thenearshore | [closed] and together we will find our own way of doing things

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[closed] and together we will find our own way of doing things

Who: Lavi and Lux
When July 10
Where: Michael's church
What: Shinki training time! The best way to fight together is to know what the other is capable of!
Warnings: Dumb kids being dumb. Also probably a bit sad, because there is always that potential with these two. Also a giant rainbow wall.

[ She probably should have been more specific with her text, but what was the fun in that? Whether or not Lavi would be awake when said text message came in (6:04 am) is hard to say, but it was simple enough to understand at least:

Come to the church today around noon. Bring something comfortable to move in and anything you need to fight.

Be there on time or I'll come find you.

Remember when she said she was going to put him through the ringer? At least she gave him ample warning.

Waiting in the courtyard, the slight blond shinki, her hair tied high and out of the way in a ponytail, goes through her stretches. A sheath set aside not too far away, she doesn't seem to be paying attention–one shoulder is angled toward the gate, however. ]

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[Who the hell is awake at six in the morning?...is what Lavi would say if he wasn't quite such an early morning person himself.

It doesn't stop Lavi from staring at the text however, briefly wondering if he should even attempt to test Lux's patience by arriving past noon.

Then again, it might be better not to.

It'd take him a bit to get to the temple, though he might be a little annoyed at having gotten the text message at such early hours in the morning. Upon seeing Lux waiting for him in the courtyard, he slows his pace.]

The next time you want a guy to come to train, try not to threaten him otherwise you'd scare him off.

Edited 2017-05-02 22:32 (UTC)

[ Looking over from her warm ups, one arm extended and stretched to one side, she smiles at Lavi just so. A little mischeviously maybe? Her "threat" did get him there on time, didn't it, and she will forever be a woman who appreciates and expects punctuality to some degree.

Lowering her arm and giving both an absent swing front and back, she turns toward the other shinki. ]

I hope you found us all right.

[ Since the last time... they teleported, right? ]

[Lavi huffs a bit, though he soon gives out a sigh.]

Took me a bit before I did.

[Because while teleporting is handy and all, that didn't mean Lavi knew exactly where he was going?

Fortunately, walking all the way back from the Church back to Cardia's temple that first time helped him find it easier this second time.]

[ So let's gloss over the reasons of why Lavi would actually know how to get to their church, outside of the very obvious one. The elephant that Lux is going to act like doesn't exist by simply not acknowledging it.

Yep.

This is totally healthy behavior.

Taking a few steps toward him, still looking as cheery as ever, she keeps her voice quiet. ]

I know I thanked you the other day...

[ But seeing Allen look as he did when he arrived at the river bank, looking so positively relaxed... genuinely relaxed, for the first time since they both arrived on the Far Shore and perhaps longer—

She glosses over it quickly, acknowledging it only with a warm smile before her expression lightens significantly, voice once again raising above a light whisper. ]

I meant what I said, by the way. That I wanted to see what you were capable of. I need to know, if you and I are going to work together.

[Lavi blinks a bit at first confused why she was whispering.

Was Allen around?

But he raises an eyebrow.]

Fair enough. Might as well find out now before we really have to work together.

[ Lavi you don't live with him, he has ways of hearing interesting things whether she wants him to or not. Not that this was really a secret, but perhaps something not to be brought up–one of those unspoken subjects only vaguely whispered about.

At least that was her take on this, and how she felt about it.

Ah, she does brighten slightly as he gives her that intrigued quirk of a brow, her smile growing only brighter, and perhaps a bit daring at that. ]

I'm glad you agree. I can ask Allen about your vessel form later, but I want to see where your proficiencies lie. I've seen a bit, but I have to ask first–how comfortable are you with actual combat?

[He'd rather much live with Cardia. There's something about churches that makes his skin crawl.

He tilts his head.]

I'm comfortable with it. [But you might want to actually try and test it out first by how comfortable he is in general.]

In that case—

[ Unbuckling the sheath hanging at her side, she sets the sword and belt down on the ground along with a bottle of water. Picking up two dummy weapons—a sword about the same length as the sword rested on the ground, and the other more dagger than sword—Lux takes a few steps toward him.

A smile still on her face, she offers the dummy dagger to him. ]

I believe I remember you mentioning you preferred shorter blades that day. When we were training at Lady Bishamon's temple.

I'm surprised you've remembered.

[But he accepts the dummy dagger, instinctively checking the weight.

