The Stinger Snipe [training]

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Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

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The Stinger Snipe [training] Dec 18, 2013 10:33:47 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Dec 18, 2013 10:33:47 GMT -5

Sighing, Kotone delved into her mind, reviewing her battle theory again.

Ultimately, her fights as a marksman fell down to five battle "zones":

Firstly, the "Cross Range": A ring about 4-5 meters in radius, centered on both her and the opponent. All of her awareness, reactions and distance training was centered around keeping this much distance between her and all hostile targets. Within this distance, Lichtfluss is ineffective, forcing Kotone to fall onto her skills with hand to hand combat and Seele Schneider. However, Kotone knew that her skills with those did not amount to much, forcing her to train her speed and agility instead. She didn't have much of a "sword arm", but she emphasizes training to weave in and out of that distance, using Hirenkyaku or otherwise.

Secondly, the "Double Range": A ring twice the size of the "Cross Range". Here, Lichtfluss is somewhat effective, using non-assisted manual aim. Kotone also trains to stay out of this range, but here she can use her Heilig Pfeil well enough to be a threat. With it's speed, it would be wiser to back off.

Thirdly, the "Light Range": From the outer edge of the "Double Range" to approximately 35 meters away from her. Here, Lichtfluss is most effective, granting her the ability to pelt multiple enemies with her attacks. At this range the enemy can dodge and block easily, but this is where her marksmanship training comes in.

Fourthly, the "Heavy Range": Between 35 meters to 60 meters. This represents the maximum range of her techniques. It would be more viable at this point to focus several Heilig Pfeil on a single target.

Finally, the "Sniper Range": This goes from beyond 60 meters to 2 kilometers, or, for some reason, up to visual range. Lichtfluss' kanoneform has the unique ability to strike anything within this range, but the amount of time she needed to prepare a shot and fire it makes this almost pointless. However, it's still a feature of Lichtfluss, and so sniping became a possibility for her.

Judging by the maximum distance of her own Hirenkyaku, those she stand a chance against can, at best, move from the "Light Range" straight into the "Cross Range". This poses a big problem for Kotone, because her Blut Vene simply is not invincible.

All this consideration taught her two things: One, she needed a reliable method to survive at least one strike as she backs out of "Cross Range". Two, crossing between ranges is absolutely vital, and having a technique which could constantly threaten an enemy like a lethal cross-range opponent is paramount.

In order to accomplish these two feats, Kotone had devised two separate techniques. One was simply a shield, but the other was much more complex.

Looking around her, she found herself surrounded by rolling hills of endless grass.　Any further and she would meet the sea; the perfect middle. The only other signs of life were the many insects, majority of which being ants. There was also the occaisional bird.

Clasping her hands in front of her, a signature blue rectangle of translucent reishi formed.

It was time to begin training.

Last Edit: Jan 4, 2014 20:58:56 GMT -5 by Saegusa Kotone

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Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

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The Stinger Snipe [training] Dec 19, 2013 10:41:43 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Dec 19, 2013 10:41:43 GMT -5

First and foremost, a shield meant everything to one's survival... and Kotone lacked one.

Until now. She wasn't quite sure how she did not figure out something like this earlier, but prevention is cheaper than cure.

Taking a deep breath, Kotone started by enlargening the screen, a "movement" natural to her. When she is satisfied with it's size, she switched into gathering reishi to form a shield on top of the screen.

The task proved to be relatively easy, producing a rock solid barrier opposed to the virtual-esque properties it used to have. However, her execution was simply too slow; at this speed Kotone would have been bisected before it was done.

Releasing the technique, the reishi sustaining the barrier dispersed, leaving behind just the screen. Again, she repeated the reishi gathering process.

One... two... three... done. The same barrier was formed. It was two seconds faster, but swinging a sword doesn't even take one. Releasing it, Kotone repeated a third time.

One.
Two.
Three.

No progress. Kotone continued to repeat this, standing in the same spot, for the next ten minutes. Sixty-nine times in total she had tried, and all sixty-nine attempts took her three seconds.

Panting, Kotone collapsed into a lying position, facing the sky. The gentle breeze carressed the face of the "Monk of Destruction", bringing with it a surreal healing effect. She wasn't sure how long she laid there, but eventually she was rested, so she got up and went back to practice. Re-adjusting her screen's size again, she performed the technique once more.

One... Two...

Before the third count, she felt the density of the spiritual particles peak; she had successfully executed her new technique within two seconds.

