Nokamata: Intentional Forced Release (Training)

[19:16] "Pffftaaaaaaaaaahahahah…"
The woman couldn't keep it together, cracking up in Romulus' face. It seemed as though the poor soul simply couldn't catch a break as far as she was concerned.
She reached out to pat him on the shoulder, even gripping at it to shake him a bit - once she had calmed down a bit.

"You're -fiiiine-. " she assured, "As I said before it -does- affect you, but it moreso depends on your body type." She slid her hand off the man's shoulder.
"For some people, it can shrivel up their body violently and leave them frail but potent in magical potential... Maybe, extra fast? Or what have you." She curled her digits before delivering a backhanded pat for his abdomen.

"--and for others?" she went on, following through, assuming Romulus didn't stop her. "It can harden them up through and through~." she sung, expecting to find his hardiness to have toughened him up a bit.
The act put a mischievous grin on her face, implying newfound intrigue that extended beyond the cloth.

"Now then, we should probably really work towards that amnesia potion." She claimed, eyes climbing back up towards Romulus' own.
(Selena Nokamata)
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[19:35] He pouted bit with small huff hearing her cruel laughter. In response he nudged her on the shoulder. Not the manliest thing to do. He sighed listening to her explanation.

It definetely wa her. He wasn't falling for that the second time in a row. He wasn't /that/ naive. With a mild frown he looked down at the hand touching his chestplate, listening to her singing. She was just being cruel, wasn't she?

Yet, she was right. He felt his muscles aching, his body stiffening, a new layer of muscle tissue started to grow. It was quite an odd sensation, rather unpleasant.

"Say..." He began when she mentioned the other alchemical compound. "Are you sure I need it? I'm not even sure what other abilities I could've learned..."
(Romulus Aethern)
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[19:51] "Well?" she started, making her way back west bound.
"Ultimately, I don't know." she shrugged,

"The only way to find out for sure whether or not that is the case, is to give you a test. Maybe it'd give us both an idea of your abilities... --and maybe a bit of mine too…"
(Selena Nokamata)
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[19:57] "W-wait, you want to fight again? But... Oh god, please, not again!" He took a step back, only to be followed by his companion. "I... I still remember last time!" A droplets of sweat began to emerge on his neck yet again.

He shivered at the thought of falling into her illusions, seeing her getting murdered and getting his brain shattered into pieces. "Do we have to?" He asked quietly with an audible gulp.
(Romulus Aethern)
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[20:04] "You don't -have- to fight." she sighed, slinking her shoulders, "I just... Feel as though you should do -something- to practice." she urged.
"Last thing I want to hear after passing through Alabastre is that they're foreclosing your home after your unfortunate run-in with a demon in the woods."

(Selena Nokamata)
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[20:08] He took a deep breath and nodded sharply. It wasn't easy but... "To hell with it. Let's roll." She was right. He needed to be ready, running won't be his only solution forever. And after all, he didn't want to worry her.

He took his rifle, chambered a round and grabbed her hand, leading them towards the castle's dojo. He felt his heart thumping, his palms getting sweaty and ears turning red. Whatever was going to happen won't be pleasant in any way.
(Romulus Aethern)
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[20:10] Romulus Aethern asks, "Are you sure about it?"
[20:11] Selena Nokamata says, "Well... Honestly? No."
[20:11] Selena Nokamata asks, "--but since when has that stopped us before?"
[20:12] Romulus Aethern says, "Let's do this before I realise how much of a bad idea it is."
[20:13] Selena Nokamata says, "<*shrugs*> Well, if you insist."
[20:13] Romulus Aethern exclaims, "Wai- I;m not the one insisting!"
[20:13] Selena grins.
(Selena Nokamata)
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[20:26] He pulled the trigger. The silence of the room was pierced by a loud noise of gunfire. He missed. The reality was warping, he wasn't sure which way was up, which way was down, left or right. Lights were going on and off, darkness enveloping him only to disappear into nothingness seconds later. Doppelgangers were surrounding him, wherever he looked, the pair of red eyes was glancing back at him.

Bullets were flying, the vale of illusions being ripped in a muzzle flash. Romulus pulled the trigger one more time, an incendiary round launched forward, creating a bright wave of fire. He stared in horror as his companion got hit directly by it, falling to the ground.

"Selena, are you okay?" He asked, feeling the droplets of sweat appearing on the back of his neck.
(Romulus Aethern)
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[20:39] This was... Different. Before, she had completely dominated at Romulus' mind when they trained. Now? It was as though, they were on entirely different leagues.
The sheer manipulative prowess over the mind that illusionism provided was nothing compared to the destructive power of a rifle and the numerous arrays of gear the man held to his person.

