Diana of Themyscira; Wonder Woman (_withgreatpower) wrote in witchinghour, @ 2014-08-22 22:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: diana, character: killian jones |
Who: Diana of Themyscira and Killian Jones
Where: Sheriff's Station, then just outside
When: Backdated to Tuesday, August 19
What: A first meeting, swordfighting trial, and some inactive powers
Warnings: None
Status: Complete
Hook didn’t exactly have the best luck with police stations. His namesake appendage had been confiscated during his ‘arrest’ (that was a joke) and hospital stay in Storybrooke, and then he’d concussed Charming with a blunt object to get it back after he broke into the sheriff's office. Honestly, like they could keep the Captain from his bloody hook. But still. Places like these sort of made him twitch, so he wasn’t certain why he was showing up here today.
Oh, that’s right. Looking for Swan. He’d promised to help her with whatever she needed as a member of the hero squad, keeping the town safe. Hurrah. Yes, essentially joining the hero squad himself. The same man who had transformed into a pirate from a Lieutenant in the king's royal navy, who denounced his roots and his ties when his brother died because of the king's slick and oily selfishness and treachery. He'd become ruthless after that, events unfolding, the madness of Neverland seeping into his pores where there was nothing left but a gaping hole that was frayed at the edges by anger and the insatiable need for revenge; something to live for, if the worst possible thing.
But perhaps, beneath his exterior, was a lonely man who wanted to try - whatever that meant. Or entailed.
He’d just wait here. At the front desk. His hip propped against it, long and lean as he boredly scanned the place with cerulean eyes, and he looked for a bell or something to ring incessantly - might be annoying, yet fun for him.
Fortunately, for Hook, it didn’t take long until someone -- Diana, in this case -- came into the main part of the station, five maps tucked underneath her arm. She’d been in the process of corroborating the knowledge she’d picked up from scouting with what was already written down, but there was more space available in the back.
Visitors weren’t infrequent, but they typically had purpose for being there. It was a police station, after all. Diana set the maps down and turned to face the man, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took him in. She hadn’t been in Marrowood as long as the others at the station, no, but she couldn’t recall ever seeing someone who looked like this before.
She strode toward him until they were facing each other, the front desk separating the both of them. “Are you looking for someone in particular, or are you here to report an incident?”
Someone in particular was all he heard, and he faced the woman with no shortage of approval because gods she was exquisite. So many lovely ladies here in town, at least it wasn’t completely bereft of beauty. A bright spot, in an otherwise dull and dreary world. “Well, I was, but perhaps you could help me instead?”
His grin was so sincere, it might have even healed the sick and wounded. “Killian Jones. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Alright, perhaps he might get to the point - after he extended his hand for a proper greeting. Or a shake. Or a kiss to the knuckles, whichever he felt he could get away with - granted, the second was more common in his time period.
Diana's gaze moved briefly down to his smile before she met his eyes easily, unconvinced as to his intentions. It was still, even after five years living among Men, a shock to encounter attitudes and behaviors such as this.
"I should be able to," she replied, keeping her tone and face casual. This was her place of employment; if he chose to comport himself otherwise, it was his choice, but Diana preferred to remain professional.
Of course the dashing rapscallion kissed her hand after he introduced himself, weighed his options and decided he could showcase proper gentlemanly behavior, even though the woman looked like she could pick him up and fling him across the room without breaking a sweat. In fact, Hook was well aware he was risking that but it might even be fun to be roughhoused by such a stunning creature. By Davy Jones, she was tall.
He was sort of leaning against the counter, poured there like melted butter, so casual in his stance. “Well, I was actually looking for Swan. We’re friends, she and I. And I told her I’d help out with whatever she needed down here.”
Yes, because the leather-clad pirate with ice in his stare and perpetual scruff crawling along his throat and jaw seemed like an apt choice for a law enforcement official. His intentions were good, at least. “Have you got a name?” he asked the brunette.
Diana couldn't help the way her eyes narrowed as he kissed her hand, wondering what exactly he was up to with this behavior. She withdrew her hand quickly enough, perhaps faster than any mortal would, and felt no remorse about sending him a warning look.
The gesture was more than unprofessional for her, though it was certainly polite. Diana couldn't help but think of Clark, wondering where he was now and whether the others knew or cared that she was gone. Was the Justice League still carrying on? Surely it had to.
