let the mercury rise on up -- Playerone

[Verdigris]

[font=trebuchet ms]Watching the rest of the crows lift off at his command, carrying out their missions, the pied crow nodded to himself.

With a flap, he took to the skies, willing the wind to carry him towards the mountain's peak as fast as possible. For this to work, he'd need to get a hold of the potential spanner in the works before the distraction was put in motion. If he didn't, pulling this plan back from the brink of failure would be much harder.

He could hear a soft caw carrying through the air- they were splitting off from each other. Luckily, the peak wasn't far off. It was going perfectly so far.

Finally reaching the peak, he touched down in the snow, his eyes landing on what he recognized as a feline-fox hybrid. Playerone. A smile threatened to tug at his beak, but he maintained a neutral expression. Best to pretend to be... was normal the word? Close enough.

Flapping his wings slightly, he let out a small, wordless caw. She might ascribe curiosity to his body language, or a simple lack of awareness. Either would work. He couldn't hear the sounds of any sort of distraction behind him yet- perfect, he'd timed this just right. Hopefully he could keep the plan going smoothly.

[member=2426]Playerone Kennedy[/member]

[Hope Arcanium]

The god had traveled to the mountains to take a breather, so-to-speak. She had a lot happen in the last few days, and just needed a break to settle down her emotions. Nature always had its way of calming her energy more than most other things could, and for that she was grateful. In a way, she felt stronger because of her connection to it. She wouldn’t have these abilities or have discovered godhood without Nature’s intervention.

It was funny how the god-hunter ascended into being a god. The irony was ever present with this realization. She had opened up to Elysium as a whole about the attack that caused her awakening, and ended up doing the very thing she had reprimanded her best friend Rin for doing- calling herself a protector. All of Elysium was its own protector, and they have proven that time and time again. This made them all protectors, but there wasn’t a sole protector over all of them. Each and every Elysite had the title and role. They each did their individual part to contribute to what made Elysium what it was.

And Play was proud to be a part of that.

Her pawsteps were quiet, and her draconic wings pressed against her sides as to not impede her movement. Despite taking just a ‘stroll’ in the woods, her pace was fast, as though the hybrid were on a mission. And perhaps, she was.

The caw of a crow had caught her attention, and she eyed the bird cautiously, slowly lowering to the ground in a ready-to-strike position. After taking her time to figure out the right timing for the pounce, she took aim and fired, aiming for the throat of the crow with a swift and silent motion, steady as an arrow and aimed true, hoping to snatch a quick snack.

[Verdigris]

[font=trebuchet ms]Well, she'd taken no time at all to go on the offensive. Probably, she thought he was just prey- which was fine. Turning and looking at Play in the moment before she struck, he met her gaze evenly, allowing a smile to spread across his beak.

Then, the air around him warped, and he vanished in a puff of smoke- appearing a few feet behind her. "Quick on the draw, aren't you, Sparky?" he remarked, flapping his wings and ascending into the air. The lack of malice in her eyes suggested she hadn't realized... but there was little point in hiding it, if they were going to fight anyway. With a halfhearted sigh, he shook his head. "Well, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

It probably wasn't actually a fight she wanted, but had he pretended to be oblivious, she would've turned her attention elsewhere. This was the best way to proceed... besides, if the others were watching, they'd be able to learn some valuable information about her fighting style.

...and maybe he could have some fun with it.

With a caw, the Messenger willed a gale of wind to blow in Play's direction, attempting to force her off the side of the mountain.

The Messenger
Health: 100%
Current form: pied crow with blue eyes
Powers: air elementals, teleportation, mental manipulation/communication

[Hope Arcanium]

He was right in thinking that she honestly didn’t want a fight initially, but she definitely did now. That aura... she knew exactly who she was dealing with now. And the rage grew, building up as she summoned up enough energy to enter her God form, flames and sparks erupting from her body, wings spread out and paws spread in a battle stance.

A crow, huh? A smirk formed on Playerone’s face as he spoke. “’Sparky’ is a new one, avian. I feel so honored~” The hybrid gave a chuckle, feeling the winds push against her body as The Messenger tried to knock her off the mountain. Well, time for a show, she supposed.

