2024-01-26: Mail Fraud
- Log: Mail Fraud
- Cast: Yue Rohay, Redi Hayworth, Amaterasu, Kaguya, Hicalu Wilwisp, Rebecca Streisand, Dean Stark, Riley Arwell, Xander Lovell, Acacia Saitani, Yulie Ahtreide, Kanon
- Where: Hilton
- Date: January 26, 2024
- Summary: At the behest of some Veruni researchers, Yue, Amaterasu, and Kanon collaborate to draw Redi into a trap so that she can be spirited away. But of course, Redi hasn't come alone. And of course, they're not going to just let her get snatched away.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Out in the hills somewhere not terribly far from Hilton is a nice little holiday home, a bonafide cabin in the woods. It's got a proper address and everything! Unfortunately, the one holding the current rights (??) to its timeslice is one Yue Rohay, who has sent a devious package through the Lacour Postal Express from her... to herself!!
It's a big, but thin roughly A3-sized package. It's addressed to Yue Rohay, from... Secret Admirer! It's paid for at the super premium, extra-urgent rates, and has a big, cute red bow tie on it. Isn't that adorable? Love must be in the air.
When Redi and the Drifters arrive, they first hear classical music, which has an air of elegance and beauty to it... until they come closer and find out that it's just playing out of a cheap tube speaker propped up on a deck table, and she hasn't even thrown away the packaging from Laila Belle.
Beside the table is Yue, a woman with very, very long brown hair, dressed in a fabulous black gothic dress with translucent ruffles and black leggings and a tiny top hat fascinator and everything.
She is drinking a fine champagne that probably deserves to be drunk out of something better than a dixie cup.
Two empty bottles of the same stuff are on the table. She's been at it for a while, as evidenced by her sloppy air violining by the time they arrive. It's kind... of sad, really.
"Oh, good afternoon," Yue calls out. "You're out quite a ways, Miss Courier! Do you have a package for me?" A long pause. She finishes her papercup of wine.
"Goodness, you have quite a crew with you, don't you? Do couriers always come with so many escorts? Well, where do I sign?"
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
Redi was a little surprised to get an offer to deliver a package -- and for quite a few gella -- but it was hard to say no. For one, that's her job! And she takes the mail very seriously. Almost as seriously as returning home...
...which might have won out, except this was mostly on the way to Hilton. Oh, a turn off the road, to be sure, but then it's back to the road that leads to home.
With all of the hope, anticipation, and dread that comes with that.
She looks down at the package -- and then up at the house. The classical music makes her blink; Yue, too, makes her blink.
"Are... you Yue Rohay?" she asks. "You, erm, have a nice get-up here." She glances to the one side, at Yulie and Hicalu; then to the other, at Riley and Xander. Then, she looks at Yue.
"I have your package?" she asks. Then, she also asks: "Is this a trap?"
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"A traaaap? Come on, that makes it sound so pedestrian," Yue protests as she gingerly accepts the package, signs Redi's clipboard and everything (she appreciates her service and doesn't want her to get in trouble with her superiors, even if she's trying to kidnap her, ok), and then rather hungrily tears open her own package right in front of her.
Then, she holds it up. Inside is a door mat. It reads:
WELCOME MAT
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Oh my GOD are you one of those artiste jerks who misuses the postal service to mail themselves their art, get a picture of it, and then post in the broadsheets how they 'gotcha'd' the mail service because I SWEAR TO--"
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
And this is the moment when destruction rains from the heavens--
After a fashion, that is. Dropping from the rafters comes the armored form of a tall Veruni woman with whom several of those present might be familiar: Amaterasu, Kaguya's older sister.
Amaterasu, also known to some as 'Mat'.
Her eyes fall first on Redi. "So this is the girl..." Amaterasu speaks, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, lingering on her sister in particular. "You do not disappoint, Miss Rohay. It's exactly as your intelligence predicted. Yet... I believe I had requested a different venue. But it is no matter."
Her attention swings back to Redi. "Miss Hayworth. Normally I would request your presence elsewhere, but I feel you will not easily comply." She draws forth from her side a short pole which, as she swings it, telescopes outwards; from its end there leaps a blade of brilliant light. "Yet it is no matter. I have a mind to bring the lot of you to a test. But first, let me level the playing field!"
She does not there swing her blade for those arrayed before her: instead, she raises her left hand from her weapon's haft and here, darkness swirls and churns. Around a particular set of people shade-forged plate rises to descend about them, glowing with mute purple-green light as they vanish from sight.
"Now... I ask of you..."
Amaterasu's faceplate folds into place, sealing her expression from view.
"Fight, with all your might!"
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIQeJJrjllk
GS: Amaterasu has attacked Dean Stark with Ghostdark Purge! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Rebecca Streisand with Ghostdark Purge! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Kaguya with Ghostdark Purge! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Riley Arwell with Ghostdark Purge! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Xander Lovell with Ghostdark Purge! GS: Amaterasu has gained 2 Combo! GS: Amaterasu's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Hero! GS: Amaterasu has completed her action. GS: Amaterasu heals Kaguya! She gains 94 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Amaterasu! GS: Amaterasu heals Rebecca Streisand! She gains 91 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Amaterasu! GS: Amaterasu heals Xander Lovell! He gains 101 temporary hit points! GS: Amaterasu heals Dean Stark! He gains 95 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
Kaguya had a bad feeling about this.
Kaguya had a bad feeling about this, and a sizeable contribution to Dean's Noodle Fund.
"So," Kaguya says, "Like I said, I actually like this Redi chick OK? And I don't want her to get hurt." She gestures as she talks, but she's got her ARM holstered under her jacket and she's pretty serious about this--especially when she sees a table.
She's not here in time to prevent Redi from delivering the package, but she is here in time to see a speaker from Laila Belle on the table, the source of the music. "That's..."
And then Yue, in a beautiful dress. "That's..."
'Welcome Mat.'
"Ah, fuck."
She's not on Nede. She can swear again.
Kaguya adopts a ready stance as soon as she sees her sister, her hands spreading to her sides and her feet just apart. "You're damned right she won't comply!" Kaguya shouts, rushing towards the meeting place ahead of Dean and Rebecca.
But it's not Redi Amaterasu targets. Kaguya finds herself drawn into this strange field, light gathered around her. She recognizes it. Already, a part of her seethes. She need only reach in, and take the power offered to her.
"NO!" Kaguya shouts, and pulls a grenade from her belt, hurling it straight at Amaterasu where it will explode into spectral green light.
"I don't know why you want her... But you can't have her!"
"MAT!"
GS: Kaguya has attacked Amaterasu with Sleep Grenade! GS: Kaguya has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaguya has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
Hicalu, Official Mail Assistant, is naturally here to help Redi deliver the mail. Didn't you see his badge? It says 'MAILBOY TRAINEE.'
...
He literally does have a badge, this is the worst.
His big Fennec ears twitch, as he ambles on up. "Music...?" He wonders, and heads that way -- in the safety of the group. (They might all be travelling in a group, but Hicalu always seems to group up with Yulie or Redi instead of Riley or Xander. It's not that he doesn't trust you, guys! It's just that he doesn't trust you.)
"I'm a trainee mailboy!" Hicalu puffs out his chest, which is, give him credit, PARTIALLY covered by breezy Baskar clothing. (It's a bit open in the front, proving that he has tattoos on his chest as well as his arms and legs. They're ALL up and down his arms and legs, though.) He jerks a thumb at his badge, tilting his chin up. "I help Redi with the mail! She totally trusts me to do that!! It's so cool!!!" Mail is cool..?
Apparently.
But then Yue doesn't say this isn't a trap, and Hicalu takes a step back, raising his hands. "H-hey, uh --" Redi handily explains what kind of trap it is, and Hicalu goes to put his foot down. Firmly. It's in the same genological family as a stomp. "Wha--" terasu!
When Yue Welcomes Mat, Hicalu is in the middle of his offended stomp, and so, naturally, he falls right on his ass. (It's okay. His fluffy Fennec tail cushions his fall.) "Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" He yells, all the way through Amaterasu praising Yue. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!"
And, still on the ground: "W-w-what'd you want with Redi?! No way! No way no way no way!!!" He glomps onto her leg, wailing: "Redi, you can't go with theeeeem!!" ... luckily, he does get up eventually. Maybe someone helps him up. He's a sad little man and he could really use the boost.
"Redi! I-if I set you on fire, is that gonna get eaten by your curse?! I mean it's GOOD fire I promise uh just lemme like --" He fumbles through his handgestures, only to go "ah crap" and have to start AGAIN because he was shaking too much and screwed up the somatic details. But, finally: "Phoenix Feather!!" He declares, as feathery, fiery light settles over Redi's shoulders, protecting and sheltering her.
And he yelps, "EEK!", when one of the people who apparently ISN'T with them THROWS A GRENADE.
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Redi Hayworth with Phoenix Feather! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has gained 2 Combo! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
"Must really care about her? You could have just, sent us there, rather than directly intervening and fighting your people." Is Rebecca's own agreement with Dean, "But the way you describe it, it's definitely gonna be a trap.
Rebecca said ever since she was told about the 'package deal' by Kaguya. However, they were in the hole from Dean's last noodle binge... so she is arriving on the side.
"Like Yue must think Redi is really gullible? Or just that her professional standards require her to walk into one."
Rebecca just rubs her face, in frustration, "As the only way this could be more obvious is if she made the address '333 Box Propped up by a Stick.'"
Fortunately, she stops complaining about that before arrival at the destination as they go in after - just after Redi passes the threshold, her fingers playing playing rhythmically upon her holstered Revolver.
"'Do you have a package for me?' She asks, when she sent it." Rebecca echoes, speaking in a sotto voce, with the biggest eye roll, making her first impression to Redi before, "Oh is the 'word choice' not to your liking? Sorry if you wanted her to fall into your ambush more eloquently then that'll be an upcharge on your postage."
The Welcome Mat appears and... Rebecca just, sighs and draws a hand across her face, "Why are you like this?" She asks, as if everything about Yue just sucks the mystery out of the legend of the Ice Queen.
Of course, that's when DESTRUCTION RAINS FROM THE heavens- Oh no that's just Mat dropping down. Of course, Mat is a KIND of destruction.
Part of her wonders if Yue is making a 'Comedy Duo' joke with Mat being the straight man.
The strange light washes all over them, as Mat makes her proclamation, and Rebecca takes a deep breath, as the power surges across her, as she feels the sheer confidence in their opponent, Kaguya's sister- as she makes that move first.
"Figure we can oblige you-" Mid-sentence Rebecca quick-draws her ARM and fires off two shots, "-because you aren't taking her! Dean! Kaguya! Let's set the pace quick!"
If they don't, they might not survive this.
GS: Rebecca Streisand has attacked Amaterasu with Swift Revolver! GS: Rebecca Streisand has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rebecca Streisand has completed her action. GS: Redi Hayworth accepts Hicalu Wilwisp's Phoenix Feather for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield applied to Redi Hayworth!
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Joke's on Kaguya, Dean would've helped for free. Now he gets to have noodles too!!
...What? Ya boi can pack away a LOT of noodles.
"Wow! And you *hate* admitting you like people! She must be really special," Dean says earnestly, without a single trace of teasing or sarcasm. "Don't worry! We've got your back, Kaguya!" Rebecca points out that it's a trap, and he shakes his head. "That doesn't matter! If it's a trap, we'll just walk in with her and bust right through!"
They approach the cabin. The delivery person is already there, making a delivery to Yue! It's a welcome mat. It's a Welcome, Mat.
"I don't get it," Dean says, just before Amaterasu jumps down. Then he thumps a fist into his palm as his eyes light up. "Ohhhh! *Now* I get it!"
But this is no time to be impressed by Yue's wordplay. Amaterasu wants to fight, as made evident by her swinging out her pole and extending it into a spear. Dean shifts his footing as he stretches out his hands, calling Twin Fenrir into his grasp with a flash of light. He doesn't know if Kaguya knew her sister was supposed to be here, but he's ready to fight all the same. Except first--
%R "Oh, thanks! That's really nice of you," he says, genuinely impressed by Amaterasu's sportsmanship as she calls up that plate around Kaguya, him, and Rebecca. And Riley and Xander too?! He double-takes to see them with Redi. They're not the *only* ones with Redi--there's Yulie, too! Dean gives her a quick wave of greeting (he doesn't know Hicalu but he gives him a wave too, just to be friendly, and also because he's screaming a bunch and he seems like he could use some friendliness)--but the Fangs are, well, the Fangs. Still, it's nice to have them on the same side for once. (It speaks to Dean's eternal optimism that he just automatically assumes they're going to be on the same side for this.)
But more importantly, Kaguya races ahead to face Amaterasu. Dean's close behind. "What they said!" he says decisively, nodding firmly in agreement with her and Rebecca. "You got it, Rebecca!"
With that, he opens fire on Amaterasu with a *special* bullet--one that he previously used to only use for solving puzzles, but recently realized would be great for combat. That's right: it's the Freeze Ray, here to make her chill out!! It might just freeze up parts of her armor and make it more difficult for her to move, too.
GS: Dean Stark has attacked Amaterasu with Freeze Ray! GS: Dean Stark has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Riley Arwell has posed.
Redi's description of the situation with the package DID sound a little weird, but Riley was not expecting quite this weird. "I like the music--" he isn't sure why there is music or why she is pretending to play it, however, "--but what are you setting traps for mail carriers for!?" He asks this accusingly, as if that's some sacrosanct profession he would never set a trap for himself. (Now that he knows Redi, it probably is, arbitrary as that may be.)
He glances to Xander. Whatever trouble is brewing, they can handle this person, right? Unless she has unfathomable magics. Everybody seems to have unfathomable magics these days. Especially people in fabulous gothic dresses.
Then Amaterasu makes her appearance. Riley may fail to get the pun, but he does begin to grasp more of the specifics of the siduation. "...Oh! They're trying to kidnap you?" he seems almost excited by the prospect, like a storybook trope is coming to life before his eyes. "Don't worry, we'll--" a magical wall goes up between them. "Oh, shit." He pivots to Amatarasu, turning his accusing tone upon her instead. "Listen, I haven't got many non-evil friends! You can't go stealing them away!"
Speaking of non-evil friends....
"Dean?? Rebecca?? Um -- we're not the ones causing trouble this time, by the way!!"
As if to help prove which side he's on, he summons his bow of darkness and lets an arrow fly towards Amaterasu, guided by the power of Valmar to seek its quarry even as she moves.
GS: Amaterasu heals Riley Arwell! He gains 93 temporary hit points! GS: Riley Arwell has attacked Amaterasu with Homing Arrow! GS: Riley Arwell has gained 1 Combo! GS: Riley Arwell has completed his action. GS: Amaterasu solidly guards Kaguya's Sleep Grenade for 37 hit points! GS: Drowsy and Mute applied to Amaterasu! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus
<Pose Tracker> Xander Lovell has posed.
With Riley wanting to accompany Redi to her hometown, Xander is more or less stuck along for the venture. What was he going to do, say no? Trick question! It would not matter if he had. With an agreement to (mostly) behave himself and not make Hicalu scream (on purpise), Xander has been a quiet member of the adventuring party. He remains dressed in the garments of a traveling dancer, because he figured using Valmar's power in a random encounter with monsters went against the best behavior clause.
Redi looks at him and he shrugs at her. He doesn't know the first thing about delivering mail.
Scratch that, because he does know none of the events that follow are normal. At the mention of a trap, he leans toward Riley, voice low, while the 'trap' comes in from the rafters. "You owe me forty-eight hours for this."
But then Xander's gaze sharpens as Amaterasu singles out Redi for a moment. Redi and her curse, and these strangers after her...
A fight's breaking out. Ethereal armor comes in with healing light, and a challenge is called.
"Seventy-two," he says to Riley.
Xander closes his eye, sighing, and getting a feel for the rhythm in the chaos with a nod of his head and a tap of a fan against his arm. He will attack on his own time, thank you very much.
GS: Xander Lovell has attacked Riley Arwell with Resonance! GS: Xander Lovell has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xander Lovell's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Stoic! GS: Xander Lovell gains 29 THP from his Cautious! GS: Xander Lovell has completed his action. GS: Riley Arwell accepts Xander Lovell's Resonance for 0 hit points! GS: Blitz and Protect applied to Riley Arwell! GS: Riley Arwell is now being protected by Xander Lovell!
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Acacia hasn't just been sitting on her hands when it comes to finding out where Yue and Xue Rohay have disappeared to. For a while she was prepared to just stride towards Elru, all full of fire and brimstone, but she's smart enough to know that would be a bit of a death sentence if done all on her own.
Instead, she'd turned to old colleagues, swallowing some of her pride as she finds herself back in Guild Galad and the offices of her old newspaper, enduring the polite lecture from her old boss through gritted teeth...
