Welcome to Gaia! ::

As Chen had responded to him--telling him that she was so glad that he loved the cookies, he had given her a warm smile back--her happiness was infectious. He hadn't met a person like her since he had come to Paris and then HQ. When Chen explained to him about how Akio disliked him calling him by his name due to a cultural difference, Acel felt a little bit bad about it--and he would be sure to apologize to the man when he got the chance to do so, though it was an honest mistake, and he was sure that was why Akio hadn't been truly angered by it. "You will have to be careful about bringing such delicious food around here, you might find more people than you can handle trying to stay at your home for more of it. I know I would be one of them." Acel said with a small chuckle, though he winced as he laughed--his ribs hurt something awful from where the A.I. Core had torn a chunk out of his body. "As for the information on the cultural differences me and your son have, it is very good to know. I appreciate the insight." He said with the same warm smile still gracing his features. Then Aki spoke up and she asked if Acel would rather refer to her as such, and he smiled, the woman giving him her name, and he nodded to her sharply. "To tell you the honest truth, I would indeed like to refer to you as Aki. I just have to be sure not to give your grandson a shortened nickname, and confusion ought to be avoided. I apologize for the interruption, but I believe I do have some business with Dal'Mori." Acel stated with a nod towards the man who had just entered, and with that he had begun his conversation off to the side with Dal'Mori.

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With every word that Acel spoke, he felt the man's growing rage. It was not enough to cow him from what he said--for he was prepared when he began speaking for the man to resent him for it. Dal'Mori was sick. He was plagued by a mental disease of hatred, and he would consume himself in it and die, or he would rise above it an become something more--something inhuman. The man had the capability to be the strongest of them all. He had the potential to be a warrior not only for himself, but for the world at large--but Acel did not believe the man had the mental fortitude to accept such a task--at least not now. He knew that he had stricken a bad chord with the man when he spoke about his family--but he also knew that this man did have family, they would never have wanted this sort of thing for him. Sure--they might want for their son, or brother, or sister, or friend to get revenge for them. But nobody who actually gave two shits about Dal'Mori would never want him to destroy himself and ruin his entire life just for the soul purpose of revenge. Not unless every single one of the people that Dal'Mori seemed to love so much didn't care about the man even slightly. It was hard to believe that there could be an entire community of self-serving people who didn't actually care about one another. It couldn't be this way--and Acel would try his damndest to make Dal see that. As he finished his first little bit, the man was glaring him down so hard that Acel began to wonder if he would strike out. He was almost certain that the man would do it--seeing the same look about him as he had noticed during their fight--but he would not back down. He saw a man who needed someone--something more than killing--to live for. He saw a man who needed help, even if he was unwilling to admit it to himself. Acel was the kind of person who would go out of his way to help those in need--even if he knew it was a losing battle. Until the day that Dal'Mori gave up completely, Acel would not either. As Acel explained his request to Dal'Mori, deep down he knew that it was wrong of him--he knew that he was doing something that he should not do--but he also knew that he had no other choice. Dal'Mori would never be honest with him--he knew it after observing the man for the last few interactions. He was broken inside and he was keeping it to himself. He was burying it and shouldering the burden on his own--because he felt he had to. Perhaps he didn't need to fight alone, no, but to Dal'Mori, he had to suffer alone. He had to carry the weight of his village's death on his shoulders until every enemy was dead--it was a ludicrous notion. The man was throwing his life away. They didn't even know if it was possible to kill all of them--there were too many of them. And who knew how many more there were still back at their original home--if it still existed. Acel thought about the sheer insignificance of their work, and for a second it shook his resolve when he thought about the fact that they might never be able to actually win against these things.

He was snapped out of this thinking as he heard a wicked thump and as Acel looked at the man before him, his own confusion matched the confusion of the warrior before him. Acel had known the man was broken--he had accepted it, as well as accepted the idea of trying to salvage what he could from the wreck of the S.S. Menne. The next few moments, however, would change how Acel looked at the man. He was not broken--the man was insane. He was dangerous. He was a liability that could not be trusted for anything. At this moment in time, Dal'Mori was a weapon, and one without a wielder. The man's fist flashed out again, and Acel winced as it hit the wall. His second hand raced forward and hit the wall this time, and the expression didn't seem to leave Dal'Mori's face--a terrifying visage of hatred and internal agony. "Dal'Mori. You don't need to do thi--" The fist hit the wall again. This time the loud snapping noise that accompanied it was jarring. As the next punch hit the wall the man's hand burst open and blood spattered across the wall like a grisly piece of graffiti. As soon as the blood showed, Acel reached out and grabbed the man by the arm--of course it was a stupid notion, but he had to try. His hand clasped around the man's bicep strongly enough to stop one of his punches, though he continued on with the second hand, striking out with that one instead as the first punch had failed. Acel tried to reach for the second arm as well, getting behind Dal'Mori so he could loop his arms around the man but with a heave of Dal'Mori's well trained body, he had Acel thrown off to the side in a moment. Acel tumbled to the ground, not having been thrown to hurt him, but merely to remove him--but he noticed the bruising where his fingers had been on the man's arm, and he wondered if he really had gotten that much stronger from his one encounter with the enemies outside. How could the results come THAT quickly? As he regained his standing, he refused to look away from the man. If he was going to beat himself senseless, Acel would be there to see it through to the end. If anyone interfered, Acel would stop them. He knew that Dal'Mori needed this--he could tell by the man's wild demeanour, and he didn't want anyone else to try to involve themselves and get hurt.

