(Closed)May the Dead Come Alive

[Zeke Omoihake]

(Open to any and all so feel free to come by and join in.)

Zeke emerged from the shadowy rift, leaving the dank and rancid sewers of Shibuya for a vast landscape. The sky layered thickly with dark clouds that surveyed a deathly calm flatland. What few trees crept through the mirky, blackened ground held rigid, their few remaining leaves quivering in the icy breeze.

"What is this place?" Zeke's question answered only by the muffled growls of creatures in the distance. His head pivoted quickly to see two lumbering beasts approach from the sound's direction, stalking the new prey that seemed to have fallen into their territory. Hunched on four legs the creature's black scaled carapace seemed to drip with a thick mucus. As their mouths opened to reveal sharp nashing teeth a bone chilling roar escaped their throat.

"Donovan! Get out here now! I've got problems out here!" Zeke ducked down slightly as the large calligraphy brush slipped out of the sling on his back, hovering just a few feet above the ground. Zeke spread his feet out slightly, his brush flashing forward as if to guard his front should the creatures strike before his partner arrived.

[Donovan Siroaki]

Forcing his way through the portal, Donovan caught a glimpse of the barren waste before his attention switched to that of the large beasts. His eyes grew wide, and the cigarette placed precariously between his lips slid loose as his jaw gapped open at the sight of the heavily armored behemoths.

"What the hell kinda Noise is that! Ain't like nothing i've ever seen before," he said as he shuffled back opening two of the clasped pouches situated at his belt.

[Zeke Omoihake]

Upon Donovan slipping through the portal the creature's attention seemed divided, looking at each other and snorting as if determining how to divide their prey up. Zeke took this as an oppourtunity to attack, his brush twirling through the air and attempting to swipe at the beasts. They leapt back snarling at the attack and decided the newcomer wasn't important...yet.

Charging forward and pouncing at Zeke, he sidestepped the first one as the second came from the side attempting to lash at Zeke's neck with it's claw. Parrying with his brush, he ducked down and let the brush clumsily spin around, catching the first creature in the jaw and sending it back a couple feet.

"I don't know, but they're strong. I can't hold them off!" Zeke yelled. The second creature barring down on him with a flurry of teeth and claws. The second one regained its footing and tucked low, ready to pounce again.

[Donovan Siroaki]

Upon noticing the creature preparing to come charging towards Zeke, Donovan threw his right hand up into the air making one of his decks spring to life from his waist. Grabbing the cards and swiping horizontally with them, they flowed into a long chain and slashed the beast on an unprotected section on it's front, right leg causing it to wince and switch it's attention to Donovan.

Retracting the cards, Donovan leaps back and pulls out another deck, preparing to defend against his newly enraged opponent. And then he realized something.

"Zeke! If this was Noise, then we'd be separated right now, left to fight them on the different plains alone. Something's not right here."

It was just in that moment of distraction that the colossal beast came barreling towards him.

[Zeke Omoihake]

He's right, we've never fought Noise together before. What did it mean? We're we alive at last? Questions darted through Zeke's mind as he dodged the creature's attacks with deft precision. Dodging a swipe aimed at his legs he leapt forward, countering with a rising kick to the creature's exposed neck. The creature shook its head from the shock, dazed for a moment. Zeke turned in time to see the other one dash past him and straight for Donovan.

"Don no!" With his outcry Zeke's brush seemed to flow with a thick energy. Sending it inbetween his friend and the beast it danced in midair, each stroke leaving the energy hanging. In a split second the splatter of inky residue formed the image of a Spartan shield, and the flat illusion sprang to life in time for the creature to crash violently against it.

"Now Don, get it!" Zeke released his concentration on the shield. With his willpower no longer holding it together the shield faded in an instant, leaving Donovan a clear shot at both of the creatures.

[Donovan Siroaki]

With the creature dazed, Donovan had some time to prepare, but not much. My cards aren't strong enough to do any real damage against something so heavily armored, guess i'll just have to try being creative. Slapping his two decks together, he releases he grip and concentrates fiercely on them. The cards began to stir and eventually dance in the cold breeze that blew across the hallowed plains. Upon them settling, they were no longer cards, but rather a large longbow with a single arrow. Straining his arm muscles, he drew the bowstring taunt and released. The arrow flew with impeccable speed and force, lodging itself deep into the beasts skull, causing the creature to fall flaccid to the ground.

Seeing it's partner slain, the other titan threw itself into a frenzy, tearing wildly across the flat earth in an enraged attempt to avenge his fallen kin.

"You got this one Zeke? Surely you can't let me take all the glory," exclaimed Donovan with a self-assured grin.

[Zeke Omoihake]

"No prob." Zeke said with a grin on his face. Time for a taste of this thing's own medicine. The brush, still emitting its power began to twist and twirl once more. From the crazed motions came the image of a bull facing the beast. As if pulled from the painting a crimson bull burst forth in a bloodlust charge towards the frenzied beast, its head bent down as it neared it. With its horns poised to strike the bull flung the behemoth in the air with a mighty heave, gouging the creature's torso just before it vanished. As the beast drifted downwards Zeke's brush darted underneath it. With a single stroke a sliced bamboo shoot formed in time for the creature to impale itself on the sharpened end.

