closed 💎 gonna need a mon-tage

[theleadingman]

🧙 WHO: Balthier & Blazing Sky
⚔️️ WHAT: Training montage, cue 80's rock.
🕒 WHEN: Early May.
🗺️ WHERE: Red Spring Training Grounds.
⚠️ WARNINGS: N/A, will edit if necessary.

[While time spent in the training grounds won't do much to help Balthier hone his own magicks, he's more than happy to help a friend gain a better handle of theirs. Aside from that, it simply wouldn't do to let his physical skills grow rusty from disuse, and so he and Blaze certainly both stand to benefit from today's outing. He had opted to set his firearm aside; it wasn't exactly appropriate for sparring, and instead he stands with an arm curled around a long, slender pole, grabbing it above shoulder-height and propping it against the ground in order to support his weight, one foot casually crossed in front of the other.]

It's the elemental magic you wished to get some practice with, yes? So long as you take care not to singe my cuffs, that ought to be manageable.

[His smile quirks to one side, just slightly crooked.]

At your leisure, then. I'm glad for the opportunity to keep myself nimble.

Comments

[firesinthesky]

[ It had occurred to her on her way out here that she and Balthier sure do spend a lot of time dancing, whether for strange rituals or masquerade balls or… this, now. Sparring is just another form of dancing, isn’t it? ]

I’ll try not to go too hard on you.

[ She says it with a wink, but truthfully she’ll be pacing herself for both of their sake. It wouldn’t do to hurl a lightning bolt at him until she sees what he’s capable of, and she has other things that need much more practice than that.

So she takes a deep breath, concentrating on calling unfamiliar power in a familiar way. Her hands work in front of her, fingers forming in rapid succession until she feels heat well up around her. On exhale, a blast of fire suddenly shoots his way. It isn’t quite what she wants, as it’s more of a stream than a single, fiery explosion at his feet, but it’s a start. ]

[theleadingman]

[It is a bit amusing, the way their acquaintanceship has defined itself thusfar, though Balthier himself finds he has no complaints.]

Much appreciated— I am, of course, a delicate flower.

[Not in the least, but he appreciates Blaze's playful tone as he readies himself. He watches her hands with interest, the movements themselves foreign to him, and though he does not know which spell she might let loose to start with, he's ready to let his reflexes swiftly guide him to safety. When that burst of flame erupts, he's quick to move out of its path, the stream of flame a curious visual in its own right, and he extends his staff behind him horizontally to balance himself.]

Interesting— almost an unbroken stream. Can you replicate that?

[firesinthesky]

[ She feels rather like a dragon, if she’s being honest. It’s not a bad feeling, letting loose a stream of flame from her lips, but it’s not what she wanted. The fire dies off as she runs out of breath, straightening to wave a hand in front of her face and check for singed bangs. ]

What, you mean do it again? I suppose, but it wasn’t my aim in the first place.

[ She waggles her fingers at him, assuming he took note of what she’d been doing with her hands. ]

I’m trying to use my new magic to replicate the skills I lost when I arrived here.

[theleadingman]

A curious accident could still be worth investigating, but fair enough, I suppose.

[He sets such curiosity aside for now as he nods in agreement, a smile continuing to tug at one corner of his mouth as she waggles her fingers. Right, he can see why what had been produced wasn't necessarily desirable.]

Another attempt, then. What are you trying to replicate? What was flame able to do for you before?

[firesinthesky]

Mm, sort of a big, swirling explosion.

[ So, you know, she was way off the mark. But now he knows that she through a fiery cyclone was a good thing to throw at him right off the bat. ]

I’ve got most of the rest, but the fire is giving me trouble.

[theleadingman]

[Right, then— the exact opposite of what had happened.]

It would make sense that fire would be the most difficult to tame.

[There's never anything orderly or obedient about it, part of what makes it so dangerous.]

Quite an opener if you'd managed it, however. There is something to be said for building to a climax. Anticipation, dramatic tension?

[firesinthesky]

Shall I throw something else at you, then?

[ It's a question she perhaps doesn't expect an answer to, with the way she straightens up, hands coming up to form the beginning of another set of symbols.

