Edgar
In these two weeks, Edgar has bulked up quite a bit from all the exercise he's been getting as of late, it was hard but the results were nice maybe he should train more often.
At the starting line, Edgar is wearing a white tank top and black shorts. While stretching he noticed the giant woman just walking up to Mikael and spitting, apart of finding it gross he also felt intimidated by the woman, her physique is better than his and he had to compete against that in the race. He shook his head and attempted to concentrate on securing a spot, that's what is important now.
Surrounded by weirdoes
Sam has been feeling pretty good about how he had been working out, so for the moment he stood in the line, stepping in as calmly as he could. He seemed to be bouncing on his feet, apparently more ready to dance than run, but got into position as everything was ready to begin.
"So, it's showtime?" He said, trying to joke a bit.
Wake me up at your own risk.
Your Lord And Savior
Kitson Dragonfly - Progress Report.
2 weeks. 2 weeks that Kit had spent essentially beating the life out of his insecurities. Felt weak? Did a full body training regimen that left him practically immobile. Felt slow? Ran a mile in 5 minutes. Everyday the Songblade became more like an extension of Kitson’s arm, and every day he learned how to better use its abilities in tandem with his own physical prowess. Now he had memorized Blizzardio, the song of ice, though he reckoned it would fail to be as useful as the other trick he had learned.
That former rocket-jump that got Kit to the top of the flagpole was his best shot at increased mobility, but he realized he couldn’t move after it due to his legs being burnt to hell. Well, increased training with his first two mastered songs basically allowed Kit to play them at the same time, creating an air pocket between himself and the blast and making the rocket jump far more practical. Time would only tell if it was enough to bag him the win.
Kitson Dragonfly - Revving The Engine
Today was the day. Kit hadn’t felt this way since the moments before the obstacle course two weeks ago, but that ended with him burned, bruised and bitter at the disappointment. This would be different though, it had to be. If it wasn’t, Kit might have to go visit Laurie after all. But he pushed all of those thoughts out of his mind. Today was the day. And by god he’d win it. Honestly, Kit was prepared to tunnel everything else out of his vision, just as he had done with every other competition, but the demon girl taunting Mikael knocked him from his athletic trance.
'She’s got balls, I’ll give her that,' the boy thought. 'That or half a brain…' Took a certain kind of person to walk up to something double their size and challenge them like that. Kit had seen two types of them. Usually, they both ended up dead, but hey, who’s counting? Kit slinked up behind and to the left of Mikael as the demons had their pissing contest, essentially just waiting to see if things got out of hand. Something about that girl…like Mikael said, she was handicapped without her demon form, and if she was going to threaten a demon already in said form, it would make sense to get into it…
Well, unless she didn’t have one. Kit knew the Oni of the Badlands in particular were a sub-race of demons without any sort of alternate form. And, of course, not all demon-looking things necessarily were demons. Times like this Kit wished he was full-blooded Oni so he could tell for sure, but he guessed in the race a fire blast should be enough the tell the difference. Or he could do something a bit more nefarious…
Whistling a tune, Kit would conjure a tiny spark of flame and attempt to maneuver it into the possible demon-girl’s leg, just to see if she reacted.
Edited by Yayakuza on Nov 26th 2022 at 2:25:19 AM
I am become dubstep, destroyer of taste
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Racetrack
The flame flickered and sparked, floating above the ground like a little wisp. Most demons were immune to hellfire, but their resistance to flames of other origins was dubious. The demon didn't budge, staring ahead as Mikael responded in kind. The gauntlet was thrown and she had to put up or shut up.
She clenched her fist. Her tattoos glowed red, blazing with scarlet crimson. She began to grow, shooting up, skin turning black as coal. Sharp horns grew from her head, bony wings from her back, tail shooting out like a scaly lizard's. Her eyes were smouldering suns in the dead of night, her hair a mountain of ash, her long claws and feet as sharp as diamonds. She rose to the challenge, staring Mikael in the face, towering over him with deadly glee.
"Wanted to give you a chance. Not much without Mommy or Daddy backing you up, are you?"
