2018-02-22: The Demon's Night Out
- Log: 2018-02-22: The Demon's Night Out
- Cast: Millenia, Ryudo
- Where: Great Krosian Plains
- Date: 2018-02-22
- Summary: Ryudo goes on a date. Technically. It surely counted as one to someone.
============================<* Great Krosian Plains *>============================ The bulk of the countryside around the capital city of Krosse consists of rolling, grassy fields, a stark contrast from the arid desert sands to the north. Every year, however, the desertification spreads, and more and more life is swallowed up by the sands. As travellers near the capital, the grasslands transition into cultivated fields. The yields from Krosse's farmlands have given the kingdom the nickname of the breadbasket of Ignas, and the majority of its trade centres around grains, fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs. While its might pales in comparison to its larger neighbours, Krosse maintains a significant standing army to help deal with monsters and green-eyed neighbours who might seek to seize that bounty for themselves. These soldiers are kept active by frequent patrols and maneuvers throughout the Plains and major roadways; as a result, travel in the kingdom is safer than nearly anywhere else on the continent. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYbFnoRSW6M
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Millenia has posed.
It's probably for the best Ryudo is a light sleeper.
In the dead of night, sometime past midnight no doubt, the red and orange hues of lights outside his room might wake the Geohound up. Glancing out the window, it'd be rather obvious what he's dealing with.
Someone has set the lumber mill on fire.
He might think for a moment that's really not his problem, he's a Geohound not a fireman, when the townsfolks try approaching the flaming structure, arcs of purple lightning rip across the land, sending a few of them flying back scorched, and the rest of them paused before the line the electricity drew in the ground between them and the building.
It's like a challenge.
Don't cross the line unless you're really sure you want to. So far nobody's died, at least, but it might not surprise Ryudo to see a few villagers headed in the inn's direction, muttering something about asking the Geohound for help. Probably not for free.
On the bright side Elena still seems asleep so she isn't screaming at Ryudo to go do something already.
<Pose Tracker> Ryudo has posed.
The mercenary rubs at his eyes to ascertain that this isn't a dream, and swiftly finds himself gritting his teeth in mild irritation. A lumber fire will be hard to contain and risks spreading to the rest of the village -- including the inn itself. It would be amiss for him to *not* contemplate the merits of simply leaving town with his ward in tow, but the owner of the inn recognizes him at the window from outside and begins barking in his direction. Thusly identified, several of the villagers step on each other in their attempts to shout at him but the gist of it gets accross. Sorcery afoot, vague promises of payment if he intervenes.
"Fine. FINE! I'll be right out, but I expect compensation."
Out in the hall, he wastes a moment banging on the door of the priestess. "ELENA! There's a fire in the village. If I'm not back in an hour, wait at the crossroads!" When there's no reply he attempts rapping against it more loudly, before finally cursing under his breath and leaving on his own. He wanted her to sleep in, this is taking things to the extreme. Does Granas have a grudge against him or something?
Finding Skye waiting for him outside, the two begin making their way toward the heart of the blaze. The curious line charred into the cobblestones gives him a moment's pause, but the 'warning' is swiftly ignored. "Skye, keep an eye on things. If the fire starts spreading in the direction of the inn, I need you to go back for Elena."
Heeding the warning of sorcery being afoot, Ryudo frees his blade and proceeds cautiously forward. The source of the flames isn't immediately evident, and he opts to call attention to himself to speed things up:
"HEY! If you're going to hold a barbeque, the least you could have done was invite me first!" The villagers likely won't be amused, but wisecracks are a free service he provides.
<Pose Tracker> Millenia has posed.
Granas probably does, but luckily this has nothing to do with him! A breath of fresh air, that's what it is.
Ryudo crosses the line, and standing atop the flaming lumber mill a feminine figure peeks down, hands on her hips.
"Oh my, how compasionate! The courageous hero striding forward to protect a poor little village from the oppressor!" Millenia's flamboyant hair comes into full view as an arc of lightning illuminates her, and with a cackle she hops off, long black wings carrying her down gently to stand in front of Ryudo.
"You're missing a few pieces of armor there, mister white knight. <3" As she inspects him, she puts a finger on her lips, pondering aloud. "Mmm, but taking armor off is such a pain, maybe it's better this way~. Are you willing to stand in as my plaything then? Those lumberjacks aren't going to put up much of a fight if you don't."
