The Onyx Wolf vs The Ebony Panther

[Rafael]

Thread Title: The Onyx Wolf vs The Ebony Panther
Participants: Skoll vs Rafael
World: Soul Society
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: R
Location: A mountain region covered in grass and trees that form into a giant forest with uprising rock cliffs and downward slopes. The trees in the area are predominately pine trees approximately fifty feet in height.
Special Conditions: N/A
Circumstances: Rafael is scouting out the new area that he had his pack have settled down in when he comes across another Beast that seems to have temperament issues.

[Rafael]

Stepping upon the soft green grass beneath his feet was so familiar now that Rafael hardly took the time to actually appreciate how pleasant the sensation he got from it actually was. When he had awoken in his new body and his new arguably better life had began he recalled how at first it was one of the very first things that he had noticed and brought a smile it his massive face. In the days that had followed it had been such a simple yet pleasant reminder that this new life was going to be better than his last and there had been no doubt in his heart that what he believed was the truth.

Now though he wasn't quite as positive that he had been right about that. While there wasn't any question in his heart that this new life was filled with things that he never got to experience while he had been human. He wasn't entirely sure that all of them were for the better. Sure there was no doubt that meeting Zadora and Lolth were good things that brought a smile to his face even after everything else he had gone through, but it was simply everything else that had come along with his new life.

The constant threat of Shinigami finding them and trying to force them to leave where he believed to be free space. He had faced off against more than a few of them and while he had always managed to survive and sometimes even prevail victorious over them in combat he knew in his soul that stopping them completely wasn't a possibility, not for him and not by himself. They possessed strange abilities that he couldn't grasp. He had seen one conjure lightning from her finger tips and use against him. He had felt the electricity rip through his flesh. How she had managed something so unnatural was beyond his understanding.

Although recently even that his own understanding was being tested. Not by the actions of the Shinigami or even the strange creatures with the white faces. No this time for the first time it was his own power that was bringing about confusion. He had fought against another of the massive insect Beasts and because of it Lolth had joined with Zadora and him. During that battle though he had been injured and somehow his power had activated. That had been the first time anything such as that had happened. At least to his knowledge it had been.

Since then he had faced off against one of the white faced creatures in a swamp a few miles away from his current location. It was one of the few foes that he had fought that was actually bigger in size then himself if only by a little. It had managed to push him towards his limitations and his power had once again manifested aiding him and keeping him alive. He knew now what it was, but how he kept activating it and how it was even possible he didn't know. All he knew was that his body was able to heal faster than he would have thought possible.

As he thought over everything that had been happening the last few days since he and the others had decided to make this their new home he took a turn around the edge of a high rising stone protruding from the surface of a hill going further up the mountain. The stone cliff was roughly twenty feet high and was a grey color worn down by the weather. As he turned though he stopped as he saw darkness in all of the green. Perhaps twenty meters away standing directly in front of him was another Beast just as dark in color as himself, but who he was and why he was here Rafael didn't know.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}
Strength: 200 (300)
Speed: 200
Spiritual Pressure: 170
Reiatsu Strength: 50 (25)
Light Aura: 75
Dark Aura: 25
Instincts: 100 (150)
Senses: 100 (50)
Energy Sensory: 0
Healing Expertise: 0

Muay Boran: 2
Acrobatics: 2
Battle Focus: 2
Pain Tolerance: 2
Strength of Will: 2
Battle Analysis: 2

[Skoll Koryu]

“Why the fuck do I always have to do all the work lately...” Skoll’s usual off-color grumbling came as he vented his frustration at having to do… well, anything for the Volsung pack. Yet despite the obligation of serving the people who kept him around when they could have banished or killed him, his tone was surprisingly mellow for once. Though he complained in fact, the spirit behind the protests was much more relaxed, more at ease than it normally would have been. If anything, the words were more rote, simply going through the motion of complaint when there was little true frustration to be had.

As much as Skoll hated being sent out on tasks, as they often proved how different he was from his fellow Beast-Clansmen, scouting was one of the few missions he could tolerate. Being sent out to explore an area on his own, to do as he wanted as long as he brought back information on the place he was sent to? Yeah, he could live with that. A few nights alone were usually pretty relaxing, and Skoll enjoyed the quiet. It gave him time to flip through a few of the books that Konoe had given him; though they weren’t particularly thick, the paperbacks were certainly quite interesting. The not-so-subtle Omnitsukido trainee had called them “light novels,” which was probably because of their size, but Skoll found them intriguing enough… especially ones of a certain nature.

But that was later. For now, the books would have to remain tucked away in the bag Skoll carried on his back while he focused on his mission. He had been sent to this area, a rather mountainous area bordering a large forest, to investigate the new Beast-Clansmen that had shown up there. Though the Volsung pack had plenty of territory and didn’t intend to expand that area, it helped to know one’s neighbors, to understand who was violent and vicious and who was not. Being bordered by violent tribes would lead to constant conflict, after all, and while Skoll relished the thought of unhindered combat, such warfare would have a detrimental effect on the pack in the long run.

So here he was. Skoll looked around, his ears twitching as he kept an eye out for the Beast-Clansmen that had moved in. So far, reports had only listed a small number, maybe two or three individuals, but that had also been a while back; things could have changed since then. If the numbers were great enough now, Skoll could easily be walking into a territory clash that had an entire pack on him for intrusion. He certainly hadn’t been chosen for his diplomatic skills, after all. The half-demon was almost certain he had been sent because he was expendable in the event that violence occurred, and that thought bothered him, but surprisingly less than normal. At this point, Skoll simply expected it. Who wanted a monster around, anyway?

The sound of claws scraping against stone a short distance away pulled the Nakabakki out of his musing, and his eyes darted towards the source, catching sight of a figure perched near a rock. Instinctively, Skoll prepared himself for combat, letting his Reiatsu shift subtly to be ready for the release of Kido should a threat present itself. Once Lore of the Spirit had started the change, he let himself analyze the creature before him. An anthropomorphic panther stood, watching him with the same wary look, no doubt studying him much in the same way that Skoll was eying his fellow Beast-Clansman.

Hm… damn, he’s a good-lookin’ fucker, too...

Skoll had never made a major effort to conceal his inclinations towards other males, though at the same time, it wasn’t anyone else’s business what he did or did not like. He couldn’t help but admit that the rugged, feral look that the feline had was quite intriguing, from his well-muscled body to modesty being only barely met with a rough-looking loincloth. Skoll just hoped there was a mind behind the good looks; nothing killed a mood like a hot bod with no brain between the ears. That was part of the reason that the Nakabakki had never considered a relationship among others from his pack, after all: most Beast-Clansmen weren’t terribly intelligent until later in their adult lives, and those that were tended to have already formed a bond prior, ruining any chances. Skoll had been disadvantaged, coming into his intellect early; now everything seemed like half a loaf instead of satisfying.

