smash_logs | An attempt at an intro log

Alorah really didn't like the way this summer was starting to go. Skies that sometimes sprouted unsettling strange streaks, no sign of Jumpluff flocks -- or letters or phone calls from Johto -- and those awful, awful bugs! Things seemed to be getting worse, too. Enough so that when Alorah ventured out, she did so with a broom she'd "borrowed" from the janitor closet. Not much of a threat, by any means, but with those purple things getting more aggressive, it was probably a good idea to have more than Sleep Powder on her side.

It was supposed to just be a quick errand that took her to the city, but Alorah only got halfway before something more important came up. The sight of another person fending off the shadow-things on their own was enough to grab her attention, but this wasn't just anyone. If she paused to think about it, then she would have been sure that she was imagining things. He'd been gone for so long, after all, that there wasn't any reason to think he'd come back now, of all times.

But Alorah didn't pause to think for a second. Fairy Wind was not a very strong move in the least, and it was even weaker when she was in her human form, but she thrust out her hands, broom and all, unleashing a puff of glittering wind. Enough, at least, to clear a path to him.

"Inigo?" It was probably a little pointless to call out to him when her usual speaking voice was barely above a mumble, but what were the odds of running into each other like this?

She'd picked a bad time to be whisked from one world into another. Not that she'd actually done it intentionally, for if it had been of her accord, Olivia would have stayed right there in Plegia with Chrom and the Shepherds. Instead, now she was far from them with really no idea on how to get back to them. It was admittedly terrifying not knowing what to do with herself.

But at least she wasn't alone. She might not have been from Henry or Yarne's timeline, but at least they all came from the same world. Not that it helped much when she was trying to get from one place to another, sword in hand and wiggling about in a somewhat ungraceful fashion. On the other hand, at least she wasn't screeching just yet. (There was always time for that, however.)

Yet she saw something in the not-so-far-off distance that caught her attention.

The good: Inigo had managed to turn the attention of a particularly nasty purple glob away from a pretty shop keeper as she was leaving her shift at the store with the deft intervention of some swordplay.

The bad: the particularly nasty glob of purple had now turned its attention to him, and he'd yet to find an efficient method of fighting them back.

The very very worst: the pretty girl had up and fled before Inigo could even ask for a date.

He didn't want to show it, but he was pretty exhausted already - and keeping the blobby whatever-it-was(?) from overwhelming him was growing more and more difficult. Better him than an innocent bystander though, right? So he kept pressing on, dancing around its attacks until--

Inigo swung, and he missed. The sudden imbalance tipped him over and he tripped, landing flat on his face. "Crap--!" Sending the opportunity to attack, the Shadow Bugs poised to strike.

The Fairy Wind caught both the Shadow Bugs and Inigo by surprise. This was no ordinary breeze - he could tell there was something otherwordly about it, almost magical. Though the damage it did to the amorphous attackers was minimal, it threw them off their game long enough for the mercenary to escape the horde before he was completely surrounded. He made a bee-line for his sparkling rescuer, only for his face to break out in delight when he recognized who it was.

"Alorah!" Oh man it was so uncool that he needed her to save him, but that didn't make her presence any less lovely. Leave it to her to look just as dainty and beautiful in the midst of an invasion as she did serving tea. Gotta turn on the charm to make up for it - nothing more dashing than a prince with a silver sword, right?

"Were my eyes deceived? I should've known you were actually an angel, dandelion!"

For being a fighting school, Shantae didn't have much chance to do any real fighting. At least until now. Attacking Shadow Bug monsters were held at bay by hair whips, kicks, and liberal use of her magic gear. She was going to have to recharge her fireball spell after this for sure.

She didn't even notice at first when Inigo appeared, ponytail cracking against Primids and sending them flying.

She really didn't know what they were. She knew they weren't Risen and that seemed to be all that mattered. Well. They weren't Risen and there was one perfectly content striking up silent conversation with an dark-haired young man. He looked perfectly capable of handling himself. At first anyway, and in the back of her mind, Olivia thought to ask him to act as an escort for her.

But things turned for the worse.

He went down. Down enough to be open. Without even really thinking about it, she tried to recall what the Shepherds would do. Save the innocent. Bring about something akin to justice. She could do that. She could at least try. And that was what she intended on doing. She took her sword in hand, despite its weight, and rushed into the fray of things.

