She doesn’t entirely know what to expect when it comes to training. But she’s been directed to the Dragoons, to a certain demi god that might hopefully be lingering within, with her pale dragon sat about her shoulders like a scarf. She’s never been in a combat situation before, but given recent events she imagines it’s important to learn. One could only wield a hammer and screwdriver so much in war.
She’s dressed rather modestly this time, boots paired with black pants, a sweater around her and a jacket as the weather starts to turn more chilled as the days passed. Levi is comfortable on her shoulders, nestled in with puffs of air to show his appreciation for the warmth, as she slips into the training area, searching with wide brown eyes for someone she’s been told is rugged and might look like he needs something to do.
So once she’s spotted whom she thinks she’s supposed to, she and Levi swiftly move toward the demigod, reaching out to tap at his shoulder. “[say]Hello! I was told to come talk to you, I think, about starting some training? You are Ronin, right?[/say]” Dark brown eyes squint as if she’s trying to tell, while Levi picks up his head to peer at the demigod.
Ronin is training. Yeah. Okay, he really is training, it's just that it's been a helluva few days and he's taken a break to swig from a flask that definitely doesn't have water in it. Still, he's dressed the part, in a weighted training vest with his hands wrapped and sweat beading on his forehead, and as someone taps him on the shoulder he turns to glance down at them, an eyebrow raising to find a woman who doesn't at all look as though she belongs in the Dragon's Nest.
[say]"Uh... hi,"[/say] he begins, a bit distracted by the interruption and quickly shaking it off. Capping the flask and tucking it away, he arranges his expression into something more open and friendly, extending a hand for her to shake. [say]"That's me, and that's right. Are you a new recruit...?"[/say] He eyes the dragon laced around her neck.
Speaking of which there's a distinctive trill from high above, and Sugar swoops into a spectacular dive to arrange herself around Ronin's shoulders, snapping her teeth at Sera in greeting. ("Greeting"). Ronin isn't the only one who has been training, and the white dragon has proven very adept at it.
This isn’t at all what she’s expecting when he turns to look at her and caps the flask. But it’s truly none of her business, the simple raise of a brow before all of her attention lands on Ronin’s face, a bright smile crossing her face at his question, paired with a quiet laugh. “[say]Oh no.[/say]” She begins, that grin spreading a bit as she waves a hand. “[say]No, I’m the Artificer for the Order. My name’s Seraphina.[/say]” She introduces herself swiftly, but continues on as if to explain. “[say]But it seems I’m being promoted to some field work and I’d like to… Well, have somewhat of an idea what I’m doing.[/say]” She rushes through the last part with a huff of a sigh; a half roll of her eyes.
Despite Sera’s own almost awkwardness at admitting there’s one thing she’s not entirely good at, she is distracted by the pale dragon that zooms from the sky to land around Ronin’s shoulders, Levi perking up his own pale head and bears his teeth in greeting, moving to unwrap his long body from Sera’s neck to teeter forward to greet the icy dragon, offering a puff of air.
She’s distracted by the showing from the two dragons, however briefly, before her eyes land on Ronin again. “[say]I was told you could help me?[/say]”
[say]"Pretty name, pretty face,"[/say] Ronin murmurs, and it may or may not be a compliment; the lopsided smile on his face doesn't make it any clearer, either. Honestly, though, he doesn't think he's met an ugly person in the Order. [say]"What does an Artificer do when she's at home?"[/say] he wonders, the title making little sense to him, telling him nothing about what Seraphina actually does.
Field work, though? The smile grows into a grin at that, Ronin tilting his head. [say]"Planning to bash some heads where you're stationed, are you?"[/say] he wonders, reaching up to scritch Sugar under the chin and arching an eyebrow as another dragon teeters out to meet her. [say]"A hatchling,"[/say] Ronin observes; Sugar has noticed it as well, and she huffs an icy breath right back at Levi, as if to establish a pecking order of sorts.
[say]"I can probably help you - depends on what you want to learn,"[/say] he says.
“[say]Oh, thank you.[/say]” She chimes with a bit of a laugh, unsure how to exactly take the comment, but thanking the demigod regardless – something about it oddly charming, though she doesn’t put any weight into it. As for what the Artificer does, well, her smile sharpens into something a bit more calculating. “[say]I’m… Like an architect. I build things.[/say]” She offers, easily switching her attention to one of the arched expansions behind the demigod. “[say]I added that expansion there.[/say]” And in true Seraphina fashion, well, it has all the gothic charm of the rest of it – only, a few more arches because gods how she loved the simplistic beauty an arch gave places.
