Spectator Thread: Akkuma v Yasha

[Michi]

Takahashi Shiori -- Suna

She had no active interest in most of the fights, the combatants were utterly irrelevant to her. Some of them looked absolutely yummy but meat is meat as far as she was concerned, it was not often that livestock actually offended her. Well, perhaps not even livestock, more like vermin in this case. Akkuma was a demon or at least was a part-demon as he would so often flaunt. It was offensive, derogatory even. She cared not for his dalliances or venereal diseases, those were between himself, his concubines, whores and desperate strangers that would have him. What she cared about was that he trod, spread his seek and tainted her countryside with his corrupted presence. She simply did not like the fact that he was alive, the fact that Sunagakure tolerated him vexed her to no end. Demons were the antithesis of everything that she stood for -- rules, order, fate. A demon represented unbridled chaos. Yes, many simply consider demons evil and for the most part they were correct, by nature demons were a cursed race, but her qualms with him had no ethic or moral quandary tied to her sentiments. She hated Akkuma for his nature, not his actions. His actions did nothing to disprove her of course. She was not wrong about him, he was a perverse power-mongering creature who did not have Wind Country's best interests at heart, he had his interests at heart.

It was easy to take the high road when discussing demons...

Enter a woman dressed in all white. She stood out, from her flaxen tresses and her high-heel shoes that allowed the already tall woman to tower over her contemporaries. She did not look like she was here to watch a bloodbath. She looked like she was going out for an expensive dinner. Maybe she was. She would enter the stadium alone and wordlessly take a seat among the unwashed masses. Well, not entirely among them, she had paid for a slightly better seat in the periphery of the arena. The people she killed for this spot... Well, only a couple of people - husband and wife she would like to think. They were hardly nutritious. Not satisfying in the least. She saw them leaving this box at the end of the first day, they had been dead since the end of the first round and from the look of things they were not even missed. The other seat, it held her purse.

She crossed her legs, one over the other and laid her arms on the arm rests. At least she was not going to have to deal with a troublesome Kazekage or some reckless and soon to be endangered construct,

 

[Midori Futotta]

Although Maru didn't bet on anyone this go round, he was satisfied with how another fight went within round two. The person who he wanted to see lose had lost his fight epically now he was going to see a fight another fight. A person who the puppet master in particular wanted to see win this tournament, Miroku Akkuma. Last fight, through thick and thin he fought that Hyuuga and left him completely broken when the fight ended. Now it seems that someone from the sound village is to go toe to toe with Akkuma. Some girl who looked pretty cute, perhaps if she goes to the hospital he could pay her a visit then steal her to make her into a human puppet! But of course, he'll have to watch to see how this thing would go.

Walking to find a seat, he saw a familiar face. It was the lady who was watching Akkuma's fight before who threatened to take him apart one time, Maru moved over to where Shiori sat then pointed at the empty seat next to her. “Howdy! That seat taken?” Maru asked, but before the woman could answer he plopped down and crossed his legs. She probably wouldn't recognize him since he was wearing a different body now this one. He had on an all white suit with a stylish white top hat. He wore a fancy looking monocle, with brown hair down to his shoulders with a confident smirk plastered on his face. He removed his hat then removed his head to wave to Akkuma wondering if he would see him waving his head at him before putting his head back on his shoulders. “Nice seeing you around, I'm guessing you're still rooting against Akkuma hm?” He said, chuckling deeply.

 

[Aburabuta Yutaka]

NPC: Isayama Takayuki

Today had been a divisive day for Takayuki emotionally speaking. When he'd learned that Matsuo Yasha would be taking the place of whatever half-baked mechanical monstrosity that Master Tarou had cooked up, he'd been at once conflicted about it. He'd known Yasha for many years now and knew her temperament to be... explosive and even if he found that impulsively electric part of her personally attractive it couldn't be argued that she was not the best fit for an organized situation that had rules and regulations. If her opponent got her too excited or pushed her too far who knew what could happen. Still, it was a significant honor that Yasha had earned enough of the Grand Master's faith to be allowed to participate in the tournament. He'd heard through the grapevine that she'd stormed the palace where the Grand Master and Master Tarou were staying and brutally executed Tarou's tin-can toy before dumping it's broken head at their feet.

He had to admit the idea of seeing Master Tarou's twisted features curled into an expression of rage and indignation was significantly appealing. Takayuki, like both Master Zankou and Yasha, held a deep dislike for the half-dead Master of Journeymen.

