Fang and Claw [PM For Invite]

A fully functional gym, weight room, and state-of-the-art combat simulator.
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Beacon had quite a few combat training rooms. Some were made with specialized obstacles or targets or terrain to practice technique and movement in a wide variety of controlled environments. The rooms themselves were modular and getting equipment was an easy task. Although Nym had mentioned to Terra that was going to be practicing drills, she'd changed her mind by the time she got there. The earlier match she'd been in had been enough of a warmup, and while Terra had done a great job of patching her shoulder up, it felt a little unnatural to start swinging around her chainsaw right away. Instead, she'd gotten herself a small selection of objects with which she could test Terra's problem out with. Could she cast at nothing? A baseball? A knife? Was there a line that was easy to find, or was it more complicated than that? Could she send herself flying when nothing was coming at her? There were a lot of questions to find answers to.

She stood close to the door, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, pondering if maybe this was pushing a little too hard for someone she'd only just met.

Terra was a big girl, though. If it was too much, she could say so. Nym wasn't blind, either. If Terra was getting close to a breaking point she could call it off. It was worth the effort and the potential risk. It didn't take more than a couple minutes of doing nothing for her to decide to throw caution to the wind and pull her chainsaw out. She could run through a little bit of acrobatics. While she waited for Terra she practiced her swing, her follow through, using the momentum to move herself in the odd ways only the weirdness of a spinning blade could offer. It was a basic, repetitive, but elegant dance to keep her in tune with the balance of the weapon and herself. She'd keep at it until Terra showed up. At the very least, it was a decent cardio workout.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

One day, she'd walk down the hallways of Beacon clearly looking dressed for a fight. The days where she was scrambling to find the chance to land a single shot or hit against her opponent long forgotten once she figured out how to get past the mental block that was stopping her from cutting lose against a student. Until then, she'd barely look any different than when she went to class, save for a few extra pieces of jewelry made from stolen and scavenged copper wires holding dust crystals on her wrists. She'd been tempted to wear the hat she was likely to base her combat outfit around, but the thought of it getting caught in Nym's chainsaw made her think twice on that. She couldn't afford to replace it.

Terra had known from the beginning she'd walk into the training room only to see Nym and her savage looking weapon. The skill and mastery in that dance with the monstrous weapon wasn't lost on her, but she doubted she'd ever get over her fear of weapons like that. Even knowing it would happen hadn't quite prepared her for the thought that that weapon would be swung at her in a matter of moments. She nearly turned right back out the door before she stopped herself. If she couldn't face someone who wanted to help her, how could she expect to handle facing someone who wanted to kill her? Unlikely to be heard, she didn't try to talk or yell over the engine of the chainsaw instead just waving her arm over her head to get Nym's attention. Now she just had to hope she didn't turn a shade of green or yellow at the thought of what was to come.
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym could smell strawberries before the door to the room opened. A glance in the direction of the entrance and it confirmed her suspicions that her reluctant new training partner had arrived. Rather than completely finish her practice, she turned the weapon off and holstered it abruptly before taking a light jog up to Terra. Her breath was coming a little faster than before, but she hadn't started sweating just from the little bit of work that she'd done. She looked the wolf up and down. She'd gotten some jewelry with dust crystals attached. It was a rather rustic look using copper wires the way she did, but something purpose built would be easier to work with. They'd have to fix that. Maybe Ax or Pearl could help her.

"Oi," she said cheerfully. "Glad ya came. I was...uh, little worried I'd come on too strong or somethin'. You feelin' okay?" Nym had an idea of the answer. Terra had not been overly enthused when she'd first suggested this. Her track record in the world of training was quite bad. Her impression was probably totally divorced from the reality of what they were about to be doing.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

“Hey.” Terra gave a halfhearted smile in reply to the fox's greeting. There was no feigning excitement or courage here. This wasn't like the entrance exams where they'd pit her against a few captured grimm and a training bot to see her dust casting, and even then she'd had a sword and pistol she sort of knew how to use. “I guess it's pretty easy to tell huh? You didn't come on too strong, I'm more than a little nervous about this. Like, it makes sense if what I've been trying or made to do before hasn't worked then I need to do something different. Can't keep slamming my head into a wall hoping a door will just appear right?”