Is it getting cold out here? ]

[theleadingman]

[She certainly doesn't waste time— not that she was the type he would ever expect to. The brisk chill that fills the air is all the warning he receives before he sees ice beginning to form, and he swiftly moves to strike with the end of his pole to shatter it before it can encroach too closely.]

Handy trick! Only someone quite talented with magicks could manage that where I come from.

[firesinthesky]

You flatter me, ser.

[ She might not have succeeded in snaring his ankles, but she has more tricks up her sleeve than just that. The ice breaks apart at the impact with his weapon, but the chill remains.

Blaze sweeps an arm and a trio of shuriken made of ice crystalize in the air and rocket in his direction. ]

[theleadingman]

[Now that, he absolutely hadn't expected. She marks her mark, and one of his eyes gives a bit of a twitch as he scoffs, managing to block one of the incoming projectiles with his pole and deflect it back at her, but certainly not all. Given that they're only sparring and he'd worn something suitably protective over his shirt for the occasion, the frost stings and bites rather than cuts deep.]

Brisk.

[He inhales sharply before he decides to give her a moving target— clearly, she's managed to sort out how to manipulate certain elements perfectly well, and there's nothing to be gained by standing still. He surges forward, only to feign left at the very last moment, then double back to try and sweep her legs out from under her. It may not actually send her anywhere, but he thinks it should be enough to challenge her concentration.]

[firesinthesky]

I thought perhaps you might be a bit hot under the collar.

[ She’d have prompted him to move eventually, so she’s glad when he takes the initiative and moves to attack. She can - and has - honed her skills against stationary targets like dummies as much as she wants, but a real fight, against a moving opponent is something else entirely.

Balthier is quick on his feet, but then, so is she. Still, she doesn’t quite expect the feint and he manages to hook one of her ankles, throwing her off-balance for a second. She pivots to regain her footing, slipping one of her daggers into her palm to bring it around with the motion and try to drive him off. ]

[theleadingman]

Did you? Do I seem the sort?

[He laughs easily, perfectly conversational even as they weave and dodge about one another. His feint had been successful enough; he catches her rounding on him out of the corner of his eye as she regains her balance, the gleam of light off the steel of her dagger catching his attention despite its small size. He quickly shifts, raising his pole with both hands to block the movement of her wrist in order to keep her from bringing that dagger in close.

It's a miss, but very narrow— they're both quite fleet-footed and quick to react, though that means they're well-matched for a spar such as this.

He grins, a quick backstep putting space between them. Wielding Kanya at the moment means he has reasonable reach, but he knows that's not as solid an advantage as it might be with another opponent, given her use of elemental magic.]

Let's try something new.

[Show him your best, Blaze.]

[firesinthesky]

Only in the presence of a lovely lady such as myself.

[ She winks at him, even as he disengages. He does have the advantage of reach with his weapon, and he’s smart to try and make use of it. Still, she’s grinning broadly, eyes bright. Already, this has been fun, and she’s looking forward to just how far they can push one another.

Powerful legs tense and spring, launching Blaze into a sprint - but rather than charge him directly, she skirts wide, circling him. Her hands work as she runs, and the smell of ozone kicks up in the air as static crackles over his head, the only warning he gets before a bolt of lightning crashes down from above. While he deals with that, she moves to close the distance. ]

[theleadingman]

Lovely and humble, a refreshing combination.

['Humble' isn't a word he'd use to describe either of them, but it matters little; he's grinning nearly from ear-to-ear, quite obviously enjoying this tussle of theirs. Blaze is a worthy opponent as well as excellent company; what's not to like?

He braces himself for a forthright assault, but he should have known better— for all her raw power thanks to her size, Blaze is quick and has agility on her side, as well. His own sharp reflexes help him to very narrowly sidestep the bolt once he picks up that familiar scent, though the end of his wooden pole does get slightly singed in the process. In addition, her keeping him on his toes works; the bolt of lightning had been enough to keep him occupied while she closes in, and while he reacts quickly, he turns sharply to find himself face-to-face with her, his weapon now occupying the very narrow space between them, and he looks up to give her a wink in greeting.]

Now, if you really wanted to dance, all you had to do was say so.

[At which point he'll suddenly drop the pole, forfeiting his reach to go for a sudden left hook, rainbow rings and all.]