With newfound motivation, Kotone continued her practice, repeating her "simple" technique over and over, determined to reach her target of less than one second. This practice would continue on for the next twenty minutes, with the technique becoming more natural the more she repeated it.

Two seconds.
One second.

Finally, after a grand total of around 350 tries, Kotone fell back onto the grass. She had finally shaved it all down into less than one second. Kotone gazed at the clouds, astonished. Even by her standards, her progress was unbelievably fast. Perhaps it was because it was a simple technique.

Lichtschirmhindernis (Light Screen Barrier): A defensive technique which enlarges and forms a dense film of reishi over the screen, turning it into a shield.

Junior Member

Dante Florencia

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 79 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Male.

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 4, 2014 19:24:00 GMT -5

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Post by Dante Florencia on Jan 4, 2014 19:24:00 GMT -5

† DANTE FLORENCIA †

The scene of an early morning beachfront would have been a perfect start to a romantic day for honeymooners or even simple couples – the regal sun was barely above the horizon while the waves of seawater that had incessantly visited this Japanese island’s coast for centuries continued its long romance with the sands as they gently kissed the shores as a lover would. There was never any doubt in Dante’s mind that an isolated patch of paradise like the beach he was now lying down upon would be a place where he would bring a potential lover one day, but he decided to put those kinds of thoughts on hold for that day because he was there to romance a different kind of lady, one that was as cold as steel and could kill as easily as she could save.

With a push of a remote control, an automated military-grade hurler, similar to the ones used in military training exercises on beachfronts and aircraft carriers, installed beside him slung a large basketball-sized white orb made of flash-frozen fish food into the early morning sky and well into the calm ocean; 3000 meters out, to be more specific.

The targets were a new innovation in the competitive shooting arena, an eco-friendly target which added a degree of environmental awareness to the sport and its practitioners instead of using the old, more expensive ceramic ones normally used by less-experienced shooters because they were easier to see. Dante, however, did not care about the specifics – a target was a target, and with a single pull of a trigger, whatever self-serving propaganda its manufacturers fed into the consumer market would be reduced to nothing as would the ball of fish food, or so he had hoped it would.

In one fierce roar akin to a small explosion that would have left his ears ringing had he not been wearing noise-cancelling earmuffs, a large bullet exited the muzzle of Dante’s propped-up Anzio Ironworks 20mm Sniper Cannon with such force that it kicked up sand which would have obstructed his view of his quarry if he used a lesser-powered sniper scope. The over-sized bullet tore through the sky and zeroed in on the target, but due to the young man’s inexperience with extreme-range shots, the best the bullet did was take out a small chunk from the top instead of blowing up the orb outright.

He cursed at his inexperience, but he knew it was all part of getting better. Dante wanted to learn how to shoot this monster of a gun, as with one extra piece each from all the other guns he had gotten his hands on, so he would have something to say to his client once he delivered the shipment and this personal acquisition was bought for that purpose.

The arms-dealing trade was not as simple as buying food off the counter, but required a bit more finesse in that the dealer himself needed to provide an accurate assessment of the firearms to ensure that the quality of the product is verified and the learning curve for a human assessed first-hand. Usually, other dealers would hire off-book mercenaries and other manner of guns-for-hire to test out their wares in secret, but Dante was a Florencia, and Florencias held that iron-clad guarantee to their clients for personal, high-quality, and discreet services. Hiring other people was too much of a security risk, especially with their family’s list of high-profile clientele from warlords, security-obsessed billionaires, sheikhs, and even entire government agencies looking to equip their clandestine military operations behind enemy lines. Everything needed to be kept strictly between the buyer and the seller – that was the way it has been and that is the way it would be.

Secrecy is its own security, repeated Dante in his head. It was a lesson one of his favorite authors, Sun Tzu, often taught in his book, 'The Art of War'.

“Loading another shot,” the young man mumbled in a near-perfect Japanese accent and chambered in another round for a second try. He always did like his mother’s tongue better than his native one.

"Secrecy is its own security."

Last Edit: Jan 5, 2014 2:13:04 GMT -5 by Dante Florencia

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Dante Florencia

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 79 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Male.

