recolle | [Closed] Dancing Red Spears

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[Closed] Dancing Red Spears

WHO: Pen and Freya
WHERE: Recolle Woods
WHEN: Early May, Pre-Event
WHAT: Pen has regained her second Esper and needs to defeat it to gain control.
WARNINGS: Violence, language, possible mentions of disease and death, though neither of them is dying.

[When she'd gotten the second ticket in the mail, Penelope had stared at it long and hard before even bringing it up with her partner. It was something she was eventually going to have to deal with, because one way or another this thing was going to get loose. She didn't trust Retrospec not to try and foist the demon off onto her, and while she had no idea what it might be, she knew it was going to be something powerful and dangerous.

Loathe as she was to ask Freya for help, Minako wasn't around, and she figured that trying this alone would be liable to get her hurt, which might set off Freya's brand. A double whammy bad outcome, so, she'd made her preparations and gathered her girlfriend up and the two had gone out towards a deserted corner of the forest, well away from civilization.

Resting Mithune, her enchanted rifle, against a tree Pen swallows and looks over at Freya.]

Are you ready? I'm going to call out Gilgamesh and Tons before we start. I don't know anything about this thing other than it's called Cu-Chulainn, and I'm willing to bet that it isn't anything like the real Irish Hercules.

[The Hound of Ulster, or whatever you want to call him.]

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[Freya had responded readily to the request for aid--borderline eagerly, actually. She knew she should take the danger of the task more seriously, but this would be a hell of a good distraction and way to channel all the turmoil knotted in her chest of late.]

[She stands casually nearby, that double-ended spear across both shoulders and arms hooked over each end, the blades retracted. She smiles at Pen, the expression stuck somewhere between arrogant and reassuring.]

Sure. Not like I've got a lot to prepare, like you and your monsters and your gun.

[Pen nods, not at all sure what to make of the sudden confidence Freya was displaying. It wasn't new, of course, but she figured that the prospect of fighting a demon like Mateus would be enough to engender a little more worry. Confidence helps, though, and she finds herself smiling back.

Moments later they're joined by the two yahri, the creatures standing at the center of the clearing where they'll be able to enclose the monster. Sizeable or not, she's willing to bet Tons will acquit himself well, and Gil is his usual sterling self.]

Right. Well.

[Stepping over to Freya, she hops up and grabs her into a kiss. Grinning as she pulls away, fingers already working through the now-familiar motions of a Bubble spell, she gets that last defense out of the way.]

For luck.

[Then she begins, kneeling down and chanting something, a vague memory from the previous month of how to do this taking hold. Slow rolling syllables that rise in pitch conjure a glowing circle in the loam at the center of the clearing. The ground rumbles, and the circle begins to crack and fracture before coming apart in a shower of glowing green motes of light. And from that steps the demon. Flabby, grinning wildly, and exuding a gas that reeks like a compost heap in midsummer. Plants begin to wither and die, and the creature roars his defiance.]

Alright! Let's do this!

For luck, [Freya echoes back, adoration in her look despite the scale of what they were about to fight. She had no idea what that something was, but if it was like Mateus...]

[The taller woman grips the spear in her right hand as Pen steps away, swinging it from her shoulder and twirling it once over her hand, the blades shinking out during the motion. And from here, it's all Pen.]

[Freya recoils a bit in the face of the wall of stench, but that won't be enough to make her back down, not after everything she's fought through. Freya grins back at the towering, rotting... creature, doing her best not to taste the acrid air.]

They sent you a real winner, didn't they?

[Pen gags slightly, her stomach roiling a little at the foul aroma, but she doesn't barf. Tough, stinky, but this is something she has to do.

Leveling her rifle, aiming for it's head, she responds first to Freya.]

Definitely. Only the best.

[Then to the monster.]

Surrender, give up, and work for me. Otherwise we're going to kick your teeth in.

[...It grins...]

FIGHT!

[And bull-rushes towards Pen, moving surprisingly fast, shoving Gil to one side and taking the rifle shot to the face without backing down. For the moment, ignoring Freya...]

[Freya darts forward the instant it does, driving all the force she can behind a singular stab at the creature's knee, hoping to make it buckle.]

[She's strong, but Freya doubted she could directly deflect that much momentum behind that much weight if she'd swung at the demon like she normally did.]

[The knee does not give way entirely, but the force of the blow does divert it from charging to stumbling, black blood oozing out of the wound. Not spurting, just oozing, like something congealed. It drips to earth, withering plants immediately on contact.]

Heh heh heh. Little thing!

[One of those mitts the size of beachballs comes swinging down at Freya as Cu Chulainn stumbles by. Pen's rifle rings out again, striking it in the head and rocketing it backwards once again, potentially throwing off aim but who can say]

[Cu's certainly right about the 'little thing' comment, comparatively, and it's got a lot of weight to throw around. Even with the Esper's balance rocked a second time, the glancing hit's enough to send Freya staggering back to keep her footing.]

[She really did not look forward to being on the receiving end of one of those without her barrier. She flicks the blood from the end of her weapon after watching the vegetation crumple before her eyes.]

