Lugubrious

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

-=-=The Eidolic Cairn=-=-

So the sharp-tongued codger managed to portal away. Gomory had expected as much. The machine, meanwhile, appeared to have made it to the central platform, though he very nearly tottered on its brink. Only a moment’s work would send him spiraling into the howling dark, gone forever. She leveled the sheathed blade at him and flicked upward, allowing her sorcery to flow through it to the object of her focus. Beneath KYL’s feet, the ground began to discolor, subtly forewarning the coming attack. Yet, the explosive column of paint did not come, for Gomory found her ire drawn back toward the obnoxious human. With some sort of magic he uncovered her name, but with blatant disrespect for its owner he used it as the prelude to a pack of derision and lies. The demoness did not believe it for an instant; any being who set himself against her down here desired genocide, be it of humans or demons. His appearance and manner gave him away, for his reputation preceded him.

Gomory flicking her wrist, and the paint beneath KYL extended upward into a webbed lattice that surrounded and trapped him. Then she turned her smoldering eyes to Akoni. ”I’m not one for small talk, demon slayer,” she enunciated, making sure he knew what she would hold against him. ”Approach me and die.” Dismissing him, she began walking toward KYL, and around her span numerous blossom petals on the wind from beyond the grave. Before she took three steps, the formidable voice of Wrath reverberated through the cavern, and Gomory spared him a glance. While he spoke, her mind raced. It sped along the road of knowledge, burning through memories of tomes, tales, and tragedy. Unfortunately, Wrath’s nature eluded her; she could only say for certain that neither purely demonic nor human blood flowed through him, and that she despised him for his ridiculous attempt at brokering peace. ”If you aimed to intimidate or manipulate, warrior, you have misestimated,” she seethed, brandishing the veiled Jiaolong. ”Do not presume my motivation. Come and die, or leave and live.”

By now, KYL had almost certainly broken through the trap, but Gomory found her attention diverted yet again, this time by an individual with which she held more than a passing familiarity. This time, she held no inclination to tolerate whatsoever. Somehow, Nero snuck up on her, and stood mere feet away from the Eidolic Cairn itself. He now presented not just the most pertinent threat, but a monumental one at that. Recollections of his exploits against demonkind filled her mind. Even if he did not intent to destroy the seal, as all evidence seemed to imply, he would not allow her to live if he got his way. Furthermore, a dangerous-looking woman followed on his heels. As such, Gomory remained still, but her glare indicated that her inhibitions had just snapped. ”You’ll be the one painting the walls, boy.” Shadowy light began to dance over her body, forming an aura of greenish moonlight. It undulated violently around her weapon, as if in anticipation.

A hail of bullets flew her way, appearing out of seemingly nowhere, but Gomory did not balk. Lightning-fast she slashed with the sheathed Jiaolong, releasing a murky streak of paint that flew exactly opposite to the bullets. It soaked them up before speeding off into the distance to splatter against some wall. The list of people to kill appeared intent on growing longer by the second, and this new arrival, every bit as crotchety and sassy as the first, managed to make his way straight to the penultimate position on it through sheer ostentatiousness.

By now, Gomory cared exceptionally little who thought themselves to be on her side. She got the distinct impression that when everyone law in vividly colorful chunks, things would work out well enough. Her grip tightened, and her feet shifted ever so slightly. ”You lot are trying my…”

Like a shot fired from a cannon she careened forward in a blast of moonlight. The first slash, a diagonal upward, occurred objectively faster than even an exceptional mortal’s reaction time, ripping rather than cutting the boombox in half and striking the outstretched hammer with enough power to send it flying into the cavern wall. Immediately after she executing a backspin slash the opposite way, creating an X-shape out of moonlight with her weapon’s trail. Its impact aimed to send Snider upwards, though not very fair, for following up on the launcher Gomory executed a brutal Decoupage meant to strike the offending mortal as many times as possible before hurling him away.

She did not hesitate before continuing. The demoness whirled around, her moonlight aura beautiful and alien in its austerity, and slammed the end of the sheath into the stone. Light and paint alike rolled outward from the impact point in a chaotic wave, spreading across the entire platform. Meanwhile, Gomory couched the weapon, waiting, waiting. The seconds counted down in her head, and when the clock hit zero, it happened.

”PaTieNCe.”