It's hard to tell if she's coming onto Ryudo or threatening him. It's probably both given her tone and posture.
<Pose Tracker> Ryudo has posed.
Turning his gaze skyward at the proclomation, the illumination reveals the host of tonight's fireside gathering to be...nothing like Ryudo was expecting. Mild disbelief is clearly visible on his face as she descends, but he quickly recovers himself. Not in the least because she is advancing on him directly.
The response probably isn't what she's expecting either. "Those 'poor little villagers' could have done a better job of securing the lumber if they didn't want the whole damn place to go up like this." Keeping his attention fully on the scarlet witch -- to ensure that she doesn't try something, and certainly not due to the many other distractions that her form provides -- he uses his spare arm to sweep across the yard of the mill. "I mean, yeah, I wouldn't have expected a disasterous looker with legs like yours to show up *either*, but this place was one dry storm away from going up on its own." Some of the villagers are probably within earshot of this, but he really doesn't care. If he doesn't get to bill for stupidity, they can suffer through being his captive audience.
The tone of the encounter *does* change when the mysteriously sexy stranger extends a challenge to him. He looks at her like she's a goddamn idiot. His stance shifts so that the bastard blade is extended between them, inviting no further flirting. Despite the gesture, he finds himself offering a smirk. "Calling a Geohound a 'white knight' is an offense to the profession. You're gonna regret that. I have no idea why you're picking a fight with losers like these, but their coin is just as good as any."
Despite the odd banter, his experience tells him not to take this situation as lightly as he's letting on. When he charges forward, it's a feint to test her reflexes; the diagonal cleave is simply meant to buy him space as the other hand traces a circle around the Medium taped to his chest. No prayer is offered, but a mage of Millenia's skill will have no trouble noticing the faint barrier that shimmers to life around him.
GS: Ryudo has attacked Ryudo with Diggin'! GS: Ryudo has completed his action.
DC: You switch forms to Demon Maiden Millenia! DC: Millenia switches forms to Demon Maiden Millenia!
<Pose Tracker> Millenia has posed.
Millenia eyes Ryudo as he rattles on and on. He points his blade at her, and rather than be blunt or on-edge, as on-point as that would be, she sharply starts laughing like she's just heard the best joke in the world.
Eventually she stops because she needs to breathe.
"Who said anything about picking a fight? I just wanted to vent some steam! Let out some heat, entertain everyone with a fireworks display!" She steps in close, the point of Ryudo's blade touching the skin over her chest, so closely that the slightest pressure would no doubt draw blood.
"If you're no white knight, I wonder why that edge of yours is leaning in so closely to poor old moi~ <3" She looks at Ryudo in the eyes, smiling. "Or could it be it's like that BECAUSE you're no white knight at all?"
Ryudo feints forward, and Millenia almost seems to meld in the darkness of the night, weaving around the blow and letting it pass an inch from her nose. At least Ryudo knows, if she bothered to dodge, it means a sword can hurt her, or she's very, very bored. Or showy. One or the other.
"How energetic! I love it! It wouldn't do if you just went limp on me now would it. <3"
Still no attack. Millenia seems to be letting Ryudo guide the fight. If it's a fight. She certainly isn't treating it like one.
<Pose Tracker> Ryudo has posed.
his is not a situation that Ryudo has experience with, as is evident from his silent dismissal of Millenia's disinterest in a fight. When he tests the waters with a swing of the blade, he finds it not only kissing empty air...but himself with no dance partner. He holds that stance for a moment -- conscious of just how *silly* he looks -- before self-awareness wins and he lowers the weapon with a befuddled look. "I...guess you're not bullshitting? That's new."
Assessing that she could have cast any number of spells without the need for such an elaborate ruse, he offers a sheepish grin. "Okay hot stuff, I'll play along. If you're *really* that bored, what's the point of taking it out on a backwater place like this? The fire is pretty spectacular and all, but then you'll have ruined the only drinking hole within miles of here. What's the fun in that?"
No one said he had to *fight* anyone...just put an end to the current situation. While the whole thing remains dubious, especially with a woman like her coming on as strongly as she is, it might not hurt to play her own logic back at her. "So why not put out the fire and join me for a few rounds? I can hardly entertain you if we just stand out here while the rest of the town starts burning down around us."