(--really, why would you ever leave such a prestigious workplace to strike out on your own? Maybe I'm just too old to understnd, but you do you, I suppose, kids will be kids, just seems like a waste to me--)
... for the sake of getting access to some of his network of contacts. It's through these contacts that she's been putting out feelers for the last couple of months as she makes her way eastwards. She's essentially taken leave from ARMS for the time being - though she remains in contact with them and has let them know what she's doing, she can't really drag the organization as a whole into a fight this personal.
It's through one of these contacts, a postal worker within Lacour, that she gets tipped off about the existence of the package. Acacia is not so vain as to genuinely think that it's intended for her, especially not half a world away - but she's damned if she's going to let a lead slip through her fingers now, and after this long.
There is no doubt as to its veracity. The plan is so uniquely Yue it could not be anyone else - a grand spymaster gesture but also so obviously a clear warning sign for Drifters to pick up on and stop her. Of all the options Yue and Xue have under their belt, malicious compliance has always been one of the most reliable.
Before she can second-guess herself, she's applying to be part of the guard for the shipment.
* * *
Her pistol is in her hands even before they reach the holiday home. Kaguya's existence here only further bolsters her certainty that something climactic is going to happen. For a moment, she crosses gazes with the Veruni, and there is a shared moment of 'this is going to suuuck' that passes between them. It's kind of comforting, in a way, to know that someone has the same dread in their stomach that you do.
What she finds is so jarring that all of the anger running through her arms drains out of her at the sight. She's seen Yue during bad times. She's seen Yue so despairing that she's nearly drunk herself into a stupor, but-- Acacia was hoping that at least with her mother gone and her sister with her, Yue might be spared some of that despair. Seeing her like this raises a lump in Acacia's throat that she can't swallow past.
"Yue," she somehow manages to call and whisper at the same time, her brow furrowed. She has no idea what to follow that up with until another Veruni descends like an angry bolt of lightning. Her pistol snaps in that direction - but there's a lot of Drifters there and an angry Kaguya, and those are odds she feels comfortable with for the time being.
It lets her look back at Yue, and really study her - not just the change of dress, but the dark circles around her eyes and the way she seems-- almost drifting in how drunk she is. "... you look good," she manages, her voice thick. "But not well."
She thought she'd be ready to shoot at Yue on sight, but she truly can't bring herself to. Instead, she steps forwards to cover Redi and Hicalu, her mouth drawn into a line as she sheathes it in a jacket pocket. This is not good gun safety, but it's not like the melted piece of slag even worked. "I'm not about to let you do something stupid if I can help it. ... even if I'm kind of late on that," she adds, holding her position.
GS: Acacia Saitani has attacked Acacia Saitani with Retraction! GS: Acacia Saitani has gained 3 Combo! GS: Acacia Saitani has completed her action. GS: Acacia Saitani heals Acacia Saitani! She gains 91 temporary hit points! GS: Cover applied to Acacia Saitani!
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Yulie had, of course, agreed to accompany Redi on her return home. She was eager to see what her home was like... and, it lets her be there to support her if things don't go well. Yulie has been a little nervous about traveling with the Fangs... but Redi had sold her on them, and it's true that keeping out of everything will only make things worse for everyone.
But, first things first... Redi has a job to do! Yulie knows how important the mail is to her, so she's happy to accompany her for that, too.
And so, they arrive at... a cabin in the woods? From which classical music is emanating? ...It's the kind of place that has a very good chance of being very haunted.
She should know - she's the expert. It's a good thing she decided to accompany her on this job, just in case.
But then they arrive, to find that the music is just playing on a cheap speaker, on a table, sitting at which is a woman in a very pretty outfit drinking champagne out of a cheap cup.
Yulie reels, just a little, from the incongruity of it all - but she recovers, putting on a straight face.
"We're just friends of hers." Yulie assures. And Hicalu is an Official Mail Assistant! She's proud of him! She meets Redi's glance.
Yeah... this place might not be haunted, but it's definitely suspicious. She looks toward Redi, then back toward Yue. Inside the package is a...
Welcome Mat...?
Welcome, Mat.
A tall, armored woman drops from the ceiling. Yulie leaps back in surprise, quickly reaching back to fish out her chakrams from within her coat.
"She isn't going with you." Yulie asserts. She hurls her chakram, straight at Yue! It's mostly a repositioning measure,, using the opportunity to backpedal until she's nearer Redi and the others.
...Fortunately, it looks like they aren't alone, either - help arrives, in the form of familiar faces! Kaguya, Dean, and Rebecca get a smile.
"I'm really glad to see you all..." Yulie greets. And then, there's Acacia - she gets a nod, too. "Do you know these people...?"
GS: Yulie Ahtreide has attacked Yue Rohay with Basic Circle! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay takes a glancing hit from Yulie Ahtreide's Basic Circle for 42 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst GS: Amaterasu suffers a terrible blow from Rebecca Streisand's Swift Revolver for 157 hit points! GS: Amaterasu solidly guards Dean Stark's Freeze Ray for 53 hit points! GS: Drowsy blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: Amaterasu solidly guards Riley Arwell's Homing Arrow for 58 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
Redi has never seen Amaterasu before. She stares as she drops down -- and then she leaps backward. One hand comes up to her back, drawing her staff off of it. She looks at the tall woman and she frowns.
"I'm definitely not coming with you! And what--what the heck are you on about?!" she snaps. "Intelligence predicted this...?"
Then a lot of things happen at once. A grenade goes flying -- between her and Amaterasu -- and Hicalu is screaming. She looks at him. "I-I'm not going anywhere!" she promises, looking down at him on her leg -- and then as she gets lifted. "Let's try it!"
Hicalu's flame swirls around her, settling about her shoulders -- and dances across the quarterstaff in her hand. Then, she makes a surprised noise, as Acacia steps up. She didn't really even know who she was.
"D-Do you know her?" she asks, a little stunned.
"Kaguya!?" she calls, after some of the smoke from her grenade clears. Redi looks in her direction, eyes wide -- and she catches Dean and Rebecca, too. "Uh--thanks! Do you know who these people are?! And... uh, hi, Kaguya's friends! I'm with the Lacour Postal Express!"
Redi, that was kind of obvious...
She looks at Riley, then at Xander. Are they going to help? It seems like they might. Redi glances at Riley, then she smiles a little nervously. "S-Sorry for the trouble, Riley."
Yulie steps back next to her -- as she sees the chakram flying for Yue -- and Redi looks sideways at her. She hesitates just a second,before she nods at her. "R-Right!" she says. "I guess we'll have to fight our way out!"
She spins her staff off her shoulders. She slams the quarterstaff into the ground, launches herself upward. The flame from Hicalu dances off her shoulders and staff -- and then up her foot -- before she goes flying.
Her foot is outstretched, in a mighty kick, aimed for Yue's face.
"I'm too close to home," she says, "to turn away now...!"
GS: Redi Hayworth has attacked Yue Rohay with Catapult Crash! GS: Redi Hayworth has gained 2 Combo! GS: Redi Hayworth's stances have changed to Avenger! GS: Redi Hayworth gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Redi Hayworth has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Redi Hayworth's Catapult Crash for 140 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yue Rohay gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt applied to Yue Rohay! GS: Mighty applied to Redi Hayworth! GS: FP up! Power Burst
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Redi immediately tears her face off and she has to laugh and say, "No, no, I'm asking you to--"
Amaterasu descends from the rafters and dramatically makes her presence known. "Welcome Mat."
There's a harrumph and a pout at Amaterasu right after she comments at her to say, "It was very *difficult* to charter a colosseum on short notice. I got you your beloved open skies. Besides, isn't the colosseum in one's heart the finest one of all?"
Licking her lips, Yue rises from her deck chair (yes, it's literally a shitty white Monobloc chair), and grabs the nearest wine bottle and finishes the rest of the liquor inside and tosses it to one side.
"Hello, Kaguya. Fancy meeting you here."
So, a mailboy trainee is here too? Well, she really hoped that Redi would come alone, but perhaps it's too much to ask couriers to come alone with how dangerous it is these days. And Redi has... a curse? Oh, now this is getting interesting--
Fiery light surrounds and protects her, but that's just fine with Yue. Her attention is drawn to Rebecca in turn, as she laughs in turn at her to frivolously say, melodic in tone, "Oh, I'm sorry, did you want a more serious ambush? We can arrange that next time, all cloak and dagger and espionage and such -- but I fear Mat might be bored before too long."
Yue is definitely playing the role of the bokke, yes.
Redi, Riley and Hicalu and many others question why she's trying to kidnap the courier. One finger planted on her lips: "Well, that would be telling, now would it not? I'm sure you can piece a thing or two together all on your own."
Yulie is also present, attending with Hicalu and Redi. And a chakram is immediately thrown at her! Yue finally makes her weapon manifest -- a black, twisted metallic staff-spear that some of the combatants here have definitely seen her use. She deflects the Chakram with a quiet grunt, and then remarks, "Oh, I wouldn't expect it to be that easy."
The chakram distracts her long enough that she can't just immediately leap out of position when Redi comes crashing in for her, but she manages to raise the staff so that her world-weary face isn't the one receiving Redi's boot print.
"Facing off a villain or two is just standard course for a courier, now is it not?"
And of course Acacia is here! Why wouldn't she be here? She's a resourceful reporter, and if Kaguya is here, then she can definitely count on Acacia being here.
"Acacia," she speaks just as thickly, licking her lips rather sensuously. The dark circles under her eyes are somehow still there, despite the fact that she's gotten rid of her handcuffs and the rattiness of everything else about her.
"I already did something very foolish. It's all too late now, Acacia. I played my hand and lost. So let's just enjoy ourselves today."
Yue takes a deep breath and holds her arms out to either side. "You know, I wanted a warehouse setting. There's nothing more dramatic than a burning warehouse. Buuuut, Mat wanted open skies, so--"
She lifts her staff-spear up to the air, and her Ether gels together as the winds start to whip and buffet around the combatants around her; with a flicker, flames gather as she surrounds Yulie, Hicalu, Redi and Acacia all in a fiery tornado.
AND THEN--
"Coccoro. Be a dear."
Yue's pet Cucco, Coccoro, hovers down and starts positioning herself slightly up and to the right of Amaterasu. Amaterasu is already a perilously dangerous Veruni elite warrior all on her own.
And now she has a Cucco hovering over her shoulder.
GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Amaterasu with Little Coccoro starring in BIG Trouble! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 3 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay's stances have changed to Hero! GS: Yue Rohay has activated a Boss Action! GS: Yue Rohay has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Yue Rohay spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Redi Hayworth with Flare Tornado! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Flare Tornado! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Yulie Ahtreide with Flare Tornado! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Acacia Saitani with Flare Tornado! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 2 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Yulie Ahtreide solidly guards Yue Rohay's Flare Tornado for 51 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Disease, Poison, and Reaper applied to Yulie Ahtreide! GS: Redi Hayworth takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Flare Tornado for 85 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Delay, Poison, and Reaper applied to Redi Hayworth! GS: Acacia Saitani takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Flare Tornado for 111 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Mute, Poison, and Reaper applied to Acacia Saitani! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp takes a glancing hit from Yue Rohay's Flare Tornado for 41 hit points! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp's Poison Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Disease, Poison, and Reaper applied to Hicalu Wilwisp! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
She shakes her head, her long blonde hair sent aflutter. "An open sky is enough," Amaterasu agrees, apparently not truly troubled by this turn of events whatever she might say. "I have had my fill of fighting others amidst the dark and secret places of the world. And it is true that Filgaia lacks for its colisseums that would have me...!"
Truth be told, until their arrival, Amaterasu had not anticipated her sister's involvement. But neither does she appear to be particularly surprised to see Kaguya here.
There is no disappointment telegraphed by her body language or by her voice when Kaguya greets her with a grenade. "Kaguya, you appear well. I had been concerned you wouldn't be eating properly," she tells her sister, swinging the bladed end of her ARM for the explosive to cut it neatly in half before it touches her--
And never mind the fumes she exposes herself to when she bursts ahead through the haze left behind. If nothing else, Amaterasu appears to not be concerned with whatever might befall her courtesy of her sister's bomb and instead returns the favor as best she can, Valkyrja's edge leading the way through the haze.
If her intent is to keep the pressure on her sister, Rebecca proves that isn't a viable option. And if such was not Amaterasu's intent, well--
Perhaps the matter is purely academic at this point regardless, for Rebecca pulls out all the stops and discharges a series of bullets, one of which clips Amaterasu's faceplate with a spray of sparks. "Well aimed--" Amaterasu declares, breaking from Kaguya to leap for Rebecca in a forward dive. "Were I human, I might well be dead! But can you withstand this, even with my magic?" Connect or not, she drops back but a heartbeat later, raising the pole of that bladed spear of hers at an odd angle.
It's all the better to intercept Dean's freeze ray with. Though ice rapidly coats her weapon's haft a distance and begins to climb halfway up her right hand gauntlet, that's as far as it gets. "I am curious," she says to him and Rebecca both. "That girl, Miss Hayworth... what is she to you?"
The ice is already flaking from her armor's surface as she turns her blade upon him in turn, performing a standing leap towards him to seemingly test his defenses.
But the 'usual suspects' aside, they're not the only ones she had picked out of the crowd as her opponents this night. There were a pair of others she hasn't seen before and possessed of a wild aura--
"Your friends, you say?" Amaterasu asks, making no move to guard against or evade the arrow that comes flying for her. It strikes her body armor and there wedges, whereupon Amaterasu pulls it free to inspect it closely (and perhaps here it evaporates into a cloud of shadow to drift away on the wind, itself). "Interesting... I have not seen a power like this. Well then--"
She does not close on either of them. Rather instead, Amaterasu cleaves through the space before her and it is the displaced air that rushes ahead for the both of them as if it were instead the claws of some great beast.
GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: Amaterasu accepts Yue Rohay's Little Coccoro starring in BIG Trouble for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Shield applied to Amaterasu! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Kaguya with Sine Qua Non! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Rebecca Streisand with Animus Nocendi! GS: Amaterasu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Amaterasu's stances have changed from Counter and Hero to Counter and Hero! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Dean Stark with Sine Qua Non! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Riley Arwell with Casus Belli! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Xander Lovell with Casus Belli! GS: Amaterasu has gained 2 Combo! GS: Amaterasu's stances have changed from Counter and Hero to Counter and Hero! GS: Amaterasu gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Amaterasu has completed her action. GS: Rebecca Streisand partially evades Amaterasu's Animus Nocendi for 166 hit points! GS: Mighty applied to Amaterasu! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: COUNTER! Xander Lovell counterattacks Amaterasu with Sensu Style! GS: CRITICAL! Xander Lovell partially guards Amaterasu's Casus Belli for 159 hit points! GS: Dean Stark partially guards Amaterasu's Sine Qua Non for 133 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dean Stark gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hyper applied to Amaterasu! GS: FP up! Countermeasures GS: Kaguya suffers a terrible blow from Amaterasu's Sine Qua Non for 223 hit points! GS: Blind applied to Kaguya! GS: COUNTER! Amaterasu counterattacks Xander Lovell with Ad Hoc! GS: Amaterasu solidly guards Xander Lovell's Sensu Style for 87 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Charge!! You gain 40 FP! (That's 25 more than usual!) GS: CRITICAL! Xander Lovell takes a glancing hit from Amaterasu's Ad Hoc for 65 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xander Lovell gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hyper applied to Amaterasu!
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
"Ha, ha," Kaguya says, rolling her eyes when she's called out for caring. "I just think she's kind of cool, that's all." Maybe she is. But, if it's a trap.. "Right. No trap is too smart for Dean."
But now...
"Yeah!" Kaguya shouts back to Redi. "These are Veruni! They're super bad news!"
She looks at Yue. "I'm not gonna tell you you don't have to do this," Kaguya says to her. "...But I'm not gonna let you do it, either. Whyever you guys want Redi... you can't have her."
It's true that Mat might get bored with a sneaky ambush. That's part of why she's so dangerous.
"No, I'm fine," Kaguya answers Amaterasu--and the pressure on her is significant. Kaguya's holding back, and she discovers quickly for not the first time that that's a mistake. "Gh--"
Kaguya jumps back, blinded by the sheer radiance of Vaklyrja's edge. "And I intend to STAY fine!"
"They're stronger than you think," Kaguya tells her sister. And then she glances back, to Xander and Riley--
"...So if you mega-curse my sister even when I'm fighting her I'm gonna get mad," Kaguya warns. "But if you don't do that, we need all the help we can get."
A cucco... Kaguya is careful.
But Kaguya leaps back into the fray quickly, ignoring her holster for now and instead handspringing off the ground and hitting a tree, running up it and then jumping off to twist mid-air and strike at Amaterasu with a spinning kick.
"I'm going to protect them, Mat! Whether you like it or not!"
She already looks pretty burned, though, magic or not.
