School House Rumbles 3: Act 3. Warriors and Liberators.

[Eternal Torment]

"Like I'm telling you now. You'll have to wait and see," she says in a teasing manner. The later that is, the more time she'll have to make sure she can actually do it.

"Heh. I can expect it to be impressive, as always." Sloane said with a more honest smile. "How's the training coming along, by the way? Feelin' like you're at your best?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

She frowns. "If she is at Baad Industries, she is safe, right? I mean, they are her parents, so I doubt they would let anything happen to her."

"They're working with Volkov, so I wouldn't say 'safe'."

She smirks. "Well, at least Mrs. Lindström will like you."

"That's really all I need." He smiled. "But that's enough of that. You going to be glad to see Madelyn again?"

She quirks an eyebrow, having missed what he muttered under his breath. "True. But I'm seriously lacking some of the more esoteric stuff. I guess I'll have to work on that."

Thank you for small miracles. "I suppose. But you're failing to take into account what's happened to me of late... esoteric may not be in your best interest." He chuckled. "Besides, you're lovely the way you are now."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Heh. I can expect it to be impressive, as always." Sloane said with a more honest smile. "How's the training coming along, by the way? Feelin' like you're at your best?"

"Me too. The training's coming along great. I think I'm back to my prime. Just ask Cas."

[Eternal Torment]

"Me too. The training's coming along great. I think I'm back to my prime. Just ask Cas."

"Ha. Well, it must feel amazing to be so fit and beautiful." Sloane chuckled.

For all of his... jammed-up feelings, he had to say that he didn't find it weird or otherwise out of the ordinary. This new level of conditioning that Ramilia had attained made her look even better than before.

Of course, his focus wasn't on that. The energy and confidence she exuded was quite fetching. Indeed, if there was one thing that he would be attracted to, it was her strong personality. Would anybody fault him for being drawn to her for that reason? There was no doubt that he was tempted, but he was not somebody who would disregard the respect he had for her.

"If you want the truth, it's that I really wouldn't mind losing to you. Granted, that hardly means I'd go easy on you. Can't be slacking when you're working so hard yourself."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"They're working with Volkov, so I wouldn't say 'safe'."

Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head, trying to make sense of it. "But why, how? How could they ally themselves with someone who tried to kill their daughter?"

"That's really all I need." He smiled. "But that's enough of that. You going to be glad to see Madelyn again?"

She smiles dreamily. "Yeah. I, uh, am in dire need of her company, ya know?"

Thank you for small miracles. "I suppose. But you're failing to take into account what's happened to me of late... esoteric may not be in your best interest." He chuckled. "Besides, you're lovely the way you are now."

She blushes at his comment. She's got to admit, he has balls to be a charming with her in front of his fiance. Luckily she's a lesbian, or this might be trouble. "Well, unlike you, I don't have any old god fuckers jonesing to turn me into one of them, so I think I'll be alright. But thank you."

"Ha. Well, it must feel amazing to be so fit and beautiful." Sloane chuckled.

Jeez, these guys. It's like they're trying to get into her pants with all this 'oh, you're so beautiful' and 'you're so lovely the way you are'. Sheesh.

With her cheeks blushing furiously, she nods. "Yeah, it is. Heh."

For all of his... jammed-up feelings, he had to say that he didn't find it weird or otherwise out of the ordinary. This new level of conditioning that Ramilia had attained made her look even better than before.

Of course, his focus wasn't on that. The energy and confidence she exuded was quite fetching. Indeed, if there was one thing that he would be attracted to, it was her strong personality. Would anybody fault him for being drawn to her for that reason? There was no doubt that he was tempted, but he was not somebody who would disregard the respect he had for her.

"If you want the truth, it's that I really wouldn't mind losing to you. Granted, that hardly means I'd go easy on you. Can't be slacking when you're working so hard yourself."

This brings a smile to her face. "That's good to hear. There's no shamed in losing to a champ, right?"

[Eternal Torment]

Jeez, these guys. It's like they're trying to get into her pants with all this 'oh, you're so beautiful' and 'you're so lovely the way you are'. Sheesh.

With her cheeks blushing furiously, she nods. "Yeah, it is. Heh."

"Aw, you're modest even now." Sloane smiled lightly. That expression really was cute. "You better be careful. One blush too many and I might be forced to forfeit. I couldn't possibly raise my fist against a face as lovely as yours."

This brings a smile to her face. "That's good to hear. There's no shamed in losing to a champ, right?"

"Yeah. It's better to go down against the best than to run over the weakest of the brackets. I'm lookin' forward to the conclusion, whichever way it goes. Best 2 outta 3, right? Winner take all."

A more decisive end to their series, no doubt.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head, trying to make sense of it. "But why, how? How could they ally themselves with someone who tried to kill their daughter?"

"The way I understand it, they just captured her and gave her to them." More like she was property than an actual person.

She smiles dreamily. "Yeah. I, uh, am in dire need of her company, ya know?"

Well shit. That sentence alone called to mind quite a few images, that were... unpleasantly pleasant. "I'm uh... pretty sure I do." He coughed. "Gonna get to see her soon, though.."

She blushes at his comment. She's got to admit, he has balls to be a charming with her in front of his fiance. Luckily she's a lesbian, or this might be trouble. "Well, unlike you, I don't have any old god fuckers jonesing to turn me into one of them, so I think I'll be alright. But thank you."

He simply smiled when she blushed. "Been waiting all day to see that..." dropping the smile for a frown, he then sighed. "It's not so bad. I don't need sleep, food... air. Pretty sure I don't need blood anymore..." He trailed off. "Yeah... it's pretty shit, actually."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Aw, you're modest even now." Sloane smiled lightly. That expression really was cute. "You better be careful. One blush too many and I might be forced to forfeit. I couldn't possibly raise my fist against a face as lovely as yours."

