hugtopia_logs | [closed] i was hanging with you

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[closed] i was hanging with you

♥ Who: Noctis and Pyra
♥ Where: VR cafe, King's Knight
♥ When: early may
♥ What: cute surprises
♥ Rating: PG

[ Over the past couple of weeks they had resumed some of their usual routine. At his leisure they've trained together, this time both with his magic and her own fire, and they've also found time to play King's Knight. Already they've climbed the dungeons together to the point they've almost reached the end of the game.

It's towards the early afternoon where she leaves her work at the labs, and she sends him a text to meet her at the VR cafe-- today is the day where they finally beat the game. Their last joined saved point had been just as the final dungeon leading up to Ophion. Greeting him with a warm smile, her hand finds his as soon as he arrives. They take their usual spots in the cafe and, donning their helmets, enter the game.

Her hand is still in his as she blinks them open once the virtual reality assembles. Before them is the beginning of the dungeon: a series of crystalline staircases ascending a mountain, punctuated with levels of plateaus and terraces where more treasures and enemies await heroes on their gauntlet; behind them, their last chance to stock up on healing items and equipment before proceeding. The cooler wind-effect of this level gives away that they're already somewhere high-up, and her longer hair within the game flows behind her like ribbons upon a flag.

She turns to him, her head tilting. ]

Oh... New class?

[ And a new level, she sees. It seems he's been playing this on his own time, too! While it does make her question why the sudden change for the final area, perhaps he believes being a Dragoon may help them more against the superboss. ]

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[He'd definitely been playing on his own time. Not a lot in the last month, but he'd played plenty the month before, so recently it was just a matter of picking up where he'd left off and progressing while she was busy doing other things. Sometimes he played solo, sometimes he'd dragged others into it, but for this particular project, he hadn't brought her along. He'd been searching for something, and just this week he'd finally found it, so her text comes at a good time.

He glances down at himself, confirming his armor choice- rather than the Phoenix Knight gear, he'd opted for the Dragoon class, something else he'd been working on recently, collecting the best gear so that they'd have a better chance of succeeding at this while he hunted for the item he needed to proceed. In contrast to the golden armor, this suit is dark and all sharp angles, the epitome of "edgy". It looks pretty stylish, if you like that sort of thing; he'd modelled it after the coolest dragoon he knew, after all.]

Yeah, I figured it'd have a better chance of getting close. Ophion's supposed to be huge, and the Dragoon class has a hell of a jump.

[ This is her first time seeing another in the Dragoon-class armor he's designed, and it suits him well. ] It looks nice on you...

[ If she were being honest, she'd say that she prefers it over the sparkles of the Phoenix Knight's design, if only because the latter feels a bit too much. Granted, all designs in this game are over the top (case in point, her own), but. The black-- the sharp angles. It's stylish!

As for Ophion... She hadn't built him to scale or to his exact design, but she is proud that the game accommodated for a decently size behemoth. Pyra looks forward. ] You don't think you can jump up all the way to skip all-- [ She waves at the stairs, jokingly. ] --this, can you?

[ In truth, it's likely she'll need all these stairs and time to prepare herself for when they come face to face with Ophion. It has been a while, even if this is a fake rendition of the legendary Artifice himself. ]

Up there? No way, there's bound to be an invisible ceiling or something.

[He offers up a cheeky little smile. She's putting on a strong front, but he has a feeling this won't be easy for her; much as he'd like to save the surprise for the finale, if need be he can let her know early, so she might take some comfort in how this will end.]

Plus, that's another reason why I picked this class... there's no way that a certain princess can order me to carry her up the steps.

[All these pointy bits would stab her, probably. Even the big lance at his back isn't safe! She is right, though, that it suits him. Dark aesthetics have always been more his style than the sunshine-bright of gold armor. Still, in this game he's not meant to be himself all the time, anyway.]

[ ...Yes, she sees how spikey that armor is, but here she brings her free hand to her forehead, feinting a, well, faint demeanor. ] Whatever will happen if this princess becomes ill? How will you carry me to safety?

