[Training] once bitten, twice shy

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us The apologies threaded through but gods the aches endured thereafter were harsh and unrelenting; the range of bolts blistering after his body strived to maneuver. The outcome of this battle was doomed and damned to be much different than the first, and it’d been a long while since he’d been this bludgeoned and scorched. It was an unsettling reminder, and he clenched his jaw, nodding at indications but truly having no time to savor them. Maybe no one would ask him to go to Starfall after this. Having no intention of remaining on the ground, he shifted too – thunderbird feathers and wings unfurling from his frame, before rising into the sky. From there, hoping for some momentary height advantage, he attempted to blast them both with lightning from his eyes. -- Deimos shifts into a thunderbird and tries to shoot lightning at Remi and Ronin. Thunderbird Ability | Can shoot lightning (mastered) from its eyes, and can create the roar of thunder with the beat of its wings. Regional Score bonus: +3 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +3 should be included) the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Deimos attack 3: hits (Remi)

Remi: 1395/1515
Ronin: 840/900
Deimos: 796/1036

Well, that's more wings than I would have expected. The Bastion thinks toward the Sword as he morphs into something winged and bristling with electricity. Tensing himself against the blow which was to come (and really, for just the briefest moment before the full charge hit him, it was like being put in a full body TENs machine and felt quite good), Remi shook himself of the remaining static before launching himself into the air.

You know, I cannot say I have ever seen you shift before. He thinks, rather conversationally, before swiping out at the thunderbird's wing. Gods knew Deimos presently had enough of them.

---

Remi shakes off half the damage and flies after Deimos to take another swipe at him.

Torchline: Torchline has taught you to survive her weather and her terrain. Once per PQ/PQ+/KQ/Drop, you can 'shrug off' half the damage from ONE non-lethal attack. (In order to use this ability, you must put a clear note in the bottom of your post immediately following the attack you want to 'shrug off').

Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)

the bastion

Remi attack 4: misses

Remi: 1395/1515
Ronin: 840/900
Deimos: 796/1036

RONIN

the supernova

Everyone takes to the air and Ronin is left feeling very inadequate as he's the only one left unshifted. But dragons can't put special gloves on the tippy tips of their claws, and so he remains pathetically human shaped as he swoops to try and keep both thunderbird and pixiu in his field of vision.

Me neither, he agrees with Remi, even as he summons a further three firebolts and kicks himself into overdrive, igniting from within at the same time. It's pretty impressive. Maybe after all this they'd have to test out all the shapes they can collectively take.

For now, though, there's still a fight to finish.

---

Still wearing the Gambler's Gloves, Ronin flings three more firebolts at Deimos and also uses his Smite to damage and heal!

Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Gambler's Gloves | A pair of supple leather gloves, seemingly innocuous. Doubles the user's Luck stat.

Magic: Once More With Feeling | Twice per combat (e.g. KQs, PQ+s, PVP) Ronin may use two actions in one turn.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Magic: Radiant Firebolts | Ronin may summon radiant energy as a fiery projectile. Control is excellent, and multiple projectiles may be created at once. (In quests or other combat situations requiring dice rolling, only 3 firebolts may be created per post). Range: 60ft
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Magic: Smite | A blast of radiant light emanates from Ronin in a 60ft radius. Any allies engulfed by the light are healed, whilst any enemies take damage (Mastered healing/damage). May be used three times per thread, with a two post cooldown.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

Ronin attack 4: hits
Ronin attack 4: hits

Remi: 1455/1515
Ronin: 900/900
Deimos: 556/1036

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us In all fairness, Deimos couldn’t recall utilizing his thunderbird shift in front of them either, and in his tired, somewhat amused haze, he murmured. ”My apologies,” before striving to maneuver out of Remi’s swipes and claws. Which had been done, but he couldn’t avoid the painstaking onslaught of Ronin’s blasts again, and they curled into his frame in a dazzling, blinding amount of anguish and onslaught that he’d be feeling all the way to the infirmary tent. But just to ensure he still had a decent amount of strength and fortitude in him, the beast launched another set of lightning eyes upon the Bastion. -- Deimos shoots lightning eyes at Remi again. Thunderbird Ability | Can shoot lightning (mastered) from its eyes, and can create the roar of thunder with the beat of its wings. Regional Score bonus: +3 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +3 should be included) the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Deimos attack 4: misses

Remi: 1455/1515
Ronin: 900/900
Deimos: 556/1036

---

Deimos, 2 hits, 2 dodge = 4 pts
Remi, 1 hit, 1 dodge = 2 pts

Most damage: Deimos (120 vs 82.5) = 1pt
Most % health remaining: Remi (96% vs 54%), 1 pt

Winner: Deimos (5 to 3)

REMI

the alchemist

& my heart ran away with me

Well, so that's that.

With a playful snarl the pixiu descends back toward the beach with Remi shifting long enough before he hit the sands to touch down with two feet. Ruffling a hand through his curls and pretending to dust off his arms as if there might be lingering electricity dancing along his skin, he glanced toward both Knight and Sword with a hand raised to shade his eyes from the sun (which, since he casts no shadow, does absolutely nothing).

"Well, we learned that Deimos is still incredibly impressive without his gloves and that even when he has his soul knocked from his body, he still does not look his cool." Grinning, he waits for the other two to land so that they might all stroll back toward the group of spectators together.

"Sorry about that, by the way. I spent so long as more spirit than man that I forgot how jarring it could be." Remi said once Deimos was near enough by.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RONIN

the supernova

That certainly is that, then.

Descending as well - and by no means feeling sad that the fight is over - Ronin is already removing the Gamblers Gloves from his hands as he lands beside his husband.

"We also learned that both of us could probably stand to do a little more training," he says sweetly to Remi, leaning in to smooch his cheek and offering the gloves back out to Deimos. "That's not to say that I didn't enjoy getting my ass handed to you twice in one day, but maybe we can go and chill out a bit now?"

Two of them can, anyway. Deimos has more fun to look forward to, though Ronin thinks he should probably start carving a tumsea trophy for himself.

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

remember that you can't save everyone

remember that you have to try

Another victory hadn’t been the expectation – not after bolts of lightning, not after snagged gloves, not after any of these multitudes. Once again he was inwardly grateful they were not often on the wrong side of things, for had their been more time, they all knew he’d eventually have worn down to more than the stinging, burning pain across his form.

He could feel the fatigue behind his eyes, a quiet snort muffling through as Remi commented. “Figured I would process that trauma later,” came on a half-edged smile, self-deprecating but at the heart of the matter regardless. Deimos had always forged on, regardless of moments within skirmishes. It was afterwards where he quietly and stoically strived to conquer whatever demons arose. “Understandable,” he acknowledged by wake of Remi’s apology, trying to already contort the moment in the back of his mind.

Taking the gloves from Ronin, and having never required them before, the reality of their own power coiled into his mind, before safely tucking them away. “Sure. Though I will need go to the infirmary again first. Thank you for the battles.”

And then they could do just that – away from this sanction of beach and towards whatever rest they could find.

{FIN}

out for vengeance

DEIMOS