mostly open!

[adamance]

Who: Lexa (adamance) and open! (except for the closed prompt, obviously.)
When: Days 16 and 17
Where: The Forgotten City
What: Training, gaining knowledge about others, and probably kissing her gal pal

a: to make a warrior out of you

[As the Commander, Lexa will always believe that it is one of her duties to train those beneath her. Though what power and leadership she has is greatly diminished—and would be back home, as her spirit would have normally passed on (and did, from what Clarke's told her)—she still believes that survivor can't just come from foraging goods and finding a successful source of water. All throughout the city, the marks make it clear that there had been something that cleared out what civilization may have been here before. The marks are unfamiliar: she's seen ruined cities not unlike this one, but she knows exactly how they were ruined. Here, she lacks that knowledge, but she can guess as to where things will be going if they continue on.

So: she prepares to train. Lexa knows that she's out of shape, in part because of the dehydration that doused her strength in the first few days here, and she begins her training in preparation to draw others toward her. Some of her training is nothing more than hand-to-hand combat preparation with repeated punches and kicks, and then she advances, picking up the long metal bo-stick that she found in the hull to work with that as well. (It's still powered down: she hasn't sought out the batteries to change that yet.)

If someone comes to watch her, she'll glance over to them with a nod.] Care to join me? We should all be prepared.

[Lexa will take measure of someone's skills only after they accept—and taking on a seasoned warrior will keep her instincts up.]

b: gaining knowledge about others

[It won't be the first time someone's come across Lexa meditating, even if that someone is from the newest batch of pods. It likely won't be the last time, either. But it's apparent that instead of choosing a place where she could be left alone, she's placed herself near the underground lake right around the hottest point in the day. It helps that it's cooler in there, but ... she's clearly there to catch people while they get water.

When they approach, Lexa opens her eyes to focus on them for a long moment, and then speaks:] Hello, I'm Lexa. [Though, for what it's worth, she won't be sharing her name if she's already shared it. Either way, this is what comes next after her greeting:] I've decided to compile what abilities we have so that we can work together, and teach one another. [A major undertaking, and one done for ... slightly selfish reasons. But it's good to know who can burn a hole in her, even if he seems like the nicest guy alive.]

Even if you can't teach them, it'll be good to know what we can call upon in times of need.

c: date night at a time-stopping tree

[Sneaking away in a city like this isn't that difficult—the winding turns and maze-like quality make it easy for Lexa and Clarke to slip off from time to time unnoticed, armed with some purple water and some food (likely the very same bug meat that Clarke was reluctant about before) so that they don't have to worry about a quick return. It offers them privacy, especially since their closeness in front of others is apparent though might not completely offer confirmation of what they are to one another.

It's during the eclipse on day seventeen that Lexa decides to draw Clarke toward the tree. Though those outside of the tree will see them, there's something about the idea of time stopping, of being able to steal away privacy without feeling responsible for their fellow captives. (It's a feeling they've claimed before, but briefly, back in the capital where Lexa ruled.)

Perhaps the most important part of being here isn't the tree, but the fact that they can feel less guilty. Stopping time doesn't mean that their troubles go away, but they can stand there and pretend, even for a little while.

Once they draw closer to the tree, Lexa stretches her hand out to catch Clarke's, all to make sure they experience the stoppage together. Her fingers hold on to her loosely, but it's clear that even if she's looking at her only out of her periphery, she has her complete attention. She says nothing until time does stop, and even then, she just turns in toward her, eyes intense. There's a great deal that goes unsaid between them day in and day out, and Lexa wonders if they should keep it that way. (What happens if Clarke goes back? What if their world is already lost? What if Lexa is only kept alive by this suit? ... And more. The questions are never-ending, and Lexa is never a person who completely throws off the burdens of survival.)]

[ooc note: I am open to wildcarded versions of the two prompts to make it more applicable to our characters meeting up, and I'm also open to either brackets like the above or prose. Go with your heart's desire!]

Comments

b. we can mix in a little of a. in bit maybe?

[justice_of_toren]

[Breq is silently impassive for a moment, trying to decide how to respond. She goes to get a few swallows of water, which is a good excuse for being quiet a few seconds more. She's been cautious about revealing just what she is, and what she can do. But their situation here is pretty extreme. There's a lot of young people around, even if some of are at least nominally soldiers. And the group is certainly....varied. She hasn't seen any evidence she'd be treated much differently if she announced she's something other than human. She still hasn't stumbled across Cayde though...so she's still wary of explaining that she is, in the eyes of the people who made herm equipment and not a person.

