towerofanimus | second ➳

Entry tags:

second ➳

Characters: Nue Houjuu and OPEN
Setting: NIGHTTIME. Any floor. Every floor.
Format: Brackets preferred.
Summary: Nighttime is for monsters, and Nue fancies herself a fearsome one.
Warnings: Might be some violence and/or death in here!
Notes: The tl;dr version of this is that Nue is using her Seeds of Unknown Form to frighten people. Given the nature of this post, I am absolutely okay with other characters attacking and even killing her! However, there's only so many times Nue would allow herself to be hurt or killed playing the same game, so if you would like to have your character do so, please contact me by PM/Plurk/AIM first. Thanks!

This post is also open for non-violent stalking of characters Nue thinks are ~interesting~. You probably know who you are.

[As time has passed, Nue has grown increasingly bored and restless. She doesn't care about the latest news; none of the souls lost from this place are ones she cares for, as far as she knows. So, her search for entertainment in the night has grown more active.]

[She kills any monsters she comes upon, whether the detect her for what she is or not. Her weapon had not appeared with her in her trunk, and she lacks the skills necessary to craft a replacement, but she makes do with a simple metal rod from the workshop. She derives no particular pleasure from this, but the creatures here seem largely mindless, and they get in her way. Fellow monster or not, she feels no guilt.]

[When she finds one of the other residents that has managed to garner her interest, or another who seems to be noteworthy in some fashion, she silently follows them, observing their actions without revealing herself. It's fruitful, sometimes, in that at least she learns a little more about their habits. If she's lucky, they might even do something entertaining to watch. In the latter case, or if something makes her curious, she'll even strike up a conversation with them.]

[But by far her favorite game is the one in which she plays at being a monster herself. She favors the floors that are tense at this hour, but lacking in intrinsic hazards—the maze on Floor 8, the storage room on Floor 40, the hospital ward on Floor 56, and so on—but by no means does she limit herself to those alone. The only ones she avoids entirely are those that limit her abilities. She floats above the ground, feet never touching the floor as she moves soundlessly through the Tower; once she has spotted a target, she stalks them, taking some time to observe before she begins her game.]

[She stays out of sight, and at first she only makes the slightest of noises, letting her feet drop against the floor to mimic the sound of a single footstep, or dragging her nails along a wall. But then those noises come more frequently, louder and with more purpose. She drags her weapon along the walls, creating the sound of scraping metal. She wails strange, eerie noises and laughs unsettling staccato sounds. Her moans are certainly those of a monster.]

[It's then that she starts to move in and out of her target's field of vision, never staying for long. She darts and hides herself among the Tower's natural obstacles as she follows, sometimes high in the air, sometimes close along the ground.]

[What do you do?]

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[It's easy for Sephiroth to traverse the maze. He's never found it difficult, and it's a good place to hunt monsters. He doesn't mind the close quarters. It's an extra challenge, and his teleportation abilities are a huge advantage, no matter the setting.

His enhanced senses catch the noises Nue is making making right away, and he turns toward them, pinpointing the source. He isn't afraid. He remains calm, his sword in his hand.

His pupils are wide, his green eyes glowing faintly in the dark.]

[ Loken sits alone on a great couch, looking out into the clouds which dominate the landscape seen outside of the glass walls, his expression cold, and his mood grim. He's very aware of the time running out in this place, so he's taken some time alone to think about how much they have, and how much they haven't done. It isn't a happy line of thought. ]

[Hm... What a weird kid. For a child, he doesn't seem scared at all. So much for being easy game... Nue lets the end of the rod in her hand drag across the ground as she moves, edging just around a corner of the maze's winding path.]

[Behind him, there's the sound of metal scraping against glass.]

[ He stands, half-turning, chainsword held a little below the seat as if to camouflage it, eyes darting around. ]

Who goes? [ He rumbles. ]

[Nue goes very still, and with her form disguised as it is, the lack of motion might cause one to overlook her altogether. She laughs, and the noise is partly genuine and partly to spook, high and reedy.]

[The blade of Sephiroth's sword is a narrow one, like a katana, but it's also unusually long. In every other respect, it appears to be an ordinary sword.

There is always the chance that another Tower resident could be around at night, so he doesn't instantly move to attack. He stands, still and quiet, listening to the sound, judging its distance. Some of the monsters here do use tools, so the sound of metal against the ground isn't unusual to him.

