( closed ) said you would never give up easy

[gevurah]

Date & Time: from early to mid-january
Location: various locations
Characters: kate & various
Summary: doing things and running into people: the rp life.
Warnings: there will be some violence eventually
Notes: while there's prompts for those from the CR meme, if anyone else wants to do something don't hesitate to ask. feel free to PM me on this account or through plurk.


Raiden

[ Richard Lawson's parting words have left quite an impression on Kate.

Don't let them find you.

Her nights are a lot more restless than usual. The bottle of wine she gifted Ros is tempting, but she knows better than to turn to alcohol again while there are pressing matters. As usual, she dons her layers and boots and heads outside. She goes for a jog again today. Without any kind of workout facility she relies on the cold terrain.

The shelters are her first pit stop. They need to be cleaned out and stabilized, but at the forefront of her mind the UE's stash of bombs render shelters useless if they can easily drop another nuke on them.

If they know they're here, why haven't they? She stands with her hands on her hips, lost in thought. ]


Lightning

[ She's grown somewhat rusty with hunting. In spite of her intensive training that pit her around and against the world in various death traps and unfamiliar land, until last year she's lived a life of luxury.

The elderly woman she and Roslyn have been residing with lent her copper wire to ensnare rabbits with. She stalks the snow covered land for a rabbit trail, following their footprints into a good clearing where it appears they pass through.

As quickly and quietly as she can, she cuts down branches thick enough to hold any large rabbit. When she's done with setting up the branches and placing the wire, tying a noose and letting it hang in the center.

There are heavy footsteps in the distance. Yeti, she concludes, and hopes they don't frighten off the rabbits. ]


Seiya

[ Another grey and cold morning, but Kate's out for her usual jog. She warms up with basic stretches outside her current residence and half a minute after she's completed them, she's off. She sticks to a familiar path, edging along the outskirt of the town, but never wandering too far off.

She breathes through both her nose and mouth, but exhales through the latter only. Always breathing through the stomach or diaphragm to ensure she's getting enough air.

It's not always the most quiet run; there's always someone, be it Transport or one of the locals. A yard away from her she can hear dogs barking and the loud crunching of snow as the dogs run forward, pulling along a large sleigh with dead their master and his bag of what appears to be his hunt for the day. ]


Actual Damsel Martin

[ Today's jog is quickly disrupted by deep rumbling and the ground beneath her shaking to a point Kate nearly loses her footing. She stands with feet spaced out, applying as much weight as possible to keep herself upright while her eyes scour the clearing to spot whatever large animal it is stomping across.

It doesn't take long, but it's not exactly difficult to miss the mammoths bursting into the clearing. She's ready to hightail it out of here when she catches a glimpse of something else running ahead of the pack.

No, not something. Someone.

Kate's heart is almost ready to leap from her chest as she shouts: ]

Martin!

[ There's no hesitation, no second thoughts. She breaks into a sprint to meet the boy halfway, maneuvering with her bag to dig into its content, reaching for the grappling hook she always has on hand.

Cue. ]


Roslyn

[ Kate shudders one last time as she pushes the door in behind her. She notes the silence in the house, cocking her head to one side curiously and wiping excess snow off her boots on the rug. Then she begins to undo the buttons on her jacket, angling her head the other way. ]

Anyone home?

[ Home. It's almost laughable. God knows how long this setup will last this time. Lawson's disappearance reminds her the kind woman who owns this house may someday vanish before her own eyes. It's an unsettling feeling, not knowing it will happen and if it does. ]

Ros?

Comments

[gevurah]

[ She's just about finishing her set-up when Lightning makes her appearance. Kate is mildly surprised to see her again. It seems they're both destined to run into each other about once a month.

She pauses after Lightning's inquiry, listening intently to the noise that does appear to be growing louder. ]

Must be an animal.

[ Given the stability of the ground, it's safe to ascertain it's not a mammoth. ]

[pauldron]

[Not a mammoth, but not a rabbit. Why is it, Lightning almost wonders, that they only seem to run into each other when there's fighting likely to happen or already happening? The thought gets lost in her brain, shoved away for another time as she walks closer. Where is that coming from?]

