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 Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 3:37 pm
It was strange how much easier it was to breathe now that he had December back in his life. Of course…it was nice not having to worry about almost dying as he had during that…plant fiasco…and Alperiste felt pangs of guilt when he remembered the he never had managed to thank Lopezite for saving his life…more than once that night.
And for taking such good care of him.
He was powered up, sitting on the edge of a building just enjoying the slightly cool end of summer breeze as he pulled out his tablet, sending the captain a message asking if they could meet and perhaps talk, and perhaps train some, if things went in that direction.
Lord knew he needed the help…but on the same note…the whole idea of the Negaverse as a whole was more than a little soured just by his knowledge of how December had been treated. It wasn’t right or fair and the fact that…Alpersite himself seemed to have gotten off fairly easy when December was literally tortured…
…Made him feel guilty, and he wanted advice.
Needed advice.
And more than all that, he just wanted to see his friend.
So, with a sigh the black and blue clad lieutenant waited, content for the moment to just sit and relax.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 5:55 pm
It hadn't taken Lopezite long to reply, and in good fashion he had made sure to arrive in good time as well. Truthfully, he'd been having a boring evening. He'd drained a bit, enough to meet his quota but not enough to stand out.
He didn't like the spotlight. The better you did, the more people expected from you. He was successful, but nothing to brag about, unless you wanted consistency.
Lopezite was consistent. He cared more about the people in the Negaverse than he did the goals. He didn't want to disappoint anyone, though, so it helped keep him on the right path.
It was a good cause--make sure foreign entities weren't swarming the planet and hurting people. Making sure you had the power to keep things in check, to defend against what you needed. And, if he wanted to take a moment to be selfish, the perks were fairly pleasant. He could do things no normal human ever could--and that, in itself, was worth it.
He was living a life outside of the norm.
He was doing something for the world. In the shadows, though.
He hated the spotlight, after all.
"Alpersite," he greeted; he teleported nearby, to the clearest place he could imagine, and tracked the energy signature to the Lieutenant.
"You've got me a bit worried about you, are you all right?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:29 am
Alpersite smiled when Lopezite appeared and nodded, happy to see his captain, happy that there had been such a quick response. It made him feel like…perhaps he had gotten truly lucky with finding this mentor. It was easy to trust him, easy to be led by him…and what was more, he wanted to trust him. Wanted to make him proud.
“I’m okay…I just wanted to let you know that I found December, my brother…he…he’s part of the Negaverse too and was on some overseas mission? He’s…been hurt pretty badly but…it’s so good to have him back so I know where he is and can help to protect him now at least.”
He gave the captain a warm smile. “And…I really wanted to thank you for looking after me so well in that…that crazy fight that happened. I think…I would have died if you hadn’t been there to pull me away…more than once.”
The lieutenant gave a rueful grin. “…I need to get stronger. For my own sake as well as December’s…”
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Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:59 pm
Lopezite's eyes opened with immediate pride. "You found him?" he repeated, excited and curious. The emotions were fluid; it passed quickly from excitement to concern when he'd heard that he'd been hurt. He had brothers, he knew how he'd feel if he found out that any of them were hurt.
Alive, though. That was a good start. Part of the Negaverse, better--especially if that meant he had access to proper care and security.
"You'll have to introduce us," he requested. "If he's up to it. I hope he's being taken care of, now. But--I have to say, you don't have to thank me," he assured. "I'm glad to have met you. I'm glad to still have you here. You've been making me very proud, you know. Watching you grow, it inspires me. It makes me want to be stronger."
He leaned back. "I've been thinking about it myself, to be honest. I don't know if I got complacent, or if I just never had the right push. But I can't stay a Captain forever. I want to get stronger. To make sure I can protect the people I care about, too. Like you. If a greater threat were to arise..."
