Description: Trying to 'bond' with her fellow 'sister and brother', Eve decides to take Franziska out for a little stroll in Southtown to brighten up Franziska's mood. Alas, it seems Eve's definition of having a little fun is quite twisted and sadistic and a poor and mysterious woman ends up being their plaything.
Gertrude is feeling the pressure, and not in a good way. After a loss - albeit one by the most slender of margins - against Tiffany, the German woman has stumbled to the boardwalk. It wasn't far from the amusement park, and it had places she could eat - or at least, buy food. Which is what she's done. Managing to secure an honest-to-God frankfurter in Japan wasn't easy, but it is good enough to eat on whilst she stares sullenly out at the ocean. The weather is in turmoil, cold, damp and miserable... and there's really not many people out here. Why would there be? Its the middle of winter, you'd have to be pretty weird to want to go to the beach.
This is all good as far as Gertrude is concerned, because it means the number of people who can stare at her as she has her argument with herself are rather minimal.
"I almost had her, I did! If I'd managed to defend... well yes, I suppose it doesn't matter now because I didn't, but if I did..."
"No, it isn't fair to blame her, she fought really well, and she seemed to think I was doing well too but--
It, it is sad that actually makes me feel better."
There's a faint, miserable choking noise from the woman, and her hand curls around the boardwalk railing as she dips her head down lower. "I beat Benimaru in a spar, that's not nothing! That, that was really good, there's not many people who can do that! .... but I suppose, it was just a spar. If we were fighting for real..."
Her voice trails off, and her shoulders hunch as she slumps against the railing for support. Logically, she knows she really shouldn't be upset. Her career has never been better; she's got actual money, she's getting exposure, people know who she is and she's getting real, genuine upwards momentum!
But since when has logic helped her? It does nothing to stop the way she feels right now. Like she's falling from a great height, and the ground is rushing up to swallow her whole. Its Christmas soon, and here she is, in the soaking wet, with nowhere to go and nobody who cares; just as nobody has ever cared. God, how she hates this time of year.
Eve's last encounter with Franziska had been frightening to say the least. A short discussion with Nameless was all it took to force her to do some effort to look past Franziska' monstruous appearance : sister and brother bonding amongst NESTS was important he said. All it took was a gaze filled with expectations for Eve to do her utmost not to let him down.
Easier said than done though. What's the best way to spend quality time with someone like Franziska? That's a wonder... What do monstruous girl her like to do? Shopping? Doing braids in her hair? Pedicure? No, no... Eve was starting to think like those air-head cheerleaders, that wasn't good...
That's it : she had a better idea. The blonde girl dressed up in her dark magenta leather outfit, the one meant for her missions that offers flexibility and agility while giving her body some protection, albeit, minimal but still. "The Hound...?" She asks timidly. "Come, we're going out for a little walk..." She says, her lips curling into a sadistic smile.
Lack of having a pet badger since it got taken back from Gedo, perhaps she could treat her like her own personal pet? Who knows, it certainly felt like it except she seemed more intelligent -- Eve leads the way through the city, leaping from building to building to see how Franziska is doing on her own and if she can follow her.
The NESTs agent made her way through Southtown with stealth, seeking for a little plaything for Franziska, nothing else. With a physique like hers, she figures shredding and tearing someone apart must be one of her favorite thing to do... Just need to find some helpless victim... A hobo or someone who's all alone... And what's that? A woman, alone on the boardwalk to the beach?
Eve's lips curl into a wide grin and she points her out to Franziska, "Time to have some fun, shall we? Show me what you can do, she's all yours..."
For most people, the very idea of being 'taken' for a walk would imply all sorts of unsavory things. Capture and slavery is the obvious one though there's also the off chance that she might be one of those people who enjoys such things. In this case, it's a bit of Column and a bit of Column B.
