It was relatively easy to actually contact Levendulan when he asked for a spar later. The next day, some time after dinner for most but breakfast for him, he tapped on her door. He idly swayed a water bottle from a loop from one claw as he waited for her to be ready.
He only had a few odd jobs today around the Negaverse so a spar felt like a good use of his time. The general he usually hit up for a patrol out said they were off for the week with real life obligations so it was back to hitting up any stray officer with a teleportation they hadn't exhausted.
He really needed to become a captain. This shuttling around was aggravating.
Shanyume
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 7:23 am
Lavendulan had been sitting at her desk sketching various designs on the river stones she brought back from the day before when she heard someone knocking on her door. There, in the hallway, stood her neighbor, a half youma like herself, Lieutenant Wolframite. While she had expected to meet up again to continue their conversation from the night before, Laven hadn’t quite expected him to suggest sparing so soon but she supposed it was for the best. Laven knew herself well enough that if she delayed training too long she would, in fact, keep putting it off with some excuse as to why she couldn’t go.
“I’m sorry for the wait.” With a water bottle of her own in hand, she turned to lock the door behind her.
“So where are we going?” She only knew of two places he could take her, the training facility Lopezite had taken her to over a month ago or, if someone was available to taxi them out of the Dark Kingdom, Destiny City which would be more open then a room.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 10:21 am
"Just outside the barracks. There is plenty of space to move. It's too much of a walk to get to the castle." He said as he turned. Like her, be was also in uniform. Workout clothes might be more appropriate but he didn't want to ruin what few outfits he had during a fight.
"So how rough do you want to go with this? Because we can keep it light or we can give it everything." He said as he walked, casually tearing a spot of space in front of him to out his water bottle away.
Shanyume
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:52 pm
“Somewhere in between, I guess?” It was more of a question than a direct answer. “I’d prefer to keep my head and limbs intact,” she quickly clarified. “However, if we do ever go on patrol together, it would be best to know where our strengths lie.” Well, he probably knew where he was at but she had no idea. “You may have suggestions for me that I might not otherwise think of.”
It’s not as if she was out of shape. Even without her watercrafts, Laven made sure to exercise to some degree; at the very least stretch each day. As for his claws, she wasn’t too terribly concerned. Sharp as they were, with her water form, she hoped they would be a non-issue.
Lavendulan paused in her following when he just casually dropped his water bottle which in turn pulled a Houdini and disappeared the moment he let go. She reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. “What the heck was that?” Her expression was a mixture of surprise and curiosity. “Where did it go?”
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 1:06 pm
He paused when she touched his shoulder and stared back with wide, glowing eyes. "What? You mean the space pocket?" He said, pointing in front of him.
She didn't know about space pockets?
"I guess you haven't been told. You have a magic backpack." He said and reached out again to open a small opening in space. About as wide as one would expect a backpack to open.
"If you think about opening a backpack, you can reach yours. It can hold about that much. So keeping some essentials there is good." He pulled out a medical kit and a burner phone, both of which were covered in animal hair that wasn't his own by the dark red color. He shook the fur loose and then brushed more out of the pocket. "I really need to clean this thing out and get more garbage bags." He grumbled as he stuffed everything back in.
"I imagine the space pocket exists in the same place as our uniforms. Most uniforms don't have pockets so having a place to keep your things is good. Just know you can't access it when you're powered down."
He moved down around the building to find them a cleared spot, popping the buttons off his jacket so he could take it off for the spar. Once opened, he tossed the coat to the ground and found a good place to get ready.
"Find a good place with some decent footing. Do a once over of your surroundings. Loose rocks. Cliffs. Holes. Formations. We'll start when you say ready."
And then, very slowly, he started to lick each claw.
HP:30 Per his instructions, Lavendulan walked several paces away from him. Her stomach churned in the way that suggested that this was a bad idea or that she was somehow being set up to make a fool over herself. But at least, from what she could tell, despite being in an open area there didn’t seem to be anyone watching them like a self proclaimed referee keeping track of points.
The last thing she needed was witnesses to her failures.
To try and calm herself down, she removed the lid to her water bottle and took a drink before setting it down next to a cluster of purple crystals. Glancing around, she shifted her feet beneath her to get an idea for how loose or soft the ground was while noteing where the building structures or potential trip hazards might be. While it was indeed cowardly, Laven had a feeling that she may be doing more dodging or running away.
“Ok.” She drew in a deep breath and waited for Wolframite to finish whatever he was doing with his claws before whispering the name of her own magic “Water Metamorphosis.”
While still holding its shape, both her body and uniform became transparent almost. She brought her hands together and between them formed a ball of water which she threw in his direction. However, her poor judge of distance meant that it didn’t even reach his feet before popping like a bubble, sprinkling the ground with little droplets.
