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 Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:29 am
Lysanna's gaze took in the sight of the crescent moon that hung low, but bright in the sky and to the planet that lay just underneath. From what her research told her, okay, from what she'd gleaned from the internet (thanks Google) that planet was Venus. The cadet stared up at the celestial display before her thoughts turned to what she should have been doing: research. But the cadet felt as if she had earned a much needed break from the banal scenery afforded by her room and instead had decided to slip out of the home that most of the Vanguard shared. While it wasn't the dead of the night Lysanna felt that if she stuck to the routes less travelled that she could steer clear of any individuals that were lurking around. The unsavoury elements that presented the utmost danger to unsuspecting civilians: powered or not.
In the time since her arrival to Earth - she'd been given a more thorough understanding of the factions that were apparently fighting for control of the Earth and Lysanna had to wonder why the aggravation and animosity. Wasn't one's energy simply wasted by fighting all the time. Wouldn't the energy be better spent on more productive projects?
Pulling on the hasp that held her axe to her side Lysanna pulled free the weapon before gently swinging it through the air a few times. The motion was becoming more natural to her and she could only stare in envy at those weapons that the corporals and commanders in the group that had preceded her bore with grace and ease. Would she one day wield her axe with the same finesse? For now though, after a couple of extra swings with the blade did she lower it before scanning her surroundings. There didn't seem to be anything of importance going on in the immediate area and Lysanna frowned, suddenly restless. The night only held so many wondrous things before an individual started to see the same things over and over, thus getting bored as a result.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 9:44 am
Psilomelane knew she needed to figure herself out. She knew that what she was doing now was procrastinating the hard task that lay ahead of her. She couldn't simply exist as a Negaverse operative with a career on the civilian side, and she understood that holing herself up in her house for days on end when she had time off was likewise bad for her. People needed friends, no matter how introverted they were. And making friends was a matter of knowing herself.
Psilomelane didn't know herself. Didn't remember anything about herself. Her memories started with waking up in Axinite's office, feeling like her head was splitting apart and her chest was collapsing in on itself. Everything since then had been memories of work, or research, or Negaverse work, or Negaverse research. Sapphirine was the closest person she had to being a friend, now, and she couldn't rely on Sapphirine for everything — it wasn't fair to her.
But if she only ever went out to serve the Negaverse, if she never looked for a patrol partner at the very least, she wouldn't be making any friends.
Those thoughts continued chasing each other in her own head while Psilomelane meandered through her usual patrol route. She passed the long, winding roads that framed one of the city's larger parks, she passed the graveyard that was situated opposite the park, she passed the more expensive homes that each sat on a solid half-acre in the center of the city, she got onto the rooftops as she hit the burgeoning commercialized area that surrounded the university. It was here that she noticed she wasn't fully alone, and she wasn't necessarily in the company of friends.
She froze when she spotted them — some kind of tan uniform, but what caught her eye was a skin tone that was very clearly inhuman. "What are you?" She asked sharply.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 2:59 pm
"What are you?"Lysanna checked her movements as the question reached her ears. Almost instantly she was transported back to the meeting of her first order aligned individual on Earth. For a moment she was buoyed by the thought that maybe Urania had stumbled across her again and that would be their new special greeting to each other before she realized that the aura of the individual who had decided to call out to her was different. It wasn't Urania. It wasn't even another order signature that was showing up on the comtech. Nope, this was someone else, and by the tone of the voice: they were not happy to an alien being standing nearby.
Perhaps on another day the cadet would have merely shrugged off the question as irksome as something to just shake off entirely. Today was a moment in time that the cadet didn't feel as charitable in her response and she rounded on the individual, "isn't there some other greeting besides "what are you?" that could work in this situation? Seriously, given everything that I've been told goes on here in the city seeing a nearly six foot being with purple skin shouldn't be alarming, and yet all I get when I try to go out for some time alone to think is "What are you?""
Lysanna let her words fade before she took a closer look at the woman that dared to address her. Black predominately ruled the uniform and that was an indicator of being chaos-aligned. Do I really want to pick at the semantics of Earth greetings, was the thought that went through her mind before she verbally spat out, "perhaps if you want to know what I am, ask nicer. Maybe someone will reply more favourably."
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:24 pm
"That should tell you something," Psilomelane snapped back. She maintained her defensive pose as she watched the purple-skinned giant. "But you're obviously not listening."
Whoever this was, they knew English. They knew that Destiny City experienced its fair share of questionable phenomena. They must have known something about the war to recognize her as a threat, and they must've encountered enough people who were similarly astonished to find someone like her running around here.
