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 Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:32 am
Michel and Malus had been out for only an hour or so this evening; they had been doing a casual patrol but Michel had mentioned on several occasions that Malus needed to work on his magic. Malus had been a good sport for the most part, training with Lysithea and himself when he could work up the nerve to, but there was only so much he could learn from either of them, especially when they were pulling their punches. He was a basic Senshi, and Michel was a Knight; it was hard to spar when he was constantly holding back.
Which meant that he needed to find someone to help.
A Dark Mirror Senshi, he figured, was the perfect volunteer. He’d felt her while they were walking and told Malus to hold back while he went to scope things out. Though Malus had been reluctant, he had obliged and agreed to call if he saw anything out of the ordinary or felt like he was in any trouble.
Michel had promised to be there in a heartbeat, and he had meant it.
So he had to go quick with this girl.
He found her easily enough and called demandingly, “Hey, Senshi. Come here, I need to talk to you.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:34 am
Chione was only trying to get home quicker again, and honestly, one day she was going to remind herself that doing that was stupid and only served to get her into trouble. Trouble like this overwhelming order aura that was suddenly on top of her.
She didn’t even have the time or the wits to think about calling an attack, but turned to look at Michel with a startled expression, quite a bit of fear seeping into it.
This was stupid. She should have just quit. She was telling everyone that she didn’t want to do it, but it was so much easier to just…to just mirrorwalk home…but then why hadn’t just jumped into a damn mirror?
What a foolish move. Again. Finally, Chione found her voice, and though she shrank away from the knight slightly, the words didn’t tremble at all as they left her lips, for which she was kind of pleased about . “What? I’m not coming anywhere near you. We can talk from here. What do you want?”
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:35 am
Michel made a face at the girl, clearly exasperated. “If I was comfortable shouting at you, I’d be doing that. But I’m trying to keep things quiet, so it’d be best if you just humored me, all right?”
He continued to cross the distance between the two, voice quieting as he got closer. “Besides, I’m sure you can feel the other Senshi,” he jeered his thumb over his shoulder towards where he’d left Malus, “So if I’d wanted to hurt you right off the bat, I’d have brought him with me. I’ve got a proposition for you, and if you’re smart, you’ll take it.”
As keen as he was to cling to vagueness, it wasn’t going to help the situation if he didn’t give her any information.
“Do you know how to fight?” he asked, suddenly. “What does your magic do? And be quick about it, I don’t have all night.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:35 am
“Um…” Chione nodded quietly, sighing and wishing she knew where the closest mirror was so that she could just get out of there, but she realized that it wasn’t worth arguing with this knight and it would be easier to just…
Well. Do what he said.
“Not…not really. I’m not a good fighter…and my magic makes a blizzard. I’m the senshi of blizzards so…why…what do you want me to do? I really…would prefer not to fight, if it’s all the same to you. I don’t like fighting to be honest.” Slowly she moved closer to Michel and looked resigned. “Why? What is it you want me to do? I would…I would much rather just go home…I only really powered up to make it easier to get there…I uh…chatting wasn’t in my plans…”
She figured her excuses wouldn’t work…but she also figured that she had to at least try to talk her way out of whatever this guy wanted her to do.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:35 am
Michel clicked his tongue and shrugged. If she didn’t like fighting, good; hopefully that would mean she didn’t put up much of a fight. “Well, here’s the deal,” he said bluntly.
“I want you to fight. Not me, but.” He gestured over his shoulder towards the White Moon Senshi just barely in sight and very clearly on both their radars. “Him. And you’re not going to tell him what I’m telling you, or I’ll kick your a**, but he needs to get some battle experience and I want you to give it to him. Only, you’re gonna throw the fight. You’re gonna let him win. I’m talking five minutes of your time, max, you walk away in good health, and you stay off my s**t list. The truth is, I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable situation.”
No, the truth was that he didn’t care, as long as Evan was okay and getting stronger.
“But, you scratch my back, maybe I’ll scratch yours down the road, hmm? I don’t forget a face. Or a name.”
He extended his hand. “I’m Michel. And you are…?”
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:36 am
He…wanted her to fight…and lose the fight? Okay…but…
“But won’t…he know you were over here talking to me? How am I going to just start fighting him and not…won’t he think that you will just come and stop me? You are the strongest one here, after all?”
