bermuda triangle ♔ hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel

[cigam]

WHO || David, Charming, Emma, Gold, Hook, Francesca, Risa, Zatanna Zatara, Giovanni Zatara [closed]
WHAT || Following the compass to find Zatanna's mother
WHERE || The Devil's Triangle
WHEN || April 23rd [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam

It's been a long journey at sea, as the Knights, Zatanna, and her father followed the enchanted compass' guidance from Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean. Risa stands on the bow of the boat, a shawl wrapped around herself as she stares out into the gathering gloom, frowning.

"The Devil's Triangle," she announces, out of nowhere. "That's our destination, isn't it."

Comments

[uncurse]

What? No! [ she drops her voice, realizing she could jeopardize their attempts at diplomacy, and pulls charming closer. ] No! Are you out of your mind? No one is staying here, their civilization being revealed is not our problem. The fact that they're enslaving someone to protect it is.

[generaldavideus]

I'm with Emma.

[His voice isn't as low because he frankly doesn't care. Because these people mind whammied him and if he has any beserk button, it's that.]

These people are using magic to screw with innocent people and it has to stop.

[unhand]

[Meanwhile Hook missed all the exposition and is REALLY REALLY CONFUSED. He slowly stands up and turns towards Risa.]

...what's going on?

1/-

[amazingzatara]

There has to be another way. [ zatara seems torn between looking at sindella and his daughter. ] There must. We can't leave Zatanna here, but you --

[ sindella shakes her head, and gives him a tearful smile. "I love you. Go," she says, and closes her eyes. she begins chanting something, and slowly a light begins to grow around her skull. ]

[besmitten]

[ don't think she doesn't catch that. her head snaps in that direction, and horror floods her expression. ] What is she doing?! [ it's all but screeched in the desperate tone of someone who already knows the answer. she raises her staff and jerks it to the right and zatara and zatanna are wrenched away by an invisible force, knocked off the dais entirely as the magi starts stalking in that direction, as she snarls at the knights: ] You planned this. Your offer was a trick!

[layonhands]

[ risa hops onto the dais, and reaches out to touch sindella's shoulder, bestowing her with spell resistance lest the mage try and stop whatever she's doing. ]

[undealt]

When this is over, let the record show that we did try to be diplomatic. [It's not clear if he's saying that to the mage or the rest of the assembled group, but he holds any action. Like Francesca, he seems more interested in how this is going to play out than showing any desire in interfering with it.]

[cigam]

[ still clutched in her father's grip, zee finally manages to get a hold of herself enough to act at the sight of the approaching mage who is stalking towards her mother. She waves a hand looking suddenly furious ] Mrasid! [ at the shout, the staff is wrenched from the woman's hands and goes clattering near charming and Emma. ]

[uncease]

[Charming grabs the staff off the floor so that it can't be returned to its owner. Lets hope that choice doesn't end badly for him...]

[socialgraces]

[ Taking my held action now!

She smirks at Gold's comment as she deftly draws her firearm, leveling it to aim as she says: ] I like that. [ And then she lets off three shots at the Magi in rapid succession. (attack 34 for 10 damage; attack 28 for 9 damage; attack nat 20 for 30 damage with penetration). This is her only other option for distraction, sorry guys 8( It felt like it was heading this way anyway. ]

[uncurse]

[ oh fucking great.

the roll of emma's eyes speaks for itself when she hears the gunshots, and she draws her own gun and levels it at the woman who'd been holding the staff; a warning. she's not shooting yet, but she is sending a message. ]

Don't move!

[ she glances sideways toward sindella and the other zataras, alarmed. when she demands an answer, she doesn't really feel the need to clarify that it's demanded of gold. ]

What is she doing? [ it's a hurried question to begin with, but it becomes more dire and she renews her grip on the gun handle. ] What the hell is she doing?!

[ because everything is getting really really bad now and there's no way they're getting out without fighting this army. ]

[undealt]

They need that jewel to keep their protectors under their command. [Gold's still observing even with everything breaking into chaos around him. That's Gold for you. IT'S STILL FASCINATING.] I believe Sindella is giving us a fighting chance.

[And while he notices that Zeechans looks a little distraught about it and what that might mean, he... doesn't really care.]

[generaldavideus]

[David glances between Gold and Sindella for a moment, before raising his sword and glancing at the people around them.]

If she's going to give us a head start, then let's use it.

