Description: The vampiric tournament organizers have arranged for each fighter to be granted CIRCLETS of gold. The motif seems Egyptian, sort of -- but not quite. It's not just for show, though -- these circlets will allow each fighter to share one another's current thoughts, without delving too deeply into the subconscious. It will probably be distracting at first! Dr Tessitore explains further, "You will be able to move in complete harmony with one another, to experience the hive mind sensation without any messy skin grafts or surgical procedures! Trust me, this is a lot less painful, and almost as much fun!"
"GENTLEMEN!"
"BEHOLD!"
"SCIENCE!!!"
The black-haired woman in the lab coat snaps her long rubber glove from cast-iron grating standing between her and a very, almost impossibly dark room. Doctor Tessitore was a bit young to be a scientist. But what the italian lacked in credentials, she compensated with creativity. Scurring around behind the cast iron grate upon four, spindly spider legs jutting from her back, the woman has a feral grin on her face, her black goggles concealing her eyes. With her, a few strange, pale-skinned humanoids dressed in lab coats flit around, moving with unnatural grace. Dr. Tessitore reaches a large hand lever, and with a great heave, pulls the switch.
And the lights go on within the other room.
The room is shaped in an octagon shape; iron grating on each of the sides of the room. The floor is iron as well, studded with sharp rivets across rusted iron bars. On every other wall, a pair of heavy iron doors sit, making a grand total of four of them. Through the grating across the walls, pairs of glowing red eyes occassionally flicker to light, before fading away. Dr. Tessitore clears her throat, reaching the edge of the grate, peering into the room. There is a moment of slience as the good doctor reaches a microphone dangling in the middle of the labortory grounds. Tapping it a few times, loud feedback rings out, before her voice emerges.
"BRING IN THE TEST SUBJECTS!"
Chloe doesn't really want to be here.
After her last (inconclusive) match, Chloe thought it might be a better idea to just get out of Majigen, go home, and abandon this place to the freaks and worrisome people who seem to infest it. It wasn't what she expected and it wasn't what she liked.
Unfortunately, she couldn't figure out how to get out. She doesn't fly and the locusts seemed singularly unhelpful about getting her out. It's like they wanted her to stick around for her next match... and in fact, one of the times she tried to get out, they brought her here.
Chloe is mostly not fleeing because she hopes that, if she finishes /this/ fight, maybe they'll let her get out of the whole twisted dimension. Which is why she's agreed to subject herself to - well, she doesn't know. Wearing a crown, but it's not like anyone told her what it did before she did it...
At the moment, she is perched on a chair and waiting for what she has been told will be her opponents - and apparently partner. Chloe finds it more comfortable to sit on them backwards nowadays.
The kitsune's memories of the invents that occured after her fight with the angry mobs were at best blurry. Using her illusions, she managed to hide herself and crawl away from the mass. She thought she was safe, and this ultimate effort left her unconscious in some dark alley.
Heavy metallic noises are slowly stirring her up from her deep slumber. The woman feels this alien circlet bound tightly around her forehead and she groans softly. Through it, she feels someone's presence -- likewise, this might allow Chloe to finally sense Kiyomi's presence spreading into her own mind as she recovers her senses.
The iron gates open and Kiyomi rises to her full height, one hand reaching out for the handle of her katana as she slowly ventures out and into the testing floor. A bit of fear plagues her mind though Kiyomi steadies herself and hardly shows it, instinct driving her to conceal that fear of the unknown.
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi has started a fight here.
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Kiyomi 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Chloe has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Kiyomi
COMBATSYS: Daniel has joined the fight here.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Scratch has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Kiyomi
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Daniel 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Scratch
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Scratch
If the others don't want to be here, then Scratch DEFINITELY doesn't want to be here. Not so much the city, as it is where the city has been swallowed up into. Sure, the city was a wreck for the most part, but it was still HER city, and after seeing the crap that's befallen it, even last week during another fight she was forced into, she really didn't like things as they stood. And yet, here she is, caught up in another fight against her own will, and with a circlet (what the hell is a circlet anyway? A crown, a tiara, what) forcibly put on her head.
