Train Cart

Train Cart 2011 - LUST SUBWAY

General - What would an HoH be without a return to the classics? Speeding down the line at breakneck speeds this passenger car affords ample legroom for up to two wall-mounted benches and ceilings high enough that you can almost not touch them with an outstretched hand. The tram itself runs through a tunnel with about three feet of distance between the outer wall of the tram and the side of the tunnel on either side; just enough room for a narrow walkway beside the tracks.

Natural Element Resource - None.

Weapons - A few small pieces of luggage have been left in the overhead racks; mostly briefcases or duffel bags as well as the occasional folded newspaper shoved between a crack in the seats, though near the rear of the car there is a long cloth bag tucked away under one of the benches suspiciously.

Bonus Effects - Falling from the train and being left behind is considered a Ring Out. The match area is the interior of a single train car as well as the intermediary section between cars on either side.

Taking proper precautions once they'd found out the location of their next fight, Celeste couldn't help but be amused. Glancing over at her husband who had his hand in her back pocket she chuckled again as the doors opened. "Second time you'll be on a train cart and not fighting, cowboy?" reminding him once again that her memory combined with her love of HoH would never let him live down the fame he'd gained here.

Once inside, she glanced around, taking stock of everything and placement. She'd be slightly hindered here, but not excessively so. Thank god for childhood lessons. Brushing back a strand of hair from her face she leaned up near Rayner's ear, close enough to press a small kiss to the joint between lobe and jaw. "I'll be fine. You'll catch me if I fall, remember." It was sweet; the protective, if a bit lewd, manner her husband had of behaving when he was a worried about her.

"Besides, I'll make up for you having to worry about me later, okay?" once all the bumps and boo boos had been taken care of, she meant. It was supposed to be a non-lethal fight and as long as she kept that in mind, she'd be okay with whatever had to happen. Pulling his hand from her pocket, she ran her own gloved hands over where the wedding band rested beneath his glove. "Everything will be fine..." And she moved away, bending and stretching her body to prepare for her own opponent. She didn't want to damage anything due to lack of preparation.

For no particular reason, there was a kid in the back corner with a ghettoblaster playing a peculiar song.

"Ahnn~ ...they have got to be joking!"

The lilting whine was so pitiful it could have easily come from the mouth of a child. That it was muffled by a heavy facepalm didn't help much either.

Selini stood in front of the tram stop, a face in one hand and the other partly raised in front of her so she could check the FIGHTER gods knew how many times now. A bit of hair had been knocked loose from its tightly bound bun (complete with a pair of red pins) from the excessive temple rubbing, but thankfully the scarlet/gold scarf-like cloth she was using to do so was soft enough that she wasn't stealing too much pain from her opponent.

It also didn't help much that the black, sports-bra-like halter top she had chosen meant she was completely free to "enjoy" the chilled, artificial subway air. Even better, she had taken the opportunity to wear the shortest skirt she owned. As a capoeirista, she had plenty of legs to show off, and this was accented by a pair of "sexy" black stockings complete with suggestive frills that ended just below the hem of her skirt; an interesting thought when one considered the kind of time and dedication it probably took to get them under and through the pair of heavy iron shackles that clung tightly to her ankles (with a matching set resting snugly around her wrists). Yet all of the effort seemed lost when it came to that one little reminder of why she was here. A reminder that came in the form of a sheathed dagger strapped low on her thigh. To top it all off, this year's Heaven or Hell would simply not be complete without her rising theme: the mask. This time she had chosen to wear a simple black plastic shell molded to cover her nose, cheeks, and jaw, and just for that added ornate pizazz she had also draped a thin crimson veil over it. Yet another symbol of her home world, although this one would be much harder to recognize even for a native.

So distraught was she that she didn't even notice the growing group standing next to her, and it wasn't until after the tram arrived and they all embarked (her subconsciously unobtrusive nature brining her on board from the other door) that she finally started connecting the dots.

"They truly are not joking, are they?" It was more a rhetorical lament than an actual question. Her dance was wide, free, and filled with energetic expression, yet they insisted on shoving her into the smallest, most unstable places possible! Surely the gods were laughing at her expense. Though strangely enough, it was that thought that brought her wandering mind back down to reality.

"A-ah, my apologies! I must seem terribly rude." she spouted, finally addressing the party directly, "My name is Selini. Umm... I beg your forgiveness, but I did not think to discover the faces of your team. Except for the chance encounter with Miss DeCuir, of course." She concluded with what was probably a smile and a nod (for as usual her mask made it difficult to tell). The encounter in question had been... odd... but Selini was always careful to remember names and faces, and even in those odd situations it was still nice to feel remembered.

She got a squeeze and non-committal grunt in response.

He could have grumbled about the encyclopedic trivia of his background in this place that she toted around in her head, since much of it he was just as happy forgetting about, but Rayner was a bit used to it by now. After a moment of reflection, Celeste was right- back in the first year he'd jumped through these hoops, he'd sat one round out when his team was on a train. Actually, as he recalled, Owle had been worn down, a wall had been blown open, and Athan had slugged Flare and her match with a seat and knocked them clean out of the train. She hadn't been happy about that.

...surprisingly, not the most distinct moments of Heaven or Hell in his mind. Insanity was a bit par-for-course.

"'course," he said, giving Cel a small smack on the a** as she stepped away and started gearing her head up into the game, though he went ahead and let her decide what he was saying that to of her several comments. They were all on now, and rolling, even though only one of the ones in the cart seemed to be stepping up to make herself-

Rayner blinked at Selini's manners, and relaxed himself against the wall, muttering "good thing I 'got the rest of you here."

Celeste and Vanessa were bred into good manners and fancy talk, they wouldn't even blink at responding, and he was sure Raien was just as capable. She seemed down to earth, but he wasn't convinced the woman could have managed to be unpleasant to someone even whilst she was stabbing them in the-

Oh. Well, maybe just mildly unpleasant.

He chuckled, and put on a bit of a grin.

He'd let... Celeste, take care of his introduction for him. If it was really necessary. Unless he was needed, he was feeling content to sit back and observe at the moment, even though he knew he'd get restless later.

"Hey-"

He called out to his wife, one last interruption before he really let her get going.

He didn't have any over the top romantic gestures or inspiring words, or touching messages when she turned around. He raised his left hand up, holding up a steady fist for a few seconds, looking her in the eyes, and smiling. She really didn't need any more- hell, she didn't need that. She was one-hundred-percent perfectly capable.

Hold steady.

Someone was shouting. Shouting at him.

wut

oh

Looks like it's game time. He hauled his carcass up out of the seat, shifting his attention to the young sorceress whom had called him out. This was just in time for him to stumble backward, out of reach of the woman's staff. He shifted to the other side of the cart, directly opposite of where he had been sitting a second previous. Henry dropped the bottle back into his pocket, eyed the staff. He doubted that any amount of over-the-counter medication would help him if that big stick hit him in in his side. Or anywhere near there. Great.

Sigh.

Henry glanced left, glanced right. There was a briefcase on a bench about halfway down the car. He made a note of getting to it then quickly shifted his attention back to the sorceress, arm curled around his front.

:{

"..."

1

Quietly, out of sight, KB listened.

kerjunkerjunkerjunk

The rhythm of the train was almost like a heartbeat, each of the small bumps along the way evenly placed. Like a living thing the train swayed and eased through turns, maintaining its pace. Even when it came to its regularly appointed stops the force of the train breaking was minimal on the bodies inside. KB took the time to appreciate the overlooked features of the 'arena', relishing the source of light the most. No sun today!

Eventually the vampire grew bored of passive investigation and stood, then took hold of a nearby pole. A brief shake of the thing revealed that it was sturdy enough to hold on to for general riding, but would not endure a direct assault. It caused the monster to smile, imagining the entire length of the train full of blood-soaked wreckage and twisted limbs. ODESSA had been fortunate thus far, but KB would rely on the fickle favor of Lady Luck no more.

Shouldering his way into the door that connected his otherwise empty train car to the others, KB shoved his way onto the scene. Appearing behind enemy lines forced a chuckle from the monster. If he had the mind for tactics he might have considered sandwiching his opponents between himself and the rest of ODESSA, but instead he simply savored the proximity of himself and the meatbags he was authorized to demolish.

Shrugging his coat off his shoulders, KB stepped forwards and allowed the connecting door to seal behind him. His forsaken apparel was beneath notice - all that mattered now was that he was shirtless. Lifting his gloved hands near to chin level and shifting his right foot forwards, he challenged the idle cowards.

"Which of you wants to die first?"

Rejection of Glory. Ironic.