Dummy or not, it's important to test out how it feels in his hand before he actually uses it.]

It's been some time since the training, after all.

One might be surprised at what I commit to memory.

[ Said with an almost quizzical smirk spread across her lips. Was she teasing him just a little?

(Little did she know...)

Taking a few steps back, she positions herself at the ready, giving him the time to test the weight of his weapon. It is in fact quite light, even for a dummy weapon, its weight evenly distributed. Someone must have a good eye for this sort of thing. ]

It has, hasn't it? It almost seems like it was yesterday, doesn't it? I don't think we got a chance to spar against each other that day.

[ Idle chatter before the main event? Perhaps a little. ]

Edited 2017-05-16 05:12 (UTC)

[That gets his lips to quirk.]

You're teasing me.

[It's not often that there's teasing involved.

After all, with the way things have been between them, even after Lavi became a nora for Allen, there's still some kind of dividing line that separated the two of them.

But once he's satisfied with the weapon, he grips it a little tighter.]

We didn't. Too busy on picking out a proper weapon for you since you had trouble deciding.

Why would I do something like that?

[ Is that a suitable answer for you, Lavi? How about the way she seems to grin almost gleefully, shoulders shrugged almost nonchalant "you caught me" sort of gesture.

Because even if there was some kind of line that separated them, some clear delineation that still existed even if she wished that weren't the case, Lux will always be Lux; this is her way of trying to bridge that gap, to put someone at ease.

Although usually the teasing comes at her own expense. Whoops. ]

Now you're teasing me! I didn't want to choose wrong!

[ With an overdramatic huff, she shifts her weight into a ready stance. ]

I suppose now is the time to see if I chose correctly. I'm ready when you are—show me what you can do.

Edited 2017-05-18 03:40 (UTC)

Because you're you.

[That's enough of an answer to him.

Lavi knows that there will always be a line separating them, but it's okay. One day, they'll get over that line and finally be able to form a proper camaraderie with one another. In time.

He chuckles.]

You were keeping people waiting.

[But she's getting into a stance and it's enough to flick Lavi's attention into focus.]

Ladies first.

[ Ladies first, he says.

Not going to show her your hand, are you Lavi? She should have expected as much, given how hard it is to get anything out of him wittingly or unwittingly. But that's part of the fun, isn't it?

Smiling as delightfully as ever, she offers him a simple shrug. ]

If you're going to be like that—

...

[ Then she'll show him what this "lady" is capable of. Springing forward with almost weightless ease, the sword in her hand not her usual enchanted blade, she adjusts quickly. Unable to rely upon the ethereal trace of light that usually dances behind her for a means of subterfuge, trailing like a ghost from the hilt of her blade, she goes for a more head-on approach.

And for once thankful for their height differences, she'll use that to constantly feint, moving more like a dancer than a fighter. Quick motions, in and out of her own reach, with a thrust and a swipe of her sword; don't let him get closer than your blade's tip. ]

[His eye flickers with a sort of surprise that doesn't last long. Her movements are definitely graceful, body instantly moving to avoid the thrust and swipe of her sword. She moves fluently, evidently used to the battlefield in the way she moves, but Lavi isn't one to falter either.

She feints, but any time she moves in with a thrust of her sword, he moves to the side, bringing his dagger up to parry the thrust before there's any real attempt to push her back.]

[ Ah, so his reflexes are good. There's a small quirk of her lips before her smile turns more distant, and they continue this dangerous dance. And while it might seem that Lavi has the upper hand here, dodging each feint with either a side step, if he isn't careful—

They're moving, no longer at the space in the middle of the courtyard that they once were, but rather shifting toward the outer edges, where he'll have less room to bob and weave. That smile still curling her lips, like she knows exactly what she's making him do. If you aren't going to meet her head on, Lavi, she'll force your hand. ]

Edited 2017-05-30 03:41 (UTC)

[She's cornering him.

It makes him grin, just a slight twist of the lips as a glimmer of something appears in his eye. When they're close to the outer edge, Lavi ducks under a jab and spins out of the way swiftly enough.

Before he can give Lux enough room to adjust, he'll aim a thrust at her.]

[ Are you awake now, Lavi?

