bunchamuses-blog

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

From what she could tell, Sora was becoming more and more comfortable with hugging, which was fantastic in Hibiki’s book. She seemed so awkward the first time, which was understandable since they just met. But Hibiki couldn’t help it when it came to hugging friends, or if she was excited about something. It was even better that Sora was thrilled about her results.  As she kept the hug going, Hibiki watched her carefully. 

“We should definitely go tell the others! They’ll be just as happy to see you summon your Armed Gear! Actually, they may even be able to help you learn how to use it! Makes me wonder what you’ll be able to do with it!” Just like the others, Sora should be able to do a good amount of attacks with it the more she practiced. 

That should be the way it ended up working out

As she gradually fell down from her elation high, she realized that she was aggresively hugging someone whom she rarely hugged, causing a blush to flash across her sweat-slicked face. Quick, focus on something else! If there was one thing worse than blushing it was someone seeing that she was. “Good idea, Hibiki-chan,” she said, abruptly letting go of the cream haired girl and turning away in a flimsy attempt to hide her blush.

She couldn’t stop smiling though.

As her armor faded back into the crystalline pendant, delicate fingers wrapped around the Gear, touching it almost reverently. “I wanna show them all...” 

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

It took a little while, but seeing Sora’s delayed reaction was worth it. She was obviously excited, paying much more attention to her armor now that it finally set in. 

What she did next was too fast for Hibiki to see coming. Before she knew it, Sora hugged her, one that was quick enough to push her off her feet. Luckily, she was sitting on the ground this time instead of laying. The teenager laughed, returning the hug with just as much enthusiasm. 

“Yeah! All your hard work paid off!” Now that Sora finally formed her Armed Gear, then that meant she would be able to practice with it. That would definitely be something for Tsubasa and the others to take care of; Hibiki wouldn’t be any help there. “Oh, are you okay?” This was all in general but she had to make sure after that last attack. 

Now this was a rare occurrence. For the first time in ages, Sora was just too damn excited to let go. Really, the girl who avoided physical contact for so long didn’t want to let go of a hug with someone she’d only met a couple months ago. Talk about taking a level in friendship. Then again, maybe it was Hibiki’s hugs that were special. So warm, she thought, content with basking in the glow of her self-victory. 

It finally all paid off. Endless hours of physical training and studying to ensure she was both in top physical condition and continued to get good grades. 

She finally noticed that Hibiki had spoken to her. “Oh?” Another few seconds to process it. “Oh, I’m more than okay. I feel awesome.” And she’s hugging her again because yes Hibiki hugs are amazing and she’s too giddy to not express her happiness in some way. 

Probably better than punching a tree or throwing her mace around.

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

Somewhere within her, Hibiki didn’t think she would actually end up hitting Sora completely. Her punch towards the ground worked well as a distraction, and made her follow-up attack even more successful. She didn’t want to, but knew that Sora wouldn’t get any results if she continued to hold back due to her own insecurities. So she said nothing, keeping her eyes on Sora, awaiting any sort of retaliation in attack. Instead, there was a warm glow enveloping her friend.

Initially, Hibiki became worried, but once it died down, she could obviously see the changes in Sora’s appearance. There were more portions of her Gear now, gaining a slightly different look than what she had before. But what stood out most? Her weapon. It had to be her Armed Gear. Aoi mentioned it might end up being a mace, and that looked just like one, Sora twirling it around like it was nothing.

The sight alone made Hibiki smile, forgetting all about ‘letting her guard down’ and even the soreness in her body. She walked closer to her, the grin still evident on her lips.

“You did it! That’s amazing! I knew you could do it, Sora-san!” Her eyes soon glanced down towards the weapon.  “Your Armed Gear looks great! And even your armor upgraded too!” Maybe she was a bit too excited, but it was impossible to not feel that way for her friend. Sora looked confused initially, but maybe she won’t have to worry about fitting in now. Besides, this is the first time Hibiki’s ever seen someone learn to summon their Armed Gear, so it was almost like a learning lesson for herself. 

Somewhere her brain acknowledged that Hibiki was speaking to her, but it was all too focused on processing what the flying fucknuggets had happened. Finally everything started to click in her head, her surprise smoothing out into a wide grin from ear to ear. In her excitement, she jumped about a dozen or so feet into the air, thrusting her mace towards the sky like she was some kind of thunder god. “HELL YEAH!” Hanging there in the sky for a few seconds, she let herself marvel at the few changes to her armor that she could see. Her free hand moved about the contours of the grieves and vambraces, delicately tracing the cool metal of her mace. 

