2019-08-03: Scarlet Rain
- Log: Scarlet Rain
- Cast: Amaterasu, Yue Rohay, Ambrosius, Kaguya Alathfar, Elvis, Marivel Armitage, Ree, Seraph Nimue, Ashton Anchors, Shalune Amira, Gwen Whitlock
- Where: Mi'ihen Highroad
- Date: August 03, 2019
- Summary: Who will win in a battle royale between several Veruni, allied with the Guard, and a ragtag band of Drifters -- not all of whom are human?
============================<* Mi'ihen Highroad *>============================ Many years ago, a man named Lord Mi'ihen, commander of a mercenary group known as the Crimson Blades, was summoned by the Grand Measter to Bevelle to answer the challenge that his group was a threat to Yevon. Though his followers suspected he would be executed and begged to follow, Mi'ihen ordered them to stay behind and walked along an old path to Bevelle, without stopping to rest. Moved by the display of piety, the Grand Maester formally adopted Mi'ihen and his soldiers into Yevon as a defensive force, known now as the Crusaders. In recognition of the momentous moment, the path Mi'ihen walked now bears his name. ...except not really, because the original one was wrecked by Sin a few hundred years ago. You can still see bits of it as you pass along the Highroad, on which the Djose Temple can also be found. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8tfe_H7bzw
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
Metal on metal rings out as a discordant bell across the battlefield.
Once, the Mi'ihen Highroad had been a point of connection between Luca and the Moonflow. This part of the Highroad would normally take travelers north or south along the winding road, through the crumbling remanants of a ruin. They've pinched both sides in, forced the conflict to take place here at the chokepoint
Now it has become a place to do war. No more do pilgrims travel north from Luca. No more do merchants ply their trade. The Warrior Monks today attempt to hold the line, to prevent the Guard's forces from gaining the strategic foothold that is the small nearby fort formed from the more-stable sections of the ruins.
The Guard's forces are fewer, but compared to the more numerous soldiers fielded by Yevon -- they are the better equipped, using weaponry and devices even beyond the Machina granted to the more senior Monks.
This day will undoubtedly play out as it has for the last several weeks: the Monks will hold their territory, forcing back the Guard. But it will again whittle down the Monk's forces, which will make them have to conscript ever more green recruits from the populace.
Eventually a tipping point will be reached, one way or another. Perhaps the Guard will continue to push north. Perhaps Bevelle will play its hand and redouble their commitment to the south.
But suffice to say that day will not be today--
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuCllAMZZqo
--until it is.
Leaping from on high, the figure is a blur, save for the trail of sickly shining green.
The bold glow of the polearmed weapon she brings down upon Yevon's forces.
They fall in a scarlet rain.
"Now!" the armored figure declares, bringing up the brilliant-bladed polearm as she faces down the Warrior Monks. "Show no quarter!"
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
For all that she tries, tries her hardest to not get too involved in the war, Yue's on a short leash with the Commander Amaterasu as her 'replacement minder', in her own words. There's a fatigued look on her face as she looks towards the Monks, scowling as she stares towards their weaponry and Machina.
"... pray tell, the machinery used amongst their ranks is quite passing strange..."
Her expression widens in surprise, though, as she looks up and hears a call--
"I am here to help too, CR-S01!"
The Minder -- for all the world looking like a small child in a Smol-size environmental suit... with a blue wizard's robe and straw hat attached ontop, with a black helmet that's currently beaming with a =D emoji -- exclaims, "That's right! It is as Commander Amaterasu says! CR-S01, show them the might of the Veruni! Strike fear into their hearts like none before!"
Yue pauses and lowers her head, shoulders sagging. Her expression darkens.
"... Minder, you should not be here. It is quite dangerous."
The Minder stamps and whines as she says, "I am a full-fledged member of the Veruni army! Don't patronise me, CR-S01!"
"... if that is what you desire, dear Minder," she whispers. She clears her throat and boldly proclaims as she gazes towards the remaining Monks.
"Do not think to run. I shall drag you all down... to the Hades!!"
The Minder's =D remains staidly for a few seconds in silence... up until it shifts to a ?D=? of confusion.
"W-wh... what ... was that, CR-S01?"
Yue looks up towards the Minder on the cliff perch.
"... well, I was not going to drag them down to any old Hades, correct?"
"That's not what I meant!"
"I am not going to say something crass and filthy so you can learn it, dear Minder."
The Minder pauses for a moment longer and her expression contorts to that of >_<! as she stamps her foot. "I--I wasn't fishing to learn a cuss word from you! That wasn't my intent, you... you... nincompoop, CR-S01! You hooie patootie!!"
"... ... ... I don't feel like fighting anymore ..." Yue mumbles.
DC: Marivel Armitage switches forms to Crimson Noble Marivel!
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
While Ambrosius's specialty was in science and technology, he was still a soldier. When it came for him to appear on the battlefield, he would be there. That time comes now, under Commander Amaterasu's command.
He follows behind, and a gesture of his hand, water begins to appear from the air around him. It forms a great wave, sent sweeping toward Yevon's forces, washing away any too slow to escape it off of the Highroad proper.
It is, in a way, merciful - there remains the possibility that they might survive it. It is far better fate still than facing the full might of the Veruni up close, as Amaterasu's victims have discovered.
He's quiet, dressed now in the standard body armor of a Veruni soldier in Ambrosius's standard red palette.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
The metal rings. But from the ruins there's a soft noise, easily missed in the sudden chaos of Amaterasu's terrible leap and Yue's... conversation. From the opposite side to which Ambrosius reveals himself walks a young woman in gold and bronze and green and white, the finery of the battle uniform of a Hyland noble.
...And the visage of one Kaguya Alathfar, Duchess, mercenary captain, engineer, and... train robber. Among other things. She did a lot on Filgaia, frankly. But here?
Here, she's happy to let dear sister take the lead, in her element, and to step up after. Her heavy boots grind rock down as she comes to a stop, looking over the forces ahead. And she says--
"Hey, Minder," Kaguya offers from a bit away. "You wouldn't be worrying about bad language in the wholesome company of Althena's Guard, would you?"
From a single sheath at her hip, she pulls two thick, heavy blades, butterfly swords edged in magical silver. There's.. a lot of ornate stuff to her outfit, actually, crest aside. But also some odd... metal, at her gauntlets, a bit alien.
"C'mon," Kaguya says, making a 'come at me' gesture to the Monks ahead. "I'll give you one shot, free. Honest."
...Or, perhaps more pertinently--known as the builder and pilot of the terrible war machines unleashed in Luca. Smiling.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
The order is in. Press into Luca. The lack of progress made has shown the Guard require the aid of the supernaturally strong allies the... What the heck was Kaguya calling everyone in this odd alliance, anyway? What did the fighting even start here?!
Wow Elvis loses track of time in research frenzies.
"Hm? Oh yes." A deep voiced man says as a massive hand slams shut a tome the size of a small coffee table. Hearing Amaterasu's voice nearby means it was time for battle. A plan to tip the scales this day for the Guard.
Whereas everyone else among the Veruni seize the moment and rush headlong into battle, he begins to walk his way forward toward the front. A brickhouse of a man, he will engage any that step in front of him and issue threatening gestures. Close quarters combat was always the way of fisticuffs. "I would recommend you lay down your arms and turn while you can," he says toward those who bar his path ahead. They get a fair chance before they get planted firmly on the ground.
The forward contingent of Veruni were all present, including someone new??? Sorta. They look familiar somehow... "Hum...!" Even as he walks, another book is pulled out, and eyes flick from the book to Yue and back repeatedly.
A gunshot peals from the Monk's frontlines. it grazes Elvis' shoulder. and by graze, it practically riccochets off. It does leave damage on the twill coat though. "HEY! You are going to put someone's eye out with your little pea shooter, whelp!"
He is starting to get fussy.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
The scarlet rains down.
And then the rain tumbles down towards the floor--
--before the blood suddenly spins around itself, swirling into a big thick orb that swirls in the air up and over the warrior monks before Amaterasu towards Marivel Armitage who absorbs the blood freely directly into her body. She steps forward, telling the warrior monks, "Fall back. You can't defeat her." The monks hesitate before Marivel's eyes flash red and she repeats it. "Fall back."
Hesitantly, the monks start backpedaling away as Marivel sets her eyes on Amaterasu.
"Thank you for the meal." Then she sighs and rubs at her neck, shaking her head a few times. "I had hoped you would take another path. But very well!"
Marivel draws a thin almost rapier like blade and extends it forward towards Amaterasu. With a flourish she raises it above her head, swings it back, and flings it right for Amaterasu.
"Aport." Marivel says anad the blade vanishes, reappearing from behind Amaterasu with the same velocity and force Marivel had used while flinging it in the first place.
"Language." She chastizes Minder like Steve Rogers without looking because nincompoop and hooie patootie aren't words to use lightly. Somehow despite being 4'11 (wait wasn't she 4'10 before) she exhudes the general presence of Mary Poppins (y'all).
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Amaterasu with Enhanced Aport Riposte! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
Ree warily picks her way across Mi'ihen Highroad -- or the ruins of it anyway. She's been hanging with a ragtag band of Otherworlders -- suspicious as she was of other people, when stranded among an alien culture, you took your allies (of sorts) when and where you found them. She contemplates her dwindling stocks of ammunition and cigarattes, scowling. And now she and her "friends" have stumbled into a warzone -- the Yevonites versus the Guard, they of the killjoy goddess. Life was hard enough, she reflected, without taking the booze away.
It looked like the Guard had some unusual allies. She wasn't sure what they were exactly, but they didn't look quite human... In the cluster of preternatural beings, one in particular stood out -- a veritable massive mountain of a man. Humans simply didn't get that big. He evidently likes to read...and sounds...almost reasonable. Nevertheless, he is a threat and will have to be taken out lest the Guard win this skirmish. Ree steps forward. She has a way to even the odds a bit. The runes on her right arm glow blue as she incants a spell.
GS: Ree has attacked Ree with Ice Ward! GS: Ree has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ree has completed her action. GS: Ree takes a solid hit from Ree's Ice Ward for 0 hit points! GS: Shield! applied to Ree!
GS: Amaterasu takes a solid hit from Marivel Armitage's Enhanced Aport Riposte for 144 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.
Nimue isn't *terribly* far behind Marivel. The actual honest-to-goodness bood drinking gets her to blink once, twice -- but then she remembers that she's been next to much, *much* worse than this and kind of decides to just let it rock.
It's been a *long* time since Nimue has been in a fight, without Sundowner, that didn't kind of sneak up on her the way her most recent... scuffle... did. It's not that she's against fighting -- no, far from it, Nimue has tons of pent-up aggression to work out -- but she doesn't really know where to... begin. She's mostly here to play support -- it's her general preference, by default, to stand back and let the 'real' fighters work the situation out on their own. Accordingly, she remains cautious for a few seconds, sticking around behind Marivel but not actually *initiating* anything, instead waiting for a clear moment where the Crimson Noble will actually need assistance.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
There's a streak from a nearby rock formation - white, searing and straight as an arrow. The bolt screams downwards at Kaguya as she offers a free shot.
It strikes the ground in front of her instead.
For a moment the gleaming sword quivers, stabbed into the packed earth of the Highroad. Then it dissipates - energy, rather than steel. But the divot in the ground is as real as the threat is.
The Warrior-Monks back away from the impact site. And Ashton Anchors vaults down from the rocks above to land between them and the Veruni. Paired hook-swords spin in his grip - once around, just bringing them to the ready. His feet brace in preparation.
"My free shot, Lady. And my offer that you may stand down and back away." The sellsword cracks his neck to the side. "This fight today shall push no further no matter what you do, and we can avoid needless blood spilled."
Which makes him glance for a moment toward Marivel and partake of the irony of those words. "Further," he apends. "Needless blood spilled."
GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Ashton Anchors with Crescendo Stance! GS: Ashton Anchors has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ashton Anchors has completed his action. GS: Ashton Anchors takes a solid hit from Ashton Anchors's Crescendo Stance for 0 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"Jeez, you're so loud," whines a familiar voice from behind the Minder, out of sight of those below - but there's a distinctive low thrum, the sound of a Veruni power source as it picks up in output, and next to the girl a bobble hat slowly rises into view. Leant over the handlebars of her odd hovering scooter, a pink-haired mechanic looks down into the valley below, watching with an uncertain frown on her face as Drifters and Veruni assemble.
She's dressed in Spiran clothes, at least, a robe that crosses the divide between swordsman and summoner, white and sky blue in colour. There's even a replica sword at her side, though it doesn't look like it's ever been unsheathed. After all, she's just as likely to use scavenged technology as she is anything conventional.
She recognizes many of the Veruni below her, and wonders how many of them really want to be here, pursuing this protracted war in a land none of them really recognize as familiar - but of all of them her eyes linger on Yue. Once she's caught the convict's eye, there's a tiny private moment as her hand goes to the necklace under her robes, clasping it to herself. Gently, she leans just a little towards the Minder, an unspoken promise to help out... should anything happen.
The ground rumbles with a low impact, and Shalune perks up. "Oh, she's coming. Here," she adds, misdirecting the Minder by the very simple method of dumping a bag of baked sweets suddenly into one of her hands. Despite that, she doesn't move to attack - doesn't nudge her scooter forwards and down into a dive, nor pull out her shotstaff to lay down covering fire.
It doesn't seem like she needs to, after all. The rumbles continue, rhythmic and steady, and then from around the corner of the highroad's cliffs, a metal giant lumbers into view. The shape is not massive, but it stands twice a man's size, bulky enough to act as a roadblock for anyone who might wish to try to shove their way through. Impassively, it takes in the combat with its unblinking eyes, and then with a slow, methodical, creaking motion, it crosses its arms. There are no features to convey the emotion, but the stoicism is palpable.
