isleofavalon | [Closed] I get knocked down...

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[Closed] I get knocked down...

🧙 WHO: Claire Redfield & Various
⚔️️ WHAT: Closed Catch All for August
🕒 WHEN: August 2021
🗺️ WHERE: All over Camelot
⚠️ WARNINGS: Violence, Language, and the usual Zombie related warnings that come with Claire.

Closed starters will be added to the post as they come up. If you want to do something new with Claire, feel free to PM her journal or on my plurk at

intercession.

Training Grounds (Tifa)

Claire was beginning to feel like a fixture here at the training grounds. She had drifted away from them the last few months, but with Sherry gone it felt like a good time to stop slacking and get back to it. Working on everything from boxing to creating plant based restraints with her Green magic, she sticks around for hours and hours at a time, rarely taking breaks.

When she does, though, it's usually when she's so exhausted she nearly collapses...and it's one such occasion that has her sagging down onto a bench next to a woman. She's seen the other several times now, and notes her frequency at the grounds, so she doesn't feel too awkward trying to start a conversation up between sips of water.

"...Seeing you around here a lot lately."

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Pretty fresh, yeah. Couple months, give or take. Stopped counting after a while.

[Mostly because it was starting to feel like an eternity since she landed in that lake, and she doesn't like to think about that, or what could be going on back home. Being told that time was frozen, and she would go right back to where she was didn't do anything to help ease her mind either, so here she is just living each day as it comes.]

I'm managing. It's not as bad as some people make it out to be.

[There are certainly the pessimists out there.]

Still trying to get a grip on the magic, though. Think that part's the worst thing about it.

Yeah. Been there. I think it's been 9 months? I sorta lost count, and mostly stopped caring. It's all been a blur since I got here anyway. Getting knighted was the one thing I really focused on since I arrived.

[And hey, she succeeded...so that's something?]

What kind of magic do you have? I've helped a few people kickstart theirs.

Only managed to barely get the hang of Elemental, but I'm told I've got Light magic somewhere in here, too.

[She lifts a clenched, gloved fist where she channels most of her magic into. It's what she knows, and having one thing that's familiar about it helps, even a little bit.]

I've been starting small. Only fire for now, a little bit of water. That's about it, though.

[But there's a hopeful note to her voice].

Elemental's something I've helped with, a bit. I've got Dark and Green, myself.

[Claire's fist rises, a glob of inky shadow settling over it, and she casts it forward so it can hover a few feet away.]

It's really just about practice. You'll definitely get it. Just gotta work at it.

I hope so. Helps that I have a familiar around who's good at it. Picks up the slack when I—

[As if speaking about her is enough to summon her, a spectral dolphin pokes its head out from the ground at their feet and chirps playfully at the two girls on the bench.

Tifa laughs, reaching down to give her head a pat, before she offers Claire an apologetic smile.]

Sorry. She likes to do that...

That's...!

{Well, Claire jerks her head up to look at the Dolphin, a little surprised, but not leaping to her feet in a fright or anything.]

...Well hello there.

[She huffs a laugh and leans down to offer the creature her own hand, if she'd like.]

Mine's not all that playful, but he does like appearing all of a sudden.

[The dolphin chirps again in greeting, but she remains where she is with her head poking out of the water and her nose coming to rest on Claire's shoe.]

Anytime I so much as think about magic, she thinks it's her time to shine.

[And boy does this one love the spotlight and attention.]

They're helpful though, aren't they? They're supposed to help us channel or our magic or something...?

Edited 2021-08-30 15:52 (UTC)

[Well, Claire kindly rubs her shoe a bit back, giving the dolphin some sort of affection. maybe? It's a dolphin...not a cat]

They are. And yes, that's right. They're our conduit for magic. Everything we do comes from them.

[At least that was how it was explained to her early on.]

Our magic takes on a bit of them, too.

[The dolphin appreciates every little bit of affection it can get, so it rubs its nose right back, but that's about all the attention she seeks for now, content to lay partway in the ground with her head above "water" so to speak, listening into their conversation and chirping with her own opinion every now and then.