Breq settles kneeling on the ground, facing Lexa.]

I'm Breq.

Where I came from, I'm the captain of a military ship. And I'm stronger and faster than I look.

of course!

[adamance]

[A military ship. Before she woke up here more than two weeks ago, her understanding of a "military ship" would have been limited to what she could discern from tattered history books found and shelved in the capital city back home. Since then, she's learned that the majority of people here don't use what had been traditional in her world—but instead fly between planets.

It's the latter that has more use now, so she realizes that they're fortunate for it.]

Most are stronger and faster than they look. [Not in general, but here—Lexa assumes that she's actually one of the few who aren't that way.] What do your people require of a captain? And how what kinds of ships did you lead? [If she's a leader, that's good—it immediately earns Lexa's favor. But it may not be as great of a title as it sounds. Then again, people misunderstand the nature of Lexa's title quite a bit. But that's why discussion has to occur, so they can suss each other out.]

[justice_of_toren]

[She doesn't remark on 'most' people being very strong and fast here. Maybe with this odd group, that's true.]

Military ships built in the Radch are not alive in a biological sense. They're machines. But they are complex enough to think. And feel. So command is not just of the human crew, but the ship itself. As for skills...a captain is expected to be an able tactician for battles between ships in space, and to have had training from their time as a junior officer in combat on the ground.


[ Strictly speaking, as an ancillary, she'd never been a junior officer. And she was the only ancillary who had ever been the captain of another ship. But she's continuing to sidestep explaining ancillaries for the moment.]

I have a lot of experience in ground combat. And who were you before you woke up here, Lexa?

[adamance]

[If it comes to needing a captain of a ship down the line, Lexa imagines that they will be well-prepared for that. It may just also lead to a struggle in power. She's already able to think of numerous individuals who would come to that, and she's well aware that she would struggle to hand off that power.

At the same time, she's aware that she's ill-prepared. Ground combat is one thing (and she has a wealth of experience in that arena), but space is another. Then again, that's assuming they manage to get off this planet. Lexa is determined for Clarke's sake, but is aware of the fact that they've found few resources to manage it.]

I was the leader of my people—their Commander, to be more precise. I was both their political leader and their military one. I fought on the ground with my warriors, and set the by-laws of my people. [And changed them so that they would be more progressive. That goes unsaid. It's part of what got her killed.]

As you're undoubtedly familiar with, having an idea of what we have available to us can only help us in a fight, even if that fight, as of now, is one of survival.

[ b ]

[anewhope]

[ He listens carefully to this, even though he knows what his decision will be. Curtly, Clark simply says. ]

I'm sorry but no.

[adamance]

And here I thought you intended to do everything in your power to help us, Clark. [Chastising him comes easily to her. The condescension practically bleeds out of her, in part because she's already learned some of what he's capable of from other sources.

For now, she holds that card close to her chest, to see what she can pry out of him.

(It's unfair to most people, but needling and manipulating others is commonplace for her, especially if she wishes to prove a point.)]

[anewhope]

[ Clark has thicker skin than that and doesn't rise to the bait. His expression doesn't even change, which implies that he's unlikely to budge. He has his own stubborn streak. ]

And I do. But nobody needs to know what I can do for me to accomplish that.

[adamance]

You have increased strength and the ability to burn things with your eyes. [These words come easily, like she's holding them over his head as leverage.] What you're telling me is that you have far more than that hidden away, waiting for someone to observe them.

Or have you simply failed to be as careful as you've led yourself to believe?

A

[ex_broach530]

[ There is literally nothing better than a woman with a giant stick, so Bull is pretty much guaranteed to be drawn to the stern, practical woman he'd met not long after being holed unceremoniously from the pods. ]

Sure.

[ His response to her offer is easy. He's a touch more wary this time around: Clark had seemed like a good choice of sparring partner but turned out to be way out of his league, and he's ready for Lexa to be the same. But at least she has some level of form where Clark had had none, even if her stance is unfamiliar, reminds him more of the Fog Warriors than anything he fought in the South.

