golden_anvil: (Sorting)
golden_anvil ([personal profile] golden_anvil) wrote2021-10-13 07:13 pm

scrub the deck

Lysandra’s voice, at its peak, might be considered more sonorous than anything. She cannot hit particularly high notes. Cannot credibly say she would pass even for a half-rate opera singer. Her talent and skills have always lied within crafts best done with her hands, and so she had let her voice gain a quality better suited to projecting and singing in the comfort of a shower.

Nestled among the many warehouses of the industrial section of Nexus is a smaller building echoing with song and smelling vaguely of cleaning products. Lysandra is bustling between budding stations in her new workspace occupied by looms of varying size, a desk brimming with packages of sewing supplies, and tiered supply boxes all over the place. A corner with a smelter and anvil is already covered in the beginnings of shaped metal pieces. In the middle of it is dear Lysandra with a bucket and broom going around the floor.

She doesn’t look nearly as glamorous as on her initial foray into the Nexus. Elegant skirts had been traded in for plain cotton pants and a shirt, and she’s even fastened an apron over the whole outfit. All her curls were tucked away into a braid that trailed down her back and was further protected with a scarf tied around the very top of her head. Nay, she honestly viewed herself like a scullery maid or a low-ranking sailor upon a ship.

“Óró, sé do bheatha abhaile… Óró, sé do bheatha abhaile…” Grime loosens itself from the floor as she keeps up her scrubbing, even twirling a bit as she goes from one spot to the next. “Óró, sé do bheatha abhaile…”

Whether one recognizes the song itself or another that shares its melody, you might have to be direct in catching her eye and attention. She knows more than a few folk songs and sea shanties, and you may yet hear something familiar in a language you know. She’ll be here all day, all week, and possibly all year depending on her projects.
chiaro_oscuro: (8)

[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-10-14 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
Lysandra has a visitor. Ben finds himself whistling the tune she's singing, though he doesn't know the words. He admires the workmanship, then it's time for business.

"I wanted to thank you. For the gauntlets you made earlier. But the kind of thanks I offer isn't just money." Ben smiles a little, with a hint of ferocity. He knows Lysandra is a warrior. So is he. "I wanted to challenge you to a few rounds. Best two out of three. To keep things fair, I won't use any of my more exotic powers. I'll keep the enhanced strength and speed. That'll be all."

"Now, it's not a proper fight if there aren't stakes. If I win, you owe me dinner for the next couple nights. My choice. If you win..." Ben meanders off, then turns to Lysandra. "How about you set the terms for what happens if you win? It's only fair."
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[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-10-14 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
A hand is offered to seal the bargain. "I think we have ourselves a deal. Dinner for me if I win, I help you around the smithy. I've been in the mood to try a little Greek dining, and I'm feeling a little thin."

Ben licks his lips, though he knows better than to take her skill for granted. It's a little friendly psychological warfare. He wonders if Mantis and Lysandra have met, and if Lysandra has been warned about his tendencies. If he wins, it would be rude not to take advantage of the terms.
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[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-10-14 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Ben smiles right back. He knew he liked Lysandra for a reason, and he smiles when she confirms that Mantis has told her about him.

"How do you feel like a little test? I'll admit I'm a little hungry. I want to fight on a satisfied stomach. It's only fair." Ben grins just a little wider. "Mantis clearly told you all about me. What did he say, beyond that little rumor - which I will neither confirm nor deny?"
chiaro_oscuro: (8)

[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-10-15 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
There's a wicked smile. That's the kind of thing Ben likes to hear, and he quickly nods. He may be trying to goad her into giving him a better fight, though he won't admit that. "If you win, let's sweeten the bargain. I'll start going to his place on a full stomach, or at least food to offer in trade." Fuller, at least. He chuckles a little, but the look in his eyes is fierce. "I'm taken, so don't get me wrong, but I like the way you talk."
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[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-10-15 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Good. You want to punish me, do you? Give me what I deserve. Show me what you can do - I deserve it!" Ben throws his head back and laughs, darting back when he sees her move into position. He's trying to reform, but there's a kind of fun in playing the heel, even just pretending. And it seems to be getting the result he wants. "We'll have to see what happens. Go ahead. Show me your best."
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[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-10-28 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
Ben is nimble - he dodges the broom when she goes at him, but it's a closer call than he would have liked. He lands on all fours for a moment to avoid the blow - then it's on his feet again. Even with a warning ahead of time from the Force, it almost hit him, and he's displeased with that. He watches her closely, waiting to time his own strike.
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[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-10-28 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Ben darts back from the broom, but again it's more narrow than he would have liked. He scowls a little as he lashes out himself with a closed fist. This is a vulnerable point for him, but he's already figured he won't win by circling and dodging. He has to strike back sooner or later, and he decides to take the chance.
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[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-11-09 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
Ben's great flaw as a fighter is that he has a tendency to let his temper and impulsive nature get the better of him, especially when he's excited and enjoying a fight. And he's enjoying this one. He's too caught up in his own move to notice her grab. So Ben, to his own embarrassment, finds himself flipped.
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[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-11-09 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
A wheeze. "Yes - as a matter of fact. But I wasn't thinking clearly."

Ben coughs a little. He likes to think if he had tapped into his powers he would have won. But he thinks that's just his brain trying to ease the loss. As things stand, she beat him handily. He should be humiliated, but he's impressed. Thankfully, he doesn't vomit, but he is badly winded, and speaking takes a little effort.

"I surrender. You win."
chiaro_oscuro: (11)

[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2021-11-09 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
Ben coughs again and pulls himself to his feet. His pride is hurt worse than anything else.

He's had much worse injuries. He's impressed with Lysandra, even if he wasn't fighting with the weapon she herself acknowledged he was used to and better with.

"I'm a swordsman, you're right. I wanted to keep the fight fair, so I limited myself. Didn't use my powers." Ben shrugs a little. "I'll have to challenge you to a rematch. But a deal's a deal."