This was like meeting Roka, but much more hostile. At least he had the decency to have an allegiance, albeit the wrong one. At least he had the familiarity of being a senshi. But this girl? Psilomelane didn't know where to begin.
So maybe it was time to try her and see what came of it. Psilomelane leapt onto the shared roof, fists at the ready, as she approached steadily. "I think I've had enough of your mouth. I'd rather take you in and let someone else pry the answers out of you. I'm sure there's more than a few agents who would like to know how you tick."
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:46 pm
Lysanna's gaze narrowed considerably. And for someone with cat-slit eyes that was saying something. Even as the senshi approached her did her defensive instincts kick into high gear. Practicing amongst oneself with various drills helped to keep Lysanna focused but her actual combat record against an opponent of live flesh was a little more shaky. That being said even as she moved to center her balance did the hand holding her axe grip the shaft just a little bit tighter before she switched it to her more dominant hand. The key now was to watch to see if her opponent would telegraph any opening move.
"I don't know what you think you or your agents would even be able to posit about me before I'd be gone. And when I say gone, I mean it."
That was it, time for deep concentration was at hand and Lysanna's mind rushed through various thrusts and parries that she could make with her weapon. It wouldn't physically damage this individual, but repeated shocks that numbed areas might be a bit of a deterrent after a few strikes. Her gaze shifted to the right for a moment before her left foot slid forward, followed by her right. Her axe came down towards the raised fists of her opponent before she reached out with her left hand to impede any further motion as her axe swung in towards her opponent's ribs. Strike first, retreat, re-evaluate was what was drilled into her mind at the moment.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:56 pm
"I don't see you leaving now," Psilomelane returned. Whatever this girl was, she wasn't easy to intimidate. And she had a weapon on her — a real weapon — unlike the Lieutenants she'd met in Negaspace.
Maybe she knew how to use it, maybe she didn't. But Pavo didn't intend to risk life and limb just to find out what she was; surely someone had to know. There had to be Database entries she could find.
It wasn't that Psilomelane particularly wanted to fight. She wasn't good at it, she knew, for she spent most of her time honing her craft over honing her combat. There were enough senshi in SpecOps with more useful magic that could hold their own better than her, and she was fine with that. However, she had to admit that violence could be persuasive at times.
When she got within punching distance, she feinted and tried for a kick to the stomach. If she could wind her enough that she might talk, it could whet Psilomelane's curiosity. Even if all she got was a name, it was something more to go off of than she had before.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 7:52 pm
Why should I leave though? I was here first. I was only minding my own business...
Even as the thoughts went through her mind did Lysanna catch sight of her opponent's foot lashing out towards her stomach. Her gaze widened infinitesimally before her held weapon came down to try to deflect the movement from connecting with her side. Obviously there was no would be no intent to cause any serious harm but the cadet wasn't going to simply roll over and take whatever was dished out to her. Even though as the blade was brought down in time to deflect most of what had been aimed to her side, enough of the blow still made it past to strike her side and she winced as a result.
"It's a public space. No signs means I don't have to leave. If you take offense to my presence, why don't you leave?"
There was a moment to adjust to the sense of discomfort radiating from her side before she moved forward. Using her minute advantage in height did Lysanna lunge forward in an attempt to strike the senshi in the face with a closed fist. Forgetting her drills altogether wasn't going to win this fight for her but Lysanna was getting more than a little fed up. Heck the easiest thing would be to simply disengage from the situation but she was entirely stubborn and refused to take the easy path out.
Pretty sure people aren't going to be happy about this but I can't back down now.
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:23 am
Psilomelane yelped when the blade caught her bare skin. "You were the one talking about leaving!"
She didn't feel it yet, but she knew the pain of that bladed axe was going to catch up with her once the adrenaline ran out. She already felt the welt raising up hotly on her leg, knowing she'd likely start to bleed a little if she kept moving. She shifted that foot back, changing her stance to strike a palm against her enemy's chest, but —
Psilomelane saw the alien draw her fist back. She had to make a split second call —
She went for the strike, but her arms were shorter, and she couldn't reach before the fist struck her in the face. Grunting, she stumbled back, and she touched her nose gingerly. Not broken, at least.
Bitter illusion, she thought. Psilomelane doubled over, holding her face.Quote: Pavo appears hurt and close to defeat, which may lure her opponent into a false sense of security. During this state, she receives a 1.5x buff to her physical damage. This attack cannot be used in tandem with her eternal.