GS: Kaguya has attacked Amaterasu with Coronal Loop! GS: Recover! Blind removed from Kaguya! GS: Kaguya has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
Hicalu totally blabs about the curse where all the bad guys can hear because he is the WORST at opsec.
(Technically, Hicalu is just Redi's friend, too, just like Yulie, but he's got a badge. He loves his badge. Maybe one day he'll go to the Lacour Postal Service and get his badge officially certified, but right now it basically just means he's Redi's little helper.)
Another woman like these scary ladies steps up, but -- like the scary grenade girl who he definitely at least heard the explosions from earlier, she doesn't hit them in their poor dumb faces. "Huh?" He blinks, as Acacia steps in front of him. "You're helpin' us...? W-well -- thanks! I'm Hicalu!! Nice t-t-to meet you just this is all REALLY scary and uh,"
that's the point where Yue stops talking about her foolishness and sets them on fire.
"YIPE!" Hicalu yelps, as he runs away from the flames only for them to catch on his tail, resulting in him running away from his tail for a minute before he finally thinks to turn around and snuff it out.
"Why do you have so many preferences for how to attack uuuuussss?!" He can be heard wailing, miserably. He at least pulls up -- behind Yulie, notably -- to gesture, again, completing another Symbological spell. "Expansive Enhance!!" He calls, as more of that warm, fiery energy settles down over everyone close to him.
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Redi Hayworth with Expansive Enhance! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Yulie Ahtreide with Expansive Enhance! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Acacia Saitani with Expansive Enhance! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Expansive Enhance! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has gained 1 Combo! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp's stances have changed to Stoic! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp gains 6 THP from his Cautious! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp takes 61 damage from Reaper! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action. GS: Yulie Ahtreide accepts Hicalu Wilwisp's Expansive Enhance for 0 hit points! GS: Burst applied to Yulie Ahtreide!
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
"At the very least, try one that's less lazy than this!" Rebecca replies tersely to Yue, as if she were attempting to call her out there.
'we're not the ones causing trouble this time, by the way!' "That's fantastic Riley! Any chance you and Xander can make it a trend? Would make Dean really happy."
Rebecca quips, as if the two might put up a 'Days without wreaking Havoc - 0' sign within their tents, before looking Yulie's way, "Glad you're here! This is already turning into a huge mess!"
That Xander and Riley didn't cause! Points to the Valmar Squad!
Amaterasu leaps at her, with a dive, and Rebecca suddenly twists, as the Spear rips across her vest, a shallow cut across her ribs.
A hand still reflexively is placed against it, and she fires several more shots from her Revolver while back peddling away.
"Absolutely- I can."
She says through gritted teeth, having long trained herself to endure pain, to keep her vow to herself of not crying.
Amaterasu asks a question, however, "Her? Don't know her yet, haven't been properly introduced." Taking up a sudden stance, however, she takes up her Original Medium, and suddenly invokes it, as ley energy forms around her in an orange hued hexagon, "But she means a lot to your sister."
A small twitch of the ground, before stone spikes suddenly erupt under 'Mat' in an uneven formation. "And let's just say we've been through enough together that when she asks for a favor, I'm not gonna shut the door on her."
GS: Rebecca Streisand has attacked Amaterasu with Ley Blast! GS: Rebecca Streisand has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rebecca Streisand has completed her action. GS: Redi Hayworth accepts Hicalu Wilwisp's Expansive Enhance for 0 hit points! GS: Burst applied to Redi Hayworth! GS: Riley Arwell solidly guards Amaterasu's Casus Belli for 60 hit points! GS: Protect! Xander Lovell takes 15 damage! GS: Acacia Saitani accepts Hicalu Wilwisp's Expansive Enhance for 0 hit points! GS: Burst applied to Acacia Saitani! GS: Quick applied to Hicalu Wilwisp!
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
"Why're you laughing? I wasn't making a joke," Dean asks Kaguya, quizzical. All the same, her describing Redi as 'kind of cool' and 'that's all' brings a smile to his face. Another one. "Uh huh." And if it is a trap--! "Yeah! Thanks, Kaguya!"
...He's also just kind of assuming that's a compliment.
And speaking of assumptions! "Hi Riley! It's okay, we could tell!" Dean might need to speak for himself there, but it's fine, since the Fangs actually aren't the troublemakers and Dean's overly-optimistic assumption was correct. He brightens when Rebecca weighs in. "Yeah! That'd be great!" ...even if he knows it's not likely, because of their curse. At least Xander's seeming to opt for less curse-related combat at the moment.
... ...Wait, speaking of, was Hicalu saying something about a curse for *Redi*? Kaguya's friend is also cursed?? No wonder she's hanging out with the Fangs... That's a good thing, though! That is, it's good to have friends who can understand what you're going through! It's less good to have to deal with a curse.
"Hi, Kaguya's friend! We're here to help!" Dean calls back, giving her a big thumbs-up. He frowns a little in concern over at Acacia and Yue... but he's learned by now that sometimes you have to let people have their own Thing going on. "You too, Yulie!" he adds, and then to her and Redi both, he adds after Kaguya, "I don't know these two *that* well but that one's Amaterasu--she's Kaguya's sister--and that one's Yue!" He points in the appropriate directions. "They're both tough, so keep your guard up!"
Amaterasu asks what Redi is to him and Rebecca. "That's easy! She's a friend of a friend, and that makes her a friend!" Dean replies without hesitation. It might make a striking contrast to Rebecca's much more sensible response, but that's Dean for you.
The Freeze Ray wasn't that effective, but that's okay, he already knew she was strong. That's why, when she swings that spear blade for him down from her standing leap, he's ready for her with a cross of his ARMs to block the blow. The resonation of it still tingles up his arms, but his stance is strong, and he withstands it. ...for now. It's a VERY unpleasant sensation to feel like a bell someone just rung.
As she turns away, Dean shoves forward in an attempt to knock her back. Lights glow up the length of his combat rods as he swings them around. While they don't superheat like they usually do when he's making an attack like this, there's a certain aura to them that strengthen the blow against her.
GS: Dean Stark has attacked Amaterasu with Power Booster! GS: Dean Stark has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dean Stark has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
The reporter has definitely been a bit... uh... broody on the trip over. She's kind of been in that situation where she normally enjoys making small talk but has kind of forgotten how to in her focus, and while she remembers to unwind and has spent much of the trip taking photographs it never really lasts that long before she's drifted off into thought once more. "Acacia!" she calls back to Hicalu and the others, and has to briefly consider what the least threatening option is for her introduction. "I'm your average reporter? Uh, anyway, just stay back!" she... tries.
Acacia certainly hadn't explained at any point why she chose to guard this parcel and travel so far afield with it. She knows it's stupid and superstitious, but it felt like the moment she said anything about Yue, the Veruni might simply scatter in the wind along with this lead.
Still, she knows that keeping silent is unfair of her, especially now that it's reached the point where multiple people are looking at her askance, and answers both Yulie and Redi with a wince. "... sorry. I came along to find her. Kinda figured something like this might happen. It's--" she can't really bring herself to lie. "It's not a long story, but it's got a lot of baggage. I'll tell you after this," she promises. "Don't worry. In the short term, I'm all for punching her in the head if she tries to grab you."
Except Redi is well ahead of her on that front, and Acacia balks. "Wh-- don't just leap towards the person who wants to kidnap you!" she yells, especially when Yue-- doesn't kick the chakram out of the air like she expects. Instead, she manifests a black spear, and somehow that's the thing that really and truly puts Acacia on guard. There's a--majesty to her that's capturing Acacia's attention, and that drives home that this isn't just another of their goofy fights to stall for time. That something really has changed.
She could proclaim that she hasn't given up; she could proclaim that Yue still has plenty of hands to play, that it's not too late, that there's always another option. But those are just platitudes that Yue's heard before. It's really only action that will help either of them now. Besides, absence means there's something else bubbling up her throat before she can stop it:
"I miss you," she says just before the tornado of flame reaches her.
This might be the dirtiest that Acacia has ever fought.
She knows - or at least knew - how Yue tends to shape her Ether, because part of learning how to use her own was learning how to shape and enmesh it with hers. Against the sudden rolling of flames she ducks down to try to push back against it, but there's a force to Yue's attack that there wasn't before. She can slough off some of the effects, but it's not enough, and only Hicalu's support lets her push forwards to disperse the rest of it away, hissing under her breath in pain.
The impulse of the sorcery sends her racing forwards after the courier, because she does kind of expect Yue to just grab her and race off. The remnants of the Ether she's gathered build in her fists, a deliberately-built counter to Yue's to try to disrupt her. You don't normally apply etheric fields by trying to land a punch square at your opponent's weapon of all things, but Acacia's not super great at thinking these things through. "Kaguya! Any great plans here?!"
GS: Acacia Saitani has attacked Yue Rohay with No Comment! GS: Acacia Saitani has gained 1 Combo! GS: Acacia Saitani takes 32 damage from Poison! GS: Acacia Saitani takes 55 damage from Reaper! GS: Acacia Saitani has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay takes a solid hit from Acacia Saitani's No Comment for 142 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yue Rohay gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Yue Rohay's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Yue Rohay's Mute Ward may block the effect! GS: Jam applied to Yue Rohay! GS: Cripple and Mute blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst
<Pose Tracker> Xander Lovell has posed.
Dean and Rebecca are here within the battle, and Xander's brow twitches through his attempts at estalishing serenity on the battlefield.
"Hi, Dean. Rebecca."
At least it's a greeting?
With the displacement of air, Xander is moving in an instant, twisting to keep it from hitting him dead on -- ignoring the way it slices a perfect red line over his cheek -- and grabbing hold of Riley to twist him out of the way.
A fan snaps out, flicked open, then closed, to strike back... at close enough range for a quick retaliation of Amaterasu's own, but undaunted despite it.
"They really do love to talk, don't they," he says, deadpan. Then he sighs, resigned and joining in. When amongst the Drifters...
"So. Who's going to die if you can't take Redi with you?"
He doesn't wait for an answer, because when does anyone, ever? Xander carves through the air past and around Amaterasu. Without sharp attention, he appears to only be dancing on the battlefield, but every movement he makes is a feint. Through flowing sashes, small strikes with the reinforced shaft of a fan find their way for Amaterasu, looking for weaknesses to exploit and balance to offset.
GS: Xander Lovell has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Xander Lovell has attacked Amaterasu with Nameless Dance! GS: Xander Lovell gains 22 THP from his Cautious! GS: Xander Lovell has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Amaterasu solidly guards Kaguya's Coronal Loop for 89 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Amaterasu partially evades Rebecca Streisand's Ley Blast for 94 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Mighty applied to Rebecca Streisand! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: Amaterasu takes a glancing hit from Dean Stark's Power Booster for 39 hit points! GS: Mighty applied to Dean Stark!
<Pose Tracker> Riley Arwell has posed.
"Seventy-two hours of what?" Riley asks. Normally this would mean 'peaceful isolation from humanity' but who knows, god Xander may have new needs.
Regardless of Xander's outward annoyance, Riley feels a channel of connection open between them, and it passes along an infusion of strength. Riley passes back joy and hearts of gratitude (don't distract him now, Riley) and just a bit of fluster to be CONNECTING MINDS in PUBLIC, how scandalous!
Kaguya invites the Fangs to fight her sister as long as they don't curse her. "Your... sister?" That makes things more complicated! Riley doesn't need to be killing anyone's sister in front of them right now! "Do you have disagreeing perspectives on kidnapping mail carriers? Or are you a friend of Redi's, too?" Riley wonders for a moment if he should pull his punches... then he watches Amaterasu casually pry his arrow out of her armor and peer at it curiously as it evaporates. He decides he's going to need his punches at full strength.
There is suddenly a cucco... Riley's eyes go to Xander with concern (will his ability to fight be compromised by cuteness!?)
Rebecca asks if he and Xander can make a trend out of causing trouble. "I can try, but I think it would be way easier for all of us if you just stopped bumping into us when we're causing trouble..." They have to cause trouble to live, after all.
"Thanks, Dean!" he adds happily, when Dean reveals he was giving them the benefit of the doubt.
"No worries, Redi!" he calls through the barrier. "This will probably be no big deal!" He offers this cheerily around the time Amaterasu is cleaving her weapon through the air with such force that she sends a displaced rush of it slicing into him. "...Ow," he adds, tragically. Thanks to Xander's swift interception, it was only a glancing blow across the side of his arm. But it hurt! He didn't know air could do that...
Riley has no reservations about using the cursed and evil powers of Valmar in front of other people, especially since most of them are either causing the trouble or know his deal already. He aims his bow again, but his next arrow strikes harmlessly at Amaterasu's feet. Only, as it vanishes, the ground erupts in rapidly growing greenery, thorny vines grasping and winding in search of gaps in armor, and red flowers blooming to breathe poisonous pollens into the air.
GS: Riley Arwell spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Blitz! Riley Arwell has attacked Amaterasu with Gift from the Blood Garden! GS: Riley Arwell has gained 2 Combo! GS: Riley Arwell has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
"Looks like it..." Yulie replies with a nod to Redi. Yue manifests her weapon, and deflects her chakram. It goes flying off and Yulie catches it on the rebound with a twirl.
She spares a quick glance between Yue and Acacia. There's definitely something there - which is confirmed, when Acacia explains that she came here to find her.
"...I see. I'm sorry - but I'm glad you're with us." Yulie replies. And Kaguya offers an explanation - they're Veruni. Yulie's heard the tales, of course. So Redi has these kind of people after her...
...That was one similarity she'd hoped they'd never have.
What's more, Amaterasu(oh, Yulie gets it, now) is Kaguya's sister...
"It really is..." Yulie agrees with Rebecca, before sending a nod of thanks Dean's way. "Thanks for the warning!"
But Yue has ideas on how this should go - and that includes fire. The wind starts to blow - and then this wind billows into a tornado of flame! Yulie gasps, casting her chakrams out in front of her. They form a barrier... but it can only do so much. Hicalu takes cover and Yulie looks behind her, offering him a brief smile.
She can't blame him, given everything...
Warm, fiery energy settles over her, and she feels a little more ready to fight, now.
"Thanks... I'll try to deal with the burns..." Yulie says, reaching into her coat again and drawing out a Crest Graph. "Heal!"
Light spread out over those nearest to her, to offer healing. ...Except for Redi, of course. For her, Yulie rummages through her coat again, drawing out a healing item and passing it over to her. She doesn't know if it'll help... but she can hope!
"...You know this makes you look like a villain... why are you still doing it?" Yulie asks, looking at Yue.
GS: Yulie Ahtreide has attacked Redi Hayworth with Heal! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Heal! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has attacked Acacia Saitani with Heal! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has gained 3 Combo! GS: Yulie Ahtreide takes 35 damage from Poison! GS: Yulie Ahtreide takes 45 damage from Reaper! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has completed her action. GS: Redi Hayworth accepts Yulie Ahtreide's Heal for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Delay and Poison removed! GS: Quick applied to Yulie Ahtreide! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp accepts Hicalu Wilwisp's Expansive Enhance for 0 hit points! GS: Burst applied to Hicalu Wilwisp! GS: Yulie Ahtreide heals Hicalu Wilwisp! He gains 28 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Disease, Poison, and Reaper removed! GS: Shield applied to Yulie Ahtreide!
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"I've faced down a few villains," Redi says. "But usually they're after the mail, not the mail carrier!"
The flame tornado swirlsup -- some of the firewhips out towards her, catching her with embers and ashes, and the fire throws her off course. Her feet skip and dance off the ground and she yelps, before she catches herself on the ground with her staff's end.
"Ngh...!"
Redi looks at Kaguya, and her pale blue eyes widen with that news. "Veruni?" she asks. "Why--why the heck are they after me!"
It's not really a question for Kaguya. Then her eyes dart to Rebecca, and she calls out to her: "Riley and Xander--" This is slander. Xander did not do this. "--volunteered to help me, when I went back home!"
Then she looks at Dean,and she flashes a smile in his direction. "Y-Yeah, got it!" she calls out. "We'll be careful! Thank you for coming to help!"
She nods at Riley -- hopefully that barrier's nothing. Then, she looks back to Yue.
Redi is a little proud of the badge that she got Hicalu. She never really had a deputy before. She looks sideways at him, with a worried look -- even as that fiery light settles in over her and glows, brightly.
"Hang in there, Hicalu," she says. "It'll be okay! W-We'll get through this, I promise!"
Then she looks to Acacia, eyes widening a little. "A-All right. A lot of baggage?" Then, as she listens to them talk, it dawns on her.
"...o-oooh," she says, "They're--oh."
She might be getting a little red in the face. She reaches out, grabbing Yulie's item. She pops the Berry into her mouth and bites down, feeling invigorated, at the very least. "Thanks, Yulie," she says. "All right, then--"
They know she's cursed. And she hesitates, for a second; she didn't really want to risk using that. Her parents might see, if she does it too much. But if she doesn't at all...
...well, she might never get there.
