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 Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 8:20 pm
 VS.
 Located in an open-roof stadium is the ring where the first round fights will be taking place. The sound of wild cheering from the many fans that have congregated here fill the arena in a loud uproar as cameras zoom in on the action to broadcast the fights all over the world. The floor of the arena is a glossy hard floor with the logo of GTB painted in purple and pink upon the white sheen. Field Measurements: The fighting area is a perfect circle with a 50 yard diameter. The walls that keep the fighters away from the spectators are raised up to ten feet. Ten Count Boundary: The ten count begins whenever the fighter is knocked out of the bounds of the fighting area, such as into the spectator seats. The flying count out is also in effect, which means, if you stay above ground by your own will for more than ten seconds, you will be DQ'd. Fight Ends: After 11:59 PM on Jun 16th. That means when it becomes Jun 17th, fights are over.
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:54 am
The gauntlet, the arena, the field, the stadium, the coliseum, the ring...
No matter what you called it in the end it was really the same thing.
The Stage
And on stage is where entertainers thrive, their skills put to the test to entertain and persuade the myriad of fans to return and watch them again...and again...and again...
...Welcome Home...
The thought passed through the bard's mind with great pleasure as he prepared to enter the battlefield. Two very large doors opened, the symbol of the GTB (in pink of all colors) was split in two as the bard began to step onto the hard wood floor that today would be his footing.
A secondary roar grew over the original cacophony of sound as the bard showed his 'face' once more at this tournament. A somewhat unorthodox fighter the bard had gained himself a decent following of fans (mostly women in their mid 40's and kids under the age of 4 months) but still it was decent and for that the bard was pleased.
Though his black regalia covered all traces of skin the contrasting white gloves allowed for a clearly visible performance of his actions. It was in these very hands that held the fabled violin and bow the bard had used during his previous appearances at this tournament. His most loyal fans (Also known as Basement Dwellers in latin) would notice that his bow was no longer covered in a sheet of metal...and was now an average length.
"That's what she said!" yelled a random audience member, to the confusion of many around him, though the noise levels in general would suppress the comment into an inaudible state.
As if to almost further baulk any random insults the bard spun his violin, twirling it between his fingers, before it finally rested beneath his chin in playing position. His right hand gently raised the bow, it's sharp wooden point lifting into the air, as he began to tap it against the metal reinforced waist of his instrument.
The dark wood vibrating to the beat it's master commanded. But the sound was metallic in nature, certainly only possible due to the metal additions the musician had added for protection. The sound also echoed with a hollowness to it in a very similar fashion to that of wind chimes but deeper...darker...and more foreboding.
It was this very sound that caused the audience to scream out once more...for all those who had watched the musician fight before knew that music only meant one thing.
Blood would be shed soon...
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:35 pm
( excuse my post if it looks bad tonight. I'm posting from my Zune. Didn't want to make you wait till thursday.)
As the onlookers cheered for the return of the first fighter to enter this ring, others turned to see the other as the doors opposing opened, setting a fine divide in the center of the tournament insignia that painted the challenger's door as well.
Murmurs rose as a figure dressed in what could best be described as a sorcerers regalia walked into the arena. Some began to ask others if they had heard anything of this fare faced fighter at all. Many assumed her to be a boy, and who could blame them. Her hair, tucked into her cowl, was long, but only just so, as it fell just under her ears. Her eyes, of different colors, seemed hard yet naive.
Walking up onto the platform, metal sounded from around her neck, a "C" shaped talismen swaying and resting against her chest. Feeling she should be ready, she laced her right palm around the talismen, and waited for the fight to begin.
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:33 pm
The bard stared with an odd silence about him, his percussion stopping for a moment as he stared directly at his opponent.
Hidden eyes scanned over his new found enemy but there was little to gauge.
No visible weapon... thought the musician as his right arm snapped the bow into playing position. No words would be exchanged between the two it seemed as music erupted from the f-holes of his beloved instrument. Saphen's right arm slid eloquently back and forth, the strings on the bow licking the strings for the first time during this fight.
The fingers on his right hand were caressing the strings of his violin lovingly as he began gathering energy.
