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[Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Karl Jak - 06-10-2018
Zedd unconsciously puffed out his chest as he smashed his scepter into the piled surface. Next to him, Violet bristled. At this point, the pair could barely stomach one another, but in their defense, the other pairing also lacked the smiles and fist bumps that marked many partnerships.
“A clown?” Shantotto inquired as she looked up at her partner.
“I’m Pennywise.” The voice was cheery and happy, but there was something in the man’s—creature’s?—eyes that caused the little Tarutaru to second-guess signing up for this tournament. “The Dancing Clown.” At that, the orange-haired clown started to hop from one foot to another as he smiled down at his little partner.
“Hello,” Karl Jak’s voice pulled the focus of the two ‘teams’ up to the skies above them. “Welcome to Dante’s Abyss: This Time… with Friends.”
“With tools.” Zedd growled as he glared down at Violet. The woman grabbed her own arm before she could stank the skinless braggart.
The gong sounded.
“Kill them,” Violet snapped as she took off toward their opponents, leaving Karl Jak no time for his remaining pleasantries.
“Only so I get to kill you myself at the end of this circus!” Zedd shot back.
Quote:Word Limit: 850
Posts: 2
Time Limit: 48 hours
Random Elements: On
Damage Meter: Off
Time limit starts at 8 am CDT
Fight Area description is available in the Fight Area Reveals thread and the Round 1 Discussion thread.
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Lord Zedd - 06-11-2018
Slaughter of infidels was never anything Zedd felt the need to rush into. He would butcher them on his own schedule, not theirs. So while Violet was quick to move, Zedd adopted a casual stride into the arena. He identified the short, dwarf-elf creature that held a staff of its own as his first victim. His foe made an similar assessment about him, and heavy stream of water erupted from her wooden weapon in his direction. Zedd’s own staff was raised to counter, and he unleashed a lightning bolt into the water. Brilliant sparks of electricity ran up the water trail, shooting in every direction in a bright display of opposing magics. Both of them broke off their attacks and let the spells fizzle out.
“Your powers are weak, you petulant geek!” the shorter mage taunted with a light chuckle.
Zedd stopped in place, soaking in the absurdity of what he had just heard for a brief second. Newfound purpose soon washed over him. He would end this irritating runt.
“Your corpse will be the foundation of the mountain of bodies I will use to reach Karl Jak’s throne,” Zedd snarled.
Ki blasts slammed into the ground near Shantotto, sending her reeling. While the spellcaster tried to shield herself, Violet rushed in for a closer attack. Before she could get near enough to continue her assault the violet-haired warrior was tackled by the dancing clown, who tried to pin her down in a brief wrestling match. Zedd did not move to help, expecting his partner to capable of dealing with that foe alone.
Shantotto began channeling another spell, but Zedd abandoned his previous, leisurely outlook and burst into a heavy sprint at the little cretin. The spellcaster did not expect the gap to close so suddenly, and was unable to raise her weapon defensively in time. Zedd swung his staff horizontally, striking her across the face with the large “Z” on top of it. He did not relent, bringing it back across and slapping the other side of her skull on the return. To finish off the combo, he swung the staff over his head and down to the tiled floor in order to cast a wave of dark energy that would blow the tiny peon away.
The energy burst never came, and Zedd found himself standing awkwardly within the personal space of the little mage. He was left equally angry at Omni for robbing him of another potent spell, and himself for once more falling victim to the Omniverse’s limitations. The delay had given Shantotto precious seconds, and she leaped away as a rocky pillar burst from the tiles beneath the former warlord, hurling him backwards. Zedd landed on his back with a thud and jarred his head against the stone surface, but quickly sat up and scanned the area for his target. She was walking towards him, waving her staff for another spell.
“You may think victory is within your grasp, but-”
Violet arrived with a jump kick from Shantotto’s left side, sending the mage tumbling away and sparing Zedd from however both the speech and spell were going to end. He shook his head to collect his senses while his partner merely glared at him and offered no assistance.
“Get up. Fight,” Violet ordered, before rushing back at Shantotto.
“Oh, is that what we’re doing?” Zedd sarcastically grumbled, though he had to admit he was terribly out of practice. Months of serving as a glorified beat cop in Coruscant had left him underestimating the unique powers of primes.
Before he could begin to stand, his staff was suddenly ripped from his hands from behind. A yell of surprise escaped his face mask as the gruesome clown suddenly perched itself on his chest and began to savagely tear at him with its claws. Zedd was completely unprepared for such a sudden and vicious assault, and did his best to keep his right hand up to try and fend off the blows. It resulted in him sharing deep lacerations between his chest and arm, but it also bought him enough time to draw the Dragon Dagger with his other hand.
With a roar of agony and fury, he drove the blade into Pennywise’s gut. The creature let out a horrid screech as Zedd twisted the dagger, and the clown sprung from him, gripping its wound. Zedd stood up and recovered his staff while the monster actually pranced away from him. Why did he always stumble upon the most ridiculous of primes? More importantly, he noted that the wound did not seem to be slowing it down, and just made it angrier. Even something as sacred as disembowelment of one’s enemies was not safe from the meddling of Omni and Karl Jak.