His voice trailed off and he planted his hands on his hips and shook his head. "...I want to be able to stop it. And I want you to be able to take care of yourself and your loved ones, too. Have you had much practice fighting recently?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 8:26 am
Alpersite nodded, feeling again that rush of gratitude that this was who was guiding him…
“I’d be happy to introduce you to him. Maybe…if you get stronger you could end up taking him under your wing too? I bet him and I will work well together. Lord knows I’ll fight like Hell to protect him.” The lieutenant was feeling a stirring of both excitement and trepidation. He wanted to get stronger…but the idea of a situation where he needed to be stronger…was mildly terrifying.
“Honestly? I could use some help in the fighting front…if you wouldn’t mind. I’m…I mean I don’t have many skills and my weapon is laughable for now…and I’m not sure that I trust it to hold up against much of anything…it’s plastic for goodness sakes. Though if I hit someone hard enough…”
He hesitated. “Or even broke it, I bet the pieces would be sharp, maybe? Do these work that way, Lopezite? Could we practice fighting?”
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 11:05 am
"If he'd like for me to, I'd be honored," Lopezite smiled. "I'd bet you two would make a good team. I think...having something--someone--to fight for...gives you more power than if you were doing it for yourself."
He was always at his strongest when he needed to take action for someone. But then, he couldn't ignore the fact that he didn't usually seem to get into trouble when he was on his own. He was still wearing an amused smile at the thought. "Try not to break your weapon, though. I'll be completely honest, I snapped my scabbard in two once and was horrified. I thought I was going to be in so much trouble. I dismissed it, I worried about it, I summoned it back to see if it was as bad as I remembered...and it was back in one piece. Although," he looked a bit embarrassed, "It drained me of more energy than it should have. Maybe it was an off day, but I had my scabbard back! And had to take a seat on a park bench. If it breaks in the wrong way in the middle of a battle and that happened, I'm afraid you'd be at more of a disadvantage. But."
Lopezite gestured. "Come, we'll practice. Do you know, the most important weapon you have is yourself? If you get disarmed, you can still fight. Have you ever been in a fist fight before?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 3:06 pm
Alpersite grinned for a moment, nodding and was eager to go and ask December if he would want to work under Lopezite with him, but the story that his captain told after that drove all thoughts of that from his mind. “So it’s not a you break it you buy it type of deal? And even if it breaks…it’ll come back good as new…well that is very good to know!”
He was beaming now and was about ready to summon his weapon, but the male’s last words stopped him and he let out a laugh. “A fist fight? Not since I was a kid, no. But I managed to give the kid I was fighting a pretty good black eye and a split lip. Got a week’s suspension from school for it too…not my proudest moment.”
The lieutenant scratched his head and looked sheepish. “I tried to swear off fighting after that but…I suppose that’s not the best way to live my life now, hm? Why, are you good at fist fighting?” If he was, Alpersite wouldn’t be too surprised. Lopezite looked tough and honestly…if he hadn’t known what a protective person his captain was…he was pretty sure that he wouldn’t have really wanted to get to know him. And he wouldn’t be happy at all to be on the opposite end of a fight from him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 5:16 pm
Lopezite couldn't help but smile at Alpersite's enthusiasm; he laughed when he mentioned his suspension. "I didn't mean to be," he promised. "I'm the smallest of all my brothers. Roughhousing wasn't so uncommon. My poor mother."
He rubbed the back of his neck and let out another soft laugh. "But. Most of my upper arm strength comes from something I do in my free time. I've got a forge back home, I do recreational blacksmithing. So," he shrugged. "I'll have to have you come over some time if you ever want a workout. Suffice to say, most of my strength comes with a downswing."
He mimicked the gesture easily, as if he were holding a heavy hammer and slamming it into the ground. "Which wouldn't make for a good punch if you're aiming for the ground. But this," he repeated the movement, with one fist drawn back. It hooked through the air, above his head, and then down forcefully into the empty space before him. "...This would serve me well enough if someone were picking a fight. Part of fighting is just knowing your body. I think, that might be more important than working with that weapon, for now. So, come over here."