But the flame was quickly snuffed out. The accountant rose to action, stomping it out with his polished boots. He pushed back his glasses, sharp as ever, staring at Kit with disdain.
"That was uncalled for. I expected better from a fellow student. To engage in such behaviour before the race event starts is nothing but brainless malice."
He spoke with a quiet strength, carrying himself with grace and elegance beyond his humble appearance. "Do us all a favour and sit yourself down before you make an ass of yourself. You can do that much, can't you?"
Kit found himself hanging on every word. The man wasn't a natural orator, but he was strangely entrancing. He felt compelled to do as he said, even if what he said didn't make the most sense. Whether he did was up to him, but it would take an incredibly strong will to resist.
Sue
"Hey, that's quitter talk, sword lady! We're both gonna get a spot and you know it! But I guess if the universe implodes and gets rewritten and we lose our places, having a quick spar wouldn't be so bad" She wondered if there was anything that could make it more fun. Fighting sword lady would be a blast either way, but she needed something to spice it up.
"OOO, I know! Let's make a bet! It doesn't have to be your ass, but it should be something cool! Like your sword or a pair of undies or something. Got anything special, sword lady?"
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
Breath of the Sun
Mikael
To Mikael's credit, he didn't so much as flinch when the demoness transformed. He merely looked up at her with mild amusement.
"If you're mad at my dad for some reason, take it up with him, not me. Though you'll have to get in line." He replied, casually. "I might be his son, but my power is my own."
He glanced over to the accountant for a brief moment before giving his fellow demon a cocky smirk. "Gotta say though, for a big tough gal like yourself, it's weird you need your friends to protect you from a little fire. Not scared of it, are you?"
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Your Lord And Savior
Kitson Dragonfly - Revving the Engine Pt. 2
Welp, there goes that idea. It seemed evident that the girl was an honest-to-god demon. And this accountant…well he was an honest-to-god pompous bastard. The way he moved reminded him of his sister, oddly enough, and the way he talked? That was another matter all together. Caught up in thoughts of a former home, Kit felt his legs move to sit, his body following an unconscious command. But he resisted. He won’t be another fancy asshole’s bitch.
”Nice trick. Unfortunately I’m not a monkey in a funny hat. Won’t dance for your pleasure.”
A pause.
”So, a demon and a mouthpiece with fancy shoes. Quite the standout pair…who’s your other friend?”
Kit gestured to the fun-sized cyborg, his fiery gaze not once breaking eye contact with the accountant. This was recon. And rather effective recon at that, though if the rocket jump worked as intended, Kit might just be so far ahead he wouldn’t need it.
Edited by Yayakuza on Nov 27th 2022 at 2:47:53 AM
I am become dubstep, destroyer of taste
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Racetrack - Khulan
Khulan squeed, naturally. She had Inkwell'snote stamp of approval for the perfect-est symbol! The gamey smell of fresh-emerged demon did not help her giddiness. From a brief glance, bony wings but the tail was inviting and... okay, only if she got into an accident. Well, if Khulan just ended up in a position where she just had to take a bite out of this demon's tail, it'd probably grow back.
She hadn't stopped bouncing quite yet. Only slowed down to listen to Inkwell's story. "I don't really." Khulan answered, by now one-hand handstanding. "Don't think he'd be as fun or inky. Besides, you are here and he is not. If anything, he gets to see the places the Inkwell he trained is going and..." She managed to point up with her free hand and both feet and hop/clap the earth with her standing hand. "that it's just the start!" Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
Libitina (Racetrack)
While she wasn't showing as much outward excitement as the rest of the team, Libitina looked to be focused in her own way, and listening to the banter between Khulan and Lucy had her smiling just a little bit. However, hearing that the other team seemed set on causing problems had that frown dim, and she wondered if her services would be needed before the day was out.
She'd put money on 'yes'.
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Fwomph
Bea :> Bolstered Confidence
"Right, yes. We will get in and be able to test our mettle against each other. And I will win."
Bea let out another of those weak laughs to make it clear she intended it as a joke.
