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 Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:30 pm
“Have you actually ever fought someone before?” Enceladus practically scoffed as he took a couple minutes to properly stretch. It was a warm night, and he was grateful for it. He was also trying to not be too distracted by Destiny City’s reservoir, but kept looking out over the open water and sighing longingly.
He and Bilskirnir were going to practice fighting. He was appalled to hear that knights start off with no magic until they… what? Die or prove that they won’t die too easily? Sure, Enceladus’s magic was incredibly weak at the moment, but he would build up his strength again in no time. He hoped.
“Like, an actual fight? With your fists? Do you know how to throw a punch?”
Enceladus knew just enough to get by. His world had been peaceful, but he was the restless type and ended up running away to a place he shouldn’t have when he was young. Thankfully, Senshi had been kind enough to give him some pointers.
It had been a relief to know that at least someone he knew from before everything went to s**t was still alive. He would have to get in touch with Alastor again to see how he was doing. He was pretty sure he saw him during that whole… blowing up buildings fiasco.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:32 pm
“Yeah, I got into a couple of fights in college,” Bilskirnir said. “Uhh… university?” He wasn’t entirely sure what Enceladus’ people would call higher education. Did they even have that sort of thing? “Dudes’d be rude or handsy with girls. Sometimes they’d need a good smack to the face. The dudes, not the girls.”
He probably didn’t need to make that distinction.
Oh well.
Bilskirnir didn’t like fighting, but he knew they’d have to do it and he didn’t want to be caught unawares. The Negaverse was dangerous. They had magic and weapons and weird chaos stones that could turn people into monsters, apparently. A bit of practice would do them both some good.
Maybe it’d even keep Enceladus out of trouble.
“I can take a punch, too,” he said. “Go on, hit me.”
Enceladus was short and thin. Bilskirnir knew better than to underestimate him, given that Enceladus had the same sort of boost to his physical strength that Bilskirnir did, but Bilskirnir was already stronger to begin with, so he assumed that carried over to their superpowers.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:32 pm
Enceladus made a face when he was told how Bilskirnir had to get into fights with guys who were being rude. Not that it was anything he thought was bad, but just the fact that he had to in the first place. Not that Enceladus was going to talk about his own experiences, but it was disheartening to know that Earth suffered from scum as well. Then again, he already knew that.
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he scoffed again, and dug his foot into the ground so he could brace himself against it and lunge forward.
He expected Bilskirnir to defend himself, or even try to counter his attack, so before Enceladus followed through with a punch to Bilskirnir’s right, he feinted and threw his punch at his left ribs instead.
He wasn’t trying to hurt him, but he also wasn’t trying to hold back. He didn’t want Bilskirnir to think of him as weak or pathetic, so he was doing his best to prove that he could handle himself.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:33 pm
Bilskirnir did not try to defend himself or counter the attack. He said he could take a punch, so that’s what he did — he took it.
He could tell Enceladus didn’t hold back, because the fist to his ribs forced the air out of Bilskirnir’s lungs. He stumbled back but didn’t fall, though it was a near thing. Bilskirnir brought a hand up to massage the abused area, coughing as he forced himself to start breathing again.
“Damn,” he wheezed. “You’re stronger than you look. Ow.”
Bilskirnir put a hand on Enceladus’ shoulder, holding him back in case he got any ideas to take another swipe while Bilskirnir was caught unawares. When Bilskirnir managed to recover, he showed Enceladus a grin.
“Okay, so… now that I’m actually thinking about hitting you back, I don’t know if I can make myself do it,” he admitted. Hitting a couple of douchebags who deserved it was one thing. Hitting Enceladus for the hell of it was entirely different. Bilskirnir would feel bad if he accidentally hurt him. “So how ‘bout you use your magic on me? I wanna know what it’s like.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:35 pm
He froze when Bilskirnir put a hand on his shoulder, and for a moment he felt bad about maybe hurting him. He was going to ask him if he wanted to check on his ribs to make sure he didn’t actually break anything -- he didn’t think so, but it might bruise -- but the hand on his shoulder was disarming and he flushed.
From anger.
Or at least that was what it quickly morphed into when Bilskirnir said he couldn’t make himself hit him. Why? Because he looked weak and pathetic and like he couldn’t handle it?
Enceladus bared his teeth as he jerked his shoulder away from Bilskirnir’s touch, his face still red because it had been nice for a moment, but he was still being underestimated.
