Haha, it's not disappointing, it's a little - oof, a little relieving.
[ no, sparring with cloud has been really fun, actually, though... when the look on his face happens, rondo looks confused? he pushes back a bit from the spar itself, exhaling outwards to catch his breath, and looking down, and...
... ah. ]
...oh. This is... this curse is really awful, isn't it...? [ rondo - tries for a smile, a little sheepish, and reaches up to rub the spot. ]
[ he's lowering his SWORD ARM (it looks so funny) (he's compensating) when rondo pushes back to catch a breath, glancing again at the writing briefly before he looks back up at him ]
Little more telling than most people want to be with strangers, yeah. [ his still just says sephiroth over his arm, because i am not letting him live sephiroth free for all of monday ] Sorry.
[ sephiroth... huh. he looks at it - that does sound like a name. it sounds like a square enix name - but snaps his gaze back up a second afterwards. ]
You don't have to apologize. It does feel a little personal, but... it's not like it's a secret, really. [ plus so many of them are out of context. he rubs at his own again like it might go away and then gives up, instead bowing. ] And - thank you for the spar! You really are very talented.
anyway rondo shines a little at the praise, like obviously so, though he ducks his head. ]
You're too kind. [ ehe ] Thank you, Cloud.... it felt really good to get my sword muscles going. I still have to get used to this sword, so...! If you're open to sparring more often, we should.
[ after a moment he gives up and just. sits down with the sword. this is a sit down story. but once he does, he'll explains. ]
To be the Flameguard means that you're able to wield the Sacred Flame itself. Sometimes, a person is born with it and other times, a person can earn it, by passing a trial, but... only the Flameguard is able to do so. The Flame itself is a pure, azure blue flame. [ rondo touches where the light reflects a little blue on the sword, his mouth pulling down into a frown. ]
And... it's not just wielding it like it's a part of a sword. It's a part of you - you can summon it into your hand. Hold it, and feel it coursing through you. It is... your soul, your guardian. There's nothing else like it in the world.
On the other hand, the true opposite of the Sacred Flame is that of the Accursed Flame. It is darkness itself. All of the hatred and greed and despair of the world that coalesces into the flame, and corrupts the goodness and consumes the Flame. It... while it is the most often black, it also refracts pink.
[ and lo, the slightly pink side of the sword. ]
... I no longer wield the Flame. Not because I'm here, but... because it was stolen from me, and placed into this sword by someone who wielded the Accursed Flame.
[ square enix make ONE story that does NOT involve light and darkness challenge impossible
cloud can't say this is quite anything familiar to him, but he looks like he gets it as he stares at the sword and the way the light refracts on it as rondo on it ]
... Having it back with you must feel better, even if you can't wield it right now. [ he at least knows where it is? cloud thinks it would make him feel better if he lost something important like that. ]
you know... he hadn't really thought of it like that? rondo smiles a little, ducking his head - his hand falls gently on the flat blue part of the blade, pressing to it like he could feel its warmth if he tried. ]
...yes, that's... it does. [ his flame is right here, even if it's out of reach - even if his chest feels cold without the warmth he'd only just started to cradle. ] And... it's better that I have it, because now that I do, the person who had it before does not, which means... hopefully, the other Guardians will be able to subdue him and stop the madness at home.
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[ a real swordsman! not that he's surprised, but he's definitely impressed. he grins, stepping back a little further and raising his sword again. ]
Only if you're going to chicken out! [ a little playfully, lightly, but he is Ready To Fight ] Don't hold back!
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[ no one can hear caps or know what that means, but he does not express that, simply shifting a bit so his stance is more attack ]
Might hold back a little, if you want to keep it a spar. [ it's a joke! maybe. ]
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[ real problems
anyway with that he will rush to go start sparring! zia i refuse to write this out i'm tired. they're swordfighting while cloud still has thumbs. ]
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You sure those guys knew what sparring meant?
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this makes him laugh: ] Haha, well, he was an - unconventional mentor, for sure. Not a full guard, just one person.
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That the same guy who saved you as a kid?
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Ah - yes... the very same.
[ and it is here that the ink swirls of the week kick in - across his chest, it reads You won't be able to stop him. ]
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... but he doesn't say anything about it ]
Well, I don't do spars like that. Sorry to disappoint.
