pglogs | Come into my parlor

She had tried to push the whole damn thing out of her mind. The more she thought about it, the more freaked out it left her. She tried to focus on the place she was trapped in, or reaching out to new people, or just...managing. But it kept coming back to the last things that freak had said to her on her first day.

'Alkaid is dead.'

One sleepless night too many, and she decided she was done just trying to bury it. She was intent to get some damned answers. Even if she had no clue how to even start trying to track Chloe down. That didn't mean she was going to try. And the first stop?

The roofs.

Hey, she had been on one, right? Which is why the freight train was kind of making a bit of a racket trying to scramble onto the first rooftop she decided to get at. "Grr...when I get my freaking hands on her..."

Roofs? Roofs were an excellent choice, whether or not Alkaid realized it, for finding Chloe. She was the sort to use them for the sheer purpose of hunting down her own quarry. In fact, as she was making her way up towards the top and scrambling her way towards the actual flat top, Chloe was staring over at her from the next building over, crouched low and smiling.

She moved back and made a running vault, leaping across the distance with ease and slamming into the ground just as Alkaid reached the crest, not more than fifty feet away. Rolling and twisting so that she was facing Alkaid, she snickered and winked at her. "Wanna race, Chika dear?"

She had just about gotten up onto one when she heard the thud coming from ahead of her. And with her upper half bent over the edge of the flat, and one leg hoisted up with heel digging against the edge, she looked up and saw...her. And not only that, but she was being the same as she was on the network. Snickering and winking like that.

It certainly lit a fire on her ass to finish getting up. "Only if...by race...you mean chase you down and...get some straight answers out of you!" Well at least she'd be on that roof quicker. Just about there. Not bad for an amateur building climber. Though not exactly great or elegant for someone trying to be a badass arena champion.

That snarky, snickering look was going to be something Alkaid would need to get used to. It was sort of a natural state for the woman. "That sounds like a race to me," she said, turning and bolting towards the other side of the building. She didn't use top speed just yet. No, she wanted Alkaid to keep up, and she remembered roughly how fast the woman could be.

When she got near towards the far side, she jumped just out of sight, the clang of a fire escape sounding loudly.

"You!" She screamed as she got to her feet, before watching her just...vanish. Of course the sound told her how stupid that was, and that there was a building just out of sight on the other side of that ledge. And for a moment, she was honestly taken aback. Was she really...from roof to roof?!! What if she fell and...

She swallowed loudly, before slapping her cheeks with both hands and steeling herself. No, no she was definitely going to have to be able to do this. If she ever wanted to say she was Alkaid. "You're gonna wish you didn't run!" She shouted, before taking off. Towards the ledge and leaping off of it. She still had much to learn about her speed, or power when it came to things like that.

Which of course meant her landing, as she managed to reach the ledge of the over roof, was rough at best. A bit of a thud, and then a bounce backwards and down onto the top most level of the fire escape she had heard before. Next time, remember to expect the impact and grab hold of...something.

Chloe laughed up at her from a floor down below. "Oh now don't you dare go pulling something this early. We're going to have some fun, Chika dear!" she shouted back up at her before jumping to the edge of the fire escape and leaping out.

The air in front of her was occupied by the hanging arm of a street light offering light into the alleyway. She spun on it once before whipping across to the fire escape on the other side and catching it just barely. Crawling up and over, she winked over at Alkaid and blew her a kiss.

"Come on. Make me wish it," she said as she started to run up the steps towards the next floor, punching with her gauntleted elbow to bust the glass open and lunge in.

She grumbled as she rolled over onto her back, really wishing she had been deafened right about then so as to not hear that. It was bad enough having her chide her on like this, worse yet when she acted like they were friends or something. Friends...that wanted to take every single first possible from one another. Oh yeah, that sounded just completely friendly to her.

She had gotten back up just enough and just in time to watch a display that, frankly, she wasn't ever going to pull off. Eyes widening for a moment as she thought maybe, just maybe, she was out of her depth. And then a blown kiss, a taunt, and a reminder that she wasn't Chika.

She was Alkaid. And Alkaid wouldn't stop.

