Posts made by Leiquan

Oh wow, that one slipped me by, where abouts did it happen?

The plot thickens and with every new piece of information, a myriad of paths present themselves, yet one wrong move could prove deadly. Soul had faced arduous circumstance in the past, after all he was created to thrive in all forms of combat, subversive situations such as this were his bread and butter, though this was different. Sure of his own prowess in evasion, he couldn't help but worry for the safety of Garde were things to go wrong, She'd never forgive me..., he mused as images of the silent, cold Willow flashed before him. All the while, the stylish navi kept up his perfect facade, noises of disbelief and agreement made precisely when needed, encouraging the burgeoning advances of Strict whilst fanning the flames of the other two.

As the fruits of his questions began to bloom each of the girls revealed their flaw; Strict accused of man-hatred, Wild accused of peculiar appetites and Jumper linked with some sort of sexual deviancy, whether any such accusations could be believed, especially from Garde with her track record, was another question in itself. However, Soul knew, the squabbles sprouting from his comments on Strict's shoes a particular indicator, that this trio would soon disperse and he would be forced to pursue one or the other.

"Ladies, ladies...", Soul voiced as he positioned himself between the Wild and Strict, highly conscious of the weapon at his waist and the lust in Wild's eyes, he knew he only had one trick left up his sleeve. Shifting his gaze from Wild to Strict, he announced, "I wouldn't want you to rush things", the navi then deftly slipped out of their midst to stand abreast with Garde and Jumper, "You have from now till when we've dealt with squaresville over here to show me just how far out you can be", he then linked arms with Jumper and walked her, with Garde held tightly in toe in the direction she had been heading previously, "Use the time wisely baby, I'm looking forward to a swingin' tour", Soul followed up with a winning smile shot over one shoulder, his words and actions specifically directed enough, yet still generic enough to be taken by either navi.

I've been listlessly wondering for a long time now; what happened to the NetBattling? I know the forum isn't receiving the traffic of its hay day but I'd wager that there must be a few of you who have been following other's battle threads and thinking, "Hey, I can take that guy/girl/amorphous entity in a fight". Well, what better way would there be than to duke it out 2009 style? It'd be the perfect way to bring back some of that nostalgic glory.

So I'm asking, who wants a fight? Or are ya chicken?

"That was amazing!", Hal cried into the PeT as he watched the carefully orchestrated bust unfold, the blur of energy that was his charge almost filling him with something akin to pride.

Far below, in his own little world, Professor.exe was happily scooting around and collecting the left over reward data, the frost covered Zenny seemingly disappearing on touch, presumably into Hal's account. Yet when he heard his operator's praise, his perceptive gaze evaporated, his face glazing over into a warm stupor, coated arms falling limply too his sides with a light scattering of disintegrating coinage. "Amazing?", the navi replied with a warm smile, "It's only a few zenny, I wonder who left it here...". With that, the navi continued his tireless journey onwards into the tundra, the harsh winds howling in his wake.

[Battle 2 please]

"Simply fascinating!", Professor announced eagerly, his arms thrown aloft in a fit of spritely vigour; something as simple as subzero temperatures would not faze his old bones. Yet, the signs of the simulated weather's effect were becoming more apparent with each passing minute. The bushy, wild tufts of eyebrow that masked the professor's eyes to the world were slowly encrusting with ever expanding crystals of ice, weighing them down with a wet, white mass that caused them to sag listlessly. Inhospitable, barren and devoid of life, the old navi had entered a world in which only he and the viruses ahead existed.

"Be careful professor...", Hal warned as he straightened his suit, the most recent failure at joint busting had left him with a fiery spite for the navi but as much as he might hate the professor, he could not help but feel sorry for the old codger in the face of such a fight.

"Don't worry m'lad!", the professor replied, his hand waving the very elements from his personal space as he erected his signature barrier, the harsh elements no longer reaching him, simply cascading downwind across an invisible sphere about the navi's person. Dropping to a slightly lower position, the old navi adopted a rare edge of professionalism, "Send me the new chip, the big cannon and the sparkly one", yet the words showed no sign of improvement,

"Yes Professor...", the executive replied dejectedly as he inserted the battle chips, "Focus on that Shrimp, it appears to be the strongest of the 3", he concluded.