[ She would have followed this up with a playful stagger into him, but his shoulder-armor spike doesn't seem too comfortable.

Pyra is ready to set up for the top, though, and she starts their journey for them. There is a surprise for him, too, at the top; Ophion aside, she hopes he'll be able to see it with her. ]

Hmm... how about I let you hang off my shoulders, like a cape?

[That's totally more dignified than the shoulder-carry of last time, right? He's still giving her that same cheeky look as he starts up the stairs with her, keeping pace.]

[ She sees that cheeky grin! And from last time, she's wondering if he'd somehow be able to do it. ] --I, I think an actual princess-carry would be far more appropriate!

[ So far, so good. The first plateau of enemies isn't too far off, though. ]

Maybe... but I also think it's important that every royal learns to walk tall on their own.

[There's a curious lilt to his tone as he says those words, there and gone again. Walk tall. They aren't his words, but they still ring true, whatever the circumstance.

As they draw close to their next foes, he reaches back for his lance, fingers curling tightly. Time to get back in shape with an old weapon, even if it's only a VR version.]

[ The enemies spot them before she has a chance to react to his words-- there's something sentimental about them-- and so she drops his hand to step back, equipping her bow.

They return back to the basics with this fight, and while it's her first time engaging in a battle in this game alongside a dragoon-class, she won't have to make many adjustments. When he leaps up high, the enemies turn their attention to her, but she manages on her own until he strikes them down.

It's like this that they ascend the terraced mountain, battling their way up each level until they finally come upon the last set of stairs framed by a elegant archway. No matter how different the game's randomized dungeon generator makes each domain, the arena of the superboss remains the same: just beyond those steps is the grassy summit of the mountain. To mark their foreboding encounter and set the mood, it's beginning to drizzle.

Fortunately, there's a save point generously off to the side which restores their health. ] We're... almost done saving this world. [ Once they defeat Ophion, the skies will clear. They'll receive their in-game reward but be able to stay and enjoy the scenery. She only has to get to that point. Drawing a breath, she turns to face him. Her own feelings are complex, but she cannot deny how proud she is for the both of them to have gotten this far (even if it's only a game). They worked hard on this! And it's been fun. ] Is your armor holding up?

My armor's fine. Sturdier than expected, all things considered.

[He'd fully expected to be more of a mess by the time they reached this place, even with how much practice he'd tried to do beforehand- dragoon definitely is not his best class. But no, with her help he'd managed much better, which makes sense since they'd programmed collaboration into the code for this exact reason. He feels better about what lies ahead, now.

He's technically ready for this, but first, he turns to look cautiously at her.]

What about you? Are you... okay?

[It's more than just in-game. This is Ophion. Knowing what he knows now of her, he can only imagine that the relationship she has with the creature waiting for them up ahead, even a digital rendition of it, must be just as complex and more important than she's told him.]

[ Months ago she had told him much when they were initially designing the VR together, but it would have been when they ascended the mountain and he saw the memory of Ophion within their VR that revealed more. Even when fed only snippets, he has a clearer picture than anyone of what Ophion might mean to her.

She can think of this as practice for what she might have to do in her own world. She's not saving anyone, if he's freely rampant. ] Mm, the same. Fully healed, full MP, too.

[ She knows he means how is she doing, though, so she adds quietly as she looks at him: ] I won't fall.

[He's grateful for the follow-up, though he would not have pushed if she didn't want to speak of it; digging into whatever old wounds she's carrying isn't his goal right now, and even if it was (because he wants to be there for her, if it's what she needs, but not by force) now wouldn't be the time to pry. They'll need to be focused if they're going to succeed in the battle ahead. Even if what he's brought with him is going to help, it surely won't be easy to win this fight.

He looks conflicted for a moment - should it be now, or a surprise? - before he opts to share rather than hold his tongue. This is a team effort, and it's important that she knows their true end goal here.]

...Hey... I've got something for you, before we go in. I think it'll help.