Kidnapped at a young age, the creature know known only as 'the Hound' has spent the majority of her life under the thumb of her NESTS cartetakers. Scientists mostly, people who liked to poke and prod her with all sorts of uncomfortable instruments and force her to do demeaning things that no person should ever have to endure. Even if she didn't look like something out of a bad horror film, the Hound would have difficulty looking at herself in the mirror after the life she's led since the experiments began.
For whatever reason, however, she's been assigned to work in the field now. To someone who has spent the majority of their memory in a small room with nothing to break up the monotony beyond random fancies of her imagination and the occassional experiment, the reasons for being unleashed on the world at large are mostly irrelevant. She's enjoying every single moment away from the labs and even being treated like a personal pet, such as she is now, is far preferrable to the alternatives.
Despite the gangly nature of her monstrous legs, the Hound has no trouble whatsoever in keeping up with her agile master. Several times she actually bounds ahead of Eve, playfully darting behind chimney stacks or large air conditioning units, only to reappear above or behind the girl a few moments after she catches up. The creature makes a sport out of it but she does her best not to actually scare or surprise Eve in the process; she vividly remembers how the agent reacted to her appearance on their first meeting.
When Eve finally finds what she is looking for, the Hound scrambles up beside her and follows her finger to the lone individual resting on the beach. Her slitted eyes narrow at the women, head tilting curiously to the side. Rather than joy at receiving the command, however, the creature shrinks a little upon hearing Eve's words.
"You... you want thisss one to... kill?"
Gertrude is already in a fairly bad place. What it is that prompts her to turn around is something she may just wonder about later, but when she does, and she sees Eve and her monstrous companion, the Verhangnis heiress' eyes widen. She's never seen anything like that before. For a moment, she wonders if she's hallucinating - but no, she's fairly confident she hasn't cracked completely. What she's looking at, though, doesn't make a lick of sense. She's seen monsters and Gods, self-proclaimed as they may be, but she's not seen anything so blatantly, unapologetically unnatural before.
Her hotdog is dropped, becoming a mushy mess on the boardwalk. In the next heartbeat, her hand is dipping into her pocket, clenching tight about something there. Her mouth feels dry, and her heart beats so loudly in her ears that she's certain it has to be audible to others. Thump. Thump. Thump.
"I don't know what you want..." She says, as loudly as she can, "But, I'm warning you, you don't... you don't want to mess with me. Not today. Go. I don't want any trouble. If... if you don't... I won't be held responsible!"
The young woman's voice is trembling. She's not at all confident. All she can think of is Amy's warning; if she kept on her path without someone to watch her back, sooner or later, the monsters in this world would hunt her down and kill her. Had the Knight meant it as a warning? A prophecy?
... Or is it a threat which is now being made good upon?
This newly acquired freedom was something new for Eve as well. It was blissful but also frightful to be given so much latitude in what to do. Her schedules used to be very strict and she knew what to expect... Now she's making her own schedules, given the opportunity to live the futile and senseless lives of highschool students.
One thing was sure though : she much prefers to have her life dictated by others. There was some comfort in not having to worry what would happen next and living in this ignorance, just following orders given to you.
The stroll out was refreshing and it allowed her to see Franziska on a whole different level. Her playful nature even managed to earn a soft and earnest giggle out of Eve who joined into the little game, using her chi manipulation to be able to pull off her own athletic stunts over the buildings.
Without anyone near the boardwalk, Eve does not bother trying to sneak up on Gertrude. She'll offer a good sport, and she wanted to delight herself in her reactions. Her smile twists into a grim rictus at Gertrude's surprise, even more so at her stammered threats. She keeps an eye on her but doesn't address to her, she says to Franziska in a soft voice, "Only if this woman begs you to..."
She moistens her lips, a soft chuckle escaping her throat, as if she took pleasure in all of this, "Oh, please, please.." Eve whines softly, opening her arms wide, as if offering herself to Gertrude's promised wrath, "Where would be the fun if you didn't resist? Struggle, squirm, cry, howl!"
With her last words said in a crescendo, Eve laughs, small electric arcs crackling through her hair and fingers, causing her blonde hair to raise atop her head, "Go, Hound! Let's have some fun!"
