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 Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 3:34 pm
Arnica had time to think, after training with his sister; he'd tried to look into himself and find the words to use his magic, but for too long, nothing came. He had expressed frustration, disappointment, or concern that maybe he wasn't supposed to be a senshi to her, but she had always been assuring.
And then, one night, it hit him.
"Kibi," he said, still trying very hard to use her powered nickname and not her actual name, as he walked with his sister through Destiny City late one evening. "I was thinking. Very hard," he insisted. "...And a phrase popped into my head."
He bit back the exasperated 'finally' in fear that maybe it wasn't the right phrase, or that he'd just imagined some words and hoped they had meaning.
"...How do I know if it's my magic? --And if it is my magic...how do I use it?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 3:57 pm
Kibirev glanced at her brother, seeming tired still. She had been off her game and hadn’t been quite as eager to show her brother the ins and outs of everything, and even had to be coaxed into patrolling again. His fears and concerns had only started adding more to her own doubts, but she kept it all to herself, withdrawing once again.
Her thoughts were elsewhere when he called her back, and the senshi blinked slowly. “Oh…well I think you should just try it out…if it’s your magic…you’ll know what to do…it’ll be instinct really. The other night, that was my first time using my super magic on you and I just…knew what to do. So…” She glanced around and took a few steps away from her brother, shrugging, unable to quite meet his eyes.
“Try it out on me, okay? I want to know what you can do.” There was no real bravado now, just a tired resigned sort of tone in her voice.
“Or if you don’t want to, that’s fine too. I’m not…trying to pressure you for anything.”
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:43 pm
Arnica glanced at her for an extra few seconds, trying to take in the fact that his sister seemed like she was in a bit of a funk. He knew it had started the last time they had talked about their magic but his mind has been too at peace for him to clearly remember what had happened. Still, he was curious and he wanted to learn and couldn’t imagine going out without his sister.
“I want to know what it does,” he said, repeating the phrase in his head a few times to make sure it didn’t leave his mind. He was still watching her closely, worriedly. Her magic hasn’t hurt him—so his wouldn’t hurt her, right?
“I know you aren’t pressuring me.” He smiled at her, reassuring and loving. “I just hope it works. Is there some way to turn it off, just in case it’s not...not as wonderful as yours?”
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:44 pm
Kibirev gave a little shrug. “I don’t know if it can be turned off…nobody ever told me if it could or couldn’t…but I’m not worried, honestly. And I don’t feel like you should be either. This is nothing but practice. Training. If your magic sucks…then you can just buy me ice cream after this and we’ll call it square.”
She tried to insert confidence into her voice. Tried to just will away the hurt that he though her silly, the overwhelming thought that she shouldn’t be teaching, that she had no right to do so but…
“Come on, Arnica. Nothing bad is going to happen…and you need to know how to use your magic…it could literally save your life so…just do it. I’m not going to hold anything against you if I…I don’t know. Catch fire or something. I promise.”
Not that Kibirev worried about catching fire at all…he didn’t look very…firey. And she couldn’t imagine his magic doing anything bad. Flowers weren’t bad…and he was still covered in them so…obviously his magic had to be like hers.
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:44 pm
He exhaled and then drew in a long, reassuring breath. “Okay,” he said, with a bit note confidence. “You’re right. I need to know how to use it. If we’re going to be in this together, I can’t let you down.” He seemed like he had a lot of faith in her, even if she didn’t seem to have so much herself. “I want to be as valuable to this team as you are. Just—be ready to stop drop and roll, okay? I don’t know much about mandragora.”
He hoped his magic made her feel as reassuring and calm as her magic had done for him.
The words has felt so much more meaningful when they were dancing around in his head; when he blurted, “Arnica Sprout!” He suddenly seemed embarrassed, as if he were worried it wasn’t magic at all. Only, a few seconds after he spoke, pretty purple flowers began to sprout around his sister.
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:45 pm
For a moment, Kibirev felt a sudden, fierce sense of pride in her brother as the flowers began to sprout around her. “There! You see! You do have magic. I wasn’t lying…And now…” She hesitated, reaching up to rub at her suddenly blurry eyes. “Now you…know how to use it…”
Her face grew hot and it felt as though her heart were beginning to beat at about a hundred miles a minute.
