[OPEN] KOMBAT TIME

[fauxmarth]

WHO: anyone
WHERE: Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Feb (dates are whatever bc time is fake, do what u need to do)
WHAT: FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! COMBAT!!! BATTLE!!!!!!!!! DISCUSS THE NATURE OF HAVING NO FEELINGS I GUESS BUT ALSO PUNCH!!!!!1 (it's kh plot-related kombat time)
WARNINGS: violence and death and the like because KOMBAT TIME


Maurtia Falls faces a lot of unfortunate circumstances on the whole, but this emergence of shadow monsters -- heartless, as they're known -- has really added fuel to the fire. The little shadow blobs are annoying enough in the little hordes they move in, but easily out paced or beaten away with a shopping bag or purse.

Unfortunately, there's bigger things out there now.

When their hearts were torn free, Lucina and Guzma split -- in more than one sense -- and where they scattered, those animate pieces of their former selves have been loosed upon the city at large, and where they go, violence follows.

[ota toplevels to follow for each, but if you wanna do a special toplevel hit us up! ZornSable and/or whyellewhy LET'S PARTY IT'S KKKKKOOOOMMMMAAAAT TIIIIME]

Comments

NOBODY!LUCINA & HEARTLESS BUG MONSTER GUZ, ota

[fauxmarth]

[while familiar with this sprawling city, the creature that once was Lucina no longer feels the fierce protectiveness over it or its people. when stopped boy clusters of the public who laud her and beg for pictures, she simply dismisses them and flies away, uninterested in their cares up front; they don't really do much for her now. still, the questions they pull about her recent viral success does leave the Nobody wondering what to do about that... a passionate embrace? an emotional reunion? maybe something like that is achievable again, and she'll grasp at that sense of emotion again.

in her wanderings, she comes across a rather beastly creature that seems bent on reaping nothing but destruction. were she Lucina proper, she'd be taking this thing down, but instead?

she's letting it tear up the street and assault the people on it without even a crease in her expression, perched somewhere out of its wake, contemplating the distinct sword in her lap.

those with the misfortune to know her receive a very lackluster bit of regard instead of any aid in helping stop the monster's thrashing. though, if one was lucky to encounter her sans the monster, they may get more words out of her...before, perhaps, facing the sword.]

[pullsheavendown]

[Roxas doesn't even notice Lucina at first. He's doing what he supposes is his duty; fighting Heartless, like he did when it was a routine and not anything particularly heroic.

This is one of the bigger ones he's seen, and he hears it before he sees it, from blocks away. When he rounds the corner, he doesn't hesitate for a moment before both Keyblades appear in his hands and he charges.]

[fauxmarth]

[the multi-armed heartless isn't even going to get a chance to turn and brace itself for the attack, because Lucina lands heavily between them, blade brandished, and she'll get to her feet and rush the boy and arc her swing to catch both his blades at once.]

[pullsheavendown]

[What the—Roxas has no time to skid to a stop, but it doesn't seem to matter. Blade clashes against blades, but he's not here to fight her. He knows her, doesn't he? Knows of her, she's been around for a while.]

Lucina? What are you doing?

[fauxmarth]

Keeping you out of the way.

[she gives him a shove to force him back enough to break their blade-on-blades hold so she can swing Aurora free and set herself defensively.]

The creature has a job to do for me, and I'll not see it interrupted.

nevermind my plurk question this works well

[swordsense]

[WELL this is not exactly a happy sight for Adora to come across. She'd been hearing reports of problems from the news, from the JLA, etc, and so she'd gone out on a patrol. What she hadn't expected was to see Lucina watching from atop a nearby building. Leaping up, already having shifted into business mode, she blinks stunned eyes at Lucina.]

...what are you doing? Just standing here?

[fauxmarth]

[she turns her head slightly to regard her new guest, yellow eyes narrowed.]

Of course not. I'm observing. I have things under control; you needn't concern yourself with this.

[swordsense]

[She jerks a hand out, waving one large palm at the chaos. Under control? what?]

Under control? It's hurting people. Lucina, why the hell aren't you stopping it?

[Those eyes are off, though, so this...this could be something wrong. Maybe something left over from January's bad dream.]

[fauxmarth]

[it could be the haircut, too! perhaps all her morality was in her hair?? who knows.

in any case, she is unmoved by the outrage at her side, and instead she only lifts her head a bit higher, a touch more haughty.]

They were warned. If they don't move, it's their own fault. There's no accounting for ignorance, is there?

[cognitivism]

[ Oh that thing was big.

