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 Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 5:10 pm
A delicate hand plucked at the fabrics of various skirts, internally sighing somewhat over the annual, seasonal plight. Sure, her uniform wasn't as encompassing as others--there were a few with cold-aligning spheres that perhaps found the summer to be a greater bane than her. Some Knights she'd come across had full, layered suits on, even.
But that didn't keep Metis from, once again, debating the practicality of removing a few layers of her uniform when the summer heat got a bit too unbearable. It'd be one thing if the fabrics were light-weight, then she might actually appreciate it--the lighter colors, anyway, not so much all the black. But nope. She was pretty sure some were more akin to a wool weight.
Her head tipped back, for a moment watching how her energy, and that of the various trees and other plants around her, bounced slowly off the outline of the street lamp that helped to illuminate the paved pathway. Green waves mixed with the silver-streaked bronze of her aura, highlighting empty space or the actual source of the energies. Inanimate objects, inorganic objects, remained only empty outlines where the energies couldn’t fill the space. Behind the thick black fabric of the blindfold, her mind painted the picture of the sort of echolocation against the darkness. After ten years of the nightly experience, Metis found the magical awareness to be just another part of her. Just another sense for her to navigate the world with.
Now and then, her tongue clicked sharply, or she struck the hard material of her boot’s heel onto the pavement of the footpath. A true echolocation, a habit and sense she still worked with professionals to improve even after years of practice to form a stronger understanding of her surroundings without the magical sight.
No one really questioned a young woman about her habits when she used a cane, or walked alongside a specially harnessed canine. Réalta had inquired heavily upon their initial meetings and patrols, something that had amused the Senshi. She wondered, not for the first time, what impression the blindfold gave to people at first, as they were unable to see her eyes directly. Something she should perhaps begin to inquire about, she mused, at least against any Chaos agent… So far as she was aware, only those she had repeated encounters with, or those she encountered prior to becoming an Eternal, were remotely the ones to be knowledgeable of her… condition.
Metis’ fingers splayed over the skirts in her lap, the wooden bench beneath her worn from years of use. Her head turned slightly to observe the disintegrating body of the serpentine-cat youma she’d just finished with. The sickly dark grey-brown aura, with the barest traces of copper speckled through, had faded first after the body had stopped twitching from when she slammed first her boot, then a rock, and finally a small branch she broke off from one of the trees into the creature’s skull. She recalled how some Senshi she’d met before would carry things like pipes or bats to use as weapons. An appealing thought, she considered as she bit at her lower lip, especially when just fists and heeled boots didn’t seem to do a decent job. The dead, energy outlined branch lay beside the dwindling pile of rapidly decaying and dissolving flesh, bone, and blood. Bits of sand and other particles hissed as they shifted and fell away into a faint breeze.
She was going to have to consider other alternatives again. The only real downfall of having a magic that was more… well, supportive—needing additional support herself to ensure any opponent was brought down quickly and efficiently.
As she let her mind tumble about on these and other matters, giving her heart rate a chance to simmer down and also try to cool off before she continued her wandering patrol through the large park—she preferred to patrol in the evening and nights as it were, but summer made it all the more of an ideal—something triggered at the back of her mind. Beyond the range of her magical vision, a sort of radar bleeped in her head. Order. Senshi. Lower rank. The basic information flickered along the energy signature and she straightened in her seat, a smile already beginning to tug at the corners of her mouth. She never turned down a chance to speak with another Order agent, if their paths crossed. A hand turned over, palm up, and she focused briefly to pull the cell phone from… whatever plane it hung out in when not in use.
A quick few flicks of her fingers over the screen, and the digital voice read the contents back to her as she maneuvered to a sort of local scanner. No registered energy signatures were read back to her, so she sent the phone away. Someone new, probably. Even more of a reason for her to perk up.
Epine de Rose Hope this is alright for a start, let me know if there's any issues/you need me to edit anything!
