Duelist League: Xander vs Uta

First of all, let us set things straight: he's not her dad, and she's not his daughter. Despite him taking this weak defenseless thing under his wing, her complaining about the smell and suggesting deodorant, him teaching her to fight and enduring the harsh reality of this world with all its mortal dangers, first among them the lack of deodorant, and her getting toughened up, going from being a squishy newbie likely to be killed by the first bottom-level monster she encountered to being a squishy newbie who can contribute to boss fights yet actively seeks and pokes the bottom-level monsters she's just as likely to be killed by.

It's a complicated relationship, okay?

Come witness this majestic spectacle of nature, where gratitude and mutual caring is exchanged in the form of unleashing wanton violence on each other!

Because that's the shounen way.

WARNING: due to the participants' unpredictable Real Life schedule, the scene might be move about, even (and especially!) at the last minute.

Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Alne's main square would have seemed the go-to place for setting this fight, but somehow this is not where the fight takes place, no. The fight takes place in a different square, surrounded by porticos and shops on all sides. Torches and magically lit poles have been placed about to compensate for the nighttime sky, and to give the whole thing a bit of a festive atmosphere to it.

A crowd has gathered all around, and people are walking around selling tech-level-and-culture-appropriate snacks (roasted seeds and nuts being a popular choice). More than one shop has even set up a table outside, to better display its merchandise.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!", a rubicund announcer with a graying brown beard announces. His voice is loud enough that he needs no devices to amplify it. "Welcome to tonight's Duelist League match, here at the Alne Shopping Plaza!" The crowd goes wild, and the man waits for the audience to calm down before continuing. "The shops and businesses of the Alne Shopping Plaza are glad to have you here tonight, and wish you a most enjoyable time. But first, let me tell you something about this great place for your purchases..."

A long tirade about how great spending your coins here is ensues, and the spectators seem to bear it well enough.

"...and so, without further ado, here are our contestant! Please give a warm welcome to Uta Furore, last month's winner! Whether she won a fighting tournament or a lottery is still being debated, but point is, she won!"

Uta walks out into the center of the plaza, waving and smiling at the audience. Most people seem to be cheering for the Adventurer, but there always are a few who will choose to jeer her because of her race instead. Spriggans are, after all, the Loathed Race. Uta, however, seems to either not notice, or not care.

Knowing Uta, it's probably a bit of both.
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    The salamander sat there in a bar within the tower. His hands holding that mug as if it was his life. His cold, glazed over eyes staring into the dark liquid. Memories. So many haunting memories.

With one long swig, it would be his last for the night. He wanted to show Uta during the fight how to use her skills to tame a beast; a monster. Now though... Now it was more a question if he could keep his own monster inside from getting out.

As he stands up to make his way out of the tower the only thing that escapes his lips, "... Why did it have to be tomorrow..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The stage is set and people have come to gather to watch the fight. Xander had to obtain a new sword, which is sheathed by his side. His armor clanks gently as he walks, but his head is kept low. His bangs hiding his face as he walks.

There is a dangerous air about him, an air that causes the people to move out of the way naturally as he walks into the center of the arena. He looks left then to the right, before at Uta, simply saying, "... Did you have to bring a crowd in on this... Or have you just become that popular?" She may pick it up in his voice; Xander was not one hundred percent. Something was /very/ off.

    He draws out his sword and his shield, having the light catch the blade ever so slight, as he stands ready. His draconic eyes almost glowing from the shadow of his face. There was a huff of smoke that escape from his lips as he spoke. "Uta..." His hand grips around the sword, as his foot shifts. "... I am sorry in advance... But the best thing you can do," His eyes narrow sharply. "Is not trust me." Wait what?