Even if this failed though, it was just one more thing she could mark off the list of things she could try to fix this. Nym knew her weapon inside and out. It wasn't likely the young warrior would make a mistake and put her insides on the outside. “I'm outside of my expertise here, so I'll be following your guidance on how to hopefully break down this wall. I've exhausted every book I have access to until I pass some of the base level dust classes, so this has as good a chance as anything else I think.” Maybe she should bite the bullet and speak with other members of the faculty to see who she needed to speak with regarding this problem. That could wait until after her and Nym exhausted their options.
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym nodded at Terra's explanation. She'd been right on the money. Reassuring her that there wasn't any pressure to perform here seemed like a natural next step. "Yeah, it ain't 'ard. Y' look like I used t' look before headin' t' classes." Nym stepped up to Terra and put her hands on Terra's shoulders. "Try n' relax. This ain't a test. Yer not on trial 'ere. Whateva' 'appens ain't gonna make me think less'a ya. Ya showed up. Ya wanna get betta'. That's what matta's." She squeezed lightly before letting Terra go, but she didn't start moving towards the equipment, drawing her weapon, she stayed close by. She had to explain things first. Practice without purpose wasn't practice at all. Terra needed to know what their goals were.

"First off, I ain't gonna come at'cha with Whispa' without warnin' ya. I got the, uh, trainin' room set t' monitor our aura so we'll both get big loud warnin's if eitha' of us're gettin' low. I ain't gonna break yer aura. Whispa's violent, but yer a Beacon student, there ain't no one in this buildin' I c'n take out in one swing. Might not even 'ave t' use 'er at all." She motioned for Terra to follow her and moved to the middle of the training room. She'd laid out a few different objects across the floor, a closer inspection would reveal them to be a smattering of weighted stones, baseballs, volleyballs, throwing knives, and other items that were easily thrown.

"We c'n try a lotta dif'rent stuff. Kinda depends on what yer feelin' up to. F'you wanna work on tryin' t' cast dust offensively, we c'n try that. I c'n stand in front'a ya n' be a live dummy. F'you wanna work on tryin' t' use it defensively, well," she gestured down at the items. "We got a lotta ammo, heh. All depends on where ya wanna start. S'yer problem we're tryna figure out, you get t' pick whatcha wanna do first." She put her hands on her hips and wondered if she should give Terra some kind of encouragement one way or another. There was probably one last thing she could say!

"I ain't expectin' any major breakthroughs n' you shouldn' eitha. Right now, I d'no 'nuff 'bout yer problem t' fix much'a anythin'. We're jus' seein' whatcha can n' can't do. Once I got a betta' idea where yer at we c'n talk 'bout what we do next, whetha' that's workin' on yer dust use, or tryin' t' teach ya some more martial stuff. Also...we c'n stop any time. Don' forget that. I ain't gonna think less'a ya fer that, eitha'."
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

It was hard to imagine a time where Nym was as unsure of herself as Terra was now, but the wolf believed her. A little over a year ago, she wouldn't even have imagined standing in this place surrounded by prospective huntsmen and huntresses. The reassuring grip on her shoulders helping slow her heart rate wouldn't have belonged to a girl that was slightly shorter than herself, but an old wolf with salt and pepper hair smiling down at her through a surprisingly well kept beard. Nym relaxed her grip on her shoulders and Terra nodded along with what she said. She understood the training systems well enough, and was thankful she wouldn't have to face Whisper yet.

Her footsteps were slow and quiet as she followed the fox, her eyes on the objects the fox had laid out for them. None of them looked more dangerous than the weapons her opponents had used in her matches, but it did show that Nym was genuinely trying to come up with ideas that might help. If the girl had meant what she said about not being opposed to Terra being on her team, it would help her as well to make sure she could use her dust freely.

“I'm not really expecting a breakthrough either. Right now, when I'm against a human opponent it's like the Dust just doesn't want to listen.” Terra rubbed at the back of her neck with one hand as she thought about the problem. “I know that sounds kind of weird, but whether I'm trying to deflect an arrow with a burst of wind or stop a bullet with ice, it just sort of fizzles out. Same when I'm trying to attack with it. You put a grimm, or even a bunch of them in front of me and they'll be frozen solid or turned to ash. And it's not like it's just something being alive. I've hunted with my dust before.” It really was just that damn promise. It shouldn't have the weight it did, and in her heart she knew it wouldn't if he hadn't died. Had he held himself back because of his own beliefs when he'd tried to protect her?

“I guess we should try defensive first. If I can manifest my dust use defensively, I can give myself more time to attack in other ways or protect allies who can attack freely.” Reasonably, it should be the easier thing to manage. It had been to stop her from causing harm with what she'd learned... Protecting herself or others shouldn't be a problem. Right?
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym nodded. Even if she couldn't come up with any solutions to get Terra ready to sling dust at real people, they could get used to working with each other. Nym could also teach her how to fight with weapons. They had options even if they couldn't make any headway here at all. She gestured at Terra. "Right, defensive it is. Need ya t' take a few steps away from me, uh, maybe ten, twenty meters 'r so? Gonna start out pretty simple 'ere." Nym grabbed one of the baseballs up off the floor. "Gonna jus' toss stuff atcha n' see what happens. You jus' do yer best t' catch it, block it, whateva' ya like with dust."

