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Nio Love rolled 2 8-sided dice:
6, 8
Total: 14 (2-16)
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 Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:02 pm
Robert sighed at Roberta, and rolled his neck.
"You don't get it, kitten." He growled, his dark look narrowing. "It don't work like that."
His batleth slid down her left arm, leaving a trail of red. "Y'see, once we pick up our weapons, giving up ain't an option."
Robert..
"SHUT UP JAZZY." He yelled out loud irrationally, as his batleth slid down Reine's right arm. "We don't give in. We don't stop until one of us is dead."
Robert, stop this. You love her. You can't-
"I CAN, AND I WILL." He brought the scythe down against her torn stomach, bashing the blunt middle against her with a loud grunt of anger.
HP: 20/40
Damage: 8
Charge: 3/3
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danse-hexe rolled 2 8-sided dice:
8, 6
Total: 14 (2-16)
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:12 pm
The pain hit her again like a direct punch to the face... well.. stomach, and she winced, keeping low so she skidded backwards on the grass, instead of falling over.
She had been right, then; it wasn't over. And where Robert had managed to move her just a tiny bit seconds ago, he was only irritating her more now. Fight to the death, was it? She could do that. She could. Cut away that part of her past forever.
But she couldn't forgive him for his apparent willingness to let Petra go again, to leave the woman he kept saying he loved.
Empty words, Robert. Always empty words. Steeling herself, she ran straight at him, aiming for the neck this time. The blade hit him a little lower instead, across the chest, and she swore.
HP: 22/40
Damage: 8
Charge: 1/3; charged attack use (swift strikes 9d4) : 1/2
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Nio Love rolled 2 8-sided dice:
8, 4
Total: 12 (2-16)
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:17 pm
Robert couldn't even speak anymore. Somewhere along the line, he'd forgotten this fight was against Roberta. He'd forgotten there was another human at the end of his weapon. He was back in those dark alleys, bringing down the shadows until they feared him instead. He swung wildly, batleth twirling like a baton as he slashed and tore at flesh he no longer recognized. His eyes were unfocused, blind, and just a little glazed from blood loss.
Robert was just a little lost.
HP: 12/40
Damage: 6
Charge: 3/3
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danse-hexe rolled 2 8-sided dice:
6, 8
Total: 14 (2-16)
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:22 pm
She managed to block some hits, though if he had one thing going for him, it was sheer strength. It was getting harder for her to dodge, as well- the intense pain whenever she moved slowed her down far more than it should have.
Just a while more. Just a while, to get him on the ground again; that was all she could think. When he lashed out she summoned all her strength, ducking and turning so she was behind him.
And then she stabbed him, pushing him as hard as she could. All in all, it felt pretty appropriate.
HP: 16/40
Damage: 8
Charge: 2/3; charged attack use (swift strikes 9d4) : 1/2
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Nio Love rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:29 pm
Robert felt the blade slide into him, and his hand wrapped around Roberta's, even as it remained on her weapon, buried deep inside of him. And there, on his battle worn face, was a smile.
"Better." He whispered out, until his other hand pressed against his lips to catch the blood he coughed out. It remained there, his glazed eyes looking away. "You're getting better."
The batleth was covered in the blood he'd coughed in it, spraying drops as he twirled it in a desperate effort to use his charge. Jezebel screeched, and glowed, but the light within her was too weak to do anything. Even she could feel him giving up on the fight, and it made her sick.
It didn't matter. Roberta's name wouldn't be on one of those tombstones. Not if he had any say in the matter.
HP: 4/40
Damage: 0
Charge: Expended - 0/3
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danse-hexe rolled 2 8-sided dice:
2, 5
Total: 7 (2-16)
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:31 pm
"You're ******** kidding me." Her voice was cold as she jerked her arm out of his grip, kicking him to the ground.
She wouldn't hate him as much as she did, right now, if he could just say the right thing once. Just once. But no, he had to be Mama Bear, he had to play the saint, he was still looking down on her even though she'd practically proved her superiority already.
