Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:24:43 GMT -6
“Either that, or they weren’t able to do it,” Nina suggested. “I mean, giving an element life, that’s a lot to ask. Maybe they didn’t know how to give it autonomy as well.”
“Or maybe they were too much of a threat.. though they did make Seekers and Bulldozers, so…” Nina’s voice trailed off there, but her thoughts continued to wander. The labs did a lot of things she didn’t really understand. Though their limits were very familiar to her in particular, given the nature of her own sentience.
‘I would like to see what she can do,’ Marta said, intentionally breaking Nina’s train of thought. She seemed like she was getting even more nervous and rambly than usual, so Marta wanted to see if changing the subject would help.
“Yea, okay,” Nina said with a nod. She thought about how she would demonstrate Laputa’s abilities without destroying another fence. Well, they would just have to destroy something else. Nina looked around and saw some bundles of hay stacked up nearby. They were probably old and not worth keeping now, so she figured it would be okay to use them for target practice.
She dragged the bundle into a clear area and called Laputa over. “Laputa, smash,” she said, indicating the hay.
[10.4, 5.8, 11.8]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:25:06 GMT -6
As directed, Laputa slammed her fists down onto the bundle, causing bits to fly off in every direction. It was gone in an instant and all that remained was a loose pile of hay.
“Now stop,” Nina said quickly. If she didn’t specify, Laputa might make a bigger mess than she already had.
‘Impressive,’ Marta noted. She drew a quick sketch of Laputa’s arms in her notebook, along with her square fists. The more Laputa moved around, the better Marta was beginning to understand her anatomy. Just looking at her while she was still was completely different from seeing her in motion.
“Okay Laputa,” Nina said, her voice was bright and cheerful with excitement. “Now rumble!”
Laputa beat down on the hard dirt like a drum, alternating hands and shaking the very earth they were standing on. It made a low rumbling sound, mostly muffled by the grass below. “Now stop,” she commanded.
“Yea that one is better when the ground is concrete,” she admitted. “I think it will do a good job to scare an opponent, though.”
‘Yes, I think so,’ Marta said. She put one hand on her heart since it was beating much faster now. Even if she thought she was mostly safe, the thumping was still quite intimidating.
[10.5, 6, 12]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:25:44 GMT -6
“That’s pretty much the plan,” Nina said. “Good girl. Yes you did a very good job,” Nina said, rubbing Laputa’s back. She wasn’t sure Laputa appreciated it, but it made her feel better so she did it anyway.
‘I see,’ Marta said. She did not look up from her notebook, but she was listening to what Nina was saying.
“I want to teach her some general stuff, though, like how to have a better sense for battle, and how to dodge and deflect incoming attacks,” Nina explained.
Finally, Marta looked up from her sketches. ‘Oh. I guess that makes sense.’
Thinking about Laputa being attacked really put what they were doing into perspective. She looked down at the smashed up bits of hay on the ground. That would be an opponent, wouldn’t it? She suddenly felt worried about her new crystalline friend. She seemed tough, but was she really that strong compared to other creatures in her class? What if they could use magic?
‘What sort of creatures do you think she will come up against?’
“I’m not really sure,” Nina said. She had pondered the question a lot, actually, but she never really knew what her opponents would do. There were just too many factors to consider.
[10.6, 6.2, 12.2]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:26:04 GMT -6
“Usually, people have use Wiurn and Thundergug in the fighting pit. Sometimes Pliathor, but all of those creatures are banned this time around. I guess they want to see what people will come up with if all of the usual options are off the table.”
‘Right,’ Marta said with a nod. She had never seen a tournament, but she knew a little bit about the more common creatures of the labs by now, and it made sense that huge, strong creatures like Wiurn and Thundergug would take the spotlight.
“I am worried about fast creatures, like Vespa,” she said. “Laputa is not very fast, and she might not be able to catch an agile opponent. She would be a sitting duck.”
‘Why would she be a duck?’
