[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/eK7TcyK.png[/img][hr][h3]Grimm Studies[/h3][hr][/center]

A shout from across the room caught Ashe's attention. Skye was calling out for her to join the other group of students, and Ashe tried to make her way to join them while the two tentacles were still far enough away. She sprinted towards the other group, not noticing the creature staring at her and two others. The tentacles reached her first, as she was only halfway to her destination.

When the Dionaea resumed its assault on her, Ashe was prepared. Mostly. The beast didn't just use the two tentacle-like vines, though, but rather [i]three[/i]. [color=708090][i]Gods damn it, it's like fighting a train wreck. I'm [/i]not[i] built for this shit![/i][/color], she thought. It was going poorly already, and it was only getting worse, even with the blow she'd taken to the head reminding her to pay attention to [i]all[/i] of the tentacles. Dodging, weaving, ducking, vaulting over tentacles kept her from taking any more hard hits, but between the exertion and the splitting headache, she was slowing down.

Eventually one of the tentacles struck her in the back, throwing her off-balance and sending her scrambling across the ground and into the shallow waters until she could pull herself upright. The other students were having much less trouble with the damned thing - and had brought tools that were better built for killing large Grimm to boot. Shields, swords, ranged weapons, the works. [color=708090][i]And all I've got are these [/i]fucking[i] gloves![/i][/color]

At least she was closer to Skye's group now, but the vines weren't letting up, and the damned screeching from the Grimm's smaller heads felt like it was coming from inside her already aching head. The vines swung again, and she hopped the first, ducked the second, and watched the third sail off in a totally different direction: towards a classmate. [color=708090][i]Good riddance, not my problem anymore...[/i][/color] Its sudden departure gave her the chance to finally do [i]something[/i], and she hastily spun the dials on her gloves to their highest settings.

A tentacle returned once more only to be met with Ashe's fist. A flash of blazing white flame erupted from the gloved fist towards the tentacle's tip as though she had summoned forth Gungnir from Odin's very hand, burning clean through its hide with a loud crack as the red crystal upon her forefinger shifted to a lifeless shade of red-tinted grey. An eruption of foul, burnt smelling gas burst forth from the gaping hole, indicating some unknown degree of hopefully massive internal damage. Whether or not the remainder of the tentacle would still be usable remained to be seen, but the Grimm yanked the vine away from her immediately.

While the creature was recoiling from the strike, Ashe dashed the rest of the way to the middle of Skye's group formation. A burning sensation at the top of her right hand caught her attention - her Magician's Hand, in all its shoddily constructed glory, was on fire. Very on fire. And the synthetic fibers were melting onto her skin. When she dunked her flaming hand into the marsh waters, the burning itch didn't go away, so she channeled some of her remaining aura toward the burn site in a desperate bid to keep the pain from getting worse. Exhaustion was catching up to her as well, and her heart was pounding in a way it hadn't since the first gang brawl she'd been in. [color=708090][i]Deep breaths. Deeeeeeep breaths... In through the nose, out through the mouth...[/i][/color]

[color=708090]"Sorry I'm late. Taking the rear,"[/color] she called out to the group over the Dionaea's ceaseless screaming. She wasn't sure if she'd be much use to anyone while out of breath and nearly at the bottom of her aura reserves, but she at least still had one weapon, so she took up a position at the rear along with Skye. One more hit and she'd have to run for the classroom door if it didn't put her down.

As a precaution, she turned the dial on her remaining glove from 11 to 9: 1/4th the power, and not as likely to scorch her left hand.

[@NarayanK][@Krayzikk][@FlitterFaux][@Write]