COMBATSYS: Eve has started a fight here.
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Eve 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Eve has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Eve 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Eve takes no action.
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Eve 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Franziska has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Eve 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Franziska
Well. This certainly isn't something the Hound would have expected from the small girl that had literally thrown up at the mere sight of her twisted form. The sheer delight and sadistic glee evident in Eve's voice as she openly taunts the woman who would be their prey causes the creature to shrink away even further, her eyes going wide.
Monstrous as she might appear, the Hound isn't the sort who takes pleasure in harming others. That is something that she has to tell herself every time the hot tang of fresh blood touches her lips; every time her claws sink into the wet flesh of another living being. It is the mantra that she drills into her head every day, pushing back the ever present bestial hunger that lurks just beneath the surface. Even now, as the scent of fear wafts over to her from the frightened woman on the beach, the Hound swallows hard and tries to contain the surge of instinctive glee that resonates throughout her being.
Regardless of her feelings about it, an order is an order, and she is nothing if not a loyal beast. The command is as binding to her as any geass and without any further questions, she turns to face Gertrude with the sultry half-lidded stare of a beast beginning to stalk its prey. Slowly and deliberately, the Hound slinks to one side, circling outwards to cut off the girl's escape towards the main road.
This isn't the ideal situation; if she had known they were going to be hunting then she'd have wanted to scout ahead, set traps, herd their prey into a place most advantagous to them. Between the two of them, however, they should be able to handle some random woman.
At the command to attack, the creature's corded muscles bunch up together in a visible bulge on her legs and massive deformed arm. She pulls her lips back in a silent snarl, revealing twin rows of jagged teeth that look like they were pulled out of a shark and made into the most horrifying pair of dentures ever conceived. With a sudden leap, the heavy form of the Hound throws itself forward with blinding speed. Rather than slash at Gertrude with her massive claws, however, she brings her more normal hand up, raking the smaller but still deadly nails at the mechanic's leg.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude has joined the fight here on the top side.
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Gertrude 0|-------|-------
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Eve 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Franziska
COMBATSYS: Franziska successfully hits Gertrude with Ripper.
Glancing Blow
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Gertrude 0|-------|------=
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Eve 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Franziska
In the instant that Eve laughs, Gertrude makes her decision. Pulling her hand from her pocket, a small silver necklace dangles in her grip. The item is delicate; a small amulet of polished metal on which the Verhangnis family crest. A skull in the upper left corner, a clenched fist in the lower right, and the family motto:
[ansi(hr,Per Timere Imperius.)]
It closes about her throat, and the reaction is immediate. Gertrude is suddenly wreathed in violent purple flames. Her eyes glow with a malevolent inner light, and her glasses are flung from her body. The woman gasps - and then she straightens to her full height. Her blonde hair bursts from the bun in which it was held, and becomes a ghostly white, suffused with that strange, coiling energy until it wraps itself back into a longer ponytail. Even the German noblewoman's clothing changes; as the energy leeches into the fabric, it is inverted into negatives, displaying stark, bright lines against a void of intense darkness, which swallows all light.
She just looks so... different. She holds herself with a confidence and power which she simply did not have before. Gertrude had been beaten down, crushed, increasingly, by a world of fears and doubts locked inside her head. This woman, though, simply OWNS the space. The aura that surrounds her is one of complete dominance; as though she has actually grown older.
There's no hint of fear in the woman as Franziska closes. Not an ounce of it. In fact, her eyes narrow, and as the claws slash at her leg, she eases herself backwards. The nails cut across her thigh, drawing a thin line of blood, but she doesn't even flinch. Instead, her lips draw up in a dark, unamused sneer.
"I suppose." She states, her voice thrumming with power, and with a sharp, clipped German accent. "That I should thank you." She's speaking purely to Eve; not even deigning to look at Franziska as she steps neatly to the left.
"However. I ~suggest~ that your rein in your beast, before she gets herself hurt."
