Beach Brawl

Beach Brawl
Date of Scene:	27 May 2013
Location:	Costa Del Sol
Synopsis:	Several people stop by the beautiful beach resort of Costa Del Sol. One of them is noticeably less friendly than the others.
Cast of Characters:	Vespa, Annia Leradine, Rena Laradyne, Sydney Losstarot, Akari Seran

---

Akari Seran has posed:
As the harsh and blighted wasteland of the desert begins to fade it is greeted by a sporadic zone of plant life, rugged shrubs and slender palm trees jutting upwards from the sands like lonely sentinels. The air begins to change as well, the scent of salty brine carried inland on a gentle cool breeze that is a welcome sensation to those who have braved the depths of the dunes on foot. Further away from the heart of the wilting desert the foliage begins to thicken, clumps of palm slowly edging closer and closer together until a sparse but noticeable treeline begins to form. However, before it can become a proper jungle, the trees vanish as if hitting an invisible line.

Coastland stretches for miles in either direction, a warm golden crescent of pleasant beach that is interrupted only by the occasional outcropping of time-worn stone. Though the sun still glares downwards from on high it's oppressive heat is diminished by the constant ocean zephyr that flows inwards like the crashing waves that lap at the sandy shore.

It is here that Costa Del Sol can be found. For those who do not know what to look for, the small resort is quite easy to miss. Peeking outwards from the edge of the beach, a long pier and the small collection of russet red roof-tiles are the only things that really stand out against the background. The buildings are all constructed of smooth yellow stone, perhaps fired from the very sands and mud of the local area itself. The color scheme does much to make the small town blend into its surroundings and as such monster activity is quite sparse here.

Of late two people in particular have made their way to this tropical resort. Akari is currently stretched out on the small section of the beach designated for visitors to relax within the comfortable confines of its protective walls. She has no bathing suit for such things - instead she has merely discarded her pants for the time being and lies in her small clothes, soaking up the sunlight.

Her travel partner is no where to be found at present. Aeschere is likely off exploring the town's shops or resting indoors to escape the heat after their long march across the Figaro Desert. Either way, she's not terribly worried about her wandering off alone. The girl can take care of herself.

Right now, all she cares about is relaxing. Something that is proving annoyingly difficult thanks to the presence of other people.

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Most know Sydney as a dark, powerful sorcerer, who runs around murdering the pants off of any templar he comes in contact with. While this is a mostly true definition, few know that even the most vigilant of anarchist revolutionaries must kick back and relax now and then. A few beach-spots over from where Akari is relaxing on the beach, is a thin, pale man relaxes in a lawn chair, with a parasol planted next to it. He's wearing a pair of cheap shades, and licking a small cone of ice-cream. He's got no business with Akari yet.

/yet/.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
There is a point at which peeling off more clothing is going to cause more problems than it solves, so there is nothing for a relaxing Shivan to do except dump the available ice water (with lemon) over her neck and chest as she lounges near the tideline.

There is an almost childlike glee on her face as she lounges, sunk in the sand like a beached whale with the waves lapping at her toes.

The sheer luxury of this is something that is unlikely ever to completely lose it's hold. Calm skies, clear ocean and little drinks with umbrellas in them.

Ah... luxury. She lays her head back in the sand for a few minutes before rolling into a sitting position, and then up onto her feet entirely the large woman stretching languidly before picking up a clam shovel and continuing to root around for something shelled and possibly delicious.

Annia Leradine has posed:
A bright yellow chocobo appears at the entrance of the town, moving through the archway that bridges between the portside and the villa for sale. Noone bought it for that ridiculous price yet it seems. Maybe Souji would. But she never said she thought he was sane either.

Who's 'she' anyway? Its Annia, atop said chocobo, her own, not a rental, straight from the chocobo ranch near Goug. She moves it over to the stables near the entrance, the best place for them given the heat around here, there's plenty of water and well kept grass there for them, helping them bear the heat.

Hopping off, the Shivan thinks Costa is a bit too hot for her taste, but she's comfortable enough with the clothes she wears. The pants are a bit baggy, but her top is more than sufficiently small at least. Maybe she can find a swimsuit while here. A nosebleed on Jidro maybe, why not. The bully can find all sorts of way to do it after all.

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari closes her eyes and tries to forget about all of the other people around her. Unfortunately, her eyes are useless to begin with. It's the motion that's grating on her nerves right now and that's much harder for her to ignore.

