destinystrings

Entry tags:

004

Who: Viridi and everyone who wanted to train; feel free to handwave it if you want to tag anyway.
Where: Capricorn district during the 13th Hour
Summary: The power of a goddess is nothing to sneeze at... Beware, demns.
Warnings: Misanthropy, violence, and mild 4th walling

Monday, December 10th, 10:30PM. A familiar voice, unasked for, echoes in the ears of all of Hinoto-Ri once again.

"Alright, peons! Time to get started." ...A brief pause. "I guess I should come up with a more flattering nickname now that you're officially under my protection. What are your thoughts on 'bond-servant'?" Hopefully, that was a joke. "Alright, I'm only going to take of few of you a night, but I'll be doing this all week. From now on, if you ever want to go training on your own, just leave me a message."

The COMPs automatically flip on as Viridi's voice transfers from resonant telepathy to the distinct tinniness of the COMP communicator. "I do know how to use these things. But I'll be communicating by telepathy during your missions; it's just easier that way for both of us. If you don't have any questions before we get started, wait outside Capricorn District when the 13th Hour begins."

"And please remember what I said about being annoying. I'd hate to have to drop you from the sky."

((I'll be doing all the NPCing unless you'd like to do so! Just drop me a note whenever we start fighting if you want.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It's really creepy when you do that..." Rune murmured under her breath.

That didn't stop her from jumping off her bed; she had been keeping herself holed up, dreading the next couple of days. It was her birthday soon, and...

No, no she wasn't thinking about that. She grabbed her guns, slipping each into a holster, before slinging on her poncho and rushing out the door, ready for action.

"What's the goal tonight?" she asked, running down the stairs... because seriously, who needed elevators?

"Creepy? You should be feeling a thrill of excitement at the thought of a deity deigning to spend time with you; try 'awe-inspiring'."

Viridi grumbles something unintelligible about attitude adjustments before she continues on.

"Since you can't access the Mictlan, the next best thing is making sure you can handle the demons that show up inside when you do. How many times have you gone out fighting before?"

"I'm just saying, I'm not used to voices in my head," Rune replied. "No need to get upset!"

She broke out onto the street, starting to jog for the target location.

"I've fought around a couple times," she answered; damn it was weird talking to nothing. "I was around when the scorpions were attacking, and I held my own pretty well until Pit thought it was a good idea to try and 'protect' me."

She tried not to sound sour at that, but she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Stupid angel... she still did not completely forgive him for getting her poisoned.

"He did what?" Viridi actually sounds genuinely upset.

"Tch, I can't believe I missed that! Oh, no, you've gotta tell me. Did he try to come up with another horrible one-liner? Or, wait, his idea of protecting you was to dive into you and tumble awkwardly to the floor while thinking of a one-liner. Am I right or am I right?"

"No," Rune replied, shaking her head. "He shoved me out of the way. Unfortunately, 'out of the way' was right into a scorpion's poison stinger."

"Huh. ...Close enough." Viridi sounds more amused than she should be at the prospect of Pit pushing his True Love into a skewer.

"Look, the thing you have to remember about Pit is that he's a total dork. And totally predictable. Just think of the most lame-y heroic thing you could do in any situation and you've got him pegged."

"That's the thing... I don't know these things," she replied, pausing to stick her tongue out at an NPC for giving her a funny look. Yes, she knows she's talking to thin air; move along. "Everyone just... expects me to know things, like what a TV does or what holiday is what. My world doesn't have anything like that; most of it is either banned or not accessible."

She paused her run at that, letting out a depressed sigh. Now wasn't the time for this, she couldn't think about this...

"...sorry, it doesn't matter," she said after a moment, starting to jog again. She would be late getting to Capricorn at this rate.

"What, do hammy heroes only show up in television now?" Viridi notes Rune's strange melancholy about the subject matter, but by dint of being Viridi, fails to be anything even close to sympathetic. "Just go read a book or something; they're an archetype of every form of media."

Rune is hopefully finished running down the stairs at this point and well on her way to Capricorn.

"...Don't wear yourself out before we even start fighting. Want me to speed things up a little?"

"Yeah, well, I don't have access to those on my world at the moment," she replied sourly. "Let's just say Hinoto-Ri got the good end of the end of the world stick."

A jog like this wasn't much of a stretch for her, but maybe saving up her energy would have been a good thing.

