2573/A Hunting We Shall Go

A Hunting We Shall Go
Date of Scene:	03 July 2015
Location:	Ar Tonelico - Silvaplate
Synopsis:	Misha takes Reiji, Xiaomu, and Kazusa hunting for Grathmelding materials.
Cast of Characters:	415, Reiji Arisu, 707, 757

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Misha (757) has posed:
    So it's a trip back to Misha's home Tower of Ar Tonelico. Something of a hike actually after everyone meets ip in the Airport City Nemo. This time time is alotted for shopping and sightseeing, but that will be after handling certain other issues. So once the party leaves the city of white marble and flowing water in an airship bound for the main tower itself, it sets down on a 'natural' ledge that's been cleared off of wildlife and plants and used for airship travel often.
    Misha is here of course, in some more travel appropriate clothes than her little black dress. A set of heavy duty and durable purple robes; a backpack of some basic necessities and supplies slung on her back. "Soooo. Welcome to the Silvaplate. We're pretty high up, but not even close to the half way point of the tower. Surprisingly, people actually live up here. Buuut so do monsters, and that's what we're here for."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"Monsters, huh?" Xiaomu asks. "If that's why we're here, did you want us to help thin them out so the nearby village isn't in as much danger or something ... ?"

Because that's totally why a group of adventurers would be hanging out in the 'wilderness' on an invitation from one of the local authority figures who happens to have befriended them. Not that Xiaomu has any issues with a random monster extermination run, of course - she might be happier about it if she knew she was getting experience towards a level-up or something, but since you don't gain levels like that in real life, she's not too worried about THAT. Besides, you can get other stuff from fighting monsters.

(Like 'dead,' but she trusts THAT won't be happening today.)

"What sort of monsters do you figure we'll run into around here, anyway?" Xiaomu asks, good-natured but serious about it. She takes a moment to double-check the loads in Silver and Platinum, her handguns, while she's asking that.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    Monster hunting is something Reiji does pretty often, actually! It's part of his job description, in fact. He's appeared in his usual outfit: red combat vest, armored gauntlets and boots, and a whole lot of firepower. But there's something else accompanying him today! Perched on his shoulder is a... squirrely looking thing with a big, shiny gemstone at the end of its tail.

It's presently munching on a funbun, because NYO!?s apparently love funbuns.

    "For that Thunder Wyvern, right?" Reiji asks, taking a moment to marvel at how the air isn't as thin as it probably should be this high up. That's the tower for you, he supposes. "Shouldn't be too much of a problem though. What did you need its heart for, anyway?"

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    This go 'round, Kazusa is looking far more her old self. The stress and disquiet of her first Beast transformation has faded enough to let the girl get a night or two of much-needed sleep, and it shows in her bright-eyed enthusiasm and energy the entire trip. Nemo is absolutely fascinating, and with the promise of shopping on the way back she's looking in the window of every shop on the way through; and on the airshp, she's at a window or railing the entire time.

    And while she's not wearing her school uniform, having found time to change clothes on the way, the schoolgirl still has her bookbag, on which she rests one arm lazily. "I really wanna see what kind of monsters live up here too!" she declares cheerfully, in agreement with Xiaomu's question. "The monsters in your world are all really weird and cool, I like them." Reiji has her other question covered, so she might as well just listen for the answer!

Misha (757) has posed:
    Once set down on the makeshift pad and the group is gathered... Misha already starts heading up. It's an old path worn in the dirt and grass over the years by people and animals passing through all the time, heading in a lazily spiralling slope upwards. "Actually, there's a Thunder Wyvern that's been harassing the people living here." She explains to Xiaomu, confirming Reiji's statement. It's not long before the first signs of settlement. It's a small house, the smell of a warm homecooked meal floating from the open window, with two children playing in the yard while tending to a garden.
    It's not the only house up the lonely path, but they're interspersed at irregular and sometimes even pretty distant intervals. "I need it for... Reasons." The Reyvateil replies cryptically, glancing back over one shoulder with smokey jade eyes, lips pursed in a faint and mysterious moue. "They can be pretty dangerous actually." She notes to Kazusa. "But between the three of you, together with a Reyvateil, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Oh right. I heard there might be a Big Nyo? in the area too."
    So for now... Enjoy the scenic walk, guys.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu has to fight not to tease Kazusa about what kind of monsters might show up ... but at least there's one known monster type. Or rather, at least two ...

