[ when the doors open, all four of the combatants are briefly brightened by lights.
they stand in the center of a huge arena - the area around them is packed with crowds of women, some carrying pen lights, some carrying megaphones, some with signs that say WINTER DIVISION and some with signs that say GROWN UP DIVISION. a massive scoreboard hangs above their heads as well, occasionally scrolling their MC names. the moment the doors officially open and the four are pushed outside, the arena bursts into cacophonous applause and screams.
behind each pair is a switch, a bright red button, with the logo of "CHUUOKU DIVISION" underneath it, and the doors open to either side of the stage itself, and a set of loud speakers extend from the edge of each stage. and music will begin to play. siz this is your headphones cue.
the large screen above the group displays chuuoku's logo, followed by the following phrase in black letters; ]
DIVISION RAP BATTLE: BEGIN
[ they will indeed immediately get the feeling they ought to deliver their blows rhythmically if they want them to be strong.
but the group will be able to begin on their own cues. good luck! rap battle hard! ]
[He stumbles out, his hand still resting lightly on Byleth's shoulder, blinking in the bright lights and shrinking a little before the crowd. He still looks dazed and there's a kind of quiet feral rage in his eyes. He looks out at the crowd like there's a long second where he's imagining just tossing a fireball out there and seeing if the arena goes up in flame. Probably not, but you never know!
Veth isn't real, and if she is real, he won't be allowed to save her. After what happened with Beau, he's sure whatever he does here, it will only be so they can hurt Veth and make it his fault, and it feels like it would be better to just kill her himself and get it over with. But he can't fault Byleth if that isn't how she feels. So. He'll try?
The music continues playing, and suddenly the lights shine on him, and he's sweating, awkward under the spotlight.]
Ah, scheisse. Me first, really? Ah. . . okay. . .
[He holds the mic, hands shaking a little, stumbling over his first words.]
I can't. . . think of anything to say. . . This is a terrible day. . . I, uhm, would really like to run away. . .
[The crowd. Doesn't seem to be feeling this, though. Taking a deep breath and trying to think of more words that rhyme with each other, his head going sort of blank. Anyway, his cadence continues to be absolutely terrible, he is nowhere near the beat and his delivery is very uncertain and halting. It's. Not good. But he will try to put a little more effort in.]
Hey. Been some time since I've seen you so green. Sharp fangs, sharp eyes, quickest you've ever seen. Face so mean, will they burn you and burn you and burn you until I scream? Do it! I'm sick of this shit and I know it's all a dream!
Who should I save? Don't fuck with Veth the Brave. I might be a coward but she'll put you in your grave. No need for this sad sack, as soon as you turn your back. Nowhere to be seen until she's got you with her sneak attack.
Fake friend number two, we see you're getting lazy. Trying to drive me mad, but I already knew I was crazy.
[similar to caleb, he's blinking in the bright lights, bringing a hand up to his eyes to shield them for a moment, especially as the spotlight shifts to him. he's just kind of - pausing awkwardly after he listens to that first "rap", kind of looking like he wants to ask caleb if he's okay or if he needs a minute, but. not the time.
he looks incredibly uncertain and unsure when he starts, too, looking down at the microphone like it's something incredibly foreign. the flow of his words is also not great at all, and he keeps awkwardly pausing like he needs more time to think of something to say, but—]
Okay, uh, uhhhh - you're losing your grip but our focus is clear, Gonna... make some rhymes, let's get it in gear! Real or not, I'm here to do my best, So you better be ready to get - put to the test? You can't bring us down, we can't be beat, So it's time you face you're gonna taste defeat, The music keeps on playing and you're sweating in the heat, And when all is said and done you'll know you're... obsolete...?
[kill him]
And, Winter Division's here to bring you down, We're drowning you out, we're taking the crown, Standing there, you just look like a clown, And when you lose, it'll be with a frown...
[it's really only her constant, stubborn forward drive, and caleb's hand on her shoulder that propels her out into the stadium proper. and she has to fight dimitri? well, that's to be expected, she guesses. caleb frees himself to do his... part, and she just stands, blinking in the light.
jeralt.
if they way her to rhyme words rhythmically to save the only family she's ever known, then even with a pounding head, she'll find a way.
by the time rupert is wrapping up, she's already got her mic up and ready, tapping the beat out with her foot.]
Can't believe what's happening here, Take a look at this atmosphere! We're supposed to be hype but can't even seem to get into the beat cuz it's causing fear!
[as she gets a little bit of a grip with how this works, she starts stuffing more words into the beats]
If I've gotta listen to Winter division spit ice cuz they're feeling too nice to attack, BF! We'll show them we're not gonna slack! Rupp, your loop, I'm sorry to say, It's your first time, but it's seen better days! Ratman, you're smart and quick on your feet, But we got a catman to get you beat!
So bring me your rhythms and rhymes cuz I don't have the time to be slacking, here, Time's always ticking but here in the thick of it I'm 'bout to rewind to a better year!
[ they're being pit against each other here, which is to be expected at this point. the crowd is definitely a surprise though, as is the strange urge to actually rhyme at each other like it'll do anything.
he shoots a look at rupert as byleth wraps (raps) up, frowning as he steels himself for this. not like... he has any sense of rhythm? but they have to give it an effort, so he forces himself to growl out some words. ]
Big Frumpkin? A joke. A kitten, a munchkin, Your brain's the only thing about you not shrunken. A threat? If only. Cold sweat, cat's crony.
