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 Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 6:44 pm
For a brief moment Red allowed herself to forget where she was and what she was doing. There was always a soothing thrill of elation that came with flight, one that she couldn't deny as the heat from the burning building lifted her skyward. But that moment was all but too brief, broken as her paling gaze caught hold of the bright white far below. "T͟her̡e̵ ̛you̡ ͡ar͘e̢," she cooed softly to herself, folding her wings into a dive straight towards Caelius.
Gravity took her as she held her arms against her sides, streamlining herself into a straight and narrow dive. Her wings began to smoke, first at the edges then spreading at a rapid rate. If she was in her right mind perhaps she would have taken a moment to be alarmed. But here's a secret --
As Red came closer and closer she opened her great jaws, spewing a torrent of burning cold fire down at Caelius. As the fires burned her wings burned up, becoming nothing more than streams of blue smoke. It wasn't as if she was needing her wings any more, not at this precise time and moment when they were so close. All she had to do now was stick the landing.
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 6:57 pm
There was a benefit to Red having Aria's twin weapon. The attack was almost methodical now, the effect even more so. Everything roared, flames mixing with the growing Distortion leaking behind them to bathe the area a strange blue-green then orange-white, pillars of ice crystals congealing from the ground, rising sharply upwards, strange and tower-like, oddly familiar in shape and form.
For a second however, Caelius was lost in the flames. The onslaught had pushed him back, cold fire, upon contact creating fragments of ice that clung to his coat, that impeded his movement, stretching tendrils across his weapon to fasten it to the ground-
- And then a second later, he strained, flickering his weapon-
- Fragments of ice crystals flying all directions as he shattered the resistance in a single swing. The second was directly aimed towards Red, as he took one step backwards and then hid in the same brilliant-blue flames his own counter, an arc of energy, lurching forward.
Aiming right towards the dissolving monstrosity.
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 7:22 pm
Snap! Red closed her jaws and twisted, gritting her teeth as her shoulder took the brunt of the attack. It was far too late to back out; she had already committed to trading her wings for fire. She could smell the sharp tang of burnt flesh and scorched rock as the electricity both sliced and cooked into her shoulder. From the area of impact cracks spiraled out across her body, the deepest areas already pooling with a glowing vibrant red.
She continued the spin, breaking off her tackle in lieu of falling to the ground. Snap! went her bones, and snap! went her jaws as she bit off the snarl. Red ignored the broken limb as she used it to push against the ground, claws outstretched to grasp hold of Caelius and tear into him.
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 7:46 pm
Red's forceful collision with the ground propagated an unexpected turn of events, chaotic as rock and debris skid all directions, as the flames she had summoned spread outwards like wildfire, mixing with the strange ice-like towers, already coated with the leaking Distortion portal.
The artifact was easily crushed under her weight as she landed, finally breaking into pieces and in response the portal went fully berserk, tearing wide open, leaking into everything, consuming the ground, the flames, the ice, everything except the two figures. Several tendrils from the escaped Distortion hungrily sought Red's presence, only to snap back as they were thwarted by her stronger Fear.
It was an odd sight: half the battlefield covered in odd blues, oranges, greys and whites, the other bearing the semblance of somewhat normality, of torn earth and burning flames, of the smouldering remains of the labs. In the distance, the trees rustled, slightly, perhaps frightening off whatever had been watching them.
And in that space of Distortion, something began to form and then solidify. Towers, once ice, now part of the ripped space, hives perhaps, reds and blues and then suddenly greys, exactly six of them. Fog, thick and unnatural, Insanity but not quite, and then within them, figures. Faces.
One of them looked expectantly at Caelius.
"You-" he lost all composure for a second as he turned around to stare at it, breaking off into a snarl. "Don't you <********/>- And then Red was there, in front of him, claws true to their target. The ground, half Distortion, half Wonder Park splattered in droplets of deep red, the Death lead barely countering, tips of several claws escaping his singular line of defense, his weapon blade tilted flat. Distracted, angry, slightly wounded, he pried himself away from her grasp, giving Red once again his undivided attention, shifting grip on his weapon to his uninjured arm.
If there was any consolation, it was perhaps how broken she was as well in comparison. Everything repeated itself, over and over. This had never been a conclusion, just a contest, just a way to temporarily sate the festering hatred and pride.
