In the dead of night [video]

[hot_mes]

[it is pretty much the dead of night, since Law is doing his best not to sleep if he doesn't have to. It'll catch up to him eventually, but he's fighting it as best he can. Wearing this shirt no less, but it's less for irony and more for a need to do laundry. He's not here to talk about weird dreams, though, since without outside input he hasn't yet figured out that it's more than just...nightmares. Plain old nightmares that now feature people in Hadriel since he's been here long enough for them to enter his subconscious.

No, not dreams, although his query is related.]

Has anyone ever proposed an idea to find our benefactors an alternate food source?

It wouldn't help them with their Null problem but I have to wonder if it's even possible, and if so, how one would go about experimenting with the possibilities.

[this is where his mind goes on four hours of sleep]

Comments

[hot_mes]

[he is, and he knows, but he's going to pout about it first. Just because he knows the wisest course of action doesn't mean he has to plunge willingly into it. He'd rather go kicking and screaming out of sheer stubbornness.]

I'll take whatever course has the best outcome for the least cost. Any strategist would prefer to balance the price against the benefit and reject anything where the benefit isn't good enough.

[fracturedbeauty]

[Law, baby, no!]

Oh, so you will go see Fear-chan, then. After all, paying the price for useful information is far cheaper than the price to repeatedly endure the patterns of the deities. After all, you never know what they'll concoct next to obtain their source from us.

[hot_mes]

[he brings this shit on himself, lbr]

They do seem to revel in our pain. That said...I don't know. I'll decide when I get there.

Beside, what makes you think that making a deal like that means I'd be left alone the next time they decide to torture everybody?

[fracturedbeauty]

I offered you the most straightforward of them. Frankly, I trust Fear-chan to be thoroughly honest. If you want to make a deal to exempt yourself from the next time they setup anything, I'm certain he'll give you the best he has to offer.

[Homg, is he really going to go see Fear-chan? This was alot easier than Yukari thought. He doesn't even have to mention the actual informant of Hadriel.]

[hot_mes]

[not after this week's nightmares, he's staying far from Fear if it means reliving anything Doflamingo even one more time.]

The best he has to offer may not be good enough for me. I'll make my own decisions how to proceed, but it's going to take a lot more than being honest with me for me to want to trust any of them.

There's really no one besides the gods? [he didn't forget, he just got distracted by that idea for a bit] Not a single person here has tried to compile information.

[fracturedbeauty]

[Pity.]

Well, there is one other source I know of that keeps records.

Perhaps if you are not willing to do a favour for the deities, you'll do a favour for me, in exchange for the source.

[hot_mes]

Maybe. [what kind of pirate would he be if he didn't know how to parley?] I'm listening...

[fracturedbeauty]

A duel.

[Look, he's been bored out of his mind for months with nothing to do except the deities' designs. He needs some me time, doing what he enjoys.]

If you make it interesting, I'll tell you everything you wish to know.

[hot_mes]

[oho...]

Fine. What's your preferred weapon?

[fracturedbeauty]

My preferred is the sword, but whatever weapon you desire is permitted. Let's withhold any special abilities we may have, as well.

[Of course, that includes his own. But he doesn't want things to end quickly over a cheap trick. He wants the real deal.

[hot_mes]

Sword is fine, I use one as well. I can manage to forego using my ability for the sake of a regular fight.

[his is also overpowered so hey, the more evenly-matched they are, the better]

Tonight, or would you rather wait until we were fresh?

[fracturedbeauty]

I am always fresh. [You didn't think a few nightmares truly bothered him, did you, Law?] However, I can be patient if you need time to recover.

[hot_mes]

[CHALLENGE. ACCEPTED]

Not at all. I've fought more seriously on less sleep. Where do you want me?

[fracturedbeauty]

[Yukari smirks.]

Delighted to hear it. In front of the armoury sound well enough to you?

[hot_mes]

That will do. I can find my way there easy enough.

[just let him grab his nodachi, he'll show up in his dumb coffee shirt and his floofy hat in no time]

--> Action

[fracturedbeauty]

[Yukari shows up just fine to the armoury, humming playfully as he approaches, looking to see if Law arrived before him.

When he sees him, he gives an airy chuckle, clearly amused by the thought of this battle.]

Well, Hat-chan, I do hope that you won't be holding back. I want to see the beauty of a soul that is challenged by life. The passion of what you hold most dear. Show it to me~

[With that, he draws the sword from his back, rivaling the length of Law's Nodachi, and twirls it flambouyantly before taking a fencing stance. He looks nothing short of graceful. And with a step, he charges at Law in that only takes a blink, striking forward to attempt to pierce Law's middle.]

[hot_mes]

[Oh, he's there, clutching the saya in his left hand. That kind of pronouncement to start the fight is...rather unusual, thanks man]

The beauty of what?

[no time to chit-chat, that's an attack and he's ready. He pulls Kikoku fluidly and flings the saya aside in time to parry the strike with one good one-handed swing. For as long as it is, he has good control of its reach - and being six-three himself, it helps.

He turns the momentum right back, reversing and swinging back the other direction in a wide sweep. He has to remind himself not to call up a Room - they agreed no powers - but it's hard to fight that instinct.]