He held out his hand. "Punch this, as hard as you can. Don't be afraid about hurting me. I'm durable," he promised. "But I want to see how fast you move, I want to see how strong you are, and I want to see how good your aim is. So aim for my palm, I want five punches from each hand from you, all right?"
He seemed ready for this, eager to help prepare him for what he might face out there. Eager to do what he could to make sure he stayed safe.
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 8:31 pm
He laughed, nodding in sympathy. “I have…I have a lot of siblings, so I do understand that. I wasn’t one of the more fight happy ones though. Most of the time. I used to roughhouse with them sometimes but…not often. I tried to be more of a peace maker but…what can you do?”
There was clear interest in his eyes as Lopezite spoke of having a forge and Alpersite nodded, utterly intrigued. “A forge? Hell, and I thought I was old fashioned with quilting…but that’s…that’s amazing.” Though, he couldn’t quite figure out what any normal person would end up doing with a forge…and what was recreational blacksmithing?
“I want to come over now, if you don’t mind. I need to watch you at work. I’ve seen some of those youtube videos with the people making knives out of everything they can think of and all that neat stuff but…yeah if you want to invite me there to see how I manage a hammer, I’m game.”
He laughed and curled his hands into fists, eyes on the outstretched hands. His first try was with his non dominant, and the strikes were weak and a little sloppy, though with his right hand, they were fast and with moderate strength. “I think…I should head to the gym and work with a punching bag!”
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Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 7:31 pm
Lopezite couldn't help but be amused, thinking about his siblings. His mood carried when Alpersite seemed interested in his forge, in coming over. They had a task at hand, for now, but the lieutenant's interest wasn't something he'd soon forget.
It could be a dangerous hobby, but Lopezite had a watchful eye and skill to spare so he was eager to share all that he could. Besides, it was a good excuse to have friends over and introduce them to his dogs.
His hand remained still for each punch, and even he could feel a bit of a sting in his palm afterwards. "A gym is always a good idea. I'd go myself, but I don't have time. I have to squeeze in my workouts around my schedule. You've got a good start going there, though. I can tell which is your dominant hand easily, but you've got good aim. That's really important. In battle, it's not just about the power--you need to be focused on the other things. Speed, accuracy, durability, technique. I'll have to set up a regiment we can work together to practice--but know that fists aren't the only way you can fight. Knees, elbows, feet--even your head--can cause damage. But you have to figure out how your body wants to move, wants to work. I have two more things I want to test today, and then we'll work on some basics. I can show you some workouts to get your muscles awake, moving. Some practices to improve. But for now."
He took another step backwards. "I want you to do the same thing you just did, only I want you to try and kick me in the chest. Five times, with each leg, however you want, whatever technique, whatever speed. Do your best, don't worry if your form is wrong, do what feels comfortable. Don't worry about hurting me, show me what you've got."
He tapped his chest, as if to verify where he wanted Alpersite to aim, and seemed to be patiently waiting.
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 9:07 am
Kick him? And in the chest of all places? Alpersite looked at his captain with a dubious expression and hesitated. “And if I hurt you? And look my balance isn’t that great to begin with, but if I kick you in the chest…that could seriously do damage, Lopezite…”
He drew in a deep breath, trying to rationalize that if Lopezite hadn’t thought this was dangerous, he wouldn’t have asked him to do it, and without another word against the subject he attempted a kick at the male’s chest, and promptly lost his balance and fell over, cursing.
“…Well, do real damage and how do you expect me to get my leg so damn high? These pant’s don’t really stretch that much either, and I’m quite surprised they haven’t ripped yet…”
It felt like he was suddenly full of excuses and after a moment the Lieutenant picked himself off of the ground with a sigh. “…I sound like a brat right now. I apologize.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 7:55 pm
Lopezite just wore a small, amused smile. "You don't sound like a brat, Alpersite. You're doing very well. I appreciate your concern, but do not worry for me."
