World Tree MUSH

    The terrain in this area is a bit rocky, nestled up at the foothills of some mountains. Forests cover these foothills, but the plethora of trails and roads make it not too treacherous a place to wander about. The town nearby had spoken of an abandoned cabin in this area, as well, whose owners ran off quite suddenly.

    That is the cabin where Justine sits. Not /in/ the cabin, which is surprisingly large and solidly-built, but on a rock outside. Sitting in the cabin would be unwise, given the roof does look partially-collapsed, but the foundation and most of the frame is fully intact.

    What is out of place is Justine herself. Dressed in a nice gray dress and a small hat with a flower upon it, she is sitting in the slightly chill air, with a pile of old clothes beside her. The clothes aren't her own, obviously, looking too large for the teenage girl and also in a local style, unlike her own. Her gloves cover her arms, so she doesn't look out of the ordinary except for her manner of dress. She also has a number of thick, solid and trimmed sticks and logs, that she appears to be sewing into some of the clothing while humming to herself. Not exactly a threatening look, just... weird.

Well, the terrain was certainly PERFECT for a good bar to be put up, right?! 

 Of course it's right. Escanor thought it up. 

 The towering hulk of a man casually marches himself up the rocky hill, looking to the collapsed building and seeing it as a perfect frame for his new bar. He thinks a nice open roof might be good for the establishment. But then? Escanor sees Justina. 

 Approaching with that massive battle-axe, the Divine Axe Rhitta, simply held lightly in his hands like it weighed nothing. Escanor easily towers over Justine, and he looks down at her, as he looks down on all others. 

 "Little girl, I plan on building a nice bar here. Kindly move, unless there is a better spot that you think would be better than this." Escanor looked serious, but kind at the same time...even if the temperature of the area is literally rising, getting hotter.

    Well. At least he's polite, for a certain value of polite. He did say 'kindly' after all. Justine is likely aware of someone approaching, especially given her empath abilities, but she stays where she is threading the needle through. Also the temperature is a lot nicer now.

    Snipping off the thread to finish this seam, the girl finally looks up. "I'm not going to stop you, this isn't /my/ house. But it isn't yours either. You'll have to convince it you deserve it more." She shrugs, threading the needle again. "A bar, hmm? Well, you certainly have the look of a retired adventurer who could toss out any troublemakers. Possibly even an ACTIVE adventurer looking to settle down?"

Escanor is very polite. Of course he is! 

 Though, if she can detect emotions with her empathic ability? the only thing she'll really see is Pride. Though Escanor looks down at her, and he sighs. "I'm a feminist at heart. Move or die, is what I'd say if I was itching for a fight, which I am." Escanor smiles then. 

 "I'd hate to see you grounded into rubble. But, indeed, I would like to settle down at some point. See if I could perhaps find Merlin, or some of my other comrades." his eyes find Justine. 

 "Why are //you// here then, little lady?"

    "Feminist?" Justine looks up again in surprise, then smiles lightly. "Hmm. I am here to make a little... doll, I suppose. But you say you are looking for a fight, and don't want to hit a girl?" She ponders, rubbing her chin with her finger. "I might be able to help you out, but fighting here where you want to build a bar? Is that wise?"

    She looks down at her work. "Please don't call me a little girl. My name is Justine Lawson. And I have seen a Merlin, but whether that is who you are seeking, I am not sure. I can't say I am friends with them, though."

Escanor nods at his own words of being a Feminist. "I am." when it comes to not particularly //wanting// to hit a girl, he nods. "Indeed." but that doesn't mean he WONT hit a girl. after all, the last chick he said he was a feminist to was a demon and got burned alive by his sunlight. 

 So. 

 "Very well. Justine Lawson, you have seen Merlin...there can only be one true Merlin, and not a fictitious pretender. Because of your help, I will share with you my envied wisdom:" 

 Dramatic pause. 

 "Fighting is the best way to carve a spot for a bar." He smiles.

    Stare. That envied wisdom get a funny expression from Justine, like: 'Is this guy for real?' She isn't sure until the smile hits, and then she stares a little longer, before finally setting aside the 'doll' she is working on.

    Sanding up, Justine dusts herself off primly, then chuckles. "Well. I think I like you, at least a little. I can't tell if we may end up enemies yet, but you've made me smile, and for that I can at least give you something. I'd rather not get into a fight tonight personally, but..."

    A small gesture, and the house groans and creaks. Collapsed timber erupt from the hole in the ceiling, and with a tumble of sticks and rocks from the yard, a wrapping of a wire clothesline, and some random plants, a roughly man-shaped figure is born.

    "Feel free to spar with my little creation here," she offers. "If you're strong, it shouldn't be a danger to really hurt you, but don't take it for granted. The timbers have a memory of abandonment, that makes this one a little stronger than most that I whip up on the spur of the moment."

