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 Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:44 pm
The amount of time it'd taken him to finally, finally convince himself that yes, he did need the help, really should have been a warning about how pissy and all around prickly he was that afternoon. Contacting the Captain--now General--he'd spoken to before was easy enough. Setting up an easy meeting place, equally easy.
His pride was bruised enough from having a kid definitely younger--and scrawnier, and with a definite faith trust and pixie dust mantra stick stuck up her a**--beat him in a fight. So no s**t, he'd not mentioned a damn lick of it to Jet or Aquamarine. The fact he'd even said to this guy, "Senshi kicked my a** in a fight. I need better training so next time they don't walk away." Hey at least he'd managed to not swear. His tone had been clipped, his temper bridled but barely.
Nah the fact he'd had to own up to why he was even contacting the General had stung enough.
Which was largely why Seraphinite was fidgeting a bit on the rooftop across from the church where he'd met Leucite. His hands flexed again and again, fisting and stretching, fist, stretch... One point he summoned his weapons and eyed the pathetic things. The ******** was the point of having s**t like this? He just wound up using his fists nine times out of ten...
That was likely the only training he'd be able to utilize, either. Because he doubted anyone could make wooden swords remotely useful.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:07 pm
The message had been received, and Leucite had seen fit not to comment on the why. He had agreed to the where and when, and so as Seraphinite summoned his weapons and looked them over in his chagrin, Leucite stepped out of the shadows, having teleported himself to the location that was known to him, and more than just a tad familiar. Many a night he had spent on this rooftop, looking down on the church that had - to some degree - sparked his own ascendance. Fitting then, to return, powerful as he was now, with the youth of the Negaverse in need of his assistance. He did not clear his throat, just simply walked over and stood next to the young man, looking out into the night. His own spear, which he was slowly becoming accustom to using, rested against his shoulder as he looked out over the view. "You have called, and I have come," Leucite said with a small amount of humor in his voice. "But I can tell it is more than just a lost fight that troubles you... Tell me, what is really bothering you?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:25 pm
The sudden influx of Chaos energy around with the General's arrival made Seraphinite grit his teeth, in a buck up or shut up time fashion. By the time Leucite was standing next to him, he'd at least gotten his jaw to relax, and wasn't fidgeting.
No greetings, no mindless banter or prattling on... just right to the point. Something Seraphinite could immensely appreciate, really. Even if he wasn't too keen at how the man opted instead to shove at the wound in his pride.
"Kid. Little girl. Around here in height, bright red and white uniform. Younger than I am. One of the ones that invaded the castle, part of the group that nearly got our injured killed at the barracks." One hand moved to the appropriate height as he spoke, but after that his hand went back to his side and Seraphinite remained still as he gave the chopped report. "Still managed to bring me to the ground with a hit to my chest... and then ran off."
It wasn't just that a kid beat him... but she beat him, and then did... jack s**t on it. She ******** ran away. "Thought this was a war, not a school yard game."
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:45 pm
Leucite listened, turning to face the young man as he gave his report. He eyed the approximate height difference that Seraphinite gave, and his lips curled into a small grin. It was probably the last thing Seraphinite would want to see, but the thought amused him. He had to give the Senshi credit, if she were able to take down someone that much larger than her. It meant she either got extremely lucky (the most likely option), or she was trained in how to fight (less likely from his encounters with the White Moon, but not by a lot... His own body was sore from a recent fight with two basic senshi that had resulted in him scoring no kill nor any prisoners. Seraphinite's comment though... That needed to be remedied quickly. "You will find that some of the White Moon are... opposed to killing." He said, the grin disappearing suddenly from his face as if it were never there. "Don't let this delude you into thinking they are weak. In some ways it takes far more courage and candor to walk away from an opponent than to finish them. Sometimes its the best option..." Taking a step back, he motioned at Seraphinite with a hand. "I mean, look at what this one senshi... this..kid... this... Little... Girl...-" the last two words were painfully emphasized. "- has done to you. By doing nothing but down you she's damaged you in more ways than just the physical..." He dismissed his spear then, watching Seraphinite for a moment, a hand coming to his chin. "Until you can accept that you lost - to an opponent that outmatched you... regardless of what they looked like and the tactics they used... Anything I teach you will be wasted." He said, with a simple shrug. "You have to cast aside this misplaced angst, and focus on what is really important.... That at some point - you will come across a foe that won't run when they down you... and then the Negaverse will be down another agent... and we can't have that." Leucite was quiet for a long moment. "So, can you put aside your pride? Can you admit that you got defeated in a fight, against a foe you thought weaker than you? Can you accept that? Because if you can't... I'm not going to waste your time - or mine."
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:59 pm
In retrospect, the therapy he'd been required to go to by the State and, later, Medowview to make sure he was coping well with things, apparently had some benefits. Even without the s**t he'd gone through, Jericho was hardly someone to control his temper. Lashing out was usually his first response to hostilities. Listening to Leucite--and missing the smile, thankfully...--and hearing the words that dug deeper and deeper into the gash in his pride made his body go tense, grit his teeth, knuckles go white around the hilt of his cheap weapon...
...and then breath out. No, his anger wasn't magically gone. But when he looked to Leucite with a scowl on his face, it wasn't a half a second before he tried to punch the guy. "Why the <********> do you think I called you? To b***h and moan about something that happened, or to learn what's necessary to make sure it doesn't get repeated?" Seraphinite snorted. "Yeah, getting killed wouldn't have been a hit to my pride but pride doesn't mean s**t when you're six feet under. If I wanted to baby my pride I'd never have contacted you for help, General."
