thenearshore | [Closed] A Prayer to the "Master Power"

Who: Lara and Felicia
Where: Osaka Mountains
When: A week after This
Summary: Lara and Felicia stopped a street racing gang, and now they're heading back to deal with an ayakashi.

[The previous trip into the Osaka Mountains had been anything but quiet, what with the street race and all, but Lara had thought it was pretty well resolved in the parking lot of that Lawson Station. The car had been returned, the streets were silent, and Lara had checked, which was why the prayer that'd come drifting her way had felt wrong somehow. Very wrong. A little investigating had revealed that her suspicion was right.

It wasn't the gang causing trouble anymore. It was an ayakashi.

So, this time, and for the first time since Felicia arrived, she teleports them not out for a nice time, but for battle. Dressed in armor and armed with her bow, a heavy revolver, and an already transformed Ingrid, she lands on the roof of a street and gives Felicia a look.]

Felicia. Are you ready for this? I know I haven't asked you to fight yet, and I want to make sure you're on board. Ingrid and I can handle it, if you're not.

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[She's not wrong. Lara hurls her own bottle and it impacts against the monster's chest and face, exploding and staggering it. Which is just what she was hoping for.]

Felicia, hold back and do your thing. I feel like your knife form's not going to do as much as an axe. But if you've got control over your ice, or you see an opening take a throw, or there's a Borderline you think would help. I trust you.

[And with that she charges into the parking lot, bounding off the hood of a parked car to leap straight up at the thing's exposed back, bringing Ingrid down in a chopping motion and hanging on for dear life.]

Okay!

[And, holding onto her knives tightly, she bobbed her head firmly in her understanding of these orders.]

I've got your back-- don't worry!

[Keen as any sentry, Felicia watched as Lara leapt over the fence with Ingrid's weapon-form in hand with admiration in her eyes. Truly, Lara was the epitome of what a goddess of wisdom and war should look like. The grace with which she moved was a thing of beauty, but only a fool would be blind to her carefully calculated strikes and the strength and efficiency of her movements.

It was a sight to behold. Felicia could think of few things that could inspire a similar level of awe in her.]

[There's nothing quite so graceful about Lara's fight with the thing. She's hanging off of it, jouncing around a bit as her weapon digs in. She holds on tenaciously though, the monster's eyes darting around wildly for a way to get the god off his back. The blade bites in deep, and the things flailing opens it up, exposing not only it's eyes, but the sides of its knees.

Those might make for ideal targets...]

[Felicia's movements were faster than her thoughts. Each blade was flung with the poise and dexterity of someone who had trained for years instead of a couple weeks, and her aim was true to target. The first volley of knives hit the knees firmly, making Felicia's intent to cripple the beat clear. The second volley targeted the seemingly delicate eyes without a shred of mercy or remorse.

There was no way this Ayakashi would be able to put up a decent fight after this...]

[Felicia's aim is true, and the monster staggers, falling to it's knees. a wail of pain and rage cracks the glass of nearby cars, but as it drops Lara goes in for the finishing blow. Down comes Ingrid, the blade surrounded in bitter, frosted cold. It strikes the base of the ayakashi's neck, the cold turning it brittle. Blow after blow rains down until at last it's head rolls away. Severed, and Rent.

Looking up, panting, face awash with adrenaline and haze, Lara takes in her Shinki. Bloodlust boils behind her eyes, but those soft green ones calm her quickly and she straightens.]

You...that was superb, Felicia.

[...Truly, Lara looked the part of a war goddess. Felicia offered little more than a sheepish smile in reply as she closed the distance between them, wanting to be near Lara in this time as a support like she should be.]

I only took advantage of an opening, [She replied, shaking her head.] You were the fantastic one out there.

[Setting aside the fact that she's sweaty and all, Lara has no objections to being near the other girl. Adrenaline still high, she sets down Ingrid and lets the other shinki shift free of that form and start cleaning up the mess. She liked that, as near as Lara could tell.

A gloved hand reaches out to cup Felicia's cheek and she shakes her head.]

You gave me the opening I needed, love. You don't have to be so modest. We make a good team.

[Ingrid's appreciation for the simple details never left Felicia feeling guilty about taking too much of Lara's time-- and she was quietly glad that she didn't need to worry about angering the solemn, serious Shinki with her own whimsies and antics.

....And Lara's gentle smile was all Felicia needed to feel better about anything that troubled her.

Reaching a hand up, she laced her fingers around Lara's and presse her cheek against the hand, smiling peacefully despite the recent battle.]

We do...and I'm glad for it. I never thought of myself as having a place on the battlefield, but it's good that we do work so well together.

...I'm glad that I can help you.

[Lara nodded, eyes crinkling a little as they met Felicia's. It was a strange feeling, knowing that she was coming out of a battle and right into the waiting softness that was this strange girl. She appreciated it more than she had any right to, probably, but after their meeting nothing felt quite like it.

She knew too that Felicia meant every word she said, despite her...eccentricities.]

I know, Felicia. And I'm glad for it.

[She hesitated, looking back down at the fading corpse, then back up. She debated moving closer, enjoying the moment a little more keenly, but now wasn't the time or place. And she certainly didn't want to seem pushy.]

Though, we should be getting back. The bottles may have attracted some humans, and we don't want to cause a scene.

[She wouldn't have argued against such closeness. The intimacy and intensity of their first meeting aside, Lara had become a person that Felicia genuinely enjoyed being around for both her strength and wit. Lara's talents and charm were something that set her apart from the rest of the gods who travelled between the Near and Far shores, and her experience was something that Felicia was constantly looking toward in this ever-confusing world.

Felicia trusted Lara's word, and believed that Lara would never say such things lightly.

Her gaze lingered on the fading corpse for a moment before meeting Lara's once more with a firm nod.]

You're right. Let's get you cleaned up, and then we can put some water on for tea afterward.

[Closed] A Prayer to the "Master Power"

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