animus_network | sixth scripture. [text]

that's right. see you there! :D

[ And sure enough, there he is, leaning against a nearby wall. Next to a great big collage of bloody handprints, some of which are fresh... and might just have come from him. ]

[ Sure, it unnerves her to be on this floor, but Sertoria knows well enough to not let the state of the floor disturb her any.

She's decided to just wear her tunic today as it seemed to be a relatively nice day outside. ]

You are Mockingbird, correct? I am Sertoria Cani from the network.

Aha, that's right! ✩

[ A robot... a humanoid robot. And all of a sudden, Necro Macro looks like an Atari. ]

This is my beloved Shiro's favorite room. Or at least... when she's in my kind of mood.

Is Shiro a friend of yours?

[ So, he's creepy. That is something Sertoria can handle.

At least she's not terribly judgmental. ]

So... How do you want to show me this 'Branch of Sin'? Does it require fighting?

Friend... oh, I love her. I adore the chaos and destruction she brings. The Wretched Egg represents everything right and wrong with the irrationality of my world. ✩

[ At her question, Hagire stretches out his arms, and flexes his muscles in such a way that there's an audible ripping noise. If she looks closely, the stitches that lines his body had torn, particularly near his wrists, forearms, and hands. He begins bleeding, but the blood that comes out is moving in a way that doesn't appear natural. ]

This is a Branch of Sin.

[ Suddenly, it begins floating upwards, around him, like a wreathe. ]

Branch of Sin: Love Labyrinth. ✩

[ The blood, as if life was suddenly breathed into it, began forming a myriad of different shapes, some bladed, some spiky, some spherical... and began converging on Sertoria, hoping she'll at least move. ]

Edited 2013-07-15 01:33 (UTC)

So I see... Well, at least you two are happy with one another.

[ A smile, but she knows that kind of love is not the one that Joshua showed her. She uses the magnifiers on her optic sensors to notice his stitches ripping. She blinks, wondering why he's willing to cause himself this much pain. ]

I see--

[ As the shapes begin to converge on her, the android jumps skillfully, trying to avoid each one. She cartwheels out of the way, almost in an unnatural way herself. ]

You can use your blood as a weapon? ... Fascinating.

[ She says this while balancing all of her weight on one hand, observing Hagire to see what his next move is. ]

[ Oh, it was painful. But Hagire has the most insane pain tolerance ever; this is someone who performs surgery on himself without anesthesia, after all. The only person he knew of who had more pain tolerance than him was Shiro. ]

It's beautiful, isn't it? The irrational love the Wretched Egg blessed my world with. ✩

[ Hagire claps his hands, the blood retreating back to where he was. Some of it even flowed back into his veins. ]

It even existed here, for a while. The memory of it makes my skin tingle.

[ Had it not been for the humanity she was taught, Sertoria may have taken an even deeper interest in his pain tolerance. But, those days were long behind her. ]

Why do you call her Wretched Egg when you said her name is Shiro? Is it another name similar to 'Mockingbird'?

[ Guess who doesn't believe your true name isn't Mockingbird, Hagire.

When his blood retreats, she does a slight spin to get back on her feet, adjusting her tunic slightly. She's trying to drown out the screaming on this floor, manipulating her aural sensors to focus on Hagire's voice now. ]

I do not believe I was here for that.

Does it really matter what her name is? She shattered the logic of my world, and I've loved her ever since! ✩

[ Hagire didn't move. The screaming doesn't bother him; after all, there was plenty of it in Deadman Wonderland, Carnival Corpse or not. ]

It wasn't a loss. You're a robot. A Branch of Sin is so much more satisfying when blood is used to draw more blood.

I suppose not, but the distinction is important.

[ If Sertoria had the muscles to do it, she'd gulp here. She could leave at any time, but she has an inkling suspicion that he would want to see what she can do. ]

Mm... I do hope that I am much more than a robot in your eyes. I cannot bleed, but I can break.

