David
She watched him flinch for his weapon with a deep satisfaction that turned into outright glee at his words. "Fun! Isn't it?" She gushed, fanfeathers pressed against her cheek. "I've always thought so! It's so nice to meet someone with such good taste!" Aw. And there he went, pointing that nasty little needle at her again. They must not have the same predilections after all, if he still wanted to fight her. Hinoki paid no mind to his words, shifting her focus back to more interesting matters.

There had only been sparse records in the Helios archives of shrines that dealt with status conditions. Nothing approaching comprehensive coverage, so she'd hoped to test if this one could deal with more fleeting issues like Confusion— but she had another theory as well. Even the most benevolent supernatural site usually had some way to respond to threats, for defensive purposes. This shrine had been used only for simple harvest prayers for years, now— would it still remember its prior function? And if so, what would it be capable of doing to an intruder?

Hinoki had heard of a place similar to this one that inflicted poison. She was itching to try it out. With that thought, she hopped backwards through the shrine entrance, still sneering down at the mouse—

"Ack!" She gave a startled cry, peering around at the darkness with her fan held up in a defensive tilt. What *Was* This feeling, sending a chill down her spine; it was like someone was holding a magnifying glass up to her and seeing through *All* Of her and into her very soul— even after the initial wave passed, Hinoki was left feeling decidedly... Exposed. *Did it* Identify *Me? What sort of peeping shrine IS this?*

She gave the dark shrine another look of disgust, and then turned back to loom down at the mouse. There was just nothing for it. "Pardon me, if you'll just join me for a second," She said, reaching out slowly with her good wing's fanfeathers to try and drag him in with her.
Javier
*At her playful remark, he tilted his head up, a little taken aback. Not by her, at least- maybe he was too presumptuous about her.* What? Don't judge me. She seemed like the sort of laughing sadist at first! *Indeed, as he may have decided to believe, but his thoughts would soon wander to the idea that, perhaps, she* Was *Having fun with this.*

Maybe she *Does* Have it? *But it's still not certain.* She's quite obviously trying to lead me into some sort of trap.

*Still, he had a battle in mind.* "I find you rather fascinating. That being said," *He stated, reeling his needle behind his back,* "I have my limits." 

*Lunging forth and holding his needle in a lunge-ready pose, he suddenly darted forwards using `Pursuit`, darting close along the ground closely and circling around to try and hop onto her back- attempting to grab onto the feathers on the back of her neck for a grip and taking a weak slash with his needle (he couldn't quite grapple and attack well at the same time, but their closeness did help).* "Focus."

*... That being said, considering Hinoki was in the shrine, so was Reaper!*
David
"Ugh, I know the feeling," Hinoki muttered. "But I have no time to play with little mice!" She really wasn't built for this. Her wings might have the dexterity to throw a dart, but there was hardly any of the grappling force necessary to grab hold of another pokemon— even one as lightweight as this rat. He kept jumping about before she could catch him... "What is *With* You?" She griped when he hopped around into the shrine himself.

And then back onto her! Was the shrine not doing anything to the mouse? She couldn't see with him on her like this, but then she wouldn't have been able to closely examine him in the dark room very well anyway. Being a diurnal ghost-type had more than its share of downsides. She was bemoaning that— then a swipe across her back made her squawk. Right now Hinoki didn't even have the *Advantages* Of her typing...

"Focus on what? You expect a priest to throw Air Slashes at a poor soul like you? Well— *Some* Of those zealous ones might be up for it," She tittered derisively, "But you managed to have a late-night run-in with ~me!~ Answer quick! Did the teetering wear off? Are you feeling badly poisoned? Oh, tell me the shrine didn't use Foresight on you too, like some one-move Ponyta—"

He was just clinging to her, she couldn't tell what was happening! What would she do if she missed what it did to him!? So caught up in her fretting as she hopped around, trying to shake him off without jostling her injured wing, Hinoki didn't pay any attention to the sliding shrine doors starting to close.
Javier
*The shrine...* Was *It doing anything to this mouse? Well, mayhaps. Mayhaps it was doing something so insidious, that its effects are yet to even be seen by either the two of them- or perhaps it was winding something up, something that would surely come and save Hinoki last second? Perhaps it was bemused by what he was doing- so much so, in fact, that it decided not to do anything? Or maybe, in fact, it did something like Splash- something ineffective to the point of being not noticed. Well, I have no clue, since I don't run the shrine! Hoho had you going didn't I?*

 "You know what," *He uttered, breath staggering as he struggled to keep good balance on the flailing bird.* "I've decided. I like you."

*With a rather sinister snicker, he changed up his grip- his grabbing paw moved up to her head, struggling to find a good thing to grab onto and slapping her eye once before grabbing a hold of her upper beak.* "From now on, whether you like it or not..."

