It was several long moments of stillness that Lyntael lay still. The unconsciousness itself passed quickly, and her eyes fluttered, but the hollow void that made her chest ache remained and she curled up on herself in an instinctive huddle. A soft shudder shook her form, then another. Her back and shoulder throbbed and one arm felt like she's twisted it at a bad angle. The emptiness dragged at her, but she was still too dazed to really process the world around her clearly. The same arm felt burned; a searing pulse across the point where the beam had scored her became a sharp reminder that there was more beyond her own scattered thoughts. Another sound, much closer by served as the final catalyst to make her lift her head and push herself up part way, curling her legs to the side as she supported herself on her unhurt arm.
Unfortunately for Lyntael, the firs thing her eyes came into focus on as she looked up was the swiftly positioning aim-sight of the turret in front of her. She blinked at it, uncomprehending for another moment while her mind struggled to pull itself back together, then gasped softly, dropping back to the panels and rolling inwards to press herself against the hard lower half of the turret's shell, her heart jolting back to speed again. Ok, what had happened? She was on the ground. Had she fallen? That would be why parts of her felt so sore, over the top of the fading weariness in her muscles. She'd been hit by something, a couple of things. Then the electricity, then... As she hid, breathing quickly and piecing events back together, it was hard to fight off the cold emptiness that made her just want to curl up and hold herself. The crystal, was it...? Her eyes darted upwards to the catwalk again, but the crystal that drifted up there look inert and calm. She hadn't been imagining it, though, had she? No, that wasn't possible.
Ok, alright... she was alive, and sore as she was, relatively unhurt. What was still here? Just this one, perhaps? It probably couldn't reach her at all as long as she was pressed in against the shell like this, but she'd need to... recollection of her trapped situation returned next, and she froze, but the instinctive dark around of her eyes landed on the torn and damaged section of wall. It didn't matter were it led, really, it meant she did have a way forward after all. Despite everything else, one major weights slipped away from her heart and she took a longer, deeper breath, trying to settle.
There was no need to panic now. There was just this one machine left trying to attack her, and she'd seen what it did. It would close any moment now, wait a bit to recalibrate, or whatever it was doing, then open up for another shot, and that was all. She had relaxed enough now to loosen a little, and even let out a shorter, more exasperated sigh when she noticed the top catch on her vest had torn again. And it had been doing so well today. Really it was the least of her worries though. When she was sure the turret above her had fired, she rolled out again and cautiously picked herself up, looking around the chamber properly. Knowing that there was definitely a way out just made the entire space seem a lot less worrisome, and even the gulf of emptiness in her chest was something that she knew wouldn't last long. Infinitely calmer, she cast another quick glance to the heavy turret, then returned to the stack of boxes. Without really thinking too much about it, she gathered a small current of wind about her and used it to assist her delicate jump up onto the top of the boxes again, setting eyes on the disrupted little sentry that had been struggling to free itself since she damaged it before. She had a moment or two to wait until the other one opened up in a way she could deal with, and this was a curiosity that she now had the clarity of mind to think about.
First, she checked to make sure that it was still stuck on the lop-sided box, then moved over to it cautiously, approaching from the back of its piston puncher to look at the device. Her eyes traced the stem of the turret down into the box and she tilted her head slightly, trying to see down the uneven gap, if any kind of stem continued out to bottom. Next, she reached out a hand and wrapped her fingers around the mechanism, so she could give it a few sharp twists and yanks to see what would come loose. After a few initial experiments, she put both hands on it instead, braced one foot against the edge of the tilted box and gave a couple more, much firmer pulls, trying to see if she could uproot it instead.
"Lyntael?" Rogan's voice made the small girl gasp, and without really thinking about it she turned around quickly. If the turret had, in fact, come away in her hand then she unconsciously moved the hand holding it behind her back. It was only now that she recalled exactly why she was where she was, and how important her job was, how tight the time clock on getting it done. What was she doing?
"I- I'm here, sir. I passed out. But, I'm better now. I'm sorry." The response had come easily, surprisingly. She bit her lip, standing still while her eyes wandered down to the heavy turret, keeping an eye on it, trying to decide how she actually felt. Rogan didn't answer for several long seconds. Eventually, when he spoke, it was measured and slow.
"No complaints?" Lyntael swallowed.
"I'm feeling better. I'm not trapped. I'll... I'll try not to let it happen again."
"When you can disengage, you will need to move quickly, Lyntael. There is no time to spare."
"Yes, sir." When Rogan went quiet again, Lyntael closed her eyes for a moment. There had been something in his voice. Hidden, perhaps, held back and guarded, but it was there, and it was real, she was certain.
Summary
L*) Overcharge Lockout. All electrical abilities and effects are barred and negated.
L1) Dodge (rolling inwards and against the turret's base)
L2) Movement (Wait until it's definitely fired, then get up and climb back up onto the boxes to inspect the stuck counter sentry.)
L*) Subtype Ability, Gust, as a simple movement assist.
L3) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L4) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L5) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A) (These are her efforts with an almost child-like curiosity, trying to tear it out of its housing.)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Anger Directed: Cooling Down
Overcharge: Overcharge Lockout in effect. Cooldown active.
Skirting Silence
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As Lyntael had expected right after she fell down, the turret unloaded its rather short payload towards her. Luckily for her, she managed to avoid its shots, and it went back into its shell again pretty quickly, recalibrating its systems for another shot. Though for a supposed security drone, it seemed pretty shoddy to think that such a turret would be able to defend these places. In any case, Lyntael climbed back up onto the wall of boxes to inspect the remaining sentry, which whirred and swiveled towards her as it noticed her presence. Lyntael then carefully started to attempt to dismantle the sentry in places. It attempted to retaliate by extending its punching mechanism out, but was relatively unsuccessful in doing so as the mechanism simply drooped outwards.
// Warehouse Guards
Counter Sentry A: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry B: 20 HP (On top of box wall, stuck on slightly lopsided box)
Counter Sentry C: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry D: DESTROYED
Turret (Heavy): 100 HP (Closed) (Ground level, one side of box wall)
Green Mimic: DEACTIVATED
// Displaced and Distressed
Lyntael: 133 HP (Normal, near Counter Sentry B) (Glitch: 3HP Aura) (BusterCharge2)
// Terrain
50% Normal (Ground Level. Split into two 25% areas)
40% Normal (On top of boxes. Each box is about 2/3rds as tall as Lyntael, and most boxes are stacked three units high to form a wide wall. One box is knocked down in one of the sections near Lyntael.)
10% Normal (High Altitude-level Catwalk. Access with ladders takes 1 action.)