Big Shal has come.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
It should have been just another day, of uneasy glances sent Gwen's way, and quips that go nowhere as Gwen tries to break the ice.
Honestly, Gwen was just passing through. Someone needed a letter delivered to here, and then go here to pick up this thing, and then another delivery, and maybe she'll get some sort of payment? But at least she's not making people around her feel like she's about to transform into some Sin-induced monstrousity.
Then, the Veruni came. Many of them, familiar faces. "Guardians..." Gwen weakly swears, seeing the bloody display of Amaterasu's polearm. "... C'mon... already? I was kinda hopin' for a cooldown before I had t'face you guys..." This she says, in full audible 'view' of the Monk's forces, and not much further beyond.
Marivel enters, followed by Nimue, and more allies respond to the major push of force from the Veruni. ".... Uh, herrreee goes nothhingggg..." Ducking behind a tall pillar, Gwen attempts to let Marivel and Ashton's displays work to her advantage, creeping forward with all the stealth a courier could manage. Which, when Gwen has tried to be stealthy, is usually enough.
There's just one problem: Gwen's just a little bit sleep-deprived. There's also the matter of 'the last time Gwen was in a battle, she kind of went nuts.
Just rush forward, find the most anonymous looking fellow you can, and punch them. Like... that water wizard guy! Yes. Just rush them, pull back your fist, and-
"... Ah, man... I was kinda hopin' to get someone I didn't know..." Gwen grimaces as she begins to realize who the seemingly anonymous Veruni soldier is, her fist pulled back in 'just about to strike' mode.
She's leaving herself open, she realizes. "Really really sorry! If you're who I think y'are!" The fist flies, straight towards Ambrosius's fa- no, midsection, that seems kinder somehow. "Ambrosius, you seem like a swell guy except for all the times we keep hitting each other!"
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ambrosius with Shoryu-gwen! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Ambrosius guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Shoryu-gwen for 65 hit points! GS: Break! applied to Ambrosius!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"N-no I'm not! I know... plenty of incredibly vile and horrible words! I just... need to be reminded...!!" the Minder stammers even louder to Kaguya, looking down from her Very Definitely Safe and Out of Combat Perch.
The Minder does perk up as she gasps, a moment after. "W-wait, you're Commander-- Commander? Kaguya! Wow! And that--" A mountain of a man arrives and she gushes even harder. "A-and Sentinel Elvis?!"
"Ambrosius is here too..." Yue points out, ever biased. A glance, "And Mari." She has to hope there isn't a bucket with her name written on it. She blinks a few more times. "Ambrosius... do you know that girl?"
But then the Minder gets distracted by Shalune arriving, and she jumps with a =O! "My perch is compromised! Aport Mission, Aport--"
A bucket doesn't land on her head, though, instead treats come. "Mm-mmhh... you can't just tempt me like this! Don't think I won't--"
A pause, as she starts gobbling on a sweet already.
"Ooh, is that a real samurai sword?? Can I touch it?"
Yue sags further to say, "No running with knives, Minder."
Her sag is about to redouble when the rumble continues, however. Her face absolutely falls at that. "Oh no." She shakes her head. "Of all the people I could fight, it couldn't be...!"
Big Shal has come.
GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Shalune Amira with No! Just... No! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Shalune Amira takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's No! Just... No for 0 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
Amaterasu leads the charge, on behalf of the Veruni strike team.
The rest follow after, in the manner that best suits each of them.
Amaterasu holds that pose, watching behind the mask that conceals her face for whoever it might be who will challenge her. She stands there as a statue, ill intent heavy in her stillness.
'Fall back' comes the call from within the Monk's number.
Fall back.
Not all of them do -- devotion to Yevon is strong, as expected of their order. But the more practical -- more reasonable, more seasoned -- gaze at their fallen brethren and raise up the cry to retreat, to return to the more readily-defended fortress, and leave the unexpected strike team (of Veruni) to those Otherworlders who seem to have taken up the charge.
"I should have expected to see you here," Amaterasu says, to the red-eyed figure who wades in among the fallen. "Wherever it is that I go, there you are. But no matter. Have at you, 'Leviram'! Today it is me that you face in battle!"
She lunges, arcing her weapon upwards to batter the thrown sword aside.
But it is no longer there.
A sound of shock -- and pain -- slips from Amaterasu; the armor, repaired by Kaguya holds firm of course...
But the armor only protects the most vital points, with allowances made for mobility. Red stains Amaterasu's lower back.
She stands there for but a moment, gathering her breath. Valkyrja's blade wavers. "...Trickery. I will remember that--"
In the blink of an eye, Amaterasu is for Marivel, the polearm's shining beamblade glowing in the light of day.
GS: Amaterasu has attacked Marivel Armitage with Sub Judice! GS: Amaterasu has gained 2 Combo! GS: Amaterasu has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Occupied with his spellcasting as he is, combined with her stealthiness, Ambrosius doesn't see Gwen approaching until it's too late. He's a little surprised to see someone just trying to rush them down, after the display of power the Veruni had shown - and even more so that it's...
"Miss Whitlock!?" Ambrosius remarks in surprise. The fist goes flying toward his face - though it redirects for his midsection, connecting solidly and eliciting a grunt out of him, forcing him back a step. So too does it break his concentration and the flow of water subsides.
"...I did not expect to see you. Miss Whitlock, you should not be here." Ambrosius warns. He does a quick shoulder charge with the aim of knocking her back and giving him a little space - though not a particularly painful one.
He hears Yue speaking from nearby, though, and Ambrosius glances in her direction.
"...Yes - this is Gwen Whitlock. She is...a courier from Filgaia." He explain. He doesn't know whether or not Yue had access to some of the reports, and he can't think of any way to subtly get across her connections to the Veruni without letting them slip to Gwen herself, too so he remains quiet about that for now. That can be discussed later.
GS: Ambrosius has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Guarded Strike! GS: Ambrosius has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
+queue
GS: Marivel Armitage critically Guards a hit from Amaterasu's Sub Judice for 32 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
Should Kaguya worry about her sister being attacked by a Crimson Noble? ...Naaaah. Attacking Amaterasu is like saying hello! It's fine. For now.
Besides, she has figures to keep her attention, and more interesting ones than she'd counted on. She spots Nimue behind Marivel--but Ashton's arrival demands more of her attention in quite an immediate sense. The bolt launches out--
Kaguya stands, and waits, as it hits the ground. She peers down towards it, then towards the space from which it must have come. As the warrior monks back away, Kaguya's strange green gaze settles on Ashton landing. Ashton, and...
"Huh," she answers. "That's a first." Pause. "Clever use. Instead of hitting me, you convince the foot soldiers not to take on a commander. I'll give you points for that."
She speaks casually--her arrogance is more like a cocky teenager than some distant overlord. "But this is actually pretty needful blood spilling. Taking the road brings us closer to a conclusion." She grins, and actually offers a very brief laugh. "Yeah. I don't count it when she does it, and she's on your side anyway." The small Veruni--4'10", not including the soles of her boots, shorter than Marivel yes--is not very recognizeable as a Veruni... But her sharp teeth, pointed eaars suggest not quite human anyway.
And she adds, "Besides. I have got to see what those can do. I've never seen somebody with just, like, dragon heads?" If anything, she sounds impressed. It makes it jarring when her expression turns sharp and calculating in the next instant, and she surges forward. The distance is too much to cross quickly--or so it'd seem. But bringing up one of her weapons, she puts that side forward and slashes through the air. "Demon Fang!"
A shockwave of green energy crashes the rest of the distance towards Ashton as she closes, suddenly ducking down and spinning in Nimue's direction. "Hey, planning to sneak around back?" She makes a fist with weapon in hand, and strikes outward, a blast of her own inner energy erupting towards her in a beam of green light--and another, and another, one-two-three strikes.
She glances at Amaterasu's battle--but mostly keeps her eye on Ashton as she finishes spinning into a defensive stance, hands up but too relaxed to read. Her voice, though..
"That's me! So tell me about these vile and horrible words. I think I need to use them on my new friends."
GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Ashton Anchors with Demon Fang! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Dragon Shot! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has completed her action. GS: Kaguya Alathfar has canceled their attack on Kaguya Alathfar. GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Seraph Nimue with Dragon Shot! GS: Ashton Anchors guards a hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Demon Fang for 71 hit points! GS: Mute! applied to Ashton Anchors!
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
All of these men and woman o nthe lines have families. They should just go home! Elvis sure wish he could, himself. They should just take the chance and leave!
His metal heeled boots sink into the earth with each slow step. One closer to fracturign their front ranks. It would be easy to do. He is already formulating multiple attack plans when they choose to engage proper. Each one should disperse them readily.
The rest of the Veruni were already fighting. It was nice to catch up with them over drinks. That odd Veruni that sticks out as being unfamiliar in some way knows his name at least. "Indeed, it is I! Do not fear! This will be over shortly!" he says, matter-of-factly. He can put finding the cure off for a small time to look back into procuring a method of transport back to Filgaia. Or at least to the mainland. The other mainland.
At least that assistant is adorable.
However, checking records on Veruni will have to wait, as an unusual suspect emerges from the Warrior-Monk lineup, and casts a spell. "You too, eh?" he asks rhetorically, a small smile under that finely trimmed moustache.
Another gunshot levied at him. "Okay, that is about ENOUGH of that!" the man shouts, his voice loud enough to shake the air around him. A giant hell strikes the ground, and an earthen eruption takes the marksmen, sending them sprawling. Ree is close enough to the blast that they too, may want to try and avoid it!
"No manners these days with kids, I tell you..."
GS: Elvis has attacked Ree with Hi-Crush! GS: Elvis has completed his action. GS: Kaguya Alathfar has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Ree critically Guards a hit from Elvis's Hi-Crush for 43 hit points! GS: Seraph Nimue takes a glancing hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Dragon Shot for 68 hit points! GS: Cripple! applied to Seraph Nimue! GS: Gwen Whitlock guards a hit from Ambrosius's Guarded Strike for 73 hit points! GS: Cover! applied to Ambrosius! GS: Ambrosius assumes the Stoic stance!
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
Ree, fortunately, was on the fringe of Elvis' earth spell, which engulfs most of the Warrior Monks in front of him; it disorients her for a time, though, and she takes a moment to gather her thoughts. "No manners these days with kids, I tell you..." she overhears, then chuckles. It's such a ...human sentiment. Maybe these strangers, whoever they were, could be bargained with -- though perhaps not right now. She replies in the medium she's most comfortable with, shots from her twin pistols -- a burst of gunfire aimed right at the huge man's midsection -- something he would no doubt consider VERY rude. Kids these days, indeed!
GS: Ree has attacked Elvis with Mad Dog Rondo! GS: Ree has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
"The conclusion will have to wait, for the circumstances of it are still in doubt." Ashton waggles a sword at Kaguya, almost scoldingly. "There is no need for rushing to your fate so eagerly."
Then she mentions the dragons, and Ashton's guard goes down for a moment. "Ah, yes. I should introduce my boon companions, Creepy and Weepy. The story is a long one and--" And a shockwave of green barrels at him.
Unfortunately, Ashton's instinctual love of barrels mixes up poetic narrative license and refuses to let him attempt evasion. He is struck squarely by the wave, sliding back from the energy of the impact.
Bringing his blades around to the fore again, the Symbological Swordsman growls. And opens his mouth to give a retort.
Nothing comes out.
Ashton looks mildly confused and notably irked at that.
Then Kaguya takes a blast at Nimue, and Ashton goes from 'irked' to 'cross'.
Both dragons rise up like snakes, rearing over Ashton's head with mouths open as if hissing. (They probably are trying to, but maaaaagic.) Then? They glow. A gentle aura of red and blue that seeps down from the dragons and to Ashton's own form. He's enveloped in it as the glow surrounds and circles him, twisting as a double helix of color.
Then? It bursts outwards. And he frowns at Kaguya. "-Excuse- me, that was incredibly rude of you. And leave her alone! Your business is with me right now."
GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Ashton Anchors with Draconic Might! GS: Ashton Anchors has completed his action. GS: Ashton Anchors heals Ashton Anchors! He gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Restore reduces negative status durations by 3 rounds each! GS: Mighty! applied to Ashton Anchors!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
The Minder hesitates as Kaguya calls upon her to deliver vile and horrible words, looking at Ashton then back again.
"U-um, how about... Blistering Barnacles!! Or... or... Fiddlersticks! That'll really teach that three-headed guy! Or... two dragon-headed... one headed... guy?" A pause.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune sticks her tongue out at the Minder. She's a bit too tense for the gesture to really stick, but she's at least got an inkling of the degree to which Yue would prefer to shield Minder from what's about to occur below them. "It's not tempting! It's sharing. Besides, I always end up buying too much," she proclaims as she leans back over the handlebars of her scooter, occasionally glancing downwards to keep tabs on the battle below.
It certainly is a real samurai sword. Honest. It's not wood or anything. Not that you can tell, because there's an addition to the scabbard as she holds it up to show the Minder - a couple of rings of close-set metal affixing the blade in place, preventing it from being drawn. Despite that, Shalune frowns solemnly, having to think fast. "... it represents the samurai's way of peace," she declares. (Lunata might seriously pout about this later.)
