As Lyntael found herself trying to cope with the sudden drop in temperature, the robotic doll in front of her appeared to not really move after announcing its intent. Ducking behind the stalagmite didn't appear to have done anything either, as she reported her status to her operator. As she felt the brief tingle of her barrier being generated and peeked out to attempt to reason with the doll, she heard the robot respond. "Illegal operation detected," it announced, as a thin laser beam suddenly shot out at her exposed face. The beam pierced through her barrier and... seemingly did nothing? Her body wasn't feeling any pain, at any rate, as she stumbled out and moved to the next piece of cover, nearest to the doll. With her relocation secured, Lyntael also whipped up a brief gust to clear away the snow around her feet. It mostly worked, revealing the original blank paneling of the landing bay's floor.
As she did so, the doll continued its monologue. "Attempting force-delete protocols and responding to current input," it said, as one of the ice crystals around its feet shot out at Lyntael. Fortunately, the stalagmite she hid behind provided sufficient cover as the crystal shattered against it. On the other hand, however, while her pulsing charge affected the air around her, Lyntael would finally realize what the earlier attack from the doll did. Her internal pulse was gradually growing weaker, or so it seemed to her senses. Lyntael felt it dimming down to a blip before completely refusing to respond. Oddly enough, however, the feeling of net charge around her strikers remained, so she could probably still channel some energy through those if she tried.
The latent rippling charges leaked over to the doll, which received a bit more damage than Lyntael would have expected. It reacted with a loud klaxon as it exclaimed, "Evasive maneuvers," and dashed away from her, towards the other side of the bay. It appeared that it wanted to be nowhere near her.
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: 300 HP (Ice) (1 move to melee)
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 133 HP (Normal) (40HP Elec Barrier) (BusterCharge1) (Sig Crash: 2 Turn) (Off-Target1) (Counter: My Pain is Real)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
60% Snow (Everywhere else)
5% Normal (Under Lyntael's feet)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (1 move to the left, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (1 move to the right, next to transit)
Ice Stalagmite B: 14 HP (Melee range)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (1 move away to left)
Skirting Silence
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The reaction to some of her electrical abilities imposing themselves made Lyntael flinch back, surprised. It wasn't even anything she'd consciously done, so that must mean it— the bolt of light struck her a moment later and she shrank back, wincing. It hadn't hurt, and she could still feel her barrier as well; there had been no recoil of it collapsing, or even sustaining damage. The warm hum of energy in her chest grew steadily brighter and she stepped quickly form on foot to the other, wriggling her toes to keep them moving. Whatever had happened, the sooner this machine stopped, the sooner she'd be out of the snow. Maybe it had just been a targeting beam of some kind. Whatever it was, though, the way it proclaimed about force-deleting things was enough confirmation for the girl to accept that a forceful shut down was the only way forward, and judging from the way it backed off sharply, it didn't seem to like her static.
Even on the bare panels, the lingering effects of the snow were freezing, and she found herself dreading the next steps that would carry her back out into the ice and snow. Already she was having a hard time keeping herself from shaking to the point of dysfunction. Her teeth chattered and she clenched them tight. There was nothing for it, though, and the longer she delayed, the less of an advantage it would leave her. Bracing herself and taking a breath, Lyntael dashed out, ducking low as she ran and gave chase to the doll as it backed away. There were spikes of pain in her feet as she crossed patches of ice, the skin on her feet sticking in the brief moments of contact, but she bore on, focusing as much energy as she could in her wrists and ankles.
She jumped a small patch of ice as she ran forward, preferring even the snow to that sensation, but as she darted in closer, trying to weave with the robot's evasive manoeuvres and keep pace with it, more and more she couldn't avoid having to step on the frozen patches that made her skin stick. Briefly an opening seemed to present itself and Lyntael pounced on it without thinking. Her right hand reached out towards the machine, currents of air curling about her body and reaching out with it, before she swept the arm down and inwards, dragging the gust of wind with all her might to pull the strange doll the rest of the way to her even as her leading hand twisted the rest of her body. The hand pressed to the freezing ice as her momentum flowed forward, and she was briefly aware of the way the pads of her fingers froze to the surface. The feeling was over-ridden swiftly by the more familiar sensation of the crackling energy in her strikers drawing in through all of her extremities, preparing; at this point the sensation was almost welcome, against the cold. Her body turned into the wind she had created, left leg curled in as she twisted to bring the right snapping over and down at an angle intended to slam her heel into what would normally be the neck and shoulder join. The flare of electrical energy blazed bright as the unified pulse raced to the release point and exploded outwards.
In the midst of the borderline euphoric sensation, Lyntael was barely aware of the sharp tearing feel as the movement tried to twist her hand around on the ice, but the skin didn't wish to come. The light flare cleared as she landed, somehow going through the entire fluid movement without her skirt missing a beat in its efforts to keep her decent. The drain of charge was answered by the swell of energy cycling up again, but as Lyntael stood, ready to let the fall-off wave balance out the regain, something went wrong. It pulsed to the extremities of her body, but then recoiled, straining under her skin without escaping. Lyntael staggered forward at the uncomfortable feeling, widening her stance on the ice to keep balanced. What was that? She tried again, more deliberately this time, but again, nothing. It was like the built up charge was hitting some kind of block just under her skin. Sparks began to snap in her hair. The beam...? Her attention split away from her opponent for a moment as her left hand rose to press against her chest, covering her emblem.
"Rogan! Something... something's wrong... what's happened to me?" She was less worried about calling to to him now that she knew even this device was part of the automatic system, but his answer wasn't helpful when it came a moment later.
"Can't talk. Delicate work." popped up as a self-sent message for her, rather than his actual voice answering, and while she understood that, unlike her, Rogan actually had to be very quiet with his work, it didn't help her deal with the strange locked-up feeling.
Summary
L1) Dodge
L2) Movement (To Freezy)
L3) Feint (Keeping pace with Freezy's avoidance)
L*) Sub-type Ability: Gust, as free action, as pull; dragging Freezy in to Lyntael, and assisting in connecting.
L4) Take Aim
L5) Full Charge Buster Strike at Freezy (80Elec, A)(Overcharge +2)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit Blocked!
Cooldowns and Overcharge
All Signatures on Enforced Cooldown: 1TCD
Overcharge: Begin: 0, Full Charge Strike +2, End: +2
Even on the bare panels, the lingering effects of the snow were freezing, and she found herself dreading the next steps that would carry her back out into the ice and snow. Already she was having a hard time keeping herself from shaking to the point of dysfunction. Her teeth chattered and she clenched them tight. There was nothing for it, though, and the longer she delayed, the less of an advantage it would leave her. Bracing herself and taking a breath, Lyntael dashed out, ducking low as she ran and gave chase to the doll as it backed away. There were spikes of pain in her feet as she crossed patches of ice, the skin on her feet sticking in the brief moments of contact, but she bore on, focusing as much energy as she could in her wrists and ankles.
She jumped a small patch of ice as she ran forward, preferring even the snow to that sensation, but as she darted in closer, trying to weave with the robot's evasive manoeuvres and keep pace with it, more and more she couldn't avoid having to step on the frozen patches that made her skin stick. Briefly an opening seemed to present itself and Lyntael pounced on it without thinking. Her right hand reached out towards the machine, currents of air curling about her body and reaching out with it, before she swept the arm down and inwards, dragging the gust of wind with all her might to pull the strange doll the rest of the way to her even as her leading hand twisted the rest of her body. The hand pressed to the freezing ice as her momentum flowed forward, and she was briefly aware of the way the pads of her fingers froze to the surface. The feeling was over-ridden swiftly by the more familiar sensation of the crackling energy in her strikers drawing in through all of her extremities, preparing; at this point the sensation was almost welcome, against the cold. Her body turned into the wind she had created, left leg curled in as she twisted to bring the right snapping over and down at an angle intended to slam her heel into what would normally be the neck and shoulder join. The flare of electrical energy blazed bright as the unified pulse raced to the release point and exploded outwards.
In the midst of the borderline euphoric sensation, Lyntael was barely aware of the sharp tearing feel as the movement tried to twist her hand around on the ice, but the skin didn't wish to come. The light flare cleared as she landed, somehow going through the entire fluid movement without her skirt missing a beat in its efforts to keep her decent. The drain of charge was answered by the swell of energy cycling up again, but as Lyntael stood, ready to let the fall-off wave balance out the regain, something went wrong. It pulsed to the extremities of her body, but then recoiled, straining under her skin without escaping. Lyntael staggered forward at the uncomfortable feeling, widening her stance on the ice to keep balanced. What was that? She tried again, more deliberately this time, but again, nothing. It was like the built up charge was hitting some kind of block just under her skin. Sparks began to snap in her hair. The beam...? Her attention split away from her opponent for a moment as her left hand rose to press against her chest, covering her emblem.