She tossed the ball up and down while she waited for Terra to put some distance between them, testing it's weight. The distance was close enough that she didn't need to be a pro to get close to hitting Terra, and she wasn't about to start going real hard at first anyways. Once Terra was in place, she hefted the ball in an underhanded, lazy throw at her, possibly the least threatening thing she could muster. "'Eads up."
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

With Nym's gesture, she started walking mentally counting paces to get close to twenty meters. It didn't actually matter if it was exact. Whether it was ten, fifteen, or the full twenty meters wouldn't have made a difference to the odds of her succeeding, but what it did to was give her a couple extra moments to prepare herself. Each dust crystal had a unique pitch to its chime in her mind as her aura mingled with each small shard. They responded perfectly, a glint of colored light from each one as she took her position. If what was coming at her had been a grimm, she would have been able to unleash whatever was necessary to bring it down.

Except it wasn't a grimm. It was a fox that was ever so slightly shorter than herself loosing a small white ball in as soft a throw as possible. She could have knocked the ball away with a single thread of aura, or even taken a step back while lifting her toe to cause the ball to roll along her foot up to her knee where she could have bounced it into the air to catch it with her hand. Both would have defeated the purpose, so she focused her will on a light green crystal to create a gust of wind from her back swing of her hand.

For a moment, the crystal shone, a tell tale green light formed around her hand as she swung her arm out. The moment the air touched the baseball it vanished, a growl already forming in Terra's throat as she just barely pushed the ball off course before the wind crystal stopped responding. As the ball hit the ground to her left, she willed another crystal to lift it off the ground with a shroud of purple light and pull it to her hand. There wasn't any issue using her dust in such a mundane way. It was as much to prove to herself as Nym the difference in how the dust responded to her.

“And it's just like that. I feel the crystal start to respond, then it's like my aura just lets go of the crystal before it's done.” She tossed the ball back with no aide of dust. With her luck it would have fallen short trying to send it back.
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym caught the ball. She could only speculate on what was holding Terra back. Probably her mindset? There was another avenue of attack she could explore. "If we were playin' a game, you think it'd work? Say, rather'n jus' tryin' t' test 'ow intense somethin' needs t' be fer it to work, if I was jus' askin' ya t' play catch wif me, would'ja be able t' catch it?" She didn't want to simply speculate on the idea, though, and she lobbed another slow toss at Terra. It would definitely miss her by about a foot if she didn't intervene. "Grab it, eh," Nym called casually at her.

Terra could almost certainly use her dust for mundane things. The way she'd lifted the ball off the ground so effortlessly was enough proof of that. Was it only when other people were involved that she stumbled? Could she play catch with herself all day, but the second someone else stepped in it ended up throwing her off her game? Was it even a useful thing to confirm? Nym wasn't really sure! But knowing more didn't seem like a bad thing, and easing Terra into the more intense stuff seemed like it was wiser than going straight to full throttle from the beginning.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

“I don't know, maybe?” Her brow furrowed in thought and she bit the inside of her cheek. A game? The thought hadn't occurred to her before. Vesper had taught her how to control the energies on a minute level by having her repeat small tasks over and over again. Throwing and catching a ratty old tennis ball had been one way they'd practiced, but he'd even taught her how to attack with dust by being her target. Nym's next toss was already in the air, a clear miss if it had been meant to be an attack, but... It was a game.

Terra reached out with her hand, a curious expression on her face. There was no flourish, no unnecessary spin to show off what she could do. Merely a deep glow of purple around her hand as she pulled the ball out of the air and straight to her palm. “Wait, that actually worked?” She turned the ball over in her hand a puzzled expression on her face before the tossed it back to the fox. “I don't know if I can translate that into a fight though? Someone swinging a sword or shooting a gun at me doesn't exactly sound like a fun game to play.” Despite that concern, Nym had proven without a doubt that she would benefit far more from actual training partners than just getting kicked around in a sparring match.
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

The gears in Nym's head turned as she watched Terra pluck the ball out of the air. So, she could use her powers if other people were involved and she didn't feel like her life was in danger? Or maybe it was that she needed to feel like the other person's life was in danger? There had to be the right balance of Terra feeling as if her life was in danger and the other person's wasn't? It was another avenue of approach. Her tail flicked back and forth behind her as a look of concentration was written all over her knitted brow and narrowed eyes.

