[Sandbox] Hammer Academy - Training Rooms

[Aethyrium]

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | 1030
Location: Hammer Academy - Library (4th Floor)
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra | Haimehan

Vesper’s arrival at Hammer Academy did not prove to be without some difficulties. From what he’d heard of the incidents involving gRAVIty that ultimately led to his admission, he had been expecting a level of hesitancy from his teammates. (There were some that he had certainly received it from, though at least after the prior day he was feeling somewhat less troubled regarding how Haimehan and he would fare come situations where trust and communication were important.) What he had not expected was to be left navigating unresolved tensions between those who remained on the thoroughly broken-feeling team. Vesper had felt even the air around them was tense, as if walking into a household mid-fight and sitting down to the dinner that you were invited to, all while watching conflict continue to play out in a series of microaggressions.

He’d made it a point to visit the library on his first day because… well, how couldn’t he? Vesper had been considered to have a sharp mind back home, and yet he was very much aware that no one in all of Onyx would likely consider him well-read. Sure, there were resources available back home when it came to the study of practical things – swampland survival, defense against the hollows, native flora and fauna identification, and even the occasional tidbit on the philosophies of governance and war. When tradelines were so limited and so practical, though, rarely if ever did media arrive that hadn’t passed the strict approval process of harsh pragmatists.

Truly, if not for his scant visits to Emerald in his lifetime, and the occasional gift from his brother while visiting him, Vesper was not sure that he’d have much a conception about art or literature at all. It was that context that found him at a library desk with piles of books around him like a dragon’s horde; at first glance it might seem he was taking on quite the intense study session so proximal to his mere arrival on campus. A second passing would show that for once in his life, Vesper had made a point of surrounding himself with none of the trappings of practicality. Instead, he had piles of fiction, books on crafting, photographic picture books, and similar borderline frivolities around him.

He was enmeshed in an entry that touched upon regional wine before glancing up and seeing the blue and silvery countenance of Lyra pass by him. He glanced around his self-created den of books before giving a quick conceding huff to tear his mind away from his not-studying, and to address her.

”Excuse me…,” He winced as the notes of his baritone carried far too clearly across the room, drawing more attention to him than his intended target. Lowering his head in quiet apology, Vesper quickly made his way towards Lyra, finding his chin pointing unconsciously down to close the distance of their shared gaze from the height distance.

”Hello I…” Vesper glanced around, aware enough that he had no idea of Lyra’s own agenda for the weekend, or even how she fully received he and Meena’s arrival. Refocusing, he continued, ”I’m to understand that we share some aptitudes when it comes to things of a magical nature.” He shook his head, ”I had hoped to run into you some time… which I suppose now I have… and see if you might be interested in learning together. I… from where I’m from, Gorren’s Point that is, there weren’t all that many interested in developing abilities beyond what had been given to them. I guess I was hoping for differently here, and my understanding is that if anyone on our team could meet and challenge me on that, it would be you.”
 

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: October 14th | Late Morning (~10:30am)
Location: Hammer Academy - Library (4th Floor)
Wearing: White embroided blouse, long light blue ombre skirt, dark blue cloth belt, light blue overjacket, laced low-heeled boots (but in white!)
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper | n/a
Ever since the arrival of the newcomers, things had been a lot tenser in the dormitories as of late. It had already been awkward after Haimehen had been released from the hospital and rejoined the group. He kept his distance from Lyra, and that suited her just fine. They may have somewhat gotten along when they were both new to the team, having taken a keen interest in the study of Arcanite, but those days were long gone. The bridge between them was barely standing, held on by threads. That cold shoulder only grew icier after Namid abandoned the team, leaving the gaping hole to be filled with two complete strangers. They hadn’t even been at the entrance ceremonies, had they?
 
Meena had been a lot to take in, matching Marlowe’s energy. The little elf was exasperated, not needing two copies of her partner. Outside of the first day, where they spoke a little bit about the plants she brought along with her, Lyra had little interaction with the Silenus. She’d had even less with the man that had joined with her. But those eyes of his had captured her attention and she remembered staring at him, long enough to realize what she had been doing and turn away, flustered.
 
She sighed, shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts. That was a few days ago and it’d been relatively quiet, if not extremely uncomfortable, since then. Instead of dealing with the pressure of being inside their dorm room on the weekend, withering under the glares of some of the others – or a particular someone – Lyra had found her way to the library, seeking comfort between the stacks of books and rolls of parchment. She loved the smell of paper and ink and the feel of it between her fingers.
 
With a small stack of books in her arms, the short elf had finally decided on which books to check out when someone’s voice carried a bit too far in the otherwise quiet space. She blinked, stopping in her tracks towards the front desk, and looked around her immediate area. There was no one there, so perhaps it hadn’t been meant for her. With a light shrug and dismissal of the thought, she continued on her way towards checkout.
 
However, that path was soon blocked by a rather tall individual. There was a curious tilt of her head, silvery blue tresses slipping over her shoulders with the motion as she tilted her chin upwards to meet that amber gaze. She shifted her weight, a handful of books held flat in front of her like holding a small box, both hands occupied as she found herself staring up at Vesper’s face. Her breath hitched in her throat, drowning in those amber orbs, before she cleared her throat, blinking to break the contact. A ghost of a smile crossed her lips, but the friendly gesture was not mimicked in her eyes. She had placed on that mask of indifference days ago and it had been hard to crack it open.
 
“It was Vesper, correct?” The gentle expression on her face remained as she took in his words. She just hummed along in agreement to his statement, nodding slightly in understanding. She knew little of this man, but she supposed, as Haimehen’s new partner, the two had probably exchanged some words already about the other members, which was where he likely heard about her skills. It was true that her aptitude lies in a somewhat unusual area, her expertise being more magical in nature than combat oriented.
 
Another shifting of her weight, bringing mild attention to the stack of books in her arms. The title of the topmost book marked it as some kind of collection of poetry. There were gentle swirls of calligraphy and leaves sprawling across the cover. One further down had the title Whispers of Silk written along its spine. Fingers were in the way of getting a proper read on the rest of the books closer to the bottom of the stack.
 
There was a small swell of pride when he mentioned her being the best option to meet and challenge him in something. True, with her unique abilities, her magical prowess was special and very few could match her skill. While she may still have a long way to go and experience to gain, she had yet to meet a comparable match, so him stating as such greatly intrigued her. “Hm, I am interested, yes. I do not mind the possible challenge you could pose.” There was almost a glimmer in her eyes at that notion and that smile seemed to grow a little wider.
 
“If you just give me a few moments to check these books out,” she gave him a half shrug as she partially lifted the books, inclining her head towards the stack as she did so. “After, I should be free if you would like to talk some more on the subject. Did you have a place in mind to go to? I cannot imagine you want to discuss such matters here in the library, as we certainly cannot utilize any demonstrations. Perhaps we should find an empty training hall?”
 
After getting his approval of the proposed idea, she nodded towards him, sidestepping around his larger form as she made for the front of the library where the checkout desk was. It took only a few moments before three of the books were temporarily registered under her name, including the poetry book and Whispers of Silk. It seems that was her limit for the time being, the rest having been given back to the librarian on staff to reshelve later. Carefully storing them inside of her leather satchel, Lyra slipped the long strap up and over her head, so that it lay across her chest diagonally. Hefting the newly burdened down bag off the desk, she tested its weight, made some positional adjustments, and then nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied with how it hung. “Shall we?”
 
They must have made an odd-looking pair, a short elven woman dressed in soft blues and whites, carrying a rather full looking bag, standing next to a man nearly a head taller and dressed in much darker tones. Their first order of business was heading back to a lower level, as the library was up on the fourth floor and the training rooms were down on the second floor. They exchanged some pleasantries as they walked. “We have not had many chances to talk, have we? So, where did you hear about that? Pardon me, I meant to say, where did you hear about my abilities? And where is, what did you say, Gorren’s Point? Is that a place here in Johtan?” she asked with a bit more curiosity than one might first assume. It might have been a silly question to ask, since a great big majority of students at Hammer were Johtan natives, if not Onyx residents.

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | 1030
Location: Hammer Academy - Library (4th Floor) -> Training Halls
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra | Haimehan

Vesper had not missed the not-wholly-tangible, but unmistakable, distance that Lyra set with the steely reception of her eyes and calculated words. Not for the first time did it make him wish that he could have met the team in other conditions first, to better separate personality from the scars of recent events. There was something discernibly poetic in Lyra’s willow form and silvery hair when coupled by the resolve beneath; in some abstract way she reminded him of the small and delicate-seeming trees on the outskirts of his homeland whose roots were deceptively deep and serpentine. The trees and the elf seemed to share a trait of beauty that made it easy to underestimate the strength beneath.

