[BATTLE PRP] Death Pony Reunion (Candace/Invictus) FIN

[Eight]

Candace whistled a cheerful little song as she approached the lighthouse portal, twirling the strap of her hunter pendant around her finger until just before stepping into the portal. It was put safely around her neck as she stepped through, keeping a careful eye out as she came out on the other side. She hadn't been to the haunted house since last time it revealed itself to them. It had been strange being in her old trainee coat with a less evolved Atropos, but it had been nice seeing Jerry with no scarring again...she kind of wished it could be like that again.

The first room she walked into was not familiar at all to her. It hadn't been one she had seen during their initial trip to the house. The floor was made of sand and it sank under her feet, causing her to grimace and shake out her shoes every now and then; Candace hoped she wouldn't have to fight anything while she was here. She would sometimes find a spot where the sand sank deeper and she nearly fell past her knees, but she managed to keep going. Just across the room...just get to the next room and out of the dangerous sand she couldn't fight in.

Quote:

Rolling a 3: ALL DAMAGE IS HALVED.

 

[demon_pachabel]

Invictus was a man who could not go back on his word, even if it was not a pleasant experience go and actually keep his word at times. Though thus far, only the trip called 'Prom' the year previous had actually gotten to him to the extent that showed real irritation in the results of him accepting an invitation. So it was without too much issue that he had accepted the task of beginning to make a habit of roaming the Haunted House.

However, he had to admit that the sand was a strange change to the rooms he had seen previously. Unlike the hunters, the Horseman took the time to look over every room and snoop the crevices, taking it all in and stashing the information away.

His general assessment of the sandy room was that it was going to be in his clothing for days until he got it all out and washed - a task in and of itself to some extent, yet at the same time, walking over it was easy enough for one who could control gravity. However, it was not too difficult for him to notice that there was another person in this room -

the kind of person he did not like...  

[Eight]

..Ooooh~. Atropos purred, giggling and crooning with delight. Candace stopped trudging through the sand to look down at her rings. Mmm it feels so nice. So very, very nice. Candace...Candace, please. I'm hungry now. s**t. She wasn't alone anymore by the sounds of it. Candace turned and looked all around until she saw him, the short little boy dressed in fancy, flowing garb that was very oriental in nature. Take it all in, remember it all, have enough details for a good report.

Wait...that face, that hair, those clothes. No, it couldn't be. Well...maybe. Her mind had been so addled with pain it was possible that her memory could be a bit fuzzy, but she was pretty sure the horseman of conquest hadn't been so...childlike. Maybe he also got hit with whatever had made the rest of them into children that day.

"What's the matter, Conquest? Forget your high heels at home?" Yes, Candace, mocking who you think is the horseman of conquest is totally a good idea.

Then again, last time she was in his presence he had nearly killed her without even acknowledging she existed...there wasn't that same feeling anymore. This wasn't the same creature. A relative? Just someone of the same race? Something like that..  

[demon_pachabel]

It was indeed a hunter, and it seemed by her 'greeting', she knew exactly who he was - he was, after all, a striking and smaller doppleganger of his father. However, he didn't have flying black holes to make at his name, which just left him with this mostly neutral expression, lifting one hand as his bow formed around his wrist, a small projectile forming in his hand.

A small projectile that, while not answering Candace, seemed to hover and then suddenly launch like a bullet right past her, sand almost seeming to vacuum towards it - less like a black hole and more like the suction formed by an explosion.

HP: 60/60
Damage: MISS. INVI, THIS BETTER NOT BE A HUNTER THING.  

[Eight]

He didn't say a word, simply lifting his hand and shooting at her. Candace stayed stock still and refused to let her guard down. Don't let him think you're afraid. You're not afraid. He doesn't scare you. Her eyes widened as she allowed her gaze to fall to the small bullet that hit the sand. Her heart pounded. You can do this, Candace.

"Cute. Was that a warning shot or are you just that blind?" Atropos was summoned quickly as she tucked her pendant into her shirt for safe keeping; couldn't have the stupid pony ripping it off from around her neck and taking away her quickly route home. Without any word of warning she glided over the sand, though despite that her steps still sank. Atropos simply allowed her to move without friction, she didn't control gravity like Conquest could. Maybe if she used the sand to her advantage..?

Okay, maybe not so much. With a stumble Candace did manage to strike at the boy's side with a spinning kick, jumping back and away as quickly as she could.

HP: 50/50
Damage done: 4
Charge: 1/3; 0/2  

[demon_pachabel]

"Neither." Invictus answered simply, sliding barely across the sand as Candace struck him before he again created a projectile in his hand, this one much sharper and much more aerodynamic - perhaps it was actually intended to hit this time, and with Candace getting up close and personal with him....

