Dream 003
Warning: [Mushy stuff. And cannibal demon lesbians.]
Effects: [None!]
She knows that something is off when she isn't attacked. There's no teeth at her throat, no hungry gazes from the rooftops or the alleys; just the steady rainfall from the sky, and the red lights of Manipura.
The puddles gathering on the street reflect the pink and red gaslights dotting the buildings, and the rainfall causes them to shatter into a burst of flickering sparks, when there isn't an odd booted foot splashing through them. The Maribel are all around her, moving between the buildings, checking their weapons, but none of them even glance up to look at her; she seems to be invisible to them…Or just another part of the scenery, hardly out of the ordinary.
Her skin is turning surprisingly cold as she watches them, and in a moment Argilla realizes that she doesn't have half the uniform she used to. Her skirt is gone when she looks down; the only covering she has on her legs now are those odd…Battle…fishnets that the Maribel Tribe favors. There's no sign of the Embryon's orange, either. It's when her eyes fix on a splash of red covering her arm that Argilla's mind goes startlingly blank.
"Leader is asking for you." A voice cuts in before confusion has time to settle in too deeply, and Argilla turns to see one of the Maribel waving for her to follow.
Manipura flies by in a blur of red tinted concrete when she takes the first step after him. As they move, the Maribel melts away in a blur of wet red paint that seeps into the walls and ceiling that have suddenly sprung up around them. Argilla doesn't remember opening any doors, but she's still inside one of the buildings.
Jinana is waiting for her, standing under one of the skylights set into the ceiling in a large, spacious room. There's knives mounted on the walls instead of guns, and all of them show signs of wear and use; the Leader's own collection. Jinana isn't handling any of them now, her hands busy with a machine set up on the table. She still glances up when Argilla steps through the doorway.
The Maribel commander gives her a nod, and a glance that tells Argilla to step in closer.
"You asked for me?" Argilla finds herself speaking, closing the distance. There's an odd feeling coiling in her chest as she says that; something pleasantly warm, but tinged with caution and respect as well. It's always been the same whenever the Leader has asked for her. (There's a moment where Argilla wonders why she's always known this, and experienced it before, but the thought sputters out when Jinana speaks.)
"The band of Rookies on our northern border are becoming more bold." Jinana begins without any hesitation, and her hands go to the machine. The Maribel commander does something to the dials, and the red of the room becomes muted as a green-gray glow pulses out of the machine, slowly forming into a familiar map of the Junkyard.
"They continue trying to bleed us out in combination with the Solids. I will not tolerate this encroachment any further." Manipura pulses red in the map, and a black dot to the north also flares up in response.
"I want you to eliminate this problem, and gain several new recruits for the Maribel." The black turns to red as she speaks, and Argilla finds herself already memorizing the coordinates, without even thinking about it. "You are familiar with that area, correct?"
"I…" Argilla starts to say that no, she doesn't; she knows the border between Muladhara and Svadisthana the best. That she's only ever fought the Maribel on the other side of the bullet. That this is all wrong and mixed up-
But then something shifts into place in her mind, and Argilla suddenly knows, with a strange, sharp certainty, that she is familiar with that area. She's fought with the Solids several times on that ground before, and can distantly remember the best ruins that offer sniping places.
"…I know the northern wasteland. It isn't hard to find a good spot for shooting, and pick off the Rookies leader." Argilla touches the rifle slung over her shoulder as she says that. As the best shot in the Tribe, she knows that she'll be able to solve the problem with just a few bullets, and a handful of soldiers to help round up the remaining Rookies. Jinana gives a nod in response, before turning back to the machine.
"It will not be long before they try again. I will have Bat look after our southern border during the skirmish, and I will personally keep an eye on the Solids." The map dims as she says that, and in a moment the room has a red tint to it again.
"Ready yourself for the next attack." Jinana holds out a clip of ammunition for Argilla to take, and the sniper can see the familiar glint of hollow point rounds placed inside it. Their fingers brush together when she takes it, and for a moment Argilla can't feel any coldness in her skin; that sense of warmth is back, and Jinana doesn't seem to mind that her hand lingers for a moment before she takes the bullets.
Argilla begins to turn around, when she suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder.
"Be careful." Jinana's voice is low in her ear, and somehow, that doesn't sound like an order as much as a request. Argilla keeps from shaking when that hand moves up to comb through her hair, and she's able to nod.
"I will."
--
Argilla rolls over, not quite waking up when the dream fades away. The red recording light on the Dreamberry doesn't even register in her mind, except as maybe a bit of left over color from Manipura.
