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Novus closed 10/31/2022, after The Gentle Exodus

Fight: Judged  - i am no void

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Played by Offline REDANDBLACK [PM] Posts: 302 — Threads: 37
Signos: 135
Inactive Character
#1

Fight Type: BATTLE
Prize: n/a! just exp
Contact Made: yes!

Character #1: @Bexley
Bonded: n/a
Magic: n/a
Armor: n/a
Weapons: n/a
Current Health: 21
Current Attack: 19
Current Experience: 27

Character #2: @aion
Bonded: n/a
Magic: discipuli frostbite magic
Armor: n/a
Weapons: n/a
Current Health: 10
Current Attack: 10
Current Experience: 16




bex


MADE A GRAVEYARD FROM THE BONE-WHITE AFTERNOON.



All this anger and nowhere to put it. For once Bexley feels all herself, and, in conjunction, utterly Machiavellian.

A day and a half walking from Solterra to Ruris, and most of it drenched in wet, stunning sunlight. On each side steps a member of the Day Court regime on their way to Veneror. The eagle’s letter remains strapped to Seraphina’s leg. Eik walks in a slow, self-conscious saunter. Hair braided, headaches blooming in her temple with obnoxious reoccurrence, Bexley follows-the-leader over plains and valleys, sloshing through creeks, their destination naught but a phantasmal monument in the fair distance, and in her heart something stubborn and wild still asks for more.

More, she realizes as it comes into view, lies in the Steppe.

Ah, all her capricious wants, served to her on a silver platter. How long has it been since she felt bone-crunch, tasted salt-iron on her tongue - since she felt really evil, really monstrous, in the manner her heritage has always asked of her?

Long enough.

Bex splits from the rest of the regime, announcing her departure in a low murmur, to find some lonely refuge in the blood-bathed stone. Refuge. A disagreeable word to describe a barbaric place, but Bexley has realized, over time, that violence is discomforting only to those who do not recognize it as intimately as she does - people who don’t see bleached skulls tattooed on the insides of their eyelids, who don’t see their own obsessions on a loop, nothing but blood and blood and replay.

Enviable.

Overhead the sky swirls with insidious dark clouds. If Bexley is Machiavellian, the scene unfolding around her would be the work of Botticelli - winds blowing and flowers crushed to the dirt and light, misty drizzle coming down onto the dry earth - but that gauze of gold-touched rain is too faint to hide the silhouette that stands across the Steppe, a chimeric amalgamation of white and shadow. Bexley draws to a stop. Interest raises her brow. Her blue gaze is fervid - it glows with intent.

For a moment, her heart ceases its bleeding, if only in preparation for the real bleeding to follow.

Fuck the world, huh? Bex drawls, something like laughter tinging her already-indelicate tone. Me too, buddy.




@aion <3  





Summary: Bex (in a bad mood as per usual) wanders off from her field trip w/ the regime, sees Aion also being grumpy on the step, teases him just for the #drama

Attack Used: 0
Attack(s) Left: 2
Block Used: 0
Block(s) Left: 1
Item(s) Used: n/a

Response Deadline: 6/17/18
Tags: @aion, @kay, @Sid, @inkbone, @Lauren, @Sparrow










Played by [PM] Posts: N/A — Threads:
Aion
Guest
#2


A   I   O   N




He’s been to the Steppe often enough since his arrival to Novus, and it’s the same every time: barren, beaten, bruised with spilled blood. Just like him.

Gopher holes mark the ground where he steps, caution shortening his stride until he’s picking his way carefully around every depression and irregularity. Its methodical and calculated; it would seem the feathered stallion is better suited to a profession marked carefully by rules and regulations rather than a plain as ruthless and lawless as the one he wanders to. But time and time again, Bellum is where Aion finds his refuge. Bellum is where he seeks asylum. His daily life is a handbook of strict control for every movement, every thought, every inch of wiggle room—sometimes, he needs to let off some steam by throwing caution to the wind.

