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 Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:55 pm
We itch, Kouki complained, for about the seventh time that morning. Madison snapped closed the book she was reading. "You can't itch. You have no body TO itch. Seriously, Kouki, knock it off, I'm trying to-" But we iiiiiiiiitch."Ugh." Madison sat back in her desk chair, bringing up both hands to rub at her temples. So much for a quiet afternoon in her dorm. "Stop talking about it! You're giving me a headache and making me itchy just by talking so damn much." One hand strayed to scratch the side of her neck. We want to scratch, Kouki said, sadly. Or... we could bite, maybe. That might help.Madison sighed. "So that's what all this is about? You want to fight?" That might help, the serpent-sword repeated, petulantly. "Ugh. Okay. Fine. We'll go fight... somebody." She pulled out her cell phone, then gave the address book a thoughtful look before settling on Jordan's name, keying in a text with her thumb while her free hand absently scratched at her knee. Prolixity HEY BOS U WANNA SPAR MET ME @ TRNING GRND <3 "There. Happy?" Yes. We apologize."Hm." She got up, stretched, and fetched her shoes and coat.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:27 pm
The phone buzzed. Jordan sat up straight in his desk chair, jolted out of a half-doze; had there been anyone else in the room, he would probably have reflexively denied having been asleep. As it was, however, it was just him and Ferros, and there really wasn't any point. He swiped the back of his hand across his eyes and picked up the phone. The message was a welcome one; the book he'd been reading had bored him into a nap, and he could really stand some exercise. Anyway, it was Maddie, and it was always good to see her. Sosiqui Text to Madison: See you in five. He shoved the phone into his pocket, got up, stretching until his back cracked, and headed for the training grounds.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:55 pm
Madison was waiting, and gave Jordan a cheery wave as he approached. "Hey! Thanks," she said, grinning and greeting him with a one-armed hug. "This guy was just complaining and complaining about itching, of all things, like swords can even itch-"
We do itch, Kouki sulked.
"Yeah, hush," Madison said, shaking her head and stepping back. "Figured maybe he'd shut up if I took him out, so... Ferros up to it? Hi, Ferros," she added, politely. Usually she didn't greet other people's weapons, but Ferros seemed to have more of a personality than most. Or maybe Jordan was just more forthcoming about it with her?
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prolixity rolled 1 20-sided dice:
18
Total: 18 (1-20)
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:25 pm
Jordan returned the hug, smiling cheerfully. "Yeah, they're weird like that," he agreed. "Ferros complains about his backplates itching sometimes, and it doesn't seem to matter at all that he doesn't have backplates like this."
They still itch, Ferros said. Hello, Madison. Jordan, tell Kouki that he just needs a good oiling. That will take care of it.
"Uh - I'm not sure that applies," Jordan said dubiously; but he shrugged and told Maddie, "Ferros says hi, and that I should tell Kouki that he needs to be oiled." He nodded courteously to Kouki. "We're always up for a spar," he added with a grin.
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Sosiqui rolled 1 20-sided dice:
15
Total: 15 (1-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:37 pm
Oiled? Oiled... Kouki let out a wistful sigh. Oh, to feel the soft caress against my scales, gleaming in the-"Oiled, okay." She raised one eyebrow at the hammer, then grinned at Jordan. "Do you suppose he means literally, like me dumping oil on the blades is gonna help? Because, seriously, he's making me itch." She summoned Kouki properly, the swords settling into their familiar place on her hips. "Does that help?" she asked aloud, scraping at one hilt with her fingertips. Maybe."Hmph." She took a step back and drew two blades, careful not to swing them at Jordan. Not yet, anyway. "It's weird, though. Ever since, um. The mission... with the snakes, you know? That one. He's felt more... more snakey. Snakeish?"
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prolixity rolled 2 10-sided dice:
2, 2
Total: 4 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:52 pm
"Hard to say," Jordan said thoughtfully, and summoned Ferros, brushing his free hand over the hammer's head in an affectionate stroke. "Can't hurt, right? I seem to remember that ordinary swords need oiling. I tend to Ferros about once a week or so, make sure he's cleaned and his metal oiled and shined. Don't know if he needs it, but he sure likes it."
You like being clean, I like being clean, Ferros put in.
"Okay, point taken," Jordan said, and explained, "He says he just likes being clean. And I think he likes the attention."
Ferros huffed, faintly annoyed. Are we fighting? he demanded. I have not dueled Kouki since before my spikes doubled. I want to fight.
Jordan snorted. "And now he wants to know why we're not sparring yet. Ready?" He brought Ferros around in a loose-armed arc that missed by a mile, more a warm-up or a warning than an actual attack.
HP: 50/50
Dmg: nope
Charge: 0/3
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Sosiqui rolled 2 10-sided dice:
2, 5
Total: 7 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:16 pm
"Hmm." Madison looked thoughtful. "I could try - I mean, I clean Kouki's blades all the time, but maybe I could be doing more. I want to take good care of him."
As we tend to you, Kouki said affectionately, then twitched mentally; Madison's skin crawled for a moment in reflexive sympathy. We will bite him, and see how he likes it.
Him being Ferros, of course. Madison shook her head, then raised one eyebrow as the hammer whiffed past her. "Are you sure you're ready?" she asked, darting forward to poke Jordan with the tip of one blade. Not hard, just a swift prod to assure him that she could.
HP: 50/50
Damage: 1
Charge: 1/3; 0/2
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prolixity rolled 2 10-sided dice:
1, 1
Total: 2 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:26 pm
"I'm always ready," Jordan said, and grinned as Madison prodded him with one of Kouki's points. "Hey, hey. That tickles."
He danced back and stuck his tongue out at Maddie, childishly. "Nyah. Can't get us."
