A Girl and Her Blob

A Girl and Her Blob
Date of Scene:	05 December 2012
Location:	Manhattan - Harbor
Synopsis:	As Reize received news from Will regarding the situation in Manhattan, Reize explored the streets to see how bad everything had become. Unfortunately, the answer became more apparent as a familiar face arrived.
Cast of Characters:	Reize Seatlan, Leida

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Leida has posed:
During the day, the massive megacity known as Manhattan is a magnificent sight to behold. Hundreds of buildings tower over the peninsula, testaments to the advancements of mankind over nature and science. The dark green of the bay is usually still and calm, reflecting the massive skyscrapers in an effort to be a part of their glory. Millions of people inhabit this expansive grid of habitats, factories, restraunts, and offices, filling the streets like ants moving through the tunnels of a colony of untold proportions.

At night the comforting sights take a different aspect however. The giant looming buildings become gargantuan beasts made of thousands of tiny eyes, all staring out to keep watch over their domain. From a distance the city proper looks like the crenellations of some sinister fortress which has the entire bay tightly clutched in its grip. The people change their appearances as well as the average citizens retreat to their homes for rest, only to be replaced by the more disreptuable sort in many places. The feeling of security that one can enjoy being the presence of so many others is perverted into a horrorible sensation of having to look over one's shoulders constantly for fear of what the shadows may hide.

The docks are one of the worst places at night. Filled with warehouses that sit empty and devoid of activity even during most of the day, they provide ample dark corners, dead ends, and bolt holes from which trouble can emerge at any time. Gangs, pimps, and dealers of all varieties call these shadows their homes, each vying for control over their little pieces of the turf that none of them actually own. It is a war for survival. But tonight the battle is of a different sort.

Heartless have moved into the warehouses of late, in vast numbers. Many of the transients and gangs that make their home here have been driven out or suffered ill-fates, bolstering the numbers of the dark monstrosities. But a few have managed to hold out by banding together, despite their lingering grudges and petty hatreds. One such group fights a battle at this moment, the bark of guns punucated by screams of frustration and terror as dozens of soldier shadows spew from the darkness itself to crush them.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Things have gotten bad.

It started as a simple trip to Manhattan to look for Mercade. There were questions that the boy had regarding certain matters. However, that quickly turned into daner with the Heartless out an about and to find out from Will that lot of bad things have happend in the city.

What is Reize to do? There was only one thing that he could do: Help the people.

Reie is own in the city, inhabiting the area like all other people. Reize had been dealing with Heartless constantly. Many of them had sought his heart.

The Child of Light, dubbed by a mysterious sorcerer, had found his heading towards he docks. Upon his arrival, his eyes drift along to see the various presence of warehouses that are void of activity. No one was around. No muggers, no pimps, none of these men.

Instead, Reize found the Heartless around. This frown grows bigger and his head lowers. Sucking in a breath, he shakes is head towards the sight of the large number of monstrosities.

As those gangs have joined together to put their petty squabble aside, they wil find that a boomerang is flung out owards the monstrocities. It arcs, flipping up, down, and back to nail the creatures.

The origin is from the boy who is approaching the dock.

"...This is bad..." He holds his hand up, awaiting for the returning weapon.

Leida has posed:
The gangs have set themselves up in a sort of old-fashioned militaristic line. Bruisers with sections of pipe, baseball bats, crowbars, and even a few large blades are arranged in a wide crescent between the Heartless and the rest of the group. The raw power being used to swing these weapons, fueled by fear and years of honing these men through survival of the fittest, has been enough to slow the tides though the fallen bodies littered across the pavement at a few points makes it clear that it has not been without cost.

The second line of defense is comprised of the majority of the gang's members; men and women armed with various firearms, mostly pistols. The sharp crack of gunpowder and the flash of muzzle fire provides a stacatto background noise that permeates the area as the shadowy creatures give no time for rest or reprieve.

