Round 2: Misery Business Vs My Little Homicidal Maniacs

[Silence Sei]

Round 2 will start at Midnight Tuesday, CST. Good luck!

[Zack Blaze]

His shoes clicked against the smooth polished linoleum floor. He walked closer to the eastern side of the hallway, a free hand sliding across the varnished wood. His other hand held an envelope, fine cursive lettering that informed the members of ‘Misery Business’ that they had advanced to the second round of the Lornius Corporate Championship with a bye. Apparently, their opponents for the first round had caused some sort of ruckus in the Floating City, and were disqualified for their shenanigans.

Zack Blaze did not much feel the need to tell them that the ‘ruckus’ was actually Misery Business itself.

And so the fighter, as well as his partner, the noble and mischievous Princess Agnie, had spent the better half of a week living in the accommodations to those warriors who advanced to the quarter finals of the tournament. The mansion was far from modest, and the fact that the duo had managed to advance on a technicality left them with more time to explore their surroundings than their future competition. There were lots of hallways and lots of doors; the kind of scenery that both Zack and Ags liked, respectively. Outside, the howling of coyotes and hooting of owls created a natural chorus that could lull even the most savage barbarian to sleep.

“Do you think the rest of the competition is going to show up soon?” Ags asked her fearless leader, her own paces just a few steps behind the street fighter.

“Don’t know, but I hope we can find that ‘My Little Homicidal Maniacs’ team soon, and know exactly who we’re up against.” Zack’s hand left the wall and touched his right shoulder, a shiver of fear and excitement running down his spine. In the fight with Caned But Able, Zack had suffered a ridiculous amount of damage to the body part. “With a name like that though, they sound vicious. Should be a good opportunity to test this new move I’ve been working on!”

Zack stuffed the letter in his inner jacket pocket and slammed his fist into an open palm. He had come up with a plan to get the jump on his foes for the last couple of days. Now that the results had come in, and people were moving to better housing conditions, the brawler could not resist the opportunity to possibly glide into the semi-finals of the tournament on yet another technicality. After all, the disqualification of their opponent’s last round proved that such strategies worked well for the trouble making team. In Zack’s mind, there was no reason to stop such a good tactic.

“Let's just hope we don’t catch them in one of these corridors,” Ags spoke as they rounded a corner, referring to one of the long, door free hallways. The spacing from wall to wall was a good seven feet, but that left little room for maneuverability if they had to fight people proficient with wide projectile like attacks. Of course, it also meant that if Zack could get in close, Misery Business would get a distinct advantage over the Maniacs.

“We’ll find you some doors Ags,” Zack reassured the girl, whose tone sounded more ‘pointing out the obvious’ than ‘concerned for well-being’. The fighter stopped for a minute, turning to the girl and giving her a big thumbs up. “Trust me, when the Misery Business gets on a roll, there won’t be anybody able to stop that boulder!”

Ags rolled her eyes when Zack turned around, sighing just out of the boy’s hearing.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

The first thing I did when I entered one of the mansion's many guest bedrooms was crumple up the envelope and letter notifying Aurelianus and I of our bump up in living conditions and our next opponents in this silly little tournament. I carelessly threw it towards a wire trash basket in the corner, missing it by inches. The wrinkled ball of fine stationary bounced harmlessly against the wood paneling of the wall and came to a rest on the ornately-woven rugs that decorated the floor. I left it there.

I undid the clasps around my neck that held my cloak shut, bundled the black sifan into a ball, and threw it on the wooden chair that sat several feet from the foot of the feather bed. I unbuckled the belts that the sheathes my twin daggers were attached to, and set them carefully onto the pristine mahogany dresser against the wall. Glancing over at the doorway, I could see my little homicidal maniac of a partner, Aurelianus Drak'shal, himself a tower of leather, sharp things, and buckles with blood-red quills, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. One of his trademark cigarettes dangled from his pale, demonic lips. A wisp of gray smoke rose from the embers and floated in the air before him as he gave me a cold, calculating look (which, in all honesty, is the only look that I believe he is capable of giving).

After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, he asked, "What's your trouble, luv?"

I sighed heavily as I threw myself onto the thick red comforter that covered the bed. I sunk into it as it eased my weariness, thinking about my reasons for agreeing to make the trip to Lorinus in the first place, and how my plans for revenge had begun falling apart around me as soon as we left the lighthouse after our victory against my Brother Logan McCloud and some old, naked bitch.

"Do you remember what I said to you on the ferry back to Lyridia?" My voice was cracked and weary with the events of the past week.

Aurelianus nodded slightly. "Aye, the bollocks with your brother..."

"Yeah. Well, as it turns out, he found me first. I should've expected as much--this tournament we're a part of is apparently a pretty big deal around here, and it didn't take much investigating for his associates to discover that I was a part of it. So, while I've been investigating his whereabouts, poking around for even the smallest scrap of information so I can just snap his neck and get it over with..." I sighed heavily and turned over onto my side. "He's been one step ahead of me this entire time. He's got a lot more presence and clout here than I anticipated--and, honestly, it's starting to get really annoying."

A small smile flickered across the demon's lips as a frown crept across mine, our thoughts turning to the thugs sent to, presumably, teach us a lesson every day since we arrived on the island. "While I'm certain that you're enjoying the practice, Aure, I'm really starting to get tired of having to watch our backs every corner we turn and every tavern we walk into."

"Those leather'eads ain't smart enough to stay away, then what 'appens to 'em ain't our trouble.."

"I can't argue with you there, but I'm just getting... really, really sick of all this killing and bloodshed."

The demon snuffed out his cigarette stub with a pinch of his fingers, and thoughtlessly pitched the butt down the hallway. "Ah, but you do it so well, Bright Eyes..."

"Because that's all I've known how to do," I shot back, my tone little harsher than I intended. Aurelianus, to his credit, didn't flinch. "But I don't want to do it anymore. I'm tired of all the worrying, I'm tired of the threats, I'm tired of the waves of faceless thugs and assassins that stand in my way."

A heavy silence filled the guest room as a picture hung over the headboard of the bed drew my attention. A thick, bald, elderly man with a salt and pepper handlebar mustache dressed in black robes stared back at me with a look of scornful disapproval. I assumed that the man was the owner of the expansive mansion that we were staying in. "Is it too much to want to kill my family without further complications, so I can just grow old and peacefully tend to my bookstore?"

Aurelianus grunted softly as he reached for another cigarette hidden within the pockets of his overcoat, deciding at the last second against it. "Anyhow, luv, you any idea on the cutters we're 'ere to nick? If they're calling kip 'ere, same as us, mayhap we could get some chant on 'em before we pen 'em in the Dead-Book."

I wracked my brain, trying to make sense of the demon's slang and remember the names that were written on the letter that sat crumpled up in the corner. "Some guys who named themselves Misery Business, I think."

[Ags]

The pair wandered into a great hall that led through the more glamorous rooms, entering a massive chamber which, assumed from its ornate decor and open center, was intended to be a ballroom. "Imagine one of your parties in this place," Zack commented with an imaginative grin, allowing his hand to continue drifting along the top of the wainscot, painted pristinely white against gold wallpaper until some luxuriously-upholstered furniture redirected his path toward the center of the room.

