buttcentral | women only want one thing and it's to effectively utilize girl power

[ it's not every day she's the hunted. well, scratch that, she is constantly being hunted. only thing is her predators are arrogant prey, the lower class looking to take their shot at the king. truth is, the game was rigged from the start.

but tonight her hunter is quite competent. makima isn't used to running, but the adrenaline is invigorating. she's actually having some fun with this little chase of theirs. it's going to come to an end, as all things do, when she gets tired of it. for now she's enjoying herself. she hopes her hunter is too.

ah, speaking of: looks like she's jumped down to cut her off at the end of the alley. makima skids to a stop, breathing heavily, as she faces down the nun three meters down. freedom so close yet so far. she doesn't like being the cornered one, but she's willing to play the part for now. ]

Not bad. You have some wits to you, Ciel. It isn't every day a hunter can keep up with me.

[ of course she knows the nun's name. she knows all the names of all the people who ever tried to kill her. she just doesn't bother to remember anything else but the scent they carry. this one has a sharp metal smell to her, of metal, weapons, and blood. ]

["That woman is not to be trifled with. If you face her, you have to go at it with all that you have, and every intention to kill."

...Or so that was the advice given before she was assigned to this particular manhunt. From the sounds of it, this really shouldn't be a one-man mission, but Ciel was sent ahead on her own anyway due to her high mobility and firepower. A certain factor of "Immortality" may or may not also have caused her to be dispatched solo, but she gave no thought to it. She's one of the Vatican's best dogs, after all, so all she has to do is hunt as told. The "Higher Ups" know how difficult it is to deal with the Devils, they probably weren't expecting much either way. Telling her to kill someone who deflects 'Death'... Isn't this more of a recon mission, no matter how you look at it?

Ah well. At least it has been an interesting chase, and unclouded by personal feelings or any misguided sense of justice, it is a "hunt" in the purest sense of the word. There's no way it could possibly be that easy, but since they're both here in this closed-off alleyway now, facing each other almost as if they just so happened to end up here by accident...]

Surely I'm not the first professional sent after you, nor will I be the last.

[Calmly stated, the nun Makima is facing down answers blankly while keeping a few feet of distance between them. She may look relaxed to the untrained eye, hands empty and arms idling at her sides, but it's obvious to anyone with sizable combat experience that she's fully on guard.]

You're a very popular individual, 'Makima-san'. Or would "unpopular" be more appropriate?

[This isn't so much as buying time as taking some to observe her target, now that they've come to a break in this game of cat and mouse. ...She's just being toyed with, isn't she? It's a feeling Ciel's got, pure intuition. Because if the Devil of Control really wanted to cut this early...

--Ah, no sense overthinking it. Prudence is definitely warranted, considering what she's been briefed with about who she's dealing with right now.]

Hmm. Interesting question. If I were so popular, I wouldn't be any threat. Devils are only as strong as they are feared. So I guess I must be unpopular... and yet everyone loves me? What a paradox.

[ one she's completely unbothered by. she's treating this moment like it's a pleasant chat between two friends meeting for coffee. it may as well be from the level of investment she has in it. this nun is no threat to her. she resumes a normal rate of breathing, the adrenaline quietly fading, and tucks her hands behind her back. her smile is a smooth plastic. ]

Humans are silly things. They embrace what they hate because it gives them a sense of power over it, and they use their hate to justify righteous action for the greater good. To that end, love and hate become blurred. If there was nothing to hate, then what would they do?

But, there won't be any hatred in my ideal utopia. Through unified love, humanity can progress again after being stalled for so long. Isn't that what's best for everyone, Ciel?

[ all the things that people hate, the literal and the conceptual, will be erased. they've had centuries to decide for themselves and can't come to their consensus. as such, the most popular person will decide for them. the most loved. humanity craves subjugation, they just want to hand the control to the right person for it. ]

Is that really how it goes? Being venerated can be just as dangerous as being scorned. Idol worshipping turned twisted obsession is a more notable phenomenon the East, or so I've heard. Maybe you have too, having lived in Japan for quite some time?

