This round will end on Saturday, August 4 at 11:59 PM EST. Have fun and good luck!
This round will end on Saturday, August 4 at 11:59 PM EST. Have fun and good luck!
((Writin' to the beat of "Moments in the Sun" by Kazami and HOMEGROWN~))
"Say, Tokita-kun. What do people call this again?"
Clouds drifted idly over head as two figures sat lounging on a bench by the waterfronts of Radasanth, their eyes roaming the peaceful piers from the shelter of a well-placed young apple tree. It was going to be a fine day by the looks of the weather, the bright orb high in the sky occasionally playing hide and seek with the wandering populace below. A fine day indeed, if not a bit too warm for her liking. However, the two Akashimans were not entirely alarmed by the heat at all, the strange new food in their hands providing all the respite they needed - if not more.
Yamihara Asuka, heir to the position of Duke of West Akashima, wanted to get away from the general ruckus of the State and have some time off to herself. She decided to head for Radasanth, one of the places she had recognized as having the least problems with the current Civil War going on all over the place. Not entirely sure about the situation, she came to this city to do a bit more inquiry into the entire matter. Not with the help of the officials, of course. She could not really trust them from the last time they decided to "slam the door" on her when she came for answers.
No, she would be finding answers from the people. It also meant less paper work and more travelling time.
"It's called Ice Cream, Asuka." Her burly friend replied, taking a bite of the creamy white balloon of milk and vanilla before letting the chill wriggle under his skin. Asuka laughed at the man's blunder and took a lick of the dessert, feeling its sweet cool sensation sweep over her mind.
"Mmm... Mmm! Now that's delish! Do ya think we could take this recipe back to Akashima? I bet Mariko would love this!"
The lass grinned and laid waste to the vanilla-flavored dessert, biting through the slices of bread enclosing the ice cream and protecting it from the exterior warmth. Even still, some drips and bits managed to snake its way through the bread and in between her fingers, making the young lady's hand sticky and sweet.
"Well-" Tokita downed the last pieces of bread with a single swallow, licking his fingers clean before wiping them on his already soiled shirt. "You know, maybe we can. Why don't we pay a visit to that kind lady who sold us those... Uh, what were they again?"
"Ice Cream, Tokita-kun." The lass teased, wiping her hands on her equally worn and soiled jacket. However, calling the piece of cloth a jacket would be an overstatement - torn at the waist, the brown cotton vest was stripped of its arms with fraying hems to match. But she could care less, because it had served her longer than she could ever wish it could. What mattered now, however, was how much of the ice cream juice she could get out before having to deal with the stickiness that would linger afterwards.
After she was sure the sticky sugary water was all but done from her hands, she slipped on her steel-plated armsocks and started for the vendor's stall. Although it was a rather warm day in the Capital of Corone, many people were out and about doing their usual daily routines and conducting business as usual. Then again, there were a lot of people huddled together at the front of the Ice Cream Shop the Akashimans had visited only moments ago.
Wow, they must be doing really well to have this many customers. Asuka wondered as they neared the stall. However, it was not the usual happy rambles or screams of delight of the customers that first reached her ears. On the contrary, it gave her the exact opposite emotion.
Forcing their way through the crowd, the two finally reached the groaning old lady who sold them ice cream who was now seated in her stool, the side of her face starting to turn a nasty red streak.
"G-Granny! What happened?!" Asuka blurted out even before she cleared the last two rows of bystanders, shiving her way out of the crowd and rushing to the old vendor's side. The woman merely shook her gray head, a wrinkled hand cupping the side of her mouth as if afraid it would suddenly fall off if she was not careful.
"Don't worry 'bout me, miss." The old lady managed a raspy reply, her speech muddled and slightly incoherent. "I'm just glad no one'sariusly hurt..."
The young blondy at her knees, however, had another story to tell.
"We've been robbed, ma'am." She spoke up, all the while massaging the old woman's leg through the torn long skirt. "The thief stole the bag of gold and pushed Granny when she tried to get in the way. And it was all of today's sale as well..."
Asuka, however, was already about to go ballistic on the so-called thief's behind at the mere mention of him pushing away Granny during the escape. What kind of a person could do such a thing to a helpless old woman except for a no-good brigand?!
With determination flashing in her eyes, Asuka jumped to her feet and looked up skyward, as if searching for a sign in the cloudy afternoon sky. A beam of light seeped through a hole in the pillows of white, bouncing off the lacquered wood and steel drums lying haphazardly nearby.
It was all the sign she needed.
"Don't worry, Granny!" The maiden announced loud enough the people outside could hear clearly. "I'll catch that lowlife and bring back the money! You have my word!"
Pushing through the skeptical (and quite perplexed) throng of by-standers once more, the red-hair lass eyed the Radasanthian dockside streets with the eyes of an eagle. She had heard the description of the thugs who took the money and she was determined to find them. All in the name of Love and Justice.
"Don't tell me you're going at it again, Asuka..." Tokita could only sigh as he scratched his head, wondering why in the world the lass was always so terribly enthusiastic about getting into trouble while not quite liking to fight at all.
