RP Smash [IC/Conditional Acceptance/PG-16]

[Yui]

---

Day 3, 10:00AM, The Arena

Points: 112

W/L Record: 1/1

"Oh, no, this isn't my cat. It's Riley's. But, his name is Snowball and he's great! He's a good friend of mine, even if we only met just yesterday. So maybe you two can be friends too! Oh, oh! Especially because you seem to like snow stuff too! It's perfect!"

 

"That sounds nice," Aurora agreed, scratching behind Snowball's ear. Cats liked being scratched there, right? She mostly just remembered they didn't like having their bellies scratched. It was dogs that loved belly scratches. It was probably super-easy for Xia to make friends with anything she laid eyes on though. Sometimes Aurora had trouble befriending animals, but Snowball seemed nice enough. Man, I really want a dog now. Not Caleb though. Having a pet that talks would be weird, and he's more a friend than a pet. I should go try to find him sometime.

 

"Oh, sorry. Right, you got your present to go open."

 

"Yeah. Probably shouldn't stick around in one place too long either. It'll get pretty chilly if I do." Best to get moving and see what was in the box she'd been given. Raising a friendly hand, Aurora cheerily said "Let's chat again later!" With that, Aurora continued toward her destination. Her room. Aside from the brief encounter with Xia, it turned out to be a trip that didn't feature many people crossing her path. Aurora entered her room, shutting the door behind her. It was kinda dull in here, come to think of it. She'd have to look into sprucing it up in the future, or even just giving herself a bit more room to work with. If it weren't for how she had the heat operate, there wasn't really anything stopping her from making some ice sculptures with her spare time, right?

 

I wonder if I could sell those sorts of things, actually! Is there a market for ice sculptures on Rama-Indri?

 

Aurora made a mental note to ask about ice sculptures and the possibility of selling them in the future. Perhaps later today. For now, she wanted to see the present she'd gotten. As Aurora took away the simple wrapping paper, and opened up the cardboard box, she was met with a sight that was actually quite familiar! A space heater! What a thoughtful gift. As she pulled the item out and set it down on the bed next to herself, Aurora noticed a letter in the box as well. She reached in, and looked over it. It wasn't signed. An anonymous fan then!

 

Most people think you're cool, but I think you're hot!

 

"That's really cute," Aurora giggled to herself. She'd have to keep the note too. Whenever she got to go home, she could show it to August to prove that everything here did happen and that it wasn't some weird Wizard of Oz type of dream. Even in a world full of superpowers and stuff, things like talking dogs with lasers and dragon girls seemed a bit far-fetched. August probably wouldn't believe her either way. But he'd probably say he does anyway. He's a nice guy like that. Although, if he didn't believe her amazing true story about a high-tech city named Prana, with a mysterious lady(?) in a top hat who ran an arena full of all sorts of interesting characters - not that she'd blame him - she'd rather he just say so.

 

As the cryomancer glanced around her room, it didn't seem there was really anywhere to put the space heater right now. There was a chest for clothes in the corner, but that was too short for the heater to reach her up on the bed. Putting the heater directly on the bed was a fire hazard, so that was out. I'll have to get an end table or something. So, Aurora referred to her trusty watch, looking at the shop for prices on end tables and stuff like that. They were actually super-affordable! But, not available in her room's current size. Upgrading her room to a bigger size cost... 150 points!? It made sense, but Aurora didn't have that kind of money handy. She was getting there, but not quite at her goal. Asking the other fighters was out of the question. She refused to beg for money; she was better than that. She'd have to earn it. Fighting would help, but she wanted that table ASAP!

 

Time to learn about making an additional living selling ice sculptures then! Now, who would I ask about that...? Not any of the fighters, obviously. They were all as new to this place as Aurora, and Gavin only just got here! It had to be someone that lived on Rama-Indri. Her first thought was Mauvache, but Aurora was sure she(?) was a busy woman(?), so maybe wasting her(?) time wasn't smart. Plus, on the off-chance that Mauvache asked about Angela being locked up yesterday... Officer Kate did say not to tell her anything. It was probably best to not go out of her way to talk with Mauvache for a bit. She briefly thought about Millie who worked at the bar, but she was probably busy right now too. Plus, Aurora wasn't sure if she was even allowed in the bar to begin with. So not her either. The next person that came to mind was...

"...and here I am," Aurora concluded, recalling to Gnash the train of thought that had ended in him being the best person to ask about Rama-Indri's social media and the like. Mauvache was too busy, she didn't want to bother Millie in an area that Aurora had no business in to begin with, and she wanted to learn about those kinds of sites to try and get a few extra points on the side by making and selling ice sculptures. The other fighters probably didn't know, and it wasn't like Aurora really knew that many people native to Rama-Indri to begin wtih. So basically, it had to be Gnash. "Mind giving a girl a hand with figuring out how people do all that stuff in this world?" she asked with a smile.

 

Gnash, for one, seemed surprised that Aurora had come to speak with him. The surprise was soon replaced by a sad expression though, as Gnash looked away from the cryomancer and explained that he wasn't a very smart monster.

 

"That's fine; I'm not exactly a genius human myself. We've got a saying about that kinda thing where I come from... something like, 'if you put a monkey in a room for long enough, he'll write Shakespeare'. I think."

 

"What's a Shakespeare?"

 

"Oh, whoops, he doesn't exist here. Basically, Shakespeare was a really famous writer in my world. I think the guy had some problems though, since a lot of his plays had lots of murder and suicide." Aurora glanced around her surroundings. If Gnash couldn't help her with the social media thing, she'd have to find someone else after all. Perhaps whenever she went to knock out another thing on that checklist Mauvache gave her. I should do one of those today, before I fight. And maybe another one after! Be productive! "I'll find someone else. Thanks for your time Gnash!" Aurora turned to leave, but before she did, something in the booth caught her eye. A small tiger figurine. May as well give him a little something for his trouble. "Actually, before I go, that's a cute figure on your booth. Do you like tigers?"

 

"Well, you see, it's kind of embarrassing, but when I first..came here, I used to watch a lot of television, old television, from your world. There were commercials about a tiger who gave children sugar for breakfast and they all seemed to love him, even though tigers are dangerous..." His voice trailed off and he turned away.

 

"I remember those commercials!" Aurora exclaimed. I also remember mom thinking it was funny to give me Frosted Flakes. I was more of a Honey Nut Cheerios kid though, but I guess that doesn't matter now that I'm here. I could really go for a bowl of those now... Aurora was getting off-track! "Hang on, just a sec." Aurora set her gloved hands down on a part of the booth she could rest her hands on, and focused. "I haven't really made anything this small before, so it may look a bit rough around the edges." The air around Aurora - especially around her hands - developed a distinct chill for a few seconds. Whatever she was doing, Aurora was giving it no less than her complete and undivided attention. After a short moment, she lifted her hands to reveal an ice sculpture, roughly in the likeness of the cereal masot from the commercials Aurora and Gnash had just discussed. Some of the smaller details didn't look quite perfect, and the shape itself was - as Aurora guessed - a bit rough, but it wasn't hard to tell what she was aiming for if somebody knew the mascot existed.

 

"Tada~! Your very own little ice sculpture. It's made of the same kind of ice I make in my arena fights, so this shouldn't melt unless you put it in hot water or a microwave or something. Hope you like it. Later, Gnash!" And with that, Aurora was off! She thought about the checklist. Shooting a commercial would probably take a bit too long. Which meant... time for a photoshoot!

