Scene #9379: Red Mist, Crown White

Owner	Pose
Angela	Angela honestly doesn't really care if Audrey becomes a skilled fighter but she doesn't think it's a good look for the Library if she's conceding to Sarracenia so that means she has actual work for Gebura who is, still, technically on vacation--Angela ended up extending it past the two weeks by not technically setting an end date. But Gebura is also inclined to check out 'the new kid' so she doesn't really even mind returning to the Library for the day to 'train' Audrey. Gebura will snag Audrey when she is staying at the Library by knocking on the door to her room and saying, "Hey, it's time, let's go!" She'd err on earlier in the morning rather than later in the day but she's trying to be less of a hardass lately though she's not sure if that shift in policy is going to last--she hasn't really been involved in training since Lobcorp but she's trying to learn from her meltdown and one thing she learned about her meltdown is that she should rely on her team more. Audrey isn't a member of her team and, indeed, most of her team no longer works at the Library but she might as well treat Audrey how she'd treat a member of Disciplinary, right? What could go wrong? "We're going to head down to the Language arena and then we'll get started." Gebura says. She might be trying to be less of a hardass but she's still pretty focused in her expectations. "Wear something that you can move around easy in and ... come to think of it, 'cause of all the lava and shit, you probably want to bring a lot of water and dress light too." Once that's done, she'll start leading her on to the arena. She's not very chatty on the way down either.
Audrey Basque	Audrey's Library shift is going about as well as it could be today. She has a tendency, on weekends, to show up a lot earlier ever since Petra has been making her get up around sunrise to work out; and then at various points through the day, the tendency to disappear in a quiet corner to get some homework done inbetween tasks or breaks. But for someone like Gebura, she's trivial to find. "Hey, it's time, let's go!" "H-Huh? Oh! Oh, G-- Miss Gebura, I--" Did she forget, or somehow stop dreading this long enough to be surprised when it happens? "Right away. Should I bring--" "Wear something that you can move around easy in and ... come to think of it, 'cause of all the lava and shit, you probably want to bring a lot of water and dress light too." Well that answers that. "Okay." Why DID Angela put lava there anyway?? Was that Petra's idea??? It's a library! You don't put FIRE with books! Well whatever the case, she's not going to tell Gebura no. Audrey gets changed into a pair of short shorts, a sports bra and a very loose t-shirt, and makes sure she's got a few water bottles in her pocket space (she almost always does!) before she's right behind Gebura, using the travel time to the Language floor to ruffle her hair up into a ponytail, which is only slightly better at keeping it out of the way than her drill buns are. Having so much of her skin bare means that Gebura's got a good view of the usual bruises across Audrey's body, which might send the wrong idea that Audrey is some kind of seasoned fighter somehow. "I, um... so... Angela didn't really mention... WHAT it was she had in mind. For this, I mean. I can... I can guess. There's a dozen things wrong with me. But which one are we working on?"
Angela	Gebura didn't exactly give a start time or anything. She's on vacation, she reminds herself. Fortunately, in the arena area--a platform held above a molten lava pit, the heat constantly rising and sapping at one's stamina--isn't exactly filled with books! The Floor of Language has plenty of books, but the arena itself is relatively book free. Angela has mentioned that the way the books are destroyed are by burning them though so...There's that. For Gebura's own sake, she doesn't seem intent on dressing any lighter than she already is which is 'not really light at all'. Maybe she's not expecting much of a workout for herself right now, or she's just used to the heat. "Why're you so beat up?" Gebura asks bluntly, having basically no idea of her relationship with Petra. "If you're going to show up to your workout already beat up it's not gonna be as effective." She didn't warn her but doesn't seem to be taking that into consideration too much. ''But which one are we working on?'' "Well I don't know nothing about you. So we should probably start with fundamentals." Gebura says. "Show me your morning routine and we can make adjustments if we gotta. It'll at least show me what areas we gotta work on." She is, of course, assuming Audrey has a morning workout routine.
