The Mime vs. Uukan Kimari

[Ther]

This match-up will last until 8 P.M. E.S.T. on 2/16/07. Remember, if you finish your battle early, I can score you early - and finishing early is a good, good thing always.

Best of luck!

[Uukan Kimari]

Uukan took a deep breathe and held it without exhaling for an entire minute. From head to toe, he tried hard not to make the minutest of movements or noises. With newfound concentration, his heart beat steadily became apparent. Sounds, even when he was blind, grew inherently louder. After nearly dying in Alerar, Uukan and Wolfy would go to the forests of Radasanth to train and try overcoming his greatest weakness. Living life on knife's edge, he knew that he would need to fight stronger opponents, even if they were once friends.

"Snap," the sound of a branch collapsing under the weight of the snow.

Uukan's left hand hovered over the hilt of the katana, his back hunched and knees slightly bent. In a single fluid motion, he reacted to the noise from behind by twisting his hip and shifting his weight his right wooden sandal. The right thumb placed below the hilt, the young samurai steadied the blade until the moment he felt the timing was right because of his inability to see. Uukan swiftly lowered his hand to the hilt and thrust the blade while extending his leg until the tip of the sandal touched the icy ground and sliced the falling snow right before it hit the ground.

I should not of done that.

A river of red drained into a cavern of the snow that turned a light pink over time. Uukan could only twist his wrist in pain while letting the blood drip from the tip of his thumb and mix in patterns only Wolfy and others could see.

"That is enough training for today, Wolfy. I guess it is too early to try sword drawing with my left hand." The blind man winced while complaining to his Dire Wolf friend.

"Radasanth." Uukan raised his arms relief. "I missed getting drunk and messing with the wenches until sun rise."

Wolfy shirked lazily about in the fluffy snow that padded against each paw, while its owner rambled on.

[The Mime]

The snow was not particulary deep but foot-prints were usually left behind in the drifts...this creature however left nothing, not a scrape of the claw, not a crunch on powder, it was almost as if he were gliding upon the top of the snow as he travelled onwards. Entirely wrapped in silence the Homonculous mime let his mask flit from one sight to the next, despite his constant marching he was reluctant to move from each foot-step..but the promise of even more fresh scenery compelled him to move. That soft black hair and his scarf billowing out lightly behind him, wind or not he didn't know this was just something that often happened to him, a traveller he had spoken to seemed to accuse him of having in-built dramatic effects but how a simple waving of the scarf be dramatic?

While one hand swept back and forth through the air beside him, his other kept its hold on the strap of his satchel, that small travelling bag which contained so very little, no weapon visible on the Mime apart from his claws and indeed he had no interest in them yet...father was no warrior, he was an academic and abhorred violence...why raise your prodigy in that kind of way?

Through the light snow-fall came meandering a figure of tall stature yet thin bearing, inhuman digits marring his otherwise gentle seeming nature...an air of foreboding creeping upon those who watched but it was not the intention of this being to cause unease it merely happened. His steps continued falling, no need for rest, nor for food, endlessly this being walked across the earth whatever attempted to cover it and experiance...that was his goal to experiance all he could...yes that would not make a bad passage for the journal, must note that down

His dangling arm raised itself up, elbow and wrist bending like no humans could to open up his satchel, plucking out from it a crisp, leather bound book and a pencil, its wooden surface marred by small dents and scratches that showed while he tried the Mime could not always be perfect precise in extracting his wares from that bag. If he had approached anyone the Mime had no idea, he was enthralled once again by his love of the written word, walking blindly on top of the snow, his pencil etching its mark upon the blank pages, filling them with memories, with knowledge...giving life to this book, it felt so...wonderful.

[Uukan Kimari]

"What should we do now, Wolfy?" Uukan lowered a knee beside the lethargic dire wolf. With an uninjured left hand, he vigorously petted his furry friend between its ears.

"You are not your usual frisky self, boy." Uukan asked quizitively only to receive a whimpering response, as the wolf pawed at the snow with velocity.

That reminds me.

Uukan's hands retreated within his kimono to find his satchel that he hide properly beneath the silk clothe. He revealed a piece of paper that was given by those in charge of the Althanaversary tournament, yet the samurai was unable to read it himself. Wolfy suddenly worked himself into a frantic starring at the weird figure in the distance, while his owner tried to remember what he was told about his opponent.

