It was a really nice time of year for finding people who wanted to lease their horses. And for finding lessons- usual students were getting back into school, so they weren't jamming up barns with their bodies, riding their expensive pets, or taking up all the slots with the trainers. It was pretty easy to get on with two of the barns as a stall mucker, little-to-no questions asked, even if it was for minimum wage and some lessons. What wasn't expected was the discovery of muscles that the corrupted senshi didn't even realize were in the human body. By way of aches. And sharp stabbing pains.
It made it a chore to move, which in turn made being awake at all a chore because if there was one thing that the Senshi of Execution, or the civilian Morgan, were doing every waking moment it was constant movement. Instead of running all out, leaping fences, flipping over benches or slip-sliding sideways down shingle, Haüyne plodded mincing steps hunched a little over like groin and spine were playing tug-of-war on who hurt worse. It hadn't even been a whole mile yet. There's that park near. It's got...pretty level paved walkways. It's something man. I'm never gonna manage hills. Or trees. Not without an actual reason to be doing it. C'mon. Hoof it, Cowboy.
It took a few minutes and a few intersections, but soon the park fence, trees, manicured lawns and paved path for bikes and running strollers loomed ahead. But something else loomed, too. There was a massive aura, like staring at magnesium, somewhere nearby. The feel of it leapt into Haüyne's mind as soon as the threshold of the gate, and the Corrupted's field of awareness, were passed into. My head, good goredasdaskaljfdsio;avsoidv.....it's not moving. Why. Go away. Don't need a head ache as well as everything-else-ache.
"Come Out Wherever You Are!" They might have more power, but I can still administer a fist to the face. Make their jaw clench and teeth grind.
kuropeco
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:24 pm
The park was by far Celsus' favorite haunt to patrol in. He wasn't even entirely sure why that was; but it most likely was because there had been simply many significant events occurring over the course of time that had taken place here. That, and the many trees afforded him some advantage over watching a wider expanse of the area.
He liked being up high. He liked the feeling it gave him, being able to crouch lower on a branch, watching with bated breath to see what would come along his path, the smell of wood and grass and leaves in his senses, the occasional floral scent wafting through. And it was up here that he could push away thoughts of Tolliver, of Eurydike, of all of his past failings with the Zodiac and his fellow knights and focus entirely on the matter at hand. Here, he could simply be Celsus, doing his duty to the city and to its citizens.
The flicker of a power signature pulled him from his inner musings, Celsus lifting his head. It had been rather quiet for the better part of an hour now, but this was new - it came into focus a little stronger as whomever it was drew closer, and Celsus slowly stood, sliding one foot out to balance himself a little less precariously on the branch.
They appeared a few moments later, down below. He couldn't see properly through the branches and the leaves, but caught a glimpse of dark hair and bright blue as they passed near to him. And a voice rippled out of the soft darkness of the night, loud and unhesitating.
Celsus tilted his head.
"Who am I to deny such a request?" he said lightly and leapt nimbly down, booted feet landing with a little thump on the grass, cape fluttering behind him, the little gold medallions that adorned his uniform clinking gently with every movement. Celsus straightened, a smile on his face as he stepped closer.
"Good evening," he said pleasantly. "To what do I owe this honor?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 12:34 pm
" Are you born to speak all mirth and no matter?" Haüyne scowled, looking out at him from the ragged curtain of bangs. "Honor has balls-all to do with this. Find your weapon, you're going to need it, Knight. "
He sounds like he's trying to get a job at Medieval Times. Or Jane Austin's Tea and Toast room.
" What a tool. What's with the uniform, El Aurens?" Which symbol is that? My Very Easy Method Just Simplifies Us Naming Planets. Oh wait, there were other ones too. Not planet ones. The other 'Princesses.' Nice glasses. Should find out if he can see without 'em. The corrupted bent slightly in a coil before springing forward to swipe for his face, "You're wearing the wrong heraldry, bucko. Off with your head."
kuropeco
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 9:22 am
He straightened, amusement flickering across his eyes.
"An excellent question posed," said Celsus, lifting his arms out to either side of him in a gesture of mock submission. "I suppose that could be said of me, I do rather prefer mirth over matter most of the time. It makes life more interesting, wouldn't you say?"
