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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 5:00:49 GMT -8
Following the battle, Olesya realized that she desperately needed to hone her Qi. She had obvious power at her fingertips, but until she learned to control it, it could easily drain all of her energy and leave her useless. She couldn't allow that to happen.
Today, she was practicing with the simple manipulation of water. No fighting, no techniques, but manipulating the water to get used to the feel. Walk befor eyou can run, afterall. She was in one of the few training grounds they had, this on was more open than the others. In front of her was a bucket, the water was now in the air, moving around lazily like a snake. Olesya manipulated the water with combinations of moving her arms, wrists, ahnds, and fingers. Her arms caused bigger movements while her fingers encouraged smaller, finer movements.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Nov 18, 2013 16:39:40 GMT -8
Lucien needed some time to think. Going for a walk usually helped.
This time, though, he traveled a little bit further out, just to try to familiarize himself with more of the Dragon Territory. It was during his exploring that he came across a training ground, with one occupant.
Olesya.
She seemed to be practicing her Qi abilities, and, as Lucien watched, he grew intrigued. It had only been a few days since the battle, and she was already back to a strength enough to manipulate water. That water cutter attack was quite the doozy, after all.
He thought about calling out to her, wondering how she'd react. Lucien knew that her impression of him before the battle was not very high, but a lot of things had changed since then, right?
"Hello," He would call out to her, waving as he approached the training area.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 16:53:13 GMT -8
Much like when she was playing music, Olesya found that she could lose herself in the serenity of the water. No wonder she'd loved swim team back in high school, and the ocean felt more like home to her than anywhere else. It had been within her the whole time, possibly enhanced by the experimentation, and finally unlocked after twenty five years of life.
A voice broke through her hazy reverie, and she blinked, the water coming to a halt as she looked to the source of the sound. A greeting, from the recently acclaimed Lightning Dragon. It was entirely true that Olesya had been upset if not downright insulted that Lucien had been named Dragon while she had worked her ass off to keep things running. However, in recent light, she felt the need to give the man more credit.
"Hello."
She moved her arms in a sweeping motion, directly the water back into the bucket. Her muscles were beginning to ache, anyway. She was still recovering from the battle, and had been practicing for over an hour.
Olesya looked to Lucien, sizing him up with her kaleidoscope eyes. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully. He seemed like the average good guy, skinny but strong as she had seen in the battle field. He didn't appear to be cocky or walk with a swagger. His eyes sparked with intelligence. Had they met on different terms, Olesya may have actually liked him. Was it really fair of her to hold onto such prejudice neither of them could control?
She cleared her throat.
"Hey, listen. I never got a chance to thank you...you know, for the other day. You really saved my backside."
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Nov 18, 2013 17:09:39 GMT -8
Lucien approached, noting that the water had stopped moving. To him, it was a signal that she was at least going to give him the time of day. Which he appreciated, Not everyone would interrupt their own training to talk to someone that they weren't close with.
He smiled serenely, and nodded at her words. "And thank you, too. Without you, I would have died."
It was difficult, looking back at the things that he had witnessed. The memories were still fresh wounds, and even in the heat of battle, he couldn't forget. The general with the bone armor, he batted Lucien away like a fly. It was only when he decided to let his Qi free that the battle was ended by Olesya's quick thinking.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 17:27:32 GMT -8
Olesya chewed the inside of her lip, nodding and breaking his gaze as she glanced at the ground. It was true that had they not had each other's backs, there was a chance neither of them would have walked away.
"I..,know I haven't been kind to you...at all. And I want you to know why. ...You received your title during a time that I was going through some intense political struggle. The Elders were nowhere to be found and I was left running everything. I was insulted that they would give an honor to someone who wasn't even aligned with the Dragons to begin with, at least not to anyone's knowledge."
She held her hand up to cut off any protests. Before she would have wanted him to feel guilty for her struggle, but not now. Now she was only giving him context for her previous sentiments toward him.
"Your prowess on the field was admirable, and you have more than proved yourself. I wanted to apologize for judging you so harshly."
Olesya didn't often apologized because she didn't like to be wrong. She hoped he understood the size of the gesture she was showing him.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Nov 18, 2013 17:54:45 GMT -8
Lucien cast his eyes to the ground as he listened. He already knew all this, and he definitely didn't have any ill will against her. It was to be expected, after all. Still, to think that he took so much away from her, he did feel guilty, for some reason, even though he knew it couldn't have been helped.
"I really appreciate it, Olesya. I... Don't blame you." He said, trying to make eye contact, but finding himself unable.
"Coming in to this, I've realized how much work needs to be done, and I've come to appreciate how much you do for the Dragons. So, thank you for that. I'll be helping in any way I can, now."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 18:19:39 GMT -8
"I appreciate that. We need more people willing to get their hands dirty."
Obviously he was willing to get his hands dirty if he was ready and able to risk his life for the good of his adopted people. Compared to that, sitting through a couple war meetings or running some drills in the training grounds would be a piece of cake.
