2020-02-09: Start from Level One

• Log: Start from Level One
• Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline
• Where: Thames
• Date: 9th February 2020
• Summary: Mama Shibe sets up a training course for Riesenlied with Noeline's assistance. The objective: Do not sin against the round!

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<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied has made a resolve for herself -- that she was going to try to fight again, because she feels the need to become a love that can protect those that she cares about.

Amongst other things -- the mobility braces on her legs, the promise to start Digging again... comes... training!!

She's standing ontop of the Thames deck where Mama Shibe has helped set up a few floating round and square cucco-like targets. She looks a bit unsteady on her feet.

"Remember, Riesenlied," explains Mama, "Attack the squares, not the rounds! You lose points if you hit the round targets!"

Riesenlied's lips wobble, nearly tearfully. "I--I would never hit anything round...!"

Mama cackles and looks towards Noeline. "You may assist her as well, and I'll let you decide how much help you want to give. This is 'level one', after all."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

They could have done their training anywhere - but in the end, Noeline couldn't think of anywhere better to do something like this. The Thames is one of her homes, not least because it comes with a unspoken acceptance from its inhabitants that you just don't get anywhere else. If people saw a pair of Hyadeans stationed outside Meria Boule attacking some disposable targets, they might get confused or perhaps even worried.

Here, it's just another day. Business as usual. Watch out for the pirates piloting their giant shark Gear.

For all the levity involved, though, Noeline is trying her best to take it seriously, her hand at her mouth as she studies Riesenlied's stance and balance. The tearful look does draw her gaze for a moment - she chuckles in response, reaching out to stroke her partner's hair to soothe her - but it's the trembling that really grabs her attention.

"For now..." she frowns, then closes her eyes as she tries to get the hang of fine-tuning her power in a way she hasn't for a while. "Let's try getting your aim steady first. One thing at a time," she encourages with a light smile, a nudge of sorcery forming an illusory wall, but one solid enough to lean against. "If you need my eyes, just say - but let's try without first."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied lets out a quiet puff as she feels Noeline's hand against her hair, and there is a brief moment of focus as she manifests the Heritor's sword into her hand.

She hasn't practiced fencing in over a year, since she started decaying. She'll have to ask Noeline later about protecting herself against immediate aggression, but today--

It's about target practice.

"Okay..." Riesenlied leans against the wall. There's a soft breath, and a warp in the air as the Ley begins to distort and make itself known--

--and she launches some small phantasmal swords that... go kinda wide. "O-oops!"

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline is not entirely sure how Ley works, even after sharing senses with Riesenlied. When they've done it, it's often been at rather jumbled moments, driven purely by instinct, and it's significntly different to the feel of her own sorcery. Still, she can sense a little of the way that power builds, and then manifests - rather to the right of one of the targets.

"It's alright," she's quick to offer, her smile quiet and sympathetic. She can't really resist the chance to nudge in, replacing the support of her sorcery with the support of her arms around Riesenlied's waist, using her own body to help prop her partner up. "That's what practice is for, after all. You'll get there."

"Take it slow at first," she adds with a nod. "You've got all the time in the world to line up your shot." /Do/ you actually line up shots when you're using the Ley? she wonders to herself - but decides to just go with her instincts, chuckling to herself. "We can start going faster once you've got the hang of it again."

Out by the targets, Strife rolls lazily through the air as it hovers into place, marking where Riesenlied's last shot went wide. Perhaps it's cheating, but the pod seems to be banking on the Hyadean's solemn oath to never hit a round thing as a means to try to improve her aim...

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

There is, perhaps, a clue in how Riesenlied's swords have manifested as icy and blue. It would make sense that the most immediate element of the Ley surrounding the Thames be the ocean that surrounds it. Geomantic, in a manner; always being influenced by its surroundings, as to what Riesenlied is able to draw out of the air.

This probably means she's going to struggle in elementally themed dungeons. Fire swords against magma monsters!

"Heeey," complains Mama Shibe, "Don't flirt too hard yet, we haven't even cleared the first hurdle!" There's a toothy snigger, and Riesenlied rather predictably flushes as she holds her sword up again as Noeline supports her waist and stands behind her.