---

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE!?'" He yelled out loud at the door, stomping his foot. "WHAT TYPE OF FU​CKING BAR HAS TO CLOSE FOR MAINTENANCE!? ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!" He continued to rant at the door, the few people who were around staring at the demon as he raged on. Cyanthrax, feeling their stares, glared at the public with a threatening look that quickly caused any eyes that were on him to shift away nervously. He let out a defeated sigh. "Now what am I suppose to do?" He asked, almost pouting. "I guess I could walk around the town again... at least before my match starts." Defeated, he marched away from the closed doors and onto the world outside. Who knows, maybe there was another bar he could hit up.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Angela

 

It's just that I guess...I'm just dumb. I don't understand numbers much, I'm terrible at administrating, and I lack any care for the future. I know you're a doctor rather than a businessman, but do you perhaps have any tips, or perhaps know someone that might be able to help?"

 

"As you say I'm no businessman...Sadly the best to ask would be Mauvache herself, though I doubt you'd want that given your...opinion on her. Other than that, I'd say....first you'd need to decide what kind of business you want to do and take it from there. Perhaps asking your fellow Fighters, some may have some surprising talent that could be used."

 

"Oh anyway, what is your favorite attraction from this area of the city, doc?"

 

"This area?" Franklin said. "Well there's not much in the way of 'attractions' down here, though I do like to visit the pet store on occasion. I must admit that I have a soft spot for animals, though I don't think I could ever own one myself. In the upper levels I'd have to say I'm a fan of the Art Gallery. It brings to mind some...fond memories."

 

He stopped the walking and turned to Angela. "Now why don't you tell me what else has been distracting you?" He asked this with a smile, looking at the girl over his glasses. Angela would notice that his eyes, which were a dark brown color the other day, had a reddish tint to them now. Though as he adjusted his glasses this faded.

---

Cyanthrax

 

Wandering the city on foot seemed to be a bit different than it had been in the air. He now could see more clearly the kinds of things that were in the city. A lot of lights and flashy signs. He passed by several clubs and bars, though none close to what Tegur's was like, as he made his way through the upper level of the city.

Several people noticed him but most seemed to be giving him a wide berth. Though some were talking about him, he could hear, saying something about a temper tantrum earlier.

As it turns out one of the people by the bar had recorded him in secret and now there were several articles mentioning "Drunkard Fighter Yells at Door".

 

He would be for the most part kept away from. That is until someone stepped out in front of him. Leaning forward with her hands behind her back. Looking up at him through a pair of glasses with unrestrained curiosity. A woman, mid-twenties, with short green hair and a rather breezy air about her. "Helloooo there." She began. "I'm Julian, and you...well, you are QUITE the interesting character aren't you? Violent outbursts both in and out of combat. Voted biggest jabroni by a wide margin. We should have a chat, you and I."

[Super Chaos Sonic]

 

 

"We kin go asplowes, Dis beeg ceetie, menie dingsh hewe!"

 

Gavin looked the dragon creature and blinked a bit. Once again, there was obviously trouble for him understanding what she was saying. "VEX, can you translate?" he asked, before hearing VEX respond.
 
"Ella dijo: 'Podemos ir a explorar. La ciudad es grande y hay mucho que hacer aquí'." VEX spoke, but what came out was...well, not English. "Espere. ¿Es esto español? ¿Por qué estoy hablando español?"

 

"Um...VEX, are you alright?" Gavin asked, hearing VEX speak Spanish. Oddly enough, he remembered that he didn't program him to ever speak in Spanish. "You circuits get crossed or something?"

 

"Mi circuito está en plena capacidad, Gavin. Mis escáneres muestran que no hay nada fuera de lo común." VEX spoke once more, but the language barrier was not helping the young man at all.

 

"Alright...just, take it easy for a while." Gavin sighed, now to the point where he couldn't understand two beings now. "I'll find some time to try and see if we can do maintenance on you. Guess right now, I could probably look around this place...hopefully people around here are a bit friendly."

 

*: And our Spanish speaking translations are brought to you in part by: Google Translate! Cause what else is it good for? xD

[Tesability Black]

The silver leaves on her head folded down at the person asking the AI to translate, then hearing something she faintly recognized as Spanish. Didn't this person have one of those watch-thingies?

 

"...Ai sees wha' pwobwem ish," she grumbled as her body began to shift, changing from her normal solid form to an increasingly-transparent state. What could be seen of her began to change more and more to look like minuscule 1s and 0s rapidly changing with one another as she changed into a more amorphous shape. After two seconds, it hopped up like a snake before moving towards and entering Gavin's technology in hopes of encountering VEX in its home reality.

Manifesting in a digital space, Tesability reformed herself to her normal appearance, looking around at the new (to her) part of the interweb. "Now, let's see what we has here..."

(I'm leaving what VEX would look like in his own space as well as the space itself, up to you.)

[ChampionZero]

Elijah already knew just how weird people could get, so a rather intense grandmother for a fan wasn't the worst he'd seen. Nonetheless, he felt uneasy about her following him all day.

 

"Well, I'm very glad that I'm able to brighten someone's day around here. Even if..." OHSHITOHSHITOHSHITWHEREAMIGOINGWITHTHAT "It's only one person.

 

He glanced down at his watch and fake-jolted. "Oh, damn it all! I'm late. Have a nice day!" He waved and smiled as he made a mad dash for the TV center, duffel bouncing behind him like a maniacal dog on a leash.

 

***

 

Elijah stepped out of the dressing room and onto the filming floor looking damn sharp, if he did say so himself. Black slacks with precise creases down the side. Leather dress shoes worn soft and flexible with years of use and maintenance. A button-up shirt with a buttoned down collar, spotlessly white and with a nice black tie done firmly up to his throat. Finally, a pair of scratched reading glasses with a thin metal frame completed the look. A stern, fatherly expression and Elijah practically aged five years.

 

The effect was enhanced when he discovered, to his immense displeasure, that the old lady was the director for today.

 

"Oh. Well, this is a surprise." He found himself barely able to hide his displeasure. "Alright, let's get to it then."

 

***

 

The first Promo began with an armchair in a cozy office, a heavy flame burning in the fireplace, its snapping and crackling muffled. Elijah's leaned on the armrest, holding a book in his hands, reading the words aloud.

 

"Out of the night that covers me, 

      Black as the pit from pole to pole, 

I thank whatever gods may be 

      For my unconquerable soul. 

 

In the fell clutch of circumstance 

      I have not winced nor cried aloud. 

Under the bludgeonings of chance 

      My head is bloody, but unbowed. 

 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears 

      Looms but the Horror of the shade, 

And yet the menace of the years 

      Finds and shall find me unafraid. 

 

It matters not how strait the gate, 

      How charged with punishments the scroll, 

I am the master of my fate, 

      I am the captain of my soul."

 

Elijah's hands closed the book and the camera zoomed in on the cover, where it read in gold leaf:

Elijah Diamond

A Man of Many Faces

***

 

As Elijah stepped off the stage and politely acknowledged the director's gushing about his costume, his watch beeped with a schedule update.

 

Hmm. Cyan versus... oh no, that's that dragon with the speech impediment. Poor thing's gonna get wasted. Oh hey Snowboots is taking on the new guy... that would sound dirty if I say it out loud. Meanwhile I have to fight...

 

"Aria? Where have I heard that name before...?" He slapped his forehead. "The Melodic Archetype! She must have sound powers. Oh s***, I don't have a way to counter that..."

 

"We're all set dearie!" The director crooned.

 

"Huh? Oh, wonderful."

 

***

 

The second promo faded in to a long alleyway, dim and dank, containing two unsavory-looking gentlemen on each side. Elijah was essentially flanked.

 

"Ah, looking for some private lessons, are we? I don't mind a little tutoring after-hours." He grinned at the thugs in front of him as one of them approached with a crowbar.

 

"Lesson 1," Elijah began, throwing his torso back, kicking the weapon out of his hands, and rolling back onto his feet, "Hit first. Lesson 2?" He caught the crowbar and clocked the two thugs behind him in one broad swipe.