Down below, Big Shal returns Yue's exclamation with its gentle stare. Slowly, the golem creaks its head to one side, encompassing the battle already underway; it takes in the sight of Kaguya and Amaterasu, comparing their fights to Elvis' and Ambrosius' more measured approach. Finally, it looks slowly upwards to where Shalune and the Minder await, the golem's movements deeply methodical as it stares at them both. In return, the mechanic gently nods.
And then Big Shal is moving, approaching the convict. For all that Yue says she can't fight, Big Shal seems to have no such regrets or reservations. The golem strides forwards with purpose, raising its fist-like hands up as it does so-- and lowering it carefully onto the prisoner's head, patting her hair with infinite care given the weight it could bring to bear. The other hand offers Yue a lift up to her feet, encouraging the Veruni upwards.
When the golem steps back afterwards, it raises its blocky fists once more... and only now does it look ready to fight, shielding the bulk of its torso. Understanding rolls off of it in waves; if Yue must fight, the golem is prepared to answer that need, and it slowly creaks one hand around to offer a--
GS: Shalune Amira has spent 1 Combo on Reload! GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Yue Rohay with Thumbs Up!! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay takes a solid hit from Shalune Amira's Thumbs Up! for 0 hit points! GS: Reload! Yue Rohay gains 15 extra FP from Shalune Amira! GS: Elvis critically Guards a hit from Ree's Mad Dog Rondo for 23 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.
How is everyone here so short!!
Nimue gets spotted and promptly blasted with a burst of green light from Kaguya; it'sonly a graze as she hits the dirt reflexively, but hitting the dirt is its own type of pain, so it all adds up to ... not actually that much better-off than *not* trying to hit the dirt. "Listen! The amount of sneaking! I do! Or don't do!" she starts, before kipping up off the ground, "is *my business!*"
She needs a second to figure out what she's actually going to *do*, though. Because while she's at least committed to helping Marivel, she has *no* idea what she's doing. She decides to go with something nice and basic, rather than overcomplicating things, though.
Step 1: Reach into her pack.
Step 2: Toss a grenade out of her pack up into the air.
Step 3: "Hey -- *catch!*" she calls, as she snags it out of the air with her sling-staff and then pitches it at Kaguya. It explodes into fragments and splinters!
GS: Seraph Nimue has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Razor Monsoon! GS: Seraph Nimue has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Noticing Yue and her 'Minder' nearby, Gwen's face falls. "Man..." She should have gone with that lady for this fight, or that strange... assistant. Gear? Golem. Golem it is.
"I shouldn't be here? More like you guys shouldn't be here." Taking on the brunt of Ambrosius's admittedly polite counterattack, she is forced back a step. "Gh..."
Now what? Gwen really shouldn't have talked to Kaguya on such friendly terms those few nights ago. "I suppose I can't convince you guys to just... go back? Invading Spira just ain't gonna work. You've got no way of destroying Sin."
Neither does the Yevon faith, but _that's besides the point_.
"Super courier," Gwen then corrects, a second too late. "It's my, uh, branding. Wait, Elvis is here too?!"
She then looks helplessly at Ambrosius. "I 'spose you can't double back even if y'wanted to, at this point. So let's... just fight this out? That seems to be a good plan. Here, I'll start."
And she does, by attempting to plant her fist into Ambrosius's face. It's nothing personal- she just figures it may be better to try ti knock out the Veruni soldier than engage in a potentially difficult battle with him.
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ambrosius with Special Delivery! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Ambrosius critically Guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Special Delivery for 27 hit points! GS: Kaguya Alathfar takes a glancing hit from Seraph Nimue's Razor Monsoon for 64 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
"We all have our obligations, Amaterasu. You are a woman of duty and though I wish it were otherwise I can respect that."
She crouches for a bit. Her smile is a strange combination of enthusiasm and melancholy. Certainly there are elements of Amaterasu that she admires. Some of those elements include her incredible combat potential. But it's not just that. Amaterasu is from experience and appearance someone well in tune with her obligations. Despite often acting rather goofy herself, Marivel finds some common ground on that front and despite that sad smile, Marivel certainly is willing to end lives for her goals even if she has yet to be seen sending an entire squad of men flying and dying into the air.
And it's that willingness and that understanding that leads Marivel to be a tricky person who uses tricky techniques.
She glances to Nimue and smiles and nods to her. She doesn't actually tell Nimue what the plan is because Nimue was pretty clear on not wanting to be told what to do and so Marivel is simply showing up with her and allowing Nimue to do what Nimue feels like doing. She'll speak up if it actually becomes a problem but she doesn't really anticipate that. She has plenty of reasons to trust Nimue.
(Her being adorable is only one of those reasons I swear).
Amaterasu dives in. Marivel says, "Aport!" again as the blade reappears into her hand moments before Amaterasu strike. The blade parries but ultimately that isn't a complete victory for Marivel because Amaterasu is 'hella strong' so she is still thrown off her feet and crashing into a trio of the more stalwart monks, bowling them over.
Marvel spins in midair and lands on her feet, running nearly on all fours as she's hunched over, head low, as she pushes forward.
"There are few Veruni I respect. Their crimes against Filgaia cannot be ignored, but you, Amaterasu... I have high expectations for!"
She lashes out with her blade in a series of quick thrusts. Each individual strike is not very potent, but even as she is attempting to carve into Amaterasu, she is channeling spells with each blow.
"Frigid!" the blade is ensorceled with ice. "Fire Bolt!" The blade suddenly heats up, burning bright red. The blade seems to be enchanted and is readily durable enough to handle all these rapid changes to its composition.
Marivel finishes off her assault with a single thrust forward. "Air Slash!" Marivel shouts, a whirling wind emitting from the blade to try and push Amaterasu back. It doesn't take a combat genius to realize that the last thing she wants is for Amaterasu to get close enough to grab her. Amaterasu could probably juggle three Marivels if she wanted to.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Amaterasu with Bloody Mari! GS: Marivel Armitage has gained 1 Combo! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
"I assure you, we have already taken Sin into consideration." Ambrosius replies. He doesn't elaborate, though - let them wonder. Gwen corrects him on his phrasing, however. "...My apologies - Super Courier. I will not make that mistake again."
...Sure, you can't see it because his helmet conceals his face, but you can tell just by the sound of his voice that he's saying it with a serious, sincere expression.
"...I would say the same of you, Miss Whitlock. But if you will not turn aside..." Ambrosius replies...and then catches her fist as it flies right toward his face. The sheer impact of it forces his hand back a bit, and if he weren't wearing his armor, the outcome would likely be different entirely. "Then let us, as you say, fight it out."
He pushes her back, and then with a gesture a Geyser of water begins to bubble up from beneath her feet before shooting up with force, with the goal to send her flying.
GS: Ambrosius has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Geyser! GS: Ambrosius has completed his action. GS: Amaterasu guards a hit from Marivel Armitage's Bloody Mari for 98 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
A scan across the battlefield. Everything goes to plan. Won't be too much longer. Soem resistance from interlopers-- and Gwen?! "H-Hey! What are you doing here?!" he dmands toward her. "You shouldn't be here!" he demands. Almost worringly so. He is supposed to be keeping an eye on her, and that will be difficult if she is in multiple pieces!
This leaves an opening for Ree to exploit, where gunshots land in center mass. There are clothing puncture marks, and a blot of red to signify it definitely hit something. But there is very little of it. Like a few drops of wine on linen. Eyes dart back toward Ree. "That was... very uncalled for!" he said, pointing a giant finger toward her. "You should know when not to pick a fight with your elders!"
He brandishes a hand, and water geysers out of the earth all around Ree, to attempt to wash her down the highroad!
"I should teach a class on combat etiquette and the duel."
GS: Elvis has attacked Ree with Hydro Pressure! GS: Elvis has completed his action. GS: Ree completely evades a hit from Elvis's Hydro Pressure! GS: Gwen Whitlock guards a hit from Ambrosius's Geyser for 97 hit points! GS: Hyper! applied to Ambrosius!
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
"Stand down!" Ree barks at Elvis, not really expecting him to do it. With his attitude towards younger people, he'd not be likely to surrender to one of them. That was one of the weaknesses of elders, she'd found. Too conscious of their supposed dignity. Elvis retaliates with a surge of magical water, and Ree desperately jumps and twists to avoid it. That was close! She loads some new shells in her ARMS -- specially designed to rip and rend, of the double handful she has left. She aims and fires!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
The Minder does get distracted again a moment later as that little flap of hers goes 'zeeee' and makes sweets disappear into whatever pane her helmet is made out of. How does that technology work? How do the facial expressions work?
Shalune don't dismantle the Minder. Please... Yue's begging you... D=
There's a despairing grimace from Yue as she looks up towards Big Shal, noticing that Kaguya and Amaterasu are already engaged in battle. She's going to get really chewed out if she just faffs off with her... ancient and timeless beloved Golem friend... who she really can't fight...
There's a big thumbs up, from the Golem. A headpat.
"... ... Big Shal ... you're so wise ..."
A VERY LONG TIME AGO
"Granny! Granny, what is this?" beams an extremely eager and young Veruni, dressed in a baggy laboratory coat that's three sizes too large as it drags on the ground behind her. She has a bit of snot on her face.
'Granny' looks towards her with a chuckle from her lips.
A little Golem-head and an arm is propped on a little pedestal. The Golem's eyes light up gently...
And gives her a thumbs up.
NOW
"I'm glad one of us... got out all right," Yue quietly admits. Her head lowers further. "Then..."
She sucks in a deep breath, then steps back.
She looks to Kaguya with a smirk as she remarks, "That was a magnificent Demon Fang, Kaguya. I'm duly impressed. But..." Even Marivel is getting in on this with an Air Slash.
She draws a leg up as she announces, "I do not call myself a student of ancient sword-projectile Artes for nothing. Now let me show you, Big Shal... the ancient form of such an Arte as it originated!"
She whips that leg of hers out in a whirl as she strikes the ground, whisking out in a violet-white burst of artful energy. It's like the barista artisan version. She's just showing off.
"<Demon Fang!>"
GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Shalune Amira with Majinken - Demon Fang! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: That attack doesn't exist. [] GS: Ree has attacked Elvis with Savage Shrapnel! GS: Ree has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
Kaguya's really short for a Veruni. Law of averages, maybe?
She pops off to the Minder, "Ooh, super foul! Scandalous, even!"
But she can only offer little comments in the moment, since she's being scolded!! The matter of 'rushing to her fate' gets an outright laugh, mostly for irony's sake, given her circumstances. But--
"I mean I started preparing the attack before you actually finished talking, but like, timing, right? Right in the middle of a sentence! I couldn't have planned it better!"
"Hey, hey, I'm not gonna complain too hard at a girl being underhanded and skulking around. It's one of my favorite things to do."
But she is surprised at a grenade. Not like, horrifically debilitatingly shocked, but surprised enough that when she turns to see it she doesn't in fact catch it. Instead, she shifts into movement on instinct, whirling to the side as the grenade impacts the ground where she was and sends shrapnel slashing into her armor, a piece of it slicing her cheek and burning her sleeve. "I kind of expected you to be some kind of mage," the Duchess admits, eyes darting back to--
"Hmmmm. Not bad." A grin. "I mean. Rude is kind of my thing. You might not know this but I'm not very nice as a rule. Buuut I'm gonna have to keep both of you, because I don't want her moving around to my sister's flank." Pause. "You blistering barnacle." She doesn't even crack up.
"But you know, I can do that, too." She brings up a hand, palm-inward, and focuses--and wind rushes up about her in a cylinder. It's... strange, though--it's not the Blessing, it's not normal wind, and the petals that rush about her are from unfamiliar flowers. Abrubtly, though, she's moving faster and more smoothly, jumping upward--That same wind rushes forward as she puts out her hand, and the petals multiply until a gale of razor-sharp flowers rushes towards Nimue.
While Kaguya herself grins. "Man, from you that's great," Kaguya answers Yue. She actually turns while she's in the air preparing to land, to watch the violet-white burst of energy. If her opponents are quick, it might be an opening--
"Niiiiiiice."
GS: Kaguya Alathfar has spent 1 Combo on Poison, including 3 on Gatling! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Seraph Nimue with Petal Rush! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Accelerate! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has completed her action. GS: Kaguya Alathfar takes a solid hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Accelerate for 0 hit points! GS: Quick! applied to Kaguya Alathfar! GS: Seraph Nimue takes a glancing hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Petal Rush for 36 hit points! GS: Seraph Nimue has been weakened by Disease! Seraph Nimue can't gain THP until the Disease is cured! GS: Seraph Nimue suffers an additional 27 from Poison's Combo effect! GS: Disease and Poison! applied to Seraph Nimue! GS: Kaguya Alathfar assumes the Stoic stance!
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
As Kaguya may be paying some partial attention to her sister's fight, Amaterasu is watching to see how Kaguya fights.
In the same sense that she is paying some vague, distant attention to everyone's positions and engagements on the field. As the effective 'leader' in this engagement -- no disrespect for Elvis' rank meant; the commando simply has more experience in this avenue -- she needs to pay attention to what the others are doing and how they are faring...
...but similarly not to the exclusion of her own battle.
But suffice to say: she notices when that... Golem arrives. "..."
There isn't much she can do about it in the immediacy of her own conflict, though.
"Indeed. So we do."
The mask makes her expression impossible to read. But the tone, at least, is the even cool of someone within their element, meeting with a worthwhile opponent. None of the Monks here would stand a chance. They are wheat for the harvest, and about as fitting for someone like her to cut low. But, ah, this is the way of war.
It is necessary for their wishes to be fulfilled.