“I…oh…I hope this is your magic…” She murmured, closing her eyes as the dark, quiet park began to spin around her. Kibirev swallowed hard, and sank to the ground, trying to keep her breathing even.
If it wasn’t his magic…then she was in trouble and wasn’t feeling well at all. Kibirev tried to draw in slow, even breaths, and was relieved when after a few long, awful seconds, she could open her eyes and the park was no longer swimming or spinning. “…I guess…your magic isn’t like mine at all, Arnica…but…it seems…useful…”
…She needed a nap.
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:46 pm
Arnica looked worried and hurried over to her, one hand on her back to support her. His brows were knit and he seemed almost frantic. He tried to stroke her back, to soothe her.
"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. "I didn't mean to make you sick. I--I should have googled what Mandragora even was before I tried it. I just thought--your magic is," he seemed like he was struggling, "Your magic was so nice, it made me feel like I could relax, like I could just take it easy. It was like, the nicest feeling. Ah--Kibi, I'm sorry, do you need some help? We can go home. I won't try that again on you. But--but at least now we know that those are the right words. Do you still want to get ice cream? My treat, anything," he insisted, clearly still concerned about his little sister.
There was no denying that he was excited about the magic, but it wasn't what he had expected. The flowers were so pretty so he had just assumed they'd do something as nice as her magic had.
Although...
It would be a good distraction, he supposed, if they ever got into trouble. Kibi had seemed distracted and uncomfortable--at least...
It meant that if they got into any trouble, he figured he wouldn't be a sitting duck. He could help.
He wasn't useless.
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:46 pm
Finally Kibirev looked up at him and gave a soft smile. “That stuff’s potent…People won’t expect it looking at your outfit, that’s for sure.” She drew in a breath and was pleased that she was indeed feeling better. Her head wasn’t spinning at all now and her heart rate had returned to normal.
The smile on her face grew and she looked at Arnica and then flopped against him, relaxing. “I think your magic is amazing. And now I won’t have to worry about you at all anymore…now that I know you have such an amazing way to defend yourself? People won’t want to mess with you at all.”
And that would make it so she didn’t have to worry…Which was always a good thing.
“But…yes. Let’s get ice cream. I’ve had enough practice for one night…”
Moving away from the other senshi, Kibirev got to her feet and yawned, rubbing her eyes. “…Thanks, Arnica. I guess I needed this. I’m sorry. You just…I thought you didn’t think I was competent teacher but…maybe I was. Maybe I should have just let you go first…” Maybe it had been her magic which had made him want to stop the practice fight…and not her inexperienced ways.
“I love you, Arnica…I’m so glad we’re in this together now. It makes it all so much more fun…”
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:47 pm
Arnica breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again at her, staying close as she stood. "A competent teacher? Kib," he laughed softly, "I don't know if I could have been taught by anyone else. You're an amazing teacher, I don't know how you handled all my questions with so much patience. I wouldn't be able to ask anyone else for help like this. I know you won't judge me, or lie to me. I trust you," he kissed her cheek. "I believe in you. We're in this together, and you're the only person I can imagine showing me these ropes. It's not what I wanted," he confessed, scratching his chin.
"I don't think I would have signed up for it, but...it's really helped me understand the things that are going on in the city, I think. And..." Again, he smiled at her, and held out a hand to guide her away. They could power down in a minute, before they got close enough to civilization to worry about anyone seeing their outfits when they went to get ice cream, "I'm happy. I'm happy we have each other. I think you're amazing. And I love you. We've got this."
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:48 pm
It was silly…how much those words could give her strength. Even if they were just something to be said…that they had this…it made her smile, and as she let her powered glamour go she looked at her brother with a smile. “…I’m sorry you wouldn’t have chosen it for yourself…” Kelly took his hand in hers and sighed.
“I kind of feel the same…I’m not into dangerous things but…if I had the choice, you’d be right where you are…since I’m where I am…and I’m just…happy that we’re together so…thank you.”
“I love you and you make me so happy, Leander. You’re the greatest big brother in the world.”
She was happy. It was easy to be happy when she wasn’t alone.
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