Commentary: KOI KOI VS SURT

[Lady Slaughter]

Y'all know the dealio by now.

[Angel]

K had taken their place in the stands, watching the show. It seemed to feel hotter in here just looking at the scene in from of them. He was distracted though, for a moment, by the person sitting next to them.

Why was there so many little girls around here? Was this M's doing somehow? She always seemed to be able to zone in on like-minded individuals. As cheesy as it sounded, there was something about her essence that seemed to draw things in. They would believe honestly, that just her presence somehow increased the chances of there being some around. They supposed that at least it meant M wouldn't lack for playmates.

"Why are you here if you looked so frightened?" they asked, a soft hand tousling her hair. The look she returned them was still just as frightened as ever, if she received any comfort from the affectionate gesture that M seemed to enjoy, she didn't outwardly express this.

Eventually she finally responded.. "I'm supposed to learn about this stuff.. " she said, practically wailing. The expression her face was almost comical, and although lots of human grace that alluded them he could tell that she was lacking any sort of composure about her tears.

"Huh." K said, remarking. "Me too, I guess." K smiled a little at the coincidence, although they expressed a sort of comical gesture afterwards. Well, yeah.. that's what all of them were doing here huh? Despite their stupidity, they got the impression that this little girl's mission was closer to theirs then normal people around here.

"Both seem the violent sort huh? I suppose that's to be expected. They both want the other one to know they mean business too. Sending their first signals, daring the other one to be the first one to act. Acting first means giving up information first, but it also means you get the offensive." they said... then glanced over to her.

"Am I boring you?" They asked. The brunette haired girl nervously shook her head, which he supposed was enough for him.

Man, they always seemed to be playing the babysitter. They were good for more then just pampering princesses, you know.

"Although in these twos case, I think they just have mutually decided to let each other power up, and throw off a couple blows at full power. Guess we'll both figure out what that means, huh?"

[Angel]

(Now in response to this post.)

K could only look with honest shock... they supposed it was one thing to know the sort of horrible place they were being sent to but to see the horrors first hand, as monsters ripped each other apart? Some of the others in the stand seemed alarmed by the display as well.. but others still seemed to enjoy it. As they watched two sentient creatures burning up in front of them, the crowd practically rejoiced.

All while they watched K knew one thing. They were in this world now. That meant they had to become just like them. That one day, K would be one of the monsters. ignoring all sense of reason for a fight.

Alas. If they must. They must. No sense crying over it. They shrugged, and even smiled a little. They had made their peace long ago.

K felt the girl next to themselves jump, cling to them.. obviously reacting a bit more like them but lacking the fortitude to handle it and they didn't retreat from her grip. They moved a firm hand over and closed her eyes. He felt an inhuman jerk, as if some sort of morbid curiosity that was not her own wanted to see.. but his strength kept her in check. The resistance didn't stop though, as if they might break themselves to be freed from the grip. Was the will of whoever she was being used by so strong?

"I'll tell you what's happening, don't worry." and for a moment, K felt her weaken.. and her softly respond. "Don't lie. She needs to know.."

Well, that made it harder. Oh well. 'Of course."

[Kismet]

"Not to worry," came a voice from behind them. "The battle is nearly over, I think."

Aster smiled serenely as she sat down, flanked by a picnic basket and a young boy of eleven."Aye, I fear the battle will end before our meal does" she said. Her golden hair seemed to sparkle in the hellish light of the arena, casting an incandescent halo about her as she took her seat. But even without her own ambient spotlight, Aster would have stuck out in the crowd.

Aster was relaxed. Calm. She was still in a way that the crowd was not. Still in a way the crowd could not be. The spectators were a tumultuous sea of people, half enthralled, half repulsed by the violence of the arena, but Aster remained serene and untouched. It was like she was somehow separated from everything around her, aloof and unreachable. Even her young partner seemed on edge from the proceedings. Only Aster was still.

The straw of a juice box found her lips, and she sipped contentedly. "I hope you don't mind us joining you" she said around her straw. She settled back into her seat and removed her sun hat, letting herself get comfortable. "I just had to come and say hi. There's just a certain look the Manor guests have, you know?"

[Angel]

K smiled for a moment at the guest, looking relieved to see her. Although it was obvious that he still had his eye on the action, he attention was still primarily focused on her.