The spell-woven strikes come in swiftly, trading their affinity with each blow. One is parried neatly. The other sets part of the gauntlet along Amaterasu's left hand briefly a cherry red. Another rips a part of her uniform that hands loose at the hip. And still others are flung for her.
For now, it's sufficient to keep the imposing figure of the Veruni Commando at bay, though it may be a question on how long this may continue.
"Our 'crimes'?" Amaterasu asks, her voice no longer hitting solely the register of control she had presented before. "Do tell me what crimes these might be," she continues, and it's a fair guess that behind the mask, her expression must be a grim one indeed. "Is there a court that would charge someone for reclaiming what was their own? I had thought that one such as you might have a better understanding of what it can mean to be 'rejected' within your own homeland. ...Very well," and with that last statement, her left hand leaves the haft of the spear.
She snaps her fingers.
Purple spirits rise in a wave for Marivel, each and every one of them with a shimmer of green where the light catches. They are voiceless, mindless, with their only mission to writhe around Marivel and detonate into a thick haze of clinging fog.
"No. 7. This is a direct order," she says, staring Marivel down from behind the faceplate.
"Remove yourself from the field and assume support operations. I am requesting observational data on that Golem. Sentinel! Ambrosius! Kaguya! Once we have finished here!"
In other words, 'this one's for you'.
GS: Amaterasu has attacked Marivel Armitage with Shroudblind Haze! GS: Amaterasu has completed her action. GS: Shalune Amira guards a hit from Yue Rohay's Majinken - Demon Fang for 72 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Now Ashton's becoming visibly angry. He stops himself, however. In the middle of battle, he actually stops.
Closes his eyes.
Takes a deep breath.
Lets it out.
"M'am," he gently offers to Kaguya, "Right now you are being an absolute -butt- and leave me no choice but to treat you as such." And then he.. sheathes is swords?
"Obviously a lesson needs to be taught until you stop picking on poor Nimue and learn to be less pointlessly rude."
There's a burst of static in the air as Ashton simply.... isn't anymore. And then he IS again, except being directly behind Kaguya.
The sword in his hand swings, low and brutal!
Wait, he didn't take it out of the sheath.
Oh no. He's not striking to harm - he's striking for a spanking.
GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Edgeless Blade! GS: Ashton Anchors has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ashton Anchors has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"If Sin's dealt with first, I think this whole epic drama could then be over," Gwen remarks back to Ambrosius, pausing before she utters a delayed, far more subdued 'thank you' to Ambrosius's stoic apology.
Elvis's shocked response from nearby gets an uneasy laugh from Gwen. "Y-yeah, Ambrosius said th'same thin- ow." Gwen winces as Ree shoots Elvis, but she's not entirely concerned. This is *Elvis*, after all. It's like shooting a brick wall.
Even with the conditions being what they are, Gwen whistles as Ambrosius catches her fist. "Good one! Though I was kinda hopin' I'd be able t-wh-"
Then, she says 'ow' for reasons more pertaining to her own situation: namely, with a single push and a geyser of water, Ambrosius making good on his promise. Gwen is shot up and away by the blast, managing to curl her arms in front of her to try to absorb some of the force of the blow. "Gh!"
With a grunt of effort, Gwen lands her feet against the side of some rubble, momentum planting her momentarily against the crumbling rock.
"Hyup!" Before the laws of gravity reclaim her, Gwen launches from that point back at Ambrosius, her feet tumbling around to point in Ambrosius's direction. "Holy cow, THAT WORKE-"
GS: Gwen Whitlock enters a Counter stance! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ambrosius with Return To Sender! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 1 Combo! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Elvis guards a hit from Ree's Savage Shrapnel for 63 hit points! GS: Marivel Armitage critically Guards a hit from Amaterasu's Shroudblind Haze for 0 hit points! GS: Ambrosius takes a solid hit from Gwen Whitlock's Return To Sender for 39 hit points! GS: Mighty! applied to Gwen Whitlock!
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
It's as they say - great minds think alike. Ambrosius sends Elvis a nod as the Sentinel echoes his Sentinels. Obviously, if both of them said it, it must be true, right?
...Maybe not.
"Would that it were so simple." Ambrosius replies to Gwen. He seems a little surprised by the praise not longer after for blocking his punch, however, and doesn't immediately respond.
Even more surprising is the way Gwen bounds off of some rubble, bouncing back at him. Even Ambrosius seems surprised that it actually worked, from the way he doesn't even defend himself from the Gwen-projectile. Her feet land solidly in his midsection with enough force to drive him back.
He stumbles, just a bit - but as he tries to regain his balance he draws out a revolver, firing off a few rounds in her direction to give him a little space. But, he cannot help but to say...
"...Most impressive..." He comments - then pauses. He glances in Amaterasu's direction and nods, taking note of the orders.
"Understood." He replies.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
The advantage of Big Shal's expressionless face is a certain amount of focus. Does Big Shal really recognize the rest of the fight going on around her? It's not honestly clear given the way the golem simply stares directly towards Yue. It says nothing - there are no vocal cords to use, after all - but the quiet nod definitely has some measure of pride to it as Yue picks herself up off the floor and collects herself.
As the wave of force rockets towards the golem, the machine brings its fists back up to try to block the attack - and instead finds its arms buckling from the force of the strike, the golem forced to take a step backwards. One arm simply shears right off--
For Amaterasu and the other Veruni present Big Shal looks like nothing more than your average Laila Belle construction golem, twelve feet tall with a large triangular body, two piston-like arms, rather stumpy legs. The latter look like they've been rebuilt, not of any standard make, but the rest of the golem seems more or less stock - except they're usually not quite so old and beaten-up, nor displaying their own will, nor... able to repair themselves, unnaturally swiftly.
--and the detached arm hangs there in midair, floating in place as if it were still connected. The shower of scrap metal debris behind it slows and then stops unnaturally, dead still as if caught in a magnetic field - that then reverses, pulling the components back in. Piece by piece, components socket and attach themselves with an array of clicks and clanks.
Slowly, the thumb rebuilding itself as it does so, Big Shal offers her verdict of the move - another solemn thumbs up. ... her vocabulary is a little limited, okay.
Up above, Shalune blinks at the order, then raises her eyebrows at the Minder. "Ah. That's you, right? Uh, I mean, I can probably just tell you about Big Shal, if you'd like. Kinda seems like that'd be easier than trying to sneak around her, y'know?" she grins faintly as she scratches at her cheek.
Below, one last pneumatic hiss signals the sealing of Big Shal's arm, and then the golem clanks its fists together as if to make a show of its restored state, still standing tall as it sets its feet once more. The definition of passive resistance, is it--
--did it let its arm get blown off just to sell Yue's move?
Naw...
GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Shalune Amira with Quick-Fix -Weaponry-! GS: Shalune Amira has gained 1 Combo! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action. GS: Shalune Amira heals Shalune Amira! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper! applied to Shalune Amira! GS: Ambrosius has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Conversator! GS: Ambrosius has gained 1 Combo! GS: Break and Cover expired! GS: Ambrosius has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Elvis looks... confused for a moment. "What? Wait no! I told you to stand down! he says, as the torrent of water clears. Other than being slightly damp, she avoided it effectively. She knows her way around a battlefield. "Okay fine, fine! We can settle this like two civilized individuals.
In a moment of rushing power, he is almost on top of her. He has to evade her gunshots i nthe path, and does so for the most part, though his right bicep takes some lacerations. They don't go too deep, but do cause what looks to be very painful wounds. He arrives, looking like he is biting his lip. Yeah, they did hurt all right.
"I challenge you to fisticuffs!!!" he says imperiously after a moment. The man raises his hands-- which at some point in the blur of movement got wrapped in some kind of synthetic cloth-- and just stands there. "Well? Come on! We settle this like in ancient days where disputes were solved in a match of skill!"
He waits until Ree takes some kind of hostile action, and the tries to pop her one or two! The hits feel like they could do a lot worse.
"Hrn? Right, right!" he calls out to Amaterasu, though his eyes dont leave Ree. He wants to see if she can throw an honorable attack!
GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Elvis receives 50 temporary hit points. GS: Elvis enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Elvis has attacked Ree with Rapid Punch! GS: Elvis has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elvis has completed his action. GS: Ree takes a glancing hit from Elvis's Rapid Punch for 82 hit points! GS: Kaguya Alathfar takes a solid hit from Ashton Anchors's Edgeless Blade for 122 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.
Nimue winces a little at the expectation that she's a mage; it's not enough to actually *upset* her but she's a little annoyed at the assumption, or maybe even stung. "Nope! Sorry! ... I mean, I can do healing magic 'cuz that stuff is easy, but for the most part, nope!"
She gives her staff a little twirl, announcing firmly, "Boom! That's kinda my thing." She gives her sling-staff a quick twirl, before ... trying to figure out what her actual plan is. Unfortunately, this proves -- ill-timed, as it means she's not nearly ready-to-move enough to *not* get shredded by flower petals.
She winces a little more pointedly, this time, as she starts to bleed. (Why do Seraphim bleed? Ghost mystery. Literally!) She decides to gain a little separation rather than immediately responding in kind, though. "This sucks! I don't even wanna be here but I feel like I should be doing something nice for people!!" she whines, though it's about half a joke, from the sound of it.
She weighs her options for a few moments, before ultimately deciding that what she *ought* to do is defend herself rather than keep aggressing. "... Oh, and by the way, wind? That's *my* thing," she declares, before giving her staff a gentle twirl. Wind swirls around her, almost like a wall.
GS: Seraph Nimue has attacked Seraph Nimue with Bracing Squamish! GS: Seraph Nimue has gained 1 Combo! GS: Seraph Nimue takes 25 damage from Poison! GS: Seraph Nimue has completed her action. GS: Seraph Nimue takes a solid hit from Seraph Nimue's Bracing Squamish for hit points! GS: Shield! applied to Seraph Nimue!
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
Elvis advances on Ree and connects with a punch; she feels her clavicle crack and bruise. "Owwww" she groans. She'd wanted to stay out of reach; Elvis looks like he could crumple her up like an old dirty dishrag. Up close he has the whole advantage. He certainly looks like he knows how to use those fists! Hers look like a doll's by comparison. Ree doesn't really have a sense of honor, but she knows she's too close to use her ARMS effectively. She switches to plan B: her sledgehammer, unlatched from her back quickly. She strikes at Elvis with it; perhaps she can cripple him, unlikely as that seems. Her next goal will be to put more distance between them so she can use her ARMS -- or her magic. Though, as a spellcaster himself, Elvis may prove resistant to it. Desperation fuels her swing...
GS: Ree has spent 1 Combo on Gatling, including 1 on Gatling! GS: Ree has attacked Elvis with Heavy Hammer! GS: Ree has gained 1 Combo! GS: Shield expired! GS: Ree has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel, despite her literal milennia of experience, does not lower her guard against Amaterasu even when she has an upper hand. Veruni are essentially immortal but they have many of the advantages of mortals. They can adapt incredibly quickly. She can't expect to get away with trickery more than once. She is somewhat regretful that she is showing these tricks on behalf of Yevon, whom she cares little for but cares just enough to not let them be massacred under the combined weight of the Veruni and Guard's armies and elites. She is under no illusin that Yevon wouldn't throw her own team to the dogs should they ever become even a little complicated.
But that's fine. Even if Marivel is fighting for them, she isn't fighting for them.
She doesn't look back to Minder Seven. She doesn't even glance to Kaguya. If Kaguya wishes to call in the 'favor' that Marivel had promised her, she need only whisper it. It's hard to know how far a 'favor' goes from Marivel in Kaguya's hands.
Amaterasu protests the nature of the Veruni's work being labeled as 'crimes'. "Very well. I will focus on the crimes that you have commited since returning to Filgaia."
"First..." Marivevl stalls her answer her because Amaterasu is summoning PURPLE SPIRITS which, it should be noted, wasn't in her expected power list. She seemed like 'really strong gal' not 'strong AND danger'. Marivel immediately disengages, hopping backwards to examine the purple spirits. The spirits give chase, but Marivel keeps hopping back. Several detonate before reaching Marivel.
Until one does. It explodes around Marivel and enshrouds her in a thick haze of fog.
Marivel's voice can be heard from within. "You gave up those lands when you left Filgaia more than five thousand years ago."
A thick black mist pushes around the edges of Amaterasu's own mist, gradually expanding, encompassing, and replacing it.
"You have assisted in the restoration and summoning of The World Devourer," Mother. "And provided your aid well after she had been revived. You have turned against your rightful Queen, continuously acting against her interests and desires simply because they have, as far as you can tell, changed."
The mist suddenly coalesces, reforming into Marivel before Amaterasu's eyes even as if stray tendrils of that mist lash out for Amaterasu herself, wrapping around her in a manner not so disimilar to Amaterasu's own technique, infesting her own shadow as it tries to tie up her own legs and pin her in place and burn into her legs.
"You have invaded Luca, killing countless men, using extravagant war machines to provide excessive aid to the Guard in their crusade, a crusade on behalf of Althena, a murderous deity who wishes to end SONG. And your assistance to the Guard allows them to remain in control of a simple town of Kilika even when their true interests push far beyonda a small village already suffering from Sin. By preventing Summoners from returning to Kilika, you allow Fiends to grow and attack their town, their people. They are the ones that suffer."
She snaps that blade of hers back.
"But the greatest crime will always be from long ago, longer than is fair to pin on the whole of your people. You abandoned Filgaia...when it needed you most!"
