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 Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 5:57 pm
Crouched on the lowest landing of a fire escape, an Earth page frowned down at snapping, snarling dog beneath her as it jumped and clawed futilely at the air. The ladder was the retractable kind, which was good as this wasn't precisely a dog. Or not really a dog. A monster, actually, that was just vaguely shaped like a dog. It had too many teeth, for starters, three rows of them, and too many eyes. Eyes that weren't even in the right places, but stuck haphazardly all over it like a child had put it together. And its limbs didn't... bend quite the right way. Either too much, or in too many places, making it unsettling to watch it move.
Hercynia wasn't particularly worried about it, being out of reach, but at the same time, she knew she was supposed to do something about it. Kill it, probably? But in the years since she'd picked up her golden rope, she hadn't gotten much more confident on the how of it all. She didn't have a weapon like Camelot had, a big, impressive sword that could chop the thing into little bits. All she had were her fists, and her feet, and a rope that maybe could do something, except she didn't know how to fight, especially fight with rope for a weapon.
Elbows on her knees, long, pointed chin in her hands, she frowned down at the monster and blew out an exasperated breath, blonde hair falling into her wide, blue eyes. If she tried to hit the thing, she was pretty sure it was going to bite her. She didn't really want to be bitten, even if her body was tougher when she was powered up. It was a dilemma, a riddle, and Hercynia had never been good at those without a good, long thing about them, and even then... sometimes things that weren't obvious were not easily spotted.
Maybe she should go find Camelot? She didn't have a ring yet, to be able to send him a message. But if she left, the monster might hide, or attack someone while she was gone. Just sit here and wait for someone to come? For how long? She couldn't stay here all night getting barked at... someone was bound to come see what was making all the noise.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 4:48 am
Richtersveld was on one of her usual nighttime patrols. Of course, these days, usual had become a looser term; with her brother now a knight as well, she found herself bringing him with her more often than not. His methods were ... considerably different than hers, already, but she needed to get him up to speed before he hurt anyone inappropriately. Or himself. To be honest, she was a bit more worried about that one than anything else-- He was busy that evening, though, so she got to escape from bringing him with her and go on a patrol closer to her usual preferences. A calm walk through an area she noticed attracted youma or trouble, her artifact hanging from a rope she held, looking for anyone she could help. She felt the basic aura and the youma aura at almost the same time, and redirected her patrol that way, hoping to take care of whatever was happening over there before the worst happened. Or, if the page had successfully dusted the youma, she could at least help patch up the page's wounds... What she noticed as she got closer to the auras was that the page was sitting away from the youma, and the youma looked like it belonged in a horror movie. A dog but not a dog, with too many teeth, too many eyes, more like the dog version of a beholder than an animal she recognized. Richtersveld held onto her rope just a bit tighter, looking from the youma to the woman who sat above. The Earth page didn't look hurt, just uncertain. Maybe trapped on the fire escape, because if she came down, she'd have to deal with this. Richtersveld had to shout over the barking to yell up, "Let me see what I can do!" She swung the terrarium's rope, prepping herself to give it a bit more velocity to smack the youma. "I've got some magic, but it's not necessarily offensive!"
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 6:14 pm
The feeling of warmth that grew in her chest was strange, though some what familiar. Hercynia didn't even notice it until a woman appeared down below, shouting something up at her. That feeling was like when she'd met Camelot... a sort of kinship, maybe? Something that said 'here is someone you can trust'. The lady wasn't an Earth knight though... her clothes were a rich berry color, and unlike the medieval sort of style Hercynia shared with Camelot, this knight looked more modern, if still antique.
Rocking forward on her toes where she crouched, the page grabbed the bars of the fire escape and pressed her face to them. Wide blue eyes watched the knight begin to swing what had to be her weapon with movements that were confident and purposeful. She seemed to know what to do with her magical weapon! Not offensive magic, though? Hopefully that wasn't going to be a problem... Hercynia didn't have any either, so it was going to have to be weapons and fists. Mentally, she crossed her fingers that this lady knew how to fight that way, because Hercynia certainly had never had a reason to learn how in her civilian life... and most of her page life had been spent flailing about until the bad thing disappeared.
Teeth worried her lip as she swatched and the youma spun towards the new threat, perhaps recognizing what it was far better than the page it had been hassling.
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 5:13 am
Richtersveld's vision focused entirely on the youma in front of her. "Think I'm the more appealing treat, do you?" She swallowed around that, but nevertheless took a few cautious steps back, keeping this Earth page in her periphery. "You should come get me!" Richtersveld was hoping that her movement would, at the very least, move the youma away from the page and let her escape the fire ... escape. She would think of the irony of that later, focusing hard on her artifact as she swung it around her head faster and faster. (The singular advantage of her brother powering up? Richtersveld could ask him for some help with strength training. That was never really her thing.) "And maybe -- reconsider?" She looked up to the page of Earth and jerked her head away as she hoped this youma, at the very least, knew how to head off its own primal emotions. If not, well ... she was pretty sure she was spinning her terrarium fast enough now to clean its clock. Whimsical Blue While Richtersveld channels her magic, the person she is targeting gets an overwhelming feeling that they should be patient, perhaps, for example, waiting to proceed with whatever action they were going to do or taking some time to think. There is no need to obey this feeling and the target could choose to proceed anyway despite the debuff if they have a strong enough will to fight the feeling off. Richtersveld can channel this magic for up to 30 seconds.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2023 7:37 pm
Hercynia watched with solemn curiosity as the other knight tried to draw the monster away. It was very brave of her to try and she extremely grateful for it, but she couldn't help feeling a bit of concern. Hopefully, the other knew what she was doing and could handle herself, but if not, well, Hercynia would have to help.
