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 Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 7:37 pm
They had almost settled into something of a routine, a comfortable normal. They had their interaction while they were civilians--dinners, shopping trips, study sessions. Walks with the dog, phone conversations--just little things.
Comfortable things.
Nalanda hadn't exactly been doing 'the best' job at being a Knight, but he was trying his hardest. He wasn't cut out for this, he never had been. Physical activity, running into danger, fighting?
No, he had chosen a peaceful life. It was all he could handle.
Or at least, he'd thought.
The universe seemed to have other plans.
He was walking with Qingcheng that evening and slowed again. "No, I feel it again," he said softly; he'd mentioned the sensation of eyes on his back for the third time this evening, and now more than ever he seemed convinced that there was something going on. He didn't feel anything on his radar but glanced around the area, instinctively tightening his hand around the quill he held.
He saw nothing but shadows and trees, but the hair on the back of his neck was standing up straight. He stared into the forest but couldn't see anything. He tried to stand up as tall as he could--which wasn't impressive, given that Sterling had a head over him already. "Tell me I'm not crazy, you feel something, don't you?" he asked, almost begged, glancing at his fellow page.
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 8:08 pm
It was almost funny, how much braver Qingcheng felt when he was out powered up like this than when he was in his house, knowing that Ilya now lived next door. Not really...laugh worthy funny, but...ironic give you acid reflux funny. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to go and talk to his neighbor, and, quite frankly he regretted sending Priam to talk to him that night. If he had just let him move away again...no matter how inconvenient…
Of course, then there was the whole other issue of his blooming feelings for Priam, but that was a can of worms that he had no intention of opening. Not tonight or in the foreseeable future. But, one of these days, he’d have to bring it up to Yu...he knew that for a fact but…
Goodness, communication was difficult sometimes. He should know better. He should be better.
“Hm? Feel…?” The page paused, wrinkling his nose and shaking his head slightly to get out of his thoughts. Now that he was paying attention, he stiffened and nodded slowly, reaching out an arm to hold in front of Priam. “...Yeah. There’s someone out there...out here. Or uh. Something. I’m...half hoping for something though...I..don’t really fancy another punch to the face...but…” He swallowed and forced a laugh. “...At least these are old glasses!”
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 8:41 pm
Priam almost made a face when Qingcheng held out his arm in front of him, in a gesture that felt like protecting him from the bush a few yards in front of him.
He blinked, and then gently placed his hands atop Qingcheng's arm, smiling a bit uncertainly at him. "Please," he insisted. "Try not to take any damage to your face. Or yourself, at all. I'd have to drag you back home and give you a quick check up before sending you home. Your boyfriend is clever, and he knows you and I were going out tonight. The last thing I want is for him to think that I'm too dangerous for you to spend time with."
His heart was pounding in his chest, and he looked back into the dark forest with visible nervousness. He opened his mouth to say something, to try and figure out a plan, when a long tentacle slapped out of the shadows and smacked him right in the face. He let out a startled yeld and stumbled back, fingers clawing into the sticky tentacle that was still clinging to his face.
He tried to speak but the little suction cups pressed his lips closed, smushed his nose, and definitely left the glasses askew on his face--not that he could see, with the giant thing grinding into him.
His nails dug into it as best he could and he squirmed, but the creature--a youma, lurking, was already trying to pull him back into the shadows. Its body wasn't visible--only its inky black tentacle that was quickly yanking Nalanda towards it. His quill was forgotten, fallen to the ground, as he desperately claws, trying to free his face enough that he could breathe. No matter how hard he dug his heels into the ground or struggled, the beast didn't seem to let up.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 4:28 pm
“There’s no way that Yu could forbid us from hanging out...besides. He likes you way too much to want to lose you. You’re important to us both, you know.” Qingcheng almost laughed, but that was before the tentacle attacked Nalanda, shutting off the male’s airways and causing the page to freeze in utter horror.
Like hell was he going to let Praim go down like this. He lunged himself at the tentacle, tugging at it frantically. “Nalanda!” He pulled the tentacle to the side, trying to get it off of the male, trying to stop the creature from pulling him in. He jabbed at the tentacle several times with the end of his paintbrush and then dropped it in his frantic movements. “Just...Just calm down, Nalanda, save your air, I’ll get you out of this, I swear it!”
His voice sounded frantic and he leaned down, clutching the tentacle in one hand and feeling around for the paintbrush, his worry and fear making his hand tremble, but finally his fingers brushed over something that kind of felt like it, but.
It felt bigger.
When his fingers curled around the item, he spared a glance at it, seeing a larger brush, one for calligraphy. And suddenly he felt a rush of strength overtake him as well. “...Oh.”
Qingcheng tugged harder at the creature, smacking it furiously with his new weapon, not noticing at all that his outfit had changed. He was a Squire now...not that...it mattered in the moment.
Only Nalanda mattered.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 6:22 pm
Nalanda didn't know what was going on; one minute he felt Sterling, and the next he wasn't sure what he felt. Something stronger, more overwhelming. He was trying to comply, trying to listen and save his breath, but the panic had settled in. When he groped behind him for something, anything to help, he grabbed his quill.
Or, he thought it was his quill; in a rush of adrenaline, he grabbed it and stabbed down into the tentacle, clawing and scraping with it.
Squire Nalanda did not know he had magic. He did not know he was a squire.
The youma that had grabbed onto him suddenly stiffened, caught in the illusion of Nalanda's magic--the sensation of feeling small, and lost, of drifting into nothingness. It recoiled, unlatching from his face for just long enough for him to suck in a deep, desperate breath. He couldn't see, and the burst of air burned his lungs
It drew back, but it was swiping aimlessly again, this time just seeming to try and clutch at something--anything. It smashed one of its tentacles so hard against the ground it dusted right off of it.
