spellbinders | here we go again...

a. for armatus (sorey and mikleo will both reply, sort of)

[if you're spiritually sensitive and defending the Palai in their residences, some fancy dude who looks suspiciously like Sorey may have just dropped down next to you from out of nowhere, carrying a huge, elaborate, impractical-looking bow. if you can sense spirits outright, there's two of them hanging out inside that dude right now, not one. if you are not spiritually sensitive...well, Sorey looks like usual, but he is still carrying the ridiculous weapon and it's perfectly visible. either way, he's got it nocked and aimed at one of the incoming masses of ocean water, and there's a bolt of blue-white light where an arrow should be, radiating cold.]

We should be able to freeze some of those bubbles, but we need someone to cover us while we do. D'you mind?

[...and if you have enough resonance to hear Mikleo, you can hear his voice eerily overlaid with Sorey's, the two of them speaking in perfect unison.]

b. solo yolo (mikleo only)

[when it's too dangerous for Sorey to hold the armatus longer, they split up and Mikleo shifts to dragonform. he can be seen normally now, a snarling blue-and-white bulk in the streets, wings half-flared to make himself look even larger. he particularly doesn't like using this form in a fight -- the anger and confusion of battle are emotions that lead easily to malevolence, after all -- but it gets him around the city faster than on foot; keeps him from getting overwhelmed by the Uvi's numbers as immediately as he works to keep freezing their deadly cargoes of fish and ocean water. he'll pay for this profligate use of magic later, but later is later is later, and there are lives to be saved right now.

still, he knows he can't fight all alone; he's tired, and the Uvi are scoring hits even through his armored hide. he's backing slowly down the street, his body directly between a group of Uvi and a handful of Palai stragglers who haven't yet made it to a shielded building, and if he catches another coven member out of the corner of his eye, he'll reach out, even telepathy sounding strained]

Can you get them the rest of the way, quickly? I can't watch both groups at the same time--

[sure enough, an Uvi's sneaking over to try and land a blow on him right now, while he's talking.]

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Edited 2017-09-03 23:38 (UTC)

[Maybe it's lucky that 9S' combat style is unique, owed to originally having no Near Field Combat System, as was standard for a Scanner. When he sees an Uvi trying to sneak its way up to a familiar dragon, he throws his hand in that direction.

His sword flickers from its place behind him and sails, seemingly of its own accord, in the enemy's direction. The force of this strike knocks the Uvi clean off its feet and divorces its hand, still holding a bone-wrought weapon, from the rest of its body]

Sure you don't want me to mop up these guys?

[He calls, already advancing on his wounded opponent. Kind 9S may be, but he can make for a brutal enemy. The only thing is, he can't attack in succession with that Uvi as close to Mikleo as it is...not without closing distance]

[Mikleo jerks his own head and wing back a bit at the sword's movement, eyes wide; while it hasn't taken his focus off the fight or anything, he definitely had not been expecting a flying sword from anyone, let alone 9S]

--deal, since you've got the distance advantage. I'll take them, you cover, and if they throw water at you I'll handle it. C'mon, little guys...

[that last bit was an aside to the Palai, who pick up their terrified shuffle]

[With Mikleo backing away, 9S closes distance between himself and his target quickly. He's not made for melee, and he'll readily admit it, but keeping hostiles focused on him necessitates this.

He changes weapons from his sword to bracers, electricity crackling from the prongs that protrude from them. But instead of punching his opponent, he waves a hand and the weapons strike the nearest Uvi on their own]

I don't make a very good shield anyway.

[For all that he casually admits as much, it's not that 9S hasn't tried. He has certainly made every effort to protect 2B in the past, regardless of her own physical specifications far exceeding his.

He imagines Mikleo's the same about his family]

This is what I mean about your technology looking like magic, you know!

[i mean, seriously, how is he even doing that, that's electricity and levitating weapons, 9S the self-proclaimed nonmagical cyborg is fighting like Mikleo's lightning seraph grandpa might have fought, back in the day

(yes they are in peril but he can take a moment to think that's real neat, okay.)

he doesn't try to distract 9S further, focusing on hustling the Palai along and safely behind the barriers they've caught up. the Uvi decide to try countering 9S's blades with a shark-filled projectile of their own, at some point in that fight; 9S picks up Mikleo's rising snarl just as that projectile suddenly freezes solid in midair, dropping to the street and shattering a moment later.]

This is nothing compared with 2B.

[Because she's the real big gun, and he's well aware of it. 9S' role has been support with good reason, and even his melee attacks being largely indirect bespeaks this. And when that water's frozen solid, he wonders briefly if Mikleo's used to backing up others too.

It's a fleeting thought as he springs away before that ice falls, afterimages blooming out around him. They fade quickly, but they last long enough that the nearest Uvi lunges for one instead of him, and in the next moment his bracers circle back to strike it square in the head]

Thanks— I'm not made to combat magic.

Good thing their magic's pretty limited, then...

[enough that he felt comfortable striking out and letting the coven's other water users handle the area nearer the shields. he lunges out, birdlike, and just outright scruffs a Palai who's lagging behind the rest, hustling down the street at speed while carrying it]

Watch the sharks, they still bite once the ice shatters. I can't freeze living things all the way through that fast.