“It’s an expression,” Nina said with a whirring laugh. “It means, ah, that she might as well be standing still compared to her opponent, I think.” Now she was worried she had used the phrase incorrectly. She really wasn’t too good at idioms and such.
‘I think I understand,’ Marta said. She looked at her notebook then back up at Laputa who was sitting peacefully in her hay explosion. ‘What do you think about people bringing creatures with strong magic?’
[10.7, 6.4, 12.4]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:28:07 GMT -6
“Like a Malii or an Amphadron?” Nina said. She shook her head. “No, I think they’re still too frail with creatures like Laputa and Nyssa on the list.”
‘Oh Nyssa, like Cher!’ Marta said. She had just learned what a Nyssa was from meeting Nina’s Sakura Nyssa Cher. She was a sweet little creature with adorable pink petals. Marta could spend all day with her, sitting in her shade and doodling.
“Exactly! Well, ah, actually Cher is kind of small for a Nyssa. They’re normally huge! Twice the size of Laputa here, or maybe even three times.”
‘Oh..’ Marta thought about a creature that large and how they may easily overpower Laputa. Now she was worried all over again. She supposed there was no such thing as a safe fight. She would have to get used to it.
“It’s alright,” Nina said, quickly trying to reassure her. “Laputa here is a champion, I can feel it.” She tapped Laputa on the shoulder who then leaned against Nina affectionately.
“Do you want to help me with her training?” Nina asked. Her antennae perked up into her version of a smile. It was so nice not to have to train all by herself.
‘What would you have me do?’
[10.8, 6.6, 12.6]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:28:26 GMT -6
“I think there were some balls in the shed, we can use them for practice,” Nina said. Marta was puzzled by what she meant, but nonetheless followed after her to find out.
Just as she suggested, the shed had a basket full of chewed up old tennis balls in it. They must have made some Vultici very happy. Nina handed her a few of the stray ones before grabbing the rest of the basket and awkwardly lugging it outside. The size and shape of it made it hard to walk with, though it was not very heavy.
Nina dropped the basket and a few of the balls and other toys inside tumbled out. Along with the tennis balls, there were also some flying discs and chew toys. Plenty of things to keep a young creature occupied for a while. She stopped for a moment to think of all the creatures that had potentially come through the academy at some point. She wondered if she knew any of them.
‘Nina,’ Marta said, pulling her back into the moment. ‘I am ready.’
“Right,” she said. She briefly shook her head as if shaking out unwelcome thoughts, then she grabbed one of the balls.
[10.9, 6.8, 12.8]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:28:51 GMT -6
“Hey Laputa!” Nina called out. Laputa turned to look at her as she always did, her odd face turned up into a crooked smile. “Watch out!”
Nina lightly tossed one of the balls right at Laputa, and it hit her shoulder and bounced away again. Nina laughed. She knew that would happen. Laputa was not a very quick creature by any means. That’s why they had to practice. “Okay, your turn,” she said, handing Marta a ball.
Marta looked down at the matted and stained old ball in her hands. It seemed very odd to just be hitting a creature with old toys. Seeing that she looked hesitant, Nina stepped in. “It’s alright, it won’t hurt her,” Nina reassured.
“Even if she wasn’t… you know, a rock, then, ah, don’t throw too hard, obviously, but it’s going to teach her how to - how to escape danger in battle, you see?”
Marta smirked back at Nina and tossed the ball to her. To her surprise, Nina’s hand snapped up and she caught it right away. She really thought it would have bounced off her chest, but apparently Nina was too quick to fall for that. Not that she threw it very hard or anything.
[11, 7, 13]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:29:12 GMT -6
‘I guess I can see your point,’ Marta admitted. Seeing Nina’s quick reflexes made her understand why Nina was such a good teacher for this stuff. She must have done this plenty of times. It felt mean to pelt a poor creature with tennis balls, but she was pretty sure that wasn’t actually what this was. Instead, she grabbed another and looked up at Laputa.
“When you’re ready, give me a signal and I will call out to her,” Nina said. Marta turned toward Laputa and gave a silent nod.