Ei$ner—
[ ...actually no, he's not quite worked up enough to insult byleth specifically. he's the whitest man alive and his rap skills are weak, but he does sound very threatening. ]
Each verse worse than the first, Spitting out prattle—weak rhymes, half notes, If you've come here to do battle, You'd better go for the throat.
so here's what happens!!! caleb's first verse causes a little bit of fire to come out of his mic, but it's nothing. like. a lighter's worth. it sputters kind of pathetically and the crowd boos him -- once he gets his feet under him, however, the sparks that shoot out of frumpkin the microphone crackle and screech, and direct the equivalent of a flawlessly aimed fireball spell at dimitri. the crowd goes absolutely apeshit at this!
rupert's counter verse has a heal equivalent to it, so he's able to block off getting hit by the fireball himself - lucky guy! - however, his verse attack is weaker because his heal is so strong. for byleth, it'll feel like taking a couple of punches and a slice from a knife.
byleth's mic does something interesting - it flashes a bright pink color, sort of ominous and the words seem to almost float in the air around her. then, they zoom forward and grab onto rupert's arm, and seem to wrap all the way around it. rupert will then find that he cannot use his left arm. this is temporary probably?
finally, dimitri's attack summons what looks like a massive sword in mid air. at first, it just sort of hovers, hesitating - and then instead of swinging on byleth, it swings on caleb, aiming for his throat.
the switches are uneffected by anyone, still just hanging out behind both parties, ready to be pressed, and neither party has moved towards them so they're just vibing!
also, since caleb was the first one to aim and therefore has the most time between verses, he may notice ramuda in the crowd, sucking on a lollipop and watching them from among a gaggle of women. ]
As much as he doesn't want to hurt Rupert or Dimitri, given the mood he's in, the feeling of successfully getting off a fireball feels good, and he wants to do another. He's already planning a comeback, to try to get another one off, maybe burn this whole place down.
Only then the sword slashes down on him cutting across his throat. There's a gasp of pain as blood begins to flow from the wound, and he goes for his scarf, pressing it hard against the wound. This might. Make it hard for him to deliver the next verse?]
[he knew it would be a battle, but - the way the words wrap around his arm and leave it paralyzed is unexpected, to say the least, and what's more worrying is the blood suddenly pouring from caleb's throat, and the fireball heading straight for dimitri. he wants to win, but that doesn't mean he wants either caleb or byleth seriously injured, and caleb's wound in particular seems - troubling. the microphone healed before, though, so maybe if he focuses the right way—
with his arm hanging uselessly at his side:]
You want to seem brave, you want to seem tough, But we're here to show you that you don't have enough! So you should take a seat, or better yet, lie down, And soon we'll be the ones who run this town! But if you're feeling tired or you're getting too hurt, Here's a little trick to bring you back from the dirt, In the end, we don't have to make you fall, 'Cause our words, not weapons, can make you crawl! You should be honored by this moment of grace And remember that you're never going to match with our pace!
[it was. similarly poorly performed. but it's fine.]
[the punches are unexpected, but handleable. the knife slash across the chest is... unfathomable. how? why? where? she stares at the blood leaking down her chest, at her microphone, and at the words that are swimming around. is this for real?
caleb takes a horrible slash to a throat sword, and byleth starts running. if they have to hit the button, then that's what she'll do. it's not even that far. she's sorry. there's too much to think about, and not enough time or space to breath
as she runs, she lifts her microphone to her lips again.]
I'm not the kind of person who lays around, Waiting for somebody else to bring them down, I'm gonna keep on moving forward running fast attacking, So you better get your game on better not be slacking.
Go for the throat? I'm not some animal, I'll take my time, cut down to size, that's what I'm standing for! Winter you got beats but can you really beat us back? A little fire and you're on the wire, start seeing black!
You're saying dirt? Got us all hurt? Look at your arm! Watch what you blurt! I'm gonna end this, stand still and get wrecked, and I reassert: We're the team that brings the screams, and see the crowd go wildâ Two more steps and I'll see to it, Winter's getting exiled!
[ i did not think siz was going to let that land oh n
dimitri looks just as surprised at the sword that appears, brows furrowed at what his words seem to have summoned. but there's no time to worry about it before a fireball comes screeching his way, hitting him square in the chest, the impact sending him staggering back a few steps. his clothes sizzle as he grimaces at the burning heat, forcing himself to push the smell and feel of it out of his mind.
he bites it back. and he goes to intercept byleth this time, ready to tackle her down if necessary. ]
Grown up division—you're just... [ goddess, he is literally on fire, he can't do this right now. with a pained shout, ] Slice at her leg!
[ poor caleb. he doesn't get to strike back! that's too bad. in fact, dimitri's strike was brutal and perfectly aimed, and though he'll reach for his scarf to hold the wound, it's not going to do much. it's strange, how the world is full of heat and flames - the smell of burning flesh is noxious and prevalent on the battlefield; perhaps this is poetic?
as caleb stands, he'll realize his consciousness is leaving him - there is no staunching an injury so deep. he'll take a step backwards. another step backwards, staggering.
because the kindness of his enemy saves the day. the crowd lets out a shocked noise as rupert starts to rap into his microphone - his verse isn't as powerful, but that golden light returns and wraps around caleb's form for a moment. he's pushed back up onto his feet, and though the wound is still bleeding garishly he is in fact, alive. a character from a dungeons and dragons podcast might recognize themselves at one HP.
however, the crowd does not seem to like rupert healing caleb - there's a boo and a shriek from the crowd, and otome tohoten's face appears on the screen again. she shakes her head and scowls - rupert will get an electric shock from his microphone, harsh enough to burn the palm of his hand.
byleth followed the assignment and kept rapping. her microphone glows again, and this time the light is dark red, and what look like arrows come out of it, shooting out in four different directions -- and instead of unleashing a truly sick attack on rupert or dimitri, they u-turn around and slam into byleth instead, creating the effect of being stabbed in several places. that's fun! one of them does go into her leg so i guess there's that.
dimitri is on fire and also does not get to rap.
and this time, rupert can look out into the crowd and see ramuda! ramuda is over with a gaggle of women.
