ROUND 3

[idolpro]

[ The room is BRIGHT YELLOW, as all the rooms you will enter are. Black tiles make up the floor, changing to your unit's color when pressure is placed on them. There is a button in the very center of the room standing on a podium; it's slightly smaller than palm-sized.]

[♫]

Comments

Fox vs Glory

[idolpro]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

... Maki?

No, it's... Glory, now, isn't it.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

Ah...

Yeah.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

... I remember the last time this game happened. It feels like it was so long ago.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

...Mm. You fought hard for Taisho, then.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

[nods]

I wanted to win for Taisho, and for those who let me pass... but I surrendered to letting A move forward, because I knew he was someone important to you, and I didn't want to hurt you in turn. After that, Sol became angry with me because I put someone else before Taisho. It took me months to realize what I had done to offend him.

... I wonder if I am any wiser now, than I was then. What about you? Do you think you've grown wiser?

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

...For me, last time... I was still hurt from the monster game where I'd taken all the fights, to protect Taisho. Where I killed Intensity because I thought it would be alright, that he'd understand, that I could handle it, so it was best if I took all the pain and conflict on myself. And because that was the only compromise we could come to.

But I was wrong. It wasn't alright. I couldn't just 'handle' it. And still... Taisho didn't understand what I'd been trying to do.

So... I didn't want to that again. Sacrifice important things for nothing. I didn't really particularly want to win. I put in some effort, because it's not like I wanted to suffer, but when I came up against B's boyfriend, I just let him go.

But things are different now. I'm different, and ☆ZRAEL is different.

...I was with A in the last room.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

I know I asked you before, but... are things better for you, at Zrael, now that more time has passed? Will they appreciate what you have done?

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

It's not exactly a matter of appreciation. I mean... they will appreciate it. But everyone on ☆ZRAEL tries their best for the unit. And we more or less agree what that is. Everyone will be fighting through this the best we can.

So it's not like Taisho, where I felt like... I was the best equipped to carry the burden of things like that, so I had to take it on alone. Even if no one else saw it the same way.

...So, yes. It's better. I'm happy.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

Good. Then I can face you without regret.

Will you fight me, Morning Glory? Without unit abilities--just pure skill against pure skill--in order to decide who moves forward?

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

[She considers him in silence for a few seconds before she answers.]

...If that's what you want. I owe you at least that much.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

Thank you. I do appreciate it.

[he smiles, then draws his sword from its sheath and takes his stance]

En garde, then.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

Mm.

[She pulls a combat knife from her skirt and holds it in front of her chest, shifting her weight slightly.]

Ready when you are.

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

[there's a split-second where he studies her closely before taking a leaping slash to close the distance, expecting her to dodge]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

[She does dodge, but narrowly, leaving only a few inches between the blade and her arm as she tries to shift to the side and inside his sword's reach for a backhanded stab.]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

[he tries to move quickly but still the blade cuts across the top of his arm, severing the sleeve of his kimono, but it's fairly shallow; he goes for an upper strike in retaliation]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

[She misjudges her dodge slightly this time and the blade nicks her shoulder as she turns away, but it only makes her flinch very slightly. She continues the motion from there, keeping her knife up to guard as she spins into a hook kick.]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

Nng--!

[the kick takes him by surprise and he stumbles back, onto one knee for a moment, before leaping back up again with both hands on the hilt of his sword. eyeing her again, and then going for a quick side cut followed by another upper cut]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

[She reacts to the first strike like she's expecting a feint, and it clips her upper thigh through her skirt as she lands. She dodges the uppercut more effectively, but the wound catches up with her after a few beats and she stumbles slightly, grunting.

Then, since she's unsteady on that leg anyway, she drops to a knee herself to try a low sweeping kick to bring him down onto her knife.]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

[he's expecting more kicks this time, so he's able to dodge--and quickly retaliates with a hard slash downward towards her leg]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

[It's much harder to dodge from this position, and instinctively she decides to take the hit for a chance to retaliate. As the sword sinks in above her knee, she slashes up towards his sword arm.

It would be a strategically solid move in a fight to the death, but it occurs to her a split second too late that that's not what this is, and a leg wound is going to substantially hamper her from a dash for the button. The realization crosses her face in a brief flicker behind the flash of her knife.]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[artisticliberty]

[fox's brow furrows as the impact of having just stabbed glory through the leg hits him--and what he has to do in order to make sure she doesn't make it to the button.

he takes the slash, his skin opening up with a spray of blood, making him hiss. with gritted teeth, he twists the blade in her leg]

Re: Fox vs Glory

[rollplayinghouse]

[The pain of the sword twisting causes only slightly more of an expression on her face, even though she knows she's lost.

She said she wouldn't concede, though, and that still applies now. She strikes again, for his wrist, trying to free his grip from the sword.]

Hallucinations - Glory, cw hanahaki, dissection, plant horror

[idolpro]

You find Intensity after the game—hoping that he's safe, that he's well. He turns to look at you, and the words die in your mouth; his face is bloodied, his expression stern. Future is Now has been hurt once again, and you just can't stop it. He holds up a hand to forestall you saying anything—"You'll just make it worse, if you do anything," he says, and turns away.

When you open your mouth to protest, to call him back, though, all that falls from your mouth are morning glory petals, your mouth dry and mealy like it's been full of dirt. The words come through it garbled, and no one you talk to—not King, not Yugi… not even Griffin or Shrike seems to be able to understand what you're trying to tell them. They tell you to calm down, to relax, to be quiet—not to be so angry. To accept things. B just shakes his head, and scurries away; Joker looks at you strangely, before making his apologies and going back to his friends.

You were just trying to say you cared. Why does it always come out wrong? Why are your feelings always wrong? And why do these damned flowers keep coming out of your mouth?

You have to get them out. You have to get them out, so you can say what you mean, so you can be clear, but it seems like there's no end—the longer it goes on, though, you can't help but think that maybe the problem is just that they can't speak your language. That you need to slice them open, plant seeds in their bellies.

Through his disdain, Intensity doesn't notice the knife, until you split him open from his navel, and plant the seeds you coughed up there. But he doesn't speak back to you in the only tongue you can put words into, now—instead, he just bleeds, and bleeds, and the light fades from his eyes.

But you have to keep trying. With each one of them—maybe one of them will learn. Maybe one of them will understand.

Re: Hallucinations - Glory, cw hanahaki, dissection, plant horror

[idolpro]

Take 1 punishment (if you take another I won't notice):

Physical:
> Hanahaki disease (coughing up flowers when it's one sided love but it can be whenever)
> Tongue removed
> Loss of hearing

Non-Physical:
> Just accepts all that is told
> Longing for someone's care/kindness
> Increased self-doubt