 

"Hit fast. Lesson 3..." He turned, ducked under an enemy attack and hooked their leg, yanking it out from under them and following up with a loud, bone-crunching stomp on the chest.

 

"Hit hard. And finally, lesson 4." He turned to the disarmed thug, dropped the crowbar and punched into the camera, turning the screen black.

 

"Hit last."

 

Elijah Diamond

A Man of Many Faces

***

 

Elijah rolled up his sleeves, loosened his tie, and undid his collar, letting a long breath out. He sat down at a small table in the corner of a coffee shop, put a steaming cup, a donut box, and a book on the table. A quick glance at the camera.

 

"Depending on how long you've been staring at the screen, you may want to stop and take a break, for your health." He shrugged and flipped his book open to read. "Not my problem if you don't."

 

The remainder of the minute-and-a-half promo passed with him simply reading, sipping gingerly from his cup, and occasionally eating a donut. As the promo came to a close, the image blurred and faded, and the words simply scrawled themselves into existence. 

 

Elijah Diamond

A Man of Many Faces

***

 

 

Elijah helped with editing, wrapped up, and exited the building promptly, mostly to try and avoid the crazy crone following him around.

 

As he walked, he tapped commands out on the watch, monitoring his points. Huh. Mauvache sent out an 50-point bonus while I was filming. Cool.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Now why don't you tell me what else has been distracting you?"

 

"Eh...?"

 

Angela paused on her steps. She was unsure about what the doctor was talking about at first. There was nothing else that was on her mind aside from her plans on visiting the mine, but that surely wasn't a distraction. It was just something to satisfy her curiosity. She turned around to say to the doctor that she was alright, that there was nothing else that she was thinking about. Nothing really bugged her now. She was fine.

 

"I am worried about you, Angela. Can you tell me what is on your mind?"

 

The moment she turned around, Angela froze. The doctor had disappeared from her sight, and the person before her was her sister. A gentle but concerned smile adorned her beautiful face. She called out to Angela several times, making gestures in hope so she would approach her. How dare she pretended that she care at all?

 

"You...it's all your fault! What do you want from me now? Haven't you ruined my life enough?"

 

Angela  yelled. She yelled in anger, as loud as she could, letting her emotions out. Some of the shop owners near them seemingly ended up hearing what she said. Angela walked towards her oh so beloved older sister. She wanted to see her face bleed. She wanted her to grovel on her soles. Become as much of a disgrace as the one she had thrown to the trash. Her beautiful face would be even more beautiful once Angela could tear it apart. She walked closer and closer, yet in the end, the visage of her sister disappeared.

 

The doctor was there, standing.

 

Angela was red in shame, but didn't turn away. Her dream last night really had influenced her a lot today. It felt nice however. Relishing in the only person that she was allowed to love and hate. At the same time, there was time and place for everything. Right now, she was going out with the doctor. Those things could be for later instead.

 

"It's...it's nothing. I just remembered of an unpleasant person that I met in the past, but that's not important.

 

Before we eat, would you mind if you take me around the area more? Please tell me more about this place again."

 

---

[VCR_CAT]

Aria

 

"If you mean Adonis he's busy right now. Don't be so nervous, though I can understand why..." The receptionist started. Aria shuddered subtly at the thought of ever being nervous to see that sleeze. "Oh you're looking for Miss Meadows, yes, she returned earlier than expected. You can find her in the gym, right that way."

 

Aria breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the help," she said, and made her way down the hall in that direction.

 

The person waiting for Aria in the gym was not exactly who she was expecting. The girl waiting there was, somehow, even shorter than Aria and wore a similar hairstyle, though longer and tied up. "Hiya, Aria, right? My name is Aurea Meadows and I'm the trainer in this place. I heard from Adonis you were looking to get stronger, is that right?" Aurea, huh. Even her name was similar. Regardless, right off the bat Aria felt a greater degree of comfort and ease than she did around Adonis at any point.

 

"Kinda, I think, at least in the battles, I'm plenty strong? I dunno. But, if you've been watching them, you can probably tell I don't really know how to fight," Aria began, embarrassed to even think about her past battles. "I'm still kinda learning the in's and out's of my body here which, ummm, long story short but this isn't... really what I looked like on my home world? Well it did, but, it was more like my character in a game or something, and," Aria groaned as she began to confuse herself just trying to explain it. "It's complicated. Anyways, long story short, I'm still kinda learning how to fight and what works best for me. I dunno, I'm down for learning anything, or if you have any ideas on helping me learn all that."

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Angela

 

Curious. Very curious. The doctor kept a straight face as Angela shouted at him, and waved off a couple people who stopped to look at the pair of them.

"It's...it's nothing. I just remembered of an unpleasant person that I met in the past, but that's not important.

 

Before we eat, would you mind if you take me around the area more? Please tell me more about this place again."

 

Franklin paused. They had gone around this area several times already, they seemed to be going into a cycle. "Well, I don't particularly need to eat...right now, but I'm sure you're getting hungry aren't you? You know some of the things on your list I could make myself, if you needed." Franklin gestured towards the closest building, a grocery store. He looked over towards Angela as he walked over to the door and entered, beckoning Angela to follow.

 

Once inside they could see a building, longer than it was wide, with rows and rows of shelves each with various food stuff in bright and enticing packaging. There were several people in the store, picking up items here and there, and there was a single cash register with a bored looking girl. She glanced up as they entered and seemed surprised when she saw the doctor come in.

 

He waved at her then turned back to Angela. "Sorry if it's not what you wanted but why don't you say you pick out what you want me to make? I'm a bit rusty but I know how to handle myself in the kitchen."

---

Aria

 

Aurea put a finger to her chin, her small, round, face scrunched up in thought, as Aria explained her issue. "Hmm, well I've been...not by a viewing screen lately, honestly I only found out about who the new Fighters were today." She hit herself on the head with a fist and laughed. "I kinda get distracted pretty easily. But I'll do what I can."

 

She moved into the ring in the center, patting the floor as she moved. "Stand over here." She called out. Then she got into position several feet from the spot she indicated and turned towards Aria. "I want you to hit me like you'd do in a fight!" Her voice was chipper, almost musical, as she said this.

 

A moment passed and her eyes and mouth widened. "Oh, wait, you might not want to hit me when I'm like this, duh, ooooone moment."

 

Aurea reached up and brushed her finger across the clip that held her hair up. It began to glow, followed by the other moments later, and her body became encompassed by a white glow. It covered her completely and, as Aria watched, seemed to grow. It vanished several seconds later and an entirely different person stood where the frail Elf once was. She was noticeably taller, though still not tall relatively, with a much healthier looking body. Her left eye glowed red underneath bangs that partially covered it and she was wearing armor over her chest, stomach, arms, and legs. It looked to be made of stone and the middle of her chest contained a red, disk-shaped, object that gently glowed the same as her left eye.

 

"Begin." She said. And even her voice was different. Deeper, seeming to reverberate as though it were synthetic.

[Yui]

---

Day 3, 11:00AM, Photoshoot

Points: 112

W/L Record: 1/1

Well, she had gotten a bit sidetracked, but Aurora finally made it to the photoshoot studio like she'd planned to. She was a bit nervous. Aurora had never done something like this before. Sure, she'd taken pictures for school IDs before, but that wasn't something that would probably be shown to the whole world! But it was something she had to get taken care of eventually. How hard could it be, right? Plus, the points were a pretty good incentive right now. Aurora had the heater, but nowhere to put it, but getting somewhere to put it meant having to upgrade her room. She was so close!

 

Swallowing down whatever nerves she could, Aurora took her confident first steps into the studio. I'm gonna get this photoshoot done, and I'll look great doing it!

12:30PM

Aurora left the studio with a pleased expression. In her hand was a copy of all the pictures that had been taken of her during the photoshoot. Getting back to the Arena was a much faster process than going to the studio from there, due to a number of factors. As she entered the arena building, Aurora looked over her pictures again. She was fighting Gavin soon, but some time to kick back before the fight never hurt anyone, right?