... and ramuda is also next to the stage, sitting on it with his chin in his hands, watching, his face curled up in a smile, curious to see where this crazy battle goes next! there are two ramudas. ]
[He gets to his feet, still pressing his scarf to his throat, which seems like it's still bloody, but is no longer hemorrhaging. He's sort of wobbling as he gets back on his feet, and recognizes that he's very hurt, but he also takes the moment, in the middle of this to nod at Rupert, a gesture of thanks.
This is all madness. He doesn't - couldn't - tell another person to do whatever it takes to save her father, not without being a hypocrite, but this is madness. Byleth can't want this blood spilled for a prize he's sure will be false. Can she?
He tries to speak into his mic, but his words come out in a miserable rasp.]
Ei$ner, this is a test They won't - oh shit, I need to rest. . .
[This doesn't seem to be going so well. But he has another ace up his sleeve. He's going to do two things now. First of all, he's going to step backwards, in the direction of the switch behind him and Byleth, raising his hand over it. He looks and gives Rupert another significant look, and holds it there, not pressing down, but able to be pressed down at a moment should Byleth try to press the switch on the other side.
Second, from where he is, he turns and looks at at the man out in the crowd, and points to him with his other finger. And he'll try to speak again into the mic, although it seems to be extremely painful, and he gasps between verses, trying if he can to channel what he's saying towards this person rather than towards Winter Division.]
Your tricks . . . tired. Maybe you'll . . . also like fire. Better bring it to an end -
[He pauses for a second, breath heaving a bit, clearly not able to continue. . . but then he changes the direction of his hand to point at Frumpkin.]
Take it from my friend.
[With that, Frumpkin leaps into the spotlight, stares down at the Ramuda next to the stage, and begins screeching a cacophonous chorus of meows and yowls into his mini Little Frumpkin mic.]
[he watches for a moment as caleb falls, taking in a sharp breath that he only lets out once the man is back on his feet.]
Oh, thank— ow! Hey!
[the sudden shock means he drops the microphone, waving out his only working hand at the sharp sensation. please hold while he yells into the sky for this tag round as i get starbucks.]
That wasn't even against the rules!
[...he's looking a whole lot more concerned as the arrows start flying towards byleth, though!]
[byleth is trying to get within striking distance of the buttonâand that attack was supposed to make it easier. but here comes four dark arrowsâone goes through her leg, and she gasps in pain, stumbling, giving the other three time and space to hit her one after anotherâalthough she dodges the second, the third and fourth find homes in her shoulder and back.
but she's not stopping. still grasping the microphone, she struggles to stand again, even as the blood starts really flowing out of the wounds. she looks back at caleb again, brain bursting with information. she'd like to take a nap.]
Why did that happen...?
[this has to end. wielding the microphone like a weapon (and at least half of it is), she yells into it:]
Get out of the way of the button I lack, Or it's you that I'll chop in my next attack!
[well. maybe not. she's pretty haggard. but there's a spark of desperation in her eye that doesn't bode well.]
[ he looks relieved that rupert manages to take care of the worst of the damage—the damage he wrought—but this isn't over. he tries to get his composure enough to blink over at what the others are doing, vision hazy with the noise, lights, pain.
...it seems like caleb has something up his sleeve, blood-drenched as he is. so that leaves dealing with byleth before she gets to this button. maybe she doesn't know what it would mean for them, or maybe she has her own reasons, and he just—does not want to hurt any of them anymore, doesn't want to be in that position, pointing his words and blades at anything but his enemies, but his heart is pounding and he needs to put up a fight.
so he doesn't listen to her words, placing himself in her way with a shout. ]
You're in harm's way, I won't stop for your charm, Mic, wretched words, strike—go in for her arm!
[ hopefully this time will be less drastic—all he needs to do is get her mic away from her. ]
[ first of all, the light shines gloriously on frumpkin when he leaps in the air, and the entire audience is entranced because frumpkin is adorable. frumpkin is also completely unharmed and perfect, and when he lands and starts yowling --
the ramuda at the stage makes an unpleasant almost robotic shrieking noise (loud!) - his eyes change from their cute, blue and pink color to that black void that almost every member of the party has seen so far, and he reaches up to clasp his hands over his ears, as if trying to block the sound off.
his expression shifts into a grin when the attack is done, and ramuda tilts his head, those eyes still a black void- ] Bzzzt! Wrong answer! Wrong--wrongwrongwrong... wrong answer!