"You are from... Storybrooke then?" She asked, recalling Emma telling her about the place. The suspicious look on her face grew and she neglected to share her name, wanting first to verify the details. "Friends with Emma?" Diana looked him up and down once more, willing herself to give him the benefit of the doubt. "And willing to help?"
“Sort of. From the Enchanted Forest, that’s where we met, but I was just in Storybrooke,” Killian explained, and that was the short version. He could go into longer detail but speaking of a beanstalk, the giants realm, and the rather dizzying events that led up to his arrival in delightful Marrowood would likely render the poor (so far) nameless woman either confused or comatose. It really didn’t make much sense to Hook either.
He supposed by now, yes, he and Emma were friends. Probably much to the blonde’s chagrin. She hadn’t invited him over for tea and cake yet, but they were well on their way? “Willing and able to help, my lady,” he offered, standing up straight. “I’m a three-hundred-year-old pirate, I know a thing or two. Surely you can find some use for me.” That wasn’t even tinged with anything suggestive in the undertone. Maybe a little. It was just his nature.
Diana nodded, not questioning the 'Enchanted Forest' and taking it at face value. Some places were just how they sounded. His age, though, gave her some pause. "You are immortal?" It was rare to find others who shared that trait in the world of Men. Though she still found him a bit unsavory, it was nice to know there was someone else in Marrowood who could understand that aspect of her life.
"I suppose there's always room for more able-bodied helpers for patrolling, self defense and fighting classes, and the like." The word 'pirate' did concern her, but if Emma swore for him Diana supposed that was all there was for it. As long as Emma did know him and this man wasn't making it up.
He winked at her when she asked if he was immortal, and well, that’d just remain a secret in Pandora’s box for now. “It’s a story best told in a more comfortable atmosphere, my lady,” Killian responded. “But oh, I’m quite able-bodied. You’re welcome to check for yourself.” Preferably in a way that didn’t involve twisting his nuts, but he’d just have to wait and see.
Continuing, he informed her, “Swan said I might be able to teach swordsmanship. I’ve been at it for quite some time, you won’t find a better teacher.” And, watching imploringly, eyes deep and dark sapphire, bitter rum and buried treasure, he tried his one hand at receiving more information. “You’re really not going to give me a name, love? I’ll probably be ‘round here a lot.”
She couldn’t really blame him for the evasive response, really; she’d likely do the same thing if he’d asked about her. It was something to keep in mind for the future, though. Despite herself, she found Killian intriguing. At least, in the sense that she wanted to sort him out and better understand him. Certainly not in the way he kept implying.
His statement made her smile, though, nearly smirk. “I think I can, actually, but I’m sure we’d be able to benefit from your help as well. And my name is Diana.” She’d gotten used to leaving off the part about her homeland, knowing these people were more likely to be oblivious than not. But she had no last name, and she knew that often gave people pause.
“Well, if you can, you haven’t yet for some reason, so it’s a good thing I came along to help share my hundreds of years worth of experience. Diana,” Killian repeated. “It suits you. Name of a goddess, wasn’t it?” He was a learned man, and could boast a full set of crayons in the box - you really couldn’t be a Lieutenant in the Navy, or a ship Captain at all, if you were an idiot. Oh, sure, he’d made some questionable decisions at times - but overall, an intelligent person. It was something he prided himself on, in addition to his swordsmanship.
He adjusted his hook in its brace, so easily, like it was a matter of flexing one’s fingers. By now, it sort of was. The grotesque appendage was really just an extension of his arm; he’d learned to do most everything using that and his one hand remaining. “When shall I start? Suppose you’d need to rally interested parties, or should I do that?”
And if he wasn’t needed here, then he supposed he could find something else to do with his sad existence, maybe actually do some good somewhere else in this dreary trap of a town.
"I haven't yet because I've been focusing my efforts on scouting and clean up," Diana replied, keeping a straight face at the mention of goddesses. Her status as goddess of war was still something that she wasn't entirely used to, not after most of her life recognizing Ares as such, but there was nothing for it. "We're working on regrouping after some... Supernatural activity that led to a few deaths recently, but it is my hope that we'll begin very soon."
