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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:06:10 GMT -5
A slight smile touching her lips, Rinoa stretched, taking in the salt-scented air as a breeze lifted her hair and made her duster ripple about her knees. Lowering her hands, she crouched to the edge of the water that splashed against her boots, dipped a finger in as it washed up on the sand around her.
She liked Besaid. It was a simple but lively little town, and the residents were kind to her; it reminded her of Balamb, a memory that brought a tinge of sorrow to the smile. She missed Balamb, occasionally found herself thinking of it...but even more, there were people that she missed. It wasn't that she had stopped looking for them - she wouldn't stop looking until she found them, but for now, she had to support herself. Wandering on her own, with no clear destination and little money, had taken her a considerable distance. But since deciding to stay here, she had found that remaining in the town was far better for her, at least for now. While it was a small town, Besaid wasn't at all isolated, and travelers often passed through, bringing with them news from distant places. Only a few days ago she had met a pair of SeeDs, and while they hadn't been able to help her in her search, seeing them had strengthened her hope.
Rinoa had learned much during her stay in Besaid. She made a habit of collecting any bit of useful information she could get from people passing through the town, and beyond that, she had been told by the people a great deal about Yevon and Sin and Spira. With Yevon still in a state of disarray she had easily found work in the temple, where they were working to separate the stories of Yevon from the truth. Not being of Spira, she wasn't much help in that regard, but she helped to clean and to rearrange books, which she read often, fascinated by their subjects.
But despite the comfort of her life here, Rinoa was starting to grow restless. Gazing out over the ocean, listening to the sounds of ships pulling in and leaving, she began to imagine herself on one of them, being carried away to an unfamiliar place...
Not yet, though. She wasn't ready; she wanted to at least have something to go on before she left, and at the same time, she wasn't quite prepared to abandon her comfortable, simple lifestyle.
She'd stay a little longer. And for now, she had to return to the temple. For another moment she continued to swirl her finger through the water, and then she stood, turning back toward the town.
They wouldn't be happy if she was late.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:06:33 GMT -5
~Jinko-Mina~ She stood just at the entrance of town, a happy smile running across her face as the wind picked up. She gave a little giggle as she felt the cool breeze brush against her bare cheeks and her long pink hair blowing through the wind. Her daddy had given her permission to go out and play with this girl named Rinoa and she was so happy. Thinking about her, her lips curved into a mischievous grin. She walked through into the the town, looking around happily as she held her wakisashis loosely in her hands. It was nearing sunset and she could see little kids running home, adults standing outside and talking to one another. Such a quiet town. Such a peaceful town. And her friend was nowhere in sight. "Awww...this town looks boring daddy!" She whined out loud, getting a look from a few of the citizens. As she saw the looks she just gave a grin. "Okie-dokie! I guess Rinny wants to play hide-n-seek! I'll make her come out!" She hold her hand out at one of the homes, flames flickering as the gathered in front of her palm. "Fira!" The fireball shot forth, smashing into the house and beginning a small fire. "Rinny! Come out come out wherever you are!" She jumped from one foot to the other, skipping lightly as the townspeople began to try and stop the fire. OOC: Well, there ya go. No more boredom in Besaid.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:06:54 GMT -5
-Rinoa-
Rinoa was in no rush to reach the village. They didn't need her back immediately, and she liked the sights of the island, the ancient architecture that now stood as little more than decoration, the rushing waterfall that she would sometimes watch from the bridge that spanned the cliffs before it.
Besaid was calm, peaceful, quiet, comfortable. It was easy to relax here, among its welcoming citizens and its beautiful scenery.
It was easy to get careless.
She didn't notice it at first, the black smoke that rose into the sky, just visible in the distance. Her eyes were focused on the trees and, farther away, the ocean that splashed upon the rocks, much below the high path she stood on. But as her steps turned her toward the sloping hill that led to the village, her gaze found it, and she suppressed a gasp, her feet suddenly spurred on by a rush of urgency.
Fire? An accident? Was anyone hurt? But as she neared, that childlike, singsong voice reached her ears; though she couldn't immediately make out the words, something about it felt...wrong. The town had its share of young children, but she had been among them long enough to know them, and this voice was different, held a joy that none of them would express if their home was in danger.
