[Episode] Dark Truth Under Bright Lies!

Riva huffs as she patiently listens and watches the blue-haired guy closely. She doesn't flinch as she glimpses a flash of purple and a whisper she barely took notice of. She probably would have if the person had been coming straight for her but they hadn't. So Riva didn't bother moving or giving the person passing a glance. She rolls her eyes with a slightly frustrated sigh at the threat. Riva lets go of the blue-haired guy and stares down the hallway a moment before slowly getting up. She grabs her kama, yanking it quite harshly out of the celebrity's shoulder as she turns her attention to the woman at the other end of the hallway. Watching quietly as she leaned against the wall.

Riva frowns as she listens to the woman talk without moving her lips. She didn't like the fact that this person had, what she could only guess was a devil fruit with such a seemingly overpowered ability. Especially when the blue-haired celebrity from before suddenly moves into an attack, the fist making contact with Riva's cheek. She doesn't make a sound as she stumbles a bit backwards but her glare was sent straight to the woman. Her cheek begins to swell slightly along with going from skin color to deep ugly mix of purple, black and blue as she listens to the woman's monologue she can't help but to wonder to herself quietly, 'who the hell fucked you up to this point?'

Riva's frown gets sharper and more angrier as the woman continues her monologue. She grabs her other kama and flips it open just like the other kama. Riva stands quietly, her grip on her weapons increasing with every word that falls from this irritating woman's mouth. Just as she was going to say something Riva gets interrupted by the blue-haired celebrity attacking her. She dodges, blocks and parries each attack while watching the two. Riva could tell that the woman was controlling the guy but she didn't know how beyond a devil fruit ability. Which really doesn't help her much, just as Riva was getting an idea started the woman spoke up again.

Riva sighs heavily as she blocks another shot with nothing more than a small humph. As the woman continued her speech which was sounding more and more like a rant, Riva started to zone out focusing more on her fight than the raving woman until she heard the woman talking about mediocre people and such. Riva froze stalk still and almost got shot if she hadn't knocked herself out of her shock. Her shock quickly turned to anger at the mention of cutting people up simply for not making the cut. Riva continued weaving out of the way of punches and gunshots as a shutter cut her seemingly only exit.

She smirks at this and decides to start being reactive now. She flips her kamas experimentally before swiftly dodging another punch. Taking the opportunity Riva elbows the blue-haired puppet hard in the lower chest. The man gasped, bending forward to instinctively catch his breath but Riva wasn't letting her chance slip away. She grabs his head and knees his temple hard, knocking him out easily enough. She straightens up as she makes eye contact with the madwoman, who stiffened ever so slightly but didn't let the slight anxiety show on her face. “Now lets see you really fight now that you don’t have your puppet anymore,” Riva voices with a bit of calm irritation.

Riva walks over to her before giving some advice even if the other woman was too far gone to take it. "You know you're supposed to make sure the person you're monologuing to is GUARANTEED to not live by the end of it right?" Her voice echoes mock confusion but before the madwoman could retort Riva interrupts her. "Hold on I'm not done yet," she does a few tricks as she makes her way towards the woman who is becoming more and more frustrated. Riva's smirk is back as she continues "and to be frank with you, as much as you hate mediocre people I HATE people like you who think they are better because of something as small as talent." Her tone is hard and cuts deep into the madwoman and as the woman opens her mouth to speak Riva interrupts again but instead of words it's her kama taking a swipe at her head. The woman narrowly dodges as Riva advises with a playful tone, "oh and reminder I'm not stuck with you here, you are the one stuck here with me." She grins as she flips her kamas playfully as dashes at the madwoman again aiming to finish her off quickly, her whole speech did nothing but irritate Riva and prove to her that this woman was the same as the people that dubbed themselves “Masters”. This revelation makes Riva simply want to wipe her existence off this reality forever just like she had with her so-called “Masters”.

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Word Count: 834
Total Word Count: 6400

“Something as small as talent?! Without skill, without ability, this world would be empty of all beauty! How dare you!” Incensed, Megara attempted to exert her fruit’s nervous system control over Riva.

No luck. [dass]Megara could only exert her ability over those who wanted something from her, she could only manipulate people who needed her[cmt]I will say I do like this requirement. It works well for a diva character.[/cmt][/dass]. In truth, this is what drove the girl’s sense of superiority: a desperate desire to be needed, an experience she had been denied in her wealthy upbringing.

“You bitch! Why won't you submit to your betters? Why won’t you just die already?!...” she tried once more, attempting to stop Riva’s breathing, no matter how much pride she staked in herself; in any moment, even she could be rendered worthless, “... damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! YOU PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO STAY IN YOUR PLACES! OTHERWISE IT RUINS THE WHOLE GODDAMN SHOW! Why…” the pink-haired diva sputtered up her anger, screeching like a defenseless animal before trailing off with a despairing tone.

