#[kazue's first meeting with zeno!]

[recxrdend]

beginnings !

BEGINNINGS- The start of their journey. Usually includes inciting action and learning the ropes of their new predicament.

afin is nervous, his hands jittering around the gun in his hands, a deep, nervous swallow leaving him as he tries to move forward, advance against the wall of darkness. kazue stands beside him, her fingertips soft against his shoulder as she tries to reassure him. they’d been split up for their final exam on naberius, and she was already regretting the choice the instructors had made. it was supposed to be a normal exam - dealing with regular, hostile natives of the planet, the creatures born from the blessed earth here.

but then DARKERs had gatecrashed the party. she’s not happy about it, but she can hardly say anything. they’ve lost a teammate already - his armor - and likely theirs - useless against the hardened carapaces of the monsters. she reaches within herself, feels the faint, flickering power of the one technique she was allowed to use for this exam and readies her weapon, circling it around as she allows it to spit flames into the hungry maw of the approaching creatures. there were too many - over her communications unit, she could hear the panic of mission control, a desperate crush to save lives that were falling all around her.

this would likely be the lowest intake in years - wrecked as they would be by waves of foul corruption. even with her and afin together, they stand little chance, and she can already see more coming, her reserves depleted. she doesn’t want to die - !

a ringing of bullets, and the mob is shattered. she turns to see a friendly smile, dark red hair and a gunslash held in a firm grip.

“glad to see I made it in time.” the stranger says with a warm smile to them both. “I had to leave echo behind, but you guys are safe.” the stranger takes position beside them, switching to a sword. “let’s get you out of here.”

                                          sᴛᴏʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴀʟᴇs - a.