"Watch it on the left, they're coming over those barrels! Alice, Janice, stop blubbering and keep shooting! Those things ain't gonna spare you just cuz you got tits!" A large angry looking man in a black muscle shirt barks orders from the back, perched high on a metal catwalk extending across the rear of one of the many warehouses. The impromptu militia responds to his orders in a disjointed fashion but manage to fill in the weak spots before they become problems.

Reize's whirling boomerang is a strange enough sight to give the gang leader pause and he turns to follow its path back to the owner, grunting loudly in reponse. "No shit, Sherlock. If your here to help, quit flappin your gums and get in there!"

"Boss!!" Another voice cuts across the battlefield, magnified by the utter fear behind it. "Boss, she's coming! She's coming again!"

The gang leader's eyes go wide and he leans forward on the railing, metal groaning as his hands clench about the rusted iron rod. "Y-you're sure of that, Mike?!"

"Yeah, I can see her just a couple blocks away! She's weaving in and out of the crates but she's definately coming this way!"

The man utters a string of curses that get lost in the cacophany of battle. "That's just what we need right now..."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"R-ight!"
Once the boomerang comes back to his hand, Reize looks towards the gang leader. He sucks in a breath, already taking in the tension between the members. If this person is heading their way, Reize will have to take control of the situation himself.

He holds onto his pendant.
"...Guide me..." With both 'fangs' drawn, Reize races through the canophany of battle. If this person is the big threat, he better intercept this woman fast.

The boy readies his boomerangs to strke down any Heartless along the path.

Leida has posed:
Unfortunately, the sheer press of numbers is such that Reize finds no openings to exploit to try and cut through the Heartless ranks. For every shadowy beast that falls, two more quickly rush to take its place as if every inch of darkness spread through the alleys and underhangs of the district were rising up to crush this foolish resistance.

Upon seeing this attempt at forceful intervention the Heartless shift their focus towards the plucky adventurer and his reckless approach soon finds him surrounded and cut off from the assistance of the gangs.

"You damn, fool! What do you think you're doing?! We gotta pull back before that... that /thing/ gets here!" The leader glares at Reize but immediately writes him off as lost, focusing instead on trying to find a way to organize a fall back to another position. "Idiots can fend for themselves," he growls. Slowly, under his guidance the line begins to retreat foot by foot and the Heartless are quick to push them every inch of the way.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Not good.

Things are not looking too good for Reize, especially when they are surounding him. Even worse, he is cut off from the resistance. Nevertheless, Reize will have to rely on the other means to get out of the mess.

There is supposed to be someone heading their way. He has to cut her off. With the Heartless around, that will be impossible.

Reize grits his teeth and he immediately takes into the air. There is a manifestation of a tarot forming in his hand as the flow of magic resonates. Driving that tarot into the air, the pendant glows brighter as the boy shouts, "Flickering flames, burn!"

Three balls of fire form, then they merge into one giant fireball. "FIREBALL!" He sends the large ball of fire down to sweep across the Heartless, but also using the force to propell him back.

Guh, that charge through the lines didn't help. "...Too many of them!"

Leida has posed:
The magical flames tear into the monsters, snuffing out several of their existances in wisps of black mist as the insectoid things stare up at him from a sea of beady yellow eyes even as they perish in a massive explosion.

The leader actually lets out a laugh at this, slapping his knee and shaking his head. "Damn, kid. It's a good thing you got some firepower to back up those balls of yours!"

The blast not only sends Reize back to the safety of the resistance lines but eases up the pressure on their defenses for a few moments, giving them precious time to reload and regroup. They do not waste it. The defensive circle tightens up in response to their dwindling numbers and thinning ammunition supplies, several of the combatants being forced to grab random blunt objects they can find nearby to make up the difference.

"Mike, how close is she now?" The lookout turns his gaze back towards the warehouses along the waterfront after unloading a combat shotgun into some Heartless trying to clamber up onto his perch of stacked crates. He stares quitely for several long seconds before, turning back with a mixture of relief and worry in his expression and voice. "I don't see her anymore. Maybe she found something else to chase?"

