zerotohiro | Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

[Naoki's lips quirk up where he's leaning against the wall. Huh. Is Hiro going to do what he thinks he's going to do? Well, it's not a bad idea, in theory.

Inugami growls low in his throat and he twists to follow after Hiro. At the very least, him moving constantly makes it hard for him to swoop in for an attack. And, without Naoki's guidance (as he would have during a normal battle), he doesn't have the same forethought to swoop ahead of him and cut him off.

He's not a dumb demon, exactly... but very instinctual.]

[Hiro has a cat. Hiro would know how to distract a cat-demon a lot better but he's had some experience with neighborhood dogs to study their behavior (plus there's Zwei, but he hardly counts.) The growl should be intimidating to him but he settles for narrowing his eyes instead and concentrating. Not a lot scares him now after what happened in the Labyrinth. Boundless energy helps keep Hiro light on his feet and he continues to bob and weave to goad Inugami into spinning himself in a circle.

Really, he's just trying to enact the equivalent of a dog chasing its tail. And with that said he suddenly breaks free, running straight for a wall before using his feet to brake and push himself off of it.

Of course, it would be a lot smoother if he didn't bounce too far and land flat on his back, but will Inugami be able to stop in time? He'll just have to wait and see.]

[You know what's sad? Inugami's having fun chasing him around that he's getting distracted from the fact that they're fighting-- his tongue is starting to loll out of his mouth and he follows after Hiro with easy motions of his body, just like a snake.

When Hiro breaks free, Inugami's right behind him, and he doesn't expect at all. So when there's suddenly a wall, the demon yelps and slams into it.

And Naoki? He's bursting out laughing.]

[He can't help but wince at the yelp and he's quickly standing up, holding his hands up in a sort of time-out signal.]

Sorry! [He almost feels bad because he was sort of enjoying himself, too, and Inugami, demon though he may be...is still a dog. He gives a small, sheepish grin to Naoki though.] How was that?

[Give Naoki a second, he's still cackling. Inugami raises himself up from the floor and gives himself a shake before rubbing his nose with one of his paws, snorting.]

Th-- that was good, real good. You saw something you could use and you used it. And you don't even need to worry about Inugami. Look.

[He points. Inugami is glowing a faint white, a glow that fades and then the demon is looping in the air with renewed energy.] I might've forgot to mention, but he can heal himself.

[He lifts both eyebrows, suddenly looking a little more than proud of himself.] You could have told me he's a cheater. [But he grins at Inugami anyway.] Up for another round? That fireball kinda hurt. [He's taking a hand and rubbing his forearm before focusing on Naoki again.]

The real problem is I don't think I can use that same trick twice.

It's not cheating, it's using what you've got. [With a wink. But Inugami is huffing at him, cocking his head as though he's unsure if he wants to. But hey. He'll wind his way closer and around Hiro's arm. He can heal him too, and he's doing so.]

And yeah, no, he's wise to that one now. Right, Inugami. [The demon barks a YES, his nose lifting.] Time to find some more weaknesses to exploit.

[There's a genuine smile then as he uses his free hand to reach up and pat Inugami on the nose.] Thanks, buddy.

[Once said-healing is done and they're focused on the next round, he nods to himself almost proudly and takes a step back.] How hard can it be? I'm ready when you guys are. Just try to keep up this time.

[Naoki snorts. He shouldn't get cocky, but he'll leave that for Hiro to discover on his own. Inugami's got a fair few tricks. The demon poises himself in mid-air, his red eyes fixed on him like he's actually taking a few moments to think.

And then, he opens up his jaws and fog pours from them. It gathers, wreathing thickly around them.

This is fine.]

...ah. [That's pretty much all he says for the moment as the fog spreads through the room and begins to block his vision. It's a neat trick if he's honest but it does trip him up and he's left staring into the fog and watching Naoki and Inugami disappear from sight.

He doesn't make any sudden movements, focusing on listening for Inugami before he slowly crouches down to start crawling on the floor. If he can be in a place where there's less fog, the better. He's peering up though to try and see where Inugami is, hoping to use the element of surprise against him.]

[Hiro might find it difficult-- but perhaps the faint wispiness as the demon moves his way through the air and through the fog might be a hint. Where Hiro can't see him, Inugami has the advantage of scent.