*Suddenly, the mouse reeled its needle back and gave it a coral-colored swing, performing a `Wide Slash` across her back!* "You're my rival."

*Chucking to himself as he managed to keep riding this mechanical bird-bull, he wrapped his other arm around the side of her neck, although holding the needle and being in an awkward position, it did nothing to choke her- just to reassert her grip.*
David
"Such soft little paws," She said in an undertone as he shoved one at her eye, sending that facial plume askew and making her wince. *He's attacking again? Oh, light blind me.* The slash did far more to pain her than the test one had, and his ridiculous statement after had her nearly falling over. 'Rival' was a loaded term for Hinoki. Applying it to this mouse— no, she couldn't believe it. "You know, I can think of plenty of other, better words to use," She cut herself off quickly.



Was the mouse laughing? He really found this funny! So carefree about being sealed in a site of unknown intent; though it *Was* Far more interesting than the night she'd planned. She muttered several curses, something about grinding bones for tea sweetener, before finally flopping down onto the shrine floor. "Why not him? A scoundrel of a mouse, and yet you leave him alone? How am I the villain here?" Hinoki lamented into the closed room.
Javier
*Rolling around and holding tight to her, the mouse paused as she mentioned using other words.* "...

"Other than a rival?

"...

"Well, now, we just met. You can't be proposing to be my *Nemesis*, now can you?" *He was holding course as she continued to stumble around, and as she flopped onto the floor, he ended up swinging around and getting struck by her landing body, causing him to drop the needle but keep his grip on her- grappling 'round to try and avoid being pinned beneath. When one grapples, such as in Jui Jitsu or MMA, to be on top is generally the best, as you can throw your weight around more into assailing the grounded foe (lest they have their legs around you). Very fun unless you are not a fan of recreational fighting.*

*Interspersed between his moments of just keeping his grip, he'd be pulling at her beak and wailing on her head with a closed fist- juvenile, but after their tumble to the ground, he was fully confident that she couldn't do anything to him here. Instead, he focused on maintaining the grapple, only pausing his strikes as she mentioned something about villainy.* 

"WHO are you talking to!?" *He grumbled, spinning around her and soon sliding around to hold around her good wing- an accident and a necessity.* "I assure you that, by all definitions, *I* Am the villain here, yes!"
David
"Urk, no, where are you *Getting* This," She groaned. "I'm a respectable priest! I don't make a habit of challenging damned little rats to fisticuffs! And we have more important things to—"

Why was he punching her. There was a line, and they had both definitely crossed it. The shrine walls creaked out a high warning, but Hinoki was kept busy with the mouse scrabbling to take her down. Close quarters was the worst for her, let alone in the dark against a wily opponent like this one. What could she even... Ugh. She twisted her head around to try and peck at the top of his own; her beak, curved and pointed to aid in drinking nectar, doubled as a fairly decent weapon, but Hinoki had also literally never done this before in her life.

There was no telling if she even landed any of her return strikes. Wrapped around her wing, she couldn't even claw at him. It was all unpracticed flailing, and with the creaking growing louder she struggled to make her voice heard. "Tell that to whatever wretched thing governs this place!" What was the issue again— right. The indignity of trying to *Kick* At him had distracted her, but she knew this. A shrine that could deal with the more volatile status conditions. Some of those were so unpleasant that she...

"You're a smart mouse, with sooo much battle experience, yes? You've ever been hit by a Mean Look? How do you get out of one?" Hinoki had only read a bit about the concept, but it did fall under that category, right? Although the Foresight wasn't wearing off...
Javier
"*Little* Rat?! By the look of things, you're barely holding yourself together, you blessed prune!" *His flailing continued as she initiated her counter attack.*

*The first three pecks landed quite well- the first atop his head, the second on his eye- causing a hand to cover it and loosening his grip.* "YEOWCH-" *He leaned back, only for his nose to get a nasty poke, whereupon his head started to duck out and away from the fourth and fifth peck.*

"Whatever governs this place, you are an utter FOOL!" *He swung around, moving his grip to travel around to her other side- this time hanging from her weak wing, but doing little to stop the oncoming pecks.* "I assure you that I'm no rat you've seen before- OW-" *Another peck, this one on his other eye, as he circled back around to her back.*

"THAT'S IT!" *He then countered by rearing his head back and opening his maw, big ol' pearly whites shining as his head lurched backwards and slammed forwards, attempting to bite Hinoki's beak. At first, he considered using Hyper Fang, if only instinctively; however, thinking about how, perhaps, it might actually* Shatter *Her beak if he did, he opted to instead go for a normal, boring bite. Then he remembered she was a Ghost type and, in fact, had no clue that a Foresight was effective on her, and presumed it would have done nothing anyways.*

