POST-ROUND 1 MINGLE

[idolpro]

[ Once the decisions have been made, everyone is ushered—though those gentle tugs—out their respective mud rooms into the courtyard. An impossibly tall and incredibly dense garden hedge divides one half of the courtyard away—moreover, it increasingly gets taller when climbed, preventing its residents from escaping their slice of the courtyard. From beyond, idols can hear the distant sounds of something rumbling—perhaps it's the ground shaking. . .

The roster is visible on a large screen, though as time progresses, certain names are blacked out. . . ]

[ Mouths and Hands will be able to transform into monsters at-will, though Hands are much more diminutive and Mouths have supernatural abilities at their disposal. Moreover, unit abilities are on. ]

Comments

[outofoffice]

[ Oh. No . . .


Much as he'd like to approach, Venti knows the absolute best thing he can do is stay far away. He gives her clear berth, reluctantly. ]

[sangreine]

[ Some part of her maybe knows that she doesn't want this, because she doesn't approach -- or, perhaps she's waiting for an excuse. Whatever the reason, she doesn't immediately charge, but neither does she shy away from Venti's gaze either, locking her eyes on him. She continues circling, slow and steady, stalking him like the predator she is, flicking her sword and sending cold blood droplets spraying around her. ]

[ Give her a reason, go on. ]

[outofoffice]

[ He would really, really rather not.

In fact, she might find she inevitably loses sight of him as his attention shifts to shaking off another berserking predator, from the . . . rather large crowd of them.

Give him a few minutes, of course. Don't get into too much trouble in the meantime. ]

[sangreine]

[ Trouble is such a harsh word, rife with accusation; she's not after anything that isn't her due to begin with. ]

[ She watches with cold indifference as Venti runs from his attacker, irritated that her prey has scampered off but not so much that she'd care to fight for the privilege of taking it apart. Instead she focuses her attention on Alisaie, who seems laughably intent on trying to convince her to go against her nature. Silly girl. ]

[ Luckily for all involved Aliza decides to toy with her meal a bit before indulging, leaving plenty of time for interruptions. ]

[cecilias]

[ Should he be offended you wouldn't track him down to murder him specifically? Wow. Rude.

After one (1) death and one (1) revival, he comes looking for Saya in particular, undeterred by how busy she is or isn't. Swanning in like he owns the place and she isn't a berserker vampire with a sword. ]

Ali-Rin~

[ Draping on her from behind, lest she get any ideas about ignoring him. ]

Pay attention to me. ♪

[sangreine]

[ Her focus was in front of her, but not so pinpoint that she missed Venti swooping down upon her. She twitches just enough to show that she's noticed, and was in no way surprised. ]

[ And then snaps her head around and goes for his arm with her gnashing fangs. If she gets a good grip she'll lock her jaw, like any cornered beast with a particularly elusive piece of prey in hand. ]

[cecilias]

[ He jerks once, but otherwise lets her gnaw at that arm for now, the other locking firmly around her waist. ]

Poor Ali-Rin . . . Look at how miserable you are.

[ The wings behind him rise, growing in number. ]

[sangreine]

[ She makes a sound, half a snarl and half a growl and wholly inhuman, before trying to wrest free of his grip using her sword and full strength, and aiming to take a nice chunk of his arm along with the rest of her. ]

[ He should feel free to take that as an affirmative response. ]

[cecilias]

It's okay . . . I'll take care of it.

[ A gust of wind shoves her forward, his blood splattering outward as she takes a chunk of his arm. Still, she's hopefully pushed too far to immediately do anything with that sword. ]

If no one else will protect you, I will. That is my promise to you.

[ The amount of wings and eyes now is approaching something godlike, not solely monstrous; the sound of unseen chimes even when he isn't speaking somehow adds to it.

If nothing else, one damaged arm feels less critical now in the wake of all the limbs ]

[sangreine]

[ Being pushed away keeps her sword out of range, but her spitting fury at being herded has her fighting the wind with all she has, and her usual strength combined with her status as a Mouth in this game and the jolt of adrenaline she gets when she's like this makes it a substantial fight. ]

[ Undeterred by the abundance of extra limbs and other supernatural elements, she continues trying to leap at him. ]

[cecilias]

[ Yeah . . . . this isn't a fight he's going to win (if he can win) without taking some heavy damage. He knew this when he approached. He isn't afraid.

But she's suffering, and that alone is reason enough to fight tooth and nail, to do anything to end this as quickly as possible. Then, she can rest. Then, she'll be freed.

The winds coalesce into a dozen spots of glowing teal light, then launch themselves like arrows as she approaches. Each one bites straight through flesh should it hit. ]

[sangreine]

[ When the wind stops she makes a satisfied sound, more a yowl than a laugh. Enough little tricks, now. ]

[ The way she moves is like churning water, lashing out at each of those glowing motes of light in turn. She misses one, in her weak side shoulder, another at her flank, but they don't slow her down at all. Aside from the bleeding, you'd never know she was hit. She strikes at the floating lights with the sharp of her blade, or blocks them with the flat if the edge is useless, relying on the weapon she knows best. ]

[ But not her only weapon. Her free hand opens enough to uncoil the tether of her rope dart, which she spins in a blinding arc before launching the dagger end at him, which is not only barbed but abnormally heavy. She's not necessarily aiming for blood, more to wrap up one of those many, many limbs so she can grapple him in to where she has more of an advantage. ]

[ Regardless of whether her rope dart finds its target or of how many holes there are in her, she charges for him, sword flashing. ]

[cecilias]

[ Little tricks? How rude! The wind is everywhere, always, listening to everything. The pulse of the skies, some might say.

Not that it helps him in the face of a very feral Chiropteran queen.

It's not the first time he's face an opponent stronger than he is, so he knows where his advantages are. He braces himself to tank the hit -- the dart wraps some of his wings and jerks him off balance, tumbling forward. But as as she charges toward him, a blade of Anemo forms in front of him, blade pointed outward, for the sake of using her own momentum against her.

Risky, dirty plays are probably his best bet. ]

[sangreine]

[ And what aim would politeness serve in a battle like this? She was right besides; the wind can bring down mountains here and there, but it moves along quickly enough after taking its pound of flesh. She will not be so easily dispatched. ]

[ She whips her cord around her arm to secure her grip and then yanks at the same moment she does a midair flip, hoping he'll be a few limbs shy when she lands and continues toward him. ]

[ The blade appears too late to dodge entirely, but quick as she is there is very little she can't avert enough. A simple adjustment in her landing and the blade licks along her ribcage and skips off rather than impale her -- but now she's in arm's reach, and she doesn't hesitate to strike, the point of her sword flashing toward his neck. ]

[cecilias]

[ Here's the thing: he absolutely cannot die. Not to her, anyway.

No outcome could possibly be worse.

So he ducks the blade, fast enough to save his head if not one of his wings; the sound of it hitting the ground is accompanied by a choir of shrieking bells and chimes, hair-raising and unpleasant.

The winds surge again, no longer coy or playful, perhaps thanks to the pain; instead they create a brutal, roaring down-draft, attempting to force her off her feet and onto the ground. ]

[sangreine]

[ She'd quite agree, if she had anything of her wits about her: he can't die because of her, if doubtless for very different reasons. ]

[ She flashes a barbed grin as his wing falls and the bells shrill in the air, but that's all she manages before being shoved to the ground by his gale. ]

[ Her eyes glow brighter as she pushes up against wind funnel, limbs shaking as she gets one knee under her -- it's all she needs. ]

[ With a great burst of strength, she springs at him, sword flashing. ]