The Attack

[psychicbear]

Between the recent fights, as well as the mixed feelings about Jordan-- she was safe in the pods, at least, and so was the rest of her family, probably-- Rachel really wouldn't mind working some stuff off in the Sensoriums.

Plus, there wasn't much else to do on the ship, and practising different morphs and getting some added thrill from fighting? Wasn't a bad way to spend time. And if she got better about fighting in the process...

There wasn't any finesse to it. She wasn't in her favourite morph, for once, instead opting for a combination of speed, grace and power in the form of the cheetah. The room was filling periodically with an assortment of enemies-- some of the smaller Ohm grunts, Hork-Bajir, even some human (Controllers, something she was used to fighting). She spaced them out enough so she could handle them, but she still tore into each with the same quick viciousness. She lunged with the force of the cat onto a particular human, the instinct taking over to allow the teeth to sink into the throat for a killing bite.

Comments

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

People sure were taking out a lot of aggression in the Sensoriums lately. Zouichi extended the slender black axe at his side with a single flick of his wrist; with his next motion, he lopped two limbs neatly off an approaching Ohm, sending it crashing to the ground in ungainly fashion.

A Hork-Bajir took a swipe at him with a bladed tail. Zouichi parried the blow and followed it up with a shallow slice, cutting the alien open from breastbone to thigh.

[psychicbear]

It's fashionable. Rachel nearly spun on this newcomer, the cheetah's instincts not differentiating between the presences. He smelt different from the humans, sure, but so did the other creatures in here. Rachel's mind, however, took over enough to know he was acting differently-- that he wasn't another simulated enemy.

She didn't say anything, not right away, instead just dropping the human from her teeth, springing over the blood, and landing on one of the alien Hork-Bajir, all teeth and claws, avoiding the blade to land her full weight on the body.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

All the enemies in the room that weren't attacking him were attacking the cheetah. So naturally the cheetah (which was displaying some pretty suspicious behavior for a large cat, anyway) was the crewman. Which meant either there was a new crew member on board or that this was probably another one of those kids who could turn into animals.

Zouichi reasoned this out as he dispatched another two attackers, not hesitating to kill any in his path. After all, no one was here to complain about it.

[psychicbear]

Rachel was perfectly fine with this guy coming in here and fighting alongside her, especially since he was mostly minding his own business. Besides, it wasn't as if there was any shortage of bad guys to fight-- the simulations could produce as many as they needed to keep the fight up.

Dropping another alien beneath her tearing teeth (and ignoring the cuts that were starting to appear), she sprinted for one of the Ohm nearby, lunging on it to get above the blades, this time, letting out a roar as she did so, landing claws first.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Earth had so many interesting animals. Sure, this one probably wasn't the real thing, but its bursts of speed and effortless agility were still impressive. Maybe Zouichi would get to meet an actual cheetah some day. That would be nice.

He ducked a blow from an oncoming Ohm, drawing his pistol and firing once to down it.

Zouichi wondered if a cheetah's paws were tough from all that running, or soft like Emergency Rations's.

[hadabrother.livejournal.com]

Really, there were only a few people who would be tearing out Hork-Bajir throats in the sensoriums. In fact, that list tended to narrow down to "Rachel". Jake stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her fight. Same old Rachel. Same moves. Same speed and ferocity.

"Taking out some frustrations?"

Just talking to her seemed hard, sometimes. But he needed to make the effort.

[psychicbear]

Rachel had been a bit distracted, so she didn't react to Jake when he first entered-- she smelt and heard him enter, sure, but he didn't register as a threat, so it wasn't until he spoke that she fully acknowledged him. With a twitch of her ears, she finished tearing into the simulated person, and replied in thought speak.

< Something like that, yeah. > Despite the flippant response, her tone wasn't overly harsh.

[hadabrother.livejournal.com]

Jake hung back, unwilling to intrude on the simulated battle just yet. This was Rachel's space. And honestly, talking to Rachel after three years of her being dead was kind of awkward.

"Anything bothering you?"

