insurmountable | how could i ever forget // outside the morning was cool and wet

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how could i ever forget // outside the morning was cool and wet

[It's not often Ajax finds himself getting his head slammed down onto the hood of a car, least of all a cop car. Usually it's him doing the slamming.

But today the young man finds himself denting the hood, the sound of metal caving in under his head ringing in his ears. Not exactly the ideal situation he was hoping for, but he figured sooner or later he'd have a run in with the cops due to the sensitive nature of his profession, but that doesn't mean he has to like how inconsiderate they are with him as they cuff him and throw him in the back of the paddy wagon. Not that he was considerate to them when he was discovered, as evidenced by the blood all over his clothing and knuckles from the fight he'd gotten into with them. How he managed to avoid getting shot is beyond him- plenty of shots were fired, but that hadn't stopped him from knocking a few of them out.

It's just too bad he'd been instructed that he couldn't kill anyone, or else he'd of gotten out of there without being caught.

The lights of the police station are bright, almost too bright from the contrast of how dark it was outside. Ajax squints as he's dragged inside, held tightly by two cops who hurry him through the station, but not fast enough that he doesn't catch a glimpse of the secretary behind the desk as they come in. Pretty, blonde, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Gorgeous eyes, ones that catch his attention almost immediately as he's being shoved towards the back, shining with a radiance that captures him instantly. His eyes lock with hers, feeling something silent yet powerful surge through him from this tiny, insignificant interaction. He doesn't even have a moment to think further on it, before he's so rudely interrupted.

Get moving.

The curt voice of the bigger cop on his right cuts through the moment, anger welling up in Ajax's chest and something dark stirs in his core. If he wasn't cuffed and being restrained, he'd turn that guy's face into a new work of art, something so abstract some insane art collector would gladly pay millions for it.

No sooner had Ajax been ushered in, he disappears from sight as he's taken back into an interrogation room, the mysterious blonde no longer in his sights, now getting shoved into a corner of a room.]

What's with this? Don't you even have the courtesy of giving me a chair to sit in, at least?

[From outside of the room, muffled noises of a scuffle as the cops lay into Ajax can be heard, the loudest of which is a thud of a body slamming into a wall, accompanied by a groan from the ginger kid. Though little do any of them know, their real problems haven't arrived just yet, waking from their slumber right outside of the city...]

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[Looks like he got under her skin a little! He's smirking through the little bratty rant of hers, proud of himself that he was able to figure out (with a little help and demonstration from Yoimiya) how to finally use his own power. Now, they won't have to worry too much about hoping that the power would come to them when they need it, it'll just be able to-]

Hm?

[This thought process gets cut short, looking down when she mentions that there's a glowing under his shirt. He can see it, how his mark has grown and is glowing under his shirt- to which he pulls off almost immediately to reveal the fading glow of the now half-formed goldfish on his chest.]

That's...

[Hanabi....]

[ Yoimiya's eyes are glued to him as he strips himself of his shirt, ~~totally not because she wants to admire those chef's kiss worthy pecs of his~~ she easily surmises the glow is emitting from the mark itself but it's the why that's a mystery to her.

Once the shirt comes off, she's greeted with a sight neither of them expected. The mark is no longer just a tail and has now, taken the shape of a half a goldfish. ]

It's Hanabi!!!

[ Okay, the fish pattern doesn't necessarily mean the mark is Hanabi but let this girl live in her fantasy land even for a little bit, the goldfish is important in her mind...

Crazy Yoimiya tangent to the side, how does one begin with this??? She's got questions out the wazoo, questions that she can't inquire because Ajax doesn't know any more than she does. ]

Do you feel any different?

[There's a part of him that can't believe what he's seeing. He knew he had a fish tail of some sort, but the partial reveal of it now seals his fate. Ajax knows from here on out, she's never, ever going to let him live it down.]

Well...not really. Other than finally being able to use my armor, I feel exactly the same.

[And as the glow of the mark fades completely, he stands still, confused.]

At least having Hanabi as my mark makes a little bit of sense. It's another proof that you and I are extrinsically linked to each other in some way, as if our relationship to each other because of it didn't already make it obvious...

[ On one hand, it's for the best he can't feel anything, the last they need is the monster inside of him pulling some crazy stunts with his body. She feels relieved but still, extremely confused by this turn of events. Ajax is right, they are inexplicably connected from the moment they first laid eyes on each other. Something, or someone, keeps pulling on the strings of their fate, bringing them together. ]

Yeah, you've never been connected with goldfish so there's really no denying that fate, destiny, what-have-you, keeps linking us together. [ Suddenly, a thought dawns on her ] Wait...