"Oh, that's right. You said you'd help people fly, right?"

"5 minutes max per session. You decide when to use it. ...I could probably keep you suspended in the air while you pick at the demons with your arsenal, but that wouldn't be any fun at all."

It would be much more fun accidentally trapping Rune in a dangerous situation, honestly.

"Yeah, you're right, that wouldn't be any fun, and I'd be in trouble when those five minutes were up..." Rune murmured, pausing at a street corner to think. "I guess we can save it for emergencies. Getting stuck surrounded by monsters would suck."

She started off again, hurrying as fast as she could to the designated spot. It took awhile, but she finally arrived at the Capricorn district with only a handful of minutes to spare. Rune opted to use those minutes resting on the curb, crossing her legs and pulling one of her guns, looking it over absently (man they were getting scuffed; she needed to clean them again).

((Sorry for the wait! This weekend was pretty hectic.))

"Sky battles are a lot more exciting than the land portions, though. It's too bad the airspace here is so limited - you guys should probably get to work on that."

Viridi occupies herself by prattling on about nonsense in the same vein until Rune eventually reaches the destination.

"...And then he goes around with a big blinking red spot on his butt like it's a fashion statement or something. Can you believe it? I mean, you spend days training someone, and then they go and futz it up when it really counts. It's just like the time Pit -- ...Oh. We're here."

Rune is perhaps wishing she had a Persona that could create a Silence effect.

"I mean, you're here. Try not to take so long next time; my throat is parched. Alright, down to brass tacks, let's do the introductions."

Beside Rune, a spectral spirit of a woman in green appears.

"This is Melia. She'll be assisting you whenever you mess up, so, every few seconds or so."

...man, no wonder this kid goddess had a crush on Pit. She didn't know how to shut up, just like him. She let out a sigh as she endured the babbling, more or less tuning out for most of it. Blah blah Pit blah blah army.

It wasn't until she finally stopped and realized she was at their destination did Rune pay attention, looking up at the pretty woman in green. Wow, Viridi had a cool looking Persona...

...and then she had to go and say that.

"You're really not keen on giving people any credit, are you?" she mumbled, swinging a gun around her finger. "Ah, well; I'll just have to prove it to you."

Rune pulled the other gun and waited, counting off the seconds in her head until the Thirteenth Hour began...

Excuse you that's 'barely endured tolerance for' not 'crush' you obviously haven't been paying attention.

"I find it helps with the crushing disappointment when I keep my expectations low. That way, the only direction you can go is up! You have to learn to be a realist after dealing with humanity for a few hundred thousand years.

"OK, this is it. Guns out, Persona ready, and remember - always keep your arms and head inside the vehicle at all times."

The fade-out of Viridi's voice occurs simultaneously as the clock ticks the last minute towards the 13th Hour. Rune has lived through many of them by this point, and perhaps the sudden chill in the air is simply from the normal weather of December (at least, on the even days). Still, the almost palpable feeling of unease is hard to shake...

Rune rolled her eyes. "Well, at least I won't disappoint you," she replied, before reaching out, summoning the persona she had gotten from the Velvet Room. "Let's go, Undine!"

The watery maiden appeared at her summons, just as the 13th Hour began to settle. She flicked her guns over to their normal setting, leaned back, and waited for the moment she would need to strike.

((I am so sorry for taking this long to get back to you. Holiday madness happened. Feel free to drop the thread if you'd rather not go on; I understand!))

"See, you get the idea! Now why can't everyone be so understanding?"

Whether or not this is sarcasm will probably not be addressed.

"It looks like we have earth and water pretty well covered between the two of us. Let's just hope we don't get attacked by a Grass-type; I think that Persona list had Bul -- "

Viridi's 4th wall breaking is thankfully interrupted by the sound of an ethereal giggle.

Rune was about to point out this gross abuse of fourth wall power, when that creepy giggle cut her off before she could start. She crouched down, guns pointed out and ready to fire at the slightest disturbance.

"Viridi...?" she began softly. "What was that?"

"Um. ...Copyright censorship?"

This would be more reassuring if the soft lilting sound didn't drift by again as it carried on the night breeze. Viridi herself falls quiet as the laughter sounds again and again, light and ephemeral. There's an odd appeal to the timbre of the voice, a strange draw that beckons across the fields of the Capricorn District.