But it was his job as the Leader to make sure they were OK. And as a friend.

[psychicbear]

Rachel noticed that he was staying back, and she wasn't going to push it-- he might just not feel like practising or anything, which was his business. She didn't care that much, even if it was good to be getting anything out of him.

< Not exactly, > she said after a hesitation, the cheetah form prowling, watching. < Was kind of pissed about that whole 'visiting' thing though. >

Rolling a die says you get Howhow. <3

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard walks into the Sensoriums - and very nearly rushes back out when he sees it's a combat simulation. Unfortunately, his infamous flight instinct seems to be a little on the dull side today, or his curiosity is a little on the uptick, and he just ends up pressed against the door watching in relative horror.

It takes him a few seconds to realize that the illusion is coming from the cheetah, not from one of the humans running around. He thought maybe someone was doing an educational example on why not to keep wild cats in their basement, or an instructional video for animal control. But the cheetah is the center of this production, not in way meant to inspire terror (though it certainly does), but in a way that suggests that it is the sole protagonist of this little story.

Which doesn't mean it clearly isn't a violent and crazy cheetah.

"Stacy, are the safety controls on?" he asks in a quiet voice, although probably not quiet enough to avoid a cheetah's hearing. Not that he would have even made it in without her noticing.

<3

[psychicbear]

Rachel smells and hears the boy enter the Sensoriums, she just doesn't care, not at first. She doesn't recognise him that well-- since she doesn't know the guy well-- and she doesn't get a 'threat' vibe off of him, so the cheetah brain is fine with basically ignoring him, in favour of the real challengers.

But as she hears him ask a question of Stacy, and she hears Stacy reply that the safety overrides are on (why bother if there wasn't a risk in the training? It kind of defeated the purpose, in her opinion). She deigned it necessary to respond.

< It's not like you can die in here anyway. It's mostly for injuries. >

Re: <3

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Yeah, I don't want to get injured ei- hey, wait." The wheels start turning in Howard's head, remembering that voice and what he read on the comm channel. "You're that crazy girl who got deaged in med bay."

[psychicbear]

Rachel is about ready to make some comment at him about getting injured, but she's distracted by the recognition. She's getting more used to it-- especially now that the whole secret was blown and she was a little less cautious about even speaking.

< And you're the annoying kid who did my 'interview,' > she replies, in a bored tone. A part of her feels almost bad-- he'd seen her at her worst, when she wasn't really herself. But that didn't matter.

[changelingdude.livejournal.com]

Beastboy was crashing sensorium sessions as per usual when he stumbled onto this somewhat gruesome scene. He shuddered a bit but was more concerned for who would be using the Sensorium like that imagining an animal tearing into humans. Only then did he notice the dispatched aliens as well. "Combat sim, I get it." That still didn't mean he liked it. Just seeing the blood made his stomach flip.

[psychicbear]

< Right, > Rachel replied, once she registered this other guy as really being there. The cheetah mind was more interested in him than it had been the other visitors, because of a more animal smell to him. Something weirdly familiar and not quite a threat, but of interest. < Figured I'd get some practise, > she said, a shrug practically apparent in her voice.

[changelingdude.livejournal.com]

"Gotta keep up on the basics." Beastboy agreed shifting into Cheetah form himself and swishing his tail. He could speak cheetah but from the speaking in his head he knew she wasn't a normal cheetah. He'd encountered thought speak before even if he didn't know what it was.

[psychicbear]

< Something like that, yeah, > Rachel agreed, kind of a dismissive tone, but she wasn't going to make him leave either. She watched him curiously, the simulation paused just enough to avoid any sneak attacks while she was distracted by him, as brief as it might be. She'd seen him before, he'd already proven the whole shapeshifting thing, though she still wasn't sure how it worked with him. < Joining in? >

[not_the_philistine]

Goliath was used at that point to accidentally walking in on others' fight simulations, and in times like this, it was challenging to figure out which fighter was a crew member.

