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Posted for last cycle! Will post for battle soonish
The weight of his spear in his hands was surprisingly comforting. Thoughtfully, Thael took the spear from its storage locker. He and Roy-now appropriately dressed-had stopped by the training centre to collect their equipment. The small cantina next door would have icecream, which they could eat on the way to the front gates. Thael carefully pulled out his shield next, running his hands over its familiar contours, it’s golden sheen catching the light. Thael’s weapons were strong evidence that not only were spirits sentient, but also had aesthetic preferences.
Both the spear and shield were made of an ultra-resilient titanium-carbon nanoweave alloy, and originally had been a rather uninteresting shade of grey. As Thael used them more and more, they’d begun to change colour. It was slow at first; they’d seem a little shinier from one day to the next, but not really different. The day Thael mastered his Sunspear technique was when the change became noticeable. He’d been in one of the larger testing rooms with a few teachers and scientists. They’d been trying to develop the fitful bursts of light Thael emitted when sparring into something a little more reliable, and they were close. The researchers had been insistent: he shouldn’t need to throw it to get a result, but after repeated attempts they agreed he should give it a try. Thael had whipped the spear downrange with all his strength; as it left his hands, the spear had become bathed in golden light, and suddenly dozens of bolts of crackling golden energy appeared in the air and smashed into the solid concrete wall at the end of the range, gouging out chunks and sending debris flying. Upon retrieving his spear, Thael discovered it was a pure gold colour.
His shield had followed suit a few months later, which had inspired Thael to name that technique Golden Aegis. His weapons weren’t the only example. Thael himself had been born with deep black hair, but that had changed to his present sandy blonde as he grew more in touch with his spirits. His dogtags had also changed colour since he first received them, and Thael could’ve sworn the WARG badge was already looking shinier.
Thael donned his armoured combat suit and clamped his weapons into place on his back, then left the armoury, waving goodbye to the quartermaster. As planned, he met Puck at one of the smaller cafeteria’s near the armory, one they knew maintained a stock of frozen treats. Thael liked to keep things simple; two scoops of vanilla, no frills. Whilst Roy got as many scoops of most flavors that he could handle, with sprinkles—sprinkles are a necessity.
Thael licked happily at his icecream cone as they walked, his earlier dejection almost completely forgotten. “This was just what I needed,” he said to Roy, lightly kissing him on the forehead. “Thanks Puckins.”
As usual, Roy’s cheeks flared with a small blush, but he smiled regardless. “Just for you, Goldie,” he said, wrapping an arm around Thael’s waste gingerly as gave his own ice cream a lick. Almost as quickly as he’d done it, his hand found its way back to his side, coyly grasping at Thael’s fingers.
Thael not-so-subtly wrapped Roy’s hand in his own. He looked over at his companion, and suddenly he felt his cheeks flush slightly, but not out of embarrassment. He considered a detour, since they wouldn’t have much time alone together for a while, but ultimately decided against it. They were cutting it close already. Instead he turned his mind to the challenges ahead of them. “Do you think she’s ready?” he asked suddenly. “She’s done an amazing job keeping us all together, but she never really got over Sam. Do you think she’ll hold up in combat?”
Roy’s face didn’t flush from anything but embarrassment, but he smiled as best he could. Turning his attention away from his ice cream and toward Thael he shook his head. “I don’t think anyone’s ever ready,” he mused, “I know you think you are, but there’s always something out there that’s going to remind you that you’re anything but. Give her a chance, Thael.” Roy’s hands squeezed tightly and he gave Thael a reassuring grin, “People have a knack for surprising others. As for her mental state: just remember that none of us are any better. Remi’s got a cosmic Napoleon complex and Kim’s psychotic. Freddy can’t use his inside voice and I have issues with seeing people as… people. Sam gave us a chance; give Olivia a chance.”