Fully connected with the ground and practically naked, her stone sight detects every vibration that travels through the shifting sands, sending them echoing through her body like ripples on the surface of a pond. She can feel each subtle shift made around her, every toe wiggled, every step taken, every bite of that damnable shovel into the wet seashore. And with each passing minute her irritation grows.

It's an odd sight for anyone passing by. The young woman lays back with her head rested in the palm of her lone hand, clearly trying to enjoy herself in the same fashion as everyone else, but her face is twisted into an obviously irritated scowl that only seems to get worse as time passes, like she has some itch that can't be scratched.

Sydney Losstarot has posed:
Sydney shuffles about mildly as he relaxes, heaving a sigh of relief. If only there weren't so many people around to be...eliminated, or Sydney could spend every single day of his life like this. Under the sun, surrounded by...ugh, people. Sydney doesn't like that last part. And all while enjoying some delicious Ice-cream. Lets hope that if someone is going to start a fight, they do it soon, before Sydney is just too relaxed to care. He's seen no one here he recognizes, but a few might recognize him, due to his "WANTED: CREEPY TATOOED DUDE" posters.

As for the activity, Akari isn't the only one being irritated. Children run about, generally being noisy brats, causing Sydney to lift his sunglasses and cast a glare that could chill fire whenever one draws too close. He's not about to attack anyone, though. After all, they're just minor annoyances in the face of what he usually has to deal with. With such trivial matters settled, he returns to evil scheming under the sun as he enjoys his ice-cream.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
And look at that Laradyne with the clam shovel not give a damn.

She seems oblivious to the ire her and her clam-digging is causing. She moves sedately down the shore, stabbing at the beach and shoving clams into a sack O Clams. She also catches some crabs into the tide line. Thump. Thump. Bang.

Not the epitome of gravity and grace this one, mucking about like a little kid on holiday. Splashing water and digging clams and scorning sunblock instructions at her own peril. If there are any wanted: Creepy guy posters, she has apparently scorned those as well. She apparently has also wandered into the 'brood and or scowl' part of the beach-- but doesn't also give a damn about that either.

Splash! --- Right into the tide-line, clam bag, shovel forgotten. --Next conquest? Ice cream. She's seen a few around. It must be delicious.

Vespa has posed:
A day at the beach! What could be better? Sun. Sand. Swimsuits! Expect for one person, Vespa who is wearing a maid outfit. She had done a bit of traveling lately and ended up in this small resort village. She walking along the beach not near the water, she doesn't want to get wet and eating some ice cream. Everyone likes ice cream at the beach! She hasn't noticed Akari yet.

Vespa has posed:
Vespa looks at Akari as she passes by something seem to be bothering her. It's not really her place to pry into other people business anyway. She keep up her stroll along the beach..

Annia Leradine has posed:
Annia Leradine pets her chocobo, letting it go take a stroll on the grassed area. There are a few other chocobos there. Its a good thing most of them are marked or smart enough to answer names, it'd be hard to tell them apart!

After that, she goes over toward the town. She hmms, wondering where the shops might be from here. Being a touristic/commercial town, there should be some just about everywhere after all. Unless this is a fantasy town, where there's roughly 3 houses for 12 residents that aren't related to each other. Go figure how that works for them.

There's lots of people here though, easy to mingle through.

Akari Seran has posed:
The horrific splash is the last straw.

It resonates through the ground like an explosion, homing in on the geomancer and sending a riveting shock through her back. Akari grits her teeth and bolts upright, practically launching out of the small indention she's made on the beach. She takes off at a dead run, bearing down on Rena at breakneck speed with the full intention of shoving that shovel somewhere unpleasant.

Her situational awareness kicks in a few moments before this can happen, fortunately. Akari skids to a halt at the last second, literally digging grooves into the beach with her feet to halt her forward momentum. This also has the unexpected side-effect of scouring the tall woman with an avalanche of sand.

The one-armed delinquent grinds her teeth as she tries to restrain her unreasonable anger but to the outside observer it looks like she just ran over and kicked sand in Rena's face for no good reason.

"Would you stop that?" She manages to get the vague request out through her clenched jaws. "You're driving me crazy."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
And now Rena is drenched in sand. The small avalanche of sand makes practically everything very gritty and chafing. She spits out a little bit of sand, raising an eyebrow slightly as she runs a hand through her hair.

She looks down at Akari and her perpetual snarl, looks at her body language and experimentally taps her foot several times rather hard against the turf as she rubs one arm, picking up shovel and bag o clams. "You okay?" she asks instead of acquiescing or even noticing the demand. "You put on the brakes pretty hard. I did that, it'd tear up my feet. I can't help but think I've seen you before somewhere. Hmm.. I'm Laradyne. People usually call me Rena. You want to get some ice cream? I need to cool down myself." she chuckles.