The battlefield is particularly empty today—Aion isn’t sure if it’s due the weather or the events happening in the mountains, but nor does he care. The rain never bothered him anymore, and being an exiled king left a bitter taste towards politics in his mouth. He lets the water fall freely onto his alabaster hide, trickles of water beginning to collect and run down his flanks the longer he stands. His eyes close, relishing the feeling.

Until her voice calls out to him, drawling and laughing.

She’s golden and radiant, a small spot of sunshine through the mist. A smile curls at the corners of Aion’s lips, a shot of adrenaline setting fire to his veins. The first of many to come.

His breath is visible in the air when he speaks, frigid and foggy. “Fuck the world indeed,” he agreed, beginning a few slot steps towards her. His movement is still calculated, seeming to test the ground before he trusts it with his weight. "I suppose I don't need to tell you how this place works..." The way she walks, the way she talks: stride so confident and collected, words so coarse and indecent, betraying her innocence. The gold-painted mare is no stranger to conflict.

As he walks, the temperature of the air begins to lower considerably. Frost cracks beneath his hooves, ice creeping upon the blades of dead and dried grasses. He hopes she can feel the chill of winter breathing upon her skin.

Once his energy begins to waver, he lunges.

His care is gone in an instant, all pretense of finding the perfect footing gone as he rushes her. Teeth glow white against his dark muzzle; they reach through the rain, ready to tear flesh from bone. But he doesn’t give them the chance.

Aion skips in his step, switching from one lead to the other and veering his course ever so slightly. He leans into the stride, carrying himself to the left. His shoulder braces, the muscles taught and ready.

Ready to throw her off her own feet and watch Bexley Briar fly—if only for a minute.

The ground is slick, the dust having been wetted down to mud by the dewy rain, but it mercifully holds beneath him. The tentative purchase it gives Aion is only temporary he knows, but he’d be stupid to not take advantage of it.




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rhiann art






Summary: Aion lowers the temperature of the already-chilly air by several degrees, hoping to unnerve the girl of sunshine—then charges without warning. He pretends to rush her head on with his teeth bared, but shifts his stride to slide past her right side, hoping for a  shoulder-check instead.

Attack Used: 1
Attack(s) Left: 1
Block Used: 0
Block(s) Left: 1
Item(s) Used: n/a

Response Deadline: June 20th
Tags: @Bexley, @kay, @Sid, @inkbone, @Lauren, @Sparrow










Played by Offline REDANDBLACK [PM] Posts: 302 — Threads: 37
Signos: 135
Inactive Character
#3

bex


MADE A GRAVEYARD FROM THE BONE-WHITE AFTERNOON.


Something unexpectedly holy might live in the way they look at each other: respectful, sated, wretched in anticipation. Bex’s blue eyes flicker in the feeble light. She rolls her narrow shoulders, shifts her weight across her feet. Blood thrums its preparatory drumbeat in her temples.

The whisper of the rain seems almost pious. Bexley lets herself feel religious for a brief, startlingly easy moment, and that unexpected rush of zeal is followed by an even more bizarre feeling of companionship when she locks eyes with the man across the Steppe. Bex has already decided he is not a stranger, because she recognizes him metaphysically. The anger, the bitterness, the omnipresent want of savagery. They are two sides of a very, very damaged coin.

Wriggling slightly in place, like a cat about to pounce, Bex ducks her head and flashes Aion a rapacious smile. Excitement flitters through her live-wire nerves as he speaks. You’re right about that, she shoots back, shaking a wave of hair away from her face, and the only thing that belies her confidence is the muted expression of surprise that overtakes her as she glances down, watching a sudden wave of frost crack the wet mud at her feet. Fully present now, she realizes for the first time just how much the temperature has dropped. Tiny shards of glittering ice collect on her eyelashes; a deep-seated shiver rips its way down her spine. Just my luck, mumbles Bexley, the humor in her voice almost defeatist, and then she raises her head again and watches, waiting.

She is not waiting long.

