Alongside Masuku, his escort frowned softly as he completely ignored her conversational questions. Maybe the woods were getting to him as well? She couldn't exactly blame him, as the unfriendly air of the place pressed in on them, but it would have been nice if he'd been a little more companionable. Oh well, it was always a mixed bag with the GNA anyway. He was quick to ready his weapon, anyway... she found herself thinking that her companion was probably more used to acting like a bodyguard, and for him it was a mission after all.. so maybe being friendly wasn't on his list of priorities? She didn't say anything aloud, but a small sigh did manage to escape her in between searching for the way forward.
The girl was slightly mollified by his more cautious attention a moment later, even if it confirmed her earlier thoughts that he was mostly acting as guard, and she nodded to him, moving in a little closer. Masuku's instincts proved to be quite accurate this time, as well. While they looked for the path, a low chuckle broke the silence of the woods.
"I did warn you, little ducklings..." The voice shifted about between the trees, though it was hard to pin it to a person, amidst the moving shadows of the woods. Beside Masuku, Narcoleptina huddled against him, glancing about. Her grip on his hand had slid upwards to become a rather more complete two-handed clutch around his arm, and he'd be able to feel her chest pressing firmly against his back and shoulder. Any thought that the character from before had been honestly intended had clearly fled her mind. The voice was the same, but now it sounded nothing but sinister.
"Still... slim pickings, aren't you both... let's see what you've got here..." There was a brief blur of motion from the side, far too quick for either of them to get a bead on, as something raced across the gap in the trees, brushing close enough against the two to jostle them roughly. Narcoleptina herself cried out, though mostly from shock rather than anything else. Masuku would have felt a tug from her as the fast-moving shape passed, but when it was gone, the girl seemed fine... except that her shoulder bag was gone now.
Across from them, now casually leaning on a tree, the tailed navi from before had the satchel in his hands, and was rifling through it quickly. When she saw this, the girl let go of Masuku's arm and took a step towards the villain.
"Hey, give that back! That's—" she managed two steps, before ill timing saw another of her episodes send the young lady sprawling to the ground, loose-limbed. The other navi glanced up at her, one eyebrow raised curiously, but then returned to going through her things.
A walk in the woods
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"God.... What is your problem with us? All we are here to do is to deliver something to someone, so nothing of importance to you should be in there!" Masuku shouted at the navi, angry at both the situation, and how the vibe he got from the navi was sort of correct. "Plus, it isn't right in any way to look through the possessions of a young girl, especially when she is unconscious" he added, trying to buy himself and Narcoleptina more time. He also added "And especially if she is a friend of mine....or somewhere close to being a friend" after that, sighing to himself due to him having the intention to think those words, not say them. Masuku then readied his Pyre Pistol and got prepared to fight the NetNavi.
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For the most part, the sinister navi seemed unperturbed by Masuku's chastisement, and he continued to rifle the young woman's things. The book she had been reading when they met got dropped on the ground, as did a second, smaller one. A pencil case followed, left to fall to the ground, as did a thin volume that was decorated with transfer lettering and looked far more like a diary than a novel. For a moment, the creep looked at a short, thick-bodied pink texter that was separate from the pencil case and seemed like it had a switch on the base, and then chuckled to himself, before dropping it on the ground with the other things.
"Right and wrong are flexible things, in the woods, kid. I'll do as I please and look where I want. Your girlfriend doesn't seem to be objecting now." This led to a somewhat creepy laugh as the navi looked up in time to see Masuku readying his weapon. He raised an eyebrow but didn't make any other moves.
"Points for bravery, kid, but you really don't want to pick a fight with me. Trust me on that, you won't like what happens." He looked back to what he was doing a moment later, apparently unconcerned for whether Masuku actually tried to take a pot shot at him or not. Next to get thrown out were a series of well-sealed bags of different herbs, before the well-dress but not well-intended navi held something up with a more contemplative eye, thinking to himself. The last item was gift-wrapped, and he turned it about in one hand for a moment before shrugging.
"Might hang on to this. Could be worth something." He pushed off the tree and began to walk forward, but only stepped near enough to drop the now empty cloth satchel so that it landed more or less on Narcoleptina's back, where she was still lying prone. The girl began to stir again as the nasty character turned to leave, dragging the bag off of herself and beginning to push herself up. Chances were the girl herself wasn't going to want to let the villain leave the clearing with her gift, but for the moment while she collected herself, Masuku had the better opportunity to act.
"Right and wrong are flexible things, in the woods, kid. I'll do as I please and look where I want. Your girlfriend doesn't seem to be objecting now." This led to a somewhat creepy laugh as the navi looked up in time to see Masuku readying his weapon. He raised an eyebrow but didn't make any other moves.
"Points for bravery, kid, but you really don't want to pick a fight with me. Trust me on that, you won't like what happens." He looked back to what he was doing a moment later, apparently unconcerned for whether Masuku actually tried to take a pot shot at him or not. Next to get thrown out were a series of well-sealed bags of different herbs, before the well-dress but not well-intended navi held something up with a more contemplative eye, thinking to himself. The last item was gift-wrapped, and he turned it about in one hand for a moment before shrugging.
