Betrayal at House on the Hill

[angelcage]

[ You sleep, the ground cold beneath your cheek. The ground is hard as stone, cold marble beneath a fine layer of dust that doesn't come anywhere near acting as a cushion. The dust stirs with your breathing.


>> Wake up ]

Comments

[court_chesster]

[YEAH ME TOO. Just a totally normal clown with a mask and a medical bag, looking concerned. SO VERY CONCERNED.]

Oh, hey! Are you okay?

[angelcage]

[ The girl, holding the spirit board tight squeaks and jumps back—

In a whispered hiss, she tells Mordred: ]

It's him.

[withintreason]

[ takes a moment. looks to her. quietly: ]

. . . Him?

[angelcage]

[ Frantic: ]

Yes.

[withintreason]

[ WELL, COMPLETELY KEEPING HER COOL ANYWAY until like he attacks u kno ]

[withintreason]

[ OH I GUESS YOU HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN ME WITHOUT MY ARMOR BEFORE. wearing just this now, a little bit shorter than before - there are horrible, horrible burns all over her but she doesn't seem to mind. takes a moment, parsing who the fuck this is with this mask shit on what even ]

Ah, you're that jester. Not dead yet? I'm surprised.

[court_chesster]

[His demeanor changes instantly, and he lets out a cold little laugh.]

Heh. You and me both, lady!

[But why banter when he has a psychic ring? With no further hesitation, he lashes out with a burst of mental energy.]

[withintreason]

[ I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT STABBING IS PROBABLY NOT FEASIBLE FOR MENTAL ENERGY SO I GUESS I'M

=====> HITTING THIS WALL, NOW

YIKES ]

--- khhh. . . . bastard . . . !

[court_chesster]

[The rat he had been keeping under his shirt comes out and hops back and forth between his hands.]

That's me. Do me a favor and stay down, will you?

[withintreason]

[ NAH

GETTING THE FUCK UP, fortunately she has a sword. you know what she's going to do with this sword ]

-- that's one hell of a way to ask for a favor, asshole!

[ she's going to charge at you with it ]

[angelcage]

[ Also, screaming incoherently— the man who was wounded by a rat on the basement landing zeroes in on Simon now that his rat is visible. Coming from his left, shouting and charging, he's leaping at Simon's rat. ]

[court_chesster]

It was more of a favor to yourself, honestly!

[The rat rushes to meet the man in RODENT BATTLE as Simon uses his ring to protect himself from the incoming sword, simultaneously reaching into his sleeve to pull out a gun.]

[withintreason]

[ that's cool but i'm also just straight up going to kick you, wherever i can, whatever's in reach - probably the other hand or like his leg or his crotch or something i don't give a flying fuck ]

[angelcage]

[ The man grabs the rodent by its neck, and they go tumbling to the floor— he gets scratched on his arms, but he slams it against the stones, again, and again. There's a nasty cracking sound of the rat's skull, but he doesn't stop until the rat stops moving. ]

[court_chesster]

[SQUAA IN THE NUTS. As poor, sweet Cookie squeaks its last, Simon goes down, firing off a bullet in no particular direction.]

[withintreason]

Nice try!

[ FORTUNATELY, IT GOES INTO THE WALL.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR SIMON, IT GOES INTO THE WALL, SO THAT MEANS MORDRED IS STRAIGHT UP GOING TO TRY TO CUT HIS HEAD OFF. ]

[dendarii]

[ And Miles just keeps getting dragged along goddammit all!1 ]

Hang on, let's coordinate here--!

[ Which is to say he's looping to one side while Mordred goes for attempted decapitation to try and trip Simon up. ]

[court_chesster]

[Did you mean to trip Simon in such a way that a sword narrowly misses his head? Either way, he's letting out another rage-fueled psychic burst, blasting everyone away from him as he cringes on the floor.

Then he whistles for the remaining rats in the house, calling them like one would a dog.]

[angelcage]

[ On command, the seven remaining rats swarm into the room, leaping from above down to the basement landing, getting between Simon and his two assailants. ]

[dendarii]

[ Well. Shit. This went from bad to worse. Miles curses loudly in Barrayaran and strikes out for one of the rats. ]

Why the hell are you doing this?

[court_chesster]

[Simon isn't the sort who stays down for long, and he drags himself back up, one of the rats scampering up onto his shoulder.]

Not that I'd expect you to understand, but they asked me to.

[He then rushes the damsel, grabbing her by the arm.]

[angelcage]

[ She screams when he takes her by the arm, her grip on the spirit board tightening, but she trips when she tries to get away. ]

[dendarii]

They? Who are they?

[ Seeing Simon change course, Miles reluctantly slashes at the clown's arm instead. The same one reaching out for the damsel. ]

[withintreason]

[ I'M JUST GOING TO CUT DOWN THESE FUCKING RATS ]

Get the hell away from her!

[angelcage]

[ The rats scatter from Mordred's sword, skittering away then five of them swarm at her feet, trying to scurry up her legs, onto her arms, biting at her legs and scratching her already burned flesh as they go. ]