nexuses | this is the worst date ever

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this is the worst date ever

[ somehow, it all went to shit.

in shirou's defense, the entire situation has absolutely nothing to do with him. wars are on a scale too large for a soldier like him to manipulate at will, and even he's not arrogant to believe that his actions have a tipping effect on the grand scale of things. war is made by people up top, moving their pawns around in a mahjong shuffle, and he just happens to be one of the pawns. no, if anything screwed up in the grand scheme of things, he's taking no personal blame for it, thank you very much.

that being said, that doesn't make being stuck with seven trion soldiers in a single city block any more pleasant. shirou considers himself to be some sort of a big-shot (he knows he's good, okay), but seven in a place where civilians haven't fully evacuated is really just too much for a single guy to handle.

(it was that damned new-type. it slammed into the three of them like a bolt out of the blue, and as if the fact that it could fly wasn't insulting enough, it grappled utagawa and slammed into kazama, leaving shirou with this mess and no way of getting back to his team in time to help. he hates that new-type. he hates everything.)

but he has to handle it. failure isn't a word that comes easily to kazama squad, and anyway, it's kazama's orders. secure civilians and then move to help the B-ranks near the city edge; regroup when the situation is right. as of right now, the situation is not yet right; and it's shirou's job, unfortunately, to make it right. he twirls his scorpion as he surveys the scene-- three humanoids, a marmod, one that resembles a large jumping spider, an ilgar in the distance-- and the one he's gonna get rid of first, the bander that's making a mess. his tsk is that of annoyance as he twirls his scorpion, tuning out the terrified screaming of civilians, when--

a spray of bullets connect with the side of the large trion soldier, causing it to balk and screech and shirou to duck with wide eyes. the ensuing metal against metal is akin to dragging sandpaper through his ears and he cringes, even as he dashes forward again under the bullet spray without hesitation, springing up weightlessly to slash right through the trion soldier's core. ]

... Oi. [ ... crap, what was his name again? he can recognize his footsteps even among the carnage of noises vying to distract him from his goal, that half-skip that more resembles someone frolicking in a field of flowers than a soldier on the battlefield. shirou lands in a crouch, and makes a face as his blond hair comes into view. right. that guy. ]

Inukai... -san, [ he tacks on after a moment of reluctance, even as his eyes dart to the right. one of the humanoid's looking this way, and it just plain creeps him out, the way that one, sole, core resembles an eye. carefully, he taps into his com, motioning for inukai to do the same, and heaves a heavy, heavy sigh. ] tell me honestly, do you really have a reason to kill me that badly? [ an annoyed beat. ] It's been three weeks since I insulted your captain; go tell him he should get over it already.

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[ the humanoid slashes forward again. it takes but half a breath for chameleon to envelope his trion body, low-grade humming of power that separates him and the visual outer world. the humanoid stumbles forward, a 0.25 beat of its internal programming stuttering to analyze the fact that its target has vanished. shirou considers 0.25 seconds to be positively leisurely. he dashes from the opposite side with his scorpion, and watches as the humanoid's internal processes catcht the tailend of his blade, just before it shorts out due to trion loss. ]

Dead. [ is his extremely thoughtful answer. the humanoid hasn't even hit the ground before shirou's pelting down in inukai's direction, all but punching his scorpion through the head of the next humanoid before either one notices his lithe form sailing through the air. he can hear the internal gears of the remaining humanoid spinning as it hurriedly puts distance between itself and the two combatants-- but by then, shirou thinks, it's far too late.

still, overconfidence breeds errors. by the book, he leaps away from inukai, putting the required space between them so that both of them can move freely, even as he makes a sour face. ]

And no, it looked like a mess. You looked like a mess. Are you trying to get me to criticize you on purpose?

[ now the advantage is theirs. sumiharu grins through the next barrage of bullets focused on the lone humanoid, drawing its shield. he's always preferred the one-on-one approach, and being able to concentrate on the one without worrying about numbers is deeply satisfying – so much so that he can't help but bark with laughter. ]

You'd criticize me regardless of whether or not I try. So? Have any tips for me?