Chione looked utterly confused. It didn’t seem like a difficult thing to do…but getting it done might…it was asking a lot, if she were going to go and lose a fight and make it convincing. Slowly though, she took the knight’s hand. “I’m Chione…it’s um. Nice to meet you…but I’m really struggling to figure out what to do here? Do I just run over and shove him? Attack him? Make it look like I got the best of you? I…”
She shrugged. “You could give me some energy. He could come over here and think I’m draining you with my wraith or…or something like that…maybe that would convince him? Plus…It might help me out a little? I never do what I’m supposed to…”
Because she was quitting. She didn’t need to help drain energy because she wasn’t planning on staying in the court, damnit. But…if he wanted to help her out…who was she to say no?
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:37 am
Michel stared and instinctively asked, “What? No, I’m going to say I nicely asked if we could borrow you for a sparring match, you two are going to go at it for like, two minutes tops. Look,” the Knight seemed exasperated, “This kid’s a hot mess, okay? He’s afraid of his own fists. But he got royally ******** by the Negaverse and he needs to be able to protect himself. I could write a book on how screwed this kid’s gotten,” and a few chapters focused on how he’d screwed him over, “But I just need to make sure he’s okay. Hence, you. And it is,” he shook her hand, “Nice to meet you.”
It was only then that he released it, and gestured for her to walk with him.
“I’ll be referee. I’ll make sure no one gets hurt, but seriously. You’ve got nothing to worry about, as long as you do what I say. Because, yeah. I am the strongest one here. And I don’t have the same moral compass as my friend over there does. But.”
He was quiet for a minute as they walked. “How much does that little wraith take? If you can do it quick, I’ll let you. But if you double cross me,” he let the threat hang in the air warningly, but didn’t actually finish the thought.
A little energy was nothing if it meant Malus got some experience; besides, he wouldn’t have minded a little help sleeping. They could just go home after this, no problem.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:37 am
“Oh.” He would…it would just be a sparring match. That made a heck of a lot more sense…but it had seemed so much more difficult when he was asking her…and honestly, she had almost been excited to be playing a role and…well. This didn’t seem quite as exciting. Chione sighed. “Yeah, okay, that sounds fine then, and don’t worry about the energy, I thought I just had to play the bad guy in this and weaken you so he had to fight me…I don’t know. It made sense in my head.”
And she had been…well. It didn’t matter.
“Yeah. Let’s do this. I’m happy to help. Honest.” She sighed softly and craned her neck to see just who she would be fighting and losing to…and it was just a lot of purple. Both of these guys were wearing a lot of purple…and while she liked purple…yeesh.
She moved over to the senshi and held out a hand. “Hey. I’m Chione. Your uh…your friend here said you might be interested in a spar? I would enjoy that, if he was telling the truth.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:38 am
Malus looked up at her, worry on his expression as he reached out to take her hand. “Hi,” he greeted as he shook it in greeting. His grip wasn’t particularly strong but he was at least making an effort to be social and respectable. While he shook her head, he pushed himself off of the bench and stood, feeling short in front of her in her heels. “I’m Malus. I’m…thank you, for agreeing. I’m not very good,” he confessed, clearly nervous.
But, he was trying.
He hadn’t wanted to be out at all, tonight, but when Michel said he needed practice, he trusted him. Lysithea and Michel had never lead him astray and no matter how hard it was, if he had them to help he at least felt like he stood a chance.
Of course, meeting new Chaos agents was never something he was comfortable with, but at least they’d gotten lucky enough to find a Dark Mirror Senshi. If she’d been a youma, or a Negaverse Agent, he wasn’t even sure he’d be able to stand in front of her like this.
Touching her hand like this, talking to her like this.
He had to take in a quick breath to steady himself before he spoke again, but when he did he managed a small smile. “I really appreciate it,” he insisted, telling himself that this was important.
He did need to practice.
He needed to get stronger so he wouldn’t let down the people that were important to him.
Michel stood back a bit, watching; he was close enough that he could have intervened, but far enough away that he wasn’t overbearing. He kept his eyes on Chione as if he were trying to read just what she was thinking, but it was difficult. She seemed tired, and a part of him might have felt a little bit bad about inconveniencing her, but…
If it saved Evan someday, he’d inconvenience the whole damn lot of them.
“When you’re ready,” Michel said, crossing his arms over his chest, let me know. We’ll make this quick.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:39 am
“I’m Chione. It’s nice to meet you…I’m not a good fighter either, so this should be…either really boring, or really interesting, I’m going to apologize now if I hurt you…I’m normally just a flailer, rather than you know. Having any skills.” Chione gave a rueful smile and shrugged, drawing in a breath and curling her hands into fists.
“Uh…come at me?” She reached one of her fists out and tapped Malus on the head a few times. “Hah. I got the first hit. That’s…I’m winning. Deal with it or something.”
