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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2026 9:05 am
Quote: The Lilypads (16) : You can find them in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and waterways throughout Destiny City. Giant lilypads--some large enough to support the weight of a person--appear overnight. You can try, if you want. It's become a local trend, and pictures are all over social media--of people looking for the largest lilypads, or the smallest ones they can stand on. You'd think the unnatural bubbling around the lilypads would be enough of a sign not to mess with them, but sometimes people need to learn the hard way. Beneath the lilypads lurk strange frog-like creatures that regard nearly everything as prey. The largest of them are roughly the size and shape of a bean bag chair, but they can be as small as a fist. Their broad heads are crowned with lilypads that serve as natural camouflage, allowing them to hide among the floating vegetation until they strike. They move with startling speed and can launch themselves impressive distances with powerful kicks. Long, whip-like tongues lash out to snatch prey, while thick mucus-like saliva can cling to skin, clothing, and even immobilize unfortunate victims. Their skin carries a toxic coating that can cause irritation on contact. The creatures announce themselves with a deep croak that sounds uncannily like a large bell being rung just by your ears. Unfortunately, for anyone that was respecting nature, these strange creatures are aggressive and will also attack without provocation, often attempting to drive even innocent bystanders away from the water's edge. However, if sufficiently threatened, they may retreat into the water. Once submerged, they become impossible to track. Note: If you choose to encounter one of these frog-like creatures, your character will recognize they are not youma. It is impossible to tell if it is a single entity or if there are many. The creature does not seem to understand or care to listen to human words. All toxic and mucus can be washed away, but effects may persist for a few hours after this encounter. The creature cannot be killed and will always evade lethal blows. While it is rare to find multiple large creatures in the same vicinity, smaller creatures often cluster together, or may be found with a larger one. This RP can be used as a battle requirement as long as there are two powered characters involved; you must be interacting with another player’s powered character. This does not count as the one youma battle per stage for growth. This can only be used as a battle requirement once per character, but there is no limitation for how many times a player can use this prompt.
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2026 9:12 am
Tonight, Cheomseongdae was perched on the edge of a building that was overlooking one of the lakes towards the edge of the city, staring down at the insanely large lilypads that had shown up there. Her expression was cold, and suspicious. She had seen way too many strange things pop up in this city at this point, and anything like this caused an immediate assumption that it was Probably Not Good for people. The bubbling around the lilypads were given a serious frown, her eyes narrowing as she watched the water move. It just felt like a bad situation all around, and it definitely needed a closer look. A pity she could tell this wasn't a simple Youma situation. She swore softly under her breath, before putting her hand to the ledge under her feet, using it to swing herself over that edge and onto the ground beside the water. "Time to see what the ******** is going on here..."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2026 9:56 pm
Jörmungandr had not yet quite gotten over the charm of how lively Earth was. Perhaps that wasn't surprising; a thousand years on a dying world did sort of mean that coming to a living one held quite a bit of wonder.
He hadn't thought that he had wonder in him, anymore. Though he wasn't sure what else had him picking up the little star charms where he found them--this time, it was a lovely crimson one that had attracted his eye and that he had tucked into his subspace.
This lovely little pond, though, did indeed hold his attention with a sort of wonder that surprised him.
A greater surprise, though, was the appearance of the Cosmos Squire he had fought that strange chicken with, and she didn't look happy. He stepped forward, closer to her, eyeing the pond with newly intense curiosity.
"Something wrong?" He asked. She seemed tenser than he might expect, for simply observing the water. Perhaps there was something about it that his lack of familiarity with this world kept him from seeing.
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Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2026 8:07 am
Her head tilted towards the Senshi, and despite her displeasure at the situation, she gave him a small smile. "Giant Lilypads don't appear overnight like this in any kind of natural, or normal, situation around here... And strange new things just randomly showing up around this city tends to be a bad sign in my experience." She glanced up at Jormungandr, a slightly bemused expression on her face. "No ********' clue why this city is SO prone to it, but we get a lot of weird s**t that loves to attack, but is not in any way youma. I don't hear about it happening elsewhere but it is what it is." A pause, a glance back at the water, and she gestured at the way the water moved. "Also that movement is not normal. Whatever's down there, I think it's bad news... But I feel like it needs to be dealt with if possible." She moved closer, and swore, loudly, as one of the 'lilypads' launched itself at her, tongue whipping out and knocking her off balance.
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Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2026 8:14 pm
Ah. That sort of thing. It seemed Jörmungandr's instinct had been correct, and it was indeed his lack of familiarity with this world that had led him to miss exactly what was...well, amiss.
"Ah, like our foul-smelling chicken friend. Fascinating. I haven't been here long enough to pick up on the local ecology, but odd magical anomalies weren't exactly unheard of in the past." His tail swished curiously, and he followed Cheomseongdae's movements and the shifts in the water.
"And, yes, they were often dangerous." But at least danger could be handled. Especially danger that was very physical and very.....frog-shaped?
Bizzare, but perhaps appropriate. At least this was what he was built for. There were much worse kinds of anomalies--ones that would not have been so easily solved.
"Voracious Consumption." Quote: Sailor Scout Attack: Voracious Consumption! Jörmungandr speaks the name of his attack, and targets within a ten-foot radius will feel a heavy pressure, as if they are wrapped in the coils of a great serpent; they will then be filled with a sudden voracity, as if something inside them has been scooped out and replaced with a hunger that cannot be filled. This hunger will swell and become all-consuming, until all they can think about is the need to devour, and the weight of the serpent will grow heavier and more claustrophobic, creating a pressure that can result in lasting minor bruises at player discretion. This need lasts for 25 seconds, and Jörmungandr can use this attack three times per battle.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 2:42 am
"Very like!" She managed to gasp out as she worked to regain her balance, her response followed by soft swearing at the nasty clinging mucus. She was grateful it had only hit her clothing, but none the less, it had hit her clothing and it was ON her. The urge to freak out at the nastiness was a bit strong. She did not normally have such issues, but also she remembered a Very Nasty Beast in a cellar, many years ago, that had done serious damage to her on Halloween, and the way it splattered her with a nasty oil liquid that clung... Well, that had been a bad night. "Don't know what these ******** can do but I advise avoiding the tongue, and the mucus! It's clinging and that could bad news..." She tried to move to where she could attack, not wanting to be hit by the tongue again. She was not finding a good angle to come in with her fists, her preferred fighting style, but she managed to kick the ugly thing, striking near it's eye with her heel.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 11:12 pm
Jörmungandr moved to help steady his companion, a brief set of hands on her shoulder to right her balance somewhat.
"That seems...larger than the other creatures of its like I've seen," he observed. Of course, maybe they came in all sorts of sizes normally, but "bigger and angrier than average" seemed to be a trait amongst the mysterious monsters that plagued this city.
At least these didn't smell quite so nasty.
The creature at least seemed unhappy with being attacked, and Jörmungandr moved in to apply his boot to the side of its body, hoping to divert its attention.
Which was an unfortunate choice, because it whipped towards him and lashed out with its tongue, wrapping around his leg and yanking.
"Ah, s**t," he said, as he was pulled off-balance and starting to fall.
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2026 8:26 am
She blinked, a little startled when he helped her balance, but gave him a smile for it. It was quite kind of him to do so, even if she had not expected it. "It's certainly larger than any local amphibian I am aware of, and the false lotus pad on it's head is definitely a dead give away it's not normal to me..." She was moving back again, waiting for another good chance to get in a hit. As always, she regretted the living hell out of the fact that she had no magic for ATTACK, just healing. She liked healing people, but in the middle of battle with no injuries so far, it just felt. Pointless. She had been about to kick again when she saw Jörmungandr starting to fall, and she switched moves as fast as she could, using the swing she had started to move her towards him, and grabbing him, to pull him back towards her... And praying the momentum of his fall away and her swing's momentum were enough to balance the two of them out. Falling into the water seemed like a REALLY bad idea.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 4:53 pm
Jörmungandr was interested in the biology of the creature they were fighting; it was worth noting for his own knowledge about the world. But he was a bit more distracted than he'd like to be, given that he was only fighting some kind of frog monster.
At least he had a good backup partner; he couldn't right himself, but a little assistance sent them falling away from the creature, and the extra oomph let him yank his leg back towards himself, against the sticky, mucousy grip on it.
He felt his ankle wrench, but that was a worthy price for avoiding getting dragged into the pond, and for turning his fall so he didn't land on top of his very helpful battle partner. That certainly would have been rude.
Would be a shame to go down in such a silly way, after a thousand years of survival, he supposed.
He pushed himself to his feet, wincing as he did, and offered her a hand, keeping a wary eye on the water. The creature seemed to be retreating--but it had attacked essentially out of nowhere, so he was not inclined to trust that easily.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:38 am
Cheom did her best to fall with care... As much as she could, given she was also holding her companion for the initial moments of the fall, at least. She DID let go just enough to catch herself a bit. Her training helped make the fall minimally damaging. She oophed as she hit, though, not prepared enough to prevent some loss of wind. She barely kept herself together, hating the way getting the wind knocked out of herself tended to cause a short stun response that she could not prevent. Stunned was a moment of weakness, after all. She was gasping a little, getting her breath back, as he stood. She saw the wince, and noted it for when she was SURE the battle was over, but for the moment... She accepted the hand, her breathing resettling. "If it stays in the water, and does not attack again, I suggest we retreat. I am concerned it's not alone down there, and I do not think we can handle an army of the little ******** between us. Not sure what to do about them past that... I really dislike when these monsters show up and there's nothing I can do beyond beat them back into their hiding holes and hope civs don't get hurt."
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:39 pm
Jörmungandr exhaled, shifting his weight slightly to keep it off the injured ankle. Annoying, but tolerable, he decided. And since he was fighting beside a healer, he would simply have to ask her to tend it once they were out of the way of any further retaliation.
"Agreed," he said. "Best to retreat for the moment. And then, this time, I think I could use a bit of that magic of yours."
He knew he would appreciate it later, when he wasn't limping for several days on an ankle that he, frankly, was not going to give an appropriate amount of rest. He was too restless to sit around.
"We have to do what he can," he said, very somberly. "Sometimes, the battle is too large for us, or we are simply the wrong fighter. But we have driven it underwater for the moment, and we are both still on our feet," for the most part, "and that is a victory, if a small one."
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2026 12:41 pm
"As I am doing fine, just want the mucus off me, that magic is all yours. Can you walk enough on that to get out of here?" A pause, then a glance to the side at him, before refocusing on the water. "If it would be too much, I could probably carry you. I'm stronger than I look, and I'd hate to make it worse, even if I'm going to heal it." Her big sister protective instinct often came out around others who (even if it made no sense because she KNEW he was literally like 40 times older than her) made her feel older. It might never go away... "And agreed, very much agreed. Let's get back and get you healed. It'll help me not think about the possibilities too much."
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