[A monster's charging in alright; it just might not be the monster she's thinking off.
A loud ear-splitting crack and earth-shaking boom pounds the tea house; for a moment the entire building sways, and both monsters and scared victims alike duck their heads, loose pieces of plaster tumbling down from the ceiling. All sound in the room cease; no howling wind, no thunder clap, not even a drop of rain water. Instead there's quiet. An ominous, chilling silence. The air grows thin and tight as breathing becomes difficult, but a thick tension presses down on everyone, prompting cold sweat and a gnawing fear that something is building up and about to explode. Like a kettle that's been kept sealed but boiling on a fire, the pressure is intense, almost suffocating.
Time seems to slow down as Empatheias waits for the hammer, poised and ready to fall on the anvil.
Both monsters stop in their tracks; where human reasoning fails, animal instinct prevails. The one closer to the door decides to check the entrance. It makes a turn...
...and that's when the bubble pops.
A buzzing whirl. A blast of wind. A light tap on the wooden floor.
A bloody foot print.
Time resumes.
All at once, the missing storm sounds return to the teahouse, blaring out their return like some disorderly and chaotic orchestra. The thick pressure and tension in the air dissipates, allowing the cold air to flow freely once again. For a moment it's a slight breeze, gently bouncing off the walls. Then it begins to circle, curling around the crouched figure in the centre of the room, head bowed and twin axes extended out like wings.
The monster turns back to look at him. It lumbers forward, one meaty hand uncurled to reveal huge and wickedly sharp claws meant for shredding human flesh to strips. Then suddenly, there's a crackle in the air. A thin, static blue line dances between the tips of the axes, from one point to another...
...and that's when the entire, hulking beast rips neatly into half from a cut so sharp, fierce and fine, that the monster had not even noticed it is already dead. Blood sprays out from the cut, completely drenching him in the monster's life essence. Truth be told though he welcomes it, just like he welcomes the powerful gust that comes rampaging through the teahouse's doors, wrenching the window shutters of their hinges and sending the tea cups crashing to the ground. The rain bursts in through every opening it can find, drenching everyone in cold, freezing water...save for the man that's standing straight up right now, blood dripping off every inch of his armour and trailing a mess down his face. The lightning that springs from his twin axes sizzles the air, what with all the moisture seeping in. The wind whips all around him as he becomes the eye of the storm, drawing it from outside into the teahouse.
But it's the expression on his face that draws the most attention. He appears almost like a stranger, one that would prove to be unrecognisable to Diaochan. All semblance of the stoic, calm man that had just spoken to her this morning has been wiped away. Instead, there is nothing but a terrible, terrible rage that promises no mercy, promises pain and suffering and all manners of torture. There is nothing left of a human in his eyes, so wild and burning with madness. He takes one step forward and the ground crackles and burns with all the pent up emotions that he has, for so long, held back. But the dam is broken and they rush out like a flood, unstoppable and sweeping everything away.
It's a good thing that he gets mad so rarely, for it seems that Empatheias reacts badly to Zhang Liao's anger.]
no subject
A loud ear-splitting crack and earth-shaking boom pounds the tea house; for a moment the entire building sways, and both monsters and scared victims alike duck their heads, loose pieces of plaster tumbling down from the ceiling. All sound in the room cease; no howling wind, no thunder clap, not even a drop of rain water. Instead there's quiet. An ominous, chilling silence. The air grows thin and tight as breathing becomes difficult, but a thick tension presses down on everyone, prompting cold sweat and a gnawing fear that something is building up and about to explode. Like a kettle that's been kept sealed but boiling on a fire, the pressure is intense, almost suffocating.
Time seems to slow down as Empatheias waits for the hammer, poised and ready to fall on the anvil.
Both monsters stop in their tracks; where human reasoning fails, animal instinct prevails. The one closer to the door decides to check the entrance. It makes a turn...
...and that's when the bubble pops.
A buzzing whirl. A blast of wind. A light tap on the wooden floor.
A bloody foot print.
Time resumes.
All at once, the missing storm sounds return to the teahouse, blaring out their return like some disorderly and chaotic orchestra. The thick pressure and tension in the air dissipates, allowing the cold air to flow freely once again. For a moment it's a slight breeze, gently bouncing off the walls. Then it begins to circle, curling around the crouched figure in the centre of the room, head bowed and twin axes extended out like wings.
The monster turns back to look at him. It lumbers forward, one meaty hand uncurled to reveal huge and wickedly sharp claws meant for shredding human flesh to strips. Then suddenly, there's a crackle in the air. A thin, static blue line dances between the tips of the axes, from one point to another...
...and that's when the entire, hulking beast rips neatly into half from a cut so sharp, fierce and fine, that the monster had not even noticed it is already dead. Blood sprays out from the cut, completely drenching him in the monster's life essence. Truth be told though he welcomes it, just like he welcomes the powerful gust that comes rampaging through the teahouse's doors, wrenching the window shutters of their hinges and sending the tea cups crashing to the ground. The rain bursts in through every opening it can find, drenching everyone in cold, freezing water...save for the man that's standing straight up right now, blood dripping off every inch of his armour and trailing a mess down his face. The lightning that springs from his twin axes sizzles the air, what with all the moisture seeping in. The wind whips all around him as he becomes the eye of the storm, drawing it from outside into the teahouse.
But it's the expression on his face that draws the most attention. He appears almost like a stranger, one that would prove to be unrecognisable to Diaochan. All semblance of the stoic, calm man that had just spoken to her this morning has been wiped away. Instead, there is nothing but a terrible, terrible rage that promises no mercy, promises pain and suffering and all manners of torture. There is nothing left of a human in his eyes, so wild and burning with madness. He takes one step forward and the ground crackles and burns with all the pent up emotions that he has, for so long, held back. But the dam is broken and they rush out like a flood, unstoppable and sweeping everything away.
It's a good thing that he gets mad so rarely, for it seems that Empatheias reacts badly to Zhang Liao's anger.]