thenearshore | I have courage on my side

Entry tags:

I have courage on my side

Who: Shiro, Pyrrha, and Keith
When: After the intro log.
Where: Serapis's Temple.
What: Team bonding! Getting to know each other!

[ With both shinki in tow--one, a girl he's just met but whom he's very fond of already; the second, one of his oldest friends--Shiro makes his way to the temple. It's... well, it's familiar, and Shiro feels like he's coming home.

If only Keith remembered, but that's fine. It's cool, everything is fine! Keith doesn't remember him, but Shiro's just glad he can keep an eye on him. And they're working together; surely everything will work out. ]

Alright, here we are. Welcome to the temple. [ Shiro gives them a little smile. ] I hope it's comfortable for you both.

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[ wow. wow. this temple is incredible and far from what pyrrha was expecting, despite shiro having told her he'd been in space before. she walks inside with a smile on her face, and gives shiro a nod. ]

It's very nice, Shiro. I know I'll be very comfortable staying here.

[ she turns around to face keith. ] What do you think?

[Keith is, in all honestly, at a loss for words as they approach. He's seen some weird temples in his time here, weird and expansive and impressive, but this feels completely different somehow.]

It's enormous.

[Is his astute observation. Idly, he wonders just how it compares to Cnoc Áine... maybe he can figure that out when he returns there for his belongings.]

[ Shiro chuckles, quietly, and as they make their way inside... well, it's just like he remembers. ]

Let's just hope there's more than food goo to eat here.

Food...goo?

[ pyrrha is ???? is that what you had to eat in space, new dad ]

[Food goo????]

Uh, I mean, if it ends up being that big of an issue, that’s something we can probably fix pretty easily.

It's edible, but not that exciting to eat every day.

[ ... in any case, they're in the lounge area, and Shiro brushes his hand along the back of the couch. ]

So... if this place is as familiar as I remember, there's a pool and a training room, among other things. Those might be the most exciting rooms here.

That sounds perfect. Other than the food goo, of course.

[ SHE LOVES HER TEMPLE SO MUCH!!! ]

Do you think you could show us to our sleeping quarters, Shiro? And would the two of you like to join me in the training room later?

Edited 2018-08-18 03:43 (UTC)

[~~Okay but is it like... a regular pool or a Castle of Lions pool?~~

The facilities catch Keith's interest pretty solidly - if they don't end up being a part of the formal tour, that's definitely what he'll want to check out on his own. At Pyrrha's suggestion of hitting up the training room, he gives a solid nod.]

Yeah, that sounds like it would be good for getting the hang of us fighting together. [He can't say he's not curious about how the two of them fight, and how the three of them can incorporate their own skills together... but something else Shiro said makes him wonder-] Is this temple just the place you were living in before you came here?

[ A regular pool. How lucky! ]

That's a great idea, guys. No time like the present to learn what the others can do.

[ He figured Keith would want to do that, and it really is a good idea besides. He's a little surprised both of them are so gung-ho after just meeting him, but he's glad they're interested in taking the initiative. He already knows he and Keith will work well together, and with Pyrrha's enthusiasm, he thinks he couldn't have asked for a better team.

He tries not to dwell on how much he misses his other team.

Regardless, he nods to Keith. ]

It is. A little smaller, but it's a near-exact replica.

Sounds like a plan, then. I look forward to seeing how we all work together.

[ she's very excited about it, actually. pyrrha's been curious about what their fighting styles are like, how well the three of them will be able to mesh together as a team. a small part of her is anxious about it not working out, but for the most part, she's optimistic. ]

How about we head to the training room now, then?

[Getting the opportunity to test out each other's strengths and weaknesses right off the bat should make things a lot easier for them down the line, really...! An interesting shake up to having to adjust to a new shinki showing up at the temple later, anyway.]

I'm up for it if you guys are. [Lead the way, Shiro! You know where they're going better than they do.]

If you're both so enthusiastic, then how can I say no?

[ Quietly, he chuckles, and leads them on to the training room. It's a considerable size, and he spreads his arms once they're inside. ]

Here we are.

[ there's certainly quite a bit of room, and pyrrha walks in first, boots clacking on the floor. (how she fights in those, we'll never know.) ]

How should we do this?

[There sure is plenty of room to test each other out, a nice, big, empty space...]

If we're just going to spar to start with, I do have my own weapon. [And at that, he unsheathes his Blade from where it's holstered on his belt.] Unless there are practice weapons you'd rather have us use stored around here, too.

[ Well, Shiro certainly isn't about to use his prosthetic on them. Not for sparring. Shiro walks to one of the walls, and certainly enough, there are a few weapons on racks. He takes a sword, weighing it in his hand.

(There are spears. How convenient!) ]

If you're most comfortable using your blade, then that's what we'll practice against.

[ It's the best assessment, anyway. For Pyrrha, that is. ]

Pyrrha and I will have to use these.

That's fine by me.

[ she walks over to the rack and picks out a javelin immediately. she isn't entirely sure why she's so drawn to them, but they just feel right--they feel natural in her hands. she takes one before stepping into the open area. ]

Are we sparring? Or...are there training dummies accessible? Perhaps we should try out both methods?

