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Post by The Sidhe on Jun 11, 2014 21:15:51 GMT -5
It was a lovely day to be on the Crimean Peninsula. With only a few rolling white clouds gliding along amongst an endless expanse of blue, the sun shone brightly down over the land. Even inland amongst the rocks and forests, the light made the scenery glow. Everything appeared in high contrast with so much illumination. Pale rocks jutted out of sad looking grass at random, their surfaces smooth if cracked and worn. Some were homes for withered looking trees, sporting dry bark and unfortunate pine needles. Beyond and around that, though, were the forests. Great woods colored in shades of orange and gold and red blanketed much of the land, breaking off suddenly at the top of a hill before it gently rolled down into a valley. Within that valley was where the town of Luchistoe would be found. It was incredibly small. Small and old buildings that looked to be made of some combination of wood and plaster sat short against the ground, single stories everywhere with arching roofs and dangling eaves. The roads were dirt, the only thing that even resembled paving being smack in the middle near the little orthodox chapel. The dwellings began in the middle, clustered but drawing apart steadily until the little farmhouses and make-shift barns appeared. Sheep dotted one side, appearing to have been recently shorn by how light their wooly coats were. Cattle inhabited the other side of the valley, meandering slowly while others seemed intent on napping under the afternoon sun. Only a single road led out of town. On that road, perhaps twenty minutes away by foot lingering behind a stray rock as not to be seen, was Daryna. At thirteen years old she barely managed to appear five feet tall, not having developed much of a figure yet and with a bit of roundness lingering in her face near rosy cheeks. Straight blonde hair fell in two braids to her waists, hanging over her shoulders down her front. The girl kept sneaking quick glances back at the little town she called home with dark eyes, appearing equal parts suspicious and worried. The white peasant shirt she wore glowed under the sunlight, making the red embroidery around the cinched sleeves and neckline stand out starkly. A high-waist and equally red skirt with patchwork pockets fell just below her knees, tied with a gold sash that had equally long loose ends. The boots on her feet reached just above her ankles, appearing work-worn and dusty. Daryna stood vaguely to the side. She was just hidden enough that no one would spot her at a distance, but still in a position where she could watch. She didn’t want them to know if it wasn’t necessary. Of course it wasn’t really her decision, it was the team’s. Wearing a vague frown, she turned away and leaned back against the rock. Bad idea. It had grown hot under the sun and Daryna squeaked and drew quickly away from the shock of heat. Pouting at the offending lump of solid earth, she sighed and rolled her shoulders. They still stung a bit. Kicking at the pale dirt, the blonde held her shoulders hunch and her gaze downcast. Her entire body felt stiff and heavy, like she’d been working out in the pastures nonstop for days. Granted she worked outside every day anyway teaching her little brother how to properly get the sheep where they needed to go, but that was beside the point. Daryna could feel her stomach doing back flips, thoughts going a mile a minute. She wanted so badly to help, and she knew exactly how much trouble she would be in if the town found out what she had done. They would never trust her again, not with their backwards bias. Daryna couldn’t understand. Children were going missing, her friends were going missing, the little ones she looked after. Didn’t they want it to stop? Didn’t the parents want revenge? Didn’t they know they weren’t able to handle it? The image of milky eyes returned every time she blinked. Shaking her head, Daryna told herself it would be alright. Even if they didn’t listen to her idea, it would be alright. All they had to do was kill the old woman in the woods. All she had to do… Daryna deftly gripped her right wrist with her left, wringing it so hard her knuckles turned white. Her gaze slid to the ground, dark eyes appearing rim and far away. All she had to do was hide.
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Post by Levi Kastein on Jun 17, 2014 23:32:52 GMT -5
Another mission in Europe but thankfully it wasn’t in that pitiable France, unfortunately it was also farther away from The Netherlands but there wasn’t much to be done about that. With any luck the mission would actually prove to be worth his intervention. No people capable but unwilling to fix their own problems or kishin that a strong gust of wind could have just as easily disposed of. Maybe he put too much concern in the previous missions but he had yet to encounter one that satisfied him with a worthy challenge, the first was close but even that turn out to be lacking in the end.
Based on the mission briefing before they left Levi wasn’t very optimistic of getting what he wanted. The people seemed annoying and were likely to get on his nerves fairly easily. Preparing to deal with them and the mission he wore his usual outfit of boots, black jeans, and open jacket. At his side was his sword resting where it should be in case he needed to assert his title of royalty to some uncooperative peasant. Irene would enable him to deal with whatever the kishin egg was easily enough so there was no need for additional concern.
Done preparing what he needed it was a simple walk over to the airport where they could start this bother. Shibusen at least had the common sense to not question him about the sword at his side so that was one advantage the flight had. With Zegen and Irene he was prepared for pretty much any annoyance that presented itself to him. With the school understanding him better the flight quality seemed to be improving with each mission they undertook, or they were trying to placate him after the displeasure he had made clear in the last mission report.
When the flight took off they grew closer to getting things started and in turn ending things, though hopefully not too soon together. Now that they were in the sky and Levi was where he should be, above everyone, he let his mind wander over what was to come. The mission itself didn’t bother him in the slightest but he did keep an optimistic thought in the back of his mind that the kishin egg would be a challenge to him. With his mind wandering however the words Irene said to him on the last mission brought themselves to the front of his thoughts.
The idea that she was going to understand him completely was unlikely. He was royalty and she was not, simply put they would never understand each other exactly. Despite that Irene did have a point to her statement; losing synchronization would be problematic if they were in the middle of a battle. Maybe it wouldn’t be so disastrous on this mission but on higher ranks it could prove an actual threat. It was something he would have to keep in mind at least partially, but hopefully other kishin eggs wouldn’t aggravate him like that last one.
Levi would not actually voice these thoughts of course unless he utterly had to for some reason. Keeping them to himself and doing what he needed to would work fine enough without vocally saying he was. Looking down from the plane he watched as they passed over Europe and where he should rightfully be instead of cleaning up other people’s messes. The plane’s descent let him know they were close to being where the mess was and with any luck a worthwhile fight awaited him. Exiting the plane he dropped his sunglasses from the top of his head to rest over his eyes and glanced around what awaited them.
The area they were in was alright. Devoid of peasants to dirty it the nature that they saw was fine enough but he preferred that of his own country much better. Unfortunately the travel wasn’t completed and a car was waiting for them to bring them to the actual place they needed to go. Begrudgingly Levi complied and allowed the vehicle to chauffer him and Irene to the necessary location. This was such a hassle and they hadn’t even reached the mission location yet, any optimism of this mission being worthwhile was draining from Levi.
Finally the car came to a stop and let them out on a singular road they could walk on. Did they think that the team would need to be put on a road where it was night impossible to go wrong? Another factor that made this mission all the more annoying! Despite his annoyance at being forced to walk the path he would have been bothered more if the car remained with them, he didn’t need fodder getting in his way. Sighing he started down the only available path not focused on anything in particular.
Slowly walking down the path Levi waited for the peasant town to come into view so he could asses just how badly it looked. It also crossed his mind that they were supposed to meet someone for the mission and there had been no described location. If there was only one road into the town that wouldn’t be a major inconvenience though. They would find out once they reached the pathetic town anyway so they just had to wait more to find out.
As the town drew closer a somewhat odd sight appeared ahead of them. Some little girl was standing by the road with a rock behind her. It caught him as odd because she seemed to be waiting for someone but wasn’t in the town where waiting would probably be easier. She looked like she could even be their contact but there was only one way to find out. Levi wished she wasn’t but either way they were looking for a little girl, someone they would have to pay attention to amidst the actual fighting.
”If you’re standing there you must be waiting for something.”
Simple enough, either she was waiting for them or she wasn’t. Whatever her intentions they would know and could act accordingly.
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Irene Dixon
Weapon
Demon Corseque
Wake me up. I'm living a nightmare.
