[Thread, OPEN]
Dec. 1st, 2010 08:28 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
livelyangel.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
timeandtides_backupCharacters: Rinoa, Shelke, OPEN
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Upon her return to Luca, Rinoa runs into a spot of trouble. Shelke to the rescue! Open to anyone else in the area too.
Location: Luca
Date: 1st December, 1804
Warnings: Violence
Rinoa was uncertain about returning to Luca. On the one hand, she felt like she'd done some real good defending Wutai and Alfitaria. As horrifying as it was to see so much destruction, this time it hadn't been wrought by her hand. She'd used her powers to help stop the army. And she wanted to tell Marlene that; Marlene needed to be reassured that her powers could be a force for good as much as Rinoa did.
On the other hand... the reason she had left Luca in the first place hadn't gone away. It didn't feel safe any more. Even if she'd been nervous about walking around the city itself, Tifa's house had always been a refuge for her. But that was no longer the case. Someone - or several someones, because the news had undoubtedly spread - knew that she was there and had threatened to hurt her.
And she missed Squall. It was very tempting to simply return to Garden again, fall back into Squall's arms and trust that somehow he'd make everything okay. She felt tugged in several different directions - there were so many bridges to rebuild, so many people she wanted to make it up to.
But she had a responsibility to Marlene now, and it was that impulse which overrode everything else. Rinoa couldn't disappear without at least saying goodbye. That wouldn't be fair on the little girl. She'd left Angelo behind too, and Rinoa wanted to pick up her pet herself.
So it was Luca she found herself in again, late one evening as the last passenger ship docked at the harbour. She pulled her cloak tightly around her against the wind and shivered. December had arrived, and the sea breeze brought with it winter's chill. Rinoa was bone-tired and aching with fatigue, but she walked fast and kept her head down, wanting only to reach Tifa's as quickly as she could.
She took a short-cut down a little used back alley, a narrow street that backed onto several shops. There were crates piled against the walls, and it was from behind one of these that the first masked man emerged. Rinoa's steps faltered. She could see the faint gleam of a knife in his hand. He walked straight towards her with slow, deliberate strides, and though she couldn't see his face, his intent was clear.
Her heart racing, Rinoa backed away and fumbled for her staff. She turned - and then a hand clamped around her mouth, muffling her scream as her second attacker pulled her tight against him. The staff fell clattering from her hands. Rinoa struggled out of sheer panic, but whoever held her was large and strong, and his grip didn't falter. And still the first masked man approached them, and then a second, and then a third.
The first man spoke, and his voice shook with suppressed emotion. "This is for my son."
Then Rinoa knew that this was no chance encounter, and these men were no muggers. She felt sick, sick with fear, sick with all of it. She watched them all raise their weapons... Oh, God. They were almost upon her, and Rinoa could practically feel that dagger sliding between her ribs. These last few moments of her life were going to be awful.
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Upon her return to Luca, Rinoa runs into a spot of trouble. Shelke to the rescue! Open to anyone else in the area too.
Location: Luca
Date: 1st December, 1804
Warnings: Violence
Rinoa was uncertain about returning to Luca. On the one hand, she felt like she'd done some real good defending Wutai and Alfitaria. As horrifying as it was to see so much destruction, this time it hadn't been wrought by her hand. She'd used her powers to help stop the army. And she wanted to tell Marlene that; Marlene needed to be reassured that her powers could be a force for good as much as Rinoa did.
On the other hand... the reason she had left Luca in the first place hadn't gone away. It didn't feel safe any more. Even if she'd been nervous about walking around the city itself, Tifa's house had always been a refuge for her. But that was no longer the case. Someone - or several someones, because the news had undoubtedly spread - knew that she was there and had threatened to hurt her.
And she missed Squall. It was very tempting to simply return to Garden again, fall back into Squall's arms and trust that somehow he'd make everything okay. She felt tugged in several different directions - there were so many bridges to rebuild, so many people she wanted to make it up to.
But she had a responsibility to Marlene now, and it was that impulse which overrode everything else. Rinoa couldn't disappear without at least saying goodbye. That wouldn't be fair on the little girl. She'd left Angelo behind too, and Rinoa wanted to pick up her pet herself.
