95.

[lamb_of_gold]

[Mu appears, holding a large, weighted pugil stick and looks thoroughly confused by it. When he speaks, it addresses the Plane at large.]

Often, I can guess who's behind the changes in my home, but this has me quite baffled. Who cares to claim ownership?

Comments

[betrayedtwin]

[North, his normal weapon kit attached to his armor, is walking towards the coliseum when he spots Mu and what the other man has in his possession. He chuckles lightly.]

I suppose I can! I don't remember leaving it here though.

[lamb_of_gold]

You didn't. One of the storage rooms in my temple seems to have restocked itself.

[betrayedtwin]

[That makes North stop in his tracks, looking from the weapon to Mu.] One of our pugil sticks made it to your reality is what you're saying? How could that happen?

[lamb_of_gold]

I think the entire content of your closet has found it's way to mine. This is simply the only thing I trusted not to blow up the moment I touched it.

A merger, of course. Look around your reality for things that do not belong. I'm sure you'll find evidence of something.

[betrayedtwin]

[His eyes widen a bit behind his helmet.] Everything? [That doesn't sound good...] No one's noticed yet, so we may be okay. And I haven't seen anything yet, but you'll definitely be the first to know.

But in the meantime? You might want to make sure none of that stuff leaves your closet.

[lamb_of_gold]

It would seem so. Thankfully, that particular closet is in a relatively private place. It will not be so difficult to keep nosy children away.

[betrayedtwin]

[Surprised] You have children? [He didn't quite expect that.]

[His brow furrows a bit as he thinks more. It may be in a private area, but children have a way of getting in places you don't want them to.] Maybe I should show you how to disable the zapping feature on those.

[lamb_of_gold]

Pupils. A fair few, all told, but only two in residence with me in the temple. Nevertheless, that would be a good idea.

[betrayedtwin]

[He nods understandingly.] All the more reason to. Here, turn it over. There's a small compartment you can pry open and flip a switch to shut the current off or on.

[lamb_of_gold]

[Mu does as instructed, and smiles upon seeing said compartment.]

Ah! That is not so difficult. [He switches it firmly "OFF" and closes it back up.]

Are all things in that closet so easy to disarm?

[betrayedtwin]

[North chuckles a bit.] Yeah, the others are easier. Most have a safety switch right on the side, but the pugil sticks need the extra protection. Things can get a little crazy during training.

[lamb_of_gold]

I can imagine. Weapons like this offer a good many options in combat. It would end badly if the safety came off because of sloppy handling.

[betrayedtwin]

[North grins a bit wryly, shrugging his shoulder.] For us, it's always off. Keeps us sharp and on our toes--but that's us and our armor. We can take those kinds of blows.

[lamb_of_gold]

I still can't imagine it would be pleasant.

[betrayedtwin]

[He laughs nervously] Yeah... It really isn't. Nothing about them is particularly pleasant. Then again, I doubt anything you found can be said to be anyway. [He shrugs again. It's something he's used to.]

[lamb_of_gold]

The only pleasantries about a weapon are it's aesthetics, usually. These seem to lack even that. Regardless, I will handle them with care. If I need help, I'm sure I could find your, or one of your peers?

[betrayedtwin]

[He definitely has his opinions about weapon aesthetics, much preferring his sniper rifle.] Yeah, I'll be around if you need me. Same with the others. Just say you got them from me because of this merger, and they should understand.

[inhumanity]

[and OUT OF NOWHERE Chris fires a bullet at Mu] AHAH!

[lamb_of_gold]

[Which sails clean on through an after-image, as Mu re-materializes a few feet away, stick still in hand.]

I'm afraid that will not serve to kill me, Christopher.

[inhumanity]

Then how about this?

[what is that he just threw at you it's tiny and round and yes

yes he just tossed a grenade at you]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Hey you know that big stick in Mu's hand? He's using it like a baseball bat, more on instinct than actually knowing what a grenade even is but he doesn't trust anything leaving Christopher's grip right now.]

[inhumanity]

[oh shit, Rail's bombs are nasty and that's who Chris took these from]

[he disappears off the Plane right before the bomb goes off, reappearing in the smoke and not even wasting a second before he's chucking knives at Mu. But he doesn't stop, launching forward so he can stab at Mu with the gunblade if the knives miss.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[The pugil stick is dropped as Mu has to step fast to dodge the knives, and he much prefers having two hands free.

