recolle | [Semi Closed] And your Bingo card

[It was unconventional, but then it looked right too. It looked natural, and Pen could tell at a glance that something had changed. She reacted in much the same way, with liquid fluidity and unconventional tactics. The wild swing cracks against the interposing cane that rose to meet it, impacting in a space between the two hands that gripped either side.

The hardwood sent the spear bouncing and Pen whirled her weapon in a spin, the momentum of her whole body going into the attack. The heavy knob crashes down onto Freya's exposed breastplate like a small hammer or a blunted axe, and then she stops and leaps back. It may be enough to knock her flat, but given that she pulled the hit at the last second, probably not unless Freya was off balance.]

So something changed there.

[Setting the cane in a mid-guard position she takes another step back and lowers it, indicating a stop.]

[The wild swing meets the cane with a thunderous crack. She'd just recovered from the impact, bracing her footing when she saw the shillelagh whipping down at her.]

[The blow doesn't knock Freya off her feet, but the force does stagger her back a few steps. It smarts, even with the breastplate, and Freya found herself laughing under her breath, heart hammering in her chest. She could tell that blow wasn't as vicious as it could have been, and they've only traded a few blows, but it's quick and intense; Pen wasn't holding her hand through this, and she loved it. She brings her weapon back into both hands, this time gripping it like a staff than a proper spear, as Pen's... stepping back.]

Did it? [She hadn't noticed; Freya's just been moving reflexively, trying to keep up with her girlfriend's otherworldly experience.] Oi, why'd you stop? It was just getting fun.

Edited 2017-07-18 20:40 (UTC)

[Pen plants the club against the mat and stares at Freya.]

For a second there, you were definitely doing some stuff no beginner would pull off. I wanted to stop, see if you could do a few forms. Just...go with whatever feels natural.

[She's getting an idea that her partner's reflexes aren't normal, and she's not just learning how to fight, but doing it reflexively.]

[The planting of that club might as well been the same as putting her foot down, making it clear they were putting a pause on this. Freya straightens back up into a normal stance with a quiet sigh, still holding her weapon loosely at her side, mulling over those words.]

Forms, huh? [Freya tilts her head back in thought, idly flexing the stiff, overly-warm fingers of her stricken hand. Like how Pen showed her in her backyard? Like how so many other people had foreign memories of fighting?]

[That woman that looked just like her did have a double-bladed staff. She should've been thinking about that thing, but it was the memories of the behemoth and bomb and tonberry that came to mind. Freya leans the staff against her shoulder, quickly unlacing the kendo gloves. They were all wrong for this, and she tosses them aside.]

[Freya shifts her stance wide and loose in the knees, spinning her staff over her head and settling it into a horizontal, chest-high grip as she did. The series of strikes that she begins moving in are less forms and more of a flow; it's vaguely dance-like, nearly always moving, with quick slashes, spins that evolve into vicious, sweeping strikes, and efficient stabs. The few times Freya settles into a guard seem more like natural pauses in a rhythm, evaluating opportunities on a hypothetical opponent. It's riddled with openings, but the flurry of confidant strikes create a shield of their own.]

[The whole thing's topped off with what looks like a single axel jump that bears down in a heavy, downward stroke powered by her weight and momentum. Freya remains like that for a few moments, staff pressed against the mat as if the mat were some corpse.]

Alright. You've got a point, I'll give you that.

[Pen watches at ease, using the shillelagh as the cane it was meant to be, somewhat amused by some of the motions. It was wild, alright, and the part of her that understood how to fight knew it was how it was supposed to be...but open and aggressive. The kind of thing her cautious fighting would pick apart and struggle against at different points in the flow of it.

When Freya finishes, Pen claps, walking over with a happy smile.]

I knew it. That wasn't just any ordinary fighting. You got some memory back.

[She stands again, shifting the weapon to her right hand. Freya can see the smile behind the mask now that Pen's wandered closer, and's smiling in return before she realizes it. The shorter woman's enthusiasm was contagious. ]

Yeah, guess I did. Now we just wait for me get something weird in the mail, or develop some magic power, yeah?

Hopefully nothing too wild.

[She pulls off her helmet and grins up at her girlfriend.]

Speaking of, I didn't get to share my new trick. The one that arrived at the party.

[Freya tilts her still-helmed head for a moment.] Right, right. I remember something about a box. Must've been while I was tormenting Dante and Prompto.

[She finally pulls her mask off, still grinning about her last comment.] Alright. Let's see it.

Yeah.

[Fiddling with her chestplate, she takes it off and pulls up a second bit of crystal attached to her necklace.]

Another little guy. This one can talk, too.

[Closing her eyes and stretching out her hand, she calls the little Tonberry out onto the mat a few feet away from both of them. It stretches it's arms lazily up, like it's been asleep, and then waves at the two of them.]

Hi!

Does it have a smart mouth like you do?

[Freya eyes the new shard of crystal as she shoulders her staff. It takes her a few beats to recognize the creature; little details were different, but that small, hunched body, ragged cloak, and paired knife-and-lantern were the same.]

[The taller woman startles as one would after noticing a scorpion by their foot, eyes wide in a tense, tiny little jump—]

Move! [—then that staff comes whipping off her shoulder in a two-handed upstroke at the green creature.]