"Is something wrong?" The blind man announced because he was worried about the sudden shaking of Wolfy.

In fear, there are several instincts in humans and animals that they share. They can flee from the cause of their fear and survive to live another day or in Wolfy's case decide to fight this supposed monstrous creature. Wolfy bared its fangs and claws as it ripped through the snow like a tiger locked on its prey.

“Stop it, Wolfy. You might hurt someone.” Uukan yelled at the sprinting dire wolf.

[The Mime]

Why did I enter this...a tournament draws warriors...father did not state that I was one, though I have been able to fight...still too little to second guess myself, a tad too late...this is where the opponent is meant to be...

It took some doing but the Homonculous Mime finally lifted his head from his eloquently written diary,easing it and the pencil back into his small satchel, the thing would be even smaller if it weren't for his violin. If only he had somewhere safe to store it...still there was something odd about that-...oh dear.

That black dog is...approaching rather,oh my..

As the imaginatively named pet tore towards the Mime he slowly lowered himself down, it was not an unusual assumption that wild beasts would take an unliking to him, nor for domesticated ones...just that this was one of the few times it had happened. Perhaps this was his opponent?...could a regular four legged canine fill out an application form?...he could at least sign it with an X, that would have been rather suprising, or perhaps signed by paw...curious. Shaken from his thoughts by the loud growling the unborn being managed to spy through the white spray it churned up to see the crouched figure.

Ah...he is my opponent, I see a kimono and most likely one of those blades designed for one hit victories...I wonder how easy it could cleave through me...

With Wolfy finally drawing up The Mime hopped silently and cleanly from the white powder covering the ground and managed to land a claw upon the canines nose, using that to throw his other foot forth onto its back just in time to remove his previous leg before the hound snapped and attempted to bite and then hopped forth, closing...well a rather meagre distance between he and the opponent but at the least it was progress, it was only at that moment when the Mime went over the events and recalled the voice of the possible opponent.

...Maybe he isn't my quarry, this could just be a hermit and his protector...umm...how should I apologize..

[Uukan Kimari]

"Wolfy, get back here," Uukan commanded with authority.

The dire wolf reeled in pain, when a finger nail dissected its right nasal passage. In distress, the wolf covered its snout in snow and paws. Uukan, unable to do anything, stood up and listened to the onslaught of assorted sounds emitted by his companion. The pair of sandals he wore unable to grip the slick snow, as he tried to balance his weight while jogging toward the source of the wolf's yelping.

"Is everything all right? I hope no one is hurt."

Uukan skidded to a halt, when he tried to arch the sandal. The samurai knelt to the cold snow and waded around through it with his left hand, until he felt the fur of his friend. Before he petted the wolf once more, the young samurai reached for a piece of clothe that wrapped the hilt and sheathe. Because of his injured thumb he could hardly care for the soaked dire wolf without hurting himself further.

"I wish you could answer, Wolfy. How am supposed to take care of you, if you cannot speak?"

The paper that Uukan reveived for the Althanaversary tournament became garbage, as he tossed it aside and began wrapping his thumb.

[The Mime]

How am I supposed to challenge you if I cannot speak!...oh dear...I, really didn't mean for that umm...Wolfie?...Wolfie it is then

Slowly stepping back to the whining pet and its owner the Mime seemed to cringe, his claw must have slipped...or not taken into account how fast the animal could move, he had only meant to jump over it in two steps rather than give it the makings for a rather curious story to tell its pack-mates with high exaggeration. The overly tall Homonculous stepping around the two, unsure of what to do really...maybe attempting a tournament was a bad idea, or else someone with a rather twisted sense of humour arranged this one.

Exactly how can I formulate my thoughts into a coherent and eloquent offering of words from the language of common and hence-forth clear up this mess and either give my heart-felt apology or begin combat in which I will...have to beat up a blind man...how to do that in silence...

He paced back and forth behind the two, lanky arms dangling by his side, rising up to fold, scratching at the fore-head of his mask...then back to dangling before finally he gave a long inaudible sigh, staring up at the sky as if to try and glean what kind of cruel god would pit him against such a morally...worrying fight. Finally he couldn't take this any longer and leant down giving a pointy clawed tap to Uukan.

....hello?