As for her fieldwork, she snorts slightly, shaking her head. “[say]I’d truly rather not. But as they say, it’s better to know and not need it, than need it and not have it, hm?[/say]” A dark brow is raised at Ronin, as if he might challenge her idea on that. But it was a guideline she followed closely. Still, she can’t comment more on it, the thought in her mind completely bombarded by the dragon around her neck, shifting and teetering forward to meet Sugar.
He is a hatchling, still young and small and doesn’t know too much, but what he does know, is that he’s met another dragon quite like him even if she was quite different, too. Sera begins to answer Ronin’s question when the icy puff is shot to Levi, the chill of it blowing through Sera’s hair and causing a shiver to race along her skin. “[say]Self defense preferably.[/say]” She murmurs through the edge of chatter in her teeth, an annoyed feeling shot to Levi that causes the dragonling to rise from her shoulders and take off to the rafters, to a perch where he can observe Sugar while Sera can remain out of the way of the cold greetings.
Following her gaze over his shoulder, Ronin tilts his head at the archways, the gesture betraying how impressed he is. [say]"Will you be building things as a part of your field work, then?"[/say] he asks, assuming that would be the case. It all gets more and more strange, dispatching an architect outside of Stormbreak - but Ronin isn't here to pick her brain about that. He also isn't here to stand for Sugar's shit, the Star raising his eyebrows at the pale reptile in a warning.
She grumbles and snaps her teeth in response, but drapes around his shoulders nonetheless and trills out an apology to the hatchling that has departed from around Sera's shoulders. [say]"Self defence it is, then. Follow me."[/say] Ronin smiles, turning on heel and abandoning whatever project he'd been taking a break from (making training dummies, mostly, and if all of them looked a bit like Cian, well that's just a coincidence) to lead her further into the grounds.
They arrive, soon enough, at a small sandy area kitted out for close combat, Ronin stepping into the arena and beckoning for her to follow. [say]"I don't know about you, but I learn best by doing. How much experience do you have already?"[/say]
She doesn’t consider the question to be anything close to prying, not when she doesn’t have to tell him what she’ll be doing exactly, and so she flashes him a prideful grin as she explains a brief idea of what her plan is. “[say]Constructing and deconstructing, mostly.[/say]” Build defenses in the Greatwood, destroy Ascended shrines and their entrapments. All busy work, after all.
Sugar settles and Levi remains in the rafters, watching, keeping his distance as Sera goes to follow Ronin. The dragonling follows, bouncing from ledge to ledge until he can keep an eye on the Artificer from where he stays, but remains his distance from the pale icy dragon on the Star’s shoulders.
Happily, Sera follows him into the grounds, glancing curiously at the dummies made and not reading into it, instead shrugging off her jacket and setting it aside before stepping into the ring, clearly at a loss as she flashes Ronin a slightly awkward smile. “[say]Little to none?[/say]” She hadn’t really needed it, but she tries to loosen up her limbs regardless. After all, it was probably just as good a workout as her own work, one you couldn’t be stiff for without hurting yourself.
[say]"I see,"[/say] he says with a slow smile. [say]"I'm more partial to the deconstruction of things, I feel."[/say] Sure, Ronin can and has built things in his time, but the moniker of Dark Star has followed him since the event with the Hollowed Grounds' Temple. He doesn't think that penchant for destruction is ever going to abandon him now. But this isn't about that, and he smiles encouragingly at her as she comes to join him in the ring.
Still, his eyebrows raise to hear the utter lack of experience she has, and he adjusts his stance a little bit. [say]"Okay, well... We can just start with the complete basics, then,"[/say] he says, nodding and beckoning for her forward. [say]"We'll just start by teaching you what not to do, I think. I want you to try and hit me as hard as you can."[/say] Ronin grins. [say]"I promise I won't be upset."[/say]
She does find his quip somewhat amusing, a slanted crooked grin shot back at him. “[say]So I’ve heard.[/say]” The Temple, among his other abilities. Still, she wonders how much of a shame it was to lose what was such a unique part of the Ground’s history — a shrine that called down all the gods, old and new. But that’s to be pondered on another day, taking the encouraging smile he gives her as she slips into the ring with him.
Sera’s quite confident in most of her abilities, shying away from things she doesn’t particularly think she’d be good at. But this is something she can’t shy away from any longer, and her smile softens into something almost awkward at his offer. “[say]Oh. Oh, okay.[/say]” She murmurs half under her breath, taking a deep breath and creating a fist (albeit, not a great form of fist) and aims to throw it at Ronin’s middle, internally already wincing at the idea of hitting what she imagines is hard, muscled skin.