It all felt so... odd. It was humming with power. She kinda felt like she’d had one too many drinks of sake, what was that called? Being buzzed? Yeah. Not quite drunk. And it felt fucking great. 

Finally touching down, she zipped toward Hibiki at high speed, practically tackling her to the ground with the force of her hug. “I did it!” She was just a bunch of smiles. Who wouldn’t be? With the appearance of this weapon... she finally felt like she was one of them. That muddled feeling she’d had before was now quite clear. She knew where she belonged. She knew her role with the team. Her team.

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

Managing to land an attack squarely against Sora felt like an accomplishment, simply for the fact that her friend has caught her off guard with the last two attacks. Even if she may not act like it, Sora’s kick left her arm sore, pounding alongside her racing heartbeat. It hurt, but she didn’t have time to focus on it.

Instead, she took the time to catch her breath, shaking out her arms as a way to loosen them up. Even the shots at her shoulders were square on. As for her attack on Sora, it left her wondering what her next move would be, still keeping herself in a calm stance to prepare. However, Sora’s sudden voice took her by surprise, yelling at her to not hold back. How did she know? Was it too obvious? But if she didn’t hold back, there’s a good chance she might hurt her–

‘You need to block it!’  Her mind yelled, and by the time she raised her hands up to protect herself, she felt Sora’s fist collide right with her chest, knocking the wind out of her almost immediately. Hibiki felt her body veer backwards, right near the tree, her back soon colliding with the ground. Hibiki began to push herself back up to her feet, coughing a few times just so she won’t be out of breath.

Tsubasa told her something about ‘not letting your feelings get the better of you’, but it proved difficult. This felt different than fighting the others, but Sora didn’t want her to hold back. Still hesitating, Hibiki stood there for a seconds, weighing her options before muttering a low— “…okay.” 

Taking another breath, ignoring the pain in her chest, Hibiki pushed herself forward once again, quickly gaining momentum. She manually pulled back her right gauntlet, storing power into her fist, immediately before making impact with the ground below Sora’s feet. The energy would flare out, hitting anything nearby. And if Sora managed to dodge it or not, she would keep up with that momentum and flip her body upside down, hoping to perform a flip kick that would connect with Sora’s jaw.

Her punch landed squarely against against the other girl’s chest. Hell, she could almost feel the breeze from how fast Hibiki flew backwards. Blue eyes flashed with a sudden panic- the tree was in plain sight! If she hit the tree she could be seriously injured! but, as luck would have it, she missed it by mere centimeters, smacking into the ground beside it. Sora must have hit her pretty hard if she was actively struggling to get up. But she was fine, so that was good. She barely heard the other girl’s affirmation, but at least she said it. Lips curling in a dark smirk, she dashed forward as well.

It was time to go all out.

And her song reflected that.

I want to understand (understand) what this feeling is.

What better way (better way) than to learn through a fight!

She cocked her fist back, but while she didn’t have piston-powered rocket punches or anything like what she’d seen with Hibiki, she did have her jets. With the added force behind her, she charged forward to match her friend.

Only to be completely surprised by the punch hitting the ground instead.

A forceful shockwave shot out, shaking the very earth around them with its force. She thought she saw the swing on the swing set nearby flailing back and force because of it, but that might’ve been the pain seeing things. Mostly because her footing had become too unstable to avoid the kick to her jaw, sending her flying into the air several feet.

I... couldn’t dodge. Hibiki is just too strong. There’s no chance I could ever surpass her. The thought flashed through her head accompanied by scenes from their fight. She’d only gotten lucky with her blows due to her tenacity. It was obvious. So painfully obvious.

Then why did she feel so determined to fight? Fighting against a foe you could never beat... isn’t that futile? Life was no anime. There were no last second arrivals by allies thought lost. No sudden powerful transformations. No magical shenanigans. Then again she was having a battle with a girl in magical armor and fighting a centuries-long war against evil blob monsters. 

She crashed into the ground hard. Without her armor, she probably would have broken something. Clearly even her unarmored areas were protected by an energy field or something. maybe she could learn more from the people at the HQ later. 