"Mm? Oh, yes," Ags replied after a moment, her mottled eyes fixed on the crystal chandelier as it glittered like a delightfully classy disco ball, rainbow-tinted shards of light raining down through it and onto the floor from the skylights above. The effect played fascinatingly against the shiny satin of the girl's red dress, bodice tightly fitted with a wide, sweeping skirt that fell to her knees and left a flirty glimpse of the creamy lace of her underskirt. Her legs were bare and feet clad in kitten heels that were entirely inappropriate for any sort of physical event, but Zack learned long ago how futile it was to explain the concept of utility to this particular individual.

It was common for the fairy to get distracted, but usually such a thing happened with a flourish of movement and far too much enthusiasm. Her odd bout of thoughtfulness piqued her partner's interest and he stepped up next to her, resting his hands in his pockets as blue, gold, and pink specs of light played off his fair complexion. "What'cha thinkin', Agnie?"

With a wry little grin, the girl glanced up to him and batted her eyelashes. "I do think about things other than parties once in a while. Are you shocked?"

Zack chuckled. "Maybe a little."

"My father was from Althanas, you know. He's why I came here."

This sudden bout of seriousness quirked a brow, but the boy indulged her. "You're looking for your father?"

For a split second Ags looked at him rather like he was an idiot, but her harsh expression broke when she fell into laughter. "Oh, goodness, no. He's been dead for oh," she wriggled her fingers as if counting, golden curls bouncing as she shook her head, "Over a century, if I'm not mistaken. No, no, no. The bastard stole something from my mother and it's floating around here somewhere. I'd rather like it back, and this tournament's the perfect opportunity."

"It's on Lornius somewhere?" Zack puzzled.

The fey clasped her hands behind her back, strolling a lazy orbit around the edge of the large rosette painted at the center of the hardwood floor. Her little heels clicked against the surface, the sound echoing with the grand acoustics of the extravagant room. "One of the participants has it," she revealed, her trademark Cheshire grin returning to her rosy lips.

The boy took the opposite way around the design, forcing her to stop and look up at him when they met on the opposite side. Forehead furrowed in concern, feigned for her, but what really was going on behind those emerald eyes was quick deliberation on what kind of intriguing, otherworldly artifact this something might be, and how it might possibly benefit their organization. "Who has it?" His question was spoken gently, yet somehow came out like a demand.

"Oh, Zack," Agnie smirked, punching him in the arm with wink and a jingle of charm bracelets. "That's a secret!"

A door to their left creaked open not to the room beyond, but darkness, and a strange draft settled in around their feet. The princess twirled and dashed off to investigate, deliberating in a low voice with whatever unseen creature lurked within. As soon as her back was turned, Zack let out the sigh of exasperation he'd been suppressing.

After a moment of commiserating with one of her sprites, Ags called to the boy behind her with no small amount of pure glee evident in her musical voice. "They're here! And you'll never guess who's on the team," she teased, beckoning him closer with urgency.

Zack approached. "Who?"

At this point the fairy could barely contain herself, even going so far as to smooth her dress and primp her cleavage in preparation. "It's a surprise, come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the doorway which, instead of leading into the chilly abyss beyond, brought them into the hall of one of the mansion's several princely suites.

This one belonged to the newly arrived My Little Homicidal Maniacs, and their voices could be heard from down the hall.

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

Aurelius' level one profile being used with permission of all participants.

Leaning against the fancy carved door-frame, his bladed armour tearing gouges into the mahogany, Aurelius ground his teeth together, trying to drown out the chorus of owl hoots and animal calls outside the mansion. The half-demon's eyes lit up with sadistic joy at the Madison's revelation though, a shark-like grin splitting his face. Blowing a cloud of smoke from his nostrils, Aurelius strolled over to the discarded letter, uncrumpling the paper to read.

"Misery Business? Are you sure?" he asked, a small note of excited urgency tinging his voice.

Smoothing the paper out, Aurelianus let his serpent eyes dance over the words- sure as sure, that was their allocated opponent. Drawing in another lungful of smoke, he glanced over his shoulder at Madison, his partner shrouded in a maudlin cloud. He knew she was pissed off at the fact she couldn't outsmart her brother, but the tiefling considered the chit; I 'ope for 'er sake she gets 'er brain-box sorted before this fight. She gets in the way of my winning, I might 'ave to make 'er a deader again.

He incinerated the sheet of paper with a small flare of Hellfire, shaking the flames out as he rounded on his partner. Drak'shal stood a few inches taller than her, his lithe, lean form covered in black leather, from top to bottom; he wore a simple pair of leather breeches and vest, covered with his outlandish armour. It was made of segmented plates of black leather, all strapped and buckled on, covered in a myriad of blades, barbs and hooks. It covered his legs, torso and his left arm. His right, for no apparent reason, was unguarded, displaying his tattoos openly. Over the top of this, the warlock wore his trademark coat, armour-plated and scarred from years of use. All in all, he was as ready and attired for battle as he ever was. More importantly, he was mentally prepared for the killing to come.

But after seeing Madison's reaction to the regular assassin attacks they'd "suffered", the Cager, a practiced murderer since childhood, wasn't so sure the chit had it in her anymore. He sneered a little as he looked over his partner. "You better make sure you 'ave your 'ead in the game, luv, or I'll gladly off you myself. You stay on the ball for this fight, and I'll even 'elp you catch a 'old of this brother of your's. Fair?" he asked, blowing another stream of smoke across the opulent, lavishly decorated room.

One look in the half-breed's inhuman eyes would assure Madison he meant what he had said; he wouldn't hesitate to put a blade in her.

Dropping the cigarette butt from between his lips, Aurelius crushed it out, grinding it into the lush, fancy carpet with his boot, leaving a dirty black smear. He strolled over to Madison's feather-bed, stripping off his coat and laying it next to her cloak. If Misery Business really were here, it would mean a close-quarters fight more than likely. That meant his coat was liable to be more of a hindrance than a help. His hand wandered idly to make sure all of his arsenal was in place. The canny Cager took his Baatorian knives from their sheaths, studying the new glyphs etched along the blades- the Blood Mages of the Dheathain jungles did good work, he nodded to himself, eager to test out the bleeding enchantment fused with the green-steel. Aurelius slipped the twin knives back into the sheaths at his lower back, checking the straps holding them in place again. After that, he took out and inspected his shurikens, his cleaver and finally, with reverent care, the curved and notched Herzaa's blade hanging from his belt on a leather cord.

Satisfied he had everything in order, the half-breed strolled out the door, keeping his senses alert for any sign of Zack Blaze. He wasn't sure who would be partnered up with him, but the tiefling had his suspicions- and if they turned out to be right, then it was going to be a very good night. The entire mansion seemed to be as lavish as Madison's room- the only room Drak'shal knew for a fact wasn't still nice and fancy, was his own. Minutes after entering the soft, cushy kip, Aurelius had taken to destroying the place. The bed lay in a splintered heap on the floor, cleaved apart, dripping with the feathered remains of the too-soft mattress. The wardrobe had been torn apart, doors kicked in, drawers hurled against walls. The former Hive-ganger had kept the covers from the bed intact, piled up in one corner, for him to sleep in- he'd had a lot less comfortable digs in his lifetime. But, the petty vandalism had done its job; the room felt more comfortable already.