"Might hang on to this. Could be worth something." He pushed off the tree and began to walk forward, but only stepped near enough to drop the now empty cloth satchel so that it landed more or less on Narcoleptina's back, where she was still lying prone. The girl began to stir again as the nasty character turned to leave, dragging the bag off of herself and beginning to push herself up. Chances were the girl herself wasn't going to want to let the villain leave the clearing with her gift, but for the moment while she collected herself, Masuku had the better opportunity to act.
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Masuku helped Narcoleptina up before asking the wolf navi "If you want that package, how about we have a fight, could be a bad move, I know...but I will do anything to protect the belongings of someone I consider a friend...and them in general." He then prepared his Pyre Pistol, hopping the wolf decided to show why NetNavis usually ran from him.
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As he helped Narcoleptina to her feet, the girl began to quickly gather up the things that had been thrown out of her bag. She grabbed the thick texter that had been separate from her pencil case much more quickly than anything else and stuffed it into the bottom of her satchel while a delicate blush raced over her features, but the moment was gone again a second later.
While this was going on, Masuku called out his challenge, weapon at the ready, and the wolf-like navi paused. He had been simply walking from the clearing, but with Masuku spoiling for a fight, he turned slowly back around. With a casual slowness, he put his hands together and cracked his knuckles.
"Brave is one thing, boy. Stupid is another. I think when I'm done, I'm just going to take your girlfriend instead. Probably the most valuable commodity here, really." A dark snarl exposed his too-long canines again and he let the package drop to the ground as well as he crouched slightly, flexing both hands to the side and holding his fingers wide in a way that suggested claws.
A moment later, the navi... blurred. There was sense of movement, true, but the first thing to really register for Masuku was the impact. Something struck him with enough force to spin him around and throw him roughly to the ground, and depending on how responsive his pain senses were, it sent a hurt like no tomorrow all over his body. (-90)
By the time he was able to pick himself up, the wolf was on the other side of the clearing, leaning on a tree again. He was focused entirely on Masuku, and he didn't seem pleased.
"You're way out of your league, runt. Go on, try it on, I'll even give you a free go. Do your best. Maybe you'll learn something." He stood upright and held his arms out, presenting the easiest target he could, clearly unfazed by the idea of letting the other navi attack him directly. Behind Masuku and a little to the side, Narcoleptina had gathered most of her things again and was making her way, slowly and at something mostly resembling a crawl, to the edge of the clearing while their attacker was distracted.
-=A Wolf In Gentleman's Clothing=-
[Unknown]: ???Hp [Unknown Status Effects]
-=Picking a Fight=-
Masuku.Exe: 10hp
-=Wanting to Get Away=-
Narcoleptina.Exe: 100hp
While this was going on, Masuku called out his challenge, weapon at the ready, and the wolf-like navi paused. He had been simply walking from the clearing, but with Masuku spoiling for a fight, he turned slowly back around. With a casual slowness, he put his hands together and cracked his knuckles.
"Brave is one thing, boy. Stupid is another. I think when I'm done, I'm just going to take your girlfriend instead. Probably the most valuable commodity here, really." A dark snarl exposed his too-long canines again and he let the package drop to the ground as well as he crouched slightly, flexing both hands to the side and holding his fingers wide in a way that suggested claws.
A moment later, the navi... blurred. There was sense of movement, true, but the first thing to really register for Masuku was the impact. Something struck him with enough force to spin him around and throw him roughly to the ground, and depending on how responsive his pain senses were, it sent a hurt like no tomorrow all over his body. (-90)
By the time he was able to pick himself up, the wolf was on the other side of the clearing, leaning on a tree again. He was focused entirely on Masuku, and he didn't seem pleased.
"You're way out of your league, runt. Go on, try it on, I'll even give you a free go. Do your best. Maybe you'll learn something." He stood upright and held his arms out, presenting the easiest target he could, clearly unfazed by the idea of letting the other navi attack him directly. Behind Masuku and a little to the side, Narcoleptina had gathered most of her things again and was making her way, slowly and at something mostly resembling a crawl, to the edge of the clearing while their attacker was distracted.
-=A Wolf In Gentleman's Clothing=-
[Unknown]: ???Hp [Unknown Status Effects]
-=Picking a Fight=-
Masuku.Exe: 10hp
-=Wanting to Get Away=-
Narcoleptina.Exe: 100hp
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"I don't care if I die here, I will protect things important to me, no matter what" He sighed as his fox mask appeared on his face and he prepared to attack, knowing that he had no chance. "Its funny how a cornered dog fights, isn't it...sure to die, sure to fight...and if I lose will I also lose my life, I wonder" he thought aloud.
Via the microphone within the mask, you could hear Joshua saying "Yeah, and lets not name our attacks this time". Both of their voices seeming less lively, and seemed like they accepted the apparent mistake as their responsibility.
Joshua then slid the HeatShot Battlechip into the P.E.T., as Masuku's weapon glowed red, as he fired a ball of fire in the direction of the wolf navi, praying that it hit.
Joshua then whispered "If he comes in up close, use the shield Battlechip and then if he does any attacks afterwards, try to dodge those, as he then slid the Shield Battlechip into the P.E.T., hoping that they were in luck.