[fracturedbeauty]

[Yukari is easily adaptable and practically dances out of the path of Law's swing. But he's back on the offensive in a heartbeat with an upswing, and since there's no powers by his rules, he follows it with a leap and a back kick to try nail Law upside the head.]

Hmm... impressive. But can't you give more?

[It's a taunt, clearly.]

[hot_mes]

[with a roll to the side, Law lets the kick whiff past his hat.]

How much more do you want?

[He can easily kick it up a notch and does so, dropping his shoulders and rushing in for a series of quick slashes, his movements short and efficient. If you'd like to dance, Yukari, this should keep you moving.]

[fracturedbeauty]

[Oh! That causes Yukari's eyes to widen a bit, but he's still all smiles and enjoying himself as he backflips out of the way of a few of those strikes. A handful manage to slash his jacket, though and he receives a few superficial cuts beneath those incisions. Though he also manages to parry some of them as well. It takes a few timed defense tactics, but Yukari is smoothly dodging all over again. And finally...]

All of it! I want to see the very best you have.

[He decides not to hold back any longer, and starts letting out a rapid series of strikes of his own.]

You can keep up, can't you?

[hot_mes]

[Damn right he can, shifting his arms and taking a two-handed grip on his sword in order to match that speed, blocking just as deftly but unable to see an opening in which to counter yet. His footwork is just as impeccable as Yukari's, Law moves to the side and widens his stance to brace behind the barrage.]

If you want my best you'd have to lose the restriction on powers. But I have a feeling we're both evenly matched on that regard.

[aha, there it is - a chance. Law slides his blade the length of Yukari's in order to circle and then come back at him from the side, swinging a few times before changing his grip again, going one-handed in order to slice and spin himself out of the way at the same time]

[fracturedbeauty]

[Yukari gasps and has to abruptly change his plan of action to avoid getting sliced open, though the blade leaves a wide gap in the side of his jacket.

Yukari lands a few metres away and clicks his tongue in playful disapproval. That'll take some stitching later.]

Impressive~ However, if you must rely on your powers to do your very best, then are you truly a fighter at all? Just because you can obliterate someone in a second with your supernatural abilities does not make you talented. And while I'm certainly not above cheating if it should suit the ends, I recommend learning to be beautiful without the use of such abilities.

However, seeing your skills thus far, I must say, I truly believe you have so much more to give. And while your performance has been admirable, it still lacks beauty. So, will you give it to me, or do you forfeit?

[Without waiting for an answer, Yukari charges back into the battle, upping his skill level further. It's time to stop underestimating Law.

With more furious slices, inhuman speed, and a stronger set of determination, he's attacking from as many angles as he can, constantly trying to sweep around to Law's blindspots.]

[hot_mes]

You don't have to tell me that.

[he's Mr. You're Using Too Much of Your Power, but doesn't get into that, taking up the two-handed grip again and concentrating on blocking the fresh onslaught. It's actually quite refreshing, facing someone his level, and even if he's a little weary on account of the late night and lack of sleep, it isn't affecting his skill. Hell, he can keep up the conversation while he blocks.]

If you're so worried about beauty, you're going to miss an opening. All it takes is one slip and you'll make a pretty corpse.

[the one thing he can't turn off is his haki, so he can't stop himself from instinctively shifting to meet every swing, though some of those twists and turns are awkward and his blocks give here and there, forcing him back and risking his balance. He also can't find a chance to counter, now.]

I yield nothing. You're good, but you can't beat me with words.

[fracturedbeauty]

Oh? Do you intend to make a corpse of me? Don't go getting any unsavoury ideas of what you might do to such a beautiful corpse. I can't say necrophilia is all that flattering.

[Now, if Law were actually flirting, Yukari would be alot more uncomfortable. But Yukari takes the pretty comment in stride. It's certainly not meant to be an actual compliment.

And, with any luck, the playful words will cause Law to subtly drop his defences and cause an opening in which Yukari can get in a piercing strike.

And either way, Yukari will not let up on his relentless striking.]

Besides, without beauty, you cannot win. If you lack beauty where another wields it fully, you will certainly lose.

This will never do, you're still holding back. How disappointing. At this rate, you'll never impress me enough to get the information you want.

Show me what motivates you, Hat-chan. I will accept nothing less.

[hot_mes]

[his lips twist in a scowl, definitely offended that he should even think of such an idea, but Law holds firm, one foot sliding back to put more power behind his defense. It takes a lot more than that to taunt him to the point of losing his cool.]

Maybe if you stop blathering about some stupid ideal like that, I will.

[beauty, hah. Even petty vengeance isn't good enough. But this is supposed to be a spar, not a real fight, his life isn't on the line. Law is aware that he's just sort of taking everything without dishing it back, so if he wants to claim anything resembling a win, he'll have to take it up a notch as well.

The next strike against Kikoku's blade, he doesn't just block but counter-swings, hitting it hard to clear himself a path to attack. Rather than a wide cut, he lunges in a piercing move - Injection Shot, but without the actual injection shot behind it - and regardless of whether it's blocked or not, follows it up with short slices at close range]