estoria | When we get started we ain't gonna stop [CLOSED]

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When we get started we ain't gonna stop [CLOSED]

Who: Jessica Albert (

magicburst) & Darin Altway (

forgeabettertomorrow)
When: IC: 8/12
Where: The Game Center and into the Colosseum in ViViD
What: Jessica and Darin have the stupidest bet ever going on and now they're putting each other to the test. Who will manage to leave the ring the least embarrassed?
Rating/Warning: A few clothing malfunctions and yelling but likely nothing else. Will update if needed.

[She had said Sunday and she certainly meant it. An evening or so to think things through hadn't really dimmed Jessica's fervor much. She had never quite liked anyone telling her what she should do or feel on any matter, even something as silly as this one. And though she could recognize on one hand that this whole event was silly at best, she couldn't quite bring herself to do the sensible thing of backing down. Her, back down? Not from a fight!

So here it is around Sunday afternoon with her standing before the Game Center, well known now after several games inside it's walls. Her arms are crossed and she taps a foot as she waits out the arrival of her opponent.

One of them would taste a bit of humble pie and Jessica was determined it wouldn't be her.]

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[Darin feels the sudden surge in his muscles and he looks down at his hands. Holy hell, he was glowing? But moreso than that...he'd never felt so incredibly powerful! A grin creeps across his face as the shadow grows darker. One statue raises its fist to strike, while the other lifts its leg to stomp down...]

[With the earth shattering attacks inbound, Darin can only really say one thing.]

I guess it's my turn to show off a little, ah?

[Confidence soaring as high as his strength, he raises his arms to stop both the fist and the foot coming down cold in their tracks, the blowback of which causing cracks to snake their way up the statues limbs.]

[Darin grunts as his muscles tense, the ground beneath him cracking from the impact. The only indication that he's even alive, let alone alright is a sudden fit of laughter. And then, as quickly as it started, he stops laughing and digs his hands into the stone statues themselves.]

UUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[He's holding them in place...squeezing down as he grips their appendages. Those cracks widen and snake up further until with a massive crunch, their limbs shatter. Stone chunks and raining down as the statues topple backwards. Darin's vest and shirt, tattered and torn from the sudden influx of power, reveals a jagged scar from his right shoulder, all the way down his back to his left hip. Whatever caused that clearly should have killed him but...well, he's still here.]

[Don't worry Jessica, he won't bill you for his clothes. He still has some decency ~~for now~~.]

[... That's some reaction alright. And that's some scar to say the least. Jessica doesn't have much time to think on it. The bomboulders are still there and she does her best to whip them into shape so to speak before they get bright ideas about sacrificing themselves to heal others.

Once the rain of rocks has stopped she backs up a bit closer to Darin. She's a touch out of breath but she rolls her shoulders and straightens up her back a bit.]

So you are useful after all.

[It's less criticism and more slight sarcastic banter. She glances over her shoulder at him, curious.]

When you were setting all this difficulty, did you ever consider setting a way to actually beat this game?

[He's huffing a bit, but that grin hasn't left his face. Feeling her close the gap between them, he turns his head to look at her over his shoulder.]

Man, you're cold for someone with so much fire in 'em!

[He laughs though as he considers her question.]

I think we just need to make it to the end. At this level, the simulation's gotta be running out of things to throw at--

[A booming roar shakes the earth as a Vermillion Dragon descends into the arena. It rears back and lets out another ear splitting roar. Looks like this was the end of it.]

[Darin draws his dao.]

I really need to learn to shut up, don't I.

[Runninng out of things. Jessica levels a flat look at the man.]

I can promise you if this thing is simply pulling from my own world, there should be more than enough things to keep us here well into the evening.

[Seriously, she can't say how many but there are a lot of monsters in the world, okay. And that said, one of the toughest is descending right now. He lands with a thud and a roar. Jessica stands, her mouth a little agape.]

This thing can conjure up him as well!

[Yeah, the last thing she expected was the Lord of the Dragovians' first form. The trials had been particularly brutal later on and now that he's shown up, all she can do is hunker her shoulders up and get very serious about this.]

You better hope this doesn't go like it did at home. He had seven forms there.

[This is how it is though and Jessica starts running over what she ought to do next in her mind. She doesn't have a timbrel and though her energy has recovered, she doesn't quite see another magic burst just yet. So she snaps her whip taunt between her two hands and nods decisively.]

Well the only thing for it in the end is to beat him. You best put your all into this!

[She'll start out with a twin lash just to knock the dragon around a bit. The dragon himself isn't too fond of the effort but why would he be.]

Seven forms? What the hell is it overcompensating for??

[He can't hide his grin though. This seemed like the last real challenge before the game was up. So, naturally, he could go all out.]