He rushes her, an black-and-white blur of unexpected, smash-mouth movement, and as the distance between them closes, Bexley realizes (what bad timing that is) how much taller than her he is. Then she realizes how much taller he seems to be growing as he comes nearer and nearer, closing whole strides in half-seconds. No time to think about any real kind of dodge - should have done it earlier. The only thing that saves her from taking the full brunt of the attack is that, in the meticulous watching of his movements, she catches that quick gait-change. Ah, smart boy.

As much effort as it takes, in the moment before they collide, she at least manages to unstick her front hooves from the mud and lean to the left in preparation. She knows it’s a weak move, one Acton might laugh at if he were watching (and Bex can almost hear his voice in her head, laughing I knew you weren’t made for fair fights) - but at least when the two  collide, Bex is stubborn prepared and does not stumble completely off her feet. As it is, Aion’s ivory shoulder slams and scrapes against her ribs, but she keeps her balance with only a grunt of effort signifying the dull pain that blooms, pulsing, inconsistent, across her right side.

Before he can pass her completely, Bexley bares her teeth and lashes out, hoping to sink a bite into his still-close hip or, if her aim betrays her, the deepest part of his flank. Heat fills her bloodstream.

Unsure if it’s a prayer or premonition, she smells copper, hoarfrost, sweat.








Summary: Bex leans away from his charge and manages not to lose her footing in the attack, but is still battered and unbalanced by Aion's shoulder as he rushes her. As he passes her, she whips around and tries to land a bite along his hip/flank.

Attack Used: 1
Attack(s) Left: 1
Block Used: 0
Block(s) Left: 1
Item(s) Used: N/A

Response Deadline: 6/21/18
Tags: @aion, @kay, @Sid, @inkbone, @Lauren, @Sparrow










Played by [PM] Posts: N/A — Threads:
Aion
Guest
#4


A   I   O   N




As the rain continues to fall in a lazy staccato, the two collide in a flash of silver and gold.

Aion throws his shoulder into her’s, head down and teeth bared. He can feel his hind legs begin to slide, his hooves losing their purchase in the mud nearly as quickly as they had found it. But his attack last for only a split second, the time it takes between strides, between hoofbeats, before he was moving away once more. Mud goes flying, moisture hardening into ice on his cold skin as sweat mingles with rainwater and the bodies disengage. 

He relishes the sound of her groan, satisfaction blooming in his mind at the way her shoulder gave way and stumbled beneath him. It was not quite the effect he had desired, no—he would have much preferred to send her tumbling through the mud—but he would take it as a hit nevertheless. Arrogance had always been and would always be a mask he wore well.

Perhaps this is why he fails to spare her a backwards glance, to double check that he would get away clean. For as fast as he was, he had underestimated Bexley’s own speed.

Her teeth rake along his hip, scrapping away fur and skin as they go. The frown he wears deepens into a snarl, a silent cry of pain and anger alive on his face as if to indignantly proclaim how dare she touch him. He sinks his hips instinctively, dropping his hindquarters low to the ground in a sliding stop so that he might pivot back around to meet her face to face. His teeth are ready and able, shining bright against the backdrop of grey and misty rain.

It’s only then that he sees her scar, extending from an icy blue eye to pale lips—and marring the whole cheek in between.

He changes course mid-air, avoiding her head and surrounding features completely. Wherever he hits instead, be it crest or withers, he hopes to return the favor she paid him. His breath is frosty, and he hopes she hates him when she feels it.

All the while the rain continues its sweet, sweet lullaby, a song sung gently to the raging bodies.






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rhiann art






Summary: Because Aion is stupid and too pleased with himself for what he thinks was a clever trick, he misses Bexley’s incoming attack completely and takes the full hit on his hip. Automatically enraged, he drops his haunches and spins around to try and land a return bite somewhere on her neck.

Attack Used: 2
Attack(s) Left: 0
Block Used: 0
Block(s) Left: 1
Item(s) Used: n/a

Response Deadline: June 24th
Tags: @Bexley, @kay, @Sid, @inkbone, @Lauren, @Sparrow


here i am barely meeting the deadline, aion deserves to be bit for not cooperating with me









Played by Offline REDANDBLACK [PM] Posts: 302 — Threads: 37
Signos: 135
Inactive Character
#5

bex


MADE A GRAVEYARD FROM THE BONE-WHITE AFTERNOON.