In a simulation like this, with multiple species of warrior, it was also a challenge to distinguish himself as not a simulation, but there didn't seem to be any gargoyles among the ranks. The only creature aside from him that seemed singular was the cheetah. If not for the significant number of shapeshifters on board, Goliath might have missed that.

An Ohm grunt took a quick stab at him, and Goliath responded to it as he had become accustomed, wrenching one of its limbs from its socket and using it as a weapon against those around it while the dismantled creature fell off-balance. He fought his way through the combatants, near enough to the big cat to be heard, but not accidentally attacked in defense.

"Is this yours?"

[psychicbear]

Rachel picked up on someone enter the simulation, after a moment, noticing the changes in the sounds and the scents. She prickled by default as someone came closer, disposing of the human she was worrying, turning to see.

If she could have smiled at seeing how he came towards her, and how he was fighting, she would have. Now that was what she was talking about. At any rate, he was pretty clearly crew by how he was behaving-- and actually, she recognised him from an encounter while she was 'Mean' Rachel.

< Yeah, > she said to the gargoyle's question. Her tail flicked, and she turned her attention away, watching the simulations. < Why, looking to join? >

[not_the_philistine]

"It was not my intention to intrude."

But, since he was there, why not get some practice in? For all that this ship was taking them through an all-out war, in between missions and battles there was significantly less regular combat than Goliath was used it. Since it was a simulation, he fought casually and dispassionately, disposing of his foes without the posturing and rage he would have in a real battle. There had been a lot more roaring - from both combatants - the last time they'd met, when bear-Rachel had needed to be wrestled into Medical.

"Are we acquainted?" The method of speaking directly into his head is familiar, but of course it would be impolite to make assumptions.

[psychicbear]

Rachel tried not to focus too much on what he was doing, even if she was genuinely curious about him and his fighting. She definitely recognised, though, something that was even more confirmed when he asked if they knew each other.

< Yeah, > she replied, tearing into the throat of a human simulation, before she spun and leapt onto the next closest enemy. < Not that you exactly met me on a good day. >

[curiousredsoul]

Curious as ever as she had been passing by the sensoriums, she hadn't been able to resist at least having a look at what was going on in this particular situation and as she took in the situation in that instant she decided to step in fully. With her usual graceful ease, she slipped in and took up an unobtrusive position atop an outcropping of rocks. After all even as big as she was she had that surprising quality to be able to go unnoticed when she wished to.

Observing the scene for a time, as her gaze lingered on the cheetah that appeared to be the center of the simulation, unless there were other invisible crew members around, which she soon confirmed otherwise. Analyzing the Cheetah's form for a moment, perhaps one of Marco's group, knowing their abilities, though from her knowledge of those she had met she narrowed down her assumption by the choice of form and situation.

For the moment though she commented aloud, her tone light with the hint of her usual cheerfulness "Getting a manner of practice in I would assume?"

[psychicbear]

The cheetah's mind was vaguely aware of some kind of shift in the room, a change in scents or sounds, like something had entered-- but at the same time, it didn't latch onto it, distracted by the combination of prey and threat in the room, and the smell of blood, both human and alien.

Once a voice spoke up, though, the cat started, spinning slightly as it finished with its current prey. Rachel relaxed the instincts, though, when she saw it was Celena.

Turning back to the simulation, she replied easily, < You could say that. >

[curiousredsoul]

Celena watched on with perhaps surprising calm as the cat finished with its current prey and span towards her, merely giving Rachel a smile as her assumptions to be correct.

"A useful form I would imagine, quick on its feet and no doubt adept at downing its prey," She commented as she dipped her head at Rachel's reply, "Have you seen much practice of your most recently acquired form?" she asked as if with passing interest.

[psychicbear]

< It's not bad, > Rachel replied nonchalantly. She did enjoy the morph, anyway-- and it was a nice one to get some practise in for. She paused the simulation, now that she was distracted by Celena, and the wild cat shook it's head, a very human gesture. < Not much, > she said. < Was breaking out an older one today... I should probably practise with that one, though. >