Whistling for Madison to follow him, the warlock stalked out into the hallway, his gaze taking in the pricey furnishings, and garish decoration that lay everywhere in this manor. Personally, he had liked the slightly ratty bunks they had called kip in for the first round of the competition- but in a place as obviously top-shelf as this manse... the guttersnipe disliked places like this. His low-life upbringing made his skin crawl around these sorts of places. His hands itched to unleash Shahab's Lash, to just burn down everything.. But that would spoil the fun.

And if I'm getting the chance to get paid for this, and pen the bloke payin' me in the Dead-Book... a shiver went up the Cager's spine, his forked tongue sliding over his lips at the prospect.

After all, Zack himself had told Aurelius not to pull any punches if they should end up paired off.

"'eeeeeeere, Zacky-boy," he called, sliding a Baatorian knife out of its sheath, feeling the heat of his Hellfire building at the back of his throat. He hadn't had a proper chance to test out his new powers.. but tonight was definitely the night.

He stopped dead, head whipping around as he caught the scent of someone from the adjoining room, next to Madison's suite. His room.

There was only one way they could have got so close, without him noticing. His eyes lit up with sheer predatory joy, his suspicions affirmed. He walked down the hall, smashing the door of his room open with a vicious boot, the knife-scarred wood breaking from its hinges in a shower of splinters, swinging crookedly inwards.

There, standing in the middle of what remained of his room's furniture, was Zack, his ash-blonde hair and green eyes starkly contrasting the dark, Hellfire-scorched interior. But the brawler wasn't what the one to catch his attention. Standing next to the street-fighting cutter, was the one and only Princess Agnie Lars- her slender, but voluptuous little frame was wrapped in a layer of red fabric, hugging tight to her bust, the skirt giving a tantalising flash of her underskirt.

"Mmm, ain't you a treat for the eyes," he said quietly, not sure if he'd spoken aloud or not, but not particularly caring if he had.

Giving a deep-throated growl, the half-demon let his serpentine eyes roam over the blonde-haired Fey for a good, long moment, before he nodded to Zack.

"Evenin' chief. Ready to get started?" he asked, his knife held loosely in his right hand, his left open at his side. There was no trash-talking, no preamble.. Aurelius was here to pen someone in the Dead-Book. Simple as that.

[Zack Blaze]

His muscles twitched the second he saw the dark black quills of hair, slit black retinas, and the horns that looked more like a demonic crown than additional limbs. Zack’s heart started racing at the prospect of fighting this demon, a man he had formed a partnership with in the name of Misery Business. The teen hopped up and down, his once stoic posture replaced by something more carefree. His feet thudded against the hard floor with each bound he made. He slammed his fists against one another, the knuckles cracking in the process.

Zack now had the opportunity to test the mettle of his clansman. He had just recently recruited Aurelius, and this was one of the purposes he had signed him up for. Zack knew in his heart that if he were to one day rule Althanas, he would have to gain strength. Fighting Aurie proved to be a chance for Zack to not only try to overcome his physical limitations, but the emotional ones that came with fighting a ‘friend’ as well.

Aurelius could sense his employer’s excitement, it seemed. The demon reached into one of his pockets, withdrawing another cigarette from his clothing, and tossed it to Zack. The fighter caught the white stick between his index and ring fingers, delicately placing the object over his left ear. “You getting soft of me, Aurie? Giving me a victory cigarette before we mop the floor with you?”

Zack tossed some practice punches into the air, bobbing and weaving against an invisible force. A gruff laugh came from the warlock, which just caused the boy to smile even wider. “Got it wrong there, cutter. It’s a last smoke, case you wanna start ‘ere and now. Don’t worry though, I’ll take good care of the chit while they’re ‘ealin’ you up.”

“You’re so kind.” Zack stopped his faux sparring; growing a still as a statue in winter as his eyes shifted towards the woman Aurelius was with. “Whats say we save the main event for later, and get a good workout from the b-team? You take Ags; I’ll take your girl.”

“Careful she don’t off you first, Zacky,” the tone in Aurie’s voice sent a message through Zack. Ags was useless when it came to combat, but Aurelius would have never picked a partner that couldn’t handle themselves. Zack licked his lips, his eyes focused squarely on Madison now.

“Zack Blaze of Misery Business,” the fighter balled a fist before miming the toss of a coin to his lady-foe, “Whats say after this little brawl, you come talk to me about joining our little group? If Aurie likes you, then I think we would get along too.”

Madison swatted the air, a pantomime of rejecting the pretend charity away. “I’ll pass.”

“Then you’ll die!” Zack proclaimed his threat to the heavens as both of his fists caught fire, the brawler uppercutting the air with one, and then the other, releasing a double shot of fire flying towards the ground at Madison. The flames burned through the ground, melting the floor in the process as they jettisoned towards the librarian. “Now all that’s left to decide is whether you want to go to Heaven or Hell, miss rebel.”


((Obviously, all bunny permissions have been granted to all parties involved in this fight))

[Ags]

Ags wasn't completely useless in combat, especially in a mansion full of doors and passages and other venues for her talents. Aurelius was likely well aware of that fact, considering the last time he tried to get fresh with the fey he was put through her coffee table by a giant tentacle. But he was a brave sort of fellow, and she trusted he'd allow her to take the lead in a tango that they both knew with optimism would likely result in a good knifing.

As soon as Zack began his introduction to the tiefling's partner, the fairy strolled out into the hallway, not wishing to end up confined to the one room. She brushed past Madison with a cheery little smile then glanced coquettishly over her shoulder to the half-breed, so kindly relieved of his pointy jacket. "Would you like to see my room?" she asked, then skipped off down the hall without waiting for a response, avoiding getting caught in the crossfire when Zack's attack came.

At the end of the hall were the double doors that served as the entrance to MLHM's suite and their exit into the rest of the mansion. The flirty fairy looked back to make sure Aurelius was following, grinned, and stepped through, leaving the door open behind her. She appeared to be walking down the larger hallway outside, presumably actually leading him to her own quarters.

That was a sham, of course. With the trick of fey glamour she created the illusion of walking through as she, personally, did, but if Aurelius stepped through, he'd find himself somewhere a touch more perilous than the quaint isle of Lornius.

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

Chuckling under his breath, Aurelius turned away from Zack, trusting Madison could handle herself against the boy. If she couldn't, then he'd gladly come back and finish the job, but for now, the tiefling was looking forward to toying with Ags. He wanted the barmy little Fey, badly, and in all sorts of inventive and graphic ways. Who knows- maybe after you knife 'er, she'll want you more. Lotsa chits get their rocks off like that, the voice in his head mocked.

As Ags left the room, Aurelianus turned to follow, his bladed armour catching every stray flicker of light as he moved. Stepping over the remains of some piece of furniture or other, he walked past his partner in this ride, patting her on the shoulder as he went.