“You’re right” he said in agreement. “I’m sure she’ll do fine. I’m sure we’ll all do fine.” Thael said the words, but he still worried, especially about Roy. An unpleasant image came to mind; Roy, cut off from the group after a badly timed shift, alone and surrounded. He squeezed the other man’s hand tightly. “Promise me that, when shit hits the fan, you’ll be careful, alright?”
Giving a cheeky smirk, he tilted his head at Thael and asked, “Can you use that word in a sentence, please? I’m having difficulty recognizing it.”
Thael sighed. “Just don’t die alright? I...I don’t really know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d have Freddy,” he said, licking his ice cream. After a brief pause, Roy looked at Thael, “And Emily, and Olivia, and Kat, and Remi, and Kim… should I go on?”
“But they wouldn’t be you.” Thael couldn’t help himself; he turned Roy around and kissed him soundly, getting a quick sampler of the various icecream flavors his companion had been enjoying. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be such a drag,” he smiled apologetically. “Let’s pick up the pace, maybe you’ll even be early for once!”
“I think that’s the point,” he mumbled, but nodded with a smile. “Don’t count on it. In fact, you should probably run ahead just incase,” Roy said, slapping Thael’s back and lightly pushing him forward.
Thael was seriously considering throwing Roy over his shoulders and forcing him to be early when his train of thought was abruptly interrupted. “Hey, Jared!” a voice yelled from overhead. Thael bristled at the use of his first name as the eldest of his younger brothers dropped from the sky, only slowing his descent with puffs of air mere centimeters from the ground. At 19 years old, Cameron Conrad had his brother’s face, but that was where the similarities ended. In fact, a stranger casually glancing at the three of them could easily have assumed Cam was actually related to Roy, with his slighter build and dark hair. Cam was also quite a bit more free-spirited than his brother; he was in trouble almost as often as Puck, and had a tendency to play fast and loose with the rules. He was also a notorious womanizer. Cam was well on his way to becoming a powerful Guardian in his own right; he had incredible control over his wind spirits. He couldn’t fly on his own, but Cam had taken to wearing wingsuits everywhere, using his spirits to achieve nearly indefinite gliding.
Thael glared at him. “One of those days, that’s going to get you killed.”
“Yeah right, these little bastards are way too fond of me to let that happen.” Cam said dismissively.
“No, I meant calling me Jared.”
“You’d have to catch me first.” Cam grinned, then turned to Roy. “Hey Roy, still boning this big lug?”
Roy flushed in response. “As much as you’re boning your five girlfriends,” he said, rolling his eyes, “At the same time, I presume?”
“Naturally” Cam said with a smirk.
“Cam, don’t you have training?” Thael interrupted.
“Yeah, but I heard you were shipping out and thought I’d see you off.” Cam’s tone grew serious. “Don’t get yourself killed out there, alright?”
“I’ll try not to. You watch out for Kyle and Mitch alright? Especially Mitch, the last year’s been tough for him.” The youngest Conrad boy was brilliant, but lacked social skills and was desperately homesick. At 13, he was at an age where those poor social skills were becoming problematic. “I’ll call them later, before I get to Norton city.”
“Alright, and I promise I’ll take care of them. Stay safe.”
The brothers shared a close hug, then Cam set off at a run. He abruptly dove forwards, spreading his limbs and calling his spirits to lift him up into the air. Thael watched for a moment, then resolutely turned towards the front gate. “Come on, we’re probably going to be late.”
------At the front gates-----------
As it turned out, they were just in time. Thael only had a few seconds to fondly greet Kimberley’s family and stuff an offered snack in his mouth before Major Sawyer called them to attention. Thael was used to loudmouthed drill sergeants, and accepted that they played a pivotal role in establishing discipline and enforcing the chain of command, but he also knew that any good officer understood when to use the carrot and when to use the stick. Major Sawyer evidently didn’t know what a carrot was, but Thael’s ‘at attention’ mask showed no sign of his disapproval. It was not his place to undermine anyone’s authority.