// Objects
Catwalk Access Ladder A: 100 HP (1 movement to the left of Lyntael.)
Catwalk Access Ladder B: 100 HP (1 movement to ther right of Lyntael.)
// Warehouse Guards
Counter Sentry A: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry B: 20 HP (On top of box wall, stuck on slightly lopsided box)
Counter Sentry C: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry D: DESTROYED
Turret (Heavy): 100 HP (Closed) (Ground level, one side of box wall)
Green Mimic: DEACTIVATED
// Displaced and Distressed
Lyntael: 133 HP (Normal, near Counter Sentry B) (Glitch: 3HP Aura) (BusterCharge2)
// Terrain
50% Normal (Ground Level. Split into two 25% areas)
40% Normal (On top of boxes. Each box is about 2/3rds as tall as Lyntael, and most boxes are stacked three units high to form a wide wall. One box is knocked down in one of the sections near Lyntael.)
10% Normal (High Altitude-level Catwalk. Access with ladders takes 1 action.)
// Objects
Catwalk Access Ladder A: 100 HP (1 movement to the left of Lyntael.)
Catwalk Access Ladder B: 100 HP (1 movement to ther right of Lyntael.)
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Calmer now of mind and body than she'd felt almost since entering this particular network, Lyntael continued to, very carefully pick away at the sentry she was examining after she had finished talking to Rogan. The little things had shown they could pop up out of even unexpected surfaces, and she wanted to know how, before leaving it alone, even if that meant taking an extra moment or two to pull it out of the box it was in and see what the deal was. she had enough time, surely, if she was remembering correctly; the heavier system took much longer between making its shots, or it had so far.
With another few forceful yanks, tugs, and maybe the odd solid kick, Lyntael sought to get the body of the damaged sentry free from its stuck position so that she could take a proper look inside the box it had emerged from, trying to work out what exactly had let it come up through the pile so easily. She was still cautious about it responding to her actions; at this point, it was damaged and she was focused on it, standing close and generally with one hand on the shaft of the device itself, but she was nevertheless wary of any unexpected movements from it.
Soon enough, though, she guessed that her time for inspecting this minor mystery was about run out, and she dropped what she was doing to turn back towards the heavy sentry instead, stepping across and jumping down from the box pile with a delicate grace that made her skirt flutter in the small cycle of breeze. From inside the closed shell she could head some kind of sound, but she walked up to it with only a mild amount of wariness. She'd already seen how long it took to prepare its shots form earlier attempts, and she knew now that there'd be time to damage its systems before she was in any real danger. The details weren't something she'd taken note of clearly at the time, but now, with a clearer head, she was able to look back on the facts and understand them more clearly.
Her head tilted as she examined the closed pod, then shifted her feet into a more ready stance. It wasn't a distinctly conscious form, but nevertheless looked much more combat ready from the outside with one foot leading the other and her slight frame shifted into profile towards the pod. In the moments that followed, Lyntael felt the first hints of a light flickering inside her, and let out a long sigh of relief. The cold void in her chest faded as the soft pulse of her charge reasserted itself, comfortable and balanced in her core. The rest of her body still felt a bit tired in places, but by now the bruising and more pointed pains from her slight injuries, and the fall itself, were far more noteworthy than the fading after effects of the overcharge that had ravaged her before. The girl too a deep breath and let it out again slowly, then set her shoulders. Any moment now, the contraption would open up, and she meant to short it out before it could take any more shots at her; a fresh charge began to build in her strikers, wrists and ankles humming, but it was subtle this time, and more controlled.
Summary
L*) Overcharge Lockout. All electrical abilities and effects are barred and negated.
L1) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L2) Dodge (Being deliberately mindful of stopping the device from striking her while she takes it apart.)
L3) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L4) Movement (Returning to the Heavy Turret, positioning herself to break it once it begins to open.)
L*) Overcharge Cooldown completed, electrical abilities restored.
L5) Buster Charge (Lyntael's previous stored charges are something I count as electrical for this RP effect, and thus were forfeit during her lockout)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
Overcharge: Overcharge Lockout Ended. Electrical Abilities Restored. Overcharge Resets To 0
With another few forceful yanks, tugs, and maybe the odd solid kick, Lyntael sought to get the body of the damaged sentry free from its stuck position so that she could take a proper look inside the box it had emerged from, trying to work out what exactly had let it come up through the pile so easily. She was still cautious about it responding to her actions; at this point, it was damaged and she was focused on it, standing close and generally with one hand on the shaft of the device itself, but she was nevertheless wary of any unexpected movements from it.
Soon enough, though, she guessed that her time for inspecting this minor mystery was about run out, and she dropped what she was doing to turn back towards the heavy sentry instead, stepping across and jumping down from the box pile with a delicate grace that made her skirt flutter in the small cycle of breeze. From inside the closed shell she could head some kind of sound, but she walked up to it with only a mild amount of wariness. She'd already seen how long it took to prepare its shots form earlier attempts, and she knew now that there'd be time to damage its systems before she was in any real danger. The details weren't something she'd taken note of clearly at the time, but now, with a clearer head, she was able to look back on the facts and understand them more clearly.
Her head tilted as she examined the closed pod, then shifted her feet into a more ready stance. It wasn't a distinctly conscious form, but nevertheless looked much more combat ready from the outside with one foot leading the other and her slight frame shifted into profile towards the pod. In the moments that followed, Lyntael felt the first hints of a light flickering inside her, and let out a long sigh of relief. The cold void in her chest faded as the soft pulse of her charge reasserted itself, comfortable and balanced in her core. The rest of her body still felt a bit tired in places, but by now the bruising and more pointed pains from her slight injuries, and the fall itself, were far more noteworthy than the fading after effects of the overcharge that had ravaged her before. The girl too a deep breath and let it out again slowly, then set her shoulders. Any moment now, the contraption would open up, and she meant to short it out before it could take any more shots at her; a fresh charge began to build in her strikers, wrists and ankles humming, but it was subtle this time, and more controlled.
Summary
L*) Overcharge Lockout. All electrical abilities and effects are barred and negated.
L1) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L2) Dodge (Being deliberately mindful of stopping the device from striking her while she takes it apart.)
L3) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L4) Movement (Returning to the Heavy Turret, positioning herself to break it once it begins to open.)
L*) Overcharge Cooldown completed, electrical abilities restored.