Pacing, she's forced to wait until her own gate finally rises and lets her free, the skater pushing herself out finally so she can feel like she's not COMPLETELY penned in. "****'s sake, finally," the rude girl snaps out, grumbling and grousing loudly as she starts to circle a little. "....I guess you guys were caught too?" she asks to Kiyomi and Chloe, not knowing either, and honestly really not caring. She just wants to get things done and get the hell out of here.....
And then the fourth subject arrives.
Another one of the iron doors open, and two figures emerge. One was a pale-skinned woman dressed as in scrubs, eyes glinting with a feral gleam. In her arms was Daniel Jack, world detective of Interpol. The dark-skinned man was dressed in a stained, ripped three-piece grey suit. The man is hurled in, landing with a thump and a groan in the room. "Ambubble... Burr." He mutters, blinking his eyes as he fights to come to a stand. Another peal of feedback comes over the speakers, forcing him to cover his ears, as the good doctor speaks.
"HELLO SUBJECTS!"
"WELCOME TO SCIENCE!"
The woman is excitable as she rattles out, rocking on her spindly spider legs emerged from her back. Daniel's escort quickly leaves, as the detective comes to a stand. Rubbing his eyes now, the woman continues. "I apologize for any difficulties you may have run into when acquiring you. Consent, as you know, is such a messy word. But who needs consent when there is progress at hand! You have the unmitigated opportunity to join us in the chance of a lifetime, to uncover the truth behind some fantastic artifacts we have uncovered!"
"Do you like BEES?"
"Bees are incredible creatures," She rambles on, clinging on to the microphone. "They have a hive mind, according to some theories! And while I have no grounds to test this theory, I do want to see what happens when such high-functioning creatures like yourself share the same mind! Around each of your heads are crowns, or circlets. I don't know, I don't know jewelry very well!" Daniel Jack, hearing this, reaches up to his head. Touching his brow, he feels the golden crown around his head. His eyes goes wide, and immediately, he struggles, attempting to take it off.
"Don't try to remove them, you can't!
The doctor swings from the microphone. We haven't figured out how to yet." And true to her words, Daniel Jack goes nowhere. Looking shocked, he looks at the other subjects. Scratch was a mystery, the foxwoman... the foxwoman was a mystery. But Chloe? The detective looks at the girl sitting there, and quickly gives her a knowing nod.
He remembered Chloe.
"But I'm sure we can try out some theories!" The doctor continues to babble. "We have a real chance for you to give us feedback on how the devices work, how they help you share your minds, your thoughts, your inner desires..." She throws a finger towards one of the instrument panels. "And while we're at it, lets pit humans vs darkstalkers, shall we?" One of the thirteen strangers throws another switch. And suddenly, with a surge of energy, the room floods with violet light. The crowns begin to glow with purple light, as suddenly... thoughts begin to fill each of the subject's head.
Thoughts not their own.
The doctor shrieks. "Amazing! I didn't know they could do that! Okay, begin to fight! Darkstalkers vs Humans! Remember, if you don't start wailing into each other, I have to start introducing other variables to help the onward march of science forward!"
"Or I will just start sending electrical shocks in the room, I don't know."
The scienctist asides to one of the helpers.
"Do we have electrical shocks in here?"
The helper just shrugs.
Chloe does not like bees. She doesn't care about their hive mind, their stingers, or their honey. (Well, maybe the honey. But not much.)
Of course, it's not like she's going to get much of a choice in the matter. She's already been given a crown, or circlet, or whatever - Chloe doesn't know that kind of jewelry either. She's wearing it, because she thought it was little more than a decoration. Maybe they had some kind of a themed match going, she doesn't know.
It turns out they do. Just... not the kind of theme she was hoping for.
"What the hell," Chloe says, as she starts to feel someone she doesn't know - just a little, but really, that's enough to be creepy as anything. "Seriously, what the hell! I didn't sign up for this!" She isn't quite panicking, but she's definitely more than a little bit uneasy - something Kiyomi is going to be getting in /spades/.