But that crash managed to knock some semblance of sense into her. Rising with the beat of the music, she thought to herself, But Hibiki-chan is no foe. She’s a friend to literally everyone. And she’s fighting at full power just because I asked! She’s been so nice and helpful and I’ve done nothing to repay her kindness. There’s got to be... something I can do.

It gives me the...

She felt a power well up within her, and suddenly the energy surged out, coating her body in a vibrant glow. She felt her Song flow through her, filling her with a sudden indescribable feeling. It was like the first moment a baseball star stepped on the field... or an actor stepping on the stage for the first time. It was powerful and just felt so... right. 

Like she finally belonged.

When the light died down, she didn’t really notice anything different besides this eerily calm confidence welling up in her song. She didn’t see that her armor had lengthen and grown almost more futuristic or that she had a second wing-like pauldron on her other shoulder. Her armor looked more sleek and refined, its matte black finish shining in the sunlight. 

Subconsciously reaching across her body, a black rod extended from the bracers- or more accurately now, metal vambraces and gauntlets - and fit cleanly into a hole that opened in the feathers. A panel opened, revealing a metal ball about the size of one of those large softballs now attached to the rod. Pulling it back, she twirled it a bit like a baton. The metal rod fit so snugly in her hand, she almost couldn’t feel the weight at the end. 

Tactical Advantage, now I’m gonna strike you down.

With this fist i’ll crack open every sky!

I’ve got the Tactical Advantage,

I can read your moves like a book.

Now you know why I’ve already won!

So wrapped up in her song, she didn’t even realize she was holding her Armed Gear until after the music died down. There really was only one possible reaction here: What...the...fuck...

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

She missed? Sora had moved just as easily, forcing Hibiki to think ahead for her next attack. No, wait, she went around the tree instead. Automatically, Hibiki placed her body in defensive mode, turning around with just enough time to feel Sora’s kick hit her side. Her arm blocked most of it, but with the momentum Sora was carrying, coupled with her jets, made it feel as if her arm was being pressed down. Not having enough time to block with her gauntlets was a mistake on her part.

However, the hooks within her boots kept her locked in place, keeping her standing while her arms quickly moved in retaliation. Allowing the hooks to come out of the ground, Hibiki immediately threw her hands forward, aiming her palms directly towards Sora’s chest. This was mainly a way to make distance between themselves, but if it managed to connect, then she would follow up with another quick boost, digging her left foot firmly in the ground to propel forward, sending a punch aiming right towards Sora’s stomach.

It wasn’t often she trained with the others with her Gear on, but its come to her attention that she often exerted too much power when fighting. Gaining a grip on that power has become the hardest challenge so far, and Hibiki didn’t want to accidently hurt Sora, so she attempted to lower her output of energy to lessen the damage if it actually connected.

When her boot slammed into the side of her friend’s arm, her momentum completely halted. It seemed that Hibiki’s hooks had quiet the leverage behind them to keep her from being flung away. And yet, Sora’s eyes burned with a certain determined fury. Hibiki had a great defense. Even with a surprise attack like that, it had only dealt a glancing blow at most. She wanted to shake that defense. Find a way past it. She wanted to become the mace that could crush any and all defenses.

But she was getting a bit ahead of herself here. This was just a spar. A serious fight, but they were not enemies. She wanted to beat her, not crush her bones into dust and bake them into bread. Ok, where the fuck did that metaphor come from? 

She heard the mechanical whirring of Hibiki’s boots drawing the hooks out, but before she could even react the cream haired girl shoved her hard, throwing off her balance and launching her a few yards away. Her instincts told her to try to catch herself in the fall, that she could get right back up easily if she righted herself in mid-air. But as much as she tried, clicking B like in a video game didn’t help in real life. Her confidence wavered slightly, right at the point where her song took its saddest tone.

I have so many questions to ask,

But is now really the time?

With the seconds it took for her to recollect her thoughts, especially with that damn music confusing her, she looked up just in time to feel Hibiki’s punch slam into her chest, sending her flying down the hill. Colliding with the ground in a dull thud, she struggled to rise to her feet. The left side of her body, the side she’d landed on, felt so sore. Though oddly, her chest didn’t. She’d been hit pretty solidly, right? So why did....

