If she had been fighting with anyone else, she very likely would have fled as soon as the bear's attention was drawn away from her. It would have been humiliating, but it would have been an instinctive, gut reaction. As much as she boasted about how strong she was, how capable, she was still just a young girl at the end of the day. Facing up against the unknown horror was not something she ever could have anticipated, and she was not willing to put her life on the line for many people. Her father was one of the few. Despite their lack of a close relationship, despite the feeling of abandonment she’d had when he left, her loyalty to him hadn’t wavered. Her loud confidence often served as a way to mask her craving for approval from those she admired, and she hadn’t been exposed to many she could view as a role model.
With the bear's focus suddenly on Ignis, she had a lot more options, but no real clue on what the best one was. She frowned, shifting in place as she debated,warring internally. Go for the other back leg? Jump on it’s back and grab the scruff? Was that even realistic? She knew she couldn’t just stand on the sidelines, though. This was the experience, the opportunity to learn from her father and make up for some of that lost time. Not only that, but it was also a chance for her to prove herself to him, and to herself.
There was a sudden shift in the scene that would cause her to act, though. The bear kicked out a leg and caught him in the face, sending her father to the ground. She cursed herself quietly for not having made a move sooner, watching as the bear began to advance. She dove in then, acting on instinct, ignoring the overwhelming thoughts in her head that made her question each move. It was already weakened in one spot, and maybe it was a stupid move, but she launched herself towards the paw that had just been released from Ignis’ grip.
Her teeth sunk easily into the existing wound, and she clamped down as hard as she could, yanking back with all the force she had to rip and tear at the already shredded flesh. She was faintly aware of a roar coming from the creature, but the blood rushing in her ears drowned out all the other sounds around her. Her vision felt fuzzy and dark in the edges, focused in on only what was directly in front of her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, allowing the thrill of excitement to wash away the feelings of uncertainty and fear. She was so caught up that she didn’t see the head swinging around to face her until teeth gripped the back of her neck. She immediately released her grip and just as quickly her body was flying through the air.
She didn’t go too far, but her body hit the ground with enough force to knock the air from her lungs. Shaking her head, she got to her feet quickly, zeroing back in on the bear. She could hardly feel the pain from the wounds on her neck, but the warmth of blood running down her shoulders was enough to let her know she would definitely be feeling it when the rush wore off.
WC- 2,477/2,500
"Speech" || Thoughts