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 4, 2014 22:18:05 GMT -5

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Post by Dante Florencia on Jan 4, 2014 22:18:05 GMT -5

† DANTE FLORENCIA †

After an hour, thirty rounds of ammunition spent, and eight balls either sunk or destroyed, the raven-haired Italian drew himself up from his prone position and wiped off the particles of sand that stuck onto the fibers of his skin-tight short-sleeved latex body shirt, black acid-wash jeans, and sturdy brown hiking boots. His right shoulder was killing him as every shot from the sniper cannon felt like a hammer blow even with the stand and support prepared to reduce the immense recoil of such a large caliber gun. Dante groaned out loud because he knew that despite his shoulder, he had to soldier on because he still had three more weapons to test out before the day was through.

It took twenty minutes to disassemble the gun and hurler to fit into their respective cases, with the rifle case weighing twenty pounds while the hurler closed in at around thirty-five. Dante huffed out in exasperation as he picked up the guns. "Why the heck do these things weigh so damned much?!" the young man complained and started his sojourn into the woodland by the seashore – a punishing trek considering the weight he was carrying. He was just happy that his daily exercise routines and healthy living managed to help reduce the strain the sheer weight of the equipment forced upon his body, especially with his battered right shoulder making it difficult.

For what seemed like an eternity, Dante battled through the soft earth, tall trees, and generous foliage until he finally reached the other side of the natural wall that separated the sea from the soil: a seemingly endless expanse of green which could be mistaken for the fields of Elysium, the golden field of the Greek heroes and noble souls, itself. While breath-taking in itself, the arms dealer was more pleased with a more man-made sight, the white Ford Explorer vehicle that carried the weapons he would test out for today. It was his own portable home base for this little excursion, a luxury rent with enough room to fit in one man and his several killing machines.

With a last bout of strength, Dante reached the parked Explorer and popped open the back to deposit his guns and take out the next batch, the TAR-21 Assault Rifle, as well as several boxes of 5.56mm NATO rounds and a box of disposable stand-alone humanoid target pop-ups which, needless to say, requires yet another instance of strong-arming. But first, a little check-up on the inner workings of the weapon to see if everything is in working order, to music, of course. Everyone knew that listening to music one liked while working increased productivity, at least, after you get over the initial urge to just drop everything and be swept away by the song.

Dante heaved the last of the ammunition boxes onto the ground then approached the driver side of his rented car and turned it on, the loud thrum of the V8 that sounding like a smooth mechanical chorus of American design. Soon, the hum of the car engine had been replaced by loud music that blared out to the vast open space and let it hear one of Dante's favorite songs.

It took only one playthrough of the song for the seasoned shooter to disassemble the assault rifle and reassemble it, satisfied that all the parts were clean and in full-working order which was now ready to take the full brunt of his test firing now that he was set. With rifle, ammunition, and dummies in hand, the Italian set off once more into the distance to a place where he knew he would not be able to hit someone, if ever someone were around. He did not want to take any chances.

As Dante marched through the heavenly fields of green the young man smirked at himself when he paused at the sight of another soul. It paid to be careful; if he had been careless, he might have simply set up his make-shift firing range near his vehicle and quite possible injure the person who was now before him with a stray bullet. A shame, thought Dante, whose crimson eyes quickly scanned the woman's figure without intent or malice, although he would not deny that she was a beautiufl specimen of the species.

"Hey, you there, what are you doing here?" Dante called out in a casual manner. Normality, after all, was the best cover for illicit activities since nearly nobody would suspect an arms merchant testing out high-powered military-grade weaponry to be so friendly and candid. That and Dante really wanted to get to know this other soul if only to ascertain the reason why she was in such a remote place all by herself.

"Secrecy is its own security."

Last Edit: Jan 5, 2014 3:01:21 GMT -5 by Dante Florencia

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Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

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The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 5, 2014 3:05:30 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Jan 5, 2014 3:05:30 GMT -5

Second: Angles and ranges are important. She needed something that would be effective in either her melee range, her target's melee range, or both. Kotone had come up with an idea. It was pretty far fetched, but it is at least worth a try.

When she felt she had rested enough, the Quincy got back up to her feet. Whether this was plausible or not boiled down entirely to her theory being true.

Except, now her training session had been completely interrupted by the introduction of a second guest. She looked at him, and tried to comprehend his question.

Instead, all she managed to do was raise a brow and return fire with a question of her own.

"I could ask you the same thing: what are you doing here?"

How she hadn't noticed any signs of this man was completely beyond her, and occupied the good majority of her thought.

Last Edit: Jan 5, 2014 3:05:57 GMT -5 by Saegusa Kotone

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Dante Florencia

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 79 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Male.