And with that determination and hatred, he made motions to move towards Red, breaking into a light run, weapon dragging behind him-
- Before appearing behind the curve of the scythe gleaming as she hummed loudly. It would be the end soon anyway.
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 9:15 pm
Fire, smoke, ice -- it felt like something shoved her from behind, scattering what remained of Insanity off and away from her like ash. She could feel herself shrinking, solidifying as the pain from her leg grounded her. The werewolf kept her jaws locked, lips peeled back in both snarl and grimace of pain as she shifted her weight onto her good leg. She would not give Caelius the pleasure of seeing her on her knee. As grueling as the pain was she would endure it.
Time seemed to slow as she lunged towards him. She didn't turn to look as the portal crackled open. Red couldn't give into the curiosity that Caelius aroused with his look, his shock over seeing something --
But she could feel it. The distortion that robbed her of her Insanity empowered her as her claws dug into his soft flesh. Her ebony claws tore through his shirt and flesh, bringing forth a delightful crimson that was pulled away from her all too soon.
As the hunter pulled back so too did Red. As he shifted his weapon she reached out and pulled, the red runes that littered her cracked body glowing bright. Her leg strengthened, the cracks that covered her shifting and aligning until the glow flowed over her before settling into clear runes.
The werewolf wasn't as big as she was previously. She was not much taller than Caelius as she watched him swing Circe down upon her as a lupine grin gleamed like the moon at him. She took a step back as the weapon bit into her, bracing herself as the scythe dug down, down into her. "Oh Caelius," Red whispered as she leaned close, unbothered by the fact that she was moving herself further down Circle's blade as she leaned in close to whisper to him. Her gray eyes crinkled with laughter as she whispered, "You missed."
The werewolf threw her head back as she laughed uproariously, her talons slamming down on Caelius' shoulders to hold him in place as something began to drag them back. "Shh, shh. We're going Home. Won't it be nice to see what you have created first hand? Ahaha! Oh don't look so bothered, I'm sure it won't be too bad... for you."
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 9:33 pm
They were close, a little too close.
The Distortion didn't differentiate, wild and rampant, as erratic as Insanity itself as its creation, the greys within the former portal grew stronger, closer. A blast of wind, and then more tendrils of fog greeted them, pulling them into its domain. Bits and pieces, greys and whites and oranges and blues all swam together, swirled, pooled, leeching onto them, and sinking them at the same time.
Pinned, the Death lead stared straight at Red, testing his weapon arm. Circe shifted, perhaps digging into more Fear, but did not break free. His limbs were already sinking into the Distortion world as the portal began closing around the seams, finally repairing itself, piece by piece. He stopped struggling.
And at the very last lunged forward with his broken hand, sinew and flesh transparent through the torn skin, revealing his last trump card. At this close range, there was no escape. The dagger plunged into Red, electric blue sparks crackling all directions, to which even he wasn't immune to, this close. He shifted, slightly, at last, pride pulling through the arcs of pain-
- "Shall we bet on it the outcome?"
Caelius never broke eye contact, even as the last bits of Distortion fully pulled them into the strange broken paradigm, even as the Runic dagger sparked wildly, even as the fog shifted in full focus and the exit snapped closed behind them.
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 10:18 pm
In a way it was almost soothing. Hush child, shhh, shh, it will all be over soon, a whisper eased as the tendril of fog wrapped itself gently around Red's arm. We're going Home now, another soft voice spoke, wrapping itself around Red's hand where it held Caelius' shoulder. It will all be over soon. You'll see, once we're Home.Her gray eyes looked past Caelius as the fog surrounded them. The werewolf began to sway back and forth, Circe's bite causing unheeded cracks and spilling droplets of her blood. Home sounded nice; she could rest there. She could sleep. She could -- Screams. Chaos, confusion. Get out of the way! Burning. Pain. Broken. Betrayal. She was... dying, wasn't she? The beast roared as Caelius stabbed her with the dagger, forcing her to reel back and away from the Hunter. She could feel her Fear slip away, bleeding from her as she reached out not with talons but hands to grasp and cling to Caelius as the portal pulled them deeper into it. Gray, empty eyes flushed with a vivid Red as she came back into herself. Her hands, covered as they were with blood smeared his formerly pristine coat as she scrambled to hold onto the one who started it all, who doomed her to this existence. She met his gaze, her eyes unusually bright against the dull gray of her hood. " Save me." And thus did the portal close with not a snap, but with a whimper.
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