He swept one arm against his stomach, the other at his back, and ducked into a low bow before standing again, moonlight glinting across the glasses perched at the end of his nose. "You seem obviously certain about the honor thing, I would argue to the contrary, really."
There was a second in which he could see the tension coiling and then the senshi had sprung forward. Hands were at his face - Celsus felt a burst of pain against his cheek, but he lifted his knee, wedged it between them, and tried to push the corrupted away from him, eyes flashing.
"I beg to differ," he said, smile sliding into a smirk. The whip had found its way into his hand, the tails of it waving a little. "I'm wearing exactly the right heraldry. I'd also like to keep my head, thank you very much, it's rather useful."
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2015 8:49 pm
"All these marks are empty thrones and empty houses, sat by empty headed sots, if at all, with no memory, no agency, no direction. You wait to be marked with the emptiness in you. All of you wait for it, but you don't see it. You WILL be marked. I serve The Queen."
Close. We're close. Close enough to make him bleed. He's got a real weapon. I thought knights only had dumb stuff? Maybe something happens eventually that they stop being ridiculous and actually arm up. He's so fast. No risk no reward, taking on big prey. I don't think I can bag him. I can mark him, though, right? Maybe? Like chopping wood or something. Just try to compensate for aim. Send him home to his friends in stitches and let them all know that I'll have their heads on pikes outside Metallia's castle. I am the Executioner.
"By the Axe!"
Super Sailor Scout Attack: By the Axe! How it Works. Sandrine drags two nails of both hands along the 'wrist' daggers of the opposite wrists, then summons out from there an executioner's axe of magical blood. Range. Axe range, throwing no more than 10 feet. Duration. Instantaneous (like magic missle) Effect Summary. The axe makes moderate wounds where it cuts. It is corporeal enough to actually remove someone else's body part- severe damage is only allowable by other player's consent and preference. Otherwise it just inflicts deep lacerations. Weaknesses. An executioner's axe is a very specialized sort of axe- heavy and not suited for combat. They were meant to strike an immobilized prisoner- weight, angle of the blade, and sharpness were all factors specifically designed to make limb removal fast....not for attacking mobile and very aggressive prey. It has awkward projectile physics that will take a lot of aiming practice. An enemy that blocks it with their weapon dispels it. Frequency of Usage. Once a battle
kuropeco
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:31 pm
The corrupted's words tumbled over him like a train going too fast and slightly off the tracks, words cascading into Celsus' mind. His brow furrowed as he stumbled back, his cape fluttering behind him, boots skittering on the ground, and yet still he tried to maintain that confidence that he was so very good at dragging into existence by now.
"I'd rather not be marked, thank you," said Celsus, and there was a cry, and something red appeared, shaped grotesquely and horrifyingly reminiscent of an axe, though not made of wood and metal. He stared at it, momentarily aghast, and took several hasty steps backwards, the whip held tightly in hand.
"Now, now, what are we going to do with that new toy, hmmm?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 9:09 pm
Haüyne didn't have time with how magic worked to piss around answering him right away- the best answer was the weapon itself. A labored lift with the magical weight of the executioners axe, a try at guessing how he might dodge and the Super of Execution lobbed the axe at the knight with a non-verbal yell of effort.
"Your 'rather' is, " a peel of laughter came under the following word, "inconsequential. "
You're a knight, not a Queen. Not a King. Like your personal preference is supposed to matter. "I don't need your permission to take your starseed, bucko. Or to break it."
kuropeco
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 9:09 pm
He had only seconds in which he could determine that the horrible, bloody axe was about to be thrown his way, though really, it should have been quite obvious. Celsus threw himself sideways, but the timing was off; he felt the blade of the axe dig into his side and sending him staggering, dropping down to a knee and gasping.
An eyebrow raised, a slight smile on Celsus' face.
"On the contrary," he said mildly, in spite of the fact that he could feel blood beginning to trickle down his side. "You definitely do need my permission."
He lifted a hand and snapped the whip with a resounding crack like a gunshot.
ivynian
Celsus cracks the whip, and the sound creates a distraction, a lack of concentration. They have trouble keeping their mind focused on one specific thing for very long. This makes it difficult for the opponent to keep their aim specific. Celsus has to be within viewing distance of his opponent, and he has to be looking directly at them. If his vision is obscured or his concentration broken, the effect won't work. The effect lasts approximately 40 seconds, depending on the strength of the opponent.
