Masquerade Part 2.2: Klaatu, Barada... Necktie

[Oersted]

"Yeah, it was weird alright," Lanos said with a sigh. He thought he'd decided not to mention it to anyone but he'd said it anyway, perhaps he did want to talk about it after all. "Okay, so you know how I was left in the slums? Well in my dream I somehow managed to get back to my parents. There were some oddities here and there, there was a constant feeling that something was off, but it was so vivid it felt like it was actually real; almost like I could have lived that life." He sounded almost wistful as he spoke of the dream and it scared him, more than almost anything else. Not only because of how the dream ended, but also because of how different his dream counterpart was compared to him. A world where someone wasn't their self would frighten anyone, wouldn't it?

"The rest of it was pretty much a nightmare," he sounded hesitant to continue, much different than before. "One night I got sick of the easy life and snuck out of the mansion. I wandered down into the slums and was, well..." His claw hovered above his chest again. "Murdered. And that was the only point that I felt like it wasn't real, or rather refused to accept it as real and woke up."

Edited April 7, 2015 by Oersted

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall thought about how exactly Meredith had won her 'fights' in the arena and cringed a bit, legs folding inward ever so slightly at the mere thought. "Uh... let's just say that a few of the guys won't be walking right for a little while, eheh... Headbutting was involved, though, I'm pretty sure, so... there's that? Yeah..." Kendeall sighed and hung his head low. "Yeah, uh, let's not talk about this now. It's, uh... I saw it. It hurt me a little just watching."

[Xinnidy]

"Wha- standard issue? You guys also use that kind of lance?" Maja asked with a look of wonder. Whoa, the Felson guard is pretty strong, then! That wonder was cut short when Makin brought to mind how Maja was back when she joined. "O-oh gosh! Did I really look that silly? I probably did, didn't I?" She started to blush, face red in a moment. "I only got the very basics down before I left home, so, uh, I hoped I at least looked threathening. I guess I didn't get to fight in... ever, though." Maja shook her head as if trying to shake off some of the embarrassment with it, and quickly she returned to normal when thinking of Emilia's offer. "Could you really help? Oh, I'd love it, of course!"

With a skip in her step, she returned her lance to the wagon and picked up another, notably larger and more imposing. Needless to say, it wasn't as easy to carry as the previous one, with so much more weight at its tip. Maja struggled to carry it around, gripping closer to the spearhead --If there was a contest to see which was heavier between Maja and the lance, it'd be a close competition. "Oof... here it is!" Maja heaved, lifting the lance a bit over her shoulder. "I don't know, I've used a heavy spear before, and that was kind of a nightmare of its own, but this one feels... more uneven? How do you guys do it?" The wonder in her voice had returned.

[Ether]

"It's simply a matter of getting used to the balance of it, it just takes a bit more skill to do so that with that sort of spear. Once you know how to use it, it's much easier to wield than a heavy spear." Emilia replied, as she watched Maja bring out the grand lance, and struggle to carry it properly. Taking her own lance out from her back, Emilia took a stance with the weapon, beckoning towards Maja to copy her stance and hand position, her own held in a forward-facing offensive position.

[scorri]

Trist couldn't help himself as he burst out laughing. "Oh I see. Those poor men. Well, I suppose if it's legal, it's their own fault for not protecting themselves. But uh... Maybe try and refrain from doing that to anyone here. Somehow I don't think it'd go over very well." He continued to chuckle quietly, imagining the reaction the poor girl must have had to accidentally doing that to someone. Or at least he assumed accidentally. Somehow he couldn't see her doing that on purpose.

[Vestige]

In retrospect, telling Alicia to "not do anything reckless" was a bit of a laughable statement. The message was sound enough, but just the fact that the words were coming out of his mouth made it rather ironic. He wasn't exactly one for caution, as Makin, and a whole lot of other people, had made a point of mentioning to him on numerous occasions before. "Alright then, that makes me feel a bit better. And I'm glad that, at the very least, you seemed to have enjoyed yourself," he said, smiling. The conversation was rather tame for now, but he knew how easily he could roll into flirting, and that was the last thing he needed to be doing, so he made sure to choose his words carefully. He was glad she enjoyed the night. As did he. As a dinner, between friends.