[Uukan Kimari]

Uukan rubbed his freshly dressed thumb into the snowing cover, as he hoped to numb the throbbing pain that ensured once it was bandaged. While he tended to his companion, his mind traversed the memory that brought the two together. Ithy laid there on his death bed engulfed in a pillar of fire and all Uukan could do was stare helplessly while weeping for his vanishing friend, as he spoke of the will that bound the dire wolf and samurai together.

"I do not deserve you, Wolfy. I knew he had too much faith in me."

Uukan felt a soft tapping against his backside. His body taken over by instinct jutted left then right, as if he could tell by looking in those directions to where the source of the touches that interrupted his thought processes was.

What is it?

Uukan wrapped his hands around the fur of Wolfy and tried to calm the suddenly wild dire wolf down, as he continued to feel the sharp object dig into his back.

"What do you want?" The blind samurai stammered, as he turned to respond to whatever was behind him.

[The Mime]

Despite not being human...well...he couldn't resist it, The Mimes arms waving in front of the strangers face, the Homonculous seeming to be performing an interpretive dance about the heart-ache inherent in the autumn months when your naught but a shoe-shining boy...or it was a brief spurt of hyperactivity,hard to say really. Finally the manifestation of an art style let his arms to the sides, shoulders dropping and just looking at his opponent...well he assumed this was his opponent, there was a sword handle poking free and that thing was a tad bit large to be a seeing eye dog.

If there is an after-life for me I know all to well that this incident will be brought up in precise detail as they sum up my influence on the world and what I had accomplished...I cannot see this being a favourable mention...what to do...

Taking a step back the homonculous pondered many avenues of making his presence...though sadly not his introduction clear. A simple snow-ball was often a declaration of hostile intent, however childish...perhaps a brief swatting of the vagrants nose using his long hair...or there is always the continued poking, maybe he won't be tempting hell if the blind man makes the first strike. It isn't all that viable to ask ones purpose with a blast of the harmonica however well you practice.

I do wonder what kind of malicious thoughts would enter my mind if I had been born a clown with impatience rather than a mime of peaceful nature...if only braile were as portable as the written word...oh well, on with the futile efforts

Rolling his head far too long and wide than any human could the Mime limply lifted up one of his long,thin arms and resumed poking at the blind-mans shoulder...trying not to be too hard of course but the temptation to shout out 'Oi Blindy!' was slowly growing hard to ignore.

[Uukan Kimari]

What is this, charades? If so, the first word is poke. No, is it annoying? Second word must be really. Therefore, this must be really, annoying.

Uukan chuckled to himself, as his left hand retreated from the side of Wolfy and fell to the hilt of the katana at the samurai's waist. The blind man tried to use humor to calm himself and forget the jabbing at the trapezius muscle of his back. It boggled his mind on whether or not he could hit the bastard, when he remembered the real reason he trained here with the dire wolf in the first place and that was to gauge his attacks on the length of the sword coupled to his side.

Ever since Uukan suffered blindness at the hands of his opponent during the Magus Tournament, he had never felt the same. The very thought of being bludgeoned by a mace still haunts his dreams to the point he curses his own weaknesses. The samurai lost his pride and did not commit seppuku because he had been a rogue for almost five years next month.

"Is that what I think it is, Alex?"

"If you mean a mime poking a kneeling samurai, then yes, that is what you are thinking, Jenna." A man no older than twenty-five murmured.

[The Mime]

The Mime finally lost his patience and backed up from the blind swordsman...least he assumed he was a swordsman, not many cut their thumb when swinging a blade about. Grumbling in utter silence the Homonculous' vision turned to the spectators...he hadn't noticed them before, but then he had only noticed the Wolf when it began approaching, as he walked towards them, barely even scuffing the powder covering the ground with those claws. A note was jotted down and then shown to the on-lookers, a rather simple, though fancily written note.

I was told my opponent is a man named Uukan Kamari for a tournament...if that is him could you please get his attention?

He gave a glance back to his possible opponent and could not get the feeling out of him that this would either be rather dull...or rather unpredictable...he could always poke the swordsman once then just jump away and wait for him to fall in exhaustion.

[Uukan Kimari]

"I do not know who you are or why you are so annoying but this has gone on for too long."

