#-: ✧ :-゜・．(;verse 1) 「„life-fiber hunter“」

[vagabondfromkanto]

PROFILE: MATOI RYUKO

Laid out her core abilities and some design details for the Life-Fiber Hunter post-canon.

Follow under the cut for some relevant canon references.

FIBER ABSORPTION

She and Senketsu used this ability to evolve. Now she does the same alone.

Still requires a finishing move to be performed first.

BLOOD POWER-UP

No canon reference, but stands to reason if she and Senketsu are "the same".

She would, however, gag and likely have a stomachache 'cause the human part of the body protests.

SENJIN BLADES

Made possible by absorbing the hardened Life-Fibers from the Rendering Scissors. Virtually hold the same characteristics, but are costly and painful to summon.

ENFORCING LEGS/HANDS BY BLOOD FOCUSING

Speed and jump height are self-explanatory. Vertical run is seen twice (both times out of sync) — at the election finals and in the 25th episode.

Obviously can't power up both hands and legs at the same time, 'cause. Blood.

HAIR REACTIVITY/CHANGING COLOR

As mentioned: strictly hereditary. And we've seen Ryuko's hair react to her emotions out of sync mode once already, so.

EYE STITCHES

This is just my personal fun explanation for why her eyes look that way, it doesn't do anything. Does not imply they were stitched by someone, it's just a fiber quirk.

REGENERATION

Nuff said. Very much possible even out of sync, as illustrated by Ryuko fighting without Senketsu in ep 24.

For the sake of not making her too invincible (now where's the fun in that) and to keep some differences from Ragyo (Ryuko has far more human left in her, just by percentage), I'm saying it slows down after too much damage and blood loss.

However the damage still must be. Considerable. She kept that up for quite some time even as teenager.

SHINRA-KOKETSU ABSORPTION AFTER-EFFECTS

A fun little tool that might help me later. I have my thoughts about it, but I do not intend to whip it out in a thread unless Ryuko ends up on a verge of death. And even then I'll likely discuss it with whomever I'm writing with.

[vagabondfromkanto]

"..."

Ryuko grabbed her alternate self's hand without a word, abandoning bench's back and sliding down to sit at her side properly. The best thing to do then was probably to offer some quiet support and zip it at that, but fuck, she was always so bad at staying quiet.

"Whatcha mean you 'shouldn't have' them? With all the shit you've been through, I'd say the fact that you're still here is already more than good enough. What, you're supposed to be totally okay on top of that? Hah." She lightly rubbed her thumb over other's knuckles. "There's this thing that I've been told, and I've been telling myself, and I never seem to listen. Maybe it'll work if I tell it to another myself. Minus and minus equals plus, all that." Unlikely, but still.

"We are supposed to be more than our scars. So it shouldn't be that scary to let them fade, because, well, all the memories and experiences are still there. Like, our losses and mistakes aren't our whole existence to atone for by never letting scars heal. Apparently when people look at us and want us in their lives they see more than just our pain or fuck ups." She also sighed. "Yeah, bold words from someone who can't let go nor of her scars, nor of this whole 'weapon' shtick, I know." At that she finally quieted down, scooting a bit closer, shoulder to shoulder.

"Exactly. It shouldn't be the end for us if they're gone. That just wouldn't make any sense now would it..."

She wasn't done though. "But I can't help this feeling that…once the scars that we have are gone, so are we…" She trailed off, before letting out a long sigh. "I shouldn't have these thoughts in my head, but they're very…persistent these days. Screaming and crying and screeching in my brain..."

Her hand went back to trace that one spot near her heart. It was where that one awful 'gaping' scar that left right after Mako and Senketsu tried to save her. Ryuko didn't say anything for a while, probably mulling over a lot of things regarding what she just said, and asked. She leaned back at the bench, sighing again as she shut her eyes briefly.

Then holding out one hand at her alternate, quietly asking for just a bit of support…

[vagabondfromkanto]

@vindicta-reliquiae

Now that's a familiar face. Well, yeah, sure, it's her own damn face, but as used as Ryuko had grown to different versions of herself popping up from the depths of some multiverse, this one seemed even more familiar than usual. Like they had crossed paths before, some time, some place.

Narrowing her eyes a bit, just checking one last time to be sure, she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, I'll be damned. You still got that dragon tattoo of yours?" Why settle at a mere 'hello' when casual familiarity feels even better.

[vagabondfromkanto]

@prettyboywarrior asked: "You're better than you tell yourself you are."

"Oh yeah? And what, pray tell, do I tell myself, you think?"

[vagabondfromkanto]

CONTINUED FROM. // @metalheaduo

"Really? Couldn't tell at all." Hard to say if that's flattery or a straight up honesty. Could even be both.

"Yeah, kinda. Think the poor thing is done with having me as its owner for eight years straight. Ripped the chain, as a I said, but it's kinda. Making noises as well." She points over her shoulder at a dusty red bike standing near by.

[vagabondfromkanto]

"Yeah, don't think those guys are much for writing their victories." More like, consuming humanity and all that. "I, at least, can spell."

She nodded at his reply, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Figured as much. I will say though, if he decides to go rampaging before I get to them, well. Might be bad for business."

"Two sides of the same coin, I'm afraid. Starting a war, ending a war. Two major key moments in history. And is written by the victor."