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 7:54 pm
The evenings were me-time for the senshi. Months ago this would have simply meant that he participated in his usual hobbies, went out, or generally enjoyed himself. That had changed once he'd had one fateful encounter and a Mauvian had otherwise broadened his horizons. He hadn't ever aspired to have any particular set of abilities, in fact, until that point he'd never actually believed that magic existed. Anything odd, unusual or otherwise questionable had been something he had deemed fanciful. Quite frankly, he had found the more outlandish stories to be exasperating but now he knew better, and now he had become one of those individuals that regularly got reported to the precinct.
He was a 'sighting' now you see.
A UFO, an alien, some sort of 'weirdo' in a dark alley.
Fortunately these new experiences had put him in the position to be uniquely patient with those that did have such peculiar encounters and it was through those reports that he tended to find the hotspots of activity. Anywhere that may have caused a stir was now investigated when he clocked out for the evening. Granted, he had come to the conclusion that youma and agents alike seemed to enjoy the scenary of the park and otherwise questionable dark alleys. There was method to the madness, but it did make some of them a little more predictable than they probably cared to admit. Well, the sentient ones would at least be somewhat unhappy that he could guess where they would be and normally be correct... but when it came to the more feral youma they were simply doing what animals did.
This evening had turned out to be no exception. It was a touch more active than he had seen it in a while, Youma prowled in greater numbers, but there had been no sign of an agent yet. While an anomaly, without a confirmed source, there was little more than he could do than simply address the matter. Consequently he hadn't been oblivious to the presence of another senshi, but given the circumstances he had prioritised his existing responsibilities over any social calls. However as it drew nearer he did cast a half glance towards it; in between exchanged blows with the more insistent beast he'd found, it seemed he'd attracted their interest.
Well maybe, either that or they had simply decided to head in this direction on their patrols.
He'd greet them when they finally crossed his path though, for now it was in his best interests to return his attention to present company. His focus on the eldritch horror inspired dog, he simply braced himself, took several steps back and then launched himself towards it. Fist drawn back, it swung round 'mid-flight' and slammed squarely into the head of his opponent... Actually, it might have gone through it. As the beast slumped to the ground and slowly began to fade away he afforded a quick glance towards his hand before peering down at what lay at his feet - ah, well no it didn't look wholly intact now that he'd had the opportunity to inspect the disintegrating corpse.
Heh, at least his fists were reliable even if his magic wasn't, he could take some small comfort than that.
With no more beasts forthcoming it appeared that Metis would have his full attention and it was with that in mind that he turned round to face the direction the source of the Order signature seemed to be coming from.Kaefaux Your start is fine, no changes needed haha!
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:07 pm
The superior speed offered to her by her rank made closing the distance all the easier, without requiring a massive excursion of energy in the process. Something she was grateful for--part of her was afraid the other signature would wander off, or, even worse, vanish if the person powered down before she could get to them.
Easy ways to show you're not interested in making contact with others in your faction, or at all, she supposed. Some people just didn't want to deal with strangers, which she could understand.
There'd been, for a moment, the undeniable presence of another youma in the same direction. But the other senshi took care of that, and it delighted her all the more. A lot of magics, from what she'd seen, didn't work well for single combat, leaving a lot to be desired in terms of... er... well.
There was a reason a lot she'd met used to wander around with weapons, or had to learn how to manage makeshift varieties. Especially against agents wielding actual weapons, the most infamous with blades. She bore a few scars from such varieties.
The sickly sensation of the youma's aura on her mental radar had faded moments before Metis arrived, gloved hands clasped loosely before the teal ribbon and gold chain wound around her hips. Small golden coins clinked and chimed together with her movements. Her smile was immediate, bright and breezy, when the silver-streaked-copper figure formed within her vision. She lifted a hand briefly, offering an easy little wave. "Hello there. Well done with the youma." The body was long gone, she'd no idea the variety they'd dealt with. But they could be more than a small nuisance regardless of rank, so credit was due regardless.