[ while they're on the topic, he figures he should milk kikuchihara's judgment the best way he can. ]

[ yeah, because shirou would REALLY want to impart pinpoint and poignant advice to the gunner of a team as thirsty for A-rank as ninomiya squad... actually, never mind, he totally would. if inukai's default response to this situation is laughter, shirou's would be a bone-weary sigh that emanates from deep within his flesh and blood body. ]

None. [ he says this flatly, feinting at the humanoid and then vaulting over it acrobatically, head over heels, when it struggles to defend itself against inukai's bullets. being upside-down for the duration of this sentence doesn't make him sound any less unimpressed: ] You seem to think that I have critically judgmental things to say that your captain hasn't said already.

[ getting a kick out of insulting ninomiya aside, shirou would have to be a fool to not have realized that ninomiya squad, as deeply flawed as they are, were aware of said flaws. or haven't been flayed alive by ninomiya for said flaws. ] Besides, you won't change even if I said anything.

Edited 2016-07-07 22:01 (UTC)

[ everyone has critically judgmental things to say about ninomiya squad, himself being no exception. it's a matter of how they phrase said judgments, and, thus far, ninomiya has been the best for two years running. so kikuchihara's right on a certain sense of that account.

with the humanoid neighbor struggling under their mutual fire, sumiharu continues the rhythmic blast of his assault weapon. he's got none of kikuchihara's fancy moves, but his role is cover, not entertaining offense. ]

That's not true. I wouldn't discard anything you say that's worthwhile.

[ if it is, that is. ha ha ha. ]

[ if trion bodies didn't adhere to some of the most pointless biological constraints, shirou's sure his eyes would have rolled all the way into the back of his head. ]

You don't think anything anyone says is worthwhile.

[ his blunt assessment of the situation, along with the hidden message that he doesn't particularly care if inukai picks up on or not -- but he'd have severely overestimated inukai if he didn't: inukai doesn't even consider anything he himself says to be worthwhile. the humanoid's joints creak as it attempts to duck the barrage of bullets. shirou shifts smoothly with his scorpion in hand to bring his blade down.

a head flies. he rolls out of the way of the ensuring trion-induced smokescreen. something in the air clicks, high above him, and without even glancing up, he falls into a dead run. ] Your left.

[ ilgar bombardment ahoy, run like hell, inukai. ]

Edited 2016-07-08 01:54 (UTC)

[ that's probably the most blunt exchange they've had throughout the entire fight. under the guise of focusing on the oncoming bombardment – because to be perfectly honest, he'd completely forgotten about the ilgar – sumiharu deigns not to reply to that assessment in favor of running as fast as his legs can take him. ]

Roger –

[ in his trion body, he's swift on his feet (and because he's in his trion body, he hardly feels the bombardment behind him, knowing that he'd narrowly dodged the very first batch). he knows kikuchihara is, too, but they ran off in opposite directions.

perhaps location won't be an issue, given that the ilgar is airborne. it's better to communicate, though, so sumiharu takes to the com: ]

Should we regroup?

[ wow, running from a direct confrontation now-- though to be quite honest, shirou saw it coming. you don't get to inukai's level of fluff without having some serious escape-fu, both physically and metaphorically. and shirou doesn't care enough to chase. besides, they have bigger, more explosive problems to worry about. if inukai can feel judgment through com wavelengths, shirou is exuding it in spades. ]

It's an ilgar. [ it's a friggin whale nuke, why would you want to make it easier for it to take them out, ] Why would we-- [ just then, something beneath shirou's feet tremors.

... really.

for one long second, shirou considers just leaving inukai to his fate and go off on his merry way. one sacrifice for the greater good and all, and technically they're so far apart that shirou has no responsibility to do anything about it. but that one long second passes in a blink of an eye, time that's quickly erased by the looming sense of TEAMWORK that shirou can't just turn away from. shirou skids to a stop and changes direction without hesitation, vaulting over debris in a lesser version of hardcore parkour. his request to kaho for topographical information via internal coms is quicker and far more terse than his annoyed internal whining of why do i have to save inukai's sorry ass.

when he speaks again, it's urgent, low and with a brittle note that suggests more than just a few half-assed complaints if inukai doesn't consider it worthwhile: ] Changed my mind. Inukai-san, if you want to live, do exactly as I tell you.

