2017-07-10: Battle at the Bae
- Log: Battle at the Bae
- Cast: Ethius Hesiod, Lunata Croze, Jacqueline Barber, Shalune Amira, Matilda Whitehead
- Where: Lacour - Arms Coliseum
- Date: July 10th 2017
- Summary: Match 34, Losers Round 2 of the Lacour Tournament of Arms. Shalune Amira, carefree mechanic, takes on taciturn wanderer Ethius Hesiod. The crowd has their clear favorite. One of the competitors has murky and unclear objectives, layered in complications that stir against deeply ingrained instincts they have lost the ability to define. The other likes to blow stuff up!!!
===================<* Lacour - Arms Coliseum *>===================
Situated immediately adjacent to Lacour Castle, the Arms Coliseum is a temple to the pursuit of perfection in physical prowess. Built more than three centuries ago by King Etienne I, the Coliseum is laid over with ancient Symbols that blunt weapons and protect combatants on the brink of death, allowing competitors to fight to the best of their ability without fear of killing their opponents.
The Coliseum is the site of the annual Lacour Tournament of Arms, a competition that fuels the spirit of martial artists and weapons merchants both. The Tournament is a spectacle that draws visitors and competitors from across Filgaia, and is the major event on the continent while it is running. A series of smaller tournaments are organized throughout the year; entering as a combatant is free of charge, but spectators pay a nominal fee that nonetheless provides a significant boost to Lacour's coffers.
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s8YkgEYlvY
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Somewhere in the slurry of the tense, high-energy, nail-bitingly close matches comes Match #34 of the Tournament of Arms. Losers' Bracket, Round 2. The people who have all clawed their way out of being among the first to be eliminated outright, against a number of those who were defeated in Round 2 of the Winners' Bracket.
"OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH BACKGROUND INFORMATION," shouts you-know-who as the announcer, as though he were reading the prose above somehow, "WE GOT SO MANY FIGHTS TO GO THROUGH TODAY AND MY THROAT IS SORE! SO LET'S HURRY IT UP AND GET 'EM OUT HERE!"
"LIKE THAT GUY WALKING OUT RIGHT NOW! THAT ETHIUS HESIOD FELLOW WHO LOOKED LIKE A TOTAL FRAUD AND THEN TOTALLY LAMED OUT GRONDO RAWLOS!" Among other strange behaviors present throughout the competition. "BUT IT'S OKAY IF YOU CHEER FOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT BY MISTAKE!!"
Ethius is remarkably stoic for the insults and jeers as he comes walking out bearing that ridiculously outdated bronze spear. Maybe he has a future in the entertainment industry as a heel. "HE'S SPONSORED BY 'OLD RUSTY' BECAUSE IF YOU GOTTA SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL FOR OLD CRAP I GUESS THAT'S OKAY!"
The sponsor in question, usually meek and easily overpowered, looks rather intense where he sits today. Arms crossed, furrowed brow. He (thinks he) knows.
Ethius plants the butt of the bad spear that is ass, but not bad ass, against the pit ground as he awaits who's coming out the other end of the arena. They'll be met by that unnerving stare of his, broken only by him closing his eyes a few seconds later.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata is trying to focus on spiritually attuning herself closer to Ge Ramda, in part because the fright of the battle with Lady Chloe has been a reminder of how she needs to not let the guardian of Death overwhelm her. So her training is coincidentally coming up with securing seats for them right at the front.
Lunata is seated by her lonesome, with every seat within a 3-5 radius of her conspicuously empty due to various members of the audience making excuses about 'chills' and how they 'don't feel good anymore'. Total coincidence: The grand presence of Ge Ramda emanating in that same radius just above her shoulders.
Lunata, giving people the chill of death to secure seats at a stadium is a form of cheating more devious than scalping. Keep up the good work.
"Good luck, Lunie!! And Mister Ethius!!"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's there too, of course. She's a tad delayed in getting there, due to finishing up some quick business to make sure that nothing interrupted this fight for her, but soon enough she's there joining Lunata.
Looks like Lunata's skills were being put to good use!
"Whatever happens...I know you'll make us proud!" Jacqueline shouts, joining Lunata's cheers. Not to either of the contestants specifically. She couldn't show favoritism here, after all.
She had no idea how Ethius would handle a fight like this, so she was curious...and, admittedly, a little bit concerned.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune, of course, is not one to judge. At least, not one to judge first. She'll judge judgers all day, though, and as such when she jogs out into the arena, it's with a pout on her cheeks. "H-hey, come on, that's mean!" she huffs, punctuating it with a whole-arm wave towards Lunata and Jacqueline. "I mean, I'm sure Mr. Hesiod tried his best, right? I mean, it looked super cool and flashy to watch! And Old Rusty sounds like a great-- piratey kind of name, right?"
