Re: Pitched Combat [Round 1: Forêt Noire]
01-14-2010, 07:58 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Lap Otter.
"Damn shit fuck damn shit!" Niko swore. "She should've changed back when there was a lull, she shouldn't still be out there, I should be the one fighting that battle!"
"But you aren't, Niko, and there's not time now." Lainey moved to Niko's side, grabbing her hand and squeezing. "Can you coach her from here?"
Niko scowled. "It's not like she doesn't know what's going on in here while she's corporeal. If I tried to coach her, though, she would wait for me to tell her what to do instead of doing what she thinks best. It'll slow her reflexes and make her hesitate." She shook her head. "It's a bad idea. There's nothing I can do from here."
Lainey's face went pale. "D'you think those bees have the same venom as the little ones, back home?"
"There is no reason to hypothesize otherwise," Lissa answered. "Why?" Even as she spoke, her face fell. "Oh. We're allergic."
'Dammit, Niko,' Yume thinks to herself, 'it'd be nice to know what you think I should do, at least.' Her fur prickling, she backs away from the horde of bees--bees carrying weapons, no less, and probably weapons coated in bee venom. One of them darts at her, and she dodges, whirling to face it but keeping her ears pointed back, at the rest of the horde.
'These are just bugs,' she reasons as it turns to fly at her again. 'I eat bugs. Piece of piss. I'll just... try not to get eaten... by these bigs. Bugs! They're... really big bugs.' She jumps sideways, then leaps up onto the bee's back, digging her claws into its exoskeleton for purchase.
She's too heavy for it; it crashes unceremoniously to the ground. They roll, and Yume pulls free one paw to swipe at the skinny joint between its thorax and abdomen. If she can get rid of its stinger, she'll have only to worry about the blade it carries.
The two parts separate easily, and the main body stops rolling, Yume still on top of it. Its wings buzz furiously, battering her with all the strength of silken scarves. She yanks out the leg holding the weapon with her teeth.
It thrashes beneath her and dies.
Yume turns to face the rest of the invasion...
and the vast majority of it hasn't even bothered to take notice of them. Most of the swarm is now only a dark cloud on the horizon, and what's left is being quickly dispatched by the dragons.
Yume changes into her humanoid form, gagging at the smell of dead insects. "I'm really, really glad that's over," she said, sighing.
"Damn shit fuck damn shit!" Niko swore. "She should've changed back when there was a lull, she shouldn't still be out there, I should be the one fighting that battle!"
"But you aren't, Niko, and there's not time now." Lainey moved to Niko's side, grabbing her hand and squeezing. "Can you coach her from here?"
Niko scowled. "It's not like she doesn't know what's going on in here while she's corporeal. If I tried to coach her, though, she would wait for me to tell her what to do instead of doing what she thinks best. It'll slow her reflexes and make her hesitate." She shook her head. "It's a bad idea. There's nothing I can do from here."
Lainey's face went pale. "D'you think those bees have the same venom as the little ones, back home?"
"There is no reason to hypothesize otherwise," Lissa answered. "Why?" Even as she spoke, her face fell. "Oh. We're allergic."
'Dammit, Niko,' Yume thinks to herself, 'it'd be nice to know what you think I should do, at least.' Her fur prickling, she backs away from the horde of bees--bees carrying weapons, no less, and probably weapons coated in bee venom. One of them darts at her, and she dodges, whirling to face it but keeping her ears pointed back, at the rest of the horde.
'These are just bugs,' she reasons as it turns to fly at her again. 'I eat bugs. Piece of piss. I'll just... try not to get eaten... by these bigs. Bugs! They're... really big bugs.' She jumps sideways, then leaps up onto the bee's back, digging her claws into its exoskeleton for purchase.
She's too heavy for it; it crashes unceremoniously to the ground. They roll, and Yume pulls free one paw to swipe at the skinny joint between its thorax and abdomen. If she can get rid of its stinger, she'll have only to worry about the blade it carries.
The two parts separate easily, and the main body stops rolling, Yume still on top of it. Its wings buzz furiously, battering her with all the strength of silken scarves. She yanks out the leg holding the weapon with her teeth.
It thrashes beneath her and dies.
Yume turns to face the rest of the invasion...
and the vast majority of it hasn't even bothered to take notice of them. Most of the swarm is now only a dark cloud on the horizon, and what's left is being quickly dispatched by the dragons.
Yume changes into her humanoid form, gagging at the smell of dead insects. "I'm really, really glad that's over," she said, sighing.