[ how long does inukai have? the tremors beneath his feet are quick, but hampered by the natural rockiness of the terrain. he clicks his teeth in annoyance as he calculates. ] In three seconds, jump.

[ because that's when a jumping spider's sub-terrain trion tentacle is going to try and fuck him up okay. ]

[ sumiharu can feel the judgment, all right, but kikuchihara's attitude is the least of his concern. with a tone like that, he knows to follow the other agent's instructions to the letter. still maintaining his pace, he counts down in his head and jumps on the third count – and there it is, the trion tentacle. ]

Wow! I didn't see that coming. Good hearing, Kikuchihara-kun.

[ landing where it's safe after the initial surprise attack, sumiharu also taps into his com for hiyami regarding the new neighbor in the vicinity. while that request processes, he routes his next message to kikuchihara, who has been crowned de facto leader as of ten seconds ago. ]

What now? The ilgar's getting close, but our new company's pretty annoying.

You don't have the right to call anything annoying. [ considering every atom of trion in shirou's body is straining to catch the minute sounds of fucking underground tentacles for you, inukai-- he vaults in time to dodge his own tenacious tentacle troubles, blinks twice to adjust to the topographical map overlaying his visual information, and clicks his teeth in annoyance. ]

Jump again, four seconds. Please tell me you still have Hound.

[ shirou knows that back when ninomiya squad was a part of the expedition force, inukai most definitely had hound. but it's been a while, and that last battle where inukai used absolutely nothing but asteroid honestly didn't help. ]

[ it takes one to know one. sumiharu has every right.

and it's not his fault he'd forgotten scorpion during the four-way (yes, it is). leave it to kikuchihara to bring up the very subject he hadn't cared to talk about earlier when the timing is convenient for him. ]

Of course I do. [ then it's the fourth count, and he jumps to avoid another strike of the tentacle. ] Tell me where to direct the shot and I'll hit it.

Of course you will. It's your job. If you can't hit these with Hound, of all things, then you have bigger things to worry about than your pride. [ if you can't hit these coordinates that shirou's sending to you right now, shirou bringing up his massive failure to use any weapon other than asteroid in that fight is going to be the very last of his concerns.

just as the coordinates are sent over, shirou finally enters visual range of inukai. click click click click click, the ilgar above happily shakes off a few bombs -- and it's the coordinates of those very bombs that shirou needs inukai to hit with hound. you know. like, right now. before they get bombed to death kthx. ]

Edited 2016-07-08 11:42 (UTC)

[ so serious as always. he's not a master with hound yet, but he's had plenty of experience in adjusting its trajectory. sumiharu is prepared to take the shot when the coordinates come rolling in, vaguely registering kikuchihara's physical presence. ]

No problem at all.

[ the ilgar's high enough in the air that he's got some leeway, anyway. this would have been a walk in the park for the likes of ninomiya and izumi. in any case, sumiharu fires the hound attached to his assault rifle, and his aim is true (the abundance of bullets is a definite plus in this situation) – the bombs burst midair, at an altitude safe for the civilians making their slow escape. ]

There. Threat averted. And the other one?

[ no incoming tentacles that want to make out with their legs? ]

[ the explosions above rock the air with the force of its blasts, causing shirou's ears to ring. but it's marginally better than the bombs detonating on the ground, in which not only would there be massive amounts of civilian casualties but also the added complication that shirou wouldn't be able to hear any subterranean activity at all. at least this way, if he ignores the discomfort of aerial shockwaves, he can still make out the crunch of rock beneath their feet.

thank you for not being a shitty gunner, inukai, even if your personality begs to differ. now that he's within visual range, his side effect can better pinpoint the directionality and speed of the tentacles below ground. shirou rolls his eyes. ]

It's only a threat for you. Three seconds, jump to the left. [ his scorpion twirls at the ready, his steps light as he hops onto a piece of concrete, blasted from the foundation of a former apartment building. ] Also stop putting me in charge. All this responsibility is going to make my skin wrinkle.

[ he counts three, to the middle of kikuchihara's next words, and then jumps to the left, bounding off the wall in that direction to propel himself where it's safer. ]

You're the one who said that I should listen to you if I want to live. I haven't had problems so far.

