Spring 2007 R1-5: Kaitou v. Nekoness -- Holst Bhuia Bay

[LocoColt04]

Reference this thread for bracket information. Reference this thread for environment information.

You have from now until the 28th of February to finish your round. Good luck!

I was going to expand the environments for you, but I've decided to leave that in your hands. Pay attention to what's already listed in the Environment thread, and build upon it from there. I look forward to this season's tournament.



Remember, your characters have been teleported to this location via the powers of the gods/aliens (call them anything but judges). Because this is the first round, long introductory posts explaining your characters' journey prior to abduction are acceptable. In future rounds, try to keep them shorter.

Again, good luck, and more importantly, have fun!

[Nekoness]

The sound of closed door echoed in Rust’s mind. The silence, the loneliness oppressed the mutant. His all body shivered in a spasm of silent cry. Yet not sigh of tears was in his now crazily shining eyes. That it, Lorelei left and she won’t come back.

It was his time to taste from his own medicine. And, oh..it was bitter. All the times he stood up and left the hurt woman now turned against him, giving him the understanding of being dumped. It burned down his throat into a heavy stone, pressing on his heart. The man took a step away from the window, trying to figure out what he should do now. His head was a mess of past images and future alternatives, all of them leading to one pretty, young woman.

His jaw tightened in attempt not to let the frustrated groan out. But he couldn’t keep it inside for long. And then it came out at full force. A singular, deep, powerful growl ripped off the silence, filling the room with sensations of angered beast. It came right from his chest, full of pain and disappointment. The beam of the groan traveled from the window to each corner of the room.

Philip’s breath became heavier as he raised his head. His pupils were large and unusually bright, giving him a psychopath attitude. He shook his head but nothing helped. Over helmed by his own mix of emotions, the mutant lost any control. His upper lip exposed his white teeth in a kind of insane smirk.

With a short laugh, Philip wrapped his fingers into a strong fist and punched the wall. Then another punch came and another and another, aiming for a same spot. Very soon the punches became faster as Philip giving all the strength he had. He punched the wall even when hot blood streamed down his knuckles, staining his clothes and the wall. Rust’s actions were followed by deep, animal like breathes. He not stopped till he couldn’t go on anymore.

Philip’s body just collapsed down, on his knees. He tried to breath deeply, opening his mouth, exhausted by physical and emotional effort. His torso tottered forth and back as he blankly watched the floor and his still, limp arms.

A sudden sound made him to look up. It was Lorelei! Confused by the sigh, Philip wasn’t sure if it wasn’t only inside of his head. Slowly his expression achieved sanity. Letting his back to lean against the wall, he stared at her, relaxing eventually. Lorelei came back. She really came back. Taking a deep breath, Rust couldn’t stop looking at her slender figure. He hid his hands behind his back, not wishing for Lorelei to see their deplorable state.

“Yes, I have came back.” Lorelei said dryly, but her shining with tears eyes betrayed her attempt to sound distant. It wasn’t the first time the two fought between them, but this time it was deeper then a simple disagreeing, exposing hidden feelings . Things were so complicated, too much for their taste. Yet, they needed each other, more then they thought.

The man just sat on the bed, watching the floor as he not daring to look at the red haired beauty. “You know Lorelei. I have never been in such a situation before. Usually it was me who pulled the strings. I was the one who wasn’t sure about things and the other side tried to keep me near. Now it’s the opposite. I never thought it feels..that way..”Rust swallowed and rubbed his temples in confusion.

He glanced shortly at the woman and stood up carefully. Philip approached the window, staring on the sunny streets as he stands with his profile to the young man, exposing the tired yet proud, manly attitude. Surrounded by aura of sun beams, Philip created a different, softer view of himself then usual. Even the sparkle in his piercing eyes seemed to soften as he watched the streets. Lorelei sat on the bed, unsure what to sayor what to do. She tried to analyze the situation calmly, as she was taught to do. Someway, all of her thoughts were dragged towards Philip’s figure. “What you are doing to me..?”she mumbled to herself, unable to take her eyes of him.