For a split second, there was no gorgeous swordswoman in pink. Where the woman once stood, an abominable demon crouched. Her grotesque, painted form embodied a startling and inventive departure from humanity. Perhaps even more appalling was the cursed blade in her hand, its pitch-black metal unsheathed. Of course, this all lasted only the minutest instant, and when it passed, Gomory stood unaltered, her sheathed blade on the other side of her body. In that split second, the demoness not only activated her Devil Trigger, but performed a minimalist slash. She watched as the darklight paintwave exploded, consuming Mary, Nero, and KYL in an assault both intensely magical and viciously physical. A casual observer might not have been able to fully percieve her taking actions, but the results spoke for themselves.

”Hm.” Once again, Gomory stood idly, vaguely interested in whether or not her enemies survived the insane barrage of attacks, and how if so. She did not, though, lose focus. The fight for the first seal had begun.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

I'd like a chance to post before things escalate.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Okey... anyone want to dance with my character in the tunnels? She is a perfectly fine dancer with a sword!!! Likes to kill demons and use bad one liners all the time!

@rivaan

There's a big demon to kill in the Eidolic Cairn atm. That might work for you. Otherwise, you could follow Gideon, and perhaps engage him as he's taking on Gilgamesh, giving them a chance to escape.

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

You know, in actuality, I don't want it canceled, because it'll make Joshua beating Hyun so much easier later on.

@Joshua Tamashii

Talk is cheap, Tamashii.

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Ruin as in move Joshua and have him too occupied for him to bother with visiting Frenzy Plant.

@Joshua Tamashii

Problem solved.

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

A Collab Made in December

by Lugubrious and Joshua Tamashii

Dual Disgrace

Later that day

Joshua walked through the arena, heading for the Frenzy Plant area. He knew the military guild didn't get along with Phoenix Wing but he saw no reason for him to not get along with fellow warriors, though it seemed he had gotten off on the wrong foot with them. Zander in particular had gotten rather miffed at him during the match, though that had never been his intention. So, he figured he might as well try to recify things.

The incoming member of Phoenix Wing went unnoticed, as far as the warrior guild's soldiers were concerned, for the most part of his short trip. Rather than exhibiting the general near-fanatic overflow of hype shown by a fair portion of the spectators, most of the men and women sat still and composed, waiting for the day's activities to continue, or speaking to one another in tones that among the hubbub of a colosseum crowd seemed far too soft. Not even the younger or newer members displayed any pronounced enthusiasm, instead showing to the world grim faces. Clear to be seen, fewer had come than the day before, no doubt out of disinterest for the way the Games appeared to be progressing. At the center of the top row were seated the guild's representatives in the Games: Zander, Indigo, Xyster, Demetri, Thor, and though she would not be living up to her title today, Hyun. Even General Sanders sat in the row beneath them, but the honor implicit in that message carried an ironic echo considering that what had begun as a fantastic magic competition had become for some a challenge to survive.

Near the edge of the bunch, a solitary face turned to watch Joshua approaching. It belonged to Joakim Fortinbras, the strange-looking northerner with a surreal sense of humor and an annoyingly acute sense of temperature. In the span of an instant, Joakim recognized Joshua from his match yesterday with Zander and Xyster, noting with obvious alarm his guild affiliation. With the diminished stadium crowd, the remaining stands divided into entities that worryingly resembled battle-lines, and the act of moving toward Frenzy Plant's zone drew no small amount of attention. The northerner flew to his feet, grabbing his staff, and the soldiers immediately around him -Kilo, Arivaderci, and Ni Rensa- rose as well. "Stop right there, Winger. What do you think you're doing here?"

Joshua glanced around at the people that belong to Frenzy Plant as he journeyed through the halls. As to be expected of military folk, they were calm despite what was going on around then. Still, they didn't bother him so he didn't bother them. As he walked, Joshua Finally got what he was, sadly, expecting: negative attention. Sighing as he came to a stop infront of the soldiers and raised his hands.
"Take me to your leader?" He asked, half jokingly.

His attention still focused completely on Joshua, Joakim edged his staff in the direction of Cormorant Sanders, whose eye, drawn to the commotion, already looked on. "Take yourself. And watch yourself. We know better than to let our guard down around you." Though Joakim's features were as cold as the tundra from which he hailed, his comrades beside him left him behind in terms of intimidation. The huge warrior Kilo, robbed of his gregariousness and happy-go-lucky nature by the intruder, looked every inch the massive brute. Arivaderci, meanwhile, merely frowned, but in her slitted, serpentine eyes boiled the vicious power of her naga curse, barely suppressed by her extreme sense of morality. One could easily imagine that, had she been half rattlesnake, the air would have been filled with the rattle's foreboding vibrations.

