Scene #2885: Monster Menagerie

Owner	Pose
Varia Beetle	"I knew I should've taken that last left at Albuquerque..." Varia Beetle takes a few trepidous steps down the grimy street, her gaze turning slowly left and right as she examines the strange, dingy surroundings. She carefully steps around a gelatinous something -someone?- while data and information flickers across her red visor. A small rotund beetle sits on her shoulder, listening as the reploid speaks to it but not replying. "I on't think we're in Kansas anymore."
Maricel Thorne	It's hard to miss the arena a couple of blocks from the warp gate- not because the ramshackle building itself is particularly imposing, but because of the enormous plume of lavender smoke spiralling and writhing above the colosseum-like structure. "Writhing" isn't an exaggeration, either: gaseous, immaterial tendrils, vivid and stark against the polluted sky, squirm as they branch out from the cloud and are just as swiftly reabsorbed. A face with too many eyes shows itself inside the cloud- pareidolia, perhaps?- but slowly dissipates on the breeze as the smoke fades away. Voices are audible from within the structure as well: the cheer of an audience, mixed with shrieks and hoarse croaking, with two louder voices talking over them indistinctly. One seems excited, almost manic, like a hypercaffeinated car salesman; the other is droning, deflated, and exasperated in its monotonality. Varia might as well head towards it- there are no other landmarks around. At least, none that are visible through the industrial haze... The slimy, amorphous creature sprouts an eyestalk to stare at the reploid for a moment, giving her a look that might be interest or disgust- with no facial features, it's difficult to tell- before slithering down the street at a glacial pace. It doesn't seem in the mood to talk, even if it could.
Varia Beetle	"I guess that's the spot." Varia murmers softly, leaving the snail-paced slime-thing behind. She steps closer to the plume of lavender smoke and the arena beneath it, despite the disquieting voices. The warpgate isn't far and despite how unearthly everything is, nothing is particularly threatening. She taps her visor, which does not seem to be working properly. Varia Beetle looks for an open entrance or a ticket booth or something. "Hello? Do I need a ticket or anything?"
Testament	Testament doesn't realize just how appropriate of a world he's stepped into. But as he walks through the warpgate, the burn in his lungs that becomes almost immediately tells him he's entered a world whose very air seems determined to cause harm. He'll have to be careful of that. Even his raven fluffs feathers out, squawking as if annoyed. "Yes, I know," Testament replies, raising a hand to stroke the raven's back gently. The ruckus at the building itself is definitely noticeable, if not the sights, the sounds. And indeed, it does present itself as the location to head to. So he too goes in that direction.
Maricel Thorne	As the pair of outsiders approach the arena from different directions, the voices coming from within slowly grow more distinct- not only from proximity, but also from their rising volume. The cheers (and hisses) of the audience grow louder, as do the announcers' commentary. The droning voice seems to have taken over for now, and at this point, it ought to be clear that its source isn't remotely human. The consonants squish and click; the long vowels are accompanied by a soft gurgling, buzzing noise. #-1 FUNCTION (ASCII) NOT FOUND The other voice cuts in, full of barely-restrained glee as it fills the empty airspace with patter: #-1 FUNCTION (ASCII) NOT FOUND #-1 FUNCTION (ASCII) NOT FOUND #-1 FUNCTION (ASCI) NOT FOUND Perhaps because of the match, there are no attendants or lines outside of the arena: the only entrances are a pair of descending staircases on opposite sides of the structure, leading into a dimly-lit circular space crowded with bizarre-looking spectators. A ring of light filtered through the dirty clouds above shows the colosseum floor itself, slick with gore in varying sickening shades. The (living) participants seem to have already departed, and a handful of creatures that look like a mix between a Roomba and a sea urchin are cleaning it up in preparation for the next event...
Maricel Thorne	As the pair of outsiders approach the arena from different directions, the voices coming from within slowly grow more distinct- not only from proximity, but also from their rising volume. The cheers (and hisses) of the audience grow louder, as do the announcers' commentary. The droning voice seems to have taken over for now, and at this point, it ought to be clear that its source isn't remotely human. The consonants squish and click; the long vowels are accompanied by a soft gurgling, buzzing noise. "-looking at quite an upset, folks. Thorne has yet to win a match after losing two of her monsters, and this is unlikely to be an exception, especially against a contender like Lammergeier." The other voice cuts in, full of barely-restrained glee as it fills the empty airspace with patter: "Oh, but it isn't QUITE over yet! Lillifer's not done much this match, and it looks like she- oh! OH! Lammergeier himself is DOWN! The match is decided by trainer incapacitation! WHAT A TWIIII-" "Falx. Indoor voice. I have a skull-ache, dear." "-IIIIST. ... Eheh. Sorry, Magdolene. Perhaps because of the match, there are no attendants or lines outside of the arena: the only entrances are a pair of descending staircases on opposite sides of the structure, leading into a dimly-lit circular space crowded with bizarre-looking spectators. A ring of light filtered through the dirty clouds above shows the colosseum floor itself, slick with gore in varying sickening shades. The (living) participants seem to have already departed, and a handful of creatures that look like a mix between a Roomba and a sea urchin are cleaning it up in preparation for the next event...
