ℵ 24 ℵ
I FIGURED IT OUT!
The slots are for materia! You put materia in them and I HAD SOME all along!
I just didn't realize it because lol Tree but whatever, there was that crazy memory explosion or something last week and I remembered how they feel. It's like they're alive in your hand and you can feel what they're supposed do, like a reflection or a ( Read more... )
The slots are for materia! You put materia in them and I HAD SOME all along!
I just didn't realize it because lol Tree but whatever, there was that crazy memory explosion or something last week and I remembered how they feel. It's like they're alive in your hand and you can feel what they're supposed do, like a reflection or a ( Read more... )
[She clapped one hand over her mouth in dismay, nearly dropping her boomerang, as the minor bolt that was supposed to stand Night's hair on end practically fried him, leaving him hanging on the rope railing of the bridge. Not how this was supposed to go!]
[She'd actually taken a few running steps back onto the bridge, wanting to make sure her stupid rival who she did not enjoy hanging out with was okay, when he pulled himself together suddenly and started running towards her and shouting.]
[Was this some kinda ruse? Materia wrinkled her nose, but - he looked seriously freaked out, so she hit the brakes and turned around and - ]
Ah!
[It was more of a squeak than a scream, as her throat closed up in terror almost before the noise left her mouth. There was no way to be prepared for this. She'd fought plenty of times before, but she'd only been killed once, and the memory was, to put it lightly, still fresh...]
[And with the way her entire body and brain alike had just locked up in horrified shock, staring wide-eyed and frozen up at the bony tail-blade that was arching back to strike at her...it looked like she might be making it two-for-two at any second.]
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Night bit back a supreme urge to... to change, fighting back that corner of his mind's urge to brute strength it to death. He remembered how it affected Kagerou, and...]
We were busy, you damned ugly...! [Again and again, he swung the blade, striking back against its assault, the black corona burning beneath him again. Slowly but surely, the Hollow was backstepping onto solid land... and once Night's shoes touched solid ground again, he turned back to check on Materia.
Big mistake. A toothy maw beneath the mask opened in bliss, the sound of buzzing wings sounding from inside. There was a flash of sunlight against a smooth bony tail-blade, and Night felt an intense burning pain across his midsection. Shearing through clothing, the blade slashed a diagonal line across flesh. The demon retreated to rethink things, ignoring the silver blood that oozed forth. He'd deal with the booboo later... the Hollow was starting to regurgitate... bugs... all with little masks, buzzing their wings and wiggling their legs excitedly. There was to be a feast today!]
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[But he was driving it back. And then Night turned back to look at her, all flying green hair and black energy and concern, and she shriekedas she saw it stab down at him.]
No!
[Something furious and electric shot through her body at that moment that had nothing to do with her materia. Night was bleeding, injured, and there were strange horrible little bug things swarming towards him and she had not a single doubt that they were going to gorge themselves on that wound.]
[Except for the part where she was going to stop them. Because this was not not not going to happen again--!]
Get away from him!
[Her legs weren't just moving again, they were running down the bridge as she held her boomerang high, screaming with anger and calling down a bolt that turned rapidly into a hail of lightning, scorching through the air and stabbing with more accuracy than she knew she had at the bugs. They tumbled out of the air, smoking, legs twitching - and then she leaped the last few feet and was there at his side.]
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You okay?
[That was all he could manage before the Hollow shrieked in ... sorrow? ... over the loss of its insectoid "children", and in a fury stomped its multiple legs, tail whipping about again. Night's hands all ready stung from the fierce impacts, but he would deal. He would not let this thing's assault through...!]
Maybe ... there's a soft and chewy part ... somewhere on this thing! I don't see anything glowy and 'please hit me', do you?
[And with a CLANG,, the tail-blade and the Doombringer came together, sparks flying again as they both shifted their weight against each other... inhuman strength versus inhuman strength... if one faltered, they were probably done for. The mouth opened again, angry buzzing humming from within.]
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I'm fine!
[Oddly enough, she was - as much as she could be, considering they were trying not to get eaten by a monster. Her nerves were buzzing and singing with adrenaline, but she had momentum now and she was gonna do this, this time, the way she should have before.
