Rainy Day Excitement [Open]

[Leon Walter Deltova]

Rain pattered against the windows of a room. The curtains were pulled together slightly, allowing the steely light of the rain filled day to filter in. There was a buzz of static as a radio sat in the corner, turned on but low, forgotten by the listeners. The room was cozy, a couch with a television before it, which sat upon a wooden stand, was off to one corner of the room. In another sat a wardrobe, closed. It was of dark wood, well polished and maintained, the hinges shined and oiled.

In yet another corner sat a stone fireplace. A little out of place, but then again, the style of the rest of the room was traditional. In the final corner, there was a door leading to a medium sized bedroom. Inside, resting easily on top of the bed, lay the form of a fairly tall man. He was clothed in a white thermal shirt, rolled at the sleeves, faded dark blue jeans, and combat boots covered his feet. Across his eyes sat a pair of sunglasses, masking them from onlookers. His arms were crossed below his head, supporting his neck and giving him a comfortable position on the bed. The room was wall-papered in a light cream white, the wrap-around the floor was that of wood molding. A light blue carpet covered the floor, giving a welcoming feeling to the room. Around the room, there were several windows, curtained like those in the other room. Several wardrobes stood in one of the corners, and another door stood partially open, leading to a small bathroom. In a chair that sat against the wall, next to a small breakfast table, rested a partially folded black trench-coat. Resting against the arm of the chair was a pair of identical katanas, each sheathed in a black steel sheath.

There was a knock from the other room, and the man laying on the bed stirred. He sighed and got up from the bed, walking briskly through the bedroom, into the living room, and to the door that led into the hall outside. At the door stood a baggage carrier. He bowed slightly to the man as he opened the door, and handed him a letter. Reaching into his pocket, the man produced several bills and placed them into the baggage boy's hand. He thanked the man with a wide smile and then turned and left. The door closed as the man nudged it shut, turning back towards the interior of the room. It was nothing more than a simply sealed letter, a wax stamp sealing the contents inside. In his hands, the man couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary, so, trusting that it was nothing more than a letter, he cracked the seal and opened the envelope. As he had figured, it was nothing more than a folded piece of paper inside of the envelope. Taking it out and discarding the envelope onto a desk, the man sat down and unfolded the letter.

The contents of the letter brought a smile to the man's face. Simply put, it was a challenge to him, a showdown of different kinds of skill at arms. This one was addressed directly to him, one Leon W. Deltova, A.K.A. Mr. Ghost, challenging him to a swordsman's duel in the park, three hours from then, which would put them at near mid-afternoon, or 4:30 PM. Leon, now identified, placed the letter on the desk before him and chuckled quietly to himself. Someone was challenging him to a sword fight, eh? This should be interesting... He thought to himself.

Getting up and going into his room, Leon had several things to do before he would go out, into the drizzling day, and would go to face this "challenge" before him.
At the foot of the letter, as well, was a message saying that other letters had been issued to people of reputed skill at arms, throwing them a similar challenge to what Leon had been offered. An array of people would be bound to show up for this, and Leon could only wonder as to who would be invited for the fun.

[DezzyBee]

((OOC: I note that this is my first time RPing like this in nearly two years. Forgive me for my grammar errors, lack of good spelling, and general lack of proper RP etiquette!! Besides I'm laughing too gleefully at being able to actively roleplay again... think giddy school girl giggling every time I finish a sentence...)


Edge was not Damani's favorite place in the world. While she had come there a few times since it's construction, she much preferred the quiet lull of Kalm to the constant cacophony of the busy city that lay on the outskirts of the decimated Midgar. There were too many people in the streets; she felt she had no real knowledge of her surroundings in the chaotic mass of bodies. Damani had never taken much joy in cities. She had spent too long in the overcrowded Midgar to be able to breathe easy while besieged by so many sights and sounds. She wasn't very tall, standing only 5'5”, and was slight in weight. She was far too short to see over most people's heads, and that made it hard to see danger around her. Still, she had been called here not but a day before, and against her father's recommendation she had followed the call.

In her hand she held a letter, one whom she had no inkling who it was from. There was no signature, the handwriting was not in her mental recollection of people, and it had been fairly vague... but it was a challenge. She never refused a challenge, nor had she ever lost a challenge in her twenty-four years of life. She lived for a good fight, and the footnote had mentioned that other letters had been sent to others with similar skills... which meant she was highly likely to get more than one fight out of it.