To be completely honest, he'd be lying if he said that at least a tiny part of him hadn't hoped that Makin would have decided not to hire Alicia. He'd already explained the circumstances to her, so he was sure that she simply went along with it all out of good faith but he probably wouldn't have protested too much if Makin had declined (as horrible a thing as that was to admit). At the very least, it certainly would be a lot easier explaining to her the fact that he was now romantically involved with his boss, if he didn't need to also explain the fact that his involvement happened to coincide with the very same night he'd taken Alicia to dinner. The good news was that, it was only one dinner. Surely she wouldn't be completely heartbroken over a guy she'd only known for a night... He knew that sooner or later, she'd have to find out though. But he figured now just wasn't the best time to break the news...

Edited April 8, 2015 by Vestige

[Xinnidy]

"A matter of balance, huh? Right!" Maja looked at Emilia's stance, trying to mimic it to the best of her ability. That's... trying to be more in their face, huh? Maja broke her stance, running out of stamina. "Haaah... L-let me try again!" Taking a deep breath, Maja straightened her spine. This time, she lifted the lance in one heave, holding it forwards, her own body leaning back as counterweight. "Hah... hah... h-how's that?" Though it was still pretty fatiguing, Maja wasn't *crumbling* trying to hold it, the weight was better distributed.

[Ether]

"Well, at least you can lift it, now. I'd suggest trying to build some muscle mass, using a weapon that encumbers you is just asking to be struck down in a moment of weakness. But it's not something you can fix in a moment's notice, so just work on it over time. Also, try to work momentum and reach into your attacks. They are the main advantages that a spear has over a blade or a bludgeon." Emilia replied, getting a good bit into the little coaching session. If this girl had managed to land such a heavy blow on Captain Typhus, she had potential to be certain. The guard could only look forward to seeing it grow.

[eclipse]

"I said it was an accident!" Meredith whimpered after her outburst, still unable to stomach how she'd won those fights. Yes, winning was important, but in a non-fatal fight, rules could be observed. . .and she'd broken a lot of unspoken ones. "If we're going to fight together, I, uh, don't think I'd want to raise my fists against anyone here. . ." she trailed off.

I wonder if any of them had the pleasure of seeing what happens when a centaur is struck in his softer parts? Or perhaps that mental image should never, EVER be shared. Ugh, I wish my teacher hadn't been so clumsy!

[Xinnidy]

"Ah... right, momentum and reach." Maja repeated the words to herself a few times, before finally bring the lance down. "Oof, that takes some effort, but thanks. I'll keep trying, then!" She wiped some sweat off her forehead and saluted the guard. Maja had already worked up quite a bit for so early in the day, but showed no sign of complaining. "Alright, if it takes more muscle, then I'll see if I can get more... uh, judging by me now, how much exercise would that take?" Maybe Emilia would have some more pointers. "Or what kind? I'm not sure what works best in this case."

[scorri]

Still chuckling, Trist reached out and gently pat Meredith's back. "It's ok, don't worry. I'm just amused at the image of you... Yeah. That's all. I know you wouldn't do that to one of us. And my point still stands. Any decent fighter would be ready to defend themselves against such an attack, regardless of it being on purpose or not. So really you were just giving them a much needed lesson." He smiled at her, at least partially still teasing.

[Ether]

"My suggestion would first off be to try and bulk up. Eat more than you're used to, especially carbs and protein. That'll not only give you more weight to work with, but it'll give your body something to burn and turn into muscle. The important thing while doing this is to keep up exercise, strength training, because if you don't, you'll just gain a bunch of fat. Squats and dead lifts are your best friends, they'll work out the majority of your important muscles. Try not to overdo it though, give yourself at least a day off between heavy sessions, or a few days off a week for lighter ones. If you don't, you'll just tear your muscles, and all you'll get is weaker, and a lot of pain." Emilia explained, when asked about training.

"As for how much, just keep going. Ideally, a fighter should never stop training. You can always grow stronger."

