[B] Arachnophobia (Gunn/Sinon) FIN

[Syusaki]

Patrolling around town was sort of like a roller coaster ride; at least, that was what Sinon often compared it to. Except that fighting monsters and the possibility of dying didn’t seem as exhilarating as flying around in a hunk of metal, surprisingly enough. Meandering through the city at a laidback pace, she decided that it was probably because this was more of a chore than something she did for fun. She could clearly recall during the first week of being a senshi—which she still thought was a funky term—being excited about battling youma and the Negaverse, blah blah blah. After being covered in bruises and falling asleep in class everyday? Not so exciting anymore.

She heard rapid clacking echoing behind her, and Sinon wasn’t surprised to find a towering youma snapping its furry mouth. Bathed in its massive shadow, the redhead grimaced as she stepped into the moonlight. Leaning her head back to garner a clear view of the creature, there was no mistaking that this was essentially a gigantic spider. Although she did not fear insects, when blown up to a formidable size they were quite ugly and disgusting to stare at. Its black, shining eyes stared back at her so that she could see multiple reflections of herself. While it scrambled a few steps forward, Sinon automatically retreated a few steps backward.

“You’re not going to be easy to squish, are you?” she questioned with a straight face. She looked around for any signs of another senshi. Assistance would be greatly appreciated in this situation. Since, you know, this thing was a freaking giant compared even to Sinon.  

[shibrogane]

Gunn patrolled on the rooftops anymore. Fewer people saw you, it was pretty exciting, it kept your blood pumping and on chilly summer-fading-into-autumn nights it was a good thing for your blood to be moving. This way, too, you could see some monsters better--particularly the big ones, like the giant spider.

There was a single pair of legs still atop the buildings; one segmented leg tap, tap, tapped on the asphalt roofing.

She shuddered. This was one monster, she decided, she did not need to face.

Then she heard the other soldier's voice, and she shuddered again. Looked like she was going to have to fight it, if only for pretty-suited solidarity.

"Sailor Gunn, blah blah blah," she said, and then she kicked one of the spider's legs out from under it.  

[Syusaki]

Rather than follow her instinctive impulse to fling herself at the oversized arachnid, Sinon decided that she was better off following her common sense and attempt to barrage it with her attack instead—which was getting dull, by the way, repeatedly shouting out one’s attack name could do that a number of people. Her gloved hand pulling back into its usual fist to unleash the white threads of her attack, at which point she laughed at the irony of meeting this particular youma, there was a bright flash of orange that sailed from one of the rooftops.

At first she quizzically stared at the blur, before hearing the word “sailor” clicked in her head. Oh, another senshi person! That was helpful. Hopefully. “Sinon! Senshi of Lies,” she answered back, rushing forward when the spider hissed and thrashed multiple legs at Gunn. Figuring that she could defend herself just fine, Sinon ran past her and cried out, “Sinon White Lies!” Watching the thin strings wrap around a couple of its legs, she couldn’t stop herself from chuckling. “My attack has threads, and I’m fighting a spider . . . haha.”

But before her attack could comfortably settle in, it stumbled forward and bent down to snap at her, bearing its fangs at both girls. Startled by the sudden proximity, Sinon stumbled backwards until she clumsily landed on her butt. Great.  

[shibrogane]

"Laugh about irony later," Gunn ordered shrilly, "attack now!"

No fire in sight. No sparks. And she had a book of matches tucked into the top of her bodice, but she didn't want to go questing in there when faced with a giant spider. It felt like a recipe for disaster. Like the plot of a terrible, terrible porno or something. Gunn was distracted with trying to get rid of that mental image when the other soldier fell on her a**. "Hey! Watch yourself!"

She stomped, harshly, on the nearest extended limb; the spider pitched forward again, coming perilously close to Sinon. The orange-haired sailor soldier didn't seem to notice, though, because she was already moving on to the next limb.  

[Syusaki]

Although she was a bit disoriented from the sudden fall, Sinon managed to frown in Gunn’s direction. “A bit too laAAATE!” She yelped as the spider’s wide eyes were thrust forward towards her face, not exactly the most pleasant sight to see. Instinctively, she hastily jabbed her foot into one of its eyes, cringing as it let out a pained screech.

Kicked not only in the eyes, but multiple limbs as well, it began to wildly thrash about while furiously roaring. Blinded by anger and pain, it lurched forward to snap off Sinon’s head. The adrenaline constantly rushing to her head, she managed to scoot out of its reach in time. Frustrated with its failure it quickly twisted around to take a bite at Gunn instead.  

