Assault and Battery [Eden, Stage 1]

[stray]

[Fashionably late, I assure you. ^_~]


Like a twisted magic trick, the unarmed card soldier disappeared- cut up into pieces that fluttered like confetti onto the ground.

And that’s how the next one followed, and the one after that, etc... She spiced things up with an electric bolt every now and then, but it did little to end the monotony that marked this battle. Much like her pseudo bad mood, spoiled even before this entire ordeal, which refused to improve despite the multiple victories piling up behind her. A sense of boredom had begun to mix dangerously with the building annoyance the Savage Nymph had for this irritating scheme- a deadly combination in its own right.

Without any connection to the two other invading forces, Numbers VIII and XII were left alone to complete their pathetic excuse of an objective for this unraveling plot. And that was where the problem lay. Denied the pleasure of being stationed in the castle and replaced by the brothers for the frontal attack, here she stood, next to the forest- a mere distraction in Marluxia’s grand plan. It was abysmal, to put it lightly, but not even half of what she intended to complain and whine about to the Graceful Assassin given the next chance.

With a soft huff, Larxene took a moment in the silence that followed the slaughter of a small faction of cards to preen and primp herself back into an acceptable appearance. “Tch! It’s like someone dumped a bin of shredded paper on me!” Perhaps such a thought was a tab bit exaggerated though- just a little. “Still, better to be covered in bits of paper than the smoke and soot that comes with fighting next to Axel. Again, maybe an inflated statement, but at least he had wandered far enough away from her in the pursuit of card soldiers so that she didn’t have to worry about being either set on fire or bored to death by his constant chatter.

It had been her original intention to keep a close eye on the deceitful fire user, but not if it meant becoming his babysitter and getting stuck with all the grunt work. If that was Marluxia’s plan then he was better off hiring those three brothers for the job.


[Open to two who have come to face their worst nightmares save the Queen. xD]

[nascent]

(OOC: Figure I may as well jump in on this as well. After all, it fits my character's modus operandi almost too well and Larxene vs. Kassom should prove to be quite interesting.)




Clap, clap, clap...


The Savage Nymph would find that her deadly dance of paper maché making had not gone unnoticed. The slow, almost sarcastic clapping came from somewhere nearby, although where was not readily apparent.

"Well well, aren't you just the world's fanciest paper shredder, lady. Do those two long hairs double as scissors, or are they some sort of antennae?"

From the forest a shadow emerged, leaping from one of the highest tree branches into the air and landing, crouched, perhaps two dozen feet from Larxene. At first glance the new arrival seemed like something the cat had dragged in, clad in tattered, dirt-smeared rags and unruly, ragged-looking hair... then, as he slowly stood and looked up, Number XII would realize that this was, in fact, "the cat". The Feral Rogue smirked haughtily at the Savage Nymph, tossing a small red and ebony emblem up and down in one hand.

"A feisty young lightning bug like yourself shouldn't stray too close to the forests, lady... there's wild animals about, and some of them can be quite dangerous." He tossed the object halfway in-between them so she could get a good look.

His snide grin fell away, replaced by a vicious snarl that bared his fangs. "On behalf of the Queen of Hearts, Res Nullius sends its regards." With a flick of his wrists, the crimson-furred lynx was suddenly holding three throwing knives in each hand, and just as quick he sent the blades flying towards Larxene. Wasting no time, the mercenary dropped to all four and sprinted towards his foe.

The game was on.

[stray]

[Oooh! Excellent! I’m very much looking forward to this thread! =3]

‘Eh?’ A somewhat inattentive looking Larxene slowly quirked her head toward the source of such sarcastic applause and commentary. How original. As if she hadn’t heard a hair joke before! The small snarl that had momentarily played on her lips faded into nothingness in response to his cliché and boring entrance. What was with vermin always jumping from shadowed high places? It wasn’t the first time she had been ‘graced’ with such an entrance. And with her luck, it probably wasn’t going to be the last.