"I...figure..." She said, starting to verbalize her internal monologue. "There's prob'ly more'n one way t' figure this out. D'no what approach's best, but f'you c'n use dust 'owever ya want if it feels like a game t' you, or if...it...feels like yer not puttin' anotha' person's life in danger when yer sparrin' we could maybe work on makin' sparrin' feel like a game. I d'no if that's gonna translate well t' the real world, though. Would you end up lockin' up if it felt like someone was tryin' t' kill you?" Nym grabbed one of the throwing knives on the ground and hefted it at Terra. "Catch," she called. The arc on it was enough to hit her square in the chest, but Nym's call was still casual. She kept talking as it sailed.

"Otha' way...might be t' jus' push ya. If it always works when ya feel like it's do 'r die, jus' try 'n do that long 'nuff t' build new reflexes for ya. Figure that's prob'ly the safer bet. Zero chance'a ya freezin' up n' that outside'a Beacon." That would probably be better for Terra in the end. Working on that style of training would be a lot more strenuous and ask a lot more of Terra, but if she could get used to fighting someone like Nym she could be a real force to be reckoned with. But Nym couldn't force her to do anything. Terra was going to have to choose the path that was right for her. Even if either one or both didn't end up working, it wasn't as if she'd learn nothing.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

Terra seemed lost in thought staring at her hands and the dust carrying jewelry on wrists as she listened to the fox just at the edge of her vision. More than one way to figure this out? Just earlier today her thoughts had been that she'd not be able to figure it out at all. The idea to find another weapon, another style to call upon her dust was the last chance she could take on her own. Nym was changing the game in more ways that one, and causing her to reevaluate the problem altogether. She knew it was a mental block getting in the way of her dust use, but if she couldn't change how she thought about the promise, maybe changing how she thought about other things would work.

'Catch.' It was a subtle warning that another ball would be flying her way. She'd never stopped listening to the fox, the girl's words were a treasure trove of wisdom from an unexpected source. Some of what she'd said matched her own worries, but there was a potential solution. Terra saw an odd reflection of light off the ball as she looked up, this one aimed right for her chest. Again there was the purple glow around her hand and the knife flying her way before it was pulled to her palm. Knife? Realization hit just before the knife did.

“Cracked dust! That hurts!” Terra grimaced as she held her arm close to her chest, knife stuck in her hand. “G-good news though. I caught it.” A pained laugh escaped her as she realized that it really was good news. The wound would heal practically the moment she could stomach pulling the knife free, but that had been an attack and she'd redirected it with her dust. Just not quite away from herself. Aura was already visible around the knife, threads tinted light blue as she numbed her hand. "Gonna need a moment."
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym watched as the knife flew directly into Terra's hand and blood spattered from the wound. She grimaced. That had to hurt. "Ah, my bad," she called. If this was any regular person, Nym would be rushing to stabilize, stop the bleeding, and get them to an emergency room via ambulance or being carried. Terra was no normal person. The wound had to hurt, but with Aura and her own semblance there was no way this was more than a minor inconvenience. Granted, if it was Nym who'd taken a blade like that somehow she'd be on her way to the infirmary.

"Well, least we know y' can catch weapons if ya gotta'." She tilted her head slightly. "D'you need me t' 'elp at all?" Nym had a feeling Terra was under control. She didn't seem to be too upset about catching the thrown blade the hard way. Despite the apparent non-issue of her stab wound, guilt still crept it's way into her stomach. Wasn't the whole purpose of this to help her?
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

Terra took a deep breath and took a closer look at the blade sticking through her hand. A clean hit that slipped right between the metacarpals. The ice dust had already done much to reduce the pain. “No, no. I'll be fine.” She took a firm grip on the handle and pulled slowly. Lavender threads of aura appeared frayed around the wound on both sides of her hand, then began to twine together as she focused on letting her aura heal the wound. It always took more to heal the damage done than to prevent the harm in the first place, but that's what she got for being distracted. As the knife came free she held up her right hand and flexed it a few times. There was a residual soreness, but that would fade before long.

“See, good as new!” She held her bloody hand over her head so Nym could see. “So don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault anyway.” Terra turned the throwing knife over in her uninjured hand and conjured a small tendril of water to wrap around the blade and clean her blood from it. “Throwing it back your way.” There was no aura behind the throw, just an underhanded toss that she doubted would be any trouble for the girl to catch even had she not warned her. “I'll try to pay more attention to what you're throwing going forward. I knew you had knives over there. But hey, we learned something.”
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym watched with grim fascination as Terra's wounded hand stitched itself back together. She'd never actually seen something like that get repaired so quickly. While she'd suffered similar injuries before, she'd had to hold them together with cloth and bandages and use her aura to heal it relatively slowly. How convenient it would have been for her to have something like that at her disposal while she was on the road. Nym plucked the dagger out of the air with ease as it returned to her, her aura preventing any errant slip of the blade from leaving a mark on her skin. She tossed it down next to the rest of her implements.

