[Fic] Foxtrot
Feb. 5th, 2021 10:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chirurgiqueTitle: Foxtrot
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Relationship: Brain & Ava
Rating: PG
Content notes: weapons, fantasy violence
Words: 1,004
Summary: Before the Keyblade War, before the Dandelions, before the program that is this world’s future is written, Ava teaches Brain some moves.
“Wrong again.”
Master’s Defender clanged against Ava’s Keyblade, stopping Brain’s forward charge dead in its tracks. The figures of light that were supposed to have obscured his trajectory had apparently never materialized.
Brain let the momentum bounce him back onto the sand of the beach. He propped himself up by his elbows.
“Are you sure? Maybe I did it that way on purpose for a change of pace.”
Ava sighed and let her Keyblade drop, dismissing it. “Maybe we should take a break.”
“Nah, are you kidding? I could go all night.” He flung his arms up and let his head fall back. The back brim of his hat hit the ground and it slid forward, covering his face. “Put me in, coach.”
Ava stepped forward and kneeled neatly beside his prone form. She sighed again and shook her head.
“We won’t make any progress just trying the same thing over and over again.”
“Too right, boss.”
She picked up a stray piece of seaweed off the beach and contemplatively placed it on his hat. “Maybe I should re-explain the technique from the top. Or, do you have any questions?”
“You know I always have questions,” he mumbled, muffled.
She puffed out her cheeks and blew out her breath, making a buzzing sound that Brain snickered at. Ava picked the piece of seaweed back up and threw it as far as she could.
“You know, you remind me of my friend Gula sometimes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You both think you’re really clever, but you’re brats.”
He laughed. “Master Gula sounds like a stand-up guy.”
Brain expected Ava to laugh as well, or at least come back with some retort, but she was silent. He pushed his hat halfway to the side so that he could see her out of one eye.
She was looking into the middle distance, out over the sea. Though it was evening, sunsets always looked like sunrise in Daybreak Town. A line of gold glimmered where the water met the sky.
“Maybe you should train with him instead,” she finally said.
Brain raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, come on.” She seemed to return to herself as she turned back to him. “You know my style isn’t really for cool kids.” She pushed his hat back over both eyes.
“And what style is that?” He put his hands up to free his face from his hat, but her hand was still there. He placed his on top.
“I mean how I’m kind of a soft touch.” She sighed. “People like you don’t need a kindergarten teacher.”
“Aww, cool kids need to go to kindergarten, too,” he said. “Learn about caring and stuff.”
“Caring is cool?” She sounded stone-cold genuine.
“Of course.”
“I think you are making fun of me.”
He laughed again. She sighed dramatically.
“Well, I’m glad I’m allowed to make fun of you,” he said. “It’s fun to have a master who’s more open-minded.”
“... I see. Well, flexibility is key to confronting the future, you know.”
“Mmm.”
“It’s important to know when to stand firm and when to bend. And an open mind leads to an open heart.”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re not listening at all, are you.”
“... A soft touch, huh.” He lifted his hands and paused, then reached out and grasped blindly for Master’s Defender. His fingers eventually found the hilt, patiently lying where he had dropped it.
Ava also lifted her hands and shuffled back, looking unamused.
“You know, ignoring my advice isn’t a great way to convince me that I’m the right teacher for you.”
Brain sat up, lost in thought, and ruffled the sand out of his hair with his free hand. He retrieved his hat from his lap and put it back on as he stood, grinning. He turned to Ava.
“Let’s try that move one more time.”
Ava looked up at him. Sometimes that mask of hers made her mood completely inscrutable. But finally, she stood, too.
“Alright.” She stepped back several paces. “Let’s begin.” In a flash, her Keyblade appeared in her hands, and she swiped it decisively down towards the sand, ready to guard.
Brain readied his own Keyblade, priming it by swinging it behind him.
He focused his mind, gathering the magic together for the apparitions that would be his decoys. When Ava performed this maneuver, she conjured picture-perfect copies of herself, but for today Brain was happy to settle for whatever generic glowing shapes he could muster.
‘Generic’ might be too mean, he thought. These guys are my pals for the day, after all.
He lined up his shot, aiming to slice right through the air between his master and her weapon. He could feel his magical legion brimming to the surface, ready to burst into visible light. He concentrated both his attention and theirs towards his target.
And then, as he sprang forward, he let them go.
The figures filled his vision, dashing and dancing towards Ava at all sorts of angles. He almost wanted to laugh. For that one moment, it really did feel like he was surrounded by comrades, just one of a crowd.
And that crowd was going wild, all doing their own thing, each whizzing past Ava at some bizarre slant.
Not Brain though. His blow was straight down the middle. Keepin’ it simple.
He skidded to a halt some distance behind her as she stumbled, just as planned. But he was still no master. The flower petals that were supposed to follow the technique, as smokescreen or maybe just flourish, were a minor aspect, but Brain had over-prepared. The air was thick with them now, raining down on the beach like pink snow. Ava held her hands out to catch some.
Laughing, Brain called out to her through the petal blizzard.
“The audacity! I’m supposed to just trust them? Why leave it so unpredictable?”
She laughed and beamed, out of relief, or maybe just joy.