By the time Dal'Mori had actually finished savaging his own body, Acel took a deep breath and he returned the man's hard gaze--unshaken by the display of self mutilation. Acel, certainly, would look at the man a little differently, and he was wary of approaching him, though something told him by the way that he looked at him, Dal'Mori had subdued himself with his savagery. The man's eyes told him everything he needed to know. He stared back in the silence, and his eyes were like grey steel. They were opposites--Acel and Dal'Mori. He was a born farmer, Dal a born warrior. Dal'Mori internalized his pain and could not let his emotions free save for when he broke down completeled--Acel wept freely and allowed his feelings to show, unable to merely lock them away inside himself. As Dal'Mori stared him down, Acel watched a look of shock pass over his face, and he quirked a brow as he turned his head to see nothing there. The man was losing it, however, when Acel turned back to meet Dal's eyes he did not judge the man, but merely held the same accepting gaze. When Dal'Mori finally spoke, it was enough. Acel knew that the man would be incapable of lifting his mangled arms--but from the miracles of the healing process that Acel had experienced already, he knew that the doctors would be able to fix his arms perfectly, though the pain that resided within them would remain. As he spoke, his eyes, once again, were the thing that told him everything--the way they softened ever so slightly from the glare of hatred to the look of a stern acquaintance. What the man said was so out of character for what had just been going on that Acel almost burst out laughing. Instead he nodded to the man and sighed. "Well, thankfully, we don't die anymore. And to be honest--as stupid as it was to do that, I don't regret it. Sure, I wasn't exactly ready for it after I had my a** whooped by you, but at the same time, I was able to experience our enemies first hand. You have faced some of them in battle before--however, I was tending crops while my parents defended my ho--my old home. So, for me, it was valuable experience. And I must tell you...the creatures out there--they are leagues stronger than I expected. I landed a lucky blow, but I was annihilated otherwise. It was much like my fight against you--except these bastards were even worse." Acel explained, diverting all of his attention away from the man's arms so he did not stare at them or attempt to force him to go to the doctors--he knew that the man would not comply. When he told him to watch the fights with him, jerking his head toward the seating and the monitors, Acel nodded back and followed him to the seats. He sat beside him and he watched carefully as the fights took place. It would seem the fight between Kadiante and Sarah was taking its sweet time. Little real damage had been done--but the women were surely becoming exhausted and it had become a battle of attrition. Who would become too tired first? The heavy weapon Kadiante swung would tire her out faster, sure, but when she landed a hit on Sarah, the heavy weapon would bruise and tear her muscles, causing Sarah to become less and less efficient with her own strikes--it was hard to tell. Even Akio's battle had gone without landing a hit as of yet--both of them were capable fighters, and it would be interesting to see just how it played out. Acel was no trained combatant--and he could not see the small telltale signs that Faelan had the advantage in this engagement. Corrinne was also nowhere to be found, and he wondered why their fight had yet to begin--this Satoru fellow was quite late indeed. Acel stroke his chin as he watched and he looked over at Dal'Mori. "So--anyone catching your eye?" He asked with a quirked brow, wondering if the man was analysing them for allies or just for bodies to throw in front of him when the time came.


Line Count: 231

OOC:

Turn 6

35 - 23 = 12 (12 - 100 = 88 - 15) 75% Chance
Again, his overly elaborate attack had missed, which was a bugger but he wasn't bothered by it. The likelihood that it would hit properly was a slip to none chance, and it was about time that he should get serious. Yes, he was having some fun, but in the end... this was still a fight. He was here to learn how people fought, and this included himself. He knew how he fought against an A.I. as well as in training, yes, but not against another person. He knew what his weaknesses before, but suddenly when in a competitive setting, all of his faults were glaringly obvious. Which, actually, was a good thing. This would, in the long run, make it easier for him to train. Hand to hand combat, currently, was at the top of that list.