Once they were dismissed, Thael turned back to little Sammy as his friends prepared to march out. His deep voice was poorly suited to baby-talk, but he did have a trick that Sammy liked. Concentrating for a moment, Thael formed a luminous smiley face out of thin air. The infant cooed in awe and grasped at image, laughing as her little fingers passed through its warmth. Thael suddenly became aware that the rest of the group was already moving, so he quickly grabbed another tasty snack and said his goodbye’s to the Appleburry’s before racing after his friends.
--------On the road----------
The play of the sunlight across the rolling crowds was stunning as they walked along the side of the road to Doral. Though Thael would’ve prefered to take lead, he realized that was now Olivia’s responsibility, so once he caught up he stayed near the back of the group, falling in beside Kimbo. “Hey Fuzzy” he said by way of greeting. Kimbo gave him one of those ghastly smiles in response, but after that the two of them stayed quiet, just enjoying the walk. Thael liked that about Kimbo; he didn’t feel the need to fill the air with unnecessary talk. It was very relaxing.
When the group came to a halt, Thael was puzzled. Sure, he wasn’t exactly in top condition today, after last night’s festivities, but they were already almost halfway to Doral, and they had a 14 hour boatride ahead before they arrived at Norton City; there would be plenty of time to rest on the voyage. But again, he didn’t want to undermine Olivia’s new authority, so he stayed quiet. Five or ten minutes either way wasn’t likely to make much difference anyways.
Both the spear and shield were made of an ultra-resilient titanium-carbon nanoweave alloy, and originally had been a rather uninteresting shade of grey. As Thael used them more and more, they’d begun to change colour. It was slow at first; they’d seem a little shinier from one day to the next, but not really different. The day Thael mastered his Sunspear technique was when the change became noticeable. He’d been in one of the larger testing rooms with a few teachers and scientists. They’d been trying to develop the fitful bursts of light Thael emitted when sparring into something a little more reliable, and they were close. The researchers had been insistent: he shouldn’t need to throw it to get a result, but after repeated attempts they agreed he should give it a try. Thael had whipped the spear downrange with all his strength; as it left his hands, the spear had become bathed in golden light, and suddenly dozens of bolts of crackling golden energy appeared in the air and smashed into the solid concrete wall at the end of the range, gouging out chunks and sending debris flying. Upon retrieving his spear, Thael discovered it was a pure gold colour.
His shield had followed suit a few months later, which had inspired Thael to name that technique Golden Aegis. His weapons weren’t the only example. Thael himself had been born with deep black hair, but that had changed to his present sandy blonde as he grew more in touch with his spirits. His dogtags had also changed colour since he first received them, and Thael could’ve sworn the WARG badge was already looking shinier.
Thael donned his armoured combat suit and clamped his weapons into place on his back, then left the armoury, waving goodbye to the quartermaster. As planned, he met Puck at one of the smaller cafeteria’s near the armory, one they knew maintained a stock of frozen treats. Thael liked to keep things simple; two scoops of vanilla, no frills. Whilst Roy got as many scoops of most flavors that he could handle, with sprinkles—sprinkles are a necessity.
Thael licked happily at his icecream cone as they walked, his earlier dejection almost completely forgotten. “This was just what I needed,” he said to Roy, lightly kissing him on the forehead. “Thanks Puckins.”
As usual, Roy’s cheeks flared with a small blush, but he smiled regardless. “Just for you, Goldie,” he said, wrapping an arm around Thael’s waste gingerly as gave his own ice cream a lick. Almost as quickly as he’d done it, his hand found its way back to his side, coyly grasping at Thael’s fingers.
Thael not-so-subtly wrapped Roy’s hand in his own. He looked over at his companion, and suddenly he felt his cheeks flush slightly, but not out of embarrassment. He considered a detour, since they wouldn’t have much time alone together for a while, but ultimately decided against it. They were cutting it close already. Instead he turned his mind to the challenges ahead of them. “Do you think she’s ready?” he asked suddenly. “She’s done an amazing job keeping us all together, but she never really got over Sam. Do you think she’ll hold up in combat?”
