☾ there is no night that we love so well

[sadustic]

Who: Sadu Dotharl (sadustic) & you nerds!
What: Any excuse to hunt some dweebs is a good excuse. Early event chaos as Sadu displays her usual level of empathy for the accused: zero.
When: Spooptober event time
Where: Out and about Olympia
Warning(s): Violence, ye olde cussing, general rowdiness. Possibly lightly toasting a few things.

★ ONE: THE HUNT

[ Sadu is among the first wave to begin combing the streets for the rascally lil' devils responsible for the explosion at the market - crossing and re-crossing the outer fringes of the explosive radius (without straying too close, of course, she has no interest in being put into convalescence for the forseeable future). So far there's been very little to go by. A few scraps of shredded clothing, a dusty footprint or two... but Sadu is nothing if not irritatingly tenacious and continues to circle in wider and wider orbits, threading between alleys and people alike with her gaze fixed intently on something that's caught her interest as she walks.

Unfortunately that also means she's less concerned about plowing right through crowds and simply trampling anyone that gets in her way. Perhaps you're minding your own business or looking for a few culprits yourself - either way, there's very little warning for suddenly having a Xaela up in your business with a distinctly caustic presence that entirely belies her small stature. ]

Out of the way, weakling.

[ What's more insulting: the insult, or the fact she's not bothering to see who she's practically chest-bumping out of the way? ]

★ TWO: FALLING STARS

[ Well. Apparently Sadu's found her quarry.

Approximately an hour after dusk proper, a plume of dense, oily black smoke begins to rise a few blocks away from the market, an ominous omen indeed when not counting the equally worrying glow indicative of several somethings rapidly becoming charcoal briquettes.

Further investigation will lead curious onlookers to what was once a green area semi-courtyard outside some quaint shopfronts... and what now more closely resembles something like the inside of a fireplace. The roaring flames are such that Sadu herself is particularly difficult to spot behind the flickering light and heat shimmer, ensconced squarely at the center of a patch of scorched plantlife.
The associate she faces is a slim, unassuming woman at first glance; mousy brown hair, glasses, casual attire like any regular civilian. Give her a briefcase and she'd take to a business casual environment like a duck to water.

And speaking of water.

The staff in the Khatun's hands flares a piercing blue before spitting a sizeable fireball at the woman who, surprisingly, doesn't attempt to dodge. Instead, there's a massive gout of steam on impact, leaving behind the associate who is apparently completely unharmed.
Return fire comes in the form of a completely unanticipated stream of pressurized water that punches through the protective ring of flames wreathing Sadu, forcing her to retreat.

Two guesses what power businesswoman has.
The ability to liquefy oneself at will, and then manipulate that water. Guess how much that sucks for a fire mage? ]

★ THREE: WILDCARD

[ Choose your own adventure! ]

Comments

two

[verflair]

[ There is an overlaying sense of dread that hangs over the city, but all things considered, it’s been relatively quiet in the wake of the attack.

Until an entire courtyard goes up in flames.

X’rhun smells the smoke before he spots it, rising up between the rooftops only a block or two away. He’s not sure if it’s another attack or an accident or what, but he’s not one to ignore it no matter what. With all haste, he darts down the side streets to the source of the smoke.

… And he finds a Xaela throwing fire at someone.

You lizards need supervision.

Sadu’s retreat brings her in X’rhun’s direction, and he calls out with no small amount of incredulity, ]

Just what do you think you’re doing? You’ll set the whole block aflame!

[sadustic]

[ X'rhun is very fortunate indeed they've spoken on at least one occasion prior - at the sound of his voice, she spins on her heel with staff outstretched, the very beginnings of a second fireball beginning to spark mere ilms from her fingertips in preparation to light up another assailant --

Recognition dawns at about the time the fireball proper blazes into existence, forcing her to twist at the waist to launch it at the associate (who at this point has started to slowly close in, and only temporarily set back by suddenly getting napalmed in the face). ]

You thrice-damned fool! Get out of the way!

[ To be fair, she doesn't know what a Red Mage is, nor that X'rhun himself is more than capable with magicks of his own. She simply doesn't have the time or wherewithal to be constantly worrying about blowback injuring some gawping bystander. ]

[verflair]

[ X’rhun has the fleeting thought that taking Sadu by surprise was a Very Bad Idea, as he goes tense, coiled tight and ready to spring out of the way in the face of the fireball springing from her fingertips. Recognition seems to dawn at the last possible moment, and X’rhun watches in shock as the associate takes a ball of flame to the face with barely a flinch.

He’s quick to regain his composure, his hand going instantly for his blade. If this woman is one of the people responsible for the attack, then she has much to answer for, but that won’t mean much if the Xaela reduces them and everything in a malm radius to ash. ]

Certainly not, especially if you insist on spewing fire when it clearly doesn’t work! You’d bring down the entire neighborhood before your target, and that will help no one.

[sadustic]

[ The withering glare she sends his way should say plenty on the subject of collateral damage. Namely: YOLO, ain't give a shit.

