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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2017 2:32:34 GMT
" - ooooo." Poppy collapsed onto what felt like dusty earth as her portal spat her out into some unfamiliar place. She was dizzied by the occurrence, her head throbbing and her vision heavily blurred as she blinked rapidly. "Where?" Her voice was presented as a low growl, her body feeling strangely foreign as she made an attempt at moving from her collapsed state. She stumbled over herself almost immediately, her newly acquired limbs floundering ridiculously as she made a series of failed attempts. Something was wrong with her body, but she wasn't entirely sure why. Eventually, she settled unsteadily upon four paws, her silver eyes taking in appendages covered by dark auburn fur and her own extended muzzle. "What?" It took a moment for Poppy to steady both her mind and body, but once she did she forced herself to thoroughly analyze the present situation she had just inserted herself into. "I think - I think I'm a lion," she said. "That must make this the Pridelands?" She was stuck in the form of a cub whom was still in the midst of acquiring a more adolescent shape. Her fur-tipped tail would absently twitch before she settled herself onto her haunches. 'I've never been here before,' she thought, marveling at the sight of lengthy stretches of barren land. Eventually, her gaze would shift toward her standing portal, memories quickly reemerging of her mentor. And a look of embarrassment soon fixed itself upon her muzzle because of it. "Of course I'd have this kinda luck." |
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Villains
Masamune
Weapon
Single
Relationship Status
Gaia (FFVII)
Homeworld
36
Years Old
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Arc
CST
Tag me @sephiroth
Trainee
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Post by Sephiroth on Oct 29, 2017 5:33:11 GMT
"Don't pretend like you're
sad...."
@poppy
Sephiroth calmly walked out of the portal just as it shut, cat-like eyes staring at Poppy as she tried to get used to her new body. Sephiroth had undergone a change as well; into a lion, same as her. Though he appeared as a full grown adult. His fur was entirely silver, his icy-blue eyes changing to look more like a lion's, but still carrying the otherworldly glow of his regular form. On top of it all, he had a long, silver mane. The soldier hated these worlds. His body changing and it being entirely out of his control was more than a little infuriating.
"It seems... you need more practice than I thought." He flexed his paws, claws digging into the stony ground. The one-winged lion looked around at their surroundings; bones. Rocks. Dead trees. Wherever they were, it wasn't pleasant. Sephiroth slowly walked forward, seemingly having an easier time at it than his apprentice. It was a simple concept to him; one paw in front of the other. Left first, right next. The lion looked back at Poppy and noticed her struggling. "Just put one paw in front of the other. You will get it soon enough."
While he didn't want to be in this world, a great opportunity had presented itself; a lesson in adaptability. He could also benefit from such a lesson. He could safely say that this experience was new to him. All they needed now were some enemies and the lesson could begin. Based on how ominous this place looked, Sephiroth figured they wouldn't have to wait long.
"What did you do? Were you thinking about where you wanted to go? Or did you put your exit portal in any old place?" His voice was calm, not angry. But it was firm, as he believed it should be. He was her teacher, after all.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2017 7:00:14 GMT
Poppy cast Sephiroth a sheepish grin before she visibly wilted underneath his stern features. "I guess I had a difficult time... concentrating? Yes - concentrating on where I wanted to go." Her mind had the tendency to shift its focus at random intervals. And her grasp upon her own darkness was, at the moment, pitiful. It was like attempting to gain control of some writhing and wriggling mass that simply refused to come to heel. "I'll get the hang of it," she said. After offering up a verbal form of reassurance, she went about standing unsteadily upon her legs. The young lioness moved to approach Sephiroth, her steps uncertain as her own claws occasionally retracted and dug into the dry earth. Poppy went about moving in tight circles shortly afterward, only halting her movements when she felt as though she could manage a simple trot without losing balance. "This is actually pretty wicked," the girl commented, her smile quickly returning. "I can..." Her eyes fell shut, her head tilting back as she deeply inhaled the stagnant air. "I can smell so many things," she commented. Poppy's gaze shifted toward Sephiroth, before it quickly transferred over to his tail. It was, at the moment, idle; but her instinct caused her to crouch into a mockery of a huntress's stance as her gaze remained fixated upon the sight of the appendage. 'Oh. Wait. Concentrate. Con-cen-trate.' She corrected herself with a little grunt of frustration, forcibly plopping herself into a seated position to focus upon her mentor. "Are we going to stay here or - ?" |
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Villains
Masamune
Weapon
Single
Relationship Status
Gaia (FFVII)
Homeworld
36
Years Old
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Arc
CST
Tag me @sephiroth
Trainee
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Post by Sephiroth on Oct 31, 2017 2:23:34 GMT
"Don't pretend like you're
sad..."
