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Ripley wasn't the only one distracted by a weapon summoning. At first, Finn only gave the other mans sword a passing glance, but something about it drew his gaze back again. There was a slight frown creasing his brow as he gave the weapon a good long stare, as he took in it's appearance, all while thinking it just seemed...odd. Off in some way he couldn't quite pinpoint as he couldn't recall exactly if the cracks had always appeared so deep or the runes so lacklustre.

Finn didn't often ask of the creature who's voice resided in Ripley's head, but in that moment, he resolved to do so. But not now, later, after they'd attempted this training course.

His gaze shifted again back to Ripley, who could have easily noticed the pause he had taken to look at Wilhelm. A dry smile was given. "Suit yourself." He turned, and entered into the tower.

Immediately, he was swarmed by shadowlings, completely overwhelmed by a sea of black that definitely hid his rear from Ripley's view.

This may not have been his best morning plan ever.

Finn was surrounded, with long clawed, black creatures attempting to tear into his shield. For a few moments, he was able to dodge those raking talons and dagger like teeth, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do so forever. When enough space was available, he made a full 360 turn, sweeping his lance around in a circle as he did so, pushing back the wave and clearing the way for him to continue on up the tower.

...But first....

"Ripley?" He called out, unable to see the man anywhere.

He wouldn't have even be surprised if Ripley hadn't bothered coming in after him.

It wasn't long before Finn's searching gaze found the swarm of shadowlings, which he was sure could easily conceal a Ripley sized hunter within their depths. He was just about to take the plunge and go after the shadowlings himself, when Ripley managed to tear free on his own.

Good. That was good. That was progress. The relief that flickered through his eye only lasted a moment, however, before Ripley's comment spurred amusement instead, as Finn's lips rose in a half smirk.

"No, sweetie, you're confused. You'd likely be dead without me, not that you haven't been making it challenging, though." The smirk turned to a grin, before his attention went to the next part of their course.

"Ah, yes. This again." His expression soured, "And without using a golem this time. Well, ******** it, might as well just go for it."

And with that, he stepped on one of tiles, tensed as he waited for whatever booby trap was about to spring, and than relaxed when nothing came, letting his lance drop down enough to touch the floor where he stood.

It was nice to see a smile, even if just something fleeting. Ripley was probably stressed out by their situation, the one that Finn had thrown him into, and the moon hunter couldn't really blame him. These were serious circumstances they were under, and one wrong move could send them out of the course with a one way ticket to the infirmary. He knew that. But still, it was nearly impossible for him to hold back his little jabs and banter. That was how he dealt with things.

He waited for Ripley to make a move, and startled when the other man quite suddenly changed course, only to flinch and cringe at the pillar that crashed down where the other man once stood. When the dust and debris began to clear, Finn let out a long whistle.

"Shiiiiiiit, they don't mess around, do they? How the ******** did you spot that?" He glanced up at the cieling, and gave his head a quick shake.

Right, his turn now. Thing was, he was now slightly less keen to move forward. An idea struck, however, and he stopped down to pick up a small chunk of pillar that had landed near his feet, hefting it in his hand before tossing it at one of the tiles he could cross to next.

The second the chunk touched down, there was an ear shattering explosion that nearly sent Finn falling backwards on his a**. He managed to steady himself, having ducked down and shielded his face with one arm.

Land mine.

A few moments of silence followed this revelation, and a glance was given back towards Ripley.

"Sure you don't want to just go again?" He asked, but then, only a split second afterwards, took a deep breath himself and stepped.

His foot barely touched, and he thought he heard something. A mechanical whirring of some kind.....

Hastily, he stepped to another tile instead, just as a dozen spikes shot up through the tilt he had nearly put himself on. With another step, he found himself on the other side, turning back to watch Ripley.

"So hey...just in extremely likely case that you find yourself unconscious in a moment, just know that I'm actually impressed with how far you made it." He admitted, albeit with a rather begrudging tone and a teasing smile.

Finn fell silent, biting his tongue from further teasing, insults or banter in order to let Ripley concentrate. On the inside, he was of course nervous, but on the outside he mostly just appeared bored, with a small helping of impatient. Each movement Ripley made was still watched with an unwavering gaze, regardless, and when the other man made it safely to the other side, Fibn couldn't help but smile as nervousness melted to relief. Even if the course wasn't actually deadly to them, he wasn't all that keen on seeing his boyfriend blown up.