"Rogan! Something... something's wrong... what's happened to me?" She was less worried about calling to to him now that she knew even this device was part of the automatic system, but his answer wasn't helpful when it came a moment later.
"Can't talk. Delicate work." popped up as a self-sent message for her, rather than his actual voice answering, and while she understood that, unlike her, Rogan actually had to be very quiet with his work, it didn't help her deal with the strange locked-up feeling.
Summary
L1) Dodge
L2) Movement (To Freezy)
L3) Feint (Keeping pace with Freezy's avoidance)
L*) Sub-type Ability: Gust, as free action, as pull; dragging Freezy in to Lyntael, and assisting in connecting.
L4) Take Aim
L5) Full Charge Buster Strike at Freezy (80Elec, A)(Overcharge +2)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit Blocked!
Cooldowns and Overcharge
All Signatures on Enforced Cooldown: 1TCD
Overcharge: Begin: 0, Full Charge Strike +2, End: +2
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As much as she would've liked to stay on the cleared panels, Lyntael kept her feet fast on the trail, as she chased the doll about. It didn't seem to be quite efficient at moving about, as it only hovered around in very short bursts of movement. Regardless, as Lyntael dashed in, the doll responded with a salvo of three ice crystals, only one of which grazed her barrier. Despite Lyntael's ability having called in the winds to assist her in landing the hit, the doll managed to swerve away from her crackling heel. Luck wasn't twice on its side, however, as it wasn't able to avoid Lyntael's reactive charge from its previous attack. The doll sustained a critical amount of damage as well, having been situated on top of an ice panel, which only served to amplify the electrical charge.
After Lyntael landed, however, she noticed the fault within her systems, and heard the doll announce robotically once again. "Fault: Heavy data corruption sustained. Target is of Electric affinity. Suggest to bolster defense."
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: 180 HP (Ice) (Melee Range)
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 133 HP (Snow) (15HP Elec Barrier) (Sig Crash: 1 Turn) (Self-Slow1)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
60% Snow (Everywhere else)
5% Normal (Under Lyntael's feet)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (1 move behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (1 move to the right, next to transit)
Ice Stalagmite B: 14 HP (1 move behind Lyntael)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael)
After Lyntael landed, however, she noticed the fault within her systems, and heard the doll announce robotically once again. "Fault: Heavy data corruption sustained. Target is of Electric affinity. Suggest to bolster defense."
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: 180 HP (Ice) (Melee Range)
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 133 HP (Snow) (15HP Elec Barrier) (Sig Crash: 1 Turn) (Self-Slow1)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
60% Snow (Everywhere else)
5% Normal (Under Lyntael's feet)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (1 move behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (1 move to the right, next to transit)
Ice Stalagmite B: 14 HP (1 move behind Lyntael)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael)
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Caught off-guard by the sudden lock-up the of the current straining inside her, Lyntael staggered as she tried to avoid the spray of icicles that were sent her way. When one of them clipped her, the well of charge at the surface of her skin burst outwards, making her gasp and stumble off balance again, but the current underneath, still cloistered within her body, remained unaffected. Whatever was affecting her, keeping the energy from flowing, seemed to have inserted itself between somehow, and even if she willed it, she couldn't bring any more electricity to her skin now, save the already well established paths it took between her core, and her strikers. Disconcerting, that's what it felt like. It wasn't painful or really uncomfortable, but... it was a mix of feeling cut off and dead in some places, while the rest felt pent up and pulsing for release that she couldn't properly give it.
If nothing else, the running about, as well as the burning of current flowing back and forth in her limbs, was stopping Lyntael from freezing completely in the snow and ice. Even so, when her hand came away from her emblem again her eyes caught a hint of red seeping through. The stinging sensation from where the ice had torn at her skin made her shake the hand rapidly. For a moment she had the temptation to press it more firmly under her arm and put some pressure on it, but there wasn't time for that. She wasn't getting any answers from Rogan, but if the machine said it needed to stay away from her electricity, and had done its best to block her from expending it, then she knew what she needed to do. Her body was tingling from the charge that she couldn't balance, but it wasn't going to stop her from darting in nimbly, staying as close to the mechanical doll as she could while it tried to back off.
As she ducked and wove, as light on her toes as she could be in the snow, the winds moved with her, curling about her and her target in a quickening spiral. Lyntael's eyes remained fixed, her brow set as she watched it, but with a sweep of her arm she brought the wind whipping inwards into a funnel all at once, picking up the loose snow and splattering it against the machined from every angle as thoroughly as she could manage. She had no idea if it actually used its eyes to see, or what other sensory equipment it might have, but as she collapsed the updraught on it, snow and all, her aim was to impair it in some way at least. for all she knew, being a machine that worked with ice and snow, it might be perfectly equipped to handle it, but either way, it was worth a shot, in her mind.
The soles of her feet had gone numb, and she couldn't help but notice tiny pink spots in the snow, that could only be places where the supple skin had torn in the frost. Even so, she did her best to keep up, dashing around and trying to keep herself on what she hoped might be something of a blind side to the system. Mid strike, she sprang and twisted her body, turning so that her back passed to the doll for a moment. As she passed about it, the girl drove her other foot out sharply at it, testing to see what its idea of 'defences' was. She landed neatly out of the spin, facing the robot again and watching. It was strange, really. It wasn't that she wasn't afraid. Along with the rush of current demanding to be released from her body, and the tingling burn it caused, there was indeed a healthy dose of fear coursing through her. There was no doubt in her mind that this system was trying to kill her, and wasn't likely to show any mercy if it could.
It was different though. This was just a system, and as much as she feared the pain it might cause her, there was no malice behind it. Knowing that helped, somehow. It was something more than that, too, she realised as she moved with it, still ducked defensively low and with both her hands up in a loose fighting stance now. The world was different, after SciLab. Horrible as it was, a thought she hadn't quite managed to articulate then had come back to her time and again; in those moments, she'd felt like she would rather have died, than suffer what was threatened. Fear of pain, fear of death... as much as those things gripped her heart, there was a tiny flicker of something in the middle of it all that knew there were things she had wanted to choose oblivion over suffering. She didn't know if she'd make the same choice again, but even if not, there was something that tempered her other terrors because of it.
Next to that, what was this, really? Dangerous, yes, but... just a machine. And one she needed to shut down and move on from. Nothing more. That meant that fear or not, she'd keep hitting it until she found the off button. the thought struck something of a chord inside her, and Lyntael felt a small ripple of energy fanning out from her chest. not her normal charge, but it was something she'd felt before. Where? The changes to her clothing began first, delicate vest meshing together and extending into a more covering gi, while her skirt shifted and lengthened, closing about her legs until it had become a more sensible set of leggings to match the top. They were a delicate shade of pink now, instead of pastel yellow, but the soft sweat bands that formed at each of her strikers and about her forehead retained her own characteristic yellow tone. A moment later, she understood what had happened, and where she knew the feeling from. Of course, that. Why hadn't she thought of it before now? Martia would be mad at her. There was a moment where her features dropped to a slightly wistful expression; Martia still hadn't written her back in all this time. Maybe she had made it awkward with that stupid email. She shook it off and refocused. The thought could wait for another time. Right now she had a robot to break.
Summary
L*) (Overcharge +1 from Counter)
L*) Manifest Spirit Still Blocked!
L1) Dodge (Staying close)
L2) Buster Charge
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as context action. Attempting to Blind, Slow, Delay or otherwise debilitate Freezy in some way by blowing a whole lot of snow against it from various angles.
L3) Feint (Doing her best to move with and stay side on or behind Freezy)
L4) Basic Buster Strike (20, A)
L5) Activation: MartiaCross (Lvl 2, Normal/Melee, +1 Speed, +20Hp)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
All Signatures on Enforced Cooldown: Expiring
MartiaCross RP Aesthetics: Overcharge Dampener: Buster no longer adds Expend, All Expends capped at +1. Lyntael also experiences a slight boost to confidence and aggression.