Vesper conceded to Lyra’s logic about finding a more appropriate setting, waiting after having gathered his own cache of books to carry away with him… all while providing a small frown to a couple more texts that could not be taken away without special permission. ”Would you like any assistance with your books?” Vesper offered, being sure to walk that careful edge of avoiding asking if she needed help with her books, when it was safe to say that she certainly was far more capable than that.

Walking down the hall he shook his head but otherwise dismissed what felt like some concern that his approach might be inspired by forked words targeting her. ”I made it a point to ask and seek information about everyone’s aptitudes. Maybe that was nosy by the standards here,” Vesper furrowed his forehead, ”… I am learning that things are not quite as I expected, but that’s not on this place, but me. Regardless, it’s nothing more than wanting to understand who shines at what when the moment of need arises. Expecting someone to rush to the front line whose as unprepared at hand-to-hand as myself would be a poor way to survive.”

Taking a breath and looking around the still unfamiliar halls and passages, Vesper fielded Lyra’s next question. ”Apologies, I should not throw such things around. Truthfully, if there was a person in the academy who knew about the insignificant scratch on the map of Gorren’s Point I may be surprised.” Vesper shook his head, amber eyes briefly trailing on Lyra before shifting back ahead. ”It is not – I am not from - Johtan at all. Kantos, but physically far from Emerald and even further away conceptually. Primitive swampland that perpetually hangs on by threads being amidst so many Hollow… and that’s me being kind to it.” Vesper’s lips curled up at the thought.

”To that point, I should correct myself if I’ve given the extremely false impression that I am remarkably culturally adapt or well-read. While I was raised in the image of others dedicated to a level of knowledge and strategy that well surpassed what one could reasonably expect from the area, I fear sooner or later my training will fail me on multiple fronts in front of all of you and my swamp-folk will be showing.” Vesper glanced down with a slight chuckle, as if it was in fact some visible spot on his body liable to break free at any unpleasant moment.

”Since we’re sharing biography, may I ask the same of you, then? Where have you come from, and what brought you here?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~5:10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Midnight pantsuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper | Namid, Haim, Lyra, Farrah“This one’s mine today!” Lolo had declared loudly. She stepped right up into Vesper’s proximity, slipping her arm under his and tugged in against his side. Even if he wanted to, there was going to be no escaping her. Normally when it came to self-directed sparring, Lolo was happy to play with anyone and everyone. It was good for her to encounter and learn everyone’s skills, but also good for them to have to deal with someone like her. She was sure that she’d said she was the best fighter in the group, but sometimes it felt like it. Sure she lacked Haim’s tactics, or Farrah’s spontaneity, Namid’s brilliance, or Lyra’s shocking talent, but she had a pretty solid blend of it. Yesterday had been Meena’s turn - not because Lolo favored the new Silenus over Vesper, but because Lolo had mentally flipped a coin and it came up tails. As in Meena’s.

Did it matter that flipping a mental coin didn’t actually make any sense? Not to Marlowe.

“You’re welcome for the chance to penetrate me.” She reached over with her farm arm and rested it on his, grinning as she watched Haim shake his head and accept it. Winking at Meena, she wished the Silenus good luck with the others before tugging Vesper a few paces away from the group and finally releasing him. “Ready to shoot your shot?” Lolo bit her lip teasingly and waggled her brows while backing away from him.

Laughing joyously, Lolo took a position about fifty feet from Vesper. “Haimehen can hit a fly on the backside of a pea without ruining the pea. From five hundred meters!” She called loudly enough to be heard. Really she had no idea if that were accurate, she had made it entirely up. All it really needed to do was get Vesper into the spirit, “Let’s see what you can do.” Holding up her right hand, Lolo made a half-dollar sized hole with her fingers and held it up over her shoulder. “I trust you can put your stick in my hole, right?”

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~17:10)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lolo | Haimehan
Perhaps of all his teammates, Lolo had made Vesper feel the most out of place. It wasn’t her fault, really, and the truth was that he had quite a high opinion of her social effervescence. It was that same effervescence, however, that often dazzled him in ways that went beyond the meaning of the word that simply meant ‘impressed’ though. Somehow it was not Haimehen’s adept grasp of technology, but rather Lolo’s electric personality that left Vesper feeling like the slack-jawed, hapless backwater swamp folk that… well, he in many ways was.

Sure, Vesper had always been considered gifted back home in the realm of intelligence and magic. That was the practice of books, contemplation, formulas, and Negalu, though; intelligence was not the same thing as wits, and no sooner had she opened her mouth in practice than Vesper’s mind began fumbling with the cascade of innuendo, flirtatiousness, and double-entendre that no one back home ever truly had tried to get him to parry back.

”I bet you say that to all the arrow slingers,” Vesper felt the weight of his not-particularly inspired words fall from his lips, some social equivalent of the arrows he were firing all being given malformed tails.

For a single moment Vesper even caught himself trying to picture how Haimehen might manage such a task of extracting a fly from a pea. Vesper shook his head, dark hair shuffling in bafflement at his own compulsion to indulge the near-nonsensical mental gymnastics. Ugh.

Despite – or probably because of – his head swimming and trying to catch up with Lolo’s boisterous taunts, Vesper wanted to impress. So much so that he nearly reached for one of his more precious Negalu-scribed arrows, though thought better of it. (He even found himself reasoning that Lolo would chasten him for wanting to ‘blow his wad so early’… it was the kind of set-up that Vesper mourned didn’t exist outside his head, since he imagined she’d be quite impressed with his spontaneity… if only he could mastermind the conversation to make it actually look remotely spontaneous…)

No, not yet; instead, Vesper took out a less work-heavy arrow and pulled it back on his bow, letting the more subtle air magic in the weapon hopefully guide it despite being at an angle that would otherwise be improbable if not impossible. ”So, I know Haimehen can bravely protect my dinner through firepower, though, but tell me, what’s your own skilled way of seeing my vegetables are fly-free, though?” Vesper released the arrow, at least acknowledging given the woman’s stacked form it probably involved the kind of severe physical beating that he wasn’t sure that he was prepared for, yet likely loomed ahead anyway.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~5:10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Midnight pantsuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper |
If there were logistical pains in the actual shot, Lolo wasn’t nuanced enough to understand them. It was fast! Not faster than a bullet, but faster than she expected. Lolo felt the delicate brush of the arrow’s flight passed between her fingers - it probably would have tickled, if she weren’t wearing her gloves. It stuck into the wall behind them, and Lolo looked back at it. Sauntering casually toward it, “Well, I guess I’d take you somewhere where other people made sure flies didn’t interrupt dinner.” Wrapping her hand around Vesper’s - arrow! - shaft, she gave it a little tug. It was firm in there - they were designed to take this kind of abuse. Lolo gave it a little wiggle, testing its tightness and hummed as she bottomed out her grip against the wall and yanked more firmly, ripping out the embedded ten-or-so inches. Holding it up, Marlowe examined the once hidden length, lifted her brows at Vesper and grinned, “You always go so deep?”

Walking back toward him, Marlowe put the arrow between both her hands and toyed with it. She gave it little bends to test how much strength it had, how flexible it was. It had more give than she’d imagined. Returning to Vesper, she held the arrow out, flight to him, “Are you more of a heavy single stroke kind of guy, or can you pull it back fast without fumbling your game?” She grinned.

Whirling around to Vesper’s side, so she was facing the same way as him and could watch his technique - if he chose to demonstrate - Marlowe laced her fingers, turned her palms outward, and stretched high over her head. It was accompanied by a soft little pleased groan. It wasn’t uncommon for Marlowe to make sounds that came off as suggestive. Closer, Lolo let her voice get more casual - less likely to be heard by everyone. “You kind of came into a mess, and it might not seem like it, but everyone’s glad you’re here.” Some of their teammates were just… A bit repressed. “Don’t take anyone’s behavior personally, it’s not your fault. It’ll get better, I promise.” She smiled at him. “So how did the headmaster find you anyway? I don’t remember seeing you, either of you,” Lolo gestured toward the others, and Meena specifically, “During testing.”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: October 14th | Late Morning (~10:30am)
Location: Hammer Academy - Library (4th Floor) -> Training Hall
Wearing: White embroided blouse, long light blue ombre skirt, dark blue cloth belt, light blue overjacket, laced low-heeled boots (but in white!)
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper | Mila, Namid, Haimehen, Marlowe, Farrah
The slight elf shook her head towards her taller teammate, that smile never quite leaving her face. “While I appreciate the gesture, I will decline the offer. I am perfectly fine, thank you.” Having him offer to carry her books struck her as odd, but perhaps that was common from where he was from? She was not used to accepting help from others and had done nearly everything on her own, so her grip tightened just slightly on the strap of her bag as he spoke. Had it truly come from a place of genuine concern and an offer to help, or was there a hidden motive beneath it? She wasn’t quite sure yet, and until she was, there was decidedly a distance kept between them.