He seemed to be thinking, and then he came to a decision. "We may be going about this wrong. If kicking isn't so easy for you, we should stick to the punches. And that means," he smiled, "We already have a direction to go in. There will come a day when you will need to be prepared to kick. If something happens and your arms are bound, you need to be prepared. But. To start, we should focus on what you're comfortable with. I'll have to see if I can't come up with an obstacle course for you to train in. Would you be opposed to that? If I could design something to help you work out your body? I have the space back at my place in Destiny City. And we could get you some upper body strength in my forge."
They could practice throwing punches and helping him aim for a while longer, especially if he wasn't comfortable kicking, but he was thinking in the long run. "I know this isn't easy, especially when you're first starting. I'll show you a few different punches, we'll practice on your aim like we were. It's a start. Small steps, first. But in a few weeks? A month, two?"
He nodded to Alpersite. "I believe in you. We'll work through this together. So," he held out his hand again, "Try to hit it again, practice until it feels comfortable. And we'll make a plan to start you on some other training to help you get more comfortable with all of this, all right?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:13 pm
“An obstacle course? That sounds…” Alpersite laughed softly. “…That sounds like a lot of fun, actually. And I really want to try out your forge, that sounds just…amazing.” His eyes were bright with excitement and he felt comfortable, even though the idea of being so physical was still a strange one. “More?”
The lieutenant laughed again and stretched his arms for a moment before nodding. “You’re not kidding. This is going to get me strong and ready to defend myself. Maybe one day. One day I won’t need the weapon I was given…I suppose…” He seemed thoughtful, curling his hand into a fist and looking down at it before throwing a punch with all of the strength he could muster behind it and landing it in the other male’s palm.
“I suppose there might be a time when I can’t get to my weapon. And it will be good to know other ways to defend myself? Is that what this is all about? Because…it’s quite a good idea, and if this is how you treat all of the people under you…”
He gave another punch, grinning. “…You’re going to have some pretty amazing people.”
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:08 pm
Alpersite's words brought a smile to Lopezite's face and he found himself very proud of the Lieutenant before him. "Yourself included," he reminded. "You're doing better already." Maybe it wasn't much in terms of skill since they'd started, but it was the way he was carrying himself, the way he seemed to have more confidence.
"I figure, it's always a good idea to be prepared. There may be situations where you don't have your weapon--or, when you can't summon it. If you get attacked and don't have the opportunity to power up?" he shrugged, letting Alpersite continue to punch at his hand while they spoke. "Being able to defend yourself with little to no resources may be what makes or breaks you in a fight."
His smile lingered on his face, thinking on Alpersite's enthusiasm. There was something so raw, so genuine about his eagerness that it made him want to go home and start building something now. Alpersite's words made him want to do better, be better, for him. For everyone he'd have the opportunity to train.
He hadn't come into the Negaverse with much, and it might have been pure fluke that he'd even made it this far.
He wasn't going to give his Lieutenants the chance to fail, not if he could help it.
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:16 pm
Alpersite nodded and found himself smiling in return as Lopezite seemed to be lighting up, he landed one last good punch against the male’s hand and laughed, shaking his own out. “I think that might have to be enough for today. Sometimes this wrist likes to cramp up, and it just hit that stage of its life.”
He stretched and rolled the wrist around, wincing slightly as he listened to it cracking. “Yikes. Sometimes I wonder if I should invest in a brace or something…it might be worthwhile. But, I’ll work on getting it stronger. You give a lot of great advice, Captain.” He wanted to make the male proud.
“I hope that…when I get stronger and more adept with things…I’ll be able to be as good of a leader as you are, so um. Just so you’re aware, you do a great job with your inspirational talks and whatnot.” The lieutenant grinned, almost looking sheepish. “…So keep up with them, yeah? Is now the time we go and get ice cream for a job well done? Because…I think that should be a tradition that we start right here and now.”
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