Overcharge: Begin: +2, Counter Activation +1, End: +3
If nothing else, the running about, as well as the burning of current flowing back and forth in her limbs, was stopping Lyntael from freezing completely in the snow and ice. Even so, when her hand came away from her emblem again her eyes caught a hint of red seeping through. The stinging sensation from where the ice had torn at her skin made her shake the hand rapidly. For a moment she had the temptation to press it more firmly under her arm and put some pressure on it, but there wasn't time for that. She wasn't getting any answers from Rogan, but if the machine said it needed to stay away from her electricity, and had done its best to block her from expending it, then she knew what she needed to do. Her body was tingling from the charge that she couldn't balance, but it wasn't going to stop her from darting in nimbly, staying as close to the mechanical doll as she could while it tried to back off.
As she ducked and wove, as light on her toes as she could be in the snow, the winds moved with her, curling about her and her target in a quickening spiral. Lyntael's eyes remained fixed, her brow set as she watched it, but with a sweep of her arm she brought the wind whipping inwards into a funnel all at once, picking up the loose snow and splattering it against the machined from every angle as thoroughly as she could manage. She had no idea if it actually used its eyes to see, or what other sensory equipment it might have, but as she collapsed the updraught on it, snow and all, her aim was to impair it in some way at least. for all she knew, being a machine that worked with ice and snow, it might be perfectly equipped to handle it, but either way, it was worth a shot, in her mind.
The soles of her feet had gone numb, and she couldn't help but notice tiny pink spots in the snow, that could only be places where the supple skin had torn in the frost. Even so, she did her best to keep up, dashing around and trying to keep herself on what she hoped might be something of a blind side to the system. Mid strike, she sprang and twisted her body, turning so that her back passed to the doll for a moment. As she passed about it, the girl drove her other foot out sharply at it, testing to see what its idea of 'defences' was. She landed neatly out of the spin, facing the robot again and watching. It was strange, really. It wasn't that she wasn't afraid. Along with the rush of current demanding to be released from her body, and the tingling burn it caused, there was indeed a healthy dose of fear coursing through her. There was no doubt in her mind that this system was trying to kill her, and wasn't likely to show any mercy if it could.
It was different though. This was just a system, and as much as she feared the pain it might cause her, there was no malice behind it. Knowing that helped, somehow. It was something more than that, too, she realised as she moved with it, still ducked defensively low and with both her hands up in a loose fighting stance now. The world was different, after SciLab. Horrible as it was, a thought she hadn't quite managed to articulate then had come back to her time and again; in those moments, she'd felt like she would rather have died, than suffer what was threatened. Fear of pain, fear of death... as much as those things gripped her heart, there was a tiny flicker of something in the middle of it all that knew there were things she had wanted to choose oblivion over suffering. She didn't know if she'd make the same choice again, but even if not, there was something that tempered her other terrors because of it.
Next to that, what was this, really? Dangerous, yes, but... just a machine. And one she needed to shut down and move on from. Nothing more. That meant that fear or not, she'd keep hitting it until she found the off button. the thought struck something of a chord inside her, and Lyntael felt a small ripple of energy fanning out from her chest. not her normal charge, but it was something she'd felt before. Where? The changes to her clothing began first, delicate vest meshing together and extending into a more covering gi, while her skirt shifted and lengthened, closing about her legs until it had become a more sensible set of leggings to match the top. They were a delicate shade of pink now, instead of pastel yellow, but the soft sweat bands that formed at each of her strikers and about her forehead retained her own characteristic yellow tone. A moment later, she understood what had happened, and where she knew the feeling from. Of course, that. Why hadn't she thought of it before now? Martia would be mad at her. There was a moment where her features dropped to a slightly wistful expression; Martia still hadn't written her back in all this time. Maybe she had made it awkward with that stupid email. She shook it off and refocused. The thought could wait for another time. Right now she had a robot to break.
Summary
L*) (Overcharge +1 from Counter)
L*) Manifest Spirit Still Blocked!
L1) Dodge (Staying close)
L2) Buster Charge
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as context action. Attempting to Blind, Slow, Delay or otherwise debilitate Freezy in some way by blowing a whole lot of snow against it from various angles.
L3) Feint (Doing her best to move with and stay side on or behind Freezy)
L4) Basic Buster Strike (20, A)
L5) Activation: MartiaCross (Lvl 2, Normal/Melee, +1 Speed, +20Hp)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
All Signatures on Enforced Cooldown: Expiring
MartiaCross RP Aesthetics: Overcharge Dampener: Buster no longer adds Expend, All Expends capped at +1. Lyntael also experiences a slight boost to confidence and aggression.
Overcharge: Begin: +2, Counter Activation +1, End: +3
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As the doll was followed around by Lyntael's swift footwork, the doll rotated about on its own axis, trying to catch up to the Navi. Then, suddenly, it halted in its tracks, and announced, "Evasive maneuvers ineffective. Initiating defense protocol." Almost immediately, three pairs of ice crystals sprouted from its back like wings, and Lyntael saw the doll gain an odd shiny luster. Its limbs appeared to lock in place, and its eyes turned a dim blue. Nonetheless, Lyntael continued her evasive maneuvers as the battle went on, evading one of two ice crystals that were shot in her direction by blowing some snow into its face. The other grazed against her barrier, causing it to fail into a low hum. It then proceeded to blow out a proportionally larger amount of icy mist from under its dress, blasting it towards Lyntael. Unfortunately, the attack didn't connect, and Lyntael saw an opening.
At that moment, Lyntael landed a small kick on the doll, causing it to lurch forward slightly, but otherwise, it seemed relatively unfazed. The spirit of a friend began to well up from inside of her, transforming her attire into that of a martial artist's. Though it was still not really winter attire, she was a little more equipped to fight, both in strength and in spirit. Her body started to well up with energy again as the doll swiveled to meet her gaze, its glowing eyes beeping in response to her transformation.
"Unknown offensive protocol detected. Analysis inconclusive. Continue force-deletion."
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: 170 HP (Snow) (HardBody: 2 Turns) (Melee Range)
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 153 HP (Ice) (Lv2 MartiaCross) (Sig Crash: Cured!) (Barrier Destroyed)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
60% Snow (Everywhere else)
5% Normal (Somewhere behind Lyntael)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (1 move behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (1 move to the right, next to transit)
Ice Stalagmite B: 14 HP (1 move behind Lyntael)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael)
At that moment, Lyntael landed a small kick on the doll, causing it to lurch forward slightly, but otherwise, it seemed relatively unfazed. The spirit of a friend began to well up from inside of her, transforming her attire into that of a martial artist's. Though it was still not really winter attire, she was a little more equipped to fight, both in strength and in spirit. Her body started to well up with energy again as the doll swiveled to meet her gaze, its glowing eyes beeping in response to her transformation.
"Unknown offensive protocol detected. Analysis inconclusive. Continue force-deletion."
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: 170 HP (Snow) (HardBody: 2 Turns) (Melee Range)
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 153 HP (Ice) (Lv2 MartiaCross) (Sig Crash: Cured!) (Barrier Destroyed)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
60% Snow (Everywhere else)
5% Normal (Somewhere behind Lyntael)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (1 move behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (1 move to the right, next to transit)
Ice Stalagmite B: 14 HP (1 move behind Lyntael)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael)
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It wasn't that the feeling of determination in the face of danger was alien to her, not exactly, but the subtle undercurrent of confidence that was now coming with it certainly was. Lyntael's brows had drawn down slightly as she watched her target. It had hardened its defences somehow, but it wasn't impervious. She just had to push it further and harder. the movement was keeping her limbs from slowing down too much, and the stinging pain she could feel in her extremities was keeping them sensitive. The straining sensation of electricity in her body had faded and dulled, just like it had the first time, and the air was dead around her in a way that felt uncomfortably disconcerting, but even as she resettled her stance from her last strike, a familiar pulse reverberated through her body, passing out from her core in a re-awakening wave and reaching beyond her strikes for form a protective shell of energy. It was subdued and muted, as all of her charge felt right now, but it was also a smooth flow; the strange block was gone, and before the machine could have a chance to strike her with it again, Lyntael lunged forward.
The movement came in a single, smooth flow, and Lyntael herself wasn't really consciously thinking about the way she moved from form to form. It was very much like the way she danced, if anyone who had seen her do so was watching; untrained, but instinctive and natural, and with an unerringly delicate and easy grace. The main difference here was that, lithe as her limbs were, they now carried an unexpected force with them, and a firmness of self that the girl had rarely shown before.