Roy’s face didn’t flush from anything but embarrassment, but he smiled as best he could. Turning his attention away from his ice cream and toward Thael he shook his head. “I don’t think anyone’s ever ready,” he mused, “I know you think you are, but there’s always something out there that’s going to remind you that you’re anything but. Give her a chance, Thael.” Roy’s hands squeezed tightly and he gave Thael a reassuring grin, “People have a knack for surprising others. As for her mental state: just remember that none of us are any better. Remi’s got a cosmic Napoleon complex and Kim’s psychotic. Freddy can’t use his inside voice and I have issues with seeing people as… people. Sam gave us a chance; give Olivia a chance.”
“You’re right” he said in agreement. “I’m sure she’ll do fine. I’m sure we’ll all do fine.” Thael said the words, but he still worried, especially about Roy. An unpleasant image came to mind; Roy, cut off from the group after a badly timed shift, alone and surrounded. He squeezed the other man’s hand tightly. “Promise me that, when shit hits the fan, you’ll be careful, alright?”
Giving a cheeky smirk, he tilted his head at Thael and asked, “Can you use that word in a sentence, please? I’m having difficulty recognizing it.”
Thael sighed. “Just don’t die alright? I...I don’t really know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d have Freddy,” he said, licking his ice cream. After a brief pause, Roy looked at Thael, “And Emily, and Olivia, and Kat, and Remi, and Kim… should I go on?”
“But they wouldn’t be you.” Thael couldn’t help himself; he turned Roy around and kissed him soundly, getting a quick sampler of the various icecream flavors his companion had been enjoying. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be such a drag,” he smiled apologetically. “Let’s pick up the pace, maybe you’ll even be early for once!”
“I think that’s the point,” he mumbled, but nodded with a smile. “Don’t count on it. In fact, you should probably run ahead just incase,” Roy said, slapping Thael’s back and lightly pushing him forward.
Thael was seriously considering throwing Roy over his shoulders and forcing him to be early when his train of thought was abruptly interrupted. “Hey, Jared!” a voice yelled from overhead. Thael bristled at the use of his first name as the eldest of his younger brothers dropped from the sky, only slowing his descent with puffs of air mere centimeters from the ground. At 19 years old, Cameron Conrad had his brother’s face, but that was where the similarities ended. In fact, a stranger casually glancing at the three of them could easily have assumed Cam was actually related to Roy, with his slighter build and dark hair. Cam was also quite a bit more free-spirited than his brother; he was in trouble almost as often as Puck, and had a tendency to play fast and loose with the rules. He was also a notorious womanizer. Cam was well on his way to becoming a powerful Guardian in his own right; he had incredible control over his wind spirits. He couldn’t fly on his own, but Cam had taken to wearing wingsuits everywhere, using his spirits to achieve nearly indefinite gliding.
Thael glared at him. “One of those days, that’s going to get you killed.”
“Yeah right, these little bastards are way too fond of me to let that happen.” Cam said dismissively.
“No, I meant calling me Jared.”
“You’d have to catch me first.” Cam grinned, then turned to Roy. “Hey Roy, still boning this big lug?”
Roy flushed in response. “As much as you’re boning your five girlfriends,” he said, rolling his eyes, “At the same time, I presume?”
“Naturally” Cam said with a smirk.
“Cam, don’t you have training?” Thael interrupted.
“Yeah, but I heard you were shipping out and thought I’d see you off.” Cam’s tone grew serious. “Don’t get yourself killed out there, alright?”
“I’ll try not to. You watch out for Kyle and Mitch alright? Especially Mitch, the last year’s been tough for him.” The youngest Conrad boy was brilliant, but lacked social skills and was desperately homesick. At 13, he was at an age where those poor social skills were becoming problematic. “I’ll call them later, before I get to Norton city.”