Letting out an audible "Ohh!" when he ducks under her thrust, watching him evade with a quick spin. If this was going to be a game of size—

She drops quickly, her off-hand bracing on the ground as she pivots her whole body under his blade, spinning counter to him and coming back up with a hard jab at his back with her elbow; nothing that would hurt, but meant to push him off-balance. ]

[It's quite fun to see how your own body moves when put under the right situation.

He quickly side steps, hand moving up to fend off that jab before he moves back a bit. There's a flicker of surprise that can be evident in his lone eye, but then he's back to charging at her.]

[ And now it was her turn to dodge with a bit of a flourish, side stepping with a quick pivot. Opting instead not to follow up with any sort of thrust or swipe, she disengages from their little dance and instead breaks into a sprint.

Time to go after a moving target! Let's see what he could do from a distance. ]

[There's an urge to swing...something down at her, but Lavi resists that urge.

Lavi doesn't move for a moment, eye focused on her movements. She's a fighter; so it's not too surprising that she's making herself a moving target now. Lavi braces himself before he sprints after her.]

[ He isn't the only one with the urge to do something different, that much is for sure.

But good, he's following; let's see how well he's able to track someone, and how he thinks on his feet. Her hand grazing over the trunk of one of the trees she passes, a light lingers there. A light that, should he pass by, will flare with a blinding light. Cutting off one path—but not all.

Using that bit of trickery as a crutch, she slows down before diving behind a tree, her back pressed against it. ]

[Damn it, Lux.

That's not fair.

He is quick to come to a stop, the light successfully blinding him. But he closes his eye. Something is telling him that relying on sight isn't always needed. Training from the past, perhaps, but it's there. It's pressing down on him to rely on his other senses.

There is life around him, but one stands out. A presence that edges into his mind's eye that he darts forward to the tree Lux is hiding behind and gives it a hard kick.]

[ Who said that she had to fight fair? She never agreed to those terms.

Then again, the moment he kicks the tree she's standing behind, he made it obvious where he stands on that as well. Feeling it lurch from impact, she lets out a small, startled yelp before biting it back.

Ahaha crap, he's mad isn't he? ]

[ Her back still firmly planted against that tree, rather than bolting through the copse in an attempt to lose him again, spins around it to flank him from the side while keeping low to the ground.

Hopefully she'll catch him trying to kick the tree again. Letting him get so close isn't ideal. Quickly unsheathing her sword, she flips the blade, using the hilt and the force of her own weight to bash him with the pummel. That was rude, Lavi. ]

[Who's being the rude one here?

He still has his eye close, but he can feel her movement. Eye snapping open, he sees her move just from his peripheral vision and instinctively, he throws up a borderline between them. Jerking back, he watches as that barrier appears between them just before Lux can manage to hit him.]

[ YOU KICKED HER TREE, LAVI. That is the definition of rude and uncalled for.

But the borderline catches her off-guard, as does the almost electric jolt that bites into the palm of her hand when magic blade meets magical barrier. Oof, Radiance did not like that.

Drawing this close, however, she notices it—his eye is closed? She must have hit him with one of her light bombs, then, but if he was blinded, how was he following..?

Ah, dammit, this was going to be annoying, wasn't it?

Standing behind the borderline, not moving, she takes a breath and holds it before concentrating. In the distance, one of the lights she set up hums and flares, then another. The grip on the hilt of her blade tightens as she waits to see if her gamble pays off. ]

[Who thought it'd be a good idea to blind him?

You.

But he jerks a bit when he hears something go off. It's almost enough to get him to move, eye fluttering close again as he ignores the sounds. There was some training ingrained into him from before, from whatever past, and it's telling him not to rely on his senses so much. In fact, Lavi doesn't feel as if he's being threatened here.

His borderline is still up, so Lux didn't break it down. At the same time, he doesn't sense any movement either. As the other goes off, his grip on his blade tightens. He still doesn't sense movement, but he shifts a bit once that second one went off and he is able to sense Lux more clearly now.]

[ Standing there in silence, not daring to move, not daring to breathe, Lux watches him closely for any indication that her gambit worked. But seeing him refusing to move, she bites her lip and swallows. One of them will need to move, and if he's going to keep turtlijg behind his wall.

(This was good to know, but gods if it wasn't annoying; she's a much better reactive fighter...)

If she can't draw him out through subterfuge, then she would have to brute force it; but how could she–

...That was a thought. But would it work? She hadn't actually tried manipulating something that was already there, but it was worth a shot. Moving her sword in an arc toward his borderline wall, she brings her off-hand back, gathering the light it makes in her palm. ]

Hey, Lavi!

