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[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

“And yeah there’s always that. But that part we know to be true.” He shifted his footing again and stood back into stance again. Shoulders raised and angled just right. Archie was right about what had just happened though. Alex had tried to use his intelligence and logical thinking to circumvent what simply required a lot of practice and he’d ended up with a mouth full of sand for his troubles. Still the words of his attitude was something that gave Alex a spark of confidence again. He kept going.

His one saving grace above all was that he never waited for anyone to give him things he went out and sought out his way. “I have it because my father once said to me. “Look up at the stars son. Now go wish upon one, and spend your life waiting.” A simple sentence which said more than I think he meant too.” Alex sighed and readied himself for the attack pattern. He could feel the skin on his knuckles near completely bloodied and fracture now but he’d be damned if he’d stop after coming so far.

Ten more punches to each point and twenty of each kick type. Alex may have taken what Archie had said a little out of context because as he began he assumed Archie meant ten punches with each hand. Archie was right. Alex was using the plate to augment his own weight and get faster in it. Now out of it he would have to simply repeat the motions again and again and again trying to shear as much excess movement off as possible. And with each punch he was doing just that. Fragments of ticks fell with each repeated strike at the dummy. Twenty strikes at the head. Wincing he shifted down, and repeated, twenty at the midsection and then twenty low.

Alex kicked his feet back shortly afterwards and began the snap kicks, directly to the midsection. Each time his balance found itself gaining traction and firmament. However when he switched legs was when he found that his balance was being tested on his other now much more worn leg. Still he completed the sets and then began the snap kicks. Tilting his body back but following the line Archie had refined he rolled his shoulders with his hips into each strike at the dummy. He could feel his ankle joint beginning to cry out in pain but he simply pushed through it. Hardening his mind and dulling the pain. Much like he’d learnt to do with Nivel, when learning how to use Auristics.

Switching to the other leg he wobbled and waivered like nobody’s business with the initial three kicks and then began to find his rhythm. Landing the strike he could feel his balance getting more and more solid. Each motion flowing well but angled with a simplistic almost childlike nature. Behind each kick was speed and a withheld amount of power. The same for his punches but his fists was fair enough seeing as he could feel the blood trickling down his fingers. Finally settling down he placed his hands onto his knees and exhaled slowly whilst speaking. “How’s that Archie? Any good or more room for improvement?”

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

The Pycon nodded quietly to Alex's words; they seemed to hold some wisdom in them, although he wasn't entirely sure what it was getting at. "Sounds like sound words. Something I've never heard before though." He'd never wished on stars; that was for astrologers and the like. The only thing he ever wished to was Sylir and so far his prayers remained unanswered. No point in waiting for something that ain't gonna happen, he told himself quietly. Better to focus on the things that will.

Through the final practice runs he didn't give any more advice beyond two words. "Faster! Harder!" Every time Alex seemed like he was slowing down he shouted again, pushing him that little bit further. Again and again, over and over, until he could see bloody knucklemarks on the dummy.. which were mostly lined up perfectly, although he could tell from the wounds that Alex wasn't hitting the precise spot repeatedly. Perhaps now it was falling into the realms of nit-picking on relatively unimportant nuances but that would be something to improve on in the future as well. To be honest, he was surprised when Alex managed to complete all of the punches and kicks and didn't take a seat on the ground.

"Very good," he answered. "Of course there is always room to improvement but it will come with more practice. You were struggling using different legs.. because you're not used to it. More practice, more times you use it.. you'll be used to it and you won't wobble anymore." He'd probably get more used to using his opposing hands as well. "I would tell you to do another round but I think if we try it, you're not going to be standing afterwards and I'm not exactly equipped to carry you back to your dorm." He wasn't ruthless. Alex might have that candid never-give-up spirit to him but he had limits as well, there was no shame in accepting that. The only shame came when someone accepted that they would never break those limits. Didn't mean it had to happen every day, though. "I'd advise calling a rest now. Get some bandages for your knuckles and some extras for the dummy.. you don't want the Weaponmasters seeing the mess you've made of them."

