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 Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:45 pm
Sterling was both excited and nervous to meet up with Priam today. They were supposed to do a quick patrol and work out when would be best for visiting their wonders. He was powered up, taking in the sights of his strange robes again when he felt something nearby. It felt…it felt very wrong. And he didn’t like it.
The male’s brows furrowed and he hesitated, moving towards the feeling just in time to see…a girl who looked far too young to be involved with any of this, laughing as she held on to a homeless man who seemed close to passing out. Or death…he wasn’t quite sure.
A tremor of fear went down his spine, especially when the dark clad, green haired girl paused and looked up, a feral grin spreading across her face.
“Well!” She said with a soft laugh, “A little knight come to spy on me and make me repent of my evil deeds?” Adjusting her hat, the lieutenant walked closer, tilting her head to the side and continuing to give a grin that made her look quite dangerous indeed.
“You know, it’s not nice to spy on people. You look like you’re older than I am…shouldn’t you know that? God, adults are stupid.”
He looked soft. And confused. The confusion made her quite sure that she could win whatever kind of a fight that they were going to get into. And if they weren’t going to get into a fight well. She would see that there would be a fight regardless.
Wavellite took a few steps closer and then moved swiftly, punching with all of her strength, right into the male’s face, giving a satisfied laugh when she heard the crunch of his glasses break.
“Bullseye!” She felt a rush of pleasure at the fact that he hadn’t done a damn thing to defend himself.
He had to be new.
…and if she were lucky, soon he would be dead. Ah, her girlfriend would be so proud~
When the punch collided, Qingcheng let out a cry of pain and shook his head, stumbling backwards, his hand raising to try to catch the glasses that were broken down the middle, and to try to relieve some of the pain that was blossoming from the bridge of his nose to his left eye.
God, if only Nalanda would get here soon…he…
He hadn’t been expecting a fight. And fighting a monster was completely different than fighting a real person…there…
He couldn’t do this. Perhaps he wasn’t cut out to be a knight after all.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 5:14 pm
Nalanda wasn't running late--he just wasn't as early as he wanted to be. He kept getting texts from the office and, finally, when he sorted things out, he found that he only had half an hour to get to the rendezvous point--a mere ten minutes away.
He had thought he was still doing well as he rushed, with nearly fifteen minutes to spare before they were meeting up, but something felt wrong. He briefly recognized the warm feeling Qingcheng emanated when they first met--but there was something else that filled his stomach with worry.
For a split second, his steps slowed--and then he picked up his pace, just in time to see his friend stumble backwards. Alarm broiled and he realized that whatever had found Qingcheng was worse than what they had fought before--it was a person. A girl, who looked too young to be involved in this.
Nalanda was a pacifist, but he wasn't going to let his friend get hurt. He was the older of the two of them, and he couldn't help but want to protect him. He shoved his way between the two, eyes narrowing at the bully attacking his friend.
One hand moved behind him and he gripped Qingcheng's wrist gently, reassuringly, and gave it a quick squeeze.
"Apologize," he demanded of the girl. "That's horrible behavior, you're old enough to know better!"
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 7:05 pm
The lieutenant paused and burst into another fit of laughter. “Okay old man. You want me to apologize?” Wavellite’s eyes were bright, but she was a little worried now, not that she had any desire to show it. The one page…she could handle that no problem…and even if it were just this old geezer alone, that wouldn’t be a problem…goodness why were knights like birds? One showed up and then suddenly there was a whole flock of the pests.
“I don’t apologize to weaklings. He was encroaching on my space, and I decided to take care of it.” She moved slowly, acting as though she were careless and didn’t have anywhere else to be. “You knights are so…so annoying. Why don’t you just all mind your own business? Let us do our jobs, and you…”
She put a finger against her chin and tapped thoughtfully.
“Well, no. It would be better if you all just ceased to exist.”