She's kind of aware she's speaking to mid-air - not likely to be heard over the din of the announcer - and just decides to give it up, shaking her head as she scoots to a halt at the inner circle of the arena where the competitors are intended to start.
Her backpack, too large for something like this, has been left behind - but from a clip on her coat swings her odd 'alchemy' device. Other than that she looks about as ready for battle as she ever does, which is to say not all that much - her half-metal broom hooked over one shoulder, the pockets of her ratty but well-loved coat stuffed with who knows what, her bobble hat the complete opposite of 'girded for battle'. Still... there's a light in her eyes, perhaps, that might suggest she's looking to take things more seriously.
She doesn't really bow so much as bobble in place, her hand going to the mass of pink hair behind her head as she rubs at it and puts on a genuine smile. "Ah, um-- Mr. Hesiod, no matter what happens, no hard feelings, okay? I mean, I already know I need some serious training, but I think I just wanna see what I can do right now, y'know?" A slight pause, and she pumps her fists. "And, um-- well, if I can help out in future, just lemme know, right? I'm pretty good at diggin' up solutions to things!"
She doesn't explain that errant thought any further, mind you, just taking a moment to visibly pump herself up instead. "O~okay, here we go..."
It... kind of seems like she's not about to jump for first advantage any time soon...
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"OVER ON THAT SIDE, SHALUNE AMIRAAAA!! THAT NAME IS FUN TO SAY BECAUSE OF THE 'A' AT THE END, BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF PUNKS SCREAMING IN TERROR FROM THEIR RECOMMENDED LIFE ALLOWANCE OF EXPLOSIOOOOOOOOOOOOONS!!" Pyrotechnics. "BY BLASTEMOL!®!! AND IF YOU CORRECT ME ON THE APPLICATION OF EXCLAMATION MARKS IN REGARDS TO BLASTEMOL!® AGAIN YOU'LL BE FIRED OUT OF A CANNON!! ANYWAY SHALUNE AMIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" More pyrotechnics.
That is all just noise. Amusing, entertaining noise, irrelevant to the matter at hand. Ethius stands there with eyes closed, apparently unmoving to the sportsmanlike discussion about 'no hard feelings.' Is he listening to her at all?
Inside that amnesia-addled mind of his, he finds himself in a complicated situation. By process of elimination... with all the facts at hand, or things he seems to assume as facts going by as-of-yet unexplained gut instincts and other familiar thoughts he's staved off only to reascertain the context...
"ALSO I SAID GO!! AT SOME POINT!! YOU MIGHT ASK WHEN I SAID GO!! WELL I SAID IT JUST NOW, TWICE, WITH SOME OTHER WORDS THAT AREN'T 'GO' IN BETWEEN!!"
The crappy bronze spear is taken in both hands as he starts upon Shalune, pacing around in a circle towards her right. She proves energetic, cheery, and yet full of determination to carry herself and her understanding as far as she can take.
What about Ethius, then?
Is it just mere cold indifference to the young mechanical prodigy? He might be taking the first move, but this is more than a little reserved. He almost seems to be trying to coax her to act?
He jabs at her once, probably in appraisal, around hip-level. The bronze spear being what it is, a hit feels less like a 'stab' and more like 'sibling is rudely poking you while your back is turned and then running off and saying it wasn't them or it was someone else and then you fight and mom gets involved and--'
Right. Poking.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Shalune Amira with Basic Attack With A Crap Weapon! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Shalune Amira guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Basic Attack With A Crap Weapon for 77 hit points! GS: Jam! Statuses applied to Shalune Amira!
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
And it's the newest member of the Caravan Kinship... Matilda Whitehead!!
She's really here! Right now! Cheering! -- Well, no, cheering is a strong word; Matilda is noticeably more reserved than many of the other observers. She heads toward Lunata -- and that sense of dread hits even spiritually-dead Matilda.
She grimaces as she takes a seat near Lunata, saying, "Ah -- I... feel a little -- is it..." She shivers a little under the gloom. "... This -- should be interesting..." she murmurs. "I must confess, I feel a little sorry for poor Lunie..."
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata winces just a little as Ethius' light-hearted poke still comes through, before looking to Matilda with a quiet smile. "Ah, is it a bit cold...?" A pause, as she looks up towards Ge Ramda (or empty air, in Matilda's case). The lich slowly disappears and back towards her floating black cube, given that everyone's here now. No need to seat-hog anymore.
"Mm... I believe in Lunie, though. And Mister Ethius won't admit it, but I think he's really keen to learn about what Lunie can do with her pot and her bombs."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Even as Ethius approaches, Shalune doesn't seem to actually want to move from her spot; instead, she holds her ground, shifting her broom off her shoulder to take it in both hands.
