3180/WMAT BSF Geralt of Rivia vs Franken Stein

WMAT BSF Geralt of Rivia vs Franken Stein
Date of Scene:	09 October 2015
Location:	WMAT Arena - Northern Mountains
Synopsis:	Geralt vs. Stein in the WMAT Bracket B semi-finals!
Cast of Characters:	828, 848
Tinyplot:	WMAT 2015

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Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     Here it is, the semi-finals. It's cold up here, in these Northern Mountains, but it only serves to remind Geralt of home, of the icey winters spent in Kaer Morhen. The Witcher, in his usual leather and chain armor, his paired swords crossed over his back, has been directed to the arena. It's a rather tranquil setting, with a pleasant running brook, ancient trees and the verdant smell of the forest. His white hair, tied back, lashes here and there in the breeze.

     He's come this far and he's managed to prevail, often only by the skin of his teeth. This new opponent - Franken Stein - won't be any easier than the others.

     When Stein arrives, Geralt nods to him. He's quiet and taciturn, sure, but he understands the concept of honor in a duel, even if the person is covered in stitches and might not be human as Geralt understands the term. After all, he's not considered human by many either. "May the best man win," he says, and he draws his steel blade.

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    Franken Stein is here in his typical labcoat, patchwork sweater, slacks, etc. Not designed for cold weather, but not TERRIBLE for it either. He's smoking a cigarette as he commonly does when he arrives, takes the time to look over his opponent. Similar hair colors, similar heights, but there the similarities end. Stein is a lot lankier-looking, and less warrior-seeming. Also, Stein's eyes don't glow. They're dull, gray.

    Geralt's eyes remind Stein of Medusa, so he's already a bit on-guard. "'Best' in what way though, I wonder." he responds. If it's best in terms of morality, or worthiness, then Stein probably wouldn't win, even if he assumed a simple pronouncement that such qualities would necessitate victory had some power over the fight to come instead of being a simple formal state, ambiguous on in intent and sincerity.

    But best combatant? Best thinker and planner? Best at adapting to changing circumstances?

    Maybe those would decide victory.

    Though it seems strongly as though simple luck plays a factor. For a moment, Stein wonders if he can gather enough data to predict luck itself. Maybe if he finds 'Lady Luck' and cuts her up, the truth will be inside of her somewher.

    Hahaha how stupid. All that over a traditional pre-battle statement.

    Stein grins, clenching his teeth around his cigarette as smoke hisses between them and wreaths his head in a skull-shaped cloud.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     "It's just a saying," Geralt replies, voice gravelly. He begins to circle Franken Stein, his blade held in one hand. He's leaving his other hand free, for whatever reason, despite having a second sword.

     The Witcher moves slowly, like he's trying to anticipate the movements of a beast, keeping his unsettling eyes on Franken Stein. He barely even seems to blink. He turns his blade in a circle quickly, rotating his wrist, to see if it catches his opponent off-guard, to see if they flinch. Leaves crunch beneath his boots.

     It appears that the movement with his sword was a distraction though, because Geralt brings his free hand up - his fingers dancing a little expression - and he blasts his opponent with a brief burst of flame. It's unlikely to hurt too bad, although it might singe a few eyebrows. Mindgames.

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    Stein does not appear to be reacting to the blade tricks, keeping an eye on his opponent to try to gauge his attacks by observing his movements alone. However, that doesn't help with something like magic, which doesn't necessarily have a visual cue tied to body language, or if it does, there is at least little warning before it makes itself evident that that's what it is. The mad scientist charges forward, leaping and trying to roll under the flame burst, but he winds up getting caught in the back... Even as he comes rolling across the ground and coming to a stop in front of Geralt, in a crouch. Stein holds his hand in an eagle-claw position and then tries to strike his opponent in the side. But he's also observing the entire time, keen not just to counter-attacks, but evasion and defense.

    Even in the middle of a fight that has left the back of his labcoat blackened in the first exchange, he's studying the one he's battling.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     Geralt darts back as Franken Stein charges towards him. Geralt swings high with his blade, but Franken Stein ducks beneath it. Geralt's already preparing to swing the blade down, but Franken slams his palm into his side.

     Did that clip a nerve or pressure point? Even through the leather armor, that smarts!

