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 Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 6:17 pm
After some of his most recent run-ins, Alya was planning on staying home and not getting into trouble. He’d been lucky in the recent fights but it was foolish to rely on luck forever. He had wanted to patrol with Elvira but he also didn’t want to tell her that he’d been patrolling alone and getting into danger.
Which meant he had to patrol alone and find someone else to help him!
He stuck to the park and was overly cautious about whatever he felt on his radar; if he sensed the faintest tug of Chaos, he immediately turned the other direction. An Order signature, though…
The moment he felt one, he picked up his speed and beelined.
It was stronger than him—and different, but still good. As long as they were on his side, he didn’t care who he found. “Hello?” he called when he got close; he had taken a shortcut through some trees but it had taken him a little longer than he cared to admit, if only because he’d been so careful not to scratch himself or mess up his hair. He saw color—bright color!—and perked up. “Miss! Hello, I’m Alya! May I steal you for a moment?”
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 6:33 pm
Sutai was sitting atop a well-loved public sculpture in the middle of the park. It was an abstract thing, comprised of metal and rock, the topmost of which was circular enough to sit inside. She hummed to herself an Indian tune of her youth and was busying herself by fixing her braid. Part had come undone while running and she would be loath to represent Polaris in a such a disheveled state! It surprised her to find someone had sought her out. Someone bright! Someone with lovely hair too! Sutai was thrilled to meet someone new and immediately jumped from her place on the sculpture and bounded to Alya with enthusiasm. "Oh! Hello~! It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Alya! You have such a lovely outfit~" Giggling, Sutai just had to inspect the senshi's outfit more thoroughly. The Squire circled around the brightly-colored senshi, admiring the color and craftsmanship. "Oh, Mister Alya, your hair is lovely! It's just a pleasure to meet you! I don't get to meet very many senshi but everyone is so nice! My name is Sutai! Are you in trouble? Do you need help?" It was her job, after all, as a representative of Polaris, to help all those in need!
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 6:53 pm
Alya’s expression immediately lit up when she complementd him. “Oh, I like you,” he purred, approaching more. “No, I’m fine, Sutai, thank you. You look fabulous yourself—is your hair giving you trouble? Do you want some help tying it up? I have a little experience in dealing with unruly hair,” he said, gesturing to the carefully maintained braid that trailed behind him.
“And, of course, I wouldn’t mind help you out if, maybe, you’d be willing to help me out, too? I mean,” he shrugged and flashed a quick smile. “I’m sort of looking for a little assistance with getting stronger. I ran into a youma the other night and I was absolutely useless. It’s been just eating me up.”
Better that eating him up than the youma, though.
“I was wondering if, perhaps, you have any advice on fighting youma? Oh—Or, if you have the time, of course, maybe you’d be willing to show me some techniques?”
He couldn’t help but lean forward to catch her hands in his own and bat his eyes. “Please?”
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 7:13 pm
Oh he was so nice!With a sunny smile, Sutai turned around to allow the senshi access to her half-finished braid. "Yes please! Oh I'd really appreciate it! You look like you deal with lots of hair all the time too!" She tittered about this and that, nothing particularly important, while Alya worked on her hair. When he was finished and the Squire turned around, Alya clasped her hands and batted his eyes. It likely didn't have the exact effect Alya was looking for, but Sutai giggled in response nonetheless. The Polaris Squire bounced happily at the thought that she, of all people, could help someone in need. This was what Squires were supposed to do! Oh, Delphi would be so proud of her! "Oh! I will see what I can do, Mister Alya!" The smiles all around were likely infectious. "You're so polite, thank you! But, you know, Mister Alya, it's so very dangerous to patrol alone. If you can help it, I would certainly recommend patrolling with a friend. It can be very dangerous! But if you have no choice but to patrol by yourself, I'll do what I can to help, okay?" Truthfully, Sutai herself wasn't particularly adept in combat, but what she lacked in skill, she made up for in enthusiasm. Clapping her hands together, the Squire bounced to and fro. "Usually the best method is the element of surprise! Although... senshi don't have weapons like we Knights do, I've seen senshi who pick up and carry things with them like bats and pieces of pipe. That might not be a bad idea..." Tapping her chin for a moment, Sutai considered doing this herself. A sextant was only so threatening when it came right down to it. "But! You can always practice fighting against friendly people, like me! I'll try my best, okay?"
