6841/Banzai Bill Solid: Revengeance

Banzai Bill Solid: Revengeance
Date of Scene:	25 September 2019
Location:	The Sundew Kingdom
Synopsis:	Lezard and Sarracenia have their duel. It's short and messy, but then something unexpected happens...
Cast of Characters:	Lezard Valeth, Sarracenia, 7116, Alexis, 6386, Rean Schwarzer, 7002

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Lezard Valeth has posed:
One might have expected Lezard to book a room at the Shrine of Adversity for this.

If you thought that, you don't know how vindictive the Sorceror of Midgard could be. That said, the sign that everything is prepared comes when a copse of the dense jungle within sight of the city promptly detonates, being clared away with a wave of magical fire. Lezard stands there amidst the smouldering remnants, the heat setting his tattered cape aflutter even as energy surges around him, already being drawn in to prepare another spell.

    "How brave will you be, Princess?" He asks, his voice carrying over the wind. "Are you prepared to do battle with your chosen enemy at your gates? Or will you flee and hide, cowering before your own people? But better a coward than defeated, perhaps?"

Sarracenia has posed:
     If Lezard thinks that Sarracenia will cower, he also doesn't know his opponent. The princess is stubborn and somewhat vindictive in her own right. Still, she was not expecting him to come knocking on the city gates. And neither was anyone else in the capitol. Already armored piranha plants are gathering on the city walls and airships are launching from the docks. Three of the sturdy wooden airships depart, including the flagship which bears a golden statue of Sarra on the bow like many fancy ships do a mermaid or something.

     Two of the ships halt at the edge of the cleared area while the flagship continues on before coming to a hover over the center. Sarracenia steps onto the bow, dressed in her battle dress and holding her oversized hammer. "I do not challenge those I am not willing to fight. Of course, I am willing to fight most anyone." she calls as the ship slowly descends until she is on level footing with Lezard. "The real question is...are you prepared to have that oversized ego and ice cold heart shattered beneath the feet of the mighty Princess Sarracenia Sundew?"

     Any who had made the journey here, or have arrived since this started, can easily find a place on one of the three ships, whether it is for spectating or assisting.

Phyllis Lancaster (7116) has posed:
It didn't take a genius to realize that the sorceror and the princess had a certain dislike for each other. Even Phyllis could figure that much out, and after hearing that the two were going to have a duel, she decides to arrive to save their souls before it's too late!

... Except not really. No, she just really wanted to see a fight between Elites, and she's here today in her usual traveling outfit rather than her witch costume! She's brought some binoculars, a bag of trail mix, and she's ready for a show that ends up being a little more explosive to start with than she had expected.

"Wow... Things are really getting heated already." Phyllis comments aloud to nobody in particular, raising a hand to wave excitedly at both Lezard and Sarracenia from a safe-ish distance. "Fight well, you two! Let's have a good, clean fight!" As Phyllis cheers them on, she snaps her fingers, and a barstool made of skeletal hands erupts from a sparkling rune beneath her feet for her to sit on.

Alexis has posed:
To be honest Alexis isn't entirely sure what's been going on. She just knows that Sarracenia has beef with this wizard, there's been formal declarations of duel, and she's here to support her friend regardless of how the actual fight turns out.

She's got a prime view though, of course she's one of the people on the flagship. Best Friend Priviledges. The tomboy is leaning on the deck railing, with her Typhlosion on one side, and her Braixen on the other. And as Chargjabug recently evolved into a form too big to occupy it the vantage point atop her head has instead been claimed by a black cat-like creature with some red stripes. "One way or another, this should be a sight to see."

Note (6386) has posed:
    So this is Sarracenia's home? Huge plants are COOL in Note's opinion. So is a city built atop a lake! Note comes swooping over the forest, finding no trouble traveling as she's held aloft on a buoying flare of Ki swirling around her tiny body. Down she swoops, landing at the edge of the cleared area... and there she proceeds to stretch and shake her limbs after the prolonged flight left them a little stiff. Her tail lashes back and forth in very excited fashion as she takes a step forward and shades her vision with a hand to get a clearer look at what's going on...

    "I dunno how this is gonna go... never really seen her cutting loose, but Lezard's one scary guy!" She'd know. They've fought once.

    It doesn't take long until she realizes that the ships are where she should have landed, and so she takes off again like a rocket. The dramatic energy dies down as she approaches the flagship and lands on the railing near Alexis, her tail curling around it a few times while she dangles her legs over the edge. "Awesome! Way better spot to watch from!~"

Alexis has posed:
Alexis smirks as Note lands near her. "Yeah. I'd say it's also safer... but considering what these two can throw around when they put their minds to it, only marginally so."

