Candy Quackenbush can walk on water. (toitshour) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-04-14 19:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, candy quackenbush, wrex |
Who: Candy and Wrex.
What: Sparring!
When: Sunday afternoon.
Where: Urdnot Ranch.
Rating: PG-13 for language, vague allusions to sex.
Status: Complete!
Candy was practicing. She was standing in front of a target, flicking her wrist toward it. On the flick, a sword appeared in her hand, glowing and made of light. She proceeded to parry forward, trying to see how sharp she’d made it. It was difficult to figure out how to get it to have a keen edge.
Wrex had seen a lot of strange things in this life and the other, but a glowing sword out of nothing was new to him. He didn’t know what to make of it, but that didn’t matter. This was one of Summers’ people, and she was welcome. So he watched, curiously.
Feeling eyes upon her, Candy turned around. “Oh, hi.” She waved a little. “I’m trying to figure out the right way to get this thing sharp.” Because that was logical.
“It’s ... light? Isn’t that pretty sharp already? Photons.” He lifted his fist, which glowed blue. “But what do I know, I’m brute force, not finesse.”
Candy raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, but I can make it sharper. I can make things blunt, that’s easy.” Walking over to his fist, she cocked her head. “That’s neat, how does that help you fight?”
“Shielding. It can also be useful for ramming into things.” he waved his hand, and Candy started to float and spin in the air. “There’s that too.”
“No fair!” Candy couldn’t do much in revenge, but she could make his hair glow. So she did.
Laughing, Wrex dropped Candy to the ground, then helped her up. “Still trying to figure it out. Always preferred a gun.” Even if he did use shotguns the way most people used glocks.
“I’m not really one for violence at all, but if my dreams are anything that could happen, I want to be ready.” She hopped up, thanking him and tying her hair back. She also made his hair stop glowing.
“Pretty bad?” There was something in Wrex’s eyes that made it seem like he’d understand. “Mine isn’t a picnic either. But we’ve got the people who can keep the bad from happening. Or at least stop it.”
“Rather do it on my own,” Candy smiled. The day was warm, so she took off her t-shirt to reveal a tanktop underneath. When her hair moved off of her shoulders, on her back there were thin, ropey scars along her shoulderblades. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason, but they were numerous.
Wrex’s eyes fell onto the scars. He wondered what they meant. A part of him grew angry that they even existed on anyone, let alone a woman so young.
There were more lower, and one on her right breast in the shape of a ring. She didn’t comment. Instead, she tried to make the sword of light again, poking it into the grass. “See? Kind of dull.”
The scars weren't fresh, but Wrex wanted to offer her counseling if she needed it. He wasn't sure how to offer without offending or hurting her. "Think sharp? Focus on the width of the blade. Or envision as though you're sharpening a knife."
Candy nodded, focusing on the blade the way she thought it might be tempered if it were metal, altering it carefully. Pushing it into the target, she hummed in satisfaction when it was much sharper. “That last one did it.”
“Just a matter of mind.” Wrex punched his fist into his palm. “I like the direct approach better, but I’ve been around Shepard enough to know when some finesse is needed.” He paused, the added. “Or when to throw a nuke at a molehill.”
“No nukes in my dreams, just magic.” Candy smiled to herself, letting the spell drop. She took a tiny spell in between her fingers and used it to pull her hair back.
“My best friend sleeps with a blue-skinned space wizard.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Well, I don’t know if she’s blue-skinned here.”
“I guess wizards can go to space too,” Candy grinned. She sat down, practicing making tiny spikes of light on her fingertips, a bit like claws. “My best friend in the dreams hasn’t shown up yet. I don’t know if he will.”
“I hope he does. I don’t know how things would be without Shepard. Lesser, some how. She’s like the tip of a spear right into the heart of terrible things that come out of the darkness.” Too bad she was gay. He’d tap that.
“You have a crush on her?” Candy grinned. That had been a hell of an endorsement for just a friend.
“She’s saved my life a half-dozen times, and I’ve seen her face down the kind of monsters you have nightmares about.” Wrex smirked a little. “I think her wife and my girlfriend would have problems with anything more than respect.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t have a crush.” Candy grinned at him. “My boyfriend has a crush on someone, I’m okay with it.” Mostly because she did too. And it was the same guy.