So instead, he jumped back enough to be able to hold his hand out, calling his magic and watching as water formed around the knight. Quote: Sailor Scout Attack: Engulf Water with no effects of gravity forms an encasement around the target. The purpose is more to distract, provoke, or cause minor panic if someone is adverse to being submerged in water than it is to injure. It can slow a target down, make it difficult to see, prompt the target’s diving reflex to instinctively hold their breath. The water is shallow enough to manipulate and push it away from the nose and mouth if someone is desperate. The magic will disappear when the magic is over, so targets cannot drown from inhaling the water but they may feel the sensation of drowning or choking if they do accidentally inhale the water. It lasts for 30 seconds before the water around them falls to the ground, and can leave the target winded and wet at player discretion.. This attack can be used 3 times.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:36 pm
He could tell Enceladus was mad. Over the last several months, Bilskirnir had gotten to know Enceladus enough that he thought he might know why he was mad. He knew it must get frustrating to be underestimated, just as he knew it must happen often, given Enceladus’ size.
It wasn’t that Bilskirnir thought Enceladus couldn’t handle it that made him hesitate. It was that Enceladus was his friend and also his responsibility, so it felt wrong to hit him, even in jest or to practice.
Bilskirnir stood his ground as the water surrounded him. He tried not to freak out, because he knew it was magic and he knew it wouldn’t last forever, but it was disconcerting to find himself submerged in water on dry land. Though it didn’t hurt, he could see how it might be used effectively in battle. Bilskirnir wouldn’t say it, but it made him feel better to know that, even if Enceladus could throw a mean punch, he had good magic at his disposal, too.
The water fell to the ground just when Bilskinir became concerned that he wouldn’t be able to hold his breath much longer. His clothing was soaked, as was his hair, which fell into his eyes and made him appear a bit bedraggled.
“Not bad,” he said, and coughed again. Getting the air knocked out of him and then having to hold his breath immediately after might not’ve been the best idea.
“You like water?”
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:46 pm
Did he like water??
Enceladus scoffed and huffed and crossed his arms moodily over his chest. He could still feel the heat in his face, but couldn’t hold himself back from glancing over at the water they were practicing near.
“My world was made up of islands. It was mostly water. So, yeah, I like water. Which is convenient given my magic,” he grumbled, but sighed longingly for a world that would never exist again. At least not in his lifetime. How could they unfreeze an entire planet steeped in chaos?
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:46 pm
“Oh, okay, good. ‘Cause I was just thinking…”
Bilskirnir rushed him — not to attack, but to scoop him up in his arms. Enceladus weighed next to nothing. Maybe that was the magic making him lighter, or maybe that’s just how he was. Whatever the case, it was easy to carry him, even if Enceladus decided to struggle.
Enceladus was more transparent than he probably wanted to be. Bilskirnir had seen him eyeing the water. Earth might be different from Enceladus’ homeworld, but a swim wasn’t out of the question.
So, with a broad grin and eyes twinkling with amusement, Bilskirnir dumped Enceladus into the water with a great splash.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:47 pm
He had no idea what Bilskirnir was doing. He was rushing at him with horrible form. But he put up his hands in defense anyway --
And yelped in surprise when he was scooped up.
Only to be dumped into the water with a screech.
But that was about as much as he struggled. It was barely up to his knees if he was standing, and sitting meant that he could easily just… flop back into the water to stare up at the dark sky. He wasn’t going to embarrass himself by getting emotional over water, but he could feel the heat in his eyes as he stretched out to float in the shallow water.
“Thanks,” he mumbled quietly after a few moments, even if he didn’t know what he was feeling. Certainly too much and was going to make things awkward, but he didn’t know how else to express that he appreciated the chance to just… sit in the water and relax for a moment.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:48 pm
Bilskirnir laughed at the screech, and laughed again when Enceladus flopped back like he’d never been so comfortable as he was right then. Then the laughter eased up quickly. He could tell Enceladus was feeling a bit emotional. Bilskirnir let him have that moment. He couldn’t imagine what it must have been like, sleeping for a thousand years, waking up to a world that was completely changed, frozen over and devoid of life.
He didn’t pity Enceladus, but he did feel bad for him. (There was definitely a difference.) Bilskirnir only wished he knew how to help. Making sure Enceladus had food and a roof over his head only seemed to go so far.
“Any time,” Bilskirnir said, voice quieter than usual, and fond.
Having no desire to get even more wet than he already was, Bilskirnir sat on the bank by the water and waited, allowing Enceladus to float as long as he needed.
They could practice some other time.
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