Log:Tranquility Lost, Scene 2

Tranquility Lost 2021/09/24  Artemis Dialydd Engelicus Linda Kid Tengu Magda Timekeeper 2

A warm after-school Friday at the beach has been interrupted by the appearance of a plesiosaur, presumably as a result of the electronics in a box found at the bottom of the bay. While Kid Tengu is still wrestling it beneath the waves, and Artemis is trying to tame it while carrying it up out of the water, Linda, Engelicus and Magda are now turning their attention to another dinosaurian threat, some distance up Sea Breeze Boulevard: a herd of triceratops!

Whether it's all the honking horns, or the annoying gawkers, or the police sirens, or something else it's hard to say, but one of the triceratops is spooked and starts running down Sea Breeze Blvd. And, like good herd animals, the others follow suit, and soon there is a stampede of two dozen, maybe three dozen of the dinosaurs, heading straight for the motorists... 

Sometimes, it seems, prophetic dreams involving extinct megafauna do come true it seems. Dialydd was certain that this particular Dream was just a lower-case dream, but, well, perhaps he should simply accept that Colonial Bay stretches the bounds of casuality more than most places. In any case, it seems like it was a good idea to come down to the beach today even if he hoped it would just be a false alarm. The alien youth watches the triceratops for a moment, trying to figure out if there is a leader to the creatures.

Kid Tengu manages to drag the plesiosaur into the shallow this time - it's not fully beached, but nor can it conveniently swim away.

KT chitters loudly- sounding like a swarm of chicadas as he strains with the effort, his fists remain clenched as he puts all his strength into his tentacles.

Engelicus flies rapidly toward where the Triceratops are, picking up as much speed as possible.

Linda is flying at her full speed but only closes the distance by a fraction. Memory of the Overman incident comes to her mind. Shouting loudly she calls to Magda, "Some of us could do with a lift if we're to get there in time to prevent a disaster."

Artemis continues swimming to the surface.

Artemis keeps petting Plessie as she swims along, maintaining a hold on the creature.

Dialydd gazes at the triceratops herd then tries to implant a dream about the wonderful, delicious and plentiful leafy green stuff back behind them on the beach into the thoughts of the lead tricratops or any single one he can reach for that matter. Not like that noisy smelly non-edible stuff ahead of them. It's so green and leafy back behind them. So much nicer. Then he realizes that they are far out of his range as they are awake. He calls out as he begins to run towards them, "I need to be within 33m to affect them! I can turn the herd!"

"Good on you, Syphon." Griffin says simply with an encouraging nod.

Kid Tengu isn't one to ask for help when he's got things mostly in hand- well an appendage anyway, so he continues his herculean hoisting, and pulling - he even tries to fit a roll or two in there if he can.

Kid Tengu manages with some notable effort, to get Plessie stuck in a rut that still gets some water splashing over it, but not enough for her flippers to dig into anything & get enough purchase to unbeach herself.

Kid Tengu nudges some sand along her tail as his tentacles shorten since they don't need to be wrapped around the great beast any more.

"Having fun, Artemis?" He asks as a frill opens up along his neck to allow for faster transpiration of oxygen.

Engelicus keep his his speed as best he can...his fiery wings flapping as he moves.

Artemis breaches the surface while hanging on to Plessie, completely soaked and chuckling merrily. "Aye! 'Tis a friendly enough beast." Even if it's biting people. "Though mayhaps it plays too firmly for hoomans to enjoy." Just maybe. She's not even out of breath. She looks about. "Where hath everyone gone? I suppose with the danger past, they have departed."

Linda flies a further 50m, looking back to see where Magda is, and being ready to grab hold is a lift appears on the horizon.

Magda, in flight, flips her hands out to flat fins, reconfiguring and expanding her flight characteristics; that done, she rotates them inwards and pushes them forwards, zooming ahead towards Dialydd. "Come along!!" she calls out to him, and should he agree, gathers him into her flight bubble to zoom ahead to acquire first Engelicus, then Linda.

Magda acquires Dialydd, then quickly shuttles back to pick up Artemis and Kid Tengu with an abbreviated explanation of 'Triceratops herd' before zooming ahead to hook Engelicus and Linda on the way to the herd. They are almost in range -- Magda is slowing them down -- when the multi-ton dinosaurs spook.

