765/A Necessary Chat

A Necessary Chat
Date of Scene:	08 October 2014
Location:	Njorun Station - Ring of Philosophy
Synopsis:	Amalthea sits down with Dex for a long overdue talk.
Cast of Characters:	332, 395

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Dex Alruin (332) has posed:
    Dex is standing in the center of a plain room in the Ring, clutching his right arm, which hangs limp at his side. He seems pale, his black leather sleeve coated with blood. On the ground in front of him is another him, dressed the same, his eyes dead. The still living Dex stares down at the simulation Dex with a blank look, noting the broken bones in the sim's neck. The memory of the fight flashed in his mind: The sim snapping his sword arm, the sword clattering to the ground, the real Dex panicking and kicking the sim's legs out from under it before stomping down... killing himself.

    He shudders a bit, then kills the sim.

    The corpse vanishes, but the wound remains as real as ever, Dex drops to his knees, his left eye twitching hard. "Damnit... it's a real break."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    It's late. And that means Amalthea is most likely arriving from another sleepless night. Thusly, after traveling through the warp gate from her house that leads directly to Union territory, the unicorn arrives, clad in a fuzzy blue bathrobe with white dolphin designs all over it.
    She had said Dex is her student. This makes Dex her responsibility, and when his training has gone too far in a very wrong direction that he begins hurting himself, as a teacher she is shamed. After the last time she had spoken with him over radio it was bad enough.
    "You're slipping." The unicorn grunts as she strides in and motions for the floor. "What are you doing standing? You just broke an arm. Sit the fuck down." Given gruffly as she swishes her tail aside and flops onto her ass right on the Ring floor.

Dex Alruin (332) has posed:
    Dex lowers into a sit, his head beginning to feel fuzzy. However, his coherency remains in tact. For some reason, the wound didn't really hurt. He guessed he must be in some manner of shock, or perhaps he was just numb by the sight of his own dead body. "Better than the other me," he says blankly, "Snapped his goddamn neck." He reaches across himself and grabs his sword, a longsword of plain design. He examines it for a moment, then attempts to chuck it away. "Every time I pick it up, he schools me with it. This time he broke my arm. Last time he just ran me through. What the hell's the point of carrying a sword if it's just going to get me beaten?!"

    He smashes his left fist into the floor, and another crack accompanies it. The floor this time, not his hand. "I don't understand. If I get into a fight, I have to be at range or I'm dead. I'm not thinking a real opponent is just going to let me knock them down and stamp their neck."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    If Dex is in shock, Amalthea can let it sit for a moment. It's not like he's screaming, so he can bear with it and listen to her. Though when he takes a swing for the floor, she holds up a finger. "That's enough of that." She cuts him off.
    Arms fold across her chest. And despite how RIDICULOUS her robe looks, she looks dead serious. "This isn't about the sword right now. I've been too lax with you, Dex Alruin, and it's high time we had words."
    She motions for his arm with one finger. "Set that. And tell my just why it is, you sounded so utterly hopeless on Union bands when I had been teaching you the exact opposit?"
    Tonight is not a night for coddling.

Dex Alruin (332) has posed:
    Dex shifts around to look at Amalthea, his eyes blank. If there's some manner of shock there, he doesn't seem to notice. He grabs his arm at the break, wincing heavily as he touches the wound, before... SNAP! He places the bone back into a somewhat natural alignment. He represses a sob, keeping his grip tight. "There's the pain," he says, smirking. "Good. I'm still alive, then." He glances at her, a little more light in his eyes, then shakes his head. "Why do I sound hopeless?" he asks, "Because I am hopeless. I just got my arm broken by a simulation. My skills are getting worse. I can't shoot an arrow without my hands shaking anymore. I just keep thinking that, no matter how much strength I acquire, no matter how much risk I put myself in, and no matter how many allies I amass..." He shakes his head, hair falling lank.

    "No matter the odds, they're insurmountable. If I ask for aid outside the Realm War, will MW just kill me and let my world be genocided? You guys were able to help during the Hellion Lord fight, but I think that was because I was so far outnumbered. I need more Champions. Or I fully intend to draw on the power of Legenia to its maximum and dying."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Good. He managed to set the bone himself.
    And Amalthea can only sigh.
    "I gave you slack and freedom to learn on your own, clearly I was wrong." The unicorn sighs, rubbing at her bad eye at the thought. "You focus too much on rote skill and not on what's important." Her hand wanders, from her eye to run fingers through rainbow hair.
    The shift in demeanor is so utter and complete. Both hands set on Dex's shoulders, that lone eye staring directly into his for a good long moment. It's like that endlessly deep blue eye is staring into his soul.
    Before she just pulls him in, tugging head to rest on her chest with a low chuff.
    "... Dex what have I taught you? ... It certainly was not this... What was the first lesson I tried to teach you right here? Think back, try to remember, boy."
    A shake of her head and the unicorn sags. "What he does matters not, it's what you do. Even if there were more Champions, I have no doubt not one of them would be a match for you, but you doubt yourself so much."

