2019-08-31: Tripartate Training

From Dream Chasers
Jump to navigation Jump to search
  • Log: Tripartate Training
  • Cast: Ena, Loren Voss, Tabitha deVriese
  • Where: Mi'ihen Highroad
  • Date: September 01, 2019
  • Summary: Under pain of death from Lulu (or so it can be assumed) Loren undergoes training with Ena and Tabitha joins. A three-way battle ensues thereafter between the young 'Yevonites'.

<Pose Tracker> Ena has posed.

    Yesterday, Djose Temple was under attack by the forces of Althena's Guard. It was a vicious battle, and many are still nursing wounds even after the White Mages have done their duty. That's not even accounting for the refugees that we being shuttled to the Fereshte. Even having held the Guard at bay, morale is not exactly at it's highest.

    It's a distance from the temple where a few are gathered. Amongst them is a green haired aspiring summoner, who yesterday had what seemed to be her first real taste of battle. It taught her some things. She bows towards the others, and performs the sign of Yevon. "Thank you for agreeing to train with me." Her voice is a little shaky, but otherwise determined. "I have... a lot to learn. I think this will be a valuable experience."

    Perhaps the battlefield is the only true way to know if one will be of value in a fight, but there's something to be said for peaceful practice when you don't have a lot of real experience. "Um, I'm sorry if I do anything wrong."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    'Thomas' had left days before the attack, stating business to the north, near Macalania Tetmple. This might have been suspicious under most circumstances -- in fact, it probably is suspicious to certain parties. But if the young man had done anything to assist with the attack, it's as of yet unclear what that might have been...

    He'd done due diligence with attending to some of the wounded; surprisingly, some of them have made a marked recovery in spite of him having only done basic first aid.

    (He used a little Ether. It helps, sometimes, to have a few more bodies than there might be otherwise able to return to battle.)

    He seems overall marketedly more... lively today.
    This is of course 'relatively speaking'. He's still very much the same sullen young man he's always been.

    "...Sure, if you want to think about it that way," he says, glancing away from Ena.
    He's only really here because that black mage had stared him down like that.
    And, besides, a little practice with his sword isn't... a bad idea.

    "...I guess you're new at this," he says, regarding her scars thoughtfully again. "So. Live steel or a practice sword?"

<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.

Tabitha, meanwhile, was also not around during the attack. She hasn't offered anyone an excuse. Whatever the cause, though, she's back now. She's dressed quite light, for this nominal training exercise, in what amounts to a halter top, strapped down with a few extra layers of banding for self-evident reasons, and a flowing sarong-type garment in bright colors. One arm terminates in a stump that has been tied off in a silken cloth, tightly bound down not just with its usual ribbons but actual leather straps, to prevent it coming loose in the fray. With the other, she postures on her hip, because of course she does. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine," she quips for Ena, waving her stump as if expecting her fingers to flip in comforting dismissal. Nothing happens, of course.

She steps out into the practice sands, sandals slapping against her feet as she moves. "No preference, but I suppose the priests would get upset if someone gets stabbed too much, hm?" she offers to "Thomas'" question.

<Pose Tracker> Ena has posed.

    Ena doesn't seem to notice Thomas's observations, or if she does she doesn't respond to them. "I know some magic, but I haven't used it a lot." She confesses, taking her wooden staff in hand. Tabitha's reassurances are, well, reassuring. Her eyes track briefly to Tabitha's arm, but she doesn't comment on it. If the other woman wasn't able to fight like that, she wouldn't be here.

    "Ah, I would prefer a training sword. If it's not too much trouble." Maybe she won't learn as much from that, but on the other hand, she spent a lot of time in the care of the White Mages last night. She's not exactly eager to go back.

    "Alright, I'm ready when you are!" She sounds enthusiastic, as she drops in to what she considers a fighting stance. It's... fine. Not great, could use as lot of work. Her footing is not unsteady, but far from ideal. She's hasn't quite found her centre of balance, and she's holding her staff tightly, but not ideally defensibly.

    Ena's also, it seems, not ready to make the first move. Another rookie's mistake.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    He gives Tabitha a sidelong look, then shrugs.

