[IC] DanMachi RP: Secrets of the Dungeon

[TaroAndSelia]

As soon as Voltaire engaged her last kobold, Koph darted around him and rushed the two coming at his back. She didn't slow a step as the distance closed. Both kobolds saw the attack coming and tried to sidestep; she followed to the left and rammed her spear through that beast's chest. The power she put in, and the momentum behind it, blew the kobold to ash with the impact. It's partner lashed out while it had the chance, the back of its arm crashing into Koph's exposed side as she drove past. The blow knocked her over, sending her rolling to the side. She tucked her arms in, careful to keep her spear beneath her and the tip above her head as she tumbled.

The rolling stopped and Koph pulled herself to a knee. The kobold had begun to rush toward her already. The Amazoness coughed twice, feeling out the bruising on her side through her lungs. It throbbed a little, but nothing was seriously damaged. As the kobold came close, she threw herself to the side and tucked into another roll, this time tumbling at an angle over her right shoulder, then came up running toward Voltaire.

Two paces shy she slid to a stop and spun back, ready to keep the final kobold at bay with her speartip. "Together this time," she called over her shoulder. "Can you jump me?"

[Ithradine]

Voltaire breathed heavily as he stood up from his kill, the back of his left hand wiping the small amount of blood that dripped down his cheek. A fair exchange he supposed, though not an acceptable one. He'd come back from brawls on the streets with worse wounds than this. His eyes just caught Koph rolling along the ground, the sight of his partner getting got him fired up for some payback.

His hands were raised to his chest as Koph made her way to him, his eyes glancing over her only briefly before returning to the incoming threat. She didn't seem to waste time with words as she stated their next move: a coordinated attack. Despite 'jumping' having a different context on the streets of Orario, he understood what she meant "With ease." He stated, confident in spite of having never done so.

Voltaire quickly took a few paces back from Koph to give himself the run up, he was nothing if not athletic. Between jumping rooftops and running for miles every day, this should be well within his ability "Ready." There was no room for insecurity. If he did not give it his all, he would not make it. His stance shifted into a lower position, power transferring to the muscle in his legs.

[TaroAndSelia]

Koph nodded. She lunged forward, sending two quick jabs around the kobold's head. The monster ducked to avoid the tip, then prepared to rush in. "Come!" the Amazoness called. Without withdrawing again, Koph pushed her spear straight down. The monster was far enough under that it reached up with both hands to catch the shaft beneath its blade, preventing any attempt to cut. At the same time, though, this froze the kobold's movements. All she needed was to give a firm tug to one side--to push the kobold off balance, and to make sure her weapon wouldn't be in Voltaire's way. Just at the right time.

Her eyes drifted shut, her breathing fell quiet, and her ears strained to pick up every note the Song had to share.

[Ithradine]

Sharp determination glinted in Voltaire's eyes as he propelled himself forward, full power being sent into his legs. Koph was dealing with the kobold and it was his responsibility to deal a finishing blow. The two adventurers moved to a song unknown to Voltaire, their once solo acts moving into a single, powerful duet. With everything he had to give, he leaped into the air. Above Koph's head he flew, twisting his body into position to strike.

The tension built up to its climax, the drumming of his heart going wild in his chest. Koph timed her movement perfectly and left the kobold unable to react. With his dagger above his head now in its downswing, victory was assured. Voltaire's feet landed hard on the ground, the blade of the dagger slicing deeply into the front of the kobold. Voltaire's body seemed to freeze as the monster returned to dust and stone, the tip of his knife dripping slowly with blood.

His breathing was heavy, that had been a intense first fight but the adrenaline flooding his veins was all too sweet "We..we did it." A slight rasp gripped the words, as he regained his stamina. His body loosened as he turned back to his partner with a victorious grin.

[TaroAndSelia]

Koph returned her comrade's grin and added an affirming nod. That was a good look on his face. Confident, but not crazed.

Koph spread her hands on her spears shaft, then stretched both arms high overhead. Her torso expanded, causing her bruised side to cry out in a moment of pain. She pushed through it, sucking in deep breaths that pushed her chest out before releasing them again. After a few moments the discomfort faded. Lowering her arms, she twisted her body to look closely at the point of contact. There was no visible discoloration anywhere on her smooth skin; whatever damage the blow may have done was minimal, so her body had or would soon finish repairing it. "No trouble," she confirmed to her partner.

Looking at Voltaire, though, that might not have been totally true. There were still traces of blood on his cheek. She stepped close to get a good look, even reaching a hand out to hold his head there so he couldn't move. "Any pain?" she asked.