These sure look different from the ones pod used to catch...

[Basking sharks were a fairly mild-mannered species, and it's easy to surmise anything the Uvi would bring are going to be far more hostile. He eyes the creature in question for an instant before turning to strike another approaching attacker, knocking it over.

Casting a glance around, he doesn't spot any Uvi lingering that aren't dead or unconscious, though he wouldn't be surprised if more emerged]

Pretty sure it wouldn't like the results of biting me though.

I'll take your word for that.

[he wants to know why, of course, but -- another time, a safer time. herds the rest of the Palai into the building, then whips back around to where 9S is; it takes less than a minute with him actually bundling them along.

...what a mess...]

...Yikes. We'll have to clean these up, but -- did you take any injury?

[9S knows in part because he feels it easy to deduce, but also because something else tried for his leg earlier. Part of his endoskeleton is exposed just above his knee, synthetic skin torn to reveal the metal structure beneath, but there's little more than a shallow dent to be found in that material]

Nothing I can't repair, so long as I keep corrosives out.

[The seawater is something of a concern, but not enough to stop him from dispensing with the nearest shark as soon as it begins to move]

What about you? [To him, the more important question] Are you okay?

Edited 2017-09-17 02:56 (UTC)

I've had worse. Some bandaging and healing once I'm back in my usual shape will be enough; I just don't dare switch back until we're sure the city's clear.

[he sets about finishing off what's left as well; heavy blows of his front legs are enough. he doesn't want to go so far as to actually bite them; it feels like he's going too far into actual malevolent dragon behavior if he does that.

when he finished and gets a better look at 9S, he actually does note the rip and shake his head a little]

...I can't heal machinery, but if any water got in there, I can get it out again.

It wouldn't be a big deal if this was fresh water but... [He casts a speculative glance down at his leg] I may have to take you up on that.

[His unit type is far more aware of systems than others, and for that reason he knows he'll be able to determine whether any of this seawater got into his leg. For the time being it isn't a particular threat, but he'd rather not leave it unattended once the battle's concluded]

Having a form like that's got to be pretty handy though. I don't have the same mobility without a flight unit.

Mm. The problem is mostly in the timing -- if I change back, I can't take this shape again for another day. So it's all dragon or no dragon, and all dragon starts being a problem after a few hours.

[cranes his neck up from 9S's leg, surveying the wreckage]

It shouldn't take that long to finish up the rest of this, though...I hope.

A limitation like that would take careful planning, huh?

[9S follows his line of sight, scanning their surroundings. There's information he can pick up on the environment simply by merit of what he is as well, and he extends his focus to that end]

I'm picking up on less hostiles... So I'd say we're making inroads at least.

Yes. And -- good.

[a thread of tiredness creeps into his voice; he never thought the vague mission Qri gave them originally would wind up landing them in the middle of an alien war.]

Which way? Let's get this done.

[For that, 9S brings up a holographic screen with a simple gesture, displaying a map of their surroundings]

Let's see here... [He frowns, reviewing dark marks that indicate enemy presence] Some have gathered by the commercial district, probably trying to get past the shields there.

[It reminds him of how machines would congregate around transports in an effort to disable them]

[Mikleo peers at the display, eyes narrowed in thought]

If we can get close enough without their spotting us, I can cloak us until we're right in the middle of them, take them by surprise. Here.

[gestures with his nose to a likely-looking spot, in the thick of the Uvi but with sufficient building cover on the way]

[9S can't help but grin. This is the sort of thing Scanners are intended to do. Well, the sneaking around part. After all, they aren't made with a functional near-field combat system.

The difference is he's modified himself, but avoiding battles until the right moment is the best way to make use of hacking. So he sees the sense in it easily enough, nodding]

I can do that.

[He traces a path between buildings to the place Mikleo selected]

How about an approach like this?

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oneandmikleonly - 2017-10-05 23:45 (UTC) - Expand

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deem - 2017-10-06 03:03 (UTC) - Expand

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oneandmikleonly - 2017-10-06 23:50 (UTC) - Expand

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deem - 2017-10-07 01:21 (UTC) - Expand

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oneandmikleonly - 2017-10-09 19:48 (UTC) - Expand

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deem - 2017-10-10 01:45 (UTC) - Expand

[There's no reply -- at first -- but a moment later a familiar white, boxy appliance materializes in midair and knocks the ambushing Uvi a solid blow across the back of the skull, dropping it like a sack of rocks. Lenka's still a good distance away, and that was a bit too close for comfort, but he'd been busy dodging stray frozen chunks of ocean on the way here and is considerably distracted even without the strange blizzard.

On the bright side, the extremely familiar dragon is at least visible, so he hadn't hesitated before flinging his magic to its side. His mobility just at the moment isn't the greatest; he's toting a ridiculous huge greatsword longer than he is tall, currently drooping from his hands and very close to dragging in the dirt.

There's a brief lull where he glances over his shoulder at something in the distance, and then he's finally moving towards the spot where Mikleo and his Palai are having their standoff. He makes no visible movements beyond the running, but a moment later two more refrigerators materialize and send the Uvi scattering a little ways, buying time. His casting has improved, maybe, a little bit despite everything.]