The bard rushed forward, his feet tapping in rhythm to the music, as his body shuffled back and forth but always towards his opponent. Every so often a leg would raise, crossing the other ever so sightly, before darting back outwards in a jigging fashion. In this way the bard remained somewhat unpredictable but continued his sprint with only a slight delay. There wasn't a large range to his shuffling, only a few feet or so, but there was logic to this performance.
You seem to be playing the role of Mage my friend...but are you truly that or do you wear a mask as well?
The thought passed quickly though, his eyes narrowing in on the medallion his opponent wore. To the bard this was further proof that his opponent was more proficient in the magic arts than the physical ones...and it was this very thought that told the bard to push forward.
Muscles tensed beneath the poet's baggy black pants as he continued forward, his bow slithering over the strings in various Irish Jig patterns. The notes moving almost as swiftly and unpredictably as the man who had created them. It mattered not whether the bard's fortune telling skills were truly great or not but that he had decided on an action and could adapt from there.
Giving his opponent little time to think was always a bonus, the bard knew his plan but whether or not his opponent had one...was another story entirely.
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:11 pm
  Location | Round One Arena Weary of the power this person may yield over their musical instrument. Though it didn't seem they wanted to use it just yet. Perhaps the music he played gave him abilities to react faster in some way. She wasn't sure yet. She had seen a many foe use sound as a weapon, to either hinder their foe or help themselves. Either way, he was taking the initiative here. It was time she did the same.
Focusing, a shimmer seemed to collect around her. To those who were not sensitive to the spirit world, they'd see none of this. Quickly, the reitsu flowed down to her feet as she moved her body towards the right, zipping off in a quick dash at about 15 mph, half her speed, though others probably wouldn't know that she wasn't going all out yet, unless they were terrific at anticipation. Looking back to see how he followed, she snapped the charm from her neck and focused the reitsu to it, forming a bow. Once again, if he was unable to see how the spiritual realm worked, he would only see her outstretch her hand with the charm, and aim at him. Turning backwards to face him fully, she'd come into a sliding crouch and rear her other arm back, as if to fire a bow, which is exactly what she was about to do. An arrow made of spirit energy formed in her hold and released quickly at him. She'd use this one shot to gauge her foe for the time being, and see how she needed to act next.
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:10 pm
((There's something I should have cleared up with you, Cinneath, about your character. I said that her attacks are only seeable by people who can see spirit energy, but realized how broken that can get due to the more normal characters in this tournament. Thus, from now on, any arrow she fires with be in a visible color of your choosing.))
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:02 pm
Saphen watched as his opponent did exactly what he would have done in past tournaments...gain distance. This was the very typical cat and mouse game that ranged fighters played with melee combatants. The idea was to kite, lead, and orchestrate the actions of your opponent in an attempt to ensnare them in what ever diabolical plot you had in mind.
But trying to orchestrate anything against a Concert Master...well now that was something the musician would enjoy thoroughly.
I know this plan! the bard realized as he gave chase, continuing his sporadic type dance as he did. It was this very dance that allowed the woman to gain some distance on him, but the musician was not bothered by this. It meant overall that what ever type of projectile (a dagger maybe?) she decided to launch at him would start farther away and thus...he had more time to react.
Sure enough, the feminine Robin Hood had spun around, readying her bo...wait...
There was nothing there... the conductor in the back of the musician's mind silenced all other music as his thought process paused. A hue forming near her grasp right before she released the spirit arrow though...he couldn't remember what type of color it was. Certainly in any other situation the name of this particular shade would have flooded his brain easily but....that was neither here nor there.
Regardless, the arrow was visible, and as it released the bard would gain a rather important piece of information.
...Arrows are bad...
The music however never faltered. The musician was more than ready for such an assault, his right foot crossed his left leg slightly before darting back outward, Saphen's body moving out of the arrow's path as the bard side stepped the incoming projectile. It was at this point, that the dancing stopped.
"Let us learn the tempo of an archer, shall we?!" the bard yelled in challenge as he transitioned from a dance to a full on charge. It was important to know exactly how quickly she could use her weapon, it would be the true test of their battle.
The adrenaline pumped through the musician's body with great pleasure, the thought of a role reversal was something that was now tantalizing Saphen's mind with hope for an amazing battle.
Let us see what I have learned from battles long past...
But before all of this occurred something else had happened. The right sleeve of the musician's attire had fluttered ever so slightly, energy gathering in this area but it was currently unknown to his opponent as to why...but in the musician's mind...she would find out soon enough.