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 5, 2014 3:21:06 GMT -5

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Post by Dante Florencia on Jan 5, 2014 3:21:06 GMT -5

† DANTE FLORENCIA †

Dante looked back at the young woman with gentle eyes that radiated a calm sense of thoughtfulness despite their demonic appearance and smiled. “Well, I am just here to fire off my guns, miss. I like to practice my shooting skills in a place where I am sure I would not hit someone by accident every once in a while just so I know my gun-arm is not rusting away with age,” replied the handsome young man with a hearty chuckle. “And what about you, miss? Any reason why you would be out here all by yourself?” he asked.

Having settled on the belief that she was harmless, the Italian lowered his guard a little and approached her spot to set down his things which consisted of a variety of metal cases and a few box-card training dummies, recognizable even to an untrained eye. They were all a veteran shooter’s equipment which would probably give all the credence the beautiful young woman would need to ascertain his claim. After all, he would have no reason to lie to her, or so she would think.

After setting down his things, Dante tried to lighten his query a little by continuing with his candid style when he quickly put a finger to his lips and winked at his companion. “It is okay if you do not tell me though; after all, back when I had disagreements with my past girlfriends, I often like to be left alone. However, might I suggest a place a little nearer civilization next time, huh?” he teased and hoped that was enough.

"Secrecy is its own security."

Last Edit: Jan 5, 2014 3:28:44 GMT -5 by Dante Florencia

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Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

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The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 5, 2014 4:34:44 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Jan 5, 2014 4:34:44 GMT -5

The fact that the man had been firing guns had Kotone even more baffled that she hadn't heard anything besides her own actions.

"I... was shooting something else." That was what she planned to, and it was a half-truth, for her weapon was neither a bow nor a gun. Telling people you summoned beams of light would generally have them calling you delusional, and Kotone herself was very different from other Quincy.

"Also, nearer to civilization means you'd have to deal with getting caught. You and I both know how much of a hassle it is, no matter how innocent you may be." Words of truth escaped her lips as the breeze picked up, causing Kotone to move a hand through her hair to stop it from obstructing her view.

Shifting her gaze down to his equipment, she made another comment:

"Still, with all this stuff, I'm amazed we actually missed each other the first time on this small island."

Her curiosity was building, and she had to satisfy it.

Junior Member

Dante Florencia

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 79 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Male.

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 5, 2014 9:48:31 GMT -5

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Post by Dante Florencia on Jan 5, 2014 9:48:31 GMT -5

† DANTE FLORENCIA †

A mental red flag raised inside Dante’s head as soon as he heard the young woman’s response to his own question. The slight, but awkward pause was a clear indication that she hid something, but he was neither in a position to indirectly press for its revelation nor demand that she tell the truth since he would then be a hypocrite by asking for the truth when he himself told a lie to hide in his real intentions on that small patch of land in the sea. As such, he humored her and bit on her bogus information, masking his blatant consent to be fooled with another warm smile.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. If I had a yen for every time a patrol officer pulled me down for thinking my fishing pole was a sniper rifle, I would have enough to buy a pack of Heineken beer, and those imported beverages are not cheap!” he snickered. “But more importantly, that means you are a photographer, huh? If I may be so blunt though, miss, someone who looks as gorgeous as you does not really peg me as a photographer. Rather, you look more to me like an actress or a model – maybe both, for all I know!” Dante laughed and did a hand gesture which made his hands look like a camera’s viewfinder. “Yeah, you really look like someone who would be more at home being in pictures than the one taking them. Because it is obvious, you are a clear cut above the rest,” he said.

With her last statement, a second hearty chuckle escaped Dante’s lips. Yes, it was strange for two people on a small island to not notice each other, but then again, the young man knew well just how easy it was for the human brain to be tricked. Having honed his perception to extreme degrees, Dante’s observational skills were second-to-none which helped him see details where others can only draw blanks. He was not called the Bloodhound of Florence, a man who can sniff out anything he set his sights on, for nothing.

A playfully dismissive hand wave was the first answer the young woman received from Dante in response to her curious posit. “Do not worry about it, my dear; we probably just experienced a normal psychological phenomenon known as perceptual blindness,” explained the young man as he dismounted his assault rifle and set it near his ammunition boxes and target dummies. “You see, when a person expects certain things to happen, that person tends to subconsciously block out other possibilities that could happen. Both you and I expected this island to be uninhabited, free from anyone’s gaze except our own, and thus anything else that would indicate to the contrary, our minds subconsciously related it to something different from the possibility of another person being present—”

The Italian arms dealer paused, quickly eyed his female companion from head to toe, and smiled again. “—because really, who would have thought that I would get to meet someone as beautiful as you in a place I least expected to see anything that walked on two hands and could maintain speech? It is crazy to even think about it, but here we are in this scenario, a product of probability that had been only a one-in-a-million chance until now.” Dante lifted his hands and placed them on the back of his head. “And if that is the case, I guess I just won the jackpot prize in the social lottery; lucky seven, seven, seven.”