"Right," Nym nodded at her. "Well, like I was sayin' earlier, think there's maybe two ways t' do tho. Get'cha thinkin' sparrin's a game so it feels natural t' use yer dust, or I could jus' push ya 'ard, make ya feel like yer life's in danger 'till y'can rewire yer brain t' use yer dust no matter 'ow dangerous yer opponent is. D'no if eitha' one's betta or worse or if they'll work. If it was me, I'd choose the second option, but 'm not the one who's got t' put up with this trainin', so..." Nym trailed off and raised her eyebrows at Terra. The girl was going to have to make the choice on her own. Nym couldn't make it for her.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

Terra listened to her options a second time, this time taking a moment to actually absorb what the fox meant and which was probably the better choice. Sadly, she knew which was the better choice immediately, because she'd already tried one before this. As much as she wished she could just get around it by treating a sparring match like a game, there would still be those moments where she got pushed harder, or an opponent made it personal where it having to feel like a game would ruin her abilities. That was also more likely to make her a hindrance on a mission. She'd rather face Nym's chainsword every day for the rest of her life than let someone get hurt because she chose the easy answer.

A quick look was spared to her once injured hand and she flexed it one more time. Ironically, she was less likely to be injured that way. None of her training matches had resulted in a real injury without the person meaning to hurt her. “Alright, going to preemptively chalk what I'm about to say as “Things I Regret Saying” but I think we should probably go the dangerous route. Vesper taught me by keeping it as a game at first, and,” Terra paused holding her arms out wide as if putting herself on display. “here we are. So, I guess I'll be your living training dummy until we get some results.” Her arms fell to her side half-defeated. The old man really had put her in such a weird spot with wanting her to be a huntress. Why did she think it was a good idea again?
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym couldn't stop herself from laughing at the way Terra chose to phrase it. Things she'd regret? Perhaps in the short term, but those kinds of sacrifices made you stronger! Sometimes. She was building this up to be a lot more horrible than it likely needed to be. She wasn't going to be a training dummy either. "Right, well, 'm glad yer choosin' that way, 'cuz I d'no 'ow good I'd be at makin' it all seem like a game anyways. S'a lot easier fer me t' jus' come at ya seriously than be creative. So, first off," Nym unsheathed her weapon and transformed it into it's melee configuration, saw extending, blade wrapping around, but she didn't rev the engine. "Figure we ought t' actually 'ave some goals n' standards 'ere, eh? Goal's fer both'a us t' get good practice outta this eventually n' I can't do that by jus' usin' you like target practice."

She held the weapon with the engine block on her shoulder with one hand, blade sticking up into the air. "First goal's just t' get you usin' dust on me. 'M not sure fightin' me's gonna be all the dif'rent from fightin' otha' people t' you, so this one's gonna take both'a us. 'M gonna come at'cha with everythin' I've got, like 'm really tryin' t' take yer 'ead off. 'Opefully that's 'nuff t' get yer survival instinct kickin' in. You c'n use whateva', ice, fire, rock, jus' so long's yer actually castin' it full force we'll call it a win. Any questions?"
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

This experience was going to be utterly terrifying, but that was why it was likely to work right? She'd been so happy as a spectator watching the fight from afar knowing that with her issues, skill, and being a first year she'd likely never have to face that frightening looking weapon. Then she got this wonderful idea to approach the fox. Terra visibly flinched as the weapon's form shifted from the mostly unassuming travel form to its brutal melee form. There was no doubt in her mind that eventually those teeth would be biting into her aura trying to get at her flesh.

“Questions? Uh... What's the safeword?” The let out a short half-hearted laugh before shaking her head. “But seriously I don't think I have any. The goal's easy enough to imagine, I just don't know how I'm actually going to get there.” Truth was she knew she'd be on her heels from the moment Nym began to move. The difference in there relative skill would likely put her on the losing side even if she could use her dust. At least all her time learning how to avoid getting hit in the first place would give her the time to practice. “So, I think we're ready to start whenever you are.” Wasn't there a horror movie like this? Overly trusting girl getting chased by a maniac with a chainsaw?
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Nym laughed again. Was it going to be hard for her to take this seriously when Terra was joking around so much? No, probably not. It almost never was. "Right, won't be a safeword. Goal's t' make ya feel 'fraid eh? Jus' do yer best." It was probably counterintuitive to tell her that her life wasn't really in danger. The goal was to make her believe it was, get those reactions, and work backwards from there. Making her feel like her life was in danger also meant coming at her as if the goal was to kill her, adopting the kill or be killed mindset. She took a ready position, holding the chainsaw above her head with both hands, the blade pointing back behind her. She hadn't opened her fight up with this particular move, so if Terra had only seen the one match she might not understand what was about to happen. Perhaps she'd figure it out from the way Nym had moved around the arena.