"You know you're all being an idiots right? If I had come here for a fight, I would've picked it by now. If i came here hoping to fight one of you, I would be armed. I am not. So take those metal poles out of you asses and relax." Joshua said before walking away and over to Sanders, eyeing the man cautiously."Why do I get the feeling you're not going to be entirely civil either?"

The general of Frenzy Plant held no kindly look today. He entwined his fingers, and retorted, "Because, I imagine, you know that what your guild has been doing is despicable, and that people are going to answer incivility with incivility. Perhaps you're not fully seeing. Have you ever heard of the demon Jackal? A lesser-known monster from Fiore's past, to be sure, but a critical character nonetheless. He never carried a weapon, and yet, on a whim he leveled the entire Magic Council and killed everyone inside. Thus is the power of magic: to destroy without arms. That is why my soldiers and I treat you with caution." He leaned back in his seat, dark eyes fixated upon Joshua like an eagle's. "So, why are you here?"

"Well, you seem to fancy yourself omnipotent, so why don't you tell me? Also, as for regards to my guild, I have to agree to some level. No ounce of restraint among most of them. But, don't let a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch." Joshua said, sitting crosslegged in front of the general. Despite his words and hostility he looked rather relaxed and at ease.

Sanders shrugged, whatever unhappiness he might have felt after Joshua's stings concealed so well as to be nonexistent. "Very well, I'll give it a try. For reasons of honor, whether your own or your guild's, you've realized the current relationship between Phoenix Wing and the other guilds cannot persist, like a lit fuse. You've come to us first to try and set things right, warrior to warrior, and take a degree of personal responsibility given your involvement today. I imagine it's because we're thought of as the most dangerous guild, which I can respect; we are, after all, practically a private army. But it may also be because you thought we'd be the most likely to engage in that historical act of armies, the peace treaty. It is true. Despite being a warrior I would be very happy to avoid war with any other guild. As a diplomatic envoy, though, your attitude could use adjustment. Have I hit the nail on the head?" These assumptions constituted the general's best guess, for though he spoke with confident rationality, he held no means of discernment beyond his eyes, his mind, and his experience.

Joshua listened patiently before smirking.
"You're dangerous alright, though not in the way that you think. You lot seem to have little respect for the living... or the dead for that matter if you headless companion is anything testament to that. And I know one girl in my guild that probably would not be happy about that. No, from what I've seen, you lot respect only power. And that makes you dangerous on account that that very respect might be corrupted one day. Maybe not during your time, but another time. Otherwise, you're just a normal army. All armies can be beaten." He said. "As for my involvement day, pray tell, what did I do that was so wrong? Are you talking about Zander's horse, because that's his fault, not mine."

A cutting look greeted these remarks. It seemed that Joshua embodied better than most Wingers the limited perspective and self-righteousness exhibited by Jamie on the first day. He inhaled deeply through his nose before replying. "If that's all you think we are, and what we believe in, your eyes have yet to open. I have entertained your presence so far on the hopes that you might be a conduit through which our guilds bridge the gulf between us. However, you act only as a scalpel to deepen the cut. It matters not how much Phoenix Wing slanders us, debases us, or blames us. We can weather it all. Now please, fly away from here." Sanders waited to see if Joshua would echo the actions of his selfish, unreasonable guild master by refusing to leave when asked politely, instead using the opportunity to take parting shots at someone who did not wish to fight.

"One's eyes can be open but what they see and interpret might not necessarily be true. So how about you help me see more clearly instead?" Joshua asked. "As for the rest of what you said, given time I might and I'm not going anywhere yet. Still plenty of opportunity to talk, don't you think?"

Resting his head in a hand, Sanders irately tapped his hairless scalp with his index and ring fingers. Despite his rudeness Joshua evidently thought that he might be able to become the 'bridge' that the general envisioned, which to the master of Frenzy Plant looked more like pride and stubbornness than any sort of genuine consideration or intrigue. Nevertheless, Sanders would not deny him. If by needlessly explaining to this swordsman he could both appear more blameless in the eyes of any reasonable folks, and potentially get him to leave, then explanation was the best course of action to take.