Rean Schwarzer has posed:
In the end, Rean decided he would stick around for the duel. He'd asked some of the Piranha Plants how the cannons work, and is now standing behind one, ready to fire on the sorcerer if needed. That said...would any of this even help? Would beating up Lezard mean anything if Mikoto decided to keep working with him regardless? He sighs, thinking back to a few nights ago.

<X-Paladins-Chatter Eryl Fairfax says, "It is noble to want to help someone, yes. But when that someone is working against any help you may offer, it can become a waste of time if you do not correct their thinking or behaviour first."

Admittedly, he kind of expected to be given a sound no when he asked about the necklace, but it still lined up with what was happening now. Even if they /did/ manage to stop Lezard, or enact justice on him for using others to 'help' Mikoto, nothing would change if /she/ didn't.

Rean takes hold of whatever controls the cannons have. ...Well, he could still help Sarrencia not get eaten by the undead or have her home destroyed over this.

Mikoto Shimizu (7002) has posed:
"Penny for your thought?" Mikoto says, from right behind Rean.  How did she get there?  Well, the giant creature on the ground that had been seen throwing a thing up a second ago.  

She is transformed, but she is not actively aggressive.  She stares at Rean who is looking quite ready to operate a cannon in her eyes.  "I hope you're just resting there, instead of taking aim there Rean.  Let them have their duel."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Actually, Lezard hoped she /wouldn't/. That would just be disappointing. He wants her to come in all her glory, all her power, to show everything she is and can be before her people. This is her time to make her stand.

    And the airship armada certainly makes an impression. Lezard actually smiles a bit at the sight, looking up at the gleaming, heavily-armed ships. As the flagship drops to his level, Lezard laughs. "Bold words, Princess. We shall see if there is substance to those words. You demanded a villain, so a villain you shall have!"

    He wastes no time. The book rises besides him, the Philosopher's Stone surging with power as he channels his energies through the artifact to shape his magic. "FIRE STORM!" He calls out... And a blast of flame suddenly explodes up from beneath the Princess, threatening to engulf her... and possibly inconvenience all the gawkers there with her on the deck. At least he's being /slightly/ restrained enough to not just light them all on fire.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis holds her hands up to her mouth. "Make him eat those words!" Two of the three pokemon with her are cheering as well, while the Litten on her head is... well, it's a cat. It's feigning mild disinterest and licking a paw to cover up how much attention he is actually paying.

Phyllis Lancaster (7116) has posed:
Watching the flames erupt from that spell, Phyllis can't help but feel a little relief at watching the fight from the ground. She does still worry, of course, but that's more directed at the fire being... Well. Firey.

While she's watching the fight from the middle of a forest. Surely this couldn't go wrong. Spotting other spectators in the airship, she raises a hand to wave towards them as well, although it's significantly more subdued now that the fight is on!

Rean Schwarzer has posed:
"...Maybe." Rean says. "More focused on keeping people who don't deserve to get blown up out of the crossfire." Indeed, there's now /literal/ fire going around now, but he doesn't make a move just yet.

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia offers a small wave to Phyllis as she cheers from down below, and smiles to Alexis and Note as they join her on deck. "I am grateful you could be here!" she says to both of them, then turns to face Lezard. He laughs and she frowns lightly, then holds her hammer in front of her to try and dull whatever attack he throws at her. "Oh do not worry, there is!" she declares.

     Her attempt at defense doesn't work too well against an attack that comes from below, though! Sarracenia cries out and her dress billows upward a bit from the searing flames! She is left trembling a bit from the powerful fire, and with some noticable black marks on her skin.

     Sarracenia has been surprised twice already this day, the fire attack not withstanding. First, Lezard didn't strike in town. Second, he didn't hit her friends in the process of attacking her. Still, she recognizes that her airships won't stand up for long against that kind of firepower. So...she takes a few steps back, then pulls out a leaf. In a puff of white smoke she is left with raccoon ears and a tail, and she charges forward before leaping off the deck to join Lezard in the air. She goes into a somersault, and the rotation reaches a speed fast enough to blur the movements of her hammer as she tries to spike Lezard into the ground!