[ and there's a bright flash of light like a camera flash, a terrible, high pitched shriek noise that'll rattle caleb's ear drums (but not frumpkin's, because he's not allowed to get hurt) and then - that ramuda's down on the ground, spread eagled and not moving or breathing. hmmm.
and if caleb manages to look up, he'll see another ramuda standing on the stage itself! this one has those ominous black eyes, and is holding a microphone in his hand, though he smiles at caleb and frumpkin in the meantime.
over with rupert -- he got shocked but he's okay. when he yells into the sky and looks up, he'll see... another ramuda! this one is sitting on the catwalk above the stage. he giggles and winks, knocking off a playful salute. this brings us up to four (4) ramudas; one with a lollipop in his mouth in the audience, one on the catwalk, one on the stage, and one questionably (?) dead.
meanwhile, dimitri threw himself into the way of byleth, and his attack hits with perfect accuracy -- this time, the swordlike attack is more like a standard longsword than a massive one, it swings for byleth's mic arm
...and at the same time byleth's mic spasms again in her hand, perhaps spurred on by her desperation. it starts crackling with ominously black energy before those four black arrows go shooting out again - and when dimitri moves in to block her, it's unfortunate that he's caught in the crossfire, because the microphone misfires and the arrows shriek for byleth instead.
everything happens at once. dimitri takes an injury from one of the arrows meant for byleth - it stabs into his shoulder, and another one lances off of his chest, shooting off into nothing. the other two arrows go straight downward for the upper part of byleth's arm, right as dimitri's bladed mic attack finds the same spot.
three bladed attacks cut into the sinew of her shoulder like it's nothing -- and byleth's arm comes off with a sickening squelch and a spray of blood that spatters across dimitri and the stage alike. the microphone, deactivated, rolls to the floor harmlessly, out of the hand of her now detached arm. ]
[It's getting real with the Fire Emblems now. He watches in horror as Byleth's arm comes off. He can barely hear what's happening, what with the noise. So he'll just shout - though it comes out as raspy and hard to hear - to the only other person not in the middle of this.]
Ruper - Rupp Dogg! The other - same time!
[His hand is still hovering over the button on their side. And Frumpkin is going to continue yowling, this time focusing his attention on the Ramuda above them. More quietly, trying not to aggravate the injury. Letting his eyes glance up to Ramuda and then back to Rupert and the other button.]
[it comes out in a scream as soon as he sees what's happening, but - while he's distracted, horrified, he still manages to hear what caleb says. and then he's running towards the button as he registers it, picking up the microphone and poising his hand right next to the button as he starts calling out towards byleth, panicked:]
Uh, rhyme, rhyme, what rhymes with... We don't have to make her kneel? Go towards her arm and try to heal?
[she goes down like a wet sack, blood pumping out from the grievous injury. the pain hits, explodes out, like nothing she's ever felt beforeâand then... disappears, leaving only the keening pain of the open wound where an arm once was.
consciousness, which was already a thinly-held concept thanks to the previous concussion, is fast-receding from viability. but it's perhaps a tribute to her own tenacious tendencies that she's keeping her eyes open, even as her eyelids flutter.
ah. Dimitri is here. oh, no.
she shakes her head at himâa small, pained and jerky movementâattempting to reassure him, even as she lays on the stadium stage's ground.]
[ it's surreal when it happens. dimitri knows how to swing a blade to disarm, not maim—but he doesn't know how these words seem to interact with each other, and how a simple slash in concurrence with byleth's own spell can dig into her arm all at once and hack it straight off. he's barely aware of the arrows that stab into him, his mind gone blank.
it's only for a second, one that stretches out for what seems like ages. then, he runs over to her in an instant to try and help stopper the blood. he doesn't seem to hear her, or rupert's spell, or caleb's attacks. doesn't hear much of anything, even the din of the crowd. ] Professor—!
[ rupert and caleb can deal with the buttons. he's going to try and help her, though his attention still shoots up to sound of laughter above them. and something—it just snaps; he searches for the words and spits them out like a curse, anguished, furious.
rupert's frantic hunting for a rhyme is me writing raps and therefore i feel bad for him. it's not a lot, but just like before, it's enough - that golden light wraps warmly around him and extends outwards to byleth, bathing her and dimitri alike in warmth. dimitri doesn't get to benefit from the heal, but byleth does. she'll feel her concussion start to fade into less of a pounding headache, and of much more significance, her arm, which was profusely bleeding, begins to slowly stop as if the wound was sealing itself up. it's not a complete heal, and it's not reattaching her arm, but she does stabilize.
meanwhile, the combined attacks of frumpkin, caleb and dimitri successfully take out the two ramudas. both of them had those weird, black eyes, and both of them make that horrible scream noise. the one from the top falls from the catwalk and lands on the ground in a heap in the center of the battlefield, and the one on the stage is blown backwards.
that just leaves one ramuda, still sitting in the audience, sucking on his lollipop. he hops up from where he's sitting and spins the lollipop in his hand absently. this one doesn't have the strange black eyes compared to the others; he walks leisurely forward. ]
What's up with you guys, huh? You reallll~ y want something bad to happen to your friends back home? Only one of those buttons is gonna work. The Prime Minister's gonna be rea~l mad.
I guess all of this could be fake. Wouldn't that be crazy? Like some kind of illusion! Haha! đ¶ I can't imagine what would be happening to you right now if this wasn't real!
Too bad it is, fufu. Rupert, your prince loves you. It's sweet! Are you really gonna let him die for that guy? [ ramuda gestures to caleb and frumpkin. ] Of all people?
[ however, the group may notice that the arena around them is starting to get sort of strange. the world seems to be wavering and trembling - almost shaking. like something's wrong with it, destabilized. ]
[Yeah, villain speech all you want, bud. He's slamming down on that button, trusting Rupert to do the same. He can't even look back to see if he actually did or not; if Ramuda's words about his prince got to him. He doesn't want to think if he just condemned to death Byleth's father and his dearest friend. They aren't really there. Only false versions, like Beauregard was. But he still can't look.