Her expression hardened. Nym's brow furrowed in concentration and her eyes narrowed. Her muscles tensed and she grit her teeth as Whisper came crashing down on the training room floor right in front of her. The blade revved and spun, digging into the floor at the same moment her feet left the ground, propelling her forward in a deadly arc directly at Terra. Her body somersaulted forward, a full vertical rotation. She'd be coming down at Terra with the exact same motion she hit the floor with. She was a lot closer to her target than the last time she'd done this in a training room. Terra wasn't going to have much time to think before the screaming blade was coming straight down at her head.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

This was really happening. She was about to train with a third year with the most terrifying weapon she'd seen. Chainswords were despicable weapons made with cruel intent, and whoever had designed Nym's was a monster. Seeing that weapon raised above her head made it all too easy to imagine a white mask on her face, a snarl behind the fangs of a faux grimm mask. That weapon was far more fitting in the hands of the White Fang than someone meaning to be a huntress, but she wouldn't fault Nym for it. Invisible threads of aura filled the air around her, a web that made her acutely aware of the way her opponent was ready for a fight. Crystals flickered and shimmered a moment before the fox launched her unorthodox assault. The way the fox moved was so strange.

Terra flicked her hand up towards the incoming blade, flinging a single thread of deep purple gravity at the weapon in an attempt to lock it in place in mid air. The wolf was already moving even as she felt the effects of the crystal falter. Another thread, another flicker of purple to augment her movement failed even as she sprung to the side out of the path of destruction. Two for two her dust wasn't working, but she'd known she could avoid the first attack well enough. There were few things she was better at than running away... Sadly she'd usually consider her dust use one of them. Her eyes were locked on the fox, a look of fear on her face as she tried to figure how the girl would bring that awful weapon to bear.
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Gravity dust to stop her weapon? It seemed a sound approach. If Terra could get to the point that she was freely using dust how she wanted, this reckless of an attack wouldn't work against her. It would be a lot more like fighting Ax. Closing the distance would require more thought than a simple charge. A person in flight was a predictable target without some method of changing their trajectory. Terra had the right idea, but her execution was off. Her swing was unimpeded and the wolf wasn't creating as much distance as she could have with a burst of wind or fire. Her vicious glare tracked Terra as she moved only as far as her feet could carry her. She was focused on the sword and avoiding it, but it wasn't the only weapon that Nym had at her disposal.

Whisper swung down through empty air, but seeing that her opponent was not going to have trouble dodging, Nym didn't plant herself firmly to the ground. She remained light on her feet and angled the blade as it connected with the floor to launch herself again with a pinpoint turn, sword trailing behind her as she aimed to ram her shoulder squarely into Terra's chest. No quarter, no room to breath, no time to think, she wanted to force her opponent to react only on instinct. The less time they had to take in their surroundings, their options, their plan, the easier it would be to force them into a corner or a bad decision. Maybe, with enough of that pressure, she could force Terra into reacting with the right instincts.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

A breath and four heartbeats was the time she'd have for Nym to plant her feet and take another swing with the chainsword. Enough time to- The breath she had started to take rushed out of her lungs as the fox's shoulder slammed into her chest. Aura stopped her ribs from cracking under the force of the blow, and was the reason only the edges of her vision darkened instead of passing out from the sudden strike. Terra lashed out with a hand held like a claw at Nym's face as much to land a desperate hit of her own as to give her additional leverage to throw herself over the fox and in the direction she'd just come from. It was the most likely way to avoid a cleaving slash of that chainsword and give her the moment to fill her lungs with air.

A crystal of ice dust flickered on her wrist as she tried to create a claw of ice so that the her own attack would be more than a mere nuisance if it landed. All that would form was a trail of snowflakes falling in the path of her swing. Threads of aura forming beneath her feet at least gave her a way to push herself into the air over the fox. The wolf's mind and vision was already spinning from that impact. She didn't even know where she would land, or if she'd hit. Was she about to come back down right behind Nym or did she manage to spring herself far enough away to breath?
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

She'd guessed right, Terra had been tunneling in on the scary weapon, leaving herself open to more unconventional avenues of attack. The blow would take some aura and daze her, but it was hardly enough to secure a decisive killing slash. Terra's lightly frosted hand swinging towards her face posed almost no threat at all. She could see her stance change, getting ready to spring upwards. Leaning forward, using her and as leverage, it was up and over she wanted go. It all registered in the blink of an eye. The information was parsed from battle-hardened mind and sharp eyes. There was a chance Nym could simply take the hit and gamble on landing a devastating uppercut with her weapon before Terra could lift off, but there was a better option if the girl was attempting to take to the air and get some distance behind the fox.

