thenearshore | [closed] See the devil on the doorstep now

[ —go up instead. Up and over its head, gritting his teeth in an irritated grimace as his whips himself over the creature, palm and hilt flat against its broad forehead. Just... have to stay...

..away from the teeth..!

If he manages to or even if he doesn't, a part of his cloak whips out like a ribbon as he reaches the apex of his vault, wrapped securely to a branch in the canopy above and pulling him along. ]

[ And by the skin of his own teeth, Allen manages to avoid being body checked by the larger wolf ayakashi. Skidding to a stop, it whips around to face the tree they were in, jowls raising and a low, irritated growl cutting through the quiet of night.

Once they were secure, there's a small, almost pinched sigh from the girl-now-sword. ]

Of course...

[ A den, why would she expect something else, a ripple of frustration surging through the sword in his hand, her "voice" sounding so very wry. Why would she think that it would be a lone wolf?

So then where was—

This time she doesn't see it with enough time to warn him, a sudden streak of blue as the smaller ayakashi vaults upward with some unholy force, bounding up and over the brush to meet them with teeth bared.

...And just as fast, the hand around her will feel ice cold, a sort of stinging, tingling ache like being plunged into a frozen lake. And an overwhelming feeling:

Sudden, unbridled fear.

It's the only warning he'll get before a flash of bright light surges from the sword in his hand.

Bright. But not at all blinding to him. He can see just fine, surprisingly. Judging from the yelp that comes from the monster plummeting down at them, the ayakashi wasn't as lucky. ]

Edited 2017-06-02 21:15 (UTC)

[ At her "of course" he lets out a heavy breath as well, dropped in a low, balanced crouch on the tree branch and catching said breath for a moment while the larger wolf-ayakashi paces below. ]

It was trying to lead us to the other one the whole time, then.. [ It's far from ideal and this is going to be a hard fight, but he's calm about it. He's had harder fights—they both have, so... ]

!!!

[ Wolves aren't supposed to jump that high.

Allen is stumbling back to avoid the teeth, but it took him by surprise too much and he has no room to maneuver, so—

...light?

A sheer radiance that's almost tangible—blinding to behold and yet not as well. Sharp and almost icy, like what would be a flash of... fear? It felt like Lux, but— ]

[ But there isn't time to question that, the blinded ayakashi is still coming at them—and wide open. And his countenance shifting as he grips the hilt of the blade she's become, he shifts his weight back as well. No time for pomp or a plea for whatever remained of the soul it might have once been. ]

Come on then— [ Bracing, arm drawn back. One hit, he has one hit that he has to do this in or it'll knock them both off.

Not that Allen notices, but the light begins to draw back in as well. Condensing around Lux and the blade she's become. Something still bright, but fiercer. Golden—and broadening her blade. Strengthening—

And striking out then. ]

Rend.

[ And she wouldn't answer him even if he tried. In fact, the shinki's presence is startlingly quiet; still there, but muted against those things going bump in the night around them.

Even if the wolf ayakashi hadn't been blinded by the sudden flash of luminescence, the monster has committed to this path. And for all it knows, that light blinded them as well.

It never gets a chance to figure that out one way or another. Jaws open and ready to snap down on both god and shinki both, instead of skin and bone, the ayakashi gets a taste of holy light before being rent in two. Cutting cleanly through the ayakashi, the creature shudders before its very presence explodes out in a billow of miasma before finally dissipating to shimmering nothingness.

The light around them fading to a faint glow, it might seem like the two would get some kind of respite— ]

[ Before the tree they're in lurches back, wood whining and cracking as something knocks into it with the full force of a snarling, frothing freight train.

One hit.

Then another, almost immediately after. Both in the same spot, with the intent of taking the whole thing down. Which it just might, with another hit like that. ]

[ The silence is unusual certainly, loud almost in the wake of the ayakashi's destruction. Is she—he can't turn to see her expression like this, check to see if she's alright, but the feeling that's coming from blade in his hand, so quiet it's almost like she's faded in on herself...