Wavellite lunged suddenly then, her face breaking into a gleeful smile and her fist jutting out to punch Nalanda in the chest.
Qingcheng gave a hiss and pulled Nalanda out of the way, grunting as the fist collided with his stomach. “Don’t you dare try to hurt him. You…are a selfish, and cruel girl and…”
He shuddered. That had really hurt. He had never been punched before today and honestly…he hoped that he wouldn’t ever have to deal with being punched again.
“Back off.” His voice was cold and he kept a hand out, shielding his friend from any harm.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 7:38 pm
Old man? Nalanda flustered; he was hardly old, and it didn't quite sting his pride, but he'd never been called old before. It wasn't so much of an insult that he should have even been offended, and he was more mad at himself for letting Qingcheng get hurt again.
He put his hand on the man's wrist and lowered his arm.
Nalanda didn't want to fight. He was not a violent person. She had attacked his friend twice, that he had seen.
Soleiyu had said they were supposed to be agents of justice, to preserve the peace.
She had brought them war and would accept nothing less.
Nalanda drew in a breath and used his size to plant his hands on her shoulders and turn her, quickly, and push her away from them.
"No job justifies abuse of others. We offered peace. Leave. There is two of us, and one of you, and I will not ask nicely again."
He did not give her further warning; he knew the human body well enough to know that if he needed to make a point, he could. He placed a finger in the pit between her jaw and neck, aware of the pressure point. He applied enough pressure to threaten pain, but not enough to hurt her. Just make her uncomfortable.
"Leave before you make us angry. Go, while you still have your dignity."
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 3:20 pm
Wavellite stiffened at the touch on her neck and her eyes flickered between the two Cosmos Knights, planting a firm smirk on her face to hide the worry that had begun to creep into her heart.
Quickly, she danced away from his hand, moving a few feet back and tossing her ponytail back over her shoulder. “If you think I’m afraid of you, you’re an idiot. But, there are two of you, and it looks like the old man is angry…don’t want you to have a heart attack or anything. Where would be the fun in that?” She would get stronger…she wanted to rather desperately. If only to be on the same level as her girlfriend.
Then she would come back and teach these two a lesson…providing that someone else hadn’t done it first.
With one final smirk, Wavellite turned and leapt onto a building, disappearing into the night.
Qingcheng let out a relieved sigh and sank down to his knees, coughing and wincing as pain shot through his chest. “Ah…she…was a problem, wasn’t she? Thank you, Nalanda…I…I have to admit, I was getting a little worried…You…you’re pretty cool, you know. Acting all tough and strong like that.”
He looked up and gave a half smile, his eye hurting and already beginning to bruise. “…Ah…would you be terribly upset if we…didn’t visit one of the Wonders tonight…? I think…I need some ice. And…I don’t know. That last punch really hurt and I’m worried she snapped a rib or something…”
The male’s tone was light, but there was worry easily read in it. “…Good thing I know a doctor, huh?”
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:08 pm
Nalanda breathed a sigh of relief when the girl--and her sick aura--disappeared. He didn't turn his back until all sight and sensation of her were gone, and then he hurried back to Qingcheng.
"I--I wasn't acting cool," he said, embarrassed. "I didn't want her to hurt you, and I didn't want to hurt her. You didn't have to get in the way and block that," he said worriedly. "Oh," there was clear concern in his voice and his expression. "No, we can't go out like this. I need to get you back home, I'll get you cleaned up."
He held out both hands to support him. "When you're ready, I'll help you stand up. You'll have to take off your shirt for me so I can get a look. But I'm a doctor, so it is purely professional," he insisted, clearly needing to clarify his intentions. "But if you're worried you've done something to a rib--bruised, slipped, or broken--I'll want to take a look at that. If it's bad enough, I'll get you into a room at the clinic, but...let's hope her punch isn't that bad. Come, we'll get somewhere more private and power down, I'll look after you. Ah...we aren't very good at this, are we?" he seemed a bit embarrassed. "...It's a good thing Soleiyu wasn't here to judge us..."