But the cherry on top was when Takayuki found out who Yasha was going to be fighting. He looked a little different now and was sporting a new set of what had to be artificially attached fluffy tails but Takayuki could never forget the name Miroku Akkuma as the idiot demon-kin shinobi that had bought the even more incompetent Wind Daimyo's nonsense hook, line and sinker and ended up putting a bunch of innocent by-standers into harm's way as a result of his insanity. As soon as Takayuki found out who Yasha's opponent was any doubt in his mind about whether or not Yasha was going to mutilate him went out the window.

In fact, he might have even preferred that outcome.

Still there loomed the ever present threat of the Grand Master. Takayuki knew the Otokage better than most in Otogakure given his proximity to him as one of Kageoni's apprentices and he knew that the Grand Master would not think kindly on misbehavior from Yasha resulting in a disqualification for their village. The gaze of the Otokage was great but also terrible in that having his eyes upon you could result in a significant rise through the ranks and authority as it had for Takayuki... or it could result in a gruesome and ruthless death as it had for so many before him. Yasha could easily secure for herself a position similar to Takayuki's as one of Kageoni's apprentices but that isn't something that he wanted for her. Zanku was a bastard but at least he was a straight forward bastard.

Sitting a few seats up from where Suna and Maru were interacting, Takayuki was only distantly aware of them as focused as he was on the fight unfolding down below. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, Takayuki scowled lightly as an object which was tossed up into the air and then caught by Maru briefly distracted him from the fight. He didn't realize it at first but the thought dawned on him a few moments after Maru had caught the object that Takayuki had originally thought was a ball...

... was that a head?

 

[Michi]

She had missed the upset between a Kohonan and a Kumo, rumor had it that the few that voted in favor of Kumo made bank while a few wealthy gamblers lost their shirts. A shame really, it was easy for her to claim that the fear of losses was why she never bet but the truth be told she could always take the very money she would bet and conceivably give away or use to 'earn' her fortune. Losses and gains truly did not matter, she took what she wanted and she was given what she never even asked for. She was worth it truly. Of course it made the thrill of the gamble, the roll of the metaphorical dice, mundane. There was no thrill because without risk, it was nothing more than a game of mathematics, probability and what sort of fun was there to be had in academics?

The battle would begin, Akkuma was if nothing else predictable. His movements similar to those in his previous fray against the Kumo-nin. Her eyes would not leave either of them and what her eyes missed, her ears always caught what was lost. That scritch, that near indescribable buzz. She had heard it before and she was now hearing it again. She did not fully understand what the demon was but she was studying him. The movements were not the same, the barrier was new, it was the pattern that was important. The problem with patterns is, you become predictable. The same path trod over and over, with routine comes lackadaisical disregard. That new twisted root that creeps across the path in the dead of night that catches a bleary-eyed traveled by the heel. That water slowly brought to a boil while one bathes.

“Howdy! That seat taken?”

If words had color, he would sound effeminate.

He did not wait for her answer before he plopped his metal? Wood? Well, certainly not fleshy ass down in her purse's seat. It was fine, she carried kunais and lipstick in there. Either stabbed in the ass or painted red. She did not care which but she liked that shade of coral she had taken off brunch earlier in the week as she was not going to wear ass coral. His ass can keep it. The boyish man certainly looked like a dandy with his white suit and monocle. They still made those? She did not pay the stranger much mind, honestly if Maru was wearing the same suit it would not have made any difference because she considered the construct irrelevant. However, she knew exactly what this one was. she had seen it before in Maru. She had heard it before rather. Shiori had keen senses, her sense of sound not lost with age. She could hear his heart beat but nothing else. No gurgle of the stomach. No rhythmic sound of breath less the sudden gust used to make sound. He was a vessel, nothing more and therefore irrelevant, in fact he shared the same status as the bag beneath his posterior.

Then manequin detached his head and gave Akkuma a jovial wave.

Damn freak.

“Nice seeing you around, I'm guessing you're still rooting against Akkuma hm?”