"Secrecy is its own security."

Last Edit: Jan 5, 2014 10:02:50 GMT -5 by Dante Florencia

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Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

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The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 6, 2014 10:13:47 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Jan 6, 2014 10:13:47 GMT -5

Kotone listened to the man, taking in all he had to say. She wasn't sure why he tried to explain the inexplicable, but his theory held up...

...Almost.

Kotone herself used Hirenkyaku to get herself onto the island. However, it doesn't seem like this man shared a similar story. So, how in the world did he get here without her noticing?

She felt like asking, but all she ended up was making small comments.

"You know, I'd rather not, but if I had to I'd much rather be the one taking a photo than being the one in the photo. As for us meeting each other here, though..."

Kotone heaved a sigh. She'd have to try it when she found some other place.

"I don't consider myself so lucky."

Admittedly, it would be better to be caught when she was resting, rather than in the middle of her training. Kotone could at least be thankful for that much.

Junior Member

Dante Florencia

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 79 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Male.

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 6, 2014 18:42:16 GMT -5

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Post by Dante Florencia on Jan 6, 2014 18:42:16 GMT -5

† DANTE FLORENCIA †

The Italian clenched his heart and teasingly feigned a dagger-thrust to that specific organ. “Ouch, that hurt, miss. And here I thought you and I could grab a bite to eat after this is all over and done with, haha,” chuckled Dante, “but I am just kidding.” Of course he was; he knew better than to outstay his welcome when it was obvious that the woman was someone who did not want to be bothered with for whatever reason she may have and it was not far-fetched to consider that reason to be something along the lines of avoiding men who hit on her. After all, with stunning beauty like hers, she probably always got the brunt of male stares whether she wanted to or not.

Before Dante could say another word, however, a white blur dashed out of the horizon and placed its small frame in-between the man and the woman, fiercely growling at the beauty as if threatening her. It was Mana, Dante’s arctic fox partner whom Dante had allowed to roam the plains for a while until he came back from testing out his sniper cannon. To the arms dealer, his eyes perceived the creature as merely distressed at the sight of a new face it perceived as a threat, as Mana always had the penchant for doing. In the woman’s eyes, however, Mana looked something completely different.

Due to Dante’s inability to see spirits by reason of him being only a normal human, he was unable to see Mana in her true form unlike the woman now did. Mana was a beautiful and young white-haired lady dressed in a modified blossom-pink kimono with side slits cut up all the way to her waist which revealed her black thigh-highs and the string of white on her hips that formed part of her underwear. Crimson-colored geta adorned her feet and the ghost lantern she held with her right hand was readied as if she were about to cudgel the other woman with it. However, the figure’s most prominent features came from the fact that she had red eyes, the same as Dante’s own, which were now knife-like with anger; white fox ears protruding from her head, pointed forward towards the perceived threat; and nine snow-white tails that fussed angrily behind her.

“You… reek of strange ki and I do not like it. Heed me, woman: are you a friend or foe?” spoke Mana in a soft, cautious tone that seethed with suspicion and rage. She had her share of people masquerading as allies only for them to turn on them and attempt to kill her precious partner so it was understandable for the arctic fox – which was actually a white kyuubi – to be aggressive towards any new face. Even as Dante tried to calm her down, Mana retained her visibly hostile attitude.

“Be careful of your words, child for I do not share the same level of tolerance for strangers as my colleague does,” she said.

Dante, for his part, still tried his best to calm his little partner down. “Hey Mana, just be cool, okay? She is not a threat – she is a nice lady just out to take pictures. Be good and I promise to test out the new Stinger rounds for you, okay? You like our Stinger rounds, right?” the young man desperately tried to appease, but to no avail. Mana’s attention was focused solely upon the woman’s answer in the next few seconds.

"Secrecy is its own security."

