She arrived with Aartappel in tow, knowing that Diot would most certainly be here- he had told her so himself. Dea supposed earlier she could assist in healing only- she didn't know much of anything or how that magic worked. She had hooves, no fingers or claws like Diot, and many of the others she had come to see perform such wonders. But! She could still be there for moral support and in the audience to cheer on any gembounds she saw in need of a pick me up in a fight or two! Even one cheer went a long way for someone who felt the battle already lost.

Now it seemed fun in theory, aside from the whole someone might die but...it seemed gembounds from all over knew the risks- Diot certainly did and was very upfront about her not joining in this game. She wasn't much of a fighter and it was good he took this seriously, he was a medic after all and a caretaker of any who let him assume that role in their life. Still, she hummed, trotting over by the plethora of food and goodies that she may bring back to her seat. Only stopping momentarily to catch the sight of a familiar melanistic jaguar- what was Vicktor doing here?

She didn't have time to stop or think much about it as Aartappel was pulling her attention back to the snacks at hand. Sure was sure it was all fine.

Aartappel had just arrived, thankfully Dea remembered when this event was going to take place. Diot had informed him but he was in the middle of a mid-day beauty nap when the small primate was already giving directions. So it was natural that he maybe...totally forgot. Ah well! Dea was a real gem in that she remembered and even led the way too! Lovely! Granted he did feel perhaps a bit odd leaving Titan's chrysalis unattended but...it was safe and well protected through natural means. Diot was also one to say he should take a break, as one cannot rush the natural and rather unknown process that was crystallization...

SO bloodsports!

That's where this led him, to watch a bunch of gembounds gather around and beat the ever-loving shit out of each other! Sounds fun! He was scrappy himself but wasn't wanting to put his life more in harms way than what he already does- especially since Diot with that...fatherly gaze told him it'd be best not to. And who was he to argue with that!?

They made their way over to the, honestly, the largest collection of food he'd ever seen in his life! It took him only a moment to figure out what he'd like to grab for snacks. He had his arms full by the time he turned to Dea who was- staring off in the distance?

"Hey, hey Dea, what do you want from all o'this?"

He poked a churro or two at her to get her attention, it worked! Haha! Nobody could resist churros.

Whats that? Another of Gortys' characters dragging itself to the arena? It sure was! Galleon, emerged at her full massive length and height. On her way back to the bone-laden cave of Canis, Galleon's nose had caught something exciting. Carmelized sugar and fried meats, with an unpleasant undercurrent of the sickly sweet stench of rotting things. And as she got closer, the roar of the audience grew. At first she was wary, almost terrified. But the more she watched, it was if a whole nother world had opened up.

An arena buzzing with fights, cheers. Unrestrained bloodshed. She reflexively clicked her bonesheet, the memory of Catalyst's flesh between them. She laid awkwardly in the arena, taking up multiple benches with her bulk. Her scales flashing violently with emotion at each meeting of fangs and claws--she hadn't quite gotten the lightsting bioluminescence under control.

Eventually she decided she'd seen enough. She wanted to be down there, too. Clash against the towering monstrosities. With the whistling sigh of her vents expending air, the massive creature dragged herself off the stands, and towards the backstage, waiting for Nemean. "You. Neemeen. 'M gonna fight." Her voice was low, the feel of rebar dragged on concrete. Her teeth gnashed, unable to truly smile. The bright cyan glow of her eyes intense.

It had followed it's siblings (Mainly Karambit, Terror had grown distant from it, lately.) to the Place Of Loud Noises and Many Smells. It was.. a lot. The smells made it's mouths water, but the blindingly bright 'special effects' made the eyes along it's arms squint shut. It used the benches and walls for support, stretching almost (but not quite) to it's full, 'intended' posture. Not seeming to understand the point of concession stands, it's pick up stuff off the ground to eat- both dropped food and trash alike.

Most of... everything flew right above it's hodgepodge of a head. But it understood the general gist of this place- they were to fight. To create blood and pain with their claws and teeth. That.. was good, right? Terror did it, and so did Karambit. Creosote had refused, but it was the only one. Many had come to do this, one of it's siblings included. Many others of Many shapes and sizes. Should it.. join? Should it learn to do what they did? What it's siblings did?

