Day 325 ★ 004 ★ [Closed]

[darkshooter]

Who: Ikuri and Zuko
Open: [N]
When: Day 325 [backdated] - some time after this.
Where: Out in the wilds, specifically the ruins of Caelondia.
What: Ikuri's in a MOOD (big surprise), Zuko's trying to bring her back before she gets herself killed. Neither will care overmuch for the other's decisions in this matter, one suspects.
Format: Action brackets starting out, may switch
Warnings: None that I can think of, but if any crop up, I'll edit to reflect that.




[It was not an unfamiliar place. She, and others like her, often ventured here to acquire shards: those curious objects that powered the Monument. In the past, Ikuri had gone here with the intention of helping the Bastion, her new home: collecting shards seemed to help everyone there, and defeating enemies to acquire them - well, that first half was more or less her explicit purpose in life, wasn't it?]

[Right now, though? She's kind of upset? Because something set her off? count the hands of anyone surprised And now she's really just looking to kill things. Ikuri will still snap up the shards of the fallen because why not, but right she's not looking to do much more than work herself to exhaustion. And perhaps privately hoping that she'd wear herself down so much that she couldn't make it back, but after growing so accustomed to goings-on in this particular neighborhood, she wasn't sure how likely she could count that unless she really pushed herself. But on the other hand, she is in the mood for it...

[Rock Cannon and black blade work in unison, tearing up many a Squirt and Gasfella - and needless to say, it is all quite vicious and remorseless.]



[and if anything, ironically, she might be finding herself quite bored with this. She was used to these foes by now, there's no true danger or challenge to them. But fighting anyone at the Bastion, within the settlement or not - even had Ikuri thought of the latter - was unpalatable for a number of reasons, the most prominent being that she explicitly wished not to harm any people at this time...and even now, her subconscious priority was to collect shards for both herself and the people. Old habits.]

[Perhaps she should break those. Perhaps she will, if we see enough discontent.]

[...she seemed to recalled the last human she talked to - her name escapes at the moment - running after her in pursuit, when Ikuri initially departed from the Bastion. And, you know, that annoyed Ikuri to no end, for a number of reasons. Hopefully she's lost said human and can enjoy her hunt with no distractions.]

[Oh, hey, there's a Gasfella trio now. Same old, same old.]



[My steel is hungry, boys. Come get it.]


(( BGM: The Bastion - Random Encounter (Caelondia) [SaGa Frontier II: Feldschlacht I] ))

Comments

[daughterofursa]

[No, Ikuri has not in fact lost the annoying human. Zuko may have lost sight of her a while back despite her best efforts to avoid engaging with any of the locals, but she has a lot of experience in tracking people down, and she hasn't lost Ikuri's trail. She hasn't given up on finding her and bringing her home safely, and she isn't going to. This is her fault, but it's something she can still fix.

She rounds a corner at a run, but quickly ducks back behind it at the sight of the three gasfella, not wanting to draw their attention. She peers around, scanning for another route when she spots Ikuri, preparing to take them on. All three of them.

She doesn't shout to Ikuri because she doesn't need to attract any more of them, but she does step out from her hiding place with her swords at the ready.]

[/3] probably gonna be lots of purple around here, because lolfightscenes

[darkshooter]

((and lol fight scenes because what do I know about what's physically possible and what gasfellas actually do))

[Axe, lance, sword - one for each. She's seen it before, doesn't feel terribly threatened by it. They approach her at once, evident hostile intent; her body tenses, ready for them to make the first move (and just as ready to turn it against them).]

[Of course, that's until her eyes move just slightly in Zuko's particular direction, and disregarding the image for the full third of a second it took for complete recognition to happen -- and whup, that gaze is right back toward you, wider and the kind of angry you'd see from a parent whose kid just went somewhere off-limits.]

[what in the bleeding heck are you doing here]

[The distraction ended up being dangerous, as a Fella took that chance to lunge forward, axe coming down: that brought her attention back quickly. She leans to the side, not quite stepping - and lunges back up, her sword cleanly severing the gasser's arm. It falls to the ground, dissipating, taking its weapon with it- and said gasser isn't happy at all, as you might guess.]

[Sword comes down next, lance from the side. Both are slapped away in whip-quick motions by the black blade, and before either can move again Ikuri simply jumps, easily clearing triple the height an average human's might've reached - and that seemingly little more than a pivot of her knees.]

[That's when Rock Shots shower down on the trio, tearing their bodies clean through; there are shrieks and there is flailing, but it doesn't last: they evaporate into the air, already gone before her feet touch earth again.]

[darkshooter]

[And when she does touch down, it's with an almost casual ease. For a moment she might actually look relaxed.]

(and of course if you want to introduce any twists'n'turns, i'm all ears. 8Db)

[darkshooter]

[but then her eyes open and she spears you with this exact look, Zuko. We've got keywords.]

[daughterofursa]

[She took care of those much more quickly than Zuko expected. Maybe she still isn't used to guns. It makes her uneasy, watching it, but her gaze is steady when Ikuri looks her way.]