[ In the moments he had taken to respond, she had returned to checking her equipment and inventory, her expression complex. When he speaks, her chin lifts and she looks at him again.

She inclines her head, her longer hair falling over her shoulder. Brushing it back over with a practiced motion, she smiles at him. ] Hm...?

[He draws up his own inventory menu, sorting through it for a moment before calling into his hands a long, glimmering silver chain with thick interlocking parts to reinforce it. A set of charms hang at intervals across the length of it, with a single symbol carved into the metal of each.]

I didn't know what it looked like, and it seemed to really upset you so I didn't want to ask... so I just kind of ran with the name. It should work the same way, more or less.

[He offers it out to her, nervous and hopeful, so she can see the item name for herself once it's in her possession- Omega Fetter.]

[ She's about to ask what it is-- the chain, the symbols, she can't quite put it together until the title comes up. ] The... Omega Fetter?

[ There's a brief tremble of her hands as if the weight of the chain threatens to make her hold give, but then her fingers curl around the intricate string of metal. This looks nothing like the real thing (how could it, she's only just mentioned it to him in passing), but she understands the opportunity he's suddenly presented her with almost immediately.

He had remember that part of Ophion's story, the little secret she had shared. He had listened to her. He had taken the memory they saw of her past together and made something of it, he went out of his way to design and implement this into the game-- ] Noct...

[ It's a gift. Symbolic, a gesture that even if he doesn't know what is happening in her world... it doesn't need to happen here. She's not upset. She's actually very happy! It's only taking a bit for her to process this extraordinary treasure. It's not even that it's his rendition of the Omega Fetter itself that's overwhelming her, but that he's thought of her at all. ]

...You mean... we can tame Ophion, instead of-- [ Another tremble. ] destroying him.

That's... what it's supposed to do, yeah. We just have to get close enough to use it, which might take some doing. Figured it's worth a shot.

[It's difficult to read her expression, but she doesn't look unhappy at least, so he reaches out and sets his hands under hers, to support her as she holds the chains. He can hear them rattle as she shivers.]

Is this okay?

[ The tremble of her hands upon the chain stops as soon as he cups hers. Where they are seated in the VR cafe, her fingers clasp his hand more tightly, then relax. She shuts her eyes as she draws in a breath, silently letting it go with a gentle slump of her shoulders.

When she opens her eyes and looks up at him, her smile is small but genuine. ]

Noct-- it's... wonderful. [ She knows she's kept quite on Ophion, among other things. And it seems that he believes that she's in need of some comfort. He doesn't need to know everything to offer that, he does what he can, and that-- that speaks volumes.

Suddenly, she wondering more about this item he's made. Can it control Ophion, can they fly upon him-- can she take Nocits flying upon him, specifically, down and up the slopes of the mountain, through the sky, up through the clouds, higher, and higher, to see the stars there--.... Always, sentimentality gets the better of her. Reining her emotions in, she's content just with this opportunity, this fantasy in which to indulge in this game, a world where they do not need to destroy a version of her Artifice. ] Thank you.

[This item had been difficult to design without her; he's not a programmer, he knows nothing of computer code or app development beyond his concept ideas and artwork. He'd had to pay one of the locals to help him with it behind her back, so this moment of surprise could be possible. He could have told her, he knows, made it another collaboration effort. But what if it hadn't worked for some reason? What if he never found the item? It's rare, a random drop in an infinite number of randomly generated levels. It could have taken months and months to find it. He'd buried his equipment in luck-boosting gear, recruited thief classes to play with. It'd still taken a lot of hours to track it down.

Seeing her smile like that makes the extra time, work, and cost well worth it immediately, and he musters a smile in return. He's glad that it worked out.]

No sweat. [His hands curl around hers, partially around the chain as well, though he doesn't try to take it back.] Want to do the honours, or should I hold on to it until it's time? We're still in for a fight, I think.

[Ophion is programmed to be wild, a dangerous superboss. He has no illusions that they'll just be able to walk in and lope a chain around the dragon's neck.]

