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| Mutate Meets Giant |
| (2012-12-21 - 2012-12-23) |
| Lavi encounters someone that might remind her a little too much of the mutated horrors from her home. |
| Avira | Foot traffic is heavy in Traverse Town, still choked full of refugees that haven't moved on to other worlds yet. Some still linger, holding on to the hope that their world would return soon. Still more have gone through the motions of adapting to their new situation, some trying to find new places to live amongst the worlds. Naturally, they are all on edge. Traverse Town was not a place safe from Heartless. Indeed, there'd been a number of attacks lately, perhaps attracted by the mourning refugees. Therefore, Heartless-like creatures tended to get a wary eye when they were around. For the black-furred mutate known as Avira, she is no exception. In response to the unfriendly and chilly reception she receives from the displaced people of Manhattan, she generally sticks to flight or rooftop travel. Even then, seeing her fly overhead does cause a bit of commotion. Such a thing happens right now as she returns "home," which happens to be the VALKYRI guild house, flying overhead and settling on the edge of the roof. |
| Lavi | The sound of battle is the first thing to greet Avira's ears as she draws within range of the broad plaza, the unmistakeable mixture of panicked screams and clashing steel carried on the cool evening winds. The milling crowds of homeless refugees and the native citizens of Traverse Town mingle together in huddled groups at the edges of the stone walkways, circled by a smattering of armed guards from the various volunteer and mercenary organizations who have moved in to protect those in need out of kindness or the desire for profit. Heartless soldiers are scattered throughout the area, a handful scampering about the disjointed peoples and their guards. However, the majority of them seem to be attracted to single figure in the middle of the road. Towering over the tiny monsters like some ancient god of war, Lavi lays into the Heartless with frightening intensity. Twin swords made of some sheer crystal carve through multiples of the beasts with each swing, their humming power fields burning through shadow and armor without effort. Her movements are fast; impossibly fast for something of her size and bulk. With blade and boot, she crushes the intruders, leaving shattered craters in the pavement with each thundering blow. The look on the giantess' face is one grand amusement, a massive toothy grin given to the foolish monsters that had dared to intrude upon a world inhabited by such a colossal force of destruction. |
| Avira | No rest for the wicked. Just as Avira's clawed feet settle upon the crest of the roof to her building, the sound of a shriek catches her attention. Pointed ears twist and swivel, directed to the larger plaza that the mutate knows is nearby. A snort escapes her and she takes off, running the length of the roof before leaping to another, then the next. Coming upon the edge of a building finally presents her with the scene below. Heartless scurry about, harassing those within reach, but all appearing to focus on a massive figure. She shudders when with a stomp, they put a small crater in the ground where her foot had landed. It is not lost that the giantess seems to be thoroughly enjoying the fight as well. Strange...such a mood reminded her of someone. Though rather than contemplate this, the mutate suddenly dives down, leaping upon a Soldier and casually ripping it apart with her claws, not unlike a bird of prey. Naturally, her appearance causes just a little bit more panic in the nearby homeless. Avira doesn't seem to immediately notice, far too focused on hunting down her prey and observing the giant woman. |
| Lavi | A trio of Heartless knights explode as their mimicked platemail is cleaved completely in half in a single stroke, the deadly crystal blade carving a shining blue line of horizontal perfection across their waists. Another dies in a burst of noxious black smoke as her foot comes crashing down, almost like an afterthought as she pivots to slam the pommel of the other sword into the body of a floating mage-type. It streaks away from the impact like a ballistic missile, drilling headfirst into the back of a stone stairway, its life snuffed out in spectacular fashion. Every attack the giant unleashes is marked with a sense of absolute perfection, no energy wasted, no effort but that which is absolutely necessary. Her perception of the battlefield seems almost omnipotent as well, the towering blades coming up to intercept counter attacks and leaping Heartless from all directions in a dazzling dance of death. The arrival of the mutated creature does not escape her notice either and Lavi's eyebrow raises as she sees Avira tear into another Heartless despite looking very much like one herself. Many of the beasts in her homeworld were rabid and feral and prone to infighting. Was this the same thing? Keeping the edges of her sight trained on the odd creature, she resumes her destruction of the threats at hand, ready to pounce should this mystery beast become hostile to the people. |
