pawnstorm | Training at Sunrise

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Training at Sunrise

Who: Tieria and YOU
When: May 9th, a day AFTER Intro Log
Where: Caissa, Coastal District
What: Tieria organized a mass training session, hideous ensues?
Rating: Violence, language, more violence

If you made your way to the location, you're already one step closer upon completing your training because this part of the beach is the furthest away from any settlement or port and also the hardest to find. You probably found it by following other heroes' trail, or you're those who stumbles around until you found it or you're actually one of those who went scouting before the actual day.

Either way, congratulation for making it this far ( puns completely intended ). Surrounding the rocky beach is an even rockier cliff. Be careful not to stumble or you will find yourself in need of healing. Thankfully, there are Kings ready to make a guinea pig out of your healing needs around. Your training will be held on the round rock-carved deck overlooking the beautiful sea or on the less rocky stretch of the beach, depending on your Trainer's choice. If you're lucky, your Trainer might even have you hike up that rocky cliff. You may even treat yourself to Caissa's fantastic sunset if you made it up there in time!

In any case, once you've arrived at sunrise ( or rather when the sun has risen sufficiently over the horizon because you're that bad with direction or has no sense of time ) and is done catching your breath, you will come to a notice pinned on the tall fences that tells you to tie a ribbon ( in the buckets, also tied to the fence ) corresponding to the training you wish to partake in on your arm.

Stamina ( GREEN ) ✽ Endurance ( ORANGE ) ✽ Weapons ( BLUE ) ✽ Magic ( PURPLE )

The notice will also instructs those who volunteers to be Trainers to tie a different set of ribbons, with black stripe over the four corresponding colors, on their arm to help differentiate them and the course(s) they're instructing. Of course, if you turn out to be a terrible Trainer, Tieria will rip that ribbon off you and very possibly shoves you into the sea.

There are no training weapon available because you're supposed to bring your own magic weapon.
If you forgot, you can either run back for it or pick a different course.

There's also a clause in very bold red letters that forbid killing. Break it and you will be broken in return.

Are you done tying those ribbons? Then what are you waiting? Get moving!

(( OOC: Please indicate in your top level if your character is a Trainer (which course are they instructing?) or Trainee.
eg.: Harry Potter | TRAINER - MAGIC
eg.: Severus Potter | TRAINEE - EVERYTHING PLEASE

Feel free to mingle around! Make friends, frenemies and even better, rivals! ))

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[She can understand why he doesn't, so she just keeps running - luckily this is an exercise that she's used to doing, so she's managed to develop a good form over the years. Her grandmother was very insistent that she get everything right, so that she doesn't accidentally cramp up mid-dance - for ritual dancing, that would be a complete disaster.

Though once she comes to a stop, she can only blink in surprise at him. Some part of her would accuse him of joking, but this is Setsuna. He never jokes.]

... You mean my complete lack of them. [There's a reason she's never fought, Setsuna!!! Plus, she seems to hesitate - the thought of hurting him sending a spike of panic through her. It's an automatic reaction to the thought of hurting anyone.

But... he's tough. He won't get hurt too badly, or at all, right? He won't bleed or anything, right? And she's always heard comparisons of fighting and dancing, so she just... Has to be careful. It's fine, Setsuna is a Knight, so she'll barely hurt him at all. So with a sigh, she shifts her feet, swallowing tightly as she braces herself -

- And it's now it become evident that Lapis is very used to moving a high speeds, using the power of her stockings to launch herself forward. Stopping herself once she's close enough and then sweeping her leg out, intending to catch her leg behind his knees.]

[ It is because Lapis hasn't fought up close that Setsuna has to do this. She needs to develop awareness from this range, as well as improve her confidence and courage in order to successfully use a melee weapon. He can easily sense her panic without her telling him about it, honed from his own developed awareness and sharp observations. As they're only starting off, he allows her to hesitate as much as she desires, waiting for her to adjust herself. In the future however, he won't be as lenient. Baby steps for now.

Honestly, Setsuna would prefer that Lapis doesn't realize the responsibilities of fighting from this close proximity. But with a weapon like that, there's no room for argument. He isn't sure if she picked it out herself or if the armory staff did, though it doesn't matter anymore. The decision has been made, and so he will help her realize it. The pain of a melee fighter, she will soon see it all. Continuing to observe her form, he's able to discern that she has potential to hone her dodging at least. Her movements are fast, but he keeps in mind that it's because her weapon is activated. He'll have to keep watching to see how she fights without it later on.

Once Lapis makes her move, Setsuna responds accordingly by jumping to evade it. He spins in place before landing back down in a flash; he doesn't waste movement at all afterwards, as he follows it up by reaching forward to grasp her raised leg — effectively halting her kicking position in a dangerous pose. But since they're not sparring, he lets her go and allows her to recover her position. ]

Again.

[ It's only the beginning. She has to keep going until she understands what she'll be dealing with from now on. Only then, will he be able to teach her. ]

[She's grateful that he waits for her, lets her calm herself down if she moves - if he hadn't, she would've stopped then and there. Even if she's strong-willed, her lingering panic over hurting people would be too much to push back.

Lapis doesn't want to do this, but she knows she has too. There's been too many people who got hurt already because she wasn't strong enough, and she can't let that keep happening. She just can't, even if Setsuna doesn't want her to experience this. She'll go through anything, as long as it means that nobody will get hurt because of her weakness again. At least her dodging skills are already pretty good, so she won't really need to worry about that - dodging ghosts requires quick reflexes after all.