Soft clicks from her heels echoed off the pavement of the walkway, brown locks sliding along her shoulders as she tilted her head slightly to the side. And slightly back, as she approached within a respectable distance. They were tall. "Hope I'm not interrupting your evening, I don't often get to cross paths with other senshi as much as I'd wish," she offered along with a quick incline of her head. "Metis of the Third Eye. I don't believe we've met before..?"
Manners, if nothing else, were a requirement.
Epine de Rose ...helps if I actually hit Submit instead of leaving this on a tab oml...
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:43 pm
The pulse came first, the Order presence drawing nearer and then she was upon him. First came a compliment, one that caused him to glance towards the now empty spot at his sandal, and then came the more conversational tone and an introduction. This new Eternal clearly wasted no time and he hazarded a smile as he return his gaze to the woman who had encroached upon his 'territory' for the evening.
"Thank you," he replied.
Taking a brief moment to assess exactly who and what was in front of him, he made a mental note that he was once again in the presence of one who was considerably more powerful than him. With a signature as strong as Cybele's he ascertained that he was in the presence of another eternal. They were certainly impressive, but when it came to the most interesting part about his visitor...she had entirely obscured vision.
"We also have not met before, I'm one of the newer kids on the block," he continued. Unaware that behind her mask she couldn't actually see anything, he spread his arms wide and chuckled. "I'm Athalia," he finally gave his own name and lowered his hands once more to clasp them behind his back.
"Of Hercules Beetles," it was more of an after thought than anything when he clarified what sphere he represented.
"You aren't disturbing me though, this is a relatively normal evening for me, occasional random encounter included," he added. "Though it's rarely an encounter with the Order kind," he conceded. "You're more of a rare treat than I would care to admit on this occasion."
"What brings you to these haunts this evening?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:35 pm
Baby senshi, as she'd once heard the term, certainly could apply to the youngsters who fumbled in the battlefield or hung about the rooftops, unsure of what their purpose was in the war. Not an accurate descriptor of the man before her. Did the term basic apply, either, though?
Though her physical eyes didn't pick up his movement, his silver and copper aura moved, radiating energy from the new position of his limbs. If she were to get up close, she could likely make out more of a sense of his uniform, outside of the general silhouette his energy painted him in.
Above the hem of her blindfold, her dark brows rose in bemusement. Hercules Beetles? She wasn't familiar enough with insects to picture them, though she was at least pretty sure they were one of the bigger types with... was it large pincers? Were they the ones that flipped their rivals?
Not that it mattered much, only made her curious what sort of magic such a sphere utilized.
"Bit of a shame, that. There's quite a few of us, never mind the presence of Knights." Her smile flickered with an edge of sadness to hear that, even for others, it wasn't so common to encounter other members of their joint faction. A small sigh slipped from her nose before she shook her head faintly to his question, olivine beads clinking together softly as they hung from the cloth across her eyes. "Nothing in particular. I more so just wander when I patrol, until a signature catches my attention. Not the most efficient method, I'll admit," she added with a slight wince. Patrolling in set routes had once been more effective, though she'd done so with other members of her team at the time. If Realta was around, Metis was more inclined to going back to old habits, but alone?
It just... never quit appealed.
"Are you at all in a similar boat? Or is this more of a familiar route for you?" Though, to be fair, everyone seemed to end up at a park at some point.
Her earlier question lingered around her head, and before she could really keep herself from it, it popped from her lips: "May I ask what sort of magic you use?" Unsure if it was rude, she added, "It's a little different from others I'm more used to, Rainbows, Tar, Breath, Glory. So I'm curious how it manifests, if that makes sense?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:36 pm
"I... will admit to having routes," Athalia replied.
"I have monitored activity since I became uh," he pursed his lips and glanced down at himself. Somehow calling himself a 'magical boy' was unlikely to go down well on this occasion. Truth be told he still wasn't entirely convinced by the 'costume', and he wasn't the greatest fan of his own otherwise unreliable powers either.