He leaned over and sat down on the edge of the wall, his feet dangling over the edge and kicking emptily at the air. "Tell you what," he said out-loud all of a sudden. "Next time you're around, I'll give you another lesson if you want. I mean, honestly.. I don't have anything else to do right now. Ser Iros is away on whatever business it is that he does and besides frolick, it gets quite boring if you sit around in the dorms all day. You want another lesson tomorrow or in a few days or whatever, you come here." To be honest, it was something to pass the time, for the most part. But there was also no harm in helping out a fellow squire. Who knew, perhaps he'd try it a little more in the future, if the opportunity ever arose.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

“I’ve always taken them to mean. Don’t wait, make it happen. It’s why I always try to take on so much work.” He smiled broadly and immediately crumpled again, he would need bandages for his hands but then again he had something slightly better. Alex picked up the small pouch he’d left with his piled armour and picking up his water skin and washed the loose blood off of his hands. Wincing with the initial tingle of the water and stabbing pain it brought with it he hissed through his teeth.

"Yeah when I can feel my balance setting better, it’ll take another crack at it. Got to let these heal first though. So until they do looks like I’m swinging a blade.” Alex flexed his fingers again feeling the sore and split skin shifting over them. Sprinkling some water over the dummy he washed the blood off of it, intermingling it with the sand. The weapons masters didn’t much care for the sight of blood to them usually it was a show of a hard day’s work. “I’ll grab some bandages when I get back to the barracks. If not I’ll let them heal in the air.” Alex nodded slowly listening to Archie talk however about his room to improve. He was right as usual but it was something that he found took time as opposed to just trying to drill it in all at once.

“If you’d be willing to help me out again in the future Archie. I’d very much appreciate it. For a moment though I’d like to pick your brain a little more.” Alex spoke sitting on the bench next to him, his armour in a heap next to his sword and shield. “Being… Smaller, I suppose you’ve a good idea of where to strike someone to cause a lot of effect without permanently hurting them or killing them. Correct?” Alex chose his words carefully here waking to learn whilst being as respectful as possible.

“I’m asking because about… Eleven days ago I… Killed someone and I don’t want to have to do that again. So I’m asking to be able to avoid ever doing something like that again. So I’m asking if I can find out how to disable someone without… Death…” Alex spoke with a very hollow sound to his voice, distant like he truly regretted but saw no alternative to his actions.

[Archailist]

Well, now he had a little more insight into how Alex managed to keep surprising everyone. Even now, Arch had to admit, he'd never really seen someone that kept punching until their knuckles bled as profusely as this during their training. Usually they stopped at a little bit of soreness or something equally silly. Oh well, his knuckles would adapt sooner or later. For all the times Arch punched things, he still sometimes struggled to hold himself together and prevent squishing up on impact. Damn humans had it off easy; he'd known that from the start but it seemed like every day he was reminded of it in a new way.

It hardened him a little to Alex's pain. "Don't be silly - nothing stopping you from continuing your routines, just means you won't be punching a dummy. Swing at air for now," he said instead with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You want to be better without a sword, you're not going to get there by stopping and switching back over to a weapon every time your hands get a little bloody. After all, you won't be able to do that in battle, why should it be any different in practice?" he asked as he shook his head.

Alex had always struck as someone with a very strange way of going about things. He seemed to jump from one thing to the next like an energetic child.. like how, in their last battle, he'd suddenly turned and grabbed a greatsword, changing weapons mid-fight even though he was practically useless with the thing. Everything he did try, though, he certainly gave everything he had for it. No doubt, if the boy could actually find something and settle into it, he'd rapidly rise to a status few could dream of. Right now though, it was like watching someone jumping randomly between courses in a buffet; stuffing their face with a little bit of everything and tasting little.

Which was why he really did want to push his fellow squire down the right road. Whichever road that might be. "Sure thing, pick away," he offered while splaying his hands out wide.

That wasn't what he'd expected. "Well I wouldn't say that. I know the good spots to aim for but they're still going to hurt a lot.. I mean, when you're dealing with big people like you, no offense, who could very easy crush you and kill you the moment you make a mistake.. you never think about trying to cause the least amount of damage possible. They're not going to hesitate to do the exact same to you, maybe worse." His voice drifted off for a moment in his explanation, thinking back to Nyka. "When you're small, you look to do the most damage the fastest. I could show you some non-lethal tricks but I don't know as many as I should." He was about to ask why Alex would ever ask about these things, but then the boy answered it anyway.