Though it seems like Setsuna has even quicker reflexes, which isn't really a surprise. It's why the moment he grasps her leg, she stops putting force into the motion, knowing that trying to struggle would be a bad idea. Instead she simply moves with his motion, showing no resistance before hoping back once he lets go. Simply nodding at his words as she steps back once more - she already knows how difficult it will be, that this will be painful and exhausting. But she's simply too stubborn to ever give up. She'll push past any pain that comes her way.

And while she knows that he'll want to see her fight without her weapon, right now she still wants to test how strong, or less strong, it becomes as she uses more mana. So once again, she uses the power of her stockings to launch forward, this time aiming a kick towards his head - her dancing experience at least meaning that she can get her leg up that high with ease.]

[ It's all right to dislike fighting. Setsuna hates it as well, but he doesn't allow it to bring him down. He has long dropped the feelings of fear and anxiety... He doesn't expect anyone to become the same; in fact, he'd rather they still recognize those — such feelings remind people of their humanity. He wants Lapis to always remain as human as possible, always remaining who she really is, especially as she learns and sees the world through the perspective of someone who fights so close to the enemy.

When Lapis nods to keep going, Setsuna only remains in place. He'll let her pick her own pace to learn, as combat through such close proximity is never that simple to adjust to. It's fine to take her own adjustment. In fact, that's what she should do so she wouldn't be overwhelmed and possibly give up in the long run. He didn't stop her from using her weapon, because he also wants to scope out its potential and how she uses it. It's honestly not looking good right now, because she is too dependent on it. Though, that's what he expected. After all, she's not used to this; it's not a surprise.

Correcting that will come later on. For now, Setsuna wants to keep watching her. Through each action and the more practice she takes, she'll be able to become more accustomed to fight with her own strength and not because a weapon is granting her it. And so, when she launches her next attack, he meets it this time with his own high kick. However, it's no longer to merely block; with considerable power, he slams against a vital point on her leg to lower the efficiency of the attack.

That will probably hurt. But it's a necessary pain to awaken her further. ]

[Lapis doubts she'll ever get rid of these feelings over anxiety over fighting someone - even if she hides it, it'll still be there. At least he's letting her take things at her own pace, and doesn't seem annoyed at her hesitation and nerves. And even after she learns close combat, Lapis doubts she'll ever use those skills unless necessary. If she needs to use her weapon, she could use it as a distraction by destroying surroundings or allowing her to get higher to get a better viewpoint. At least it can be used for something other than fighting.

But for now, she needs to practice on the fighting aspect, though her own nerves and complete inexperience results in her being too dependent on her weapon - not exactly a good thing, especially as a Queen, who would use up mana faster than anyone else and thus would be unable to use her weapon after all. It's something she realizes, but she harshly trusts her own skills right now.

And again, she was expecting her attach to be blocked. The slam against the vital point is a surprise, and while the pain doesn't bother her, evident by the lack of reaction across her expression, the hit causes her body to instinctively jerk harshly. Which causes her to lose her footing, promptly causing her to stumble and...

Crash into Setsuna.]

[ There's nothing wrong with sticking to the fighting style that suits her the most. In fact, that's best. Lapis is more confident and more at ease with magic, so that's what she should continue focusing on. Setsuna is only allowing her to go through this so she would have an additional means of self-protection, as well as realizing the real potential of a weapon that is meant for the opposite of ranged fighting. As long as she doesn't lose sight of herself, then he will continue to support her melee training.

Apart from its obvious benefits though, going through this will also allow Lapis gain more strength and endurance that will especially be useful for a Rank that isn't quite known for them. Running through a violent war, it's imperative these are built up, or risk losing against one's self through the battlefield. Learning more than one trick to survival is required to truly make it. Setsuna's kick serves not only for said endurance, but it's also to have her realize that her every move can easily turned against her in martial arts. Blindly attacking from this close proximity will always be a mistake.

Unlike the safe distance that allows one or two adjustments, the world of close ranged fighters is so much different. Setsuna observes Lapis's movements, wondering if she'll be able to recover her stance back on her own... Of course, if she can't, he'll reach out to aid her. Maybe stop for a small break so she can process the experience thus far.

It doesn't seem like she'll be able to, though. But right before he could even assist, he's surprised at her sudden jerk. His eyes widen as his arms move forward, attempting to catch her — though, her weight instead smacks onto him. He wasn't hurt from it, but he is thrown off balance too and ends up falling together with her. ]

[While Lapis knows that a mistake like this would cost her in the battlefield, she still can't stop herself from just. Tipping over. She does at least try to send herself backwards so that she doesn't just land on top of him, except that plan is in vain.

She doesn't even have a chance to feel embarrassed or apologize before she crashes into him. This is not how she wanted any of this to happen, but now it has, and she can't take it back. Especially considering how she... lands. At least her crashing into him was kind of cushioned?? Or more like very cushioned - I mean.

But she's quick to jump off of him, looking a mix between sheepish and embarrassed as she keeps her eyes firmly fixed on the ocean.]

... Sorry. I shouldn't have lost my footing like that.

[ Ah... And so, one by one, my threads are crumbling...

Setsuna's eyes widen as something... soft... is crushed against him. What— what was that— it felt warm!? He tries to think about it, but quickly realizes that maybe he shouldn't. His face immediately heats up, though relieved that she removes herself off him before the situation worsened.

For about five or so seconds, Setsuna stays against the sands, staring at the sky with that same expression. ]

Um... N, no problem.

[ ...

. . . ]

Would you... like to take a break?

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Training at Sunrise

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