Don't worry, Jess. I never give anything less than a hundred and ten percent!

[He dashes in following Jessica's twin lash and follows up with three sword slashes of his own, ducking beneath the dragon in an attempt to get under it. Maybe he can strike at it's softer bell--]

[The Vermillion Dragon rears up and smashes its claws right down on top of Darin as it exhales a vicious scorch attack towards Jessica.]

Darin!

[Oh good grief. Jessica barely has time to brace herself before she's hit by the scorch attack. She hadn't been prepared for it and ends up knocked off her feet, clothing smoldering. Or... well, what's left anyhow. Her skirt is ragged and tattered, her shirt following appropriate suite. And now she's back on her rear again, a hand pressed to the side of her head.

She hurries to gain her feet again, the dragon backing off before it's next hit. Whatever shape he's in, it couldn't hurt for her to try to heal him. Never mind she's over here dancing now sans maracas and looking worse for the wear.]

Come on everybody, hustle! Hustle!

[He's in rough shape for sure, but Darin knows how to tank damage like the rest of them. He's up on his feet, significantly bloodied up thanks to the dragon's talons, and just raring for round two. He wants to comment on Jessica dancing in place, demanding that he 'hustle' but there's a time and a place for that.]

[That time will be later, after they've survived this.]

[He's already starting to heal up, thanks to Jessica, and he rushes in for a second bout with the dragon. He rolls and dodges the desperate swipe of the dragon's talons and moves to flank it. Quickly, he jumps and scrambles up the side to get to the dragon's back...]

[Only for the dragon to flap its wings to try and get airborne. Not only that, it's inhaling for another breath attack!]

Dammit!! No you don't!!

[Darin sheathes his dao, clasps his hands over his head, and brings them down with all of the strength he can muster, slamming them into the dragon's back between its wings and grounding it with a crash.]

[That doesn't really do much for the breath attack though. The vermillion dragon crashes to the ground, its head snaps up, and fire spews from its maw. So...now it's raining fire.]

[Good plan, Darin.]

[Good job indeed! Jessica scrambles like it's nobody's business, trying to let off an Insulatle spell before the worst of the fire crashes down. It's a breath attack still so she reasons it ought to cut the damage down some.]

ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE THIS MORE DIFFICULT?!

LOOK, I DUNNO ABOUT YOU, BUT I CAN'T FLY!! KEEPING THIS THING GROUNDED IS OUR BEST CHANCE TO WIN!!

[Darin scrambles up the neck to the back of the head. He pulls out his dao and starts slashing wildly. Fortunately, damage is being done but...at the same time, the dragon is not exactly enjoying this. It starts thrashing wildly in an attempt to shake Darin off.]

WE NEED TO END THIS NOW!! GOT ANYTHING YOU HAVEN'T USED YET THAT COULD TAKE DOWN A DRAGON?!

NOT ALL AT ONCE! YOU HAVE SEEN THE SIZE OF THIS DRAGON, HAVEN'T YOU?!

[Her magic has built back up though and she could technically try magic burst again but... perhaps something else would work better, given it's a solitary target. First she takes a moment to cast Oomph on herself much as she did Darin moments before, then hits Darin with it as well.]

There! Now give it all you've got and we might actually have a chance here!

[With a little Oomph though her Twin Dragon Lash hits the dragon particularly hard.]

NO, THE SIZE OF THIS THING KIND OF ESCAPED ME!!

I MEAN, I'M ONLY RIDING THE DAMN THING!!

[Snark aside, he's clawing his way up those scales towards the head. If he's going to bring this thing down, he's got to do it now.]

[Thrashing around, the vermillion dragon rushes towards Jessica and takes another sharp inhale for another breath attack. Seeing his chance, Darin throws himself forward, and with all of hims Oomph! enhanced strength slams his weight and his fists down with enough fervor to bury the dragon's face into the ground.]

[Which doesn't leave very much room for all that fire, does it?]

[The ground beneath the dragon erupts into flame, engulfing the dragon's body. Darin narrowly escapes the fireball...but there's plenty of fire erupting from all of the cracks in the ground spidering throughout the arena floor.]

[Darin, now pretty badly burned, is dodging those erupting flames.]

OH COME ON!! ENOUGH WITH THE FIRE, ALREADY!!!

[When the fire subsides, the dragon is felled, and Darin is left with barely any decency...]

[At least his boxers have anvils on them this time. Not that there's much left.]

[The coliseum itself is little more than fissures, the heat of a dying fire and smoke. Jessica coughs against it, waving a hand furiously as she takes a moment to catch her breath and ends up leaning forward to press her hands against her knees. She hadn't been the one riding the dragon of course but she's really been testing the limits of her magic pool.

