Duelist League: Viviene vs. Uta

"Wanted: One Duelist. Must be winged or otherwise capable to survive falling off Fort Ouph."

The announcement, posted on the bulletin board of an inn in Fort Ouph, is followed with contact details, time, date, et cetera et cetera. It seems to be by a certain Uta Furore, a name which people who are into monster handling might recognize as having published a book on slimes.

It would appear that this Uta got a very busy schedule, and is trying to fit a duel between lunch and catching a ship to Ezzo. Why anyone wants to go to Ezzo, these day, is a mystery, and probably an interesting conversation starter. Hey, beats talking about the weather.

As Promised, Uta is to be found in the main square of Fort Ouph, at the correct time. She's holding onto a staff, white, sculpted to look like a snake is curled tihghtly all around it. At the top, the reptile coils wider, and holds the focus gem, which is a red jewel shaped in an anatomically correct representation of a heart.

Having seen the notice for a duelist. A small spriggan with a massive sword on her back which would imply an insane strength stat, and a katana at one hip, and a Falcata, a rather unusual blade to be seen within the lands of Yamato, as it certainly did not hail from a land like Yamato. "I'm looking for an Uta. They want a duelist? They got one!" she said, as she was strumming a guitar, using a touch of magic to announce her presence with a decent guitar riff. "Cmon out, and lets have a duel to give everyone an awesome show!" Viviene might know of Uta's fame, but she doesn't seem to make note of it, instead looking around with an excited grin, cracking her knuckles in preparation.

"Oh, hey!", Uta waves, all enthusiastic. "You're lucky! I am an Uta! And I am looking for a duelist myself!" She swipes her menu open, and sends the duel invitation to Viviene. "I'm glad my announcement at the inn worked. This is about the announcement at the inn, right? Nice sword by the way."

After sending the invitation and making sure it has been accepted, she sprints immediately into action: a tap-tap-tap running start, leaping forward, and a flying roundhouse kick at the diminutive Spriggan!

Viviene accepts the invitation to the duel, and the fight begins, and as a flying spinning kick coming for her, she immediately has to focus on the defense, as she recognizes the threat of such a powerful blow! A coat of energy subtly forms around her, offering protection. Still with a guitar in hand, she endures the incoming kick and manages to swing her guitar as she plays a beat, using the guitar to parry the incoming kick and send it off course, only afterwards creating some distance and drawing out her katana, storing away her Guitar. "Quite the nasty kick there, nice move!"

"Thanks!", Uta exclaims as she, foot deflected by the instrument, slides sideways land on her feet, staff still clasped tight. "I learned it from Yeowang. It's the first time I got to use it in a duel!"

"You play the guitar? Nice! I also like music!" That might (or might not) be the explanation for the double-note-shaped hairpin she's wearing. "We should play together some time or other. Oh, that reminds me!"

She begins to intone a catchy J-pop tune, and as she does, tendrils of light and magic intertwine along the coil of her staff, each of them matching the color, length and pitch of the sung note. As they start to coalesce into the focus gem, Uta begins to skip here and there, erratic, tapping the ground in random spots, and leaving a circle of light there, appearing as if it appeared out of the tip of the staff. Once she's been around enough, the verse of her song ends, and she slams the staff on the ground.

A shockwave of magical energies washes all over the place, and from each of the circles, a slime pops out!

They might be low level monsters, but my GOODNESS are they a massive number! The whole square is pretty much flooded by them, and they all seem intent to go annoy Viviene!

Viviene is beset by a hoard of slimes, which, seem to pile all upon her, but a resounding move of her huge sword with one hand, has her rupulsing many of them in one single push, so much so it sends a shockwave recoiling back towards Uta, only for her to point her katana towards Uta at shoulder level. "Stinger." Arcane shadowy wisps of dark magic flare around her sword as she suddenly zips straight through the incoming slimes at high speeds, it was no lunge, propelled forward by magical prowess and kept incredibly precsise by clear physical prowess and skill, shooting straight through perhaps a dozen of the slimes before she managed to get to Uta, it still slowed her down a bit, and that earlier kick had still chunked her HP bar pretty bad, but she only fights harder. "Alright, guess I gotta give it all I can right now!"

