Thanqol

Aristeia! Becoming a Champion

The Kraken was entertaining herself.

An enormous shadowy tentacle had emerged from the depths and had grasped the channel nine news helicopter[1]. The reporters are being held individually in sub-tentacles, each in various stages of undress, each fighting against the forces of peversity to keep the cameras rolling and microphones live. Several particularly oblivious joggers had been captured too, but Creek - bound hand and foot to a sandstone obilisk - was the centerpiece of the show. Everywhere the park writhed with the constricting grasp of shadow tentacles. Violet and blue magical sparks hung in the air.

[1] Modern disinformation laws had lead to the revival of several traditional media outlets, and the modern distribution of supervillains meant that front-line reporting roles were held by the truly brave or shameless. Not all knights wear armour.

Some people went into the Aristeia! arena equipped with the latest in modern power-boosting technology. The Kraken went in with a limiter. She was an authentic supervillain in the traditional style, heir to deep and wicked sorceries, Communal of the Astral Void, capable of knocking over a skyscraper or ripping a bank vault entire from the concrete. It was only her increasing awareness that she could find more worthy challenges (and interesting heroines) in the Hexadrome than on the streets that had rendered her something other than an active threat to the city.

A cordon of Dakinis was forming around the edges of the site as the Single Intelligence called in a proportionate backup - but they were holding well back for now. Sprocket knew well enough that sometimes it was best not to intervene until it had to.

Aristeia! Building a Champion

"Your rest day is tomorrow," said Titanomachia thoughtfully, legs devouring the city miles. "You may do as you wish then, in preparation for the evening's battle. Tonight you're still on my schedule."

Sliding, but not losing momentum. She's changed the friction on her shoes. She's coming down, down into a crouch. And she's

Leaping

Carrying

Flying

Through the air

Legs extending before her

Kicking out the cardboard cover on her broken window

Twisting perfectly in the air as she soars into her apartment

Slashing - wobbling - the artificial leg comes in wrong, she staggers forwards, arm flying out for support, balancing on tiptoe with her overbalancing cargo tilting her out of control. The fall has started but now it's going to be a thing of stages, each part of it a new struggle for balance. Grabbing at the couch, turning towards a safety roll to protect her head, lifting Madeleine up in the air, holding her for a moment like a ballet dancer before all the momentum comes back in and slams her head-first into the couch and the soft embrace of Blanche.

Titanomachia sprawls on her back on the floor.

"Hmmm," she said.

Aristeia! Building a Champion

"No brushing?" said Machia, sounding genuinely upset and betrayed. "But the whole point is - mmm! Solutions; change brushes, change biology, overstimulate growth." Her hand moved ominously up along the tail towards the... growth regions. "Sometimes the gap between what I want and the tools available to me feels -" she gripped the base of the tail firmly. "- frustrating."

She held there, tight and firm for a moment, and then released - and pressed into the base of the spine with two fingers, circling around firmly and absently as her mind wandered. Her legs kicked up a bit, a jog working its way into her system by bits and pieces, irritated energy seeking an outlet.

"Short term forces compliance with reality," she said, bouncing you on her shoulder with her knee-ups, even as her fingers continued their rotation. From this angle you could see the blue light glowing underneath her shirt - glitters of Vade Retro as she jolted back and forth. "Long term - mm. I need to run. I'm going to try and use Vade Retro to keep you stabilized as I go. Tell me more about the tangles as I go."

One ear flicked forwards. The other down, towards you. Her eyes locked onto the future. Her hands gripped the base of your tail and the back of your knees. Her muscles strained as they sought their perfect configuration. The air glittered as it was forced into a perfect configuration. She was an eagle, ready to fly, black rabbit caught in its talons. Three, two...

Aristeia! Building a Champion

Titanomachia radiated strength. Her energy grew as yours ebbed, like darkness advancing towards a dying bulb. All that wicked yin of her went into holding you aloft like a war banner; if you could not be glorious then you could at least be a glorious prize.

"Your tail," said Machia suddenly. "It's been low on my check lists, but I am now noticing these hairs are significantly longer and stronger than my own. And is that...?" her nose pushed in amidst those silky hairs, taking a deep breath. "... tip of my tongue, I can't recognize the scent. Is it because your cranial hair is natively straight so the genetic translation is simpler? My tail and hair are incompatible hair types - this tangle wants to curl - but yours feel like extensions of each other. Is it routine, diet, environmental? Tell me everything you know."

Aristeia! Becoming a Champion

"No mystery. Agents talked," said Gata. "That's easy for me. Don't do electronics any more. You won't either, once you get above a certain level. Things don't work for you. Too many ways in. Too much weight. Slow you down. Just get someone to tell you the important stuff once a day."

She winked, and you could see the stars ignite around her like fireworks. She gave a smile that took thirty years off her age and made the V-sign.

"Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaa~"

And with that she flipped backwards and power-slid down the entire skyscraper, the echo of her nya fading away into the sound of traffic below.

*

Kraken's reply was immediate:

> Thank You very much for accepting my invitation.
> I hope you will find my conflict fulfilling.
> I have already taken the liberty of kidnapping your friend, Ms. S. Creek, and placed her on public display in Glebe Park.
> Come rescue her at your pleasure <3

Aristeia! Building a Champion

"Oh-ho-ho?" said Titanomachia. "I thought you were tired of losing?"

She leaned down slowly, to allow the imagined Imperial Princess dress to billow behind her in all it's magnificent black finery, lace and gold and weave.

"Trust me, little dove," she quoted. "For one in your position? This is a mercy." She leaned down, eyes absorbing all light. "Let me take care of you~"

And with a sudden rush of her shoulder, stand and straighten, she pulled Madeline Cross up into an over-the-shoulder carry. As though to emphasize the point, she flicked her tail up into her face. One arm locked into place around her knees, and then she was off, striding confidently down the street, prize held securely.

Aristeia! Building a Champion

"Water is available at the combination hospital bed and torture slab!" said Titanomachia brightly as the Dakinis lifted you by the arms and began to drag you to the entrance where Titanomachia posed, hand raised to her mouth[1]. "But we might be in track for more of function one tonight. I need to do a full calibration of your biology to make sure you processed all this shit properly. Also that you didn't crack your skull any of those... seven times? Eight?"

[1] A shot-for-shot recreation of the iconic Capture of Princess Truesmile in the classic animation Lovely Hearts: Kissy Connect, as you would soon find out.

"My darling sentinels here have kindly volunteered to drag you all the way home," said Machia, leaning down with a glint in her eyes. She was back with it now, the disharmony in her resolved at last. "Though if you prefer, I will return yesterday's favour and carry you myself. What do you think?"

Aristeia! Building a Champion

"Upside down kind of day, is it?" mused Titanomachia. "Let me review."

You heard a quiet sound from her distant phone, that sounded a lot like a recording of the vase impacting your head. Visual calculus begins analyzing the angle her phone must have been pointed during that crash - answers not ideal.

"Gravitas aside, you're taking to this surprisingly well," Machia said. "It raises the question - I've been wondering about arena gear for you. You don't use weapons, you're not a multitasker, and you've got a kind of bloody-minded stubbornness that covers a lot of the same ground as armour. But a temporary supercharge..." she bit idly into a pocky stick. "Not scientific. I'm getting close to perfection and I am not going to carve out space in my designs to optimize for some hack goo. When I'm done I intend this to be baseline. No, I need something more," she made a sound like fizz-pop! "I need to do some research."

"Anyway!" she tossed her phone to the side. "Since my little hexchamp is winning on the first try it's time to up the stakes! Part of working with Xotic is that she's in control of the dose and when it hits you, so I," she flicked forwards onto the floor, "am going to be lurking around in that creepy little Igor shuffle she does. Then I'm going to try and hit you with some aresolized enhancements while you're moving. This stuff won't last long, so you've got to anticipate when it's coming and make the most of it for the seconds you have. Ready?"

Aristeia! Becoming a Champion

"Yes!" hissed Gata, eyes widening for a pounce, fingers digging into the metal. "We are good. But we are normal. We have instincts. Instincts are predictable. She made a mistake by offering to train with you. Take it. Take it multiple times. Watch her." Her hair was standing up as though electrically charged. "As much time as possible. Hang out afterwards. Learn."

She stood up, pacing rapidly back and forth. "Was concerned Gaia was involved. Inspiration link, similar styles. Gaia would never train with anyone else. Kraken is naive - new information. Exploitable weakness." Her ears were focused. "Remember. Remember. Cats are predators. Cats are prey. With Kraken, you are prey, even if she is naive. Do not try to be a predator. Be cute." A pause, and then slitted eyes slide back over to you. "You know how?"

Aristeia! Building a Champion

"This kind of cubegel is more than just, like, instructions to your body, man," said Stripes cheerfully, plugging its arm back in. "It's fuel source as well. It's like -"

"Nanomachines, son!" said Mess.

"Yeah. Costly energy budget wise," said Stripes, flipping back onto his feet. "It's a whole thing. There's a mixture of -"

"Don't think of it as something you are," said Machia quietly from her perch. "Think of it as something you drive. Like a vehicle. Don't fight it, steer it."

The Dakinis have both produced long bo staves from somewhere, circling around cabinets in unison. There is a painted scoring zone behind them - you want it - and they're holding stance defensively. Their Placer pattern - all about hooks, sweeps and delays, not looking to get in a fight so much as a time consuming tangle and sweep that ends with everyone where they prefer. The model is the original Placer Star 8-Ball, though lacking all of the bounce and panache that made 8-Ball a fan favourite and dangerous opponent. The exemplars of Cs in everything.