Audrey Basque	"Why're you so beat up?" Audrey, who by now is a bit too used to having to not explain this every time, manages to avoid visibly freezing up at the question. "I get into fights, sometimes. Here-- obviously here. For the Concord, too. For better or worse I lack any kind of healing factor, so... these stick." "Well I don't know nothing about you. So we should probably start with fundamentals." Audrey shifts uncomfortably, like she already knows the answer won't do. She can, and does, enumerate the kinds of stretches and exercises that Petra makes her do; it's fine, for a regular person. Audrey looks in better shape now than she did weeks ago, it's not even remotely disputable. But it's still a far cry from the average Fixer, let alone someone like Gebura. "I don't know if that's the issue though. It's... an attitude thing. Not a physical one. I'm a mage, not an athlete. How did Lilian put it... I'm not afraid of pain and failure enough?" She crosses her arms, huffing a bit. "Which is pointedly untrue. I'm constantly terrified of messing up, and I can't stand pain. I just can't seem to breakthrough, though." She raises a hand to wobble it a bit. "Like... the way I've learned to navigate stupid social webs and bad situations is to... you know, appear harmless. Smile, nod, don't argue with people, make yourself smaller. But that's just..." Is she angry? Audrey seems angry. "I'm getting treated like I'm radioactive. Like people shouldn't count on me because I'm ever one step away from getting everyone killed with my magic, even though, multitasking aside, my magic is my pride. And I'm not saying I'm perfect but I'm trying!" Taking a minute to put the lid back on that metaphorical bottle, Audrey takes a deep breath and then sighs. "I keep flipflopping, see? I can't focus and make the right calls. I don't want to be a liability. Not physically and not mentally. I'm supposed to be the new pride of the school but I'm proving to be the opposite. I can't even stand my ground in stupid arguments!"
Angela	Gebura stands there and watches. Odds are she already did her own workout. She seems like the sort of person who just jumps right into it as soon as she does a workout right after breakfast including all the stretches. For a normal person Audrey seems fine, but Gebura knows all too well she's not expected to win normal fights. "Your morning routine seems fine, but you're working with Elites. If you don't have a 'healing factor' as you call it, you're gonna have to get good enough that you don't take hits like that. But if you're already working with someone, I'm not about to start interfering with your regimen without talking to them." She doesn't know she's been working with Petra, of course, but she seems to be aware that at least someone gave Audrey a routine to follow just from seeing the breadth of what Audrey is working on. That sort of thing odesn't happen without some education, Gebura knows. "That's what she said?" Gebura asks. "You lost that fight with Sarracenia, but I guess you didn't exactly seem scared about losing, or about hurting. I'd have thought most of you mage types would be more afraid of pain since you're not supposed to receive it, right?" Audrey seems to agree with her but by claiming to be constantly afraid but Gebura is hesitant to say Lilian is wrong. Maybe the way Audrey means 'afraid' isn't exactly what Lilian meant? But without talking to Lilian about it, she's going to struggle to adapt that. She'll make a note of it and ask her about it later. She doesn't want Lilian to know she's doing some 'work' during her vacation right now. ''I'm getting treated like I'm radioactive. Like people shouldn't count on me because I'm ever one step away from getting everyone killed--'' "Well that's why we're here isn't it?" Gebura asks. "What weapon do you use? Sword? I'd like to see your forms too. I don't know who you're currently training with but if they're teaching you forms it could be counterproductive to work against whatever they're throwing at you." ''I keep flipflopping, see?'' "I don't really care." Gebura admits. "Do your other teachers let you whine this much when you're working with them? It's not like I can jump into your head and give you confidence or whatever--should probably talk to Flamel about that or some other brain expert."