"A more capable individual," he settled on after a moment or two and released a small sigh. "Those I've taken to hunting tend to favour specific regions and while they seem to move in rotation, they can be relied upon to show up in a fair number of designated locations," he explained. His methods weren't foolproof but over the course of the last few months he had managed to make himself a considerable inconvenience to those he had encountered; and the more inconvenient he was, the safer everyone else was.
"Perhaps if I had been a little less particular about how I conduct myself I might take the more lackadaisical approach and see where might feet might lead me," he added. He certainly didn't mean it as a criticism by any means and his tone certainly wouldn't have conveyed that, it had been made more as a statement in regards to his own disposition.
"As for my magic," he clucked his tongue, the lack of answer perhaps a little telling.
"I don't," he said after a while.
"I can tell you what it's supposed to do, but given that I was rather late to the party it seems my source has forgotten how to speak to me in a reasonably effective manner," he shrugged, though she might not be able to see much a motion given her blindfold. "Given it's lack of reliability I've taken to making use of a skill set that I'm already familiar with... Just with the added benefit of considerably more strength and speed," he continued.
"However it is supposed to shield and prevent people from getting hurt."
He paused.
"Right now it likes to do the opposite, hence my preference to leave it in the aether until I resolve the discordance between myself and the magic's source."
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:15 pm
The frank, particular way he spoke piqued her interest. If nothing else, he was someone who clearly was able to make keen observations when it came to the war, a frame of reference that she wasn't entirely used to coming across. Disorganized, haphazard wandering and activity had long seemed the norm of Order, especially in contrast to the militarized Negaverse...
Didn't keep her from noticing his pause on what to call himself, and she had to stifle a giggle when he finally settled on something he deemed appropriate. "Senshi, is a foreign word often associated with us. Apparently it's Japanese for Soldier, so that's another alternative. Sailor Scout is another phrase I've heard, though that's... admittedly rather fanciful sounding, even to me."
Again he brought up hunting. Not patrolling, as she was more accustomed to it being called. The difference was... intriguing. She didn't have the time to pursue that train of thought though, as Athalia indulged her curiosity on his magic. Not that the answer was remotely what she'd anticipated getting. Her brows furrowed above her blindfold, head tilting slightly to the side in confusion. Late to the party..? Her hands lifted from their place clasped before her skirts, fidgeting with the golden chain and coins that tied with the teal ribbon around her waist. "I... I'm sorry, I'm having trouble following you," she said carefully, one of her hands lifting to hold up in a universal hold up gesture.
Closing her fingers into a fist briefly, they ticked up one by one for each of her chief questions she now had. "What do you mean you're late to the party, and you... can't use your magic reliably? I've never heard of anyone encountering this before, and I've been at this for... a long time," she added with a slight sigh before she continued, voice firm once more. "How have you been going against youma, then? Or the Negaverse? And what on earth do you mean by calling it hunting, while I'm at it?" The last question had her middle tick up in a third point, her other hand coming to rest on her hip as she beheld his copper and silver form before her. Though she was still remaining civil, some of her light-hearted demeanor had shifted into a stricter, more attentive persona.
This was important information the soldier was keen to, something new that required her attention. Pleasantries and jokes could wait.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:31 pm
"I can safely say 'Sailor Scout' isn't really a preference I would hold either," he admitted in a wry tone. Whatever the case may be, he seemed comfortable with his planetary name at least even if the title didn't seem to have won him over quite so easily. It wasn't necessarily that he was too masculine for magic, and seemed more to do with the fact that he found fanciful anything to be quite unnecessary.
If he was a Soldier, then call him that.
Nevertheless her focus had moved on from pleasantries and she had honed in on something that he'd said. He pursed his lips, watching calmly as she reached each finger in turn and then sighed softly. Were his circumstances something recent and he hadn't gotten that particular memo? Brioche had mentioned upon their encounter that he wasn't accustomed to it but he hadn't said it was abnormal, one could only assume some things were just easier or done slightly differently in a day to day sense.
He opted to go in a slightly different order than she'd fielded her questions though.