Turn Summary:
1. Battlechip: HeatShot (40fire + spread1 x 1hit)(+5 fire from Navi Type?)
2. Battlechip: Shield (1 Hit Shield) + (Reflect(up to 60 + Piercing + Line Attack): On Hit)
3. Dodge
Via the microphone within the mask, you could hear Joshua saying "Yeah, and lets not name our attacks this time". Both of their voices seeming less lively, and seemed like they accepted the apparent mistake as their responsibility.
Joshua then slid the HeatShot Battlechip into the P.E.T., as Masuku's weapon glowed red, as he fired a ball of fire in the direction of the wolf navi, praying that it hit.
Joshua then whispered "If he comes in up close, use the shield Battlechip and then if he does any attacks afterwards, try to dodge those, as he then slid the Shield Battlechip into the P.E.T., hoping that they were in luck.
Turn Summary:
1. Battlechip: HeatShot (40fire + spread1 x 1hit)(+5 fire from Navi Type?)
2. Battlechip: Shield (1 Hit Shield) + (Reflect(up to 60 + Piercing + Line Attack): On Hit)
3. Dodge
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The well-dressed wolf watched Masuku recover from his initial pass, and his dark expression broke for a moment as the other navi's words brought a chuckle to his lips. His wide-armed gesture didn't falter as he continued to give Masuku his free opening, but he did tilt his head slightly.
"Strong words, pup, but there are dogs and there are wolves, and a cur should know his place. So are you going to bite, or stand there barking?" She snarled at the end, his words becoming something closer to a more bestial growl, and it seemed he wouldn't wait around for the other navi much longer. Masuku did, in fact, choose that moment to bite, however, and let loose his HeatShot with little warning and sufficient aim.
The burning strike flew true, certainly, but before it reached the wolf, it collided with the curved shell of an invisible barrier that flared into sight as it dissipated the attack. At a glance it seemed as though the shot might actually have eaten through the barrier successfully, but it was hard to tell. Even so, his opponent let his arms drop and smirked.
"Much better. Always show your teeth, kid. The world will never hide hers for long." As though he felt it important to demonstrate this fact, the navi darted forward again, not quite as impossibly quick as his first blur of motion, but still intimidating. Masuku managed, just to duck out of the way, but the wolf followed through for a second punch that saw him driving his fist in a crippling upper that crumpled cleanly through the shield and sunk hard into Masuku's midsection. The impact of it was enough to wind him badly, and leave the temporary body-guard on the ground, but his opponent left it there with a dark laugh.
"Good. Still a pup, but good." There was the sense of the other navi dropping to one knee beside Masuku, and putting a hand firmly on the back of his head. "Now stay down while I—" The wolf looked about the clearing, only to discover that while he'd been busy exercising his dominance on Masuku, his actual prize, the girl and her things, had gotten away. He let out a curse and growled under his breath, giving the fire navi another rough shove before standing.
"Brats!" He flexed his claws a few times, looking around, then darted away into the woods, apparently seeking Narcoleptina.
This left Masuku alone for now, saved from an early jack-out by his undershirt, and with a moment to pick himself up. The wolf was gone, but it seemed as though Narcoleptina was as well. He'd bought her the time she needed to collect her things and get away, but what was he to do now? It was while he was collecting himself and assessing the situation, the the seemingly abandoned navi might begin to hear something that sounded vaguely like sniffling, coming from the edge of the clearing off to his right.
-=A Wolf In Gentleman's Clothing=-
Large Dreadful Canid: ???Hp [Fled]
-=Picked a Bad Fight=-
Masuku.Exe: 1hp [Middle of the clearing]
-=Wanting to Get Away=-
Narcoleptina.Exe: 100hp [Nearby?]
"Strong words, pup, but there are dogs and there are wolves, and a cur should know his place. So are you going to bite, or stand there barking?" She snarled at the end, his words becoming something closer to a more bestial growl, and it seemed he wouldn't wait around for the other navi much longer. Masuku did, in fact, choose that moment to bite, however, and let loose his HeatShot with little warning and sufficient aim.
The burning strike flew true, certainly, but before it reached the wolf, it collided with the curved shell of an invisible barrier that flared into sight as it dissipated the attack. At a glance it seemed as though the shot might actually have eaten through the barrier successfully, but it was hard to tell. Even so, his opponent let his arms drop and smirked.
"Much better. Always show your teeth, kid. The world will never hide hers for long." As though he felt it important to demonstrate this fact, the navi darted forward again, not quite as impossibly quick as his first blur of motion, but still intimidating. Masuku managed, just to duck out of the way, but the wolf followed through for a second punch that saw him driving his fist in a crippling upper that crumpled cleanly through the shield and sunk hard into Masuku's midsection. The impact of it was enough to wind him badly, and leave the temporary body-guard on the ground, but his opponent left it there with a dark laugh.
"Good. Still a pup, but good." There was the sense of the other navi dropping to one knee beside Masuku, and putting a hand firmly on the back of his head. "Now stay down while I—" The wolf looked about the clearing, only to discover that while he'd been busy exercising his dominance on Masuku, his actual prize, the girl and her things, had gotten away. He let out a curse and growled under his breath, giving the fire navi another rough shove before standing.
"Brats!" He flexed his claws a few times, looking around, then darted away into the woods, apparently seeking Narcoleptina.