We need to go back.

[darkshooter]

You need to go back.

I have purpose here.

[daughterofursa]

This isn't a purpose, this is just killing things.

[darkshooter]

Purpose. [Agreement and dissent at once.]

Best purpose. For tool.

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko shakes her head, moving a few steps closer to Ikuri. She raises one of her swords.]

This is a tool.

You're a person.

I know I messed up. I'm probably the last person you want to see right now. But we've lost too many people out here, and they weren't even looking for fights. We need to go back.

[darkshooter]

Not human!

[sorry, it looks like your first two lines took all of her attention.]

Fighter! Weapon! This! [jerking up the black blade, but holding it to display: blade pointed sidelong, edge toward Zuko: it obscures half of Ikuri's face.]

Human in me only hurts! Human saves no one!

I will save them!

[daughterofursa]

I don't care what you are! You think Paarthurnax is human?

[Obviously not.]

This isn't saving anyone. I'm not going to let you hurt yourself because I was stupid!

[/2]

[darkshooter]

Not concern to you! My fight, my hunt! My purpose!

Interloper!

[And what's when the cannon's raised toward Zuko, but the barrel's pointed off to the side. There's still danger to you if she fires from here.]

Do not pursue me! Return home!

[darkshooter]

[... -- and then she abruptly jams her cannon into the ground. An explosive burst follows (loud enough that your ears probably won't like it at this range) and Ikuri is...suddenly propelled way the heck up into the air, into the sky; in seconds she's less than a speck. A second burst marks her location: an orange blast of light that propels said speck at high speed in another direction.]

[here's that somewhat off-canon goofy BGM for ya]

[Dangerous to use out on the Skyway, perhaps, but Ikuri has come to rely on it. And there's no telling where exactly she's going to land, but it seems a safe guess that she won't stay there.]


[...Looks like you'll have to chase her down.]

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko grimaces at the cannon fire because she does have pretty sensitive hearing. She gives a little growl of frustration under her breath and then guess what?

She's going to follow.

This isn't so easy to track, she's going to have to make an estimate of where Ikuri landed and maybe there she'll pick up the trail again, but she's not going home until she does. Deal with it. The annoying human will follow you to the ends of the earth, she's done this before, it's what she's good at.]

[/2]

[darkshooter]

[good, then the entertainment will continue]

[It takes some time, but the sounds of battle will likely prove a helpful guide once they start up; she's not exactly trying to hide herself.]


[When you find her again, it's in another part of Caelondia...]

[darkshooter]

[Five armed Gasfella this time: they've formed a ring around Ikuri, though they aren't attacking yet. There are also three more approaching from different directions.]

[She holds blade and cannon to the side, almost leisurely, as she stares the group down - and they do the same in turn. But as before: she is alert, but doesn't appear truly concerned.]

[You haven't been noticed yet...and the angle you're approaching from doesn't put you in her direct line of sight. You could slip onto the scene stealthily if you wanted to. 'Tis not a hint, but it is an option.]

[daughterofursa]

[Found her.

Zuko takes a moment to try to assess the situation. Judging by their last encounter, any action on her part could distract Ikuri from her opponents, but she doesn't see any way to avoid that. She'll just have to hope she also distracts the gasfella for a moment.

Making no noise to announce her approach, she targets one of the three gasfella still approaching Ikuri. Still, backstabbing any opponent doesn't sit well with her it's not honorable, and she doesn't actually attack until she's stepped into its line of sight, swinging one sword to preempt any strike from its weapon while the other slashes for an opening beneath.]

[darkshooter]

[Your target is taken almost totally by surprise; its weapon only begins to raise before your other cuts a wide gash into the midsection. Life essence is already spilling out of it - you may have this one beat already.]

[Gasfella may not know that, though, if the way it's still hobbling forward to attack is any indication. The weapon appears to be a farmer's hoe (and where in the world did it get that?), but it may already be losing the strength and focus to wield it properly. The strike coming at Zuko might as well be in slow motion, perhaps even too weak to actually damage her if it connected at all.]

[Meanwhile, the battle ahead has already erupted. Ikuri dived forward, at the closest one: the weapon it holds is a long metal rod, perhaps part of some construction, and the black blade strikes it with a {clang!}, setting off sparks. The other fellas are no slouches; they're tightening the ring and several are already in melee range. She's already prepared for it: after the strike against the first fella, she backs up slightly to settle her weight against firm ground, then jumps right as several weapons would have clipped her - and the business end of a flail even goes sailing just past her feet.]

[But said jump was not merely a single leap upward, but rather up and back - far and fast enough to go sailing easily above the head of the Gasfella to her rear. It's surprised by the move, too much so to calculate the best use of its weapon against this maneuver.]

[The surprise hasn't left, only changed, by the time Ikuri's blade punctures it, squarely between the eyes.]