Mikoto Shimizu (7002) has posed:
"Let me make my position clear, Rean," Mikoto says a tad terse, "Don't interfere until she gives up or is knocked out. If you help, I will stop you. I do not need people fighting on my behalf. I am capable of doing it myself. She should, honestly, be hating me. It was my actions, my weakness, that caused that situation.."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard knows all about Sarracenia's dress-up habits, so it's no surprise when she puts on her raccoon costume. He looks amused at the results of the flame blast on the airship, but he does not press the attack. Despite his words, he has no desire to gain the violent attentions of the entire spectating crowd at the moment. He has something in mind...

    Which has to wait as the Princess comes slamming down with that hammer. The Philosopher's Stone rises, and the pages splay out in a hemispherical shield of paper that takes the impact. The strike sneds him flying as expected, but there is a quick twist, and a grunt as he emits a dull pulse of force to keep himself from cratering into the smouldering ground! He flips in the air, landing neatly... But that smile is looking more like a grimace, and he rolls his shoulder with a pained expression. "If I did not know better, Princess, I would think that you just attempted to dislocate my arm. Whence comes such inhuman strength? Maybe you spend more time in training then on your throne?"

    Even wounded, Lezard isn't stopping, however, already gathering his power as he remains in place. He is like an incandescent turret of magical artillery, as some people present are familiar with. "When this is over you will beg for forgiveness! PRISMATIC MISSILE!"

    Around Lezard, dozens of spheres of light pop into existence, each one a different color. Each one bursts into a streak of light, ripping through the air to curve and bombard Sarracenia with brutal force and relentless, searing strikes. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA! BOW DOWN BEFORE ME!" He's really getting into this, it seems!

Phyllis Lancaster (7116) has posed:
They're both sounding rather heated right now, and not just because of the pyrotechnics. If Phyllis didn't know any better, she'd think they really had it out for each other! Just like...

Just like real rivals! "Come on, you've got this! Give it your all!" She cheers for the valiant warriors, clapping and hollering from her ringside seat as the bones shift around into a more comfortable reclining position for the witch. She's barely touched her trail mix, but she doesn't have time or attention to spare!

Alexis has posed:
Alexis can't help but wince as Sarracenia gets bombasted again and again. The Princess is going to give it as hard as she takes of course, but this duel is already pushing the limits.

Idly she reachs over to grab Scorch by the scruff of the neck with one hand to keep the flame badger from leaping in just because a cute girl is loosing her footing in a fight. Of course she could never hold him back physically, but the willingness to put her hand near the Typhlosion's incendiary glands is enough to show she's serious and other than a huff of smoke between his lips Scorch relents. " <<This stinks.>> "
"Relax. We're in middle of her armada on the literal doorstep of the kingdom. Even if he wins Lezard would have to be insane to try something more than answer the duel."

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia smirks as she smashes Lezard, but that fades as he manages to avoid being grounded. She huffs and charges for him again. "I spend almost no time on my throne! Who wants to be locked up in a boring castle all day? Even Daisy and that curse-ed Peach do not do that!" she exclaims as she flies forward. Those lights start appearing and Sarracenia's eyes widen. She tries to maneuver around them, but her air maneuverability really isn't that great. The first hit pops her power-up, and the rest easily target her as she falls through the air, knocking her back and forth, shredding the long broad strips of leather that make up the skirt of her dress, and leaving many more scorches and some bloody marks.

     Still, the princess manages to get her hammer under her feet and rides it down. The impact somehow protects her from smashing into the ground even though it still leaves a bit of a crater. She struggles to stay standing after the furious assault, but refuses to go down on one knee in front of Lezard or her spectators. "N-never!!" she shouts defiantly at Lezard. She leaves her hammer where it is for now and reaches into her purse to pull out a large black box with a red button on the top. She sets it down, presses the button, then steps back and reclaims her hammer, trying not to limp too much.

     The box opens...and somehow out pops a Banzai Bill launcher! Those who haven't seen one before might not realize what it is, but it is obviously a cannon. A cannon with a barrel large enough that Sarracenia could stand up in it if she wanted. She leaps up on top of it, then smirks up at Lezard. "Alright, since you wish it so badly...face the full might of Princess Sarracenia Sundew!"

     She stomps on another red button on top of the cannon, and with a resounding and ground-shaking KABOOM it fires! The shark-faced projectile comes flying out at a pace comparable to someone sprinting and turns through the air to track Lezard. But, Sarracenia isn't satisfied with that. She leaps toward it just as it is launching, coming in at a twirl, and hammers it on the flat. And the monstrous bullet that must be as large as a delivery truck is accelerated forward!