It was easy enough for him to just launch it right into her without worrying about aiming.

He was playing a game of bait-and-switch, it seemed, though he didn't seem to be smug in the least about having actually hit her. In fact, his expression remained blank - unreadable.

HP: 56/60
Damage: 6  

[Eight]

What the hell? She wasn't getting a rise out of him. The other creatures of this place got angry when she talked to them. They got stupid, reckless, enraged; they left themselves open for her to strike them down. This one though? He didn't do any of those things. He was calm, cool and collected. Candace didn't like it. She didn't like fighting someone who didn't respond to her, someone she couldn't read. It was infuriating.

Remember what you've been told, Candace. Don't lose your head or you might actually lose it. Candace frowned. Right, right. He's just...unnerving. I don't like it.

And there it was! A bullet to the stomach. She coughed and nearly doubled over, forcing herself to stay standing. Damn! That hurt! Her eyes narrowed as she tried something risky in an unsteady terrain like this, throwing herself backward onto her hands and bringing her legs up with her. The kicks were aimed for his face, and they certainly connected with something. Candace was too busy staring at her hands and judging when she needed to tumble down to see what she'd hit, landing with less grace than she was used to onto her feet again.

HP: 44/50
Damage done: 3
Charge: 2/3; 0/2  

[demon_pachabel]

He didn't even enjoy talking while fighting, really. The few times he did it was because it was improper to not respond to the conversations that were being posed to him by the students of Amityville, and those were people he felt it prudent to respond to. The hunters didn't deserve such niceties from Conquest, no matter what level of manners or tradition he'd been taught.

She was definitely up to theatrics, but he wasn't really impressed by them, shifting to throw one of his shoulders into her attack to keep her from actually striking him in the face, taking this moment to make the easiest move he could with the position she was in -

Gravity the ground she was balanced in and make the sand shift violently.

HP:53/60
Damage: 4  

[Eight]

The shifting sand did its thing. Candace fell flat on her a**.

HP: 40/50
Damage done: MISS
Charge: 2/3; 0/2  

[demon_pachabel]

While the Hunter was down, Invictus struck again, lifting a hand and forming multiple projectiles all at once, releasing them in an easy flurry of assault, one after the other. His aim wasn't all that bad, given the proximity.

Then again, it was a nice vengeance for her assumptions that he was going to play nice with her. He didn't want to play nice, he was just going to assert his dominance - which was just his thing.

HP:53/60
Damage: 8  

[Eight]

Candace winced, throwing her arms up over her head to cover as much of the barrage as she could. This little b***h! There was no way she was going to let him keep doing this to her!

She managed to get to her feet again, narrowed eyes glaring darkly at the pony boy. All she needed was one more hit, it didn't matter where or how hard. Candace struck out again, managing to nick him with the tip of Atropos' blade. She was grinning now, looking all too smug. Perfect. Now she just had to hope she didn't miss this time.

HP: 34/50
Damage done: 1
Charge: 3/3; 0/2  

[demon_pachabel]

Her smugness was betraying, taking advantage of her proximity to take up another formed projectile to launch it at her again, shifting in the sand to see if he could possibly stave off what she was so smug about.

He had two years on her experience with the hunters - he knew exactly how the weapons worked and likely what would be coming.

HP: 52/60
Damage: 3  

[Eight]

Atropos was distracting. She kept purring and cooing and pleading and begging, and she was just..she sounded so...ugh! The way she was begging for release was just so unsettling sometimes. And the sand wasn't helping any. The next projectile hit her just as she was about to strike, Atropos' gems glowing brightly as her heel dug into the sand in just the wrong way in her failed attempt to dodge the new hit.

She hit the ground. Again. This was pathetic. ******** SAND!

HP: 31/50
Damage done: Miss I hate you so much right now Candace
Charge: 0/3; 1/2 spent  

[demon_pachabel]

Candace's catastrophic fail caused Invictus's attack to sail right past her as she was no longer where he'd been aiming to begin with.

Oops.

HP: 52/60
Damage: 2  

[Eight]

This was unacceptable! Candace refused to let this damn pony boy get the better of her. After that humiliating fall that cost her a really good charged attack, Candace had to make up for it. So she threw herself at the boy with everything she had, slashing across Invictus' middle with as powerful a kick as she could manage with her balance being thrown off by the sand.

HP: 31/50
Damage done: 7
Charge: 1/3; 1/2 spent