“HEY!” she called out, jet boosters heating up in her sudden outburst, launching her through the air in a perfect arc over the hill, fist heading straight for Hibiki’s chest. “DON’T HOLD BACK JUST BECAUSE WE’RE FRIENDS!” There was a fierce look in her eyes, like the very notion of being treated easily made her blood boil. “I only want to fight you at full power or else it won’t be good training!”

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

Some of her punches managed to hit square on, while Sora managed to dodge her kick at the last second. Her reflexes were slower, but that was to be expected; with more practice, she’d be just like everyone else. Sora’s song was boisterous and loud, almost to the point that Hibiki found herself focusing more on that than the fight, but Sora began to attack again.

Instead of attacking a larger portion of her body, she threw punches that aimed around her shoulders, forcing Hibiki to quickly raise her hands to block them. However, she couldn’t react fast enough to some of them, and she felt Sora’s fist collide right with her shoulder before suddenly flipping.

“!!” Almost immediately, Hibiki raised her hands to block her face, feeling Sora’s kick collide right against her armor. It may not have hit her directly, but it was powerful enough to push her backwards, almost tripping over her own feet. But just as quickly, she recovered, using the hooks within her boots to propel herself right towards Sora. This was mere sparring, so she couldn’t expect to use any extra power against her friend; instead, she used her boost to get low, swinging her right leg at Sora’s feet to attempt taking her off balance. If that managed to work, she would follow up with a punch towards her side. 

She couldn’t help but feel satisfied when a few of her punches hit the mark. Somehow, some way, she was wearing down the other girl’s great reflexes with the ferocity of her attack. Guess aggro-pulling in that MMO did end up teaching her a few things about aggressive attacks. Really it was that game that had managed to change her fighting style so quickly. While she still wasn’t exactly a skilled martial artist, she knew several of the moves the Monk class used in the game, and given that she had to actively move around and punch in that VR headset, she could get a feel for how it felt to actually fight.

Of course she hadn’t told anyone except Kirika that this ‘special training’ was playing a video game. She would have kept it entirely secret, but Kirika could tell when she was online because they were friends in the game and, as of late, regularly partied up for raids and the like.

Her flip had executed flawlessly, her feet acting as a mean to ensure her escape by making Hibiki focus on the kicks. Smirking wide as she touched down, she felt more than saw her armored friend charge toward her. In the brief second between the time it took for Hibiki to boost forward and reach Sora, a thought occurred to her. Something that she’d only subconsciously done until now. She was purposely drawing the fight back to the tree. Why, though? It’s not like the tree could help her in any...

I’ve got the Tactical Advantage,

How could she be so dumb?

Of course it would help. She could see it plain as day.

You won’t even see it coming.

Quickly wrapping an arm around the tree, she propelled her self about it with the jet boosters in her boots, launching her around the tree in a perfect circle. This not only allowed her to dodge the flying kick from her senpai (in experience, obviously, not age), but it also put her in a perfect position to deliver a momentum-powered jet-boosted super right kick at her friend’s back.

There’s no chance in Hell that I’d lose! 

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

Breathing in and out slowly, she shot forward, jets in the back of her boots propelling her forward at a faster rate than her normal movement would have allowed. Throwing her right fist back, she aimed a punch at Hibiki’s chest. Though this was a feint, actually, and she was only trying to draw her attention away from her second attack. Planting her right foot at the last moment, she spun on it, intent on slamming her left leg into Hibiki’s right side.

‘Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron.’

Hibiki easily followed suit, not wasting any time right after Sora said hers. A person could never go wrong with training, and it was always a blast to go perfect your skills. Not to mention it was pretty handy in making someone feel good about themselves. So with Gungnir now equipped, she got herself in a more battle ready position.

Sora’s song floated right into her ears with ease, the girl suddenly propelled herself right in Hibiki direction, aiming directly at her chest. Hibiki used both of her hands to block her fist, yet wasn’t expecting Sora to change it quickly into a kick. However, the teenager quickly lowered her right arm, using it as a means to block Sora’s unexpected kick. Like she, and everyone else assumed, Sora had gotten better. Hibiki wasn’t sure where she learned how to fight, but she seemed to be getting the hang of everything now. But Hibiki couldn’t allow herself to be distracted by that.