    He had fallen back into that metaphorical sea. Lan had pulled him back into it -- not that he blamed her for it.
    It had been complicated.
    And he had found himself washed up -- again, metaphorically -- on the shore again the following morning.
    It had been awkward. But it had also only been fleeting. The storm was behind him again.

    "Suit yourself," Loren says, unbuckling the swordbelt and leaving it behind. He instead stoops to pick a wooden sword from the equipment pile.

    She's ready, she says.

    Using a one-handed grip, he rounds on her, affecting a defensive posture until it becomes clear she's waiting for him to strike first.

    He delivers a questing thrust, in towards her abdomen. He'd like to get an idea of what he's dealing with.

    He's only an amateur himself, but he had some of the basics beaten into him the last time he was on Lunar... and then Leah had shown him a few tricks, herself.
<Characters> Seraph Boudicca says, "quick mechanics question: if you put a buff like shield on an offensive attack does it give shield to the person you're attacking"

<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.

Tabitha glances toward Thomas, eyes searching. She doesn't, really, know the guy, she reflects. He's mostly amusing for that prickly demeanor. But when she sees that look in his eyes, sometimes, she wonders where it came from.

For the moment, some exercise should do everyone some good, she decides.

Which is why she shifts her stance subtly, twisting her ankles to generate torque. "Ah, starting slow, are we?" she muses, and then corkscrews into the air.

Way into the air. An inverse whirlwind trails her passage, before Tabitha cycles down as gravity demands (for once), a full half-moon kick coming sweeping for Thomas' head.

"I'm afraid I've never found the foreplay that interesting!" she calls over her own descent.

<Pose Tracker> Ena has posed.

    Ena is slow and cautious as she watches and waits for Thomas to attack. She's either a nice enough person that attacking first doesn't occur to her, or she's perhaps too worried to start a fight, or perhaps she's an idiot. Thomas' thrust gets past her defenses, but it's enough to move the sword away from a direct hit. It drives into the side of her abdomen, and she backs off with a little grunt of pain. She's not hopeless, but something seems off about it. Something about the movement doesn't quite add up.

    But that is neither here nor there because before she can counterattack, Tabitha just rockets into the sky and goes to kick Thomas in the head. She stumbles backwards, aiming to be well clear of any collateral damage. "W-what?" She seems utterly caught by surprise by Tabitha's sudden attack. "How did you-"

    It takes her a few moments to respond, flailing her staff wildly at the airborne woman. It's inelegant and unskilled and heading straight for various pressure points, if allowed to continue unchallenged. Is the girl that lucky?

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    She definitely, he decides, lacks a warrior's instincts as his sword clips her ribs.

    A better fighter than him would have countered that with the observation that a really good warrior can, when prepared, subdue their instincts.

    "Watch my body," he says, shaking his head. "Someone's body fortells their intent. I shifted my left leg forward before I even--"

    Suddenly, there is Tabitha. His attention snaps away from Ena; he is in this moment wide open.

    Normally a battle cry like that from Tabitha might have provoked some indignant sputter from Loren, or perhaps even a dry rejoinder.

    But he's a soldier, and here is her leg coming right in for his head.

    This is not a time to be stable like the earth: he doesn't try to guard it. He instead ducks, dropping low.

    It reminds him of a similar moment under unsimilar circumstances when sparring with Leah.

    So what is this? It isn't water -- he has no 'return' in mind. Perhaps it could be wind -- but he has no direction in mind.

    Is this becoming unstable? Becoming fire?

    He rises in the next heartbeat, pulling away from Tabitha, rounding on both women. Ena's rejoinder is a better counterattack than he could have managed.

    "Don't you even have a weapon?" he asks of Tabitha, apparently unwilling to let her 'surprise' attack slide and swinging his practice sword low for her legs. He's treating it like a real fight now -- and in a real fight, he would attempt to lock down her mobility.

<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.