The white god allowed the gale to carry her off the edge, and then she spread her wings. If you can’t fight against it- glide with it. And so she did- her wings picking her up as the gust ended and she worked her way back up, draconic wings flapping steadily as she slowly arose from the edge, a smile on her features. She felt like putting on a show for him, especially since he decided to attack her one on one, so she felt she could go all out.

“Not bad, not bad.” She clapped her paws together a couple of times, “It seems there’s more to you than you let on. Show me what you’ve got, bird.”

Playerone focuses her energy into forming several small lightning bolts, aiming to hit The Messenger with at least one of them, in rapid succession. At the very most they would just offer a small taste of what she could actually do, not harm him too much. She felt like playing around a little.

[Verdigris]

[font=trebuchet ms]Sure enough, the hybrid's fur began to flicker with embers and sparks of electricity. Watching her closely, the Messenger met her gaze evenly. The chuckle, the way she referred to him as a mere avian... this was exactly the reason their pantheon had never accepted mortals into their ranks. Give a mortal a dose of power, and suddenly they're a tough guy.

Watching her glide along with the gust of wind, though, the Messenger raised a brow. He'd expected her to try and resist, but she'd made a wise choice- not bad, for a former mortal. He was starting to see how she'd beaten old Sky's angry wall of meat.

As she echoed the sentiment back at him, the Messenger cracked another smirk. "Please, call me Merc," he said, performing a mock bow while willing the air to keep him aloft. Then, flapping his wings again, he focused his eyes in on the quickly-forming lights- ah, lightning bolts. Neat. Jupiter would have some fun with that, if they ever ran into each other. He weaved in and out between the first two bolts, feeling the uncomfortable heat of the second one just barely missing his wings, then teleported behind her to avoid the last bolts.

Well, if she was going to treat this like a game, then he might as well do the same. He thought he could catch the sound of increasingly-raucous cries coming from the town, but... it could wait. The target was strong, but even she couldn't face those sheer numbers, especially when she hadn't been expecting them.

With a casual smile, the Messenger calmly teleported back and forth around the hybrid, going from one side to the other and then back, from in front of her to behind her, as easily as breathing. "So, you're supposed to be a goddess now, huh?" he remarked, willing the winds to swirl up in a circular motion around the center of the mountain top- not quite strong enough to do more than ruffle her fur.

Then, using his mental manipulation to try and project his voice to the opposite side of her, alternating between sides as he flashed back and forth, he continued, "What's your domain? Myself, I'm the god of travelers, traders, thieves... those who the wind blesses." The winds spun faster now, kicking snow up into the air in an effort to impair her visibility. If this worked, he wouldn't be able to see her either- but that wasn't a problem. He wasn't trying to kill her here, after all.

Leaving a small pocket of relatively still air around himself, he willed the winds to speed up even more, to the point of possibly knocking the hybrid down. It wasn't quite a full tornado, not yet- he didn't want to exert all his power right away- but in his mind, it was enough for now. He couldn't see any way she could fly in this without getting horribly dizzy, and if she happened to prove him wrong, he still had his trusty teleportation to keep him out of danger.

Warringkingdoms had been correct to surmise that he really wasn't a combat-focused god at all, but he didn't have to be. By himself, he was sufficient as a distraction, and that was all he needed to be.

The Messenger
Health: 99.5%
Current form: pied crow with blue eyes
Powers: air elementals, teleportation, mental manipulation/communication

[Hope Arcanium]

“It’s nice to be able to put a name to a face, Merc. You can call me... Arashi.” There was a smile upon her face, tilting her head curiously to the side as he gave a bow. To which she returned, in good humor, standing up once more to face him with her head high. It seemed like he would also be willing to play her game. A nice change of pace. But eventually the fun must end, and she had to be ready for whatever may be tossed her way by this rival god.

Playerone felt the winds rise around her, and she positioned her wings in such a way that she could feel lift off if they picked up, feeling the direction in which they were spinning, and prepared to fly with the winds at her back. She didn’t bother with trying to focus too much on his teleportation act, as it likely only served to distract her from the whirlwind that was growing stronger and stronger.

