Sherwood was happy: not in a having a good day sort of way but in a holy s**t is this really my life way. She was in college which, as it happened, wasn't as bad as she'd imagined. She was in love with the greatest guy ever who shared her life and her secrets. She loved her adopted brother and partner in crime. Even the Negaverse seemed to be taking it easy on her. She hadn't run into Painite again and her nightmares of that night were all but gone. She was patrolling now on the edge of town near the woods after a visit to her boyfriend's farm. Night was falling and the sky was a pretty shade of blue she was trying to memorize.
She felt an aura on the edge of her perception, the unmistakable tinge of chaos. It wasn't someone she was familiar with, but all the same she felt herself going on alert. Not all of the Negaverse came looking for a fight, but enough of them did that she was on edge. It was just best to be ready and she made sure her bow was in hand, but not in a threatening pose.
Lithiasaur
Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:30 am
Lieutenant Crocoite leaned on his cane, always with it even though it was technically his weapon and he had to summon it from subspace every time he powered up. It was just an extra few steps in the already long powering up process. He sighed, wondering vaguely what his General was up to that night. Last time he saw her, she was in a very foul mood, so he was not keen on running into her again until he had a full quota of energy to hand over. And maybe a starseed or two.
He felt the aura of a knight of some kind nearby, learning slowly how to tell the difference between the white moon ranks. He made his way toward it, walking with his cane though he did not have a limp like his pathetic brother. He thought the cane was strangely fitting, since he could use it as a weapon whereas his brother had it as a disability. It gave Crocoite strength, and made Tony weaker. Or maybe he was just being poetic where it was not due.
"Good evening," he said coolly, spotting Sherwood. It was not like the two could hide from each other, after all. He knew she could feel him just as easily as he sensed her nearby.
Sherwood held her ground as he approached, not wanting to give him the impression that she was running away. Something about predators and fear she'd read once, being able to sense it. Probably chaos was the same way, seeing it as weakness. She couldn't be sure but it was better to be cautious than hurt. She wished for someone to be there as back up. Why hadn't she asked Westley to patrol with her? There would always be a twinge of fear when she was approached.
"Good evening," she returned, though not as coolly as offered. "Who are you?"
For a second she got a jolt of Camelot, but that was impossible. He could never be corrupted, not as the Royal Knight he was. Mama Shalott wouldn't stand for it, she was sure, and if he'd been taken over she would have heard about it somehow. All the knights seemed to be connected to him in one way or another, if only because he seemed to go out of his way to meet them all. It was a silly fear, nothing more, but it made her want to go find him as soon as possible to confirm.
Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:35 am
Crocoite leaned on his cane, regarding her passively. He smirked, though it was not the warmest expression around, and nodded his head. "My name is Crocoite. It is my pleasure to meet you. You are... one of those knights, yes?" He did not betray if he was really unsure or not, though he knew she could tell his rank from his power level and would probably assume he was a newbie because of it. In a way, he still very much was, but the power he felt every time he powered up gave him confidence.
For once, he wasn't really thinking about his revenge plots against his brother, but was actually distracted by thoughts of a new prey.
"Isn't it a bit dangerous, to be walking the streets alone?" He smiled, bowing his head as if offering to walk with her, where ever she was going. He did take a few steps toward her, though he actually sent his cane to subspace for now to appear less threatening. It wasn't like he couldn't call it back at the drop of a hat, after all. The only thing he could not do yet that he felt would be really useful was teleport.
She was, a very obvious Earth knight. She was proud of who she was and what she did in this war. Sherwood saw the danger in his smirk and felt more apprehensive, trying not to let it show in her eyes. If she had known his connection to her Papa Camelot she would have been too protective to be wary, but all she knew was that he was new to her, and on the wrong side of their conflict. Chaos was poison, and he wasn't ready for the antidote.
"I'm Sherwood, of Earth."
Earth. Her home. Her place to protect. Her place to draw power from. She knew that all too well, as well.
"Usually it's pretty safe this far out."
She indicated the trees and the line of a housing tract in the distance. She'd always been more comfortable surrounded by nature. She'd always sought out this type of place, though it was usually pretty useless for patrol. It was rare to meet enemies in places like this. Even so, she let him fall into step beside her, taking up to start walking toward the city proper. Eventually, she'd make her way back to Westley's apartment.
"What are you doing out so far?"
Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:38 am
"We're all of Earth," Crocoite sighed. He was, at least, very much an Earth being, without even a tie to another planet like the senshi had. He was told that the Negaverse were the truest denizens of the planet, with the senshi invading and pushing them from their rightful place. He found that all hard to wrap his around, though, as every senshi he ever met was some kid born ten years ago on this planet.
It was difficult to consider them powerful aliens he was in a war with, sometimes. Not that he hated them any less, he just... could not bring himself to respect them, either.
He shrugged.
"Looking for anyone foolish to be out this far alone," he said, and he smirked. He liked picking fights sometimes, and liked handling things with his words other times. It was all just a process to figure out what kind of a soldier he really wanted to be. Not the stab happy nightmare like his General, that was for sure, but a little blood and chaos could be fun sometimes.
"I'm a bit short of my quota, you see. So I'll need to borrow some energy from you, to keep my bosses happy."
Wasn't that how it worked? KD wasn't sure she understood it completely even now but she did know she was from Earth and she was supposed to defend it from people like him. Not that he'd been super aggressive about it...yet. Papa Camelot told her that she needed to try to trust that they could all be saved, that peace was possible, and so she tried to live by his advice.
"You're ok with trying to beat up someone half your age?" She asked incredulously. "I'm not giving you my energy."
She had no idea what the hell they used all that energy for, anyway, but it was just ******** creepy that they collected it so zealously. It was just another thing that was weird on the other side. She tightened her grip on her bow, wondering if she should try to get a message to her boyfriend or Camelot for help. She had a feeling she'd need it.
Lithiasaur
Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 1:40 pm
ZaiaFantasy
Crocoite watched her, eyes flashing. He had his goals in mind, and he was ready to fight. Ready to earn his place. A better, more respectable place. He appreciated his General and all her help, but he was not ready to be her minion forever. He wanted her power, and he wanted to do more with it than she did.
"I have accepted that the White Moon are all on the younger side, but that's not my recruiting methods. It's yours. If whatever cosmic power you subscribe to thinks you're ready to fight, then I cannot help but agree. And if you're ready to fight, then you're ready to die."
He was very much the opposite of his brother, and finding his voice in the shadow of Chaos more readily. He liked the whole thing, really, where before he had doubts about what it could offer him. Maybe it was Chaos seeping into his starseed, corrupting him, but he found he did not really mind it. In fact, he had never felt so clear minded in his life.
"So I know you're ready."
Grinning, he charged forward, gripping his cane and taking a swing at her with the crocodile head facing forward.
Surprisingly, Sherwood was not afraid. If it had been this time the year prior she might have been, thanks to Painite's attack. Now, also perhaps thanks to Painite, she was no longer afraid. She'd already come close to death and had lived to tell about it. It took a long time get over that close brush with death but she had managed and came out clean in the end. Some dude with a cane was not likely to ******** her up nearly as much as a crazy lady with a spear.
There was not time to think about calling for help. He swung and she brought her bow up like a staff, blocking his blow. It was a harder hit than she was expecting and felt a little rattled by it. Thankfully it was a fairly sturdy wooden bow and could take abuse. That metal topper looked like it would hurt if it managed to hit her and she did not want that to happen.
"I'm not going to let you kill me."
She was absolutely clear on that point, the determination in her tone. She took the chance to offer her own hard swipe with her bow, not really fussed about where she hit him, so long as she was attacking.
"You Negaverse people are ******** nuts, you know that? All of you!"
She might have blushed about swearing once upon a time but now she didn't much care.
Lithiasaur
Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:06 am
ZaiaFantasy
Crocoite, minion of Painite, was ready for a brawl. He sought power by brutal actions and proving himself in whatever way was necessary. Knowing the things Painite liked, he assumed doing those things would make her want to promote him. Or put him up for promotion. Or however it all worked.
He really did not care, so long as, one day, he surpassed her.
"Someone that knows a thing or two about fighting," he mused, as she blocked his bow, "that's rare. Usually, you are all sniveling, crying babies who rely on magic to run away."
But she was not a senshi, so she did not, as he understood it, have magic at all.
Being swatted at with a bow was not the most intimidating thing he had ever encountered, so he took the hit on his shoulder and growled, using the pain to fuel the fury behind the next swing of his cane. This time it was more of a jab, aiming for her midsection.
"We don't all get pointy spears to go around killing people. We have to have magic."
She wasn't without her own, though she hadn't used it yet.
