yumemigaoka | I can get back up however many times it takes [OPEN]

[ Hibiki wanted to get herself back in the groove of things. A torment hunt seemed like the best way to do that, but she didn't want to go totally solo like she had done just prior to getting trapped in a Disturbance... so an impromptu team was in order.

Hibiki was pretty fond of the ones who chose to join her... or well, that's the case for two of them, at least.

Needless to say, in the presence of Chaosbringer, Dreamer Gungnir is more than a little sheepish. He'd seen the earliest signs of something being wrong, after all, but she'd ignored him... and while she's really not in the mood for a lecture, she can't exactly run away from one in good conscience now. ]

So, um... we're all Strikers, huh?

[ A team consisting entirely of a single archetype... is worth addressing a little more, she hopes. Not that whatever Torments they face here should be a problem either way, though. ]

[sheepish atmosphere? They're just bouncing off Sonic like he can't read the room at all. In fact, he's swinging his arms back and forth in a stretching exercise, clearly ready to go]

Whazzat? [Sonic, please pay attention]

Well, it shouldn't matter. [a wink and a fist pump] The best defense is a solid offense!

[The little pink soldier seems almost as confident, but a bit more concerned for Hibiki's feelings. Those feelings hurt her more then anything in the Dream Sphere ever had, and while she holds nothing against the girl, she's also not looking for a repeat of that battle, either!]

We'll be fine. There's no tanks or healers in GGO, this will be just like that. A dead enemy does 0 damage, so all we have to do is win the damage race. No problem!

[She echoes Sonic's words in a slightly more nerdy, gamer girl way.]

[Chaosbringer, for his part, simply waves a hand grandiosely to dismiss those concerns.]

Not going all in on the 'damage is everything' position, but you know I'm pretty good at this, and the stronger you get the less the distinction matters. I'll take point and absorb the hits for you guys.

[Plus there's whatever he can borrow off the three of them. Sonic's ability isn't quite useful in the middle of combat, but that leaves two more to Drive. Which he isn't doing to start with -- this definitely isn't the scenario where one cracks out the S-rank power right from the get-go.]

Bonus is, you don't even have to worry about me if some of your attacks get a little vigorous in their areas of effect!

Well... if you all say so!

[ Not that she has any particular AOE's, even if she did in her Disturbance... but Chaosbringer really is pretty reliable, huh? Hibiki thought that she was pretty reliable herself, but she can't help but have doubts after everything that happened.

Well, how reliable she really is will be clear after this, she hopes. They travel through the Vale, the steep cliffs on either side looming over them. The atmosphere is definitely a little spookier than usual, but that's Halloween for you. If there's really a horde here, then it'd be pretty bad if they got ambushed... but as long as Hibiki has her danger sense, they should be able to react— ]

...! Above us!!

[ Hibiki has to wonder if she's cursed or something... since as soon as she thought of a potential surprise attack, the deep sea creature-type Torments that they're hunting drop down from the cliff ledges above them, letting loose those disorienting sound attacks they were warned about. ]

Edited 2024-10-21 23:30 (UTC)

[Sonic's pointing and nodding along with LLEN's explanation before he whistles admiringly at Chaosbringer... Or it might have been admiring from anyone else. From Sonic, it comes off a little more teasing and much less serious.

Like Hibiki though, Sonic doesn't have any AOEs to be worried about. They'd just left a Disturbance, but there's (hopefully) no reason to still be disturbed... Right?

Sonic looks up roughly at the same time that Gungir does (or in reaction?). The next thing that happens are his ears flattening against his head as he darts out of the landing zone]

How nice of them to drop in! [there's always time to quip, it seems. But he's a close range combatant himself, so once everyone sounds off, it's just a matter of jumping in and fighting. Easy enough, right?]

[Its the first time LLENN has actually gone on a mission as an official DU member, so despite her flippant attitude she does feel a little bit of apprehension. What if she messes up? Still, it doesn't show on the outside. She gives Chaosbringer a bright smile. She has multiple AoE attacks, after all.]

Even if you say that, I'll try not to blow you up. You're not the target, after all! Still, make sure you don't step on it if you see any pink circles on the ground. You can tell its mine because it will have my adorable face on it! I'll try not to put them near you but who knows how much we'll have to move while fighting so.....

