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 Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:12 am
There was little reason for Weissite to come to Negaspace very often. He was sure he was supposed to, but even though he lived with his general, it was still a hassle to get here and back when he could just let Nat handle everything that couldn't be done in the city. Probably preferred it that way, anyway. Suited Weissite just fine. He was only here this time because it was at some other general's request. Not Rakovanite. Some dude Weissite didn't know, who'd requested a lieutenant to come occupy his wayward half-youma.
Probably picked a name at random to message and had just happened to settle on Weissite's. Wasn't sure if it was something he was allowed to refuse or not, but either way, his curiosity was piqued.
He'd seen a couple half-youma before. Not one on one, not in any capacity where Weissite had actually been able to communicate with them, but he'd seen them at the battle, all magical and monstrous. Didn't think he understood what exactly they were (Chaos amalgamation plus human somehow?), but it seemed as good a time as any to get a closer look.
He was supposed to be meeting a Janggunite near the castle entrance. Not one Weissite had heard the name of, didn't really know what he was looking for, but he was sure it would be obvious.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:05 am
Something in him felt⌠shifted.
Janggunite had noticed it early November, a sort of restlessness and⌠anticipation? For what, he didnât know. But he felt more awake, somehow opened after a battle in the midst of a stream of heavy Chaos energy. One taste of exhilaration, a few moments of carnal joy had sparked something like longing. After nearly a year of despair, loathing, and rage, it felt good for there to be anything else. No matter how twisted.
Despite feeling more alert, more energized than he had in a long while, Janggunite still didnât know what to do with himself. His cage was still small, and the general whoâd corrupted him had already lost most of the patience heâd ever had for Janggunite. It was apparently difficult and taxing to keep trying to push someone who refused to do anything without prompting. They still kept contact. He still had someone to bring him to the city and back for assigned tasks, but while theyâd once been friendly in their civilian lives, that was no longer the case.
Jan didnât think he minded this? Except for when he wanted something and found it difficult to do on his own. Heâd asked his general to set up a meeting with someone, literally anyone, and the man had arranged for another lieutenant that Janggunite could harass.
He wished he knew with any certainty what he expected out of the meeting, butâŚ? He just didnât. All he could ask was that someone be there to help direct the restlessness. Heâd expected another half-youma, or at least a captain who had some experience. Maybe he should have just messaged Lavendulan directly⌠Instead, all he had was a lieutenant. A relatively fresh lieutenant, at that.
Janggunite stared at the white-haired man that appeared near the castleâs entrance. After several minutes of waiting, as if making sure this one was the one he was supposed to meet, he slipped out from behind the columns and approached.
The guy was older than a bunch of newbie teenaged Negaversers, but honestly, did that mean anything in this magical war? Probably not.
âYouâre Weissite?â He prompted as he approached. âIâm Janggunite.â He extended a hand, offered delicately as a maiden might, with long claws half-concealed by the downward slope of slightly curled fingers.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:27 am
Obvious it was. Weissite moved toward him as soon as heâd come into view. The little frills around his head and the dragging vine-like tail were signs enough that this was the guy he was supposed to be meeting. And someone heâd seen previously, at that. âIâve seen you before,â Weissite answered as he took the half-youmaâs hand to shake. âYou were on the hill, when we were allied with the aliens.â Not hard to remember seeing someone like this.
âYeah, Iâm Weissite.â He gave pause as he looked the guy over. It hadnât really been clear what heâd been called out for. âYou were looking for someone to train with?â
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:33 am
âYou were on the hillâŚâ
Jangguniteâs lip curled at the remark. He had been on the hill, but he was sure he only stood out to this guy as someone notable because of what he was. If heâd been normal, no one would have even bothered to realize he was there. No one wouldâve recognized him. No one wouldâve remembered him. Just like Jan couldnât remember this guy. He mustâve been present, if he recognized Janggunite, but Jan felt like heâd never seen the other man before in his life. An average, nondescript nobody. One body out of hundreds present.
But Janggunite was a monster, and easily identifiable because of it.
He smoothed a hand back through his shaggy white curls, as if trying to smear the foal attitude off of himself. He could practically hear what he mightâve said to one of his brothers, if it had been them getting riled over nothing, âOh, pish, enough of that attitude! Itâs unbecoming, darling.â It was unbecoming, but in his defense, heâd felt nothing except unbecoming for the past several months.