Well, who knew? Maybe there were other Beast-Clansmen who developed their minds a bit sooner than the rest. Certainly, Skoll would keep an eye on the other; the possibility was always there. Were this another situation, the half-demon wolf might have considered making an advance or two just to see—no doubt rejected, but worth the effort—but as it was, he had a mission to do. Flirtation with the target was not an unreasonable gauge of friendliness, of course, but nothing drew out potential aggression like a good ol’ smattering of insulting one’s mother/pack/friends/all of the above.

So, with a surprisingly cordial greeting from a normally foul-mouthed individual, Skoll called out tos get his opposite’s attention. “Hey, ya feline fucker! You guys are movin’ a little close to our territory, so I just have one question: you guys gonna behave and stay out of our hair, or do I have to kick your ass six ways to next Sunday? I certainly have no qualms about beatin’ the shit outta ya, and a new fur coat sounds nice, but if you’re good, maybe we can get warm another way, hm?”

Remaining Reiatsu: 1600/1800 (-200 for Lore of the Spirit)

Lore of the Spirit: 1/5

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lore of the Spirit}Technique Name: Lore of the Spirit

Class: 8-1

Technique Type: Other

Usable By: Skoll only; cannot be taught.

Technique Element: Other

Technique Description and Effects:
Once a technique has been learned through the effects of Unbridled Learning, it is added to Skoll's technique list. However, at this point the techniques are considered unusable; knowing them and their composition does not mean that Skoll possesses the right nature to his Reiatsu to be able to use them. This is where Lore of the Spirit comes in; when activated, this technique acts as a sort of passive stance, allowing Skoll to make use of any spiritual-based abilities that he has learned as a result of Unbridled Learning. This technique allows his spirit to become more fluid, changing its composition and nature to be able to adapt to the flow of spiritual energy required to mimic these techniques. As long as this technique is active, Skoll is able to make use of the spiritual techniques that he has learned. To activate this ability, it costs 200 Reiatsu as a one-time cost despite the ongoing effect.

How to use technique:
Draw Reiatsu into the body to alter the state and composition of one's spiritual energy.

Technique Drawbacks:
Of course, even when access is granted to a technique, it still isn't as easy to use as one that comes naturally. Any techniques cast through Lore of the Spirit cost 20% more Reiatsu than normal (i.e. a 100 Reiatsu cost becomes 120), meaning that in the long run, this will deplete Skoll's Reiatsu that much faster, and also put him at a higher risk of instability as his Reiatsu gets lower. Additionally, all techniques cast with Lore of the Spirit are treated as though they are one Class higher in terms of the Technique Master drawback, causing more pain for the user.

Finally, there is one more restriction. When Lore of the Spirit is used, both Lore of the Body and Lore of the Heart are unavailable for use for two posts after the post in which Lore of the Spirit is activated. This prevents Skoll from rapidly changing between technique categories without a cooldown between each. And last, Lore of the Spirit lasts for a maximum of five posts before it must be re-used.

Made By: Skoll Koryu

Reserved: Yes

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skoll’s Stats and Skills}Strength - [50] (50) Points

Speed - [150] (150) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [90 x 2] (180) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [150 x 2] (300) Points

Light Aura - [35] Points

Dark Aura - [65] Points

Instinct - [75] Points

Senses - [50] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [615] points

• [Special – Mimicry*] 2
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] 2
  
  
• [Strength of Will] 2
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] 2
  
  
• [Learning] 2
  
  
• [Memory] 2
  
  
• [Mental Incantation] 1
  
  
• [Weapons: Knives] 2

*The Mimicry skill does not act to serve as a perfect basis to copy anything the user sees, but instead just serves as a prerequisite for the Unbridled Learning technique, with points in this Skill making it possible to learn stronger and more complex techniques (See Unbridled Learning for more information).

[Rafael]

Standing calmly Rafael the massive ebony panther watching what he now could tell was a onyx wolf that was smaller than him, but bigger than both of his friends. It struck him as odd for a brief moment that upon sight this other Beast didn't simply start to move towards him or away from him. In his experience most other Beasts wanted to be left alone or wished to display their own strength. This one right now was studying him in the same way that Rafael was studying him. This was both good and bad. It meant simply one thing. He wasn't arrogant enough to jump into conflict which meant he was cautious enough of other's strength and he was smart enough to be.

Although he had fought against multiple different Beasts most of them always seemed to specialize in one of their physical capabilities. He'd assumed that because he was bigger and more experienced in combat than Zadora that he'd be faster than her when he had first met her. He had been shown just how wrong that assumption had been when she displayed speed that he didn't even think was possible. Then there was Lolth. She could hear things that Rafael couldn't even if he was twenty feet closer than her to the origin of the sound. The large boar that taught him briefly just so that he'd get away from him possessed astronomical strength. Then there was the lizard that was both fast and strong and the giant insects that seemed to be the most powerful Beasts.

All of these different Beasts had taught Rafael something very simple that he never planned to turn his back on as a lesson. Never underestimate a potential foe and always expect the worst. This wolf had muscle Rafael could see it beneath his fur, but it wasn't pronounced like his own it was more like Zadora's muscles which meant that while he was physically capable he more than likely wasn't a massive threat with that alone. He couldn't tell whether or not he was going to be fast like Zadora which was what he felt was the most likely at this point if this wolf really was powerful or even an enemy. He'd have to be careful.

Rafael was about to speak when the wolf beat him to it and began to blatantly insult not only him, but his friends as well. Claiming that where they were right now and the home that they had struggled to find in this wilderness so that they could sleep safely from the growing threats of this world was close to another pack. Rafael had formed a small pack with Zadora and Lolth out of friendship, mutual interest and safety. What he was hearing right now was that they were being treated like potential threats by this other pack and this wolf right here had been sent to send a message. They either stay out of this other pack's way or be put down. Rafael knew he wasn't the strongest beast nor would he likely ever be despite wanting the strength to protect his friends.

Allowing his friends and himself to be pushed around by others wasn't something that he could allow so easily though. It was this very same reason that Rafael had grown to resent the Shinigami that he had come across so frequently on his journey throughout the wilderness. They believed they could control him, tell him where to be and where not to be and use force if they could to either make him move and do as they wish or simply eliminate him. This pack and this wolf were doing the exact same thing. Rafael didn't like the idea of fighting against his own kind, but taking a stand was something he felt was necessary against those who seek to do wrong.

"We're close to your territory are we? Well you're on my territory, so here's my question: you going to change your tone and speak with a little more respect for your fellow Clansmen? Cause believe me you're more than welcome to come and get your ass kicked. I'd rather not give the Shinigami that satisfaction though. So make up your mind, either learn some manners, go back where you came from or if that brain is as under developed as your language than you can come and receive some pain. The choices are all up to you Clansmen." Although he presented himself as clam and confident Rafael was already in thought thinking over how having another potential enemy right near them could be so bad for him and his friends. He'd have to just hope that this wolf and his pack could become friends and not enemies.