“... why couldn’t I be the special one?” Meg looked to Riva with a heartbroken stare as she accepted her impending fate.

Bleeding from the gut, his eyes barely fluttering open to witness the breakdown of his leader; no, his love. He tried to mumble it, but the words couldn’t come out– even if she could have heard his thoughts, it still wouldn’t have mattered to the brat; even then, even if he would never matter to her,  “You were special to me. I loved you Meg. I loved you more than anything, even just being close to you was enough. I wish you could have seen yourself. The way I saw you…” with this empty dream, Katsuki slipped back into unconsciousness.

No matter the affection of a young man’s heart, some women would only ever have affection for themselves; and such a feeling could hardly be called love, without trust and respect for the people around you, pride was little better than narcissism. This is the curse of the Master: in seeing all those around you as beneath you, you rob yourself of all love you might have shared with them; and instead, are rewarded for your so-called “superiority” with a throne of emptiness.

The empty throne…

Fit for No Man

After Riva and Meg have finished their altercation, a number of security officers arrive just too late; the core members of Nightmare SYNC 9 have all been killed or defeated. Further lending to their misfortune…

… the halls began to tremble as the sounds of maddened growling echoed up towards the shutters; it was as though some wretched beast was trampling towards them, bringing earthquakes in the wake of its cloven hooves. In an instant, the sharp point of a blade was driven through the thick metal shutter and the barricade was pried apart like a tin can; the newly arrived gunmen trained their aims on the opening and let loose fire, but it was already too late: a spray of bricks, graven earth, and debris exploded down towards them, narrowly avoiding Riva’s position.

“ANYBODY ELSE WANNA TELL ME HOW MUCH OF A BIG FUCKIN’ DEAL THEY ARE? I’LL TEAR ALL YER GODDAMN HEARTS OUT, ILL FUCKING EAT ‘EM, CALL YOURSELF BETTER THAN ME ONE MORE FUCKING TIME! I DARE YOU! I WILL MAKE YOU KNOW HUMILITY! I AM YOUR APOCALYPSE! I AM ARROGANCE UNWROUGHT! I AM ASAKURA DOJI, AND I WILL USURP WHATEVER FALSE PRIDE YOU DARE TO CLING TO!”

The lad was going through it. He was really wailing like a banshee for some reason; someone musta gone and pissed him off bad. Like father, like son, get a giant red-haired oni angry enough and you’ve signed your own death warrant.

“Oh hi Riva…” the bulging veins in the boy’s forehead seemed to die down almost instantly upon noticing the presence of a familiar figure, “...yo, I’m uh, sorry about all of this? Those little guys had a lot of big words,” The oni brushed dirt from his clothes as he grimaced, seemingly a bit embarrassed with the extent to which he’d lost his composure.

“You ready to get outta this dump?” Doji asks with a smile, offering his hand down to scoop up Riva. Should she accept, he sheathes a sword before holding her comfortably above his path of destruction.

After Riva and Doji have settled whatever remaining business they may have in the complex, the monster begins to destroy the building more methodically, being careful not to crush his small compatriot amongst the wreckage. Bit by bit, the house of horrors is condemned, and the victims of the operation are given as close to a proper burial as they could have hoped for.

The makeshift morgue is rendered little more than another plot of graves, with the dead of Nightmare SYNC 9 being buried just the same as any of the “talent” they’d brought to untimely ends; in that moment, they were equal. By the actions of Asakura Doji and Riva Aderyn, these lost souls were laid to rest besides some of the greatest idols to ever grace Mirrorball Island. That night, the sky gleamed a bit brighter as those who yearned for stardom were given their peace.

Few survive the annihilation of the complex, and amongst those who lived to tell the tale of that night, details are uncertain. Among those details that were certain: a monster by the name of Asakura Doji, referring to himself as “The Usurper,” lured four members of a prominent Idol Group to a graveyard before slaughtering several of them, as well as a number of “innocent” civilians. The cemetery was vandalized, with a beautiful Mausoleum and its surrounding plots being razed into a crater.

Post Word Count: 954
Total Word Count: 9,321

Round 1

Doji activates (Toggle) Swaying Breeze
Doji uses AoE Heavenly Song: Melody of Zephyr's Guidance to buff self
Doji uses UT against Gack & Kenny

Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use UT against Doji

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Doji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 13

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 3, 10, 6, 1

Round 2

Doji uses HT Sunlight's Sixteenth Ray against Gack & Kenny
Doji uses LT Horrid Hook against Gack & Kenny
Doji uses UT against Gack & Kenny

Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use UT against Doji

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Doji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 12, 5

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 13, 6, 20, 15

Round 3

Doji uses AoE Earthly Song: Dance of Dying Sunlight to Buff Self
Doji uses UT against Gack & Kenny