There was a brief moment of silence before the Pycon broke it. "Ahh. That's good. Congratulations." He heard a lot of regret in Alex's voice but he'd already spoken his piece and there was no going back on it now.

[Alexander Faircroft]

It just wasn’t in Alex to ever sit by when he could be doing something. When he could be learning, helping, training. Something, anything. Even now with his hands sore and bloodied as they were Alex could still feel a part of him wanting to draw his sword and start hacking away at the dummy. He’s been training with some nasty injuries earlier in the season and even then it hadn’t slowed him. Only inconvenienced him. Though Archie spoke again. It was right and his words as usual held merit. Alex paused and mulled his hands over slowly feeling them start to scab up a little.

“True. Sometimes though it’s good to fit in what you can where you can. Even whilst you’re healing.” Alex smiled but winced lightly as he caught a spot of sore skin and pulled out a splinter. Alex looked around lightly glancing around the training grounds. “In all honesty though, it’s different being a Pycon to a human. You guys don’t have to deal with the same level of injuries after all. Suppose that’s a massive plus to be honest.” He spoke with an air of what almost seemed to be envy. Though for all his trying and all her perseverance he’d never really found something to stick together with. He had his bow. And that was something he knew how to use dammed well.

Though the words which came from Archie regarding his comment about learning how to disable without killing weren’t the best advice he could have received. He never thought about how to cause the least damage. Just about how to get out of the situation alive. Perhaps that was the best he could hope for? “That’d be great Archie if you could. I mean even learning where the spots to hit the fastest are. Just getting someone to a point where the can't fight back would be the absolute best port of call. For me at least” He was about to smile and speak about the circumstances surrounding his first kill when he heard Archie congratulate him.

What.

What the heck does he mean by congratulations?! That’s good!?! What the… Alex looked vehemently shocked. Hugely taken a back. Knocked off kilter and completely thrown for a loop. He thought he’d get some kind of condolences some reassurance from Archie something else. But this? He didn’t expect this. “A-Archie… What do you mean… Congrats?” Alex now looked visibly shaken, something about him had just shifted. Completely moved within him almost like he was beginning to feel the ground crumble beneath his feet. He was starting to feel a sense of panic creeping up his spine.

“Archie… I killed someone… I don’t really think that’s something to be congratulated… I took someone’s life… When it wasn’t mine to take…” There was a Hollow distance to Alex’s voice now, and all the prior energy he’d had seemed to just drain from him. Like something important inside him had sprung a leak. All of that cheer and determination just crumbling away to dust.

[Archailist]

He should have known that their conversation would boil back down to 'Pycons are so different to humans' talk. They always did - there were so many differences that it was almost impossible to avoid bringing them into light at least once a day. "Well you're right, we don't have to deal with those injuries. If we get hit too hard we just splatter and reform again, small cuts just fill back with clay immediately and amputations are, for the most part, temporary if rather painful." When he said it like that, it almost did sound like a good thing. But then again, he could list the downsides and stand in the Grounds all day.

"All we have to worry about instead is, you know, being inches tall. Being stepped on every day. Nearly dying every fight, even when it's supposed to be friendly, because everyone can kill us very easily by even complete accident with blunt swords if we're not careful." The eyes on Arch's tail met the man with a level stare. "So yeah.. we don't have to worry about injuries as much as you humans, but we do have to worry about sudden death a whole lot more. Massive plus on one side but honestly, given the downfall, I'd rather just stick with injury. At least you can recover from it.. hah, I'd comfortably live with one arm and one leg for the rest of my time as long as it means I'll never have to worry about being stepped on, thank you very much." He was sick and tired of every little job becoming a death-trap simply because this city was built for people bigger, stronger and heavier than him.