Just as quickly, and with a smile, Hibiki took a hop back before quickly directing a few punching jabs towards Sora, aiming at her mid-section, before attempting a kick of her own to the girl’s waist.

It gives me the...

While she thought she was right in going for a feint, clearly she was a fool for thinking that she had the combat reflex to get past Hibiki, who she knew had much more experience in the fist-fighting department. Her arm had moved so fluidly, almost like she hadn’t had to think to block her sweeping kick. Not wanting to have her balance upset, she drew her leg back. But, in the process, her lack of focus left her open to the first series of jabs, the cream haired girl landed several quick blows against her unarmored chest.

Suppressing the urge to grip her stomach and vomit her lunch onto her friend (though that might be an effective weapon in a real fight), she stepped back, barely dodging the kick she only noticed was coming a few fractions of a second later. Hibiki was fast as hell and Sora simply didn’t have the reflexes at this point to see through all of her moves.

But she wasn’t going to let that stop her.

Tactical Advantage, now I’m gonna strike you down.

A thunderous chorus rose up in her ears, the melody so powerful she couldn't help but believe that it was true. That she could fight well here. Closing the distance, she aimed a series of jabs of her own, purposefully aiming for the other girl’s bare shoulders. It was common logic. Hibiki was a fist-fighter. So if she could limit the destructive potential of her punches, the fight would go a lot smoother. And one way to do that was weaken her shoulders.

With this fist I’ll crack open the sky.

Risking it all on the gymnastics activities she used to do when she was younger (and probably relying on the power up from the Gear), she flipped back, using the momentum from her backflip to send both of her feet hurtling towards Hibiki’s face for a few brief seconds before she soared back several yards out of the way. That brief time was plenty long enough for her steel-toed boots to land a strike, should Hibiki not block or dodge. Miraculously, she touched down on two feet next to the tree she’d been laying under earlier. That is if she was able to follow through the motions of her flip properly. 

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

Could you please reblog this if it is okay to ask you straight up if you want to ship?

vaultbb:

I am a baby and need reassurance that I’m not being too pushy by asking.

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

“Good!” Hibiki said with excitement as she stood to her feet, pulling Sora along with her. She was positive that Sora could actually summon her Armed Gear; no doubt in her mind. They just had to work harder at it.

“Okay,” she took a few steps back, stretching out her arms and taking a few breaths, “…so just a little bit of sparring might be able to pump you back up!” She’s not exactly sure what it will take to bring out her Armed Gear, but Hibiki was determined to figure it out. The teenager positioned her body into a more comfortable stance. “So, when you try and attack me, don’t worry too much about trying to form one. Just believe in the power of your Gear and it will protect you!” 

That sounded as if something Tsubasa would say, and Hibiki was certain she knew how an Armed Gear was formed. But if Sora felt more comfortable with her, then it was time to try her best to help.

A spar actually sounded pretty damn good right now. Considering she’d never actually fought any of them in the last few weeks. This was new territory. Probably why her body and Gear were almost humming with anticipation. cracking her knuckles, she nodded to her friend and smiled, saying, “Alright! A spar sounds perfect!” While she wasn’t exactly sure how she could sit there and not worry about forming a Gear, she figured the best thing to do would be get engrossed in the battle. Moving a few yards away, she mentally prepared herself for this fight.

Closing her eyes, she sang out her call, “Ave tempres Sharur tron,” and her armor formed around her. A low beat resounded in her ears, the Gear producing the combat frequency it used to destroy the Noise. The words to the song came to her lips so easily. It had taken her a couple weeks of constant training to actually get used to the fact she’d be singing near constantly while using this power.

What is this power coursing through me now?

I’m not sure I understand it.

She fell into a rudimentary stance, one hand raised in front and one held at her side, legs spaced a foot apart and knees bent.

But does that (does that) matter in the end?

This new feeling in my heart (my heart), is it the power to fight?

It gives me the...

Breathing in and out slowly, she shot forward, jets in the back of her boots propelling her forward at a faster rate than her normal movement would have allowed. Throwing her right fist back, she aimed a punch at Hibiki’s chest. Though this was a feint, actually, and she was only trying to draw her attention away from her second attack. Planting her right foot at the last moment, she spun on it, intent on slamming her left leg into Hibiki’s right side.