With another moment's thought, Koph leaned in and licked the blood off his cheek. The wound had stopped producing any more, so all that remained was a thin line that would disappear soon enough. "There. You look good; now we can keep moving."

[Ithradine]

Voltaire felt good seeing Koph return a similar expression, this was new kind of high that would take some time to get down from. He took the time to brush off some dirt and dust that got on his clothes as he moved closer to Koph. He felt like a little kid again roaming the streets with a crappy wooden sword. The main difference now was that he was no longer alone.

Speaking of which, Koph had gotten rather close..."What are you doing?" He asked confused, feeling her hand grip his head. A sudden heat seemed to rush through his blood. Pain? Oh she must mean the cut on his cheek "Nah, I don't even feel it." He tried remaining calm.

That went out the proverbial window with Koph's next action. Blood rushed into his cheeks, coloring them a bright red. The fact she did it so nonchalantly made it even worse! The half-elf expression was a mix of shock and disbelief "H-hey! You can't just lick someone like that!" He stumbled with his words at the start "I could have gotten it myself or at the very least you could have used your finger!" He sounded upset but he really how no idea how react to this so it was the first emotion he latched onto it. It sort made him feel like she was treating him like a kid.

[TaroAndSelia]

"Hm? But you asked earlier; and that was only a small wound. I really doubt you could have done that yourself," she added with a laugh. "Unless you're one of those people with a really long tongue and can lick the tip of your nose--ooh! Or your elbow! I hear that's impossible for even the gods!" Koph held up her bent arm and moved her elbow as near to her mouth as she could. Her arm was long and slender, and nowhere near close enough for her to even make the attempt to lick the end of it.

"Let's keep moving, then. We'll drop one more floor, then orbit. Try to stay back-to-back, too. Did you have any more questions?" Her thoughts were spoken as quickly as they formed, and they certainly didn't seem linear. Despite it, she smiled and stretched again, this time tucking her spear behind her and wrapping both arms over it, then using the haft to push her waist forward and arc her back.

[Ithradine]

Voltaire was at a lost for words. A dumbstruck expression covered his face as he listened to the minor insanity of the amazon. Could Koph really be an airhead? His astonishment overtook his embarrassment as he gave up trying to think of a reply to all of that. Instead he decided to just let it pass and move on, like Koph said. He followed her now wary of the walls themselves, unable to relax now he knew that monsters spawned from them.

More Questions? He had a lot more now but they weren't all about the dungeon. She seemed to bounce constantly between thoughts, a trait that would take some getting used to "Do all the monsters come out of the walls? Also, How far have you made it down?" The first question was something he needed to know, whereas the second was more curiosity about her strength. Airhead or not, Koph seemed pretty good in a fight which one could expect from an Amazon.

He would keep the real personal questions for after the dungeon if he asked at all. Personally, he was neither ashamed or mournful of his past so he was more or less an open book on that subject. Voltaire understood though that some people prefer to never bring it up. It would make him more comfortable fighting with her if he knew anything really about who she was as a person.

[TaroAndSelia]

"Up here, yes. Always the walls. Some might be out already, of course, so they're in the passage. The Middle Floors, they say the roof isn't safe. If the pattern holds, the floor will become dangerous, then even the air itself. I've only been to the fifth floor, though; I haven't heard of even Agni Familia dealing with monsters that appear from thin air." Koph looked back down at her side as they moved. "I'll need to be a lot stronger to deal with that kind of monster. Definitely strong enough that this kind of hit doesn't hurt."

She looked back up at her companion. Her eye roved over his torso and arms, again appreciating how developed they were despite his young face. "Strong like you. How did you grow that strong without Falna?"

[Ithradine]

The complexity of the dungeon was a little daunting, it seemed like nowhere was truly safe inside it. He didn't know how to properly describe the feeling he got when Koph stated she only made it to floor five. Relief? Satisfaction? Though he was a new member of the familia, he didn't want to fall too far behind her. She gave him plenty to think about. The dungeon sure was a mystery, one that he would try to uncover.

A flash of surprise came across his eyes "I've been pushing myself for the past few years. Running, jumping, lifting...as much as my body could take. I guess the reason I met you in the first place is because I finally pushed too hard!" He let out a soft laugh "But you're pretty strong yourself." The truth was he might have acted a little rashly when accepting the invitation to join Amaterasu's familia...but it felt almost cozy to be part of a smaller familia.

[TaroAndSelia]

"I am Amazon," Koph explained simply. The shout of a goblin further down the passage alerted them to an approaching threat. "We especially, nomads, had to be prepared. Girls can be trained when they are of age--about your age. You must have begun training much sooner. To already have been years, did you begin while still toddling?"