“There is nowhere to hide, blood jester!” Zedd roared as he lumbered towards the corner of the arena Pennywise had retreated to. The mage was forgotten, and his anger was now aimed at a different monstrosity. “When the sun sets, I will be the evening’s terror!”
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Pennywise - 06-13-2018
As the armored titan strode forward and effectively cornered the clown against the arena’s concrete edge, Pennywise sacrificed precious seconds to survey Its opponent. Although clad in a skeletal chassis of metal, Lord Zedd’s damaged and almost burnt-looking skin was an angry red, gnarled twists of sinew pulsing outward to advertise the skinless warrior’s strength… and also his weakness.
Shells were difficult things to crack, Pennywise knew. Like with walnuts, pecans, or even turtles, they were designed to keep all the tastiest, softest bits in; It couldn’t reap such a delicious reward without a little effort.
It would crack this one, this Zedd, like the most savory of nuts.
The clown strafed to the side with a yelp, narrowly avoiding a white-hot spear of lightning as it struck the rough-hewn ground beside Its head. An eruption of smoke and fiery cinders blitzed out from the area, jabbing into Its pale flesh and wrenching a yowl from the monstrous circus performer’s throat. Reduced to stumbling blindly through a cloud of ash, Pennywise attempted to leap out from this corner of the arena to regain Its bearings-- and perhaps to clear Its lungs!
Unfortunately, upon making even the slightest movement to quit the scene, It collided with a hard body that felt like it was reinforced with steel. The creature reeled backward, already thrashing about like a feral beast caught in a trap, and came face-to-helmet with Its adversary.
Zedd levelled the sharp end of his staff at the demonic clown, forcing the creature to either back up or have Its throat cut into ribbons. Pennywise did, in fact, take a hearty step backward, but it was only to try and duck under the pile of scrap metal’s defense, the creature’s cartoonish gloves splitting to reveal wickedly-curved claws.
Pennywise swiped at the rib-cage of chrome that sheltered Zedd’s midsection, talons poised in the optimal position to rend flesh from bone. Sadly, the trunk of Zedd’s body was made of a lot sturdier stuff than It had imagined. The creature’s claws bounced off, just barely leaving a scar equal to a papercut. Yikes!
Leaping backwards with an exaggerated pout tugging Its candy-red lips downward, Pennywise reconsidered the situation. This fella was hard as nails! If only It could have a little helper, a pint-sized elf sitting on Its shoulder to give some much-needed advice…
Wait! It did have that!
Grinning, Pennywise hopped out of the way as Zedd’s metal staff came bearing down, bloodshot yellow eyes skittering around until they caught sight of what It was looking for. In a blur of dust-laden ruffles and fiery red hair, the clown hurdled toward the other pair of dueling primes. It could hear Zedd’s incredulous shout from behind, but didn’t pause to look back.
Shantotto, meanwhile, was not having the best of days. The woman before her had scarcely broken a sweat, her wine-dark hair only streaked with the occasional trace of magical residue. It was frustrating, and the tiny mage wondered if her partner was faring any better.
“Tired already?” Violet asked, measuring up her opponent with little to no sympathy in her gaze.
“Not at all, not at all,” said Shantotto, twirling her staff in her hand. “Though surely you understand that those at their highest have the furthest to fall.”
Violet narrowed her eyes. She brushed off the comment with a roll of her muscled shoulders, a burst of ki already beginning to ripple through her. Lifting her hands, she opened her mouth to reply only to be interrupted by a whirlwhind of zesty color and acrid sewer-stench sweeping right into their midst.
“Sorry, not sorry!” Pennywise chirped, plucking the mousy-looking mage out from under Violet’s nose.
The unwitting mage held on for dear life as the clown barreled across the concrete slab, only releasing her white-knuckled grip when It drew to a halt. Panting, she extracted herself from Its costume, fixing the clown with a surprisingly fierce glare. “You had best get this alliance into your head, or else we will both wind up dead!”
Pennywise snarled wordlessly as the rhyming rodent then clambered up onto Its shoulders with surprising grace. Shantotto, for her part, remained focused on the battle, her staff readied in one hand as she looked at their foes. They only had a few seconds to speak; their enemies were closing in fast. “Onward, steed-- my word alone you must heed!”
One pupil swivelled up to regard her out of the corner of Its eye. The creature was amused by the little thing’s habit of speaking in rhyme, but that wouldn’t last for long. “And what word is that, pipsqueak?”
Shantotto considered this. “These fools think they have got us beat. We must prove that such a thing will be no easy feat.”
"Yeee-es? Anything you say, sweetmeat." Pennywise agreed in Its wheedling, rasping voice. Drool pooled on Its bottom lip and splattered on the ground in thick, shining globules. Shantotto eyed the clown warily, but elected to forgive such an odd quirk.
"Then we are in agreement. To battle, and let us not forget this time well-spent!"