And he wanted to change that. He wanted to chase that feeling. So instead of snapping, as he might have, he cleared his throat and decided to ignore the first comment and focus on the second. âIâm not entirely sure what I hope to accomplish by meeting you,â he admitted. âThereâs just a feeling I have that I havenât had in a long time, for wanting to do⌠something.â
He tried a smile, probably not as cool and charming as it had once been, especially with the fangs. âIf you want to train, I used to be talented at judo, but I havenât practiced in a while. Not since all this.â He gave a dismissive flick of delicate fingers toward his backside. âI could probably be inclined to do a little workout.â
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:50 am
Weissiteâs uncertain expression at the thought of helping Janggunite do âsomethingâ unidentified quickly relaxed as the other brought up Judo. Being summoned for something unspecified with no direction was kind of a chore, but they both had martial arts they practiced, so a training battle definitely seemed like a fine idea to him.
âYou practice judo?â Weissite asked. âThatâs great. Iâm a kickboxer, so we at least both have some kind of fighting experience.â More than Weissite could say for most of the people on his team.
But here he had someone he could really go against, even if their fighting styles were completely different. Probably shouldnât really be matched against each other. But also, who knew what kind of techniques any enemy in the field might know? Better to go up against someone here, safely in Negaspace, and pick up some new tricks, if he could.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:00 am
Janggunite didnât want to say that he was pretty sure all kickboxing was fake and staged, but he was pretty sure all kickboxing was fake and staged. They were hardly both âexperienced fightersâ if all Weissite knew how to do was flashy television moves. It seemed like it wouldnât be that same type of thrill from previous fights, given the lack of threat from his opponent⌠But this was what he was working with. If Janggunite wanted to do something, these were his options.
He gave a dismissive sort of cluck with his tongue as he twisted to turn away from the castle, beckoning over his shoulder with the gesturing of two impatient fingers. âCome on. Weâll walk back to the training area behind the barracks.â
The command came with another little niggling feeling, something Janggunite didnât think he would ever feel: Negaspace was familiar to him. He had lived in its confines for the better part of a year. Areas like the castle, the barracks, the training grounds were places he visited almost daily. They were landmarks he was now accustomed to seeing regularly. Even the bizarre Chaos energy typically emanating from Negaspace was normal, familiar.
He was still wary of calling it a home, but he was used to it, in a way he thought for sure he never would be.
The walk was brisk, with little by way of distraction on the way. Janggunite might have thought theyâd run into generals training their subordinates or captains on their way to file paperwork, but it was relatively quiet. Tomorrow, Janggunite thought. Once it was the weekend, more people would be filtering in and out of Negaspace to tend to their chores.
âDo you want to show me what you can do?â Janggunite offered once they were standing in the training grounds. âIâm really not familiar with this style of⌠martial arts at all.â There was a thread of disdain in his voice, and he doubted kickboxing was considered a âmartial art,â but heâd humor the other lieutenant, anyway.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:53 am
Weissite snorted. Guy wasnât even trying to hide his better-than-you attitude what with the little looks and the little hand gestures and the unimpressed tone, as if he thought Weissiteâs skills and learnset were somehow inferior? Weissite had been out here, trying to be nice. Trying to be friendly. Got roped into a task that hadnât really concerned him, and wasnât throwing a stink about it. And this guy had that condescending tone and flippant demeanor, like it wasnât Weissite doing the favor.
He gave a shrug as he followed after the other man, but he was determined to not be just some incompetant rando the other guy had to hang out with.
When they arrived at the training area, Weissite put an appropriate amount of distance between them as he squared the half-youma up. Even if the other guy wasnât even a little excited about a new opponent, Weissite was. He was more than happy to show someone else his method of working out. âMaybe youâll learn a little something?â He offered as he took up a fighting stance, then quickly dove in, throwing a jab at Jangguniteâs chest.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:12 pm
Jangguniteâs slitted eyes widened slightly, the corners of his lips lifting in an amused little smile at the other manâs taunt, âMaybe youâll learn something.â Oh, he hoped so.
But he doubted it.
And then Weissite was moving in without further warning.
His own defensive stance felt as natural as it ever had- but only while he was still. The second Janggunite moved to dodge, a certain, unwelcome unfamiliarness trailed him. He tipped back away from Weissiteâs blow, hardly more than a step, no more effort exerted than he needed just to move out of the way. But there was a significant amount more of him now than there had been the last time heâd seriously practiced.
Jangguniteâs long, looping, heavy tail dragged, slipping across the ground messily behind him. Weissite continued to press forward with sharp jabs, quick kicks to his exposed sides. Judo was watching, waiting, patience, taking opportunities when they arose. Kickboxing did not appear to be that. Kickboxing appeared to be fast, high impact, damaging strikes. Jan thought it would have suited him perfectly to fight, to dip and weave around.
But his stupid tail made him feel like his balance was being thrown whenever Janggunite dodged a blow. In opportunities where he would have dived in himself to grab, grapple, flip his opponent to the ground, his tail felt like a weight holding him back, an added tangle that he had to contend with when determining his own spacial awareness.