“Yeah?” Wrex raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that sort of thing. Crushing on a gay woman was the pits. Even if, apparently, there had been all kinds of VI vids about Shepard and Krogans. He might have watched a few
“It’s not even a crush, really. It’s just a ‘oh, our mutual friend sure is hot’ thing.” Candy laughed, curling her legs under herself. “Your girlfriend must be a looker too.” Wrex was hot, Candy could see that. She had eyes.
He grinned, face lighting up. He couldn’t help but pull out his wallet, which had pictures of Alma, Beth, Elise, and Roy. There was also a stunning Japanese woman.
Candy blinked. “I know Roy. He’s an idiot.” She smiled at the photos of Alma, Beth, and Elise, but she wolf whistled at the Japanese woman. “Goddamn.”
“Yeah. Goddamn. I don’t know what I did right. I must have blown an angel in a past life or something.”
“Well, you’re a lucky guy.” Candy grinned. “I’d show you mine, but something tells me male beauty is lost on you.”
Wrex shrugged a shoulder. “We could headbutt and drink over it.” Favorite Kroger pasttimes.
“Yeah, my head’s fragile, you can leave it alone.” Candy laughed brightly, making his hair glow again.
“Stop that! I don’t glow. Glowing is for fairies and junk.” He’d been around Beth and Alma too much.
“Hmm, well, you glow, so you must be a fairy. Or junk.” Candy stuck out her tongue.
Wrex got the driest of looks on his face. “How long will this last?” He thought his daughters might get a kick out of it.
“An hour or two.” Candy smiled. “Who’re the girls in your photos?”
“This is Alma, my adoptive daughter, and this is Beth, her fiance. This is their baby, Elise.” Wrex was every bit the proud grandfather, grinning happily as he showed off the photos.
“That’s adorable, and so’s she.” Candy giggled to herself. “And so’s their grandpa. You’re precious.”
Wrex looked grumpy. He’d never been called precious before. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Thanks..I think.”
“It was a compliment.” The day was ridiculously hot, and even with her hair in a high bun and a tank top, Candy was still sweating. Remy had done wonders for her self esteem, so she sighed and tugged the tank top off. She was wearing a sports bra underneath, but it did little to hide the marks on her back or the one on her clavicle. The mark on her chest was round, almost star shaped - a class ring. The ones on her back were haphazard, obviously not on purpose or with any regard for her person. “Do you want to spar?”
"Sure..." Wrex shrugged a shoulder. She didnt seem self conscious about the scars which meant she probably didnt need an ear or help I that way.
She saw his eyebrows narrow, and she shook her head. “My dad. He doesn’t know I live here, so he won’t do it again.”
“If you ever need anything, kid, just ask. We got people who can help. Just want to put that out there. You know.” He smiled at her, as he pulled his overshirt off, the muscles of his arms rippling.
“He’s gone. He doesn’t know I’m here, and my brothers are gone out of the house. So everything’s as okay as it can be, you know?” She sighed, flicking her fingers. The claws of light came out, and she smiled to herself.
Wrex rolled his shoulders and grinned. “Worse case we can sic Shepard on the bastard.” The man would disappear with out a trace. Shep was good at that.
“Nah. If anyone kills that bastard, it’s going to be me.” Candy was excited to learn from this guy. She knew how to use a sword from her dreams, but the claw thing was her own improvised idea.
“She can hold him down.” Wrex grinned at her, and quicker than any man his size had a right to move, he was charging into her personal zone.
Using some of the footwork she knew from her memories, she sidestepped him carefully, swiping with her fingers. She’d blunted them, if only because she didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t have many friends, so hurting a new one seemed like a bad plan.
Wrex blocked with his shoulder. It stung, like getting hit with a heavy object. He twisted, grabbing for her wrist and intending to flip or fling her.
She did flip, but she rolled a bit, the feeling familiar. She couldn’t help herself - she wooped from the sheer joy of muscle memory taking over. Well. Muscle memory from her dreams.
Bouncing to her feet, she felt her hands making a sword again, favoring the left hand. Which was weird. In her daytime hours, she was a righty - couldn’t even use her left hand for driving her car one handed. But in fighting, all things went to the left.