The youma itself looked ready to leap at Richtersveld, gathering itself as it snarled and snapped. It paced forward as she moved back, and then the magic took hold of it, halting it before it could jump. Instead, it seemed to hesitate, its growl dropping lower. It paced around her instead, many eyes focused on her. It seemed to be considering... running things through whatever little brain it had.
Up on the fire escape, Hercynia moved carefully to climb up over the railing and lower herself down before letting go. She dropped a bit heavily to the ground and stumbled, but righted herself easily enough, rubbing the metallic smell from her palms onto her pants. Now what? There was no way she could leave the squire behind to deal with this alone. As much as she had been hoping for someone to show up and take care of it for her, she didn't feel right shirking her duty that way.
"I can help!" The blonde page called, still solemn and focused as she moved carefully closer, half watching the youma and half the other knight. She just needed a good opening... maybe she could kick it really hard. She knew how to kick balls from gym class, so it shouldn't be that different a motion. Just a different kind of ball and one she'd have to follow up on rather quickly.
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2023 6:09 am
Richtersveld, in all honesty, wouldn't have minded handling this herself. It was what she expected as someone with more power and ability, and in some ways, it was what she wanted. Let her weather the worst of it. Let her weather the brunt of it. That would let her defend the others as well as she could, and that was what was necessary in her mind, both as a therapist and as a person who stretched herself as far as she could for others. So she expected the knight to take the opening and bolt. Richtersveld wouldn't blame her. That was having self-preservation instincts. So she stared down the many eyes. "Maybe go back from whence you came?" Richtersveld's arm was tiring--she really wasn't built for this--but she needed to make sure the Earth page was safe. Only... Only the Earth page got safe and offered to help. Richtersveld opened her mouth to protest--she had this, she got this, it would be fine--but the page seemed earnest and she was pretty sure they were running out of time. As she moved to get ready to wallop the youma with her terrarium, she shouted, "Try to find something to throw at it! If you can get distance from these things, the better!"
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2023 9:22 pm
Something to throw at it? Hercynia hastily searched about her, looking for anything that looked 'throwable'. The bags of garbage were large, but probably not heavy or hard enough to do anything but make the thing gross and mad. The fire escape was bolted to the brick. There were a couple of glass bottles next to the garbage though...
Dashing to the garbage, Hercynia scooped up as many of the heavy glass bottles as she could fit into her arms. A few fell as she rose to dash back, shattering as they smashed against the pavement. Grabbing one in her free hand, she drew back and lobbed it at the monster, trying her very hardest to hit... anywhere close to it, that wasn't the squire.
Her first throw was wildly off the mark, flipping end over end before it hit the cement beyond the struggling pair and exploded in a shower off glass. Her second throw was closer, but still shattered on the ground next to them. The glass did manage to shower the youma, however, so at least that part was effective.
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2024 8:25 pm
Perhaps the page was having trouble hitting the mark, but any attempt was helpful as Richtersveld was not quite the strongest squire in the world. Or the universe. She knew it, too, not necessarily built to wallop youma who wanted to eat new pages... But the shower of glass helped. Perhaps this would, too. Richtersveld swung her terrarium around her head before smashing it in the direction of the youma. It made a satisfying smack, and the youma certainly didn't like that very much. That was fine. She didn't want it to like it. "Keep that up!" Richtersveld shot the page a grin more enthusiastic than she was. "I think we can take it down!"
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2024 9:27 pm
Hercynia gritted her teeth as she threw another bottle, this time managing to smash it over the youma. Along with the squire's attack, they sent the thing reeling, howling in pain and anger.
This certainly was... intense, but there was comfort in knowing she wasn't fighting alone this time. She didn't have to worry if she was strong enough, because she had help. It put confidence into the page and her hand was more sure this time as she threw her last bottle, putting her weight behind it. It smacked into the thing's head and shattered, throwing the monster to the side. That seemed to be the last straw for it and as it hit the ground, it disintegrated into a cloud of grey ash that collapsed onto the pavement.
Hercynia blinked at where it had fallen in sort of bewildered surprise, almost unable to believe they had actually killed it.
"Its... gone." She murmured as her shoulders dropped with relief. The adrenaline was fading and with it, tiredness was settling in. "Um... thanks for the help."
The blonde turned to blink at her rescuer, standing awkwardly now that she didn't have a direct threat to face.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:31 am
The cloud of ash seemed to take the new page--definitely new--by surprise, which resulted in a gentle chuckle from Richtersveld. "They do that when they die." Die temporarily, at least. She knew there wasn't really a way to stop them from coming back ... But one problem at a time. "Of course." Richtersveld offered her hand, if the page wanted to shake it. If she didn't, Richtersveld would understand. "I'm Richtersveld, Squire of Pluto. I'm here to help whenever you find me. I have some first aid supplies on me too, if you need some patching up."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 6:08 pm
She studied the offered hand for a thoughtful moment before solemnly putting her own slender hand into Richtersveld's, resolving to commit that name to memory. She really seemed to know what she was doing, and that was definitely something Hercynia needed more of. Maybe once she figured that part out, she wouldn't feel so useless about everything. She wanted to be useful, otherwise, what was the point to her having powers in the first place?
She nodded along at the introduction, then shook her head. "I'm not hurt." The page said, running a hand down her dusty chest and stomach, as though checking for hidden injuries. None to found, thankfully. "I'm Hercynia."
"Of Earth." She tagged on belatedly after a moment, feeling sheepish. Shouldn't assume everyone knew what planet she served, even with the big symbol on her belt and boots. She hadn't known that Earth had a symbol, before all this had happened.
"It's nice to meet you. I should be heading home though." That monster had kept her trapped for far too long, and if she stayed out much longer, her parents were surely going to notice... if not when she got home, then when she woke up with dark circles and an inability to stop yawning all day.
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