As soon as she spots the first hints of the return shockwave, Uta activates her Lightningstep -- a quick leap, a sonic boom, and crackling lightning in the wake of her legs. "One!", she exclaims, as she does a flip in the air.

"Two!", Uta exclaims, as she, with a second sonic boom and streak of lightning, jolts sideways -- but not just quickly enough to evade the -whole- attack. The Stinger grazes the Nurse, as the glowing red gash there testifies. "Ouch!", she exclaims, with a wince, as she lands again. "That was a nice technique! I had never seen it before," she comments. "But let's go back to singing...", she begins, and intones-

...a melody...

People who have come across the Sirens might recognize it: it's one of their songs, the ones who have the power to keep Adventurers spellbound, requiring massive amounts of willpower (or disruptive counter-Songs) to overcome.

The gem of her staff, in this case, looks more than just a focus. It resonates and attunes with the song so tightly it might appear it's the heart itself that is diffusing its magic around the area.

Once Uta seems convinced the singing has been enough, she steps forward to just... smack Viviene with the staff. Pure and simple.

"Made it myself. Its from my first and only video game I played!" She kept as close as she could behind the other spriggan, opting to close the distance with a single leap that cracks the ground beneath her, as she opts to move at high speeds, grazing past incoming blows that deal some damage, but don't slow her momentum much, at least until The Siren's song was enough to distract Viviene some, it threw her off, leaving her defenses open for a bit, making her reaction to the incoming attacks slower than usual, but she mounts a defense to the best of her ability, and still continues her intended onslaught: A brutal, full power punch to the stomach that might possibly send Uta flying with the force of someone who has clearly put way too much time into their strength stat. "Yeah, I do the guitar, flute, 'n Vocals. But.. my real heart is in the FIGHT!. Not even music can throw me off for long!"

Uta's wind is knocked clean out of her. Well, that's one way to stop her from activating her Song magic.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a Spriggan!

Uta flies right through the sky, and *SLAMS* into a nearby wall. Were it not for the sturdy construction of Root Cities, she'd probably formed a crater and have sent a radial crack through that vertical surface.

Instead, she slides right down, slowly, with a wheeze and without some HP. She takes some time to be able to breath again, and once she is certain she is, in fact, breathing again (which she ensures through medical palpation), she springs to stand again, and rushes towards her opponent.

"You know? Elder Tale Online is the first and only videogame I've played!"

Step, step, step, splash, slide! Uta materializes a current of water she rides towards Viviene, and as she's close, she veers abruptly, sending splashes her way, splashes which, halfway through, freeze into sharp ice shards!

Viviene dodges around the raining ice shards with a classic: Rolls and careful evasion bolstered by her boistrous song, giving her a speed and precison in her evasion, while a few graze her she comes out mostly unscathed as shadows had followed in her wake, only for her to vanish within them then appear again from an angle, coming from behind a building where the shadows were heavy, Her katana is gone and this time she has a knife in hand, a long curved knife Uta might recongize as a Kukri, seeking to slash right for Uta's midsection with the knife, waves of dark shadow flowing behind her as she had essentially rode a dark wave out of the darkness, the attack serving to be a distraction for her real intent: wearing Uta's ability to retaliate with attacks down with a cursed Dark wave!

It isn't easy for Viviene to get to Uta-- the Nurse leaps, dodges, ducks and tucks and rolls and somersaults and backflips and cartwheels all around, but after many missed attempts, one hit strikes true.

Or, reather, slashes true.

Uta staggers backwards, and clenching at her midsection, she looks down. A red, glowing gash with wafting coils of Darkness.

"This chill... your Dark skills are impressive.", she says, as she, herself, sweeps one hand with an ominous chant to temporarily keep the Darkness at bay. "I will deal with you later," she mutters.

Steadying herself despite her luminous 'bleeding', Uta replies, "That's funny... to me it's the opposite. Not even fighting can keep me away from the Song. It's what I am."

As Viviene might be aware, 'Uta' is Japanese for 'Song'.

Uta clasps her staff and begins to intone another melody. An anthem, powerful, compelling, which she pairs with a similar slashing motion, meant to retaliate by equally slashing Viviene's midsection.

