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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 5, 2024 23:06:16 GMT
Lucille winces as Lightning scolds her again for her improper usage of the weapon. Right, right, okay, go with the blow instead of against it...
As Lightning goes for the horizontal swing Lucille steps back while at the same time meeting Lightning's blade with her own, but instead of trying to stop it she does what Lightning said and deflects it even further to the left, which causes the attack to fall short of hitting her. She smiles as she realizes she managed to do it correctly, though this likely just means Lightning will up the difficulty now, so she does her best to stay on guard.
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Post by ultralilly on Mar 6, 2024 21:09:05 GMT
There was one thing Lightning was aware of now; that Lucille listened and adapted well. She was slow to start but the moment she started thinking with those instincts, Lightning knew she hit upon something special. She wanted Lucille to see this as well but the only way for her to do that was with repetition and exertion. Hammering the practices into her until she would be able to do it as naturally as one breathed. The moment she was deflected, she lightly chuckled. "That's it. That's one hit you deflected. Let's see how many more you can get."
As Lucille thought, Lightning did make it slightly tougher with each passing hit and would watch Lucille adapt as best she could despite facing overwhelming odds.
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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 7, 2024 0:28:59 GMT
Lucille smiles slightly as Lightning praises her, but sure enough the next blow comes. She deflects it in much the same way, along with the next. However as Lightning's attacks grew quicker, Lucille would start to struggle more and more with each blow. She manages to block a few more, but then one of them hit hers, causing her to wince in pain. However, she doesn't stop, deflecting the next blow and then sidestepping another before getting hit again, and then a third time. She hisses in frustration as she keeps deflecting the slowly increasing onslaught. She's sloppy and slow, and Lightning can tell all of this is tiring her out from her her form is rapidly growing more sluggish. However, she also sees the warrior's spirit within her, that will to keep fighting and not give up. Even as she's panting and sweating and barely able to defend herself she doesn't stop trying. Ultimately she eventually reaches the point where she's simply too exhausted to block any more blows, falling to one knee as she gasps for breath. While Lucille isn't out of shape, Lightning can tell she is going to need a much more rigorous exercise routine to keep up with the high demands of combat. Still, the potential is there.
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Post by ultralilly on Mar 10, 2024 22:35:52 GMT
Upon seeing Lucille waning, Lightning ceases and puts away her weapon. She sighs and shakes her head, folding her arms and shifts her weight to the right. "There's no point going any further today. You're just going to keep getting hit and you can barely stand. We're done for now." said she with a hint of disappointment in her tone. Lucille needs more training but going at it any further is just going to cause undue amounts of exhaustion. She waves dismissively then departs with a brisk pace. "We're going to keep doing these until you can manage to impress from now on over the course of your training. Starting tomorrow."
As Lightning leaves, Rydia rushes to Lucille's side with palms facing her and utters a small phrase that envelops Lucille in a gentle green sparkling light that makes Lucille feel less exhausted and able to stand. Still, the soreness was there but the damage had been mended. She sighs and gives Lucille a pat on the shoulder then looks to Cal who gives an appreciative yip. "She's...not going to go any easier on you, you know?"
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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 11, 2024 23:57:24 GMT
Starting tomorrow, huh? Lucille grunts as Rydea mends her. "Yeah, yeah, I know..." She says with clear frustration at her own limitations. This is going to be hell isn't it?
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It was, in fact, hell. For the next couple weeks she would be put through the wringer not only in combat exercises to practice her striking form and defence, but also thorough and rigorous exercise routines that regularly left her exhausted and sore at the end of the day. Every day she would wake up at the crack of dawn, go to the training area, and start with warmup exercises. At first Lightning guided her through them but eventually she was expected to go through the exercises without their supervision since she was far from Lightning's only student. Eventually Lightning would then lead her through her practice in strikes and thrusts. Over the two weeks Lucille had not managed to land that third hit on Lightning, constantly being too slow or too predictable. While she made steady progress in improving her technique and physique, she was not progressing as fast as a person with the help of a Dream Eater should, and that only caused her further frustration. She had to admit for the past few days now she wasn't even really giving it her all, the novelty of it had worn off and she was just going through the motions. Every evening when she came home frustrated and strained she began to question more and more why she was even doing all of this. She had no real motivation to push her through the trials she faced, and anybody watching her training could tell that if things kept going like they currently were, she was going to end up stagnant or worse.