[She's interrupted by Gungnir's announcement of the enemy's arrival. She looks up with a frustrated look on her face.]

Keep quiet up there! I'm TRYING to be a good teammate!

[In a flash she's got the barrel of her weapon aimed at the creatures, but doesn't open fire. Despite having a literal gun, she's a close range combatant as well. She'll wait until they finish their drop, then unload on them.]

Edited 2024-10-23 21:00 (UTC)

[Remember how Chaosbringer was just talking about how as you gain strength and skill, the differences in roles become less and less meaningful? That's true for ranged vs. close-combat, too.]

[Sword held in both hands, he points it with a dramatic thrust at the dropping Torments.]

Overlord Thunderbeeeeeeeeeam!

[A blue-white column of electricity stabs out along the path of the blade, striking upwards!]

Kh...!

[ Hibiki, meanwhile, doesn't wait for them all to drop. Whether this constitutes as reckless or not, she kicks off the ground and launches herself into the air, aiming for the Torments not in the direct line of Chaosbringer's fire.

On one hand, this puts her taking the sound attacks directly, but... ]

Hah...!!

[ She kicks one of the Torments midair, launching them into another Torment before gravity starts to bring her back down to the ground. Like Sonic and LLENN, she's a close-range combatant... and unlike Chaosbringer, she doesn't have anything to blur the line between roles.

But hey, if you specialize in close-range, all you need to do is get closer, right? ]

[he's about to jump to follow up on Chaosbringer's opening volley when Hibiki beats him to the (quite literal) punch. Staying out of that sounds like the best way to stick around so he just stays where he is, hand raised over his eyes to shield them from the lightning and gives a low, impressed whistle]

Wow! Maybe I should just stand back and let you guys sort this out; be the metaphorical Hype Man to this squad.

[he watches as Hibiki is slowly getting pulled back down by Dream Gravity(tm) before suddenly dashing in and launching himself up near where she's falling. As he passes by, he grabs her arm with a wink and a "Go get 'em!" before throwing Hibiki back up for more air time with the lighter Torments. Sonic is sent back down to ground level, landing in time with some of the heavier Torments that missed the initial attacks from Chaosbringer and Hibki herself.

He staggers a little from the disorienting Sound attacks but quickly recovers. Cheerfully, he shouts;] Touchdown!

[and now that there are more and more Torments hitting the ground, it's time to start fighting in earnest. It should go without saying that Sonic's going to be doing his best to dodge enemy attacks and friendly fire but there's no time to explain that when he's landed in the middle of the mob. Everyone's Experienced though, so he trusts them to figure out to trust him to avoid attacks.]

[Now LLENN was in a bad mood. This was her very first mission in an official capacity. Keeping her identity a secret was a thing of the past. And those things had the audacity to interrupt here while she was proving that she wasn't just some reckless gun bunny.

The noise attacks bothered her, but her tiny pink fury allowed her to power through then and concentrate on the battle. She had an overly dramatic sounding attack coming from one of her allies, Hibiki doing Hibiki things, and the blue one providing support. She was the only one not helping. That wouldn't do at all!

LLENN was a close range combatant, but she was also a very quick witted and precise one. She was taking them out one by one, zipping towards one in a blur of pink, unloading on it, and then zipping away before she got herself surrounded on all sides. She seems to be intentionally letting them follow her closely, though. If they group up, they can all be exploded easily!]

[Chaosbringer is holding back, and considering he hasn't used the rather obvious Power Driver yet, no one could really think otherwise -- but his job is to watch out for the kids, not annihilate everything that comes near him. Plus Hibiki probably needs to vent some emotions violently...]

[So he interposes himself, zipping about like LLENN but with the opposite intent. Where she and Sonic are keeping themselves out of the way, he's putting himself into it, intercepting Torments who try to catch the zippy Dreamers. The number of hits he's taken directly to the face would probably make Hanako very happy, if any of them were actually doing damage.]

Here's a lesson from the mighty Chaosbringer for all of you -- if you move into attacks, they don't have time to reach their full acceleration or aim!

[ Need is an understatement. Heck, it was why she was so eager for this, but… she’s never really done it before. Venting her frustrations, that is. Not ever in a way that helped, at least.

She fights as well as she always does. Flashy martial arts and driving both fist and foot into the squishy, aquatic Torments. But… she isn’t singing.

