video; @angela

[hevenly]

[ For once, Angela is using her device intentionally. And she is not happy. ]

Whomsoever is responsible for the rash of memory loss that is sweeping across the quarantine, I demand you step forward and reverse this, now.

[ TWO of her siblings are affected by this; it is unacceptable. ]

Have we not suffered enough, under the thrall of the artifact some months ago? [ She means the Temporal Chalice, which altered the lives and histories of so many here in the quarantine. ] Come forth and answer for your crimes. Reverse this plague and return our city to a state of peace.

[ Or else she'll cut you down where you stand, being the implication. ]

Comments

[deathkid]

[ meanwhile, nico is hugging himself, looking frightened. ]

I just... don't know what to do. Without Bianca...

[hevenly]

[ Angela breathes a slightly put upon sigh. ]

If... you like, you can help me in my search for the "bad guy." So you don't have to be alone.

[deathkid]

Really? Cool! I even have a sword (though I don't know where I got it....)

[hevenly]

Do you know how to use it?

[deathkid]

Swing it at bad guys, right?

[hevenly]

[ She keeps sighing, and every time she does it sounds more put upon. ]

I suppose we'd best start with lessons.

[ She holds up a finger first. ]

I will expect some sort of repayment, for this.

[deathkid]

Sweet! Um... I have some money, I think.

[hevenly]

I don't mean money.

[ Why do people keep trying to give her money? ]

What is this worth to you? Give me something of matching value, and I will be satisfied.

[deathkid]

[ pauses as he considers. ] I had some really neat cards, but I don't know what happened to them. Oh- I have a figurine of the god Hades! He's got 5000 attack power if the opponent attacks first!

[hevenly]

[ She doesn't know how one quantifies the power of an attack into such a number, but this Hades does sound powerful, and she knows him to be the Ghost King's father. ]

The figurine will do. Meet me by the city walls. We begin as soon as you arrive. [ Because Angela is assuming she will 100% get there first, she's really, really fast. ]

[deathkid]

Awesome!

[ and in this instance, nico is the slower one. not remembering that he can shadow travel, he has to actually use doors and stairs like a noob, but he does eventually make his way towards the walls. when he arrives, he looks the same, but there's less of a fatigued nature to him. he seems happier, if worried about his sister, as well as less broody. in his hands is the figurine that his sister had actually died to retrieve for him, but he isn't aware of that. ]

Miss?

[ glancing around trying to find her. he unsheathes the sword he'd found with him this morning and gives it a few swings with the hand holding it. it's clumsy and awkward, but it's clear from his physique that he's normally powerful enough to wield the sword without problems. only, nico doesn't realize this. ]

[hevenly]

[ He'd better think fast, because Angela is now leaping down from on top of the wall, her own sword Xiphos swinging in an arc over her head. ]

Yaaaaaaargh!

[deathkid]

[ hearing the shout, fear suddenly takes nico. he turns to flee as the ground under him shakes. if he were in a regular state of mind, he'd be ready to take on the attack with his sword raised, but as it is, all he can do is cover his head with both arms. as the ground continues to tremble, the grass at his feet dies and soon cracks form, spreading outward from where he stands. by the time she lands ( if she lands on the ground ), there's a chasm forming. ]

Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry!

[hevenly]

[ Unsurprised by Nico's reaction to run, but instead surprised by the quaking of the ground beneath him, Angela triggers the wings on her armor, using them to pull up at the last second before she plummets into the chasm below. Large golden wings, as wide as Angela is tall, pump the air as she coasts down to a safe piece of ground, sword lowered to her side.

She was not expecting that. She is, however, impressed. ]

You must be ready for attacks to come at any moment, from any direction. [ She raises her sword, folding the wings away now that she is on the ground. ]

Come at me.

[deathkid]

[ it takes a few seconds for him to calm, the earth under him still rumbling a little, but as he does, so does the ground. the chasm stays there, but he eyes it warily, as if he's uncertain how it formed. then, as angela insists he come at her, he puts on a determined face and grasps his sword with both hands. to his surprise, it's not very heavy. he's a lot bigger than he should be, for some reason, but figuring it's some kind of weird magic thing, he huffs and then rushes forward, nearly tripping on his feet as he does. ]

[hevenly]

[ Angela stands her ground as he approaches, knowing instantly that he has no chance of striking her. When he gets close enough to swing, she simply steps to the side and sticks one leg out to trip him. He has made the surface of the ground uneven, making this fight even more difficult for himself. She is not going to pull any punches. ]

[deathkid]

[ as she expects, he trips, his sword clattering away from him as he lands hard. an oomph comes out of him, but determined, if a bit bruised, he pushes himself up and reaches for his sword again. it's a bit embarrassing, but as far as he knows, he's young and inexperienced. so once he's up and ready to go again, his expression set in a frown as he concentrates, he turns to make another pass at her, hoping to connect this time.

chances are, he won't. but he's certainly making the effort. ]

[hevenly]

[ She would have offered him a hand up, but she's pleased to see he gets to his feet on his own. He shows determination, if no skill yet. But that's good. Skill can be learned. Determination, grit, persistence... those are innate. The ability to get back up again and return to the fight is the hardest thing to teach someone, if they do not possess such a nature themselves.

Predictably, she dodges again at the last second, but she does not trip him this time. She merely smacks him in the back with the flat of her sword. ]

Better. Again! Do not telegraph your movements; I can see you coming before you swing.

[deathkid]

[ "eep"ing as he's swatted, he stumbles again, but this time doesn't fall. instead, he turns with his feet securely planted and swings with his sword. to his own surprise, he isn't as wobbly as before, as if his own body remembers something of how to fight and is moving on its own. ]

Ah-!

[hevenly]

[ The sudden turn and swing isn't what Angela was expecting. She raises her sword in time to block, the blades clashing loudly. She grins wickedly. ]

Good! There is a warrior in you after all.

[ She surges forward, batting his sword away before swinging with her own, not moving lightning quick like she would against an actual opponent, but faster probably than the boy is ready for. ]

[deathkid]

[ it takes a great deal of effort to move out of the way of the swinging sword and he fails to lift his sword in time to block it. fear surges through him again and another chasm opens at his feet. looking down and then back at angela, his eyes widen. ]

A-Are you doing that?

[hevenly]

[ As the ground begins to shake, Angela pulls her sword back and steps deftly to one side of the opening chasm. She glances down at the ground, then back up at Nico, slight confusion on her face. ]

I thought you were.