At the very least, it seems like Shalune learns quickly, and works fast. After the aftershocks of a jarring impact of blade against metal knocked her weapon out of her hands in her last match, she's brought some fuzzy mittens to her fight today - not to mention apparently customized her broom with a couple of sturdy looking bands of metal, circling the main shaft high and low. They stick out from the wood more than is sensible, but compress as she shifts her grip to them; springs? A shock system?
Only Shalune would think of a low-rider broom, is what we're saying here.
Her opening tactics haven't changed much, though; she bunches all of a sudden, lunging into the strike rather than away from it. Perhaps Lady Chloe's speed and ability to maintain range got to her, or perhaps she's still in the charge-first-ask-questions-later mindset. Either way, the spear jolts against the odd pot at her side, setting it swinging as a line of sparks lift up from it; in response, she shifts her broom against the blow, pushing the spear aside before aiming to take Ethius' feet out from under him.
"Sorry--!" she calls as she does so, looking only a little concerned.
GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Sweep!! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action. GS: Ethius Hesiod critically Guards a hit from Shalune Amira's Sweep! for 18 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
It is not every day someone finds themselves being rushed at by a smaller young girl whom decides to face down an aggravating, annoying poke by simply rushing into it - a tactic Ethius might have picked up on from watching her. Maybe it ought to be should have?
She gets a reaction out of him, a nearly imperceptible rise of his brow as she bats aside the spear with a strength that matches her gumption, and he exposes a flank trying to compensate his balance to keep hold of his weapon.
The modified broom collides against a foot that slides forward against it as his stance lowers. It seems as though he has parried the strike with just his boot. He could turn the tables just as quickly by moving to stab again, maybe in the shoulder while her guard's low--
He doesn't. He hops forward into a crouch a fraction of a second after booting that broom away, like it had gone and tripped him.
...It's very curious. To better-trained eyes, that doesn't look like it hit that impactfully, but he's kneeling like she blew out one of his shins, one hand moving from the grip of the spear to rest upon the respective leg while the other gets the spear vertical to be used as support for whenever he decides to rise up.
"THAT IS SHALUNE AMIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA," explosions, "CLEANIN' UP THE TRASH!!"
The sponsor with the awful purple hairpiece slumps in his seat. "H-He better not be..."
Lights start to form around Ethius' exposed tattoos as he quietly chants the words. The usual expected lights, sounds, and symbols later, he raises the hand that ought to be resting on the 'injured' leg, flitting fingers as a warm front passes through around Shalune's position. Uncomfortable, but not... that great a deterrent to stop her from trying to ram into him with the broom again.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Shalune Amira with Marginally Hotter Air! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: Shalune Amira critically Guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Marginally Hotter Air for 7 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Fortunately, Shalune is anything but better-trained - even if a terrifying valkyrie is waiting in the wings to put her through her paces later, she doesn't have a hope of spotting the finer nuances of a fight right now.
It's not that she's terrified of losing or getting hurt - quite the opposite, almost, given her rather reckless tactics - but more that she simply doesn't really know what to focus on at a given time, or how to read someone's movements beyond the superficial.
Besides, in retrospect, perhaps 'warmer air' isn't the best of tactics against a girl who spends most of her time bundled up as if she were living halfway up a mountain in an igloo. She moves straight through it, barely even blinking - after all, she's kind of hunkered down, her face about the only exposed part of her and that hunkered down into the collar of her coat.
What Shalune does recognize, though - does act upon - is the sudden lighting up of Ethius' symbols. Previously she might have instinctively bolted back, aiming to create space for something she isn't certain of. She's learnt since then, it seems, because she presses the attack, twisting around to one side--
--"Oh, um, wow, that thing looks kinda old," she comments offhand, almost to herself--
--before she drives the shaft of her rather sturdy broom into the spot where spearhead meets wood.
GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Creak! -Technique Arrange-! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action. GS: Ethius Hesiod guards a hit from Shalune Amira's Creak! -Technique Arrange- for 55 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius, once again, is pushed to a defensive that doesn't look too keen as he clumsily swings the spear inwards after the spell of dubious stopping power is cast. Living in the moment, Shalune's line of thought is a sound tactic as she goes to strike where the construction of the old bronze spear seems weakest.
Already at a kneel, Ethius finds himself forced onto his seat - and then his back - holding up against the battered broom as a quiet snap and a rattling noise seems lost to the cheers and jeers (mostly jeers) as Ethius crawls backwards.
The owner of Old Rusty frowns anew. He is suspicious about the series of events at play - it should be trivial for someone of Ethius' greater mass to push back against that, shouldn't it?
