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 Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:25 am
The weapon was not, in fact, called 'bowlers', something that probably only would have taken someone with access to a computer about five minutes to figure out -- but which had taken Ilmenite much longer. An hour and a half of paging through books at the library had finally landed him at the right encyclopedia entry, wishing desperately he could change into uniform to compare but unwilling to give himself away like that at work.
Anyway, the picture had been clear enough, and from there it was only a matter of time before he'd dragged out three or four books on the subject, paging through for instructions about technique and use by hunters before finally deciding he liked it. It was useful, and not too hands on. An excellent choice.
Not, of course, that research meant he knew how to use it.
Which was why he was here.
More training was never a bad thing, even if it involved meeting out in the woods, uncomfortably close to his parents' house. He recognized the area, knew a family who lived just out of the line of sight, had once upon a time spent lazy afternoons in this area perched in the forked branches of a tree reading a book that his father probably wouldn't have approved of.
Ilmenite was glad, at this point, that he'd chosen to show up early. It gave him time to sit and toy with his bolas and drive back uncomfortable feelings before Wolframite showed up.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 7:33 pm
Wolframite had taken the offer to help the new Captain who was under Zinkenite's care. Staying at home had been out for the most part, and now that Bismuthite knew what he was up to, he saw no reason to hide it. There was no reason for Billy to be about today with him as Wolframite had no intention of being anywhere near senshi. A simple training exercise would hopefully just make him feel a tad bit useful without being paranoid or on edge with patrolling. It seemed every battle he had gone into, he had lost his cool and wound up getting hurt in some form. That or just wound up beating the living hell out of something, be it some low class senshi or a civilian.
It was time for a short break, and he requested that the captainmeet him in the woods and sent him the location via phone text. Of course he had no idea that Ilmenite knew the place. For Ladon, it was just a location that wouldn't attrack senshi or police attention. In the past, he would have suggested plenty of abandoned lots and buildings, but with recent events, he felt on edge around even a darkened office building at times.
As for the Negaverse HQ, a place he once sparred with Uranophane to improve his own technique with his weapon, well, he was avoiding it. He didn't feel he could look Tanzanite in the eye right now.
Tree hoping, Wolframite jumped down from the canopy and landed, easy and without any sort of 'TA-DA' flair. "You're early. That's good. Glad you found the place."
Moving over, Wolframite offered his good hand, which really wasn't his good had as much anymore due to a recent cut now had a bandage on it. Still, it was better than the other which was completely covered in bandages and some finger splints. "It's nice to meet you, Captain Ilmenite."
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 7:21 am
Ilmenite's eyes lifted as he approached, followed him down out of the canopy -- and he made a faintly amused noise. He'd opted to take the subway to the bus to get here. In retrospect, if he'd realized exactly where it was, he might have been able to teleport closer. Or he could have played superhero, running across the tops of trees -- except that he had never seen Crouching Tiger. The idea had never occurred to him.
The expression he turned on Wolframite was a mix: amusement mixed with just a touch of something surprised. It wasn't only that he'd expected someone taller. It was also that he wasn't used to being a captain, yet, and he'd just been operating on the assumption that whoever was teaching would feel the way Zink did...
He took the hand, head tipped to consider the bandage, and both shook it and used it to haul himself easily up to stand.
"You too. Wolframite? And I'm always either earlier or late, so..." Early was probably better. His new weapon hung from his free hand, duct-tape covered ends reflecting filtered sunlight.
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 7:30 am
Wolframite was, if anything, a person who noticed rank. He was very respectful to his superiors and protective of those under him. New recruits bothered him in that he worried for their welfare, knowing that the dangers of the uniform coupled with inexperience and fear had wiped out a good number of their new recruits, making the already small numbers of their army hard to raise. It wasn't that he didn't worry about any member on his team, but he at least could breath a bit better around a Captain who at least had the advantage of a power boost and hopeful the battle experience to know when to bail and when to take the risk.
While he had never met Ilmenite, he felt that if Zink knew him, he was a professional, straight-forward individual with a good head on his shoulders. It would seem strange if Zinkenite suggested weapon training with someone that didn't take things seriously. While someone might point out Zink DID associate with Scheelite, Wolframite knew that the blonde was just as battle-strong and serious when it came right down to it. Hyper, but reliable.
While he did not wince when he pulled the boy up, he did feel the sting of the cuts to his hands and reminded himself how stupid he had been in grabbing his own blades during that battle. Up on his feet, Wolframite looked over to the weapon in the officer's hands. "It is good to be early than later. I don't like waiting around. Is that your weapon?" He said, trying not to point before opening his hand. "May I see it a moment?"