"It's regrettably hotter than I am accustomed to, but nothing for it except to enjoy. What's your name?" It's like she's completely oblivious to grinding teeth or impending wrath.

Vespa has posed:
pose blinks as Akari suddenly speeds past her. "What got her ruffled?", she says out-loud as Akari comes to sudden stop and sprays Rena with sand, she hopes a fight doesn't break out. She watches the two but keeps her distance..

Annia Leradine has posed:
Annia Leradine knows at least of one person here. Rena, they met before. Academy people, there's so many she doesn't know about, but they hang around those she actually met, so she knows. Also, she read up on the directory, even if you can't expect her to remember every face either.

But first, a swimsuit. She goes to find something that she can wear that will flatter what she has to offer. Not too much on top, even if she has a pretty face (when she's not scowling at least), but its all in the hips and legs for her. So she ponders. Oh, and some sunlotion, wouldn't want to burn up. Shivan skin is rather sensitive to the sun, really. They don't tan easily either, but burn easily instead. Such a sad state for a girl really.

She walsk back toward the beach with new swimsuit in a bag, not seeing a reason to put it up right away, but she goes closer to the other schoolmate. "Laradyne." She simply says. Family name similar to hers, maybe a distant cousin or something.

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari is momentarily taken aback by the sudden onslaught of words. Most people either scream and run or start swinging when she comes up on them like that. Her expression reflects as much, both eyebrows rising upwards curiously over her empty white eyes.

The tapping of Rena's foot causes a low growl to escape her antagonist's throat but she does her damnest to keep the quickly burning fuse of her temper from hitting the powder keg. She glares hard at Rena for several seconds, eventually waving her hand at the air between them as if to draw attention to her balled up fist.

"Akari." The way she says it almost sounds like a threat. "I /was/ enjoying myself."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
"Leradyne." Rena says politely with a small and restrained smile. She tilts her head at the confusion and then anger and then stands very, very still. Rena folds her hands behind her and looks over at Annia.

"On vacation yourself? I was just about to get some ice cream. Would you like some?" she chuckles. "Something has to be done to temper this heat anyways or I'll just melt." She watches the balled fist and the waving hand with interest.

"Nice to meet you Akari. I still-- can't place it. Alexander Academy?"

Vespa has posed:
Vespa breaths a sigh of relief as the situation is handled peacefully, it a nice change from the ususal she sees.

"Great my ice cream metled.. oh well I guess I'll get some more.. Mabye I'll try and different flavor..", too bad all the problems in the world can be solved with ice cream

Annia Leradine has posed:
Annia Leradine hmms as she thinks "... Ice cream does sound good by this heat." She reaches into a back pocket on those baggy pants, and flips Rena some coinage for her own. "Any flavor, not picky. Unless its like, I dunno, picket and sour cream." She makes a face at that. "You know what I mean." She lifts her shoulders.

She sits down, taking the bottle of sun blocker and starts to spread some over her shoulders and upper chest before she starts to burn up. "I'm not used to the sun, not this hot anyway, considering I'm from Shiva. We're more used to cold."

Akari Seran has posed:
Well, it seems these people are intent on not being intimidated by her which makes Akari smile, oddly. She likes it when people show guts, even if their courage comes from ignorance.

Slow the angry girl starts to relax. Her fist loosens up as the tension leaves her bunched up muscles and she rests the open palm on the edge of her hip. A few moments are taken in silence as she extends the web of her stone send into the sand once more, using the vibrations of their hearts beating to give her a decent 'look' at the forms of the other women. Considering they both claim to be from Shiva there seems to be quite a disparity in their sizes.

"Yeah," she finally says, nodding once in acknowledgement. "Not that that matters any more."

Unlike the two ice-dwellers, she has little issue with the heat. Even without her Ifriti blood making her acclimatized to the desert, her geomantic control over the elements shields her quite nicely, which would explain her lack of a tan.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
"No kidding." Rena smirks. "If the dome cities were kept this warm, I would have took up my father's axe and hacked a few pieces out of them just to let the cold back in." Rena wipes her hands and arms free of sand. "Well. Those connections still exist, even if the place doesn't. For good or ill." she then turns around and walks towards the vendor.

You get --- ICE CREAM!

Thankfully not in Pickle and Sour cream flavor.