"You're sitting on my lipstick," she complained, mentioning the most relevant point of conversation. "But yeah... go what's her name..." she announced with a bored tone as she raised her right index finger and spun it about in a sarcastic manner. She would enjoy nothing more than to see Akkuma lick the Sound shinobi;s boots, in the end it did not matter of course because her oppertunity was somewhere down the line.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Lord Steward of Sungakure arrived late to his seat. He wore his formal wear which made him stand out like a sore thumb. He was carrying a small tray of snacks. He did not recognize the young man who he sat next to. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair and it creaked rather noisily. Sousuke's expression soured at the notion of the creaking chair. He would place the tray of snacks to the side. He would hold his metallic hand up and the tip of his index finger a small cross screw driver would appear. He would look to the individual in question. "I'm going to fix the seat, so you're not going to have to deal with a creaking chair... it is a deplorable sound I know."<i></i> He spoke to Takayuki in a monotone but polite manner. A few moments later, Sousuke fixed said chair and would sit upon it. He would then shift the goodies he had brought earlier on his lap.

Sousuke was ... well, he wasn't here to watch Akkuma to cheer him on. He was here for political reasons really. Akkuma last time in an arena setting had gotten himself arrested, killed several people in the process, it was unpleasant in the extreme. Sousuke acquired a bag of popped corn now and absent mindedly tilted it in Tayuki's direction. After a moment he spoke, "You're welcome to have some. I am told people like to eat copious amounts of food during sporting events. They also drink alcohol as well, and get quite loud too. You need not worry about the alcohol in my case, however, I would suspect we might get sprayed by people should this fight end poorly."<i></i> Curiously Sousuke had invested some money on the female fighter. He had no clue who she was, but he certainly hoped that she would give Akkuma a sound trashing.

Sosuke would watch too below as an individual waved a hat about and a foreign object as well. He looked to the individual and noticed where the head was, there was no head. Oh. Joy. Sousuke's spare hand would cover the side of his face. Please. Do not cause a panic. Please no. "So. Did you put any money on either of the parties?"<i></i>

 

[Midori Futotta]

Wait, what?” Maru said as he raised himself up to realized that he was sitting in the woman's purse and ended up getting red lipstick all over the seat of his pants along with a couple of kunai that stuck from his wooden backside. He plucked the kunai from his cheeks then kindly removed the purse from the seat then sat back down, believing he might have to change suits after this fight was over. Holding her purse on his lap, he pulled out the lipstick that ruined his pants, examining it for a moment tilting his head. “I wonder if you could weaponize this? Your lips where on this right?“ he asked, noticing that her lips were the same shade which proves his point. “Yup! Sure looks like it.” He exclaimed, pretty confident before twisting the cap to keep the lipstick in tack then placed it in his coat pocket.

“Well you seem excited.” He said in a joking manner. “The cutie down there looks to have the same abilities as Akkuma's last opponent, only with a bit more darkness. I wonder if she is gonna be broken like that Hyuuga.” He tapped his finger on his chin, the thought of having the cute sound ninja as a Hitokugustu crossed his mind again. Maru sat back with his legs crossed as he watched the two fighters go at one another. Since the fight was a bit early he couldn't actually tell at first glance who had the upper hand but he still had hope for Akkuma since he made it pass that hard to put down Hyuuga. Then he heard someone ask something which probably wasn't actually directed towards him but he decided to answer any! Twisting his neck to to face the man, he raised a hand. “Nah, unfortunately I was late for betting… But I assure you Akkuma will win.” Maru said, then again he removed his head from his shoulders with his right hand. “I'll bet the devil my head on that one.” He said before reattaching his head back on his shoulders.

He thought Akkuma's chances were pretty good, he had a bottomless pit of Chakra for what it seems, he could heal himself at will so if he played just right he'll come out of this with a win. Besides, he didn't think his opponent would do a large chunk of illusionary damage since she looks to be more about hitting things so Akkuma should be fine.

 

[Michi]

"You're going to weaponize my lipstick?" She parroted, her voice lacking enthusiasm. "And do what with it? ...have your opponent's lips clash with their nail color?" She rolled her eyes just in case her resting bitch face did not already say enough. Freak she mentally muttered. "I have already weaponized cosmetics as far as they can be weaponized with his face," she commented as she gestured towards her perfect face. One would have thought it a joke but she was actually serious. She was beautiful and she knew it, she chose this face after all after careful consideration. She did not become a tall, curvy blonde by random happenstance. She also had the strength to match her hubris.