Viviene was a sneaky combatant, her physical prowess probably bordered on insane or mythical, but it was a show, and it guised the variety of sneaky attacks she otherwise possesed, earth wreathed within darkness that leaves acid that burns away at the body, weakens the spirit to keep fighting, while using a defense that punishes melee combatants the most. If Uta has an understanding of it, an actual application of real world martial arts is applied to about everything Viviene does in melee combat, and to a familiaritiy that shows someone who has commited much of their life to such. A commitment to vicious, sudden attacks with little coregraphy behind them gives a dangerous vibe to her approach to combat as each strike is aimed where it would be a lethal killing shot should the game not be confined to its rules. Uta remain's a step ahead of Viviene in a variety of ways, as what Viviene lacks is experience in dealing with game mechanics. The whittling of her health from small bleeds or life draining left her on the brink, She was about to hit red, but she continues fighting on even despite that, giving her full effort into one last swirling set of blade attacks empowered by the wind before her HP ticked into the red. "Crap, that HP Drain... I'm not going down without a fight though, heres one last showing!"

Uta's techniques, overall, are rather eclectic and come in varying degrees of orthodoxy. From impeccable martial arts techniques like the flying roundhouse kick to just smacking people with a stick, it is always hard to tell what's coming up next.

In this particular case, it was beating people up with a stick . Massive, relentless smacking with her staff, and slashing with its crystal's sharp edges.

As the victory fanfare plays, Uta, still panting, relaxes, and wipes her brow with the back of her begloved hand. "Wow, that was a good fight. I certainly wouldn't want to be on your hit list," Uta says, limping forward with the assistance of her staff as a crutch while still covered in glowing red gashes, with an especially massive one on her midsection. "How's your healing skills?", she asks. "I specialize in healing, maybe I can patch you up a bit before we go?" She looks in the distance. "Maybe we should also go for a dinner at some inn... it's nice to have a good dinner together after a duel..."

"Healing skills? Hah.. Ain't a one. Sure I know how to bandage and treat a soldier with a gun shot wound, stab wound and so on, basic field treatment.., but on here? I can't, not even got a magic capable of it. How it is." Viviene admits. "I'll take you up on the healing offer.. and maybe the food, that fight worked up an apetite - it was a good fight, for sure. Next time I promise ya, I'll be even stronger, at new peaks. - Stinger is only my first baby step into figuring out makin' custom sword artes." Vivivene's speech patterns have changed through the course of the encounter, once well thought out and well mannered speaking is more thuggish, and even though her words are translated, it defiently doesn't come across as having a native japanese accent. "So hey. Lets get that food yeah? I'm starved.."

    It is no exaggeration to say that Marchioness of Arcadia is working very hard. But she does not show signs of cracking under the pressure. In fact, she has just finished spending the afternoon reading to the children in her garden. They love stories and obviously feel more than a bit of awe having a Legend spend time with them. Elly is always happy to see the children and always sad to have to say goodbye, even if she will be seeing them all soon.

    With the last child just turning a bend on the way back to the village, Elly is left alone. Which is time enough for her to let out a sigh. There's so much stress, it has to be allowed to escape somehow!

    Then her chim is active for a moment. "Yes? Oh, thank you. Yes, of course. Tell them I am grateful for all they are doing there. Hahah, yes. Of course I have not forgotten. The money will arrive on time. There is no need to fear!"

    That done, there is another, quieter sigh. "Well, at least I can say now that I am very much on the mind of the Dukes and Duchesses. Or at least my purse is!" she says to herself.

Dosbox wanders into the garden not unlike a slow-moving zombie in search of brains. He is tired; bags are visible under his eyes despite his clay colored skin, and his arms hang at his side like wet ropes swaying ever so slightly in the breeze.

He does notice the Marchioness sitting in the garden. He slothily makes his way toward her from behind. He isn't necessarily being quiet about it, though. Through a stifled yawn, Dossy interjects, "I am sure you are being thought of for more than your purse, even if it's not by those noble people. Those kids seem to appreciate you a lot. Me, too, for what it's worth." He plops down next to Wake with a release of air: less a sigh and more like what a balloon would make.

    "Borywick! You look..."

    Elly has to pause for a moment to inspect him. Well, he does not appear to be under a strange mood at the moment. That is a good thing. But she is obviously worried.