“That… was anticlimactic…” She said with a disappointed sigh. Thankfully while in this form the embarrassed flush that would have otherwise stained her cheeks a bright red hue was more or less invisible, for now at least.
[rules]
Wolframite Stats HP: 30 Magic Bonus: +2 damage per turn Dice Roll: adjusted for 8 years in the Negaverse 1 - miss 2 - glancing blow 3-5 - hit 6 - critical
Lavendulan Stats HP: 30 Magic Bonus: No physical damage while in water form, last 3 posts and must have at least two posts before reuse Dice Roll: adjusted for 0 sparing experience 1-2 - miss 3 - glancing 4 - glancing out of water form, hit if in metamorphosis. 5 - hit 6 - critical
Rule: Roll two 6 sided dice. First dice is hit second dice is damage if applicable.
[Lavendulan abilities]
1) Physical: Draconic-Water Lavendulan's youma side is that of an adolescent water dragon. As such her draconic aspects have altered her physically which also grant advantages while in aquatic type environments. Among these changes are her claw-tipped fingers which have webbing between them allowing for quicker movement speed while swimming in water. Her claws are sharp enough to tear flesh and fabric, but not pierce through thick armor or metal but can scratch it. The scales cover approximately 25% of her body most notably around her neck down her upper back and over her shoulder blades as well as on her hips and down the side of each leg. These scales act like armor and the skin there is more durable, however multiple strikes to the same area may loosen the scales, leaving sensitive, raw skin underneath. Being merged with a water dragon type youma grants movement speed while in water due to the webbing between her fingers as well as the ability to breath underwater (which will probably never come in to play outside of a solo).
2) Magical: Water Metamorphosis While still retaining her actual form Lavendulan's entire body transforms into water.
When in this form she is one with her element; physical attacks pass through her unaffected like putting your hand into a flowing stream her body morphs around it. Her movement speed is increased, like a river upstream weaving through rapids, but not to exceed the next highest stage allowing her to change location quickly. While metamorphosis is active Lavendulan can bend water around her in a 7' radius. It takes one of two shapes; a sphere similar to the size and weight of a medicine ball or a thin whip. Both are used more defensively like a harsh shove to push someone over or a snapping sensation. At most, there might be a bruise in the morning unless the character she's attacking lands on something unfortunate.
Duration: 20 seconds Usage: 3 Note: Certain magic attacks still work but will need to be discussed before a battle. At General stage, the movement increase while in water form will not match that of a General King or Queen.
He watched her find a spot and look about, glad she didn't just dismiss his advice to take in her surroundings. As nice of an area this was to fight, there were plenty of hazards that could be used or could become a bigger enemy than your opponent. A sprayed ankle could make you worthless in a fight and cut your chances at escape.
He had been interested in exactly what Lavan could do. She said she swam in water but made little mention if her fighting abilities. Youma, even half-youma, did not have the traditional weapons he was used to owning but had themselves become weapons. Most were physical but due to their mutated anatomy, could have strange possibilities.
When he saw her become transparent, his eyes widened. What did that mean for the fight? Could he hit her in that form and how long could it be held? Then, as a added wonder, she formed a ball of what appeared to be water out of nowhere and threw it at him. He would have dodged if not for the fact it splashed at his feet.
"Nothing some aiming practice can't fix." He said to her disappointment. "You should have seen me with my first weapon. I couldn't aim it and hit myself too often to count."
He went a little lower. "You're a distance fighter. I'm close range." He informed her and then kicked off and raced at her, doing a wide swipe in her direction with his poisoned claws. He wanted to see how quick that ball could be formed or if it could be formed into something else. If not, she needed to get used to dodging and running.
Wolfy HP: 30 Damage: 1 +2 poison = 3
Wolframite Stats HP: 30 Magic Bonus: +2 damage per turn Dice Roll: adjusted for 8 years in the Negaverse 1 - miss 2 - glancing blow 3-5 - hit 6 - critical
Lavendulan Stats HP: 30 Magic Bonus: No physical damage while in water form, last 3 posts and must have at least two posts before reuse Dice Roll: adjusted for 0 sparing experience 1-2 - miss 3 - glancing 4 - glancing out of water form, hit if in metamorphosis. 5 - hit 6 - critical
Rule: Roll two 6 sided dice. First dice is hit second dice is damage if applicable.
There was a delicate balance between listening to what he was saying and watching what he was doing. In the moment he was preparing for his strike Lavendulan found herself distracted by the curiosity and bewilderment he invoked with his comment about injuring himself with his own weapon that his follow-up statement didn’t really register until he was almost in her face.
