Ulrich fell back in surprised. "Ack!" he yelped, crawling away backwards. "Don't scare me like that!" Ulrich whimpered. Scary lady is scary... he thought. With a deep breath, Ulrich shook his head. "The soldiers... oh! Sparkles over there," he snickered at his own wit as he pointed to Jellal. "He sent them packing, wounding over half of their men. He's very impressive and scary." Ulrich said, smiling that lazy smile.
When Ulrich blinked, he felt the earth beneath and around him shift. When he opened his eyes, he found himself, Ariana, Jo, and Jellal to be caught up with the rest of the orphans. He shook his head, keeping quiet as he analyzed his surroundings. Ulrich sighed, picking himself up. He heard Jellal murmur something, but turned his attention to Haley. She was issuing a command, but Ulrich held his hand up. "Sparkles over here is wounded..." he told her solemnly. "I don't really need to rest, either. I didn't do anything except usher the children in here with you all and carry both Jo and Emperor Maximus back from the battlefield. From what I've seen... the enemy is in full retreat, their men very few. We're safe for now." Ulrich gave her a lazy smile, the same smile he always wore, before walking over to Jo. He began to examine her, making sure she wasn't too wounded.
Ulrich nodded and set Jellal beside Jo. The earth-user exhaled and fell flat on his rump. "Man, he was heavy," he remarked, taking a breather. "I suppose we can take a break for a moment."
Ulrich stopped, his cold expression vanishing into that of an innocent, lazy smile. "A pity," he said tapping his foot. The earth beneath the commander began to rise and swirl, becoming roots. However, despite what the commander may have been thinking, Ulrich was not going to kill the man. He was simply going to humiliate him. The roots held the commander in thrall and Ulrich moved again, lifting Jellal. "It was fun," he said in an off-handed manner. "Perhaps we can play a game of Chess sometime, see how well you do when you're not being an idiot." Ulrich laughed, walking away with Jellal in hand. "Au revoir," Ulrich teased, waving a hand good-bye to the commander. It didn't take him long to reach the tunnels, and when he arrived, he made sure he was beaming. "Ariana!" Ulrich cried excitedly. "You missed it! Sparkles here just wiped out the rest of the soldiers!" He lied. OOC: Alrighty, I'm off to sleep x.x
OOC: I can't believe this plan actually worked. Personally, I wanted them all to just give up so they could lick their wounds, but... I have to say that it sucks to be them. Ulrich shook his head. He had warned them. Those who had fled were spared the fate of these men who had charged him. Ulrich snapped his fingers, and the dust cloud became a field of flying spikes that ripped through the air, shooting at non-vital areas. Mostly legs and shoulders. As the soldiers went down, writhing in agony, Ulrich began to move toward the commander. "Checkmate," Ulrich said aloud, glaring at the commander. "Despite my aim being off, your men are as good as dead if you don't retreat." He went on. "Dirt and soil make up a large percentage of dust. Bacteria and germs live in the earth, which is the source of dirt and soil. Do the math..."
(OOC: lol, I thought it was pretty funny myself :P) Ulrich scowled as they began to fire. Unfortunately, shooting a wizard of Earth magic was the equivalent of shooting at a steel wall. The shroud of dust solidified, catching the bullets that could've wasted Ulrich. Nevertheless, the shroud wouldn't last very long and would eventually weaken. Ulrich never wasted time. He knelt down the moment the wall solidified, the moment they started shooting, thrusting his palm into the ground. At first, nothing happened. However, were one to look more closely, dust filled the air, accumulating into a thick cloud. Those who kept firing would eventually discover that all they hit was massive clumps of dirt. "I'll give you one more chance to surrender," Ulrich told them sternly. He hadn't moved from his spot, they discovered. "You're underpowered. Most of your men are probably dead. You can't handle another hit from a magic-user. Especially if he hadn't truly exercised his own abilities. So, if you don't tuck your tails between your legs and leave... I will kill you." He informed them in a matter-of-fact tone, fingers poised to snap.
