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linkingup2024-08-24 02:23 pm
linkupmods) wrote in linkingup2024-08-24 02:23 pm
WEEK 4
WEEK 4
READY, STEADY, GO-KARTS!
- After a harrowing week of forced honesty and a surprise attack from the God of Conflict, it seems the Goddess’ “gift” has finally faded - and just in time! Today marks the date of the highly anticipated Go-Kart Race, featuring a whopping twelve teams from the Goddess’ picks and a number of teams comprised of locals. Fortunately the weather is holding up well for the event, with clear skies and a radiant sun beating down on all contestants as they wait to begin, the heat reflecting off the asphalt. Hopefully everyone thought to use sunscreen!
The local arcade has decked out the go-kart track in flags representing the different teams, and some local businesses have set up both a spectator stand area near the finish line, as well as kiosks selling snacks and drinks for the spectators and anyone who happens to wander by! There are also some midway fair game booths and portable game machines if you're not really here for the go-karts and just here for a fun afternoon out. The best part is that everyone who enters the event zone gets three free tokens courtesy of the arcade, so you've got nothing to lose~ Unless you do happen to lose, which means that you'll probably have to purchase more tokens from the distracted teenagers
ALL'S WELL THAT-- HUH?
- Eventually, all the preamble is completed, and it’s time for the race! A light counts down from red to yellow to green, and the racers are off!
While the start of the race is a jumble, a few in particular begin to pull ahead of the pack: Spade of the Sea and Kururu and Schneider in particular! Tragically, Team Bloody Angels just can’t seem to get the speed they want and seem to get stalled by various traps, falling further and further behind…
In the middle of the bunch, Atem and Sunrise manage to maintain their speed, while THE CUTIE PATOOTIES, Fire’n Ice, and Aaron and Morgan all struggle to surpass each other - leaving Beautiful, Bright Knights of Lovely Radiance, and Exquisite Midnight Shimmering unfortunately trapped behind the three and unable to pass at all. Towards the back of the group, Badass Ladies compete directly with TEAM ROADKILL for their place, while Frieren and Arven have a leisurely drive by comparison.
The first and second laps go without incident. But on the third…
Something about the local teams changes. Instead of the regular frustration of losing, some of them seem to fall into, well, road rage.
Schneider and Kururu, nearly caught up to Hiiro and Jordi, find their hopes dashed as a woman in a blue bandana bumps them from behind - the impact enough to cut their engine for a moment too long, allowing Hiiro and Jordi to pass the finish line in first place without any trouble.
The middle of the pack gets the worst of it. Jesse and Mafuyu find themselves hounded by a woman in aviators who manages to ram into their Go-Kart hard enough to dent the guard, putting pressure on the wheel - while they cross at the same time as others, they are unable to steer the Go-Kart due to the damages, and find themselves ramming into guardrail. While Mafuyu is miraculously without injury, Jesse takes the brunt of the force and will be feeling that whiplash the next day.
Aaron and Morgan get a brick - a literal brick - chucked at them, and while they manage to avoid getting hit themselves, they have to do a violent swerve to do so. That’ll also be a bit of whiplash for them, too. Badass Ladies get sideswiped by one of the locals and their kart ends up grinding against one of the guardrails. Eek.
The real destruction, however, hits the back end of the group - a man in yellow sneakers manages to bash hard into Eli and Kirumi, pushing them off course. The impact causes them to bump into Aerith and Maika along the way, who lose control of the steering wheel and knock Fray and Argenti into the wall. Fray sustains injuries as he’s dragged against the wall for a moment until Argenti is able to right their path again, pulling them back into the middle of the course. Eli and Kirumi don’t get off so easily, either - the bump against Aerith and Maika isn’t enough to stop their momentum, and Eli cracks his right shoulder against a barrier as Kirumi hits the brakes to prevent further injury. Fray, Argenti, Eli, and Kirumi will be feeling whiplash the next day.
Braphine’s chosen aren’t the only victims, either - a woman with red combat boots and a man in a green jacket each crash into local competitors, and the result is a six-kart pileup.
