finalflight | PSL; [YOU MAY BURY MY BODY]

It does.

[ The last two... would have been harder to spot, if not impossible given how their fight went. Speed is easily displayed. Strength and durability? They have very little bearing when someone swoops in and just makes him relive old memories. ]

[Yeah, though she plays at obliviousness, she also knows when she… simply does not know.

Hm. Maybe their scuffle didn’t skew the way. She’d like to believe she’s pretty observant in general, even amid a fight. Especially amid a fight.]

…Well. I have to admit, I’m not sure what the other two could be.

[ Again, Warren doesn't usually like to give things away, so being so forthcoming is a bit strange for him but... well, they're bound by a contract, aren't they? She's already explained her abilities to him. He can at least return the favor. ]

Enhancements to my strength and durability. I make it a point to be difficult to kill.

Oh, that would make sense. Something to go hand-in-hand with your speed, too.

[She’s still floating along. One of her dogs paddles by.]

No defenses for your mind, though?

[ :) ]

[ The flattest look. ]

You slip through the cracks once and suddenly think you have me figured out, do you?

[That earns a short, sweet(?) laugh from her.]

Far from that. I don’t pretend to know you all that well at all. If anything, my excursion into your head only made me even more curious.

And besides, I’m allowed a little satisfaction. It was a small victory — I still lost, in the end.

[ He can’t help but think that had they continued to brawl, she would have beaten him handily. That’s not a problem he needs to worry about now, per the terms of their contract, but it doesn’t sit well with him either. If she’s going to keep regaining her strength, he’s going to have to get stronger, as well.

Well, at least he’s never shied away from a bit of motivation. ]

You’ll have plenty of other chances for victory. Just not against me.

[ He lists back into the water to lazily float his way to the end of the pool where his chair and book still sit. ]

If I recall, there’s a demon on the docket next.

[You'll flatter a girl, Warren. Makima isn't so certain, herself. Perhaps it could have gone either way; without her ability to heal (or rather, pass on injury to some other poor soul), she's difficult to kill, but it's still quite possible. Especially against a destructive force like this wizard's magic.

Still, she shrugs, wholly unbothered on the outside, watching him drift away, too.]

We're a team now. The last thing on my mind is fighting you.

[She uses him, he uses her. No need to muddy that up over something like pride, a character flaw that actually so rarely applies to her.]

I'm looking forward to dealing with this world's version of a demon, actually. Have you thought about how we're going to approach that?

[is this a 'spill the blood of an innocent virgin to summon a demon' kind of world or what]

[ There's a measure of comfort in knowing just where they stand with each other. Use, and be used. There's nothing more than that, no ulterior motives. Their goals have been clearly stated and contracted around and that's that. ]

I've been doing a bit of digging. The means to summon one shouldn't be difficult to manage. It's the killing it part that's going to be tricky, though that's assuming you'll be just as disadvantaged as I will be.

["Disadvantaged" against another demon or devil. What a thought. Not many made her fit that bill back home, so this might require a bit of creativity on her part... Possibly. She'd probably do well to garner a few more details before they dive in head-first into demon-killing. Preparation is key!]

That depends. Just what are we talking about when it comes to what a demon can do in this world? Or are they that varied, and we won't know until we summon it?

Depends on the demon. Lesser demons are more animalistic. They hunt, they eat, they survive. You won't find anything terribly complicated there. And ideally, that's where we start.

[ The implication here being that if this does go well, they can work their way up to more powerful quarry. Whatever might sate her. ]

I've yet to see a demon who looks as human as you do, but the more powerful ones are definitely more humanoid, in look and intelligence.

But in either case, it's the hellfire that will be the problem.

[She’s drifted so far that she hits the edge of the pool gently with her floatie, and Makima pushes herself away from it with a hand.]

I’m going to assume that a demon that’s no more than an animal will be easily dealt with, as long as you have me to help you.

But I guess I should ask anyway: is “hellfire” exactly what it sounds like?

As in, the literal fires of hell? Yes. But more than that, it's extremely effective against magic. It simply burns through it as if it were nothing. My tricks are going to be a distraction at best.

But yours? We'll have to see.

Don’t discount yourself too much. A distraction might just be what I need.

[Hm.]

You could act as bait and I just get the jump on them. That’s the power of teamwork, you know.

[ He drifts toward a ladder at the edge of the pool, reaching out to take hold of it and haul himself out of the water. He barks a laugh as he does. ]

It’s not often that I get to be the distraction.

[ He’s the heavy-hitter, usually. In matters of clout and power both. ]

[And out he goes. What a nice view! (If she squints, at least. Humans look so much the same--)]

It'll be fun to try something different for a change.

[She cranes her head up to appreciate the expanse of the sky above.]

Back to reading for you, then?

"Fun" is it? I guess we'll see.

[ Says Warren West, fun police. ]

For the time being. Unless you have any objections.

Yes, fun. That thing that people like to have, sometimes.

[One day, she will make Warren... have fun.]

No objections. I did say that I'd leave you alone now. Unless you've changed your mind and decided that yes, you'll let me shoot you once with my water gun...?

[ He pauses there at the edge of the pool, considering her for a moment. Then, he spreads his arms, as if to say "Go ahead." This is your one chance Makima. ]

[Oh? Her brows raise, and far be it from her to not take advantage of this opportunity. Could it be... Warren is not so allergic to fun and whimsy?

The problem being that her water gun has floated so, so far off to the other side of the pool, bumping up against its corner uselessly. She'd have to get out, swim over, then shoot him. Half of the fun is being quick about it, and she purses her lips.

Instead, she just makes fingerguns just below where Warren stands, the side of the pool, and-]

Bang.

[Water displaces and splashes! Up really high! Hopefully splashing the wizard! Thankfully, she has some mode of self-control (ha) and this is really all she accomplishes, not opting to blow a hole in the side of the pool or anything like that.]

[ Makima his pOOL. At first he thinks that she's legitimately trying to take the ground out from underneath him, but that's not what happens at all. The invisible force slams into the water and sends it spraying up at him...

Only for it to harmlessly wash over his shield.

He arches a brow at her. ]

It seems neither of us play fair.

[Oh my god. He had his shield up anyway. FUDDY-DUDDY!!!!

She lowers her hand, dipping it into the water disappointedly.]

I should have known better, I suppose.

[Mr. No Fun Allowed.]

[ The way she just sort of deflates does get a chuckle out of him. There's a sense of humor in there somewhere, even if it seems to mostly come out at other people's expense. ]

Better luck next time.

[ Perhaps she'll get him one day, perhaps not. ]

PSL; [YOU MAY BURY MY BODY]

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