genessia | Plants vs. Zombies [Action/OPEN]

["YOU'RE A GROUNDSKEEPER!"]

[Those were the worst three words Jaune could have hoped to hear from that stupid job fair. But, he became a groundskeeper for hire even so. It didn't take him long to be hired, funnily enough. There was this guy in a place called "Everglade" that he'd never been to before, but they had a manor that needed some topiary trimmed and a garden weeded pretty darn bad. So, there he was.]

[Jaune grumbles to himself as he works, a big pair of shears in hand, snipping away at some overgrowth along the edge of the property. This guy he's working for seems to have everything a creepy house ought to have - some old iron fense with a squeaky gate, hedges shaped like lions and stuff, and a house that looked like it could use a fresh coat of paint or two.]

Man, what a stupid job. When this eight hours is over? I'm getting a different one. Heck with this.

[The place is just so FOGGY too. What is WITH that? Makes it hard to see things, especially out over the water. You know, like the Zombies. Jaune doesn't even notice one skulking out of the water like some kind of lumbering automaton. He just goes about his work trimming bushes... at least until he hears the heavy compression of footsteps thudding onto the ground.]

Eh? [He listens. THUD. THUD. THUD.] ... The heck is that? [His trimming slows and eventually stops just as the thundering footsteps also cease. He slowly looks over his shoulder to see some kind of mossy green giant of a dead thing looming over him. Looking up slowly, he sees it looking down at him - then it lets out a fearsome roar.]

[So Jaune screams like a little girl, accidentally snipping the head of a swan-shaped shrub clear off.]

WHOA! [He drops the shears and scrambles to avoid the giant's grabby hands, and he steps away from it, before noticing others like it lurking along in the fog towards him.] No wonder no one else works here!

[LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING OFF WORK EARLY TODAY JAUNE!]

[He knows better than to try and fight anything over one, maybe two monsters all on his own. He's alone, too, it didn't seem like anyone else is around. So he ran! If he learned anything from Mr. Port's class, it was that there was no shame in not dying.]

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[Running is not at all an option to be mocked. Survival is pretty important, especially in a place that slowly strips away your sense of self each time you lose your life.]

[As Jaune flees through the fog, he runs right past a curvy woman facing in the direction of the mansion, scarcely aware of the fleeing gardener. Her wavy tresses flutter a little as he dashes past her, but she makes no move to stop him, nor to join him in his flight. Instead she remains still and oddly passive, watching the shadows from beneath her lashes.]

[Say what you will about Jaune, the reason he stops after noticing that attractive woman isn't what you think. He practically skids to a stop, sliding in a turn to dash back towards her. He seems to be a darn good runner at least!]

Uh, lady? Sorry if I'm being rude, but you shouldn't stay here. [Jaune gestures out towards the four lumbering giants he had been fleeing from. Fortunately they were slow. As worried as he was about what they might do to the manor and the property, it seems crazy to stay.] There are monsters out there right now - some kinda zombie things, and they don't look happy!

So the papers say. It seems it wasn't an exaggeration.

[Her voice is a silky purr, without a single note of alarm. Instead she seems mildly curious...but only mildly so.]

But just who unleashed them, I wonder?

[No one's stepped forward to laugh maniacally and claim responsibility. That means the culprit is either very clever, or nonexistent. Perhaps she can coax this person into making a personal appearance if she stirs up a little trouble. Finally Lust turns her head, regarding Jaune with a smile.]

You may go if you wish. You needn't concern yourself with someone like me~

What? What're you talking about? You can't just stay here, those things are... [How tall were they? Eh.] Like ten feet tall. Why would you want to stay here anyway?

[Now now Jaune - just because she's good-looking doesn't mean she can't fight. Ruby's cute and she can fight. Let's not judge a book by its cover.] ... What're you going to do?

I'm curious. Why are they here? Who sent them?

[She glances back over her shoulder, her smile pitying.]

Why, I'm going to examine them. Perhaps you should stand back. It would be a shame to see your lovely armor dirtied.

Examine-- I don't think that's a good idea...

[Jaune tried not to be nervous about the idea, stepping forwards to try and talk some sense into the woman.] I may not be good at much, but I'm good at counting. There's like four of them and only one you!

Yes, I know. It hardly seems fair.