"I do not have much of my own possessions I could bet, especially because I do not want to give— well either of your suggestions. But... I do have a decorative hair pin that was in my pocket when I arrived. I... I don't remember ever acquiring it but that is my wager for our match."
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
(They/them)
Racetrack — Fala
In the aftermath of the obstacle course, Fala came to realize that one of her main shortcomings was her lower body strength in feats other than kicking. Thus, she spent the next two weeks testing her speed and agility in preparation for the race ahead. In time, she eventually found herself beating her past records significantly enough to boost her morale.
Now at the starting line, she stretches her legs out behind her one at a time in anticipation. She took note of the large, intimidating demon lady starting shit with Mikael. Fala would keep her distance while still keeping an eye on her, just in case.
Edited by Akkun_K on Dec 3rd 2022 at 1:52:00 PM
If I die, tell Hex Haywire I loved him.
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Racetrack
"...i didn't ask them to."
She glared at her friends, staring them down like the insects they were. Why she had any friends was anyone's guess, but she didn't seem the type. She didn't need anyone to protect her from a little flame, nor did she want them to. Something must have drawn them together, but whatever it was, neither was telling.
But the accountant didn't budge. He acknowledged the demon's displeasure but continued to stare at Kit. He could keep this up all day. He adjusted his glasses, his voice cold and stern, every movement calculated to a tee.
"Don't bother. I doubt you could so much as tapdance. If you had a scrap of potential, I'd have put in some extra effort, but I don't believe you're worth it."
The short stack gave a friendly wave, somersaulting with a little help from her thrusters. She had a pair of jets in the soles of her feet, black and orange, the same colour as her other enhancements. She landed in front of Kit, blowing him over with her enthusiasm.
"Fascinating! I believe you're the first person who's ever resisted his demands! You must possess an astounding amount of will." Her eyes flashed green, scanning Kit in detail. "Oh, yes! Do forgive my manners! You may call me Gogo if you wish. I imagine you're familiar with my uncle? He does tend to get carried away. If he brings home another teleport belt, I swear I'll use it on him..."
But the stands had fallen silent. Nurse Hello was engrossed in her book, flipping through the pages as she blew some bubblegum. Laurie was giggling, but kept it to herself, flipping through tweets as she waited for the race. But Saint and Interceptor had more important matters to attend to. They were tuned to their headsets, listening carefully, whispering as best they could. After a brief conversation, Saint addressed the crowd, speaking with cautious optimism.
"Sorry kids, but can I have your attention? According to our security team, there are traces of a spatial anomaly near Super City. We aren't sure what it is, but it appears to be stable. It is a bit strange, but it shouldn't affect the race. But we feel it's our duty to keep you informed. We'll let you know if the situation changes. But don't get complacent! The race will start any minute, so you'd better be prepared!"
But the anomaly wasn't the only thing that was strange. Whether it was adrenaline or sheer anticipation, it was hard to tell, but something was making the students heated. Tempers began to flare. Passions were aroused, rationality giving way to impulsiveness. Even the class wasn't immune, their inhibitions and restraints beginning to fade. Only the most observant or with the strongest wills could tell something was amiss. For now, sanity prevailed, but only just.
Sue
"Hey, don't sweat it! I've got lots of things I don't remember! Like where I put my bananas or the laundry. Or to do the laundry. Or that laundry's a thing."
Sue wasn't sure what to bet. There were plenty of things she could bet, but she wasn't sure if they were allowed. She tried to think, but thinking was harder than usual. Her thoughts began to race, same with her mouth, blurting out the first thing that popped in her head. Past her flimsy filter with little heed for the consequences.
"Clothes! I bet my clothes! Cept I need my clothes except I don't need my clothes cept I do cuz everyone says I do so maybe not my clothes or maybe all of my clothes or maybe all of me cuz that's a good song cept it'snotagoodsongcuzitcomesfromagameandthegameiscrapcrapCRAPit'shotyou'rehotdidanyonetellyouyou'rehotcuzyoutotallyarehotandTHAT'STHEHOTDAMNTRUTH!"
