breathing with a hand moving out to touch near her nostrils and mouth. After that is done, she grips the woman and begins to turn her to her side, reaching back to take out some cuffs and placing her hands behind her back, making sure she is propped up on a mound of dirt nearby after cuffing her and looking to Illyana, "Right, got it, fucking hell..." She begins to rise back up now, standing guard over the unconscious woman.
Novel nods back at Illyana, brisk, a sort of dawning realization crossing his features at Illyana's words and then down towards the comatose woman. He shares a glance with Savannah - and then hefts aloft the threads in his hands in thought. He chucks the bundle of silk that would do an admirable job of tying someone up to Savannah. He holds out a hand to catch the knife that falls out of the sky from a cloud of smoke before LUNGING out towards the rob'd smoke cultist things that are choking everyone out, a snarl on his features.
"Hentai magic." Illyana cant help but to hiss out as William's magic takes form, reaching for the out-laying demons. Thanks to everyone involved, this is going to be a success, Illyana knows it, and she spends the time to shoot Juliet a grin and a thumbs up before nodding with solemnity at Savannah. "Thanks."
William seems to finally shut up, but that doesn't stop the magic from working. It seems the ritual is completely, and the tentacles of light, seem to latch towards the mist, attaching themselves to it, almost sticking to the gaseous substance, not allowing it to take on different shapes, trapping it and making it unable to keep on attacking people. And after the mist issue seems secured, they begin pulling towards the ritual circle drawn on the ground, dragging the spirits back towards the ground, trying to suck them back into the same earth they came from
Juliet looks over between Savannah and Sae-byeok in her cowering position, as if asking if everything is going to be alright, seeming to take the thumbs up from Illyana as a good sign.
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.