[Skoll Koryu]

Several things stood out to Skoll from the moment that the panther’s reply came; the first was that the fellow was remarkably intelligent for a Beast-Clansman, using proper grammar and everything. Most spoke in broken sentences that served only to fan Skoll’s irritation when he had to deal with them, so this was a pleasant change. Of course, the feline’s negative response was just as pleasing, but in a different way; Skoll was itching to stretch his muscles, so to speak, and a little spar sounded like fun. His opponent’s poor attempt at a comeback only made a grin stretch across the half-demon’s muzzle, amusing him all the more.

His first response was therefore a simple one: he burst out laughing. “Ahahaha! Oh god, this bastard has some balls! Thinking you can take me on; I fucking love it! Thing is, whiskers, is that this isn’t your call; you fuck with us, and we bring the curtains down on your little harem—oh, sorry, I meant pack. I suppose no matter how inbred you assholes are, you deserve that much.” Skoll’s grin grew more wicked as he casually cracked his knuckles, his tail swishing back and forth in anticipation and causing the chains wrapped around it to rattle.

The Nakabakki shifted his stance slightly, widening it as his hands were held up before him, fingers relaxed and half-curled rather than balled into fists. Truth be told, he was no physical combatant, but the panther wouldn’t know this; Skoll intended to make use of that expectation. After all, he was an exception to the average Beast-Clansman, one who fought with his spirit instead of his fists. The moment that the feline before him moved into range for physical combat was the moment that Skoll would surprise him. Perhaps a Horin to bind his limbs, or a Bala at point-blank to blast him. Non-fatally, of course; as much as he was raring to beat this cat’s face in, the half-demon knew that doing so would probably not earn him any points back at home, and he didn’t have much in the way of reputation as it was.

No, anything he did would have to be non-fatal, though no one said it couldn’t be punishing. But that was okay; holding back or not, Skoll was eager. He would even be a little careful; after all, he didn’t want to harm such a pretty face, not to mention those chiseled abs… woah, okay, time to focus. The Nakabakki fought the urge to shake his head to clear away the thoughts that were filling his mind. No matter how good-looking his opponent was, he was still an enemy, at least for the time being. There would be time for pleasantries of both the social and private type later on.

“So, whatcha say, kitty? You gonna keep flapping your goddamn mouth and put me to sleep, or you gonna fight? Either way, let’s see how much you yammer once your teeth are all over the fucking ground!” Skoll couldn’t resist one last taunt at the panther, showing off his sharp teeth again in a menacing grin. “But hey, if you back down now and admit you’re a good little Omega, then maybe I’ll show you a good time instead of shoving your head into the dirt. What d’ya say, pussycat?”[/color]

Lore of the Spirit: 2/5

[Rafael]

Standing down the fairly large onyx colored wolf that was apparently here on behalf of another pack that was off in the distance the large panther was starting to feel his temper rising within himself. He didn't really have the best experience when dealing with other Beasts, but at the same time it was better than whenever he came across a Shinigami. So right now this wolf was actually causing Rafael to question whether or not he should believe all Beasts could be easily trusted. It seemed that just like Shinigami and humans, Beasts could possess a cold heart and simply look out for themselves.

Once Rafael gave the wolf the option of leaving peacefully he was met with a response of laughter from the wolf who then continued onwards with his foul mouth insulting not only Rafael, but Zadora and Lolth as well. This was the tipping point. Rafael had been restraining himself for the simple reason that this was a Beast and he'd rather not fight a clansmen. However, he didn't like bullying and that's all this wolf was doing right now. He could handle being bullied he'd been bullied throughout his entire existence, but someone insulting his friends. That was crossing the line and now this wolf was going to feel the consequences.

Rafael's grey pupiless eyes would intensify starring down the wolf as his tail moved from side to side and Rafael took note of the chain that was wrapped around it. Rafael watched the wolf get into a fighting stance. It was actually surprising although Rafael didn't allow his surprise to show on his face. While he hadn't actually fought against or had the pleasure of fighting alongside that many other Beasts one thing had always remained a constant. He was an oddity among Beasts because he took a fighting stance and fought with martial arts instead of natural instinct. It seemed this wolf was similar to him . . . at least in this regard.

Everything else that this wolf had done had been rude and insulting towards him in some way or another. Even now as he got into his stance he began to speak once again insulting Rafael yet again. The way that he spoke to him was almost exactly the same way that the buddies of his previous life treated him. He had been treated like this and worse throughout the majority of his existence and it had been the cause for why he had gained strength, but also for his death. Normally Rafael was a Beast of good judgment when it came to conducting combat.

Right now though he could feel his rage boiling beneath the surface and a desire to inflict pain upon his wolf for all of his insults. One still remained above all of the others even as they continued to come though. This wolf had insulted Zadora and Lolth by suggesting that the three of them were in fact a harem. If Rafael possessed pupils they would no doubt be dilated by the rage flowing throughout his soul at the moment. His duty to protect the others and make sure everything went smoothly was being drowned out by the need to harm this wolf for his words.

Rafael took a single step forwards his massive right foot slamming down onto the grass covered ground causing it to actually cave in slightly from his brute strength and weight. His right foot from that moment forward was used as support as he flowed his reiatsu into his feet and then stepped forward with his left and would vanish. Rafael had never attempted to utilize the technique that enabled him to accelerate his speed in such an offensive manner prior to this moment so his aim wasn't the greatest which didn't help when his rage was guiding him and not his logic.

Instead of smashing directly into the wolf like anyone with a mediocre degree of skill with the technique known as Shunpo would have been able to achieve, the large panther would only managed to most likely bash into the left side of the wolf with his right shoulder and the rest of that side. Rafael was much stronger than the wolf and while his muscles were flexed as he moved passed the wolf would most likely get pushed off his feet and suffer at least a small amount of pain, but actual damage wouldn't be something to expect.

The distance between them was next to nothing now as Rafael would now be standing in the spot that the wolf had been standing in and the wolf at most would only be a few feet away. Rafael would charge the wolf as fast as possible. Growling as he approaches the wolf the panther would begin to strike once he reached four feet from the wolf. A single quick jab with his right paw directed towards the face of the wolf while his left hand was back closer to his face and his left knee began to come up. If the wolf dodged or not didn't really matter in the long run of this attack. The moment after the jab reached his face Rafael would hop forwards off his right foot with all his might enabling him to get close enough to hopefully drive his knee into the gut of this wolf. The time for words was over. Rafael was out for blood.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1650/1700
Shunpo: {50}

[Skoll Koryu]

Oh boy.

Skoll’s mouth got him into trouble more times than he could count, and it seemed that today was no exception. It wasn’t that he was unaware of the provocative nature of his words, or that he thought that people took them too seriously; rather, most times, he didn’t care. This, of course, led to various consequences that usually involved something being swung at him, whether it be a fist or a weapon of some kind. Skoll was used to such retaliation from others of his kind and those from the Rukongai; most of them fought with fists and feet, sticks and stones. In many ways, Skoll had an immense amount of battle experience that would have counted for a lot among the average person or beast.