Posts: 108
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Post by Irene Dixon on Jun 28, 2014 22:29:57 GMT -5
A new mission awaited them. That’s the thought she tried to run through her mind over and over during her morning routine. Her and Levi were heading out once again, getting stronger, helping people… While she still had her doubts on whether this was all worth it, she still kept pushing. She wanted to get stronger. That’s… all she could really think to do now-a-days. Out the door, Irene’s outfit fell into her normal patterns, as well as her make-upless face and double sided hair style. To the airport, meeting up with Levi… things were moving by quickly from her perspective. She felt like she was moving in slow motion while everyone was quick as lightning around her. Irene was nervous. The woman remembered speaking very quickly to Levi at the end of their last mission and they hadn’t much talked since. While it wouldn’t have really bothered her before, it did now. If he got emotional and she got emotional… all hell was going to break loose. This pit in her stomach… this sinking feeling… She never felt it before when she had been approaching a mission. What didn’t help was seeing Levi’s sword. He had ditched it in their previous mission, but now it was back. Was it because she had said something? Was this his way of getting her back for questioning him? Did he not trust her? Was he worried that she wouldn’t be enough? The sinking feeling in her stomach just increasingly got worse during the plane ride. And the car ride. No matter what conclusion she drew, it didn’t seem that the cards were stacked anywhere near in her favor today. She was uneasy about everything. One thing was somewhat calming. Levi seemed to be normal. His generally displeased demeanor looked intact. Every time something occurred that lacked that little extra luster, she could almost see the sneer cross his face. He still thought of himself as the King of the World. A King who needed to bring another weapon… Silence. Unnerving in her current state of mind but also what she prefered. Irene couldn’t voice her concerns to Levi. Hell, he’d probably get rid of her. The whole plane ride, the car ride, she let the silence remain between them. Not like they had much to chitchat about anyway. Then they were left on a road. A dirt road. Hands placed in her pockets, Irene moved after her partner. Staying a step or two behind him, it was partially her trying to give him command and she also wanted to keep his attention off her as much as possible. Not that she found him overly observant or interested in her… but her newfound reactions to events was pretty obvious and readable. And for him to notice she was fidgety and nervous about what was to come… would not be positive. The dirt of the road slowly began to kick up and create a light dusting over her black boots. It wasn’t a huge deal, it did tend to happen pretty much all the time. The sun was beating down on them. The sky mostly clear. A few rocks scattered the road. And… a girl? A vague perplexed look crossed Irene’s features, the girl in red and white clothing. Was she hiding? It was possible this was the girl they were supposed to talk to. She was so very young. Her partner spoke first, something she tended to find him doing often. Irene never really realized how much she thought through things before opening her mouth. Like a delayed reaction time of verbal communication. His words weren’t quite as harsh as normal, possibly because she was a child? Still, she was thankful. A faint smile crossing the woman’s face, she moved to be near her partner’s side rather than behind. “Or, hopefully, someone.” Why she felt the need to add that, Irene couldn’t really tell. If she had to guess, it was because the girl was young. She didn’t want King of the World Levi facing off against an innocent child. As much as she didn’t view herself as one who could sand off the rough edges, she certainly hoped she could do better than Levi in respect of coarseness.
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Post by The Sidhe on Jun 29, 2014 20:53:39 GMT -5
Daryna didn’t even notice the team until they’re footsteps broke through her racing thoughts. Her shoulders jumped and she released her wrist, shoving her right hand into the patchwork pocket on the corresponding side of her skirt. The blonde tried very hard to calm her thudding heart. There’s nothing to be afraid of, she told herself. Still staring a bit wide-eyed and appearing very still, Daryna gave a small wave with the hand that wasn’t hidden.
When they reached her, she felt very small, and it wasn’t just from her own height being not much at all, even for thirteen. The boy looked entirely unimpressed. Whether it was with the situation or with her was something Daryna could only guess at. The girl seemed at least a bit nicer but also reserved. Daryna opened her mouth to answer and paused, shutting it again for just a moment. Ukrainian wouldn’t help. English was what she wanted. Narrowly avoiding embarrassment, Daryna spoke in a soft tone. Her voice was surprisingly steady given the circumstances, still higher in pitch but beginning to mature. “Someone, yes,” she said in almost perfect English, nodding to both of them, “I am Daryna Zelenko.”
Daryna bent at the waist and bowed very slightly, keeping her shoulders hunched and appearing as though she wanted very much to vanish. The two were certainly imposing. She hadn’t really known what to expect, but to be fair it was them that made her nervous. She glanced again quickly to the town but righted her gaze onto the two who could only be the team. “I vait for you, I assume.” She couldn’t waste time with small questions that mattered little. They needed to get things underway. The quicker they made it to the woods, the better. If they lingered on the outskirts she could pass the two off as hikers who got lost or tourists, but if they lingered too long…
The blond shifted her weight to her other leg, shuffling her feet a bit in the process. She let her right hand remain in her pocket. Daryna held her left across her waist like a small shield, appearing very stiff. Making eye contact with either of the strangers was…difficult. They were older, they were taller, and they were stronger. What was she? Nothing much at all. A shepherd. A naïve girl. A mon-
Daryna settled for switching her attention between the two, focusing on one and then the other once one set of eyes began to bore too deep into hers. She started with the boy, though. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but his presence just demanded more attention. “It vould be better for me to explain on the vay. The sooner ve get to the forest, the sooner this vill end,” she told them, beginning to appear a bit more solemn, her features appearing tightly drawn. Dark eyes shifted to the girl, “The vay I vould recommend loops around the pastures. Ve could go through the town, but…”
Daryna turned her head a notch, gazing down to the little houses in the valley. Tension drew tightly across her chest and made her voice sound more dry. “The pastures vould be easier. They…don’t know you are here.” The blonde glanced back to the team and then down at the toes of her boots. “It may be best if that stays the same, but it is ultimately up to you.” Her right hand clenched into a fist within the confines of the patchwork, making her arm stiffen a bit by proxy. Daryna tried to ignore the feeling of creeping anxiety already starting to settle into her nerves.
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Post by Levi Kastein on Jul 8, 2014 15:35:46 GMT -5
The girl was being cooperative at least so she wasn’t completely intolerable to deal with. She answered them and confirmed Irene’s words with her own. The next words she said made the encounter even less worthless as she was the person they were supposed to meet. Levi wasn’t thrilled to have a kid as their mission contact but at the least she might be less annoying than the last two contacts they had to meet. After her introduction Daryna bowed to them and cemented her position as less annoying than the last two contacts, finally somebody that knew how to act in the presence of royalty.
She confirmed that she was the contact for them shortly after the bow was finished. Meeting her here cut out the wasted time it would take to find her in the city. Now she just had to continue the trend and not bog them down with meaningless backstory about what was going on. Hopefully she would get the hint that he didn’t care about what led up to the kishin becoming a problem and was just there to remove the problem.
”Good, you saved us the trouble of having to find you.”
He couldn’t tell exactly how she felt from her actions but it was something he certainly had never experienced, some commoner emotion that would just get in the way of his royal importance. It was slightly annoying as she should be feeling awe and reverence to him. Her next sentiment was something Levi couldn’t agree more with; lead them there while explaining so it didn’t eat up time with useless dribble. Her next words however broke from the reasonableness that he was picking up from her until that point. Looping around sounded like it would extend the time it took to reach the kishin.
Walking through pastures was not something Levi had in mind and not something he intended to do unless it was absolutely necessary. So the town didn’t know they were here to deal with the problem they clearly were to stupid to deal with themselves? Well he didn’t see any reason for them not to know, even if they were anti-Shibusen they could only be so anti-logic. The worst they could do was try to get in his way and stop him from taking that kishin egg and that was what Zegen was for if it came to it.
”You said it yourself, the sooner we get there the better. So just take us whatever way gets to the thing faster.”
If the town wanted to start anything it would just be some fodder for him to get a warm up on before they got to the real target. Hell maybe the thing would be ready for them and he could have an actual fight with it. If the town took longer though he could tolerate avoiding it for the sake of saving time and reaching the monster all the sooner. Hopefully the girl wouldn’t turn out to be too disappointing in her guidance like the others.