The shivan digs into her chocolate ice cream. "So, why were you picking a fight?" Rena asks curiously of Akari. "This isn't exactly the best place for some peace and quiet."

Annia Leradine has posed:
Rena is definitely a tall woman, but that's not what makes Shivans entirely either. Generations of blood mixing for those living in the domes made it that you never know what happens there really. Maybe Rena had a bit of Titan blood, or maybe its Annia that has some Ramuh blood. Genealogy is fun.

Either way, she takes her ice cream, grateful that Rena didn't try to feed her some weird flavor. "Weather was just right inside the dome, a bit on the cool side, but Shivans can take a lot colder than that." She doesn't exactly miss the old world, its not like she feels she belonged anywhere either. Pushed around by her parents mostly.

Akari Seran has posed:
"Hmph. I don't need a reason to fight other than the fight itself," Akari retorts with an annoyed frown. "Any chance to test your strength should be relished."

She isn't very keen on the thought of her past following her around but that would have been the case even if their world were still standing. Infact, she'd probably be enacting something very similar to this scene back at the Academy. Getting into trouble was her job it seemed like. Not that trouble was very hard to get into when you have a blatant disregard for the majority of the rules and don't bother to show up to class more than once or twice a month.

"Just... nrgh... I don't know! Be quiet already!"

Rena Laradyne has posed:
"Well. Okay." Rena eats her chocolate ice cream. "That sounds engaging. Let me finish my ice cream and we'll find somewhere we won't stampede the locals." She takes another couple of bites from her ice cream, seeming completely unperturbed.

Annia Leradine has posed:
Annia Leradine looks between the two. Licklick.

"You want to fight that badly?" She shrugs. She doesn't see the point. Fighting for no reason than showing your strength. Guess that's one way of thinking. Not her way. She's just interested in keeping herself alive, most of the time. And putting herself in the line of fire willingly, for no reason like that, sounds foolish.

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari scowls, her lips peeling back to flash her teeth menacingly as she speaks. "Fine."

Turning away from Rena, her blind gaze drifts to the source of the other voice. Despite their lack of function her pure white eyes seem oddly cognizant of the surroundings and she stares Annia down with an equal amount of barely contained and seemingly pointless anger.

"Ofcourse!" Her hand sweeps through the air once again in dramatic fashion. "To test your strength against a worthy opponent: there is nothing better in this life!"

Well, there are a few things that come close but she doubts these two are up for a roll in the sack afterwards. More's the pity, the big one looks like she could be fun. Hopefully her size isn't all for show.

She narrows her eyes at Annia. "Why? You got a problem with that?"

Annia Leradine has posed:
Annia Leradine looks at Akari, licking away more of her ice creams. She's about as calm as a still lake really. She waves a hand dismissively "Not at all. Each their own. Just doesn't concern me."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena laughs. "Honestly? No. But I am being accommodating, and this is a day of relaxation before business so I might as well have fun, one way or another." she eats more of her ice cream, energetically chasing it around the waffle cone with gusto.

Rena calmly moves along the beach front towards a less populated and quieter stretch. CRUNCH. She bites into the waffle cone.

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari is also being extraordinarily accommodating compared to her usual tendency to just start swinging at whatever happens to be annoying her at the time. Perhaps something has put her in a good mood recently. Or maybe she's just being affected by the same spell of lethargy that the beach has cast over everyone else. Either way, she's going to get her fight, which is all that really matters. Lazing around all day is fine and all but she needs action to get her blood pumping.

She follows along behind Rena at a swift angry gait that manages to keep pace with the much taller woman's long strides. The further they get from the noisy beach the better. She's had about as much of mingling as she can stand for the day.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena finishes her waffle cone and wipes off her hands. "So, any boundary conditions Akari? I don't think this is serious enough for weapons although either of us may use magic as a force multiplier. Though, granted, I take somewhat of a heavy penalty in this heat."

she twists her lips to one side and sweeps the area with her gaze. "What have you been up to, Annia?" she asks curiously with her head tilted slightly. "Anything of interest?" Boy-- she isn't taking this seriously, or she's acting like it.

Annia Leradine has posed:
Annia Leradine looks over to Rena "The usual. Training, gathering information... We still don't have a school or classes after all, so I guess this is our summer vacation until they fix it up. Until then, information on what's going on in this world. I think I got everything of interest right now, so I slowed down." She chats idly. Not in a too friendly way either... She's never been a good friend, or pleasant in general either. She just 'is'.

