damned_institute | Nightshift 25: Courtyard

[From Here]

It was almost a relief to find his bare feet landing on dirt again, and Cloud stopped as he allowed the door to swing shut at his back. He found a gentle sigh leaving his lips as he felt the coolness of night press down on him, so natural that he could not help but take a moment to enjoy himself. This was familiar, even in its foreignness.

He slowly moved over until he was walking across the grass, his gaze moving around the courtyard with a sudden renewed sense of determination. He took a little more time than he had in the previous locations to just explore the new surroundings, finding the trees and benches something of a novelty from compared to what he normally saw.

Sighting the pond, he approached and stared out over the silent waters. It reminded him of Aeris, but he told himself instantly that she had forgiving him for his past sins. It still reflexively brought a pain to his chest, even if his expression failed to alter with the feeling. The pond felt like both a blessing and a curse to look over.

“I never said thank you for what you did for me,” he murmured softly. “I have forgiven myself too... you would be proud of me for it, I am certain.”

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The undine's victim was smarter than the creature originally thought him to be, as she watched him backtrack away from the banks and slightly out of her reach. No matter, he would come closer in time. They always did.

In response to Cloud's question, the undine only nodded. It seemed she was incapable of actual speech, but with another soft song and a wink of her eyes, she beckoned Cloud to come closer to the edge of the water, as if she were trying to show him something hidden in it's depths.

It crossed his mind that she was probably luring him closer for a specific reason. Given that he had no idea where he was or how he arrived in such a situation, he remained weary of the invitation. If he had his First Tsurugi, he would feel much more secure. As it was, he had a flashlight and pens as his own weapons.

Glancing around, he thought the benches would be a little unwieldy. Still, he considered himself strong enough where he could defend himself if required. He was not comfortable despite that.

Slowly, he took a small step towards the water’s edge, eyeing the mer-creature with suspicion. He kept his flashlight in his right hand as he gradually drew himself within a foot of the water, refusing to budge any further until he was given some answers.

The undine swam back as Cloud approached the edge of the pond, giving herself some room between them. She cast her eyes downward on the surface of the water and spread out her arms, circling them around a small area of the water before her. It looked as if she was attempting to make something appear on the surface of the water, like an image or scene of sorts.

Sure enough, there was something there, a small flash of silver sparkling just below the surface of water. But if Cloud wanted to see what it was, he would have to get closer...

Well that was completely useful, Cloud thought as she swam away from him. It was clear that her preferred media was the water, and he knew that he would be at a distinct disadvantage if he entered the water himself. He also had no idea if there were more than one in the large pond of water, and the darkness did not allow him to get a gauge of how deep the water was.

Of course, there was also the issue that if he entered the water, he would be completely wet. If last memory served correctly, he had just come from a place that had drenched him.

The image that was beyond even his advanced sight was intriguing, but as he stepped forward so his feet became wet, he decided that the risks were beyond the benefits to go further. It felt foolish to be wandering into possible enemy territory without even a proper weapon just for an answer that may or may not be accessible.

“I will not go further,” he remarked softly.

That was fine. Cloud was close enough to the edge for her to strike.

The flash of silver turned out to be nothing more than the undine's tail, which Cloud would have caught a glimpse of as the undine suddenly lunged forward, her soft songs turning into wicked laughs as she grasped his ankles in an attempt to drag him further into the water and down into the abyss. She pulled and pulled, trying to make Cloud fall and make the process much easier.

Despite her seemingly frail looks, the undine was remarkably strong as she grinned at Cloud, her lips lifting up to reveal rows of sharp teeth.

Tensing as the mer-creature lunged at him, Cloud set his weight where he was standing before making an attempt to wheel backwards. She managed to get both of his ankles before he could step back, and he regarded her toothy grin with a raised eyebrow. So much for answers…

His weight jerked with her pulls, and he felt himself slipping forward into the water. She was pretty strong, but he managed to stay on his feet as he shook his head a little. Where was his First Tsurugi when he needed it?

He raised the flashlight and readied it for a strike. He would probably break it if he smashed it into her head as he planned, and there was one resource he was down. That would not help in possible future hallways, which forced his hand in dropping it down into his pocket and using more brute force methods.

He tilted his head away as he reached down and grabbed the mer-creature’s upper arms. He squeezed known human pressure points in an attempt to force her to release him as he began to simply lift her from the water.

Without something to anchor her, the undine found that the human was slowly lifting her away from the water, and he was squeezing her arms so tightly that is was extremely uncomfortable. However, the human made the mistake of getting closer to her.

The undine narrowed her eyes. Perhaps she would not get a full meal, but she was determined to get something out of this struggle. The undine let go of one of Cloud's ankles and yanked her arm back, intending to draw Cloud's arm back with hers. She then snapped at his arm with her sharp teeth, trying to snatch at least a morsel of flesh.

Lifting proved to be effective in its own right, and Cloud continued to do so while doing his best to keep her at the full length of his arms away. It was difficult considering she had been attached to his ankles, but it seemed possible as he stepped back out of the water with her in the air.

She was making it plenty clear that she wanted to make a meal of him; that was common practice of most of the creatures he dealt with at home. He had no intention of becoming said meal as he drew himself further ashore with her in his grip.

His arm followed as she drew it back, keeping his strong grip and pushing her away from his main body. He jerked his arm to the side, feeling her teeth graze his skin as he suddenly let her go to dump her on the lawn at his feet. He twisted to limit any entanglement and leapt backwards, landing beside the dirt path.

He glanced at his arm, noting the small welling of blood there. He wiped it away, hoping that her fangs were not poisoned. He had failed to bring an antidotes along with him.

That last attack had done no good; the undine only got a taste of Cloud's blood as he wrenched free from her, getting too far away for her to finish off what she started. The undine gave Cloud a baleful look, all beauty gone from her as her face scrunched up into a snarl.

The undine pushed herself back into the water, giving one more hateful look at Cloud as she dove back into the water, sending a violent splash everywhere. The pond was still rippling as she swam back into it's depths, but the night was still.

Cloud regarded the strange mer-creature from a distance. He allowed her back to her pond without incident, thinking she would mean much more business if he came back into range. She was best left to her own devices, though he wondered if there were others that might be at risk from her.

Shaking his head a little, he turned and began to walk away from the pond, much wearier of his surroundings. There were things here to kill, maim or eat him. This did not bode well for his feelings of security, and he wished even more for a weapon.

He spotted a small building at the north of the property and moved over to explore.

[To Here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/159383.html)]

Nightshift 25: Courtyard

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