Great Dojo

[Hibiki]

Nika

Being pushed into the ground stood against the vampire's every fiber of being, her instincts revolting against such fate no matter the circumstances. She kept struggling, her footing shaky, entering the contest of strength she planned to engage in to begin with, even if the situation she ended up in wasn't exactly as she imagined to be. Gotta just grit teeth and put all her unbeating heart into this round.

This was a contest of pure strength and the vampire was confident in her own one, putting as much power coursing in her veins as she could afford. Surely Mira had reasons to be confident about her odds, but in the end it was how Nika wanted it: decisive showdown over losing from sheer attrition. But would she prevail in the end?

[Aiden]

Nika

Being pushed into the ground stood against the vampire's every fiber of being, her instincts revolting against such fate no matter the circumstances. She kept struggling, her footing shaky, entering the contest of strength she planned to engage in to begin with, even if the situation she ended up in wasn't exactly as she imagined to be. Gotta just grit teeth and put all her unbeating heart into this round.

This was a contest of pure strength and the vampire was confident in her own one, putting as much power coursing in her veins as she could afford. Surely Mira had reasons to be confident about her odds, but in the end it was how Nika wanted it: decisive showdown over losing from sheer attrition. But would she prevail in the end?

Mira

Bracing herself against the wall crater allowed Mira the leverage to avoid having a chance of being taken down, but she struggled with her opponent's obvious experience in grappling with people this way. She tightened her hold on her opponent's midsection, and heaved upward. "Get yer face outta my chest...!" She drove her knee up into her opponent's midsection and allowed the wall to protect her footing in the meantime.

Of course, the irony was that the way Mira was holding her prevented Nika from complying.

[Hibiki]

Nika

Getting kneed by Mira smarted more than a mortal's blow should have, but by now she shouldn't be really surprised about someone other than a vampire forcing her to struggle. Again, she was glad that with her anatomy it hurt less than it should have.

No time for complaining about the blows, though. She had to think on her feet and do something to try to get an upper hand in this match. Alright, she could use her head. Not to think, but to repay with a counterattack. Got complaints about her face in the chest? How about headbutting her!

[Aiden]

Nika

Getting kneed by Mira smarted more than a mortal's blow should have, but by now she shouldn't be really surprised about someone other than a vampire forcing her to struggle. Again, she was glad that with her anatomy it hurt less than it should have.

No time for complaining about the blows, though. She had to think on her feet and do something to try to get an upper hand in this match. Alright, she could use her head. Not to think, but to repay with a counterattack. Got complaints about her face in the chest? How about headbutting her!

Mira

Mira saw the move coming from above, which didn't let her avoid it so much as position her head so that there was less distance between the back of it and the wall behind it. It meant that she was just taking the full force of some really fast and powerful fighter launching herself up into her face, and not also being smashed into the wall again so much. She was left disoriented for a moment, and it left room at last for her opponent to do a brief follow up.

It was really not fair when only one person cared about their brain being rattled in a fight.

[Hibiki]

Nika

The one thing vampire cared about though, short of massive trauma that would make her undead resilience irrelevant, was the one thing that never went entirely away, the one thing that drove her existence past her death: the blood. And matching this equal or even possibly superior opponent shaved away at the lifeforce flowing through her veins.

The hunger gnawed at her. This probably would've been a different matter altogether if she fought a vampire. Imbibing blood of creatures similar to her was a taboo not just because of the potential addiction to it, but also as sometimes it didn't stop just at it. But against a mortal, fairly powerful at the same time? She could really weaken Mira and reenergize herself in midst of the duel. She didn't see herself overdo it either, as she was yet at this point where hunger overrode her basis reasoning.

Landing a hit in a grapple wasn't the issue, so she was fairly confident she would bite in. Especially if Mira expected that just doing shit without care about blunt trauma to her dead organs was the peak of reckless stuff she could think off.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Cossie

"Woooooah. So, you're telling me this whole section of this city so far up their roided brains that they literally turned battles to the death into a ruling class system? Man, I don't know if I was born in the right generation, but I'm glad I made it to this one."

Hands in his pocket, the dead apostle relatedly took in the sights of the city, chuckling absentmindedly. For a man as bloody as him, he was being awfully relaxed. The small hints of a smile almost betrayed the fact he was enjoying himself a little.

"Haaaah. And even the air smells of sweat and battle. I bet you'd like it too, wouldn't you? Get some beast to dominate you as its meat slaps against yours, until you're nothing more than a mess to be cleaned off the floors. Chillax, I'll give you some when I... yawn... I feel like it I guess. Tep. All part of the plan I just made up babe."