Xiaomu finds herself looking from Misha, to Reiji's funbun-munching shoulderpet. "Is having a little Nyo? going to help if we run into that big one?" the sage fox inquires. "Or should we just find a bakery and stock up on those funbuns to try and befriend it?"

She will be enjoying the scenic walk, though - it's good brisk exercise, conditions are fairly nice, and looking around has the combined benefits of taking in the scenery and watching out for wandering monsters.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    "Reasons, huh? Well, that's fine too," Reiji answers with a shrug. If Misha wants to keep it a secret, then he sees no reason to pry. It's not like she's going to be performing unholy dragon-summoning rituals with that thing's heart or something, right? Right. "So, standard procedure if we run into it, right? You sing, the rest of us keep the heat off of you until you can blow it sky high."

Seems simple enough. Just like guarding chanting a large-scale exorcism sutra.

Except... Wyvern.

    The walk is pleasant enough though. It's rustic, even. Sort of reminds Reiji of the more provincial regions of Japan. He can imagine the sort of life the people out here must live- sort of isolated and removed from the hustle and bustle of urban chaos. Not a bad living, certainly, just... Quiet. Serene.

And monster infested, apparently.

    "No clue," he says to Xiaomu as the NYO!? lazily coils its tail around the back of Reiji's neck. "I figure it's not a bad idea to give it a shot. We might want to see about bribing it with snacks though."

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    Homecooked meal? Homecooked meal.

    +_+

    Kazusa's attention is briefly but completely arrested by the smell of Delicious Food(tm), and she's rather clearly a bit distracted when Misha starts speaking with her. "H-huh? Oh! Oh right. Yeah. Dangerous. Big Reyvateil, three Nyo. ...wait, is that..." She briefly looks confused, as if she's not sure she heard all that right, but then shrugs.

    "-oh! Oh speaking of Reyvateils," she suddenly exclaims, bypassing the incorrect understanding by way of topic-shift and fishing around in her purse. "Which one is- no, not you, Cutthroat, there's no ninja here- there!" Out comes The Magus, which she holds out towards Misha. "Here, hold on a second. People tell me there's some sort of... voice that's not a voice, it asks permission or something, I don't know. But I need you to allow it to use your powers."

    As she holds the card out towards Misha, she will feel something that is... not quite a voice. More basic. Primal. An impression of a concept, an understanding at a base level. But if words could be put to it, the words would be something like...

    O learned sage, will you lend your wisdom to this brave soul?

Misha (757) has posed:
    Poor Reiji. Heedless of the danger of a Reyvateil with a dragon hear. Little does he know that if she eats it she'll gain a new form and more power for her Charms. Actually that's not the case at all, but Misha is once again leaving people in the dark about her designs and motives. But it can't be all that bad can it?
    "Maybe. Nyo? can sniff each other out. So if that little guy smells something we can probably check it out."
    Onwards. And though the smell of food is distracting, Misha can't help but giggle at Kazusa's shifting attention span. "I brought snacks for later. Let's deal with the Wyvern first thoug--" Though the topic shift and The Magus held towards her makes the Star Singer trail off. That internal, conceptual, questioning sensation leaves her halted for a moment. "Um. Yes?" Ventured after a few beats.
    There's little time for her to ask just HOW the whole card power copying system works because from just over the next ridge in the path comes the thunderous sounds of fury, the crackling scent of ozone buzzing in the air, and a very angry sounding 'SQUAAAAAAW!'
    At the same time, Reiji's Nyo? may catch a scent of something else, as well.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    Reiji knows not the darkness that lurks within (level six) of the Reyvateil's heart (Cosmosphere). This is probably for the best, all things considered. It means he can be blissfully ignorant of the danger and go about his business like a perfectly normal exorcist/secret agent should.

    He observes the strange ritual playing out between Kazusa and Misha with a curious eye. That's how she's able to store power within those cards, huh? Interesting. Not exactly his business, though. The smell of ozone- THAT is his business.

"I think we're coming up on our target," Reiji murmurs, his hands falling to the hilts of his many weapons. "Get rea--"

    The creature on his shoulder bolts suddenly upright. Its tail twitches like it were waving a tiny flag. There's something else nearby too! Something big. Something... nyobody could predict.