Varia Beetle	The din of the crowd and the very curious announcements indicate that the event is certainly still in progress, so Varia Beetle takes a bold step forward to enter the staircase. The amber gem on her forehead lights up to illuminate her surrounds as she descends(wouldn't want to trip!). The events within the arena certainly sound exciting even if Varia has no real idea what's going on. The announcer thinks it's exciting, at least. Her amber headlamp dims to a soft glow as she enters the crowded space full of strange spectators. "Did I miss it?" she asks, sneaking sideways gances at the odd denizens in front of her.
Testament	Bloodsport? Interesting. Testament will also be drawn to the spectators' area, unless anyone protests his presence. It's a little hard for him to hide his presence if there are magical senses at work here-- he's kind of a beacon of malicious magical power. "Maybe," he replies to Varia's question. "But no one's leaving yet. Maybe there's something else happening." His voice possesses an odd, distorted sound to it, as if it were two people with the same voice speaking with a slight delay, the whole thing with a strange echo.
Maricel Thorne	If anyone does notice Testament's aura, they don't remark upon it. Now that the match seems to be over, the audience members start to chitter and talk amongst themselves- all comprehensibly, thanks to the Translation Effect, but in a cacophony of different tongues and tones. Some of the spectators are merely amorphous blobs of organs; others bear some distorted resemblance to earthly creatures, while still others are clearly artificial in origin, though nearly always with some visible living parts. It's hard to find any two audience members that belong to the same species, let alone look similar. Something that looks like a skinned snake with a centipede-like arrangement of limbs is slithering between the seats, trying to sell buttered popcorn (or something that LOOKS like popcorn) to the spectators, and the two commentators are leaving their booth for a moment, but for the most part, the various creatures remain in their seats. At a glance, the commentators look like a deformed, emaciated clown and a pallid, blobby humanoid with writhing hair, but they swiftly disappear from view. The general motionlessness of the audience makes it more conspicuous when an almost-human-looking lady carrying a fleshy umbrella walks up to the pair of Multiversal visitors and inclines her head slightly towards them before offering her hand to each in turn. "Welcome to Mortasheen," she says with a grin that's just a little too wide. "I'm Maricel Thorne- you recieved my invitation, I assume?"
Varia Beetle	Varia Beetle doesn't know who Testament is, but his human appearance sets him apart from the strange natives of this world. This makes Maricel's not-quite human appearance stand out even more... Not a regular human but not a mish-mash or globster like the rest of the "people" here. Varia returns Maricel Thorne's grin with a cautious, curoius smile. "I didn't expect a tournament to be quite so... Messy. Do you live here? Where exactly is "here"?" Varia asks. "I'm Varia, by the way. Varia Beetle."
Testament	Ah, a world where no one really looks like a 'human'. Well, not a 'standard' one. That just about offsets the difficulty in breathing here. However, as the almost-human woman appears and speaks, Testament offers a polite half-bow, and a nod of his head in greeting. "That's why I came here, yes," he agrees. "Thank you for the invitation." Introductions are being had, it seems. So he offers, "Testament. Pleased to meet you both."
Maricel Thorne	"Glad you could make it, Beetle," the trainer replies swiftly, "and you as well, Testament. This was relatively clean, so far as tournament matches go! It got a little intense near the end there, but I'm a psionics specialist, so most of my matches are rather tidy. You should see Lammergeier when he goes up against 'traditional' Biozoa; the squelchers certainly eat well after THOSE fights." Is that what the cleaning scavengers are called? She chides Varia: "You didn't read the flyer, did you? You're in Mortasheen City, a venerable anarchic city-state and the undisputed hub of monster-training. This particular place is known as Falx's Arena, near Scapula Bend; it's just a little ways from where I live." Looking from one guest to another, she sizes them both up- as does her umbrella, as it opens an eye previously hidden in one of its membranous folds. "Are either of you here to participate in the exhibition matches? Those're starting just as soon as Calla and Synthie get cloned."