He smacked his lips and admired the sights some more. "Hey. No way. Um, what is that?" He grinned trying to contain his excitement a bit, like a bad boy dragging his girlfriend along to his favorite spots - even if he knew nothing of those around. He pointed to a device that seemed to make sounds of sorts, a machine of metal that sang wondrous melodies.

They called it a boombox. Not that he'd know.

"Is this some sort of human garbage? Ha! I like it way better than the trash you guys usually litter."

[Panda]

Cossie

"Woooooah. So, you're telling me this whole section of this city so far up their roided brains that they literally turned battles to the death into a ruling class system? Man, I don't know if I was born in the right generation, but I'm glad I made it to this one."

Hands in his pocket, the dead apostle relatedly took in the sights of the city, chuckling absentmindedly. For a man as bloody as him, he was being awfully relaxed. The small hints of a smile almost betrayed the fact he was enjoying himself a little.

"Haaaah. And even the air smells of sweat and battle. I bet you'd like it too, wouldn't you? Get some beast to dominate you as its meat slaps against yours, until you're nothing more than a mess to be cleaned off the floors. Chillax, I'll give you some when I... yawn... I feel like it I guess. Tep. All part of the plan I just made up babe."

He smacked his lips and admired the sights some more. "Hey. No way. Um, what is that?" He grinned trying to contain his excitement a bit, like a bad boy dragging his girlfriend along to his favorite spots - even if he knew nothing of those around. He pointed to a device that seemed to make sounds of sorts, a machine of metal that sang wondrous melodies.

They called it a boombox. Not that he'd know.

"Is this some sort of human garbage? Ha! I like it way better than the trash you guys usually litter."

Nanako

"Yeah, that about sums this place up," Nanako nodded, not missing the slight smile curling his lips. His teasing still made her flush, as if his words were specific chosen to stoke her imagination and leave her wanting more that wouldn't come. At least not any time soon.

"Mhm, speaking from experience there?" the squirrel girl teased back. Before she could say anything further, however, booming music started up nearby, Johnny dragging Nanako along until they came across a boombox with some guys and girls surrounding a mat nearby. They nodded along with the beat, seemingly unbothered by the vampire's questions and comments.

"They're called boomboxes," Nanako noted, "A handy way to bring your music with you and make sure everyone else hears it too."

As if on cue, the tune changed, raw beats taking over the melody as the other instruments took a break. Without missing a beat, one of the listeners went to the mat and started breakdancing, making up for amateur skill with sheer youthful exuberance and abandon, then left after a short duration to be replaced by another. Each of them danced as if fighting the beat itself, pushing to make the most of their time on the mat.

"Huh, breakdancers. Neat," Nanako remarked, watching the dancers with mild interest and curiosity, "Didn't think they'd have it here."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin

"Pft. No way, you're shitting me." The apostle covered his face from the sun's rays from his face for a moment, observing the scene with great interest. Until something curious happened to him. A magic more potent than the sorceries of old, a force deeper than even his violence - greater than power.

"Haha. How fun..."

His body started to move. Grooving. Swaggering like in the days of forgotten youth, as if dragged along by the music. He smiled, truly happy - to the point his fangs showed shamelessly as well. The dark man, the sun's light, and his joyful dance. Was it all a walking contradiction? No, in all things be it life, death, joy and sorrow... he was always himself. That's this, and that's that. So where was his heart right now? The little village in the heart of the Romanian countryside, the smells and lively sounds of his home. The taste of a place he could never return to. But if something could be called tragic, its the fact he could not shed tears of it any longer.

Even if he could, he didn't feel like it any longer.

"What lovely sounds, I just can't enough of it. Heh, I must look silly for an old man." He twirled in place and invited her to his waltz. "Wanna join me?"

[Aiden]

Nika

The one thing vampire cared about though, short of massive trauma that would make her undead resilience irrelevant, was the one thing that never went entirely away, the one thing that drove her existence past her death: the blood. And matching this equal or even possibly superior opponent shaved away at the lifeforce flowing through her veins.

The hunger gnawed at her. This probably would've been a different matter altogether if she fought a vampire. Imbibing blood of creatures similar to her was a taboo not just because of the potential addiction to it, but also as sometimes it didn't stop just at it. But against a mortal, fairly powerful at the same time? She could really weaken Mira and reenergize herself in midst of the duel. She didn't see herself overdo it either, as she was yet at this point where hunger overrode her basis reasoning.

Landing a hit in a grapple wasn't the issue, so she was fairly confident she would bite in. Especially if Mira expected that just doing shit without care about blunt trauma to her dead organs was the peak of reckless stuff she could think off.

Mira

It wasn't easy to sink her teeth in. Mira's opponent had to expend more effort and energy to generate the necessary force without breaking her teeth in attempting to pierce the skin, but once they were inside the blood flowed simply enough. "W-What the hell?!" She felt herself weaken, for a moment, as life threatened to pour out of her and into someone else while she was already getting herself reoriented.