Gack & Kenny use MT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use UT against Doji

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Doji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

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#1 'Reflex Check' : 18

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 19, 20, 1, 19

Round 4

Doji activates Toggle Raging Ember
Doji uses MT Seventh Star Slice to buff self and damage Gack & Kenny
Doji uses LT Horrid Hook against Gack & Kenny
Doji uses LT Monastery Slash against Gack & Kenny
Doji uses UT against Gack & Kenny

Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use UT against Doji

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Doji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 8, 2, 17, 12

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 20, 16, 11, 15

Round 5

Doji uses LT Hilt of Tilled Earth against Gack & Kenny
Doji uses UT against Gack & Kenny

DOJI WINS, Gack & Kenny are brutally crushed

Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use LT against Doji
Gack & Kenny use UT against Doji

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Doji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 9, 16

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 12, 11, 3, 16

Riva couldn't help the grin beginning to form seeing the woman begin to break down. Getting close to the woman again Riva grips her kamas a little tighter before swiping one in a horizontal fashion the woman dodges again at the last moment. Riva hummed at the woman's response not being all committed to answering as her grin grew sharper at the panic beginning to set in, she wondered about the woman's devil fruit absently always having a sense of awe for anyone who had one. Though Riva will admit she's kind of bummed out that her first taste of a fight with a devil fruit user was so lackluster.

Riva blinks at the probable rhetorical questions the woman was asking but answers anyway, "well for starters you're not my betters if anything you're below me judging just from this fight right now." She shakes her head in mock exasperation, "honestly it's kind of sad but any who I'm not dying anytime soon not after finally gaining my freedom back." Riva finishes with a small shrug before sighing heavily in annoyance as she watches the stubborn woman try using her devil fruit again. She walks over towards the woman as she watches her sink to her knees giving her such a heartbroken stare but Riva doesn't care. Riva stands in front of the woman quietly as she rests her one kama on each shoulder, both blades pointing to the heartbroken woman's neck. Riva glances at the fallen blue-haired celebrity before looking back at the woman briefly before finishing her off. Pulling both weapons towards each other slicing into the woman's neck easily, her head rolls as Riva flicks the blood off her weapons as she speaks quietly to herself. "You were already special you just couldn't see it."

Putting her weapons away she walks over to the unconscious and bleeding blue-haired man. She crouches down and checks his wound, even though she would much prefer to leave him there to die she couldn't. Guilty conscience is an utter bitch when you don't want to be nice, but it's a hard thing for Riva to ignore most of the time. So she makes sure the wound isn't immediately life threatening, heavens know she knows what those look like all too well. As Riva stands up about to head off to find Doji she stumbles around a bit as the halls begin to tremble along with what Riva could only describe as growling laced heavily with madness. Riva was about to assume that the ruckus was from Doji when suddenly security began to spill into the hallway guns trained on her. She was halfway to getting her weapons out again when suddenly the mad growling sounded way too close for Riva's comfort. Realizing it was just behind the shutter she dives to the side just before Doji had shoved his sword into the metal shutter.

Riva stares in utter shock and awe as Doji bursts in beginning to roar out something. In all honesty the volume he was shouting at made her ears ring and she couldn't quite catch what Doji was saying for the most part. She couldn't help the small laugh that bubbles up at the out of context display. When Doji notices her Riva grins up at him, giving a small wave as the ringing in her ears has yet to stop. She waved her hand at what she guessed was an apology if she was reading his lips correctly. Riva was about to get up when Doji offered his hand, she happily took his hand and let herself get scooped up. She hangs onto his thumb as the sudden drop in her stomach from going up so suddenly. Riva couldn't stop herself from waving a goodbye to the gunmen as Doji continued to tear the building apart.

Once the two were out of that place she parted ways with Doji, a small goodbye and a personal promise to meet him again at some point. Riva stays on the island for a few more days to watch the burials happen while avoiding being spotted. When she feels all ready she sets out again to continue her journey with a bit more than what she started with excited for wherever the sea ends up taking her.

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Word Count: 716
Total Word Count: 7116

Round 1

Riva uses HT Whiplash Wave against Meg&Katty
Riva uses LT Risso Struggle to buff self
Riva uses LT Osprey Grapple n Throw against Meg&Katty

Meg&Katty uses [LT] against Riva
Meg&Katty uses [LT] against Riva
Meg&Katty uses [LT] against Riva
Meg&Katty uses [UT] against Riva

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Riva' has done the following action : Dice Roll

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#1 'Reflex Check' : 6, 15, 12

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 17, 15, 11, 8

Round 2

Riva uses MT Wet Stoned Strike to buff self
Riva uses LT Frigate Strike against Meg&Katty
Riva uses UT Hack n Slash against Meg&Katty

