060: Mood to Burn Bridges

[contract_star]

[Hei appears on the Plane sitting on a low wall surrounded in a blue glow. The glow cuts off almost instantly after he appears, and he promptly slumps forward on the wall, gripping the concrete edge to keep from falling off. He's pale and shaking a little, and black blood is flowing rather steadily from his nose. It's clear that he's exhausted, but he looks more surprised than anything.]

[He sits there panting and dripping blood onto the floor before he raises a hand to wipe it away.]

...That wasn't supposed to happen.

Comments

[contract_star]

It's something that happens to some of the people here.

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

Is it.

[contract_star]

Yes.

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

Do you know what it means.

[contract_star]

I do, but I see no reason to tell you.

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

[Though he was hardly fidgeting before, Hei's words spark a subtle but marked change in One; he seems to be all stillness, as if he had never known movement. After a pause his head tilts slightly, and his words more enunciated.]

Really.

[contract_star]

[Hei recognizes that sort of stillness. He goes completely still himself, not taking his eyes off of One.]

Really.

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

[He allows another beat, as if digesting the answer; in reality he and Hei are now probably best described as being in that ridiculous period of a catfight wherein there are endless minutes of quiet staring.]

[contract_star]

[Hei stares right back.]

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

[Slowly,]

That's unfortunate.

[In contrast to his voice, One streams forward, like light arcing into a dark room with his straight razor in hand as if it were a sixth finger only now visible. At the peak of his dart, he lashes out with it, but draws back quickly; it resembles a feint, other than the fact it's supposed to make contact.]

[contract_star]

[Holy shit. Hei is fast, but not quite that fast. He dodges just enough that the razor only grazes him, drawing a thin line of black across the side of his jaw. He's on his feet in an instant, drawing his own knife in the same movement. He doesn't take his eyes off of One even once.]

...That seems like a bit of an overreaction.

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

[The so-called feint was to draw Hei out, but it performs miserably. Still, as Hei dismounts, One shoves forward again to try and execute something that resembles a backhand with emphasis on power concentrated in the knuckles. Whether or not it gets Hei on his back- as all twin plans eventually come to- One comments dismissively.]

It was a simple question.

[contract_star]

[Hei is ready and sees him coming this time. He goes down into a back handspring, kicking out and throwing a wire, hopefully wrapping it around the hand holding the razor.]

One I don't feel like answering to a complete stranger. Is it that diffcult to understand?

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

[One takes the kick without comment, but the constriction of the wire is a trigger and he quickly phases and solidifies; the only visual Hei is likely to get of it is an odd impression of mist forming from and vanishing into nothing.

Probably on the heels of Hei's words, One steps forward and lashes out with a sleek arm, razor extended, in a move that would cut through half of Hei's neck if he were to stay completely still.]

Obeisance is easily understood as well.

[contract_star]

[Intangibility. Wonderful. Hei recognizes it immediately, having seen Azure in action several times at this point, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. The only real way to fight someone who can go intangible is to lure them into an environment where they're forced to be tangible, but there's nothing like that here.]

[The only other option is to be faster, and Hei isn't sure that's possible either. Because now One is coming at him again, and Hei dodges to the side but the razor nicks his neck. It's not deep enough to get his jugular, but it's close enough to be dangerous. Hei goes down into a crouch, pressing a hand against the cut. He's in no real condition to fight, not when he's already lost blood and triggered that power.]

You know nothing about obeisance.

[And he drops from the Plane before One can move again.]

[onedrous.livejournal.com]

[Automatically, One turns to keep Hei facing him, and he moves for another rush. Hei's dropping cuts short the attack, the inertia transforming into several long strides that bring One to eye Hei's former space like a vulture with a sneer. He lingers only briefly before flicking off plane.]