That was the only other warning Uta would get, before the Salamander shoves off. He was coming up on the Sprigan quickly, as runes flashed across his blade with a purple hue. Electrical energy shimmered around the sword mixed with fire, as he swung the blade not only once, but twice in her diection!
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Goldenblade has been dragged out by a few well meaning assistants on her current construction project, which she seems engaed in despite what's going on. They said she needs a break, so this is it, though she's kind of not taking a complete break. A sort of virtual easel or worktable is laid out in front of her, and she's manipulating something like a VR blueprint. Distracted, she occasionally looks up as a shout or cheer is heard above the background noise. She gives a halfhearted cheer for Uta when she's introduced, and then for Xander, not out of disfavor or malice, she simply seems preoccupied. Her minders, assistants with her project by the look of them, are a bit more positive in their reaction, though they're mainly glad for some time that Goldenblade's not driving them.
Rylen
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

It's a duel between Xander and Uta. Of course, Rylen would be sitting somewhere on the sidelines, grinning like an idiot and obviously enjoying the thrill of the competition by proxy. Oh, the Beastmaster doesn't duel, at least not in the league anyways, or tournaments, or anything else where it might be seen as fighting for sport. He does seem more than happy to cheer on those who do.

"Don't go easy on him, Uta!" He calls, obviously interested to see how this eventually pans out. "He likes to play the defensive game." At least, that's what Rylen experienced. Maybe, just maybe, he's a little biased here. Though it's hard to tell exactly who he is cheering for in truth, as he gives a wink towards Xander as well.

Pookas. They are trouble.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

"...Well, uh, it was meant to be a surprise," Uta replies to the comment about dragging a crowd into it. "We get a little something for putting up a show and boosting market transsctions.", Uta gestures at the shops around the plaza. "You're getting a cut of the profits as well later, of cours- wait." She cocks her head and squints. "...I know that look. I don't like that look. It means trouble."

She turns to Rylen, "Don't worry, I won't! And I know he can be tanky, I've already fought him!"She turns to Xander again. "...and he likes to play mind games."

"Not sure if he really in a bad mood..." she squints harder at Xander. "...or faking it to mess with my head."

As Xander rushes in, she catches a glimps of his attack. She can already tell that there's no way she's going to dodge those blades. So she gnashes her teeth and even screams some (but moderately so due to the pain dampener) as red gashes appear on her body, and she used the saved energy and momentum not used for defending to chant a complex aria, which creates a combined dark spell on the tip of her staff, whose wing-decorated gem enveloped in a black mist she uses to first slash at Xander, then to blast darkness at him, and finally, once the swing is over, to jab at him with the tip of her staff...
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    The Salamander Holy Knight raises his shield to which ignites on fire. Uta's own staff slams into the shield, which a burst of flames washes back over her. That dark aura however, does sink in, but while it places a status effect over him; It doesn't slow Xander down.

Instead with a roar, he unleashes the flaming blade once more at Uta, cutting the flames at her not once, but again twice in her direction.
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Goldenblade looks up as the crowd cheers first strike, watching distractedly for a few moments, keeping a finger on the place where she'd left off with her drawnings. It was thanks to Uta that the project got started, so she ought to be supporting her more vociferously, but the plannning bug has got her hard, and it seems there's /so much to do/ that it's hard to give attention to anything else. One of the flunkies, a miner by the look of him, just brought along for odd jobs, buys a bit of food and pushes it into Goldenblade's hand when there's a chance. She eats it without looking. Likely it's the flavorless menu food, but she doesn't seem to be paying it any mind. She hrms as Uta takes Xander's attack in order to put forth one of her own, but the trade of blows seems pretty evenly matched. Though it seems she's forced him onto the defensive. Or has she? He's coming back defiantly.
Rylen
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

There is a glance that Rylen casts from Uta to Xander and then back again. He usually has more insights than most into the Salamander's mental state, though not for any reason that is known to the general public. Yet he seems to not quite know what to think, at least at first. One hand strokes against his chin, watching Xander's body language.

"Hmm." There is an intensity there that usually the lizard doesn't sink into until much later. "He's... definitely working through something. Be careful." He advises, leaning forward a bit.

This may be a friendly duel, but he knows well enough how quickly something can get out of hand. For now, there isn't any tension there, only a watchful eye rather than his previous boyish amusement.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Uta notices that the fight is getting unbalanced, and to regain momentum, she switches to an almost all-out defensive stance this time. Two capable leaps with a sonic boom each, and Uta gets nothing but a graze on her. Her chanting, however, never stops. Those booms are incorporated in the song, they work as if timpani were hit at just the right time to give it a dramatic boost, and the darknes that was shrouding the head of the staff, now grows to envelop it all.