Philip lowered his head, letting his dark hair to hide his eyes. His lips smiled faintly. He stood there for a while, trying to continue but the words choked him. Philip’s shoulders shuddered slightly as he leaned against the glass, still refusing to look at Lorelei. “I really like you. I really do. Perhaps I’m expecting too much from you, from myself. Yes, it must be that.” Philip stopped, trying to find the right words without exposing his pain anymore. If Lorelei only knew how hard it was for him to admit his feelings. Philip rarely admitted that he needs someone. Usually he just turned that kind of scene into a joke and found a reason to leave. But now he was on the other side and Lorelei was the one to who threatened to leave. It was very painful.

As he was about to turn around and to look into her beautiful eyes a sudden dizziness attacked his mind, causing him to collapse down. He saw her figure falling as well, a shocked expression replaced her coldness. Philip stopped his breath, waiting for his body to create impact with the hard floor. Instead of it he kept falling and falling into empty space. Everything blacked out for the mutant. When he opened his eyes again all he could see is unclear forms of trees and rocks around him. Definitely he wasn’t in NY anymore. He could smell the fresh air, to feel the violent wind playing with his hair and clothes. The sound of waves breaking against something hard could be heard from his left.

“Where I’m? Lorelei? Are you here?” Rust called quietly as he freezing on his place. It was too foggy for him to see where he really was. “Philip..I’m here..” came out an even quieter answer. “I can’t see a thing, only to hear the waves. I’m kind of lost.” His lover admitted in a scared voice. She started to crawl forth, orientated only by the sound of his quiet voice till her arm bumped into his hip. Pulling herself up, Lorelei hugged his torso, trying to observe the foggy area. “I don’t’ like it.” She declared angrily. “I don’t like it too, Lori.” Rust growled, wrapping an arm around her waist.

[Kaitou]

Even before death, the king did not display an expression of fear. Evandar lay before Damion, defeated. His victor held his sword vertically, its blade pointed at the king's neck.

"With your death, we Fiends may live free," Damion spoke. He shut his eyes before driving his sword into Evandar's flesh. His arm, removing the sword from the murdered king, swung back and was immediately caught by another. A member of the Divine had wrapped his arms around Damion's. Before Damion could retaliate, three others grabbed him and pinned him onto the floor. The other Fiends had been defeated.

Tobias stood at the foot of the stairs where the elevation of the platform hid the Cherubim on it. He hesitated to climb the stairs, doubting his father's survival. He could not hear his voice among the ruckus between the Divine and remaining Fiend.

"Release me! Foul scum, I have killed your king. When we Fiends rise to power you will be the first to suffer," Damion struggled, throwing his arms against the Divine and beating his majestic black wings. But his power could not overwhelm the Divine.

"Our king still lives," one of the Divine spoke. "You have failed to destroy Astera."

As he said this, a grave Tobias ascended the stairs. He walked slowly towards his father, stopping before the apprehended assassin. Gripping Damion's hair, Tobias pulled his face up to meet his own.

"I'll make certain you Fiends live in eternal suffering. They have you to thank," Tobias said in a vengeful tone.

"It would do you well to kill me now, lest I break free and finish you off," Damion spat.

Tobias slammed Damion's head against the floor and turned towards Evandar, motioning for Damion and the surviving Winged Fiends to be carried away.

"Bring them to Hades where they will be tortured and executed," he commanded. He then knelt down before his father and caressed his face, its warmth still present.

"I will have you avenged. Every fiend will live to regret the gift of life."

Suddenly, the world around him began to fade into an overwhelming white light. He quickly rose to face Damion, suspecting an attempt to escape by the Winged Fiend. All but himself and the Fiend were hidden by this magnificent light. The Divine had also disappeared, as a free Damion rose to his feet. Yet, Damion shared the same expression of bewilderment as Tobias.

"Tobias," a voice spoke, not belonging to either cherubim. The voice was soft and feminine, and was heard only by Tobias. "I can bring your father back. However, there will be obstacles between you and your father's resurrection. Defeat the opponents I place before you with the aid of the Fiend and King Evandar will be returned to you."

"Goddess Astera, is that you?" Tobias called out. There was no reply.

"Damion," another voice, different and heard only by Damion, called. This voice was weak and strained, like that of an old man. "You wish for your people to be free? Overcome my challenge and defeat the enemies I summon. You and the prince must survive. Do this and your wish shall be fulfilled."