With a casual wave of her left hand, the earth suddenly explodes into a bright and brilliant flare of purple energy. The wave crests, rocketing towards Franziska with a noise which sounds - awfully - like a human voice raised in such a moment of fear and pain that even the question of gender is stolen away by the raw agony in the voice.
The sadistic expression on Eve's face seems to fade away a moment when she notices Gertrude's display of power. It surprises her, no less : what were the odds? Stumbling on someone who looked vulnerable, an easy prey, who ends up having some fierce powers...
Her rictus returns on her features as she thinks : this is even better! She might even be able to gather some DNA sample from her, able to make her superiors proud of her by a chance meeting. The only answer to Gertrude's display of her dark powers was with one of her own, like two roosters trying to impress the chickens in the farmyard.
Eve straightens herself up and her hands curl into fists, more electric arcs dancing across her body as she seems to charge up, gathering her inner reserves of chi and manifesting it into electric charges she holds into her body, "Oh-oh! Things are getting interesting! Come on, try to hurt us... I'd love to see you try..." She answers to Gertrude.
It's easy for Eve to talk, letting Franziska take all the risks while she's maliciously charging up in the background.
COMBATSYS: Eve gathers her will.
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Gertrude 0|-------|-------
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Eve 1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0 Franziska
COMBATSYS: Franziska dodges Gertrude's Terror Wave.
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Gertrude 0|-------|-------
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Eve 1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0 Franziska
The sudden surge of power is enormous compared to what Gertrude seemed to have only moments before. If it was not for the special gift that the creature assaulting her possessed it might very well have been caught completely unprepared against the wave of raw haunting power.
Even before her claws tear into the woman's flesh, a smell strikes the Hound, warm and acrid like freshly cut meat. Power seeps into her senses in an invisible wave as her prey reveals its true nature. In a moment of blind instinctive panic the creature pulls to the side, drawing only a faint group of slashes into Gertrude's leg as she tries to throw herself clear of the terrifying energy that has basically sucker-punched her right on the nose.
The monster's disturbing agility serves her well. Purple light erupts from the ground at her feet even as she sails to the side to land in a cat-like crouch. A hand goes to her ear as if trying to block out the horrible noises for a few moments and a faint whimper of escapes her, almost like a puppy that's been kicked.
Nevertheless, the Hound knows better than to think that she'll get out of this that easy. Besides, she's suffered far worse than that close call. Most of the time she doesn't even get the option to try and get out of the way. Growling under her breath, she glares back at the transformed woman and tries again, this time ramming her trio of sword-sized talons at Gertrude's midsection.
COMBATSYS: Franziska successfully hits Gertrude with Power Strike.
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Gertrude 0|-------|---====
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Eve 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Franziska
The blows strike true, and the talons punch into Gertrude's flesh. The woman narrows her eyes, and looks down at the rather brutal injury. Already, however, the wounds are starting to close over. The look she gives the pair is one of simple appraisal, eyes casting first at the Beast, and then at the Mistress. "Tch. This body is clumsy and ... inelegant." She states, "But I suppose, under the circumstances, I shall make do with what I have."
Reaching out, she aims to snare Franziska by the throat. If successful, the bestial woman will find her senses being assailed far more directly. She simply pours raw, fearful energy into the woman from her very touch - perhaps even lighting her up with the same purple flames which continue to dance about her body.
At which point, if she's got her grip, she'll simply hurl Franziska over her shoulder and begin to walk towards Eve - or, should something happen to stop that, simply speak whilst looking the woman in the eye.
"You've an impressive beast." She states, "But I am no animal, and I will not be made sport. So I shall ask you once more. Call off your pet, or I shall take my leave."
The blonde girl seems to take pleasure in watching her monstruous friend obeying her and attack this woman. It gave her a weird sensation of power over her, probably the same kind her superiors must feel over her. She had that wicked, sadistic smile on her lips as she stares at the combat, assessing Franziska's attacks as well as this mysterious woman's retaliations.