All that being said, she still showed up to the training grounds on time today, her training rapier ready as she prepares herself for another tough day.
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Post by ultralilly on Mar 12, 2024 2:54:57 GMT
Each new training session would show Lightning just how much Lucille had come. While she had been getting steadily better with the parrying, there would be an undeniable roadblock that Lucille reached and the older woman could see it clear as crystal. She, despite all the improvement, could not land that third hit. While some had considered letting Lightning just let her have it to bolster Lucille's confidence, Lightning refused as she felt that not only went against everything she was trying to teach Lucille but would also be a major sleight upon Lucille herself. There was no mercy and Lightning was determined to get Lucille to the point she wanted to see her at. She had given her hints before but this one she did not. In fact, Lightning herself was not holding back with the denial of the third hit. Moreover, while Lucille likely might not have seen it, Lightning saw the repetition and slowly increasing strides she had made. Still, if she could not overcome this hurdle soon, hope might be lost on this one.
The sight of Lucille was becoming...not tiresome but grating for Lightning. Lucille had to learn. She NEEDED to learn! Cal waddled behind Lucille, looking at her as if it knew what the cause was and desiring to want to paw at her but hesitating.
With a tired sigh, Lightning withdrew her weapon, breathing out in an exhausted voice "Maybe today will be the day. I doubt it, though." Rydia was present as usual to provide support. As much as she wanted to give hints, Lightning had forbidden it which pained the emerald-haired caster. Still, she did as instructed as performed the usual rituals on them both. "Begin."
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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 12, 2024 19:31:51 GMT
Lucille resists the urge to sigh as well. Here we go again...
She steps up and takes a ready stance, then begins by initiating with an upward slash, followed by a downward slash in the other direction and then a thrust. The three attack combo is a simple one she had been practicing, taking advantage of a sword's light weight to strike from unusual angles that are hard to pull off with a heavier weapon. However she still has a long way to go before her attacks are truly able to overwhelm a skilled opponent's defence. The strikes are performed efficiently but Lightning would still find it quite easy to avoid the attacks.
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Post by ultralilly on Mar 13, 2024 23:48:04 GMT
Lucille had improved but at the same time, had become too predictable to Lightning's liking. Her first couple of attempts here were plenty quick and enough to get Lucille through the first portion of the training. The first two strikes went in without too much difficulty. But, as per the usual, Lucille would just not be able to land that magical third hit. Those strikes were especially easy for Lightning to read. it was as if, for her, they were approaching in slow motion. ANd there was one thing Lightning was noticing that was likely getting noticed by someone else; Cal stood at the wayside, looking like it wanted to help.
"Are you even TRYING anymore?!" chastised the impatient Lightning. "You're still trapped in your little box of thinking, refusing to step outside!" Her speed suddenly picked up from her usual at this step, going at a pace that became near impossible to track. Then she was behind Lucille with another harsh set of words. "And now, you're paying the price...and stagnating." If Lucille turned to meet Lightning's gaze, hers would be especially harsh and glowering. "I had my doubts but it seems like the only one who has more, is you. We're done. Unless you can figure something out, you're untrainable."
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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 15, 2024 0:54:08 GMT
Normally Lucille would wince when Lightning chastises her, but this time she narrows her eyes and grits her teeth. She bristles and responds. "Fine. Whatever. It's not like I want to be here anyways," She says, tossing aside her training rapier and storming off.
She wouldn't pay heed to anything anyone said to her, lost in her own twisting thoughts. What the heck did Lightning expect anyways? She isn't a soldier, she wasn't made to do this kind of stuff. If anything they should've expected a slow start, but nooooo apparently her effort wasn't good enough. Stupid instructors and their stupid expectations.