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 7:37 am
Was there an etiquette to weapon sharing? For just a moment, Ilmenite hesitated, his head tipped and his mouth parted just a little. It seemed like this should be a personal thing, but he couldn't bring himself to feel strongly one way or the other. Perhaps because the rope still felt fresh and unfamiliar against his palm. Memories of growth spurts around the age of fifteen...
With a sharp noise, he gave up and dropped the weapon into Wolframite's waiting palm, his shoulders rolling and eyes coming back into focus.
"Bolas. South American origin." He rubbed his own now-empty hands together, shaking his head just a little bit. "Distance weapon, for taking down cattle. Or Senshi, I suppose...
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 8:21 am
Taking the small weapon, he suddenly had recollections of his lieuteant weapon and how ridiculous it all had been. A jump rope with heavy, wooden handles and a rope serving as the link between them. Useless really, but he learned his basics. With the chord of the 'Bolas' in his hand, he swung the ends back and forth, trying to compare and get a feel for it as to how to go about this lesson and what to focus on. Aiming while holding the weapon wasn't necessary. There wouldn't be a need to throw just one end because it didn't have that sort of ability. Aiming and throwing were the main focus here.
"Yes. I believe this would just be used for taking down a senshi and really, once you have them on the ground, you're almost halfway there. Not a guaranteed win, but it really helps." He handed the weapon back, summoning his own. As a Captain, his weapon was more clean. It didn't have duct tape, but was two pristine, slender knives attached by a chain. "I used to have a jump rope as my first weapon and actually learned to throw it a few times. I didn't have the extra length of a chain as I did before. Maybe once we get some basics down, we can try on a few strays or a few civilians."
He started to walk. "We'll find a slender tree that will work as our target. Have you practiced any with it?" He asked, looking over to the other officer.
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 8:26 am
His weapon had heft, at least; much like Ilmenite, the outside didn't entirely reflect the inside. Similar to his uniform, the weapon had a rough and piecemeal look to it, immediately countered by the sheer weight at the ends. Ilmenite's weapon might not have been as clean as Wolframite's, but it was certainly as effective.
Or would be, once he knew how the hell to use it.
The suggestion of taking down civilian's got a twitch of his mouth, a hint of a frown, a considering moment before he decided it wasn't worth the argument. He'd do what he did, and take advantage of the help the other Captain could give.
"I've thrown it a few times." He shrugged, held up a hand. His own palm was unbandaged, but mottled with fine, pale white scars. The BMC might not have hit him as hard as Wolfy, but it had left its marks. "Mostly it flails and stutters and doesn't get very far."
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 8:16 pm
Wolframite stopped at a small tree, deciding that it might be best to try here. A running target would be too much, and something too small for aiming might not be what they needed just yet. A tall target to get the weight and feel of the weapon was better, and then he could start aiming for where the legs, body, and head would be. Depending on where you wanted to hit, you could get different results in a battle.
Looking at the scars, he frowned a bit. "Well, battle scars are part of practice. I was lucky enough to work with my weapon some before it became more serious though I did get cut a lot." He summoned his own weapon, a long chain with two slender knives, one at each end. The weight was familiar to him, comforting, and he gripped the middle.
"You weapon has a lot less slack than mine, but I think I can help. If anything, we can practice together." He started to wind up his own weapon, spinning one end before he threw it out at the tree, letting it slide away. "The thing you have to remember is that it's a pain to get it back and without your weapon, it's back to just fighting with your own body. In the end, you should train both."
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 8:27 am
"I've done research about mine. It's not..." He hesitated, smoothing a palm over his shirt, eyes taking in the way Wolframite's weapon struck the tree. It was offensive, certainly, and dangerous, in a way no one else that he'd met so far was. Zink's weapon didn't kill anyone, necessarily, nor had many of those he'd seen in the final battle during the rescue. In fact, Ilmenite thought this might be the first bladed weapon he'd seen at all.
And he simply didn't like it. He fought against the uncomfortable twitch at the corner of his mouth, biting back on something sarcastic.
"It's not really meant for a fight. It's meant to end the fight before it starts." He reached for it, smoothing rope between his fingers and eying the tree uneasily. "It's a hunter's weapon, not a mercenary's. Aim for the ankles, and you can bring someone down. Then it's just a matter of picking up the pieces."
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 3:36 pm
The shorter captain moved over to the tree, reaching out and dismissing his weapon to only summon it again, not bothering to untangle it and finding the process much more time efficient. Turning, he started to collected the chain and preparing it for another throw before stopping beside the other captain. "Taking them down is barely even the half of it. Just because a senshi is down, doesn't mean you can easily pick up the pieces. They throw magic and they can destroy your weapon. They can even use it against you if they get clever enough to figure out how. Hunting is well and good, but you will be in a possession where your weapon has to be of some use when a senshi jumps out when you aren't prepared."