The leader sighs and leans on the railing again, head lowering as the tension flees from his body. "You sure about that, Mike?"

The scout opens his mouth as if to reply but no words come forth. Instead his eyes go wide, pupils dialating in fear as he takes an instinctive step backwards to the edge of the crates, staring directly at the gang boss.

The import of this reaction doesn't sink in for a few moments. By the time it does, it's already too late. The large man whips around and comes face to face with his demon.

The brick wall of the warehouse behind him is stained an inky black by a pool of bubbling shadows, the substance vaporous but solid at the same time like some kind of ethereal ooze. A small girl protrudes from the center of the dark mass from the waist up. Half a dozen visciously clawed arms comprised of the shadows protrude from the wall and the air itself, holding the youth aloft in the gentle grasp so that her nose is almost touching that of the burly man.

Frozen solid in fear, the gang leader can only stare his doom in the eye, unable to even manage a scream of terror. The girl leans forward and smiles vacantly, rubbing her cheek against his in an overtly affectionate gesture that sends a shiver running down his body and forces the air from his lungs in a cold wisp of frigid white mist.

Her hands come up a few moments later and she wraps him in a light embrace, a gesture mimicked by the massive demonic arms, pulling it close to her chest as she whispers something to him. Immediately the color begins to drain out of his body and clothing, a wave of dark grey passing over the man that turns him into a likeness of old fashioned photos made horribly real. A few seconds later his body begins to crumble, disintegrating into flakes of thick black ash that float to the ground like unholy snow.

A look of confusion comes over the girl's face as she looks down at her now empty hands, empty glowing eyes trying to make sense of the events that just transpired. Eventually her head lifts and she notices the huddled mass of people below, all regarding her with abject terror.

Leida's smile returns and she lets out a soft girlish giggle. "Oh, look... so many pretty flowers..." Demonic arms erupt from the air, rending reality to take shape all about the surviving gang members and loom ominously overhead as even the Heartless step back to give this abomination leeway.

"It's alright if I pick some... isn't it?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Thankfully, the boy has that bit of magic to help him. Reize can only hope that his pendant will be able to guide him when he needs it. At the same time, he is hoping that he won't need it as he did just now.

When he lands away from the Heartless, Reize turns to face the leader with a bright smile. He flashes a thumbs up his way. "Hehe!" That boyish grin form.

With the pressure dissuaded briefly, Reize is joining the circle as they regroup. He won't be able to charge in as he thought that he did, so he is going to have to remain close. He looks a everyone passing by wih the random weapons that are being picked up. "...Guh." He shakes his head, "...Didn't realize that it has gotten this bad."

As the lookout and the bos chat amongst themselves, Reize listens in. He is uncertain about who the person in question is, "...Who is this woman that you guys are talking about?"

And everyone is starting to pause in fear. Reize quizziedly looks over towards the direction where the fear takes place. At least, it is before he realizes who it is.

The pendant reacts, brightly glowing. "...G-guh..." He narrows his eyes, "....This is not good!" Reize witnesses the gang leader's demise before his very eyes. It is a sight of horror. The boy can only shudder, biting back his tears.

To see somone go away like that.

"...You again!" And those demonic arms erupt along the air. He has to direct the guys, "Everyone, pull back!"

That is when Reize withdraws his boomerangs. His pendant shines, yet it is unable to do anything. Reize recalls what happened the last time he casted a spell. It rejected it.

But there was a reason.
Her wish.
....But was that demon her wish..?
"Who are you...?"

Leida has posed:
The fear-stricken mass needs no further encouragement. As the clawed limbs burst from the shadows they erupt into panicked screams and take off in all directions, shoving and pushing violently as survival instincts override manners and chivalry.

The Heartless line starts to surge after them but pauses before it takes a collective step, held in check by the presence of the entity before them. The shadow creatures fidget and twitch in annoyance at this but don't struggle, instead settling in to watch the events unfold.