This left Masuku alone for now, saved from an early jack-out by his undershirt, and with a moment to pick himself up. The wolf was gone, but it seemed as though Narcoleptina was as well. He'd bought her the time she needed to collect her things and get away, but what was he to do now? It was while he was collecting himself and assessing the situation, the the seemingly abandoned navi might begin to hear something that sounded vaguely like sniffling, coming from the edge of the clearing off to his right.
-=A Wolf In Gentleman's Clothing=-
Large Dreadful Canid: ???Hp [Fled]
-=Picked a Bad Fight=-
Masuku.Exe: 1hp [Middle of the clearing]
-=Wanting to Get Away=-
Narcoleptina.Exe: 100hp [Nearby?]
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"Good luck, Narcoleptina, you're gonna need it..." Masuku sighed, as he used a MiniEnergy subchip and his mask disappeared. After checking he was okay, Masuku began walking in the direction the wolf navi went in before muttering "I'm a fool...It's surprising what love, or anything close to it, can do..." Fully aware of how this was essentially a suicide mission, Masuku still struggled through the forest, not even sure which way he was supposed to be going. Masuku realized that Joshua hadn't spoken a word since the battle against the Wold Navi. He shouted "Hey, Josh, got any idea of where to go?" wondering about what the Navi would do to Narcoleptina.
"N-no...What you said back there got me thinking...What would I do if you got deleted..." Joshua sighed, the happy-go-lucky tone he unusually had, absent from his voice. Instead, he had a serious and worried tone, that made him sound like a whole other person.
"Let me guess? You wouldn't be able to go anything." Masuku sighed, beginning to run before shouting "Narcoleptina...wait for me, and I will come...Give up, and I will still return!" He also hoped he would run into a virus or two that would yield a heal chip to act as a last resort.
"N-no...What you said back there got me thinking...What would I do if you got deleted..." Joshua sighed, the happy-go-lucky tone he unusually had, absent from his voice. Instead, he had a serious and worried tone, that made him sound like a whole other person.
"Let me guess? You wouldn't be able to go anything." Masuku sighed, beginning to run before shouting "Narcoleptina...wait for me, and I will come...Give up, and I will still return!" He also hoped he would run into a virus or two that would yield a heal chip to act as a last resort.
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Like a good puppy, Masuku didn't give any distinct reactions to the wolf's chastisement, and remained where he was until the other navi had left the clearing. Once he'd picked himself and patched himself up, however, he began to plan his next move.
It was as he was about to leave the clearing that the sniffling he had been hearing off to the side stopped and a voice called out instead.
"Wait... Wait!" The sound of motion crossed the space from behind one tree, towards Masuku, and Narcoleptina faded into sight, running towards him about halfway across. Her bag was back on her shoulder and sealed up, but there were tars streaking her face and a panicked look in her eyes. She didn't slow as she ran up to him, until she literally ran into the other navi, warping her arms about him and hugging herself to his back.
"I'm sorry you got hurt because of me! Some of the things he said, I got really scared. I didn't mean to leave you to get hurt like that! I'm so sorry. Are you ok? I didn't think he was going to stop, and I didn't know what to do!" She was actually hugging onto him quite alarmingly tightly, but if the adrenalin was keeping the sleep-deprived yawns from her voice, it wasn't doing anything to stop her other problem; a moment after that, the girl's arms slackened and Masuku felt her dead-weight slump more fully against his back.
Fortunately for both of them, her paralysis only lasted a moment this time, and she quickly regained her footing, though she didn't actually let go, choosing instead to mumble and embarrassed apology into his back. After another few seconds she stood back again, reminded of another thought.
"Let me help, here..." Darting around to stand at his front again, the girl put out one hand to press it to his chest. A pale blue light started from her palm and sunk in, swiftly restoring Masuku's health. Her brow furrowed after a moment, and she paused, waiting a few moments for her ability to recover, before doing it again. This time it successfully topped off his Hp the rest of the way and she managed a small grin, wiping at her eyes briefly with her sleeve.
"Umm... My operator would probably be mad at me for this, too, but, I think she's too out of it to notice right now, so, uhh, here." This time when she held out her hand, it was a small data packet instead, and she pressed it into Masuku's palm without taking no for an answer. Upon receiving it, the other navi would discover that it was a replacement subchip for the one he'd just used. Opposite him, the young girl blushed slightly, and grinned again, then turned the handing over action sneakily into simply holding his hand once more.
"Feeling better? I'm so glad you're alright. I wasn't expecting anything like that horrid man to be here. We must be almost there though. I hope we can make it the rest of the way before he finds us again. Let's hurry." True to her word the girl set off forward, hopefully bringing Masuku with her.
((Masuku has been restored to full Hp, and reimbursed the used subchip as well))
It was as he was about to leave the clearing that the sniffling he had been hearing off to the side stopped and a voice called out instead.
"Wait... Wait!" The sound of motion crossed the space from behind one tree, towards Masuku, and Narcoleptina faded into sight, running towards him about halfway across. Her bag was back on her shoulder and sealed up, but there were tars streaking her face and a panicked look in her eyes. She didn't slow as she ran up to him, until she literally ran into the other navi, warping her arms about him and hugging herself to his back.
