#>;ask

[heartlyre]

“I won’t go easy on you.”

because training prompts are my JAM – accepting

      Oh, ouch. 

      She should have been better prepared for that, she thinks; frost coats her from head to toe, icing up her bangs, clinging to her through her clothes, leaving her feeling like she’s been frozen solid from the inside out. ( ice skills. her weak spot. ) 

        ✤ - “I—-I wouldn’t… expect you to, Kirijo-senpai,” she gasps, fighting to keep her teeth from chattering even as cold air scrapes like knives against her lungs. It’s been months since she’d first joined SEES, but it seems taking a spell from one’s opposing alignment never gets easier — every part of her feels sluggish, and her heart feels like it’s been sculpted from ice where it beats in her chest. Which is why it’s so dangerous for her to have an actual test of skill against her upperclassman, weapons, Personae, and all…

      … but that’s also why it’s so dangerous for Mitsuru to be fighting against her. 

      ( and at least in this situation, they can always stop. Dia skills never run the risk of coming too late after an ally has fallen. not here in the relative safety of their rooftop ring. )

      She lunges. The blade of her naginata swings in a wide arc at Mitsuru’s feet, and her Evoker comes to her temple with her off-hand in the same smooth movement. All she needs is a second or two. 

       ✤ - “—-Orpheus!” 

[heartlyre]

“Quit going easy on me.”

because training prompts are my JAM – accepting

        ✤ - “……” 

      Yeah, that’s fair. She’s surprised it’s taken him this long to say something about it, honestly; they’ve been up on the roof for at least half of the Dark Hour by now, and he’s huffing and puffing and red-faced while she’s barely even broken a sweat. He’s still learning, after all, still new to the Dark Hour and to its effects — between how young he is, how tired he is, and just how large his spear is compared to him, she can see all of his moves coming a mile away. It doesn’t take much to block his attacks. It takes even less to get her hockey stick in under his defenses and leave light taps against him where he’s left wide open. 

      But on the other hand, she can’t just fight him. She’s got months of experience and several years of growth on him; even one of her attacks could really hurt him. He has to know that, too. He’s seen what she can do to a Shadow when she gets the drop on it, and he’s seen how her sparring opponents come off the rooftop by the end of the Dark Hour, bruised and beaten. ( she can still vividly remember what it felt like when she looked like that. the last thing she wants is to inflict that on a child. )

      She observes him for a moment, the deep red of her eyes searching him. ( it’s really difficult to tell, sometimes, if that sense of resolve he has is genuine, or if it’s just his misplaced pride. )  The silence stretches out. Her lips press together. 

      And then Hamuko sighs, sweeping slender fingers up through her hair. 

        ✤ - “Okay,” she hedges. A tentative smile curves at her lips, as if in encouragement --- though if it’s for him or for her is hard to say. “Only on two conditions, though; you have to stop to heal yourself if I hurt you, and only for one round. Sanada-senpai is right when he says that part of training is knowing when to be done for the day — we can pick back up again tomorrow after some rest. Understood?”

[heartlyre]

“I won’t go easy on you.”

because training prompts are my JAM – accepting

        ✤ - “Oof… yeah, I can tell. Jeez, Toto-chan.” She gripes. Getting into a mock-fight had been Hamuko’s idea, sure — seemed like now was as good a time as any to refresh what little hand-to-hand skills she remembered — but that last jab had had some real swing to it. She’s lucky she’d retained just enough muscle memory from sparring with Akihiko to dodge. 

      But even as she complains, there’s still a familiar competitive light flaring to life in her eyes, a smirk rising to her lips. He’s only just got back. They’ve both got something to prove here. 

       ✤ - “Alright, if that’s how it’s gonna be —” 

[heartlyre]

"Try again."

because training prompts are my JAM – accepting

      Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus up. Keep yourself standing tall, but ready to move. ( ignore that ache setting up in your legs — that’s definitely going to bruise tomorrow. turns out that a hockey stick is still pretty painful, even if it’s a ‘safe’ substitute for her naginata… )

     A single shake of her head, to clear it. A deep inhale as she brings herself back to her feet, taking her battle stance. She’s not going to have this kind of time to ready herself in a fight, she knows; it’s only due to Mitsuru’s grace that she’s waiting for Hamuko to give the go-ahead and continue their sparring. But she’s got to get this down. Going into battle with a weapon you can’t wield without hitting yourself with is only marginally better than fighting without a weapon at all. 

      ( a pang of guilt, there and gone. it’s not like it’s Mitsuru’s fault that Hamuko is struggling with this… ) 

      One more breath. Then she nods, bracing herself for what comes next. 

        ✤ - “Okay. Your move, Kirijo-senpai.”

[heartlyre]

( rcdiohecd ) “ If we die tomorrow, I want you to know that you were the best thing to ever happen to me. ”

sentence and symbol starters – accepting

      Stunned into silence, it’s all Hamuko can do not to burst into immediate tears as she reaches for Alex’s hands across the table. ( which is not comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, by the way — these seemingly cozy Disney tables outside the restaurants are just a little too big. ) There’s so much that she wants to say, so many half-formed thoughts swept up amid a tide of raw emotion, and all of it building right in the center of her chest where she can feel her heart suddenly beating in double time. 

      The clearest thought: ‘I can’t lose you too.’ Not after Mitsuru, or Henry, or Kirigiri. Not with Narukami acting the way he is, and definitely not after all Alex has done to help her. ( Hamuko’s pretty sure that that discoloration on the inside of Alex’s jacket sleeve is from blood, and none of it Alex’s. ) They have to stick together. They have to survive. 

      But Alex knows that already. 

        ✤ - “…Thank you,” she eventually whispers. “And… I’m sorry. That we never got to know each other outside of this. I think… I would have loved to be your friend.”

[heartlyre]

♦ to slide a drink towards my muse (It's a grape Monta can.) "Man ya look tired as hell. Ya should charge up with this."

sentence and symbol starters – accepting

       ✤ - “Aha… thanks….” She is exhausted, which very much shows in the glazed-over look in her eye as she flashes a grin at him —— and then cracks open the can and finishes the whole thing in one go. It’s not coffee, but it’ll do. “’I just stayed up a little too late doing homework, y’know?”

      Only partially true; they both know damn well the real reason she’s so tired. And so is Ryuji, she’ll bet — hadn’t that been another can of the same drink in his other hand? — but it’s not like they can just come out and say ‘hey, yeah, turns out being a Phantom Thief is a lot more draining than expected’ during school hours. So she just smiles, claps her hands against her cheeks in an ( attempted ) wake up slap, and continues to fantasize about the coffee she’s planning to order at Sojiro’s.

      ✤ - “Remind me to get you back, kay? Maybe after school?”

[heartlyre]

“Rage will only get you so far, grandma.”

sentence and symbol starters – accepting

        “Oh, but it doesn’t have to get me far.” 

       “JUST FAR ENOUGH FOR THIS ‘GRANDMA’ TO KICK YOUR ASS.’