“Alright, and I promise I’ll take care of them. Stay safe.”
The brothers shared a close hug, then Cam set off at a run. He abruptly dove forwards, spreading his limbs and calling his spirits to lift him up into the air. Thael watched for a moment, then resolutely turned towards the front gate. “Come on, we’re probably going to be late.”
------At the front gates-----------
As it turned out, they were just in time. Thael only had a few seconds to fondly greet Kimberley’s family and stuff an offered snack in his mouth before Major Sawyer called them to attention. Thael was used to loudmouthed drill sergeants, and accepted that they played a pivotal role in establishing discipline and enforcing the chain of command, but he also knew that any good officer understood when to use the carrot and when to use the stick. Major Sawyer evidently didn’t know what a carrot was, but Thael’s ‘at attention’ mask showed no sign of his disapproval. It was not his place to undermine anyone’s authority.
Once they were dismissed, Thael turned back to little Sammy as his friends prepared to march out. His deep voice was poorly suited to baby-talk, but he did have a trick that Sammy liked. Concentrating for a moment, Thael formed a luminous smiley face out of thin air. The infant cooed in awe and grasped at image, laughing as her little fingers passed through its warmth. Thael suddenly became aware that the rest of the group was already moving, so he quickly grabbed another tasty snack and said his goodbye’s to the Appleburry’s before racing after his friends.
--------On the road----------
The play of the sunlight across the rolling crowds was stunning as they walked along the side of the road to Doral. Though Thael would’ve prefered to take lead, he realized that was now Olivia’s responsibility, so once he caught up he stayed near the back of the group, falling in beside Kimbo. “Hey Fuzzy” he said by way of greeting. Kimbo gave him one of those ghastly smiles in response, but after that the two of them stayed quiet, just enjoying the walk. Thael liked that about Kimbo; he didn’t feel the need to fill the air with unnecessary talk. It was very relaxing.
When the group came to a halt, Thael was puzzled. Sure, he wasn’t exactly in top condition today, after last night’s festivities, but they were already almost halfway to Doral, and they had a 14 hour boatride ahead before they arrived at Norton City; there would be plenty of time to rest on the voyage. But again, he didn’t want to undermine Olivia’s new authority, so he stayed quiet. Five or ten minutes either way wasn’t likely to make much difference anyways.
Hai guys, back from the cottage weekend, post later tonight or tomorrow prly.
Posted! Finally. It was weird, I had that post half done by wednesday then just put it off until today.
Thael was back to the dorms and into the shower in all of 30 seconds, through the shower in 2 minutes, had his uniform on perfectly in 3, and arrived at the administration offices with 2 minutes to spare. His friends were, for the most part, didn’t feel the need to be quite so polished on such short notice, but Thael couldn’t help himself. Eight minutes ago, he’d been covered in sweat and dressed for exercise, but now, not a single hair was out of place, literally. His uniform was immaculate: his shirt was freshly starched, his boots were so shiny you could see your reflection, his tie was perfectly positioned, the seams of his pants were crisp, not so much as a whisker marred his complexion, and his beret was on at precisely the right jaunty angle.
He made sure everything was still in place one last time just before he came around the corner to the headmaster’s office. The first thing he saw was Roy standing by the secretary’s desk with an impish grin on his face, a plate of hotdogs beside him. The sight of the hotdogs prompted a slight growl from his stomach, reminding him he hadn’t eaten yet. “You’re a lifesaver, Puckins” he whispered as he pulled Roy into a close embrace. “I’m so glad we both made it.” He grabbed a hotdog and wolfed it down almost instantly.
“You’re glowing” Roy replied, the same impish grin still glued to his face. He seemed in an exceptionally good mood. Thael looked down and found that he was indeed gently radiating gold light; sometimes his spirits got caught up in his emotions. He clamped down on his enthusiasm, and the glow diminished.