“Nosy? No, I do not think so. It is only natural to know the skills and abilities of those on your team.” They had learned the hard way of not communicating properly before. Mila was gone and so was Namid. That’s how they ended up with Meena and Vesper as replacements, after all. “It is… admirable to seek knowledge. To understand your peers.” That ghost of a smile was back, glancing up at her taller companion. Every time her silver eyes found his amber ones, she felt like she was drowning in them, a moon eclipsed by the sun, so just as quickly she tore her gaze away, refocusing on the hall in front of them.

Learning that he was not from Johtan shouldn’t have come as a shock to her, but it did, regardless. Hammer was filled to the brim of Johtan natives, but their team was comprised of many who hailed from elsewhere. “Kantos…” She lifted a hand, an arm resting across her abdomen to grip the strap of her satchel as its lowest point, elbow of the raised arm resting against it as she tapped the side of her jaw in thought. Kantos was the next continent over, so much closer to Johtan than her tiny homeland. “And it is plagued by Hollow, you said? It sounds… dreadful.” Unovia was small and, since it was abundant in arcanite deposits, thoroughly protected. The threat of Hollow was minimal there.

“Ah, my apologies. If I said something that came across as an offense, I did not mean it as such. We are all here to learn, after all. It is quite all right not to be, as you say, culturally adept or well-read.” She had stopped walking, looking up at him with a slight frown. “I truly hope I did not offend you in some way. Things have been rather… hectic these past few days, but that is no excuse for poor manners.” Perhaps that should be advice she should take herself, considering her apparent lack of communication with certain members of her team. She had been avoiding her fellow elves and had barely spoken to either new member since their arrival.

On their way, they had made a detour by their dormitory so that Vesper could retrieve his bow and they could drop off anything unnecessary for training. For Lyra, that included the books she borrowed, setting them on her bunk to be put away later, but she kept her bag with her. Resuming their walk, they didn’t have much further to go before they arrived at their destination one more floor below, finding an unused training room that would suit their purposes well. At least one they passed was occupied and they had agreed it would be better to find an empty one to demonstrate their skills without issue. “You may,” she started, walking into the room as she found a place to set her bag down out of the way. “I hail from a small place just southwest of Port Pearl, in Unovia.” The line of questioning was not finished, but it did not seem like she was going to answer her reason for being there, acting as if it never existed in the first place. Instead, she gestured towards the open room around them. “This should do nicely, yes?”

“So tell me, Vesper. You have heard a little about my skills. What, pray tell, have you heard exactly? This is so I know what you have already been told. I would not want to needlessly over go anything you already know about. And what about your skills? What can you do? You did mention that you were not well-versed in hand-to-hand combat, so can I safely assume that you are someone best suited solely to ranged combat?” Lyra gestured slightly in the direction of his bow. Haimehen was a ranged attacker, so Vesper being one as well made them quite the pair. “Marlowe is a brawler, and Farrah seems to get up close and personal, as well.” There was a tad of venom in her words when she spoke of the other elf, still not happy with her. “I am… not sure about Meena yet, but considering the hammer she had, I can safely assume she is also best suited at close quarters. We seem perfectly split down the middle between ranged and melee roles in Gravity.”

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~17:10)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lolo | Kato
”What can I say? That way people will still be feeling it long after I’ve pulled out my shaft.” Vesper’s lips twitched a little. Okay, he was still far too much in his head to keep up with Lolo, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t able to half-capitalize on a slow-and-easy opportunity tossed his way. It was still a bit of a solitary win, though, as this still seemed like normal cadence for her… and nothing yet felt normal to Vesper about this place.

He cocked his head at the question, his somewhat green banter skills opting to ignore the continued innuendo. ”I’ve traditionally favored precision shots, but when defending Gorren’s point I came to appreciate the value of creating a distraction while also banking on the occasional shot landing. It’s a judgment call, though, because some of my arrows take far too long to make to see potentially wasted.” Vesper paused a moment, eyes scanning Marlowe’s expression, quietly surveying how she actually responded to the truthful answer not shrouded in innuendo.

He was happy enough to demonstrate holding back the bow, maintaining the tension for the duration of her purview. It did nothing for his own postural stiffness and the soft, rushed breaths that perhaps in some way unconsciously complemented her grunts. He let loose another arrow towards the wall with deliberate proximity to where the first hand landed, using the once-landing place as a quasi-target before gathering his answer to her observation.

”It’s… okay. Given my admittedly limited understanding of what happened I wasn’t expecting too enthusiastic of a welcome.” That didn’t mean, of course, that the feeling he was being compared to the others in any number of ways felt good.  Was Namid good at Lolo’s banter? No, it wasn’t a question Vesper should perseverate on.

Moving past that sense of awkward he shook his head, ”If you saw me during testing, you’d have some pretty good eyesight indeed, given that I was still in Kantos at the time.” He paused, not having been overly forward with his reasons for arrival so far, not wanting to sound like he was a simple reject of Savage when – in Vesper’s opinion – there was far more going on there. ”I had originally thought I would be staying there, but things got complicated. My brother was training there and went… well, they say he abandoned his post. Absence without leave. Not that I’m sure I believe that if he truly did, he didn’t have a reason….” Vesper swallowed down the irritating grief that persisted when you weren’t sure if someone was live or dead. “It’s okay though, for any number of reasons I’m better off here.”

Vesper had believed that, though, even if the circumstances of his arrival had made him more recently and secretly question it. He paused, ‘Where did you come from, though; what brought you here?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~5:10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Midnight pantsuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper | Meena, Mila, Namid, Haim, Farrah, Lyra
It felt rare - or, at least, rarer than she might’ve liked - that people would banter back with her playfully. Meena was seeming to be an exception, and she was glad to find that maybe Vesper would be too. She smiled at him, “If you don’t feel it the next day, can you even say you did well?” Ah the wisdom gained when you had done the things she had!

Vesper answered the best he could given how the question had been phrased, but that didn’t really stop it from not being quite what she was looking for. Maybe. Tactics were by no means her specialty, and she couldn’t see the distracting value of arrows that didn’t hit their target, but ultimately that wasn’t what she had been inquiring for. “How many do you carry with you?” Lolo peered at his quiver and tried to get a rough idea - of course it really just looked like a bunch of arrows to her. It did seem to be a bit of a limited resource, which might make it impractical… But it felt like an interesting use. Marlowe watched the next shot land near the original marker. “How quickly could you put another one say…” She lifted a finger and pointed, maybe four or so feet above, and maybe two feet over. “And…” The same distance, but this one more or less in line with the first short - basically creating a zig-zag of arrows in the wall. “If you needed to do that with like, three or five arrows, how quickly could you do it?”

She felt bad that Vesper - and Meena - didn’t really know what was going on. That wasn’t fair to them, and really, they should have all talked about it before. But people were being… Frustrating. “There was an accident.” Was that really what it was? Lolo grimaced some at the wall, “We got involved in a street fight and one of our teammates, Mila, got abducted. Haim’s leg…” She shook her head, “And some other people died. Not because of us, but not… Not because of us. Anyway, our former team leader, Namid left the academy after that. Everyone’s just… Rattled. I think everyone feels responsible for Mila being missing. And there’s a lot of hurt and confusion over Namid just leaving without saying anything to us.” Giving him a weaker smile, Lolo added, “They’ll come around though. I know they will. Haimehen’s a little distant, but he cares, but I think he doesn’t know how. Farrah just doesn’t know what to do with her feelings, and is still feeling powerless.” She explained, gnawing her lip a little, “And Lyra… She’s still wrestling with what she did. And she’s also not the most personable person to begin with.” Lolo laughed quietly, “But I’m working on that. She hides behind icy walls, but I can tell there’s something good, something great, behind them.”

Another far off soul? Lyra, Mila, Meena, Vesper, Farrah, even Namid… Was this normal, she wondered? Travel had always been such a warned against thing. Getting from Evergreen to Onyx had been a trial, she could hardly imagine what these people have gone through to get here. Did people routinely travel for the Battle Academies? Should she have done that? Would she have fared better in one away from her home? Was that the sort of thing that made a Champion? Was it just another reason that she was a pretender? “Farrah came from there, too.” She offered up off-handedly in thought.