Instead, turning on Ramuda. He's still pressing his hand to his neck, which isn't bleeding freely but is sort of softly gurgling blood when he tries to speak. That's a problem, too. Nothing more useless than a wizard without a voice. So even if it's painful and feels like something is tearing, he's just going to spit out lowly -]
You're the one with something to fear. No rhymes, I hear? Your world fading with a thin veneer? Steal the face of a friend, a mother, a father. Too bad, we still aren't going to bother. You know, your voice is starting to grate. So have another laugh about it while I cast disintegrate.
[he - hesitates for maybe a second, he really does, before caleb says three. but then the world itself seems to shift, and before he can spare another thought - he's slamming the hand that holds the microphone into the button at the same moment caleb does. after a second:]
...You don't know anything about me, or him, do you?
[then he turns to the pink haired boy. thinking, thinking, panicking less now than byleth's wound is at least sealed—]
You're running out of moves to make, Desperate and scared, your world's starting to quake! But we're done falling for your stupid game, So, the things you want, you're not going to claim. And soon you'll see that love is stronger, Tougher, and purer, it'll last far longer! So no matter how you try to force my hand, You know nothing's going the way you planned, And I'll always be here, and I'll always stand!
[it was a close thing. for all her words, byleth thought that might really have been it.
but then the warm glow envelops them, and... blood loss and injury to her shoulder, back and chest aside, she actually feels well enough to try and sit up,
badly. she falls down again immediately. there's only one arm. jeez, this is going to take some getting used to.
instead, she rolls over, and, using her sword mic as a projectile, just straightup yeets it at the last ramuda standing. sword blunt as it is, it's still heavy enough to carry impactâor at the least, distract him.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[ RAP HORNS ]
they stand in the center of a huge arena - the area around them is packed with crowds of women, some carrying pen lights, some carrying megaphones, some with signs that say WINTER DIVISION and some with signs that say GROWN UP DIVISION. a massive scoreboard hangs above their heads as well, occasionally scrolling their MC names. the moment the doors officially open and the four are pushed outside, the arena bursts into cacophonous applause and screams.
behind each pair is a switch, a bright red button, with the logo of "CHUUOKU DIVISION" underneath it, and the doors open to either side of the stage itself, and a set of loud speakers extend from the edge of each stage. and music will begin to play. siz this is your headphones cue.
the large screen above the group displays chuuoku's logo, followed by the following phrase in black letters; ]
DIVISION RAP BATTLE: BEGIN
[ they will indeed immediately get the feeling they ought to deliver their blows rhythmically if they want them to be strong.
but the group will be able to begin on their own cues. good luck! rap battle hard! ]
no subject
Veth isn't real, and if she is real, he won't be allowed to save her. After what happened with Beau, he's sure whatever he does here, it will only be so they can hurt Veth and make it his fault, and it feels like it would be better to just kill her himself and get it over with. But he can't fault Byleth if that isn't how she feels. So. He'll try?
The music continues playing, and suddenly the lights shine on him, and he's sweating, awkward under the spotlight.]
Ah, scheisse. Me first, really? Ah. . . okay. . .
[He holds the mic, hands shaking a little, stumbling over his first words.]
I can't. . . think of anything to say. . .
This is a terrible day. . .
I, uhm, would really like to run away. . .
[The crowd. Doesn't seem to be feeling this, though. Taking a deep breath and trying to think of more words that rhyme with each other, his head going sort of blank. Anyway, his cadence continues to be absolutely terrible, he is nowhere near the beat and his delivery is very uncertain and halting. It's. Not good. But he will try to put a little more effort in.]
Hey. Been some time since I've seen you so green.
Sharp fangs, sharp eyes, quickest you've ever seen.
Face so mean, will they burn you and burn you and burn you until I scream?
Do it! I'm sick of this shit and I know it's all a dream!
Who should I save? Don't fuck with Veth the Brave.
I might be a coward but she'll put you in your grave.
No need for this sad sack, as soon as you turn your back.
Nowhere to be seen until she's got you with her sneak attack.
Fake friend number two, we see you're getting lazy.
Trying to drive me mad, but I already knew I was crazy.
no subject
he looks incredibly uncertain and unsure when he starts, too, looking down at the microphone like it's something incredibly foreign. the flow of his words is also not great at all, and he keeps awkwardly pausing like he needs more time to think of something to say, but—]
Okay, uh, uhhhh - you're losing your grip but our focus is clear,
Gonna... make some rhymes, let's get it in gear!
Real or not, I'm here to do my best,
So you better be ready to get - put to the test?
You can't bring us down, we can't be beat,
So it's time you face you're gonna taste defeat,
The music keeps on playing and you're sweating in the heat,
And when all is said and done you'll know you're... obsolete...?
[kill him]
And, Winter Division's here to bring you down,
We're drowning you out, we're taking the crown,
Standing there, you just look like a clown,
And when you lose, it'll be with a frown...
[KILL HIM]
no subject
jeralt.
if they way her to rhyme words rhythmically to save the only family she's ever known, then even with a pounding head, she'll find a way.
by the time rupert is wrapping up, she's already got her mic up and ready, tapping the beat out with her foot.]
Can't believe what's happening here,
Take a look at this atmosphere!
We're supposed to be hype but can't even seem
to get into the beat cuz it's causing fear!
[as she gets a little bit of a grip with how this works, she starts stuffing more words into the beats]
If I've gotta listen to Winter division spit ice cuz they're feeling too nice to attack,
BF! We'll show them we're not gonna slack!