GS: Marivel Armitage has spent 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Amaterasu with Boogiepop Phantoms! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Amaterasu critically Guards a hit from Marivel Armitage's Boogiepop Phantoms for 11 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
In her reverie, Yue nearly misses Ambrosius' comment about knowing her. Even Elvis also knows her. Just who is this mysterious Super Courier? "... I see ... that is never pleasant. Not that it is any better--"
The Minder whines a bit at the Commander's order. "E-er, yes, ma'am..." she looks to Shalune as she gestures. "Let's retreat back a bit, then. ... not-- not that I'm helping you or anything!"
She snags another sweet as she does so. Does she look a bit put out that she can't see a cool, super-real katana? There's a grump to Shalune... but it disappears into a =O! as she starts talking about Big Shal.
"T-that's right! Start talking and I'll record observational data. Then Commander Amaterasu can give me a hea--" A pause. "Commend me for my support assistance to the cause of the Veruni!!"
This girl really could use a better mom, huh. (Yes.)
"... I would partake in such a class, Sentinel Elvis. But until then..." Yue heaves out a breath.
And sags just for a moment as she looks towards her erstwhile, ancient companion as she shakes her head and murmurs, "... you're breaking my heart, dear Big Shal," as she watches the arm explode under the force of the Demon Fang, though...
Her eyes rise in appreciation as she watches the mechanism begin to reconstruct itself. A quiet hum of thought. "So your repair functions are as well as ever..."
A soft, almost delicate sigh and a smile.
"Well, we shall continue onward. Another demonstration, then... so I can at least show you that I can take care of myself as well, dear old friend."
There's another characteristic spin as she strikes her heel; the movement is more deliberate, more technical -- and what rises outward isn't just one violet-white burst of energy, but two in one strike!
"<Double Demon Fang!>"
Truly a... novel invention?
GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Shalune Amira with Majinken Souga - Double Demon Fang! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: COUNTER! Gwen Whitlock counterattacks Ambrosiuswith Counter Attack! GS: Gwen Whitlock takes a solid hit from Ambrosius's Conversator for 129 hit points! GS: Ambrosius takes a solid hit from Gwen Whitlock's Counter Attack for 123 hit points! GS: Ambrosius enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
This time Kaguya isn't even trying to be a jerk! Sorry, Nimue. "Hey my mistake," Kaguya calls back casually. She doesn't actually sound very apologetic. "It's just been a while since I've had to fight many people who don't think ARMs are witchcraft or something."
...Observational data on Big Shal, huh? Kaguya doesn't touch that. Instead she just calls back to Amaterasu, "Kaguya acknowledging!"
It's here that she watches Ashton control his anger, which is something that kaguya greets with a second-look and a frown, expecting some trick. "Like.. a butt?" She sems a little baffled. There is a lesson--
And Ashton disappears, and reappears. He swings, hard, and Kaguya--Kaguya doesn't actually move. The weapon just impacts her hard enough to make a shockwave, powerful enough that most opponents would be knocked down or at least a little forward by the force of it. ...Despite the awkward angle, because frankly, Kaguya's really short.
And she turns to face him, her expression flat. "Dude," Kaguya says to Ashton. "You're pretty, but I'm not into guys."
Abrubtly, her hand shifts from ready to punching, the distance too short to telegraph easily--the proverbial six-inch punch. Except, as it turns out, Kaguya hits hard enough to break concrete and force opponents back if they aren't careful.
She's a little mad about the spanking thing.
But Nimue is still at large, and this time Ashton's too close for Kaguya not to play it quickly. Instead her gaze shifts to Nimue at the instant her strike lands. "Being nice for other people usually sucks!" she counters. ...But the windy thing?
Kaguya's responds is to bend at the knee, blade before her to ward off immediate counterattacks from Ashton, and leap through the air, way higher than is even reasonable--
And much like a certain polearm-wielding warrior, to crash down to the ground in front of Nimue hard enough to crack earth, wreathed in sickly green ki. "Kay."
GS: Shalune Amira takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Majinken Souga - Double Demon Fang for 109 hit points! GS: Kaguya Alathfar enters a Counter stance! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Ashton Anchors with Meteor Stance! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Seraph Nimue with Runs In The Family Apparently! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has gained 2 Combo! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has completed her action. GS: Ashton Anchors critically Guards a hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Meteor Stance for 19 hit points! GS: Kaguya Alathfar's stance ends. She enters the Avenger stance! GS: Elvis guards a hit from Ree's Heavy Hammer for 102 hit points! GS: Break! applied to Elvis! GS: Seraph Nimue takes a glancing hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Runs In The Family Apparently for 39 hit points! GS: Infect extends negative status by 1 round! GS: Seraph Nimue enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
It indeed looks like a repurposed construction Golem. Under most other circumstances, this would be of no concern.
But it is an apparent repurposed construction Golem on Spira.
Which is engaged in attacking Yue. Prisoner and convict she may be, she is still one of 'theirs'. And if it is being remotely controlled in some way...
She intends to find out who, how, and deal with the problem.
...Eventually, that is. First, the more scholarly-inclined among them will have to work out the details.
Fortunately, none of that is her problem.
Only the battlefield is.
"Is it, then? 'When a property is abandoned by its owner'," she seemingly quotes to Marivel, only to shake her head. "Nevertheless. 'Possession is nine tenths of the law.' What we have claimed, we intend to keep."
The grip of both hands tighten on the haft of the polearm as the boundary of the dark mist around Marivel bubbles and swells.
"Alliances are not prohibited by law."
That is what Amaterasu speaks to the darkness.
"I had not been personally involved with the situation, either, so I hardly can give a fair defense for my comrade's actions or decisions. Now, then, as to the rest of what you speak--"
The tendrils lash out. One scores a hit across an upper arm.
But Valkyrja's blade is a blur of light. When it cuts, it cuts cleanly.
"I am a warrior. I do as I am ordered. Politics, and our wayward queen -- they are no concern of mine!"
There are more tendrils to contend with. Amaterasu dashes left, right.
"As for Luca -- we have declared war on Spira. Until the conquest is complete, our acts are in accordance with the law."
One tendril bolts for her dead on.
Amaterasu gazes at it.
Valkryja flashes, once.
"Once we destroy Sin, there will be no further concerns. Your arguments are moot."
The darkness parts. Amaterasu hoists her weapon as if to prepare for a charge.
"I see... so you speak of that 'sin'..."
Just once, she inclines her head in a nod.
"Perhaps so. But I will not stand down, and I will not abandon my people to death!"
She breaks, with all force and haste, into a charge, closing on Marivel.
GS: Amaterasu has attacked Marivel Armitage with Animus Nocendi! GS: Amaterasu has completed her action. GS: Marivel Armitage guards a hit from Amaterasu's Animus Nocendi for 73 hit points! GS: Mighty! applied to Amaterasu! GS: Amaterasu assumes the Avenger stance!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
With Gwen giving herself to the full embrace of gravity and recovering from it on the ground, once Ambrosius draws out that revolver, there's not much Gwen can do but grit her teeth as a round lodges itself into her hip, another into the hard rubber of her right boot's sole. Landing on her butt with a wheeze of pain, the courier cracks open one eye, barely catching the tail end of Amaterasu's order.
She doesn't really understand a lot about it. Perhaps, their battle is at an end.
"... Yeah. You would have," she finally acknowledges, nodding to Ambrosius. "You would have dealt with Sin, then and there. Instead, we have a bunch of messy fighting between two grounds that don't necessarily trust any of us. Not Yevon, and not the Guard." She stands, straightening up. "I'm doing this because these people have a right to be in control of their destiny. That, and the Guard's wantin' to get some friends of mine. Please, Ambrosius. Watch your back, and Elvis's. N' Kaguya's. N' I'll do the same. N' maybe, we'll meet on the right side of things, with another decent shot at Sin on top of it."
She leans back into another battle pose, making it clear that her battle still isn't over. "Okay, Ambrosius. Let's keep goin'. You took your shot, so-"
With a quick burst of motion, a laser fires out from Gwen's pointed right hand, aimed towards Ambrosius's revolver. "My turn!"
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ambrosius with Coil Cannon EX! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 3 Combo! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action. GS: Ambrosius guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Coil Cannon EX for 53 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
The spanking hits! Ha ha!
It does not have the effect that Ashton had intened. It takes him a moment to understand the context and meaning of Kaguya's words. The expression on his face is easy to track - first confusion, then shock, then disgust. "I BEG your pardon! I was not implying any such--"
And then rather than hitting on, he is simply hit.
Kaguya's punch strikes him in the gut. But Ashton is a veteran warrior. A mercenary and professional adventurer who's spent his life training to handle this sort of situation. She may hit hard enough to break concrete, but Ashton's abs are ROCK HARD.
It makes him take a step back, but the sellsword seems quite non-plussed by the impact. He looks down at the fist - then up as she leaps away.
Ashton... sighs. "I thought I told you--"
There's a strange wave of television static in the air as Ashton Is Not again.
This time he reappears to Kaguya's left. And right. And forward. Three Ashtons in a triangle around her.
All three speak at once. "--To leave her alone!" Each holds out an arm, pointing a blade at each of the others. Lines of mystic energy complete a triangle between them - and then the area between the three swordsmen detonates in a gleaming explosion.
GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Deadly Triangle! GS: Mighty expired! GS: Ashton Anchors has completed his action. GS: COUNTER! Kaguya Alathfar counterattacks Ashton Anchorswith Counter Attack! GS: Kaguya Alathfar takes a glancing hit from Ashton Anchors's Deadly Triangle for 53 hit points! GS: Break! applied to Kaguya Alathfar! GS: Ashton Anchors critically Guards a hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Counter Attack for 27 hit points! GS: Kaguya Alathfar assumes the Avenger stance!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.
"Haha, nope! ARMs are super cool," Nimue declares, before glancing over to Ashton. "Hey! This is a fight, not me being picked on! I mean, yeah, she said soe thoughtless crap and I'm annoyed but it's like that sometimes!" She crosses her arms and huffs for a moment -- and again leaves herself open to attack. Fortunately for her, Kaguya's coming down in *front* of her rather than actually on her -- but it destabilizes her footing in a big way, and leaves her reeling.
"... yep," she mumbles. "Hate that too." She has to take a moment to consider her approach again -- with Kaguya so close, she doesn't want to jeopardize herself with explosives...
... but she doesn't have much else in her arsenal, either. Accordingly, she starts by aiming a big ol' swing of the butt of her stick for Kaguya before leaping back, hoping to gain some separation; once she *has*, she tosses her whole bag into the air end over end, letting its explosive contents gradually tumble out. One after another they come, and Nimue whips each one at Kaguya at full speed -- despite them not being armed yet.
Then, of course, she catches one with her hand, primes it, *then* tosses it up into the air, snags it with her sling-staff, and hurls it at Kaguya.
Ah. There's the earth-shattering kaboom, as Nimue calls, "I'm trying the whole nice thing on a trial basis!!" over the din. "It might be okay!!!"
GS: Seraph Nimue has spent 1 Combo on Link! GS: Seraph Nimue has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Millennium Desperado! GS: Seraph Nimue has launched an attack Link! GS: Seraph Nimue has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Explosion! GS: Kaguya Alathfar guards a hit from Seraph Nimue's Millennium Desperado for 102 hit points! GS: Kaguya Alathfar takes a glancing hit from Seraph Nimue's Explosion for 84 hit points! GS: Kaguya Alathfar enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
A few good connects he feels with his hands! They quickly return to a guard position, awaiting return fire. "Show me what you got!" he says. "Defend your demands!"
Oh! A intellectual desiring to know the powers of a PROPER DUEL. "Very well!" he says, a finger pointed to the sky, lowing his guard. "I will teach this class for you, young lady!" Elvis states toward Yue.
THis is the point where a comical hammer strikes someone in the chest or face. TO good effect! Elvis staggers and stumbles badly, and takes a second to catch himself. So much for paying attention to his target!
"Was that your fist?!" he retorts to Ree. He doesn't notice the hammer, surprisingly. "You have a strong punch, missy! I will have to show you even better ways to use it!" A hip pivot, and a fakeout straight leads into a strong right hook.
"Just where did you learn to fight, exactly?" he asks his opponent. Trying to have some kind of conversation while fighting?! Gentlemen of old did this, he should too!
GS: Elvis has attacked Ree with Dire Haymaker! GS: Elvis has completed his action. GS: Ree completely evades a hit from Elvis's Dire Haymaker!
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
"...Indeed." Ambrosius agrees with a nod. She has about the right of it, he figures. And then, she explains her reasoning...and makes a request of him. He pauses...and then, quietly, nods.
"...You have my word, Miss Whitlock. That is my hope, as well." He replies with a quiet nod. But, as her stance indicates, this battle isn't over just yet. She aims a shot right toward his revolver, and he has to quickly adjust his stance. The laser impacts his right arm pretty solidly, leaving a blackened, charred mark on the armor that looks quite painful all things considered, even if it didn't strike him directly.
"...I see..." He murmurs, backpedaling. There's a good amount of distance between the two of them now - he can use that. With a gesture, water begins to swirl and converge around his hand. It bubbles...and then, he sends it forth in a great beam of pressure, right toward Gwen...'s feet.
She's seen this spell before, and knows what it can do - but even so, it is no less dangerous even if he isn't trying to hit her directly. The moment it impacts the ground, rubble is going to go flying everywhere.
GS: Ambrosius has activated a Force Action! GS: Ambrosius has spent 1 Combo on Headshot! GS: Ambrosius has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Pressure Beam! GS: Ambrosius has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue heeds Elvis' words.
It's not the part where he'll host the class that gets her.
She sucks a breath and hangs her head, cucco feather limping in her mouth softly.
"... it's kind of nice ... to not be called old ... sometimes ..."
A pause.
"Thank you."