Of course, Fae effortlessly dodged the building, which was to be expected. Still, it was a disappointment to say the least. Akio lept off the building as it landed, keeping a careful eye on Faelan. The person was interesting to say the least. They were exceptionally well trained, both in CQC as well as in what he had seen of ranged. It was by sheer luck that no attack has hit him as of yet, but his careful eye remained on his opponent, now focusing on what this person would do, watching the movements of their muscles and the way they moved, keeping track of everything. As usual, his mind worked a mile a minute, thinking of so many possibilities in which the fight could go.

Fae switched to the sword, and moved rather nimbly through the terrane.This only solidified his theory that this person was comfortable with the ruins they currently fought in. It was odd that the sword, once unsheathed, had no blad. This made him curious, but he would have to wait until after the battle to really ask about it later. For now he watched as his opponent made their move, the hilt now in their cleavage. This person was very interesting, but something confused him about them. Not that they were unattractive, but something seemed off about them. With that in mind, he watched, analyzing this person's movements, quickly blocking the first elbow to the abdomen, then redirecting the second attack away from him in order to avoid damage. Quickly, he turned his body, pushing his speed into a rather direct punch into their stomach. This wasn't quite his style, but he was willing to try what he needed to, if only willing to learn. Speed was his best offer, at the current, and he would use it to his advantage.

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Chen gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as the events unfolded before her. Dal'mori repetitively punched the wall, so angry and so broken. She froze, watching the sudden splashes of blood and the horrid sounds of bones snapping in the man's hand. It was gruesome, and hard to watch, but the more he punched, the better he seemed to feel. At her core, that bothered Chen. Self harm, especially by way of such violent means, spoke to her about the amount of pain the man seemed to have actually gone through. She knew nothing about the man, but it was clear that he was broken or breaking. At least it was to her. There was a strong feeling in her to stop him from hurting himself, but instead she froze, unable to move her body as she stared in horror of the blood.

She wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of site, but that was what bothered her about it. She had seen that kind of pain and anger before, of such explosive anger that if they didn't break themselves, they would do something far worse. So, she sat, waiting for it all to be over. Acel did that well enough, trying to stop him before he hurt himself too bad. He was unsuccessful, but he tried. Unlike her, who merely sat and watched.

When all was over, she remained frozen, if for a little while. What was she to do with this man who she barely knew, but already felt the need to help him. To protect him. But once again, she felt like she didn't know what to do. So she offered him the best thing she knew of... "Would you like another cookie?" She offered quietly to the man who was so broken he needed to break himself to feel better.

Aki simply watched the man, her eyes both full of both disappointment and sadness. She had seen that sort of anger before as well, but knew it rather well. The man was self destructive, and quickly heading down a road he would have a hard time coming back from. Aki clasped her hands together behind her back and watched her grandson's fight patiently. He was still making the same mistakes, but still doing rather well. When Dal'mori was finished with his wall punching, she turned around, and motioned to the fights going on. She could tell there was something he needed, perhaps needed to do. Needed a distraction. "Any observations?" She asked, her voice calm and level, smooth Japanese accent touching against her voice.

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Ooc: //



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Quote:

B.A.I.T.R Standing: 34
Health: 460/460
Control Limit: 268

Skill: 25 [---]
Strength: 20 [21]
Defence: 22 [23]



Quote:
Tactical Advantages


Power House - Level 1 - Every time you deal damage to a foe, they lose 2 Defense for the duration of the fight.



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Genetic Genocide

The man who had materialized the entrance into this area--seemingly creating it out of thin air--even though he had only been uncovering something hidden, stepped further into the viewing area of the arena. His whispy, white hair blew around him--stirring ever so slightly like it was within a breeze at all times. He eyed the monitors one by one, looking to see which fights were taking place. His cold blue eyes followed them--watching every single move with perfection at all times. He could calculate their odds of winning, and predict nearly every single blow that each combatant would utilize by watching their muscular structures move. The man they called Master--the man they called Supreme. Cain Mephisto. He smiled, his eyes remaining cool as he walked through the aisles of seats ready for viewing, even though there were only a few of them. He looked at all of the people around the seating area--the elderly woman and her daughter in law--relatives of the Akio boy. Acel, whom he had sent out, but had not gotten the chance, obviously, to report back to him yet. It was a simple task--go outside and tell me what you think of it out there. What do you feel when you stand in the ruins of human civilization? What do you want from this life as a baiter? Truly, though, Cain only wanted to see if the man would survive out there. He wanted to see what kind of monster his organization had bred. He had already observed Acel enough to know something was off about the man. Something about him wasn't normal--it just wasn't quite right. The fact that he was a baiter meant that he was more than human, of course--he shouldn't exactly exhibit regular human behaviours or bodily reactions--but there was something else. It wasn't within his anatomy. His muscular systems were human. His body was entirely human. It was obvious. Something else though...something...his eyes snapped away from Acel and went back to the screen. Kadiante--the girl with the code core eyes--he saw it when Sarah had struck the woman with her attack. The A.I. Core within her body was reacting to the damage as some sort of trigger it could use to try to overpower the girl. It happened sometimes--and it would cause the baiter to freeze solid--the A.I. Cores often did this to cause their host to die--but in rare cases they actually managed to take full control--even though they had been mastered. These cases could never be reversed and they ended up in extremely powerful humanoid A.I. Cores. They were the strongest of them all--the half bred bastards of the human race and the artificial intelligence. They were the most sought after targets by the higher ups in the organization--more dangerous than any other.