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 5:14 pm
Qingcheng looked up and sighed softly. “Ah…well. Still. I thought you were pretty cool. But…yes.” He took the offered hands and stood, swallowing and holding his side, and his broken glasses, sighing. “…You don’t happen to have any tape or something back at your house…do you? And would you mind terribly if I asked for a ride home when this is all done?”
He managed a small smile. “…No…we kind of suck.”
The male laughed softly, shaking his head. “…I won’t lie…the idea of Soleiyu being disappointed is truly scary too, you know. I…don’t want to be on the receiving end of his annoyance again…he can be a truly fearsome ball of fluff…”
He hurt, but he was alive…and honestly, this wasn’t…so bad…kind of. Nothing life threatening, at least…it wasn’t something that the page wanted to repeat but…
“…We’re not dead yet though, that’s something, isn’t it?”
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 5:45 pm
He managed a sort of pathetic little smile. "I didn't really have that much of a hard time staying alive before the universe decided I should be a Knight. But I suppose it's an accomplishment, all the same."
He laughed, but it wasn't quite humorous, and made sure Qingcheng could lean against him as he supported him on their careful way back towards his house--and somewhere safe to power down, along the way.
"I have tape, and more, back home. Don't worry. We'll see what we can do about those glasses. And then you'll rest, I want you to stay for a little bit so I can see if you've bruised anything else. If you haven't had dinner yet, I'll cook. Maybe we can go over what you're studying, even. Ah," he was so careful with him, delicate and mindful not to agitate any potential injuries.
"You were very brave, Qingcheng. Thank you for trying to protect me. I'm going to bring some body armor for you next time, though," he teased, just slightly. "--I am again feeling a bit overwhelmed by this whole powering up thing. It's like trying to jog before you've learned to walk. But. I'm also so curious, and so...terrified of letting everyone down. I feel like I need to take some classes or something, and graduate, before they let me power up. But, I just imagine one of those aerobics classes from the 80s, with those bright colors and overzealous participants. I'd stick out like a sore thumb. Ah, but I don't want to see you hurt again. It would be nice to be able to protect you."
He was quiet, and there was something thoughtful lurking beneath is eyes. Whatever history he was mulling over, he wasn't quick to share it. He asked, into the silence, "Have you ever thought about taking self-defense classes?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:41 pm
Qingcheng nodded, giving a small smile. “Thanks. I…would really like that. You’re the best. Ah…and you were brave too. I don’t know. It sort of just…came over me. I wanted to protect you…I...think that…is what is confusing me the most. I’m not…one to blindly rush into things. And I’ve…I mean while I don’t want people to get hurt, today is the first time that…I have ever thrown myself into the path of danger…”
And he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it.
“…Self defense classes…might really be a good idea. Would you go with me? I do a lot of yoga, so at least…I know I can move. I think that’s a plus but…it might be good to put…moving and fighting into the same category, if that’s something you think we could do?”
The page gave a suddenly sheepish smile. “…I would feel awkward going alone, I think. Please come with me…”
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:58 pm
Nalanda found himself nodding as he carefully helped Qingcheng along. There was a lump in his throat that he combatted only with silence and hid through dutiful nodding whenever the occasion demanded it.
Finally, he couldn't let the silence stretch for any longer without it being suspicious, so he answered, "I imagine it might be awkward going alone. Most classes cater to a specific clientele. But in this day and age, there is no shame in being safe. Crime has been going up in Destiny City anyway, so it shouldn't be suspicious or awkward. I'll go with you, yes," he answered.
"...Though I confess, I don't do yoga, or anything of the sort. All of my exercise comes from late night pacing and making rounds at the clinic. I suppose I'm due for something a bit more dedicated." He tapped his chest. "Sometimes my lungs are a bit embarrassing. I need breaks." He clearly wasn't proud of it. "Perhaps I can build up a bit of tolerance. Please don't let me make a fool of myself in public, though. Promise me that, at least," he said with a smile.