He shifts for a moment, adjusting his grip and looking down to the blade at his side.

...Lux? ]

[ He doesn't have time to ask though. Not before he's nearly knocked clear off his feet and isn't only by virtue of being incredibly tenacious with good balance. What the—

The whole tree??? ]

Like a battering ram...? [ There's a moderately... soul-dead, are you serious way in which he says that, staring down as the determined wolf backs up again to gain speed. As if to say oh look,

it's Just My Luck. ]

Edited 2017-06-03 03:09 (UTC)

[ Yes. The whole tree.

It's debatable if ayakashi have thought processes beyond malice, hatred and hunger, but at this point it seems like rending the first wolf ayakashi might have put the other one into a frenzied rage.

Backing up one more time, its "fur" bristling as the malice-filled miasma grows thicker still, it lets out one deep, furious yowl before rushing forward and ramming the tree one more time full-force. And for a moment all is peacefully silent, until—

CRAAAAAAACK.

Balance and ~~lack of~~ luck (probably) can't save you now! Timber!! ]

[ This is why he can't have nice things.

Stay??? Go??? Ride it out/be crushed??!

Yelping when the tree suddenly begins to give way, Allen hesitates until it begins to pitch—and pick up speed. Going it is then.]

Edited 2017-06-03 03:47 (UTC)

[ Jumping off, Crown Clown billows as it catches the wind—and another ribbon shoots out form his wrist to wrap to a neighboring branch for leverage. Staying in the treetops is just a sodding awful idea right now, so even if the ground isn't much safer...

He swings downward to drop neatly in a crouch, with Lux as Kouki still in hand and held at his side—and raises his head in the direction the ayakashi last was. Expression sobering, eyes narrowed slightly as they adjust to the darkness and the left seeks.

...here they can fight. ]

Edited 2017-06-03 03:47 (UTC)

[ And as the tree comes crashing down and Allen lands both of them in a crouch, the large purple beast seems to have made an all too timely exit. Judging from the crackle of malevolence hanging heavy in the air, however, it can't have gotten far.

Unlike the other ayakashi, however, this one seems less inclined to cover most of its tracks, a purple trail of mist weaving listlessly deeper into the woods. ]

...Are you all right?

[ She speaks! Although it's somewhat hesitant and soft, like someone forcing themselves to focus, or to not be heard. Like someone spooked. ]

[ So quietly...?

Some of the sternness slips from his expression as he looks down to the sword in his hand. To be replaced with concern instead, though his attention is still primarily on the ayakashi and the purple trail disappearing into the woods. Did it really leave...? Trying to get them to fall into another ambush? ]

I'm okay. [ He really is but that isn't the point..! It's still dangerous and it could double back on them at any moment, but should he let her form revert? Was something wrong? ]

Lux, are you...?

I'm glad.

[ Message received, and denied. It's almost terse the way she cuts him off at the chase, those two words coming out too quickly for everything to be fine just with that.

The cold ache gone from his hand, in its stead is the ever present light of her presence, although greatly diminished. ]

...Sorry. I don't know what happened back there. Something about these ayakashi—

[ This isn't like me. She almost says in frustration, but bites it back. Not that she could hide that from him, not in this state. So instead, after a moment of silence, she speaks again. ]

I couldn't see which way it went. Staying here is just asking for another ambush, but we're at a disadvantage no matter what we do.

[ Is she apologizing...? But she seems mad, too. Frustrated. Off.

(But Lux... they defeated it.)

He's a bit bewildered, hesitating before he responds. His fingertips are numb... that light, it had felt cold at first, even through Crown Clown. Was that why?

He looks in the direction the ayakashi departed, silent for a moment. Shoulders back, chin lifting. ]

I know. [ And he does close his eyes and sigh in some resignation then. Haaah, no, it's true... He's used to this.

Existing as bait to lure out monsters. ]

It's alright.

[ She's glad for that, but as far as her own contribution...