[ At this point, it doesn't matter who binds the robot-dragon. She shakes her head, but still seems enchanted by the gift. Her reply comes just a touch absent minded, sentimental: ] I think... strategically, it might have to be you. But we can always improvise.

[ Her thumb fondly runs over one of the runes upon a chain segment, idly wondering what the symbols mean and if he had designed them himself.

Having played together, they know just how to link up their attacks and chain them together for a percent bonus upon their damage. Ophion's HP might be daunting in number, but if they play their cards right, they'll come through. ] Or, ah... Together. We can tame this dragon together.

[ After another few moments, she looks up at him. ] Are you ready, Sir Dragoon? For the battle of the decade-- or, ah, century? To save this world... without slaying an ancient and noble beast.

We'll take things as they come, how about that. I always do better when I'm on the fly.

[Deep strategy has never been his style; that's just how it is. They may have designed this, but there's no telling what changes the cafe owners might have made in the time since its release, so flexibility is important as much as any plan might be.

He tucks the chain into the party inventory where the shared items are stored, potions and such, rather than personal equipment and items. If the opportunity arises, either one of them can end the fight, if it works. Once that's done, at her question, he holds his fist up towards her. Bump!]

Let's do this, partner.

[They are ready- he firmly believes this. They've done training, both in and out of game, they've fought side by side and have figured out how to synchronize their moves much better than how they were when it first released. They've stocked up on items. They have all they need to win. Now it's just a matter of following through.]

[ She returns the fist bump in kind. So often has she turned the action into a hand-hold that she reminds herself that now is not the time, not on the advent of a battle.

Pyra equips her bow as they ascend the last of the crystal staircase to a summit of soft, tall green grass. The leaves' waxy facets reflect white as they undulate with the high winds of the peak, and she brings a hand up to her brow to peer through the misty rain. It's silent at the top of the world, but through the cloud a single red light blinks on, and suddenly the mist is blown back with a metallic-tasting wind, forceful enough to cause her to grind her heels into the ground to stop her from skidding back.

With the clearing of the arena, the dragon awakens.

The last time she had seen Ophion had been in that VR memory. Recently wounded from battle, she bid him to hide from the world— just as she would do. Separated, her hope had been that neither she nor he would be found despite knowing the future had slain that hope. Seeing him again, although rendered into a far more diminutive size, does effect her: in the time it takes for the dragon to uncoil from his lair, flaring out his spiked mane, her grip upon her bow tightens as if in uncertainty...

But she's started already, giving a moderate buff for defense, a little in-game magic she learned along their dungeon-crawling.

It’s a good choice, too, because Ophion does not wait to begin. A peculiar sound-- like of a disk winding up, magnetic and unstable-- precedes the railgun flaring from one of the spines with a sound-barrier breaking boom. The trajectory is ballistic, trailing lightening in its path. It would probably be best to dodge. ]

[Immediately he's in motion, kicking off the ground in the opposite direction as Pyra and twisting his body away from the attack. He runs down the field towards Ophion, crouching down for a moment to power up his first jump before rocketing into the sky, lance out and pointed downwards to strike at the dragon's gleaming metallic scales. Ophion uncoils slightly, barely reacting, and Noct has to jerk away lest he be caught up against that twisting body. The attack barely makes a tiny dent in Ophion's HP, but that's about what he expected anyway, so it doesn't concern Noctis. His priority at the start of this fight is to learn the beast's attacks, what his tells are; that'll be important if they're going to survive long enough to tame him. There's a big difference between knowing them through code and understanding them in practice, something he's had to learn through playing up to this point.

Pyra is probably better at recognizing these signs than he is, having not only coded it but developed this from memory rather than imagination, but he's keeping an eye on her movement and health, staying distant to try and draw Ophion's attention to himself as he dodges around, though hopefully not too far that he can't run to her aid and heal her if need be. The nice thing about Dragoon and Archer - part of why he'd chosen this new class in the first place - is that they work well together even as a distant fighters.]