     Geralt flourishes his blade at Franken Stein, leaping back and away as he does. He needs a second or two to catch his breath, that blow having winded him for the moment. He's a hard one to gauge, he doesn't seem to emote much, or have much in the way of readable body language. Those glowing eyes are ominous though, reminiscent of a hunting cat. One thing is clear though, he's wary. That palm strike apparently caught him off-guard.

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    The blade flourish sliced across Stein's right shoulder, cutting the labcoat relatively easily, and drawing blood. Stein is a close range combatant, but analysis of his opponent is important as well. So if he wants to keep up momentum instead of being the one forced onto the defensive, he has to condut his analysis while he fights. That takes sharp senses, a sharp mind, and the skill to even make the attempt feasible. Staggering around trying to learn an opponent's moves in the middle of battle is a good way to get beaten up or worse.

    Maybe this is a non-lethal tournament, something Stein has needed those close to him to remind him of more than once, but though he is keeping control of himself well now, he still aims for vital locations when he attacks. Especially if they're painful. Pain is a good deterrent against continuing a course of action for most people, after all~!

Thus, even as he suffers injury, Stein surges forth, leaves forming a 'corridor' in the air to mark his passage as the speedy veteran tries to land a punch next... However he seemingly overextends himself with the punch so much he falls forward... On purpose. To bring one foot over his head while he supports himself on the other foot and his free hand for a kick aimed at Geralt's face!

    Geralt isn't the only one capable of feints, after all!

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     Geralt steps back as Stein surges forwards, keeping his footwork precise. The punch slips past Geralt's nose, but then the kick finds that same point. Geralt ducks back, snorting out blood, and watches Stein for a moment or two.

     "Well, well," Geralt says, setting himself and his blade into a guard stance. "You're a tricky one," he says, stepping forwards. He whirls the blade around his head, and lets fly with a dazzling blow. He's still trying to suss his opponent out.

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    As Geralt backs up, Stein stands up from the crouch he lands in after his kick, and tugs at the cuffs of his labcoat, loosening them up. He can't perform Soul Analysis upon Geralt like he could of someone from his world, but he thinks he has enough data. Surely, not all there is to know about his opponent. There are probably going to be many more surprises and skills displayed. "Okay, I think it's time to get more serious."

    As Geralt dashes in and strikes at Stein, it seems the fact that Geralt is a skilled swordsman is not one of those surprises, because Stein manages to turns aside and attempts to palm-strike the flat of the blade to knock it away as he moves in closer and tries to drive his other hand into Geralt's belly with far more force than one might expect from someone with a build like his. But maybe in those loose sleeves is a lot of unseen muscle.

    It's a simple attack, but if it lands, potentially an effective one.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     "Then come at me," Geralt says, pointing the tip of his blade at Stein. He moves to strike, but Stein is faster.

     Stein just palms the blade to one sie, and then drives his hand into Geralt's abdomen. Even through the chain armor there, Geralt feels the air /whoof/ out of his lungs, and he feels something deep in his gut shift where it probably shouldn't be shifting. He gags, falling back and spluttering.

     And then Geralt turns, the fingers in his free hand dancing, and he lets fly with a blast of magical force. The Aard sign, with enough strength to blast a door from its hinges, the air rippling in its wake!

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    Again, the inability to predict what's coming from the magical arsenal of an unknown opponent results in Stein only being able to bring his arms up to try to blunt the blow or keep it from his face, and nothing more defensively, as he is hurled off his feet and sent tumbling dozens of feet across the ground, until he comes to a stop via hitting a tree with the back of his head. His opponent is no slouch despite Stein's successes thus far, and as expected, has more to him than just swords and flames.

    Stein whips around as he stands and slams his leg into the tree he ran into, splintering the trunk in a blow that seems to trail yellow electricity. The tall tree falls towards Geralt, its branches adding furth girth to it beyond just the trunk. But it's the trunk that Stein is running along the top of, already having relocated there before the tree even hits the ground.

    The back of his head feels a bit wet, probably with blood, and there's pain in his skull as well in his body in general from the shockwave he got hit with.