What if this is a mistake? Sure, there are others here with her now, but what if she shouldn’t be doing this? Not hunting, but… taking out her frustrations? Can… can she really do that? What if… what if it ends up like back then? She doesn’t want to lose herself again, she hurt her friends when she did that, LLENN is the only one here who experienced that for herself… ]

Kh…!

[ So at first, she struggles. They manage… all thanks to Chaosbringer, intercepting attacks with his own body, but… ]

Guh…!

[ She takes a hit... she doesn't move fast enough, and one of the Torments lashes out and strikes her in the chest. She staggers back, ready to counterattack, and...

"I'll never forgive you if you forget..."

From the outside, it's like a switch is flipped, and something changes. On the inside, Hibiki remembers the promise she made. To be honest, she's still not sure, but... ]

HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!

[ With a ferocious battle cry, Hibiki suddenly lunges forward... and as her familiar music starts to play, the Torment who managed to get a hit in is suddenly sent flying a good twenty feet into the air. ]

Hah...! If I can overcome many darknesses...!!
Shouldn't I be able to see the dawn sky
Shining with light?!

[ Though as she starts to tear through Torments with much greater efficiency, the way she sings... well, with the emotion being put into it now, venting is the only good way to describe it. ~~Pay no heed to the small flicker of dark light from her chest as she kicks another Torment so hard into the surrounding cliff that it bounces off and flies another ten feet or so.~~ ]

[he laughs at the sight of Chaosbringer literally blocking attacks with his face and then at the comment about how moving into them is a more effective way to dodge. Really, you get all sort sin the Dream Sphere, don't ya? Sonic's just running around, having fun and staying out of the spotlight. He ~~read~~ skimmed the notice about the Disturbance... And it's kind of hard to miss the name of the Dreamer at the centre of it all. But hadn't Prisma mentioned something about how Hibiki liked to sing?

Hm.

He's just doing his job of clearing out Torments when Hibiki's war cry rings out across the area. That girl's got a pair of lungs on her...!! Under normal circumstances, he'd quip about how she's a great match against these Torments but considering he just watched a Torment get sent into the metaphorical stratosphere, maybe, uh... Maybe not right now]

Woooow. [from atop a jellyfish shaped Torment, Sonic puts a hand over his eyes to watch the poor Torment Hibiki sent flying dissolve into nothing the further it flies. When another Dreamer is close enough, he comments;] Glad I'm not that guy.

And I'm glad she's letting it out. Sounds like she needs it.

[then he kicks off one Torment to start attacking a different one. Noticing that LLEN has mid-ranged, no contact attacks, he's just going to leave the stinging ones to her and spare himself the pins and needles he might otherwise end up waking up with]

[LLENN can't help but stop for a moment to gawk as Hibiki lets loose and gives one of the torments a one way trio into the sky.]

W..woah...

[Its almost enough to let her little horde catch up to her. With a squeak, she narrowly avoids finding out just why Sonic was avoiding those stinging tendrils. She zips out of their reach, glancing up at the blue Dreamer.]

I..it hurts just as much as you'd think it does. But at least she's not exploding this time!

[And without waiting for a response, she's back into action. This time she's taking Chaosbringer's advice and running TOWARDS the enemies. But she isn't tanky enough to just take the hits. They're bunched up perfectly for her to make a sweeping motion and unload a full clip into them without any risk of friendly fire.

But she's not done yet. She takes to the air, flipping forward and leaping over one of the stragglers, shooting straight down into its gelatinous mass. By the time she's landed, the gun is already aiming up at one she'd landed in front of. She fires into it, and twirls towards the last hold out of the group shed gathered, dispatching it without hesitation. And when she realizes every torment she'd had chasing her is gone, she does a little fist pump.]

I..I got 'em!

[Now these kids are getting it! Chaosbringer lets himself relax a bit, focusing less on absorbing hits and more on whirling his sword around to send sweeps of electricity and Torments all hurtling through the air. Honestly he seems to lapse into his own little world there for a moment, yelling things like STRATOSPHERIC THUNDER! and ULTIMATE LIGHTNING FURY SLASH MAAAAAAX!]

I can get back up however many times it takes [OPEN]

Torment Hunt! [Chaosbringer, Sonic, LLENN)

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both I and my tracking are the greatest failures in the world

pats...

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