Last Edit: Jan 6, 2014 18:45:37 GMT -5 by Dante Florencia

Junior Member

Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

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The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 7, 2014 6:46:52 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Jan 7, 2014 6:46:52 GMT -5

Kotone was instantly taken aback. Not by the kitsune's hostility, but rather by her appearance in general. It was the last thing she expected, and, eyeing the kitsune...

Nine fox tails wasn't something to be messed with. At least, according to legends.

"To say I am a friend would be an overstatement, for friends are not made in three minutes." Kotone answered, sighing.

"But still, I bear no ill will, so I am no foe, Kitsune-san." She added, her spiritual pressure naturally waning as it suppressed itself almost unconsciously. She bore no killing intent in the first place, but training in the Holy Arts meant her spiritual pressure would usually go free.

"Therefore, all I am is a stranger." Kotone finished, extending a hand towards the kitsune. Mentally, she knew the fox would not answer in kind. If she did, -all the better-...

...But such an outcome is unlikely.

Still, though, the man's words piqued her interest. Just what is a Stinger round? She asked in her head, waiting for the fox's reaction.

Whatever it is, I hope I'm not on the receiving end.

Junior Member

Dante Florencia

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 79 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Male.

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 7, 2014 10:27:02 GMT -5

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Post by Dante Florencia on Jan 7, 2014 10:27:02 GMT -5

† DANTE FLORENCIA †

In almost the same manner that the young woman was taken aback by whatever she saw in Mana, Dante, too, reeled back in surprise when she suddenly started speaking by herself and even extend her hand towards his and Mana’s direction as if trying to shake hands with a non-existent person when it was just the three of them on that island. This fact unnerved Dante enough that his hand stopped petting Mana, much to her extreme dismay.

“Miss, are you… feeling okay…?” he asked with slight hesitation in his voice, and to the trained ear, a tinge of concern. He started to think that the woman was a few rounds short of a full magazine, but his logical side told him to give the woman the benefit of the doubt; difficult, of course, considering his situation where his mind told him one thing while his instincts screamed at him to keep his distance. If only he could see and hear spirits, he would understand, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Having immediately sensed his partner’s hand lift from stroking her back, Mana turned around to see the fear reflecting in Dante’s eyes and immediately assumed the worst. How could she believe otherwise when even her own partner, the famed Bloodhound of Florence, sensed something off about the woman that even she, a powerful kyuubi, overlooked? As such, Mana’s mind had immediately been made up as she snapped her head back and growled at her maliciously, louder than ever before. “You lying wench; my companion can see through your pitiful disguise, assassin!” shouted the fox and readied herself to strike. “Go atone in hell for your treachery, filthy scoundrel!”

Just as Mana was about to launch her attack directed at the young lady, the kitsune froze in her tracks when her sensitive ears caught wind of a familiar song which she knew could only come from Dante. She was right on the money, confirmed when Mana shifted her attention from launching a pre-emptive strike against the woman to the now angelic voice, accompanied by harmonic guitar strums created by that machine her human partner referred to as a ‘cellular phone’ – whatever that was.

Mana’s once hostile attitude immediately waned as the fox turned tail and walked over to Dante who now sat down on the ground and sang one of Mana’s favorite songs with a smile on his face that indicated that he enjoyed his act. Soon, the arctic fox nestled down before the Italian and curled up into a furry white ball on his lap, mewling like a newborn even though her age was already far beyond that.

Where Dante saw only a furry little creature lulled into calmness with his soothing voice, the woman who would be watching this transpire before her very eyes would probably see something a little less innocent – the one ferocious kyuubi-woman who was just about to maim her to death now lying down in a fetal position with her head nestled on Dante’s warm thighs, much like how lovers in Japan would occasionally do with each other as a sign of their deep relationship.

Dante gazed down at his partner and smiled with a manner of warmth that no man could ever refute to be something other than genuine. Oh Mana, you always were such a softie when it came to songs, he thought to himself as he continued until the end, happy that a possibly dangerous situation had been averted by the power of words.

With the situation nearly diffused, Dante looked over to the woman and politely gestured for her to bring his assault rifle and the titanium box crudely marked by a piece of masking tape with the words ‘Stinger’ written on it in black-colored ink from a permanent marker. Sure, he could have gone and take it himself, but he wanted to show that the woman could be trusted. In Dante’s mind, if Mana saw the young lady bring in Dante’s guns and ammunition, she would come to recognize the other person to be non-hostile, which was hopefully the case considering the woman could just as easily turn his weapon against him and pull the trigger.