Frieren and Arven and Team Bloody Angels witness all of this from the back of the race, though neither team can do much except to continue on to the finish line.
What should have been a celebration at the end instead turns into panic as medics are called onto the scene and emergency personnel are summoned to the track. While many of the people in the stands seem roiling with discontent and beginning to argue and fight over the cause of all these injuries, a few of the locals hurry down to the course to help. Schneider, Aaron, Argenti, Aerith, Eli, and Kirumi will find themselves aided by familiar faces - the boutique staff recognized them and are here to lend them and their partners a hand in getting treated for their injuries.
As the racetrack descends into chaos, it soon becomes difficult to keep track of everyone. However, Hiiro, Schneider, Sally, Morgan, Argenti, Aerith, Frieren, and Celeste all notice a figure in a strangely ancient hood standing among the stands, a fierce grin on their face - before the figure turns and disappears into the crowd.
Mina - having come to spectate and cheer on everyone from the stands - gets a rather panicked look on her face as she watches it all unfold. She quickly takes out her phone and begins typing frantically at it, before hitting “send.”
All at once, all of Braphine’s chosen will hear their phones begin to beep.
CALL FOR HELP.
I've added emergency commissions to the app - please take them on if you are able to/need to!
We can get through this if we all work together. So, please... look out for each other out there, okay?
We can get through this if we all work together. So, please... look out for each other out there, okay?
COMMISSIONS
OOC
READ ME!!!!
- Welcome to your Week 4 event log! While this log covers the go-kart race and its immediate aftermath, please feel free to use this log to thread out anything else happening during the week after and we will see you next week for the Week 5 event!
- Note to all go-kart participants that there has been some shuffling in the team compositions due to player drops as well as Everything That Happened on Friday. Regardless, you can claim event participation gacha rewards if you signed up and have one thread of at least 10 comments with a go-kart related prompt on this post.
- Archangel stats and information have been added to the bestiary!
- AC is due end of the month! Make sure you get that in~
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But, he is glad to see that Maika is ready to have a helping hand, even despite who it is — though he would have definitely inserted himself into the battle anyway regardless. As he is now. ]
You will not have to be concerned with how I fight. I will rely on your support, then!
[ Argenti simply says because after she sucker-punchers that Archangel, who reacts in a very pissed off manner and immediately strikes them back with a well-timed Vicious Strike. The other two Archangels are Charging.
As for him? He's casting Media on the both of them already. It won't heal all damage, but it should cover them easily just in case. ]
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[ But she won't deny that he can rely on her for support. And she won't turn down the chance to observe his fighting style either... once the enemy numbers are thinned down a little bit.
It's deeply annoying that these bastards can hit both of them with one strike. But with Argenti showing that he can manage the healing, she'll focus on the attacking, like she wanted to do anyway. Energy conservation can wait until the numbers are more in their favor, so she launches a Lunge... badly (4). Her claws screech off armor and graze a wing, doing mild damage, but leaving her very unfortunately positioned when one of those Charging Archangels decides to show her how a Lunge ought to be done, cleaving down right onto her good arm.
The strike bowls Maika over briefly, though she's already rolling back to her feet and shrugging off the pain in her shoulder. ]
Father-fucking shit-sucking mindless construct of a—
[ Hopefully Argenti isn't too distracted by her running commentary, because there's two angels still about to move. ]
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[ Since it means she has faith in him, right? Though he turns his head towards Maika, looking kind of mildly offended at the usage of such language. It is like the duality in terms of differing responses. Help. ]
...Dear Idrila. That is quite the unfortunate language you just used - will you be needing healing again soon?
[ Argenti more or less has a wide range of focus on the ugly monsters that are in front of their very eyes, so while the other Charging Archangel decides to (fortunately) direct its attention towards Argenti with also a Lunge, he dodges nimbly around it. Then, after that, the red-haired male decides to follow up, capturing their mutual main enemy in a cage of roses, before the thorns themselves pierce into the trapped enemy. This seems enough to delay its attack for a moment longer, particularly when all the damage of Every Rose Has Its Thorns (15) settles in, scattering an explosive array of psionic rose petals to the wind.