“Laputa!” Nina called out, and at the same time, Marta tossed the ball at her. However, it fell short, hitting the ground and rolling harmlessly up to her.
“It’s okay, try again,” Nina said without skipping a beat. She swiftly handed Marta another ball so that she could do just that. Her voice was gentle and reassuring, similar to the one she used when speaking to her creatures.
‘Alright, I am ready,’ Marta said. Her grip on the ball was more firm than last time. She wanted to do a good job, both to help Laputa and to impress Nina. There was a lot of pressure on her at that moment. At least she felt that way.
[11.1, 7.2, 13.2]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:30:10 GMT -6
“Laputa! Watch out!” Nina shouted. This time the golem swayed to the side, for the last two times Nina shouted like that, she had been assaulted by flying objects. It was a good plan, of course, though ultimately fruitless as Marta had thrown the ball in the opposite direction. The tennis ball bounced off of Laputa’s forehead, a perfect hit between her eyes. She blinked a few times and then shook her head. Why were they doing this to her? She was very confused, though not terribly upset.
‘I am sorry,’ Marta said reflexively. She rushed over to Laputa and lovingly rubbed her head. Laputa didn’t seem to mind much, but she did like the attention.
“You’re going to have to do better than that when it’s fireballs coming at you!” Nina said with a laugh. The reaction from both of them to what had happened was just priceless.
‘Fireballs!’ Marta repeated reflexively. If that ball had been made of fire, Laputa would be (literally) cooked. It made her worry again about the outcome of the upcoming tournament. It seemed like they had a long way to go before they could seriously consider her champion material.
“No, no,” Nina said, trying to reassure Marta.
[11.2, 7.4, 13.4]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:30:31 GMT -6
“I mean, yea, there probably will be fireballs, but it will be okay. Laputa’s a tough creature, and if she does get hit… well, the healers in the pit are pretty good, you know?”
‘Healers?’ She had never heard of such a thing, though she had really just learned about tournaments just a few days ago when Nina told her about it. That was a part of the city she had avoided until now.
“Yep,” Nina nodded. “If your pet gets knocked out, a team of healers swoop in and fix ‘em right up. So nobody has to worry about their creatures getting too hurt, you know?”
Nina sounded desperate to get her point across, so Marta did not push back at all despite having some reservations still. She decided that she would have to see it for herself before making a judgment either way. It was tough to think about creatures, her kin really, being thrown into a fight to the death against their will, but that also seemed like an oversimplification of what actually occurred. On the other hand, there was no better way to understand and test the true capabilities of a creature than to see it in a battle.
[11.3, 7.6, 13.6]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:31:26 GMT -6
‘I care for Laputa, and I want to see her succeed. Let’s continue training her,’ Marta finally said. She was willing to see this situation through. Once it was over, she could reevaluate her decisions.
“Great,” Nina said. The relief in her voice was evident. She really did not want to upset Marta, and she really did not want to give up becoming a tournament champion, either. She had pushed that dream aside for so long, and she was only now finally able to get back into it.
“Laputa, watch out! Incoming!” Nina tossed a ball she had been holding at Laputa. Again, the golem attempted to dodge it, but she was unable to move fast enough. This was going to be a long process, but they would get there eventually. Even elemental golems could learn new things eventually.
Nina continued to take turns with Marta, running and flying around Laputa and tossing balls and sometimes flying discs in every direction. Soon, Laputa was able to hear the projectiles coming before they were actually there and move accordingly. It didn’t stop every hit from connecting, but it was better than before by a long shot. Teaching a golem was slow and repetitive, but there were a lot of good things about it, too.
[11.4, 7.8, 13.8]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 12, 2024 3:37:35 GMT -6
Some creatures came right out of the gate aggressive, defiant, or unwilling to take commands. Some were violent or inherently dangerous. Laputa was none of those things, making her a relatively safe first training experience for Marta. Her indestructibleness was also helpful, as it was pretty much impossible to accidentally hurt her. The only problem was when she accidently hurt them, but Nina was watching extremely closely for that possibility. Besides, they weren't teaching any attacks today, just defensive stuff.