He seemed more interested about where the lipstick had been. Her mouth, painted that same shade of coral, cocked to the side. Why did this guy have to be so dam weird? Well, he was happy with his souvenir for whatever reason, hopefully it would not be placed on some creepy shrine to her. Even if it was, it seemed like a him-issue.

“Well you seem excited.”

"A bit," she admitted as her eyes scanned the arena.

“The cutie down there looks to have the same abilities as Akkuma's last opponent, only with a bit more darkness. I wonder if she is gonna be broken like that Hyuuga.”

"Not a chance," Shiori replied with confidence. "Akkuma is too slow for most people," she observed. His fighting style was actually not terribly effective in her opinion, it suited his hubris and it manipulated his opponents of course. People are discouraged from making melee contact with someone when they are injured every time that they do. But whatever it was that continued to injure his opponents after first contact took hold took time. Too much time. Akkuma would be dead before he could break her. "Hoshi made a mistake," she insisted. She refused to believe that the Kumo-nin had lost. "He stopped fighting, he lacked the persistence necessary to win," she claimed. "Hoshi was more than capable of exceeding the limits of natural human endurance, meaning he had likely nearly twice the vitality as that lowly demon. But once his limbs broke, he lost his ambition and drive. Too stubborn to quit, too lazy to continue to fight. Had he struck back... moved to avoid Akkuma's assaults..." she shook her head. "That fight lasted well over a minute. Akkuma was wasteful; had Hoshi was a glorified punching bag." It was an interesting view of the fight, it was of course her view. The truth of the matter something that neither could really say without bias, recall is always through a lens shaded with prejudice. She hated demons, he could have been an exceptional combatant but she would never see it. Thankfully he wasn't. Thankfully this was Shiori and she was always right.

The former Steward Kazekage would take a seat a few rows behind. She would not notice him until she heard his voice. It was like nails on a chalkboard to her. They were not on the best of terms. Sousuke had killed her before and he had imprisoned her only kin. Someone she liked even less than Akkuma. Well, less than demons in general. Let's be fair, Akkuma is only special because he was the only demon in sight. She was well aware of the Toraono Clan, Sunagakure favor towards those deplorable creatures of corruption and chaos. Their elevation to a position of status in Sunagakure was only one point of contention between them. She remembered the breaking point in their relationship well -- the moment she learned that humans and Ancients could never co-exist. Mikaboshi would always be tethered to Sousuke's will and blade, Mikaboshi's strength, power and essence Sousuke's to take because he could... because it was owed to him... because Mikaboshi might do something that wronged him... It was an unforgivable trespass to her and it was something she could not turn a blind eye to. She refused to. Mikaboshi eventually forgave him. Perhaps forgot. Maybe he just felt it was advantageous enough to ally himself with the former Kazekage. To an extent she did the same after Sousuke ripped her apart and filled her body with earth before he took her breath away from her by encasing her in stone. It was an exceptionally painful way to die. She went through the cycle of death-rebirth-life again as she had before, taking a new form each time as she always had. Weak as birth is hard, she hid among the sheep and forced a smile but she had recovered enough that it was no longer necessary to hide. He likely knew who she was by now, his Sennins had likely told him but it mattered not to her. She would fight him any time and with as many of his men as he could gather.

She might not win but she did not care, she would take someone down with her and eventually she would be back. She always came back.

Still, despite the big words in her mind, she had grown pale. She hardly even noticed Maru address the party behind them. That is until Maru made a wager:

“I'll bet the devil my head on that one.”

"Is your heart in it?" The 'devil' asked with a smile. "If your heart is not in it, I doubt the Devil is interested."

 

[Aburabuta Yutaka]

NPC: Isayama Takayuki

Takayuki's concentration on watching the match unfolding in the center of the stadium was interrupted by the person who had decided to take the seat next to him announcing that he was going to repair the stadium seat that he'd selected instead of sit there. For his part Takayuki didn't even turn to regard the person addressing him-- he wasn't here for other people. He was here for Yasha. There was a collective "Oooooooooh!" from the crowd as the blonde-haired demonkind girl planted her foot in Akkuma's chest and set him skipping across the sand of the arena from the force of the blow. Her voice shook the ground as she shouted a taunt at him trying to get him to stand back up and fight her properly and that brought a smile to Takayuki's lips. Akkuma was finally getting that beating he was due. It wouldn't make up for the people he'd put in danger but it was nice to see him getting his just desserts all the same.