"I'm sorry you got hurt because of me! Some of the things he said, I got really scared. I didn't mean to leave you to get hurt like that! I'm so sorry. Are you ok? I didn't think he was going to stop, and I didn't know what to do!" She was actually hugging onto him quite alarmingly tightly, but if the adrenalin was keeping the sleep-deprived yawns from her voice, it wasn't doing anything to stop her other problem; a moment after that, the girl's arms slackened and Masuku felt her dead-weight slump more fully against his back.
Fortunately for both of them, her paralysis only lasted a moment this time, and she quickly regained her footing, though she didn't actually let go, choosing instead to mumble and embarrassed apology into his back. After another few seconds she stood back again, reminded of another thought.
"Let me help, here..." Darting around to stand at his front again, the girl put out one hand to press it to his chest. A pale blue light started from her palm and sunk in, swiftly restoring Masuku's health. Her brow furrowed after a moment, and she paused, waiting a few moments for her ability to recover, before doing it again. This time it successfully topped off his Hp the rest of the way and she managed a small grin, wiping at her eyes briefly with her sleeve.
"Umm... My operator would probably be mad at me for this, too, but, I think she's too out of it to notice right now, so, uhh, here." This time when she held out her hand, it was a small data packet instead, and she pressed it into Masuku's palm without taking no for an answer. Upon receiving it, the other navi would discover that it was a replacement subchip for the one he'd just used. Opposite him, the young girl blushed slightly, and grinned again, then turned the handing over action sneakily into simply holding his hand once more.
"Feeling better? I'm so glad you're alright. I wasn't expecting anything like that horrid man to be here. We must be almost there though. I hope we can make it the rest of the way before he finds us again. Let's hurry." True to her word the girl set off forward, hopefully bringing Masuku with her.
((Masuku has been restored to full Hp, and reimbursed the used subchip as well))
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Masuku smiled and then sighed "Th-thank you for the subchip....and thank you for being safe, Narcoleptina." He had now discovered that he truly cared for Narcoleptina and he was willing to protect her at all costs, even if it included his own life. He then responded to Narcoleptina's apology by saying "Don't worry. Friends help each other out, and for me, it doesn't matter if my life is in danger."
After Narcoleptina had fussed about him, restored his remaining HP, given him a subchip to make up for the one he had lost and began to walk off, Masuku followed after her, keeping his Pyre Pistol out just in case they got attacked by a virus. "He then turned towards Narcoleptina and muttered "Say, what do you think he would have done if you had actually ran away and he had found you?" This was because he was intrigued by the wolf navi: why he stole from other; what he used the money, and objects, he had stolen for and what Narcoleptina had thought of him. He was also very sure they would encounter him again.
(I apologize that I took forever to reply to that)
After Narcoleptina had fussed about him, restored his remaining HP, given him a subchip to make up for the one he had lost and began to walk off, Masuku followed after her, keeping his Pyre Pistol out just in case they got attacked by a virus. "He then turned towards Narcoleptina and muttered "Say, what do you think he would have done if you had actually ran away and he had found you?" This was because he was intrigued by the wolf navi: why he stole from other; what he used the money, and objects, he had stolen for and what Narcoleptina had thought of him. He was also very sure they would encounter him again.
(I apologize that I took forever to reply to that)
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The path continued to wind in silence, but to a certain extent the oppressive feel was lessened by the relief of being beyond their dangerous encounter. The light was still dim and the air still, but beside him, the girl grinned.
"Thankyou, hehe. You're very serious, you know that? We only just met, but you're putting yourself in harm's way..." She looked about again as they walked, but her companions musing drew her eyes downward, a little worried.
"I... I don't even want to think about it.... I mean, if he just wanted to hurt us, or take my things, that would be one thing, but, the way he spoke... It made me scared. We've both got emergency systems, of course; if he'd hurt either of us badly enough, we'd still be safe, in the end... but the things he said." Narcoleptina swallowed and bit her lip, unconsciously squeezing Masuku's hand tighter in her grip. "I... I think, if he'd caught me alone, he might have... I don't think he meant to jack me out right away. And I don't think my operator would haven even noticed until it was too late. She's barely conscious..." After a few more seconds of fretting to herself, the girl tried to perk up, putting on a somewhat weak and tremulous smile for her companion.
"But, we're both together, and we're safe, so, let's hurry on! It can't be far now, I hope..."
True enough, the path brought them through one or two more broad clearings, before the woods themselves began to thin out completely. They emerged from the far side of the woods on a slim green verge, bordering onto a fast-flowing river. It was broad and deep, and the current was exceptionally quick; falling in would probably be a critically bad idea.
A short way up-stream from them, only a few metres, really, a small group of stocky female navis were busily washing what looked like linen sheets in the fast-moving currents. Some were singing softly, and the visible strength of their arms said they'd probably been doing the laborious work for years. One of them glanced up as the pair emerged, but quickly went back to her washing.
Further down stream, by a much longer way, a broad bridge spanned the stream, and a properly defined path progressed from it on the other side. Waiting on the rail of the bridge, however, was someone neither navi particularly wanted to see. The wolf wasn't looking their way a the moment, but Narcoleptina hadn't seen him yet. She bounced slightly and giggled.