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

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[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

From how she looks, the girl was pretty much normal like a civilian, but she spoke about actually kicking one right before she chose to yell and appear right in front of Hibiki. How did she—

Even the power behind her attack was much stronger than she anticipated, and this all felt like a span of seconds. Was she a fighter? Did she not have to worry about the Noise harming her? “H-How did you do that!?” It didn’t make sense, but she quickly forced herself to stay focused and ask questions later. Hibiki made sure to protect the girl from one of the Noise that chose to creep up from behind, easily driving her fist right into it without any hesitation. 

Her elbow quickly retaliated against another one, while her leg swung around to disintegrate one that came after it. “It’s still pretty dangerous! Wouldn’t want you to get hurt!”

Huh. Given the other girl’s surprise, it seemed like people other than her fighting these things were a bit rare. Though it was odd. She could distinctly hear music in the background like she was playing a video game or something. Not that she was particularly good at those or played them often. She just knew they existed and had background music. Anyway, that’s all beside the point. She had some monsters to beat up.

Yes, it was certainly dangerous, but with that armored girl here the creatures were falling faster and faster. And oddly her own kicks were doing far more damage. She didn’t even need to go full force to deal lethal damage. Was that song doing something to weaken the creatures? Weird.

There would be time for questions later, so she simply focused on spinning kicks to the face- or at least where the face should be -and taking out anything she laid eyes on.

By the time the monsters had been completely destroyed, the streets were absolutely littered with carbon dust. Panting softly, she fell into a few simple breathing exercises. This helped her not only calm down and regain her breath but also circulate Chi through her body to refill her energy reserves. Once brought to a sufficient calm, she opened her eyes and looked to the girl, saying, “What were those things?”

A Strange New Enemy - Quick, Gather Your Chi!

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

How could she stay so optimistic? Perhaps it was something within her; Hibiki couldn’t exactly explain it nor has she ever thought about it either. It was normal to bring people, especially your friends, up right? As for Sora, Hibiki immediately took hold of her hands, with a grin.

“Of course you belong! Why wouldn’t you? They wouldn’t think less of you at all! I say they would love to help you, and see you get far with your Gear! I used to think the same thing, actually. Because I couldn’t produce my own Armed Gear, I felt pretty useless and left out.” Hibiki paused for a few seconds, keeping the smile on her lips. Granted it was for a different reason altogether, and it no longer bothered her, but maybe having something to relate to may help. 

“But it all worked out and I’m sure it will be just like that for you! I have faith you can do it. We all do! So don’t give up, okay? We can even do some training now, if you like!”

It was really, really difficult to be sad around someone who shone as bright as a noonday sun. Hibiki was just that kind of person, she supposed. Someone who would always support the ones she cared about. Her lips curled back up in a small smile, her cheeks reddening in a slight blush from the sheer amount of support she was given. “I can’t exactly argue with logic like that,” she answered, giving the other girl’s hands a soft squeeze.

Frankly it was relieving to learn that Hibiki had had similar thoughts in the past. It made her feel a little less alone here. And from what she heard, Hibiki did great without an Armed Gear. Perhaps she wasn’t meant to have one either. Wouldn’t really know if she didn’t try, right? “Some extra special training right now would be fantastic.”

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

Hibiki made sure to evacuate the nearest people within the area before engaging them. With how often the Noise attacks have increased, mostly everyone knew exactly where to go and what to do. And so, with that quickly taken care of, Hibiki proceeded to take care of the Noise directly. 

Just as always, the Noise were quick to handle, but there were more than she anticipated. “Be on the lookout for any others. Tsubasa and Chris are taking care of the Noise in different sectors.” Having them separated like this was a way to get rid of the Noise much quicker, but it wouldn’t be good if they end up being overwhelmed. However, Hibiki nodded.

“Right!”  As she was fighting, the sudden flying of one of the Noise caught her attention. She didn’t do that—was there someone else here? Quickly getting rid of the ones in her way, Hibiki ran in the direction of the fly Noise, eventually coming to a stop to see a girl standing there.

“Hey! Are you okay?? You shouldn’t be here, it’s dangerous!”

“Dangerous?!” she yelled back at the voice, a bit too pissed off to listen to the rational side of her brain trying to tell her to shut the fuck up and run. And yet, as quickly as the anger had shot through her system, it was gone. Replaced by a blank look in her eye.