Tabitha doesn't quite connect, and the miss should throw her balance off completely; instead, when she nearly lands on her face from Thomas' face not being present to arrest her rotational inertia, she thrusts her arms out, catches the ground, and--

--Finds herself fending off waves of attacks from Ena. She does it in a handstand, flexibly, like being completely upside down were barely inconvenience; fending off strikes from that staff with swift kicks that divert it from its intended course. But she eventually forces a disengage, rolling away, and in that moment Ena tags her in the thigh, causing a wince and for Tabitha's graceful tumble to end in a crouch, the swifter woman cursing quietly. That hurt FAR too much for a tap from the staff--

And when 'Thomas' comes at her again, she replies with the maimed arm, which catches the sword with a dull metallic KLONG that sure isn't a noise bones make. "But if you're going to ask me to put my arms down, I'm afraid another gentleman beat you to it!"

Then she surges up and swings the end of her cybernetic arm at him like it were a mace.

<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.

Tabitha doesn't quite connect, and the miss should throw her balance off completely; instead, when she nearly lands on her face from Thomas' face not being present to arrest her rotational inertia, she thrusts her arms out, catches the ground, and--

--Finds herself fending off waves of attacks from Ena. She does it in a handstand, flexibly, like being completely upside down were barely inconvenience; fending off strikes from that staff with swift kicks that divert it from its intended course. But she eventually forces a disengage, rolling away, and in that moment Ena tags her in the thigh, causing a wince and for Tabitha's graceful tumble to end in a crouch, the swifter woman cursing quietly. That hurt FAR too much for a tap from the staff--

And when 'Thomas' comes at her again, she replies with the maimed arm, which catches the sword with a dull metallic KLONG that sure isn't a noise bones make. "Not as such. But if you're going to ask me to put my arms down, I'm afraid another gentleman beat you to it!"

Then she surges up and swings the end of her cybernetic arm at him like it were a mace.

<Pose Tracker> Ena has posed.

    As kick after kick deflects Ena's wild blows, she just seems to look surprised. "Y-you're really good!" She stammers, perhaps not realising the fact that she got a solid hit on Tabitha. The big loud metallic sound from Tabitha's arm also catches her off guard. "What is-" But again, things start moving too fast for her to follow up.

    Instead, Ena watches as the two superior combatants trade blows, standing a bit too close for her own safety. The difference in skill between herself and Thomas, let alone herself and Tabitha, is a shaking thing. "Wait, weren't we-" The green haired woman starts.

    She should, perhaps, be focusing on her own safety in this case, as she is once again wide open to a sudden attack, so focused she is on other people fighting each other.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    That clang provokes a frown.

    His gaze rests on Tabitha for a moment, as if attempting to read into her movements.

    Before she responds to his question.

    Someone else, he thinks darkly, sure did beat him to it. And here is another point where he might have -- might have -- commented.

    Instead, he raises the practice sword as she closes on him, holding it in a sort of guard.

    Which is unfortunate, since at the last moment, she doesn't kick out at him, she swings her amputated arm at him like a club. An attempt to last-minute dodge this goes sour; he has his bell rung. Staggering, he reels for a moment, as if he were about to drop to the ground.

    But he has a particular set of skills. Seemingly recovering from the hit in a flash (he used Ether) he shifts his grip on the sword and, shifting targets, he barrels at Ena, swinging the blade not unlike a bat.

<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.

Tabitha domes 'Thomas' right and proper, and she can't resist a tiny grin at seeing him recover so quickly. Forced you a bit, did I, she thinks with some pleasure.

Thomas dashes for Ena, and Tabitha hangs back. "Weren't we what? Having a friendly session? Oh, dear, you see, it's just..."

She saunters on over to a large stone littering the practice area, and suddenly sweeps a powerful kick at it, cracking it completely in half. The top half doesn't...fall...correctly? Maybe she kicked it upwards a bit...?

"The laughter and tea comes after all the hitting, you see."

Then she raps the flying stone with a knuckle and it...

It's not like she knocked it flying with strength so much as its vector of descent suddenly became directly at Ena's face.

<Pose Tracker> Ena has posed.