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 10:20 pm
The yelp that was drawn from her opponent when her axe hit her in the side was unexpected. But it was probably due to the shock of being struck was all. Lysanna had never really been struck by her own weapon so she wasn't exactly aware of how hard of an impact it would have on her opponents. And generally when the cadet's were taught weapon skills, they usually didn't face off against each other. So there was no real warning for how much it might hurt. Although accidents had happened before. But she'd never felt her own weapon's strength used against her own body. Even being struck in the side with the axe did Lysanna realize that her opponent had still been making a move to strike back but it almost was like the reach she had was just a little bit longer than the senshi that she was fighting.
Even as her fist successfully struck her opponent Lysanna felt a brief flash of remorse for having succumbed all too easily to the human compulsion to inflict injury on another. But was it not in self-defense? Was it then that it was acceptable and only then? Even as she shook out the feeling of the impact to her hand and witnessed the senshi double over did the cadet begin to worry that maybe she'd overdone the whole "self-defense" defense and had been aiming to prove a point.
For one brief second Lysanna's gaze wavered and when she looked once more at the senshi that was doubled over, holding her face did the cadet really wonder if she'd overdone the entire fight. The senshi looked like she was ready to keel over at any moment and that hadn't been the result that Lysanna wanted at all. It was beyond a doubt probably the worst thing that she'd ever done and what would have happened if this little encounter got back to those whose ears didn't need to hear tales of her screwing up? What was the right choice to make here? If she left now, this senshi would no doubt make her life miserable somehow. But she couldn't do anything else, could she?
"Look, I didn't want this. You forced my hand and this is the result," her words were clipped, terse, not really believable to her own ears, "maybe next time don't be so quick to pick a fight with a stranger."
Lysanna didn't really feel like leaving yet, but maybe given all that had just happened it would have been the wisest choice. But it almost felt like if she did, she'd have given in. Instead she kept her gaze squarely on the senshi before backing up a few meters to put space between them but she remained silent and dead set on staying where she was.
Strickenized fyi - 3rd paragraph start is when Lysanna's been hit by 'Bitter Illusion'
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2023 2:39 pm
Watching the alien back up didn't help matters; Psilomelane knew she could teleport to cover the distance and use her small advantage to strike back, but that would be the last move she could make before she'd have to retreat and recover her energy. That would sting her pride, but it wasn't as though she came away with nothing.
She knew, now, that these aliens existed. She knew that this one carried around an axe, and while it wasn't the sharpest thing that Psilomelane had been on the wrong side of, she could write out what to expect. She got uniform and personality information. If nothing else, it was an easy entry so others could be on the lookout for these aliens, and she might even meet someone who knows what to do with them.
There had to be a story for how they ended up here, she knew. But she wasn't getting it out of this one.
Luckily, the girl was talking. With some concentration, Psilomelane was able to teleport behind her and use the last dregs of her magic to swing a high kick at her. This alien was much taller, but Psilomelane hoped the kick connected with something. If she struck air, she was liable to fall over with the dizzying amounts of energy she just burned.tefla sorry for the wait, i just could not get this tag to work
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 2:37 am
Perhaps it had been foolish to remain once it appeared that her opponent was beat. There was nothing more to be gained from this encounter but even as Lysanna moved to step away from the senshi did her opponent seemingly blink out of sight. The cadet stepped forward with confusion evident all over her face as she took in the spot where the other had been seemingly injured, to the point where it would have been in bad sport to keep on going. Lysanna's gaze flicked to her immediate left before it ticked to the right. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Could her opponent teleport?
As that question rocked through her mind did Lysanna become aware of what seemed to be a noise from behind. The force of the impact of a foot striking her high in the chest knocked Lysanna backwards and she fought to keep her balance. Recovering from the force of the impact wasn't easy and even as she focused on not falling over did she had the wherewithal to at least check on where her opponent now stood.
Teleportation, it seemed, was a trick that this senshi could do.
Well, she could teleport to, in a sense. Though the Vanguard called it something else. Wincing even as she took a step away from her opponent did Lysanna activate her comtech feature to bring up the option of warping back to the dwelling that all the Vanguard seemed to share. One moment she was still on the roof, and the next moment, it was like she had never been there.
Strickenized I am so sorry for leaving this hanging for so long. I scrolled back through our DM conversation to try and figure out the best way to write an exit. Figure with both injured, they'd both just want to leave. I guess this is Lysanna's exit.
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