He hadn’t, however, gone up against Shinigami and their techniques more than a couple of times. Kido and such had fascinated him from the start, especially its many forms and abilities, and the half-demon actually had a small catalog of Kido techniques that he had observed in his short time around Shinigami, updating and improving it as he had seen more. Yet this movement that the panther used, the ability to charge at almost lightning speed, was completely new; Skoll had never encountered it before from either Beast-Clansman or Shinigami. That was why his defense wasn’t much of a focused attack, and more of a general reaction that came more from shock than meticulous planning.

Hado #1: Sho was a fairly basic technique that worked by sending a burst of force towards an opponent. Often the power behind it was non-lethal, like slugging someone as opposed to tearing through them with a wrecking ball, but Skoll’s strong spirit ensured that his punch was more like a sledgehammer on hit. But that was in a normal scenario; in reaction to the panther’s sudden burst of speed, he aimed to defend himself rather than attack, and dispersed the spell. Mastery allowed him to do so, taking a blast of focused energy and spread it out, at the cost of losing a good deal of force behind it. In fact, Skoll’s surprised reaction had him simply release it in all directions outwards from himself, his arms directing it to either side of him. This had the effect of weakening the Sho dramatically and causing the wolf-demon’s spell to be more of a push than a punch.

Though contact with the spell would do absolutely no damage to Rafael, at best redirecting him slightly to the side rather than driving his momentum to a halt, it would be enough to stop the initial slam, albeit accidentally. It wouldn’t disable, stun, or even slow him; in fact, the panther’s follow-up was still valid, enabling him to use the short distance between the two of them to close in and immediately begin another barrage of attacks. A fist came at Skoll’s face, and he leaned aside, bringing his own arm up reflexively to try and knock the strike aside. Unfortunately, this was where his unnatural nature for a Beast-Clansman came in; his strength was nearly non-existent comparable to this panther. The feline’s arm wouldn’t budge an inch, and it was only because Skoll had been leaning aside when the fist had come his way that he had avoided a direct blow to his face.

Of course, his body still stung despite the lack of a hit; the discharge from the Sho still tingled through every part of his body. Though it had been spread out, Skoll still felt like he had been stung in several places, a ripple of pain that had caused him to quickly regret his panicked reaction. This was another facet of his oddness; whenever the half-demon used a technique, he hurt. Sometimes it was worse than others, and it seemed to be so in the case of more powerful techniques. Odin had suggested that though his spirit was powerful, it was also unable to be controlled, as Beast-Clansmen were not meant to possess such strong spiritual abilities. Skoll had just taken it to just be another cruel facet of his cursed life, and did with it as he did his origin: spat in its face and told it to fuck off; he wouldn’t let anything stop him from doing as he would.

And that was why, even as the panther brought his knee up, Skoll was releasing another spell. Bakudo #9: Horin would bind his wrist to the panther’s, keeping them at close range as the tendrils of energy twisted about their arms. The Nakabakki was so used to the light pain of such a low-level technique that he didn’t even flinch as a dagger of cold ache shot down his forearm, focusing instead on his own follow-up. Though forcing the combat to remain close-range seemed to be to his detriment, Skoll knew it to be his greatest advantage. He could not stop his foe’s barrage of attacks or overpower the panther’s much greater strength, but the wolf-demon knew that at close range, his own attacks were that much harder to dodge. And comparatively, his packed a mightier punch.

Just then, the world seemed to darken slightly, blurring at the edges, and Skoll found his breath catching in his throat. It took a moment, but then a searing pain echoed through his middle and then exploded outwards through his body as his opponent drove his knee up into the half-demon’s stomach. Gasping for air that wouldn’t come for a moment, Skoll struggled past the pain; it was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before, nothing he couldn’t handle. He had been beaten by his own packmates before, hit with rocks and planks brandished as weapons… it wasn’t anything new. Gods did it hurt, though! Skoll gritted his teeth, feeling his stomach twist as he forced fresh air into his straining lungs, but his strong willpower and experience with pain allowed him to push forward in an attack even as he staggered back under the force of the blow.

Immediately a blazing dagger forged itself into being in Skoll’s hand, the twisting flames white and blue as they burst into existence. Three canine-looking heads made up the hilt, with the jagged blade rising from the central maw, and the glowing flames danced around that metallic length. Tempered Sin: Cerberus was a unique ability of Skoll’s, drawing upon his monstrous nature and focusing it into a Hell-forged weapon that would bite into the victim’s very soul and spread across it, inflicting them with a deadly illusion that would multiply their sensory input, causing them to see and feel sensations from multiple and often incorrect directions. Pulling this weapon out meant that Skoll was serious; he intended to leave his opponent crawling on the ground within a few minutes.

Stabbing forward with his dagger, Skoll drove it towards the right side of the panther’s chest, where the feline’s bound arm would keep him from moving it easily away from the attack. If it hit, the blade would sink deep into the Beast-Clansman’s flesh, tearing through muscle and even biting into bone; though Skoll wasn’t exceptionally strong in physical combat, his Reiatsu-forged blade would be more than enough to carve through even the thickest of hides. And once the Cerberus illusion kicked in, Skoll would regain control of this battle.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1240/1800 (-30 for Sho, -30 for Horin, -150 for Soulfire Forge (dagger), -150 for Tempered Sin: Cerberus)

Lore of the Spirit: 3/5

SPOILER: Click to show

{Tempered Sin: Cerberus}Technique Name: Tempered Sin: Cerberus

Class: 4

Technique Type: Hell Technique

Usable By: All Hell Races – Akki, Nakabakki, Hason, and Saika

Technique Element: Spirit/Other

Technique Description and Effects:
One talent that many Hell beings have is making use of their Aspect of Hell; some do it through their Release, while others use techniques such as the Sinner's Cross to make their sin into a weapon that debilitates the foe over time. This is another facet of weaponizing the user's Aspect of Hell, and it is channeled through a conjured weapon formed with Soulfire Forge. When this technique is used, the weapon it is channeled through visibly changes to take on a form suited for the Aspect of Hell that the user possesses. This will always be a noticeable and visible change to the appearance, marking it as a different weapon.

This adds an additional effect to the weapon that is chosen upon learning this technique, which must be passed as a custom for each individual user. This effect is initially equal to a Class 4 technique's power; the Aspect of Regret could create a sense of fear and doubt in the foe upon striking successfully, while the Aspect of Rotting could begin to make flesh melt away at the location hit. However, this technique also merges with Soulfire's natural ability to spread through the spirit and corrupt it, replacing the pain and burning with the twisted effect that their Aspect of Hell grants to this weapon. As this plague spreads at the rate listed in Soulfire Forge, its effects grow in size. By the time the corrupted flame possesses the entire body, an Aspect of Regret can paralyze a foe with self-doubt and remorse, while the Aspect of Rotting could literally slough the victim's flesh away from their body. In the long term, these effects can be very powerful.