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 8:34 pm
Alya seemed elated to have had the opportunity to fix her hair; his fingers moved deftly and with obvious skill and he was pleased with the outcome so could only assume that Sutai would be, too.
“Oh, chastising me about that, too, are you,” he griped; he didn’t seem like he was insulted by the recommendation to patrol alone but the knowing smile that appeared on his face seemed to indicate he knew he was supposed to have a partner. “That’s good advice of course, but please don’t call me ‘Mister’. I’m not ready to sound so old,” he sighed.
“The element of surprise is a good one. I don’t really have much experience with fighting with any sort of weapon—I’ve never played any sport. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever even held a baseball bat.” His lips pursed as he strained to recall any instances where he might have. “My Senshi magic is a nice distraction, but I have to say, I wish my cat had given me something sharp when I awakened. They get all these scary, pointy things. Things that can scar!”
His hands moved to his cheeks and he couldn’t help but rub them as if to smooth them over. “I can’t have those, they’ll ruin me. So,” he lowered his hands and planted his hips on his cheek and nodded. “I think I’d really appreciate some practice fighting. I’m okay with anything you want to give me but—please—not the face, if you can. I’ve got makeup good enough to cover most of it, but I have to make a living off of this thing—and I don’t want to have to explain any weird bruises. And I’ll try not to hit you in the face, too!”
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 9:03 pm
By now, Sutai was used to people taking issue with her habit of calling people mister and miss. To Alya's displeasure, Sutai cupped her cheeks and fidgeted. "Oh, I'm very sorry. I just... call people that because it's respectful, but if it really bothers you, I will try my best not to. Okay?" The Squire giggled, shifting her weight from side to side as she spoke. "Don't you worry, Alya! You are very pretty and I promise I will not do anything to change that, okay? Your prettiness is very important! Are you on television or something? Oh! Shampoo commercials!" Sutai seemed pleased with herself for coming to that conclusion. Indeed, the blonde had enough long, luxurious hair to make himself a perfect candidate for hair care and beauty commercials. The glamour protecting everyone's identities kept Sutai from recognizing Alya if he was on television, but even so, Sutai seemed quite amused to imagine what profession Alya's beauty allowed him to excel in. "Oh, you have a cat too? That's wonderful news! Your kitty should be helpful. Not everyone has a kitty. Knights don't have kitties, at least... none that I have seen. But don't you worry, I don't have anything sharp, okay?" Striking a pose with a peace-sign, Sutai twirled quickly and trotted a good ten yards away from Alya. The Squire was anything but intimidating, but she waved to the senshi to indicate she was prepared. "Let's see what you can do, Mister Alya!" She squeaked. "Oops! Sorry!"
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 11:23 pm
Shampoo commercials? Good luck fitting Alya’s hair and ego in one screen. He was flattered, clearly, but had to hasten to clarify, “It’s not my cat, I mean, the cat that awakens me. If I could find her again, I’d love to ask her some more questions—or any cat, really, but she’s the only one I’ve really had the chance to talk to.”
But, speaking of talking, he was doing too much of it—he had requested a fight and now he was just procrastinating!
He sucked in a breath and tried to prepare himself; he didn’t even try to correct the ‘Mister’, just wanted to focus on making sure he was giving this his full attention.
“I hope you’re ready!” he called before he lunged at her. He was fast; he had long legs and every movement was fluid. When he got close enough, he shoved a shoulder at Sutai. Contrary to any claim that he wasn’t experienced fighting, it was clear that he might have had more experience than he let on; he spun quickly as if to get behind Sutai and avoid any blow she tried to deliver.
The problem was, even with as fast as he spun to avoid her, his hair still trailed behind him.