The man narrowed his eyes as he looked back to the people. Dal'Mori had done a number on his own hands. Though even as he was sitting there, watching the fights, his hands were slowly healing. Slow--sure--but the A.I. Core the man had mastered was doing its job in fueling the man with incredible power and regenerative capabilities. Good--that was a code core that had truly submitted to its master--just like Acel's--though he had a feeling it was under different circumstances. The Dal'Mori man had been taken out of a burning village--he had been the sole survivor of his people. He was, and would remain, dangerous. Cain was going to keep his eye on that one as well. The two of them...something was bad about them. The last two combatants were preparing to begin their battle when Cain walked down and placed a hand on the screen that displayed Kadiante's and Sarah's battle. As his hand made contact with the T.V screen the old man's body seemed to blur and suddenly he was gone. Sarah was flying through the air, kicking towards Kadiante's chest, and the old man lifted his frail arm and placed a single finger on Sarah's foot as it came flying in. As the foot touched the man's finger, her entire body would freeze in the air as if she were being held up by strings. His other hand, at the exact same time had reached out and was placed against Kadiante's forehead. She would feel a sharp pain through her body--almost like she had been electrocuted, and immediately the pain would disappear--though her entire muscular system would feel as though it had been shut down. She was fully paralysed. "This battle is at a close. Due to an error in this woman's code core, she will be removed from this event immediately. Your winner of round one shall be Sarah Hartwell by default!" Kadiante would have felt it too--the growing pain behind her eyes as she had been fighting and the seeming tug at her body. As Sarah was coming, Kadiante would have already felt her body refusing to move due to the A.I. Core trying to take control. As the old man had placed his hand on her forehead it would have silenced the core's attempt at escape. It would have blasted it into submission with his willpower alone, and he would have shocked her entire being into stasis with his energy. The old man--who looked like he would not be able to lift a bag of rice, with a wave of his arm caused Sarah to float back down to the ground, landing easily on her feet, and then his hands seemed to glow for a moment, as he concentrated and then as he turned to face Kadiante, bringing his hand from very high and very low together in a squishing motion in front of her, and when his hands met together, with a resounding clap, the energy that had made them seem to glow exploded in a flash of light and they were standing back in the viewing room. The man looked Kad over, peering into her eyes and he sighed, far enough away from the others so they would not overhear the words he spoke to the woman. "I do hope you realize, girl, that the stronger you get, the stronger too shall your companion grow. If you do not keep a leash on those who you are tethered to, you may find them putting one on you. If this happens, you might also find yourself murdering every single person around you without cease. And we might not be able to take you down before you are through with those closest to you. If you value your life, or those around you--I certainly hope you will take some time to recover. Relax. Rebuild your control over yourself. Then...I suggest you keep yourself in a group. Around people who you trust to keep you under control if these incidents ever do happen again...either that or keep yourself far far away from them. Your choice, really. But if you lose it...if you ever feel like control is slipping...and you can not make it to me fast enough. Please. Take this." He placed a small circular remote in the woman's hand, a single button on it. "If you feel yourself like you felt yourself during that fight. Hit the button. It will attach a beacon to your body and I will not be far." With that, the man would place a hand on her forehead once more and another pulse would rock through her body, and the feeling of paralysis would dissipate, allowing her to move once again. She would be slightly woozy, but the resistance inside of her mind would fade, and she would once more be in full control of her body, though likely irritated in the sudden stop to her likely victory.

TURN SIX__________________________________________________________

21 - 30 = (-9) (100 - (-9) = 109 - 15 = 84% chance)
1xFailed 105 – 90 = 15 = 21 Damage

When Fae's elbow was blocked Fae didn't furrow his brows in annoyance. His opponent was untrained, but that did not mean he was unskilled. It appeared Akio was at least a quick learner as the next attack was easily swatted away as well. Fae wasn't too distraught by the outcome. In battle nothing was a sure thing. Often the best laid plans were turned into dust upon first contact with the enemy. What Fae didn't see is the speed of the counter attack that came next. The fist collided with his stomach with a good amount of force. Faelan didn't reel from the blow however. It was the first time he was hit, nor would it be the last time he was hit. Instead Fae moved with the hit softening the blow a bit as he stepped back and off to the side. His stomach still stung where the fist hit, but it was not something that couldn't be ignored. Ducking low to the ground Fae's hand reached over and gripped he hilt of his father's Katana Scarlet and then drew in quick succession. The move only took second to execute, but there was not enough room to fully draw the strike. So Fae aimed for Scarlet's hilt to slam into Akio's hip. This attack differed from the rest of Fae's attack as it didn't hold any actual killing intent. It was clear that Faelan was no longer taking this fight as seriously as before. Whether or not the attack landed he didn't care. It wasn't that it was a fake, but more that Fae was no longer as invested in the fight as he had been before.