As Seraphina comes to join him, Ronin gives Sugar a nudge to send her swooping away and up into the clouds. She'll go and hunt mice and other small creatures while they train, no doubt, and at least this way neither Artificer nor dragonling will be in danger of frostbitten fingers and noses. And Ronin watches her, as she prepares herself to attack, knowing with an experienced eye what's coming and how to avoid it. And avoid it he does, as she moves in, though it's not with nearly the sort of force he might use on one of the Dragoons.
His hand catches her fist mid swing, and with a step and a twist of her arm, Ronin gets her into a loose grapple. [say]"Not bad for a first try,"[/say] he says with a warm smile to her, releasing her so they might do some real training. [say]"Here, though. You'll break your knuckles if you hit someone's face like that."[/say] Releasing her, the Star moves to take her hand, forming it into a fist that ensures her thumb is tucked outside of her fingers.
[say]"That's more like it. Try again, okay? I'll let you land it this time."[/say]
She moves in, throwing the terrible punch and watching in what feels like slow motion as he evades her quite easily as well as latches into her arm, Sera hopelessly going with it in an effort to not trip over her own feet. “[say]Woah, hang on.[/say]” She says as she goes, pausing only when he releases her and takes her hand, forming it into a fist that feels wrong but makes sense given his explanation.
Brown eyes lift to meet his face before peering back at her hand now that it’s been adjusted. “[say]Okay.[/say]” Dark brows furrow slightly as she steps back, keeping the fist Ronin had made, and when he tells her he won’t move she finds a hint of suspicion coursing through her with it. But she tries again, throwing that fist back at Ronin and aiming for the middle yet again, choosing the body mass and size of him over more detailed targets.
There's strength behind the blow, Ronin can tell that much, even if he has tensed up to prepare for it. She manages to rock him back a little, and he nods his approval - even if her fist wasn't great to begin with, it definitely packs a (lol) punch now, and the way she throws her arm barely needs adjusting. [say]"Good job,"[/say] he says with a smaller grin, rubbing at his solar plexus and huffing out a breath. [say]"Now if you get into trouble and you're desperate, you're not going to just throw your arm willy nilly."[/say]
But this is self defence, and it's not enough to know just how to throw a punch, but also how to stop people from getting hold of you. [say]"Alright. Now I'm going to pretend to punch you, and you can learn that grapple I used on you just now."[/say] He shows her, first, how to grab his wrist and twist to get his arm behind his back. Then Ronin gears up for the real thing, throwing a faux punch towards her middle.
He tenses up and her fist collides with his chest in a way that makes her knuckles hurt, the edging flex of what feels like the need to pop them growing stronger as she withdraws, watching his face as he slips back from the force of it. “[say]Sorry![/say]” She chimes with a softer smile, obvious to her that he wasn’t hurt, but she hadn’t expected to be able to do that.
Still, he praises her, and she beams slightly under it, as he continues on. Her head bobs in understanding, that she wouldn’t just be throwing punches to try and get out of things she was already in. He demonstrates and she takes it in with bright calculating eyes, and when it’s her turn she reaches out to grab him by the wrist with a strong hold on it, doing exactly as he suggested and twisting it behind his back. “[say]Like that?[/say]” She asks, despite the feeling like she messed up somewhere, she looks to him for the answer of whether she’d done it right at all.
The skilful grab and twist of his arm takes him by surprise, Ronin barking out a laugh as hes manoeuvred around with comparative ease. [say]"Exactly like that,"[/say] he says, forced to stoop a bit. [say]"Once you've got someone like this, if you give their shoulder a push, it'll increase the pressure. Usually that's enough to persuade them to back off."[/say] He doesn't, of course, ask her to do that with him already at her mercy; indeed, Ronin gives her arm a pat with the one that isn't pinned behind his back to get her to release him.
Stepping away and rolling his shoulders, he nods approvingly. [say]"That's a good start. So you can punch, and you can deflect a blow. We'll practice that a few more times, and then I'll show you how to ground an opponent as well."[/say]
And Ronin does just that, allowing them to take it in turns, punching and grappling, until he's satisfied that Seraphina isn't going to injure herself or have to take a blow to the stomach that she can avoid. [say]"Alright - now, sometimes your opponent isn't going to throw hands with you, they'll just lunge. Come at me like you want to tackle me to the ground."[/say]
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