|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:00 pm
It was the first time in a while that Malus had been outside, alone. Not exactly alone; he had come out with Michel, only they’d been temporarily separated. They had been fighting a youma together, but it had been too much for Malus. He’d clammed up and taken a hit that sent him flying; he’d hurt his ankle—nothing serious—but enough that he was out of the fight.
The youma had been on the move and he’d encouraged Michel to go after it to make sure no one else got hurt because of it. Michel cared more about Malus than he did the youma, but when Malus begged him to take care of it, he had run off after it.
Malus wasn’t sure exactly what to do; he didn’t want to go home. Well, he did, but he didn’t want to go home and leave Michel out there. He was walking, carefully, trying to make sure he didn’t hurt his ankle but also trying to get full muscle flexibility again. So far, so good.
He was on high alert, though nothing seemed to be amiss. There was an Order energy signature not too far away and for a moment, Malus thought it might be wise to avoid it, but after a few rustling bushes in the darkness he realized he didn’t want to be caught alone.
He had been doing okay with meeting new people. He just needed to tap into that social side.
His stomach was in knots, but meeting someone new—an Order Senshi—couldn’t be that bad, right? Cats…didn’t pick just anyone to be Senshi. They had to be good guys.
…Right?
Mustering up what nerve he could, Malus began to head towards the Order signature, hoping this wasn’t going to be a terrible mistake.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 5:13 pm
Summer was really turning into a good time to go and patrol…at least, an easier time to go and patrol. He figured that when school started back up again in a month, his patrols would be next to never…it was Senior year now and he had to focus. All of his projects had fallen through thanks to being a senshi, and honestly he wasn’t sure he would even be able to get back on track with things…if he had been smart, he would have gone to the lab tonight like he told Xi-Wang he had done…but no. He was out running around as Gelria once again.
And there was another senshi coming towards him, and for a moment, the senshi of cinnamon hoped that it was Encke, he hadn’t seen his friend in ages and he missed him. Missed having friends in general, if he were honest about it.
Quickly, Gelria moved towards the oncoming order aura and paused, seeing purple. It was Encke after all and he raised his hand, grinning broadly, only to pause and realize that it wasn’t him.
“Oh. Oh uh. Hi. Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” The raised hand lowered and for a moment Gelria looked quite embarrassed, before holding out a hand in an attempt to recover his pride. “I’m…I’m Sailor Gelria, Senshi of Cinnamon, I thought you were someone I knew, I apologize if I startled you.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 5:36 pm
Maybe it was how quickly Gelria had moved towards him, or how quickly the hand raised, or the fact that when Malus saw a Senshi he had a short, brief burst of fear when remembering a time when he was much smaller, and much furrier. Sometimes, he forgot he was Evan—and, more than that, sometimes he forgot he was Sailor Malus.
Sometimes he still expected Senshi to want to dust him.
The thought was immediate and brief, but it was enough to make Malus cringe as if he expected some physical contact—a slap or punch or something.
It took a few seconds before he realized he was an idiot and that was a wave. Gelria wasn’t even close enough to have attacked him—though, he might have had magic, Malus tried to justify.
It was still foolish and he tried to force a smile, only it still looked half terrified. “It’s okay,” he said quickly, voice not as stable or as loud as he would have liked when making a first impression. “I’m Sailor Malus, Senshi of Glass. I—sorry for the misleading outfit. I haven’t met anyone wearing something like this yet. But—I’m new. I don’t go out much,” he said, somehow still sounding apologetic despite just trying to make conversation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 6:36 pm
“Oh! No, you’re fine.” He hadn’t missed the cringe and for a moment, Gelria felt horribly guilty for scaring the senshi, the guilt feeling doubly bad when he thought of when he had scared Xi-Wang so badly not too long ago. He had to work on that, seriously.
“Your outfit isn’t misleading, I just saw purple and assumed, it’s entirely my fault. You…you’re new at being a senshi? I’m just guessing but…you seem like you’re pretty new at this…are you okay? Do you want any help? Any pointers? I mean, I’m no expert, but I can try to help if you need anything.”
It didn’t seem like a safe thing…being a senshi and being so scared looking. Honestly that sounded like a very dangerous combination and for as new as Gelria was…he couldn’t just let this other guy go around being scared of everything. It was his duty to help. They were on the same side. There were allies. Potential friends.
Besides, he wasn’t such a jerk that he would let someone just deal with their own problems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:04 pm
For a brief moment, Malus faltered. “Well, I actually have a few people that I usually power up with, it’s just, we’ve gotten separated. Or, actually, he went to go fight a youma. I couldn’t—it was too strong for me, so I didn’t…I just kept getting in the way. So I’m waiting for him to come back.”
Carefully, he shifted positions and tested the extra weight on his ankle. It was little more than a dull throb now, so he relaxed a bit more.
“But, my friends have been trying to help me figure out how to use my magic and fight a little better. I’m still…really bad at that. I just get this fear that I’m going to get hurt really bad and, I don’t know, my brain is stupid. It tells me that maybe if I stay still and complaint it’ll be easier, but.”