[ but it's true that kikuchihara's side effect is mostly effective for evasion. that's not going to get them anywhere in the long run. it's a support skill, not an offensive one, though that's not accounting for kikuchihara's gift for tactics. so, no, sumiharu isn't particularly compelled to take over. ]

Let's do something about this Trion soldier.

If you can't do your duty, then just living is useless. [ ooooh #shotsfired. shirou's face remains impassive as he studies the sky, while keeping an ear out for the rumble beneath the ground. the jumping spider's attacks are slowing down, as though it were trying to take into account the fact that it can't seem to hit these two earthling soldiers. that's bad, it might be a trion soldier with a capability for limited learning. ]

Anyway, it's slowing down. Keep in mind that the only reason why I haven't gone chameleon and destroyed it is because I need to keep you from becoming a waste of Trion. Do something about your survivability, and I'll do something about that new-type.

[ it might sound as rude as fuck, but it's an accurate assessment of the situation -- also a nudge for inukai to take the command already, you 18-year-old. kidou's going to look severely at him again for breaking the chain of command. again. ]

[ aren't the shots being fired by the wrong person? and age aside, he's not the a rank here. but what kikuchihara is saying isn't false. ]

Is there a way to lure it out of hiding? If I play the decoy . . .

[ sumiharu directs his attention to the ground, but he can't begin to discern where the next attack might come from. as far as this new-type is concerned, kikuchihara has the far higher advantage in taking it down (and he may well be capable of doing it alone, but there's safety and greater efficiency in numbers, per border's way of things). the ilgar is circling, so they've got a bit of time to take care of the other trion soldier before it comes back to drop more bombs. ]

If you played decoy, you'd just die. [ but... shirou's ears prick at the minute movements beneath the ground's surface. up above, the wailing of a whale as it circles back again.

ugh, no. he has an idea, but it's so much effort. shirou makes a sour face. ]

If you Full Guard, how many ilgar bombardments can you withstand?

[ sumiharu takes that sour face to be a good sign. kikuchihara's bothered, which means he's exerting effort and has a plan, which is more than can be said for himself. brainstorming with kikuchihara is like pulling teeth, but this'll do. ]

It depends how much Trion I'll need afterward, but I should be able to take a few.

[ wow who died and made you a dentist!! shirou considers this for a brief moment. as tempting as it is to let inukai handle the brunt... no, he does need to have trion left to remain useful in other capacities. while shirou had been hoping to conserve trion, it's better for the battle as a whole if he supplies trion as well. ]

I'll contribute. [ to the Full Guard. his eyes dart to inukai for a moment, before he looks away, ostensibly in order to check on their surroundings, but in actuality he just doesn't like meeting anyone's eyes. ] We can use the ilgar to bomb the new-type out of hiding.

[ essentially have someone be a sitting duck bait for the ilgar. let the ilgar bomb the shit out of them -- and in doing so, bomb the trion soldier out from underground beneath them. ] ... the new-type is probably as sensitive to sound and vibrations as I am. [ if not more so, otherwise it wouldn't be able to target them so well above-ground. therefore: ] Ideally, it'll be smart enough to come above ground before the shockwaves from the bombs affect its sensory systems, but even if it doesn't, the blasts from the bombs should be able to cave the ground in and damage it anyway.

[ what doesn't need to be said: when it comes above ground, it's as good as dead. ]

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this is the worst date ever

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this is the worst date ever

(･｀ｪ´･)つ

（〜^ڡ^)〜

Щ(◣д◢)Щ

ヽ/o ل͜ o\ﾉ

ヽ(#ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ┌┛

◟(˶╹̆ꇴ╹̆˵)◜

(ノಠ ∩ಠ)ノ

҉*\( ‘ω’ )/*҉

ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ

ヽ༼>ل͜<༽ﾉ

(」゜ロ゜)」

ヾ(￣◇￣)ノ

ヾ( ･`⌓´･)ﾉﾞ

i no longer have the attention span for an emoji tab YOU WIN FOR NOW

WEENERRRRR

yes

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҉\( ‘ω’ )/҉