But he wouldn't leave this city for anywhere else in the world, for good reason. It was a safe haven, a mostly-peaceful place free of all the horrors he'd seen elsewhere, thanks to people like Alex.. who apparently wasn't taking this news as well as he'd thought. He needed to calm the lad down before he ended up shattering in front of the Weaponmasters. "Alex, calm down," he said in the most soothing tone he could manage, moving his eyes back to his face. "Look at me and take deep breaths. In and out. Listen."

The Pycon took a deep breath. I'm going to have to give him the talk or something, he thought with rather a lot of reluctance. "Alex, look look. I don't know what happened, I don't know what that guy or girl did, or was doing. But listen, okay? Keep it together and listen." It was pretty obvious that Alex was practically hanging by a thread and it was all the squirrel could even do at this point to not grab the boy between the cheeks and shake him back to the waking world. "You're a good guy, you hear? You're a good guy. Soon you're gonna be a knight and you're going to protect this city and everyone in it. You're going to help shape a new, safe world for all of us."

"But there are people who don't belong in that world." Arch's mind flew back to the Nykan man in red robes, the betrayer he'd fallen for. "You took a life. It happens. Sometimes it's an unavoidable accident, sometimes it's a necessary sacrifice. Whichever one it is, you need to understand something - you are protecting Syliras and the people inside of it. That life isn't yours to take but I'll tell you what, the lives of innocent people isn't for the murderers to take either. Nor is their money.. the things which allow people to live, to eat and feed their families."

"You're a good guy. They're not. Sometimes it's you or them, or Sylir forbid if anyone else should be involved. You survived though.. whether they did or they didn't, you did. Be thankful you're alive..." His loud lecturing voice had softened over the course of his talk, now only a soft mumble. ".. I know I am.." Perhaps it was a little more obvious why he was congratulating Alex now. ".. and be ready for next time. This was your first but it probably won't be your last. Don't spare thoughts for the dead.. that's Dira's job."

He'd gone much deeper than he'd wanted to. Soon the squirrel straightened back up and looked Alex up and down, checking his condition. "Now.. take the day off. No more punching. You've done that enough to yourself already," he advised with a slightly sad smile. Guilt was probably wracking the poor lad's mind. "Take some time out. I'd suggest spend time watching squirrels." Yes, he was absolutely serious. "They calm the mind."

[Alexander Faircroft]

Alex just sat there shaking lightly. Not openly causing a fuss just still a little rattled. He knew for a fact that one day he’s possibly be ordered to do the same thing but he still want prepared for it. When Archie told him to calm down Alex just glanced at him with eyes that could stare a thousand miles and still never find what they were searching for. The look of someone who felt like they were becoming something they didn’t want to be. Someone they didn’t want to be. The shaking stopped as he listened to the words over and over again. His hands flexed slowly grasping for something that wasn’t there something to hold onto a tether, a rope, a string, a hair. Something. Anything. The deep breaths didn’t hep too much, but they did slow the racing thoughts of his mind.

A good guy? A Knight soon? Protect everyone? He could barely keep himself safe, how could he hope to protect everyone when he couldn’t even do that? Alex closed his eyes leaning back into the bench he was sat on his hands still subconsciously clutching for something. Something to hold onto. Some people who didn’t belong? Unavoidable or necessary? It wasn’t his to take but the lives of the people weren’t there’s to take? His words as usual held merit but it wasn’t about merit or logic, it was purely about living with the unrelenting guilt. The deep feeling seeded within himself that he knew he’d done wrong.

Trying to rationalize the thoughts was what Alex had spent two days locked in a near pitch black room trying to do. Spare no thoughts for the dead, as it was Dira’s job. His hand clenched tight enough to feel the blood seep from his knuckles again lightly. He found a hair. A hair thin thread of hope. Archie as usual spoke logic. And truth. He’d have to do it again in the future more than likely. And for the first time in the whole of Archie’s lecture Alex spoke. His usual light and airy voice even softer and more distant sounding. Like he was watching the scene play out from the outside and reading off of a script.

“Archie… It’s why I’m training so hard…” He was honest there. Since he’d gotten back on the path of training after the hiccup he’d redoubled. No tripled his efforts to make sure he’d be ready for next time. He’d been pushing himself to near breaking point. Learning everything. Anything. Multiple weapons, no weapons, tactics, strategy. He was running from the truth by burying his head in whatever he could find. Trying to drown the monsters inside him with the sheer volume of work and exhaustion. To smother them and get rid of them that way.

