The Demon Went Down to Guatemala [CLOSED]

[ritsu_kouyou]

Characters: Akiha Tohno and Sion Eltnam Atlasia
Location: Guatemala
Rating: PG
Time: May 28th
Description: Mission 188 - dueling musicians

[Akiha was checking her appearance in the mirror a public restroom to make sure she looked her best - to play the part of the dark-haired beauty on this mission - and touched up her makeup a little.]

This is completely unacceptable. What the hell did they think was more important?

[She mad.]

Comments

[computations]

Do you think I need you to swing me around to attack?

[Even if Akiha had her own abilities, Sion could still partially transform and she was competent at hand-to-hand fighting.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

...I had been planning on having you in contact with me, perhaps across my back, to help me filter the Madness expected from the kishin egg's serenade.

[Akiha frowned.]

I guess I'll have to deal with it on my own. So you can ambush it.

[computations]

My personal belief is that you can withstand it perfectly fine.

[A pause.]

There...is no outside force that you would allow to conquer you.

[ritsu_kouyou]

It's not the outside force I worry about...

[It was her own self. Her blood and what the Madness draws out in her.]

Forget I said anything. Let's see if the park has emptied by now.

[computations]

I will not forget it. Just...trust me.

[She didn't want Akiha to doubt herself. Not now or ever.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

I do. You're the only one here I truly do.

[When they got to the park, it was thankfully empty. And not exactly what she would call a park, but... Central America.]

...alright. Time to get ready.

[computations]

I am going to find a suitable tree to climb up and hide in.

[Which, true to her word, she did. She wanted to pick somewhere close enough to Akiha so she could be one leap away from defending her.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[With her partner having chosen a tree close enough to the bench Akiha set the violin down on, she looked around once and drew in a deep breath. They were okay. She was okay.

Akiha opened the case and, violin in hand, sat down properly on the bench. Once ready, she slowly drew the bow across the strings, checking the tuning.

She was okay. She could still feel her connection to Sion, even if she couldn't see her. She began to warm up.]

[computations]

[Sion found a spot and went stock still. Yes, she had her connection with Akiha and she reassured her as much as she could. A mental hand on her cheek was the best she could do in this position. And she didn't let go of the connection, keeping her company as much as she could.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Putting the violin in place, Akiha began to play. She needed to draw the kishin egg to her, so she began with The Devil's Trill.

...halfway through the song, she could feel a shift around her, something pressing down on her mind. It was the Madness Wavelength, but it was manageable. It seemed she'd caught their enemy's attention.]

[computations]

[Sion's eyes were peeled now. She could feel the madness herself but could also feel its effect on Akiha. It just needed to be distracted for a mere moment after it appeared...]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[As Akiha came to a natural pause in her song, the notes of a guitar filtered through the air. Akiha wasn't sure exactly where it was, as the music seemed to come from all around her, so she continued as if she'd heard nothing.

...eventually it would come out. Something with a large sombrero couldn't hide for long.]

[computations]

[She could definitely feel it getting closer.

Sion urged Akiha to skip to something more difficult, to interest the being.]

feel free to npc the kishin egg some

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Irritation washed over their connection. The Devil's Trill wasn't easy to play and if it wasn't interested, the kishin egg wouldn't have shown up at all.

Continuing to play, Akiha got to her feet and walked a bit away from the bench. She slowly turned around, looking for their target.

And there was the outline of the sombrero in the darkness as the sun had finally set.]

[computations]

[Sion replied with insistence. Even if it wasn't easy, she was sure Akiha had the skills to do even better.

The thing's form began to take shape as it came closer and Sion was practically on her toes. She knew she still needed to wait but it was hard, watching Akiha out there all by herself.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha sighed. Fine. She switched to Flight of the Bumblebee. THAT was a damn pain to play.

But it was a short piece. When Akiha reached the end and flourished her bow, her knees almost buckled with the wave of Madness that hit her as a... could she even call it a man? A creature with a giant sombrero stepped close, playing its guitar and singing to her... in a language she didn't understand.

Hand going to her head, she pushed the Madness to the side just enough to actually listen to the music. It was enough for her to find something to play to compliment it.]

[computations]

[Sion gave Akiha some approval and complimented her skills. She was sure that would help boost Akiha's morale and ability to push through the madness.

All she needed was one more moment, though. Akiha's playing had gotten the creature interested. If he fell a little deeper into his own music, she could jump out and attack.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Sion's support did help, allowing Akiha to focus more on her own music than the song being sung to her.

The kishin egg was moving closer to her and her instinct was to back away, but that would shatter the illusion she was trying to weave. She stepped closer and turned, almost as if dancing with the enemy, but this served to put the creature's back to the tree Sion was hiding in.]

[computations]

[Right then, that was the moment Sion was looking for. The creature couldn't see and hopefully wouldn't detect.

Sion leapt out of the tree and did a single flip. Partway through the arc, her leg and foot transformed into part of the staff and the head and she brought it directly down on the top of the creature in a massive ax kick.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha made herself stay in place when she felt Sion make her move. So, there she was, standing before the kishin egg, when it seemingly collapsed to the ground underneath Sion's assault. The sombrero obscured its face and it laid there, unmoving.

So... Akiha couldn't help herself. She played three well known chords and trilled the end of it.]

[computations]

[Sion, while confident in her power, was overwhelmingly suspicious of such a quick defeat and she prodded at the sombrero with her foot, still in weapon form.]

....is that it?

[ritsu_kouyou]

I don't kno--

[And Akiha barely caught the movement and the flash of teeth in time to launch herself at her partner. Tackling Sion bodily to the ground and out of the way of the maw that had snapped from the shadows of the sombrero.

Landing hard in a jumble, Akiha cursed as she heard the snapping of wood. There went her violin.]

[computations]

[To spare Akiha some issues, in mid-fall, she simply completed her transformation so Akiha could scoop her up when she got back up.]

That answers my question. I suppose we will have to do this the hard way.

[ritsu_kouyou]

It broke my violin.

[No, Akiha, you broke your own violin by falling on it.]

I'm going to kill it.

[And leaving the instrument on the ground, she smoothly grabbed Sion as she stood up and turned to face the kishin egg.]

You broke my violin!

[Akiha charged the kishin egg, twirling the staff to pick up momentum before swinging it right at its head.]

[computations]

Not so reckless!

[That kind of thing was only going to get them hurt in a counter attack, which was not what they needed. Sion was pretty sure that Akiha needed to slow down...and quickly.]