---

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Sorry if it's not what you wanted but why don't you say you pick out what you want me to make? I'm a bit rusty but I know how to handle myself in the kitchen."

 

"A-ah, in that case, let me help you with it! I'm not good with today's cooking utensils, but i definitely can cook too!"

 

After talking a bit more with the doctor, Angela went to grab one of the carts and started to pick the ingredients she had in mind for what she wanted. It was actually hard to find the equivalents of some of the ingredients that she was familiar with, and a lot were labelled with names that she wasn't familiar with, but she managed to finish the shopping in roughly half an hour. Finding the spices were the hardest, but once that was done, the rest was a breeze. She had no doubts that the ingredients here were of high-quality, but she wondered whether some of the replacement ones would work. In the meantime, she also grabbed a pack of dried pineapple sticks - it was a surprise to be able to find her favorite snack here, but it sure was a pleasant one. She paid that one using her own money however.

 

"I'm done. I guess it's time for us to return to your place?"

 

The dishes that Angela listed were mostly dishes native to the distant Jianghu continent that her father often cooks for her, though it was surprising that this world seemingly had the equivalent of them too. The primary two that she was focusing on was mapo doufu and traditinally-prepared noodles with her favorite style in it. She wanted to also prepare a hanging roasted duck too as well as dumplings, but considering the time she had, it's probably best to skip on them.

 

"Anyway. Little bit curious, but do you know about any mines around?"

 

---

[👀 REP 👀]

---

The sprawling city put him at unease as he stared up the tall buildings. It really put into perspective the joy ride he had with Odine on her spaceship, and just how high up they really were. He passed by a couple of bars, but decided against going into them; the flashy lights angered him. He noticed the people around him seemed to have their eyes on him, although no one seemed to want to actually talk to him. Which was good, as he had no intention to talk to anyone. Instead they seemed to talk among themselves, he assumed about him. Cyan didn't really care all that much, in fact it was a bit comforting; reminded him of home. 

Everyone avoided him, that is, except for one woman who stood right in front of him. "Hey!" He barked at her, motioning with his hands to try and get her to move.
 
 "Helloooo there." She didn't seem to care, annoying the demon. What was up with this place and annoying people? "I'm Julian, and you...well, you are QUITE the interesting character aren't you? Violent outbursts both in and out of combat. Voted biggest as​shole by a wide margin. We should have a chat, you and I." Her words only seemed to anger Cyan more, although he felt a sort of pride at the title the people had voted for. 

"Yeah, ya think so!?" He spoke, before scoffing. He was about to tell her off, before stopping himself. He didn't really have much planned, now that he thought about it - this would at least pass the time before his next fight. Plus, the girl had specifically stopped him for a conversation - anyone insane enough to do that must be interesting somehow. "Alright, I'll bite. What the fu​ck do you wanna talk about?"

[VCR_CAT]

Aria

 

"Hmm, well I've been...not by a viewing screen lately, honestly I only found out about who the new Fighters were today." Aurea hit herself on the head with a fist and laughed. "I kinda get distracted pretty easily. But I'll do what I can."

 

She moved into the ring in the center, patting the floor as she moved. "Stand over here." She called out. Aria walked over and planted her feet firmly in place. Then Aurea got into position several feet from the spot she indicated and turned towards Aria. "I want you to hit me like you'd do in a fight!" Her voice was chipper, almost musical, as she said this.

 

Aria stood there, unsure of what exactly to do. She knew of the whole "Yoda Trope", of the supposedly weak master being crazy strong, but when push came to shove she wasn't sure she wanted to take that risk. A moment passed and her eyes and mouth widened. "Oh, wait, you might not want to hit me when I'm like this, duh, ooooone moment." Aurea reached up and brushed her finger across the clip that held her hair up. It began to glow, followed by the other moments later, and her body became encompassed by a white glow. It covered her completely and, as Aria watched, seemed to grow. It vanished several seconds later and an entirely different person stood where the frail Elf once was.

 

"Begin." She said. And even her voice was different. Deeper, seeming to reverberate as though it were synthetic.

 

"Huh, so that's what was up," Aria muttered to herself. "Well, here goes nothing!" With a slight wind-back, Aria lunged forward to deliver her signature move: The Normal Right-Hook. Her fist sailed in the direction of the elf, surrounding itself in the same sound-magic Aria used in the ring, ready to explode in a loud-gunshot if it struck its target.

 

 

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Angela

 

On the way back to Franklin's house, after he agreed to her offer of help, Angela posed yet another question to the doctor.

"Anyway. Little bit curious, but do you know about any mines around?"

 

"Mm." Came the response. He continued to walk as he spoke to her, not looking back at the girl. "There are mines down below, on the lowest level. The only part of the city that actually touches the ground. It's where we get gems and mana crystals to power our technology. They're very important for the livelihood of people here...and they're equally as dangerous. Only the most desperate people work there.." He looked downcast for a few moments then, as they arrived back at the apartment complex, he spoke again. "I don't know why you ask but it'd be best to stay away. I only know of two people who went into them and came back besides the workers...And not even them, at times."

 

Shaking his head he scanned his watch, which Angela would notice seemed high quality but not as advanced as her own, and entered the building once more.

---

Cyanthrax

 

"Alright, I'll bite. What the fu​ck do you wanna talk about?"

 

"Feisty." Julian replied with a smile. "Well you see I host a radio talk show...ah, you might not know what that is." She looked in the sky a few moments, thinking about it, before explaining. "Basically I can use it to talk to people all over at the same time. Well, they can hear my voice...sometimes they call in so I guess talk works too. Annnyway, I'm always trying to find fun things that no one else can and I think it would be lovely if I could talk to you about some more...interesting things than the news stations might want to report. For instance...your relationship with Aria."

---

Aria

 

Aurea watched as Aria approached, she nodded once before going into action. She passed her hand over the glowing disk on her chest and the same hand began glowing red. She swiped her arm in front of her and a glowing red platform appeared in front of her. Placing both hands on it she shoved upwards and jumped over Aria's attack and behind her.

 

As Aria touched the platform it vanished. Though she didn't get much time to note this before Aurea grabbed onto her arm. As she did the sound blast reverberated around the room. Without missing a beat Aurea put her elbow between Aria's shoulder blade and brought her foot towards Aria's knee. Pushing on both she forced Aria to topple over and, as she hit the floor, pinned Aria's arm against her back.

 

Leaning in, Aurea spoke. "You move too stiffly. Your actions are obvious before you even begin. Always try to avoid showing your hand before knowing it will strike."

[Alaina]

 

Xia gave a wave to Aurora saying, "have fun with your box!" as the girl left. Looking at Snowball, Xia said, "alright, well, what do you want to do now Snowball?" At these times, Xia would normally try to find some kind of work that needed to be done or go do something fun that probably involved punching. However, she had a Snowball to worry about now as well. The furry creature was definitely a wily one, having been able to sneak out of their room yesterday. As such, Xia was concerned with taking on any sort of job where they'd have to leave Snowball on their own. After some grueling minutes of thinking, Xia eventually said,"I got it! Let's go explore, Snowball!" 

 

With that decided upon, the girl rested the animal on her head, and began to leave the apartment complex. Trying to find a new place to explore, the girl had only really been to the sports area and the casino. So, she decided going in the opposite direction. After some walking, Snowball and her trusty steed had eventually made it to a building that was enormous in size; so tall that Xia wasn't quite sure if she could see the top from where she was. Her face entirely in awe, the girl said, "let's go check that out Snowball." With a "mrow" as the only noise of confirmation, Xia nodded and went in. 