He shrugged. “It usually doesn’t, so I wish it would stop telling me to do that? It’s like, the worst suggestion I’ve ever gotten. Uhm. So, I guess if you’ve got any tips or pointers,” he chewed on his lower lip and looked both nervous and hopeful. “I’m all ears?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:22 pm
“I haven’t actually done much, to be perfectly honest. I’ve…I’ve met a few people. A few really nice people…and I ended up in this crazy big battle and I was fighting this snake monster and it bit me, and that’s been the scariest thing that’s happened so far…but other than that…” Gelria reached over and placed his hand on the arm that had been bitten, rubbing it unconsciously.
“I don’t think I’m upset from it though. I’ve been able to learn a lot…and that’s really cool. As for you…your mind is wrong, I think. You have to keep trying, it’s difficult yeah, but in the end…it’s worth it. Do you wanna spar or something? I’d like to see what your magic does, and you can see what mine does…if you’d like!”
The senshi grinned, still rubbing his arm. “We can be friends too, if you’re interested.” Lord knew he needed more senshi friends. Maybe if he had more friends he would end up doing more than just lumping around like he did now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:52 pm
A shudder ran through Malus’ body at the mention of snake monster. It was a long time ago, but he quite keenly remembered the last time he met a snake—a giant youma that had bitten him. The old injury had long since healed but it throbbed if only to remind him it had existed.
“I’d like that,” he said, partially out of instinct and the desire to please the other Senshi, and partially because he really would like that. “I’m not really good at sparring but I’ll try not to hurt you. I’d…I’d prefer not to be hurt, if you could. I’m sort of sore from earlier and Michel—that is, uhm, the Knight that I patrol with sometimes—says that I’m too fragile and one good hit’ll take me out. So that’s why I need to get stronger. Your—your sphere is cinnamon?” he asked, already seeming interested. “Are there other Spice Senshi? Or food Senshi? I haven’t met that many, yet. I know Unicorns, though!”
That seemed to please him; he was very proud of Lysithea and thought everyone else should be, even if she wasn’t here for him to show off or lean on.
“Um—but yes, sparring. We can do however you like. Actually, can I use my magic on you, and you can tell me what it does, how it feels? I haven’t…exactly…figured it out yet, and I’d really appreciate it so I can know what I’m actually doing to people. If that’s okay? And,” he drew in a breath, “If yours isn’t lethal and isn’t going to cripple me, maybe I can practice getting hit with magic, too?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:59 pm
Gelria nodded, seeming rather excited. “Sounds good! Do you want to go first? Mine is an irritating attack, and it doesn’t affect me at all so, I think I should use mine second. As to knowing other food or spice senshi, I can’t say that I do…but I know the senshi of plasma! That’s my friend Encke, that’s who I thought you were, but his outfit is a much brighter purple, him and I ended up fighting the snake monster together so, we’re pretty close.”
…not that they ever really hung out or anything. They had been close, for a little while. But. He hadn’t seen him since the giant youma battle.
“So…anyway! Go ahead! Hit me with your attack and I’ll tell you what happens to me okay?” The senshi got into a comfortable stance and grinned. “I’m ready, Malus! Let’s do this.” Perhaps this wasn’t so much of a spar as a practice round for their magic…magic class?
Eh. A spar sounded so much more badass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:42 pm
Malus offered a quick, polite smile, but he was clearly worried. “All right, but please be careful. Don’t cut yourself,” he whispered, mostly under his breath. He drew in a calming breath and wondered how long you actually had to use your magic in battle; every time he’d done it so far, he ‘d had time to mentally collect and prepare himself. The only time he’d ever tried to use his magic while his adrenaline was pumping, it had been so bad that he couldn’t even remember the words.
He’d work on using his magic in battle eventually; he needed to make sure he had a mastery of it in practice, first.
He raised his and pointed a finger to target Gelria before he called, “Glass Façade!”Quote: Sailor Scout Attack: Glass Facade 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:52 pm
Gelria nodded, and was about to ask what he meant about not cutting himself when the world changed. It was colorful and vivid and…and utterly beautiful. “Woah! Malus…what is this? This is crazy…”
It was like he was in a painting or a window and…the way the streetlight…or was it the sun? It looked so different with the magic affecting him. Regardless…it had been a streetlight. But it was making the glass? The world? It was making it all shine and…and it was just. Magical.
Sadly, the magic couldn’t last forever, and when it finally faded, Gelria blinked, rubbing his eyes. “That was insane! It was like the world was suddenly stained glass or something! Could you see it too, or is it just me who got to see that? That was one of the prettiest things I have ever seen, seriously. And with that street lamp there…there was light everywhere. It was almost like a fairytale.” His eyes were bright with excitement now and a new curiosity had awakened inside of him. Senshi magic…how did it work? Where did it come from…?
…How could he find out more about it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:41 pm
Malus remained standing off to the side, holding his breath and wringing his hands together as he watched Gelria navigate his way through the magic. When Gelria rubbed at his eyes and began speaking to him, he released his breath and seemed to relax immediately. “No, I can’t see what you see. But one Dark Mirror Senshi that I used it on looked like she hurt herself, like she cut herself on some glass or something? Only, I couldn’t see anything so I have no idea.”
