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+---- Thread: [Training] you might not have a lot of time to waste (/showthread.php?tid=11120)
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you might not have a lot of time to waste - Flora - 04-14-2025
The training grounds behind the Barracks are blanketed in a stubborn layer of frost, the kind that refuses to melt even under Flowerbirth’s tentative sun. Halo, ever defiant, holds spring at bay with breath that still fogs the air and snow that crunches underfoot. Flora stands at the center of the arena, curls bundled beneath a fur-lined hood, a sleek cloak swirling around her calves in the wind. Her cheeks are flushed from the cold, her breath pluming in steady intervals as she rolls her shoulders loose beneath her fitted coat. She’s traded her usual Torchline elegance for something more utilitarian—dark leathers and sturdy boots, lined gloves peeled off and shoved into her belt so she can feel the hilts of her weapons properly.
Her three feather daggers rest in a loose fan at her feet, gleaming faintly. Beyond them, wooden training dummies—hulking things armored in battered mail—stand like silent sentinels. One in particular bears the scars of previous practice, its midsection split and restitched from a recent encounter. With a flick of her wrist, the first dagger sails through the air, singing as it cuts forward. Before it strikes the target, her hand whips back, fingers curling in a smooth, commanding gesture—calling it home even as it moves.
The blade hums, veering slightly off course to arc back toward her. It doesn’t hit the dummy—but it clips the edge of its shoulder, spinning with a whisper of wind before slapping back into her palm. She winces. [say]"Too early,"[/say] she mutters to herself, annoyance crackling like kindling in her chest.
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Elizabeth - 04-14-2025
Elizabeth doesn't spend much time in the barracks or training ground. She's worked with Deimos on occasions, but recent times have been spent with more intellectual matters - other than the digging project she'd stupidly offered to join. It had left her drained for days, her physical and magical muscles sore with exertion, reminding her of how much she still needed to work on if she wanted to be able to protect herself. After all, Halo isn't known for being safe and welcoming.
Most of the Shields are out on an exercise, so she thought it might be the perfect time to work through some drills on her own, although what exactly, she hadn't the faintest idea. Surprisingly, someone else is already in the ring, flinging daggers with a level of expertise that Elizabeth knows she'll never achieve. It's enough for her to watch in admiration for a moment, tucking her hands into the long brown jacket she wears and burrowing her head into her pink scarf.
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Flora - 04-14-2025
The thud of Flora’s boot against the frost-dusted ground is muffled, more rhythm than sound, her stance steady as her fingers twitch—and another feathered dagger whistles through the cold air. It cuts cleanly across the training yard, glinting in a narrow arc before disappearing through the center of a straw dummy’s painted-on chest. Her palm flicks upward just as it lands, a pulse of practiced magic tugging the blade back into her waiting hand with a soft snick, like a magnet snapping into place.
[say]"Not bad,"[/say] she mutters under her breath, brow furrowed. The next throw is faster. A snap of the wrist, a gleam of gold. This time, she tries to recall it mid-trajectory, aiming for a second target to the left. The dagger jolts midair—wobbles, off course—before slicing into the hay shoulder instead of the center mass. Flora exhales, frustrated, the breath clouding briefly in the crisp Flowerbirth air.
She’s halfway through summoning it back when something shifts at the edge of her senses. Not a sound, not a movement—just that subtle, unmistakable flicker of being watched. Her dagger returns to her hand with a slap against her palm as she pivots, curls bouncing as she whirls around. Aqua eyes land sharply on the bundled figure standing at the edge of the ring, all scarf and jacket and tucked hands. For a heartbeat, Flora blinks, caught off guard.
[say]"Sorry,"[/say] she calls across the yard, lowering her hand. [say]"Didn’t mean to hog the space."[/say]
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Elizabeth - 04-14-2025
She watches in awe as the daggers move it dangerously deadly arcs through the air, stabbing and slicing through the hay dummies. It's not until the woman turns to look at her - beautiful curls and aqua eyes greeting her - that Elizabeth realizes her lapse in manners. She raises her gloved hands in dismissive apology. [say]"Oh no. You're fine. I didn't mean to stare."[/say] There's a hint of an embarrassed laugh on her lips at having been caught.
Nodding her head at the fan of weapons at her feet, her smile is warm and easy with approval. [say]"You're really good at that. Are you using magic?"[/say] Her own telekinesis would probably act similar, so she wonders if that might be the case, or if there is some other mechanism that she can't see. The academic in her seeks to understand, to know how it functions and how it might be replicated, somewhat curious as to whether she might be able to do it herself.
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Flora - 04-14-2025
Flora relaxes just a notch at the warm tone, her stance shifting from combat-ready to casually intrigued. She flicks the dagger in her hand once, letting it spin along her fingers before tucking it away into the sheath at her hip. [say]"I'm just not used to people staring quietly,"[/say] she says with a wry twist of her mouth, breath fogging faintly in the Flowerbirth chill.