So it was Luca she found herself in again, late one evening as the last passenger ship docked at the harbour. She pulled her cloak tightly around her against the wind and shivered. December had arrived, and the sea breeze brought with it winter's chill. Rinoa was bone-tired and aching with fatigue, but she walked fast and kept her head down, wanting only to reach Tifa's as quickly as she could.
She took a short-cut down a little used back alley, a narrow street that backed onto several shops. There were crates piled against the walls, and it was from behind one of these that the first masked man emerged. Rinoa's steps faltered. She could see the faint gleam of a knife in his hand. He walked straight towards her with slow, deliberate strides, and though she couldn't see his face, his intent was clear.
Her heart racing, Rinoa backed away and fumbled for her staff. She turned - and then a hand clamped around her mouth, muffling her scream as her second attacker pulled her tight against him. The staff fell clattering from her hands. Rinoa struggled out of sheer panic, but whoever held her was large and strong, and his grip didn't falter. And still the first masked man approached them, and then a second, and then a third.
The first man spoke, and his voice shook with suppressed emotion. "This is for my son."
Then Rinoa knew that this was no chance encounter, and these men were no muggers. She felt sick, sick with fear, sick with all of it. She watched them all raise their weapons... Oh, God. They were almost upon her, and Rinoa could practically feel that dagger sliding between her ribs. These last few moments of her life were going to be awful.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-12-01 10:11 pm (UTC)Of course, she wasn't going to advertize the fact that she was out 'disobeying' either, so she'd been trailing after the sorceress, invisibly, just making sure that nothing happened. And then, of course, she turned down a dark alley. Because that wasn't a ridiculously stupid thing to do when people wanted to hurt you.
She followed, quickly, but apparently not quickly enough for a group of men to surround Rinoa. Of course.
Shelke ran forward, her steps mostly silent, but did not fade into view until she was already in the air, hitting the wall with both feet and using it as a springboard to twist around, driving her small foot into the head of the man holding Rinoa, kicking him squarely in the ear and probably sending all three of them to the ground.
But Shelke was already moving as she hit, rolling into a ball and coming up on her feet between Rinoa and the men approaching from the other end of the alley. She didn't draw her weapons.
"This would be a good time for you to leave." She said, quite firmly...and probably rather unimpressively, considering how small she was.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-02 08:48 am (UTC)She stopped, shaking, a little shocked at just how damaging the spell had been in the narrow street. The three men approaching her had taken the brunt of it. None of them were moving. The fourth who had been holding her - the one Shelke had kicked in the head - was luckier; most of the flames had passed over him and he was twitching on the ground.
Rinoa's breathing was ragged. The searing heat had vanished along with the flames and she blinked, her eyes watering at the sudden change in temperature. She'd heard Shelke speak, but hadn't quite processed it.
"S-shelke?" she said dumbly.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-02 07:53 pm (UTC)"You should be more careful." She stated, and there was a faint frown on her typically impassive features. "You know that people here are angry, why would you take such an obviously dangerous street?"
no subject
Date: 2010-12-02 08:30 pm (UTC)"I think I killed them," she whispered. "I didn't mean to do that..."
no subject
Date: 2010-12-02 08:41 pm (UTC)She moved across the alley to crouch down near one of the burned bodies, then reached out to touch the man and check to see if he really was dead.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-04 12:55 pm (UTC)"This is for my son."
He wasn't dead. Grabbing the knife, he stumbled to his feet and looked between the two girls and his fallen comrades. Rinoa couldn't see his face, couldn't tell whether he was frightened or angry or vengeful, whether he was about to attack or run. She raised her staff again, but didn't make a move.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-05 05:19 pm (UTC)"If you attack again you will die." Her voice was calm, flat even. As if to emphasize the point though, she drew out half of her weapon and flicked it on, the glowing orange energy beam flaring to life and humming softly in the small alley.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-05 05:50 pm (UTC)Then the man darted towards them. Ignoring Shelke's warning completely, he charged - and although Shelke was in the way, she clearly wasn't his target.