If that attack hit or didn't the next move was the same. Fae would jump backwards a few paces and fully draw the sword from the sheath. A quick glance at the sword and once could tell the blade was dulled. Fae had worked on that quickly before leaving the Asia office. The notion of fighting against new Baiter's like himself with real weapons did not sit well with him and so he dulled the blade. However just because it was dulled it did not mean it wouldn't cut. After the blade was fully drawn he would reverse the grip on the sheath and move forward while rotating his body with graceful foot work. While spinning Fae would aim the sheath towards Akio's jaw.


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Sarah Hartwell

Sarah was watching Kad, but she wasn't moving suddenly. Sarah was a little confused but her confusion quickly turned into shock and fear as the elder man from before. Dear God she was going to hit him, where in the world did he come from? She couldn't stop, she was about to try and swing her body from away from the old man, but he was quicker. He held up his hand and stop her. Sarah felt really light and suddenly she stopped moving, feeling odd as she hung in the air. Even her hair wasn't settling back down around her head, but instead floated around her like she saw it happen with people under water on TV. Even her jacket was still shifted from the flight through the air. Sarah wasn't sure how to feel at this point. Fear would be logical, this man was obviously very powerful. Did she do something wrong for him to suddenly appear like he was. Sarah glanced at Kad only to see that he had stopped her a well. What was going on? She got her answer soon as the old man spoke, her eyes widening when he announced that Kad had an error in her code core. She was even more surprised when he announced that Sarah would be the winner. This wasn't how she wanted to win. Not at all. She couldn't tell what Kad was thinking. Sarah felt herself start moving in the air. It was really a weird sensation. She was glad when her feet gently touched the ground and was let go of the invisible power the old man was using on her. She glanced at the old man as he took Kad away from her.

Sarah stood there uncertain at first, glancing down at her scythe, seeing that it was still out. If she was done with the fight, she wouldn't need it right now. She looked around for the sword she had tossed, seeing it lying on the ground close to a rock. She was lucky it didn't hit it honestly, that might have been a dent that didn't need to be there. “Disengage.” She said, watching her sword go back to it's small box form, the same with her scythe in her hand. Picking up the sword box, she tucked both small weapons back into her belt. “Ms. Hartwell? Please come with us, we'll have you healed and ready for your next battle.” A man said, looking creepy to her in his long lab jacket that was completely buttoned. She didn't know why but it really creep her out. Maybe it was because of the old man and his weird powers. She merely nodded at the man and followed him, keeping her distance well away. She followed him into a room that made her want to walk right back out, seeing all the beds that were lined out. This was all like some bad movie. You're really a nervous girl aren't you? How are you going to make it through all this if one old man shakes you up? The Guard said as she slowly sat down on the one of the beds. She didn't say anything, not bothering. What would be the point? She would probably sound like a crazy person trying to respond to it. “Okay Ms. Hartwell, we're going to give you this shot, this will revive you quickly and allow any damages that have been done to disappear. It'll be a lot easier since you didn't take that much damage during your short fight.” The doctor said, a needle in hand. Sarah took a deep breath and nodded, wincing when the shot was inserted. Really? You took a hit from a mace and you still wince at a little needle? “Oh shut up will you?” She snapped, looking up when she saw that the doctor and jumped a little. “N..... not you...s....sir....” The doctor just nodded, stepping back and walking away. “Just let the medicine do it's work, wait about two minutes before heading to your next battle.” He said was he walked away. Sarah nodded, feeling very embarrassed. Dear God, they really did think she was crazy, that was just great.. She could only sigh, putting her head in hands and take deep breathes. Was she really ready for this? She didn't think she was going to make it to the next round, not with how Kad's attacks making her feel worse and suddenly she wasn't hitting as hard as she thought she was. Another battle?