Once again his attention was pulled away from the fight as the person sitting next to him addressed him a second time, this time making an unsolicited offer to share his popcorn with him causing Takayuki to turn finally to look at this complete stranger that was attempting to abruptly socialize with him during the event that they were all trying to watch.
As Takayuki turned his eyes towards Sousuke, his expression went wide in recognition and the moment of realization caused him to jump to his feet and knock the popcorn bag that had been tilted in his direction to the ground.

"Are you that arrogant or just plain stupid to think that I wouldn't remember your face?" Breathed Takayuki threateningly as he glowered down at Sousuke.

He didn't know he was addressing a former Kazekage. The only thing that Takayuki knew about Sousuke was that he recognized him from that day in Soon's Haven when he'd confronted a man who looked identically to him, save the color of his eyes, skin and hair, had kidnapped a handful of innocent people off of the street as "tribute". His fingers balled into fists, there was an ominous aura that gathered around Takayuki for a moment before he took a deep breath and reminded himself that the Grand Master had specifically instructed him not to cause trouble and the last time that he'd been ordered to do that he had almost started a street fight with this very same individual in Soon's Haven. Kageoni had not been pleased to discover that Takayuki had willingly violated his orders and had punished him accordingly... enough so that the memory of that punishment was still raw enough to quell the embers of wrath that burned in his heart.

"Stay away from me, psychopath." He seethed, pushing his way past Sousuke and down the small stair-case in the box leading to the glass barrier that was between them and the outside air.

Shoulders heaving with barely restrained bloodlust, Takayuki leaned against the window off to the side so as to not impair the vision of any of the other spectators and put his attention towards watching Yasha fight to distract him from the rising urge to beat Sousuke to a pulp. He knew that, at least in part, some of that hunger for battle was the ever-present temptation of Jashin scratching at the back of his mind and that was good enough reason to resist the temptation to accost the Steward even if he didn't have the additional motivation of fearing reprisal from the Otokage.

 

[Jiro]

Spoiler: Jiro

Jiro had known that Akkuma would win the first round against Hoshi. He was the one who would win the tournament, or that was what the sadistic blonde thought. However, watching this second fight of the tournament, he was no longer so sure. The kitsune was getting destroyed. Akkuma-Sama, no....

The second round of the fight with the bitch he was fighting against seemed to not go so well. He tensed slightly as he watched, making his way closer. However, something caught his attention. A group of people lingering, the name of his Sensei on their lips. And not in a good way.

The way they were watching the man made him growl softly. Something was going on and he had always been taught to be suspicious. Making his way over, he knew he should have used caution, but subtlety was not in the Chigokai's nature -- no matter how many times it had been beaten into him or tortured into him. That was how the insane blonde found himself leaning against the steel barrier right next to the group. He looked from the fight back to the group of spectators. Was one the Kazekage? He looked important.

As Jiro walked past him, he sniffed the man. He smelled as important as he looked, it seemed. The scent made Jiro bristle although he did not know why. And then he licked the strange male, cringing and wrinkling his nose in disgust -- the taste of oil, metal and disappointment thick on his tongue. "You taste like oil, metal, disappointment and broken dreams," he stated before walking back down to the lower level.

When he finally stopped, he looked at the female of the group as she commented about Akkuma. He practically growled at her, an almost feral sound. "Akkuma-Sama isn't slow!" he exclaimed. "He's gonna win this. I know he is..." Jiro turned to face her. "You know nothing of my Neko-Chan."

Who does this bitch think she is?! He was half-tempted to poison her drink, or use the blood claws he cherished so much and slit her throat, make her pay or those words spoken about Akkuma with such disdain. He had not even stopped to think that maybe he was the only person cheering for Akkuma in his group, perhaps even the whole arena.