Audrey Basque	"But if you're already working with someone, I'm not about to start interfering with your regimen without talking to them." "That would be Petra," Audrey clarifies, because there's nothing wrong with that question in particular. "You lost that fight with Sarracenia, but I guess you didn't exactly seem scared about losing, or about hurting." "N-- I mean... I yielded, sure. It was just... it seemed pointless. The whole thing was already incredibly stupid. It was a petty fight without real stakes and the pain settings were turned up. I just couldn't really... keep going." Well, that's a half-truth. She was soft, is the issue. "It's probably more complicated than just 'afraid'. Lilian... it pains me to admit, tends to be right. When she's not deliberately trying to get under my skin, anyway. Aesop-guzzling... heaven forbid I not immediately just say that yes, it's fine to control other people. Because it is! Of course it is. But that wasn't the top-- ugh. Nevermind." She cuts herself off. "What weapon do you use? Sword?" "I uh... none? Angela wants me to get familiar with EGO weaponry, but I'm not... I've never fought with weapons before. And they add a level of multitasking that's taking focus away from my magic." Still, she reaches into a pocket, to produce the page for the Sword Sharpened With Tears, and clenches it to materialize a single one of the blades in her hand. "I like this one, though. It seems to offer a lot of versatility and options that compensate for my lack of training and physicality. On the other hand I was having issues with it... talking to me. About chivalry. And I imagine it's obvious, but I'm not a knight. So maybe it's a bad match after all." "Do your other teachers let you whine this much when you're working with them? It's not like I can jump into your head and give you confidence or whatever--" "I don't have other teachers for fighting. My school doesn't teach it. I had to practice in secret. And, well... I could be doing worse. But I could be doing a lot better. I'll... talk to mister Parsons, sometime, though." She seems to deflate a bit. "I imagine I'm a far cry from someone like you. You're a real fighter. I give off the impression I'm just..." She eyes the starry sword in her hand. "Playing pretend, huh?"
Angela	''That would be Petra.'' Gebura stalls, just an instant, before turning her gaze to settle on Audrey. "...Should've expected." She says. She exhales, closing her eyes. ''It seemed pointless.'' "Shouldn't pick fights you don't mean. Or don't mean to finish. If you're not commnited, the one who is will have an advantage over you. Probably why you lost to Sarracenia." She isn't annoyed exactly. She just doesn't really know how to deal with Petra right now. Or Angela really. They were enemies. She lost. She has only really felt that once before except that time she, at least, ended things as best she could. This time she lost and things just ... continued. That hasn't really happened to her before. But she can reach into the multiverse now, and the multiverse can reach back, and it's bound to happen again. She should get used to it. The idea of not being enough. No, she decides, even if it happens again she doesn't want to get used to it. "She's a smart woman." Gebura says. "You can get pissed about that or be reasonable about it. If you're reasonable about it, she'll treat you with respect, but if you get frustrated and weird about it then it'll be tough to patch it up. After all, she's strong, and strong people learn fast how tough it is to tell when someone is saying something 'cause you're strong, or because it's what they actually believe." r''I uh... none?'' Focusing on EGO weaponry? Gebura supposes that makes sense for someone with no weapons training. "EGO is made to help even people who haven't swung a sword in their life be a competent fighter. It helps bridge the gap. But there's plenty of people in the world who are tougher than that. And if you have to call upon the EGO too much, it'll start to overtake you." But she considers the Sword Sharpened With Tears. SHe wonders if the self-recrimination is a side effect of the sword or all Audrey. "Might be a good fit." Audrey admits to not being a knight. "Not literally, of course. But the Knight of Despair isn't really a knight either. She's an Abnormality. the kingdom she serves is in a story. Made up." She paces around a bit, reminding herself on the core traits of the Knight of Despair. Like Angela she had to learn this stuff, though it doesn't come to her as quickly as it would her. "The Knight of Despair is a story of failed devotion. Failing the people you were meant to serve, your comrades, whichever. The failure of just intentions and then falling into self recrimination and harm. Does ''that'' feel more on the nose?" ''I don't have other teachers for fighting.'' "Thought you said Petra was teaching you." ''I imagine I'm a far cry from someone like you.'' Gebura snorts. "Don't compare yourself to me. Wings, I've been at this longer than you've been alive. And since I was a kid. Our lives are different and nobody's expecting you to beat Lilian or I in a fight. Why are you even worrying about that now, you got first steps to worry about first. The basics." ''Playing pretend, huh?'' "Did Lilian say that about you?" She asks.