[besmitten]

[ I GUESS I SHOULD PUT THIS TAG IN HERE since it's pretty important. francesca's bullets fly through the air with unerring precision... but seem to strike the air around the magi and stick there for a moment as the others say and do their pieces, in some weird shimmering sphere that becomes visible only when struck. i'll give them some magical hanging bullet time, aw yeah. but then they... ricochet back outwards, back at francesca. all at the same attack roll.

imsosorry. ]

[unhand]

[Yeah, Hook has no idea what the fuck is going on still but he knows a fight when he sees one coming up so he'll pick up his sword again and look ready to stab when the time comes.]

1/2

[amazingzatara]

[ zatara, meanwhile, waves both hands at the army that looks just on the brink of charging all y'all's faces, and says: ] Raelc a htap! [ like dominos, several of the enchanted soldiers are knocked backwards on either side of an invisible pathway, that keeps extending back through the city... though it's obviously tenuous and very temporary. ]

[besmitten]

[ you'll be mine - the pierces

sindella lets out a sudden cry of pain, her hands moving up to clutch at the sides of her head as if her brain were in a vise. risa's eyes widen, but the woman looks up at her, and says through gritted teeth: "GO. It has... to be... destroyed..."

the magi, hearing this, casts a desperate look around, even as the army leaps charges forward at those on the outskirts. but they have some truly hideous rolls so the ones swinging at emma, david, and hook are easily outmaneuvered.

finally, the magi's eyes land on her staff, and there's a look of pure triumph on her expression, a wild smile flying across her features as she turns that way, but the slightest flick of her expression up the arm of the person holding onto it - charming - causes her entire aspect to change.

the anger in her eyes changes to bewilderment, her mouth dropping open slightly as if she's been entirely taken aback. she holds charming's gaze, and seems unable to look away, as if she were jacob black and he was a really sexy baby.

yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

after that slow-motion moment, she manages to break away long enough to look over the surging army, and horror floods over her. with a sudden burst of passion, she cries out, over sindella's rising screams: ] No!

[uncease]

[Charming doesn't move bc it's not his turn to do so BUT LET THE RECORD SHOW that he is totally oblivious to any of those hearts drawn in the magi's eyes (wisdom 12). Just gonna keep holding this staff and watching shit spiral out of control...]

[socialgraces]

[ This is certainly an unexpected turn of events (wis check 17) but she can't help the relief that floods her, even as she's still reeling from the impact of three bullets. She staggers a bit, taking in the scene, but then turns to Gold, motioning to the opening Zatanna has granted them. She speaks loudly enough for the rest of the group to hear: ] We have to go!

[layonhands]

[ don't have to tell risa twice. she heads that way, keeping one eye out for anyone who gets injured, just in case. ]

[undealt]

[Gold realizes what's happened (wis 15) and it's like there's HOPE IN THE WORLD, because this situation went way more pearshaped than he imagined. Rather than go for the opening, however, he goes for Charming.] Ask her to make them stand down.

[(Diplomacy 25) Look trust him, Charming. He's got this.]

[uncease]

You want me to-? [Oh you make a convincing argument, Gold. Charming looks a little uncertain but turns towards the magi. He's not really going to ask, though...]

Have them stand down. Weapons on the ground. Now.

[besmitten]

[ she seems unable to speak for a moment when he addresses her, but she quickly collects herself and nods absently, commanding: ] Do as he says! Do not harm them. [ she does yank her gaze away long enough to look at sindella hopelessly, even as the army comes to a halt, before addressing charming again, almost pleading. ] It's too late. She's destroying it. They'll kill you. All of you. [ tears spring to her eyes and she takes a few steps forward in charming's direction. ] I can't let them--

[ annnnd we are out of init, TAG AS YOU PLEASE BB'S ]

[uncease]

Then don't. [He cuts her off with a hard look.] Don't let them harm any of us. [He turns to Emma, then glances at the others.]

We need to go. [And he'll start to head in that direction, but once a sheep herder, always a sheep herder, so he's not moving especially fast until the rest of the flock moves.]

[uncurse]

[ wis 18 means that by some miracle, emma actually understands what's happening. in fact, she shoots the staff a look, then exchanges one with gold, as if to ask if that's what caused it. no point in dwelling, though. she's very clear with david before she begins to move. ]

Bring that. [ she points at the staff, because there's concern that once he drops it, the spell might somehow be broken, and then turns to join the others in making their escape. ]