"Eleven years ago, Frenzy Plant came to exist, and I became its master, but before that I was simply another member of a small band of mercenaries with no name. We came from various walks of life and nationalities, some users of magic and some talented wielders of ordinary weapons, and we sold our services to whoever needed fighters. That lifestyle vanished with the officialization of Frenzy Plant as a guild. Those more interested in wealth or personal satisfaction went their own way, leaving behind only those with more noble intent. Since then Frenzy Plant has abandoned secrecy and embraced responsibility, using discretion in both choosing our missions and in the performance of those we do accept."

"In other guilds, individual mages or small groups go on 'jobs'. We leave finding stray cats, picking rare fruits, hunting for treasure, and things such as acting or teaching to them. Instead, we do missions, which use small to medium groups to accomplish significant tasks, and campaigns, which range from large-group to guild-wide endeavors that can change the face of Fiore and beyond. Our values of unity and discipline may seem alien to other guilds, making us look cold or mechanical, but we deeply care for our own. You said that we respect power? That is true. Power is an absolute in this world. But we also respect one another, and honor. The actions of the individual reflect on the guild, and vice versa. A wound dealt to one of us is a wound dealt to all of us. This is personal responsibility, to which every one of my soldiers is held accountable. We live by the principle of consequences for every action, and thereby understand our place in the world. We also respect the idea of courtesy. Not always do we plow forward convinced of our own righteousness; instead, we do what is asked of us. In an ideal world this would be the case for everyone, but many don't see the value of courtesy nowadays."

"Is there anything else you want to know, Tamashii?" Sanders reached into his robe and produced a granola bar, which he began to unwrap.

Joshua listened to Sander patiently, never saying a word or looking like he would interupt. When Sander finished, he closed his eyes and mulled over what the guild master said.
"You're values aren't alien you know. Rather far from. You just go about it differently from others." He said. "How to word this... you have the unity of an army right? So one person reflects everyone in the same army right?" Sanders carefully nodded his head in the affirmative as he took a bite. "Well, Phoenix Wing believes in unity as well, but in the unity of a family. We fight with each other, we work together, and we do things from insignifigant jobs to the same kind of task you take pride in. However, I will not deny this, we do lack discipline. Most families do. And though I would prefer some of our members learn some and begin to exercise some degree of restraint... but I'm rather fine with the guild as it is. But a guild of 'family' and a guild of 'army' might always be at odds. The views are similar but also very different, wouldn't you agree?"

After relishing the granola, Sanders swallowed it and shrugged. "I suppose. Do you suppose the differences are why your guild's most celebrated top members are coming after us with tongues sharper than the pitchforks of witch hunters, and deeds more abrasive than the heretic's stones?"

"It could be." Joshua said with a shrug. "I don't keep track of the interguild drama. I do know Dragon Fang's master was pissed at Angelo after he almost killed that girl during his match. I was pissed at him as well. So where several other members. I also think Jamie might begin coming down on some people. Who knows.

I frankly don't know what you might've done to slight some of our members. Maybe it has to do with the match on day one. This little miniwar been going on since then, right?"

"If you quantify a war as beating down the allies of the defeated party, yes. I have my own suspicions about this conflict's root causes, but I am not so bold as to label my opinions as facts."

"Your fighter for the first day was her, right?" Joshua said, pointing to Hyun. "How did she take the loss? Might that have played a factor in it?"

When indicated, Hyun -only a couple of seats away- turned to face Joshua, her eyes flashing yellow. Sanders closed his eyes, grimacing in exasperation. Hyun's knuckles turned white as she gripped the armrest of her seat. "It's quite simple, really. Take the most important thing you've every had in your life, bigger than any family and more valuable than any wealth. Call it a complete obsession. Then throw yourself at it with everything you have and everything you are: the culmination of all your effort and improvement for years. Then realize that it's not enough and will never be enough, and be beaten into the dust by some upstart with more power and ego than purpose and honor. Then want to die, to vanish off the face of the earth and from the minds of all the people." Despite her efforts to get over her crushing loss, including a shift in her personality, she trembled. "I'm still not sure whether waking up is a miracle or a curse. Even if I still have Frenzy Plant, I'm a nobody. Forever."

Sanders ran his hand down his wizened face. "The loss hurt her irreparably. With just the loss, we could have forgotten about it, saying to ourselves 'he's just that strong.' But then, Damian challenged all of Frenzy Plant, telling us that if any soldier was aggrieved by what happened, he'd gladly take them on too. Then Jamie came over and told me what a rotten and meaningless guild Frenzy Plant was to my face. Those are the factors."

