sticksandbones | [closed] two white haired anime boys fight some bone boys

[Elsword has decided that the muckbeast has to go. And basically anything dangerous here has to go. The forest? Yeah that's a work in progress, we're getting there. For now, weakening it is their best bet, and he wants to think that the easiest way to do that is to kill all the monsters.

Easy math obviously.

So here he is, combing the forest near the river for said muckbeast, sword drawn. Totally alone. Surely no one will want to come muckbeast-slaying with him, that would never happen, he didn't tell anybody he was doing this after all.]

[ 9S likes to think the forest can be reasoned with, after talking with Mr. Shopkeeper. Some mud monster that has killed who knows how many people, on the other hand? Not so much. Anything that has proven to only be a threat to resident humans as well as himself is a threat to destroy with extreme prejudice, and 9S sets out to do so as any good little YoRHa would.

It's his duty, after all, to protect what bit of Mankind yet exists. 9S doesn't believe in miracles, but they're here, tangible, real. Every single dive into his own systems has resulted in normal readings. Somehow, they're here.

That monster's got to go.

Only when he emerges from the brush, he finds Elsword marching along near the riverbank. He watches him curiously for a beat, head canted to one side, before finally asking— ]

What're you doing out here, Elsword?

[ Add did say reminders helped, he can casually slip them right in. ]

[When he goes into Protector Mode, he tends to depersonalize a bit — doesn't put his own safety before that of others, thinks only of killing whatever evildoer needs to be killed, the works. With his condition, it's even more risky, considering he's just a puppet of the El's will at times. Reminders do help, though he can't properly appreciate them.

At the very least, he does look up and respond appropriately when his name is called.]

I'm looking for the monster that was hurting people a few days ago. I'm going to put it out of its misery.

Oh, you are? Pod and I are doing the same thing.

[ 9S jerks a thumb in the direction of the pod hovering just over his shoulder, and it emits a series of beeps in response. He couldn't very well leave a threat like that unchecked, though it does concern him that Elsword is here.

He could get hurt, or worse...

Not that he can go ordering a human around. 9S will just have to make sure nothing will happen to him. ]

We should work together then, right?

[It's funny, they're having the same thought about each other. "He could get hurt". That only motivates Elsword to fight harder, though, to ensure that doesn't happen. With zero regard for his own safety, this should go fine, right...]

We should. I'll make sure you don't get hurt.

[The only question now is...]

How do we lure it out?

I can handle myself in combat, you don't need to worry.

[ As reckless and self-destructive as he had been with the Logic Virus wreaking havoc on his cognitive faculties, 9S had taken no small number of enemies down along the way. He looks back on it with a certain sense of unfortunate futulity, now that his systems are restored, but even so.

Even still.

9S could fight, and he's properly motivated to do so. ]

Didn't the Shopkeeper say something about it not letting people leave? We can use that to bait it into surfacing.

Good idea. We might have to brute force our way through, or... try to, anyway.

[And here, Elsword proceeds to the nearest way to "leave", after he spins in place and picks the direction quickest to traverse. If they can just coax it out of hiding and kill it, he wonders if they'd be allowed to leave after that, though he doubts it.

The forest is intent on keeping them within its boundary.]

[ Hold on a second here. Shouldn't he be the bait instead—

9S starts forward, halts, hesitates. His core programming all but screams that he can't just order a human around, and yet he can't ignore Elsword endangering himself either. ]

Maybe I should do that part? I've got my pod to help me out, so...

[ Please, let him do the damn fool thing instead. ]

[When they make it to the vine-barrier, Elsword is just about to stick his claws through when 9S stops him in his tracks, luckily.

The answer is no, he should do this, he's already been damaged by the forest — there's a parasitic vine in his wrist and all — but he doesn't know how to broach the topic. He barely understands it himself.

But... Pod should be fine, right? 9S isn't organic either, so maybe... hm. It's not like Elsword to give up the driver's seat, but if there's a smarter way to do this...]

Okay. But no matter what you do, don't let the vines grab you.

The vines, huh... You got that, pod?

[ 9S casts a glance toward his support unit and it beeps to acknowledge. He wouldn't want something restricting his movements anyhow, but between his lance and pod's turret capabilities, he ought to be fine. Probably. Maybe.

Having been given the go-ahead, 9S wastes no time moving toward the wall of forest growth. It'd be best to clear it, he's sure. Once Elsword moves away, 9S stations himself a good six feet or more and thrusts his arm toward the mass of thorny plant matter. His lance flickers from its place behind his back, tearing through the air to strike at the vines, its bladed end moving in a cutting arc. ]

Not long after 9S begins, a low rumble begings to shake the ground. All of the fish in the river can be seen darting to hiding spots as the water trembles, and the trees above shake.

Two boys are setting out with a righteous bloodlust in their hearts, and they will be answered.

It's coming.

[Well if there's anything that will not only make Elsword draw his sword but also enter Awakening immediately... it's the feeling that they're about to be attacked. He's on high alert, eyes scanning the horizon for any emerging attackers.

Also he's placing himself in front of 9S, he will attempt to block and/or take any first hits made for his friend.]

[ 9S is quick to pull up his holographic interface, scanning the area just as he's programmed to do. Enemy signals are much simpler to track even from great distances when they're machines or other androids, but the quaking itself is something he can pinpoint the origins of.

He uses that to point where his readings indicate with one hand, waving his screen away with the other. ]

It's coming from there.

[ His pod turns, facing that direction and ready to fire. ]

Is it?