L5) Buster Charge (Lyntael's previous stored charges are something I count as electrical for this RP effect, and thus were forfeit during her lockout)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
Overcharge: Overcharge Lockout Ended. Electrical Abilities Restored. Overcharge Resets To 0
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Continuing to pick away at the sentry, her efforts paid off as she managed to completely yank the little bot off of its support, leaving a stump sticking out of a hole that appeared to be, oddly enough, a little bit smaller than what she would expect the sentry to have popped out of. The stump mechanically collapsed in on itself, now that it was free of its larger head portion, and retracted back into the box. The small hole then contracted like the iris of an eye, leaving only a nearly imperceptible circular recess. Then, Lyntael heard some more mechanical whirring before the box tipped over, crashing down to the ground. If Lyntael were to peek over, she would see an identical-looking recess on the other end of the box. She realized that she was running out of time, however, and went back to the heavier turret, which had just finished reloading, judging from how it had stopped making noises. True to her deductions, it soon popped out of its clamshell casing, meeting Lyntael's readied strikers with its own loaded armaments.
// Warehouse Guards
Counter Sentry A: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry B: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry C: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry D: DESTROYED
Turret (Heavy): 100 HP (Open, pointing at Lyntael) (Ground level, one side of box wall)
Green Mimic: DEACTIVATED
// Displaced and Distressed
Lyntael: 133 HP (Normal, near Turret(Heavy)) (Glitch: 3HP Aura) (BusterCharge1)
// Terrain
50% Normal (Ground Level. Split into two 25% areas. Lyntael's current area.)
40% Normal (On top of boxes. Each box is about 2/3rds as tall as Lyntael, and most boxes are stacked three units high to form a wide wall. Two boxes are knocked down in one of the sections opposite Lyntael's area.)
10% Normal (High Altitude-level Catwalk. Access with ladders takes 1 action.)
// Objects
Catwalk Access Ladder A: 100 HP (1 movement to the left of Lyntael.)
Catwalk Access Ladder B: 100 HP (1 movement to ther right of Lyntael.)
// Warehouse Guards
Counter Sentry A: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry B: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry C: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry D: DESTROYED
Turret (Heavy): 100 HP (Open, pointing at Lyntael) (Ground level, one side of box wall)
Green Mimic: DEACTIVATED
// Displaced and Distressed
Lyntael: 133 HP (Normal, near Turret(Heavy)) (Glitch: 3HP Aura) (BusterCharge1)
// Terrain
50% Normal (Ground Level. Split into two 25% areas. Lyntael's current area.)
40% Normal (On top of boxes. Each box is about 2/3rds as tall as Lyntael, and most boxes are stacked three units high to form a wide wall. Two boxes are knocked down in one of the sections opposite Lyntael's area.)
10% Normal (High Altitude-level Catwalk. Access with ladders takes 1 action.)
// Objects
Catwalk Access Ladder A: 100 HP (1 movement to the left of Lyntael.)
Catwalk Access Ladder B: 100 HP (1 movement to ther right of Lyntael.)
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Lyntael's head tilted with curiosity and confusion in equal measure as she looked at the results of her investigation with the sentry turret. Seeing the mechanised ports in the top and bottom of the storage boxes, leading back down to the ground, seemed absurdly puzzling to the girl; most navis would probably shrug it off as an oddity of net physics, viruses, or both, but that kind of reasoning was still a very long way from natural for Lyntael and seeing the iris-like ports in boxes that were clearly there for storage was oddly mystifying to her. The reverie was broken when the box itself, free of obstruction began to fall and she hopped back to let it with a final puzzled glance, before returning to the task at hand.
When the closed pod of the heavy turret began to open again, Lyntael was quick to respond, darting her closed fist into the gap knuckles first and exhaling as the flux of energy pulsed through her, in together then out as one. The small flare of static that burst outwards from the strike was contained mainly by the shell of the turret itself, still opening as it was, and she only had to squint her eyes slightly to watch through it. As the short release of energy faded, she breathed in slowly then out again, letting the countering ripple of energy slide off her shoulders and out in a broad ring around her body. Her main focus as she withdrew her hand was in ducking around the sights of the turret as it tried to aim at her. This close, it only took relatively small movements for her to put herself out of its aim sight, but by the same token she knew there was no reaction time if she messed it up.
For her own part, Lyntael still hadn't noticed the strange barrier surrounding her — it didn't show up visually around her form and it didn't carry the same feeling as her own barrier, either, despite originating from a glitch in her own systems. As a result she remained cautious of the spear tips the turret wielded while she moved in, weaving as she needed to while she stepped inside the arc of the turret's shell to make a few more quick strikes at whatever pieces of the machinery seemed the most delicate, or likely to shut it down. the thought occurred to her that, even if she broke it, there was a good chance that it could close again while it tried to shut down, so she jumped back quickly after making her attacks, just in case. Getting stuck inside that impenetrable shell was not something she had any desire to contend with.
Summary
L1) Half-Charge Buster Strike, on Heavy Turret (40Elec, A)(Overcharge +1)
L*) Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L2) Dodge (Close in, ducking around or aside the actual aim of the turret)
L3) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L4) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L5) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
Overcharge: Begin: 0, Half-Charge Strike +1, Manifest Spirit -1, End: 0
When the closed pod of the heavy turret began to open again, Lyntael was quick to respond, darting her closed fist into the gap knuckles first and exhaling as the flux of energy pulsed through her, in together then out as one. The small flare of static that burst outwards from the strike was contained mainly by the shell of the turret itself, still opening as it was, and she only had to squint her eyes slightly to watch through it. As the short release of energy faded, she breathed in slowly then out again, letting the countering ripple of energy slide off her shoulders and out in a broad ring around her body. Her main focus as she withdrew her hand was in ducking around the sights of the turret as it tried to aim at her. This close, it only took relatively small movements for her to put herself out of its aim sight, but by the same token she knew there was no reaction time if she messed it up.
For her own part, Lyntael still hadn't noticed the strange barrier surrounding her — it didn't show up visually around her form and it didn't carry the same feeling as her own barrier, either, despite originating from a glitch in her own systems. As a result she remained cautious of the spear tips the turret wielded while she moved in, weaving as she needed to while she stepped inside the arc of the turret's shell to make a few more quick strikes at whatever pieces of the machinery seemed the most delicate, or likely to shut it down. the thought occurred to her that, even if she broke it, there was a good chance that it could close again while it tried to shut down, so she jumped back quickly after making her attacks, just in case. Getting stuck inside that impenetrable shell was not something she had any desire to contend with.
