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+---- Thread: [Training] Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track (/showthread.php?tid=11718)
Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Colt - 07-13-2025
The threat of a storm can be seen in the distance over the water. Colt watches it with a wrinkle of thought as she hauls her bow and arrows off the back of Biscuit. The mare seems to feel it too, a little bit jumpier than normal, so Colt murmurs something low under her breath as she pats the buckskin's chest and neck soothingly. The mare keeps alert, ears on an uncertain swivel amid the squalls that blow this way and that over the uneven hillside sloping up from the docks and sea. Soon enough though she settles into an uneasy graze, ripping up the grass like it's revenge more than hunger.
Colt slings the quiver of arrows over her back and tests out the short bow she brought along. She's also got a stack of spare leather scraps, cut into various shapes and sizes, just trash usually, but targets today. She's a bit out of practice when it comes to aerial aim, normally going for something stationary, or something low if it's moving. There's more arc and wind to consider when it's higher up, and this stormfront breeze is only accentuating the point. Well, only one way to shake off the rust and sharpen her skills.
She climbs a bit further up the hillside from her horse, not wanting the wind to throw a stray shot into the damn beast's side leaving her out a good horse and a quick ride home. With that in mind, she angles downwind too.
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Melita - 07-14-2025
Melita’s wandering, especially after dispatching some void bullshit that was still running rampant, led her towards the Boondocks. Figuring she could find some ample trade or piss someone off in the locality, she docked her skyboat and headed off in various directions, taking the sojourn with Fangorn and Sila in tow.
Though as she rounded the road, she saw someone she briefly recognized, though it’d been under different circumstances. The only thing that really caught her eye were the bow and arrows, and situating hers higher along her shoulder, she narrowed her eyes, pondering. Maybe now was a good time to extend some good will or some such or just be an ass. It was difficult to tell with her on some of her best days. [say]“Hey!”[/say] She called instead, hands cupped around her mouth to be heard over the wind. [say]“Are you practicing?”[/say] Or maybe she was hunting, and then that could be amusing too.
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Colt - 07-15-2025
The yell almost doesn't reach her as the wind teases the words this way and that, but as it kicks up so too does Colt pause, tilting her hat against it and holding it on with one hand above her head. She catches the faintest outline of the shout and glances over at Mel. [say]"Howdy!"[/say] she calls back, her squint relenting as the wind calms. Straightening her hat back out and twisting her hair into a quick braid before she spends all night combing it, she nods at Mel, the words easier to catch now that they're closer and the breeze isn't throwing them sideways. [say]"Yeah. I thought, what the hell, nothing sounds better than shooting sharp objects into an unpredictable sky and seeing if I can hit anything or go home pissed off if I can't,"[/say] she grins, a laugh edging her plan now that she says it out loud.
[say]"Admittedly when I first decided to do this, it wasn't quite this stormy, so what do you say, wanna see what we can get up to as a spar?"[/say] she also vaguely recalls the woman, but admittedly her eyes had not been on the flaming archer at the pool party. She sets her sack of leather bits and bow to the side and extends her other in a shake. [say]"I'm Colt, a rancher 'round these parts."[/say]
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Melita - 07-15-2025
Melita was usually game for anything to do with some semblance of violence, reasonable or not, so she was already nodding in agreement and accord, over storms, over shooting objects at things. [say]“Sure. Seems like fun,"[/say] she agreed with a smile that was a little too sharp. Making no mention of her experience, she already began selecting an arrow from her quiver, feeling the hastening of the icy element form and forge under her fingers, before quickly and expertly sliding it along the bow string. [say]“I’m Melita.”[/say] Her eyes narrowed briefly, remembering a similar woman on a horse while she steered the Ark over…
And made no mention of it.
She listened instead to the mentions and possibilities, mind already rattling around the potentials. [say]"If you want. Maybe we can do something with staffs?"[/say] It'd be easier - and the Honeybee was always prone to a little more practice with any manner of violence. [say]"If you don't have one, we could find a big stick."[/say] Pulling her own armament out of her bag, she looked around, figuring there was bound to be something worthwhile and suitable nearby.
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Colt - 07-15-2025
Maybe if Colt hadn't been hanging on to a blur of a horse while avoiding being run down by a skyship, she could have better put name and face together, but as it is I've got the memory and the reading skills of a fucking goldfish, she only smiles like it's the first time she's meeting the demi-god.
The staff Mel holds up has Colt appreciating the equipment, which seems to her like a pretty fancy stick for all her knowledge of that equipment. [say]"Don't have much practice with a staff,"[/say] she admits, a bit wary, but learning how to bludgeon things is always a helpful skill. Given how dull her talents are with hand to hand combat, this is the perfect opportunity to shake off the rust and sharpen her abilities further.