The doll had turned to face her, but her first strike aimed high, crossing over with her left fist towards the right side of its chest. Her body moved behind it, sliding past and as her leading left foot stepped around, the right heel came up with the follow-through that aimed squarely for its head. As her hip turned, her right arm was moving in tandem, arching over and down again as she brought her elbow to bear on the join at its neck again, left fist curled around the right to add power to the strike. Her right foot landed and her left was leading again, keeping the momentum of her movement and adding to it more as it came out lower this time, in a blow aimed for the midsection of the figure, and the side unless it had tried to turn with her movement. Her body was already in full torque now, and she spun with it, her right leg sweeping back out from underneath her, up and around to aim for another chest blow. Each strike came with a solid thump of energy that released in a minor shockwave, and Lyntael felt her strikers pulse each time, though the sensation of electricity in her core was only building slowly as yet.
Her small frame completed and extra turn in the air after the fourth strike, sending a burst of static energy flying off her in every direction in a bright sphere of flashing sparks, as well as spending the momentum to allow her a balanced landing, but Lyntael wasn't done yet. Her eyes were fixed on her target, but the rest of her features were strangely calm as she focused, likely looking at its back now, unless it had turned with her. The current was still growing, but more like a rising flood than a storm for now. She could feel it filling her up, but it was dull and quiet, too. She didn't pause, kicking off with her back foot to throw her body closer to the machine again, this time in an effort to strike a far more solid blow directly to the middle of it, clenched fist driving in knuckles first. Again, she felt the energy, sans electrical current, flow through her body and outwards in disrupting pulse wave, and a small, almost imperceptible growl escaped her throat as she extended. Close in, the girl jumped upwards, one foot planting against its back, or possibly chest, before she twisted around in a follow-through intended to deliver a much more powerful kick with her other heel right alongside it. Again the small expression of effort came out, failing to sound particularly fierce, but certainly determined.
When she landed this time, a small distance away from the icy security system after her last attack, Lyntael put her hands down as well, sweeping her foot around so she was facing the robot again. the charge in her body had reached a peak now, and she needed to release it, but even if her normal strikes weren't channelling the electricity while she was like this, the young girl knew one way she could do it. Still focused on her target, she rose from her crouch with her hands coming up either side. Her strikers were glowing and crackling now and as she pushed her palms out, wrists coming together with a crack, the bolt of lighting poured outwards to arc across the space between them in a solid line of electricity. As before, the effort of this release seemed to draw her whole body into it, pulling her to the tips of her toes and dragging an involuntary shout from her lungs as it drained her completely. She staggered forward as the energy faded. This time, however, Lyntael kept her stance and form, even if it was a little less steady now. She was left panting heavily, but her eyes were focused and clear, and she was still standing, and that was something new.
Summary
L*) Subtype Passive: Increased Accuracy Melee Attacks
L1) Re-Awakened: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L*) Subtype: Free Action, Adds Impact to next Action.
L2) Cross Signature: A Determined Flurry (20Null, 4 Hits (+Impact), A+)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L3) Cross Signature: A Solid Strike (80Null, Break, Impact, Self-Slow, A+)
L4) Basic Buster Strike (20Null, A+)
L5) Half Charge Buster Strike (40Null, A+)
L6) Signature: My Anger Directed (90Elec, A)(Overcharge +1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1 TCD
My Anger Directed: 3TCD
MartiaCross RP Aesthetics: Overcharge Dampener: Buster no longer adds Expend, All Expends capped at +1. Lyntael also experiences a slight boost to confidence and aggression.
Overcharge: Begin: +3, My Heart Falters -1, Manifest Spirit -1, My Anger Directed +1, End: +2
The movement came in a single, smooth flow, and Lyntael herself wasn't really consciously thinking about the way she moved from form to form. It was very much like the way she danced, if anyone who had seen her do so was watching; untrained, but instinctive and natural, and with an unerringly delicate and easy grace. The main difference here was that, lithe as her limbs were, they now carried an unexpected force with them, and a firmness of self that the girl had rarely shown before.
The doll had turned to face her, but her first strike aimed high, crossing over with her left fist towards the right side of its chest. Her body moved behind it, sliding past and as her leading left foot stepped around, the right heel came up with the follow-through that aimed squarely for its head. As her hip turned, her right arm was moving in tandem, arching over and down again as she brought her elbow to bear on the join at its neck again, left fist curled around the right to add power to the strike. Her right foot landed and her left was leading again, keeping the momentum of her movement and adding to it more as it came out lower this time, in a blow aimed for the midsection of the figure, and the side unless it had tried to turn with her movement. Her body was already in full torque now, and she spun with it, her right leg sweeping back out from underneath her, up and around to aim for another chest blow. Each strike came with a solid thump of energy that released in a minor shockwave, and Lyntael felt her strikers pulse each time, though the sensation of electricity in her core was only building slowly as yet.
Her small frame completed and extra turn in the air after the fourth strike, sending a burst of static energy flying off her in every direction in a bright sphere of flashing sparks, as well as spending the momentum to allow her a balanced landing, but Lyntael wasn't done yet. Her eyes were fixed on her target, but the rest of her features were strangely calm as she focused, likely looking at its back now, unless it had turned with her. The current was still growing, but more like a rising flood than a storm for now. She could feel it filling her up, but it was dull and quiet, too. She didn't pause, kicking off with her back foot to throw her body closer to the machine again, this time in an effort to strike a far more solid blow directly to the middle of it, clenched fist driving in knuckles first. Again, she felt the energy, sans electrical current, flow through her body and outwards in disrupting pulse wave, and a small, almost imperceptible growl escaped her throat as she extended. Close in, the girl jumped upwards, one foot planting against its back, or possibly chest, before she twisted around in a follow-through intended to deliver a much more powerful kick with her other heel right alongside it. Again the small expression of effort came out, failing to sound particularly fierce, but certainly determined.
When she landed this time, a small distance away from the icy security system after her last attack, Lyntael put her hands down as well, sweeping her foot around so she was facing the robot again. the charge in her body had reached a peak now, and she needed to release it, but even if her normal strikes weren't channelling the electricity while she was like this, the young girl knew one way she could do it. Still focused on her target, she rose from her crouch with her hands coming up either side. Her strikers were glowing and crackling now and as she pushed her palms out, wrists coming together with a crack, the bolt of lighting poured outwards to arc across the space between them in a solid line of electricity. As before, the effort of this release seemed to draw her whole body into it, pulling her to the tips of her toes and dragging an involuntary shout from her lungs as it drained her completely. She staggered forward as the energy faded. This time, however, Lyntael kept her stance and form, even if it was a little less steady now. She was left panting heavily, but her eyes were focused and clear, and she was still standing, and that was something new.
Summary
L*) Subtype Passive: Increased Accuracy Melee Attacks
L1) Re-Awakened: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L*) Subtype: Free Action, Adds Impact to next Action.
L2) Cross Signature: A Determined Flurry (20Null, 4 Hits (+Impact), A+)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L3) Cross Signature: A Solid Strike (80Null, Break, Impact, Self-Slow, A+)
L4) Basic Buster Strike (20Null, A+)
L5) Half Charge Buster Strike (40Null, A+)
L6) Signature: My Anger Directed (90Elec, A)(Overcharge +1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1 TCD
My Anger Directed: 3TCD
MartiaCross RP Aesthetics: Overcharge Dampener: Buster no longer adds Expend, All Expends capped at +1. Lyntael also experiences a slight boost to confidence and aggression.
Overcharge: Begin: +3, My Heart Falters -1, Manifest Spirit -1, My Anger Directed +1, End: +2
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With the confidence instilled into her by Martia's spirit, Lyntael's fighting spirit awakened as she pressed on in order to break the machine's defenses. Her signature processes renewed, the protective shell that usually defended her went up just as the doll fired two more ice shards towards her. The barrier didn't last too long from the damage it took, but Lyntael wasn't one to be fazed either. Dashing in, she delivered a flurry of strikes that went high for its head, low for its middle and all about its neck. The doll evaded all of her initial strikes with some sidesteps, but it appeared to be very much unwilling to flee as much as it did earlier. Perhaps its defense protocols were its downfall.
"Warning, rapidfire offensive retaliation. Target appears to no longer be of Electric affinity. Suggest to attempt restoring integrity."
The momentum that Lyntael carried was not to be underestimated, as she continued to press the advantage, with a static spark that enveloped her immediate vicinity. The unconscious attack landed, which was only the first in a series of unfortunate events for the defense system. Woefully unprepared for such an aggressive pushback, it received a solid punch to its midsection, which cracked through its shimmering exterior. Another powerful kick followed it up, getting a much more powerful reaction out of the doll as it hurtled towards the floor. In its prone position, the doll received its last rites as it sustained a fatal strike from Lyntael's bolt of lightning. While it drained Lyntael of most of her energy, at least the Navi was still standing at the end of it. The doll wasn't so fortunate as it was reduced to a twitching heap. A fair amount of its color had been stripped, and its metallic exterior was severely dented in places. Had it been somewhat sentient, it probably would've been easier to pity.