He looked up. "Show me what you can do."
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 9:44 pm
For a moment, Ilmenite just stood there; holding his weapon, oddly stiff, his mouth working. There were gears turning behind his eyes, words that he knew he shouldn't say but was having a very hard time biting down on. Comments that tightened his jaw and, finally, came bubbling out to a certain degree.
"...first you tell me..." It started slow, still stiff, grinding out of him for a moment before he finally gave in and committed to just having this conversation. Even if it was a conversation which might get in trouble.
"You tell me where the line is drawn between being prepared and looking for a fight." Instead of tensing for the fight, his posture relaxed, like this was his usual place in the world. His mouth running, potentially causing trouble? Well, maybe it was.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 7:39 pm
It wasn't a strange question, but he hadn't been asked it before. Still, he found no reason to answer it as it was simple enough. "Being prepared is patrolling and knowing how to handle yourself when you are attacked. Sometimes senshi came come out of nowhere and some can disguise themselves..." He knew this very well since it was an invisible group of senshi that had captured him. "...Senshi will attack you and they go out for patrols just as we do. Some even set traps and hunt." Of course, he was basing this all on the Blood Moon Court, but why not warn a fellow Captain of the extreme dangers that were out there? Better safe than sorry.
"Hunting is when you go out on your patrol not to keep an eye on things or collect energy, but with the sole purpose of finding any energy signature that could be a senshi and targeting it. Then following them until you see your opportunity and attacking them." He wasn't sure why it all mattered. "Either way, fighting a senshi properly is important to get ride of them in whatever situation. If you are looking for them or they are looking for you."
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 7:03 am
Ilmenite's immediate reply was a snort, and while he processed Wolframite's words -- admittedly hunting for some kind of gap or flaw that he could dig fingers into, to pull the whole thing apart -- he twisted the bolas in his hands. He had been tossing the things, some, but he certainly hadn't gotten the hang of it. Several quick spins and he let fly, the weapon spreading out in a way it shouldn't have, the ends clacking together, and going far left of the tree.
That certainly didn't improve his mood.
With an impatient shake of his head he dismissed it and summoned it back into his hand, eyes resettling onto Wolframite. "You're talking about inevitabilities, when you simply don't know what someone else is going to do."
He toyed with the bolas again, thinking about throwing them. He should have waited for comments or suggestions, but he was too agitated to hesitate. "You're talking about 'getting rid of' what are essentially possessed teenagers. You don't see an issue with that?"
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 6:28 pm
Wolframite looked over at the other Captain with a look that clearly said he saw no problem with this at all. Adjusting the weapon in his grip, he moved a few feet away from their previous position from the tree and regarded it a moment. "We have made it clear to the senshi that if they want to come to our side, they can. However, I am not one to bend over backwards to bring them to our side. They are the enemy. They kill our members. They ruin our city. They are here to take over our world and claim it as their own. I don't care about their age. I don't care about their big families. I don't care about their pet spaniel that might mess them if they're gone. All I care about is to see each and every one of them that oppose us to be rip apart and their starseeds harvested for our cause."
Reaching up he wound his weapon up and whipped it wide, causing it to hack down a small sapling before reaching out and gripping the chain end of his weapon before the blade. He looked over to Ilmenite. "The senshi kill just as mercilessly as we do. Some may say they are hesitant or against it, but when it comes down to it, they will kill to protect their own necks, to protect their kind, and when time seasons them enough that they feel it is the right thing to do."
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 7:39 am
There was a pause, a very long breath of silence, surprised or horrified perhaps. Ilmenite might have been preparing to beat a retreat, or slam Wolframite with some counter argument. Except, instead, his expression melted into something less hostile and instead he crumbled down into a laugh, the bolas hanging limply from his hand. It wasn't truly amused -- it was more incredulous, twisted with surprise still.
It was maybe, just maybe, a little bit mocking.
"So...so wait." He had to draw in a breath, twirling the weapon absently around his finger and drawing himself up to his full height. He didn't usually tower over people, but right now, for some reason, he wanted to. Ilmenite wouldn't have dared this as lieutenant. Today, though, he felt pretty good about himself.
"What you're saying is 'neener neener, they did it first'? Jesus ******** Christ." Another little laugh, his eyes flicking onto the tree, instead. After a moment, he tossed the weapon again. It flew wide, still, but this time it caught against a low hanging branch, trussing it up in a wild flurry of weights. "That's just about the worst reason to do something I have ever heard."
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