"Finish him," he said quietly, smirking arrogantly.

The half-breed stepped out into the hallway, a lascivious grin spreading over his features at Ags' suggestion. He started to follow, eyes happily glued to the fairy's arse as she skipped away from him. Just as he was getting level with Madison's room, he heard the distinctive *whump* of something catching fire. The warlock glanced over his shoulder, quirking an eyebrow. He was already intimately familiar with all of Madison's tricks and toys- having fought with her here in the Lornius Corporate Championship, and after murdering her a while back in Radasanth's renowned Citadel- so when the heat washed down the corridor, Aurelius knew it must have been one of Zack's abilities. I'll need to show 'im 'ow the big boys play with fire, he chuckled, Hellfire flickering around his fingertips.

But that would come later. Now, he had a much more enticing prospect.

He turned back to the oak-paneled corridor, his heavy boots treading on the soft red carpet that ran down the middle of every hall in this building. Ags was a little way up ahead, through the double-doors that opened up My Little Homicidal Maniacs' suite to the mansion proper.

The tiefling flexed his fingers round the demon-hide-wrapped grip of his chiv, the viciously serrated knife as hungry for blood as its owner. Ags didn't even seem remotely afraid of the half-demon behind her, as she glanced coquettishly over her shoulder, running further down the hall, obviously trying to tease the Cager.

He started down the hall, seeing his prey, so tantalisingly close. She was just through the door--

SHIT!

Aurelius pulled up just a step short of going through the doorway, spitting with fury, swearing enough to make a Scara Braean blush. He had almost fell for the oldest bob in the bloody book!

Aurelianus knew, firsthand, how dangerous Agnie could be with a door between her and her opponent- Hells, last time I tried to peep on 'er, I nearly 'ad my soddin' chest caved in, he growled. It seemed his gutter-spawned instincts had saved him once again. Serpent eyes flashing with ill-contained fury, the tiefling glared at Agnie. 'Aven't even nicked 'er yet, and she's bobbin' me already, he thought, gripping his knife in a white-knuckled fist. Still, he was impressed at the canny move from Ags, and his estimations of the barmy little chit rose a fraction. His grimace slowly melted away, to be replaced by a crooked smile.

"Not bad, luv, not bad. You almost 'ad me, like a pikin' gully," he chuckled softly, chiding himself mentally.

But you'll 'ave to do a damn-sight better than that if you want to beat me. His eyes scanning the hallway for any way around the door, he finally tumbled to the answer. He couldn't go through the door... but he could go around it.

Darting into Madison's room, the warlock turned to the wall next to her bed, sizing it up in an instant. With a flick of his wrist, Aurelius sent an Eldritch Blast smashing into the wall; a dent, slightly smaller than the tiefling's head, appeared on the wall, accompanied by a light rain of plaster-dust. Summoning up the invocation again, he was rewarded with a series of cracks spider-webbing across the surface of the wall. Growing impatient, Drak'shal thundered out a series of blasts, each one tearing into the wall, breaking through slowly but surely, until finally, a hole the size of a fist appeared. Mouth-watering with anticipation of catching Ags, he kept going, each burst of arcane energy widening the gap, until after a full minute, he was able to see clearly into the adjacent room. Coughing from the amount of plaster-dust in the air, clogging up his throat, the Cager was reminded of home- of the Godsmen's Forge, with it's clouds of pollution spewing into the air. But, he didn't have time to reminisce.

With a short run Aurelius launched himself at the wall, smashing through the remainder in a ball of blades and lean muscle, to skid out in the other room, wreathed in a fine layer of gritty dust. Shaking himself off, getting to his feet, the plane-touched loped from the room, out onto the corridor Ags had skipped into. On his right was the doorway she had rigged, which meant he had avoided her trap.

A feral grin showing his fangs, the tiefling marked Ags, in a flurry of fine red cloth, and golden curls, to his left.

"C'mon Ags, 'ow about we stop pikin' around, and I pen you in the Dead-book now? I promise I'll make it quick," he called to the fairy, his smile showing in no uncertain terms how much elation that thought brought him.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

I brushed off Aurelianus's lingering threats as I stood in the guest wing hallway, tightening up the leather straps that hung my daggers around my hips. The demon fancied himself a stone-cold killer; but having watched him fight before, I could confidently say that his lack of finesse and inclination for wanton destruction would cost him dearly if I ever made the decision to actually bother to fight back. A simple manipulation of his primitive, one-track mind would have him doubling over in a pool of his own vomit before my wires wrapped tightly around his throat, choking him to death.

But, that was a fantasy for later. It was time to address the rather sudden challenge before me. He was a young thing--not quite a boy, but not yet a man. His light blonde hair was spiked in a manner that implied that he just said screw it about halfway through, and his rather bright green eyes stared at me inquisitively. A similarly-green leather jacket covered his torso. A faint, sweet odor filled my nostrils... Peaches? ...Really? Yes, I was certain that was it. Peaches. I could feel my lip involuntarily curling up in disgust.

I began planning my attack. A quick survey of the hallway showed that I didn't have much room to maneuver; Only a few feet of room on either side of me as I stood in the middle. The floor, tiled in polished linoleum, could cause me to slip up if I wasn't careful. The hallways was also sparsely decorated; no conveniently-placed chairs or tables for me to latch onto with the wires and make into makeshift projectiles or pieces of cover. Hell, even a chandelier in the hallway could've ended the fight for me right then and there... But alas, the closest one was about ten feet down the hall from where the kid was standing.

Before I could spring into action, I found myself staring down two short walls of fire headed in my direction, tearing up the floor and melting the linoleum as they sped towards me. ...Fire screaming across the floor towards an opponent--what an odd method of attack... The width of the diminutive flames left me no room on either side to dodge it, and the closest door to another guest room was blocked by the advancing attack. I had no choice but to go over.

Snapping into a full-speed run, I kept my eyes locked onto the fire in front of me. One! Two! With a couple of deft springs, I leaped over the boy's opening attack, and with a third jump, I found myself close enough to him to strike. I drew my right fist back, ready to unleash pain on his effeminate face.

[Ags]

In the moment of relative silence after Ags assumed cursing Aurelius suddenly found himself entrenched in the waist-high snows of Berevar, guilt set in. It was quite possibly the most horrendous feeling ever to come over the emotionally stunted fey, and was potentially a significant turning point in her time on Althanas –– her first step toward that strange thing called humanity.

But she didn't realize that, of course. She simply thought she was the victim of some indigestion and her face pinched a bit as she wrapped her arms over her stomach, suddenly overcome with the urge to bring him back. But then he'd probably stab her, and all that blood would ruin her pretty new dress…

Fortunately, or perhaps more unfortunately, her inner turmoil had a short half-life thanks to Aurelius' keen instinct. As she sorted her priorities, a loud banging and subsequent crash within the suite interrupted her train of thought. Before she could properly book it the tiefling found her again, and from the manner in which he cut straight to the I'm-gonna-shank-you chase, Agnie realized this wasn't going to be easy as poor Aimer had been.

