Voicetesting

[animatedsmoke]

Who Potemkin, Nightmare Knight (Cucumber Quest)
What Voicetesting


It is practically routine for Potemkin, exceptional soldier with the first seat at the table of the President, to investigate what could be a threat to Zepp. He had the loyalty, determination, and sheer durability to be relied on, especially when the danger had no face attached to it or no precedent.

10202187 magical energy spikes observed. No visual data on record. Exercise caution. I trust your discretion.

The original mission description repeated in holographic letters before Potemkin's eyes just before the doors of the transport plane lifted at the drop off point. The fall was over in seconds, but the walk and the search will be much longer and involved. Potemkin wasted no time, moving out as soon as his feet were on the ground.

Comments

[niteknight]

A search often implied that the surroundings were not so forthcoming. All things considered, Potemkin was going to have an easy job of tracking down the source of the disturbances -- while there was no visual data, the sky had abruptly seemed to sink into nighttime as Potemkin was dropped in, which was an instantly worrying sign.

The Nightmare Knight had only recently been summoned - and he had little interest in helping his would-be benefactor. The summons weren't to Dreamside, but through a different source that subverted his seal - so he had no Disaster Masters to accompany him.

Maybe he ought to create more, his new 'master' had suggested, but he was quickly set straight.

For the moment, the Nightmare Knight had settled into the stylistic, even if somewhat tacky castle. They hadn't yet committed to any sort of conquest - the spikes of magical energy were mainly partially the Nightmare Knight's own forays into the outside world, scanning what existed.

Where Potemkin had dropped in, he wasn't quite to the castle - but then, the looming dark stars over it likely told him the right direction.

[dreadnaughtfist]

"What is this?"

Potemkin had no preconceptions on what he would find in this area. It could have been a natural storm of magical energy, or the very deliberate workings of an underground ring generating Zeal on the black market. But if there was going to be a large building, Potemkin wasn't expecting it to be a castle.

He's not sure if it's even occupied, but he's too wary to just knock on the door. Potemkin walks around it, trying to peer through its many ornate windows for any lights or people.

[niteknight]

It hadn't originally been a castle - at least, not so grand of one. But it hadn't proved difficult for the Knight to fix things up - and the stars were a byproduct, though he'd mostly left it as a convenient way of holding it together until the man's plans fell apart.

The wariness was good - the Knight was not doing anything interesting, but there were lights and the faint trail of clouds and stars that followed him within view of the nearest window.

The Knight had taken to pacing - mainly due to an urge to avoid spending any time near his summoner until he figured out his plans - but it meant he wasn't particularly hiding himself, either.

There was one thing for sure: in the entrance hall, the Nightmare Knight's presence was looming and overwhelmingly huge. Perish the thought.

[dreadnaughtfist]

Potemkin saw enough to confirm that the subject is overwhelmingly magical, and that this was the source of the abnormal events going around here. Whether the direction of those events was fair or nefarious, Potemkin is here to find out. If it were for the sake of Zepp, Potemkin will break this castle to its foundations.

He made his way right up to the castle, and gave a firm kick to the door that made the whole hall reverberate. At the same time he shouted,

"Answer, under the order of the Republic of Zepp!"

On other side of the castle doors, Potemkin stands, shoulders squared, chin held high, and waits.

[niteknight]

The Knight wouldn't have concerned himself with Potemkin's knocking if he weren't in the area - but he was, so he supposed it was only etiquette to respond.

The hall's reverberation surprised him, at first; the way it echoed belied power, but the Knight wouldn't have complained if he were to be defeated. He waved a hand, the doors snapping open and the Knight's appearance in full form in front of Potemkin.

Potemkin was large, certainly, but even he'd likely feel as though he were a dwarf before the Knight - considering he was a solid twice Potemkin's size.

"An odd visitor, I see." His tone was deep, and the darkness in it complimented the way the stars and clouds swirled around the Knight - "Did you have some business with me?"

[dreadnaughtfist]

The size of castle's resident doesn't phase Potemkin. Potemkin can stare the Knight right in the eyes, a fiery determination searing from the eye hole of his helmet, even if he has to look up several feet to do it.

"That's an odd question to ask, because it is my directive to ask what matter of business is going on here?

This place is off the map, unregistered, but is highly active with magic intrusions. Declare your intentions, and if you have nothing to hide I'll leave in peace."

[niteknight]

Potemkin's willful staring him down didn't phase the Knight, either - it reminded him easily of those who had come before in his cycle, and he had little reason not to play the part.