@poppy
The lion continued to examine their surroundings as his student reassured him she would figure the whole portal thing out. "I know. I wouldn't have taken you on as a student if I believed you couldn't master something so simple." Sephiroth looked back at Poppy as she commented about how her sense of smell had been heightened. He noticed too. It seemed they were lions in more than appearance. Still, he had more important things to figure out.
When asked if they would be staying, Sephiroth turned to look at his student. "Possibly for a moment. This presents an intriguing opportunity. You have been thrown into a situation you are not entirely prepared for. How will you adapt, I wonder?" He moved over to a small cliff, leaping up onto it. He looked down at Poppy from above. They had been here long enough. If he knew the hunting patterns of Heartless like he believed he did, the darkness in their hearts would be irresistible to the creatures.
It was like throwing bloody meat into the ocean. Soon enough, you will encounter sharks. It was inevitable. 'Soon... very soon.' Sephiroth looked to a rock formation just behind Poppy. From his higher position, he could see a tiny dark creature rise up from the ground. Followed by one. Then another. Then another. In total, four tiny black creatures rose from the ground and began to stalk Poppy. "You have company." He raised one paw to point at the Shadow Heartless sneaking up on his student.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2017 8:20:07 GMT
'Company?' At first, she shot Sephiroth a bewildered look before a certain something proceeded to prickle at her sixth sense. Poppy detected a familiar presence at her rear, and would turn sharply before backpedaling clumsily as she was faced with the sight of Heartless. They were a minor sort; smallish and weak yet still very much capable of felling someone such as herself if she were to put up a pitiful defense. 'They're big,' she thought. 'But I guess it's because of my size.' Poppy crouched, her mind - at first - suggesting she produce one of her blades. But she quickly realized she did not have a weapon to wield, and would have to rely upon her own natural arsenal. Instinct guided her along, her lips curling to reveal pointed teeth. 'I will kill these things,' she promised. She felt a tinge of malice arise, motivating her actions as she pounced without hesitance. Her offense lacked finesse; there was no grace nor well-timed movement. Poppy would simply maul without mercy, her own desire to see the Heartless dead intensifying in a short period of time. The Heartless, in-turn, responded with violence. They wielded those inky black claws against her, attempting to brutalize the small lioness into submission so that they could harvest her heart. But Poppy proved quick, moving from one to the other in a few short moments - biting down into their shadowy forms with the slightest hint of relish behind each action. Eventually, the creatures would die - fading into nothingness as killing blows were delivered with haste. Poppy would release quiet huffs of air once the given task was complete, her newly acquired muscles somewhat strained from the effort. "It's done," she said. Her gaze shifted to take in her immediate surroundings, the young girl careful not to be caught unawares once again. |
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Villains
Masamune
Weapon
Single
Relationship Status
Gaia (FFVII)
Homeworld
36
Years Old
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Arc
CST
Tag me @sephiroth
Trainee
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Post by Sephiroth on Nov 1, 2017 20:05:40 GMT
"Don't pretend like you're
sad..."
@poppy
Sephiroth watched as Poppy sprung into action against the Heartless, tearing them apart with the weapons her new form provided her with. If he wasn't a quadruped, he would have given her a round of applause. When Poppy announced she was done, Sephiroth gave her an approving nod. "An admirable performance, Poppy." He hopped down from the cliff, landing next to his student.
"You will find that the ability to adapt is one of your most important. If you can adapt to any given situation, your opponent will find it impossible to catch you off guard." Speaking of adapting... as soon as Sephiroth finished his sentence, they were surrounded by Heartless once more. Their numbers had doubled since the last attack. With eight enemies facing her down, Sephiroth figured that he should give her a hand.