His threat was answered simply. "Nope," the fairy grinned, though perhaps a bit less optimistically this time as she took off down the wide hall. She really had no chance in outrunning the fiend with her short legs, but there were plenty of doors, and those were all she needed. He wouldn't fall for the same trick again, but she could use that to her advantage.

The princess disappeared into another door and slammed it behind her, sending Aurelius into another fit of curses. He stood back and punched a gaping hole in it using his eldritch blasts, the noise drowning out the low creak of hinges as the one directly behind him across the wall swung cautiously open. The contents of the new room before him were obscured in darkness, undecipherable to his serpentine eyes. So, to test the waters, the half-breed extracted a shuriken and pitched it straight into the abyss.

Surprise was an understatement for what he felt as his weapon sailed out of the doorway behind him, intent on lodging itself mercilessly in the flesh of his right shoulder.

[Zack Blaze]

Can’t say the chick’s not graceful. Oh well, let’s rock!

Zack watched with mouth agape as Madison bounded over his double flame shot, the fires finding their way into a wall before scattering to the winds, a trail of melted floor in the wake of the attack. The boy’s eyes widened when he saw the girl reel back for a punch, the street fighter attempting to quickly raise up his own dukes in defense.

He failed.

The blow made a sickening crunch, the digits of Madison making a very noticeable imprint upon the peach-scented youth’s face. Zack grabbed his nose, screaming at the top of his lungs as he crumpled to the ground in pain. A stream of blood began to pour down his nose, his rolling on the floor causing the crimson liquid to splatter onto his emerald colored jacket. Madison stood there, her hand still made into a fist where Zack’s face used to be. He could feel her eyes upon him, probably seeing the tears streaming down the fighter’s face at this point.

“Uh…” Madison’s arm dropped, along with her guard, “Are you ok?”

Those words were all Zack needed. Without a second to spare, the boy bounded to his feet, a recovery medical experts would have deemed miraculous and actors would have deemed amateurish. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, his body in as crouched a position as he could manage. With all of his strength backed into it, Zack brought his right hand up into the air, landing firmly on Madison’s chin and sending the girl flying upwards, through wood and roof alike to the outside of the hotel. This was Zack Blaze’s new secret technique, one he had been saving in case he had engaged Aurie in combat; the Scene-Stealing Uppercut.

Now that Zack could clearly see the outside of the mansion thanks to the Freebird-shaped hole in the ceiling, the boy reached into his pockets. Zack pulled out a small, rune-ingrained power stone and smiled, his form vanishing from within the confines of the establishment to the rooftop. His green eyes quickly searched amongst the black shingles of the house top to find Madison already lying upon the ebony squares. Zack whistled casually, stuffing both the Teleportation Stone and his hands firmly into his pockets. He could feel the warm sun rays upon his features now, the youth shielding his eyes from the brightness of the daytime.

“Toasty,” Zack walked over towards the seemingly unconscious Madison with a big grin plastered on his features. Around the girl’s body were fragmented clay shingles, splintered wood that resembled spikes, and for some reason, a mechanical cog with the word ‘guilty’ written upon it. Zack raised his eyebrows, kneeling down to further investigate the bronzed item, his knees bending at Madison’s side as he looked on with a piqued curiosity.

“Are you frightened?” Zack mocked the librarian, “Guess that’s what you get for taking on an Adventurer’s Crown Finalist. Maybe when you wake up, you’ll consider joining Misery Business…”

((Bunnying approved by BaBE))

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Bunnies approved by Zack.

As soon as my face connected with the peachy boy's uppercut, I knew that I had made a serious mistake.

After my thunderous punch had connected with Zack Blaze's milky-white jaw and sent him flying down the decadent and decorated hallway, I had let my guard down. Stupid, stupid, stupid! My time away from being a (complete) heartless bitch had softened me; when I saw his blood and tears beginning to pour, I felt a twinge of guilt. I walked over to him, guilty that I might have broken the poor kid before we had a chance to battle properly--since, as far as I was aware, our Lorinus-sponsored fight was still a few days out.

For my efforts at empathy and caring, I was sent crashing through the mansion's ceiling. My vision went white with the impact. Chunks of gray plaster, splintered wood support beams, straw insulation, and eventually clay roof tiles broke and scraped my exposed skin as my body traveled upward and outside. I finally came to a stop several feet away from the hole that, seconds ago, I burst out of.

I laid there on my back, an intense amount of pain wracking my body, forbidding it from moving. The handles of my daggers dug uncomfortably into my lower back through the leather bindings of my corset, but that was certainly the least of my worries. The midday sun was bright; perhaps too bright. I tried to lose my eyes and relax--yes, sleep sounded really good at that moment. But the intense, absolutely unbearable pounding in my head wouldn't grant me so much as a moment of respite.

I was able to roll over on my side after a few moments. My head, pounding and spinning, rolled around on the reddish tiles of the mansion's roof. My vision was all over the place. I couldn't focus. After traveling head-first through all that shit, not to mention the sheer force of the punch required to make it all possible, I was lucky if I got off with a mere concussion.

There was a slight whoosh off to the side somewhere on the roof; and then, calculated footsteps. The figure rattled off a few inane sentences--I had trouble making out most of the words. Something about crowns and miserable businesses.

I groaned, fighting back the urge to vomit. Somehow, I found the strength to climb to my hands and knees. I clenched my eyes shut and grit my teeth as the blurry figure with the green jacket and effeminate voice prattled on. "Hmm. Is this who Aurie really chooses to tag up with? It's official. You both suck!"

Zack placed his boot firmly on my side, and gave me a hearty kick. I rolled over a couple times, my already broken body banging against the tiles even more. As I came to a rest, I could see Zack's thin figure bent over me, his hands on his hips in mock disappointment. "I take my previous offer back. You're weak, creepy, and pesty. Consider euthanasia!" He burst out into short fits of laughter and raised his right hand. Against the blinding midday sun, I could make out a flash of fire forming in his fist.

I had to act, and I had to do it now. I reached deep down inside, calling upon the last of my strength to reach behind my back and unsheathe one of my delyn daggers. The sun glinted off the cold metal as I brought it around; and in a flash, it found a new home in Zack's right thigh. The scraping of bone against delyn was barely audible over his sudden, ear-piercing scream. He fell to one knee, and I found myself with a sudden burst of energy flowing through my body. I grabbed my second dagger, and gave it a new home in Zack's other thigh. His jeans immediately began soaking up pools of the boy's blood as he collapsed onto both knees. The mixed look of shock and horror on his face as I shakily rose to my feet was absolutely priceless.

"My turn," I managed to say as I raised my right foot into the air. With a quick thrust, the heel of my boot found the bridge of the boy's nose. The sound of cracking cartilage and shattering bone echoed on the rooftop as Zack snapped backwards.

I felt myself get dizzy again, and found myself collapsing to my knees once more. With a heavy sigh, I leaned forward and shut my eyes, praying for a moment's respite in the heat of the midday sun.

