It's a Beautiful Day in the Nexus, and You are a Horrible Coyote: Part 1

[becarefulwhatyouwish]

Perhaps you're browsing the open market, easing through a crowd of strangers of all shapes and sizes and colors, looking for a shiny new trinket or vital supplies to bring home. Perhaps you're taking a stroll through the park near the Plaza, following the walking path around the pond, enjoying the quiet sounds of nature or carrying a pocketful of bread crumbs for the turtleducks. Perhaps you're just after a cup of coffee and you don't plan to stay, or you're looking for work to keep busy, avoiding some task you really don't want to do. Whatever the case, everyone in the Nexus is here for a reason. For a purpose. Everyone is looking for something, whether it's a physical object, a friend, or maybe simple peace of mind.

Wherever you are, you're not alone.

You won't have seen him before he speaks, nor heard his approach. But there he is, as if he has come from nowhere. Perhaps he has. Coyote's suit is immaculately pressed, a pleasant smile pulling his lips back from his teeth. Wherever you are, so is he, looking to you in greeting.

"Hello, friend!" he says, ears perked forward attentively, his furred hands clasped in front of himself. "A question, if I may. What's the one thing you desire most right at this exact moment?"



[OOC: Please READ BEFORE REPLYING! This is part one of a mod-sanctioned event in which your character will have a wish temporarily granted. However, rather than granting the spirit of the wish as intended, Coyote will twist the wording into something your character finds genuinely distressing a la The Monkey's Paw. Please message me to arrange consequences for your character and (if needed) to set boundaries! While your character will not have fun, participating players absolutely should. For those who want to participate but don't want their character in distress, stay tuned for part two. You're also welcome to tag into threads after Coyote has worked his magic and left, though please ask the target player first.]

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[big_bad_sheriff]

It's impossible to miss the blinding brightness of Magic, its scent curling in his nose, even before it drops on him. The Wolf flinches back, too slow to dodge the blow, expecting searing pain to match the light.

It's like getting smacked in the head with a brick, rattling the thoughts inside his head. It doesn't hurt, not Really. But for a good few moments, the Wolf is not actually certain where he is or what's going on, a burning scent filling his nose as effectively as cigarette smoke.

He snaps blindly, glinting teeth closing on nothing, trying to instinctively strike at the threat that must be right there even as he stumbles. He's getting his bearings back, solid ground underneath his paws, but there is an opening. A chance to follow up on Nike's strike, before the Wolf can round on them again, his anger all the greater for the fight. He shakes his great shaggy head, a growl building in his throat, his ears locking onto those sounds of sparks snapping at air. He takes a step back, his chest heaving, whuffing air in and out. Then in... and in...

[rekindledtitan]

It's an opening, in between Blaze lifting an arm to shield her face from the building Light in Nike's hands. Her faceplate darkens as it tries to compensate for the glare, but she ducks her head yet to avoid the worst of it. Ghost's not here to fix overloaded optics this time. But she does glimpse the column of radiance falling across the wolf's muzzle, before it fades and leaves him stumbling in disorientation.

//Haha! Good work, that's stunned him!// She pounds her armored fists in a crash of sparks. //Let's form up and...// Uh oh. It's only when the Wolf turns, his whole posture shifting up, that she realizes those big ears have locked onto her sound. Time for evasive maneuvers, maybe. Except-

//That's his breath attack! Cover, now!// Before Kaolin has finished the warning, she's charging, sparks flying from the stones behind her. The sound of her boots is lost beneath the gale of the Wolf's drawn-in breath. In front of her the air compresses, hardens into a circular barrier - a weaker shield than it would normally be, but faintly visible. Only for a moment, though. Blaze lunges between the Wolf's front paws, catapulted forward by her Light as she delivers a shoulder charge to the Wolf's gut.

[magnetite_plz]

"Blaze!" Nike's voice pierces the cavernous breeze as the giant wolf inhales. She had been ready to brace, to go for her gun again, anything to keep its attention soundly on her rather than her fireteam leader.

There's no time to swoop down and attempt to shield the Exo.

It won't stop Nike from trying.

[big_bad_sheriff]

The Wolf's lungs aren't quite at capacity just yet, but there's a strong whoof of air that blasts from his maw as Blaze makes contact, forced out by the impact of her shoulder striking him square in the ribs. She doesn't quite lift him off his feet entirely, but he skids backward from her momentum, rear claws digging into the surface beneath him more by sheer accident than deliberate effort. His front paws come up, swatting at nothing as he's pushed back, head jerking forward both from his own inertia and in a conscious, malicious effort to bite whatever he can get his teeth around.

He's off-balance, angry, losing ground. Where's the other? Which threat is more dire? A snarl rips from his fangs, frustrated and blustering, unable to think straight. How many more of these little creatures will show themselves? How many more will attack him? They sting like insects, but even a large enough swarm can down a predator by sheer numbers.

[rekindledtitan]

It's a chaotic moment, Exo and great Wolf alike reeling from the impact. One staggering beneath the unexpected drain of her exertion; the other flailing, snapping furiously at an enemy just out of sight. His paws barely miss her, a wash of air over her helm- it's the dipping, grabbing muzzle that half catches her shoulder, knocks the off-balance Titan out to one side with a scrape of teeth against plasteel.

She's rolling to her feet, trying to scramble up before he snaps again at the sound of her clanking and swearing- but Nike's diving between them, too fast to process as more than a flurry of white robes and flashing wings.

"Nike! What the hell-!" Blaze tries to grab at her in turn, to haul her up and out of the next attack.

Tucked behind a concrete flowerbed, Kaolin rolls his eyes quite emphatically over the fresh clip he's loading. The Golden Gun's not something he'll call on lightly here, but in a moment or two he'll spring out, ready to intervene as needed.

[magnetite_plz]

While Ghost is indisposed Nike cannot allow Blaze to fall. For the first time since they met the demon's wings flare and try to push Blaze away. Knock her aside, get her out of the way and out of the line of fire.

"I Will Not explain to Ghost that we failed to protect you." Steeled. Tight. Nike wishes she could say empty too, but there's emotion lacing her words that feel like poison in her mouth. Burning down her throat and into her chest.

Anger.

"Be gone, beast!" She commands of the wolf. "You will find no prey unshepherded here!" She's ready to open fire again if the wolf lunges but Nike spares no thought toward evasive maneuvers now. Not so long as Blaze is behind her in harm's way.