"... How did you as a guild react to her loss?" Joshua asked. "Before anything my guild did that is? There must have been something to provoke them. Jamie is not one to lose her temper. Only time I've seen her get angry is when the safety of those in the guild are in question."

At this, Hyun cast a glance at her general. Of course, she'd been dead to the world during that time, and knew nothing of what happened. Sanders, out of all the things he could have done, simply smiled. "As I recall, colonel Louvier produced his dongers and began a salute. Certainly, resentment sparked in all of our hearts, but our united course of action is what matters."

"That might be so to you. But, if I had to guess, some of my guild probably interpreted that as a simply lack of concern for the member of your guild. That, if nothing else, would definitely have ruffled the feathers of some of the members of Phoenix Wing." Joshua said, thinking. "Really, all this hate is over a simple misunderstanding and a clash of ideals. Army and family do not mix well."

Eyes lambent, Hyun snarled, "A misunderstanding!? Your top dog obliterates my dream and my body then stokes his ego by challenging my friends, and then your master tells us we're worthless, and you call that a clash of ideals!? Don't..."

Her voice died instantly, like an audio feed being cut, when the hand of General Sanders clamped down on her shoulder. So to did the light in her eyes extinguish, leaving nothing but a haggard look. The master of Frenzy Plant said, "Our principal healer waited in the infirmary for her. We trusted in Lieutenant Tsubano to do all she could for Hyun. Our groups may have different ideals, but so far we've kept ourselves from trying to stuff ours where they don't belong. If you truly care about repairing our guilds' relations, go to your friends and try and convince them they're wrong, not us. We've already been told plenty."

Joshua sighed.
"Listen, its all well and good if you know what you're doing and you know and have faith in your healer. But show some concern for you members if they're hurt." He said. "If you had simply done that, most of this probably could've been avoid. Because, to those outside of your guild, it might've looked like you were content to leave her there. Like you were giving her a final salute.

As for you Miss, I pose a simple question, though it might very well enrage you both. But if a single loss is enough to make you give up on your dream, was that dream really worth pursuing? Or were you simply looking for an excuse to turn away from it?"

With the hand of the greatest authority she knew on her shoulder, Hyun did not move. After a moment she replied, deadpan, "I don't care anymore. It was the most important thing in the world...but I need to move on. I need to find something else."

"And with conviction like that, you'll never achieve whatever you set out for. You'll always be too weak, always fall just short, always be stuck halfway. You lack the strength to pick yourself up and try harder." Joshua said, his tone heated for the first time. "It's absolutely pathetic. Honestly, I know children stronger then you."

A bigger-than-usual exhalation of air came from Hyun's nose, passing for a laugh. "Maybe so. Children haven't lost what I've lost. I tried the hardest I possibly could, and it wasn't enough. I guess that is pretty pathetic...it's why I wanted to never wake up." Sanders' hand burned against her, his impervious will keeping her temper in check. "Oh, I know. I'll fight you. Today, after the last match. I'll give everything I have left and try my hardest. If I win...well, I won't win, right? When I lose, I want you to put me back to sleep. Finish what Damian started. Prove how little I'm worth." She glared at Joshua, and behind her eyes gleamed the barely-perceptible fact that she was hiding something. "Sound good?"

"Read my mind. Though, why not sooner? Like right now?" Joshua said, getting up.

Hyun looked at her guild master, her dark eyes communicating what she did not say. After what seemed like an eternity of contemplation, Sanders lifted his hand from her shoulder. "Fine. The morning sun is nice today, rather reminds me of Seven. A good final memory." She stood, and waited for Joshua to lead her to whatever battleground he had in mind.

"Alright, you should come too. As a witness." Joshua said to Sanders before turning to leave. Hyun followed him, and Frenzy Plant's general reached out to prod the War Sphinx Ni Rensa and motion for her to go after them. Having heard all that had been said, Ni Rensa nodded solemnly and got up as well.

-=-=-

Joshua led the way all the way to the edge of Crocus, before turning to Hyun, requiping his Katana. "First strike to you."