[Chalk "chewing philosophy with ~~the~~ a Devil" as something she wasn't expecting to do today, but having inherently understood the nature of her task (and the futility of it by extension), this is certainly a better outcome than what she was expecting. ...Not that she can define something nebulous she barely had any to begin with, but details.]

Certainly, human nature is inherently contradictory. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and a lack of either would make humanity less humane for it. Is that what you want, if you truly wish for progress for their sake as you claim?

[Does this Devil "love" or "hate" humanity? The line there is blurred as well, isn't it? Call it a hunch. As a contradictory person, maybe she herself is just better placed than most, at picking them up regardless of its source.]

[ hm, she has been in japan for a long time. she was born here, taken in by the government at a young age, and molded to their exact specifications. her contract with the prime minister is clear: she will serve the state with all her power and in return the state will give her everything of theirs. and if everyone belongs to the state, then everyone belongs to her. ]

What is humane and what isn't it also decided by humans though. I'm sure the Church would argue that God made the rules and preached them down to humanity, setting the standard by which all man should live by. That's why the God Devil is so powerful - people love God as much as they fear what not loving God would bring down on them.

[ her eyes glance to her shoulder and she brushes off a bit of dust that has settled onto her blouse. then she looks back to ciel. ]

That's why I'm also going to eliminate the concept of God. People don't need to fear judgment from a force they cannot see. They should only fear judgment from what they can, without question in their heart what would happen.

[Suppose a Devil wouldn't be too interested in pop culture... Not that the trivia is any more useful dangling in her own head, blame it on her time spent undercover while she was still gathering intel.]

...

[tfw you tell a nun "I'm going to yeet religion"

Ciel doesn't look surprised for better or worse, taking it in with a thoughtful silence.]

Why not? Human conscience cannot be perceived by the naked eye, what motivates one to act upon any form of emotion is often intangible and irrational. Reverence and disdain towards God is, purely technically speaking, but another expression of communal acceptance and alienation. Remove one avatar while leaving the system that propped it up untouched, and you only create a vacuum begging for a different one to take its place. In your 'ideal utopia', is it not simply a world where you come to replace God in His stead?

Will I replace God? No.

God cannot be observed. I can. And the people will love me, as I love them. They don't need anyone else but me. You understand, don't you? After all... a dog only desires the love of their owner.

[ then, without further announcement, makima kicks her foot off the ground and springs into the air. she lands easily on the roof of the building, back in the open air, and summons a chain to come out from her stomach. on the other end, an angel with dusty red hair in a suit hangs in the sky. ]

Use 50 years.

[ by her command, his halo expands and a katana drops out in a smooth motion. makima catches it by the hilt and gives it a taunting flourish while she waits for the nun to follow. philosophy chat is over. time to get back to the action. ]

Come, Ciel. I'll send you back to your church in pieces.

[Should she have taken offence to that, as a dog of the Church herself? ...No, she doesn't possess the pride to feel affected by a generalization that does not apply to her. She is a hound that hunts, that is all.

Her posture immediately shifts the moment Makima moves and draws a weapon; seems like the time to wax philosophy has come to an end. It is just as well: the Church doesn't pay her to bark, and she would be of no use to her masters if her fangs were not sharp. With a light spring to her step, Ciel effortlessly follows Makima onto the roof of an adjacent building, and her reply to the other woman's invitation is given in form of six Black Keys flung like daggers towards the swordswoman, expertly aimed at her wrist. They will also trigger a small explosion upon contact, even if deflected midair. Why get close when she can fight perfectly at range? "Bow" of the Burial Agency didn't get her codename over nothing. (...Now. Is it any feasible, breaking the contract chaining that 'angel' to the Devil of Domination?)]