The troop of greenskins appeared around a bend, charging with abandon. Their leader had picked up the top half of a broken spear from somewhere, and was now waving it with glee as it rushed with its posse at the adventurers. Koph slowed her steps and brought her own weapon to bear, then glanced at Voltaire to ask his thoughts.

[Ithradine]

His muscles tensed hearing the shouts, it seemed at least this time they had fair warning. His listened to Koph talk while keeping his focus ahead. A grin cracked at his lips with the image of a small child trying to fight while barely able to walk. Nobody was around to teach him so his technical skills were sub-par which is why he had to rely on his raw athleticism. It suddenly donned on him that she might think he is younger than he actually is.

The dagger was raised in front of his chest, ready for the goblins' attack "Not that young. At the time, I had to look out for myself. Life's easier on the streets if you can handle yourself." He added a extra bit of commentary. It wasn't long until the goblins reached them, but they were less intimidating than the kobolds. One of the grunts lunged for him and Voltaire narrowly dodged out of its way, managing to kick the monster away after it failed. There were a bit more than the kobolds but they seemed rather weak in comparison.

[TaroAndSelia]

As Voltaire kicked the goblin away from him, Koph spun around and caught it mid-tumble with her own powerful kick. The creature went soaring back the way it had come, crashing into another goblin and putting both to the ground for a time. "That sounds strange, living on the street. You were surrounded by all these people, but had to care for yourself?" Koph's spear struck out, digging into one goblin's arm as it tried to dodge, then into another goblin's stomach that failed to. Both backed away, but another pair eagerly rushed to take their place. What's more, the half-spear wielder was winding up for a charge at Voltaire close on their heels.

Koph shifted her stance closer to Voltaire and the center of the passage, swinging horizontally with her spear to cut across the advancing goblins. One had wandered too near and couldn't back away soon enough, earning a gash across its chest. The one beside it ducked low and charged forward under the spear, eager to tackle the Amazoness's legs.

[Ithradine]

Voltaire nodded in appreciation of her well-placed kick. It just went to show that when you trusted someone, you could achieve great things. Full trust wasn't yet there for him but he knew Koph could be counted on to watch his back "That's right. Here in Orario, people are just looking out for themselves." He said with assurance. Voltaire was even guilty of this. The only reason he wanted to be an adventurer in the first place was to grow strong and live with luxuries he never had. There was no other motive.

His eyes watched Koph's movements and reacted to her steps, keeping close as the monsters closed in. A spear was not normally useful at close range but he sensed she could make do. Even if she could not, their weapons complemented each other. Voltaire spotted the goblin trying to get by her spear and quickly launched towards it. His free arm wrapped underneath the arms of the goblin and held them back as his dagger plunged into its chest. The little creature struggled, more than he expected, but was killed nonetheless. A dagger was not a elegant weapon, but it was one he could use effectively.

More goblins made their way towards them as he steadied himself. Together they would be able to cover each other's weaknesses if they cooperated. He could only imagine how much harder this would have been had he gone himself.

[TaroAndSelia]

"That's a bad way to grow a city. You'll never get anywhere." Koph stood alongside Voltaire, her speartip daring any goblin to step closer. "If the tribe acted like that, our strongest warriors would eat heartily and the mothers with infants would starve. But (switch me sides) maybe that's what familia are. City tribes." Koph dropped back a step and let Voltaire take point as the goblins made their rush. She spun around his back, moving both hands to the bottom of her spear as she did, and came out the other side with a powerful swing just as the goblins were jumping forward. It's shaft smashed into the first with tremendous force, and the momentum carried it into the second as well. Both creatures were thrown sideways, passing right in front of the leader goblin and barreling into another of his cronies. The one disappeared in a burst of ash; the other two fell against the wall and lay still for the time being.

"So maybe this is more like the time our tribe gathered with three others to slay the Spotted Wyvern killing all the animals," she continued. Another goblin had been close behind the first two, but in the moment it hesitated it found the Amazoness's foot greeting its face with violent intimacy. "It didn't even eat half of them; the beast just wanted blood. It was an ugly thing. Places where it had been, the rhythm was all skewed. Unnatural."

[Ithradine]

He nodded once "You don't have to tell me twice." Orario was the 'Adventurers' City' and that meant anyone not one of them was not treated with the same respect. It was almost a daily occurrence to see some drunken adventurer using his power to bully someone weaker. His grip on the dagger reversed as Koph slipped around him "That's one way of looking at it." Voltaire didn't know much about being in a familia so he couldn't exactly voice an opinion. There were goblins to slay anyhow.