Olivia was next to arrive, a little cranky this morning, and Thael winced internally. Putting up with Britney Farron for that long was bound leave anyone irritated. “Hey Liv,” he greeted her, placing an arm around her shoulder and giving her a quick squeeze. “I’m sorry, I should’ve rescued you from Britney back at the Windsurfer, but then the announcement...anyways, I guess congratulations are in order!”
It wasn’t until Freddy arrived, covered in glitter, that Thael finally understood what had Roy in such a good mood. Their diminutive friend stumbled in muttering curses, and Roy’s grin grew from impish to positively diabolical. Thael shook his head wearily sometimes he just wished Puck would learn just the tiniest bit of self restraint, especially towards Freddy. Thael really appreciated how much work Freddy was putting into keeping an eye on their collective mental health. The standard channels weren’t really meant to deal with a situation quite like this, so Freddy was going farther afield. That being said, the two of them disagreed about the best approach with Roy. Thael kept insisting that direct pressure was the wrong approach, but Freddy prefered to approach the matter in a way that couldn’t be evaded. Thael frowned slightly; this was not the approach they’d agreed on, he’d have to talk to Freddy about that later, but for now...
“Here bud, consider it a peace offering.” Thael said amicably, offering the plate of hotdogs, then wrapping Freddy in a big hug. “Congrats! Guess we’ll be stuck with eachother a while longer eh?” Thael was, of course, completely oblivious to Freddy’s feelings. It would take something fairly substantial to clue him in.
Mag’s arrived in ample time, perfectly dressed of course. Even in all their years together, Thael wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the slim blonde looking anything less than perfect. He considered going in for a hug, despite the risk of feedback, but looking closely he noticed Mag’s spirits were especially active today, draping her in flickering shadows that didn’t seem to care much for the laws of optics. With his own spirits glowing on his skin, Thael decided today was not the day to push it.
They made an odd pair, facing eachother in the hall, one wreathed in shadows, one bathed in light. The feedback had only become problematic a few years ago, after that day in the lab when Mag had unleashed her full potential. Now, whenever they got too close, their spirits began to crackle and let loose stray bolts of energy. When they did touch, it was thoroughly unpleasant. To Thael, Magdelena was ice cold, so cold it hurt and seemed to suck the life out of him. Apparently for Mag, Thael burned with the heat of the sun. Both had sufficient control of their spirits that it didn’t affect their combat dynamic, but it was generally better if they avoided casual touching. “You have fun last night Mag?” he asked. He felt it was important for her to have fun once in a while.
------------WARG Ceremony--------
As they filed into the office, Thael couldn’t help himself, and he began glowing in earnest as excitement bubbled in his chest. Thirteen years of his life had led to this moment. He saluted sharply to the academy council, rigidly maintaining his place in line. He kept his head high and eyes forward as General Dysley entered. Thael had the utmost respect for Cid Dysley. The man had an incredible record of brilliant field command, and while politics had removed him from the field and brought him to Oakridge, Thael thought there could be no better use of the man’s talents than teaching the next generation of soldiers.
As the WARG badge was pinned to his chest, even Thael’s years of discipline couldn’t suppress his absolute joy. A smile cracked through his formal ‘at attention’ mask, and the light of his spirits became almost blinding for a second, before he sternly brought them back under control. Even so, they continued to illuminate him slightly.
But then General Dysley announced Olivia would be the commanding officer of their unit. Well not so much ‘announced’ it as ‘casually mentioned’ it. The shimmering lights winked out, and Thael’s face returned to it’s disciplined mask. Olivia was the logical choice, really. She was hardworking, smart, innovative, and she’d kept their group together for years, through thick and thin. She deserved this, Thael tried to convince himself. A good soldier accepts the decisions of his superiors, he told himself. He tried paying attention to the rest of the briefing, but a little voice in the back of his head kept saying why not me?