The kitsune slowly strides out of her iron gate. The mature woman stares at the other persons present, a slow frown forming on her face. She remains silent and assesses coldly those who share the same predicament than she does, her hand staying near the pommel of her sword.
Instinctively, the kitsune used her phantasmal powers to shroud her tails underneath a veil of illusions. Her lingering dizziness from her sudden awakening had left her illusions somewhat sluggish, most likely allowing others to see blurred movements behind her as her tail sways back and forth.
Kiyomi listens to the instructions, one hand caressing the metallic circlet around her forehead. Her lips curl into a smile as the fear fades away from her and Kiyomi simply draws her sword from its scabbard.
For all Kiyomi cares, this is a vain attempt at duplicating the spirit of the pack : perhaps something more complicated. Her eyes rest on the Chloe, sensing her uneasiness somewhat. She keeps the blade low, her features warm and filled with compassion, "Don't worry... I'll take care of them and we'll be out of here in no time,"
She turns her head toward the loud-mouthed Scratch, her gentle expression fading away to a stern and cold one : that warmth fades away for a more poisonous kind of primal emotion : pure spite.
She lifts her blade up in the air, caressing the flat side of the edge with her hand, causing the blade to shimmer with a purple glow. She then slashes her sword in front of her in Scratch's direction, hurling a psychic wave of energy at her.
COMBATSYS: Scratch blocks Kiyomi's Lame Spirituelle.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/------=/=======|>------\-------\0 Scratch
Looking to her side, scowling, Scratch looks at the pair of figures that emerge. "You!" she shouts at the weird spider-legged woman. She's never seen her before, she's sure, but the way she speaks, it's clear she's the reason behind this all. "Screw y-"
Then bees come up, and Scratch shuts up, a worried expression reaching her face. "Wh-..." Thankfully, no actual bees come out it seems, but when things are touched on, she suddenly feels her brain filled with information that is clearly not from her own brain. "AUGH!!!! WHAT THE ****!" she shouts, clutching her head a little.
Unfortunately, that's not the only thing she has to worry about right now As she sees the flash of Kiyomi's blade, she's forced to bring her arms up rather hastily, pushed back by the force of the psychic wave that splashes against her arms. The searing is enough to get her to growl out as her wheels push her back even more until she brakes on them. "GNnhh...dammit all," she grumbles, looking to Daniel. "HEY!! Wake up!" she shouts to Daniel before rushing back at Kiyomi. Her brain is a mess right now as she tries to parse things, but she's not about to stand for this without a fight. Sliding forward once she nears the swordswoman, she tries to clip her ankles out from underneath her, and cross her up, hopefully making it harder for either 'Darkstalker' to tag her in return.
Daniel's mind begins to clear.
As the scientist squeals from the safety of the grid, Scratch may begin to feel the muddle of the thoughts become clear. Very clear, almost clinical in structure. The rush in her mind thrusts in as Daniel thinks. He thinks, and he analyzes.
And they come with bulletpoints.
Details:
* I am in a iron prison of some sort. My head is clear; I don't think I am hallucinating anymore. I hate those beetles. I am glad I saved some of them, but I hate those god damned beetles.
* Crazy, but somewhat cute, woman with spider legs out of her back is telling me I need to fight other people. Okay. * Human vs Darkstalker. I am human. Therefore, I need to identify who counts as 'Darkstalker.'
* My companions and fellow prisoners are also moderately attractive, and cover a diverse range of different body times and implicit personality types.
* Chloe is back! Fantastic, I remember her from the UN inicident with that awful goth kid that disembowled and flayed me. She's still a bit mannish, and she has that freaky mutant look, but I like her. I think I can trust her. SHe is probably a darkstalker though, that might mean we will need to fight. Eh, I can shut her down without hurting her too much.
