Summary:More practice for Ambrose and he ends up soggy Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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A spring evening, this one even edging on balmy, could surely be spent out enjoying its pleasant atmosphere. Out in the country, surely fireflies are beginning to glow — here, in the backyard belonging to Fenris and Astryd, it's a more…unusual sight.
Ambrose, most cautiously balanced barefoot on what appears to be a rounded innertube, is in a pair of sopping-wet black jogging pants. His t-shirt, thrown off to one side on the concrete edge of the pool, is a soggy mess. The shirtless Jackal has clearly threaded fingers through his medium-length silvered hair once by how it stands up in places and, at the moment, he's found his balance. He takes up a readied stance on the pool floatie, hands in the necessary gestures before himself, and the golden ring set to be turned and activated.
"— and furthermore, stop making me laugh," he's curtly muttering towards the homeowners far drier than he.
"You're trying to learn concentration. What's the fun in letting you do that without trying to distract you?" Fenris says with a slightly sharp grin. He is for once in less than formal wear, a tee shirt of his own and jeans. He looks different than the business wear or business casual wolf that he usually is.
"Have you tried looping the two around perpendicular to one another? That might solve the issue you were having just now. Also, why can't you run through a campground?"
If history is any guide the answer to that question is groanworthy and smack worthy.
As a distraction, Astryd is baking and the smells from the kitchen are divine. The blonde is wearing a light tank top - the mark from the blast she took from Lugh just barely visible over the collar.
She's keeping her distance today - not letting the Maeljin react if she can. It's a failing battle but she'll fail slowly.
"Why don't you tell us, Fenris. Why can't you run through a campground?"
A quiet groan from Ambrose, as if he'd suddenly developed a cramp in one calf — but no, it's because he knows another terrible pun is incoming, most likely at a delicate point of weaving the combined Banes' shield again. Also, how very dare the kitchen smell delighful. His stomach gurgles as if to add injury to insult.
"Yes, I shall attempt the perpendicular alignment," he confirms to Fenris with a quick, carmine-bright glance over at the Dread Wolf. An inhale in…a sigh out…and he turns the ring on his finger. A whisper of the words necessary to trigger the presence of both braided Banes and his aura coruscates around him as he reappears into proper view once more limned in it. Translucent, red as blood, it crowns him even as he lazily stares at the far end of the pool. Not at Fenris.
A squint is an attempt to bring up the shielding once more, but this time, he attempts as Fenris suggested. The shield tendrils to life before him in a similar base design as before — blood vessels, roots, the fan of coral, life-like weaving of a substance throbbing and glowing in time with his heartbeat — but now it contains more offensive aspects, almost thorny protrudings on its outer-facing surface. The pool reflects the display in minute broken ripples as he fights the Anti-Bane's wish to immediately retreat. Water is SCARY to it.
Fenris waits to reply as he watches Ambrose work. He's come along way he has to admit. Whatever had happened with Astryd he is sure that it had some effect. Ambrose seems to have a pretty good handle on this. He just needs… finesse. Which is why Fenris is trying to distract him. Finesse comes from mastery. Mastery comes from doing things a lot under less than ideal conditions.
"You can only ran in a campground. Not run. Because it's past tents." He says finally as thorny protrudings happen. He turns to grin at Astryd as she is sure to groan too and he's especially proud of that one. Also Ambrose can't hit him (probably) and he wants to keep an eye on the one who can.
"On the plus side that shield is looking pretty good though… it still hates being over the pool doesn't it?"
"Impressive." Astryd murmurs as the maeljin about her stirs … rearing it's head and wanting to rend the anti-bane. Rip it to shreds and banish it from this world once and for all.
As she struggles with that, her eyes gleam coldy - and it's that that Fenris sees when he turns to grin at her. She groans, trying to act as normally as possible.
That the anti-bane hates water is noted by the maeljin and it prods Astryd to do something … reckless.
The pun — it's bad — and Ambrose's face can be seen to twitch in its set state as he sincerely can't help the reaction. The shield too flickers in its mounting upon reality for his wavering focus, but then solidifies once more in its broadening spread. It's not too unlike frost on a windowpane…save for blood vessels and opaque spaces between.
"It does not." Distantly, heavily distracted, the Jackal confirms Fenris's observation. Speaking aloud is further proof of progress made in controlling the interlacing Banes as well as keeping his sense of self present. The Maeljin then makes its presence better known. The master-thief can be seen to twitch again and then slightly bear teeth, his attention still anchored on the far end of the pool. He's now got the shield spread out before himself to a good measure, at least three times the diameter of the last attempt, though still with ample room above the pool's rippling surface.