KB smiled.

Now that was an odd spark. All the authority and poise Selini had worked so hard to emulate, this woman seemed to have naturally. Not just in her manner of speech, since it was fairly close to Selini's own (albeit with a slightly different accent), but just in the way she carried herself virtually demanded respect with every subtle glance.

"Miss...us Veli," she responded by simple instinct, adding the honorary extension after careful observation of the pair's interaction and wedding bands, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Tei Kae Wrote:

"We should probably get started."

The young woman glanced around again, making note of both the confined spaces and the number of people within them. At the very least she would have preferred to take a private car, but unfortunately the match description had been very clear on the ring as just the one. Nothing she could do but release a resigned sigh and focus instead on her new partner.

This time it was not an armored knight or a simple brawler. The woman had made it this far as she was, which meant there was a great deal of refinement to her. Calculation and strategy, maybe? Or magic. She also had a sword; though considering the tournament rules and match environment, that was one piece of equipment Selini hoped she would use most.

Selini took a moment to close her eyes and let the frustrations and distractions drift away. The small car was their studio, and they the lone dancers. She could hear the music start to play; could feel her body begin to move to its silent beat, swaying back and forth. Some might consider it a risky move, but she was confident her opponent wouldn't attack her now even if she wanted her to.

"Mmhm. Time to play."

When her eyes snapped back open there was almost an entirely different girl staring back at Estée. The distress was gone, replaced by a look of playful mischief. It wasn't a second later until she sprung forward. Two long strides covered the distance between them as she raised her hands as if to strike. Yet they would come short as she dipped low at the last moment... so short in fact, that they even hit the ground.

Selini threw her body forward and downward. Heel-over-head in a partial somersault better known as Au Batido, she led with her left arm and kicked out wide with her right foot towards Estée's own left side. Perhaps a little too wide, for once again she missed her mark. Why? Because the clever little girl was taking into account the effects of that standing bar. At the last second she twisted her body, adjusted her left leg for balance, and snapped her knee closed so that the straight kick suddenly turned into a hooking kick aimed straight at her partner's left side. This way the older woman could do a fancy pole dance if she wanted, but would still have to deal with Selini's foot.

In the meantime her right hand had fallen to her outstretched thigh and the dagger attached to it, if only just to remind herself that Estée was not the only one with a weapon. All-in-all things were off to a good start, and Selini could still count herself fortunate that the tram had not actually begun to move yet. Something that would most certainly not last for much longer.

[Post Count 1 / 17]

Feast of Agony - 0 | -

If Rai had succeeded in something, at least, it was making Henry think twice about her. Taking an opponent by surprise, even by doing something so minimal, was good. It meant that she was doing something right. She pursued Henry as he tried to make a quick getaway - only to take a bag to the shoulder and making his task a little more difficult. Raien hadn't reached him quite yet, so he had time to scramble for the thrown bag and attempt to hurl it right back at her like a strange game of volleyball, but with luggage.

She took a step forward with full intent to kick the thing back, but the train jerked, and a moment later - lurched forward, effectively throwing a bit of a wrench into her plans Raien sought support on one of the closer standing poles. Instead of a kick, she willed forth the energies gathered already and - with an appropriate forward thrust of her staff at the offending bag - expelled them outward in a small localized burst that would send the luggage, and Henry, backwards once again.

"You know better than to be running around while a train is moving!"

She waited, lingering, expecting him to come at her now.

Abilities Wrote:

Impact Burst: Raien can also channel the energies into the staff that, upon a direct hit, can be expelled outward in a small, localized burst that deals minor damage and used primarily for knockback.

Usable once every three turns - Half turn charge.

[3/17]

Kb would find his advance into the rear of Rejection of Glory halted, however, as the last stretch of train car separating him from his somewhat unaware prey was occupied by the final member of his opposition. That was right, Vanessa Da'Fluer would block his way forward.

"I refuse to let some scum like you threaten me or anyone else here with death. On that subject, monster, you have forfeited your right to speak when you joined the ranks of the undead." came the response to his query as Vanessa stood op from her seat on one of the uncomfortable benches. She knew this man, she had almost memorized his face. She had watched him and his team during the last two competitions, even if only from afar, but she knew that he would be just as the woman before him had been.

Filthy undead scum.

However she had one last thing to get off her chest before she prepared herself to wipe another abomination off the face of the Earth. It was a genuine curiosity, and as much as she abhorred consorting with what she viewed as her mortal enemy she just had to ask.

"Actually, creature, before we begin and I grind you to dust under my boot I must ask; Whatever happened to that sweet older gentleman from your last forays into this tournament? I would have been honored to have faced him, but it seems he isn't present." she reached her arm down, scooping her spear up into her hand from where it was propped up against the edge of her former seat. Unlike KB the young Vanessa was far from shirtless. Clad in a suit of dull grey armor ranging from a lovely scale coat over her torso to a set of matching plated greaves and boots that covered her lower extremities this woman looked more like she belonged in an armor shop than on a train, but it didn't end there. Over one arm was strapped a shield, rounded along the edges and covering her entire Left arm, easily able to defend most of her torso if she choose to pull it close to her chest. The most menacing thing however was the over five foot steel tipped spear she held in her other hand, her favorite tool at keeping anything unwanted at arms(or spear's) reach. The narrow nature of the train car afforded her a significant advantage as well, as there was really only a small passage from a single direction that her opponent could advance from. This was more her sort of territory, far better than the open area of her last arena.

So when one went down, what was the other to do but go up? It made perfect sense, and further went to solidify Selini's belief that their fighting styles were going to be very similar. In hand-to-hand, anyways, since she wasn't exactly one to use weapons. After all, what master with half a brain would teach his slave how to use a sword? Still, it was fun to think that their fight might take place entirely off the ground; a thought that made her giddy even as she watched the woman spin around for a counter-attack. In fact, she had gone so far into her imagination that she didn't even think to put up her own defense. At least not in the short amount of time she had.

Thwack

One boot to the a** later and the young mage found herself knocked out of her head-stand and sprawled out on her knees in a familiarly submissive position. Jarring, succulent pain shot through her nerves from her rear and shins, but even that was nothing compared to the flashbacks that came next. As the hand dug its way into her tightly-bound hair and yanked her upright, (even as a somewhat suspiciously eager cry escaped her lips) it was another matter of simple instinct as she went straight into survival mode... only not in the way most would imagine. A slave did not survive their master by fighting back. They did so by acting as submissive as possible. Selini didn't even register what Estée had said. Only that it was a command.

So it was that when the young woman roughly "found" her seat and returned her gaze to her partner, the look of playful mischief was gone just as fast as it had come, replaced by the most adorable puppy eyes imaginable. Repentance, expectancy, submission, and a hint of something... else. Two things else, in fact, though it was hard to tell which was more subtle. The second, however, was much more supernatural, manifesting in the form of tiny crimson specks faintly shimmering in her eyes. A subtle glow that reflected the growing mana within her.

The tram jerked and began upon its merry way, yet Selini did not appear to move in the slightest. Yes, she was very good at what she knew.

[Post Count 2 / 17]

Feast of Agony - 6 + 2 = 8 | -

Something was terribly wrong here, she just knew it. She hadn't so much as consumed a drop of blood, yet her head felt so clouded it was as if she had already entered Bloodhaze. 'No! This is a fight! Snap out of it!' She would have, too, if it weren't for...

Tei Kae Wrote:

"Sweet girl..."

Even as she was about to shake her head, her heart jumped right back into her throat and her body remained as frozen as ever. This was her true life... there was just too much instinct to fight against. Dazed, confused, and excited by no small measure, she was helpless as Estée closed in and pulled her up. The hands gripping her chin and hair comfortingly familiar, and the voice sweet, reassuring... commanding.

"Y-yes, ma~ ahmmnn-"

A whisper too quiet for anyone but Estée to hear, cut off even before she could finish with the most surprising thing of all. Right there, in front of both teams, the woman leaned in and almost literally stole Selini's breath. Her heart was beating so fast she felt it may very well burst from her chest, ending the fight right there... as much of a fight as it was, by now. The young mage allowed her eyes to close. Her mind was lost... dominated... and there was still so much time left.

[Post Count 3 / 17]

Feast of Agony - 8 | -

Is she really...?

Well, damn. Rayner was seeing a lot of things he was familiar with today.

At first he just wondered why the other woman had suddenly stopped fighting back, but the longer he watched her keep it up, the more Celeste started to bring out the air of command, in force. He'd never sat down and made her really understand it, but he thought he could guess at what was going on just from context of when he'd seen his wife go exactly how Selini was now for him. And for another seemed to be exactly the idea.