It was involuntary. The fear, and her sudden reaction. And even if she's begun to calm down, there's this queasy, wrong sort of feeling in the pit of her stomach. Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe it, doesn't quite do this feeling justice.

But lingering in that feeling was deadly right now, in far too many ways, and the shinki tries to force that cold, worrying feeling out, for the time being. And there were more pressing matters. Like why the ayakashi would act so erratically, doing everything it could to knock them out of the tree only to run off again? Why not just try an assault from above, like— ]

...

[ That might be it. The way it's acting... ]

...Let me revert back, and use Crown Clown to stay out of sight in the trees.

[ Her voice like steel, that note of apprehension from before is gone. If her theory is correct— ]

And be ready to call me back when I tell you.

[ Even if it's with a surprised blink, he'll do so immediately as he was already torn about if he should keep her in her weapon form; it's safer like that for both of them and the only way to truly exorcise an ayakashi, but if she's unsettled...

He gives a smooth flick of his wrist, like holding his hand out, palm up. ]

Revert, Lux.

[ However... ]

Edited 2017-06-03 18:54 (UTC)

[ If she thought that meant he was agreeing to the full plan she's going to be mistaken. Given the instant she materializes again, well—

He's a bit animated. ]

Stay out of sight??

[ No!! No he absolutely will not!! Not to let her be the bait!! ]

[ Oh good, they were on the same page— ]

[ Or not, apparently, judging from the near 180 he takes as soon as she materializes in front of her.

Letting out a long, somewhat exasperated sigh, Lux puts a hand on one hip, leaning to that side. If you were going to gripe, then do it while she's still a sword, so they don't make a scene!! ]

We need to surprise it before—

[ It does exactly what she was going to say.

Cutting her off was the sound of a ghastly snarl before the great beast charges in again from behind, making way for the god first. Teeth bared, instead of attempting to ram into him like before, the ayakashi attempts to go in for a bite instead, aiming for his midsection.

She's not going to tell you that she told you so, Allen, or that her plan probably would have worked (not right now, at least), but, well... ]

This is why I said–!

[ Bickering and telling him she was right can come later, when they both walk out of here in some definition of alive. Charging toward him, the shinki reaches for his hand. Now or never! ]

[ THEN THERE WAS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO BEGIN WITH...... ]

[ But let's not argue because he knows it's pointless anyway. Also he's about to be missing his midsection otherwise. ]

Come...

[ Really not enough time... so he turns anyway, pivoting on his heel in a whirl of luminescent white. Not to Lux, not to take her hand and leave his side exposed—

But to meet the ayakashi head on with his left arm raised and the right outstretched behind him. Braced—with his eyes dead set on its maw. This could end terribly but he really hopes it doesn't. Will have faith it doesn't.

Like trusting Crown Clown to be there in his hand when he called. ]

Kouki!

Edited 2017-06-03 21:21 (UTC)

[ IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF HE HAD JUST STUCK TO THE PLAN!!!

But that's here and gone, and what she's left with now is two things. A raging wolf ayakashi with the intent of making a certain exorcist-turned-angel into its midnight snack; and same exorcist-turned-angel intending to face this attack.

And block it with his arm.

Because of course he is.

Even if she knew it wouldn't do any good, even if Lux was very keenly aware that by running toward him wouldn't actually help the process (much), the shinki springs forward, sprinting full-tilt. ]

Allen, you—

[ And as her name rings through the dead of night, her form disappears, transported in a display of radiant light to his left hand and materializing as a sword, that doesn't mean she's left without anything she can do.

Because the moment she feels them connect, she'll drag his right arm with him to meet the ayakashi head-on if she's able. Forcefully, if she has to.

Very forcefully, actually, because— ]

You damned idiot!

[ She might be just a liiiiiittle angry with him at the moment. ]

2/2

/beats chrome book until it lets her tag this

1/2

2/2

[1/2]

[2/2]

1/2

2/2

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

[1/3]

[2/3]

[3/3]

1/2

2/2

[1/2]

[2/2]