Ramona
The day had been a long one, hours of training and practice under the non existent but ever watchful eyes of Aranea and Atlas had left him ready to relax. The problem was that both of them wanted him to learn their magic at the same time. Araneas Re/Armament and Reinforcement were incredibly versatile magics, but then so was Atlas total mastery of Ferrokenesis and Magnetic Field Manipulation. When Atlas had explained what the magic could actually do- well it had quite certainly blown his mind. Yet he hadn't managed to even once tap into the power or Araneas reinforcement- he'd only been able to use Re/Armament. 

Truthfully he'd traveled all the way out here to the Severan Tavern because he'd heard they had incredible cake, soft and fluffy with a sweet icing. The young archduke had been daydreaming about it all day. So when he'd asked the pretty barmaid for it, she'd excitedly told him there was only one left. As she bent down to grab it, Cullen glanced over at the man sitting beside him. He was a massive man, built like a gorilla really but he had kind enough eyes. That was when the bar keep and the bar maid, who both had their hands on the plate, said **"Just this last one."**

The barmaid and barkeep sheepishly looked at each other then at the customers. 

Slowly, Cullen fingered his earring and spoke clearly but softly. 

"Sorry friend, but I've been waiting all day for this cake. They say they have the most moist cake in the Capitol Realm. I can't let you have it." 

The nearby bards overhead this and saw the aura of menace around the young Cullen and they quickly changed their tune. Was a fight brewing on the horizon for a delectable piece of cake? 

As the tensions brewed, this was what the bards began to play:
Dallas
Taka's expression changed within an instant.

His smile, his very pride faded away instantly. His eyes widened at the news and his smile fell to flat closed lips- it was almost as if the aura the large man seemed to exude completely changed from one of passion and light into complete dismay. This was horrible, truly a travesty of the highest degrees, a dark time in the life of Taka Hanamura- *One slice of cake left.*

"***On the contrary... I am the one who I sorry.***"

The massive man suddenly brought both hands to his face as he sniffled, wiping away the tears in his eyes that did *Not* Seem to stop at all. 

"***I traveled all the way from Yronis and so happened to stop here, this cake is a reward for my achievements and I cannot allow you to have it instead of me.***"

He looked over to Cullen, tears on his face, and then-

*Clap.*

Cullen suddenly shifted places with Taka, looking off towards the opposite side of the tavern where neither Taka nor the cake is visible... All while the big guy is currently reaching both hands towards the barkeep so he can take the cake.
Ramona
"Huh?" He said, blinking as suddenly he was gazing out at the wall. Wasn't he just looking at the large gorilla man? That was odd... But certainly... He looked around wildly and saw the man reaching for the cake. No! The soft, moist fluffy cake that seemed to be singing his name like the siren songs of the Riable Isles! His foot came out and hooked on Takas stool, pulling it roughly so that it would fly out from under him and cause the massive man to slam downwards and possibly hit his chin on the countertop. 

Cullen was on his feet in and instant, lunging for the cake even as his foot slipped on some mead on the floor, which caused him to miss the plate by an inch and instead he grazed it, sending it sliding further and further away from them down the bar as the onlookers and patrons of the tavern watched with growing amusement. 

"The only mouth that'll taste that last divine bite will be mine!" Cullen declared, scrambling and running over Taka to try and reach the cake.
Dallas
"***I am sorry my f-***" Taka was prepared to imbibe in the cake he rightfully deserved when his stool was no longer supporting him- he'd dealt with worse situations of reflexes so normally he'd have managed to be fine but his true senses and skills have been dulled by the siren song of the majestic cake he so desires. Thus, he cracks his jaw on the bar top counter and falls onto the floor.

"***I MUST KINDLY DISAGREE!!!***" 

*Clap.*

Once again Cullen and Taka swap places, this time putting Take ahead of Cullen and Cullen behind- whatever the hell this ability is it seems disorienting. 

Now that he is past Cullen he dove onto the bar countertop and slides across it, with a harsh downward kick his heel smashed into the wood beam at the center of the counter- the wood staying together which caused the beam at the end opposite him to shoot upwards and launch the cake into the air.
Ramona
His head spun as he blinked and was suddenly on the floor, gazing at the wood beams as Takas massive body ran across his back. **"OOF"** He grunted as the wind rocketed from his body, and then his head whipped up as he realized he was no longer closest to the cake. Scrambling to his feet, he got up just in time to see the cake go flying through the air. Twice now he'd appeared... Where the stranger was?

"THERES NOTHING KIND ABOUT STEALING A MANS CAKE!" He countered and launched himself up towards the cake, hopping up onto a stool to do so. As he reached for the plate, his brain spun as Aranea quickly ran calculations. 