Albeit delayed in her reaction, she leaned forward to dash through him and get behind rather than retreat away. His claws, she assumed, would be no different than Lopezite’s sword or training weapon. That they would simply pass through her and she would remain unaffected.
However, in the world of science, an assumption is merely a hypothesis that had yet to be tested. Wolframite was not using an inanimate object to hit her with, he was in fact a living being and while the sensation of her body flowing around him had been much the same, there was an uncomfortable burning left in the wake of the swipe.
Lavendulan drew in a hissing breath. Like a drop of ink in a puddle of water the sharp pain in her side radiates outwards until it was more of an uncomfortable cramp than a localized stinging sensation.
She stumbled a few steps but righted herself quickly. Her movements were less fluid than she would have liked, clumsy even if she was being technical, but with her added speed while in this form Laven gained the distance back between them. Like before, she brought her hands together and as she turned around she threw it at him again. However, this time, she held onto it, swinging it in an arc at its max distance before pulling it back to her.
Her concentration, unfortunately, could not be maintained with the burning feeling serving as an almost painful distraction causing the ball to fall apart as it did before, this time at her own feet instead.
"What the heck did you do to your claws?" she asked between ragged breaths.
She wasn't just translucent. She was water! Or so much she could move in a solid shake, retain her form without the structure of bones, and have enough momentum to push over him. The sensation and implication of what her body was doing was chilling. Once in this form, her body was cold like a morning stream and there was a movement as her body rippled over him. He wasn't wet after so all parts of her collected it seemed.
He stayed there, stunned a moment as he looked at his arms and body to take stick and process what happened. Turning, he jerked back and braced as a ball of water was thrust into him. The feeling was a heavy, blunt force that pushed the air from his lungs as he stepped back and she moved further away.
Breathing in, he watched her. "Poison." He answered. "How the hell are you like water?"
He moved again, more cautious now, and slide down to kick her feet out from under her.
Wolfy HP: 24 Damage: 3
Wolframite Stats HP: 30 Magic Bonus: +2 damage per turn Dice Roll: adjusted for 8 years in the Negaverse 1 - miss 2 - glancing blow 3-5 - hit 6 - critical
Lavendulan Stats HP: 30 Magic Bonus: No physical damage while in water form, last 3 posts and must have at least two posts before reuse Dice Roll: adjusted for 0 sparing experience 1-2 - miss 3 - glancing 4 - glancing out of water form, hit if in metamorphosis. 5 - hit 6 - critical
Rule: Roll two 6 sided dice. First dice is hit second dice is damage if applicable.
“I basically died in the lake” She reminded him. The icy cold water had filled her lungs as darkness overwhelmed her senses and she was pulled down into a watery grave. That was where her life as Marissa Singer had ended and Lavendulan began as she awoke on a bed of small stones and sand looking up through a sheet of ice at a sunlit sky.“Perhaps if it would have happened on the dock or shore, my magic would be different.”
Slowed by the poison that still lingered within her, Laven was slower to react when he lunged at her again. While she could have simply just stood there and allowed his leg to pass through her ankles, lavendulan’s instinct told her to jump. Similar to before she felt his foot pass through her but unlike the instance with his claws there was no burning sting which meant that it was the poison that hurt like a b***h.
The timing of her metamorphosis was a bit of a fickle thing, easy to lose track of once the fighting started. Which is why she seemed so surprised when, mid-jump, the watery form became corporeal and reverted back to her normal form upon her descent.
Lavendulan’s graceless landing pulled from her a startled “eep” as her foot rolled beneath her.
Arms stretched out to catch herself, she squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation of hitting the ground. However, expectations did not always align with reality and in the case rather than scraping her hands on loose gravel she instead landed on something frighteningly soft yet incredibly awkward.
Her icy-blue eyes snapped open in shock only to see a twin pair of soft purple ears in her face.
Heat rose from her chest and spread across her cheeks, staining her skin a pinkish hue that looked almost purple in a few places. More than just simply embarrassed Laven felt completely mortified when she glanced down at Wolframite.
“I-I…” she stammered, “I’m so sorry!” Lavendulan blurted out as she scrambled to get him off by rolling to the side which, in turn, ended up being the biggest mistakes on her part since the start of their spar.
While it hadn’t been attached to one of the clusters, Laven had rolled over one of the sharp, broken crystal fragments that had simply been lying on the ground. If it had been any higher then perhaps the scales on her back could have protected her. But for where it was, the sharp edge cut through her uniform and soft skin beneath.
“Nnng… owww” She groaned and laid on her side for a second before rising to her feet.
In the lake. He had to wonder what she would have become if her corruptor had throw her to the grass, the docks, or some other element. Instead, the corruption mutated her to what it needed for her to survive the water and the cold. It made her water. He supposed it was better than being a goldfish or a toad. Youmafication could get ugly bit she was spared from the darker horrors of mutation.