“Why would they lie about that?” She asked curiously.

“Nowhere special.” Marlowe answered with a little grimace. There was no way she was going to pick the right direction indoors, so she just vaguely gestured in some direction, “A little village called Evergreen. It’s somewhere between here and nowhere. But I’ve been in Onyx for a couple of years now.” That fact she seemed more enthused about, “But if you mean Hammer, what better place to make a reputation and become somebody than by becoming a Champion?”

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~17:10)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lolo | Farrah, Haimehen, Kato, Lyra, Namid

”Oh, well how many I carry with me depends on the situation. It is a balancing act. I don’t want to run out, but I also don’t want to be slowed down by carrying more than I have to.” Vesper gestured to his quiver, offering a closer look to Lolo if she wanted it. ”I’m still learning what I need in situations here since these… situations aren’t exactly familiar to me, but for times like these I’ve tried to keep around twenty normal arrows and another five that have a little special twist. A bit under twice that if I’m actually going into situations where lives are at stake or extensive times…” Vesper paused and shrugged, his voice holding the slightest bit of sheepishness. ”Beyond that point not only does the cumbersome nature become more a liability than anything, but my arm will probably be shot out and useless anyway.” Vesper felt he had somehow left the door unintentionally open for an innuendo about self-pleasure there, but he wasn’t quite prepared to step through it himself.

Vesper gestured to the wall, ”As for how fast, I can show you if you like. I’ll admit I’m at an advantage in a task like that with this bow. It helps in terms with focus… Vesper paused, considering to himself, ”I suppose I should make it a habit to use one I’m less fond of in practice sometimes, so I don’t become too dependent on its magic to guide me.”

What hadn’t sobered in his expressions from shifting from innuendo to battle-talk, certainly did with Lolo’s revelations about the team. Vesper had heard snippets of it before, and nothing fully surprised him at this point because of that, but still hearing it so largely laid out felt daunting. ”That sounds… difficult. And it does explain some things. You all put faith in being a team and it didn’t carry through. It kind of makes the whole concept of team difficult to trust again…”

Vesper caught himself holding his breath for a moment, realizing with some unease that if his family could be considered a team, he may as well have been the fleeing Namid. Maybe he didn’t leave without any explanation, but it was still breaking with the script that seemed intended for him his entire life. It was still, on some level, leaving a post that he had been born into behind.

Vesper shook his more self-oriented thoughts away, considering Lolo’s assessment. “How about Lolo, then? How is she handling it?” Vesper’s lips twitched, ”If there’s distance and walls between us,  you are hiding it well.” Vesper said, referring to mention of Haim’s distance and Lyra’s walls.

Vesper lifted his eyebrows in surprise about Farrah’s origins, having not heard that yet, ”That’s unexpected. I hadn’t entirely planned on running in to another from Kantos at all here, let alone one on the same team.”

Vesper caught himself stiffening when Lolo asked why they would anyone lie about Kato going AWOL. It was a perfectly good question, after all, and maybe one he should be asking himself more often. What was Vesper to say to her? Was he planning to strut in here as the new recruit, and give voice to some completely unfounded and vague belief in a conspiracy to keep him from knowing what happened to his brother? ”I… Vesper felt his voice break and he stopped talking for a moment. He looked down, as if suddenly fascinated with his shoes, his mane of dark hair falling forward with the shift of gravity.

He shook his head and straightened his posture after maybe ten seconds of quiet, ’”Honestly? There’s no reason I can offer you. Not a good one anyway. It just doesn’t sound like my brother. Maybe…. Maybe some people felt the same way about Namid? If he was going to walk away, which I never would have imagined, some part of me at the very least would think I would have heard it from him, that he would at least have come back to say goodbye if he was just going off…” Vesper shrugged,, ”But people surprise you.” Had Vesper suddenly convinced himself this was the way it was? Well, no, but he realized there was no more rational alternative, so how could he argue otherwise?

”Ah, another small villager, I’m glad I’m not alone there. I… if I’m being honest, I’ve been a little bit intimidated by feeling everyone comes from cities, or at least places with good technology. So much technology and culture and… lifestyle that just isn’t here. I acclimated a bit going to Onyx before being contacted by the academy, but it still feels so very different.”

Recalling their surroundings, Vesper nodded with an upturn of his vocal tone and lips, ”So, are you just here to gather intel on me or are you going to show me your own fighting style,” Vesper asked, seeing no easily discernible weapon on Lolo. The gloves perhaps did find a speculative glance, but likely nothing that broadcasted confidence.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~5:10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Midnight pantsuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper |
Twenty?! She looked at the quiver again and blinked. That seemed like tragically few. Haim carried more ammo than that, right? As little as she wanted to be a pack mule, the thought did occur to carry extra for him. But then he mentioned his arm and she just really didn’t know how he did it. Though it occurred to her that she had recovered that first arrow for him, nothing was stopping him from doing the same - something Haim would struggle with, in the heat of a combat. “Guess you better make every shot count, huh?” Learning that it was magic was interesting, though, and Lolo was satisfied enough with that answer that she didn’t actually need a demonstration. “No, it’s okay. I was just curious. I wouldn’t want you to hurt your arm,” She winked, “I’m not nearly done with you yet.”

Lolo looked a little shocked at Vesper’s question. Had anyone asked her how she was taking it? She had volunteered a little information to Lyra, but that was mostly about Lyra. Lolo had been trying so hard to make sure everyone was fine and moving forward and not spiraling out away from one another, she had never considered that no one had tried to care for her. Which was odd only because Lolo was rabid for attention, typically. “I’m…” She trailed off, slightly wide eyed like she hadn’t even really considered it herself. Of course, she had… Some. “Heh, no I…” Why had no one cared enough to ask her? Unnerving thoughts bubbled in the back of her head.

“I like as little distance between us as possible.” She grinned, finding her flirtatious demeanor again in quick order and stepping in nearly right up on Vesper. “Maybe a few clothes, but definitely no walls.” She winked, giggled and stepped back. “I miss Mila.” She answered, a little more real. “I’m worried for her, but I know she’ll be okay. She’s a… Those guys had no idea what they were doing when they picked her. She’s going to make them all look like fools.” Marlowe glanced back at the rest of their team. One by one she scanned them, gaze softening as she passed over each. “I’m more worried about all of them. Sometimes it feels like they’re all trying so hard to get away. If I’m not strong enough, they’ll slip away.” She had to hold the ropes, keep them all tethered. “I just want everyone to go back to being okay. I don’t like seeing them at odds like this.”

Taking a deep breath she returned her eyes to Vesper’s, “But now I have some help. You and Meena, I think, are just what they need. Even if they don’t see it yet, I do.”

It seemed clear that the topic of his brother was a weird one. She appreciated that he tried to answer regardless. “So you haven’t heard from him? I’m sorry.” She frowned slightly, knowing what it was like to have family not talk to you anymore. But then, she supposed, she was the one who had walked away from them in her case. But they were the ones to insist that it would be a problem. Like his brother, they had surprised her with that. “They do.” She said, knowingly.

“Oh yeah.” She laughed, “When I first came to Onyx it did not go well at all. I was totally lost. But I’m still glad I did it. I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. I don’t miss small village life at all.” Her head shook.

Grinning, Marlowe gave his shoulder a little push and took a step back. “Well usually I like to get to know someone before I spend the night beating them, but if you’re in such a hurry to submit and call me mommy, far be it from me to stop us from having a good time.” Laughing boisterously, Lolo spun around and jogged away to give Vesper maybe thirty meters between them. “I’ll start over here.” She shouted across the room. Lolo crossed an arm over her chest, hooked the other by the elbow, stretching her shoulder, “Just remember that you asked for this when I’m on top of you.” There was no way that everyone else here couldn’t hear her shouting at him as she swapped arms. “Ready?” Lolo leaned forward and set her hands on the ground, crouched like a sprinter taking their mark. A grin tugged on her lips and sprung forward, lunging and bolting toward Vesper.

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~17:10)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lolo | Kato, Mila
”I’m sure that Mila is fine… which is more than I can say for the guys that were foolish enough to pick her.” Vesper wasn’t always the one to offer assurances that were more placative in nature. He didn’t know Mila after all; he didn’t know how she’d fare. Still, his tendency towards a dry and rational view was challenged in the face of Lolo’s unexpected hesitation in response to his check-in. There were people everywhere in the gRAVIty dorm sending signals that things weren’t going to be okay; Vesper hoped maybe that it would help to offer some inclination that it might be. Even if he didn’t actually know that.