Taking a cue from Rylen, Uta begins, "Xander, is something troubling you?", she asks. "You seem kind of... how to put it..." The staff is swung at Xander with as much might she manages after her massive defense. "...umbrageous?"
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    Uta moves with speed and agility, compared to the one whom she is fighting which tends to be a flaming rock of armored turtle defense.

As her magic comes in, that enchanted shield with flames ablaze does its job, which is not only protect him from her magical, musical deadly notes, but reflects some of it back with a burning ignite of fire.

As Uta asks him the question though, Xander gives no reply. Instead the dark scaled warrior with his heavy metal, leather, and fur armor comes rushing in. His teeth bared in a snarl, as he goes to then plunge that blade directly for an opening he can spot.
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

After the intial exchange of savage strikes, Uta and Xander seem to have calmed down to a more conservative fighting style, neither giving much ground, though there seems to be some question of Xander's ... mental health? Not that Goldenblade's is any great shakes, particularly at the moment. Though in her own day, this deep concentration to the point of distraction would have been admired as being 'focused'. Well, a bit /too/ focused. But most employers wouldn't complain.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Uta is on fire today!

No, literally. Little flames still linger on her slightly glowing self, especially her newbie gi/nurse's-unifrom as she leaps back from Xander's defense. "...not talking, huh?" Uta sings her questions on top of her chant. "I would say it's okay, keep your secrets, but really, it's not okay. You need to open up, you need to-" Dodge. As she sings her words, darkness from the staff spills over herself. "...achieve catharsis in order to achieve closure."

Her last move is throwing her staff in the air like a baton, twirling on one foot, blocking Xander's blade by slappings her hands on each side of it, and leaning over to invade Xander's personal space by jutting her own face into his so close they can smell each other's breath.

"...I'll tell you only one thing, Xander."

Her face becomes a mask of pain.

"...it buuuuuuuuurns..." she whimpers.

Also, olfactory cues int at her having eaten cold soba and soy sauce, with a dessert consisting of rice and adzuki beans.

And yes, those little flames from the early shielding still lingers...
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    Uta gets far to close to Xander, her face of pain mixed with the flames. Something causes his eye to twitch. There is a very strange look on his face, as those eyes almost gone into a predatory stare with her.

His lip curls up just ever so slightly, displaying those sharp canines he has, his nose wrinkles a little. His muscles tense; Rylen may pick it up, like you would from any wild beast or monster: Danger.

    The Salamander then lets out a roar, as Uta may suddenly find a magical barrier shoving her back, thorns like barbs jet out from it, bearing into her digital flesh like darts of poison. Xander growls lowly, his tail sways side to side ever so slightly, before he raises his head up gently.

Those eyes, daring her to try that again, as that rumble goes deeper into his throat. At last he speaks and it is very low, a near whisper. "... don't... test me... right now." It was the only warning she would get as he tries to reign back in his emotions, the images, and the ghosts that haunt him.
Rylen
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

There are a lot of things Rylen could say in regards to how Xander handles his problems, but most of it would be revealing to just how well he actually does know the Salamander.

Rather than stepping in as things seem to take a turn for the dangerous, Rylen knows well enough that the town guards would make short work of him if he got in the middle. Instead, he just speaks in his usual, calm voice.

"Xan. Take a breath." He pushes himself to his feet, but the motion isn't aggressive, only a bit worried, perhaps. It's just the sort of thing meant to try to break the battle focus, if he can.
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Goldenblade looks up from her planning to see the exchanges of blows and the exchange of invective also. Xander seems mad. Well, it also looks like he's getting a small edge, so maybe he's focusing that rage well? She looks over as Rylen speaks up to interrupt, not interposing himself, but speaking to try to break Xander's concentration. Goldenblade has no comment, herself, though her minders seem to be cheering both Uta and Xander indiscriminately.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Scream erupt from the Spriggan as she's jolted back and flesh-tearing thorns etch red glows on her skin. She slams on the floor, bounces up, spins in the air, rolls backwards a few times, and lands chin-down-legs-sticking-up on the floor.