"You're gonna regret...being so cocky!" The building, she figured, she could reach from a running leap off the roof of the one she was already at. And scrambling a little harder this time, she pulled herself up to it and hunched forward. Her body stung, but that was way better than how she knew it should be. Something she couldn't entirely hate.

"When I get my damned hands on YOOOOUUUUU!" She screamed as she finished her dash, bounding from the roof at an angle and sailing through the air. She knew this should be impossible for anyone short of a super hero, and yet...huh. Maybe she should become a hero here or something.

Oops, time to act, not think. This time, she landed on the roof with a little roll, before twisting around and jumping down and onto the fire escape. Again and again until she was at the level Chloe smashed into, and vaulting in after her.

There was laughter echoing down the hallway. Whoever lived in this room wasn't actually here, though to have found Chloe... Alkaid was on the edges of the south side of town and Chloe clearly leading her further in building after building. It was hard to say if this building was even occupied. Up ahead, a doorway opened on busted hinges and boots darted just out of sight.

Chloe was baiting her. It was obvious by now that she was doing this just fast enough to keep the girl tailing, to make sure that Alkaid knew where to go to keep finding her. Around the corner she'd find Chloe taking to the stairs leading down, starting to jump from stair to stair to stair, skipping entire sections in the process.

"When you get your hands on me, Chika," she shouted back through the halls. "You're going to be so tired that you can't even muster the will to say coconut!"

Oh, that was their safeword today, apparently. She knew what safewords were, right?

She dashed out into the hall when she heard the laughter, catching sight of her as she turned the corner and into the room. With an angry huff, she dashed after her. It was fun, being faster, she found herself considering very briefly. Until she took the sharp turn too hard and collided with the wall. The grunt, and the fact that it was more annoying than not, just confirmed what she already knew. Her body could take a real pounding.

"More like I'll split your head open like one!" She yelled back before taking after her again, not quite as confident with the stairs as Chloe was. She might be far tougher than she was as Chika, but that was no excuse to test that with falling down some stairs.

No matter how much she tried, she could only really keep catching glimpses of her. As fast as she was, Chloe was faster. And that just pissed her off more. Enough that she didn't even consider some things. Like where they were. Where they were heading. Or that she was intentionally letting Alkaid catch these glimpses of her.

"Get! Back! Here!"

Chloe had speed to spare, something Alkaid didn't know yet. The champion really hadn't put her body through the paces as her actual body, as opposed to seeing what it could do as pixels in a VR helmet. Now she was getting a first hand experience of her abilities, and the fact that Chloe was a cheating little hacker who'd gotten tricks from the god of death in another place.

Down and down they went right before the vision of Chloe kicking open the first floor entry was shown just below and she dashed. She bought herself as much speed and space as she could, barelling down the hall like a cheeta and through a broken and long ruined back door of the building. The look of the first floor, yes... this was an abandoned structure.

At the far end, she blew another kiss back just as soon as Alkaid came into view. "You're welcome to try, precious, but you should know I'm a killer at heart," she chanted before darting to the right. If Alkaid wasn't careful, the sheet of ice she left right around the corner would make for quite the slippery situation.

She was going to look back on this and realize that she couldn't waste what she had. Whether or not she'd be able to make the most of it, that was another story. But that was also for another time. Right now, the main thing on her mind, before scattered thoughts of how awesome she felt, was running Chloe down and getting some straight answers out of her.

She smashed the door as it swung backwards, just before it could shut again. Taking it right off it's hinges and leaving her tripped up and stumbling forward a few steps. Catching herself meant looking up and staring right at Chloe and her kiss blowing self. Hands clenching so hard they were turning white as she taunted her with the thing she needed to know most.

"Really?! Cause you look like a damn coward from where I'm standing!" She shouted at her as she took off again. See, the thing about Alkaid is...care was not her strong suite. She like to charge in. This cost her more times than not. This was one of those times. As she turned the corner, stepped...and felt her entire world slip out from under her.

She almost flipped entirely, like something out a cartoon. Landing hard on her shoulder and tumbling along as she slid and eventually hit the other wall. Again, to most, that would have probably ended the damn chase out and out. To Alkaid...well she was groaning and clutching her shoulder at least as she started to get back to her feet.