Reiji peers at his little friend. "...I think we've found the other target, too. How do you want to handle this, Misha?"

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    Fortunately, the result is brief; a shimmer passes over the face of The Magus, and the gnarled staff is replaced with Misha's name, written in Hymnos. Misha may still have time to see the change.

    And then something makes a very, very angry noise. And Kazusa damn near drops the card.

    "Wow, that's some timing," she murmurs, somewhere in the middle of a triangle formed by 'startled', 'annoyed' and 'amused'. She looks between the ridge and Reiji's passenger with mild surprise, adjusting her glasses. "Ah, I'll transform if I have to, but if there's something I can do that doesn't need me to be transformed, I'll try it!"

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"How many of those little funbun things have you got stashed away on you anyway, Reiji?" Xiaomu inquires at the combination of the little NYO?! perking up on Reiji's shoulder, and tha rather loud squawking from over the next ridge. "And more importantly, Kazusa, if you copy her powers, are you going to copy her restrictions as well? Which would mean it's up to me and Reiji to take the front line while the two of you sing your hearts out at monsters ..."

This sounds like it is possibly not the best of all possible plans, since it would reduce the front line and double the number of targets who have to be protected - but Xiaomu's going to leave THAT decision up to Kazusa, since she's the one who uses the cards in the first place. Xiaomu's a front-line fighter either way, so she's about set. She may be wishing she'd brought grenades this time, but she's set.

Misha (757) has posed:
    "Hey that's... My name." The Reyvateil realizes, on seeing the Hymmnos formed on Kazusa's card.
    But there's little time to ruminate on it. In the onset of the incipient chaos, the little Nyo? has DEFINITELY caught a familiar scent. One that it KNOWS. And if Reiji doesn't stop it, it might end up getting too attracted to remain on his shoulder.
    Still, up over the ridge and there's no mistaking what the group sees. It's... A nest. Though there are no eggs inside it, the two winges beasts snapping and screeching might not be what the group expected. Both are easily the size of motorcycles, one with leathery yellow skin and wings, horns and claws, whole body crackling with electricity, the other made of blue plumage, every flap of its wings blowing super-cooled air aorund.
    "Oh there's the wyvern. And it's fighting a Roc."
    Misha announces the obvious. Look at that, she's already behind everyone. "That kind of Roc won't like fire. The Wyvern... Just wail on it."
    For the time being, the two large flying creatures seem more intent on gutting each other than noticing the group. But a crack in the cliff wall nearby seems to be where the Nyo? is picking up the scent, and there's motion within, too.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"And me without grenades," Xiaomu quips wryly. "Would we be better off waiting for them to whittle each other down some more, or ..."

She pauses, taking note of that crack in the cliff. "... or if we wait too long, is something else going to show up and aggro both of those beasts in our direction?"

The sage fox ponders briefly. "Reiji, if we're opening up on the monsters now, you'd better focus on the Roc. I'll see if I can slow the Wyvern down with my magic. I'll have to depend on bullets where the Roc is concerned though." And with that bit of strategic advice dispensed, Xiaomu moves to plant herself in front of Misha, sizing up the monsters and getting ready for the fight. She's probably going to wind up following Reiji's lead as far as 'fight now, or wait and watch' goes.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    Oh look at that, Kazusa's sidled up next to Misha. "Ah, heh, why don't you guys take care of those big monsters, and I'll go investigate that crack there to see what's inside..." She pauses, then considers. "...or come to think of it, maybe we should just let them fight it out and all of us investigate, then take care of whichever one wins? They're both dangerous, right?"

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    So, on the one hand, you have a roc and a wyvern. On the other, you have an ostensibly local creature who seems /very/ interested in what's in that crack over there. Reiji makes a quiet, curious noise as he watches the two flying beasts going at it. "Right now," he murmurs, "I don't think they've noticed us, and I want to get as full of an image of what we're dealing with as we possibly can."

    He begins moving toward the crack, then. "I won't be long," he says as the creature on his shoulder flails its tail, "Xiaomu, take care of things here. I'll take a look and deal with whatever's inside. We should be fine until they notice us."