 

The inside of the building wasn't quite as impressive as the outside, though it was still certainly spacious and tall. While Xia was made curious about the woman who was floating in mid air, sitting on a chair and looking at a bunch of weird light screens, the girl's attention was taken by something else. An elevator! And even more impressive she saw more stairs than she had ever seen before spiraling upward. Walking over to the staircase, the girl seemed to be in awe as she looked to her animal companion. Snowball didn't seem to react, and so Xia said, "yeah, let's go." With that, the girl began to ascended the staircase. 

 

And ascend.

 

And ascend. 

 

Xia wasn't sure how many stairs there were, nor how high she had actually climbed, but she didn't seem any bit deterred. Merely looking around every step of the way and letting out some "ooo"s and "aaah"s. It wasn't until probably half an hour of walking had passed that Snowball had let out another whining noise. "Oh, you're probably right Snowball. Let's go explore something else!" With that, the girl and the cat had turned back and, much to Snowball's dismay, walked down the rest of the stairs. 

 

As she exited the library Xia let out a sigh before saying, "man, I didn't know there was a whole building dedicated to stairs. Libraries certainly are something aren't they Snowball?" Wanting to go somewhere else, but not wanting to get lost, Xia had decided to get back to the apartment complex. When she had gotten back, she saw a familiar white haired friend saying, "Aurora! Hi! Man, I haven't seen you in. Hmmm, Snowball how long has it been?" The cat mewoed. "Yeah! That amount of time! Anyway, how was your box?" 

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

The girl wasted no time in asking him some questions for her... "radio show". He wasn't quite sure what that was, although her explanation of it was enough. She started by asking about Aria. He hesitated for a moment, the mention of her name bringing back an image of her looking at him at the end of the match. It was a short hesitation, as he shook his head slightly. "What about her?" He asked.
 
"Well, you certainly had quite the moment wouldn't you say? What do you think caused all that? And are you usually so aggressive? You weren't as violent in your first fight, is it just with females?" Her tone was suggestive, as if to imply as more... suggestive matter.
 
"Hey, what the f​uck are you trying to imply here!" He grit his teeth. This girl was annoying, that's for sure. "I don't know if were too dumb to notice, but fu​cking prince happened to have a lot of ranged attacks" He recalled both of his fights. The former was exciting, sure, but the way Aria fought reminded him of himself. When he was less technically proficient, obviously, but still. His blood started to boil a bit as he remembered how he felt during the actual fight, only for it to simmer when he remembered the conclusion.
 
Julian pulled out a notepad; a regular,paper notepad, and started to write. "Refused to comment, did not deny..." She said to herself softly, before looking up back at Cyan. "I noticed alright, I also noticed that there are many fans who are waging war in comment sections about if you should wind up with Elijah or Aria, what do you think of that?"
 
Now she was really grinding his gears. "I think they shouldn't be watching a fu​cking blood sport if they're lookin for romance!" He yelled out, extending his arms in anger. He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "What makes you think I'd want to hook up with fu​cking children, anyways? Are people in this world that depraved!?"
 
Julian chuckled, causing Cyan to grit his teeth. "You really think this world is the only deprived one? Do you come from some utopia or something, Mr. Demon?"
 
"A utopia!? Don't make me laugh. Britannia is a f​ucking hellhole. Unlike this one, however, I'm used to the kind of sh​it they throw back home "
 
"So what is your world like?"
 
He paused to think about her question, trying to think of a way to describe his hometown. The only thing that stood out of his mind outside of the wastelands and war was the taverns. "Ya know the tavern in the arena? Imagine its like that everywhere"
 
"Everyone is drunk?"
 
"That's not what I..." He stopped to think about it, before chuckling. "Actually, that is kind of accurate now that I think about it..." He remembered the other sins. "My crew didn't drink much, though. Not as much as me that it!" He chuckled to himself, grinning.
 
"Sounds like it might be like mi-uhh, well that's certainly interesting, are you... normal, for your world?" 
 
He caught her stumbling. Is she not from around here? "Normal..." He shook his head, remembering the jeering from the crowd. "Far from it."
 
"What are the normal... lifeforms from your world then? Are you from the Abyss, er, Hell? Whatever the underworld is where you're from?"
 
He caught some words that were... strange, to say the least. "The normal are a variety of different races... much like here, that is. Me, I'm from the Demon Realm, like all demons. I... wouldn't call it an Abyss or 'Hell'" He said, making sure to encompass hell in air quotes.
 
"What's it like in the Demon Realm?"
 
"I... uh..." Bad memories started creeping into his mind. He barely remembered the place, but he'd seen glimpses of it in his nightmares. Plus the residents were... it'd be better not to talk about it. "... don't remember..."
 
Julian edged closer as the talk continued, taking notes in her notepad. She stops when she heared that. "Amnesia is it? That doesn't sound right. I knew a guy once who didn't want to talk about his past. It was such an interesting story once I got it out of him." She smirked at Cyanthrax, confidence in her gaze.
 
He gave the girl an annoyed look. It seemed she was more attentive than he'd given her credit for. "Eh? I told you I don't remember! I don't give a rat's as​s if you think that's "right" or not"
 
She shook her head, causing Cyan to relax a bit. "We'll leave it aside for now, just don't underestimate a journalist!" She pointed her pen, which upon closer examination appeared to be a quill, at him. 
 
"Good." He bitterly responded, although there was a hint of relief in his voice. He took a glance at the quill that was now closer to his face. "So, a quill huh? Ya know, considering how... futuristic... this place is, seeing a normal writing utensil is refreshing."
 
"I know right? It's nice having a bit of home with me."
 
"From home? So you're... " However, before he could finish his sentence, she pointed her quill at him again.
 
"Hey now don't change the subject, I still want to know who you like between Elijah and Aria."
 
He growled, seeing the conversation shift from something interesting to something annoying. "I already told you, neither!"
 
"Come on now, someone must have caught your eye... it's not the dragon, is it?"
 
"The Dragon!? That annoying pest!? C'mon, what is wrong with you!?"
 
"Hey I don't judge, and I only ask because you're so evasive about it." She pouted, although it was clear she wasn't about to let up just yet. "How about Mauvache? Got a thing for older women?"
 
"Older?" This time, he wasn't annoyed. In fact, he found her question amusing. "Girly, I know I look young and dashing but you must understand I'm over 300 years old!"
 
"Well yeah but... ah, yes, that's right. But that's not a no!"
 
"What was that now?" He was looking smug as she stumbled over her words, although it didn't last long.
 
"I'm saying that you didn't give an answer." She writes a note again. "Controversial Fighter in love with his boss?"
 
His face shifts from smug grin to annoyed scowl. There wasn't anything wrong with Mauvache, but... "No"
 
"Aww, but it'd be interesting..." She gave the demon puppy dog eyes, trying to get an answer from him. What was an attempt to be cute came out as annoying to him.
 
He squint his eyes. "NO"
 
Julian puts her hands on her hips. "Well you better give me a name mister or I'll have to go digging. And no one wants that."
 
"Why are you so dead-set on trying to pair me up!? This is a fuc​king arena! Plus no one here is a vampire..." He stated loudly, before awkwardly coughing. "...or a giant" he muttered.
 
"So you're into vampires and giants? You're in luck! There's a few of the former running around, though one's a lesbian... and there's a giant at the library! Want me to introduce you two?"
 
"I mean it'd be more inter-" He was, again, cut off.
 
"Unless... did you have someone in your previous world?"
 
The question caught him off-guard. "W-what! No!" He stated loudly and awkwardly, although he was clearly flustered. A light blush formed on his face.
 
"Aha! So that's why you're avoiding the question! What was she...or he? What were they like?" She leaned in even closer.
 
He gave the girl an annoyed look, face still read. He raised his hand and flicked her in the forehead, causing her to back off. "T-That's not it, you fuc​king moron!"
 
"Hey now, no need to be rude. Well then what is it?"
 
