La Fillette Revolutionaire ~ [NOW CLOSED]

ugh fine no more kill shots. i mutter "killjoy" and turned my attention to removing her rose. i swing swift and sure only to be parried again and again, her skill was greater than most young people and certainly unmatched by any human standards but how and why? even harder to answer, so i continued my new movements.

"I never said that we had to abide by the rules. Since the dueling game is over, we could bend them a bit. After all, I've bled over this rose before. Over her before. What's the harm in doing so again? I'm saying I won't take any kill shots at you. It isn't right of me."

I readied my blade for actual action this time, instead of just dodging. I was seeing his movements clearly. My eyes still could see without the slightest bit of blindness or fog, however tinted the lenses of them had come to be with pain. I still continued to fight, my body feeling a bit heavy from the missing Anthy, but, my heart continued throughout the swipes at my rose.[/font]

"I don't enjoy killing others. But then again, I don't mind serving justice to the people who deserve it. And furthermore taking the hit for the people I care for!"

I parried his blade, blocking it as he continued to swing at me. He was not even tiring yet and I was beginning to get to panting. I was no longer superhuman and so I'd have to win this relying on my strength of heart and skill alone. Come on Sword of Dios, we can do this old buddy! Just hang in there!

i slashed and parried the duel was going and it was wearing me down. fighting without my powers always annoyed me at this point and i lowered my guard for a moment intentionally trying to lose.

By now, the movements of a body and sword alike had come to my knowledge. Not that I would always pick up on it though. But, I knew Bryant and I knew when he was intentionally doing something, as he was now. I wasn't good at reading people but then again, he was a simple complexity to read.

"Don't throw the duel because of my skill. Whatever reason you have, you had enough of another to challenge me right? That should be your continual motive to try and beat me. Or at least that's how it should be."

I sighed and continued, missing his rose intentionally as I waited for his response.

i moved back from her slash but it wasnt enough and i grabbed her sword and held onto it, even as it sliced into my hand, to "save" my rose when she could see i had every intention of losing. but i was still backing upon an edge. i dont know what youre talking about you know i like to win above all else at any cost. somehow my words were true but my actions said otherwise. i threw her sword away and jumped back to gain some distance. my hand dripping with blood but i wrapped it to prevent her seeing it. her terror would not allow me to win while i was fighting i wont let it.

I didn't allow my eyes to drift to his bleeding hand. I didn't like wounding him all together. That wasn't what my nobility was about. I felt bad, but, he challenged me. I needed to win this, otherwise who knows what would happen? I need to feel that spark of life in me again.

"Your words may hold true to your feelings but your actions tell nothing but lies! Come on Bryant, why don't you hold true to the challenge you proposed me to!"

I stood back, holding my sword in a somewhat guard position. I was panting already, tiring some. This wasn't easy and the emotional toll was already taking some sort of effect on me. I wondered, is this what it's really come to? My blue eyes watched his and I waited for his next movements, falling back into passive-aggressive nature. That was how you had to be sometimes with dueling. It was a game, back and forth. And no set strategy would work, or plan for that matter. You'd just have to wing it every time and hope you survived/won. At least that's how it was for me.

i took the opportunity to turn on her offensively repeatedly striking her guarded area over and over again wearing her down piece by piece with a long drawn out assult. my 'new' body was not quite as sturdy as i thought it was and my final strike sent my sword to the ground. i backed off as the barrage ended to fetch my sword keeping all eyes on her watching everything. My right hand, the one i sacrificed, needed tending to and i fixed my bandaged the moment my sword was in hand. my adrenaline was rushing and my expertise told me to slow down and save more energy for a future danger i could no longer sense. in my bloodfury i pushed it aside but decided to allow some measure of restraint just in case my worries were correct after all.

Guarding still throughout his barrage of attacks, I held my position and tried moving the sword to block and parry his blade away from me at all costs. I couldn't risk it slipping and hitting my rose, nor the life I still had left in me. Once he tired a bit, he stood back and sent his sword into the ground. All I did was eye his movements carefully, not daring to make one of my own. But, then again there was this sense of urgency in the air, this sense of danger that, even though he was my friend and I trusted him to be in complete control of his situation, there are those moments where "accidents" do happen. One such could be where he loses control of his weapon and my life would have ended. Or far worse, his.

I panted as I stood there, awaiting a movement of his. I was waiting for him to dash at me so that I could gain the upper hand in this duel again. This wasn't an easy fight, in fact, he much reminded me of Touga. But that only created the subtext for me, 'I cannot lose!'. That furthered my drive for truth, to find out what exactly was going on here. Akio would know but then again, he vanished too. This was all just too mind blowing for me to handle in one day. Nonetheless, the air was still for a moment in time as I watched him ready himself again for another barrage or "session" of strikes. I would be ready any minute he decided to carry out the attacks, all I had to do was wait.