Redi spins her staff over her head. Motes and crackling lights of violet and black appear over her head, before she slams it down into the ground. Then, they shoot forward -- bolts of shadowy fire hurtling off towards Yue in a rain of umbral sparks.
GS: Redi Hayworth has attacked Yue Rohay with Shadow Sparks! GS: Redi Hayworth has gained 3 Combo! GS: Redi Hayworth gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Redi Hayworth gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Redi Hayworth takes 47 damage from Reaper! GS: Redi Hayworth has completed her action. GS: Gamble: Very High! Yue Rohay solidly guards Redi Hayworth's Shadow Sparks for 93 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yue Rohay gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"Do not worry, Mat, we will find you the biggest, meanest colisseum that can possibly fit your thirst for battle," Yue remarks rather sweetly (and drunkly), even as she witnesses Hicalu attempting to flee and put the fire away from his tail.
As he wails, Yue ponders, "Do you prefer ice? Or some other kind of element?" Her cheeks balloon at Rebecca momentarily. "How was I supposed to know you Drifters would stick to each other like glue! Oh, I'm sorry, I'll make your job more difficult next time. Be grateful!"
But Hicalu's Symbological prowess is not lost on her, as more thermal power seeks to enhance the powers of his companions. "My my. The mail service has the pick of the litter for combat-ready servicepeople these days, hmm?"r
Yue's response is to make his life a bit more difficult by just pointing a finger and sending a fiery ray that... well, it's not aimed dead-centre, but it's very hot and certainly isn't pleasant to deal with.
"My entire life post-awakening has been people telling me I don't have to do it, and then I went ahead to try to not do it, I made it much worse and now I do have to do it," Yue squarely notes to Kaguya. "Alongside my mother's killer, at that."
There's complicated feelings there, huh.
Yulie offers healing, using a Crest Graph. So, a Symbologist, and a Crest Graph user... though her uniform also suggests a connection to Granas.
"Playing the role of villain is all the world has ever demanded of me," Yue responds half-hazily to Yulie, the smile a bit crooked and intoxicated.
Yue chooses the path of pressuring Yulie at close-range, darting at speeds where she and her gown just seem to melt into a black and brown blur. When she closes the distance, she strikes out with her spear, Ether billowing out into light, phantasmal Cuccos as she makes a spinning, rising attack that threatens to knock the paladienne back.
"I could very well ask you to stop being a paladienne. But you would never."
Yue's forced to give up on her pressure when Redi charges herself with motes and crackling lights of violet and black. "Oh?" Yue's countenance shifts as she takes this new morsel of information in, and before she can ready herself--
THOOM
Bolts of shadowy fire cascade onto her and send her hurtling back; she kips up a moment later, arm singed, and tilting the spear-staff towards its spear side and drawing to a crouch to gather her energy.
"My, oh my oh my..."
Then, Yue BOLTS forward to thrust Redi at the shoulder, those same phantasmal cuccos billowing out at galeforce speeds from the apex of her attack mere moments later.
"Is this the nature of this 'curse', hmm? I doubt this is standard fare for a courier. What else have you in there?"
Impale Redi or not, Yue doesn't let the spear linger there too long, tearing it out in one fell swoop, in time for Acacia to charge through the flames and land a gut punch on her spear and knock it clean out of her hands.
I miss you.
The force of Acacia's blow sends Yue spiralling, and she turns and raises her leg up -- and her heel hooks onto the end of the spear's tassel and sends it whirling BACK towards Acacia, as she grabs hold of it and send it plunging back at the reporter's shoulder--
"I miss you too."
--and pull her very close, and give her a full kiss on the lips while her spear is plunged in her. She reeks of wine and despair and yet, passion, as she draws away and runs her tongue around her lips, her gaze fixated on her.
The smile she wears on her face is the Devil's own.
"This is the phase of all my relationships where you kill me, Acacia. Do your best, dearest."
She kicks Acacia away from her spear afterwards.
GS: Yue Rohay has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Yue Rohay spends 3 Combo on Headshot and Poison! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Volcanic Ray! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Yulie Ahtreide with Light Spear Cuccannon! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 4 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Redi Hayworth with Mega Cucco Thrust! GS: Yue Rohay has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Acacia Saitani with To Kiss and Kill! GS: Yue Rohay gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Yulie Ahtreide solidly guards Yue Rohay's Light Spear Cuccannon for 77 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Blind, Hex, and Mute applied to Yulie Ahtreide! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: Hicalu Wilwisp takes a solid hit from Yue Rohay's Volcanic Ray for 181 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp's Poison Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Blind, Jam, and Mute applied to Hicalu Wilwisp! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Yulie Ahtreide heals Acacia Saitani! She gains 108 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Mute, Poison, and Reaper removed! GS: Quick applied to Yulie Ahtreide! GS: Acacia Saitani suffers a terrible blow from Yue Rohay's To Kiss and Kill for 254 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Acacia Saitani gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Weaken applied to Acacia Saitani! GS: Redi Hayworth solidly guards Yue Rohay's Mega Cucco Thrust for 119 hit points! GS: Ruin! Burst, Hyper, Mighty, and Quick removed! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Weaken applied to Redi Hayworth! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: RUIN! All positive status effects and temporary hit points purged from Redi Hayworth! GS: Amaterasu suffers a terrible blow from Xander Lovell's Nameless Dance for 89 hit points! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: Please react targeting the attack number in +queue. GS: ROU|LET|TE: Low! Amaterasu partially evades Riley Arwell's Gift from the Blood Garden for 97 hit points! GS: Poison applied to Amaterasu!
<Pose Tracker> Kanon has posed.
"Guess I'm up. Never was much for ambushes..."
Quiet words, a woman's voice. As timbers burn and magic flies and passions flare, a fire-engine red thing like a ball shoots through the interior of the cabin from a door, lost to attention in the confusion. It fires right past Redi's head, snakes past with the whipping of a cable near her ear - and then it snaps open, a hand, and grasps a half-stable support.
Then the whole assembly goes TAUT, a loud whining indicates an electric motor running hard.
This is the main warning before a figure in red and brown, with Kanon's signature splash of sea green hair, suddenly crashes through a section of wall, her right fist, which looks fleshy enough, reared back to clock Redi straight in the head and probably knock her right the hell out, at that speed.
"...but I'll use any advantage I need!"
GS: Kanon spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Kanon has attacked Xander Lovell with Wire Fist! GS: Xander Lovell has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Xander Lovell takes a solid hit from Kanon's Wire Fist for 137 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xander Lovell gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
Amaterasu twists her body as Dean slams into her, catching the trailing end of that strike. Neither is this where it ends: as she turns her focus on Xander and Riley, it's towards the latter that she invites retaliation. In rapid succession the blows come forth: a blow from Xander's fan that cleaves a shallow line across Amaterasu's chest armor, followed by a return strike of her own as she spins the ARM about to try catch him on his departure.
When she lands, she is not alone. Amaterasu has come under the sway of a Cucco! ...Or something like that. The most reaction even this provokes from Amaterasu is a simple, slight turn of the head; it would seem that she and Coccoro are already well-acquainted.
"You need not go to the trouble, Miss Rohay, but very well."
Whatever happened to CR-S01? If anything, 'Miss Rohay' seems even more distant than that... But then, things are no longer now as they were.
There are reasons that Yue chose this particular approach to attempt Redi's capture. And a good deal of them center around Amaterasu's peferred approach itself. But of course, she hadn't expected Redi to come quietly-- and Yue's intelligence had predicted she wouldn't be alone. Why not then cut to the chase?
Even if it means she now must exchange blows with her dear sister. Whatever expression Amaterasu now wears is hidden behind that mask of hers. "Are they?" she answers her sister. "Then I look forward to seeing that. It has been some time since I have had a challenge," she tells Kaguya, this already a fact that she must know. "Very well. Allow me to make a proposal. Should you win, Ka-Ya, then we shall retreat for now. However, should we prevail... then Miss Hayworth returns with us!"
Kaguya handsprings off the ground as she leaps back into the fray and Amaterasu is quick to return the advance, leaping into the air to meet her own flesh and blood with her blazing bladed ARM. "Show me!" she exhorts of Kaguya as they clash, sparks rising from her own armor where Kaguya strikes true.
But she has armor, is the thing. But she has armor, and it is sparking from that single blow.
Yet it isn't just Kaguya with whom she must contend. The ground trembles upon the spot where Amaterasu lands and she turns, her gaze falling upon Rebecca. Rebecca and Dean, in series. "...Interesting. So you would go so far as to protect someone you do not know, simply because they are important to another you do? Hm, hmm..."
She gives the impression she might be smiling under that mask. As the ground begins to twitch and spasm in full in response to Rebecca's spell, Amaterasu leaps to escape its shuddering strike -- though not so quickly as to completely avoid the rising tide of stone spikes. They catch her as she ascends, at the peak of which she again cuts through the air itself to strike at Rebecca and Dean itself.
...and as for where she lands, even as she turns sharply, there is Xander.
There like this, his fan tests and finds and opening.
"It is a strong warrior who uses such a weapon," Amaterasu tells him, her own held before her in both hands. "Tell me, are you familiar with the art of the polearm? Or of the staff?"
She has not yet answered Xander's question.
This may be because the grass is currently trying to eat her alive. "--?" Amaterasu approximates, turning her blade upon the vines that writhe and roil at her feet, to say nothing of the blooms that spew poison into the air about her. "What is-- such power!"
Even so, the vines do not hold her long. She strides through the remnants of the plantlife that had seized her as if heedless of the poison coursing through her veins.
"...Only the unskilled warrior resorts to slaying their enemies," Amaterasu answers Xander at last. "Allow me to show you the art!"
For him, she sweeps butt of her ARM for his legs, as if seeking to set him off balance or knock him to the ground. Nor will it end there for him or for Riley: she continues to batter at the both of them with the end and the haft alike, aiming to keep them away without drawing blood.
GS: Amaterasu spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Kaguya with Vis Major! GS: Amaterasu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Dean Stark with De Integro! GS: Amaterasu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Rebecca Streisand with De Integro! GS: Amaterasu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Xander Lovell with Debellatio! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Riley Arwell with Debellatio! GS: Amaterasu gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Amaterasu takes 27 damage from Poison! GS: Amaterasu has completed her action. GS: Kaguya solidly guards Amaterasu's Vis Major for 131 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Kaguya gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind applied to Kaguya! GS: Rebecca Streisand solidly guards Amaterasu's De Integro for 101 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rebecca Streisand gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Mighty removed! GS: Blind applied to Rebecca Streisand! GS: Amaterasu has canceled their attack on Xander Lovell. GS: Dean Stark solidly guards Amaterasu's De Integro for 146 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dean Stark gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Mighty removed! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Hyper applied to Amaterasu! GS: Dean Stark enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: FP up! Countermeasures
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
Does Kaguya have a brilliant plan, Acacia? "Kick their asses and then tie Yue up!" Kaguya suggests. "It wouldn't be the first time, right?"
But Riley finds it's more complicated. "We do, but I'm also--I mean, Redi's... fine. She's fine!"
And, well, "I don't know!" Kaguya shouts back about why the Veruni are after her. But Yue of course... Well, what she says makes sense, of course. "That's why I'm not telling you you don't have to," Kaguya says. "You're in a shit position and I get that. But at the same time, we're not just gonna roll over and die." Pause. "...Are you really mad she killed your mom though? Or are you just mad your mom managed to get one over on you even dying?"
Yue and Acacia miss each other... and...
Kaguya just hopes Dean isn't watching that. She doesn't have time to care anymore. After all, Amaterasu is interested now--and Kaguya is quick to meet her. They clash in the air, and Kaguya's armored jacket takes a burning gouge down the center from Amaterasu's blow in turn. She falls to the ground, and lands in a crouch.
"...All right," Kaguya says. "If you beat me, I won't stop you from taking her. That sounds fair."
Is it really hers to say that? ...Or would she be in a position to argue if she lost anyway?
But in the meantime, Kaguya looks around, and sees--there. The well. Kaguya dives towards it, rolling on the ground, and grips the stone cylinder, wooden frame and all. "You," she grits her teeth at Kanon, and then flexes her muscles to--
RIP the well straight off of the ground!! Leaving a hole and a ring of stones on the earth, she whirls in place with the well and hurls it straight at Amaterasu! "RAAAH!"
"We can't lose now!"
GS: Kaguya has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Kaguya has attacked Amaterasu with Meteor Stance! GS: Kaguya has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaguya has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Xander Lovell has posed.
How does Xander face off against the cuteness of a cucco? By not attacking it. Which, unfortunately, means
"You know perfectly well what," Xander tells Riley. "Don't make me increase it further." It's the same as it ever was: Xander must be paid back for these transgressions with not having to deal with anyone else for extended blocks of time. Or he will, presumably, wither into dust.
Then Redi goes and slanders him. Xander sighs. Again. Where does he get the oxygen?
Amaterasu asks after his familiarity with polearms, and Xander's eye widens a touch. He sees no reason to be coy. "... Perceptive of you." She does not answer his question, not right away, until she is sweeping his legs, knocking him off balance as he pivots and tumbles, barely, barely, managing to regain it --
-- only to skip and falter as he whips his attention over to Yue and Acacia. He reddens, bristling. "That is not a necessary step in relationships!" He points at Riley. "Don't. Say. Anything." And immediately whips back around: "Whatever you two have going on is more important that whatever this fight is about, trust me. Save yourselves the trouble and --"
A new sound is on the battlefield coming from a direction it should not. Triage instinct kicks in, and Xander's no longer shouting. He lunges forward, sashes shooting out like a whip thanks to hidden weights swen into the end, seeking to coil around Kanon's fist and redirect her blow.
For all the poise of it, it's not as graceful as he'd like, and while he avoids getting knocked out in Redi's place from a blow straight to the skull, Kanon still collides brutally with him and sends him sliding back. He hisses, restraightening his posture, but clearly twitching with pain for the effort.
"Could someone explain to me why this is so important that we have people popping out of the walls over it?"
GS: Xander Lovell has attacked Kanon with Ribbon Dance! GS: Xander Lovell enters a Counter stance! GS: Xander Lovell has gained 2 Combo! GS: Xander Lovell gains 26 THP from his Cautious! GS: Xander Lovell has completed his action. GS: Riley Arwell suffers a terrible blow from Amaterasu's Debellatio for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Riley Arwell gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break, Delay, and Slow applied to Riley Arwell! GS: Kanon solidly guards Xander Lovell's Ribbon Dance for 41 hit points! GS: Entangle blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
"No problem!" Yulie replies, offering Redi a nod. Her attention quickly returns to Yue, then... and she frowns, looking away.
"...That's awful. I'm sorry." She replies. And then - Yue moves. She's fast - Yulie is surprised at how quickly she can move in that outfit. With a gasp of surprise, Yulie raises her hands in front of her. Her chakrams spin before her, forming a shield... but even through this, the force of Yue's spear is enough to send her staggering backwards and nearly lose her footing.
"...You're right. I wouldn't." Yulie admits, as she picks herself back up. "...But I chose this."
Redi draws upon her power, now - and this time, Yulie isn't afraid of her when she does. She can ignore that hint of fear prickling at the back of her mind - push it aside. That's Redi - her friend.
But Yue goes in to stab Acacia -
...and kiss her right on the lips at the same time? They're trying to kill each other, but...?
...Is this what adult relationships are like??
She shakes her head, to clear it of the distraction - and she takes a step back.
"Ray Thrust!" Yulie calls out - she spins once to build up momentum before hurling the ring Yue's way!
It's then that she notices...
"Redi!!" Yulie gasps out as a warning, as she sees a figure flying right toward her! But, Kanon is moving too fast. There's no time for her to do anything...!
...Thankfully, Xander is there to intervene - and Yulie finds herself glad, now, that they came along.
"Thank you..." Yulie breathes out, relieved.
...Not that they're out of the woods yet(figuratively, as well as literally) - now they have a third opponent to deal with and the other two are still fighting as fresh as ever.
GS: Yulie Ahtreide spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has attacked Yue Rohay with Ray Thrust! GS: Recover! Hex removed from Yulie Ahtreide! GS: Yulie Ahtreide takes 27 damage from Poison! GS: Yulie Ahtreide takes 43 damage from Reaper! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Why *are* they after Redi? "No idea!" Dean shouts back to her. And that's it. If they want to know, they're right there to ask! He shoots a thumbs-up to Yulie. "Anytime!" And Xander's low-key greeting gets him a smile to go with the one he's already got for Riley. "Hey, Xander!" That smile slips into a look of concern at Riley, though. "Oh, no, they'll definitely be tough, even for you guys. I just said, don't let your guard down!"
But Riley and Xander (allegedly) volunteered to help Redi, huh. "That's great! I'm glad for you guys," he says. He gives a good-natured sigh and eyeroll with Riley says they should maybe just not be around when they're making trouble, with a Significant Look towards, of all people, Xander. After all, they both know they can't just let it happen.
