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 Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:45 am
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I.C. Licks didn't do much to stand out from its neighboring establishments on this relatively busy avenue, but it didn't need to. Though quaint, especially by Four Fronds standards, business was steady and had been for sweeps. Locals recommended it, visitors went out of their way to find it... I.C. Licks offered a familiarity that couldn't quite be placed and ice cream flavors that couldn't be beat.
"Welcome!" a tealblood chimed as they swept the checkered floor near the front entrance. Whenever the bell on the door twinkled with new guests, their voice broke the monotony of the background music playing through faintly crackling speakers. Signs of wear crept up here and there—the granite countertops had seen many, many elbows, after all—but the place was tidy and comfortable regardless.
Behind the counter, a redblood took orders with a friendly, practiced smile. To her left was a sign that read "Flavor of the Day: Butterscotch," but there were plenty of other flavors available in the glassed-in freezer beneath the counter. Somewhere in the back, a yellowblood washed dishes.
Only Gl!tch~ and purplerosesbeauty may post in this growth. Please quote the mule when you're ready for a post or if you're finished!
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 2:44 pm
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Leaving the swamp with Wander gave Poe something to do, to keep his ruminating mind off the recent events - he took them well enough, of course, as he always did. He was a survivor, and didn't let himself stay down. He kept telling himself that, even as he cried in his block, confused and hurt by everything that had happened lately. And in all, he was doing great! No one died, and no one was in danger. He had his friends still. His very good friends, like Wander, whose hand he squeezed as they entered the ice cream parlor. That was enough to knock him out of pensive thoughts, to smile as he looked at the frozen goods. Four Fronds was normally a place he'd avoid, but it was close to the swamp... Poe glanced at the redblood at the counter, and turned to Wander. "You know why you'll never meet an ice cream parlor workaholic? They know how to chill out!" Poe said, his voice low and conspiratorial as he tugged on his coat. He laughed a little to himself as he looked at flavors. Mint was good. "Mint to be..." he said under his breath. Definitely a pun to be made there. Louder, he answered Wander, "I think, that I like mint." |
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 7:28 pm
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He nodded to his younger friend. "Bubblegum, bright and sweet like you," Poe replied to her compliment, his own smile spreading across his face. Sprinkles would be nice, and he thought the bright colors were a lot like Wander too. Like her fireworks, but in a solid form. Poe pulled her into line, excited now. When it was their turn in the queue, he ordered their ice creams, with sprinkles for both of them. Poe knew Wander's anxiety well, enough to take care of that for her. He paid for and retrieved their ice creams, handing Wander hers before taking her free hand to find a seat. The greenblood picked a cozy booth close to the doors. As he slipped into the booth seat opposite his friend, Poe smiled, looking down into his minty green ice cream. "I think it was really nice to come out, like this, where we could just do something fun. Thank you, for inviting me." |
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:13 pm
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Wander watched Poe cover for her without her even asking. He knew her so well... And yet, she still managed to feel a little bad about it. As much as she liked not having to ask for help, and more importantly not have to deal with the anxiety of ordering food in public, that's what she should be doing. Even if it was hard. She would just have to...let Poe be nice, but not make it his job. That's all.
The orangeblood pulled back from her thoughts as they sat down. She smiled again when Poe did, and it grew as he spoke. "Of c-course! I l-like getting t-to do stuff with you." Well, the excursions that weren't just for missions or a little overwhelming lik going to a casino. And Poe's boy troubles... That pulled her down a little. "And m-m-maybe we'll get to during h-happier times, too..." Maybe sometime they could bring Sonnie, maybe Cynril along! That would be nice.
She thought for a moment. Wander wanted to ask more about how Poe was doing, really doing, after Mahmud, but she wasn't sure if it was the time or place.
She focused on her ice cream instead for the time being.
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2018 5:46 pm
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"You'll be fiiiine."
Those words were his mantra as the troll with a hood up and cinched awkwardly at his neck approached I.C. Licks. It should've been a sign when the blueblood didn't even follow him down the street that things probably wouldn't be fine, but he had a debt to repay and no beetles to his name. It was just a little ice cream parlor, anyway, so he tried to assure himself there was nothing they could even do to fight back.
As he slipped inside, doing his best to act natural, the bell on the door jingled and the tealblood sing-songed their customary, "Welcome!"
Everything seemed normal as he stepped up to the counter, mumbled an order of butterscotch, and waited until the redblood was distracted beneath the counter before enacting his hastily stitched together plan. Every napkin dispenser on every table began to rattle and shake in response to a deep magenta energy crackling around the 'customer's' hands. A moment later, napkins were shooting from the dispensers like gunfire and plastering themselves to every window until the view into or out of the shop was entirely obscured by paper.
The assailant then leapt to the top of the counter and pulled a dagger so close to the redblood that when she looked up in shock, she nearly gouged her own eye.
"Beetles," the voice under the hood said, "Now."
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2018 5:56 pm
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Poe paid no mind to the person entering the parlor. He looked down at his ice cream, the spoon hanging from his mouth idly as he thought about things. He nodded to Wander, uncharacteristically quiet. It would be nice when things got better, and then they could celebrate with treats instead of using them to feel better. He snapped to attention when the napkins went flying, and now his eyes were trained on the person on the counter. Poe reached into his pockets where he kept his darts - he didn't have his weapon proper, but this would do in a pinch. He wrapped his metal hand around a dart, clenching it as he stood at the booth. This wasn't safe, and he had to protect his flock.