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
Liam - Unbound
Liam usually maintained a cool head despite impulses beneath the surface. He tried to stay neutral in most things, even with that as something he was trying to work on lately, and didn't like making too big of a scene publicly. Sure he liked having a good party, but that didn't translate into liking making noise. He usually considered things before rushing in.
But it seemed like whatever was happening, eroding the self control and inhibitions of the students, especially hit Liam hard. His eyes widened as he registered something going on, but he didn't know enough to know how to defend himself against it. He bit his lip lightly - muscles tensing momentarily...
The demon lady was being really dismissive, but fuck. That attitude of hers and the heated nature of it...the things happening...it was doing things to him. Hey, if Mikael fumbles it...
"Y'know, Mikael?" Liam grinned a little, "I've got some reason now to be pretty excited too. You don't mind if my reason's roughly the same as yours, do ya?"
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
Breath of the Sun
Mikael
He'd learned to tamp down on his more base instincts. To slay a demon, His grandfather had said, You must first slay the demon within yourself.
Suddenly that was getting a lot harder. His iron hearts sang to him, urging him to sink his teeth into the demoness before him. Mikael could hardly tell whether he lusted for battle, for her, or something in between.
The blood haze fogged his brain as it settled behind his eyes. He closed them, and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent.
When he opened his eyes, they were surprisingly calm. He flicked his gaze over to the accountant again, then to Liam. "I don't mind. But save it for after the show."
Then he looked back at his newfound rival. "If your friend is trying to brainwash mine, I'd tell him to stop if I was you. Because if you don't stop him, I will."
Those two words were laced with venom. The meaning was as obvious as Mikael's bared fangs.
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
AKA Nixer
Lucy Livingston
Lucy felt the haze like everyone else. She felt her shackles against who she was weakening, snapping one by one as her expression shifted from cautious optimism into an intense glare of determination. Her efforts to appear gentle and approachable fell away as her true mindset came to the surface. She was going to win. Not come second, or third. She was going to win. Nothing was going to stop her.
A boastful sentiment, but whether it was true or not didn't matter. What did matter was what she'd do to fulfil that sentiment. So as she readied herself at the starting line, she was prepared to push herself harder than she ever had done before. She was partly aware that this loss of limits was an attack, but she didn't care. It wasn't a negative. It was a positive. She'd gained loss. She knew exactly what she could do, without anything intangible holding her back. No hesitation. Victory.
Wraith's claws sprung out and snapped into her brain. It was steering her now, that pure impulse and drive that had caused her to make so many mistakes in her young life. It was free, and already her eyes were aglow with psychic power as her mind produced sparks of electricity. She was abuzz, crackling all over from charge. She was ready. Would she win? Maybe not. She was going to try, though. That was certain.
Focus was the key. Nothing stood in the way of a Livingston. Her brother knew it, her sister knew it, and her father knew it. For better or worse, what they decided came to be. Consequences followed them closely and bit at their heels. But here they were, through boldness and sheer motivation. Lucy felt alive.
"All of you better stay out of my way. I might hurt you if you're in front of me," was her warning; and however benevolently she meant it, it was hardly a friendly one. "I don't mean anything bad by it. Just don't get hurt by me. Keep distance."
It was her only warning worth saying. It was hardly ambiguous. Nor did it have any exceptions. Lucy didn't know what she'd do if she was obstructed by someone, but she knew she didn't like the thought of it. Even if it was an inevitability.
bork
Liam - Inhibitions Lost
"Great. Just don't blame me when she can't get enough."
Liam responded and then started looking around, thinking about the race. One way or another he was gonna take this - no more holding back for the sake of exercise. He'd learned a few new tricks, and he was going to use them however possible. No chance was he going to just accept loss or roll over. He heard Lucy making her statement, and Liam promptly stepped toward her. Not intimidated whatsoever. A slight spark of Regalia over him - but a darker gold than usual.
"Oh, babe, I'll keep all kinds of distance in front of you in this race. Though it's kinda funny you'd want distance in the first place from a stud like me."
With that, Liam moved up toward the front, standing at a ready position for when the race got going. His hands tensing and untensing. More than time to show these guys that Liam Eckhart wasn't some soft boy willing to stand by the sideline.
