[ The fact they're having such a normal conversation is a good distraction for the tiny spurts of nerves she's getting, pressing closer to her Persona when he gives of one his terrifying shrieks and reaches up to grab the arm too; he'll help Elda with tossing it off and aside, so even if she can't manage it, he's got her.
...They're allies, it's the least he can do. ]
That's why you only focus on what you'd like! One step at a time, Ms. Marker!
[ —okay, this arm doesn't really want to go, it's really trying to get to Elizabeth through the coffins but it's stuck. ]
[ the conversation's helping Elda too, which is why she's focusing on this. If she relies on instinct and strength and if she keeps this up, she can pretend that she's still anywhere near a normal woman. The small woman does appreciate Thanatos's help though, settles down here and leaping up to get on one of the coffins of the thing so she might help him with that other arm.
... Hope some blood doesn't get on those and/or Elizabeth?
But all the same, ]
Mmm, I'm still not sure what's the most fun! I guess that's more testing!
[ It's not like it'd matter if it did, Thanatos doesn't mind blood and
...and Elizabeth does, but she's focused right now on talking and mentally cheering her Persona on as he tries to twist the arm to work it out. Come on, come on... ]
That is! Would you like to party once we're out of this mess? I do have a few other jobs I wished to try out myself—I haven't yet ventured too deeply into the world of melee DPS.
You were telling me you were so busy back in November!
[ . . . But like.
Okay the joint on this arm is a little fucked but before she can cheer too much she's - snatched. Elda might be strong but she's also tiny, and so the big mechanical claws of the thing can actually pincer her whole body.
Elizabeth is too late in grabbing for her before the arm yanks backwards, waving Elda in the air like it just won a prize from a crane game. ]
Ms. Marker! [ Rrgh— this requires a slightly more delicate touch, and Thanatos disappears (Elizabeth stumbles a little as she hits the ground) and Jack Frost appears in his stead, from an entirely different page. ] Jack Frost, ice it!
[ The snow fairy laughs ("You got it, hee-ho!") and raises his hands, a small ball of ice beginning to form at the pincer's joint. At least it won't crush Elda, and it might weaken it—! ]
-- Guh, you got more than one of those head-things?!
[ Actually... those are like Minako's, now she thinks of it... Huh. She'll ask about that once she's free, because for now she needs to try to squirm out of the grip which is indeed weaker with a frozen joint. She considers trying to break the joint outright but she's not sure if she's that strong, let's instead just try to pry open these fingers enough... ]
[ "You owe me, hee-ho! I like snow, ice, and everything cold! Let's get ice cream!" ]
Perhaps we should think about getting out of this situation first?
[ "Sure thing! Hee-ho, hee-ho..."
Jack Frost waves his hands a little, and a red glow surrounds the train—but doesn't seem effective, and he huffs. ]
...It's alright, Jack, worry not. [ Uh—wait, she's got it. ] Ms. Marker, further along these tunnels is one that splits off and looks quite unsafe—do you suppose we could attempt to lead it there and cause a little structural damage to trap it?
[ Waving at the train for the red glow thing. That said, she considers, looking over their shoulders and then back at the train. ... Honestly, their train looks too beat up to be running already, so any more damage should destroy its wheels at very least, right? So she nods but- ]
[ "Panic spell, hee-ho! But it didn't work, so it doesn't matter!" ...he is a little sulky, Elizabeth gives him an apologetic look and frowns a little. ]
...I honestly cannot say, but I have faith that if I should lag behind or slow us down at all, you'll simply give me a helping hand.
[ ELDA MARKER'S THE BEST OLD LADY SHE'LL NEVER LET ANYONE EVER SAY OTHERWISE— ]
Excellent. Let's go!
[ And not a moment too soon, with the train finally shaking off its surprise and starting towards them again. Elizabeth shuts her book, her Persona disappearing with it, and makes like an egg down the tunnel.
It's dark, but she's pretty sure she remembers the way, so it's fine— ]
[ Elda keeps up, trusting Elizabeth to know the way, but attentive to both her and to changes in the track both. After all, she can see in the dark and thus probably has better vision than Elizabeth? Maybe? Either way, she's sure making headway on the whole running out with her.
As the train is roaring behind them with snapping arms and big train sounds. ]
[ She probably does, fairly certain being this still doesn't give her darkvision. Until Atlus says otherwise. The tunnel they're looking for... not that one, not that one, not—
oh, yes, that one, indicated by the sound of Elizabeth kicking some small rocks out of the way as she nears it. It echoes down the tunnels almost ominously, but she's turning to Elda (where she thinks Elda is?) and flipping quickly through her book. Who, who... Jack? Jack.
