Mock Fight: Esdeath vs Ballad

[Lubbock]

A bout of coughing and spluttering exploded from Esdeath's mouth as she pushed herself up weakly on the drenched sand... Wait, sand? Esdeath scrambled up, narrowly halting a forwards stumble, before sweeping her gaze behind her; an endless blue landscape, filled with rolling waves and the occasional disturbance in the smooth, serene ocean. A downwards glance heeded a blinding flash of snow-white sand, not exactly the best terrain for the heels the General was wearing. Before she posed a threat to her own well-being, she reached down and slipped them off, her ice-cold feet slipping into the blistering, glowing sand.

The heat was certainly evident, but the cold witch simply shrugged it off as her cold blood fended the increased temperature off. Not exactly satisfied with her findings, but her curiosity sated nonetheless, Esdeath spun around to gaze upon the view at her rear... a mass of green and brown, swaying gently with the light, tropical breeze. Trees offered well-needed shadow upon the soft beach, and as such the General made a clumsy beeline for the cool solitude.

Her dainty, queen-like feet sunk into the dark sand, and a breath of relief escaped her pale lips as the cool shade washed over her. It didn't make too much difference to the ice witch, but it was pleasant nonetheless. She wasn't just going to sit around and do nothing on the beach though - as much as she'd enjoyed that one time with Tatsumi, she didn't plan on spending leisure time in such a place, she had to explore her surroundings and get a feel for the atmosphere.

She took a single step forwards, and sharply retreated as a sharp pain shot into her foot and up her leg. Cradling her injured limb, she cocked her head to the left to take a glance at the injury; a colossal thorn had impaled itself into the ball of her slender foot, and seemed to have injected some form of paralysis poison. Agitated, soon to become well and truly pissed, Esdeath grasped the lengthy assailant and tore it out, chucking it aside. Giving her leg a light pat, she could easily feel the muscles in her calf and knee tightly locked up.

Okay, maybe she was going to be spending some time at the beach.

Esdeath seated herself in the shaded sand, staring out at the boundless sea beyond the blinding field of alabaster. The warm breeze teased the blanket of azure hair flowing down Esdeath's back, and she removed her hat, allowing the rest of her hair to freely drift in the light wind. She reminisced over her beach journey with Tatsumi once more... it was one of the best moments in her life... a pleasant change from the torment she doled out to the citizens of the Capital. Sorrow overcame her, however, when she remembered how Tatsumi had fled the scene after being transported back to the mountain. She pulled her knees close to her well-endowed chest and dipped her head into her lap, a blush exploding into her cheeks. Oh, how she wished that boy had come to the Omniverse with her...

Her head shot up as she heard a large mass shift the sand upon the beach before her. The overbearing sunlight made it a difficult task, but she attempted to catch sight at whatever oversized fish had hauled itself to shore. A man... wearing all green... no way was it Lubbock of Night Raid... but could it have been...?

Her thoughts were shot down when she spotted a scarf around the figure's neck, and some form of firearm at his side and he pulled himself to a haphazard squat. Nonetheless, the General stayed wary of the strangely clad man in the sand; he could have been aiming to kill her for all she knew. Yanking her dead leg up with her, she stood and leaned on a nearby tree, the feelings in her leg gradually coming back.

As soon as both her legs were in working order, she carefully strode out to the green man, silently summoning her rapier at her side; thanks to Omnillium, she was able to wield it and stow it at will like that. Her dainty hand enveloped the cold steel of her blade's handle, but she refrained from shifting the blade from its sheath for the time being, at least until she knew the danger she was possibly about to face.

A green face peered up at Esdeath as she came to a halt before the man, her legs square to his shoulders and her body blocking the sun out of his vision - she had to at least be somewhat kind to him, after all he just washed up to this searing hot environment in such stuffy clothing.

"Who are you?" She questioned threateningly.