*... Wait this wouldn't be like a kiss or something would it? He hesitated. Is that how birds kiss? He probably shouldn't do this, but oh well, if it'll stop her from pecking him... If she did use Mean Look, the worst part would be staying around for the awkwardness.* Wait, can she even learn that move? What? *Starting to catch on?* Is she... Fighting with someone else?
David
Twisting to try and follow where he clambered across her, Hinoki lamented her situation. Stuck in a shrine with what had to be the most determined rat in all of Fey... Pecking someone was a seriously odd sensation. The only similar feeling she could turn up was preening her family, decades ago, but as the mouse yelled in pain she had to admit it was a very distant comparison. Oh! Fur in her mouth! Ew!

And then— going for a Bite, blazing lord— but his teeth closed around her beak with only a whisper of the pain she'd expected. She had some things to compare *This* To. It was actually kind of charming, the way he'd insulted the shrine without a second thought, even as Hinoki attacked him. Strikingly similar to tales she'd heard from her teachers, back when they thought horror stories of divine retribution might keep her in line. *So bold! How fun.* Her certainty in her ability to handle the shrine was waning by the minute, though.

Delicately reaching back with her disheveled good wing, she nudged at his face with her soft fanfeathers, trying to get him to detach so she could talk. The creaking had gone eerily silent. *Probably not much time left.* Hinoki sort of hoped it didn't do something awful to him, too.
Javier
*The rat, still gnawing on her beak, winced at the feathers prodding his face.* Oh. Her tone shifted. This was a Arceus-damned kiss, wasn't it? *If a rat could turn flushed, then he very well did, immediately letting go and using a `Quick Attack` to dart over to his needle, picking it up and holding it defensively in the blink of an eye.*

Don't think about it too much. She's probably got something else in store. *His eyes glanced over to the door, which had seemed to shut itself just a few moments earlier-* Huh? What? Since when- how? *Isn't it obvious? Someone else is helping her.*

*His eyes were scanning the room- looking over the shadows, his ears flickering as he tried to catch the sound of* Anything *That could be nearby.* Creaking. Massive footsteps? But I didn't notice anything that fit that profile in here. *You can't see it.* It's... Another ghost?

*He lowered his stance, still quite a bit flustered, holding his needle on the ground.* "What? What do you want?" *He seemed to be backing away, despite his battle-instinct telling him to approach.*
David
She couldn't see his face clearly in the dark, but the scampering and the twang of his needle held aloft... Was he scared, somehow? Did he realize what he'd done? The shrine wavered, its roof practically flexing above them. This was certainly not *Her* Mistake, she'd argue for her blamelessness any day of the week, but on the other hand she couldn't bring herself to enjoy the thought of the mouse facing his reckoning. The way his ears twitched...

*He's cute when he's worried,* She thought, rising gingerly onto her feet. Hinoki didn't mind the obviously intentional surprise kiss, especially when they might be doomed to rot here. Escaping probably required cooperation, so she wouldn't complain that he'd switched gears so quickly. Oh, it was actually convenient that her Revelation Dance couldn't hit him— if she had to resort to tearing down the shrine, the mouse would remain (mostly) unharmed.

"Well, let's try the door," She half shrugged, figuring he was asking what the plan was. "It might be merciful. If it knows what's good for it." The general direction of the altar was given a cold stare. Hinoki still wasn't sure how much she could afford to bluff; getting trapped on the spot of the village's destroyed shrine would be *Incredibly* Hard to spin in the morning.
Javier
*He frowned, tilting his head to gander up the length of the door. Its imposing, cold... Well, he'd describe it, but it lurched in darkness- it was almost unknowable like this.*

*Also, isn't it strange how soft Hinoki's feathers are? You should try to stab her back again.* ... ... Come on, focus! *Reaper slapped himself on the cheek, regaining his focus and staggering towards the door- needle pointed towards the Oricorio half heartedly as he approached.* It's like something's going to jump out at me from nothing. *There's no way you'd be able to open it.*

*After getting in appropriate range, he put his hands flush against the surface and started to press into it; then, shortly after, sliding away. Being as light and small as he was, lest he was aided by supernatural forces, he was far too light to press any sort of door open.*

*He scoffed and pulled his bow-tie off, dropping it on the ground; then, a small* Thum *As his weight doubled. He pressed again, but providing little force. Still just a mouse.*

*Scoffing, he dropped his needle to the ground and kicked it some little bits away. Then, turning to Hinoki with a look of resignation,* "... Could you help me budge this insufferable thing open!?" *A drop of sweat. He was kind of exhausted after that fight.* "And what do you mean, 'merciful'? The door isn't exactly... I don't know! Thoughtful?!"