"Oh! I know where we are, we're almost there now! Just across the bridge and..." Her voice faltered into a short gasp. The wolf's ears had pricked up and his eyes turned towards them. The girl beside Masuku gasped and the wolf snarled, springing up as though he meant to come right for the pair immediately. Upstream a voice called out.
"Hurry, lass! This way, both of you!" It came from the washer-woman nearest them, who had seen the reaction from Narcoleptina, and the wolf beginning to give chase. With one arm she pulled up the sheet she was washing, then hurled outward across the river, keeping hold of one end as she did. The washer opposite her, on the other side, caught the cloth, and then both stretched the sheet taught, giving it a shake that sent a ripple of solidity through it. "Quickly, get across!"
Narcoleptina's eyes darted back towards the bridge, then towards the women upstream. She moved towards the women, but didn't seem to want to let go of Masuku's hand either, taking a step, then tugging at it urgently. The wolf was racing towards them.
((No worries at all; it's your mission after all, you control the pace))
"Thankyou, hehe. You're very serious, you know that? We only just met, but you're putting yourself in harm's way..." She looked about again as they walked, but her companions musing drew her eyes downward, a little worried.
"I... I don't even want to think about it.... I mean, if he just wanted to hurt us, or take my things, that would be one thing, but, the way he spoke... It made me scared. We've both got emergency systems, of course; if he'd hurt either of us badly enough, we'd still be safe, in the end... but the things he said." Narcoleptina swallowed and bit her lip, unconsciously squeezing Masuku's hand tighter in her grip. "I... I think, if he'd caught me alone, he might have... I don't think he meant to jack me out right away. And I don't think my operator would haven even noticed until it was too late. She's barely conscious..." After a few more seconds of fretting to herself, the girl tried to perk up, putting on a somewhat weak and tremulous smile for her companion.
"But, we're both together, and we're safe, so, let's hurry on! It can't be far now, I hope..."
True enough, the path brought them through one or two more broad clearings, before the woods themselves began to thin out completely. They emerged from the far side of the woods on a slim green verge, bordering onto a fast-flowing river. It was broad and deep, and the current was exceptionally quick; falling in would probably be a critically bad idea.
A short way up-stream from them, only a few metres, really, a small group of stocky female navis were busily washing what looked like linen sheets in the fast-moving currents. Some were singing softly, and the visible strength of their arms said they'd probably been doing the laborious work for years. One of them glanced up as the pair emerged, but quickly went back to her washing.
Further down stream, by a much longer way, a broad bridge spanned the stream, and a properly defined path progressed from it on the other side. Waiting on the rail of the bridge, however, was someone neither navi particularly wanted to see. The wolf wasn't looking their way a the moment, but Narcoleptina hadn't seen him yet. She bounced slightly and giggled.
"Oh! I know where we are, we're almost there now! Just across the bridge and..." Her voice faltered into a short gasp. The wolf's ears had pricked up and his eyes turned towards them. The girl beside Masuku gasped and the wolf snarled, springing up as though he meant to come right for the pair immediately. Upstream a voice called out.
"Hurry, lass! This way, both of you!" It came from the washer-woman nearest them, who had seen the reaction from Narcoleptina, and the wolf beginning to give chase. With one arm she pulled up the sheet she was washing, then hurled outward across the river, keeping hold of one end as she did. The washer opposite her, on the other side, caught the cloth, and then both stretched the sheet taught, giving it a shake that sent a ripple of solidity through it. "Quickly, get across!"
Narcoleptina's eyes darted back towards the bridge, then towards the women upstream. She moved towards the women, but didn't seem to want to let go of Masuku's hand either, taking a step, then tugging at it urgently. The wolf was racing towards them.
((No worries at all; it's your mission after all, you control the pace))
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"What the hell? He still hasn't given up... If he catches us we're going to be in way over our heads." muttered Masuku as the wolf began to dash towards them. He then readied himself for battle, his masks appearing on his head. Time seemed to slow down as the female navi called to them. When Narcoeptina began to pull at his hand, he nodded to her and ran with her to the riverbank where the female navis were. They both jumped on the sheet at the same time, both of them aiding the launch power when they jumped off of it. As they landed on the other side of the river, Masuku smirked and said "Well then, let's be glad you didn't actually get caught then...and still won't, eh?" before he ran away from the bank of the river, practically dragging Narcoleptina behind him.
As Masuku ran, Joshua prayed to whatever benevolent forces that may or may not exist that Masuku and Narcoleptina. As the two navi's ran as fast and far as they could, they eventually came across a small outpost on the horizon. Pushing himself as hard as he could, Masuku managed to get to the gates of the outpost. He decided to check behind him, an action he soon came to regret as the wolf NetNavi was still chasing them. Masuku then banged on the gates as hard as he could, shouting "Hey! Let us in! Or help us at the very least!" What he was met with was less welcoming than he had expected. He heard the sound of something clicking as he looked up, seeing two NetNavis, one styled like some sort of knight whilst the other looked like some kind of cat-like creature, wielding rifle-styled weapons pointed directly at Masuku. "So, we should let you in? How do we know you aren't that bandit guy, or whatever he was, that we've been hearing an awful lot about. How do we know you aren't using the girl as some kinda bait?" the cat Navi snarled, it's voice revealing it to be a female Navi. The knight Navi looked out into the distance before taping the shoulder of his colleague and stammered "B-Because the criminal was s-supposed to b-be a w-wolf Navi.... a-and the w-wold N-Navi is over th-their!" as he pointed to the wolf NetNavi who was quickly closing the distance between himself and his targets.