Bull still doesn't have a weapon, but he's built big and tough, has enough experience with hand to hand combat that he thinks he might be able to disarm her, put them on an even footing if not turn the tables outright. His assessment is rapid, the same probing look for fatal weaknesses that he gives everybody he encounters. Once a Ben-Hassrath, always a Ben-Hassrath, even if he left Hissraad behind long before he came here. ]

So, what're we preparing for?

[adamance]

There was once a civilization here. [Lexa doesn't put down the metal weapon, but passes it easily to her left hand so she can turn away from Bull to indicate their surroundings. She had chosen a location out of the sun, but ripe with various gashes so that she can point out what is obvious to her. She imagines that it's the same for the other "pod people," left to try to figure out precisely what is happening around them. But knowing isn't the same thing as delivering that knowledge with certainty.

Lexa feels comfortable doing the latter. Someone has to make decisions about what has happened here, and she's willing to come to those distinct conclusions.

She turns back, eyes focusing on him as she studies him. He's large, which means she'll have to see how he manages his weight. If she can use it against him, that will be to her advantage. That said: she assumes that's something he'll have prepared for. Most of her novitiates were much smaller and younger, but when she had been training as a Commander, Luna's brother, for instance, had been large and broad of shoulder. Lexa recalls her taking him down with ease, using the lessons that had been passed to them freely. A true warrior is willing to watch others and learn, and there will never be a part of Lexa that doesn't respect Luna's strength.]

That civilization is now gone. There is a chance that they went to war with themselves, but it's more likely that something wiped them out. There were bones back at the beginning of our journey that had been wiped clean.

[She turns toward him fully, and then passes her weapon back to her dominant hand.]

Whatever awaits us is sentient, and will want us dead. [Back to certainty with these final words. She has to stand by this, because everything she's seen along the way confirms this theory. (The queen and the trilobites had been nothing more than an unintentional distraction.)]

[ex_broach530]

Shit.

[ It's not dumbfounded so much as resigned, breathed out with apparent good humor but also a kind of logsuffering tone. What would life be if there wasn't always shit trying to kill him?

Bull's observant; he's noticed the fact that the ruins show signs they were once occupied. Tevinter had ruins too; they'd taken lands from the Ancient Elves and then the Kossath had come across the sea and taken it from them, spreading the message of the qun. So he's grown up living atop the ashes of two cultures.

But there's a lot in this place he still hasn't seen, and unlike Lexa he's not one to draw a definite conclusion and stand by it. So he hadn't really considered there was a threat to them beyond the ravages of trying to survive here and the strangeness of the lands.

And each other, of course. That's why Bull trains, tests his mettle against the others, takes their measure. Working together is the best outcome, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't have a plan to take out every single one of 'em. His paranoia isn't even fully conscious, it's just force of habit by now.

For his part, Bull's most visible weaknesses are all on his left; the missing eye gives him a blind spot and Cullen's told him half a dozen times to watch for people coming in low. His left knee is bunk, too, without the brace, and while he doesn't limp he'd never catch his weight on it. The only other major weakness he has, apart from the usual vulnerabilities of throat and eyes and balls, is the giant horns atop his head. The name he picked makes it sound like he'd charge with them, but getting them yanked the wrong way can reverberate right down his spine like a knock to the elbow. ]

Human bones?

[ He asks, starting to circle her, readying for a chance to get in close. She has reach, with the staff, and she's smaller and faster, so he thinks grappling is gonna be the beta way to push the advantage of his size. ]

[adamance]

[To counter him, before she even begins to strike, she begins to move so that she can catch him on his left. Seeing how he favors that side and adjusts for it will be the most important task. Lexa has fought larger men and killed them. She's fought men who are swifter and more agile, and she should have died against Roan (everyone knows his prowess, after all). She knows all of this, but her mind moves swiftly, aided by the piece of technology in her head that helps her calculate the various directions to take here. She is still Lexa with or without that Flame, but she has various commanders' techniques waiting for her. Many of them have also been larger men, or larger women, or smaller men and women who have fought the larger of their species.

Her eyes are steady and unwavering.]

Far from human. Even an enlarged one. It seemed like a creature. That same creature attempted to attack our pods, but found little success. [That tells her that the pods were meant to protect them for the long haul. Perhaps they came in on the hull, but they were likely asleep—or left in stasis, if she recalls the drag of breath inward to compensate with the sudden state of being alive—long before they traveled across space.

If she's wrong about any of her conclusions, she'll change her mind accordingly. But it's better to move forward with this certainty, because that tells her that she'll be able to act with caution.