[ Why is she saying that so calmly and with a smile, even? ]

Now you're starting to sound like Woodpecker. [ He practically spits the word 'Woodpecker' out, as if it tasted bad. But at her next question, he perks up. ]

Was that a request? ✩

Another Deadman, I assume? [ What does he expect? Sertoria's a protagonist herself. ]

If you would like. I am not going anywhere.

Yep. He's more important to Shiro than to me... he's nowhere near as useful here as he was in my own world.

Are you sure? I'd hate to, ah... make someone have to put you back together. ✩

Does that anger you?

If it would help, I do not believe you can break me in to little pieces, Mockingbird. You would have to be an accomplished fighter.

Not at all. I don't envy a poisoned beak that does nothing but kill his friends.

[ Oh, that was a challenge. Mockingbird was the second most powerful Deadman in existence behind the Wretched Egg. He was undefeated in the Carnival Corpse, and very few Deadmen ever left the ring with him alive, or even in one piece. ]

Oh, really... [ He grins. ] Let's see if you can handle my love, then! ✩

Is that right? Your world is... interesting, Mockingbird.

[ Right now, she's only operating at fifty percent strength, but her reflexes and skills are quite refined for an android. ]

Ah-- I would not want to take Shiro's place, Mockingbird!

[ She's ready when he is. ]

Oh, don't worry... my heart belongs to her alone! ✩

[ His blood suddenly leaps to life. Several spheres form this time, forming Owl's Eyeballs, and began floating off into different directions; for this to work - he's fought robots here before, after all - he'll be creating a makeshift minefield. ]

Well... All right, then.

[ Sertoria carefully watches what he's doing with her eyes, making mental notes here and there for her own usage. ]

What you are doing... is creating a minefield, is that right? You are hoping that I make even the slightest of wrong moves to detonate them, thus ensuring your ability to attack me while my defenses are down.

[ She's not moving - not yet. She wants to know what these eyeballs can do. ]

You're smarter than I thought. ✩

[ With the minefield created, all he needed to do now was hopefully keep the android at a distance. Mockingbird was no slouch in melee range, but robots were usually stronger and faster than humans. And with how fragile his body was, even by human standards...

Well, that's why he's such a glass cannon. ]

Now, let's see what else you've got. Love Labyrinth: Hummingbird, Whip Wing. ✩

[ Several strands of blood began extending from the sides of his head, forming long, prehensile whips. Weaving through the Owl's Eyeballs, they were aiming for Sertoria; specifically, arms and legs. ]

I was not going to mention this, but you obviously know of my strength. Hence why you are keeping me at a distance so it is difficult for me to land a strike against you. As you can see, I did not get as far as I have by making rash decisions based on what my opponent can do.

[ Sertoria's not going to summon any of her weapons to her just yet as she knows her hands and feet are sufficient enough weapons. Instead of using the floor, Sertoria balances her weight by moving continuously on the walls. She cartwheels this way and that, trying to avoid the whips as well as the mines. ]

If you can incapacitate me, you'll be able to prevent me from moving and ensuring you can kill me. I do not plan on letting that happen.

[ She says this, even while moving wall to wall. ]

You're a robot. It was a lucky guess.

[ Well, not so much luck as common sense. Metal skeletons equals strength. As she began running along the walls - briefly reminding him of Wretched Egg - he immediately switches strategies, dissolving the Whip Wings and retreating them back into his body. He outstretches one of his hands, a band of hexagons forming around it.

He hates using this one. All things considers, he doesn't miss his second body one bit, but, well, this one might help against her. ]

Albatross. ✩

[ A 'bolt' of blood erupts from his palms. It's fast, and kicks up a bunch of dust wherever the 'blood lightning' hits, though it isn't lightning at all; it's more of a physical attack, rather than energy. ]

[ Sertoria decides that no more words should come from her. She kept on trying to skillfully avoid the minefield as well as the whips. She stops, however, and leans her weight on one of the walls, continuing to be wary of the death trap.