He turned that over a few times until he watched Celeste lean down to kiss her and realized where he'd seen this exact scene play out before.

Just replace the girl with Tellus.

That made a few things click.

But just as he was deciding he needed to either whistle and get a camera of his own or clear his throat really loudly to get his point across, Celeste seemed to remember what they were up to. Business before pleasure. Business before pleasure. Business before pleasure.

Oh, who was he kidding, he had to repeat that as much for himself as Celeste.

Whoa!

Girl was more unbalanced than Celeste could have possibly imagined. As Selini "stabbed" the dagger into her own body though, she didn't think twice. Jerking her arm forward she grabbed Selini's dagger with her own left hand, then yanked the girls mask down, although whether it fell off the girl's face or just down was not of her concern. Even as she did that she reached around with her right, letting Selini grab her shirt if she so wished but grabbing Selini's hair at the same time, jerking as hard as she could; and Celeste was a strong woman for her size; intent on pulling Selini down to the ground even as she followed. "Mon dieu..." And flat out sealed her lips onto Selini's without a second thought and would keep them there until the girl settled down or something happened.

Angel’s Kiss‭ Wrote:

A healing touch,‭ ‬Estèe must‭ ‬administer the‭ ‬healing through a kiss.‭ ‬The kiss incapacitates the victim/patient for a period of time that the kiss is taking place x 3.

‬However, if Estèe can maintain contact longer than that, the healing ability is proportionally more powerful, although Estèe is still not yet capable of more healing than her ring's striker ability at any time.The max limit on the paralysis is 1 post.

She‭ ‬cannot replace lost blood,‭ re-attach‬ or create limbs,‭ ‬nor can she cure disease.‭ ‬She can seal wounds,‭ ‬both (Major)internal and (Minor)external, (Minor) heal bruises,‭ ‬(Major)mend broken bones,‭ ‬but not compound fractures unless she first sets the bones.‭

So Selini would get her grip on Estée's jacket that she'd worn in every fight so far, but it was hard to get a solid grip as it was a tough thick leather giving Estée the time she'd need to make sure her grip was good and solid on Selini's hair. If it came down to it, the girl's skull would then be hit against whatever it took to knock her out further. God save her from overly dramatic submissives.

[Cost: 2/12]

[Post: 4/17]

This was bad. Really bad. With her left arm being cut and her right getting grabbed, there wasn't a whole lot Selini could do to keep the woman's hand away from her face. Of course she didn't realize the danger of removing her mask. Nobody did. It was a risk she knew she had to take, and the reason why there was so much symbolism behind the masks she wore. She still didn't want it removed, however, precautions or not.

She tried to jerk her head back, but she smacked against the window long before she slipped out of Estée's reach. She tried to flail her left arm up to knock the woman's arm away, but by then it was too late. If it did anything at all, it merely helped to add force on her pull.

So down the mask went, awkwardly slipping to her neck due to its rather solid nature and revealing at long last the delicate but otherwise completely human face beneath. Selini would have been able to grab the jacket, sure enough, but she hadn't the time to gather any blood in her hand yet, so there wasn't much point anymore. She probably managed to get some blood on Estée's arm, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to use that... yet. Besides, after what came next, she wouldn't have to. It didn't take but a moment for the woman to take hold of her hair again, yank her down, and fall right on top of her. It was all a very beautiful symphony of pain, though hardly in a way should would have liked... outside of a bedroom, anyways. Now Selini was never one for grappling. The barbaric practice had absolutely no grace or appeal. It wasn't a dance at all, which made her think saddening thoughts on the character of the woman she had recently come to admire... for all of the split second she had to think them, because not even she expected Estée's rather... intimate embrace.

Using her bloody arm in an attempt at holding the woman at bay, Selini had managed to get more than enough blood on the jacket, but her spell wouldn't even reach halfway prepared by the time they kissed. This time for real. Her eyes went wide in shock, spell-casting concentration shattered to little bits, that cloudy rush returning with a blind fury. Was this really happening? There was no way... not here, not now. Yet for the strangest reason she couldn't even begin to fathom, she found herself kissing back. Enjoying it, even. For a moment, anyways... then it hit her. Magic. A soothing, all-encompassing light that radiated throughout her entire body. It was like a dream. First the little bumps and bruises from getting tossed around, then the entire cut down her arm. Sealed. Gone. All that exquisite pain fueling her aura was fading away... and for a moment she almost let it; lost in this strange new comfort the likes of which she had never experienced. Not like this. Until the dissipating pain left behind a single, distinct discomfort. One that was building with steady anticipation in places only a mature audience was allowed to explore. It reminded her that all that pain was too important to simply let go. Using that as her focus, she channeled the dissipating mana the only place she could at the moment: straight into her core.

Bloodhaze Wrote:

Blood magic can take many forms, and vampirism is one of the most common. If Selini consumes too much of her own blood or mana (I.E: canceling a spell mid-cast) she will begin to transform, losing sanity in exchange for sharpened teeth/nails and small, but noticable boosts to her strength and agility.

The loss in sanity was actually somewhat hard to tell. She felt as if whatever had left was probably already gone to begin with at this point. The physical transformation was a bit more obvious, though. Her nails and canines grew, hardened, and sharpened within a matter of seconds. Not by much, but enough to distinguish. She could feel that playful mischief returning, albeit a bit more on the darker, primal side of mischief, but it was almost a relief compared to the slow, sensuous torture she had been enduring so far.

There was just one problem... she was still lost in a kiss, and for the strangest reason she couldn't even move.

[Post Count 5 / 17]

Feast of Agony - +4 -16 = 0 | -

Bloodhaze - 16 | [Stage 1]

There was a brief enough respite in between Henry getting assailed by the luggage and momentarily collapsing against the bench - both from the force of the blow and being thrown off balance by the now moving train - for Raien to effectively tap into the Aethyr again and, like ritual, start drawing upon the usual pool of raw arcane energy and all things magic. It felt delightful as always when her consciousness recognized the thrum of power channeled through her foci and right into her very being. She made quick work of spindling those energies as she collected them and storing them for a later use.

Her concentration for that brief period was solely focused on drawing power, that she almost had not noticed Henry get to his feet as quick as he had been knocked down and start towards her. Sure, she had expected as much, but the sorceress had hoped for just a little more time.

It wasn't unfortunate that she had to worry about her opponent, coming at her now with an eagerness that would hopefully translate into fierceness soon, just poorly timed.

Raien scrambled to evade the incoming fist by grabbing her staff with two tightly clenched hands at each end, twisting her torso to the right while thrusting her only "weapon" at his attacking arm to force it off it's intended course, and snapping her booted left foot right out at Henry. Raien had no knowledge of Henry's pre-existing wounds so it wasn't like she could take advantage of his tender torso, and reaching it all the same was difficult in such a tight space so she was lucky to hit him at all. Their close vicinity didn't give her much room to maneuver but she was determined with a newfound ferocity to keep him at bay all the same.

The close call made her heart start to race and her eyes grew in size, showing the suspense that came with being attacked. She wore a grimace, and made a mental note to try and avoid any more.

[Charge: 1]

[4/17]

The problem with charging a woman whose primary discipline was defense fighting was that there was very rarely a moment when she was ever off her guard, especially when she came to this tram expecting a fight. That wasn't to say that she was going to be able to stop KB dead in his tracks, but she was able to brace herself quite well. As the vampire rushed towards her Vanessa raised her shield to meet his shoulder, shifting her Right foot back so as to put her entire weight and strength behind her defense. Like all undead this creature would be strong, and like the vampiric, as Vanessa had learned earlier, he would likely be quite fast. She had to wait for an opening, something that would let her strike when he couldn't slip away. Without her spear however she had lost that reach of hers. A careless mistake, however she always had her sword.

Creaaaaaaaaak, snap! She slid through one bar as KB's shoulder met her shield as she was slid backwards, metal boots grinding against the floor of the tram as she went. Of course the bar hurt when it hit, just as it would have if someone had simply smashed a metal pole into her back.

The now familiar sound of metal snapping metal could be heard as another overhead bar bent and broke, though by now Vanessa had run out of momentum and had slid to a halt, somewhat worse for wear. Her back, still slightly sore from her preliminary fight, had just be smashed against two metal bars hard enough to break them from their boltings. Her back throbbed with pain, but that was not enough to stop her now. Lowering her shield ever so slightly she showed that her face had not a single twinge of pain in it, her mouth pulled down and her eyes narrowed in a look of focused determination. In a flash her free hand was down to her waist and with tug out came her blade. A three foot long arming sword, her blade featured a precision sharpened double edge blade that was equally good at hacking, slashing, and even thrusting if she so felt the need. It was every bit as dangerous in a confined space as her spear was, and she intended to put it to good use.