Varia Beetle	"I don't really have the time to participate. Fighting is basically my "day job" so I was just looking for a litte excitement as a spectator." Varia replies sheepishly. "I was looking for something a little different than the WMAT, I've seen those every year." The reploid waves a hand at her surroundings while glancing at the umbrella that can look back. "I think I certainly found "different". This isn't like any world I've ever been to."
Testament	The eye on the umbrella catches Testament's attention, and he looks up at it briefly. Only because he's not quite sure which eye is Maricel's 'main' eye now, and it would be rude not to look her in her 'main' eye, wouldn't it? The recap of what exactly is going on is useful! Testament tilts his head a little at the question. "...Cloned?" He doesn't sound upset or angry, just curious. He will wait on the answer to that question for a moment, 'till he finds out what's at stake.
Maricel Thorne	"I understand," she says to Varia, with only slightly diminished enthusiasm. "My day job is putting living things back together; taking them apart is quite a refreshing change of pace for me. Feel free to take a seat- just don't spring for the buttered crispgrubs," she says in a conspiratorial tone, gesturing towards the serpentine vendor. "They're overcooked and overpriced." Maricel drops the umbrella, and it falls to the ground after fluttering its hem to slow its descent: seems that the organic accessory isn't just an appendage. Looking closer, its 'handle' ends in a single high heel, and it's tipped with a faintly-glowing incandescent light bulb. It doesn't break eye contact with Testament, returning his level gaze with a curious stare. "Most competitive battles end in death, incapacitation, or forfeit," she explains, "and Calla and Synthie aren't quitters... nor is Lillifer here," Thorne adds, gesturing at the living umbrella. "Of course, death isn't too hard to reverse around here; we get detailed brain scans of all competitors before they enter, and it doesn't take too long to patch them up afterwards. Their bodies were mostly intact, too, so they might not even require that much..." Her exposition tapers off abruptly as something occurs to her, and she gives the reaper-like man a questioning look. "Why? Don't you have something similar? Or are there other methods of resurrection available to you?"
Testament	"I'm afraid not," Testament replies. "We Gears are artificial, but mostly made from biological species. Creating large, more powerful Gears is a long, expensive, and time consuming process. And the people who do it generally do so because they want to conquer a country or two." There's an undertone of bitterness as he says this. Though he does tilt his head a little, in thought. "Hmm... it would be a shame to kill anyone if they're not human. They're all over the place, those humans. But since you seem to be able to return your competitors to life fairly easily... I could participate in a match, if it's for entertainment."
Maricel Thorne	A strange look comes over Maricel's face as she tilts her head slightly- looking closely, Testament might notice a clean slit on the side of her neck open up as she does, resembling a bloodless cut- and listens to the Gear's explanation. For a brief moment, a look of consternation and distress flickers across her face. It's swiftly suppressed, perhaps before even Thorne herself has time to process it, and replaced by her earlier smile. "I see! Living weapons... you'll feel quite at home here." "I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you," she adds. "I mean, death just happens, you know? Nobody's going to get their jimmies rustled about it. We're all reasonable people here." A lot about that statement sounds dubious, but it doesn't seem as if anything can make Maricel upset for long- she may well take dying in stride, too. "Humans aren't terribly common here, outside of Wreathe! But I guess they're all over the Multiverse, huh?" A small device in her pocket pings, and she glances down at it before her face lights up. "Ahh! Calla and Synthie are both ready- they weren't even all that dead. Just say the word and I'll make the final preparations, alright?"
Testament	Testament can't help but chuckle. "Death 'just happens'?" he echoes. "That's certainly true... but if it's reversible here, it does make sense that it would be a bit less upsetting." As for being all over the Multiverse? Testament actually frowns at this. "Unfortunately, yes," he confirms. "There are a vast number of worlds where they dominate." And then comes the announcement that the two are ready. Testament nods. "It sounds like it could be fun. Though I will need to apologize in advance, in case I'm too... enthusiastic. I'm not equipped with limiters, and I'm generally rather dangerous. Though if you can clone your competitors back to life, that may mitigate the risk."