     It continues to track Lezard, and when it gets close enough...it explodes! The black iron casing blasts outward like shrapnel, revealing a growing series of violent explosions that sound more like a machine gun thanks to how quickly one follows the other. Then there is a moment of quiet before one last explosion, one that produces a fiery blast nearly as large as one of the airships and leaves a mushroom cloud in the air.

     Sarracenia's grin has returned, and it is definitely more manic and somewhat sadistic than it was before. "What do you think of that! Are you ready to surrender now?" she laughs.

Rean Schwarzer has posed:
"Fine." Rean says, taking his hands off the controls. He then turns to Mikoto and shrugs.  "And yet she's doing it anyway."

There's an explosion as Lezard starts shooting off light blasts and laughing. Rean winces.  "...Maybe you should think of /why/ people keep trying to fight for you instead of assuming it's because people think you're incapable." There's just the tiniest bit of bitterness in his voice, and in a way, he's calling the kettle black, but still.

Mikoto Shimizu (7002) has posed:
"Did she ask me?  Did she consult with me?  Did she listen to me when I told her not to?  I specifically told her if she wanted to do this, then she should do it for her own reasons and not do it for my sake.  I /said/ this specifically to her."

"It's infuriating.  It's almost as infuriating as having your feelings ignored.  To have your affection rejected." She says, perhaps a touch more bitterly then she wanted.  

"Don't try and guilt trip me.  Don't assume I don't know what I am doing or what I want.  I said this now, and I'll say it again.  I am going to chose my own fate.  Maybe it does not lie with him...but it does lie in the Concord.  I will learn, I will become better...and I will live."

Rean Schwarzer has posed:
"And did you ask her? Maybe now she's doing it now out of her own pride."

"/Almost/ as bad as having your affection ignored." Rean says, still bitter. "I wonder what /actually/ having your feelings ignored feels like."

Rean takes a deep breath. There's no reason to start getting mad at her. "...But fine. Go on and 'choose your own fate.' I hope the Concord does a better job with helping you than I ever could." This part is genuine. In the end, as long as somehow she's able to live a truly happy life, he's happy.

Lezard Valeth has posed:
    Lezard is attacking Sarracenia's pride as much as he is attacking her. Others have done the same to him, he knows well how it feels. Perhaps that's why they clash to badly, it is a contest of pride and power... But Lezard doesn't exactly play fair. Why should he? He's the /villain/, right?

    The Sorceror continues to play upon her stubbornness. Is that why she decides to unleash her full power at this point? Who knows. The fact of the matter is that she has chosen to do so, and the massive Banzai Bill Launcher is reflected in his glasses as he adjusts them, still utterly composed and confident... albeit monomaniacal. A circle of light begins to form around the Sorceror as Sarracenia activates her attack, slowly drawing itself around him. Those who watch him would know what that distinctive circle is...

    But all light and all detail promptly vanish as the location is utterly obliterated, the patch of scorched jungle blasted into a crater as Lezard vanishes in the overwhelming firepower, even his shadow disintegrating there as the mushroom cloud blasts him to smithereens.

    In fact, there's not even anything left there as the smoke clears- wait a minute...

    "No." A voice says from behind Sarracenia, and then there is a rush of air as a heavy, intense strike is levied against the back of her head. The Sorceror stands there, the teleportation circle fading around him, a twisted length of abyss-tained black wood in his hand crowned with heavy soulsteel. The dark, heavy object seethes with the ponderous weight... And Lezard brings up the weapon again, smashing downwards with it using both hands in a simple, direct, brutal series of blows, not even using his magic as he attempts to simply crush Sarracenia with his own 'hammer'. "This lesson is far from over, Princess." His voice is cold, cruel... But at least he isn't just gloating about it.

Mikoto Shimizu (7002) has posed:
"Oh, it feels pretty painful.  Like a crushing of your heart.  Especially after just narrowly avoiding degrading.  Fighting to save their loved one even if meant potentially losing themselves...and then immediately being ignored."  

"I can't imagine how that feels, Rean." She says, looking away and eventually turning away from him.  She is silent after that, even with what he says after that.  

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia's grin widens as the smoke clears. Only to transform into teeth-clenching surprise as she hears that voice from behind her. She jumps a literal foot and quickly spins to face Lezard. "H-how did you-?!"