"If he got old, maybe you should follow his path and simply fade away." that was her not so clever response as she aimed to turn the tide of the fight, taking it upon herself to advance now upon KB. Her shield was raised up to cover her torso, her face ever so narrowly peeking over the upper lip so as to keep her gaze on the man whom had so nearly tossed her back like a ragdoll. The tip of her blade rested neatly along the outer rim of her shield as she braced the arm that held it, preparing for what one would assume was a neat thrust right at the area where KB's heart was(admittedly she didn't even think he had a heart, but that was a different point altogether). At the last moment, however, right as she came within striking range(around four feet away) she would feint her attack, letting her blade drop down ever so slightly as she thrust it forward, instead of hitting him in his chest instead aiming to impale her blade through his left thigh. All the while she shield never lowered enough to expose her vital areas, and she would pull her blade back quickly should he dodge or attempt to disarm her, right back behind that solid defense she put up.

1

Every episode of HoH was probably flashing through her eyes, every failure, every shortcoming he had displayed. The notions of gentlemanly combat, of causes, of goals. All the things that had weighed KB down in the past and anchored him to a losing streak.

This was a different game. A different beast.

One might have considered it a success that the vampire pounded his armored opponent through not one, but two bars. Greedy as all undead, KB was not willing to stop there. It was inevitable that the seasoned fighter managed to draw her sword in the press of close combat, but KB wasn't about to let her dictate the terms of engagement. He continued forwards, his feet slamming against the floor. The supernatural ability to adhere to surfaces gave him an extra edge in maintaining his footing as the train car started moving.

With her shield up, it seemed as though Vanessa felt safe to take a poke at the monster. Making no visible motions to stop her, he instead stepped in to meet her. There was a fearlessness in his eyes as he outright ignored the strike that seemed aimed for his bare chest, but then altered course to slam into his thigh. The point of the blade would find his skin akin to treated leather armor, splitting under the force of the blow but not giving way entirely as unarmored flesh would. Dark blood pooled around the shallow wound.

The strike was not enough to stop him, however. Pushing forwards to close the distance his right hand formed a fist, then rocketed towards her. It was a peculiar attack in that his fist was aimed at the center of her shield, a blow that would be incredibly easy to block. His motive would become clear if he managed to connect, as the same dark energy from before welled in his fist and then exploded outwards. Not only did he have the sheer strength to potentially break her arm in a brutal display, his strike carried a more insidious cargo than pain itself.

Excessive Strength Wrote:

As a vampire, KB's primary attribute is sheer strength. He is many times stronger than a human being, able to lift and move ( slowly ) with up to 900lbs in his hands. In spite of his amazing strength, his power is proportionate to his humanoid form, so there are limits to what he can do. ( He couldn't lift 900lbs at arms length and hold it there, for example ). This physical power lends itself to his strikes as well, making him able to dent conventional metal armor with direct hits, or punch through unprotected flesh completely.

Executioner Strike Wrote:

KB focuses a large amount of Negative Energy into a single melee attack. The sheer force of the attack causes his Energy Drain to bypass armor. Cooldown: 2 posts.

Energy Drain Wrote:

A living creature physically struck by a vampire is at risk of suffering energy drain, which is the effect of negative energy on the soul. Each time a living creature it hit by the vampire a part of its soul is immediately consumed, causing numbness, and atrophy in the enemy. This ability has no effect on undead or constructs.

2

"I don-"

Oh, hell. Why bother arguing- it may have been about to be the weirdest use of a striker he'd ever seen, but he supposed bound and tied was just as valid a grounds for KO as being unconscious. Either way, they weren't fighting. Yanking the cuff of one glove down and baring a part of a discolored scar of a wrist so he could get at his FIGHTER, Rayner hit the button.

STRIKER

Estée vs Selini

Leaping up onto a seat, Rayner darted safely to the center area of the cart where the appropriate two were going at it the quickest way possible, jumping to the ground beside them and coming to a knee just as he was managing to dig the requested item out of the one compartment on his belt he'd probably least expected to use DURING a fight. Out came the roll of bandages he kept for patching himself up after a bout when he wanted to be up against quick enough to striker (though alterations on the rules made that less an issue than it had once been) and he firmly took a hold of the apparently paralyzed girl's wrist.

The swordsman didn't know what Estée had done, but she'd done something, and clearly didn't expect it to last. So without any ceremony to the act, Rayner yanked the end of the roll free and wrapped it once, twice, starting on a third time around the wrist as hastily and tightly as possible, just in case she had some struggle left in her anyhow, binding wrist to wrist behind the pole.

And the first small beep came.

Ripping the roll in a fourth circle and her wrists, Rayner nodded to Celeste and dropped the bandage roll to her care, hopefully, and stood. As the countdown on his permitted time in the ring beeped more urgently. Dashing across the seats again he got out of the area just as quickly as he'd entered. When you were used to only needing to throw one good blow, ten seconds seemed far too short to do any solid tying down, but it'd do for a start.

High Hawk Season Wrote:

Henry watched his punch be batted aside. Expecting as much, he immediately made to follow it up with the other fist, swinging 'round to catch the sorceress on the rebound.

But she had other plans. Namely, kicking him in the side. It didn't matter which side it was. They were both tender, one way or another. It just so happened that she had kicked him (roughly) square in the area in which a bruise had formed, from a heavy punch that he'd suffered from the abyssal he'd fought a few hours ago. The young man let out a yelp and stumbled backward, crumbling against the bar that was now behind him.

Or should be. I'm s**t at tracking these things.

" he growled.

4

Her plan to pry Henry or force him away from her, had, in a very surprising sense, succeeded. He tried to followup with a second punch but her positioning and his now sloppy posture ensured it grazed her cheek and by graze, meaning it caught her across the cheekbone in a similar fashion to her previous opponent's pitchfork jab, likely to leave some bruising but doubtfully any scarring. Whether by accident or careful placement, her boot had connected solidly with his side and with it came an unexpected yelp, the kind closely associated with pain no less. If she hadn't known it before, Raien sure knew now that Henry had entered their battle still bruised and a little battered from a previous bout and was now suffering the consequences. She started immediately gathering power again, not wanting to waste the window of opportunity presented to her by Henry stumbling backward.

Strangely enough, Raien was frustrated and disappointed to watch her opponent crumple almost defeatedly against the support pole just behind him. That frustration was more like flat out annoyance, and to anyone else watching - it was unfounded and nonsensical but for some reason it bothered her greatly and encouraged a frown to unfurl unto the mage's previously grimacing features. She felt entirely justified in what was starting to look more like anger now after getting her bearings and stalking over to where her downed opponent had taken his tumble.

First, her preliminary fight had been against a living cartoon character and she had been forced to fight in a most unusual factory that produced some awful blue goop, then her opponent for the first had quite literally given up and left not even halfway through the fight. Now? Now she was here, in a subway car, beating up on some poor fellow whose injuries hadn't yet fully healed and was content to let her push him around.

There was a multitude of things swimming around in the woman's head, badgering her, eating away at her patience, her sanity even and she had never felt, more than now, the need to get it all out.

Even if that meant taking it out on poor Henry. Raien approached him swiftly, closing the gap before he could get himself together and forced the staff under the man's chin, against his throat and effectively pinning his head.

"While I'd prefer not to effectively break you, I want you to stop pussyfooting around and fight me with as much fervor as you can muster. Are we clear?"

Of course, she would have to back off in order to let him answer but she wasn't looking for a verbal response, more like a physical action...

[Charge: 2]

[5/17]

A cough sent a small spray of the blood she had been drinking at Estèe's face, but as Selini looked at her again she was struck once more with that oh-so-familiar feeling. Her breath escaped her, but the sudden shock of proper reinforcement was enough to still her. She squirmed helplessly and let out a repentant whine. Oh she was very trained, but these were rather odd circumstances with much more raw (and mentally unstable) instincts involved.

Then Estèe leaned in to kiss her again, and after such a compelling command what was she to do? Her eyes began to lull closed as she submitted herself to the clear higher authority. The "Master". It was so much easier than swimming through all the confusion that raged through her mind.

Cristopher Reinhart Wrote:

"Stupid, little girl."