Maricel Thorne	"'Unfortunately'? You're looking at it all wrong," Dr. Thorne answers with a playful glint in her eyes. "I prefer to see it as not having much competition. Or, alternatively, as having a surfeit of raw materials." At that, she turns around, picks up Lillifer again, and leaps off of a bleacher towards the center of the arena. It looks like she's not going to make it for a moment- but then the umbrella opens, and she floats above the audience at a leisurely pace before landing almost daintily on the dusty stone floor. The doctor taps on that same strange device, and a pair of grotesque shapes materialize on either side of her: one is a toaster-sized floating metal cube dotted with organic eyeballs, retro-looking antennae, and a 'tentacle' made of electrical wires wound around one another; the other is a towering plant-like creature that might be described either as a jellyfish-like or serpentine in shape, with 'pitchers' strung along its length and lavender-colored pollen floating around it. Maricel glances at them both as if she were in silent communication with them, then nods at Testament as the monsters beside her ready themselves. "When you are."
Testament	And so it seems the monsters are ready! Testament smirks. Then there is an odd warping sound, and the air around him seems to... well, warp. And then his shape seems to fold in on itself in its place, both he and the raven. Suddenly he is no longer where he was at. But across from Maricel, in the center of the arena, the air warps as well, with that odd sound. His shape seems to 'unfold' from nothing. Not only that, though. He raises a hand to his mouth, biting into the side of his own finger until blood runs from it. The blood arcs up and out, in a spray. But the spray solidifies in the very air, forming into a long-curved blade. And then ahaft forms, connected to the weapon. And he is suddenly holding a scythe with a blood-red blade.
Maricel Thorne	The trainer opens her umbrella in front of her, holding it like a shield, and her eyes glaze over and defocus for a moment. The crowd quiets for a moment, and the commentators return to their booths. Calla rattles its long, twisting body to disperse its pollen, and Lillifer flaps her hem to disperse it- the cloud seems not to need any help, though. Claws take shape from the mist's leading tendrils and dig at the ground. It seems as if the opaque cloud is a single entity, trying to drag itself across the floor as it sprouts glaring eyeballs and dripping maws seemingly at random... so this is what Testament saw earlier. Before it's fully wreathed in concealing fog, Synthie pivots in place and aims a small turret at Testament, firing off a couple of unaimed bursts from its incendiary laser to test his defenses. Simultaneously, Maricel herself steps back, hiding herself in the fogbank. As soon as she's out of sight, a sickening snapping sound comes from her direction, followed by a series of wet ripping and popping noises like an animal being messily butchered...
Testament	The raven takes off from Testament's shoulder and begins to Testament's attention is drawn by the obscuring fog... and that seems to have been the intent, too. As he prepares for something to happen out of that fog, the lasers fire in his direction! He hisses slightly as one burns his skin, and seems to glide back some how, out of the way. It doesn't take him long to decide that's the problem he needs to deal with first. Burning lasers are detrimental to his regeneration. So he narrows his eyes, and a wind ruffles his hair and kilt. And suddenly a dead tree with a scary face seems to sprout up, with enough force to throw ont into the air if one happened to be over it. And it just so happens, Testament's aimed it at the robot-looking one that shot lasers at him.
Maricel Thorne	By now, Synthie's changed positions within the fog, fading back to let its teammates take the offensive. The tree strikes at its last known position, eliciting a strange shrieking noise as it strikes something nonetheless. A severed arm rolls out of the fog- Maricel's, presumably, as it looks human. Is she really that fragile, or is this some kind of ruse? Calla charges out of the fog, slithering through the air with surprising speed and grace, and tries to slam its long tail into Testament- if its strike lands, a half-dozen drill-like probosces will lash out from its 'pitchers' and try to burrow into the Gear's flesh. Using the larger creature to telepathically spot its attacks through the opaque fog, Synthie fires a burst at the tree in an attempt to immolate it before it can cause further trouble, then snipes at the raven, taking care to change positions quickly after each shot. Meanwhile, the fog itself sprouts dozens of ominous appendages, trying to wall him in and restrict his movement options...
Testament	Though Testament misses the thing shooting at him, he realizes he's hit something. Though as that other something comes at him from the fog, he thinks fast. Raising his arm, he... CHOPS IT OFF?! Yes, he quite literally slices his own arm off halfway up his forearm! But the blood arcs out before him, forming a net that he hopes Calla will be caught in. It's quite gross, that net... it's bloody and pulses like it has a heartbeat of its own. though Testament seems to not miss that arm much... mainly because it's only a breaths' time after he chops his arm off that it regrows itself. Though Testament is not planning to stick around, net or not. He warps again, to above his current position, where he hopes the fog will be thinner so he can catch a glimpse. And also his doing so may be able to keep the fog from closing in on him too terribly much. Though he can't exactly fly, so he'll drop down from that position in short order. As for the tree? It is zapped and it thusly withers out of existence as if it had never been. Not even a trace of roots remains, nor any hole in the ground to prove that it was ever there.