Thankfully, he had timed his earlier heal so perhaps Maika isn't feeling it too hard there, but all the same. At this time, the main targeted Archangel seems to recover enough to hit Argenti with Kouha; it's a glancing blow, though it does find its mark. ]
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[ "Unfortunate language," her ass. Her brow crimps briefly in unwanted amusement; for a moment he looks and sounds so much like Corvin that she almost feels homesick.
Well, Corvin survived her crassness. Either Argenti will adapt, or... it's not her problem either way. With the main enemy delayed by the thorns Argenti winds it in, Maika has a second to shake off her daze and soak in the heal. And now her brain is clear and she's mad. When the lightning gathers around her again, the bolts of the Mazio (15) crack towards each target like the ruthless snap of a whip. ]
Worry about your own hide!
[ Which, maybe they should both be doing. Because whether or not that Mazio finished off their first target, both other angels were rng-blessed with sense and decide to unleash a Vicious Strike each at both Argenti and Maika. ]
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[ Argenti chirps confidently like that is a thing to respond to positively at all. Well, then again, it kind of is, isn't it?
Either way, he sees that the main target is getting itself fizzled with the electricity pretty hard after his own hard strike. Which, to be quite honest, is always a good thing. Around this time after suffering such strong hits still in what can be considered three consecutive rounds, it is going to be having a time of it, and is somewhat flagging, but is enough of a pain to still adequately persist.
Argenti decides to try to swing at it in two consecutive motions, but the thing decides to take flight (9), (4) meaning that both attempts go wide. Honest to Aeon that is annoying, but not impossible.
But, he's still a nimble enough fighter to avoid at least both of the Vicious Strikes. ]
I am afraid I can't solely worry about my own self. I must worry about who I am fighting with as well.
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[ Let alone have the audacity to worry about her. All because the stubborn bastard won't believe her — not that she's counting on that, when the last thing she needs is to let her guard down long enough for him to stab her in the back.
Maybe it's because she's still half-thinking about shouting her list of crimes at the back of his thick-yet-hollow skull that she's moving with uncharacteristic clumsiness. That, or fatigue; her follow-up swipes at the Archangel once it lands go wide (6) and then catastrophically wide (1) as the monster buffets her with a wing after she misses and knocks her off-balance. ]
Nrgh— gonna pluck the feathers out of your fucking wings one at a time!
[ Their first target apparently takes that seriously and begins to Charge, while another angel hits her with a quick Kouha and the third targets Argenti again. ]
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[ Argenti simply says, hardly batting an eye as he believes this to be a fact, and well, given how hard their battle is going, he isn't exactly wrong here.
He frowns when he notices that she's getting hit, buuuut he gets whacked by the third Archangel.
But apparently, he isn't done just yet. Instead he decides to leap at the main Archangel they've been targeting, before stabbing his spear down into its head, taking off a big chunk of its HP, meaning its finally flagging (16) ]
I will heal us both next round! I have full faith you can take out the one who is barely holding on!
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[ It would have been nothing, if she were herself and not this shadow of it that's been left behind and hollowed out by Zinn's absence. But she'd sooner bite her tongue than say that in front of him.
Maika rallies herself with sheer stubbornness, launching forward to sink another Fang, Claw, and Fulguration into the Archangel. Argenti's encouragement is enough incentive that her hit lands, but her gauntlet locks her in close quarters with the Archangel (1) as her claws shear through what's left of it. It's not the most advantageous position, and the leftover angels are quick to take advantage of it... luckily with aim so poor (3, 3) that even the fatigued Maika manages to mostly dodge back, collecting another glancing blow.
She has her own heal. She could take care of this herself, even with her dwindling energy. But she shoots Argenti a look to see if he's going to come through or if he'll take this opportunity after all. ]
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With the remaining two enemies having focused the bulk of their attention on Maika, Argenti isn't afraid to pull a "I'm quicker than you" move.