[shibrogane]

Gunn threw herself forward, under the spider's stomach. The thick fabric of her bolero stopped her from feeling the full impact of that stupid move, but what did hit her was enough to leave her there gritting her teeth for a moment. The spider seemed to be fast and sturdy, but it was down a few limbs and therefore not so mobile as it could be. Additionally, it couldn't get to her while she was under it; not without completely destabilizing itself. She was safe to catch her breath for a moment.

God, how unskilled was this soldier? She could just duck under and they'd both be all right for a moment. Really, Gunn was thankful for the safety of her hiding spot, and the distraction provided by the soldier of lies was only helping her. "What the hell does your attack do," she shouted over the monster's enraged screaming. "Use it, damnit!"  

[Syusaki]

Snatching up thin air in its jaws, the spider confusedly searched for its prey while angrily growling. While it had its gaze focused away from Sinon, the senshi had already plucked herself away from the giant’s snapping range. She placed a hand on her chest in a vain attempt to quiet her rapidly beating heart. Damn. Why was fighting so much more draining and complicated all of a sudden? Sinon bit her bottom lip, thinking about the patients that would never open their eyes again.

Hearing Gunn’s shouts, she flinched and quickly shot back, “Something. It does something!” Clever. Very clever.

Noticing that the youma was now stumbling around with bent legs, Sinon ran forward and silently thanked the other senshi for kicking it multiple times. Her arm pulled back into a tightly clenched fist and with some disgust, leapt and punched the sucker right in the eyes as she called out her attack. “Sinon White Lies!” Feeble threads draped themselves over the youma, but quickly tightened, digging into its shell.

Nervously dropping back, she looked at Gunn, expecting her to throw in an attack of her own.  

[shibrogane]

It would doubtless surprise the newer sailor soldier when Gunn did not call out any attack. Instead she just punched upwards, the force cracking the center of the monster's soft underbelly. Her hand breached its insides, and she almost vomited right there at the smooth and gooey texture of what could only be described as "spider intestines". It coated her hand when she yanked it free; she was covered in a sticky black goop from fingertips to elbow, but she shook it off after a moment and reached up to yank at one of the armored plates.

"Whatever it does it had better work fast," she called to Sinon over one shoulder, "or you'll be joining me in this!"  

[Syusaki]

While Sinon waited for some fire-themed attack—because her brooch thing looked like a flame and yadda yadda, she had to be some fire senshi, right?—she was startled to find the other senshi punch into the belly of the spider instead. She gawked, but her expression quickly turned into disgust as Gunn revealed a fist coated in spider guts. Gross, but somehow that was also fascinating. If Sinon didn’t fear that the youma would somehow kick her away and wasn’t concentrating on her attack, she probably would have scuttled over and punched it too.

“You know, I wouldn’t mind that!” she shouted back with a playful grin.

Confused by the thin strings, the spider curiously stood there, but began to scream as the fibers tightened its hold. Although they were once dull as sewing threads, they gradually turned as sharp as wire and turning even sharper than that. Mad with pain, it thrashed this way and that, flinging itself all over the place as it managed to snap away some of it with pure force and willpower.

Startled, Sinon jumped back to evade its fangs. Although she was starting to get tired, she managed to fling another round of White Lies at it, but noticed that they were noticeably weaker. Impatient and frustrated she sourly snapped, “Just tell me if you’re a supporting senshi or whatever. Doing all the magical attacking can get tiring, you know!”  

[shibrogane]

So basically, the sailor soldier of lies slowly cut away at things. Whatever, that would work a lot better and faster than Gunn's plan or abilities allowed for. Her patience was being sorely tried, though, by this spider's dogged persistence. If it would just die--its innards were dripping out onto the ground, its outside was being slowly shredded, if it would just die already everyone could go home--

and suddenly the spider was moving overhead, and Gunn threw herself out from under it. The book of matches was in her hand, she fumbled for one and struck it, threw it towards the spider. With the call of her attack--Gunn Wildfire Propagation!--the flame grew to the size of a baseball, igniting Sinon's attack and then the black gunk that was the spider's insides. It promptly thrashed into a wall, but thankfully said wall was brick and not, say, pitch.

Gunn watched, nonplussed, covered in black gunk, as the spider curled its legs in on itself and fell to ash.

"Thanks for the tinder," she said, dryly.