After a moment of hands on knees she's near ready to compliment the man on such a fine performance when she notes her knees are awfully bare. All of the action and all of the heat had made it easy not to notice the lack of... well. That last bit of fire shooting out of the ground devoured what was left of her skirt beyond tatters remains on a waistband.

Darin has anvils, Jessica has the most underwhelming pair of pink panties and a crimson flush as she takes the next moment to tug what little remains of her skirt towards her front. She shoots a sharp look over to the man who's done absolutely nothing so far other than exist.]

Don't you dare look!

[Darin is just sort of stumbling around the smoke and smoldering ruins. He's not even aware of his own indecency, opting first to make sure that the dragon is, in fact, subdued. When the dragon fades away, a grin spreads over his face. He's so pumped, he hasn't even heard Jessica's warning.]

[Happily, he rushes over, perhaps to offer a cheer and a high five.]

HAHAHA! JESSICA, WE DID I--

[He skids as he lays eyes on her and tumbles forward towards her, his eyes suddenly going wide, his face flushing to match hers.]

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR SKIRT?! I-I CAN SEE--

[He's not going to finish that thought, whether it's up to him or not.]

[The stone guardians left plenty of rocks around and now one of those is heaved at Darin's head full force.]

I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK.

[It clocks him in the face with a hearty thwack, snapping his head back...]

[Which just makes him snap his head right back to her. He's still flush, and he's got a nosebleed, but that's from the rock, naturally.]

DON'T YOU KNOW?! TELLING SOMEONE NOT TO LOOK MAKES THEM WANT TO LOOK MORE!!

DO YOU HAVE NO SELF CONTROL THEN?

[Huffingly irritated, she tries to situate what's left of her skirt not to be so noticeable.]

Well now that that's over, we ought to be able to leave.

[Right? Right.]

I HAVE PLENTY OF SELF CONTROL!!

[Says the guy who still isn't looking away.]

[Because, let's face it, Jessica is rather pretty.]

[And despite the red in his face, he starts laughing.]

I guess I was right then...

Thankfully.

[Jessica breathes out a long sigh and gives up on arranging her skirt any better. She plants her fists on her hips and frowns then.]

The last time we simply walked out. Is it the same when someone voluntarily uses ViViD too?

[And just like that, the simulation starts to waver. A large banner reading 'CONGRATULATIONS' hangs in the air and confetti rains down on them. Looks like they beat the sim!]

[Darin stands, his tattered boxers barely staying on, as the simulation fades.]

[Except, nothing really ever seems to work out for Darin. Especially where ViViD is concerned. His clothes don't go back to normal. In fact, once the simulation ends, he's standing there in what little remains of his boxers, looking awfully pleased with himself.]

Well, I'm glad it's over, but I still had fun! You really know how to give a guy a run for his money! And, I did manage to prove my point about your skirt. All in all, I think this worked out!

[And then he notices that his clothes have not come back.]

... ... ...

Seriously?

[I did manage to prove my point about your skirt. That needles at her uncomfortably. Yes, yes, he had proven his point but she hates to hear him say as much. It seems like Darin knows how to stoke her ire in the quickest and most effective ways possible.

By the time he notes his own state of disarray, Jessica can't help but enjoy a good laugh. Yes it's petty of her but it feels awfully nice to see him just as tattered as she is.]

You're in the same situation, you know. Maybe you should consider that before you go around talking about proving points.

True...

But see, I don't mind! I'm not exactly some wilting flower, here!

And I came prepared, anyway! Because no one can complain about anvils!

[Well, it's true. He's not exactly shy considering what's left his boxers are barely staying on. Though it's probably his blatant overconfidence that gets on Jessica's nerves more.]

You're the one that got all flustered!

I'm not all flustered.

[She is. She is all flustered. She also can't stand that it's being pointed out so easily.

And considering talking about her being flustered makes her flustered, she's not precisely helping her case.]

Totally flustered!

It's really funny, because on the one hand, you're a total badass! I mean, those spells you were flinging? Whoa! I've never seen anything like that in my life! And that power boost you gave me? Seriously, that was amazing!

But then on the other hand, you getting all flustered like this is...

Actually pretty cute!

[This clueless idiot. He's laughing.]

[And Jessica is actually, honestly struck speechless. Angelo might be a fountain of compliments but his are easily brushed off. He never really meant his praise after all, so she thinks. Darin seems a hopeless sort of idiot but a well meaning one and certainly not the charmer the other man is.

She ogles him a moment as she tries to decide how serious he really is, huffs out a breath or two and then turns on her heel to start marching off in the opposite direction of Darin.]

Stop fooling around! I'm not out here attempting to be cute or-- it's nothing like that.

[Nope, sorry, Jessica but he's following you.]

...I know that.

I'm just being honest.

And today was...actually a lot of fun!

When we get started we ain't gonna stop [CLOSED]

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