GS: Gwen Whitlock guards a hit from Ambrosius's Pressure Beam for 117 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
Ree frantically ducks Elvis' ridiculously-powerful punch and quickly backs away, trying to put some distance between them. No telling how badly she would've been injured had that shot connected. Her bruised and fractured collarbone is telling her she can't keep up this exertion up much longer; swinging her sledgehammer had been exquisitely painful! "I grew up fighting," she murmurs quietly, almost meditatively in response to Elvis' question. "In the streets." Those mean streets that are still too much with her. Where fighting fairly or honorably meant certain defeat. Ree reverts to old habits and uses her magic now: snow, sleet and ice built to a crescendo and blanket her section of the battlefield. It might do damage or it might not, but at the very least it would impede everyone's visibility, friend and foe alike. She uses it as cover to slip even further away -- slowly, for the spell takes concentration. Ree wants to retreat to optimal ARM range. She has no intention of taking any more of Elvis' punches! Or of attending any of his classes! She obeys one rule: survive, survive at any cost, a lesson learned not in school but in life. She must not die here!
GS: Ree has attacked Elvis with Blizzard! GS: Ree has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune has obviously been showing some prudence with the Minder for Yue's sake; she's quick to draw back a little from their perch, bringing the smaller girl with her as she hums in thought. On the one hand, she's not sure if she should reaaaaally give away all her secrets. On the other hand, her secrets weren't exactly secret to begin with - she's never been the most closed-off of people, and she's justifiably proud of the golem below them.
Turning sideways on the Little Dipper so that she can sit down and dangle her feet off the edge, Shalune hums to herself. "Well, uh, I guess the first thing is that I built her. Well-- okay, I repaired her," she amends, because she's kind of honest to a fault sometimes even when engaging in sort-of-white-lies to keep people out of trouble. "A few years back I was poking around Elru and learnt a bunch of stuff about how Veruni technology works, and I found most of Big Shal in a dump, so..."
She has to pause for a moment, and wonder how much of a secret Granny is. Something tells her that maybe she shouldn't mention that just yet... instead, perhaps it's best to stress the most important part. "She's a friend," she notes firmly. "To me, you, and Miss Yue." M-Miss...
Down below, Big Shal looks more prepared this time - though the wave of force still impacts with the golem's block, the machine appears to have taken the chance to change the structural makeup of its arms, reinforcing the shoulder to ensure it doesn't lose another limb, no matter how temporary.
The second kick it evidently wasn't expecting; there's the sense it would wince in pain if it could, but then it shifts with a blow at midair to direct the rest of the shockwave aside, nearly cutting through the front line of the battle.
In the wake of it, Big Shal strides forwards. Perhaps it's happy that it's reassured Yue enough, or perhaps the golem also wants to prove it can look after itself and hasn't rusted away. Either way, given how slow it moves the rest of the time, the hammering blow is remarkably fast, sweeping in suddenly to one side. The stack of Veruni supply crates have been accidentally included in the blast radius, surely.
GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Yue Rohay with Big Shal Hammer! GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay takes a solid hit from Shalune Amira's Big Shal Hammer for 151 hit points! GS: Cover! applied to Shalune Amira!
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
Hit!! Kaguya's punch strikes in--and she's impressed, actually, to see that he doesn't go flying from it alone. "What?" Kaguya asks. "In what possible other context does aiming for someone's butt even go?"
And boom."I probably would pick on you," Kaguya admits to Nimue. "But maybe not, you're kinda cool." ...She does this while on the ground, naturally, right near her, having just displayed a superhuman level of sheer physicality. She doesn't exactly blame Nimue for not liking it--that's kind of the point of fighting--but not knowing Nimue's capabilities, she makes a gamble. The swing of Nimue's stick meets Kaguya's gauntleted forearm, shifted up to defend her more vulnerable torso. As it turns out--dodging then would've been wiser, because there's abrubtly a whole lot of grenades all around her. "That's a lot of grenades," she starts. But suddenly, Ashton reappaers again.
She whirls towards him--the first him, before she sees two more--three men, six dragons, surrounding. They all speak--and she narrows her eyes at them. The light begins to burn brilliantly in this triangle, but Kaguya doesn't move to shield herself. Instead, she tilts straight back on one leg and kicks, hard enough that when her other foot leaves the ground she briefly spins in the air to strike back at all three figures as the light fades and the burns on her tunic show she was still there, the magic interfering with her defenses crackling about her briefly.
Then she disappears again because that's a lot of explosion all at once. But this time, when eyes adjust she's visible sailing upward out of the cloud of fire that fades in the wake of the explosions, only slightly aflame. "A little nice is fine," Kaguya offers. "But you'll regret overdoing it. Trust me." As she speaks, though--she pulls something from behind her back, a strange, silvery object, metal and plastic black--that abrubtly starts flashing its lights green. "I feel the same way about ARMs, though."
She hurls it downward--and abrubtly it will explode in a blinding flash of green light, a high-pitched whine ripping through the air as the force of the initial charge amplifies.
When she reaches a landing some yards away, she has a bottle in hand before she even finishes straightening up. The sparkling liquid inside gleams as she takes off the cork, and... downs the whole thing. All at once. The beautiful crystal bottle shines, now emptied of its precious contents. "Anyway the thing with me is I don't really caaaare what people tell me to do. I do, like--a lot of crimes, okay? I mean, I did. Now I'm rich, so they aren't crimes. Funny how it works, huh?"
GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Ashton Anchors with Harmonic Impulse Bomb! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Seraph Nimue with Harmonic Impulse Bomb! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Elixir! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has gained 2 Combo! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has completed her action. GS: Kaguya Alathfar heals Kaguya Alathfar! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Restore reduces negative status durations by 3 rounds each! GS: Kaguya Alathfar's Avenger stance ends.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"... ... ... so it's a Trash Elemental?" the Minder ventures a confused guess as Shalune shares the story of how she found Big Shal.
Though she doesn't know Gwen as well, she heeds her words for Ambrosius. That hope for their future, outside of the war they're embroiled in. She has a quiet smile for him as she whispers, "... such friendship is what gives me hope you'll be able to carry Metis' legacy, friend. It is not too late for you... as it is for me."
She has no idea whether Ambrosius'll catch it in his own battle, but--
She's a friend. To me, you, and Miss Yue.
*HAMMER*
"N-nnghoooohhh--!!" comes the incredibly unladylike response from Yue as she gets a hammer to the face and no, she can't stop this, and sails through the air and gets flattened onto her back.
...
...
"You're so strong... Promme," Yue whimpers. Why does it sound more pathetic than it did before, though?
She wants to pretend she didn't just crash through some supply crates, but rises just as groggily as she murmurs, "Ah... Big Shal, look at me and my manners. But your strength has not faded through the ages. Now... it is time for me to show--"
A pause.
"Another Demon Fang."
The Minder frowns and shouts, "Stop spamming the same move over and over again, CR-S01!"
The withered woman slams her foot onto the ground, shackles rattling as she does so -- there's a minor tremor loosing through the landscape as an enormous Demon Fang escapes the fissures and flies to the vicinity of the Golem.
"<Gou Majinken - Fierce Demon Fang!>"
GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Yue Rohay receives 50 temporary hit points. GS: Yue Rohay enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Shalune Amira with Gou Majinken - Fierce Demon Fang! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Seraph Nimue critically Guards a hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Harmonic Impulse Bomb for 61 hit points! GS: Seraph Nimue enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Elvis critically Guards a hit from Ree's Blizzard for 28 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel doesn't answer any further regarding the alliances, or owning the land. Argument, counterargument, rebuttal. Quibbling over fine details is not for a battle such as this is just asking for a spear through her ribs. When Valkyrja slices through those shadows, Marivel hisses as if in pain. Those are an extension of herself, more Marivel than the body Amaterasu sees before her. The tendrils recoil back and snap back into Marivel, jostling her body with the force they retreat from that blazing light. This is what makes the Veruni so difficult. Strong, mightier than mighty, and just as malleable as any mortal.
The pain is enough that Marivel's body sags. She doesn't sink to a knee but she's hunched over and somehow paler than normal.
"That sin," Marivel whispers through her agony. "How could I forgive it, no matter how unfair..."
Amaterasu spears Marivel through the chest during her moment of weakness. It punches out the other side. Marivel whispers an 'Aport' and blinks away some yards away, leaking that vulnerable black mist. "The blood... I have enough. For this."
Despite the pain, she manages to straighten up. She is a Noble and dignity comes to her before surviving.
"As you ought. But this path you are on will not save your people." She sheathes her blade into its scabbard. "All it leads is to more restless dead whose hopes and dreams were scattered before your ambition. T'will be for naught."
She exhales slowly. "But those that will destroy Filgaia, whatever their reasons... No matter how noble the goal." She extends one hand. "They are the sorts that would not hold back against me. And in turn I shall not hold back. Indeed, they are the sort that would not wish me to, no? I shall respect your dream, but whose hopes shall prevail?"
Marivel closes her eyes for two seconds. When she opens them again they are subsumed by crimson. She chants, "I Carry The Hopes Of My People Within Me And I Sing The Song of the Extinct! Soul of the Event Horizon! I unleash thee! Armageddon!"
A dark eruption of anti-light erupts outward from Amaterasu's position, drenching the battlefield in darkness, expanding well past Marivel herself like some kind of dark ultima. The eruption of shadow westalls only once it's reached well beyond the limits of the Road itself.
But Marivel doesn't seem to be done. Marivel fades into the dark, body vanishing into within.
"Small Hopes Shall Slice Thine Destiny To Ribbons. Soul of The Bomb! Split the Atom! Megaton!"
A faint snapping noise, and then a world of fire becomes Amaterasu's world---
--However Amaterasu survives it, or otherwise handles it, the darkness ultimately fades away shortly after as Marivel's reservoir of power fades, and in the light once more, the road is unharmed.
Only Amaterasu need face the brunt of this assault.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Amaterasu with I Carry The Hopes Of My People Within Me And Sing The Song Of The Extinct - Armageddon! GS: Marivel Armitage has launched an attack Link! GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Amaterasu with Small Hopes Shall Slice Thy Destiny To Ribbons - Split The Atom MEGATON! GS: Ashton Anchors critically Guards a hit from Kaguya Alathfar's Harmonic Impulse Bomb for 85 hit points! GS: Ashton Anchors enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Amaterasu guards a hit from Marivel Armitage's I Carry The Hopes Of My People Within Me And Sing The Song Of The Extinct - Armageddon for 123 hit points! GS: Amaterasu has activated a Force Action! GS: Amaterasu guards a hit from Marivel Armitage's Small Hopes Shall Slice Thy Destiny To Ribbons - Split The Atom MEGATON for 112 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.
"Trust me, I've done the nice-and-screwed-for-it bit a couple times, I know the game! I'm older than you!!!" Nimue points out, even though strictly speaking she can't be certain of that. ... but she's older than 99.95% of people she meets so it's a pretty safe bet.
Speaking of safe bets, Nimue decides to hunker down a little bit and defend herself against Kaguya's bomb. She shifts her stance and lets a gust of wind fly in its direction, which is enough to get it far enough from *her* that it's more dazzling than agonizing. ... better than nothing!
"-- oh. *Oh!*" comes Nimue's reply, as Kaguya explains herself. "I get it! You're someone who's..." You can almost hear her building up to a drumroll before declaring, "... an asshole with any amount of power over other people!" There's a bit of a pause, before Nimue adds, "... though I kinda get it, I like doing crimes too."
Speaking of which -- Nimue takes a step back, raises her staff, and then... summons razor-sharp wind to lance out for Kaguya. "For instance, I totally lied to you earlier about the mage thing!" she says, as blades of wind start to encircle the Veruni.
Nimue looks a *lot* more tired, though...
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
It's complicated in a way Gwen hates, because it's not something that can be reasoned out with humor and a few quips.
So all Gwen could do was do the second thing that seemed natural: admit her feelings. Admit that things aren't black and white, that the people involved are complex, and at the end of the day, she'll be in the camp with people genuinely afraid of her no matter what she does.
They're afraid of her, but they accept her enough to be there, at least.
Gwen winces as her shot is a little too on point, missing the ARM and instead getting Ambrosius's actual _arm_. ".... So we'll both be feeling this tomorrow, I guess..."
And Ambrosius does the professional equivalent of 'hitting Gwen back'. Because not only did Gwen have the misfortune of going up against someone she knows, she went up against someone who is damn decent with _magic_.
"Glughghauh!" The courier is washed away, ending up ine mid-somersault pose crashed against that same pillar, minus any momentum or ability to vault right back at Ambrosius.
Grunting with the last bit of strength she has available, Gwen stands and holds up her ARM, straightening it.
Sparks collect along her ARM, but quickly disperse, unable to commit to the flow of energy needed for her next action. Her ARM simply falls limp next to her in the next second, Gwen sighing.
She can't even risk summoning the anger Marivel just displayed. She can't trust herself to even contemplate trying that path, right now. And to shoot Ambrosius, and possibly further injure his arm beyond repair?
This isn't the way she wants to fight this. However-
"Round two!" Gwen just comes in with another punch, again to the gut.
She can still try to knock the guy out.
GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated a Force Action! GS: Seraph Nimue takes 25 damage from Poison! GS: Cripple expired! GS: Seraph Nimue has completed her action. GS: Seraph Nimue has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Witch of November! GS: Seraph Nimue has gained 1 Combo! GS: Seraph Nimue takes 28 damage from Poison! GS: Disease and Poison expired! GS: Seraph Nimue has completed her action. GS: Gwen Whitlock has activated a Force Action! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Gwen Whitlock has spent 3 Combo on Gatling, including 3 on Gatling! GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Ambrosius with Special Delivery! GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 1 Combo! GS: Mighty expired! GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Whiff! The thrown punch misses its target, but makes quite the blastback of air from its movement. "Eh?" he muses, looking toward his target. "Grew up fighting, eh? So you know your way around a scrap! Good!" he comments. He almost seems happy to hear that. Perhaps because she won't walk into his attacks like most.
"You aren't old! Are you?" Elvis asks Yue. He has met far younger looking fellows that are much older than he. So... could be possible/ But surely he wouldnt have heard of this oddity among the Veruni more.
Ice and rime encrust upon Elvis at Ree's call, and he is forced to fight it off. Forstbite patches appear on his wrists. "Magic?! Come oooon!" he says. Is he pouting? It kinda sounds like it. "We're supposed to use our fists only!" The man holds back a fist, reared back far. A punch is thrown at midair oddly enough, though the after-effect explains it all. The snap of the punch is so fast that it creates a concussive blast of air to fire toward Ree! "Get back over here!" he shouts after. He doesn't pursue. He seems to just wait where he stood, tapping his foot. "We're not done dueling!" A beat. "I think?"
He checks another book to see if he missed an ending duel clause of some kind.
GS: Elvis has attacked Ree with Dropping Straight! GS: Elvis has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elvis has completed his action. GS: Ambrosius critically Guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Special Delivery for 29 hit points! GS: Ambrosius enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
The world - at least for Ashton - flashes bright green. Also pain, but that's less a color and more a general feeling.
The light fades to find only one Ashton: braced, clenched and a bit sizzling. And he cracks a little grin at Nimue. "I apologize for the slight misunderstanding, miss. But in my defense, she's still being a butt." At which point Kaguya gives her commentary about being rich and things not being crimes anymore. He waggles a sword in her direction as if that explains everything.
"I think it might be time to stop being kind about this and take it a bit more seriously."
He stops for a moment to finally get around to unsheathing the two swords. "M'am! You said before that this is a needful blood-spilling. And after careful consideration, I've decided you may be correct." There's a mild glow as the Symbologic tattoos along Ashton's arms activate. It's mostly hidden by his sleeves, but there's a lot of magical force gathering there. "However, I have not changed my mind in that this not the day you and yours will push forward any further. If you are so eager to meet fate, however..."
And he moves. Ashton surges after Kaguya with a burst of Wind sorcery. It's enough to close the distance well enough. "Rich or not, I -shall- tell you what to do."
The blades slice - first paired vertically, then horizontally. A pair of brutal, hard strikes to break through a defense.
And then a wave of more strikes. Ashton's magically-boosted form becomes a whirlwind of steel - a deadly dance of cutting edges, sharp points and raw martial power.
At the end of it? Ashton Anchors strikes a vicious overhead blow. "Go. Home."
GS: Ashton Anchors has spent 1 Combo on Link, including 1 on Gatling! GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Cross Slash! GS: Ashton Anchors has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ashton Anchors has launched an attack Link! GS: Ashton Anchors has activated a Force Action! GS: Ashton Anchors has spent 3 Combo on Gatling, including 3 on Gatling! GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Kaguya Alathfar with Sword Dance! GS: Ashton Anchors has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaguya Alathfar has activated a Force Action! GS: CRITICAL! Kaguya Alathfar takes a glancing hit from Seraph Nimue's Witch of November for 96 hit points! GS: Poison! applied to Kaguya Alathfar! GS: Kaguya Alathfar takes a solid hit from Ashton Anchors's Cross Slash for 149 hit points! GS: Ashton Anchors assumes the Avenger stance! GS: Kaguya Alathfar takes a glancing hit from Ashton Anchors's Sword Dance for 86 hit points! GS: Ree takes a solid hit from Elvis's Dropping Straight for 100 hit points! GS: Shieldbreak! applied to Ree!
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
Ree gasps and staggers under Elvis' attack -- which is, after all, superhuman. Her right shoulder is partially dislocated and it hurts like hell. "No- no way," she wheezes, scooting out of the Veruni's hand-to-hand range as quickly as her condition will allow. She is in no state to fight. Time to do something about that! She haltingly conjures up a healing spell. The pain is making it so hard to concentrate! "It wouldn't be a fair fight," she blurts, trying to use Elvis' sense of honor against him. Maybe he'd hold off long enough for her healing spell to take effect.
GS: Ree has attacked Ree with Coolsoothe! GS: Ree has gained 2 Combo! GS: Ree has completed her action. GS: Ree heals Ree! She gains 100 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune's first impression is to balk at the Minder, but then she puffs up her cheeks as she folds her arms. "A Trash Friend," she amends. "And she's gonna stare peacefully at you for that and you're gonna feel so guilty and totally want to make it up to her." It's sulky of her, but she figures she can allow herself that much.
No sooner has the golem's hammer hit home and Yue's back has hit the ground than there's a golem's hand offering her a lift back up to her feet; when the convict lurches to one side in her dizziness, Big Shal is there to place its two hands either side of her and prevent her from tipping over too much. It's not exactly the most subtle way to go about looking after her former master, but the golem doesn't seem like she's going to be denied.
... which is probably also why it obligingly moves back to a perfect range as Yue declares her next attack. Is this a fight, or is it target practice...?
Stamping one foot to set itself, hands outstretched and at the ready, the golem's quiet stare watches Yue's kick; at the sheer impact of the wave of force it's buffeted backwards then completely off its feet, arms pinwheeling as it has a turn to crash to the ground. A military tent that had the misfortunate placement of right behind the golem is flattened as the machine hits the deck; dust and splintered wood fly around it in a small cloud of dust.
Slowly, one hand raises, thumb upturned towards the sky.
"... I've really gotta figure out a way to get her to speak," Shalune mumbles to herself, and then immediately grapples with the solemn thought that that just wouldn't be as cute.
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
Valkyrja runs Marivel through. For most, this would be the end.
For Marivel, not so much.
Amaterasu turns, facing where the woman has reappeared. "If there had been any doubt remaining, Crimson Noble, there is none now." She shakes her head, blonde hair aflutter in the breeze. "I know what you are. They still tell stories, you understand, even across the span of the stars. And it has been assumed that your kind was no more."
She takes one step across the battlefield, Valkyrja low at her side. "But myths and legends and dead things are not always gone. This, I know. As do you."
She stops, more or less at the same moment that Marivel says their path will essentially doom their people.
"...But on this, you know nothing."
Marivel rises. Marivel closes her eyes.
Amaterasu lifts the weapon in her hand.
The world in the span of the next heartbeat twists into a photonegative. It darkens. It catches her up in the detonation.
At ground zero, there is a flash of pale purple. It bears outward, struggling against the dark pulse that surrounds it, that seeks to consume all. Amaterasu stands, leaning on Valkyrja as if it were a support, wrapped in the struggling protection of her magic's barrier.
There in the heart of darkness, there is fire.
Amaterasu cannot be seen in the blast that follows, not until darkness and fire clear. Not until a figure can be seen, through flame and wisps of shadow.
Amaterasu, armor charred in several places, takes a step forward.
A crack splits down the front of her faceplat. With a loud crack it splits into two to clatter upon the ground of the highroad.
A single streak of blood slides down the side of Amaterasu's face.
"Then," she says, before taking a breath. "We will see which of our 'dreams' proves the stronger. Now. Prepare yourself!"
And she leaps, up into the air.
For an instant, the commando seems to float. She spins Valkyrja once in her hands. And like a dragoon of old, she plunges downwards in a deadly dive.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius does in fact hear Yue's response to him. He doesn't respond - he is not really in a position where he can - but there's a hint of a smile behind that helmet of his. If Yue says it, then he believes it - and certainly, he wants to believe it.
He sees Gwen wince, but there's a good-natured chuckle from behind the helmet.
"So it would seem." Ambrosius replies, watching as Gwen is washed away. But even so, she stands up once more. Her resolve was certainly commendable, but - he can see sparks building along her ARM, before stopping. Ambrosius watches this curiously, even as she elects to come in for another punch.
He intercepts it once more, this time with his uninjured arm, but it forces a grunt out of him and kicks up dust as he slides backward. He seems to be better suited to defending against melee attacks.
"Your resolve is commendable, Miss Whitlock. Now then! I shall stake it all on this." He comments. He retreats back, stowing away his revolver to draw out a different arm - this one an ARM with multiple interchangable parts in red and silver metal.
He fires, causing a ray of light to shoot forth toward Gwen - and then shifts to the side. As he moves, one of these parts are swiftly swapped out for another. This process repeats itself - the ARM fires, and then he swaps out the parts and fires again - each ray of light debilitating in a unique fashion. All of this happens within a very short amount of timef one isn't watching closely, they might even miss it when it happens. All of this happens without losing focus, and without incorrectly implementing the parts.
GS: Ambrosius has activated a Force Action! GS: Amaterasu has activated a Force Action! GS: Ambrosius has spent 1 Combo on Link, including 1 on Gatling! GS: Ambrosius has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Veritas Varia! GS: Ambrosius has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ambrosius has launched an attack Link! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Marivel Armitage with Ex Aequo Et Bono! GS: Amaterasu has gained 2 Combo! GS: Amaterasu has completed her action. GS: Ambrosius has spent 1 Combo on Poison, including 1 on Gatling! GS: Ambrosius has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Veritas Varia Veritus! GS: Ambrosius has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ambrosius has completed his action. GS: Marivel Armitage completely evades a hit from Amaterasu's Ex Aequo Et Bono! GS: Amaterasu's Avenger stance ends. GS: Gwen Whitlock critically Guards a hit from Ambrosius's Veritas Varia for 0 hit points! GS: Gwen Whitlock guards a hit from Ambrosius's Veritas Varia Veritus for 99 hit points! GS: Gwen Whitlock suffers an additional 26 from Poison's Combo effect! GS: Poison! applied to Gwen Whitlock! GS: Gwen Whitlock has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
The Minder sulks in turn as she stammers out with a =S face and complains, "W-what! It's not like I'm calling her garbage or anything! Just that... she IS made out of garbage... like... a Trash Friend! See! Even you agree!"
She sulks for a moment but blinks as Yue stares a bit dumbfoundedly as Big Shal collapses backwards past a military tent, and quietly sighs towards her.
"..."
She could just leave it here. Somewhere, Marivel has unleashed a large amount of power upon Amaterasu -- but the Commando is much more a combatant than her, so she doesn't worry. Should she just leave Big Shal to lie down on the ground where she is and... leave?
"... ..."
She scowls for a moment.
"Let me end your pain... my friend."
She stalks forward towards the fallen Golem, as the Minder begins to gulp and whimper, "W-wait, wait, what're you doing, CR-S01?! I thought--"
Yue leaps up ontop of Big Shal's fallen form and looks towards its thumbs up for a moment. "If I am not mistaken. Your core... your heart is here. And here is where I shall strike."
"Y-you're being horrible, CR-S01! I demand you stop this instant--"
Yue raises her foot up as a wellspring of energy gathers at the tip of her heel. There is a gleam of intent as she aims towards the centre of the Golem's innards with a seemingly demonic smirk. A demon fang may even be showing at her mouth!!
"Noooo!!"
Her heel descends!! Big Shal!! Say...
GS: Yue Rohay enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Shalune Amira with Say 'Heel Please!'! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Elvis takes a second to look at the bleeding wounds on his chest and arm. They really sting, but he can tell its nothing serious. He makes a note in a book to re-collected the supplies to get another made on his trip abroad. The small tome gets filed away after writing for a few seconds.
"Oh come now! Suck it up, young lady! If you fought on the streets as you say, you'll be fine!" He keeps walking toward her, and stops about ten feet away. "It's not like I am here to kill you or anything." A large shrug as he looks to the scattered Warrior-Monks. Indeed, those nailed with the earthen attack dont seem dead. Mostly either out of it or unconscious. One might have a pretty bad concussion. "I cannot say the same for my companions, but I feel it is easiest to settle this difference by honorable combat until one yields!"
Explaining this tennant seems to boggle him how Humans do not know this.
He does not attack, at least for the moment. It is almost like he is talking her into really attacking him again! But that is crazy! Who would ever do that, right? ...Right?
GS: Shalune Amira takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Gou Majinken - Fierce Demon Fang for 142 hit points! GS: Yue Rohay heals Shalune Amira! She gains 400 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
*POP*
"--ooh, there it is."
With the onset of Yue's heel strike, a rock goes 'pwiiiiiing' and flies off nearby the Minder's head as she blinks confoundedly.
Yue leans over and tinkers with several parts of Big Shal's inner cogs as she remarks, "I haven't forgotten what it sounds like when you've got debris going past your filter, friend."
A twist and a tightening later...
"... andddd ... you should be as good as new, dear friend."
She hops off with a quiet, self-satisfied chuckle.
Then she turns to Big Shal...
And gives her a thumbs up.
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
Ree sighs with relief as her cooling, healing spell washes over her, soothing away the bruises and knitting the bones. Her shoulder slips back into place with an audible, painful, POP! only to regenerate before the spell expires. She is just getting her second wind when she hears Elvis make a speech, including "It's not like I am here to kill you or anything."
He wasn't? Could've fooled her! He stands about ten feet away, ripe for attacking.
And attack Ree does. If he's foolish enough to give her an advantage, she's going to take it. She takes out both pistols and fires.