Quote:850 words - Wordcounter
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Violet - 06-13-2018
Violet stood to one side of the imposing Zedd on their corner of the arena, her hazy blue eyes taking in the two pathetic creatures they were given as competition. One was a small…mouse thing, barely the size of a toddler, and their partner…well, their partner was some twisted version of a clown. He stank of shit and sulfur, and the creepy way he looked at them sent goosebumps racing down her arms. This guy was definitely not one to invite to a kid’s party.
“Zedd,” Violet glanced over at him, slightly unnerved that she couldn’t really perceive his expression through the full face mask he sported. “I’m going to need that staff of yours.”
Hesitant, Zedd held it out for her, and she took it with barely a nod of acknowledgement. “Be ready, I’m going to show these kids who the boss of this playground is.”
With that witty quip, Violet stepped forward, her ki rising within her. The scars that pocked her flesh flared white, like tiny suns beneath her skin. She could feel the rush of energy slowly making its way through her body, branching into her chest, her throat, her skull. An inhuman growl trickled from her throat as the twin stars that were her eyes fixated on the clown and his partner.
Leather boots barely made more than an ominous thump against the cement arena as she launched herself forward, Zedd’s staff positioned expertly within her hands in front of her. It was nothing more than a glorified bo staff, albeit a little more weighted at one end than the other. It didn’t matter; she quickly acclimated to the anomaly and sent the heavier end sweeping towards the clown’s ankles.
To her surprise, it deftly bounced back, avoiding her attack, their grating laughter trailing after it. The toddler-like companion moved from its companion’s shoulder to the arena ground, careful to keep her distance. Violet paid no mind to such a weak creature, and instead focused on the monster before her.
Seconds stretched into longer moments as they glared at each other. “Underneath that tender skin, I bet I would find such a sweet treat within,” the thing smacked its lips, drool weeping from its gruesome maw.
“You don’t scare me, clown.” Violet swirled the staff within her hand, ready for whatever came next. She had barely begun to read this creature, to study his movements. It all seemed so random, so unpredictable. “I’ve seen things far worse than you, friend.”
His face lit up, mouth curling upwards in an impish grin. “Have you?”
“You have no idea,” Violet launched herself at him, the bottom of the staff sweeping outwards for a split second, then the top half coming in to smack the clown in its simpering face. It let out a groan as it was caught off-guard, but quickly recovered, one clawed hand jutting out to swipe across her stomach.
The pain was immediate, but she squelched it down. Blood was hot and fresh as it welled in the marks left behind, trickling languidly in thick, red rivulets down her abdomen. She glanced down to assess the damage, a mistake. The smaller creature she’d foolishly ignored made herself known as bolts of lightning came falling from the sky, striking both Violet and her partner.
Zedd staggered while Violet fell, the staff skittering across the arena floor. Her partner, fortunately, was close enough to grab his weapon and get to work on his opponents. Bounding back to her feet, she gave some distance between herself, the clown, the rat thing, and her partner.
Violet closed her eyes, arms crossing over her chest and reached out with her energy, letting it encompass her and spill over the arena floor in a wave of black smoke. The sounds of metal on flesh reverberated throughout the stage, and she soaked that in, the sounds helping her home in on her targets. The clown, its partner, and hers exuded their own signatures within her head as the energy poured over them, creating little blips within her mind’s eye.
Her feet rooted in place, feeling the solidness of the ground, her energy becoming one with it as it snaked through the crevices, reaching for the little blips. Coils of black smoke curled around their feet, tightening, and she let loose. The shock travelled quickly across the arena towards its targets, striking them true, and knocking them off their feet. The satisfying thumps of bodies making contact with the cement caused a smirk to spread across her face as her eyes opened and quickly found her victims.
More surprised than anything, the glared back at her. The move was a distraction, and she knew she’d made her presence known.
Respect, she thought, was not something given, but earned. She’d earn their respect, one way or another. As her body recovered, the black smoke recoiling back within her, she hoped they all realized she was not here to play games. They were obstacles between her and her prey, and nothing more.
Quote:Wordcount: 838
Awesome Count: over 9000!
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Shantotto - 06-14-2018
“Ohohoho!”
Shantotto threw her head back in a hearty laugh as her arms rested on her dainty hips, right hand gripping the Stardust rod tightly. Tremors of excitement shook the mage’s shoulders as she turned her brown eyes towards the violet-haired female.
Blood trailed down the tarutaru’s face, evidence of the strikes Lord Zedd had landed on her. The musclehead himself stood silent for the first time, an angry glow subtly visible behind his tinted visor, clearly displeased at being struck by her spell.
"Kids these days are ruder than ever, always overthinking things as if they were so clever," Shantotto taunted, shooting a glare at the sour-faced Violet.
The warrior responded with a burst of several ki blasts at the mage. The swift projectiles closed the distance in a flash of raw strength, the first of them striking a shield hastily projected by the mage's rod. They found their mark eventually, however, slamming into the vertically-challenged woman and knocking her backwards across the stone tiles.
A pair of laughs erupted from both the perverted clown and the one calling himself Lord Zedd at the spectacle. The former leapt up from the stone, claws bared at the masked humanoid seemed to see the circus freak as little more than a nuisance. Raising his staff with the sharp and ugly end pointing directly at one of the clown’s eyeballs, Zedd began to channel another bolt of sizzling electricity, his imposing stature giving him plenty of room to fry Pennywise to a crisp.
