|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 5:37 am
Most days were not 'his' days, and today was no different. Honestly, life had been fairly decent; he should have been proud of himself. He had a published book hitting the shelf next week--a real one, not some self published one. This was the first one coming out that wasn't digital.
He was healthy. He had gotten accepted into an anthology.
But all of that was under a pseudonym. He had never written under his name--no one even knew who 'he' was.
The victory went to his alternate identity.
Unlike that successful secret identity, 'Adria' was another story. Clumsy, weak, directionless.
That was more like his true self. Whether he went by the name 'Malcolm' or 'Adria', he seemed to be in the same boat either time. Tonight, he'd been minding his own business, for the most part. He'd crossed paths with a youma he hadn't even been after and found himself shoved against the pavement with a scraped lip and a bloodied nose before he even knew what was happening.
It wasn't as traumatizing as if an agent had attacked him; he had made it to his feet--he'd even managed to dust the youma.
But, it didn't mean he was ready to go home. He was still bleeding and didn't want to have to explain the injuries to his parents, if they were even still awake to ask.
Adria needed a place to sit, and the large fountain seemed like the perfect option. The splashing water was cool and the noise was as therapeutic as he could ask for.
He had settled on the edge of the fountain, cross legged and mopping at his nose as it dripped blood. His head was tilted back and he was pinching, just holding it and trying to stop the bleeding by will power alone. He could have powered down and been less of a target, he knew, but he was desperate to be aware of his surroundings.
...He just wanted to make sure a Negaverse Agent wasn't waiting to jump him.
There were other energy signatures in the park--Order, he figured, so not much of a threat. Unless they brought their Chaos troubles with them. He just wanted to mop up and drag himself home; despite dusting the youma, this didn't exactly feel like a success.
But then, it had been so long since he'd last had a success that he was starting to forget what it felt like.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 9:57 pm
Years.
It took years for his life to feel like it had some semblance of normalcy in it. Aside from the lack of any real family presence though, his was a decidedly average existence now. He'd neglected his duties as Ashur for a long while, dealt with the aftermath of his stupidity in his teens, but slowly but surely started patrolling again. Once every other months became once a month, then twice a month, then it became a weekly thing...and it stagnated there for some time. He graduated, got himself a cushy job, and between work and knightly duties, he honestly always prioritized his job.
He'd gotten further in his life as a civilian working in his field of choice, and it never once endangered his life even in the slightest.
But as his life continued to normalize, stabilize, he found he had a bit more energy to deal with Order business. Patrols and the occasional youma dusting became more part of his routine, and he had picked up the bad habit of hunting them down when he was looking to release some stress. It was much more effective and much more productive than just going to the gym and beating on a punching bag, that was for sure.
So that's what Ashur was up to that night, and with moderate success. He'd run into a small gang of small, human-esque youma. It was a bit of a challenge, and he didn't escape unscathed, but they were dusted and behind him now as he made his way to a fountain nearby to clean up a bit before he went looking for more. He sensed an Order signature coming from its direction and he nearly passed...but it'd been a while since he really ran into anyone that he knew before his extended hiatus so he figured it was safe enough.
The scene he was walking into, though, was maybe a little unexpected.
"Lean forward," the squire said as he approached. "Less likely you'll choke on your blood."
He took up a space beside the senshi--he didn't see any obvious signs of them being a knight, so that made the most sense--and leaned over the water. "Bad night?" he asked as he started washing up. The atmosphere reminded him of his own mood on some days. It used to be most days, but things had started getting better. Bit by bit, one day at a time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 4:05 pm
Adria blinked twice before he even registered that he was being spoken to. He lowered his head so he could see the face of the approaching Knight but he was nodding before he'd even processed what had been said.
He leaned forward tiredly, still pinching his nose and tilting his head back.
"Most of them are," he confessed, but seemed to feel bad about answering in such a way. "I'm just in a funk. I look worse than I feel though, I promise. Just tired, I think."
Tired, and torn between wondering what he'd done wrong and what he could do better.
It wasn't easy to see out of the corner of his eye, but he cracked it as best he good to get a quick look over the man.
The symbols, he didn't recognize, but he had only himself to blame. He'd met very few knights, but the sight of one not clad in purple and Saturn symbols stirred his interest. He shifted positions just slightly, slowly welcoming the slow return of energy as his curiosity compelled him to speak. "You have a rough one, too?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