| Avira | Dividing her attention between watching the giant fight and fighting herself starts to become quite a test. In the end, fighting wins out over watching someone else fight, especially given the circumstances. While she did not get as much Heartless attention as the tall woman, her presence still accomplished the goal of distracting Heartless away from the more vulnerable refugees. This effect would only grow magnified as the aggression-and thus darkness-builds within Avira. Just something about tearing things open with bare hands instead of with her own weapon really made the difference. As it builds, her next strike comes in a wave of darkness that splits off from her hands and knocks over a cluster of four soldiers. A noise of approval escapes her and she hops backwards to see her handiwork. The way Avira fights like this is odd-as if she's still trying to feel out the savagry of a beast. Suddenly she steps forward as something hard hits her in the back of her head. A stone clatters to the ground, thrown at her by a frightened refugee. "...grrr." she grumbles, glancing over a shoulder to see who did it, but finding nobody in the crowd looking guilty. |
| Lavi | With her preeminent battle skills, Lavi makes short work of the tide of Heartless. She would have liked to toy around with them for a bit longer; she hadn't had this much fun in years. But as always, there were responsibilities that forced her to rein in the desire to cut loose, people that needed her protection. A final sweep of her deadly blades sends the last of the monsters back to the void from whence they came to the sound of cheers and applause from pockets of the huddled citizens. But it seems there's yet a little bit of trouble to deal with. The rock flies and Avira growls, turning her attention to the crowd. Unwilling to take any chances, Lavi flies into action. The massive knight closes the gap between herself and the mutant in a single leap, the shards of stone cobbling exploding upwards in a geyser of shrapnel as she interposes herself between Avira and people. The bemused grin remains as Lavi stares down at her, twin blades of humming death held at her sides, almost daring the beast to strike at her while her defenses are lowered. Time to find out if this is just another beast to be put down. |
| Avira | What a contrast this turned out to her time as a human. In that form, she would have been applauded right alongside Lavi. While no shining beacon of perfection, like the giantess, she was at least something familiar. Something safe and human. Right now, she looked and just about acted the part of an abomination of nature. "...is this the thanks I get...?" She stoops down, scooping up the rock in a claw. Just as she straightens, she sees the giantess leap before her, placing her massive self between her and the segment of crowd containing the individual responsible for the rock. In response, Avira stretches her wings out, making herself appear much larger as she does. It was a common gargoyle intimidation tactic she was quick to pick up on. Unfortunately, this woman seems far from intimidated. "I'm not with them." She explains gruffly, before raising her voice, her tone heavy with disapproval. "Nor am I with these civillians. Put your weapons away, I'm not going to steal anyone's heart." |
| Lavi | "Is that so?" The giantess' voice is deeper than most women due to the sheer size of her body but it is still light and pleasant, almost melodic in its tone. She casts a glance around at the crowd, taking note of their discomfort at Avira's presence but finds no evidence of injury at her hands. With a thoughtful hum, Lavi rubs her thumbs across the activation wards on her blades and the shimmering blue light surrounding them gutters and dies out. Unobscured by the blinding glow, the intricate runes carved into the flat surface of the crystalline geometry of the weapons becomes visible, their nature clearly magical in some way and perhaps responsible for the powerful aura. A swift spin of her wrists places the gargantuan swords upon her hips, a loud cling of metal ringing out as the magnetic locks seal them to her waist. Lavi crosses her arms, head tilting at the strange half-darkness thing before her in curiosity. "Don't take this the wrong way but I would feel much more confident in that statement if you would indulge me with a few questions about your... nature." |
| Avira | This discomfort remains, though muted now. Since Lavi had turned upon the heartless-like creature, they were far more at ease, especially in light of seeing this impressive woman fighting so many Heartless mere moments before. Surely she could take this dark-winged monster down if a need arose, right? Avira is slightly more at ease when the large woman puts her blades away, taking note of the strange magic applied to the weapons before they are returned to...well, they're not sheathed. More latched on...magnets, maybe? "Well I am certainly not a Heartless." she says, sounding indignant, "I would hope you would explain your own nature in turn since you're clearly quite different from the population here." Her wings lower, not folded, but settling behind her. "I am a human...or was a human. I've been cursed to look like this." Ironically, Lavi might be one of the few people that could get the scentific explanation for her change. Though sharing that tidbit might not be very...wise. |