Dex Alruin (332) has posed:
    Dex grimaces. His body tenses on reflex. He was almost hoping she would yell at him. Give him something to justify his thoughts. Instead, he gets the opposite, and that seems to remove any sort of fight from him. He closes his eyes. "Let's see... It seems I somehow missed the lesson again. I don't know anymore. All I know is that MW is lashing at my head and telling me I'm a worthless Champion. I'm starting to believe him. But I don't know. Clearly I need a leash, because I'm not going to get it on my own."

    He blinks. "I'm not supposed to fear failure, right?" he asks, his body going slack. "Not supposed to consider failure, because failure's not an option. But when I look at myself I see..." Improvement. That's the only thing he could say and be honest. His muscles were toned, his bod lean and powerful and much more warrior-like than it had been before she had taken him under her wing. "... When the crap did I get muscle, anyway?" he asks, "I was able to beat that sim of myself for the first time. I... damnit." He chuckles lightly. "I'm a moron."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    For all her gruff demeanor and snarling attitude, there is a side to Amalthea that is rarely seen. Even by her family or students. A true melancholy washes over the unicorn as she holds Dex's head, unwilling to release him from her grasp as she whickers irritably. "It is alright to be afraid. Failure is no small thing but... You are failing, boy. Not me- I've failed you as a teacher if we need this talk... You're failing yourself."
    It's when the youth admits his own idiocy, that she slowly releases her grasp. He sees it now, then doesn't he. "You got it sometime around the time you started taking the long way up, when you could have picked the easy way up my mountain. When you broke yourself back and forth to get it. And more Do you understand me now?"

Dex Alruin (332) has posed:
    "Failing myself, huh?" he asks, wincing as he tightens his grip on his broken arm. He winces again. "Not much of a student if I can fail myself, eh? Guess I'll just have to pass the finals." He smirks softly, then pushes to his feet, which is no small feat. "Yeah, I hear you loud and clear. Thanks, Boss. I think I needed this more than I realized." He releases his arm, then reaches for his midsection and rips off a long strip of leather. The hint of ab muscle peeks out at him. He wraps the cloth around his arm, using his left arm deftly to form a tight tourniquet. He lets the arm hang, but doesn't wince any more. "Alright then."

    He offers a small smile. "I suppose I have some catching up to do. Do you have to lecture Ainsley like this at all, or am I the only bonehead here?"

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Chuff.
    Amalthea is silent for a long moment, before she finally detaches. "Your failure is my fault. My failure as a teacher." She says again, sitting back as Dex rises. She does not stop him. But it's a long moment before she rises to join him, eye damp as she does.
    Though in the process of tearing his clothes, she stops him. "The bone is set, let me." Whispered in a soft voice, tilting her head over the injured limb to let the tear fall free of her cheek. A drop of glimmering, liquid, crystal, it lands with a splash of warmth. Nothing more than a brief and comforting sensation before the break is no more.
    With that achieved, she leans back, folding her arms under her chest to try and regain her composure. "Ainsley has this little thing where she doesn't forget what I tell her. ... I don't think that girl forgets anything really. That much is easier for her, so I just fling her into the volcano to toughen her up a bit." Then comes the jab. A sharp punch right to the shoulder. "You on the other hand. You have more catching up to do than either of us are ready for tonight. Training's up. No more until morning, that's an order. Kid, you're breaking yourself to prepare like you're ready for the end of the world. And I know you HAVE to but... Forget the burden on your shoulders and act your age a little. Be rebellious and have some fun. You're seventeen for fuck's sake. Get drunk behind my back, steal my car for a joyride. date five girls at once behind each other's backs."
    She reaches up, separating a strand of silver from her multi-color mane.
    "Give me grey hairs for OTHER reasons, please. If anything, so you can at least say you lived."

Dex Alruin (332) has posed:
    Dex blinks as, to his shock, Amalthea uses a tear to heal him. He flexes his arm, then undoes the tourniquet and stares. "Fully healed... Amazing...!" He smiles a bright smile, flexing his arm. He moves to retrieve his sword, opening his mouth to reset the simulation, but he stops. He turns to Amalthea as she talks about Ainsley, then feels the sharp impact of her jab to his shoulder. "Ow."

    He grins again, leaving the sword on the ground. "You fling Ainsley into the volcano?" he asks, incredulous, "And here I thought I had it rough." He lets his smile widen a bit, his head shaking before he can stop himself. "Rebellion's never really been my thing," he says, but a look of shock comes across his face. Hadn't he considered it, though? He seems to be lost in thought, before he attempts to wall MW out of his mind. He feels a resistence, but knows he has succeeded. "Fine. You want rebellion, I'll give you rebellion. But when I need a certain thing from you, I expect you to remember that you asked for it, okay?" He unblocks his mind, then shrugs. "I'm as straight-laced as they come, you know," he continues, as though he hadn't said anything before.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    "Well I don't mean TOTAL rebellion, just... Loosen up a little and live, boy. I've been trying to teach you to live as much, as prepare you for what's to come. Just show me that you're taking my lessons to heart." The unicorn murmurs, tugging her robe tighter at the belt and turning to start heading for the exit.
    "Come on. Let's go home. And don't listen to that Watcher when he tells you you're a failure. Tell him to choke on the fattest dick he can find, okay?"