The blond had settled into her hotel room the night before, a small place just a few blocks away from the stated challenge spot. It was nothing special; just a small dark room with a small window, dirty floors and a single double-sized bed. That was what she was making her way to, attempting to kill time until it was time to see to the challenge. There was so much to do, yet at the same time there was nothing to do. Anything she would have wanted to do would make her late, and that just wouldn't work for her. Her swords were sharpened and cleaned, she was dressed for battle, and now she had to wait out the rest of the time frame.

Green eyes peered out at the world from her hotel window, only now trying to judge if this was some sort of trap and if she was going to end up dead. The girl was restless with anticipation. Standing still had never been her speciality; if she wasn't doing something productive, she was useless to herself and everyone around her. Oh well, perhaps if she showed up early she could get a show of action early on in the game... yes... that sounded better than sitting around for another two hours...

[Leon Walter Deltova]

The rain continued steadily as Leon walked. His hood hid his face, the gloom of the day only adding to the gloom within the confines of his hood. The only real sounds were the pattering of the rain on his clothes, the click of his boots on the pavement, and the off and on commotion of passerby. Every now and again, an automobile would pass, the sound of the tires on wet pavement a refreshing noise aside from the pattering and dripping of the rain.

At different store fronts there were flowers and other assorted vegetation, signs or other forms of decoration. Sodden and dripping, but vibrant with life, each of these small things added to the day and took away from the dreariness of the rain. Leon hadn't gone far, passing a seedy inn to the right. He could have sworn that he say a pair of eyes looking out into the day, but at the same token, he had only glanced about quickly, orienting himself before continuing on. He was close now, perhaps three blocks away from the park where everything was supposed to begin. The entire time he had been walking, Leon had been watching where he had been going, looking out for people who could possibly be the competition, and watching scrolling information on the small screens that rested in his sunglasses.

The information that he was gathering, thankfully from a satellite that he had launched with the help of one of his friends, told him the general information on the area around the park, topographic information, and special notes that he could exploit if things were going the wrong way in a fight, should it come down to it. Leon wasn't a kid when it came down to a fight, and using his terrain was something that every Marine is taught in basic field operations. Getting prior information was how he made a living, and kept living as well. Nothing new in the regards of living another day, possibly ending another life.

It didn't take Leon long to finally get to the park, the map before his right eye guided him to the quickest and most concealing route available, without the use of another one of his little tricks. The park was fenced by a simple mid-torso height brick wall, ivy growing in places along its length. A slight fog had risen from the ground, making the grass and stone swirl about his feet. Trees hung, their branches laden with leaves and in some cases flowers, and a whiff of flowers and rain mingled in the air. No one else was within sight, though the area around Leon quickly began to close in as the path he was following lead into a grouping of trees. The arranged meeting place was in the center of the park, supposedly a clearing within a heavy corpse of trees. Leon knew the path before he walked it, he could feel it in the air about him. Tension, others fear, and most of all, the metallic tinge of blood soon to be spelt. A grim smile grew on his face as he followed the path to its end, arriving within a dimly lit circle, paved with stones and intricate lattice work, holding back the encroaching bushes and other vegetation.

No one else had arrived yet, Leon being early. A hand went down to the hilt of one of his katanas, his thumb kicking the blade forward. As the blade began to move forward, Leon caught the handle and pulled the rest of the sword out. He twirled it in his hand and looked down the blade. The edge was keen, ready for a fight, and so was he. From his position at the edge of the circle, he began to walk towards the center, the tip of the blade wagging back and forth towards the ground as he advanced. The grim smile on his lip had shrunken to a smirk now, and the feeling of tension increased in the air. People were coming, soon, and Leon wanted to greet each of them with a bow and a readied weapon. No sense being unprepared for little instances.

Now... all Leon had to do was wait for the others to arrive.

"This is going to be... interesting." He said quietly to himself, arriving in the center of the circle.

[DezzyBee]

Slowly but surely she made up her mind to try to be the first person there. Perhaps greeting a few people with a good fight would get her blood boiling again after so long without a good spar. Strapping her swords to her back and slipping her hoodie on, she roamed towards the meeting spot, carefully observing her surroundings. While earlier in the day she had inspected the area closely, she couldn't help but feel like there was potential for change in this situation. Human bodies made it harder to get toward exit/hiding/strategic points in a fight.

There was already someone in the circle, someone much taller than she with his sword already in hand. She could not see his face, but she was sure that it was a man, and she pulled her hood farther over her own face. "Well, it seems I wasn't the only one with the intention of getting an early fight in," she observed aloud, entering the square as well. She pulled her katana from its sheath, holding it in quite a relaxed position. I take it you got the letter as well?"