"That...Ice-hole!" She said it without even really thinking about it.

And the funny thing? Chloe could keep that going at about fifty feet or so. She was probably as close as Alkaid had seen as she stepped out from behind a dumpster and smiled over at the blade-slinging vixen. A hand reached out and she focused. While Alkaid was starting to get up, rubbing her shoulder, ice was pooling and condensing, the air getting frigid enough to make the breath mist.

It was trying to encroach over her feet and legs, to keep her from getting back up properly. The more she could get, the thicker she'd make it, especially if the shock lasted just long enough for it to demand she chip away. Reaching over with a hand, she pulled the dumpster out of the way, taking a step over to rest her foot on a fire hydrant and smile.

"What did you call me?" she teased, grinning over at her.

Edited 2015-09-07 22:58 (UTC)

She wasn't even really thinking about it, really. Hell, who know how the ice got there. To say nothing about how clever it was or was not. Her head snapped upwards, while she was in some kind of 3-point stance knock off. Still getting up, and still rubbing her shoulder. Just in time to realize something. That she was very much responsible...and it was only getting colder.

Her mouth opened to say something until she realized that, as cold as she could feel herself getting, her feet were getting way colder. She twisted and looked back and down, seeing exactly what she thought she might at that moment. "H-hey!" She cried out, trying to tug her legs free. It took several tries, but she managed to get one.

The other, however, was going nowhere. And with a growl, she did the only thing she could think to do. Pulled her weapon out. Not out of a sheathe or anything like that, but literally out of thin air. She had to pull out both, of course, meaning one was uselessly gripped in her now balled up fist, pressed against the ground. While she swung at the mass of ice around her trapped foot with the other.

"Ha...ha....argh...I called you a whole bunch of things!" She barked back as she swung and stabbed at the ice.

"I believe I heard you say Ice hole, didn't you?" she said, settling down to squat on top of the fire hydrant, her legs astride it while she concentrated again. There was a groan, a creak and then a crack before it broke open and the lid dropped down. No water poured out. There was a thick sheet of ice there, blocking it from getting free, and just having popped the hydrant open.

"Now now," she said, fingers running over the ice while she smiled. "All I have to do is release my control and the water in this hydrant sprays all over you... I freeze it, and then the ice hole will be you. Just ripe and ready for someone to pluck. At their leisure. Still want to come at me?"

She couldn't keep pace on ice production with the chips, but the threat might have a pleasing effect, even if she had no intention of doing it. The risk of really hurting Alkaid was too high. Soaking her, though... that could be fun.

"...holy shit..." This really was one of those moments where she once again considered if she was out of her depth. This crazy woman was really a full blown ice mage or something. She really wasn't sure what to call it, honestly. But she could do the ice thing, and she had a particularly good threat to offer her. It was incredible hard not to be cowed by it. And she honestly wanted to be.

Wanted to be.

"W-well..." She stopped her chipping, briefly. Before throwing herself upright and trying something. If this really was real then she should be able to throw the sword she wasn't quite using. Not to try and kill or anything, but just to throw HER off for a moment. And once she successfully DID throw her sword, she twisted as best she could, wrapped her other hand around the one she still had, and swung with all her freaking might. Smashing the ice something fierce. Time would tell if what she did bought her anywhere near enough time, but if it did?

She was going to kick her leg free, and dive to the side. No way she was going to be put on ice, and no way she was going to beg forgiveness.

The look on Chloe's face wasn't one of surprise. It wasn't shock or anger. If Alkaid was looking at her properly when she threw it, the look was of a woman on the verge of orgasm. Her hands whipped with alarming grace, both grabbing a knife and zipping out to parry the attack at the last second while she fell backwards from the force. Her foot lanced out, slamming into the fire-hydrant.

Ice broke and shattered as she rolled on the ground. Water was gushing out in a massive spray in all directions and Chloe rolled to a stop. Even if Alkaid wasn't getting covered, she wouldn't completely get free without getting at least a little bit wet. Chloe bolted to the side, willing the hydrant to start freezing again and buy her a temporary obstacle of ice.