He growls at her. "Those are the only races that can even keep up with me in age, and power." He shook his head, before remembering something. "Well, I guess Fairies too, but eh. Never been too fond of fairies myself" His face returned to its normal color as he spoke.
 
"The Fae, hm? Well, we can discuss that one later, if that's all you meant then...you still haven't told me who you'd be most interested in..." The Fae, now that was a topic he wanted to talk about, although he had no interest in them. He shook his head, and was about to answer, when she kept on going. "Wait it's not..." She took a step back, putting a hand to her mouth. "Me!?" It's clear from her overreaction she's joking, there's a twinkle in her eye as she says it. It was amusing, almost like a funny joke.
 
"HA! You fuc​king wish!"
 
"Not at all, my heart belongs to my darling Hector." She placed her hand on her cheek, and, as she said the name, her eyes clouded over momentarily. "You know I'll find out eventually, it'll be easier on you if you just tell me." She quickly returned to her annoying personality from before.
 
"I forgot how stubborn you humans can get..." He muttered to himself, although it was audible and understandable. "Well, yer gonna be searching for a while then! I didn't come here to make a love story, sweetheart, I came here... well, because I was brought here without my... THIS IS FUC​KING FIGHTING ARENA, ALRIGHT!?"

 

"Oh don't be so boooring, love is a battlefield too, you know." She gave a wink.

 

He scoffed at her. "Love is a waste of time." He said bitterly, rather than angrily.

 

"You don't know what you're missing." She said, sounding wistful for the first time during this conversation.

 

It caught him off-guard, and as he simmered down he responded. "I think I'm fine missing out, thank you very much." His tone was more playful than before, although there was still hints of bitterness in what he was saying.

 

"Your loss." She said, looking into the distance. "Ah, where was I..."

 

"I've lost enough..." He muttered under his breath, before turning to the girl. "So can we wrap this up?"

 

"For now. I'll be in contact later, Cyanthrax." She started walking away, backwards. "My number's in your contact list, by the way, if you ever decide you want to share!"

 

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Don't expect me to call or anything!" He yelled back, before checking. Indeed, her contact information was on his list somehow. He scratched his head. He would never understand how all this tech worked.

[ChampionZero]

Elijah arrived at the arena, breathing hard as he adjusted his tie and sleeves. Hopefully the old lady wouldn't be allowed in, since this place was really just for staff and fighters.

 

With a deep breath out, he hefted his bag and sat down outside one of the battle rooms, sinking tiredly to the floor.

 

OK, what weapons will the Professor... Probably the lighter stuff... I wonder what other Spells and Traps I can use...

 

He began to tap through his watch, looking for anything that could explain his list of in-battle abilities. Failing that, he punched in a number and sent Angela a message.

 

[Hey Angela! It's Elijah, from yesterday's fight. Sorry again about the whole... hospitalizing you thing. Anywho, you did offer to hang out during our battle, so if you're still down for that, let me know and we could get something to eat! I know a great sandwich place near the Arena where we can meet!]

[Super Chaos Sonic]

 

 

"...Ai sees wha' pwobwem ish,"

 

Gavin looked at the dragon and then watched as she turned transparent and it looked like she was turning into data. "Wait...what the hell are you doing?" he asked, before seeing her entering his MOVA without so much as a second thought. "H-HEY! Get out of that!"

 

He protested, but it was too late.

 

 

-BGM-

 

Upon the dragon entering the MOVA at quite incredible speeds, she found herself in quite the strange world. It was obvious that she had entered the world where VEX resided.

 

“Oh, a visitor.” a voice said, as VEX was now standing on a small platform in front of Tesability. “Welcome, Tesability. This is quite the surprise to see another A.I. within my domain.”

 

Landing on a platform of her own nearby, the dragon looked over towards the source of the voice, trying to see what the native AI manifested like in this area. “Um, hi.”

 

“First time in a location that is not your own, I take it?” VEX asked, letting out a small chuckle. “Understandable. Unlike myself, you seem like the type of A.I. who has yet to reach further into other domains and data-streams. Am I correct?”

 

At this point, she was shaking her head at this. “No, not first times.” At this point, she looked up towards what would pass as the sky of this space in thought. “I not from dis place. My home long destroyed.” After saying this, she pointed her snout back towards the strange...Rockman? Sleek Rockman? that seemed to be VEX and asked, “Hey, why you talk normals now,” as she tilted her head to one side.

 

“Ah, my apologies then.” VEX said, taking a small bow. “I was uninformed about your ventures and data-stream access. Now, in regards to your query, that is one I am afraid I cannot answer.” he said, starting to walk on his platform, as another manifested beneath him as the artificial intelligence moved towards the dragon. “Perhaps this is the result of mine and Gavin’s entrance into this strange world. I believe the term that most sentient life call it is: ‘magic’. But the fact of the matter is, if you can understand me perfectly fine within this datascape, then perhaps only those within this space can understand my speech.”

 

“Maybies,” she admitted, before bringing a paw to her muzzle in thought. “I wonders…” Stretching out her wings, Tesability flew up higher and higher towards what may exist as a ceiling before shouting to Gavin outside, “HEY! Things be okay here!”

 

 

“¡OYE! ¡Las cosas están bien aquí!” was the shout that suddenly erupted from Gavin’s tech, this time sounding less like his familiar A.I. and more like the one he just met that was speaking.

 

“What the?” Gavin muttered, puzzled. Was that the dragon? She’s been in there for just about a minute...and now all of a sudden her voice was coming over the MOVA. This had the young man puzzled quite a bit.

 

The MOVA began to glow in a similar way that the dragon had before entering it, and a smoke similar to the cloud of 1s and 0s began to pull itself off of the device and reform nearby, shaping itself back into the NetMonster that turned around with a confused look on her muzzle. “Dings be guds in dewe,” she mused to herself, unaware of how her earlier outburst came out.

 

“Great...you go into my device and then shout something in Spanish and then come back out.” Gavin sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “And yet I still can’t understand you...”

 

Gavin suddenly felt a pair of annoyed eyes at him, both of them belonging to the dragon. “Ai no hawd tu undewstan’sh,” she quipped before something odd happened.

Her own watch around her right forepaw echoed her words loud enough to be heard, but in pristine English. And it continued to repeat her words with clarity each time she spoke. "An’ Ai saysh, “‘EY!, Dings be guds hewe!”

 

“Oh now I can understand.” Gavin said, before sighing. “Yeah well. In there and out here would be different. I’m still hearing Spanish.”

 

”Nu speek Spaneesh een dewe,” the NetMonster remarked, once again bringing a paw to her muzzle in thought. One could see a minute trail of smoke coming out of near each of the silver leaf-like things on her head that were her ears…

 

“Jeez...” Gavin sighed a bit. He glanced down at the watch Mauvache gave him to look at the time. It wasn’t anywhere close to the time to get to the match yet. “Could’ve just had us duke it out right then and there. The waiting is killing me.”

 

The knee-high dragon shrugged after lowering her paw, a sudden grumbling catching all ears and causing the dragon to move a paw over her belly. “...need ‘eets’.”

 

Gavin looked at the dragon, before stuffing his hands into his pockets. Letting out a small sigh, he nodded. “Alright. Let’s see if we can get some grub. I’m actually pretty hungry myself.”

 

“Otay!” A grin on her muzzle, she stood up on all four paws before moving around at what seemed like a fast walking pace for her, but was a more normal one for Gavin.

 

The pair…welp, too much time than they would admit to was burned in finding someplace to eat...

 

 

Meanwhile, within the datascape of Gavin's MOVA, VEX stood on his platform. Before the program that was designated Tesability Black left, he had gotten a quick scan of her. And the data he found on this A.I. was quite amazing.

