[Excuse Rose as she goes to almost vomit in the corner of the room. No matter how many battlefields she’d been dispatched to, she still never got used to the smell. She takes a moment to calm herself, before turning to Takame.]
I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s likely still in here.
[And just as she says that, the door to the room slams shut. Rose immediately rushes over, trying to open it again, to no avail. It’s locked tight, and no matter how much she twists on the knob, it won’t budge.]
[Happens just as she calls the bloody thing out for still lurking in the shadows nearby, he should have expected nothing less. Immediately he ran to Rose's side, not just to keep her safe but also to help her in trying to get the door open, trying to twist the knob himself but to no avail.
Even slamming his heavy shoulders into it seemed to do nothing. Seemed like nothing else would work but to default to his natural ways, so he pulled his weapons out, eyes darting around the room waiting for the threat to emerge.]
[Rose starts to say something, but before she can, she’s on the ground in pain. It’s dark, too dark for Norvandt. Is it the Echo? The Echo never felt like this, it’s like she’s drowning and she can’t...]
[...stay...]
[...awake.]
[As Takame searches the room for threats, he might notice a presence behind him. It’s Rose, holding a knife. Her eyes are an unnatural dark purple, and there’s a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.]
... !! [Sensing an imminent threat behind him, Takame acted on reflex and instinct. He turned around, using one of his rings to swat the weapon from the attacker hands and grabbed them by the wrist, giving an aggressive twist with full intent to break the bone.
When the brief rush cleared and he saw who this aggressor was, though...]
Rose?! [He loosened his grip immediately. The more the knee-jerk reaction settled the more things off he noticed about her. Her eyes for example.] What in the hells...?
[There’s a loud ‘snap,’ and Rose’s wrist breaks. Oddly enough, she doesn’t look to be in pain. She’s laughing. It’s an eerie laugh, very unlike any expression she usually wears. It’s playful, but at the same time, malicious.]
Nope, sorry! You’re friend is already gone. This body is all mine, now.
[Horror flashed in Takame's eyes when he heard the bone crack and saw who it belonged to. He'd hurt her, kami forgive him, he'd hurt her...
And yet behind that laugh was something decidedly not Rose despite wearing her face and body. An ugly combination of emotions accompanied his steps backwards, anger, fear, anxiety, worry, all fueling his urge to keep a tight grip on his weapons.
[The voice is eerily remiscent of the fairies in Il Mheg, only much more hollow. It might be a demon, it might be a ghost, it might be something else entirely. Whatever it is, it’s clear that it meant harm.]
And I told you! She’s gone. This body is mine now. Let’s play.
[‘Rose’ smiles, showing her teeth, and lunges forward. Her knife is in her hands, broken though one may be, and she makes a quick pass at Takame’s throat.]
Ghk... [A blow to his stomach, those words were, taking any other words he had to share and only forcing a strained gasp out.
It was all he knew to do. He held back, he held back, he did not even have his blade equipped and yet still... He thought himself better at holding back, what a fool he was to ever think that.
Frustration always manifested the same with him.]
... Do not mock me. [It wasn't hard to move out of the way of the attempted strike. A sideways step and jump backwards, not unlike a Samurai's technique, was all he needed. His self preservation instinct screamed to fight but he couldn't even draw his weapons.] What do you mean she's "gone"?
[‘Rose’ sees the expression on Takame’s face and smirks. What’s her endgame? Why is she doing this?]
[...Where is she?]
I mean she’s gone! Her soul went ‘poof.’ It was really easy, too. All I had to do was say a few things about how she’d hurt her friends when she transformed into a Lightwarden, and she gave up!
[The ghost turns around, and makes another lunge at Takame, this time aiming for his stomach.]
She’s really weak! Not only did she let me take her over, she’s also really out of shape.
[The movements of an erratic Miqo'te woman would be easy to notice, easy to dodge especially with the injury he caused. Ever was he wary of his midsection especially since left with his conspicuous burn scar.
The more she spoke, though, the more it fueled his temper. His anxiety.
Her soul, gone...? She was turning into a Lightwarden? Is that why her aether went from its normal radiant light to gradually brighter, nearly blinding? Did he really not notice? Had she been in pain the entire time and he didn't notice?
