&& — * catharsis
simple. standard. should be easy, right?
a mantra she repeats anytime she goes into the danger room for a regulated practice session. regulated, as in there’s a staff member to monitor of course and the ai itself is entirely functional, more than enough to prevent injury from the simulation— because that’s all it is, a simulation and yet fleur’s heart races at an alarming rate.
no need to speak, it shows. rosy lips pressed tightly together, the subtle movement whenever she thickly swallows, but, mainly, it’s how fleur zones out in thought just before. how does one mentally prepare for a room that can come up with essentially any situation and make it so realistic anyway? it’s as if the room has a superpower of its own. illusions, she’s sure she’s met someone who had the same ability so it exists. the room is another reminder of that too, just how many different abilities exist and how she might one day have to defend herself ( or worse, someone else not because she wouldn’t want to but it’s the responsibility, the guilt if she fails ) against them.
honestly, all she still wants is to be able to completely protect someone from herself. what she fails at is the first step to doing that, rather than focusing on how she can protect others, she fails at defending herself. it’s nearly through, she’s so convinced of it. a machine that has a power similar to hers, controlled bursts of energy ( and, yes, she’s a little jealous ) that shoot at her and she’s thankful she can harness that energy for her own use.
but it happens all too quickly, another appears just as she’s gathering energy, temperature quickly rising for her to send off and destroy the first, detonation over deflagration. simple, right?
the truth is, it’s never easy. it never should be, and it’s a split second she has to try and separate her focus, to control the energy she has control of and to stop the incoming blast. muddled thoughts that can’t merge together or gain clarity so she lets go of the first too late, utilizes it as a defense too late.
she’s sent crashing, tumbling backwards, and everything fades to black.