The same goes to all of them who woke up in the pods. Lexa has her means of finding out exactly what they might have to face if they choose to war amongst themselves. She's prepared for what she believes to be an inevitability. All her life has been one at war. Why would it change now because they're strangers? She knows that she can't beat many of these strangers, but finding warriors to call upon to fight those battles for her (as much as she hates to do that) will be helpful. Will be necessary.

It's only when she eases around him like a predator—or like a thing that could be called prey attempting a David and Goliath trick—that she moves, jaw set as she twirls the weapon in her hands swiftly toward his rib cage. Her goal in this attempt is clear: to not go for the obvious points of weakness, and to knock his breath out of him. Whether she'll succeed is up to Bull and his reflexes.]

a.

[highflights]

[ Kara's no sneak, when she comes across Lexa in her own exploration she doesn't watch from behind a pillar or perch high up on one of the ruined arches, though both seem appealing. She smiles at Lexa when looked at, and sits somewhere to watch her move, intently, studying and admiring how much power and grace radiate from her movement. ]

[ When asked, she doesn't hesitate. ]

Yes, I'd like to.

[ Standing, she comes over. ]

My name is Kara.

[adamance]

Kara. [Part of repeating the name is memorizing it, committing it so that she doesn't forget. Among her people, there would always be faces she might not remember the next day, but things are different here. They are all each other's people for the time being, whether she likes it or not. (And to be clear: she isn't a fan of it, but she can't be completely ungrateful about her second chance at life.) It's the lack of social commonalities that makes her the most uncomfortable.]

I'm Lexa. Have you trained like this before? [There are some who have and some who haven't. Even with the question, she seems to be sizing her up, mentally taking apart her composure and how she carries herself. Her willingness to train earns her points in Lexa's mind, but that doesn't make her any less willing to examine another person without hiding it. It's ... just kind of what she does.]

[highflights]

It's nice to meet you, Lexa.

[ Kara's body language is loose, unthreatened. It isn't that she wholly trusts Lexa not to do anything unexpected; limited capacity or not, she's still invulnerable — and with the complete lack of kryptonite on this world there is very little to change that fact. And this world hasn't done much to alter someone habituated to living in a world almost like cardboard. ]

I have, recently, but regularly.

[adamance]

So, new enough that I might notice, but you aren't entirely inexperienced. [As someone who's trained others, she seems to be processing this information carefully. Her eyes study Kara for a moment longer before she strides over to a nearby wall to rest her weapon against it.]

I'll want to see your reflexes first. I'll know how to proceed from there. [While it's not a matter of teaching, Lexa wants to know how to react, to see how Kara handles herself in a spar. That will lead her to understand precisely how much guidance she has to offer. She may be a savant at fighting, after all—but that will have to be seen.]

date night!

[bringguns]

[Clarke has to admit she's excited about this. Before the city, they didn't have a lot of time away from the rest of their group to just exist, and she didn't like the idea of other people being privy to this aspect of her personal life. Whether it's because she doesn't trust them not to use it against her or it's just a personal thing she hasn't bothered to over-analyze, but in any case they're here and they're alone and no one's going to interrupt them because they're literally in their own pocket of time.]

[Lexa's hand in hers feels so natural and Lexa's gaze is simultaneously warm and welcome and overwhelming. She smiles in return, joy bubbling through her as she takes Lexa's other hand to hold them both.]

This was a good idea.

[adamance]

[Unlike Clarke, Lexa is accustomed to the constant examinations of the eyes of others. That means that she knows to show one side of herself to most everyone here, while she offers another side—yet very much a part of Lexa that is really her—to Clarke alone. It's the same side that went to her knees to offer her fealty. It's the same side that recalled that life was more than just about surviving in her final moments, offering that to Clarke to ensure that she understood what she had given her in the final months of her life. Even the dissent between them had changed nothing: Lexa had viewed Clarke on a pedestal. Right now, that pedestal most assuredly remains.

That isn't to say that Clarke doesn't have her frustrating moments ... but the way Lexa is looking at her now says that this isn't one of them.]

If we don't remain here, we may have to find a way to build shelter so that we can do this. ["This" being spend time alone.] Though we don't have the satisfaction of stopping time. [There's just something about that that doesn't escape Lexa at the moment. They can worry about how they're going to deal with this mess ... soon enough. But the time can stretch here.