    But he's still up and fighting with minimal impairment. Things that come with high pain tolerance and knowledge of your body's limits: You know exactly how far you can push it and in what ways, without being hindered by petty things like 'survival instincts'. Pain is there to help ensure survival. If you know the pain doesn't indicate an injury sufficient to threaten survival, it can be slotted under the 'don't give a shit' mental column. Which appears to be what Stein has done as he comes barreling down out of the air after leaping from the falling tree, to try to land behind Geralt and strike him from behind with an electrically-infused series of kicks and punches that may leave stinging pain beyond the blows themselves in their wake if they connect.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     Geralt darts to the side to avoid that falling tree trunk. It's that quick movement that gives him a glimpse of Stein as he runs along the top of it, and as Stein leaps down, Geralt is already turning to meet him. Geralt rolls with the blows, the electrical shocks managing to slip through the leather and metal and leave him twitching. However, the blows aren't nearly as bad as they could have been, if Geralt hadn't managed to catch on to what Stein was trying.

     The twitching dies down into a stinging pain, running down his arms to the tips of his fingers. Urgh, it's like magic. The worst thing to fight against.

     Geralt lashes out with his blade, again and again, turning and twisting and arching himself to land his blows on Stein wherever he can. The Witcher is fast and the steel blade is so well-practiced with that it acts like an extension of Geralt's own limb! The evening light glints off the blade, catching it here and there.

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    The sword slices dice up Stein's skin pretty good. He isn't able to evade that attack at this range, after launching a furious assault of his own. But again, he understands pain and his body's limits, and pushes through the suffering. Even so, taking too many more attacks like that would be bad news for him. His opponent was able to adjust position quickly after noticing the doctor's avenue of attack, and minimize the damage taken... Just as Stein has adapted to his foe, can his foe in turn adapt to him? How interesting...

    Stein rushes forward, into range of that dangerous blade. Perhaps a foolish act, but the blow that comes at Geralt is one that may last longer than the blow itself in terms of effect on the battle... As Stein attempts to drive his Soul Wavelength into his opponent in an electrical spasm of amplified spirit energy to deal internal damage.

    Not lethal, of course! ...If treated when this is over.


    If the attack misses, the air between the two will sizzle with the golden arcs of power that almost went INTO Geralt.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     As Franken Stein rushes forwards, Geralt shifts his stance and grips his blade in both hands. It's an unusual maneuver for a Witcher, since they usually leave one hand free to cast signs, but Geralt thrusts the blade out with both hands - hopefully, it'll connect!

     Of course, as Geralt does so, Stein unleashes his spirit energy upon him. Geralt is affected by magical means the same as anything else. Sure, poeple say Witchers don't have souls, but that's just rumor and hearsay. Geralt spasms in the grip of that golden power and he ducks back again, trying to get out of the line of fire.

     Hmm, Geralt frowns. He's feeling a bit strange...

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    Geralt's blade rams through Stein's left side, dealing serious damage. Even Stein has to react to harm of that level. Bleeding heavily from the injury, he attempts to drive his foot into Geralt's jaw, while trying to clamp his hands down on his opponent's shoulders. With the blade impaling Stein's torso like that (which is really not good for his health in any way whatsoever and hurts like hell), it can't exactly be swung at him again, and unless Geralt lets go of his weapon, or has some other trick up his sleeve, that may prevent his opponent from escaping the attack coming at him.

    Stein's gritting his teeth now, his gray eyes getting a bit more of a strained look to them as he deals with not only the pain, but also the enjoyment of causing pain to others.

    He's a bit of a sadist, you see.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     The blow slams into Geralt's jaw, whipping his head around. The hands on his shoulder impede his ability to yank his blade free. So, as Stein surmised, Geralt lets go of his weapon. he ducks back, stars blinking at the corners of his vision, and makes a sign with his hand

     The power of Aard builds there, until Geralt is sure that his arm will explode from the strain. Stein might be straining and tired, but so is Geralt. He's an old man. He might be a Witcher, with longer life than many, but he's still getting on in years. And if Stein is a sadist, then that makes him a monster...

     ...and Geralt excels at stopping monsters.

     Geralt raises his hand and thrusts his palm at his opponent. The Aard sign roars free - he had hit Stein with one before, but this one makes that one seem like a gentle wind! Branches snap in its wake and the nearby brook seems to ripple from the unleashed sign!