The woman's grab on Franziska's throats though earns a high-pitched squeal out of Eve's throat and she squirms a bit in incomfort. A shiver runs down her spine a moment, but Eve manages to shake it off a few seconds later. "Stop it, Hound!" Eve calls out.
"Don't take your leave," Eve says with a pout, "We haven't even started to have fun yet! Where's the frightened woman from before, hum? Where did she go!?" Eve asks, leaning over, staring into Gertrude's eyes, "I will make her come back, I will give you something to fear! Whatever powers you have, you cannot escape from us!" Eve shouts.
The girl kneels down a bit and then charges for Gertrude : the electricity she had built up into her body manifesting through her right fist, crackling loudly as she hurls it for Gertrude's midsection, the arcs of lightning discharging and discharging into Gertrude the moment her fist touches her.
COMBATSYS: Franziska dodges Gertrude's Acrophobia.
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Gertrude 0|-------|---====
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Eve 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Franziska
Whatever the hell this woman has flowing through her hands, the Hound wants absolutely no part of it. Even as she feels her claws tear into flesh once again, the creature withdraws and scampers several feet away, only barely escaping the grasping hand that reaches down for her.
This isn't fun. This wasn't what she was looking forward to when Eve said they were going to go out and play. Maybe she should have known better. The kind of people who manage to survive in an environment like NESTS must have atleast one or two screws loose. Even looks like she dumped the entire sanity drawer out on the floor all of the sudden and kicked the bits around.
The shouted order to back off is sweet music to her ears. Already several steps away, the Hound shuffles even further back; not quite far enough to be out of easy reach if she's called in to action again but far enough that she hopes the woman's freaky powers can't touch her without some time to react.
COMBATSYS: Franziska takes no action.
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Gertrude 0|-------|---====
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Eve 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Franziska
COMBATSYS: Gertrude parries Eve's Medium Punch!
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Gertrude 0|-------|---====
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Eve 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Franziska
There's a faint tut of irritation as Franziska manages to dive away from her hand - but the fear the animal exudes is sweet to the dark-accented woman. Now that the beast has backed away, she can give attention to the person commanding it. The pout and the eye contact make Gertrude smile. Lips curl up, and those eyes of hers shine - there's no irises, only burning, glowing purple energy. Yet still, she seems amused.
"You are a child, and yet you think you know enough of fear to invoke it in me?"
The moment Eve strikes at her, Gertrude simply ceases to exist. It is like stop-motion cinema. One second, she is there. The next, she is behind Eve, and brilliant purple energy bursts into being about her fist. Hammering it forwards, there's no elegance at all in the attack, she simply aims to smash her fist into the girl's spine with brutal force, and hopefully send the girl flying towards Franziska.
"Do not presume to lecture me on what I can and can not do, child. The woman you terrorized is my flesh, she is my blood... but I am the true legacy of the Verhangnis bloodline. And I cannot be contained."
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Eve with Decimation Blow EX.
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Gertrude 0|-------|---====
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Eve 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Franziska
The fact her fist ends up passing straight into the air where Eve expected her to hit someone causes the girl to lose her balance somewhat. She staggers clumsily foward at the last moment not to fall, her eyes widening in alert as she lost her target. Surely she didn't vanish into thin air...
A sudden rush of adrenaline courses through her, followed with the electric charges held into her body, stimulating her senses and muscles, every part of her body becoming more keen and alert. She felt the danger, but unfortunately, her heightened reactions couldn't help her against Gertrude's surprise attack behind her.
The smash into her spine knocks the small girl away, making her wince and scream in pain from the sudden surge of alien energy that courses through her. Her leather outfit does little to lessen the strength of the blow, and the featherweight girl is sent flying against her friend.
The blonde girl rises back to her feet after her fall, helping herself as she can, her fingers fidgeting, as if she was wrecked with spasms more or less, a side effect of all that energy she's building up into her. She glares up in Gertrude's direction. "That's good, neither can I!" Eve shouts at her.