… Though, that didn't mean she was done yet. She lied on the ground, recanting the series of events that led to her getting placed here. She barred her teeth, truly focusing on the matter of events. Where illusions had failed, her will would prevail.

As far as she could perceive, there were levels to her illusions. Typically, they could be generated with a second dimensional feel to them. More advanced variants imitating a three dimensional variant of her desire, however, they were still just imitations.

Though, to push herself... To the next stage? To reach even further beyond that? The true third dimension within the realm of metaphysics? Her body seemingly contorted on a visual level, stretching a bit to a cartoonish degree. The sound of bass rattled the ears of all to hear, murmuring in the undergrowth of one's auditory spectrum. The ground quivered, and soon air refracted around her person, rippling her very image in a distortion of reality as she'd will it.

She was trying to push beyond illusionism, by treating it not as an individual tree of magic, but a level of a greater instance. This, was a climb to the next level, demonstrated by her chest protruding out, and body slowly hovering back up against its natural will - levitating briefly to bring her to her feet. Her movements blurred as she stumbled towards upright stature, holding hands out demand of Romulus' distance.

An unseen force thrusted for his chest, intent on forcing distance between them both. Heavy panting could be heard... As she was pushing herself past her initial limits. She was transcending beyond illusionism, and moving on to the plane of spatial manipulation! Surely, impressive given she had only really start picking up the study hours prior.

"I think I'm getting the basic gists of it!" she exclaimed, "Don't... CODDLE ME!" she shouted out towards the Aethern, bellowing forth another shockwave of gravitational influence, splintering tiles under its mass in its elongated crater carved for him.
Certainly, there was more to be tapped into here!
Though, would it measure up?
(Selena Nokamata)
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[20:40] Selena holds out a hand to seemingly manifest a weapon out of... Thin air?!
(Selena Nokamata)
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[20:43] Yes. It was the Selena he has fallen for. A grin appeared on his face as he rammed an ammo clip into the magazine. "Bring it on!" He shouted back, seeing the world bend before his eyes. He was ready.
(Romulus Aethern)
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[20:58] One's manipulation had managed to transcend mere trickery of the mind. Once, considered a fallible art? Selena had managed to push her illusionary tactics into the third dimension -- as far as she was concerned. No longer was she simply twisting at the fabric of perception within the mind... But of perception in defiance of nature itself.

Surely, it was still new? Thus, it's impact came without expression -- faceless forces striking from the left... From the right...
And then, straight down, as though the very earth itself had beckoned to Romulus for a rain check -- such being intent for intimacy. All the while, a riled and pressured Selena marched forward, closing the gap between the two.

No, a doppelganger had rushed past her, sprinting at top speed! A gunshot... Direct hit! Yet... It did... Not... Fade? It gritted, recoiled and even stammered like Selena would! However, it pressed onward and continued its charge. These weren't just visual delusions any longer, but now... Had spatial girth emulated within them. It was as though, they were permitted depth, nigh perfected copies in every regard.

Thus, when it'd close the distance to deliver a punch? The mithril fist could be felt... And it carried a weight that would clip Romulus upward by his chin. A knee was directed for the crotch, whilst hands swiftly took towards the rifle, intent on wrestling it away from him. It was as though Selena herself was making the fight, though... The caster? Was still making her march over to him, not yet making contact.

Conflict would carry on, until a stray shot would find itself directed for Selena, skimming her face and drawing a spray of blood!
Surely, that was going to leave a gouge -- a permanent mar on her face.
Yet, as though out of absolute fury and denial, she cursed it. The third dimension was hardly the extent of her limitations.

"No." She stated, unwilling such from its instance. As reality could be perceived between the two, everything seemed to transcend for an overcast of gray. As though all were encompassed in an aged photo, shattered at the centre akin to glass.

Down, it'd fall asunder -- leaving a play-out of reality just seconds prior, where the rifle was still being wrestled over.
Did she just?

The gun shot went off, exactly as it did prior, but this time, her head seemingly split off into a multitude of duplicates, all connected to her main body. As though one could briefly peek into the many different alternate timelines where she had adjusted her head to evade the shot with explicit ease.

She was picking up rather quickly, or at least demonstrating in the heat of the moment. The concept between treating all of which as a single magic tree, was hardly complex for a bookworm like herself.
"Oh~ho~ho~... You're going to have to do a little better than that."
She raised her staff out, blinking her doppelganger out of existence, to thrust her opposition yards away.
(Selena Nokamata)
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[21:12] The reality wasn't bending anymore. It didn't exist. The time, space, physics, nothing mattered anymore. It was like their first spar, only even more intense. Colors stopped to make any form of sense. The bullets were turning into dust. Any shape and form was long forgotten by the universe.