Hyun looked around, quietly surveying the area. Joshua had chosen a grassy stretch in the middle of a rectangular plaza, neither big enough nor fancy enough to be a park. When offered the first attack, Hyun shrugged again, hiding her eyes from her opponent, for within them lurked a secret eagerness. How could Joshua know of her great increase in power, including her promotion to S-rank only two days ago? Her facade of hopeless submission surely kept her sharklike joy well concealed. Hyun unfastened both of her blades, then tossed one onto the ground. The remaining katana she drew slowly, until she abruptly whipped it out and used it to cut through her headband. Now free, her sensitive dark brown hair would aid her in sensing motion, just as it had done during the attack on the Frenzy Camp a couple days prior. "Very well." She slid into her new stance, the silver blade held aloft. Out of nowhere, her eyes turned yellow as coins, and a telltale smile appeared on her face. "Let's see what I can do then."

She leaped straight up as if off a springboard, her sword still couched. In midair, her body flashed golden, and a small magic circle appeared behind her head like a saint's nimbus. In the space of a millisecond she vanished and reappeared facing toward Joshua, her momentum preserved and even enhanced. She shot toward him like a longbow's arrow, slicing her bright blade in an steel arc so quick as to look like a crescent moon. Most likely, the other swordsman wouldn't even be able to comprehend that she had new magic before the katana's tip would bite into his thighs.

Well, that's surprising. Teleportation magic. Joshua thought to himself, keeping calm and observing Hyun's trajectory. She was moving fast and he had no way of moving fast enough to dodge her blow, at least not completely. However, her overall stance made her blow easy to read and he quickly dropped to one knee while placing his sheathed blade in her blades path, blocking the blow but sending him tumbling. He quickly got to his feet and looked at , Hyun his expression confused.
"I guess you love lying." He said, examining the sheathe of his blade while keeping an eye on her.

Small trails of dust appeared as Hyun slid backward, her blade ready. She grinned, "Lie? About what? You're the one who said I was weaker than a child, that I lacked the strength, that I was pathetic. Not my fault if you're a bad judge of character. Come on, come on!" she drawled, rolling her glimmering eyes. "You're not going easy on me, are you? That takes out all the fun!" Before she even began speaking, Hyun was running. The transition was instant; one minute she stood ready, and the next her legs were already moving. It was as if she simply canceled what she was doing and started doing something else without any preparations. She darted into melee range and swung her sword diagonally. A golden flash enveloped her, and when it vanished a fraction of a second later, she was in exactly the same position as before the swing, despite not moving herself. A second identical swing came in quick succession.

"Hm. Well then, I suppose you were just looking to start a guild war." Joshua said, watching her as she ran forward. He dodged her first swing, as she made it way too predictable. That alone told him something was up. When she seemed to phase out and did the same strike again, he was quick to raise his blade and block the blow. Taking a step back, he looked at the sky for a second before looking at Hyun. "Are you that bipolar thing? Or do you just have a split personality. Cause right now, you're striking me as a total nutjob."

Hyun smirked. The results of her dual-strike test would be useful in a minute. Right now, though, she observed that rather than dodging back, Joshua merely stepped back, putting him right in range for another onslaught. "Clearly," she yelled as she jumped forward, executed a roll, and midway through the roll cancelled into an instant blade uppercut, "you don't know much about emotions!" Following the uppercut, whether or not it landed, she canceled in midair into a crushing Helm Splitter to bring her back down to earth.

Joshua dodged the uppercut with a simple sidestep but Hyun's accusation caused his expression to darken. When she went for the overhead blow, he blocked the blow with his blade.
"And tell me, what emotions are acting as your source of power? Desperation? Anger? A desire for revenge? The want to protect others? Tell me, what guides your blade and tells you where to point it?" He asked, pushing her blade aside and jumping back a good distance. "Honestly, try to entertain me with your answer."

Not even needing to move as Joshua used his energy to leap away and start blabbing again, Hyun gave a tsk. She held her katana loosely at her side, closed her eyes, and turned her face away scornfully. "If jibing and gibbering is all you're good for, I'm finished with this little exercise." Having come out here with the expectation of a fierce battle to test her new talents, Hyun felt nothing but disappointment that Joshua thought of their fight as nothing more than a psychiatric evaluation. The kid was so full of himself that he couldn't realize how little he truly knew of life.

Her unbound hair blew lightly in the breeze, every alteration of air pulling at her sensitive scalp.