If Rune exerts herself, she may begin to realize that the wind itself is oddly melodious as well. Almost like the sound of a harp......

"I'd like to mention that this is the most unabashedly cliche trap ever before we stumble into it anyway."

"S-so... why don't w-we try to avoid it...?" she asked, trembling not because she was afraid, but it was difficult to try and resist following the sound of that voice. Her feet shifted, anxious to start moving despite how much she wanted to stay rooted to the spot.

"...You should probably ask yourself that. I'm not the one whose feet keep trying to inch forward."

Viridi's tone is slightly anxious despite herself. A demon that lured in its victims with song certainly wasn't anything new, but like the spider and its web, this meant they were facing something well-prepared to ensnare its prey, no matter how powerful it might be.

"I'll hit the escape button if you don't think you can handle this. Up to you."

The song continues, swelling in volume now to almost drown out Viridi's speech.

Rune let out an awkward noise at that, forcing herself to tap her foot against the stairs instead.

"N-no way, I've never used the run command before, and I'm not about to start!" she exclaimed.

...great, you're making her forth wall now. You people are horrible influences.

Rune flinched as the song got louder, gritting her teeth. This did not look like it was going to get better anytime soon.

"Undine!" she called to her Persona, ordering it to cast Rakukaja; if this thing was going to attack, she'd at least like to have the blow softened a little.

The world makes so much more sense when it's approached through common fiction cliches. Rune really ought to be thanking her new acquaintances for helping her gain a new perspective on life. Viridi sighs slightly in a nonchalant manner as Rune summons her Persona.

"Alright... I won't tell you to be careful, but try not to get eaten or anything. It wouldn't look good for my track record. And I'd hate to have to explain this to Pit."

Rune might not be able to hear this at all through the increasingly mesmerizing song. The moment she takes a few steps forward, she'll spot her opponent through a clearing in the trees... A beautiful turquoise-haired nymph sitting atop a rock, bearing a passing resemblance to Viridi's Melia. The girl will pause as she seems to spot Rune, lifting her hands away from her instrument to beckon Rune forward with a gentle smile.

She likes her perspective on life just fine. Forth walling was supposed to be for in-battle tutorials, like when Chrystal pulled another new skill out of her wings.

Rune had to roll her eyes at the last part, though it was an amazing strain to hear it. "Tch... if I have to go around with people wondering how Pit will react to what I do, then maybe I should have never tried to kill that bird brain."

She shuffled forward, spotting the creature sitting in the clearing. Of course she knew critters like that were bad news; they may look pretty, but they never meant anything but harm to others. She shifted her guns to a fire setting, before started forward, Undine keeping close to her back.

Remember! Attack its weak point for massive damage! Press Z twice to do a barrel roll! Do you know about action commands??

"Wait, you tried to -- "

Viridi's complaints die down to an inaudible babbling, which is probably the volume that the majority of Hinoto-Ri prefers her to be tuned to. As Rune steps forward into the clearing, she may notice that the demon - for certainly it was a demon - has resumed strumming its instrument. The gentle smile remains fixed in place, and the idea seems to be to merely provide entertainment for her audience.

There are several smaller rocks surrounding Lorelei's 'stage'... Perhaps they are meant to be used as stools.

Man, she is from an RPG Maker game. The only button choices you get are "z", "x", and "shift".

Rune ignored the dull babbling in the back of her mind, shuffling closer, both guns pointed out. She knew this was a trap, but it was getting pretty hard to ignore it. At the same time, she didn't want to jump the gun and fire prematurely, least it really end up as innocent as it looked...

Dammit; where was Lucas when she needed him?

The moment Rune gets anywhere within range of the 'stools', Lorelei ceases her entrancing melody once more. There is a brief moment wherein she turns to make direct eye contact with Rune. ...She smiles, and the smile is every bit as gentle and lovely as the music drifting from her harp.

In that brief moment, the picturesque image of the maiden in the woods flickers into... something else. The trees are dead and barren. The ground lies bare. And the 'stools'... skulls and bones. Whether they are human or not is difficult to discern as Lorelei once again allows her fingers to drift over the harp, and the scene returns to normality.

That brief flash was all Rune needed. Her guns snapped up, training on the creature for a brief second, before she squeezed the trigger, unloading some fireballs at the maiden.