Of course, someone may approach the tree, but she's hoping that people will get the hint and go elsewhere. There's a lot of city to explore. The tree will still be there.]

[bringguns]

[Clarke's smile doesn't falter as she squeezes Lexa's hands, letting go so she can sit down with her back to the tree and sigh.]

Don't you think it'll be a little obvious if we build ourselves a little shack every time we want to be alone?

[Her tone is wry and she raises her eyebrow at Lexa mischievously, patting the ground beside her in an invitation to sit down.]

a

[lefthandfree]

[He’s always found it fascinating to watch others practice their skills, even back when things were easier and all he cared about was keeping good grades. It never mattered what it was specifically. Running, boxing, baseball... Seeing someone deeply focused on something that matters to them brings out parts of their personality that aren’t so apparent otherwise. The fact holds an inspiring quality to it that he can never shake. Even now, it reminds him that existence is what one makes of it. Surviving here may be its own struggle, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t allowed to enjoy himself.

He tried to keep his presence minimal, to not disturb her if he could, but presence is hard to miss when there’s not many around to begin with. When spoken to, Bucky cocks his head to the side and offers her an easy grin in response as he approaches, clearly more than willing to join her.]

Considering what all’s happened so far, that’s probably a bit of an understatement.

[adamance]

I'm hoping that our future involves a bit more caution from all parties. [But Lexa already can tell that how she would like to do scouting parties won't fly. Too many people have different experiences, and she would have to train them up one by one, because she doubts they would all adhere to it as a unit. She's used to units, to structure, to having someone follow someone else, and while she thinks she could instate a system where people can take on seconds, she knows that will only go so far if people aren't prepared to fight together in the end.

Plus, she'd have to get people to agree to taking a second in the first place. Lexa knows that it's a cultural value not seen elsewhere—or rather, in such a specific way.]

But that hope may mean little. For now, we have only ourselves, and knowing what it is we can accomplish. [Her hope to train and spar will go with her later approach at figuring out what people can do. Having both of these in her pocket will, at least, grant her some idea of how to proceed.]

[lefthandfree]

[He nods. A lot of activity has been quite precarious so far. Though Bucky himself has had little reason to feel overtly protective of the other survivors, he doesn’t wish for any of them to meet misfortune from lack of preparation either. The downside is that it’s much as this woman has said, that the hope is but a hope. When it comes down to it, the only thing he can guarantee is what he knows he can do.]

All the better that we shouldn’t dawdle. [He stretches a bit, preparing for their spar.] Don’t know about you, I like the exercise though.

b

[ex_bossily211]

[Clara's already met Lexa once and they shared names, so the pleasantries aren't exchanged this time around. At first, she isn't sure if Lexa wants to be bothered. But she's right in the middle of where people are going to be coming and going all afternoon, and so she decides to move in closer to get some water for herself. Determined to just slip by unnoticed, she's a little surprised when she spots the other woman looking at her and is even more surprised when she speaks.

The more she goes on about abilities and a list, the more Clara's mind thinks of Clark and how he can't possibly be happy about that. But no matter how much he reminds her of the Doctor, she's not his keeper, same as she is the Time Lord. So she instead thinks about herself and how utterly comical this conversation is for her to be having.]

When you say abilities, are you looking for actual powers, or just general talents?

[adamance]

I had intended to hear about both, since one can lead to the other. [In part. Lexa hides little of her opportunistic attitude. She has had little reason to be as forthright about it, but she is still a woman who prefers to keep all advantages of a situation in mind. As a leader of thousands of people, it's all but required of her.]

But as you can expect, people have assumed I meant one more than the other. It's a situation I've had little experience with. [This much is the truth, without any opportunity behind it. Lexa can see how these abilities, supernatural or otherwise, can help them survive, though she also prefers to know what can be used against her.

That isn't such a bad thing in the end.]

[ex_bossily211]

[That answer makes Clara smile, if only because it's something she should be looking into herself. She has the benefit of being able to use social skills to work toward building up a defense system of sorts in her friends making sure she doesn't die, but she hasn't really stopped to think about what anyone can do to help in other ways.]

Have you learned anything interesting yet? It might suit us both to compare notes on what we've learned about the others so far.

[The problem with trying to list and rank the usefulness of abilities in the others here, however, is the fact that Clara's subjective when it comes to what's useful and "good". ]