Goro skids to a halt, rapier drawn as he watches the sheer destruction if the bug-creature as it rampages through the city. This can't be good, he thinks, before he switches to his gun. Keeping his distance for now might be the best course of action, maybe draw it's attention to him so others can get to safety.

He should call Lucina, see if she can come assist. These creatures were everywhere and a little backup wouldn't hurt but who knows how spread thing Aegis was.

Goro exhales as he takes aim at the creature, waiting for a good shot. He couldn't wait for backup when this much destruction was happening. ]

[fauxmarth]

[he doesn't need to call her -- she's already here. and she's the reason that bullet lets out a loud clang, hitting and bouncing off metal as she lands, swiping her sword to swat it away.

the creature doesn't even seem to know something's amiss and carries on as it was while Lucina straightens up and points Aurora forward.]

[cognitivism]

[ He was expecting the bullet to be deflected -- mostly by the creatures plating because who knew if it would penetrate.

He didn't expect the sword, didn't expect the loud clang as the bullet ricochets, didn't expect to stare at Lucina. ]

Lucina? [ He takes a small step forward, before stopping. Something isn't right. Something is very wrong as the sword is pointed at him. ] What are you doing?

[fauxmarth]

Stopping you.

[there's no ferocity in her voice -- not really much of anything, really, except blunt fact.

"fact" in her mind, anyway.]

Kill any of them you please, but you won't be felling this Heartless.

UH OH

[h2no]

[it's almost concerning how easy it can be to miss things like this. archie had only been sort of aware of there being troubles around with shadows, but it wasn't something he's directly dealt with. always gets there too late, can't actually do anything about it. it'll blow over, like everything. there are better people out there fighting it.

naturally, it's when he decides to slip past the shady factory to make sure the kids there are okay. maybe to... make sure guzma is, too. it doesn't matter that they had a big argument, he still cares, of course.

he probably should've expected what he found. archie hadn't heard much from lucina, but he'd assumed it was because she was busy with her duties. what a damn fool he is. he gets a couple unaffected skull grunts out the way, then sends out crobat, muk and mightyena to scout the area. what the hell is going on...]

[fauxmarth]

Ah. You.

[while the Pokemon are hunting the chaos of the heartless' tantrum, Lucina sits on an overhang on the warehouse next to the hideout. not much of a hideout, really, if the rampaging vestiges of Guzma's heart can find it this fast, is it? but that's no matter, so long as it digs the man up.

not this guy, though. he's important, she remembers, but the feeling behind that value is gone. all the memories are there lacking the heart that makes them worth remembering, making her yellow-eyed stare that much colder in contemplation.

it's not just eyes that are off -- her hair's shorter, too, for just an all-around uncanny, not-very-right-at-all look.

and then there's her words:] Have you come to chastise again? Whose fault is it this time?

[h2no]

[it takes him a moment to recognise her with the shorter hair and different look in her eyes. he stops and squints for a moment.]

What the fuck? What the hell did you do to Lucina? [he knows her well enough to know That Ain't Right.] I've come to see to the Skull grunts that need help in this chaos, dumbass.

[fauxmarth]

[shifting Aurora in her lap, she sits forward, elbows on her knees.]

So you're going to blame me this time around? That's not justice. Where's your evidence?

NOBODY!GUZMA & HEARTLESS BUTTERFLY SWORD-ARMED LU

[golisolation]

Valentine's Day; a time for feelings, but we fresh outta that (closed 2 Lu)

[It's...weird. He's found himself not only a strikingly familiar Heartless, one that so easily falls under his command, but so too does he sense an urge to find the Nobody from whence it came. Fortunately it doesn't take long to find her, not when her company is a destructive beast that's reminiscent of his team more than him—though one could argue that his team indeed makes up his heart.

Catching sight of her surveying the destruction, there's almost a ghost of a pull to join the creature in its rampage against the world, but his eyes are set on the short-haired princess. With ease he scales the building, hoisting himself over the edge of the roof before announcing himself.]

There ya are.

[There's a strange calm to his tone as he speaks, looking at her with a similarly cool stare with those silver eyes of his. He runs a hand through his black hair, pushing some of the mess out of his face. A job his sunglasses usually has, but they're hanging from the front of his shirt right now.

As the heartless he's got in tow effortlessly flies up to join them, he looks to her and gestures towards his own heartless—a silent command for her to join him. She does, without question, without thought, because she is utterly bereft of such things.]

Ever since your boy found that heartless, he wondered when he'd find you.

Once More, Without Feeling (open)

[Roughly three months prior, Guzma had been on a rampage across Maurtia Falls. Then, he had the excuse of an Ultra Beast possessing him, fucking with his already vitriolic emotions. Tapping into his deeper yearning to destroy things and people alike, but the whole time his emotions were off the charts.