Misha (757) has posed:
    Despite their size and ferocity, Xiaomu and Reiji will probably be able to tell that even if they took on both monsters together, the fight actually wouldn't be that hard for either of them, even alone. Maybe for a Reyvateil on her own this would be exceedingly dangerous, sure, but for now if the group is content to let the two whittle each other down, that's... Prettymuch what they will do. It's a nasty fight, snapping teeth and beaks, claws and thunder and ice. It'll last a while before either side tips a scale.
    It's probably a good idea to investigate the crack as well. The Nyo on Reiji's shoulder is probably pitching a fit for as long as it's being kept from the crack in the stone wall, but grows more placated the closer the group gets.
    It's a tight squeeze. More easily suited for Kazusa and Misha, but Reiji can probably get through with some work. It leads... Inside the tower, stone fading away to a sudden transition of dark metal and a catwalk on emergency lights. Something skitters by a boot with a chirp of "NYO!? NYO!?" and bolts way from the group to a writhing mass of...
    What has to be like thirty Nyo? huddled up in one big pile of fluff and fur, purring from the warmth.
    "Grenades probably would have been handy." Misha asides, apparently sticking outside with Xiaomu.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu winces noticeably at Reiji's words just before he slips away to investigate that crack. "Be REALLY careful, okay?" she whispers to her partner, then keeps half an eye on Reiji as he vanishes into the crack.

Meanwhile, much to the sage fox's relief, the Roc and Wyvern don't seem to be noticing the party just yet ... but, Misha had designs on the Wyvern's heart, right? So giving the two monsters enough time to fight that the Roc might possibly freeze or impale the Thunder Wyvern through particular internal organs is potentially not a really mission-accomplishing plan. Still, Reiji's the really elementally versatile one with four elements' worth of weaponry, and he just went Nyo-hunting.

Well ... it's not like ice is the only element Xiaomu has to play with. "They probably would have been," she nods to Misha, "but I didn't think I'd need them this trip ... guess I'll just have to remember them next time I come to your world." She ponders briefly, then raises her right hand towards the pair of monsters. "Dakki no Kata!" she calls out -

And starts leeching life energy away from both of them, licking her lips a bit as she does so.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    "Me first!" Kazusa is, it seems, not timid. Cautious, but not timid. And Reiji is going to get pre-empted at this rate. She's quite glad to dart into the crack, adjusting her glasses while her eyes adjust to the dimmer light. It takes her a second to figure out just what it is she's seeing, and when she does...

    "Oh my /gosh/ this is so adorable. Guys, you have to come in here and see this!"

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    Reiji is a pretty big guy, for a Japanese man. Squeezing through the crack takes some doing, but somehow he's able to manage. Must be all that combat flexibility he's got going. What he finds when he enters is... Uh.

    His Nyo!? darts away, and Reiji just stares at what he finds in this strange tower crevasse. It's... Well, to be honest, it's pretty goddamn adorable. Like a roiling ball of kittens, except possibly fluffier. Reiji continues to stare for several seconds, before fishing his phone out of his pocket.

He takes pictures. And then a quick video, because /honestly./

    What could have started a cuddle pile of this magnitude, though? They were looking for a particularly large nyo, not a whole bunch of smaller ones, right? Once Reiji is satisfied with his mementos, he takes a moment to fish out a small LED flashlight to shine into the dim recesses of the tower. Not that he thinks there's anything dangerous out there. Why would the nyo cuddle in a dangerous place?

Misha (757) has posed:
    Pictures of THIS are bound to get crazy amounts of hits on the internet. People love cute things. Especially massive piles of cute things cuddling. And amid the chorus of NYO!s and purrs, the whole pile shifts. UNDER all the smaller Nyo? is... A very large one. Rumbling as Reiji shines his light around the chamber, it sits up and blinks blearily at the exorcist and the student, squinting from the flashlight as it leeeeaaaans in to sniff at them.
    For the record, it is as big as Reiji is tall.
    Cute as they may be, the warning was given, Nyo? CAN get hostile if provoked or if they feel threatened.
    
    Misha is quite happy right where she is as long as Xiaomu stands between her and the fighting pair of monsters. But she's not going to be dead weight either. Because as their life and strength start to sap away, they wheel upon the sage fox, only now registering her presence. Their fight from before is forgotten as their rage burns to new heights. But between the damage they've done to one another and their strength ebbing, every attack on either end is pretty poorly telegraphed. Misha's singing does them no favors either, a gentle tune, protective and caring, floating upon the air to bolster strength, stamina, and reflexes.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    That... Is a big Nyo. Reiji frowns as he watches the pile rise, revealing a massive- but tremendously cuddly- creature lurking beneath it. It's huge! Like the Nyo? equivalent of a tiger or a lion. Are these the root cause of the Nyo? cuddle pile!?