And then the village was directly in front of her, and she could see the girl, could hear her clearly. Rinny. A chill came over her. Rinny...Rinoa?
No. No. Besaid had come to mean too much to her, this couldn't be because of her! But even as she thought it, the weapons in the pink-haired girl's hands flashed in the firelight, causing any doubts she may have had about who had set the blaze to vanish. Why? She didn't even know who the girl was, let alone why she would be after her!
Memories flashed through her mind, quick as lightning, memories of the stories of the first Sorceress War, of her own experiences in the second. She was a sorceress. Though she kept it a secret, that power was undeniably a part of her. And those with her power were sought after, whether for fear of or want of it.
She clenched her hand, and the action brought to her attention the silver ring around her finger, a ring in the shape of a lion. A faint smile lit her features. Perhaps she had attained some of his pride.
If it was her power this girl wanted, it was her power she would get.
A chill swept through the air, and without warning, the ground beneath the attacker became frozen. Ice exploded upward, filled the gap between the stone walls marking the entrance to the village, forming a barrier, preventing the girl from getting too close.
"I'm right here," she said evenly, no trace of her anger or her guilt lining her voice. "And I won't let you hurt anyone else."
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:07:23 GMT -5
~Jinko-Mina~
Just as her foot landed on the ground she felt the chill in the air and the slight present of magic. Quickly she hopped back, making a little twirl in the air and landing back on her feet. For a moment she still kept her back towards Rinoa, mesmerized by the frozen wall that now blocked the village.
"Oooo! Pretty pretty!" Another little giggle escaped between her pale lips as she turned to Rinoa, giving a sweet innocent smile as she tilted her head, a few pink locks of hair falling in front of her hair. "Daddy was right! You're gonna be fun!"
Her smile stayed, yet her eyes stared right into Rinoa's as she began to lean forward, holding both her swords backhanded. "Our game of hide-n-seek is alllll over! But that just means we can play my favorite game-"
Kicking off from the ground she made a dash towards the sorceress, her speed impressive as she came close to the black-haired woman. "-TAG!" Bringing both arms around, she aimed to try and slash across the woman's upper chest and stomach at the same time, her face still holding such an adorable expression.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:07:44 GMT -5
-Rinoa-
Rinoa managed to dodge the attack, though not without difficulty. She was fast! Her childlike manner had caught Rinoa off guard, but the strike proved that it was no child she faced. She landed, cast a Haste spell on herself in an attempt to even their speeds. If she couldn't keep up, she didn't have much chance of winning, regardless of her strength.
But winning wasn't the first thing on her mind. Now that Besaid was safe, she could tell, this girl...something was strange about her. She didn't seem the type to come after her for want of her power. She was truly like a child, despite her obvious combat skill, the way she laughed, the way she viewed their battle as a game.
And..."daddy"?
"Who are you?" Rinoa took a defensive stance, not wanting to hurt the girl if she could help it. "What do you want with me?"
It was obvious she was dangerous, but somehow...fighting like this seemed...wrong.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:08:01 GMT -5
~Jinko-Mina~
Mina stopped briefly, watching as the woman before her managed to dodge her attack. She gave a look of awe before her childlike grin returned to her face. "Ooo! You're better than I thought!" She began to skip in place again, hopping from left to right as she listened to Rinoa's questions.
"Who? I'm Mina!" As she landed on her left foot she made another dash forward towards her target.
"What? Silly silly Rinny! I told you! I-" Hopping to the right she then tried to come at Rinoa's left side, bringing her right sword around from her side, aiming for her gut once more. "-wanna play with you!" She was filled with happiness, a happiness she had never felt before. She was finally outside, finally free to move, and finally able to make a new friend.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:08:16 GMT -5
-Rinoa-
The woman attempted to dodge again, but Mina was too fast. She stumbled and the blade grazed her side; turning, she countered with a powerful Fire spell, intending to use the short range to her advantage. In the cover of the blaze she managed to put some distance between herself and the girl again, though she doubted it would last long with her speed.