Vesper nodded, suddenly caught in his own thoughts that clung and wrapped around him with the same tenacity as the damp, sticky plants of the Crescent Swamp. ”Uhm, yeah.. no I haven’t heard from him.” Vesper shrugged a bit, trying to lend a sense of belief in his voice that he really didn’t have. Again, this didn’t’ feel like the time to sound like a grief-stricken conspiracy theorist who believed that his brother’s true fate was covered up (as Lolo stated so crisply and logically ‘why would they lie about that?’) ”It makes sense I guess. My family wouldn’t have been too happy. Besides he had.. changed… he clearly wasn’t happy with… everything… anymore.” It did make sense on some level when looking at this situation like this, so why did Vesper fight against it?

Vesper nodded at Lolo’s claim that she didn’t miss village life. ”I don’t think so… not really. I mean, I remember going to Emerald for the first time as a boy and wondering why on earth my family chose… not that. I was overwhelmed then, too, but in the best way…” He did add with a bit more contemplation, ”I think… I think sometimes when I’m not feeling my best here I still miss thinking I have a defined niche. People knew what to expect of me back home, and thus meeting those metrics was easy. I had a role… now… it’s all a lot muddier. Not that I find that a bad thing ninety percent of the time, though.”

Speaking of a defined niche, though, anyone back home - and probably here, too – would have expected Vesper to immediately set loose a series of arrows at the weapon of a woman as she poised towards him. Vesper’s place was on the back lines, finding positions and fending his opponents from afar; Kato was the one who’d get up in their faces.

Vesper fought against that and braced himself, in truth knowing full well that the outcome of the spar would leave him flat on his ass. It was time to be a little unexpected, though, so he steadied himself, prepared to use his bare fists and body weight to metaphorically spit against the oncoming hurricane.

Sure enough, that storm struck him…. or, well, he struck the storm, but the force it could retaliate with was on a different level indeed.

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | 1030
Location: Hammer Academy - Library (4th Floor) -> Training Halls
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
The fact that he was walking these halls at all still felt strange for Vesper. He kept his focus on his companion, though would occasionally take a visual note of photos on the wall or a landmark out the window that he wanted to learn about. Everything was new. He nodded in agreement to Lyra’s question, ”Yes… Kantos has a large share of Hollow, and there are plenty of places near the swamp that have them particularly bad. There’s a reason that ‘home’ to me feels more like a military outpost than the town I suppose it likes to purport itself as…”

Vesper paused, adding, ”You didn’t offend me by the way. Not at all. If anything, I simply didn’t want to come in here claiming to be what I was not. Now that I have the opportunity, I’d quite like to be far more well-read and understand city life more. It’s a work in progress, though.”

Vesper was quick in the retrieval of his bow, having barely settled in yet, and not bringing much from home besides the weapon. Leaving his family had been awkward enough, and the truth was that there was little value to him at home when considering the trip it would have had to make. The fact his question about Lyra’s reasons for coming to Hammer got ignored had not been lost on Vesper. He just realized that being new – and walking into a tense situation – came with some closed doors.

”I know little except what I have told you. Enough to be aware that if I wish to be developing more of these skills with someone in gRAVIty, than you are the one I should be practicing with. Enough to know that you are most likely among my new teammates to recognize this.” With that Vesper reached into his quiver and produced an arrow. The arrow itself was unremarkable, however etched into it was the fork-like talons of Negalu. A knowing eye would recognize that fire energy dwelled within the arrow, and releasing it would trigger something notably different than a mundane arrow’s trajectory. “By my own hand… obviously, far from perfect, but I suppose if I had mastered much of anything yet I wouldn’t be here.”

As Vesper let Lyra examine, even evaluate his work, he nodded, ”I was trained to fight at a distance. If I’m being quite honest, I suspect I barely passed the academy’s rigor when it came to the more scrappy type evaluations. There was… little that was not predetermined back home. From an early age it was determined what I was good at, and that was what I was trained in because it made sense that everyone… well, everyone in town basically, play up their strengths to survive. Everyone was a resource for everyone else… it kind of is how it had to be.”

Vesper chuckled softly, gesturing to the arrow with a nod to his chin. ”Not that there weren’t exceptions. Fire, really, was more of my brother’s thing. By sheer obstinance I learned, though. Some said that I outright couldn’t given my natural aversion to it, but I guess I can be nothing if not persistent.”

Outside of Haimehen Vesper had seen little of the team’s abilities yet, though Lyra’s assessment seemed to match with what he both had heard and assumed based on weapons and body types among the group. The venom related to Farrah was not exactly a surprise to Vesper given the relative disrepair the ‘team’ seemed to be in when he arrived, yet it was still sobering given the precarious position it put the group in. Hopefully that would get better soon.

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: October 14th | Late Morning (~10:30am)
Location: Hammer Academy - Library (4th Floor) -> Training Hall
Wearing: White embroided blouse, long light blue ombre skirt, dark blue cloth belt, light blue overjacket, laced low-heeled boots (but in white!)
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper | n/a
Lyra took the arrow being offered to her, inspecting it curiously. While she was not well-versed in most weapons, she had held a bow before. Her mother had made her attempt all sorts of weapons to find her niche, and she had failed at all of them. The elf was about to ask what it was she was supposed to be looking for when she stopped, noting the Negalu etched into it, although crudely drawn. None of the others on Gravity would have known what this was, that she was certain, so it intrigued her that Vesper, a newcomer, did. “Negalu,” was all she said at first, turning it over in her hands before offering it back to its owner. “It is a little rough, yes, but I suppose it gets the job done well enough. You are the first I have encountered here that even know what that is. Even back home, it was something of an oddity.”

There was a small laugh that escaped past her lips, a hand quickly brought up to attempt to muffle the sound to no avail. It was light and airy, almost melodious. “I-I apologize.” It took a moment for her to regain her composure, a lingering smile on her face. "It is just that I fall into that category, as well, you see. My scores in basically anything but Shimmer and Soul were absolutely dreadful. The headmaster questioned my being here, in fact, due to them. Back home, the only thing predetermined was to be a Champion. The how mattered not. Nor the why. Only the absolute.”

“Aversion? So, fire isn’t your strong suit, then? Then why use it with your arrows?” She inclined her head towards his quiver, mildly curious that someone with a weakness to a particular element was casually strolling around with weapons in the same affinity. Didn’t people usually carry weapons that corresponded to their strengths? Then again, perhaps she shouldn’t be the first one to question that. Her best affinity was with water due to her shimmer’s capabilities, but she used more elements than that with her bracelets. “At least I can understand the persistence. It is perhaps the only thing I was good at, as well. Even if I struggled, I refused to give up. I might not have ever found my way with a weapon, but magic? Magic I was good at.”

With the space around them, they had plenty of room to move around and practice in, but first things first, they needed to get a better grasp on their skills and abilities. Slipping off her right bracelet, she held it up for him to see. There were runes etched into the metal encircling the entire thing. As she twisted her forefingers holding it, the ring split into numerous thinner bands, unfolding into a small sphere than she held in her palm, offering it to him to take if he wished to inspect it. Now opened up, there were even more runes littered inside the little contraption, along with tiny arcanite crystals – black and red. He would at least be able to pick out the Negalu for fire among those written, since it matched the ones on his arrows, and possibly the lightning bolt if he knew what he was looking at. Only these were etched with careful precision and detail. “These are precious to me and what allow me to do what I do. The pair are different from one another, spread across four elements. Although with my shimmer, I do tend to lean more towards water-based spells.” She lifted her left hand, where the remaining second bangle rested encircling her wrist, falling down her forearm slightly with the raised positioning.

“Elemental spells are my forte, with the exception of earth and sonic. I suppose I could use some earth if I had green arcanite, but it is far from my expertise. My shimmer allows me to manipulate water, even freeze it or vaporize it. I can provide a demonstration, if you would like. We have the room to ourselves. And what of your skills? How good are you with that bow?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~5:10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Midnight pantsuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper |
Among the people who had expected Vesper to try and deter her advance with arrows was Lolo. This was not the fight she was thinking it was going to be. The vision of having to deflect, duck, and dodge arrows on approach was shoved out of her head as she took off running at him. Lolo wasn’t the fastest member of gravity, and in a foot race Vesper most definitely would likely have beaten her if all things were equal, but that was not to say she wasn’t quick. Like anyone who wanted to be a champion there were certain minimum bars, and like everyone else, Lolo had passed them - and more than just barely, in this particular case. Her blazer caught air and drifted at her sides like a modern cape as she closed, unassailed.