Even with the injured thumb, Uukan grasped the hilt with his right hand as tightly as possible. Blood soaked through the clothe that covered his thumb and curled around the hilt guard that danced down the edge of the blade. With Wolfy still pawing his nose in agony, the samurai was left alone to figure out how to overcome the challenges that were set in place. Without his sight and hearing, the blind man had only three remaining senses to use against this creature.

"I will use my own strengths to fight. No longer will I only rely on just my enemies' weaknesses."

Uukan felt a tingling sensation spread about his extremities, when he relaxed all of the tension that built up while the stranger harassed him, as he cared for his furry companion, Wolfy. The samurai slide his left arm against the rough, steel blade, as it drank fresh blood gapping from the newly opened wound, and soaked itself bright red from hilt to tip.

Damn it to hell. The clothe that covered the blind man's eyes bunched up, as his whole face washed over with pain and tears.

The sword dripping in Uukan's blood softly drooped backwards when with a swift snap of the wrist sent the blood in the direction of where the person once poked the blind man in the back. When the moment was right, he knew that whomever it was they emit no noise and marked where he had to run in his normal dashing position with the katana held reversed over the forehead.

[The Mime]

Theres no logical reason he`d know the Mime makes no sound but whatever...

The blood made a sound alright as it splattered across the snow...every drop of it in fact made noise as it stained the white powder...the reason for this was rather simple, a many number of feet away, out of range of said detection method...however flawed for any opponent but the Mime...stood that very lanky homonculous. In front of him were the two spectators who had commented earlier and he was still trying to get an answer from them, it appeared...rather dishearteningly that they were not educated in reading cursive, the Mime trembling slightly as his letters were forced in print. It seemed strangely cruel to make words of common in such an unelegant design, narcissism for ones hand-writing...curious.

IS THIS MAN UUKAN KIMARI?

"Oooooh, yes, yes thats him, the bleeding one"

If possible the Mime would have blinked and turned around to face his opponent...indeed he was bleeding and quite a large splat had been spread around him, rather messy individual. Taking a moment the Homonculous wrote out another note to the on-lookers and then returned to gaze at his opponent...what a strange being, blind...a rather large and ill-trained guide dog...along with a masochist nature?

DO NOT SPEAK OF WHERE I AM, THIS SHOULD ONLY BE BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE

Both of them nodded in approval and gave their signal that from here on their mouths would be shut. The faceless artist of silence could have smiled if he had lips and then slowly hunkered down in the snow, getting himself quite comfortable indeed...what to do to fill the time before his opponent falls out cold...it seemed a bit of a hollow victory but he was not going to hit a defenceless blind man, however sharp his sword.

[Uukan Kimari]

Thanks for restoring my inspiration. My disdain for everything spawned this character. Also, the inner voice is in navy blue. Most of Uukan's story was lost in the server move, so his inner demon cannot be found in any recent threads or his profile. Most of the events took place in the LCC, Magus cup, and Ithy's death bed.

He must have fallen for it. I cannot be sure where he is, but I can use my other plan.

"Wolfy, I need you to get it." Uukan motioned in the direction of where the young samurai liberated his blood.

"Slink." The sound echoed in the blind man's ears, when the katana sunk into the snowy ground.

You, of all people, awoke me, kid.

Who is there?

You forgot me, already.

Forgetting you is easy.

Awe that does not sound like the same weakling I inhabited. Did you grow a spine while I was away?

A lot of things changed since I became aware of you.

Well it is rare for demons to possess other demons, but for one possessing a half bred, like yourself. We are talking about a million in one chance, kid.

What are you talking about?

Poor baby, did I say too much?

Does Yomato know this?

How the hell would I know that? Also, you should worry more about your weakass, masochist self, kid.

You do have a soft side.

No fucking way. I just do not feel like dying twice in my extended lifetime. Now stop with the girly chitchat and bandage up that wound you so stupidly inflicted.

But I have a plan.

Yeah and? If I cared for an opinion, I would have asked for one. You are not permanently blind, kid. Your dormant demonic blood started changing your body. Your eyes are better than ever, and you can see not just in the light but also in the dark.

How is that possibly?

My possessing your body awakens your latent abilities that your blood carries. And enough with the pleasantries, for I will give you a choice, this time. I allow you to be aware of my voice, otherwise, you would be just as ignorant as before Sei spoke to you of Yomato. You can either lose your mind and become my puppet or you can live under my strict will only.