Wrinkling Its red-painted nose in disgust, Pennywise wagged a single long-taloned finger at the warlord. “Nuh-uh! You’re not gonna get very far if you keep playing my game wrong, little buddy. Thunderbolts and lightning aren’t very, very frightening to meeee!”
Lifting her head weakly, Shantotto hefted her staff from where she lay sprawled on the ground, spellwork building around it in violent pulses of energy. A ball of green and eldritch black hissed through the air, striking Zedd squarely in the chest and coating his body in noxious liquid. His lightning-spell stuttered as the armored lord staggered, thick branches of lightning lapping at the sky as the blast went haywire, streaking past in a meteoric flare and scorching the arena’s border of grass until it was a charred black.
Stumbling, Zedd swiped at the sticky, sappy fluid to no avail, an enraged shout hissing from beneath his helm.
“What is this vile substance?!” Zedd demanded, looking rather like a particularly irritated wet cat. If that cat was made of metal, burnt skin, and rage, anyway...
“They should understand that since I am on your team, we shall foil their foolish scheme,” Shantotto gestured pointedly at Pennywise.
Working in tandem with Shantotto, the macabre clown’s maw opened to display row upon row of pointy needle-teeth before snapping shut upon the armored behemoth’s arm. The sickening crunch of teeth sawing over metal echoed in the arena, the hair-raising screech setting everyone even more on edge.
Confidence regained, Shantotto stood rather shakily, her legs quivering from the multiple ki shots she had taken. Violet’s smug smile spoke volumes at her newfound understanding of the mage’s abilities.
The magus paid less attention to Violet, however, and more on the walking tank that was Lord Zedd. Who had, quite industriously, taken the initiative to dislodge Pennywise and the beast’s vice-like grip on his arm. Repeated blows from his Z staff dislodged his foe, a short-lived victory he enjoyed greatly only to hear more lyrical words come from the boisterous mage.
“Now be good boys and girls, and lay your heads down to rest, leave winning this tournament to ones who can do so with zest.” A cocky grin filled the midget mage’s features as she pulled forth a small fraction of her true potential from the void. Wasting little time, Shantotto’s brown eyed gaze focused intently on Violet. Violent winds whipped up around the angsty woman, drawing blood as they lifted her airborne.
The mouselike mage struggled to draw breath, waves of exhaustion washing over her as the raging windspell sapped her vitality. The adrenaline pumping through the new prime’s veins forced her to keep going as she took advantage of her seemingly helpless adversary.
“Foolish mistake,” the descending woman called out, bringing her hands to her side. “Ka...me...ha...me...ha!”
Violet’s roar echoed as a rippling flare of pure energy seared the very air, pluming outward from her suspended form. However, much to the phoenix-like warrior’s chagrin, Shantotto was already channeling flare. Violet’s body was sucked towards empty space as she finally hit the ground, vacuum-like pressure pulling her along like a ragdoll. Without warning, an explosive concussion rocketed the woman across the stone tiles, searing pain like liquid fire engulfing her.
As Violet struck the stone tiles with a solid thunk, the black-clad mage desperately sought to avoid the purple-haired woman’s beam of energy, a task her wobbly legs failed at. A cry of pain could be heard from Shantotto as the azure ki wave washed over her, burning her flesh and ravaging her body.
Quote:847 words according to Google docs
Violet used several Ki balls.
Shantotto countered one with her Stardust rod.
Zedd used Volt but missed.
Shantotto used Bio on Zedd
Pennywise Used Vortex of teeth on Zedd.
Shantotto used Dimensional Break T1 Power up for one round. 2/4 SP used.
Her stats till my next post are
8-ATT
3-DEF
1-SPD
5-TEC
Shantotto used Tornado on Violet followed by Flare.
Violet used Kamehameha.
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Lord Zedd - 06-15-2018
While the other two were busy with their battle, Zedd turned his attention back to the demented clown. He owed it for the previous encounters, and he was feeling the desire for retribution that was a little more primal than the duel beside them.
In a single taunting gesture, Zedd drove his staff into the tiled surface, so that it would stand to mark his claim of the battlefield like a flag. He tried to, at least. He was incapable of piercing whatever material the arena was made of, and didn’t discover this fact until his weapon began to lean away from him. By the time he attempted to snatch it back into his grasp it had moved out of his reach. He found himself flailing to catch the staff as it fell to the floor with a clang, and settled for kicking the damn thing away.
After pausing to ponder the futility of existence, Zedd snapped his attention back to Pennywise. Absent the original menace he intended with such a dramatic gesture, he held his arms out all the same. He had the clown cornered like an animal once more, and expected it to lash out as any other pinned beast would. He would stoop to its level, and he would win regardless. That was the raw majesty of Lord Zedd.
