[14:09] <Tangent> Holly's a bit of a coward under it all. She'll make a nice entrance, lightning everywhere...But can't really deal with anything approaching a slugging match well stat-wise and psychologically.
[14:09] <Tangent> Which fits with lightning, right?
[14:09] <Tangent> heh shiny
[14:09] <Tangent> It's funny, I keep meaning to make a hero of justice but keep getting sidetracked.
[14:09] <Tangent> *selfless,  like that
[14:10] <Tangent> "Um...Nadia? Does it...Does it hurt when you do that?"
[14:11] <IWBTG> "Oh yeah. A ton."
[14:11] * IWBTG spits blood on the ground.
[14:13] <Tangent> Holly winces. "Then why do it? Why fight like that? I mean, I know your magic means you're not really hurting yourself but...there's got to be another way to do it, right?" Holly mumbles, feeling pathetic at her own cringing and like she should be saying something more.
[14:14] <Tangent> (Come to think of it delicious self-loathing might work for Holly as >character development haha)
[14:14] <IWBTG> (Wait, should we set a scene or is this not canon? I'm cool with either but I just wanna clarify.)
[14:14] <Tangent> (Not canon really, more brainstorming for future reference)
[14:17] <IWBTG> The blade dissipates as the girl's mangled arm falls to the side. The monster begins to fade. "This is the easiest way to do it. The faster they go down the better. Besides, physical pain is only temporary, y'know? I've dealt with a lot worse in my life." She fakes a cocky grin.
[14:22] <Tangent> Holly's eyes dart to Nadia's arm, then back. She tries to smile back, but has to swallow instead. "Yeah...I guess you're right." Pain isn't stopping Nadia from doing what's right. What's wrong with her, to stop her from doing that too? Holly lets her arm and the lightning rod she's holding drop to her side. "I guess you had it covered without me, then." She tries to play the words off as a joke, but it doesn't come out that way. "Sorry I wasn't much help there..."
[14:23] <IWBTG> (Cutoff at "Sorry I)
[14:23] <Tangent> wasn't much help there..."
[14:26] <IWBTG> She shakes her head, her expression concerned. "Holly, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't've been able to get close enough to  hit it in the first place." Her other arm, the one  that didn't completely snap,  rests on Holly's shoulder, although the red-head visibly winces as she moves it. "I couldn't have gotten that hit without you."
[14:31] <Tangent> Holly gives Nadia a strained smile at that. "Thanks, Nadia." She replies, though without much feeling behind it. "You...That was pretty cool, you know that? Crazy, but cool." (heh derp dialogue)
[14:35] <IWBTG> A smile as she gives Holly a pat on the shoulder. She fakes a cocky grin and shrugs with her good arm. "What can I say? I'm a pretty cool chick. But you are too, you know?"
[14:43] <Tangent> "Huh? Really?" Holly blinks, smile becoming more genuine. She laughs awkwardly, suddenly looking away. "You really think so? Um...thanks...I mean..." She stammers awkwardly. "You're still cooler, though. It's like you're not scared at all, and you always seem to know what to do, and you don't let the monsters stop you from doing the right thing..." A nervous laugh. "Sorry, I'm talking too much again..." (derp or not derp?)
[14:43] <IWBTG> (It's good)
[14:44] <Tangent> (also aaa redundancy)
[14:47] <IWBTG> Nadia redoubles her smile; now she definitely has to hide her fear and pain, at least for the sake of the girl in front of her. She takes a step forward, resting a hand back on Holly's shoulder. "You're strong, Holly. You're  scared like you have every right to be, but you're still here trying to do good. I think... I think not taking the easy way
[14:47] <IWBTG> out even when you're scared is the coolest thing you could do. It's noble." She  gives the girl a warm smile; if she were taller she'd probably pat her head as well.
[14:56] <Tangent> Holly shakes her head. "I...I..." She looks up at Nadia. She feels like a fraud. Nadia's calling her strong, and noble, but she knows better. She's just out here because she feels she has to be. Because part of her wants to do something, to feel like she's making a difference. But someone like Nadia shows her just how hollow that is. How's she supposed to make a difference if she's too scared of a little pain to even try?  "I'm not..." She says quietly, then shakes
[14:58] <Tangent> her head. "Thanks..." She repeats, quietly, then changes the subject. "Um..how's your arm? Is it okay? We could go get it looked at, see if anyone's around that can heal it faster..." Paying for healing's the least she can do, right?
[15:02] <IWBTG> She breathes a laugh through her nose. "It's just going to get broken again, isn't it? My regen should handle it." She rolls her left shoulder before stretching her arm. "Besides, the fractures in this arm already feel like they're being fixed, so I shouldn't be out of commission for too long."  God the pain was unreal, but that wasn't what Holly n
[15:02] <IWBTG> eeded to see right now. Above everything else, Nadia had to maintain the illusion that she was genuinely the girl in the mirror, the fearless warrior.
[15:03] <IWBTG> Her gaze lowers. "Hey, Holly, are you... Happy? Doing what we do, I mean."
[15:14] <Tangent> "Huh? Um...sure..." She replies hesitantly, suddenly having a deer in the headlights look. Her mind races. Oh, god. She's making Nadia worry about her. She shouldn't have said anything. "I mean, some...a lot of stuff sucks...yeah, but I'm okay. Really. Sorry if I made you worry...But I guess so. I mean, what we're doing is something important, right? We're making a huge difference, just by trying."
[15:15] <Tangent> Holly becomes more animated as she keeps talking, though she's not sure who she's trying to convince. "I mean the monsters need someone to stop them from hurting people, and the powers are cool...so, yeah, I guess I have to be." She smiles wanly. "Um...Why'd you ask?"
