LASERRRRRS - [Open]

[optimistickey]

Characters: Sora, and OPEN FOR ANYONE PLAYING LASERTAG
Content: One of many lasertag skirmishes, to be sure
Location: The Recreation Deck
Time of Day: Afternoon
Warnings: None thusfar

[Any characters on red team are free to either get a successful shot at him, or be shot back...and green team members can come and team up if they like! Also, treat this thread as party-style...if you want to tags others besides Sora here, go for it.]


Sora just couldn't resist something like this...it was like some of the games they used to play on the Islands when he was younger, but with real lasers. And since they didn't hurt anyone and didn't have actual ammo or anything, they could use them as much as they wanted! How could anyone go wrong with something like that?

So as soon as he'd heard this stuff was available, he ran down to the Weapons Deck and picked up a gun and a set of armor for himself. It looked like he had the green kind. He was currently spending his time prowling around the Recreation Deck, occasionally ducking behind exercise equipment, looking for anyone on the opposite team that he could potentially hit...even if he wasn't the most stealthy person around.

Comments

[halfdarkened]

If Sora had told Riku he was cheating, he might've pointed out he didn't have to give Sora a warning shot.

Between the noise and what he could see in the mirror, Riku could see Sora slowly wheeling the rack. He smirked. Clever. He had a few options, two of which he ruled out since one was a cheap shot and the other was just a dirty - yet legal - trick. A third was to run to a new location, thereby leaving himself completely vulnerable. So he stuck with the fourth, which, like the two he ruled out, involved him staying put and waiting.

Crouching, he still watched through the mirror, firing off a few experimental shots in hopes a laser might get through. When the score on the back of his hand didn't change, he made sure the strap of his gun was over his shoulder and pulled the mirror out of alignment so he could shoot straight. He turned to his right, gun at the ready, and pulled the banner so it draped over his head and back.

Could the lasers shoot through thick cloth? Riku didn't know, but it was as good a time to find out as any. Theoretically, at least if he were shot, it would be from the front. He kept part of the banner in his fist, ready to make his move.

[optimistickey]

Sora made sure to duck and dodge the few times that Riku shot at him, but it looked like the rack was protecting him for now. So far, it was working! This wasn't a good enough shield to protect him for that long, considering it was large and hard to push, but it'd serve well enough to get him close enough to get behind Riku.

He wasn't certain, but it did look like Riku was trying to conceal himself even more. Well, he just had to make sure he'd get close enough to get him anyway...he couldn't hide all of himself if he intended to shoot back!

He got within about ten feet of Riku's hiding place, and carefully peered through the rack to see if he could get a clear shot of Riku from here.

[halfdarkened]

Riku listened carefully, but it was hard to hear through the dense fabric. However, when the sound stopped and he heard nothing, he briefly froze. Is he behind me? Though he couldn't shoot around a corner with the mirror out of place, it didn't mean he couldn't still use it. Angling his gun awkwardly, he glanced around the corner he faced... And when Sora wasn't there he shuffled around the corner, knowing full-well his banner-covered back had to have been targeted. But was he hit? Riku didn't have time to check that right now.

There was a pang in Riku's side. The bandages were slipping a little. Not good.

Riku peered around again with the mirror. He still had to wait. Sora was still too far away to make a move, and if his opponent slipped up just enough to show a hand or heel to target, his mirror wasn't aligned. It was still better to wait than risk not being able to use his laser should Sora come around to his front.

[optimistickey]

From Sora's position, it looked like he was approaching Riku from behind Perfect! Even though he was certain that Riku had heard him, it'd still take more time for him to turn around and fire back.

So he crept as close as possible, dragging the rack along with him, before finally pulling out from behind it and firing as much as he could at what he could see of Riku from under the banner.

[halfdarkened]

THAT was just what Riku wanted. Sora wanted cover, as evidenced by the rack. That was just what he'd give him. It was risky, but any hits he was taking would be worth it.

Riku shifted under the banner, took the edge with both hands to hold it in front of himself and rushed Sora! Immediately he brought the banner over Sora's head and gave the rack a good kick, sending basketballs bouncing everywhere. With the audio-visual cover, the teen leapt behind some weight lifting equipment... And clutched his side a moment before fixing the mirror on his gun. If the bandages slipped much more, he'd have to bow out.

In the meantime, Riku took advantage of any shots he could, using the mirror again.

[optimistickey]

"HEEEEY!"

Sora threw off the banner in a desperate scramble, only to be knocked on the side by one of the volleyballs flying past. He yelled something incomprehensible, and charged straight after Riku. Oh, it was on now. If Riku was gonna fight like this, then he'd just have to return it.

