InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Especially since the Vol..."

Keith (tempredmental) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2017-02-13 15:42:00

Entry tags:

keith, kitty pryde (aoa), nico di angelo, trowa barton

Day 415 - action & video - open
Action

[He hadn't been in the dome long, but Keith discovered the athletic center.

It really hadn't been hard. Having spent the last couple of years of his life attempting to learn alien technology that didn't have the luxury of instructions in his own language, learning Marina's technology had been a breeze. So finding anything in the dome that was marked on the network map was simple.

Of course, the whole reason he was there in the first place was because using physical exertion to deal with his issues was something familiar. He didn't have his Bayard. He didn't have his mother's knife. He just had him. He could work with that in this type of gym setting, as it didn't look like there were any battle drones to work against, but it was the lack of those items which gave him one of his many reasons to be down here.

Also, after using drone gladiators to practice against in a training simulator, a punching bag, he found, just wasn't as satisfying.

He did it anyway, though, the rhythmic sounds of his strikes against the punching bag allowing him to let his mind wander. It kept circling back to a few main points. He wanted his mother's knife- his knife. He missed Red's presence in his mind. He needed to get out. And every time his thoughts came back to those points, he got angrier, hitting the bag harder and faster, blindly striking out as he tried to expel and exhaust the rage out of himself.

That was fine until he heard someone enter behind him. He took a second to look, but it was just long enough for the bag to swing back fast from one of his harder hits and knock him flat on his ass.]

Oof-

[Okay, he could take a hint. It was probably time to try something else.]

=====

Video

[Keith wasn't a great conversationalist, so poking around on the network was sort of more for gathering information than actually initiating a chat with someone. He didn't know any of these people. But, still, the fatalistic attitude of "we've accepted our lives here" that a good number of them seemed to be showing sort of bothered him a little. That made his line of questions seem almost pointless. This place was on Day 400+. Surely someone had tried getting out, right?

He frowned a bit. Pidge was the hacker. She'd have better luck at seeing if hacking their way out of this simulation was even possible. Keith was definitely not a hacker. He decided to ask anyway, but he had a bad feeling on what the answers were going to be.]

Uh, hi. I'm Keith. I'm a Paladin of Voltron. [Still getting used to that, even after this long...]

I was just wondering... has anyone tried getting out, yet? I mean, I would think someone probably has, but I was wondering what happened when it was tried. Consider it research.

[If someone looked close enough, they might see the beginnings of what looked like one of those boards used by criminal investigators to source crime patterns.]

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	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-14 07:31 pm UTC (link)
	First day, huh? [Despite the lack of orange, the monitor gives it away. He removes his sword and trades it out for something less damaging - one of the provided wooden swords.] Do you mind if I practice, or would you rather be left alone? [He knows how crappy it can be, turning up in this place. It can be a lot to process.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tempredmental 2017-02-14 09:25 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah. [He sighed, but then looked over at the sound of metal on metal. His eyes widened a bit, fixating on that sword... the real one.] Where did you get that? [Nico's question about practicing momentarily forgotten.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-14 10:36 pm UTC (link)
	Um. [He holds up the wooden sword and uses it to point to all the other practice weapons.] From the rack. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tempredmental 2017-02-15 12:53 pm UTC (link)
	[Er-...] No. That. [He pointed this time at the sword Nico had put down.] The real one. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-15 04:38 pm UTC (link)
	Oh. [He glances back at his sword, then picks it up and holds it upright.] This? Rehab points. [And they weren't even his. Kanji had used his to get him the sword. Which was just. He had such amazing friends.] You can request things from the Wardens, but you have to have enough points. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tempredmental 2017-02-15 06:04 pm UTC (link)
	Points? [Keith was very intrigued at the idea of being able to request things... sharp pointy things in particular.] I'm assuming you have to earn the points? How do you do that? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-15 06:56 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah. Points. [Can't go wrong with sharp pointy things.] It's not too hard. You just have to do stuff, like take classes or get a job, not get in trouble. I don't know how many points you get for any one thing. I don't think anyone does. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tempredmental
2017-02-15 07:25 pm UTC (link)

[Keith didn't do well with being patient, but he could try if he had to, and he could focus pretty well when he had a goal in mind. Getting his Blade of Marmora back was definitely a goal. He didn't want to request his bayard because, prison-sponsored replacement or not, someone was going to need to pilot the Red Lion, and that person was going to need the bayard. It was better to leave that where it belonged.

But the Blade? That was his. And he wanted it.

He nodded.]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.

[Now his attention was back on the idea that the other kid had picked up one of the practice swords. He had asked...]

Oh. Right. [He shook his head.] It's fine if you wanna practice, too. [He eyed the rack.] In fact, you mind sparring a bit?

[The kid didn't look like much, but Keith wasn't really much more than a skinny teenager himself, going by appearance. That didn't mean the two of them didn't have skill when it came to fighting.]

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nico_di_angelo
2017-02-15 10:15 pm UTC (link)

Huh? Oh, yeah. [Practice. That's what he came here for.

He lights up - as much as Nico can light up, which really isn't a lot. Hardly noticeable, really, but for the slight widening of his eyes.]

I would like that. There aren't a lot of people here I can go up against.

[He usually settled for tearing into the dummies.

He trades his real sword for one of the fakes.]

What's your weapon?

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tempredmental
2017-02-16 04:19 pm UTC (link)

[Keith really didn't have a preferred weapon, but, the bayards formed themselves based on the strengths of each individual Paladin. Ideally, the best weapon for him to work with was that double-edged sword it turned into when he held it. That was probably "his weapon", if he really thought about it.]

A double-edged sword.

[He looked over the rack to see if there was anything close. He pulled one free, holding it out and feeling the balance, eyeing how straight it was. He gave it a few swings and then smirked slightly.]