Getting better? Anyone could get better with practice. Why did she need him to tell her that? Reine glanced at Caelius, looking for any sign of emotion. 'You're getting better' would have meant so much more coming from him, than from stupid, stupid Robert. Stupid Robert who, even when he was a stupid bloody mess, wouldn't shut up.
HP: 16/40
Damage: 1
Charge: 3/3; charged attack use (swift strikes 9d4) : 1/2
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Nio Love rolled 2 8-sided dice:
8, 1
Total: 9 (2-16)
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:38 pm
Roberta's disgust made him sick, but he realized it could have hurt him a lot more. In fact, it would have, not five minutes ago. Now, with a gaping wound in his body done by her own hand, he realized this was cathartic for him. Maybe even exactly what he needed.
He would always love her. But it wouldn't hurt him anymore.
Maybe.
He chuckled enigmatically, slicing her with his scythe for what he was sure was the last time.
HP: 3/40
Damage: 3
Charge: Expended - 1/3
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danse-hexe rolled 2 8-sided dice:
6, 4
Total: 10 (2-16)
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:50 pm
If you kill him now, a small voice in her head said, you'd just be a co-conspirator again. An accomplice. You'd be upsetting Petra, and haven't you been talking about wanting her to be happy?
Or were those empty words, too?
"I DON'T KNOW," she yelled, swinging the swordbreaker wildly. "STOP LAUGHING AT ME WHAT IS YOUR ********* PROBLEM IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CUTE BEFORE BUT IT ISN'T ANY MORE, SHUT UP, DON'T TALK TO ME EVER AGAIN, I HATE YOU GO AWAY."
She let the blade drop with a clatter, and even though she was trembling she tried her best to keep upright. This would end it, wouldn't it? Both Caelius' orders, and everything with Robert. Now he wouldn't- couldn't- talk to her about protecting her or pointless things like that- didn't he get that she didn't need or want him, not anymore? He was Petra's. He needed to stay Petra's.
And hopefully she had beaten enough sense into him. Looking down, she was a mess as well. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and the injuries on her body brought flashes of acute pain that caused her to stumble as she looked for some kind of support. Even the wounds from the previous mission had re-opened; oh god, more stitches, and she hoped she wouldn't have to fight Caelius... next, or something.
HP: 16/40
Damage: 4
Charge: 3/3; charged attack use (swift strikes 9d4) : 1/2
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:58 pm
The swings were wild, just like his. It was a stupid way to fight, but it was his way. And now, it was hers.
The blade slid right past his throat, slicing it just enough to cut across the neck before the blunt of the blade slammed into him, and he fell to the ground. He was on his knees, holding his neck carefully even as Jezebel desummoned in disgust.
"Okay, kitten." A gurgled voice finally muttered. "Okay."
HP: -1/40
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:37 am
This was ultimately why he hated trainees. A couple of cuts, some scrapes and they were on the ground dying, again. And not even a clean sort of dying but instead, the entire nine yards, melodramatic speeches, confused expressions, and the general overall appearance of a puppy being kicked too many times.
"Get the ******** up trainee." Caelius walked over to Robert, grabbing the trainee by the arm and yanked them up, regardless of the bleeding and cuts. As an afterthought, he took out a package of bandages and tossed them at Robert. "Get yourself composed, it's over, there is still the suspension in store."
And as the Death Hunter waited for the losing trainee to compose themselves, he turned to Reine. "Congratulations. Apparently, you are as dangerous as you are reckless." Was it a compliment, or more likely, from the entirely not amused tone of voice, a warning? There was no time to make a proper judgement call. "Well, now that we have a winner, let us fill out the proper paperwork. Follow me, the both of you."