Tifa laughs.]

You hear that? You're important.

[Now stop butting into everything as if you aren't!]

Funnily enough, fire's where I started but she's all water. Too bad she can't exactly teach me... but I'd be willing to open my ears up to some pointers if you've got any.

[Claire smiles good-naturedly and keeps on rubbing. It's fine, aquatic-friend. You are important.]

I might have a couple, sure. A lot of it is just to keep practicing, and keep on focusing. Repetition is the way you get good at anything, and magic is a bit like a muscle. If you exercise it enough, you get good at it. If you grill it into your head, it becomes like muscle memory and reflex.

[She flicks her hand up and an inky shield of shadow appears above her, blotting out some of the sun.]

Shields and stuff, especially, just practice till it becomes second nature. Or in your case, maybe a wall of wind to make it hard to get to you. Defense comes first, I believe, so you'll survive long enough to do offense.

Wind might actually be a better place to start... From what little I've seen, not a whole lot of people use it.

[She's seen fire and ice, as well as water, but very little of the other elements used in battle, so maybe she could start there to help fill in the gaps. Never know when it might come in handy.]

Been using a lot of meditation to try and focus in on it... I think it's helped a little, but there're some things you can't do in the middle of a fight. I'm guessing that muscle memory'll just come to me with a little more time?

[When it comes to feeling helpless in battle, Tifa can get a little impatient about her training, and has a tendency to overdo it, so...]

That's pretty smart. Wind does seem like something handy.

[Not that she has any real knack for it!]

Meditation and such is good, but you've got it in one. Muscle memory will come with time, and that's easier to do in combat. When you train your body to just react, it gets easier.

[Which is how she does basically everything. Admittedly, she's not much of a brawler, but she's definitely applied this philosophy to firearms and magic.]

[Tifa nods her head in understanding, but her brow crinkles for half a second before she gets to her feet to stretch.]

Still got a long way to go, but I think I'm making some progress on that front. [ ... ] I'm a little curious about the secondary magic we've got, too. There a reason that one's so much harder to pick up?

[More like so much more frustrating to try and stimulate. She's tried a number of times here at the training grounds, but the Light magic just goes out as if it were never there in the first place.]

Not that I'm aware of. It just...is? I don't really understand the reasoning behind that myself.

[She shrugs, rising and rolling her shoulders a little bit.]

I've gotten the basics of Green magic down, my secondary, but it isn't nearly as easy as my primary and I've been at it since the Spring Equinox.

Spring? Isn't it nearly fall now?

[She doesn't mean that in a judgemental way directed at Claire, but more that it's surprising that it's taking someone who does know their stuff so long to pick up their secondary. Tifa's got a long road ahead of her if that's the case.]

I wouldn't mind giving it a try sometime, but... [She lifts her hands and stretches her fingers.] It wouldn't be dangerous to give it a shot now you think?

It is.

[She knows. She knows, and it rankles in her...]

And no, I don't think so. You can absolutely give it a shot. I'll be here to put out any fires, if you need. I'd hardly stop you.

Good. I'd rather try it when I know someone's got my back.

[She flashes Claire a smile over her shoulder before turning to face one of the striking dummies head on, where it stands mocking her from across the ring. She isn't even sure where to start with conjuring up her Light magic, or what that even means besides what little she's seen of it, but... it shouldn't be too different from using her Elemental, right?

With a deep breath in and then out, Tifa raises her fists like she's about to throw a mean punch at it instead.]

Okay, here goes nothing.

[She pushes her fist forward in a single swift motion, but... quite literally, there went nothing. There's a small spurt of fire that comes from her fist, but besides that, she's just made a complete fool of herself...]

Well. It's a start.

[Claire's expression might be a little amused, but it isn't malicious or anything. She smiles apologetically at Tifa, raising her own fist and mirroring the gesture. A burst of shadow bubbles out of it, puttering out a few paces away.]