Sarah slowly raised her head, wondering who she would be facing. She slowly raised herself off the bed and walked out a door that held a sign that said Sitting Area. She supposed that was where she needed to go. She stepped in to see that she was correct. She saw Acel and that Dal man, there was also two older women there as well, having cookies in their hands. They seemed familiar but she could place where. She was sure she never met them. The room itself was impressive, it looked like it was a movie theater, only with a few more monitors to watch. She saw Kawaguchi fighting someone she had never seen before on one screen, while Corrinne was fighting another unfamiliar man in another. She looked at Acel and Dal, figuring they had finished their fight before she did. She wondered who won. But it didn't take her long to realize that Dal was the one standing, looking as if he was waiting on something. She felt herself go pale when she realized that he would be the one she was fighting. The man hated her, how was she suppose to to deal with her life very likely going to end in this man's hands. She slowly stepped up, keeping her distance from the man.

Acel was glad that the two women did not try to stop Dal'Mori during his rampant assault on his own body. He was sure that they had felt something--a longing to do something--but when Dal'Mori had thrown Acel off of him the way that he had so that he could continue battering himself against the wall, Acel was sure that they got the message. Dal'Mori was not to be bothered or trifled with while he was going about his activities. As they moved themselves back towards the main section of he room, events began to unfold once again, though much more normal than before. Dal'Mori was sitting with him, and Chen and Aki began to speak to him--though they said little else. Acel didn't want to interrupt anything, nor did he know the women enough to try to make idle chatter with them--he just hoped that Dal'Mori had calmed himself down enough that he wouldn't savagely murder anyone like he had done to Acel. However, just by judging the man's face, Acel could tell he was calm--not suppressing his rage or internal pain--but actually having erased it through his activities. Acel was comfortable that neither of the women that Dal might be facing would be in mortal danger from the man. He kicked his feet up on the empty chair in front of him and he leaned back in his own--something that he had often been scolded for when his wife had been alive. He issued a small yawn, covering his mouth as Dal'Mori began to respond to him. Though, Dal'Mori only stated two things quite curtly. He only gave the names of the people that he thought would win thier rounds. He didn't actually talk to Acel about anything or engage in any sort of conversation. The man was likely not ready to do so quite yet. After all, Acel did use quite underhanded tactics to gain personal insight into the man, and lock him into a contract of honesty that he likely would never have gotten from Dal any other way. But, he would know what the man was thinking, and what he was after--in time. Acel didn't want to unravel the man's entire bag of tricks in one fell swoop just because he had the power to ask him anything he wanted and get an honest response. He nodded in thought as he mulled the man's answers over. At first he was interested in the man's answer, as he didn't think he had chosen the proper winners, but then he realized that he had only asked the man about anyone who was interesting him. That was entirely different. "I might have to agree with you on that. I really thought that Kadiante was going to win...but after Sarah's last attack...I don't know. The way that Kadiante's body is sparking seems like something's wrong. I don't know what Sarah did to her though, and the idea that she has some sort of ability to electrify or otherwise detain her opponents is very interesting. As for Akio...he seems interesting as a person, and he has a lot of speed, but he is a long ways off of being a truly capable fighter. Kind of like myself, I suppose." He said with a light chuckle. However, when Dal'Mori looked to Kadiante, he would not see those same sparks of energy that Acel was seeing. Before Dal could really reply in any way, though, Aki had asked him for his observations as Dal'Mori leaped up and gave a full report like some sort of military pet. He wondered why he held such high regard for this woman, but he couldn't necessarily say it was a bad thing. The woman was an elder to him as well as a very intimidating woman. She held that sort of presence that demanded respect, and Dal gave it in droves. The man snapped to attention as if he were addressing his commanding officer. His report to her was flawless, too, though he didn't mention anything about the sparks coming off Kadiante's body or the possibility of a hidden ability that Sarah might be using. He said that the woman Akio was against seemed to be playing too much, and that was a dangerous game to take part in, and he nodded to himself. He couldn't imagine why anyone would goof off during combat. It might just be a tournament, but it was practice for the outside world. If they were not taking it seriously, they would end up just as destroyed as Acel had been. It was interesting to listen to Dal'Mori speaking so much, though. Acel hadn't heard him talk that much, ever. He had a smooth voice--to be sure--something that you would expect from his appearance, but not from his lifestyle and personality. It was interesting. Acel found a lot of the same tones from his own voice, though he knew that his own, though the same smooth baritone, held a gravely undertone to it that made him sound a little rougher than Dal, which again, didn't quite match the physical description.