It was too late to run, and despite any injuries the trainees sustained, Caelius did not seem in particular, to be in a caring sort of mood. Not that he ever was. The Death Hunter lead them only a short walk, into a small alcove on the side of the training field, through a narrow, dank, passageway. A single glass panel door greeted them at the end, it slid open, and inside-
-Were rows of pods. Sleeper pods. This was that room: Caelius must have taken a shortcut, as there was no mistaking the rows and rows of humming machines. Several of them were empty - from when the new trainees had arrived, while others still remained closed, vague figures, shapes, faces peering out from underneath the covers peacefully. Silent.
"Contrary to popular believe," the Death Hunter's voice rang oddly in the unnatural environment, "Killing defects would only be an unnecessary waste of resources." He walked over to one of the 'occupied' pods, putting one hand over the clear panel, gazing thoughtfully into the unaware sleeping body inside, "Instead, we let them go back to sleep. They sleep, and sleep, until they forget themselves and finally are unable to wake up ever again." A pause. "Wouldn't you agree that this is the more humane approach?"
It was interesting, but why was Caelius explaining this? The tension in the air was palatable. The Death Hunter turned around, facing the two trainees. "Now, if the loser could step forward."
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:22 am
She was practically glowing when he congratulated her- that was all that mattered, in the end, proving that she was better than him, despite everything he was saying.
"Thank you, sir," Reine replied, saluting him. Winner. It felt good to hear him say that. But at what cost? Her relationship with Robert?
No, stupid, that was over a long time ago. He can go crying back to Petra. Still she refused to look at him- possibly out of some sort of fear that she might regret it, seeing him look so broken and battered. Regret was dangerous; she knew that all too well. It gnawed at your heart, at your very being, reducing you to a mess of tangled emotions and worries and-- no, this wasn't the time for that.
Silently she padded along behind Caelius, making a sort of game out of seeing-if-you-could-walk-totally-quietly; she lost almost every step of the way, having to drag her feet along the ground; the life trainee could barely keep up with Caelius, and the short walk seemed like forever. Only when they reached their destination did she show any sign of emotion; this place was where she had met Robert last. A slow grin came over her face as she listened to Caelius speak, though it was quickly followed by a chill down her spine. If she understood it clearly, the hunter was insinuating that the loser had to go back to sleep. Forever.
She was both trembling with mirth and what seemed like fear as she laughed, the sound echoing hollowly around the chamber. Looking up at Robert somewhat incredulously, she placed a hand on one of the pods. Not too long ago, she had been sleeping in one of them.
And more recently, Robert had tried to force her back into one, telling her it 'wasn't safe'. Now karma was biting him in the a**- he deserved it, he did, the ********* ********.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Robert..? Maybe I love you enough to come down here and stare at your face every day," she mocked. Something in her, though, felt distinctly uneasy. She couldn't quite place it- perhaps it was just the room, and the vibe it had. She had no reason to feel bad, she'd won fair and square, she'd gotten Caelius' approval, even. So what was it, then, that was bothering her...?
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:42 am
Robert gave Caelius a tight lipped expression, nodding as he caught the bandages in one hand and ripped the package open with his teeth. He stood, unraveling the bandages, and wrapping them around his neck while they walked. He bandaged himself up well, side-glancing at Roberta every so often. She didn't seem phased in the slightest that she'd just brought him to his knees, opened him up and made him bleed. She looked pleasant and content, and it made Robert feel a little sick inside. He was so distracted with looking at her, that he hadn't even noticed the direction they were taking, nor did he realize what room they were in until Caelius began speaking.
And then, finally, he looked up and saw the pods.
Robert wasn't the sharpest of tacks. When Caelius began talking about defects, and humane approaches, he most definitely did not think the man was talking about him. He just listened with a half bored expression on his face, until Reine made things just a little too clear for him.
Stone cold brutally clear.
"Whoa." He made a face at Reine's nasty little speech, before his hands rose and he waved Caelius away. "Whoa whoa, hold on a sec. I don't know if you're sayin' what I think you're saying, but it is with the highest amount of respect that I say - you can go ******** yourself if you think I'm gettin' back in a pod."