A grin from Escanor. "Of course you do." that pride is absolutely unbearable, but once Escanor stands up straight and looks to the giant wooden beast taking form, Escanor looksbored already. 

 "Do you sincerely believe that a collection of wood and timber will harm my magnificence? I did not take a young woman like yourself to be a fool." Well, they do say Pride comes before the fall, but Escanor smiles. "How rude of me. I have not introduced myself to you. I am the one who stands atop the entirety of the human race. The Seven Deadly Sin's, Lion's Sin of Pride, Lord Escanor." 

 He swings that axe only once, but with that swing, comes destruction. if it hit the creature, it could do serious damage, but of course, Escanor wasn't trying to kill it in the first strike. 

 Where would the fun be if it died immediately?

    Justine is walking at an even pace toward the future bar, taking a seat upon the stairs as the 'battle' begins. From the flimsy look, that pulse of destruction should shatter it... but for some reason it doesn't. Oh, the construct nimbly twists aside, but it still has a crackling and a few splinters fly off of it. That is... definitely much, much more sturdy than wood.

    Justine comments, "I doubt it will seriously injure you, no." Fingers knit together as she watches. "But don't ignore it. The emotion in those timbers reinforces the wood, making it stronger than steel, and the anger within makes it-"

    Before she can finish, the construct lurches forward at a surprisingly high speed, lashing out with spines of mystically-hardened wood. An experienced warrior like Escanor can tell that this isn't in Escanor's class... but against seasoned soldiers this thing would kill several before it could be taken down. Good thing he has an axe.

    "... more aggressive than usual," Justine finishes lamely.

Escanor looks somewhat pleasantly surprised. "Oh? it can survive a strike from my beloved weapon? Perhaps it is not simply a pile of timber." Despite Justine's advice, Escanor already belives he knows better...even though he doesn't quite know better than Justine. After all, it's //her// creation! But, Escanor looks onward, watching that strike come at him with ferocity. 

 But instead of dodge, Escanor does the most arrogant thing someone can ever do to their opponent: allow themselves to be struck with the might the enemy can produce. and believe it or not? Not only was the temperature getting hotter and hotter, but Escanor was getting stronger and stronger as time passes. The wooden arm smashes against Escanor, but doesn't even make him move a single step. 

 "Naught but an inch." He lifts his hand, extending his finger. "Cruel Sun." and suddenly, the blazing, sun-like heat is blasting upawards, towards the 'head' of the wooden beast!

    "Hmm, exploiting the weakness of wood," Justine notes, watching carefully. "Next time I will need to provide you with something more durable, I see..." She doesn't seem too concerned as the head bursts into flames, though. It is burning, but the power of that strike should have reduced it to ash. The magical reinforcement probably extends to limited fire protection.

    Limited, but not total. An arm swipes with a deadly speed, though the result will likely only be scratches given the earlier attack. It is still active, but the flames are crawling downward... even without further attacks, the lifespan of this construct is set.

    Yet Justine doesn't seem too worried. Escanor's attack was enough to get admiration, but not awe. "At least you are not a weakling," she states. "You have reason to boast. I will have to provide you with a stronger one next time."

Thus, this fight was truly over before it ever even began. 

 "Sunshine. My glorious magic." Escanor proudly declares, before he sees that arm swipe at him again, this time though, the monster of a man leaps into the air, until he's level with it's chest, and swings that divine axe against it's torso! attempting to obliterate it with this next strike. 

 Barely even a spar for the Master of the Sun. 

 Regardless, Escanor does find time to respond to Justine's words. "Of course not. I am the one who stands atop all Clans."

    The clap that follows is light, but has a strange harshness to it, like someone wearing gauntlets clapping. "Impressive indeed," Justine says as the construct falters and falls. "It would take most of the people I've seen substantially longer to defeat that one, though I doubt it could hold up to the teams I have seen."

    She walks back toward her mostly-finished doll. "Well, the cabin is yours if you really want it," she offers. Justine lifts the doll up... and sits down again. "I will be on my way once I have finished this. I'm sure that someone who takes so much pride in their work can understand I wouldn't want to move with this unfinished. The workmanship would suffer. Would that be acceptable, Escanor?"

Escanor watches the 'doll' fall to pieces before his might, a knowing look on his face as he settles his attention on Justine. "Of course it was. Such a victory is the priviledge of the mighty." Escanor then approaches the sight of his bar, shouldering his axe and humming. "It was mine since the moment I laid eyes on it, but I suppose your acceptance of this fact is appreciated. I care not if you stay to finish your toy." 

 Escanor then sits down himself, taking out a bottle of whiskey, and having a sip. 

 Well, so much for being conversational. But is there perhaps a grudging respect from even the highest of high?