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Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 12:35 pm
"No, I never did. I never wanted to fight a youma before because I worried something bad might happen. That was before. Now, I've been interested. I kind of want to earn their respect and I know they could make me stronger. I just need to be careful. There is no teleportation here or medics. I'd have to make sure not to die here if I lost badly."
He kept his eyes up at the ridge and fished how far they were from the previous youma trio. He kept quiet a moment, ears turning as he listened, then seemed to relax.
"Sometimes I wonder if I'll become a full youma one day."
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Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 12:59 pm
Laven reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Why would you say such a thing?” She asked in a low voice.
Concern knitted her brows together as she slid down the hill a few inches so she stood directly beside him. Dread caused her heart to sink into the pit of her stomach thinking that was what they were destined to become. That balance between their natures was only a placeholder goal for the inevitable; that someday their humanity would not even be a distant memory but rather completely forgotten as their youma side took control.
Glancing over her shoulder to where the scorpion youma had been, Laven swallowed thickly then turned back to Wolframite. “Is that what you want for yourself?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 1:15 pm
"I want to be useful for this side and for the everyone here." He said, looking over at her.
"Don't make that face. I don't consider it a bad change if it were to happen, but that doesn't mean I'm rushing towards it. I'm very cautious about my chaos intake." He said as he moved with her.
He gestured for them to make their way up the hill.
"Should be past that crumbled spire." He said as he used his claws to sink into the stone and heave himself up the slope.
"I was thinking we could go on a patrol together. Do you think you're ready for something like that?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:25 pm
As he scaled the slope Laven had to stomp down the urge to grab ahold of his foot and pull him back down. But this was neither the time nor place to do such things. The last thing she needed or wanted, was for him to decide to leave without her because she was being stubborn. Wolframite said he was being cautious and so she had no other choice but to take him at his word. When he reached the top she followed after him albeit slower since she had little experience with climbing, at least in places where there wasn’t water below to catch her fall. “Do I think I’m ready?” Looking up at him with a raised brow she answered honestly. “No…” “But I suspect-” Laven hoisted herself up over the edge and rose to her feet, brushing the dirt on her palms off onto her uniform in the process “I suspect that my opinion on that is of little consequence and that you’ll drag me out there anyway.” She bent her finger and poked him in the arm with her knuckle rather than a pointed claw. “I promised to rise through the ranks with you, can’t exactly do that unless I get out there right?” Since the beginning he had made it known he was going to push her to her limits which meant that staying in her little comfort zone would not fly for very long. He was a Captain and she a Lieutenant if he said ‘lets go’, wasn’t she obligated to say ‘where and when’?
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 6:14 am
He smiled. "Your suspicious are correct. You have pent up energy and no on the field experience. As kind as your superior has been, they are probably covering for your lack of an energy quota. They can't keep that up forever and you need to know how it is on the streets. With the both of us, we can watch out for attacks and I can teleport in an emergency. There is a few things like energy gathering and traversing a city you should know."
"With enough progress, you can become a captain like me. You don't want to keep me lonely over here, right?" He joked as they headed past broken stonework and beheaded, cracking statues.
"I also want to make sure you're safe. I don't want you to go on a solo patrol and wind up in the infirmary." He said, clearly concerned. He didn't want to loose the few people around him. He wasn't sure that Laven might wind up not needing him anymore once she was more confident and powerful, but for now he needed her and he liked her needing his help.
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:44 am
“Far enough, I can’t really argue with that.” Although she was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be too thrilled if she told him that she has actually had an encounter once when she was waiting to be taxied back to the Dark Kingdom with some of her belongings. It had been a young kid with a bit of an attitude but like her, he too was hurting from an injustice that was out of both their hands and so she had inevitably let the child senshi go with little more than a splash of water above his head and a reprimand for being reckless. However, it didn’t really cross her mind until he said it, that Lopezite was likely covering for her lack of activity and that thought made her feel quite a bit guilty. He was kind like that and she wouldn’t put it past him to do something like that without telling her. Laven knew that she owed it to them both to try harder because, like what Wolframite said, her Captain can’t keep this up forever and she didn’t want to hold either of them back. “If I may make a request though.” She paused at one of the crumbling statues and placed her hand on the rough stonework that had been weathered over time. “I”d like to train with you at least one more time before we go back to Destiny City please. You never did critique our fight- well… aside from telling me to go for your throat. But I mean, you got a feel for what I can do but now it’s on you to tell me how I can do it better.” That’s how a teacher, or mentor, was supposed to work was it not? Assess a student’s capability and work with what they have to learn and grow. “I’ve even been practicing on my own,” Laven actually sounded a bit proud of herself with that admission then turned towards Wolframite leaving the statue behind her and continued on down the beaten path.
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:45 am
"An assessment then? Alright, here is one." He said, having already given her fighting some thought.