[15:15] <Tangent> (yeah, not sure about this reaction/dialogue, does it read strangely?)
[15:16] <IWBTG> (I think it's fine; people don't always talk neatly. Speech is a huge mess a lot of times. As far as her train of thought goes, it makes sense too, so no worries.)
[15:23] <IWBTG> The red-headed girls is unconvinced. She turns her eyes down and to the side, a small frown on her lips. This wasn't a positive change for everyone, she realizes. "Holly, it's... It's okay to be a little selfish, you know. If you're not happy then there's no sense in just plodding along. You should try to do what makes you happy. I..." She pauses a
[15:23] <IWBTG> nd looks up, toward Holly's eyes. "I..."  A step forward, and she grabs one of Holly's hands with her own. " ... I'm here to listen, if you need to say anything. I don't want you to be unhappy."
[15:34] <Tangent> Holly swallows, not sure what to say. Should she explain the truth? Should she tell Nadia how she feels she HAS to do this now, how she'd felt when she'd realized that it hadn't mattered at all when she'd been written out- how she might as well have never existed for all she mattered? "I...It's not like that. I..." She stammers shamefully, then looks up, surprised at Nadia's handgrab. She swallows. "That's kind of you, Nadia. You really are a good person..."
[15:35] <Tangent> "I'm okay. Really. You don't need to worry about me. But thanks."
[15:36] <IWBTG> (It got cut off at "You really a...")
[15:37] <Tangent> really are a good person..." Holly shakes her head, Nadia's hand warm in hers. "I'm okay. Really. You don't need to worry. But thanks."
[15:44] <IWBTG> "I am worried, though. I've been... Unhappy, before..." She hesitates, tightening her grip slightly. How much of the illusion should she break down? "... At any rate... I'm here for you. And I'll be here for you in the future too, okay? Promise me that you won't try to go it alone." She'd felt that pain before, the nagging internal pain that came f
[15:44] <IWBTG> rom lying to yourself for years, convincing yourself you were content.  That wasn't ever something she wanted Holly to have to go through.
[16:14] <Tangent> (welp I'm a hack who's run into a bit of writer's block, want to pick it up later?)
[16:14] <IWBTG> (Sure thing)
[16:14] <Tangent> (Actually, screw it, I'll wrap it up here?)
[16:14] <IWBTG> (That also works)
[16:23] <Tangent> "I...I won't." Holly replies hesitantly. Nadia's talking about herself...If she's speaking from experience, does that mean she needs to talk about it too? " And...I'll do my best to do the same for you too. I mean, I know I'm not as brave as you are, and not as good, but if you need to talk too, I'm all ears..." She trails off. "Sorry." She shakes her head. "But really, you shouldn't worry...I'll be careful, really. Promise. I'll try to keep up."
[16:23] <Tangent> (gahhh)
[16:26] <IWBTG> (I think it might be my client, but you got cut off at "I'll try to k...")
[16:26] <Tangent> eep up."
[16:32] <IWBTG> She nods, squeezing the girl's hand again. "Whatever you do, don't lose hope. I don't want to see you fall to despair." She swallows a lump in her throat, trying to avoid getting emotional. Even if this girl was a stranger just a few days ago, the similarities between them couldn't be ignored. "I care about you, alright?" She keeps repeating the po
[16:32] <IWBTG> int apparently, desperate for Holly to believe it.
[16:47] <Tangent> "Nadia? I believe you. It's okay." She looks back, gripping her hand reassuringly. She wishes she knew what to say, that she could make Nadia believe her. This girl...she's a good person. The kind of person that could really be called a hero- that you never think you'd actually meet- and all she's doing is making her worry. About her, of all people. She honestly cares. "I'm sorry I...I said something that made you worry about me. You don't need to. You shouldn't."
[16:48] <Tangent> "I'll be careful, and there's no way I'll give up, even if I'm...I'm not brave enough to do what you do. After all, we both have the same important duty, right?" Holly shakes her head. "Sorry. I'm bad at this..."
[16:48] <Tangent> (Does the reaction make sense btw?)
[16:48] <IWBTG> (Gaaaaaaaah, cut-off at "you don'..." I need a new client)
[16:49] <Tangent> *don't need to.
[16:49] <Tangent> (and aaaa dialogue and characters, guess what really isn't my strong point for improv lol)
[16:49] <IWBTG> (Nah, I think it reads fine)
[16:55] <IWBTG> She smiles softly. "Okay. Let's go back to base and forget about monsters for a while then, alright?" The girl glows lightly, her uniform fading into a casual hoodie and jeans. She winces as she moves her shattered arm into the front pocket to rest, but quickly masks it with a smile. "We'll order a pizza or something to celebrate."
[17:03] <Tangent> "Yeah, sounds good. Let's...let's take it slow for a while, though, okay? No rush." Holly replies, concerned at her friend's wince. She follows suit with a shower of sparks. "Sounds good." She looks over to Nadia as the two of them walk back.
[17:04] <Tangent> *forget that second sounds good heh
[17:05] <IWBTG> (Continue on from this point or call the scene?)
[17:05] <Tangent> (call yeah)
[17:05] <Tangent> (thanks for the chardev, can I ask how Holly came over? Nadia worked well.)
[17:08] <IWBTG> (She seems like someone who wants to be a hero out of a sense of duty moreso than because it's what she really wants. She feels like she has to be brave because that's what the situation calls for, and she's trying to choke down her reservations and fear about it.)
[17:09] <Tangent> (*scribble scribble* ty)
[17:09] <IWBTG> (It's similar to Nadia, but she wants to choke back her fear and try to be a hero because she thinks it's cool in its own right.)
[17:09] <Tangent> (hmm might need to rethink a bit...)