[ closed ]

[turpitude]

Who: Pippa (turpitude) and Axel (doestheickyjobs)
What: Prayer #3
When: Late March
Where: An especially loud neighborhood
Warnings: Nothing, hopefully.

[ The prayer's simple enough: quiet things down. Pippa's always despised loud noises, and this is certainly no exception. Even worse that a child is suffering because of it. It's no wonder, then, that Pippa's decided to take it upon herself--and Axel--to take care of the job.

Except... ]

Well, [ she says, hands on her hips, ] what shall we try first?

Comments

[doestheickyjobs]

"Quiet the place down," right? That's all she wanted?

[Axel looks around. Right now, it's quiet enough. It's barely sunset, though, so who knows? Maybe the punks around here come out at night. Like raccoons.]

I say we take a walk around the block and see if anybody's out making lots of noise.

If they are, we can quiet them down. [His grin has a little too many teeth in it for his meaning to be totally innocent.]

[turpitude]

Well, that's the most reasonable place to begin, I suppose.

[ She gives him a pointed look. You're taking the lead, son. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

Just follow me. [Axel's fine with taking the lead. After all, he can fight, and more importantly he can set things on fire all he likes. A hotfoot should discourage any teenage noisemakers from causing trouble.

Smirking, he strikes out along the sidewalk at a fast walk, his long legs eating up the distance.]

So how've things been around the temple? Got any ideas for sneaking me in?

[turpitude]

[ Ugh. Her mood's gone sour now; Pippa huffs, pursing her lips. ]

Other than a few annoyances, things are quite well. I thought perhaps we would attempt one of those rituals.

[ As far as she's concerned, she's found a pretty solid one. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

"Annoyances." Like what?

[His tone is cautious. This isn't about the interior decorator couple, right? This isn't his fault. Totally not his fault anyway, because he tried to talk them out of it, of course, but. You know.

He clears his throat.] Hey, if you've got a ritual, I'll give it a shot. It can't hurt, right?

[turpitude]

Those massive piles of garbage outside of my temple, for one!

[ #thankssho ]

[doestheickyjobs]

... Uh, garbage?

[...this isn't that interior decorator couple, right? They wouldn't leave trash around.

But just in case it could possibly be construed as his fault....]

Hey, I can help you move those if you want! Depending on just how massive we're talking here.

[turpitude]

[ Luckily (?) she's taken a picture of the stuff, which most likely looks like this. She presents it without saying a word, because she's that mad. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

... How'd they get that in there?

[What is that, three times as tall as a person? Axel gawks at the picture.]

[turpitude]

How am I supposed to know?! What I do know is that it is a horrid eyesore, and when I contacted the one responsible, he laughed at me!

[doestheickyjobs]

Well, I can't lift that. It's gotta be two tons of metal. Maybe we could paint it. Train some flowers over it? Beats me.

[But Axel's pretty sure, unless they find someone whose power is super strength, it'll be --

Wait.]

Hey, Deku's got super strength! You know, that kid? The one who's letting me crash at his temple for a bit? Maybe he could help us get rid of them.

[turpitude]

[ ... ]

Well! I suppose it would not hurt to ask him. Seeing those ghastly things outside my window each morning when I've just awoken is not how I would like to start my day.

[doestheickyjobs]

Plus, he's got this power-sharing ability, so if he could share that strength with, say, me and you, the three of us could probably shift those things just fine.

[He grins, pleased with the idea. He's not sure it'll work, but it sounds good, anyway.]

[turpitude]

Are you even certain he can share with more than one person?

[ She's super skeptical, bruh. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

No clue! If it's just one, you can supervise.

[He grins at her.]

Or, I can. You know, if you want to try the super-strength thing. I already got to once.

--Hey, look at that!

[There's a couple of teenagers, with over-stylish jeans, artistically ripped shirts and fancy sneakers that say more spoiled punk than actual gang members, kicking over bikes in a rack up the street. Axel breaks into a run.]

