Whinny Tango Foxtrot

The hollow crunching sound the dying dry grass made under hoofsteps was a little off-putting, even by her standards. But Kauchemar wasn't interested in the grass. It was the wilted and withering remains of what might of been some kind of bush at a point that Kauchemar crouched down by. "My my, what a twisted little thing you've become~"

A two fisted grip and three pulls later the tangle yanked free from the soil. Roots more like gnarled ghastly fingers curled in various directions, whisps of putrid green and purple misasma wafting off them. The Nightmare snorted softly as she held it up to peer at. "Never seen a corruption like this... and I know a thing or two about corruption."

Not the most glorious of ventures, but Plant Duck had it's reasons for wanting to know more about what was happening over here in the wake of the Waves. With both the New World and the locals working to clear out the remains, there was only so much time left to investigate, too.

The Soul Eater battle had never been planned for this location, and it's clear that the goblins that had moved in afterwards were taking advantage of the corruption.

A small farm nearby had been raided by the goblins, and had found the wandering Tenko to ask for assistance. The kitsune had agreed to take out the small band of goblins, and was currently stalking through the corrupted woods, looking for signs of them.

Kauchemar gave the withering plant another lazy shake. "Hmm." Then turned it over to hold the root end up above her head. "If you would please."

The sword slid off her back by itself, turned mid-air, and with a simple slice chopped a few of the roots loose. Which Kauchemar caught in her other hand. "Not much left to this one but I suppose it will do."

The sword resheaths itself while she's peering at the root pieces. "I wonder what would happen if I feed these to a slime. They tend to become in part what they eat with enough exposure...."

The rest of the plant is tossed over her shoulder, making several dry cracking and crunching noises as it hits the ground and crumples due to it's already delapitated state. "This corruption seems to thrive in a lack of living energy, rather than overtake it...."

Not too far from Kauchemar's location, the sounds of fighting can be heard.

Tenko had found some of the goblins, and not being the type to attack from the shadows, stepped into view of them.

"Send your best warrior to face me!" She called to the group. Of course, these being goblins they just all rushed at her at once instead of giving her an honorable one-on-one duel. The kitsune struck down the first to reach her with a swift blow, and then began to strike at others, but there were quite a lot of them.

Having wandered a bit more Kauchemar stops to grab a withering branch from a now putrid colored tree trunk and is in the process of snapping it off when the sound of shouting and fighting reachs her ears. She pauses, tilting her head a bit towards it. That sounded familiar, and not just for the sound of being a fight.

The branch snaps off, but is stuffed away with the roots and forgotten as Kauchemar darts around the cluster of corrupt trees to see. Being a Messenger and able to move quickly has it's perks.

But it's just more of the goblins that have come to squat in the corrupted forest. Goblins, goblins, gobli--

The flash of a blade slices through one, reducing the gobber to voxels and giving a clearer view of the weilder.

--That's very much not a goblin, and a curious individual to come across out here.

"Well, if it isn't little miss never shows her face in public." Nonchalantly Kauchemar leaned against one of the twisted trees, giving a dismissive wave with her hand before folding her arms. "Oh, go on, finish your little spat first. Wouldn't want to interrupt your 'samurai duty'." The last part is said quite sarcastically though, complete with an eyeroll and a mock gagging loll of her inhuman tongue from her mouth.

The kitsune hears the voice coming over from the side, as she slashes down another goblin, "Kauchemar?!" She hasn't seen the nightmare in quite some time, but despite looking at the equine, she cuts down one of the goblins without looking with the shorter of her two blades, "Don't you have anything better to do?"

She cuts down a couple more of the goblins, focused on trying to bring down the whole group before she deals with the issue of Kauchemar.

Kauchemar partially unfolds an arm to lift it and cusp fingers around her chin. "Mmmmm... Probably. But it has been such a time. I had to leave that last camp before you actually showed up. And then, you know, big scary dark energy and apocolypse and things."

The hand goes to flick back through her mane idly, watching the kitsune dispatch one goblin after another. Tilts head a little to the side, admiring her movements with the eye of a dancer... and noticing it being a tad off about the tail(s) swishing behind those movements. She doesn't remember exactly how many it was last time they crossed pathes, with the way the kitsune tends to cluster them as one, but still. As she's been down-leveled like everyone else.

"My my, have you changed something?" Kauchemar muses, in that tone of voice that says she knows exactly what's changed, but she's being a obtuse snot about it because it pushes all the fun little raw nerves she likes to pinch.

The kitsune strikes down the last one of the goblins, and then turns to face the nightmare. She's missing about five of them from the last time the Nightmare saw her.

With the goblins dispatched, she flicks her blade and then sheathes it, "So what brings you all the way out here?"

Huh. Didn't get as much of a reaction as she had hoped. Guess the Kitsune is still good at being all noble and honorable and polite. For now.

Maybe she'll have to try harder. Eventually.

Kauchemar unfolds her arms and pushes herself up from against the tree trunk. Which audibly creeks to the other side just from how weak from the corruption it's come. "Did you know that feral nightmares are found in this region? Makes one wonder how the Dominion got the Monster Stuff to make my subrace, all that long time and lore ago." A flick of the wrist dismisses the tangent subject. "But that's old news. I'm mainly here to see the corruption." Waves an arm out. "This place is getting a bit macabre, even by my standards." Pause. "Also, terrible neighbors." If she's talking about the goblins, or the nature happy Syphs, is up to debate.