[Zack Blaze]

The pain of two knives jammed into each of his legs paralyzed the youth. As his twitching hands tried to reach for the knives, he was rewarded for his efforts by a foot planted square in the middle of his face. He could feel the pain of the punch coming back, this time in tenfold. Madison had put all of her weight into this big boot. It was a desperate attack, but Zack half expected a leg drop upon his throat to follow up the devastating maneuver. Spurts of blood flew from his legs and face, dripping onto the tiles like a miniature crimson rain.

The boy coughed, droplets of red flying into the air and lading upon his delicate features. The fatality of the blow was minor, but it was enough to keep Zack from moving his legs. Even now, as his thighs twitched and convulsed in pain, he could almost feel the nerves in his limbs tearing with each involuntary movement. His turned his head as he coughed again, his eyes falling upon Madison. He smiled; the pearls in his mouth were stained because of this girl and her killer instinct. She definitely had what it took to be on Zack’s team.

She opened her eyes. Her eyes met with Zack’s own bloodied face before she toppled over backwards herself, the air of the outside filled with nothing more than the heavy breaths of both competitors. “Not bad… but you must defeat sheng long to stand a chance…” Zack left his mouth open, allowing his blood to dribble out onto the shingles. He was referring to the fact that the librarian, while strong, still fell by the force of Zack’s uppercut, which (at least in the street fighter’s mind) struck with the force of a rising dragon.

“Oh….go home and be a family man…” Madison retorted, accompanied by what sounded like a spit sound between panted breaths. Zack laughed at this quip, which in turn, caused the woman to laugh as well. Pretty soon, Aurie and Ags would be done fighting one another, which meant that the winner of that bout would turn up on the roof and seize victory for their team.

“Hey,” Zack cleared his throat, trying to speak loud enough that Madison would be able to hear him clearly. “Join Misery Business. We could really use someone like you….” He coughed again as he finished speaking. His vision started to fade as he looked up at the clear blue sky. Zack took a deep breath and tried to will himself into awaiting the female warrior’s response.

“I’ll….think about it…” she slowly coughed out before her breathing took priority once more. Now, it was much lower, and with it came a small snoring sound. The girl had managed to answer the boy before passing out. It seemed that her resolve could be just as strong as even the great Zack Blaze.

K.O. Zacky boy… the youth smiled as he let the darkness finally overtake him, you win.

((Final post from me and BaBE, had permission to skip Aurie from his team mate. Aurie, you got a problem with me posting before you, please let me know andI will be happy to edit! Great fight, guys!))

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

Permission given to write for Ags at the end of this post.

The blow from behind took Aurelianus completely by surprise.

He felt his armour part, metal tearing deep into the meat of his back. It was followed almost instantly by a wash of black blood, running down over his armour, dropping to the floor in a pattering rain. The tiefling was staggered forward a few steps by the force of the blow; but as he faltered into the darkened room before him.. he emerged into the corridor, looking at the room he had just fallen into.

What the pikin' He--

Aurelius' swore a long stream of profanity when he realised what had happened. Ags, the canny bitch, had tricked him. And, like a bloody rube, he had fallen for it. Reaching up, wincing slightly from the pain in his shoulder, he touched the object embedded in his flesh. Sure enough his fingers brushed over the serrated shuriken- his own shuriken. The fact he had been tricked so easily hurt the plane-touched's ego more than the wound, and he clenched his fangs, drool running down his chin as he frothed with pure rage. He didn't pull the bladed disc out, knowing how much damage it would do to him upon removal.

Instead, the warlock spun on his heel, barreling into the room behind him, the portal only working as an exit from the other entrance. He burst into the room, almost taking the door of its hinges with a violent boot. His head swung from side to side, taking in every detail of the room; from the ornate armchairs in front of the gilded fireplace, to the elegant goldleaf decoration framing the walls. He instantly hated it, but not as much as he currently hated the only other occupant of the room- Agnie Lar.

The fairy was backed up in the corner of the room, knowing she had nowhere to go. Aurelius had her.

She pressed herself against the rear wall, her red dress bunching up. The tiefling's serpentine eyes ran up her creamy legs, seeing again the flash of lacy underskirt... but he wasn't in the mood to explore that avenue. That realisation was.. unsettling for Drak'shal to tumble to, but as the shuriken grated against the bone in his shoulder, he forced his libido down for the first time in... quite possibly ever.

The blades deep in his flesh sent white hot flashes of pain through his back, but the Cager forced himself to ingore them, swallowing down his dizziness as he stalked closer to the fairy. His eyes were wide, the black surrounding his golden-yellow irises seemed all-encompassing. Agnie found herself unable to look away from Aurelianus' cold gaze. He stopped two steps in front of the voluptuous Fey, his fangs creaking as he ground them together. She mocked you, mate. Played you like a proper gully.

"Aye, she did," he muttered, seeing the slight confusion on Ags' face as he spoke to himself.

His hand lashed out, far faster than any normal mortal, his gloved hand catching the blonde round the throat, instantly cutting off her air supply. He could feel how soft and smooth the chit's skin was, his fingerless gloves allowing him to feel her neck, the tendons straining under his iron grip, feeling her pulse race. His knuckles cracked as he tightened his grip even more, seeing the veins on Agnie's neck stand out in stark contrast. The half-breed leaned in close, his mouth close to the fairy princess' ear.

"Y'know, luv. I'll admit, I'm mighty pissed off.. but I'm impressed. You actually managed to nick me."

Ags struggled against his grip a little, trying to pry his hand loose but he slammed her back against the wall, rattling her head against the wall with bone-jarring force, then lifting her up so she was suspended completely by his fist around her delicate neck. Her struggles ceased pretty soon after that.

"Not very often a body managed to get the better of me, luv. So, as I promised," he said quietly, lips brushing Ags' ear, "I'll make it quick."

Agnie had a second for a look of confusion or fear to cross her delicate features. Then the tiefling leaned in and kissed the Fey, much as he had her friend Luned in Ettermire, months ago; except without the rancid blood coating his features, or the grim, hellish surroundings of Swanra'ann's tannery. He felt the Fey try to resist at first, but then she stopped fighting- either because she was enjoying the tiefling's attentions... or more likely because she was close to losing consciousness. Or she was, until she felt Aurelius' knife ripping through her dress, before parting her flesh like cloth. He sank his blade into her stomach, hilt deep before he stopped kissing her, drawing back to watch her die.

Aurelius loosened his grip around her throat a little, giving her just enough to breathe. The fairy took huge gasps, trying to draw in as much oxygen as she could, staring down in disbelief at the gush of her blood, running down her dress, darkening the material nearly black, before streaking down her pale legs. The tiefling's senses were flooded by the rich coppery scent of her blood, making his mouth water.

But, after a few moments, he dropped the fairy to the ground, ripping his chiv out in another spray of blood. If it had been anyone else, he would have twisted the serrated knife in her guts before tearing it out. But, he'd promised he'd make it as pleasant as possible. The warlock stood over the dying fairy, on her knees in a steadily widening pool of her own blood. Running his forked tongue over the blood-coated blade, Aurelianus lapped the Fey's vitae, shivering with lust at the taste. But, he didn't stick around too long- he waited only until Ags fell over face first in her own blood, soaking into the rich carpets. He knew the bleeding enchantment on his knife would take care of the chit within a matter of minutes.