"I didn't want to do this," she said aloud, mostly to herself. "You've given me no choice!"

It wasn't the most graceful swing of her sword, but it did what she wanted it to. It got that purple glob off of Inigo.

It really and truly was Inigo -- if Alorah'd ever had any doubts, they were out the window when he greeted her with that same casual charm as ever. Pet name and all, even with those spooky little shadow-things around! There was no shortage of questions rumbling around the back of her mind, for sure. Why was he back? Why had he been gone so long? How did he even get here when Alorah couldn't figure out a way to get to Johto at all?

All of those, however, could wait. Spooky little shadow-things, after all. Fairy Wind might have been enough to surprise them, but she was no hardened warrior by any stretch of the imagination. "I'm still just a dandelion. That's about all I know how to do," she admitted, nervously watching the shadow bugs. "I think we'd better not stick around."

In a spinning, bladed somersault, the mercenary slammed into a monster that was charging at Shantae from the rear. Inigo bounced back from the strike and deftly landed on his feet beside her. And of course, he still had enough energy to flash her a dazzling smile - there was nothing a re-engergizing as the sight of a pretty girl.

"Well, hello there!" This was really his first time seeing Shantae in the heat of battle as well. Not that he thought she couldn't handle herself, but hey, strength in pairs, right? He certainly felt lighter on his feet already.

Inigo had braced himself for a blow, but it never came - in its place, however, a startlingly familiar voice rang out, shaking him out of his stupor. His eyes widened as he blurted out in pure surprise, "Mother?!"

He pushed himself off the ground, (recovering from a fall was every bit a crucial skill for a dancer, to adapt and improvise from failure,) unable to keep himself from asking the question foremost in his mind: "Mother, what are you doing here?!" Not that he wasn't glad to see her, of course - he'd be mincemeat right now if it weren't for her - but he couldn't help but be concerned for what her absence would mean back home. Inigo was expendable in the kingdom's eyes, surely, but not its queen.

Ah, but the questions could wait - the heat of battle was hardly the time to dwell. Spurred with newfound strength from Olivia's presence, Inigo struck the Shadow Bug with a spinning blow from his sword. As though sensing it was outnumbered, the glob retreated - but no doubt more would hear the commotion and rush in to fill the void instead.

She heard it. She definitely heard it and it puzzled her. Mother. Mother. Mother? It had to be a mistake, or mayhap she'd misheard him. But there was no time to think about it. The blob had to go first.

Inigo took it simply. Or maybe it wasn't very simple. A lot of it went faster than she anticipated. Like a blur that passed before her eyes. When all was said and done, they were left with one another. A pink-haired sword-wielding dancer and a blue-haired sword-wielding... What was he...?

Olivia sheathed her sword and turned to look him over, not forgetting what he said, but trying to put it aside for the time being. Surely he was mistaken. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt anywhere?"

"Inigo!" she called out happily at the sight of her friend at her side. "You picked the perfect time to come back!" Well, the town was under attack by shadow creatures, but on the plus side, Inigo did get to save her and look pretty badass doing it. So it evened out.

She whirled around and swung her ponytail, cracking with magical energy against a Primid about to attack Inigo. "Just returning the favour! So did you just get back?"

Even if that was the extent of her powers, for someone with no magical prowress at all, it was still astonishing. It didn't look or feel anything like a blast with a wind tome, and she didn't need to read a book to do it, either! Knowing her, she was probably just being modest.

But she was right about not staying. The Fairy Wind might have surprised the Shadow Bugs, but they were far from defeated. Inigo couldn't risk Alorah being harmed while he tried to fight them off, so the highest priority right now was escape.

"I think you're right. Shall we go?" With that, he took her hand and ran.

Alorah might not have been especially strong, but she was quick. Inigo's hand was warm and secure around hers. They could make it back to the school just fine, and the school was definitely safe. Tiny as they were, no way the Shadow Bugs could outrun them, right?

That might have been true if they'd just stayed Shadow Bugs. But with the sky so dark and so many of them around, there was nothing stopping them from upping their game. Something caught the hem of Alorah's dress, causing her to stumble. Without thinking, she lashed out behind her with the broom she'd taken from the janitor's closet, but instead of a satisfying "thwack," there was only a strange electric hum and the futile clatter of half the broom hitting the pavement.

