♥ [Action/Training Center/Open] I have the right idea but the execution's a little weak

[rebellingheart]

[Most of Rinoa's classes weren't so bad. Most of them her time traveling with SeeD had prepared her for and the others seem to just need  a bunch of studying. Thankfully she didn't mind pouring over books so that wasn't too big of a hardship. There was though one class that continued to be a struggle to adjust to, but it was the one she was currently the most determined to pass.]

Alright. Just like in class. I can do this.

[Eying the sword she holds in her hands with an exasperated look, Rinoa straightens her shoulders before looking around the training center rather reluctantly. It was probably pretty telling just how her skill level was if the teacher had agreed that getting some practice outside of class was probably for the best.

Still, she was more determined than ever to figure out just how to properly use a sword and then a gunblade. Little details like the fact that she just didn't seem to have the ability naturally wasn't 't going to stand in her way.

Spying a Grat some distance away, she lets out the breath she was holding before charging in blade flashing as she goes on the offensive.

Rinoa may or may not have some trouble, so anyone nearby should feel more than welcome to help, watch, or even offer her advice on just what she's doing wrong.]

Comments

[fierybluebird]

[Marco watches from a tree-branch, warily ready to jump to avoid stray bullets.]

[rebellingheart]

[Thankfully for Marco, the gunblades from this world don't actually shoot bullets. They probably would never have let Rinoa have one if they did. She'd probably have shot herself in the foot twice by now.

The current skirmish really puts a new meaning on hack and slash as it looks more like she's just swinging the blade with only a vague idea of just what she wanted to happen. Still her face is set in stubborn lines as she continues to try and figure out just what it is that she's doing wrong.]

[fierybluebird]

[Now he's getting worried for her. Even if he can't parry or do any sword skills to save his life, he can tell that's pretty visibly off. And Vista and Thatch would be cringing by now. It's kind of like Ben Beckham with his rifle club... only far worse.]

[rebellingheart]

[Stepping back away from the Grat, Rinoa takes a moment to just calm down and breath. Then, opening her eyes she scowls and charges back in with more determination than ever now that she was more focused again.

This time, while still clearly a beginner she doesn't seem quite so hopeless as before now that she's concentrating properly.

Stupid grat wasn't going to get the best of her.]

[fierybluebird]

[Well at least she doesn't look like she's in much danger of skewering herself now.]

[dragon-savior.livejournal.com]

[Ryu settled on stopping by the Training Center. There was something troubling him, and he would have liked to find out how his power would work sooner rather than later.

There was just a slight problem with Rinoa being there. He stopped, observing what she was doing. He had no idea she was training with a sword, but he hoped she would do alright.]

[rebellingheart]

[Face set, she's so busy concentrating on the Grat that she doesn't even realize that there's someone nearby.

Her jaw was set and her chin stuck out stubbornly as she continued to try and fight the monster. Sadly, it looks like she made it through the beginning class with only the very basic sword moves and even then they weren't exactly well executed.

Still she stubbornly continues to fight on, knowing that if she wanted to this fight could have been over in a second. That defeats the purpose of her sword training though, so she continues to struggle against the weak monster anyway.]

[dragon-savior.livejournal.com]

[He winces a little at her motions. He's beginning to understand why she's here. The idea crosses his mind to train her himself. After all, he grew up with a sword always in arm's reach. It was a natural extension of his body at this point.

He would have called out to Rinoa, but that could possibly break her concentration and leave her vulnerable. Instead, he kept watching. This would be a good way to learn where she needed improvement.]

[rebellingheart]

[What better place to train than in the training center? It made sense certainly. As stubborn and independent as she might be, this is something she'll be more than happy to have some help with. Who knew that learning a new weapon would be so hard?

The Grat lands a blow then and she scowls, grip tightening on the hilt before she strikes out at it with renewed determination. Hit her would it? She'll teach that grat a lesson. You just watch! Well, eventually. Still, it was amusing to note that the crankier she got at the Grat, the better her swings seem to get as she's not thinking about her form quite as much.]

Since they both have the same weapons class and all!

[willnotsubmit.livejournal.com]

[Mitsuru, on the other hand, isn't having much difficulty with bladed weapons. When it was time to choose her specialization, she picked up a rapier while barely even glancing at the other options.

Her sword is currently sheathed at her hip, as she moves through the training center. What she truly needs to work on is para-magic; calling it up is slowly becoming easier, but it still feels different from what she's used to. And Mitsuru would vastly prefer 'familiar' to 'still unusual.'

Which is why she almost zeros in on the same Grat with an ice spell, before she realizes someone else is trying to close with it. Mitsuru lets the spell fade away, while she takes a step back to watch.]

I hadn't even thought of that. Good point!

[rebellingheart]

[Swords weren't something she was used to using, unlike Mitsuru it seems, so it was a constant struggle to adjust her way of thinking to a new fighting style. Not to mention swords require muscles that she hasn't particularly used for anything quite this strenuous before now. Really, she'd have to cave and spend some time in the gym eventually from the looks of it. Her poor arms got so sore after trying to practice like this.

Para-magic was something that came fairly naturally to Rinoa. It wasn't something she'd ever had a difficultly picking up so that's where they were different.