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Irene Dixon
Weapon
Demon Corseque
Wake me up. I'm living a nightmare.
Posts: 108
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Post by Irene Dixon on Jul 15, 2014 23:32:13 GMT -5
The closer the team got to the child, the more Irene realized how nervous she looked. Large eyes looking at them, a backward vibe coming from her, and a sort of tenseness in her overall body language. Still… This could be because she was young and meeting two complete strangers on the road. Not to mention the place not being super happy about weapons. There could be an issue or two going on that her and Levi were unaware of.
Irene was nervous for what was to come. After the girl had opened and closed her mouth, she wondered if Levi just might lash out. Catching her words in her throat could not be at the top of his fun list. Taking a quick glance to Levi and then back to the girl, just to check him, she felt her body relax somewhat when she heard the girl speak in English. So this was their contact. That was helpful. Then… the bow came. Not exactly sure how to respond to that sort of greeting, Irene’s tenseness returned to her body. It made her uncomfortable. Never had she seen someone bow in front of her, besides at a music recital or something of that sort. But this wasn’t the end of her performance… Once again, she glanced to her partner to see what his reaction might be.
A little surprised but also calming down, she could have sworn Levi seemed pleased. Must be the royalty part of him. The jerk probably thought he deserved it. The mental name calling settled her nerves a bit, allowing her relax her posture a bit. Hands still in her pockets, weight shifted lightly to her one side. If Levi could be on the side of happy, she could at least not be freaking out. Even if he was still an ass in his ‘happy’ place.
A glance towards the town. Irene caught it. Afterall, she had looked over the surrounding area enough for now. Pretty basic and no kishin was a immediate threat. So she felt little use in studying the scenery. Now the girl… Watching her was good. Didn’t need another contact kishin, did they? It was surprising how at ease the kid could sound but still appear nervous. Shifting her weight, almost like she hoped she could tiptoe away from them. Crossing her arm in front of her, a physical sign of closing herself off or protecting herself.
Irene thought of possibly crouching down a bit, to get closer to the level of the girl. It was surprising how young she was, yet… students at Shibusen could be that young. A crazy world this was. Her thoughts of shifting position were cut from her mind. Daryna hoped to move. She said her motives were for all of this to end quickly. But then… she suggested going through the pastures instead of town. Avoidance. There was an issue with town. Glance before, avoiding the place now… And once again she looked to the place. It was her home, but she was afraid of the team going there. And then that became clear as well. Daryna hadn’t told them that the team was coming.
Levi spoke again and Irene turned her head somewhat towards him. Trying to read the male along with his words. Did he want an issue with the town? She hardly thought he would go out of his way to make trouble… but she never could tell. But…. faster would be better. As much as she was nervous about facing another kishin, putting it off wouldn’t help at all. Especially if people were at risk.
“I agree. Whatever is the quickest route. Including possible situations that could hold us up.”
Town was fine, as long as people didn’t try to hold them up. Pastures were fine, she didn’t mind a walk. She wasn’t exactly sure if Levi had hidden intentions or not, but what he said was fine enough. Get there quick and get the soul of the thing.
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Post by The Sidhe on Jul 25, 2014 23:59:39 GMT -5
Whatever way was quickest, they said.
Whatever got them to the monster fastest, they said.
Then the town is the best way, was the grim thought ringing within Daryna’s mind. They may have handed her down a death sentence from the way her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, but Daryna tried very hard to keep it from showing on her face, remaining as stoic as possible aside from large, dark eyes seeming to stare into an abyss only she could see. Nodding slowly, she lifted her head and glanced between the two of them. “Then through the town ve vill go. Please, follow me closely.”
Daryna crept carefully past them, hesitating a moment before stepping out from behind her hiding place by the rocks. The dusty path led them towards the village, the valley opening up before them down a slowly sloping hill. Daryna walked slightly in front of them, not sluggish but certainly not quick. Her eyebrows knit together, eyes downcast. Her lips pressed her mouth into a thin line.
She would need an excuse.
Few visited Luchistoe for anything more than the forests and directions. Photographers searching for scenery, hikers seeking new trails. Occasionally they would receive a lost tourist. Daryna spared a quick glance back at the team. When her eyes flitted back to the nearing village, it was clear in her mind that they resembled exactly none of those things. But if she was to get them through unobstructed, she would need to at least try.
Daryna swallowed dryly, looking back at the team over her shoulder, dark eyes angled towards the boy rather than the girl out of assumption. “Do not speak to them, do not look at them. There are few who come here, travelers, picture takers, lost ones.” She spoke quietly but firmly, not intending to sound commanding so much as sound. “Few more than myself speak English. I vill tell any who ask you are travelers. If they do not listen…” Daryna paused, eyes fading to look around at the pastures now lying on either side of them, to the shaky looking fences held with wire. “I hope their fear stops them from beingk foolish.”
For once Daryna was thankful that the herding dogs were basking on the other side of the pastures where the flocks were. If they saw her they would do nothing, but two accompanying strangers would make them raise the alarm. She tried to keep breathing, the little ramshackle houses coming into view, thin veins of smoke rising from shotty looking chimneys. Stone began cropping up beneath their feet in random intervals, growing more frequent as they got closer. Daryna noted she was grinding her teeth and forced herself to relax, take a deep breath. It would be okay. It had to be okay, and if it wasn’t…
“Vhat is the school like?”
The question slipped past her lips before she could stop it. Her shoulders jumped and she missed a step, catching herself and stammering, “I-if it is alright to a-ask, of course!” She could feel her cheeks burning and turned her eyes back to stare straight ahead. Her left hand wound around her right wrist again, squeezing it tight as she held it close to her stomach. It’ll be okay, it’ll be okay. Daryna repeated this over and over again as they reached the town, passing by the first stark white walls of little houses with metal doors.
The town was shaped as a circle around a bumpy stone center, rocks set into the earth who knows how long ago. Each home couldn’t have been more than three rooms, all sporting shabby looking doors and as though the windows likely couldn’t open. Tools for farming sat outside, leaning against walls in the miniscule alleys. A few dogs and cats lay lazily in the sun. Small children huddled near them, silent rather than playing. Each and every one eyed the forest before their eyes snapped to Daryna and her entourage.
They weren’t the only ones to notice. The third house they had to pass happened to be hers. As Daryna stepped past the open door, her mother’s voice made her freeze. <<Daryna? Who have you brought with you?>> Daryna quickly flicked her left hand further in front of her, dark eyes darting to the team in hopes they understood to keep moving past her. She then peered in at the similarly blonde woman inside by her little brother, yanked a shy smile onto her face. <<Just some travelers. They were wondering the way around the dangerous part of the trees, so I promised to guide them.>> Daryna turned on her heel quickly, moving ahead before she heard her mother’s hand hit the rickety door frame.
<<And how do these traveler’s know of what plagues us?>>
Daryna felt like her entire body morphed into metal, joints locked in place as she realized her mistake. She was so stupid! The deep breath she took was shaky, her gaze glued to the dusty and worn stone they stood upon. Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted. Now what? Now what?
Her mother resembled her greatly, not even that much taller than her daughter. Her long blonde hair was twisted back into a longer braid, her brown eyes steely her stare bore holes into the back of her daughter’s head while she moved out into the open. <<Daryna Yekaterina Zelenko, what have you done?>> Her tone was icy. They were attracting attention. Daryna could see children darting into their homes, their mothers wandering out to see what was wrong. The farmers out in the pastures were shielding their eyes to see them, ambling slowly closer. Doors were opening; her little brother appeared behind her mother, hanging off of the back of her skirt. And it was about to get worse.
<<Daryna!>>
She jumped, standing straight and stiff as a board at the sound of her uncle’s voice. Daryna reluctantly shifted and turned towards the sound of his voice, watched the closest thing the town had to a mayor walk briskly towards them. He still held his shepherd’s cane and had a face like thunder as he continued to shout at her, <<Who are those two?>> Daryna could feel her mouth opening, but no sound came out. What should she do? What should she say? When she didn’t answer quickly enough he glared past her to the team. “Who are you?”