Now? There's nothing, not a single trace of emotion within him. An emptiness that would eat at someone if they could feel it, but he can't feel much of anything. That void within him, dark as the black hair he now sports, leaves a yearning to be filled that he isn't fully aware of. Like a thorn in one's side—but the side is numb, and yet the thorn digs without notice. Something inside him prompts him to remove it, but no matter what he does, no matter what he tries, the thorn remains.

He can't even feel frustrated about it, can't even be unsatisfied that nothing is scratching an itch he can't feel, but it's there regardless.

Which is why Maurtia Falls is being destroyed. People, buildings, anything at all is being met with violence from an array of Pokémon, Guzma's team seems keen to attack and destroy anything that stands in their way. There's no mercy shown, a distance within those silver eyes of Guzma's, but same for his team.

Golisopod doesn't think twice about bringing those claws or his blade against helpless victims. Masquerain excitedly rains beams of ice, blades of wind, deafening sound-based attacks, and explosions of energy down upon his victims. Ariados has made quick use of his webs and poisons to those unfortunate enough to get trapped by him. Scizor seems more focused on destroying buildings with those metal pincers of his, busting through walls and objects as if they were nothing but foam.

Guzma is at the root of it all commanding them, accompanied by a strange butterfly-like swordswoman heartless. She seems keen to stay near him, like a bodyguard. Should someone get too close, they will be met with attacks from her blade-like arms, that is, unless said person tries to reason with Guzma, maybe.

...Worth a shot, right?]

[fauxmarth]

You...

[she's turned quickly to the sound of his approach, instinct prompting her to reach for the hilt at her hip that is no longer there.

after the initial bristle, she straightens back up and relaxes, her eyes still sharp and scrutinizing. despite the appearance of the heartless, her eyes stay fixed on him, the clear and obvious big shot here. her hair rustles as the heartless speeds past her, and she's unbothered by the spike in chaotic noise that billows up behind her.

her head tilts a little at the sound of your boy, that very familiar turn of phrase giving her pause. she remembers that those words from his voice would often cause a stir in her heart, yet lacking one now, she can only acknowledge they were important once.]

If you're anything like who you were, I thought then all I'd need to do is stay near enough destruction, and you'd come by naturally. [she gestures.]

I was right. Though you took your time...

[golisolation]

Tch, I'm worth waitin' for. But, you ain't seemin' so keen on stoppin' it like before.

[He quirks an eyebrow with a grin.]

Or was that sense of justice all for show? Don't get me wrong, I dig it.

[Of course he's implying the as much as someone like us can, but that goes without saying. He crosses the distance between them, peering down at her with that grin still on his face. Normally, looking at her would send him full of all sorts of emotions, some affectionate, some...well, still affectionate, but of a different sort. Yet, as he gazes down upon her, there's nothing stirring within him—his chest nor his...pants.

What an oddity that is!]

[fauxmarth]

[at his approach, her posture stiffens, hands planted on her hips as she cranes her neck up, taking on an obstinate manner -- mimicking one, at least.]

Did you come all this way to mock me? I remember being more than a laughingstock to the man you were. Or was that all pretend?

AFTER TEN THOUSAND YEARS I ARRIVE

[monster_san]

[Shinkuu, as she's taken to calling herself, is in Maurtia Falls to seek out the acquaintance she remembers. Three of them are in this city, and although she's aware it is a dangerous place.

She sees someone else she recognizes, but Fuu has only met this person once or twice and knows her mostly by secondhand. She's about to pass by when she hears the noise from the creature up the street. Perplexed, she stops by the woman. Shinkuu's knowledge of her doesn't indicate that she could be expected to just stand around while this is going on.]

Hello. [...] Are you going to do something about that?

time is fake

[fauxmarth]

[Lucina's hand rests at her hip where the hilt of her sword would be -- a habit she can't shake even without the feeling behind it. the past few encounters have made her more cautious, and so when this new stranger walks up, she tilts her head enough to peer at her sidelong.

after waiting for a break in the cacophony filling the air:] It searches for me. Don't think to interfere.

Re: time is fake

[monster_san]

Oh.

[shinkuu isn't so sure this is... right? would Fuu just stand here and watch as these monsters terrorize the street?

fuu is cautious, right? there's too many to handle on her own, especially if lucina is intent on just watching it happen, so... yes, maybe this is right?]

Why is it after you?

[fauxmarth]

It isn't.

[she turns her gaze away to fix back on the creature.]

I've asked it to do this, and it obeys without hesitation.