What Lolo lacked in speed she more than made up for in power - and unfortunately for poor Vesper, she was not keen to hold back. When she had been learning, Kenny told her that no one ever learned anything by doing things half assed. Hard light formed around her fists, tiled blue constructs that resembled a sliding hammer. She came in sliding toward him, right - her off hand - raised and coming in swinging. Vesper was better than she gave him credit for, because he was able to weave out of the way of that. But Lolo was the more experienced brawler, and while many - most, even - people mistook her for a simple boxer, her art was far more full bodied than that. She followed the momentum of her hook and kept spinning, her whole body crouching, and her left leg extending, sweeping Vesper’s unexpectedly. He was quick enough to avoid being outright tripped, but not so quick that she didn’t break his balance - and that was really all she needed.

Marlowe never got all the way to her knee, and as the sweep completed she was already standing back up. She took a strong step forward, left jab. He weaved, but she wouldn’t give him any time to recover his balance. Another step, he was stumbling over his feet. Right jab, no dodging that one, the hammer cracked into his shoulder, only making the stagger worse. Another bold step into his space, left shallow uppercut. Her fist and it's hard-light enhanced strike smashed into Vesper’s left lumbar region.

No more immediate followup, she broke the combo, taking three bouncing strides backward. He had the space to take the beating, recover his footing and prepare for the second assault - which came the moment she clocked that he wasn’t off balance. If Vesper’s style was taking precision, called shots that mattered, then Lolo’s was overwhelming and overpowering. She lunged back at him, like she might try another jab. But her foot caught her and she pivoted expertly around him, almost rolling shoulder to shoulder against him, spinning to his back and putting enough distance that she could raise her foot and boot him solidly in the back - sending him stumbling forward.

He turned, she came at him again. But he was quicker, and less phased by the boot, than she expected. And she caught Vesper’s own cross right to the jaw. It was surprising because she hadn’t expected it from him. Her attack was abandoned and she bounced to the side, putting some space between them. Shaking her left hand she reached up and dabbed her finger at the corner of her lip where he clocked her. “So you’re an on the face kind of guy.” She lifted a brow.

A moment of Vesper’s already proven disorientation to her forward flirtations was all she needed, Lolo hunkered and lunged. She threw her arms around Vesper’s midsection, spearing him with her shoulder and lifted him up off the ground, actively carrying him backward - and probably toward a wall to get rammed into.

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | 1030
Location: Hammer Academy - Library (4th Floor) -> Training Halls
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra | Kato, generalized family of Vesper
”My brother,” Vesper answered, his amber eyes shifting to take note of one of the arrows at Lyra’s question. Why he would be toting around an elemental weakness of his when given so many options seemed, at least, like a reasonable question to Vesper based upon the light chuckle he gave.

”Gorren’s Point isn’t that big, most everyone gets trained in something. If you’re anywhere close to the same age as someone else in the town, there’s a good chance you’re being trained alongside them somehow at some time.” Vesper reached in his quiver to pull out another arrow. This one was etched with the Negalu of air, the light colors and complementary lines contrasting with fire. Perhaps of more subtle note was that this Negalu seemed to be drawn with more confidence, more familiarity in the handling of the inscription…. Ultimately, more skill.

Vesper glanced between the newly pulled arrow and Lyra, ”There was a fair share of cooperation and competition between us. Competition being more awkward since we often stood across each other when it came to aptitudes. Kato was melee, I was ranged; Kato fire, me air…” With a light scoffing sound in his breath, Vesper shook his head and returned the air-infused arrow to his quiver. ”While my family makes aptitudes and natural niches in the world a bit of an obsession, it didn’t stop me from wanting to emulate things that I thought made him look like a bad-ass.” Vesper shrugged, his lip smirking slightly more upwards, ”… plus, like I say, I’ve been told I can dig my heels in when I want to and surprise everyone with sheer obstinance.” With some levity of tone, he finished the thought off, ”Not my best quality to go bragging about as the new guy here, I’m sure.”

Vesper took the bracelet and for a moment his attention faded as he looked at it. There was intense scrutiny in his gaze, but any thought that he might be critically appraising the work was likely challenged by a somewhat fuddled movement of his fingers. He wasn’t evaluating the bracelet so much as trying to understand it, work it into the worldview of what sometimes felt like an information-starved (wisdom-starved?) Gorren’s Point boy who was used to rereading the same dozen books for years because that was what knowledge the caravans afforded. ”This… is… amazing,” Vesper’s breath seized as he took note of the intricate workings. His pupils did a subtle, shaky dance as he tried to soak it all in. ”I only wish I could say I begun to understand it.. or… maybe speak it’s tongue as my own is a better, if more overly artful, way of saying it.” Vesper conceded the bracelet back to Lyra, giving the slightest grunt at realizing how his family, sans Kato, would have like mocked his words. No reason to think about that now.

Vesper gave a nod, indicating his interest in the offered demonstration, replying to Lyra’s own question with a chuckle. ”I’ll be happy to show you. I’d say even though our weapon choices allow and prohibit certain choices, Haim and I stand reasonably close in our skill as marksmen.” For now, though, he drifted into silence to clear the air for Lyra’s demonstration.

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~17:10)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Layered, soft neutrals
Tagging | Mentioning: Lolo | Kato
Though Vesper had a moment of second-guessing himself by flinging himself into his weakness of close-ranged combat, to his credit it never turned into a full-on regret. That was notable as he suddenly felt like he was the ball fired from a cannon being propelled backward, Lolo’s mass representing the relentless explosive force.

He had to do something, and Vesper attempted retaliation by twisting his body at the last moment, attempting to slam Lolo instead against it. To Vesper’s credit, he was able to summon a shocked sound from the woman – it seems she didn’t expect him to have the tenacity – but he lacked the strength to fully free himself from her grip in time. Vesper’s body slammed against the wall, a shock of pain reverberating in his body at the gross impact.

With his head spinning, Vesper spat out the coppery saliva in his mouth, attempting a comeback even if he knew that his ability to repartee was the one that would take a beating here. "Against the wall? I would have taken you for a down-on-the-floor kinda gal." He didn’t have time to absorb theatrical reactions, though, as Lolo’s next lunge was directed at him.

He managed to avoid it – barely, his swift steps coming into play at the dodge.

"Dancing again?" Vesper responded, breathless as they traded barely-connected blows: Vesper to Marlowe’s midsection, and then a rocket-fueled punch to Vesper’s cheek that would have done quite the impressive bit of damage if it actually had more than brushed the skin.

Perhaps to no one’s surprise more than Vesper’s, it was he that broke the dance with a flurry. He gave out a loud low shout without much thinking about it – only after the moment would he realize he was remembering a time that he had seen Kato do similarly – and found an opening in Marlowe’s stance to drive himself forward. Potentially fueled by a lack of expectation from the archer, Lolo initially saw herself being pushed back, parrying and blocking the quick flurry. Vesper managed another hard smash of his knuckles against Lolo’s jaw, making him start to wonder if he truly was an on-the-face kind of guy.

It was the kind of showy move that was easy to criticize, though, as it left Vesper over-extended, out of breath, and vulnerable. He fell for the easy telegraph of a punch, only for Lolo to lunge and roll shoulder-to-shoulder with him and spinning to Vesper’s back. With a heavy kick against his spine, Vesper was flung forward, for a second time feeling the crackle of direct-hit pain through him. This time he did not recover quite as quickly, though, staggering, taking a breath, and turning to her.

Standing, he faced her, wariness in his eyes as the heavy air around them seemed somehow charged, awaiting the next exchange.

[Crash]

Character Name: Meena Tor
Date | Time: 10.19.1322 | Afternoon
Location: Hammer Academy – Training Room
Wearing: Black sports bra, black graffiti print sweats and orange and white sneakers
Tagging | Mentioning: Doya | Velvet, Artanis, Shir, Lolo
Meena flopped down on the mat, legs curled at the knees. The soles of her feet were flat against the training room floor. Her back rested against the cool wall. She blotted beads of sweat from her brow and wiped off one horn with a towel. She had worked up quite the lather, trying to be everywhere at once and everything she thought she needed to be. Meena’s cheeks puffed out, followed by a long, frustrated exhale. She closed her eyes, letting her freshly mopped head thud against the hard wooden surface of the wall.

Despite the words of encouragement she had given her team when their training session was over, Meena’s first training session as the new team leader hadn’t gone well. Trying to be everywhere and everything had been a disaster. On top of it all, she wasn’t sure if she should critique mistakes or even how to critique mistakes. She was, by nature, a nice person, and anything that smacked of criticism, no matter how helpful or well-intentioned it might be, was awkward. She stammered and over-explained and apologized in the middle of explaining. It only confused her teammates. Most of whom knew more about fighting than she did.  Meena knew she had gone about this entire session the wrong way, but she wasn’t entirely sure who or why.