Hefting his arms to his right shoulder, the Magnum cannon quickly manifested, reaching full definition as his arms finally locked into place. The heat from the weapon caused the snow to melt in the professor's eyebrows, a steady stream of melt water dripping down his face in its wake. Without anything to hinder it, the weapon fired a ferocious opening salvo at the enemy Hal had pointed out, the shear heat of the attack causing the falling snow to fizzle and crack in its wake. Yet the attack was not complete, because no sooner had the first shot been loosed, the second and third were hot on its heels, soaring with a deadly warmth that juxtaposed with the immense cold of the surrounding land.

With a swiftness that would appear unusual for a navi his age, the scientist dashed with a dogged determination through the treacherous terrain that nonsensically provided the greatest obstacle, yet the least cover. Hard fought the manoeuvre might have been, the navi did not prevent it from stopping his follow up attack, which came in the form of an eager electrical wasp that, after a brief pause to gain its icy bearings, zoomed directly for the Shrimpy foe ahead of him. Although the first two attacks might have arrived before he did, the professor did not allow the fireworks to distract him from his final task. With a wild flourish of circular steel, a blinding slash of blue-white death extended in all directions around the old navi, his position deliberately trying to separate the other two viruses from one another. The snow might have been fierce but nothing bites quite as hard as cold steel on a winter's day. Especially when wielded by a madman.

Actions

1) Neutron flux (80 hp barrier, 2 TCD) @Self
2) Magnum1 (120 Fire + Break + Panel Break x 3 Targets, A acc) @Shrimpy, @Raingear, @Dharma
*Quantum leap (Passive Movement) Run towards a position between Raingear and Dharma
3) Arrow1 (100 Elec DMG + homing, B acc) @Shrimpy
4) Moonblade1 (90 Null DMG, Slashing + Spin Attack (Targets: 1-3 B acc, 4-6 C acc, 7-8 D acc)) @Raingear and @Dharma

Hook, line and sinker, Soul mused to himself as he strolled alongside the unlikely trio. The quaint net square they had met in slowly gave way to rundown areas of code, the architecture itself seemed to be unsound by comparison, yet the captors-come-companions paid little to no mind. Garde seemed to be flustered yet the distraction she provided allowed Soul to note down a mental map through the streets as they went.

Looming overhead like some immense monolith, the imposing figure of the headquarters emerged from the surrounding land in a seamless mixture of code. Unnerved by the surroundings somewhat, the whole mission took on a much more sinister feel. The suave navi would be stepping into the lion's den surrounded by a triplet of lionesses; only time would tell whether he was going to join the pride or become their next meal. Playfully rebuffing Wild, Soul knew his real challenge would be Strict; her cold persona was all that stood between him and full access to any information he might want. Get to her and Jumper will fall in line..., Soul thought as he rubbed his manly chin, a faint flicker of a smile illuminating his broad face. "Gnarly crib you got here girls", Soul commented in a questioning manner to the enamoured Wild, yet before she could reply, the white clad navi spun about to face Strict directly, raising his hands to the back of his head, an air of nonchalance filled his voice, "... and these posters, "DO NOT DISAPPOINT", sounds like such a buzz kill, who is that square anyway?", he then shot a particularly dashing smile at the graduate navi and finished, in a far sweeter tone, "I couldn't imagine I'd find a groovy babe, with shoes like that hidden away in some heavy place like this".

Unable to prevent the split up of himself and Garde, he made a grab for Jumper as her eager compatriot pushed them towards the cells, pulling her close for a brief moment, he whispered, "And I can't wait for my personal tour after you're done with the fuzz over there", letting her go as quickly as he had grabbed her, Soul turned back towards Strict and Wild, throwing a sly wave of the hand as he went.

A harsh wind blew slurries of snow and ice whirling in every direction. The tundra was barren and for the most part, snowbound, yet the odd patch of frozen ground or wizened tree broke up the bleak ice field to provide a sultry canvas of greys and browns. Mountains towered incalculably high into the clouds in the distance of either side of the professor and it was not for a good few minutes that the navi realised that fact. Nattering on about the relative merits of Yumlandian ants vs their Netfrican cousins, the old man was shocked to find the warm plains of his former surrounding transformed into chaotic scenes of hardship mixed with eerily still white canvas.