"You need to practice being quicker with that ball and with tossing. You should consider a item with similar weight to throw around, like a pitcher taking practice. You might even consider watching something about how they train as a suggestion. Your concentration needs work because you rely on it to make your water balls and to shift. You are processing a lot so being quick will be an asset to you. Go in and out of your forms every day. Try to time it. Improve on that time."
"You are good with reacting when we were fighting and knew about when to back off and when to come in. That improves over time and with experience. Same goes with hand to hand combat, but we can do more of that. You could use your legs more to do damage."
He then considered another point. "Don't risk going through people too much. Senshi have magic and could hurt you from the inside out. Smoke. Dust. Poison. Electricity. I don't know if your body absorbs things either so if someone throws a wave of bees at you, I'm not sure if you would take in those bees."
"My general Faustite is a half-youma who has a oven in his gut and can give off ink and smog. If you went through him, I think the results could be devestating to you. Your body might avoid physical attacks but magic and other things can still be absorbed."
He said these all in a even tone as of reading a report and looked to her. "We can train before we patrol, but regardless of how unsure you might feel after the session, we are still going. Sparring can be done with actual enemies, and you need practice with sneaking up on civilians."
Turning a corner, the space opened up to a flat level plain crammed in the edges with crystal and blackened stone. Youma had gathered at the center rod every type, chatting with each other, resting, or what seemed to be playing about - or trying to tear each other apart. It was hard to tell from this distance.
"Here we are."
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:51 am
Laven just stared at his back for a moment, blinking in a confused mix of emotion. Unsure if she should be amused or offended she simply shook her head and shrugged. It felt a bit like giving the man a remote; now he had all the power and she was left with no hope of getting it back. In all honesty though, she was hardly bothered by the notion of him taking the lead which is why she tipped her hands to him and called him out when he asked her opinion. “Such a thorough evaluation,” Standing beside Wolframite she clapped a hand on his shoulder and peered out across the open field. “It makes me wonder how often you think of me.” Just to make a nuisance of herself she winked at him then took a step away. For some reason she had expected it to be empty so she could run through it freely; but seeing that it was otherwise occupied Laven felt content just watching from the sidelines for just a bit. “You bring up a lot of good points, many of which I don’t have an answer to.” Laven took a seat atop a decently sized crystal and just let her legs hand off the side. “Your venom for one was unique in that when in my normal state it was very concentrated and felt more intense. But when I shifted it dispersed going from a sharp pain to a heated ache felt as far as it spread. I honestly don’t know which is better.” Both hurt like a b***h. Absently she wrapped her arms around herself, her thumb running over one of the hairline scars along her side from when he swiped her with his claws. “I used to love watching lightning storms, but now I’m kind of scared of them for the exact reason you just explained.” A rumbling sound echoed across the distance, it sounded like two behemoths colliding into one another. “I hope to never encounter a senshi, or anyone, that could use magic like that.” Seeing how her luck has been so far, chances are she probably just jinxed herself. Several moments passed as she watched a group of feral youma bait another into an ambush. They were almost hyena like with their laughing yips but definitely function as a unit with a cohesive pack mentality. A similar tactic Wolframite had warned her about after she ran off after the bird. One served as bait while two others were in wait, preparing for the opportune moment to pounce.
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:37 am
He was surprised by that thought and looked away.
"Who else would I think about. You're one of the few people I can without getting depressed." Probably from the small list of people he could count on his one hand, she didn't make him feel terrible or guilty or otherwise sad.
It was a rare quality to have in a friend. To think if them and not feel his stomach or his throat get right.
To the stone she sat upon, he leaned instead against it and watched them.
"You'll find a senshi of electricity, I'm sure. I've been burned, licked, thrown, grabbed by a kraken, and thrown in a coffin just as some of the things senshi can do. Never think an attack is impossible. They have it. It's why it's best to aggrivate them enough to use their attacks to know what it is. They have a limit too. It's a gun with very little ammo. One or two shots usually." He explained.
"That isn't to say some might not fight at all. I know a few who talk. A few who will even work with you but have their reasons not to corrupt." He knew a few who joined him in going against the Dark Mirror Court. A few senshi he did value.
"It's why it's good to have a friend. You get hurt, they can be there. It's hard going at it alone."
He stared up at the rolling clouds, and then at the group. "Come on. Let's walk in a bit. Get a closure look." And with that, he started to head into the field.