This'll do.

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	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-17 06:25 am UTC (link)
	[Nico nods his approval, hefting up a similar sword and moving for a more open area of the room.] Do you have formal training? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tempredmental
2017-02-21 05:57 am UTC (link)

Sort of. I followed a good friend of mine into the military, and we both learned some of our skills that way. I also learned stuff they didn't teach us from him. I think he trained with a formal school as a kid. [Keith was pretty sure his dad had learned as well, but he'd lost his dad pretty young, and Shiro had sort of stepped into the role of big brother at that point to help Keith get by.

He moved out into the space as well, easily sliding into a fight stance.]

What about you? Need me to take it easy on you?

[He smirked a little.]

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	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-21 06:44 am UTC (link)
	You might have one up on me then. [Learning from dead dudes spanning centuries resulted in more of loose mish-mash of various styles. Useful, sure, but in no way formal. He falls into his own stance, sword at the ready.] But don't insult me by holding back. [In fact, he'll just make the first move with a arching slash, something the test the waters by.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tempredmental
2017-02-21 07:27 am UTC (link)

[Keith's own fighting tended to be a bit mixed, too, between his Garrison training and what he had learned from Shiro. Add to it the fact that he tended to fight more on instinct than strategy, and it really didn't have a set discipline to what he did.

His smirk grew a bit at Nico's remark and he nodded once before bringing his own blade up in a block. It connected to Nico's with a loud crack, and the fight was on.

Keith's hits and blocks were firm. He certainly wasn't lacking in confidence, either, as his moves didn't hesitate. He could be aggressive when it worked for him, though, and, while he didn't often switch hands in a fight, if he found himself needing to, he had no trouble with that, either. His moves were athletic, and he didn't hesitate to throw a kick or a punch in or to roll, lunge or spin with an attack or a dodge.]

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nico_di_angelo
2017-02-22 05:05 am UTC (link)

[Monsters don't fight fair, but people during practice sessions usually do. So he's a little surprised when his partner meets him with more aggression than he was expecting. But he's not complaining. He can't remember the last time he had a real challenge. It's refreshing.

He meets Keith with everything he's got, save the shadow powers. That doesn't seem fair, and he's not sure if Keith has any special powers.

Unfortunately, he has a habit of relying on his powers, and his stamina in prolonged combat has been waning without constant threats. It isn't long before he falls back on defense, and only striking back when he has clear openings.]

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tempredmental
2017-02-22 06:32 am UTC (link)

[Keith picked up on the change. He pulled back for a moment, putting some distance between them before raising his hand in front of himself to signal a pause.]

You okay?

[He was new to the prison, fresh from his own lifestyle of fighting, so his stamina was still pretty strong. He also didn't have special powers to fall back on, but he didn't know that Nico did. Not that he hadn't fought someone with strange powers before... teleporting and shooting out purple lightening weren't exactly the hand-to-hand skills he grew up with.]

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nico_di_angelo
2017-02-22 07:23 pm UTC (link)

[Nico lowered his sword once he saw no attack would be coming. With his free hand he pushed sweat-matted hair away from his eyes and nodded.]

Yeah. Fine. I guess ... I'm a little rusty.

[Which didn't sit well with him. The Wardens had a habit of throwing strange things at them, but not often anything that would require physical fighting. It bothered him that if a real threat did surface, he might not be as prepared for it as he thought.

[He had people to protect.]

I just need to work harder.

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	tempredmental 2017-02-22 08:27 pm UTC (link)
	[Keith considered the statement for a moment, and then nodded a little.] How long have you been here? [The idea of being stuck here long enough to "get rusty" sort of bothered Keith a little. He honestly hoped it wasn't going to be that long.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-22 09:04 pm UTC (link)
	I'm not really sure. Over a hundred days. [He tries to piece the math together in his head.] Five months, give or take. [A long five months. It didn't seem like enough time for all the things that have happened since he arrived.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tempredmental
2017-02-22 09:38 pm UTC (link)

Do they mark anything other than days?

[He could see why that could be a little hard to think about if all they had was a daily number to go by. Though, Keith's on concept of time was pretty confused thanks to having to switch over from Earth time to Altea time once he joined the team on the Castleship. He had gotten used to it, and could rattle off how long things had been in tics, quintants, and doboshes, but hours? Days? Months? He wasn't sure anymore. Pidge had been the only one with a clock when they left Earth.]

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nico_di_angelo
2017-02-22 10:12 pm UTC (link)

No, not really. Sometimes, they celebrate certain milestones, like a festival every one hundred days.

[He knows the day he arrived, and he knows what today is. He gets his months by dividing the difference by 30. He's even calculated what day it should be back in his world, and thinks that by now, everything there should be okay. He knows how the war ends, after all.]

There are patterns, like how new arrivals tend to show up every four days.

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	tempredmental 2017-02-24 01:59 am UTC (link)
	[He nodded.] But, mostly just days. [That also meant that there was the chance of another group of arrivals in about four days. He nodded to the swords.] You want to continue or call it quits? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	nico_di_angelo 2017-02-25 06:17 am UTC (link)
	Right. Mostly days. [He should probably accept the offer to quit before his ass gets handed to him. But the wording rankles. So he lifts his sword.] I can go another round if you can. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tempredmental 2017-02-26 09:19 pm UTC (link)
	[Keith nodded and then lifted his own sword again.] Okay. When you're ready. [He took on his fight stance.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	nico_di_angelo 2017-03-09 05:23 pm UTC (link)
	[Nico grips his sword with both hands and readies himself. He tells himself that this is nothing. He's fought monsters three times Keith's size, with mouths lined with teeth. He's fought with injuries, with his muscles screaming, through exhaustion. Even so, his swings are slower and his reaction time sluggish.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)