Audrey Basque	"Shouldn't pick fights you don't mean." "No, I shouldn't. It was... impulsive. Petra suggested it, and-- at the time, for some reason, it seemed... like a good idea? I'd love to say 'I won't make that mistake again,' but I'd settle for 'next time I'll see it through'." "After all, she's strong, and strong people learn fast how tough it is to tell when someone is saying something 'cause you're strong, or because it's what they actually believe." "I don't think she has any trouble telling. I even think... she knows my magic is useful. But she's stubbornly insistent on provoking me. And of course, it's working." Audrey grumps a bit, but it's partly because of the heat. It's a lot of heat! Unlike Gebura, she's not used to it. "Does ''that'' feel more on the nose?" "Maybe... a little bit. I don't really serve anyone, proper. I have people I don't want to let down... Angela, Petra. The school. My father. A couple of folks in the Concord, who've put their faith I can be something other than a snotty brat from an upper school for rich kids. But I understand the gist of it." Her eyes stay fixated on the sword, pondering the warning too. "I'd rather it not take me over though. I don't have any defenses against that. I think incorporating a bit of the weaponry would be good, but at the end of the day I am a mage. I can twist space with a flick of my fingers. EGO weapons are a nice back up, but until I'm better at multitasking, they're also a hindrance." "Thought you said Petra was teaching you." "I mean... we work out together. I help her experiment with some of her powers, and she helps me with some of mine. There's a bit of combat training in there too but... I wouldn't call her a teacher. But if I did, then... to answer your question... no, she gets angry when I whine like this. It's just not productive." "Don't compare yourself to me." "Right. I just... want to prove myself, too. Show people I'm not a child. That they can count on me too. And so many things here... not just in the City... come down to fighting. Competence. Decision-making." "Did Lilian say that about you?" "Pretty much. I'm a rich girl who's not even out of school yet going out of her way to get into fights and meddle in wars. She wants me to give up the act and just go back home, get my degree and get married like everyone else. But I don't want that!" She swings the blade, to emphasize, without really having meant to perform the gesture. "I'm where I want to be. So... Miss Gebura. Would you please teach me to handle myself better in a fight? To focus."
Angela	Gebura says, "...Petra's a force of personality to be sure. But so long as you see what went wrong I won't badger you about it." She's trying, with effort, to be less school of hard knocks. She doesn't think 'I had character development, I can't do that anymore' but she's more or less thinking around that line. She's changed. And it's a change she wants to commit to. But her impulse is telling her to start throwing Audrey around the arena and see about showing her that fear and pain she's been whining, in her mind, about missing. "Easily provoked huh? Seems like Lilian's provoking you and Petra's provoking you--" ''I have people I don't want to let down...'' "That's not really that different." Gebura says, as if from experience. "Some of those people might be contradictory." Audrey's probably going to be hearing that a lot from people in The City. "But my job here isn't to please your dad or school. The flying constellation blades of Justice are a solid trick but we'll start with the basics then. I can't teach magic but maybe getting comfortable wielding a weapon will help you get more comfortable with doing things that inconvenience others." ''It's just not productive.'' "Petra ran a war that beat me and Lilian eventually. It's the rare Fixer that neither assumes they're hot shit or acknowledges their limitations and is defeated by them. As a Color, throwing a fit about it would be unseemly. So I gotta take an honest look at how I lost or I won't get better." She heads over to a gear bag she toted along, opens it up, and tosses a sword haphazardly towards Audrey. "One of my friends was a rich idiot who chose to live a dangerous life rather than go back and do what he was supposed to. But he lost a lot because of his determination. You should talk to him about it, though, not my story to tell. And Chesed's awake. Maybe you can commiserate with him a little." But she nods. "I'll do what we can, but first we'll go over the basic forms." Gebura says. "I don't dance with fancy tech so we'll have to start there."