[ she waits for the keys to come into range and swings her sword, deflecting all of them in one move. there's not even a split second to react to the explosion. it consumes the area, every bang erupting and chaining together in a blaze. out from it makima skids to the other side of the roof - her right arm blown off, sword destroyed. ]

Hah. Neat trick.

[ and then the arm returns, as if stretching out from the socket and back into full form. it happens in a blink, no space in between, as if it was never destroyed. the only proof any of it happened are the burnt marks left around the blast point. ]

Ok! You're a range sort. Shame. I prefer close combats more.

[ and she lifts her left hand, the devil's tool, and points with a finger-gun. ]

Bang! [ a sharp blast ripples through the air, crossing with the speed of a bullet, en route to ciel. and for assurance: ] Bang! Bang! Bang!

[ three more invisible shots, aimed true at the nun. ]

Edited 2021-09-10 00:28 (UTC)

[It's a little uncomfortably reminiscent to a certain brand of immortality she knows, how Makima seems to be regenerating so quickly and completely. Her only reaction to the woman effortlessly recovering limb and weapon is a deeper frown upon her brow. No time for much else, when the retaliation comes in the form of explosive shots utterly invisible to the naked eye. Feeling the shift in the air is her only hint, and paired with years of combat experience against the superhuman, that's likely the only reason her limbs are still attached to her body. The blasts managed to graze away a chunk of her habit by the left shoulder, right arm, and left hip. She comes to understand her situation before the inconsequential scrapes on her skin are processed: as long as she is within sight of her opponent, the barrage will most likely continue. To find cover is to reverse their situation, and if she intends on holding onto her role as the hunter, then...

Ricocheting off a nearby chimney she briefly landed on after (mostly) dodging the blasts, the dark blur shoots back straight at her with full intention to punch through her solar plexus, with enough strength to shatter layers of concrete. Makima gets her wish; she prefers close combat? Then hand-to-hand, they'll try next.]

[ the finger bangs keep firing, though she can't deny being impressed with how fast ciel is moving to dodge them. ah, and now she's coming straight at her. what an interesting opponent they've sent after her.

the punch will land, but not as ciel intended. as it connects a man in a suit hacks out blood to the ground, taking full hit that kills him instantly. the chain that connects his back to makima's stomach breaks apart and shatters. he collapses between them. ]

You hit hard. Do you have any contracts, Ciel? Or did they modify you to do that?

[ she isn't totally privy to the church's dealings, but religious institutions are all frauds. her fists raise up, a playful smile on her lips. one hit can break her skull, but the fight would be really boring if it ended so fast. she expects more out of this hound. ]

Word of advice: strike for the head.

[ and that's what she does, stepping to close the distance with a fist aimed at ciel's nose. ]

[Of course one who controls others for offence can use the same for defence, as much as it's a little late to second-guess her instant shift in strategy now that they've veritably come face to face.

The shattered scapegoat (--so the chain breaks, duly noted--) is only afforded the minimal attention required in gauging its threat potential after elimination. It's all she can spare, when focus on her opponent is absolutely mandatory from what little she's already tasted of their encounter. Thus Makima's strike is parried with the back of her other forearm as she angles herself aside, just enough to shift the full force of the blow away from her body while maintaining a flexible stance.]

I have what I need for my work.

[The advice is unanswered. The brain and heart are generally the most vulnerable areas for most sentient creatures, true, but Devils are even more of a different breed than Dead Apostles. Speculating won't do much regardless, if her blows don't land to begin with. Thus what follows is a flurry of barrages aimed for the head, heart, and joints; the strikes are quick and powerful, but measured nevertheless. Her combat style tells more than words can: highly skilled but not single-mindedly devoted, unrelenting but calculated.

...Cautious, even; she's not biting off more than she can chew. Makima knows a well-disciplined dog when she meets one, wouldn't she?]