Nina's eyes lingered on Marta as she ran around with Laputa. The two of them were teaching Laputa how to be aware of her surroundings. It was so nice to have someone else there with her. Someone to share these experiences with. For her entire life, it seemed like she was surrounded by others yet somehow still alone, but here she was, actually spending time with her.
As Laputa came crashing toward her, Nina shot up into the air to avoid being tackled. Laputa skidded to a halt, her heavy frame digging deep into the soft spring earth.
'That was close,' Marta remarked.
"Do not worry, I am safe," Nina said. Though she didn't really need to say it - Marta already trusted her.
[11.5, 8, 14]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 13, 2024 23:00:00 GMT -6
‘Training is exhausting,’ Marta said. She flopped down into the grass and looked up into the sky above.
“It certainly can be,” Nina confirmed. “Laputa, stop. Stay.”
Laputa had been waiting for another ball to come hurtling toward her, but when she heard the command, she stopped still and sat next to Nina and Marta. She wasn’t so sure why she did that, but it felt like a good idea. When Nina was around, she would rather be close to her. It felt right.
Nina was not really capable of being physically exhausted, but even keeping track of everything and constantly thinking two steps ahead took its toll on her, too. She didn’t strictly need to rest, but she liked that Marta reminded her to do so. It was alright to take things easy sometimes. She didn’t need to rush all of the time. She had plenty of free time now. Not everything needed to fit into a strict and overly full schedule.
‘Do you think Laputa is tired?’ Marta asked. She reflexively pulled her notebook out again. She did a few more sketches based on what she had seen while playing the game with Laputa. Seeing her run around and dodge them gave her many new angles on the unusual creature that were worth preserving.
[11.6, 8.2, 14.2]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 13, 2024 23:00:28 GMT -6
“I am not sure, it is very hard to, ah, tell what she’s thinking,” Nina said. She looked back at Laputa and tried to look for any indication that she was feeling something. Anything. There didn’t seem to be any. Perhaps she was just not very good at reading elemental golem facial expressions.
‘Truly mysterious,’ Marta remarked. It was strange that the first creature they trained together was such a unique one. Though maybe it wasn’t, really. Each creature made by the labs had its own habits and quirks. Perhaps Laputa was normal and she was the unusual one in that relationship. She had no way of knowing, really.
She was looking forward to filling more books with information about all of the creatures in the city, both those that were made by the labs and those that were imported. If she ever accomplished that goal, perhaps they could travel to distant lands and catalog the creatures there, as well. Marta loved the idea of seeing things even weirder than Laputa.
“Well,” Nina said. “What do you think of the academy, now?”
‘Pretty much the same,’ Marta admitted. While they had a fun time there, she still thought the place looked worse for wear.
[11.7, 8.4, 14.4]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Apr 13, 2024 23:00:53 GMT -6
There was a long pause before she finally added, ‘I think we can improve it, though. Together, perhaps.’
“I like that idea,” Nina said. Her metaphorical heart sank when she thought that Marta did not like the academy, even though that was completely irrational to think. She didn’t need Marta to like the place. In fact, it wasn’t even hers. Not really. She had not done any of the maintenance or decorating. That was all done by it’s previous owner…
“My friend Silver used to own this place,” Nina said aloud. Had she ever told Marta that before? She didn’t think so. It felt weird to say. Silver was an ever present thought in the back of their mind, but she realised that she didn’t talk about them much.
‘Is that so?’ Marta asked, wanting to let Nina tell more of the story if she wished to do so. She thought that Nina wouldn’t have opened the dialogue like that without wanting to elaborate, so she left room for that.
“Yea they… Silver gave it to me, when… well, when they got a new job,” Nina explained. There was a lot more to the story than that, but she wasn’t sure how much of it she would tell today.
[11.8, 8.6, 14.6]
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