And besides, he still had another berk to pen in the Dead-Book.

***

It didn't take long for the tiefling to track down Zack and Madison.

He simply returned to where he had left them, trying to ignore the incessant itch, the pain of the shuriken still sticking out of his back. He tried to shrug it off, grunting under his breath as a fresh trickle of his inky blood ran down his back, warm under his leathers. He still had his bloodied knife clenched in his fist, knuckles white under the fingerless gloves. Shaking his quills out of his eyes in frustration, Drak'shal simply wanted to find out if he still had to take out the young, cocky street fighter, or if Madison had dealt with him.

Glancing into the destroyed remains of his room, Aurelius scanned for signs of either of the pair of sods. Aside from two deep melted channels in his floor, there was nothing. But, the half-demon had already guessed as much. Outside, in the demolished hallway, there was a newly created skylight in the ceiling.

Aurelius cocked his head, wondering which of the two fighters had been put brain-box first through the roof. Ignoring the glittering dust motes caught in the beam of sunlight, the tiefling scanned with his other senses, smirking as he picked up the smell of blood, up above. Normally it would have taken the free-running Cager a few seconds to make it up to the gaping hole in the ceiling, but with the shuriken planted in his muscles, he found it decidedly more irritating. His forked tongue wrapped itself around another string of profanities, hissed out in the guttural tongue of the Hells, heaping all his scorn upon Agnie for actually managing to wound him.

But, after a few more minutes, the plane-touched warlock was dragging himself on to the warm tiles of the mansion roof. The sun was coming down weakly, but still enough to be felt, shining over the surrounding woods.

Only a few feet from the broken wound in the roof, Aurelius marked the cutters, lying unconscious across the tiles, blood soaked and beaten. Looks like they 'ad fun, he chuckled, strolling over to them, careful not to lose his footing when he stepped in one of the blood-puddles- even with his physical endurance he doubted he could survive a four-story fall onto hard-packed earth. There was a decent bit of blood about, making it hard to say who it had come out of, but Aurelinaus took a wild guess when he saw the daggers impaling Zack's thighs. Both of the humans before him looked like they had been through the wringer, their faces bruised and bloody.

He knelt over Madison first, placing a finger against her neck. She was still alive and as he leaned in closer, knife-ears twitching slightly, he chuckled as he heard her snoring lightly.

"Well, time to wrap this ride up," he said to no-one in particular.

Strolling over to the blonde-haired youth, Drak'shal went to a knee, wincing as the shuriken ripped into his shoulder more, the flesh tearing under the strain of moving. He shook it off, sheathing his knife, knowing he could worry about it when My Little Homicidal Maniacs' victory had been assured. To that end, the half-breed took a hold of the daggers in the brawler's thighs, and wrenched them out with a vicious tug- he barely stirred, and judging by his unhealthy pallour, the blood loss from his wounds had the youth close to being a deader. A dark smirk slid over Aurelius' mouth as a thought popped into his brain-box- 'e told you not to pull any punches, after all.

Taking a hold of the boy's collar, Aurelius dragged him over to the edge of the roof, his dark-red quills ruffled by a cool breeze, leaving a smeared red trail. He could see the ground, a long way below, but he didn't stray too close to the ledge, the winds at this height plucking at him. The warlock quickly made his way back over to Madison's side; reaching down, he took hold of the long delyn cables the chit kept wrapped around her upper arms, pulling them loose. They rasped across her skin as he roughly yanked the long cables free of the former assassin, then walked back over to the still unconscious Mr. Blaze. He didn't have time to go into anything elaborate, or particularly inventive, so he settled for merely making an example of his latest employer.

Ripping away the green jacket covering Zack's chest, the tiefling took Herzaa's blade from it's leather cord at his belt. The curved and notched dagger looked like a torturer's wet dream, and had been used as much for that purpose as it had for surgery. Leaning over the youth, his delicate features a marked contrast to the rough features of the Cager tiefling, Aurelius went to work. First, he carved his team's name in Althanas Common (as opposed to his native tongue, also called Common) into the slightly tanned flesh of Zack's chest- the lack of blood flow from the wounds told the warlock his plaything was close to death. Whistling to himself, Drak'shal bound the younger man's arms together, tightly, behind his back with one of the delyn cables, the metal biting into his flesh. The second one was coiled around Zack's neck and secured to one of the exposed roof beams- at this, the kid actually woke up, eyes flickering weakly, rolling around feverishly in his brain-box.

"Glad you're awake for this, cutter. Would've been a shame if I went to all this trouble for nothin'," Aurelius smiled, patting Zack's shoulder. "You look like 'ell, by the by. I told you to watch 'er," he added, nodding to the prone form of Madison. The blonde-haired fighter managed to focus for long enough to see the blade in the fiend's hand, looming over him like some jolly specter of death. He registered the metal binding his arms and throat, before he looked up at Aurelianus, a faint smile at the corners of his blood-stained mouth.

**"G-go on then, Aurie. Don't.. pussy out on me.. now,"** he slurred, blood running down his chin with every laboured breath.

'e's got balls, I'll say that for 'im. Aurelius glanced over Zack, deliberating with himself. Could change that, he thought, but quickly dismissed the idea. The shock would kill him too quickly.

"'ave it your way, chief," he smirked, lifting the abused teen to his feet, supporting his weight- his wounded legs wouldn't be up to the task. "I win," he smiled, even as he quickly slashed low with Herzaa's blade, opening up a deep laceration across Zack's stomach.

Without another word, the Cager threw Zack from off the roof, his body hurtling down two storeys in the space of a heartbeat. But the delyn cables ran out quickly, snapping taut- they instantly arrested the teen's momentum, and in the same instant his vertebrae snapped, the gash on his stomach tore open, spilling his intestines in long wet ropes, tearing free. A moment later, Aurelius was rewarded by a hideously wet splat, as they hit the ground below, leaving a wide, visceral stain on the dirt.

"I win," he said, chuckling.

***

On the floor below, lying soaking in a pool of her own blood, Agnie's eyes flickered open. She lay still for a moment, trying to remember where she was, what had happened. Her head throbbed dully, making the fairy moan quietly. She tried to sit up, then gasped as a white-hot flash of pain seared its way along her nerves.

She finally managed to push herself onto her knees, tears streaming down her blood-marred beauty, and looked down.

She saw the ragged hole Aurelius had opened up in her stomach, but oddly, she felt little pain now. All she felt was cold. She blinked a few times, trying to clear the little black spots from her vision, but she couldn't.

The first thought to enter her mind was that the rude tiefling had ruined her dress. And it was a good one too!

She pouted in a caricature of anger, her little bow-shaped lips scowling. Her once-golden curls were dripping with matted clumps of blood, her head feeling heavy with the weight of it, and even her arm bracelets were slick with the collected ruby liquid. She had known exactly what would happen if Aurelius had caught her, and here it had happened. Still, there was no excuse for ruining her dress, especially when she had just suffered the bout of indigestion a short while ago.