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[ no, sparring with cloud has been really fun, actually, though... when the look on his face happens, rondo looks confused? he pushes back a bit from the spar itself, exhaling outwards to catch his breath, and looking down, and...
... ah. ]
...oh. This is... this curse is really awful, isn't it...? [ rondo - tries for a smile, a little sheepish, and reaches up to rub the spot. ]
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Little more telling than most people want to be with strangers, yeah. [ his still just says sephiroth over his arm, because i am not letting him live sephiroth free for all of monday ] Sorry.
[ for looking. ]
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You don't have to apologize. It does feel a little personal, but... it's not like it's a secret, really. [ plus so many of them are out of context. he rubs at his own again like it might go away and then gives up, instead bowing. ] And - thank you for the spar! You really are very talented.
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I've got a lot of practice. [ and enhancements, which he doesn't mention, ] You're not so bad yourself.
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anyway rondo shines a little at the praise, like obviously so, though he ducks his head. ]
You're too kind. [ ehe ] Thank you, Cloud.... it felt really good to get my sword muscles going. I still have to get used to this sword, so...! If you're open to sparring more often, we should.
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but that seems to take him aback ]
It's not your usual sword?
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anyway. he looks at the sword - and then huffs, shaking his head. rondo's expression goes a little sad. ]
... It belongs to Sir Sazantos. [ so. ] Well... it belongs to the church, technically. It's a holy relic.
I don't really... I'm not sure why it ended up with me, but... I'm glad.
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[ he is not sure what else is safe to ask he is defaulting to asking about weapons to make you suffer ]
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[ he turns his grip a little so cloud can see the side of the sword, and runs his hand gently over the strange, curved part on the hilt. ]
It used to not really look like this, this is - um, recent. And the hilt shape is different, so it's a little heavier than what I'm used to. And...
[ as he turns the sword, it catches the light - pink, then blue. ]
... And... it has a lot of magic in it.
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[ oh look at the pretty lights on the sword. cloud looks a little surprised ]
Thought magic didn't work here. [ he cannot check as he has no magic if he doesn't HAVE HIS MATERIA BRING IT BACK HIS STUFF ]
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It doesn't, it's... it's more what it means than what it can really do, I guess.
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[ after a moment he gives up and just. sits down with the sword. this is a sit down story. but once he does, he'll explains. ]
To be the Flameguard means that you're able to wield the Sacred Flame itself. Sometimes, a person is born with it and other times, a person can earn it, by passing a trial, but... only the Flameguard is able to do so. The Flame itself is a pure, azure blue flame. [ rondo touches where the light reflects a little blue on the sword, his mouth pulling down into a frown. ]
And... it's not just wielding it like it's a part of a sword. It's a part of you - you can summon it into your hand. Hold it, and feel it coursing through you. It is... your soul, your guardian. There's nothing else like it in the world.
On the other hand, the true opposite of the Sacred Flame is that of the Accursed Flame. It is darkness itself. All of the hatred and greed and despair of the world that coalesces into the flame, and corrupts the goodness and consumes the Flame. It... while it is the most often black, it also refracts pink.
[ and lo, the slightly pink side of the sword. ]
... I no longer wield the Flame. Not because I'm here, but... because it was stolen from me, and placed into this sword by someone who wielded the Accursed Flame.
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cloud can't say this is quite anything familiar to him, but he looks like he gets it as he stares at the sword and the way the light refracts on it as rondo on it ]
... Having it back with you must feel better, even if you can't wield it right now. [ he at least knows where it is? cloud thinks it would make him feel better if he lost something important like that. ]
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you know... he hadn't really thought of it like that? rondo smiles a little, ducking his head - his hand falls gently on the flat blue part of the blade, pressing to it like he could feel its warmth if he tried. ]
...yes, that's... it does. [ his flame is right here, even if it's out of reach - even if his chest feels cold without the warmth he'd only just started to cradle. ] And... it's better that I have it, because now that I do, the person who had it before does not, which means... hopefully, the other Guardians will be able to subdue him and stop the madness at home.
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They're not gonna stop to look for you, you think?
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[ shit's so bad. also shakes cloud's soup brain around be normal. ]
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