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
Fwomph
Bea :> Tamper Warning
Just as always, there was a lag between Sue finishing her words and Bea managing to piece together the babble into actionable statements. This time it was extra difficult.
"Susan calm down. You're talking quickly and I can't understand beyond— thank you for the complement I think..?"
Bea's mind flickered over to a silly little joke about how if Sue thought her hot now she should have said so in the future, back before this stupid temporal instability. And that in turn cascaded into memories of how things used to be and the missions and the teammates forever lost to death or the duty to make sure her existence could never come to pass... Bea let out a staggered breath and blinked multiple times as if that would stop any errant tears.
"Breathe. Breathe. Remember your training. Heroic Code three: no intense emotion. Breathe."
It was enough to claw back some lucidity, but the calling to collapse back into flashes of memory was still pushing at the edge of her awareness. Something was clearly wrong, this couldn't be mere nostalgia, at least... Bea hoped not; the idea of being even more broken than she already was threatened to join memories in the mire of her mood. Instead, she tried to keep breathing and work her way towards the edge of the crowd of students as though there was anything there that could wipe this collapse away.
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
Surrounded by weirdoes
Sam gave the others a look as things were getting heated in here, while he didn't appreciate them bringing up a classmate's past, but his own mind seemed to be covered with a haze.
He looked at the accountant, with a shrug, but he simply gave a spacey smile.
"You ain't much to look at either, but who cares" He said, as a snow cone with his powers and took a bite. He felt oddly light, like all his thoughts seemed to form, his outfit seemed to become an ice armor, as things started to float. Ice weapons and articles of all kinds started filling the air around them, starting to dance and float across the air.
One might even see a castle starting to form around them...
Wake me up at your own risk.
Your Lord And Savior
Kitson Dragonfly - Revving the Engine Pt. 3
In his already excited state, Kit didn’t even notice the haze that engulfed him at first.
“Outstanding, huh? Well, then, I guess you were trying. I’d stick to numbers.”
The fighter saw an ounce of red mixed in with his vision. This guy reminded him of someone who Kitson preferred not to be reminded of, and as such he needed to be snuffed out. Gripping the blade with his left hand, Kit continued.
”You’ve got somethin’ to prove, don’t you? What with this stuck-up asshole act you’ve got goin’ on. Hiding behind the biggest moving piece of meat you can find just in case your weak-ass party tricks don’t work. If I didn’t know any better, and honestly I don’t, I’d say you were useless against anyone with half a goddamn mind. In fact…”
He trailed off as the fighter realized something. His grip on the songblade had lazily shifted from the exact position where the sheathe met the buckle on his belt to just below the hilt. This grip made proper drawing of the blade impossible. If Kit had attempted to sound off with the Inferniano like this he would have probably blown himself up. Kicking himself, Kit made a mental note never again to make this sort of error when he realized something. He never would have in the first place.
In all the years he had been using this blade, the grip of his left hand had never faltered. Not once. He’d stared down the body of his grandfather with a steady grip. Even in the seconds after his finger had been severed, his grip maintained it’s poise. It **had** to, always, it was imperative. Could it have been the accountant’s commands? Maybe…but there was something else wrong too.
Liam…and Sam. Both of them were docile usually, but now? Now Liam was acting all weird and macho, and Sam was generating god knows what with those ice powers. Furthermore, Kit had done well to stop himself from getting this angry after what happened the day of the siege. Even if this guy was a pompous asshole, he’d dealt with those before. Why was he getting this heated now?
”In fact, I’d say you’ll prove that to me as soon as we get out there. Here’s to jolly competition”
The threat he planned to employ fell backwards into the depths of his mind as Kit nudged Mikael on the shoulder and shot him a look that masked worry.
”You feeling ok?”
Even as he spoke it was hard to deny he was incredibly ready to go. Whatever pits of dread forming were rapidly being evaporated, and though he realized something was amiss Kit was excited. More excited than he’d been for almost anything. Definitely the most excited he’d been since he’d come to this school.
”’Cause I think it’s about time to show these second rate wannabes who’s boss.”