So there might be sound, a faint wooshing of Inugami's body as the demon darts down out of the fog right at Hiro.]

[And there's a loud yelp from Hiro as soon as red eyes pop up in his vision and he rolls out of the way, flailing to stand up in the fog and efficiently cutting off his vision again. He stops, listening for the movements of air and dodging out of the way, making his way toward what he hopes is a wall.]

How's he even causing the fog anyway?

You're just better off not applying logic or sense to demons, [Naoki replies, calling in Hiro's general direction. Well, he can't see, but he can roughly sense where they both are.

Inugami is weaving slowly through the fog-- well, at least the fireball he shoots in Hiro's direction will be perfectly visible coming.]

[That loud thud was Hiro immediately dropping on the floor again to avoid the fireball. Stop drop and roll, man.]

I thought tactics were about using logic and sense in the first place! [Man. This one is actually puzzling since the fog's obscuring his vision and Inugami can see clearly. Back to inching his way across the floor and trying to look up for the demon's lower body.]

Well, yeah, but what I mean is try not to think too hard about where the fog and the fire comes from.

[That's how Naoki gets through his day as a living fog machine!! Inugami is weaving through the fog, sniffing Hiro out, his ears cocked toward his voice. Luckily, the glowing pinpoints of his red eyes might just be visible before that mostly white body of his is...]

[He doesn't verbally respond to that as he wiggles his way around the fog. It is, in fact, Inugami's eyes that give him a location to go after and though he can't see the demon's body or judge how close he is, it's enough for Hiro to spring to his feet and leap to try and tackle Inugami to the floor. Arms fling around the demon's body and he pulls downward to bring him to the floor with him.

It's a start. It's not the smartest idea or most effective but he'll take it if he can manage to keep him down.]

[NOT MOST EFFECTIVE AT ALL

Given that Inugami is a twisty, squirmy snake demon dog thing. He's already moving in Hiro's grip, twisting around, almost like he's trying to free himself but it could also be that he's trying to wrap around Hiro's body.]

[So now we have two wiggly noodles wrestling in the fog. That's fine. Hiro's hands are also seemingly moving to not only keep Inugami in his grip but...scratching? Yeah. Scratching. Scratching his belly and scratching his back and trying to scratch behind Inugami's ears to find a weak spot while also trying not to wind up being constricted.

Naoki please tell him you're actively watching just in case he almost dies.]

[He's probably watching-- just kidding, he legit is. He's also clearing away the fog with a sweep of his hand that brings a breeze whisking it away out of nowhere. Yep. There're two noodles.

One of which, the dog one, is starting to whine, because SCRATCHES and his hold goes loose. Don't mind as he just flops on the floor, scratches are nice.

And Naoki's just watching.]

...

[Sorry, he can't help it. He's laughing and flopping on the floor with him as he continues the scratches, grinning up at Naoki now that the fog's gone.]

At the end of the day, Inugami's still a dog. Does that mean I win again?

I don't know if I'd really call this a strategy... [Naoki groans as though this is taking mental exertion he wasn't prepared for.] But all right. Sure. Your win. Technically.

[Inugami is whining happily and draping himself half on Hiro, tail whumping against the floor. BLISS]

You just said to use his strengths against him! [He's busy liberally loving and petting and scratching Inugami to keep the demon happy, and maybe it's weird but he doesn't seem to care.] That means I can train with the others sometime too, right?

We--ll, eventually. Maybe not Pixie.

[Naoki approaches since training time seems to be wrapping with Inugami being too distracted by being a dog. He's just going to lick Hiro's face for good measure, too.]

Yurlungur's technically stronger than Long, but Long's a big dragon while Yurlungur's more Inugami's size, so it might be better to get him to train with you. [Well, given that he seems to be talking and planning aloud, that's not a bad sign.]

And if Long's a dragon and Inugami's a dog--hey! [Give him a second to push Inugami's face from his because that was a low blow, dude.] What's Yurlungur? [And why are they all animals?] I bet I could take on Long someday, too.

[Because Naoki's player likes the animal ones best--] Yurlungur's a double-headed snake. He's got one head at each end of his body.

[But the assertion makes Naoki's lips twitch. Such confidence.]

Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

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