Creosote was nothing but a follower, rather than a leader. It would follow the group into the fighter's pit, where those who wanted to fight packed in to wait for their turn. It would look for the loud one- the one everyone else came to, to announce that they would be fighting, too.

"Cccreo. I will... join." It gurgled at Nemean. Now she had THREE gross meat-monsters to fight for her entertainment. What luck!

I let my horns grow longer
I observed my skin get redder

It had been nearly impossible to miss this place, and she was glad she'd decided to check it out. The LIGHTS! The EXCITEMENT! The FOOD! She'd been munching on popcorn, taking it all in, when she realize anyone could fight here. Even her!

Yeah, no magic was allowed, which was a little bit of a bummer, but who NEEDED magic, anyways? She had her talons, and her beak, and she could FLY. None of the big lugs she'd be up against would even be able to TOUCH her before she struck and like, pecked their eyes out or something.

...or maybe not that. That sounded kind of gross. But some of the beasties she'd spotted had too many eyes for their own good. They certainly wouldn't be TOO bad off if they lost one or two.

She fluttered up to Huma, "I'm Huma, the Undying Flame." She told Nemean, "Let me fight!"

He had been... aimless, for the last couple cycles. Ever since waking up in a chunk of green crystal, and breaking out to find himself alone. The whole place had been nearly abandoned, with no sign of the sentinels. Not even Doctor was there. He wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or completely alone, so he felt both. Since then, he sort of.. wandered. In Canis. In Monoceros. In Orion. He couldn't go that far, or his leg would start aching restlessly which would soon turn into a stabbing, intolerable pain. But he refused to just stay put, like he had for so, so long.

He happened to be in right place at the right (or wrong?) time, however, the day Orion erupted in deafening noise, called of a 'deathmatch' reverberating around the cave. Following the source, he found a.. scene. The forum, normally desolate, filled with light and noise and promise of blood. As he wandered among the crowd, he spotted a familiar face.

Vargas.

And a couple of the other sentinels- although far bigger and FAR more intimidating than the last time he'd seen them. Is this where they had went, then? Or was this just some kind of... recruitment event they were hosting? Or was it sheer coincidence?

Honestly, he should've left. Maybe watched a match or two, hidden in the crowd. He shouldn't have gone over to the tiny flying sprite who seemed to be the host of this thing. And he definitely shouldn't have told her "I'm One, the tiny hunter. I'd like to fight, please."

But well, what else did he have to lose? His other two legs?

He'd been a bit idle for a while. A year and a half, almost- long enough to consider himself forgotten, to fall into place in his own empty life waiting for something. Some outward contact, some basic acknowledgement, something.

And what he got was a party of familiar faces passing him by, just as he was ready to give up. Sure, he'd put them behind him, he'd imagined. He'd abandoned that old name, that old group, taken on his own life now as he'd settled into his own home. Why should he care for them, if they didn't care for him? Had they even looked for him? Raising his head, the hybrid squinted from a broken window of his home, perched on the sill like a feline.

He'd followed at a distance, to the roar of the distant forum. Something was happening, here. Something big.

He wanted in.

It didn't take him long to slink down to the depths of the back rooms, pointedly avoiding any faces he knew (which, really, were just Vargas and Vander). No, he wanted to declare his return, he wanted to see their genuine reaction- no pity over their own loss, after all. So, when it was his turn to approach the flitting Master, the hybrid stood proud with a steeled expression on his face.

"I am Wolfsbane the Forgotten, and I want to fight."

Even if nobody told him that he wasn't actually forgotten, at least it sounded cool.

Nemean zipped down, a tiny clipboard in hand, a pencil neatly tucked behind one ear. Her wings buzzed loudly as she pursed her lips, looking critically over her new contestants.

"Some good potential in this group, huh?" she said aloud, and swept the pencil out to touch the clipboard. She scribbled, squinted at her guests, scribbled some more.