    "... like you could use a bed, good food, and some relaxation time. I can do little about the last, I have someone who can assist with the need for a full belly, and I have the most comfortable beds in the Dukedom at my command. That is, if you are willing to spend time recovering under my roof. You are doing so much for my people and our Alliance, I hope you will grant me this chance to repay you."

    She does not point out how she also has some of the most friendly and lovely of cait sith felilne maids in the world. No doubt Borywick is well aware of that!

    "Are you feeling sick, or just tired?"

Dosbox audibly deflates like a balloon, though he maintains his roundness, "Just tired," He says groggily. As if on rote memory, several Gem hands appear as soon as he relaxes a little, pulling lenses out of his Inventory before they begin to get to work polishing them.

"I have to be honest here. I haven't really noticed that I don't have a room right now, while the building is being built. Between the lenses, and the metals project, and that loom I am helping with and the the plumbing, and this and that and the other, my sleep schedule has been... Lean against a wall for 30 minutes and get back to it. While it works for a bit, I don't think this is sustainable."

He looks up at the gem hands, busy at work and barks, "Cut it out." The gem hands put the lenses back in his inventory and vanish. "I sometimes forget that I am supposed to be resting.

    "You are new to Olympus," notes Elly gently. "And balancing our project load is a skill, especially when your skills are as in-demand as yours, Borywick. But one handy trick is to have a good place to rest. Until you do have a place that you prefer, you may stay here. You will have no need to worry about keeping things clean, will have access to a real bath if you like one, and of course have some of the best meals in the world. I imagine you ate pretty well in Scale, but you will not suffer here, either. Though I must admit we cannot quite match Vertina's drinks or Asuna's Italian. We have our own flavors here, though."

    Elly offers a hand to Borywick. "Are you feeling well otherwise? What you are doing is wonderful and appreciated. But you do not have to work yourself to death to be wonderful and appreciated. You are more than what you can do for others, Borywick."

Dosbox looks at Wake's offered hand for a couple seconds, contemplating it. Is it a trick? Is it actually a bear trap? Could it be a new form that an Anglerfish has taken to lure him in so that it can devour him? He realizes he's too tired to care and takes Wake's hand, using the appendage to assist him off the ground. "I... Okay. Thanks. I probably should set aside, maybe, 4... no, 6 hours of sleep a day. To make sure I can still function."

However, when Wake says that he is more than what he can do for others, he gives her a look as if she had said 2+2=-4. 'That is, in fact, the opposite of what is true,' He says to himself, but it is also one of those things, probably, that people say because it's the 'right' thing to say, and when you argue with them, everyone calls you a pessimist. Yes. We will not do that. Go on, Dossy. Agree with the pretty lady.

"Yes, you are right. I should take some time for me, too. I cannot be wonderful and appreciated if I die, after all. It would just be my memory that is wonderful and appreciated."

    "I would be delighted if you could aim for 8 or 9, Borywick. But I understand that your work is important to you."

    His reaction to her hand and his views of what she said are both measured with her curious eyes. Her feelings, as ever, are well concealed. It is her way to only reveal them when it might serve a purpose. In this case, it is unlikely her worries will be beneficial. She will try something else.

    "You are wonderful and appreciated, Borywick," she says simply. "I understand that in the past you may not have heard this, but I hope you will get used to it. Better yet would be if you start to truly believe it in your heart. I obviously appreciate very much what you are doing here. I could not do it myself. But more than that.. stuff, is an appreciation for you, as a person, being here and making a difference. You care about others. That, even more than the valuable things you can do, is what I admire about you."

Dosbox blushes a little as he looks down at his feet, "Well... Okay. I... Thanks. I am not really used to being admired and stuff. I... Well, you're pretty great too, you know. Not a Baroness but a Marcheoness. That's pretty awesome!" He pronounces Marchioness as if she were a new type of Eevee Evolution.

He clears his throat a little as his brain begins to process some of the things he heard Wake say earlier, "So ah... when you say... YOUR ROOF. Do you mean like... Your roof the CASTLE? I am not much of a noble, you know? I don't have the best manners either. I might be embarrassing. I just plopped on the ground just now, you know?"