Pennywise accepted that challenge with its own unique shriek and an equally confounding charge, so Zedd braced himself for a melee. He moved to strike, but was surprised to see it leap directly at him and clap its devastatingly sharp claws into the sides of his skull, pressing with all its strength to break the surface and latch on. Zedd countered by unleashing a torrent of punches at the being’s gut, but he saw that once more its jaw was unhinging like a serpent to bare razor sharp teeth.
Oh, this was a mistake.
Pennywise clamped its beastly maw onto Zedd’s open cranium and dug in with continued tenacity. Zedd grabbed the monster’s wrists and pulled with all the fervor he could muster, but the demonic being held tight and pressed into his deformed body further. Its teeth were so deep into his exposed brain that he could mentally see its rotting gums, and was losing the facilities to understand that wasn’t how it worked.
Panic chilled his exposed veins as he brought a hand back to Pennywise’s gut, channeling his inner powers once more. The monster dug deeper into his head, and with little time to spare Zedd unleashed a point blank explosion that sent the monster flying across the arena, and himself stumbling away. He joined the recovering Violet near the center after retrieving his staff, who looked equally throttled.
“We’re gonna have to work together if we want a chance,” Violet said between breaths.
“I loathe to admit that you are right,” Zedd reluctantly conceded, sensing the a loose plan was in her mind.
Violet pointed upwards with an index finger while pacing backwards. “Hold on tight.”
The purple haired woman bolted towards Zedd at full speed and the dark lord raised his staff above his head, choking his grip down to the the bladed point. Violet leaped at the staff, holding a charged ki blast in her hand. While firing the blast at Shantotto she grabbed the staff with her other hand, using it as a base to abruptly change directions. As quickly as she came back around she unleashed another blast towards Pennywise. That one didn’t connect with the clown, but it was enough to send it darting to the side to avoid the follow up.
Zedd knew this wouldn’t work for long, so he allowed two more rotations before he became tired of his partner spinning on his cherished weapon like a violent, deranged pole dancer. He took a powerful step forward and swung his weapon in a wide arc, hurling Violet in Shantotto’s direction. With little delay Zedd spun on his heel and allowed his staff to slid down his hand until he had a better grip. Upon turning completely he unleashed a bolt at Pennywise, striking the approaching clown directly in the chest.
Violet landed as gracefully as she could after being propelled in such a manner, but the momentum of the throw kept her sliding across the surface and tested the limits of her balance. Zedd’s aim wasn’t the best so Violet didn’t fly right at Shantotto, instead sliding right past the mage as she frantically tried to track her opponent’s unusual mode of transportation. Violet trusted inertia to move her and instead concentrated her energy into her hands again while uttering a familiar chant.
By the time Violet was past her foe she unleashed the Kamehameha wave at the rodent prime, catching her in the blast again. Zedd was satisfied, but had to dive out of the blast’s range when it came back towards him. The would-be emperor stumbled back to his feet, but decided to spare his partner a hateful comment. They were still learning to be a team, after all. It just needed some refinement.
Quote:850 words on the dot, per Scrivener
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Pennywise - 06-17-2018
Zedd's bolt of lightning struck true, the crackling miasma of electrical might sending Pennywise careening backward across the arena. It landed in a tangle of unnaturally contorted limbs, black smoke sizzling as it rose from the creature’s still form.
Giving her shoulders an experimental roll, Violet turned to face the pint-sized mage, Zedd standing alongside her with his z-staff pointed squarely at Shantotto. It was almost funny, this little mouse standing to face a pair of much taller, much stronger primes.
Violet stared coolly at her. She decided to make one final, merciful offer: “Give up.”
Anger flashed in Shantotto’s eyes. Despite the sticky blood painting one side of her face, she still managed to assume a spectacularly regal stance, her black robes rippling silently around her frame.
“If you truly think I would ever surrender, you certainly won’t live to enjoy the victor’s splendour.”
A peal of insane laughter came from above. The clown was upon Violet before she could truly comprehend what was happening, her brain screaming as she was unceremoniously slammed to the ground.
The woman’s head reeled, vision filled by the gaudy orange pompoms lining the front of Pennywise’s costume. It was like being hurled into the heat of a dog fight: blood and saliva spewing every which way, raining down like acid upon her exposed skin; hot breath beating down over her face in waves of sulfuric stench; jaws flashing like strings of pearls as they snapped scant inches from her nose.
Violet’s hands flew up to defend herself, catching onto either side of the beast’s gaping maw. The monstrous clown’s gullet was lined with hundreds, possibly thousands of sharp teeth; they curved inward like a lamprey’s, more erupting from Its gums with each passing second. Dozens of spiny fangs sank into the meat of her palms, warm trickles of red beginning to mix with the thing’s disgusting drool already sliding down her wrists.
Her own blood almost seemed fake. It might have been unreal, like paint used in a low budget horror movie, if not for the agonized tremors that wracked her arms.
The woman grit her teeth at the pain, muscles straining from the effort of keeping those wide jaws from moving. If they budged down even an inch they would surely decapitate her. Fortunately, while not gifted with the same armor-like constitution as Zedd, Violet could match strength with strength. She just needed to hold on a little while longer… until her partner realized her plight and deigned to help, that is.
