lostcarnival | let's get down to business

Entry tags:

let's get down to business

Who: Nightrunners and whoever wants to make use of the training yard for whatever reason.
When: S2 D1-D5
Where: The Training Yard
What: Training, or pointing and laughing at people training.
Warnings: Explosions and swearing, probably.

Though it's never really been off-limits, once they're down off the moon, Lambert wastes little time informing the nightrunners he officially expects them to get back to training and getting in shape. They can make ample use of the training yard facilities to learn how to work with each other after their extended vacation, or just get to know their newer coworkers in an environment closer to what their actual working conditions will actually be like.

The yard, as usual, isn't limited solely to nightrunners. Anyone who wants to work on their physical or magical skills are welcome, as well as anyone from the other departments who have anything they might want to test out that requires a combatant, for some reason.

Lambert's generally a constant presence at the fringes, sometimes participating in exercise or sparring himself, but mostly just watching and making sure no one's about to put someone's eye out or break the equipment, because that would be bad for obvious reasons.

[ ooc; this is an open log, so bring your own toplevel! ]

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[Syrlya looks up from the dummy at the sounds of his voice.] Oh, 9S.

[He smiles faintly and turns around, the sword dangling loose in his hand.] If you are free, yes. I find training more effective with an active opponent.

Yeah, I'm available.

[9S lets out another sigh, signalling the beginning of a complaint.]

I'm not a combat model, but Lambert ordered me to spar.

[And he's not going to go against orders, even if he'll complain about it all the way.]

At the moment, you're the only one I can actually fight.

[Sure, there might be others in the yard, but Syr's the only one not human present at this very moment.]

Am I? [Syrlya pauses, raising a brow. What, did he get banned from brawling with anyone else on the team? That seems strange.] Why is that?

[9S' shoulders slump.]

You're the only non-human around right now. I can't fight humans.

[And just to be clear--]

I physically can't.

You can't? [He says it distantly, like it doesn't really register what 9S means by that.]

That's--[Impractical, debilitating, potentially dangerous.] ... inconvenient. Do you know why that is?

[Yeah... he knows.]

It's part of my programming.

[That's about as much as he's going to elaborate on that.]

And no, I can't remove it. Not unless you want to remove my personality.

[That... sure rises a lot of questions in Syrlya's mind about the extent of 9S's free will. He'd taken it for granted, the way he behaved, but perhaps being a mechanical creation meant there did exist limitations in his personhood.

But--] You can't, but someone might. Not that I would suggest throwing untested solutions at you if the risk is your sense of self, but...

[Well, something worked for the Sylvari, somehow.]

[9S' next words come out forceful.]

I'm not letting anyone touch my personality data!

[Sure, it means he's still leashed to his human creators, but the thought of not holding any love for humans is even more terrifying.]

How would you like it if your loyalty was forcibly stripped out of you? Or your love for the Pale Tree?

My loyalties were not forced into me to begin--[He bites his tongue, holding a hand up to stay 9S as well before he goes on any further.

There's no point in this conversation now, is there?]

Nevermind. I remember some of your technique from before... you use the greatsword, correct?

[Good, because he's grumpy about getting smacked around by Lambert to test the limits of his programming and he's had enough of existential crises for the day. He wants to do the smacking around this time!!]

A greatsword? This is just a sword to me.

[By android standards, anyway. 9S floats his sword in front of him with a wave of his right hand, a similar ring of light to the one around his sheathed weapon appearing and encircling his wrist.]

I mean, I can use bigger if I really have to, but this size is easier for me to control.

[And because he's a huge jerk, 9S sends it spinning towards Syrlya with a thrust of his hand, aiming for the shoulder. Think fast!]

I mean it is larger than a one-handed--[You know what Syrlya doesn't expect? 9S to thrust at him in the middle of a conversation, like some sort of animal. So his reaction is just a second too late before he realizes, oh, that's actually coming for him, and ducks. It still manages to cut across the top of his shoulder, shallow but enough to rip the fabric and the first layer of leaves.

He grabs for the hilt of his own blade on reflex, but stops himself short of a proper stance and shoots 9S a disapproving look.] What are you doing?