Rupp, your loop, I'm sorry to say,
It's your first time, but it's seen better days!
Ratman, you're smart and quick on your feet,
But we got a catman to get you beat!
So bring me your rhythms and rhymes cuz I don't have the time to be slacking, here,
Time's always ticking but here in the thick of it I'm 'bout to rewind to a better year!
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he shoots a look at rupert as byleth wraps (raps) up, frowning as he steels himself for this. not like... he has any sense of rhythm? but they have to give it an effort, so he forces himself to growl out some words. ]
Big Frumpkin? A joke. A kitten, a munchkin,
Your brain's the only thing about you not shrunken.
A threat? If only. Cold sweat, cat's crony.
Ei$ner—
[ ...actually no, he's not quite worked up enough to insult byleth specifically. he's the whitest man alive and his rap skills are weak, but he does sound very threatening. ]
Each verse worse than the first,
Spitting out prattle—weak rhymes, half notes,
If you've come here to do battle,
You'd better go for the throat.
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so here's what happens!!! caleb's first verse causes a little bit of fire to come out of his mic, but it's nothing. like. a lighter's worth. it sputters kind of pathetically and the crowd boos him -- once he gets his feet under him, however, the sparks that shoot out of frumpkin the microphone crackle and screech, and direct the equivalent of a flawlessly aimed fireball spell at dimitri. the crowd goes absolutely apeshit at this!
rupert's counter verse has a heal equivalent to it, so he's able to block off getting hit by the fireball himself - lucky guy! - however, his verse attack is weaker because his heal is so strong. for byleth, it'll feel like taking a couple of punches and a slice from a knife.
byleth's mic does something interesting - it flashes a bright pink color, sort of ominous and the words seem to almost float in the air around her. then, they zoom forward and grab onto rupert's arm, and seem to wrap all the way around it. rupert will then find that he cannot use his left arm. this is temporary probably?
finally, dimitri's attack summons what looks like a massive sword in mid air. at first, it just sort of hovers, hesitating - and then instead of swinging on byleth, it swings on caleb, aiming for his throat.
the switches are uneffected by anyone, still just hanging out behind both parties, ready to be pressed, and neither party has moved towards them so they're just vibing!
also, since caleb was the first one to aim and therefore has the most time between verses, he may notice ramuda in the crowd, sucking on a lollipop and watching them from among a gaggle of women. ]
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As much as he doesn't want to hurt Rupert or Dimitri, given the mood he's in, the feeling of successfully getting off a fireball feels good, and he wants to do another. He's already planning a comeback, to try to get another one off, maybe burn this whole place down.
Only then the sword slashes down on him cutting across his throat. There's a gasp of pain as blood begins to flow from the wound, and he goes for his scarf, pressing it hard against the wound. This might. Make it hard for him to deliver the next verse?]
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with his arm hanging uselessly at his side:]
You want to seem brave, you want to seem tough,
But we're here to show you that you don't have enough!
So you should take a seat, or better yet, lie down,
And soon we'll be the ones who run this town!
But if you're feeling tired or you're getting too hurt,
Here's a little trick to bring you back from the dirt,
In the end, we don't have to make you fall,
'Cause our words, not weapons, can make you crawl!
You should be honored by this moment of grace
And remember that you're never going to match with our pace!
[it was. similarly poorly performed. but it's fine.]
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caleb takes a horrible slash to a throat sword, and byleth starts running. if they have to hit the button, then that's what she'll do. it's not even that far. she's sorry. there's too much to think about, and not enough time or space to breath
as she runs, she lifts her microphone to her lips again.]
I'm not the kind of person who lays around,
Waiting for somebody else to bring them down,
I'm gonna keep on moving forward running fast attacking,
So you better get your game on better not be slacking.
Go for the throat? I'm not some animal,
I'll take my time, cut down to size, that's what I'm standing for!
Winter you got beats but can you really beat us back?
A little fire and you're on the wire, start seeing black!
You're saying dirt? Got us all hurt? Look at your arm! Watch what you blurt!
I'm gonna end this, stand still and get wrecked, and I reassert:
We're the team that brings the screams, and see the crowd go wildâ
Two more steps and I'll see to it, Winter's getting exiled!
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dimitri looks just as surprised at the sword that appears, brows furrowed at what his words seem to have summoned. but there's no time to worry about it before a fireball comes screeching his way, hitting him square in the chest, the impact sending him staggering back a few steps. his clothes sizzle as he grimaces at the burning heat, forcing himself to push the smell and feel of it out of his mind.
he bites it back. and he goes to intercept byleth this time, ready to tackle her down if necessary. ]
Grown up division—you're just... [ goddess, he is literally on fire, he can't do this right now. with a pained shout, ] Slice at her leg!
1/2
as caleb stands, he'll realize his consciousness is leaving him - there is no staunching an injury so deep. he'll take a step backwards. another step backwards, staggering.
and then fall flat on his back on the stage.
caleb widogast is dead! ]
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because the kindness of his enemy saves the day. the crowd lets out a shocked noise as rupert starts to rap into his microphone - his verse isn't as powerful, but that golden light returns and wraps around caleb's form for a moment. he's pushed back up onto his feet, and though the wound is still bleeding garishly he is in fact, alive. a character from a dungeons and dragons podcast might recognize themselves at one HP.
however, the crowd does not seem to like rupert healing caleb - there's a boo and a shriek from the crowd, and otome tohoten's face appears on the screen again. she shakes her head and scowls - rupert will get an electric shock from his microphone, harsh enough to burn the palm of his hand.
byleth followed the assignment and kept rapping. her microphone glows again, and this time the light is dark red, and what look like arrows come out of it, shooting out in four different directions -- and instead of unleashing a truly sick attack on rupert or dimitri, they u-turn around and slam into byleth instead, creating the effect of being stabbed in several places. that's fun! one of them does go into her leg so i guess there's that.
dimitri is on fire and also does not get to rap.
and this time, rupert can look out into the crowd and see ramuda! ramuda is over with a gaggle of women.