Skoll’s Tempered Sin is usually used with throwing knives but is available with other bladed weapons. The hilt of the weapon takes on the form of a canine head, its maw open, and the blade emerging from it becoming jagged and uneven, like a flame bursting free of those hellish jaws. The crossguard of the weapon takes on the shape of two more heads, fitting the name of the Tempered Sin: Cerberus. Named after the three-headed guard of Hell, Cerberus doesn’t take after its name only in appearance, but shows itself in the effects as well.

When an enemy is struck by a Cerberus weapon, they immediately feel dizzied as the Soulfire takes effect. When their dizziness passes, the victim will suddenly have all five of their senses doubled. This is not an increase to the stat itself, but rather, multiple perceptions of the same senses. The victim will see things in two different directions, hear things in two different directions, feel them in two different directions. What’s behind could be heard from one side as well as the back, for example, or a touch on the right shoulder could be felt on the back of that shoulder or on the front of the left. A very disorienting technique, it makes it difficult to concentrate and focus when it is hard to tell which set of senses is in the correct “direction,” as two different sets of input makes it hard to differentiate.

It gets worse as it spreads. As Cerberus spreads through the body on the back of the spreading Soulfire, the number of perceptions increases. For every major body part that the flame has spread to – major being the limbs, torso, and head – the number of perceptions increases by one. This means that by the time the entire body is swallowed by the Cerberus Soulfire, they are receiving seven different sets of sensory inputs, leaving them so unable to tell which is the true input and which are the split copies that distract and split focus as the victim tries to comprehend what they are sensing.

How to use technique:
Channel one's Aspect of Hell into a Soulfire weapon, and alter it to take on the nature of one's sin.

Technique Drawbacks:
First, this requires the Soulfire Forge technique to be Mastered and active to even combine it with the user's Aspect of Hell. Second, the spread of this corruption is still treated much like the spread of Soulfire in the original technique; the effects will spread roughly six inches in all directions per post, though a foe with a higher spiritual stat than the user's highest spiritual stat will be able to reduce it to a mere inch in all directions per post. Possessing a 25% advantage to the user's highest spiritual stat will allow the corruption to be halted, contained to the spot in which it initially hit. This also can be halted by an ally; an ally possessing the required resistance stats can also halt or even negate the effects of the corruption by spending an amount of Reiatsu equal to the difference between the victim's highest spiritual stat and the threshold they aim to meet (for example, if the victim has 400 RS and the enemy has 500 RS, then halting the corruption would require 625 RS, requiring a cost of 225 Reiatsu to make up the difference as long as the ally has 625 or higher RS). In addition to these resistances, each custom Tempered Sin form must have resistances and drawbacks to match the effects, much like any other technique. Finally, this technique costs 150 Reiatsu to use.

For Cerberus, the affliction can be mitigated with a high Instinct. By possessing 200 or more Instinct, the victim can sift through and interpret the multiple sensations so that they can determine the real one. This amount increases by 50 for each additional sensation that they are receiving. This also will not work on victims who are higher in Class than the user.

Made By: Skoll Koryu

Reserved?: Yes

[Rafael]

Rafael charged the onyx colored wolf Beast knowing now that this loud mouth of a Beast wasn't going to back down unless he was beaten down. So he moved at his maximum speed utilizing the technique that he had been taught by that angry boar beast roughly what seemed like a month ago. The technique had served fairly useful in Rafael's battles so far as it allowed him to close distances at a rate that normally wouldn't even be thinkable. So waiting to end this battle involving another clansmen as fast as possible that's what he led with enabling him to hopefully attack right away.

However, what he felt as he moved at the accelerated speed right towards the wolf was something quite strange. It felt like he was pushed slightly as he moved towards the wolf like perhaps Zadora or Lolth even had actually utilized the acceleration technique and pushed him out of the way of hitting this wolf. At the same time though Rafael knew that if someone actually did that even being pushed at that speed would feel like it possessed more force. This was like being pushed by a teenager if even that. Still though it proved to help this wolf as Rafael didn't slam into him like he had planned.

Not that his plan would have been all that successful to begin with as he would have only managed to slam into the left side of the wolf. Now though there was no such collision between them and the acceleration technique known as Shunpo finished when Rafael realized he was standing little more than three feet to the left of the wolf. The distance between them was virtually nothing and both of them at any moment was close enough to actually hit the other with a simple physical attack. That was the main reason why in the following moment Rafael moved his left leg back and turned so that he was facing the left side of this wolf and then delivered his quick jab aimed at the face of the wolf.

Rafael felt the impact of his fist against the face of this wolf as his new foe turned to face him. It was a direct hit that would not deliver all that much actual damage, but would hopefully still inflict enough of it to cause this wolf to start tearing up or daze him at least a little. However, Rafael quickly found out that such a thing would be just a little to much luck for him as he raised his knee upwards and suddenly what looked like something completely different than anything else Rafael had ever seen suddenly wrapped around his right wrist and connected it in place with that of the wolf's own wrist.

Rafael felt his knee make impact with the gut of this wolf and could see the experience of pain that the wolf was going through as Rafael brought his leg back down and pulled with his right arm attempting to break whatever this wolf had done to connect their wrists together. This was so strange it was almost like this Clansmen was utilizing random magical abilities like that of a Shinigami. Rafael had never experienced this type of magic even when facing a Shinigami though. Everything he had seen so far had been offensive such as summoning a bolt of lightning this was something different and Rafael knew from experience now that different didn't always mean good.

Rafael's anger was fleeting he didn't share much with other Beasts aside from a dislike for the Shinigami and although he was quick to rage it often times was a bright flame that burn for only a brief few moments. He didn't like the idea of fighting other Beasts and as he heard the sound of this wolf inhaling desperately for air his rage broke. He didn't like that it had come to this between them and in all honesty just wanted this wolf to show respect and stop being such a damn asshole.

However, his unwillingness to simply continue to beat down on this wolf would bring about further pain to Rafael as suddenly the wolf raised his arm and Rafael caught the sight of something reflecting light in his grasp. While he could see a sign of it Rafael was not quite fast enough to intercept or prevent the actions of this wolf as the knife that he had crafted from his own inner energy stabbed deep into Rafael's chest. The large ebony feline felt the bite of the blade sinking deep into his muscle layered flesh and as he did he couldn't help, but release a loud cry of pain.

The wolf's knife was inside of Rafael's chest right next to one of his lungs and the panther felt the sharp pain that went along with such a dangerous wound. Rafael's shout of pain was short lived as he quickly raised his right arm and grabbed a hold of this wolf's forearm that was holding this knife and squeezed with all his might as his claws became unsheathed from the paws of his hands and would sink deep into the forearm of this wolf. Not only was this going to cause a pretty large amount of strain on this wolf's bones along with causing some pain, but it was going to prevent him from moving his knife. Rafael was actively keeping the knife inside of his chest.

Rafael had experience more than anything else in close combat even if he wasn't all that used to fighting against adversaries that utilizes weapons he wasn't one to give up easily. His left was bound to the right of this wolf and now as he grabbed his other arm both limbs were bound to one another. Rafael immediately utilizing all of his speed along with every bit of knowledge and skill in the art of Muay Boran thrust his head forwards using the least called upon weapon of the style of nine to slam his forehead into the face of this wolf with all of the strength he possessed.