Ethius' gaze communicates little back to his assailant, as though calmly taking in the very idea she has him on his butt and, in harsher times, could be in the position to demand surrender or face execution.
"WARNING TO EVERYONE WITH A PUN ALLERGY BECAUSE THAT IS APPARENTLY A THING PEOPLE CLAIM TO HAVE NOW!!" Comes the announcer. "ALSO THERE ARE SUPPOSEDLY CLAUSES IN PLACE FOR NOT MAKING FUN OF PEOPLE FOR THEIR DISABILITIES, WELL TO THAT I SAY, LET'S SHAKE THINGS UP BECAUSE I DON'T GIVE TWO SHAKES!!"
The signal is given. The Symbologist specialists hold up cards and begin their chant, and the arena... changes.
The pit goes through a small-scale localized earthquake. After some more violent shakes, shimmies, and shudders, stalamites stab through the soft sand-dirt-blood-tears-broken-dreams-and-teeth slurry that once made up the arena floor.
Abruptly, Ethius springs forward and leads into the bubbly brawler with his shoulder, attempting to tackle her away as one such ground spike shoots up underneath them.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Shalune Amira with QTE! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: Shalune Amira guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's QTE for 106 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune can't really bring herself to pursue the attack beyond those two strikes; even the 'snap' makes her visibly hesitate and even wince to herself, a little too good-hearted to press her advantage. For an uncertain moment, she even looks up to the stands, meeting Jacqueline and Lunata's gaze with a lightly bitten lip and an unspoken, obvious question of 'aaa was that okay' held within her eyes --and, for that matter, ever so dimly recognizing Matilda, her eyebrows going up briefly.
The lapse in concentration does cost her, though - the mechanic does have just enough time to try to brace herself against the shoulder charge, but she's already losing on height and weight and doesn't really know how to set herself properly, even against something as simple as a shoulder-charge. There's still the definite sense that she's not really sure how to deal with human opponents - and she lets out a cross between a squawk and an 'oof' as she staggers backwards--
--only to find her footing rising from under her in the space of an instant. "Wah!" is all she has time to blurt before the shifting arena suddenly hides her from view, the last sight of the mechanic involving her tumbling down the side of the stalagmite rising from beneath her. In the aftermath, all is silence...
Before a blob of pink hair peeks around the rock spire, using it as cover and grinning manically. "Okay, for real, how do they do that?! It's on such a large scale! It's customizable! That's so cool!" blurts Shalune to herself, thinking aloud as she thumbs through a pocket in her coat.
Here, at least, she seems more at home in terms of her tactics, and when the spire in front of her threatens to rumble back into the ground she's launched sideways towards another, skidding behind it in a shower of dust and sand. In the midst of the dive, she flings an arm, sending two cherry-red spheres in the rough direction of the stalagmite that marked their previous clash.
GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Handball! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata swallows as she pumps her hands and exclaims, "U-uhmm, keep going, keep going, Lunie! Just remember to not -- um, crash!" A pause. "Definitely don't crash Little Dipper this time!" She has no idea if she can really provide more encouragement and advice than that. Please don't crash Little Dipper, she wants to go on rides around the block again sometime soon.
So considerate, Lunata.
GS: Ethius Hesiod takes a solid hit from Shalune Amira's Handball for 152 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
"That... certainly seems to bear out," Matilda says, quietly. She pauses for a moment, and then goes back to watching very carefully as thefight begins in earnest again --
-- Oh. Oh, that's impressive. Matilda's gaze lands on Ethius now, and she murmurs, "Mr. Hesiod... are we sure -- er, that is..." She pauses, trying to find the words. "I -- I'm fairly certain he means well, of course, yet... somehow... I'm a little unsettled by the power he's brought to bear even in this environment..."
Laughing, she appends, "Though of course -- I am aware that there's no real danger in the Tournament of Arms, ahaha. So I'm sure it's fine."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Post-tackle, Ethius loses complete sight of Shalune. He finds himself resting his back up against the stalagmite that would not have felt good for anyone to be skewered by - the limitations of actual harm that can be inflicted by the simulation versus the protective symbols in place be damned - as he takes the time to inspect the damage done to the spearhead.
Ethius soon decides it doesn't matter so much if the spearhead does fall off after another clash, silently taking in Shalune's wonder and joy about the situation as he lets the spear rest across his lap. He closes his eyes in contemplation, hand to his forehead while he (thinks he) has a moment of rest.
When he saw the arena turn to a simulated volcanic arena, he was put on edge. Why? What could have possibly upset him about this? He doesn't need to look to the crowds or listen to them to hear their cheers of excitement and approval. The crowd loves it. His opponent, a ways off, has her stamp of approval. They are having fun! This is enjoyment!
