anothersoul | I'll Make A Meguca Out of You [RL with Lancer]

[The truth of it was that Lancer was worried. He knew what it was like for one to have a mindset focused on everyone except themselves, and he knew what it was like to be a magi contracted to the Incubator. Putting both together was a dangerous combination at best and an imminent death sentence at worst.]

[So he'd carefully suggested the two of them train together; there was very little Lancer could do to truly change her way of thinking, but he could teach her to protect herself against whatever might arise. Diarmuid was still a knight after all this time, and there were surely few others on the community with his particular expertise.]

Did I keep you waiting long? [He walked up wearing civilian clothes and glasses, his usual as far as looking human went.] I'm sorry.

[Surely one of the Fianna could teach her enough to stay safe. ...Couldn't he?]

Edited 2012-06-18 01:31 (UTC)

Not at all. [She flashes him a quick, meaningless smile and tosses her empty cup into a garbage can. Her schoolbag is slung over her shoulder carelessly.

That he came at all is more of a surprise than she's willing to admit. Mami could already protect herself decently. Even if there were other magical girls with more potential than she, she had experience. Far more than the average one who died weeks after contracting. Still. He had offered.

She nods toward what looks like a walking path that hasn't seen much use.] I think we won't be disturbed over there.

That's good to hear. I wouldn't want to be late under any circumstances.

[Diarmuid was glad she'd accepted--were their positions switched, he wasn't sure if he would have done the same. People like the two of them were used to getting by on their own strength and ability, he knew that. And gods forbid they should trouble any other person for help, even if they needed it.]

[No need to worry about it now. She'd accepted, that was all that mattered at the moment.]

Very well. Shall we?

True, I wouldn't want to be late, either. [She had thought about declining it. Maybe she should have but--well. It had been a while since she had fought alongside someone.

She nods again as she walks towards the path, to the spot she was thinking of. It was fairly secluded most of the time. There were other spots magical girls used; mostly back alleys or bridges over heavy traffic. This was more civilized.]

It's not that far.

Far or not, please do not rush on my account. I have an abundance of spare time.

[Which was true. And much like Mami, it had been too long since he'd gotten the chance to fight. That last virus was something, certainly...but Diarmuid preferred to be in full possession and control of his thought and reason, thank you very much.]

I see. I am still young, don't forget. Isn't it natural that I'm eager to learn?

[She may want to show off a bit but she would never say so directly.] You're the first person who I know for certain has more experience than me---I'm used to being the teacher. This will be interesting.

Oh, of course. In fact I am glad to know you're eager. It's been some time since I trained anyone, I hope my skills haven't faded.

[Diarmuid had often been in charge of training those who ranked below him in the Fianna--and aside from Fionn, everyone ranked below him. Many of the best knights of the era could say they had learned from Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. But the last time he'd trained anyone would have been...hm. It would have been his own children, if memory served.]

[They'd been younger than Mami at the time, certainly, but that made little difference. Age was irrelevant when circumstances led one to a life of fighting, and truly Diarmuid himself was only twenty-five when he died.]

[All in all, teaching anyone would surely hold some measure of nostalgia.]

It'll be a training experience for both of us, then.

[Mami's days as Sakura's teacher were enjoyable enough. That had been a...dream-like time. Good but, of course, they had to end.

She stopped at a clearing. It wasn't that well kept and it was away from normal paths. Normally used for a--well--lover's lane of sorts. Not to mention several witch barriers had manifested there. It was familiar enough.]

We shouldn't be disturbed here.

[Lancer smirked faintly at that, taking off his glasses and slipping them into his shirt pocket.]

Before we begin, allow me to be clear. You need not hold back or be overly concerned for my safety. I am familiar with the range of abilities Puella Magi possess, and as a Servant I am remarkably difficult to kill or even injure.

[In a flash of magical energy not entirely unlike that of a magical girl, Lancer's normal clothes changed to green and black armor. A moment later, a long crimson lance materialized in his hand.]

In other words--

[Diarmuid twirled the lance in his hands, giving Mami a confident smirk.]

--please don't hesitate to show me your full capability. I'm eager to see what you can do.

Very well. You asked for my best, then you will get my best.

[Did someone say transformation sequence? Were it a normal battle against a witch or even another magical girl, Mami wouldn't bother with it. She may like the feeling of being on one of her childhood anime shows but in the end practicality usually won out.

As a training session, however, that allowed for some showing off.

A musket manifests in her hands as she jumps backwards to get range. Almost lazily she points it.]

So that's why you're called a lancer, yes? Let's see if you can get close enough to use it!

[h-hey he has cool theme music too okay...]

Unfortunately, I fear I'm short one weapon. But it can't be helped, so a single spear will have to do.

[Lancer shifted into a proper fighting stance, coiled and ready to spring into action at any second.]

Firearms won't do you very much good if your target moves too quickly.

You're absolutely right, Lancer-san.

[Which is why there are yellow ribbons coming from the ground beneath him. If he's not fast, the surprise attack might trap him like so many of Mami's previous enemies.]

You did say to use all my power.