     She only makes it about half way through the spin before she is smashed over the head and faceplanted into her cannon. Squeaks of pain turn to yelps and finally to cries as he keeps hammering at her with his weapon, and the princess can't find the strength to stand anymore. She still glares at Lezard, her piercing blue eyes visible through the locks of copper hair that have fallen over her face. She keeps her grip on her hammer through the beating, but each hit loosens her grip a bit until finally it slides off the cannon and thuds down on the ground below.

     "And...just what is the lesson supposed to be...?" Sarracenia asks through clenched teeth and smoldering locks once the strikes have ceased.

Phyllis Lancaster (7116) has posed:
And the fight is over! Phyllis rises from her seat as she claps for both Sarracenia and Lezard, seeming quite entertained by the spectacle of it all despite having been forced to move several times just to not get caught in the blast radius from all those explosives and wondrous magic being thrown about. After taking a moment to pull that bone-chair back into... Wherever it is she stores them in with those glowing runes, she starts approaching the pair.

Phyllis doesn't speak up, though. No, she waits. It looks like they've still got some things left unsaid, and so she takes cover behind the unobliterated side of a tree to stay close enough to hear, but (hopefully) far enough to not get in the way.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis sighs softly, leaning on her elbow on the railing. WEll at least Sarracenia tried to contend with the wizard. She's still not on all the specifics that lead up to this in the first place, but that really is all that matters to her in the first place. Her friend stood up for herself, even if the outcome wasn't stellar.

Lezard Valeth has posed:
It's not a pleasant thing, being caught between a Catalyst and a Cannon. They're both hard places to be. The beating continues until morale improves. Well, at least Lezard's morale is improved by the time that hammer falls from her hand. That thing can leave a mark.

    The Sorceror of Midgard stands triumphant over the Princess, the flames casting ominous shadows over his face and demeanor as he looks down upon Sarracenia menacingly. "What do you believe this has accomplished, Princess?" Lezard asks. "Your land in flames, your people observing their monarch defeated and humiliated. And for what? Do you believe that this was worth it?" He asks.

    He gestures, then. "Now, Princess. Do you surrender?" He asks very pointedly.

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia is quiet a moment, and then...she laughs before wincing pain stops that laughing. "Thi-this? This forest is a menace. You will likely be thanked for clearing this patch for even a short while. I am not even the monarch! My people already think very little of me!" She can't find the strength to stand, but she does lift herself up onto her arms, coughing up a bit of blood and panting from the pain and effort. "Was it worth it? That remains to be seen. In all likelyhood it will make no difference. Nothing I do ever does. But..."

     She looks up at Lezard, and that defiance is still there. "...I do not surrender. Ever. Even if I have to face you a thousand more times, I will show you that you are not free to do as you please with the lives of others. And hopefully I will show Mikoto that working with someone like you is a mistake, regardless of the goal." She tries to stand up, but only manages to get her legs gathered beneath her before having to just sit with her legs beneath her and her arms still supporting her. "So...in the end, it will be worth it!" she declares.

Phyllis Lancaster (7116) has posed:
That's... Not quite what Phyllis was expecting. She was expecting something more along the lines of 'good job' and 'well fought', not all of that.

It must be part of the rivalry. No sense interrupting that while the Princess is in the middle of making heartfelt declarations, and the witch is almost certain that Lezard's got the perfect retort for that.

And so, Phyllis stays badly hidden behind her tree, watching with rapt attention and excited clenching of fingers on a tree that probably won't last long on its own!

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard stands there through the dramatic speech, his eyes narrowed at the declarations. He does not shrink back from her. Why would he? There is a little sigh from him, however, as she finishes, and he murmurs. "How ungracious of you to refuse to play your part even as you demand that I play mine."

    His voice rises, then. "Hollow words, Princess. Your defiance has been shown to be nothing but bluster, and when demanded you simply bluster more. Whether you admit it or not, you have been defeated. And as the victor, I claim my spoils." There is a swift motion as Lezard does not cast a spell, but simply swings the Catalyst back and drives it into Sarracenia's gut. As she inebvitably folds, Lezard steps forward into it and throws the Princess over his shoulder, turning to the others. "I wonder if they will celebrate your absence." He asks for a moment, before he reaises the Catalyst, a teleportation circle forming around him. "Farewell for now. Time will tell if she will be returned to you... intact."

Wait, is he stealing a princess?

Rean Schwarzer has posed:
"...I see." Rean says, turning to face the cannon again. He...kind of understood that too.  Just imagining Class VII, or her, or anyone, really sacrificing themselves for him hurt. A lot. And yet here he was doing all sorts of stupid things to help someone who didn't want it, and /that/ hurt too.