Dezzy was now curious as to the people that had been invited. This man was obviously a swordsman, but what other abilities did he possess? She liked to think whoever had orchestrated this meeting had good taste in fighters with multiple strengths. Dezzy of course had her own tricks up her sleep, but that was no one else's concern at the moment.

[Leon Walter Deltova]

The sound of footsteps ghosted out of the rising mist. They were light, but clicked like boot-falls. Leon closed his eyes and the tip of his sword touched the ground. The ring of a blade coming loose came to his ears, and a woman's voice pierced the silence. "I take it you got the letter too?” Questioning a man with a drawn weapon, focused on him with the possible intent to fight. Interesting. So, this was one of the other fighters promised to be at this little meeting of might and skill.

“Yes. Yes indeed. And I can see that you're gotten one for yourself there. Isn't that right ma'am?” Leon said, a southerner's drawl coming into his voice.

He turned, slowly, and twirled the blade about in his hand. Reversing the blade, Leon sheathed the weapon. The woman before him was fairly short, actually. He stood easily a head and shoulders height above her, her form cloaked in a hoodie with the hood pulled over her face, trying to hide her features. Unfortunately for her, even in the dimness, Leon could see her plain as day. Her hair was a mystery to him, but her face was still very much revealing. There was a glint in her eyes, a hardened, trained fighters stare. Her jaw was set, and the way that she held her weapon told Leon that she knew how to use it.

It was good to see that there were people out there with conviction and drive to learn the ways of combat, but their motives were a mystery to Leon that he didn't want to delve into. He had his own reasons for fighting, and it wasn't anyone's business to know it unless he was willing to share.

“Tell me, miss. What are you intending to do here... for this little... Get together.” Leon said, his upturned hand circling through the air before him. “As I can figure, this is a kind of elimination, endurance match, to see who will fight to the end and who dies.”

He shrugged then, and turned once again to face the opposite direction.

“Not that I care really. I've been in this game long enough to know that I'm not going to be going down easily. Too many years, too many fights to let it all go now.” He said with a dismissive stretch of his arms.

This entire time, Leon paid little attention to the weapon that was hovering in the grasp of the female. He knew that she could strike at any moment, but, in all honesty, it would end badly for her. To bring harm to a woman was, firstly wrong, but at the same time, to kill one so young would be an atrocity. She definitely had a family that she cared about, that much he could tell from the glint in her eye. There was a look of determination, of a need to survive to get home and be with the one's that she cared for. So, Leon would not be the one to do something to her. In all honesty, he would try and ensure that she survived to get back to her family, even if that meant involving himself secretly in the way of others within this little competition.

“So. I don't expect you to answer me, a potential enemy should not trust another foe, but I wanted to lay the ground for myself before we jump to conclusions. I suggest that we wait for others to get here before we jump to drawing weapons, but that is, like I said, my suggestion.” Leon said, still facing away from the woman, his left hand resting on the pommel of his sword, the other hanging at his side.

[DezzyBee]

Dezzy wasn't one to attack without further provocation; too many times it had ended badly for her, and she felt like this would be one of those times. However she didn't sheath her weapon. Warily, she lowered and and relaxed a fraction of an inch. “Of course. It'd be a shame to eliminate all the good competition before the rest get here!” Dezzy grinned and studied the man for a minute, taking note of height, weight bracket, anything she could use to her advantage. Being small in stature did have some benefits even when fighting larger opponents.

“Any idea what all of this is about? I had no intention of coming when I first got the letter, but I could use a good fight or two,” she wandered further into the square, testing the terrain for cracks, loosened pavement, etc. In the process of inspecting her hood slid back,and she brushed her hair back with a hand. The rain seemed to be picking up again, but she truly didn't mind too much.

“There's a good chance that this is all a trap and we're all going to be fucked soon... though I'd rather not think about that possibility... Personally I hate challenges like these... I'm too used to knowing my opponent at least on some level.” Dezzy leaned against some fencing, half entertaining the thought of just fighting the guy for a warm up. She was antsy, impatient to find out what all this was about. Patience had never been her strong suit, which is why she had ended up in more than one unnecessary situation in her life... still, it was getting the best of her and she chose to tap her foot on the ground in her irritation at her own short attention span.

[Leon Walter Deltova]

Leon chuckled to himself. The woman was edgy and impatient to a certain level. The way that she moved, even without seeing her, told him that she was a wary fighter. Knowing one's opponent on some level as well told him that she preferred a fight that she could hold some kind of control over. These things rarely ever took place. It was almost like taking a fight to the school yard in grade school, the preference that the woman had. She wanted to be able to use whatever she could glean at a moments notice, or information that she already had on her foe to turn the fight to her advantage. An interesting notion, but a cold slap as well. This fight would be nothing that one could pre-determine. There were just too many variables to consider and possibilities and situations that could arise during the course of the fighting that would take any kind of pre-planning and throw it to the wind.