Plant Locations Left- Eu Right- Agv Right Leg- VFT Torso- WV.
Buff Counters Buff Counters Gained: 1 Buff Counters Used: 1 (Agave) Level 1 Buff Counters Left: 0
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 11:44 am
Location | Round One Arena Taking careful note on the affect of his music and his reaction to her shot, she could see he was swift. He seemed to like to take charge in the battle. She'd let him have that, for now. She had a plan in mind as to the downfall of this fighter. For now, she had to be careful of how much she let him get away with his music, and careful to make him believe she was exactly what he had assumed. A ranged fighter. Though, secrecy had it's taint, and letting him find a little of what she wasn't now wouldn't hurt, in fact it may throw him off completely.
"If you wish to bring this battle up to the next step, I'll be more than glad to appease you."
She said in the most feminine way she could. Her voice was like a whisper in it's softness, yet strong in how sure of herself she was. She'd have to watch how the bard took the news. She either had him figured wrong and he had known her gender the entire time, or he hadn't. Even if he hadn't it was no guarantee that he'd react at all. Whatever his reaction, her plan wouldn't change. She'd stand in place, moving her left foot behind her right and lowering herself so that her center of gravity was lower to the ground. Her right and left hands would match, one in front of the other, the bow still held in her right.
For now she'd focus the spiritual energy in the air and collect it while she waited for his attack. They'd start to take shape in the nook of her bow, their color matching the pale shale of the arena below them both, making them harder to notice than before. Not to mention, their shape had changed now. Instead of a typical arrow, these were thin and could be described as needle-like. So small were they, that one could say it was as if someone had melted glass and let it drip into a thin small spike. When one of these were ready, she'd twirl it into her right hand, tucked in between two fingers, and keep it there while she waited for the bard's attack.
Depending how he attacked, she'd be on guard, reaching for her knowledge of jujutsu to turn whatever attack he weld against her onto himself. Or, if he tried a feint, or stopped the charge, she'd respond in kind with another shot from her bow, this time with the ammo she had prepared.
(( I'll still respond next post as to exactly how she responds to your moves, mostly the post is her preparing her special ability ^^; ))
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 1:40 pm
Saphen watched curiously as his opponent saddled up for a classic spaghetti western showdown. And it was this very notion that informed the musician he would need to change the beat. The music stopped only for a moment, but the silence was almost deathly even though it was short lived. The tension was mounting between the two fighters as the bard continued his pursuit of the fabled sharp shooter who stood before him.
In this world there's two kinds of people, my friend.
The arrow slinging lady stood her ground as the bard lifted his bow off the strings slightly, strumming them with his fingers to honor the classic western duel with music. The music was quick, a series of strum patterns, short and high pitched...as if to portray the opening of this legendary tale. The characters were already known, the opening credits had finished rolling, and as his fingers danced along the strings in a hauntingly quick flurry of notes...he prepared for his attack.
A distant camera man zoomed in on their eyes (or eye slits) as the music began to set the tone for a quick draw attack.
Those with loaded guns...and those who dig...
The bard opted to be the first to draw his weapon from it's holster as his right arm shot outward, the musician's plant surging with new found power as the leaves of the agave plant pointed directly at his opponent. It was at this time that his opponent was preparing an attack of her own, the arrow forming in a similar tint to the very floor he was running on.
The Agave had ten leaves, covered in thorns, with a much longer thorn at their tips. Initially the bard had gathered enough energy to set this lovely creature into it's first power up. But it was this new found buff that his opponent would have to worry about more...but there was no way for her to currently know what it was.
As the bard continued his charge, the distance between them closed quickly as she stood eerily still, the bard launched all ten tendrils. Each main thorn tearing off from the tip of it's home leaf, green sinew in the form of a cord being pulled with it, was launched outward....but not all directly at her. In fact only three of the ten cords went after his opponent at all (in a triangle formation at her midsection.) The other seven shot off to her left (Saphen's right) and stuck their sharp tips into the floor of the arena.
You Dig...
But the ones that had actually shot at her were not clumped neatly together. In fact, two seemed to be aimed to cut either side of her torso, the last aiming directly at her forward hand (the one that held the bow itself).