His pupils dilate further. Although he would not verbalize the sentiment, he does enjoy killing. Or really, it's the fighting he enjoys rather than its end. Utilizing his skills, fulfilling his function, pushing himself to obtain the desired result: it is stimulating.]

Edited 2013-07-17 22:51 (UTC)

[Letting out a strange, inhuman whine, she allows perhaps a third of her body to peek around the corner, then draws back again, quickly enough that the movement could nearly be written off as a trick of the light.]

[At the same time, that movement doesn't last long enough for Nue to really get a good look at him. However, she is able to take note the fact that he's armed. Maybe that explains his lack of fear. Still— He's just a kid. She isn't worried.]

[Sephiroth marks that movement, but continues to hold his ground. The enemy is within range of his teleportation, yet still hidden by the corner. He could attack now, but he elects to wait, not wanting to be lured into a less advantageous position.

It's unlikely that this is a collared Tower resident, as the approach is wrong. They must be aware of him, yet they haven't identified themselves, and the noises they're making are not speech or anything like it.]

[There's another noise, this one more keening, from behind the wall. The sound of dragging metal stops.]

[When Nue moves around the corner again, she does so fully—but this time, she's pressed tight to the ceiling, the movement soundless as she floats.]

[Chloe was seated quietly, looking at the various paintings in the room. They were among the more disturbing and macabre, fully of gory, violent imagery. Several depicted her own frame at the mercy of horrors in the tower. Violent, gruesome deaths. And yet she was just quietly, placidly considering each in turn.

It's hard to say whether she notices the signs, at least at first, that there is anyone near her. Only at the first wail does she seem to react, glancing over her shoulder curiously.]

Is someone here to play?

[ Trying to spook a being genehanced and psychoconditioned to know no fear is a hard task indeed, and he just growls, substituting anger for terror. ]

Show yourself...

[Even at night Sephiroth finds himself drawn more to the 5th Floor and the viewfinders that help to center his focus, remind him of who he is and where he's come from. To think these apparently destroyed wastelands could still harbor energy enough to Ruana to restore the Tower, perhaps he'd moved on from Gaia too soon. Sephiroth doesn't like these thoughts but sometimes the worst medicine-

He thought he heard a foot fall in the darkness behind him. Ever vigilant during the nighttime for monsters he turns completely around, only to note after much analyzing of the darkness, that there is nothing there. His senses are alerted and paranoid now so when he hears it again he's a little less inclined to believe it.

That is until the third time when he turns and outstretches a hand, using the gesture as a focus to fly out a telekinetic wave. If anything was there it might be knocked across the room.]

[He moves then, suddenly, his eyes picking her out in the dark. He simultaneously leaps up and teleports forward. The ceiling isn't too high for him; he's capable of jumping much higher than that.

He appears in the air just before her, his sword stabbing forward, striking at her chest, the blow with enough force to easily cut through muscle and bone, if it should land.]

[It's too unexpected and too quick for her to respond. His sword pierces her body. Whatever she may appear to be in his eyes, her torso is nothing more than a slender young woman's.]

[She lets out a gurgling cry and falls.]

[Something is knocked back. It makes a shrill noise, and then there's the sound of a body hitting the nearest wall. Something metal hit the floor. A second later, there's scrambling movement and a strange, high-pitched, not-quite-human growl.]

[The next sound is a strange, laughing one. Purposefully, Nue sets a foot against the floor with a tap, and then she pushes off again, gliding behind a nearby statue. Her movements are quick. Chloe might have trouble picking out the precise details of her form, whatever she may see it as.]

[It's a little disappointing, but this is fun in its own right. She moves, keeping her distance from him, darting swiftly along the parameter of the glass.]

[In the meantime he turns to face where he knows he heard something. Sword in hand instantly and poised ready for the slightest bit of movement.

Sephiroth spent all last month monster hunting; he's gotten even better at it than he had been before. He's no reason to think that whatever that thing is - it has to be another monster.]

[She caught the sight of movement, nothing more. She couldn't tell what it was that was chasing around and flitting among the shadows for her, but she knew that she wasn't alone now. Flipping a knife into the palm of each hand, held beneath her cloak, she made her way around the room at a crouch, observing where Nue had gone generally, unsure of exact locations for now.]