All he had to was keep his grip in the right place.
Edited by Yayakuza on Dec 12th 2022 at 4:02:40 AM
I am become dubstep, destroyer of taste
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Racetrack
The sun was beating down on the tracks, the sweltering heat only serving to inflame existing tensions. Students were making out on the tracks. Others ran away, too afraid to step forward. Spirited conversations turned into rambling spiels, heated arguments broke out into brawls and everyone was turning into lunatics.
Even the teachers weren't unaffected. Katarina sat on the lower bleachers, licking her paws as she lay in the sun. Laurie and the Nurse were making moves, brushing their hands through their beds of hair as they fondled the other. Only Interceptor retained his wits, staying calm as the madness unfolded.
"Saint, something's happening. You'd better call off the race..."
But Saint wasn't listening. He was glaring at the other students, each provocation or assault making him incensed. He seized the microphone, shouting into it as a man possessed.
"LISTEN HERE, PUNKS! YOU BRATS HAD BETTER KNOCK IT OFF! DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!"
This was bad. Interceptor was rarely worried, but if the Saint was playing bad cop, that spelt trouble. He reached for the microphone, doing his best to reason with him, but it didn't do much good.
"Calm down, Saint. Whatever's changing the students is affecting you too. Even the staff is acting like love-struck delinquents." He gestured towards the Nurse and Laurie, now making out on the stands. They rolled around in the bleachers, tossing off their shoes, any sense of professionalism thrown out the window. "You need to call this off!"
But Saint wasn't having it. "Don't be absurd! You can't blame them for getting into the spirit!" He leaned into the microphone, yelling at the top of his lungs. "OKAY, KIDS! READY... SET... GO!"
And they were off. Some of the students stayed, too wrapped up in rage or pleasure, but the rest raced off like bats out of hell. They crowded the tracks, shoving each other to the ground, throwing lasers or heat rays and doing whatever it took to win. Even the demon and her friends ran off, leaving Class 1 in the dust. It was chaos. And it would only get worse from here.
Sue
Sue wasn't any better than the others, but she seemed to have a better hold of herself. She was a bit of a motormouth, even more than usual, but it was easier to pull herself from the brink. What was crazy for everyone else was her normal state of being. She caught her breath, taking a quick look around as Bea breathed.
"Hey, you okay, sword lady? Maybe it's me, but everyone's acting a bit funny..."
But the Saint's frenzied shouts caught her attention. She wanted to check on Bea, but she didn't want to miss the race. She had to choose, but with her attention span, it wasn't that hard.
"WOORACEISSTARINGCOMEONSWORDLADYGOGOGO!!!"
She summoned her Nimbus, hopping on the big poofy cloud as she soared off. She shot past the others, staying close to the ground, skidding the grass like a podracer. An inch above the ground and she'd break the rules, but she was barely staying within limits.
"HELLYEAH!EATMYSHORTSYOUSTUPIDHEADS!WAITIDONTHAVESHORTSANDIDONTWANTSHORTSSOMAYBEDONTDOTHAT!"
Edited by kkhohoho on Dec 24th 2022 at 10:10:17 AM
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
Liam
Liam almost felt like shouting right back at The Saint himself when the guy shouted down at everyone. Couldn't blame everybody on the ground for getting passionate. Seeing some of the make out sessions going on, he almost wanted to—- but no matter where his moment to moment inclinations went, he immediately focused on the race as much as he could the moment he was reminded of it. He had to show this time that he wasn't gonna fall behind. He was gonna show how strong and keen and fast he was...
And the moment The Saint announced the start, Liam was off.
He didn't care any more whatever was going on back there. If they wanted to get hard and hot and bothered, that was their thing. He knew he could do all of that and more once he won. And he was gonna win.
Seeing Sue charging ahead, Liam grit his teeth and ran for it - and then leaped, one hand twitching as a single string - reinforced with just enough Regalia energy - raced out in front of him. He balanced on the string itself, barely visible, before deploying another one ahead and withdrawing the last one.
The result saw Liam seemingly repeatedly jumping through the air at much faster than normal speed, bolstered by some kind of increased momentum.