"C'mon, Akkuma-Sama!" he said, loud enough to be heard. His hand absently moving to trail over the curse seals along his wrists. The ones that had been placed there by Akkuma all those years ago. Well, he had a few new additions since then. The tattooed marks took over most of his body, but he did not seem ashamed of them.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke mentally sighed as it took him a moment to recall the needed data to understand what had in fact just happened to him. Ah. Yes. This was the Ranger who ran into him in Soon's during a not so effective moment in his career. The Soon's visit was a very odd time, and perhaps the way Sousuke went about trying to get answers was not the wisest but it did give him some answers. The Steward observed him from afar and watched him with mild interest. Was he start going to have another fit like he did the first time? Time would tell. Sousuke would break eye contact and reacquire the bag of pop corn that had been so rudely been thrown. The Steward retrieved the bag and by this time the sand genin Jiro was at his side. "Can I help you ... Takashi Jiro?"<i></i> He questioned the young man. Curiously he was then licked. Okay. That was a different kind of way to greet a person. Yume accidently licked his gauntlet one time as she was studying it because her primal Inuzuka nature kicked in, but this was ... very different. He knew of the young man's association with Akkuma which explained why he was present to watch this battle. The Steward's dark eyes narrowed when he was told what he tasted like. Metal? Fine. Oil? Fine. Disappointment? Sure. Sousuke was disappointed in himself from time to time sure. Broken dreams? Okay. That was new. Sousuke didn't really dream. When he did sleep, which was very rare, he didn't dream. At least not that he knew of. Alright. In the matter of two minutes he was faced with an awkward predicament. The first being an angry individual who ... was just going to walk away. The second was a person who licked him who was also going to walk away.

The Steward's metallic hand covered his face and his hand slid down said face. He wearily reached into the pop corn bag and removed a handful. He would sit back in the chair and munch said popcorn quietly. Things were not going to be getting better either as Jiro was now shouting at a woman. The Steward's vision moved over to the person he was shouting at which was ... great. This just got better. Rioshi was present. Sousuke's eyes rolled for a moment. The machine of a man merely accepted that this was going to be a 'swell day'. It was not often that the Steward employed sarcasm. Right then. Akkuma was being beat to a pulp. Rioshi was here, and while the Steward put the past behind him it still caused him to be wary of her. He half expected her to cause a scene ... which she did on a small scale with Jiro who was shouting back at her. Grand. If Rioshi were to so much as to cast a glance in his direction, the Steward would raise his metallic hand and give her a friendly wave with a small smile. She knew full well he did not smile, and that this if anything was ground breaking.

 

[Midori Futotta]

“Relax, its still a bit early to tell if Akkuma would win or not, I'm pretty confident that he gots this in the bag..” He said, looking down at the fight he would see the girl he was fighting really putting in some work in beating the crap out of Akkuma. It was a good thing he was a fast healer otherwise he would be as good as knocked out already, thinking that he was just having a bad round Maru decided to place a little wager of his own with 'the devil.’ “Awwe, hon I didn't know you wanted my heart. Tell you what, I would bet the devil my head and my heart if you put your body on the line.” He said, rubbing his hands greedily. “I think that would be a fair trade.. Nee HeeHee!” He giggled before turning his attention to the man who called Sousuke a psychopath. He watched closely, saying to himself. “Oooo conflict.” Before paying close attention to how the man would react.

But then, another person came. A younger looking man who sniffed Sousuke and proceeded to lick the man like some curious dog before saying he tasted like oil, metal, disappointment, and broken dreams. The puppet master chuckled. “Owch! That gotta hurt tin man?” He shouted out to the man before Jiro came over to where him and Shiori sat, now he was yelling at Shiori for calling Akkuma slow. It was nice to see another Akkuma fan so as his usually greeting, he removed his hat to remove his head. Holding it in a fashion that he was taking his hat off to Jiro. “Howdy other Akkuma fan. Don't worry too much about blondie here, its probably that time of the month for her.” He leaned his headless body against Shiori, giving her a slight nudge before sitting up straight then putting his head back on.

He must've not been paying too much attention to the fight because by the time he looked away, Akkuma was Knocked Out… By this woman… with the similar looking abilities as the Hyuuga that he fought. Maru rubbed his eyes, then looked at the battle again.. He pulled out his glassy eyes from their sockets, rubbing each marble eye against his white jacket before pushing them back into his sockets. Still Akkuma was down for the count, Maru placed a hand on his chin, his face souring. “Well shit. Looks like he lost. BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” He began booing the woman. He saw Maki finally get beaten up by some cloudie, guess it was too much to ask for his favorite tournament fighter to win also.

 

[Michi]

“Relax, its still a bit early to tell if Akkuma would win or not, I'm pretty confident that he gots this in the bag.”

He was confident. A fucking fool, but he was a certain fool at the very least.

“Awwe, hon I didn't know you wanted my heart. Tell you what, I would bet the devil my head and my heart if you put your body on the line.”