Not realizing Mitsuru was there, Rinoa engages the grat quickly, though the fact that she's an amateur shows up right away. Even the most basic attacks are delivered awkwardly and without much of the power they should have had. It was really no wonder why the intermediate instructor despaired over her potential just a little bit.

Still, if there was one thing Rinoa has going for her it's stubbornness as she continues to fight against the monster without any signs to show that she was going to give up in the near future.]

[willnotsubmit.livejournal.com]

[For the first few sword swings, Mitsuru watches the fight with interest...And then growing dissatisfaction. She hadn't thought Heartilly was that untrained, although she's only glimpsed her a time or two in class...But while she can't quite compare her form to Iori's (for one, she doesn't look like she's going to fall backwards on any of her swings) it's not anything she'd be proud of, if she was using a slashing weapon.]

"...Still, one has to assign top marks for effort."

[She murmurs that, before stepping out and closing in with her own weapon ready. It doesn't feel like it would be good form to watch a classmate/roommate/person she still can't fully understand wear herself out on a single enemy.]

"Heartilly, on your left. Permission to provide assistance?"

[rebellingheart]

[Sadly, she's well skilled in distance weapons, but close combat was still out of her league. That was the general idea behind this extra training session, the first of many it looks like.

Hearing the voice, she turns to look at Mitsuru, surprised the other girl was there.]

Permission to...[She's cut off as the grat lunges at her and she only just barely manages to block the attack.] If you really want to I guess. Not too much help, I'm never going to get better if people keep fighting my battles for me.

[derped.livejournal.com]

[Places Rion is normally not: The Training Center. But he figured that maybe he should work on some of his indirect magic in a more... dangerous setting.

Things Rion is not normally: busily gawking at Rinoa. This is a thing he's doing right now. He didn't know she used a GUNBLADE * A* (it's so cool!)]

[rebellingheart]

[It might be cool, if she was actually good at using a gunblade, but it's pretty obvious that she's painfully new at managing the weapon as she continues to struggle against the Grat. After all, they were weak easy monsters who'd been put into the training center for that reason and yet here she was actually struggling to fight one with this new weapon.

Still it was obvious that she has no intention of giving up anytime soon, even if it could very well take all night before she actually managed to beat that single monster.]

[derped.livejournal.com]

[... unfortunately there's not much he can really ... do, other than help (and that's not something he'd like to do). Being too loud would make his presence known, but might startle her; not doing anything might startle her with his presence when she notices him. And obviously, he can't help.

... oh, whatever. Rion sort of stomps the ground, hoping she'll notice (and won't get distracted); if something happens he'll begin getting ready to, er, cast something maybe?]

[rebellingheart]

[She notices the stomp and can't help but look around to see just what the noise had been. It had been too quite for a Trexuar's footsteps, but you couldn't be too careful in the training center sometimes.

Seeing someone she knew from class, she smiles and waves only to get reminded that 'hey stupid, you were fighting a monster; by a blow to the back of her head. Scowling at the monster she looked rather annoyed, but instead of blasting away at it with magic like she would have done normally, she charges in more determined than ever with her gunblade.]

[runaway-chosen.livejournal.com]

[]

[rebellingheart]

[The hand waving is a pretty great distraction, enough so that Rinoa ends up getting a sharp blow to the face from the monster.

Glaring at the grat while holding her cheek with her left hand, it takes her a minute to realize that she's already started to summon a Fira in response with her other. It was overkill for certain, but somehow the thought wasn't repulsive at the moment. As the grat crumbles into ash, she just scowls at it for a moment before remembering that something that wasn't the grat had caught her attention which had started this whole mess.

Shouldering the gunblade, she turns to look for the source and then walks over to the unfamiliar blonde.]

Are you okay? You looked like you were in trouble a minute ago since you were waving your arms around so much.

[Oh the irony.]

[runaway-chosen.livejournal.com]

[]

[rebellingheart]

[Rinoa looks at the girl and then the weapons curiously. It seems almost like a blaster edge without a mechanism to help use it. This of course catches her curiosity.

Then, realizing that the girl either can't or won't say anything, she fills the silence herself.]

I've never seen any weapon quite like that, you want to train together for a little while?

[heartlinks.livejournal.com]

[ Just as Rinoa charges at the Grat, that's when Minako arrives at the scene. Recognising her clasmate, Minako sticks around to watch quietly, not wanting to break the other girl's concentration. ]

[rebellingheart]

[And concentration is about all she's got, because her sword form is pretty lousy. Still it's obvious that she's trying, just unfamiliar with how you really apply all the instructions that the class has been giving her.]

[heartlinks.livejournal.com]

[ Still watching! And ready to give a hand in case Rinoa needs it, but she won't jump in until she's really needed. ]

Man, this thread. It is ver. eventuful. Y/Y? XD

[rebellingheart]

[Still fighting! It's pretty obvious that the weight of the gunblade sits awkwardly in her hands, but at the same time she's managing well enough. Still it's obvious from the way things are going that she's going to be there for a while at her current rate.

>You're watching a girl fight a grat
>Keep Watching, people who butt in are annoying
>Step in and help her out, it looks like she's having a rough time
>Point and laugh at her for being an obvious n00b
>Other]