[That was a surprise. And it would have caught just about anyone else off-guard, but Lancer was sort of a special case. His guard had been up from the moment he'd formed his armor, and his speed was very literally second to none.]

[The class of Lancer was not renowned for physical strength. That quality was more suited to Berserker or often Saber. In a contest of brute strength, a Lancer would rarely if ever emerge victorious, but strength was not all there was to a fight. His class was one of agility, of outmaneuvering his enemies while breaking them down through strategy and skill.]

[He threw himself backwards, out of range of those ribbons and prepared for more. Dodging this was easy for him, certainly--but the fact that she'd almost surprised him was impressive.]

I did indeed. But I plan to use all of mine as well.

[Speed has never been one of Mami's strengths. Muskets were hard to aim with any accuracy when fired quickly. Her ribbons were her trump card in that sort of situation.

As he dodges, more came from the ground. It would be tough to catch such a fast opponent but she had him on the move at least.

In the few moments it took for this exchange she had summoned several more muskets around her.]

I wouldn't expect anything less. [She fires one musket from the hip--terribly inaccurate--and then tosses it aside to fire off another. Again, from the hip.]

[He kept moving, dodging and outrunning both her shots and the ribbons. No counterattack came just yet, Lancer carefully gauging her strength. So far she wasn't entirely dissimilar to an Archer-class. Not quite the King of Heroes, but her guns seemed as endless as his blades.]

You're not bad at all--!

[In fact, the ribbons were almost like the plants he'd used as a magi. He wondered if she could use them for both defense and offense in combat like he'd learned to over time. So far her abilities were intriguing to see, no matter how easily he was literally running circles around her. Accuracy suffered for the sake of rapid-fire, he might have to bring that up with her. But all in all, Lancer was finding himself impressed.]

Edited 2012-06-18 04:52 (UTC)

[No counterattack yet. Mami knows she probably hasn't seen half as many battles as him but she knows when she's being tested. Smart. Try to wear her out why testing her strength? She would do the same thing if she hadn't struck first.

She keeps firing one musket after another.]

You're no witch, that's for certain! [Mami's not slowing down any. She had a couple of Grief Seeds back in her apartment and one in her bag, she's not afraid of using lots of magic in the fight.]

I should think a knight able to outperform a witch easily!

[He wasn't slowing down either, but that wouldn't have been a fair comparison to make. Servants ran on magical energy alone--Lancer didn't need to eat or sleep, and he was nigh incapable of tiring out this way. It was no exaggeration to say he could keep this up all day.]

[But what fun would that be? Choosing a moment when she was in between shots, Lancer turned sharply and changed direction to close the distance between them and knock her weapons aside with his own.]

[The musket drops to the ground only to vanish before it hits the grass. Mami's face is one of sudden shock--one that quickly vanishes back to calm.

He wouldn't be a lancer without his spear, right?]

You're right.

[It might have been a desperate shot but her ribbons always have been more reliable than the guns. She focuses on sending a final burst of ribbons aiming straight for the spear instead of himself.]

[Strangely enough, he seemed unconcerned by that last strike--it was a tactical mistake. Aiming for his weapon was in itself a good idea, yes--but aiming for it when he was this close? Pinning his arms or legs would have been the better option. As it was, the knight simply cut down the oncoming ribbons and...]

[...poked Mami in the head with the blunt end of his weapon.]

You slipped up with that last one. [Despite his smirk, Lancer's tone was a calm and simple correction rather than anything teasing.]

[She winces. He's right of course, but nothing more than her pride's injured at least.]

I noticed. [She's blushing. Her juniors would never let her live that one down if they knew. At least he wasn't a witch or a magical girl; if he was, that blow would have been fatal.] I wasn't expecting such speed.

That's alright. You did very well for one confronted with the unexpected.

[Diarmuid was often rumored to be a harsh and strict trainer among the Fianna, and that was not very far removed from fact. He expected a certain level of skill and a measure of results from those he instructed, and insisted his fellow knights meet those expectations. But on the other hand? He had a considerable soft spot for kids.]

Having said that, you should better learn to adapt--'expect the unexpected', I think the phrase is. Your own speed is impressive, but your accuracy suffers for it.

[He's right. Hadn't she said the same to Sakura and Kaname? That and knowing the environment. True, if she hadn't been worried about accidentally killing him she would have went for a massive musket assault or a Tiro Finale. Albeit that would have ruined the training grounds, as well.]

I'll have to concede that you're right. [She's an elite when it comes to other magical girls but how long did most of them live if they didn't adapt fast? The fact that she's lived nearly a year after contracting spoke for her skill but perhaps if she took him seriously...] Rapid fire didn't seem to work. I had thought to use it as a suppressive measure; until I could line up a decent shot.

It was a good strategy, to be sure. The firearms and ribbons simultaneously kept me moving, and that in itself is something in your average fight.. Press such an advantage a little harder, and your opponent wouldn't even have time to develop a strategy.

As a suppressive measure, once could do far worse.

I'll keep that in mind. You have the air of an experienced teacher, I think. Such a lesson isn't one soon forgotten.

I've trained my share of individuals in the past, but still, you're kind to say so. If you would like to try again, you're more than welcome to.

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