Maricel Thorne	The net only slows Calla down for a moment or two before the botanical creature tears free, writhing spinelessly to get free of the bloody mesh before turning its wrath on the raven. Wicked-looking spines protrude from its innumerable tendrils now, and it tries to ensnare the bird to tear it to pieces. From above, the view isn't any clearer; in fact, the pollen rises up and out of the arena in billowing plumes by now. Once he lands, though, Testament will be able to see Maricel just a few steps away from him, missing her left arm at the elbow but otherwise looking intact. Oddly, no blood spills from her wound. Gripping Lillifer by the 'ankle', she swings the umbrella at her opponent, not aiming to strike him so much as get the monster within a foot or two of his body. If it comes close enough, Maricel will channel a painful telekinetic strike through Lillifer, using the creature as an amplifier for her attack. A split second afterwards, Synthie fires off another salvo of laser bursts, this time spotted by Thorne and aimed at Testament's center of mass.
Varia Beetle	Varia Beetle has been intently watching the fight all along! Really! She hasn't done much to socialize with her neighbors in the stands, and she -definitely- didn't buy any of the grubby 'popcorn' from the snack vendor. "Despite Testament looking like a regular human, his biological effects dont seem all that out of place here afterall." She quips after Testament's self-amputation and bloody net attack.
Testament	The raven wheels up, up into the sky, out of the arena. It is apparently not part of the battle, as it has made no offensive moves here. As it happens, though, the telekinetic force doesn't seem to move him... until that salvo of laser blasts. It's only through sheer virtue of being pushed back by that telekinetic force that they miss. Well, since he can't see through the fog, there's really no way to aim. All he can do is stand there and be attacked, since he can't see through the fog. On top of that, it's three versus one. Four, if the umbrella is counted as its own entity. But the crowd wants a spectacle, right? He raises a hand into the air, and a portal opens before him. "NIGHTMARE CIRCULAR!" At his shout, from the portal erupts a large skull as well as a pair of sharp claws. They're not aiming at anyone in particular, but it's a REALLY BIG attack. It might be hard to get out of the way in time...
Maricel Thorne	Maricel herself doesn't see the skull coming until Synthie telepathically warns her of the incoming attack. She tries to dive out of the way, but one of the claws still rakes along her side, and she hits the ground in an undignified heap before pulling herself back to her feet. A few inches higher than before, in fact: now she's floating slightly off the floor of the arena, looking slightly unwell but determined as Lillifer's lightbulb grows more brightly. Strangely, the trainer's injuries don't bleed- nor are any bones visible through her open wounds. Pointing Lillifer directly at Testament's obscured form, she lets out a theatrical shout as a second telekinetic blast hurtles towards him. Synthie reveals its position about ten feet to the Gear's right as it opens fire again, timing the shots to reach him just before Maricel's attack, and Calla swoops in from his right, trying to snare him in its coils. Clearly, Thorne is pressing her numerical advantage: her monsters are far better coordinated than they should be, considering the lack of verbal commands and visual cues. An odd clattering sound comes out of the mist from behind Testament: its source is a weird skeletal figure, with elongated fingers and a shuffling gait. There are only three monsters on Thorne's team- surely the fifth creature is just an illusion? No. It reveals itself to be tangible when it lunges at Testament with clawed fingers outstretched, and living organs pulsating inside its visible ribcage. Where the hell did that come from?
Varia Beetle	Even with radar and sensors it's hard to tell what's real and what isn't in here, Varia Beetle's HUD doesn't seem capable of keeping everything straight. She gives it a few light taps and sighs. "Can't tell what's what down there. Even the fog is giving me glitchy info, I don't know if it's there or not." The skeleton certainly looks real enough as it attacks the Gear. "Behind you Testament!"
Testament	There is a difference between bloodsport and merely wanting to see something's death. This, Testament realizes, is the latter. The attacks are too well coordinated. There are too many opponents. He is not expected to win, or to have any reasonable chance at survival. Thus... he dismisses his weapon. The audience merely wants blood, they will get blood. The lasers hit and throw him one way, then the telekinetic blast throws him a different direction. Calla wraps him up and he does not struggle. And the skeleton's clawed boney fingers rake into the unprotected torso of the Gear. And what does he do? He laughs. Though the plantlike monster might not know this... but if it attempts to pierce his skin, especially if it attempts to ABSORB his blood, it will likely end up poisoned as well. Testament's blood is highly poisonous.