He was about to speak but it was at this point in time that Acel felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck and he knew long before he turned his head that someone was watching him. The man's stare was cold and without mercy. The power that it left off, and the seeming hatred that accompanied it was something that Acel didn't understand. What the hell was this guy's problem with him? What was it htat he wanted? He would have stood up and asked the man himself, but his entire body was aching, and he knew that he couldn't do anything more than just stare back, locking eyes with the man for what felt like an eternity as he sat there, an unspoken conversation taking place between them. A smirk actually passed over the old man's features as he walked by, and his eyes danced with a sort of glee, and Acel knew it has been enough. The man knew he had made it back, and he knew that Acel had died--though he could not say why the man was so pleased about it. Shortly after the smirk graced that cold b*****d's lips, Acel watched him walk up to Kadiante and Sarah's viewing screen and he placed his hand on it. Suddenly the man's body shook like a mirage and he vanished, flowing into the screen itself and appearing on the other side of it. He was standing in the arena now, and when he placed his hand on the woman's foot and stopped her mid-air, then turning to Kad and stopping her in her tracks as well, Acel watched with baited breath. The man announced that Kadiante would lose her fight by default, due to some sort of issue with her code core, though Acel wasn't even aware that something like that could even happen. "So that's a thing? The A.I. that we take control of can actually still assert their free will inside of our bodies and mess with us after we have taken control of them?" "Well, if you think about it, do you decide what I say when I am speaking, or what I do after you summon me into this world? No. So, as much as I cooperate with you because I have come to understand you, and as much as some A.I. will cooperate just because they come to terms with the fact that it is the only thing they can really do to survive, some of them will revolt and attempt, endlessly, to assert their control. When this happens, they can still affect their hosts if they are not strong enough to silence them with their own willpower." Acel thought about it and nodded, taking the information in and making sure that he would remember it. That, after all, was a good thing to know so that he could diagnose such a problem if it ever arose. The man took Kadiante with him, and took her aside from everyone else, talking to her for a moment, and Acel saw what seemed to be the man slipping the woman an item of sorts and he tilted his head to the side. He shook his head as if to clear the memory of seeing that, feeling as though it was something not meant for his eyes, and he returned to the group around him. Dal'Mori was already standing and getting prepared to jump into the next round of combat, knowing now who his opponent was.

As Acel watched them go off on their own to begin the second round, he heaved a sigh as he sat there. He felt like he wasn't doing anything. Like everything was slowly dragging on, and he didn't know what to actually do with himself. He looked to Aki and Chen, watching their family member fighting and observing everything carefully and he smiled lightly. He was sure his own parents had been watching as well, though they had only been able to greet him quickly before he had been sent out by that old man. He was antsy, and he wasn't used to it. He had been so busy with things as of late, that he hadn't really had the chance to sit back and feel what it was like to be idle. He had been occupying his mind on a regular basis, and so he didn't have to really think about everything that had gone on recently. He remembered the previous night--laying in his bed sobbing until he fell asleep, and he knew that he had absolutely no desire to go back to that moment. He didn't want to have to deal with that kind of loneliness. He didn't want to deal with that kind of memory. He wondered if it were possible to just erase it. There had to be that sort of technology--he was sure of it. They should be able to take the memories of his family and remove them. But when he thought about it--it seemed so much more sad to never even remember Jasmine's beautiful smiling face, or Lidia's childish laughter. The smell of them and the joy they brought his life. Without them--his life would seem to hold no meaning before he arrived in Paris...and that meaning was certainly something he needed to rediscover for himself. Protecting people was all well and good, but he had to live for something more than others...it was a balance. The yin and yang of his life that he followed. But what did he want? He wanted to be a father...a husband...he wanted to raise a family. He realized that he had truly lost, not only his family, the people he loved and cherished above everything, but his greatest dream...his life's goal...it had been robbed from him and he was emptier than he had ever felt. He had no purpose now but to run out there and do what he could to protect the people who could not do anything for themselves. Somehow, though, diving into this career alone, doing nothing but fighting and dying or fighting and coming home to search for another fight...it seemed awful.

God this life was becoming depressing.

His eyes found the two women watching Akio once again, and he took a deep breath. They were the kind of people who would have fit into the small community he had lived in. He thought they would have appreciated Bergerac. Though he was certain the landscape was far different than where they had come from, as they had lived in another area of the world. But as he turned to watch Akio's fight more intently, he watched the man's sword skills, wondering for a moment or two before he turned to the two women and moved a few seats closer to them, wincing as he shifted his weight from seat to seat. "I apologize for the interruption. I know you're trying to watch Kawaguchi go about his business." Acel stated, remembering to use the man's last name instead as he spoke about him, even though he wasn't there. "But he is a swordsman...which I find very interesting. Considering his sword is much like the ones that I carry. I believe he carries a blade called a 'Katana', though mine are custom. They are longer than the average katana, and whereas they are curved, it is more slight than his...but I thought they might be utilized in a similar fashion. I would assume that it was your own family that trained him in the use of the blade? And if so...I know this might be stepping over lines...but I am seeking training in the same field, and I know nobody who uses these kinds of blades, or has experience with them. I suppose...I was looking for advice...or guidance on where I might go to study them?" He stated timidly.