Alorah stopped, staring in wide-eyed surprise at the severed half of the broom. A Sword Primid stood with a beam sword in one of its weird little fists, with several more growing Shadow Bug clumps already in the process of combining into Primids themselves. "I-Inigo...!"

"Not too long ago! It looked like the city could use a bit of help, so I just hopped on back."

He struck another Primid that was about to jump him with a spinning sweep of his blade. There was definitely a dance-like quality in the way he handled the sword - a rhythm and grace that wasn't found in most fighters.

"Besides, I missed the sight of your beauteous face! How could I stay away for long?"

Edited 2014-07-20 05:54 (UTC)

Inigo grinned wide, though it was more out of bravado than truth. Knowing that she'd followed him all the way out here, having her fret over him was the last thing he wanted. With complete familiarity in his voice, he reassured her, "Mother, I'm fine! I'm more worried about you!" There was a beat before he quickly added, "Father didn't come with you, did he?"

Because while it sounded like something Chrom might do, he still had a halidom to, well, rule. It might be a problem if he was away too long, now that they weren't at war.

He was still calling her that. It was still causing a chill to scale her spine. Mother. How could she be? That required... things she knew she hadn't done just yet. She was naive sometimes, but not completely oblivious, no matter how she would have liked acting like it.

"...I..." she began, really uncertain of what to say or how to say it. "Why are you calling me that?"

Oh. Well. This was awkward. Inigo blinked, taken aback by this response when he'd grown so used to his mother being alive and well. Total whiplash.

"Er, you don't know...?" Gods, was this like Yarne all over again? The way she looked at him with such confusion in her eyes suddenly made him feel like he was under a giant spotlight, and he'd just tripped up. His face broke out in a bright pink blush - good job making a fool of yourself, Inigo.

No, c'mon, this was his mother he was talking to. Pull yourself together. It ought to be easier the second time, right? Except... it kind of wasn't. She wasn't even wearing a ring, so that'd hardly be any kind of proof. Lucina would've been so much better at this...

Trying his best to regain composure, Inigo forced a confident smile. "W-well, that's because you are! In the future, at least. I traveled back in time to fight by your side - though, I suppose you found me instead."

Undoubtedly she heard everything he had to say. Well, heard and listened. It was almost impossible not to. Even the disgusting blob that had threatened them both suddenly seemed not quite as important as getting to the bottom of what he was saying.

He was her son. She was his mother. In the future. What was he doing in the past? Why was he here? Was it all a sign? Was he the reason she had been brought to this place to begin with? Was it all... some kind of divine plan the gods had put together? Had she somehow displeased them?

There were too many questions and not enough answers and she wasn't sure he'd be able to answer them. She didn't even know what to address first.

"You're... m-my son?" she asked stupidly, and she knew it was stupid because he'd just said he was. But on the other hand, it sure did make her look at him closely, just to see if there was any family resemblance because that hair definitely wasn't hers.

TOO CLOSE, in fact. Even after all these years, the feeling of anyone's probing eyes just made his shyness flare up, no matter who it was. On reflex, Inigo shrunk away and diverted his gaze, face already hot with embarrassment. "U-um, I know it's hard to believe but... could you... not stare at me like that?"

So much deja vu. Second time definitely wasn't the charm.

Flames crackled about her fingers as she activated her fireball spell, throwing it at attackers in her path. Another Primid jumped for her over the fireball, and she retaliated by leaping, flipping backward with legs out to kick it out of the air. When she landed, she grinned back at the swordsman behind her. "Still throwing out compliments! I'm glad some things don't change!" she teased him.

Edited 2014-07-21 19:30 (UTC)

"S-sorry!"

And just like that, she shifted away. Somehow she didn't think it'd be any different with someone else, but for one reason or another, she felt like she reddened more in his company. Because he was her son? Could she really believe that?

But then if someone in Ylisse could pose as a famed hero, then didn't that mean weird things could happen in the academy as well?

"I wasn't trying to-" She shook her head quickly and nervously weaved her hands together. "I mean... It's just a shock. I... guess you do look like me..."

It was rare to have a magic user who was also so physically skilled, but Inigo couldn't say he was surprised. When Shantae danced, she had an awe-inspiring power in her movements - a level of control and skill the likes of which he could only envy.