Without warning a powerful shiver of pure, unadulterated fear ran down her spine and her eyes snapped open. Her mind centered on the last thought that had ran through its jumbled mess... "Master". For the second time she was reminded of it. This was not her master, and if he was watching, as he surely would be, he was probably furious. How could she have failed him so easily? Through waves of conflicted emotions, she had twice almost forgotten the one thing more solid than anything else in her world. She would suffer greatly for this, but perhaps there was still time.

Burning Regret Wrote:

At will, Selini can channel "mana" into any of her blood that has left her body (so long as it is still wet/moist), causing it to boil and ignite. The blood can cause as much as second degree burns as well as corrode through equipment.

She could feel the healing energies working inside her; once again stealing the energy from her precious, hungry aura. But this time she was able to react more appropriately. Even as the gashes on her hands and lip sealed, the blood she had already managed to seep all over that jacket began to heat and ignite. Against durable leather it would not eat through right away, but damned if it wasn't trying. However, against the simple fabric of Selini's shirt that the jacket was currently well connected to.. well, that was a much different story.

Though the wince and subsequent cry of pain that escaped her could have been mistaken for yet another blow to the head against that pole, the smell of burning leather and flesh told a slightly different tale.

"Forgive... me..." she whispered through gasps of pain, short-breath, and most of all excitement. There was those puppy eyes again, but it was hard to tell if she was really addressing Estèe, or someone far beyond. With that she closed her eyes and gave another heaving attempt at ripping out of the degrading jacket.

[Post Count 7 / 17]

Feast of Agony - +4 -12 -4(healing) +2 +6 = 8 | -

Bloodhaze - 19 | [Stage 1]

As the cough sprayed blood soaked spittle at her face, Estée reached up with one gloved hand and wiped it away, removing the hand so that it cracked against Selini's cheek with a definitive backhand as it still rested within her other hand. And still Celeste continued choking her, cutting off her air supply.

"Ah...mon petite chou chou..." The french accent was practically dripping the cruelty she was about to inflict upon the younger girl. The jacket began to be eaten through with the magical burn so far unnoticed by Estée. "I can be nice....but you don't seem to want nice, do you?" By this point however, the protective urges had faded into an urge to show Selini her place; for her own good of course...

"No." Was her response to Selini's request for forgiveness, thinking of course that it was to her. "But you are being difficult." Reaching down with her free hand, she unclipped the whip that hung at her hip and wrapped it around Selini's neck, finally releasing the girl's neck to allow her a quick breath before the whip was knotted around her neck the manner of a choke collar would be on a dog. Just as quickly it was jerked again, tightening painfully and going back to cutting off her air even as she helped her slightly by giving Selini resistance against the jacket by pulling her forward.

"Now let's try the right answer." At this point, even Rayner would begin to wonder if he knew who his wife was.

[Cost: 6/12]

[Post: 7/17]

Meanwhile, a random, nameless NPC sat quietly on the train until this exact moment. He nodded sagely, then with the voice of over five tigers, yelled, "Selini! Remember your training! Kick her a**!"

There was a short training montage.

"Remember, Selini... what would Brian Bointano do?"

He then opened the door of the tram and fell out, the doors sliding closed behind him.

There was a dull clang when the vampire's fist impacted the warrior's shield, followed by the squelching sound of a fresh wound sucking tightly around the weapon stuck there. Delighting in the way Vanessa's arm slackened even if only slightly, KB chuckled in spite of his situation. It was impressive that she managed to hold her ground, but now he knew she was not supernaturally protected against his power.

When the woman pushed forwards instead of falling back in a controlled retreat, the vampire was slightly surprised. Caught off-guard by such a maneuver he afforded her a few feet, his limping backwards gait quickly becoming a stumble. A dull tactile sense of the world alerted him to the shield pressed up against his chest, and a ghostly figment of pain came into being as his back was smashed against the wall of the train. She had managed to throw him up against the wall, then in a cruel display thrust her sword deeper.

KB's glasses fell off his face from the force of the blow, bouncing off the floor once before coming to rest near his ankle. It seemed as if in slow motion that a pool of fetid blood formed at his foot, staining his glasses. By pushing her sword right through his leg and into the wall Vanessa managed to both anchor the vampire and cause the blood to flow from him more freely.

He intended to recover the loss.

Though his right arm was limited in its use due to the width of the shield, KB was able to grab on to the rim of the weapon and steady himself. This would had the added benefit of helping to keep her shield in place, sandwiched between them and in a vice-like grip. Unable to do much else, KB took advantage of the opening formed when she pressed the sword into the wall that last little bit for good measure.

"And now the odds are evened."

Simply put, he reached over her arm with his left hand, and aimed to plant it on her face. Intending to shove her off of him by her face, his hand was wide, fingers splayed out. Only his fingertips would close against her flesh if he was able to secure the hold, his cold and pale skin likely causing goosebumps.

If successful, there would be a flash of darkness. It came with a very simple command:

"******** off."

Executioner Choke Wrote:

After grabbing a hold of an enemy KB forces Negative Energy to explode in his hand, dealing concentrated damage to the area held. This damage is not variable, and can be considered equal to being struck by a baseball bat. Cooldown: 3 posts.

3

Sometime a plan came together so well that it met with unexpected backlashes and unintended mishaps, and Vanessa's plan to pin KB had done just that. In her moment of triumph Vanessa found herself left open to a rather devastating attack on behalf of her opponent. She had grossly underestimated his abilities as an undead, and for that she would suffer.

"Remove your hand fo-" she was cut off mid command as those fingers planted themselves on her face, even going as far as to send shivers down her spine when they met her skin. This was hardly the worst part, however, as a moment later she found herself quite literally hurled backwards away from KB as if struck by some invisible truck. It wasn't merely a staggering blow either, she more than likely lifted off the ground for a brief moment before being throw backwards into the seat opposite where KB was pinned against the wall.

Ironically enough, the battle had almost come full circle, as the space her dazed form currently occupied was the same seat she had been sitting in when KB first arrive and made his presence known. Lucky for her however Vanessa had let go of her blade just as she was tossed back, still leaving KB pinned against the wall for the time being, though she wasn't looking very well herself. Blood ran freely down her forehead from her scalp, and her nose looked as if it might have been broken judging by how bad she was bleeding. One eye was already darkening from a bruise and she was fairly certain she had a concussion. Her vision blurred as she struggled to focus on the man opposite her, slowly but surely her vision clearing as the seconds went on. It wasn't perfect and she felt more than a little lightheaded, but she wasn't down and out yet. If nothing else her absolutely bullheaded nature in dealing with monsters helped her with something, and that was to focus on the opponent at hand. she could rest when the fight was done, but not before. Reaching her now empty Right hand out she would grip unto a familiar object that lay right inside her reach, her spear. It still sat in the same place it had been when KB had bull rushed her away, and since he had so graciously knocked her right back into it with her attack she was more the glad to pick it up and put it to use.

Vanessa said nothing as she lunged forward out of her seat, spear gripped in her free hand as she thrust it right at his abdomen, aiming to pierce the steel tip right under his ribcage and up into where his vital organs would have been(not that they were so vital anymore, but still). If she had to crucify him to the wall of this tram she would, if that was what it took.

3

Rayner had started out confused.

He'd helped tie her down, and while Celeste was obviously up to something beyond just disabling her opponent, it hadn't wound up how he'd expected. He'd figured the point was to make the girl surrender- if she was bound well enough, someone would have to call it after giving her a little time to struggle, a chance for a striker to pop up. But instead Celeste had calmed her again without securing the ties anymore, and not once shown any interest in actually beating her into submission when it would have been so easy. Well, go figure, his woman had her own way of doing things, and gods knew he only understood it about half the time.

Once the magic kiss had run it's course though, it really only seemed that the girl was reacting the way he would have. Manipulated and restrained- panicked, violent resistance. Hell if he knew what, but there was more to it than just wanting to be loose. She looked like an animal.

But now, Rayner was just concerned.

Things weren't right.

Brows knotting, he watched as his wife cursed- in English. And went straight from one moment of her controlling attitude and simple frustration straight to something else. Fear? Desperation? For what reasons? And struggling and fighting dirty, from the kick she took just because there was an opening to the clumsy lunge with the sword. It was nothing like her usual way of trying to creatively apply all of her training in fights, almost like she was playing at a game. No, she was fighting... more like him.

And talking like a mad woman.

Something was wrong.

His teeth pressed on the inside of his lip hard enough to let the taste of blood into his mouth, and the leather of his glove and gauntlet creaked menacingly. Here he was, stuck against the wall of a train for another minute, or there abouts, until he could step in and do anything about it without throwing everything they had at stake here right out the window. No. There was still a chance, but...