Daryna had the sinking feeling that it wasn’t going to be okay.
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Post by Levi Kastein on Aug 1, 2014 2:05:59 GMT -5
How this mission would progress was greatly up to the path they took to get to whatever kishin his was. On their first there was no problem, just solid victory against a filthy mongrel. Their second mission was less ideal however and they just made it in time to prevent another victim being added to the peasant’s toll. This time Levi wanted no close calls and to do that they needed to get to the kishin egg and finish it off as quickly as they could. It was good to hear that Irene agreed with him that the quickest path was the best.
With their contact being a child his expectations were lower and his tolerance ever so slightly higher. That didn’t prevent suspicion from forming when she answered them though. If going through the town was faster then why even bother suggesting some alternate path? If she was more competent it sounded like a good strategy for a kishin egg but that fear was all but non-existent. Obviously she wasn’t thrilled about going through the town but she complied so at the least she wasn’t being difficult. Levi could care less about her reasoning for not wanting to take the easy way through the town, as long as the kishin was at the end.
Daryna may as well have been crawling toward the village with how slow she was moving. Maybe it was just because Levi wanted this mission to be the farthest thing from a repeat of the last one. Whatever the case he didn’t have that much choice, she had to show them where the thing was. On the bright side it would let them conserve energy for the actual fight. Focusing on miniscule positives like that was a pain and would be promptly stopped.
When Daryna turned around the last thing Levi expected were orders. Had this been an adult he would have told them exactly how much he cared about these instructions. Instead he remained quiet and actually let her speak. He got that she was giving reasons but none of them made any sense to him. So what if they weren’t used to people? Doubtful that they were used to monsters killing their people but here we were! She was going to do what she could to keep things under control so he could attempt to comply. Instead of actually saying anything he forced himself to nod and remain mostly quiet.
”Right.”
When the houses started to come into view Levi’s mind moved from the orders to the village alone, a look of disgust appearing on his face from looking at the horror before him. How could any filth that lived here refuse anything from anyone? Him spitting on the ground would probably raise the value of the village to something almost respectable. He hoped Daryna was right and the people avoided them, it would save him the pain of having to see let alone interact with someone.
After the orders the question that came was hardly expected. It had nothing to do with the current situation and was ultimately boring. If she wanted to know about the school she could learn it from somebody who was there voluntarily. His job was to deal with the messes idiots got themselves into so he could make Irene a Death Scythe and prove that he was just better than everyone else. Explaining to little girls the inner workings of something he only cared slightly for was not part of his job. It did at least clear the repulsion from his face but he responded simply by shrugging.
”It’s alright I guess, nothing too special.”
There was learning and there was fighting, in all it wasn’t too different from what he had been doing prior. Irene might have a different view but that was for her to deal with, he wasn’t going to waste time talking about it. Instead he focused on thinking of things to do in the upcoming kishin fight to take his mind off of the town around him. Since he knew next to nothing about the kishin they would be facing he couldn’t plan too far ahead but running at it and stabbing at the head had worked pretty well so far.
Ignoring the town in his mind seemed to be working pretty well until voices started. Firstly he couldn’t understand them and secondly Daryna clearly did. That she understood them wasn’t the problem but that she was affected by them was. Without her guiding them they would be going after the thing blind, and he wasn’t letting that annoyance happen. He understood the motion to move past her but he did so only slightly. Moving further down the path he waited so Daryna was still near enough to return to guiding them.
Levi tuned out the entire event and waited for Daryna to return and show them the way. Crossing his arms he waited as the words that meant nothing to him were exchanged. The tone was irrelevant as far as he was concerned. All this was to him was a pain that was delaying them from reaching their goal and killing the kishin egg. The longer they took the more chances it had to get another snack and he wasn’t going to fail and have somebody die. Daryna had his tolerance from his normal wrath but the rest of the village was not afforded the same treatment.
Noticing the audience they were gaining would normally make Levi happier but the whole situation was a pain in his ass and slowing them down. Daryna returned after wasting enough time and they could be off, until more voices showed up. He understood the name and turned to the asshole that was standing in the way of their progress. He could tell the man held power in some form but it was merely a speck compared to his own. The words meant nothing to him but the tone pissed him off! They had shit to do that wasn’t pandering to the fit of some insufferable fool.
Levi deserved some applause and gifts for remaining silent as long as he had but it just wasn’t in his nature. When the old guy had the audacity to glare at him and speak like he could command him it was over. Returning the glare Levi took a step toward the man and matched his level of voice.
”I am Prince Levi Kastein! Now sit down and let me do what I came here for.”
He knew this was a possibility from the beginning and had planned accordingly. Irene had a tendency of doing as he wanted and right now that was what he wanted most. He held a position of power and he made that known plus he wasn’t a demon weapon. They had no reason to direct their idiotic beliefs against him as long as Irene didn’t get involved. With any luck he could easily scare the fool down and they could be on their way. Keeping his eyes locked with the old man he waited for him to break.
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Irene Dixon
Weapon
Demon Corseque
Wake me up. I'm living a nightmare.
Posts: 108
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Post by Irene Dixon on Aug 2, 2014 14:15:06 GMT -5
For the most part, Irene watched the child. Not too much of a change had occurred, the girl seemed to be thinking. Her assumption was that Daryna was debating which path would be fastest, taking into consideration that the town could be an issue and going the long way around. Let her weigh the options then, Irene was sure her and Levi could not do so with as much accuracy. Their knowledge of the area was extremely limited.
It wasn’t too long before they got a nod and a verbal answer. To town it was then. Irene wasn’t sure she was happy with this answer… People that might not take kindly to her could pose a problem. And if they decided to be a pain to Levi. Well… She wasn’t quite sure he could behave either. Doubting the choice that had been made, Irene hoped that she wouldn’t regret not pushing to take the longer way. For now they had to follow. The girl started towards the village, Levi following and Irene staying pretty much in step with him. Hands in her pockets, Irene tried to push the worry from her mind. Today would go fine. Town. Mission. It would go smoothly. Levi was here, both of them could handle whatever came to them.
The time so far had been in silence since they started walking towards town with the girl in lead. But then… she turned and spoke to them. Well, more Levi. The words were those of worry and/or uncertainty. That wasn’t good. Irene hadn’t caught that Daryna was really nervous about taking them through town, not when she had made the decision. She should have watched more carefully. From what she said, this was going to be more of an issue than she would like. Glancing to her partner, she hoped he wouldn’t lash out at the ‘orders.’ While the girl didn’t sound like she was trying to take charge of him, the phrasing was not something Irene assumed the prince would enjoy.
That regret was coming back and nothing had even really happened yet. Sinking feeling returned as well. Today was going to suck. The question from Daryna was semi-welcomed by Irene. While Levi pretty much dismissed the question, from the last mission Irene knew that he didn’t like to be sidetracked. Getting the mission done was pretty high on his priority list.
“Like many things, it is what you make it. If you want it to be eventful and a building up of your personal self, it can be just that. If you want it to be useless time passing, it can certainly be that waste of time.”
A faint encouraging grin had found its way onto Irene’s face. The girl was nervous. A distracting question, instantly trying to not seem rude for asking. They were getting closer to the town and Irene longed to have gone the other way as well.
Here they were though. Eyes darting about the place, she took a few glances to her meister as well. Much less grand than his highness would like. Although… Irene couldn’t say she really knew what Levi did prefer, she didn’t know if she had ever seen him pleased with his surroundings. She could be sure that would be quite a magnificent sight. For the moment they were surrounded by stone, shabby buildings, and obviously a working people. Nervous working people…
Taking a deep breath, Irene attempted to prepare herself for the problems that were yet to come. A female’s voice had called their companions name, though the rest of the meaning was lost to Irene. She caught Daryna’s signal for the team and looked to Levi for direction. She would follow his lead. He moved onward but not out of direct range of the girl. They couldn’t wander. Irene heard the words but kept her eyes off the pair. Daryna had answered, woman spoke again, then silence. Silence on Daryna’s end wasn’t good, especially since she didn’t return to them.