Audrey Basque	"...Petra's a force of personality to be sure." Audrey's eyes probably betray just how much it is she agrees with that statement. It's not just agreeing, it's knowing. "Y-Yeah. And then some." It's subconscious, but she reaches for one of the bruises on her arms to rub it a bit, and then dismisses the EGO blade for now. "Some of those people might be contradictory." "I've heard that a lot. I've also heard I should be looking to please me before anyone else. Hard to figure out exactly what I want anymore, some days. Or what order it is I want to please people in." What's certain is that pleasing her school, and her father, seems to have taken a pretty critical backstep in the order. "Petra ran a war that beat me and Lilian eventually." "So she's recounted. I haven't gotten to see the side of her that could do that, but I believe it. I've only met two Colors, and one was for all of five minutes and then they left without fighting. The other's you, and everyone's telling me you're the most dangerous thing around. So I guess you could say I have a high opinion already." When Gebura tosses a sword in her direction, Audrey flicks it out of the air with a wave of her hand; it's a mix of making it weightless and then attracting it, though her stance shifts (negative) when she returns it to its proper weight in her grasp. Her form is terrible but at least she can hold a sword straight now. "And Chesed's awake." "I'd gotten the impression Chesed was well-off, but we haven't really talked much. Things have gotten a lot busier, lately. I'll make sure I make some time for him though. It only makes sense to know each of the Sephirah as much as I can, since I'm working under all of you." Eyeing the sword, and then Gebura, Audrey takes a deep breath. "I... ah... try not to kill me, if you'd be so kind? I'm guessing this is strictly a swordsmanship lesson and I should lay off the magic? Or do you want me to try to weave it in?"
Angela	''Hard to figure out exactly what I want anymore.'' "That'll lead to tragedy if you don't figure it out. Maybe even if you do. But if you do at least it'll be a tragedy you picked." It's not really her job or role to help Audrey figure out the placement of priorities. And it isn't exactly within her ability either. She feels she has a solid handle on her own limitations. ''So she's recounted.'' "Heh. Well she should brag a little. I'm sure Petra's got her own ideas on how she beat us, but there's two parts to it I think. First, she had all those Elites working under her and she was able to keep them focused on the goal at hand even if they weren't as motivated as her--which brings me to the second part. She was real motivated. More than most. Maybe even more than Angela herself. I won't say that motivation is always enough but it helps. Then of course, Xion and Kukuru. With Xion's mobility and Kukuru's ability to just keep them going--we eventually ran out of steam. Made good use of her people." Gebura is enough of a fight nerd to notice Audrey has done ''something'' to adjust the weight of the blade, even in midair. She straighten up, "Yeah yeah," She says of being 'the most dangerous thing around'. "Your magic lets you make the weapon weightless? If you time that right and return the weight at the right moment, you can make the most of any melee weapon. Might work better with a hammer than a sword, though, want to get the most out of the moment of impact--" She shakes her head, putting those thoughts to bed. "Alright, you're gonna trip over your own feet like that. Let me--" She approaches Audrey and adjusts Audrey's footing. It's such a minor change it might be a wonder to Audrey if she even changed anything at all. "You want to be able to move forward and back without worrying about where your feet are gonna be." Gebura then steps back to observe Audrey's swings. "You're gripping too tightly. You want to be able to adjust your grip as needed, you're bringing the sword too high up to swing, you're way too open. Hold, for a sec, hold." Gebura approaches again and physically adjusts Audrey's grip so that the first joint of Audrey's fingers are aligned with the 'edge' of the wooden blade. Then she pushes up Audrey's arms until they are above her head, but more towards the front of her head rather than any farther back then that. "Okay, try swinging now. We'll do a hundred of these and then move on to another type of swing. You'll want to practice them on your own but no point practicing if you're not swinging right to begin with." rShe steps back to let Audrey get to work. "Chesed is from a family wealthy and elite enough he could've easily worked for The Head directly. But he chose to work with us instead because he was a dumbass." Gebura says. "I'm sure you'll get along great." She seems kind of irritated by that though. "I'm not going to swing a sword at you until you can swing one yourself. For now I'd rather you learn how to swing it basic so, yeah, lay off the magic. It'll help your muscles toughen up too which'll be important even when swinging a weightless blade 'cause you're still going to be swinging her arms around a lot and moving your arms around a lot. It'll only help."