| Lavi | A hand goes to her chin as Lavi considers this counter proposal. It seemed that whatever or whoever this thing was or used to be was still capable of logical thought so perhaps there was something to be learned here atleast. "A fair point - if we excuse the obvious difference between you and I, which is that while I might merely be of an unusual stature, you have a rather monstrous countenance. It is only to be expected that the simple folk of this settlement would be put ill at ease by your similarities to the plague which besets them." There is a soft hissing of servos and machinery as Lavi lowers herself down on one knee, bringing her face closer to normal head level. Her massive arm is rested across the knee as she leans forward, getting comfortable. "A curse, you say? Such things are the stuff of fairy tales and legend where I come from but I am learning that not to be the case in every world. What is the nature of your ailement? Is it merely your appearance that has been altered or were you always able to throw the shadows about at your command?" |
| Avira | When it came to those moments of exhcnaing information, Avira very much disliked being on the 'losing' side of the equation. To go without finding out more about her now-interrogator would leave Avira feeling empty inside. Slowly, she shakes her head, "This seems to be more than a matter of just you being tall. You're something else entirely." Human didn't seem to cover this woman. Clearly there was more to it. Discomfort, clearly triggered by Lavi's words, returns. "I am no Heartless." she repeats. Her ears flick as the woman moves, picking up the distinct sounds her armoring makes as she elects to kneel in front of her. "You will find out here that curses can be very real things." Avira advises, "Curses is a bit of a generalization. The full explanation involves a branch of science most are not familiar with. Even a word like mutation could cause confusion." She looks down at herself, "No, that dark energy was a part of it. It's not my own, but I have adapted to using it to fight. For now." Her head tilts. "Whichever world you're from, I'm clearly not familiar with. I have never seen anything like you." |
| Lavi | Lavi grins at the creature's feeble attempts to redirect the conversation away from itself. Fortunately for Avira, however, the titan was rather vain and Lavi was a subject that Lavi was quite willing to talk about. "Before my world fell to the Heartless, no one beyond its borders would have seen my like for I am unique. But your instincts are correct, I am not human. Or rather, I should say I am more than human." Her fist thumps lightly on the chestplate of the advanced armor. "I am the product of a world's accumulated knowledge. Science and magic interwined in a delicate balance of beauty and might to create the ultimate engine of war." She allows her enthusiasm to show through, stirring the thinning crowd into another round of faint cheers as she holds her arms out for emphasis. "You may call me Lavi. Now then, since we've gotten that out of the way. Perhaps you will indulge me in kind. I understand a great deal more than you might suspect. But let us start with your name, mutant." |
| Avira | It was a bit hard to call them feeble or attempts when such works in Avira's favor quite nicely. Disgusted by her own appearance, she wsn't too eager to make it a conversation topic. The corners of her mouth twitch upwards in amusement at the answer. Seldom had Avira met someone with so much pride and so much vanity. "So you are a super soldier." She counters, seeking to put it far more distinctly and without the bulk of the self-promotion. Though the worry remained-despite this woman's considerable skill, her world still fell. A name given brings a look of satisfaction to her furry face. About to offer, Lavi suddenly slips in a word that causes a look of pain upon her face, "I am Avira, from Rabanastre. Please...do not call me 'mutant' no matter how easy it is to reach for that term. One day I plan to be rid of it." Though the offer to explain the genetics is opened up, Avira doesn't seem to take it, clearly too bothered by that one word, in spite of its truth. |
| Lavi | A large hand reaches out to rest on Avira's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Forgive me, I meant no insult upon you by that. You should not hide from the truth, however. Only by facing our troubles can we master them, Avira from Rabanastre." Lavi grins again trying to lighten the mood, beginning to piece together the circumstances of her situation. "Then your condition is not permanent? You should consider yourself lucky. My world was riddled with mutation brought about by a war of great magnitude. The entire planet, brought to the brink of destruction. The few things that survived were twisted into horrible mockeries of nature, including many of the people. There was no saving them." The hand is withdrawn and the titan leans back, crossing her legs as she takes a proper seat before Avira. "Well then, tell me of this mutation you suffer, I have a wealth of knowledge that may aid you. What are its origins?" |