One that's not going get caught in that trap. [a glance at Kate.] You have a weapon on you?

[gevurah]

[ She produces a hunting knife from her bag. Its real use lies with killing and skinning animals, but it's the only weapon she has on her for the time being.

She hears something scurry off between the bushes, twigs snapping and snow crunching as it apparently leaps away from their general vicinity. Sounds like a rabbit, but it's not falling into the trap Kate's set up.

She rises, already backing away from the trap. ]

Think it's headed this —

[ A loud growl and the heavy sound of rushed footsteps drowns out the rest of her words as something large, with shaggy white fur barrels out from the forest. ]

[pauldron]

[That answers that question! Lightning throws herself aside and out of the way, rolling back to her feet and pulling her blade from its holster. She's faced bigger things before, and meaner things too. This shouldn't be that hard even if the other woman's knife can't do much.

But first they need distance and a better angle of attack. They need to distract the thing and regroup. Magic should do that job well enough, but
Fire won't work--could set all the brush and trees alight and they don't need that--and just looking at this thing makes her think ice and water will be useless. Right. Thunder spells it is. She throws three in rapid succession, trying to grab the creature's attention and give the other woman time to get out of its way before she runs forward, blade out, to slash at it. If nothing else it'll get a damn good fur trim and maybe expose a weakpoint like this.]

[gevurah]

[ Kate rolls aside, forgetting her trap and everything else, only keeping the knife on hand. She can't use it from a distance unless she throws it, but the yeti's movements make it difficult to aim for a vital spot to slow it down.

Snow clings to her frame and the ends of her hair and bangs as she rises. She grips the knife's handle and watches the yeti's temper flare as lightning rains down.

Quickly, she looks for her bag and when she spots it lying twenty feet away she makes a break for it. ]

[pauldron]

[For her part, Lightning's doing her best to keep it busy. Now that she has its attention, a few more slashes cut away more fur before she has to duck a swing at her head. Magic crackles up her arm but dissipates as she's forced to backflip over a clumsy blow that would have sent her flying. She shifts her blade to its rifle form as she lands and pulls the trigger, getting a shot into the creature's shoulder. It roars, more in anger than in pain, and she rolls aside again as it charges.

The charge gives her a second to look for the other woman. Did she get squashed--no. There she is, and making a break for it. Good. At least Lightning doesn't have to worry about the civilian and can focus on the creature. She turns back, sending a Thundaga spell flying to crash down around it. This should give it something to chew on for a minute.]

[gevurah]

[ Skidding over to her bag, she quickly unzips it to retrieve her grappling hook. The remaining copper wire isn't strong enough to help with a large beast as the yeti, not in all its fury.

She begins to run back toward the scuffle, whistling loud to catch its attention. ]

Hey!

[pauldron]

[Or not. So much for getting clear. Lightning curses to herself as the yeti turns, drawn by the piercing sound, and it thunders towards Kate. Lightning scrambles to prepare another spell, to drag its attention back to her because Kate doesn't appear armed. Maybe she doesn't need to be, but she still seems like the weaker target from where Lightning is standing.

Still seems to be the one who'll go down first. Dammit they need more room to fight this stupid thing!]

[gevurah]

[ The ground quakes, but she manages to keep herself upright, waiting for the right moment as it closes the distance between her and itself. Then she springs forward, using the yeti's shoulders and head to leap over its entire form. As she lands on the opposite side, she fires the grappling hook that ensnares the beast by its neck and yanks hard enough to stall it. ]

Now!

[pauldron]

[Without a word, Lightning moves. She doesn't bother focusing long enough for a spell and instead runs at the creature, using the arms it's reaching to its neck to try and dislodge the hook as steps to launch herself into the air directly above it. She doesn't stab downwards, but rather simply pulls the trigger. From this close there's little outward damage, but the bullet hits home anyway and she falls in a roll, spinning on her heel to watch the creature and make her next move.

But really, if that doesn't kill it? Nothing she has will do it quickly.]

[gevurah]

[ It does enough to force it down on all fours before it slips deeper into the snow. It writhes and groans painfully, red spreading into the snow beneath its form. Kate keeps her grip on her line a moment longer before receding it.