Summary
L1) Half-Charge Buster Strike, on Heavy Turret (40Elec, A)(Overcharge +1)
L*) Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L2) Dodge (Close in, ducking around or aside the actual aim of the turret)
L3) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L4) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
L5) Basic Buster Strike, on Counter Sentry (20, A)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
Overcharge: Begin: 0, Half-Charge Strike +1, Manifest Spirit -1, End: 0
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Retaliating to the turret opening itself up with a swift electrical strike proved to be quite interestingly easy, as the turret seemed rather susceptible to her damage. The turret easily collapsed in on itself as she delivered a knuckle sandwich to it, deactivating the last of the security inside the storage warehouse. The silence that pervaded the area afterwards was almost deafening, except for the low hum of the mystery data's faded image, further up the catwalk. However, if Lyntael were to perk her ears up, she would notice something else that was a little masked by the crystal's humming; the sound of an air-conditioning system starting up slowly permeated through the huge warehouse. ... Or was it always there in the background and she hadn't noticed?
// Warehouse Guards
Counter Sentry A: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry B: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry C: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry D: DESTROYED
Turret (Heavy): DESTROYED
Green Mimic: DEACTIVATED
// Displaced and Distressed
Lyntael: 133 HP (Normal, near Counter Sentry B)
// Terrain
50% Normal (Ground Level. Split into two 25% areas)
40% Normal (On top of boxes. Each box is about 2/3rds as tall as Lyntael, and most boxes are stacked three units high to form a wide wall. One box is knocked down in one of the sections near Lyntael.)
10% Normal (High Altitude-level Catwalk. Access with ladders takes 1 action.)
// Objects
Catwalk Access Ladder A: 100 HP (1 movement to the left of Lyntael.)
Catwalk Access Ladder B: 100 HP (1 movement to ther right of Lyntael.)
// Battle 4, Victory!!
Rewards: 1200z [Open GMD? Y/N]
// Warehouse Guards
Counter Sentry A: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry B: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry C: DESTROYED
Counter Sentry D: DESTROYED
Turret (Heavy): DESTROYED
Green Mimic: DEACTIVATED
// Displaced and Distressed
Lyntael: 133 HP (Normal, near Counter Sentry B)
// Terrain
50% Normal (Ground Level. Split into two 25% areas)
40% Normal (On top of boxes. Each box is about 2/3rds as tall as Lyntael, and most boxes are stacked three units high to form a wide wall. One box is knocked down in one of the sections near Lyntael.)
10% Normal (High Altitude-level Catwalk. Access with ladders takes 1 action.)
// Objects
Catwalk Access Ladder A: 100 HP (1 movement to the left of Lyntael.)
Catwalk Access Ladder B: 100 HP (1 movement to ther right of Lyntael.)
// Battle 4, Victory!!
Rewards: 1200z [Open GMD? Y/N]
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The last defence shut down and stuttered to a stop, and Lyntael held her stance cautiously for an extra moment or two before relaxing. She took one long breath, then another, and stepped backwards enough to lean on the pile of boxes and lower her head briefly. Quiet returned, and with it the more subtle background sounds of the network. With her eyes shut and the returned stillness, she was able to hear them more clearly, and feel the gentle circulation of air on her skin. There had always been a straightforward way out of the room; of course there had been. It was silly to suppose that there wouldn't be, so why had she reacted so badly to the idea? Why was she so... damaged... from something so small? It didn't feel like a small thing, and it was hard to even think about calmly, for her, but she knew that others suffered far worse, and handled it better than she was.
"Lyntael. No more delays. Move, now. I've got your location fixed, but you need to get the next splice done before I can do any more out here. Get going." Rogan's voice was a measured calm, but she knew him well enough to know when he was hiding frustration. She stood straight and set her shoulders, raising her head though she didn't open her eyes yet. Another long breath, drawn in and let out before she spoke back.
"Do you want a report, sir?" As she'd expected, there was an open hesitation before he answered.
"... Yes."
"Then I am catching my breath. I'm feeling nervous and worried, and I'm still quite upset about what just happened. I'm better now, but I need a moment. I've been in the network for nine minutes now." Somewhere while she'd been fighting, Lyntael had come to a conclusion, and that was that she didn't intend to stay silent for the rest of her life. If Rogan wasn't going to acknowledge her, then he couldn't exactly stop her either. "There will be enough time, and a few more seconds will not make a difference."
She opened her eyes and looked upwards, while silence filtered back to her across their connection. The crystal was still there, but it was more translucent now. Still cautious, she gathered a current of air about herself and sprang gently up to the upper walkway, landing with a delicate step on her toes. A closer examination didn't show her any more signs of the dangerous behaviour. Perhaps it had been a creature of some sort, like a parasite on the data. There was still a moment of hesitation as she reached out to it, but without being able to find anything more amiss, she activated it a second time anyway. This time, the crystal unpacked itself properly, converting its contents into a stream of zenny and she let out a soft sigh of relief.
That done, she turned to look about the room, and eyed up the breach in the wall. It wasn't exactly a formal pathway, but it was a more pleasing prospect than the idea of climbing through cold metal vents again. She lined it up, gathered a current of air behind her, then made the jump through, running along the catwalk and leaping clear of it when she reached the edge. Her feet touched down on the far side and she looked about; it was another chamber not dissimilar to the one she'd been transported to, saving that it contained fewer of the large boxes, and had an obvious double doorway in the left wall, which she moved towards.
"Directions, sir?" Lyntael did her best to keep her voice light when she asked, but the veneer was still thin. It wasn't so much that she was scared at the moment, but a war of different emotions worked away in her chest and she honestly didn't know how her voice might come out if she let them decide. Rogan hadn't responded to her borderline reprimand of him, and she wasn't sure she wanted him to this time — she didn't know what she would say if he pressed it.
"Your right. You'll find an intersection with several paths leading back in the same way you come form, and two heading to your left at that point. Take the first one, then left again. That will lead you to a transit, take it." She could hear that he was fending off the urge to say something more, and wondered if it was his new desire to prove that he 'wasn't playing' that stopped him. Either way, she began to run on light feet in the way he told her. As much as the bad moments took their toll on her body, she was glad of how quickly she recovered from the strain, too. That was one good thing, at least. How much worse would it be if the stress of her charge took a long time to restore itself, as long a time as the seriousness of the sensation felt like it should? The part of her arm that had been scorched by the crystal creature's beam still stung badly, but it was a much more grounding pain than the burning of her electricity when it got bad. Other parts of her body had minor aches and sensations that would probably become bruises if left alone, but as she ran and turned through the junction that Rogan had described, she found herself thinking that none of them were really that bad, all things considered. There were worse feelings.
"It doesn't go away, you know, Rogan." She wasn't exactly sure where the words came from or why, but the resolution she'd made spurred her to press on. "I asked for time, and you gave it to me, I know, and I'm trying, but it doesn't stop. Every time I'm left alone, and my thoughts wander, that's what I end up thinking about. I have nightmares about it and I wake up crying."