"Don't play games with me! Show yourself!" Damion shouted, searching for the source of the voice. Neither of them were aware they heard different voices, assuming each other's challenge was heard by the other.

Soon, the light faded behind a thick fog. The area around them was completely different, the smell of a fresh sea breeze contrasting the filtered air of the Sanctuary. The sound of crashing waves sounded in the distance at an altitude below them, suggesting their being on a high ledge or cliff.

Tobias turned to face Damion, where his half-extended arm held a blade between Tobias's eyes.

"Demon! Fate has forced us to cooperate. Lower your sword," Tobias demanded.

"Pity how you now beg me for mercy," Damion said through a sinister smirk.

Faint voicers nearby diverted the two's attention. Two silhouettes were slightly visible through the fog resembling average, though wingless, Cherubim, apparently one male and the other female. It was clear the silhouettes belonged to their opponents.

"Listen to me, Fiend. I need your cooperation. I will grant the Fiends freedom if you help me bring back my-"

"By defeating these two, my brethren will be granted freedom," Damion spoke aloud to himself. He turned again to Tobias, "You will seek to survive, for if you die, I will find your soul in Gehenna."
Although Damion was acknowledging the challenge he himself had received, Tobias assumed they had come to an agreement. The two turned to face their foes.

"Wait here for them to approach," Tobias commanded.

Immediately disobeying him, Damion spread his wings and, with a single beat, elevated himself several feet in the air. Keeping a steady beat to keep him midair, he drew his Third Wing behind him with his left hand. A powerful, aimed pitch hurled the curved weapon at the opponents. The weapon traveled in an arc towards its target, whirring through the thick fog with a soft hum.

[Nekoness]

Faint sounds of two manly voices above them, interrupted their conversation. Another sound could be heard in that foggy space. A sound similar to birds wings when they broke the air. Alarmed, Rust and Lorelei looked up, trying to see what excpects them from the skies. Needless to say that they couldn’t see more then two winged siluettes soaring in the air, from their left. Lorelei pupils widened as she saw the large wings of the unknown beings. They resembled her angels from fairy stories. But the red haired woman was too old to believe in them. She knew that beautiful appearance could hide a coward spirit and decided to stay quiet. As long as they stood there without being aggressive, there was a chance to test the real intentions of the winged people. Lorelei wasn’t sure if she should see them as mutants or guests from another reality. Perhaps it was a silly thought but something told her that they do not belong to world she was born at.

After a short period of time, one of them moved through the fog. Almost immediately a threatening, humming sound which approached them in a great speed. Instinctively, both of the mutants leaped aside as they ducking. Something flat passed above their head and vanished in the thick fog. Glancing at the winged opponents, Lorelei narrowed her beautiful eyes. So, they decided to attack first. Too bad.

Her dearest companion didn’t wasted time for thinking back. With a wide grin on his thin lips, Rust pressed his palm against the solid stone and concentrated. As much as she could guess, the man felt presence of metals around and sucked them from beneath the ground. Buying him some time, Lorelei collected her hair, giving it a whip form and sent it forth, blindly yet nimbly whipping at their foes direction. Her shining red hair slapped all around powerfully and then separated into many hardened strands, which pierced the air like sharp needles. Then she retreated and gave a fast look at Philip.

Meanwhile, when Lorelei occupied the winged creatures, Philip concentrated at sucking any metal he could feel closer to him. Very soon his arm was covered with a thick layer of black, metallic dust. Unfortunately for the faked angels, the rocks were remains of ancient meteors. The stone was rich with hematite, magnetite, and taconite minerals. That proved Rust a large

Standing up, Rust sent half the dust towrds the skies in all four directions. As the dust flew up, it tansformed into many razor blade needles, showering the sky in a deadly rain of thin blades.

[Kaitou]

Damion followed his weapon's flight with his ears, listening to its fading volume as it gained distance. Not long after throwing Third Wing, its whirring grew louder as it made its return. He missed. The weapon was met with Damion's firm grasp as its momentum threw his arm back.

The haze prevented Tobias from seeing his partner's actions, with little but a faint darkened area in the fog marking his presence in the air. The fiend was apparently unwilling to cooperate with him, making his own decisions. Coordinated attacks were hopeless. The fiend was strong, however, and could be trusted to perform well on his own.