"No problem with it. Nice to have some.. mature company." and they meant it too. If anything so many people saved some time, but they also just genuinely preferred being in the company of others some times. "A look? Only look I've noticed comes in two flavors. Prepubescence and monster." They said, smirking a little.. thinking he had seen a few that came in both flavours as well. They were still softly petting the squealing thing that was cradling to him. "Although I suppose even the rest have a certain air to them, standing out. Different from the outsiders looking in."

He paused for a moment, making sure they weren't missing anything from the action below before questioning the lady, "So what? Recon like the two of us?"

[Kismet]

"Aye, we are here to survey the field and its combatants today" Aster said, eyes twinkling. But twinkling with what, exactly, was hard to say.

Aster was a modern, hardworking, and professional sort of girl, so it wouldn't be quite right to call her a hedonist. But the sweet, savory taste of food or drink was enough to put a sparkle in her eye and make her dance in her seat. The sensation of lying under a warm blanket on a cool evening, of sitting by a campfire, the pungent, sugary rush of her juice - these were the simple, hardware installed pleasures of life. So Aster sipped her juice and smiled, radiating a simple, innocent pleasure that needed no explanation beyond the act in itself.

But the twinkling in her eyes was probably mischief.

Yes, definitely mischief.

Not that Aster's mischief was ever mean spirited. Aster was a professional and an eternal ray of sunshine. Woe be the day Aster's mood be any less bright than her golden hair, for that day will be dark indeed. No, like the juice on her lips, Aster's mischief needed no justification for its existence. It was useful, pointed, and usually directed towards an end, but it could always be enjoyed simply through the act in itself.

She lowered the straw from her lips and leaned forward, very obviously more interested in her new companions than the match. "My name is Aster" she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The sparkle in her eyes brightened. "Is Arietta here too, Ayumi?"

[Angel]

Heh. For surveying, she sure seemed more interested in them. Hey, K understood. The people down there and given away a decent amount already.. K knew that if there was anyone nearby that hadn't given away much, it was them and M.

So they smiled a little, but if K's eyes were twinkling with anything it was a sort of aloofness. Not that aloof people twinkled, or whatever. They were used to learning but not reacting, they let whatever happened around them. They would just prefer it not to affect them. Until the time was right. The time was always right once in a while.

They said, "K. Likewise." although the reply was simple it was not short and unfriendly, just the sort of words of someone who didn't mince them.. but then they focused their attention on the girl who was stirring from their grasp.

Ayumi softly pulled themselves from K, their eyes shaking as they tried their hardest to avoid looking at the stage. "She's here, I'm here.. she's not here here.." she said, seeming so very nervous.. comically so, as she glanced this way and that way, stuttering with even a little teeth chattering. A certain fiery girl was alright with this amount of information giving too, so she recieved no punishment for this. Arietta had to accept that people knew of their relationship because of the match.. although they were considering just drastically changing Ayumi's appearance.

K couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah, we definitely are in the same boat."

[Kismet]

Hm.

It was simple enough to get a rise out of poor Ayumi, but K was a stick in the mud. There would be little point in wasting her feminine charms on him; he was much too reserved to give away anything particularly useful. But the professionalism! The Manor was overrun with psychotics and bloodthirsty miscreants, and it was refreshing to see one so stoic. Especially here in the arena, where the blood soaked specter of Lady Slaughter played merry on the spectators' psyche. 

"Professional" really was the appropriate word, Aster thought. It was the quiet, reserved grace of a soldier. The same sort of quiet that Janus and Sclera held themselves with. As for the other girl, it was harder to say. She'd not said a word to Aster, and seemed, at least in her silence, to defer to K.

She leaned back and smiled serenely, the impenetrable wall of calm descending upon her once more. "Of course, of course" she said, her hands absentmindedly finding her juice box again. "How lucky she is to have such a dutiful attendant." She sipped her drink once more, sighing happily at the sweet rush of flavor. 

"You fought so very valiantly," she said, shrugging apologetically. "I confess I'm rather nervous about entering the ring myself. Have you any pointers for us?"

As she waited for Ayumi's response, she fielded another question. This one silently, and to someone very far away.


You there boss?