"I've missed you so much, Chika. Don't hold back, darling!"

Well, it worked better than she thought it might. But not well enough. In her charge forward after getting free, she saw the hydrant get nailed. Immediately she stopped and twisted, dashing to the side as water sprayed all over the place. It was impossible not to get hit by a fair bit, leaving her wet and shivering all over. It felt really cold...like...really cold. That wasn't normal. She knew things were going to feel real, but this felt...vivid or something.

Like she was using senses for the first time or something.

Nevertheless, she rolled to the side and pushed back to her feet. Not elegantly, but quickly. She twisted her sword around and held it with the blade parallel to her arm, dashing and leaping at Chloe with a hand outstretched. One that desperately wanted to fix itself to her neck.

"Stop calling me that!" She yelled out. Only she couldn't really be angry. Well, she could, but her face...it seemed more alive than anything. Perplexed from the cold but...there was a smirk. And a fire there. She was enjoying herself. And she didn't even realize it yet. Nor did she realize that being rather wet and cold were making certain things...stand out.

Or that she was really at a disadvantage when it came to someone with freaking ice powers.

It really was a dangerous disadvantage, and here in this part of town there weren't any patrols. The little 'police girl' knew that they didn't patrol this part of town. It was something to abuse, the lack of oversight being perfect for this kind of play.

As Alkaid raced after her, trying to catch up, Chloe put on a burst just enough to net her some feet to spin and bring her blades up in a defensive posture when she hit a small broken down square. It looked like an old basketball court, the broken asphalt once having been used for entertainment. She leaped over the chain-link fence and landed there, beckoning for Alkaid to come.

All the while, the temperature all around was getting colder. Not quite freezing, but so close that not only would her nipples start standing out, but the wetness and chill would start leeching into the bones slowly. "What should I call you, Chika? Alkaid's dead. You're just Chika to me now!"

And Alkaid did not know that yet. She did not know what kind of lawless hell hold the south was. Or that Chloe was making sure they were slipping further and further into it with each passing moment. In fact, Alkaid probably wouldn't know until it was either laid out for her, or the whole reality of it was made crushingly obvious in a more...physical manner.

Alkaid might have had to clamor over the fence, if she didn't elect to cutting swiftly through it and kicking a good chunk out. She had to step through it carefully, she had already snagged her clothes on something before now.

She grit her teeth as she felt herself tremble. And only tremble more. She was not awa re of just how stiff her nipples were or how they were poking against her top, looking like perverse little buttons for only to press. No, as she stared down Chloe, she could feel something colder. Like her muscles were tightening, or her arms and legs were going numb. She shook her head, and it from her head, before starting to march towards her.

"Alkaid's not dead! She's right here, right in front of you, ready to kick your damned ass! What the hell does that even mean, huh?!" And that was when she dashed the last few steps, swinging at her. She'd never killed before, nor even really drawn blood. And until she did, she wasn't going to hold back.

Chloe took up a largely defensive and agile posture. Rather than focusing on attacking Alkaid, she was abusing that small amount of speed she had and any level of exhaustion she'd already achieved. Her breath didn't mist, the cold of her own creation having little to no effect on her. Soon the temperatures of the whole place were at that edge where frost technically melted in the light of the sun, because the ground warmed up just barely enough, and so it couldn't quite form.

Her knives of choice were the heavier pair, with hilts. Steel struck steel while she thrust and struck at each of Alkaid's attacks, eyes almost hyper focused on her. She was smiling in a fanatic and orgiastic sort of way. "You're so fast. Keep coming at me. Beat the answers out of me, Chika," she hissed, giggling between panting gasps while she shot out with her leg in a sweep to drop under an attack and try to force the girl to leap back.

"I saw her body cooling on the ground. Dead as dead could be. Chika and I spoke the next day!"

Having only one sword meant she only had two options. Either fight at half of what she understood of how her character acted, or risk an opening by tossing away her sword and pulling out a second pair. Neither were great, but only one was particularly dangerous. And as the cold chilled her all over, and made her heavy breaths flutter away in front of her in the form of mist, she'd rather take her chances then leave an opening.