The bloodied princess looked up at the door, still cracked from where the leather-and-blade clad fiend had kicked it open. She felt extremely faint, and even as she started to crawl towards the doorway, more blood spread out, dripping from the sodden fabric, even staining the lace underskirt a vivid pink.

Agnie didn't know she was dying, exactly. It just sort of.. crept up on her. But, even as death forced his icy claw into her chest, taking hold of her heart in a grip of ice, Ags' hand brushed the doorknob. She tried to drag herself to her feet, but the door didn't support her and she fell to her knees, slamming the door shut in the process. Her last thought was to picture a place, far off- a cold, dark place, deep at the bottom of an ocean. With a mischievous grin on her rosy lips, Agnie reached up with one last herculean effort, and turned the door knob.

And the ocean roared out.

She was the first to be washed away. Then, it tore through the building, the terrible, unbearable pressure smashing through doors, sending enormous cracks spider-webbing across the walls. Extravagant furnishing were obliterated as the wall of sheer, elemental force destroyed everything with its inevitable momentum.

It gutted the building, pummeling through every room, every floor, eating the mansion from the inside like a vile cancer.

It only took moments of the power of nature unleashed to destroy the mansion, sweeping Agnie and Zack away in a torrent, his body torn free from the delyn cables when the vast ocean exploded out the windows, drowning the forest around it for miles in a matter of minutes.

But, up on the roof, Madison and Aurelius had managed to avoid the worst of the destruction. Even as the tiefling allowed himself a relieved chuckle, however, a sound like the very earth was breaking apart roared ferally beneath him. Before he could even attempt to find a way out, the bottom walls of the building caved in. The ground lurched under the tiefling's feet. Great rents ripped across the stonework, sending head sized chunks falling into the deluge thundering from within. Another mournful rumble, and the rest of the building began to break apart, collapsing in on itself even as the sea erupted out.

But, as the remainder of the walls finally shattered, and the roof began to fall, unsupported from beneath; even as the entire mansion was demolished, so too was the doorway Agnie had opened. Just like that, the water stopped.

By the time the dust had settled, falling on the surface of a newly created lake, with just the merest tor of rock left, the remnants of the mansion perched atop, there was no sign of Zack or Ags. Though after a few long, agonising moments, one of the large chunks of wall began to move. It was finally thrown off, and from underneath, Aurelius dragged himself, his inky blood slathered across his skin, mixing with the plaster dust. He had broken at least one arm, his ribs, he could taste blood and he couldn't feel either of his legs, but even as he extricated himself from the rubble, spitting wads of blood, and growling in agony as the shattered shards of bone grated together under his flesh, he collapsed once again, sending a small avalanche of stones skittering down to the murky water surrounding the little island.

"I still pikin' win," he spat, as he passed out, the blackness rushing up to claim him.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Misery business vs. My Little Homicidal Maniacs

Misery Business

Plot 18/30

Story 6/10 – The Story here wasn’t terribly far from one of the more common storylines of allies fighting allies. The lack of brotherly love is about what made this a step beyond the others.

Setting 7/10 –

Pacing 5/10 -

Character 16/30

Communication 5/10 – The dialogue was running back and forth between characters, and so it’s hard to tell who wrote what, so both teams will gain the same score as I can’t penalize or reward both teams for something they may or may not have written. Not that that’s a bad thing, but in a battle too much integration hurts the battle from a judging standpoint, simply an oddity of our rubric.

Action 6/10 – As Zack is built on fighting games and Ags is a tricky fairy princess the actions were in line with characters. I’d have liked a little more, especially with the nice moment where Ags felt *gasp* guilt. Actions are more than clever posing and signature moves. Look at a character sometime, and look at their mannerisms. Have you ever watched someone acting out a character with no dialogue and you knew instinctively that’s who they were? That’s what you’re trying to achieve with Action.

Persona 5/10 – The focus on the Fighting Game references, coupled with the smaller posts from Ags hurt here. I couldn’t tell if something was in character for Zack or if it was another fighting game reference.

Prose - 18/30

Mechanics 7/10 – Writing was good, what there was of it.

Clarity 5/10 – The references to the various fighting games hurt. While I understand you both were trying, it hurt your clarity because my mind after recognizing a few of them refused to continue on till I understood them all, and I’m still certain I missed a few.

Technique 6/10 – Slightly heightened technique for attempts at the allusions. If you had made them more subtle like Madison and Aurelianus this score would be higher for the nice treat.

Wildcard: 7/10 The use of a pyrrhic victory always amuses me. I am a spiteful person and the idea of tearing down the house for no other reason than to make someone pay for ruining your dress put me in a bit of a chuckle fit.

Total - 59/100

My Little Homicidal Maniacs

Plot 19/30

Story 6/10 – Hints of a larger story help, especially when I’m feeling like this is a stop in the larger story.

Setting 6/10 –There was a few nods to setting, mainly by Aurelianus but you tried as well Madison. Still remember to show not tell me about the setting. Maybe an absent kick by Aurelianus on that wadded paper, sending it under the dresser, maybe sweat dripping off you from fighting. Things like that help solidify the setting.

Pacing 7/10 – Pacing was a bit quicker without the worry of hunting down the references.

Character 18/30

Communication 5/10 – The dialogue was running back and forth between characters, and so it’s hard to tell who wrote what, so both teams will gain the same score as I can’t penalize or reward both teams for something they may or may not have written. Not that that’s a bad thing, but in a battle too much integration hurts the battle from a judging standpoint, simply an oddity of our rubric.

Action - 6/10 – Another facet of the problem with dialogue scores. The bit with the Cigarette generated bonus points as it gave me a conduit to both characters in the same moment. The Differing reactions allow me brief glimpses of characters that the fights would otherwise lack. More like that would have been preferable.

Persona - 7/10 – Slightly higher persona awarded for Madison’s crisis of faith in the murder and slaughter. I’m giving bonus points for Aurelianus’ reaction to it, even if it was to threaten her if she fails to perform. It’s the smallest things that you choose that display character more impressively for a reader. Each choice, each decision underlines a character’s persona in ways that are otherwise intangible.

Prose - 19/30

Mechanics 7/10 – Solid writing all around, couldn’t complain about most of it, even if it was confusing to read.

Clarity 5/10 – While I understand the use of Cockney accent, it hurts my brain to filter that and get all the slang. By the end of it I got the hang of it, but having to reread the words a few times to understand hurt your clarity.

Technique - 7/10 – Your use of Fighting Game Allusions was better and softer in terms of integration. While they were obvious they didn’t detract and felt less forced.

Wildcard: 0/10 Wild Card Zeroed out due to post time failures on BaBE and Aurelianus missing post times.

02-23-13, 04:47 PM posted by Agnes, next post by Aurelianus at 02-26-13, 03:12 AM.

02-27-13, 05:06 PM posted by Zack Blaze, next post by Black and Blue Eyes at 03-03-13, 04:59 PM.


Total ~ 56/100

Misery Business wins

Zack Blaze receives 1925 EXP and 48 GP
Ags receives 1925 EXP and 35 GP
BlackandBlueEyes receives 478 EXP and 34 GP
Aurelianus Drak'shal receives 478 EXP and 34 GP

[Mordelain]

Experience and gold added.