"I've been facing off against my new friends for about four to five months," he began, he could at least nail down that date with some accuracy. He hadn't been slow on the uptake of his new responsibilities, but it had taken him some time to actually find anything at the start. Circumstances had changed though and now he was in a position to be significantly more irritating to his opponents.
"And while they choose to hunt the vulnerable as their prey, I choose to hunt them," he shrugged, his tone matter-of-fact. "Patrols are something a cop uses when they're just looking out for trouble, it doesn't always guarantee they'll step in or even see anything. More importantly, they tend to get sent to the exact same, predictable locations each time."
He paused, albeit briefly.
"If you actually want to make some progress you have to stop pretending your opponents have any sense of decency and watch for the mess they make, the tracks they leave. The people they feed off can't fight back, they deliberately prey on people that won't find sympathy elsewhere.... So I have turned the tables and ensured that their hunting grounds have now become mine."
"Food is a little harder to come across if you have to go through something just as strong as you," he pointed out coolly.
He certainly had no interest in glorifying what he did, but he also wouldn't make a secret of it. To him, the Negaverse were pests, and when pests or invasive species appeared in the wild and started to harm what should naturally have been safe; well, that invasive species often ended up culled.
"And to answer your final question," he clucked his tongue. "I'm twenty seven and based on the briefing I was given when I needed to be unleashed, as it were, that's more than just a little late to the party. Based on my understanding that's the equivalent of showing up the next morning to help with the clean up without even attending," he explained.
"Whatever the case may be, when I was found and provided with considerably more strength, it didn't exactly go according to plan. My source and I don't seem to be able to talk to one another coherently and more often than not my magic just doesn't work. Whether or not that is unique to me, I don't know, but the Mauvian did surmise it was a possibility."
He raised a brow and regarded her with interest.
"Is your curiosity sated, or have I opened a can of worms?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:05 pm
The fact he didn't just answer her questions in order made her lips purse a little and brows furrow, but she held her tongue. He was humouring her demand for information when, in all honesty, he owed her no such thing for any reason. So she dropped her hand she'd ticked her fingers off on, winding the golden chain and twinkling, clinking coins between her fingers of both hands to fiddle with as she listened.
Only five months, max? She stiffened immediately to this, eyes going wide behind the dark cloth of her blindfold. Her head tipped back, then down, taking in the height of the person before her, the broad form of them. Sure, she was on the short side, but... he didn't sound like a kid. He spoke too concisely. Too... brutal. Blunt. It just felt off to her to pin him as a teen. Even saying he was eighteen or nineteen felt wrong.
A slight shiver laced down her spine at the way he spoke of claiming their hunting grounds for his own. Not that he was wrong in his assessment of their... friends, but to say they as senshi were hunting them... something about it made the hair stand up at the back of her neck. She far preferred patrols--look out for trouble, stop said trouble when it's found or even better, intervene before it can begin if they're so lucky.
But she didn't exactly have the chance to begin a debate on semantics or ideology. He dropped a rather mystifying bomb as he finally answered the main crux of her confusion and questions. That he was the same age as her wasn't so surprising, nor that he was awakened at such an age--though she'd not heard of it before, she hadn't thought of it as impossible. But.
He merely stated that he and the source of his power couldn't... communicate well. His magic was faulty because of that. All connected to... his... age.
Though he couldn't see it behind her blindfold, her eyes were wide, and for a moment, Metis just stared at him in bewilderment. "...I'm afraid you've opened a large can of worms, Athalia, though to be fair, I'm not sure if you're the one who can fully help me close it back up," she admitted after a long moment of just... well. Staring at him, letting her mind wrap around the implications of what he was saying. "For transparency, I'm twenty-seven as well, and I've been as Metis since I was... oh... goodness..." She paused for a moment to quickly think, tilting her head with brows furrowed before she clicked her tongue. "Sixteen. That... is the common age a lot of us were awakened. Well, at least, it was back then. Eighteen or nineteen seemed to be more common for a while." Or younger, but she wasn't going to mention that for the moment. "My point is, I've never heard of anyone having such problems with their magic--or rather. I have. But not when they awoke. It was... much later on. Even then, it was something that required training to handle." She thought of Iris briefly and her Eternal magic, forming a slicing ribbon that didn't want to properly form. She'd worked for months to figure out the trick to unleash it properly.