... and ramuda is also next to the stage, sitting on it with his chin in his hands, watching, his face curled up in a smile, curious to see where this crazy battle goes next! there are two ramudas. ]
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This is all madness. He doesn't - couldn't - tell another person to do whatever it takes to save her father, not without being a hypocrite, but this is madness. Byleth can't want this blood spilled for a prize he's sure will be false. Can she?
He tries to speak into his mic, but his words come out in a miserable rasp.]
Ei$ner, this is a test
They won't - oh shit, I need to rest. . .
[This doesn't seem to be going so well. But he has another ace up his sleeve. He's going to do two things now. First of all, he's going to step backwards, in the direction of the switch behind him and Byleth, raising his hand over it. He looks and gives Rupert another significant look, and holds it there, not pressing down, but able to be pressed down at a moment should Byleth try to press the switch on the other side.
Second, from where he is, he turns and looks at at the man out in the crowd, and points to him with his other finger. And he'll try to speak again into the mic, although it seems to be extremely painful, and he gasps between verses, trying if he can to channel what he's saying towards this person rather than towards Winter Division.]
Your tricks . . . tired.
Maybe you'll . . . also like fire.
Better bring it to an end -
[He pauses for a second, breath heaving a bit, clearly not able to continue. . . but then he changes the direction of his hand to point at Frumpkin.]
Take it from my friend.
[With that, Frumpkin leaps into the spotlight, stares down at the Ramuda next to the stage, and begins screeching a cacophonous chorus of meows and yowls into his mini Little Frumpkin mic.]
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Oh, thank— ow! Hey!
[the sudden shock means he drops the microphone, waving out his only working hand at the sharp sensation. please hold while he yells into the sky for this tag round as i get starbucks.]
That wasn't even against the rules!
[...he's looking a whole lot more concerned as the arrows start flying towards byleth, though!]
Wait—
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but she's not stopping. still grasping the microphone, she struggles to stand again, even as the blood starts really flowing out of the wounds. she looks back at caleb again, brain bursting with information. she'd like to take a nap.]
Why did that happen...?
[this has to end. wielding the microphone like a weapon (and at least half of it is), she yells into it:]
Get out of the way of the button I lack,
Or it's you that I'll chop in my next attack!
[well. maybe not. she's pretty haggard. but there's a spark of desperation in her eye that doesn't bode well.]
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...it seems like caleb has something up his sleeve, blood-drenched as he is. so that leaves dealing with byleth before she gets to this button. maybe she doesn't know what it would mean for them, or maybe she has her own reasons, and he just—does not want to hurt any of them anymore, doesn't want to be in that position, pointing his words and blades at anything but his enemies, but his heart is pounding and he needs to put up a fight.
so he doesn't listen to her words, placing himself in her way with a shout. ]
You're in harm's way, I won't stop for your charm,
Mic, wretched words, strike—go in for her arm!
[ hopefully this time will be less drastic—all he needs to do is get her mic away from her. ]
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the ramuda at the stage makes an unpleasant almost robotic shrieking noise (loud!) - his eyes change from their cute, blue and pink color to that black void that almost every member of the party has seen so far, and he reaches up to clasp his hands over his ears, as if trying to block the sound off.
his expression shifts into a grin when the attack is done, and ramuda tilts his head, those eyes still a black void- ] Bzzzt! Wrong answer! Wrong--wrongwrongwrong... wrong answer!
[ and there's a bright flash of light like a camera flash, a terrible, high pitched shriek noise that'll rattle caleb's ear drums (but not frumpkin's, because he's not allowed to get hurt) and then - that ramuda's down on the ground, spread eagled and not moving or breathing. hmmm.
and if caleb manages to look up, he'll see another ramuda standing on the stage itself! this one has those ominous black eyes, and is holding a microphone in his hand, though he smiles at caleb and frumpkin in the meantime.
over with rupert -- he got shocked but he's okay. when he yells into the sky and looks up, he'll see... another ramuda! this one is sitting on the catwalk above the stage. he giggles and winks, knocking off a playful salute. this brings us up to four (4) ramudas; one with a lollipop in his mouth in the audience, one on the catwalk, one on the stage, and one questionably (?) dead.
meanwhile, dimitri threw himself into the way of byleth, and his attack hits with perfect accuracy -- this time, the swordlike attack is more like a standard longsword than a massive one, it swings for byleth's mic arm
...and at the same time byleth's mic spasms again in her hand, perhaps spurred on by her desperation. it starts crackling with ominously black energy before those four black arrows go shooting out again - and when dimitri moves in to block her, it's unfortunate that he's caught in the crossfire, because the microphone misfires and the arrows shriek for byleth instead.
everything happens at once. dimitri takes an injury from one of the arrows meant for byleth - it stabs into his shoulder, and another one lances off of his chest, shooting off into nothing. the other two arrows go straight downward for the upper part of byleth's arm, right as dimitri's bladed mic attack finds the same spot.
three bladed attacks cut into the sinew of her shoulder like it's nothing -- and byleth's arm comes off with a sickening squelch and a spray of blood that spatters across dimitri and the stage alike. the microphone, deactivated, rolls to the floor harmlessly, out of the hand of her now detached arm. ]
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Ruper - Rupp Dogg! The other - same time!