Audrey Basque	"That'll lead to tragedy if you don't figure it out. Maybe even if you do. But if you do at least it'll be a tragedy you picked." Audrey manages a chuckle, mid-swings. "Angela said the same thing. Not those words, but same meaning. Better to be the one to pick how my life crumbles on me than have it happen through someone else's actions. But I keep thinking," she says, her swings wasting more energy as she seems to focus more on her thoughts, "That I can still salvage this. So I've had a few rough patches, but nothing's... cratered. Yet. I'm still the top of my class. I'm still the highest ranked student. So what if people think I'm some spineless creep who helped expose all their dirty little secrets? Maybe they should've just not had those secrets if they cared that much." No, no. She's swinging harder and harder and wasting more and more energy. She's clearly not 'so what' about this at all. "Heh. Well she should brag a little." "She does, sometimes, but I get the feeling she hates it because it cost her a lot. Friendship with Rita, her standing with Lilian-- though, she's repaired that, from where I'm standing." Audrey never protests when Gebura has to make adjustments; she does her best to follow the instructions, and oddly if she's following instructions she's... not half bad at it? It's when she gets distracted that she seems to get swept into mistakes easily, or falls back into her previous postures. "Your magic lets you make the weapon weightless?" "Among other things. I can manipulate space, distances, gravity... that sort of thing." She demonstrates, by letting go of the sword after running a finger across it quickly. It stays afloat, exactly where she let it go. She catches it back, to resume the swings. "At a standstill, it's easy. In the middle of a fight, it's... calculations I have to run. The positions of nearby ley lines, energy flows and stars matter a lot too. I've tried shifting a large hammer's weight at the last second like that once, and almost ripped my shoulder off. I-I mean, it worked. It hit hard. Just... me, too." Making it to a hundred swings is a big ask with the heat. But she's trying! Trying to pay attention to her feet, to her stance, to the sword's location at all times. It's not instinctive enough. "This is about discipline, isn't it? It certainly can't be about making me able to keep up in a swordfight." She sounds a bit winded. She might well need a drink, more than anything. On that topic, she swerves: "Why lava, anyway? Is that themed after you?"
Angela	"I don't know if it's better. Just how it is." Gebura says, annoyed at being compared to Angela, grimacing a little at Audrey saying 'so what if everyone things I'm a spineless creep'. "Well, that's how secrets are. If they were something to be proud of they probably wouldn't be secrets." ''Because it cost her a lot...'' "She's tough to show sympathy to. I doubt she'd take it from me. But we weren't friends either so it's not like she lost anything with me. Nor particularly was inclined to hold onto anything with me." She frowns, thinking of Rita for a moment. "...I did talk to Rita about her a little. I don't think she's too happy about it either. But she wouldn't let me apologize for LobCorp wrecking so many friendships and everything. You got any idea on what to do about that?" She really doubts it but... She already sees signs of improvement in Audrey's work so she's not inclined to get picky about it now. She periodically says things like 'a little more like this' but the adjustments are becoming considerably more microscopic in scope. "Looks like you've got a lot of 'Singularities' at your disposal. If only you picked up a sword when you were a kid too. But it's not too late to start." Gebura adds. "That's why we need to get the basics drilled into you hard enough that it's automatic, that way you'll have the space to do those calculations. Otherwise you'll always falter when you've got a lot of other stuff going on." She isn't going to stop Audrey until she gets to a hundred unless those swings get sloppy. Whichever happens first, she'll raise her hand and says, "Okay that's enough. Drink some water and we'll do the next set of swings. We'll do thrusts next." ''This is about discipline, isn't it?'' "It's about both." Gebura shrugs both arms. "That's how it is." ''Why lava, anyway? Is that themed after you?'' "Ask Angela, I didn't make this place. But I am associated with the color 'red' so it tends to get people thinking about things."