Nym let the hand connect, even planting her own feet hard into the ground to give Terra the perfect support to spring off of. With her legs firmly planted she swung Whisper hard in a wide horizontal arc, turning herself back around to throw it like a deadly frisbee. She growled with the effort as it left her hands. Gravity dust came to life as Nym activated the controls for her remote flight control. Her throw didn't have to be perfect, it just had to be close enough. She could fix any errors and even follow some dodges with her new piece of equipment.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

The wolf spun through the air like a gymnast, carried by the momentum and force of her leap and strike. It was a simple thing to right herself in the air, twisting and spinning herself even without the use of aura and dust so that she'd land squarely on her feet facing Nym. A sharp gasp filled her lungs with much needed air, but there was no time to breath. No time to think. While she'd been flying through the air to touch down, Nym had already made her next attack, a perfect prediction of where her leap would carry her, and where she'd be in the path of that terrible sword as it was thrown at her with enough force and speed to resemble a solid disk that would catch her right below her ribcage if she didn't stop it. Nym was confident her aura could handle it, but it had already taken a solid blow to her ribs and healed her hand from a puncture.

Her training worked well enough against her first year classmates. Her natural agility and sharp eye let her avoid most of their attacks, whether born of steel, lead, or dust. It was her lack of offense that cost her every match. A small pistol didn't compare to weapons made to be used by a huntsman, her dust always failing her in front of her peers. Most didn't even realize she was attempting to use dust. Nym was no unskilled thug on the streets of Mantle or a simple minded grimm. Nym was a warrior who had predicted where she was going before Terra had even been sure. Every time she'd been overwhelmed before, someone had been there to save her, but not this time.

With both hands lifted, one high, one low, in front of her to project a barrier of aura, she half-turned to meet the spinning blade head on. As the blade struck the barrier it frayed into hundreds of torn threads of aura blowing away from the impact as the teeth tore away at it again and again in an instant. The wolf planted one foot firmly behind her to keep herself from sliding. Eyes closed in intense focus, the first hint that something had happened was the sound of ice cracking and cold spreading through her hands with the intense vibrations. In place of frayed threads of aura was a chunk of ice formed between her hands, first little more than a something resembling a heavy sword, but as the spinning teeth tore through ice and aura its form became clearer. Rapidly reforming despite the chunks being torn away was a Mistralian styled sword mimicking a worn and jagged katana made entirely of ice. A weapon that was vaguely familiar to her as she opened her eyes. Instinct had saved her, but why was that what she created in the moment?
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Terra had done it. She'd managed to use her dust to create a weapon to defend herself with. That was definitely a victory, but the fight was hardly over. There was no telling what else she might be capable of when put to the test! Nym hadn't moved from the spot she'd occupied when throwing her weapon. Her extended hand ripped Whisper back in her direction. Terra had formed a sword. She might be thinking about using it. There was no doubt in Nym's mind that she could outmaneuver Terra in close quarters whether she had Whisper in her hands or not, but the idea was to push her, right?

As the chainsaw flew through the air towards Nym it's shape began to change. Several barrels replaced the saw and by the time Nym caught it, it was a fully functional chaingun. Depressing the trigger, they began to spin and almost at once a hail of bullets was being propelled in Terra's direction. The sword on it's own wasn't going to provide much protection, but Terra wasn't without options if she could use her dust to move or defend herself.
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

As Nym's weapon whipped back to her hand, Terra staggered forward having been caught off guard by the sudden release from the pressure against her makeshift blade. Her hold was nothing like a proper swordsman, her mind barely knowing what to make of it. The weapon was purely a construct of ice and her own aura, that much she knew, but what intent had put it in her hand? Still her dust had responded for a time. That was progress wasn't it? Except, if Nym had seen that progress... Golden eyes went wide at the realization the fight wouldn't be over and she suddenly turned her attention to the fox as the first shot went off.

