Time and Tides Archives

Reno was not a happy Turk. Nope. This was the redhead in 'business mode', and the critters between Lindblum and the Soil Desert surely payed for his foul mood. First the place he called 'home' for months upon months was demolished in a scant few hours by something others had referred to as a 'Lunar Cry' - not fun.

And now they'd hauled ass to some Shiva-forsaken land for yet another go at this myrrh stuff. Nevermind that he was still mentally smarting from that Dragon Zombie thing. At least they had Rufus with them this time, and he had a bladed weapon, too. Hell yeah.

He'd packed what few explosives they had left for this one, along with whatever healing materials they had - potions, and the like - before joining Cissnei, Tseng and Rufus on the newest trek.

Of course, the monsters were coming out to play, and his Tower spun in his hands, slashing at the creatures one by one. "Onto something? Hell, we're walking into a hornet's nest here. Hope it's worth it..."

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Tseng would agree that a desert wasn't the best of place to be going, even if it was only for logistical reasons. But if the myrrh was as important as people claimed it would be then there wasn't much choice. Besides, at least it wasn't the swamp yet again, although his brain was quick to remind him that this wasn't necessarily any sort of guarantee.

Not if the monsters were any indication, but they dealt with worse, and the sharp crack of gunfire filled the air as he picked away on the oncoming monsters.

"We wouldn't have been asked to collect the myrrh otherwise."

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Another loud crack of gunshot sounded as Rufus fired his shotgun, taking down a beast that had attempted to leap at Cissnei from behind.

"Tseng is right. As far as magical artifacts go, the drops of myrrh seem to be quite valuable, and not just in their cost."

It makes him feel a lot better, being able to take out these things with a single shot, unlike the larger monsters from the lunar cry. Very good stress relief.

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Cissnei let Rekka fly and it raked through several small monsters easily. "Too many people have these for them to be useless. There was that thing with the Selkies too." She stabbed a monster through the head. But she was grateful that they weren't wading through muck and battling the undead... yet.

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Reno smirked as yet another monster took a header into the dusty soil. "Never questioned their usefulness. It's whether it's worth the ass-kicking we're going to be getting as we deliver the same," he insisted, dropping for a second to pick up the hi-potion left behind. A quick glance around had him nervous - the monsters were coming in faster, leaving them less time to breathe in-between battles. Soon as one monster fell, another rose to take its place. None were undead, which he was thankful for, but he wondered silently just what they would be facing, once it decided to show its ugly mug.

He groaned and slashed at another creature, satisfied as it fell back to the ground in a twitching mess. "Where is this thing?" And the he caught sight of something green flashing along the corners of his vision. "I think I found it.... Over there!"

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"No doubt that depends on the amount of ass it's able to kick," Tseng answered, as the crack of gunfire rang out yet again and another monster promptly took a nosedive into the sand. "Nonetheless, the sooner we find it, the better."

And if Reno had thought he'd spotted it, then that was the direction they needed to head in.

Edited Date: 2011-06-17 08:18 pm (UTC)

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"Then by all means," huffed Rufus, chambering his shotgun with a scowl as a monster collapsed. "Let us migrate in that direction, shall we?"

He was all for acquisition of magical artifacts, but these monsters were starting to give him a mild headache. And his suit was going to get dirty, eventually.

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Cissnei didn't bother with agreeing, she simply followed, throwing Rekka towards a small mass of monsters. She wasn't really too happy with her suit getting dusty, but it was better than it being full of muck. She stabbed a few more that made to attack Rufus and Tseng. Cissnei then picked up the few items that the monsters left behind.

She saw it too, the same flash of green Reno had seen. "It looks something like a Cactuar."

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There was a glittering, shimmering thing behind the green blur - he could only assume it was the tree they were after. The one guarded by...

"Damned spiky things..." he muttered, nodding at Cissnei as they forged ahead. "We ready to fight off those overgrown cacti?" He checked his pockets, slowing his pace just a little. Let's not run headfirst into something that could turn them into a pincushion in seconds, alright? Potions, hi potions, the coral ring... But he hadn't really picked up anything else since then, now had he? Tseng had a ring that halved all elements, but cactaurs didn't USE elements often. Maybe this one would be different, and Tseng might benefit a little. But he doubted the coral ring was going to come in handy.

"Well, here goes nothing. Move fast," he insisted, grateful that he at least had his speed on his side. "Hit and run as much as you can - these things are greased lightning." It was the only pep talk they'd need. It was time for the gunslingers to lock and load, while he and Cissnei tore in with their bladed weapons.

With a grunt of annoyance, he took the first charge, aiming to slash at the creature. He got a decent hit in, but damned if it didn't retaliate. "Ow... ow ow...FUCK!" he cursed as the most common of a cactaur's battle moves was flung at him in compensation for his efforts. 1,000 Needles.

