[closed] to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet

[revolutionfalcon]

Who: Nekhbet's flock temple (Shun, Fubuki, Reisi)
When: July 19th, morning
Where: Some nebulous place on the Far Shore
What: Mission 9, tracking a masked ayakashi.
Warnings: Potential mentions/descriptions of Johan's death if the subject comes up.

[As if things haven't been both dangerous and active enough around the Far Shore recently, Shun just had to overhear two of the advisors' shinki squabbling childishly over whether they'd really seen a masked ayakashi. It's not the kind of thing he can ignore, even with several other problems on his mind, and at the very least, he figures it might be a chance to see how his temple residents work together with the addition of Reisi.

So it is they've returned to the location of the argument, Shun heading over to investigate the patch of woodland the arguing shinki had been gesturing at. It's a little old, and not all the prints are clear, but there's definitely some not entirely natural ones marking the ground and heading deeper into the woods. Crouching down to study them, Shun raises his gaze after a few moments to look further into the trees.]

It's a good place for an ambush...and not one from us.

Comments

[mostsuitable]

[Following a sound doesn't mean tuning the rest of them out, and Reisi can't help the nagging feeling that it's too quiet behind him. Kurosaki seems to have experience of his own, going by his citing Tenjoin's lack of combat experience. Reisi is the sort who trusts others based on their qualifications and capabilities, so he doesn't trust the radio silence bringing up the rear.]

Tenjoin-kun—still with us?

[He slows a little bit, waiting for confirmation as they start upon their target's threshold.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun glances back at the sound of the twig snap, but there doesn't seem to be anything in the vicinity of where the sound came from when he looks except Fubuki, so he looks ahead again after a moment or two. They're getting close enough to the ayakashi now that they can't really afford any distractions.]

Lagging like that is more likely to get you attacked when we're this close. Don't lose focus.

[Again, his voice is quiet given the situation, but still firm.]

[blizzardrock]

[Fubuki isn't as sure that it's nothing—there could be two—but the concern and the mention of getting attacked has him turning around and catching up.]

[Or at least, it would have, if after taking two steps he didn't hear another snap.]

[...That isn't just his imagination, right? He's not in top shape right now, mentally, but it's not like—]

I'm... I'm right behind you.

[With a final glance backward, he catches up. If it does turn out to be something, he'd probably be a liability that far back. ...Or something.]

[mostsuitable]

[There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary when Tenjoin checks the rear one last time. However, this isn't to say his suspicion isn't well-placed, does it?

At any rate, it'd be better if they tightened their formation up right now. It should help that Reisi's slowed, now moving even more quietly as not to attract any attention.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[If there is something back there, it would serve Fubuki better to be close to help rather than lingering where the noise is, so Shun nods slightly as he finally decides to catch up. The second twig snapping does make him scan the area again, but it still doesn't seem like there's anything there...

The main noise is still in front of them, though, so Shun once again returns his focus there for the moment. The trees thin out ahead into a clearing, and between them, snatches of the bizarre colour of an ayakashi can be seen. It might take getting closer to fully identify it, though, and Shun's own movements are quiet as he pads after Reisi and tries to pick out any identifying details about the ayakashi.]

[blizzardrock]

[He's starting to hear the other sound now, and slows down (again). For the first time he notices the clearing ahead, and a glance at how Reisi and Shun are moving gives him the clue that that's where they're headed. And since they're being quiet now, he declines to ask.]

[In another moment, he can glimpse an ayakashi, too. What it's doing is another matter entirely...]

[mostsuitable]

[...So that's an ayakashi, Reisi mentally notes. Although he commits this one to memory, he doesn't bank on all ayakashi looking or behaving similarly. They seem like the sort of thing that might be wildly varied depending on a number of things.

Its unnatural coloration contrasts it with the forest and other creatures. If that weren't enough of a giveaway, then the eyes randomly dotting its body would. Its back is turned, and its form is still somewhat indistinct from the group's line of vision. As they grow closer still, the scratching becomes louder and more distinct, but it's difficult to tell exactly what the ayakashi is doing.

It does appear to be hunched near or over something...]

[revolutionfalcon]

[As they get closer, the form of the ayakashi becomes clearer - it's vaguely feline in shape, with too many legs but only four even enough in size to reach the ground. The edges of the white mask on its head are visible, but it's bent down low, scratching and pawing at the something Reisi's already noticed.