[Skoll Koryu]

Skoll’s initial attack had, surprisingly, struck true. Whether the panther was simply slow to react or had hesitated, the half-demon’s dagger had plunged into his opponent’s chest all the way to the hilt. The blade had slid through bone and flesh easily, its spiritually-formed edge parting muscle and skin with ease. Despite his temper, Skoll resisted the urge to twist the knife in the wound; he had probably already gone too far by stabbing into a potentially dangerous area. He had intended to stab it closer to the shoulder, perhaps disabling an arm and reducing his opponent’s ability to fight, but he had stabbed in haste and thus had gotten a more vital area than he had initially aimed for.

Oh well; better to ask forgiveness later, or something like that. Skoll moved to pull the knife free from the wound, as its effects were already active; already, the Cerberus corruption would be spreading through his opponent’s body, causing his senses to double. Not to become stronger, of course, but to give a second illusion of sensory input, causing the panther to “see” from a direction other than forward, “feel” things on other parts of his body besides the contact against his arm and the dagger in his chest, and so on with the rest of his senses. It was a technique designed to sow confusion and hesitation as the victim sorted out their senses, trying to wrap their mind around both inputs and try and interpret them.

But as he went to remove the knife, Skoll found his forearm caught in a vice-like grip. It was a powerful one, too; he couldn’t move in the slightest, no matter how much he pulled or struggled. It was times like this that his physically-weak nature betrayed him, but that wasn’t going to stop the Nakabakki. If he couldn’t move either of his arms to aim a spell, it would be more difficult, but he had ways around that. First things first: he had to deal with the crushing grip on his forearm, one that was starting to ache worse than the residual sting of his Horin spell that was binding both of their arms. Oh, and the claws in his arm; those hurt too. Even if Skoll had the strength for it, pulling free would only rip the flesh, so the remaining option was to remove the claws too, pushing them out. He could do that.

Another Sho sent a ripple of pain jolting through his wrist and forearm, but immediately his mastery of it bore fruit; the spell would shove the panther’s hand open, pushing it away from him slowly. Oh, it was extremely slow progress, and if his opponent used his full strength, it would stalemate; they were about equal, even in this strange clash of muscle and spirit. But it was enough to reduce the strain on Skoll’s arm, spiritual damage aside. All Skoll had to do was concentrate, and if he spent a bit of his spiritual energy to bolster its power, then he could easily knock away the panther’s hand, freeing his forearm entirely. He just had to focus…

Unfortunately, such an opportunity did not exist. Whether it was anticipation of the growing force from Skoll’s Sho or simply an attempt to end the fight quickly with a knockout, the feline grappling with him decided to swing his head around in a powerful headbutt. This was bad; Skoll had no way of avoiding it, not with one arm tied up in Horin and the other held fast. Breaking the spell wouldn’t do him any good, either; Beast-Clansmen had exceptional reflexes, and Skoll didn’t have the element of surprise this time. The moment the bonds broke, his other arm would be caught in a grasp he had no control over, and the attack would not connect anyway. No, dodging was not an option, leaving him with only one choice.

“Sorry, fucker! I wanted to leave your pretty face alone, but I guess I’m going to have to give you a makeover anyway!” Even as the panther’s head came forward, Skoll’s mouth opened, and a blast of pure spiritual energy came forth. There was no charge time, however; it simply came forth from between his jaws to slam directly into the feline Beast-Clansman’s face, square across the bridge of his muzzle. Dodging would be difficult at such a close range, especially with the same conditions that made it nearly impossible for Skoll to avoid the initial attack. And with his head and neck already committed to the motion, it was unlikely that the panther would have any chance.

This was Bala: unlike his other techniques, it wasn’t one from Shinigami, nor was it a personal technique. Bala was a quick version of the more powerful Cero that Hollows possessed, compressed into a small bullet-like form and fired almost instantly. What it lost in explosive force it made up for in speed and impact, drilling into the target on hit. And with mastery, Skoll could release it rapid-fire in the same manner that any Hollow could, firing it from his hands or even his mouth. The latter had proven useful here, providing an attack from an unexpected direction.

If it hit, the panther would find his head snapped back; though his headbutt had the same strength behind it as the blast, his neck wouldn’t support him as well as say, if the Bala had intercepted a punch. The resulting clash would definitely be painful if not concussive, and no doubt would bloody the Beast-Clansman’s face if it didn’t outright break his nose. Skoll winced slightly; he hadn’t wanted to go quite that far, but given that he’d be the one in said condition if their faces had connected as planned, he couldn’t help but prefer this alternative result. Another apology to make later, he supposed; he was racking up quite a few of them!

Remaining Reiatsu: 1150/1800 (-30 for Sho, -60 for Bala)

Lore of the Spirit: 4/5

[Rafael]

The pain that Rafael could feel stemming from the wound of the knife that he was currently keeping sheathed inside of his own chest was something that the young Beast hadn't experienced before throughout all of his fights this type of pain wasn't something that he was all that accustomed to and thus actually dealing with the pain and pushing it to the side so that he could continue to actually fight off against this black wolf was perhaps the most difficult thing he had done in the last few days. He had been fighting against adversaries that were both weaker and more powerful than him since starting this new life and this wolf while he was proving that he could hold his own there was no question that he could still be defeated even with the wounds that he had managed to cause to Rafael already.

Rafael would never really admit it, but the thrill of battle was something that made him feel alive. A moment in time when everything else that he felt simply disappeared and he lived simply for the thrill and option to continue living. There was nothing like it. So at the moment even as he motioned his head forwards in order to slam his forehead into the face of this fresh adversary. This wolf had a big mouth that seemed to have a leak with how often words continued to fall from the gaping hole. So Rafael was going to bash it closed after this hit caused his mouth to swell shut and nobody would suffer the unfortunate fate of having to listen to his voice.

He could feel the stinging pain of his wounds even as he motioned his head forwards planning on prying open a lead in this battle against the wolf. This wolf was continuing to show Rafael that he possessed magical abilities like that of the Shinigami that he had faced a few times in the past. While he hadn't really seen the same spells as the Shinigami it was still the closest thing to what he was seeing this wolf doing. At the moment though he could feel his grip being forced away by some observable force. It was as if something within this wolf's arm was pushing his claws out.

Rafael squeezed his right hand trying his best to keep his claws inside of this wolf's arm despite knowing based on what he could feel that whatever was pushing against him that it was just as strong as he was and his claws wouldn't be moved more than the few centimeters that they already were by that first moment. This was it this wolf was going to experience pain in what seemed to be not only the part of himself that he used the most, but his favorite part of himself as well. Rafael thrust his head forwards only to hear the rushed words of this wolf and see his mouth held open wide in a manner that was similar to a yawn.