 

"Date of Creation..." VEX muttered. "May 27th, 1999. According to this data...it would approximately be in her world...February 5th, 2018." He paused at this thought, before shaking his head. "Quite amazing. With this information being true, she would be about the cycle range of 19. An A.I. who has long since passed the age cycle of rampancy."

 

He minimized the data before him, before compiling it into a small digitized folder and sent it off. "Quite the extraordinary program. What else could this world provide for me?"

[Yui]

---

Day 3, 12:30PM, Arena

Points: 122

W/L Record: 1/1

After her photoshoot, Aurora had to return to her tiny apartment, just for a moment, to leave her pictures there. No point carrying them around all day, and she definitely wasn't going to throw them away! Best to keep them somewhere safe, like in the chest that had her clothes in it. She had to change anyway. Her fight with Gavin was coming up, so it was time to get ready. That meant getting the heavier clothes that defined her as the cryomancer Arctica back home.

 

Granted, this was going to be a pretty uncomfortable half-hour if Aurora didn't keep the air around her a bit more chilled than normal. The heavy winter gear plus the temperature that was very much not super-cold made for a bad combination for most people. Aurora wasn't most people. However, she, like most people, had friends, or at least friendly acquaintances. She was reminded of the fact when, while she was on her way to the Arena proper, she was met with the friendly sound of "Aurora! Hi! Man, I haven't seen you in. Hmmm, Snowball how long has it been? Yeah! That amount of time! Anyway, how was your box?"

 

It was Xia, asking about the package Aurora had received earlier. "Oh, that? I got a gift from a fan, apparently. It's a heater, to keep the room warm when I'm asleep. Although, I still don't have anywhere to put it..." But she was working on that! If she kept going at the pace she'd been going, Aurora would have that heater set up and ready to go by the end of the day perhaps!

 

"How about you?" she asked. That sounded weird when she thought about it. "Wait, I mean, what have you been up to the last couple hours?"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Well, let's see, let's see..."

 

The two walked towards the doctor's place once again, and Angela immediately went to his kitchen with the materials that she bought earlier. Well, the equivalent of one. The kitchen here looked really strange. It took her a bit to get used to it, but after a little bit of trial and error, she was able to figure out how things worked here.

 

"Let me remember it...for mapo doufu, the first thing I should prepare..."

 

Angelica never read recipes. Learning from recipes was too hard for her, so she always ended up trying to do it with practice. As much as she'd like to say that she was able to recite the steps from the back of her hand, it's actually hard to do so since it had been a while since she last cooked.

 

First was preparing the minced pork. Thankfully it was already minced when Angela bought it, so what was left was for her to salt and add some sesame oil into it and mix them well. She then manually cut the tofu itself, doing it with a precision so they would all end up having a roughly same size, then she boiled them for a little bit, with a helping of salt (normally she would have to get the fire to heat the water up for a while first, but future technology sure was amazing). At the same time she also fried the minced pork for a bit.

 

"It's fine, doc. I'll handle everything here. You're already treating me, so it's the best I can do to thank you."

 

Now, the main part. She fried the special bean paste, consisting of soybeans, broad beans, and various spices for a bit before adding black beans and the rest of the seasoning for a while, until the smell was right for her. Once the aroma fully blossomed, Angela added water to the pan, and once it heated a bit, she added the soft tofu first, before the minced pork and some extra serving of sweet soy sauce and garlic greens.

 

"Huh, a message?"

 

The message took Angela's attention for a bit, and she almost missed her timing to add in the corn starch mixture she prepared beforehand. Half first, then half a little while later. Now with all the primary ingredients inside, Angela decided to taste it a bit. "Ah, not salty enough." A pinch of salt fixed the issue. She was a little bit disappointed that the special bean paste sold in the packages here weren't all that spicy compared to the ones she usually prepare by herself back at home. Perhaps the future wasn't all that awesome in the end.

 

 

It was done around a few minutes later, As she was serving it, she added a bit of extra peppercorn and chili powder into the dish to cover for the bean paste's shortcoming. She went on to prepare the noodle immediately afterwards. It was a lot easier than the mapo doufu, and she was done around fifteen minutes later, serving the spicy sesame noodle with pork and crab as topping alongside a boiling pot of bitter green tea and glasses of clear water.

 

"Doc, the food's ready."

 

While she waited for him to come, Angela went to check the message that she received earlier.

 

[Hey Angela! It's Elijah, from yesterday's fight. Sorry again about the whole... hospitalizing you thing. Anywho, you did offer to hang out during our battle, so if you're still down for that, let me know and we could get something to eat! I know a great sandwich place near the Arena where we can meet!]

 

Ah. That might be an issue. Angela was going to immediately visit the mines after the rest of her business was done that day, but she couldn't resist meeting around with Elijah either, at least to make sure that he knew she's alright.

 

[Don't worry about me, I'm fine! It's just my power and the arena malfunctioned a bit due to a strange interaction, but I've fully recovered now. Sure, I'll be delighted to hang out with you.

 

Not now though. But, if you want to, you can visit me here, and we'll eat together! I want to show you my cooking! Though if you can't, we can hang out after my match. How about that?]

 

Alongside the message, she gave him the doctor's address. His words about the mines only made Angela more determined to visit it. It might be petty, but she felt like she might be able to find a way to at least mess with Mauvache, at least if she needed to. If she wanted to start a business in this place, it's probably best to not anger her too much, as much as that'd be what she deserved.

 

"Sorry if it's a little bit spicy, doc!" Angela said, already eating her portion of the extra spicy doufu.

 

---

[VCR_CAT]

Aria

 

Aria's punch had missed completely, and where Aurea was there was now a platform floating in place-- one that quickly vanished. With no time to turn or react, Aria's arm had been grabbed and the sound magic released in its usual explosion. Then, immediately after, Aurea's elbow was placed in the middle of Aria's back and a foot in the crook of her knee, and with a small push Aria found herself immediately on the ground.

 

"sheet!" She cussed, with her arm pinned against her back.

 

"You move too stiffly. Your actions are obvious before you even begin. Always try to avoid showing your hand before knowing it will strike." Aurea said.

 

"Good... to know," Aria strained to say as she struggled, her mind reeling of how she could escape the hold. The best she could think of one the spot was to try to tuck her knees in and push herself into a crouching position so she could twist out of the hold from there, but without any sort of self-defense knowledge under her belt she had no way of knowing how to break from the hold regardless. All she really knew was what she could glean from shows, games, or movies, and none of that was particularly true to life or very practical.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Angela
 
As she busied herself in the kitchen she'd notice something about the area. It was spotless. Completely and utterly devoid of grime. Either Franklin was a neat freak, which, given the state of the rest of the house, was unlikely, or he hadn't used this area in a long time. If ever.
 
He watched her as she cooked, at first, after she told him she'd make it herself. Though after a while he turned to a tablet of sort and started to read something as she continued. The noise of the message grabbed his attention and he looked up at her. He didn't say anything as she continued her cooking and started to set the table as he waited. Once she was finished he was nowhere to be seen, having stepped out to wash his hands before the meal.
 
"Doc, the food's ready."
 
At her words the man came out again. As the two sat at the table she'd catch a glimpse under his glasses again. This time, instead of red, they seemed to be a reddish brown color, and he smiled as she mentioned the spice.
 
"I'm sure I can handle it." He said with a laugh as he took a bite. "Mm, perhaps the business you wish to run might be a restaurant of some kind?" Angela might notice if she paid attention that the doctor had only taken a small portion and that he seemed to be eating rather slowly.

---

Aria
 
Aurea held the girl in place for a few more moments, making small changes as the girl worked to break the hold. It wasn't long, however, before Aurea stood up and let Aria up on her own. "Please stand at the other end." She asked, and waited for Aria to do so. Then she lowered her body in something of a crouch. She was still for a while until...she burst forward towards Aria, without warning, and, as she got within a couple feet of the girl, swung her fist towards Aria's side.
 