Like venus flytraps, the demonic claws snap out at the sudden outburst of motion, clutching up several of the fleeing vagrants in their wicked talons. The victims shudder and lose their color, quickly suffering the same fate as their leader. A soft breeze stirs the night air, swirling up the sulfurous fumes and ashes in a choking mist.

Though the disembodied arms focus on the crowd, the girl's attention is caught up by the unique presence that stands out from the rabble. Her head tilts to the side quizzically at his question, regarding him with a blank look. Slowly, Leida leans foward, her slight body drooping over the railing four stories above the pavement. And then the arms holding her just... let go.

For a handful of seconds she plumets head-first towards the ground, picking up more than enough momentum for the inevitable impact to be fatal. But it never comes. The black ooze retreats into the cracks of the wall and emerges again below the small girl, arms rising up to catch and cradle her in their wide flat palms at the last moment. They set her down gently on her feet and she casually slinks over towards Reize, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occured at all.

Leida peers up at him through a tangled weave of her bangs, the sudden acrobatics having jumbled up her neat hair about her face in a way that might look cute if one hadn't just witnessed her devouring the souls of hapless humans. She draws ever closer to him with each moment, taking one deliberate step after another, eyes locked on the young man.

"I... know you," she says, her voice a soft wispy echo. "We've met... before..." A faint hint of a smile touches her features. "Are you trying to catch me?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Those limbs. They do no have he right to exist. That entity that is killing people left and right. Those demonic claws irritate the boy to where he furthers his actions if snapping a boomerang towards it. "LET THOSE PEOPLE GO!" He cries in his fury, then he looks at Leida.

Once the girl is let go, the boy look over towards that creature. He stares at the woman, the eyes drift over to the tendrils. When his eyes drift towards the creature, his eyes fall back towards that girl when she approaches him.

"You have to stop it! That thing is killing al of those people!" When she look straight towards her, he can see he smile on her face. He only offers her a sadden smile, "...I want you to tell me more of your story."

Maybe. Maybe if she tells the story, that thing will stop attacking. Otherwise, Reize is going to throw another set of boomerangs at the creature. In fact, because of the fact hat she seems very unaware of everything around her, well...

Reize is counting on the fact that he will definitely have to move around a lot. Especially if he wants to avoid those people's fates.

Leida has posed:
The large projectile whirls through the air like a buzzsaw, blasting through the skinny structure of the closest arm with ease. A ferocious shriek answers this attack, a nails-on-chalkboard piercing wail that comes from everywhere and nowhere at once.

Almost instantly the other arms retreat into the void and reform in the air about the two youths, black dripping claws flexing menacingly at Reize but not striking out at him just yet. The remaining survivors from the battle group are given a free avenue of escape thanks to this action and they quickly disseminate into the night.

"You... want to know... about me...?" The girl sounds wistful, as if no one had ever asked her such a thing before. Her eyes drift to the pavement at her feet and the dark claws seem to relax, sinking into the main pool of shadows that spreads out from her feet until only a single arm remains.

"Yes... you... want to... be my friend..." She crouches down and the demon arm sinks into the ground with her until only the large hand remains protruding from the pavement, providing her a comfortable place to sit. Leida tucks her knees up into her chest and glances off into the distance as if recalling something. Within a few moments she begins to recite a poem, half speaking, half singing its twisted tale.

Deep in the shadows depths there's a place, where devils and demons' presence does grace...
Kingdoms fall and dreams do wither, The voices call "My child, come hither!"
In the dark the girl so bright, freely gave her life that night...
Slumber deeply, safe from harm, cradled in the Devil's arms...

The words are likely familiar to Reize, the same stanzas having been recited during their first encounter. But she does not stop this time. More lyrics pour forth in a raspy melody. The girl's faint voice is joined by a second now, deeper, darker, with a sinister hiss to it. The two speak as one, their words in perfect harmony.

