Although the acid slowly burning away at his legs is one thing, Varius did not quite anticipate the fumes. He is almost immediately coughing as his lungs become impossibly irritated. With a groan of misery he cups his hands, quickly gesturing for someone to take a boost to get out of the Beast. However, he is coughing far too hard to provide a stable base.
Ow! OWWWWW!! WHY DO THEY MAKE PEOPLE DO THIS?!
|
==========
==========
Faustinia rattles out a dry cough as the acidic fumes sting her eyes and nose. She manages to wheeze out, ”Calseinica first...get her out…” between coughs. She moves to be a supplementary support for Calseinica to get out.
Unfortunately she steps into a puddle of acid, and while cursing she steps back, of no use to anyone.
---
========
========
Catina slides in first and splashes in the acid. Please let us get out of here alive, she prays as she pretends to be bothered by the acid. As her friends join in one by one and start coughing, she's thankful that Shelyn's spell seems to protect her from the fumes as well.
Seeing how the others are coping with the hostile environment, Catina tries to get some semblance of order. "Right. We have to get Calseinica out first." The tiefling girl stands around for a bit, waving her arms this way and that as she ponders how she would dare lift the young woman up. "Hang in there, Alessandro. I'll heal you in just a moment, after we get her out." And maybe Faustinia as well. Oh Shelyn, please don't let it come down to me having to make a choice between my friends!
--
========
========
Managing to hug the side worked while everyone was getting into this horrible contraption, but as soon as she tried helping hoisting Calseinica out, her bare foot slipped into the burning acid. Gasping in the sudden pain she breathed in the castic fumes, bowling her over in a coughing fit that erupted as wheezing barks.
Somehow, she still managed to grasp the female lead's bottom and pushed her up as well as she could. Please... mother... get her up there! she pleads inside her head.
---
Alessendro helps Calseinica up into the mouth. He scrambles along the sides to avoid the pool of acid but the nauseating fumes distract him and he slides in and receives a painful burn.
"Quickly everyone. We won't survive long in here."
"Trust me I know!" replies Varius between constant coughing.
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
The group’s first priority is to get Calseinica out of the Beast as soon as possible. At first, the starlet resists, trying to show a confident smile in order to strengthen her refusal, but as the acrid fumes of acid start to fill her nostrils, her sight blurs and Calseinica falls into the acid. She seems to be about to pass out, stunned by the fumes and shocked by the acid quickly eating away her flash, but Alessandro pulls her up. Suddenly coming back to herself, her smile slowly fades away from her face as she realizes that she’s in real danger. “I…I’m sorry”, she mumbles in confusion, accepting the help the party gives to her in the climb which will hopefully get her out of the acid belly. Unfortunately, however, Calseinica is no adventurer, and she’s not even much of a climber at that. Despite the help, the woman tiny loses her grip on the hooks that hang from the sides of the throat, and falls down ruinously, letting out a cry of terror as the hooks pierce her smooth, velvety flesh.
Calseinica lands in the acid after the fall. Luckily, she’s still conscious, although heavily injured by both acid burns and hook wounds. Despite her poor condition, Calseinica stubbornly stands up. Her eyes dart from one to another, as the fear of dying during the play suddenly becomes much more real than she had ever expected. She seems like she’s trying to find an answer in your eyes, and she shakes, her mouth barely able to allow her teeth to chatter.
______________________________
Catina looks pained at seeing Calseinica's fear and she shakes her head. Stop being silly. She's in petal and she needs all the help she can hget. However, she realizes that the starlet needs more than just a little leg up at this point. She grab the young woman by the shoulders, hoping she won't mind the touch from her hands with unnaturally long fingers. "Calseinica, I'm sorry that you ended up in this mess with us. But don't dispair. We're going to help you out. Take a deep breath and try again. Alessadro and Varius will boost you up. You can do this."
--
Calseinica hints a smile to Catina, and nods, her eyes semi-closed from the pain. "I see no other way...Please, lift me up and let me try again", she says with a tired voice.
We can do this Petals assures the young woman, trying to think of something to help her, well all of them. Singing and hitting things are her main two skills, and hitting things won't help, so she begins to sing a childhood little ditty all good Chelaxian children grew up on... well at least those in the poorer areas, about a little bird stuck in the mud until finally if gets free to soar in the sky.
