trainingwings | [Action]

Player Name: Serey
Are you new?: Not new, but currently not in game
Character Name: Vastra
Character Fandom: Doctor Who

[Vastra hasn't been around Luceti very long, but she's been around long enough to know that this "draft" is something that's most likely right up her alley. Despite the fact that some of those being forced to go are mere children, and mammals who wouldn't last three minutes against their foe (whatever it is--Vastra is mostly certain that whatever it is, she can handle it).]

[Which meant that she couldn't rely on someone to watch her back. Jenny wasn't with her, nor was the Doctor or any of his friends. It had been some time since she had been so very on her own, but though she misses Jenny very much, she is ready. Mentally, at the very least.]

[Slowly, Vastra unsheathes one of her swords, and begins moving, very deliberately, through an advanced kendo kata. Her eyes closed and breathing steadily, she moves through the space of the forest clearing with absolute certainty. The movements are second nature, but it isn't in her nature to be cocky or shirk practice the eve before battle.]

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[She's fairly focused on what she's doing, but she does pick up on someone standing nearby. It's something her sensei would do, stand and watch very nearby, because he knew it made Vastra nervous. Being watched, or looked at. She'd overcome it since those early days of being awake, but the sense never quite left her.]

[Once she finishes the set, she straightens and watches her audience carefully. He's polite, though--unlike how some humans could be.]

Good afternoon. [After nodding, Vastra sheathes her sword. Usually best to carry on conversations without swords in hand.]

Both. I do not like not knowing who or what I am to be thrown at. [Vastra rests her arm on the guard of the sword and inclines her head at it.] This relaxes me.

I assume you are 'shipping out' as well, then?

[He's a little glad she decides to sheathe her sword - he's unarmed except for a combat knife strapped to his thigh, and while she's obviously not a hostile, you never know who's just itching to pick a fight when tensions are running high before the draft.]

You and me both. Best you can do is keep working, and get to know the people who are gonna watch your back, I suppose. [He nods at her question.]

Sargent James Barnes, at your service. [He gives her a proper salute, but it's at odds with his posture and the easy grin on his face.] You're pretty impressive with that. You don't see a lot of people using swords anymore, where I'm from.

Sargent? How very authoritative of you. [Vastra smiles, looking perhaps a smidgeon more amused than the title and James' appearance warrants. In truth, she finds such titles to be amusing purely because she's never been in a situation where anyone with a title did some good. Even the head inspector at Scotland Yard couldn't keep his pest problem under control... Humans liked titles though, silly as they were.] I am Madame Vastra. 'Ma'am' or 'Vastra' is fine, whichever you prefer.

[She shrugs easily, her hands never leaving her hip or the sword.] Where I am originally from, most did not use this weapon either. However perspectives change when little else is available. I don't suspect you would run at an enemy with an antique sword, much the same I would not run at an enemy with an antique firearm that requires reloading.

It doesn't mean much around here. [Bucky shrugs. He's not the least bit put off by her amusement.] Good to meet you.

[He folds his arms across his chest.] Got that right. Although I try not to run at the enemy in general. They'd make swiss cheese outta me, easy. [He tilts his head up a little, still calm and curious.] If you don't mind my asking, is there a war going on where you come from too, ma'am?

[Vastra smiles. It's a terribly American phrasing, but she can see the wisdom in it. Then she looks a little distant for a moment, as though remembering something that happened not too long ago. Something that James is inadvertently hitting dead center.]

There is always a war going on, somewhere. But some are too small in scale to be noticed.

I concern myself with those who prey on the innocent, in London. That is my small war.

[Bucky actually drops his gaze at her words, remembering something of his own, sharply and suddenly, but when he looks at her again there's no trace of it in his eyes.]

You're certainly not gonna run out of battles. [He gives her a wry smile.] I've been to London. Not your version of it, I suppose, but it's something.

No, but I'll take the victories where I can. [She returns his wry smile. The world might never be perfect, but Vastra was happy enough with what she's accomplished. She only wishes she could get back to it, and Jenny, before some other monster terrorizes her city.]

Have you now? [She actually smiles with teeth this time and assumes a less formal stance.] Well, I suspect it has changed much since the year 1888. Humans tend to do that--change things.

[Bucky grins, small but genuine. That's a good way of looking at it.]

I was deployed there for training. Got shipped out to Italy with a few of your boys. [She's English, whatever else she might be.] They were crazy... and they were good men.

I'm from 1942, but the history books don't mention anyone like you. [His expression is a mixture of curiosity and interest, and he lifts a hand to the back of his neck, an almost self-conscious gesture.] I'm not trying to be rude ma'am, but I've never seen anyone like you, period. Mind if I ask what you are?

[Vastra watches him for a moment, a somewhat quixotic smile on her face.] No, I understand your curiosity. Humans are very curious.

There are many names for 'what' I am. Homo reptilia is popular, psionosauropodomorpha is a little archaic. Most of time and space identifies myself and my sisters as 'Silurian', silurians plural.

We lived on what humans know as Earth long before the time of humans. We predicted that a large mass would strike the planet and cause planet-wide extinction and death. And so we put ourselves into prolonged hibernation deep underground.

[Vastra shrugs lightly, as though trying to shrug off the memory of her reawakening. It isn't one of her proudest.] Humans are curious and industrious. I was awoken when a group of tunnel diggers, beginning the underground system, happened upon a clutch. They were afraid, and killed most of my sisters.

[She takes a moment to set that aside.] Which left me. And I'm almost glad to hear that one woman with an 'unexplained skin condition' has not appeared in any books. My kind does not need any extra attention.

[The scientific stuff goes over his head, but he thinks he can remember 'Silurian.' He remembers some of the extinction stuff from school, even. Giant hunk of space rock that killed the dinosaurs and most of his interest in ancient history at the time. He would have never thought anyone like Vastra existed somewhere underground, but stuff like this gets easier to believe every day.

She keeps speaking, and he knows what she's about to say a moment before she says killed most of my sisters. It's sad, but he's not surprised at all. Lizard people sound like something out of a bad dream.

He nods, when she finishes speaking.] I suppose you don't. [It would be the same story all over again.]

I'm sorry. About your sisters.

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