*Kimono lady almost looks like Kasumi's mom; Todoh's wife. A lot more attractive; very attractive. Excellent body type. She's probably very dangerous. The good looking ones are ALWAYS dangerous. If she flirts with me, I'll try and stoic it out; if she doesn't flirt with me, I'll flirt with her. Gotta see what her deal is. is
* No idea what the girl next to me is like. Looks like a punk kid on rollerblades, and has a bunch of spraycans. Probably a street urchin. Not too cute, I guess, probably too young for me. Still, she looks normal too. I'm either paired with that bombshell babe, or the kid. I hope it's the cute the woman. If not, I'll try and protect her nobly, and make myself look honorable to Chloe and that babe.
*Lot of background noise in my thoughts, no idea what it is. It isn't like the Butcher's soul eating crap, and I don't think it is aftereffects from the hallucations.
*Something about reading thoughts and hive minds? Bees? This is clearly a mad scientist of some sort. We aren't going to leave this place after this fight. She isn't gonna let us go without a fight.
* The beautiful woman is taking the first move. She does show a strong mothering instinct towards Chloe. Maybe they have met in the past before as well? Look at that expression as she attacks the punk girl though. Amazing. Such grace. Such power! *The punk girl must be human. Damn. The punk girl is pretty crude. I was hoping she was the Darkstalker. Oh well, I suppose it is back to making me the 'good guy,' then. Lets summarize it then.
Summary:
*Fight Chloe, but communicate positiveness and friendliness.
*Have flirt play with the beautiful Kasumi-like woman. Fight her too, but make her feel comfortable.
* Support punk girl partner with words of encouragement; treat her like one of the Gedo students. Maybe offer her cigarettes or liquor afterwards to reward her.
Daniel Jack nods firmly, the thoughts finally ceasing.
"I remember you!" Daniel Jack calls out as he approaches Chloe. Already, he was falling into the defensive stance of Todoh, one hand forward, one hand back. His stance is even, his approach is steady. But on his face was a smirk. "Remember the United Nations? I was the government agent who got his skin pulled off!" A wry smirk follows his face as he closes in on the girl. "Pleasure to meet you again, though it could be better circumstances! Let me make this clear, scuzzy, I am just fighting because the alternative is worse for us. Just do your best, and things will work out for us. Speaking of which..." Daniel Jack gives a quick wink, glancing over at Scratch and Kiyomi as the former dives low towards the latter.
"Who are your friends?!"
The detective glances towards Kiyomi, smirking at her with a teasing look. Half-heartedly, he already lashes out with both arms, attempting to seize Chloe right off her chair- or off her feet, if she rised up at this point. Should he get the grips on her, the Agent of Interpol would pivot, and smash her backfirst straight to the rivets of the iron floor. All while looking towards Kiyomi with a teasing look... and then to Scratch with a solid expression. "Sorry about taking so long, kid! Had a rough night last."
"What's your names, by the way?"
COMBATSYS: Chloe dodges Daniel's Strong Throw.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/------=/=======|>------\-------\0 Scratch
"Nggh..."
Chloe does /not/ like these sensations. She shoots the scientists a Look, which can be summed up as 'you had better fix this by the time I'm done', because like hell is she going to put up with this any longer than she absolutely has to.
She straightens up from where she was holding her head and just kind of /looks/ at Daniel. She does have some similarities with Chisaki... by which we mean 'unnatural eyes', because Chloe's are weird-coloured too. Hers, however, are yellow, with weirdly slit pupils. And, of course, she has a reptilian tail. That's a thing.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Chloe says. She doesn't. She heard about the UN thing on the news, but she had no further interaction with it but that. Her tail flicks slightly to one side as she lowers her body; she's been standing since the others came in, but she expects an attack.
And she's not disappointed! Daniel comes in, and Chloe isn't there for him to grab; she's had enough wrestling experience that she can weave around him and give him a gentle push in the back to keep his hands reaching where she isn't. This is followed up a moment later by a more solid grab at Daniel's side, Chloe snapping her body sharply to send Daniel flying away, back toward Scratch. Her hands shimmer with greenish chi when she does it.
She keeps a low stance, moving constantly, swaying slightly in a pre-evasive maneuver - like a weaving boxer, except she's not a boxer. She shoots Kiyomi another look, confused this time - but at least she can handle Scratch. Right. Maybe?