The moment Aria moved to dodge or block, Aurea paused her attack and stepped forward, ramming her knee into Aria's stomach. "Never commit fully to one action." The girl stated.
[spoiler=OOC]Drew as this isn't a full "fight" whenever you want to continue feel free to brush past this and summarize a training session.

---

Tesability versus Cyanthrax
 
Once the pair were situated across from each other in the Virtual Battlefield Room, Mauvache would make her announcement. "On one end, the trickster dragon Tesability, on the other, possibly the most controversial of the Fighters, the savage warrior Cyanthrax!"
5
4
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1
 

BGM

Decadence Forest

A large and ancient forest that predates any known measure of time. The trees here are large and, in many areas, densely packed. Even the strongest of forces would struggle to damage these mighty trees. Light filters in through the top of the trees but it is dim except for in several more open areas. Lurking within these forests are many creatures. The only which make an appearance in the face of intruders are the fierce leopards who will attack with their claws and fangs and the large, cat-sized, hornets that travel in groups and will sting those who cause harm to a tree.

This Battlefield stretches out 300 feet by 300 feet and can create a rather dangerous game of hide and seek. For the animal inhabitants could, with enough time, cause a considerable amount of damage.

A timer would be seen in the sky wherever the fighters look, starting at 60 minutes, and the fighters would each receive a mental message that when the timer ends the match will end and whoever has the most HP will be victorious.

 

As the battle begins Cyanthrax and Tesability wouldn't be within sight of one another. However they would only be a short time of travel distance away and they'd know, for the first thirty seconds, where the other was.

---

Aurora vs Gavin

 

At the same time these two Fighters would be meeting in the second Virtual Battlefield room. After a few moments to get settled in Mauvache's voice would boom. "And in the second match a newcomer appears! Facing them will be the Ice Princess, Aurora! And replacing out furry comrade will be the Ace Pilot, Gavin!"

 

Battlefield: Demon's Stomach

The battle takes place inside the stomach of a large, demonic, creature. It is damp, somewhat dark, and the floor will shift as the fighters do battle. Every so often a surge of bile will rush in and flood the area. Any caught in it will be rushed into a wall, taking 50 damage, and stunned for a moment. Dangling fleshy protrusions, hanging like less solid stalactites, are strewn about the top of the battlefield. They hang about a dozen feet in the air, able to be reached by the fighters if they leap for them.

 

The pair would begin the match thirty feet away from each other. And, after five minutes of fighting, the first surge of bile will reach them.

[Alaina]

 

Xia shook her head as Aurora asked her question saying, “no, I don’t have enough room for a heater in my room either.” As the girl amended her question, the dragon girl said, “oh! Well Snowball and I have been having so much fun these past few hours. Like, we went exploring, and went to the library and walked up this suuuuuper big staircase in that library. I might go back later to see if I can get all the way to the top!” 

 

“That sounds like good exercise! Maybe I’ll join you for it,” Aurora smiled. She wasn’t a star athlete, but exercise was important. One couldn’t expect to be a hero if they ran out of breath after chasing the villain only half a block.

 

“Oh that sounds great! Stair climbing is always more fun with friends after all!” The girl smiled at Aurora, before saying, “oh and we could check out the library too! They had like, floating chairs and lights and stuff. It was super cool.” After saying that the girl paused for a bit before saying, “so, where are you headed off to now?”

 

“I’ve got a fight with Gavin. It should be fun to see what the new guy can do. He might even surprise everyone by pulling a win out of his hat, who knows?”

 

“Oooh, a fight? Well, good luck Aurora!” The girl patted her back, harder than she probably meant to, before saying, “but don’t worry. You’re like, super cool and awesome at fighting so there’s no way you’ll lose!” 

 

“Thanks. If you’re fighting today, good luck to you too.” With that, and a considerably softer pat on Xia’s back than what she’d delivered to the cryomancer, Aurora started toward the Arena. It was time to see just what the newbie could do.

 

The girl's expression lit up and seemed to be more pumped as she said, "thanks Aurora. I'll be sure not to lose again." As the girl left, Xia gave a wave saying, "byyye, and say hi to the new guy for me." After that was done, she looked back up at Snowball, how had been resting on her head, before saying, "now where should we got next?" Before walking away from the arena, with an hour left to kill before her fight. 

[ChampionZero]

Elijah responded right away. [Well, that might be difficult depending on how far away from the Arena you are. Might be better for us to meet up after our fights. The first round is starting, so our fights are coming up in an hour. Still, good to hear you've recovered, and that it wasn't (entirely) my fault.]

 

Well, if it was an arena malfunction, that was kind of a relief. Naturally, you'd think the arena would have better fail-safes in place for that.

 

Regardless, Elijah breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was willing. Should he take a shower right after his next fight? Probably. God, if only he had a shower in his room. Well, at the rate he was saving up he'd been living it up soon.

[Yui]

---

Day 3, 12:30PM, Arena

Points: 122

W/L Record: 1/1

"Thanks Aurora. I'll be sure not to lose again. Byyye, and say hi to the new guy for me."

 

The new guy. Gavin. Aurora was excited to see what he had up his sleeves. She pulled up her hood (head insulation is super-important, kids!), fastened the goggles over her face, and made for her designated combat room. It was time to turn her record into a winning one!

Day 3, 1:00PM, Virtual Battlefield Room - Demon's Stomach

 This arena, in a stark contrast to the last two she’d fought in, wasn’t all that pleasant of an atmosphere. It was dark, it was damp, it smelled a bit, but now more than ever, Aurora was confident she’d have this fight in the bag. “Time to get this fight started,” she commented, looking her opponent over, one hand placed behind her back. “Good luck.” You’ll need it. Without warning, a trio of small ice spikes appeared in the hand behind Aurora’s back, which she wasted no time in throwing at Gavin.

“Same to yo-” Gavin started, but was cut off short after seeing Aurora’s opening attack. She threw at him, what seemed to be three small ice spikes his direction. He didn’t move much in his stance, but only held up his left arm, where his MOVA was. “Dark Energy Shield, activate!” Upon this, his MOVA sprung to life and a white energy shield was formed, allowing him to block the ice spikes. “Ice? Guess that’s what you do, isn’t it?”

“You think I’m dressed like this for pleasure?” she asked in response, gesturing to her heavily-clothed form. “No thanks. It’s heavy and hurts my mobility. Ice is what I do, yes.” That shield’s going to be a problem. Maybe if I hit it so hard that it can’t take everything, and completely overwhelm Gavin with one massive attack. But that’s going to take a while to get ready. Looks like I’m playing the long game this time. “In fact, I do it so well that I bet I can beat you with one hand.” Aurora moved her left hand behind her back, keeping it there, storing up power. Her right hand, meanwhile, pointed itself forward toward Gavin, before curling up its fingers in a “come at me” gesture.

“No need to give me a handicap, Aurora.” Gavin said, slowly deactivating his dark energy shield, before pressing a button on his MOVA. This would activate his Surveillance-Bots, sending out his nanobots in order to get a bit of an advantage. “VEX. Odds of winning?”

“Las probabilidades de tu victoria están en un área media, Gavin.” VEX answered, still in Spanish.

“Oh, right...still can’t understand a word you say.” Gavin sighed, before unholstering his Orion Custom G-13 pistol. I have to at least buy some time for the Surveillance-Bots to help me out. If she can keep showing off her abilities, I might be able to make a comeback. he thought, before proceeding to take aim and fire at Aurora.

The timeframe between noticing the gun and it shooting at her was brief. If she had more time, Aurora could have done a bit better than running out of the way, taking cover behind a small wall of ice she was able to create on the spot. She would have preferred a larger one. “I’m no expert, but I think it said your chances of winning are average,” she called out from behind her cover. To herself, she quietly added “For now, anyway.”

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