[There's certainly something to be said for muscle memory working wonders for shinki, Keith felt a similar sort of attraction to the practice swords offered up during training days. Might as well go with your first instinct with these things, right?]

I'm good with both, if both is an option. [Challenge each other to get better, but also learning how to work as a unit.... what'll it be, Fearless Leader Shiro?]

[ Shiro considers both options carefully. They're both valid, and helpful in different ways. Ultimately, what he decides on is... ]

Why don't we start off challenging one another? Then, I should be able to customize the training sequences to your skills and abilities.

[ she likes them already. they're ready to go, and it's only their first day. pyrrha's impressed, and she nods at shiro's suggestion. challenging one another, hm? ]

I can volunteer to go first, if you'd like?

[So bold, so ready to give this a shot...! Keith glances over to Shiro after Pyrrha volunteers.]

If you want to hang back and watch to get some information off of us to start with, the two of us can spar for a while.

That works just fine for me.

[ He crosses his arms as he leans against the wall to watch. ]

Start whenever, but don't forget to warm up.

Right.

[ pyrrha nods to shiro, then glances at keith with a little smile on her face. ]

I'll only need a few moments to stretch, if you don't mind?

Right. Just let me know when you're ready.

[And, really, he should do the same - wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, after all. Standard arm and leg stretches, gotta make sure he's nice and limber for this particular exercise.]

[ While they stretch, Shiro takes a bit of time to reflect. He thinks about how well Pyrrha clicks with them--their personalities, at least, he isn't quite sure about her fighting style--and how seamlessly she's become a part of the team. It's nice, and Shiro is definitely sure she'll be a valuable asset.

... Keith, though. He thinks--no, he knows a part of him will always feel guilty about Keith's death. It gnaws at him that Keith doesn't remember him, or anything about him.

But if he was the one responsible, then... maybe that's for the best, he thinks, as he watches his shinki warm up. ]

[ pyrrha is too busy stretching to notice shiro's sadness, if it's at all visible. she's bending down, touching her hands to her feet, wondering just how she'll do against a seasoned shinki like keith. she feels that underestimating him would be doing him a disservice; yet, a part of her feels like she was also born to do this. to fight, to protect. she hopes that she'll give keith a good match.

after a few more stretches, she picks up her javelin and walks into the training area, taking on a fighting stance. ]

Ready when you are, Keith.

[It sure is a good thing the shinki to god connection only runs way way and not the other, huh? Sorry, Shiro, your guilt goes unnoticed today, but at least gods can't blight themselves by dwelling on the past.

Keith, for his part, knows there's no reason to underestimate a potential opponent, and with how confident and willing she's been up until now, there's no reason for him not to believe that she won't be an interesting partner. With little more than muscle memory and instinct to run off of, though, he can't help but wonder exactly how she'll square up in this fight.]

Got it. Let's do this.

[Knife in hand, to the training area he goes. After pausing a decent enough distance away from her to give Pyrrha time to prepare herself, he launches forward, looking for any opening to strike.]

[ she'll go on the defensive this time. if there's one thing that she can say about keith, it's that he's fast. her eyes are trained on him, yet she finds herself even more pressed for time to react. she holds up her javelin in front of her to try and block his attack, leveraging herself by shifting her weight forward. ]

[His attack is blocked soundly, though with their weapons locked, Keith doesn't back down. Using the momentum of her movement to adjust his own weight, he drops his own center of gravity down in order to sweep his leg out in an attempt to trip her up.]

[ he sweeps his leg, and it does get her to stumble forward. she lands on her hands, javelin rolling out of her hand, but she does a roll to put herself back onto her feet. because what are flashy anime battle dynamics.

she gets back up and starts running to grab her javelin again, keeping a close eye on any other attacks keith may throw her way. ]

[That was some pretty impressive maneuvering there, and Keith himself takes a moment to back away a step or two, wanting to regain his footing while she recovers her weapon. In a serious fight, he wouldn't hesitate to take the opportunity to continue to press forward with his own attacks, and his tense muscles probably attest to as much, but this isn't a matter where he needs to take her down. It's a spar to get familiar with each other's fighting styles, to give Shiro an idea of what they're capable of and how to best alter their training menus from there... So, of course, he gives her those extra few moments to recover.

He will arc his path a little, though, as he follows Pyrrha's movements. He keeps his distance, but moves as she does and angles himself toward her side in an attempt to avoid meeting her head on. It looks like he might be offering himself as an attack target this time around, standing with a more defensive posture with his eyes locked on her.]

[ she's trained for it her whole life--not that she knows that, but this sort of thing...sparring, testing each other, it comes naturally to her. it feels right. pyrrha expects keith to come at her again, but he's giving her time to recover. as a good sparring partner should when testing the waters.

she gives him a little smirk before she finds her footing again, eyes following him as he takes on a different posture. pyrrha charges at him, aiming high, swinging her javelin at him. though she's more than prepared to stop herself before it actually makes impact. ]

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I have courage on my side

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sorry for the wait!

same here orz

oh my god i thought i replied to this

we're good at this.

Just the best.

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rolled a 9!

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