Why is he uneasy about all of this? Uneasy to the very core.
Maybe even the most unsettled he's been, since the invasion.
"D-Don't just sit there," the Old Rusty owner says, growing less desperate and more annoyed by the second, "she's, she's gettin' ready for y-you." Nobody cares about your tactical advice, random minor inconsequential NPC. Ethius can't hear him from there.
Ethius does see his sponsor there, looking back at him when he opens his eyes. The complication. Shalune has a lot of spunk, but not so much punch. He needs an exit as soon as possible, but to do so now woul--
BOOM
BOOM
Quiet contemplation free action time is long, long over with, as Ethius is ejected from his resting spot by two violent bombs and the subsequent stalactite splintering off and crashing against his upper back, sending him into a sprawl.
"SMOKE OUT THAT COWARD!! YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHH!!" The announcer approves!
Staggering, miraculously still in possession of an un-snapped spine, Ethius uses the spear to get back up to a staggering jog as he finds a silver lining of relief to go with the aches and pains of being damned near blown up and crushed in one fell swoop.
We'll go over that silver lining another time.
He doesn't have a great visual as to Shalune's current whereabouts. Where he usually enjoys manipulating the dust and smoke cover, she's got that one over him. (Turnabout is fair play.)
More casting. He hopes to mask the sound of his chanting over the crowds, but the lights will eventually give him away. An outward sweep of an arm later, flicking his wrist violently and then gently as though coaxing the air, he attempts to increase the amount of particle matter somewhere in the cloud of smoke as to best, well, smoke Shalune out and re-establish a visual. If she's where he thinks she is...
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Shalune Amira with Too Much Smoke Cover - 7.8 Out Of 10! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action. GS: Shalune Amira critically Guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Too Much Smoke Cover - 7.8 Out Of 10 for 13 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"That's really not fair!" whines Shalune's voice over the announcer; she puts her back into the yell, which does kind of give away her position and allow Ethius the chance to focus his wave of rolling dust in her direction.
It helps. Sort of. When she emerges from the smoke, Shalune is coughing from behind a sleeve, having dragged the hem of her bulky sweater over her chin and mouth; she squints a little, her other hand holding her bobble hat down on her head against the shifting air.
On the other hand, Shalune exits the cloud of dust at some significant speed, not to mention several feet above the ground. The Little Dipper Refrain, as Shalune has probably decided to dub the repaired vehicle, looks as bizarre as it ever did, a scooter without wheels and with a little platform to stand on.
It seems to be having some difficulty coping with the particulate air and the many spikes around the arena; unable to work out a decent distance to the ground, the two lit up panels on its base spark slightly and short, occasionally sending it sinking in the air but still providing enough lift for her to weave around a stalagmite and break away towards the edge of the arena, and in the direction of the announcer's podium.
"I'm sure he's doing his best!" she protests, earnestly close enough for her voice to carry over the tannoy - and when she realizes that, the pink-haired girl immediately grins foolishly, rubbing at the back of her hair as all of the urgency seems to bleed out of her. "E-ehehe. Hey, everyone! Hope you're having a good ti~ime! --um, visit the CaraKin today for our exposives!"
lunie don't get in trouble with the sponsors again
Looking more pumped up for that, though, she heaves the Little Dipper around in midair. Privately, she has to wonder for a moment if this counts as cheating - then she's swung the craft down amongst the rock spires once more. Too much dust and too much movement means she can't easily pick out Ethius' telltale lights, so she doesn't even try; instead, she's pulled out a nondescript paper bag, flinging it behind her as she passes over the area.
Because when one bomb won't do, why not use a bag of them?
GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Flying Carpet Bombing! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata chooses this moment to selectively cheer for what she loves best: "Little Dipper!!" W-what, nothing for Lunie, or her bombs, or Ethius?
GS: Ethius Hesiod takes a solid hit from Shalune Amira's Flying Carpet Bombing for 94 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
While Blastemol!® might be upset by a competitor muscling in on their turf, Shalune's other sponsor leans back in her seat with a smirk.
"Yes, excellent work, Shalune!" Jacqueline says, proud at this little bit of mid-battle advertising.
Hey, don't worry, she's also proud of both of them for the interesting battle they're putting on.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"WHAAAAAAT?! STANDING UP FOR THAT GUY?! THAT MAKES YOU A HELL OF A GAL, PAL!!" The announcer seems taken aback - and also impressed - by Shalune's impressive showmanship. There's some muttering on the floor as to whether this sort of thing ought to be allowed, but the crowds are the most excited they've ever been. Shalune might just squeak by scrutiny on the sheer excitement... but that's an issue for down the line.