"Ooooooooo, Sharo, eh? Good choice m'lad! I was just talking of the ant species of the Net and had been confounded by my own ignorance to the Sharoan Tundra Ant!", Professor.exe announced with his usual vigour, "Shame about that Neddy fellow, he was most helpful",

"Nitro, Professor", Hal corrected,

"Nitro Professor? That another professor you know m'lad?",

"Never mind...", the man sighed as he reclined into the comfortable leather of the sofa, it wasn't even noon yet, this was going to be a long day.

In silence, the professor ploughed onwards, seemingly able to glide through the harsh snows unhindered, unflinching in the face of nature.

[Requesting Battle 1]

They... won?, Hal mused to himself as the final fragments of viral data congealed and coalesced into useful reward items, his Navi zooming about cheerfully as he scooped it all up. For the first time in a long while, Hal was almost pleased with the way things were going, the Professor wasn't making too much of a fool of himself and the lead had turned out to be legitimate, who knows? Maybe this could be the start of his glorious return to glory?

It wasn't meant to be.

As Hal turned to give his post battle announcement, hoping to turn the success into a streak, he was confronted by the inevitable; the fly in the ointment. With the professor completely oblivious, the frustrated executive was forced to watch the painful salvage attempt on the remains of the camera program, it is a gruelling thing having to watch your hopes dashed by an errant kunai.

The others made their parting apologies, leaving time for Hal to murmur a false acceptance, "That's fine, we'll keep in contact...", before they disappeared, leaving him alone, once again with the professor, who at this moment was eyeing a trail of ants with particular interest.

With a sigh, the man thumbed through the PeT's default address codes and picked one out, Sharo Net, he thought to himself wickedly, This'll give the old codger a bite. With a sly chuckle to himself, Hal ported the oblivious navi to the fresh snows of the harsh Sharo Net tundra.

[Transfer to Sharo Net]

"Whoa, woah baby!", Soul announced playfully as he pushed the knife down with the point of his index finger. The situation had quickly escalated from crazy to dangerous and unless he done something fast, this mission would be blown wide out of the water. Turning slowly as he spoke in an attempt to address the three newcomers equally, Soul began his gambit, "You've got it all wrong, there's no way this cool cat would be caught dead with a short drink of milk like this chick", he then gestured backwards to the flustered Garde with a look of derision and cold chuckle, "I mean, who would pick the boring arm of the law over...", the suave navi then pulled Garde into a dazzling spin of incredible speeds, when they came to a stop, the officer was held tight to his muscular chest as he bent her backwards, dangerously close to the ground. In the embrace, he had enough space between them and the trio to whisper a quick word of assurance, "Leave this to me, I'll get the Man-Eater, just be ready to do the heavy work baby", and with that, he cruelly let her drop to the ground before getting up and approaching the trio once again.

With the fuzz out of the way, Soul could get down to what he does best, putting the charm on. "So, what brings three psychedelic babes like you to a squaresville like this?", the navi questioned playfully as he sauntered up to them, leaving his partner in the dust, yet before they could answer, he proceeded to explain his own situation, "Now me for example, I was passing through, minding my own business when the fuzz over there started asking all sorts of questions", he then shot a wink at Jumper before addressing the wildly dressed navi, "I just came to spend some zenny and have a good time, got any suggestions?".

"Man-eater, eh?...", Soul mumbled as he thumbed his chin thoughtfully, afro swaying gently with soft abandon, the contrast made all the greater by the harsh, crisp lines of his bleach-white outfit. The trio seemed genuine enough, the commanding officer seemed a little... unusual, though the wooden, cut-out Fuzz that flanked her more than balanced crazy levels. Soul was not afraid to do the job, far from it, the job seemed right up his alley but it just didn't feel right working for the Man, even if it was for all the right reasons.

Baby, an instant message flashed on the PeT screen,

Yes?, came the reply, private and to the point,

You've heard the details, are you down?, the navi questioned, conscious to be as swift as possible,

No violence,

Goes without saying, baby!, the navi concluded, his ruminating ruse flawless throughout.