"Well, cactaur or not, it's fighting like one..."

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No, the ring he'd picked up fair to long ago was most likely not going to help. But no matter. If it meant takingmore than his share of needles, so be it. He hadn't made a habit of sending his people into situations that he himself wasn't ready to face, and today wouldn't see a change in that trend. Even if it was bound to be a somewhat painful experience in the end.

But what was pain? He'd had worse than a few needles, and it was long at all before he took his shot at the monster, aiming for what might have been the chest more out of habit then any real belief that an ambulatory cactus would have anything like a human biology.

Naturally, this only meant that it was his turn to take the brunt of the needles as the thing retaliated with yet another barrage of needles.

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Rufus narrowed his eyes as they approached the beast. It didn't look too threatening...

He would soon find out he was mistaken.

Seeing his Turks get hit with sprays of needles, Rufus quickly stepped forward, firing two shots with his shotgun before chambering it, hoping to get in another round before--

He managed to shield his face with his forearms, gritting his teeth with a low noise at the pain. That hurt.

He fell back as well, scowling deeply. "There has to be a better way to do this."

What he wouldn't give to have Dark Nation here with his Protect abilities...

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Cissnei grit her teeth at the barrage of needles, covering her face and ducking at the same time to avoid getting hit anywhere vital. When she stood, she sliced off the edge of the needles with Rekka. She then sent it flying towards its legs. If it could fall over and stop moving, it would be better for them.

"Bombs," she said shortly. Cissnei scanned the area and frowned deeply at seeing no visible area to hide behind. "And attack from behind." Those were really the only two viable options right now. They should've brought along a white mage. Hindsight is always 20/20, she snaps to herself.

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Bombs!

He had bombs!

He reached into one of his pockets to grab one of the smaller explosives he'd made. Small, but potent. "Gotcha," he muttered, passing Cissnei to circle around behind the creature while his fellow Turks kept its attention forward. The bomb was lit and thrown, and even as it traveled toward its spiky target, Reno was already darting away. He was NOT about to get hit with those needles again - if he could help it.

The explosion was pretty. Nice, bright, and was it his imagination, or was there the light scent of burnt cactaur on the breeze? He snickered, diving and rolling away from the last of the needles. They could be dodged, it would seem. Just not easily. "Anyone else wanna give this bastard a whirl?" he asked as he held out another bomb. He wasn't sure if he could do it again so soon after the first.

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Attack from behind. Easier said than done, in Tseng's opinion, especially with something like these. Without a distraction, there was little guarantee they'd even get behind it in the first place. Yet another of the problems of dealing with cactuars. But there was no denying that Reno's attempt had worked.

"I will." Admittedly, he didn't have Reno's turn of speed, but that didn't stop him from taking the bomb all the same. If he ended up getting hit with more needles, that was a problem, and he trusted the others enough to keep the monster's attention focused away from him as he circled around behind it.

Much like the first, the second bomb went off with a thoroughly enthusiastic explosion, Tseng already in motion to get out of needle-range as he did so. As he'd expected, he didn't manage quite as well as Reno had, but he did manage to at least minimize the amount of needles that hit and that would be enough for the time being.

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Rufus raised his eyebrows for just a moment, then his eyes narrowed with curiosity as he carefully watched Reno.

When the bomb exploded, he couldn't help the pleased smirk that spread across his face to see the results of Reno's pet-project.

His smirk faded when the monster's rage at being hit led to him getting pierced with another barrage of needles. He grit his teeth against the pain, lips pulling back into a grimace. With a low oath, he dug a potion out of his pocket, pulling out the cork with his teeth and swallowing it in two long swallows. He didn't make a face at the taste, nor did he wince as scratches knit closed and the healing flesh forced the needles buried in his skin out once more. Instead he glared fiercely at the hopping cactus and fired off a few good rounds into the thing's face in retaliation.

"The bombs are working! Keep hitting it with them!"

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Cissnei snatched a bomb from Reno without hesitation. She had at the very least Reno's speed, but not quite his strength. But strength wasn't needed to throw a bomb, just deadly aiming.

She slid across the sand, dodging most of the needles, but not all. Only one side was riddled with needles, but she ignored the pain. Wait for it, she told herself. The cactuar turned to face them, making its way towards the group. Cissnei lit the bomb, still waiting, waiting... It approached closer.

At top speed, she ran forward and flung the bomb straight at its face, doubling back just as fast, Rekka in hand. She dove and rolled next to Reno, gritting her teeth and wincing with pain. "Tell me you've got more of those," she said to him.

