un: kantera, text

[happydreamed]

If this adventure with chain mail has taught me anything, 'tis that many of us here are having our first exposure to the internet, with all its amusements and pitfalls included. Thus, I thought it might be nice to introduce another 'getting to know each other' game that some of us might not know yet. This one won't involve pictures or ratings of attractiveness, not to worry.

This game is called 'two truths and a lie'. The premise is simple. You list three statements about yourself, two true and one false. Ideally they should all be similar levels of unbelievable. Then, other people respond to you to guess which one is the lie. We all learn a little about each other and have a bit of fun.

Comments

[sangreine]

It is. There's more than one in my case, and it never does get any easier.

[monoceroscaeli]

You have my sympathy. Where I'm from, family takes precedent before all things, and the weight of that loss always tends to bear down on us...but as a warrior, I'm sure you know the importance of keeping your head high even amidst such tragedy.

[sangreine]

[ She almost says "I know" but deletes it once she realizes. ]

Yes. If one only does easy things it tends to be out of weakness, and I have no interest in that. My family may be gone, but that hasn't changed. [ Yes, her whole family. Several different iterations of it. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

I'm glad to hear it. But maybe we should think of things that are a bit more joyous in nature for now than spend all our time treading in the past, don't you think?

You know, I'm always looking for people to spar with. If you're interested, you could test your skills against my own.

[sangreine]

[ It's funny, the Childe she knew always said that if one of them lost their memories they'd be able to restart their friendship by fighting. But it was assumed Saya would be the one to forget since she's the one who always does. ]

A fight sounds great. Anytime you like.

that wasn't the sound of my heart breaking just now

[monoceroscaeli]

Perfect! How about right now.

[HE'S SERIOUS...little does he know that she's probably aware of that...]

[sangreine]

[ Well, well aware. ]

I can do now. Where?

[monoceroscaeli]

Hm, probably somewhere between the districts that's away from the general public. It wouldn't do if we got interrupted, now would it?

[sangreine]

I live on the very outskirts of Blossomcrown, with the Spring segment for a front yard, essentially. I spar there all the time.

And my husband is a mage who can heal up whatever injuries there are. I don't pull my hits.

[monoceroscaeli]

Sounds like just the kind of fight I've been waiting for.

I can meet you there shortly.

[sangreine]

Perfect. I'm Saya, ask for me if someone else answers the door.

[ She sends Childe a pin for his phone so he can find the place. It's a 5 bedroom cottage covered in flowers and foliage, but within throwing distance away from the front door there's burn marks and scars across the ground. Indeed there have been some serious fights here. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Alright, noted. See you soon.

[It's not long before Childe shows up at the spot in his maps app, leading him to the impressive looking cottage that seems like it could have been out of a fairy tale, save for the obvious markings of battle outside of it. He walks up to the front door, knocking on it a few times as he waits for someone to answer.]

[sangreine]

[ Saya takes a breath before answering the door. The last thing she wants to do here is put any expectations upon Childe because she thinks she knows him. She only knew some version of him. And with her repeated amnesia, she knows how she'd prefer to be treated by those who knew her before, and that's to judge her current self as they see it, not by what was before nor what they hope things could again be like. She can do this. Ironically she had to do it once already, albeit temporarily. ]

[ A petite, dark-haired woman with short hair answers the door with a smile. She's pretty, unnaturally so, and she's wearing essentially a corset top, high-cut shorts with decorative tights (not a scar or mark on her) and heeled boots. She doesn't seem at all the type to put up anything like a decent fight. Then she picks up her katana from where it rested just inside the door and it's about three sizes too big for her frame, so maybe she is. ]

Hi, there. Here for a fight?

[monoceroscaeli]

[That definitely wasn't who he was expecting to answer the door. Not that he'd judging, it's foolish to take a glance at someone and assume that there isn't something lurking beneath the surface, especially after the conversation they'd just had. So he returns the question with a smile first, amused that it seems she really is ready and raring to go.]

Saya, right? You guessed it. Why don't we cut to the chase and just get started?

[Since it seems like she really has had plenty of battles right here.]

I'm excited to see your skills- I just do hope you don't disappoint.

[sangreine]

[ Ready and raring to go because she doesn't want to get caught saying something she shouldn't, but also she happens to know how much fun he is to fight. Which is a prime example of a thing she shouldn't say. ]

I won't.