“Wait... how did you kill those things? I hit one with my strongest kick and it felt like I’d-” Oh shit another one was jumping at them. “DODGE!” she roared out, coating herself again in a vibrant violet aura. Moving with such speed that she seemed to vanish, she appeared in between the armored girl and the Noise, kicking out with her other foot. The blob-like Noise slammed head-first into her heel, the force of impact rattling Miku just as hard as the last time.

Only this time, she’d manage to strike hard enough to damage the creature.

It flew back with the speed of a cannon, already dissolving into carbon dust before it struck the nearby lamppost, fading into the winds without even harming the poor, innocent light fixture.

A Strange New Enemy - Quick, Gather Your Chi!

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

Hibiki leaned up a bit further, resting her arms on her knees as Sora spoke. So her sync rate was perfectly fine, but still wondered why her Armed Gear hasn’t manifested yet. Hibiki wasn’t exactly sure what it would take, or how long, but she was still certain that Sora could somehow pull it off.

“There’s no doubt that you’ll be able to clear that right up too!” Hibiki wasn’t sure what it would be that made it harder for Sora to connect even further with Gear. What was it that Tsubasa told her about using an Armed Gear back then?

“Have you asked any of the others? They might be able to help you!” They would end up helping her with no hesitation and she was sure it wouldn’t be an issue. 

“Hibiki?” she said to the cream haired girl, crawling closer to her. She almost looked hesitant when she reach out to touch the other girl’s hands, perhaps the first time she’d actually initiated such a gesture. “You’re always so optimistic about things... how do you do it?” Laughing softly, she slowly rubbed her thumb over the back of her hands. “I’ll be honest... since that first day I haven’t opened up about this to anyone but you. I just... can’t help that think if I told Tsubasa-chan or Chris-chan that they’d... think less of me, or something.”

She sighed heavily, her small sad smile turning into a frown. “Part of me feels like I can’t belong with you guys until I can use my Armed Gear. Like I’m not a true member of the team.” It was just like the other girls and how she couldn’t relate to them in regards to makeup and hot boys. Only in this case it was the opposite. She thought they wouldn’t want to relate to her for the same reasons she shooed off the other girls. She wanted to tell Hibiki all of this, but she couldn’t find the words. Only the ghosts of tears flecking the corner of her eyes.

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

cantusecho:

The grass tickled her legs as she sat right beside Sora, stretching her arms  after such an awkward fight. She wasn’t exactly tired, but fighting could always end up being exhausting. Sora seemed more tired than her, actually.

“Huh? Oh!” She was asking about her Armed Gear and Hibiki leaned back, casting her gaze towards the sky. Back when Hibiki couldn’t summon one, she felt out of place and left out—was Sora feeling the same?  “There’s nothing wrong with you at all!” She looked back down towards her friend.

“You’ve gotten a lot better with your Gear so far! All you have to do is keep trying!” Hibiki looked down at her own pendant for a while, before closing her eyes. “I’ve never summoned an Armed Gear before. At least, not without a lot of help, hehe. Point is,” she looked back towards Sora, “…the more time you spend with you Gear, the more easier it will get! Have you felt any closer to your Gear this past month?”

She couldn’t help but curl lip up slightly in a smile at how quickly Hibiki rose to her defense. She spoke with such conviction it was hard to not believe her. She sounded so convinced that Sora was getting better. And she wasn’t wrong. She did fight well today, almost as good as that anger outburst the first time she used her Gear. Her style was still incredibly sloppy and she telegraphed 80% of her attacks, but when they landed they did solid damage.

Reaching for the pendant hiding beneath the collar of her shirt, she held it out to the sun, admiring how the light glinted off it. “I’m... not sure. I mean they said my Sync Rate was looking great, but I still feel like there’s something in the way. Something making it more difficult to communicate with Sharur.” Not speak to it literally or anything, but she should be able to at least feel the connection, right? It felt really muffled, like listening to a crappy audio recording or something. It was a really odd feeling.

The Fruits of Her Training - Can Sora Summon Her Armed Gear?

[bunchamuses-blog]

magister-ludicro:

“Ah! Well in that case, it all makes sense.” She then punched a nearby wall so hard that it cracked. “Like hell it does! You’re really shitty at lying. Trust me, I’m great at spotting liars.”  