"Fatal... exception... memory dump... failed... This... event... will be... logged..." it stuttered out, before failing completely and shutting down.
Oddly enough, its shutdown didn't seem to have affected the room much, being still covered mostly in ice, though it would probably thaw soon in its absence.
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: DESTROYED
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 153 HP (Ice) (Barrier Broken) (Lv2 MartiaCross) (Self-Slow1) (Off-Target1)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
60% Snow (Everywhere else)
5% Normal (Somewhere behind Lyntael)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (1 move behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (1 move to the right, next to transit)
Ice Stalagmite B: 14 HP (1 move behind Lyntael)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael)
// Battle 5, Victory!!
Rewards:
IceSlasher1Damage: 100 + Slashing
Accuracy: B
Description: Shoots a short ranged ice blade at an enemy.
Duration: Once
Element: Aqua
Special: Ice Type: This chip counts as Ice Type for the purposes of potentially freezing targets on Aqua Element Terrain or environments, as applicable.
Trader Rank: D, 1600z
"Warning, rapidfire offensive retaliation. Target appears to no longer be of Electric affinity. Suggest to attempt restoring integrity."
The momentum that Lyntael carried was not to be underestimated, as she continued to press the advantage, with a static spark that enveloped her immediate vicinity. The unconscious attack landed, which was only the first in a series of unfortunate events for the defense system. Woefully unprepared for such an aggressive pushback, it received a solid punch to its midsection, which cracked through its shimmering exterior. Another powerful kick followed it up, getting a much more powerful reaction out of the doll as it hurtled towards the floor. In its prone position, the doll received its last rites as it sustained a fatal strike from Lyntael's bolt of lightning. While it drained Lyntael of most of her energy, at least the Navi was still standing at the end of it. The doll wasn't so fortunate as it was reduced to a twitching heap. A fair amount of its color had been stripped, and its metallic exterior was severely dented in places. Had it been somewhat sentient, it probably would've been easier to pity.
"Fatal... exception... memory dump... failed... This... event... will be... logged..." it stuttered out, before failing completely and shutting down.
Oddly enough, its shutdown didn't seem to have affected the room much, being still covered mostly in ice, though it would probably thaw soon in its absence.
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: DESTROYED
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 153 HP (Ice) (Barrier Broken) (Lv2 MartiaCross) (Self-Slow1) (Off-Target1)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
60% Snow (Everywhere else)
5% Normal (Somewhere behind Lyntael)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (1 move behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (1 move to the right, next to transit)
Ice Stalagmite B: 14 HP (1 move behind Lyntael)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (2 moves behind Lyntael)
// Battle 5, Victory!!
Rewards:
IceSlasher1Damage: 100 + SlashingAccuracy: B
Description: Shoots a short ranged ice blade at an enemy.
Duration: Once
Element: Aqua
Special: Ice Type: This chip counts as Ice Type for the purposes of potentially freezing targets on Aqua Element Terrain or environments, as applicable.
Trader Rank: D, 1600z
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From the first moment to the last it had only been a handful of seconds, and to Lyntael's conscious mind it went by in a blur of instinct and reflex. It was only as she stumbled forward out of the final electrical blast that her thoughts caught up with the pace of her movements. Her extremities were still freezing cold, despite the rapid movement, and there was a dull ache in her muscles from the recoil and feedback of her barrier collapsing. As she stood panting, looking over the mechanical system that was now broken down in front of her the cross disengaged and her clothing shifted back to normal in a soft ripple. with it can a sudden sharpening of her senses, and the aches and burning sensations leapt up, clamouring for consideration. The girl drew a few more deep breaths, still staring at the fallen construct, and wrapped her arms about herself with a shiver.
The room was still frosty, and even if it would likely return to normal soon, she caught herself longing silently for the shoes she hated so much. She'd removed them from the core restore of her default outfit, but now she would have thanked the presence of something between her frozen, tender feet and the ice and freezing metal underfoot. The balls of her feet, in particular, had begun to take on that contradictory feeling; painfully cold, but strangely hot at the same time. The ice and snow had torn at the soft skin, and she cold see the pinkish patches in the snow where she had moved around, but the best she could do for now was step as lightly as she could from foot to foot while she inspected the battle scene.
Lyntael bit her lip as she examined the fallen device more closely. It seemed surreal ,that she had done all of that. Well, sort of. She wondered if Martia would have been proud of her. The confident feeling had drained away and left her confused by the strangeness of the sensation, and questioning it, but the proof of what had just transpired was here in front of her, battered and damaged beyond function. It had said something, as it fell. Something about logging data. She still had a duty to Rogan, if it wasn't compromised already, and that meant she couldn't be caught. She crouched by the broken machine, still trying to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot as she huddled against the cold, and began running her hands over it, looking for things to pry loose, or panels to open. If it couldn't report, but could still record as it was destroyed, then it would need to have a data record in here somewhere; a safe box, or a secure drive that could be retrieved... whatever was there, she couldn't leave it be. Light, why was it still so icy cold?
As she searched and worked on removing whatever evidence she could, flashes of the last few moments came back while her mind processed it all; the spikes of ice flying past and around her, clipping through her barrier and glancing off covering parts of her shoulders as she'd ducked and wove through them without flinching. She should have been terrified by that, and thinking about it now made her cringe inwardly, but in the moment... in those few seconds of power and confidence, none of that had come to the surface. Was that how Martia felt in combat all the time? It would explain a lot, really. It wasn't exactly that she hadn't been scared, or, well, worried, really... but the feelings hadn't seemed as important, next to her focus, at the time.
Speaking of worry, there was a part of her that was still nervous about accidentally bringing the thing back online as she poked around inside it, but as long as she was messing about inside its inner workings, all it would take would be a solid blast of energy to stop it short. In fact, even if she couldn't' be certain of retrieving the right recording device, she could certainly try to make sure the machine as a whole was thoroughly scoured. Eventually she came up with something that seemed like it was probably the protected black drive and removed it, protective case and all. Whether it actually was or not, she collapsed it to a data string and let it coil around her wrist before turning back to the machine; she wasn't taking any chances with it. The string raced up her arm and found its way to begin circling about her emblem with the other bit and pieces of useful or interesting data she'd collected since Rogan had inserted her, but Lyntael wasn't finished with the broken doll. She plunged her hands back into the inner workings, and channelled a strong current of electricity through the device, doing her best to make sure it there was nothing left that would be even remotely intelligible.
When it was done she stumbled back and upwards to her feet again, backing off a few faltering steps and taking long breaths while her hair crackled and sparked. Easy... long breaths and calm. she'd done all she could, and she had to keep moving. What had Rogan said? A small chamber off the main bay? Was she even still in the right place? A quick look around showed that there was, indeed, an exit into a small room, on the far side of the large area, and she darted over to it quickly. An automatic door opened and shut for her as she crossed the threshold, and it was only as she entered the slightly more temperature controlled die room that she realised how pronounced her shivers had become. The sudden change in temperature sent a shudder through her and she rubbed at her arms unconsciously. Her burned hand still stung badly, and it complained more now as she flexed and curled the singed part of it, but there was nothing more she could really do at this stage. She found the terminal and began working to patch in the last splice.
"All done! Last splice is in place, sir." Rogan didn't answer, but if he was still in a situation that demanded caution and silence, she wouldn't be surprised. After taking her hands from the keys, Lyntael stepped back, the turned so she could lean against the wall. A small nervous laugh crept up in her chest and she put her unhurt hand to her mouth to quietly cover it. She'd done it. She'd actually managed it, without and really major mistakes, and without getting Rogan into trouble. The laugh became a soft, but no less uncertain giggle as she huddled and shivered. She'd even had to fight things but it had worked out. She was cold, and sore, and hurting all over, but, she'd done it. Her legs felt weak enough to warrant her slipping down the wall to sit instead and she hugged herself, resting. In part, she still didn't really believe that everything had worked out alright in the end. Another thirty seconds went by while she rested and tried to warm herself up, residual ice and frost pooling on the ground around her, before Rogan finally spoke to he.
"Alright. I've got everything I need now, but there's more here that I'd like to see, and we've got time still. Lyntael, there's one more thing I want you to do." Perhaps it was a sign of her improved mood, just a little, but she only sighed and shook her head at his words. Was it too much to ask for him to tell her she'd done well? Probably. Oh well. She nodded and pushed herself to her feet again.