The tall blonde soon pondered her request. "It might take some time to evaluate your request."

[vagabondfromkanto]

@matoiharime asked:

" So what's it like being a hunter? Reminds me of the time when me and Nui use to hunt. "

"Less exciting than your hunts, I imagine. I travel all over the place, listen around for rumors — or terrified screams — about weird monsters and what not. Sometimes I find another derp who decided they're the shit 'cause they got a fiber scrap. ...And sometimes I find a fat racoon some old lady got spooked by."

[vagabondfromkanto]

@chopperpirate

"...oi, hey there! Think we met before, no?" He was sort of hard to forget - in a good way. After quickly wracking her brain a bit, Ryuko even recalled the name. "Tony, right? What brings you 'round these parts?"

[vagabondfromkanto]

CONTINUED FROM. // @matoiharime

"...wait-- how am I an asshole--" Ryuko hesitated for all but a second (It's Nui, but it's another Ryuko, but whatever is going on looks horrifying, but they haven't attacked her so--) before deciding that, indeed, fuck it, and following the other her inside.

"Oi, come on, you can hardly blame me for being a bit stumped here, can ya?" A pause to process the question. "Also, uh, yeah. Thanks."

[vagabondfromkanto]

"Holy shit, creating a universe? Like, a whole new thing? Whoa. Yeah, definitely a smaller scale. How do you even defeat something like that?"

"I see. Sounds like you have an important job, then."

"The biggest... That would have to be a fledgling creator deity who had just come into being, about six hundred years ago. It was in the process of creating a universe when I struck it down, before it could gain much power."

[vagabondfromkanto]

@prettyboywarrior asked: "You okay?"

The question made Ryuko flinch a little, clearly having been deep in thought before that and getting caught by surprise. Upon processing the question and who's asking, however, she gave a reassuring (if a little unconvincing) smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just stargazing, I guess." Well, she certainly had been staring at the sky.

[vagabondfromkanto]

@bxd-kxrma liked for a starter

All in all, it was quite a peaceful night (somewhere around 3 am, mind you), until said peace was suddenly and rudely disturbed by a dark figure appearing from the bushes. Said figure, limping just a bit and cursing under her breath, stomped right to the window of what she hoped would be Karma's bedroom and hesitated for all of two seconds before banging her fist on the frame a couple times.

"Yo! Psst! Karma! You asleep?!" Welp, that's quite a loud whisper.

[vagabondfromkanto]

@fantasyconcrete asked:

"I'll take the fifty meatheads on the left, can you handle the fifty on the right?"

"Oh betcha I can. Wanna time who's done first? I dunno, loser buys lunch or something?" She's basically yelling that last part on the go, already starting to charge.

[vagabondfromkanto]

"Ha, thanks. You got an interesting definition of 'cute' tho. Been on the road for like five days straight, can't be that cute. Speakin' of which, you know bikes, I take it? Yours is definitely in a better shape than mine."

👁‍🗨 @ Franky + "Oi, 'xcuse me, you got a spare chain link by chance? Kinda done fuck'd up and snapped mine."

"Ouuh love ya style sweetheart! Sure got one right on me in case cute girls wanna borrow it heh!"

[vagabondfromkanto]

@gunslinginnhogtyin

The thing about small bars is — all locals are basically friends with the bartender, and it's not that hard to join them if you're talkative and everyone is sufficiently drunk. If you're a silent stranger, however, that's a whole other story. Sometimes it can be hard to even get noticed, believe it or not. To this bar's credit, the bartender does notice her, but he also gives her a skeptical look before approaching. Well, she supposes that her dusty old jacket with remaining dirt on the elbows and overall ragged appearance does make her look questionable. She's used to it. She currently is a traveling tumbleweed, after all.

She silently produces some money to show, and the man drops the attitude, gives her the drink and promptly forgets about her. That's another thing. Often, a visible foreigner gets much curious, if unwanted, attention in such places. Not this time. This time her natural "Do not mess with me" aura seems to be working well.

For once, though, Ryuko kinda wishes it didn't. She's here fresh post another fight and it still feels like she's trembling with adrenaline from the inside. No one can tell, what with her injuries never sticking around for long (hence the ragged clothes, though), but she can. And usually she's just fine with being a loner, but damn, sometimes after a risky fight you just want a drink to celebrate your stupid ass getting to live another day. And sometimes, even, you'd like to share that drink with someone, but you're stuck alone in the middle of wherever and it's your own damn fault.

Maybe she should just invite someone here. Like, say, this guy in a cowboy getup who just approached the counter. From the looks of it, he's here alone as well, and he definitely seems to be on a chiller side of the "people you meet at a bar" scale. Would it be weird? More importantly, does she care if it would? It's probably already weird enough that she's side-eyeing him like that while hunched over her drink. Speaking of which, he's likely about to order his. Screw it.

"Oi, stranger." Waiting till she has his attention, Ryuko then leans her head to the side with a crooked tired smile and makes a lazy gesture in the general space over the counter. "Whatcha say I buy you a drink?"

Belatedly realizing how that might sound, she straightens up a bit, turning to him more openly. "Not tryin' to hit on you or anything. It's just that drinking alone totally blows today, and you seem like good company."

[vagabondfromkanto]

@fantasyconcrete asked:

"Hey, you wanna go do something stupid?"

"Always, how stupid are we talkin'?"