"Enough, Lyntael. Quiet. I don't need—"
"No." She cut through him, and to her own surprise as much as anything else, it stopped him. There was a long beat of silence from both of them while Lyntael swallowed and tried to work moisture back into her suddenly dry throat. As she made the next turn and continued down the hall, she pushed on.
"No, Rogan. You do need to listen. You can't mute me, not when you need to give me instructions and hear my answers, and when I talk to you, no-one but you hears it anyway. So you do need to listen." She stepped onto the transit and felt her senses blur for a moment. Blinking as they steadied, she looked about but there was only a single path towards another multi-way junction. At the centre, she could see four or five branches, several of which led to stairs up and down. "Which way now?"
"Stairs down, to your right. Lyntael, I'm not interested in—"
"I know." Again, the short, quiet words cut his objection short. she took the path he told her to, jumping lightly down the stair several at a time. It turned after about a dozen, then continued to make a square spiral with short landings at each corner. "I know you don't want to hear any of this. You've made that really clear, Rogan. But it's not because you don't care, it's because you don't want to care." It wasn't the running that was making her voice grow thick, she knew that, but she pressed on, taking long, deep breaths in between.
"You're lying, Rogan, when you pretend you don't care, because you don't want it to be true. You don't think you should, you think you can't afford to, that there's no point to it, that it's some kind of emotional weakness that gets in your way, but it's not." Eric's words came back to as she felt a prickle in her eyes. Her voice shook. "It's ok to care. It's ok to laugh once in a while, really, honestly. It won't cost you anything. Where now?" She'd arrived at the base of the stairs, in the centre of a circular chamber with low, softly pulsing red lights that only barely lit the area. There were about a dozen paths leading from the room in every direction.
"The branches should have designates. Find the path marked E-4FC7. The node for the section I need next should be in a room at the end. If you're going to insist on talking, perhaps you can tell me what the point is then, if you're so certain." He sounded exasperated, but as far as Lyntael was concerned right now that was good. She looked for the plaque with the right code on it, then continued where he directed.
"Because you're a person, Rogan, underneath all that self-image you show to the people you work for, there's someone there with a heart and a soul, and you need... you need..." There were tears on her cheeks as her voice faltered, but she didn't care that the sound of it would go through to Rogan perfectly clearly. It didn't matter. "You have... no idea how I feel about you, Rogan. And you wouldn't believe me anyway if I said it. You'd say it didn't make any sense, even if it were true... and you'd be right, it doesn't. It doesn't at all, but that doesn't make it any less real. It's irrational, and it's stupid, but that doesn't make it untrue." Her fingers flew over the keys as soon as she reached the terminal, breath shaking as her body tried to sob.
"Go on," she clenched her teeth. "Say it." Even Lyntael could hear the tears in her voice, at that, but she waited out the long silence. Rogan answered, but where she'd been expecting a defensive snap, the words that came back were surprisingly gentle... Still the same words that she'd challenged him to speak, yes, but soft, almost pensive.
"You're a program, not a human being... that's what makes it untrue, Lyntael."
"You don't really believe that. I'm not going to give up, Rogan. I won't." She sniffed and rubbed a hand over her eyes, then winced when the laser burn made her jerk the arm back again. He'd answer her promise, if she waited any longer, but she didn't want to let him. "Fourth splice is done. You're clear for everything up to the back labs. Where next?" The line to Rogan was open, and very faintly she could hear him breathing, but the silence stretched for a few more seconds. At last he spoke up again, quiet and softly.
"Back the way you came. Branch E-82HA. Ignore the side passages, until you find one marked E-8C41. There's a transit in a chamber at the end. Should put you in a large landing bay, with the node you need in a small room on the south wall."
"On my way." They were both quiet as she began to run again. Lyntael was trying to compose herself, but she guessed that Rogan was simply working. Emotional outbursts aside, she knew he really was doing some quite delicate work and had to be careful. She reached the transit he'd described swiftly and stepped through, feeling her senses blur again.
----------
((Yes to MD))
((Ready for Battle 5))
"Lyntael. No more delays. Move, now. I've got your location fixed, but you need to get the next splice done before I can do any more out here. Get going." Rogan's voice was a measured calm, but she knew him well enough to know when he was hiding frustration. She stood straight and set her shoulders, raising her head though she didn't open her eyes yet. Another long breath, drawn in and let out before she spoke back.
"Do you want a report, sir?" As she'd expected, there was an open hesitation before he answered.
"... Yes."
"Then I am catching my breath. I'm feeling nervous and worried, and I'm still quite upset about what just happened. I'm better now, but I need a moment. I've been in the network for nine minutes now." Somewhere while she'd been fighting, Lyntael had come to a conclusion, and that was that she didn't intend to stay silent for the rest of her life. If Rogan wasn't going to acknowledge her, then he couldn't exactly stop her either. "There will be enough time, and a few more seconds will not make a difference."
She opened her eyes and looked upwards, while silence filtered back to her across their connection. The crystal was still there, but it was more translucent now. Still cautious, she gathered a current of air about herself and sprang gently up to the upper walkway, landing with a delicate step on her toes. A closer examination didn't show her any more signs of the dangerous behaviour. Perhaps it had been a creature of some sort, like a parasite on the data. There was still a moment of hesitation as she reached out to it, but without being able to find anything more amiss, she activated it a second time anyway. This time, the crystal unpacked itself properly, converting its contents into a stream of zenny and she let out a soft sigh of relief.
That done, she turned to look about the room, and eyed up the breach in the wall. It wasn't exactly a formal pathway, but it was a more pleasing prospect than the idea of climbing through cold metal vents again. She lined it up, gathered a current of air behind her, then made the jump through, running along the catwalk and leaping clear of it when she reached the edge. Her feet touched down on the far side and she looked about; it was another chamber not dissimilar to the one she'd been transported to, saving that it contained fewer of the large boxes, and had an obvious double doorway in the left wall, which she moved towards.
"Directions, sir?" Lyntael did her best to keep her voice light when she asked, but the veneer was still thin. It wasn't so much that she was scared at the moment, but a war of different emotions worked away in her chest and she honestly didn't know how her voice might come out if she let them decide. Rogan hadn't responded to her borderline reprimand of him, and she wasn't sure she wanted him to this time — she didn't know what she would say if he pressed it.