To make matters worse, they shared the training room with Mockery this afternoon. Artanis’s jeers and barbs had been a constant irritant. Like a buzzing like a bloat fly incessantly hovering around her ear. It made her tail swish in a swatting motion, even thinking about his irritating voice.

On top of all that, Velvet had been nice enough to congratulate her on her promotion. Then Meena proceeded to fall flat on her face in front of her newest friend. It was embarrassing. Perhaps it hadn’t looked so bad to others, and Meena was just being hyper-critical of herself, but for her, it had felt like a complete disaster.

Why had Shir chosen her? Meena thought Lolo would have been a much better choice, even if her friend would have hated every second of it. People just gravitated towards her. It seemed so effortless. Meena just didn’t get the decision. Maybe it was because Lolo didn’t want it. Meena hadn’t been expecting it, but she wasn’t one to shy away from it either. Given the results, perhaps she should have.

Meena felt the footfalls approaching through the mat. The strong scent of sweat in the training room could make discerning between who was present and who had been present recently tricky. She didn’t open her eyes, assuming that whoever it was wasn’t approaching for any other reason than to gather their things and head for showers. Besides, Meena was still very much in her own head, playing the training session repeatedly in her head, a montage of her own perceived mistakes.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: October 14th | Evening (~5:10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Sparring Hall
Wearing: Midnight pantsuit
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper |
Calling it luck would have been downplaying Vesper’s skill, and Lolo had no desire to do that. No, the archer, like all the squires, had a decent grip on how to engage in hand to hand. It was a strange art maybe, when there were swords and guns so readily available, but there was something to be said for those who relied on brawling - it had certainly never felt like a disadvantage to her. She expected that Vesper’s talents, based on the way he moved and what she knew of him, were more commonly put to work to disengage than they were to stand and fight. Get someone in his face off of him long enough to get himself some distance. That didn’t make it bad, just maybe a bit predictable. Actually that was a common thing she felt she saw in other brawling styles - even those who dedicated themselves to it. They had ruts that they used, whereas Lolo was more a full bodied weapon.

She went another couple of rounds with Vesper. Exchanges to rest his reflexes, to get a handle on his agility, and to test what he could take. Like before, Lolo was often on the forefront of those mixups, but that didn’t stop Vesper from getting a lick or two in. He even managed to pop her in the mouth a third time, to which he got yet another remark about his facial tendencies. They danced around, and even engaged in a moment of mild wrestling, which probably should have ended the fight right there, but Vesper got clever with the tip of an arrow and managed to get her off him.

They pushed off one another and Lolo slid back. She licked her lips, “Well babe, it’s been fun.” She reached out in front of herself, linked her hands, and stretched side to side, “Just remember that when I’m through with you, it’s okay to ask for a glass of water.” She didn’t wait, she just advanced. Marlowe laid into Vesper with a series of strangely short jabs. They weren’t hard to block or deflect, but they were strong enough to force him back in avoidance. Step by step she worked him, keeping a pace that made it hard to focus on anything else - unless he wanted to take an auto-hammer to the face. She didn’t relent, and kept a tight stance that didn’t offer much in the way of openings for him to escape or counter. Then, out of nowhere, Lolo changed it up, she jabbed left and came in with a hard right followup, but this was aimed squarely at his chest. The hammer ker-chunked and sent him sprawling back into the wall.

When he bounced off it, Lolo rushed forward and again threw her arms around his waist. It seemed odd maybe, since there wasn’t enough space for her to slam him into the wall with extra force again. But she did lift him up and jump. She took a step on the wall, pushing up, and then a second, pushing higher. Her feet shoved against the wall and Lolo flipped backward, not completing her arc, and instead allowing them to drop like a bag of rocks - piledriving Vesper into the floor. Lolo didn’t even bother to release, riding him down onto his back and straddling atop him as his Soul flickered from the impact. She leaned forward, sprawling out over him, grinding her hips against him. Lolo folded her arms on his chest and rested her chin on the pile, looking down at him grinning, “It’s okay if you can’t move. It was good for me too.” Winking, Lolo leaned up and kissed his cheek.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Doya Yama
Date | Time: October 19th | Afternoon
Location: Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: Black pants, Black shirt, Oversized brown cardigan
Tagging | Mentioning: Meena |
Mockery wasn’t done at quite the same time that gravity was, they still were still reviewing the final bout of the evening - Azir vs. Artanis. Doya was giving her thoughts on what she had seen between the two. Artanis was over confident because he thought Hurricane was a slow and ineffectual weapon. Which wasn’t wrong, but he didn’t seem to learn that Azir knew how to use the lance in a close range, so Artanis kept getting bopped. On the other hand, Azir wasn’t being mindful enough about Artanis’ attempts to close. The knight had a bad habit of being root-footed, which was good for his style maybe but a poor tactic overall. Azir admitted that fault, revealing it had always been an issue of his. Artanis got bored of waiting and signaled that they should all leave.

On their way out was where Doya noticed Meena staying behind her team. The others were caught up in conversation, and Doya gently excused herself as they left. She hadn’t fought today, just observed and coached. It had given her a chance to half watch what gravity had been up to. Artanis had been the one to discover that Meena was a new captain - his Shimmer was great for that sort of thing, and time and time again it benefitted mockery to know things that weren’t out there - and shared it by scoffing in the dorm later, yesterday. Velvet had been excited for Meena, and the rest had no strong opinions. “Tough first day?” She inquired, once she was close. Doya crouched and rested her arms on her knees, offering Meena a slightly head tilted smile, “I don’t think we’ve had a chance to meet formally yet.” Doya extended a hand, “I’m Doya.”

Hand returned to her, Doya glanced at Heart of the Mountain and studied the weapon. More than one person had drawn a comparison between it and Hurricane, which was the sort of nuance-lacking evaluation that she’d come to expect from people. “It looked like your team was really running your ragged today.” Doya had a way of appreciating what weapons were that most lacked - even though her actual interest was more on technique. “You looked a little more lost than usual.” She looked back at Meena, “Are you okay?”

[Envious]

Character Name: Farrah Tinkerspan
Date | Time: F 10.20 | 5:32
Location: Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: uniform, earrings as pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Doya, Meena |
Farrah had been manifesting her gremlin energy for the past half an hour. Equipped with her shield, a sword clumsily held and scraping against the blades of her shield in the same hand, and two katana-style swords in her right hand, she was a walking hazard. At some point, she had decided that training with one sword wasn't enough and had taken two more from the training racks to figure out what Shir did with his three blades when they weren't connected together. So far, her clumsy wielding had yielded no insight. Her large hand could hold on to both hilts, but the splay of the blade made them ineffective. Whirlwinds and slashes and thrusts had all been wrong. So what did he do with the third?

She stared for a long moment before slowly raising the hilt to her mouth.

"DO NOT PUT THAT IN YOUR MOUTH." Farrah flinched, spotting Meena staring at her with a look that made Farrah think of her mama. She gave the Silenus a grin before exaggerating her removal of the weapon from anywhere near her face. Was it because of the germs or the likelihood of injury? Either way, Farrah was not going to chance the wrath of her teammate and Meena was satisfied enough to go back to her own training.

Properly chastised, Farrah all three swords away and picked up a saw-toothed short sword. Those long blades kept opponents away. She wanted them up close. Well, if it weren't for the shield, she would. She gave a look around the room. It hadn't taken her long to realize that everyone she had spoken to had come to Hammer with special training. Some unique talent or interest that had been cultivated to some degree by someone before their arrival here. Farrah kicked an imaginary rock on the ground. She had kept quiet about her own lack of training in fear that it would be perceived as a weakness and had paid attention to others around her. She had no shame in copying other techniques!

Watching Doya with her shield had become a past-time for her. The warrior was able to transition seamlessly from defense to offense to keep her opponents off-balance. Farrah used hers as a battering ram and occasionally remembered the sides had blades attached. When Doya paused for a water break, Farrah caught her attention with a wave.

"Heyo, Doya! A pleasure to watch ya whirl as always. Been wonderin' how you come to choose a shield 'n sword as your weapons of choice iffin' you do not mind sharin' it."