[ with every blow ciel launches, makima blocks and counters. for every counter, ciel parries. it's fun for her to have an opponent that can take her blows. she rarely ever gets to exert her power. the truth of control is that is largely made up of soft powers that build up over time. it begins with an offer, then a job, then a series of tasks related to the job. all the while she gives benefits and perks at just the right intervals to leave people satisfied and yet wanting more. it is a long, long process to capture someone's heart and mind, until finally the day comes when they offer their soul.

for some people it takes a week. others six month. many more years. she is a patient devil and that is how she wins. ciel is also biding her time, isn't she? every move is calculated and cautious, waiting for the right moment.

it comes when makima is a little too slow to block - ciel's fist blows right into her head. the force knocks her off her feet and to the ground, her head lobbed off to the side and her eyes bleeding tears from the strike. a red trickle follows out her nose and mouth.

ouch. ]

[That's how control is normally established, how dogs are usually trained. But all things have their exceptions, for better or worse, so where does this leave the dogs who willingly let themselves be commanded? Not out of a desire for reward or acknowledgement, but simply because they believe it is all they can do, all they're good for? Expectation and reward are for creatures who have dreams and desires for the future. For those without, driven by nothing else but their uncompromising values shaped by something immutable...

...More of a machine than any beast, is it. No human can stare down at a severed head without flinching, after all--not one who could pass off as an ordinary one, if nothing else.

And without losing a split second to idleness or some misplaced sense of accomplishment, three more Black Keys are summoned and just as promptly thrown onto the ground to form a triangle around Makima's head. A barrier is erected from them, echoing off a soft otherworldly glow. How would a powerful Devil bereft of its head regenerate, left to its devices? It wasn't part of the information she received during her briefing, but in this line of "work", a lack of thoroughness would only invite further complications down the road. Any and all loose ends must not be overlooked. She can't say with confidence how effective this may be, but if it can keep the head isolated for any extra stretch of time, then it's that much bought in keeping incapacitated the target she was ordered to hunt.

Keeping her guard up and the (currently) unmoving body in her line of sight, the Executor approaches the head. The possibility that the body may just grow another one crosses her mind, but... one thing at a time.]

...

[ both head and body remain motionless and yet there is a distinct feeling that makima is still alive. her skin is bright and smooth as if it was still attached, and her body doesn't present signs of rigor mortis in the passing couple minutes.

then, on the adjacent roof, someone appears. a teenage girl with short hair, wearing a business-casual dressy blouse with a matching tie and black slacks, approaches the edge with a grin. attached to the side of her neck is a circular safety pin. her eyes are vacant as is the empty cheer in her voice, hands clasping together in a begging gesture.

"Ahh, what are you doing with Makima's head? That's no good. Can you return that to her, pretty please?" ]

[Of course it wouldn't be this easy. Nothing ever is in this line of work, maybe there's more similarities between Executors and Devil Hunters than anyone would care to consider. That the Church has decided to act now... Suppose it's in their ilk's very name, hm. 'Devil'. It's not as personal, but a machine doesn't question orders. It simply operates as programmed, until the day it can no longer executeits function anymore.

Within the passage of these brief few seconds, several options are considered. None ideal. She instinctively understands that truly killing the target will be difficult to accomplish, at least not with her current equipment. She could try escaping with the head too, but where to? Collateral damage is of no concern for one seeking to undo God. Furthermore, taking in account the Devil of Control's namesake alone, there's no way the path wouldn't be rife with obstacles.

And almost as if on cue, the first (of many, no doubt) appears. Six more Black Keys are flung within an eyeblink towards the main body of the "corpse", each engraved with the Cremation Rite set to explode and burn upon contact. They'll burst ablaze with a voracity impossible for normal fire, engulfing flesh that still feels so very alive without waning as if it were paper. Buying time...

Ultimately, the most practical course of action would be to treat this first encounter as a trial. Observe the target's combat specs - or rather, the use of their varied assets, employ different methods of injury through means both physical and supernatural, note the effects, and return once she is better prepared. This woman Devil is internationally wanted, it should not be difficult to create an ambush opportunity born out of someone else's assassination attempt, for example.