"Your right. You'll find an intersection with several paths leading back in the same way you come form, and two heading to your left at that point. Take the first one, then left again. That will lead you to a transit, take it." She could hear that he was fending off the urge to say something more, and wondered if it was his new desire to prove that he 'wasn't playing' that stopped him. Either way, she began to run on light feet in the way he told her. As much as the bad moments took their toll on her body, she was glad of how quickly she recovered from the strain, too. That was one good thing, at least. How much worse would it be if the stress of her charge took a long time to restore itself, as long a time as the seriousness of the sensation felt like it should? The part of her arm that had been scorched by the crystal creature's beam still stung badly, but it was a much more grounding pain than the burning of her electricity when it got bad. Other parts of her body had minor aches and sensations that would probably become bruises if left alone, but as she ran and turned through the junction that Rogan had described, she found herself thinking that none of them were really that bad, all things considered. There were worse feelings.
"It doesn't go away, you know, Rogan." She wasn't exactly sure where the words came from or why, but the resolution she'd made spurred her to press on. "I asked for time, and you gave it to me, I know, and I'm trying, but it doesn't stop. Every time I'm left alone, and my thoughts wander, that's what I end up thinking about. I have nightmares about it and I wake up crying."
"Enough, Lyntael. Quiet. I don't need—"
"No." She cut through him, and to her own surprise as much as anything else, it stopped him. There was a long beat of silence from both of them while Lyntael swallowed and tried to work moisture back into her suddenly dry throat. As she made the next turn and continued down the hall, she pushed on.
"No, Rogan. You do need to listen. You can't mute me, not when you need to give me instructions and hear my answers, and when I talk to you, no-one but you hears it anyway. So you do need to listen." She stepped onto the transit and felt her senses blur for a moment. Blinking as they steadied, she looked about but there was only a single path towards another multi-way junction. At the centre, she could see four or five branches, several of which led to stairs up and down. "Which way now?"
"Stairs down, to your right. Lyntael, I'm not interested in—"
"I know." Again, the short, quiet words cut his objection short. she took the path he told her to, jumping lightly down the stair several at a time. It turned after about a dozen, then continued to make a square spiral with short landings at each corner. "I know you don't want to hear any of this. You've made that really clear, Rogan. But it's not because you don't care, it's because you don't want to care." It wasn't the running that was making her voice grow thick, she knew that, but she pressed on, taking long, deep breaths in between.
"You're lying, Rogan, when you pretend you don't care, because you don't want it to be true. You don't think you should, you think you can't afford to, that there's no point to it, that it's some kind of emotional weakness that gets in your way, but it's not." Eric's words came back to as she felt a prickle in her eyes. Her voice shook. "It's ok to care. It's ok to laugh once in a while, really, honestly. It won't cost you anything. Where now?" She'd arrived at the base of the stairs, in the centre of a circular chamber with low, softly pulsing red lights that only barely lit the area. There were about a dozen paths leading from the room in every direction.
"The branches should have designates. Find the path marked E-4FC7. The node for the section I need next should be in a room at the end. If you're going to insist on talking, perhaps you can tell me what the point is then, if you're so certain." He sounded exasperated, but as far as Lyntael was concerned right now that was good. She looked for the plaque with the right code on it, then continued where he directed.
"Because you're a person, Rogan, underneath all that self-image you show to the people you work for, there's someone there with a heart and a soul, and you need... you need..." There were tears on her cheeks as her voice faltered, but she didn't care that the sound of it would go through to Rogan perfectly clearly. It didn't matter. "You have... no idea how I feel about you, Rogan. And you wouldn't believe me anyway if I said it. You'd say it didn't make any sense, even if it were true... and you'd be right, it doesn't. It doesn't at all, but that doesn't make it any less real. It's irrational, and it's stupid, but that doesn't make it untrue." Her fingers flew over the keys as soon as she reached the terminal, breath shaking as her body tried to sob.
"Go on," she clenched her teeth. "Say it." Even Lyntael could hear the tears in her voice, at that, but she waited out the long silence. Rogan answered, but where she'd been expecting a defensive snap, the words that came back were surprisingly gentle... Still the same words that she'd challenged him to speak, yes, but soft, almost pensive.
"You're a program, not a human being... that's what makes it untrue, Lyntael."
"You don't really believe that. I'm not going to give up, Rogan. I won't." She sniffed and rubbed a hand over her eyes, then winced when the laser burn made her jerk the arm back again. He'd answer her promise, if she waited any longer, but she didn't want to let him. "Fourth splice is done. You're clear for everything up to the back labs. Where next?" The line to Rogan was open, and very faintly she could hear him breathing, but the silence stretched for a few more seconds. At last he spoke up again, quiet and softly.
"Back the way you came. Branch E-82HA. Ignore the side passages, until you find one marked E-8C41. There's a transit in a chamber at the end. Should put you in a large landing bay, with the node you need in a small room on the south wall."
"On my way." They were both quiet as she began to run again. Lyntael was trying to compose herself, but she guessed that Rogan was simply working. Emotional outbursts aside, she knew he really was doing some quite delicate work and had to be careful. She reached the transit he'd described swiftly and stepped through, feeling her senses blur again.
----------
((Yes to MD))
((Ready for Battle 5))
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[GMD Reward: 2400z]
After having defeated all of her opposition in the warehouse area, Lyntael leapt onto the catwalk to decrypt the crystal's zenny packet, with its malicious process now removed. Her attention went to the large hole that the rogue data crystal had blown apart in the wall before as she stepped through, moving into another chamber. As she left through the doorway in the adjacent area rather quickly, mostly due to her operator's naggings, she would thankfully not be able to hear the air-conditioning sounds in the warehouse she had just left intensify rather violently.
Walking through the doorways and corridors of the network, Lyntael's outbursts punctuated her operator's attempts at cutting her off prematurely, as she eventually reached the final leg of her journey. One last transit, and it would lead to a landing bay chamber that would go out to the last room she had to visit. As she stepped through the transit, she felt all of her senses numb slightly as it transported her to her destination.
Oddly, however, it felt like the transit was taking longer than the previous one she took. If she were to attempt to refocus her senses, she would see that she had already reached the landing bay, but her senses were still as if she was in transit. Slowly, but surely, her vision began to clear, revealing that the bay she was in was frozen from top to bottom. The landing area that went through the middle of the bay was covered in snow, and the ceiling and floor were dotted with tall spires of ice that threatened to skewer anyone that even thought of going near them. The data transit area that she had just passed through had been forcefully terminated, most likely from the sudden temperature drop.