She couldn't have been gone, Hells take this... whatever it is... lies, all of it. And yet the concern in his heart made him hesitate, allowing 'Rose' to slice a large hole clean through his tunic.]
Spare me your lies and slander, demon. Release her from your control. Now.
Release? Are you sure? Aren’t you afraid that she’s gonna be mad at you? I mean, she might think you’re a monster and never talk to you again!
[The stranger is wearing a smile, pleased with herself. She can see that Takame physically outclasses Rose, so the fact that she’s able to land a blow means that she’s getting to him.]
[But why would she hurt her friend? Takame had done a lot for her, why would she attack...]
[...Hnnrgh.]
Just kidding! She’s not gonna her angry at anyone ever again. If I leave now, all you’re gonna be left with is her corpse.
[Takame flinched soon after falling silent the only noise coming from him was a low, threatening growl while his fist clenched so tight at his side that his nails could have pierced skin had his hands not been gloved.
Of course he was scared. He was disgusted that he was scared, that he had anything to feel or fear at all. Rose is a good person, one Takame felt honored to know and speak to. And consider a friend.
But if she thought him a monster... he would not blame her. But even the thought of her running from him in fear for her life made bile rise in his throat and his eyes start to sting.
This demon was antagonizing him on purpose, he knew. And it was working.
Working enough that he only saw a threat before him rather than a cherished friend for long enough that he armed himself again.]
Stop talking. ["Or I will make you." That was what he meant to imply. Whether or not he could go through with it was another story. Never had he wished the Mothercrystal blessed another sense than his sight so much. His sight was what was stifling him. His sight and his heart he wished he never heeded.]
Ohh, I’m so scared. The big, mean dragon is gonna come at me with his sword! Who else have you killed with that, huh?
[She cowers, stepping back. It’s clearly fake, but the thought counts here. Whatever is possessing Rose now knows enough about Takame to make targeted attacks, and is using her body to do so. If she could see this, she would be furious.]
[She is furious.]
I bet you’re thinking about it right now. You must not care about your friend much if this is all it takes to get you to attack her.
[At times Takame's temper would manifest in an explosive fury, not unlike the one he displayed when he rescued Rose from Castrum Abania. More often, and more dangerously, it would be silent where he would not speak, where he would feel nothing else but that fury enough that it dulled every other sense.
Even this moment being an example of the latter, he could not bring himself to bear steel against Rose. It was a feint, him arming himself again. For himself, really, a feint as if he really would attack her with them.
Looking down at the weapons in his hands, his eyes were barely visible save for a faint, eerie blue glow. He knew what he was, what he did. And he knew he cared too deeply for Rose for someone who was to be a blade for the Empire.]
... The Kami will judge me for what I've done. [He dropped his weapons.
Only for him to charge at her in the time it took her to blink, tackling her to the ground, keeping her there under his weight and keeping her unbroken hand bound by holding his hand over her arm.]
[The ghost is ready to strike when Takame draws his blade, but his charge catches her off guard. Not that it would matter much anyway, there’s little she can do in such a feeble body against an able opponent.]
Aww, that’s cute. You really think that’ll be enough to...
[The ghost stops abruptly. For all the taunting they made earlier, it’s clear Rose is still in there, and she’s fighting back. Like hell she’s going to let some ghost or demonic presence take over her body, with everything she’s been through. Just a little more and...]
[She blinks, and her eyes revert back to their normal shade. There are two things that are immediately clear to her: 1) Takame is pinning her down, and 2) she is in a lot of pain.]
[The first thing Rose might see in front of her is Takame with a deadly look in his eyes, though gone fast enough that one could mistake it for a trick of the light.
Intent to harm disappeared like someone flipping a switch when he saw Rose's eyes return to normal, heard the tone of her voice with her normal, characteristic bite rather than the playfully hostile condescension of whatever was possessing her just a moment ago.
But he still didn't let his guard down. He didn't get up, let go of her arm, or cease preparation for an assault. He choked down the sense of relief seeing her return to normal, he couldn't afford to feel that. And he didn't deserve to either.
[Rose is in enough pain that she doesn’t notice the change in Takame’s demeanor, nor does she sense that anything is off. The last thing she remembered, they’d both had the door shut on them. Why was she on the floor?]