That's how it's gonna be, huh? [Freya lifts a hand, beckoning the demon, her words tugging on its... seemingly limited consciousness.] Come on, then. Why don't you try that again?

FIGHT!

[The roar shook the trees, a bellow of challenge. The monster rushed forward again, surprisingly fast, fists flying. He wasn't without some level of agility, a byproduct of being a monstrous creature more than anything natural, and a palm swung down towards Freya.

Gil chooses that moment to intervene, leaping high into the air and coming down onto Cu's back, swords first. The palm is still coming, but the added weight and the swords digging into the demon make it wobble]

Now, woman! Strike!

[Christ. This Esper sure didn't do anything in moderation. Gil's a nice surprise and Freya reacts quickly enough, leaping over the swing in something that looks more like a triple axle than an evasion. Her lance whips out at the end of the spin, putting the twisting momentum and gravity into a heavy downward slash. She aimed for the head, but she'd settle for shoulder or any other solid arm shot, too.]

Freya's strike cuts deep into demonic flesh, at least as deeply as Gilgamesh, but it's diverted as the monster twists. It strikes a shoulder, and this time more foul ooze spurts forth. Cu just laughs, and the toxic blood seems to twist and bend in the air, forming a series of globes that explode outward. The spell orbs seek all of it's enemies. Gil, Pen, Freya, and the yet to act Tonberry.

Pen, for her part, snaps off another shot, aiming for Cu's injured knee. It smashes home, just as the spell splatters off her shield, faint cracks appearing in the bubble. That won't hold for too long.

[The bubble holds, as it always has so far; Freya couldn't imagine how much more she'd be hurt in these fights without Pen's magic. Trusting in the ward's integrity, Freya continues her onslaught without hesitation. This time, the strikes of her lance are augmented with fire, to see how the demon reacts.]

[Fire seems to work as well as anything else. Maybe better because the spear that drives in burns away the inky blood before it can do anything.]

Going to try something, babe. Keep him busy!

[Freya barks a laugh in response. It sounds redundant, to her; she had no intention of letting Cu reach Penelope in the first place, not with when it was rotting demon built like a bulldozer and packed full of murderous intent. She could keep it busy, and with Gil clinging to the creature's back and practically pinning it down, things were that much easier.]

[Cu looked dangerous, between his size and what he was doing to the world around them, but this was going so much more smoothly than Freya thought it would. She kept up the fiery assault: blows to the head, when she could reach, blows to joints and to the demon's injured leg, trying to break its balance.]

[Blows to the head are good, but they make Cu thrash. And they also keep Pen from doing much of anything with the rifle, which is why she's working on something else. A spell. One she hasn't tried before, and needs the time to work out just so.

The thrashing, however, shakes loose something else. A foul odor, a clinging, cloying feeling in the air that sticks to the shield and begins eating away at it. It's short ranged, out to about ten feet...but it seems to be working fast.]

[A cause for concern, for sure, but one that gave Freya more reason to press than to retreat. The shield wasn't worth playing it safe for, and the sooner this guy was gone, the sooner he wasn't a threat at all.]

[The thrashing made things a little more difficult, but Freya's other self had been a mobile fighter; adapting wasn't impossible. After a few more strikes, she leaps up to come down on Cu's shoulders, trying to drive the lance through those empty eye sockets.]

[Feel free to gouge right in, because the creature lets her. And then slams both of his meaty fists in at Freya's sides while she's still trying to work her weapon free. Or tries to anyway.]

[Well. That's... not a normal reaction to being stabbed in the face. Freya catches onto what Cu's doing when the demon doesn't recoil, but it's right in assuming she can't dislodge the weapon quickly enough. What Freya can do it twist the handle, separating the spear into a three-sectioned-staff, one of the ends still lodged in Cu's face, and angle the other end into Cu's incoming fist.]

[The bubble-barrier shatters easily under the clap. Freya's sure her inhuman stamina's the only reason her rib cage doesn't splinter into a thousand pieces under the dual blow, and her retaliatory stab proves to be a bad idea in hindsight when Cu's toxic blood sticks to and blisters her arm. Freya drops back to the ground, momentarily stunned and gasping; even that proves to be a bad life choice when the air burns her skin and lungs without the bubble's protection. It's all she can do, until she recovers, to move out of the way of follow-up strikes.]

[Watching that is painful, and Pen winces, nearly losing the spell in the process. She doesn't, and in her desperation, manages to get it off. A ball of green light explodes towards Cu and dozens of lacerating energy tendrils lash out, starting to flay the fat thing's skin.

The sheer volume of attacks, the weight of Gil on his back, and the fact that his face is fucking bleeding are beginning to take their toll on the monster.

Pen gasps and holds out her hand, setting off another spell. This one is more familiar...one Freya might like. Haste.]

You're faster now, babe. Get clear if you need. If not...go for the heart!

[Almost as painful as the experience, probably. She could feel the lightness in her limbs and the clarity settle in her mind, but the constant, ubiquitous pain dampened the effect. Between the poison and hardly being able to breath, Freya almost took the suggestion to pull back, but a jolt of morbid humor stopped that motion before it began.]