Unfortunately, help seemed to be a long time coming. Violet could see Zedd out of the corner of her eye, his exposed cranium still bleeding sluggishly from Pennywise’s savage assault. He was rather occupied with kicking the little rat around the arena and getting battered with blasts of magic for his troubles.
That settled it, then. She would have to handle this on her own.
To her dismay, the creature’s cavernous maw began to stretch, the spines of Its teeth rippling out like butterfly wings on either side of her body. The serrated edges of Its jaws jutted as far downward as Violet’s deathgrip on the thing’s cheek muscles would allow, gnashing endlessly and grinding against the stone.
Violet’s abdominal muscles clenched from fear as Pennywise’s tongue lashed out, the deep gouges curving along her stomach burning anew. The worm-like appendage dribbled a pinkish mixture of spit and lifeblood as it trailed an icy-cold, grotesquely wet line down her cheek... As if the beast was already imagining what her flesh would taste like.
“ARE YOU AFRAID NOW, GIRL?” The nightmarish voice seemed to gurgle from somewhere deep within the gaping black chasm above her, sibilant whispers bubbling up like sewer water from a backed-up pipe.
For a moment, she actually considered the question. Was she afraid? The fear of being killed was strong, but it was nothing in comparison to the primal terror that filled her at the idea of being eaten. For that was exactly what It intended to do-- eat her. And It wanted her to be alive and screaming the entire time.
But she didn’t consider that real fear. Any trepidation she felt was purely chemical, a physical reaction to visual stimuli. It was instinct, bone-deep and ingrained into her evolutionary tree ever since her first ancestors had looked at something with entirely too many teeth and thought, Oh, no.
Her answer, then, was simple.
Loosening her grip on the edge of Pennywise’s jaw, one hand coming away streaked with dark scarlet blood, Violet looked at the monstrous being bearing down on her. Her fingers stretched experimentally, nerves stinging and exhaustion weighing down on her mind. Her hand hovered there, just for a second-- long enough for Violet to catch sight of one venomous yellow eye, stark-pupilled and staring back at her hungrily.
“No.”
Incandescent ki flared outward from her palm, illuminating every twisting, pulsating, alien organ that inhabited the cosmic devourer’s clown-shaped form.
Violet’s world exploded.
Quote:850 - Google Docs
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Violet - 06-18-2018
For the space of an instant that stretched into an eternity, everything was so peaceful, so utterly quiet. Her entire being thrummed with a surge of energy, humming and sparkling in the afternoon sun. The body on top of her was weightless as it lit up like a late summer paper lantern. The creatures eyes flashed with malevolence, the tiny black pupils narrowing to the size of pinpricks as the danger finally dawned on it, and it was not pleased one bit.
While one hand exploded with ki, the other reached up and grabbed a handful of Pennywise’s gingered hair. She held him in place as her aura began to flare around her, its warm crimson glow turning into burning fire, sparks emanating from the fiery licks of energy. It was just this side of uncomfortable for her, but a lifetime of summoning such a raw display of power made it just another part of herself. She could only imagine what the thing above her felt, although judging by its expression, it was not thrilled. Maybe it was, and she just couldn’t tell; it was such a hard monster to read.
Everything within her was alight as the power took over. Flesh crackled and burned. Her scars glowed so brightly that they reflected off the creature’s jaundiced eyes and sweaty skin like pale little stars captured within. She watched through those yellow orbs as her own eyes blanched, all semblance of humanity washing away in a rush of pure electricity and heat. She screamed into his face, this guttural, animalistic sound that managed to give it pause, if only for a moment. Did it, too, feel fear?
She smiled viciously as a hand clamped over his mouth, and she fired once, twice, three times into that disgusting hole he called a mouth. If he’d been anyone else, he’d be missing a very large part of his skull, but this was Dante’s Abyss, and these were no mere playthings she was up against. They were made of stronger stuff than the typical human, although at a time like this, she wished he were far more squishier than he actually was. This obstacle was proving to be more troublesome than he was worth.
The force of the blasts propelled the clown backwards, a look of surprise crossing his features as he slammed into Shanttoto and Zedd. Violet rose, slowly, methodically, the energy sparking wildly around her as her gaze focused on the demonic clown. Head tilting to the side, she chuckled. Her flesh rippled with light and blood and sweat, but she paid it no mind. She just wanted to kill…to hear skin ripping from bone, to bathe in its blood as he gasped to hold on to the tender, delicate strands of life she would so expertly pick away.
“Have I told you what Hell is like?” Violet hissed at him, her arm lifting to prime another attack. “It’s sort of like being in a cage. That’s on fire. Surrounded by thousands of pissed off wolves.”
It tilted its head in confusion, unsure of where this was going. “If you keep prattling, I would be more than happy to send you back.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, you are a funny clown, after all, aren’t you? You’re going to have to grow a bigger pair to make threats like that.”