Play? She called this a game? She truly was a child, innocent, naive. That fire spell had been too much. She couldn't let herself use that kind of power again, couldn't let herself hurt Mina by accident.
"Blind!"
If she couldn't hurt her, she could at least slow her down, disable her. Child or no, Mina was out for blood, and Rinoa had to keep up her guard.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:08:35 GMT -5
~Jinko-Mina~
"Hah! You're i-AH!" Just as she was claiming her victory in tagging the black haired woman, the fire shot towards her, only giving her enough times to bring her arms up in defense to the spell. The power behind the spell itself was enough to knock her back by a good foot.
"Oow! Ow! Hot!" She quickly shook both her arms, trying to cool off the burning sensation. Instantly, her eyes locked back onto Rinoa and she grinned. "You're fun! Fun! More fun each time!"
Her grin lasted only a moment as she ran towards the woman, her movements quickly halted by the blind spell hitting her directly. "Ah! Daarrk! Where are you!? Where are yo!? No more hide-n-seek!" She began wildly tossing her arms around, striking at thin air all around her. The darkness in front of her eyes clouding her vision horribly, making it nearly impossibly for her to make out anything.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:08:58 GMT -5
-Rinoa-
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Mina. Fun...she enjoyed battle, even if it meant she was hurt herself? Did she enjoy inflicting pain just as much? Strange...and sad.
Rinoa relaxed her stance once her Blind spell hit, watching to ensure that she remained far out of reach, but making no move to counter. Regardless of how badly the girl wanted to fight, she couldn't bring herself to fight a child, even if she looked so much older than one.
"Tell me...who were you talking about when you said 'daddy'?"
Perhaps that was who had brought Mina here, who had sent the girl after her. If asking her about her own intentions didn't work, maybe she could learn something about the intentions of the one behind her.
She wouldn't let anyone toy with her, or with the town.
"What is it that he wants?"
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 3:09:24 GMT -5
~Jinko-Mina~
After another few harsh slashes in the air in front of her, Mina finally stopped and dropped her arms to her sides, holding her weapons loosely. She could still hear her target's voice, she could still feel the wind around her, she could still smell the smoke from the house she had burned when she first arrived. Staying calm, she heard the questioning voice that belonged to Rinoa.
"Daddy...you wanna know who daddy is? What he wants?" Her voice slightly calmer, still sounding childish though as she tried hard to focus on her task. "He wants Mina to go out! To have fun!"
She took a step towards Rinoa, waiting a moment as she prepared herself. "Daddy is my owner! daddy is my creator! Daddy wants me to play with all the new people who are so powerful!" She stuck both swords into the ground, holding them backhanded. Slashing both swords forward she sent a quick slash of energy crashing through the ground and in Rinoa's general direction, hoping to cause some form of damage. "Shock Wave!"
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Post by Griever on Jun 23, 2010 23:19:27 GMT -5
Rinoa's eyes widened slightly at the sudden attack, and it took a considerable effort and precise timing for her to dodge quickly enough. It was impossible for her to avoid it completely, however, and the strike threw her off balance as she landed, hitting the dirt hard. Wincing, she pushed herself back up, feeling the sting of a fresh scrape on her arm.
Owner? Creator? What sort of father...Unless it wasn't truly a father at all. The thoughts that entered her mind at the thought were horrific, but she couldn't ignore them as they flashed through her head. Memories of the renowned Dr. Odine...and the stories she had heard of what he had done to the young Ellone because of her unusual abilities. Kidnapping, experimenting, and no one could say how far it would have gone if Laguna hadn't freed the child when he did.
And looking at Mina, it seemed that things had gone even farther for her. She drew in a sharp breath, trying to put the thoughts out of her head and focus despite the tangle of emotions that came over her. This girl...even if it was for all the wrong reasons, she was serious. And it seemed that talking wouldn't get any information of use out of her. She was too much like a child, too focused on her "game". The only choice remaining was to give her the fight she wanted, as much as she may have been against it.
The familiar sensation of magic flowed through her body, and Rinoa extended a hand toward the girl, her eyes narrowing with focus. "Stop!"
(SO MUCH SUCK I'M SORRY.)