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OOC:

Sarah Hartwell

Nerves. That's all Sarah could feel was her nerves becoming more and more tense. She almost like a toy solider just made of flesh instead of wood, though the way she was, it would have been debated. The Guard was now keeping quiet at least. Maybe he was feeling the same? No, the guard didn't care if the person was scary or not. He wasn't actually fighting the man, he was just there to bad mouth her feelings. Such a great partner, she wondered if she should replace him as soon as she could. She read that you could, it was just difficult to find a better core.

With a sigh, she stepped a little closer, seeing that he was choosing a battle field. She watched him until his eyes landed on a forest arena, then saw a smirk come across his face. She paled more, her mind going a million miles per hour with all the possibilities as to why he was choosing that arena. None of them were good. Okay, I'll give you that, that's a little disturbing. The guard said, sounding a little easy. At least the darn thing could feel fear. She was starting to think it was as cold as it's armor it wore.

She almost shook her head as the man bowed to her and motioned her to follow him into the arena. She didn't want to. She wasn't use to forests for one thing, she would get so lost in that place. The worst wooded area she had ever been in was a park that had a few patches of trees and even then it was easy to see the play set that sat in the middle of it all. Just go, if you don't, you'll announce forfeit and that's the last thing you need on you, no one will take you seriously if they think you'll back down from a challenge. Sarah was shaking from head to toe as she slowly went to the other elevator and pressed the down button. “E.....E.....Engage.....” She stumbled, watching as the boxes lit up again. Dear Lord she didn't want to do this, the elevator felt smaller for some reason. Deep breathes Sarah, come on, deep breathes. Breath, princess, breath! Don't pass out in this metal box or so help me I'll come out and smack you!

Sarah could only nod in response as the elevator opened to the scenery. She looked around, not sure what to say. There weren't any buildings, no streets, no cars. It was... quiet. She held her hair in place when a small gust of wind played with her short hair. She could hear the wind. Or at least this simulations wind. It was so quiet, like the sighs she always did by herself when she tried to find relief. The leaves were a different sound to her as well. Soft rustling, like when one is crawling cross the floor with papers every where. It was the closest thing she could think of to describe the sound. She wasn't use to it. The air was different too, it wasn't heavy with the pollution from the cities, but light and it entered her lungs easily.

She slowly stepped out of the elevator, feeling the earth slightly give under her weight. She looked down at the grass, feeling almost sorry she was causing them to bend and give to her steps. She looked up, seeing Dal standing not too far from her. She froze up, the pleasant feeling from the scenery wiped from her like a spill mopped up with a towel. Her fears slowly grew as her thoughts went back to what she was thinking before. She slowly moved her hand to her belt, ready to pull out a weapon. She looked at Dal's weapon, noting it's length. She couldn't use her scythe with all the trees being so close together. That left her swords, sais and throwing knives. Throwing knives weren't meant for contiguous combat though and she would use them up quickly. And she would have to try and hunt for them after the battle. Her receiver wasn't working right again last time she checked. She really need to send it in. But what was really unnerving her was the excitement she could see on Dal's face. What was he so excited about? That's uhh.... that's a crazy look. The Guard said quietly in her head.

Her answer seemed to be right behind the question as Dal spoke up. She looked horrifed as he said 'It's okay to kill.' Oh God. He was going to kill her, actually kill her. He was going to murder her, make it look like he was just fighting in the tournament but it was all just a plot to get close to her without causing trouble, and dumb her body in these woods. The fact that the room was only a simulation didn't surface in Sarah's mind. The fact was completely lost in her hiatus of images of how she was going to look after he got his hands on her. Maybe even that spear completely piercing out of her body, through and through. Through her chest right where her heart was beating. Okay, that was..... run, dammit princess run! The guy's crazy!

She didn't need to be told twice, she turned on her heels and ran further into the forest, her feet bouncing into the dirt with hard thuds. She hardly felt the ground, her eyes were ahead of her. She was jumping over pulled up roots and fallen logs that looked like corpses that had sat for so long, holes inside the bark like would happen to the flesh, exposed to animals. Dear God, would she be eaten by a squirrel? “No no no no. I don't wanna die!” She yelled as she bounded through the forest, tripping over a few smaller roots. She needed to hide, just for a little bit. Just until he moved away from her spot, she would make a run for the elevator. She would forfeit and go to her room and never come out until she got a restraining order against the guy. And move, she wasn't living under the same roof as the guy that wants to murder her. That was basic suicide.

She glanced around, trying to listen to hear if he was following her. But between her breathing and footsteps she couldn't tell. She just hoped he was far off where she could jump into the nearest hole. She made a hard left, using a small tree to help her. The bark rough against her hand as she used it to help her swing to the left. She flinched slightly, but didn't stop. She clenched her first, looking left and right. There it was. A small cave that she could hide in. She dove for it, crawling into it and tucking herself inside, holding her knees close to her chest. Her breathing was heavy, she couldn't calm it. She listened closely for Dal.