The room was still frosty, and even if it would likely return to normal soon, she caught herself longing silently for the shoes she hated so much. She'd removed them from the core restore of her default outfit, but now she would have thanked the presence of something between her frozen, tender feet and the ice and freezing metal underfoot. The balls of her feet, in particular, had begun to take on that contradictory feeling; painfully cold, but strangely hot at the same time. The ice and snow had torn at the soft skin, and she cold see the pinkish patches in the snow where she had moved around, but the best she could do for now was step as lightly as she could from foot to foot while she inspected the battle scene.
Lyntael bit her lip as she examined the fallen device more closely. It seemed surreal ,that she had done all of that. Well, sort of. She wondered if Martia would have been proud of her. The confident feeling had drained away and left her confused by the strangeness of the sensation, and questioning it, but the proof of what had just transpired was here in front of her, battered and damaged beyond function. It had said something, as it fell. Something about logging data. She still had a duty to Rogan, if it wasn't compromised already, and that meant she couldn't be caught. She crouched by the broken machine, still trying to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot as she huddled against the cold, and began running her hands over it, looking for things to pry loose, or panels to open. If it couldn't report, but could still record as it was destroyed, then it would need to have a data record in here somewhere; a safe box, or a secure drive that could be retrieved... whatever was there, she couldn't leave it be. Light, why was it still so icy cold?
As she searched and worked on removing whatever evidence she could, flashes of the last few moments came back while her mind processed it all; the spikes of ice flying past and around her, clipping through her barrier and glancing off covering parts of her shoulders as she'd ducked and wove through them without flinching. She should have been terrified by that, and thinking about it now made her cringe inwardly, but in the moment... in those few seconds of power and confidence, none of that had come to the surface. Was that how Martia felt in combat all the time? It would explain a lot, really. It wasn't exactly that she hadn't been scared, or, well, worried, really... but the feelings hadn't seemed as important, next to her focus, at the time.
Speaking of worry, there was a part of her that was still nervous about accidentally bringing the thing back online as she poked around inside it, but as long as she was messing about inside its inner workings, all it would take would be a solid blast of energy to stop it short. In fact, even if she couldn't' be certain of retrieving the right recording device, she could certainly try to make sure the machine as a whole was thoroughly scoured. Eventually she came up with something that seemed like it was probably the protected black drive and removed it, protective case and all. Whether it actually was or not, she collapsed it to a data string and let it coil around her wrist before turning back to the machine; she wasn't taking any chances with it. The string raced up her arm and found its way to begin circling about her emblem with the other bit and pieces of useful or interesting data she'd collected since Rogan had inserted her, but Lyntael wasn't finished with the broken doll. She plunged her hands back into the inner workings, and channelled a strong current of electricity through the device, doing her best to make sure it there was nothing left that would be even remotely intelligible.
When it was done she stumbled back and upwards to her feet again, backing off a few faltering steps and taking long breaths while her hair crackled and sparked. Easy... long breaths and calm. she'd done all she could, and she had to keep moving. What had Rogan said? A small chamber off the main bay? Was she even still in the right place? A quick look around showed that there was, indeed, an exit into a small room, on the far side of the large area, and she darted over to it quickly. An automatic door opened and shut for her as she crossed the threshold, and it was only as she entered the slightly more temperature controlled die room that she realised how pronounced her shivers had become. The sudden change in temperature sent a shudder through her and she rubbed at her arms unconsciously. Her burned hand still stung badly, and it complained more now as she flexed and curled the singed part of it, but there was nothing more she could really do at this stage. She found the terminal and began working to patch in the last splice.
"All done! Last splice is in place, sir." Rogan didn't answer, but if he was still in a situation that demanded caution and silence, she wouldn't be surprised. After taking her hands from the keys, Lyntael stepped back, the turned so she could lean against the wall. A small nervous laugh crept up in her chest and she put her unhurt hand to her mouth to quietly cover it. She'd done it. She'd actually managed it, without and really major mistakes, and without getting Rogan into trouble. The laugh became a soft, but no less uncertain giggle as she huddled and shivered. She'd even had to fight things but it had worked out. She was cold, and sore, and hurting all over, but, she'd done it. Her legs felt weak enough to warrant her slipping down the wall to sit instead and she hugged herself, resting. In part, she still didn't really believe that everything had worked out alright in the end. Another thirty seconds went by while she rested and tried to warm herself up, residual ice and frost pooling on the ground around her, before Rogan finally spoke to he.
"Alright. I've got everything I need now, but there's more here that I'd like to see, and we've got time still. Lyntael, there's one more thing I want you to do." Perhaps it was a sign of her improved mood, just a little, but she only sighed and shook her head at his words. Was it too much to ask for him to tell her she'd done well? Probably. Oh well. She nodded and pushed herself to her feet again.
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Her body temperature was starting to return to normal now, and while her feet still felt tender, they weren't sore any longer. The abrasions were only very minor, really, and now that the temperature was closer to stabilising, it was only a minor distraction. Her hand felt worse, the laser burn from before aching with a dull throb, but Lyntael managed to put it mostly out of mind as she took a proper look around the small side room. Mostly, she was relieved that there was a door set on the back wall, and she wouldn't need to cross back out into the icy chamber a second time.
"Where to, sir? I'm ready." Before he could begin giving instructions, she made for the door and passed out into a narrow service corridor, just to make absolutely sure he didn't send her back into the ice. Rogan's voice was a whisper, and she caught herself worrying about the danger of what he was doing, on his side of things. He was always careful, though, so she set it aside.
"There's a device here, it's linked and listening to the facility's closed net, but it's private, even beneath the normal security restrictions. Belongs to my target. I want to see what he's got on it, but I can't bypass the lock from here. He's done something tricky with it; I can't get at the encryption to break it. Should be housed by a node you can get to from there. Let's see. Alright, head north." The whispers were short and to the point as Rogan began to direct her, with Lyntael offering only the smallest quick confirmations in return. The rush of what she'd managed had mostly faded away again as she was reminded of how illegal what they were doing was, and the reason it all needed secrecy. The directions themselves were easy to follow though, and she didn't run into any more security systems after the last one.
There were no more tight spaces, or crawls through metal ducts, either, but the small cuts and scrapes she'd gotten nagged more the longer she had to ignore them She pushed on without complaint; this was better than earlier. Rogan just needed her to access one last terminal that would let him work the encryption for the device he wanted to search. She'd have to be the one to do it, but he'd walk her through the bits she was less certain of.
It was while she was climbing a laddered shaft that the open line between them played the sound of a sharp intake of breath and she wondered what could be happening, but no further explanation came. She had paused, hands and toes gripping the rungs lightly as she tried to avoid putting pressure on her injuries, but after another moment kept going; whether Rogan was in trouble or not, staying still was only going to add another problem. She wondered how far she was from the extraction point, and how long it would take her to get back to it once they were done. Time was beginning to run low, she knew, and Rogan would have to leave the facility soon if he wanted to be safe again by the time his window of coverage ended. When next he spoke to her, she couldn't refrain from asking what had happened, but Rogan's answer was unconcerned.
"Restless sleeper. Guy barely sleeps a few hours as it is, you'd think it would be sounder. You're almost there. Right at the top. You should find some stairs leading up further just down the second passage on the left." Lyntael nodded as she went. The net space itself had remained mostly stark and clinical the entire time she'd been here, but in subtle ways the area she was passing into now was developing an atmosphere of being more secure, somehow. She couldn't exactly put her finger on it, save that the detailing on the walls and floors was growing slightly sharper to look at, and more heavily defined. It didn't quite make sense in her head how one translated into the other, but somehow it seemed to, like some kind of sense, or instinct.
The hall opened into a diamond with passages leading out from the four points and Rogan directed her down the one directly ahead of where she entered. She had started to run again, conscious of how little time they had left as well as knowing that Rogan was effectively waiting on her before he could finish up. The passage was only narrow for a short while, before giving way to a space that looked a bit more like a maze made of square wall sections; open spaces interposed with tetris-like shapes. The floor or the room, and the walls, were covered in complicated looking circuitry that exuded a magnetic field Lyntael could feel as she stepped lightly across the surface.
