How do You Solve a Problem like Meira?

[redlightgreenlight]

Characters: Valdis and some open
Date: August 2018 (ish)
Location: Around Aifaran
Situation: Various
Warnings/Rating: In Headers


Valdis was tired. Between the return of the Narrakra and the discovery she could return ruins to complete something would have been bad enough without the memory of the visions or what she had seen soul-walking inside that corpse. Aside from that, the knowledge that she could move the Void with more power than she believed had sparked a new determination to harness its power without fear. The events of the last week had been eventful, what with the short term Dreamfolk that had arrived only to vanish once the damage had been done. Admittedly most of them hadn’t left much of a mark, but some had. She hoped that things would calm down for a few weeks at least.

Comments

[redlightgreenlight]

Contrary to X's horror, Valdis laughed, taking the hilt and waving him away.

"Don't touch them," she scolded lightly, "You might lose some pieces."

She knelt down, dropping the hilt among the shards. The blade had broken so similarly to Genesis. Some large shards and some small, but none so tiny that they had vanished into the grass. She held out her hand, laying it on the largest shards like she had the bones on the Narrakra. Focus. Valdis closed her eyes, feeling the connections between the shards and picturing what it once looked like in her mind. The last was different from the events on board that ship, but perhaps it would help.

The wooden sword slowly began to reassemble itself.

[psituational]

X obeyed her instruction and gesture without objection, but with a great deal of confusion. Had she been joking, before? Did she actually carve the sword herself?

Then the confusion vanished, to be replaced with shock and awe. It looked like telekinesis, but X didn't remember anything about Valdis having that ability. Her talent, then? But no, it couldn't just be telekinesis, because there wouldn't be any point to this -- the sword would still be broken.

X dropped to his knees, the better to see what she was doing. "You can fix it?" he asked quietly.

[redlightgreenlight]

The wooden pieces seemed to move as if time had reversed, just as with how she healed, the shards moved seamlessly together, until the blade looked as if it had never been broken.

"Yes," she replied when she was finished, "I think it will hold, but I haven't done this often."

Valdis picked up the sword and smiled when it didn't fall apart, "Looks like we are opposites in yet another facet of life," she commented, "Though this one is perhaps a bit unexpected."

[psituational]

"Restoration," X breathed, his gaze fixed on the repaired sword as he finally made the connection about the branch of talent Valdis possessed. He exhaled slowly, then smiled, small but fierce. "I think it suits you."

She was right about it being unexpected, but at least for Valdis, it made a poetic sort of sense. If that meant admitting it must make a poetic sort of sense for X to have a destruction talent, then... well, he wouldn't be averse to admitting that. Just mildly disappointed in himself.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis rolled her eyes, "At least I can try to fix what I break."

She didn't know how long the sword would hold together. It was possible it would be fine, but she didn't have enough practice or knowledge to be sure.

"I should get these back to the Dojo," she continued, "we can practice self defense again later." She eyed the blade, "Maybe without the swords for a bit."

[psituational]

"That's not what I --" X stopped, because that was exactly what he meant, and he shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Alright, yes, but I prefer to think of it as a chance for redemption. A demonstration that breaking things is not your only skill."

He wasn't sure if he could say the same for himself and his destruction talent, but at least practising with it made it feel less like a burden or a handicap.

X nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Out of curiosity, though, how much later is 'later'?"

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis gathered both blades, throwing a sly smirk in X's direction, "It's just the one I enjoy most."

It was a lie he would likely notice. It may have been true once upon a time, but her affinity for chaos, her talent for disruption, wasn't something she felt pride in.

"I have time next week," she added, "And we can do this weekly if you wish. I do expect you to practice in between sessions though."

[psituational]

It's just the one I enjoy most. X laughed; he wouldn't argue with that. She was wrong, of course, and she knew it, but X had already pointed out the alternative. What she did with her Restoration talent after that was up to her.

"Weekly," X repeated, testing the concept out loud. He shook his head, amused at himself. "Alright. Weekly. I'm surprised you started with swords at all, to be honest. What sort of situation would I find myself in where I have access to a sword?"

[redlightgreenlight]

"I just wanted to see if you picked up any skills from when you read my history," Valdis replied, "I suppose memory of something doesn't make it possible to perform."

X did seem teachable though, mostly because of his willingness to learn.

"We're going to focus more on self-defense than attack, you don't need to be on the front lines."

Anything to keep him from ending up like the Fool.