What he saw next was something that Rafael hadn't seen before in the center of this wolf's mouth was a visible red energy orb that quickly appeared only to grow bigger. It was happening so fast and Rafael knew that with the force he had just placed in the muscles of his neck and shoulders that he wouldn't be able to stop his head from moving forward. At the last second though Rafael by instinct inched his head to the right and then felt the impact of this red orb smashing into the side of his face. It possessed the force of his own arms and in that moment of time Rafael felt the sensation known as pain throughout his body.

The flesh that covered the left side of his face from the side of his nose down to the side of his mouth was being torn off by the force of his red orb as it slammed and dragged across him. Not only could he feel his flesh being torn apart on the part of his body that possessed the most feeling receptors, but the underlying bone and his teeth he could feel cracking from the force. This attack was strong and so fast that Rafael had barely managed to evade a impact that would have hit him directly in the center of his face. However, Rafael wouldn't be the only one to feel pain from this attack. As his head was being pushed back so to was the rest of him as he tried to fight back against it's force meaning that his claws were being dragged through the arm of this wolf lengthening the wound and causing further blood to leak from the vile of his body.

All of this took place in the span of a single moment of time and as that moment past even more events took place in the battle between the pitch black Beasts. The red orb flew off past Rafael disappearing into the distance as the flesh of his left side was taken with it leaving the section of his face bare revealing blood and cracked bone along with fangs that were normally concealed. This wolf wouldn't have the chance to see the wound he had just managed to inflict upon Rafael though as the force Rafael had put into his shoulders and neck was still present and his head continued to move forward causing Rafael's forehead to smash into the muzzle of this wolf easily breaking the underlying cartilage and damaging the surrounding area.

Rafael was in so much pain, but the adrenaline pumping throughout his body and his rage towards this wolf kept him going at the moment as his head motioned backwards yet his arms pulled upwards. In an action of anger Rafael would lift this wolf easily off the ground and rotate his feet quickly. In little over the next instant which for the wolf would more than likely be filled with blurry eyes and pain Rafael would not only lift him off the ground and over his own head, but would proceed to slam him onto the ground with enough force that the ground would slightly indent and this wolf would hopefully sustain enough damage that he'd shut his mouth and move on. "Quit while you still can loud mouth."

[Skoll Koryu]

((Super sorry for a two month wait; my muse for Skoll just went kerput for a while.))

Shiiiiittt… Odin’s going to kill me for this...

The Bala had mostly been a successful counter, the emphasis being on “mostly.” Oh sure, it had slowed the attack that was coming his way… for all of a second. The panther had somehow managed to move his head out of the way—the bastard must have had some serious neck muscles to pull that off—and took it along the side of his face. Though the power of a Bala was in its impact and piercing force as opposed to explosive, that meant that taking a glancing hit like that was all the more painful. Flesh and fur were torn away, muscles exposed, bone glistening in the sunlight. Ouch, that looked particularly painful, especially given the coat of crimson that coated the feline’s face, neck, and chest as a result. Oh, it looked pretty badass, but at the same time… Skoll winced. He had not meant to do that level of damage!

So much for pack relations. After damaging the panther so severely, it would be no wonder if they were unwilling to be anything less than hostile. Odin would have Skoll’s head for screwing up so badly, and they’d likely be forced to defend against if not outright drive out the new pack rather than forming a simple territory agreement with them. Man, oh man, Skoll really couldn’t have done much worse aside from killing his opponent and turning him into a martyr for his pack to avenge. And of course, an extremely close second was the damage done to the panther’s face! Again, certainly looked pretty cool, but in terms of appeal it had just dropped a few notches. Exposed fangs and muscle were pretty awesome-looking for a few moments, but after that it was just kind of grim.

Well if nothing else, at least he’s still got those abs going for him...

Humor got smashed aside almost literally, however, as the panther still managed to angle his head forward and smash it straight into Skoll’s face. The half-demon’s vision exploded into red as blood splashed liberally across his smashed snout and likely cracked skull, running across his face and dripping down his chin. The warmth spread across his face even as the wash of pain felt like fire flooding across his features. Skoll’s mind reeled, his Horin spell completely collapsing as his concentration fell apart. His arm fell limp even as the magical binding released its grip on his wrist, but it did little to stop the panther’s own paw as it lashed out, grabbing him once more.

The world whirled as quickly as Skoll’s thoughts did, further adding to the Nakabakki’s daze, and he was barely aware that his feet left the ground. Fortunately, the fact that his stomach’s contents felt somewhere between his lungs and his throat was quickly forgotten as his world blossomed into a fresh firework of pain that originated in his skull and quickly spread down the length of his spine like a line of fire. It radiated out in a dull ache that echoed through his back and shoulders, followed by a numbness that would be concerning if his consciousness hadn’t taken a sharp blow along with the rest of him on impact. As it was, all of that was noted ever so briefly before the bloody red started to fade to dismal gray, and even darker than that.

“Guh… fucker… You got lucky this time...” With one last curse, Skoll fell unconscious, the last injury too much for him to endure.

[Rafael]

Just like that with the heavy impact of the onyx wolf slamming into the ground that they both had been standing on Rafael had emerged victorious over the loud mouth that had from the start been rude. Breathing heavy Rafael looked down at him as he claimed that Rafael got lucky only to then pass out most likely from the mixture of both pain and damage that he had just been inflicted. It wasn't surprising really Rafael knew that putting up with the type of damage that he had just inflicted upon him took a lot of effort and unless pain was a normal occurrence it was very unlikely that someone could keep going. Still though he knew that most Beasts would be able to get back up or even just stay conscious. They typically were much stronger than the Shinigami at least that he'd seen so far.

Although this black wolf had done things that Rafael had only ever seen the Shinigami do. How was he able to cast spells like the shinigami? What was that red orb that he had fired from his mouth like a bullet from a gun. As he thought over all of the things that seemed so out of the new norm for him he realized the pain he was in. Only a short while ago did the norm become being a Beast and having the strength to do the things that he could now. Living in this world had only just recently started to make sense. He had only just started to figure everything out when suddenly this wolf threw everything into a new mess of questions. Rafael could feel his face going cold though as it felt like his face had been hit with a giant hammer or worse.

Concentrating the ebony panther activated his Yaseishin the power that in all honesty he still was virtually clueless about in regards to . . . . well basically everything. He had acquired the abilities a few weeks ago, but in that time he hadn't learned anything new besides how to turn it on and off at will and how to do certain things. He didn't know how he had the power or what it was called or even if it was normal for a Beast to have a power. So far neither Lolth or Zadora had shown a power. Perhaps he was special? It didn't matter he had to focus because right now he knew this was going to hurt. Oh boy did it hurt. Rafael bit down on his bottom lip hard piercing the flesh of his lip with his fangs as the flesh that had been torn off by the red orb grew back covering his face once again. After that his fur regrew and within a few moments it was as if he had never been injured.