The white of flesh, the white of bone, the worms will leave your soul alone...
Her fear in hand, her fear in heart, her fear did tear her soul apart...
On and on the path does go, down to where the shadows grow...
Off you fly on blackened wings, you wish to hear the devil sing...

Another dark arm rises up from the ground infront of Leida and she lifts her hand, running her fingers along its deadly surface as if stroking a pet to which the creation responds by wiggling its claws affectionately back.

On your knees you beg to know, what twisted fate the devil sows...
Ask you will and ask you may... The fate of love on this fair day...

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Narrowing his eyes towars those arms, Reize snarls at their direction. There is that indignant glare that shows that the boy is ready. Reize had enough of the monster's actions. He may not be able to throw a fireball, but he will strike it down. Yet, it's wail earns wince.
With the boomerang returning to his hand, he watches for any signs of aggression. They retreat to form in the air menacing at the boy. He looks back to see the survivors flee into the night.
"You sang a song before." Reize notes, "....It was a tale." In fact, th child who had grown up upon stories knows when those songs tend to tell some sot o tale. He is not without keeping his guard, given that those dark claws are relaxed. As those claws sink back into he shadows, Reize listens, yet keeps an eye on that single arm.
That first stanza...
The demon approached her. She gave herself to that devil...
When that second voice joins with the girl, the boy is now tensing, wary of that other voice.
More and more, that song starts to leave him a bit puzzled. In a way, she is able to ignore everything around her thanks to the devil. That much, Reize is starting to learn. 'That fear tore her soul apart.' There is much of those.
Reize starts to close his eyes, taking in the story. In some ways, Reize is trying to figure out something. That voice reminded him of the stars. His pendant did rejected the spell for some reason. Why did it...?
 !!!!
It starts to come to him. Her mention about his friends, even asking him about being her friend. "... I am Reize Seatlan." He introduces himself, "...But I have a question."

"....Was your wish... for a friend?"

Leida has posed:
Leida's hand pauses and the devilish claw evaporates into black mist, sinking into her body as if vaccuumed in by an unseen and unfelt force. She hesistates before lowering the arm, wrapping them both around her knees and staring at the ground.

"I tried hard... I tried ever so hard..." Her vision fades out, memories flooding to the front. Things she would rather forget, that the shadows had promised to devour and hide forever. But they kept creeping back somehow. The girl winces and squeezes her eyes shut as if to force them out.

"No, no, no, no.... please, don't leave me...!" Her voice drops down to a whisper, barely audible thanks to her already soft tone. "Why won't you acknowledge my efforts...?"

In response to her aggitation, the shadow claws begin to reform, twisting and writhing on their bony ethereal arms in the air. Darkness, pure and simple, rises up like a foul liquid from the ground and engulfs the small girl's legs. Like a second skin, it stains her body black, slowly working its way up her torso in twisting rivulets that paints her pale flesh like a strange piece of abstract art on the nature of duality.

"I don't like being alone...!"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Everything becomes very suspicious.

In fact, this is why Reize is very guarded. Deep down, he knew that he would have to watch his back. He knew that he would have to keep watch of that shadowy arms. Given what it had done to the people, well, Reize is already starting to take a couple of steps back. His eyes drift over towards the crates nearby.

This creature has power over him. Reize knows this. However, that means he will have to do his damnest to evade, confuse, and strike the creature in ways that it doesn't expect.

"...Hiding your problems will only hurt you worse in the end... And other people..." Reize edges near one of the crates.

In the end, the girl is suffering. She is alone.

As the shadow claws reform and twist around. The darkness rises along the girl's legs.

...Not good.

Reize sucks in a breath.

It's definitely time to out maneuver her.

"...There are people who are willing to be your friend and help you face your problems." Reize is already eyeing his surroundings.
It may be time for guerilla warfare. Reize already has a deep feeling that she won't listen in this state.

Leida has posed:
The black liquid continues to rise until it reaches her face, obscuring it half in impenetrable shadows like a mask. A nimbus of sickly purple light begins to shimmer about the girl's body, a hazy heat mirage of dark power boiling up from the depths of her corrupted soul.