Until he got sent flying by a sudden wave of kinetic energy. Mortality clarified in singular strike. A loud clank of the man's equipment could be heard. Clank, clank, clank. Romulus rolled over the floor.

He chuckled before coughing violently and slowly getting up. His breath was heavy, erratic. But he wasn't shaking in fear like scared little boy like he did last time. A progress have been made. Another chuckle escaped his lips as he dusted his jacket off.

"Whatever you say, miss." He smiled getting his gun ready. A bolt has been dragged back, a metal casing has touched the floor. A metallic click could be heard when a new round has been chambered. He was ready for whatever she may throw at him.

At the back of his head a question has been asked. Ramen or burgers?
(Romulus Aethern)
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[21:15] {Lost Restrained RPB against Romulus Aethern}
[21:31] He charged forward, world arond him bending. Tiles rising and falling back down, waves of darkness washing over him, doppelganger trying to grab him. Adrenaline was coarsing through his veins, heart pounding, arena stretching forever and breath heavy and erratic. He pulled the trigger. He missed.

The barrel was bent like twig out of a sudden. Bullet launched upwards, hitting the ceiling. As Romulus stared at his weapon he nearly instantly felt another wave of pure energy.

He was thrown like a ragdoll, yet this time he got up without wasting a second. He worked the bolt unlocked, open, closed and locked before firing again, weapon coming back to it's natural state.

Doppelgangers started twisting and bending like spaghetti exposed to wind. Their distorted, nightmarish voices screaming unninteligable things int his ears. Colours were changing, he could barely distinguish what was the floor from the walls.

Everything stopped. A bullet pierced through theair, hitting the target. Aethern gulped audibly seeing her laying down on the floor. He approached her, feeling his heart racing. "Are you okay?"

He knew she was. He knew she could swipe the floors with him if she really wanted to. But hell, was it still making him feel bad to see her like this.
(Romulus Aethern)
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[21:47] She was downed, beaten fair and square. The man was a far cry from what he was when they had first met. In fact, some part of her was rather proud of Romulus. Sue laid on the ground, just taking it all in... The sensation of defeat, how she hadn't quite forgotten it yet. Truly a sour taste in her mouth, to this moment... But at least, she was beginning to realize her potential.

To think, she was capable of -all of that-? The thought alone put a smile on her face, showing pearlescent teeth and all. Never before had a loser embraced defeat so happily -- for even with a loss, she had won confirmation on so many of her theories.

"I didn't think it was actually possible." she answered him, "--so much easier than it was made out to be." she pushed herself back upright dusting herself off.
"I don't know what to say, Romulus you..." she gave him a look over, from head to toe, visibly bewildered. "I don't think I recognized you for a moment there." Her eyes seemed... Lost for a moment.
Truly discarding that typical gander she took to him, not so much as an inferior -- nor one lacking but...

The mesmerized expression was shaken away, denied prominence in a situation such as this.
"You did much better, Romulus. I'm surprised." she dusted herself off.
"I think for now, I should probably continue my study, maybe get some of the details of my craft right. Then maybe I'll be in a decent fighting shape."

A pause, "Maybe some new gear too... Who knows." Her eyes, eventually crawled back to him, giving him a thorough lookover...
Almost as though, being pressured internally t--
"... Maybe... We could grab a drink at your place tonight." she admitted, making the first move? A bit odd, but certainly a change of pace.
(Selena Nokamata)
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[22:10] A grin appeared on his face, he was quite proud of himself. Yet -tried- to kept in mind that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer. "Thank you." He smiled, letting out a small chuckle. An actual compliment coming from her, it was quite a rare thing to witness. "I thought you'd never ask." He said, grabbing her hand and looking into her red, glowing eyes.

Just like when they met for the first time. "And well, I can always help you with the wargear part." He added, leading the way towards the exit. Today was tiring. A lot of things happend. They both deserved a bit of rest.

Marksman stretched his back, letting out a long yawn as he sat down on one of the cushion. "Make yourself at home." He said with a smile.. "By the way, I'm really glad you like the dress I got you." Artificer added and... Collapsed onto the floor. After a brief moment a loud snoring could be heard. Every. Single. Time.

He'd propably curse his fate or at the very least his body, if he only wasn't asleep that is. He really was looking forward to this very moment, yet fighting and growing new muscles certainly was a tiring process.

It has been a long day after all.
(Romulus Aethern)
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