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 Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 3:30 pm
Mirrorspace was cool but not quite cold. When they first arrived, it was bright and white and a bit chilly, not unlike the waiting room of a hospital.
Only, quieter.
Now that they’d been here for a moment, it seemed a bit less intimidating.
Remarque brought them to the common room–the place they always arrived first. White walls stretched to a white ceiling, and smoke seemed to cling to the edges before slipping away into nothingness. He’d been here a thousand times, maybe. It wasn’t anything new to him.
He let them take it all in when they first arrived. Gestured to the great doors leading to the Throne Room, to the Golden MIrror that could take them to the Realms. They were places they could explore another day, but Remarque still had productivity on his mind.
He took them for a walk and explained, as a long hallway appeared before them, that Mirrorspace never gave the same path twice. There was no point in trying to memorize it.
He’d opened a door once to show a small room, little more than a closet. When he closed it and opened it again, it was as large as a ballroom.
Laon had been impressed by all of it, and his silence was a testament to how interested he was. He was too busy taking it all in to even have questions.
Remarque didn’t mind, he could talk enough for all of them. He explained that the energy they gathered helped keep this place going. He’d told them that there were mirrorwraiths lurking here and there, not to be afraid of them. He explained that as they got used to spending time here, as they got stronger, they’d be able to navigate Mirrorspace better–even control it, a bit.
He’d waved his hand to summon two chairs–replica of a set of antique, high back, hand carved chairs that had come into the store. He’d used them as a learning tool while he prepared them for their position at the shop. Or, maybe he was just showing them off.
Laon, naturally, had been enamored. He had a burst of barely contained energy as he ran his fingers along the surface, amazed at how real it felt.
White, like the walls of Mirrorspace, but real.
Mirrors lined the walls of every room Remarque had shown them, and there were countless doors and hallways that he hadn’t tried. He’d spent only about fifteen minutes on this ‘tour’, but Laon seemed to have relaxed enough that he thought it was a good opportunity to get back to their real goal–practicing magic.
While Remarque walked in front of them, Laon had taken hold of Arawn’s hand and held it tightly, marveling at every little thing about Mirrorspace like he was in some sort of fancy museum.
The room they were in was large–and durable, judging by the way Remarque had walked around and stepped on the ground. He’d pushed on the walls, like he wanted to make sure things weren’t going to crumble.
Maybe it was just paranoia. He didn’t want to traumatize them so early into all of this.
“I think this is a good place to pick up where we left off. Laon, I want to see what your magic can do. Do you two need me to attack you again, or do you think you might be able to look inside and find your magic without a threat?”
Remarque looked at Arawn; even if the question was direction to Laon, he was interested in knowing if Arawn could still summon his magic even if he wasn’t under pressure.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 5:47 pm
Of course Arawn was impressed. And he scoffed when they were told not to worry about memorizing paths. He had a horrible memory anyway, so that worked out just fine.
Not that he was going to say that out loud, because he didn’t want to upset Laon, but Laon knew more than anyone how bad his memory was.
He swung Laon’s hand a little as they trailed behind Remarque, and he tried not to be impressed when he created chairs out of nothing, but he couldn’t quite roll his eyes all the way.
When Remarque asked if they needed him to attack them again, Arawn took that as an invitation to use his magic. He had to focus a little harder on drawing out whatever magic there was, but now that he knew he could do it, he was more than happy to throw his magic at Remarque.
“Intimidation,” he said with bared teeth, still holding onto Laon’s hand.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:02 pm
Remarque opened his mouth to protest and cut himself off, torn between being pleased and annoyed and on edge because of the magic. It was the same as before, except this time it felt like there was something else in it all. Whatever creatures lurked in the shadows seemed to come closer, and Remarque almost thought something was going to get close enough to attack him, but–
No. Never close enough for him to see what it was.
But then, maybe that was part of the magic. If he couldn’t see it, he couldn’t know what was out there.
If he couldn't see it, maybe it couldn’t reach him.
There was no true comfort, and his lip curled into a sneer at some point as the emotional impact of the magic settled in.
“You feeling tired yet?” he asked, because it was easier to keep himself focused on anything else. His pride wouldn’t let him show fear or alarm, so he just seemed annoyed by all of this instead. “Remember, you’ve got a limit on that magic. Do you feel anything when you cast it? Can you see what it is?”
Laon held on tightly, both pleased and exasperated. Arawn had used his magic twice now with what seemed to be great ease, and he could feel the building pressure of knowing that he was next. He was proud of him! He’d used his magic twice!
…But Remarque seemed agitated, and he was met with the new fear that his own magic would be something capable of warranting his ire.
Or useless.
He wasn’t sure what was worse, but he expected everything to go wrong regardless.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:14 pm
“No,” Arawn snapped in response to the question about him being tired. Oh, maybe he shouldn’t be snapping at Remarque. And maybe he should relax the death grip he had on Laon’s hand as he could feel the energy draining from him even more with the second attack.
He could feel the way his body got when it was exhausted. Little tremors at first in his muscles, but he knew it would get worse if he wasn’t careful and if he didn’t stop to rest soon. But he was going to prove that he could use his magic, and he could protect Laon, and he could do everything he had to in order to earn his place -- for Laon’s sake at the very least.