[ Yoimiya was so caught up with her attempts to summon her little fire fish that she didn't even notice anything taking shape on her body. She quickly pulls off her shirt without thinking, and would you know it, her chest now harbors a half-formed shape of a whale. ]

Oh, that's definitely part of a whale.

Edited (what is grammar) 2024-10-20 21:38 (UTC)

[Ajax's eyes immediately land on her brand, now looking a bit more filled in now that the body of a whale has partially been imprinted on her. He was pretty positive it was a whale tail the first time they'd examined each other's marks, but now there was no doubt- his was a goldfish and hers was a whale.]

Huh...why did they expand now? Was it because we've grasped a hold of our own power?

[It's the only thing that makes sense to him in the moment...both of them managed to control a portion of their magic, power, or whatever it is.]

And here I thought we'd solved a mystery, only to be presented with another one. At least this one isn't as pressing.

[ That makes sense to her. Maybe once they master one power, they'll have more in their arsenal? She hopes that's the case anyhow. The whole thing is puzzling but as long as it means they've become proficient with their magic, she won't complain. Her insatiable appetite for sex seems to have also vanished today, she's not sure if that is also connected but that's a win in her book. ]

That's true; at least we can take our time to figure this out. The most important thing is to get our powers under control so we'll have plenty of ammo to fight the monsters with.

[ And they will need all the help they can get. She hates to think about the monsters getting stronger too, that's the last thing they need on their plate. ]

I'm also quite curious about your connection with whales. You already know about my admiration for goldfish, so you acquiring a goldfish mark because of me makes sense. I feel like that dream you told me about has to mean something.

...Yeah...

[What could it mean? It's a question he's asked himself more than once, over and over.]

I too, wonder often what it could possibly mean. I'd always thought it just a strange dream that always stuck with me but...now, I wonder if there's more to it.

[Now that it's branded onto Yoimiya, and it's clear their marks are related to each other somehow, he can't really write it off. It was easy not to think about it all that hard, but he can't ignore it now. Ajax hopes that the answers will come sooner rather than later, but of course, that's never how things work.]

Unfortunately, I don't think things will shake themselves out here anytime soon. For now, I'm happy that we've got a little more firepower on our side. Relying on desperate situations would've eventually ended one of our lives. I think we should do a little bit of training while we're here...we already know that our powers can't hurt each other. What do you say?

[ It's not very often that a dream is so profound that it sticks. Seeing a whale doesn't sound special on paper, she gets why he'd try to brush it off as just a strange dream up till now. But, naturally, there's more to it than what meets the eye, especially now that she's gained what is obviously a whale brand. She's not sure what to make of it either, and obviously, there are no conclusions she can draw when Ajax is someone she's still getting to know.

What a mess they've found themselves in. With any luck, she hopes they'll get to the bottom of this mystery soon, for his sake. This dream sounds like it's been bothering him for a long while, and will probably confound him even more after today.

Come to think of it... what exactly was that dream she had last night? But before she dwells on that thought, she perks up at his suggestion to train. ]

Yeah! This will give me a chance to show off my might and kick your butt a lil for being a stinky brat.

[ Pot calling the kettle black is strong with this one. Grinning, Yoimiya gets into position with her cute goldfish companion at her side, she still doesn't have a weapon but that won't stop her from taking whatever Ajax dishes out. ]

Don't go easy on me, okay? I still haven't had any luck summoning the bow but a hands-on demonstration might be what I need.

Now what kind of training would it be if I didn't at least push you a little bit?

[Ajax laughs, taking his own fighting stance against hers. He's not really sure how much hand-to-hand combat Yoimiya's experienced in her life, but he guesses he's about to find out. His stance leads with his armored left arm- still swirling with chaotic, abyssal energy- and he grins at her from the small distance apart from each other.]

But I don't think your little goldfish there is going to help you. Swimming around and looking cute isn't a combat technique.

[The taunt is plain and simple, and just to add to the insult, Ajax beckons her to come at him first. He wants to see how she'd even begin an assault.]

[ First Hanabi and now, her new friend? What did goldfish ever do to him???? His taunts work like a charm. Yoimiya stands there flabbergasted, puffing her cheeks out at him, and looking offended for a few moments. She briefly turns her attention to the fish and proceeds to talk to it some more......... ]

Don't let him get to you, I'll protect your honor! In the meantime, you take your time figuring things out and when you're ready, get him when he least expects it and make this guy pay for disrespecting you.