Try again. Only, exhale when you make the motion. Focus everything on the Light you want to come out of your fist. Like, shut everything out of your mind but that, and then when you swing, release. That's my trick.

[It was such a sad little toot of magic. :(

The motions really should be coming more naturally to her, and the fact that they aren't is what makes this is frustrating when she tries. She's spent so many years building up her skill and technique in martial arts, and it wasn't just the punching that she practiced...! She can hear Zangan's voice in her head chiding her for not being able to focus properly, and reminding her of what she's learned...

With a vigorous shake of her head, she takes in a deep breath.]

Right. Exhale.

[Come on, Tifa. Remember what you learned and why you learned it, and the boys who said all those things—

And then she punches forward again, letting out the breath. Her eyes snap open at the tiny popping noise that comes from her hand, and while it isn't much, there's the tiniest light that bursts in the blink of an eye that she almost missed it.]

... Was that... Was that it!?

[Claire steps back again, giving Tifa room to work. She definitely can tell that the other woman knows her stuff when it comes to punching. Those muscles...ooo. But more importantly, she keeps an eye on Tifa's form. Watching for that spark she expects to come...and when it does, she grins, clapping.]

Yep! You got it on the second try.

[Nodding, she punches her own fist.]

That's one barrier down. You can do it, and you know you can. All you have to do now is practice until it becomes more natural.

[Why does light magic have to be so elusive!? Tifa wants to try it again, and so she does, but not before she beams at Claire with an air of pride. There's something about someone being so encouraging that makes her want to work harder at it, even if she already knows that she's still got a long road ahead of her. It wasn't often that people would cheer her on like this, and... it's kind of nice being on the receiving end of a person's reassurance...

It pulls at something in her chest, and for a moment, she hesitates when she feels it, but shakes it off easily.

The victory itself will be short-lived, because when she does try again, it's back to small sputters of fire.]

Guess I spoke too soon.

[Not that she has a problem with it, though. Progress is progress.]

At least it didn't end in explosions, so I'll take what I can get.

That's a victory, then. Take what you can get, build on it, and you'll be well on your way to mastery.

[That's something Barry'd taught her, and the encouragement thing? That was just how she worked. The Redfield family was big on self-improvement and on helping other people by pushing them forward. And here in Avalon, Arthur had made it clear that one of the duties of a knight was to encourage other offworlders. So here she is.]

Though, maybe that's enough for the afternoon. Don't overdo it, or you'll feel it hard tomorrow.

You think so...?

[Tifa flexes her fingers, returning to the bench they'd been sitting at.

It was hardly a spark, but the fact that it fizzled out so quick is telling enough. Even using too much of her elemental magic tends to put a strain on her. Tifa did always push herself to her limits, regardless of what it is, and she definitely needs someone to tell her that it's Time to Stop, even if she doesn't realize it.

She wanders up, but doesn't take a seat, instead gazing around the training grounds, her demeanor shifting from a confident one to a touch timid.]

How would you feel about meeting up here again sometime?

I know so. From personal experience.

[Claire's smile broadens, and in typical stupid 90s kid fashion, she aim's a finger-gun at Tifa.]

I wouldn't mind at all, hot stuff.

[It's so clearly feigned, mostly because of the fire.]

You'll get this down.

[Tifa finger-guns right back, and for a brief moment, the exchange reminds her a little of Jessie. The finger-guns mainly, but in all of that, she saw a glimpse of her old friend in Claire, and... it warms her heart. The two of them would probably get a long well.]

So, same time next week? I promise I'll be more prepared.

[Time to hit up the library for some books on Light magic...!]

[Claire is hard not to get along with, by design. She loves people, and she makes it a point to try and be the kind of person people want to be around.]

Ah...yeah, actually that would work out well. Let's say same day, around noon.

Same day, around noon.

[She repeats it committing it to memory, and fingerguns Claire again, her smile wider as two small balls of fire shoot out from each one.

Pow pow!]

See you then, hot stuff.

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[Closed] I get knocked down...

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this feels like a good place to start wrapping 🥰

Agreed!

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