Whatever the hell was wrong with her, one thing was for sure. He had taken far too gentle of a hand with trying to show her the difference between losing control and making the chaos your own.

Now this was starting to become a problem for Vanessa, because as it stood she was beginning to run out of weapons to use against her vampiric foe. Still she had landed several blows she had deemed to be worth the risk, so it was better than nothing at all. Still Vanessa was about to lose her spear as well, and now KB had her sword. The vampire would find that he would have little trouble in grabbing unto the haft of the warrior's polearm, easily finding that she didn't seem too intent of pulling it away. He would even find that her sword would work quite well in breaking right through the haft, but probably not in a fashion he had expected.

You see Vanessa's sword was far heavier than it was sharp, meaning that while the blade would cut into the wood it would hardly be the edge that broke it, rather it would be the weight itself that broke the shaft, leaving a nice jagged edge on either side of where the sword struck.

And what exactly was Vanessa doing during all of this? It was twofold. First she was scanning the area, she needed to find something around her to use in this damned fight otherwise she was going to have to try and punch KB into submission. However that would be solved rather quickly as her eyes darted to a seat in the back, perhaps ten feet away where a very suspicious cloth bag lay. In the meantime, however, she was going to keep KB busy so she could break away,and she was going to do that by stabbing him with the broken haft of her spear. It wasn't going to be as effective as her spear was in tearing into flesh, but a myriad of jagged tips and edges would probably work fine in piercing his flesh one last time. It was another superfluous wound, as she would thrust the freshly broken edge right up and into the armpit belonging to the arm that held her sword as it flashed downward, effectively having his arm clamp down around the sharp edge as he moved. It wasn't going to go in very far, but a three foot length of splintered whitewood jabbed into your armpit with significant force was more than a hassle to deal with. It was all an attempt to slow KB, which she had hopefully done with her serious of wounding blows, so he couldn't easily pursue her. After all, who could possibly be that quick after so many things being stabbed into them?

That was merely a distraction however as the warrior darted off towards the rear of the car, stumbling ever so slightly but remaining on her feet as she grabbed for that cloth bag. She dearly hoped it would have something she could use, otherwise she only had her shield left.

4

KB yelling had just very well saved the life of his opponent. How, you might ask? Did it somehow alter the travel path of the sword by sheer force? Did it shake the very fabric of reality into such a thing that swords were no longer lethal?

Of course not, those are stupid answers. It caused Vanessa to turn around. However that was not the end of her stupid luck, because she opted to turn around to her left instead of her right, effectively saving her life. How you might ask? Well you see, her shield was worn on her left arm and it was much quicker to bring about when it was on the same side.

CLANG!

She didn't even have time to react before her own sword flew right into her shield as she turned back, almost compelled to look behind her after such a forceful command. Her sword only narrowly ricocheted off the rounded surface of her shield, twanging off and flying through and out one of the tram windows, shattering it in the process. Somewhere down the line as the tram moved her sword would clatter to a halt, hopefully to be retrieved later. It had however put enough strain on the poor girl's arm to turn that fracture into a break, the young woman emitting a yelp of dulled pain as her arm fell limply to her side. If she absolutely had to she could still use it, and Kb's previous ability helped to dull the pain, but her left arm was most defiantly out of commission. Still she scrambled ahead, gripping at the bag with one hand as she fumbled with the zipper, pulling it open to reveal...

A garlic cannon A wooden sword. That was correct, a wooden practice sword like one might use in kendo. It was damn near heartbreaking for the young fighter, but it didn't stop her from slipping it out of the bag and taking it in her sword arm, standing back up and turning to face KB. He had her spear now and she was an arm down, but she wasn't going to quit. She still had...oh who was she kidding, this was only marginally better than having nothing at all.

5

Surrender was not an option, not when this battle went far beyond any limits placed by a competition. As it had been last round, this was a battle of ideology, a battle she viewed as nothing short of a manifestation of good versus evil. If she backed down now then she was letting that evil win, she was letting her family and her friends down, along with her team. She couldn't lose, and she wouldn't stop until she couldn't get off the ground anymore.

"You're not looking so hot yourself, wretch. Perhaps you should return to your shadows before someone drives a stake through you." while she didn't have a massive maw of blood maggots and general fear to show her opponent she did give her sword a twirl. It was certainly much lighter than her previous blade, not that it really possessed the capability of inflicting horrible wounds on a vampire, that was unless she somehow managed to drive it through his ribcage and into his heart. Oh how easy it would have been if she could have just staked him from the beginning, but nooooooooo, she couldn't kill the damned beast. Not that it had stopped him from trying to kill her, but still, Vanessa was never one to shirk from the rules.

So she would stand, defiant as ever, sword pointed right at KB as he advanced. She might not have been as well armed or as well known, but there was a hint of a Simon Belmont-esque air about her.

"But really, enough talk. HAVE AT YOU!" that would signal her decision, that she would remain to fight.

6

A sickening crack rang through the tram. There was no escaping it. Not just them, but everyone on the train. It was madness enough to make the young mage cry... if she could. As it was even she was lost in the depths of her own horrors, barely clinging to the last of 'self' she had because she knew what waited at the bottom of this abyss should she slip just one more time.

Yet the sound was not metal on flesh as expected, but metal on metal as the tough hide boot met the tougher iron shackle, as well as the sound of flesh on flesh when the laws of physics caught up with her and her own fist smashed against her jaw. Her claws dug deep into the base of her palm and her head jerked back violently, only to smack against the pole and send her spinning off to the side, still mostly trapped by the jacket and whip. From there the amount of blood seeping out of and into her mouth only increased.

She could hear Estèe talking again, even as the room began to spin with another yank of the whip, only to be met by a rather solid boot that turned the room white, sapped the strength from her knees, and sent her pivoting a short ways around the pole again. During her rightward trip she managed to pull her left arm above its leathery constraints, though that was the least of her worries. Yet even without sight her feral instincts were strong enough that she went straight back to yanking the whip off her neck, completely ignoring the new holes in her hand. Only this time, with the help of an extra appendage, it worked.

~Fuuuuu!

One long gasp and a series of blood-splattered coughs later and splotches of her vision began to return... but what she saw made her almost wish it hadn't. It didn't matter, though. This time she was in mortal danger, and her body was already starting to move on its own.

They both scrambled upwards at the same time, Selini with a small advantage since Estèe had to lean forward, while Selini was already leaning forward and still had the jacket tying her to the pole from which to pivot on. What happened next, however, seemed little more than a blur. She remembered hearing a scream, primal and filled with more pain and despair than she could comprehend, but whether it was her own or Estèe's... or both... she didn't know. She also remembered the magic leave her, though from the sheer amount of pain coursing through her, she could hardly tell the difference. The torrent simply seemed to be building off itself, threatening to consume her with each unbidden move her body took.

Estèe, on the other hand, might have seen things a little differently. Firstly Selini's complete lack of regard for herself as she used her own hand to swipe the sword to her left, tearing deep through flesh and into bone. It didn't need to go far, just as long as it wasn't turning her into a shishkabob. Secondly the top end of the young mage's power and she thrust her right hand forward to meet the almost equally crazed woman.

Siphon of Destruction Wrote:

Selini unleashes a cone of magical "force" in a direction of her choice. This wave consists of pure blunt-force energy and cannot pass through solid materials. The more "mana" she imbues into the attack, the larger and/or more powerful the blast becomes.

There was no sense of control to it. Selini was throwing raw emotion just as much as magic, and as much of it as she could wrap her small metaphorical hands around. The end result was a 3x3ft wave, as if the air between them had turned to water, traveling at 30 mph and starting at point-blank. To Estèe it would feel much like getting hit by a car, and unless she had some serious anchorage it would probably carry her as it widened and dissipated some 15 feet later, but likely not before it smashed her through a standing pole and dropped her off in the sidelong seat that extended into the isle a short ways after the door.

Still, before they knew it the blur would be over... and to their dismay, with plenty of time still left on the clock.

[Post Count 9 / 17]

Feast of Agony - +4 +8 +6 +10 -20 = 19 | -

Siphon of Destruction - MAX Charge

Bloodhaze - +2 = 24 | [Stage 2]

Henry flinched as the newspaper smacked him across the face. The side of his face began to change color, to a rosy pink. His attention turned back up to Raien after having fallen away as she struck him. He could sympathize. Really, he could. But it wasn't that he just was not trying. Henry was literally incapacitated.

But, then again, if he stayed on the floor, she was probably gonna start hitting him with something that could do a lot more damage that a newspaper. Like that damn stick. He wouldn't put it past her. The chick looked outright crazy. Like she was loosin' or something. Well, she did say she was loosing her mind. Henry supposed that she was right.