Wrex glowed blue, and there was a rush of energy that lifted the girl off her feet. He charged in again, and the energy seemed to explode, sending her flying even further!
Candy closed her eyes and focused, working on instinct alone. The light around her shifted, subtly surrounding her in a box of it, and she dug into the earth hard with the light to break her fall.
Which was how she ended up in a box of light that looked like it was skewered with light as well. “Well, crap. Now I have to figure out how to get down.”
Wrex did the first thing that came to mind. He slammed his head into it.
Nothing. Candy sighed, folding her arms. “Okay. Gonna try something.” Maybe she could manipulate the light on the sly. Focusing, she willed one wall of the platform down, turning it to crude steps. It took more effort than she’d thought, and her head hurt a little. “Magic hurts,” she grumbled, light dissipating as she walked away.
“You okay? That was pretty awesome. Never seen anything like that.” Wrex didn’t sound or look all that excited or impressed, but he was.
“Me either. Well. When I’m awake, I haven’t.” Candy rubbed her temples, wincing.
“Maybe you’re starting to see your potential. My daughter didn’t reach hers, at first. Part of it, she was scared of herself. Part of it, it just didn’t exist yet.”
“I wonder. Well, I kind of like my dreams, so I’m sure I’ll find out eventually.” Candy smiled, seeing this man as sort of a dad figure to a lot of people already. Maybe dads were okay.
“I hope you do.” Wrex nodded the head. “Don’t fear your power. It’s a part of you. Just hone it, and turn it into something to be proud of.”
“Working on it. You sound like me talking to Remy,” Candy grinned. She’d often had to convince her boyfriend that she still thought him beautiful, no matter what he was.
“Your guy? He that bad?” Wrex grinned at her.
“Oh, no, he’s amazing. He puts up with me being in AA and being sober all the time. ... and that’s a thing from him, he’s from outside New Orleans. But he worries I won’t want him because of how he’s changing. He knows Scott.” She knew Scott worked there too; he was the reason she was there practicing at all.
Wrex nodded his head. “Changes can be scary. It’s like superhero puberty. But if you care about someone, you stick with them.” He hoped to god if wouldn’t become a Krogan. And if he did, Kasumi wouldn’t run screaming. Not that he’d hold her to him if it happened.
“I told him I don’t care. He’s mine.” Candy shrugged. It was Remy’s choice to stay, but Candy wouldn’t be going anywhere. “He’s brilliant, and funny, and the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. He just doesn’t see it that way. Probably how your lady feels about you.”
Wrex smiled at that. “I hope so. I already screwed up my first marriage, no need to screw up this relationship.” Even if the first marriage had gone the way of the dodo because of his fertility issues.
The bitch just sent up update on her beautiful children again, too. She liked to rub it in.
“Honestly, don’t beat yourself up for it. It takes two people to fuck anything up.” Candy patted him on the hand.
“Yeah, I know. I think I’ve still got issues from that. Not as bad as a lot of people, but it makes intimacy difficult.”
“Sex or emotional?” Candy knew there was a difference.
“Emotional.” He actually blushed at that. “Sex isn’t a problem.” They went at it like very horny bunnies.
“Wanna talk about it?” Candy sat down, sprawling her legs out in front of her.
He looked at her, and shrugged a bit. “We got over the big hurdles, but sometimes I worry that one or both of us is going to run away screaming from the whole idea.”
“That’s part of the problem. You have to trust. If you worry about stuff like that, you bring it into your waking life.” Candy knew that from experience.
“I trust her. With my life, and my heart. She could have left me a long time ago, and she hasn’t.”
“Then know that. Nobody’s running away, right?” She smiled to herself, glad that this kind person had someone. It wouldn’t have seemed right if he hadn’t.
“If you say so, kid.” Wrex would have toasted her if he could. Instead he held out his hand for her. “Come on, I’ll get you something to drink.”
“Root beer if you have it.” Candy took his hand, hopping up. “Whenever I want a drink, I have one of those.”
“We got more root beer than you can shake a keg at,” Wrex assured her. He clapped her on the back, and led her off inside.