There was a wager, of course there would be a wager. Pinocchio would of course place bet. Not that it mattered if they won or lost, whatever the abomination was, it was not getting out of Tea intact. Why the perversion, the quip about her body when it was likely his 'having wood' was likely a literal twig or something she could charge with a couple of batteries. "Not very original are you?"

“I think that would be a fair trade.. Nee HeeHee!”

"Deal." She replied. [Obviously renig on the deal or we can do some weird follow-up thread where you escape or something. I have an OC ethic as always.]

"Are you that arrogant or just plain stupid to think that I wouldn't remember your face?"

The teen and the Kazekage did not seem to get along. At least she took that from the tone of their exchange. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, she took satisfaction in the vexing encounter. She had a lot to hold against the former village leader, some stemmed from her suffering but the depths of her passions came from the fact that she felt betrayed. There was a time where she saw him as family and she thought he saw her that way too. Families, don't do the things that they did. Well, perhaps human families did. There was no trust, just fear, anger, and assumed malintent. That was why Mikaboshi was bound. That was why she could not tell him what she was, he knew who she was because she was the capricious, reckless, laughing youth he knew as well. But who she was did not matter did it? It was what she was that he hated, that he distrusted. If she had paid attention she would have seen it earlier, that he could never have had true affections for her. He claimed he had no such sentiments to share. This might have been true but it did not matter because capacity matter less than the end result, she was nothing to him as a human and as an Ancient she was an enemy. So an enemy she became.

“Oooo conflict.”

And the personification of ADD's attention was now elsewhere.

She was strong enough to kill him. She knew it and she was getting stronger with each passing month. In the years since her last death she has taken part in the ritual of consumption, it was either that or death once again and she knew it. Sousuke had no qualms ending her life. Oddly enough she never ended his, despite hating him. Was it that she could not bring herself to do it? She was capable. So capable. His pride over her defeat made her intensely angry. His continuation and his decay offended her. She could end it all. She could even do it here, it was not like a strange puppet or a teenager could stop her. It is not like the civilian masses could offer any significant resistance to her.

"Stay away from me, psychopath."

Those words took her from her thoughts. It was an appropriate phrase that described him well. She did not know of Takayuki's relationship with the Steward, only that he accurately assessed her former cousin. She let out a low laugh, it made no sound but shook her shoulders slightly. She did not urn back despite desperately wanting to. Hilarious.

Some partially clothed guy, well young man. He looked like a teenager really had bumbled his way into civilized seating. One would have thought that they would have had a gate or at least a man with a squirt bottle of water to drive away the strays. Regardless, he was interested only in Sousuke. The scent of shame and oil must have drawn him.

“Owch! That gotta hurt tin man?”

Then came the growling, as if someone had let their pet chihuahua out and they were started by a blade of grass. She did not bother to turn around of course, she was watching the entire exchange without actually looking at them. Eyes were limited by line of sight, the same could not be said of her sense of sound. She seemed somewhat self satisfied before the oddball defended the demon.

"Akkuma-Sama isn't slow!"

She let out a laugh, yes he was. It was taking him too long... longer than it should in any case to perform many of the actions he had tried to perform, comparatively he was standing still. She was not going to bother saying anything in reply of course, she was enjoying the blood bath. A demon finally in their proper place, at someone's feet.

"He's gonna win this. I know he is..."

He insisted like some child trying to state a fantasy as fact enough times in hopes that he could make it a reality. In fact, this sounded pretty familiar. Wasn't the mannequin also prattling on about the demon's assured victory? No, that could not possibly be it, they were watching the same fight as her weren't they? She let out a disgusted noise, the sort of noise one has when they realize that the fish they were paying ocean caught for was actually farmed and full of mercury. Gross and disappointing.

"You know nothing of my Neko-Chan."

Did he just call him a cat-person? Really? Her eyes rolled in response to the statement, "I know enough about your cat-man, sit and watch the show kid." She made a shooing motion with her left hand, there was likely a seat somewhere. "You would not want to miss learning how to skin a cat. I am assuming the blonde there is about to give a lesson in the fine art."

"C'mon, Akkuma-Sama!"

