Rain rain go away

[soul_mods]

Characters: OPEN to everyone still in Death City
Location: Death City
Rating:PG-13-R for frog violence
Time: Morning of the mission; 7 am
Description: It's raining frogs

Comments

[INSIDE CASUALTY COMMUNAL]

[soul_mods]

13th floor

[popupshadow]

Kamui was peacefully eating breakfast when two frogs burst into his apartment windows with rather pointy teeth.

Staring, his first thought was, that can't be right.

When one of them snarled and lunged for him, and he accidentally tipped his cereal bowl (come on) dodging, that's when he realized that no, things really are not okay.

"Shit --!"

[jumpingbird]

Altair had been resting against a living room wall, maybe a bit relaxed for once. Even had a pillow or two next to him.

Now, he was cutting through some kind of-- monstrous thing with a knife that was really far too dull. At least it still worked. The clatter of a bowl didn't escape his (somewhat off-kilter, not very) attention. Caught it, actually; so he snapped the thing sagging on his knife off and moved on to the kitchen.

Excuse him, Kamui, but a quick assessment shows that, no, you aren't suited for this, so please be shoved and remain in the corner. More- what in the world were these things?

[popupshadow]

"Altair," Kamui said, his voice calm now that he's minutely processed what was going on in his apartment. An attack of man-eating vicious frogs. He really shouldn't be surprised with this world anymore. Lord knows what will happen if he was bitten -- actually, let's not think on that.

When the other monstrous thing lunged at him, Kamui picked a chair up and brought it down on the frog's head, where it hopped a little sullenly on the side, snarling. "We need to get out of here. How good are you with swords? Western ones, if that sort of detail is important."

[jumpingbird]

A sword? Was he really going to begin his riddles when they were in the middle of this? Something smaller was crawling through a crack on the left window-- he stabbed it as quick as he could. And then stumbled back in the ensuring smoke, arm over his face.

Well, don't say his pride wasn't present in all situations.

"One of the best. Why ask now?"

[popupshadow]

"Ah, good. That is convenient. I suppose even the smallest things -- " he dodged another attack from a mostly-recovered frog -- and there were more coming -- "-- pay off in the end. Take my hand."

And Kamui, for once, utterly humiliated that he is to be used again, closes his eyes and extends a hand. It was for survival. He will regain his shame when they're done all the fighting and he can say that he lived through the frogs. Somewhere in the distance another window was broken; possibly his room. Or the bathroom. "Hurry. There are more coming."

[jumpingbird]

The man always had been off, but this was borderline insanity. The calm voice, too-- Altair grit his teeth, was about to snarl how this wasn't the time, and if they would stay in one place, they would be fine. He wouldn't lose to... frogs. Yes, frogs, that's what they were- he wouldn't lose to them.

Still, even more? And if he had to connect dots, the talk of Weapons and questions over swords.

Definite unhappy expression, but that might've been because of the curling smoke. Also because he was doing exactly as told, grabbing Kamui's hand.

[popupshadow]

Inhale, exhale -- and then Kamui let everything go, taking the form of the shinken in Altair's hand.

He was quiet, for a few minutes, wondering if he likes being a sword or not, then decides to ponder about that later on. "You'll have to bear the weight," he said. "or any other discomfort that comes from wielding me. For a guy with not much substance, it impresses me on the effort needed to lift me up." Or perhaps that is why. Kamui's not about to question resonance now.

"Kill them."

[jumpingbird]

He almost dropped it. The only reason he didn't was the snarling mass of green and fangs hurling itself toward them; with a sword in hand for the first time in months, Altair acted on instinct.

And promptly felt like a true novice, since it took two hands to even lift the weapon properly. And that was because- because--

Because of something he'd think in depth on later. At least with this, he knew for sure that he was a Meister. And it was true - the frogs were startlingly easy to cut, with this new blade (impractical and unbalanced as it was). If only the things weren't frogs, if only the blade was balanced, and he might've felt even more peaceful in the combat than he had before the attack.

"Did witches send these?" Asking a blade a question was odd (expecting Kamui to answer perfectly was odder), but so were the assailants. Was it worth it to defend the apartment?

[popupshadow]

"... I'd say yes," Kamui replied. He was fully intent on just keeping quiet and watching, but well, Altair wanted to talk. "It's too much of a coincidence, isn't it? An attack on the city while its guardians are away, and not just on any area, but concentrated on the apartments and god knows where ... "

He was quiet for a minute, and then: "How are you holding up?"

[jumpingbird]

Did he want to talk? Not really. Ask a practical question, next, instead of something rhetorical and without an answer. It didn't take any thought to fight, after all, even if he knew the sword was going to wear on him.

"Fine." How was it like, to be a sword...? -- That was too strange of a question. Even considering the circumstances. "Do you have any boards?"

[popupshadow]

Kamui smiled -- or as much as a sword can smile, anyway. "No," he replied. "However, if you think I'm sharp enough, you may use the table. Maybe that will be enough."

Or not. He's hearing a lot of croaks from places around the apartment where there shouldn't be any, and he's not pleased. "I wonder if this is all another sleight of hand," he muses. "If it is, it's working well."

[jumpingbird]

His fingers were going to hurt, being clenched so tightly, but it was required with the heavy sweep of the blade. He... could tell Kamui smiling, somehow, and that was- uncomfortable. Frown, nonetheless, and a move toward the table--

And then he picked up on the extra sounds, as well. Stilled, for a moment, before forgetting about it all and heading toward the balcony. He had to kick two large frogs off the railing, and one caught his calf in a painful grip, but more were still falling, so it was a good thing he only needed a moment to hoist himself onto the rail and balance, overlooking the odd sight of a frog-infested city for just a second. Then a tense up, ready to move...

[popupshadow]

"Be careful," Kamui said quietly. "Whatever it is they spew out into the air when they die is probably dangerous in some way or another."

Though he also hopes that Altair won't fall from where they were because damn, thirteen floors up is a lot of floors. Weapon or not he'd rather not try his resistance to pain.

[jumpingbird]

A 'hm,' because all of his concentration was put to finding a place he could safely land, or at least use as a buffer. A tighter grip on the sword, and then he was jumping just like he would in Jerusalem.

Straight to a clothesline on one of the neighboring roofs. It cut into his fingers horribly, but nothing too bad; it snapped, which was a bit worse. Balancing with what felt like a ton attached to his sword arm was awkward, too- had him even wobbling, as he hit a balcony platform hard, knees buckling momentarily. Still, at least he could straighten up. Turn around, look...

"They're swarming." Maybe shock was what was making him so talkative. But some of the frogs looked like they were finding his trick rather fun and wanting to replicate it, so they didn't have long to stare.

[popupshadow]

There was a bit of a funny feeling in his stomach the moment they jumped from rooftop to rooftop and landed a little badly on the side. So this is what Nataku's learning, as well! Kamui laughed. 'Child', indeed. But what else is new? He won't be able to do the same things that he was used to back in Tokyo, so wouldn't that make two of them? And really, if you view his 'existence' as a 'birth' (haha, birth, that ugly word), then he's only about a few weeks old. The irony of things.

He turns his attention to the enemies before them -- and really, it's easier to get distracted considering that he's not the one fighting, for once -- and replies: "Meisters usually have secondary abilities, from what I remember. See if you can find yours. Perhaps it could be helpful." Though with the two of them not resonating properly, Kamui wonders just how effective it might be, if Altair does figure out what it is. Or if he'll find it, even.