| Avira | The hand upon Avira's shoulder causes immediate tension in the thick muscles that comprise her shoulders and back. It takes her a second for her to actually interpret it as a gesture of camraderie rather than an outright threat. "Just Avira is fine. I have no family name so I add my home out of habit." She shifts her gaze sideways, a guilty look on her face. Slowly, she shakes her head. "It is not permanent." Avira says, sounding determined, "There is someone with a cure out there for me, but I've been unable to track them down so far." That explanation given, she looks back to Lavi suddenly as she describes the plague of mutation that had seized her planet. "I am very sorry to hear that. It sounds like your world had been through a great deal of pain." She is fortunate, she realizes, that she even has a cure. If she was stuck looking like this for the rest of her life...well. It has happened. Her thoughts go to the mutates living in the Labyrinth. "Come, let's walk as we talk about it, I don't really feel comfortable discussing it in public." Avira gestures for Lavi to rise and follow her. Indeed, she starts to walk, which earns the watchful looks of civillians. Fortunately, they clear out of her way. "Gene splicing and research into the Heartless went into a mutagen I was injected with against my will." |
| Lavi | Lavi nods and smiles, pushing to her feet with a cat-like grace despite her bulky armor. "Ofcourse." Turning to those people still loitering around to watch, she holds her hands up resassuringly towards them. "Worry not, citizens. The matter has been resolved. Return to your business and be ever watchful for the Heartless." The armored giant then turns and follows after Avira, her great stride easily closing the gulf between them. "So your cells are bonded with those of a Heartless. Most curious. This raises some interesting questions about the nature of these monsters. I has assumed they were of a magical origin though no one I have yet encountered has been able to tell me from whence they came." She nods at the refugees as they pass them by, using her natural charm to put them at ease. "Did the person responsible for your condition escape? Or are they the one providing your cure?" |
| Avira | A faint grumble of discontent issues from the mutate shortly after Lavi addresses the crowd. Were she still human, she could command that sort of respect from the Manhattan refugees. She had fought for them fiercely, after all, though her efforts had not lead to success. "Not quite. Moreso the essence of a Heartless...the underlying darkness they seem to be made out of. Were it pure Heartless, I would have become a Heartless myself." She shakes her head, "That must not come to pass. Regardless, nobody knows of their origins. In light of this crisis, a number of people are certainly trying to discover them." Her ears droop. "That person, Dr. Anto Sevarius, did indeed escape. He's under the protection of a program named LEXUS, at a lab I cannot locate. The one providing the cure is the brother of a very, very close friend. Ahaha...look at me, in over my head. I don't think I'd have it any other way." She looks to Lavi, "Much like you, I've recently lost my world. Based on what you've told me so far, I doubt you'll have any trouble adapting to this." |
| Lavi | The titan suppresses a faint smile at the quiet mutterings of the mutant, understanding full well the frustration she must be feeling at being locked in so hideous a form. Many of the twisted mutants in her world had retained enough of their humanity to understand what they'd become, even if there was nothing they could do about it. Lavi had given them release, though she doubted Avira was of the mind to accept the form of mercy that she could deliver. She grins at the final statement. "Thus far I have encountered few difficulties that did not stem from my unfamiliarity with this 'multiverse'. Though I am still in search of a sufficiently advanced civilization to procure tools and workspace for my equipment maintenance. And on that subject, you say a program is responsible? And you speak of it as if it were an individual, not an object. Is there some form of sentient code that exists among these linked worlds?" |
| Avira | Absolutely not. If, in the unfortunate case that she really was uncurable and doomed to degrade into a Heartless, Avira would elect for a warrior's death at the hands of one of the many enemies she'd accumulated so far. The last thing she would do is to force a friend or even acquaintance to do the deed. Even then... Adaptation was preferrable to death. Thoughtfully, the mutate observes Lavi, taking the moment to circle around her as they walk. "You may yet find one. There is a spaceport in this city. Though I have yet to explore the worlds that it leads to, I feel that it would be a good place for you to start. Anyone that is advanced enough for space travel should at least have something, right?" Avira gestures a clawed hand in the direction of said spaceport in the town. "We also have a magisorceress named Valencia in my band of mercenaries, she too from a world that's been consumed. She may be able to help you in some way." There's a bitter look on her face, "Yes. A program with sentinence. In fact, I've met at least two of them. LEXUS, the one that has been making my life miserable can not only manifest itself a physical body but appears to be capable of altering the world around him with his power." |