"I can not just let you help guide me... I want to fight alongside you too," Riesenlied vows, looking towards Strife and nodding as she makes a second strike through the air--

--and instead creates a thin impaling sword that grazes one of the square targets and makes it go 'pop!'.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"You specifically said I could give as much help as I wanted, and how I did it was up to me," Noeline comments archly towards Mama Shibe, puffing up a little out of sheer protectiveness - but as she grins back over her shoulders, there's a thankful light in her eyes as well, and a second, softer huff as she nods her thanks and acknowledgement.

Riesenlied sounds concerned as well, and Noeline turns back towards her to offer a moment's soothing presence over their link. "I know I won't always be able to help you like this - that I probably shouldn't be quite so hands-on - but for the time being I think it's alright to start slow. At least until you've found your legs again," she adds without even thinking about it, and only catches herself afterwards to offer an impish if slightly apologetic smile.

It fades a little as curiosity overtakes her, the nature of the sword twigging at her senses. "Is it easier to form them here? ... I suppose this counts as nature being all around us," she adds thoughtfully, gazing out at the expanse of sea - and then smirking in satisfaction and pride as the first of the targets goes pichuuuun.

"Well done," she nods with feeling, then steps back just a little - still present if Riesenlied needs it, but willing to try nudging her partner forwards. "Try the next one across."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Mama cackles at that, happy at being called out and having some banter to have. "Ooh, isn't she a bold one now?"

Riesenlied does get a bit mollified at the reassurance, but pauses as she whines, "That is a poor joke, Noeline." Though she doesn't seem to be really offended, still with a bit of puff in her face as she thinks for a moment.

"It is more natural to pull it from the ground. But that will be very obvious in a real battle after a moment... do you not think so?"

She thinks a bit deeper and harder about her father's advice. "He said that because I do not have strength or stamina as an advantage, I had best make my attacks count." One big, decisive blow over a myriad of attacks to weather down an opponent.

Noeline nudges her forward and she swipes, sending an icicle sword flying down from above and-- oh no! It juuust barely grazes a round target.

"I have sinned against round things..."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"Hmph. Don't underestimate the power of a Crimson Noble who's a damn sight more secure in herself than she used to be," Noeline shoots back, which is perhaps not as snappy a sentence as she might otherwise try, but certainly is a whole lot more genuine... at least until she winces, and puts both hands up towards Riesenlied. "I-- am sorry. It was an honest slip of the tongue," she promises, never mind the tiny suspicion that a younger her would have considered it a real zinger. Go away, young edgy Noeline!

She sounds out a thoughtful hum when it comes to Riesenlied's power over the Ley. It's not the first time she's considered using her Medium to try to be a more direct source of power for her partner - but something tells her that wouldn't work terrifically well here, compared to when she undergoes her Accession. Where Riese has a focus, it lies in light.

Her expression grows more serious when Riesenlied mentions 'him'; she glances upwards to meet her partner's gaze, and slowly nods. "Then I will have to make sure I'm there to protect you, and give you the time and opportunity to do just that," she puffs, before nodding. "If it would help, perhaps it might be best to try for focus above all else?"

She winces in sympathy as Riesenlied gives one of the targets a close shave, then chuckles softly. "... I think they'll understand. Besides, it looks no less round to me," she teases gently, expecting a retort. Something gives her pause, though, and she frowns. "... I never thought to wonder before, but... can you make other shapes?" she wonders after a moment.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"Hoo-h," Mama beams as she says, "This one's become a real Crimson Noble. How splendid! How powerful! I can positively see her shining." A pause. "Wait, that's not something Crimson Nobles want to do."

Riesenlied does hum directly and gather her power further. She kind of faintly has an inkling through their link of what Noeline means, but she thinks that channeling Duras Drum through Noeline's Medium is... perhaps a little beyond her reach. And she does not have that connection with him anywa.

"Focus above else..."