    Elly laughs softly. "It is... strange, isn't it? It makes me sound like I am a woman from Mars. It is fun, though, to think of how far I have come. In just a few short years I have made it here. But... it was not just me, you know? So many people helped me get here. And Tae, my poor, wonderful wife, she has put up with so much. I only hope I have made it worth it for her. I give her as much time with me as she seems able to stand and show my appreciation and love in what ways I know how. It will never really be enough, but I will never stop trying."

    She tilts her head and grins at the mention of nobles and manners. "You are my guest, Dosbox. Just try not to start a food fight and I am sure all will go well. And you plopped on the castle grounds! So that makes it a very noble thing to do." She turns her attention to the Dome of Truth. "I spend a lot of time with children. You would be surprised, perhaps, at how often I plop myself on the ground. At times I think I feel more comfortable down there than up here. But, then again, someone must be up here. Someone has to stand for the little ones, and the Landers, and everyone else who just wants to have a fair shot at a good and peaceful life. I pray every day that my actions prove to be a blessing to them all."

Dosbox lets out a sigh not unlike the one Wake made earlier, "I think everyone sees how much effort you put in to make everyone elses' lives better. I mean, some people see that as something to exploit, like those nobles, but everyone in the Alliance does, I am sure of that."

A thought pops in his head, and he grins a little, "And I am sure Tae appreciates you too. Though I would love to see what Tae looks like when you have given her more attention than she can stand. Would it be like a cat that has had too many pets? I wonder."

    "When Tae is ready for me go do something alone, she will tell me directly. She is wonderful, sweet, and honest. Of course, if she senses that telling me that will sting, she adds kisses and promises of.." Elly looks to Dosbox then and grins, "Promises of what we will do when she requests my attention next."

    The Marchioness cannot help but laugh at herself. "She... knows me very well. Tae is an amazing motivator. When things get more stable, I look forward to showering her with attention again. But now there is so much to do. And if I take too long a break Tae will point out that these toilets are not going to flush themselves. She is very much a fan of proper plumbing."

Dosbox blinks a couple of times, then nods. "Yeah, uh, I have a confession to make. I used to just poop myself and just use the menu clean rather than poop in a hole." J.K. Rowling, eat your heart out.

He looks around nervously, "So, ah... How many of those... Cat girl ninjas do you have on staff in the castle, by the way...?"

    Elly... will just let that one go. She does have a lot of work to do with Borywick, clearly. She will make a mental note to discuss the concept of 'too much information' with the gnome at some point.

    "Cat girl ninjas? You mean cait sith felines? I have several servants who fit that description. I also have spriggans, humans, many others. Oddly, no gnomes have ever applied to be a servant in the castle. Hm. I should try to remedy that. All others are represented in my castle staff."

    Elly makes a mental note to look into that. Perhaps something in her recruiting is failing to attract them. She's already coming up with a plan in her head to address it.

Dosbox nods slowly with a shrug, "I mean, that makes sense. Culturally, gnomes are predisposed to lean into Artisan work. The service industry would probably be looked down upon. I... can't really imagine a Gnome Maid or Butler." He scratches his head, "Ah.... I mean, cait sith felines is one part of it. There's also Werefang Felines as well. Is it, like, racist to call them Cat people? Do they not like that? No one has mentioned it, but maybe they were too busy addressing... OTHER parts of my misbehavior that they found more important...?"

    "I think it is best to speak to people using their names," replies Elly gently. "But generally speaking, calling the various cait sith groups by their general family seems respectful enough. Just not when addressing individuals. I would not lump in cait sith and werefang into a single group like that, though. They are different and beautiful in their own ways."

    She continues to hold Borywick's hand through all of this, unless he seems to want to pull away. Its a gentle, friendly grip.

    "How did you decide that you wanted to work with gems?" she asks abruptly.

Dosbox blinks a couple of times. That one was out of left field. Like, way off topic, and very abrupt, especially for Wake. Is there something about this topic that Wake doesn't want to talk about? Did he just say something pretty bad? Is she digging for information on him to plot his eventual demise? Hunting for hypotheticals wouldn't help him, he decided, so he should probably answer the question.

"Oh. Uh, well, at first, I guess I wanted to be unique. In RPGs, I usually play a caster. And I like Omni-crafting too. Rings and necklacess and stuff tend to be the only type of equipment that casters can wear, so that's why I usually START work on Jewelcrafting. There was a character named Gnome in a game called Secret of Mana that focused most of his magic in the form of Gems, and that was a big drawing point for me. I liked the aesthetic. I was cosplaying as him for a really long time. The beard and hat outfit I had going on."