Xander asks something much more cutting, though, i.e. who'll die if they don't get their hands on Redi. Dean's smile fades entirely. That's... something he hadn't considered at all.
Meanwhile, Yue is making out with Acacia *while stabbing her*. The stabbing is one thing, but kissing?? Dean flusters, shaking his head as he looks away. Good thing Yue's not his opponent... But it does leave him momentarily distracted against a foe who isn't someone he can afford to be distracted with. For the same reason, he doesn't catch that sudden ambusher coming in to attack Redi--but fortunately, Xander *does*, and goes to her rescue.
Doubly fortunately, though Amaterasu could have taken advantage of his distraction, she's the honorable sort, even going so far as to offer a bargain on Redi. However...
"No," he tells her bluntly, immediately contradicting Kaguya's acceptance of Amaterasu's terms. "It's her choice whether she goes with you guys or not! As long as she doesn't want to, we're not letting you take her away! And one more thing! I'm not helping her just because she's a friend! I'm helping her because that's the right thing to do!"
...And never mind how he knows what the right thing to do is when he doesn't know anything about Redi or the situation. That's where the being a friend of a friend part comes in handy.
Amaterasu slashes at the air, creating an inverse vortex with a cutting edge as sharp as the spear blade itself--or whatever, it's anime physics, you may as well use a bomb blast to cushion a fall. Dean, who knows neither jack nor squat about physics, is undeterred, angling his ARMs instinctively to soften the blow as he chases after her. It's partially successful--there's still a hard WHUMP against his whole body that would've been a lot worse without his ARM to protect him, and it feels like he just got punched by a giant--but it doesn't stop him. This time, the rods *do* super-heat up, and he whirls them around to try again with striking her armor and transferring that heat through it. If it's successful, it'll leave one nasty burn behind.
GS: Dean Stark spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Dean Stark has attacked Amaterasu with Burning Magazine! GS: Dean Stark has completed his action. GS: Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Yulie Ahtreide's Ray Thrust for 74 hit points! GS: Quick, Quick, and Shield applied to Yulie Ahtreide! GS: FP up! Power Burst GS: Amaterasu suffers a terrible blow from Kaguya's Meteor Stance for 253 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Amaterasu suffers a terrible blow from Dean Stark's Burning Magazine for 223 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Poison blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
"N-no, you've g-g-g-got it all wrong! I'm not combat-ready at all! I-I'm a cook!!" And he gets cooked, because he can't quite dive out of the way of Volcanic Ray in time. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow," he dances, hot-footed, hopping from one foot to the next.
"You ARE a villain!!" He cries, patting himself down. "Y-you're attacking us out of nowhere! Using the mail! Redi loves the mmm-m-mail!" And he reaches out, as that spear goes for Redi, yelling: "Look out!!"
And if that wasn't bad enough -- HERE'S A FIST
"Re--" Hicalu gets halfway through calling out before Xander is right there getting hit instead. "Huh?" He asks, honestly shook. "Y-you protected her..? T--thanks!!" Somehow, despite the Fangs doing their contractual best not to make him scream, he wasn't expecting that. (+10 affinity!)
He turns to Yue, again, and swallows. "T--then I'll fight too!!" He says, bravely, with another set of gestures. "Sacred Pain!" And pink energy washes over Yue, seeking to steal her strength and return it to him. It's not quite a HP drain, but it is a stat drain...!
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Yue Rohay with Sacred Pain! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has gained 3 Combo! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp gains 30 THP from his Cautious! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action. GS: Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Hicalu Wilwisp's Sacred Pain for 0 hit points! GS: Yue Rohay's Break Ward may block the effect! GS: Yue Rohay's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Break, Cripple, and Jam applied to Yue Rohay! GS: Mighty applied to Hicalu Wilwisp!
<Pose Tracker> Riley Arwell has posed.
Redi's ... 'fine, she's fine,' Kaguya insists... "If there are some feelings brewing, you should tell her...!" That stage whisper was too loud, Riley.
Elsewhere within the struggle there is... tragic... romance?!?!? Riley looks at Xander with wobbling eyes even as he is told not to say a word.
But then Xander leaps away to... protect Redi! But is violently smashed into. "Oh no, Xander!!" (but Riley is secretly hoping this will help Xander and Redi's friendship bloom...)
Riley bristles a little as Amaterasu calls killing the mark of unwkilled warriors. "Some warriors have to kill if they don't want thorns growing all over their bodies!" he grouses.
Amaterasu unleashes a flurry of strikes that doesn't leave a moment to breathe and think to counter, forcing Riley back. "Polearms, huh...?" The question was aimed at Xander, but it's Riley who summons forth something new and distinctively polearmed from the ground... ... a shovel! A shovel glowing with ominous runes and radiating an aura of death! And he sweeps it forth, much as Amaterasu did before -- but instead of cleaving a slice of air, it instead releases a shadow that rushes toward her, hungry to steal a bit of her life.
"Just the power of an evil god," he answers belatedly.
Xander demands to know why this is even happening, which seems like a good question to Riley!
"Redi, do you know why so many people want to kidnap you??"
GS: Blitz! Riley Arwell has attacked Amaterasu with Brush with Death! GS: Riley Arwell has gained 2 Combo! GS: Riley Arwell gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Riley Arwell has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
Rebecca's expression just changes like there's a bad smell as she says she'll make things more difficult next time, "At least then we'd know you weren't taking us LIGHTLY - Smartass!"
Oh no, Rebecca cursed. She must be pretty mad to be reaching that adult milestone again right now.
Xander's greeting gets a flick of her off-hand into a sharp, wave, even as she replies to Riley, "So it's fine so long as you don't get caught?"
Rebecca asks, before indicating, "What are you? Ten? Even Dean learned that's not how it works after my mom finally caught him sneaking cookies."
Rebecca tries not to sigh, at Dean's own contrast to her justification, as she knows it's Dean.
That's just how he is. "Hi, Kaguya's friend." Rebecca echoes, in this almost worn voice to Redi.
As Amaterasu calls them out for it, she replies, "Yeah? That's how these things work you know? It's the social contract."
Amaterasu's lance however sweeps down in a cut towards her, and an invocation of her Medium brings up a translucent shamanistic barrier, that then crumples upon the strike.
It at least dulls the blow.
She kinda needs that given the strength of the opponent. Abruptly she swings up her Revolver, and invokes Rigdobrite at the same time.
The Revolver was a feint, because abruptly a shining twinkle above erupts into a tracing laser beam that swings in an arc past Amaterasu.
"So that's our interest, how about you tell us the Veruni's in her now?"
GS: Rebecca Streisand has attacked Amaterasu with Shooting Star! GS: Rebecca Streisand has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rebecca Streisand has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Perhaps it's for the best that Acacia misses the, uh, nuances of Riley's attacks and Redi's curse. She is a reporter after all, even if she's a little busy to get her camera out right now. That said, she can sympathize with Hicalu's general stance on things like this. There are some sorts of power she's just entirely ready to leave well enough alone. Call it a healthy discretion; she certainly does.
And at least she has the grace to pause and wince when Yulie brings up the subject of being 'a villain'. The reporter knows that this situation is nothing so cut and dry, never has been, maybe never will be, but-- well, she did say that there was a great deal of emotional baggage to complicate a very simple story. Yue provides enough of an answer back for her. "... it's not her fault," she adds softly before she rises.
Somehow, despite everything, Acacia hadn't looked bashful at all up until now. Any thought of embarrassment was overtaken by the rush of seeing Yue again and the uncertainty and fear that chased right after it, mixed with the anger of this whole situation and concern for the kids with her. But Redi's low crooning 'oh' is enough to cut through that ever so slightly, and maybe the tips of her ears are a little red. One thing has certainly not changed; she's still something of a glass cannon when it comes to feelings.
But it isn't enough to unbalance her attack on Yue, and her fist strikes home with the satisfying feeling of temporarily disarming the Veruni. That's step one, right? her brain congratulates herself in a split-second. Now that they've done that they can work on--
Her body jolts, and pain sears through her so fast it takes her breath away. The spear has punctured her shoulder in such a smooth and sudden motion she almost doesn't register it happening, and can only stare mutedly at the sudden bloom of red against her jacket in silent disbelief. Her legs almost give out under her, but sheer force of will and the promise of more pain if she slides her way back down the spearblade keep her on her feet, however unsteadily.
Unsteadily enough to be easily dragged forwards into a kiss. Head already foggy from pain, she can probably be forgiven for rather falling into it with a noise that might be a tiny, reluctant sob. How long has it been since she could see Yue, let alone touch her? She can only wilfully ignore the loneliness for so long, and risks ruining the expensive dress as she grasps at a bunch of it along with Yue's waist. The world and her head are both spinning and she's only got one thing to hold onto.
When she pulls back it's just enough to study Yue's face, completely missing the taunt and the grin until she has a boot in her gut and another flood of pain from her shoulder - but then it catches up to her all at once, and before she knows what she's even doing she's burning full of childish anger towards Yue, towards Amaterasu, towards everything being so-- unfair.
So in an instant she's grabbed the spear as close to its blade as she dares before Yue can fully withdraw it and before she can be kicked fully away. "Do you think--" she grunts with effort as she strains against the Veruni's strength and her complaining shoulder, stars in her vision. "--so little of me--" Wrenching the spear upwards, she darts under it, good shoulder first as she twists to haul Yue over her shoulder and away to the ground. "--that I'm just going to give up after a kiss?!"
wait
that came out wrong
She's breathing heavily with emotion but also with exertion as the wound in her shoulder really starts to properly make itself known, and can't help but slump forwards at Xander's yell, even with her gaze fixed hard on Yue. "Yes, thank you, I am aware!" she blurts quickly, and now her face is properly alight as she grimaces in pain. "I'm not the idiot here! At least, not right now!"
Part of her is aware that she shouldn't fall back into a pattern of taunting back and forth. Part of her-- really can't help it. It's just how she and Yue are, even now.
GS: Acacia Saitani has attacked Yue Rohay with Red Tape! GS: Acacia Saitani has gained 1 Combo! GS: Cover expired! GS: Acacia Saitani has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Acacia Saitani's Red Tape for 157 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Slow applied to Yue Rohay! GS: FP up! Power Burst
<Pose Tracker> Kanon has posed.
Kanon strikes square, but the wrong target. "Fast," she observes, and her feet finally touch the wood of the cabin. She stands up. She's not so tall, and the opening of her cloak reveals a slender woman in a sort of sleek, battle-ready minidress, but that cloak gives her a silhouette like a cube...and her left arm is visibly bright red. A cybernetic. Her left eye is also hidden behind an eyepatch, a rugged leather one for travelers. Missing, maybe?
She moves fast through the assault of sashes, thrown off her course toward Redi but also speedily avoiding the attempt to tie her down. While Xander's reassessing himself, Kanon holds up her left arm, and the hand she shot in earlier finally finishes returning to her, locking in with a click.
"This is an exorcism," Kanon says, simply. "A monster hunt."
Her clear blue eye swivels toward Redi. "They'll return enough to bury, probably."
Then she rushes - not Redi, but Xander this time, and there's a light in her palm, not electrical but mystic, as she rushes in toward him.
"...but you'll do, too!" she notes, and then shoves both arms forward, the ki orbs in her palms colliding and reacting into an explosion of blue-white light that saps the strength and might send him back.
GS: Kanon has attacked Xander Lovell with Phalanx! GS: Xander Lovell takes a glancing hit from Kanon's Phalanx for 54 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xander Lovell gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Old applied to Xander Lovell!
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"I-I see it!" Redi answers Hicalu, gasping.
Yue charges for Redi, and Redi isn't nearly fast enough for her. Her spear-staff rams into her shoulder, cutting deep and stabbing into her. She yanks free, but there's a bloody gash when she does. Redi hisses through gritted teeth, stumbling backward.
She hits the ground with her left hand, palm flat against it. Some of the grass she touches withers, then dies.
Motes of darkness surge up around her, red and violet, like crackling flame -- and her shoulder begins knitting back together with a violet flash of light. Her shirt and coat are still bloodied; the skin under it is smooth and untouched. The motes linger though.
"Doesn't mean I'm not a courier!" Redi snaps back at Yue, heatedly. "Just... a little different, that's all!"
She glances to her left, then her right -- at Hicalu and then Yulie, after the attacks they took. There's a worried expression on her face, for a moment. Hicalu is determined -- willing to fight, even if he's scared. And Yulie seems okay. If... surprised...?
Redi's suspicions about Acacia and Yue are, in fact, quite confirmed. For a moment, her face is red again, before she shakes her head. It wouldn't do to get distracted. She rears herself up -- and then she looks up, hearing Yulie shout her name, as something tears out of the nearby well--
--and a cyborg comes tearing out, fist coming for her. Before it hits, though, ribbons tear out of the sky and yank it -- straight into him.
"Xander!" she calls out. Then, she tries -- and fails -- to answer his and Riley's question both: "I-I don't know! I've never met either of them before!"
Even as she tenses when Kanon says they would return enough to bury her. There's a cold feeling in her stomach at that.
She can only spare a glance at Kaguya, Rebecca, Dean, and Riley, at this point. But she can see that they're under no small amount of pressure from Amaterasu. There is a flash of guilt at that.
Putting themselves at risk for her sake...
But it's her choice, Dean says. Redi swallows, then she nods, and rushes forward at Yue. Her staff is held out to the side. This time, it isn't Hicalu's fire that dances up it. It's a spectral, dark crimson and violet flame that crackles in a way that's not quite right -- and she swings it around, two-handed, in a mighty blow aimed for Yue's midsection.
And when it gets close, that fire turns into crimson light -- that streams from Yue and towards Redi, as if to drain her of her very vitality and feed it to Redi. "I won't throw away everything they're doing for me!"
GS: Redi Hayworth spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Redi Hayworth has attacked Yue Rohay with Coldfire Break! GS: Redi Hayworth has gained 2 Combo! GS: Redi Hayworth gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Redi Hayworth gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Redi Hayworth takes 54 damage from Reaper! GS: Shield expired! GS: Redi Hayworth has completed her action. GS: Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Redi Hayworth's Coldfire Break for 235 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst GS: Redi Hayworth drains Yue Rohay! Redi Hayworth gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Amaterasu solidly guards Riley Arwell's Brush with Death for 217 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Amaterasu! GS: Charge!! You gain 50 FP! (That's 35 more than usual!) GS: Riley Arwell enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Delay expired! GS: Amaterasu takes a glancing hit from Rebecca Streisand's Shooting Star for 69 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Hyper and Mighty removed!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Even through the chaos and fire, Yue hears Kanon's comment, as she chases directly after Redi. The trap within the trap has been sprung, while people were distracted in the chaos and their attentions split by Amaterasu.
Will it work?
It SHOULD, but Xander reacts faster than even she can react, lunging forward to grab Kanon by his sashes and redirect her towards him. This is a level of coordination that she didn't expect, from the Drifters.
"Couldn't have been timed better, Kanon dear."
Amaterasu accepts the proposal of the world's biggest colisseum, and Yue's smirk just seems to widen -- and sadden, as she calls her 'Miss Rohay'. "You won't even give me the satisfaction, hmm...?"
Amaterasu's also making a proposal with Kaguya. "Um-- Mat-- should we really be striking deals like this?"
She questions, but there's a grin on her face because Mat going off to do her own thing that possibly runs counter to the plan just makes it more fun for her.
Coccoro, in turn, seems to enjoy and accept this issuing of a personal challenge. The bloodlust must stir within the Cucco, after all...
Kaguya posits the question: Would it be the first time Acacia's tied Yue up? "I was in handcuffs for years," Yue points out. But she challenges her more directly, pointing out that they're not going to just roll over and die.
"Of course, I would be extremely disappointed if you if you chose to do just that." Isn't that kind of what she's doing right now, though? And on the topic of Shijie Rohay...
"... surprisingly, both," Yue admits. "I should be partying over the bisected remains of her corpse, but even I can't control what I feel. Isn't not strange, to feel remorse and guilt and sadness over the most despicable person? And yet that is more honest than denying it."
And with that moment of surprising lucidity out of the way, her face fades back into the seeming facade of drunkennness, because a spymaster is destined to never show her true face.
"Try finishing your fight first before you decide that, Rebecca dear," Yue taunts Rebecca back in turn. "Amaterasu is no lightweight."
And indeed, what a facade! As Acacia draws close to her once more, grabbing at her spear, and then suddenly her world's the one turning all around, as she fails to wrench the staff-spear away entirely from her and is then the one thrown in return, where she tucks into a roll and springs away.
"I wouldn't expect you to give up at first base, Acacia," Yue laughs and rather lasciviously taunts her onward, staring at Xander as he protests on how killing is not a necessary step in relationships.
"Is it not? Why does it always end up that way for me, then...?"
You should really know the answer to that, Yue.