She smiles just for a moment, then breathes and-- Noeline asks if she can make other shapes. "Hmm.... well, forming a barrier is the same practice. But barriers are much easier, because they are just wide, flat shapes... whereas I need to focus so much more to create something that can sting, like a blade."

She does ponder if she can just summon a wall to smoosh someone with, for a moment. But the answer is probably that she doesn't have control over that much force unless it's finessed into a point.

"I will focus. Steady... Steady... Steady Sword!"

Riesenlied rears the sword back, a little behind hers and Noeline's head -- and with a loud exhale of breath--

• BOOM*

--an enormous phantasmal blade of ice explodes from out of the ground, popping multiple targets alike, round or square.

"... a-ahaha... that is a more Lily-like approach, is it not?" Riesenlied sounds apologetic.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"You would be surprised," Noeline grumbles. "The one I know would probably sparkle each and every day, if given the chance. And if she couldn't, she'd just spend all her days handing out gold stars as a children's teacher, and call that just as good." ... of course, she really doesn't sound upset about that, a chuckle bubbling its way up from behind the words.

Noeline has much the same idea as Riese, but she has to hesitate while she thinks about it. The mental image of the Hyadean going 'I'm so sorry' as she drops a wall on someone is a bit much for her to imagine - though at the same time, the idea of simply corraling Janey into going to bed already by trapping her in a corridor leading in that direction is definitely tempting.

She rests a hand on Riesenlied's back in support as she focuses once more - then lets out a choked laugh at the scale of the power on display, grinning despite herself as she shakes her head. "It definitely isn't what I expected," she tries after a moment, but steps forwards to offer another light hug as she chuckles. "But I already know you have that sort of strength of will inside of you. And I know that you would use that, most of all, to try to reach and connect with others."

She stops dead at that thought, and then hums to herself with another quietly assured smile. "In that respect, maybe a series of inert targets isn't quite the sort of training that would be best for you." Soon enough, maybe Riesenlied will begin Bisney Princess Training.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"Hmmmmm. Are you talking about yourself?" Mama sneers with a toothy grin for a moment. She has a few gold teeth. "Aah, even Mari's shining more these days. It's good, it's good," speaks the animal crosser as she rocks on her wheelchair.

"Shining Crimson..." Riesenlied giggles brightly, looking just a little fatigued from her last burst of energy. "That sounds good."

She slumps back against Noeline, a little bit spent as she wipes her brow and her knees buckle a little. "Hmm... and it is a bit like the Laevateinn, after all. Reaching out to others by bonking them with a ghost sword..."

She bobs her head. "Well, that is a bit unique, perhaps..."

However, Riesenlied is already an expert Bizney Princess. She spent decades singing about how much she wished to be out there in the world... so much that she sent letters, after all!

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Warnings flare in Noeline's mind; she can feel her partner's fatigue over their link, and the way in which she wobbles a little only cements the other Hyadean's decision to brace herself, ready and waiting to catch Riesenlied in her arms and nestle her a little closer. "Good work," she says with feeling, because she knows full well how much it means for Riese to be trying her hardest at this.

Settling Riesenlied more firmly against her, she huffs a breath over towards Mama Shibe. "Whyever am I not surprised you know her name?" she grumbles, her face a comically flat expression. "Next you're going to tell me that she was the one personally delivering all of Riesenlied's letters."

She leaves her beloved where she is for a few seconds, then shifts against her - scooping the white-haired woman into her arms. "A bit unique, perhaps - but everything you've done has been in service to that philosophy. In that respect, I think you can be proud of it," she says as she does the 'being proud' bit all on her own.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"I will neither confirm nor deny," speaks Mama of the pride of having known someone much older than her that no doubt still has so much to learn and gain, much like she has in her adventure from being a little pup to a wizened dog. "But the meeting was inevitable, after all."

Riesenlied lets out a soft sigh, remarking, "It is tiring, but I need to build up stamina, after all. I will get there..."

She nods and lets the sword disappear. It's a solid start from when she was looking at it like a murder instrument, perhaps.

"Mm... a bit of spoiling after this, perhaps," Riesenlied decides for herself as she leans against Noeline.

"These kids!" Mama Shibe croons.