Effects: [None!]
She knows that something is off when she isn't attacked. There's no teeth at her throat, no hungry gazes from the rooftops or the alleys; just the steady rainfall from the sky, and the red lights of Manipura.
The puddles gathering on the street reflect the pink and red gaslights dotting the buildings, and the rainfall causes them to shatter into a burst of flickering sparks, when there isn't an odd booted foot splashing through them. The Maribel are all around her, moving between the buildings, checking their weapons, but none of them even glance up to look at her; she seems to be invisible to them…Or just another part of the scenery, hardly out of the ordinary.
Her skin is turning surprisingly cold as she watches them, and in a moment Argilla realizes that she doesn't have half the uniform she used to. Her skirt is gone when she looks down; the only covering she has on her legs now are those odd…Battle…fishnets that the Maribel Tribe favors. There's no sign of the Embryon's orange, either. It's when her eyes fix on a splash of red covering her arm that Argilla's mind goes startlingly blank.
"Leader is asking for you." A voice cuts in before confusion has time to settle in too deeply, and Argilla turns to see one of the Maribel waving for her to follow.
Manipura flies by in a blur of red tinted concrete when she takes the first step after him. As they move, the Maribel melts away in a blur of wet red paint that seeps into the walls and ceiling that have suddenly sprung up around them. Argilla doesn't remember opening any doors, but she's still inside one of the buildings.
Jinana is waiting for her, standing under one of the skylights set into the ceiling in a large, spacious room. There's knives mounted on the walls instead of guns, and all of them show signs of wear and use; the Leader's own collection. Jinana isn't handling any of them now, her hands busy with a machine set up on the table. She still glances up when Argilla steps through the doorway.
The Maribel commander gives her a nod, and a glance that tells Argilla to step in closer.
"You asked for me?" Argilla finds herself speaking, closing the distance. There's an odd feeling coiling in her chest as she says that; something pleasantly warm, but tinged with caution and respect as well. It's always been the same whenever the Leader has asked for her. (There's a moment where Argilla wonders why she's always known this, and experienced it before, but the thought sputters out when Jinana speaks.)
"The band of Rookies on our northern border are becoming more bold." Jinana begins without any hesitation, and her hands go to the machine. The Maribel commander does something to the dials, and the red of the room becomes muted as a green-gray glow pulses out of the machine, slowly forming into a familiar map of the Junkyard.
"They continue trying to bleed us out in combination with the Solids. I will not tolerate this encroachment any further." Manipura pulses red in the map, and a black dot to the north also flares up in response.
"I want you to eliminate this problem, and gain several new recruits for the Maribel." The black turns to red as she speaks, and Argilla finds herself already memorizing the coordinates, without even thinking about it. "You are familiar with that area, correct?"
"I…" Argilla starts to say that no, she doesn't; she knows the border between Muladhara and Svadisthana the best. That she's only ever fought the Maribel on the other side of the bullet. That this is all wrong and mixed up-
But then something shifts into place in her mind, and Argilla suddenly knows, with a strange, sharp certainty, that she is familiar with that area. She's fought with the Solids several times on that ground before, and can distantly remember the best ruins that offer sniping places.
"…I know the northern wasteland. It isn't hard to find a good spot for shooting, and pick off the Rookies leader." Argilla touches the rifle slung over her shoulder as she says that. As the best shot in the Tribe, she knows that she'll be able to solve the problem with just a few bullets, and a handful of soldiers to help round up the remaining Rookies. Jinana gives a nod in response, before turning back to the machine.
"It will not be long before they try again. I will have Bat look after our southern border during the skirmish, and I will personally keep an eye on the Solids." The map dims as she says that, and in a moment the room has a red tint to it again.
"Ready yourself for the next attack." Jinana holds out a clip of ammunition for Argilla to take, and the sniper can see the familiar glint of hollow point rounds placed inside it. Their fingers brush together when she takes it, and for a moment Argilla can't feel any coldness in her skin; that sense of warmth is back, and Jinana doesn't seem to mind that her hand lingers for a moment before she takes the bullets.
Argilla begins to turn around, when she suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder.
"Be careful." Jinana's voice is low in her ear, and somehow, that doesn't sound like an order as much as a request. Argilla keeps from shaking when that hand moves up to comb through her hair, and she's able to nod.
"I will."
--
Argilla rolls over, not quite waking up when the dream fades away. The red recording light on the Dreamberry doesn't even register in her mind, except as maybe a bit of left over color from Manipura.