By the time the heroes reach them, the herd is in a definite formation - the adults round the outside, 18 of them, around 14 juveniles in the middle. They sprawl across Sea Breeze Blvd, blocking traffic both ways. It was a truck driver blowing his horn who finally shifted the herd - moving them eastwards, toward the jammed westbound traffic and the heroes...

Something akin to a chuckle shifts its way through KT's system as his tentacles retract back into his back.

"I'm fairly certain this thing isn't playing about making humans bite-sized snacks." He says to Artemis before looking around, only now noticing everyone else left.

"I was ... kind of busy bringing this fish in... I'm not sure where they went." He says with a shrug while simultaneously sniffing the air for a clue.

He turns in time for Magda to arrive with her abbreviated explaination.

"Triceratops? ARID." He says a bit excitedly, though what teenager that could wrestle time-traveling triceratopcians wouldn't be excited at the prospect.

Kid Tengu grows a pair of wings and bails out of Magda's chariot, attempting to fly down on to the back of one of the triceratops- flying as far ahead as he can, trying to get to the lead one.

Magda calls out, "Golden Girl!! EM device, side street to the right, up just a bit!! Find it and shut it down!"

Engelicus flies down to try to get front of the lead triceratops, in an attempt to get it to halt.

Artemis sees more interesting animals and flies towards them.

Dialydd shouts over all the noise to Magda. "I need to be within 32m, sera Doctor Gutzu! To affect their waking minds!"

Linda activates her x-ray vision, looking for the device Magda informed her about as she flies toward the indicated side street.

"I will do what I can," replies Magda steadily, moving the bubble forward perhaps 10m -- but also clearing people out of the way of the stampede. "We need them moving out of dense areas!!"

"Working on it." KT says, snarling a bit- more due to form than to aggression. In fact, if you look real close- that's a smile on his arthropidic face.

Dialydd gazes down at the triceratops herd from Magda's aerial perch then tries to implant a dream about the wonderful, delicious and plentiful leafy green stuff back behind them on the beach into the thoughts of the lead tricratops. Not like that noisy smelly non-edible stuff ahead of them. It's so green and leafy back behind them, free of predators and quieter. It's a refuge.

Magda doesn't get everyone -- a few people behind cars, big burly folks who resist -- but for the most part, people are whisked out of cars amd off the street, out of the way of the dozens of seven-to-fifteen ton reptiles.

The herd charges straight toward Engelicus and Artemis - until the leader suddenly decides to swerve left down another road! The herd follows their leader - though not entirely without trying to trample the two heroes in passing...

Engelicus get buffeted, but otherwise is fine. "Hrm."

Artemis laughs joyfully as the triceratops try to trample her and don't manage to budge her. She gives one a playful pat. "I hath never seen such a creature from this planet, brother. Everything else hath been so small," she comments to Engelicus.

Kid Tengu continues flying ahead, but grows much more monsterous as he goes. Then as he gets ahead of the pack he landis hard, so he can roll & turn in time to open up his maw and flash his claws at the triceratops, hoping to frighten them down the least dense cause way- even if that's back the way they came.

Luckily, there are no cars on the side street at the moment! There are, however, 5 pedestrians....

The herd seems remarkably unscared by KT.

Artemis flies up and over the herd towards the leader, drawing her sword, but not to slay the beast. She tries to land on the lead triceratops. Maybe she can ride such a beast, or guide it like a mount!

Magda shakes her head at the other heroes' antics and says to Dialydd, "I need to get somewhere you can keep working your power," she says, "so I can keep ahead of them and clear people out of the way. You ready to ride with Artemis??"

Artemis lands upon the triceratops's back and leans forward, grabbing one of its horns to hold onto and possibly steer it if she can get it under control. She's got the biggest smile on her face.

The alien youth blinks, both sets of eyelids flashing, at Magda's words. Then with a slight smile he says, "Certainly, sera."

Linda flies as far as she can further along the main street to reach the junction with the side street. Then, sweeping the heat beams she attempts to disable the device that presumably is holding the portal open.