... Take them. I should stay out here.

[His mental voice is a calm, flat counterpoint to Mikleo's, even as aloud he finally comes within range with a roar, slamming his blade and himself at full momentum into the nearest Uvi.]

[wHY ARE EVERYONE'S WEAPONS SO LARGE??? Mikleo thinks to himself, having flung himself forward reflexively when the fridge appeared next to him. he knocked a couple of Palai over with that move, but he's nudging them upright again in a hurry, taking the brief respite Lenka's offered him to get them hustling. he's not going to argue: Lenka's clearly got combo melee and distance covered pretty well right now.]

Right. I'll be back as soon as I've got them indoors!

[that's a big crowd of Uvi, after all.]

[Man, Mikleo, you should see his weapon back home. Just saying. God Eater weapons are all completely ridiculous and a greatsword is really the least of it; which is part of why Lenka had just basically done a grab and go with the thing in the middle of a multifront magical invasion.

He doesn't answer aloud or completely intentionally, but there's a quick and blurry flash of telepathic acknowledgement from his direction regardless, along with an accidental image showing Mikleo, the group of hapless lizards and the all-important shield in a strange sort of mosaic from his point of view. It's hypersharp around the shield, the focus of their current activity, and running like watercolors everywhere else. A bit disorienting. Sorry for the mental noise; his brain's a little rattled today.

Outwardly, though, there's no pause in his movement as he kicks the initial Uvi to the ground and wields the greatsword like a particularly shiny shovel to sever its head from its body; uses the downswing to propel himself further into the fray -- he's between the rest of the Uvi and the group now, finally.

It's a decent number of enemies, and most of them have weapons with longer reach. Nevertheless, with a little refrigerator rain on his side (albeit less precise than that first hit, comboing is hard), Lenka can at least stall for time.]

[Mikleo grunts and shuts his eyes momentarily, shaking his head as he's hit with Lenka's point of view; it's very different from his, and it disorients him briefly, though it's not enough to stagger him.

(that's strange, he thinks, in a tiny portion in the back of his head; that's not the general way humans view the world and battle, I've looked through Sorey's and Rose's and Alisha's eyes and they're not like that -- a peculiarity to humans from Lenka's world, then? or to Lenka himself?)

still, it doesn't faze him very long, and they're no longer that far from the buildings; he takes the Palai group the rest of the way in a galloping run, then claws up to a rooftop so he can glide back to the battle instead of walking. he's back before Lenka's done cleaning up, falling on another cluster of Uvi from the sky like -- well, a bigger version of one of Lenka's fridges.]

[(It's more a peculiarity of Lenka's attempt to interface with their coven-granted telepathic magic than anything else, coupled with some unwanted shocks to his physical and mental state of being in the past few hours; everything is scattered and a mess, so all the images in his mind are too, splintered along the edges of thoughts sheared off by battle instinct.)

With the Palai out of the line of fire and Mikleo's bulk in the distance, Lenka has a little more room to swing and maneuver -- he can slash his way through and around the herd of Uvi rather than taking them head-on to stay between them and their targets, and it helps a bit. He's slowly acclimating to working with the greatsword, even if he still misses the trusty weight of his own God Arc.

He's had to be adaptable lately. It's the nature of the beast.

Mikleo dropping in from the sky does make him freeze up briefly, though he still manages to parry the spear thrust from the Uvi facing him; things out of the sky isn't usually good news, in his experience, here or elsewhere. Anyway:]

Any other enemies nearby?

[The Uvi tend to go straight for the barriers, so it's always a good idea to check if they need to be hustling their cleanup.]

[Mikleo notices the hesitation and is briefly sorry, but then he's just busy. the way he fights is curious; he's got the claws and the teeth to do more serious damage but he tends not to use them, using heavy blows from his head and forelegs and the flats of his front feet instead. it's not less brutal, knocks the enemies away and out all the same, but to him it feels a little closer to his normal style of fighting, less like he's turned into an actual animal.

he is still not all that comfortable with being a dragon, even if for him it's just skin-deep.]

There's another group, but they're some distance off. We could head there, or retreat back to the buildings. Both areas had about the same amount of coverage from our forces that I could see.

[Lenka, on the other hand, fights like he's possessed -- the heft of the greatsword means that he can pretty much throw Uvi across the street when he has the right angle and leverage, so there's a few flying Uvi here and there in the midst of Mikleo slapping them down.

It's not aimless fighting, though; there's a notable lack of slicing on his end of the equation, a little bit of barely noticeable holding back that occasionally gets escalated to full-on slaughter whenever an Uvi gets too far past their line of defense. The current battle might not yet be pressed for time, but he's still working on a time limit, conscious of the fact that too many Uvi in the area could spell disaster in more than one way.

This isn't his type of fight. But he doesn't have to like it; he just has to end it.]

... Let's clean up the area. There are a few more barriers. We should expect reinforcements.

[Not Uvi reinforcements, as it turns out -- there's more rains of fish and magical water headed their way.]

here we go again...

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