[EVENT]

[soul_mods]

Characters: OPEN
Location: Death City
Rating: PG
Time: September 24
Description: The combined efforts of the residents of Death City are frustrating the kidnappers.

Comments

Re: [EDGES OF THE CITY]

[womanwattitude]

It seemed to Faye that the best place to look for evidence for sand creatures would be to go where there was plenty of, you know, sand available. That meant checking out the edges of the city. As she looked out past the last vestiges of city life, it occurred to her that she probably should have mentioned to Vincent or even Mustang what she planned to do. But she was a fly by the seat of her pants kind of gal, and this wasn't any real big deal - just a quick look-see at the desert and then she'd be on her merry way. Besides, it wasn't like she was totally defenseless

[If it's okay?]

[requiem_no_ame]

Squalo was once more running on higher ground, letting Shouta take care of the street-level as they moved towards the edges of the city. After the incident with Gray, he felt considerably more willing to trust his partner - perhaps a hint less of hesitation there - to keep up.

And then he heard a familiar voice.

He skid and shifted directions precariously - one slip would be a broken neck, no doubt - for the first time realizing that the incident could potentially involve people he could actually maybe give a fuck about.

"VOOOII," he screamed, after a moment, almost as an after thought, so that Shouta could follow him.

Adrenaline running high, Squalo ran.

[One would hope that it is...]

[sakuravoid]

Shouta had already caught on that Squalo knew his footing on the rooftops well enough, and, oddly, noticed him stop without seeing him before he heard his voice. But right now there were other things on his mind, the thrill of fighting again, the people out there who needed help.

He followed suit, out of the alley he'd been in and down the street. And there, a couple of steps out in the desert, a woman threatening to toss her shoe at one of the sand constructs.

"Just run," he shouted, though his volume paled in comparison to Squalo's, he could certainly get the point across.

[But of course :)]

[womanwattitude]

Voooii? She knew that voice. Oh hell yes, she knew that voice. Faye allowed a brief breath of relief before shouting, "Heeey! Over here!"

A moment later she heard someone else urging her to run. That wasn't a bad idea, all things considered. Faye didn't entirely trust turning her back on the creature, but that did seem like her best bet despite her uneven footing. Hoping to deter it as much as possible, she threw her boot full force anyway before booking it. Faye took a quick glance over her shoulder and saw it was on course to hit the thing right between its beady eyes - until it stretched up and swallowed the boot whole.

Shit.

A split second later her vision was filled with sand as she made a glorious face plant. The creature had snagged one of her ankles and pulled it out from under her.

[requiem_no_ame]

Squalo barked a laugh - dry and high and so morbidly amused it bordered on hysterical - at the display. He was never gonna let Faye live it down, for as long as they both remained in the City. In fact, he planned to bring it up as often as possible, next time they went out drinking.

Of course, to ensure there was a next time they went out drinking, Squalo took a sprint, arm arm transformed and ready to make himself a nuisance. The point was to get the damn thing more interested in him - and Shouta, right behind him - than the woman so graciously faceplanting in its grasp. He was pretty certain that as long as it promised them a good work out, Shouta wouldn't mind too much.

"I swear to fucking God," he said, loudly enough as he finally reached them.

[sakuravoid]

So her and Squalo knew each other? Well, enough time to chat it up later, for now it was more important to make sure she didn't get dragged off somewhere. Shouta generally didn't mind helping other people, and if it entailed fighting, well, he wouldn't complain about that either.

Of course he was only a few steps behind his partner, perfectly ready to fight the thing with or without the other fully transforming, or alternatively, helping Faye get away from it if Squalo wanted to take it down on his own. "What the hell were you out here for, anyway," he asked in utter exasperation, only half expecting a reply.

[womanwattitude]

It was official. This situation was mortifying, and Squalo's laugh did nothing to reassure her he'd forget about it later. As Faye's embarrassment increased, her temper shortened - it was predictable, like ocean tides and sunrises. She gave Squalo a scowl, though it was currently aimed at the ground. And the other guy. What did he think this was, a tea party?! This was no time for chatting!

"Sunbathing," she managed to snap back. The creature gave a tug on her leg, and Faye used the opportunity to flip over on her back. Maybe she wasn't a jeet kune do master like Spike, but she managed to kick the creature in the process with her free leg - for all the good it did. The sand beast didn't look affected at all. In fact it looked greedy, if such a thing was possible

[requiem_no_ame]

"VOOOII, I think this evens out our tab, doesn't it?" He laughed again, grinning a tad manically as he met the swipe with a slash of his own.

Hitting the sand was strange still, more so than it was when Shouta wielded him. He snarled and twisted out of the way, hair flying everywhere and limbs looking almost too flexible to be human. He had its attention and hopefully Faye would be smart enough to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

"I think you might owe me a beer now, even."

He jumped back away from a swat and towards Shouta. Squalo's grin was threatening to split his face in half, when he dissolved into light and aimed his fall into his Meister's hands. If he'd noticed the second creature approaching, he didn't say.

"All yours," he said, once more concentrating on being light and useful in Shouta's grasp. "Let's have some fun, yes?"

[sakuravoid]

He'd already noticed the second one moving towards him, not that it came as a big surprise what with them being in the freaking desert where the damn things crawled out of in the first place. Shouta closed the distance while he caught his Weapon, taking over the attack seamlessly. After quick strikes at both limbs, easily slicing through the sand, he used his momentum to leap right over it, blade cutting through what would be the head or face of the construct as he did.

It wasn't collapsing quite yet, reshaping itself slowly but surely, but this gave him time to get more blows in and a better view of the second target. Perhaps it would even distract the thing from Faye enough to let her escape.

[womanwattitude]

"What?! You'd bring that up right now? Oh!" She wasn't even free yet! Faye did her best to look affronted even as she scrambled out of the construct's sandy clutches with only Squalo and his partner standing between her certain kidnapping, possible death and/or severe exfoliation.

Okay, so maybe he had a point.

"Alright, alright," she conceded once she got away. "Fine. Deal." She wasn't sure if they were paying attention to her at the moment anyway as they worked to finish off the creatures. That was okay. It gave her a moment to collect her remaining shreds of dignity. From her relative place of safety, Faye took off her remaining shoe so she wouldn't hobble and watched them fight.

"It seems you boys have things well in hand." She said as she prepared to leave. "Now don't go causing too much trouble~"

[requiem_no_ame]

Squalo's only reply was a laugh as he fell in sync with Shouta. There was still something foreign in the way the man handled a sword and it bugged Squalo somewhat. It wasn't that he was bad because he wasn't, but he didn't have a form. A unity in the way he used the blade, until it became an extension of himself, rather than a tool. Of course, considering swords probably weren't the man's first choice of weaponry that was expected - at least Squalo hoped so, otherwise he'd be solely disappointed.

He was glad to see Faye getting away though, hopefully she'd stay out of trouble now.

"Bitches get harder to deal with the bigger they get, huh?" He noted almost clinically, watching Shouta fight from his privileged point of view.