((If it's fine by you, Mr. Izvilvin, let's make this an IC contest to see who can corner the money-stealing thieves first. I know you'd have no problem knocking me out in a 1-on-1 fight, so making this more of a puzzle-match might be a bit more fun to write. Either way, good luck to you~!))
The breeze felt lighter, cooler than it ever had. So long had it been heavy and hot, oppressive against the black skin of the drow who had run in shadows for so long. This was the wind of freedom, of independence, streaking over Izvilvin’s face to push back hiss long white hair.
It had been only a few days since he’d declared his resignation from Step – a private declaration to nobody but himself - and as he gazed down from his perch atop a short building, Izvilvin observed the rest of the free ones – free as they could be under the imperial regime, that was. He was in the midst of enemies here, as imperial soldiers walked the streets of Radasanth, but with Step still believing him to be one of their agents, he was safe from any oppression. He wondered, on a whim, how long he could keep that privilege.
The drow was still an ally of Letho Ravenheart, Christina Bredith and the remnants of the Corone Republic, whom he fought alongside against the Empire. The alliance was, in the beginning, a simple ruse manufactured by Step to get Izvilvin near Letho, whom they ordered the warrior to assassinate when the Empire first made their move. It was an elaborate ploy, one that Izvilvin could not yet figure out the details of. More than anything, he felt that his decision to disobey Step and fight the Empire was one his heart agreed with – making him feel better than he had in months.
He had only arrived in Radasanth from Fallien an hour prior, Mjolnir and Icicle at his hips and Palmer’s old greatsword strung along his back. With a wind dagger on each leg and three sai at the small of his back, Izvilvin was armed to the teeth. As imposing as the ensemble made him look, the drow was encumbered to a shocking degree, feeling heavy and slow.
Typical to the world’s tendency of dropping issues on a man at the most inconvenient of times, Izvilvin’s keen ears detected a shrill scream coming from below. He moved to the opposite edge of the building before sweeping his eyes over the crowd, squinting as he observed four men in the distance, one of them holding a bulging bag. They were fast.
Sucking a quick breath through his teeth, Izvilvin unbuckled his belt to send his weapons to the roof of the building, sliding Palmer’s greatsword from his back in the same moment. His daggers were light, so they remained on his legs.
“Zhennu draeval whol nindol,” he spoke aloud, his voice high and confident. It was time to do some good.
With a grand leap, Izvilvin cleared the gap below and landed on a lower roof, rolling as he struck the hard surface. He was up again without losing any speed, a blur to the eyes below that could keep up with him.
((Sounds fun, boy-o! Time for some roof hopping.))
A little ways ahead of the two do-gooders, the gang of thugs continued their casual stroll down the length of the Radasanthian waterfronts. Spirit high and full of themselves, the gang of lackeys guffawed at the small "raid" they had just accomplished.
"Easy as apple pie, guys." The tall, lean young man announced to the group, letting the large bag of gold bounce around in his hand before tossing it off to his accomplice. "That old lady didn't even see what hit her! Ha!"
The bad sailed through the air and handed in the firm, meaty grips of another thug, who nodded in agreement as he cupped it in his hands as if it was a delicate egg.
"Ah, yep. Didja see her go when I bumped her? Bo-yoink!"
"Ey, don't get too cocky there big shot." Another guy spoke up, snatching the leather pouch and hooked the bag's loop into his belt. "The loot's gotta get to Bossman first, so don't make a big fuss 'bout it. He paid'lot to get the guards ta look away when it happen'd. Don't blow it, eh?"
Of course, they did not know they were being chased down even as they were loitering about. By an angry red-head and a dark-skinned elf, no less.
"There they are, Tokita-kun!" Asuka shouted, huffing and puffing as she tried to catch up with the three thugs. "The thugs that robbed Granny!"
She could see them walking down the promenade with no fear, joking and playing as if they knew they were going to get away with it for good. Not if this lass had a say in it.
"Asuka-" Her bodyguard huffed behind her, keeping up with her pace but not without some effort. "-You- You really should tone down on the do-gooder part of your life. I mean-" The large Akashiman paused to gasp for air, his feet still pounding the solid cobblestone path in unison with his charge. "Seriously, this is going... to kill you one of these days."
Well, he's got a point.
"Ya really think so, Tokita-kun?" The maiden finally replied as she neared the group, but her pace hastened instead of slowing down in doubt of her safety. "Well, if ya think that..."
The crowd thinned out as they neared the slums of the Coronian capital, the three thugs saying their good-byes and about to part ways. Asuka saw them standing there, joking and talking about sharing the steal back at their hideout.
She was not going to have any of it.
"I don't know. I think it's exCITING! RRRAH!"
The maiden opened her attack with a head-on collision, ramming her right shoulder straight into the back of the tall, lean man with the pouch of gold on his belt.
"What the-!" The other man shouted in surprise, his callous-ridden hand immediately going for a small knife tucked into the left side of his belt. "Where'd this girl come from?!"
He did not even see the other person coming in for the strike.
((Your turn, Mr. Izzy.))
Yamihara wins and advances to the Finals.
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