When Uta stands up groggily, those luminous lines still mar her appearance. She shakes her head, and intones a light, powerful area. Tendrils of light from the gem in her staff intertwine with the sound, wash over her, and her HP bar begins growing again.

She studies the Salamander. "This is a root town, we're using the duel system. You can't hurt me past the point of-"

Rylen gets into the fray.

Uta's eyes pop open. She understands now.

She understand.

"...it's not about /me/ getting hurt...", she says, concern appearing for the first time as she looks at Xander from a distance.

An intense look.

Little flames still dance on her.

"I won't test you."

And from now on, unless needed for some reason, she'll avoid excessive eye contact. That works with gorilla. Is... is Xander more like a gorilla or a dragon?

Gorilla. Definitely gorilla.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Uta, therefore, runs at Xander. A flurry of punches, kicks, staff blows, staff jabs... and even wing-slaps.
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

            'Rylen--'

    The elf-like human's words are heard by Xander who's body only relaxes a little. He watches as Uta seems to slowly get the message. They can fight, they can keep this 'friendly', but sadly... yes. She has to treat him like a dangerous beast.

            'I am sorry.'

    Cause there is nothing more than the Salamander like to do than rip someone in half right now or if anything else-- get this fight over with so he can take out his frustration away from the city guards.

When Uta comes in with healing light swirling around her. the Salamander watches her moves. For every block he responds in kind with a block; His military training coming into full display for the first time in public.

He was looking for that opening, trying to find it, and with a growl, he strikes out at a pressure point, before trying to knock her down to the ground, as the armor glows with enchanted light.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Her pressure point being struck causes Uta to fall sideways to her knees, gasping for air, her singing cut off, her rhythm broken.

Just being there, her previously melodic voice reduced to nothing but a wheeze, she herself nothing but a sitting duck.

Well, kneeling duck, if we want to get technical.

Let's not get technical.

All she can do, at the time, is keep wheezing, and should Xander approach, well... be ready to thrust or swing her staff at feet height, to trip him.

And wheeze. Wheeze a lot.

A wheezing that, it turns out... she /still/ manages to carefully modulate. Well enough to engulf it in darkness again, ready to blast out on contact...
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Goldenblade is here, ostensibly, to support Uta, who's helping out with her own roadbuilding project. Xander's a friend, too, or at least she'd consider him one. He seems out of sorts, though, which makes her wonder why he agreed to this fight? But he's a very determined fellow, so maybe that's it? She hasn't stopped working on her engineering drawings while watching the fight, though she does seem to be paying attention.
Rylen
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Noticing the shift in the fighting, Rylen relaxes his posture ever so slightly, folding his arms across his chest. He still doens't like how much on edge Xander is, but... there seems to still be a lot more fight to go.

Sighing to himself, the elven male shakes his head, "One of these days, he's going to have to learn not to fight when he's in these moods." He murmurs under his breath, likely close enough that Goldenblade might hear him, but perhaps not those who are fighting.

"Go away for a few days, and inevitably something messes with his head." And, of course, the Salamander had gone into brood-mode and just not told him. Because that's what he does.
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    Xander looks down at Uta as she sits there, it does give him a moment to try and recenter himself. There is a low growl, but it is short, before he then moves in.

He goes to move in, but only to find her staff moving to slam into him. He uses the shield to redirect her attack, as he swings his blade for her. That is when the darkness shrouds him, trying to suffocate around his form.

His eyes go wide for a moment, before he sneers in the dark magic, a burst of light blasts out from him, trying to shred it away. As he brings down his sword once more, glowing with enchanted runes and the bitter cold of icy fire.
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Goldenblade looks over to Rylen as if first noticing that he's there. "Moods?" she asks distractedly. Well, he can see what she's in the middle of. "This happens a lot?" The magical part of the fight seems to be a growing component, which is something she tunes out, sad to say. The back and forth fighting, though, is of interest to her, and she looks back to the duel as it continues.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Uta inhales one last time, her wheezing having become manageable and-

A sonic boom.

She's no longer there.

She's tumbling along her trajectory though, unsteady, still trying to catch her breath. She rolls to a stop, lies down there for a moment, wheezes, and stands up again.

"Don't worry, Xander. *pant, pant* Just... just take a deep breath..."