“The more you talk, the stupider you get! Stop gabbing and let’s get this lit!” Shantotto sprung from behind her partner and out of the reach of both Violet and Zedd. While the clown maneuvered itself onto it’s knees, ready to launch itself at her, Shantotto rooted herself to the ground, feet splayed. Her arms unfolded, rising like little wings at her sides. Her lips moved in some silent chant that Violet could not understand, but moments later, she could feel the air around her being sucked away, then explode in a rain of liquid fire. Violet screamed as whatever the little rat just did clung to her flesh, burning the layers of her exposed flesh. Zedd and the clown also seemed to get hit by whatever this shit was, and they patted furiously at their bodies to extinguish it, but it was all an effort in futility as Shantotto’s attack raged on.
“Your catchphrases suck, rat!” Violet burst forward towards the smaller creature, her arm still primed with energy ready to be unleashed. As her fist drew back, Shantotto dodged out of the way, but not quite in time to avoid the onslaught of the raging human in front of her.
Violet’s powered fist connected with the smaller thing’s arm, propelling her backwards in a clumsy spin, precariously towards the edge of the arena where her tiny body skittered to a stop mere feet from the edge. Smirking as she realized just how close Shantotto was, the energy roaring around her, Violet stalked forward.
“One, two, I’m coming for you,” Violet glanced over towards Zedd, who had resumed beating the living shit out of the clown. “We’re going to take you down, and that asshole clown, too!”
Quote:Wordcount 850 according to Microsoft Word
Violet used her Ultraviolet powerup. -1 SP
Shantotto used Burst.
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Shantotto - 06-20-2018
Thus far, the purple-haired combatant had proven herself more resilient than Shantotto had expected. Infirm knees wobbling, the mage used her rod to steady herself; even with her dimensional break, these warriors were proving to be built of true grit. Violet’s face reminded Shantotto of a predator, gaze lingering upon her prey. Closing in for the kill.
“Yes, yes, do your worst and all that,” Shantotto said with a flippant wave of her hand. “Strong words and threats will count for naught when I crush you flatter than flat.”
The bantam-weight mage lashed out, pressurized water erupting from her staff in a torrent of crystalline liquid. It crashed into the bloodthirsty woman like the sea at high tide, sending her sprawling across the stonework. The roaring waters ceased as the mage held her rod before her, channeling another spell as her grimacing lips betrayed the severity of her situation.
Soaked from head to toe, Violet shot a hate-filled glare at the miniature mage as she conjured an attack of her own. Azure and crimson energy intertwined mid-air as they hurtled towards the diminutive magi, threads of energy seeming to cocoon the arena within their coruscating blaze.
CRACK!
Lightning descended from the heavens, crashing down upon Violet! Raw, unbridled mystic energy poured throughout her body, drawn by the waters she had been doused in. As her limbs convulsed under the electrical onslaught, her beam of death seemed to splutter, splashing upon a hastily-created shield projected by Shantotto’s stardust rod.
Unluckily, the shield caved under the intense destructive might of Violet’s energy attack. Shantotto shrieked as her rod was struck by the blast, her carefully-crafted focus shattered as shards of crystal peppered her body. A clawed hand reached out and seized the tarutaru by the shoulder, the sole reason she was not sent flying off the stone tile.
Pennywise grinned with wicked intent, claws gripping her tightly. One beady eye watched the battered woman, the other drifting toward Its supposed opponents. “Now, now… we can't have that! I've lost one delectable morsel and I shan’t be denied again! But first we must stand and face the hounds of hell, or you shall rot inside a corpse's shell!”
Shantotto squirmed against the grip of the clown only to be interrupted by the furiously persistent nature of Zedd. The skinless man slammed the base of his staff into the tiles, standing between the midget mage, her monsterous partner, and the still-smoking Violet. His sinister ‘Z’ staff flared as an arc of electricity shot out from the tip, ensnaring the duo in its agonizingly strong current. “Behold the might of Lord Zedd!”
As the electrical storm rained over her, Shantotto fell to her knees. Her body seemed to just stop wanting to respond.
Get up! The robed woman thought venomously, trying to will her legs the strength to continue the fight. Get up now! I am Belle Shantotto, first of my name, black mage of Windhurst and bearer of the Stardust rod! I shall not be beaten by the likes of an angry girl and an oversized arthropod!
Slowly, deliberately, the mage lifted herself, the broken remains of her weapon acting as nothing more than a crutch. In her hand a sphere of liquid formed, its color as if Hades itself has vomited the substance into being. With a thought it spewed forth and splashed over Zedd, but even now the towering menace seemed little phased by the viscous substance.
The mage savant paused, focusing some of her dwindling reserves of precious mana. The area around Zedd and Violet chilled to the point of freezing, ice manifesting out of thin air before the frosted zone exploded with a thunderous crack.
Violet staggered. Even Zedd’s defenses, while quite impressive, seemed to struggle against the enhanced might of the mage’s conjurations. Unfortunately, Shantotto would not get a chance to enjoy the happy circumstance.
She lacked the strength to resist as she was hoisted up by the scruff of her robes, her neck craning around just in time to see Pennywise wind his arm back. As she felt herself pitched forcefully into the air, her ally and enemies whirling by in a flurry of disordered color, an idea formed in her mind.
Gathering the remainder of her magical power, she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Prepare to be sent on a round trip to hell! Here comes the Shantotto special: chainspell!”