Meg&Katty uses [LT] against Riva
Meg&Katty uses [UT] against Riva
Meg&Katty uses [UT] against Riva

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Riva' has done the following action : Dice Roll

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#1 'Reflex Check' : 6, 7, 8

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 17, 8, 12

Round 3

Riva activates (Toggle) Charged Focus
Riva uses HT Fire Bird Cyclone against Meg&Kitty
Riva uses LT Crane Wing Slashing against Meg&Katty

Meg&Katty uses [HT] against Riva
Meg&Katty uses [LT] against Riva

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Riva' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 16, 13

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 3, 20

Round 4

Riva uses MT Bladed Monsoon against Meg&Kitty
Riva uses LT Osprey Grapple n Throw against Meg&Katty
Riva uses LT Frigate Strike against Meg&Katty
Riva uses UT Finishing Move against Meg&Katty

Meg&Katty uses [AoE] against Riva

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Riva' has done the following action : Dice Roll

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#1 'Reflex Check' : 17, 3, 8, 1

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 17

Before the oni left that evening, these were the words he spoke to his roguish new friend, “promise me somethin’ eh? Keep whatever part of your spirit it is that brought you here burning, keep getting in over your head and getting into other people’s business! Life isn’t half as fun when you keep your nose clean!”

A wide smile spread over the oni’s face as he heard the coming of the city’s law enforcement, “Well I guess this is where we part ways for now! Chase your dream Riva, find what you want from this world and seize it for yourself no matter what it takes! I’ll see you in the Grand Line when you get there!” With this, Doji stood up and drew his swords, grinning down to Riva before leaping over the cemetery’s fence towards the coming officials.

In the distance, the monstrous boy’s shouting can be heard for several blocks, the perfect distraction for a thief to steal away in the night, “COME ON OUT YA LITTLE MOTHERFUCKERS! I HAVEN’T HAD A WORTHY OPPONENT THIS WHOLE NIGHT! GIMME THE BEST YOU GOT!”

Growing further away as the Oni was chased by officers, and in turn chased them, the sounds continued to echo up the hillside, [npc=navy]“Asakura Doji! You’re under arrest!”[/npc]

“SEEMS LIKE I’M STILL MOVIN’ FORWARDS THOUGH JACKASS! IT’S ONLY AN ARREST IF YOU CAN STOP ME! BRING IT ON! SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STAND IN THE WAY OF A DREAM THAT DOESN’T FALTER!”

From further away, still, the sounds of chaos and discord began to envelop the city like the crackling of fireworks; near the city’s central, a live idol performance would serve as the centerstage for the oni’s departure from Mirrorball. A chorus of screaming echoed from the show’s attendants, the sounds of amplified instruments being caught up in the rampage formed the instrumentation of the discordant symphony, the stage was all but destroyed.

And from that destruction, from those ashes, erupted an unintentional show of pyrotechnic beauty. Scattering to the sky like a prismatic geyser of sparks, the rain of fire threatened to swallow everything in its wake; but in the end, nobody’s houses were lost, and the evening amounted largely to a free fireworks display for the city’s children.

Luckiest to survive the explosion was the bullheaded idiot who caused it. Walking down towards the docks wreathed in ash, soot, and small phosphorous fires; Doji raised his hand behind him, waving symbolically back to the friend that he had caused this distraction for. The oni left Mirrorball that evening with pride; [dass]he hadn’t found the man he was looking for[cmt]Did he even finish searching the cemetery or wherever he hoped to find him in the first place?[/cmt][/dass], but he’d found a friend. Furthermore, he’d carved the name of the Asakura further upon the tapestry of history, and had laid waste to the hearts of arrogant men to do so. There was nothing sweeter in this world.

Epilogue: Risen From Ash

As the days pass, the people of Mirrorball make a quick recovery from the havoc that was wrought across their city. W Mirror Main St. quickly rebuilds their stage, and the fire damage caused to the local apartments is easily repaired; in the city of glamor and individuality, for a couple of days humble people come together to help one another, and though a great amount of property has been damaged there is a joyous sense of community amongst neighbors.

Megara Melodia, Nikurojiano Gakuto, and Kirameki Ken are all given proper burials alongside the victims identified as civilians slaughtered by the mass murderer Asakura Doji. The Mausoleum, whose original inhabitants were long since forgotten, was devoted to Megara and the fallen members of Nightmare SYNC 9 by the group’s sole survivor: Yamaha Katsuki. In the following years, the man would recover and launch a successful solo career with his first single: “Love Songs for the Dead.”

Plodding out into the sea, Old Sutured Sail seemed eager to take its master further; but each adventure, the ship grew slower, and groaned more on its voyages. Doji tugged at the red strand of thread falling from the wearing ship’s sails, and smiled up to the rogerless flag “come on. Just a little further, okay buddy?”

Post Word Count: 695
Total Word Count: 10,016