[ Because clearly, the goldfish is super offended by Ajax's taunt as it... swims around in the air, looking adorable with its bright flickering flame. That's the face of a fish that got its feelings hurt. Clearly.

Not willing to take this sitting down, Yoimiya gets easily baited into his taunt and begins the spar by rushing at him. With both fists in the air, she attempts to swing at his unarmored arm with her right hand. ]

This is for Hanabi!

[Well, how he ended up with a girl who talks to fish like they understand her, he doesn't know...but that's what he's got. At least it's pretty cute to get her all worked up like that. He'll keep annoying her like this until the end of time if she'll let him. ^^

Ajax's eyes easily follow Yoimiya's movement, laughing as he pivots his right side out of the way to keep his left arm and side facing her, dodging her attack.]

You can do better than that, can't you? Wildly swinging at me like that isn't going to do much of anything. Here, let me give you somewhere to hit.

[He opens up his solar plexus right to her- grinning at her as if she has no chance of hitting it. He's got a feeling Yoimiya's never been in a fist fight before...]

[ This guy... first he disrespects her fish and now, her fighting stance??? Tbf, his assumption of her skills is correct, this girl has never been in a fist fight but that's not about to stop her, especially not when he's taunting her like a brat.

As expected, he dodges like a pro. His quick maneuver is a little frustrating but nothing compares to the annoyance of him blatantly taunting her with his solar plexus wide open. ]

Are you normally like this around girls? Bratty, annoying, and full of hot air?

[ Instead of going for the obvious trap he has set for her, she takes her leg and gives his ankles a good swipe to try and throw him off his rhythm. ]

Hey!!!

[He has to drag his feet back against the dirt floor as he quickly dodges another attack from Yoimiya. That was close, going after his ankles like that! What a mean girl.]

I just like a little fighting talk is all, hahaha. What, you don't like it?

[And to prove her point, he sticks his tongue right at her, making the silliest face he can while he lets her take another swing at him.]

[ Darn, she almost got him with that sneak attack. But it's fine, she keeps swiping at his ankles. She might not come out the winner but if she can get him to land on his butt, that's a victory in her book. ]

Oh, I don't mind fighting tall in the slightest, especially if it means I get to wipe that smug smirk off your face.

[ and just to see what happens, she raises her fist to aim for his open chest... only to reach over and pinch his nose. ]

[He continues to scootch backwards at every swipe of his ankles, until he finally feels his back hit the wall behind him. Whoops, guess he was too busy taunting her to realize that he'd gotten so close to the wall. That means when she goes in to hit him, he's only got a limited amount of places he can go, but-

-turns out she was just going for his nose anyway. He closes his eyes the second he realizes her hand is slowing down not to hit him, but pinch his nose between her fingers. Playfully, he tries to blow out some air through it, but of course to no avail as it's closed shut- forcing his eyes to open with amusement.]

Your fiery disposition truly matches your powers, Yoimiya.

[No wonder it was so easy to like her, so easy to fall into bed with her under the influence of their marks...she's kind of great.]

Want me to teach you how to really come at your opponents? I think you'd do well with a class or two under your belt.

[ Might not have been the punch out she was hoping for but Yoimiya is satisfied knowing she backed this brat into a corner and gave him the nose pinching he deserves. That one was for Hanabi! Grinning from ear to ear, she sticks her tongue out at him as he futility blows air from his nose. She sits on her tip toes, moving her hand from his face to smush his hair. That one is for her new goldfish friend. ]

Oh? Does this mean I'll learn how to kick your butt underneath your training?

[ Well, there's only one answer this firey girl can give. ]

Absolutely! Wouldn't hurt to learn extra methods of defending myself when I can't summon the bow.

[ Summoning a bright, purple bow in a crowded street just screams trouble. ]

Edited (Pressed send too early) 2024-10-28 20:42 (UTC)

[With his hair tousled now and his nose pinched, he smiles in amusement back at her, loving how she rises to meet the challenge he's presented. She thinks she can kick his butt...he finds that endearing, and he's happy that she wants to learn. It's like someone expressing interest in one's favorite hobby- something you don't take for granted and hope they come to love as much as you do.]

That's a good attitude. With that, hopefully there will be times where you don't need to rely on that bow to defeat your enemies.

[Pushing himself off the wall now, he ponders on what to teach Yoimiya first. Probably some basic stances and how to throw a punch without breaking your wrist sort of things.]

