If Kishibe were someone she couldn't take seriously, she'd laugh at the dig. If Kishibe were someone she understood, she'd laugh at the dig.
But Erika is silent, still. Silent at the bracing hand, silent at the question, in the consumed way she gets when she's thinking through a problem.
She owes Maya explanation, but she doesn't know enough to explain.]
...I don't know who she was, [she settles on, with a hint of frustration in her voice. Stony bafflement. She knows what Kishibe is to herself, but she doesn't know what it means for this, what she might hear.
The shadow that is Kishibe seems only delighted. "Oh, Erika-chan~" it coos, pressing its fingers together in front of its mouth, dripping sugary venom, "she's so sweet! Where do you find them! I bet it's a lot easier now, is - n't - it~?"
This does not make Erika look any less frustrated.
She puts a hand over Maya's, as though to have her take it away, and then doesn't.] Don't get hurt on my behalf, [she says, though;] no healing, remember?
[The monster coos again and starts to saunter forward, startling Erika into stepping up again to meet her, readying herself as much as she can to fight. "You've gotten so noble! So dashing! I just want to swoon off another skyscraper! Oh, so much for all that talk about human pain!"
She's circling. Erika is sidestepping to keep her distance, keep her in sight.
"I mean, just look at you now...I love what you've done with that body, it's a real upgrade. And that steely glare, that stoicism, just like that hottie brother of yours..."
Erika sucks in a sudden breath in a very "trying not to horf monster goo" way.
"...and brushing her off like that, after that heart-pounding confession? Very, very cool! You weren't even going to tell her! Even I'm blown away!"
Something in the air is swiftly icing over. Something of hallucination-Kishibe's sickly sweet shell is rotting and flaking away in time-lapse. Something about her grin, something about her glee is extremely palpably wrong.
Erika tenses. It is the right time for that.
"I think there's a word for that! It's, hmmm...ohhh...ohhh, I know!"
She is not human. She is a monster of Wonderland, dripping ichor from its talons and its cruel grinning teeth, and it springs and strikes and lashes as it screeches:
"Hy -
- po -
crite!!"
Months of training are not enough for this. Erika has to move and move and has to rely on Infinity Dream even then, letting bladed ribbon-teeth phase through her, butterflies trailing and swirling. She stumbles and jumps up and backs down and chases, swiping, missing. "Kishibe" laughs and laughs.]
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If Kishibe were someone she couldn't take seriously, she'd laugh at the dig. If Kishibe were someone she understood, she'd laugh at the dig.
But Erika is silent, still. Silent at the bracing hand, silent at the question, in the consumed way she gets when she's thinking through a problem.
She owes Maya explanation, but she doesn't know enough to explain.]
...I don't know who she was, [she settles on, with a hint of frustration in her voice. Stony bafflement. She knows what Kishibe is to herself, but she doesn't know what it means for this, what she might hear.
The shadow that is Kishibe seems only delighted. "Oh, Erika-chan~" it coos, pressing its fingers together in front of its mouth, dripping sugary venom, "she's so sweet! Where do you find them! I bet it's a lot easier now, is - n't - it~?"
This does not make Erika look any less frustrated.
She puts a hand over Maya's, as though to have her take it away, and then doesn't.] Don't get hurt on my behalf, [she says, though;] no healing, remember?
[The monster coos again and starts to saunter forward, startling Erika into stepping up again to meet her, readying herself as much as she can to fight. "You've gotten so noble! So dashing! I just want to swoon off another skyscraper! Oh, so much for all that talk about human pain!"
She's circling. Erika is sidestepping to keep her distance, keep her in sight.
"I mean, just look at you now...I love what you've done with that body, it's a real upgrade. And that steely glare, that stoicism, just like that hottie brother of yours..."
Erika sucks in a sudden breath in a very "trying not to horf monster goo" way.
"...and brushing her off like that, after that heart-pounding confession? Very, very cool! You weren't even going to tell her! Even I'm blown away!"
Something in the air is swiftly icing over. Something of hallucination-Kishibe's sickly sweet shell is rotting and flaking away in time-lapse. Something about her grin, something about her glee is extremely palpably wrong.
Erika tenses. It is the right time for that.
"I think there's a word for that! It's, hmmm...ohhh...ohhh, I know!"
She is not human. She is a monster of Wonderland, dripping ichor from its talons and its cruel grinning teeth, and it springs and strikes and lashes as it screeches:
"Hy -
- po -
crite!!"
Months of training are not enough for this. Erika has to move and move and has to rely on Infinity Dream even then, letting bladed ribbon-teeth phase through her, butterflies trailing and swirling. She stumbles and jumps up and backs down and chases, swiping, missing. "Kishibe" laughs and laughs.]