In front of her, a petite cream-white robotic doll floated in mid-air, dressed in a small white dress with blue trim. Its "hair", which was just a block of blue metal shaped in a hair-like shape, was topped with a similarly metallic blue ribbon. Its glassy red eyes on an otherwise blank white face were heard to refocus themselves as they inspected the intruder. A cold, squeaky voice was emitted from the head, complete with matching pulsing eye lights. "Visual confirmation: Heuristics pattern matched with damage records. System module freeze completed, initializing illegal operation handlers with attempt to match to established heuristics pattern."
Then, the doll's eyes suddenly turned blue, and a stream of frosty mist billowed out from under its dress, causing ice crystals to start to sprout forth near its feet.
"Proceeding to quarantine."
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: 320 HP (Snow) (Directly in front, 1 move to melee)
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 133 HP (Snow)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
65% Snow (Everywhere else)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (1 move to the right, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (1 move to the left, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (Melee range, directly to Lyntael's left)
Ice Stalagmite B: 49 HP (1 move away, right next to FW-12.8)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (1 move away to Lyntael's left)
// Battle 5, Ready? Start!!
After having defeated all of her opposition in the warehouse area, Lyntael leapt onto the catwalk to decrypt the crystal's zenny packet, with its malicious process now removed. Her attention went to the large hole that the rogue data crystal had blown apart in the wall before as she stepped through, moving into another chamber. As she left through the doorway in the adjacent area rather quickly, mostly due to her operator's naggings, she would thankfully not be able to hear the air-conditioning sounds in the warehouse she had just left intensify rather violently.
Walking through the doorways and corridors of the network, Lyntael's outbursts punctuated her operator's attempts at cutting her off prematurely, as she eventually reached the final leg of her journey. One last transit, and it would lead to a landing bay chamber that would go out to the last room she had to visit. As she stepped through the transit, she felt all of her senses numb slightly as it transported her to her destination.
Oddly, however, it felt like the transit was taking longer than the previous one she took. If she were to attempt to refocus her senses, she would see that she had already reached the landing bay, but her senses were still as if she was in transit. Slowly, but surely, her vision began to clear, revealing that the bay she was in was frozen from top to bottom. The landing area that went through the middle of the bay was covered in snow, and the ceiling and floor were dotted with tall spires of ice that threatened to skewer anyone that even thought of going near them. The data transit area that she had just passed through had been forcefully terminated, most likely from the sudden temperature drop.
In front of her, a petite cream-white robotic doll floated in mid-air, dressed in a small white dress with blue trim. Its "hair", which was just a block of blue metal shaped in a hair-like shape, was topped with a similarly metallic blue ribbon. Its glassy red eyes on an otherwise blank white face were heard to refocus themselves as they inspected the intruder. A cold, squeaky voice was emitted from the head, complete with matching pulsing eye lights. "Visual confirmation: Heuristics pattern matched with damage records. System module freeze completed, initializing illegal operation handlers with attempt to match to established heuristics pattern."
Then, the doll's eyes suddenly turned blue, and a stream of frosty mist billowed out from under its dress, causing ice crystals to start to sprout forth near its feet.
"Proceeding to quarantine."
// Frosty Sentinel
Deep Freeze System FW-12.8: 320 HP (Snow) (Directly in front, 1 move to melee)
// Getting Iced
Lyntael: 133 HP (Snow)
// Terrain
35% Ice (Randomly scattered throughout)
65% Snow (Everywhere else)
// Objects
Ice Stalactite A: 49 HP (Hanging directly over and behind FW-12.8, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite B: 49 HP (1 move to the right, High Alt)
Ice Stalactite C: 49 HP (1 move to the left, High Alt)
Ice Stalagmite A: 49 HP (Melee range, directly to Lyntael's left)
Ice Stalagmite B: 49 HP (1 move away, right next to FW-12.8)
Ice Stalagmite C: 49 HP (1 move away to Lyntael's left)
// Battle 5, Ready? Start!!
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For the first couple of moments as she came out of the transit, Lyntael blinked and squinted, shaking her head to clear it. Her breath misted the air and the sensation of cold surrounded her swiftly as she caught her bearings. Not just the cold of a chill night, or the cold of her own inhospitable PET, this set shivers in her chest and goose-bumps on her skin. Instinctively, the girl wrapped arms about herself and rubbed at them, looking about. A room full of ice and snow, why? She shuddered again, trembling as her body tried to keep its warmth in the unexpected snow. Her toes were quickly freezing as they sunk in, barefoot as she was, but there was nowhere safe to stand.
"Rogan? This place, it's full of snow. There's—" As she looked about the frosty room again, her eyes settled on the robotic figure at the heart of the area. At first she had to suppress a gasp. There wasn't supposed to be anyone else here at all. When it began to speak though, she hesitated. It sounded more like an automated program, that maybe someone had dressed up to look like it did, just like some of the other machines she'd encountered, so maybe her cover wasn't blown completely. She had to be sure, though.
"Lyntael, report. What is it?" Rogan's voice was level, and Lyntael ducked behind the nearest spike of ice, for what minor cover it might give her, wincing as her feet complained at the painfully cold snow.
"It's a... I th-think it's a... hahh... anoth-ther security system." Her teeth clicked together as she shivered and her body shook. She couldn't have stopped the stutter if she wanted to. "I-it m-might be a navi th-though. I d-don't know." She huddled in on herself; she'd never wished her clothes were more covering or more protected ever before than she did right now. She was even regretting removing the shoes from her default outfit. Rogan didn't respond right away, but the strange figure's voice reached a conclusion and it began to act. Lyntael glanced out to see what it was doing, but there was little doubt it meant her no good, judging from the words, she felt the pulse of energy in her core that signified the generation of her barrier, and felt the shell extend out over her body, levelling out just past the extremities of her strikers. She still didn't know what she was dealing with though. Swallowing and bracing herself, she peeked out from behind the pillar again.
"Hello? I- I don't want t-t-to fight! Hahh... Can y-you hear me? Do you underst-stand?" There was no response, save the revving up of whatever systems it was planning to enact its 'quarantine' with.
"Lyntael, there is only one other navigator signature in the network system that you are in, and they are a long way from you. Whatever is there, it is simply another automatic system. You're almost at the last node, just get it done." She nodded to Rogan's words, forgetting again that he wouldn't see. Right, just another machine then. It didn't sound like it was going to let her past though. She darted away from her current hiding place to find another one closer to the machine, but stumbled as she ran, tumbling into the snow and rolling over. Her toes felt numb and her legs weren't far behind. A sharp gasp left her as she felt the snow on the rest of her body. Light it was cold.