It doesn't take long for Colt to glance around and find something of suitable size, she just hopes the heft will hold and not splinter apart in her hands. She picks it up, giving it a test swing or two, before squaring up against Melita with a crooked smile. [say]"Don't hold back, but appreciate any advice if it's all the same."[/say] She's not usually one to just hand out a free beating, not when she's the target, but she doesn't mind admitting to her faults if she can learn from them, at least in this scenario. Other ones she might keep tight lipped and bark out some blame or something cruel, but that's usually when she doesn't expect to be wrong or sat on her ass.
Holding her mighty stick with both hands like a bat, Colt exhales before stepping forward and swinging towards Mel's left shoulder.
1/4 Colt finds a stick and attacks Mel's left shoulder
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Melita - 07-17-2025
[say]“Eh, anyone can learn,”[/say] she mentioned at the first admittance. [say]“We all had to start somewhere.”[/say] Whether that was ranch riding, skyship flying, or the very long list of ways to harm others and/or defend oneself.
Once Colt acquired a stick of worthwhile means, Melita got into her usual stance, well-honed into muscle memory. [say]“Always think about how you want to fight too. The way you balance your body has effects on how you’ll fight.”[/say] Like if someone was off-kilter, would the Honeybee take full advantage of it? Fuck yeah. [say]“Sometimes you’ll know how to defend yourself instinctually,”[/say] like how she snagged at the bat like movement, blocking it entirely with her own armament, letting it absorb the blow with nothing but the slightest tremor through her fingers.
Then she maneuvered it towards Colt’s shins with one hand, just to see what she’d do.
--
¼. Melita blocks Colt’s swing and tries to swing her staff at Colt’s shins.
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Colt - 07-17-2025
The vibration of the two poles striking each other sends a vibration running along her hands and into her arm. It's not the most pleasant feeling, but better than the swell of an impending bruise, of which she's certain to attain today. All the while she considers Melita's words about balance, suddenly mindful of her feet and how easy it feels to let the movement of the swing carry her away with it. She flicks a glance towards Melita's foot placement, sweeping one leg a bit further back to try and replicate it. She definitely knows how important balance can be, and how it's saved her a time or two in the saddle. The skill doesn't quite translate so clearly to this though.
As Melita's swing drives for her legs, Colt's immediate thought is to jump, like this is a game of skipping rope and not the sweep of a staff that could throttle her onto her ass and bang up her shins all at once. Instead she bites into her concentration and hops back, regretting it immediately as that precious balance and the anchor of her body weight are sacrificed to the momentum of the leap. At the same time she yanks her stick down, not quite able to angle it to block the strike, but instead trying to hit it back, motion coming from a different direction to disrupt her arc and power.
Again the connection vibrates up her arm, and as her feet hit back to the ground she exhales heavily, staggering back a step or two before fully regaining her footing. She briefly shakes her head, like she can chase off the lack of familiarity with this dance. She steps forward towards Mel sharply, thrusting the end of her stick out towards Mel's gut with a jab.
2/4 dodges by moving back and striking down with her stick, but almost eats shit. Jabs with the end of her stick to Mel's gut.
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Melita - 07-21-2025
Melita’s brow arched as she watched Colt’s movements; the hopping a mild surprise. She took it in stride though, wondering how all that was going to work out, when it seemed to fumble around in a precarious launch. Only a mild giggle managed to leave her lungs, but followed by some words of caution and advice. [say]“Yeah I wouldn’t try that one again. You want to keep your feet on the ground.”[/say] Otherwise, someone like the Honeybee, or hell, worse could’ve taken full advantage.
The demigod would give her some credit and kudos for now though, because she needed to concentrate on the stick coming towards her stomach. Dodging quickly, she could only feel the edges and fringes across the fabric of her dress. [say]“You’ll want to use your whole staff on most occasions,”[/say] came on a persistent note. [say]“Like this.”[/say] She immediately swung back towards Colt, intending to rattle her staff against the woman’s shoulders.[say] “You have more of a chance to hit that way.”[/say]
--
[say]2/4. Melita barely dodges the stick coming her way, and tries to swing back at Colt’s shoulders.[/say]
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Colt - 07-21-2025
[say]"Agreed,"[/say] Colt mutters, but there's the edge of a smile, more than capable of laughing at herself, especially when she knows such gangly skills are on display. Maybe if this had been something she thought she should be better at, her mood would be more sour, but this, she expects to suck so she can embrace it a bit better. Mel is more merciful than all the deep ribbing she'd always received from her family and friends over the years when any visible failure had been spotted. She figured it helped thicken up her skin. That, and made her want to hide every fault line beneath the bite of her own words.