[ She draws her sword, an oddly shaped katana with a red gem embedded near the hilt and odd channels carved into it. As she does, her auburn eyes start glowing a bright red, and her demeanor changes near-completely. Instead of a sweet smile, she looks deadly serious. And she seems to grow three feet with her confidence. ]

[ Saya will indeed give him a run for his money, with the way she moves faster than human eyes can follow, even someone like Childe will see fairly useless motion trails that convey where she was more than where she is, and she makes it a habit to move in irregular switchbacks for that reason. Her strikes, without a thing held back, can stop a truck in its tracks -- she trusts him to be able to handle it. If he really forces her into a other gear, she leaps high into the air and her skin and hair turn silver-white as white bat wings burse from her back and allow her to fly at equally high speeds, perhaps launching blood-crystal projectiles at him from above. ]

[ And if (when) he does manage to land any hits, she heals up before his eyes. Makes it very hard to do enough damage to win outright, but she can get fatigued if she gets injured too much. ]

[ However the fight will turn out, it'll be a great one. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Childe takes in her form, the blade and everything about her before they begin- she'll be definitely something else to fight, and he can tell before they even begin that he's going to have a great time.

His blades snap into his hands, for the moment forgoing starting with a bow, feeling as if this is the best choice for the matter at hand- and how right he is. Saya proves to be an excellent fight, learning how to fight her as they cross blades, using all of his strength to counter and keep her from slicing him into tiny bits. His own strikes come quickly, utilizing his vision and subsequently his delusion when things get really serious, dodging attacks, sometimes getting hit. His weapons change as he sees fit, from swords to double bladed polearm to bow and back again.

Hydro and electro energy get directed at her over and over again, until the two of them finally come to a stop. Tartaglia's breath is ragged, but the entire fight he's been taunting her, laughing with glee as their blades met over and over again, praising her when she performed something well.

The smile on his face couldn't be wider, as he nods to his opponent.]

My, you've impressed me...I'm quite satisfied with this fight.

[He looks tired and yet still raring to go for more, but it probably isn't smart to do so. He's not here to kill her.]

[sangreine]

Same here. [ But then she already knew that. Saya sheaths her sword and waits as another of her numerous small injuries knits closed. ]

Your weapons changing themselves around was especially surprising. Almost caught me a few times with that.

[monoceroscaeli]

It's never a bad thing to keep your enemies guessing. And for me, well, that's all part of the fun.

[He plops down in the grass, letting himself relax as he falls onto his back. It's a pretty vulnerable position to put himself in considering they'd just met, but he's got a feeling that she's not about to take a deadly advantage of it.]

So, I think you've got a little explaining to do.

[He looks over knowingly from where he lies on the ground.]

You didn't fight like that was the first time you've crossed blades with me. At first I thought it was simply because of your experience, but there were too many instances where your parries and strikes suggested something more.

[sangreine]

[ She moves like she was going to sit down somewhat nearby (but not next to him, exactly) and just. Freezes. How the hell...? ]

Uh. Well.

[ Damn, she was hoping not to get into this. ]

This isn't the first time I've been kidnapped to another world. I was another place before this one, with those from all over.

[ She finishes the movement to sit on the grass, knees curled to her chest. ]

That version of you and I were friends. Pretty close ones. I just didn't want to make you feel pressured or anything. I know that's not how I like being treated. [ Which might be a cryptic thing to say, but. It's true. ] Sorry.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Being told that she had been kidnapped in a different world isn't a new concept to him, his own comrade had also been stolen away and tortured essentially from what he understands. But to hear that he was there as well, that's new. That's going to have to get asked about soon, but not yet.]

There's truly no need to apologize. I honestly wish you'd of told me sooner.

[He laughs, sitting up to look over to her with a cheery disposition.]

I guess that's how you knew being the oldest of my siblings was a fib, wasn't it?

[sangreine]

[ She laughs lightly, relieved beyond measure. ]

I'm a dirty cheater, now you know.

It's a little funny, you always said if one of us forgot the other we'd be friends again by fighting. I always thought I'd the one to forget. That's usually how it goes with me.

[monoceroscaeli]

Hah, seems like my other self made sure you knew the means to reconnect with me again if such a thing were to happen. Sorry that I was the one who forgot.

[It's still hard to believe, but he doesn't have a reason not to believe her, not after sparring with her.]

Do you have a condition that affects your memory? I happen to know a zombie with the same issue...though hers is more a short term memory problem on the simple virtue of being a zombie.

[She's a cute kid, though.]

[sangreine]

It's fine. I'm just glad you got out of there. It was a torture chamber. [ Quite literally. ]

Ah -- sort of. My species hibernates for decades at a time, and I wake up with no memories, not even really much of a personality. Over the next few months I'll get more and more tired, until I don't wake up.

[monoceroscaeli]

[He wonders if Saya and Lumine were in the same place. Seems like going to other worlds is a crapshoot.]

Hold on, so you're saying that you've only got a short while before you just...fall asleep for the next thirty to fifty years?

[Is he lowballing it?]

How is it that you remember your family? Or perhaps, is this something that's been engraved into your long-term memory that will never fade?

[sangreine]

[ Same place, same dorm in fact. ]

...Yes. That's what I'm saying. And that I'll forget everything. Including who and what I am.

As far as a family... I don't have one anymore. So.