call me out (2025)

[rodimus]

select character, request character, receive starter. or leave me a starter i don't particularly care either way.

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[segue]

[ he feels like an exposed nerve under the glaring light of a probing eye. phainon moves to retract his arm — as if the reciprocation of touch is where he decides to draw the line. ]

That is the digestible, truncated version of the story. [ and he ought to leave it at that.

with anyone else, it's a route he would have strongly considered, making it clear it wasn't really up for discussion beyond a certain point. it makes him want to recoil further into himself, refusing an audience for something that needn't be addressed, the way the ghost of a simple gesture lingers against his skin — yet it unlocks a novel curiosity, something vague and uncharted. phainon doesn't dare give that a name, either. mydeimos is different nonetheless — ]

The citizens' assembly, you're aware of it, aren't you? It all began there, and the rest is history, especially after he unveiled his findings, the method he utilized in order to discover, confirm, and deliver his truth.

[ his tone is steady, less emotive than when he confided in mydeimos about a nightmare, unraveling, during his trial with strife — like there's a deliberate attempt to mask something, keep it from bursting through the surface to be known for what it really is. what he relays lacks in detail, but — phainon figures it's apt enough for the time being. ]

... Anyway, what were you up to prior to this encounter? Aside from being pursued relentlessly by our little friends.

[nowordfor]

( If Phainon wishes to withdraw his hand, Mydei will let him. At least until he decides to be a fool again. While he will bemoan the loss of a good routing of the other man, Mydei does have to concede that this method of getting the Deliverer out of his own head has its advantages. Less likely to result in the destruction of public property, for one. )

I remember that they were to hold it soon. ( He'd made a habit of remembering and attending when he could, though the Kremnoans tended to think themselves beholden to the laws of Castrum Kremnos rather than seeking representation at the assembly. Still, it had been good to make himself present lest someone attempt to foolishly think they could rouse suspicions against his people in his absense. ) A truth you seem keen on avoiding. Have it your way, Deliverer. I'll have the truth from you eventually.

( Make no mistake, the matter is not at rest. But Mydei has not become Strife simply by not knowing when to pick his battles -- even he knows that a wall must be hit multiple times before it will crack and crumble under the force. So he will give Phainon the reprieve that he seeks. He begins to walk again, leading them to an empty space that will fit their needs for a spar; Mydei does wish to see what this place has given Phainon as much as he knows the other man might wish to test his own abilities. )

Likely nothing different than yourself. I've seen the pathetic excuse for food they're attempting to feed us, and quickly dispatched no small number during their 'tests'.

[segue]

[ eventually — after his mind processes this encounter and doesn't feebly write it off as some wayward dream. for all mydeimos' calm fortitude, equally unshaken stoicism, of a resolve incapable of crumbling under the weight of quick, successive burdens regardless of the sacrifices, what may never be had again — phainon knows better than to add onto that ever-growing load, much less meet him on a shaky foundation, however temporary in its half-assed presentation.

for now, phainon falls into step beside mydeimos, only proceeding further, footfalls hurried and enthused, upon their arrival at the broad, open space. he looks over his shoulder to address the other man, turning fully once there's a considerable distance between them, stepping onto their own little makeshift ring. ]

Are you really boasting about your accumulated riches to me, Mydeimos? [ said with a lift of a brow, a toothy grin, a hand now planted upon his hip.

phainon can't say the same for himself. he ended up with a... training dummy for an opponent, and in his typical broke glory, he only really has the promised 5,000 numis to his name after the fact. not much of a practice round that he was hoping for, less interactive and engaging than he'd like. but this — mydeimos has always promised experiences worth remembering, and a typical spar isn't exempt. ]

So are we playing by the rules they've provided at the arena? Or shall we up the stakes? Just to give it an additional kick to this.

🎀!

[nowordfor]

Let us up the stakes to the rules we are used to, though I shall not hold back from this Shifted Form they have granted us.

( Sparing Phainon with anything less than everything he has at his disposal is an insult to both himself and the other man. The Deliverer is his equal -- that, he knows, will not change even with their arrival here. He can only hope that in the next life, when there is no Strife, that they will remain so. If not in combat, then perhaps in some other way.

For all that he considers Phainon his rival, he understands that there is no one else that can match him. For all that he considers Phainon his friend, there is no small amount of joy in the fact that there are moments where Mydei can best him. No small amount of joy in knowing that Phainon is reason enough for Mydei to improve, to be better. )

If you can best me in one round out of three, Deliverer, I'll save you the embarrassment of enquiring about how well your own rounds went. Come then.

( And let them do what they do best: raise each other to better, higher heights. )