[ Thankfully the game has a reliable dodge-move, which she enacts to narrowly avoid the attack. The projectile tears up the field for meters behind her like thunder through concrete, tossing up soil and grass that subsequently rain down from the sky as heavy debris. The buff helps with turning damage from that into a negligible amount, and twirling into an attack stance, she lets loose her first arrow, a second, and then a third.

The first strikes against one of the metal platings just above the hinge of his left jaw, causing the beast to turn his attention to her. The second misses because of his movement, but the third? Strikes him right within his mouth, erupting into a flames. If this were reality, fire against his particular alloy of plating would have done very little. In this game, it does a hefty amount of damage-- and it also turns his attention to her instead of Noctis. Her head whips up when she's done with her attack, watching him from afar as she returns to prepare her next attack.

However, Ophion does as well. Whether Noctis manages to strike against his armor or not, he'll uncoil his tail further to thrash it about in the air, sending an salvo of homing missile against him. ]

[While Ophion reacts to the fire, Noctis of course takes advantage of his distraction, lunging forward and stabbing his lance with a boosted strike, piercing between the joints of those metal scales. He jumps back, wary of where the dragon's attention will fall; he'd expected Pyra based on the damage done, but his thrashing comes too close to where Noctis landed after his last attack. Whoops! He's the lucky one, then.

He has to rethink his first instinct to block, since he has no special shielding ability the way he does as the knight character, which means his dodge is a split-second too late to completely evade. Ophion is powerful enough that even a glancing blow from one of the missiles is enough to stagger him, taking off a chunk of his health- not devastating, but enough to teach him a lesson. Be more careful. They just have to survive long enough to wear him down, enough to get close.

He takes off at a run, leaping and rolling over the broad expanse of Ophion's body and landing within the coils. He remembers this trick working on one of the enormous snake monsters back home, and is rewarded for experimenting; Ophion constricts, the coils drawing closer and closer as the beast's head looms overhead, jaws open- a perfect, albeit quite risky, target. At the last second his powered-up leap rockets him into the dragon's mouth, his lance stabbing up into the jaw with the tip on the other side, effectively securing his mouth open. The downside is now Noct is in there, so he braces his foot against the teeth to avoid being thrown out and yells over his shoulder.]

All yours!

[He's plenty distracted now...!]

[ Having fought alongside him this entire dungeon-crawling adventure, she has begun to feel as if she's more or less grown accustomed to how he tackles battles. Sometimes he does strategizes, but more often than not he leaps right into the fray. She adapts quickly, having been very much the let's-battle-not-plan fighter a fairly long time ago. They've been in sync before, and often times the battles with him have become fun despite the (virtual) dangers they've faced.

None of that prepares her for him leaping into the mouth of a giant robot dragon.

Were she mortal, she would probably have used the idiom of seeing him like this as wiping years, perhaps decades off her life. He's even encouraging her in a way that isn't beckoning her for assistance on his behalf, but to take action against the beast herself! ]

[ --But he's got this, and his recklessness-- er, courage has given them a window of opportunity. Ophion thrashes, meaning that this won't be for long.

Pyra leaps into action, sprinting up the length of Ophion's tail, equipping the Omega Fetter. With the chain rattling in her hands she turns it about her head and whips it towards the the dragon's neck. The tail end of the chain automatically links up to the extension she holds about the circumference, creating a leash.

Activating its special effect causes it to erupt in golden glow, sending a pulse of power towards the dragon he writhes. Noctis might want to leap out of there, because from within his throat he's beginning to gather a bright red energy. As for Pyra, she strains to grip the Fetter, pulling it tight enough that it burns against her hands. ] Rrgh-- [ Gritting her teeth, she's nearly thrown off as the dragon begins to lift from the ground as if he might flee to the skies. For a virtual reality game, this is taking a lot of work. ] Ophion-- hold...!

[ Oh, yay, it's become a quick time event. Should Noctis have leapt away by now, one of the prompts allows her to reach for him to bring him onboard so that he might join her for dragon-wrangling. ]

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