Deciding to try and take down the early leader, as soon as he got close enough he generated a Regalia Energy Hammer in one hand and tossed it right at Sue's cloud - aiming to blast the nimbus out of the sky.
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
AKA Nixer
Lucy Livingston
Lucy continued to not-care. She only pulled a disgusted face at those who succumbed to their basest impulses, only faintly aware of her hypocrisy. It was only because of her thorough focus on the race that she wasn't also following her random whims. So when they were finally released, Lucy didn't hesitate. She shot out two tendrils from either side of her, braced them against some of the participants next to her, and then used them as leverage to catapult herself forward—knocking said participants over by extension and placing herself ahead of them.
Lucy pushed her body to its limit. She wasn't even running anymore. She was just pulling herself along by her ink, even though she felt her skin burning against the wind and her blood being pushed against her back. She couldn't trace how fast she was going, neither could she ascertain her position in the race. She was passing a lot of people, but remaining stuck behind others. Her brain was on fire.
This wasn't a metaphor. Lucy was overloading. She only realised this when she felt the blood oozing out from her eyes, nose, and mouth all at once, and through the haze her mind screamed at her to stop. But she soon didn't have a choice.
The lights went out.
Lucy fell limp in an instant, and her psychic pull on her ink ceased entirely. Which in turn meant she started ragdolling, hitting the ground from every possible angle and tumbling until she stopped. It took a while for her momentum to die, and for friction to take effect. She rolled to a stop on her side, curled up in a fetal position as she spasmed occasionally. She was battered, bruised, and sprained in the extremities. She was also right in the path of being trampled.
She had completely blacked out. If she wasn't moved out of the way in time, there was no telling what would happen to her.
Edited by Enirboreh on Dec 24th 2022 at 3:51:41 PM
bork
Breath of the Sun
Mikael
Had he been more cognizant, he might have noticed something was wrong with the Saint, with his teachers, his classmates. But it was too late, now; any sense of caution had long been swallowed by the beast within. Mikael roared as the race began, launching himself forward with earth-shaking steps.
Nimble, he was not. But when it came to charging in a straight line, he could maintain a decent speed. Crimson eyes were locked on his rival demon as he kept pace with her, and aimed to overtake her.
The scent of blood hit his nostrils, and he followed it to his source, tearing his gaze from the demoness to see Lucy fall and tumble.
His hearts paused, ever so briefly.
While it was true that his inhibition had been stripped from him, a lack of control did not make one heartless. In fact, the opposite - feelings could not be held back. Seeing such a frail girl in the path of being trampled plucked his heart like a lyre, and Mikael slowed slightly, altering course to scoop her up from where she'd collapsed.
He kept moving, keeping her in a tight grasp that hopefully wouldn't jostle her too much. Lucy's head was pressed against his chest, his body warm against hers, warmth that would hopefully ease her pain as he carried her.
Mikael tried to keep up his speed, but his concern for another had overridden his desire to prove himself, so he was less concerned with coming in first.
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Your Lord And Savior
Kitson Dragonfly - HIT! THE! GAAAAAS!!! pt. 1
He was ready, he was ready, he was ready. Just a second ago Kit was as ready as he’d ever been, for anything. But he could still tell something was wrong. When The Saint began screaming, and suddenly Kit was reminded very strongly of his Father, a strong sense of vertigo overwhelmed the boy as instinct clashed with reason.
THINK! Screamed reason, DO NOT MOVE, DO NOT MOVE!
Suddenly, reason sounded an awful lot like instinct. But instinct didn’t have a voice, did it? It had a presence. The world slowed. Kit’s hands shook as he began to wrap his head around the implications of what was happening. But his mind was neutered. He was lobotomized by a burning to desire to win. To prove that goddamned accountant wrong. To run. He would do it. No, NO! No he had to think, if he didn’t he would break something…he would break…
He would break something.
Suddenly, at the face of hope’s order, the students of Saint Academy began to try their hardest to brutalize one another in a mad dash to the finish line. It didn’t matter, none of it did. If all went to plan, no one had a chance in hell of beating his raw momentum. Just a second. Just a second to remember the melody.