In her mind, Lyntael was trying to think of how best to approach fighting the system seriously, but whether it was the cold or just plain inexperience, she found herself drawing a blank. Taking the initiative was never her strong point. If it was what was making the room like this, then she could probably expect more freezing cold form it, but, even knowing that it wasn't going to let her past, and that she had to shut it down forcefully, she struggled with how to think about striking out first. What would Martia do? She wondered the thought to herself as she scrambled up and made it the rest of the way to the nearer icicle, keeping her eyes on the defence system as close as she could while she moved. Her whole body was shaking and her breath on the air made a fog in front of her face. Well, Martia would just hit it, or kick it, and she'd keep doing one or the other, until it stopped. She knew that, really, but... thoughts about not knowing what the machine had at its disposal held her back. for starters, though, she needed to get her toes out of all this snow. Despite being closer tot he strange machine than she really wanted to be, Lyntael's first action once she was behind the large stalagmite was to circle all the air in the room, making it spin faster about the ceiling, before drawing a column of it down over and around herself, blowing all the built up snow in her immediate vicinity outwards and away. The ice wasn't much better, of course, but it was a small improvement at least.
As she drew a longer breath, the soft pulse of charge in her chest pressed outwards, filling her skin and making arcing lights dance across it, before spilling out altogether in a rippling wave that forced her to breathe out harshly again. If nothing else the pulse was a wash of sensation through her quickly chilling muscles. She still hadn't thought of what to do, exactly, but focused instead on watching the machine through the ice of her fragile cover, waiting to see what it would do first.
Summary
L1) Dodge (Behind Near Stalagmite)
L2) Reflex Activation: My Heart Falters(40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L3) Dodge (More an unexpected and sudden tumble, while running)
L4) Move (To the Stalagmite nearest FW-12.8, putting it between as cover)
L*) Subtype Ability, Gust; as Free Action, as Context Action, temporarily removing all snow from around her in a small radius, ideally enough to include FW-12.8 as well.
L5) Reflex Activation: My Pain is Real(Counter(Receiving Damage): 40Elec, Nova2, Self-Slow1)(Overcharge +1 (Set))
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10elec, Nova2)(Overcharge-1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
My Pain is Real: 2TCD
Overcharge: Begin: 0, My Heart Falters -1, My Pain is Real (Set) +1, Manifest Spirit -1 End: 0
"Rogan? This place, it's full of snow. There's—" As she looked about the frosty room again, her eyes settled on the robotic figure at the heart of the area. At first she had to suppress a gasp. There wasn't supposed to be anyone else here at all. When it began to speak though, she hesitated. It sounded more like an automated program, that maybe someone had dressed up to look like it did, just like some of the other machines she'd encountered, so maybe her cover wasn't blown completely. She had to be sure, though.
"Lyntael, report. What is it?" Rogan's voice was level, and Lyntael ducked behind the nearest spike of ice, for what minor cover it might give her, wincing as her feet complained at the painfully cold snow.
"It's a... I th-think it's a... hahh... anoth-ther security system." Her teeth clicked together as she shivered and her body shook. She couldn't have stopped the stutter if she wanted to. "I-it m-might be a navi th-though. I d-don't know." She huddled in on herself; she'd never wished her clothes were more covering or more protected ever before than she did right now. She was even regretting removing the shoes from her default outfit. Rogan didn't respond right away, but the strange figure's voice reached a conclusion and it began to act. Lyntael glanced out to see what it was doing, but there was little doubt it meant her no good, judging from the words, she felt the pulse of energy in her core that signified the generation of her barrier, and felt the shell extend out over her body, levelling out just past the extremities of her strikers. She still didn't know what she was dealing with though. Swallowing and bracing herself, she peeked out from behind the pillar again.
"Hello? I- I don't want t-t-to fight! Hahh... Can y-you hear me? Do you underst-stand?" There was no response, save the revving up of whatever systems it was planning to enact its 'quarantine' with.
"Lyntael, there is only one other navigator signature in the network system that you are in, and they are a long way from you. Whatever is there, it is simply another automatic system. You're almost at the last node, just get it done." She nodded to Rogan's words, forgetting again that he wouldn't see. Right, just another machine then. It didn't sound like it was going to let her past though. She darted away from her current hiding place to find another one closer to the machine, but stumbled as she ran, tumbling into the snow and rolling over. Her toes felt numb and her legs weren't far behind. A sharp gasp left her as she felt the snow on the rest of her body. Light it was cold.
In her mind, Lyntael was trying to think of how best to approach fighting the system seriously, but whether it was the cold or just plain inexperience, she found herself drawing a blank. Taking the initiative was never her strong point. If it was what was making the room like this, then she could probably expect more freezing cold form it, but, even knowing that it wasn't going to let her past, and that she had to shut it down forcefully, she struggled with how to think about striking out first. What would Martia do? She wondered the thought to herself as she scrambled up and made it the rest of the way to the nearer icicle, keeping her eyes on the defence system as close as she could while she moved. Her whole body was shaking and her breath on the air made a fog in front of her face. Well, Martia would just hit it, or kick it, and she'd keep doing one or the other, until it stopped. She knew that, really, but... thoughts about not knowing what the machine had at its disposal held her back. for starters, though, she needed to get her toes out of all this snow. Despite being closer tot he strange machine than she really wanted to be, Lyntael's first action once she was behind the large stalagmite was to circle all the air in the room, making it spin faster about the ceiling, before drawing a column of it down over and around herself, blowing all the built up snow in her immediate vicinity outwards and away. The ice wasn't much better, of course, but it was a small improvement at least.
As she drew a longer breath, the soft pulse of charge in her chest pressed outwards, filling her skin and making arcing lights dance across it, before spilling out altogether in a rippling wave that forced her to breathe out harshly again. If nothing else the pulse was a wash of sensation through her quickly chilling muscles. She still hadn't thought of what to do, exactly, but focused instead on watching the machine through the ice of her fragile cover, waiting to see what it would do first.
Summary
L1) Dodge (Behind Near Stalagmite)
L2) Reflex Activation: My Heart Falters(40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L3) Dodge (More an unexpected and sudden tumble, while running)
L4) Move (To the Stalagmite nearest FW-12.8, putting it between as cover)
L*) Subtype Ability, Gust; as Free Action, as Context Action, temporarily removing all snow from around her in a small radius, ideally enough to include FW-12.8 as well.
L5) Reflex Activation: My Pain is Real(Counter(Receiving Damage): 40Elec, Nova2, Self-Slow1)(Overcharge +1 (Set))
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10elec, Nova2)(Overcharge-1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
My Pain is Real: 2TCD
Overcharge: Begin: 0, My Heart Falters -1, My Pain is Real (Set) +1, Manifest Spirit -1 End: 0
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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)
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)
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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))