He decided to forego sneaking up on him or trying to be stealthy, instead using speed to his advantage. He chased after him to his next hiding spot behind the weight lifting equipment, dodging and weaving as he went so that he was much harder to hit. He also grabbed up one of the still-bouncing basketballs and tossed it in Riku's direction, hoping it'd maybe knock him off-balance. In the meanwhile, he got off what shots he could while dodging.

[halfdarkened]

Riku hadn't been quick enough to hide. That was fair though the whole point of that endeavor was to get him cover. He mentally shrugged as he noticed how fast Sora was coming at him.

It was true Sora was definitely faster than he was right now, given his injury. But Riku wasn't one to quit in the middle of a fight, and especially when a score was plastered on his forehead. He began running back towards the banner crate and rack, popping off shots when he could. When the basketball came his way, he turned his gun and swatted it back at Sora with the butt of his gun. He felt a few blips as he ducked behind the rack Sora just used. Again, he flipped back the mirror. Riku set the nose of his gun so it rested on part of the rack while still poking out. This freed up a hand, at which point he began to charge back at Sora, firing and pushing the 40 pound rack in front of him as fast as he could! There were a of of drawbacks to this, but Riku was as interested in Sora's reaction as he was in actually getting shots in.

Man they were going to have a mess to clean up. It'd be worth it.

[optimistickey]

Sora wasn't even thinking about the mess they were making...that'd like end up being Gypsy's job (although he definitely didn't envy her that task.) He was just focused on taking Riku down! He knew he got in a few shots while Riku was running for cover again, but he was determined to really raise his score.

When the basketball came back at him, he dodge-rolled to the side, and decided it was best to stay near the ground. And when Riku came back at him pushing the rack in front of him, Sora decided to answer that with something else dramatic. He rushed straight towards Riku and the rack, picking up speed as he went.

[halfdarkened]

Really? Sora's reaction had Riku unimpressed. In a game of chicken, Sora was unlikely to fair well. Sure it meant that Sora could move faster, but it would take a lot of force to drive back the heavier Riku and the forty pounds of metal he was driving forward. Sora wasn't that stupid. ...Right? Riku kept an eye out, trying to figure out where his opponent would duck to as he came through.

Still, Riku had his doubts. If they did collide and the rack fell on top of him, he might be back to square one in regards to his still-healing rib. And then he'd be out of the game. Then again, he knew he shouldn't be playing like this anyway, but he'd been tired of taking it easy. He made his decision already and kept at it, working his legs and shoulders to push the rack even harder, firing as he went.

[optimistickey]

Sora continued charging towards Riku. It was true; in a game of Chicken, Sora definitely wouldn't fare out that well. But as it so happened, Sora wasn't playing Chicken now...not in a traditional way, anyway.

Even if he didn't have his powers or special abilities, he did still retain some of his learned skills, and at least one of those was his jump. Once he was certain he had the room and the power, he took a flying leap right over the rack and Riku's head, landing behind him with his laser gun ready and firing.

[halfdarkened]

As Sora leapt over, Riku watched, eyes widened. Nice. And with that he stopped pushing and took his gun with both hands, hoping to catch a shot or two before Sora landed. He never got a chance to check if he was successful, as Sora's lasers were quickly pelting him.

Riku ran, giving the rack a hard yank to send it to the floor and freeing the remaining basketballs. He shot back as he ran, knowing his aim would be far inferior right now. Grabbing hold of a treadmill, Riku swung himself around and dashed to the pool. There he shielded himself with the tall diving board, attempting to get what shots in he could.

[optimistickey]

It worked! Sora kept up his firing on Riku for as long as he could, knowing that he may not get this chance in the future. It definitely was paying off at least for a bit, as the number on his hand rose some.

When Riku back for the pool, Sora decided to pursue, keeping up his assault. He'd have to find some cover eventually, but for now, was just focused on keeping up with Riku.

[halfdarkened]

Riku had been smart enough to find a mirror before. But Sora had him on the run, and evasive tactics weren't working. And being on the run wasn't nearly as fun as being the chaser.

So he decided not to run much longer.

Thanks to the way the living board was set up, there was a strong support that concealed the ladder from certain angles. Using that cover, he scaled it several feet, just high enough to be above eye-level. Now it was time to wait for Sora to round the corner...

[optimistickey]

And a moment later, Sora did come rounding the corner, gun ready. He didn't see Riku immediately, and it took him a moment before he realized that Riku had climbed the ladder of the diving board...perhaps a bit too later.

[halfdarkened]

Riku had skills he'd learned too. The moment Sora was in range, he started firing. He launched himself from the ladder, flipping in mid air and still firing even when he landed... hard. He grunted as the shock traveled through his torso. That wasn't smart.

Riku was done running. He charged Sora, laser gun blazing!