<Pose Tracker> Millenia has posed.
There's a moment of consideration, as Millenia, the blade now lowered, steps into Ryudo's personal space to lean in closely. As close as Ryudo will let her, in fact. Ruby lips hanging an inch away from the Geohound's, eyes staring deep into his'.
"Is that what you'd like to do? That's tempting, but...~"
Her head moves past, to whisper sweetly in his ear. "The thing is, I really like the way they scream. <3"
She takes a step back - if Ryudo doesn't beat her to withdrawing. She grins, lifting her hands up. Lightning arcs again, flames mixed into the electricity, generated out of thin air. Her hands shoot down, and the blast is guided along the ground, straight towards the Geohound!
It's quite the blast. The clap of thunder that echoes from the lightning's contact with the ground probably resonates louder and further than any natural lightning could. And let's not speak of the pain, if Ryudo stands still! He won't go flying, though - unlike your typical zap, this one's trying to root the Geohound in place.
"I want to hear YOU scream, too! Grunt for me, struggle, make it fun! I want someone who can keep up! Resist, fight back, and then when you're down I'll make you all mine. <3"
<Pose Tracker> Ryudo has posed.
The Geohound has had to pull off some serious poker faces in his line of work, but he's completely out of his element right now. While he doesn't back down, there's an element of deer on the train tracks to it. It's easy to miss in the backdrop of the roaring blaze, but his cheeks take on a fiery hue of their own at the unrelenting proximity of an attractive woman. Despite what one might assume of a Geohound, none of his money actually goes towards paid companionship.
It takes his brain processing the meaning of those whispered words to snap him out of it.
Alerted to the danger she poses once more, he has enough of his wits about him to take two steps back -- but this isn't your ordinary lightning. His legs refuse to move as the current winds its way up his body, his muscles becoming rigid, robbing him of the ability to move without collapsing in on himself like true paralysis would.
If certain parts of him were rigid prior to this, the physics would no doubt hold up.
Trapped as he is, condemned to be her immobile plaything by her own admission, the only part of him that retains its agency is his own lips. That's probably by design. He'll take what he can get, and offers a defiant grin in response. "And what...if I say no?"
Not waiting for the question to be answered, a nearby hawk reveals itself to be something more than it appeared as it plummets toward her with extended talons. "Get away from him, you reprobate!" He probably learned that word from Elena.
<Pose Tracker> Millenia has posed.
Ryudo tenses up, and Millenia closes in again, smiling. She reaches for his face, to grab him by the hair and pull his face in towards hers.
"Oh, but Ryudo, I want you to say no. There's no fun in breaking you in if you say yes, silly. <3"
He didn't introduce himself, did he?
That's odd!
But thankfully, Elena has taught Skye very well. The hawk swoops in, and a red streak traces itself on Millenia's cheek, despite backing up in time. She pokes at it with a finger, looking at the blood the avian drew as he swept by. Ryudo's prison weakens, by virtue of the woman's distraction.
"Stupid bird! Didn't anyone ever teach you not to get in the way of true love?!" She's angry! That control is gone. Any illusion of her having this situation planned out and under control shatters in the face of her wrathful lashing out, her fangs showing, her tone breaking into that angered screech.
More lightning. Several more arcs, lancing from her fingers, trying to fry the insolent bird up. Not even a glance towards the Geohound in the scuffle, too!
Seems like getting under her skin throws her act completely off.
<Pose Tracker> Ryudo has posed.
Sometimes it pays to have friends in high places. With Millenia's focus elsewhere, Ryudo finds himself having to re-engage his own legs to avoid crumpling to the ground. With her back to him, he has an opportunity for a longer study of the wings that he noticed earlier...wings that have been bothering him for some time now.
He might have a slightly better idea of her nature now, but it doesn't quite explain why the stranger knows his name. The beginnings of a few ideas come to mind, but there's no time to explore that fully right now. With every crackle of electricity, another building face is shattered and the risk of striking his friend grows. To speak nothing of dry straw roofing just waiting to be struck.
A demonic(...ish) fiend has exposed her back to him. A true defender of the people would think nothing of plunging a sword into it with the full satisfaction of justice being on their side. A Geohound would complete the job and collect their pay. A good friend would find a way to justify murder if their friend's life was in danger.