Listening to his suggestion, she bit her lip. Monsters, monsters - something about analyzing monsters felt veery familiar. Deciding to roll with it, she gave the thing a critical look and noticed the buglike way its plates of chitin fit together, and a possible answer came to her lips as if she was an old hand at this.]
I don't think it has to be glowy! It's a big bug, right? So the soft parts are between the armored bits, in the joints! And maybe in its mouth - ack!
[She ducked and rolled aside as the tail came down again, then looked back to see Night blade-to-blade with it. Right. Talk later, testing theories now! Lining up her aim with an eye that suddenly felt practiced, she brought back her arm and threw her boomerang as hard as she could at the straining middle joint of the scorpion's tail.]
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And the weight slackened. There was a glint of metal, a shear of flesh, and the tail thudded heavily upon the ground, severed cleanly. With a howl of rage, the beast flexed its front half and uncurled shadowy arms it held tightly to itself, the limbs shifting into large three-fingered claws. More of the small insects flew from its mouth, their pedipalps glowing... but Night was free from his struggles, and he bit down another fiery wave of pain from his midsection. The blade was turned as he wound up, and smacked two of the bugs sky-high like a misshapen baseball, dissolving into smoke once they was far enough away from the host.
Again, a big mistake. A massive claw was swung, swatting Night aside like one of the insects. He flew a distance to the right and into a heap upon the ground. As he worked to bring himself to his feet, the Hollow was upon him, stomping its spidery legs every which way in attempts to skewer him.]
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Leave him ALONE!
[When had she started running towards the stupid thing? Materia wasn't really thinking much beyond the very terrible mental image of Night being skewered like an oden kebab, but it did occur to her as she leapt into the air and landed on the thing's back that maaaybe this wasn't the best idea she'd ever had.
Well, too late now. Her feet skidded a little on the chitin, but she flailed herself back into balance and dropped neatly onto its back just behind its head, gripping with her knees like a rodeo rider. It shrieked and bucked, distracted from its prey as it tried to knock Materia off, but as she ducked low against its back, she realized something awesome.
It couldn't reach her. Not with its tail lopped off. Its legs and claws just didn't bend that way. A bubble of gleeful ohgawdI'mgonnadie panic burst out of her as laughter.]
Ha! Ahahaha! What's the matter, huh, you big, ugly lug!? Too many joints, or none of 'em double?
[Breathless and desperately clinging as the Hollow rocked and shook her this way and that, Materia stabbed down with her boomerang in both hands again and again, pointed end down, trying to shove it far enough into the gap between the thing's back plates to reach its...brain? Did it have one? Whatever it had, she hoped she hit it soon, because she wasn't sure how long she could hold on to these slippery plates of armor before she went flying right off again...and when she did, it was gonna be mad.]
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As he began to push himself back upright, Materia's boomerang sunk between two chitinous plates. Dark blood poured out of its strange, shadowy body, and the beast began to buck with a newfound intensity. Night's addled brain screamed "Showstopper!" And that was exactly what he'd do.
All or punishment. The dark corona grew again, only it engulfed the blade, and he charged in. Blade held high, he sped toward the beast and disappeared. With a wide-open belly, it wouldn't survive, would it!? There was the sound of a tear, a clean slash, and a burst of energy... and he emerged on the other side in a flash-step. A thin line formed on the belly of the beast, spilling a torrent of blood, and Night blew out a sigh of satisfaction. ...
But the sound of splashing blood soon stopped. The beast was regenerating. There was a setback to that ability, one he knew all too well: If he didn't kill the target with that move, he'd--
The blade darkened, burning an angry color, and he bit back an explosive pain moving throughout his body.]
Sorry... I guess that wasn't a good idea...!
[As he turned back, his wavering vision caught sight of that grinning mask. That pristine, grinning mask...]
Face... try the... face...!
[His body had had enough. It wasn't going to take much more, but still he whirled the blade in a hand and was ready to give the support. He threw his weight and slashed downward, severing a leg... and that was what she needed: The Hollow screamed again and turned to take him on again.]
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All right. This was it. Rising to her feet and flinging her arms out for balance as the Hollow lurched under her, she sketched a quick salute to nobody in particular, for luck.]
Gotcha! Here goes nothing!