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Post by mattsukun on Jun 23, 2010 23:37:14 GMT -5
~Jinko-Mina~
The girl grinned happily, hearing her opponent fall to the ground roughly. It wasn't direct, but it had an effect and that meant there had to be an opening. Mina was still seeing nothing but darkness as the blind spell was still effecting her strongly. She made another dash for the Rinoa, for the spot she had her her 'friend' fall.
Only halfway there she heard the spell and before she could do anything her entire body stopped in mid-step, causing her to fall to her knees, her arms falling to the direct under her. She quickly tried moving, tried pulling her arms up, even tried moving her head, but her body had been stopped. She could still move her eyes, though it did her no good as she was still blinded by the spell.
She gave a little sniffle and grumbled just like a little child. "Waah! Rinny's a meanie! She cheats at Tag!"
OOC: So...yeah....Mina...>.>..lol
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Post by Griever on Jun 24, 2010 2:30:15 GMT -5
Rinoa watched with caution as Mina dropped, held in the effects of her spell. She didn't seem the type to pretend to be trapped when she wasn't, but she was far more dangerous than she looked. It wouldn't be smart to underestimate her.
But as the girl began to whine and complain, she relaxed. Children didn't have the patience to play at things for long, and she wouldn't protest so vehemently if she wasn't truly upset. Her boots tapped softly against the dirt as she approached the girl, and when she reached her she dropped to a crouch, letting out a sigh.
"I won't hurt you. I just want to talk. Calm down now, okay?" Rinoa looked her over as she spoke. Her face and body were that of someone much older than she behaved, and even in her tantrum, there was an innocence and naivete that belonged only to youth. Though she didn't know the girl's story, it seemed sad that she was like this, sad and unnatural.
"Why does your daddy want you to play with me? He likes strong people, doesn't he? Can you tell me why?" The tone she used was gentle, calming. It was the voice she used on the occasions Angelo decided to be temperamental, and it always seemed to work with her.
"If you answer my questions, I'll take off the blind spell. How's that?"
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Post by mattsukun on Jun 24, 2010 2:43:47 GMT -5
~Jinko-Mina~
Mina was still grumbling, quite upset with being forced to stop her games when she was having so much fun. Her ramblings of frustration were cut short by Rinoa's soft and caring words. At first Mina immediately tried slashing at the woman, hoping she could tag her once again, but to no avail as her arm wouldn't respond still.
Pouting, she hung her head in defeat. "Daddy's gonna be mad that Mina lost the game. Mina was supposed to tag Rinny, and then go and give daddy info about her. He's gonna be mad that Mina got caught up in play time."
She gave a little childish sniffle, not wanting her daddy upset with her again. As Rinoa had moved closer she could see the words 'ShinRa' branded into the hi-tech collar which was locked around her neck. Near the words, in smaller print was the name 'Synen'.
Looking up, her pink hair fell in front of her face as she tried to look in Rinoa's direction. "Daddy wanted to meet all the new people. All the strong people." As she looked up, her face showed she knew she had lost the game.
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Post by Griever on Jun 24, 2010 3:21:40 GMT -5
A smile pulled at Rinoa's lips when the girl began to reply. It had worked. As Mina continued, however, she caught her breath, staring at her in surprise. Info...? That was what all of this was about? Someone who wanted information on her - on who knew how many people, just because of rumors of their strength?
Her dark eyes lowered as she considered the implications. It wasn't likely that the man behind Mina was only after information. Not with a goal like that. Did he want her, as well? For what? For...study? The concept made her feel ill. Glancing back up, her eyes caught on the metal around Mina's neck, then strayed to the words etched upon it. Unfamiliar terms, unfamiliar technology...it reminded her so much of Esthar...
Her suspicions seemed to have been correct, and realizing that made her, in turn, realize just how much she didn't want them to be.
"Meet us?" Her voice faltered slightly, and she shook her head, trying to disguise it. "Why would he want to meet us?" Even if she already knew the answer, she needed confirmation. "And who are all the strong people? Was there anyone else he wanted you to play with? Someone besides me?"
Childlike or not, Mina was strong, and there was no telling if she was the only one her "daddy" would use. If there was anyone else in danger, she had to find some way of warning them.
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