God. Why is Sloane such a sweetheart?

"Oh, is that so? Well, now I know your weakness."

"Yeah. It's better to go down against the best than to run over the weakest of the brackets. I'm lookin' forward to the conclusion, whichever way it goes. Best 2 outta 3, right? Winner take all."

A more decisive end to their series, no doubt.

She nods. "That sounds good. I'm good either way, too."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"The way I understand it, they just captured her and gave her to them." More like she was property than an actual person.

Now that he says it, she remembers hearing something about them seeing her more as property than a person. "People like them make me sick. Get Vi out of there."

Well shit. That sentence alone called to mind quite a few images, that were... unpleasantly pleasant. "I'm uh... pretty sure I do." He coughed. "Gonna get to see her soon, though.."

Yeah, yeah he does. "Yeah you will. I would like to tell you something about that."

He simply smiled when she blushed. "Been waiting all day to see that..." dropping the smile for a frown, he then sighed. "It's not so bad. I don't need sleep, food... air. Pretty sure I don't need blood anymore..." He trailed off. "Yeah... it's pretty shit, actually."

She waits until her blush finally fades away before responding. "Sounds pretty shit. Is there anything you actually still need?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

Now that he says it, she remembers hearing something about them seeing her more as property than a person. "People like them make me sick. Get Vi out of there."

"Alright... but I'm not even sure I'm going." He replied.

Yeah, yeah he does. "Yeah you will. I would like to tell you something about that."

"What's that?" He looks at her curiously.

She waits until her blush finally fades away before responding. "Sounds pretty shit. Is there anything you actually still need?"

"As I understand it without a connection to the leylines, I'll die within a week." He paused. "Still need my major organs, brain... but that's it as far as physical needs." He sighed, "really not good relationship material."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Alright... but I'm not even sure I'm going." He replied.

"Well, as long as Takeshi is going, I know she will be getting out safely."

"What's that?" He looks at her curiously.

She turns very serious. "When you meet her, don't let me catch you being charming with her. Is that crystal?"

"As I understand it without a connection to the leylines, I'll die within a week." He paused. "Still need my major organs, brain... but that's it as far as physical needs." He sighed, "really not good relationship material."

She quirks an eyebrow. That doesn't sound like a square deal. "So, did you get anything good out of this deal? And let's not start doubting your relationship material. We'll be here all day," she jokes.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"Well, as long as Takeshi is going, I know she will be getting out safely."

"Definitely, only problem is they don't have much of a plan."

She turns very serious. "When you meet her, don't let me catch you being charming with her. Is that crystal?"

"I don't think that'll be much of a problem, now." He paused. "But, I will speak French with her. If she finds it charming, I'll go ahead and apologize now."

She quirks an eyebrow. That doesn't sound like a square deal. "So, did you get anything good out of this deal? And let's not start doubting your relationship material. We'll be here all day," she jokes.

"The giant rock thing I can turn into now, for starters. Plus the sword, and shadow magic." He paused and pulled out Tenebrous, only to begin spinning the tip in small circles while he talked. "Physically, unless I have my heart, or brain removed or damaged beyond fixing, serious wounds will just slow me down, and I'm uh... functionally immortal."

He sighed out a chuckle "and we'd be here the better part of two days, I think."

[Eternal Torment]

God. Why is Sloane such a sweetheart?

"Oh, is that so? Well, now I know your weakness."

"You're the only one who could exploit it, Ramilia. That'd hardly be fair, though. Who could resist, if they had the same weakness?"

She nods. "That sounds good. I'm good either way, too."

"The time and place are yours to choose. It's the courteous thing to do, I'd think."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Definitely, only problem is they don't have much of a plan."

Well, it is Takeshi, so that does not come as a big shock. Still, she frowns and looks up at him. "That is not surprising. Even if you do not go with them, please make sure that he and whoever he takes with them know exactly what they are going to do when they get there."

"I don't think that'll be much of a problem, now." He paused. "But, I will speak French with her. If she finds it charming, I'll go ahead and apologize now."

She looks at him through narrowed eyes, but nods. "Good," she says simply.

"The giant rock thing I can turn into now, for starters. Plus the sword, and shadow magic." He paused and pulled out Tenebrous, only to begin spinning the tip in small circles while he talked. "Physically, unless I have my heart, or brain removed or damaged beyond fixing, serious wounds will just slow me down, and I'm uh... functionally immortal."

He sighed out a chuckle "and we'd be here the better part of two days, I think."

When he pulls out the sword, she begins to feel uncomfortable. She can't even look at it; something in her look at the floor when he begins to twirl it about. "Yeah, that all sounds nice. Especially being immortal."

"You're the only one who could exploit it, Ramilia. That'd hardly be fair, though. Who could resist, if they had the same weakness?"

She chuckles at this. With all these compliments and stuff, she would swear he had feelings for her. Well, she already knows he's attracted to her, because who isn't.

But, she thinks this may go beyond just physical attraction.

Does she feel the same way, if that is indeed the case? She has always still found men attractive, and even felt some feelings for some, but never bothered to act on them.

With Sloane, it's the same. There's no use in denying it. She feels drawn to him because of his kind, sweet personality. But is that all she feels for him?

"Heh. I think you'd need some kinda, like, super willpower to resist this," she points to her face.

"The time and place are yours to choose. It's the courteous thing to do, I'd think."

"I'll think about it. More than likely it'll be after we take Volkov down."

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

"How close can your archway system get me?"

"Close. Two blocks away or so. But Baad HQ is teeming with not only their guards, but Volkov's people too. A rescue mission would be quite dangerous. And if you did hit there, you would have to be quick because once Volkov knows Baad's been hit, our window to take him down shrinks even more because his security will go through the roof."