Audrey Basque	"Well, that's how secrets are. If they were something to be proud of they probably wouldn't be secrets." "Basically. I mean... I don't have to tell all of you about secrets, I suppose. LobCorp was a giant pile of secrets engineered to hurt you. You know better than I do. It makes my issues look like child's play." It's high school politics, really. "...I did talk to Rita about her a little." "I don't know. I only met Rita recently, and... the fact I work here made her suspicious from the get go, I think. She was really nice to me, regardless, but... I can't even begin to guess, let alone understand, how any of you feel about LobCorp or the war. I would imagine, though... if you want to apologize, it's probably best to act rather than speak. Concrete gestures that carry the apology without saying it out loud. Something like that? Being there when she asks for help, and so on." "Looks like you've got a lot of 'Singularities' at your disposal. If only you picked up a sword when you were a kid too. But it's not too late to start." "I guess you could compare it to that, but it's not like I'm tapping into a bunch of magic items to do what I do. I just do it myself. A-And... yeah, well... if only this, if only that. If only I hadn't been a coward and said hi when it mattered. If only I didn't become this... mess." Hitting a hundred, she plops onto the ground, wiping sweat off her forehead and pulling a water bottle out of her pocket. Her short short's pocket. Bless magic. "That's why we need to get the basics drilled into you hard enough that it's automatic, that way you'll have the space to do those calculations." "It's about both." "There's something I've been working on, to help with that, but... it's still overwhelming to use. Feeling the spacetime curve around me relays a lot of information; like... every crack in this floor. Your exact position and speed. It's intuitive, it turns out... but it's a lot of noise to filter out too. Like having a whole extra sense. If I can get used to that..." "Ask Angela, I didn't make this place. But I am associated with the color 'red' so it tends to get people thinking about things." "Actually, I meant to ask. Why Red Mist? Did you style yourself in red beforehand? Is it a coincidence? And... mist?"
Angela	Gebura says, "You learned a lot about Lobcorp despite being one of the few Elites to actually experience it." But she's not really wrong, Gebura figures? what's dumb high school shit compared to that hell? ... Maybe everything. "I trust Rita. And I feel she trusts me. But I am certain she knows that for all my strength, my obligations are stronger. There's only so many actions I can take. And only so much I can do. It's not like I am in a position to start repairing relationships. They're strong and strong-willed enough that I wouldn't stand a chance. They have to be ready AND willing first. "Arcane blood is an item too, Audrey, even if you were born with it." Gebura frowns. "Least as far as Singularities are concerned. Don't know the origin of your magic. Maybe it just happened.But I doubt it is a trait that exists 'just because'." She eases back a bit to let Audrey rest, looking out over the side of the arena. So, she thinks, thisis where she is going to be working. Fighting. Eventually. Gebura knows the dangers of The City better than anyone and she knows that it'll be some time before a true threat to Angela gets thrown against the Library. And that'll be the end of her vacation, she supposes. "Well. It's not like your upbringing didn't give you anything. It gave you the stars, didn't it?" Gebura glances over. "Your magic. Can't bellyache over it now. Lilian's not unreasonable. But she is skeptical. If you are consistent she'll see it." Gebura nods. Yeah. Audrey mastering her power would be good. No argument from her there. "Each Color has a specialty though it is usually combat related. Red means I excel in all out combat. Mist..." Gebura exhales. "...refers to what I leave behind of my enemies. But no. My hair was always red. Coincidence."