And it just didnât seem like Weissite had those problems. Why would he? It was all Janggunite could do to step back, back, around, making only tiny movements to keep away from the other lieutenantâs strikes as he tried to figure out how to launch his own attack.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:15 pm
Being aware of the opponent was like, a number one thing in pretty much any fighting technique. Weissite didnât know what to expect in terms of how the other guy would fight, but it was quickly becoming apparent that expecting him to âfightâ was expecting too much.
âYouâre not doing anything but retreating,â Weissite observed, not frustrated, but still sounding a little miffed at the constant delicate side-steps and little twists of momentum to keep out of his reach. His usual matches didnât last more than a few seconds, typically. Footwork was a necessary skill, but someone still got a hit in relatively quickly, and it usually happened that the blow was hard to shake off, or weak enough to give the opponent an opening for a critical counter.
All this moving around was less his deal.
Weissite lurched forward, throwing a quick series of successive punches and then a sharp twist to land the front of his shin across Jangguniteâs side.
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:24 am
It should not be him getting tired first. He was as good as a master at his craft. It should be a thrill to fight in the midst of Negaspace, with Chaos pushing in around him. But so much felt like a distraction, like he was working under conditions he didnât know.
Weissite threw a round of jabs for his chest, and Janggunite stepped back out of the way, the back of his heel knocking into his own tail and making his retreat shorter than heâd intended as he tried to rebalance himself. The first blow he avoided, the two others, a punch to the base of his throat, followed by another to the side of his chest were stinging initially, disorienting, choking, and it wasnât until the feeling rippled throw his spine that he realized he was fully off balance and falling, falling directly into a kick that sent him staggering messily off to the side.
Then, thoughtlessly, he was lunging for his enemyâs leg before Weissite could fully retreat, and missing, at that, dipping to the ground as the other man stepped back.
Frustration (and maybe humiliation) prickled at Jangguniteâs cheeks, instinctively making his lips curl back to flash aggressive fangs at the other lieutenant, as his tail swayed in harsh, angry lashes. Definitely nothing like the controlled practice matches he was used to, nothing like Jan and his partner facing each other with direction and precision and silence- and also some expectation of knowing what the other would do. Maybe less frustration when he was hit.
But then, he hadnât practiced at all in the past yearâŚ
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2022 10:03 am
The lunge toward him made Weissite jerk back harsher in response, but Janggunite stayed low, glaring at him rather than going for another grab. Seemed fine. He was used to matches being over as soon as someone had lost their balance and was on the ground. You werenât really allowed to keep kicking at someone who was down.
He hesitated a beat, watching Jan like one might watch an aggressive animal, waiting for him to take another sloppy dive at him. âYou good, man?â He asked warily. âYou seem a little out of it.â
Against his better judgment, as he eyed the half-youma glaring and practically snarling at him, Weissite invited, âDo you want to keep practicing? Or is there anything else you want to do instead?â He didnât have to come out with an âI told you so,â he was pretty sure it was obvious, but even with this guyâs sporadic temper, Weissite himself was pretty content. That was kind of the point of why someone had been sent out to âhandleâ Janggunite, right? Guy got mad? And Weissite was fine to keep going.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:02 am
His blood simmered. His emotions churned. If Janggunite thought back to his earliest days in martial arts, he remembered being swamped with such doubt and anxiety it was hard to move. Breathe, and let your mind worry only of this⌠Careful, practiced movements and the calm of his instructors. It wasnât anxiety now or existential dread. It was frustration, aggravation, boiling up with an energy that made him want to lash out.
And he did. Janggunite couldnât remember a time feeling similar when heâd been human. When emotions threatened to swamp him, they were the kind that made him want to curl into himself and cry. This anger was just different. Equally unwelcome, he thought.
And still needing management.
âYou good?â He pressed his tongue to his teeth, eyes narrowing. It was humiliating to lose it, secondary only to how quickly Weissite had managed to knock him off balance with his âtelevisionâ martial arts. Did it ruin the experience? Heâd wanted- something, and he had a partner who was willing to help him with pretty minimal prompting. Fighting with these extra appendages and rampant emotions was different than what heâd been used to, distracting in those differences.
He tried to right himself, tried to breathe as he rubbed a hand over where Weissiteâs knuckles had connected with his throat, tried to control the grimacing because the other man wasnât an enemy trying to actually hurt him.
WIth only moderate success. âIâm- fine,â Janggunite bit out. âIâm fine.â His tail flicked, an ever-present, heavy weight at his back, dragging on him, slowing him. How long would it take him to get used to that? When would these movements be familiar again? Ever. He felt it like something oppressive settling in his thoughts, that shroud of desire to just⌠do nothing. Go to sleep. Forget about it. As if that wasnât the entire problem. He grit his teeth against the thought.
âIâll keep going.â The words were forced from his lips, but they were already said and out there. âIâll keep going.â
How else to stave off these feelings? For however long they lasted.
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