| Lavi | Lavi's brow furrows at this revelation. Mutants, and Heartless, and Programs, oh my. So many different threats to consider all at once. It was starting to feel a little like home again. Well, at least the grass wasn't trying to disolve her feet. A glance is given towards the so called space port curiously, her gaze following Avira's hand. She had noticed the structure before but events had swept her elsewhere in the last few days, preventing her from fully inspecting the facility. "Indeed? I shall have to inquire then. However, vehicle maintenance bays are unlikely to have the fine tools necessary for my purposes. But it never hurts to ask." Her head swivels back to Avira, leaning forward to glance down at the girl. "A mercenary? Was that your occupation before the change?" |
| Avira | "Well, I moreso mean the worlds beyond and not the facility itself." Avira suggests. "Exploring the worlds is pretty fruitful." But also quite trouble-inducing in some parts, but Avira doesn't mention this. Danger? Pssh. Like either of them will be deterred by danger. The giantess suddenly leans down over her, an action that makes her recoil instinctively. A spike of anger runs through her mind almost immediately, "It still /is/ my occupation. I am fortunate, perhaps, that my fellow VALKYRI have not been deterred by my change. Hunting Heartless is lucrative, though lately we have also aligned our purpose against the Shadow Lords, who were responsible for the world with Manhattan recently falling." |
| Lavi | If the massive warrior is in the least bit apologetic about her insinuation that being a mutant makes Avira less capable, she doesn't show it. Instead she crosses her arms and lets out a thoughtful hum, coming to a halt. By this point the two of them have trekked well past the main city limits. Only a spartan handful of refugees can be found here beyond the boundaries of the walls as there is little to defend them from random Heartless incursions. Figuring that this is far enough from prying ears, Lavi takes a seat on the grass. "Ofcourse, there is always profit to be made in war for those with the skill and the courage. I have never heard this term before, however. Who are these Shadow Lords?" The questions, while basic information to many tangled up in the war for the various worlds, are aimed at filling the holes in Lavi's knowledge of the situation. Avira is the first person she's met who seems to be informed enough to answer them and she doesn't intend to let the opportunity go to waste. |
| Avira | Though they've wandered, Avira is pretty cognizant of where they are. She's spent a good deal of learning the lay of the land for Traverse Town, especially since lately she must spend a lot more time than usual there. The central location was pretty conductive to picking up business and staying informed. Though Lavi sits, Avira remains standing, their size difference putting them at eye level. At this point, Avira has folded her wings up tightly like a bird might, letting them cling to her back and remain out of her way. Questions like these are to be expected and Avira patiently answers what she can, in spite of being rubbed the wrong way on a few occasions by Lavi's words. "Shadow Lords are people capable of controlling the Heartless. They use them to do their bidding...in the case of Manhattan, they directed them to overtake the city and destroy the world's light. Other than that, I can't really say much else about them. I can only name three, LEXUS being one of them." |
| Lavi | Lavi's eyes narrow slightly, a dangerous glint twinkling within their deep sapphire hue. So that was it then. She finally had a name to attach to the sea of silent fury lying below the surface of her calm exterior. "Shadow Lords..." It was an amusingly fitting name, almost like the individuals in question embraced their dark nature as if they were villains in a child's bedtime story. The giantess quietly muses over this new bit of data. She had assumed that the Heartless were merely wild beasts, some twisted force of nature brought about by the magical radiation left by the great wars. Of course, that theory had been mostly debunked upon finding herself in an alternate dimension where the creatures still roamed but there had been no evidence of leadership or drive to them beyond basic predator insticts. "If what you say is true, this Program has just earned a position at the top of my <goosehonk!> list." |
| Avira | As if to confirm Lavi's inner thoughts, she adds, "Otherwise, the Heartless are rather mindless, like...well, less than animals, really..." Avira had come to 'understand' animals and equating them to Heartless would be doing them a disservice. "Left on their own, they'll attack as you saw earlier. They're attracted to the hearts inside people, which they will take. When that happens, the robbed person will also become a Heartless." Of course, these are all things Lavi may have observed already in her short time here. A macabre sort of grin forms on Avira's face, slightly grotesque thanks to the mutate's anatomy. "All I've seen points to that being the case." Her brown and yellow eyes flick sideways, observing the noisy goose perched atop one of the city walls, beating its wings. "This in mind, may I propose that we work together? Being very much aligned against this Program and whatever Shadow Lord allies he may have, and all." |