Ulrich let go of her shoulders and placed a hand atop her head, mussing her hair. He began to walk past her. "I'll be back," Ulrich said confidentally, his tone as nonchalant as it had been when he first arrived at the orphanage. The clouds of dust became thicker around him as he left the tunnels. Ulrich ran back towards the dome, conserving his magical strength for when he truly needed it. The dust behind and around him was only a small measure of his strength. A cloak of sorts. It didn't take Ulrich long to make it to the dome. However, he kept himself hidden as he arrived, measuring the enemy's power. "Sheesh..." he muttered. Ulrich snapped his fingers, causing the ground between Jellal and the commander to erupt with spikes made from the earth. Ulrich stepped forward, into plain sight. He wore a different expression. An expression he would never let anyone else see. It was cold, calculating, and full of hate. "If you value your lives, you will step away from Sparkles, the No Good Flamethrower," he threatened, letting the dust around him writhe with life. The substance, itself, began to solidify. [OOC: This is what I hear when I posted this XD ('tis a link)]
Ulrich got back up and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "Where is he?" He asked, offering a reassuring smile.
Dust accumulated around Ulrich as he paused at the tunnels. He knelt down, laying Jo flat against the wall. "The man that was with you," he muttered. "Where is he?" Ulrich asked, glancing at Ariana.
"I can do one better..." Ulrich remarked, grabbing Jo and lifting her in his arms. "Just take it easy and follow me..." he told her, already heading back towards the tunnels.
Ulrich heard Ariana's cry and swiftly turned. He ran towards Ariana and the unconscious Jo. "This is the second time she fell asleep on us," Ulrich quipped. He turned his gaze back to Ariana. "You and Jo are exhausted, it appears," he said with some seriousness. The earth-user studied Ariana's face as best as he could. "What's wrong?" Ulrich asked, his tone genuine. As soon as Ulrich finished his question, he heard Jo cry. If it weren't for her exhaustion, she would've woke up from the nightmare she was trapped in. Trapped within a nightmare, unable to waken... what a sad girl... he thought.
Lucifer Bedlam It ended. Lucifer finished his melody with a harsh, devilish stroke that turned into a graceful flourish. He stood there, upon that ledge, for a long time as he gazed at the carnage below. The Minions had been torn apart, limb from limb, by the many wraiths that danced to his malevolent tune. Lucifer exhaled and slowly turned around, his expression jovial. The Hatter stared curiously at Misa and Nikki. "Oh? What are you two doing?" He asked curiously. "And why does the sleeping girl have my cane?" Lucifer approached Misa and Nikki slowly, tipping his hat in greeting with the knuckles of his folded index and middle finger. "Would either of you be interested in a tea party? I could bring Lewis, Alastair, and the grumpy old coot," Lucifer said, referring to the penguin, the Mad March Hare, and Alek. Overall, it appeared Lucifer had once again became oblivious to the matters at hand. Peter Piper Pepper Peter sneezed as he walked down the corridors of the Queen's castle. "They say someone's talking about you each time you sneeze," Peter muttered skeptically, looking for an excuse to complain. He was bored and needed something to do. He smiled mischievously. Peter paused at a specific door within the corridor, knocking on it. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall..." he began, his tone mocking. "Won't you play a game with the smartest of them all?" Peter chuckled, waiting for Krowley to answer the door.