"BUT REALLY!! HAVE YOU SEEN THE GUY?! CLOWNING AROUND DOING NOTHING!! TRYING TO SCARE A SUPERIOR SYMBOL NERD INTO SUBMISSION WITH A BIG PHONY SPELL!! TOTALLY DOING SHENANIGANS!!" Looks like they're not going to be forthcoming about whatever it is he did at the Team Exhibition. "THAT GUY IS THE BIGGEST FRAUD I'VE EVER SEEN!! I MEAN THE NAME SOUNDS LIKE SOME KINDA FRAUDSTER NAME TOO, YOU GOTTA ADMIT!! ETHIUS HESIOD!! LIKE HE WANTS TO SELL YOU EXTRA SEXY SNAKE OIL WHICH IS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF EXTRA VIRGIN AND--"
Blah, blah, blah.
Ethius continues to appear undisturbed by the besmirching of his character, as he slowly approaches where he can be standing underneath the Little Dipper as she tries to defend his honor. His eyes narrow slightly.
"AWW NOW YOU GOTTA STYLE OVER ME WITH THAT SPONSOR PLUGGING!! WELL YOU'RE CUTE SO ALL IS FORGIVEN!! THE POINT IS LET'S SEE THAT FRAUD GET BLOWN UP!!"
She speeds off, leaving him eating dust and smoke as she gets herself a few seconds of free reign away from visibility. One hand clutches his scalp, the other holding the damaged bronze spear as he tries to give chase throughout the uneven terrain of the rocky arena.
He only misses the paper bag because he ends up running ahead of the Little Dipper's current trajectory. Unbeknownst to himself, the explosive package has fallen past his discerning gaze to violently explode behind him, launching him against a jagged rock-covered wall where he crumples down to a kneel.
"YEAH!! LIKE THAT!! THERE AIN'T NOTHING HE COULD DO ABOUT THAT!!"
"Ahh, cripes, h-he's probably... right," the Old Rusty owner buries his hands in his face.
Ethius remains kneeling for a few precious seconds. Yes, this is plausible. This would do. An incapable man who scammed his way where he did through trickery, which has no right to make it anywhere so far into the tournament. His name would be stained as that of an unreliable, underhanded trickster of little real ability outside of shenanigans.
This will do. His sponsor won't have cause to consider raising a complaint about match fixing or collusion, after...
...
Something about his thoughts seem foreign to him. After...? After. After... he holds 'after' as important.
Why does he hesitate on anything before this 'after'? They can't see him frowning under the bandanna. This isn't right. For what little he recalls, he feels certain about the importance of the 'after.' What is the hang-up?
He looks up again, to how the Little Dipper is probably still zipping around. It's fresh in his memory. The panic among Shalune's friends when she got reckless in her previous match. The dangerous, stalactite-filled terrain that Shalune seems to flit around with certainty.
After... this means...
He slams the butt of the spear against the ground and stands up. After... after...
"OH HE'S NOT DONE YET?! HEY, TURN AROUND AND BLOW HIM UP AGAIN!!"
Ethius takes off running. His eyes narrow as he navigates the field.
His symbols visible where they are start to glow again. Most Symbologists do not cast while running. They do not cast spells that require utmost precision and visualization of a specific area while moving so much - let alone on ground where it's far too easy to trip, fall, and look stupid for the effort.
"UHH WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?!"
After this... after this... that is of the utmost...!
"W-Wait, he, he can... he can still.. stand...?" The Old Rusty guy leans forward. "Wh-what is he--"
Ethius chants out the syllables in question, holding his free arm level to impart the proper gestures as his eyes never allow the particle matter swirling in the air to obscure his sight of the Little Dipper.
Then, at last, with one final outward sweep of his hand...
"Grave Dust!"
For a moment, this doesn't look like much. Sure, he makes pretty lights and symbols on the ground when he casts a spell, but there's not much of a visual component to go with this. They might dismiss this as another one of his tricks to simply look good.
When casted correctly, if his focus is properly aimed...
The Little Dipper will find itself... clogged. Every crevice, every pipeline, every mechanism, stopped up and clogged by spontaneously manifested particle matter, with only a small amount of it forming a tiny halo outside of the target area.
The sort of damage that makes it impossible to fix any of it on the fly - maybe even require far more extensive repairs after the fact - which is more than a little mean-spirited, looking from the outside in!
...
Yet, there he is, having finished that casting, standing somewhere Shalune is likely to veer within the next few seconds, free hand extended out upwards towards her as blood runs down the side of his head.