Metis tilted her head as she beheld him again, humming slightly as she considered him. "...have you tried that? Or am I merely repeating something you've already exhausted?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:03 pm
"My issues with my magic were compared to our child soldiers," he replied. Evidently he did know about them, having been exposed to one already, it wouldn't have come as of much of a shock to him to discover there were more now. That didn't mean he found it acceptable and both Mauvians within his presence had received the brunt of his fury that they might well have been complicit in recruiting those who were too young to even comprehend what a war was.
...It had taking a considerable amount of time for both of them to reassure him that they were not inclined to recruit at such a young age. That being said, that didn't mean Athalia was any more happy for a sixteen year old to be found either, but as Namielle had pointed out once before... In this world, with parental permission, a child that age could join the military if they chose to do so.
"They aren't entirely capable of wielding it, their connection not as strong as it should be," he shrugged. To him this was mere fact at this point, he might have been considerably older and his issues much more dangerous as well (explosions generally weren't an issue for the children), but the disconnect was at least comparable.
"I can however say that practice, categorically, does not work," he added with a sigh. He'd had offers to help him practice before and he'd certainly allowed enough people to attack him and brawl with him to confirm his suspicions that it wasn't quite so simply a task.
"But, based on several different paths I have already taken in this bizarre adventure, I have surmised that perhaps the answer lies on my source," he pointed out. He'd read through some of the more vague data available on the phones during the evenings and while it hadn't contained any extraordinary detail, he'd managed to assemble some form of theory from what was available.
When they came of age something happened to those children, he didn't know what it was, but more often than not it had occurred somewhere near their source.
"So I have begun to reacquaint myself with the otherwise desolate region in the hopes that I might have an epiphany at some stage," his tone seemed to indicate that nothing had been forthcoming so far, but he didn't sound as though he had been dissuaded from continuing this investigation at this point. At the very least he did seem to be an individual who didn't seem to expect immediate results, even if he might have appreciated them sooner.
However; you are not the first, and nor will you be the last, to suggest that practice might resolve the issue. On this occasion it is simply more complex than repetitive movements and familiarity."
Ah, but if only he knew that some of it was about familiarity, he just hadn't made that connection yet.
"I appreciate the attempt though." He finished, his tone genuine. She was only trying to provide suggestions based on her own experiences and knowledge, regardless of whether they had already been attempted was irrelevant - help was still help.
"Should I find a cure to what ails me though I'll be sure to find a way to communicate the methodology so that it might help others who find themselves in similarly inconvenient circumstances though." At that he did sound a touch wry and exasperated, evidently after five months without any form of reliable magic, he had come to a point of begrudging acceptance... To him, this was just the way things were for the time being!
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2020 5:54 pm
A brow quirked. She was somewhat surprised he knew of the chibi senshi--the children soldiers--but said nothing, merely nodded in comprehension. Their magic was weaker, was her understanding, a less cohesive grasp and connection with their worlds and source of their powers. Something that changed over time, but required... something. She wasn't entirely clear on what--the youngest members of the Asteroids hadn't reached such ages in the time she'd spoken to them.
The brief memory of bright orange and teal heads of hair made her hands tighten amongst the gold chain, coins twinkling as she shifted her weight on her feet awkwardly. One had moved out of the state--the country?--that much she knew but--
Metis forced the thoughts from her mind, refocusing on the present. The deep voice of the man before her helped, and she continued to nod, though it took her a moment to catch back up with what she'd missed as she'd drifted in her mind. Namely, that he'd gathered the same information she'd learned concerning the youngest senshi.
Still, she winced a little as he confirmed practice did nothing to help his situation, ducking her head slightly as she felt her cheeks color. "I see," she got out lamely, feeling suddenly a fool. He wasn't a schoolboy floundering around. He was an adult who seemed to possess, miracle of miracles, actual problem solving skills. Even though she'd dealt with enough of the general public to know that wasn't always the case...