Lucifer Bedlam Lucifer was humming to himself while Nikki was talking, nearly forgetting she was there until he noted the spiderweb-like thing shooting out from the ground below them, and the fireballs coming from somewhere else. "Oh dear," he muttered, dodging the spiderweb substance and thrusting his violin case up in front of himself as the fireballs were within range. Fortunately for Nikki, Lucifer and the violin case took the brunt of the force and heat. This forced them to fly a few meters and land on the land above the ravine. He landed with an "oof" as he let go of Nikki's wrist. It took him a moment to reorient himself, and as he did, he yelped. The metal handle of his case had burnt his hand. "That was my favorite hand..." he mourned, sitting himself back up. Despite burning his hand, there was nothing serious done. Perhaps a few singed hairs, a burnt tailcoat, and... Lucifer's eye twitched as he saw the brim of his hat. His eyes were a-lit with a tempest, deadly firestorms roused from the depths of his madness. Though rarely angered, causing any damage to his hat was a deal-breaker. His red eyes narrowed, his lips parted into that poor-mimicry of Jabberwocky's mischievous smile, and his singed hand twitched with anticipation. As the metal cooled, which was nearly instantly due to the heavy rain fall, Lucifer opened his violin case. He was suddenly inspired by his own rage, by the events of the day, and by the rain to propose a musical piece. Fortunately for him, there was an audience. Grabbing his violin, Lucifer raised himself from the ground and tapped the bow upon the brim of his slightly singed hat. The air became colder as he edged closer to the ravine, the sky became darker as he brought the violin to his chin, and the heavy winds silenced themselves as the bow neared the strings. Then, in a sudden moment, Lucifer began to play a rapid, discordant melody. It was fast and it sounded like the wails of the damned. And indeed it was, for within the ravine appeared wraiths and specters of long past, arising from the ground and from the chasm walls. They groaned and moaned. The melody stopped as quickly as it began, and there was silence. Though it was only for an instant, it could've felt like hours or days. Again the music began to play, but it was more beautiful in its insanity. The chords were no longer a screeching keen, but rather sad notes with no equal. It was a melody of loneliness and despair. Though the notes were not at all harmonic, they were beautiful in their entropy. The damned below began to assault the Minions who dared singe Lucifer's hat. And so, the Minuet of Madness began. Peter Piper Pepper Peter sat upon his bed within the Queen's castle, biting into an apple. Before him was a Book of God, full of ridiculous tenets and stories. He scoffed as he remembered each passage. God... if there were such a ridiculous thing, the world wouldn't be as it is. He thought, biting into the apple again after he swallowed his last back. The Piper was bored and with nothing to do. He had many options, of course, such as harassing the Queen's daughter or annoy Krowley with his wit. Peter could also demand an audience with Queen Sylvia herself, but that was an unwise course, even for him or Evalotte. He brooded, sitting back and considering the course before him...
I'm working on a post. Just trying to figure out what to do with Peter.
Ulrich sighed as he helped usher the other orphans out, guarding from behind. There was too much going on, he couldn't be bothered with it, lest he abandoned the children he was helping. The more that his peers fought and bickered, the more danger would befall the children. Ulrich chose the path guard from behind, rather than go offensive. "Man," he muttered to himself. "These guys are going to get us all killed."
The sound of gunfire made Ulrich cringe. That sound was all too familiar to him, and perhaps to everyone else. Melancholy threatened to take him as he relived his memories, but Ulrich shook them away. As he regained some consciousness, pandemonium had been slowly quelled and everyone was running... somewhere. Perhaps somewhere safe. He smiled at that thought. Andrew was barking orders for them to retreat, and indeed they were going somewhere safe. Nevertheless, he did not follow them, he simply ran around the house calmly telling others to follow the rest of the people, assisting Andrew in his task. After all... he made a promise.
Sweetness ^^ Anywho, my next post will introduce Peter... which should be fun. '>.>
Lucifer Bedlam Lucifer glanced at Nikki, his smile widening. "Oh! Miss Nikki! What are you doing all the way out here?" He asked, genuinely ignorant. However, his smile faded as she shouted, forcing Lucifer to frown in confusion. The sound of a Minion, however, brought clarity to the Hatter and he smiled again. He whipped himself into the direction of the gurgling sound and clumsily swung his violin case in front of him, blocking the icicles. The force and sudden momentum flung the floating lad to the ground, beside Nikki. "Oh my," he muttered slyly to the girl. "I was unaware you were wanting to have a tea party out here. I would've brought Jack, Lewis, and that boring workaholic." Lucifer rambled on. Nikki, herself, already escaped danger and had just locked down the Minion. Lucifer's smile was that rare, Cheshire smile that was a poor mimicry of Jabberwocky's, but more scarier than anything anyone else could produce. Or so he believed. "I have a feeling that this is a poor place to have a tea party," Lucifer remarked, thrusting his cane to Nikki as he grabbed her by the wrist as he began to float. "Perhaps we can invite Frosty the Abominable Snowman to tea later when it isn't raining and freezing cold." He gave her a knowing wink. Already he began to float out of the ravine, back the way he came. ...Maybe.