"Says the fool who keeps attacking. Seriously, taking you on the same way as Zander is smarter. Allows me to study that trick of your better without resulting in injury." Joshua said before requiping a sword he hadn't used in front of this guild yet. It was a long sword, with a serated blade near the guard, which featured a demonic design. Smiling as the blade began glowing, Joshua looked at Hyun. "Though, if a woman like you is scared to get hurt, I can understand. Gotta keep that pretty face of your intact, right?"

Though inwardly burning, Hyun made no response. She grasped her scabbard and slipped her katana inside, its edge unblemished by blood. Without any further ceremony she abandoned her spot, her arms crossed and her face masked with disappointment, and started walking toward the colosseum in the distance. "Your strategy is like a squirrel fighting an owl--you dodge and run away, chittering whenever you're just out of reach, but in the end you're still prey. After all, you lost to Zander. Talk is cheap, Tamashii." Her back now facing Joshua from about a hundred and fifty feet away, she gave a short wave. "Challenge me again when you grown up," she laughed derisively, sealing the nail in the coffin. For all his wind, Joshua was weak.

"Aye, I have a lot of growing up to do. Not gonna deny that. But, dodging all your blows will simply mean I'm more prepared for next time." Joshua said, dismissing his sword before turning to Ni Rensa. "Tell me, do all you people believe in a simple offensive approach?"

The War Sphinx, who'd already begun after Hyun now that the 'fight' would no longer continue, laughed over her shoulder. "You're in nyo place to be critical, mister can't-attack! If it's so simple, why haven't you beatenya any Frenzy Plant soldiers nyet? Nyahaha!" Her bladed heels clicking on the stones of the road, Ni Rensa swished her tail and left Joshua to his own devices, and the swordsman stood alone.

"I saw no point in attacking her at the point in time, same as Zander. She would've used her magic to dodge with ease, leaving me open and vulnerable to a counter attack. And I had no way of breaking through Zander's defenses. Hence it was pointless." Joshua said, watching the two leave. "Sometimes matches aren't won by power alone. Your guild will have to learn that the hard way."

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

@Lugubrious You have until after I get out of work, in about 18 hours from now, before I ruin that collab we did for after the match.

@Joshua Tamashii

Ruin? As in alter? Good luck with that.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

-=-=The Eidolic Cairn=-=-

Never did Gomory fall prey to the slightest deception that she had been alone in her search for the seal. Her theatrical display with the Fausts and Mephistos, sweeping through Barlour, could not have failed to turn a few heads. Of course, the demoness counted on it; while many things, she was not especially patient, and favored a confrontation with her foes sooner rather than later. Thankfully, they obliged.

Every new entrant to the grand cavern received a full sizing-up by the woman in pink. She received only a momentary glimpse at a man with a rather devilish right arm before he slipped behind some rocks. Did he truly think to assault her with stealth? Even though no walls or towers stood around her, this central platform upon which the Eidolic Cairn rested stood like a fortress. Every angle of attack could be seen, and only specific routes could be taken to approach. The Fausts stood alongside her as sentinels, and she reigned over this pillar as duchess. Another individual, though far larger and more imposing than Nero, appeared in a doorway before quickly hiding himself. Were he not so human-looking Gomory would have though him to be a demon by his size and bulk, but his refined features piqued her curiosity. I wonder…?

A machine entered soonafter, though it didn’t even bother hiding itself. Perhaps it, too, harbored some sort of intrigue for the Eidolic Cairn’s other visitors. Gomory might have laughed. The others seemed so hesitant. Clearly they saw the seal’s defender as a challenge not to be taken likely, and waited for reinforcement. Not counting her demon attendants, Gomory figures a potential fight to be at least three on one, which struck her as rather one-sided. They would need at least another half-dozen to stand a chance by her more conservative estimations.

Moments later, someone broke the formula. With minimal hesitation this paradoxically new old-timer began making his way across the cavern, practically advertising in glaring neon some form of spontaneous gate-making ability. Nothing if not predictable for my refined senses, Gomory thought before curling her lip in disdain at the remark thrown her way. ”Charmed,” she replied flatly as her fingers slid over the hilt of her sheathed Tai Chi sword. ”So it’s you, then. A civil demon will defend the world against a foulmouthed human. How poetically ironic. Very well then.” Letting go of the sheath in her off hand, she wielded the weapon like a casting rod, flourishing it to the side. While focused on the obvious threat, she would not so easily succumb to tunnel vision, and as such maintained enough of an awareness of KYL that when he opened fire, she was ready.