GS: Ethius Hesiod has activated a Force Action! GS: You have activated the Force Action Lock On! GS: Ethius Hesiod has activated a Force Action! GS: You have activated the Force Action Snipe! GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Shalune Amira with Grave Dust! GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda's assessment is a little more -- restrained. "It's very interesting the way she uses that scooter..." Matilda murmurs, under her breath. She puts her elbows on her knees and leans forward, watching carefully -- or more accurately, trying to get a better visual through the smoke, which is the real issue here. "I think... I think I like her chances!"
Then Ethius starts to cast his spell, and Matilda pales a little. "... I don't know if I like her chances," she says, imediately recanting.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata gasps as she stares -- stares -- and due to her love of rides around the neighborhood, she can tell what's going on. "... Little Dipper!!" she gasps in concern. What, still no concern for Shlaune?!
GS: CRITICAL! Shalune Amira guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Grave Dust for 183 hit points! GS: Jam! Statuses applied to Shalune Amira! GS: Shalune Amira enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline frowns slightly. She's...looking a little more serious now, now that Ethius is doing the same. Would Shalune be able to handle this...? She's a little concerned, admittedly, and it seems like Matilda is, too.
"Don't worry, I'm sure...I'm sure things will turn out alright..." She says. She doesn't seem to think that way, though, from the way her hands are clasped together in her lap, and from the way she's looking on at what's happening.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Privately--
Wait, this isn't Noeline.
VERY PUBLICLY, Shalune beams with delight as she sees Ethius up and moving; even in the midst of a match like this, she has her standards when it comes to bullying, and so she pumps a fist in triumph for his sake as he starts to run. The fact that he's running for her - about to attack her - doesn't even seem to register, or at least she pays it no mind as she gets caught up in the intricacy of his Symbology, impressed given what little she knows.
"Oh, wow, look at you go!" she blurts out of sheer amazement, though she does at least remember to hunker down on the Little Dipper, and gun the throttle enough to carry her through the next cloud of dust without losing too much height. The concept of 'evasive maneuvers' is something she does know about, at least, and she does her best to swing through a number of the stalagmites, then pull up sharply to pass over the top of another, hoping to disrupt whatever targeting Ethius' next spell might use.
That's the plan, at least.
Instead, she makes it most of the way around when a sudden shuddering jolt from the vehicle makes her yelp in surprise; the Little Dipper instantly loses several inches of height, and while the forward propulsion doesn't seem to be particularly affected at first, it certainly looks disinclined to complete that climb.
Instead, the front of the craft goes straight through the stalagmite, tearing through it in a shower of rocks and stone and Shalune's surprised cry; she catches one piece on her forehead, momentarily stunned, then a large chunk threatens to wind her as it rebounds off her torso. She does her best to hunker down, certainly, but stumbles back on the platform, barely hanging on with a single hand as the craft starts to plummet downwards.
Squinting past a nasty-looking cut on her forehead as it begins to bleed, Shalune has a hanging moment to take stock. Thoughts aren't fuzzy, kinda sick, Little Dipper... probably toast. "A-aw mannn..." she whines to herself. "I just got done!" And Ethius - her opponent - right there in front of her. Apparently leaving himself open.
Well, an opportunity is an opportunity. Her expression firms up into a reckless grin, her hand grips the throttle as she coaxes the last bit of forward movement out of whatever passes for its engine that she can--
--and Shalune just leaps off, bringing her broom up to slam the rest of the Little Dipper forward on a collision course.
GS: Shalune Amira has activated a Force Action! GS: Shalune Amira has activated a Force Action! GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Soaring Clouds! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata's face drops as she exclaims, "A-ah!" Is she going to make another exclamation about her favourite vehicle again? She cups her hands to her cheek, and is so distraught in this moment that Ge Ramda emerges from her once more and... mimics the pose. It's quite the sight to see an ancient lich do the Macaulay Culkin. "Lunie!" She winces as she pulls up towards the railing to go, "Oh no, you're bleeding! Timeout, timeout!"
Lunata, this isn't a playground...
GS: CRITICAL! Ethius Hesiod critically Guards a hit from Shalune Amira's Soaring Clouds for 52 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
With every collision, Ethius takes a step closer, hand still outstretched. Is he about to cast another one at her again? The two of them look to be fast approaching a climax.
"I ADVISE YOU TO DUCK AND COVER IF YOU ARE A WUSSBAG!! AND MAYBE EVEN IF YOU AREN'T!! JUST TO COVER OUR LEGAL BASES!! WE COVER ALL THE BASES WHEN IT COMES TO EXPLOSIONS!! BLASTEMOL!®"
He approaches the fast-descending vehicle, which is beyond stupid. It's coming fast enough that the idea he could get any other high-end spell all the way through its chanting and gesticulating rituals to be beyond improbable. This is suicidal.
From Shalune, an impish, mischievous grin.
From Ethius, a set, piercing gaze.