Puppeteer: Sessamaru Name: Peter Piper Pepper Former Self: Pied Piper of Hamelin Gender: Male Age: 14 Race: Grimm Where is Your Mark?: He has two skull birthmarks that hang upside-down beneath each eye, acting as eerie tears. Grimm Caddet/Queen’s Lacky: Queen's Lacky Personality: Peter is a likable kid whose smile is charming and whose laugh would make even a wild beast dance to its melodic tune. He's cheery, helpful, and even a party-goer. However, much like his gender ambiguity, he isn't what he appears. Despite being able to be a likable person, he wears his kindness as a facade, for beneath it all he is a monster. Cold, emotionless, and calculating. For someone his age, he is far more intelligent. But, like a child, he is easy to corrupt and be misguided. He's cynical and sees things in a distorted light, forever casting himself into the shadows. As his guise allows, he's capable of manipulating those around him for his own, twisted purposes and pulls on their marionettes without the slightest of effort. Picture I.D.: Spoiler Brief History: Peter has no family, nor does he have any memories of who he is or what he was. Throughout his life, he lived as a pauper, beatened and abandoned numerous times. He had no one to take care of him, and almost always lived amongst the rodents in alleyways or abandoned warehouses. As his life went on, a meaningless cycle of abuse by angry strangers and drunks, and constant neglect from those who didn't treat him cruelly (for they never noticed him), Peter eventually came upon a silver flute. What he didn't know was that it was stolen... The maker of the flute found Peter and chased after him. To the mercy of a six year-old Peter, he found the Queen's guards, who themselves were escorting the queen. He sought refuge within their ranks, hiding as the flute crafter appeared. The man ran into one particular guard. Out of desperation, the old codger explained what had happened. The queen listened and even took a glance at the boy. At the end of the story, the queen mulled everything over, and eventually condemned the man to death for lying and for disturbing Her Highness's walk. The old man wailed as he was dragged away, to the dungeons. The queen took Peter in and had him personally taught in the arts, and even personally taught him the ways of the world. To her surprise, Peter grew up to be a grand boy who would obey her every command without hesitation. His intelligence excelled even her most competent generals and his charismatic charm seemed mystical. To the queen, Peter was like the son she always wanted. After years of exercising his magical talents through music, he became her personal "ambassador", jester, and assassin. Likes: 1) Rodents 2) Winning 3) Beasts 4) Puzzles & Games 5) Music 6) Candy Dislikes: 1) People 2) Secrets 3) Cheaters 4) Losing Weapon of Choice: Flute Magic Abilities: Rats In The Wall- Despite the name, this spell isn't particularly about using "walls", but rather to summon rats from anywhere, ranging from inside walls, to fields, and so on. This spell, for the most part, can even summon spirits of rodents due to the tune that is played by Peter's flute. Because of this, he can use an army of rats to Tame The Beast- This spell, or melody, can calm a beast (or beasts) that are within range of the flute, and may become "friends" with Peter and listen to his commands. Enchantment- This spell, or melody, can soothe the minds of both man and animal. Because of this, they are enthralled by the melody and will follow its source until it ends. Pay the Piper- This spell, or melody, summons the dead (ranging from skeletal beings to fresh corpses). This is Peter's most fearsome ability, for if anyone breaks a deal with him or becomes a disgrace, he will ask for payment for their incompetence. This payment is often a euphemism for their life, and the dead he summons will not fade until his melody ends or until the target is far underground. Theme Song: Other: Aside from being a cruel tactical genius, he truly is a good jester for the queen whenever he's not sent to conquer a land in her name or to assassinate a minor (though potentially major) threat.
Ulrich remained silent and handed back Ariana's notebook. "It's quite impressive," he said cheerfully, at long last. He turned to Andrew, then turned to Jo. He chuckled at her remark. "You're too hot-headed to be cool, Jo-Jo," Ulrich jabbed. He turned back to Andrew and held out his hand. "I'm Ulrich, the Bum of the Forests," the earth-user greeted, awaiting for the man to accept his greeting.