Come out come out wherever you are....

[When you can fly, it's easy to move soundlessly, and Nue does just that. She circles, making a point to remain behind Chloe as best she can at all times, occasionally letting a foot fall against the floor or making another laughing noise to draw attention to her location. All in all, it's a more playful game than it might be with another person, Nue darting through the displayed art and occasionally stilling long enough to be glimpsed; she doesn't actually want to harm Chloe now, since she interests her.]

[Nue doesn't give him much reason to think otherwise. She doesn't speak, instead choosing to slink back amongst the shadows, the sounds of her growls fading. That hurt, and the uncanny resemblance he bears to that child only serves to make her more wary of him.]

[Similarly as well to how 'that child' might have acted, with a glint of green-flare at the hilt of his weapon Sephiroth summons a fireball to his open right hand as well. Holding it ready for the next move.

When it doesn't come, he chances a step in the direction he saw the monster retreat to.]

Get lost, or step forward. [He growls.]

[Chloe can tell the difference after a while. The laughter, the fact that she can see only glimpses from a corner of the eye time and time again. She giggled back and purred, crouching beside one of the plants.]

Oh my... I've found myself a little pixie, have I? Tell me, sprite, do you know how to dance?

[It's not the safest way to pass the time, but some nights she simply can't seem to fall asleep. And if recent experiences have taught her anything, it's that all the training in the world can't make up for actual combat experience. That's why she's here at night, intentionally out during nightfall in the hopes of using monsters for training.

Which could quite possibly get her killed, but her aversion to that has gone down slightly after the first time.

However this particular night hasn't been too terribly eventful. There's been a few run-ins, and there's a bit of blood on both her armor and weapons, her axe, Garm resting on one shoulder right now. Part of why she's drawn to this floor is because among other things, this is where she first met Kyoko. And in a way she likes the cold air, the atmosphere of this ruined castle reminding her of home in a way. If she really tries, she can almost imagine she's battling monsters back home, that she's back in the war.

It's strange how she'd rather be back in the war than here.

But little does she know she's not quite alone this particular night. Or the only one out here beating monsters to death.]

[The air here is colder than Nue cares for, but the ruins of a castle are the perfect place to play, full of rubble to conceal herself among and old decorations to use as props. She owes it to herself to at least give this floor a cursory sweep. So far, though, she has encountered no one, the only company to be found the monsters which have crept inside with the night.]

[Archravens blend in well here. There are plenty of empty ledges for them to fit themselves to, nothing about their still and stone-like bodies looking out of place. This isn't the first one she has had to strike down this night — Amelia might find a corpse or two as she inadvertently follows on the path behind Nue — but she isn't tired. The way she fights is unpolished, just as her makeshift weapon is, but she's a youkai, strong and fast enough to make up for any roughness. Her lack of form doesn't matter when any blow she does land is strong enough to snap bone.]

[Even after the creature has been left crumpled on the floor, Nue's attention remains focused on it, rather than turned outward to her surroundings at large. If she isn't alone, it might surprise her now.]

[Nue stills when she is addressed this time, peering out just a crack from behind the piece of standing art she had used to hide herself this time — a statue of a man with his skin melting from his body, of course.]

[When she speaks, she doesn't try to disguise her voice, letting her game drop here.]

I might. There are a lot of games I know.

[For a second, there's no reply. Then, a barrage of projectiles sprays forth, glowing bright.]

[ garviel snarls, and hurls himself over the bench he was sitting on, following the barely-seen outline figure along the edge of the glass. ]

[Sephiroth is used to killing monsters, and he thinks little of it. He pulls his sword free and moves back to let her fall, landing neatly on the ground below. However, as he is interested in the Tower's uncollared creatures, he pauses to study her for a moment, sword still in hand.]

Pretty little thing... were you hiding something from me when we first met?

[She was piecing the voices she'd heard in their respective meetings together. It made her smile low, a cunning and playful little grin.]

So many secrets, so many surprises... what do you have in store for me today, I wonder? Are you human... or something else, I wonder?

[Ugh.