Uukan's blood stained the pure white mixture. With both hands to his sides and no life to his frame, it looked like a defeated and broken figurine left astray in the snow, when the samurai suddenly came to life and instinctively reached out and grabbed the sheathe and untwined the clothe with haste and curled the first section around his fist, until he had enough to cover the gapping wound.

Good boy. I see you have chosen to become my willing servant, as you should of five years ago.

I would rather be dead than follow your orders.

However, you are so good at it, now.

I never agreed to anything.

You listen well, kid, I have been alive for thousands of years, and you should be glad I have not made you kill yourself long ago.

Yeah and kill you in the process?

I can always find a new body, but I still feel your pain to some extent and that fucking hurt. Now pick up the sword and feel the air around you, while your eyes are closed.

But I cannot see.

Do I have to explain it again? Your sight was never truly gone. Now take off that soaked rag covering your eyes when I say so.

Okay already.

Uukan's right hand snapped toward the hilt and held it tightly in his grasp until the wound on his thumb started bleeding profusely. The blade of the katana began rattle and shake with velocity that began absorbing all of the blood that surrounded the grey haired warrior. Black smog enveloped the young samurai when all of the surrounding noise became a blur in the man's mind.

Now.

With the toss of Uukan's left wrist the material covering his blue eyes became one with the wind and flew off in the blinding dusk that grew every moment. Blood red encircled both pupils once icy blue now shone like emeralds. The explosion of processes in his receptors caused him only to see a white pattern that slowly faded away. The first time he could see in two years and only stared at the clouds traversing the sky.

Snap out of it and attack, you lazy bum.

But I can finally go back to Ithy.

I do not give a fuck about him or any of your friends. Now kill those slags of meat.

Only that creature over there.

This is not the give your opinion hour. Go before I make you do something you will really regret.

The sword moved on its own and pointed at the throat of Wolfy.

All right, I get it. Just do not kill him.

Uukan slide his fingers down the back of the katana squeezing the tip of his fingers near the point of the weapon. The dark cloud formed in all directions did not hinder the renewed sight of the former blind man. The piercing red eyes matched that of a demon, as he stared down his prey for the first time.

"Here I come."

[The Mime]

...his blindness isn't even listed on his profile at any point and now you've just cured it using an inner demon that WOULD need to be mentioned, that is not on

So now the blind man was no longer blind... a tad convulted pondered the homonculous as he flipped through the well-worn diary. Just after skipping past the ninth, a small jotted down note that reminded him to purchase some thread for his scarf, the Mime softly closed his record of deeds, barely even moving the rest of his body as that bending arm slipped it back inside the travel pack. Snapping back into a more human shape his arm gently laid itself back on his lap before, with nary a sound the Mime rose up onto his feet... not much enthusiasm in said action but then he was not a great advocate of violence.

I do wonder why I entered this tournament in the first place... so was this all some form of trick or self-inflicted handicap?... it seems a little tricky to beleive a blind man can suddenly see, still he is beckoning his approach of me, suppose I should wait

That he did, those lanky arms rising up only to fall upon each other, claws rapping lightly at his shoulders and back simply from the thinness of his own frame and the length of those limbs. Might as well see how this foe will strike and plan around that... was still a mystery to himself why he entered this tournament, did not seem something to enter on a whim, yet, here he was.

[Uukan Kimari]

What are you writing, poetry?

I had to say something.

Just shut up and kill them already.

Ever since you reared your ugly head, you have been acting like an enraged parent.

Again, your opinion is not appreciated. Do you want your precious Wolfy to be killed because I can still slay him?

No, not him. I will do it.

Good, I am becoming impatient and you will not like me when I am upset.

A tingling sensation spread across Uukan's arm, as his grip from the tip of the blade weakened. All strength and pressure he applied to the sword began fading the moment the samurai's limb fell limp to his side. Blood slowly dyed the white wrapping a light pink hue, until it made its way to the warriors palm and fingers. To make up for this, Uukan dropped his right arm to his side letting the katana pierce the snowy cover with ease.

The black kimono caught a breeze, when he took the first step from his resting place. All his energy focused on keeping a balanced footing on the slick pathway, while he ran forward. The sword trailing along the young man sliced the icy mixture into a paste. With the darkness growing and his strength weakening, the young samurai used his upper body, as he whipped the blade upwards through the snow that aimed at his opponent's thigh and waist.