As he brought up his source though, she perked back up a little, lifting her head and tilting it faintly to the side as she listened. So he'd managed to visit his world? A smile broke across her face, beaming with delight. "You've already gone? That's wonderful! You'd be surprised how long it can take some to muster up the interest--or sometimes, courage--to venture out there." Of course, he had an additional reason for his visitations, which she hummed softly as she considered. Till he brought up her suggestion, again. And once more, Metis grimaced, biting her lower lip sharply before offering a sheepish smile.
"..you'd also be surprised how many seem to think their magic would just come naturally to them, even if we've had plenty of examples of otherwise. But," she paused, head tipping back further till her gaze was aimed to the starry sky above. No lights there met her vision. No brilliant white, cosmic energy radiated out amongst the endless expansion. What energies did emit out there... they were, far beyond the range of her sight's detection. But she could imagine them, nonetheless. Pinpoints of light more numerous than the grains of sand on Earth's beaches. On some level, perhaps instinct, she could almost sense where her own source lingered, floating amongst the Asteroid Belt--or perhaps, it was nothing more than her own, overactive imagination from spending too much time writing and twirling about words.
"Keep trying with your world," she finally finished, head still tipped back before she refocused her gaze on him. "If training hasn't changed anything, and you think the problem is with your source, keep going back there. Have you had... how to put this... any... experiences there? They trigger differently for everyone, I think, but... thus far, when I've needed the help the most, I've found the asteroid of Metis has been able to provide me with information that was... exactly what I've needed at that moment. For me, it's helped to meditate there, connect to a place I just... feel is important, if that makes sense." Again she paused, shoulders lifting slightly in a shrug as she grinned. "As I said though, it's different for everyone."
For a moment, she considered even offering her own magic to try and help him--but then, it wasn't like she'd any control over what it showed him, now did she?
"You didn't answer one of my other questions, though," she pointed out, smile still firmly in place as she watched him. "If you're not using your magic, how are you taking on Negaverse agents and youma? I mean, you're tall, yes, but size isn't everything," she added in a quip, her smile taking on a cheeky, almost teasing quality. The curiosity was genuine, though.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 4:58 pm
"Visions? No, I have been warned they can occur though," he confirmed. He'd been quite a few times to his source since then and despite his best efforts the 'planet' in question hadn't been forthcoming. It remained a frustration, but that didn't mean that he had given up. He simply took a different route each time and assumed that at some stage, he might well stumble upon something that would be relevant to him.
Eventually it would work, or Athalia would merely operate without powers and use the only thing at his disposal. In short, he'd become nothing more than a steroid-infused combatant. With no magic at his disposal he wouldn't be entirely different than his civilian self, just costumed and with considerably more strength than he had previously been accustomed to.
...However at her question he did crack a wry smile.
"My fists, Metis," he replied simply. "Just because my magic doesn't work doesn't mean that I'm defenceless."
He paused briefly.
"I am fortunate to be one of the rare individuals who already knew how to pose a challenge before they found themselves promoting to something a more unique," he pointed out.
"If you were hoping that I had the capacity to level a judgemental stare and the youma would expire on the spot then unfortunately, you may be in for some disappointment." he finished.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:59 pm
It was wonderful how well informed he was. She almost was about to ask him who had informed him on these different bits--and surely he'd found the Primer and other bits of information in the phone?--when... well.
Metis knew someone could translate her question into a ridiculous one. Obviously, without magic it only left his physical capabilities, but she'd hoped that by pointing out it wasn't just size that made for an efficient fighter, he'd offer some more information on specifically how he was going about things. Was he using any formal training, was he just lucky, was he utilizing what he knew from say some sport or heck, even just what he'd seen on TV or something.
"Well," she started in a huff of mock shock, "thank you so much for clearing that up." The cheeky smile faded into a deadpan stare, her hands going to her hips once more as she stared up at him. Really? That was the route he was going with?