Well. Only one thing to do.

Reiji whips out his phone again to take another picture.

    Only once he's done that does Reiji reach into another one of his pockets, revealing... A package full of funbuns. Carefully, gingerly, he offers one to the curious, colossal Nyo? as something of a peace offering. "Easy," Reiji says to the mass of sleepy but quite possibly dangerous fuzz, "We just need some fluid from your tail."

He's also moved to stand somewhat in front of Kazusa. If this thing goes hostile, at least he's there to take the heat!

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
With a fresh 'snack' of enemy life energy coursing through her, plus the buffs from Misha's supporting song, Xiaomu is in prime shape to take on the two monsters, even if she went and engaged them while Reiji was off chasing cute things. She's going to tease him about that later, you know.

For now, she focuses on ranged combat as much as she can - using her staff or straight hand-to-hand to try and parry the monsters' strikes when they get close enough to swing at her, and retaliating with a mish-mash of techniques ranging from 'staff' to 'copious amounts of bullets' to 'sorcerous fox lasers' to 'a bursting wave of energy like a less-focused Hadouken' (although she calls that last one a Byakkohou).

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    Kazusa is doing a very good job of keeping it from feeling threatened; mostly because she's crouching down a little so that she can look it in the face from beside-and-behind Reiji with a warm, cheerful smile, and making herself smaller in the process without realizing it. "Aaah, oh my goodness, you're like a great big pile of fluff! How does this world have something so /cute/ that can get so biiig?"

Misha (757) has posed:
    Whether or not Nyo can understand people-speak is up to speculation. And the entirety of the cuddlepile looks from Reiji, to Kazusa, to the Nyo on Reiji's shoulder- to the bag of funbuns.
    "Nnnnnyyyyyyyoooo...?"
    Leaning in every sniff is powerful enough to blow back hair before its gaze focuses squarely on the funbuns.
    Reiji what have you do--
    With buck teeth that could take a man's HAND off it... Gingerly plucks up a funbun and begins nibbling away at it like a massive chipmunk.
    The others start chirruping and waggle curly tails.

    Back outside however, Misha is still singing. And she will continue to do so for as long as Xiaomu needs it, battering away with staff and peppering the aerial beasts with bullets and lasers seems to work fairly well, considering they're already weakened and the Roc is the first to go down, crumpling to the dust with one last squawk as the Wyvern tries to zap the sage fox in one last retaliatory gambit before trying to turn and fly off!

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    Kazusa looks between Reiji and the Nyopile.

    She looks between the funbuns and the huge one.

    With impressive speed for a perfectly ordinary girl, the card-user snatches one of the funbuns from Reiji, takes a couple steps forward, sits down on the ground seiza-style, and holds the funbun in her lap in a bid to entice one of them over. It will be kind of awkward if it's the BIG one that approaches, but she'll cross that bridge if she comes to it.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
Croikey, 'ave a look at the teeth on that one! She's a beaut she is. Bet she could crush a man's 'and in those nippers!

    Fortunately, Reiji is used to feeding wild animals. Hand-feeding a giant Nyo? is only slightly more terrifying than feeding foxes. "That's a good Nyo," Reiji says, resisting the urge to pat the big critter's head, even as he offers another funbu--

KAZUSA, WHY

    Reiji gives her a long look, before fishing out another funbun from his pack for the gigantic Nyo. Because /someone/ decided to steal the one he was going to use. But that's fine, he brought a dozen or so. Plenty to go around!" Just...

Kazusa better not blame him if she becomes the locus to another Nyo cuddle pile.

...All things considered, she'd probably enjoy that.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"YEOW!!!"

If you needed any documentary evidence that Xiaomu's tails are in fact TAILS and not hair, it's the fact that the Wyvern's lightning blast frizzes her hair up completely - and yet the tails are still distinct, each one lined with lush blonde fur (brown at the tips) that is, currently, standing completely on end. The same goes for her ears ... and, well, the actual HAIR that she has, yeah, that looks like the front half or so of a bad afro. A really bad one.