Akari Seran has posed:
The only answer Rena gets comes in the form of a flying fist.

There is an explosion of sand as a pressure wave buffets the beach. Akari blasts off from the soft earth as if fired from an invisible cannon. Her body streaks across the short distance between them in a flash of pale flesh, crimson hair fluttering madly behind her like the tail of comet.

Enough of all this talking and casual disregard for the warrior's art. It's time to /fight/!

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena crosses her arms in front of her as the fist comes at her but even with the force and weight advantage, Akari slams into her chest hard enough to knock the larger Shivan off her feet.

She rolls easily backwards with the monumental amount of force, slamming a fist upwards trying to strike Akari in the gut and carry her upwards as she rose back onto her feet, literally trying to launch her into the air. "Oh. That's a shame." Rena says to Leradine with only slight wheezing discomfort. "The world is full of many wonders. That it run out so quickly is a pity. Are you traveling with anyone?"

The big woman extends a hand to the air negligently. A plume of ethereal bluish fire explodes downwards like a descending comet for Akari's back, trying to force her even further up and away from the ground. Slashes of icy water rake the air, more force than elemental power behind them.

Akari Seran has posed:
The force behind Akari's fists is titanic. Despite the girl's slender build and lack obvious muscles, she hits as if possessed by the fury of a demi-god. The impact of her knuckles on Rena's stout body sends another pressure wave blasting outwards, buffeting the sands around them as if a grenade had gone off between her knuckles. And that was just her saying hello.

Unexpectedly, however, the large woman recovers swiftly and the return punch slams square into the underside of Akari's jaw. Time seems to slow down for a moment as the force lifts her up into the air and her face comes level with that of Rena. It is only visible for a split second but instead of a look of outrage Akari is sporting the world's biggest grin. And then she's gone, sailing upwards like a rocket.

The cerulean comet catches the berserker square in the small of her back. She doubles over the wrong way, her arms and legs snapping upwards as her torso bows towards the ground from the impact. This earns a grunt of pain from the impossibly durable girl and her teeth clench against the onslaught of magical force as she's bounced around in the sky.

After a few moments of this Akari manages to recover. Her arm raises up to smash aside a final wave of frigid claws and that gap gives her time to escape the danger of being stuck in the air away from her precious element of earth.

Akari plummets straight downwards on a burst of wind, dropping to the sands in a three-point crouch. She snarls at Rena, almost like a beast, teeth exposed. Instead of attacking, however, she clenches her fingers tightly around the sand, drawing power from the ground that flows into her body on an invisible current.

There is what can only be described as an eruption of fluid rock as the empty stump of her right arm suddenly extends outwards into a fully formed limb. The organic stone flexes and moves as if made of flesh as the girl clenches it into a fist mirroring the other.

"It would seem that annoying attitude of yours isn't completely for show. Come then!"

Annia Leradine has posed:
Licklickli- Well, ice cream is gone. She was busy watching the two fighting that she didn't realize it. Oh well. She eats the rest of the cone, not leaving a trace, before stretching. Looks like they aren't going easy on each other either. Makes for a good show, she supposes. She leans a hand under her chin, elbow on her knee, watching.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena takes a moment to still herself and compose her energies. She continues to smile even as Akari snarls and grins with easily equal amounts of disturbing. She tenderly rubs her chest, with no armor between her and the impact it was sure to leave an impression.

She shifts in her swimsuit, bracing herself as she rubs her hands together and then pulls them through her hair. "That's why it's in the display window. Because everyone is expecting a fake." she balls something between her fingers and then flicks it, like a coin, at Akari's feet. A massive flare of mana pulses up from the sand like a flash.

There is a sensation of pulling and vacuum pressure as the flare attempts to pull all the magic into itself before it disappears, attempting to dissolve Akari's enchantments and strong arm tactics before they even get started.

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari traces the path of the object as if flies through the air, a look of mild concern mixing with her berserker rage. She has a moment when the thing hits the ground to get a good 'look' at it but knowing the shape of the object doesn't give her any warning that might tip her off to its purpose.

The burst of magic flares to life around the stone-armed girl and she grits her teeth as it tugs at her from all sides. Unlike most geomancers who merely manipulate the elements, she has made the earth a part of herself and the unraveling energy feels like it is attempting to melt her down from the inside. It's not pleasant.

With a roar of outrage, Akari throws herself out of the void sphere before it can destroy that which she has created. Small hairline fractures can be seen in the earthen prosthetic but they seal over quickly once she has escaped the magic's grasp. She comes out swinging but the large woman is too quick and she goes down in a wild pile of limbs in almost comical fashion.