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    It's okay, Stein knows that acting upon his sadistic impulses isn't acceptable. That he has to control himself. Even if he hasn't done so well at that in a few matches so far. But whether he's a monster or not in terms of morality, he certainly can come across as one in terms of physical ability. Even after Geralt stabbed him in the side, and had to leave his sword there, and then blasted him backwards, with the doctor failing his attempt to roll with the attack, he gets back up when he finally comes to a stop. At least the blade fell out during all that.

    He does have to try a bit harder to return to his feet, sitting up gradually with a grunt, and rubbing his ruffle-haired head as he peers at his opponent. His glasses fell off with that last one too. Stein finally spits out his cigarette, and crushes the burning cylinder under his own hand as she gets up into a standing position.

    "You're pretty strong. I'm glad I've gotten the opportunity to gather data on you." Injuries aside, anyway. And he can enjoy getting the agony of getting cut up himself as well, so not even that is a total downside. The mad scientist settles down into a fighting stance even as blood continues to pour from his wound. Little lines of energy, unseen to the eyes of most, start stitching the wound closed internally while he fights. It won't heal him exactly, but it will keep him from bleeding out.

    And it's not an automatic process, but one that requires concentration. So compartmentalizing his own mind, he puts the focus for maintaining the Soul Sutures into one part of his consciousness, and focuses on the fight with the rest. And with that focus, he charges in once more, attempting to deal exterior damage with another burst of his Soul Wavelength in electrified form, accompanying a palm strike right over Geralt's solar plexus.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     "Yeah?" Geralt replies to Stein, watching him carefully. He reaches up and behind, drawing his silver blade. It seems to sing as it comes free, sharp and well-made. "Well, not so bad yourself. Not so keen on that look in your eyes, though."

     Geralt glances to his steel blade. Yeah, too far to get to easily. He brings his silver blade up, gesturing to Stein with a bit of a salute. Geralt's medallion vibrates in response to the magic being utilized. That explains a lot.

     How he hates fighting magic.

     Stein charges in, planting his palm against Geralt's chest. The air /whoofs/ out of his lungs and Geralt falls back, spluttering. Bleeding from the nose, a busted lip from where he had been kicked in the face, Geralt is getting put through the ringer tonight!

     But then he takes a quick half-step forwards, and slashes out with his silver sword!

Franken Stein (848) has posed:
    "Not many people do," he responds to the comment about his eyes. "Yours remind me of some unpleasant things as well."

    The silver sword finds its mark a moment later! And that mark is the limb that Stein holds up to take the injury in his place. He is being pushed to his limits in this fight, and his tactic of sacrificing his own body to secure counter-attacks or put himself in a more advantageous position seems to be part of it. Though his opponent's skill, determination, and unpredictability is also a rather large portion of it as well. Stein has a problem. Which is that his attacks become easier to read the longer a fight goes on. Even now, as he takes the sword strike to his arm despite the grievous damage and the impairment to the limb, it's a tactic he has already used, and may continue to use since by this point he's already taken so much damage that he has to follow this course through to the end.

    If he's willing to get totally trashed to win, then backpedalling now will only give his opponent an advantage, by leaving Stein on the defensive. He has to keep attacking at this point, rely on his pain tolerance and endurance, and keep watching for an opening. If there's a chance to evade, of course, he will. But right now? Right now he tries to grab the sword stabbing into his arm.

    And because it's made of silver, and silver conducts electricity better than copper even does... Well.

    *CRACKLE* is the only warning that Geralt gets if Stein successfully grabbed the weapon, before another of those electrical attacks comes surging up along the blade, and into its wielder's body.

Geralt of Rivia (828) has posed:
     "Mm," Geralt grunts in response, preparing his sword for another strike. He's wavering a bit on his feet and a lesser man might not be able to stand after repeated magical blows but Geralt is infused with Witcher alchemy. And, on top of that, he's just really, really stubborn.

     Frankly, he doesn't expect for someone to grab the blade of his sword.

     He certainly doesn't expect them to direct an electrical current down it.

     For a few moments, Geralt's body goes rigid as the electricity flows into him! He spasms in the grip of the coursing energy, and then he wavers on his feet. And, with one muttered curse, Geralt drops to the ground, face first, smoking faintly.

     Franken Stein wins!