The way the grass withers when Redi collapses against it is not lost on the Veruni. Motes of darkness continue to swell up. The way, despite blood trickling through her, her skin does not seem to break... no, rather, she seems to repair it at the cost of life in others.
"Just a little darkness and vampirism as a side job," Yue teases Redi, all too lightly, even though her eyes are full-on in information gathering at the moment as she chases her down and draw a palpably Dark flame into her staff and strikes at her with it.
"Ghh--"
Yue's thrown to one side with that clean hit, and doesn't quite pull up as easily as before. "Well, now aren't you something..."
Hicalu's next spell doesn't come in a form that she quite expects, as pink energy washes over Yue and seeks to drain her strength out. He succeeds at spades at this, as she hobbles over a moment later, already strickened by Redi's blow.
"I never said I was otherwise," Yue responds. But Hicalu protests that he's just a cook. "Really? Just a cook? And you command magic like that. And she's just a courier! At this rate, you're going to set broken expectations for today's youths. 'Oh, you want to be an artist? Show me a mastery of High-level Crest Sorcery, because the Ley should be your palette!'"
Yulie's Ray Thrust distracts her from the topic of unreasonable expectations a moment later, the chakram back to make her immediate space a circular hell; this time, she doesn't manage to firmly deflect it, and it cuts against that already-singed arm, drawing blood.
"Never apologise for having choice in your life. Hold fast onto it, and never let go. And look sharp!"
Yue says that in part because she's already dashing forward even as the chakram cuts into her. Billowing with grand, ephemeral curtains of phantasmal cuccos, she torques up her speed further and further up until she's a contradiction of darkness in the Lightness of her ether, slashing once--
--twice-
--thrice--
--fourfivesixseveneightnineten--
What she carves out with her spear is an intricate glyph, each stroke and slash and thrust creating the image of a Cucco ascendant. With the final strike completed, she tilts her head back over her shoulder and snaps her fingers with a whisper of--
coo
GS: Yue Rohay has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Yue Rohay has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Yue Rohay has activated a Boss Action! GS: Yue Rohay spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Redi Hayworth with Ascendant Fowlspear! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Ascendant Fowlspear! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Yulie Ahtreide with Ascendant Fowlspear! GS: Yue Rohay has attacked Acacia Saitani with Ascendant Fowlspear! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yue Rohay gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Yulie Ahtreide solidly guards Yue Rohay's Ascendant Fowlspear for 166 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Entangle applied to Yulie Ahtreide! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: Hicalu Wilwisp takes a glancing hit from Yue Rohay's Ascendant Fowlspear for 115 hit points! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: Redi Hayworth critically guards Yue Rohay's Ascendant Fowlspear for 128 hit points! GS: Jam blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Xander Lovell has posed.
"So that's how it is," Xander notes of Acacia. "I sympathize. Good luck." If it sounds like sarcasm it's only because the very idea of it throws him back into exhausting memories.
Xander stares Kanon down, readopting a more agile stance. He's tangled enough with Drifters to know the dangers they possess are more than they readily show, and what Kanon readily showed was already bad enough.
... Somewhere in the background, he is being thanked.
"Don't mistake me," he snaps back to the others. ...And fails to follow it up with the supposed correction.
But back to the battle at hand, Kanon finally supplies a reason: A monster hunt. Enough to bury. He told her. Xander told Redi about this. His entire demeanor shifts, no longer poised with elegance, but lip twitched back, fangs exposed, and fingers twitching in a curl that emphasizes his dark tipped claws. It's a flash of a change before that orb of ki smashes into him and throws him back, straight to smash into a tree.
Xander twists, landing on it with his feet and launching off -- this hurt, undoubtedly, and his lip is bleeding and his complexion's gone paler -- but Xander forces himself through it. No fan, no sash, not even a hidden knife. Xander comes at Kanon with the power of the Claw of Valmar. The swipe of his clawed hands catching on the air as if it were ripping it apart while a force of corruption seeks to tear across her.
GS: Xander Lovell has attacked Kanon with The Abyss Gazes Back! GS: Xander Lovell has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xander Lovell's stances have changed from Counter and Stoic to Counter and Hero! GS: Xander Lovell gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Xander Lovell has completed his action. GS: Acacia Saitani suffers a terrible blow from Yue Rohay's Ascendant Fowlspear for 362 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Delay applied to Acacia Saitani! GS: Kanon has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: Kanon takes a solid hit from Xander Lovell's The Abyss Gazes Back for 170 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Kanon gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
It might be mean for Hicalu to call the woman kissing Acacia a villain, but, uh: she's attacking them. With spears and fire. It REALLY hurts and it's SUPER scary. So actually, yeah??? Villain????
Don't ask him how Xander leaping to Redi's defence works into this calculus because he is COMPLETELY not prepared to balance those books. (Wait, that's not calculus? He's not very good at maths...)
"T-there's n-n-nothing wrong with normal people having magic! It's normal! I've had this much magic s-since I was a l-l-little KID!" Hicalu tries to protest Yue's point about how they're far too sorcerously skilled to be normal, but it's not like there's a village out there where everyone is a mage and it's totally normal or anything. He's pretty sure he'd remember something like that and he doesn't.
His magic sure did come in handy in Little Firelight, though! For instance: "I-I'll show you the power of my tablescraps demon! DARK DEVOURER!" He even gets his gestures right on the first go --
-- as a portal to Hell opens beneath Yue --
-- and a horrible tentacle reaches out to latch onto her, with suckers which stick to her even after it gets sucked back into the portal to Hell which this normal cook can apparently open.
"He eats the tablescraps so we don't have to throw as much stuff out," Hicalu explains, as if that clears everything up.
GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has attacked Yue Rohay with Dark Devourer! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has gained 2 Combo! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp gains 23 THP from his Cautious! GS: Blind, Jam, and Mute expired! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has completed his action. GS: Yue Rohay partially guards Hicalu Wilwisp's Dark Devourer for 100 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Disease, Interrupt, and Poison applied to Yue Rohay! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
At this remark from Riley, Amaterasu actually pauses, cocking her head slightly as if to regard him anew. "To kill or be killed... hah, that is often the way of the world," she remarks. "But it need not be so here."
She, herself, of course has bloody hands -- as Yue points out. There is silence on Amaterasu's part when Yue speaks of working alongside her mother's killer. Rather than seeming the empty air someone riddled with guilt, though--
"I did only what was necessary," Amaterasu states. "Should you take exception to my actions, Miss Rohay... then you are welcome to censure me accordingly."
As if there wouldn't be consequences for Yue even for that. As if Amaterasu's slaughter of Shijie Rohay hadn't essentially been pardoned by Volsung himself. As if, in the eyes of Veruni society at large, it was all water under the bridge and not a murder.
"...If you are able, then I will take you up on the offer, Miss Rohay," she replies evenly, as if everything between them was normal. "But please do not make promises while you are drunk."
Perhaps it is just as well that Amaterasu is too tangled up in a fight of her own devising to see what Yue does to someone she does genuinely like.
Instead, Amaterasu faces off against her younger sister-- even making a deal that perhaps she shouldn't be making...?! "Then we are in agreement. Now, show me what it is that you can do, Kaguya!" she says, as if she's not hearing any of Yue's arguments against it (such that they are). "I want to see the fruits of your training!" she exhorts, extending her left hand towards her only sibling. After all, Amaterasu herself had trained her.
Kaguya might be smaller than Amaterasu. She might be, by point of comparison, weaker. But she is still Veruni, and that means--
That the entire top of a well is flung directly at Amaterasu. There is no time to evade it, let alone manage to mitigate the blow: it takes Amaterasu directly, the force of the blow sending her flying into the nearby trees. A trail of destruction follows from whence Amaterasu had been sent. A silence settles over this side of the field.
Then, from among the trees, there is a blur of motion and light. At speed, Amaterasu erupts from the wreckage amidst the trees and rushes her sister, her sudden dash punctuated by a leap towards the heavens... and the descent, blade-first, that follows.
That Dean had refused the offer is something that seems to come almost as an afterthought to Amaterasu once she has again traded blows with her sister. Slowly she turns her head, as if noticing Dean afresh. "...Is that so? Even if all her defenders should fall?"
But Dean demonstrates precisely what he means by 'defend Redi', and slams those superheated battle rods against Amaterasu, succeeding in knocking her back and more besides. With a hiss, Amaterasu stumbles; her armor, though it modulates to contain the sudden burst in heat, still feels as if it's burning even against her bodysuit. "A strong boy, you are... let me test your mettle!" And here, she appears to not hold back in the slightest, leaping into the air to driving down at him with the full force of her blade (and gravity) at her beck and call.
And yet... is there not something left behind in the tank, so to speak?
"And yet, many would not," she calls back to Rebecca, whirling about to answer her apparent shot with a reply of her own. The bullet doesn't so much as ping off the edge of Amaterasu's armor.
It doesn't need to. From on high, there descends a sparkling beam and even Amaterasu only barely escapes the boundaries of that blast, the edge leaving a scorching line across her body armor.
Why are the Veruni so interested in Redi, Rebecca and several others.
"Miss Hayworth is of interest to our cause," she says directly, seemingly finding no need to conceal the matter. "But I also am interested in testing the strength of your... devotion," she concludes, ARM held at the ready before her. "Humans are fragile, fleeting creatures. Yet, even so..."
Even so, they seem to possess a fantastic power.
It's one that Amaterasu seems keen to test fully, rushing at Rebecca to try take her again and again with curving arcs from her Valkyrja's brilliant edge.
In this moment darkness rushes towards her like an angry ghost. There is no escaping it, either.
Shadows are not something with which Amaterasu is unfamilar, though the precise tone and cant of this particular shade is, even as it swallows her... it's different, isn't it?
"An evil god... is it?"
Amaterasu strides from the shadow even as it seems to cling to her form, peeling off only reluctantly. Her polearm is held almost loosely with her right hand and the lights of her mask's 'eyes' flicker. "...I see. This is a darkness even I am unused to..." Her left hand slides down the spear's haft and readjusts something near the blade's head. "Then, child of an evil god...!" She swings the bladed polearm forward for Riley, its edge suddenly quadrupled in length and intensity: even a sword would not be so long.
GS: Amaterasu spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Kaguya with Ex Aequo Et Bono! GS: Amaterasu has gained 3 Combo! GS: Amaterasu's Hero stance ends! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Dean Stark with Trial De Novo! GS: Amaterasu enters a Counter stance! GS: Amaterasu has gained 2 Combo! GS: Amaterasu has attacked Rebecca Streisand with De Lege Lata! GS: Amaterasu has gained 3 Combo! GS: Amaterasu's stances have changed from Counter to and Counter! GS: Amaterasu spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Amaterasu has attacked Riley Arwell with Res Judicata! GS: Amaterasu has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dean Stark solidly guards Amaterasu's Trial De Novo for 89 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dean Stark gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Countermeasures GS: Kaguya partially evades Amaterasu's Ex Aequo Et Bono for 251 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Kaguya gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Kanon has posed.
Kanon's eye ticks to Redi again, watching her fling her powers at Yue. Kanon's not a supporter; the best she can do is hold Xander down, if not defeat him outright. But he's of interest to her. Kanon shows little surprise to Xander's sudden turn: "Knew I remembered your poster," she says, cold and quick. His new, renewed anger and power sees her surge aside, but it slashes through the cloak's obfuscating swirl, raking along her flank. The corruption doesn't sink in, but it does send Kanon tumbling, rolling along the ground several meters before she slaps the ground hard, transitioning almost seamlessly from a tumble into a flip.
Much as he goes taciturn, so does she, saying little as her feet clap into the roof and then SHOVE off, flipping forward into a downward kick that ripples with unspent force as she drives down like a pike into Xander's chest.
GS: Kanon has attacked Xander Lovell with Pike Kick! GS: Kanon has gained 2 Combo! GS: Kanon gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Kanon gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Entangle expired! GS: Kanon has completed her action. GS: COUNTER! Xander Lovell counterattacks Kanon with Blood for Blood! GS: Xander Lovell partially guards Kanon's Pike Kick for 153 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xander Lovell gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Riley Arwell solidly guards Amaterasu's Res Judicata for 71 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Riley Arwell gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Hyper applied to Amaterasu! GS: Protect! Xander Lovell takes 18 damage! GS: Riley Arwell has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
Dean won't accept the deal. That's very Dean, Kaguya would say. So is 'the right thing to do'. She grins, despite herself, to hear him say it. But she feels a lot less cool when Riley calls back--
"I didn't say there were FEELINGS!"
If Rebecca can get the interest the Veruni have in Redi out, then good for her, but Kaguya doesn't even try to get information out of Amaterasu. For reasons beyond Rebecca's swearing.
Whether or not they should be making these deals, Yue has an answer for Kaguya. And Kaguya glances to her over the battlefield, just a moment. "...No," Kaguya says, "Sometimes you're sad even when your enemy dies. Killing people isn't a solution that leaves anyone 'happy'."
Not Mat, either, Kaguya thinks. Not that either of them can be happy about this.
"Then I will!" Kaguya roars back at Amaterasu as she exhorts her to show her what she can do--and her training, as it happens, relies upon the sheer power of a Veruni warrior. Kaguya, for all her small size, was trained by Amaterasu to use that strength against larger oopponents--and now, she is that opponent.
Silence happens for a moment, but Kaguya breaks it with a short breath. And then, that motion of light--the rush--
Kaguya jumps out of the way, and evades the blade itself. The sheer power of the strike, though, rends the very air. Kaguya is knocked backward, the dirt and grass showering the battlefield as it explodes and sends her flying past the wrecked circle that was once a well, far from her friends.
Dean thinks it's RIght, but...
"Humans are stronger than you think."
Kaguya drags herself up from where she'd landed, face to the ground, and pushes one hand out of the dirt. Then, the other, as she gets up to her feet. "They come to this world and they're at a disadvantage. Their foes are so much stronger than they are. Their world itself betrays them. But they keep getting up."
"...And they deserve better than what we're going to give them, Amaterasu."
Amaterasu being busy with Riley, the 'child of an evil god', gives Kaguya a moment to steel herself. She looks to the other side of the battlefield, where Redi is. She won't waste it...
"I knew I liked you!" Kaguya shouts out to Redi. "Just hang on!"
Then, she bends again, at the knee.
Kaguya leaps into the sky, reaching her hand back, palm forward elbow extending. "Haaah--!"
Her leap reaches its apex and she hangs in the air, light gathering into her hand. After a few long seconds, it bursts into an orb, light shimmering and throwing off blinding white energy.
Then, she starts to fall, slowly at first and then fast, faster, fastest. She moves through the air much like Amaterasu did a moment ago--
To slam that fist towards Amaterasu, for a gigantic explosion!
GS: Kaguya spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Kaguya has attacked Amaterasu with Falling Star! GS: Kaguya has gained 1 Combo! GS: Kaguya has completed her action. GS: Rebecca Streisand takes a glancing hit from Amaterasu's De Lege Lata for 78 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rebecca Streisand gains 1 additional Combo! GS: RUIN! All positive status effects and temporary hit points purged from Rebecca Streisand! GS: COUNTER! Amaterasu counterattacks Kaguya with Ad Hoc! GS: CRITICAL! Amaterasu takes a solid hit from Kaguya's Falling Star for 298 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Drowsy applied to Amaterasu! GS: Mute blocked! GS: Charge!! You gain 50 FP! (That's 35 more than usual!) GS: Kaguya drains Amaterasu! Kaguya gains 99 temporary hit points! GS: Strain! Kaguya takes 53 damage! GS: Kaguya solidly guards Amaterasu's Ad Hoc for 112 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Kaguya gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Riley Arwell has posed.
I didn't say there were FEELINGS!
"But that's what people always say when there are feelings..." Riley says. Unfortunately Xander may have set a certain precedent for the sorts of things Riley looks out for in these matters.
Rebecca compares Riley's attitude to a child stealing cookies, and Riley bristles."Yes, it's better if we don't get caught," Riley snaps back to Rebecca, indignant. "We're not stealing cookies, we have to kill to live!" All that comes of being caught by friends is having to fight them. It seems unfair to have to argue about this when the Fangs are being good for once...!
Xander gets assailed with unwanted thanks. Riley smiles a little to himself at Xander's unconvincing protests... when he hears the line about this being a monster hunt and turns with alarm. "But she hasn't done anything!" he calls toward Kanon. Surely reasonable people can make distinctions between people who've been touched by corruption but haven't hurt anybody because of it, and people who... have. The Fangs are the latter. But Redi is still actually innocent.
Amaterasu, on the other hand, seems to just be here to fight for fighting's sake... a slightly exhausting thought. His shoulders droop as she re-emphasizes it. "Right, well, it's nice to not go to the death for once, but... that does make this feel a little pointless... does it really matter that much who's a better warrior?" And if this ends with everyone still alive, are they going to keep coming after Redi??
