Riful's Heart.

[dramatispersonae]

[everything goes away.]

[sight, sound, taste, touch, smell - you lose yourself to the nothing that waits through the doorway. do you have a body? a mind? what is such a thing? for a dizzying moment, you might not even be sure you have a "you" to identify these concepts with.]

[then, wrenching and violent, the confusion of the senses pummels itself back inside you like seasoning pounded into raw meat, and you're left, painfully sensate, on an open plain.]

Comments

[oh_brother]

Quite. So why don't let us through to talk with the she-witches instead? We won't be your problems after that.

[identityformations]

[just going to wait here and let Yukio do his thing]

[and be completely unsurprised at that fear]

[amivoringyou]

[--which is when one of the she-witches in question, with neck-cropped hair, in a short leather tunic, pops her head through the opening, startling hell out of the two guards in the process.]

[she laughs at them, not precisely kindly, and ... the laugh might be just a little bit familiar, and when she turns her head and locks her silver, slitted eyes with both of you in turn, the face even more familiar still.]

[the guards stammer --] -wh-what, R-Riful, what are you doing here --

[she sighs, face neutrally amused, and glances towards you again.] I heard there was a disturbance outside. I can't investigate disturbances now? Aren't I ranked Number One out of the entire generation?

[oh_brother]

[his eyes widen]

Sword?

[identityformations]

[observingggggg]

[amivoringyou]

[the claymore in question blinks, eyebrows rising.] ... are you referring to me?

[the guards edge away and slowly move into a position where they might be able to best attack either you or "Riful", pikes at the ready.] ... do you know these people, Number One?

[oh_brother]

I ... am, but I guess you don't respond to that here.

Your hair and eyes are different from what I remember.

[identityformations]

[clearly you know here and I don't]

[jiiiiiii]

[amivoringyou]

[Riful gives you an even, evaluating look.] I've never met you before.

And definitely not as a human.

[nudging the tip of the spear in one of the guards' hands.] Introduce them to me.

[the guard swallows.] ... this is Riful. She's the Number One of this, the newest generation of soldiers created to fight against the yoma threat. [Riful gestures with her eyes for him to continue.] That ... means she's the strongest of them all, and ... today's her first official hunt for A - [he catches his words] - Voracious Eaters.

[Riful turns to the both of you.] So ... who does that make you?

[oh_brother]

[hrrrrm, how much of the truth do I want to tell]

Something rather similar to you. A soldier fighting monsters who is not completely human. Forgive me for the error; I heard of you from someone else.

[identityformations]

[simply shrugs] An explorer. Once a soldier, maybe, but the monsters I fought were all human.

[amivoringyou]

[.....]

[she shares a look with the two guards]

[it's not a pleasant look]

[and then she has Yukio slammed up against a wall, one arm over his throat, under his chin other hand loose at her side, the end of the guard's pike somehow having been snapped clean off and put in her hand in the motion]

You know, if yoma are going to try and infiltrate a secret location, I'd expect them to put a little more effort into it. But I guess it's true what they say ... what you gained in power, you lost in strategic thinking.

Tch. I can barely feel you in there. Are you hiding from me?

[to the guards] Hold the other one before he can escape, I want to know what they're doing here.

[oh_brother]

[well shit. struggles against her, trying to get a grip on her wrist]

-- I'm not one of your monsters!

[identityformations]

[I GUESS I'M BEING SCRUFFED BY GUARDS THEN not actually able to kick them to death right now so...yeah]

[may or may not have a very faint morbid smile]

[amivoringyou]

[you can get a good grip on her wrist but i'm not sure what good it's gonna do you, bro]

Give me a good reason to believe you.

[and yes, you're kind of up fuck creek without a raft right now, Mark.]

[oh_brother]

[it makes me feel better okay. he gasps for breath as he talks.]

It's not the same kind of power. N-not the same kind of demon. Surely you can feel that--?

[... that little flicker of demon power is kind of reacting to the strangling though]

[identityformations]

[if I struggle will they hit me :|a]

[flourished]

[ AND HERE COMES . . . A. . . ER. . . IS? She looks a bit different. And is definitely holding herself a little more predatorily than normal. If you know her.

Goes to smack the back of Riful's head as a 'hello' . . . ]

[amivoringyou]

[yes, if you struggle, they will hit you hard.]

[a-and then Aeris bonked Riful in the head]

[... Riful turns, blinking ...]

--Aeris. I didn't expect to see you so soon.

[oh_brother]

-- A-Aeris?

[flourished]

Playing with boys? They said you wanted to speak with me.

[ and waves at Yukio ;D ]

[identityformations]

[grunting with pain as he gets smacked around]

[amivoringyou]

Mm. I did. I expected you to take longer to get reeled in, though. I overestimated you! How unfortunate.

[does ... not sound insulting, despite the words.]

I found two yoma infiltrators, Aeris. What do you think we should do with them?

[oh_brother]

I told you, we're not infiltrators! And she knows that--!

[amivoringyou]

[looking to Aeris]

You know them?