Here was the problem with this strategy: Mira's blood was absolutely vile. It was filled, to a vampire's senses, with otherwise imperceptible organisms that writhed and shriveled on contact, and the fluid became as ash on the tongue.

Seeing as her opponent wasn't getting any stronger, Mira had the opportunity to drive her tear her away regardless of the damage it would do to the place she was bitten, and then kick her away again.

[Hibiki]

Nika

This was probably the worst decision she committed in a heat of the moment since a long while. She couldn't remember what was the previous 'worst decision' she made, of course, with the revolting taste overwhelming her palate, to the point she'd rather cleanse it with sand paper than taste anything like that again. She loosened her fangs' grip on Mira just in time to make it even easier for her to kick away the disoriented vampire.

Crashing against another parked vehicle helped her regain composure, just through enough pain to distract her away from the tongue being on metaphorical fire. If Mira had some clue about vampires, she potentially could exploit that knowledge against her. This was the least of her concerns though when clearly Mira would follow up with another attack, all she could do now was to stay on defensive in shortest term. She had inkling she was going to lose this one, but her stubborn streak told her to at least put up resistance before conceding. So she regained her footing as best as she could in face of the incoming counterattack.

[Panda]

Costin

"Pft. No way, you're shitting me." The apostle covered his face from the sun's rays from his face for a moment, observing the scene with great interest. Until something curious happened to him. A magic more potent than the sorceries of old, a force deeper than even his violence - greater than power.

"Haha. How fun..."

His body started to move. Grooving. Swaggering like in the days of forgotten youth, as if dragged along by the music. He smiled, truly happy - to the point his fangs showed shamelessly as well. The dark man, the sun's light, and his joyful dance. Was it all a walking contradiction? No, in all things be it life, death, joy and sorrow... he was always himself. That's this, and that's that. So where was his heart right now? The little village in the heart of the Romanian countryside, the smells and lively sounds of his home. The taste of a place he could never return to. But if something could be called tragic, its the fact he could not shed tears of it any longer.

Even if he could, he didn't feel like it any longer.

"What lovely sounds, I just can't enough of it. Heh, I must look silly for an old man." He twirled in place and invited her to his waltz. "Wanna join me?"

Nanako

Nanako glanced over to Cossie as he started moving, surprised to see him moving without the murderous intent he'd displayed freely so far. Instead, he was swaggering and swaying along with the music, oddly happy from what she'd seen of him so far. Not the kind of happy she'd expected he'd be right before a battle, but rather like he'd gone back to some cherished memory.

The breakdancing brought back something different for the squirrel girl. Simpler days, watching older kids and adults alike lose themselves in a thumping beat. Heated chases when cops inevitably came to break up the gatherings, citing noise complaints, public drinking, disorderly conduct, whatever cause they'd decided to dredge up. Meeting up again once the heat died down to start the whole thing over again. Those had been hard times, but there were still plenty of bright spots among them.

"Not quite the dance I'd expected from you," Nanako giggled, stepping in close, "But alright, let's see what you've got, old man."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin

"Hah, shaddup. You'll make my corpse blush." He swung his hip smoothly at the provocation, and without hesitation he took her hand. Strong, a grip that wouldn't even care if she were a human, it'd have likely turned her hand to paste accidentally if she were anything less. Like dancing with a wolf, a beast that'd tear and break no matter how much it tried to caress.

Yet it didn't care. Costin smiled and dragged her to his embrace boldly, and his steps moved with the rhythm - to the shock of everyone around them.

"But man, this is embarassing. It's been far too long since I've loosened up this much... how should I thank you for this?" Inching closer, he brought her body to his own beat, for a second close enough he could feel her heartbeat. How close that sweetest of organs was to being taken.

But unripe fruits wouldn't quench it.

Only this dance would slake this thirst.

"Hurry... I need it rougher than this... show me that even a beast can withstand an apostle."

[Aiden]

Nika

This was probably the worst decision she committed in a heat of the moment since a long while. She couldn't remember what was the previous 'worst decision' she made, of course, with the revolting taste overwhelming her palate, to the point she'd rather cleanse it with sand paper than taste anything like that again. She loosened her fangs' grip on Mira just in time to make it even easier for her to kick away the disoriented vampire.

Crashing against another parked vehicle helped her regain composure, just through enough pain to distract her away from the tongue being on metaphorical fire. If Mira had some clue about vampires, she potentially could exploit that knowledge against her. This was the least of her concerns though when clearly Mira would follow up with another attack, all she could do now was to stay on defensive in shortest term. She had inkling she was going to lose this one, but her stubborn streak told her to at least put up resistance before conceding. So she regained her footing as best as she could in face of the incoming counterattack.