That much decided, Ciel wastes no time. A faintly glowing circle etched with the arcane sprawls where she stands, a foot behind where Makima's head is still encased by the three Keys. Raising an arm skywards, her narrowing eyes are locked on the girl's while she quietly recites the incantation under her breath, the rest of her unmoving but alert. Shall the spell be woven to completion without interruption for a few more seconds, a bolt of light will quite literally descend from the sky and smite the head, formed by sunlight, reinforced by sacraments, and refined through magecraft. Combining the holy and thaumaturgical, most Dead Apostles would not survive it. A Devil, however...]

[ the girl watching, passively, as ciel flings the keys and burns the body. it's when the nun's arm reaches to the sky that she takes action. in the first second she closes the gap between herself and the head. in the second the bolt is summoned. in the third the girl hooks her fingers into the pin on her neck.

Boom!

in the fourth, an explosion. both the bolt striking the girl and the girl exploding. two destructive blasts combining to destroy the building where it all takes place. the roof is instantly destroyed and the rest of the building follows suit, collapsing in on itself entirely. where there was once a complex full of people, now there is a burning spire, ash and dust, and crowds of people gasping and screaming from blocks away as they see what happens.

and, a few blocks away, a woman with red braided hair steps from the shadows of night and joins the crowd to watch. that was a lot more destructive than she planned for. well, that's the price to pay when being hunted. speaking of... there's no way that nun is dead. makima smiles as she eyes the growing crowd and starts to back away, walking opposite of the people gathering to see the calamity. she rather not get the masses involved, not because she cares but because destruction of public property isn't in her best interest.

in the end, she's still a representative of the japanese government.

as the distance expands and she reaches the middle of an empty crosswalk, no sign of life, the buildings lit up and the nearby stores lining the streets aglow in neon signs, she stretches her arms up with a satisfied 'aaah' ]

I'm pretty tired. Hey, do you want to call it a night?

[ is she nearby? she must be. come on out, hound. ]

[She smells it, before the young girl with that odd neck accessory reaches her: the burnt and sulphuric scent of gunpowder. The pin's actual purpose clicks, the instant before it is pulled from where it was lodged.

Concrete turns to grounded dust. Flesh peels away to charred ash. Light engulfs the building, before being replaced by a most crumbling and destructive darkness. The peaceful but lively meander of the city at this hour rapidly devolves into a cacophony of chaos, filled with cries of fear and pain and panic. ...So much for minimizing collateral damage.

In the distance, there is the blaring of sirens. The block is in sheer disorder, filling up with more idle onlookers than concerned helpers. ...Really, it's no good. Combat in crowded areas is, truly...

...

There is no verbal answer. Makima should no doubt still feel it, however, a sharp and watchful presence trailing her coming from behind her. Somewhere among the buildings of the block she just left, closer to the site of disaster where for all intents and purposes, it looks as if a meteor had just struck.

A suffocating and acrid breeze blows by, more aftermath of the wreckage two inhuman creatures have wrought. When the air settles, the presence is gone; it's retreated further backwards, into the crumbling and burning debris of the obliterated building.

...

The Devil of Control has eyes and ears everywhere, right? Then perhaps it won't be long at all, before she picks up intel from her various sources about a nun with short dark hair clad in charred robes helping civilians back where the explosion had occurred. Calming and directing the lightly wounded away from the scene on the surface, but unearthing buried victims and quickly treating even serious wounds in ways no ordinary human hands can accomplish, and no ordinary human eyes can track.

It would appear that the hound sent after her today possesses more than one function. Makima wants to call it a night? That's one way to close the day out. Does she have any complaints?]

Edited 2021-09-17 04:54 (UTC)

women only want one thing and it's to effectively utilize girl power

girls just wanna have fun

gaslight gatekeep girlbossing hours

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