She hopes this is the right page, goddamn—okay, judging by the fact nothing is coming out, maybe not. She'll just keep flipping. ]
Here we are! A little further in, and we can collapse it a little... this way also leads into another section of the main tunnel, I believe, so we'll hardly be trapped.
There's a spot on the left side that's quite cracked. [ other notable things, other notable things... ] It has plant-life in it, so be careful not to get grabbed, but that's what's contributing to its expanding damage.
[ Jack—? No, not this page either. Maybe she should mark these with glow-in-the-dark tabs or something like that. ]
My idea was that your rather strong... strongness could be paired with Jack Frost's ice—when the latter expands it tends to do a lot of terrible things to concrete, but he isn't quite powerful enough to manage it, but that part of the plan strictly depends on me finding his page in here—
[ Honestly, that's a sound tactical plan. It's a sound plan, but they're demonstrably out of time. Elda hisses, looking around for anything in the area she can grab for leverage. Seeing nothing, she groans again and makes her hand into - well, she reflexively goes for a karate job. Her nails aren't actually that long right now, more just the length of a lady with normal long nails as opposed to the claw things you see in her icons. But in this moment with her right hand, Elizabeth might see some veins bulging on that same hand.
The vines might catch her, but this will collapse it, right? ]
You just summon whatever's on that page!
[ That's how it works, right? why she was flipping pages? Either way, Elda's leaping to the left to find that spot and attempt to jam her hand into it hard, fingernails first, which... is good because she has regained the whole lustnails thing they just aren't long enough to use it properly. ]
[ That requires her getting to a page she can summon from— there are a lot of pages in this book and she doesn't doggy-ear them because she doesn't usually have to do this in the dark god dammit.
Something catches though, just as vines wiggle to awareness and slowly begin to wrap around Elda's hands; the card shines above her book and Thanatos appears when it breaks. Not... the one she wanted, but you know what, he'll do. He'll do. ]
Full force, Thanatos! With Ms. Marker!
[ He'll helpfully slice some of the vines so they don't get too caught up here, and Elizabeth glances at the quick-approaching train until she just
rams her shoulder into the fucking wall and shakes the foundations a little herself.
Don't ask, Elda. Don't. Just help her collapse it, okay. ]
... That said yeah the vines did lower her momentum. Let's just brute this thing down though, she's got sharp nails and super strength and we have this big fuckin gundamn dude and we have a teenager. flawless, really. We can!!! do this!! ]
[ That's— definitely fine, Thanatos disappears after the first couple chunks of debris start falling and Elizabeth realizes the dull ache she's starting to feel bit by bit is because he's getting hit; she holds her book tightly, eyes squeezed shut.
The train screeches a little, and its lights flicker a little beneath the tunnel's rubble, barely visible... before it shutters off completely, and rocks crunch together as it starts it attempt to back out and just leave them alone. They're too much work.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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...They're allies, it's the least he can do. ]
That's why you only focus on what you'd like! One step at a time, Ms. Marker!
[ —okay, this arm doesn't really want to go, it's really trying to get to Elizabeth through the coffins but it's stuck. ]
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... Hope some blood doesn't get on those and/or Elizabeth?
But all the same, ]
Mmm, I'm still not sure what's the most fun! I guess that's more testing!
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...and Elizabeth does, but she's focused right now on talking and mentally cheering her Persona on as he tries to twist the arm to work it out. Come on, come on... ]
That is! Would you like to party once we're out of this mess? I do have a few other jobs I wished to try out myself—I haven't yet ventured too deeply into the world of melee DPS.
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[ Okay, Elda's smaller than the persona so...
She can just leap up to try to damage the joints on this robot train arm. That seems best. ]
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I have plenty of free time, worry not!
[ —and manages to do so, be careful Elda; it's immediately twisting to try and grab her. It's not? Going to go empty-handed?
(....Empty-clawed???) ]
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[ . . . But like.
Okay the joint on this arm is a little fucked but before she can cheer too much she's - snatched. Elda might be strong but she's also tiny, and so the big mechanical claws of the thing can actually pincer her whole body.
Oops? ]
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Elizabeth is too late in grabbing for her before the arm yanks backwards, waving Elda in the air like it just won a prize from a crane game. ]
Ms. Marker! [ Rrgh— this requires a slightly more delicate touch, and Thanatos disappears (Elizabeth stumbles a little as she hits the ground) and Jack Frost appears in his stead, from an entirely different page. ] Jack Frost, ice it!