So, with a groan, he pressed his back and pushed himself off the ground some. Then his foot came back into that space beneath him and he pushed to raise himself to his feet, all the while keeping his attention of the wacked out sorceress before him.

:{

6

The sounds were far from satisfying and Estée would have continued to keep striking at the girl if it hadn't been for the wave of pure force that thrust her away from her with the power of a revving car. But she was still lost her delusion and it seemed a vortex that kept her away from what she wanted and desired and it was only her out flung arms trying to grab anything and everything with it that kept the back of her head from slamming into the pole just past the steps down and out of the tram and instead grabbing the pole before it with one hand and still managing to dislocate her left shoulder with a pained scream. Added to that was the indignity of a butt that was suffering from floorburn and god only knew where her had had flown off too, leaving her hair still tied into a bun but pieces flying everywhere.

"UGgHHHHH!!!!" her voice easily echoing throughout the tram with it's natural tendency to carry. The tears were still streaming from her eyes as she made her way to her feet, the half crazed look still in her eyes. If only someone else could see what Estée could see at that moment. What was scarier however was the fact that her right arm reached up and jerked the chained collar off of her throat and threw it to the ground. Hopefully someone would pick it up later if she survived this.

Cradling her arm as she walked almost calmly towards Selini, the room would swell with a growing heat and Estée began turning with one step a bright pink...then red...then a startling flash of pale to where Estée's skin was literally glowing softly as one would almost imagine an angel. When she spoke, her voice was controlled, but almost...as if from a distance and not part of this world. "You. will. give. them. back. even. if. I. have. to. send. your. soul. to. the. pit. of. hell. itself. demoness." And she moved close enough to turn and pivot with her hip, swinging a kick into Selini's face. Even if it was blocked though....

Devotion Wrote:

One of the more powerful gifts, Devotion is twofold. First and foremost is that Estèe’s skin becomes like fire. As if to touch her would literally to be to try and hold onto a burning hot blue Fire. This gift carries onto any weapon she holds as well, inflicting an additional damage to anyone touched by her or her weapon. A relation of heat would be approximately that of a low hot forging temperature of 900 Degrees. However to things of a demonic origin, it does extra damage, wrapping the Fire damage with Divine/Angelic damage. This active ability can last for up to four posts, although she can control it and drop it. Doing so will reduce its toll on her.

The second part of the gift is a secondary effect of the first. The intensity of the damage being dealt by Estèe is such that a medium level of euphoria is induced, bringing with it a sense of peace and calm that lowers defenses against Estèe's attacks momentarily.

Female Ingenuity Wrote:

Creative use of whatever she has at hand. Whether it be a weapon, a prop or otherwise, she can and will find a way to use it to her advantage.

Cost: 10/12

Post: 9/17

Stage: 1/3

Vanessa Da'Fluer. KB didn't even know her name.

Spilling the woman off her feet and onto her a**, the darkened world sprung back to life as the negative energy around his body dissipated. His ability to sense the inner light of living beings was almost useless this close to the end. The interior lights of the train seemed to burn brighter than the woman in the center of the aisle.

He took a moment to scan his surroundings, searching for the means to end the woman. The chairs nearly torn from the wall were considered, as were other broken bits. True to the nature of their interaction he finally decided to bring things full circle. He had a good few feet between him and his opponent, and he took advantage of it. Stepping over to the side of the train he had yet to destroy, KB allowed the ominous nature of his footsteps to spell out the situation. The monster acted slowly. Deliberately.

Taking a hold of a floor-to-ceiling bar, he shook it, then yanked on it. Single-handed he was able to dislodge the top of the bar from the ceiling, then rip it free from its support on the floor. The end result was him holding a steel makeshift staff a bit longer than 7ft.

"Do not forget that it is not evil that has brought you here." He admonished, smiling unnaturally as he eyed the length of his weapon. "It is your own pride that sentences you now. If you had asked of me, I would have relented. Though I desire to consume you... even I am limited by the sanctions of this tournament." As an afterthought, he shrugged.

The monster carried the weapon in front of him, angled much the way a spear would be traditionally. If she didn't manage to scramble to her feet he would lift it high, then bring the end crashing down at her skull. He fully expected her to block with her blade, but he would simply strike again, and again. His goal was to beat her until she stopped moving.

And if she was on her feet? Well then the only difference would be that he'd jab the end of his makeshift spear at her chest first to try and topple her over. Then he'd beat her face into an unrecognizable patch of fleshy mush.

9

Clang!

A solid impact, but not one that won victory. Instead the scraping sound of metal on metal brought the vampire perilously close to defeat. The young woman found new strength in her legs and managed to run under the pole, up to a point where she stopped with her swordpoint against his chest. If she had run him through she might have had the force required for the incapacitating blow, but with her momentum halted he was willing to take the odds.

Can't I.

Sliding his left foot back with a scraping sound, KB turned at the waist to his left. Pivoting, he used his two-handed grip on the pole to slam it against the side of Vanessa's head. With the majority of the length in front of him he was able to continue his turn, bringing his chest perpendicular to the length of the train. By doing so he would essentially remove any attempt to thrust at his heart from head-on.

If he managed to get that far without any severe interruption, he would jerk his right hand back and loosen his grip with his left. That would allow the pole to slide through his hands until he tightened his grip on it near the end, essentially 'choking' the weapon. An elementary maneuver for any polearm in a close combat situation, it would at least afford him the luxury of clubbing her without worrying too much about room to wave the pole around.

"Tch. I'm just getting started."

10

Clattering of metal on metal heralded victory, the woman disappearing from sight like some spectre. KB surveyed the scene quietly, reliving the battle through his memory. What remained inside the train was his masterpiece, a combination of misery and destruction.

The howling of the train seemed to lessen, and the rhythmic pulse returned. He walked to the window and took a glance out it, wondering what became of the woman. He hoped that she would be recovered in one piece. Just thinking about it caused him to look over at the broken spear, and wonder how much she would be put back together.

"One down..." He muttered as he started down the train. It was high time someone STRIKER'd another one of the bitches right off the face of the map. Given that Henry and Selini both seemed to have trouble with their 'femme fatales' the vampire figured it was up to him to encourage them.

They were probably just busy grabbing tits or looking up skirts and s**t. Worthless sacks of meat.

Victory.

On to the afterparty.

STRIKER

the lesbos

( Selini vs Estée )

Selini's situation appeared to be quite dire, but luckily she had a guardian angel of sorts standing by. This force manifested in the form of KB, the vampire team captain of ODESSA. With his wounds being minimal he was able to navigate the length of the train without getting in the way of others. Henry wasn't even spared a glance, his failure resigning him to a place beneath notice. Better for him that he was overlooked, as KB was often unforgiving.

Coming in behind Estée, KB still held the metal pole he had used to dispatch Vanessa. It was too late for him to fully stop the woman from kicking his teammate, but that wasn't his intention. He intended to punish her for taking advantage of Selini. The train car rattled as he closed in, charging forwards. Using the pole like a spear he would appear behind her, and if she looked back to see the source of the sound his attack would be revealed. Probably all too late.

Given its length, KB didn't need to be right next to Estée. Instead he used the reach advantage of the weapon, thrusting it forwards with all his might. The mangled end of the pole would be sharp enough to assist in piercing her flesh unless she had some armor. In any case, he put all his strength into the blow aiming the point of his spear thrust at her spine at her lower back. Right through the tramp stamp.

Excessive Strength Wrote:

As a vampire, KB's primary attribute is sheer strength. He is many times stronger than a human being, able to lift and move ( slowly ) with up to 900lbs in his hands. In spite of his amazing strength, his power is proportionate to his humanoid form, so there are limits to what he can do. ( He couldn't lift 900lbs at arms length and hold it there, for example ). This physical power lends itself to his strikes as well, making him able to dent conventional metal armor with direct hits, or punch through unprotected flesh completely.

Yes, yes. The potential power to drive the metal pole right through her back and out her torso. Enough potential power to maim her for life, or at least until some magical healing was applied. KB didn't really care either way, since the clock was ticking. Even if he managed to impale the woman on the 'spear' he wouldn't stick around, he'd just turn on his heel and start walking away.

Leaving the spear sticking out of her, potentially.

"Worthless." He chastised, more to Selini than her opponent.

Exit KB, end STRIKER.