[optimistickey]

Sora backed off a bit when Riku grunted in pain...it sounded like he was still recovering from his injuries. While Sora thought of telling him to slow down, he was having too much fun to actually suggest it out loud.

Well, it would be hard to go on the offensive now without taking a ton of hits. But he didn't want to actually go running, either. So, firing back as best as he could, he decided to try and climb up the next nearest high dive. If he could get some high ground here, he'd get the advantage again.

[halfdarkened]

Even with the pain, Riku was also having too much fun to slow down. It didn't help he was also too stubborn. As kids he remembered times when he'd been hurt and still went at it. He never would have thought it would serve him well later in life.

Riku chased after, but as soon as he saw Sora climb the ladder, he went to take cover again behind the dumbbells. With a quick motion of the wrist, he put the mirror back in place and began firing around it at the target now up on a pedestal.

[optimistickey]

Once Sora was up on the diving board, he pressed himself against the plank so as to make himself hard to hit. He probably still got a few hits here and there, but with the board in the way, Riku wouldn't have so easy a time hitting him.

In the meanwhile, Sora attempted to shoot Riku more times, even with Riku hiding. He definitely knew to watch for that mirror now.

[halfdarkened]

And now with that distinct height advantage, Riku had to make sure now more than ever to keep his head down. Trying as best as possible to hide his location, the mirror would pop out one way as Riku fired a few shots and a few shots only. He'd pull his gun back in to either find a new spot or occasionally try it again, trying his best to keep Sora guessing.

This wasn't getting either of them anywhere far. But it was getting Sora further. Though not common, Riku knew he was getting pinged through the rack if the laser hit off the metal just right. Riku needed to move. He considered making a run for the banners and hiding under them, but decided it was a cheap shot. Instead he ran to the other side of the other high dive, using it to shield himself. It wasn't a huge improvement, and he took hits doing it, but at least he wouldn't get a ricochet.

[optimistickey]

Sora took a few hits here and there, but he knew he was winning here, since the number on his hand was going up more frequently. It looked like the height advantage was giving him the upper hand, so to speak, as Riku finally elected to move to different cover.

Sora followed him as he went, deciding he'd try to remain at this position for now. However, it was a bit more difficult for Sora to actually hit him from this position...the question was, would Riku try to move again to get a better shot at him?

[halfdarkened]

For the moment, Riku stayed in position. Sora couldn't use his height advantage so well here, given that the height of this other high dive gave him cover at its base. Riku could try to climb, but he'd take a ton of hits from Sora or anyone else around before a pointless shootout at the top.

He checked the back of his hand and used the mirror on his laser to check his head. He was taking a lot fewer hits here in comparison. And here he could still use his mirror, though Sora fit pretty nicely behind that board. ...And for the first time Riku cursed that he was bigger than Sora, realizing that if their positions were switched, Riku wouldn't be able to hide as well against the diving board.

For now it was a matter of seeing who'd outlast the other.

[optimistickey]

Sora maintained his position on top of the board for a little while, at least until his impatience started to get the better of him. He didn't know if he could try that jumping trick again on Riku, but maybe he could try something a little different...after battling Kaldur, he figured he could always use the same trick he did.

So, he climbed back down the ladder as quickly as possible, then turned...and jumped straight into the pool. He swam in Riku's direction, still firing, and ready to dive if Riku fired back. He couldn't breathe underwater like Kaldur, but he could still use the pool as its own form of shield.

ICON VERY MUCH APPLICABLE

[halfdarkened]

Riku's eyes widened as he felt a few blips. It won't short out in water?! He smirked. The pool might be used as a shield, but this one wasn't solid like the ones they'd used previously. Riku was an islander, just like Sora. He cold swim like he could walk.

As such, Riku bent his mirror back and took a running leap into the pool, shooting as he went.

[optimistickey]

Well dang, Sora had kind of been hoping that Riku wouldn't try to shoot from the water as well. Or that at least he'd try shooting back first so that Sora could make use of the depth's ability to neutralize the lasers.

Sora began to swim away from Riku, trying to put some distance between them, while keeping up his firing. If Riku got too many hits on him here, he'd have to dive down for a bit...too bad Riku was better at holding his breath underwater than him.

[halfdarkened]

Riku swam at him as fast as he could. It was good to keep his opponent on the run. He remembered swimming races back home where they each found shortcuts, and it was always a matter of trying to see not just who could outswim the other, but who could outsmart the other, too. Riku felt the familiar sting of water
on his eyes, blinked through it, focused and fired before resurfacing to fill his lungs completely. He didn't let up for long.

The water flowed around Riku's body and into his armor. It soaked into his bandages, and he could feel them start to slip a little faster.