Please do not be crazy, please do not be crazy, please do not be crazy, chanted Dante in his head like a mantra while he awaited for the woman’s compliance, hoping to the high-heavens that she was not mentally unstable.

"Secrecy is its own security."

Last Edit: Jan 7, 2014 10:32:06 GMT -5 by Dante Florencia

Junior Member

Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

HEILIGER DER LICHTSTRAHLEN

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 8, 2014 8:08:04 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Jan 8, 2014 8:08:04 GMT -5

Hearing the words of the Kitsune, reishi flowed through the blood of Kotone in place of adrenalin. However, the fight itself was broken up by the man.

It was quite obvious then how much she (...it?) loved the man then. Waiting, she thought it best not to interfere until the man himself gestured for her to bring him...

Weapons? Are you really sure you want to do this, sir? Kotone ran the thought in her head, probably as many times as the man prayed for her not to be someone mentally unstable. Of course, this wasn't the case, but his prior reactions showed that he couldn't see what was going on, so he must have believed she was a few bricks short of a load.

And that thought wouldn't be far off on a normal day, where she would simply tease her friends to no end. Still, though, she would comply. To Kotone, this was a horribly bad idea, but she would comply. Externally, she walked over to the box, placed the rifle on it, then with a heave she carried it over and placed it near the man, as requested.

Internally, she made sure Blut Vene was operating at full power.

Junior Member

Dante Florencia

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 79 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Male.

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 9, 2014 5:39:28 GMT -5

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Post by Dante Florencia on Jan 9, 2014 5:39:28 GMT -5

† DANTE FLORENCIA †

((Just a little background story on Mana for story and character development purposes. A totally optional read if you are not into reading up on character backstories.))

SPOILER: Click to show

When Mana heard the song lyrics, it was no secret that she enjoyed it. Why would she not? It allowed the kitsune to feel the same way as it did back when she had first experienced it: the warm and gentle caress of the familiar hand that had saved her from the bitter cold all those many months ago.

Before then, Mana lived a completely different life where she was simply one of the nine-tailed foxes devoted to the worship of their fox god, Inari, and one of the scribes in the service of the head of the Tochigi Inari Shrine for countless generations, the legendary kyuubi, Tamamo-no-Mae. Mana had a different name as well: she was called Miyuki, a name given to her by Tamamo herself when Mana finally became a proper nine-tailed fox. The name meant beautiful snow andcame from the kitsune’s white fur which became that way after she grew her ninth tail as well as the time of the year when it appeared, during the first few days of the winter season.

She had only gone out for a while to survey her matron’s mountain in her normal fox disguise, but one lucky poacher managed to time a perfect tranquilizer shot which almost immediately disoriented Mana as if she were hit by an attack harder than any nogitsune could ever give. Had the attack been of supernatural origin, Mana would have probably brushed off the attack completely due to her incredible power, accumulated after hundreds of years, but no amount of divine energy could ever match man’s weaponry in his own world. She did not stand a chance when the dart pumped her body full of the anaesthetizing cocktail.

When she woke up, she was inside an iron cage at a place she could only ascertain as a marketplace for live animals. She was on the stage; Mana had woken up just in time to watch, to her horror, her very own freedom being bargained away as if it were a basket of fruits or a sack of rice. There were numerous people crowding towards her: apparently, she was a rare breed – an arctic fox in the plains of Nasu; what collector could resist such a fine pet? She wanted to cry out and punish these people for their disrespect against a servant of Inari, but the chemicals still held her in check. In the end, she was purchased by a foreigner, who flew away with his prize back to his hometown of Florence.

As a rich man’s pet, Mana was constantly abused, fed barely enough food, and left to fend for herself. She wanted to fight back and punish the abusive man, which she could do so easily, but by then her spirit had already been so broken in spirit that the mere thought of her owner was enough to scare her into docility. Mana, however, especially feared her former owner’s air-powered rifle which he would use upon her whenever he would be bored. The hardened plastic pellets stung her little body like a red-hot needle, but the physical pain she felt was nothing compared to the emotional torture she went through day after day. Eventually, Mana’s mind and body eroded until she had finally broke down on the same winter day her life was taken from her.

Thinking her for dead, the rich man picked up her limp body, had one his servants dispose of it, and threw her away into the cold and unforgiving streets outside of the man’s mansion. Cold, alone, and completely and utterly hopeless, Mana closed her eyes and smiled at the fact that she would finally be able to join her god, for at that point, death would be the best gift Inari could grant his broken servant. Fate, however, had different plans and intervened.