"Stay left. There are insets that lead to localised device links. The third passage you find on that side will lead to a small room with an interface you can use. Be cautious. There was another navi in the room for a while, but it seems to have spent time moving in and out of my detection. I don't know whether it's being jacked in and out again, or doing something else, but there's no-one awake and operating here now. If it's there, you need to get it out of the room somehow, but you can't be seen." The small warning sent Lyntael tense again. She didn't feel like she was ready to deal with other people yet. She set her shoulders and drew along breath. Still, the goal was to avoid being seen at all, so, that was fine, so long as she could manage it.
"Where to, sir? I'm ready." Before he could begin giving instructions, she made for the door and passed out into a narrow service corridor, just to make absolutely sure he didn't send her back into the ice. Rogan's voice was a whisper, and she caught herself worrying about the danger of what he was doing, on his side of things. He was always careful, though, so she set it aside.
"There's a device here, it's linked and listening to the facility's closed net, but it's private, even beneath the normal security restrictions. Belongs to my target. I want to see what he's got on it, but I can't bypass the lock from here. He's done something tricky with it; I can't get at the encryption to break it. Should be housed by a node you can get to from there. Let's see. Alright, head north." The whispers were short and to the point as Rogan began to direct her, with Lyntael offering only the smallest quick confirmations in return. The rush of what she'd managed had mostly faded away again as she was reminded of how illegal what they were doing was, and the reason it all needed secrecy. The directions themselves were easy to follow though, and she didn't run into any more security systems after the last one.
There were no more tight spaces, or crawls through metal ducts, either, but the small cuts and scrapes she'd gotten nagged more the longer she had to ignore them She pushed on without complaint; this was better than earlier. Rogan just needed her to access one last terminal that would let him work the encryption for the device he wanted to search. She'd have to be the one to do it, but he'd walk her through the bits she was less certain of.
It was while she was climbing a laddered shaft that the open line between them played the sound of a sharp intake of breath and she wondered what could be happening, but no further explanation came. She had paused, hands and toes gripping the rungs lightly as she tried to avoid putting pressure on her injuries, but after another moment kept going; whether Rogan was in trouble or not, staying still was only going to add another problem. She wondered how far she was from the extraction point, and how long it would take her to get back to it once they were done. Time was beginning to run low, she knew, and Rogan would have to leave the facility soon if he wanted to be safe again by the time his window of coverage ended. When next he spoke to her, she couldn't refrain from asking what had happened, but Rogan's answer was unconcerned.
"Restless sleeper. Guy barely sleeps a few hours as it is, you'd think it would be sounder. You're almost there. Right at the top. You should find some stairs leading up further just down the second passage on the left." Lyntael nodded as she went. The net space itself had remained mostly stark and clinical the entire time she'd been here, but in subtle ways the area she was passing into now was developing an atmosphere of being more secure, somehow. She couldn't exactly put her finger on it, save that the detailing on the walls and floors was growing slightly sharper to look at, and more heavily defined. It didn't quite make sense in her head how one translated into the other, but somehow it seemed to, like some kind of sense, or instinct.
The hall opened into a diamond with passages leading out from the four points and Rogan directed her down the one directly ahead of where she entered. She had started to run again, conscious of how little time they had left as well as knowing that Rogan was effectively waiting on her before he could finish up. The passage was only narrow for a short while, before giving way to a space that looked a bit more like a maze made of square wall sections; open spaces interposed with tetris-like shapes. The floor or the room, and the walls, were covered in complicated looking circuitry that exuded a magnetic field Lyntael could feel as she stepped lightly across the surface.
"Stay left. There are insets that lead to localised device links. The third passage you find on that side will lead to a small room with an interface you can use. Be cautious. There was another navi in the room for a while, but it seems to have spent time moving in and out of my detection. I don't know whether it's being jacked in and out again, or doing something else, but there's no-one awake and operating here now. If it's there, you need to get it out of the room somehow, but you can't be seen." The small warning sent Lyntael tense again. She didn't feel like she was ready to deal with other people yet. She set her shoulders and drew along breath. Still, the goal was to avoid being seen at all, so, that was fine, so long as she could manage it.
last edited by Rogan
She moved more slowly as she made her way around to the section of wall that Rogan had described, and found the inset passage. Her first action was to peek, very cautiously, around the corner, but the magnetic pathway simply continued to a small rounded chamber with normal tiling, and a single terminal against the wall. Just as she was about to step out and approach cautiously, though, a single bolt of light dropped into the space in front of the interface, revealing a black coat with the collar turned up, dull brown hair and solid, functional boots. His back was to her as he appeared, but Lyntael froze.
At first there were no conscious thoughts; her heart lurched, squeezing in on itself in her chest and the rest of the world fell away into emptiness as her eyes stared. Whatever confidence or hope she had pulled together in the earlier minutes evaporated between one flicker and the next. It was him; it couldn't possibly be him, here, now, but it was. She was going to die: he was going to see her, then he would... he would... and she'd die. The rest of her body felt numb, and she wasn't breathing. Couldn't breathe; her throat had seized up while she stared, seeing nothing but the man at the far end of the hall.
He began to turn around, and Lyntael vaguely felt her back hit the wall as she whipped back and away. It couldn't be. How was he here? Why? He knew she'd be here, and he was waiting for her. Coming for her, to do what she'd escaped before. How was he here? Back pressed to the wall, she had started to breath again, but it came in exceptionally rapid, shallow half-gasps that were a bare spasm of her chest. She was staring at the wall opposite her, but she wasn't seeing it. Tears had begun to cloud her eyes and her legs gave in, causing the girl to slide down the wall to the ground. Every part of her was trembling, but she couldn't really feel it over the sudden cold, numbness. The feeling of cold metal against her back; it was happening all over again. Her hands had covered her face as she collapsed, and she was shaking her head as if it might help her deny where she was. Maybe it was another nightmare, and she could wake up before he found her. He was going to find her. He was going to kill her.
"Lyntael, what's the situation? I've just seen the navi appear again." She couldn't have answered him if she'd tried. As it was, Lyntael barely heard his voice at all. Instead, the girl was trying to cover her face and her ears, and drown out any other sense she had of her situation. "Lyntael, report." There was a pause, then a low, whispered curse. Rogan had looked at his PET properly, and gotten a visual of Lyntael's immediate area, including the navi he'd witnessed only a data point for thus far.
"Lyntael, listen to me. I know you're designed to continue this behaviour in every situation, but this is important. More important than anything I've done with you before. I need you to stop it, right now." She heard him, vaguely, but it didn't mean anything. There was no answer. Closing her eyes hadn't helped. Behind her hands, she just saw his sneering face again, bearing down above her as she lay helpless, steel against her back and her clothes torn. She couldn't stop him. It didn't matter if she tried to fight or not, she couldn't do anything. The only thing going through her mind was the certain knowledge that he was here, and that he was going to find her, and rape her, and kill her, and there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even run; her body wasn't listening; she could barely feel anything but the cold against her back, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
"Lyntael!" Rogan's voice was a hissed whisper, but it had no more effect. Her body rocked slightly as she fought to muffle her terrified tears. She had to be silent. If she was silent, he might not find her. The rest of the world, the net space, Rogan's mission, her own objectives and achievements, had all ceased to exist for Lyntael over the space of a few seconds. She had to get further away from him, that was a positive step. A slim thread of coherent reasoning was trying to piece things together, after the initial shock, but it was still only operating within the sphere of Vigilance-focused thoughts. Away, that was the first thing. Away, and staying silent. She managed to turn over, clumsy, and began to crawl away from the mouth of the passage, back the way she'd come. A few metres along she hugged the wall, crawling in around a corner in the architecture and huddled deeper into the corner, curling up on herself as she sobbed silently.
"Lyntael, there's no time for this! I need to get out of here, and soon." He was going to leave her. The thought slid across her panic like oil. She'd pondered it earlier; if he had to choose between leaving her behind or getting caught. Now it was happening. He was going to cut her off, and leave her to... to that creature. "Damnit!"
Without meaning to, Lyntael sniffled, shuddering, and squeezed her hands more tightly over her mouth and nose when she heard a muted sound come from the nearby passage. Oh light... Oh light he'd heard her... he'd heard her, and now he was going to come and find her!
"Huh? If anyone's out there, enjoy the lock down. You can come say hello and we'll have some fun, or you can wait out there until the boss wakes up. Don't know how you got in, but you won't be getting out again." The voice dominated her mind completely, clawing its way across her attempts at thoughts in a way that wouldn't permit anything else to stand. That voice; the same unconcerned, self-assured voice. Barely breathing as she was, Lyntael did her best to stay completely still now, unable to think of any better option.