That something is a long, but relatively narrow fissure in the earth, enough to admit one or maybe two people alongside one another. It appears that the creature might be trying to get back through, and as soon as Shun notices that, he comes to a stop and gestures to the other two, keeping his voice low.]

If one of you gets it away from that hole, I should be able to rend it with the other of you. [He looks first to Reisi, then Fubuki, because even such a short time after coming here, he'd be very surprised if Reisi wasn't more competent in borderlines than Fubuki was. He's also rended ayakashi with Fubuki before, and something this sensitive doesn't feel like the time to be experimenting with Reisi's vessel form.]

[blizzardrock]

[...Why would a controlled ayakashi be digging...?]

[That aside, it's not too hard to tell what Shun has in mind, so he just nods. He'd be worried if he didn't have the impression that they know what they're doing... And anyway, if he were going to bring up the danger, the time to do that has long passed.]

[mostsuitable]

[Reisi gives a firm nod before breaking away from the others to divert the ayakashi's attention. From his newfound position, he attacks with a cutting borderline and revealing his own position.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[As the borderline flies at it, the ayakashi slips to one side in an unnaturally liquid motion, like oil. Reisi seems to have taken its full attention now, and it abandons its attempts at the fissure to give a burbling hiss and start prowling towards him. While it's distracted by that, Shun rests a hand on his canteen of blessed water in case he ends up needing it, and nods slightly back to Fubuki.]

Come, Yamiki! [It's said with force, but still relatively quietly. No point revealing their position just yet while Reisi is working to distract the creature.]

[blizzardrock]

[He has enough time to glance behind him just in case before he turns into a pointy black mask and flies to Shun. Thankfully there doesn't seem to be anything there, but he has a better view while he's in vessel form anyway...which he'd...totally forgotten about. So that was wasted effort. More importantly, an enemy.]

...How much do you think it needs to be weakened?

[He can try to disorient it, but that would defeat the point of Reisi's distraction if it doesn't work and the ayakashi notices.]

Masked ayakashi are controlled, but...does it make them stronger?

[mostsuitable]

[Looking at the unsightly beast heading toward him, Reisi appears completely unfazed even by its perturbing movement and gross hissing as they size each other up.]

Too big to return home, are you? How about trying something your own size?

[His hand goes to the locked sword that he has no real intention of drawing in this situation. In truth, this gives him the opportunity to use the borderlines he'd learned to draw mere days ago. Besides, he already knows the danger of blight coming from contact with ayakashi. Still, there's no telling exactly what this one is capable of.

At any rate, Reisi draws another borderline—this time, he makes it just over the fissure in the ground. Namely, he does so to see the ayakashi's reaction as well as to prevent anything inside from coming out. There's no telling if it has reinforcements, after all.]

[revolutionfalcon]

I don't know. [It's murmured between them, and Shun honestly has no idea what difference being masked might make.] We'll just have to be sure. If you and him hit it with borderlines at once - or if he hits and you use your power - and I get it with the blessed water, it should do enough damage.

[Or more than enough, depending on exactly how strong the ayakashi is. Even if Fubuki's borderlines are fairly weak, for something like that, not needing resilience, Shun figures it shouldn't be too bad.

As it is, he starts to quietly move out of the cover of the trees, relying on Reisi to keep the ayakashi occupied for the moment. The borderline springing up over the fissure seems to piss it off - after a moment of agitated growling and clawing at the sealed hole, it turns back towards Reisi, this time starting to prowl in his direction.]

[blizzardrock]

[...Probably shouldn't rely on Fubuki's borderlines though]

[But he doesn't have any frame of reference for this kind of thing, so he readily agrees.]

Got it.

[How will they signal Reisi when it starts, though...? He assumes Shun's thought of that already, so for now, he keeps watch.]

[mostsuitable]

[Oya. Looks like closing off the vent really got the ayakashi's attention. However, it appears the ayakashi doesn't want to stray far from the fissure. Reisi takes a few steps closer, closing the distance to maintain the ayakashi's interest. Inwardly, he's cautious, but outwardly he continues to wear a pleasant yet indecipherable smile.

Objective 1: Act as a distraction.

So far, so good.



Objective 2: Weaken the ayakashi.