Of course, he couldn't very well let her have all the fun and glory. Looking cool in front of ladies was what he did best... sometimes. Occasionally. Well, almost never outside of battle.

Switching up his Silver Sword for his Killing Edge, he locked onto the Primid Shantae had kicked down. With a smirk, Inigo remarked, "Don't you know? I'm a man of passion!"

In one critical, precision strike, he sliced the Primid clean in half. Its cleaved body spewed up Shadow Bugs that quickly dissolved into the air as Inigo flashed a winning smile. "I always fight better when there's a girl behind me."

Inigo recovered quickly - perhaps the fact that she was still so shy around him made him subconsciously bolder. He wanted to put her mind at ease, after all. Maybe this first impression could be salvaged.

"I'm glad you think so!" he remarked, a smile gliding back onto his face like he'd practiced a thousand times before. It was rather flattering for Olivia to think he resembled her in any way, though. It'd always been his hope growing up that he could match her for even a fraction of charm and grace. Not that Chrom was unattractive by any means, of course, but crashing through walls wasn't what any dancer aspired to do.

"I've always been told I resembled father more." Oh, but wait. "You have met father already, right?"

"I've got you!"

As the Sword Primid raised its beam sabre to strike, Inigo dashed in front of Alorah with his own Killing Blade to block the blow. Sparks flew as hardlight met his steel, but remarkably, the mercenary's sword remained undamaged. Taken aback by the failed blow, the Primid reeled back, allowing Inigo to dart in with a counterattack.

With a flash of his blade, he cut through the Primid's lanky, uncovered arms, slicing its hand off at the wrist. The sword clattered to the ground, with its cartoonish mitts still clutching the hilt before it dissolved.

Impressive, no? Inigo glanced back at Alorah, feeling just a bit cocky for having saved her. "Are you unharmed, my dear?"

Not even flattery: that was super impressive. There was genuine awe and relief in her eyes when Inigo stepped in and deftly neutralized the Primid. While she was the sort who would fight to the last to shield someone in a pinch, she knew she wasn't strong -- to pretend she wasn't scared would be downright stupid.

Still rattled, all Alorah managed was a nod and a flustered "Th-thank you!" A bit of a lame response to such a cool rescue, but there would be time to fully convey her gratitude when there weren't any Primid threats to worry about. She reached for his hand again, far more prepared to run than to fight.

But Inigo...! She'd seen his protectiveness once before, back when the dance club meeting had gone terribly awry, but that didn't lessen the grace and sureness of his movements in the least. The situation was still a dangerous one, and she didn't know why Inigo had come back at all, but... it felt a lot safer with him standing there. "I'm really glad you came back."

He had a nice smile. That was easy to pick out about him. It was charming. He, as a whole, was charming. Where did he get that from? Certainly not her, but if she said that aloud...

Well. She got the impression he'd try to correct her and who could blame him?

"Your father...?" Right. Because it took two people to make a baby. And if she was one half of the equation, who was the other half? There was something familiar about the glint in his eye, but where had she seen it before? "I don't exactly know who he is..."

"R-really?" Inigo's eyes brightened up as his face took on a slight pink tint - but he quickly caught himself. What kind of prince charming would he be if he was surprised by a girl actually maybe liking him back? He had to be cool, man. Super slick, maybe a little cocky. That's totally what the ladies were into.

"No mere shadow is a match for my blade," he boasted, casually flipping his katana in the air and catching it by the hilt with ease. "Not while I'm strengthened by your fair presence."

As the dismembered Primid attempted to shamble after them, Inigo flashed it a dashing grin - taunting fate, perhaps, but right now he felt invincible. Without any more delay, took Alorah's hand and once more they were off.

Wait, what? Had she really not met Chrom? This was shockingly early in her history, moreso than Inigo had expected. He was certain she'd be able to tell - if not from the hair, then the Brand would've given it away for certain.

But... what would happen if he told her? Would it change their first meeting? Being as shy as Olivia herself, he could only imagine what it'd feel like, someone from the future telling him that he was fated to marry royalty. Why, he'd probably be too scared to even speak to them!

On the other hand, though, what if he didn't say anything and they simply... never ended up together? That'd be his whole existence, erased!