Oddly enough, his actual presence was more annoying then his half-wit taunts. Still, if slightly irking her had been his intention, he had succeeded as much as any being can when dealing with a Nobody. Crossing her arms, the ‘feisty young lightning bug’ that was Number XII idly listened to the cat’s continuing taunts- a single slender eyebrow tilted upwards in pseudo-dismay.

This was why animals shouldn’t be allowed to talk.

Yes yes, she got it. Poor defenseless her had wandered too close to the forest where the big, bad predator now wanted to gobble her up. Only, her thoughts had been broken by the sudden flicker of something smooth and glossy thrown her direction. Her turquoise eyes flickered down, then back up to the cat-that-ate-the-canary smiling feline. Unless it started glowing or floating in mid-air, it wasn’t very interesting. Still, it seemed odd for him to simply throw out some trinket and not say anything more about it. Especially for one that appeared to like the sound of his own voice.

It was too bad that she wasn’t allowed her time to comment or brag in return. However, the Savage Nymph had an inkling that she too would eventually have her turn. For now, with a show of daggers on each side, a battle between clawed beasts had begun. A small smile graced her lips as the lynx made his move- launching six blades her direction and sprinting forward to follow through on his attack, most likely. Now it was time for her turn.

Ascending a few inches off the ground, her fingers pressed tight around and against the hard, smooth surfaces of her kunai, in a bold, if not insane move, Larxene hurled herself forward for the incoming daggers. The several feet she had as buffer quickly turned to inches as the two forces prepared to collide, and they would have had the Apathetic Princess not thrown her body into a high-speed spin at the very last second. Arms extended and taut, her brightly colored Shock Charms deflected every last one of her opponent’s projectiles with a loud metallic clang.

She didn’t wait to see where the daggers had gone or landed. All she saw before her was a clear path and an open target. The Savage Nymph instantly shot forward, intent on seeing through the last part of her plan for this round, perhaps even this fight. Kunai dispelled, and without any sort of indication or warning save her hands being thrown in front of her at the last moment, a net of electric tendrils burst from her fingers. Like hungry snakes, they wiggled and struck out for the nearest meal to be. His capture was almost a sure thing. Anything within ten feet of her would be ensnared, and they had begun this battle with only two dozen feet between them.

[Zero [Axel]]

The sky seemed to rain flakes of grayish, opaque ash onto the vibrant green grass of the royal courtyard. A previous onslaught of the card army had been reduced to a pile of cinder, scattered around the area. A thin build-up of the half-burnt card paper lay on the sleek black cloak that the figure wore. The hood that once concealed all facial features now divulged a mess of fiery red hair that stuck up in many directions and narrow, hazel eyes that jolted from side to side as they scanned the perimeter. Under each eye lay a black diamond tattoo, very visible on his somewhat pale skin. Grasped in each hand was a deadly ring of metal and spikes, burning flames just beginning to fade from them.

A halberd lay next to what remained of a card soldier. Only the far, upper-right hand corner of the card had escaped the hellish flames but it wasn’t enough for the card to walk away with its life. The spikes had ripped and shredded through countless card soldiers almost identical to this one. A ways away, Axel’s ‘partner in crime’ was busy disposing of cards in her own ‘special’ manner. The electrical cackle could be heard, even from Axel’s position. Like-wise, the roar of his flames could probably be heard from where she was.

The fire seemed to strike a primeval fear in these cards. They knew they wouldn’t stand one chance against a flame but they still threw themselves into the line of fire, so to speak oh so literally. Unfortunately, their persistence had worn Axel thin. Dismantling these cards over and over got tedious, really quick but they didn’t seem to stop. It was like they came in packs, ready to open and attack. Maybe they’ll shake it up a bit and bring in some dice.

So far, Marluxia’s plan was going off without much of a hitch, but then again, this was only the beginning.

[nascent]

(OOC: Well well, bravo. You've certainly got me at a disadvantage for the next two turns... is this going to be a quick finish, or is Larxy going to toy with her "prey" a bit? Either way, well played move.)