*"The man has a magic technique, Cullen. You won't get the cake if you're not smart- you have to think! Spin your body around now." She commanded. Just as Cullen would have had his hands in place to grab the cake and therefor in the perfect position for Taka to grab the plate, he instead spun his body around so he was facing the wrong way, with his hands down across his stomach ready to launch himself up from the bar when they switched.
Dallas
"***I AGREE, BECAUSE I WAS HERE FIRST!!***" The gorilla of a man replied as he quickly spun on the counter top and charged towards the cake and Cullen.

Taka saw the young man position his hands in the perfect position, he was tempted to clap, but he knew that his technique would only have its surprise factor for a short period of time... Time to bring out the big guns then.

*Clap.*

No swap.

A cup coated with magical energy sailed past Cullens head while Take smirked and locked eyes with the man he's fighting over heavenly cake.

*Clap.*

The cup appeared where Taka had been, dropping to the floor with a clatter- that must mean he's right behind Cullen- *About to grab the cake.* Arms stretched out while in mid air, fingers about to graze the plate.
Ramona
As Taka vanished and a cup crashed into the floor in his place- *The same one that had sailed past his head*, his eyes widened. Defeat was imminent, but it was not over yet. Years and years of street performing, parkouring to run from guards in the inner city and even kitchen work had given him beyond exceptional hand eye coordination. Tumbling through the air, he rotated and pulled his skinning knife from his hand, throwing it through the air. It masterfully flew past Takas head and crashed into the cake, piercing it and pinning it to the roof so that Taka would grab just an empty plate with the cake above him on the ceiling. 

Then Cullen landed and rolled to his feet, sprinting forward as the cake slid off the knife and fell. It was a less pretty piece of cake and was missing some of the frosting and fluffy cake, but 90% of a cake was more than zero. He leapt with his hands up to snatch it. It would be *His!*
Dallas
"*He's good-*" 

The monk watched as Cullen's exceptional hand-eye coordination was put on full display, a grin of approval came over his face even as he grabbed the empty plate. The cake latched onto the ceiling for just a moment, that gives them both time to act, and Taka knew that this would be final charge for the cake- he has to make it count. He dropped to the ground below, imbuing his magical energy into the plate before he threw it like a discus- the plate barely skimming past Cullen and then- 

*Clap.*

The frame of Taka reappeared right beside Cullen, locked in a dead sprint beside the Archduke.

"***MINE!!***"

With a powerful boost from his legs Taka dove at the cake, mouth wide open and fully ready to eat the remainder of the cake in one single bite.
Ramona
Cullen also dived, his mouth widening as much as it would allow as the two sailed through the air. Taka was close, so close, who would make it- WHO?! Suddenly their faces crashed into each other, lip for lip, tooth for tooth, nose crunching against nose, pain flaring into existence. 

As Cullen slammed backwards from the force, the cake splattered on the ground right where someone had thrown up. The cake was ruined and worse, WORSE... 

"I'm sorry..." Cullen said as tears dripped from his face as he staggered to his feet, raising his hands in a boxing position. "You must be destroyed. You've ruined my cake... And taken my first non drunk kiss that I was saving..." In that moment of deep sorrow and rage he reached soul resonance with Atlas. 

Suddenly Taka would find that Cullens magic level skyrocketed- a real and worthy challenge. The fight had truly begun.
Dallas
So close, he's almost there, he's so very close to the ca- the...*The cake...*Lip on lip, tooth for tooth, pain shooting across his face as both Taka and Cullen aggressively locked lips for a brief moment before slamming backwards from eachother. The monk instinctively popped to his feet as if he's just been floored by a punch, his eyes locked in the cake he'd so desperately wanted... Destroyed... Soiled...*Gone.*

"***Is this... What heartbreak feels like?***"

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he tiled his head back, truly a devastating ordeal within the gentle giants life- he'll never emotionally recover from this.

But, the moment Cullens magical energy skyrocketed the delusional monk snapped back to reality- his tears suddenly gone and his expression of grief replaced with a firm seriousness it was as if he planned to kill Cullen in that moment. His feet slid into a wide stance and he held his hands up, prepared to fight over this dishonor against him, but instead of swinging or attacking the monk grinned...

"***Hey...***"

Taka felt a connection brewing within his very soul, if Cullen answers his question properly then that feeling will be cemented forever.

"***What kind of girl is your type?***"
Ramona
"Huh? What kind of a question is that?" Cullen asked, his deadly demeanor dropping for a moment as a very important question was asked. He knew Atlas' type, Araneas too, but his own... Well he'd always had a very peculiar type... Perhaps that was why he had never found the right girl. 

"If I had to say..." He said, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "I'd say a beautiful fox girl with a mischievous smile. Like those Kitsune shrine maidens you hear about." He said, readying his fists once again. The young man wasn't sure what the question was about, but he couldn't not answer something so important. 