Who bloody else would it be?
[The characteristic bite of hers is back, and so is her healing magic. She casts a quick cure on herself to numb the pain, that will need proper medical attention later, and looks at Takame. There’s a hole in his tunic, and a knife in her hand. What on earth?]
[Before she can say anything else though, she’s cut off. A voice reverberates throughout the room, as if coming from the walls themselves.]
Hey, no fair! You weren’t supposed to take your body back! But if that’s the way you’re going to be, I’ll just have to...
Kill. You. Both.
[This time, there’s no mistaking the malicious intent of the voice. Gone is the condescending tone. It’s replacement is cold and damning.]
[It's not until she confirms her identity herself that Takame relented, and even then only slightly. The guilt at injuring her while she was herself didn't even have the chance to set in before the demon that took her body spoke out.
It was something in the aether he hadn't a clue of how to vanquish, perhaps. Right now he was too angry to figure that out, nor to care about what this poltergeist's reasoning for its possession of the Warrior of Darkness.]
You'll not have the chance to. [Bold words from him, deathly tone be damned. He'll find a way to free Rose at the very least. Or die trying.]
[Rose is...very confused, but Takame seems set out to protect her, and that makes her feel a little better. She doesn’t know what’s happening, and she doesn’t know what they’re fighting. If she had to guess, it’s probably something akin to some kind of voidsent, but she’s never seen one so powerful before.]
[Before she has the chance to speak, a voice echoes from the walls again.]
You can’t do anything. You’re both nothing. You’ll die here, and they’ll never find your bodies.
[Gone again is the whimsical tone as all of the furniture in the room starts to rattle and shake. One by one, objects in the room start to levitate and fly towards the pair. Some of them are harmless, like pillows. Some of them, like knives, are not.]
Say what you will about me, but don't you dare insult her. [The way the furniture moved and hurled itself his way would be something Takame would dismiss as a ghost story had he not been living it. And had he not been somewhat blinded by anger and assaulted with furnishings.
Any pillows or even chairs he could redirect with his bare hands while the knives he had to parry precisely with his weapon.
If he could find an opening, he could get out. It wasn't easy when he was trying to keep everything away from himself and Rose.
With only raw intuition to guide his hands to protect their front, his back remained exposed.]
[‘Don’t you dare insult her.’ Had Rose been in a better mindset, she would have fired back at Takame about how he should have more self-confidence, and stand up for himself more. She’s grateful that he stands up for her, she really is, but enough is enough.]
[Unfortunately, she’s currently dealing with too much. There are objects flying around, and she’s doing her best to swat them away, but she clearly isn’t built for this. None of her combat training is of any help, either; she can’t cast magic on a target she can’t see, and the gun isn’t going to do much to deflect a knife.]
[She can barely squeak out a warning when she sees one heading for Takame. His back is exposed, something the spectre appeared to be counting on.]
... ?! [Takame's first instinct to move was brought about by Rose's warning. Soon after he sensed the threat of death from behind for a split second and he shifted his body to the side.
Even with two warnings, he wasn't fast enough.
The knife aimed at them drove deep into Takame's back, close to his right shoulder sending a jolt of burning pain through his body and spilling blood from the initial puncture around the two.]
GAHH!!! [The knife's proximity to his arm rendering it useless, he dropped his weapon from his hand with a hard thud and clash against hard wood. The pain left him in a brief daze.
All mental, he told himself. He wouldn't feel it if he told himself it didn't hurt.]
[Rose shouts instinctively. She can’t help but remember Haurchefaunt, bleeding out above the Vault. Takame’s wounds aren’t so deep, and they appear to have missed any vital areas, but there’s more similarities than Rose would like.]
[They’re also still under attack, and now Takame’s weapon arm is useless. Rose does what she can, erecting a barrier to stop the attacks for the time being, and pumping all the healing magic she can into Takame. She swiftly casts a benediction spell, frowning.]
You need not... waste energy... I'm fine, it doesn't hurt... [Said to assure her, but also to tell himself once again. Even repeating it again, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt.
It did. It felt as though the knife was being twisted in his arm, forcing that intrusive burning sensation so spread from the wound slowly clawing its way down throughout his entire right side like an infection.