Yes. Maim him. Tear his bones and muscles to shreds.

[The Mime]

There was no vocal exchange in the Mimes mind, no moments of confusion, the homonculous say it all happen so very clearly. As the blade came up the silent sucess of alchemic processes brought his own right arm down, giving a light hop back in the meantime, the sword sailed through the air in front of his legs before the Mime began to move... upwards in fact. Two claws on the left and one on the right of Uukans sword, claw-tips pressed to the flat of the blade and the swing was lifting the entire six foot six creation off the ground, a simple twist of his form and the Mime was now doing a very relaxed looking hand-stand with his body mostly pointing straight up. While his back was to Uukan getting the opponent in sight was no problem as his head bent backwards upon that neck joint, leaving the Mime mask facing Uukan the right way up, perched on that blade by claw.

The back-pack slung on his shoulders sank downwards due to gravity but the Mime was disturbingly unaffected and like a whip he brought his whole form spinning around that shoulder joint, his back and such being brought forward and down at his adversary. But it was only for a momentary boost, both feet barely even causing a line of a dent through the Samurais kimono before leaping off entirely, a quick spin in the air and landing behind the sword-weilder... staring silently at the back of his opponents head.

[Uukan Kimari]

Uukan contorted his body to match the reaction of the creature and leap forward, after he let the sword fly into the snow. The young samurai reached into the clothe of the kimono and revealed a steel dagger and twirled the hilt between his thumb and middle finger, until it caught the pointer finger where he sent it flying with an action of the wrist toward the stranger's face.

Reverting the right wrist, the samurai unsheathed his shoto and brought the blade over his head and held it upright, as he prepared for an reaction.

[Ther]

Uukan Kimari

Story
Continuity – 5 (Okay introduction but no idea of where your character was before – the Althanversary reference is a nice touch, though.)
Setting – 3 (The setting was pretty bland and unremarkable, and neither of you did much with it.)
Pacing- 3 (The battle seemed to take forever to start properly and the thread was unfinished.)
Writing Style
Mechanics – 5 (Use commas in your dialogue instead of periods – see any piece of published fiction for how to format this. Also, look out for typos as well.)
Technique – 4
Clarity – 5 (Pretty easy to read except in some of the longer back-and-forth dialogue parts.)
Character
Dialogue – 4 (I would’ve liked for the dialogue, especially the back-and-forth at the end, to be spaced out a little better instead of single lines of text.)
Action – 3 (See The Mime’s comment in this category.)
Persona – 5 (Mentioning how your character received his blindness was a nice touch, as was him being cured of it later in the thread.)
Misc.
Wild Card – 2 (Incomplete battle and the being cured of blindness, while a nice story move, is something that borders on a significant character change without approval.)

Total – 39

The Mime

Story
Continuity – 5 (Again, no real idea of where your character came from previous or why he is where he is.)
Setting – 3 (Same as Shadowwalker - the setting was pretty bland and unremarkable and neither of you did much with it.)
Pacing – 3 (Same as Shadowwalker - The battle seemed to take forever to start properly and the thread was unfinished.)
Writing Style
Mechanics – 4 (A sentence like this “That soft black hair and his scarf billowing out lightly behind him, wind or not he didn't know this was just something that often happened to him, a traveller he had spoken to seemed to accuse him of having in-built dramatic effects but how a simple waving of the scarf be dramatic?” in Post #1 is awkward to read because it runs-on. This is really the biggest flaw in your mechanics – that and switching back and forth between present and past tense, as in Post #9.)
Technique – 4
Clarity – 3 (The tense changes made the thread hard to read…try writing everything in one tense or another, I think past works best.)
Character
Dialogue – 3 (The overuse of ellipsis in your dialogue harmed you greatly.)
Action – 3 (Was looking forward to the battle but it never seemed to actually begin in earnest until later…this and the pacing score was hurt by the late start.)
Persona – 3 (No character change, really.)
Misc.
Wild Card – 2 (The only thing worse then potentially powergaming is metagaming, alas.)

Total – 33

Both characters earn normal EXP.

[Ther]

Uukan earns 950 EXP and 100 GP and raises to Level 1.
Mime earns 650 EXP and 50 GP.