Deep down, Ryudo is a coward who knows that something is off about the demon woman's attitude that belies his definition of "evil", unable to save his friend's life while inwardly deliberating over why drawing his blade would not be truly Right. Options cycle through his head. Running is quickly dismissed -- unless he abandons Elena there's no way he'll have a chance of losing the furious redhead.
When you're desperate, you do stupid things. He steps forward and wraps both arms around Millenia, one around her waist, the other struggling to pin down her attacking arm and contain it within the hug. "Stop this. Please." The words are pleading, lacking the harsh confidence he usually projects.
It probably wasn't what she had in mind, but she broke him alright.
<Pose Tracker> Millenia has posed.
Try as she might, it's hard to pin a bird down! Skye's fast, maybe not faster than lightning but for as fast as bolts can be, the wielder's aim is going to hold it back. And she seems to be flaring up, angrier and angrier, as she starts screeching insults at the bird.
"Quit dodging you feathered rat! I'll fry you up and eat you for dinner, damnit!!" Millenia is a fiesty lady.
The lightning stops flowing when Ryudo grapples her from behind. Perhaps unwilling to contend with grappling rules, or not willing to risk electrocuting herself to blast the Geohound away, she stops, her head drooping down somewhat.
She huffs, takes a deep breath, and the flickers of power in the air are gone. She complies, and Ryudo doesn't need to be a great mage to tell.
Possibly because she says so.
"Well, fine, then!" she says. Her anger is bleeding away, though she seems... flatter now. Uninterested? "Talk about killing the mood. And we had such a nice, romantic night ahead!" Woe is her.
Her wings fan out, trying to shove Ryudo away with a mix of wind and darkness, a blast of pressure that can't do much more than put distance between them, unless he really, really wants to hold on.
"Really, you have no idea how to handle ladies, do you? Despite being a bird, your companion's a terrible wingman."
<Pose Tracker> Ryudo has posed.
Once Skye realizes that he's no longer under fire, the dazzling aerial maneuvers cease and he chances a glance behind him to discover the cause. The sight that greets him is distracting enough to nearly have him crash into the side of a building, forcing him to veer off sharply to avoid a collision.
Ryudo's will to hang on just isn't there when the fight leaves Millenia, and when she pushes him away he's all too compliant to let go. No mandly struggle at all. What a way for the night to end!
The youth is silent for a moment, too far removed from his usual persona to lead in with a witty rebuttal. "...No.", he admits after a moment of contemplation. "Not the first idea." But as the moment wears on, he begins to find the will to fight back. "...Not that you're one to talk. If you're looking for a one night stand, go find someone else. Come on, Skye. We're done here."
Turning his back on Millenia, the "tough guy" Geohound begins to walk away. For all he knows he's leaving a job undone, and his back open to further attack. But right now he just doesn't give a shit, or know how to deal with any of the feelings brewing inside of him. That's what the life of a Geohound is supposed to prevent: feelings and indecision. Right now he is no Geohound.
<Pose Tracker> Millenia has posed.
"Huh? You're LEAVING?" Millenia says, voice incredulous, hands settling on her hips, body arched slightly forward to take that sort of bossy, haughty attitude Ryudo might just have seen before.
She ponders aloud again, humming as her arms move up to cross instead, her posture going straight. "Well, I like a challenge. Mark my words, when we meet again I'll definitely, ABSOLUTELY make you mine!" She blows Ryudo a kiss, even if he refuses to look. Her wings stretch out.
"By the way!" she shouts, trying to make sure she's heard. "The name's Millenia! If you forget it, I won't forgive you! Toodles, mister white knight! <3"
It's convenient for her. Time's up, anyway. If Ryudo looks back, he'll find her gone. The villagers swarm in to handle the flames.
For all they saw, Ryudo drove the demon away. He gets to go back to sleep - if he even does - a local hero, for what little it might matter to him. They probably can't pay him much, but money's money.
Perhaps the most baffling thing of all is that when Ryudo or Skye check on Elena, she's snoring and sleeping a pretty deep slumber. She must really have been beaten by the travels to sleep through those thunderclaps and flames!
It surely couldn't be anything else.