Inching closer to her partner, Irene certainly did not want to be far from his side. The aggravated tone of the woman brought her to attention, causing Irene to quickly bring her attention to focus on the girl and woman. Blonde woman. Pretty short. Obvious relative. Older sister? A good a guess as any, Irene’s focus turned to Daryna. The girl held no ease any longer, which only worried Irene further. Mouthing a single word, she hoped to bring their guide back to them. Just get through the village. That’s all they wanted.
“Come.”
A silent word, the simple mouthing. Irene was worried, but not angry at Daryna. It was an encouragement to come to their side and to continue on. But… another voice rang out the young girl’s name and this time it was male. Oh for the love of all things… Tensing somewhat, Irene’s attention moved to that of the man Daryna was now looking to. Something was said, Daryna didn’t answer, so they soon found out what it had been. Who were they.
Oh no… That was just inviting him to-- yep. Levi to open his mouth. Not only that, he further asserted his own dominance by stepping forward. Irene did no such thing. Letting Levi step ahead of her, her eyes moved to Daryna quickly. She wouldn’t beckon her again, but she wanted to try and at least make it clear that she still wanted the girl to come there. This confrontation of prince and man of the town could go well or go horribly wrong. Time would tell, but no matter what they need Daryna.
Hands still in her pockets, she kept her main attention off the other man and returned her look to Levi. Trying to keep her worry and unsettledness from her expression, she tried to focus on her admiration of her partner. If she looked ready to follow his orders even to her own death, maybe the other man would let the prince do as he wished. How she wished she could talk to Levi without others hearing her words… They didn’t have time to waste on his stupid fight for power, but she certainly didn’t want to hurt the chances that his status might actually help for once.
Time would tell.
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Post by The Sidhe on Aug 3, 2014 13:55:15 GMT -5
Her ears rang.
The knowledge that she had been walking along with a prince may have shocked Daryna if not for her state of being frozen with fear. Please listen, please listen. He was as loud and commanding as her uncle, but the old of the two didn’t even finch, fueled by bias and rage, but he had shifted his attention for the time being. Cold, dark eyes that ran in the family were trained solely on her and Daryna could not remember another time had she had felt so small. Her shoulders hunched, left hand curling into her chest while her right plunged back into her skirt pocket out of habit. She needed to calm down; she needed to get a handle on her fear otherwise-
His attention shifted again and Daryna felt the weight lift just a little. She glanced to the girl with him and tried to will her feet to move, but they wouldn’t budge. If she could get nearer to her, she may be safer, even as her mother hooked her hand around her elbow and yanked her back. Daryna dug in her heels and didn’t face her. <<Daryna, you come inside this instant!>> Daryna didn’t listen, however sharp her mother’s tone was. She was still transfixed as her uncle continued to speak to the prince.
“I don’t care who you are. We have no princes here!” He gestured with his cane to the golden woods visible beyond the town, a scowl painting his face. “We can handle this ourselves, is private matter! Turn around and leave our town, we have no need of you!” He didn’t draw any nearer to Levi, the only smart thing he’d done for the entire conversation.
But Daryna’s fear was replaced by frustration at his words. Even with all her wanting to be nowhere near the two, she pulled free of her mother’s grip with surprising ease and took several firm steps forward, slipping into English in response to his. “Are you insane? We have no need of them here? Do you want more children to die?”
He seemed baffled by her sudden willfulness in spike of the shrill tone she took with him. Her voice shook as she continued slowly forward, stopping only half way between her mother and the prince. Her uncle regained his look of fury and spat back, “You who brought heathens into our home have no right to speak, now go with your mother! We’ll deal with you later.”
“They are not heathens!” Daryna stomped one of her feet against the ground, frustration beginning to show on her face and making her raise her voice. Her heart was beating like a hammer; she could feel her eyes burning. “I called them here, yes, because we need their help!” She pointed past the girl to the woods. “Do you want more children taken by that hag? Do you want another one of your children taken?” The words were flying out of her mouth before she even registered what she was doing. Her voice was shaking so badly she could barely get them out, her tone coming out as unintentional acidic. “Are you such a cowardly fool you would rather bury another son than accept help because of your backwards ways?”
Her uncle was storming away from the prince in a moment, cane held at a familiar angle. Every last bit of cutting frustration drained from Daryna as she backpedaled away from him, but she didn’t get very far. He took greater strides than her, possessed more blind fury and Daryna saw the cane come up. The sound of it travelling through the air made her shut her eyes and throw her right hand in front of her before she realized how bad of an idea that was.
The sound of the cane snapping in two and a hysterical sob from her mother made her open her eyes.
In the place of her right hand was the head of a shestopyor. Light glinted off the flared edges of metal and illuminated her uncle’s stunned face. She used the time to dart away, shoving her right hand quickly into her pocket stray nearer to the girl. She felt safer the closer she was to her. Her left hand covered her mouth, eyes wide, her whole body shaking. She could still feel the weight in her pocket. It wasn’t going away. She wanted her hand back but that metal bludgeon wouldn’t leave! All she had to do was hide, and she hadn’t been able to do that.
It wasn’t going to be okay.
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Post by Levi Kastein on Aug 5, 2014 2:05:56 GMT -5
Like he expected would happen Irene was more informative to the girl about Shibusen. Her answer however was less interesting than he imagined. Vague and devoid of any real details, at least it didn’t waste any time for them. Hopefully Daryna wouldn’t bog them down with any more questions but if she dis he would leave the answering to Irene. It was bad enough Levi was trying to think of how to fight the kishin egg with next to no real information on what it was. If the surrounding terrain was anything to go off of it was going to be shitty fighting conditions regardless.
Again Irene was proving to be useful, attempting to get Daryna to her. All the idiots could do what they wanted but they needed Daryna at least until she got them to the kishin egg. All the talking in languages that Levi didn’t understand just encouraged him to ignore the people talking but it was holding up their progress. Unfortunately it was up to Daryna to try and handle things and she was clearly not cut out for the task. She was too invested and every word practically made her jump out of her skin. Ideally his assertion of status would cause the man to run away with his cane between his legs and they could advance.
The woman moved and spoke some dribble he didn’t understand but the pulling at their contact was clear enough. Obviously she resisted but he wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up against near an entire village. If anyone had some sense they would listen to him and let them do what they came for instead of keeping them there longer by being idiots. Staring at the apparent leader he hoped if status didn’t work intimidation would.
The first hit was that he didn’t care that Levi was royalty. Claiming they had no princes of their own was valid but disregarding his status was not. The idiocy of saying they had things handled was annoying but the initial insult still reverberated in his mind. Then came an order! Claiming they had no princes was one thing but giving him orders was just unthinkable! Clenching his fist he sneered at the man but before he had a chance to open his mouth Daryna attempted to intervene. Standing up to the fool was impressive nut if he couldn’t convince him Levi didn’t have high hopes for her.
Curiosity kept him silent so he could see how Daryna’s words were met. A mistake really as the words that came failed to be of use. Heathens? This pile of filth had the gall to label the great Prince Levi Kastein as a heathen of all things? Up to two strikes Levi tried to restrain himself in the hopes that words could get through the shit in his ears. Trying not to act on his anger was an effort and he should have been awarded for lasting that long. At least Daryna seemed frustrated as well so Irene couldn’t claim it was an anger she failed to understand.
Daryna had some actual information to scream at the fool. Whatever the kishin egg was she referred to it as a hag and it was taking children. That was…mostly useless but at least it gave him an idea of what it would be. Unfortunately even with the new information there was no real time to think about a plan of attack when the immediate problem was pathetically human. She did bring up some good points though so maybe her words would work.
He expected the man to say something in some mock defense, storming away wasn’t even a consideration. Yet here they were and the old man had the audacity to not only not say anything but turn away from him! It caught him off guard and as such Levi was slower to react. Once it registered that he was heading for Daryna Levi went after him. Irene could handle herself but Daryna obviously couldn’t. That delay put him too far behind and the cane was already airborne before he was close enough. Damn, he was doing so well at not lashing out too.