At the question, her brows lift in pleasant surprise. Most people just comment on how flashy her daggers look, not how they work. She crouches to pick up the remaining daggers, their golden hilts rimed faintly with frost, before holding one up between two fingers. [say]"Yeah—kind of. They’re enchanted. I can call them back if they’re within a certain range. It’s like they’re tethered to me, magically. Not quite telekinesis, but close."[/say] A small shrug, then a grin. [say]"Basically, I throw them, they do some damage, and then I can pull them back to hopefully deal some more. That's what I was out here practicing, anyway."[/say]
She straightens again, shifting her daggers to her left hand in order to extend her right. [say]"I'm Flora, by the way."[/say]
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Elizabeth - 04-14-2025
The offered information is fascinating, and Elizabeth brightens, wishing she had her notebook to ask more. Instead, she smiles, showing unashamed interest in the facts. [say]"Wow! That's really cool! They seem to work really well."[/say] Her eyes again flash to the hay scattered about, imagining that it would do a decent amount of damage in a real fight.
At the introduction, she offers her own hand freely. [say]"I'm Elizabeth. It's nice to meet you."[/say] Her smile is warm and open, friendly and inviting. Tucking a strand of short brown hair behind her ear, she tilts her head. [say]"Well, I don't want to interrupt your practice, but would it be okay with you if I stayed to watch? I might try something similar with my telekinesis later."[/say] Or now, if Flora is amenable, but she doesn't want to intrude if the woman would rather practice alone.
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Flora - 04-14-2025
"Nice to meet you, Elizabeth," Flora says, her grip firm and warm despite the chill. She gives the other woman a once-over—not in a rude way, just the casual, practiced glance of someone sizing up potential. [say]"Honestly, you’re not interrupting. It’s more fun with company."[/say]
She tips her head toward the practice dummies with a smirk. [say]"Besides, you said you’ve got telekinesis? I’d actually love to see how that compares. Maybe I’ll pick up a few tricks."[/say] It’s a genuine offer—one that holds no condescension, just curiosity and the easy confidence of someone who knows her way around a fight but still wants to learn.
With a sweep of her hand, she gestures toward the ring. [say]"You want to take a turn? You can throw one of my daggers and I can work on recall."[/say] Her aqua eyes gleam with mischief, and there’s something undeniably encouraging in the way she adds, [say]"Promise I won’t judge if you hit a dummy in the leg. That’s my special move."[/say]
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Elizabeth - 04-14-2025
Being sized up isn't something Elizabeth's used to, but she takes it more as a sign of Flora's character than something to be concerned over. She smiles brightly at the suggestion, intrigued to see what differences they might find. [say]"As long as you don't mind."[/say]
Her laugh feels like it warms the snowy space by a degree, a soothing brush against skin. [say]"We'll see. I think I might be lucky if I hit it at all."[/say] She'd struggled a lot when Deimos had been teaching her, and Elizabeth discovered that she should probably stick to magic rather than weapons. But magic and weapons might be a different story.
Facing the ring, she politely accepts one of Flora's daggers, appreciating their light weight and elegant appearance. It's obvious that she doesn't hold sharp objects often, because she holds it a little stiffly, trying to remember how to throw a dagger. After a moment of consideration, she places the tip between her thumb and forefinger, taking aim at a nearby dummy before releasing it. The magic rises in her fingertips, flowing out to push against the projectile and spur it forward, but the force of the magic disrupts its direction, making her already poor aim that much worse. It wiggles in the air before scraping the edge of the arm and flying past. She can't say she's surprised.
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Flora - 04-15-2025
Flora watches the throw with a glint of interest rather than critique, head tilted slightly as the dagger zips past the dummy’s arm and disappears into the snow beyond. She doesn’t flinch or wince, and there’s no laughter waiting to be unleashed—just a genuine, bright curiosity.
[say]"Amazing!"[/say] she says, lifting her hand to recall the dagger back into her palm; the weapon zips across the yard in a lazy arc and clicks neatly into place against her glove. [say]"I mean, sure, it missed, but that was with telekinesis. You could probably get way more power than I ever could—just needs some refining."[/say] She flashes a grin as she tosses the dagger gently back to Elizabeth hilt-first.
[say]"Try this,"[/say] she says, stepping to the side and curling her fingers thoughtfully around her own next throw. [say]"Don’t focus so much on forcing it. Let the throw carry, and then nudge it—not shove it. Like guiding a leaf on the wind."[/say] She gives a light shrug. [say]"Or, y’know, less poetic and more practical: push it in the right direction after it leaves your hand. Less chaos that way."[/say]
Flora steps back again to give Elizabeth space, eyes dancing with encouragement. [say]"Go on—show me round two. We’ll count anything above the knee as a win."[/say]
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Elizabeth - 04-16-2025
She didn't know if 'amazing' was the right word, but she smiled at the compliment, nonetheless. Catching the tossed dagger in a fumbling of hands, Elizabeth notes the varying method for her magic. It's not something she's tried before, but she still hums low as she considers the process. [say]"Hmm. Okay. That makes sense."[/say]
This time, as she throws the dagger, she does as Flora suggests, only using her magic as a gentle guide rather than a forceful shove. She nudges and prods like a scolding mother redirecting an errant child to the right classroom. It certainly helps although she watches as it wiggles and shifts through the air in a wobbly path towards the dummy. As expected(?), it hits the target with a pathetic lack of force and an inelegant 'arc,' the dagger barely lodged in the thigh.