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi dodges Scratch's Acid Soul Slide.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/------=/=======|>------\-------\0 Scratch
The katana is lowered until the tip touches the ground. The Kitsune spares a glance in Chloe's direction, as if watching over her and her well being. She had to look up for this other man after all. The serpentine woman's instinct kicks in though and she manages to defend herself well enough against the man who comes her way.
A smirk crosses her lips, almost with a bit of pride. Not all darkstalkers take arms to fight against humans, after all, and Chloe seemed more than just a feral darkstalker.
Once Scratch lunges at her, Kiyomi kneels down and leaps out of the way, avoiding the rollerblader's charge. She lands gracefully a few feet away from Scratch. "Don't waste your breath," She merely hisses to Daniel, her tails swaying back and forth. "After her, you'll be next," Or rather, the moment he dares to lie a finger on Chloe.
Kiyomi charges at Scratch, delivering a flurry of slashing blows at Scratch : she runs after her, her sword coming down from above, on the side, again and again in a quick succession of slices meant to make her bleed.
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi successfully hits Scratch with Rafale d'Entailles.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/--=====/=======|>>>>---\-------\0 Scratch
As Scratch slides at Kiyomi, she manages to get the thoughts that filter through Daniel's head, strangely regemented and yet totally alien to her, not in the sense of being incomprehensible but in the sense of how they're getting in her head to begin with. Of course, the reverse is true for her thoughts to Daniel, and unlike his, hers are more chaotic, racing every which way as if trying to find the fastest path out of her hed like a light particle in a hall of mirrors. They range from weird geometric thoughts, like reading the environment like blueprints, trying to find the fastest (if not necessarily shortest) path around the area, to more personal thoughts. 'Is Auntie ok? She was freaking out when I left.' 'What the hell is with this world, why can't we get out?' 'How the hell do I fight my way out of this, I need to fight my way out NOW'. They're the thoughts less of the cynical punk on the outside, but of a panicked girl thrown into a strange situation.
Unfortunately, Scratch simply can't let the weird thoughts about her go, popping up after her slide after Kiyomi leaps away. "WHAT THE HELL WAS ALL THAT?!" she screams at Daniel, pointing accusingly toward him. Unfortunately, that distraction is enough to make her reaction to Kiyomi's flurry too slow to be of any use. She tries to weave away, but the slashes cut into her over and over again despite her best attempts, howls escaping from the raging punk.
Heaving with every breath, she glowers at Kiyomi...before tearing off the ribbons that were the arm stockings as she pivots away. Hastily, she manages a makeshift bandage or two on her arm, tugging them tighter with her teeth, the rest of the gashes left exposed for now. "Goddammit....get your head together, you lech!" she shouts back at Daniel, hoping to get him to focus while she drives in again. Coming in fast, she tries to make a straight line at Kiyomi, hoping to goad another slash or something. SOmething she could use to hook her arm on the swordswoman's and use it as a lever to spin her around using all that momentum the skater's built. The aim? Whip her aorund, then toss her away.
COMBATSYS: Daniel dodges Chloe's Snake Charmer.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Scratch
Chaotic thoughts were... a problem.
Daniel Jack could stream out, but the stuff that was streaming in was... staggered. Random thoughts were flooding in, unstructured, half-formed. As Chloe points out that... that they have never met, Daniel just grimaces. No, he remembered her. He had to. He had to remember... Chloe? Or Chisaki. The detective's skin grows clammy he catches nothing by the chair, his back being pushed. Resting both hand on the chair, she seemed convinced she he had no idea what he was talking about.
And she was right.
"No, no, you are right. We.. we haven't met!" The detective sputters, narrowing his eyes. As he turns around, he pulls the chair with him. Lifting it up, he turns, leaning in shoulder first. As Chloe attempts the grab, the detective juts the chair hard, using the tool as a wedge to force himself out of her grips.
And forcing his thoughts hard into structure, hard.
*Chloe was not Chisaki.
* The beautiful woman was kind of an awful person.
* She was, however, protective of Chloe.
* How the hell do I fight my way out of this, I need to fight my way out NOW'.