“I don’t know. I don’t feel bad if that’s what you’re asking. It feels empowering -- like I have more strength. Like I could scare people and make them run away.”
A bump in the night, that eerie sensation of someone watching, forcing fight or flight to kick in… all these strange feelings that felt like a good thing for him, but he hoped it wasn’t causing Laon any discomfort. Now that he was asked, he could tell that what felt good to him, probably felt bad to Remarque.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:26 pm
Arawn was so feisty all the time, Remarque didn’t know how anyone put up with it. Maybe that was why Laon looked tired all the time. Arawn looked tired too, he should try to relax once in a while.
“Well, good. I want you to get comfortable using your magic and learning how to make use of it. But if you push yourself too hard you will pass out. Just keep it in mind. What about you?”
Laon realized Remarque was talking to him but seemed to be at a loss for words. He was silent for a few seconds and then asked, “What about me?”
He could see the exasperation before Remarque sighed, and just before the Eternal Senshi had a chance to speak, he blurted, “Do you want me to use my magic? I might be able to. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Remarque insisted, and almost seemed to relax a bit.
Laon was holding Arawn’s hand tightly. He could feel it trembling and squeezed it reassuringly, mindful not to hold it so tightly that he cut off circulation or hurt him. “Okay.” He didn’t protest. He didn’t argue with Remarque.
There were words and feelings swimming around in the back of his head and it was like they were calling to him. He didn’t want to let go of Arawn’s hand but he didn’t want to hurt him, and when he didn’t know what his magic did…
He withdrew his hand and wiped it off on his pants instinctively, like he needed to prepare himself. He wanted to warn that he didn’t know what it did, wanted to apologize for it in advance, but Remarque’s expression already said that he knew that. He looked expectant, almost encouraging.
So, Laon drew in a breath. He ignored his pounding heart and focused on the words that kept whispering in his mind.
Laon’s magic came quickly once he willed the magic into existence. One second he’d been standing there, and the next his form seemed to morph into a frightening, devilish stone creature that stood two heads taller than him. The horns and wings made him seem much larger, much more dangerous. He wasn’t. He didn’t see the change.
The monster that formed over his own appearance stood to its full height and opened its mouth and a flood of thick, black water spilled from out and saturated the ground around him.
Almost immediately, the area felt unsafe. It smelled foul, toxic even, and Remarque grimaced and took a step back. He could see the beast that seemed to burst from Laon; he could feel the Dark Mirror Senshi there but he was hidden behind a stony monster. He felt dizzy, maybe because Arawn’s magic had already left him a bit disarmed. The water spread closer to Remarque, and maybe it was just his imagination but it seemed polluted. It looked like it was moving, either bubbling, or–it almost looked like something was trying to crawl out of it. He didn’t touch the black water–if it could be called that.
Laon didn’t move; he watched the magic with a grimace, horrified and–well, impressed. His magic made something. Something gross! But it didn’t seem useless!
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:35 pm
It was with great reluctance that Arawn let his hand fall free from Laon’s. He knew it was necessary, but he didn’t have to like it. Already agitated, he crossed his arms over his chest and took a step back so he could see what awesome magic his boyfriend could conjure up.
He wasn’t disappointed, and grinned a wicked grin when a grotesque creature spewed black, foul smelling tar or oil or something from its mouth. But not only that, he could see that Laon himself had turned into this creature. Well. It was clearly just an illusion, because his sweet boyfriend could never actually turn into a creature like that. Right?
Arawn’s grin immediately faded and arms uncrossed to move forward and reach into what he hoped was an illusion.
He just wanted to try and take hold of Laon, to make sure he was okay and still with him. And he didn’t like how his heart was suddenly racing at the idea that he’d turned into something otherworldly just because he had magic now.
Maybe he should have just waited a minute or so. But he didn’t even care if the nasty goop got on him, as long as Laon was okay.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:45 pm
Laon startled when Arawn took his hand, not because he was afraid of it or didn’t want it but because he’d been so engrossed in his magic that he felt like he’d just had an out of body experience. He turned to look at Arawn and worry was etched on his face–but not the gargoyle’s.
Its mouth had only just closed and the flood of black liquid stopped flowing almost immediately. The puddle on the ground lingered but was quickly absorbing–or fading.
The illusion flickered and suddenly it was just Laon there, flustered and giddy and trying to hold it all together. He was trying not to outright beam but a smile had settled on his face and the corners of his lips twitched with barely concealed excitement.
He looked at Arawn first and squeezed his hand, but his gaze returned to Remarque. “Was that okay?”
He tried not to sound so desperate for approval, but Remarque probably picked up on it immediately. Both of them needed a bit of praise and reassurance. Despite the fumes, or the linger effects of Arawn’s magic on top of Laon’s, Remarque nodded. “You both did good. A lot of people don’t pick up their magic that quickly. I’ll want you to keep practicing, but I think you two have a good foundation to work with. Youv’e got some interesting magic.”