The hunting knife is still in her hand. ]

You okay?

[ She tilts her head in Lightning's direction. ]

[pauldron]

[Dead enough. Lightning nods as she stands, grip on her own blade tight and tiny sparks crackling in the fingers of her other hand. Better to be prepared than caught unawares.]

Better than that thing.

[The cold snow melts on her clothes, soaking through where it caught on the fabric, but she's unharmed. Just another battle, and she flicks her eyes to Kate. Doesn't appear injured and she didn't seem to take a hit, but...]

You?

[gevurah]

I'm good.

[ She takes a deep a breath, eyes darting to the yeti that continues to twitch and squirm with every breath it takes. It doesn't have much time left.

Watching it sends a prickling sensation down her chest and into her stomach which tightens. The yeti is essentially an animal here, but she's never had to kill something like it before. ]

Wonder why it came looking for us.

[ Did someone else out there upset the yetis? Spoilers: apparently someone has murdered a couple of them. ]

[pauldron]

[Good is...good. Lightning nods, then turns her attention fully back to the yeti in its death throes. She doesn't make any sort of move to put it out of its misery, and instead just frowns.]

We may have been in it's territory. [She remembers Fang's cautionary tales of Behemoths and their territorial issues. Is this the same? Maybe.] Or maybe it just likes attacking things. Hell if I know.

[gevurah]

[ Territorial issues sounds more likely. She nods, putting away the knife and lightly batting at her jacket to shake off the excess snow and whatever twigs or dead leaves were snatched up by the fabric. ]

We should probably get out of here. There could be more.

[ So much for rabbit stew. ]

[pauldron]

I think we'd hear them before they get anywhere nearby. [Not that she's making any argument for staying around here. She holsters her weapon, turning to go back the way she came.] They're too loud to not notice when it's this quiet.

[gevurah]

Point.

Don't want to run into anything else.

[ That may be adept at stealth. Lawson's warning rings in her ears. ]

Nice sword.

[ Or is it a gun? She's seen it before, but its design is completely unfamiliar to Kate. ]

[pauldron]

Pretty sure we could handle other things.

[You know. So long as they can see or hear them coming. She doesn't slow her pace, but at Kate's comment, she nods.]

It's called a gunblade. [Said in a downright conversational tone as she reaches back, pulling it from the holster once more. It comes out as a sword, but with a flick of her wrist and the metallic sound of well oiled gears, it folds in on itself to become a rifle. It's fairly quick these days, barely longer than a few seconds, and Lightning smirks to herself.] Comes in handy when getting in close to something is a bad idea.

[gevurah]

[ Kate examines it from her side, arching an impressed eyebrow at how easily it shifts from one weapon into another. Talk about useful. ]

I take it it's not from this world.

[ The Initiative's armory, or when it used to have one, was pretty ordinary from what she remembered. She had never picked up one herself. ]

[pauldron]

[A quick shake of her head.] It's from mine. It's my old military service weapon from a long time ago.

[Months now. She still misses it, a little. The sense her world made in comparison to this.]

[gevurah]

[ That is on heck of a registered weapon. ]

Military, huh.

[pauldron]

[It's certainly different from the rifles and automatics every other soldier in her world seemed to use.]

Yeah. I was a soldier before I came here. [Before a lot of things.]

[gevurah]

Do soldiers ever stop being soldiers?

[ She scoops her bag off the ground, swatting snow off it and slipping her grappling gun back inside of it. She looks over to where her trap had been set-up, nothing but a wreck now. The wire is broken and useless, no point in gathering that. ]

[pauldron]

Just on paper. You don't shake off that kind of training, even if you try.

[Ever. She can't think of anyone who'd want to. Even if they leave the military, even if they turn their back on that...the training comes in handy way too often.]

[gevurah]

[ A thoughtful hum, but Kate agrees.

After being discharged, she was a woman without purpose. Civilian life can only do so much for her. She's not made for it.

She adjusts the strap of her bag, then moves to her collar to straighten it. ]

I'm going to hazard a guess that time travel is above your paygrade.

[ They might be soldiers, but this isn't something she was ever prepped for. ]