As she leaps off to coax a little more extra velocity and punch with her broom, Ethius takes the damaged bronze spear in both hands, rearing back...
"Far Point!" Comes the call, as he lunges forward to the fullest extent of his available wingspan and overall flexibility, daring to try and stab a fast-moving construct while standing his ground.
Visually speaking, this goes about as well as one might imagine to the spectators. A great burst of flame, an explosion of... sand? It obscures and envelopes the form of the mysterious Symbologist, hiding what might be the closest thing to a flattened, charred corpse that the Lacour Tournament of Arms' protective sigils can allow.
Within the cloud is a different story. Ethius escapes certain death by a matter of centimeters and impossibly tiny measures of time as the damaged Little Dipper flips juuuuuuuuust past his head, twirling its mass just behind his scalp, as this singular precise lunging stab does all that is needed not to stop it, but to redirect its flight path to not turn him into a pancake.
His eyes remain open throughout having a flash of blinding light, burning flame, and dust of his conjuring lick at his half-masked mug. It whips at his hair violently, stinging him.
This will do, he thinks.
The spearhead breaks off of a shaft that has proven sturdier than its age should ever allow it to - a rare moment of credit to be given to the man behind Old Rusty, who does do a bang-up job of refurbishing older second-hand weapons even if they shouldn't be taken to a modern battlefield - sticking into the ground at Shalune's feet.
When the dust clears, Ethius is face-down against the jagged, uneven, earthquake-struck coliseum pit, having dropped the broken spear on the ground.
His head looks up momentarily in the vague direction of where he thinks Shalune might be, after she dismounted. It sinks again soon after.
"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT!! YOU GOT HIM, GIRL!! YOUR WINNER... SHALUNE AMIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~" it just keeps going on and on and on. Mister Torque has a lot of fun stretching out her name, as much as the bigwigs do stretching out their pyrotechnics budget for the match (they are over by at least three times, sucks for the next few fights).
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune has always claimed that she bounces. Quietly, as she curls up on her way to the ground, she hopes that's still the case even from this kind of height. Especially when, filtering through the noise of the Little Dipper breaking apart and the din of the crowd, she can still pick out the sound of the normally taciturn man yelling a couple of pointed syllables.
She knows enough to figure out it's probably a Symbology spell, and knows that might mean the fight isn't actually over - so when she hits the ground it's in a rather painful but servicable forwards roll, instinctively seeking to put distance between herself and whatever's about to happen.
Except nothing does, and when she stumbles up to her feet, the roar of the announcer makes her instantly stumble in surprise, and then lose her footing all over again. At least she manages to twist onto her back, sliding across the floor of the arena with an extended 'bwaaah'.
--and then hinges herself upwards, her eyes wide. "Wah-- wah, really? It worked?" she burbles, before turning towards Lunata and the other CaraKin members with a bright smile. "Yea~ah, I did it!" she cries, both hands up as she beams enormously and perhaps misses the waitress' cry about her injury.
Besides, she catches herself a moment later, somehow managing despite her aches and pains to spring up and scurry over: "--wah, Mr. Hesiod! Are you okay?!" the mechanic adds, her face turned down in a worried frown.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
...It was over? Jacqueline's hands release and fall to her side. She takes a deep breath and exhales. It's hard for her to imagine that Shalune was able to beat Ethius, of all people. Not to be negative about her friend's abilities, but she'd seen Ethius fight before. Still...
Jacqueline stands, applauding.
"Good fight, you two!" She calls out.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The Old Rusty guy, bless his heart, looks utterly despondent - not angry, just sad - which, in the whole picture, is the best possible outcome. So long as he believes the results are real, that's a lot less problems for the Caravan Kinship as a whole. For the first time ever, he had a gladiator to sponsor who seemed so... certain! So capable, and... just went out, like that. A dream that could be the magnum opus of a millennium, flushed down the drain... boo hoo, too bad for him. Moving on.
Ethius doesn't move so much when Shalune heads over to check on him. He looks like he's still breathing, which is good! Medical personnel move to help him up while the arena reverts it shape, as Shalune gets another non-verbal answer to her question.
Same gaze. It hasn't lost focus. He's dirtied up, but he doesn't appear to have any new grievous wounds on his person. For being at ground zero of the Soaring Clouds, he looks... kind of intact?
"Your concern is appreciated." He speaks simply, without missing a beat from fatigue or injury. "Congratulations, Miss Shalune." He allows himself to be escorted off. He doesn't seem too unsteady on his feet...? Well, that's good then, that means it's all okay!
The crowds chant her name for overcoming the fan un-favorite.
For Ethius... there were some snags and challenges, but this will prove an adequate result.
After...
After...
After...
... ... ...