[For them. This dear boy seems sincerely concerned about her, so it's high time she show him why such care is ultimately wasted. It's just a faint shift, a tensing of the muscles in her shapely form, and suddenly she's darting forward. Lust has no compunctions about running in high heels; she's surprisingly good at it. The hem of her long black dress flutters elegantly against her legs as she pulls back her hands, dragging her fingers through the air as she nears the first of the zombie.]

[It happens so quickly. One minute it's groaning, and the next moment sees its torso sliding off of its rotting hips to thud onto the ground and start oozing. The second zombie doesn't fare any better, with quick whisking sounds coming from Lust as she leaps and slashes, with what looks like impossibly long and slender black blades.]

[She lands on her feet, just in time for the last zombie to seize her by the arm.]

[And rip it right off.]

[There's a quiet gasp from Lust, the sheer force of its strength jerking her off-balance as her head whips back. But strangely enough, she doesn't start screaming in pain.]

[Jaune reached out to try and stop her when the woman ran head-first into the shambling... well it wasn't a horde, per-say, but it was a concerning number nevertheless.] Hey, wait--!

[Before he could really even shout much though, Lust was slicing through zombies like a hot knife through butter. Two of them were cut down almost too quickly for Jaune to realize the blades that Lust was using seemed to come from her body. Jaune stared. Clearly this woman wasn't normal. Then again, who was around here? But then she was grabbed.]

W-Whoa, hey!

[And then her arm was ripped off.]

[How is someone to respond to that without screaming? Jaune definitely screamed. He didn't notice that Lust seemed to be just fine despite her debilitating injury. Rather, Jaune's panicked mind saw him rushing to her aid. With sword and shield drawn and ready, he ran in with a mad battle cry. He'd tried to stop her and she didn't listen, now she was hurt. He wasn't okay with that. Not in the least.]

[He had the zombie's attention at least with how much noise he was making. Surely it would have rather just eaten Lust's arm, but it tries to swing it at Jaune instead. Jaune Barely stumbles to a stop in time to have the swing pass by right in front of him, flinging blood over his armour, and he ducks a second-swing to get in close. Putting all his strength behind his swing, Jaune slashes clear through the zombie-troll's forearm to separate it from its body. Its flesh was easier to cut than he thought - though being able to cut through a Grimm, he had more strength than he realized. The zombie's arm fell to the ground still holding Lust's arm, in a sort of dramatic irony.]

[A second swing of its other arm came, and Jaune blocked it with his shield. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he pushed up, and slashed again. He cut clear through one of its legs, separating the limb from it again and causing it to topple over. That left one last thing to do, and with a cry, Jaune cut the thing's head off before it had a chance to move.]

Gyeh... Guh... [Jaune's panting, trying to swallow whatever he had for lunch that day. Not only was it gross, but those things smelled awful! His adrenaline rush wearing off, Jaune turns to regard Lust, who he would've thought just had to be bleeding out.]

Edited 2013-12-20 12:54 (UTC)

[He's correct. She's bleeding, and rather copiously at that. But the look on her face is too calm as she regards him with just a little more than mild interest now. Then she smiles, exhaling a little sigh.]

That was reckless. You shouldn't have put yourself at risk for someone like me, though you could hardly be blamed.

[There's a crackle of alchemical energy at Lust's bleeding stump, and her arm begins to piece back together with little rectangular layers of reality. Pale skin and black silk overlap, finishing off with a little spark at her fingertip. Her arm is whole and as good as new. She lifts her hand to examine her palm.]

I cannot be easily killed.

[Well damn. Jaune's just staring all wide-eyed, mouth agape, pupils like pin-points. Since when could someone do something like that? He didn't even know what to say. He was quite literally speechless.]

[At first, this woman was really good-looking. Now she's just terrifying.]

Hmmm. I expect you're not used to this sort of thing.

[She shrugs. His brain has probably been shocked enough for one day, and she has more important things to do. Lust turns away, her wavy black hair swaying at her waist as she tips her hand.]

Perhaps we'll meet again.

[Oh, Jaune, she's leaving. She's just walking away after... well almost belittling you for being so shocked at what you just saw. You should say something. Or do something. Come on, man!]

U-Uh... okay...! Bye!

[He waves. Though his actions still seem vacant. He's still awe-struck.]

[That's not quite what we had in mind, jaune, but it'll have to do.]

Plants vs. Zombies [Action/OPEN]

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