GS: Ree has activated a Force Action! GS: You have activated the Force Action Lock On! GS: Ree has spent 3 Combo on Gatling, including 3 on Gatling! GS: Ree has attacked Elvis with Hired Gun! GS: Ree has gained 1 Combo! GS: Shieldbreak expired! GS: Ree has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
"Are you??" Kaguya asks Nimue, and--actually to look at her it's a genuine question. She's legitimately not sure either. "If you know what you're getting into then sure that's fine, I guess." She knows a lot of people who do the nice thing. To their own detriment.
"But you got it," she confirms to Nimue. "I'm both of those things. Because when it comes down to it, the only thing that actually changes anything in the world is power. Like it or not, that's just how it works. Though, I mean--I actually haven't had a lot of time for crimes in a while, grandstanding aside. Not since I got the new job."
She can appreciate Nimue's liking. But--The wind. That's something, all right. The art(e?) of an embodiment of the element rushes up around Kaguya, and she glances to either side as she decides there's no getting around it. Her teeth grit as razor winds crash around her, tearing rents in her tunic to show the metal beneath, cutting a rent above her eye that starts to bleed, gouging solid metal armor. "...Hmm. Yeah. You're definitely a better mage than me," Kaguya admits. Somehow it doesn't seem that modest.
"Like I said," she says to Ashton then. "I don't claim to be nice."
The glow of the tattoos is notable. He speaks, and she sort of just waits through it, grinning suddenly as he mentions fate. She's still grinning when he closes the distance, and starts his attacks. The hard strikes succeed--her initial move to defense sees one of her swords flip out of her grasp, spinning into the air because of the angle of the strike. The second waves, boosted by magic, hack inward; deeper gouges in metal show, all too quickly, as one of her small pauldrons actually breaks apart under the force of the edges, as a deep line appears down her gauntlet, as a sharp point buckles the part of the armor over where someone would expect her heart to be.
But where she could not parry the opening volley of strikes, she can slip to the side, such that the overhead blow slams down into her shoulder with the sound of something breaking. "...Heh heh heh..."
"Meet fate. It's funny you say that, because I have. But death by disease is a lot slower and uglier than the kind I imagine you're used to. I could tell you some stories."
Kaguya can feel the assault on Amaterasu even from here. She considers it, for a moment. But she keeps her gaze on Ashton, appraisingly. "Nice moves. They might save you, when the time comes."
She doesn't raise her hands to perform a counterattack--not on either of them. Instead, she shrugs. "But you know? I'm kinda curious, now. Are you in it for honor? For glory? Because it's 'the right thing to do'?"
Kaguya starts to turn, but is still watching Ashton when she stops halfway. "Because you know what? I am going to go back to my nice, cozy stronghold. I hope your monks like their campsites."
"So. Are you the type of guy to stab somebody in the back? I won't be mad."
She starts to head off, and raises a hand to wave at Nimue generally--the one that still has the plating, in fact. She frankly shouldn't be standing, to look at her, but she's walking. "Let me know how the hero thing works out!" she calls without looking to her. And in fact she starts to walk away.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen had her shot, and she didn't truly take it, instead staking it all on knocking the Veruni man out with a well-placed punch to his abdomen, which Ambrosius is even better at catching this second time around.
Ambrosius, having far more many years to understand the weight his race carries, takes his shot accordingly.
Gwen doesn't seem too surprised by the appearance of a second ARM. Ambrosius *is* a Veruni; people like Elvis are more rare in their preference for one range of weapon. But does surprise her is the more complex way it fires two shots, Ambrosius switching parts inbetween each shot with expert hands. The first Gwen manages to guard against, but it leaves her open for the second.
And that's all it takes to finally knock her out.
Landing on the ground a few feet away, Gwen groans and shifts, almost as if she was going to get right back up, but her body falls limp again, finally putting an end to Gwen's run of luck.
But still, as she drifts into unconsciousness, she feels a sense of relief.
Maybe, things will still work out.
GS: Elvis guards a hit from Ree's Hired Gun for 70 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"--well, anyway," grumbles Shalune, as her protectiveness means that, gasp, the Minder gets one up on her. "What about you? You didn't know that Yue used to--" own is such an ugly word at times "--be friends with her? Apparently she had a different name then and everything. Not that I'm jealous, or anything," she adds, doing her best to convince herself.
Something changes in the air below her, though, and she winces as she suddenly sits up on the back of the Little Dipper, goaded into paying attention. Not at the way that Big Shal crashes to the ground - she's sure the golem can handle that much - but it's the sudden sharpness of the convict's voice that does it, the Minder's uncertain wavering in her ear as she watches Yue's intent stalk.
She's chosen to trust Yue a few times, now; her hand goes again to her chest, and the loop of chain around her neck. Still, she can't help her heart lurch as that heel comes down, wide-eyed as she yelps a wordless warning only because she can't find the words--
--then she instinctively ducks, knowing precisely what a high-speed improvised projectile sounds like from her own, uh, tests and occasional indiscriminate explosions.
Slack-jawed, she watches as the golem suddenly lifts up to its feet, moving with a purpose and a speed she's not seen before except in the merest of fits and starts. Big Shal lifts its arms, checking the movement, then twists its torso slowly; it seems pleased with itself and Yue both, and offers a significantly faster thumbs up in return to the Veruni, standing just a little straighter than it used to.
"E-eeh?!" Shalune finally finds her voice again, blurting out the words. "Just like that?! I missed something like that for this long?" she outright whines, flopping melodramatically to the bed of the Little Dipper. "I-I've lost this round..."
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel doesn't immediately answer Amaterasu's accusation. She is completely correct in her realization. Instead she casts her spell.
And when it is done, Marivel does drop to one knee, kneeling to emptiness as she pants for breath. She's largely out of her reserves as she ought to be after a strike likee that. She cannot see Amaterasu. Marivel's eyes, despite glowing when she channels her powers, are ultimately just avenues within which she can observe the world.
"My people are solitary by nature. They do not often come together. The last time they came together was during the Great Conflagration. And now they will never come together again. If they were simply killed, that would be no matter, but they are beyond death. They were consumed."
"They walked into their end willingly. They knew they would die. They knew they would be more than dead. They left me behind to carry on their work. Just me. Only me. And in time even the Elw would abandon Filgaia, leaving I--and one another as I recently learned--as the last immortal caretakers of the world that once was ours."
"They left me alone. Forever. In order to protect your people. Even though they knew their sacrifice would not be enough." Marivel whispers. "Simply to allow for some small hope to remain."
Her eyes close once more. She relies on her other senses. She relies on her smell. Amaterasu is bleeding plenty and her blood is not quite the same as most of the blood resting near her. "That small hope... That you threw away in order to save yourselves!"
She spins suddenly and catches Amaterasu's lance with her blade. This time, Marivel shouts, "BOOSTER!" as an aura ripples around her, allowing her to hold her ground against Amaterasu.
Or that was the idea. Even with this, Marivel finds herself straining and being pushed back, pushed down into the very road she's standing on. The street crumbles underneath her feet.
"And here you are, demanding what little that I, that the people of Filgaia have protected, fostered, and grown since you looked after yourselves instead of others, as your people have always done! Of course I know nothing about what it means to protect my people, because I HAVE no people! But until you are willing to be true stewards of this world, your people will have no sympathy from me until either you have endured which we had to endure, or until you have truly become one with Filgaia. Only then... ONLY THEN! Will salvation will be waiting for you! I will accept nothing less!"
From the blood across this battlefield, from the blood of the fallen monks, Marivel forges a blood-shapen blade into her hand which she slices upwards at Amaterasu.
GS: Marivel Armitage has attacked Amaterasu with Guillotine! GS: Marivel Armitage has completed her action. GS: Amaterasu takes a glancing hit from Marivel Armitage's Guillotine for 70 hit points! GS: Amaterasu has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight! GS: Shalune Amira has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.
Kaguya starts... to retreat? *That's* a bit of a surprise for Nimue -- one that leaves her standing gobsmacked for a few seconds, not really knowing what to do. Part of her feels like she ought to pursue her, if only to get some answers about the nature of those crimes -- but then, she remembers that she doesn't actually care that much, and elects to let Kaguya go.
"Yeah I'm not entirely committed myself!" Nimue calls after her. "But hey -- gotta do *something* with your life, right?!" As always, Nimue's kind of joking about it -- but it's a very Nimue kind of joke, by the same token.
She glances over toward Marivel. ... she seems to be doing fine for herself, Nimue thinks, as Marivel puts together a blade made entirely of blood.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Kaguya is full of snark. But she does have one thing right: Ashton isn't the sort to stab somebody in the back.
He's super super tempted to and his mother would scold him for not doing so.
But he's not.
He, for his part, takes a few steps backwards towards where the Warrior Monks retreatd to - and widens the distance all the more.
"Well," he quips, "I don't think I'll be adding her to the invitation list for the Welcome Home part once we get back to Filgaia."
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
"The world is still dying," Amaterasu says, gazing at her with eyes that might as well have been carved from stone for all the emotion they betray. "Those of us who remained. Your ancestors. The humans. It was all in vain. We returned to a dying world. And here, we will die."
...This is not quite true.
There is one way left remaining. It will save Filgaia. But...
The ground shakes; it seems to swallow up Marivel. Standing there on the lip of the abyss, the Veruni commando stares down int the darkness.
Something seems to glint dully below. Amaterasu's gaze flits to track it, and she takes sudden flight backwards to attempt to evade the thrown bloodborne blade.
It's just not... quite... enough. She staggers sharply, blood staining her uniform on the left, but soon reassumes a nearly straight-standing posture, taking one step as if to assess the brunt of the damage. It should hold, long enough.
"And you," Amaterasu asks, as she turns away from the gap thus in the end, "are the sole judge. You determine who is or is not worthy of salvation. Only you." Her eyes close. "Very well. Then, you have made your determination, Crimson Noble. I hope for your sake that you are correct."
When she reopens her eyes, they are narrowed.
"No matter if you get in our way. No matter if the entire world gets in our way. I will not stop. This... is for the sake of all Veruni."
Her gaze lingers only on the distant form of her sister, retreating from the field. Her hand tightens around the haft of Valkyrja.
And with that, she walks from the field, the sole hint of the blow dealt to her the limp that her left leg betrays.
"Sentinel! Ambrosius! We are retreating. At your discretion, depart the field! No. 7 -- see to the extraction of CR-S01!"
She is not in condition to oversee it herself.
A soldier knows her limits.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Had Gwen truly put her all into that last attack, things might have been different. Ambrosius doesn't doubt that. He watches as she flies back...and then falls limp. Somewhere deep inside, seeing that makes Ambrosius feel...a little bad. But, this was a proper fight - there were only two possible outcomes.
He could stay here and fight - but seeing that the Commander and the others are retreating, he decides it would be wise if he were to do the same.
"Understood." Ambrosius replies to Amaterasu. He looks toward Ashton and Marivel, then, and the rest fighting on Yevon's side who are still standing.
"...See to it that Miss Whitlock receives the proper treatment." He requests. It isn't an order, and he doesn't expect them to do it just because he asked.
Would things still work out? A part of him certainly hopes so.
And with that he turns to depart - though he is ready to offer cover fire for any of his allies that may need it. He pays particular attention to Yue, though Amaterasu has his watchful eye as well.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
No. 7 -- see to the extraction of CR-S01!
Shalune looks jealous about how much Yue knows Big Shal. And the Minder turns to where Yue is now seated on Big Shal and laughing softly next to the Golem and--
Pauses and stares to the pink-haired mechanic.
"... you know, I'm jealous too now."
=I
<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.
Ree gapes in disbelief, hardly able to comprehend that, yes, the Veruni are retreating. She's survived another fight! That's what it came down to, survival.
And cash. Maybe she could loot some of the dead on her way back to camp. It wasn't for nothing that the Guild had dubbed her with the despised nickname Vulture...
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Elvis' Real Talk goes unheeded, and for his troubles, gets shot at again! The brash nerve of this girl! THe man dodges one of the shots, though another clips him-- this time on a forearm. A touch more red leaks onto the twill coat, though the bullet falls out shortly thereafter. I didn't go too far in either. Just what is he made of?
The Sentinel practically sulks as he clasps his arm with the uninjured appendage, applying pressure. That one hurt a good bit more. He will have to look into it. "Still? Ah fine, well I tried to do this civil-like."
A fist is raised to the air, like it is going to pound the ground, but a strong female voice rings over the battle. Elvis stops to listen. "Done? Okay then. We did our job I suppose." A look to Ree. "Guess we will have to reconvene sometime, huh?" he comments.
And without so much as a parting attack or barbed insult, he turns and starts to leave. That one book gets pulled back out again though, as he tries to discern just where he has seen Yue before...
"Where are we headed next, anyway?" he asks aloud. Not that it particularly mattered. It wasn't hom, and that is the only place he really wants to be right now!
Though Carol could be here... which makes thins difficult. He needs to invent some kind of Carol radar!
Another idea quickly written down in a small book.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel stands, looking more like corpse than woman, but she stands.
...until the Veruni start departing and Marivel collapses to the ground, laying on her side. Her body is severely wounded but even more than that, she is drained. She needs to feast. She crawls along the ground. Filgaia is still dying. That is an indisuptable truth. Marivel can feel Filgaia fading even from Lunar, however faintly. Dirt stains here fingers as she pulls herself along and looks into the eyes of a very dead monk. If she and the other Drifters hadn't come here, there would be many more.
She places her hand on the monk's cheek and strokes it faintly, as if trying to reassure an already departed soul.
"My Kingdom is one. There are no other to judge." She murmurs before she gets her face right up in there and feeds like a wild animal.
And then, face drenched red...Marivel vanishes in a small flash of light. She needs to be in the dark. Now.