"I think we should start over, as I never properly introduced myself. My name is Olesya Van deBogart, I'm the Voice to the Storm Dragon, and the Renegade Experiment, but greater than either of those, I'm the mother to a free spirited little girl, my pride and joy. It's an honor to meet you."
She held out her hand to him, extending a proverbial olive branch with a glimpse at the woman behind the armor.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Nov 18, 2013 18:33:42 GMT -8
Lucien's smile was larger now. He accepted the hand, and shook it. His grasp was soft, but firm.
"My name is Lucien DeChain. I hold the titles, let's see... Seeker of Crows, Ghost Wolf, Governor of Hermosa, Commander of Specters, Lightning Dragon, blahblahblah." He chuckled in a way that was unbefitting of his usual self.
"But, don't use any of those. Just Lucien, or Luc, please."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 18:39:51 GMT -8
"If you had a boy scout vest, it'd be full of badges."
Was that a joke?! Olesya hadn't told a joke since her high school days...well except for the occasional knock-knock to Maddie. It appeared as if these social interactions were getting easier and more natural as time went on. Had Lucien met her a year or two ago, he may have received a gruff 'Thanks' or 'You...did...er, well. Out there.' She was clearly improving, opening up...at least a bit.
Uh oh, but now what? She'd gotten what she wanted to say off her chest, and they were on even ground.
"How are you feeling? I've been trying to stay active so I don't seize up. My body is wrecked."
The battle had felt like running twenty marathons, lifting sixty mac trucks and swimming 7000 laps all at once. She used muscles she didn't even know existed, but the height of adrenaline and her Qi (not to mention the will to live) had forced her to act outside her comfort zone.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Nov 18, 2013 19:16:33 GMT -8
"I've been really sore," Lucien chuckled. Even though he was an active person, he still felt the sore muscles, and the throbbing in his nose, from time to time.
"...Were you trying to train your Qi, just now?" He asked, hopeful that she wouldn't just brush it off. He'd had more experience than most on learning Qi. He'd done it twice, after all.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 19:25:09 GMT -8
"Uh, yeah...actually."
She looked to the bucket by her feet, the water resting serenely, the surface like a mirror.
"I only discovered it a couple months ago, and didn't have much time to train before the battle. The armor man...that was the first time I'd used it with such vicious precision. It drained me more than I'm comfortable with, it was dangerous. So...like with all skills, I desperately need practice."
She didn't like admitting her weaknesses, but Lucien had been there when she collapsed. he'd seen it, there was no sense in denying it. To embrace one's weakness was to strengthen it.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Nov 18, 2013 19:46:11 GMT -8
Lucien nodded. It was something that took some getting used to, like an extra muscle you just learned how to flex.
"If you want, I might be able to offer some help." He offered. He had some ideas on how he could help.
He looked over to the bucket of water, and then back at Olesya, his eyes shining.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 19:49:34 GMT -8
"Oh?"
She hadn't seen Luc's Qi in action...did he have an affinity for water too? Les hated to admit that she was the novice here, but the only way to improve was to practice.
"I'll gladly take suggestions."
A mild smile, slightly sheepish. She was uncomfortable feeling so...well, weak.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Nov 19, 2013 21:52:54 GMT -8
"Well, I know a couple tricks to start. Here," He said, starting towards the bucket of water. He removed his choker necklace, letting the electricity flow through him, freed from the center of his Qi. He sat down next to the bucket, leaving a space for Olesya to come sit, and offering for her to do so. It occurred to him after he did this that the ground was quite dirty, and he would probably have to use that water to scrub himself clean afterwards. Ugh, germs.
Once Olesya sat, if she did, Lucien would continue.
"Just do with the water as I do with the electricity, okay?" He instructed, but not in a commanding voice, more of a helpful eager tone. He brought his hands together as if he was praying, and concentrated his Qi into his palms, slowly pulling them away from each other as a small ball of electricity gathered between them. Sparks flew from it occasionally, leaving it to look like a bright yellow glowing sun.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 20, 2013 4:53:55 GMT -8
When Olesya first returned to Long Beach, she didn't have many friends. In fact, she didn't have any. She had burned most if not all of her bridges in her madness and was basically alone. It was a miracle that Jon had managed to track her down in an asylum up North, and send for her once the bombs fell. You could say Delilah was her first friend after that, as she had been the one to escort her into Crow territory. They'd known each other in high school, but had lost touch when the madness set in. Then David showed up out of the blue, and that was a story unto its own. Then she ran into Marcus...
Marcus. Olesya's chest clenched. A casualty of war. She'd given herself time to mourn her fallen comrades, but the wound was still quite fresh. She brushed the throught aside, taking a seat next to Lucien and following his movements.
She pressed her palms together and slowly pulled them apart. He could create electricity, but she could not create water. Instead, water from the bucket rose in a thin spiral to fill the space between her hands.
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