The death intermediates reward was silence, and a kiss that he was pulled into because an arm pat just wasn't going to cut it. Once he was finished kissing him, however, he pulled away and said, "Now, we go and save a princess! Or two. I assume we'll each get one." He shrugged, and stepped around the other man so that he could move on to the next part of the tower, climbing a ladder and then a set of stairs that took him to the tower top.

Yep. Two princesses, each one manacled down to the rooftop. Both were wailing pleas of "Save me! Save me!" in equally annoying measure, but the one with silvery blonde hair and pale skin earned Finn's attention.

Apparently he had a type.

"Alright, darling, quit yammering." He said, while pulling lock picking devices out of a pouch on his belt, working on the first of the manacles and easily unlocking it.

Finn had been completely focused on working the second manacle off of the princess golem when it happened. He hadn't even been remotely worried about Ripley at this stage, not actually aware of the looming danger of explosion, and armed with the knowledge that the other man was pretty proficient at lock picking. He had only just finished freeing the princess, who threw herself at him before he knew what was happening, when the noise shattered the air behind him, and a gut wrenching cry followed.

Finn was pushing the princess off of himself, turning, and moving before his thoughts could even really process and piece together what had happened. By the time he reached Ripley's side, the other man was already unconscious on the ground, and the hunters who had been observing them in case they needed help at some point in the course, were just arriving on the scene.

The princess was, of course, still vying for attention, attempting to hug Finn from behind and continuing to thank him even though he hadn't actually completed his rescue yet. A hasty shove away and a growled "Stop it." seemed to be enough to keep her at bay for the time being, though she stood nearby with hands clasped and a blank smile on her face.

The other hunters approached even as Finn set to work examining his fallen boyfriend. "Ripley?" He asked as he checked him over, brow etched in concern, while someone nearby muttered something about how he shouldn't have passed out, the damage shouldn't have been enough to knock him out, and another stepped forward and said, much louder.

"Hey, buddy, why don't you just let us take care of him, huh? You can check on lover boy after you've finished the course."

He could hear the snide amusement in the other man's voice at the last few words, but Finn didn't react, save for a slow look over his shoulder and a flat look behind him. "Unless any of you asshats can prove that you're more ******** qualified than me to do this, you can just step the ******** back and let me do my job. In fact, feel free to keep stepping back until you fall off the tower. That'd be about perfect."

He turned back to his task at hand, and having decided that Ripley wasn't actually badly injured in anyway, gave the other man several light slaps on the cheek, while muttering. "Wake up, dumb a**."

He was about ready to demand that one of the useless bystanders become less useless and find something to use as a stretcher to transport Ripley's unconscious a** to the infirmary, when the other man finally began to stir. Finn pulled his hands away, and sat back on his heels, only to sit forward again quickly when Ripley jerked upright, one hand going to the other mans back in support.

Despite being able to tell from the other mans expressions, from the way he held himself, that he was in pain, Finn felt relief swell inside, and he let his hand fall away with a light brush down Ripley's back. Of course, the relief wouldn't show on his own face, not under the scrutiny of so many others hovering around, and his expression matched that of the cool mask Ripley soon hid behind, when the other man finally turned to glance at him.

"Well, I'd say you definitely are." It was hard not to smile, in that condescending way of his, but somehow, he held it back.

Unfortunately, he couldn't keep the condescending tone out of his words to go with it. "And I guess, that means I'm done as well, even though I didn't blow up my damsel. Bravo, by the way. Very well done. Where are you hurt? Can you stand, or should I call for a stretcher?" At this last part, his voice shifted, from the familiarity and immature banter to something much more business like and clinical.

It hadn't occurred to Finn that he could, and perhaps should, finish the course on his own. Ripley had been hurt, and something had made him collapse, unconscious, to the floor. For all of Finn's cold and often times outright assholish demeanor, when it came to matters concerning his partner (the man he had decided he could actually see himself with for the long haul), and his health and well being, Finn was willing to put anything else on hold.

"Don't tell me what to ******** do." Finn responded, and whether Ripley wanted the help or not, he was there, with gloved hands hovering, in case he needed to step in and hold him up. Of course, it didn't end up being needed, the white haired man apparently able to hold himself aloft just fine (though Finn suspected it was sheer stubborness that kept him on his feet).

When Ripley made as if to leave him there to finish, Finn let out a snort. "I can come back and do this anytime. You, however, I can only do when our schedules coincide."

He had to lean in close and murmur that last part quietly in Ripley's ear with a smirk, so as not to be overheard by the nearby techs.