But...He really wasn't one to talk, was he? Didn't he decide not to come home to save his family from further embarrassment of having a random commoner child around? Wasn't that a rejection of their love for him? Rean sighs. No wonder Elise got so mad at him back then.

Sarrencenia lays battered and bruised over the edge of her ship, and Lezard stands over her.  Despite not even being able to stand, she's still fighting. And then Lezard tries to escape with her. Rean grabs hold of the cannon's controls again and levels it at Lezard. "Don't even /think/ about it!" Rean shouts. He can't really shoot, for risk of hitting Sarra, but it's too far for him to get up close, and he needed to do something, even if it ultimately was just posturing.

Sarracenia has posed:
     The strangled grunt of someone's wind being knocked out of them is heard as Sarra is hit, and she does indeed fall over and is easily scooped up on Lezard's shoulder. "Nnng..w-what are you doing?" she gasps out, unable to fight back. Then...a light seems to go on in her head as she hears Lezard's words. "Are...are you..." There is a long pause as if she is afraid to say the word lest the spell be broken and she wakes up in her bed.

     "...are you...kidnapping me?" Lezard may or may not find the hopeful tone of her voice a bit strange. It is a tone much more like what someone would say to the hero rescuing them than what one would expect of a damsel being kidnapped. "...I...I am...being kidnapped..." she says quietly with a bit of happiness. And then finally passes out.

Mikoto Shimizu (7002) has posed:
Mikoto moves to the side of the ship...

"Well...that happened..." She says, a bit surprised.  She did not expect this to happen.  With a sigh...she rubs the bridge of her nose.  "I didn't expect this, he just...did it suddenly..." She says, trying to explain.  

Damn it...now she's going to feel bad.  Looking at Rean she sighs, "Ok, seriously, cards on the table.  I like you, and you're either not interested in that or too thick to get it.  So apparently I have to be direct here.  Anyway, gota go before you realize what I just said byyyyyye."

And then Mikoto jumps off the side of the ship.  Luckily, she still has stupid sword tricks, superior speed, and the ground to break her fall.

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard dutifully pretends he's not hearing how joyful the Princess sounds about this proceeding. This is all part of the Plan. At least, as much of a plan there is.

Contrary to popular belief, Lezard doesn't plan /everything/ out. He's just good at pretending he intended it this way the entire time. With a Princess on his shoulder, however, it makes shooting him a dangerous proposition as Lezard simply smiles back to Rean. "Patience, little hero. Your turn will come." He tells the swordsman...

And then the circle completes, and Lezard vanishes, teleporting out with the Princess. Leaving Rean in a fairly awkward position.

Phyllis Lancaster (7116) has posed:
Phyllis stares at Mikoto lands, replacing Lezard and Sarracenia as the main focus of her attention. Did that really just happen? There's a baffled look on the witch-in-not-disguise's face while she glances around a few times, the teleportation circle doing more than enough to confound her.

"Um. Is this still part of their back-and-forth, or did they really...?" She gestures at the teleportation circle's former sot, looking over at Rean as well to try and sort this all out mentally.

Rean Schwarzer has posed:
Lezard successfully makes off with Sarrencenia, taunting Rean on the way out. "Damn it..."  Rean mutters, slamming his fist on the cannon. Mikoto tries to apologize or something, and he doesn't respond.  Maybe if he'd been faster, or been on the other ship, he would've been able to stop him, but they'd both been caught off guard by this, and he didn't blame her even if she did insist on him not interfering.

And then Mikoto drops a verbal bomb on him.

"....Huh?" Rean says, staring into space for a few seconds as Mikoto leaves. Did she just /confess/ to him?! And then, his face flushes bright red as his brain starts to function again.

"Wait! Did you actually mean that, or are you just messing with me again?!"  Rean shouts after Mikoto. She totally was just messing with him, right? She did that all the time, so it wouldn't be /that/ weird if she was just messing around. Right?

Still, though...what if she actually meant it? /Did/ he like her that way? And with everything they just talked about, did it even makes /sense/ for them to date?

Phyllis peeking out from behind her tree gets his attention way from Mikoto, though. She looks... confused.

"The fight's over!" Rean shouts. "You should probably head home!"

Speaking of heading home, he needed to head home himself and think. A lot. Maybe they could drop him off at the warpgate or something, who knows.