He fanned the air in front of him. “You could do some real damage, the two of you together. That’s a good combination. Very disorienting. It’ll be a good distraction to throw at your enemy if you ever get into trouble.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:29 pm
Arawn physically deflated in relief when it was Laon holding his hand and not the really cool gargoyle (in retrospect). He took his hands and lifted them to his lips to kiss, and then fussed over him to make sure he was still in one piece.
“Of course we did good. We’re amazing. We’re the best for this, and we’re going to keep working to get better, aren’t we?” he said mostly to Laon, but obviously with the intention of telling Remarque that they were good enough for the court and would be the best investment he’d had in a while.
“So when are we kicking our enemy’s asses?”
Just to make sure! He thought they were both pretty good.
“How do we even know if they’re our enemies?” That was probably the better question. He assumed they would know somehow. Maybe they would just be attacked, but there was no telling.
“You did so good. I’m really proud of you,” he took another moment to praise Laon for all his work, because he deserved it.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 8:07 pm
“Usually because they’re attacking you,” Remarque hummed, partly exasperated but still pleased with their enthusiasm.
Laon was still bursting with excitement and was doing his best to reel it in; he held onto Arawn’s hand tightly and ran his thumb along the back side of his hand. He wanted to tell Arawn that he’d done good, that he was proud of him, but he didn’t want to speak over Remarque.
“What they’re wearing is usually a good indication. If they look like they’re with some evil military, usually Negaverse. Can’t trust all of them, but play nice. They’re dangerous. There are other Senshi, not under the Dark Mirror umbrella. Lot more white on them than you’ll see on us. And Knights. Sometimes they’re all goody two-shoes and think they can save you. There’s nothing to save, they’re just ignorant. We can’t save Knights but we can bring over the Senshi if we can convince them. But that takes a bit of tact more often than not. Sometimes they think the best way to take care of us is just to remove us from the picture entirely, so if anyone starts giving you trouble you just call me. I’ll come handle it. And I’m not saying that because I don’t think you can handle it, but some of them are very dangerous. I don’t want you two to get hurt. So just take it easy and play it safe, okay? For my sake. You two have a lot of fight in you, I like that. I think you could really help the Court. The more you do this, the more comfortable you’ll get with things, but for now, just pay attention to those auras as they pop up. I know you can feel each other, you can feel me. Everyone has one. If you don’t recognize it, just be careful. You’ll figure out which ones are safer than others. You just have to be patient enough and give it time. Can you do that for me?”
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 8:19 pm
“Ugh, ******** ‘em,” Arawn sneered at the idea of saving Senshi and bringing them into the Court.
That, and he wasn’t exactly the best when it came to people skills. He tended to snap and go on the defensive first. It wasn’t his fault that he’d dealt with so many people that didn’t care about what happened to him. Or to Laon.
“You’re probably a lot better at recruitment, anyway. And if they think there’s anything to save -- ha!”
Laon had saved him years ago. He wouldn’t be alive, probably, had it not been for Laon. He didn’t care what happened with the others, as long as he could give Laon a life that made up for all of the s**t they’d been through. And for that, Arawn would be on his best behavior.
“Yeah, yeah, we won’t rush into fights we can’t handle.” Except he absolutely could handle any fight.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 8:53 pm
Remarque seemed to think that was exactly what Arawn was thinking and sighed, shaking his head. “Laon, you look a little pale.”
“No, I’m fine,” he answered quickly, and held onto Arawn’s hand with a bit more enthusiasm.
Remarque didn’t look convinced; he knew Arawn was probably already spent from using his magic, and Laon looked paler in Mirrorspace than he had before. He might have had less energy than Arawn, but he knew they’d both need to practice a bit more. It was a good start.
They’d been in here for a while; they could keep practicing, but it wouldn’t do any of them any good. He reached into subspace and pulled out a watch, contemplated for a moment, and then dismissed it. “I’m guessing you two haven’t had dinner yet. You need to eat balanced meals if you’re going to be doing this. And you need to get a good night’s rest. Why don’t we call it quits for tonight and we can pick up something for dinner on the way home. We should meet up again later this week, I’d like to see how you are with physical combat. Magic can do wonders but sometimes you might not have access to it. Can we do this again Thursday? I’ll bring you here again, and throw in dinner afterwards.”
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Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 5:20 am
They were being offered dinner again? Arawn perked up, but then narrowed his eyes on Remarque like he still wasn’t sure if he trusted the offer. Sure, he had done so much for them already, but maybe Arawn was just waiting for the other shoe to drop or something.
Maybe he would force them into manual labor or worse. After all, he needed people working on collecting energy for Mirror Space.
Arawn busied himself with fussing over Laon a bit more, before shrugging, clearly trying to look disinterested, like he would need something extra to convince him while also not denying the invitation.
“I suppose that works.”
And if they brought home any leftovers, they could probably last on those until Thursday and not have to spend more money on other food. Or at least for him. He needed to make sure Laon actually ate properly. Sure he would like balanced meals, but he would also like lights and the air conditioning unit to work when it started getting hotter.
Maybe they could figure out a way to convince Remarque to take them out to eat at least once a week…
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