Her eyes widen at the size of Albatross, but she knows better than to stare at the size of an attack. She manages to dodge them successfully, continually moving until her optic sensors are obscured by the dust. She closes them quickly, but isn't fast enough to get her visor to see through it.

The android goes down on the ground, rolling away and smacking her back in to a wall. ]

Damn...

[ Hagire's gasping. The problem with that combination is that it takes a lot of blood. He withdraws what blood he can from Albatross' Branch of Sin, but much like Ganta's Ganta Gun, he doesn't get all of it back after using it; it's gone for good, and his body must regenerate it on its own. Thankfully, he can with Owl's Eyeballs - provided they don't deonate - and he can with close-ranged Branches of Sin, such as Crow Claw, Whip Wing, and Peacock's Peak. ]

Had enough?

[ A question that doesn't come from Hagire very often, not unless it's a taunt. ]

I'm already impressed... most people break under the weight of love. ✩

[ Sertoria knows better than to move when she's surrounded by a minefield like this. She waited until his Branch of Sin is gone to even move her head so she could glance at Hagire from the floor. ]

The average human body has five point six liters of blood. Unless if you have been genetically modified to have a faster regeneration rate, you must be nearing the point of blood loss.

[ She does make her visor slip over her eyes just so she can see her own internals quickly. ]

I have been designed to, say, take a beating. If you have had enough, then I have too. Although, I have a feeling you want to see how much more I am capable of.

I can deal with pain so much better than almost anyone else I know. As for the amount of blood I have... thank the nanites in my blood for the way Branches of Sin work. ✩

[ In Wretched Egg's case, yes, she could use her Branch of Sin almost indefinitely due to how quickly her entire body regenerates, blood included. In Mockingbird's case... he needs to be careful, and heavily abuse the Branches of Sin that allow him to recycle his blood, like Whip Wing, Peacock's Peak, and Crow Claw. ]

Well, I'll admit, I'm curious. What have you got?

[ Sertoria just nods, storing this information for later use. She soon moves back up to her feet, but carefully. Her visor cleans out the dust from her eyes and she soon reopens them, free of any obstructions. ]

That is a vague question. You will need to specify, Mockingbird.

Don't you think it's time you went on offense?

"Thou shalt not kill nor harm if thou does not need to."

[ She does, however, materialize a small little hilt from inside of her to her hand. Well, that doesn't look like it'll protect her. ]

You may continue in your onslaught, if you so wish.

What?

[ That's boring. Hagire frowns, his blood swirling around him almost seeming to wilt. ] You aren't going to fight back? That's...

[ He's glaring. ] Ugh... those eyes... the only thing I hate more than eyes like that is pacifism.

[ He's tensing up. His blood starts swirling faster. ]

Then I guess I'll just have to keep fighting until you do have to! ✩

[ He flicks his hand to the side. All of those Owl's Eyeballs that formed the makeshift minefield suddenly sprung to life, and converged on Sertoria, aiming to cluster-bomb the entire area where she was. ]

[ She may be a pacifist, but that didn't mean she was meant to be underestimated. Sertoria's breath hitched in her chest and, in one moment, the hilt is glowing radiantly blue as a blade forms instantly. She moves skillfully through the Owl's Eyeballs and slices through them like they're nothing. ]

Activate speed thrusters to 65%.

Approved.

[ She becomes a near blur, slicing through any remaining Owl's Eyeballs with her sword before swapping out for her rifle's trigger. It forms like her sword does with ammunition clearly loaded in it. Suddenly, she's behind Hagire and fires a warning shot near his ear. ]

Do not underestimate me. I may be a pacifist,but I am still very much a weapon.

[ Her eyes are heavier now, serious. If Hagire chooses to not heed her warning, she has no choice but to fight seriously. ]

sixth scripture. [text]

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