A glow surrounded Shantotto, a soft melody coming from Zedd overpowered the humming of her mystic energies. “Freeze, burst, tornado, Cloak of midnight, freeze! Now find yourself on your knees!”
First freeze, the resounding snap of air flash-freezing, followed by a crash of lighting from above. Winds whipped around Zedd just as a black barrier surrounded Violet and the menacing titan. A second crack as, for a third time, the air became an inhospitable tundra.
Shantotto hit the ground, feeling her arm snap on impact. Flesh tore as she slid along the fighting platform before finally coming to a halt not far from a nearly unfazed Zedd.
Quote:850 words according to google docs.
Shantotto remains under the effect of Dimensional Break 1 / 4 SP remaining
Shantotto used Flood
Violet Used Kamehameha at the same time Shantotto used Burst.
Shantotto used Stardust rod’s shield, it failed.
Zedd used Volt
Shantotto used Bio followed by Freeze
Pennywise Threw Shantotto who then used Super Utility: Chainspell. Spells used under effect of chainspell as follows: Freeze, burst, tornado, Cloak of midnight, freeze 0/4 SP remaining
Zedd counters chainspell with dragons deflect 4 / 5 SP remaining (this was agreed on prior to my turn)
RE: [Round 1] Zedd & Vi vs Pennywise & Shantotto - Karl Jak - 06-20-2018
Face to Face
#05 Lord Zedd & #37 Violet vs #28 Pennywise & #23 Shantotto
#05 Lord Zedd & #37 Violet vs #28 Pennywise & #23 Shantotto
The dust settled once again.
The chainspell had crashed against the space lord’s magical barrier and fallen flat. With a grimace, Shantotto looked at her ravaged arm. The tumble on the stone had torn open the skin, and she couldn’t seem to move her fingers without causing fresh pain to start shooting up from the extremity.
In her mind, a curse word formed as she took up the Stardust rod and used it to hoist her little form up off the arena floor. By the time she had rose to her feet, Pennywise was looming behind her. The clown’s fanged maw hung slightly ajar as they sized up their adversaries.
“By my might, let’s end this fight!” The badly battered Shantotto growled as she thrust the rod forward. Nothing happened, but the trained eye would have noticed the swirl of dust around the tarutaru’s bloodstained feet.
“Pathetic,” Zedd growled as he smacked a hand on Violet’s shoulder. “It’s magic fails it!” The visored warlord threw his head back and cackled for a few brief moments before an elbow jabbed him in the gut.
“You’re an idiot,” Violet remarked as she pointed to their foes. “It’s a sp—”
A small swirl of wind materialized in front of the spellcaster, and in a matter of inches, it swelled into a roaring tornado that came barreling across the arena at the wide-eyed Violet and an unamused Zedd.
“Deal with that, would you kindly,” Zedd whispered as he grabbed Violet by the shoulder and shoved her into the oncoming tornado.
From their vantage point, Shantotto and Pennywise watched with predatory glints in their eyes as the tornado swallowed up Violet, battering her around for a few moments before lifting her up into the air and promptly hurtling her unconscious body outside the arena.
Their victory, however amusing, was short-lived.
“BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLLBL!!!”
The pair turned just as the five putty patrollers dove at them. Gray fists and feet peppered the pair of primes as they were forced to retreat and regain their bearings.
A blast of fire tore apart a patroller. A few moments later, Pennywise slashed a second apart before biting the head off a third.
The fourth patroller managed to land a clubbing blow on Shantotto’s injured arm, and the tarutaru cried as a foot knocked her backwards. Her set of functioning fingers clawed into the stone surface even as her feet dangled over the edge.
Pennywise, maw dripping gray goop, tore the arm off of Shantotto’s attacker and used it to bludgeon the last putty to death. As It dropped the limb and glanced up, a beam of lightning slammed It in the chest and sent It hurtling to the grass.
The tarutaru, knees bleeding and one arm more liability than asset, planting her foot hand to the stone and lifted her head. A shadow fell over her tiny form as she looked up to see a sneering Zedd lording above her. A boot crashed into her head, and she lost consciousness as she fell to the grass beyond the arena.
With a thud, Zedd managed to plant the base of his staff into the battered surface. He thrust a finger toward the unconscious tarutaru. “Don’t be sour, you just don’t have…” Zedd paused, his rattled brain stalling as he searched for the proper rhyme. After a few moments, he grinned and snapped his finger before resuming his victorious stance.
“Don’t be sour, you just do—” A swirl of lights flashed around Lord Zedd, and before he knew it, he was standing back in the preshow facility.
“Damn you, Karl Jak!” The triumphant warrior growled as he shook his fist at the cameras.
[spoiler]
Zedd (3.3) & Violet (2.8) defeat Pennywise (2.85) and Shantottto (3.2)
Zedd & Violet advance to Round 2
Zedd & Violet advance to Round 2
Pennywise and Shantotto move to Match C of the Redemption Bracket and will face the loser of the Link/Clownpiece vs Skeletor/Kuzuru fight
[/spoiler]