So, she can expect to see a radiant smile meeting her look in his general direction. It's fine. ]
You did well, my current battle companion!
Let's take care of the remaining two enemies. I am certain that we'll be able to defeat them just like the first!
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Yeah. Like she thought. He's the kind of person who'd rather look her in the eye if he tried to stab her in the heart, and probably after healing her up properly first to make it a fair fight. It's not safe to make too many assumptions on wishful thinking. But she's got a pretty good instinct for these things. ]
Say things like that when I'm fighting this badly, and I'll start suspecting you've got a hidden talent for sarcasm.
[ Her own energy reserves aren't doing great right now. But with him tackling the healing, she clenches her fist and casts a quick Mazio to keep the enemies occupied and off him while he heals, and then launches herself into melee with the nearest. ]
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[ Argenti says cheerfully, because he thinks this will help? He thinks it probably will. Whatever the case, given that she's pounding the enemies more efficiently now helps his case. He apparently doesn't think her earlier performance was really that level of terrible; or maybe it'd just take a lot for him to think somebody was doing terrible in battle.
Whatever the case, Argenti is focusing on helping putting to rest the other two enemies. In fact, he will help her to enforce a Mapsi multiple psy attack on them, whacking them while the two equally strike back with one Kouha each directed at Argenti and Maika. The red head seems fortunate to be hit with a glancing blow than a harder strike this time (and due to being unable to escape its grasp completely.) Seems the numbers are equal; but their power levels are bound to eventually overcome the other two for sure. Just need to whittle down their HP a bit more!! 2/3 of it remaining, in fact. ]
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How have you survived this long? I've changed my mind. Your goddess must really like you.
[ There's really no other justification for it that she can understand... well. Being good at killing doesn't hurt, either.
Maika grunts quietly when the Kouha connects, but she's shrugged off sharper injuries all the time. If Argenti is focused on engaging one of them, then she'll gladly duel the other. Now it feels like a real fight, darting under a sword swing to punch with her gauntlet where a claw swipe would just rake off of armor. In a slugging match against a monster, she'll bet on herself every time. And just keep half an eye on Argenti's progress. Suspicion? A sense of duty to a "current battle companion"? She's not saying. ]
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Now, he's also certain the comment she made there wasn't a compliment. Though all the same he is kind of stuck on the 'your goddess must really like you', part, apparently. Like he wants to say something here, but his goddess must, in fact like him??? But is that too egotistical? Well, all things considered, some of his past experiences mean that he was very fortunate. ]
...I do imagine that there were times that Idrila had indeed blessed me, as there were quite a many too close calls in my life. All the same, some of that can at least be attributed to my own efforts.
But, as you may expect, being a knight can have its hazards. Oftentimes, when rescuing others, there are many dangers the rescuer must be careful to avoid, should they wish to evade an unfortunate fate, and truly be successful in saving the target, so to speak!
[ Yapping mid-battle, that's Argenti for you. Either way, he tosses a flower at his own Archangel that he's fighting (Beat The Angel BGM intensifies), albeit elegantly, because that's how he rolls. But the ensuing application of Every Rose Has Its Thorns lands its mark well, hitting pretty hard this time around.
As for its attack follow-up, he's getting another Lunge his way, but he nimbly dodges around its strike. It appears that he's fairly good at missing hits if they're of a physical nature, huh. But, he's certainly whittled down its HP a great deal; he as of a matter of course is in turn keeping a close watch on what's happening on Maika's end as well. Though, it isn't obvious. ]
reaches for the sleep tags...
Figures. Every god loves a hardworking servant, don't they?
[ It's true, and also barbed. Maika's own opponent attempts a Lunge of its own and she laughs, sidestepping and launching herself upwards. The lightning gathers around her gauntlet with the familiar lupine roar and she slams her claws directly into the gap in the Archangel's helmet, raking across its eyes. Maybe it doesn't matter where she hits a Shadow, but some things are just second nature even if the strange substance of their bodies doesn't react to hits like she's used to. ]
Rescues? That's what's hazardous? Who would've thought that all that evil you smite is so fucking fangless.