If she feels any embarrassment for such antics it doesn't show. If anything, she just looks more pissed. Akari scrambles to her feet and whirls to find her opponent once again, slamming her foot down in the sand and sending a jagged burst of force through the earth below. The beach begins to shift and rumble, making footing very treacherous, and Akari uses this distraction to lunge again with another colossal swing.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena moves out of the way, turning to watch the flailing pile of limbs and the jagged burst of force slices across the beach. She leaps to avoid it but the jagged force advances far too chaotically for her to manage her footing.

Without solid footing she goes down without a sound, the swing impacting her side and there is something cracking ominously as she is swung backwards and across the sharp, ragged beachside backwards (which--armorless is going to leave one HELL of a beach rash.) Blood seeps into the sand as Rena rolls back onto her feet, staggering painfully as a sluggish spiral of luminous water heals the worst of her injuries.

She faintly moans in pain through grit teeth and rubs her back, cracking several vertebrae as she sighs.

"Well. That was unpleasant." she says with complete equianimity. She takes in a painful breath and then lets it out slowly, a massive bruise already forming over her ribs. "I have to compliment you on your technique. I've always favored the... water spectrum myself, when it comes to elementalism."

She slowly closes her fist and focuses on the difficult task of pulling what she requires from the air, from the surrounding mana. A cold wind begins to blow. First flakes, then hail and stinging spears of ice crystallize in the surrounding air as the temperature plummets. Rena braces herself against the uneven surface of the beach biting into her feet, blowing into her hands before releasing a storm of sharp crystalline ice shards which quickly turn into a paralyzing storm of ice shards that descend from multiple directions, the edges of each spear blunted but still fierce.

Akari Seran has posed:
"So what?" Akari puffs up her chest, elbows tucking in tightly against the side of her body as her biceps flex. "Strength is strength. It doesn't matter what form it takes!"

Her empty gaze locks with that of the Shivan elementalist. The lust for battle is clear in her expression, her eyes practically glowing with the surging energies that flow through her body, the strength of the earth itself fortifying her against harm. She seems to be not only unconcerned with whatever tricks Rena might have up her sleeve, but actually waiting for her to show off her next move so that she might pit herself against it.

She doesn't have to wait long. Akari feels the temperature drop her connection with the elements as much as she does the bite of cold on her exposed skin. Faint patches of glistening ice begin to form, first on the sand, but it the plague of smooth white crystals quickly spreads to the berserker's limbs as well. She grits her teeth as stone and flesh are pierced by dozens of tiny scalpels but the blood from these wounds freezes in her body before it can leak out to stain the sand.

Akari glances all around her curiously as the frigid storm begins to pick up but once she realizes this is the next trial she must endure her angry glower returns and she shoots at look of pure defiance back at her opponent. "Is this all you can conjure? Pah! I have weathered worse storms than this!"

She takes a step forward against the lashing winds as if to prove her point, not even bothering to shield herself against the deadly hailstorm of ice. Another follows and then another. She treads across the open beach with teeth bared, eyes locked on her objective as if striking her down is the sole mission in her life.

But the winds continue to grow in intensity. Akari staggers as a particularly harsh blast catches her in the chest leaving dozens of icicles shattered across the rock-hard surface of her body. It hurts but it does not stop her. She attempts to step forward again, making slow progress, but eventually even her incredible endurace is overwhelmed and she goes tumbling backwards through the air.

Akari catches herself before she is blown completely out of sight, however. Another blast of air slams her to the ground and she takes a moment to draw upon its might to mend the wounds that she has sustained. Fresh strength surges into her and with it redoubled rage. She stands up and lets out a primal howl and a wave of sheer force erupts from her body, smashing aside the last of the icy spears and throwing punishing blasts of sand in all directions.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena wraps her arms around her side and shakes her head as if disappointed in Akari. The storm worsens, frost forming on her skin and on the surrounding area. The traceries of frost reach out across the beach and each and every breath of pain further adds to her focus.

"Strength is neccessary, but not all."

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari grins like a maniac though it still manages to look menacing and angry.

"Prove me wrong!"

Another explosion heralds the beginning of another onslaught. The berserker dashes madly across the beach, stumbling and tripping across the random patches of ice but never quite falling completely down. She goes onto all fours in one case, clambering forwards like a rabid dog, but when she finally closes the gap between herself and Rena her fists are free to unleash their wrath.