He's not sure whether he raised his opposite arm to shield his eyes from the light, or from the flurry of small projectiles that is released at him but Sephiroth soon knows about it. A handful of these rock-hard shots collide with an arm, a leg and again with the foremost leg in his stance enough to ~~nearly~~ knock his balance before Sephiroth counters. Pushing the painful throbbing of bruises and possible fractures to the very back of his mind he forces his will outwards and away from him in a telekinetic wave meant to dispel the rest of the attack away from him while he darts to the side and searches the darkness for the point of their origin. Fully intending to dash in for a strike the moment he has a target.]

[She doesn't move. Regardless, the Seed attached her body to her doesn't dissipate, and its ability remains in effect. The metal rod, on the other hand, has fallen from her hand and is now visible as what it is.]

Maybe a thing or two. It wouldn't do to tip my hand too soon.

[She remains where she is, half-hidden. One of her hands traces down the curved stone of statue's melting flesh, her touch light and almost caressing. The smile she wears is much the same as Chloe's.]

What if I told you to find out for yourself? What would you do then?

[Whatever is in the darkness leaps away—and then it must fly, because the origin of the bullets doesn't lower back to the ground. Instead, it seems like two wellsprings orbit a single point, spewing out a multitude of projectiles, the spread thick and chaotic.]

[Perhaps it isn't the bravest of tactics, but staying out of reach and winning a war of attrition is her best bet, the way Nue sees it.]

[She laughs again, a more natural sound this time.]

Ah~, are you upset? I was just playing a little game~.

[It's a young woman's voice, and its tone is certainly amused and not sorry at all.]

I don't play games. Come out, mamzel. NOW.

[Remaining light on his feet is going to have to be the way then, until a break in the attack comes. Sephiroth is certainly agile enough to dodge the majority of the incoming waves.

Meanwhile, the Materia in Masamune's hilt glints green and whenever there is an opportunity Sephiroth launches a series of small fireballs up into the center of the attack spread. Sometimes only one manages to get away though before he has to concentrate more on dodging. Quite annoyingly, sometimes a fireball is interrupted completely by a collision with one of these projectiles, they don't hit hard enough to slow him by much but Sephiroth does have breaks in his magic-casting, for allowing his innate regenerative ability the time needed to take the edge off.]

I would probably start stalking you, pretty... [She started to move, likely causing the two of them to dance just a bit around the statue. She kept it to one knife, not really in a ready position right now. It was out just in case, but the stalking definitely had a playful element.]

And here I wondered if there was something interesting about you when we met... You've given me a little game, to learn what it is that makes you you.

Hm, I don't remember saying anything about making you play along.

[But she's being purposefully duplicitous. She perches on the back of one of the chairs, not unlike the way a bird might, still but ready to take to the air if threatened.]

"Mamzel"?

[Nue meets that answer with an amused little hum. It seems like the two of them think alike, at least in regards to the stalking.]

Is that so? Humans these days sure are a curious bunch. Always so eager to strip the mystery from the unknown.

[Abruptly, she skips back, putting distance between the two of them—but also leaving herself out in the open.]

But, you know, sometimes that mystery is what makes things beautiful.

[It's when she starts stumbling across monster corpses that she distinctly does not remember killing that she starts feeling like she's not the only one on this floor right now, starting to wonder just who else could be here. Another soldier or something is the first thought to cross her mind, most of the people who she's heard patrol floors tend to be military of some description.

So perhaps when she steps around a corner and spots Nue standing over the remains of another monster, it's not hugely surprising that what she sees isn't a Youkai but rather another soldier, in armor not too dissimilar from her own. Not that she lowers her guard, anyone in this Tower can potentially be dangerous. But she cannot simply leave either, not when another has been in a fight.]

Excuse me, ma'am? You look like you have things under control, but are you alright?

Perhaps it is, but at the same time, how can it not be beautiful if the eyes still crave to pierce the veil and see the truth that lurks beneath the surface? [She smiled, following and looking at her quarry while they conversed. An easy dance, one as much of words as actual physical moves.]

[Nue looks up, the movement quick. She isn't visibly startled, but she wastes no time looking Amelia over as she turns to face her. Her posture is casual as she rests her weight on one foot, makeshift weapon propped against her shoulder.]

I'm fine. These are just small fry.

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second ➳

Floor eight

Floor 4

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Floor 22

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Floor 5

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Floor 73!

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I don't have icons of her being dead so I'll just use inappropriate silly ones as long as I have to

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Sorry for the slow!

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haha, "slow"