[ Feeling it form in her hand, her heart races. This might work! She strikes the borderline with her sword, with the intention of shattering it. Do or die. ]

Catch!

[ Before bringing her left hand back and tossing the ball of light gathering in her hand right at him. Something that, if it hits, will knock him back. ]

[The borderline wall goes down and he snaps his eye open.

Upon seeing the ball of light, he's quick to avoid it.]

What the hell, Lux?!

[ Not allowing him a moment to recover, she charges forward, leaping toward him with her blade at the ready. Stopping just short of a final attack, she pauses, a small smile, surprisingly cherry smile spreading across her lips. ]

I think I've seen all I need to see today.

[ And with that, she will sheath her sword casually, grinning like they were having some kind of pleasant conversation. ]

Next time we train, I vote not involving your light magic.

[That's not funny, Lux.

He sighs, shoulders slumping a bit.]

[ Lavi, why are you being such a spoilsport about this. Sheathing her sword with a gentle sigh, she crosses her arms over her chest, looking up at him. ]

Didn't I say I wouldn't go easy on you? I need to see how you might react in a high pressure situation like that. An ayakashi wouldn't let up until it's devoured you and the god or goddess you serve.

[ Ah, she didn't mean to be chiding about this, and, slowly, a sympathetic smile begins to slip past. ]

Besides, there is much more that you can learn from a defeat than a victory.

Edited 2017-07-05 14:25 (UTC)

[A soft sound.]

Guess that means I get to use spells of my own next time.

[Granted, it's just one spell, but he shrugs.]

True. Besides, it's fun to actually get to use my Borderlines against you.

I never said that you couldn't! That was your own self-induced handicap.

[ That gets a gentle, amused chuckle out of her, her smile brightening somewhat. ]

That really surprised me, I wasn't expecting it at all. Although, truth be told, that might be, well...

[ No secrets, right? Even if this one is a little embarrassing. Her smile turns somewhat meek. ]

I haven't quite gotten the hang of casting a Borderline.

[He huffs a bit.

His spells aren't the same as Lux's, but shinki spells are still important.

However, he does look surprised by the admittance.]

Really? I'm surprised.

Just because I can use magic doesn't mean I'm an expert.

[ With a small sigh, she settles to sit down underneath one of the trees. ]

Some things come easier than others. I'm not sure why, but creating a Borderline has always been difficult for me. I go through the motions, but it never forms.

[Huh, that's news to him.

Lavi joins her, but he leans against the tree instead and links his hands behind his head.]

Maybe it's because you're so used to your magic instead? [He shrugs.] We can always practice on your Borderlines, though.

Maybe...

[ The thought had definitely crossed her mind. Maybe she was looking at this the wrong way.

When he mentions helping, she perks up, leaning forward and looking at him with a bright, almost cheerfully hopeful smile. ]

Really? I mean, as long as you don't mind, of course.

[He shrugs.]

I don't mind.

[Lavi tilts his head at her.]

I don't have anything else to do today, anyway.

[ Lavi, please don't tell her that you cleared your schedule just for her...

Still, the prospect of learning something makes her visibly brighten, a smile spreading across her lips as she pushes herself up to stand. ]

In that case, let's get started!

[ What? Did he think she was going to give him a breather when he was offering to show her something? Yeah, not going to happen. ]

[No, he didn't. He really is just available today without anything ahead.

Unless something comes up.

Lavi laughs a bit.]

Alright, alright.

[ Lavi, you spoil her. ]

Every time I've tried drawing a borderline, it fizzled out before materializing. I must be missing a step somewhere, but I've been using the technique I was taught...

[ Curling a hand at her lips, she bows her head slightly. ]

Show me again how you do it. What goes through your mind when you're casting? Run me through your process.

Sure you might not be accidentally summoning your magic instead?

[He looks thoughtful before he shakes his head, getting into the motion.]

What really goes through my mind is why would I want to put up a Borderline. Why do I need it? Since I'm not exactly a shinki with special powers of my own, I have to rely on the techniques that I learn and are taught here.

[He makes the motions for the Borderline.] Borderline! [And voila, here's a Borderline in front of them.]

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[closed] and together we will find our own way of doing things

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[1/2] (feel free to handwave or play out as much of this as you want~)

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claws way out of FFXIV leveling hell

lol good to see you

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