He'd counted on her apparent boredom, expecting the black-coated Nobody to be willing to "play" with him for a while before bringing her powers into the mix... but she'd delivered a shock to his plan. Literally. Volts and jolts raced through Kassom's body, paralyzing him with raw electrical force. And, being that he was in the middle of a run at the time, his limp, unresponsive body rolled forward, ending up laid out prone on his back. He groaned, but that was as much as he could muster for the time being.

<<That was reckless, kid.>>

Not that it stopped the voice in his head from chastising him. The demon-scout Ilaelis wasn't very pleased with his mortal thane, that much was clear from the "tone" of his thoughts. Kassom, on the other hand, discovered just how difficult it was to think in his current situation.

'Didn't... expect she'd...'

<<Don't hurt yourself, kid. Speaking of which... if this little mistake gets us killed, I will torment your soul in the afterlife.>>

'...Bored -- GAH! -- Won't kill us.'

<<Yeah... you'd better be right about that.>>

[stray]

[Curses! Bound to staying in character and gloating instead of finishing you off! XD Tis a blessing and a curse to have such an awesome canon char. ^_~]

“Well, that was somewhat anit-climatic,” Larxene quipped snarkily before landing gracefully back onto the ground. Tendrils of lightning continued to crackle and dance from her extended fingertips to the sprawled out form of Kassom- encircling him and rendering him helpless. “The way you were talking, I was expecting so much more out of you! Well, at least a good five minutes of entertainment, perhaps. What a pity!”

Armed with only a cruel smirk, the twelfth member of what was once Organization XIII slowly advanced upon her catch. There was still plenty of fun to be had despite being weaponless and temporarily unable to initiate any of her abilities. Such an example was given as she subtly quirked her hands upward. Like a puppeteer with a new marionette, Larxene lifted the stunned cat up off the ground and into the air.

With no one around to watch, the mischievous nymph dangled, twirled, and spun around her newest toy. Whether it was out of faked boredom, pseudo spite, or pure craziness, Larxene was ‘make believe’ content in her play and the current musings of a poem that came to mind. “‘How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail, and pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale,’” she recited in all seriousness before hanging the poor furry upside-down. “‘How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws, and welcomes little fishes in...’”

A small pause and a moment of silence struck the Apathetic Princess’ fancy. It was as if time stood still, save for the continuing hum of electricity that flickered and held tight the mercenary. Suddenly, she smirked.

“‘With gently smiling jaws!’” she concluded quite quaintly, never mind her simultaneously throwing her hands in a violent downward motion.

This was why her toys never lasted for very long.

A loud THUD clearly announced the impact of her current play-thing’s head and back with the hard ground below. It was far from being a life-threatening blow, but still, it might leave quite the goose-egg later on. As she gazed upon her handy work, with a final touch of electricity, a net of lightning had secured itself across the entirety of her foe and onto the ground around him. A job well done, but now what? Would she finish him off soon? Or prolong his suffering a little more? Larxene only wished her technique didn’t render her victims mute. It would have been so much more fun to hear his fighting objections, distressed pleads, and eventual cries of pain. Now there was a good reason to keep him around a little while longer! She would ponder it a little while longer.

[nascent]

<<Well, I'm glad someone's enjoying this.>> Ilaelis mused in a grumpy tone. Kassom, still stunned from whiplash and paralyzed, couldn't think clear enough to 'think' a response back.

For the time being Larxene still had the feral rogue at her mercy, though the moment the effects relinquished the demonic scout inhabiting Kassom's bloodline was ready to bring about a swift upset to this scenario. For the time being, however, all he could do was shoot reprimanding thoughts into Kassom's head -- if his host had been a bit more cautious, this whole scenario could have been avoided!

<<Because I certainly am not. We're doing this my way now, understand kid?>>

[nothito]

Tree climbing wasn't usually on the agenda, but just this once, he'd make an exception.