"Wander, we need to get out of here," he said quietly. If he could get her out, then he could take care of the robber. He'd protect her. "I'll see if I can stop this..." |
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 7:57 am
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Poe reached for Wander's hand, trying to reassure her. He knew she had to be scared, and he was too, honestly. But this is what was right. He always tried to do the right thing, even when it was hard. And Poe would do anything for his flock, for Wander. "I'll be fine," he murmured. He left their booth and charged the robber, trying to pull them away from the counter and put his dart in their shoulder. saedusk pls incapacitate my boy, feel free to break his prosthetics too. whatever you wanna do to get him on the ground n overwhelmed Gl!tch~ *always sunny theme* poe is not fine |
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 3:03 pm
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In the immediate aftermath, a few trolls skirted closer to the action as if entertained, while a few others tried the front door and found it plastered shut by the unnaturally tough napkins. The tealblooded floor staff had sidestepped away as far as they could until they were pressed against the back of the nearest row of booths. Whether due to indifference or fear, no one else but Poeias seemed poised to intervene.
The would-be thief, on the other hand, paid no mind to anyone but the redblood in front of him as she dropped the cone she'd prepared and fumbled towards the register. Relief flooded his body at the ease of it all and he crawled along the top of the counter to follow her with his knife, but the feeling was quickly replaced with a jolt of adrenaline.
Something brushed his lower back and it felt like whatever it was had grabbed his hoodie. It made him sway and start to tumble backwards and as he turned, the dart found purchase in the front of his shoulder. He shouted and in that instant his hands warmed with deep magenta all over again. A cascade of paper ice cream cone wrappers spilled over the counter and assaulted Poeias, forcing him to the floor. They wrapped him there like the napkins in the windows, from his legs to his torso to his wrists.
"Don't <********> touch me!" the robber spat as the energy around his hands grew hotter. The paper binding Poeias began to dig at his clothes and skin and slipped between the joints of his prosthetics as if trying to force them apart at the seams.
Flipping his knife around, he aimed the hilt right between the greenblood's eyes and swung it down, meaning to knock him out before he could cause anymore trouble.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 7:21 pm
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Poeias managed an attack on the robber, his dart piercing the shoulder. As soon as he managed that, they exploded. Bright magenta telekinetics, nothing like Wander's pretty pyrotechnics. He was pulled to the ground by the paper, and he struggled against it, arm flailing against the paper. He never thought paper could be so strong. Poe wriggled, paper on his wrist and and legs around him like ropes. A mountain of ropes, constricting him uncomfortably, pressing into him so he could hardly breathe. "W-wait, stop," he stammered as he glanced back at the thief, to Wander, his eyes wild. He could still do something, he managed it before when his leg had been caught in a trap, against a howlbeast. He tried to move again, and felt something snap. His prosthetic wrist fell apart, the pressure of the paper that slipped into his joints pulling it and breaking the delicate parts inside. Poe's leg, similarly burst, sending a shock of pain into him as a nerve was damaged and sent haywire. He panicked. Wander! He opened his mouth to shout to her, to say something, before the knife hit him. Poe was dazed a moment, concussed. He lifted his fleshy hand weakly and his eyes fluttered as he lost consciousness. |
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 8:03 pm
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Wander stood up to follow behind Poe, but was quickly left behind before she could wiggle her way out. Not even asked to come along. Poe alone against a psionic? What was he thinking?! She didn't even get a chance to follow in a huff before everything else went down.
She stood there, frozen, forced to watch. Paralyzed as the worst happened right in front of her. Poe got caught. Hurt.
Broken.
"No!" she yelled, jumping onto the table. Poeias fell to the floor. She raised a hand that had been fidgeting low, low sparks before. And now, as if her thumb and index finger were a gun, she shot fireworks, deadlier than she ever dared before, with the full intent for as much harm aspossible. Her hands shook, though, so she had to take another shot, other hand trying to keep her aiming hand steady. She wanted to hit the robber's face. She wanted them to hurt.
"Get...get out!" she screeched as the second firework flew out like a flare shot.
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 7:20 pm
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tw: burn gore
"Haaah..." The breath was halfway between nervous laughter and relief. That went smoother than expected. Maybe this whole thing would go down without a hitch, after all. A few trolls sounded shocked, one even whistled, but no one else looked to be following the greenblood's lead and charging forward.
Except, well, just because no one was running at him, it didn't mean no one was ready to act.
At Wander's shout, the would-be thief's eyes snapped up in an instant. The first shot went sailing past him as he barely managed to duck away from its unsteady trajectory. The second, though... he wouldn't be so lucky.
The exact moment the bundle of super-charged fireworks hit the side of his face, the napkins glued to the windows exploded inward with sudden force before fluttering harmlessly to the ground. The paper holders binding Poeias followed suit, but much less impressively, losing whatever life they'd been given and falling away naturally.
In the same bloodpusher beat, the robber screamed as the flesh of his face seared away beneath his eye and from his mouth to the back of his jaw, ugly and angry and raw. He stumbled, blinded by intense pain and disoriented as copper blood oozed from the fresh burn wounds. Tripping over Poeias' legs in an attempt to get away, he stumbled and fell before crawling along the ground to the door.
The only thought that prevailed over the pain was escape.
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