Now the snap was not expected but it did save him the trouble of an injured contact. The man had already hit strike three so he didn’t deserve a warning or some sort of attempt. He got close to the man and Daryna headed toward Irene, good. Moving in front of the man he met the stunned face of an idiot with one of anger. Locking eyes he made his point quick and effective. Dropping a hand to his sword it was a simple matter of slashing it up as he drew it, blade aimed to bite through the man’s wrist.
”A person cowardly enough to raise a hand against someone defenseless doesn’t deserve to have one, let alone lead people.”
Swiping Zegen to the side Levi started to walk toward Irene and Daryna. What happened next with the village he cared little about, it was time they left. Stopping halfway he turned his head around to look at the so called leader and anyone else who he had the attention of.
”And if anyone else tries to stop us I have no problem making this a village of cripples, all done by a normal sword if that makes you feel better.”
Returning to walking to the others he used the time to try and calm down more than he was. Seeing unfit leaders that dared to insult him was one surefire way to piss him off. Could he have reacted better? Probably but he wanted to make sure they didn’t get in their way again. Words only got so far and if he did anything less their anger could be focused on Daryna. She was a weapon so the odds were already stacked against her so he just had to make them hate him all the more.
Once he reached the others he stopped and turned to face the village. Taking Zegen he slashed it in front of him before returning it to his waist to rest. Staring out to the village he rested a hand on the gold handle before speaking.
”If you have any complaints feel free to send them to Shibusen! I’m sure they’d love to hear how you attempted to impede out mission and assault our contact. Now if you mongrels don’t mind I’m going to be a real leader and save your children from dying!”
With one last glare at the town he turned and started walking towards the forest. Obviously that was where they were headed so the sooner the better. As long as there were no other distractions they should still be able to find and kill the kishin egg before any other mutts from the town were killed. Talking was unnecessary, Irene knew enough to follow him and she would make sure Daryna did the same. It didn’t help that he was still controlling his rage from the event. If Daryna needed any help Irene could deal with it, better that be the case in any situation. The sooner they killed the kishin egg and could leave this dump the better.
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Irene Dixon
Weapon
Demon Corseque
Wake me up. I'm living a nightmare.
Posts: 108
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Post by Irene Dixon on Aug 6, 2014 12:25:58 GMT -5
And what time told sucked.
Irene’s ears picked up the sound of Daryna’s relative speaking gibberish, but she refused to look right away. Keep focused on Levi and hopefully this would all just pass over. It didn’t. Irene heard ‘I don’t care...’ pass from the man’s lips and she instantly snapped her gaze to their child guide. Daryna watching the man Levi had been addressing, the female relative had now wrapped her hands around Daryna’s elbow, possibly trying to pull her inside.
Great. This woman was trying to drag away their guide. Even better, Irene had fully heard what the man had said. Her eyes first returning to her meister, then to the ‘leader’ of the town, Irene felt like this wouldn’t end super well. Levi was most assuredly angry by this point. He dismissed Levi’s status as nothing. Dismissed them idiotically. And told Levi what to do. It was just one stupid thing after another to say to her partner. Fighting to not roll her eyes at the ridiculousness that just occurred, she tried to stay focused on what may come next. Irene was worried about Levi’s actions.
Seemingly she had other things to worry over. English caught her ears, coming from a familiar voice. A bit surprised and growing more concerned, her eyes dashed back and forth between the man and Daryna which had broken free from the woman’s grasp. Anger. Frustration. A small child with the same fire as the older man. Though… he looked less in control. They continued to fight, back and forth the words flew. Levi had made no move, but Irene took a wary step closer to the two. She had to do something… But she didn’t want to make it worse… Her hands tightened into fists, her jaw tight and teeth grinding together, she didn’t know how these people might react to any of her decisions. They just seemed absolutely insane.
What Irene feared took place. The escalation and the snap. The man was headed towards the girl, cane raised. “Levi..!” The single word was quiet but urgent. Though she had started towards the girl, her lack of speed would never get her there in time to stop anything, and Levi had a delayed reaction… neither of them…. neither of them could do anything to stop that cane from coming down onto the girl.
An all too familiar sight unfolded. Relief washed through the weapon as she saw Daryna had protected herself. The team had already drawn closer to the pair, making Irene all that much closer when Daryna darted for her.
“Hey hey hey. Look at me.”
The young woman’s voice was quiet and soothing. At Daryna’s approach, Irene shifted her position, kneeling down so that she could be eye level with the younger girl. A faint smile lingering on her lips, she gently held to Daryna’s shoulders and gave them a quick squeeze.
“Focus. Close your eyes and breathe.”
Steadying her own voice, calming her own self, Irene still spoke softly. The small encouraging smile never left her lips. She knew Levi had already taken his own path of action, but she needed to distract Daryna. Irene couldn’t chance looking over Daryna’s shoulder and getting the girl to look back. Whatever Levi chose to do, Irene had to trust him. They were partners, she should give him that much. So for once, she didn’t watch every little movement her partner made and she focused on the younger girl.
Giving one last gentle squeeze to the girl’s shoulders, she moved her hands to the base of Daryna’s jaw. Cupping the girl’s face, her thumbs gently against her cheeks, this was more to guide and keep Daryna’s attention off her uncle and Levi. Irene spoke again. She knew Daryna was worked up, she also knew that in young people that meant loss of control for their weapon forms. And… the way she shoved that hand into her pocket, she assumed the partial could still be there.
“Breathe and calm. Human and weapon. They’re both equally a part of you. Focus on that and focus on what form you want to embrace right now.”
Irene held no anger in her expression, only a faint bit of concern and a good bit of calm. Her voice was surprisingly gentle when compared to her normal nature. But… Irene loved her weapon form. It broke her heart to see someone so afraid of theirs.
Hearing Levi approach before, but not getting close enough, she had continued to talk to Daryna. Vaguely she heard his words but tried not to pay attention too closely so as to keep distracting the girl. Once again she heard his footsteps and once he stopped next to them is the only time she adjusted her eyesight to look at her partner. Zegen was drawn. Not for long, but it had been. Silently, she wondered what she may have missed.
Levi’s parting words from the village were nothing less than what Irene expected from him. Levi would want to be on the move now. And even as she thought this, he started off without them. Lord Death… When she started to think he could be someone to respect, he just had to be an ass again. An amused sigh came from her, then she refocused briefly on Daryna.
“His Highness isn’t a patient man. Let’s catch up to him and make sure he knows where he’s going.”
Standing straight again, she offered her hand to the younger girl if she wanted it, as well as the same encouraging smile she had held before. She wouldn’t let this girl get far enough away from her to let anyone in this town touch her.
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Post by The Sidhe on Aug 9, 2014 16:54:23 GMT -5
Daryna was oblivious to whatever the prince had just said.
Daryna was too busy listening to her heart beating like a hammer. Blood roared in her ears to deafen her, the hand she held over her mouth pressing hard enough to leave an impermanent pink mark when and if she pulled it away. Daryna stared hard at the ground in wide-eyed terror, dark eyes fighting to keep back tears even as they gather regardless. Her face felt hot. She was shaking even though her felt as though it was made of creaky old wood. The fear mixed with the frustration mixed with the anger to form a slow burn that threatened to char the inside of her lungs and sear the back of her throat if she made a single sound.
Daryna was too out of it to startle when the girl that had to be the Weapon knelt in front of her. No wonder she felt safe around her. They were the same in a way, she was just better than Daryna, skilled, older. Controlled. Daryna tried to focus on what she was saying. Her voice made her shoulders lower just a bit from their hunched state, but she still didn’t look at her. Breathing was so difficult with so much smoke in her lungs. If she closed her eyes then tears would fall, but…
She trusted her.