Flipping her grip on Jiaolong, she slammed the sheathed blade’s tip into the stone. A shockwave spread out in a cone in front of her, cracking the rock, and from the fractures surged a geyser of paint. In a dull gradient of assorted colors it came, and like spatters of paint on a canvas it halted completely after a moment, hanging in the air. KYL’s bullets riddled the fountain of paint, entering in a cascade of spluts and not exiting at all.

The next instant, Gomory was in the air. Pink flower petals swirled around her as she hung there, poised in intricate stance. She performed an aerial thrust, and from the sheathed blade’s end poured a fusillade of large, painted arrows. They rained toward both KYL and Akoni, but hitting them would be a bonus. As one they crashed into the floating stones, instantly breaking some and carrying others down into the abyss with them. Just like that, a third of the routes available toward the center were no more. Gomory landed with immaculate grace, the folds of her qipao’s sleeves like the wings of a swan, and watched intently to see how the humans handled the attack.

-=-=Underground Tunnels=-=-

The pressure rose as the noises of screeching and scrabbling faded away. Their fear waning, the six operatives of Gilgamesh allowed themselves to slow down just a little. Temporary safety would not let them lose sight of their goal, however. Through the dreary passages they moves, conscious of a change of surroundings: where before the walls resembled cellars or subway tunnels, they now bore an eerie resemblance to catacombs. Of course, they showed no evidence of human activity, but all the same they emanated the aura of the tomb. By now, of course, every one of them suspected spirit activity, evidenced by their own eyes despite the discretion of the apparitions themselves.

Abruptly they arrived in an anterior chamber. A solid stone slab lay in the doorway ahead, but through cracks in its surface filtered a spectral greenish light. Clearly, the most important thing in the entire underground lay just ahead. Unfortunately, Souta could tell that the threshold would not be easy to clear. ”Atlas,” he called, taking initiative. ”Why don’t you start pounding away at that stone? Everyone else: we should set up an ambush. Ice is nice, but it won’t hold the demons for long. I get the feeling we’re being followed.”

While he held no technical rank over them, Souta did not go ignored. While Atlas went to work, the remaining five took up their positions. Babyfingers and Ell flanked the entryway on either side, a few feet away from the aperture. The former planned to freeze whatever came through, and to finish it off with a cluster-blast of ice spikes should Ell’s Isfrafel not destroy it. Bullion and Souta positioned themselves to start shooting from out of sight, while Otsune remained invisible, standing by in a strategic location of her choice. The beating of Atlas’ armored fists took on the cadence of a war drum, sounding out the prelude to a tenacious battle.

-=-=Gilgamesh Branch Office=-=-

The violent escalation in the building’s bottom floor quickly drew attention. More contracted security guards made a beeline for the room. Antonio and Gene’s moment of bonding did not last, and quite abruptly an additional five guards appeared. These ones, however, had eschewed their non-lethal weaponry. Four toted security pistols, but among them one stood out: an especially burly specimen that bore two enormous shields that could clearly lock together to form a nigh-impenetrable wall. Before the two interlopers stood Tybalt, a Reclaimer stationed recently in Barlour and only just now returned from a patrol. He bellowed, “Stand down! We ain’t fond of killin’ other people, but anyone who murders a Gilgamesh employee is an enemy of humanity!”

Just then, there came the beep of an elevator door. Across the lobby the device in question opened, and from it strode forth two particularly interesting figures. The first, a female, sported a punk-style hair, an equally mean look, military dress, and what appeared to be tentacles on her arms. Her comrade put on a stylish air with his silver and crimson dress, but the twin blades in his hands indicated that he might be as deadly as he was dapper. Obligingly the guards parted to allow the operatives through, and the single, stout soldier moved aside.

Immediately the young woman snarled something highly aggressive and probably offensive in Russian, lashing her arms like whips. Though he pushed up his hat to regard Gene and Antonio with pale brown eyes, the man beside her said nothing. He merely adopted a ready stance. If these men wished to quarrel with humanity’s defenders, they would face the proud warriors Tickler and Macbeth alongside the unremarkable humans.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Maybe because a lot of us aren't female, and thus have no idea how females think.

@Scarifar

Do you have to be a geologist to learn about geology? I've played loads of female characters.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

I was sort of hoping for something to play off of, but I guess I got my hopes up. Snider will probably find a way back into the action, hopefully with a few less pieces of shrapnel in him.

@Hantu Kongkek

If you want someone to do something for you, best way to get that happen is to let them know.