Dozens of blows rain down upon her, Akari's two fists creating a mirror of the hailstorm that battered her away. Despite the brutish force behind each strike that strength gives her equal parts speed and she drives forward with reckless abandon intent on grinding her opponent into the ground.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena watches the advance with curiosity and calculation.

She weathers the assault, taking the blows that land with stoicism but increasing pain. One grinds into the side of her thigh, smashing into the wasted tissue there. Although it causes no pain, the leg collapses.

Rena buckles onto her knees and is HAMMERED by blows.

A frigid aura leaks from her as the blows land home. "Fine." she murmurs over the bestial sounds of rage and noise. A clawed fist of ice, a gauntlet sheathes her fist that she curls into a blunt instrument that she attempts to drive straight into Akari's stomach. She then surges upwards with a stubborn determination and attempts to grab Akari by the shoulders, actually pulling her FORWARDS and closer as she pounds down blows, attempting to launch her with both feet as a slash of ice magic comes through so intense a crystalline meteor descends from the icy hailstorm around them.

It breaks apart into a bubble of chokingly cold ice water that Rena attempts to trap Akari in by launch her into it.

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari seems oblivious to the danger that rises up to counter her rage. The icy bludgeon that takes shape around Rena's hand swings in heavy and hard and the impact literally staggers the berserker out of her frenzy. Her body doubles over, eyes bulging in pain, spittle explosively flying from her mouth as it opens in a noiseless cry of agony.

She twitches for a moment, unable to do anything but fight against the pervasive cold that floods into her body. It dulls her senses, saps her strength, and for just a moment, she is completely stopped cold. It not something she will forget or takes lightly.

Akari snaps out of her daze, regaining her senses and control of her body not a moment too soon. The first of Rena's powerful punches comes sailing in at her face and with little time to react in such close quarters the girl does the thing that comes most natural to her. Her head snaps forwards and the flat hard surface of her brow intercepts the punch. The experience is not unlike attempting to strike the side of a mountain.

Akari grits her teeth as she continues to push against the strike, her face and Rena's fist having a shoving contest that ultimate the berserk geomancer wins. Rena's swing is pushed to the side and the battering ram force of the headbutt slams into her chin. Another pressure wave detonates between them and the intense force tosses the two combatants apart.

But the danger is not dealt with yet. Akari skids to a halt and throws her gaze skywards. The massive meteor of ice descends as if flung from the heavens themselves, its shards raining down upon the beach even as its magic shatters it apart into the chilling bubble of water. Her arms are flung wide, her body tilted backwards as if to embrace the destruction.

One foot is lifted high, coming down with a resounding crash as she plants it firmly into the beach for traction, followed swiftly by the other. Her muscles bulge as even more power is drawn inwards and in the same dramatic fashion as before an entire array of stoney arms blossom from her shoulders. Now 'armed' (pun!) with not two but six limbs, Akari lets out another battle cry just as the largest of the icy chunks slams down into her.

Three sets of limbs filled with god-like strength snap shut like the maws of a bear trap, fingers digging into the slick surface of the magical ice. The momentum of the frozen meteor pushes her into the ground and the grainy sand provides little in the way of traction, slowly giving way as the massive icecube plows her across the beach.

Akari strains, her teeth grinding openly against the impossible task of stopping this gargantaun projectile, but slowly her backwards slide begins to slow... and then stop.

She does not celebrate. There is no emotion to be found in her expression besides the surging raw lust for battle. This is a contest of strength as it was meant to be. Glorious and unrestrained. Akari spins in place, in single massive turn with the burden of her catch still in hand. And with a colossal heave she sends the huge boulder sailing back at Rena like a shell fired from a battleship.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena staggers to her feet and snaps to one side, the ice meteor and it's chilling cargo grazing her left side and almost spinning her around a full revolution, her legs buckling from the strain of keeping her upright.

She starts to laugh very softly to herself, although with her bruised body and aching ribs it is a painful sound. She snorts softly, putting her hands in her lap and observing her opponent. "Mm. Good catch." she gingerly rubs her face and along her neck and shoulders, seeming not to be displeased at all to be on the losing end of this arrangement. There is no fear or anger, just a great deal of pain, discomfort and quiet bemusement.

"Come on. Let's see what else you've got."

Akari Seran has posed:
Despite the vast distance between them, Akari grins as if she heard every word without difficulty. Her fingers curl and loosen in haphazard patterns as she works the numbing cold from her digits and her chest heaves from the effort of the fight. Her muscles burn but it is not an unpleasant sensation. No, quite the opposite: this is what she lives for.