The tall equine woman sidles idly in the vulpine's direction. "I see lacking a bit of junk in the trunk hasn't slowed down your rhythm in a fight... much..."

The kitsune is doing her best to not pay attention to the insults, or references to her lack of tails. She frowns behind her mask, however, "We've been hunting down a Nightmare. At least I assisted with theat." Though she has been focused more on smaller scale threats rather than the tower.

She glances back at her tails, twitching them a bit, "Yes. Despite the lack of magical abilities and levels." She muses, "I have enough skill to keep myself safe."

Kauchemar immeadiately holds up a hoof-tipped digit when Tenko reveals she was in on part of that investigation. "I will have you know that despite the basis I do not eat people."

A beat pause.

Then the hint of one of her more mischevious smirks.

"At least that you know of~"

"I'm sure that you probably just haven't tried."

Tenko replies, giving a faint grin behind that mask of her's, "You were guildless last time I saw you. I see you have picked a group to put your hat in with at least."

That... is probably the most accurate way of putting it. Considering even Kauchemar herself didn't know they could do that until she saw it with her own eyes.

She pauses a moment, eyes half-lidding just enough to look a little more discordant than usual as she side-eyes the Kitsune. "Unless you're volunteering to find out that's not a pleasant topic to follow~"

Though Tenko has already moved on to a different subject anyways, which gets a shrugging roll of her bare shoulders. "Yes, well, being a solo act just isn't the same in this day and age, when everyone is on the same level." Pun intended. She folds her hands behind her back as she walks a half-circle around the vulpine's back. "But you could say I found people ... hmm... I probably shouldn't say of like mind, that will make people suspicious."

Of the Guild, or of her? Or of both?

"And what of you, my dear Tenko?" There she finally called the kitsune by name at least. "I thought Ronin were the masterless samurai? Yet here you are, killing goblins for others."

"You're welcome to try." Tenko replies, hand holding her katana as she looks at the nightmare for a moment. She doubts that the other were fang would attack her out here, but they're not in a town so the chance is still there.

At the mention of her status as a ronin, she nods her head faintly, "I am still a ronin at heart." She replies, "But there is wisdom in working with others these days, for the time being."

Besides, she knows that just blantantly fighting people is not Kauchemar's style. She may be many ambigious and morally questionable things, but a PKer isn't one of them... Since it is more fun to watch them squirm and suffer, but still.

"That is one sentiment we share then... I would say I've given up on being an antagonist, but I don't think either of us would believe that." Kauchemar holds her arms out wide towards the corrupt woods around them. "Though we both can see that right now the world doesn't really need more hardcore villians. Edgelords and rivals, sure."

Kauchemar turns and reachs to cusp a hand to... well, the mask makes it hard to tell where the chin is to cup teasingly, but she makes a noticable effort in -not- actually grabbing said mask, so yeah she probably doesn't want to actually start a fight right now.
She does lean in close though, smiling with those snake-like fangs showing. "But you keep being who you are, because I need all the people that remember I am a royal pain in the ass that I can find. Especially the cute and fluffy ones. The most fun to eventually break~"

Tenko considers what Kauchemar is saying, and it's true. She's not the type to outright attack, she prefers to stand back and manipulate, "I'm not as easy to manipulate you know." Not that Kauchemar hasn't tried many times, she's never quite had the luck to make the kitsune fold.

Although with the lowered level of magic and ability, it may be a bit easier for her to do so now, who can tell?

Kauchemar takes a step back, but not without finger-gun pointing at the kitsune and winking. "Of course you're not. Where's the satisfaction if it isn't a challenge?" The wink would probably be more effective if her bangs didn't curtain half her face.

Of course the nightmare is also less powerful than before. Only time will tell.

But the crossing paths with an old 'friend' has a little more pep in her step as she sashays away. "Now, where was I..."
She draws the sword from her back! ... and then throws it up to break a wilting branch off the tree. She catchs the branch, while the sword stops midair and rights itself.
The jewel in the center of the crossguard shimmers in a way that almost looks like an eye glaring at the kitsune... But Kauchemar is quick to grab it by the hilt before the Binder posessing the weapon decides to do anything. "Oooo, I think it recognizes you... or at least your weapons." It's her summon though and being in her grip seems to subdue it. "I wonder if parrying each other counts as flirting for swords..."

The kitsune moves her hand to draw her weapon once Kauchemar draws her blade, although the weapon appears to have a mind of it's own. She frowns behind the mask, and eyes the blade for a moment, "It should be familiar. This is the same blade that has clashed with it before."

She replies, keeping the weapon drawn, but lowering it. She could still strike, if need be. She just hopes that she doesn't need to do it.

"I could make so many compensation jokes.. About both of ours. And as much as I love flustering you by literally dancing around your attacks, now really isn't the time." Kauchemar stuffs the sword back in its sheath on her back, under the shield that goes with it. That one tends to be better behaved anyways.

The nightmare stoops forward into a low and graceful bow. "So for now, my masked counterpart, I shall be thee farewell."

The katana is sheathed, and Tenko returns the bow to Kauchemar, since she's being respectful. Which is odd to her, but the two of them are of course a strange sort of rivals.

Of course by the time the kitsune looks back up the nightmare is already gone, having made use of that speed boost she has as a Messenger to skedaddle.