[Xinnidy]

"W-whoa." That was a lot to take in at once. Maja tried to keep up with Emilia's suggestions, nodding at each phrase, it still took quite a bit for the suggestions to sink in. "Uh... eating plenty, exercise lots, don't stop. Got it! Thanks!" She ended up smiling at the end of Emilia's speech. "'You can always grow stronger', yeah, I feel that. I can't help but feel like I could always do better... I always try to push just a bit more if I can. I think I got Makin worried over that once, but... if I can go that extra mile, I'll try my hardest for it." She let out a sigh, "I'm not happy with just staying at the back and healing. If I'm going to do it, then I want to heal the best I can. If I can grow strong and help everyone, then I'll try my best to get there." There was a certain confidence in her voice that was definitely a rare sight from her usual behavior. "Thanks for the help, really. I'll keep everything I learned here in mind!" There Maja was, back to her usual self.

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall shrugged as he saw Meredith and Tristam's interactions. They definitely looked good together, and he didn't even really have to do anything! Although, he wondered if they really felt like that towards each other. But, it was probably best that he didn't push that line of questioning right now; it wasn't really his business anyways.

"What about you, Tristie? Did you take on the arena while we were in Felson? I'm sure a guy like you would be pretty damn formidable there." Kendeall quipped, hoping to get off the subject of Meredith's bumbling adventure through the arena. It really did still hurt to think about it... Yeesh.

[scorri]

Tristram winced at the nickname. "It's... Trist. But, uh, I fought in the weapons arena. I did pretty well. Didn't do anything in the fist arena because, well, not exactly my strong point. How about you?"

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall snickered a bit; at least he noticed the nickname. "Well, Tristie, since you asked, I beat both. Didn't get anything special for beating the weapons' arena, but I got this cool ring for beating the fist arena! I'm great, I know." Kendeall replied with a goofy yet proud look on his face, gazing at his ring and trying to remember exactly what it did. Something to do with his body, that was for sure.

[scorri]

"Hmm. Well, I guess you must not have gone all the way in the weapons arena then. When I won, Kenny, I got these bracers. A nice addition to my armor, I must say." He held out his arms, to show off the bracers that he was wearing.

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall cocked an eyebrow as Tristam showed off his bracers. "I did beat the whole thing... Then again, I never fought Marius, so maybe that's why I didn't get anything more than money. But hey, money's always good... it's the main reason why I'm here, after all." Kendeall replied, not even bothering to address the 'Kenny' thing. He supposed it fit, anyways.

[scorri]

"Hmm, true, I did beat Marius. So that might explain it. Maybe when we come back I can try that fist arena. But only if Meredith here tries the weapons arena, huh?" He nudged her, hoping that she hadn't retreated into silence because of his teasing.

[Nanami Touko]

Stressed

"If she's crazy enough to follow us out to the tundra after having left you alone all this time, then..." Ingverd stopped himself there. While her sister was a murderous psycho, Valha still held some form of love for her, so he couldn't just say they had to kill her. "If you need to lash out at something, or someone, then just... Hit me, or something." He decided to change the subject away from crazy siblings. "I'm sturdy enough to take a hit if you need to relieve some stress, and I really wouldn't mind. Maja's right there, anyway. Just think of it like that one time you shoved me into the river." He smirked, and nudged her playfully. "Either way, I don't think you're going crazy. Just stressed and worried. But definitely not crazy." He nodded like he knew the answer to it all. Whatever 'it all' was.

Friends

Alicia nodded, letting Raith go. "It was really nice. First time I'd really had anyone take me out of the shop in months. It's hard to find genuine guys in this city, as sad as that might sound. Most of them have some motive. They want your money, your status, just like you for your looks... Well, mostly the first two. I've only had to deal with the last one once, luckily enough." She chuckled over that, remembering it almost fondly. "It's at least amusing that people here care so much for money and social status... I'm pretty content just making enough to eat. Well, eat and relax over a good book. I should've showed you the back room at my store, it's lined with novels, near top to bottom. I guess..." Alicia paused for a moment, as a look of nostalgia, and a smile, visited her face. "I've read a lot about fantasy and adventure, so getting to go on one, no matter how perilous, always seemed like a good idea. As long as I come back alive, of course. You too, Raith. You've told me not to be reckless, so make sure you take your own advice."