He stood still for thirty-two seconds before beginning the opening measure. This was just regular elemenotta. All regular. Just at the same time. He corrected his grip, waited for the last few people to clear from the blast zone. Two, and then one, and then…
But a few didn’t leave. And now the crowd was ahead. Oh no, oh shit there was no time. There was no time, no time. The fighter blinked and suddenly the floors were marble, and the walls were a lot closer, and the sky was gone, replaced with a glass chandelier. The tiles were slick with blood. Kitson felt his whole body, everything down to his jaw tense up. Everything, everything, everything. He heard the clanging of metal on metal, metal on song and song on flesh. Two people he had killed.
He didn’t feel like he was affected by the inhibition diminisher anymore. He was, but he didn’t feel like it. Beyond that door was Kaeden Dragonfly. No, no, no no no no no no NO. That man was dead, and Kitson Dragonfly killed him. And Kitson Dragonfly was the goddamn Patron Saint of the Badlands! He was an artist! AN ARTIST OF BRUTALITY!
His body was still tense as the door opened and the track returned to him. All the tension in his muscles was released in a single, deafening, strangled, agonizing cry.
”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH-“
A cry that was cut short as the blood turned to ice and a veritable explosion rocking the arena and sending the artist careening forward across the frozen earth. The boy found his footing balanced on his sheathed blade, using its firm as a sort of ice skate. At the end of this pathway was a ramp, a ramp that would, with the help of a second explosion, send Kit flying at speeds that were quite possibly supersonic. At the first sign of a turn, the fighter would create an ice tunnel to shift direction and keep his momentum going.
If at any moment he passed by the accountant on his path as a bat out of hell, Kit would simply turn to face him. However small the fraction of a second that he got to look him in the eye was, it would be worth it just to show him how much effort Kit was worth.
I am become dubstep, destroyer of taste
AKA Nixer
Lucy Livingston
"...u-ugh..." Lucy murmured as she shifted in Mikael's hold, blearily opening her eyes as she somehow regained consciousness to a limited extent. "Head... hurts... what'd I... what happened...? Mikael... a-are you carrying me...?"
She was in too much of a daze to be put off by this, so she just let him carry her to... wherever they were going. He wasn't going too fast, she realised. It was nice that he cared more for her well-being than winning some stupid race. Why did she let herself lose control so easily? It was like she'd lost her limits entirely. She was glad she was so weak at that moment; she physically couldn't do anything else stupid, powers or not.
"M-Mikael... something's going on. Are we being... attacked...?" she asked in a whisper, trying to huddle to hide from being looked at by the crowd. She wasn't embarrassed by being carried, but she hated the idea of being gawked at while she was vulnerable. "I-I could've died... if I didn't black out there... I would've burned to death. Someone... something's out for us. Are you okay, Mikael...? Y-You feel it too, right...?"
Edited by Enirboreh on Dec 31st 2022 at 1:06:40 PM
bork
Lucy Livingston
"U-Uh, heh...! Yeah. We'll... we'll do fine. You're right," Lucy responded in a slightly delayed fashion, somewhat dazed by Khulan's excitable mood and nodding in agreement only a few seconds later. "The logo looks good...! I don't mind you using it. It suits you..."
She was momentarily distracted by the group confronting Mikael, and she frowned deeply as she looked over at them. Strange. They must've had a lot riding on this event to act so serious about it. Never mind the belittling attitude. Of course, the class demon took it upon himself to just taunt them in return. As was predictable...
Lucy sighed, stretching her arms above her head as her ink warbled and rippled against her outfit. She wondered how far she should push things. Pretty far, she imagined. Though her head was thrumming for whatever reason. Anxiety, maybe...?
Familiarity?
"I had a friend... back in RI. His name was Jack. He ran track, for the school..." she said aloud, partially to Khulan and partially to Libitina. "He helped train my powers, back when I was... just starting. Super strong, that guy. I wonder if he'd like it here..."
She shook her head, nostalgia on her face.
"Kinda wish he was here instead of me, y'know...?"
bork