No he didn't like what happened. No he hated having to own up to the fact a kid beat him. But the fact was--next time? He might not be so lucky to be up against a bleeding heart.
"I got beat by a kid who clearly knew more about hand-to-hand than me. I need to learn more and fix that s**t so I don't get caught up in thinking the next one is going to be an easy match."
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:36 pm
Leucite watched the young man for a moment longer after he spoke. He could almost feel the anger radiate off of him, he could see the tenseness in the muscles, the spring coiled and ready to snap at a moments notice. Leucite had been there once. Not all that long ago really. But he had embraced a far better coping mechanism now, and so his anger no longer ruled him. But the boy's attitude would not do. That was something that was going to need to be addressed. If he could not control his temper. If he could not control his scowls and his snorts and his sneers... Then he would have to be made to. That, or he would have to be taught to redirect that rage and indolence elsewhere. Clearing his throat, and letting a brow slowly raise incredulously, Leucite finally uncrossed his arms and placed his hands behind his back, taking on a very, very relaxed at ease stance. "I am only going to say this once," He said, his eyes running over the boy in front of him, measuring him, taking stock of his frame, his muscles, his reach. The way he carried himself. "You keep this shitty attitude with me, and you will suffer for it. I will teach you, but as of now you're going to treat me with the proper respect due to my station." He crossed the space between them so quickly it was impossible to tell if he had run or teleported. He looked down at the boy, practically nose to nose to him. "You will address me, as Sir or General. If I give you an order, you will do it without question. If you have a question about it, you will save it for a time when I have told you you can speak freely. You are to speak when spoken to by your superiors, or if you have been asked to give input. Am I clear?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 9:05 pm
For a split second as Leucite stood over him--an increasingly difficult feat for people as he grew--Seraphinite had a flash of memories, flickers of his father standing over him, ordering him, expecting and demanding absolute power in the household, fists raised. For a split second, Seraphinite's face went white, pupils dilated, pulse raced. Adrenaline picked up in his system. Fight or flight--bullshit. Adrenaline really only acted as your body's way of saying get the ******** out of here it's dangerous. The extra oomph you get in an adrenaline rush is just the body's way of giving you additional tools to get the hell out.
Seraphinite took a large step back from Leucite, lips tight, chest movements visible even under the thick uniform jacket. His hands trembled as he clenched them in fists at his side. "Clear, General." He forced his tense shoulders to roll, trying to get the tightened muscles to loosen up. Finally, when he took another few deep, slow breaths, his jaw unclenched and his voice wasn't strained as he said, "...still dealing with some issues with... people claiming authority over me. A bit more... physical distance is requested while I keep working on it, General." No, he wasn't trying to be cute or ironic, wearing a military uniform and being in an organization built on military standards.
He already knew the horrific irony of it all.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 9:10 pm
There was a quiet moment after Seraphinite took the step back, and after he spoke, Leucite even took a step back of his own. Watching him, he cleared his throat again. "If you need therapy... I can help you find someone to talk to..." He said. "Don't mistake my intention. As much as I demand your respect... your loyalty... It is also my responsibility to ensure that you are capable of functioning as I need you to." There was no... anger or malice in his words. Just pure cold pragmatism. "In fact, I think we're are done here. Take the rest of the night off. Go home. Sleep. Contact me tomorrow and we'll begin working on your skills and working on your... personal issues."
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 9:32 pm
The pros, Leucite wasn't ripping him a new one for it or calling it a weakness, or any other s**t he'd half-expected people to call it. The cons, Seraphinite had to fight pretty hard to not wince and grimace at hearing that this would be another "to work on" project.
"Seeing a therapist I got assigned to by the State," he said simply. Paused though, considered it and Leucite's words. "Am willing to see someone else though, if they're not doing an efficient enough job." Really... the psychiatrist was there to help him work through the stress and trauma connected to it all. But not exactly in a context to put up with it again in a different setting. Though, really, would anyone who wasn't connected to the Negaverse..?
Something to dwell on another time.
So he gave a small nod to the directions. "Understood, General." s**t was going to get a hell of a lot harder after this, that much he was willing to bet. Just had to keep reminding himself it was better off that way.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 9:38 pm
Seraphinite would come to find Leucite a very stern taskmaster, but one that took care of the people under his charge. Someone who would, without hesitation or even question, see to it that their needs - be they physical or emotional - were met. "Are they doing an effective job, Seraphinite?" Leucite's question was a legitimate one. "If you feel your current therapist is... adequate, then I will expect to see improvement... in time. But if you feel you would be served better in the private sector..." Leucite let the words hang, an open offer as it was. "Dismissed, Seraphinite. Get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a very... Productive day." He turned then, and resumed his gaze upon the church, obviously allowing Seraphinite to head home on his own power.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 10:08 pm
"I can't say if they are or are not effective in this capacity. If there is no improvement in two sessions, I'll look for someone in the private sector." Felt reasonable to him, anyways. Even if he did decide to switch, easy enough to just be honest and say he didn't feel he was getting enough out of the visits.
At the dismissal, Seraphinite, nodded and gave a quick, "General," as a farewell. He didn't linger. Didn't toss a thanks or anything over his shoulder. His way to say thanks would be to actually get s**t done, and not ******** up the chance. Easier said than done. Always was. But it was a new goal, a new thing to focus on.
He moved pretty quick over the rooftops, heading for home. Already knew he wasn't going to like parts of this, and was in some aspect going to regret his decision... but if he got through it, and was stronger for it all, then ******** it. Worth it all.
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