Besides, these houses are made of stone and iron, right? The flames might leave some soot and smoke damage, but stone doesn't catch like firewood. Nothing to kick up a fuss about.
(Sadu is perhaps a little uninformed about modern day construction techniques).

The Khatun turns the brunt of her attention back to her opponent, slamming the butt of her staff down on the withered grass with a muted "THUMP" echoed by a second patch of ground erupting in conflagration fierce enough to force the associate back a step. Then two, then three, as the ground begins to smoke warningly wherever she stands. ]

Be silent! I have little stomach for the mewling of a baras cub lost on a battlefield.

[ If anything, the fires intensify after X'rhun's warning. Something is causing the woman to balk from simply charging in and dousing all of Sadu's flames, and any seasoned Xaela warrior can scent weakness from malms away. ]

[verflair]

[ Oh gods, what has he gone and done? That’ll teach him to open his big mouth. The heat is stifling, and X’rhun casts a worried look to the nearby buildings. So far, nothing has caught fire, but it’s only a matter of time. ]

For the love of— Have you no ice spells at your command?

[ Or common sense? Or restraint??? ]

[sadustic]

[ Good news is, she's zeroed in on the next course of action for dealing with this stubborn pest of a woman.
Bad news is... things are going to get much, much warmer in a very short period of time. sorry not sorry dadcat

At X'rhun's exasperated comment, Sadu merely laughs. (The answer is probably "no". Or she's being purposefully obtuse.) ]

Is it not glorious, how the light dances? Come closer! Fear not your death!

[ Whether she's taunting the associate or the Red Mage at her back is not entirely clear, but having herded the woman into the center of the courtyard, Sadu makes a gesture with her staff. At once, a new ring of fire springs up at her command and begins to constrict around the associate herself, who only now starts to look a little worried; the heat must be approaching something close to 'hellish' in scale. Small wonder she's concentrating on keeping the leading edge of fire away with short blasts of water instead of taking potshots at Sadu herself.






To answer your questions: no, and no. ]

[verflair]

[ As far as doing stupid things in this encounter is concerned, X’rhun is on a roll, and apparently, he’s not about to stop now. The heat rises to almost unbearable degrees, and even at this distance, he can feel it rolling away from the flames in suffocating waves.

The woman caught in the ring of fire, at least what X’rhun can glimpse between the heat and the light, is beginning to look worried and this Xaela clearly has no intention of stopping. He bears the associate no love, but circumstances being what they are, he can’t allow her to perish either.

So, he sets his jaw in a grim line before he charges Sadu, making a grab at her staff arm and yanking it back in an attempt to interrupt her casting. ]

Stop!

[sadustic]

[ RIP X'rhun, we hardly knew ye.

For real though, Sadu's expression upon having a hand come down on her wrist is nothing short of frighteningly murderous as she spins to face the duelist, teeth bared like a territorial gedan. ]

This one is mine. Find your own prey.

[ The ring, for now, remains burning precisely where Sadu has placed it. It seems like she's not about to let go of the associate without a fight - the flames cease intensifying, but don't go out either. ]

[verflair]

[ X’rhun has faced down a great many things in his life, rom men to magitek to demons, and not least of which a Voidsent queen. Sadu, no matter how angry, how vengeful, doesn’t quite compare. He maintains his grip on her arm and glares right back, determined in the face of her anger. ]

I won’t stand idly by and watch you kill her! What if she holds a clue to curing the disease they’ve spread?

[sadustic]

Tch. You've interrupted my hunt for that?!

[ YOU TRAITOR.

To say the look she gives him is 'scornful' is being very tame indeed. With the arm not currently trapped in his grasp, Sadu gestures dismissively at the humanoid shape trapped in the circle of fire, the flames dimming just the tiniest bit.

Because she's a RESPONSIBLE KHATUN and ENDLESSLY GENEROUS she'll compromise just this once. ]

Ask your questions from here, if you must. Be swift about it.

[verflair]

Your hunt?

[ Gods, it makes him angry that she treats this as a sport. As if people— as if Alisaie— isn’t suffering because of this woman and those she works for. Their lives are forfeit because of the chaos they’ve wrought, certainly, but not like this. Not at the whims of some fireball-flinging Xaela out looking for some thrills. ]

What will you do, then, if she proves useful?

[sadustic]

[ X'rhun, sweetheart. A dead associate is a safe associate.
Why, exactly, he's getting so wound up over something so minor is utterly baffling to Sadu. It's common sense not to leave an able warrior alive if they pose a threat. ]

That remains to be seen. Speak your piece or look for answers elsewhere.

[ she's gonna kill her, no doubt about it.
Providing the associate in question doesn't try to feed them false information out of spite or a misguided sense of self-preservation, Sadu isn't so out of touch with civility that she'd stoop to torture tactics. A clean death is not only honourable, but much more efficient. ]

[verflair]

[ He glares at her for a heartbeat longer, but he knows a losing battle when he sees it. Would that they had more time, he would try to sway her, but every moment he spends hopelessly chiding Sadu is a moment too long for those who have taken ill.