She then sighed before brushing one of her bangs aside.

“But what the hey. I’ll humor ya. The day is Monday.” She wasn’t sure what this kid’s deal was. He talked like a mix between a hipster and a fucking vampire. Looked like one too. Seriously, that white hair was hella bright and those blue eyes shown like a beacon in a snowstorm. Did this guy ever go out in the sun? 

Oh and there was one more thing that made her raise an eyebrow. His aura. It seemed off. It definitely felt human but it was muddled by something else. Something very familiar. 

Could he be… ?

No way. She brushed that thought aside. There was no way one of them could be this fucking stupid. 

The last one she ran into was a genius who outmaneuvered her when it came to logical puzzles. Strong too. Broke her arm easily when he intercepted her attack.  

This guy didn’t seem like that type. He was scrawny and had no aura of power coming from him. 

In fact, she’d sooner believe he was a hobo who was really into vampires than anything else. 

And that’s the conclusion she’d stick with. At least until he proved her otherwise. 

“The fuck!” he shouted out the moment she smashed her hand into the wall- leaving a crack like she was some sort of... strong person. He wasn’t great at metaphors all the time either. Unfortunately the cuss that came out was actually not in Japanese, but a long since dead language he spoke when he really was 12 years old. Really a bad habit, now that he thought about it. He needed to get better at reigning in the phrases and languages of the past. Or he’d look stupid. Well, more than he already did. Fuck, he really should just go now. Maybe find a shop to raid. He could grab some money later from his home.

Although the thought occurred to him that this woman wasn’t entirely normal. Not just because she punched the wall hard enough to crack it. Side note, that wall could very well come down in the next hour or so if the splinter cracks kept growing. Anyway, she seemed to almost recognize him. It was brief, but she’d raised her eyebrow like she noticed something familiar about him.

But good to know. Monday. He’d gone to the bank on a Saturday, so it’s good to know that he’d only been out for a day. “Alright, you caught me. I was lying.” Smirking slightly, he figured he might as well tell the truth. It was so ridiculous he doubted anyone would actually believe him. “I’m a 2,000 year old Half-Demon who woke up in a morgue after letting a bank robber fill me up with bullets. Really inconvenient to die like that though. I had stuff to do yesterday and I totally missed it.”

[bunchamuses-blog]

magister-ludicro:

She looked at him as if he had just escaped from a hospital or something, but other than that, didn’t comment on his attire. At least, not yet. 

“It’s 2017.” She said flatly, trying to wonder why this weirdo had decided to approach her of all people. Was she in a crabby mood? Of course she was. Someone had attempted to break into her shrine last night. Thankfully, Orion wasn’t there at the time or else things would have gotten really crazy.

“Now would you like me to take you to the nearest thrift shop so you can get out of… whatever the hell you’re currently wearing?” The reason she chose to use the term thrift shop is because he certainly didn’t look like someone who could afford to shop at a mall. 

“Or maybe you want me to take you back to the ward so that you can eat your applesauce. Either way works for me, sweetheart.” 

The poor kid really didn’t deserve all the sass she was giving him but she didn’t much care if it hurt his feelings. He was simply the first person she saw all day and thus the one she’d take all her frustrations out on.

Wait what? She actually gave him an answer. Well, not the most useful one. It was still 2017 when he ‘died’. Then again it was early in January- at least it was then -so it really could be any time after the fact. Of course the answer was followed by some choice sass and a little bit of insult. He was no patient at a medical ward! Even if he looked like one.

Though it was probably better than admitting he’d just walked off the morgue’s examination table. Gave the coroner a hell of a scare. Pun not intended.

When he was younger (relatively speaking, of course, as he still looked 12), he might have been a bit more put down at hearing those insults. But he was over 2,000 now. Kinda pointless to worry about the small stuff, right?

But he really did need a cover story. And to get some real clothes fast. Last time that kind of thing happened... well let’s just say he might have inspired Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Still a great- ok, he can say this properly - movie. That’s the word for it, right? Not film or motion picture? Keeping up with the current word trend was hard.

“Oh, this?” he remarked, awkwardly laughing. “It was part of a... prank I pulled on some friends of mine.” Good cover. Totally viable. “I guess I hadn’t changed out of it. And I just wanted to know what day of the week it was because I’m horrible at remembering them.”