The hook served only to render him more puzzling in her eyes, but Diana, as she had prior, chose not to comment on this. He spoke of his fighting prowess with a confidence that made it clear that it was not a simple bluff; if it was, despite that, she'd find out the proper way.
"Either one, whichever suits you." Though she was able to resist commenting directly on the bits of information he gave her, she couldn't stop herself from asking, "What say you to a bit of an audition? So I can appraise your fighting skills and you mine."
Well, if she was offering to engage in a duel right now, Hook supposed he couldn’t say no. He never turned down such things; it was in his blood, in addition to a great love for the sea. That beauty he feared he’d never see again now that he was stuck here, but he pushed those thoughts aside to focus on the present moment.
“Of course, my lady,” he tipped his chin, an incline, a gesture of agreement. “If you meant now, I’m most certainly ready. Lead the way.” Killian doubted she wanted to duel in the lobby of the sheriff’s station. Or perhaps she did? That might also be…intriguing.
Attempted flirtations and hand kissing she couldn't readily parry, but a duel was something Diana could handle well. She strode past him and outside, glancing around as she'd done while patrolling with Emma and looking for thick branches to stand in for swords.
"I'm still in the middle of acquiring a blade," she admitted, testing the heft of a branch with her right hand. "The other reason why I have not yet properly begun. Did you arrive with your weapons?" Satisfied, she took a ready stance. "Whenever you are ready."
“Are you?” the Captain asked politely, with a hint of amusement, and drew the blade sheathed in its scabbard at his hip. But of course he wasn’t going to duel against a branch with his actual sword, this duel would last two seconds. It went back into its holding a moment later, and he picked up the branch instead because before he wouldn’t have given a fuck about a fair fight, but he’d learned a thing or two. “Well, yes, my weapons arrived with me. Fitting a sword to a person can be tricky. I’m sure you’ve got it under control, but if not, I can always offer a few tips.”
It was nice to offer. Ever the gentleman, he parried in a graceful circular maneuver that was all in the wrist - it was merely a precise attempt to knock the branch from her hand, which was something fencers did, by parrying and then easing into the defense to block the next potential attack.
Diana had actually been looking forward to the challenge of fighting against a proper sword once there was no longer a desk separating the two of them and she could see Killian properly. "No need to do me any favors," she remarked, in the brightest of spirits she'd displayed since they'd begun talking, now that a fight was imminent.
She saw his parry, judging the circumference of the movement once he began it with the slightest of movements, and followed with a feint and lunge. This was Diana's element, where she was happiest. Aiming the end of her branch for the right side of his solar plexus, she kept her eyes up to assess his response.
He grinned broadly, a brief glimpse of polished white teeth, and deflected the would-be slash - if he’d had his sword it would have been a clank and a flash of silver, but now it was more like crack - and the hook which was his other hand, he swiped with that too in a dangerous whoosh of air, putting force behind it, though didn't have any plans to make anyone bleed. That was just rude. But she obviously knew what she was doing - he did too, and was quick; the pirate wielded the weapons with a certain grace and poise rather than with a clunky lack of confidence.
"We’ll wait ‘til you get a proper blade, love," he chuckled, faking left before slashing right, bringing his branch down toward hers.
Diana could tell now that he was very capable, his actions backing up his earlier words, and she blocked his hook with one of her bracers and hit his branch away with the other before following with a series of quick jabs meant to test his agility and balance. It was easy work for her, she wasn't exerting a lot of effort as she was sure she could best him, but the pet name drew her ire.
"My name is Diana," she said as she swung her branch against his again, intending to disarm, meeting it with more force than before. "I would prefer you use it."
Hook could go all night, as the lady would soon find out - in this capacity, strictly with swordfighting, however. “Well, since you prefer it,” he grunted as he swung his arm around - the one with the hook, not holding the branch - and jammed it down (he had nice, sharp elbows) to attempt to break the connection between her hand and her own weapon, since disarmament was the name of the game. He supposed he could have used a foot too, but eh. He kept his branch in hand, ending with the tip pointed at her as if beckoning.
“Then Diana it is. No disrespect intended, of course. Though I can tell you like me a little.” Killian would be brightening her days from here on out, wasn’t it grand?
She couldn't help the fact that it was surprisingly nice to spend a bit of time with someone else who was potentially immortal and skilled at this sort of fighting, a nice change of pace from the others she'd encountered so far, despite his personality. Diana brought her free hand up and out, once again meeting his hook with one of her bracers before he was able to use it to disarm her. The bracers handicapped her power substantially, though they certainly were useful in situations like these.