"While I'm sure your glares and judgmental looks are the stuff of nightmares, I was expecting an answer a little more substantial. You say you could already pose a challenge? That could mean anything from just throwing your weight around, to street scuffles, to actual training--"
As she spoke she wandered somewhat closer to him, hands still at her hips till they dropped to her sides. When she thought she drew close enough to the large copper and silver form, her left fist curled where it was somewhat hidden by her body. Her back foot quickly slid back to give herself a solid stance before her upper body turned towards him, bringing her left fist around in a lower cut towards his stomach.
"--that I wish more of us had," she finished somewhat beneath her breath, her smile sardonic towards the years of hapless flailing around she'd spent under the mantel, never mind others joined her in. Still did.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 6:14 pm
"They're actually quite disappointing," he conceded, though not without a smirk flicking on to his lips. She hadn't been specific in her request, she'd only asked how he fought and he hadn't been lying when he made reference to his hands. However, if she thought he was inclined to fall for her ploy she was in for a little bit of a surprise.
...Word play very rarely distracted him and while she might have been speaking to him, that didn't mean he hadn't been watching her and every step she took. As her fist came towards his gut it should have come at no surprise that it was caught in the palm of his own, his other hand grasping either side of her wrist carefully between his thumb and his finger.
"With the enemies I have made within the last five months I would be dead, if it was nothing less than professional training," he clarified, releasing her wrist and taking a single step back to keep a more acceptable distance between them.
"Since around the time I could walk in the wobbliest sense, in fact," he added with a small chuckle. It was safe to say that once upon a time he had been one of those wobbly four year olds in the dojo who slap-fought their opponent because they thought their form was correct. Hilarious to any parental onlooker, but absolutely harmless for every individual involved.
"Satisfied now?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 6:48 pm
Note to self--she apparently found someone who was more literal when it came to questions. Or, at least she could assume, when he wished to be. He was cracking a couple jokes, at least. It could be arrogance. A part of her had been bracing for a level of disappointment if her fist actually hit him. It was, after all, one of the simplest tricks out there. Even she knew to watch out for such things, and she couldn't even summon weapons to stab, slice, or bash anyone. Sure, she had Eternal Senshi strength backing her, but she hardly was using any of it. Her intent wasn't to actually hurt anyone.
The quick jar up her arm of hitting a surface that wasn't so giving as an abdomen, though, made her release a breath and her eyes closed briefly. She could see movement, sort of, with how her vision worked, but once limbs overlapped it became harder to determine what was what. She could feel the palm against her closed digits, the other hand gripping her wrist. Nothing painful, no retaliation or returned hostility. He knew enough to know how to keep an eye on someone, at least, and block effectively. Without hurting her in the process. He had a level of control.
Metis gave a nod to his clarification, the corners of her lips again ticking up. She lifted her hands, palms towards him in the universal unarmed, not dangerous pose as she took a step back in turn.
The mental image he provided though, of a small child trying to learn how to fight while wobbling about had her quickly trying to cover her mouth though to smother a giggle. "Careful with that tidbit--hard to seem as intimidating with that thought in mind. That's rather cute, in fact." But if he was telling the truth, it meant he actually knew what he was doing.
Which was why she shook her head to his question, her smile growing as her hands returned to fiddle with the ribbon and chain around her waist. "Nope, not even close. Afraid you'd need to put in a little more before I can say 'yes' on that one." Rocking slightly on her heeled boots, she grinned, "Would you be willing to teach me how to fight better? I received some training from... hm, I'm not sure if you've come across this yet, but Team Captain? But even then, it was more just basics. The focus was to function within our team, and my magic leads more for support, so it didn't quite matter that I wasn't the best with hand-to-hand. They..." For the briefest moment, her smile flickered, uncertain how to word things. Uncertain why she even was saying all this. Metis pushed the smile back into place rapidly. "I haven't been in contact with them for a while. I need to be more efficient on my own, is the bottom line, and if you'd be willing to, I'd greatly appreciate the help."
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