The taste of iron fills Bexley’s mouth when her teeth finally find purchase on Aion’s skin, and she’s not sure whether the smell of blood-salt flooding her senses is disgusting or satisfying.

Either way, she spits his blood onto the ground as soon as she’s able: as much as she’s lusted for the adrenaline of this moment, actually experiencing it is a different story entirely, and something about this first taste of violence in weeks is unsettling. Red spatters the slick mud at their feet. Storm clouds brew threateningly overhead. Rain mists their skin in silver droplets, and the sound of it falling from overhead should be a comfort, a lullaby Bexley knows all too well from childhood, but whatever repose it might have brought is drowned out by the fantastically loud beating of her heart, the thunder of her blood thrumming through her veins.

The scar on her face almost seems to throb with anticipation - maybe it’s just her too-loud pulse. Aion is out of sight now, lost in the storm. He’s a monochrome bullet flying past her and into the whirling silver rain. Something like fear flickers through her as she realizes the disadvantage she’ll be at if she loses sight of him; even the most inexperienced warrior knows not to turn their back on an enemy, and she cannot afford to make such a novice mistake. Find him. Find him before he finds you. Bexley’s hooves scrape through the wet earth as she struggles frantically for better footing.

Over the pounding in her head, some innate premonition of danger (or maybe it’s simply well-placed suspicion) rises in her chest. Bexley’s gaze snaps upward to find Aion through the misty rain. That premonition was right: she sees him coming back to face her head-on, steaming with rage and about to pounce, and springs into action as quickly as she can. Tensing her muscles with steely focus and planting her back hooves deep into the dirt, Bexley leans back in place until the very last moment it’s feasible - the moment Aion is so close she can see faint sunlight glinting off his bone-white snarl - then launches upward into a high rear.

They collide the next second. Thank Solis her timing is accurate; his teeth still graze her, scraping a loose line over her chest, but doesn’t sink nearly as deep as it might have on her neck or shoulder. Blood wells and drips down her foreleg, but the subtle, prickling pain that hounds her now is nothing compared to what might have happened, and for that Bexley is indubitably grateful.

There’s only a moment for her to decide what to do as she stands, front legs wheeling, high in the air. But a moment is enough.

As the rain pours down around them, as her foothold in the mud starts to slip - as blood begins crystallizing on her shoulder, and she realizes, infuriated, that what should be hot pain has been replaced with deep-running frostbite - Bexley drives her front legs down, down, down, aiming on either side of Aion’s neck to land one sharp-curved hoof on each shoulder. Whether it bruises or cuts, whether both blows land or neither, all she can hope for is an assault that finds some kind of purchase on Aion’s too-white, too-unblemished form.

Something in her is jealous of how few scars he carries. But, Gods willing, she’ll never have to admit it.








Summary: As Aion lashes out to bite her, Bexley rears so that it only grazes her chest, then uses the rear as her last attack by coming down in an attempt to drive her hooves against Aion's shoulders.

Attack Used: 2
Attack(s) Left: 0
Block Used: 1
Block(s) Left: 0
Item(s) Used: N/A

Response Deadline: 6/25/18
Tags: @aion, @kay, @Sid, @inkbone, @Lauren, @Sparrow










Played by [PM] Posts: N/A — Threads:
Aion
Guest
#6


A   I   O   N




His heart is pounding, beating in time with the droplets of rainwater bouncing upon his back. He can feel the liquid turn solid as it comes into contact with his skin, from water to hail, frozen at his chilling touch.

It takes only a skip and a hop before he’s back upon her, a brilliant ray of sunlight amidst the rainy Steppe. Her frame grows larger and brighter in an instant, taking shape and solidifying before his eyes.

Aion lets out his breath in a long whoosh, icy fog curling from his muzzle in wisps. His legs tense, bracing himself for impact—

—And Bexley Briar rears.