Knock it off, there's people sleeping here!

[Too bad the punks are human, and don't seem to be listening at all.]

[turpitude]

[ Oh, dear. Pippa looks absolutely scandalized. Is it their hair? Their clothes? The fact that they're being so rude? All of it, likely; she's not even sure where to begin. ]

What in the world are they wearing?

[ Sure, focus on that. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

Who cares?

[There's more important things here than fashion, Pippa, come on!]

... They sure look dumb, though, don't they?

[There might not be more important things than making fun of their targets, though.

Axel snaps his fingers, not even breaking stride, and sparks fly where one guy's got his hand on the handlebars of a bike. He yelps, snatching his hand away, and Axel's smirk widens.]

Hey, Pippa. You don't happen to know what cops look like around here, do you?

[turpitude]

[ Look, when you're taught that your appearance is everything, you tend to focus on that! ]

They could use some lessons in etiquette, yes. [ Pippa almost jumps when the one guy does, because she's still not used to that. She frowns, though. ] Do you mean the police? No, I cannot say I do.

[doestheickyjobs]

Too bad. I was just thinking, this is a great time for an illusion! They should be able to see those, right?

[Axel pauses. There's no reason the illusion has to be something mundane.]

... you know, actually.

Think you could whip up something real big? Scary? Claws and teeth?

I'll add the firebreathing.

[turpitude]

[ Okay, so he has good ideas. Pippa's impressed. She thinks for a moment, then nods. Scary, she can do. She's seen scary, that night outside the realms when they'd brought those creatures to life... ]

I am sure I can figure out something. Whenever you are ready, then.

[doestheickyjobs]

[Axel smiles, stretching his hands wide. Sparks float between them.]

Ready, set -- go!

[He waits for her monster to take shape, clenching his fists as he readies the power to send flames gushing from its mouth.

If they didn't scare these kids back on the straight and narrow for life, he'd eat his coat.]

[turpitude]

[ So maybe it's nothing she's actually seen for herself, but she's read about... well, this. Pippa's never made something like this; the soldiers she'd conjured were a different story, and she's focused on making sure the creature's loud and flashy. She's had some time to practice, but this thing? It's huge.

And it sure works--the kids turn sheet-white, too terrified to even scream, really. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

[Axel's hands clench into fists, and flame explodes around Pippa's monster, pouring from its fanged lion jaws and roaring up around its feet. The first kid breaks and starts running as a wave of heat rolls off the manticore and its wreath of flames.

It's like a chain effect. The group collapses into a mad scramble not to be the last one standing there and facing the creature, and in five seconds flat, there isn't a teenager to be seen.

Axel relaxes his hands, letting the flame die down, and starts to laugh.]

[turpitude]

[ It's much quieter here, that's to be sure. Pippa lets out a breath and the manticore vanishes, just as the flames do. ]

We-- seem to-- have taken care-- of this little-- p-predicament! [ She's better at this illusion thing, but it's still taxing in a huge way.

Pippa's about five seconds from falling over, actually. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

Whoa.

[She doesn't look any too steady on her feet. Axel takes a quick couple of steps to her side, reaching out to put an arm around her shoulders.]

You okay?

[He glances after the fleeing delinquents.] I think we're all done here. You know, if you want to go back home.

[turpitude]

[ At least she doesn't jump out of her skin when he touches her now. Progress! ]

J-just a bit-- faint. I think-- it would be best if we-- went home.

[ At least she doesn't look as white as a sheet now? Still doesn't look one hundred percent. ]

[doestheickyjobs]

[No, definitely progress. Axel leaves his arm where it is, because she's still not looking any too steady, and because if she's going to take them both home, he'll need to be touching her anyway.]

You've got it. Give yourself a couple seconds to feel better first and we can go.

[turpitude]

[ She leans against him, and she manages to catch her breath soon enough. Pippa takes a deep breath and straightens. ]

I shall feel much better with a good night's rest. Let us be on our way!