The nymph gasps in shock as the fire slams into her, releasing a shriek as she throws herself over the harp to keep it from being damaged. The illusion created by the song falls away for good, revealing the macabre scene once again.

"Oh! Oh! What are you doing?!"

Her long, aquamarine hair begins to radiate outwards as Lorelei turns an expression of outraged shock on her guest.

"You... you ingrate...! To think I showed kindness to a human!"

With a toss of her hair and a thrust of a hand, the demon reaches forth to Drain the strength from Rune.

Drain spells that actually work? That is so not fair!

Rune let out a squeak, her knees wobbling as she fought to stay standing upright. She grit her teeth, managing to grind out Undine's name. Her Persona responded, bathing the area in water thanks to the Aques spell.

The nymph shrieks again as the area is bathed in water... but this is a shriek of triumph rather than a shriek of pain. She reaches out to welcome the flood of water, absorbing its essence into her... Perhaps attacking a spirit of the river with water wasn't the best way to go about this.

Lorelei stands tall upon the flood and holds her harp out before her.

"My song brings undying calm and serenity for all of eternity... For one whose thirst for blood is never slaked, I shall bring you peace!"

A hand glides once more across the instrument, and the song, now, is almost painful to listen to... The effect seems similar to the Drain spell Lorelei had just cast. The longer Rune listens, the weaker she will grow...

"That's... not how... serenity works...!" Rune exclaimed through gritted teeth. She was forcing herself to move, flicking her guns over to lightning, a hand raising shakily, trying to keep herself steady as she fired.

"It's the only serenity a human deserves!"

The lightning strikes Lorelei straight in the chest, and though she lets loose a hiss of pain, the effect doesn't seem to be as strong as the original shot of fire had been. With a sharp crackle, though, the lightning jumps from the nymph into the metal harp she holds... and she is forced to release it as the electricity continues to jolt around the instrument for a few moments after the strike. The harp clatters to the ground.

"Ugh! Finally!"

Viridi's voice can be heard again. This is probably a good thing. ...Probably.

"Now don't let her start singing or you'll start hallucinating again! That demon is named Lorelei. Apparently, she's Weak to Fire, which is a little weird for a river spirit, but I think it has to do with her harp. Burn that horrible thing!"

"Got it!"

Rune immediately switched back to her fire element, focusing on the harp and letting loose.

Shrieking seems to be Lorelei's response to most things. As the nymph struggles to reach for its burning instrument, it lets out another cry of pain as the fire begins to engulf her.

"...Well. This is getting kind of gruesome."

"Can't be helped!"

Rune set her feet apart for balance, before letting lose another volley at the screaming nymph.

The last round of fire is too much for Lorelei to endure. The sudden cut-off of the sound is almost as disturbing as the high-pitched shrieking had been. Without any more fanfare, the demoness collapses and dissolves into an acrid black smoke, alongside her harp.

Having taken special care to stay out of the way of Rune's firing, Melia silently casts a Diarama on Rune to heal any wounds she had inflicted during the battle.

"...Hm."

Rune sank to her knees as she let out a relieved breath. That... that had been scary. She hadn't felt that weak and helpless in awhile, and it brought back some bad memories. After a moment, she forced a smile on her face, though it was a bit shaky.

"See? I told you I can defend myself!"

"Yeah."

Viridi is quiet for another second or so.

"Of course, if I hadn't told you about the harp and the fire, you'd probably be a lifeless husk by now. You humans are just so fragile without the gods to guide you." Her tone of voice has returned to its usual ~~condescending arrogance~~ melodious nature. Beside Rune, Melia smiles wanly and vanishes in a flash of light.

"So what do you think? You wanna run around some more or are you good for tonight?"

"Who said I was ready to quit? I'm just getting started."

Though there was a slight shake to Rune's voice; that had been too close of a call for her to feel comfortable with. Geeze... Shakily, she got back up to her feet, brushing herself off.

((Think I'm going to wrap this up now! Thanks a lot for tagging with me!))

"Still trying to prove yourself? Be my guest. Go run yourself ragged; set some more nymphs on fire! ...Just not my nymph."

Despite herself, Viridi sounds slightly concerned. Which translates to sounding slightly less irritated than usual.

"Seriously, though, the 13th Hour's almost half over already. You spent way too long listening to that stupid song. Go get some sleep."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

004

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject