Red looked up at Zach. "I'm okay, but Mari didn't take that too well... I can't get her to snap out of it, and I can normally help her out of anything!"
Still concerned, Red hugged her bonded again. "Mari, it's over now, it's okay!"
Mari slowly looked up, moving her face out of Red's hair.
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up.""See, Mari? It's gone now!"
Mari slowly stood up, taking a deep breath. He expression fell back into being completely neutral a few moments later. "I am fine."
Red let out a sigh of relief. "Great! You were holding me really hard and stuff, I didn't really mind 'cause your my bonded and all, but still!"
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up.""Next we have THE WRAITH, versus RED!" The announcer conferred with the judges for a moment. Why had they pitted champions, or at least companions who regularly won, against newcomers? It would play hell with the brackets.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Red looked up, now excited. "Mari! That's me! I'm heading up now!"
Mari's face betrayed none of the worry she felt for the small girl who was her companion. Red tugged at her hand excitedly.
With a simple nod, Mari proceeded to the arena entrance with Red, who eagerly headed in to fight. She'd be waiting the whole day for this, and was sure she'd be able to knock her enemy out.
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."The creature she faced was nothing short of horrific. A gaunt, twisted frame seemed to be just shy of revealing most of the skeleton, and muscled writhed underneath the skin in ways that no similar biological structure should behave. It seemed to be in more motion standing still than when it started to slowly stalk around the circumference of the arena, looking at Red.
It waited.
It hungered.
It would have satisfaction.
edited 17th Mar '11 5:13:18 PM by SOCR
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Mari stared at the creature red would be fighting, worry building up in her more and more. She hadn't suspected this... and they put a winner against a firt time combatant? She nearly ran in to pull Red out, but barely stopped herself.
Red winced at the grotesque companion, clearly finding it somewhat disturbing. Moments later, she folded her arms and took on a confident smile.
"Bring it on!"
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."Bring it on the Wraith did.
The creature charged at Red with as little warning as wearily eyeing it's prey could give. Even mid-charge, it was able to rotate it's body to ready a spike-filled punch, hands just on the humanoid side of a ball of thorns and claw.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?"What is that thing?! How is Red supposed to win against that?" Sam was worried about the little girl, he had grown increasingly fond of the girl.
"Don't be worried, you have no idea WHAT she's capable of. Besides, it was her idea to register for the tournament. If you're worried, then cheer her on and honor her bravery." Sel was anxious for the Companion's wellbeing as well, but respected her tenacity.
edited 17th Mar '11 5:20:28 PM by Poisonarrow
Feminist in the streets, sex slave in the sheetsRed quickly took advantage of her high levels of speed and ran out of the way. She spun for a moment and stuck her tounge out at the grotesque companion before continuing to sprint to the side, then pausing for only a second behind the creature. She lept up to deliver a kick to the monster's back.
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."The creature saw Red dodge to the side, and tracked her movements with eyes glowing crimson. It could not alter its momentum so easily, perhaps it was as fragile as its hollow frame suggested, but it could still react. It connected the fist-pincushion with the cement, doing enough damage to actually scar the concrete, and used it as a sort of brake. When Red came behind it, the creature ducked, and whipped around this spiky ball of a limb as well as it could aim without looking.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Red was unable to alter her path in mid-air, and was only lucky enough to get hit with the lower portion to the creature's spikey appendage, sparing herself far for severe injury. Still, the force of the hit coupled with her small size sent her flying, tumbling through the air, hitting the ground, and rolling once before lying still for a moment.
She started to push up off of the ground, regaining the wind that had been knocked out of her by the hit.
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."The creature on the other side of the arena, meanwhile, was also trying to regain its composure. Changes in angles and momentum had thrown it for a bit of a loop, and it staggered, sidled to the side several paces, and then spun to again find its prey.
edited 17th Mar '11 5:31:10 PM by SOCR
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Red winced, as she got up, and weakly felt her side to make sure nothing internal had gotten damaged. Confident once more, she stood up and turned to face the creature.
"That hurt! But I'm not gonna let you do it again!" she yelled. After a few momentes, she decided that taunt hadn't sounded too good, but nevertheless tried to charge her confused enemy and deliver a punch to... pretty much any spot she could reach.
edited 17th Mar '11 5:34:45 PM by AnnoR
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."The creature let out a snarl, and then charged with a bloodcurdling howl. Clearly, it wanted Red to Bring It On.
With the two already alarmingly fast companions now going full-tilt straight at each other, whichever landed the solid hit would clearly be at an advantage. Red's fist connected with what would nominally be the left side of the creature's ribcage. The immense force imparted with this strike spun the creature right around, allowing a whiplike barbed tail to snag Red and the two collapsed on the floor together in a mangled heap of limbs.
The Wraith snarled defiance, and slashed blindly at Red, trying to free itself.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Though the kicks did not connect in any damaging manner, Red did manage to free herself from the creature and its desperation attacks. The Wraith pulled itself away with powerful arms, and braced itself against the back wall for a powerful, kick-started sprint for Red.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Red backed up, and seeing what the creature was about to do...
Suddenly, her cape flutterted in a none-existent breeze... and grew. The cape grew far larger then the little girl who was wearing it, flaring out into a vast she of fabric fluttering in some sort of impossible wind... But that wasn't all of it. As opposed to what you would expect from a cape, simple fabric on the inside, there was a deep, pitch-black void, filled with disembodied, razor-sharp maws, and twitching red eyes. To top it all off, Red's own(normally golden and innocent-looking) eyes had become blood red, and were glowing softly.
"Go ahead and do it," Red said, her voice taking on an uncharacteristic, almost threatening tone. "I'll shear you limb from limb, drown you in your own blood. Your bonded human, too. Both of you, dead. Bloody, limbless corpses in the dark. And I'll just laugh, bath myself in your escaping fluids..."
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."The Wraith looked as surprised as its twisted visage was capable of expressing, and slowly dismounted from it's half-climb up the wall. It started an approach far more cautious than it had displayed all match up that point, more reminiscent of the initial prowl it had executed before the match began.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?

"I see. Should we plan against it?" Boreas asked, surprisingly still sounding unbiased. He seemed to be in control of the situation, or at least calm enough to have a grasp on it. An admirable trait, to be sure.
"Of course we should! The thing just ripped someone's heart out! If that's not an alarm for panic, I don't know what is," Ryan replied, already pacing. He was worried, and it was showing quite plainly on his... Well, everywhere- in his voice, on his face, in his mannerisms...
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