The rest of her is scorched and sooty and in extremely high dudgeon. "You do not zap me and fly away to snicker about it, you overgrown iguana ... !!" snarls the sage fox, followed by flinging her staff at the wyvern as though it were a spear - and then leaping after it.

Suiren is, as has been mentioned in this space previously, enchanted with ice magic. Quite a lot of it. And with Xiaomu's will triggering it, should the staff HIT the Wyvern, the big lizard will find itself encased in ice.

As for Xiaomu herself, she's trying to grab the hopefully-now-frozen wyvern, turn its head towards the ground, and just *suplex the hell out of it*. Or maybe do a piledriver. Whatever she's doing, it involves grappling and a head-first impact with the ground for her enemy.

(Yes, the Lightning Wyvern is now classified as an 'enemy,' not just an 'opponent'. It made this *personal*.)

Misha (757) has posed:
    Poor Xiaomu. Misha will tend to those burns later, but for now the Wyvern is trying to get away. Trying. Key word, considering how the Sage Fox hucks her staff. The resultant impact means it ices over, quickly, wings no longer able to flap as it snap freezes. And what's worse is the fox suddenly atop it and--
    There's a ground-shaking impact as Xiaomu goes WWE on the beast and with a nasty snap ans crash it comes down, still frozen, and no longer moving.
    "Well I guess that handles that." Misha huffs, letting her song come to an end. The Roc is a pure bonus, too.
    Meanwhile inside, Kazusa may have bitten off more than she can chew. As the Nyo horde starts munching on funbuns, when the girl sets one on her lap the WHOLE PILE shifts. Because the Big Nyo? lumbers in with a rumble, snout suddenly against Kazusa's belly after not taking Reiji's hand off from pettings.
    It is probably very awkward as every single Nyo converges to swarm both Kazusa and Reiji, nearly making the two disappear under pink and yellow fluff.
    But once the funbuns run out, they all recede in a wave of soft fur and...
    With a sleepy yawn and SNEEZE the Big Nyo's tail erupts. Blasting both with a spray of sparkling green glittery mist from its tail.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu retrieves her staff, checking it for damage, and lets out a breath. "So do we need to cut the heart out of this thing?" she asks Misha. "I can probably handle that ..."

She prods the Wyvern a bit to make sure it's actually dead-dead, not 'unconscious and prone to waking up when poked at with sharp implements'.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    During the entire Swarming of the Nyo, Kazusa is laughing, maybe even flailing a little bit, and above all doing her level best to pet the giant Nyo. And all the little ones. And-

    Okay so she might be a bit overwhelmed, but she's loving every moment!

    But then all of them finish their meal and leave, and for a moment all Kazusa can do is look giddy and reach up to adjust her glasses. "It was like being rolled up in a big fluffy blanket, only warm and cuddly," she decides, finally starting to stand up and-

    SNEEZE

    ...going completely still. Dripdrip. "..."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    There are things in this world that Reiji was just not trained to deal with. No theoretical scenario in Shinra's repertoire has ever accounted for being swarmed by adorable, snuggly fuzz-squirrels. Reiji freezes as the wave of fluff and warmth and HUNGER crashes into him. His eyes widen in surprise as EVERY INSTINCT screams at him to cut them all to shreds--

Except that they are so terribly fluffy. It's like being swept up by the softest tidal wave ever. Reiji's sword arm twitches once, then twice, before he reaches out to ruffle at the purring swarm of pink and yellow.

They're so soft, oh my God.

    But before the exorcist is swept away completely into the heaven of adorable, cuddly animals, the wave recedes, having utterly consumed his supply of funbuns. There's a twinge of regret at the back of his mind as the Nyo? ebb away. Should he have enjoyed that more? Should he have... pet them!?

NO! Reiji Arisu has a goddamn image to maintain! He can't just get carried away by fluffy magic squirr-

*BAMF*

    Reiji's train of thought is interrupted by green glitterdust and Nyo? sneeze. He blinks, holding his breath as he's covered in Nyo? MIst. It quickly dawns on him that this may be the stuff he's looking for, and he fishes out a couple of flasks from his vest to begin collecting it.

They didn't even have to fight! Not... Not really.

"...That wasn't so bad," Reiji says to Kazusa. "Usually this sort of thing ends much more violently."