It won't be easy, and if you're ready, we can start now. I can't really train properly with you if you don't know much about combat anyway, and there's no telling if the monsters after us will be even more powerful than the ones we've dealt with before.

I'm ready as ever! This might sound a little embarrassing but you're right, I don't know much about fighting. So, starting off with the basics sounds like the best way to go about it.

[ Yoimiya sends a glance over at her new firey fish pal swimming around in the air. After some nodding and a yeah muttered under her breath, she turns her full attention to Ajax. ]

Goldfish friend says she'd like to learn to fight as well.

[ There's a lot to unpack here. How does she know the fish's gender? Why is she under the impression it wants to fight? Who knows. Yoimiya is a breed of her own. ]

[Ajax's eyes flick over to the goldfish...he still doesn't get how she thinks she understands them, fire-based or organic. Part of him wants to ask, but part of him thinks that whatever answer he gets is going to be as unhinged and weird as he imagines it would be. Maybe it's best to leave that one alone, for now.]

Alright...I'm not really sure what I can teach her, but I can teach someone with arms and legs. Let her know to just pay attention and interpret it in her own way.

[It's a her then?????]

Here, go ahead and stand in a sturdy position, as sturdy as you think. I'll show you why your stance isn't as sturdy as you think it is.

[ It's a her!

At least he isn't making of her this time, looks like he's finally coming around on goldfish. Yoimiya excitedly looks over at her friend, nodding her head and motioning for the fish to follow her lead. And it does! By swimming over in the most adorable manner. ]

Okay! I'm not sure I know what I'm doing. Hmm... how is this?

[ She get into fighting position, holdig up both of her fists like she's about ready to throw hands. The fish is right there with her, holding up her.... fins. ]

[Ajax waits for the both of them to take their stances, doing his best to keep a straight face at Yoimiya's stance and wondering how on earth a fire familiar can put up its fins as its fists. Yep...this'll take some work.]

Okay, try not to fall over, now.

[With both hands, armored and non-armored, he gives Yoimiya a healthy shove right against her shoulders, to test and see how good her stance actually is.

He doesn't touch the fish...not sure how to help the fish with this one...]

[ Oof, that's quite the shove! Enough to cause her to let out a hefty oof as she just barely manages to stand her ground. She might not have his years of experience in combat, but she's at least capable of keeping her feet planted to the floor.

But the push from the armored arm sure is something. Yoimiya feels herself cascading on the back of her heels, but thankfully, all her years of running around like a wild maniac have granted some extra dexterity when it comes to balancing. With her fists unclenched and her arms waving in the air, she stops herself short of falling over. ]

Oh, hey! I didn't fall over.

[ But she did drop her fighting stance. :c ]

Haha, you almost did. Let's make a few adjustments...

[Ajax taps the inside of Yoimiya's foot to get her to slide her leg out a bit, squaring up her stance.]

Your legs were just a little too narrow. Keeping yourself square like this and dropping your back foot back a few more inches will ensure nothing'll ever knock you over. There.

[And once Yoimiya's adjusted, he'll shove her again- surely with much better results!]

[ Gotta make sure her leg position isn't too narrow and drop her back foot... got it! Who would have thought there are a lot of steps to keeping a good balance? Yoimiya adjusts her body to Ajax's instructions, sliding her leg out and keeping her feet cemented to the ground. Once he shoves, she takes his lesson to heart and drops her back foot to push against his force.

And would you know it... she's successful! Her eyes light up at the realization that she didn't even come close to falling and she kept her fists up in the air. Surely she can start kicking some serious butt now! ]

That made a huge difference! I didn't even have to flail my arms around.

[ The goldfish does a cute little flip in the air! Happy as a clam that her master accomplished such an incredible feat ]

Goodness, Ajax! You sure are knowledgeable about this kinda thing.

You could say I know my way around a fight.

[The smile he gives her is revealing- he's been in a lot of fights, beaten up a lot of people and been beaten up in turn. But regardless, he's proud of his prowess in combat either way, no matter what his win/loss ratio is.]

I suppose it would do to get you some gloves, huh? This kind of training might not help much against those monsters coming after us, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Doing some agility training for you would be right in line with helping you use your bow, too.

[He ruffles her hair, nodding and acknowledging that she did a good job adjusting her stance to give herself a more steady stance.]

Now, show me how you'd punch me, but don't hit me hard- and keep you fist in contact with my chest. Don't retract it so I can see what it looks like.

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