    Ena lets out a yelp as Thomas comes straight for her, the attack being seemingly unexpected. This time, she isn't fast enough to guard, and the training sword slams into bicep and knocks her off her unsteady feet. She is sent rolling, completely uncontrolled and landing on her front.

    But that's not the big danger here. The big danger is Tabitha trying to murder her with a chunk of rock. As it flies towards her, she's too prone to get clear. This could very easily be the end of her training already. She starts to move, but aborts her plan mid maneuver. Instead she thrusts a hand out in front of her. "Darkra!"

    The sphere of shadow descends from above, aiming to collide with the rock. It's hard to say exactly what she hoped to happen. It's just enough, as some of the rock fractures from the magical intercession. It doesn't stop large chunks of rock slamming in to her torso and head. It draws blood, and she lets out a cry of pain.

    Again, something feels slightly off. Like the delay between impact and pain was just a fraction of a second too long.

    She doesn't give time to ponder it, though. She pulls her self to her feet, and casts out with her staff. A series of smaller black spheres apparate, and rain down slowly towards Tabitha and Thomas. It's filling the space, rather than directly connecting. The goal seems to be to give herself some breathing room.

    Appears to be being the operative term, as glyphs appear on the ground where the spheres land. Should anything come into contact with them, a burst of shadow magic will burst forth from the ground.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    It was that or possibly faint, which is something he cannot be having with, so to speak. Certainly not right here and now.
    Certainly not after the other night.

    "She's like that," he comments for Ena's benefit, casting a short glance Tabitha's way. "I suppose she thinks of it as her way of being friendly." He narrows his eyes, as if to underline what he thinks about that.

    This, before he charges at Ena in a highly aggressive manner.

    Not terribly unlike how he went at Elly, weeks prior.

    But this time, his blade connects -- but since it's a wooden sword, it serves to knock her off her feet.

    'Thomas' hesitates, then, as if he's become aware of something.

    And drops back, just moments after Tabitha kicks the first half of that rock into the air.

    ...Showing off now, are you, he thinks, dimly.

    His attention then snaps over to Ena.

    Tabitha's special brand of trickery is outside what he learned in Jugend, whatever its connections loosely to Wind and Earth. Still, he knows well enough how fast those rocks were likely moving--
    And it seemed like they hit her and that she screamed almost as an afterthought.

    Interesting magic, he thinks, glancing Tabitha's way, as if to catch her eye.
    To voice something through a look alone.

    And he afterwards raises a hand to his head and grimaces.

    "...I think you hit me a little too hard back there after all," he gripes, the irritation flooding his voice coming easily to him in spite of the fact that he actually feels no pain at all.

    Finding a stone, he takes a seat, setting the practice sword down. "I'm out, I don't want to wake up tomorrow to do transcription with a headache."

<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.

It's not much of a spar if she doesn't get to actually do things, after all.

Tabitha doesn't seem too bothered by making Ena cry out, though. "Ah, now it's more interesting!" the adrenaline junkie Et*AHEM* says, and her eyes cut to Thomas.

Two heartbeats, before she glances away. Received and noted.

"Ah, a bit rough, was I?" she chides, and straightens up, starting to dust herself off. She visibly favors the limb Ena got a tap in on, stumbling a little and looking down at it with some surprise. "Stiff," she says, playing it off. She's walked off the limp in a few strides. "Well, I'd say it was a lovely chance to play with you both~" she sing-songs. "I could use a bit more exercise. Perhaps I'll go bother those Guard soon..."

<Pose Tracker> Ena has posed.

    As Thomas calls time, Ena looks slightly surprised. That's it? They're done? She isn't going to get wrecked by Tabitha dropping a tree on her? That's honestly a bit of a relief. It was... a lot more than she expected. The spell she casts fades, and she pulls herself up, leaning on her staff. "O-oh. Okay." She dusts her clothes off, watching as Tabitha starts walking off, and as Thomas sits down. "Thank you! This has been... very informative!" She looks up into the sky, at the sun. She takes a few moments, and nods. "I should get back to the temple. I still need to do my readings." She gives the sign of Yevon again, before starting to wander off herself- in a different direction from Tabitha.

    Very informative indeed.