Unfortunately the acidic fog causing her throat to feel like gravel, makes the performance one her worst yet, but hopefully the thought is enough to help the others.
===========
===========
Varius desperately tries to help get Calseinca up and out of the acid, although the burning quickly starts to become overwhelming for the young nobleman.
This this, Alessandro manages to get his feet firmly planted against the sides of the stomach to keep himself out of the acid. He lifts Calseinica up into the throat again. "I know this is hard for you Calseinica, but you must do this. Stand on my shoulders. I'll get you up."
|
|
===========
===========
Faustinia slips again, but luckily manages to avoid the worst of the acid. Her hands sting as she helps boost Calseinica up toward the throat, the acid on the young actress burning Faustinia's hands. "It's alright, dear, just try again. We're here for you..." Faustinia says, trying to comfort the girl through gritted teeth.
---
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
Calseinica tries to attempt the climb once again, but her legs shake and she’s not able to protect herself from the acid. You can see her losing consciousness and collapse into the acid. She’s dying…and she’s doing so in a pool of acid.
The crowd roars!
______________________________
"This isn't working!" Alessandro hoists Calseinica up out of the acid and holds her draped over his shoulder to keep her out of harm. "Varius, can you get out and maybe find a hammer to smash this glass? I'll hold Calseinica up for now. I have a reasonable chance of hanging onto the sides."
===========
===========
Petals rushes over to help, reaching for her wand, and cursing inside her mind when she remembers it is with her gear. Nothing but simple undergraments... and acid burns all over her flesh as she stumbles dropping to her knees in the hungry liquid. Her voices cracks but doesn't stop. Even if it isn't helping anyone else, singing is keeping her sane. Pulling herself up she stumbles back to the lip cupping her hands to aid Varius or Faustina, or whoever wants to try next to get out of here.
=========
=========
Coughing violently, Varius nods over to Alessandro before he leaps onto the side of the Beast and scrambles up into the mouth with ease.
"Catina if you can heal, now would be a great time to do that! Actually - if she can be passed up to me that's another option!"
"Yes. Yes, I can," Catina replies to Varius, panic near in the voice as she looks at Calseinica's unconscious form. Holding hands is out of the question. But I've always been told that it wasn't necessary any way. She retrieves the bracelet from beneath her shift and grips it tightly. "Blessed Shelyn, we're hurting and we need your help. It's not for the beauty of this play - it's horrible, but because Calseinica doesn't deserve to die here, and because we're doing this to help Westcrown. Please send your love and treat our wounds." A wave of energy emenates from the tiefling girl's bracelet, very faint. "Please..." she pleads, losing hope momentarily.
--
|
|
==========
==========
Faustinia scowls as the crowd roars for Calseinica’s downfall. "Monsters..." she mutters, before her distraction earns her a face full of acid. She lets out a string of curses and keeps one stinging eye closed as she helps boost Varius into the mouth. Her pain subsides somewhat as Catina's prayer washes over her, but she nervously looks to the unconscious starlet victimized by the acid.
---
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
Calseinica suddenly regains her consciousness thanks to Catina’s wave of healing energy. As sensations creep back in her, the starlet widens her eyes and quite surprisingly, she’s very quick to react, although she had been waiting for Catina to heal her in order to spring into action. Taking advantage of Alessandro’s protection, Calseinica tries to jump out of the Beast’s mouth, but she fails to grab Varius’ hand and once again she falls into the acid, losing her senses as the acid keeps eating her renewed flesh away!
______________________________
======
======
Catina pours her heart and soul into her healing, knuckles white from gripping the pewter bracelet. "It can't end here, for any of us." The wave of energy that she summons still seems weak to her eyes, but she prays that it's enough to give Calseinica another chance.
--
=========
=========
Varius remains at the top of the beast, extending his hand down to anyone who can get out while he continues coughing. He lets out a groan as healing magic washes over him.
"Good, now let's get her out of there!"
=========
Round 4
=========
"This isn't working. We have to try something else. I have an idea but I don't know if you'll like it. We can strip out of our clothes and make a makeshift rope. Toss it up to Varius and use it to climb. Even if it's not very strong it should ease to climb up the shear glass."
Alessandro strips down and works on Calseinica as well, tying the two pairs of clothing together with tight knots.