Fenris goes back to… what was he doing? Ah yes. Grilling. Ambrose can smell premium brats and some nicely marinated steak tenders as well. He is utterly unaware of Astryd thinking of doing something reckless though at this point he really shouldn't be surprised. She's been that way for a bit and it's getting worse. He IS watching the meat though and keeping an eye on Ambrose's progress.
"Now try pushing it into a double torus. Sort of like those pictures of Earth's magnetic field. You can let the Bane repel the Anti-Bane for you and make it less work if you keep the former on the inside."
So helpful. "Also, did you hear about the mathematician who was scared of negative numbers? He'd stop at nothing to avoid them."
Yes… so… helpful…
Fenris may regret that when he DOESN'T catch Astryd acting on that urge.
There's another groan from Astryd at Fenris' next pun. Normally she'd be chiding him for the quality of those. Not today though. The blonde takes a step towards the kitchen just as Ambrose pushes the shield he's created. The Maeljin rears, pulling hard on that reckless nature she's developed.
Astryd turns and throws herself at Ambrose … well the shield. She's heavy, all Asgardians are, and strong.
"Fenris, you are appalling," the Jackal volunteers in response to yet another god-awful pun set to make the shield flicker in amusement. His brows meet the harder as he then visualizes what the Dread Wolf suggests, the imagery of a torus an immense help. So carefully, he works, thinking and willing the curses to sleek past themselves in rusty motions — like tying a knot with one's eyes closed, inverted, and fingers half-deadened by gloves.
Then, like a sudden light in peripheral vision, he's aware of Astryd on the approach — Astryd in mid-air — Astryd colliding with the shield with momentous impact!
The shield stops her flight dead, like a bird on a windowpane…and it sure as hell throws Ambrose off the innertube in a mystical blowback in the process. A garbled choking sound from him followed by a fantastic KERSPLASH, the shield falling to glittering dust as it vanishes from existence.
"There was a young man from Cork who got-ASTRYD!" Fenris suddenly turns and runs for the pool. There's a third splash as he dives in, very quickly no longer a man but a wolf. He gets one of the two people in the grip of his maw - or at least gets their shirt in the grip of his maw - and hauls toward the surface.
"BHAT IN FEH NABE OTH ODINTHS UNTRIBBED BEARTH ARE YOUF DOBINK?!" He growls mouth full and more than a little difficult to understand.
"Nnnngggh" Astryd makes the sound as she collides with the shield. Bug on a windshield indeed. A very big bug who didn't splatter but does topple with the gentleman thief into the pool.
KERSPLASH.
As Fenris' jaws close over her tank top and drags her the pool, she drags Ambrose with her.
"Let me go, Fenris." She manages to growl, wriggling to try and get the top out from his fangs. "Let me go so I can …. " It's then she seems to come to herself, her fingers loosen their grip on Ambrose.
He'll drop. Again.
Fighting in water, much less underwater, has never been a favored battleground of the Jackal. The boiling of three bodies in the pool separates to become Fenris dragging Astryd dragging Ambrose, the last of whom is not thrilled by the experience. He's wriggling like a hooked fish as he tries to escape the Valkyrie's grip, both Banes in something akin to a solar flare around his person in defense of it.
Freedom!
SPLASH.
This time, he rotates and kicks powerfully away underwater in a stream of bubbles across the pool before surfacing with a haggard, hollow sound. Rather like a half-drowned rat, he clambers out of the pool on the far side and proceeds to cough up some water as he lies on his stomach, palms pressed to the warmed concrete.
"Good — " Cough. " — fucking ruddy — " Cough cough, hack. " — GOD!" Ambrose then rises to sit back on his heels and literally shakes his head out like a dog before glowering across the width of the blue water.
"Perhaps warn a man next time?!" That being said, he flicks water off his hands in quick shakes. "I require a drink before this continues," comes the grumble.
"And a plate of whatever is being cooked, it smells divine," the Jackal adds as his stomach growls yet again. Nobody's dead, he can't complain!
Fenris fixes Astryd with a look. Oh they're going to do something about this and Ambrose doesn't know it yet but it's going to involve him. For now though… He resists the urge to shake himself dry and ruin the meat. "Our guest would like a drink…" He says to the Raven. "I'll go plate up some food. And…" He looks at Ambrose. "We should find a way to dry his clothes."
Though later. If Ambrose practices more he might fall in again. Maybe Fenris will try to distract him next time by letting Astryd run at him and making Ambrose guess if he's going to stop her or not.