"Ok. Open those gates and close them when these two are through! Calibur, fire at will!" she shouted to the people that must have been in charge of the gates and then the NetNavi besides her respectively. "Y-Yes, Amay!" the knight stuttered, as he began to shoot in the direction of the wolf, who swiftly dodged the energy shots like they were nothing. As soon as the gates opened, Masuku pushed Narcolpetina inside and finally sighing with relief. "Thank God that that's over..."
As Masuku ran, Joshua prayed to whatever benevolent forces that may or may not exist that Masuku and Narcoleptina. As the two navi's ran as fast and far as they could, they eventually came across a small outpost on the horizon. Pushing himself as hard as he could, Masuku managed to get to the gates of the outpost. He decided to check behind him, an action he soon came to regret as the wolf NetNavi was still chasing them. Masuku then banged on the gates as hard as he could, shouting "Hey! Let us in! Or help us at the very least!" What he was met with was less welcoming than he had expected. He heard the sound of something clicking as he looked up, seeing two NetNavis, one styled like some sort of knight whilst the other looked like some kind of cat-like creature, wielding rifle-styled weapons pointed directly at Masuku. "So, we should let you in? How do we know you aren't that bandit guy, or whatever he was, that we've been hearing an awful lot about. How do we know you aren't using the girl as some kinda bait?" the cat Navi snarled, it's voice revealing it to be a female Navi. The knight Navi looked out into the distance before taping the shoulder of his colleague and stammered "B-Because the criminal was s-supposed to b-be a w-wolf Navi.... a-and the w-wold N-Navi is over th-their!" as he pointed to the wolf NetNavi who was quickly closing the distance between himself and his targets.
"Ok. Open those gates and close them when these two are through! Calibur, fire at will!" she shouted to the people that must have been in charge of the gates and then the NetNavi besides her respectively. "Y-Yes, Amay!" the knight stuttered, as he began to shoot in the direction of the wolf, who swiftly dodged the energy shots like they were nothing. As soon as the gates opened, Masuku pushed Narcolpetina inside and finally sighing with relief. "Thank God that that's over..."
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((I can see you've put work into this post, notably more than previously, and that's great to see; really it is. I want to be really positive about that, because it's important. I'm really glad to see the extra effort you put in here. I do have to mention a problem as well though; please read the note at the bottom when you've read the rest.))
As Masuku and his charge heeded the washer-woman's call and crossed the river, the wolf chased. He gained on the pair quickly, and was already racing out onto the taut crossing as the pair stepped off onto the other side. He had brushed right past the woman holding the sheet, but as he stepped out across it, she gave a shout, and pulled. The washer on the far side release her hold and the sheet went loose, whipping away into the current, and the wolf dropped with a surprised howl and a splash. So intent had he been on his prize that no thought of the precarious path had occurred to him, and as the fast moving, deep currents of the river pulled him down and under, a beam of light signalled his emergency jack-out triggering, and removing the would-be thief from the net.
On the far side of the River, Narcoleptina looked back over her shoulder at the sound of their pursuer being washed away, and worry became something more approaching a guilty relief; she didn't want to feel bad about the other navi being hurt, but she was still glad he was gone. As Masuku rushed them on away from the scene ,she managed to wave once to the washer-women and call a soft thank you to them for their help. One waved back, calling for them both to be careful on their way, before the pair had raced away and left them behind.
It was a good thing that they'd lost the wolf by the time they reached the small outpost amongst the fading woodland; that much of a chase over flat ground would surely have seen them both caught. The outpost itself appeared to be something of a short-term, impromptu hold-out, and Narcoleptina herself looked around with her brows furrowed, confused.
"This... None of this was here, last time I visited my friend..." She paused to yawn again, covering her mouth with one hand and blinking a few times as her jaw cracked. "Her house is only a few minutes from here... when did this happen?" The girl was half asking Masuku, and half simply pondering to the empty air, in th hopes that someone else might answer. Fortunately, someone did. Another of the navis manning the small garrison gestured to move the pair off to the side and clear the entryway, before indicating that they should sit at a small table set into a culvert by the door. Narcoleptina scooted into one of the seats, but there was room enough for Masuku to remain standing if he wanted to.
"NetPolice ordered us to set up a monitoring outpost here a week back. Increased reports of banditry and criminal activity from the woods." The officer's voice was gruff and to the point. She was fairly tall, though it was harder to tell when she sat, and had mostly human features. the one part of her that was quite alarmingly not so were her ears, which took being long to an extreme, bending back and trailing down the length of her body, winding around her braided hair, until the tapered tips of them tucked into the belt of her uniform. Green eyes flicked back and forth between Nacroleptina and Masuku briefly.
"You two came tearing from the woods like you had hounds after you. Did either of you lose any valuables or suffer any abuses that you want to report? I need to make a record, then we can get you on your way." The girl shook her head slowly, stifling another yawn and instinctively checking through her pack again to be sure everything was where it should be. Once she had confirmed, she looked across to her friend.