Sherwood was pleased she managed to get a hit in but that momentary pride was smacked firmly in the backside by the jab that caught her in the stomach and forced the air from her lungs. She stumbled back, angry as hell, taking only a moment to right herself before magic flared to life. She pulled back the bowstring, an arrow of golden light shining in the strings. With years of practice she let it loose at close range, aiming for his chest.
If it struck anywhere, she'd be happy enough. She hadn't had a chance to use this magic yet and had no idea what it did. She hoped it was something damn painful.
Lithiasaur
When Sherwood manages to strike an opponent with her arrows whatever body part she happens to strike will feel "deadened". This could include a loss of sensation, feeling heavier/sluggish, or that pins and needles feeling when a body part falls asleep. This feeling lasts a minimum of 10 seconds per hit. Aside from making the limb feel deadened the magic also induces questions about the victim's motives or honor causing doubt, distraction, or even halting the fight altogether while they sort it out. These arrows work on friends or foes and a clever enemy might trick her into hitting her allies or dodge the arrow altogether.
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 12:19 pm
ZaiaFantasy
Crocoite grunted.
"You mean Painite and her spear, I take it? Has everyone run into my General at some point? She does seem to have quite the reputation. But I intend to surpass her. As you can see, I have no spear, either."
He held up his angry looking crocodile cane, grinning ear to ear very much like the creature depicted on his weapon. He pulled back as she revealed she had a weapon that was more than just for show, as most Knights were as far as he knew. He had only really run into Pages, though, and they never seemed to have anything useful to fight with.
A bow and arrow seemed much more serious.
The arrow hit him in the side, and he immediately felt the area go numb and heavy. he stumbled, balance thrown off, but growled furiously. Without much of a morality radar, the questions from her magic were nothing more than a distraction than anything he really worried about.
"I see you have some dirty tricks of your own, for all your complaints," he managed to snarl.
"From what I hear she gets around," she snarled, intentionally making it a double entendre.
Sherwood was a little afraid. It was impossible not to be with his weapon being quite solid and a demonstrated desire to use it. Her anger continued, building on itself in a way she didn't enjoy. She was not a negative person, much preferring to see the better side of things. This was no time for that, however, and she knew if she wasn't careful she'd end up getting very hurt.
The hit thrilled her and she let out a little squeak of pride.
"I told you it wasn't going to be easy. I'm not letting you take anything from me. Not today, not ever."
As much as she wished for back up she needed to do this on her own. She needed to prove she could do it. To further that goal she put herself on the offensive, moving to hit him with her bow again. She was aiming for the other side where he hadn't been hit by the air, taking advantage of her recent little victory.
Lithiasaur
Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:03 pm
ZaiaFantasy
Crocoite scoffed.
"You get so excited because you managed to land one blow. You must be a fairly terrible knight, then, if your bar for what you consider a celebration worthy event is so low."
He liked to tease and to prod his enemies, trying to find where their buttons were. Sure, sometimes it meant getting the crap beaten out of him, but at least he learned useful information for when he was stronger.
Everything he did was for the future: when he was a Captain, and then a General, he would teach anyone who had the misfortunate of meeting him and earning his ire the lessons they deserved. And, of course, he would destroy everything his brother loved.
But that was personal, and he was not much for sharing his personal plans.
"That won't work a second time," he growled, lashing out suddenly. He saw her swing coming this time, and moved to cut her off, swinging his cane for her midsection with as much strength as he could muster. If he broke a rib, he would be very happy. She more than deserved it.
"Well, it's not like I'm old like you. I haven't had all of the time you have to perfect your fighting."
When in doubt, call him old. Besides, he was pretty much so it wasn't like she was really name calling, just telling the truth. She yelped as the cane hit her ribs. She heard a crack and went down on one knee, eyes watering with pain. What was it with the Negaverse all being crazy, evil ********? Papa Camelot said that there were some good ones but she had yet to meet any. They all just seemed to want to hurt her, hurt others, or use her for their own ends by pretending to be something they weren't.
To get him back and buy herself a few moments, she jabbed up with the heel of her hand, hoping to break his nose. While his eyes were watering she managed to get a note off the Papa Camelot: a single line "Sherwood - 911"
There wasn't time to get him a location but maybe that didn't matter. They weren't so far from the library that his massive aura couldn't be felt or find her.
"You'd better get out of here! Papa Camelot's coming and when he finds out you hurt me he's gonna be pissed."