...For all the strength it had, it wasn't that strong. It was cracking.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:47 pm
Nalanda suddenly changed. He felt different. Though, the most important thing to Qingcheng was the fact that the male managed to get a good breath into his body. That and the fact that it seemed like the youma was starting to get beaten back. He began chasing the retreating tentacle, lunging at the body of the youma and kicking it with all of the strength he could muster, surprised when that strength was enough, watching in some satisfaction as the creature fully turned to dust and crumbled away.
He took a moment to catch his breath, but then turned back to Nalanda who...who looked different. His clothes had changed. And still, he felt stronger. “You...you good? Are you hurt badly?”
Qingcheng moved over to his friend and took the Squire’s elbow. “...You...you look...different? Thank goodness it’s dead!” For some reason, his thoughts were moving too quickly to really take in.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:04 pm
Nalanda didn't seem to feel any joy that the youma was dusted--only that he was free of it and he could breathe again. He coughed, wheezed, and nearly doubled over. He was taking deep breaths and nodded; there was a black haze dancing on the corners of his vision and it took a few extra seconds to process Sterling's words.
"I'm okay," he said, and though his chest burned and his face hurt, he was okay. Strangely, he felt more better now, even with everything that had just happened.
He rested against Sterling, leaning against him as his vision returned. "...You look different, too," he said, when he felt like he was settling back into a state of calm. "--You feel stronger, too. What happened?"
He squinted at his quill, and then looked at himself. "--Wait, is this what Soleiyu was talking about? Did we do something right? And get stronger?"
He sounded almost excited, but hesitant, like he was too unwilling to accept any good news just yet.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:08 pm
Qingcheng only shook his head, reaching to absently stroke Nalanda’s hair, more out of a sense of simply wanting to check to make sure that he was indeed all right than anything else. “Maybe...I...I mean, we should ask him, but if that is the case...I’m so glad that we were together again for it.” They hadn’t left each other behind. They were connected in yet another way, and it only meant that their bond was stronger too.
“We...should get you home. It would make me feel a lot better to get you home at any rate...and think of the good we did with getting rid of that creature. That was...quite frightening.”
Reaching out, Qingcheng held his hand out to Nalanda. “I want to get you tucked in your chair with a nice cup of tea before I leave for the night. And...I’m proud of you! Proud of us!” He was wearing a smile now, now that the danger was past. He felt good about everything.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:20 pm
Nalanda took his hand, a bit flustered--though he didn't know if it was because of the fight or because of Qingcheng stroking his hair. "You did very well," he complimented, clearing his throat. "Oh, that took the wind right out of me. Yes, I think getting home and having a little tea does sound nice. My heart is pounding. My poor lungs will appreciate the warmer air after all of this. Oh," he sighed, rubbing his chest with his free hand as he pulled himself up using Qingcheng's hands.
"Thank you," he breathed a sigh of relief. "...I feel like I'd be in so much trouble if you weren't always here for me. I'll feel better once I make sure we didn't just do something wrong, I'll send Soleiyu a text message when we get back." He let out a little sigh again, still flustered; he hadn't let go of Qingcheng's hand and seemed to be leaning against him a bit to stabilize himself.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 6:58 pm
“We’re in this together. We started together. We...We’ve grown together. I’ll always be here, seriously. I’m the one thing about this war that you can always know you can count on. We’re partners, and we’ll always have one another’s backs.”
Qingcheng felt warm saying all of that and allowed Nalanda to rest against him, not letting go of his hand at all. Not wanting to let go of his hand. “You know...no matter what happens...I’m happy that this happened. That we ran into one another...and that we got to take this journey together...ah. You’re seriously...one of the best friends I’ve ever had in my entire life and I can’t...even fathom being without you. I’ll always be here to keep you safe...just like I know you’ll do the same for me.”
He began walking, still not letting go of the other Squire’s hand. “Yeah, message him and then let me know what he says, okay? I hope he’ll be proud of us…
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 7:19 pm
"You know, I could do without constantly getting roughed up," Nalanda said, a bit exasperated. He was looking at his quill, at his uniform--at Qingcheng's. "...But I'm glad I've got you here with me. I don't think I could have done this on my own. I'd have been lost in this whole thing," he admitted, and squeezed the other Squire's hand without really even thinking about it.
"You're one of the best friends I've ever had. Probably the best, if we're being honest. You've stuck with me through more than the rest of them." His lips pursed, like he might have said more, but it twisted into a smile and he just seemed grateful to the man next to him.
"I have to power down to message him, but once we round this corner, I think we'll be safe. I don't feel anyone, and it's shadowy over there, at least. I don't feel like anything's watching us either," he sighed, relieved.
Oh, curled up on the couch with some tea sounded so good.
"I'd invite you to stay but I know Yu would just worry about you. Although, I could just invite him over to spend the night, too. You two could have my bed. I've been sleeping on the couch with the dogs."
...Nice and safe and open, with a clear view of nearly everything in the house, and access to two doors in and out.
"They're not big enough yet that we don't all fit," he laughed softly, finding piece in thinking of them.
...Though. He wasn't sure how Soleiyu was going to like them.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 7:31 pm
Powering down, sterling still didn’t relinquish Priam’s hand. “I can call him while you’re texting Sol. I’d love to have a sleepover here. Maybe he can bring us dinner. I think we deserve dinner for this, at the very least. Besides. I’m glad you asked. I didn’t want you to have to be alone tonight.”
His thumb gently brushed the back of the male’s hand, and he smiled, tugging the hand. “Let’s head home. We’re safe. Made it through another patrol together.”
Honestly, that was always something worth celebrating.
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