"The word 'like' is relative in this situation, I assure you." Knocking his branch aside with her own, she raised her eyebrows challengingly. "Feel free to give me your best, please. All the better to understand how we may teach together."
His snark and sass and flirtatious demeanor aside, the Captain really did enjoy a good duel. Especially now. This woman was frightening, but in a good way - she was like an Amazon warrior, and perhaps she could have single-handedly headed up all the patrols and the fighting classes, but there was something about teamwork here, some lesson, hell if he knew. So even more than before, he was glad he’d come in for a chance to join the bloody hero squad.
“Well, since you said please,” Hook replied easily, arm brought back around, going along with this song and dance - dueling really was like a dance, all graceful fluid moves. He maintained a grip on the branch but his body didn't flinch awkwardly, it twisted in a move that almost could have been planned. If he had flinched, it could have been a split second for the opponent to get a hit in - no, he was almost always calculating and preparing; in a duel, your mind had to be as sharp as the blade you wielded. As stupidly 'zen' as that sounded. “And I’m quite likeable, you know. You and I would make fantastic friends, Lady Diana.” That wasn’t offensive, was it? “I’m also stubborn and persistent.” Hence why he hadn’t given up on this yet, even though she was working all his muscles!
But yes, teaching together? First lesson? “I’m fond of the element of surprise,” he said, as he turned quickly to face her - and managed to hook around the branch with the aforementioned weapon on his hand, and yanked.
Diana could see how a person could find Hook to be ‘quite likeable,’ as he’d put it, or even charming. She could also see how commenting as such could, potentially, go to his head. The way he commented on a possible friendship between the two of them as though it were a given made that all too clear. It wasn’t as though she were against the possibility of an alliance, either; she just wanted it to be on her terms.
At the very least, he’d more than proven that he could hold his own against her, demonstrating both the stubbornness and persistence but also his ability to help the others in Marrowood. He’d been able to catch her stand-in blade, too, and the impact as she stumbled forward caused her arm to knock against his hook.
The impact was bearable, and it was easier to shrug off those sorts of things when she knew that her healing was accelerated, but as she stepped back, she glanced down and saw that the faint bruising wasn’t beginning to fade away. She furrowed her brow slightly, perplexed but not wanting to call off the duel until a winner had been decided, and shook her head to try and dismiss it. “Point to you, then, Killian,” she said as she took her ready stance once again.
He hadn’t meant to bruise her, but the fact of the matter was, during a duel, someone was likely to get cut. Or otherwise injured. Bruises were fairly commonplace, and whomever he took on as his students in the class he taught (such a strange concept, teaching anything), well, they’d have to accept it - and be a bit hardy. But obviously the lady wasn’t used to such things - built like a tank, no doubt - but for him, the unease was simply a weakness to take advantage of.
Every fighter had a weakness, he would teach this, and you had to become adept at quickly spotting what it was, soon identifying it would become nearly second nature - whether it was a bad knee, or short legs, or whatever else. For him, the hook might be viewed as a weakness. If he didn’t know how to best utilize it in a fight.
All it took was that split second. By the time she’d readied her stance again, he’d gone in for the kill. The branch cracked against hers once more, a flick and twist of his wrist, using those few precious half seconds to gain the upper hand for disarmament - or at least that was the goal.
“I have a feeling you’ve been training a long while, Lady Diana.”
Bruises, cuts, and scrapes were part of warfare, something Diana accepted as a faint connection to mortality. Serious injuries could take a while to heal, but a small injury like this should have been taken care of by this point. She hadn’t had recent reason to test whether her healing was still functioning, aside from just now, so it was unclear whether this was just a one-time incident, perhaps the bruising was more significant than she’d first thought, or if she was being affected in some way.
There wasn’t enough time to think about this in depth, though, and Diana could tell that he was aiming to disarm. She met the strike easily, following it up with a step forward as she feinted, then thrusted the point of her branch forward against his chest. “Nearly my whole life, until very recently.”