Reize's words fall on deaf ears, the tormented girl too far deep into her own memories to hear anything else but the shadow's internal assurances that it will make everything disappear again. Just like she wanted. And like always, Leida submits.

The emptiness that overwhlems her mind is a balm, a soothing absense of all emotion. Quietly, she lets out a sigh and the dark creature of which she is now a part rises to the surface again, bringing its wrath upon the fool who dared to dreg up those carefully buried thoughts with it.

Leida's head snaps up, twin glimmers of purple light in her eyes as she focuses on the only thing still here that is out of place. The claw upon which she sits rises up and grips her about the waist, lifting the girl to her feet in one smooth motion. The shadow claws all cease their languid wavering and snap to attention, turning to menace at the young adventurer yet again.

She smiles, a real smile this time, but a sinister one filled with malice and madness. "The eternal night... shall come..."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
That demon....

It is there, corrupting her, reaching into the depths of her soul. Reize is already making his movements towards the crates, perhaps figuring that exiting would be a good idea.

After all, the civilian lives are safe. However, she is still lurking about. There are so many things running into his mind over what to anticipate.

Yet, she submits and becomes calm. That creature soothed her. So, that was the case of their relationship. That thing is her crutch. By himself he is powerless to try to make her see the light. But, he has an inkling of an idea. Something happened to her to make her feel the way that she did.

Once those arms begin to menace about the boy, Reize decides that getting out of the vicinity would be a good idea. With quick darts to the surroundings, Reize is making his way to run off.

He knows those arms will pursue him.

He sucks in a breath.

"Here goes nothing."

Leida has posed:
Indeed, the deadly claws make swipes at the adventurer. Wickedly curved talons easily a foot in length slam down like mouse traps, digging into the pavement and dragging deep gashes through the concrete and dirt. They are large and powerful, their sheer size making them difficult to dodge but they aren't terribly swift and seem to be anchored to the void from which they form. The process of dispelling and recreating the arms is time consuming enough that Rieze's swift jukes and reflexes allow him to stay one step ahead of the flesh-rending weapons.

Leida ponders for a moment whether or not chasing after the boy would be a waste of time. It might be entertaining enough but there is another calling here that supercedes her wishes. A faint magical compulsion tugs at her mind, urging the girl to resume her march of chaos and she nods slowly to no one at all before glancing off towards the warehouse district. Still plenty to do there..

"Yes... I must be sure to listen to him... because... I do not enjoy lonliness..."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
It is a good thing that the boy remains quick. He knows that they can do some serious damage to im. n fact, when those wickedly curvd talons slap out like mouse-traps, one of them nerly grazes him, which was more than enough to make him shudder. The boy quickly reaches over towards his hookshot from his bag of tricks. Then, he fires it out towards one of the nearby crates. As he flings towards the object in hand, Reize then whips his body around to toss the crate at the flesh-rending claws.
"Gah! Go away!"
But then, his eyes drift towards Leida. Reize frown towards her lament.
"...Nggh." It's not something he can do now. As much as he wants to. This city is undergoing worse situations. In this fruitless battle, Reize has to retreat.
If nothing else, Reize has managed to gather information about her. Well, except for her name.

Leida has posed:
The crate swings into the shadowy arm with a powerful crash but this time they are prepared for him. The claws stretch out and catch the wooden container, shattering it to pieces with a moment of pressure as the fist closes down tightly.

However, the arms cease their pursuit, lingering at the edge of the open area between warehouses. They clutch at the air in mock frustration but fade away into nothingness again soon enough, returninging their essence to the girl.

With nothing left to distract her from her task, Leida turns and begins to walk into the maze of warehouses in the same direction that the resistance group fled. She isn't chasing them in particular, they just happened to run the way she was going.

A faint tune drifts over the chill night breeze as she walks, humming the mournful song sans lyrics that she gave to Reize as if it were somehow comforting.