[ Is it smart to needle the man who's helping her at the moment and who has a known murder track record? Whatever. Smart choices are so rarely satisfying. ]
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It's a shame he can't pose mid-battle as he's saying this because he's thinking about how best to represent the Beauty right now... hmm...
Yeah, this is how his brain works. ]
It depends. Some Aeons are entirely ungrateful for the people that follow and work hard for their sake. [ He does add. Without elaboration. ] Yet, Idrila is indeed not representative of laziness, nor the champion of such unfortunate qualities, and of course, naturally such things are nowhere near being considered beautiful!
Indeed, she will most certainly appreciate hardwork; that can be considered quite Bea-
[ Whatever he's saying, he stops because he gets hit right with an expertly timed Kouha (Maika may appreciate this), but he seems to counter, strike harsher than before, and like lightning and then - it's gone, just like the other one. He blinks, turning again to see how she's doing, right as he speaks to answer her other commentary, yapping away. ]
It certainly can be. Though, I would not call all the evil that I smite fangless. The dangers in the universe are wide and varied; they can attack you from behind without a single shred of honor, and tear people apart in a moment despite their harmless or seemingly small appearance.
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[ Maika really has to make a mental note that there's a cointoss chance of Argenti just getting very excited about something every time she tries to goad him. Honestly? There's no way he isn't doing it on purpose, as far as she's concerned.
At least the Archangel avenges her with that Kouha. Hopefully the sounds of battle cover her brief snort of amusement at that... or Argenti's own voice will cover it, as his running commentary provides a steady accompiment to the battle. Maika's shoulders relax slightly when the other Archangel evaporates into nothingness; just her own fight to focus on, and her opponent foolishly chooses another Lunge that's entirely too easy to predict. Maika's gauntlet lashes out again, claws sinking into Shadow, and the wisps of darkness dissipate like smoke as the last Archangel falls. ]
The universe is the same everywhere, then. So you weren't looking down on me just because I look 'small and harmless.'
[ Well, their opponents are down now! Maika quickly kneels to start rifling through the loot for the blessed feathers they're hunting, watching Argenti from the corner of her eye. ]
Humor me. What's the smallest, most harmless-looking thing you've had to kill?
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Though, before he even thinks to answer her question, he does back up a bit. ]
You never really struck me as "small and harmless"...I have seen many more individuals and beings that appear as such.
And I was never looking down on you at any point whatsoever.
[ Argenti may be fighting a losing battle when it comes to how she thinks of him in general, but in matters he thinks are simpler, he believes he may have a chance. ]
I believe on a technicality...
[ He's stretching it for reasons also because I wanna talk about it because it's ridiculous. Whatever the case he begins to pick up some of the feathers himself as well. ]
The Ferocious Fluff Ball. It is most certainly rather cute - why, it is the cutest thing you'd have ever seen! It's a very round, fluffy creature that spins when in danger; its fur becomes like spikes, and into a shower of arrows from which there is no escape. Most would be certainly defeated by such cuteness.
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[ Manners? Hah. Condescending as shit, that's what. Maika flips an Archangel's fallen helmet towards Argenti, not quite with enough force to count as throwing it. She's just... looting vigorously.
A second later, she deeply wishes she'd kept it to hand. A Fluff Ball? He's either completely bullshitting her or he's telling her he'd find a fluff ball more threatening than her. She doesn't know which one makes her want to break his spear over his thick skull faster. ]
...Keep lying, knight. I'm going to knock you out and then use that armor as a gong to see how many of those feathered assholes that'll call to come for dinner.
[ Think fast, Argenti! Produce the fluff ornament as proof Or Else. ]
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[ Argenti thinks he understands how she thinks but it's in such a way that what he's saying is not helping but he would never take it back for sure. It loops around to something unfortunate that he recognize and yet cannot be avoided. Alas.