"When I started THIS game, it was the same thing. My character was a caster, so I should make rings and necklaces, because I prolly wouldn't be able to equip much else... But the level of detail in ETO was amazing. I got REALLY ABSORBED in the craft, you know? Taking something that is basically just a dirty rock and turning it into something that shines so beautifully... That's... It was really great, you know? And seeing the faces of people that actually really appreciated the jewelry as gifts... It warmed my heart a lot." He grins a little, "I know I kinda rambled there, but... Did that answer your question?

    "Tae has very beautiful earrings," Elly says. She reaches up to tap her own earlobe. "And I rather do love the blue ones. They suit me very well. So, thank you for that." The marchioness is a fan of shiny stones. There can be no doubt of that.

    "I think you will find a lot of work here if you enjoy making beautiful things. I hope you continue on this path. Certainly if you expand what you are interested in, more will be possible. Hm. It occurs to me that what seemed divergent at first really is not, is it?"

    She allows that to hang in the air as her eye catches on a pair of crows racing around the skies above the castle. They are a favorite pass-time, and their presence always amuses and comforts her.

    "You create beauty, but by giving children glasses, you allow them to experience beauty."

Dosbox smiles warmly, blushing a little as he looks up at Wake, "You... Really let the gems shine for you, that's for certain. I appreciate that."

Dossy suddenly realizes that he's been holding Wake's hand the whole time, and he starts to get a little anxious about it, but somehow, he lets the anxiety fade away. Probably because he's so tired that he lacks the energy, but maybe it's something more.

"I mean, all the better for them to see you with, Marchioness Wake." He says spookily, like he's a big bad wolf of some kind. "You know, it was the Blind Goddess that spoke to me. About making the glasses. She's blind, but she's happy that I am making it so people can see. That's... That's Irony, isnt it?"

He gives a few nods. "I found a lander woodworker to make the frames. He is not sure if he's willing to commit to mass production, but he'll do one set. For the little girl. Ari was her, name, right?" He sighs, "I am sure we can find a supplier eventually. We just need to work on an adjustable hinge... Oof. I kind of left that be with all my other projects going on... Neeeerrrrggggggh...." Dossy makes a face as he realizes there's another thing that he needs to work on.

    "The Blind One is not blind in the sense of being unable to perceive, but I would say instead she is unfettered by limits to her vision," explains Elly. "Just as my shackles do not truly constrain me, but grant me a measure of greater freedom. The Blind One has blessed my work with Arcadia, as well. It is an expansion of my understanding of the divine. And how lovely that you have found a place in her service. I hope you learn much from this dedication. You will be able to help many, just as you are going to help Ari. In fact, you already have. She saw with clarity for the first time. She is so excited to get her glasses now!"

    Borywick's expression gets her laughing again. So much so that one of her servants peeks out from a window to see what the fuss is about.

    "There is always the next thing to do, my friend! And the next, and the next. It is so hard, is it not? I struggle sitting here, waiting for our survey work to be done so we can build a proper road. So we can build a proper shipyard and port town. So we can build a proper Undine city! Perhaps we are more alike than not. Always thinking what must be done."

Dosbox makes a thoughtful face, "I feel like... religion here and religion in RL... er.. 'The Dream Before' were probably way different. Like, here, there's obvious proof that the Gods exist because they are actively rewarding people for their deeds. And before, you just had to like... BELIEVE that something was there doing something. It has to FEEL different, right?"

    "It is interesting to compare. The divine here is very real. They notice us, reward us, and give us the ability to do wonderful things. It inspires questions, but for now, I am content with what I have. I do wonder, though, if I will meet The Beautiful One or The Blind One someday. I would rather enjoy a chance to express my gratitude directly. In the meantime, though, I offer my prayers and thank them often, as well as The Burning One, of course. They all are important to us."

    With the wind momentarily getting a bit unruly, Elly lifts her left hand to brush her hair back over her left shoulder. "I hope you are able to find real happiness here, Borywick. In Olympus. In Arcadia. In this world. It has so much to offer. In this world, you have already achieved things that you could only have dreamt of before. And the sky is the limit."