Before Tobias could make an action of his own, whip-like sounds became perceptible, growing louder in volume rapidly. Anticipating an attack, Tobias lifted Aegis in front of him and poised himself. Several red-colored "whips" deflected off the sturdy shield, relentlessly returning for a constant barrage. Aegis succeeded in absorbing the blow of each strike, allowing Tobias to endure the assault with ease.

Above, Damion dodged the whips with nimble movements. Although the thick mist hindered his vision, the whips' distinct sounds announced each attack, enabling Damion to ready his next movement. The whips were made visible as they drew near, at which point Damion would proceed to dart away. In an effort to close the distance between his opponents and himself, Damion began moving in closer while weaving around the whips.

More sounds. A large number of projectiles were approaching fast. Unable to dodge, Damion crossed his arms in front of his face and held his knees to his chest to minimize his size and protect vital body areas. The blades lodged themselves into his flesh, sending waves of biting pain throughout his body. Damion clenched his fists and teeth, letting an agonized grunt escape him.

His wings folded, allowing him to plummet to the ground while his momentum pulled him closer to his enemies. Before reaching the ground, Damion extended his left arm forward and released a burst of dark energy from his palm. The energy spread outwards in the shape of a cone, enough to shower both targets. The force of the flowing energy stabilized Damion in the air as he spread his wings to keep himself aloft.

Tobias had blocked the wave of projectiles with Aegis without injury. Looking upwards, he noticed the fiend was no longer above him. It was likely he had taken an attempt to approach the opponents. Since it would prove disadvantageous for Damion to engage both enemies, Tobias would have to keep another busy. He let out a deep sigh. It seemed he was following under the fiend's decisions.

With small, rapid beats of his smaller wings, Tobias lifted his feet from the ground and flew towards the enemy's location. The silhouettes became more distinguishable as he drew nearer. It was clear that the whips belonged to the female figure, their ends attached to her head like hair. This would be his target.

Tobias stopped at a distance and thrust his left arm forward. From his palm he released a barrage of rays of holy energy towards his target. The rays traveled straight and quickly, aimed towards the general center area of the victim's body.

[LocoColt04]

Wow. What an awesome display of introductory posts here. I really, really wish you two had managed to get some more posts into the bulk of the thread.

The diversity of your characters is perfect for this kind of setup. On the one hand, we have the faithful companions, willing to work together at any time. On the other hand, we have the mortal enemies, forced to work together for the sake of survival. The fact that we got a set of each type thrown into one thread is excellent.

Nekoness, to be blunt, your posts are a bit hard to read. They're plagued with typos and that really makes it difficult to understand them without having to slow down and re-read a few things here and there. You also seem to be a little bit comma-heavy, interrupting the flow of your sentences when it's they're not needed. For instance, "Faint sounds of two manly voices above them, interrupted their conversation." shouldn't have a comma. I don't want it to seem like I'm picking on you, because I'm not. I would, however, suggest slowing down in the future and reading through your posts yourself prior to posting them. Sometimes, a quick skim after typing it up is all you need to catch most of the errors.

Your ideas are great, though, so please don't get the wrong idea. You know your characters thoroughly, and have a good understanding of teamwork.

Kaitou, on to you. To be completely honest with you, I was caught off-guard with this. Knowing you mostly as an RP writer, I really didn't expect this level of writing. Your intro is a bit dialogue-heavy for an RPB... but hey, it's an intro, so what does it matter? I really liked the way you set it up with a strong backstory leading into the events prior to the fight.

You have a really strong grasp on the sense of action, and that's where you surprised me a little as I wasn't expecting to see it. It also seems to be where you excel. You do, however, seem a little bit uncomfortable with your characters, particularly Damion. If I were to assume these were new characters created specifically for this tournament, would I be correct? Be bold. Be daring. Try to get into Damion's character a little more, and play a little dirty (in a rule-abiding way, of course).

I really hate to let something like typographical error be a major factor in a judgement, but it's a bit tough to ignore here. It seems both of you were a bit stronger in your introductory posts, but barring those, when it comes to the battle posts, Kaitou has the upper hand.

On that note, the round goes to Kaitou.

I would love to see you two continue this, so if you want me to copy it over to the RPB forum and re-open it for continued posting, please just let me know.