The river seems to split open with a guttural roar. From the depths the writhing dead-yet-trapped cry for help as a six legged creature made of bones, briars and mud crawls forth, something glowing in it's chest. Notably, parts of the briars are displaying frost damage.

That something is actually very easy to see given that it is just a giant rib cage: A blue, ethereal fish tangled in thorned vines, one who's long since given up on escape.

Welcome the Guardian and it's... "predecessor". It's going to try and swipe you both into the water.

[Remember a day ago when i rolled the dice and now we're here anyway, hi,

It can have its attempt at throwing them both into the water, but Elsword is stalwart — he's going to block the hit with his sword and try to prevent both of them from going down, or at least, 9S from going down. No thanks.

Since he can't swing his sword while blocking, the creature is stopped from that, but don't worry because :) Elsword can just summon more swords :) which are going to rain down from the sky on the enemy.]

[ It would go to figure that while Elsword is worried about 9S, 9S is far more worried about Elsword. And the distraction is all that's necessary for something to latch onto his ankle and yank him down with scarcely more than a startled yelp.

The mud immediately presents a problem in terms of visibility, but 9S flings a hand in the direction he can detect the enemy in and his lance launches in that direction even as his pod tries to fish him back out. It is capable of doing such things, but in this situation...who's to say? ]

The pod will have a struggle, getting 9S back- the briars and sea grass within the river twist and wrap themselves around the android, trying to pull him further in.

Meanwhile, the beast howls in pain, shaking the trees with it's volume, as it twists around and tries to swat the swords away. With a spiteful glare, it whips back to strike at Elsword again.

The blue fish does nothing from it's cage.

Nines!

[Dammit that's the outcome he didn't want, but Elsword's on the defensive — he can't stop to fish 9S out, so Pod will have to do it. Momentary distraction is what gets him struck in the arm by the creature's lashing, but he holds steady. It's his job to take hits.

With a grunt, he shoves forward, trying to force the creature to back up as he's also blocking other hits. It's with that in mind that a spell forms on his lips, and from over his shoulder, several more golden blades shoot out and try to skewer the thing. Mostly, they wind up embedded in trees nearby, dissipating after a few short seconds of contact.]

[ Contrary to what might be sensible— might be efficient YoRHa need to breathe. 9S hears the murky sound of his old nickname from somewhere overhead as his pod attempts to free him, and he claws away at the vegetation wrapping its way around his body.

It's bad. He knows he won't last long if he doesn't get air. How ironic that his body uses water to fuel itself, but this muddy, cloying mess he can't even see through is too much. It'll gum up his systems if he takes in too much.

Before his arm is too constricted to move, he reaches toward the creature's form somewhere above and casts out a signal, attempting again to use hacking. It had failed with Buckethead, but he has to try. He has to try, because...

...Because there's only one other thing he can do, if he can't get free. ]

The beast snarls as a few blades do manage to hit it, rearing back to try and swipe them away. It's focus is broken enough that 9S may be able to escape the water if he's fast, but he'd better hurry.

With fury, the beast tries to bring a sharpened, bone fist down upon Eslword.

9S's signal connects. He may wish it hadn't- a cacophony of screaming, pained voices all while a vicious snarl echoes out it's hunger and wrath. How dare you come here. How dare you leave. It's hungry. It's hungry it's hungry it's hungry it's hungry it's hungry DIE.

Edited 2023-07-20 02:17 (UTC)

[Shit, that blow is heavy. He manages to block it just in time ~~because I rolled an 18~~, but the force pushes him down into the mud. It's not enough time for him to get his feet free to try and save 9S, and maybe 9S can save himself. Elsword does some quick mental math, determines that the best course of action is likely to keep wailing on it, to not let its attention divert.]

Dammit...! Just— go away already!

[The moment Elsword's sword is free, he grips the hilt with both hands and slams the beast with a downward slash. He's attempting to sever an arm, please no more punching him.]

[ Unfortunately, it isn't the first time that 9S has encountered a mind too broken for him to do anything with. It's all mad ranting and nothing useful underneath, nothing coherent enough for him to hijack and manipulate. It is, somehow, too close to organic for him to even seize power over a limb.

His NFCS becomes hazy and static as he thrashes against the restricting plant matter wrapped around him. Luckily for him, it seems desperation is enough at least for him to struggle his way to air, and then he's latching onto the creature's ribcage in an attempt to stay out of the water as he hacks up the excess from his waterlogged systems.

It lands him a nice, close view of that glowing blue fish inside this monstrosity, amidst the flicker and fuzz of his NFCS. Perhaps it's just the damage to his interfacing systems, but... That creature makes him think of an energy source and it doesn't appear to be possessed of the same crazed, broken mind as the skeletal beast it's contained in. ]

Is it...using that...as a core? [ He's reminded, if only vaguely, of that large machine obsessed with beauty, festooning its hulking form with the corpses of so many androids, trapped between life and death, forced to amplify its intrusive song. ] Elsword, the blue thing— something's off about it—

[ It's all he manages as he tries to hold on, waving his pod away to fire at skeletal limbs. He's no Battler unit, not meant for close combat, but he tests his own theory by prying at the enemy's ribs. If nothing else, he is nearly three hundred pounds of motivated metal and synthetic materials.

And a black box made of the same unearthly components as a machine's core, but he won't own up to that. ]

[closed] two white haired anime boys fight some bone boys

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roll:18

roll: 2(B)

Re: roll: 2(B)

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