----------Afterwards---------
Thael did his best to keep his disappointment hidden. He didn’t want to undermine Olivia’s authority before they even got into the field, but it was hard. He kept thinking back to that one simulation that had gone so poorly. Was that it? Was that the reason he hadn’t even been considered?
He began to think back over every mistake he’d made in the past 10 years, not really paying attention to his friends, digging into every mistake and fault until he convinced himself he’d never been worthy. A sudden application of pressure on his back brought his attention back to the present. Roy. Other might consider their relationship odd, or a bad match. Thael with his endless kindness, boundless optimism and undying faith in people was in stark contrast to Roy’s cynical, casual disregard for others. But Thael tried his best to see the good in everyone, and in Roy he saw a troubled man with a great capacity for love, and a nose for trouble. Thael managed to genuinely smile as he replied. “Sounds good Puckins, I’ll come with you.”
He made sure everything was still in place one last time just before he came around the corner to the headmaster’s office. The first thing he saw was Roy standing by the secretary’s desk with an impish grin on his face, a plate of hotdogs beside him. The sight of the hotdogs prompted a slight growl from his stomach, reminding him he hadn’t eaten yet. “You’re a lifesaver, Puckins” he whispered as he pulled Roy into a close embrace. “I’m so glad we both made it.” He grabbed a hotdog and wolfed it down almost instantly.
“You’re glowing” Roy replied, the same impish grin still glued to his face. He seemed in an exceptionally good mood. Thael looked down and found that he was indeed gently radiating gold light; sometimes his spirits got caught up in his emotions. He clamped down on his enthusiasm, and the glow diminished.
Olivia was next to arrive, a little cranky this morning, and Thael winced internally. Putting up with Britney Farron for that long was bound leave anyone irritated. “Hey Liv,” he greeted her, placing an arm around her shoulder and giving her a quick squeeze. “I’m sorry, I should’ve rescued you from Britney back at the Windsurfer, but then the announcement...anyways, I guess congratulations are in order!”
It wasn’t until Freddy arrived, covered in glitter, that Thael finally understood what had Roy in such a good mood. Their diminutive friend stumbled in muttering curses, and Roy’s grin grew from impish to positively diabolical. Thael shook his head wearily sometimes he just wished Puck would learn just the tiniest bit of self restraint, especially towards Freddy. Thael really appreciated how much work Freddy was putting into keeping an eye on their collective mental health. The standard channels weren’t really meant to deal with a situation quite like this, so Freddy was going farther afield. That being said, the two of them disagreed about the best approach with Roy. Thael kept insisting that direct pressure was the wrong approach, but Freddy prefered to approach the matter in a way that couldn’t be evaded. Thael frowned slightly; this was not the approach they’d agreed on, he’d have to talk to Freddy about that later, but for now...
“Here bud, consider it a peace offering.” Thael said amicably, offering the plate of hotdogs, then wrapping Freddy in a big hug. “Congrats! Guess we’ll be stuck with eachother a while longer eh?” Thael was, of course, completely oblivious to Freddy’s feelings. It would take something fairly substantial to clue him in.
Mag’s arrived in ample time, perfectly dressed of course. Even in all their years together, Thael wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the slim blonde looking anything less than perfect. He considered going in for a hug, despite the risk of feedback, but looking closely he noticed Mag’s spirits were especially active today, draping her in flickering shadows that didn’t seem to care much for the laws of optics. With his own spirits glowing on his skin, Thael decided today was not the day to push it.
They made an odd pair, facing eachother in the hall, one wreathed in shadows, one bathed in light. The feedback had only become problematic a few years ago, after that day in the lab when Mag had unleashed her full potential. Now, whenever they got too close, their spirits began to crackle and let loose stray bolts of energy. When they did touch, it was thoroughly unpleasant. To Thael, Magdelena was ice cold, so cold it hurt and seemed to suck the life out of him. Apparently for Mag, Thael burned with the heat of the sun. Both had sufficient control of their spirits that it didn’t affect their combat dynamic, but it was generally better if they avoided casual touching. “You have fun last night Mag?” he asked. He felt it was important for her to have fun once in a while.