“The game’s no fun if you know where it’s going!”
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Relationship: Brain & Ava
Rating: PG
Content notes: weapons, fantasy violence
Words: 1,004
Summary: Before the Keyblade War, before the Dandelions, before the program that is this world’s future is written, Ava teaches Brain some moves.
“Wrong again.”
Master’s Defender clanged against Ava’s Keyblade, stopping Brain’s forward charge dead in its tracks. The figures of light that were supposed to have obscured his trajectory had apparently never materialized.
Brain let the momentum bounce him back onto the sand of the beach. He propped himself up by his elbows.
“Are you sure? Maybe I did it that way on purpose for a change of pace.”
Ava sighed and let her Keyblade drop, dismissing it. “Maybe we should take a break.”
“Nah, are you kidding? I could go all night.” He flung his arms up and let his head fall back. The back brim of his hat hit the ground and it slid forward, covering his face. “Put me in, coach.”
Ava stepped forward and kneeled neatly beside his prone form. She sighed again and shook her head.
“We won’t make any progress just trying the same thing over and over again.”
“Too right, boss.”
She picked up a stray piece of seaweed off the beach and contemplatively placed it on his hat. “Maybe I should re-explain the technique from the top. Or, do you have any questions?”
“You know I always have questions,” he mumbled, muffled.
She puffed out her cheeks and blew out her breath, making a buzzing sound that Brain snickered at. Ava picked the piece of seaweed back up and threw it as far as she could.
“You know, you remind me of my friend Gula sometimes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You both think you’re really clever, but you’re brats.”
He laughed. “Master Gula sounds like a stand-up guy.”
Brain expected Ava to laugh as well, or at least come back with some retort, but she was silent. He pushed his hat halfway to the side so that he could see her out of one eye.
She was looking into the middle distance, out over the sea. Though it was evening, sunsets always looked like sunrise in Daybreak Town. A line of gold glimmered where the water met the sky.
“Maybe you should train with him instead,” she finally said.
Brain raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, come on.” She seemed to return to herself as she turned back to him. “You know my style isn’t really for cool kids.” She pushed his hat back over both eyes.
“And what style is that?” He put his hands up to free his face from his hat, but her hand was still there. He placed his on top.
“I mean how I’m kind of a soft touch.” She sighed. “People like you don’t need a kindergarten teacher.”
“Aww, cool kids need to go to kindergarten, too,” he said. “Learn about caring and stuff.”
“Caring is cool?” She sounded stone-cold genuine.
“Of course.”
“I think you are making fun of me.”
He laughed again. She sighed dramatically.
“Well, I’m glad I’m allowed to make fun of you,” he said. “It’s fun to have a master who’s more open-minded.”
“... I see. Well, flexibility is key to confronting the future, you know.”
“Mmm.”
“It’s important to know when to stand firm and when to bend. And an open mind leads to an open heart.”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re not listening at all, are you.”
“... A soft touch, huh.” He lifted his hands and paused, then reached out and grasped blindly for Master’s Defender. His fingers eventually found the hilt, patiently lying where he had dropped it.
Ava also lifted her hands and shuffled back, looking unamused.
“You know, ignoring my advice isn’t a great way to convince me that I’m the right teacher for you.”
Brain sat up, lost in thought, and ruffled the sand out of his hair with his free hand. He retrieved his hat from his lap and put it back on as he stood, grinning. He turned to Ava.
“Let’s try that move one more time.”
Ava looked up at him. Sometimes that mask of hers made her mood completely inscrutable. But finally, she stood, too.
“Alright.” She stepped back several paces. “Let’s begin.” In a flash, her Keyblade appeared in her hands, and she swiped it decisively down towards the sand, ready to guard.
Brain readied his own Keyblade, priming it by swinging it behind him.
He focused his mind, gathering the magic together for the apparitions that would be his decoys. When Ava performed this maneuver, she conjured picture-perfect copies of herself, but for today Brain was happy to settle for whatever generic glowing shapes he could muster.
‘Generic’ might be too mean, he thought. These guys are my pals for the day, after all.
He lined up his shot, aiming to slice right through the air between his master and her weapon. He could feel his magical legion brimming to the surface, ready to burst into visible light. He concentrated both his attention and theirs towards his target.
And then, as he sprang forward, he let them go.
The figures filled his vision, dashing and dancing towards Ava at all sorts of angles. He almost wanted to laugh. For that one moment, it really did feel like he was surrounded by comrades, just one of a crowd.
And that crowd was going wild, all doing their own thing, each whizzing past Ava at some bizarre slant.
Not Brain though. His blow was straight down the middle. Keepin’ it simple.
He skidded to a halt some distance behind her as she stumbled, just as planned. But he was still no master. The flower petals that were supposed to follow the technique, as smokescreen or maybe just flourish, were a minor aspect, but Brain had over-prepared. The air was thick with them now, raining down on the beach like pink snow. Ava held her hands out to catch some.
Laughing, Brain called out to her through the petal blizzard.
“The audacity! I’m supposed to just trust them? Why leave it so unpredictable?”
She laughed and beamed, out of relief, or maybe just joy.
“The game’s no fun if you know where it’s going!”