[His hand is still hovering over the button on their side. And Frumpkin is going to continue yowling, this time focusing his attention on the Ramuda above them. More quietly, trying not to aggravate the injury. Letting his eyes glance up to Ramuda and then back to Rupert and the other button.]
Also. . . it rhymes.
Pink hair guy. . .
Die, die. . . die, die, die.
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[it comes out in a scream as soon as he sees what's happening, but - while he's distracted, horrified, he still manages to hear what caleb says. and then he's running towards the button as he registers it, picking up the microphone and poising his hand right next to the button as he starts calling out towards byleth, panicked:]
Uh, rhyme, rhyme, what rhymes with... We don't have to make her kneel? Go towards her arm and try to heal?
[and then, to caleb:]
Count of three! One... Two...
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consciousness, which was already a thinly-held concept thanks to the previous concussion, is fast-receding from viability. but it's perhaps a tribute to her own tenacious tendencies that she's keeping her eyes open, even as her eyelids flutter.
ah. Dimitri is here. oh, no.
she shakes her head at himâa small, pained and jerky movementâattempting to reassure him, even as she lays on the stadium stage's ground.]
I won't die.
Don't worry.
[her eyes flutter, and close, breathing shallow.]
I won't die.
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it's only for a second, one that stretches out for what seems like ages. then, he runs over to her in an instant to try and help stopper the blood. he doesn't seem to hear her, or rupert's spell, or caleb's attacks. doesn't hear much of anything, even the din of the crowd. ] Professor—!
[ rupert and caleb can deal with the buttons. he's going to try and help her, though his attention still shoots up to sound of laughter above them. and something—it just snaps; he searches for the words and spits them out like a curse, anguished, furious.
last verse, same idea as the first: ]
Ramuda—drop dead.
Off with his head!
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rupert's frantic hunting for a rhyme is me writing raps and therefore i feel bad for him. it's not a lot, but just like before, it's enough - that golden light wraps warmly around him and extends outwards to byleth, bathing her and dimitri alike in warmth. dimitri doesn't get to benefit from the heal, but byleth does. she'll feel her concussion start to fade into less of a pounding headache, and of much more significance, her arm, which was profusely bleeding, begins to slowly stop as if the wound was sealing itself up. it's not a complete heal, and it's not reattaching her arm, but she does stabilize.
meanwhile, the combined attacks of frumpkin, caleb and dimitri successfully take out the two ramudas. both of them had those weird, black eyes, and both of them make that horrible scream noise. the one from the top falls from the catwalk and lands on the ground in a heap in the center of the battlefield, and the one on the stage is blown backwards.
that just leaves one ramuda, still sitting in the audience, sucking on his lollipop. he hops up from where he's sitting and spins the lollipop in his hand absently. this one doesn't have the strange black eyes compared to the others; he walks leisurely forward. ]
I guess all of this could be fake. Wouldn't that be crazy? Like some kind of illusion! Haha! đ¶ I can't imagine what would be happening to you right now if this wasn't real!
Too bad it is, fufu. Rupert, your prince loves you. It's sweet! Are you really gonna let him die for that guy? [ ramuda gestures to caleb and frumpkin. ] Of all people?
[ however, the group may notice that the arena around them is starting to get sort of strange. the world seems to be wavering and trembling - almost shaking. like something's wrong with it, destabilized. ]
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[Yeah, villain speech all you want, bud. He's slamming down on that button, trusting Rupert to do the same. He can't even look back to see if he actually did or not; if Ramuda's words about his prince got to him. He doesn't want to think if he just condemned to death Byleth's father and his dearest friend. They aren't really there. Only false versions, like Beauregard was. But he still can't look.
Instead, turning on Ramuda. He's still pressing his hand to his neck, which isn't bleeding freely but is sort of softly gurgling blood when he tries to speak. That's a problem, too. Nothing more useless than a wizard without a voice. So even if it's painful and feels like something is tearing, he's just going to spit out lowly -]
You're the one with something to fear.
No rhymes, I hear? Your world fading with a thin veneer?
Steal the face of a friend, a mother, a father.
Too bad, we still aren't going to bother.
You know, your voice is starting to grate.
So have another laugh about it while I cast disintegrate.
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...You don't know anything about me, or him, do you?
[then he turns to the pink haired boy. thinking, thinking, panicking less now than byleth's wound is at least sealed—]
You're running out of moves to make,
Desperate and scared, your world's starting to quake!
But we're done falling for your stupid game,
So, the things you want, you're not going to claim.
And soon you'll see that love is stronger,
Tougher, and purer, it'll last far longer!
So no matter how you try to force my hand,
You know nothing's going the way you planned,
And I'll always be here, and I'll always stand!
[cheesy but it's fine]
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but then the warm glow envelops them, and... blood loss and injury to her shoulder, back and chest aside, she actually feels well enough to try and sit up,
badly. she falls down again immediately. there's only one arm. jeez, this is going to take some getting used to.
instead, she rolls over, and, using her sword mic as a projectile, just straightup yeets it at the last ramuda standing. sword blunt as it is, it's still heavy enough to carry impactâor at the least, distract him.
under her breath, she whispers a shivery:]
Die.
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