Murphy's Law Strikes Again

[ice_and_steel]

[On the Plains of Spite, there is plenty of room to pit yourself against whatever is chasing you down. Celes has been doing this for nearly an hour, sending herself on sprint drills followed by sets of push-ups as close to the lake as she can manage without (probably) having to draw her sword. She finishes a sprint and pauses to heal the ankle she just strained.]

[A shadow falls over her and she looks up warily, to see something alarmingly like a tentacle hovering over her.]

"Fuck."

[She draws her sword]

Comments

[ice_and_steel]

[noticing the GIANT METAL OBJECT nearby]

[Okay, Thunder is probably not the best action here, not with the grounding rod over there]

[starts casting Fire on the tentacle]

[onlyhonournow]

[i think i messed up.]

Did I ... interrupt something?

[ice_and_steel]

Not exactly. I did something stupid and got too close to the lake without proper recon.

I just didn't want to accidentally hit you with a lightning spell. It seems like that could be detrimental to your health.

[onlyhonournow]

[sheathing the two swords he was intending to wave around impetuously and sheepishly rubs the back of his head]

I wouldn't have minded, but thank you. Do you want some help with that recon?

[ice_and_steel]

[Aren't mechanicals weak to electricity...? That probably would have hurt.]

*glancing up at the tentacle poised above them* I think recon came to us....

[onlyhonournow]

[it would have. it would have been honourable.]

[glancing behind him at another tentacle creeping up on them]

... well, that saves us some time. You wanna take the shy one?

[ice_and_steel]

[seeing the other tentacle] Sounds like a plan.

[she starts murmuring again, bringing her shield up just in case, and lobs a bolt of fire directly at the poised tentacle. Hopefully, it reacts about as enthusiastically as Ultros does. Seafood soup might be nice for dinner.]

[onlyhonournow]

I'd ask you to go easy, but...

[meanwhile, making giant tako sashimi. did it occur to nobody to try to negotiate first? sheesh, protagonists.]

[ice_and_steel]

[this tentacle seems oddly...less than aggressive, but, well, that just makes this easy.]

[The tentacle squeals and flails when the fire hits it, and that makes it easy to swat at with the sword and watch it fall away. The rest retreats back into the lake.]

...That seems....easy enough. [wary]

[onlyhonournow]

... It might be going for reinforcements. We shouldn't let up just yet.

[also, you know, that was fun.]

[ice_and_steel]

Agreed. [keeping her sword out] Well, I came out here looking for a workout. Guess I found one.

Are you all right? [I have no idea if cure spells work on mechanical beings...]

[onlyhonournow]

[looking quite spirited, actually. leaning down on one knee with his eye on the lake]

I'm fine. How are you?

[ice_and_steel]

I'm fine. It didn't get me.

[looks into the lake, curious to see if anything is visible beneath its surface]

[onlyhonournow]

[settles down onto the ground and looking quite like he's enjoying the entire thing]

I don't think it's as eager to see us as we are to see it.

[ice_and_steel]

I'm not entirely sure if that's a relief or a disappointment.

[settles down nearby] Thanks for your help.

[onlyhonournow]

[exhales lightly, amused, and tilting his head over to look at her]

It's no problem. I was happy to help.

[ice_and_steel]

You're pretty good with those swords. Did you have formal training?

[onlyhonournow]

[pausing, musing over what to say]

... I learned the art from a dear friend. He's a better teacher than I am a student.

[ice_and_steel]

[something almost like a wry smile] I had one of those. He was my mentor in the army. I learned fighting arts well enough from him, but...there were other things I think he'd have preferred me to learn.

[onlyhonournow]

[... gentle laugh]

Yes, I think that was the case for me as well. I'm not a very good listener, it seems. I don't think I entirely understand him, even now.

[ice_and_steel]

I wish I could have lived up to his expectations. I don't think he would have....followed some of the orders I did.

[onlyhonournow]

[turning his head away, staring straight at the lake]

... I don't know him, but I don't think he expected more from you than you could give. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when it's difficult to see the truth of what's going on.

And everyone deserves a second chance.

[ice_and_steel]

[there really is something very fascinating about that lake. and it has nothing to do with not being sure how conversations happen. nope.]

Yeah. When you grow up surrounded by something, it's hard to see that it's fucked up.

[tips head] I thought I had mine, but then I wound up here. Maybe that's another kind of second chance.

[onlyhonournow]

[maybe if we will really hard the tentacle monster will take mercy on us and come back and we can battle and not talk at all. like soldiers. A+]

[boy my lap is really interesting. especially the back of my hands. so interesting.]

I don't think that you can run out of second chances. At least, that's what I hope.

[ice_and_steel]

[A+ indeed, words are so much harder than fighting]

[that lake is interesting--did I just see a shadow--false alarm. Damn.]

It would be alarming indeed to think I have already used up all of mine. Atonement is a difficult business.