Audrey Basque	"You learned a lot about Lobcorp..." "I figured if I was going to get involved I should ask questions. But... existing in Petra and Angela's orbit means I inevitably hear a lot about it either way. From them, from people talking to them. From people yelling at them about it. From fires that weren't totally put out." Audrey finishes the water bottle, and makes it disappear back into her pocket. "Arcane blood is an item too, Audrey, even if you were born with it." "I... can't argue with that, I guess. Origin, though... us Enlightened are just born with it. It's hereditary, to some degree, enough so that Enlightened mind who they marry and produce heirs with. But it's our whole population; I'm a prodigy, with a higher rating than most, but I'm not special for having magic. Miss Rook-- Lilian, might be the person to ask if you're actually curious about the origins of magic. There's a lot of theories, about humanity, about magic's tendency to "humanize" things-- but they're her field, not mine. I study the sky. 'The stars,' as you put it." Audrey needs a moment, to think about 'being consistent'. Gebura's definitely right about that, and it's straight from both Lilian and Petra's mouths regarding 'favorable qualities'. Audrey rises back up, picking the sword back up and trying to recall how the footing Gebura showed her went. "I have to be, anyway. If not so she stops treating me like dirt, so that I survive. I might want to be out here, doing this stuff, but that doesn't mean I don't see the danger. And if I'm one mistake away from dying, then I'd better get consistent and never make them. Just that! Easy, right?" A weak smile. Of course it's not. But that's the point. "...refers to what I leave behind of my enemies." "... ah... so Petra was right to be terrified when we woke you up. Come to think of it... someone mentioned, sometime back, that there was a new Red Color. Red Gaze, I think? Are they going to like... have to hunt you down, if they find out you're still alive? Binah's pretty concerned the Head would come for her if she ever left the Library, but what about you? You were pretty high profile too, right?"
Angela	Gebura nods. "Arright, thrusts now. Show me how you're doing them real quick." She'll no doubt have to make some adjustments this time too but she does add, "A good thrust puts your weight behind it but if you put too much you'll tumble over. But right now we're just gonna focus on making sure you do it right. Don't worry too much about the different kind of opponents and which technique works better for whomever." ''Us Enlightened are just born with it.'' "You're born with it ''now'', but who knows at the start. I'll ask Lilian about it, but feels like it's got a real long history. After all, mages live a real long time. Even just the prior generation is centuries along." ''If not so she stops treating me like dirt--'' Gebura snorts, amused. "Plenty of people care more about how they're treated than if they survive. But nah. Everybody makes a mistake in a fight, especially when dealing with people or problems close to your level. Even an untrained maniac can get you--sometimes even better than an expert--because you don't know what they're gonna do. You can nudge the odds, but you're still gonna be in danger even after all the training. Just nudged odds." ''Petra was right to be terrified when we woke you up.'' "Suppose it makes sense," Gebura admits. She's about to say 'but maybe she shouldn't be but realizes Audrey might just tell Petra that and maybe it'll be better for everyone if she at least kept holding onto that fear for now. "It's good to be cautious when it costs you nothing anyway." ''Red Gaze.'' "There's no rule about it. I'd have to know the guy. But I don't. I'm technically not the 'Red' anymore since I 'survived' well past my presumed death date." ''Binah.'' "She helped an android live on. What they'd do to her isn't something you should speculate about. They'd be gentle with you and me comparatively. Compared to her I doubt they think much of me at all."
Audrey Basque	"Arright, thrusts now. Show me how you're doing them real quick." Audrey thrusts! She has something of an idea of how it goes, but informed by having taking a fencing lesson or two in her youth. The kind of thrust you make when you overcommit for sport and showmanship, not the kind of thrust you make when you want to stab and also remain on-guard and open to recovery. So it's embarrassing, and Gebura immediately has a dozen things to correct while they talk, with Audrey paying close attention. "You're born with it ''now'', but who knows at the start." "That's a fair point. It's... you know, Enlightened come from all kinds of circumstances. Even moreso the further back you go. Now we're, definitely, 'a people'. Go back a thousand years... there were a lot more schisms and separation lines. Between Traditions. Between peoples. Language, religion... it's a long history. I'll let her fill you in." "Just nudged odds." "It's good to be cautious when it costs you nothing anyway." While Audrey adjusts her form and stance per Gebura's instructions, she muses on odds. "Coming from someone with your experience and reputation, that's saying a lot. Roland says stuff like that too. I guess Fixers don't tend to make it very far if they aren't either very powerful or very careful; and then they need to be both, past a point." "She helped an android live on." "Yeah... we know so little about the Head anyway. Still... it's a matter of time, isn't it? Before Angela isn't a problem they can ignore anymore. Nevermind Binah. This place is growing. I think that's one other reason I want to be better. And ready. When they come for this place, I don't want to be dead weight and slow you all down. So, I'll work hard."