Nightmares

"Sounds pretty lucid," Vriska said, not really liking hearing about that sort of dream. "Sucks that you died, though... Maybe it was, like, warning you about what could have happened, if you didn't live the life you did? I dunno." She fiddled with her thumbs and sighed. "I'm a real sucker for all that fate stuff. Like, if something happens, it was meant to happen, and all that. So even if it sucked, things are getting better now with your family, knowing your parents, and all that. And maybe, living that rough life in the slums was meant to happen. I dunnoooo..." She ended up mumbling. She figured she sounded pretty stupid. "It was why I decided to stick around Hilda as much as I did. That whole, seeing into the future stuff. It was really interesting. I'd always wondered if I could manage something like it."

Proper Instruction

Makin did her best to refrain from commenting as the lieutenant gave Maja some much needed instruction on how to use her lance. It was kinda cute to watch Maja try to act like a prim and proper soldier... Well, not that she didn't fit the part, not entirely, just that it wasn't exactly how she'd been acting this entire time. Doing all the healing, hanging around the ghost, being a cheery little rainbow. Being a soldier... Didn't really suit her, Makin thought. But it wasn't her choice. So she kept quiet about that and simply smiled, holding onto that refrain because someone who fought with a sword wouldn't really know the first thing about handling a lance.

There was something to comment on, though. "You did look really silly, I'm not going to lie. But I'm glad you've progressed so far, Maja. Not just in healing. If you manage to be able to actually use that lance, I'll be impressed. Take what Emilia's saying to heart, and if you need any help exercising, you can always ask me." Makin paused for a moment, and turned a bit red, but didn't say anything about it. I really am a mom, huh... Makin sighed, but still, made no mention of it. "You two, don't take too much more time. I'm just gonna..." Makin cleared her throat, and turned to face the wagon. "Hey, Isabelle! Everything and everyone ready to move?"

The elf was a bit startled by the sudden shout, groaning after jumping. "Yes, yes, everything's packed and the horses are fed. Don't have to be so loud." She sighed, and got herself comfortable, ready to start moving the cart.

"We're moving out."

[riariadne]

"She was too injured back then, but now that she's healed up a little... I dunno," Valha admitted, somewhat troubled. "She's smart, though. That's what I've always remembered about her, 'n what scares me more than anythin', even with how strong she is. She would never complain, she'd just find some solution none of the others would think of for a problem, she leaned to read 'n write when almost nobody else in the Lower Quarter knew how... you even saw how quick she maneuvered around the top of the buildings, even without her wings bein' of any use." She made no comment when he proposed his idea, merely flicking the elf on the cheek. "Maybe... sometimes, I wonder."

[eclipse]

Meredith relaxed as the two men talked about something that wasn't her performance. When she heard her name again, she tensed, then let out a breath as it was in relation to the weapons arena. "I, uh, never thought about entering the weapon arena. Figured that it would be really bad if I tripped over my lance or something! But it can't be any worse than the fist one, right?"

[scorri]

"Aw, I'm sure you'll do just fine. Seriously, lets make a deal. If we get back here, and have the time, you do the weapons arena and I'll do the fist arena. I'm pretty sure that you'll do a lot better than you think and at the very least I'll provide amusement with how badly I lose, alright?" He grinned at her, with a slight mental wince as he remembered how badly he'd lost in the fist arena last time he'd tried. He'd been acting like it hadn't happened because, well, it basically may as well have not.

[eclipse]

The half-elf found herself smiling, despite the word "arena". "Okay! I'm sure you'll do a lot better than I did in the fist arena!"

[scorri]

"Ahaha, well, we'll see I suppose. Think I need to get faster before that'd be a good option. Maybe you can give me a few tips and I can give you a few tips on using that lance. Lances aren't my only weapon, but I can maybe give you a few tips so you aren't tripping over it during battle, if that's an issue you have." He was mostly joking, but since apparently tripping was a thing she did, he figured he could help some maybe. Placing an arm around her shoulder, he smiled at her. "If we work together, maybe we can both beat the arenas next time around, right?"