Pausing for just a second longer than what might be socially acceptable, the navi sprung from his contemplative pose, "YEAH BABY!", with one arm aloft and the other diagonally pointed downwards, Soul suddenly spun about, his form becoming that of a crazed mass of clothes and hair, yet in all the chaos, he managed to pilfer hotdog from a passerby and an oddly convenient comb, placed on the counter of the food stall they happened to be standing next too. With a single fluid movement, the navi ceased spinning, wrung out the hotdog of all its greasy juices into one hand, ran it through his hair and pulled it tight with a single slice of the comb. Tossing the hotdog back to the befuddled tourist, the navi struck a new form, hand on one hip, leg apart with the other hand pointing towards the tamed mass of hair, that was now greased back so tight, only the wavy locks of a back-ally sleaze ball looking for a night on the town might hold a candle to it, "You need the bait? I'm the flashiest, grooviest cat around! I'm your navi, baby!".

Unceremoniously and with little impact to the surroundings, Soul emerged, unabashed, from an unassuming alleyway. To the left, a flashy chip store, peddling the latest wears in a mind-bending array of languages and to the right, a shop modelling the latest upgrades in navi technology, blinking away in a dazzlingly tacky display of one-upmanship, overly conscious of its neighbour's display. Yet, in spite of all this garish consumerism, Soul still made his impact on the local populous. "Yeeeeeeeeooww!", Soul exclaimed as he fumbled through the crowds, creating a space of sheer panic in which to perform, "This, Baby, is one crazy dig!".

Fighting his way through the crowds with gleeful abandon, Soul was unfazed by the masses he passed, yet the otherwise nonchalant pedestrians were interspersed by the occasional gawker, snapping fleeting glances of the retro throwback with awkwardly angled cameras, before being swept away by the unrelenting horde. After 10 minutes of unintentional posturing and general bad crowd etiquette, the afro'd navi found his way to a quieter district of the bustling hub. Antiquated facades showcased the latest in navi-cuisine, from the tasteful and traditional, to the avant-garde and the downright bizarre; suffice to say, Soul was enthralled. "Baby, you've got to see this, this food is crazy! One day I'll bring you here, we can go to town on this psychedelic sauce!",

"I'm hungry...", came the soft reply from a young girl, a world away,

"...I'm near the target", commented Soul, his previous zeal knocked down to size by the reality of the situation, his bold movements replaced by slower, more deliberate ones. Approaching a nearby food stall, the navi couldn't help but overhear the customer service nightmare in the making between a hapless stall owner and an armour-clad, caped mass of blond hair and food. The utterance of his name prompted one thought to mind; This will be an interesting day.

"What's shaking, kitty cat? Soul, at your sweet service", the navi boomed with a flourish, his hair quivering in the breeze. The few open shirt-buttons look really did leave very little to the imagination.

Relationships

Fxp:

Nitro 4/30

Far above, the wind was beginning to die down, revealing the eerie calm more befitting a small town park in the wee hours. The young girl pulled her makeshift shelter closer, without the wind's harsh caress, the child felt more isolated than she had ever felt before. Back at the institute, Willow had taken part in countless battle, threat nullification and harsh condition simulations, yet the reality of it all was far more daunting.

"What do we do now?", she whispered into the PeT, wishing to leave the night undisturbed,

"Don't worry baby! We've got a bite! You'll be chowing down in no time!", Soul replied, full of charisma, he had long since outpaced the shuffling horde and was back in clear netspace once again, "I just have to transfer over to the meeting spot", and with that, the navi exploded forth in a beam of vibrant green light, disappearing into the void above.

[Transfer to Internet City]

"That was unexpected...", the only reply a confused navi could announce in the face of a troupe of decaying, comical virii and their attempts to interface with a cannon. Watching the farcical response, Soul couldn't help but contemplate the intelligence of his foes, I guess they aren't as smart as I gave them credit for..., he then sighed and arched his head towards the gloomy net sky, "Hey Baby, I don't mean to sound like a square but we've got a bite for a mission, do ya mind if I make like a banana and split?",

"I guess so...", came the faint reply from Willow, her words were swift but the emotion behind them caused a tangible change in Soul's disposition; he could feel the disappointment in her voice.

With the smile well and truly wiped from his face, Soul returned his attention to the silly troupe ahead of him, "I'm sorry fellas but I've gotta dash, sorry for being such a square but I have to attend something", he then struck an awesome pose, one arm thrust into the air, the other towards the ground beside him, completed with a hip thrust of such magnitude that his very form seemed to split in two, sending a handsome decoy vaulting at great speed towards the ghastly quartet. Using the distraction he has hoped to be afforded, Soul attempted a dashing escape into the vast network ahead.