| Lavi | "An alliance? Hmm..." Her hand goes to her chin once more, rubbing it back and forth between two outstretched fingers as she stares at Avira. It was true that there was strength in numbers. And with her woefully underdeveloped grasp of the grand picture, mingling with others also engaged in battle with the Heartless could certainly provide insight while allowing her to witness the battle skills of people from other worlds. If the mutant's prior display of brutish force was of any indication, Lavi felt she had little to worry about, quite confident she could handle several like her. That thought brought a grin to her face though the reason for it wasn't obvious to anyone else. "You say you are a member of a mercenary company. As it so happens I lack a means of disposable income. Perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone here." |
| Avira | "Yes, exactly." Lavi reeked of experience to Avira. That, she anticipates, would be infinitely useful in the log run, especially once the mutate has rid herself of her unfortunate affliction. If she does-though Avira has every intention of returning to her human form. Even if she'll no longer have the power of flight once she's done so. At that strange little smile, Avira raises an eyeridge, but does not openly question the gesture. It's probably nothing. "VALKYRI is the name, yes. I formed it from a handful of others that have been lost and scattered by this mess. So you wish to join? I would welcome this. We do have some guidelines." She tilts her head, "Two are fairly expected-combat prowess and the desire to travel. The third, however, is that the members of VALKYRI are united by friendship. So I do want you to meet our other members at some point as soon as possible." |
| Lavi | A nod is given at this and the grin widens even further, the elder woman looking quite pleased upon hearing this. "Ofcourse! The bonds between warriors are an integral element to unit cohesiveness. If you cannot trust the solider at your back then who can you trust?" The titan slaps her leg for emphasis and pushes back to her feet, moving from sitting to stand in a single fluid motion that is disturbingly fast. She brushes at the sides of her armored legs, idly flicking blades of grass from the grooves and joints where it is likely to get caught. "As for the others, well... let's just say the last two hundred years have not been spent mastering the art of whittling." Lavi winks at her. "And I have no residence at the moment. Besides, there's countless worlds out there to explore! And my pioneering spirit yearns to see them all." |
| Avira | The equivalent of relief can be seen on the mutate's face for a brief moment. One can never really anticipate how they would react to that particular rule. There have, in fact, been a few that have reacted to it poorly. "Exactly! Facing this threat alone would be disasterous. With others with us, so much more can be accomplished." Satisfied, Avira rests her hands on her hips, grinning brightly. "Oh, I certainly noticed. I know skills forged through trial-by-fire when I see them." Turning, she gestures out at Traverse Town. "Though you remind me...that I'm going to have to alter our guild house juuuuust slightly." Namely a bigger doorway. "I will procure a Ma Belle as soon as possible. That is the network we used to stay in touch and coordinate." |
| Lavi | Ma Belle must be some sort of communication device, perhaps a radio or uplink. Though for it to work cross worlds, it must have some unique trick to it. That little tidbit is added to her expanding glossary of new terms. She wondered if it would be possible to integrate the device into her armor's onboard systems. It would be something to look into. The M.T. S. was light on pocket space. Lavi lets out a hearty chuckle and crosses her arms. "It would seem someone of my stature is an uncommon sight no matter which world I go to. Talking frogs and moogles but no giants. Just my luck." |
| Avira | "Strange, that, I know." Avira chuckles a little. "Humans seem to be the predominant species, even throughout the worlds that were formerlly unconnected. It's...interesting." And in this form, Avira's been able to experience just how human-centric so many things were out there. Something beeps in her ear and she frowns. Something indicating that the automations in Valencia's lab were triggering. An intruder? "Speaking of the guild house, there's something I need to take care of there. Feel free to drop by in the future and meet our other members...or try to, we've all been in and out and very busy lately." |
| Lavi | "Very well, I shall gather my effects, such as they are and report this evening. But for now," she glances off towards the city with a thoughtful expression. "It's time to find something to eat. With the refugees still swarming this town I'm going to have to forage abit." The titan begins to lumber off towards Traverse and presumably one of the portals to another realm. "Until then," she waves. |