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:13 pm
Silence.
"No Robert, you are right, you are no going back to the pod, I said the loser was. I did not say on which conditions that they lost." Oddly enough, Caelius had turned away from the battered trainee. "The entire situation was a test, from the second you stepped into the classroom, to where we are now. And the second you deviated and showed that you not only did not care but chose not to continue not caring without restraint, it was clear to me that you had failed the test."
And without warning, he lashed out, grabbing Reine by her hair and shoving the girl forcefully forwards, slamming her into one of the abandoned pods. "So, congratulations Reine. You are the loser, as Robert has won by default." Before she could recover, he kicked her down again, knocking the wind out of the trainee, letting her lie on the ground, helpless.
Caelius nodded to Robert. "Now, will the winner carry out the terms of suspension to the loser? If I am making myself unclear, Robert, you will drag Reine and you will pull her into the sleep chamber, and you will leave her. This is your reward for being the victor." The Death Hunter did not wait for hesitation to dawn. "Now."
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:35 pm
It was a distinctly different sound- Circe slamming into her face had produced just a crack; Reine slamming into the pod gave more of a 'thunk' that echoed around the chamber.
loser loser loser loser loser loser loser like a broken tape of a bad 80s song, the word kept looping itself in her mind, with a chorus that went 'why' and 'what'.
Caelius' kick to the gut, though, yielded the same sickening crunch Circe had, sending Reine rolling across the ground. There had to be at least ten bones broken, there- though he'd mentioned that the pods were more humane, it was likely Reine would just bleed to death inside one of them.
loser, Alynthe hissed. why didn't you think this through carefully why weren't you more careful I won't ******** let you die like this you have so much more--
She could barely make out his words- or anything around, really; everything was blurry, fuzzy, except for the sharp pain in her side as she tried to move, to stand up again. If there was a moment of clarity, it was in betrayal- not hers, to Robert, but rather Caelius' actions. She saw, along with flashes of memories of her life, Eva and Jordan warning her about the man- she should have listened, shouldn't she?
Even as she struggled to get up, she felt everything fading away, even the pain. Lying on the cold ground felt almost comfortable- she could sleep here, couldn't she, instead of in one of the pods? The last thing she saw as she lifted her head was a darkish haze, pooling around what was probably a boot- and then her eyes closed.
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 1:22 pm
It was hard to hide the sigh of relief when Caelius said he wasn't going in the pod - so he didn't. He just took a long, deep sigh, and missed the next few words because of it. Still, he sort of understood, as Caelius explained that he was testing them - or testing Reine? Maybe it wasn't so cle-
"WHAT THE ********?" Robert immediately sprang into motion when Caelius slammed Reine against a pod, and he was skidding to the floor just as the girl hit it. He didn't touch her, his hands kind of hovered over her body, as if trying to figure out if she was okay without actually having to lay a hand on her. He knew, above all, Reine didn't want him touching her. And he was fine with that. For now.
Even as he surveyed her body, Caelius was still talking. He was saying something, something important. Something demanding. The 'now' caught Robert's attention, and he blinked up at the Death Hunter, his eyes squinting as he tried to piece together what he'd been only half-listening to.
It clicked, though it took longer than it should have, which was probably why Caelius knew he would have to spell out exactly what he wanted to Robert. He just wasn't the kind of guy to pick up subtle hints. This much was obvious.
Reine was unconscious now, and Robert felt more at ease sliding his hands under her body, picking it up in a tender embrace, and holding it to him as he stood. His face was unreadable, too mixed up with a turmoil of emotions to pick just one. But when he spoke, it was clear what he thought of the command.
"This is my best friend." Robert murmured quietly. "You people have taken enough away from me. You can't take her, too."
He hefted Roberta closer to his body, and with the guts of a lion, turned to try and walk out of the room. Whether he made it or not was irrelevent. All that mattered now was that he tried.
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