Rose's healing magic relieved the sensation, but he did not deserve this kindness after he'd hurt her. Still, he had no room to protest, did he?
As more and more dangers were literally sent their way trying to pierce her barrier, Takame shook his head. They had no time. But he could still do something. With a low grown manifesting in his throat, he picked up his weapon once more, this time with his dominant left hand.]
... Move. [His only warning, to the ghost or Rose was unclear, stated with a notable grit in his tone. He still made a point to keep her out of the way. Raising his blade high over his head and channeling his aether into it, he swung it down with reckless abandon, a wave of crimson energy running seamlessly past the barrier, yet cutting straight through anything else running through them eventually colliding with the locked door, throwing it off its hinges.]
Go, now!! [Said with a more characteristic, yet no less dire tone. He did not deserve to be near her, but he would keep her safe, by the kami.] I will be right behind you.
[Rose is about to reply, ‘Of course I need to do this, I know it hurts,’ but she’s cut off. She’s only seen Takame like this once before, and like then, it’s a sight she’s grateful for. As he raises his sword up, she gets out of the way.]
[Only for him to blast the door off the hinges. She doesn’t mean to leave him behind; really, she doesn’t. But she recognizes this opening for what it is: Their only chance to escape. Without hesitating, she runs. Whatever it was that’s attacking them is still pelting things at her, and she ends up with a few bruises and cuts, but she keeps running.]
[She keeps running, and she keeps running. She keeps running past the skeleton at the front desk. She keeps running out the door. She keeps running into the woods, and only stops when she’s too exhausted to continue.]
[The adrenaline is starting to fade, and in its place, there’s a burning sensation. Right. Her arm is broken. She casts what healing spells she can while she waits. Takame should be following her shortly.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s likely still in here.
[And just as she says that, the door to the room slams shut. Rose immediately rushes over, trying to open it again, to no avail. It’s locked tight, and no matter how much she twists on the knob, it won’t budge.]
And we’re trapped.
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[Happens just as she calls the bloody thing out for still lurking in the shadows nearby, he should have expected nothing less. Immediately he ran to Rose's side, not just to keep her safe but also to help her in trying to get the door open, trying to twist the knob himself but to no avail.
Even slamming his heavy shoulders into it seemed to do nothing. Seemed like nothing else would work but to default to his natural ways, so he pulled his weapons out, eyes darting around the room waiting for the threat to emerge.]
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[...stay...]
[...awake.]
[As Takame searches the room for threats, he might notice a presence behind him. It’s Rose, holding a knife. Her eyes are an unnatural dark purple, and there’s a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.]
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When the brief rush cleared and he saw who this aggressor was, though...]
Rose?! [He loosened his grip immediately. The more the knee-jerk reaction settled the more things off he noticed about her. Her eyes for example.] What in the hells...?
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Nope, sorry! You’re friend is already gone. This body is all mine, now.
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And yet behind that laugh was something decidedly not Rose despite wearing her face and body. An ugly combination of emotions accompanied his steps backwards, anger, fear, anxiety, worry, all fueling his urge to keep a tight grip on his weapons.
What if you hurt her again?
It's not her. It's not... but then where?]
What have you done with her?!
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[The voice is eerily remiscent of the fairies in Il Mheg, only much more hollow. It might be a demon, it might be a ghost, it might be something else entirely. Whatever it is, it’s clear that it meant harm.]
And I told you! She’s gone. This body is mine now. Let’s play.
[‘Rose’ smiles, showing her teeth, and lunges forward. Her knife is in her hands, broken though one may be, and she makes a quick pass at Takame’s throat.]
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It was all he knew to do. He held back, he held back, he did not even have his blade equipped and yet still... He thought himself better at holding back, what a fool he was to ever think that.
Frustration always manifested the same with him.]
... Do not mock me. [It wasn't hard to move out of the way of the attempted strike. A sideways step and jump backwards, not unlike a Samurai's technique, was all he needed. His self preservation instinct screamed to fight but he couldn't even draw his weapons.] What do you mean she's "gone"?
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[...Where is she?]
I mean she’s gone! Her soul went ‘poof.’ It was really easy, too. All I had to do was say a few things about how she’d hurt her friends when she transformed into a Lightwarden, and she gave up!