Her smile falters into a grimace as her jab only catches the whisper of fabric, and she's halfway through a nod of understanding at Mel's words when the more practiced swing drives in. Colt's staff stick fumbles in her hands as she struggles to position it as she means to, her efforts too grand, energy wasted with the wild arc that comes in too late to fully collide with the Honeybee's blow. She does make contact, maybe it helps, but it doesn't keep the solid thwap of the staff off her shoulder. It's enough force to make her step to the side, gaze flashing with hurt that comes out in a grunt as she withdraws her stick back towards her chest. [say]"Yeah, I'd say that was more effective,"[/say] she complains as she rubs a bit at her arm. At least it'd been her upper arm, not so painful as an area with less padding, or a joint. Still hurts like a bitch, and Colt has no intention of letting that happen again.
Snorting she steps towards Mel, stick drawn up like an axe she intends to swing down on on the top of Mel's shoulder, but Colt sweeps it around to her left suddenly, the bottom of her stick now becoming the head, aiming for the same spot on Mel that she just took.
3/4 Colt is hit in the shoulder and aims for Mel's shoulder
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Melita - 07-22-2025
Of all the ways she’d been described, merciful had never been one of them. Maybe that meant she’d done some growing up – or Colt just didn’t see the bitter, audacious, and violent layers underneath.
As her movements wnet towards Colt’s shoulder, and succeeded, the demigod arched her brow. [say]“Gotta be quicker.”[/say] What would the words be? No lolly-gaggin’? [say]“Your opponents and enemies aren’t going to give you style points,”[/say] at which she winked, ducking around the other woman’s impending blow with fast feet and swift intentions, only feeling the slightest bump against her outer shoulder, figuring it’d become a welt or bruise later. Given all her far more daunting injuries and death, that one scarcely bothered her. [say]“Smaller movements work best,”[/say] and then she could gain in power later. [say]“Like this,”[/say] she offered, before coming towards Colt’s feet with a wave of her staff, intending to maul near her toes.
--
[say]3/4. Mel ducks around the impending blow but still gets a bruise on her shoulder for her troubles, and tries to swing her staff at Colt’s toes.[/say]
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Colt - 07-22-2025
Colt huffs out a breath, holding back her tongue before she says something she'll regret. Mel's advice is sound, she just doesn't like hearing it, especially since she hadn't meant to fumble her block into something wide and messy. She can only laugh at herself so much after all, especially when there's reminders chirping in her ear about what she failed to do. She'd appreciate it all later, but right now, steel flashes in her concentrated stare towards Melita, lips drawn taut with focus.
As the staff swings for her feet again, Colt makes a conscious decision not to hop around like a jackrabbit this time. She still fumbles a bit as to what to do, sweeping her stick low and towards Mel's like she's holding an actual broom, relenting just one step back to help balance against the collision that hums up her arm. [say]"Better?"[/say] she asks with a breath of effort, stick sliding along the staff as she completes the motion of driving it away from her.
Deciding that maybe copying Mel is the best way to learn it, Colt swings her stick towards the Honeybee's feet in turn.
4/4 blocks the smack and goes for Mel's feet
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Melita - 07-23-2025
Listen, Colt had asked for advice; and Mel was going to give it, even if it had a distinct lack of sugar-coating.
Ah well – take it or leave it, as the Honeybee often did. And wallowing in failures wasn’t going to get them anywhere (the demigod would know, as sometimes pouting or being enraged was her favorite pastime). [say]“Better,”[/say] she hummed and snickered, her staff batted away from crunching against the other woman’s feet.
But that meant Melita had to be sharper too, and she took her own credentials and experience, sliding off to the right, swift and keen and certain, where she could potentially wallop Colt from behind as well. Raising her armament so it wouldn’t be all unjustified power and anger, she simply wanted to see what the Accepted would do, when striving to bat away the weapon coming towards her back.
--
[say]4/4. Melita dodges to the right and tries to whack Colt in the back.[/say]
RE: Put my soul in your hands like a penny on the track - Colt - 07-24-2025
A rough grin slips into place at the agreement of improvement, not that the bar had been set very high. Still, better to leap over the bar than catch a toe and go faceplanting.
Her own assault is swept away like it's an afterthought, wood grinding along wood and ricocheting up her arm into the clench of her teeth. It's an effort to hold her stick sturdy against the movement and the defense, her momentum threatening her grip as the forces all collide. She exhales through it, sucking in a breath as they finally disengage, her hands shifting along the length of her weapon, resettling it firmer in her hands.
Good thing too, as Mel's staff doesn't retreat much, arcing around instead. Colt pivots, jerking her stick up to catch it, bracing against the length of her extended arm. Unfortunately her found 'staff' splinters under one too many blows, and after barely holding off the bite of the staff, splinters in a shower under Mel's might. Her attack snaps smartly against Colt's left shoulder, earning another wince as Colt side steps and grabs at it with her now empty hand.
[say]"Well,"[/say] she mutters, [say]"looks like we're done."[/say] A short, tired laugh slips free as she kicks at her weapon's remnants. [say]"Well, thanks for the lesson, don't think I'll forget it soon."[/say]
[FIN]