Which is a good thing indeed because the dissipating smoke gives away the charge, and it gives Mu a precious second to shift out of the way of the blade and bring his arm down to trap Christopher's between his arm and his ribcage.]

I suggest you stop this before you make me angry, Christopher.

[inhumanity]

[For someone trapped, Christopher seems far too happy.]

Sorry, but I just can't resist!

[The words are horribly true. He tries to use the proximity to wedge a knife between any overlapping plates in the armour that he might get at the skin underneath.]

[lamb_of_gold]

Perhaps you should practice some self-control.

[Alas, the cloth is magic and shouldn't work IRL pretty solid, but with his hands busy, Mu resorts to attempting to knee Christopher in the gut]

[inhumanity]

[It's super effective! Christopher coughs--and pops out of Mu's arms via a reality hop to reappear on the Plane again. FINALLY LEARNED THAT TRICK. The worst thing? Chris doesn't even look like he's sweating yet.]

[also he just tossed a bar stool at Mu. I don't even know.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[What even. Mu catches it easily.]

You must be faster than that, I'm afraid.

[inhumanity]

I'll take your encouragement to heart! [Necessity conquers fear, and Christopher is getting better at the Plane hopping so he can appear closer to Mu when he does it again and tosses a throwing dart at Mu's face.]

[He's probably in a bar back home.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Mu is fast enough that it doesn't impale his eye, but grazes the cheek. It takes a quick second, but the ink and stardust that make up his blood bubble to the surface as Mu whirls around to chuck the barstool back at Christopher with about enough force to knock him on his arse if he's not quick]

[inhumanity]

[Christopher just barely manages to dodge, but he's already swinging back around for gunshots at Mu and then launching forward to attack. It's rapid, fast reflexes and brutal attacks. Christopher might be out of his class, but he's been killing for longer than Mu's been alive, and his efforts to close the gap are based on pure skill.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Mu spins out of the way of the gunshots and quickly matches Christopher's attack rhythm, deflecting the pointy end of the gunblade from his squishy parts, even if it means suffering one or two blows elsewhere.

Easily on par with a Bronze saint, Mu thinks. Maybe a Silver, if he could use his Cosmo.

Mu starts getting more aggressive with his grabs and counters - maybe he can make Christopher let go of one or both of his blades.]

[inhumanity]

[He gets Chris to drop one, but it doesn't make him stop. It's just a tool--a tool that is an essential part of his identity, but a tool nonetheless. Even when he's knocked away, he just takes advantage of the tricks of the Plane he observed from Mu to get closer again (chalk this one down, Huey: fast learner) and as much damage as he takes, he doesn't seem to know the meaning of giving up]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Yeah no kidding. Maybe a broken nose will dissuade Christopher because as Mu slowly shifts to going on the offense, a good old punch in the face is what he's trying to do without, you know, punching through his face.

Stupid self-restraint.]

[inhumanity]

[So Christopher is fast enough to block but not fast enough to knock the hand aside but it is a block so! Great job, Christopher?

Except that it doesn't do his arm any favours, and he has to go stumbling back, letting out a noise of pain.]

[But he only grins. He doesn't hesitate a moment even in pain, swapping his weapon to his other hand and charging in again.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Jesus murphy, Christopher. Mu continues to try and just knock the guy out, but the bum arm is a painful weak point now, and so Mu will drive at that again if the opportunity is there.]

[inhumanity]

[Christopher actually does a fair job protecting it and relying on his other arm--he's ambidextrous, so there's that to his advantage--and he even uses the arm once through the blinding pain to try to get a strike in. But when Mu gets it again straight on, Christopher does white with agony. He makes no noise, but it's obvious that he is about to faint from the pain, right there.]

[And then he forces himself to stay conscious, against will, against common sense, and if Mu dropped his guard for a second thinking he has won, Christopher's going to move in to attack again.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[And the last-ditch attack actually works! Kinda. Christopher's blow connects, but Mu just dissolves upon impact with the ground, reappearing about a foot in front of the red-head, and with a fist already on a collision course with his gut. Lights out, buddy.]

[inhumanity]

[Well. That was frustrating.]

[He has every intention of going in for round two when he is healed. Sorry, Mu. It's pretty pathological.]