Oop, now that would have drawn some blood! The Captain attempted to recover as quick as he was able; her strike was met with his, a parrying maneuver, and by now Killian had enough practice at swordfighting to be able to discern the pattern of the duel - whomever it was with - quite rapidly. Finding the pattern and flow from one move to the next meant you could use that to control your opponent. And he was learning quite a bit about Lady Diana here today, right now.
A crash of branches had them hooked together, a loop of arms, and his teeth glinted wolfishly at the sound of it, the rush of adrenaline and the shift of muscle under skin he could feel. A tangled web, but he didn't mind so much. "Do you manage to fit in a good time here and there or are you simply in training every moment of every day?" he inquired.
Diana managed to keep her voice and breath steady as she responded, despite the physical exertion. “Before I came here, the majority of my fighting was hand-to-hand.” Now wasn’t the time to get into the details, especially not the whole debacle with Darkseid. “But I do -- did -- train at my home when I got the chance. I kept a busy schedule before I arrived here.”
Their branches clashed together once more, as they met each other’s moves in a steady rhythm. Killian proved to be a talented swordfighter, something she could respect about him despite the way he’d first acted. It wasn’t too long until she caught him, though, her branch to his throat.
Stepping backward and dropping her branch, Diana ran her fingers over the bruise on her upper arm. He’d landed another blow in the same area only a few moments ago, causing her to realize that the healing still hadn’t occurred. “I need a moment to investigate something,” she said, her voice calm despite the implications of her lack of healing. “Have you found that you’ve had any abilities… changed or capped since arriving here?”
Lucky for him, the lady didn’t slice his throat! A bit difficult with a branch, however, which was actually a positive thing considering Hook wanted to live to see another day. “By all means,” he rasped, and then stepped back from her to allow her to examine what she wanted. Lady Diana and her ways of getting his heart racing, and he’d have made a quip about it, however, for one thing she didn’t seem to appreciate his humor (not that it would stop him in the future) and for another, she was asking him something.
A draw, then. He seemed to have effectively showcased his swordfighting prowess, and demonstrated that he’d be an adequate teacher. “I haven’t, but it makes sense that abilities would be limited here,” he said, standing with his makeshift bladed weapon as something to lean on instead. A long, lithe leather-clad figure; he could an interesting picture, at least. “Otherwise people would just poof away, wouldn’t they?”
The Hatter probably didn’t have his handy portal-creating bit of fashion in full, tip-top use either. “The town likely wants to keep people around for something. What that is, no one knows.”
Diana nodded vaguely, her gaze focused still on the bruise. “I saw something about magic acting up, I think, on the devices, so I suppose it’s not too much of a reach to suspect that the same thing is occurring for me.” She touched the spot again, pressing carefully, before she brought her eyes up to meet Killian’s again.
She didn’t like to lead with ‘I have superhuman abilities’ when she first met people, but that rule had quickly gone out the window here in Marrowood once she realized that she could try to help in some way. She had talked about her flying to a few people, even demonstrated it in front of Babydoll in an attempt to see above the tree level, too. Conscious of the fact that she was likely not making much sense yet, Diana added, “I typically heal very quickly. Something like this --” She gestured to the bruise. “It would have been gone by now.”
When it came to magic and superhuman abilities, Hook didn’t need much explanation. He got the gist rather quickly, considering his origins. It wasn’t always magic that granted individuals with extra powers and the like. A good portion of the time, yes, but not always. “You’re a warrior, of course you heal quickly,” he grinned crookedly, the expression reaching his eyes. “There must be something in the air here or...well, I know it sounds silly, but I believe people when they say the town is sentient.”
He stepped closer, and offered a slight bow at the waist, gentlemanly ‘til the end. “Do be careful, my lady. It was a pleasure dueling with you and I’m sure we’ll get more practice in soon.” As for him, he was used to bumps and bruises and brokenness. He always had a way of surviving despite all that though, didn’t he.
Diana was almost surprised by his lack of surprise, but then she remembered that he was from the same place as Emma and thus had likely experienced the same sorts of magical disasters that she had. It was admittedly nice, talking to a person who didn’t make a big deal out of that sort of thing.
“I don’t think it sounds silly at all.” A sentient town, at least one that had control over its inhabitants, it sounded much like hell -- which she knew from too much experience. “It was indeed.” Killian had proven to be more than she’d bargained for initially, and she was sure she would see more of him in the future -- at least, if he got his way. “I look forward to the next one.”