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His eyes went wide when Cissnei flew into a tuck-and-roll toward him, ducking a bit himself to avoid the last of the needles aimed in Cissnei's direction. First, he handed the girl a potion. Then he flashed her a smile that most of his coworkers might recognize. A smile filled with pure wickedness laced with the humor that came with having the upper hand. He reached into his pockets and pulled out four more.

"Not many, but enough to weaken our spiky little friend - hopefully enough to beat his ass into fertilizer." He handed Cissnei one of the four bombs, then tossed another to Tseng, and still another to Rufus. The fourth he held, eying the green monster warily. Looking for his opportunity.

He watched the creatures pattern of movement - what little pattern it had. But there it was. Every time the monster got ready to strike, it would leave itself wide open - literally - for attack. For a split second. Limbs splayed, and it'd stand up straight and tall - and then the needles would fly.

The next time it geared up for this? Reno flew forward and jammed a lit bomb right beneath it, then dove for cover. Before even a quarter of the needles from its newest attack could be let fly, the explosion flung their green foe into the air with a ball of fire. When it landed, it staggered slightly before launching into another attack, spraying needles in every direction, and sending Reno flat to the ground to avoid as many as he could.

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Tseng raised an eyebrow at 'hopefully,' although he caught the bomb that Reno tossed in his direction all the same. Hopefully was better than what they'd had when they'd been dealing with last monster they'd needed to defeat to get at one of the trees and he had to admit the bombs were doing more damage then any of their weapons would have done as far as he could tell.

He didn't comment that Reno would no doubt need to make more than this trip was finished. It was already obvious, and instead he nodded to himself as he spotted what Reno was doing. It was what he would have expected from any of his Turks. He'd trained them well, made sure they could find the best angle, the most useful way of attacking.

And in this case, also the way that made for the most interesting sort of counterattack, although he rather doubted that had been the intent, as he followed Reno in diving to the ground. But wide as the spread of needles had been, it was also mercifully brief and in short order Tseng was pulling himself to his feet, and ignoring the continued pain of the needles. There was no time for that now. Instead, he simply spent a moment watching the monster, looking for anything that looking like it might have been a place where the damage that it had already taken had left a weak point.

Not finding anything, he chose the next best target. A crippled enemy would be an easier enemy (in theory) and so the next bomb struck one of the creature's legs. And as always, it proceeded to retaliate with another barrage of needles, sending Tseng once again diving to the ground.

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Rufus also caught the explosive tossed his way, eying it with the slightest of feral grins. Waiting until Tseng had ducked for cover, he threw the canister and immediately fired two shots after it exploded in the monster's face.

The creature reeled for a moment, and Rufus hoped he had delivered the killing blow, but was proven wrong when it recovered and sent the usual attack in his direction. He swore and brought his arms up to shield his face as he crouched low, relieved to find the attack much weaker than usual.

"We've almost got it," he called out to the Turks.

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Almost got it? Reno would believe that when that damned creature was mulch. He staggered as he rose, feeling the sting of the tiny pinprick wounds protesting, and charged. What else could he do? He was out of explosives, out of long-range weapons (unlike Rufus, Tseng and Cissnei), and had no other choice.

With a feral cry, he spun the bladed weapon in his hands, slicing and dodging the spiny swipes that were aimed in his direction. Again and again, determined to kill the thing. His eyes went wide when the creature moved for it's main attack, however - he'd wasted too much time near the creature to avoid getting hit.

He ran anyway, tucking and rolling as the first needles hit him - and far more than before. It was like an ocean's wave of tiny points of death. "Shiiiit!" he gasped, rolling to a halt just a few feet from Rufus - who he hoped had avoided some of the attack, along with the others. A painful scurry later, and he was behind those with range-weapons, hunched over and mentally licking his wounds after his desperate attack. It wouldn't take much more to bring the thing down, at least.

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First, Cissnei tumbled out of the main line of fire. Then, she whipped around and gave Reno an expression was was somewhere between worry and anger. "Reno, you idiot!" she hissed. "You could've gotten killed and does it look like I could drag you from all the way over and back?!" Never mind that the others were there, she knew she was easily the fastest of them.

She threw Rekka with full force at one of the already-damaged areas, catching it soon after and sprinting towards Reno. Cissnei started pulling out needles several at a time, trying to clean out some of the blood. She hands him a potion. "Don't be so reckless!"

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Nearly? The attack that had come their way after Reno's latest attack was hardly what he would he would expect from a foe that was nearly dead and he mumbled something under his breath in his native language as he pulled himself to his feet after the needles had passed. The fewer times it did that, the better, as far as he was concerned. But he'd dealt with worse pain. This was nothing.

And given that Reno seemed to be fine for the time being, he wasted no further time in opening fire, aiming for the areas that were already damaged. He could deal with damage control later.

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