"As you wish. This battle ends now!"

Akari's body flexes. She hunches over as if the weight of the massive stone protrusions upon her back are bearing her down but in true she can hardly even feel the difference. Power is what flows through her, not fatigue. Her teeth clench as she digs into the depths of her fury and draws upon the bottomless well of strength. The girl literally trembles from the sheer overwhelming might that floods into her.

With a defeaning roar, Akari throws her head up towards the sky. The force of her yell is like a thunderclap and an explosive surge of angry red force blossoms out around here in a sphere. The beach depresses into a massive crater as the sand within a dozen feet of the geomancer is sent flying like miniscule bullets in an orb of utter annihilation that denudes the land completely down to the stone.

From the storm of dust that billows into the sky, Akari comes with renewed purpose. She bounds across the intervening terrain in monumental strides that cover a dozen feet each time her feet kiss the sand. She does not stumble or fall this time.

Chakra flows through her body, empowering each of her fists with a surge of spiritual might and there is a flare of light as the first one closes in. If Akari was strong before, she is positively herculean now. Phil would be proud. The force of her initial strike is such that reality cracks beneath it. Whatever magical wards or charms Rena has placed upon herself are assaulted directly and they, along with her bones, are likely to shatter from the sheer force.

And that's just the first punch.

As before fists rain down freely upon the Shivan only now there are three times as many. For a brief few moments it seems that the entire world has become entirely filled with rocky knuckles and granite elbows. Sometimes they strike alone, one after the other, while at others they hammer away in tandem leaving little opening to escape the force of their fury.

The final punishing blow comes. Akari pulls back the three fists on her right side, her muscles flexing dramatically as she winds up for one last burst of destruction. The trio of earthen arms come crashing foward like the hammers of an angry god and the air itself ignites from the force of their fury. Brilliant red light flashes around them as the fists become flaming meteors. A laser of pure heat explodes outwards to engulf Rena, streaking past her in a blazing flash of light that burns a trial of seared glass into the beach for miles, scorched black chunks jutting upwards like some horrible cauterized scar.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena looks at this dispassionately, sitting where she has knelt down.

She watches the geomancer approach as she bounds across the intervening rough terrain. The first punch falls and Rena catches it. She holds onto it, lines of light and cold radiating out as her arm fractures from the first reality bending punch.

The fists rain down and it's like trying to strike into tapioca. Really cold tapioca. There is an infinite sound of crackling and squishing as the world of blows hammer and hammer and hammer down. No defense. No attack. Just a pummeling and as the last finishing strike grinds forwards, Rena Laradyne explodes in a cloud of ice motes and ocean water, popping like a soap bubble and spraying icy water for many yards across the sand to be quickly absorbed by the desert.

"Strength isn't everything, Akari. But I will accede that you have more than enough to spare. It is a pity that you placed even more of it in the place where restraint and compassion would be, as that would have probably killed me."

There is a heat mirage ripple and Rena appears in the sand not too far away, sweat and exertion making her face a mask of discomfort and exhaustion. She straightens herself with difficulty, lank hair moved out of her face with a shaking hand. Despite it all, she is still smiling. "Maybe we can pick this up again another time and I'll show you more of what /I/ can do." The Shivan smiles. She waves a hand to Annia idly and then disappears in a puddle of ice flakes and warp magic.

Akari Seran has posed:
Akari remains poised with her fists outstretched as the last of the flaming fury vents itself into the air. The icy water sizzles as it evaporates from the super-heated sands and the surface of her body in thin wisps of steam. It takes several moments for her to realize what has happened.

The geomancer takes a step back to survey the place where Rena once stood and it slowly dawns on her that what she destroyed was some sort of illusion. Even now she can feel the magical dissipating into the air. She wants to feel angry at this trickery but the voice from behind actually brings with it a surge of relief.

Akari turns in place, her head swiveling to watch her opponent vanish once again. Only then does the stern mask of callous anger fade to reveal her satisfaction at not being responsible for yet another death this day. It was not by design that she struck down those who would challenge her but pitting oneself against the might of her fists was a risk that not everyone survived.

"Hmph. I look forward to it," she says to the puddle of water. It does not reply. Akari exhales deeply and releases her stone-shaping power and with the it multitude of arms crumble to sand once more and drift away in the wind. She casually strides back along the path they took from Costa Del Sol, enjoying the ocean breeze as it washes over her sweat-coated skin. She'll have an interesting tale for Aeschere when she gets back today.