Mira

Whether she knew anything about vampires or not, Mira certainly seemed to know how to take advantage of an opening. Pushing through dizziness and the deep stinging pain of having her blown drawn out of her vein by force, she charged right after her opponent and slammed into her so that they were both now inside the vehicle. Mira laid down a rain of blows both to the head and the center of mass, her eyes gleaming in the excitement of battle, before seeming to realize something with a narrowing of her eyes and a pulling of her last punch.

"Wait... are ya dead?" A drip of sweat fell from her brow next to Nika.

[Panda]

Costin

"Hah, shaddup. You'll make my corpse blush." He swung his hip smoothly at the provocation, and without hesitation he took her hand. Strong, a grip that wouldn't even care if she were a human, it'd have likely turned her hand to paste accidentally if she were anything less. Like dancing with a wolf, a beast that'd tear and break no matter how much it tried to caress.

Yet it didn't care. Costin smiled and dragged her to his embrace boldly, and his steps moved with the rhythm - to the shock of everyone around them.

"But man, this is embarassing. It's been far too long since I've loosened up this much... how should I thank you for this?" Inching closer, he brought her body to his own beat, for a second close enough he could feel her heartbeat. How close that sweetest of organs was to being taken.

But unripe fruits wouldn't quench it.

Only this dance would slake this thirst.

"Hurry... I need it rougher than this... show me that even a beast can withstand an apostle."

Nanako

The squirrel girl gasped quietly as she was pulled firmly against the vampire, her chest pressing firmly against his as he held her hand in a firm grip. Even if she wanted to get away, she would've been hard-pressed to escape, but she didn't. Not yet, at least.

"Is that so? You've been playing pretty fast and loose so far, I'm almost a little scared of what you'd be like when you're uptight," Nanako giggled, following along with his rhythm. She was a bit off from his rhythm at first, but the squirrel girl quickly adjusted.

"Well, I'm pretty sure the guy leads these kinds of dances," Nanako remarked, starting to pick up the pace, "But let's see what we can do."

With that, she took his step and tore the lead away from him, pushing the dance on faster and harder. Her heart thudded against her chest, almost audibly, as she went on. They cracked pavement underfoot and carved shallow trenches in blacktop, Nanako losing herself more and more to wild abandon and beastly instinct with each step. It was up to the apostle to keep up, now.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Nanako

The squirrel girl gasped quietly as she was pulled firmly against the vampire, her chest pressing firmly against his as he held her hand in a firm grip. Even if she wanted to get away, she would've been hard-pressed to escape, but she didn't. Not yet, at least.

"Is that so? You've been playing pretty fast and loose so far, I'm almost a little scared of what you'd be like when you're uptight," Nanako giggled, following along with his rhythm. She was a bit off from his rhythm at first, but the squirrel girl quickly adjusted.

"Well, I'm pretty sure the guy leads these kinds of dances," Nanako remarked, starting to pick up the pace, "But let's see what we can do."

With that, she took his step and tore the lead away from him, pushing the dance on faster and harder. Her heart thudded against her chest, almost audibly, as she went on. They cracked pavement underfoot and carved shallow trenches in blacktop, Nanako losing herself more and more to wild abandon and beastly instinct with each step. It was up to the apostle to keep up, now.

Cossie

"Ha! Trust me, I'm a swell upstanding lad." He waggled his thick eyebrows as they picked up the tempo, grooving to the beat with beastly swings of their bodies. Whatever wall, structure or object was in the way was soon crushed under their weight. No matter how you looked at it, if you put two monsters dancing around a bunch of regular schmucks, it'd look to outsiders like some kaiju movie. He turned her around fiercely, enjoying this little struggle for control in earnest. "Back in my world, my kind is forced to run or hide from the association, few are bold enough to be as honest as I am. To them, the light of day is like a disease. But since I'm a badass, I don't have to worry about that baby crap. I can enjoy my days doing this -!"

Like a hungry beast, he pulled her even closer into the dance, and it felt like he was just about to grab that fat ass of hers - when he instead pulled at her hip at the last second, turning the momentum around. And why not? He wanted to see how far he could tease the bitch before she turned mad. If he didn't lose it first.

Of course, humans would probably try to stop something like this. They were weak things, nowhere near strong enough to move as freely as the apostle and his piece of meat.

Some ran, while a few were too proud to even do that. After Costin bumped into one of the gangsters, another pulled a shiv out of his pocket. "HEY WHAT THE HELL MAN!? YOU'RE BUSTING UP OUR ST-" But as he spun in his dance, a backhanded slap slammed straight into the punk's teeth, caving his face into the back-alley's wall.

"No matter what happens, I follow my nature. This is this, that's that..."