A Rather Quaint Evening

A gentleman whose outline could be seen in the darkness of the alleyway fires a pistol in the darkness. A bullet rushes towards Eli. The bullet hits Eli in the leg. A few of the gentlemen from earlier start to catch up and start trying to beat him unconscious with their clubs.
edited by Lord Gazter on 8/15/2016

&quotAlways with the clubs…&quot Eli takes the shot and even manages to cross several more steps before the pain becomes too much. It seems to have hit a major artery, blood spilling out onto the cobblestone.

Before the thugs can converge, Eli takes aim, tracking the fleeing form of Gazter and takes a shot. It’s a Hail Mary, but it has a chance.

&quotMaster!&quot Ezekiel leaps down from the rooftops, abandoning his pursuit of Gazter. Landing upon one of the thugs, Ezekiel lets loose a gut-shrinking cry as a cloud of some sort of mist fills the alley. The screams of the thugs can be heard by Gazter, unless he suddenly got five miles away.
edited by The Absurd Rogue on 8/15/2016

The sound of the bullet impacting something echos through the alleyway.
edited by Lord Gazter on 8/15/2016

Ezekiel continues to defend his master, taking bullets, clubs and blades as if they were pebbles. By the time the fog clears, Ezekiel is trying to stabilize the wound and all the thugs have been horrifically murderered. A nearby Jack feels horrendously jealous.

“Master, require medical professional.” Ezekiel churns, focusing on the blood flow to the wound.

“Get Gazter… Eglantine and Emblem are close by…” Eli shouts loudly as he applies pressure to the wound, straining a fractured bone. “i want him alive, EZ!”

And like a shadow, the Corpse-Pupeteer of Flowerdene begins its hunt. Gliding across the rooftops, the sound of Gazter’s heavy breathing fresh in its ears. It finds him, but not where it expected.

It seems the trail leads in two directions, but stranger still is the item left behind. A bowler hat with a bullet through it. It appears that the bullet was almost close enough to have killed the wearer.
edited by Lord Gazter on 8/15/2016

There are gleaming yellow eyes behind the dark glasses, on a form small enough to be that of an urchin. Where there’s a fight, sooner or later, there’s an audience.

This time, it’s sooner, and it’s Bertie. The Horrid Imp grins malevolently at the carnage, but goes and fetches his master hastily. Not doing so would have consequences. Everything has its consequences, and even Bertie has to take that into account.

Light footsteps race across the ground, and there is Eglantine, who takes one look at Eli and tears off their own shirtsleeve, using it hastily as an improvised bandage until better supplies can be found.

If the hat was anywhere near Gazter, and EZ would be able to obtain that knowledge from the time spent near him in the salon, he could track that scent through the wax-wind. EZ peels off after his prey, untiring and angry as the seven hells.

“Eglantine… Ffuuuaaahh!” Eli hisses with pain as they apply the bandage. “Gazter set me up. Put a bullet in me. Hell of a shot… Eh… Got the big vessel…”

Gazter wearing a devilish fedora sees Ezekiel and yells to him. “We have to go back and help Eli.”

It probably says something about the kind of life Eglantine leads that there is a bottle of tincture ready and waiting in their pocket at all times. They draw it out and uncork it with their teeth, other hand still holding the impromptu bandage securely on the wound, before holding it out to Eli. “Drink up.” It will help, at least, another bit of time bought for getting medical attention.

They don’t seem to respond to Eli’s words, their face immobile as a porcelain mask, but there is anger in their eyes.

“What was that noise was did someone fire a pistol?” Lord Gazter asks Ezekiel as they rush towards him.

Ezekiel doesn’t break stride, making to pick up Gazter like a rag doll. &quotPray good that Master wants Arrogant One alive, else would peel the flesh from bones. Will come with This One willingly, or else unwillingly and with many shattered bones.&quot

[quote=Eglantine-Fox]It probably says something about the kind of life Eglantine leads that there is a bottle of tincture ready and waiting in their pocket at all times. They draw it out and uncork it with their teeth, other hand still holding the impromptu bandage securely on the wound, before holding it out to Eli. &quotDrink up.&quot It will help, at least, another bit of time bought for getting medical attention.

They don’t seem to respond to Eli’s words, their face immobile as a porcelain mask, but there is anger in their eyes.[/quote]

&quotEglantine… You’ve saved my life yet again… You should get a promotion.&quot Eli applies the tincture with what he can and looks at the carnage all around him. &quotWhat did you find out about him… Ergh! I… Should have warned you that I was meeting him.&quot

Lord Gazter pulls out a blade between himself and Ezekiel. &quotWhat are you talking about?&quot Lord Gazter thinks for a split second. &quotYou think I did this?&quot
edited by Lord Gazter on 8/15/2016

Ezekiel walks into the blade, impaling itself hilt deep. “Play dumb, please. Then can teach to play dead.”

EZ pulls out a pair of shackles. “Sorry. Didn’t come in brass. Try to run, will look very silly when This One catches you. Maintain dignity and maybe keep teeth. Up to you.”

“Plenty. Reports later. Looking after bullet-ridden idiots now,” Eglantine comments, managing a teasing grin, as they echo Ezekiel’s terse style of communication.

Eli laughs and winces as the tincture does turns the agony into an ache. “Hehe, ever thought of a career in acting? Other than every day of your life? Ahhh…”

Lord Gazter kicks Ezekiel’s legs from under him and pulls the sword out of them as they fall. &quotI’m sorry my friend but your not thinking rationally right now.&quot
edited by Lord Gazter on 8/15/2016

It would take about the force of a sledgehammer to knock EZ over. The corpse that it is manifesting was already a sailor the likes of which was bigger than was likely healthy. In death, the corpse has been reinforced with mycellina and deprived of all feelings of pain.

“Not going to ask again.” EZ redoubles his efforts. “Come quietly, or will throw body from rooftops and pretend that Arrogant One was jumper.”

“If truly are innocent, nothing to fear. Except from ME.”

Lord Gazter sighs and sheaths his sword into the cane he always carries, and hands it to Ezekiel.