I rushed again attacking her guard and attacking open spots. time after time i would strike at non vital areas to draw her guard and attempt to attack her rose but i had to be EXTREMELY careful not to cut too deep or else i risk damage to her very nice clothes. so i hesitated before my blade reached my target only to be cast away by her blade. holding my blade like a vice my left hand struck blindly at her guard trying to wear her down as i took the time to fix my bandage with my teeth.

Throughout the duration of this intense duel, he'd accidentally cut pieces of my clothing, and sometimes even managed pieces of my hair, which were short already, so it was a mystery to even me how he did that. Nonetheless, I continued on guard and to dodge as well. He did one such slash that left me open to be able to gain the upper hand again. He darted at me with the sword and I flipped over him, landing behind him on my feet and in a crouching position, ready to rush at him. When he turned around, I finally started on my attacks and jetted forward with my sword in my hands, aiming for his rose.

"I have never just played at dueling."

I smirked in a sort of friendly type way. Meaning I really wasn't out for his bloodshed or the agonizing loss that could come of this; Of course I wanted to defeat him, but I didn't want to make a show about it. Either way, I was readily moving and hopefully I could strike his rose and end this. If not, then I'll have to retreat quickly. I felt my body become slightly heavier. I could tell; These were the effects of once more being human...

i grabbed her blade rushing against her using her strike as momentum. i grabbed her rose and pulled away cutting the sleeve of my shirt.

His reach was pretty far, and his sword work was steady as a rock. It was a close call as he tried to dissemble my rose from my shirt's pocket. I used the power of the missed strike to propel myself backward and away from him just in time enough so that his reach for my rose would have failed. I smiled, and readied myself for another round.

"Wow, that was a close one."

I need to be careful.

i looked at my right hand and bit it hard. WHY DID YOU MISS? YOU KNOW I HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL SO WHY HESITATE LIKE YOU DID? while cursing my hand i let the matter go. i was in the middle of a duel and i knew this was going to be a bit more interesting. sorry about that little distraction. i was hoping to leave your rose intact and still win.

i raise the tip of my blade readying myself for an attack if one was to come.

"That's not possible."

I looked at him and his explosive cursing at his hand. I watched with intrigue. Never have I ever met a man, or a person for that matter who would scream so harshly at his own hand. But, then again, it was Bryant and I did know Bryant to do some strange things sometimes. Nevertheless, he was my friend.

"I've been at this for a while. I was the one who set Anthy free. You're a formidable opponent, Bry, but, I cannot lose this one. It would dishonor everything I've just accomplished. Keeping someone's rose in tact as you cut it from their breast is like dancing the waltz perfectly but completely stepping on your partners toes... it just doesn't work."

I looked at him, determination present in my blue eyes. I was going to win and I was holding back all the pain of the memories flooding back to my mind of me protecting Anthy; Putting my life before the rose and putting myself a mile before any danger that would confront her. I.. loved her... didn't I?

who is this "anthy" that distracts you? i looked at Utena curious as always forgetting momentarily we were dueling. her thoughts were poorly hidden a trait not normal for her and i began to worry about her.

OOC: I have a request for you Bryant, or rather a favor to ask of you. It's up to you whether or not you want to do it.

"Oh she's just someone I used to know. She's disappeared now, and I miss her terribly. But I don't understand why. Maybe it's because we're best friends and I cared for her. She wasn't just the Rose Bride after all, she was my friend, my best friend. We did everything together."

Momentarily, I forgot we were dueling as well, reflecting upon the memories of Anthy that were playing rapidly in my head. They didn't seem to stop and as they further continued to play, my eyes and their gleams continued to grow dimmer and dimmer. They didn't look as if they belonged to anyone who was alive, they looked dead and empty. Losing Anthy was a bigger toll on my emotions, on my heart than I thought it'd be...

OOC: Have at it my eyes are always open.

BIC: maybe by freeing her you changed the world as the council knew it... and that was what the power to revolutonize the world really is. i didnt pretend to understand her past but i was slowly understanding.

OOC: Okay, well if you don't remember the characterization of Utena, like her personality or anything like that, could you watch like a few episodes and take a look at her characterization and see if I'm portraying her properly?

"You know about all of that?"

I looked at him, surprised. However, the emotion, the pure and raw emotion that once held so strongly within the sparkling gleams of my eyes, had faded. I wasn't completely sure there was a way at all to get them back. But, to anyone who looked upon my form, they could clearly and easily tell I was upset about something, or at least, something was on my mind.

'Yeah, the power to revolutionize the world. Everyone saw that it lingered within me this whole time, while I was blind to it. They all knew I was going to have it come to this. That Anthy was going to be set free and that I was going to become this prince. I've reached my wildest dreams. It's my reality, so... why am I not happy? I was too preoccupied with being all noble...'

I looked at the sword in my hands and sighed.

OOC: i dont know about how she is but the inner voice matches what ive seen.

BIC: they say time heals all wounds... well for immortals time heals nothing... it erodes and forces things to degrade... i say this becuase i am old and my old wounds still burn as if i recieved them this moment. tho they do not exist physically anymore. the memory remains. there was no obvious connection to what i was saying but i continued nonetheless perhaps these emotions were never dealt with and they need to be delt with now?