A part of Malus was more excited than he let on; it was a silly thing to be so happy about, but Gelria had said it was one of the prettiest things he’d ever seen, and that it was almost like a fairytale.
Those were good things.
Malus had made something good.
He seemed to have immediately drifted into a better mood and wore a hopeful, optimistic expression.
Maybe his magic wasn’t so bad. Maybe being a Senshi wasn’t so bad.
He sucked in a breath and then said, “I’m ready to try yours though, whenever you are!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:49 pm
Gelria nodded. “It was super pretty…I wish you could have seen it too. You know how the old churches kind of…well. When you get home, google old churches with stained glass windows. The world looked like that, and it was utterly amazing.”
He was grinning, though the grin fell just slightly. His own magic wasn’t so nice. “All right, but promise you won’t be mad at me okay? Mine isn’t so great. I mean, it’s effective, but it’s not…very nice. From what I’ve seen.”
Holding out his hand, the senshi sighed and softly said, “Cinnamon Cloud.” Sure, the attack name sounded cute and nice…but cinnamon wasn’t really a forgiving substance.
He had done a lot of research on it after becoming the senshi of cinnamon…and well. Honestly it could be deadly if inhaled…so why on earth did his attack make people inhale it?Kyuseisha no Hikari Sailor Scout Attack: Cinnamon Cloud Gelria holds out his hand and a puff of ground cinnamon comes out Visual. The cinnamon causes irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. The puff of cinnamon can reach out up to five feet, and affects everyone in the area except Gelria himself. The attack can be used twice per battle, and the cinnamon puff lasts for ten seconds before dissipating.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:23 pm
It wasn’t the first time that Malus had considered using his magic on himself, but it was the first time he had seriously considered it. It was the first time he had been hopeful and wanted to see what it could do. He wasn’t able to shake the little smile from his face as he thought about it, still clearly in a rising mood.
He tried to keep his expression even when Gelria used his magic on him but it wasn’t long before the cinnamon made its way into his eyes, his nose, his mouth…
He tried to squeeze his eyes shut but they were immediately burning; instinctively, he went to scrub at them. His nose felt like it was on fire and instinctively he tried to inhale through his mouth, but that only made things worse. Malus tried to step back and fan the cinnamon away, but it was too late. Ten seconds felt like an eternity and he was coughing, wheezing, and backing away. By the time the magic had ended, his face was red and his eyes were streaming tears.
It didn’t end quickly, it faded, and he looked embarrassed and tried to scrub the liquid from his eyes and cheeks.
“Sorry,” he rasped, throat sore from coughing. “That’s—that’s really powerful,” he wheezed. “I thought with all the time I’d spent in the kitchen maybe I’d have a little immunity but,” he had to gasp for breath, “Oh, that hurts.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:58 pm
“Yeah…I’m sorry…are you okay?” Gelria looked utterly unhappy and walked over to Malus, using his sleeve to rub at the senshi’s eyes. “I told you it’s not a very nice attack…effective, yeah…but not very nice. I mean, I suppose that’s good for when I get into a real fight and have to defend myself but…it sucks when I’m sparing with a friend.”
He winced and tried to give a comforting smile, though only ended up looking a bit worried. “If I ever use it though, when we’re patrolling together just be sure to stay behind me okay?” It was almost said as a joke…but he was kind of worried about it. What if this made this senshi not want to patrol together…maybe he should have just let the senshi attack him…then maybe…
“Ugh I really am sorry, Mal. Please don’t hate me okay? Do you want to patrol with me sometime? I could use the company, like, seriously could use the company. And I swear I won’t cinnamon you in the face again…” He hoped the plea worked and they could really be patrol buddies…that would be great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:08 pm
Malus did not pull away when Gelria began to help rub at his eyes; instead, he stood still and tried to cough into his sleeve, grateful just for some assistance. “I’m okay,” he promised. “I just didn’t know what to expect. I mean, I did, but I was thinking just a poof of cinnamon, like when you put the bottle down with too much force and it squeezes up into your face? I think it’s better now,” he said; it was still sore, but he could breathe and his eyes weren’t burning so much.
“I bet that’s really useful in battle, though. I bet you could use that on an enemy and get away really easily. My magic is—I mean, you saw it. It doesn’t really look like it does anything, to me at least. But yours,” he drew in another gulp of air. “That’s really neat.”
It wasn’t that he was avoiding the patrolling question, just that he needed time to think it over. “I think…I mean, maybe we could try? I…I’m sort of…I usually go out with a Knight, or the Eternal Senshi, because they know what they’re doing and I know they’d keep me safe if something happened. I’m not very brave, and not very good for backup, but…maybe if…”
Oh, damn. There was a lump in his throat and he felt his anxiety swelling up. “Maybe if we just did it for a little while…and in safe places…we could patrol some? And practice and get stronger? I’m still…I’m still working up the nerve to do things like this. I’m sorry. I know it probably sounds stupid. I promise I’m getting better. If you’d seen me a few months ago, you wouldn’t have even recognized me.”
…Literally.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