If one were to look a the cords closer they would see thin thorns lining the lush green plant matter, it's thickness alluding to it's strength as a rope. This was the first enhancement the musician had bestowed upon his precious plant before they had ever engaged. The cord was now stronger, more durable, and had further protection from being simply grabbed by the thousands of tiny thorns that covered it's length. The second one, however, increased the strength of it's pulling power...
But how useful would that be right now? Either way it seemed the bard had only one thought in his mind.
I have strong feelings about gun control. If there's a gun around, I want to be controlling it.
Buff Counters Buff Counters Gained: 1 Buff Counters Used: 1 (Agave) Level 2 Buff Counters Left: 0
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:08 pm
Location | Round One Arena Now she understood a bit more how he used his music. Her eyes widened a bit as the attack came at her, with one way out from what she could see. Focusing spirit energy into her feet once more, she'd use it to give herself a bit of lift and jump out and to the right to try and avoid his attack. One of the barbs that had been aimed at her midsection to the side grazed her outfit enough to nick her skin underneath. It wasn't a bad cut, and unless the bards were poisoned in some way, she didn't notice any immediate affect. Once she landed, she drew back, forming another arrow, along with the needle she had formed earlier. Firing both in succession, both in the same pale shale color of the arena floor, she used the larger one to feint a distraction, aiming for the bard's midsection, towards the left. Already gauging his speed, she figured he'd move to his right to try and cut her off and dodge the arrow, and move for another attack. It was what she would do in this situation, especially given the amount of room given on that side to dodge, verses moving into the arrow's path to dodge. So she carefully aimed the needle-like arrow where she thought he would move to. It was a gamble, but a carefully thought out one. If the needle hit it's mark, it would cause no pain, but the bard would notice a pins and needles like sensation where the needle landed. It would make where it hit hard, if not impossible to move.
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 8:53 am
The musician watched as his attack barely licked the side of her slender form. The battle field becoming as sensual as it was chaotic at the moment of slight impact. The threat was obvious to the fiddler as she readied yet another arrow and to the bard her speed at gathering energy was quite intriguing. With no need to reach for a quiver this archer had nearly doubled her firing rate with that very concept alone. It also meant, however, that she must have been using her own mystic power to form each assault.
But having played this game before Saphen had a general idea what to expect as soon as her first shot was fired.
First the bark...then the bite...
And this was true of most range attackers, the initial assault was a distraction made to force an action in some way. This became more evident as the arrow's aim seemed to be off...his left side?
She wants me to move right!
After that she would gain distance and reset...something that Saphen couldn't let her do...
But this wasn't a simple chess move to counter or merely a hurdle to leap...it was much more complicated. The decision to not dodge would cause some damage to him and his arsenal...
It was at this point the bard made his final decision, their distance was negligible at this point. There was only one thing to do and this cowboy was going to do it.
I don't believe in pessimism. If something doesn't come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it's going to rain, it will.
The Agave plant tugged on his right arm, the bard lifting some of his weight off the ground, as he was dragged to the right slightly by the powerful tendrils before they released their grasp on the arena floor. The bard only wanted to move enough to avoid taking a shot directly into his gut...and that was all the room he needed. The plant sinew withdrawing back into his plant as the bard raised his arm to play once more. His feet quickly finding the ground as he surged forward.
The bow caressed the strings, this new found tune complimented the original strum patterns the bard had started with. Long strokes moving his right arm back and forth across his body as he continued to encroach on her territory. But this scene was far from over, the pressure rising as the bard readied his plans to send this lady off into the sunset. The music was soft, sometimes deep, as the musician sprinted straight for her.
It was at this time that the bard met his first resistance...
The first arrow cutting somewhat deep into the musician's side, liquid causing his black regalia to darken in color as it absorbed the wetness. Indeed the rain had come but it would take a keen eye to realize that all of that liquid was not blood. The musician's torso was protected by a watervine, a lovely plant that was thick and strong but sadly the impact was not forgiving.
A large chunk was removed as the arrow cut into Saphen's side, blood freely mixing with water as he grunted in pain. The water vine turned slightly, moving the hole in the plant away from the wound and tightening around his torso...putting pressure on the wound to try and stop some of the bleeding but that was not all...The plant seemed to shiver for a moment, buds growing on damp bark for reasons currently unknown.