Eve thrusts both of her hands in Gertrude's direction and yells as she discharges a good part of the electricity built up into her, unleashing a boad arc of lightning in her direction which ondulates in chaotic and sinusoidal pattern, smaller arcs of lightning sporadicly straying from the main one, hitting the rail and grounding themselves to anything they can, ending up in showers of sparks everywhere.
The Hound is quick to react when her master suffers the powerful blow. Eve never has the chance to hit the ground. Instead, she finds herself slamming into the much softer, relatively speaking atleast, surface of the creature's torso. Fortunately, that happens to be the part of her completely absent of spiky protrusion, scaley muscles, and horrible claws, so it's the best part in this case.
Allowing herself to act as a cushion, the creature grunts and crumples backwards, rolling with the impact to make it as gentle as possible for both herself and her master. Eve seems quick to take the offensive once again so the creature simply slips back into a defensive position behind the small girl.
The electricity being tossed about is something new for her also. Until now she's never seen exactly what it is that makes Eve special or atleast interesting enough that NESTS would keep her around. The hairs on her neck tingle from the static in the air and the creature backs up to make sure she doesn't accidentally attract any errant sparks into the metal spine grafted onto her back.
COMBATSYS: Franziska takes no action.
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Gertrude 0|-------|---====
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Eve 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Franziska
COMBATSYS: Eve successfully hits Gertrude with Lightning Bolt.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Gertrude 1|---====|=======
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Eve 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Franziska
The burst of lightning is incredible. It lights up the boardwalk for quite some distance, and Gertrude's jaw clenches tightly. The woman actually begins to lift off the ground... but it isn't swift enough, it seems, as the energy blasts her full on - more than full on! It is almost as though the scorching power reacts with her own void of negativity, and arcs throughout her form. If it wasn't for the smell of sizzling flesh, it MIGHT look like Gertrude is absorbing the energy...
But there's no mitigation at all; she just sucks it all up. Her mouth open, and she /HOWLS/ with pain. The German woman doesn't scream; it is nothing so undignified, but the agony she is in is made utterly clear, before the lightning snaps off, and she falls to one knee.
"So I see."
The words are spoken bitterly, and she gets back to her feet, tossing her hair behind her as she does. "The pair of you are quite capable. I am impressed."
The flames about her body flicker, and then resurge, swirling as they work to undo the damage that was just wrought upon her - though visible patches of burnt skin remain about her face, hands and neck - where her bare skin is exposed.
"In future, I suggest hunting for prey amongst the school system. The children here are entertaining enough to prove a challenge, but between you, I am certain you could have all the fun your hearts desire."
COMBATSYS: Gertrude gains composure.
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Gertrude 1|----===|=======
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Eve 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Franziska
This massive discharge of energy leaves the blond girl panting from the exortion. A tight smirk spreads on her lips, proud of how she managed to show her that neither her could be contained either. The girl straightens herself up and she reaches out for Franziska's hair to gently pet them. After all, she caught her mid-flight and Eve seems at least grateful for that. Her touch leaves a few static charges in Franziska's hair.
After the howls of pains she heard from the german woman, she thought she would have stayed down for good, but it seems it hadn't been enough. Eve arches a brow and she says, "You haven't had enough?" She asks, a tone of surprise in her voice.
Eve strides toward Gertrude, narrowing her eyes into a frown, "You're our prey tonight -- Your howls of pain have been a delight to my ears..." Eve says, her smile widening into that sadistic rictus, "But I haven't had enough yet," She adds.
Then all of a sudden, Eve dashes in Gertrude's direction, her body hyper-stimulated from the electricity which makes her move even faster, almost blinking through the distance as she closes the distance between her and Gertrude.
She leaps at Gertrude, the electricity crackling loudly as she extends her right feet as if she was attempting to kick her face -- arcs of electricity zap through her limb in an attempt to disuade and prevent her from reacting to her attack. She doesn't kick her though : she merely tries to wrap her leg and trap Gertrude's face around her leg and thigh, before swinging herself backward to throw Gertrude over.