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 3:10 pm
kyuseisha no hikari Basically she’s trying to Matrix-dodge everything Alya is throwing at her because she can’t concentrate and attack at the same time - plus MUST SAVE PRETTY FACE Sutai, for all her best intentions, was not a fighter herself. In fact, she was likely less experienced than Alya was! Due to her desire to the senshi, she agreed to spar with him without much further thought. When the senshi in red charged at her, however, Sutai had to gulp down a screech and the instinct to run away as quickly as she could. No! I must stay and help Mister Alya! He asked for help and that is what Knights do! Sessrumnir would help a knight, and I want to be strong like him! So I must try!Concentrating her magic on herself, the Squire began to move much quicker than someone of her rank might normally. Alya’s shoulder connected in a way, grazing the Squire as she spun and twirled around to avoid him as much as possible. Perhaps, in his own way, Alya was helping her improve as well. Sutai kept her hands to herself, keeping in mind Alya’s request to leave his pretty face unblemished (and he was quite pretty!) but lunged this way and that to keep from suffering a direct hit. Her rank and extra speed made up for her inability to pivot quickly. She too was still learning. Honestly, if the Squire really thought about it, this was kind of fun! It was a great exercise in concentration, forcing her to keep her mind on the magics needed to speed up her movements in an effort to avoid Alya’s oncoming attacks. In time, perhaps she could move and attack, but for now, this sparring session would give her ample practice. There was joy in her movements and glee in her eyes as Sutai felt just an inkling of pride in herself. Perhaps she was becoming a better Squire, day by day. Alya’s braid suddenly flying in her face, however, caught her by surprise. With a shocked squeak, Sutai dropped to her knees to avoid being smacked right in the eyes. In a panic and without much forethought, the Squire scrambled to grab at Alya’s knees.
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 7:16 pm
Alya let out a slight yelp—not at anything he had intentionally done, but because Sutai had squeaked and he realized his hair had nearly hit her. It had been unexpected and while he was wrapping his mind around that, he had to deal with the additional unexpectedness of her grabbing his legs.
He hadn’t even tried to move away—and that meant he’d barely had time to process what had happened before he was wobbling and toppling over.
He hit the ground with a confused grunt; he’d been careful to scoop his hair up as quickly as he could as if he feared it getting hurt by falling on the ground.
Instead, it was just his tailbone. He hissed and immediately moved to rub at his backside.
“Oh my God, these uniforms offer no protection. I can’t feel my a**,” he grumbled. He seemed to have stopped in his venture to fight and instead looked at her. “Hey—how did you do that? Move so quickly, I mean. I could barely see you!”
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 8:06 pm
The Squire seemed both startled and upset that Alya had fell with such... gusto! Really, she simply wished to throw him off balance, maybe slow down his finesse and think outside the box. Perhaps she succeeded too much! Tittering over him, obviously apologetic, the Squire bent over at the waist to help Alya up off the ground. "Oh! Oh dear! Are you hurt? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! Is your pretty face okay??" Sutai was then surprised that Alya hadn't seen a knight use their magic before. Maybe Alya had never really patrolled with a knight, and thus didn't have the opportunity to see their magic in action! "Oh! Oh that is my special Polaris magic, Mister Alya. You see, when I concentrate on a friendly person, like you -- or myself! -- then they can move much faster than they normally can. Or, I can concentrate on a bad guy and slow them down!" Cue Sutai-brand posing and peace signs. The giggly Squire blinked at Alya with a sunny smile. "I can use it on you too if you'd like! But, it won't be very helpful if we don't patrol together..." She seemed sad for a moment, fussing with the hem of her tutu. "I mean, we definitely could! Safety in numbers, and all that. Hee hee~" emotion_kirakira
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 11:22 pm
“I’m fine,” Alya insisted but he still seemed a bit sore. He was happy to allow Sutai to help him up and seemed like he was a bit happier to be on his feet, even if he was still rubbing at his back. “My face is okay, I promise. And everything else is, too. I think. I’ll sleep it off, it doesn’t feel bad.”
He tried to twist to make sure he didn’t have any bones protruding from his back—just in case—and, satisfied that he wasn’t gushing blood, he turned to her and smiled.
“That sounds like a really neat ability, Sutai! I don’t have any special powers—except for my magic, but so far as I can tell it just makes people incredibly bored for just long enough for me to make a run for it. Which doesn’t seem very brave, but…I’m still learning, and I’ve run into some very strong people that I just don’t think I could have taken down on my own. So, what you said—yes,” he answered, very straight forward. “I’m supposed to patrol with people, and I think—you know? Maybe we don’t have to fight each other to get stronger—maybe it would help if we just had each other’s back, right? Then we don’t have to hurt each other, we’ll just team up and chase people away, and pick up some tips and tricks to get stronger alone the way, right?”