"Oh, I'm not the child of an evil god... I guess I'm marrying one, if Xander gets his way...." Oh no blade is LONG now---!! He brings up the shovel reflexively in a parry, the force of the strike pushing him back and bringing sparks off the clashing weapons. The shockwave makes his hands feel painfully numb...!
When their weapons part, he drives the shovel forward again, and this time the force that emerges from it is something like a hungering spirit, with empty eyes and a gasping mouth, grasping for her and carrying the dread of the grave as it siphons once again at her lifeforce. "It's... a little hard for me to keep death out of things completely but I'm not trying to kill her, I swear!" he calls to Kaguya.
GS: Blitz! Riley Arwell has attacked Amaterasu with Herald of the Grave! GS: Riley Arwell has gained 2 Combo! GS: Riley Arwell gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Break and Slow expired! GS: Riley Arwell has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Xander Lovell has posed.
Kanon's kick slams down into Xander's body. He's not a large person, one barely held together by resolve and darkness from the looks of things. But he is held together, and he holds still as she smashes him into the ground with overwhelming force.
He coughs and sputters, and he gets back up again, growling.
"Is that how you found Redi? A wanted poster?" Xander demands. "At least I deserve it. What the hell has she done?!"
The fingers of his claw flex and twitch. His arm muscle flexes taut with the effort, gaze darker than before. Earth rumbles beneathe Kanon, and then surging from the ground is a massive maw of a carnivious plant, its spiny teeth like spikes of bone as they seek to bite into her from below.
"If it's just a monster hunt to you, don't be surprised when there's more to the pack than just cubs in the nest!"
GS: Xander Lovell has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Xander Lovell spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Xander Lovell has attacked Kanon with Dionaea! GS: Xander Lovell has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xander Lovell gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Xander Lovell has completed his action. GS: Kanon solidly guards Xander Lovell's Dionaea for 114 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Kanon gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Kanon has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight! GS: Kanon solidly guards Xander Lovell's Blood for Blood for 93 hit points! GS: Kanon has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Acacia doesn't have time to track what is happening with this newcomer, outside of just-- outright assuming they're also a member of the Veruni forces. She's tired and bleeding a whole lot all of a sudden and can be forgiven for missing details, probably. Her camera finger itches - something tells her she should be taking photographs of this along the way - but there's much more important things at stake.
Were she less stabbed, Redi's confirmation that something else is going on with her and Yue's later reaction to it would at least make sense. Yue didn't enact this plan out of nowhere, and maybe figuring out why she did it is one of the first steps towards figuring out how to start fighting back against the situation they're all embroiled in. As it is, she is mostly thinking: ow. It's something she'll have to properly process later.
She comes back to some lucidity at the thought of one Shijie Rohay, because even after everything her blood still boils at the thought of her. Truth be told, Acacia has yet to really figure out how she feels about what happened to her. It's another of those things that simply cannot be called cut-and-dry, and even Acacia - many steps removed from Yue's family matters - can't feel satisfied with the way that everything happened, especially given its aftermath. Besides-- one of the things she knows very well:
"... family is like that," she mutters softly as she pulls herself back to her feet. "... I took your advice, Yue. Went back to Guild Galad. I-- said hello on the way past. Can't bring myself to hate them, but couldn't bring myself to stay more than an hour either. It was awkward as hell." She swallows past a lump in her throat. "I think I needed it."
It helps crystallize her thoughts when it comes to Shijie's death - and while she's faced Yue directly this whole fight, she spares Amaterasu a truly ugly look for the sake of the other Veruni. "Stop hiding behind false civility. I liked you a little better when you sounded like a properly rude asshole rather than an office worker."
At least her expression has the chance to go flat at Xander's protest and Yue's answer to it, before she practically sniggers in return were it not the way it makes waves of pain ripple through her. "... yeah, we're both kinda messed up, but it's not our fault," she rasps. "Punching her really is how I show my love right now, though, don't worry. It's a dumb idiot thing."
She tries to figure out what to call to Hicalu, because-- she's worried that he's going to get stabbed, but she's also kind of impressed that the kid is still firing sorcery. It reminds her how she used to be; protesting she wasn't any good as a fighter, but still standing up time and time again because that's... just what you do, isn't it? It was only later she resolved that disconnect.
Then there is simply no time to worry about anyone else anyway, because Yue is moving faster and faster, faster than Acacia has ever seen her, propelled forwards along with a suffocating wave of foreboding. The ether billows around her as she tries to work to prevent the glyph from being formed, but when it comes down to it she's still much of a novice, operating more on instinct and emotion than precise movements and disruptive layouts.
She has barely time to yell something indistinct before her efforts fail, and suddenly the world is light and pain and occasional coos; if she thought the spear in her shoulder was bad, then she's not sure what exactly she was thinking. She's hit the ground before she knows it, ether wisps trailing off of her from where they've ripped through her. Darkness swims across her vision, and she nearly slips way into unconsciousness - but something keeps her on her hands and knees, not fully down yet even as her vision narrows to a point.
Gritting her teeth, she pulls herself back up. "... Yue..." she hisses as she pulls herself to one knee, and then up on shaky legs. "The question isn't whether I'm gonna kill you." She manages a step forwards, then the rest come almost by inertia, propelling herself slowly. "It's whether you can kill me. Because if not, I'll keep following you."
Bravado aside, she knows this is the last ounce of energy she's got right now - but she uses it to throw herself forwards, borne on a wave of ether and a lance of light at her back. There is nothing fancy about the actual strike; she just rears her fist back and then lunges, pouring her feelings into it.
GS: Acacia Saitani spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Acacia Saitani has attacked Yue Rohay with Mightier than the Sword! GS: Delay expired! GS: Acacia Saitani enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Weaken expired! GS: Acacia Saitani has completed her action. GS: Delay! Attack greatly weakened! GS: Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Acacia Saitani's Mightier than the Sword for 174 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Amaterasu solidly guards Riley Arwell's Herald of the Grave for 221 hit points! GS: Delay blocked! GS: Charge!! You gain 50 FP! (That's 35 more than usual!) GS: FP up! Reaction bonus
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
'...It's not her fault', Acacia says. And Yue... tells her to never apologise for having choice in her life. ...Yulie looks a little sad, at that - maybe she can sympathise with her a little more than she likes.
Being a Paladienne - and staying one, even as cracks began and continue to form in the facade that is Granas - is one of the few things she's ever really had choice in.
And even that's because...
...She could see herself having become like this, too, if her life had taken a different path.
She doesn't get the opportunity to dwell on it much longer. Look sharp, she said -
"Ah!" Yulie gasps - Yue is already dashing forward, carving a glyph into the floor with her spear. She braces herself - and is blown away! She tumbles to the ground, picking herself up with some effort. It hurts, but... she can't stop here.
The Veruni need Redi for their cause...
"...I can't let you. We won't let you just use her." Yulie says, with a shake of her head. There's nothing else for it, then. She thinks - Code M would just burn down the woods around then, and Code S would probably drown them all. In the end, she decides...
"...Safety device, disengaged!" Yulie calls out. "Starting up: Code F!"
She reaches out - and something begins to gather. Piece by piece it builds, taking the form of a great horned, clawed beast. White fur clings to its back and arms, while the rest of its body is covered in armor and scales - and jutting out of its back are two crystals, glowing with green energy.
It's a presence similar to the Wind Guardian - but something's missing at the same time. It whirls on Yue and slashes through the air with its claws, unleashing blades of air in her direction before dissipating back into its constituent parts.
GS: Formation! Yulie Ahtreide has attacked Yue Rohay with Material Drive - Set E! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has gained 1 Combo! GS: Yulie Ahtreide takes 37 damage from Poison! GS: Yulie Ahtreide takes 52 damage from Reaper! GS: Burst expired! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Yulie Ahtreide's Material Drive - Set E for 227 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Strictly speaking, Redi doesn't say if she's willing to go with the Veruni or not... but she already said earlier she didn't want to go with them, and she says now that she won't throw away what the others are doing for her. To Dean, that's the same thing. He gives her a broad smile and a decisive nod.
Which turns into an embarrassed grimace when Rebecca pulls the Childhood Friend card and brings up how he used to sneak cookies from the cookie jar. She's technically complimenting him by saying he *doesn't* do that now, but it really doesn't feel like one! "H-hey, we've got a fight to focus on!" he protests to her and Riley both.
Especially since the growing implication of why the Veruni are after Redi is because... of that curse she's got. Or at least that lady who jumped in did. Amaterasu just says she's 'of interest' to their cause. Dean frowns at that. "Do you mean the TF System?"
If that's the case, that's REALLY worrying... but he's not going to think about that right now. Amaterasu challenges him, and he shouts back, "Bring it on!"
A normal human being probably wouldn't be able to guard that strike that she lashes down on him; even guarding, their arms would break, their legs would snap. But Dean has the blessings of several Guardians--a Seer of Moor Gault, the bearer of the Original Mountain Medium of Dinoginos. It's the latter in particular that lets him bear up under her assault, boots grinding into the dirt, a pained growl in his throat--but it rises into a roar, and he leans in his whole body to SHOVE her back, then swing his ARMs together to open fire on her with a hail of bullets, jumping to one side to keep that spray on Amaterasu while avoiding Kaguya and the others as they pour on their own attacks.
Kaguya defends humans, and he shouts, "That's right!! Don't think you can push us around forever!"
GS: Dean Stark has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Dean Stark spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Dean Stark has attacked Amaterasu with Bullet Shower! GS: Dean Stark has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dean Stark has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Kanon has posed.
Kanon is steady, as Xander coughs and sputters. "No," is her answer to him. "But the bounty's out there. This won't end here."
Xander's claw flexes. Her eye cuts down - and then the earth surges up around her, a massive plant rising up around her to devour.
There's a burst of light...and Kanon's gone.
But from somewhere nearby, her voice says, "...you're right. I shouldn't get greedy. You two will take some work of your own." Then, louder, so Yue and Amaterasu can hear: "This isn't working. I'm leaving."
A shadow leaps off the roof, hits the ground, and skates off into the forest to the soft whine of an electric motor.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
"Gee, thanks. Appreciate having you here to tell me that." Rebecca tells Yue sardonically in response to telling her Amaterasu is no lightweight.
Whereas Riley? "What? You think I'm going to tell you it's fine then? Get over yourself. I'm not gonna tell you it's fine to look at people the same way you would food - even if it's what you need to live."
Before she then says to Dean, "I know we do, Dean!" Then why isn't she focusing on it!?
(Don't tell her she isn't, it'll go poorly.)
Amaterasu notes that many would not, "Spoken like someone who's never lived in a small town. Sure, you can't expect someone who isn't a fighter to stand up to someone like you. When you're paying someone back? You act within your capabilities."
Rebecca is suddenly being rushed at, as the edges of the spear come at her again and again, it's ruinous edge one she has to steer clear of.
As it arcs towards her, she bends backwards, putting her hands down before doing a series of flips to stay just ahead of.
She doesn't always succeed - a Veruni is certainly much faster, and stronger than her. Blood paints the floor.
And as she pants. She tells her as defiantly as she can manage...
"Here's mine."
She suddenly goes from being on the back forth, to surging forward, balancing on one leg, she fires one spinning kick after another at the much larger Veruni. Each one striking like a thunderclap, faster and faster she moves, again and again, a blur of motion.
Abruptly she leaps away, unloading her ARM on her, a rain of bullets showering down, far more than the clip OUGHT to carry, making it difficult to dodge.
Before the muzzle then flashes with a sudden charge of power, and a bright beam erupts from it to descend upon her.
Then landing with a hand upon the down, she notes, "If there's one thing we've learned about dealing with your people, it's that when the Veruni wants someone, we shouldn't let them have them."
(Wait does that count for all situations? Rebecca thinks of Kaguya and all of her past girlfriends?)
No no no don't think about it.
GS: Rebecca Streisand has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Kaguya used Force Action: Mystic on Rebecca Streisand! FP up! GS: Blind removed! GS: Rebecca Streisand spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Formation! Rebecca Streisand has attacked Amaterasu with Flegel Jahre! GS: Rebecca Streisand has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rebecca Streisand has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"It's not a side job!" Redi snaps back at Yue. "There's... there's nothing to it. Nothing any of you should care about!"
The lie rings hollow in her ears. After all, Xander told her this would happen. Sooner or later, they would come for her. She didn't know who -- didn't know it would be the Veruni -- and she certainly doesn't know why.
Motes of violet and crimson dance around her, like crackling fire that bobs and weaves around her. And her eyes are lightly glowing, now.
She sees those glyphs -- like cuccos -- and then says, softly, under her breath: "Oh, crap."
She swings up her staff -- braces herself -- and the shots slam into her, spectral cuccoos rushing around her. Several strike into her, driving her backward. She just barely manages to not fall over, slamming her staff end into the ground.
Redi's eyes widen a little, as she sees Hicalu's spell -- again, but with more clarity this time -- and then she looks at him. After everything she's experienced, with her curse...
"Seems handy!" she tells him. The questions, she decides, can wait.
Redi, mercifully, was distracted when Kaguya yelled about feelings. Or when Riley yelled about feelings. But she hears her now. Redi looks sideways at Kaguya, then she flashes a quick smile at her. "Gonna do my best!"
She looks back at Dean -- returning the grin -- even if she wonders: what is the TF System? He and Rebecca seem to know more, she thinks.
And it gives Rebecca resolve, and she hasn't met Redi before.
She looks sideways at Yulie, when she answers Amaterasu. She looks surprised, for a moment -- not, really, because it surprises her that she said that. They'd all made it clear where they stood.
"Yulie..."
But it feels good to hear it said so plainly. And it feels good to hear it from a friend she made, in spite of everything that happened. She looks back at Yue, as Yulie's phantasm resembling a Guardian surges forward.
'A monster hunt.'
'What the hell has she done?'
Redi's eyebrow twitches, but in a subtle way. Her eyes glow all the more; the aura of crackling, infernal flame behind her. Her fingers tighten about her staff, her knuckles whitening.
"I'm not a monster," she says, her voice a little quiet. Yue might well not even hear her. "And we're not... all of us are more than what we can do!"
She raises a hand up above her head. A ring-shaped pulse of dark purple light shoots out from her hand, rattling the dust and small stones on the ground. Then, a bead of dark red light forms over her open palm. It pulses, itself; surging out, then condensing down again. Motes of black and violet light draw into it.
And it rattles and shakes, before she hurls it. The ball of light goes off like a shot for Yue, as Yulie's spectral Guardian fades. There is a slight arc to the ball of energy, before it comes for the spymaster.
Then it explodes, in a titanic blast of violet, crimson, and dark energy that is blinding to look at.
GS: Redi Hayworth has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Redi Hayworth has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Redi Hayworth spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Redi Hayworth has attacked Yue Rohay with Shadowflare! GS: Redi Hayworth gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Redi Hayworth gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Redi Hayworth takes 59 damage from Reaper! GS: Reaper expired! GS: Redi Hayworth has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: High! Yue Rohay suffers a terrible blow from Redi Hayworth's Shadowflare for 381 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Amaterasu takes a solid hit from Dean Stark's Bullet Shower for 239 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Amaterasu gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: Amaterasu suffers a terrible blow from Rebecca Streisand's Flegel Jahre for 318 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Hicalu insists that it is NORMAL for people to have magic, and that he's had this much magic since he was little, even! Even through the thick-ass drunkenness, Yue still has the ability to look really, really, really tired at him for a moment.
And then he points out that he has a tablescraps demon and then pits her into Hell, for a moment. For a moment, a manic grin spreads across her face as she stares at no doubt the realm in which she will cross upon her death and rebirth, punished for how stuffed full of klesha she is. The tentacle grabs at and drains her, and she can't help but actually laugh aloud at this outcome.
"Right, not just one, but two users of darkness, and given what those two have been throwing about..." Yue ganders towards Riley and Xander, as the Claw of Valmar comes right out.
"My my my. There's just no shortage of it these days! A honest living... just..."
She starts to tear back at the demon with her spear-staff, and manages to shred her leg in the process with blood flowing down it as she escapes the portal.
"... doesn't cut it any longer!"
Her hand is planted on her forehead as she lets that laugh out, inviting Acacia, "I think you should drink down a bit of darkness too, as a hobby. It would look very sexy."
Amaterasu points out that she only did what was necessary. And should she take exceptions to her actions... then censure her accordingly. Kaguya speaks of how sorrow happens, even when your enemy dies. Killing doesn't leave anyone happy.
"Oh, don't you worry, Amaterasu. I would have had you tear her from head to toe in a thousand lifetimes out of a thousand. The outcome would have never changed..." She snorts, spitting out some of the blood that's pooled into her mouth.
"You're just perfect the way you are. Too perfect. I'll build the greatest house of combat, just for you."
Yue looks somewhat surprised when Acacia admits that she went back to Guild Galad. That she couldn't bring herself to hate them, but she couldn't stay either... but she needed it.