The Hound fights back an urge to flinch when the hand reaches out for her still sparking and crackling with electrical power. Has she done something to earn Eve's wrath? Even if that's the case, running wouldn't help; it never does. Eventually, she'd have to come back for the serum. That reason alone has been enough to keep her docile and this time is no different, though she can't help but look like a child that's about to be slapped.
And then there's a gentle pressure on top of her head. The creature blinks in surprise. She's... she's being petted? This is certainly a first. Being treated like an animal usually involves things like sleeping on the floor or getting left over scraps for food. This part she could get used to.
A faint lopsided grin slowly spreads over the Hound's face. If she had a tail it'd be thumping on the ground right now. The creature's messy mop of pale hair stands up at all sorts of angles as Eve withdraws her hand leaving a fair portion of static behind. It's hard to tell if that actually makes it look worse than usual.
"Tha-"
The Hound opens her mouth to voice her appreciation for the praise but something strange and tingly wells up inside of her mouth. She makes a weird face, working her jaws at first and then wrinkling her nose as the itch creeps upwards into her nasal cavity.
Finally, after several moments of staring cross-eyed down at her nose, the Hound lets out a high-pitch sneeze. Brilliant sparks of electricity shoot out of her nostrils, crackling and popping in the air infront of her like miniature fireworks. She stares at them with a look that says she doesn't know if she should be worried or embarassed, eyes flitting back and forth between Eve and the fading sparks.
Eventually, she just goes with, "...excussse me."
COMBATSYS: Franziska takes no action.
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Gertrude 1|----===|=======
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Eve 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Franziska
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Eve's Electrifying Takedown EX.
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Gertrude 1|----===|=======
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Eve 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Franziska
Eve comes at her again, and the german woman sighs softly. When Eve moves, so does the white-haired woman. Swinging around in perfect tandem; she doesn't walk, so much as she floats about her, and when she touches back down to earth again, she shakes her head. "We have been through this." She states, "I am many things, girl, but I am not your prey, or your sport."
Moving to grab the girl by the throat, she'll SQUEEZE as hard as she is able, and if she gets her grip, drag her up to eye level. "Fear is not about pain, child. It is not even about death. To understand fear, you must reach into your victim's heart, and squeeze it. Do you understand me? If you make your enemy fear you, you RULE them, girl. So tell me. Even if you struck me down."
Throughout the speech, she's been pouring that dark energy into her victim - the faint noise of screaming accompanying it. And if she's got her grip, she'll suddenly SMASH Eve into the floor, where she'll erupt in a pillar of howling, screaming purple light.
"Do you truly think you could claim to RULE one such as I?"
COMBATSYS: Eve endures Gertrude's Fool Ender.
[ ||||||||||||| ]
Gertrude 1|----===|=======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Eve 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Franziska
The blonde girl lands back on the ground after a failed attempt at grasping the woman's head with her legs. She lands in a low couch and before she realizes it Gertrude is lunging at her neck. The moment her hands grab into her throat, the girl's eyes widen and her body seems to freeze a bit.
Irrational fear seems to get a hold of her, and she loses her senses : her hands reach out for Gertrude's arm, holding her though her strength seems to be sapped by the air that quits her lungs. The girl squirms and bucks as she's lifted off the ground, her eyes wide, rolling a bit in the back of her head. She whimpers softly, almost pathetically, as if she had lost all means of defenses with this one touch.
The girl probably failed to listen to anything Gertrude said considering how she reacted to all of this, as if she had gotten into some sort of trance, but she definately holds on the Gertrude's arm tightly, trying to hurt her as she squeezes through it. When she smashes her against the ground, a pathetic whimper of pain escape her throat, lack of having enough air to scream louder, most likely, but it's followed by a massive discharge of electricity into Gertrude's body as she refuses to let go of her.