What was he supposed to do?! If only Laurent was here - he'd probably know the answers, out of anyone. But right now, he had to come up with something. Play it cool, he repeated to himself. Never let them see you sweat.

"Rest assured, you marry a wonderful man," he told her. "One who'll make you very happy."

It wasn't like she hadn't thought it. Of course it was the first name to pop into her head. But the sheer concept of it was... bewildering, really. She, a girl of her calibre, of her nature, marrying a man of his. Yet this boy was proof of it, wasn't he? Proof that the impossible was evidently possible.

"...Why... did your father choose me? I'm..."

Not good at much of anything. Not good at this. Horrible at this. Wouldn't make a very good mother. Hardly make a good dancer.

"...nothing like him." Because she knew, as much as she wanted to deny it. The hair was a dead giveaway. And maybe that was the confidence she saw reflected in his smile. Because Chrom was always confident.

Shantae grinned. "Would you settle for fighting side by side?" she asked. ~~Shantae and Inigo partnered up. Their support level went up.~~

Inigo blinked. The look of recognition was in her eyes now - well, it turned out he couldn't hide what was plainly obvious. Not that he'd ever been that successful at hiding much from his mother for very long, much to his despair.

Of course, he had to turn this around somehow. What kind of son would he be if he couldn't reassure her? Grinning, he casually remarked, "Well, Chrom's not exactly like most lords, is he?" It was so hard to picture the prince, now Exalt in Inigo's time, having any interest in most of the highborn ladies at court.

"You've got more charm and kindness and beauty than you know, Mother. Why, if I wasn't already your son, I'd ask you on a date myself!"

"No... I guess he's never really been what I thought of when I thought of lords."

If anything, Chrom's open behaviour and willingness always caught her off guard. He was kind and thought about everyone. Every man and woman in his service had his attention and he was dedicated to them. He genuinely wanted everyone to be content. And he understood what he had to do to acquire that.

And he had quite the sense of humour.

"I-it sounds weird when you say it like that," Olivia stumbled as carefully as she could over her words. "You must mean the person I grow into. I'm not very charming at all right now. There's nothing charming about a woman who can't speak up."

Beaming, Inigo readied his blade once more and told her, "My lady, I would be honoured to have this dance."

Well, maybe it wasn't the kind of dancing he preferred to be doing, but it was as close as he'd get to ever having the courage to perform with anyone else nearby.

It almost seemed as though this Olivia was even shyer than the one he remembered. But then again, he'd only ever known her as a wife and mother - never the woman she was before she found love. Perhaps it was joining the Shepherds and meeting Chrom that helped her find her courage, one small step at a time. Either way, seeing her lacking in such confidence only spurred Inigo's bravado further, as though making up for its lack.

"Don't be silly, Mother! You've always been captivating - even moreso when you blush. When you dance, everyone falls in love with you a little. I only wish I had the same allure..." It wasn't quite the same effect when guys were bashful. Women wanted men who were invincible, not weepy and unsure of themselves.

"Besides, even if you're younger than I remember, you still have the courage to fight to protect others. You saved me, after all."

He said she was always captivating. Moreso when she was flustered. Even moreso when she danced. She could believe the latter. He wasn't the first person to say it and she doubted he'd be the last. And to be honest, when she put so much effort into her dancing, she wanted to be able to take pride in it.

At the same time, it was hard to take her future son's opinion into consideration. Of course he loved her. Of course he was going to say kind things to her.

"I... did, yes," she admitted with some hesitance. "Normally I wouldn't have. I don't even know why I did. I just... before I even knew it, here I was." As if Fate had a part in it. Meeting Inigo was something she was meant to do. Saving him came as something from a distant future where Inigo was meant to live. She liked it more when she thought of it like that.

"Good, because you're about to get your chance," Shantae remarked. More and more Primids were attempting to circle the pair. "I've got this side," she said. "Let's watch each other's backs!"

She reached into her pockets and dug out her Pike Balls. Fortunately they still had some charge in them. She tossed the spiked balls into the air, causing them to start circling her like a spiked shield as she charged into battle.

An attempt at an intro log

[wheezes gently]

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[wheezes heavily]

[leans in too close]

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[wheeze party]

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[wheezing for all]

[and then everyone hyperventilated and collapsed]

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wwowwww late

so so worth it

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Re: so so worth it

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