Eight on one might be a little too much, even if they were lowly Shadows. Poppy would get there eventually, that much he knew. "It appears your next lesson begins now. I will assist." He wasn't sure if he could call Masamune in this state, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't need it. The soldier had adapted to his new body well enough at this point, so it would more than suffice to take down these base creatures.
Sephiroth moved to attack with little warning. In almost an instant, Sephiroth had lunged to his target's position, swiping at two Shadows in his path on his way past them. The two Shadows burst into a black haze after Sephiroth got his claws in them. His strikes were surprisingly quick and precise for someone who had never been a lion before. He appeared to be a master of the adaptability he was trying to teach Poppy.
Sephiroth knew he could take on these Heartless himself if he wished, but he wasn't here for that. No, this was Poppy's lesson. He helped thin their numbers a bit. Now, it would be up to her to take the rest of them down.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2017 19:56:58 GMT
There was a cold efficiency present within Sephiroth's movements, the experienced warrior wielding his claws. He bore down upon the enemy, his movements appearing far more precise when compared to her own. Poppy found herself marveling over the sight before she snapped her attention toward the foes whom had escaped Sephiroth's assault. She would be expected to fell the majority, and accepted the challenge with gusto. 'That's one down.' She felt herself grow more and more comfortable in this quadrupedal shape of hers. Swipes that were once clumsily delivered now inflicted a considerable amount of damage upon the Heartless's forms. 'Two.' It felt good to dispatch a Heartless - but she couldn't help but wonder if she would be required to snuff the life out of someone whom thought - whom took breath - whom could intelligibly respond to her actions. Poppy's mind quickly snapped back to her reality. 'Three. Four.' A single one remained, its form hunched as it twitched and continued to approach the pair despite it being outnumbered. Poppy observed the mindless beast for a moment, an arrogant look now fixed upon her features as she proceeded to lunge and wield her jaws against the shadowy beast. It required a few short moments for her to end it - but once it had dissipated into nothingness she felt herself tire. It hit suddenly, the adrenaline quickly dying off and being replaced with a surge of tiredness. Her eyes fell shut as she breathed, her mouth slightly agape as she sucked in air. "Okay, okay," she grunted. "I need a minute. Just a minute." An exaggerated 'oooo' escaped her, her rear plopping onto the earth before she collapsed in an unnecessary display. |
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Villains
Masamune
Weapon
Single
Relationship Status
Gaia (FFVII)
Homeworld
36
Years Old
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Arc
CST
Tag me @sephiroth
Trainee
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Post by Sephiroth on Nov 3, 2017 5:07:36 GMT
"Don't pretend like you're
sad..."
@poppy
Sephiroth watched as his student took down the Heartless one by one. She was beginning to get used to her new body. He was pretty impressed with how easily she could adapt. 'She has more potential than I thought...' She was certainly going to be instrumental in his goals. Very useful. As she took down the final Heartless, Sephiroth nodded to her in approval once more.
"Good. That is ten Heartless taken down in quick succession. For someone of your skill level, that is quite impressive. That being the case, you should be made aware that the creatures you just fought are the lowest of the low. They are a decent starting point to begin your training, but you should know you have a long way to go." The soldier was aware of Poppy's arrogance during her fight.
Sephiroth himself was consumed by that flaw, though he viewed it in himself more as confidence. Still, he knew that a little confidence was a good thing. Taken in too large a dose, however, it could prove to be fatal. One could not let their ego grow larger than their skill. The soldier's skill and ego were in perfect balance, however, as both were rather large. As Poppy collapsed to the ground, Sephiroth looked at her stoically before approaching.
"Rest for five minutes. At the end of that time, we will hunt and eat as lions do to get our strength up. Then, we will go home." This was the first time Sephiroth mentioned a "home." The man in black travelled a lot, but even he had a place to rest his head. "It is barren. It will not be comfortable. However, it will keep us warm and dry. Ofttimes, that's all you can hope for."
With that, Sephiroth turned and began to patrol around the area. "I will keep watch. Five minutes."
ooc; There was actually one more Shadow, but you seemed to have intended for Poppy to get them all, so I just rolled with it as if you did. xD
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