[To be honest, sparring isn't exactly something 9S has had much chance to engage with, not being a combat unit and all. At the very least, his sword's scabbard remains on the weapon so the razor edge is kept away from his opponents. It's easier than getting a wooden practice weapon and wrapping some wire around it so 9S can actually use it. The weapon is blunted and that's what matters, right?]

You wanted a spar, right?

[He grins, knowing full well he's being rude. At least when the weapon boomerangs back into his hand, 9S makes sure it cuts a wide circle to avoid nailing Syrlya on the way back.

It's not usually his style, but...]

It's easier to show than tell. I want to see what you can do, too.

You don't start it in the middle of a conversation... [Grumble grumble. Syrlya releases his sword and straightens up, holding a finger up to stay 9S.]

Wait. [He unhooks the scabbard from his waist and tosses his sword aside towards where he has his shield already resting. The extra weight doesn't matter much to him when dealing with a training dummy, but if he'll be dealing with a moving opponent he won't want it hanging off.

He pauses, considering something, and then turns to go back to the row of wooden training swords and retrieve a second one, adjusting his grip around the first one. Not the weight he's use to, but it'll do.

Properly armed, he steps back out onto the field, but this time with more distance between him and 9S.] I suppose since you're so eager, you may attempt the first strike.

Edited 2018-01-13 03:02 (UTC)

[Sure you do!! 9S waits patiently for Syrlya to get himself sorted, arms folded and sword hovering at his back as usual. Though he does raise an eyebrow -- hidden by his visor as usual -- when Syrlya allows him to go first.]

Wow, okay. Thanks?

[The ground around 9S' feet appears to distort slightly as he pulls his arm back, sword spinning horizontally above his hand. The light encircling his wrist appears to pulse before he throws the sword at Syrlya. It's a big, obvious strike and doesn't look any different from his first attack, but hey, if Syrlya's offering...

The difference is that this time, the weapon will halt once it reaches Syrlya's current position, rapidly spinning in place.]

[Syrlya raises the blade in his off hand, and there's the purple tinge of his magic around it. But he doesn't dodge, waiting for the sword to get close enough before he tilts it just enough so that 9S's blade hits it.

And then there's two of Syrlya, the clone left in his place as he teleports just off to the side. The clone sticks, immobile for a moment, while Syrlya runs forward right after 9S.]

[He expected Syrlya to block or dodge the attack -- most opt to dodge -- but he doesn't expect there to suddenly be two of him!

Except it's just too bad Syrlya's fighting a Scanner. 9S might not have much experience with magic, but he has plenty when it comes to detecting life.

Lip curling into a smirk, 9S pulls his hand back. The sheathed sword that was previously spinning in place suddenly arcs towards Syrlya -- the real Syrlya -- with the intent to strike him in the back, ignoring the fake.]

[Striking from behind isn't a bad idea--Syrlya's hearing is no better than average, so he can't anticipate what he can't see if it isn't loud enough.

But Syrlya's on the offense. And he knows from experience than when you're obvious about your strike, it's much easier to avoid. Syrlya doesn't have the physical fitness of Lambert, and he probably doesn't have the speed of an android. But that's fine, because he doesn't fight with strength or attrition.

He fights with trickery. Syrlya doesn't realize the blade coming from behind, but the rush forward is a feint anyway. When 9S doesn't seem to be moving Syrlya follows through with his real attack--to Blink forward, behind 9S, and twist on his heels quickly to try and slam his main-handed blade into the android in a horizontal slash. He's holding back less than his duel with Strange, and the strike is charged with magic--if it connects, the pain will seem to echo in 9S's mind as well as body.]

[He's never fought anyone or anything like a mesmer, so the split second of surprise buys Syrlya the time needed to get in close. When Syrlya disappears from in front of him but his sensors detect someone behind him, 9S springs forward to dodge what is surely an upcoming strike, but isn't quite fast enough to avoid the sword hitting his side.

Syrlya's physical strike doesn't really hurt 9S, but the mental one does.

It rattles him for the briefest of moments -- he's used to things getting in his head when he fights, memories of machines echoing in his mind -- and 9S quickly refocuses, landing on his feet and twisting to face his adversary. 9S' hands are empty; his own sword had buried itself point first in the ground behind Syrlya, having missed its target.