"OKAY! So, big fish guy," (girl, but Nemean was being perfectly neutral with the term) "-you get to fight One! -Heck of a name, huh? -The TINYYYY HUNTER! -Come up with a title, fish, or I can make one up for ya! For now, I have you noted down as:" (tiny, sharp checkmark drawn) "Fish!" She glanced Galleon's way. "-Fish out of water!"

Sounded good, sure. I mean, she needed a little flair, but--it was a start. Anyway, she was busy! She had things to do! Don't rush her!

"You, Forgotten! -Sweet name, and Wolfsbane too! Good title, real dramatic... we'll set you up with-"

Nemean turned, starting to point at Huma, then froze. She stared. "...Huma?" she asked, looking the barn owl up and down. Tiny eyes goggled. Widened. Nearly popped from her skull. Then, suddenly, Nemean began to laugh. It was a hysterical laugh, as if Huma had said something INCREDIBLY funny. She rolled in the air, slapping her thighs as she forced out half-choked words. "HUMA?! They n-named you HUMA? Whose fucking BRILLIANT idea of a joke was that?! Holy SHIT! HAHAHAHA!" Did the owl even know?! No--it had to be someone's dark--incredibly dark--prank. Perhaps whoever had sent it here to die?! As, like, a big SCENE!? Oh, this would be hysterical. Hysterical!

It took the sprite a few moments to calm her laughter, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, her wings buzzing loudly. "Holy fuck. That's so dark. I fucking love it," she went on. "'Undying Flame,' huh? More like off-BRAND, second-HAND, hahahaha! No, no, it's cool, it's a good name. It's fine. Everyone's gonna cheer like nuts watching you die, though, you know that-? Holy shit." Though, then again, most of them wouldn't know the name. Eh. She'd laugh, and that was all that really mattered, right? Anyway-! "The Undying Flame versus the Forgotten! Get down into the back and get ready, there's a few fights ahead of you now."

That left...

-Okay!

"Meat shambling horror one vs meat shambling horror two! That'll be a good one. SO--Creo versus Effluvium. Man, they'll love to see that fight! Come up with some titles, beasties, or I will!" Was that a promise, or a threat? Pencil was clipped to clipboard, and the Master dipped higher into the air, eyeing over her three new pairs. "RIGHT! In the back, get prepped to go! Get ready to WRECK SHIT!"

She buzzed away, then; this was more than enough for one Deathmatch and anyway, any more fighters might end up hard to pair. They'd definitely make do with what they had.

________

The following three pairs have now been matched up:

Creosote vs Effluvium
Huma vs Wolfsbane
Galleon vs One

FROM THIS POINT ONWARD, NEW SIGNUPS ARE CLOSED.

@Wolfsbane @Huma @Galleon @One

Maximus approached Nemean with their spear in hand, ears pinned. They'd had enough.

"I'm forfeiting and leaving the competition," they said, "I no longer wish to participate in the next round."

Call them a party pooper or whatever but they had no business being here, not anymore. They had nothing to gain from this.

They turned to face Vargas, then, who was presumably still near the fluttering fairy, and clenched their jaw, "I'm no longer a part of your Chaos Forge. Goodbye."

They were free. A weight had lifted off of their chest as they turned, breathing out as they stared at their spear thoughtfully. After a moment they tugged the colorful trinkets and baubles off before holding it out and breaking it over their knee, letting the two halves fall from their hands. They had no need of it anymore.

Now to find someone who could dye the ugly purple X across their face a better color. Any color, really. They hated purple.

@Vargas
exit max i guess lol

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas snorted, glancing over. "Thank the Creator," he muttered. "The answer was, because you don't need a reason not to kill a child. Do not be seen by any of the Forge again, and do not come anywhere near Draco, Pegasus, Cepheus. I want you nowhere near my people."

Good riddance; and thank all the stars that he'd never have to come running to the fool's rescue again, or make excuses for it, or explain why he hadn't killed it.

He glanced over to Draconua with a snort. "It's no longer under my protection," he told her.

He was done with that one.

@Maximus / @Draconua just for visibility