Daryna swallowed thickly and slowly removed her hand from over her mouth. Her lips were drawn into a thin line, pressed tightly shut so they wouldn’t quiver. She shut her eyes and pretended she could feel tears rolling tracks down her face. She managed slow, shaking breaths, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. She wasn’t sure what she should focus on exactly, so she focus on trying to calm down, held on tightly to the sound of the other Weapon’s voice like it was her lifeline.
She felt another squeeze to her shoulders, hands cupping her face, soothing movements against her cheeks that obstructed the path of her tears. Her shoulders lowered a bit more, but she still felt like she was burning. Daryna held onto the other girl’s words, tried to understand. Yes, her Weapon form was a part of her, a part of her that she wished to carve out of her soul and leave by the wayside. Daryna wanted to tear it right out of her, hack off her right hand, never see the metal or feel the weight ever again.
But that was impossible, because the other girl was right no matter how sick it made Daryna feel. Shestopyor. The shestopyor was a part of her, the long handle, the weighted end meant for bashing and crushing and bludgeoning. A weapon of her homeland, something she should be proud of, not scared of. But she wanted her hand back. She wanted her hand back; she needed it to get through the golden wood. She didn’t need the head of the shestopyor, she needed her fingers and thumb hold onto bark and the ground beneath fallen leaves.
In the background she heard her uncle cry out, heard his wife scream. She should have been concerned, except that all she wanted now was to hope that whatever pain her felt would last as long as hers would.
The weight didn’t leave, but Daryna could guess why. She was still too upset; she could still feel her pulse charging through every vein in her body. The burn was less, but it still lingered smoldering inside of her. Daryna opened her eyes just as Irene began speaking again; managing to make eye contact now with a calmer demeanor even if she obviously wasn’t not entirely. She was correct. They really did need to catch up with him since when Daryna looked past her to the prince who she now knew was the Meister, he was heading in the wrong direction. Sighing and shaking her head a bit at the sight of him stalking away, she sniffed and dragged her good hand over each eye to dry them. “He should know that he is headingk in the wrong direction. Ve should hurry.”
At the other Weapon’s offered hand, Daryna paused. She lifted her right out of habit but paused before it left her pocket. Her right hand was still the head of the shestopyor. Pursing her lips, she took it gently with her left and awkwardly turned so she could lead her away. Daryna attempted to look collected, calm, strained though it was. She heard her mother call her name as she began to walk. Her steps faltered and Daryna shut her eyes tightly and started to run, sure that a Shibusen student would be able to keep up with her and not be yanked along by a thirteen year old girl. Daryna could hear her calling out louder, hysterically. Silence. Please just stop, I know you don’t really want me, so just stop.
Daryna ran with surprising speed, but then she was a shepherd’s daughter, or least she had been before her father left. She was starting to wonder if what was in her blood had been in his as well and had urged him to flee, but she hadn’t time to wonder. At some point she let her hand slip from the other girl’s and sprinted swiftly towards the correct direction, waving her good hand and pausing to call out to eh prince. She hesitated for a moment though, trying to remember what the English word for vysokist was. She’d never needed to use it and so she did not know, but she didn’t want to potentially offend him by addressing him in her own language. Biting her tongue, she didn’t have time to worry about it. Sounding a bit shrill with lingering tension in her bones, she managed anyway and let her voice carry to him. “Vashe vysokist, it is this vay!”
The Meister would have to settle for the Ukrainian translation of Your Highness for the time being. The prince wasn’t far off course, at least, perhaps half a football field. It didn’t seem like much of a terrain different at the edge of the golden wood, but once they were in Daryna knew that way was no good. There was a sudden drop off where he was headed, and Daryna didn’t want to be responsible for a prince falling to his death. The way she was leading held a steep incline, but if she could handle it then so could they.
Daryna beckoned once more before continuing on. As she walked, her face was set in stone, held tightly with an attempt to appear collected. She had a job to do. There was work to be done. There were lives to be saved, even if the burn wanted nothing more to see the lot of them go up in flames. But it was the children they would save, so she quelled the flames. The children didn’t understand the meaning of the word hatred yet, her little brother the same. It wasn’t their fault; they did not deserve her bitterness.
Through fallen leaves and low boughs of dizzying colors they went, crunching softly beneath their feet as they proceeded. Gold and red and orange and yellow clouded their vision, the high sun making everything seem to glow with life. The dark bark of the spindly, reaching trees gave the sight stability, branches tangling together as they reached for the sky, something dark to hold on to. Literally. As the woods grew thicker, the ground grew steeper, and Daryna began speaking in a disturbingly calm voice.
“She looks like a hag. She is old and wrinkled and missingk teeth.” Daryna near lost her footing but tilted one foot sideways on instinct and continued, taking long and steady strides up the steep ground. She grabbed onto tree branches to propel herself forward. “She is also blind. Her eyes are near all white. She cannot see, but she can hear and smell. I am lucky only in that I am good at hidingk.” Or rather was good at hiding. Daryna slipped again on the fallen leaves, the flat and thin surfaces making it difficult for the soles of her boots to grab the ground. Daryna latched onto a low branch to halt her descent, but at a bad angle that wouldn’t be fixed without help. She could still feel the weight in her pocket. Glaring at the ground, she took a deep breath and removed her partial from where she’d hidden it.
Daryna swung the head of the shestopyor and buried it in the ground in front of her and used the stability to haul herself up. She ignored the bitter taste in her mouth. As soon as she was on her feet she stuffed it back into her pocket, determined to reach the top without using it again. It was a short trip, the incline very suddenly evening out into a smaller, clearer area but still dotted with tall and wispy trees. Down a small slope into a smaller valley was a rickety looking shack with cans tied to strings about the ground between thin posts. Daryna paused and nodded to it. “That is vhere she lives. Vhen I saw her last, she carried a great cleaver and a vooden spoon.”
The little shack that awaited them was thrown together haphazardly. Leaning wooden planks with a tin chimney and a rusted sheet of metal for a door. It was small, likely only one room, with a small offshoot open to the outside. It held a small, bloody shelf littered with tiny skulls and bones. The strung up cans crisscrossed all around the house, leaving little wiggle room to step between them. Smoke rose in a thin line from the chimney, carrying with it the smell of pie crust, thick gravy.
And burning flesh.
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Post by Levi Kastein on Aug 18, 2014 3:31:38 GMT -5
Heading toward the forest and away from the town was the best Levi could do given the circumstances. Reaching the kishin egg and destroying it would allow them to leave and then he could focus on more interesting things like two star missions. His instincts were telling him to stay and fight in the village but his common sense pushed him away from the conflict. Turning your back on an enemy was never a good thing but the old man was too pathetic to dare attack him and if he had any sense he would nurse his stump so he didn’t lose more of his arm.
Levi’s path to the forest would have worked fine but with the town drama done it would be easier to follow the guide. What she said initially he didn’t understand but it got his attention. Most likely it was some form of expressing how great he was so there was no need to think more about it. Following Daryna he walked over to the path she was taking with Irene to enter the forest. When they entered the woods he allowed Irene to go ahead of him so she could be closer to Daryna, better for her to deal with her if she was nearer to her.
Following the others Levi’s attention was quickly drawn to the sides of the path and his focus became finding the best thing to grab onto. Even with his boots crunching the leaves below the incline threw off his balance. Moving slower than usual he made sure to grip a branch or be able to quickly do so with each step. Even the ground in this place was garbage only furthering his desire to be done with everything as quickly as possible. At least Daryna had useful information to tell them on their path to the target.
Hearing about the kishin egg was useful but the more Daryna said the more disinterested he became. Some old hag was the monster? Some BLIND old hag was the monster? If Levi wasn’t already overly upset about the idiots in the town he would have audibly groan at the information. From the sounds of it she would be no better than the last kishin they fought who had reeled back from a normal human’s punch. While lamenting his fate in horrible kishin fights Daryna lost her footing but got back up quickly enough. After seeing her misstep he made sure to keep a hold on the branches when his foot slipped out to prevent a fall.