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:10 pm
He was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out if he really wanted to push the issue of Nalanda going for self-defense lessons with him, but finally gave a sigh. “I would never let you make a fool of yourself. We’re friends now. Partners. Patrol buddies…normal humans who have been thrust into the most abnormal situation…”
He gave a little laugh, wincing as pain lanced through his chest. That girl packed some serious power behind her punches.
“You can’t…really think I’d be the type of person to willingly take a punch for you, and then let you look silly in a class where we’re learning how to fight, can you?”
Qingcheng closed his eyes for a moment, not feeling anyone around but Nalanda, and let his power fade, leaving plain old Sterling instead. “…Maybe not even self defense. Maybe something…some kind of martial arts? It doesn’t have to be just…things for…women alone, you know. We could find something that suits us best. And if you get tired, we’ll take breaks. Try things on our own.”
Sterling squeezed the other Page’s shoulder. “…You’re not on your own, and there’s really no metric that I’ve found that we have to judge ourselves against. We just have to try. Nobody’s going to be watching us. Nobody’s going to judge us. There’s…well. I don’t think there’s any real outside pressure from all of this.”
…The fact that there were lives in the balance, that was a completely different story, but that was a personal issue, not a performance one.
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:22 pm
"Ah, be careful," Nalanda insisted, gently squeezing his arm. It was easier to focus on fussing over him than it was to be so openly sentimental. He hadn't realized how much he needed some sort of reassurance, and now he was feeling silly that it was so blatantly obvious. When it was Sterling standing next to him, he shifted back into Priam as well.
"I only mean that you mustn't laugh at me," he said, smiling at him. "I'll be very self-conscious! I'll feel out of place enough. Please, I'm skin and bone. There's not an ounce of muscle on me. I'll look silly no matter what. But--better to look silly and be alive than preserve pride and be dead, I think."
He gave him another gentle squeeze. "You're a good friend. I'm sorry you have to reassure me so much. We'll look at what classes they're offering and see who has the best review. Self-defense might be a good place to start. At the very least, it might be good exercise so I could build myself up to something else. Either that, or I'm going to have to start working out." He let out a long, drawn out sigh, like it was something tedious. "...We'll be back at my place soon and get you some ice. You're doing so well, Sterling."
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:09 pm
“I would never laugh at you! That is not the way to keep friendships. I’ll laugh with you while we both have problems adjusting. But I won’t ever make fun of you for anything. That…isn’t how this works. At least, it shouldn’t be. If we have in fighting and people laughing at one another…that…just isn’t the right way to win a war at all.”
He gave a little huff and winced again. “…And if that’s how things are going…something should be done…Like, trust me I…” Sterling paused and flushed. “…I haven’t done anything that…I just. You know. I’ve read a lot of books and…in fighting always causes whoever’s doing it to lose…you know?”
In fighting, back biting. Whatever. “The point is, I wouldn’t laugh at you. You’re my friend and ally. And…reassuring is just what I do. But. Let’s get to your house…I would truly appreciate a pain killer and a glass of water…and I’ll pay for whatever we get fir dinner, provided you want to order in.”
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:15 pm
"I don't like violence," Priam said in a tone that almost sounded stern. "I don't agree with it. It's barbaric and redundant for humans. Childish, but worse, because it's often done with malicious intent. But. Seeing violence done to you just makes it worth knowing how to stop it, no matter how silly I might feel. But there's no shame in learning. Other people's opinions only matter if you let it, I suppose. And I've let things like that bother me for too long."
The house wasn't so far away, so he kept Sterling leaning on him as they walked.
"I can't make you pay for dinner, please don't be silly. You can pay me back later. Maybe in twenty years or so, when you work off that student debt. For now, just let me take care of you."
He knew how to do that, at least.
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