Mana’s cold body felt a sensation she thought she would only feel in her dreams again: the warm caress of a gentle hand. Ever since that day, she followed the owner of that hand and never left his side, not only because she saw that special person as the physical manifestation of Inari’s love and mercy, but also, because it was by his hand that she was saved and redeemed the rest of his race with that one single act. As time went by, those two motivations became three with the addition of one more reason why she always stuck with him, and arguably the strongest: Mana loved Dante – it was as simple as that.

Because of that love for the man who had become more than just her savior, should he blatantly approve of another person’s presence, Mana would immediately accept that person as well. A friend of Dante was a friend of hers and that was the case when the young woman brought over her partner’s equipment and laid it out for him. She looked back at Dante, who was now smiling at the woman, and thereafter gazed at her beautiful visage herself. He trusts her with his life, her thought began, and she kept her promise. She is no threat. Mana smiled.

In a complete whirlwind turn of events, the once hostile arctic fox leapt off Dante’s lap and quickly scurried over to the woman’s side and began to rub her soft white fur on the woman’s leg, her white tail wagging from side to side as Mana continued to express her affection that her partner only saw as cute. From the young woman’s perspective, however, it might surprise her that the kitsune who was just ready to tear her apart a while ago had now gently wrapped her slender arms around her waist from behind and buried her head upon the other’s back.

“I apologize… for my brash antics and unmerited assumptions earlier. I was just terrified… and worried that you inflict harm upon Dante, so… I could not help myself,” said the fox-woman. “Also… I would just like to say that you… are not a wench… and a scoundrel… and I apologize to have called you that...”

As she spoke her heart-felt and apologetic monologue directed at the woman, Mana was blushing, ashamed at her own actions and obviously trying her best to apologize. Dante would probably call it cute, if only he could only see it, but his normal view of a small fox now showering the other woman’s leg with affection was a clear sign that they would not be having problems any time soon.

With a satisfied smile, Dante left the two women to their own bonding and opened up the titanium case to reveal several fully-loaded magazines for his assault rifle. Having picked one full magazine up, he loaded the first batch of Stinger bullets into the gun and cocked the rifle to chamber in the first round. Now it was time for the show to begin.

“Miss, I would like to ask: what would you answer if I said that, with a single bullet, I could do something that would normally take five times that amount to accomplish?” he asked rhetorically. “You see, miss, I may be a foreigner, but I do so love your country’s way of thinking when it comes to the basics of economics on material disposal: use less, save more, and recycle what you can to help make more for what you use less, for less. That way, the balance between supply and demand is maintained and one would have enough products stocked just in case an emergency hits – no mess, no fuss, and everyone is happy.”

Dante smiled. “With that in mind, miss, would you care to listen to this little tale about a bullet who just loves to recycle itself over and over again?”

"Secrecy is its own security."

Last Edit: Jan 9, 2014 5:43:14 GMT -5 by Dante Florencia

Junior Member

Saegusa Kotone

I JOINED ON January 1970. I'VE MADE 76 POSTS. I AM A SEXY Female.

HEILIGER DER LICHTSTRAHLEN

The Stinger Snipe [training] Jan 9, 2014 9:01:45 GMT -5

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Post by Saegusa Kotone on Jan 9, 2014 9:01:45 GMT -5

Kotone loosened her Blut Vene as the hostility ceased, which she was very thankful for. Without saying a word, she turned her head around for a moment, pushing lightly (and discreetly, since the man referred to as "Dante" obviously couldn't tell what was really going on), just to flash the Kitsune a smile and a wink. Done right, all the man would have probably thought Kotone was just peering to view what might be behind her. Which was nothing (to the man at least).

Then, she turned her attention back to the man, raising a brow as he gave his story. A bullet that recycles itself?

She could understand it if she used the mechanics of a Quincy's spiritual power. Heck, it's the theory she had been working on the entire time. But done with just science and physics? Now this was astounding.

Obviously, Kotone did not know much about firearms. She knew how dangerous they were and how it works on a rather basic level, but otherwise she knew nothing. She could only let her imagination wonder.

"Why not? Does it ricochet off the air if you miss?" She made an absurdly wild guess. Most likely far off the mark, but she wasn't quite sure. She could have guessed basing it off her own theory of her spiritual recycling projectile, but she wasn't sure that would apply, either. Physics of the kishi don't entirely apply to reishi after all. Eagerly, she awaited further explanation.