If you believe in magic, come along with me [OPEN & Closed]

[aquaveiled]

WHO: Himeka & you!
WHAT: Conjury lessons and incidental mingling
WHEN: Throughout October
WHERE: Solvunn - Primary & the outskirts to the northeast

[ ooc; I default to brackets but I am happy to write in prose! Whatever you feel comfortable with. If you want to join training but haven't signed up yet first, feel free to do so in the link above. ]

i. conjury training; outskirts [CLOSED to current students]

[ If only E-Sumi-Yan could see her now. Being something of a protege in her own right, it was fairly common for Himeka to be asked to step in with both the new and senior members of the Conjurer's Guild. The only non-Padjal White Mage known and the Warrior of Light at that, all of them were keen to speak with her--hear her stories, learn from what they could.

Now...that never meant she was a particularly good mentor by any means. Truth be told, it was in these instances that she started to realize that in all her practice, most things came naturally and she hadn't spent much time thinking on the mechanics of what and how she was doing what she was.

Well, that's got to change. The Conjurer's Guild had centuries of experience and knowledge and training, while the other hopefuls here in Solvunn may need a little extra something if they are going up against any other nations bent on harnessing the power of the Singularity, for good or for ill. The least she can do is teach a few healing spells and show them how to throw rocks.

Rocks come first, of course. ]

Let's try this again.

[ She puts her hands on her hips, assuming what she hopes is an authoritative pose. ]

You only need to...force your will on the ground! Of sorts. As if you want it to move.

[ Yeah...totally easy! ]

ii. after hours; outskirts [OPEN]

[ White magics have come easy since she began her training, but despite her natural proclivity to magics in general, her other fields required a little more concentration. So when she finally calls it quits for that day's lessons, Himeka uses the evening hours to practice on her own. Without her job stones and proper equipment, channeling of Red and Black magics will take time. And as much as she enjoys running errands about town to meet people, being without her abilities those months in the dungeon have made their return feel all the more precious.

Standing (presumably alone) not far from the forest's edge, Himeka inhales slowly before calling forth her leylines beneath her feet, slowly rotating about her form. They make the air around her crackle as they settle and she refines their shape. It takes a few seconds.

Then, her vision darts to a large stone near by and, without much preamble, she raises her hands in the air as dark energy radiates and collects around them before an explosion of fire is set upon the stone, causing it to scorch and shatter--

--hopefully not to anyone who happens to be on the path nearby. ]

iii. a witch without a wand; solvunn proper [OPEN]

[ Himeka has quickly found that there is a reason that mages and sorcerers use all sorts of canes, wands, and rods to channel their magic--it's so much more easy to control and amplify. Therefore, she's determined to fashion something of one for herself.

And really, how hard can it be? She knows they are made from natural materials and Solvunn has an abundance of those about. So a few carved sticks and a nice rock or something should be good enough, right? Right!

Except as she sits on a fence that lines the road right into the center of town, she frowns as she looks down at her creation. She found a shiny stone and tied it with twine to a long stick, but it looks more like a child's attempt to make a club that anything an actual wielder of ancient magics would dare use. Not if they wanted to be taken seriously, at least.

Himeka sighs, watching the people walk to and fro into town. She lazily waves her "wand" and one of those people. ]

Zap.

[ Except it doesn't zap any poor, unsuspecting soul (thankfully). The "wand" pops, sparks, and then catches fire. She immediately drops it. ]

Shite!

xx. wildcard

[ ooc; If you want something related that isn't listed there or just want a random thread, feel free to hit me up on the discord server or at doggystyle and we can work something customized out. ]

Comments

[aquaveiled]

Right, she's the one in training here. It's probably wise for several reasons that he not use his actual spear in these lessons. So Himeka nods, holding the pole properly as she takes a few steps back to assume a new stance.

"I won't pretend that you don't have a weapon as well," she says as a warning, but mostly because she figures that's how Estinien would want her to approach it anyway. Besides, she's a skilled healer and can't imagine she can do much with this stick that she can't fix later.

Without any further ado, Himeka lunges forward, aiming for his middle with the head of the pole.

[coerthantorment]

Despite being unarmed, Estinien seems to be able to effortlessly anticipate the approach she'll take from her stance alone. Each thrust he diverts with a strike of his palm, avoiding the point and directing it away by its shaft instead.

"When performing the basic thrust, you must use the point of your lance to guard your face," he says. "Unless absolutely necessary, do not commit your weapon to defending your lower half. For that, you must rely on your leg work."

And then, as if to prove his point, he slips past her attack and goes to kick at her legs, seeing if she will instinctually attempt to block with the stick.

[aquaveiled]

To guard her face? She raises a brow and glances down at her pole for just a moment, but it's enough for Estinien to get the jump on her.

She does not attempt to block with the stick--instead she tries to swat at him with a heavy swing of her long tail. But at least she's holding the pole at level with her face?

[coerthantorment]

Her using her tail - well, it's not a total surprise. He's definitely seen her do that before. He manages to skitter back on his own feet, missing most of it, though he looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I did say leg work," he says.

[aquaveiled]

Himeka can only shrug--can he blame her? He startled her!

"You would too if you had a tail," she says as she goes in to try and jab him with the end of her poll again. "Or maybe when you do!"

[coerthantorment]

"I cannot say tails were something my training encompassed," he says, grabbing at the end of her stick again as he slips out of the way. Though Estinien likely couldn't do nearly as much damage without his lance, apparently his unarmed defensive game is pretty solid. "Or, at least, only on the receiving end."

[aquaveiled]

"Really?"

She's unsurprised her attack doesn't land but she isn't giving up. She tries to yank the pole back and do one of those fun spins he does to jab him from the back end of the stick. It is definitely a move she has not practiced nor he actually instructed her on, but it's fun.

"I would assume a few lashing from wyrm tails would have been part of the curriculum."

[coerthantorment]

"That's what I mean by 'on the receiving end,'" he says. In the meantime, her effort towards a back thrust is extremely well-telegraphed - though, it does mean he has to let go of the stick to step out of the way. "Dodging tails, yes - utilizing them to ward off attacks, less so."

He supposes he does that now, on an instinctive level, but it seems an impossibly far cry from traditional dragooning.

"Generally, tails were frowned upon."

[aquaveiled]

"Some of the guards at the Palace wielded spears," she says as she pulls back, trying to think of the best way to approach this. If she can land one more hit on Estinien she'll consider this a successful go.

"But those were mostly fashioned after the types we used for fishing, altered slightly for combat in the even it's needed."

Shisui wasn't often under attack, after all.

In a moment of inspiration, Himeka shifts the pole in her hands and tries to whack Estinien with the blunt side of it.

[coerthantorment]

It's enough of a twist in approach that Estinien isn't expecting it. It probably doesn't help that they're also having a conversation as they do this. In dealing with a swipe instead of a thrust, he can't quite bounce out of the way, so instead, he takes it against his shoulder.

A moment later he's gripping the staff and shoving it away, but it's enough to count, even if it wasn't a body shot. He disengages, rubbing his bicep.

"There you have it," he says.

[aquaveiled]

It's a hit! Not a great hit, but a hit nonetheless. Himeka celebrates with a bounce in her step and no short of a grin as she steps back, loosening her own stance to prop the pole on her shoulder.

"I'll take what victories I can, even though I know you're going easy on me."