She couldn't help but feel thrown off by the way Chloe was fixated on her. Alkaid was keeping her eyes moving as much as could be, trying to act like a real fighter. But she was swinging like a moron. Hoping for a luck opening. Or a chance to slug her right in the face.

"I'll beat more than answers out of...ack!" The sweep took her right off her feet and onto her back. The thud lasting exactly as long as it took for her to roll back and onto her feet in a sloppy motion. Before dashing forward again. Swinging everything she had into a big downward cut, before twisting and trying to go for that punch she wanted so badly.

The cut missed wide, Chloe easily pulling out of the way of it while rime formed all along the edges of her two blades. She was grinning at Alkaid, blinking as the punch connected and connected hard. The blade master did pack a solid hook, and it sent her bounding back, right before she blew.

Her 'ice magic' wasn't instantaneous. She was no iceman, able to speedily form sheets. She could take already cold conditions and abuse them, form ice from water that was available to her, but there were limits to how much and how fast she could do, especially when she didn't have a fire hydrant or muddy alleyway to work with. But here and now? She was being given time, and probably a bit of sweat to work with.

So, as she bounded back to get distance for a second, she blew, trying to cover all of the sweat and the little droplets of water all over her face and clothes with the first freeze that would stiffen her garments up. "You're at your most beautiful like this, Chika, when you look like you want to kill me." And the way she said it, Chloe honestly felt like she probably did want to kill her. "Do you want to know how she died?"

There were no words to describe just how good it felt to finally land something. And for it to be that punch, of all things. That surge of sensation as flesh met buckling flesh and the way she was sent reeling backwards. The only disappointment being that she didn't sail backwards, like it was a truck that hit her. She knew her character model was physically strong, but she supposed she didn't know how strong. To realize it wasn't as strong as she hoped.

Well it barely took away from that moment. Hunched forward. Huffing, puffing, and smirking like an almost mad woman. And getting a face full of what seemed like water. Or something. She stiffened and shifted to the side and back, grunting as she felt something else happen. Well, barely felt. And unfortunately, not enough to do anything about it as she stood back up and glared Chloe down. Ready to strike again.

"Kill you?" It honestly hadn't occurred to her. She shook her head, unaware of just how much colder her clothes were getting. She could feel it, sure. But not how they were freezing. "Didn't you hear me, you crazed freak? I just want answers. You can't answer crap if you're dead!" However...even she felt a little unnerved when she prompted her with that. "Y-yes...not that I'll believe you!" A shoddy way to cover for what was, honestly, the most nervous and anxious she had been so far.

Chloe almost wanted to laugh. She had her for a split second holding still. It was perfect for letting the temperatures drop as far below freezing as she could manage, the water freezing there, any sweat she had starting to crystallize, especially in her clothes. Alkaid wasn't attacking for a second, and it was perfect.

She was starting to advance, albeit slowly. A hand reached up to brush the spittle from where she'd been cracked on her lip and she grinned at Alkaid in a knowing sort of way. "I watched as her head left her shoulders and toppled to the ground, her body broken, beaten and bloodied in one last fight to the death with her last living enemy. One last duel, they'd agreed. A fight to the death, to see who would win, if everything was fair. She almost won too."

And in her mind, she couldn't help but be amazed that Alkaid wasn't putting two and two together, wasn't wondering if she'd been the one who killed her.

She wasn't really a warrior. She didn't know about pressing her advantage. She didn't know about taking every chance she could, and she didn't know about how to fight against freaks of nature that could turn down the global thermostat to freezing. Alkaid didn't move from where she was, however. She kept one hand gripping her sword firmly. And her other hand ready to punch at and grab at anything.

Hearing her describe the whole thing made her feel even colder than the temperature did. So cold she wasn't even drawing a sweat anymore. It was...hard to hear. To take. She wanted to simply brush it off but...instead she clenched her teeth.

"Sounds like a fake. I wouldn't lose to anyone. Except cheaters..." Because those were ever the only three to beat her. A cheater who sucker punched her, and two who broke the rules to attack her in ways she couldn't defend. "How the hell do you know this anyways, huh?!"

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