*wheeeeeeeze*

"aaaaand exhale."

*cough cough*She punches her lungs, and eventually manages to breathe again.

"After you've done that, I've got just the thing to solve this. It will be very simple, and everything will be fine again, just like in the old days. Back to-"

Her eyes pop open as her hand, that had reached into her gi/nurse's uniform jacket (which is still on fire), stops after rummaging into what must be inner pockets or something similar.

Color drains from her face. "Oh no..."

"I... I... /I/ am sorry...", Uta says with a broken voice. She's not on the verge of tears, but starting to head in that direction.

"...the Mists... the Mists of the Undead, the Mists that all encompass and all devour, the mists that all swallow and all digest into oblivion, they took our only lifeline to safety... and sanity..."

Her voice cracks some more, and now she almost /is/ on the verge of tears.

"...they took my stress ball..."

She shakes her fist and screams to the heavens. "MAY YOU BE CURSED, AUTHOR DRAK- wait, actually, uh, that technically happened alread- wow, man. I'm good at this whole cursing thing." She shudders. "I must make sure never to use this evil power of darkness for evil or dark purposes."

She turns to Goldenblade. "Xander may seem scary, but he is actually a little fluffy teddy bear made of cuddles, snarls, mind games, an aura of mystery and, uh," She glances back at the Salamander, "...an inexhaustible Wellspring of blind mauling rage, it would seem?", she offers with a quizzical look.

She shakes her head and runs for Xander, ready to strike with her staff again...
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    Xander watches Uta closely, it seems as he uses his light magic to ward off the darkness and is given a moment of room he is starting to slowly pull himself back to some normalcy.

As Uta then races in, his goes full defense mode, before spinning his body around and rising up a massive wall of fire where she is standing. At last he /speaks/, "... Focus and fight."

Though hard to say if that is aimed at himself or Uta; Maybe both!
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Goldenblade peers at Uta. "Xander is a fluffy teddy bear of blind mauling rage? is that a good thing?" she wonders. She looks at Xander. "And does /he/ know?" she wonders. Life is full of mysteries.
Rylen
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Rylen is quiet for a moment, though it is hard to tell if it is because he hadn't expected Goldenblade to hear him, or if he is thinking of what to say in return. Eventually, it isn't words but a quiet nod that seems to answer the question.

There are things that are not his secrets to tell, so all he brings to words is simply this: "We all have demons. Some are just a little louder than others."
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

"RIGHT!", Exclaims Uta. "Focus. Fight. Don't get distracted by-"

She blinks. "...just a second!", she exclaims, raising a funger and darting off to aa side

She runs where the audience is, to reach Goldenblade, rattling out as she runs, "...oh man oh man oh man oh man! Paula! Paula! Paula! I forgot to do a thing! Stand still, staaaaand perfectly still!"

She flicks her menu open, selects some option, then-

...she performs a medical operation on Goldenblade which, in medical terms, is referred to as 'booping the patient's snoot'.

She looks with interest. "a-HA. Fey Mood. 'This subject is resonating with this world's Primordial Song'. As suspected. Thank you, back to our regularly scheduled fight."

Seems like some other demons are more rambling than others.

To make up for the lost time, Uta rushes with full rage at Xander, her staff also glowing with magic as she prepares to attack...
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Goldenblade huhs as Uta taps her on the nose? "Huh?" She's dividing her attention between her project and watching the fight, and when strange things happen, she gets completely sidetracked. And booped on the snoot, apparently. "What?" Some of the words sink in, then, and she wonders, "Fey mood? Nah, I'm just concentrating." It's totally a fey mood. She just doesn't see it that way. Or as a problem.
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    Uta's staff at last breaks that impressive wall that is the Salamander's defense, though she finds flames suddenly flying back at her once more.

That is the trouble with fighting Salamanders. They love their fire and Xander is fully of hot, burning, passionate-- fire. Lots and lots of fire.

So much so, that even his sword is once again ignited with flames as he leaps out from the burning embers set before Uta and goes to strike her with an ol' one-two of his sword.

At least he doesn't seem overly murderous-- for now.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Uta sings a breezy aria, and performs quick circular gestures in the hand.