Elizabeth laughs at the absurdity, looking to Flora with an amused shrug of her shoulders. [say]"Well, it's above the knee."[/say]
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Flora - 04-16-2025
Flora watches the throw with one eyebrow arched and arms folded, a smirk twitching at the corners of her mouth as the dagger completes its spectacularly unimpressive journey. When it lands—barely—she lets out a laugh, bright and easy in the cold Halo air. [say]"Hey, I said I wouldn’t judge,"[/say] she says, nudging Elizabeth lightly with her elbow. [say]"And above the knee is still a better hit than my first few ever were. Sunjata made me train with rocks before I was even allowed to throw anything sharp."[/say]
She steps forward and gives the dummy a tap near the embedded dagger, tilting her head. [say]"Honestly, your control’s not bad. You just need to build a bit of finesse. Less angry mom trying to herd toddlers, more... stern librarian who knows the book will shelve itself if she stares long enough."[/say] Flora shoots her a grin over her shoulder. [say]"Here, want to try again? I’ll lob one and you try to redirect it."[/say]
A flick of her wrist, and another feathered dagger appears between her fingers. [say]"No pressure. Worst-case scenario, we lose a dummy leg and traumatize a couple of ningos."[/say]
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Elizabeth - 04-17-2025
Laughing, she shakes her head, [say]"I fail to see how throwing rocks prepares you for knives."[/say] Nothing is the same; size, shape, aerodynamics, Elizabeth can't think of any reason it might help prepare the woman to throw with such skill. However, if it worked for Flora, she has to wonder if it might work for her...
Her laughter continues to flow, warm and free despite the biting breeze that brushes her rosy cheeks. [say]"Okay. Shelving books. That's something I can understand. If you throw it, I'll get it to the right shelf."[/say] Elizabeth's grin speaks of confidence in her 'shelving' abilities, even if they might not translate to sharp flying weapons. Shrugging her shoulders without an ounce of concern, she adds, [say]"Either way it's a win. Ningos can be real jerks, and they deserve a little bit of fear in their lives."[/say]
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Flora - 04-17-2025
Flora snorts, brushing a curl out of her eyes with the back of her hand. [say]"It's not about the shape so much,"[/say] she says, twirling one of the daggers between her fingers. [say]"It’s about the rhythm. The distance. Throw enough rocks at ningos and eventually, you learn how to lead a moving target."[/say] Her smile turns sly. [say]"Also, spite is a fantastic motivator."[/say]
She tosses one of the feathered blades underhanded toward a nearby dummy, the motion almost lazy compared to her earlier throws. [say]"But yeah, the bookshelving metaphor is probably a better place to start.. It's all about placement. You’re not trying to hurl it through the shelf—you’re trying to slide it into the perfect spot."[/say] Flora casts a quick grin over her shoulder at Elizabeth before her gaze follows the arc of her blade as it sinks neatly into the dummy’s chest. [say]"Also, if you think ningos are jerks now, wait until you meet a void-infected one."[/say] She mock-shudders. [say]"Feathers and teeth in all the wrong places. It’s like someone put a nightmare through a paper shredder."[/say]
Now for Elizabeth's turn. Raising her brows, Flora makes a show of lobbing the blade toward the other woman so she'd have plenty of time to move out of the way if her magic failed her.
RE: you might not have a lot of time to waste - Elizabeth - 04-17-2025
It sounds like Elizabeth has a lot to learn about fighting, and practicing to fight, because these are all things that she's never bothered to consider, her head nodding as she files the information away for later review. Perhaps she might even look for a few supporting references to study, something that might give her a better idea of fighting strategies and projectiles.
Regardless, she can't deny Flora's skills, watching as she easily nails the chest with barely a look in the dummy's direction. Her eyebrows raise in interest as she mentally prepares her magic for her next attempt: books and shelves, books and shelves. She just has to remember books and shelves. But the unsettling image of an amoeba of feathers and teeth are enough to make her flinch from her silent preparations, a light chuckle on her lips. [say]"Uh. I think I'll pass on that one."[/say]
Seeing the glint of metal, Elizabeth pictures it as a gilded book cover, delicate pages that need to be properly stored in their alphabetical organization method. As if her hand is gently but firmly gripping the spine of the book, she guides it through the air, not hesitating to slide it into its rightful place. Which turns out to be in the target's shoulder, such an improvement that Elizabeth stands open mouthed for a second before turning to Flora. [say]"That was amazing!"[/say] Obviously there is still a lot of progress to be made, but anything above the knee is a win, right?