[The ghost turns around, and makes another lunge at Takame, this time aiming for his stomach.]
She’s really weak! Not only did she let me take her over, she’s also really out of shape.
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The more she spoke, though, the more it fueled his temper. His anxiety.
Her soul, gone...? She was turning into a Lightwarden? Is that why her aether went from its normal radiant light to gradually brighter, nearly blinding? Did he really not notice? Had she been in pain the entire time and he didn't notice?
She couldn't have been gone, Hells take this... whatever it is... lies, all of it. And yet the concern in his heart made him hesitate, allowing 'Rose' to slice a large hole clean through his tunic.]
Spare me your lies and slander, demon. Release her from your control. Now.
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[The stranger is wearing a smile, pleased with herself. She can see that Takame physically outclasses Rose, so the fact that she’s able to land a blow means that she’s getting to him.]
[But why would she hurt her friend? Takame had done a lot for her, why would she attack...]
[...Hnnrgh.]
Just kidding! She’s not gonna her angry at anyone ever again. If I leave now, all you’re gonna be left with is her corpse.
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Of course he was scared. He was disgusted that he was scared, that he had anything to feel or fear at all. Rose is a good person, one Takame felt honored to know and speak to. And consider a friend.
But if she thought him a monster... he would not blame her. But even the thought of her running from him in fear for her life made bile rise in his throat and his eyes start to sting.
This demon was antagonizing him on purpose, he knew. And it was working.
Working enough that he only saw a threat before him rather than a cherished friend for long enough that he armed himself again.]
Stop talking. ["Or I will make you." That was what he meant to imply. Whether or not he could go through with it was another story. Never had he wished the Mothercrystal blessed another sense than his sight so much. His sight was what was stifling him. His sight and his heart he wished he never heeded.]
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[She cowers, stepping back. It’s clearly fake, but the thought counts here. Whatever is possessing Rose now knows enough about Takame to make targeted attacks, and is using her body to do so. If she could see this, she would be furious.]
[She is furious.]
I bet you’re thinking about it right now. You must not care about your friend much if this is all it takes to get you to attack her.
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Even this moment being an example of the latter, he could not bring himself to bear steel against Rose. It was a feint, him arming himself again. For himself, really, a feint as if he really would attack her with them.
Looking down at the weapons in his hands, his eyes were barely visible save for a faint, eerie blue glow. He knew what he was, what he did. And he knew he cared too deeply for Rose for someone who was to be a blade for the Empire.]
... The Kami will judge me for what I've done. [He dropped his weapons.
Only for him to charge at her in the time it took her to blink, tackling her to the ground, keeping her there under his weight and keeping her unbroken hand bound by holding his hand over her arm.]
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Aww, that’s cute. You really think that’ll be enough to...
[The ghost stops abruptly. For all the taunting they made earlier, it’s clear Rose is still in there, and she’s fighting back. Like hell she’s going to let some ghost or demonic presence take over her body, with everything she’s been through. Just a little more and...]
[She blinks, and her eyes revert back to their normal shade. There are two things that are immediately clear to her: 1) Takame is pinning her down, and 2) she is in a lot of pain.]
Seven hells!
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Intent to harm disappeared like someone flipping a switch when he saw Rose's eyes return to normal, heard the tone of her voice with her normal, characteristic bite rather than the playfully hostile condescension of whatever was possessing her just a moment ago.
But he still didn't let his guard down. He didn't get up, let go of her arm, or cease preparation for an assault. He choked down the sense of relief seeing her return to normal, he couldn't afford to feel that. And he didn't deserve to either.
If it was her, though...]
Rose? Is that you?
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Who bloody else would it be?
[The characteristic bite of hers is back, and so is her healing magic. She casts a quick cure on herself to numb the pain, that will need proper medical attention later, and looks at Takame. There’s a hole in his tunic, and a knife in her hand. What on earth?]
[Before she can say anything else though, she’s cut off. A voice reverberates throughout the room, as if coming from the walls themselves.]
Hey, no fair! You weren’t supposed to take your body back! But if that’s the way you’re going to be, I’ll just have to...
Kill. You. Both.