[And with that, she ran the few steps down the thing's back, dropped, and slid over the top of its head, catching herself with one arm so that she swung down in front of it. It reared up in surprise on its remaining legs, looking so startled for a big bug that she couldn't resist sticking her tongue out at it in a cheeky gesture.]
Say "aah!", sucker!
[With all her strength, she slammed her boomerang up through the roof of its gaping mouth. The Hollow screamed - a particularly nasty sound when you were dangling six inches from the source - and Materia seized the moment to bring up both booted feet and kick the other end of the blade, forcing it in as deep as she could.
The monster convulsed, bubbled gouts of blood from its mouth, wailed hideously - and flailed its limbs, the front ones of which were close enough now to reach the dangling ninja. One of them smacked her away like a doll, sending her bouncing across the turf until she rolled to a boneless stop just a few feet from the edge of the island...]
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[The monster screamed, flailing and writhing, and he'd had enough of its annoyance. With a final heave, he swung the blade in a horizontal arc, sending another arc of dark energy slamming into the beast to help it along its demise. He turned his back on it, confidently this time, and hurried to check on her. He dropped to a hand and both knees, pulling off the helm and throwing it aside with his blade. He heard a heavy thud behind him but did not care, pulling her away from the edge of the island, but he didn't care move her any more lest she have injuries he could not see.]
...Come on, Materia, you can shake this off! You kicked this thing's ass and you need to see this through...!
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...but, gradually, its howls started to fade, and she recognized the painful clenching and spasming of her chest and stomach as a familiar sensation. She must have knocked her wind out when she landed flat on her back like that. Not fun, but not especially dangerous.
Squeezing her arms around her middle, she concentrated on sucking in air. After a few seconds, when the high-pitched ringing noise and dizziness subsided a little and the knot in her insides loosened up, she warily cracked one brown eye open and peered up at Night, mustering the breath for a wheeze.]
...d'wekillit?
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But she moved, far more animated than last time, and that loosened that knot in his stomach just a little. He managed a smile after looking to the side.]
It's done. That was the coolest finisher I've ever seen!
[No. Focus.]
Are you okay? Does anything feel wrong? Do I need to take you to Wellspring?
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I...I think I'm okay...
[She sounded as incredulous as she felt. Had they really finished that thing off by themselves? Glancing up at Night, rather amazed at her own elite skills, she started to flash him a pleased grin - then gulped. His clothes were covered in silver blood. Good feelings instantly gone, she reached up to grab his sleeve, wide-eyed with frightened concern.]
Holy crap...! What're you asking me for? Oh, gawd, Night...!
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...The adrenaline that was warding off his pain that came flooding back. It was a fire that burned throughout his midsection, and it only intensified whenever he moved, but move he had to do. He shook his head despite the fact that he was sweating a bit. Gotta be a man about this! Heroic!]
Just need to see a Medic, that's all! A quick check up, a bandage, and I'll be back to work tomorrow, you'll see!
Stay here for a minute. I'm gonna get my helmet and stuff.
[He pressed his hands to the ground, shifting a leg to bring himself to his feet... and despite the pain and leaving a bit of silver on the ground, he heavily got to his feet. He needed that helmet... and the sword. The latter was dangerous; it was his responsibility. Night went to gather them, but...
Did... did she just...?]
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Are...are you sure? 'Cause, um, you're kind of bleeding. A lot.
[She hesitantly put out one hand to touch his shoulder, feeling pretty dumb. Yeah, she'd taken out the Hollow with him, but she'd also managed to electrocute him - well, harder than she'd meant to, anyway - and get him stabbed defending her while she stood there like a blockhead. Not how she'd envisioned this duel going, really. She bit her lip and hung her head slightly.]
I'm sorry I froze up. I just...
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And he defeated it. Well... he helped defeat it. It took a great weight off his shoulders. Night heard her speak, much closer than he'd realized, and he quickly turned. His front was a mess of tattered black fabric and stark silver. Ooh, he was going to need quite a few stitches...]
Fear happens, Materia. Besides... you snapped right out of it and busted its face wide open! You should have seen it from where I was! I salute you!
[And with that, he pounded a fist to his chest... which was a mistake. His face twisted into a grimace, and he appeared a little pale.]
...Okay, this hurts a little bit. I'll walk you home and go to Wellspring.
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