The bard had noticed through all of the pain, if only for a moment, that the archer seemed to have fired two shots...the second one he couldn't pay attention to due to his focus on the charge but it meant that he was right...
The greater danger had been avoided...
But it didn't matter what was happening with his wound, the bard had never relented his assault against her and it would pay off now. The bard was turning the left side of his body back as the arrow moved past him, his right side taking the lead and narrowing the area his opponent had to shoot at...
Thump...Thump....Thump...
The beat of his heart created a natural metronome as he continued to play his part in this climatic finish. This cowboy wouldn't back down...he was ready for what ever she had to offer. The bard's right arm darted forward, the sharp tip of his bow aiming to thrust it's point slightly below her left shoulder. His left arm staying near his chest, protecting both his violin and his left side as he lunged at her.
There was no more distance to run, the bard had taken a bullet to give a bullet...and he had only one thing to say about that through pain stricken teeth...
"Go ahead.... Make my day!"
Buff Counters Buff Counters Gained: 1 Buff Counters Used: 1 (Water Vine) Level 1 Buff counters Left: 0 Pain Counters: 1
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 5:33 pm
Location | Round One Arena Everything was happening so fast, she wasn't sure what had happened had really happened. The outcome of her actions hadn't yet been decided. While she recovered, she thought back to how it all went down, watching the scene in slow motion.
Something in her acted without thinking. It was like she had done it thousands of times before, and in fact, she had. Her jujutsu training had been drilled into her very carefully and precisely, like one would slam a nail into an apple without shattering it, or etching glass to make it more beautiful, despite the danger.
Her first reaction was to spin to his right, letting the arm he jabbed out fling past her. In the spin she moved her body so that her right arm would connect with his first, grabbing at his elbow if he let her. She would then continue her spin, landing her left hand just under his arm pit, and in a classic throw move, use the energy of his jab and the energy of her spin combined, to turn the bard over onto his back, as long as the two strikes connected.
She wasn't finished yet though, as if by reflex, when she let go of the bard and landed him onto the ground, she'd draw back and call upon all the spirit energy she could for a point-blank shot, aimed at his throat. She'd hold the arrow just above his adam's apple in full draw, giving him only an inch or two to swallow.
After watching the replay in her mind's eye, she breathed heavy, waiting for something, she wasn't sure what yet. Maybe to realize that what had happened in her mind's eye really did. Perhaps the grand battle was drawing to a close, or perhaps, it was just reaching it's climax.
(( If by chance you avoid her throw, I'll put a reaction down in next post, none of what I typed after the throw will happen in that case. ))
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:19 pm
Saphen had a few things going for him as she spun around to avoid his thrusting stab. The musician had a two foot range advantage she had to overcome (the average bow length being over 2 feet by a few inches). The bard had plowed through the arrow in order to close the distance between them as well. This gave his opponent less time to react in general, despite these facts she had perfect form as she spun in an attempt to capture his right side off guard.
"DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadfull..."
he whispered in pain as he prepared his counter attack.
But as she spun, the bard focused his mystic energies into directing the leaves of his Agave plant to aim at the archer's exposed back side.
By the time she was midway into her spin the bard had already fired the thorns of his powerful plant at her. The sharp thorns attempted to find solace in both of her shoulders, all ten splitting up their strikes evenly between both areas in order to have maximum strike zones away from vital parts of her slender form. Cords tightening their grip as he moved past her, flipped or not they would pull her with him...where ever he went.
"For, thou art not so!"
If successful, every thorn would push through the meaty flesh...getting stuck in muscle or bone...bracing themselves for what would happen next. Even worst was the thorn buff that lined the cords of this powerful plant, giving the plant even better leverage to hold onto her form as the bard allowed his momentum to continue forward.
The plan was improvised but the execution would be simple, each cord would be pulled as the bard moved past her. If she managed to get her throw despite the pain her body would be dragged down with his momentum...preventing her from being able to set up an attack. There was a possibility that her flesh would be torn from her body or even a bone might be broken from the tangled fall she would have.
Either way the bard winced in pain as he continued forward, if she couldn't react at all the bard would use his sprint to pull her off her feet entirely, dragging her on the floor for a few moments before he could turn around and counter attack.
Either way...he wasn't intending on losing this exchange...after all of his effort to get this close!
"For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow!!!"
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