Winds burst into existence, and with perfect timing, she flicks her wings open.

Those dark gossamer surfaces protruding from her back catch onto the current, and propel her around lightly ike sails.

It's not fyling. It's 'being slammed around by strong winds' with style.

Xander seems... better than earlier? Time to engage in more talking! That seems to loosen him up!

But what to say? Uh... just go with whatever comes to mind. Something like those humorous battle taunths Kauchemar seemed so fond of? Those will do. Playfully jab at your opponent while playing yourself up. Yes, yes, humour, inject camaraderie, boost your self esteem. Win-win-win.

"Wow, Xander, so much fire and rage! You really think you have all the fire and rage, huh? I guess that makes you a /hothead/, doesn't it?" Uta smirks.

She breezes past, "Well, seems like I have all the air and the rambling, which would... make... me... WANT TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT."

She begins singing a powerful song, heading into a crescendo, stronger and stronger, until a shockwave blasts out, rippling through the air and heading for Xander, augmented by a burst of dark energy from her staff.
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    The magical song comes and once more, Xander rises up the magical barrier or light, before it blasts back with heating damage.

Though this time, while the Salamander doesn't respond, he uses the shield of light to mask him charing in, as he goes to do a quick slash toward Uta with a poisonus spell on his blade.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Uta, once again, foregoes defense to go all in. She begins vocalizing the Hero's Song, and launches at Xander.
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    There was a fury fire, sword clashing, and dodging. One could probably hear Uta in the midst of all this making her normal remarks and quips. Where Xander is just doing his normal stares, growls, and being a normal stuborn, murdering tank machine.

It isn't till everything clears do the two run by one another, Uta with a powerful spell, Xander with his blade on fire-- do they cross paths.

It is only a moment later, does Xander's regen run out and eventually the holy knight goes down on his knees. His eyes held close. His breath staggers, he can feel himself losing control once more. The screams...

    So he stays down; he doesn't try to get back up. He lets himself feel the pain and by the system it declares Uta the rightful winner of their match. A match, if he was in a better mind set, he be proud of her winning. After all, she has come a long way since they first met before expansion drop. She has come /such/ a long way.

Where he-- he feels like he is in a sinking swamp.

Somewhere after the crowd cheers and in a moment of a hushed breath he lets out. Forcing himself to /try/ and beat past himself. "... you did good kid..."
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Uta falls to her knees a split second after being declared the winner. She pants, and falls flat on her face herself, her HP now matching Xander. She won by a mere technicality, by a split second.

She takes a few moments to recover, and through a similar moment of hushed breat, she lets out, "...despite my profession, I've never really taken the Hippocratic Oath in this world... but you know what the first thing you swear is? No, not 'Do No Harm'. That is a load of nonsense made up for TV shows. The very first thing you express in the Hippocratic Oath is the Gratitude to the Teachers."

More panting, more wheezing.

"...I thought I had lost my stress ball... but now I realize... the stress ball was within me all along!"

She smirks, and while still lying prone, she attempts to turn her head towards Xander. "You feel better now?" With superiman effort, she lifts one leg an inch or two from the ground, and tries to extend the tip of her toes towards Xander. "...wanna squeeze my shoe? It's not very squishy, but..."
Xander
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

    Xander reaches up tiredly and just-- pats it away softly, before he rolls up to his feet in full. He walks over to her and extends his hand to her. He looks tired, exhausted, and just wanting to walk away-- but he knows if he does. Uta and Rylen both would just track him down... Again.

The demons are there, but he has them in a cage for the moment. Even if his hand is a little shakey, but that is just the exhaustion right? "Come on hero, get up and raise your fist to the crowd..." He tries to smile, but it is weak.

He also slowly looks over to Rylen, fully aware that, well, he'll have some explaining to do once they are alone before he heads back into the tower again.
Uta
Carmina Gadelica - Town of Beginnings

Her held up for the crowd to cheer on, but equally as tired and aching, Uta will add, "/Technically/, the precise wording is 'I swear by Apollo Healer, by Asclepius, et cetera et cetera, to hold my teacher in this art equal to my own parents...'" She tosses a squinty side glance at Xander. "...You're still not my dad."