[ The snow fairy laughs ("You got it, hee-ho!") and raises his hands, a small ball of ice beginning to form at the pincer's joint. At least it won't crush Elda, and it might weaken it—! ]
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[ Actually... those are like Minako's, now she thinks of it... Huh. She'll ask about that once she's free, because for now she needs to try to squirm out of the grip which is indeed weaker with a frozen joint. She considers trying to break the joint outright but she's not sure if she's that strong, let's instead just try to pry open these fingers enough... ]
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which the train will assist her in, tossing her back at Elizabeth and Jack Frost. the persona will catch her at least.
"Easy does it, hee-ho! I'm a delicate fairy, you know?" ]
Hardly, Jack. Are you alright? [ to Elda, while they still have a few moments to breathe ]
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Oh! Thanks, fairy!
... No, I'm good.
[ Let's get out of Jack's hands then he's a little chilly anyway ]
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Perhaps we should think about getting out of this situation first?
[ "Sure thing! Hee-ho, hee-ho..."
Jack Frost waves his hands a little, and a red glow surrounds the train—but doesn't seem effective, and he huffs. ]
...It's alright, Jack, worry not. [ Uh—wait, she's got it. ] Ms. Marker, further along these tunnels is one that splits off and looks quite unsafe—do you suppose we could attempt to lead it there and cause a little structural damage to trap it?
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[ Waving at the train for the red glow thing. That said, she considers, looking over their shoulders and then back at the train. ... Honestly, their train looks too beat up to be running already, so any more damage should destroy its wheels at very least, right? So she nods but- ]
Can you outrun a train?
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...I honestly cannot say, but I have faith that if I should lag behind or slow us down at all, you'll simply give me a helping hand.
[ #trustyourelderly ]
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So she grins and, ]
Alright, let's trap a train then!
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Excellent. Let's go!
[ And not a moment too soon, with the train finally shaking off its surprise and starting towards them again. Elizabeth shuts her book, her Persona disappearing with it, and makes like an egg down the tunnel.
It's dark, but she's pretty sure she remembers the way, so it's fine— ]
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As the train is roaring behind them with snapping arms and big train sounds. ]
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Until Atlus says otherwise.The tunnel they're looking for... not that one, not that one, not—oh, yes, that one, indicated by the sound of Elizabeth kicking some small rocks out of the way as she nears it. It echoes down the tunnels almost ominously, but she's turning to Elda (where she thinks Elda is?) and flipping quickly through her book. Who, who... Jack? Jack.
She hopes this is the right page, goddamn—okay, judging by the fact nothing is coming out, maybe not. She'll just keep flipping. ]
Here we are! A little further in, and we can collapse it a little... this way also leads into another section of the main tunnel, I believe, so we'll hardly be trapped.
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[ Structure weakness in the wall she needs to punch or kick it... or something? But yeah, she's directed easily enough by Elizabeth and...
She can't help that she feels a little excited. ]
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[ Jack—? No, not this page either. Maybe she should mark these with glow-in-the-dark tabs or something like that. ]
My idea was that your rather strong... strongness could be paired with Jack Frost's ice—when the latter expands it tends to do a lot of terrible things to concrete, but he isn't quite powerful enough to manage it, but that part of the plan strictly depends on me finding his page in here—
[ and doing that before the train comes around
which, well.
There's its lights. Time's up. ]
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The vines might catch her, but this will collapse it, right? ]
You just summon whatever's on that page!
[ That's how it works, right? why she was flipping pages? Either way, Elda's leaping to the left to find that spot and attempt to jam her hand into it hard, fingernails first, which... is good because she has regained the whole lustnails thing they just aren't long enough to use it properly. ]
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Something catches though, just as vines wiggle to awareness and slowly begin to wrap around Elda's hands; the card shines above her book and Thanatos appears when it breaks. Not... the one she wanted, but you know what, he'll do. He'll do. ]
Full force, Thanatos! With Ms. Marker!
[ He'll helpfully slice some of the vines so they don't get too caught up here, and Elizabeth glances at the quick-approaching train until she just
rams her shoulder into the fucking wall and shakes the foundations a little herself.
Don't ask, Elda. Don't. Just help her collapse it, okay. ]
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... That said yeah the vines did lower her momentum. Let's just brute this thing down though, she's got sharp nails and super strength and we have this big fuckin gundamn dude and we have a teenager. flawless, really. We can!!! do this!! ]
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What really does it is one of the train's arms slipping out to grab one of them and just... slamming into the wall instead with a worrying crack.
...they loosened it and it opened the jar essentially.
Be ready to step back and cover your mouths, because that's a lot of debris crashing in— ]
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Her instinct is actually to bodily grab Liz and make to tug her along with her to leap away from this even though Thanatos is right there.
Ooops? ]
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The train screeches a little, and its lights flicker a little beneath the tunnel's rubble, barely visible... before it shutters off completely, and rocks crunch together as it starts it attempt to back out and just leave them alone. They're too much work.
Whew. ]
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