[This time, there’s no mistaking the malicious intent of the voice. Gone is the condescending tone. It’s replacement is cold and damning.]
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It was something in the aether he hadn't a clue of how to vanquish, perhaps. Right now he was too angry to figure that out, nor to care about what this poltergeist's reasoning for its possession of the Warrior of Darkness.]
You'll not have the chance to. [Bold words from him, deathly tone be damned. He'll find a way to free Rose at the very least. Or die trying.]
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[Before she has the chance to speak, a voice echoes from the walls again.]
You can’t do anything. You’re both nothing. You’ll die here, and they’ll never find your bodies.
[Gone again is the whimsical tone as all of the furniture in the room starts to rattle and shake. One by one, objects in the room start to levitate and fly towards the pair. Some of them are harmless, like pillows. Some of them, like knives, are not.]
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Any pillows or even chairs he could redirect with his bare hands while the knives he had to parry precisely with his weapon.
If he could find an opening, he could get out. It wasn't easy when he was trying to keep everything away from himself and Rose.
With only raw intuition to guide his hands to protect their front, his back remained exposed.]
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[Unfortunately, she’s currently dealing with too much. There are objects flying around, and she’s doing her best to swat them away, but she clearly isn’t built for this. None of her combat training is of any help, either; she can’t cast magic on a target she can’t see, and the gun isn’t going to do much to deflect a knife.]
[She can barely squeak out a warning when she sees one heading for Takame. His back is exposed, something the spectre appeared to be counting on.]
Takame! Look out!
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Even with two warnings, he wasn't fast enough.
The knife aimed at them drove deep into Takame's back, close to his right shoulder sending a jolt of burning pain through his body and spilling blood from the initial puncture around the two.]
GAHH!!! [The knife's proximity to his arm rendering it useless, he dropped his weapon from his hand with a hard thud and clash against hard wood. The pain left him in a brief daze.
All mental, he told himself. He wouldn't feel it if he told himself it didn't hurt.]
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[Rose shouts instinctively. She can’t help but remember Haurchefaunt, bleeding out above the Vault. Takame’s wounds aren’t so deep, and they appear to have missed any vital areas, but there’s more similarities than Rose would like.]
[They’re also still under attack, and now Takame’s weapon arm is useless. Rose does what she can, erecting a barrier to stop the attacks for the time being, and pumping all the healing magic she can into Takame. She swiftly casts a benediction spell, frowning.]
We need a plan. This barrier won’t hold forever.
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It did. It felt as though the knife was being twisted in his arm, forcing that intrusive burning sensation so spread from the wound slowly clawing its way down throughout his entire right side like an infection.
Rose's healing magic relieved the sensation, but he did not deserve this kindness after he'd hurt her. Still, he had no room to protest, did he?
As more and more dangers were literally sent their way trying to pierce her barrier, Takame shook his head. They had no time. But he could still do something. With a low grown manifesting in his throat, he picked up his weapon once more, this time with his dominant left hand.]
... Move. [His only warning, to the ghost or Rose was unclear, stated with a notable grit in his tone. He still made a point to keep her out of the way. Raising his blade high over his head and channeling his aether into it, he swung it down with reckless abandon, a wave of crimson energy running seamlessly past the barrier, yet cutting straight through anything else running through them eventually colliding with the locked door, throwing it off its hinges.]
Go, now!! [Said with a more characteristic, yet no less dire tone. He did not deserve to be near her, but he would keep her safe, by the kami.] I will be right behind you.
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[Only for him to blast the door off the hinges. She doesn’t mean to leave him behind; really, she doesn’t. But she recognizes this opening for what it is: Their only chance to escape. Without hesitating, she runs. Whatever it was that’s attacking them is still pelting things at her, and she ends up with a few bruises and cuts, but she keeps running.]
[She keeps running, and she keeps running. She keeps running past the skeleton at the front desk. She keeps running out the door. She keeps running into the woods, and only stops when she’s too exhausted to continue.]
[The adrenaline is starting to fade, and in its place, there’s a burning sensation. Right. Her arm is broken. She casts what healing spells she can while she waits. Takame should be following her shortly.]
[...Shouldn’t he?]
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/slams back into this
yeyeyeyeye
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