In the forest next to where Larxene and Axel were mercilessly shredding the paper thin soldiers of the Queen of Hearts, a pair of piercing golden eyes were watching them from the branches of a tree close to the duo. Just what was the owner of said eyes planning to do from watching them? Well, he was more concerned with what THEY were doing. Both the Flurry of Dancing Flames and the Savage Nymph were unsavory people in the watcher's book, not to mention untrustworthy and vicious to those around them. No good could be coming from the two of them conveniently being together in the same area at the same time. As the man thought about it, if those two were here, then a certain pink haired pansy would also be here. But where?

The watcher, a certain silky blue haired man wearing the exact same uniform as the blonde and the red head on the ground below suddenly shifted from leaning against one of Wonderland's odd trees and moved to the edge of the tree limb he had been standing on as another creature staged an attack on the likely second in command of whatever operation was going on in Wonderland. Sadly, this new warrior was quickly stunned and fairly defeated, which would have led the emotionless face of the man to scowl in frustration or laugh at the fool's failure had he not been one of the few of his kind to not pretend he had emotions.

Remaining as silent and stealthy as possible, the blue haired man summoned forth a massive blue and purple claymore, already in its battle form, to his right hand. The current plaything of Larxene's may have been defeated in mere seconds, but perhaps he had learned his lesson and would be willing to cooperate. Two versus two were a lot better odds of victory then two versus one. Waiting until the Savage Nymph was facing away from his hiding spot as she spun and twirled with the paralyzed warrior, the watcher chose that moment to fling his massive claymore straight at the blonde's back as hard as he could, willing it to curve to avoid the fallen warrior and chase the Savage Nymph as best it could should the Nymph dodge the attack.

Swiftly impaling the girl wouldn't be entertaining, but it would get the job done.

(1 usage of Strike Raid)

[Zero [Axel]]

[Sorry for the lack of posting]

Axel raised his arm to whipe the soot off his face but only caused it to smudge. A dark, thick line of smeared ash started at his nose across to his right cheek. The number of Card Soldiers was dramatically dwindling. Numerous echelons turned to scarce fighters in little time. The Chakrams grasped in his gloved fingers vanished after being engulfed in fire. His emerald eye gazed at the few cards still remaining. Even now, after their comrades had been dispatched so easily, they attacked without hesitation. Loyalty and sense of duty to this extent was a rarity in these days of war. And so, they charged at Axel in a last standing futile attempt to win. A ring of fire at Axel's feet burst forth a pillar of flame that engulfed a few of the cards. Two more similar towers of fire took care of the rest. All that remained were the piles of ash that still bore the red, slithering serpentines that burned their way through the remaining materials.

Ash flakes fell from the Flurry as he ran his hand through his fiery locks. He turned toward the direction he last heard the crackle of Larxene's lightning. Something in the air didn't feel right. The way back to her was short. Upon arrival, Larxene was toying with...what was that? A cat? Weird. Either way, she looked like she was enjoying herself. She seemed to enjoy tormenting small, defenseless creatures but why was she fucking around when there was a mission to be done?

!!!

From the corner of his eye, Axel saw a massive object being flung out from the trees and towards Larxene. Acting purely on instinct, Axel summoned a pillar of fire once again. It raced towards the sword, striking it. The force of the pillar moved it just enough to miss Larxene and dig deep into the ground in front of her. Quickly he regained his mind and glanced around the area before turning towards where the sword came from...He stopped for a moment, realizing something. Turning back, he looked at the sword and knew...Saix. The pyro faced the trees again and charged, his Chakram materializing and catching ablaze. He stopped right outside the treeline where the sword had emerged and he threw the rings of fire into the forest, catching all they touched on fire. Like boomerangs, they spun back to Axel who immediately and fluently tossed them back into the trees, hoping to get him. The fires spread quickly, threatenting to engulf everything. That was the thing about fire; it wasn't like the other elements. Fire had a mind of its own. It grows, it eats, it breaths. It truely was alive, and it was beginning to roar.