=========
Round 4
=========
Worth a try Petals pulls off her shift, leaving the poor elf bare to the crowd. While he's trying that, Faustina, climb on my shoulders and we can see if we can get you up to Varius
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
The dangerous situation creates some panic and confusion in the party as each member of it seems to be trying a different solution. The only sure thing is that Varius is out of the Beast. Catina heals her companions, while Petals tries to form a tower, Alessandro suggests a new idea to get the party out of the acid belly and Faustinia needs a little more time in order to decide what’s the best option. In the meantime, thanks to Catina’s healing, Calseinica has regained her consciousness. The starlet’s eyes dart frantically, looking for a solution in the eyes of the other actors, but as soon as he realizes that no one seems to have a clear idea of how to get out of that acid hell, the actress decide to try and climb her way out of the Beast on her own, but again, she fails and falls in the acid...and she's dying again!
______________________________
Despair and desperation, Petals falls back on helping Faustina climb out of the bottle.
========
========
Catina tries a slightly different approach, still clutching her pewter bracelet. She relaxes her hold slightly. Beauty and love shouldn't be forced, they just are. Another wave of healing energy emanates outward from her. She makes a forced gasp of relief as she notes the intensity of it. I did it! She draws a flask from her belt and holds it out for Calseinica while supporting the young woman. "Hold faith, Calseinica. We're going to get you out of here, but you have to give us some time to help you. Here, take this and drink it. When you feel strong enough, we'll support you to get you out of here."
--
|
|
==========
==========
Faustinia is frozen with fear, even as Catina’s healing energy sweeps over the party.
==========
==========
She manages to clear her head after a moment, though, and looks to Petals, Alessandro, and Varius as they offer help to get to freedom. ”Keep her alive,” she says to Catina. ”I’m no help in here, and I have to try to climb out before these old bones melt.” She nods at Petals, trying to steel her nerves even as more acid eats at their flesh, and reaches up to grasp Varius’s hand.
---
========
========
Varius plants his feet on either side of the mouth and reaches down as far as he can to offer a hand to Faustinia.
========
Round 5
========
Alessandro helps Faustina up. "Varius, once you're out, if a hammer doesn't work, maybe there's rope backstage you can toss up? These clothes won't do."
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
Things keep not going well for the party, as Faustinia fails to get out of the beast. The crowd seems entushiast, as well as Thesing, whose smirk while he looks at you with a pervert smile is unnerving. In the meantime, Calseinica waits for her turn and imbibes the potion given by Catina.
______________________________
========
========
"Very well, Calseinica," Catina tries to encourage the starlet. "You can do this, we'll all help you. Blessing of Shelyn, so that you may get out of here and shine on stage, for many years to come."
--
Petals includes her encouragement with Catina's, then provides a hand hold for Calseinica to climb better. Up you go.
|
|
==========
==========
Faustinia slides back down, stinging and coughing as she fails to scrabble up the throat of “The Beast.” Cursing, she prepares instead to help the newly healed Calseinica up instead. ”You can do this, girl. We won’t give up on you,” she says, trying to encourage the young actress despite the horrendous trial.
---
========
========
Varius continues to hold his hand down to Calseinica, desperately trying to get the actress out of beast.
========
Round 6
========
"One more time. It's now or never. You're chances aren't going to get any better than this."
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
Calseinica tries to climb her way out of the Beast’s belly once again, but this time she succeeds, thanks to the aid of the party. In order to allow Calseinica to get out of the Beast, anyway, Varius must also drop to the ground, and as a result he won’t be able to help his friends anymore.
______________________________
|
|
==========
==========
Faustinia sighs with relief as Calseinica manages to clamber out, but grits her teeth as she fails to avoid another splash of acid. “My turn next?” she asks, trying to control the hint of encroaching desperation in her voice. “Here, boost me up - old Dentris can’t handle much more of this.” She reaches up to try to scale the Beast’s throat. Just as she feels like she’s about to slip, she finds purchase in an unexpected foothold. Casting a quick glance at Catina before flicking her eyes back to her goal of the mouth, she thinks, Well, at least one of the gods is looking out for us.
---
===========
===========
As he hoists Calseinica up, Varius falls backwards, landing with a loud wham! back-first on the ground, minimizing the damage. There's a pregnant pause as he lets out a low oohhhhhhhh to some titters from the audience before he springs to his feet.