[What was she scared of? Dying?]

[Best to end the bastard. Laughing was ill-advised at this juncture, and she revised her opinion on the pained, shallow breaths she was forced to take as a good thing. The less she inhaled that stuff, the better, right? Even if the lack of air made her head swim, and Freya knew she couldn't keep this up for long at all.]

[A grin tries to twitch onto her face as she attemps to shake the congealed blood from her arm, starting an approach towards Cu's right side. It's a fake; when the demon starts to react, she darts to the side, towards his left and kicking back up to the Esper's shoulders. It's difficult to get her limbs to coordinate properly through the searing pain, but Pen's spell helps; Freya yanks the dangling spear-staff from the monster's head, and on the drop down, slams both ends of the disjointed staff into its chest.]

[The feint works. The creature is already pretty disoriented from the attacks, and so the spear goes straight in, missing the vilest of Cu's organs and striking him right through the heart. The monster bellows in pain and rage, starting to struggle again, but she's hit the most vulnerable point on him. His body trembles, shakes, and begins to dissolve into a pool of sickly green light.

As it goes away, the stench, the cloud, all of that? Vanishes leaving only a glowing glyph that streaks across the clearing and slams into Penelope's chest, practically bowling her over.]

Jesus...Christ...!

[Freya drops to the ground unceremoniously on knees and forearms when the demon disappears, releasing her weapon and gasping for breath. Breathing still hurt, but this time it was the angry sting of a raw throat instead of corrosion, and Freya was never, ever taking clean air for granted again.]

[She's grateful that awful blood disappeared with the Esper, and rocks back to kneeling position, biting down pained grunts.]

[And Freya's grinning. She can't help it; she loves the pure adrenaline rush of it all too much, even if she absolutely never wanted to fight that particular pain in the ass again.]

Wasn't... bad. [The "too" in the middle of that gets lost in the hoarseness of her voice.] No Minako this time.

I don't know...

[Pen breathed out, already banishing the Yahri and calling out White Hare. The little rabbit appeared, already working his magic touch, several layers of restorative spells falling down onto Freya.]

No Minako but you actually got hurt. Last time nothing happened.

[Stepping forward, she inspects the damage. Mostly the burns, and more particularly...]

Your clothes are fucked. We're replacing those. Today.

[Her eyes close with a quiet sigh when the healing magic washes over. It kind of made her skin itch and tingle, but she'd take that over the blisters. The little hare's magic didn't seem to be particularly strong, not like Bahamut's so it'd probably take a little time, but...]

[Good enough for now. Freya chuckles and glances down at her clothes, her voice already clearing up.] So? We've got this covered. The little guy's makin' me better.

[Freya reaches up to Pen's shoulder to help pull her up. She could stand on her own without issue, but rib injuries were angry ones. Just because Freya didn't mind being injured on the front lines didn't mean she purposely aggravated her wounds.]

[Not only that, if the hare stuck around, the healing would be amplified. And it was happy to do that, hopping over to nuzzle Freya's leg. It's a healer, and it's here for all your healing needs.

Pen tugs to give Freya the support she needs, mindful of bruises and scrapes.]

We do. But I don't like seeing you hurt. You did good, though. I can...weirdly, feel his respect.

[She scoffs.] Like I give a rat's ass about that bastard's respect.

[But then Freya looks at Pen, tilting her head a bit.] You really gonna be okay, havin' something like that bonded to you? Yeah, Mateus is one thing, but--[Freya gives a pointed glance and vague wave to the lifeless patches of nature everywhere Cu touched.]--that plague on legs?

[Pen snorted.] He's certainly something, but yeah.

Weirdly, I think he'll be easier to deal with than Mateus. His...sense...is like a really stupid but well trained puppy. All he wants is to smash things, but he'll obey. [her head cants to one side, like she's listening to something.]

I can control him. And I just informed him that he's not allowed to do that gas thing, or make that stench if I summon him again.

So long as he's not gonna slowly poison you or whatever.

[Freya gives White Hare an appreciative pat, then stiffly walks over to where her weapon lay. She steps on part of the haft, twist her foot and rolling the weapon until she can get the mechanism to snap back into a spear. Then she scoops it up with her foot.]

[She pauses. A small sort of smile creeps onto her face, then Freya gives it a twirl to retract the blades.]

Come a pretty long from tomato hunting, huh?

Oh. Uh. No.

[She'll be fine.

Following Freya, White Hare hopping along behind them all...]

Yeah, it really is. We make a pretty good team. Sorry about leaving you alone there for a bit, that spell was pretty hard to make work at first.

[Freya gives a light shrug.]

Alone? Ha. Even if you step aside, I've got what, your other half-a-dozen creatures? [She vaguely waves a hand. Gil did his share, too.]

Still.

[She doesn't like it.]

Anyway. That was a pretty cool spell. I'll have to remember it. Should come quicker next time.

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[Closed] Dancing Red Spears

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