As Linda fries the box, it bursts into a spray of sparks. Then, above Sea Breeze Blvd, appears the giant-sized hologram of a man. "I am - the Timekeeper!" Today's demonstration has been but a small sample of my power - I, who once stopped the Earth on its axis, I, who nearly wiped out the Atlantic seaboard with a tidal wave. But today I am merciful, and merely remind people of my might. I would strongly urge any cities and countries that do not wish to suffer a dinosaur infestation - or much, much worse, to send large amounts of money into this numbered account." The details appear. "That is all."

The portal collapses.

Engelicus flies over in front of the lead triceratops...and lands, planting his feet on the ground. He woudln't be able to get all the pedestrians out of the way...but pehraps he can stop the dinosaurs from trampling them nonetheless.

Magda nods, taking the turn and moving to get Dialydd on behind Artemis and rescue the people in the way!! "Godflora!!" she calls. "Find us a way to a clear area!!" The Timekeeper's broadcast barely gets a glance -- but that will be enough for her to read and memorize the account information.

Dialydd murmurs as he sets his arms around Artemis. "Apologies, sera Artemis, for touching you. I am in this creatures mind. It runs towards a leafy pasture free of predators."

Dialydd maintains the waking dream in the lead triceratops mind. He continues to show it the leafy verdant field that it is free of predators and the odd sounds and smells around it. He attempt to guide it away from people. The inanimate and unoccupied, not so much.

The lead triceratops heads toward its leafy pasture - which will involve knocking Engelicus out of the way...

"Oh no." Magda quietly says it just as the lead triceratops rumbles over Engelicus.

The herd continues on - at least it doesn't accelerate since its leader had an obstacle to clear. Unfortunately that means Engelicus in in a position to be trampled by a second dinosaur, despite how far he was thrown...

.. but he gets lucky, the beast's feet passing over him.

Kid Tengu isn't so easily disuaded, though he certainly feels a bit miffed that his previous display did little to curb or deter the herd.

He grows thicker and taller, his anthropod features fading into something more reptilian, almost blending a large carnivore's body plan with a psuedo-humanoid form.

His teeth grow and he begins running along side the herd- prepping to push the ouside edge in as he can.

Engelicus gets trampled, but he only ends up bruised from it. He finds his anger rising at this point. Everything about this day has gone poorly.

Kid Tengu is immediately set upon by the herd, which would cause panic in a lesser creature. But KT isn't a lesser creature nor is the alien shifter so easily disuaded, though he certainly feels a bit miffed that his previous display did little to curb or deter the herd.

He also feels the air flowing over him as he's launched into the air by one of the triceratops.

He makes an angry sound, but is otherwise unhurt.

He rolls to his feet dexteriously before growing thicker and taller, his anthropod features fading into something more reptilian, almost blending a large carnivore's body plan with a psuedo-humanoid form.

His teeth grow and he begins running along side the herd- prepping to push the ouside edge in as he can- though he has some catching up to do now.

Linda turns and starts flying back to where the herd is running. Calling out ahead of herself, "I burnt out the device and the portal there shut down. How can I help now?"

Magda calls out, "Herd them like Kid Tengu is doing -- keep the sides from straying, nip at the tails of those in the back!!"

"We need a park, someplace green to take them! Any nearby?" shouts Dialydd as he clings to Artemis as the two of the ride the lead triceratops. "This beast thinks it's headed to one!"

Engelicus rolls to his feet, and unleashes a torrent of soulfire at the lead animal, since it's still right near him, completely heedless of the others around him.

The beast howls with the pain of that, but keeps running...

Artemis sees Engelicus get trampled and comments to Dialydd, "I think thee hath mistakenly made them think Engelicus was fertile grazing lands. Mayhaps we can halt their charge." She attempts to pull back on the horns of the lead triceratops, attempting to pull its head up to make it stop its charge.

The triceratops, bellowing, lowers its head again and accelerates!

Dialydd tries to alter the waking dream so that the verdant leafy field has been reached. It's safe here and a good place to stop. The alien youth bends his will to place this dream into the leader's mind.

"The leader should think it's in a safe place now! Let it be!" shouts Dialydd.

Magda growls a little in her throat. "We need a scout," she calls out to everyone, adjusting her flight to be herself alone and staying ahead of the herd as best she can. "Best route from here to an actual safe place!!" Otherwise, she keeps on the civvie rescue action.