He looks around wildly, realizing that the audience is now staring at him.
"Uh... the Beast's foul belly doth hold my friends, I'll help them still lest they meet their... ends?"
He then ducks off stage to start rummaging around for something to either smash through the glass contraption, or perhaps a chain he can feed down the mouth. The fact that certain subspecies of squirrels have better attention spans than Varius does not help him much.
========
========
"Blessed be the Rose Eternal," Catina utters without thinking, pure relief at seeing that Calseinica has finally made it out. However, she doesn't have long to celebrate that victory. "Yes, Faustinia. You're next." She looks at Alessandro and Petals to lift Faustinia the fist and, using her time to provide moral support. "You're going to be fine, Faustinia. You're a lot tougher than Calseinica, as you've already shown. With just a little help, you're sure to make up."
--
========
Round 7
========
Petals sighs deeply in relief as the starlet gets up and out. She holds her hands out for Faustinia but loses her balance and slides into the acid again, cursing loudly. Looking up she sees Faustinia climbing like a monkey, and is very happy she wasn't needed in that. I'm next then. she says. With acid burns up and down her poor legs and arms, she wonders if she will have as good as luck. If Faustinia can do it...
========
Round 7
========
Seeing Faustina climb up, he doesn't need to help. Luckily for him, his luck continues to hold and he keeps himself out of the acid. His legs wobble from the strain of pressing against the slick walls. It's only a matter of time before they give out.
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
Faustinia successfully climbs her way out of the Beast. The crowd roars his disapproval, but keeps hoping that at least one of the actor will die. Someone even shouts something like “Come on, someone must die!”
In the meantime, Varius looks around for anything useful to smash the Beast’s belly, but as it turns out, the crew made a good job in clearing up the stage from anything potentially useful to that end.
______________________________
========
Round 8
========
I can do this Petals says quietly, more to give herself confidence than for anything else. She waits til Catina can infuse her with their goddess's magic, then scampers up. On the way up she slipped, knowing she was about to get gauged by the blades and dipped once again in the terrible acid, but her hand reflexively grabs a hold, and she knows it was Shelyn.
Even though her attention was brought on by another, she still whispers her thanks as she reaches the top.
=======
=======
The shout from the audience makes Catina's hair stand on end, muffled as the sounds it by the thick glass of the Beast. She glares into the audience, but then berates herself for getting distracted. She looks at the elven woman and her look softens, despite coughing from the acrid vapors. "Yes, you can," Catina agrees with Petals as she lightly touches the woman on her forearm. "Thank you for your song, to lift our spirits in such dark a time." She then watches her climb out, flinching when it seems that she's not going to make it and sighing heavily when she eventually does.
She then turns to Alessandro. "That leaves just the two of us," she states thinly as she looks up into the neck of the beast. Without others to focus on, she's suddenly a lot less brave. "Alessandro... I thought you should go before me, since I'm protected from the acid. But... I'm scared to climb up there. Going last, I mean. Without anyone to push me up..." She can't bring herself to ask directly, but her meaning is clear enough.
--
|
|
==========
==========
Faustinia braces herself at the mouth, glancing down at the waiting ground below with some trepidation before turning her attention back to The Beast. She reaches a hand down to help the next Iris climb out. ”Let's get you out of there, Tybain! The end is in sight!”
As the young elf scrambles up, Faustinia makes room for her, dropping to the ground below. The floor rushes up to meet her as she falls, and she lands hard on her feet before falling off balance and bracing herself painfully with her hands. She winces but stands up and brushes the dirt and blood off on her acid-eaten clothes. With her own safety relatively secure (for now), Faustinia scowls and shouts back at the bloodthirsty heckler in the audience while trying to remain in character, ”Impertinent whelp! Perhaps you'd like to volunteer for The Beast's dessert?”
---
==========
Round 8
==========
Alessandro does the gentlemanly thing to do and helps Catina past so she can go up into the mouth next.
"After you. But you better not leave me in here either, m'lady."
⁞⁞⁞⁞ ⁞⁞⁞⁞
Petals also manages to get out of the beast, replacing Lady Faustinia in the mouth. Now only Catina and Alessandro are still inside the acid belly.
______________________________