"Fine." Rogan's voice in her ear sounded mostly serious; if she'd been more aware, Lyntael might have recognised the irritation suppressed by his need for working calm. "No time now, just get back to the extraction point, Lyntael. Move away, and head back." She shook her head. She didn't dare move, and wasn't sure she could if she tried. She didn't manage to muster any kind of answer that Rogan could hear, but outside in the physical complex, Rogan understood enough of Lyntael's behaviour to get the picture when she didn't move either. He muffled another small curse and began to work quickly.
"I'm patching another exit point where you are. This is going to be very tight. Come on... alright... damnit, what is this?" Somewhere in the broken shambles of her thoughts, Lyntael's body was telling her that it needed to breath properly, and she was making an effort to do so now, trying to take longer, deeper breaths. It was taking time to put the words together, though, and she wasn't really following, caught somewhere between her nightmares, her memories, and the all too similar present reality. "There's a barrier. I can't patch through that without them being able to tell that someone did. Just over that area, ok... Lyntael, you need to move, right now. You need to get out of the magnetised area, or I won't be able to extract you at all." Her body rocked as she tried to fight down the tears
"...Can't... he'll get me..." She managed the barest of whispers, chocked with wet tears and between short breaths. It was hopeless; there was nothing she could do, she was going tog et caught. She couldn't move, her body wasn't listening and he'd find her if she tried. Rogan was going to leave her, and then she'd get caught, and no-one would come for her, just like he'd said the first time.
"Damnit Lyntael! I am not leaving you behind!!" Rogan's whispered hiss came across with more force than he'd dared to use yet, in his secrecy, but the words snapped her head up and her breath caught still for a moment. "Now get up!" And slowly, she did. It was almost like his voice pulled her up by strings she couldn't see. It didn't matter what his real reasons for saying the words were; they were what she'd needed to hear in that moment, and even if she was still trembling all over, with tears streaking her face, the girl stood. "Good. To your right." She wasn't exactly steady, but she moved, half scrambling back the way she had come until she reached the edge of the strange magnetic space. She had broken into a run by the time she moved down the ramp, and Rogan stopped her again when she reached the diamond-shaped room. A moment later, a very shaky and unstable bolt of light crashed over her, pulling the girl out of the facility net.
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((Jacking out, Returning to => Okuden Valley))
At first there were no conscious thoughts; her heart lurched, squeezing in on itself in her chest and the rest of the world fell away into emptiness as her eyes stared. Whatever confidence or hope she had pulled together in the earlier minutes evaporated between one flicker and the next. It was him; it couldn't possibly be him, here, now, but it was. She was going to die: he was going to see her, then he would... he would... and she'd die. The rest of her body felt numb, and she wasn't breathing. Couldn't breathe; her throat had seized up while she stared, seeing nothing but the man at the far end of the hall.
He began to turn around, and Lyntael vaguely felt her back hit the wall as she whipped back and away. It couldn't be. How was he here? Why? He knew she'd be here, and he was waiting for her. Coming for her, to do what she'd escaped before. How was he here? Back pressed to the wall, she had started to breath again, but it came in exceptionally rapid, shallow half-gasps that were a bare spasm of her chest. She was staring at the wall opposite her, but she wasn't seeing it. Tears had begun to cloud her eyes and her legs gave in, causing the girl to slide down the wall to the ground. Every part of her was trembling, but she couldn't really feel it over the sudden cold, numbness. The feeling of cold metal against her back; it was happening all over again. Her hands had covered her face as she collapsed, and she was shaking her head as if it might help her deny where she was. Maybe it was another nightmare, and she could wake up before he found her. He was going to find her. He was going to kill her.
"Lyntael, what's the situation? I've just seen the navi appear again." She couldn't have answered him if she'd tried. As it was, Lyntael barely heard his voice at all. Instead, the girl was trying to cover her face and her ears, and drown out any other sense she had of her situation. "Lyntael, report." There was a pause, then a low, whispered curse. Rogan had looked at his PET properly, and gotten a visual of Lyntael's immediate area, including the navi he'd witnessed only a data point for thus far.
"Lyntael, listen to me. I know you're designed to continue this behaviour in every situation, but this is important. More important than anything I've done with you before. I need you to stop it, right now." She heard him, vaguely, but it didn't mean anything. There was no answer. Closing her eyes hadn't helped. Behind her hands, she just saw his sneering face again, bearing down above her as she lay helpless, steel against her back and her clothes torn. She couldn't stop him. It didn't matter if she tried to fight or not, she couldn't do anything. The only thing going through her mind was the certain knowledge that he was here, and that he was going to find her, and rape her, and kill her, and there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even run; her body wasn't listening; she could barely feel anything but the cold against her back, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
"Lyntael!" Rogan's voice was a hissed whisper, but it had no more effect. Her body rocked slightly as she fought to muffle her terrified tears. She had to be silent. If she was silent, he might not find her. The rest of the world, the net space, Rogan's mission, her own objectives and achievements, had all ceased to exist for Lyntael over the space of a few seconds. She had to get further away from him, that was a positive step. A slim thread of coherent reasoning was trying to piece things together, after the initial shock, but it was still only operating within the sphere of Vigilance-focused thoughts. Away, that was the first thing. Away, and staying silent. She managed to turn over, clumsy, and began to crawl away from the mouth of the passage, back the way she'd come. A few metres along she hugged the wall, crawling in around a corner in the architecture and huddled deeper into the corner, curling up on herself as she sobbed silently.
"Lyntael, there's no time for this! I need to get out of here, and soon." He was going to leave her. The thought slid across her panic like oil. She'd pondered it earlier; if he had to choose between leaving her behind or getting caught. Now it was happening. He was going to cut her off, and leave her to... to that creature. "Damnit!"
Without meaning to, Lyntael sniffled, shuddering, and squeezed her hands more tightly over her mouth and nose when she heard a muted sound come from the nearby passage. Oh light... Oh light he'd heard her... he'd heard her, and now he was going to come and find her!
"Huh? If anyone's out there, enjoy the lock down. You can come say hello and we'll have some fun, or you can wait out there until the boss wakes up. Don't know how you got in, but you won't be getting out again." The voice dominated her mind completely, clawing its way across her attempts at thoughts in a way that wouldn't permit anything else to stand. That voice; the same unconcerned, self-assured voice. Barely breathing as she was, Lyntael did her best to stay completely still now, unable to think of any better option.
"Fine." Rogan's voice in her ear sounded mostly serious; if she'd been more aware, Lyntael might have recognised the irritation suppressed by his need for working calm. "No time now, just get back to the extraction point, Lyntael. Move away, and head back." She shook her head. She didn't dare move, and wasn't sure she could if she tried. She didn't manage to muster any kind of answer that Rogan could hear, but outside in the physical complex, Rogan understood enough of Lyntael's behaviour to get the picture when she didn't move either. He muffled another small curse and began to work quickly.
"I'm patching another exit point where you are. This is going to be very tight. Come on... alright... damnit, what is this?" Somewhere in the broken shambles of her thoughts, Lyntael's body was telling her that it needed to breath properly, and she was making an effort to do so now, trying to take longer, deeper breaths. It was taking time to put the words together, though, and she wasn't really following, caught somewhere between her nightmares, her memories, and the all too similar present reality. "There's a barrier. I can't patch through that without them being able to tell that someone did. Just over that area, ok... Lyntael, you need to move, right now. You need to get out of the magnetised area, or I won't be able to extract you at all." Her body rocked as she tried to fight down the tears
"...Can't... he'll get me..." She managed the barest of whispers, chocked with wet tears and between short breaths. It was hopeless; there was nothing she could do, she was going tog et caught. She couldn't move, her body wasn't listening and he'd find her if she tried. Rogan was going to leave her, and then she'd get caught, and no-one would come for her, just like he'd said the first time.
"Damnit Lyntael! I am not leaving you behind!!" Rogan's whispered hiss came across with more force than he'd dared to use yet, in his secrecy, but the words snapped her head up and her breath caught still for a moment. "Now get up!" And slowly, she did. It was almost like his voice pulled her up by strings she couldn't see. It didn't matter what his real reasons for saying the words were; they were what she'd needed to hear in that moment, and even if she was still trembling all over, with tears streaking her face, the girl stood. "Good. To your right." She wasn't exactly steady, but she moved, half scrambling back the way she had come until she reached the edge of the strange magnetic space. She had broken into a run by the time she moved down the ramp, and Rogan stopped her again when she reached the diamond-shaped room. A moment later, a very shaky and unstable bolt of light crashed over her, pulling the girl out of the facility net.
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((Jacking out, Returning to => Okuden Valley))