X’rhun releases his grip on the Xaela’s arm, turning sharply towards the woman in the wreath of flame. ]

You there, as you can see I’ve convinced her to stay her hand, but only if you have information to give. This sickness, what do you know of it? Is there a cure?

one

[judicia]

( Anders is used to being insulted and disregarded, so this isn't anything of out the ordinary for him. His gangly stature certainly isn't impressive enough for anyone to think that he was anything but a weakling, but the word still stings a bit.

Maybe because it reminds him too much of something that Fenris had said to him once. Still, he doesn't say anything about it, while he rights himself and frowns back at the strange woman that came barreling into him. )

You better watch who you run into. ( He states, as both a word of caution and a threat, before explaining, ) There's a bug going around and I'd hate to see you catch it out of carelessness.

[sadustic]

[ Sadu makes a dismissive noise. To be fair, she sees just about everyone as a weakling until they prove otherwise - proving oneself is a deeply ingrained rite of passage for many tribes of the Steppe.
But I digress. When she finally does break her intent study of whatever it is on the ground that she's following, Sadu gives the apostate a distinctly unimpressed once-over, mentally writing him off as just another bystander of no particular interest. ]

So be it. Snow, storm, nor sickness will interrupt this hunt.

[ She gestures, briefly, at the ground and the trail she's been following: drops of blood, nearly invisible against the dirt and debris littering the street. ]

Mayhap this quarry will die, mayhap not. I would have words with them first.

[judicia]

( Her determination garners a warm hum of approval — not from Anders himself, but from the spirit tucked away in the back of his mind. He's been goading the mage almost relentlessly to do the same, to leave the patients to the care of Lysa while they take down the ones responsible.

There's a part of him that still wants to head back there, to try to find a way to help those people that were infected, but his curiosity and Justice eventually win out, as he looks down toward the trail of blood, then back to her. )

Did you do that to them? ( He asks her simply, without judgment. )

[sadustic]

[ There's a beat. Then two.

Sadu's stony expression morphs into a wolfish grin as she crosses her arms over her chest. KHATUN MODE ACTIVATED. ]

No. Naught is left in my wake but ashes.

[ she's such a tryhard nerd I'm so sorry Anders...
This is also the woman that thinks fireballs and meteors are the answer to just about any problem she's faced with so................. she's probably not being facetious about it. Comparing Thedosian magic vs Hydaelyn magic would be an interesting intellectual debate though. ]

Whoever they are, they'll be wobbly as a newborn Dzo with such a deep wound. Easy prey.

[judicia]

Or more dangerous.

( If Anders wasn't so polite, he'd probably be emulating that Neil deGrasse Tyson meme right now with his arms raised. Instead, he just raises a brow, hoping to wrangle in her determination with a little more cautionary metaphor, )

Backing an animal into a corner only makes them more likely to bite. ( He knows this from personal experience. Also, ) If you haven't fought this person before, you don't know what they may be capable of.

2!

[tricksune]

[ Yusuke himself isn't great with heat and fire—better winter than summer. That sort of person. But where there's smoke, there's fire, and he can't ignore the possibility of trouble so near to civilian life; he follows the radiating warmth until it gets near unbearable, steam billowing out as he covers his mouth and approaches.

There's one familiar face and one... bubbly one. Even if all the fire and brimstone treatment is probably hers, he'll give Sadu the benefit of the doubt of being on the right side, here— ]

Sadu!

[ There's a wreath of flames around him as well, blue and bright, his own magic adding to the already thick air—a moment after, she'll find herself quicker, fleeter of foot. A speed buff, if you will. ]

[sadustic]

[ No doubt about it, where there's smoke, there's Sadu. She tends to solve her problems with overwhelming shows of force.

The touch of his magic is entirely alien, but nonetheless still appreciated; the pause as she glances away from the associate to see who's come to witness the fight means she has about a split second to twist away from a stream of water that would've knocked her arse over teakettle without that extra swiftness.

Congrats, Yusuke. You'll be on the receiving end of an approving nod. That's a once in a lifetime event. ]

Ware, stripling! Keep your distance!

[ A point further driven home by Sadu intercepting a water blob meant for the young artist with a fireball of her own. There's no shame in hiding behind a scary lizard, right? ]

[tricksune]

[ In times of crisis—such as now, plumes of flame and billowing steam all about them—there's not much time to sit around and talk things through first. Yusuke doesn't relish violence, but it is his immediate, gut reaction, much like the one that helps her evade a torrent of water as it streams her way.

Amidst all that, he heeds her command takes to a defensive position behind her, sword drawn but kept pointed to the earth as the residual steam washes over him. Maybe it's best to stick to support for now. ]

I'll find you an opening!

[ The water mage has no intention of letting either of them breathe, though, suddenly disappearing into the air as her form becomes mist itself. He protects scary dragon lady's flank, the swirling cloud of fog is forced to round about, sneaking around to her front. ]