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2017 2:48 pm
"I think it's a good idea to practice with friends because at least friends won't stab you with swords..." Sutai tapped her cheeks with her fingers. Truthfully, many of the Negaverse scared her witless. Many of them were aggressive and carried weapons that could do some serious damage to an unsuspecting person. "But you are right! The more people we have together, the safer we are, definitely." A few enthusiastic nods and Sutai brushed some dust from her tutu. "Who do you usually patrol with, Mister Alya? I'm usually by myself if Miss Delphi is busy, if you wouldn't mind a Squire like me tagging along~" She giggled, obviously excited about the prospect of patrolling with other powered individuals on a more stable basis. "I could always use more practice myself! I just started to learn to use my magic on myself... usually I use it on other people. I think it's easier that way. Definitely, definitely."
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 5:09 pm
An easy smile settled onto Alya’s face and he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He didn’t like to admit he was incompetent in some aspects, but knowing that she could be stronger than him—that she could have done this for longer than him—and still didn’t have everything sorted out made him feel better. Everyone seemed like they were still learning.
“We should swap numbers then,” he said, all too eager to do so. He pulled out his Senshi Phone and paused. “If I scan you, it should plug you as a contact into my phone, yeah? But actually, maybe swapping phone numbers is better? I’ve always got my phone on me, unless I’m powered up. Maybe we can catch a bite some time, or hit up the gym together? I want to practice magic more, but,” he shrugged but smiled again, “I don’t have enough sane girls in my life. I’ve mostly been hanging out with Elvira and she is great, but I know we aren’t always on the same schedule.”
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 6:49 pm
Sutai tilted her head as Alya produced his cell phone. How they did that -- pulling things from nothing! -- baffled Sutai. Then again, she did the same thing with her sextant. Maybe everyone's special items were pulled from the same interdimensional storage space. If humanity could utilize such a thing, maybe overwhelming garbage wouldn't be such a problem! Of course, this wouldn't solve the problem, it would just filter the problem to another plane of existence. Poo. "Yes please, let's swap numbers!" Sutai had her own cell phone tucked in her bodice. She didn't yet have her signet ring (EMBARRASSING), but she was working on it! In the meantime, Sutai simply used her civilian cellphone. Clicking away, the Squire frowned when Alya admitted to not having very many sane women in his life. "....do you typically hang out with insane girls?" Sutai found this to be disturbing. Who would hang out with insane people on purpose? Or maybe Alya was related to them! Or maybe Alya meant the Negaverse, who could swoop in at any time and positively ruins someone's day! Oh no! emotion_jawdrop "But umm... I don't really know how senshi cellphones work! I just put people in my regular phone until I get my special knight ring... then I can send you messages any time! I'm excited for that, I just... have to go do it and sometimes that's scary, you know?" Sutai gave a nervous giggle. "Anyway, I'm usually free on weekdays after 6 o'clock. I have work during the week. Boo~"
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Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 9:22 pm
”Oh, good, I’ll remember that,” Alya said; he fed her his number and plugged in hers before he tucked his phone away. “I do hang out with insane girls typically,” he confirmed a few seconds later, as if the question had only just registered. “I work in a heavily female dominated field and they’re almost always fighting. Everyone wants to be the best and assumes that everyone else is out to get them, so,” he shrugged dismissively. “I mean, it’s true, of course. They’re always trying to sabotage each other to get the best opportunities. But,” he smiled.
“That’s life. Yesterday my coworker had a screaming fit because her coffee was wrong. Oh no, the horror.” He rolled his eyes and didn’t mention that the last time his order was wrong he’d burst into tears and treated it like the end of the world but that was different.
It was a long day.
Usually, he was sane. Or, at least, he felt sane around them.
“I’ll text you some time tomorrow and we can work out plans or something, though? My schedule can be pretty erratic but I should know tomorrow what I’m doing for the next week or so. I’d definitely like to meet up again, you seem sweet. And I love your hair, so much. You’ll have to let me play with it more!”
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