It wasn’t working they simply got stronger the longer they lurked. “I know it’s not the last… But it’s the first… And I know one thing. It’s never going to get any easier is it…” Alex began to strap his armour back to him even starting to don his blade and shield again. Take the day off? Watch squirrels, calm his mind. Alex gave an empty smile. One that was simply a formality. One he’d learned to show to hide the guilt, the sadness and the self-loathing. Alex turned to look at Archie again, his gaze lingering for a moment something broken behind his eyes. As someone who’d clearly had his fair share of the darker parts of the world same as Alex had with Sunberth and Ravok he wanted to ask Archie one more question. His only words, the only ones he spoke as he turned to step off into the distance. Less the proud march of the upbeat and outwardly cheerful squire Archie knew and more the frightened kid that had left Ravok many many moons ago. His voice tumbled out like the sound of raindrops echoing in the depths of a well.

“Archie… When do the nightmares stop…?”

[Archailist]

He didn't know what else to say now. As much as it didn't look like it, Arch wasn't some strange Pycon psychologist; he didn't know how to deal with all these emotions being thrown at his face.. or rather, a lack of them. When he looked into Alex's eyes, it was like staring into a broken mirror. He wanted to look away but reigned in that impulse and squished it quickly, swallowing down a lump in his non-existent throat. Best to focus on the important things, he thought. "That's a good angle. You push everything into your training, look to improve, push forwards, keep moving." Don't leave any time to think about what you've done; some of the best and worst advice to give, and something he nearly slapped himself for even considering saying. "Hah, with a little more effort, you'll be on par with most of the knights wandering around here, I'll tell you that!" He forced a little more cheer into his voice but it really didn't feel appropriate.

Best to just give Alex the hard truth, he knew. No sugar-coating, no sweet lies, cut the bullshyke and give him the stone hard truth of Tyveth. "Yeah, it's not going to get easier," he answered while cutting off the connection to his eyes and pinching a small spot on the bridge of his nose. "You just learn to carry the weight. Use pillars to help support it.. duty, religion, family, lovers. You find them and you gather them around yourself like a protective little shell that holds away that horrible black stain that looms just a sword's edge away." He realized that this was probably turning a little bit morbid but to Hai with trying to be cheery in a time that didn't deserve his smile. "Doesn't make it easier. But it makes it.. I don't know. Simpler." His words were becoming more difficult to explain, but then again, they were treading strange territory.

Territory that he'd not even brushed in over a year. "They don't. You learn to stop sleeping." Somehow his vision had turned back and he was now staring at Alex's shadow. Right through it, at Tar. What he'd seen in the Aperture.. something unnatural, utterly abnormal and disgusting on an instinctive, primal level. He didn't feel comfortable calling it a he, or a she, or an it, or a thing.. Tar didn't really fit any description that his mind could put words to; Tar was the only word that ever seemed to come close to adequate. Strange, how Tar could sit so close to Alex.. practically grasping at his legs with thick black headless snakes, and he'd never know. Did he even feel their caress? "Anyway. I suppose it's time we move away, before the knights start asking why we're not fighting something."

[Okara]

Grades and Awards   Alexander Faircroft Experience Unarmed Combat 5 Rhetoric 1 Endurance 2 Meditation 1 Philosophy 2 Lores Soliciting a Teacher Adjustments for a Pycon Teaching a Human Unarmed Combat: Easier Without Plate Mail Unarmed Combat: Importance of Balance Meditation: Focus Through Pain Archailist: A Willing Teacher Death, Sometimes Necessary Good Guys Kill Too Shield Points +5 (training thread) Notes I awarded endurance for the lengthy practice session. I enjoyed this thread, I liked how to weaved some character development into what could have been a dry technique thread. I think you did a great job representing Alex’s struggle with taking life and how that affects him mentally. It was very well written.   Archailist Not graded due to inactivity. Archailist, if you return please resubmit for grading. Please edit your post in your grade request to reflect that it has been graded. PM me with any questions.