tushanshu_logs | City pulls me in closer than I've ever been

Characters: Pepper Potts, Devin Parker, and you!
Date: Throughout July
Location: Around Keeliai
Situation: Pepper is getting settled after several busy and unpleasant months, and Devin is making dumb decisions.
Warnings/Rating: Violence, possibly blood.

A. [Pepper] KPD | Throughout July | Open

Things have at least started to settle down some in the city, so while Pepper is busy she's no longer stretched to the limit. Her schedule is more regular, and she's taking fewer night shifts this month to try and catch up on sleep. All in all, she's in a much better mood when she's at work, helped in no small part by mending fences with Valdis. The ship is righting itself, finally, but that makes her no less vigilant.

B. [Pepper] Sky Sector | Throughout July | Open

The heat and lack of rain aren't uncomfortable for Pepper - New York could get positively sweltering in the summer - and it's decent weather for practicing summoning in the backyard. She does usually wait until early evening, when the temperatures cool down just a little.

When it does rain, though, Pepper pretty much drops everything and races out into the downpour. She's missed thunderstorms and the torrential rain they bring. Pepper will spin around with her arms out, head tilted back and mouth open to catch the drops, completely unconcerned by getting drenched from head to toe.

C. [Devin] Outside Water Sector | Early July | Kratos

At the gathering to decide the leadership of the Foreigners Guild, Devin and Kratos had decided to spar. More specifically, they had agreed to duel at dawn with swords. The events in the city had made it somewhat inappropriate to engage in fun activities like that as early as they had intended. After things had settled some, they'd reestablished the day and time. The additional time had meant Devin could acquire himself a beater sword - functional and sharp, though not particularly pretty - and shave off some of the rust that had been building over the years. The sun was just starting to come up when he reached the appointed location, carrying not one sword but two.

D. [Devin] Wood Sector | Throughout July | Open

Most of the time, Devin does his best to stay away from the Hotel. It's not hard, and he's still working on his mental map of the city. June was all about Metal Sector, and this month he's largely wandering through Wood Sector when he isn't working or sleeping. From time to time, he'll pause and find somewhere to sit, all the while taking notes in some kind of shorthand.

OOC note: Let me know if you want a specific starter or write your own adventure!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Devin can barely spare a thought to wonder if Kratos is treating this as another kind of test, but all of his attention has to be on the duel. He's been in tighter spots - though not often, and it's a good thing that Kratos isn't trying to kill him. Making desperate or stupid moves would be more likely, if he were fighting for his life.

There's more than a few moments when Devin is sure he's going to get cut a third time and only avoids it by a hair's breadth, and blocking the strikes makes his bones rattle. A noise not unlike a growl escapes him as he struggles to throw Kratos off.

He doesn't flinch when Kratos' blade splinters, just comes to a halt, panting. Looking down at his own sword, it's badly cracked in the middle - a catastrophic failure. There are nicks and chips all along the rest of of it.]

Seems you were right, mercenary. They did not survive the bout.

[Kratos lowers the piece he caught, opting not to toss it aside so they can return it to a blacksmith, or someone who would pay good money even for broken metal. He is oblivious, at this time, to the blood running the broken length of blade; his pain being turned off means he can't feel it.

[Rather, he's inspecting the hilt, rueful.]

No. And there seems little point in continuing, without swords.

[Not that it looks at all as though he's just been fighting as hard as he has been. He might have just finished a light walk on a warm day.]

That would be rather pointless. I'm not in much of a mood to break that pretty face of yours with my fists, anyway.

[As though he'd be all that much more effective unarmed. The stinging pain Devin's learned to associate with injuries cause by sharp blades is starting to filter in now that they've stopped, but it's nothing he can't handle. After sticking his broken sword far enough into the ground that it'll stay upright, he inspects the slice at the back of his arm. It missed the artery, which was obvious by the fact that he didn't pass out within thirty seconds of receiving it, but still good to know for certain. The one at his back is more difficult to assess; it'll have to wait until there's a mirror around.

His blood is a little darker than one would expect of the average human, staining his clothing. The vampire makes a faintly annoyed sounding huff.]

It seems shopping will be in my near future.

[Kratos glances toward him in something resembling amusement.]

If you didn't factor that into your decisions beforehand, I shall not be held responsible.

[He transfers the broken edge of blade to his other hand, so he can grip both without harming himself. His injured hand he lifts, drawing mana, casting it in green light around Devin. First Aid.

[He'll take care of himself in a minute.]

I won't send you the cleaning bill.

[This is dry, and shortly replaced by surprise when he starts glowing green.]

What are you--?

[The question is answered by the pain fading, and the cut on his arm closing smoothly. He recognizes the magic, he thinks, as the same spell Raine used on him when he first arrived in Keeliai.]

Ah. Not intent on leaving scars, are we?

I don't damage my toys.

[It's difficult to tell whether that's meant to be a joke or not. His expression certainly doesn't change all that much. Kratos casts again, this time on his own hand.]

Did that get them all, or should I cast another? How's your back?

Well, that's no fun. Shall we use a safe word next time?

[His eyes narrow for just a moment, but feeling through the gash in his shirt, he finds only the normal spread of old scars that cover most of his back.]

As it should be, along with the rest of me. Nothing a few days wouldn't have taken care of, had that been an option.

[Kratos, lacking context for the phrasing, misses the intended subtext and simply gives Devin an impassively puzzled glance.]

It was, but why wait so long?

[It isn't as though he's lacking for stamina. Kratos bows toward Devin.]

That was an enjoyable match, however. Thank you.

[Kratos, you are impossible sometimes.]

I'm accustomed to healing my own wounds.

[Which is not actually a good reason to reject assistance.]

The feeling is mutual, although I clearly need a great deal of practice yet.

[What? ~~Just because he was a virgin for four thousand years.~~]

[Kratos raises his eyebrows.]

And?

[No reason not to get them healed. A little amused:]

Yes. But you did push me harder than I anticipated. Your style isn't unfamiliar to me -- but just different enough.

[Yuan also uses speed like that.]

[He needs lessons in innuendo, it's a critical social skill.

How does Devin explain that his accumulation of scars was what he considered fair payment for killing? It's less applicable here, but it's habit of mind.]

And pain is a good motivator for improvement. Instant healing feels like taking shortcuts.

[He shrugs. What's done is done.]

I make more use of guns and knives these days than a sword. They're easier to conceal and attract less attention.

It leaves scars, if that's your concern.

[Healing speeds along the natural biological processes, it doesn't loophole past them; that means scars. Though, to be fair, scars healed to the best they could be. Kratos moves about, collecting things and stamping down scuffs in the ground.]

Aselia never developed hand-held weapons such as there is here. There's no need for them, when long-ranged attacks are usually mana-based.

[Even things like mana cannons hadn't relied on bullets.]

That's only part of it.

[His own healing factor is much the same as a sped-up human, but he has some preference for allowing things to take longer than they could. Devin never had the chance to be human, and he'll take what he can get of their experience of life - but he does that a lot, and one or two fewer or smaller scars isn't the end of the world.

He's got plenty to think about without them, in any case.]

My world isn't exactly high-magic. Few people even know it exists; most weapons are mortal, which is probably for the best.

City pulls me in closer than I've ever been | July Catchall

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