------------WARG Ceremony--------
As they filed into the office, Thael couldn’t help himself, and he began glowing in earnest as excitement bubbled in his chest. Thirteen years of his life had led to this moment. He saluted sharply to the academy council, rigidly maintaining his place in line. He kept his head high and eyes forward as General Dysley entered. Thael had the utmost respect for Cid Dysley. The man had an incredible record of brilliant field command, and while politics had removed him from the field and brought him to Oakridge, Thael thought there could be no better use of the man’s talents than teaching the next generation of soldiers.
As the WARG badge was pinned to his chest, even Thael’s years of discipline couldn’t suppress his absolute joy. A smile cracked through his formal ‘at attention’ mask, and the light of his spirits became almost blinding for a second, before he sternly brought them back under control. Even so, they continued to illuminate him slightly.
But then General Dysley announced Olivia would be the commanding officer of their unit. Well not so much ‘announced’ it as ‘casually mentioned’ it. The shimmering lights winked out, and Thael’s face returned to it’s disciplined mask. Olivia was the logical choice, really. She was hardworking, smart, innovative, and she’d kept their group together for years, through thick and thin. She deserved this, Thael tried to convince himself. A good soldier accepts the decisions of his superiors, he told himself. He tried paying attention to the rest of the briefing, but a little voice in the back of his head kept saying why not me?
----------Afterwards---------
Thael did his best to keep his disappointment hidden. He didn’t want to undermine Olivia’s authority before they even got into the field, but it was hard. He kept thinking back to that one simulation that had gone so poorly. Was that it? Was that the reason he hadn’t even been considered?
He began to think back over every mistake he’d made in the past 10 years, not really paying attention to his friends, digging into every mistake and fault until he convinced himself he’d never been worthy. A sudden application of pressure on his back brought his attention back to the present. Roy. Other might consider their relationship odd, or a bad match. Thael with his endless kindness, boundless optimism and undying faith in people was in stark contrast to Roy’s cynical, casual disregard for others. But Thael tried his best to see the good in everyone, and in Roy he saw a troubled man with a great capacity for love, and a nose for trouble. Thael managed to genuinely smile as he replied. “Sounds good Puckins, I’ll come with you.”
Just realized I haven't posted in a week, yikes! I'm mostly done my post, should have it up tomorrow.
@Prisk I definitely intend to have Thael take issue with decision, at least internally, because good soldiers don't complain do they? And maybe he'll start to feel inadequate, and maybe that'll start to affect his performance, and MWAHAHA no nice things for anybody!
@Tenish I think it's a neat idea to expand on the feedback. I figured very opposite spirits would have the most obvious feedback, while others were more subtle.
@Tenish I think it's a neat idea to expand on the feedback. I figured very opposite spirits would have the most obvious feedback, while others were more subtle.
LOL. All aboard the Thael love train!
Just thinking about my next post. Prisk, was Olivia always the obvious choice for command slot, or would it have been a recent decision?
Just thinking about my next post. Prisk, was Olivia always the obvious choice for command slot, or would it have been a recent decision?
Hey Rockette, do you mind if I add as a sort of offhand minor detail that Thael and Mags can't touch? Well, not that they can't touch, but their spirits are so completely opposite that they get weird feedback when they do touch.
I just thought it might be a neat little thing, since Thael would want to hug Mags most of all, but he wouldn't be able to. Sort of emphasize her isolation a bit?
I'm just throwing thoughts out there, let me know what you think.
I just thought it might be a neat little thing, since Thael would want to hug Mags most of all, but he wouldn't be able to. Sort of emphasize her isolation a bit?
I'm just throwing thoughts out there, let me know what you think.
Cool stuff guys, like the dynamic we're forming already :D!
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