All in all, this leaves the blonde girl defenseless, spent and out of energy as she empties herself of her remaining bits of electricity and discharges herself wholely on Gertrude.
his time the Hound does not linger as her master is throttled and slammed to the ground. Last time, she hadn't been able to do anything to help Eve save to act as a pillow for her when she got smashed from behind. Now the danger is clear and present and the moment the bizarre woman's hand closes around the NESTS operative's neck she snaps out of her timid crouch and throws herself to Eve's aid.
With the two women so close together, she is limited on how much rending and tearing can be done. Even if it was on accident, the Hound doesn't want that frightening lust for suffering turned her way. Instead, she takes off a dead run, sprinting forward with loping gallops the way only an animal can and the distance between herself and Gertrude vanishes in handful of heartbeats.
The Hound leaps, launching herself like a ballistic missile through the air in an attempt to slam the possessed woman to the ground with a flying tackle. Despite her apparently short stature, the creature weighs a /ton/ and she comes crashing down with all the delicacy of a small car being dropped from above.
COMBATSYS: Eve successfully hits Gertrude with Excessive Discharge.
[ ||||||| ]
Gertrude 1|=======|=======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Eve 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Franziska
COMBATSYS: Franziska successfully hits Gertrude with Pounce!.
[ ]
Gertrude 2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Eve 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Franziska
'Possessed' may not actually be quite factually correct, but the intricacies of psychic phenomena can be discussed at a later date. Or not at all; that seems more likely, actually. The lightning crackles about Gertrude's body, and the woman snarls angrily, her lips curling up in a sneer. "To think that one who seeks to understand fear has such an OBVIOUS phobia. You are unwort--"
CRUNCH.
Franziska lands heavily, and the woman is crushed beneath her bulk. For just a moment, Eve has the combined weight of her heavy fellow operative AND Gertrude's less-than-dainty body against her...
And then in the next instant, there's just Franziska.
Gertrude is visible, briefly, above the ocean below... but as Franziska is likely somewhat distracted, and Eve has her friend crushing her to the pavement, whether or not they even see that is a good question, as the flames die away from Gertrude's body, and she falls delicately into the water below.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Eve 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Franziska
COMBATSYS: Gertrude can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Eve 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Franziska
Once Eve's electricity has fully discharged in an attempt to save herself from Gertrude's grasp, her body seems to go limp more or less. Thankfully though, Franziska comes in right in time to rescue her from all of this.
The past dozens of seconds are totally blank in Eve's mind. She coughs a few times and squirms on the ground, curling up as she is fred from the strangling but also some of the weight crushing her body.
She has no idea what happened but she clings to Franziska. There was no more malice in her voice and seemed to have lost all of her sadistic behaviour. She could careless about the other woman, killed or not, all she wanted was to leave.
She clings to Franziska and she wraps her arms around her and holds her against her. She's the one who saved her, after all. Monster or not, she could have let her there to be choked by that woman. "Go.. Good girl.." She says She's not too sure what happened a few moments ago, but she's obviously still shaken from this horrible experience... Fortunately she's not on her own out here.
Her voice is soft and gentle as she manages out of her throat, "Let.. Let's go back home now."
The crunch that accompanies her tackle is a satisfying sensation. The Hound smashes the woman assaulting Eve to the ground - only to find her gone a moment later as the rest of her weight comes down on top of the smaller girl! The creature hisses in surprise but manages to catch herself before she flattens her master.
In the moments before Eve stirs back to consciousness, the faithful creature lifts its head to peer around, searching for where their prey may have gotten off to, making sure that she isn't preparing to unleash some kind of counter-attack. Then there's a stirring beneath her as the girl comes to.
Once again, the Hound finds herself taken completely aback as slender arms wrap gently around her neck, clinging to her for support. She stares down at Eve's haggard features for a few moments in shock then carefully presses the girl against her chest and lifts her up, cradling her in the nook of her misshapen arms. Crazy and kind. Such is her fate to deal with these kinds of people.
"Yesss, master."
Log created on 09:29:18 12/22/2014 by Eve, and last modified on 15:24:28 12/22/2014.