"I'm alright, but, Masuku, you..." She hesitated. Honesty, the girl didn't know whether her escort wanted to report the beating he'd taken while protecting her, or if he'd rather not say anything about it, considered he was fine now. A moment later, she slumped suddenly; if Masuku was seated alongside her, the girl would end up leaning on him heavily with her head on his shoulder, but elsewise she'd slide down to lying across the two seats. The officer started back, blinking and looked between the girl and Masuku.
"Is... Is she alright?" Unconsciously the other woman fiddled with a lock of long black hair as her eyes darted, unsure if she should do something more or just wait.
----
((I had to ret-con a little bit of what you wrote, as you've seen. This is because actively controlling a navi (or any character) that isn't yours is a very big no-no. It's called god-moding, and it's one of the cardinal crimes against RP, here and elsewhere. The wolf here is an Npc, but he's my Npc; only I know how he will react to things, or what he will do. As a general rule, assume that npcs that show up in missions belong to the mission mod, and respect them.
Filling in a space that the mission hasn't described yet is also frowned on by many people. I'm personally ok with it, because I -try- to be thorough in my explanations... I didn't get around to detailing what was over the other side of the river yet, so I'm going to accept you painting on the canvas ahead of me, and I'll run with it, but be aware that other mods will not let that slide, either.))
As Masuku and his charge heeded the washer-woman's call and crossed the river, the wolf chased. He gained on the pair quickly, and was already racing out onto the taut crossing as the pair stepped off onto the other side. He had brushed right past the woman holding the sheet, but as he stepped out across it, she gave a shout, and pulled. The washer on the far side release her hold and the sheet went loose, whipping away into the current, and the wolf dropped with a surprised howl and a splash. So intent had he been on his prize that no thought of the precarious path had occurred to him, and as the fast moving, deep currents of the river pulled him down and under, a beam of light signalled his emergency jack-out triggering, and removing the would-be thief from the net.
On the far side of the River, Narcoleptina looked back over her shoulder at the sound of their pursuer being washed away, and worry became something more approaching a guilty relief; she didn't want to feel bad about the other navi being hurt, but she was still glad he was gone. As Masuku rushed them on away from the scene ,she managed to wave once to the washer-women and call a soft thank you to them for their help. One waved back, calling for them both to be careful on their way, before the pair had raced away and left them behind.
It was a good thing that they'd lost the wolf by the time they reached the small outpost amongst the fading woodland; that much of a chase over flat ground would surely have seen them both caught. The outpost itself appeared to be something of a short-term, impromptu hold-out, and Narcoleptina herself looked around with her brows furrowed, confused.
"This... None of this was here, last time I visited my friend..." She paused to yawn again, covering her mouth with one hand and blinking a few times as her jaw cracked. "Her house is only a few minutes from here... when did this happen?" The girl was half asking Masuku, and half simply pondering to the empty air, in th hopes that someone else might answer. Fortunately, someone did. Another of the navis manning the small garrison gestured to move the pair off to the side and clear the entryway, before indicating that they should sit at a small table set into a culvert by the door. Narcoleptina scooted into one of the seats, but there was room enough for Masuku to remain standing if he wanted to.
"NetPolice ordered us to set up a monitoring outpost here a week back. Increased reports of banditry and criminal activity from the woods." The officer's voice was gruff and to the point. She was fairly tall, though it was harder to tell when she sat, and had mostly human features. the one part of her that was quite alarmingly not so were her ears, which took being long to an extreme, bending back and trailing down the length of her body, winding around her braided hair, until the tapered tips of them tucked into the belt of her uniform. Green eyes flicked back and forth between Nacroleptina and Masuku briefly.
"You two came tearing from the woods like you had hounds after you. Did either of you lose any valuables or suffer any abuses that you want to report? I need to make a record, then we can get you on your way." The girl shook her head slowly, stifling another yawn and instinctively checking through her pack again to be sure everything was where it should be. Once she had confirmed, she looked across to her friend.
"I'm alright, but, Masuku, you..." She hesitated. Honesty, the girl didn't know whether her escort wanted to report the beating he'd taken while protecting her, or if he'd rather not say anything about it, considered he was fine now. A moment later, she slumped suddenly; if Masuku was seated alongside her, the girl would end up leaning on him heavily with her head on his shoulder, but elsewise she'd slide down to lying across the two seats. The officer started back, blinking and looked between the girl and Masuku.
"Is... Is she alright?" Unconsciously the other woman fiddled with a lock of long black hair as her eyes darted, unsure if she should do something more or just wait.
----
((I had to ret-con a little bit of what you wrote, as you've seen. This is because actively controlling a navi (or any character) that isn't yours is a very big no-no. It's called god-moding, and it's one of the cardinal crimes against RP, here and elsewhere. The wolf here is an Npc, but he's my Npc; only I know how he will react to things, or what he will do. As a general rule, assume that npcs that show up in missions belong to the mission mod, and respect them.
Filling in a space that the mission hasn't described yet is also frowned on by many people. I'm personally ok with it, because I -try- to be thorough in my explanations... I didn't get around to detailing what was over the other side of the river yet, so I'm going to accept you painting on the canvas ahead of me, and I'll run with it, but be aware that other mods will not let that slide, either.))