The woman, from what Leon could tell, paced about for a few moments, before wandering and finally setting to waiting in a place, foot tapping in frustration and probably irritation that nothing was happening at the moment. Leon could respect that, for one so young. It was understandable as well, the only real sound aside from her foot tapping was the dance of rain upon leaf, branch and stone. The weather wasn't letting up, either. The feed of information streaming into the small screens in his sunglasses told him that the storm was building, and that the head was on the way soon. It was fortunate, however, as any kinds of trace of combat would be kept mostly in secret. The sound of metal against metal would be drowned out by the heavy rain, and the thunder would help to mask explosions, should there be any. There was, however, one problem. At the moment, only the two of them had made it to the small square in which they stood. The note was very specific on the time to arrive. Meet in the square at 20:00 Hours. Lateness will not be tolerated.

It was nearly time for the event to begin, another eight minutes before the supposed fighting would begin. Leon slowly turned about and looked about slowly. As far as he could tell, through the use of modified sensors in his sunglasses which seamlessly switched to a normal feed of information that complemented his own vision, no one was coming. This could be just a mistake and any number of people could appear near the listed time, but it seemed to Leon that this was just a farce. It seemed more like a... test. A frown formed on his lips as his attention fell to the girl. She wasn't pointing her weapon any more, and seemed to be waiting about for the events of the... whatever this was, to happen. Seeing her like that told Leon something very important.

This was no real fight. Someone had chosen people to test. There was no way that the gap between their ages and professions was a mere coincidence. Leon saw that the girl was young and toughened, but he knew that she was not like him. She was not a mercenary, one to go out on missions and purposefully end the lives of targets. She had too much kindness and good still within her to be like himself. Leon did not, however, underestimate her. It was true that she was young, and that she showed some signs of her age, but she had a warrior's stance and determination. That also made Leon doubt what he thought. It was a tricky thing. But, to the best of Leon's reasoning, someone was pulling strings here. Something that he didn't like.

"I should think that our host would be arriving soon. It's nearly time and I'm sure that whoever has brought the two of us together has solid reasoning for it." Leon said, his hands never moving from their locations.

Leon wasn't looking directly at the girl, more towards the center of the square. His face was still in shadow, so his true vision was masked to most. He looked instead towards the fountain there. It was a time worn piece, signs of weathering and the hands of people. But, it looked to have been made out of love. It was carefully sculpted and the name of the sculptor was listed on a bronze plate in the side. "In loving memory, Vincento Serielle." was what was written. Interesting name, Leon thought. It reminded him of Italians from his own world.

[Reydaitso]

He walked briskly down the street, muttering to himself as he bumped into people here and there. The rain fell heavily around him. He paid it little mind as he ran through some last minuet calculations. "I can't account for his tools.... I'll have to eliminate those." He muttered some more as he rounded a corner. "Her age may prove a issue.... Though play on her gender." He stopped short in the street. "I mustn't let them fight in a group if they actually show." He shook his head. What was he thinking they wouldn't show. They had gotten invitations though. The group who save the planet, now that would have been a treat to study.

He rounded a corner coming up to a wall just behind the scheduled meeting place. As he rounded he tossed a contraption on the ground before him. Without missing a step he proceeded up the now expanding ladder. As he ascended he looked over some files. They were carefully constructed of a rain prof material. As he reached the top the stairs device made a small platform just big enough for him to stand. There he placed the folders on a stand made onto the front, and looked over the occupants. Only two? He thought to himself. He had expected them, and well more. Inwardly he sighed.

"Welcome! I have requested your presence for great reason! In my studies I have sought many things. The gift of life, cures, diseases. But now I have a much simpler goal. I seek perfection! The ultimate combat model!" He shouted over the growing rain. As he spoke the fountain fell away, and the surrounding area lowered. As it did, a much larger area is revealed to be below. His balcony lowered to sit within the arena. The top covered with a translucent blue energy. "There is one goal to this bout!" Rey shouted as he flipped over the bars of his balcony, falling the drop that would have certainly hurt someone of his stature. He flipped and landed with unnatural gracefulness. "Prove your abilities to me! Show me what the pinnacle of combat expertise looks like! Give me data!" Rey stood letting his lab coat slip off his shoulders to the floor. He placed a mask over his face, it quickly covering his head and locked into something below his shirt. He took a lax stance. He resided at a equal distance from both combatants, though at a angle that put his at a point of a triangle of the three of them. "This free for all rumble begins now!"