And Yue's definitely spent after the extravagant movement of that last blow, and Acacia, oh, dear insistent and inexorable Acacia, continues onwards. She calls out to her and points out that the question isn't whether she's gonna kill her--
It's whether Yue can kill Acacia.
Because she'll keep following her if not.
There's a weak and genuinely terrified laugh at that, not even something as eloquent as words any longer, as Acacia throws forth a lance of ilght that shreds at her body, somewhere; she barely even reacts to it, even as blood spills over the rapidly fraying material of her gown.
"Oh, you are truly, truly, deeeefinitely, swear-to-Raftina-and-cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die the greatest fool of them all, Acacia Saitani... what am I supposed to do with you? Aahahaha...."
As she laughs, she finds herself staring at -- Fengalon... but it's not quite Fengalon. She heard it. She heard the device. Another data point. The Fengalon that appears before her is not Fengalon as she is familiar; he is armored, he has crystals and energy, but something...
Something's missing.
Something Yue would know, unlike the rest of the Veruni.
Fengalon or not, however, Code F tears through the air and shreds away at her, rippling further wounds that send her to her knees.
Redi snaps back at her. Yue's eyes are all too inquisitive as she stares back at her. "Nothing to care about. Just listen to yourself. The fear ringing in your voice. You don't even know what's happening to yourself, do you?"
The courier's eyes glow even more ominously; the infernal flames all the more horrific and menacing. She's not a monster, she claims. She's not all they can do...
And then the ball is thrown, firing like a bullet, a cascade of violets and crimson and darkness all threatening to have her succumb into the inferno as Redi would command it.
When the spell fades, even Yue isn't certain what state her body is in, but she is still standing; further singed, further bloodied, and yet still standing.
"Well, well, well. My oh my oh my oh my..." Yue's head lulls to one side, her bangs covering her eyes. "I wonder just how Filgaia sees you. You say you're more than what you are, but this has never been a world that cares about that, only what you are..."
She cackles faintly.
"Do the Guardians damn you, Redi Hayworth? I want to know... because you aren't the only one who can beseech them for help, Paladienne Yulie."
She coughs blood into the ground, and then hears Kanon mentioning her escape.
"Amaterasu... I'm deploying Escape Plan G2."
Escape Plan G2, as it turns out, involves something that should rightfully be an impossibility, because Yue procures a Stone Medium from underneath the folds of her dress.
The Veruni have never been known to use Traditional Mediums -- save for the Artificial ones. They have never used Material summons, nor used Guardian Arcana, in their ventures; indeed, the very existence of the Veruni is anathema to the Guardians, as so many Shaman would know.
Yet indeed, Yue disappears under the cloak of snow as the Medium activates, each and every porous crease in the stone flashing into a snow-white light.
And it is not a bluff, either, because within the cold blue shade of the Material summon rises a bipedal, humanoid creature of ice-blue shades, with a billowing mane that is as much frost as it is hair.
GS: Yue Rohay has activated a Boss Action! GS: Yue Rohay spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Yue Rohay has attacked Hicalu Wilwisp with Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Yue Rohay has attacked Yulie Ahtreide with Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Yue Rohay has attacked Acacia Saitani with Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Yue Rohay has attacked Redi Hayworth with Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years! GS: Yue Rohay has gained 1 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Yue Rohay gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Yue Rohay takes 29 damage from Poison! GS: Yue Rohay has completed her action. GS: Redi Hayworth has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Redi Hayworth solidly guards Yue Rohay's Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years for 222 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Blind and Mute applied to Redi Hayworth! GS: Strain! Yue Rohay takes 50 damage! GS: Yulie Ahtreide solidly guards Yue Rohay's Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years for 246 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Yulie Ahtreide gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Blind applied to Yulie Ahtreide! GS: Mute blocked! GS: Yulie Ahtreide enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus GS: Strain! Yue Rohay takes 50 damage! GS: Yulie Ahtreide has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Acacia Saitani suffers a terrible blow from Yue Rohay's Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years for 400 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Blind and Mute applied to Acacia Saitani! GS: Strain! Yue Rohay takes 50 damage! GS: Acacia Saitani has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: Hicalu Wilwisp suffers a terrible blow from Yue Rohay's Material - The Frost of Five Thousand Years for 330 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Mute applied to Hicalu Wilwisp! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Strain! Yue Rohay takes 50 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Acacia is already barely standing after her launching punch; she's kind of hoping that Yue will go down with it, because she's not really sure she has anything left in the tank. As it is, Yue barely even manages to flinch, and Acacia is left staggering onto her, half-collapsed and half-hugging her, and there's a little hanging moment where she seems quietly content to be there.
Yue's laughter is almost broken, and a little terrifying, but Acacia meets it without flinching. "... I won't give up on you," she mutters. "Even if you've given up on yourself and everything else. I'm only an idiot because I trust you." There's a tiny pause, and she winces. "Don't say 'hope to die'."
She's kind of spent after that, practically sliding off of Yue easily to her knees. The reporter still can't bring it in herself to go down entirely, managing to prop herself up with a hand and trying to struggle back up. "Just-- I dunno, I don't think I could have the confidence to rock that dress quite as well--" she wheezes.
Now that the world has asserted itself a little - now that it becomes abundantly clear she's lost this battle even if she's not willing to give up on the war - she lets a little of it reassert itself. Yue's exhortations aren't lost on her, and she spares a moment to actually look at the situation around her without blinkered eyes. There's no judgement in it - not yet, at least, not until she has a few more facts - but she can at least pause to take it in, and heave out a rather shaky breath.
It's not the auras of darkness or the wilting flowers that really make her blood go cold, though. It's the way that Yue pulls out a Stone Medium and does something that really should be impossible. It's not so much what it means in terms of Yue, so much as-- the feeling that she's truly burning everything away. Every secret, every bit of her past laid bare. She'd always been suspicious something was up when Yue gifted her the Nephele.
... there's no more room to think after that, because the world and her consciousness disappear in a whirling storm of ice. She barely has the energy in her last moments to reach after the sound of Yue's voice - then everything else vanishes into darkness.
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
"No, I did not," she tells Rebecca, quite soberly. "I grew up on a spaceship."
...Maybe she is the straight man in the 'comedy' duo with her and Yue...
Does it make this pointless, if all she's doing is testing their strength?
"If you're unable to stand against me, then how do you intend to keep her?" ...Safe, one assumes, though Amaterasu doesn't clarify the matter. "In this world... those without power are dominated by those who do. That is the meaning of life," she declares, turning her head as if to regard her sister.
Her head turns towards Acacia. "Do not speak of what you don't understand," is all she says to her.
But does even Amaterasu understand what is going on between her and Yue now? "..." she does not respond at first.
And then: "...very well."
Not a child of an evil god, but the groom-to-be of one...? "I see," Amaterasu says, in the tone of one who clearly doesn't. Her head turns minutely towards Xander, then back at Riley as their own clash proceeds, and perhaps it is but that onrush again of something best left buried that forces Amaterasu back from him. "Ha-- this is...!" It feels as if that alone has somehow managed to shave years off her extensive lifespan, and shaking her head, Amaterasu tries to rally herself.
Even Amaterasu is beginning to reach her limits, perhaps, if the fact that she has begun to breathe more heavily is any indication.
...The damage to her armor, to say nothing of the sparks erupting from it, also might have something to do with it though...
But regardless, she is forced to disengage, pulling away from direct melee with Riley to fall back to a more defensible position among the rubble they have scattered across the field of combat. It's here that Dean has an important question.
"So you know of that, do you?" Minutely, Amaterasu's head turns towards Kaguya, perhaps in reflection of their earlier exchange. "Well, that doesn't matter now. The answer is no," she says, apparently seeing little harm in divulging this much.
And it's here that she diverts her attention accordingly. It takes everything Dean has to just force her back, yes, but force her back he does. Neither does he fail to take advantage of that particular instance, pouring on in that moment. Bullet holes dot the earth around her when he stops firing; here and there, bullets are lodged in her armor where it hasn't cracked outright. How sturdy is a Veruni bodysuit...?
With delicacy, Amaterasu plucks a bullet from her armor as if to regard it, then tosses it aside. "If you seek to surpass us, then... I look forward to it," she tells Dean, quite seriously.
'Here's mine', says Rebecca. Because if she's learned one thing about the Veruni--
It's that they shouldn't have what they want, when what they want is another person. Amaterasu turns, and though shadow itself leaps out before her -- Amaterasu's magic, manifest as a solid shield -- it cannot hope to guard against the brilliant beam that leaps forth from Rebecca's pistol. It will not. The shielf of darkness cracks as if struck by a hammer, and there Amaterasu staggers back. Touching one armored hand to her chest, it comes away bloody. "...Well struck," she remarks.
And yet, she is Veruni. And thus she still stands.
"That," she tells Kaguya, as her sister picks herself up off the ground, "is a something you have not yet proven fully to me." Still, her head cants. "Yet, I cannot reject out of hand what you have shown me thus far. Ha... I wonder. Is it the briefness of their lives that impels them? To continue to stand no matter how many times they fall..."
Nevertheless, she is Veruni. They are humans. And if the Veruni are to survive...
"So you say. Yet..."
Yet, there hasn't yet been another answer that will work.
Still, Kaguya gets that moment to prepare as Amaterasu busies herself with her own attackers, and here, in that moment... Kaguya demonstrates that they are in fact sisters as she ascends to the heavens. There, from high, Kaguya descends like a falling star. And here, somehow sensing her sister's approach, Amaterasu retreats from Riley to engage Kaguya, her own blade rising towards the heavens.
There is a brilliant flash. There is a roar. The earth trembles. Once the dust clears, there Amaterasu kneels amidst a small crater, leaning on her polearm as if it were a staff.
From afar, Kanon, flung away, announces her departure.
And Yue announces her plan. G2, is it...?
"...So be it," Amaterasu says, surging to her feet with the help of her beloved Valkyrja.
And there is light. And there is cold.
And under the cover of so much magic wrought at the hands of the planet's Guardians themselves... might not more than one person depart?
To fight to the very end is Amaterasu's fondest wish, but there are such things that will hold even the leash of someone like her.
<Pose Tracker> Hicalu Wilwisp has posed.
Yulie's Code F does make him worry; Redi's curse, even moreso. But in the end, he's worried about Acacia, as --
"Aru Sulato?!" Hicalu yelps, as the Guardian rises. "H-hey! You don't really have to kill her!! STOP!"
He dives away from the ice, and a spell to raise the heat of a stove ("Hearthfire!") at least manages to save him from the worst of the Ice Guardian's frigid might. He's luckier than some of them, but...
... at least it's an escape plan, and so he lifts his head, scanning across the battlefield.
"H--hey, everyone okay..?"
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
Kaguya huffs, from the ground, after that clash. She's on one knee, battered and hurt. But she's not out. She's not defeated. She went up against her sister, and...
"I know," she says, though Amaterasu is already gone. "Give me..."
"Give me some more time," she says to the air, looking up into the sky. "I'll find the answer. I promise."
"...Sister."
<Pose Tracker> Xander Lovell has posed.
As Kanon vanishes, Xander snarls and rakes his claws uselessly across the space she once was. He snaps his gaze up to her voice, seething. But soon it registers that the fight is over, the threat is gone, and he heaves an exhale to let the excess tension go. He turns back to the battle just in time to see Redi's Shadowflare erupt, wiping blood from his noise with his wrist.
Already a bounty for Redi... Another person who's become an acceptable loss for the sin of bad luck. Riley hadn't done anything wrong then, either. It was Xander who threw them down that path. But Redi hasn't done anything like that. They'll hunt her down just for fighting back.
There's no winning.
But that's not the worst the battlefield will see today. Aru Sulato arrives. "Riley!" Xander rushes to his side admist the cold and ice, draping one of his sashes over him like that's going to help at all, and like Xander wouldn't be the more frozen of the two with what he's wearing. Or more importantly, isn't. But they're only on the fringes of it -- others suffer far worst from being caught closer to the Guardian's summoning.
Once the sky clears, Xander presses a candied medicine to Riley's mouth, tightening his grip to steady him -- whether he needs it or not. After a fight like that, a potion will be the least of it. "You okay?" he asks, softer.
There's glances spared to everyone else who took part.
Xander rummages around his belongings a moment, then tosses out a couple of pouches of supplies closest he can to the center of the group. "Red medicine's for wounds, green's for afflictions. Use a syringe on anyone bad enough to be unconscious. I can only give Riley or Redi stitches -- I'm as liable to stab anyone else... so if it's that bad, you'll have to figure something else out."
<Pose Tracker> Riley Arwell has posed.
"You're the one comparing it to food," Riley grumps at Rebecca. Bringing cookies into it. It makes it sound like he's just a kid who can't control himself, doing something he ought to be able to avoid if he only had the willpower...
Amaterasu says that winning this contest of strength will prove they have what it takes to protect Redi, and Riley just gives an exasperated sigh. "I've got some objections to the whole might-makes-right philosophy, but I'm still trying to polish them up... you might get along with Xander, though. If you weren't trying to steal our friend."
Bit by bit, it seems they're able to whittle Amaterasu's defenses down, until finally Kaguya leaves her kneeling in a crater, her power spent enough for her to retreat with her allies. "...Good!!" he calls out petulantly, when the ice clears and he sees that she has gone. But the ice has brought Xander, who puts candied medicine in his mouth even though to Riley, he seems far more battered out of the two of them. "Don't forget to take care of yourself...!" he says, as Xander immediately shifts his attention to distributing medical supplies and instructions to the group.
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Redi says she isn't a monster, and Yulie offers her a sympathetic look.
"That's right." She agrees. She'll defend that, and defy anyone who says otherwise - Redi is no more of a monster than she is.
But Yue... asks a question. An important question - and Yulie's eyes open wide, as she draws out a Stone Medium. She's not as familiar with the Veruni as the others - but she knows that much, that they shouldn't be able to use it.
And yet, here she is.
"Watch out!" Yulie calls out. She braces herself - but her defenses have already been strained to the very limit, so as Aru Solato's flash ice storm tears away at her...
...Eventually, she's had all she can take, and collapses. Fortunately, the ice storm fades, so she's met with grass and mud, rather than freezing snow.
Hicalu asks if everyone's okay.
"...I'm... alive, at least..." Yulie murmurs with some effort. She tries to stand up - but manages, at most, making herself roll over so she isn't face down.
Even if she was of a mind to chase after them... she's certainly in no condition to be doing much moving.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Amaterasu tells him no, this is unrelated, and Dean nods. "Okay," he says, believing her, because something about her seems fundamentally honest to him. Maybe he's being fooled, but that'll be for Rebecca to worry about. (Rebecca is a vital pillar of the Dean-Rebecca-Avril friend group.)
She doesn't go down after that, but then, Dean wasn't expecting her too. Instead, she speaks of him surpassing them. "Not surpass! Be equal to!" he shoots back. "It isn't any better if humans are the ones doing the pushing!"
That's why he won't stop trying to find a solution that everyone can be happy with. Maybe it doesn't exist; maybe the Veruni are doomed to extinction. But it's important to Dean that he *try*.
That's a discussion for later, though, as Amaterasu and Yue both exit, Amaterasu in light, Yue in frozen darkness. (There's also Kanon, but Dean has missed that side of the fight almost entirely.) Twin Fenrir flash out of his hands as he breathes a long breath; then he looks around at the others. Hicalu asks the obvious question, so Dean looks to Kaguya and offers her a hand on her shoulder and an encouraging smile.
But then Yulie is collapsing, and Xander is handing out potions. Dean jogs over to the latter to bring to the former. "Just let him take care of you first, Riley. The sooner you get better, the sooner he can take care of himself," Dean asides. When he reaches Yulie, he offers her a healing potion with one hand and a supporting arm with the other. "Here," he offers.
There are a lot of questions that could be getting asked right now, but he'll leave that to Rebecca--once they've all had a chance to catch their breaths, anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Shut UP!" Redi shouts, heatedly, at Yue. She doesn't have a good answer, otherwise. She doesn't know how the Guardians -- or Filgaia -- sees her.
Her eyes widen, though, as it registers what Yue means. She sees the Medium, and she looks at Yulie, then Hicalu. "Get ba--"
And a blast of ice slams into her. The cold wind slams her back, smashing her into a tree -- which is encased in ice itself. She looks up, a little weakly, then. The same shadowy motes of violet and crimson are drifting all around her.
She looks towards Hicalu head tilted. "I-I'm all right," she says. She looks from him to Yulie, seeing her roll over. "Yulie! Ah, you got hurt..."
She hurries over, kneeling down next to her.
She looks at Acacia, with concern, and then a couple of pouches land nearby. She hesitates, before she looks up at Xander. Then, Redi nods. "Thanks, Xander..."
Then she looks up at Dean, as he approaches, and gives her a potion. "Thanks, Dean... and everyone. I, um, I really appreciate the help. And... sorry for, uh, all of this."