"And if my intentions aren't what you'd like to hear, what then?" He asked, eyes narrowing. "Do you intend to fight?"

The pinkish purple stars around him floated around him and dimmed, rendering his presence even more menacing as he made his best villain glare at Potemkin. In truth, he probably could've simply allowed Potemkin to assault his "master", but faking his loss seemed a more palatable option. In Dreamside, little could contest him, but it was hard to say if the same would be true here.

Even if he had to temporarily disable the lone soldier before him, and send him off to bring back the armies or what have you of this region's kingdoms, so be it.

[dreadnaughtfist]

That is not the kind of answer that usually gets said when everything is fine and dandy. Potemkin doesn't pay attention to the darkening lights, which seem to be glaring at him at the same time as the Knight, but without disrupting his stare Potemkin's legs brace themselves a little harder against the ground, and arms flex to either side of him. That would have only been a dramatic gesture, if the sheer size of them didn't show them to be his main weapon.

"If it's to prevent people from getting hurt, I will! You face the resistance of a first class Zeppian soldier if you aim to harm anyone!"

[niteknight]

Ah, so he was to be a hero. The man's arms were clearly his weapon - the Knight readied himself. He doubted much pressure would be needed - the man looked to be bold, if not a grandstander, so he would test him, first - and then allow things to go as they would.

"I see. First class." He drew an arm back, stars floating up - a thick ball of energy forming in his hand, deliberately less severe than it seemed.

"Let's see what first class means to this world." He cast the energy forward - anticipating the bulk of Potemkin wouldn't be able to do much but block it. If it broke his guard, then the Knight saw no reason to take him seriously - and if it didn't, well. He would see.

[dreadnaughtfist]

Potemkin raises one of his arms, the attack mostly caught by the front shield of his gauntlet when it crashes into him. The ball explodes with nothing permanent done to his armor or body.

He doesn't stay put after that. Potemkin advances, ready to tackle the enormous Knight if he hits him.

"Huagh!"

[niteknight]

A solid block - the Knight would give him that - but he definitely wasn't expecting the tackle.

The beauty of floating was that he was able to backpedal quite quickly, even as his stars swirled about Potemkin. It was a sort of panicked gesture - perhaps belying the Knight's true strength - as the gravity beneath Potemkin's feet began to wane, and then attempted to hurl him backward.

He had little doubt Potemkin would deal with that, though. "Impressive," He intoned, sweeping his hand again - forming an array of stars that he launched off at Potemkin, each with an equal amount of power (if not a touch more) than the initial false blast he'd launched.

If nothing else, he'd clearly held back, at first.

[dreadnaughtfist]

Potemkin's weight and momentum make for a powerful force that is very difficult to stop, especially if acting late. So when the Nightmare Knight ends up not pinned to the floor, Potemkin looks down to his feet until he realizes that the Knight has found a way to circumvent that. Potemkin slips, rolling backwards until he hits wall like a giant bowling ball.

He isn't given any break to pick himself up from that, because more projectiles are going right at him. Potemkin makes a sudden jump to the side, what stars that do end up hitting him not being enough to make his arm buckle. Potemkin keeps moving along the walls of the entrance hall, thinking of how to surprise the Knight so he can't pull tricks like that again.

[niteknight]

That one might be hard - surprising him would only cause more shit to take place - but the Knight had little intention of backing down, now.

Potemkin's own attempt to circle the walls weren't unnoticed - another barrage of slightly stronger stars littered the area around him, impacting small craters as he did his best to glare at his opposition. He was focused on Potemkin, even as he watched the other man handle his projectiles with intentional ease.

It was impressive a person could withstand such pressure, at least...

[dreadnaughtfist]

Potemkin has the endurance to remain stable to keep absorbing the small explosions, which frees him to look at the Knight himself instead of just the stars being pelted at him. It's a double-edged sword that they immediately challenged each other in a room so large and empty; it's lacking in any distractions Potemkin could have used, but on the other hand it allows Potemkin to freely move around.

Making a large lap around the hall gives Potemkin time to think. Certainly, this was his target. But based on that, Potemkin expects him to be capable of more than this. There should be nothing stopping the Knight from going all out. Was he initially only trying to scare him?

Potemkin judges if it's worth it to keep the Knight underestimating him, then decides the time to capitalize on the surprise would be now. The next time a star is headed for his arm, Potemkin reels back a punch, hitting the star square on until it shoots the other way.