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Doya Yama
Date | Time: October 20th | Evening (~5:30pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: Simple jeans, sweater, and cardigan
Tagging | Mentioning: Farrah |
It would have been difficult to not hear Meena’s voice booming at Farrah, even if Doya hadn’t already been curiously watching the elf. She could not wrap her head around what she was trying to do with all those swords. She got back to her own training until thirst beckoned her and she stopped her solo endeavors in favor of water. The wave made her pause, and she lightly inclined her head at Farrah, “Farrah, hello.” She smiled gently at the praise, not shy so much as humble. “Thank you. It looks like you’re,” She glanced at the toothy blade and thought to the three that she’d had before that “Trying to expand your horizons?” It was her best guess.

Doya was certainly no stranger to being asked questions about combat, but she didn’t think that she’d ever been asked that particular one before. Blinking, Doya looked down at her side where Excalibur lounged in its sheath. “Oh, uhm,” She set a hand on the hilt and coiled her fingers around it. “I kept finding myself drawn back to it, I guess.” Doya laughed lightly and reached for her bottle of water, “Where I am from, it is the first weapon that children are taught to fight with.” She took a drink, set the bottle aside, and drew her blade. “The sword embodies the unwavering determination of humanity to stand tall against the Hollow. It is a representation of indomitable spirit, and the readiness to defend our homes against those that would seek to do it harm, and encourages us to tackle our problems and our fears, head on.”

Reaching over her shoulder, Doya plucked Peridwyn from her back and held it flat between them. “The shield is a symbol of defiance against the Hollow, a tangible barrier between the forces of life, and those of death. It is a bulwark against the insidious influence of our enemies, and reminds us that there is hope amidst despair. It represents resilience and encourages us to never shy away from defending our homes and loved ones.” She moved and secured the shield to her forearm, brandishing both of them.

“When wielded together, the sword and shield form a formidable union that embodies the balance between strength and protection, aggression and defense. Individually the sword is courage, and the shield is resilience. Each admirable on its own, but flawed. Together, they signify a holistic approach needed to combat the Hollow. The courage to face danger directly, tempered by the wisdom to protect and defend what is most precious.”

Lowering her stance, Doya moved to resheath her blade, “I have studied many weapons, and practiced their arts. But I’ve never found any to be as true to me as the sword and shield.”

[Envious]

Character Name: Farrah Tinkerspan
Date | Time: F 10.20 | 5:32
Location: Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: uniform, earrings as pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Doya, Meena |

"That sure is a nice way of sayin' me lookin' like a fish outta water," Farrah said with a toothy grin that showed she took no offense. She tossed the blade high into the air and realized too late that there was no balance - the blade was heavier than the hilt and instead of catching it cooly, she had to let it fall lower so that the handgrip was in a safe position. She was clearly disappointed in herself as she caught the hilt, giving Doya a weak laugh as she put the weapon back on the rack draw attention away from her goof.

As the blonde shared her story, Farrah moved to sit down at a bench and grabbed her own water bottle to sip at. She slid the shield from her arm and set it down in her lap to listen. She thought back to her own childhood of make-believe. The children of her little town had not been taught such things. Those untold horrors experienced in the war had lasting impacts on the refugees.

"That is muchly different from mine younger days," she said softly, tapping her shield rhythmically with her pointer. "Two generations removed from war I am, yet still that terror faced by the grandfolks went so deep that placing thine own life into harms way became taboo. Elves goin' extinct... Shimmer weakened long ago... iffin' you wasn't advancin' technologies dedicated to defense or growin' families, you was just addin' to the burden. Even playin' pretend warrior was frowned at by some folk."

With a population decimated and shimmer long diminished, the emphasis on knowledge to improve quickly-evolving technology to endure and outlast any threat had long been the focus.

"I come havin' studied no weapons and practiced no arts. Mine eye do wander to the range of weapons. Never seen such a variety in me life 'n the fingers do itch to test 'em out," she explained, sweeping her arm wide to gesture to the endless options available. "But this shield do have a special place in mine heart. Like you, I see it as hope. A promise to defend." She stood up to secure the shield to her arm and hold it up.

"This here is Legacy 'n I stole her from the dead," she admitted. "We knowed each other long before that loss put us together. See that little dent? Gave 'er that myself, I did. We got a history, but we still learnin' 'bout each other. So I keep tryin' other things to make sure. Don't wanna let sentimentality get in me way of being useful to me team 'n I'm wonderin' where I fit in it. Keep comin' back to her. She ain't just a bit of home and a lot of hope. She a true defender doin' right by me 'n I be learnin' how to do right by her." She smiled proudly at her shield, clicking the mechanism to pop out the whip. The blade flew out, not unlike a kunai, and Farrah caught the handle with some pizzazz. She was secretly thrilled that it happened so smoothly after the earlier knife-tossing fiasco.

"A little imagination goes a long way 'n tryin' these other weapons in unusual ways do gimme an abundance of ideas to try out. Some of 'em even turn out to be good! Gotta use all me brain to train iffin' I'm to win that Unity tournament!" She firmly believed desire was just as important as skill and if one wanted it badly enough and put in the work to make it happen, good things were bound to happen. Maybe not as fast as desired, but nothing worthwhile was effortless. So while some might scoff at the idea of gRAVIty even being invited to such an event, Farrah was willing it into existence despite the apathy of a majority of her teammates.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Doya Yama
Date | Time: October 20th | Evening (~5:30pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: Simple jeans, sweater, and cardigan
Tagging | Mentioning: Farrah |
The extent to which Doya was familiar with Kalanos was only that it had once been like the other kingdom, and there had once been a great city there like Onyx - or any of the others. She had been told its name once, Opal, and it too had a Battle Academy, Dragon. It was laid waste by the Hollow, and was now a testament as to why Champions were so important - with no bulwark against the creatures of darkness, the whole world would fall prey. That was where her knowledge died off. One might say it was better than average, but truthfully it was such a pittance more that she wouldn’t have qualified it as more. History recorded it as nearly a hundred years ago, generations of people had come up without ever knowing that land. It might have been hard for Doya to comprehend a wound so deep that it impacted the children thrice removed, but her story wasn’t so different in that way. The plight of the elves wasn’t unknown to her, but only because she had the good fortune to know and have been mentored by some. But they rarely spoke so rawly about it, even to her when they knew she could take it. The pain that Farrah must have felt - that her family and people must have felt - was like nothing she could imagine.

But how could they think, even in such dire circumstances, that fighting was wrong? Could they not see that they had to fight? To give up and rely on luck and circumstance to protect them was folly. “It’s hard for me to imagine such a life.” She admitted thoughtfully. It was such a stark contrast to her own youth, “The children of my home are taught before they can write their own name that so long as there are Hollow on Toil, there is no greater purpose than to stand against them. There can be no peace nor respite so long as these creatures walk the land.”

Doya looked at Farrah, a slight tilt of her head followed, “If these things are frowned on in your home, how is it that you came to be here at Hammer?” It didn’t line up, but then she supposed neither did her tale. The sort of doctrine she suggested she’d been raised under was the sort that bred zealots, and though she was disciplined she never seemed fanatical.

She glanced at the shield that was displayed. Like all the weapons of the squires - and the others, truthfully - Doya had taken note. A lot could be told about a person, she believed, by the way they chose to express themselves in battle. If it was an artform, then the weapon was their brush - everyone had a favorite, and things they liked and disliked, quirks they wanted, and touches that made it theirs. This too was true for the weapons of Champions. What was most peculiar was that Farrah said she’d never been trained - though that stood to reason, given the tale of her home, it surprised Doya all the same. The blonde stared for a moment, “Then you must have exceptional talent and potential, Farrah. To pass the tests of Hammer with no training is a rare gift.”

It would have been easy to assume she meant she inherited it, but the word that she used was stole. Doya didn’t know what to make of that. She looked at the shield again as Farrah continued to explain. She had a history with it, and took it from someone dead… “A companion of yours?” She questioned, meeting the elf’s gaze to seek her truth. She watched with great interest as the chain ejected and Farrah caught it - thinking nothing of her earlier mishap. It seemed to her that maybe Farrah was going about trying to find where she fit in the wrong way. When trying to constantly change for all those around you great amounts of energy were lost. Mention of the tournament got Doya’s attention back from her thoughts and she smiled widely, and crossed her arms behind her back. Her eyes closed and she nodded, “Yes you will, and I believe you can win it, Farrah.” She opened her eyes and looked at Legacy, “There will be many skilled fighters during Unity, it will be difficult with creativity alone. You clearly have the potential to do anything you set your mind to, or you would not be here with us. But remember that iron has the potential to be a sword, shield, or horseshoe. It is only through forging and dedication to a path that its potential is realized.” Bringing her hands back around, Doya reached touched the edge of Legacy, careful to avoid slicing her fingers on its edge, “So if you would like an easier path to your victory, I might suggest that it is not a weapon you are looking for, but unity with the one that you have.”