Actions

*Clone Technique: As a free action, create a Decoy of yourself. (Once Per Turn)
1) Escape!
2) Escape!
3) Escape!

Dynamite, brother! I'll help you psyche out that bogus Man Eater and I'll do it with a smile, can you dig it? Hell yeah you can! I'm your main man Garde, don't take my reluctance to hurt another as a sign of weakness; I can look after myself if things go down. Send me those cords and I'll catch you on the flip side, baby!

- Soul

[Bump]

"Whoa!", the retro navi exclaimed, arms windmilling backwards with an accompanying stagger so overly dramatic, an amateur actor would likely cringe at the display. Coming to a halt with a powerful pirouette, Soul spun to a stop, continuing his words with a similar zeal, "These cats know how to lay on a welcome!". The situation was tense and as per usual, Soul was trying to lighten the mood. There was a time not so long ago when the navi would have immediately dropped into a battle stance, called for some ammunition and laid waste to the approaching quartet, however things have changed. What can I do? There must be something I can exploit..., the navi thought with haste as his eyes darted from one form to another. It was just at the point of complete frustration when the navi spotted the decrepit look of the viral group ahead.

Approaching with a nonchalant saunter, Soul called out to the group ahead with a friendly wave, "You don't look so healthy, kitty cats", unsure of whether his message was comprehended by the others, Soul called out to his operator, "Willow, send me that cannon chip",

"But you promised...", the young girl replied, her usual monotony wavering under the strength of her feeling of betrayal, yet before she got any more ideas, Soul clarified things,

"Don't worry Baby, I won't use it on these virii, they need my help", Soul replied, his voice brimming with confidence. The navi ceased his approach a few moments later, coming to a complete stop still a respectable distance away from the group. Summoning the cannon in his hand, Soul slowly crouched and placed it on the floor, "You guys look like you could use a helping hand, you don't look so healthy", he then gave the cannon a gentle nudge along the floor towards the side of the nearest Metool, "So how's about we join forces and look for a cure together? I'm not into the whole Navi V Virus dynamic anyway, it's just not cool, man", and as he said that last part, the middle aged figure held up a hand towards the Spooky viruses, his face plastered with a bright, welcoming grin.

Actions

1) Approach viral group
2) Place Cannon (60 + knockback, Null A acc) on floor and slide it towards the side of MetoolA
3) Extend a hand of friendship

[Bump]

Darkness had befallen ACDC net. Not the sort of a great evil or that proceeding an ominous event, simply the great cloak of shadows that had been created as a cheap imitation of the pitch black night of its namesake town. Yet, although the net was as it usually appeared during the day; empty imitations of quasi-ACDC homesteads, cheap copies of the famous statues of ACDC Park, complete with digitalised graffiti, there was a certain eeriness imbued by the relative lack of people.

"This network is crazy, Baby!" , Soul called out into the vast emptiness, his various golden trinkets gleaming with a dull lustre in the low light, "I've never seen anything like this before!",

"Why?", came the faint reply from his chilly operator; the howl of the wind had threatened to obscure her words from the PET,

"It's the size! I've never been let loose in a network this large before...", the bedazzled navi replied, his zeal fading to a gentle awe with the closing of his words.

Continuing through the deserted network in silence for the best part of 15 minutes, Soul had discovered that behind the facade of calm, the network still teemed with all sorts of life; many a navi seemed to be engaged in battle with a veritable horde of different viruses. From those who didn't know the blasting end of a Cannon, to those who wielded terrible powers that wrenched the very life from the viruses they happened to glance at, ACDC net turned out to be a proving ground for those who wished to cut their teeth. This odd tour roused a strange, slightly voyeuristic bloodlust within the Navi, yet he found himself at odds with his new philosophical position. Whilst he settled his inner turmoil, his keen-eyed operator provided the much needed comment to settle his nerves, "This violence... It's so sad...",

"Damn straight...", came the slightly sullen reply.

Continuing his stealthy amble through the calm and the crazed, Soul sort his destiny, his purpose, his reason; Soul sought his first encounter.

[Seeking Encounter 1?]

[Bump]