He shouted, not that it would make any difference. The power of what -- encouragement... would make him fight better? Longer? Get stronger? Hold his organs on the inside? Fucking Idiot. "Yeah-yeah... go whatever her name is..." She seemed to lack enthusiasm but this fight was so one-sided that this was getting boring really. What could a girl say but "see that fire?"</B><i></i> Such passion, it was no wonder that Homura used to love these gladiatorial battles, those were the days -- humans knew their place and the demons... well, they had their limited uses as well but most failed to earn the right to even live. She was not referring to Takayuki or Jiro, rather the bitch of a woman that was beating Akkuma's ass into the ground. If Shiori could have a thing for humans, she might have fallen in love. <B>"Ridiculously lovely creature," she commented with an almost discerning eye. It was far from a carnal want of course, although it certainly sounded that way. More from a practical standpoint, she was the sturdiest mare with the least blemishes and the strongest back among them. Or maybe it was as it sounded and she found the lady hot. The truth, a discussion for another day.

“Howdy other Akkuma fan. Don't worry too much about blondie here, its probably that time of the month for her.”

He gave Shiori a nudge just in time to turn around and see Akkuma on the ground. She gave Maru a nudge back. "I guess me being on the rag is the least of your concerns."

 

[Aburabuta Yutaka]

NPC: Isayama Takayuki

For a VIP box, this seating arrangement had rapidly become crowded. First by a member of the Sunagakure shinobi corps that Takayuki detested and then by another which seemed to... know him in some regard? But more importantly crowded by people cheering for that scumbag Akkuma. Takayuki felt his grip on the railing tighten as some of the others in the box voiced their support for the havoc loving demon idiot. With the way he'd put so many innocent people in harm's way during the last intervillage event, Akkuma didn't deserve any place of glory or celebrity the way he had and it made it all the more satisfying when Yasha decked him with enough force to cause the very superstructure of the stadium to rumble. Akkuma flew backwards and slammed into the wall and Takayuki jumped up, pumping his fist.

"Yeah, take that you shitbag!" He heard himself say, excitement overtaking any sense of propriety he might have otherwise had. In that moment he didn't care who the other people were cheering for, the only thing that mattered was that Yasha had beaten Akkuma and the demon-kin had gotten the beating that he deserved instead of a win.

The shockwave from Yasha's punch crashed through the stadium and finally hit the VIP box that they were collectively watching the fight from within causing the glass walls to explode outward, likely showering some fight fans down below with pulverized glass but Takayuki was undeterred by it. For anyone else the action was probably over but for him one important question remained to be answered: would Yasha be able to keep things under control enough to walk away from Akkuma without disqualifying herself by brutalizing the demon sage's unconscious body? As much as Takayuki felt like he'd enjoy seeing Yasha rip Akkuma limb from limb, it would not please Kageoni that his fighter had been disqualified due to unnecessary brutality and would almost certainly lead to her punishment. For a moment it seemed like what Takayuki feared might happen would come to pass but she seemed to get things under control and began to walk away from the fight.

Good job, Yasha.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke stood up and clapped his hands together for a singular clap. "Yes."<i></i> He declared soundly. Sousuke was not a fan of Akkuma. Sousuke's patience had wore thin with the man. He very much wanted to throw Akkuma and all of his 'agents'. He tolerated it because of his infernal marriage to Toraono Seika. Roku despised Akkuma. Kazuki did not seem to like him. Kuro adored Akkuma and allowed the man to insert his hand into his flesh and give him gifts. Sousuke, surprisingly, was mortified by the notion of weird intimate gifts, but secondly there was the concept of personal space that was violated in its entirety.

Sousuke didn't realize he was standing up honestly. It occurred to him that the bet he had placed on the young blonde girl was in fact ... going to give him some extra money. Well then. Even better. Not only did Akkuma get trashed, Sousuke was going to get money for it. Fascinating. Truly. Fascinating. In the moment that Sousuke had forgotten himself, he tabled what Jiro had said to him earlier. Either way that individual with the hat was now talking to him. For a moment, Sousuke wondered if it was worthwhile to respond to him. He weighed in on it. No. He was hanging out with Shiori. That was going to be punishment enough for him, in one form or another. "Enjoy your company. I'm going to go enjoy my winnings."<i></i> The Steward stated in what seemed to be an almost smug look on his face. "I think I'm going to go have a steak dinner. Maybe with mushrooms. Maybe with onions."<i></i> With that the Steward would make his depature.

... Just exactly what was a steak dinner? It was beef. Certain cuts of meat were more expensive than others, and the more vegetables one puts on the steak made it more expensive. Right. So. Time to splurge. What was the worst that could happen?

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