This felt so…strange. Uncomfortable if she were being honest with herself. She didn’t like how it felt…she wasn’t a fighters and this guy didn’t seem like one either.
Her plan would have been so much better. At least in her mind.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:40 am
Malus drew in another steadying breath and nodded. “Okay.”
He didn’t want to hit her or kick her; those just felt wrong. But his magic…
He knew next to nothing about his magic except how to call it. He’d never experienced it first hand and the only information he’d ever been able to get from it was the descriptions of his friends when he--albeit reluctantly--used his magic on them. It was an illusion, maybe, and colorful; he had to wonder if it was supposed to do something else or if his lacking enthusiasm was weakening it. Ultimately, he wasn’t sure how it was supposed to actually help him in battle.
So, he desperately needed to figure it out and learn how to actually manage it. He’d tried it a few times before but he was a total novice and honestly just wanted to make a good enough show that Michel was satisfied and they could go home.
He drew back quickly, just out of reach, and offered a quick apology before trying, “Glass Façade!”
He held his breath nervously and seemed to take on a defensive posture more than anything else.
Michel watched quietly; a part of him had wanted to see Malus’ physical strength, but what did he really expect? Malus didn’t want to hurt someone. He was just going to get his a** handed to him time and time again at this rate. He couldn’t make the first move, and by the time someone was hitting him he was curling into himself.
He could only hope that enough battles would help him develop some confidence and understanding of when he needed to strike—maybe more spars with him and Lysithea? Maybe more trips to the gym? God, he just couldn’t see it.
He hoped something clicked in Malus, soon, though—for the sake of all of them.
Quote: Glass Façade: Malus targets one opponent and they become trapped in a stained glass illusion; the world around them seems to transform into a vivid glass portrait. Players may determine if the illusion resembles the world around them or takes on new forms. Colors may seem to blend together and strange light may be disorienting. Attacking something will shatter its stained glass illusion, however the illusion will break into magical glass shards that may cause the sensation of slicing damage. The player can choose to retain physical damage after the magic ends. The magic lasts for thirty seconds and can be used three times per battle.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:41 am
Chione had been expecting a fist fight. To be honest, she had been hoping for a quick fist fight, and then she could go home with nothing worse than a few bruises and…well. This wasn’t a fist fight. No, the senshi in front of her used his magic right off the bat and everything went…
Strange.
It was strange.
It was like she was in…in something. Not mirrorspace, but honestly that was her first thought, and it alarmed her to no end. Where…where was she? All she had wanted to do was go home and sleep and maybe watch a movie or call Rhona..and now she was stuck in some messed up place.
For a few moments she just looked around, and finally, some panic began to set in and Chione lashed out, using both fists against the glass or whatever it was she was trapped in. With a sickening crack it splintered and suddenly shards were flying at her.
Crying out, the senshi reached up, trying to protect her face and stumbling backwards, away from both knight and senshi. When she didn’t feel the cutting glass anymore, she looked up, mouth half open and a sufficiently frightened expression her face. “What the ******** was that. You didn’t say that something like that would happen. No, I’m done with this. Find someone else to ******** with, I don’t want to deal with stuff like this. I hate it, and I don’t want to do it.” She was trembling and took another step backwards. “I ******** hate glass, I hate mirrors, I hate all of this magic stuff. I’m done.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:41 am
Malus looked visibly alarmed, either at her initial attack on the magic or at her outburst later. He was pale and looked like he might be sick. “I’m sorry! I—I didn’t know,” he struggled to say, as if it was some sort of excuse. He looked at Michel, eyes wide and full of fear and concern.
Michel sighed heavily and dragged himself closer. “All right, go on,” he said to the Dark Mirror Senshi, gesturing for her to return from where he’d grabbed her.
“Sorry,” Malus called again, voice wavering. He looked like he’d been defeated.
Michel didn’t miss the look that clung to Evan but he wasn’t so easily beaten down himself. Still, he sighed. “Thanks for trying. Won’t bother you again.”
Probably.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 9:23 am
Chione nodded mutely and turned on her heel and ran as quickly as she could. Thankfully there was a mirror nearby, and despite her previous words, she dove right into it, coming out in the safety of her own home, and she couldn’t have been happier to see the place.
Quietly she powered down and just sunk onto the couch, pressing the heel of her hands into her eyes.
No. No, this had to be the last straw. She couldn’t go on like this. She couldn’t keep doing things that made her regret what she was doing…it wasn’t fair. But…but still…
That senshi looked more afraid than she felt…and that alone made her feel…really guilty. Maybe…maybe if she saw him again, they could have another spar…and maybe when that happened, she wouldn’t freak out quite so much.
Maybe.
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