Night 55: Recreational Field
[from here]The field stretched out, wide and empty. Moonlight, even through clouds, made it bright enough that navigation would have been simple, if it weren't for all the snow. It was coming down heavily now; she could barely make out the walls on the other side
( Read more... )
Even with three layers, Asuka was not prepared for the cold. Once she opened that doors to the recreational field, her smug grin was slapped off her face by a gust of wind and an eye-full of snowflakes.
"Wonderful..." the little girl bit out against the collar of her coat. She could be back in the warm institute, taking her time as she tried to match up keys with an unknown door. But no, Okita saw fit to shove her outside. But no one would ever hear her complain publicly. She would act like the perfect little team player until a better opportunity made itself known. Like one of these teleporting rings. Someone the redhead knew had to be in possession of one. They would soon be found out, and Asuka would reap the benefits.
Until then, she'd play nice with Taura. Since the two of them were the only ones crazy enough to come out in this weather, the older woman wasn't hard to find. Though, it was disappointing not being the first one on the field.
"Well, thank God our enemies won't see us coming in all this white."
Reply
A beat passed before he stepped forward from the shadows, allowing the moonlight to illuminate his dark form before narrowing crimson eyes at the pair entering his territory. This wasn't a move made from hesitation but calculation; if there was one thing at which the monster slowly approaching them could call himself efficient, it was the ability to intimidate.
Of course, Naraku was better at many, many other things as well.
He stopped not far from the ladies, a smirk playing upon his lips as he held up his right arm, allowing it to take its time transforming. The fingers gathered together and become one, the porcelain skin turning a disgusting gray as the palm and wrist broadened, thickened, and the appendage grew in length.
His amusement was palpable. "Good. That probably means you're intelligent enough to run." After all, it was the reaction he expected - and hoped for.
Reply
"Good suggestion," Taura barked, and started running for the north wall. It would give her a chance to see what Asuka's reflexes were; the odds that they'd get very far even if she could match Taura stride for stride seemed low.
After all, running was what he wanted them to do. She knew the type. Cocksure and confident that he could let them move without losing the advantage. It still couldn't hurt to get closer to the wall. Unless he'd set up a trap, but there was no evidence of one visible through the whirling snow. She'd keep her eyes open, but she judged he was baiting them for sport, not as a tactical maneuver.
He'd regret that, if he knew what was good for him. Meanwhile, she was sprinting for the wall on a line that would take her no nearer to him than necessary.
Reply
Asuka sighed in obvious frustration when someone came out from hiding behind her, talking like he was a friend. It was not a good idea to turn. If she stayed facing away, she wouldn't succumb to terror or hesitation, unlike last night, but curiosity got the better of her. If she was going to run for her life, the redhead wanted to know it was worth her pride. She was not going to high-tail it because of a talking catWhat she faced, though, was not what the second child expected. He didn't seem all that threatening, but that smirk told them both how sure he was of winning this. Asuka assumed Taura would just break him, but well, she was heading the other way at break-neck speed ( ... )
Reply
The first one, who seemed to be the leader of the other one, was quick; it thrilled him, to have found such an opponent in this unlikely place. He would have such fun with these two.
The first female had already made it too far away, but the redhead was still within reach. Aiming carefully at her right ankle, he quickly extended his tentacle; it shot forward with unmatched speed, almost certain to make its mark.
As for the other... Naraku's eyes narrowed again as he pooled all of his concentration. A good-sized rock, about a foot in diameter, came flying over the wall from the forest beyond, aimed directly at the quicker woman.
Reply
Instinct, and more importantly, training took over. The footing was good; if this was a trap, it wasn't on the ground. She dropped into a push-up position, gritting her teeth and holding back a hiss at how cold the snow was; enough had stuck that she had a face full of it.
She didn't see the rock until it had passed over her. Not a train, this time, or even a large rock, but at that speed an unlucky hit could be fatal.