What, Ferros complained. I said fight, not fail.
HP: 49/50
Dmg: Robert
Charge: 0/3
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Sosiqui rolled 2 10-sided dice:
3, 10
Total: 13 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:14 pm
"Sure about that?" Madison repeated, grinning broadly before leaping at Jordan, hitting the ground and pushing off in an entirely different direction - a maneuver based on one of the ballet leaps Robert had taught her. It was good for slipping past people's guards. She pivoted and cut, hard, driving both blades into Jordan's unprotected side before pulling back.
We bite, we bite! Kouki exulted, the runes on his blades beginning to glow more brightly as the serpent-sword licked away at Jordan's shield.
HP: 50/50
Damage: 7
Charge: 2/3; 0/2
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prolixity rolled 2 10-sided dice:
2, 7
Total: 9 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:34 pm
"Hey, when did you get so good?" Jordan rubbed his side theatrically with his free hand and smiled brightly at Maddie. "Are you showing off? I think you're showing off."
I will burn him, Ferros said sulkily. I will flame and burn him and he will be sorry.
Uh huh, Jordan replied. We can try, anyway. He took two quick steps inwards, brought Ferros around towards Maddie, but succeeded only in clipping her lightly.
HP: 42/50
Dmg: 3
Charge: 1/3
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Sosiqui rolled 2 10-sided dice:
7, 8
Total: 15 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:42 pm
"Maaaybe a little," she admitted, trying to dodge his strike, but the hammer still clipped her leg, sending her stumbling for a moment before she recovered. "Also practice - trying to get faster-"
She circled him warily for a moment, feinted, then drove at him with one blade only to bring the other around from below, leaving her first strike open for interception while putting her real strength into the second. "Faster - stronger-" She skidded away again, the blades biting before they snapped free; she crossed them in front of her, blades chiming against each other as lines of bright light flashed over the metal's surface.
"Oh, look at that," she said innocently, then paused. There was an odd sensation in her head, in her... her eyes of all things, not like a headache, but definitely odd. Like an itch, almost - and at that thought, her whole body prickled. "Ugh... okay, take your shot, I... don't feel so good..." Her eyes lost focus for a moment.
Madison, Kouki said, anxiously, but the voice was odd, monotone, and backed up by three-toned hissing as the serpent-sword demanded to be released.
HP: 47/50
Damage: 9
Charge: 3/3; 0/2
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prolixity rolled 2 10-sided dice:
10, 10
Total: 20 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:58 pm
Kouki's blade bit into Jordan's hip, and he clenched his teeth hard to keep from yelling. That had hurt. "You okay?" he asked, when he could speak; but Ferros was hissing like a boiler in his mind, pushing and demanding and predatory.
Dissssstracted, the dragon said. Now. Now now now -
- and Jordan pivoted on the ball of his foot without thinking about it, brought Ferros around in a full circle, putting muscle and momentum into the stroke. The sense of impact made him hiss aloud in satisfaction, his mind as close to merged with his weapon's as it ever was. He should be concerned about that, he recognized distantly, but the sense of recognition, of kinship, of self overrode all worry.
HP: 33/50
Dmg: 14
Charge: 2/3
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Sosiqui rolled 2 4-sided dice:
3, 3
Total: 6 (2-8)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:13 pm
The sense of odd pressure mounted, and Kouki let out a distracted hiss - and then, suddenly, without warning, the world seemed to shatter. Ferros caught Madison hard on the side, knocking her off her feet as if she was nothing; without Kouki's shield, the blow would assuredly have broken bones. As it was, her body hit the ground with an impact that felt almost as powerful as the initial strike, and she wheezed for breath. Kouki's hiss mounted into a shriek, like a teakettle left on the stove too long-
The power the weapon had built up discharged in a sudden jolt, and the world flared white for a moment. Madison's eyes stung powerfully; she stared up at Jordan, blinking rapidly. "What... what is..." she managed. Something about his movements was suddenly strange to her, but she couldn't figure out what, or why.
Something... something happened, Kouki hissed, and somehow she didn't think he'd meant you just got hit with a ******** huge hammer when he said 'something'.
HP: 33/50
Damage: Charge Used - Y2 The Eye - Madison's damage modifier is -4 for next three rounds.
Charge: 0/3; 1/2
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prolixity rolled 2 10-sided dice:
1, 2
Total: 3 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:58 pm
Jordan paused, frowning at Madison as she stared up at him, her eyes unfocused and distant. "Hey," he said. "Are you okay? What happened?" She'd been strangely unresponsive, taking his hit without much reaction, and now she seemed bizarrely distracted. Something was wrong.
He offered her a hand up, ignoring Ferros's frustrated snarl.
HP: 33/50
Dmg: nope
Charge: 2/3
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Sosiqui rolled 2 10-sided dice:
1, 9
Total: 10 (2-20)
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:29 am
Madison accepted the help up, pulling herself to her feet and standing there for a moment, blinking owlishly at the world. "Kouki's charge... it went off, but... nothing... happened...?"
Something about her perception was different. Jordan was in sharp focus, the rest of the world seeming utterly unimportant and distant, every one of his movements distinct and oddly echoed, as if she was seeing...
...
He is... prey, Kouki hissed, low and dangerous. We see now. You see, too... we see, together...
"Guard yourself," she warned him, then lunged once he'd had a chance to prepare himself. She started to strike at him from the side with both blades, but then shifted targets mid-motion, parrying with one sword while the other cut at his knee. Her reaction time and movement were far quicker than they'd been before her fall. It was as if Jordan was moving in slow motion...
Her heart was pounding in her ears. This was strange - beyond strange - but she kind of liked it.
HP: 33/50
Damage: 6 (The Eye, turn 1/3: modifier is -4)
Charge: 1/3; 1/2
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