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 7:32 pm
Nothing doing about the crack and obligatory full body twitch that accompanied loud, sudden noises. What came after it was the weird part- Haüyne had been grinning, watching the stain of red start on him, but instead of following through in a direct line of walking was unexpectedly paused again looking at the man's shoes. And following the cracks on the sidewalk so as not to step on them like a song, then look at his stupid face, and moreso at his glasses that were still on it, and wondering what it must be like to have to wear glasses. Wondering again if he needed to wear them to see. Like another step nearer him, but stopped again.
THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I DID NOT HAVE ANY ENERGY DRINKS IN THE LAST TWENTY SECONDS. The corrupted stopped, putting face in hands and shaking violently. "WHAT IS EVEN."
kuropeco
Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 9:20 am
He pressed a hand to his side, feeling sticky wet warmth against his fingers, pain shooting up and down his torso. Celsus let out a grunt of annoyance and staggered to his feet again, swaying a little unsteadily and flipping his hair out of his face - but his eyes remained steadily focused on the senshi.
The whip had had the desired effect - he'd added confusion to the mix now, and Celsus took advantage of the momentary uncertainty and dived, throwing his leg out and trying to sweep a roundhouse kick to the booted legs.
"Come on, now, dearie," he said lightly. "That axe throw hurt, you know."
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:51 am
Face-in-hands was no way to see an oncoming attack, Haüyne's long shanks flipping up from ground and sending the corrupt forward and to the side in the mix of momentum and gravity. The assailant knight being in front and also to the side, was the cushioned destination of the fall as Haüyne's eyes widened realizing what was happening. Hands came down, one aiming to try to guard against the ground while the other moved for his chest, trying to focus. Trying to turn defeat into a victory. Trying for his starseed- only
Was that a star on his shoulder? Wow he had a lot of freckles. And nice eyes.
Not focusing still?!?!
Instead of hand going into starseed space it was more like an awkward caress down his chest and stomach while laying against him on a checkout line trash novel. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........"
If Hauyne attempted a grasp for his starseed, it would be to find nothing but a shock of energy that prevented hands from thrusting where they should not. Celsus felt the senshi grapple with him, trying to prevent the fall that was inevitably going to occur.
Except there was no actual attempt at his starseed. Instead, Celsus let out a yelp of surprise as the corrupted toppled into him, and then the two of them were sent crashing to the ground in a situation that Celsus had neither foreseen, nor particularly expected.
He also got a hand on his chest. And stomach.
Celsus just lay there for a moment, contemplating, quite thoroughly, all of his life choices up into this point.
"You know," he said conversationally, after he'd bypassed the Great Life Choice of 2014 and segued into the Meaningful Moment Decision of 2015, finally ending up exactly where he was, on the ground with a corrupted senshi using him as some sort of pillow. "This is not exactly what I had pictured happening when I kicked you."
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 3:54 pm
Haüyne pat-patted the wide belt buckle beneath palm idly a moment, staring with wide-eyed uncertainty past the glasses into green. "About that....yeah..."
Pat-pat again, then hooked fingers tugged on it experimentally like checking the fit. "Not really what I was going for, either. "
So this is....awkward. And he's really fast. I'm outta juice. How...do I get him...to not follow me and I can get away. The buckle was released. Haüyne's mouth pulled to the side in uncertainty, then the corrupted leaned forward and licked from the tip edge of his chin over his mouth. Then pushed away, Hopefully he'll be too stunned to pursue.
Scrambling up, scrambling to feet to try to break for it.
kuropeco
Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 9:22 pm
For a moment, he just lay there without moving at all except the thoughts in his head, which were still trying to figure out the actual situation. Celsus gave a startled yelp and attempted to swat Hauyne's hand away from his belt, a look of mingled confusion and outrage on his face.
"Look, luv, I like touching as much as the next person, but not that kind of touch - "
The rest of his sentence tapered off into a half strangled sound that was also kind of a peculiar choking noise because he had just been licked. Like a cat washing her kittens or a dog greeting its owner. Celsus' eyes snapped open, and automatically a hand flew to his face - and for the first time in a long time, there was a dash of stunned color on his cheeks as he stared at the retreating form of the senshi.
The corrupted's strategy had evidently worked: Celsus just sat there stupidly, making neither heads nor tails of what had just happened, his fingers still clapped over his mouth.