Misha (757) has posed:
    The Roc is dead, the Wyvern is frozen, and the cuddlepile is... Fed and slumbering.
    "Yeah, just get the heart out." Misha replies as she plucks a few feathers from the Roc with a very satisfied look.
    Just wait until she sees Reiji and Kazusa when they come out, though.
    At least there's a picnic waiting for them. Sandwiches and riceballs, handmade and delicious. But that's not all. Misha seems to have packed more away in her backpack, and while the others eat and enjoy themselves, she pulls out what looks like a toolbox, and a LOAD of chemicals, beginning to dilligently work with the dragon heart, the Nyo? essence, and even the Roc feathers. Certain things might be... Recognizable, considering Misha applies the Nyo essence to some brightly colored cloth, when done wit hthat, she starts apparently piecing together the complex and intricate parts of a handgun, using the heart and feathers in the process as well and when done...

    Two handguns and a set of clothes are laid out.

    "Fwuah... There. I wanted to thank you guys for helping me out. So I needed that stuff to Grathmeld you all some appropriate gifts."

    The white gun with a large black spot on the handle is offered to Reiji, "Mmm... It's called Brahmastra Vajra, but that's kind of a complex name. So I'll call it Brah-jra." She decides. Before explaining: "It shoots lightning bullets."

    The black gun with a white spot on the handle is held to Xiaomu, "... Roc's Icebrand is kind of bland in comparison to that. Maybe something flashier... How about Flash Freeze?"

    Of course, Kazusa hasn't been forgotten. Her gift isn't a weapon though. It's a really ornate blue and white dress. Super complex and overthought in design, from appearances but actually fairly easy to put on. It looks very much like the seriously ostentatious clothes a Reyvateil would wear. "I used the Nyo essence in this. They're kind of known for healing people at random with the fluid from their tails. So not only will the dress repair any damage it takes, but it'll also heal you slowly as long as you wear it, and numb pain. It's actually an idea I picked up from the higher ranked Reyvateils in Tenba when I was working there. I'll call it... Reyvastyle~."

    All this. Was for gifts.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
    "Reyvastyle..." Kazusa murmurs. Just one look at her face shows how much she likes it, even before the features are explained. Almost immediately, she hugs the dress to herself and gives a bright, heartfelt, "Thank you~!"

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
The picnic lunch clearly appears to meet with Xiaomu's approval; foxes do not live by fried tofu alone, after all, and both the sandwiches and the riceballs are indeed delicious by her long-trained standards. She's curious enough about Misha's labors to look over at the Reivateil every so often while she's working; she's polite enough not to intrude with questions - she'll see what Misha's up to in due course.

And she does indeed get to see, by the time the food and the work are finished.

Xiaomu bows deeply, even formally, as she accepts her new weapon. "I think 'Roc's Icebrand' is a pretty good name for it, but I'll consider some possibilities," she says with a smile, straightening up again. "I can let you sign off on the eventual name if I think of something better than either of those, if you'd like - you did craft this for me, you should at least know what I call it if I don't like those names."

Self-repairing clothes? Xiaomu can't help but give Kazusa a slightly envious but entirely good-natured grin. Not that Xiaomu is generally prone to clothing damage, mind you ... cosplay shapeshifting has its uses.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
So, Misha's doing some strange things with the Wyvern-heart. Among other things. Though Reiji is a bit busy removing the last of the green-mist from his body to watch.

Because, seriously. Ew.

It did remove the last of the tingly uncomfortableness from all that Symphonic Energy exposure though.

    Besides, he has food to eat! Picnic food. It's excellent as always, of course. Misha's a pretty damn good cook. Soon enough though, Misha is done, and the fruits of her labor are laid out to her guests! Reiji's gift is...

A gun!

A gun that shoots lightning bullets!

    The name is... Interesting, though. Reiji takes the weapon and briefly tests its weight. How did she make a wyvern's heart into something like this, anyway!? Apparently by some mystical technique called 'Grathmelding.' Interesting.

    "Its name sounds familiar. I think there was something in a Hindu legend with that name," Reiji says, "But it is sort of long. Shortening it may roll off the tongue better." And it's way superior to calling it 'Zap Shooter' or something equally terrible.

Fortunately, Misha's naming sense is pretty decent. Unlike some other Reyvateils.

"Thanks," he says, spinning the gun around one finger. "This should be pretty useful."