She would roam around the streets of Scala Ad Caelem, not really caring much about where she's heading or whether she gets lost. Maybe getting lost actually was her goal. Eventually she would find her way to the a small dockyard that was currently unoccupied. She walks out onto the dock and takes in the sight of the crystal clear water. She sighs and sits down on the end of the dock, looking down at her reflection as she idly kicks her legs. She's so far from home, she wished she could just go back and hug her mom, or wake up from all this like some sort of bad dream—but she knows that this is unfortunately her new reality. She would sit there for a while just seething grumpily, not even paying mind to how much time has passed. She likely would've sat there up until the sun set, but more than likely someone will end up talking to her before that point.
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Post by luckystooge on Mar 15, 2024 19:38:13 GMT
Never straying too far behind was a watchful set of eyes. They had kept themselves upon Lucille from the moment she had arrived and began her training. They had watched her storm off in frustration and made sure she wasn't out of the sight as she roamed about Scala Ad Caelum. The figure belonging to said eyes leaned against a container out of sight, allowing Lucille time to cool off if just for a short period.
Then, they'd make their appearance known. The calm, austere man with the short black hair and the brightly adorned set of garments. He looked upon Lucille as one would look upon an injured animal in need of dire aid. He made strides toward her then stopped a few feet away from her. His gaze shifted to the waters and a serene expression surfaced upon his face.
"Calm, isn't it?" he posited.
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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 15, 2024 20:42:12 GMT
As the voice speaks up behind her Lucille is drawn from her musings, turning to look at the stranger. Calm? She supposed it was in a sense, but she was anything but. She gives him a scrutinizing look. "Did Lightning send you? What do you want?" She asks plainly. She wasn't in the mood to chat and just wanted to get this over with so she can go back to sulking in peace.
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Post by luckystooge on Mar 15, 2024 20:58:54 GMT
He shook his head in response and merely pointed over toward the horizon. "This is how I envision one's mind to be. An ocean that stretches on into eternity." he stepped next to her then gestured more with his hand. "When it is raging, it is nigh navigable and nothing makes sense. When it is calm, a gentle journey is all but ensured and everything makes sense because it is clear."
He clasped his hand to his chest and looked down at Lucille with pitiable eyes. "What I want...is for you to better understand the inner workings of your own mind. To make it so your raging ocean is as calm and collected as this view before you." He took a deep breath and stared back out to the serene landscape. "In short, I am here to help."
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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 15, 2024 21:27:42 GMT
Lucille stares at him with an unamused look. "How profound. You should try out poetry," She says with a hint of sarcasm. She turns away from him again. "Lightning seems to think I can't be helped, what makes you think you'll do any better?" She asks. She doubts some stranger is going to change much, even if he does have a way with words.
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Post by luckystooge on Mar 15, 2024 21:45:30 GMT
He smiles wryly and shakes his head. "I am rather fond of books but that is neither here nor there." He could feel the frustration positively steaming from her ears. if she were a tea kettle, she'd be very close to whistling. He closes his eyes. "Lightning, huh?" He cannot help but feel like he understands the woes of Lightning's tutelage as if he were a trainee of hers himself. "Yes, she is rather abrasive; a big believer in training those who are self-sufficient and show promise rather than simply holding their hand every step of the way."
He looked at her then the horizon once more. "What I can do is far different than what Lightning has enforced upon you...but is very much intertwined with what she wants from you." He paused as he took in the relaxing sounds of the calm waters lapping softly against the stone docks. "Your Dream Eater, there is some dissonance there." He stated plainly with a firm tone as if waiting for Lucille to confirm or deny it though it seemed quite clear what type of answer he was expecting.
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Post by giantfiredog on Mar 15, 2024 21:51:02 GMT
Lucille groans in frustration as he mentions Cal. "Ugh! Everybody keeps bringing that up like I'm supposed to know what to do about it. Dream eater this, dissonance that, I'm fed up with it!" She exclaims, folding her arms and furrowing her brow. "If they're so important why don't they just train Cal instead?"
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