ALSO WOW HE DOESN'T HAVE IT WITH HIM?? IT DISINTEGRATED UNFORTUNATELY...he was so sad about it... this does not help his case, though. ]
I'm not lying! It truly exists! I spoke about it at length with another person I met in my travels and warned him about its dangers! It was cute and also spectacularly deadly! I would certainly not lie about there being an adorable creature!
Not that I'd allow you to knock me out simply because you couldn't believe me about something like this...!
[ Argenti getting this distressed over something so small...on brand to be honest. He begins to root for his cellphone, going over pictures that may be on there. Granted, he doesn't think he took any of when he was in a fight but afterwards, he might have taken a picture of the fluffball souvenir. It's just, he's got a lot of photos on here, so he's furiously scrolling. ]
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[ And she'll just be incredibly pissed off when the truth finally comes to light in a way that convinces him and brings this whole situation full circle. But whatever.
Watching him scramble in obvious dismay is relieving at least a little of her annoyance; the fight had dissipated more of it, too. She props her chin in her hand with the look of an audience less than impressed by the performance going on for her amusement, but there's a telltale spark of (maybe somewhat malicious) glee in her eyes. ]
Well? Let's see it already, if it really exists. You're not telling me you failed to capture its beauty, or whatever? Somewhere, your goddess is crying.
[ Maika's just going to stare unabashedly at his photos as he scrolls. She's nosy and she deserves a little free infogathering for her pains, she thinks. ]
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[ He almost asked 'it's not?', but he apparently does have some sense to not want to be on the receiving end of an attempted mauling. Either way, he thinks that this is an acceptable compromise for now.
The malicious glee though does get a side-eye. But he doesn't seem to particularly care if she looks at his photos...he does care about privacy, but not much on there is particularly private. A lot of it is background images of places and various worlds; breathtaking beautiful views. No people, though...? ]
I would never fail to capture its Beauty! Just...hold on a moment. I have so many photos on this cellphone...
[ This is now official a trial from Idrila (it's not), and he is pouting pretty hard, before an eureka moment appears on his face but he's shifted his position just enough that she is...unable to tell what's on his cellphone screen. ]
Aha! Bless Idrila, I believe I've found it!
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"Impasse," my ass.
[ She's just dropping a little bonus profanity because he earned it. Although he's already starting to seem more immune to it than not... bastard.
Whatever. She cranes up when he moves the phone away, then just reaches for his arm to try to tug the phone back into view. She'll believe it when she sees it, and not a moment before. ]
You really think you can bluff me? Hand it over already.
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But yeah it seems he is used to her profanity by now given by the fact he doesn't remark on it, or he's just hiding his displeasure really well even with a small nose wrinkle.
Because Maika is still small peanuts, he jerks his arm away in time, but he does look curiously at her as if perturbed why she is doing that. ]
... I think I'll hold onto this for now.
But, feast your eyes on this!
[ Argenti holds it out to show the image properly, and I don't know what the hell it looks like it in canon but there is a fluffball souvenir in there.
> EVIDENCE BULLET: PHOTO OF FLUFFBALL SOUVENIR ]
My fluffball souvenir!
[ ...He announces it so dramatically sparkles show up as well. ]
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When he jerks his arm back she shoots him a glance, one expression chasing another in quick succession: surprise, then something guarded, then finally and deliberately a defiant little look of victory. At least he can acknowledge(?) that she can't be trusted with his device. ]
...It's... a fluff ball, alright.
[ Goddess, why is he sparkling about this. This man is truly deranged. ]
That's got to be the least menacing trophy of a hunt I've ever seen.
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Either way, he isn't exactly always too gung-ho about people touching some of his stuff; Maika could probably break it with her pinkie (this is an exaggeration. Maybe.)
He proceeds to also look immensely proud of himself, though. ]
But, is it not adorable? And cute?
[ He's sparkling. Definitely deranged indeed. Apparently he has such a soft spot for cute animals/creatures...even if they're dangerous. ]
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