Something else was moving straight for Asuka, too fast for her to make it there in time. A warning wouldn't do much good. Damn! She'd just have to hope Asuka had more than wit to throw at the man. Meanwhile, Taura stayed down, on the off chance he wouldn't have noticed the rock didn't hit its mark.
Reply
She turned over and screamed again at the sight of a tentacle--a tentacle!--wrapped around her. If this wasn't so terrifying, she would have slapped this guy for being so cliche. For now, she'd have to make do with a baseball bat and a radio that was tossed somewhere she couldn't reach. Pulling her trapped leg as best she could closer to her body, Asuka began beating the offending appendage with all her strength, which wasn't all that much. All she could do was hope it was enough to at least distract this monster so Taura could attempt a rescue.
Please let Taura be the rescuing type! Because Asuka knew she would have probably left the poor bastard to meet his or her fate.
Reply
Reply
She unholstered and threw Cissnei's throwing disk in one fluid motion, aiming for the midpoint of the tentacle holding Asuka. It flashed as it spun, wicked points gleaming with melted snow and a perfect polish. Asuka was a couple of feet off the ground; nothing too bad, and the ground was softer than it had been last night. Colder and wetter, but softer.
Now would be the perfect time to pull out the claw she hadn't brought along, but she didn't have time for self-recrimination.
He was coming for her. Let him. She grinned, her yellow eyes alight with excitement. She stood her ground, pulling herself up to her full height. Sometimes that was all it took, though she was sure it wouldn't be enough here. Every little -- and not-so-little bit helped.
Reply
Not that she would let the enemy. The second child kept her mouth shut, when she wasn't throwing every curse word she knew at the monster. "Put me down, you asshole!"
Reply
A loud sharp cry, and Naraku's appendage snapped back to its original length, a bloody stump instead of a hand. Those widened eyes narrowed, and he aimed his anguished glare right at that bitch. How dare she think herself capable to take him on.
Gripping his wrist firmly with his other hand, the demon's snarl morphed into a sickly amused grin as his hand started to regrow before their very eyes. First it was as though the skin from his wrist grew over the blood-covered end of his arm, bubbling up after mere seconds to loop together and harden, separating at long last into long, thin fingers.
He also straightened to his full height - adding a couple inches, of course, just to keep things even.
After all, Naraku was a ( ... )
Reply
She couldn't help but stare a little at the regrowth; that was an ability she'd, well, give her right hand for. Temporarily, at least. It didn't look comfortable, but it didn't need to be. Then he pulled himself up a few inches, and she almost laughed in his face. Psychological warfare, was it? She'd played that game intentionally or unintentionally since she was tall enough to tower over her captors ( ... )
Reply
She was perceived as worthless. That stung more than the new lump on the back of her head and the panicked feeling of breathlessness that seized her lungs.
If I had my Unit 02!
And that was the problem. She was a force to be reckoned with, but not alone. On her own, Asuka was a little girl with few skills beyond basic survival and self-defense. What could you do against soldiers with guns or a monster who can shape shift into an indecent tentacle? It wasn't fair! If she had better training from NERV--If Okita had given her something a bit better than her bat--!
Once she was breathing normally again, the second child tentatively lifted her head with a groan. Like hell she was going to give up now! If there was one thing she excelled at (to the point of idiocy) was spite. Fuck being worthless. A chance to run? Fuck that to!
Her bat was still clutched in her hand despite the attack. It was her only lifeline, and Asuka was not letting it go. Anyone wanted it, they'd have to pry it from her dead fingers. Or she'd recommend ( ... )
Reply
Reply
She blinked rapidly and swallowed hard, relying on her ears to see if he was going to attack again, but the only thing that came out of the chaos raging in front of her was a low chuckle and a final taunt. At least she expected it was a taunt; he couldn't know that human was precisely what they both were, and that what he might have intended as an insult was a compliment Taura had once gone a lifetime without hearing ( ... )
Reply
Leave a comment