Finally getting out of the inclined pain the land leveled out. Surprisingly there was a building that actually looked worse than the houses back in the town. Looking at the house he squinted to try and make out anything useful. The house looked like it would fall if he kicked it hard enough and the bones and cans around it just made him sneer in disgust. The stench coming from the place only reaffirmed his opinion.
Facing the others he relaxed slightly and pushed off his anger from earlier. Yes the village was full of pest but for the moment there were actual things of interest to worry about. Daryna’s description of the kishin egg didn’t worry him in the slightest; the only detail that carried any interest was that she had two weapons. As long as he was fast enough, which he was, she should be skewered and done in no time. Fighting shouldn’t be a problem but he did need to make sure they got the fight they deserved, and that the hag didn’t go after anyone else. Focusing his attention on Daryna he let her know as much.
”You should hide so you don’t get in the way, transform if you can.”
Done he returned his attention to the shack and looked over the terrain. Drawing her out was the best idea as long as they kept her away from Daryna. Going inside would give her an advantage as well as limit their space which was unideal for a weapon like Irene. Maybe the cans could be used to their advantage but that was too small of a detail for Levi to put much stock into. Holding out a hand he looked to Irene.
”I’m going to lure her out. She should target me then but if she’s like the rest of this town she lacks common sense and might do something stupid, like go after someone else. I’ll leave any plans to you if that happens.”
His eyes moved from the cans to the door and to the chimney. He’d rather have some distance when she came out so he could face her properly so it was a matter of figuring out how to draw her out. Whatever he did should work, it was just a matter of how best to get the attention on him.
”Now let’s finish with this pathetic town.”
After Irene’s transformation he readjusted his grip so he held the corseque near the top in his right hand so there were about three feet in front of him. Left hand in a fist he slowly drew nearer the house but stopped near one of the cans. Quickly slashing with Irene he cut the strong and grabbed the can with his left hand before chucking it at the metal door. She lacked a doorbell so this was the next best thing.
Moving to stand next to another can Levi took on a relaxed stance and waited for the hag to come out. If she didn’t he would have to do something else to grab her attention for sure.
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Irene Dixon
Weapon
Demon Corseque
Wake me up. I'm living a nightmare.
Posts: 108
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Post by Irene Dixon on Aug 26, 2014 10:05:24 GMT -5
The girl was much more worked up than Irene expected. A few words now could only do so much… Daryna would need time. And she damn well needed time away from these people. Irene could only do so much at the moment, but she certainly tried. Things that helped her now and when she had first started. Accepting who she was. Realizing she was made of two very different parts. It…. seemed to help some. The girl before her hadn’t run, was breathing a slight bit easier. What really needed to happen was to halt that racing mind. If Irene knew anything about masses of thoughts, it was that they caused a lot of build up. Emotionally, physically, mentally… She needed to focus on something specific.
Trying to draw and keep the girl’s attention. Keep them in their own little world away from this madness. For the most part, it seemed to be working. Not totally…. but still. When attention could be diverted, she wanted and needed Daryna to focus on Levi and the mission. Regardless of the insanity that was happening in this village, her and Levi needed to stop these attacks for good. Needed to end this kishin egg’s existence.
Hearing Daryna’s words and seeing her wipe her eyes free of lingering tears, Irene kept the same smile from before. She would be okay, as long as she got away from these nutjobs… Maybe a cousin or something that was somewhere else. Irene ignored the hesitance from Daryna for now, no need to call attention to her still having the weapon form present. At least… that’s what Irene assumed when she moved her right hand with hesitance, then kept it hidden.
Still having grabbed Irene’s hand, she gave it a quick and gentle squeeze. It infuriated her that someone could cause a child this much pain, just because she was a weapon. For now, she had to push this aside. She needed to be level for Levi. For their success. Then she heard the woman’s voice from before. Irene could understand her calling Daryna’s name, that was obvious. Daryna faltered, Irene paused. Irene had to release the girl’s hand… Within the first few steps, Irene knew that she’d end up being an anchor to the younger female.
Now she had two things to be pissed about.
No time in her life previous had she been so angry. Torturing a child for being something wonderful. Scaring her. Possibly hating her. Making her run from all she knew and being struck in front of those she lived among. And now, more selfishly, Irene was getting her slow ass left in the dust. Hand that had just been holding Daryna’s balled into a fist, a light light flashing quickly over her skin and causing a dark, sharp blade to take place of her knuckles. Turning her head and somewhat her shoulders, she locked gazes with the woman who resembled Daryna. Fury. Pure fury. She wouldn’t say anything, she couldn’t… or she might just charge at her. These people were disgusting. And for a fleeting moment, Irene wanted the kishin to devour them all.
Turning, she moved to follow Daryna, running after her with her slower pace. Partial form never left and she attempted to focus her anger into being pissed at running. Behind Daryna a good bit, she heard the girl call to her partner. Great. Hopefully Levi wouldn’t be too pissed… He’d be able to catch her easy enough as well. Damn him. The girl slowed to a walk, causing much relief. Slowing once she neared the girl, she noticed the somewhat impassive expression. How Irene wished she could get her own mask back. Following Daryna, the woods became more full, the floor of the forest slanted more. It was something Irene would have appreciated more if she wasn’t completely angry. Being alone here would have been amazing. Surrounded by trees and colors.
But they had a job to do. The description had brought her back to that. An old hag. Daryna faltered once on the steeping ground, making Irene proceed with a bit more caution. It would do her no good to fall behind or back… Get some stupid injury or somthing. Daryna fell again. Catching herself and then pulling out her partial from her pocket. So she had been right about it still being present. Glancing to her own hand, Irene’s partial remained as well. Utilizing her partial instead of shifting back, she didn’t really feel like putting the effort into calming down until they reached their destination. Sinking her blade into trees on the slope and grabbing branches much as Daryna had to push herself upwards. Mimicking the movements of someone who was succeeding their ascent couldn’t really be a bad decision.
The smell was disgusting. Burning flesh was an awful scent. It met her nose just before the ground leveled. The slope stopped and the ground was flattened out again. A short drop and there was a ‘house.’ Irene’s eyes traveled over the poor excuse for shelter, letting Daryna’s words pass through her mind. If they waited long enough, maybe the shack would collapse and kill the kishin. Cans and string, a warning for the kishin. A makeshift alarm system.
“Feels like a bad Hansel and Gretel story.”
Irene muttered, shoving her non-partialed hand into her pocket and shifting her weight to that hip. Her attention shifting to her partner, he looked so calm. Her gaze traveling him up and down, much like it had the first time she met him, she couldn’t help but feel calmer as well. He had never let her down and she had little doubt that he ever would. At least on a mission. His focus had shifted to Daryna, words and vision.
“Use your hiding skills. She mustn’t know you’re present. No matter what. Trust us.”
Levi was done after his short sentence, but Irene wished to add a bit more. Maybe try to reiterate Levi’s words without utilizing weapon abilities… Insensitive prick of hers. Even with his harshness, Irene wasn’t angry with him. She had gotten somewhat used to him, but also needed to make sure Daryna would be safe. A faint smile, similar to the expression of encouragement Irene had offered in the village, settled easily on Irene’s lips. Daryna must not become known to the kishin.
Hearing Levi start to speak again, Irene knew he could only be talking to her. Giving a bit of a nod to Daryna, she wanted the girl out of sight before they initiated Levi’s plan. After the brief movement, she looked to her partner. Luring her out was good. More space to cover, Levi could use his speed and his strength wouldn’t be hindered by whatever might clutter that shack. Just those damn cans and strings all over the place. Get her past them or slash them, either way that still seemed easier to deal with.
Deciding not to answer the description of his plan, she assumed that he would just find her silence as acceptance. However, his last statement brought a single word from her.
“Gladly.”
The smile had vanished once she had turned from Daryna. A more focused and determined look. There weren’t going to be any problems. She’d match with her partner. They’d defeat this kishin. They would go home. Transforming, light surrounding her body, she slipped into the comforting darkness she loved. Into her meister’s hands, souls meeting one another. No striking out of his, no striking back of hers. She trusted him and would follow him.
Let the execution proceed.
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