Time to get on that, especially since he's already captured its attention. Reisi attacks his target with another borderline.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun had been mainly counting on Reisi to have come to the same conclusion on weakening the ayakashi, and he's not disappointed when the other man sends out a borderline against the creature. It tries to move around it, but fails, screeching and hissing as the line hits it nearly right in the middle, making part of its body sag and drip for a moment.

It's a fine cue for Shun and Fubuki to get in on the action, and Shun slashes a line of blessed water ahead of them before making the call.]

Now! [It's aimed primarily at Fubuki, though Reisi sending out another borderline wouldn't go astray - the creature's head turns just in time to be splattered by the blessed water, and though it rears back, its eyes are still in full view, giving Fubuki the option of whether to use his vessel power or a borderline to pitch in.]

[blizzardrock]

[He'd split his focus between the enemy in front of them and looking for anybody or anything that might be the controller, so he's more startled than he should be when Shun calls out.]

[He recovers quickly. With Fubuki's borderlines the way they are, even if the ayakashi hadn't turned around he would have tried both, but whether either worked is up for debate, considering the ayakashi was already reeling.]

[mostsuitable]

[It's possible Tenjoin's powers had some effect, but Reisi had decided it's better to be safe than sorry. Seeing the ayakashi turning toward his god and the other shinki, Reisi loosed another borderline at the opening when the monster reared. Now that his teammates have its attention, Reisi draws a line between them and the ayakashi, allowing their assault through while preventing the beast from charging them.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[The ayakashi does falter at Fubuki's combined attack; it's hard to tell whether it was just one or the other that did anything, or the combination of both, but it stops it from recovering and Reisi's borderline hits it dead on once again, making it loose its footing and crash to one side on the ground.

Shun takes the opportunity while it's there, stepping forward and levelling the mask vessel's gaze at the ayakashi to focus his will on rending it. It's as good an opportunity as they're going to get, and the beast has been weakened about as effectively as it can be without most likely wasting extra effort.]

[blizzardrock]

[Getting it down means it's been defeated, right?]

[Well...not necessarily, if it's not going to give up. But that's what the final attack is for...]

[Reisi's borderline gives him pause, but the "beam" of air-like pressure seems to go right through to the ayakashi—Fubuki subconsciously directing it at the ayakashi's mask—and it seems like their combined effort was effective, after all.]

Grab the mask—

[mostsuitable]

[So far, they've confirmed rumors of a masked ayakashi and tracked it to this vent. It probably goes without saying that they may obtain further information regarding the mask and who- or whatever is controlling it by taking down said ayakashi and collecting its mask.

As things are, the takedown is going quite smoothly. Perhaps too smoothly, Reisi thinks. They hadn't let up their attacks or given the ayakashi much of a chance, but is there more than meets the eye here? Reisi remains ready and on-guard while maintaining the borderline protecting Kurosaki and Tenjoin. Additionally, he's also holding the borderline over the fissure in the ground, and it probably would be best for him to keep an eye out for anything else.

Are they rending the ayakashi before taking its mask, or vice-versa? What if there's more than one masked ayakashi nearby?]

I have you covered. [He affirms, just so they know he's keeping eyes and ears open so they can focus on their task.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[It takes a bit longer than usual for the rending to take effect, but Reisi's question on the front of order is answered before too long as the creature collapses in on itself and begins to dissipate. Shun waits until most of the face has vanished before he darts ahead to grab the mask.

Though he's definitely keeping an eye out as well even with Reisi watching their backs, Shun pauses to look over the mask for a moment before glancing past it to the fissure in the ground.]

I'm surprised that thing was alone. [Assuming it was, in fact, alone, but for now, there's no other sounds to indicate another one nearby. Cautiously, he steps around the fading ayakashi and starts walking towards the vent, crouching down by it and peering through the borderline over the top.]

...Maybe it wasn't trying to escape after all.

[blizzardrock]

[The rend taking longer than usual might have been bad, but thankfully that worked out fine. He's almost too relieved when he's reminded of...the other thing. Since he's less sure that this ayakashi was alone, he's looking back the way they came. Whatever Shun's noticed, Fubuki missed it.]

Why do you say that?

[mostsuitable]

[Reisi maintains the borderline over the vent while taking down the other one that's no longer necessary. Still looking out for anything else that may come their way,]

Then it may have been trying to expand this hole for something else, correct?

[If it wasn't going to go in, then perhaps it was trying to let something else out. Still, who or what was controlling the ayakashi before they defeated it?]