* 'What the hell is with this world, why can't we get out?'
* 'Is Auntie ok? She was freaking out when I left.'
* A lech? That would mean-
And it all clicks to the detective.
"Oh my god." He states, as he steps back. "She can read my mind." The detective's jaw drops, as he looks over to the punk girl. "Hey, uh, yeah I don't actually know you." The detective says, taking a deep breath in as he winds back the chair. With a heave, the detective simply goes and attempts to smash it hard into Chloe in a wide swing. "But I'm holding back, I swear!" He promises. But as the words come... his mind goes elsewhere.
*Instruction
*Daniel Jack is making the following three thoughts.
*Sorry about the dame stuff.
*Your opponent seems interested in my opponent.
*I am going to try and lure her away, to attack me. We then switch opponents. Do you understand?
*This is the end of Daniel's thoughts.
*God those are some fantastic legs.
*I am sorry.
Daniel Jack just begins sweating hard.
COMBATSYS: Chloe dodges Daniel's Random Weapon.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Scratch
Chloe's instincts are... weird. She has them, but she represses them a lot - but the urge to get out of the way and the ability to do so is strong. Chloe is fast, and she's flexible - more flexible than Kiyomi, she moves like she barely has joints sometimes.
Unfortunately, there's also a slight part of Chloe that likes the fight. It's not quite bloodlust, but it's one step removed; she loves the thrill of combat and having the /ability/ to fight. Kiyomi gets to deal with that, too. She's not feral. But it's also no surprise how and why she got into fighting, and why she keeps doing it.
She doesn't get the same kind of synchronization that Scratch and Daniel have so far. What Chloe gets is impressions, reflexes, vague sensations. It's enough to be confusing as hell but not enough so that she's worried about her active thoughts being transmitted (though there is a constant sensation of 'oh god what /is/ this'). There's also a desire to end it so they can get the damn things off. Chloe doesn't like it.
It is distracting, but not distracting enough that she can't keep her eyes on Daniel. Once again she sways away when he tries to hit her, using the constant movement of her body to advantage. Her single tail sways in a manner more similar to Kiyomi's for a moment - and then it /changes/.
What was a broad tail at the base and narrowing to a thin tip shifts. The tip of the tail bulges, the tail itself thickening, and there is a literal snake-head there, like Chloe had an entire snake for a tail. It hisses. She doesn't.
It also rather suddenly darts out as Chloe lowers her entire body, resting on hands and feet. It doesn't try to bite Daniel but wrap around his arm and squeeze, twisting painfully and dragging him off balance. It's /strong/, stronger than Chloe's arms despite the awkward positioning of the entire... thing.
And a few seconds after that, and it's not a snake again but just a tail, less menacingly attacking, though it still might be wrapped around Daniel's arm if he hasn't gotten free. Was that, too, a hallucination born of confusion as Chloe pushes herself back up to a standing position?
(no)
COMBATSYS: Scratch successfully hits Kiyomi with Rewind Whip.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/--=====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Scratch
On the other hand, the Kitsune was distracted somewhat. Not due to the sensations and emotions she felt that weren't her own, but due to her own nature to worry about the other woman who was struggling by her side. In spite of the relative ease she seemed to have and the agility she displayed against Daniel, Kiyomi couldn't help her over-protective nature.
Her tail waves around behind her and falls for Scratch's attack : she swings her blade about to intercept her, though it only gives her the leverage she wants to hold into her. The momentum she had from her charge was all it needs to overpower the kitsune and spins her around and hurls her off some distance. She goes flying and crashes into the ground with a grunt.
She bites her lips and forces herself back on her knees, helping herself with her katana. She glances in Scratch's direction : with some luck the bleeding will weaken and finish her off.
Her tail rises up and spreads out like a peacock, as if to intimidate her opponents. She rises up fully and instead of leaping back at Scratch, she decides to turn her attention on Daniel and help out Chloe.
Kiyomi closes up the distance and attempts to hit Daniel while he's distracted with Chloe, lifting her blade up in an attempt to cleave him with her katana.