Well it looked that way at least, but Rafael's eyes were tired and blood dripped from his bottom lip only for that wound to suddenly begin healing as well. He hated this part of his ability whenever he healed he felt like the wound was being inflicted on him all over again and sometimes it just took way to much out of him. Although he didn't know anything about the wolf at his feet Rafael assumed he wasn't accustomed to physical pain or at least not like he himself. He had been suffering physical pain for as long as he could remember and although he could handle it from experience even he had a limit and going beyond that limit was something the ebony panther never welcomed or wished for.

Although he had been rude and disrespectful towards him since he arrived and Rafael couldn't forgive him for what he said about Zadora and Lolth he couldn't bring himself to just leave him lying on the ground in the condition that he had put him in. Raising his left arm over the wolf Rafael brought his right paw over and dragged his index fingers claw across his forearm causing a heavy cut for a few inches. The wound was one that many individuals would think fatal even though Rafael's blood began to pour from his wound descending down onto the face of the wolf it quickly started to drip until no longer did any of the royal purple liquid escape Rafael.

30 Minutes Later

Rafael sat on the grass covered ground with his back resting against the rock like wall that he had been moving around when he had first found the onyx wolf. At the moment he was resting after fighting off against the wolf and had been resting for the last half an hour since he had activated his ability to heal himself from all of the wounds that the wolf had managed to inflict upon him. The knife wound along with the section of flesh that has been blasted off his face there were no signs of any damage to him anymore. As he rested his eyes though Rafael's ears twitched as he heard the sound of movement coming from the wolf. It seemed that he was waking up and any moment now would begin speaking loud once again. Rafael could only hope that once he realized he no longer had any wounds either they could come to a better understanding.

[Skoll Koryu]

Skoll groaned as consciousness finally returned to him, along with a splitting headache. Opening his eyes was the first mistake he made, staring up into a brilliantly blue sky. The result was like having a dozen daggers stabbed into his eye sockets and twisted around a few times, further aggravating the already-terrible ache in his skull. Slamming his eyes shut, the wolf rolled over onto his side, grimacing and clutching at his head. He expected to feel warm blood washing over his paws, and was surprised when he found the fur and flesh intact. Well sonnovabitch… guess that’ll spare the stitches later…

Taking a deep breath to steel himself against another resurgence of pain, Skoll carefully opened his eyes into a half-squint, letting the world fade back into existence. Green grass, tolerable. Some brown tree trunks? Sure, easy enough on the eyes. Oops, there was a hint of that blue, blue sky, causing the wolf to avert his gaze again with a slight wince before he managed to turn his head. Black fur… well that was nothing new. Wait, that wasn’t his leg over there, was it? That was odd... oh wait. Right. Shit.
There was one other person with ebony-black fur around.

“Ugh. Can’t believe I fucking lost to a half-wit pussycat. I must have been more distracted than I thought...” Skoll said that out loud, curious to see how his “companion” would react. Oh, he had certainly lost alright, and his aching head reminded him quickly that talking too loudly was just as bad as the pretty sky for the sensation of a skewered brain. Well, a few pints when the half-demon got back would fix that; for now, getting back was priority. And of course, that required negotiating release… or simply walking away, if his ability to still draw breath was any indication of remaining hostility.

“Damn, I fucking hate fighting brutes like you; you’ve got no style, no goddamn finesse. It’s all punch, kick, headbutt. Stupid, shitty way of doing things.” Skoll continued to mouth off as he pushed himself to his feet, still feeling dizzy. It couldn’t get much worse if his opponent was inclined to mercy, and besides, his head hurt; he had every right to be ornery. The Nakabakki finally managed to get his feet properly beneath him, and though the world occasionally took the unexpected sideways jolt, he was standing. Now for walking…

One foot in front of the other, that’s how it worked. As he started to walk away—assuming that the panther didn’t just knock him onto his face again—Skoll raised a hand above his head in a dismissive wave. Woah, okay, bad idea; balance skewed to the side again. Either way: “Anyway, hope you learned your goddamn lesson. Don’t mess with our turf, we don’t fuck you up. You can live nearby, we don’t really give a damn, just don’t cause shit or we’ll grind your faces into the dust.” It was the closest to a pleasant statement that Skoll had given to anyone in while, and would probably have been a better lead than his initial greeting. But where was the fun in that? Though, while he was being Mr. Nice Guy…

“Oh yeah, thanks for the healing! Just hope you don’t regret it when I rearrange that pretty fucking face of yours!” Giving a sarcastic grin over his shoulder, Skoll flipped the bird at the panther. “If you have a death wish, look up Skoll at the Volsung pack. Later, pussycat!”

((Battle over; feel free to give a final post and report it.))

[Rafael]

Keeping his back against the rock rocky slope that he had been resting against for the last half an hour Rafael watched as the onyx colored wolf regained consciousness. Although he woke back up his behavior was something that Rafael could honestly say was just as annoying as his loud mouth. "He's definitely not a morning person if this is how he always wakes up." though Rafael as he watched Skoll fight off the sight of the blue sky. When Skoll looked over at him and then began to speak again Rafael could see that despite losing his language hadn't changed at all.

"You can blame your lose on whatever you want. You still lost." said Rafael after Skoll had finished his first sentence about how he couldn't believe that he had lost to a pussycat. Rafael at the moment was actually fighting off the urge to hit Skoll once again at the name he was calling him. Such a nickname was incredibly demeaning and made Rafael angry. It felt like his pride as a Beast was being stepped on by someone that he had just proven was weaker than him. He didn't have much time though as Skoll continued to complain.

It seemed that Skoll didn't like fighting off against those that excelled at physical combat or even used physical combat based on what he said. Claiming that physical combat didn't have any sort of style was something that made Rafael actually scoff. "You idiot dog. All combat has style a different flow. I'm not to fond of fighting off magic maniacs if that helps you feel any better. Oh wait that's exactly what you are." Although Skoll was getting to his feet Rafael continued to sit although his guard was raised mentally. He knew that there was a good possibility that despite the fact that he had healed Skoll after their fight the onyx wolf might still attack him.

That didn't seem to be the case though as Skoll began to walk off slowly obviously still unsure of his footing after their fight. As he spoke his goodbye thoguh Rafael couldn't help, but have a wild grin spread across his face as Skoll claimed that his pack could grin his face into the ground if they got out of hand, but other than that they'd let them live here. Had he not just been the one to emerge victorious in their battle? This wolf really didn't know how to accept defeat.

Getting up onto his feet Rafael kept his eyes on Skoll as he got further and further away. "Come back any time if you want if you need to remember why you lost." Rafael spoke just before Skoll turned his head back around and gave him a grin. What he said lit a fire inside Rafael's chest. This wolf really didn't know when to shut his mouth. Although he had beaten him less than an hour ago Rafael was already ready to start beating the mute into the ground again. Getting flipped off was the last pin in his cushion. "Alright Tailtucker just be ready to wake up even worse next time I bury that big grin of yours into the ground!"

[Johnwaluigi]

Rafael: 48 paragraphs + Victory: +580 TP

Skroll: 40 paragraphs: +400 TP