Where Koph moved, Voltaire moved the opposite...constantly covering her exposed sides while listening to her short story "Monsters like that should not be allowed to exist." He remarked strongly, as if hinting at something else, before he dashed forward to strike at the goblin leader. He kept light on his toes allowing him to safety dodge its initial burst of attacks. At the end of the flurry, he moved in and used his unarmed fist to strike the goblin's jaw. The blow disorientated it long enough to propel his dagger forward and slice up its right chest all the way to the chin.

Voltaire kicked back and moved closer to Koph again, he was relieved the golbins did not have the speed and deadly claws that the kobolds did "Why did you leave your tribe Koph? Um..I mean, why come to Orario?" It only took a second to realize his question might have sounded a little accusatory. His eyes warily watched the goblins recovering from their hit. What was her motivation?

[TaroAndSelia]

"I left because I am of age." The goblins were hesitant to approach again. Koph smiled and bounced up and down on her toes, her heels tapping a regular rhythm into the floor. "I didn't have an intended, so they sent me out to search. To search and to grow." With a glance back at her partner, Koph grinned and leaped forward into the goblins. Her spear darted about rapidly, weaving through the air and the warding arms that tried desperately to stop it. With the initiative taken from them, the remaining goblins didn't last long.

"Why Orario, though? Because of Agni, I say. Bards sing of his familia, all travelers have stories to share, even the tribes exchange legends of the great adventurers. The rhythm their tales carry is compelling--like a powerful river that draws you, pulls you along. I knew I would be an adventurer; that was the only melody I could hear."

Koph scooped up the magic stones near her. A small pouch appeared from somewhere beneath her skirts, into which she deposited them. Then she turned and held the pouch open for Voltaire. "I'm glad, too. To be here, inside the Dungeon. There are all kinds of noise outside among the city, but here I always find the flow natural. It's serene. Peaceful."

[Ithradine]

Voltaire watched as Koph tore into the goblins, standing by to assist but she seemed able to clean the rest of them up fairly easily with their morale broken and their numbers crushed. He got hung up on the word Intended and was able to piece together what she meant. Whoever married Koph would need to be one hell of a person in order to keep up with her. Once she was finsihed, she began talking about the Agni familia and he noticed that she had been using the word rhythm and flow quite a bit. He had to admit he was getting curious.

He picked up all the magic stones that were in his area and brought them over to Koph "What are you talking about when you say 'rhythm' and 'flow' of something?" It was hard for him to phrase the question properly. Music was only something he listened to and never pondered, not when he had far greater concerns. Once the stones were in the bag, he put his dagger back in his arm sheathe. No one had been really around to properly educate him and he was lucky enough to be able to read.

[TaroAndSelia]

The Amazoness studied Voltaire's face, hesitating. Finally a small, tired smile flitted over her lips. "Okay," she mumbled, giving herself a small nod for encouragement. "I speak of the Song. It's... Do you...? No, that's..." Over and over again Koph stumbled across her words. This was definitely the most flustered Voltaire had seen the energetic Amazoness.

"Here," she said at last. She reached out with both her arms and grabbed Voltaire's hand, gently pressing it into his chest. "Do you feel that beat? Your heart; sometimes slower, sometimes faster. Mine, too," she added, grabbing onto his other hand to press it to her own heart. "They beat together, or separate, or different, or the same. Then when you begin to move, and to choose, and to act, you start making a melody. Or a harmony. Or a counter-melody. And everyone does, so there's always a lot of noise."

Koph took her hands away, letting Voltaire's hands be free once more. "The Land has a heart, too, and a voice, and a Song. That's the Song. Her Song." Koph stared at Voltaire intently, anxious for what kind of reaction he would have to her words.

[Ithradine]

Voltaire simply watched the amazon, observing the different expressions she made while trying to come up with an answer he'd understand. The Song? That word, at least in this context, meant nothing to him. He had listened to many different songs living in Orario but he got the feeling she spoke of a different kind. It was almost cute seeing how flustered this was making her.

The constant, rhythmic 'thumping' of his heart spread across his hand. It could be compared to the beating of a drum he supposed. Koph didn't stop there and surprised him by taking his hand and placing it over her own chest. At first, the action caused the young male adventurer to blush a little but then as he felt a similar beating, drumming to his own...he began to understand just a little of what she was saying. A look of thought replaced any kind of embarrassment he momentarily felt.

As Koph released his hands, he stared at them in front of his eyes for a moment. It was confusing. It was a foreign way of thought. It was something he had never even stopped to consider. Voltaire let his hands fall to his sides as he looked at Koph "I'm not really sure I get all of what you are talking about..." He then smiled "...but you are saying life is kinda like dancing, right? And that there is a special music playing in the background?" It probably wasn't the best interpretation of it, he knew that, but it helped him to see her view-point.