At long last she felt that familiar pulse as her aura feasted greedily off the pain of her foe, sending exquisite reflections for her to share and wrapping her with the resulting power like a thick blanket. With the first bit of respite she had gotten since the start of this strange encounter, she was finally able to free herself from the jacket, revealing the destroyed tanktop and charred flesh beneath. After extricating herself from the pole, she merely crouched and waited, regaining her senses between gulps of blood while Estée made preparations of her own... and what preparations they were. Right before her eyes the woman was changing colors, until finally settling upon a modest angelic glow. The young mage couldn't help but find this a might unsettling, but unfortunately the part of her that could act on that notion was locked far too deep in a losing battle with pure predatory instincts.

Still, there was just barely enough tactical reasoning behind those instincts that she would be able to take advantage of the new and exciting elements presented to her. Thus, when the kick came flying at her head, she was able to react appropriately, falling back to the motions long ingrained into her; dance. Meia-Lua Presa was a very simple move, as it needed to be for such an unpredictable train. A feint of sorts, for she began to dip down as Estée's kick connected with the protective aura guarding the side of her face; invisible, but the feeling of having the momentum drained from the kick like a cushion may have been enough to tell a difference before Selini's head moved as if she had been kicked. A faint, distressed sound even escaped her lips, though not from the blow, but rather the heat. It was as if she had stuck her head in an oven for a moment... which didn't bode well at all. Especially since she knew it wouldn't stop her. From there three rather distinct things happened all at once.

Firstly,

Siphon of Agony Wrote:

Selini unleashes a cone of entropic energy in a direction of her choice. This wave can pass through most non-magic materials in a manner similar to radiation. When it comes in contact with a creature's nervous system it causes feelings of intense pain, depending upon how much "mana" she imbued into the attack; however, it does not cause any real physical damage.

from her upside-down, maimed, slightly extended left hand she unleashed another wave, this time appearing in a fast-moving smoky distortion accompanied by a faint hissing sound, straight for Estée's standing leg and lower body. If it hit it the energy would tear into her nerves, producing the distinct feeling of getting stabbed in the leg while giving birth.

Secondly, she would find herself back-to-face with a rather untimely striker that the young mage in all her bloodhazed splendor didn't even see; and finally the part of Meia-Lua Presa where the side of Selini's left foot came up to say a quick hello to the side of Estée's face. The end result (metal pole notwithstanding) was simply to bring the burning maiden to the ground where she could then disable her one claw at a time. It didn't even register to her that she might lose a shoe over it... nor a dance partner.

[Post Count 10 / 17]

Feast of Agony - -16 = 3 | +6 +2 +10 -8 = 10

Siphon of Agony - [b]16 Mana | Heavy Charge

Bloodhaze - +2 = 26 | [Stage 2]

Bad to bad, worse to worse. He knew she could fight and take a beating. He'd trusted her to that coming here, but all the same he winced and tensed tighter each time Celeste was knocked about. He should normally have been on the look out for a situation to jump into where he could set her up for a KO. Strategic. Instead he was emotionally involved. He knew how messy that was, but there was no getting around it. He was invested here, and all he could do was hope he could find the right time to use it to his advantage.

If only Celeste had been the only one he was afraid for.

Something was wrong with her. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Like she was seeing something completely different from what was there. He knew what it was like to just see red, but she was talking, ranting at apparitions she'd affixed over the faces of her opposition. What the hell was going on?

Besides.

He'd known the Celeste he was seeing earlier. He knew she had a mean side, she could be controlling or torturous on the rare occasion it really struck her. But this wasn't that. It was depraved, or something. Rayner hitched the glove up his hand once more, furrowing his brows at the fight while he restrained himself from attacking this blond man on the way out. No. No no no. No no no.

Focus, goddamn you. Watch her.

It was the kind of thing that ate at the back of his mind, but he'd never given into. The want for blood. The anger and hunger consuming the painful rubble left by whatever had tipped the mind over the edge- and coming out of it just wanting to break. Break everything.

He'd been exactly there once.

He'd have stayed to his death dismembering that dragon's into bloody ribbons corpse if he hadn't, so far as he'd been told, been saved by Athan. He remembered that much.

Don't do it Celeste. Don't make me stop you.

Damnit woman, you're better than this...

If he had to protect her from another steel beam, or wave of force, or crushing blow, he would. But at the moment, he was concerned she might be coming close to doing something that would destroy her worse than any of those. He couldn't have that. If she made him...

His teeth ground so loud he could hear it.

He'd smash her bones himself if there was no other way, for her own good.

He just hoped to whatever God or gods there were it didn't come to that.

There was but a single moment of hesitation as Selini finally noticed the dark figure walking away, and the aftermath of his efforts with the pole. He had made a short quip most likely directed at her, but if she acknowledged or even heard him, the deep pools of swirling crimson that had become her expression betrayed nothing. She did, however, note the distinct smell of burning rubber and an unusually sticky floor, but quickly dismissed it. All in all it was a good enough distraction for-

OHGODBURNINGPOLE!

The young mage flinched, but luckily there was still magic in the works. She still felt the heat, though, as the hot-rod landed an unsettlingly solid connection against her protective aura, sapping all the momentum from the attack and giving her just enough time to skip to the side before the aura shattered under the pressure. A shiver of instinctual fear ran through her as the thing whizzed on by to meet the floor. She could feel the white-hot pain just from proximity, and to no small measure it was both unsettling... and infuriating. This would not stand, and most importantly Estée would not stand!

The woman's attempts at getting up into a crouch would be met by a fierce slash of right-handed claws across her cheek, aiming to sink deep. Without missing a beat she then stepped in and sent a vicious right knee straight into Estée's jaw. Selini had every intention of driving her straight back to the ground and keeping her there; unfortunately, in her crazed state she still didn't seem to register that it was the woman herself producing this unnatural heat, and that she was probably about to be in for a lot more pain than was proportional to her efforts, should they succeed.

[Post Count 11 / 17]

Fest of Agony - 3 | +6 -16 = 0

Bloodhaze - 26 | [Stage 2]

STRIKER

the other two pussies

( Henry vs Raien )

KB looked down the train to where the man and mage stood, his face impassive. He spoke, quietly, levelly, soberly. "Henry, I am very disappointed in you." With that, he turned and walked away.

Exit KB, end STRIKER.

The stab to her leg wasn't quite so bad. In retrospect, anyway. From the torrential mass of pain coursing through her head, to the stinging burn on her chest, to the cold wet numbness of her hand, the new addition of searing pain through her leg was just ambiance to the cacophony. Her aura still feasted, a hunger that could never be sated, producing more mana to swirl surreal, luminescent reflections in her eyes and more blankets to wrap loosely around her all too vulnerable form. She could feel herself slipping again. This time to a place she knew she could not return from on her own. What manner of destruction would she wake to then? The corpse of the woman she had so quickly come to admire? Would she even wake up at all? Yet even those thoughts seemed silly after what came next... when the world faded to white.

Selini felt she now understood what it was like to embrace an angel. It might have even been useful information if she could ever remember it. Assuming she survived, of course. As things were now, she knew her mind had already gone into shock. The feeling was oddly nostalgic and very familiar. She also knew she was on fire. Not just the parts that were touching this human furnace either, but her clothes and by extension nearly every inch of her body below the neck. Even her lifetime of torture and blood magic curse could not provide her with the tolerance to withstand this level of pain. It was simply too much.

What she didn't know is why exactly her body was still moving. Perhaps partially because the woman beneath her was still fighting, and she very much did not want to die. Perhaps the Bloodhaze was still running strong through her system, causing her body to move haphazardly on its own without regards for her safety and well-being. Or perhaps she really was moving on sheer force of will, realizing that she might actually be willing to die before failing her master; after all, what other purpose did her life serve? Whatever the reason, she saw her arms slide up to Estée's head, moving to grip it in any way she could while still pinning her under her legs and body. She could hear that terrible, blood curdling scream again, filled with even more despair than before. She felt the mana leave her body. A cumulation of all her pain sent straight back to the source in the most torturous way possible. Just like before, there was no effort made in control; she merely scooped up and injected as much energy as she could grasp. There would be no distortion this time. She had every intention of firing it straight into the woman's head. The pain of a shot or stab without chemical release; the pain of tearing organs; the pain of being flash-fried alive... Selini was going to share it. This private little world of pain.

She might have gotten off afterwards... maybe even kicked off. She might have rolled around on the ground screaming whist desperately trying to put out her incinerated body. She didn't know. Not after...

When the world faded to black.

[Post Count 12 / 17]

Feast of Agony - +6 +16 -20 = 5 | +2 -2 = 0

Siphon of Agony - MAX Carge

KO by Acute Stress Reaction | END

Henry sighed and nodded.

They'd have to wait for the subway to stop first, though.