As 9S turns, his hand glows again, the rings of light rapidly expanding around his wrist before he fires what appears to be a fast moving ball of light -- nearly a beam -- directly at Syrlya. If Syrlya's struck, he'll quickly realise that the light does... absolutely nothing. You can't hack something that isn't a machine!]

[Syrlya's surprised when 9S's sword catches up and coasts by, even when it doesn't hit. That, and the fact that 9S is unarmed delays Syrlya long enough that 9S is effectively able to beam him.

Except nothing happens. Syrlya's tenseness slowly unravels as he looks down at the light. No pain, no dizziness, no burning through this chest... there's nothing.]

Uh. [Hm, well. Anyway, they're in the middle of a spar, so Syrlya raises his off-hand blade to summon a phantasm shaped like him rushes after 9S with its own blade to inflict more mentally painful stabbings.]

[Sadly 9S does not actually have any effective beam attacks.

But that was just covering up his follow up; while Syrlya's distracted, 9S whips his sword out of the ground, spinning it towards the sylvari's back, though not before the phantasm is summoned.

He doesn't think much of the phantasm -- it's not real -- and that turns out to be his folly when he doesn't bother dodging.]

Argh!

[He takes a step back from the mental shock, but he keeps it together well enough to catch his sword on its return.]

[For a moment Syrlya has a hard time taking the spar seriously--did 9S really not dodge the pink illusion running right after him? It's enough of a pause for 9S's sword to ram into his spine and sends him stumbling forward with a wheeze.

His gaze is set down, but he waves his hand and a purplish club forms below Syrlya's feet, causing a glow to deflect strikes for at least a few seconds while he recovers. Meanwhile, the Phantasm makes another lunge for 9S.]

[So the fake doesn't hurt him physically, but is it worth taking it out then? But the mental shock of its attacks would be enough to--

Wait. If it's not real, then there's no problem using Pod 153 on it, right?]

Pod!

[Obligingly, the box bot's 'head' splits open, firing a laser at the phantasm, but directing it away from Syrlya. Meanwhile... 9S doesn't know what that glow around Syrlya does, but he won't know unless he does something! So 9S throws his sword at Syrlya again, the weapon slicing vertically through the air, but he's ready to evade at a moment's notice.]

[The laser pierces the phantasm, but they're hardier illusions than clones. One of those would have crumpled in one hit, but the phantasm stays standing, although its form flickers for a moment.

Syrlya doesn't dodge the sword this time, because once it reaches him it stops at that fractional space held by the glow, and Syrlya doesn't feel it. It does cause the magic to disperse from Syrlya, but he only needs that second of not getting hit, side-stepping from the blade and holding his arm out with the training sword pointed at 9S's feet.

That's all the warning he gets before a darker circle of magic quickly forms below him, a gravity well designed to pull him to its center, stun him, and then float him a few feet.

The phantasm, meanwhile, lunges again--its attacks are on an exact interval, and it doesn't seem capable of doing anything but lunging every fives seconds.]

[Letting out a yelp of surprise as he's dragged to the centre of the gravity well, 9S' vision shorts out for a second, the alarming sensation of connections sparking in his behind his eyes as the magic disorients him as effectively as a blow to the head.

No longer held by his field, 9S' sword falls to the ground in front of Syrlya.

He doesn't have time to regain his footing when he's magically lifted, arms and legs flailing. Oh no. Without any mobility of his own, there's no way he'll be able to avoid whatever Syrlya throws at him next.

Maybe if he... It's not something he's tried before. Instead of overworking his circuits to expand his field and repel those near him away, 9S tries manipulating that repulsive force into one that would push him down to try and both counteract the magical levitation and avoid the lunge from the phantasm.]

[With enough force, 9S can probably succeed there. At the very least, the spell itself isn't more than a few seconds, its purpose more to debilitate and injury 9S quickly rather than thoroughly.

But as a Mesmer, everything is seconds. And you learn how to use them.

Syrlya lunges forward, blade outstretched to try and slam the point of it into 9S's head. It's all metal so he'll be fine, probably.]

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i'm so used to the box bot being there that i forgot to mention it was there all this time...

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