But as water, she could flow, move, twist and confirm. Her body could possibly deflect hits. Could she cover someone and suffocate them? Could she solidify herself enough to be a wall, a shield for herself or another? How far did the ability go?
She leapt and he expected to run some test by grabbing into the water, but a weight came crashing down into him. The weight was mercifully might but still surprising and in the shadows of her hair, he stared into the bottom lip and chin of her face and recesses of her neck. For a moment, he was dazed, feeling the weight stop him. Then, like a torturous comoulsion, his mind brought up a name.
Tate.
The memory of such a young crush had him breathing in a sharp breath before he flushed as she sputtered an apology right into his ears and rolled off.
He rolled to the other side, clawing the ground as he rose. ""Don't be sorry. Punch me next time. Slam my head against the rocks. You had the upperhand." He barked at her.
"I could have grabbed your starseed." He reminded her as he started to lick at his claws, ignoring the dirt and grit in his mouth which he spat to the side.
He swiped at her to get her moving again as he went to pursue her.
Despite not wanting to actually hurt him, she should have at least took a swing or swipe at him with her claws in return. Though dainty, they were still sharp; the scars on her arms were proof of that.
When he took another swing, Lavendulan brought her arms up to swipe his paws away. The burning in her side had blessedly faded as she lept backward in retreat. However, it seemed he was not kind enough to allow for any sort of reprieve from the poison he had reapplied to his daggerlike claws the tip of which grazed her from elbow to wrist reigniting that burning sensation.
Getting hit while not in her metamorphosis form was definitely worse.
“Grab my what?” She looked at him, brows furrowed from the localized pain as she applied pressure to the hairline cut with her other hand and backed away. The influx in her voice suggested she had never heard of such a thing.
He stared at her in disbelief. How many months was she here and she still didn't know the basics? "What the hell is your general even teaching you? I swear to - If I was a general I'd already have reassigned you over to me." He snapped, not meaning to be angry but getting more pissed at how little she was prepared. No basic training. No information about abilities and basic Intel. Did she even know the various factions and leaders?!
"Starseeds!" He snapped as he circled about her and taking a testing swipe in the air in her direction. "The reason you felt a pain in your chest before you fell into the lake. A starseed is the very core of your existence and is inside you. Only a member of Chaos can reach into your chest and grab it. Pumping chaos into a starseed can make a new officer. A lieutenant. Pumping more later can make a captain and then a general. Someone who isn't powerful enough or skillful enough to have control can shove too much into a starseed that can't handle it and that can cause youmafication. You. Me. Us."
He continued to circle her but switched directions to cause co fusion, forcing her to turn about.
"Reach in and make an officer. Pull a starseed out, the person either dies or becomes a vegetable. Destroy a starseed and they cease to exist. They never get reborn in the Space Cauldron. Put it back in quick enough and they reanimate back to the living."
And then, his tail flickered, and he almost purred the words. "Eat one, and you have the energy to continue a fight. Eat too many, become a youma."
"That close, I could have reached into you chest and grabbed it. Ripped it right out of your chest. Don't expect your enemy to play honorable or fair. Play dirty. Dead men have honor."
“Please-” Lavendulan ducked under his swing and took a swipe at his leg with her one good arm before lunging behind him. Her attack was haphazard at best as her main concern was trying not to have her head taken off which in turned really only earned her a few long strands of fur from his tail when she passed by.
“You can’t be angry at Lopezeite for not telling me any of this…” She shook her hand to the side then wiped what didn’t come off onto her uniform. “The officer who found me, he’s not a general. He’s just a captain and I’m willing to wager a bet that I’m probably the first Lieutenant he’s taken under his wing.” He was at least gentle about it when it came to his teachings. Plus, he had a life of his own to live, one that didn’t leave him in a place like this.
It was probably assumed that she would be more social and natural curiosities when conversing with fellow officers would fill in the gaps of information. Unfortunately that method didn’t really fall in line with her personality now days as she often sought solitude over the company of others.
However, she did wonder how different things would be if Wolframite had reassigned her to him instead. His training method was definitely more aggressive but it definitely kept her mind busy and off topics that would otherwise pull her back into the depressed funk she couldn’t seem to pull herself out of. Not to mention the information he had was an invaluable asset to the point that she found herself almost hungry for more.
“What I don’t understand though… if Chaos are the only ones who can touch these starseeds, what reason is there for me to be worried? Based on your reaction yesterday, I was under the impression that going after other officers would be a punishable offense.” Unless there was something else he forgot to share. Perhaps in training it was something they turned a blind eye to…