He collides into her with a growl, sliding on his hind end to a stop until he is practically beneath the sunshine mare. His teeth scrape across her chest and fill his mouth with golden hair, coating his tongue so that he fears he might choke or gag. He wants to spit, but there isn’t time. He can’t think, he can’t breathe. Aion is trapped and he knows it, his hooves struggling to gain enough purchase to pull him away.

What goes up must also come down.

He struggles and flails, feeling himself sink deeper into the mud, deeper beneath her oncoming hooves. Panic runs a cold finger down his spine, colder than the rain upon his body, colder than the frostbitten breaths he takes.

Without stopping to think, he throws his body to the side. He can feel her hooves scrape briefly along one shoulder, sliding down his ribcage to his belly in an uneven line, but the contact is light. Aion is already deep in the mud, his pristine coat tarnished and soiled as he flips his body from left to right. Her hooves land somewhere behind him, a thud that serves only to slosh more muck.


He pulls himself from the ground, collecting his legs beneath him and cantering a fair distance away. Only when he’s sure he’s safe does he stop and turn, spitting the golden hairs and mud from his mouth.

A smile splits his face, brilliant now against the dirt that covers him head to toe. “At least I won’t be dirty for long,” he laughs, tossing his head at the rainclouds. “I always knew rain was good for something.”




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rhiann art






Summary: Aion’s teeth scrape across Bexley’s chest as he slides to a stop into her, and he realizes too late that he’s trapped beneath her rear. Panic sets in and he struggles to get free, but instead of pulling away he dives underneath her and rolls to the side like he thinks he’s a cartoon Spirit. He’s a mess don’t question it ok c’x

Attack Used: 2
Attack(s) Left: 0
Block Used: 1
Block(s) Left: 0
Item(s) Used: n/a

Response Deadline: June 24th
Tags: @Bexley, @kay, @Sid, @inkbone, @Lauren, @Sparrow


as a note, @redandblack was super kind enough to give me a day extension on this, tysm love <3









Played by Offline inkbone [PM] Posts: 73 — Threads: 1
Signos: 25,195
Owner Administrator
#7

BEXLEY vs AION


@Bexley - Total: 64/100
OFFENSIVE: Creativity 22/30, Realism: 15/25
DEFENSIVE: Creativity 9/15, Realism 8/15
WRITING: Creativity 4/5, Realism 3/5, Mechanics 3/5
BEGINNING STATS: 21 Health, 19 Attack, 27 Experience

Creativity: originality, imagination, and attention to detail.
Realism: mechanics and whether you accurately reflect your health and attack
Overall writing: creativity, realism, and writing mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation, run-on sentences, etc.) 

  • FIRST POST (intro)
    • I really like how you worked the Summit retreat into the intro of this thread, which was very fitting with the Steppe's location to Veneror! It also lends well, as Bex had a lot of anger from that thread and those interactions.
  • SECOND POST
    • Defensive: I enjoyed seeing you write in Aion's magic so seriously, with her nearly getting trapped in the freezing mud. However, Aion did go to Bexley's right and she leaned to her left. That means when he actually shoulder-checked her, she'd be more likely to fall in lieu of the opposite - leaning right and into his check would have been a more viable option.
    • Offensive: The bite took good advantage of a weakspot that Aion opened up!
    • Mechanics: The only issue with mechanics and realism here was which way she leaned - otherwise, very well played out!
  • THIRD POST
    • Defensive: While not a "full on" block, it was an interesting way to divert the site of Aion's attack to a different location. I was a little conflicted on whether rearing would be a wise move, given the circumstances.. with Aion rushing at her, teeth bared, rearing would open up a potential weak spot. Should Aion charge forward in lieu of stopping (like he did), there's a sold chance he would have knocked Bexley right off her feet. While that didn't happen (since Aion skidded to a stop in an attempt to get out from under her), still a risky move!
    • Offensive: I do like how your defensive and offensive played very well off of each other. While I was still hesitant about the rearing being a wise maneauver or not, it did give Bexley a good advantage in the placement of her hooves in relation to Aion. Attacks on neck/spine are a good power move and have a great potential for damage, so I approve!
    • Mechanics: Other than the slight issue with the riskiness of rearing, I thought this post played out well.