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 12:56 pm
Aggravate them? Sounded easier said than done coming from someone who enjoyed pushing buttons and fighting. From her perspective, she would much rather just ask. Being a half youma made her as much of a curiosity to them as they were to her; seemed to reason it would be easier to just trade information rather than learn first hand by being a pincushion or test dummy for them to beat on. Laven fell into step beside him, hand held out in front of her she imagined the ball of water hovering above her open palm. “They sound a bit like me, limited in their abilities.” She had spent a few days practicing shifting between forms more fluidly and it seemed that it capped out at three before exhaustion brought her to her knees. Chemistry had thought her that going from a solid to liquid took energy but when it was an innate ability she expected it to be less taxing. “Trust me when I say that I wish I could hold my water metamorphosis form longer if only so I could practice more with the bending.” Being restricted to a few minutes each day before needing to rest was both irritating and discouraging. Although, she did have to wonder if his venom worked the same way. “Question,” Laven ran her fingers through her hair in mild contemplating, wondering if it was worth asking or not. She worried her lip as she tried to figure out how best to phrase it before finally just drawing in a deep breath and sighing. “While we’re on the topic of friends. How do you determine who is trustworthy and not trying to use you for some personal gain? I’m not really one to put myself out there, not even among the other officers. As it stands, you and Lopezite are the only two I feel close to. But you mention having friends, or comrades I suppose, that are Senshi. What did they do to earn your trust?”
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 1:20 pm
"You both have magic. I find it interesting you have that kind of elemental magic. Faustite has fire and smoke. A literal opposite to you in a lot of ways. There were a few during the youma seminar. None of us seem too similar. I wonder if Metallia can sense our starseeds when the chaos takes hold or if our own starseeds influence our design." It was just him thinking out loud.
Question.
He smirked at this, feeling like she was raising her hand in class.
"Well, we fight together. They shared information to me of their own free will that could be used against their cause. They sided with me instead of their own associates."
"But that doesn't mean that I could still be used. It's just we were using each other equally and we're open about our wants and expectations. For the most part, I was always up front with what I wanted and let them decide. Since then, I have been able to get Intel whenever I crossed their path and talk. I still would harm them if Metallia gave me a direct order, but otherwise they are far more valueable than just a starseed."
"Don't all friends want something from the other in the end?" He asked, looking over to her.
"You and I do, right? For company at the very least." He said, not daring to voice any more than that.
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 2:09 pm
“For company,” She agreed and nodded her head. “And a taxi…” To that she grinned at him. With the exception of their trip to the faire she had yet to bother him again to take her back to Destiny City. “A means of escape and growth,” Laven began counting on her fingers all the ways in which she used him. “Adventuring companion, teacher… mentor… guide… and friend.” Her arms swung out wide as she spun in a circle next to him in a full body motion to the world he had brought her to. It was interesting how in just two months he had become so many things to her. “I guess that makes me the needy one in this relationship.” She jested almost sheepishly when her gaze settled on his. He told her not to call herself a duckling, but in truth that's really what she was. “I see what you mean though. It’s similar to a symbiotic relationship; like a clown fish and anemone you each have something to offer.” Naturally she would have some sort of an oceanic analogy, there were others she could list but that was the first that came to mind. “So then, other than working your way towards becoming a Sovereign what are your wants and expectations?”
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 6:14 pm
He perked up. "I know those fish." He said, having recently been given some Disney DVDs to watch from another officer and having watched finding Nemo. Otherwise he would have had no idea.
"And you don't lot too. Someone to talk to and hang out with. Patrol partner. Keeping me in check." He listed back, not wanting her to feel she was not contributing her own part. . Her question however was met with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I..don't? I haven't really thought if anything." He didn't want to mention his paperwork to move out until he felt the timing was better and the paperwork was approved. Now didn't seem like the time.
Part of him didn't feel there was much else. Mali had been harping on him to make a human life but he wasn't human and he could only have so much here in the Negaverse. It's not like he was going to open a cafe here or a youma grooming business.
"What about you?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:22 pm
"I don't really think I have any expectations. As for wants, they are more like short term goals really. For instance, I would like to earn my promotion." The timeline on that, however, was not as concrete as she would have liked but it's still something that she was easing herself into. "You mentioned that you don't have many memories of your life as a civilian. So, once I can learn how to teleport too, there are places I would like to take you." However, the first place she intended to visit was to see her family. That was one thing she had no intention of sharing since the rules more or less prohibited her from reconnecting with anyone and her previous life. But she needed to know that they were okay. "So… I guess that means my expectation is that you would want to hopefully do these things with me." Lavendulan worried her lower lip and looked away. Aside from plans this December or revisiting the faire again next year Wolframite hadn't given her any indication that was even something he wanted to do. "I'm not going to force you to go though. But I promise to pick places that don't include water." As if that would be much of an incentive.
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:01 pm
"You don't have to avoid the water with me. I just can't dive like you probably can. But, I do want to go to an aquarium and zoo one day. I've been making a list of things people typical have done in their life. A lot I don't think I can do, like school, but a few others I can. "
He also considered small goals. "Maybe learn to drive one day though what use would that be here." He said, amused with the idea more than anything.
"I'd be willing to go to your places if you are willing to go to mine." He said, offering a deal of mutual dragging about.
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