[Pen and the Tonberry both are taken by surprise. That's exactly the opposite reaction literally everyone else had to Tonberry. It squeaks in fright and rolls backwards, missing most of the blow but catching enough to send it careening across the floor and into a stack of spare mats with a cartoonish splat.

Pen, still startled, leaps between her girlfriend and the Yahri, cane poised now.]

Hey! I know it's weird looking but don't hurt him!

[Picking itself up, the Tonberry hunches over, worry in it's eyes, but the knife doesn't rise. Honestly it looks more shocked than actually hurt.]

Weird looking? [Freya shoots back incredulously. She doesn't level her weapon at Pen, but her stance doesn't relax from its ready position.]

It's a bloody tonberry! Do you have any idea what those little bastards can do? [She doesn't quite sound angry. Shock, concern, and suspicion are all heavy in her tone.] They're dangerous.

Yeah, I do.

[Pen's eyes flare with sudden concern, mostly for Freya, but she doesn't move an inch.]

He's a yahri, like the Alraune. In that other world I'm sure there's monster versions too, but this one is mine. And it's only dangerous when I tell it to be.

[The little thing bobs it's head, almost sniveling, letting it's knife and lantern drop to the floor and walking slowly back over.]

I obey. She said not to hurt anyone but bad people.

[Without the knife or the lantern, it probably didn't pose any threat; that much was logical. Still, it didn't ease her anxiety any, and the reluctance was visible in the whole of Freya's body language, not just her expression]

[Freya's gaze flicks between the two. She trusts Pen, she truly does, but after that phantom experience of the hallucinomemories, it's hard to suppress that instinctual warning of danger.]

[The taller woman doesn't move to strike it again, at the very least.]

[When it reaches Pen, Tonberry settles between her legs, holding onto her thigh and peering up at Freya.]

Sorry, I don't mean to frighten you. Maybe you met a bad Tonberry before? I won't hurt you. I promise.

[Pen looks hard at Freya, then nods, lowering the cane again. No sense in acting defensive about it now. It may be her pet monster but Freya was her girlfriend. She's a little torn, but with some of the tension going out of Freya...]

See? He won't do anything. But wait, hold on.

[Something locks into place.]

You've seen one of these before? I...explain that. Please.

[Christ, the talking part was strange. There's a hesitant nod before she straightens up again, taking a deep breath.]

...Alright.

[Pen has a point. Freya'd been too caught up in her reaction to notice it at first, but...]

[The tonberry was something they shared.]

[That could be significant. Freya ran her fingers through her hair in something like a nervous gesture before she began.] Not... here. I remember them. Well, bein' attacked by one, more like. There was some other, alien-lookin' monster around. It killed that, easy—then it rounded on me and the people I was with. Bastard even licked the knife.

[Freya suddenly makes a face, brow furrowing and eyes closing, and presses the knuckles of a fist against her forehead.] Attacking her. Damn. [That seems to be the end of it, until Freya suddenly adds a few moments later,] I think it almost killed her.

[Pen's eyes widen slightly, and she can't help but look down at her little minion. It looks back up at her, confused, and then buries it's face into the back of her knee. It's strange, how almost cowardly this thing seems, but...]

Well, that's as good a reason as any to be scared of something.

[Stooping, Pen twists and picks her's up into a tight hug, letting the cane drop to the mat with a dull thud. It holds on tight, burying it's head against her chest, tail drooping some. It's weird, because Pen definitely can feel the strength in it's little arms, but there's nothing malicious in it at all. ]

I can't really see this big baby doing anything to hurt anyone without a reason. I don't doubt that he could, but maybe like he said, she just found a bad egg. Or whatever makes them yahri makes them a lot more amenable to humans? Either way, this one's harmless.

Edited 2017-07-19 21:59 (UTC)

[She supposed she was scared of it, on some level. Freya would have crossed her arms if she wasn't holding the staff, so instead settles her free hand on her hip. Not petulantly, but as something to do with it.]

If you say so. [Nor was that dismissive; her tone was sincere, if fairly neutral.]

[It was strange, though, watching Pen cradle the thing. She wasn't going to turn into one of those people with half a dozen Pomeranians or chihuahuas, except with monsters, was she?]

[It finally manages to look around, or decides to at any rate, yellow eyes big and bright. Not...unhappy, just a little nervous.]

I do. Now, I'm not going to ask you to apologize to him because he's tough, but please don't hit him again, okay?

[Tonberry nods. Please no hitting.]

Unless he, y'know, deserves it for being a little brat like the Alraune.

Yeah, I can do that. No promises if I see that knife pointed at me. [Or at anyone else she cared about, but that was probably a given. Freya felt that was fair.]

[Reaches out with the staff, giving Pen's calf a gentle tap.] You gonna hold him all day, or we gonna get back to what we were doing?

Don't worry. He won't disobey. And give him time, maybe you'll warm up to him.

[Tonberry nods in affirmation, and rather laconically gives Freya a thumbs up.]

And yeah...I think we should get back to it. [Giving him one last pat on the head, she waves him away and he vanishes...knife, lantern, and all.]

Let's get to it.

[Freya smiles, leaning down to press a quick peck to the shorter woman's forehead.] You sure know how to spoil a girl.

[And she turns back to reassemble her gear.]

[Semi Closed] And your Bingo card

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