Several rounds slammed into her body in the brief moment between the first shot and when the tip of her new, or was it old, weapon slid across the ground in front of her creating a wall of ice that was already quickly cracking under the pressure of the assault. As much as the wolf wanted to move, needed to move, she couldn't make her feet obey. Her ears were ringing from an innumerable amount of bullets striking the icy barrier she'd managed to create. There was another sound she couldn't hear as she just kept her focus on repairing the barrier against the assault, the sound of a warning going off in the training room that her aura had dropped into the red.
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

For a moment, Nym found herself worried that Terra was about to simply eat the entire spray of chaingun fire without so much as dropping to the ground, but a wall of ice sprang to life between them. The focused expression she had softened. It was a victory for both of them. They'd managed to get something to happen on the very first try! Nym hadn't even needed to do anything particularly special either! It had been a fairly routine match against a less experienced opponent. Terra had a long way to go, but it was a direction she wanted to head in.

The very moment warning sounds went off, Nym was letting go of the trigger and collapsing her weapon. Putting Terra's life in real danger wasn't the goal here. If the girl sustained a real injury that she couldn't heal because he aura was gone, would she ever return? Sheathing the weapon, she quickly jogged over towards the wall of ice, beaming at Terra as she peeked around the corner. "Oi! Terra! That was brilliant!"
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

The gunfire stopped but the ringing in her ears had merely dulled in intensity. There was no growling of a chainsword's engine threatening her. The strain on her aura from supporting the barrier to protect herself had ceased the moment Nym's assault had come to an end. Still, the wolf sat on the floor her legs folded underneath her and both hands on the handle of the icy sword to prop herself up. The rounds that hit her hadn't pierced flesh, or even the fabric of her Beacon outfit thanks to her aura, but they were still bruising blows that left her aching where she sat.

As Nym poked her head around the icy barrier, Terra recoiled at first by trying to push herself to her feet with her sword only to unceremoniously land on her backside with an undignified whimper as the blade faded from existence. It was obvious she'd landed wrong on her tail. Her heart was still racing, pounding in her ears, but it began to sink in the fight was over as quickly as it had begun. For a brief moment she saw a face belonging to someone else over Nym's own but a fearful blink of her eyes dispelled that illusion.

“I-” Her voice caught in her throat and she covered her mouth with one hand. She felt ill, and it wasn't purely from the numerous impacts to her stomach just moments ago. The icy wall came crumbling down into a pile of conjured snow that rapidly began to fade. “I'm not-” Terra hiccuped and grimaced. "I'm not entirely sure what happened.”
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Nym Magenta
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:05 am
Age: 20
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Faunus (Fox, Tail + Ears)
Aura Color: Magenta
Occupation:
Semblance Name: Foresight
Weapon Name: Whisper

Terra was more than spooked by the appearance of the fox. Her fight or flight instincts had been kicking into overdrive. If what the girl had said about her past was true then there were a few moments there where she'd thought her life was legitimately in danger. That had been the goal, she'd gone into it knowing what they were trying to achieve, but how many times had Terra felt that way before? Probably not often enough to shake it off the second the fight was over. Nym wasn't about to hold it against her. It wouldn't have been the first time someone felt real panic in a match with her.

She raised her hands up to show they were empty and tried to sound calming as she spoke. "Terra, s'okay, try n' take deep breaths. Fight's ova', yer not in danga', s'just you n' me 'ere n' I ain't gonna hurt ya." Acting normal and conversational was probably the best way to bring her back to reality, right? "We c'n talk 'bout it in a second, but take a minute fer yerself first, okay?" Nothing was going to get through to Terra if she was still having a heart attack. She walked slowly towards her and knelt down, resting both her hands in her lap. "You did great, Terra."
Terra Fennel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Female
Race: Wolf Faunus (Ears and Tail)
Aura Color: Lavender
Occupation: Medic
Semblance Name: Sal Norn
Weapon Name: Peregrine

Right, deep breaths. That's what she would have told anyone else in her shoes, but it wasn't always easy to call to mind a treatment when treating oneself. A slow deep breath tricked the brain into thinking it was relaxed, even if the occasional hiccup broke her rhythm. It even helped the feeling of static crawling up and down her left arm as her heart rate slowed to normal levels. There was never anyway to tell if that was a real sensation or not. There was no faux bone mask on Nym's face when she looked up at the girl. Just a visage of concern in place of that of a White Fang's mask.

“D-doesn't feel like it.” The occasional hiccup was still interrupting her speech. Terra gently poked at her stomach with two fingers and winced. Losing a match was par for the course, but the ease with which Nym had dispatched her was somewhat humiliating. “Think I'm go-gonna be a bit bruised from where you shot me.” A pair of bullets that had gotten caught in her clothing fell to the ground with a sharp metallic sound as she shifted where she sat. “I'll never g-get used to that. Bullets hitting aura and not, well y-you know.” It wasn't quite as harmless as some made it out to be, but that could be as much her own weakness as anything else.
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