Scratch's thoughts remain chaotic, but perhaps part of it being trying to think as fast as she skates. The same sort of geometric, analytical thoughts cross her brain, small parts of her thoughts blanking out the people around and thinking of ways to skate on or up something, and how to use that to pounce on an opponent in the abstract. It's a strangely ordered thought in a mishmash of anxiety and supression of flight instinct.
It's clearly not anywhere near as ordered as Daniel's thoughts, the increasingly clearer thoughts pinging through her head as she's able to hook on to Kiyomi's arm just as planned and wind her around. Pivoting around to bring herself to a stop in place, she glances toward Daniel...and just nods. No need to shout at him her answer. He'll answer for those weird thoughts LATER, for now, she just usess the chance to gun it...not toward Kiyomi as she switches her attentions to the detective, but toward CHloe, making good on the idea shared siilently between her and Daniel. Rushing in, she tries to get up to the Darkstalker fast, hoping to grab her by the head on the pass, then pull her down forcefully as she skates by.
COMBATSYS: Daniel blocks Chloe's Violent Grapple.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/---====/=======|======-\-------\0 Scratch
COMBATSYS: Daniel interrupts Crushing Strike from Kiyomi with Fantastic Todoh Punch EX.
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Chloe 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Daniel
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Kiyomi 1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0 Scratch
An iron will carefully built around an overwhelming personality.
Daniel's strong mind was soon catching Scratch's own flighty thoughts, and forcing structure to them. Daniel Jack's mind was fast, efficient, and dilligent, and was organizing what was coming in. He was in sync with Scratch now, able to work with her from a perspective of leadership, of mentorship.
And he wasn't even thinking twice on it.
Everything was falling into place. As Daniel swings the chair at Chloe, the woman's incredible agility easily slips away. The detective was watching, observing her. Watching, observing Kiyomi's nuturing reaction, that feral hate of a protective mother surging up. He was watching, observing Scratch's own head nod, as she moved to pick up the exploit that Daniel sit up. Releasing the chair, he hurls it away to the grating, the good doctor tittering as it smashes against the grate. "You are pretty fast, scuzzy!" The detective belts out, jaw tense. The man's mind was carefully calculating, carefully structuring. In sharp contrast to the intuition and emotions she was bringing with her own mental link. As the snake tail comes around, the detective's eyes go wide.
"Oh no."
"Not again."
Throwing a palm out, he catches the snake tail that lashes out to seize him. Snatching it by the neck, he stares down the hissing -thing- as it wraps around his arm anyways. Flexing his own arm, he fights against the bindings, struggling against it as his other hand begins to burn with chi. This was in his head. It wasn't a snake. It was just a tail.
It wasn't -real-
The iron resolve of Daniel Jack comes to a full head as he growls, locking eyes with Chloe. "Fantastic..." He begins, drawing back his palm. "TODOH...." He bellows. And then, from the flanks, comes the swordswoman with the katana, the true colors of the woman coming out with those vulpine features, those fanning tails. A foxgirl. Of course. Ripping his now swollen arm free from Chloe's grips, he pivots, catching the katana's blade squarely on his shoulder... but unleashing a staggering palm strike straight into Kiyomi's chest with bone-shattering force.
"PAAAAAAAAUNCH!!!"
Grabbing his bleeding shoulder, he shuffles his glances from Kiyomi, to Chloe, to Scratch. And he thinks.
*Details from Daniel: Three items
*Good work, kid, you are doing well. Don't let the snake gang up on me. I got fox lady.
*Watch out for the snake lady's grips, I think she is a snake lady of some kind.
*Your aunt is probably safe. She would have to be tough to raise a kid like you.
Daniel Jack focuses back on Kiyomi.
"Now you, you aren't so nice. What's your problem, ma'am?"
[At this point the scene was OOCly interrupted due to scheduling issues and freak internet outages. As far as the scene is concerned, a malfunction in Dr. Tessitore's synchronization system caused neural backlashes, rendering each fighter unconscious.]
Log created on 17:14:32 04/19/2015 by Scratch, and last modified on 14:18:21 03/21/2016.