@Aion - Total: 78/100
OFFENSIVE: Creativity 25/30, Realism: 23/25
DEFENSIVE: Creativity 10/15, Realism 11/15
WRITING: Creativity 3/5, Realism 3/5, Mechanics 3/5
BEGINNING STATS: 10 Health, 10 Attack, 16 Experience

Creativity: originality, imagination, and attention to detail.
Realism: mechanics and whether you accurately reflect your health and attack
Overall writing: creativity, realism, and writing mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation, run-on sentences, etc.) 

  • FIRST POST
    • Offensive: I thought it was an interesting and good move, Aion switching leads to shoulder check instead of barrel into her. Granted... barreling into her wouldn't have been a bad choice, either. The subtle use of his magic - and despite being subtle, starting to freeze the mud was quite effective!
    • Mechanics: I thought that you described the lead change and his magic quite well! I had no questions at all when reading, and everything was explained well.
  • SECOND POST
    • Defensive: While Aion did not at all block Bexley's hip-bite, I really did love the mention of how he dropped his haunches to pull away from her bite after it landed! That was a very nice little added detail.
    • Offensive: Channel that rage, girlfrand. Although for real, I really enjoyed reading how Aion fed off of the anger at Bexley daring to touch him biting his bum. I didn't expect him to see her scar and turn away from biting at her head (Aion doesn't exactly come off as caring, but hey, featherbutt does seem to value his own looks... so..).
    • Mechanics: This was one of my favorite posts from you and Aion! It shows a lot of duality and impulsiveness in his nature, and it was a very nice read from start to finish.
  • THIRD POST
    • Defensive: Oh, if only Aion had one more attack left! I think it would have been a very good option to slam into Bexley when she reared up (would probably knock her over fairly easily), but alas... no more attacks. In all seriousness, I thought his sudden panic and scramble to get away was a very nice touch. His last second lunge to the side prevented a potentially serious injury.
    • Mechanics: I really imagined him having one of those dramatic sliding stops... actually it was probably more like this, but semantics!
    • Notes: Overall, I was wondering how you were going to end the thread with Aion being so rage-filled in the prior post... it can be pretty hard to "bring a character down" from such intense adrenaline, but the sudden panic of Bexley potentially coming down on his spine was that sharp "slap back to reality" and "sobering up" moment. Nice touch!





CLOSING REMARKS: Very well fought battle between both opponents!








       
the novus crew

       
the someday crew





Played by Offline inkbone [PM] Posts: 73 — Threads: 1
Signos: 25,195
Owner Administrator
#8

DICE ROLL

Battles will temporarily only take 1 staff member to judge until all of staff have time again, so onto the dice roll! <3


@Bexley:
64 (battle total) + 40 (HTH + ATK) = 104
104 * 1.27 (27 EXP) = 133 (rounded up)

@Aion: 
78 (battle total) + 20 (HTH + ATK) = 98
98 * 1.16 (16 EXP) = 113 (rounded down)

133 + 113 = 246

0-132 = BEXLEY, 133-246 = AION

#1: 52 (BEXLEY)
#2: 96 (BEXLEY)
#3: 214 (AION)
#4: 224 (AION)
#5: 155 (AION)

Proof of dice roll can be found in the Discord channel #contests, at 3:27AM EST August 5th, 2018.
@Aion wins.



All damage taken in the thread is still applicable and cannot be retconned!



Participate in a Battle or Challenge: +1 EXP to Bexley, +1 EXP to Aion
Win a Battle: +1 additional EXP to Aion
Total: +2 EXP to Aion, +1 EXP to Bexley

Both characters official experience has been updated to reflect these changes, so there's no need to post in the Experience Updates thread!
This thread is now locked and been archived.








       
the novus crew

       
the someday crew





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