Zeke called the brush back to him. The battle was over but his mind pulsed from the bull's creation. Ugh, moving things are still hard to maintain. Anymore than a couple seconds and it feels like my head's going to crack open.

Looking worriedly towards Donovan he moved over to him. "Are you alright bud? They didn't get you did they?" Zeke had hoped his reckless entrance into the portal had not endangered his friend at all.

[Donovan Siroaki]

"Ya, I'm fine," he replied with a grin whilst adjusting his sunglasses in an attempt to hide his exhaustion. Donovan was used to fighting and the physical exertion that coincided, but mentally he was still weak. The focus needed to adjust the cards malleability, tensile strength, sharpness of the edge, it was all a lot of work and not the kind that he was used to. The one saving grace of this fight was Zeke being able to help him.

Looking over at his partner, he was able to see the strain that Zeke put on himself with his last attack an felt bad about leaving it up to him to finish alone. Placing one hand on Zeke's shoulder he leaned down a bit, smiling, and said, "How you holding up, champ," in a soft and caring tone as he ruffled Zeke's hair with his other hand.

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

The wanderings of one Kouji Minamoto had led him to witness the fihgt... and he'd never seen anything like the abilities these two displayed.

"Who... who are you?"

He held his staff defensively out in front of him, ready just in case they might attack.

[Donovan Siroaki]

The boys presence known to him, Donovan shot him a piercing gaze as he darted in front of Zeke. The cards still in his hands once again sprang to life, but this time as two long, paperthin blades. Still positioned defensivly in front of Zeke, he held the blades close to him and shouted, "Who are you and where are we? And you better tell the truth, boy, unless you wanna see my cards run red, you dig?"

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke had only begun to open his mouth in response to Donovan's question when he was interrupted by another person on the field, this time a young raven haired boy. His staff was held out defensively, but his eyes spoke more of curiosity then anger. Donovan was quick to place himself between the newcomer and Zeke, something he'd started to do all too often since their time in the game.

"Don't worry Don, don't you see? He's by himself. No partner." Zeke's voice rang high with delight. "Hello." He called out to the staff wielding stranger, taking a few steps towards him. "My name is Zeke and this is Donovan. This may sound strange, but may I see your palm?" Still quite some distance away, the stranger flashed his open hand to Zeke quickly before retreating it back to his staff. Zeke turned around to Donovan, his face showing an ear to ear grin. "The game! We're out of it! No more battles, no more timer." He looked to Donovan, hoping to see his partner smile with the same glee he felt.

[Donovan Siroaki]

Donovan had suspected something was different from the start of the first battle. It was true the timer was gone and that they no longer had to fight alone, but what about their payment? Donovan wanted to say something to Zeke about his still missing arms, but couldn't bring himself to do it, for fear he would stiffle Zeke's good mood. Instead, he switched his attention back to the raven-haired boy, exclaming, "But the question still stands, where are we and who are you?"

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

((Um... hey. I have no issues with Kouji flashing his palm at you guys, but PLEASE let me do it... what may seem like a simple request to you might get a totally different respose than you expected, and I know my characters, no offense, better than you because they're MY characters. I'm evidently on a different time zone from you, so please let me reply before you do.))

Kouji's staff still kept itself between them. "Kouji Minamoto," he said guardedly. "Before we get to the 'where' part, who are you, and how do I know you're not going to try to kill me?" He shot a death-glare at Donovan and his cards as he spoke - the threat hadn't impressed him, just ticked him off.

[Zeke Omoihake]

(Sorry I figured I could skip a meaningless exchange like that to speed up the thread, won't happen again.)

Zeke turned back to the boy, his weapon still held defensively at him and Donovan. Keeping his eyes looking softly at the warrior he said, "Donovan, put down your weapons. If he wanted to attack he would have got the jump on us instead of announcing his presence."

Zeke's voice had lost the gleeful demeanor, instead taking a passive and friendly tone. "As I just said, my name is Zeke and over here is my friend Donovan. We came through a strange portal just minutes ago and are somewhat disoriented. Our intentions are more our own survival then anyone's death right now, so how about putting down the weapon and we can talk huh? As you can see, I'm unarmed." Zeke grinned a bit at the tasteless joke he made, hoping it would ease the boy's mind somewhat.

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

((No problem at all, it's an easy mistake.))

"I saw you fight... so I know you're not as helpless as you claim."

Even so, he lowered the staff.

"Still, I don't mean any harm, and realize that if you meant any harm I'd be dead. This is the world of Crepusculum, the kingdom of Guasto... and if you came through a portal, it means you've probably been summoned here."

He sighed.

"You're not the first, either."

He was keeping his own origins under wraps, jsut in case - trusting, he was not.