[And she decides, of course, that she's through playing. A bend of her knees and another rush, and that blade's positively dancing in her hand, parrying and throwing back every turn of an enemy weapon. The cannon hand doesn't see use at all, and in fact she doesn't even appear to be using it for balance. It...may even be the opposite. I WANT TO DUEL THEM LEFT-HANDED!]

[In seconds they're crumbling, two almost at the same time; the third following only a second later because it didn't know retreat. The two Gasfella have almost reached the battle scene by now, but both of them seem to be targeting Ikuri; one of them is even considerably closer to her than you.]

[Weaponry: one carries a broken and splintered piece of wood, large and thick enough to have been perhaps part of a building in its former life. The other...appears to be holding some kind of firearm: a musket. And while I wouldn't trust a Gasfella to be an expert marksman, it does seem to hold enough understanding of the weapon to grasp how it works: it's already taking aim at Ikuri, who doesn't appear to have noticed it.]

[What now?]

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko could easily land another wound on the gasfella, but instead she meets that slow incoming blow with both her swords and shoves back hard. She gives the gasfella a sharp look; this is its chance to retreat.

Satisfied that she's neutralized it enough that that gasfella doesn't need her full attention, Zuko looks ahead towards Ikuri. She has her close-range opponents well in hand, but the other two are still out of her range. And one of them has a gun; it won't need to close in on her.

It's also out of Zuko's range, or at least, the range of her swords. She swings them around, the heat of her firebending passing through them and continuing in an arc of flames that she hopes will slam into the gun-toting gasfella before it has a chance to get off a shot.]

[darkshooter]

[Its chance to retreat...but the thing is, that wound was too well-inflicted. All it's really going to do here is die. The strength to even keep carrying its weapon has already left; the rest can do naught but fade. It couldn't leave if it wanted to.]




[The gasser takes aim.]




[Ikuri hears the gathering fire long before her opponents do, and her attention is drawn to it. Theirs isn't.]

[A trigger is pulled.]

[Zuko's flames sweep into the gunfella as the explosive sound of a firearm discharge fills the air; the time lapse is so fine it's hard to discern which happened first.]


[Ikuri turns.]






[but she is struck.]

[her body is falling.]


[and the last Gasfella has nearly reached her.]

GUNFELLA perfect

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko only glances back to make sure the other gasfella isn't attacking; she doesn't register that the wound she inflicted is fatal or that it's already fading.

Instead she charges forward, more fire flying off her swords in an effort to beat the gasfella back from Ikuri. Once she reaches the other girl, she swings them in a full circle, an expanding but temporary barrier of flames to bar any approach as she drops down.]

Where are you hit?

:]b lucky inspiration, but I like it too. glad it pleases.

[darkshooter]

[These critters never had a prayer. 'Beating the gasfella back' in this case amounts to outright destroying it. All those tongues of flame together amount to more punishment than its body can take. And gunfella? Zuko's initial flame alone looks to have damaged its weapon as much as itself; at the least, it won't be in any condition to fight for a bit, and that flame barrier won't make it eager to approach.]




[Ikuri was struck in the forehead. There's smoke rising from the impact point.]



[...but there isn't a bullet hole. Noticeable discoloration, sure, but it's less than even a common human bruise. Something like dust is scattered about it too, and maybe some splinters - perhaps the remains of aforementioned bullet.]



[Ikuri's body slowly cranes up...a dull blue fire leaking into the air from her left eye, and trailing upward.]

[daughterofursa]

[At the lack of response, Zuko plants one of her swords into the ground and tries to look her over. Zuko doesn't have much experience with guns let alone bullet wounds, but she doesn't recognize anything on Ikuri that she thinks looks like one. There's no blood anywhere that she can see. Maybe it only clipped her?

She draws back a little as Ikuri starts moving.]

Ikuri?

alright, you know it, forget all that noise - this might be the best way to do what I'm thinkin'.

[darkshooter]

[Quite the opposite: it struck her square. The impact point is nearly in the center; it's just a little bit off. Fella was one lucky shot.]

[Her eyes focus blankly forward, and there doesn't seem to be any response to Zuko at first. She remains in a sitting position, seemingly somewhat prone, and the flame continues to burn...]



[and when it finally goes out, it's almost in the same moment her eyes come into focus.]





[CANNON COMES UP]

[with no heed to Zuko's proximity, she looses a volley of shots through the flame barrier, now almost dissipated - striking the wounded gasfella on the other side. Here's the awful part: it's just enough time for Zuko to see that it was floating in another direction, head bent as it held one limp arm, weapon destroyed and clearly in no condition to fight.]

[Apparently that didn't matter.]

[A single Rock Bullet would have ended it. The salvo to greet the fella literally tears it apart.]






[and here's Ikuri at the end of it all, having never moved anything but her weapon arm. Not looking particularly sympathetic.]

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko flinches, her free hand going to her ear to try blocking out the noise. She watches the shots tear the gasfella apart, her mouth open though she didn't get the chance to say anything, and her stomach twists.

She lowers her hand and turns back to Ikuri.]

You need to stop this.