“A domain? Hm... I never really considered it. But, if I were to give myself one...” She gave a thoughtful pause as her mind drifted to memories of her loved ones and her friends. Rin, Cooper, Diya, Kade, and the other Elysites... They all had left a mark on her life in their own individual ways. A domain, he had asked. This domain... would be something she stood for.

“I am Arashi, goddess of Justice... of Freedom... and of Vengeance. Bestowed upon those who fight for peace and fairness- for a better life. Those who embody the relentless tenacity and ferocity of storms.” That was her domain, and his answer. Her voice was firm, steady and held a deep power to it that she couldn’t quite put a paw on as to where it came from, but she felt the power those words held.

She began to fly and ride the winds, making a single barrel roll before teleporting out of the windstorm, reappearing a couple yards away to observe. Despite being able to go with the flow, she did almost lose her balance. She felt that for sure. Just a small bit.

The hybrid grinned to herself, liking the display he offered, but was glad to have made it out before it became worse. Merc sure did like to teleport, didn’t he? She would have to find a way around that problem. She was battle smart, but her use of powers was new and just beginning, but she was also starting to get a grasp on them very well for someone who was just thrust into godhood.

“Nice little windstorm you’ve got there.” Not that he needed her compliment, but she put it out there just because. “But using only the wind won’t get you very far. Show me what else you’ve got up your sleeve.”

If she could pinpoint where The Messenger’s general area was with her clairvoyance, she would aim several small lightning strikes at him, along with a surprise fireball.

[Verdigris]

[font=trebuchet ms]"Arashi," huh? The Japanese equivalent of the English word "storm..." well, to be fair to her, she could've picked a word from Esperanto and he wouldn't have found it impressive. Being around the world a couple times prior to his fall had its quirks, the least of which was linguistic knowledge.

Watching her circle through the whirlwind without any signs of severe disorientation, the Messenger thought for only a moment about how she'd only had those wings for a few weeks before turning his attention back to her words. Never really considering one's domain was typical for an ascended mortal, but knowing that didn't make it any less amusing. Was it any wonder that they rarely made anything of themselves, when they settled for the "jack of all trades, master of none" approach?

Once the hybrid finally came up with "justice, freedom, and vengeance," the Messenger shrugged. "So you're going for 'Nemesis clone'? That's more creative than most," he remarked, with only the smallest hint of a sneer on his beak. They'd almost had a Nemesis join them before, one from the outer reaches of the solar system, beyond popular perception. Truthfully, he'd almost been ready to support putting her on the team, but he hadn't been that saddened by Jupiter's decision in the end. He only hoped Sky had been thorough.

Though now that he thought about it, that would be a good explanation for why Sky bothered to directly intervene in Warringkingdoms' life...

...no, actually, it wouldn't be. Such a creature could never understand the ways of even a semi-divine power.

The Messenger snapped to attention again just in time to notice Playerone doing an aileron roll and exiting the spiral of wind- or "windstorm," as she called it. She wanted more than just the winds. This had to be a bait. "You sure about that?" he said, teleporting out of the way of each lightning bolt in turn.

Feeling a sudden heat, however, he blinked- and the fireball was nearly upon him, blown in his direction by his own winds. With a squawk, he teleported once more, appearing a short distance back with his chest feathers singed. Over the winds, he could hear even louder screeching from the town, carrying a clear tone of confusion. Did anyone know what was going on over there?

Of course this would happen now, before he had the chance to tire her out. He had to go intervene, but he didn't need Playerone getting in the way.

"Well, unfortunately, we're at an impasse," the Messenger answered, flapping in place rather than resuming his teleportation. Best to give her a clear target- he wouldn't want to make this too difficult. "Neither of us are accomplishing much. We could keep this up forever, but honestly? I'm bored of this." With that, he restarted the winds at their previous speed- this time pointing directly downwards, towards the mountain's peak. Hopefully she'd break something, but maybe she'd just retaliate with some more attacks. This time, he'd make it count.

"I hope you've got more in you than those little sparks," he said, with a grin. "Those won't help you in the big leagues."

The Messenger
Health: 98%
Current form: pied crow with blue eyes
Powers: air elementals, teleportation, mental manipulation/communication