*Soul Resonance*, when his soul and one of the souls he housed reached synchronicity and he could tap directly into their mana through them, access their memories and their thoughts- two became one but always Cullen dominated. That was his special gift. He'd been born weak, no physical prowess or magic- but his soul was an immovable Titan. Now he was ready to fight this man for his honor- but... What was that look on his face?
Dallas
"***Do not worry, I'm just testing you.***" Taka said with a stoic expression, waiting expectedly for his opponent to answer the question that would make or break this entire ordeal. He hoped and prayed that Cullen would make the right choice, would say the right thing, maybe now he could finally have a...

*Gasp.*


*Sniff.*

"***A... B...Brother...***"

He saw it all within that instant. Cullen and him walking side by side to training practice, Cullen reassuring him after he admitted his feelings to the girl he's been chasing since he first saw her. The two sharing a meal together, living life side by side for years on end.

The magical energy surging within Taka erupted with greater force than earlier, his potential increasing to a higher degree as he shouted for the whole tavern to hear.

 LIKE WERE BEST FRIENDS.***"
Ramona
Cullen had not been trained to see or sense magical energy, so he had no idea of the surge within Taka. However, Atlas and Aranea both could. They sensed the shift in power and Atlas responded with excitement and aggression- Aranea with alarm and wariness. Cullen was resonances with Atlas- and so he grinned with eagerness. 

"Then show me how a best friend fights!" He declared as his ears subtly shifted to be more pointed, his golden eyes gaining a more reddish hue. Just as he was about to shift to fight the man- he hesitated. Atlas roared to push on and throw the first punch, but there was ordinary people in the tavern and it was a confined space. Someone might get hurt. 

So instead... He charged forward and made to look like he was gonna punch, but instead shifted his weight to fly into a tackle to try and tackle Taka through the window so they'd both end up outside. If he missed or Taka clapped, he'd go flying out the window either way to move the fight there.
Dallas
The Gorilla of Yronis smirked as he saw Cullen grin with eagerness, this man across from him truly is his brother. 

"***HAPPILY.***"

Taka replied with a loud roar, widening his stance and holding both hands to the side as he prepared for whatever came next. Truthfully he'd planned to throw Cullen outside or just rush out there himself, either or would have worked, but once he saw Cullen charge at him a loud laugh escaped him instead.

"***I LIKE YOUR STYLE BROTHER!!!***"

The monk accepted the tackle, allowing Cullen to spear him through the window- but, once they are outside of the window- 

*Clap.*

Oddly enough, their positions didn't swap, but Cullen felt no contact with a persons body. Instead the plate from earlier fell down to the ground and out from the very same window a voice drew closer and closer- 

"***GET READY-***"

Diving back out of the window the pair had *Just* Fell out of Taka held up both feet- fully prepared to dropkick Cullen.
Ramona
Rolling to his feet, he'd managed to right himself and turn- but he was too late do much else. The switch was disorienting, it could switch him or switch the man with an object, which meant he never knew what was going to come next. He raised the plate like an idea as if it were a sheild and the man's feet broke through it and **Crashed** Into his jaw, sending him flying backwards. He hit the ground and rolled, rolled and rolled until he slammed into a wall of a building. Staggering back to his feet, he wiped at his chin where there was some blood. He was *Strong.* 

Still, even as Taka looking at him, the white haired man's wounds began to close. The bruises faded, the cuts from the glass vanished. Grinning, he darted forward again like a wild animal, practically scampering on all fours as he ran so low. He ducked left then spun back on his foot and brought his right leg around to throwing a spin heel kick towards Takas jaw from below. 

The boys speed and power was nothing like it had been before, it was as if he'd become possessed by some dark entity. The truth of it was in some small order, he had.
Dallas
The monk felt the blow connect, the plate shatter and his feet hit the ground as Cullen rolled away. He didn't delay, taking on a firm stance as he prepared for a counter attack, his expectations growing by the moment.

"***This is getting FUN.***"

Even as he saw the damage seal and heal he did not waver, preparing to clap once more as Cullen approached him but-

"*Fast-*" Cullen was faster than he'd anticipated, he wouldn't be able to make the swap in time so he poured his magical energy into his jaw to damped the blow. Cullens heel cracked across his face, sending him off his feet and into a spiral in the air.

"*Perfect... This is...*"

He spun mid air, his feet landing flatly against the side of the tavern they'd been in moments prior. 

"***PERFECT.***"

Despite the purple bruise now growing across his jaw it seemed that Taka was now slowly. He launched himself off the tavern back at Cullen, his right fist clenched and prepared to deliver one hell of a flying haymaker should it connect.